Candidates Present Views to Eads Chamber

By Chris Sorensen

KCP Staff

April 30, 2004

Six of the eight candidates for Trustee and Mayor in the town of Eads spoke to members of the Eads Chamber of Commerce Monday night. Candidates present included Dennis Pearson, Diane Crow, Cardon Berry, Charles Howard and Bill Barlow, who are seeking Trustee seats, and mayoral candidate Larry Michael, who is currently unopposed. Trustee candidates Jan King and C.J. Fillbeck were unavailable due to job commitments. Additional candidates are still possible, since the petition period is open until 5:00 p.m. May 7.

Pearson stated that, in the time he has been here, he has been interested in working for the betterment of the county and town, believing that what benefits one will generally benefit the other. Pearson expressed a desire for teamwork, and would like to contribute time and effort to help Eads grow. He is president of the Eads Chamber of Commerce, Director of the Kiowa County Department of Social Services, and an alternate to the Kiowa County Economic Development Foundation board.

Crow was appointed the Board of Trustees five years ago, then sought and won a four year term on the board. She said she seen a lot of good things happen during her tenure, and was looking forward to more projects to encourage positive growth in the town. Crow works at Valley State Bank, is secretary for the summer baseball program, and assists with FFA and fair projects when needed.

Berry stated he would like to see more involvement in addressing housing needs – not only new housing for assistance in rehabilitating older homes. According to Berry, Eads needs to attract younger families, as it is also a good place for retirement. He also said the town needs to be more involved with a proposed water pipeline in the Arkansas Valley, and consideration should be given to using the Great Plains Reservoirs and Adobe Creek Reservoir for water storage. Berry would also like to pursue ideas to develop and promote the former Union Pacific rail line in Kiowa County. He is involved in ranching, and is a former four-term Kiowa County commissioner.

Howard was appointed to the board last year, and accepted the position to see what he could do to help Eads. He is seeking greater communication and cooperation between local governing bodies, noting that each entity is working on different projects, and should be in closer contact to see how they can help each other. Howard is a retired business owner, and is a member of the Chamber board, hospital board, Eads Housing Authority board, and active in his church.

Barlow stated that the community needs growth or it will die. He would like to facilitate making Eads an attractive community for people reaching retirement age and looking for a small community to live in. He stated that storm water drainage issues have not yet been fully addressed. Barlow would like to see the town grow again instead of having businesses closing. He is a lifetime resident of Kiowa County and involved in agriculture.

Michael stated that he had been a board member for eight years, and also mayor for eight years. Over the past few years, the town has made great strides in putting in place the infrastructure necessary to support a growing community. Michael stated that there are people interested in coming to Eads and developing businesses. He said he believed that the town was on the right track, and would like to remain on the board for another four years to get things like housing projects started. Michael is a business owner, and heavily involved in the Ports-to-Plains trade route development.

The Eads Municipal Election will be held June 8. Potential candidates have until May 7 to submit nominating petitions, or May 16 to file and affidavit to be a write-in candidate. May 10 is the last day to register to vote.