6 The Recorder - Thursday, November 3, 2011 - GENERAL ELECTIONS

BATH COUNTY CANDIDATES FOR SUPERVISOR

Dreama Burns
Millboro District

Cliff Gilchrest
Millboro District

Challenger
Member, Bath County School Board, Millboro District. I want young people to be able to have jobs and live here. Says county is geographically divided by Warm Springs Mountain and is becoming divided. We need to do away with the other side of the mountain and be governed as one community. We will have to seek businesses out so we can generate some revenue from (the Millboro Industrial Park). We cant keep dipping from the same well. Raising taxes is not the answer. We will have to think of other things. Believes grant money should be sought for water improvements in Millboro Springs. Those people live with water nobody should have to live with, she said. We need to look at technology or Internet-based industries. There has to be something like that we can tap into. Im a firm believer that sometimes you need new people. You need freshness. I think if you stay several terms, you lose some of the motivation and conviction you started with. Says Millboro residents asked her to

Challenger
Member, Bath County Board of Supervisors, Millboro District, 2004-08. We need a concerted effort with the board of supervisors, the industrial development authority, the chamber and the citizens to attract small businesses to the industrial park and/or the facility in Bacova, he says. Buckingham Branch Railroad would be willing to serve businesses that would locate in the industrial park, since the railroad has no customers from Goshen to the end of its line in Alleghany. Matching funds are available from the state for construction of a rail spur at the industrial park, he says. We live in one of the most beautiful spots anywhere in the country, particularly on the East Coast We need to continue to promote Bath County as a good place for tourists to visit and stay for a while. This will help our businesses. Homeowners and businesses in Millboro Springs would greatly benefit from water and sewer. The service authority is looking at places to hopefully find potable water, and we have to work with the service authority on this. On one hand, we have to live within our means, but on the other hand, due to the state formula for education funding (composite index), we pay a larger share than surrounding counties (for education). Bath has the advantage of the Bath County Pumped Storage Station, which provides about 25 percent of the countys revenue; the challenge, he says, is to keep that revenue

Dreama Burns
consider a bid for office. They told me I had done a good job on the school board and asked if I would consider running for board of supervisors. I believe it is a privilege and an honor to vote. Having two candidates to choose from is always a plus. Having two candidates who love the area is a bonus. If Im not elected, I will support my opponent fully. I ask everyone to vote with their heart and vote their convictions.

Cliff Gilchrest
stream fairly constant. Will we be willing to reassess on a more frequent basis to maintain that? he asked. It is impossible to attract small businesses here if the school system declines. A most critical issue for Millboro District and the county as a whole is, if you shut one school down, it will eventually impact the whole county because the county will not grow in the ways we want it to grow. The citizens and county government must work together for the future of Bath County. We have to work in a resolute way to attract business to this county and have meaningful employment for folks to make at least a living wage. I would like to think my grandchildren, if they want to stay here, would be able to find employment.

Kevin Fry
Valley Springs District
Challenger
Resident of Peery Hollow area; lifelong resident of Bath County. Member, Hot Springs Fire and Rescue Association; former member, Bath County Board of Zoning Appeals. Says aging population is major issue. As the county ages, we need a plan for that. We need to take that into account. The biggest thing is the young people leaving, he says. Believes comprehensive plan needs to be addressed again. A lot has changed in the last four years. We will need to tweak (the comprehensive plan) We need to lay a foundation. If we dont plan ahead, nothing else matters. What we have done with tourism is positive so far. I think we need to support the chamber of commerce as much as possible. We need to utilize our existing resources to bring visitors to the county I think Maggie (Anderson, tourism director) has done a good job. We have to be willing to make the necessary investment in tourism. Believes school board and supervisors have made good strides with their relationship. We need to keep the communication and make sure that continues. We need to give (students) a good foundation if they choose college and a good

H.R. Ronnie Dunnagan

Valley Springs District
Write-in Candidate
The whys of running for public office are difficult to answer Every candidate feels that he or she is the best fit for the job, and each will cite very good reasons why they believe this to be so. I believe that the challenges our county faces cannot be fixed in four years our county used to be booming with industry and fairs and such; sadly, that has all slipped away. In the coming months and years, our county will need to make some tough decisions, including caring for our aging population, and the fact that many young people must leave the area for work and entertainment. Our tourism industry is booming, yet Ronnie Dunnagan there is almost nowhere to dine on Sunday afternoons and all day Monday. prosper in the county. Being remote is both Believes Bath needs to make it more a blessing and a challenge. appealing for businesses to start up and

Kevin Fry
foundation if they choose the work force. I believe our vocational programs should be revamped to reflect the current job market We need to take care of the people who have been here their whole lives and make sure they dont get lost in the shuffle. Supports current tax relief for senior citizens, and building county contingency fund. We shouldnt just use it for everything that comes along. Supports periodical town hall-type meetings to hear from Valley Springs residents.

Exercise Your Right to Vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8