TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY ICON, LARRY BOWDEN, RETIRES AFTER 25 YEARS

September 14, 2018

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TWENTYNINE PALMS CITY ICON, LARRY BOWDEN, RETIRES AFTER 25 YEARS

Congressman Paul Cook of Yucca Valley stopped by the Twentynine Palms City Hall September 10 to present a certificate of recognition to long-time city employee Larry Bowden, who is retiring as a city employee after 25 years of service. From left: Mayor Macarthur Wright, former mayor Dan Mintz, Bowden, Cook.

A long-time employee of the City of Twentynine Palms will be retiring at the end of the month. Managing editor Tami Roleff lists the highlights of Larry Bowden’s long and distinguished career…

Larry Bowden moved to Twentynine Palms with his parents in 1966 and except for three years in when he moved to Arkansas, he’s been here ever since. During his 51 years in Twentynine Palms, he served on the city council for four years, and was mayor in 1998. He started working for the city in 1994, and in the last 25 years, has had eight different job titles, including recreational superintendent, interim city manager, and assistant city manager.

Bowden had a hard time picking his favorite memory from the last 25 years. “It’s just been a good place to work. I feel like I got a lot of things done. They allowed me to make things happen. We’ve improved and cleaned up lots of buildings.”

Bowden then listed some of the city’s achievements while he worked there: “The ADA improvement plan, Knott’s Sky Park, the shelters, the lights. Lots of people like our parks.”

Former mayors Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley gathered September 10 to congratulate Larry Bowden on his retirement as a Twentynine Palms city employee.
From left: Twentynine Palms Mayor Macarthur Wright, former mayor Dan Mintz, Congressman

And although he’s disappointed he won’t be an employee during the city’s Project Phoenix redevelopment project, he’s looking forward to retirement. “I just want to get up and do what I want to do for the day. It’s all about personal freedom. How long are you healthy to do the things you want to do in life? I’m looking forward to fishing, working with wood, working with the historical society, Sky’s the Limit.”

He said it didn’t hit him until later just how special it was to be presented with a certificate of recognition by Congressman Paul Cook Monday for his years of service.

“It’s a good feeling, it was kind of cool a congressman came out to see me.” Some of the highlight’s of Bowden’s years in Twentynine Palms include being inducted into the Twentynine Palms High School Hall of Fame in 2007. As a football coach for the Twentynine Palms Wildcats, the team won the CIF championship in 2007. And in 2016, he was named Employee of the Year when he was serving as acting city manager. Bowden plans to spend his retirement with his wife of 44 years, Dana, his two children, and three grandchildren. and fishing and barbecuing.