Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 26, 1990 TAG: 9004300194
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Long
At a legislative forum this month, the eight candidates vying for four council seats focused on some of the town's problems. But they also said some of the solutions already exist - people just need to be made more aware of them.
Here's a closer look at the candidates.
Nick Glenn, 38, was appointed to council a few months ago to fill the remainder of Pete Crawford's term. Now he wants to be elected to a full term.
He's done it before, from 1984 to 1988. "After that, I didn't run again - I decided to go home and take a rest," he said.
Glenn said he wants to see Pulaski get a face-lift.
"I'd like to see improvement in beautification," he said. "Flower beds, the connection of the New River Valley State Trail with the train station . . . "
Some of these projects already are under way, Glenn said. "I want to see more of them."
Glenn, who has been secretary of Glenn Insurance Co. and will be appointed president of the company as soon as the corporate paperwork is completed, says he wants to use his degree and experience in finance and business to benefit the community.
"I have a willingness to work with the citizens and I also want to improve quality of life," he said.
Glenn has been chairman of the New River Valley Airport Commission for the past three years. He is a native of Pulaski and received his degree from Virginia Tech.
Andrew Lester Graham, 69, is finishing up his 20th year on council.
"I enjoy serving on council," Graham said. "I enjoy the challenges. I do as honest of a job as I can. I just really want to make an impact on our town."
Graham said he can offer experience.
"I know the workings of local government and I'm very familiar with it," he said.
He said he listens to residents and other council members about their concerns.
In the coming years, Graham said, the community needs to continue working on economic development.
"We certainly need to create more jobs, if possible," he said. "We need to continue improving our educational system."
Graham said council members should be good stewards in spending taxpayers' money. Some of that money is going toward beautification of streets and sidewalks.
"I think that's important," Graham said. "These things can't be accomplished overnight. It should be an ongoing thing and we need to do a little every year."
Graham is a member of the council's finance and utilities committee and chairman of the public operations committee. He served as vice mayor for eight years. He was a bombardier in World War II.
He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1948 with a degree in engineering and worked at the Appalachian Power Co. as customer services manager.
James Neblett, 59, has been a member of Town Council for a total of 15 years. His first term started in 1974. He said he enjoys helping make decisions that will make Pulaski a better place.
"I'd like to continue with that assistance," he said.
Neblett said a number of good things have been established in the town over the years, including a strong police force and Recreation Department. A new water treatment plant is nearing completion.
"We have a lot of good things going for us," Neblett said. "We have many assets in this town, many sources of pride. I hate to see negative attitudes expressed about the town. I'm proud of it and that's what I like to hear others express."
Neblett, principal of Newbern Elementary School, said economic development is one area that needs improvement. "We have people going to the east and west to shop. We need to keep them here."
He said some strides have been made in that direction with the Main Street program.
Neblett said that in the coming years he hopes to continue work on a committee that is working on creating a countywide recreation program.
Neblett received his bachelor's degree from Emory and Henry and his master's from the University of Tennessee.
He is chairman of the utilities committee on council, and has chaired almost every other committee during his 15 years.
Walter Howard "Rocky" Schrader, 37, has served on council since 1986.
"I'm running now for the same reasons I ran then," he said. "I'm concerned about our town."
Schrader said Pulaski residents are working together to build a good community through improvments in sidewalks, an updated ordinance package and other projects.
"We've been working to attract business and industry to the area," he said. "I'd like to see those things continue."
Schrader is a lifelong resident of Pulaski. "I have two children growing up in this community and I want to help make a nice town for them to live in the rest of their lives."
Schrader said he has seen an improvement in communication between county and town governments over the past few years, and that also should help in attempts to bring industry to the area.
"I think the main purpose of a town government is to deliver services to the citizens - the best services at the best price," Schrader said. "I think with federal and state money shrinking, it's going to be a real challenge to be able to maintain and hold down tax rates while delivering services."
Schrader is finance and insurance manager for Hudson Chevrolet and a graduate of Pulaski High School. He has served as chairman of council's ordinance committee and has been on the town's Planning Commission since 1984.
Charles Donald "Don" Crispin, 64, has never run for a political office.
"I've been active in helping other people, but I've never tried it myself," said Crispin, who moved to Pulaski from California four years ago.
Crispin said he doesn't believe the current Town Council does a good job of listening to Pulaski's residents.
"I decided if I'm going to complain, I may as well get involved," he said. "This type of government is supposed to represent the whole town. I want to do that."
Crispin said he is concerned that Pulaski is rapidly becoming "an old persons' town."
He said the town needs industries that will pay decent wages so students will have the means to receive higher education. The students also need jobs waiting for them when they finish school, he said.
"They are moving away and leaving the town with just senior citizens," he said. "That's bad for the town and the families."
Crispin said Pulaski has a "wonderful environment. I'd like to stress to prospective industries that we do have that environment and a strong work ethic."
He said the town also should do more for senior citizens.
Crispin worked for 27 years at Lockheed Missle and Space Co. in California, where he dealt with federal agencies and budgeting contracts.
He served in the Navy during WWII and attended ValParaiso Technical Institute in Indiana.
"I care that people get a fair shake," he said.
The Rev. E.G. Hinton, 68, is a retired United Methodist preacher who wants to bring brotherly love to Town Council.
Hinton said he was asked to run by people in the Draper District. "I have the time to spend and study the needs of Pulaski," he said.
Hinton moved to Pulaski 20 years ago from "the red hills of Georgia."
"I, as a member of the Town Council, will listen to all of the deficiencies, all of the emptiness, all of the wrongdoing, and try to rectify it Christlike and with brotherly love," Hinton said. "There is diversity within the realm of the council. There needs to be brotherly love practiced as well as implemented."
Hinton said he has pastored at churches of all sizes over the past 40 years and has gotten used to listening to people. He said that as a member of council he will listen to all Pulaski residents.
"I cannot promise them one iota," he said. "I am promising nobody nothing. But I will promise them that I will do the job as a councilman should do and I will adhere to their problems."
He also said the town needs to improve its employment, educational and recreational facilities.
"We need to improve the sidewalks not only downtown but in residential areas as well as downtown."
Hinton is a graduate of Gammon Theological Seminary and the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Ga.
Daniel K. Meadows, 36, is another newcomer to politics.
"As a local businessman, I have seen a few areas that we need to focus on," he said. "I think I can do a good job."
Meadows said the community needs to create a good environment for small business.
"We need to help the small businessman any way we can," he said. "We can make a lot of the general procedures easier. There are a lot of small areas where there's room for growth."
Meadows, who is a developer with R.J. Co., said he is used to running a business.
"The town itself is a business," he said. "I think I can do a lot there. In real estate, I've gotten used to making a fairly large organization work. I think I'll be really handy."
Meadows said Pulaski needs to stimulate more economic growth to increase its tax base.
"The whole world is growing. We can't stay stagnant. We need a good plan of how we want to grow so we won't have problems later."
There already are a lot of good plans and good ideas for helping Pulaski, Meadows said. "But there seems to be a problem getting them in motion as quick as I'd like to see them."
Meadows graduated from Radford University with a degree in psychology. He is a Pulaski native.
Pauline G. Mitchell, 64, has been on the ballot before. She served on council from 1980 to 1984. She ran again in 1986 and 1988, but lost. Now she's running again.
"I've always been interested in anything I thought would help people," Mitchell said.
Right now, Mitchell said, the town could be helped if there was something to bring in tourists from Interstate 81.
"I think we could work on that," she said. "We have marvelous weather. We have a nice environment here. If we could push the shopping centers and prevail upon a nice restaurant to locate here, it would draw in people from 81 and get them to stop."
Mitchell said she also is interested in bringing people back to Main Street. "I think it all has to come back to Main Street," she said. "We also need to work on parking."
The town is involved in a state-assisted Main Street, aimed at revitalizing the economy and appearance of the downtown.
Mitchell has lived in Pulaski since she was 2 years old. She resigned from the payroll department of Appalachian Power Co. in 1968.
She graduated from Mary Washington College and was a charter member of the county's humane society.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on April 28, 1990\ Clarification
Pauline G. Mitchell, a candidate for Pulaski Town Council, wishes to clarify some remarks that appeared in a story in Thurday's Current. When Mitchell said she wanted to "push the shopping centers" of Pulaski, she meant she wanted to promote and spruce up only the existing centers in the town; she did not want to bring new shopping centers to the area.
Keywords:
POLITICS
Memo: CORRECTION