Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 3, 1994 TAG: 9402030229
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Barbara Duerk, a member of the city Planning Commission, is expected to announce soon that she will seek the GOP nomination for a council seat.
Duerk, who has been active in the Roanoke Neighborhood Partnership, has spoken to council on several issues in recent years.
Among other issues, she has urged the city to include bicycle lanes in highway projects and to put some police officers on bicycles.
She is a member of the bicycle advisory committee for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Mounted police are pretty, she said, but officers on bicycles are more effective, cheaper and faster.
City officials are studying the idea.
Duerk said she will announce her plans Feb. 14, the day before the GOP will hold a mass meeting to choose its candidates for the May 3 election.
Meanwhile, Dan Wooldridge said it is unlikely that he will become a candidate.
A former member of the city School Board and a supervisor of college athletic referees, Wooldridge confirmed that GOP leaders have talked with him about running.
He said, however, he might have obligations that would prevent him from having the time to serve on council.
"I would say it's doubtful now that I will run," he said.
GOP leaders said they expect to have at least three candidates for the four seats.
Six Democrats are seeking their party's nomination in a March 1 primary for the four seats, all held by Democrats.
Democratic council members John Edwards, James Harvey and William White are running for new terms. Councilman Howard Musser is not seeking re-election.
Former Councilman James Trout, the Rev. Nelson Harris and Linda Wyatt are also in the primary contest.
John Voit, a college instructor and personal investor, is the only announced candidate for the GOP nomination.
Plans for a nonpartisan slate of candidates have been abandoned, partly because few people were willing to run. A citizens' organization, Action '94, will neither field its own candidates nor endorse any candidates in the contest.
"We've got a lot of people who are willing to work to help others get elected, but they don't want to run themselves," said Dale Allen, chairman of the group.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB