YourHub.com \\ Cheyenne Mountain \\ Stories \\ Around Town

The Mayor of Stratmoor Hills

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

Contributed by: Sheila Egan on 2/8/2008

He's a big man, he walks with a straight spine, he takes long strides, his head turns from right to left as he goes about his daily rounds noticing everything, keeping his ear to the ground and stopping frequently to visit with friends. It's not so much that Ralph Huber was elected the Mayor of Stratmoor Hills; it's more that the title was bestowed by acclamation.

After Army assignments in Germany, Korea, Vietnam, Chicago and other stateside posts, Huber chose Stratmoor Hills as his permanent home. He loved the rolling hills, looking at and being in the mountains, nearby hunting, fishing and camping, an unobstructed view of Cheyenne Mountain, the crisp air, the sprawling lots, natives pines and Buffalo grass. Another draw was the neighborhood's proximity to Fort Carson where Ralph and his wife, Hilda, could shop at the grocery and department stores, receive healthcare at the hospital and attend church. At that time Stratmoor Hills included a golf course, club house and swimming pool ~ irresistible attractions for a young family. A huge man with a wife, two daughters and five sons needed plenty of room, so Huber built a big house at the summit of Stratmoor Hills in 1971 and remains there today. The Huber children attended Stratmoor Elementary School and St Mary's High School. After Army retirement, Huber worked for 25 years as a Farmers Insurance Group agent.

Ralph Huber was born on the family farm near Rulo, Nebraska, a German-American region near the Missouri River. He was the 6th of 7 children born to Carl and Janet Mooney Huber. He was named Ralph in honor of Father Ralph Egan, the family priest. As a boy he attended "farm school" - eight grades in one room, all handled by one teacher. He worked with his father and brothers on the farm, fished and hunted for small game. Ralph graduated Falls City, Nebraska, high school at the age of 16. A year later he joined the Army. Over the next 22 years he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Stratmoor Hills is a quiet neighborhood of 540 homes located in unincorporated El Paso County just southwest of the World Arena. The area was built beginning in the 1950s and a neighborhood association was quickly formed and remains in effect today. Huber stresses that, "This is a cooperative neighborhood association, not a homeowner association. We have no dues, we are not a legal entity, all of our officers are voluntary and unpaid. The goal of the Stratmoor Hills Neighborhood Association (SHNA) is camaraderie, to watch out for one another, and to encourage property owners to keep their homes in good condition." Over the years several persons presided over the SHNA. When Huber was elected president in 2000, he had no inkling that his term would last six years, more than half a decade of negotiating with county officials, making and receiving multiple phone calls, attending local and neighborhood meetings, making hospital visits, going to funerals, moderatng sometimes-heated discussions, putting up signs, and getting out the vote. During his tenure, Ralph Huber was one of the leaders who helped restore city bus service to the area, had a pavillion built in Sinton Park, traffic lanes painted on a major artery plus numerous other accomplishments. Getting things done is Huber's forte.

He retired from the Presidencey in 2006. But even now when Ralph Huber walks into the Association's monthly meeting, the spaghetti supper, the Christmas dinner or the summer picnic in the park, neighbors acknowledge that the Mayor has arrived.

Despite his gruff voice and tendency to bark out directions, everyone knows that Huber is the first to aid in any crisis. When asked to name his favorite place on earth, Ralph Huber said, "Colorado." Huber scoots around town in his elderly Chevrolet Vega; neighbors delight in watching 6'4" Huber fold himself into his little red car. So if you're looking for the Mayor, check out the big green house with the red door and shutters and Old Glory fluttering over the entrance to Ralph and Hilda Huber's home.

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story