By Brandon HENSLEY

Before it was time to eat the holiday treats on the back tables of the Community Room at the La Crescenta Library, business had to be handled for the Crescenta Valley Town Council on Dec. 20, and that meant re-electing Cheryl Davis as council president and swearing in the new councilmembers.

Davis was elected by her fellow councilmembers over Charles Beatty, her lone competitor, during the meeting. Davis gave a short speech before the vote telling the audience and her peers she would like one more year to continue certain projects she has in mind.

Beatty then spoke, and said while Davis has done a wonderful job as president, he would like the council to go in a “slightly different” direction.

“I think we need to move from micro-management to macro-management,” he said, which means, “appointing people to do a job and letting them do a job without constantly looking over their shoulder. This doesn’t mean lack of supervision by the president; it means the individuals can get on with their job without worrying what the president thinks.”

But the council chose familiarity in the end, and Davis will serve a fourth year as council president.

It was also time to say goodbye to outgoing members, and hello to the ones voted in during the November election. Dennis van Bremen, Todd Thornbury and Odalis Suarez ended their runs as councilmembers, and L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich was on hand to swear in new members Daniel Cheung and Marti Marshall. Leslie Dickson, also voted in last month, was not present.

The outgoing members each received a certificate of appreciation from L.A. County and the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Davis said van Bremen was “the voice of calm and reason over the past seven years. He’s been the main driving force behind Arbor Day and the Pancake Breakfast, and I will miss his kind and gentle soul.”

About Thornbury, she said he “brought his charming sense of humor to the council over the last three years, and when things got a little tense, he could make it better with a flash of that smile and a twinkle in his eye.”

And Suarez “has been key in helping us start and build our Land Use Committee,” Davis said. “She’s knowledgeable, fair and reasonable about these issues and her counseling guidance will be greatly missed.”

Antonovich had some parting words for 2012.

“Our staff enjoys this opportunity to work with the community, and also the departments who come here,” he said. “We appreciate the Sheriff’s Department … the Highway Patrol, we have no control over them,” he joked, “but we like to work with them, and along with county fire department who is a integral part of our community, so it’s a pleasure to represent you.”

Before the main business, the council recognized Doug and Laura Laing, who received the Spirit of Christmas award. Their house on 2812 Alabama St. has gained attention for its decorations.

Doug told the audience when he was a kid his father didn’t put up many lights in the name of saving money, so when it was his turn to own a home, “I’m going to put as many lights up as I want.”

The Laings have 10,000 lights on their house.

“I don’t put money into my car,” Doug said, “I buy Christmas lights.”

  Brandon Hensley