Pikeville will choose two board members
By Laura Collins
Published in News on October 26, 2009 1:46 PM
Six candidates from the town of Pikeville are vying for two town commissioner seats.
Incumbents Lyman Galloway and Edith McClenny join Ward Kellum, Charles Lee McGrady, Regina Wassenhove and write-in candidate Ronald Potts in the running for the open seats.
Galloway has been on the board of commissioners for 12 years and said he is happy with what has been accomplished so far and would like to continue helping the town.
"My original goal was to rebuild the infrastructure of Pikeville, and I'm happy to say we went ahead and finished building the water system, and we're about to finish the sewer system," he said. "We have a state of art sewer system. We have a state of art electrical system and water system, and I think we're mighty, fortunate."
Galloway also said he was one of the leading forces pushing for the new library.
Ward Kellum, a retired Highway patrolman, said he would like to focus on growth in Pikeville if elected.
"I want Pikeville to stay just as clean as it is now, but growth needs to take place," he said.
Mrs. McClenny said she has been living in Pikeville for about 40 years and is a current commissioner.
"I ran and got on the board because I wanted to make Pikeville a desirable, beautiful place for people to come to live," she said.
She said that while serving on the board she was appointed parks and recreation commissioner and sought grants to help build a park.
"I'm very proud of that, and I'd like to see Pikeville continue to grow," she said. "I'd like to see us get a new town hall, and I know there are grants out there, and I hope we can get one to make that happen."
Ronald Potts, a write-in candidate who retired from the military and moved to Pikeville in 1996, said he decided to join the race so the board could have an alternate voice. Potts, who lives on Collingwood, said he wants to address problems in the area.
"I want to look at issues with flooding," he said. "No one can fix it, and I'm trying to get it fixed."
Regina Wassenhove, who has lived in Pikeville for two and a half years, said she wants the board to focus on helping the people of Pikeville.
"Anything that there's an ordinance on and you question it, they look more into what they don't have to do for the citizens than what they can do for the citizens," she said. "I want to be the voice for people in Pikeville, that's my reason for running."
Commission candidate McGrady did not return calls for comment.