CITY HALL ARTIFACTS COUNCIL OFFICES SPEAK VOLUMES.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - In Mayor Laurene Weste's office, several plush cartoon characters are in permanent residence - near piles of binders of documents.

Dozens of elephants line Councilwoman Jo Anne Darcy's desk and bookshelves, which are heavy with awards and honors.

History books are scattered around Councilman Frank Ferry's utilitarian office, and a simple framed copy of the Constitution hangs in Councilman Bob Kellar's Spartan office.

A framed football jersey adorns Councilman Cameron Smyth's wall, a reminder of past athletic glory, in the office that used to belong to his father, a former mayor.

While the rest of us have to be content with tacking up some pictures of loved ones and scattering some favored knickknacks around our desks and computer terminals, the five members of the Santa Clarita City Council have entire offices to decorate. And how they embellish those small spaces on the third floor of City Hall - or how they don't - speaks volumes.

Weste's office is easily the smallest - and also the most cluttered. A 6-foot-tall Sylvester holds court in a corner, not far from - who else? - Tweety.

``A lot of children come through these offices and most of the time it is their first experience with government which can be rather intimidating,'' Weste said. ``Sylvester makes them feel welcome and shows them that this is not a scary place.''

Next door, Darcy's office is legendary for her collection of elephants in all shapes, sizes and colors from all over the world.

``This is just a fraction of my elephants,'' Darcy said. ``I lost 300 in the last earthquake.''

Darcy was given her first elephant - a symbol of the Republican Party - when she started as a field deputy for 5th District Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich in the 1970s.

``Everything has a story,'' Darcy said. ``They are awful nice to look at, but I can't seem to slow down to do it.''

Darcy will have to take down the dozens of awards, certificates and plaques that cover the walls when she retires from the council next year. She already despairs of finding space in her garage.

``People have been very good to me,'' Darcy said, of the organizations that have honored her many years of service in Santa Clarita. ``I'm very grateful.''

When Bob Kellar moved into the office next door after being elected a year ago, he left most of the walls bare. That is, until one day Darcy hung a copy of the Constitution over his desk that had been given to her as a gift.

``She told me my walls were too bare, and she lent them to me,'' Kellar said. ``I'm taking advantage of her overflow.''

Perhaps the most personal touch in Kellar's office is a golf club, propped against the wall near a window overlooking Valencia Boulevard.

``I'm a terrible golfer,'' Kellar said, shaking his head. ``But I love the game.''

Down the hall, Councilman Ferry's office shows even less of a personal touch. Only one award hangs behind Ferry's standard-issue desk. ``This is a place of business,'' Ferry said. ``You come here to get what you need done, done, and then you move on to the next thing. I don't need the wall of Frank Ferry.''

A history and government teacher at Valencia High School, depictions of the battle of Gettysburg adorn the walls, and history books rest on bookshelves.

``There is so much significance to that battle,'' Ferry said. ``If it had gone the other way, so much would be different today especially when you think about civil rights and our country.''

Councilman Smyth clearly shares Ferry's affinity for Abraham Lincoln. A portrait of the much-revered president, along with George Washington, hangs behind his desk, near newspaper clippings telling of his election victory.

``I can't compete with Jo Anne and Laurene in terms of office personality,'' Smyth said.

On the facing wall, Smyth's football jersey from his days as a Santa Clarita Valley Athletic Association Warrior hangs as a reminder of glory on the gridiron as a running back and defensive end.

But for Smyth, his office isn't as much about him as it is about his family. A portrait of his father, Clyde Smyth, rests against a wall.

``This is the same office he used, the same furniture,'' Smyth said. ``I take that very seriously. My father served with honor and dignity. I remind myself that he did that in this office, and it makes me work harder.''

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Mayor Laurene Weste keeps her council office kid-friendly with overstuffed animals such as Tweety and Sylvester.

(2 -- color) Councilwoman Joe Anne Darcy keeps a lot of elephants on hand, although many were lost in the '94 earthquake.

(3 -- color) Santa Clarita Councilman Bob Kellar combines a vintage golf club with a vintage newspaper in his City Hall office.

(4) Santa Clarita Councilman Frank Ferry, a history teacher and Civil War buff, keeps reminders of the past in his office.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer