ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 5, 1996 TAG: 9603050080
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
With time running out to get their names on the May ballot, four people have filed petitions to run for three seats on the Blacksburg Town Council.
Long-time incumbents Frances Parsons and Michael Chandler filed their petitions with the county registrar on Friday while newcomer challengers Ron Rordam and Todd Halwas filed on Monday. Councilman Waldon Kerns, whose seat also is up for re-election, announced last month he would not run for council this year because he is going on sabbatical from Virginia Tech for six months to a year.
So far, candidates have cited Blacksburg's future growth as a main issue during this year's election.
Parsons, who has served six terms on council, said rewriting the town's zoning ordinance has been a major undertaking.
"I enjoy working with people," she said. "Almost everyone is nice to work with. As long as I enjoy doing this, I'd like to continue.
Chandler, a land-use expert and community planner, was out of town on Monday and could not be reached for comment.
The two newcomers to the Blacksburg Town Council race, Rordam and Halwas, are no strangers to local government or the community.
Rordam, owner of Health Benefit Services in Blacksburg, is vice chairman of the Blacksburg Planning Commission and is a member of the town's Long Range Planning Committee, where he has been involved in rewriting the comprehensive plan.
"We're looking toward the future and we've been doing that a lot in the Planning Commission," Rordam said. "I believe very firmly we need to have planned development and plan our future in where we're going to grow."
Realtor Todd Halwas, who just stepped down as the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce president, said he wants to bring a business perspective to the council.
"I think we're going through a time right now, because our economy is so tied to Tech, that the last four years have been a realization that we need to diversify our economy a bit," he said.
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