Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 15, 1995 TAG: 9506210073
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: B. LYNN WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Four years ago, there were only 22 candidates.
On the registrar's computer Wednesday morning, there was only one word: "whew!"
For a while, it looked like Giles Commonwealth's Attorney James Hartley would not face any opposition in his bid for re-election. Then Garland Spangler filed to become a candidate, making it a two-man race.
Spangler, 49 and a Pearisburg lawyer, has practiced law for 10 years. He serves as attorney for the town of Narrows and Glen Lyn.
He is a past president of the Giles County Bar Association and currently serves as treasurer.
Spangler said that communication should be improved between the office of the commonwealth's attorney, the police and crime victims.
"Plea bargains need to be fully understood by the police officers and the victims," Spangler said. "And if the victims are children, plea bargains need to be understood by their parents."
Spangler, who was once a victim of crime himself, said he could empathize with people in that position. "I know what it's like to be unaware of what's happening in your case, not knowing whether or not a defendent is going to be released," Spangler explained.
He said his goal as commonwealth's attorney would be to emphasize old-fashioned virtues - honesty, efficiency, vigilance, hard work and respect.
A special interest to him, Spangler said, is eradicating illegal drugs.
Spangler is a member of the New River Valley Sentencing Board, the Narrows Lions Club, and the Giles County Youth-Adult Partnership.
Spangler and his wife, Carolyn, have three children.
Spangler, a resident of Narrows, holds degrees from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Virginia Tech and the Antioch University School of Law.
Hartley, 43, has been commonwealth's attorney for 12 years. The Pearisburg resident said he had worked diligently to fulfill commitments made to the people since being elected in 1983.
He cited his record of getting long prison terms for those convicted of murder and drug trafficking.
But despite past successes, he warned, there is still work to be done. Hartley predicted "combating drug dealers will be an important part of our task in the next four years."
He is president of the law firm of Hartley, Chidester & Steele and is an attorney for the towns of Pearisburg, Pembroke and Rich Creek.
Sheriff Larry Falls will face two candidates this year, Keith Hale and Sean Muldoon.
The Board of Supervisors race will be crowded. Running for at-large seats are: incumbents George Hedrick and Bobby Compton, and challengers Ronnie R. Anderson, William Freeman, G Howard Morris and Robert W. Williams.
Running for Eastern District are Jon Eaton, James H. Lafon, Calvin Sheets and Larry Jay Williams (incumbent).
Running for the Central District on the board are Timmy Brown, Barbara Hobbs and W.R. Johnston.
Western District candidates include Larry A. Blankenship and Herbert "Hub" Brown (incumbent).
In the county's School Board elections, candidates for the Eastern District include Ron Whitehead, currently a board member, and Jeffrey Wiegand.
In the Central District, Joe Gollehon will try to keep his seat on the board. He will run against Carolyn Linkous and Mary-Paul Shannon.
J. Lewis Webb is the only one running in the Western District.
At-large candidates include John Billos and Phillip Morris, who currently serve on the board, and J.B. Buckland.
Mark Butts and Anne Chambers are running for commissioner of revenue.
Keywords:
POLITICS
Memo: ***CORRECTION***