SAFETY, DRUGS ARE TOP ISSUES IN LOCAL RACES

Area Residents Get Chance To Meet Candidates At Two Regional Forums

HUNTINGTON -- Safety and drug prevention were top concerns for Fairfield
residents who attended a Meet the Candidates Forum Tuesday at the A.D.
Lewis Community Center.

The Huntington Chapter of the NAACP hosted the forum, where Mayoral
candidates Dave Felinton (incumbent), Rick Houvouras, Tom McCallister,
Larry Patterson and Charlie Thompson, all Democrats, and Republican Leonard
Samworth discussed ways to stop drug crime, along with issues such as
improving city streets and communication between the City Council and
administration.

City Council candidates spoke as well. At the forum were Damon Core, Brandi
Jacobs and Joseph P. Williams of District 5, as well as at large candidates
Mark Bates, Jimmie "Jimbo" Boyd Jr., Garry Black, Lura Miller, Dave Peyton
Jr., Bob Rufus and Rebecca Thacker.

Crime is a major concern for Barbara Johnson, who lives on Artisan Avenue.
"I'd like someone who's going to clean the place up," she said. "We can't
go outside after dark."

Candidates were asked what they would do about the size of the police force
in Huntington and what sorts of measures should be taken to let people know
the drug problem in Fairfield should be taken seriously.

Samworth said that a strong police presence is a definite solution to
addressing drug activity. But when it comes to the size of the police
force, it's crucial to consider the pension budget problem the city faces,
said Patterson, who now represents District 5 on City Council.

Regardless of who is elected, community members need to back up their
representatives to help improve safety in the neighborhood, Williams said.
When someone calls 911, "it takes Lord knows how long for someone to get
there," he said.

To address the drug problem, Felinton said it's also important to consider
other alternatives, such as finding some funding for rehabilitation programs.

Houvouras suggested that Cabell County as a whole rethink how tax dollars
are spent when it comes to law enforcement. There are several law
enforcement bodies in the county and there should be a workable way to
arrange their coverage to meet needs, he said.

Houvouras also suggested programs in which the federal government
confiscates property used for drug activity. The city then could rebuild it
and put it into a lottery for young people looking for affordable housing.

Specifically, candidates were asked if they would support an organized
burning of a drug house, which could send a message that drugs will not be
tolerated.

Jacobs supported the idea. "Desperate times call for desperate measures,"
Jacobs said. But several other candidates said they would not be
comfortable with such a measure.

Miller, an at large candidate, said drug prevention needs to begin in the
homes and council members should do what they can to help facilitate that.

Other city matters that were discussed were repairing roads and cleaning
the city. It's a health issue as well as a quality-of-life issue, Thompson
said.

"Everywhere you go, you'll find filth," he said.

When it comes to improving communication between the city and the
administration, McCallister said he'd like to start with strong leadership
that keeps council members apprised of what is going on.

Huntington resident Loretta Hagler said she liked some of what she heard at
the forum. She'd like elected officials to address the drug issue in the
Fairfield community and employment, "so young people can stay here, and we
don't become a dead town," she said.

"I was pleased with some of the things I heard," Hagler said. "Some of them
are very enthusiastic, and I think would do an excellent job. I would like
to see people do what they say they're going to do."

The city needs more people who know how to manage money, said Wanda
Johnson, who attended the forum.

She'd also like to see honesty -- "someone who's more than a flow of
words," she said.

Meanwhile, candidates ranging from state senators and delegates to city
council candidates spoke Tuesday at the Guyandotte Improvement
Association's meeting at the Guyandotte Library.

Creation of jobs and better communication among residents ranked high among
the topics of discussion. Three Republican candidates for the 15th district
of the House of Delegates, Jim Carden, Carol Miller and Paula Stewart,
spoke Tuesday night. Democratic candidates for the Legislature, Bobby
Nelson, who is running for the 16th district in the House and incumbent
Sen. Robert Plymale of the 5th Senatorial District, also spoke Tuesday in
Guyandotte.

Many of the candidates, both on a state level and local level, spoke of
West Virginia's need to create more jobs. Residents at the meeting said
they wanted to see elected officials clean up the crime and garbage along
the streets of Guyandotte. Resident Wanda Linville said she is particularly
interested in the prosecutor race between incumbent Chris Chiles and
challengers David Perry and Ashley Lockwood. She said she sees too many
drug dealers and crime on the streets and wants more aggressive prosecution
of crimes.

"I think so many people are let off too easily," Linville said.

Linville said Guyandotte also needs to better clean its streets by removing
abandoned cars and encourage residents to keep garbage and clutter out of
their yards.

Debroah Thompson of Guyandotte said she wants to see government address
streetscape improvements in Guyandotte to make the area attractive and draw
more visitors.

"We don't have our niche yet other than Civil War Days," Thompson said.