The Nocona News (Nocona, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 37, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 21, 2008 Page: 6 of 12
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Page 6, Thursday, February 21, 2008, The Nocona News
Candidate's Forum n Nocona
Continued from Page 3
think we need a change in
Austin. I think special interest
groups drive the train down
there.
"We have water issues, and
they are only going to get more
serious.
"Obviously I have strong
feelings about education. I'm a
very strong proponent for public
education
"I think we need to get more
for our money. We need to get
rid of that abominable TAKS
test. It is a negative. It's a tool
for measurement, and all it does
is tears down teachers and stu-
dents and a waste of money
"We have a serious problem
with immigration. We have a
wide open border, and we need
to know who's here.
"We need to encourage legal
immigration and put a stop to
illegal immigration.
"We need to be more effi-
cient. I do believe we can get
more for our money. I think we
need a new attitude rather than
go along to get along.
■
m
w
County
Commissioner Precinct 3
Donald Cheshier - "I want
to thank y'all for electing me to
three terms on the Nocona
School Board. I've been practi-
cally raised here in Nocona
since '61 or '62 when we moved
here.
"Pretty well all I can say is
I'll give it my best shot to do
whatever I can. Whatever needs
to be done I'll try and do it
whatever the cost the citizens of
Precinct 3 want to spend.
"I promise you that I'll see
that you're tax dollars are spent
wisely for whatever needs to be
done. We've
got a lot of
good candi-
dates running
for office. We
ought to be
proud.
"Just listen
to your heart
and vote for the
candidate you need to put into
office."
Steve Howard - He is a
Nocona native. His is the third
generation of Howards born and
raised in Montague County. He
and his wife Paula have four
kids, two graduates from Prairie
Valley and two from Nocona
High School.
"I went tech school in Waco.
I went to work for Caterpillar.
Shortly after I was drafted into
the Armed services, and I went
and spent 2-1/2 years with
Uncle Sam in the Army that was
during the VN era. After being
discharged from the Army I
went back to work for
Caterpillar. While I was in the
Army I met my wife, and we
were married. After I got out of
the Army we moved back to
Montague County. I worked for
Caterpillar for 10 years. Then I
decided to start my own busi-
ness.
"I have been self-employed
here in Nocona for 28 years as a
diesel mechanic and heavy
equipment mechanic.
"In my job I have covered
lots of area in Texas and I have
worked with lots of county com-
missioners in Texas and south-
ern Oklahoma. I have learned a
lot through the way they handle
different situations. I also
worked with road and bridge
contractors throughout the state
and seen the way things are
done as far as road building and
bridge construction.
"If I were elected to the
office of Commissioner I would
try to do whatever the county,
people of this county and people
of this precinct ask me to do.
And try to work with the people
and try to help them the best I
can."
Question - "What business
experience do you have to be a
county commissioner?"
Howard - "I've been around
other commissioners and I've
work with them. As far as the
roads and equipment is con-
cerned. I've got lots of experi-
ence. As far as the county gov-
ernment I was in the PVSB for
12 years and I
understand
about budgets
and how budg-
ets work in that
situation. Just
knowing some-
what how
things work
and then if I'm
elected finding
out exactly
work."
Steve Ross
Montague
how county's
"I've been in
County about 14
years. I was born and raised in
Wichita Falls. When my son
Taylor was born my wife Pam
and I decided to raise him in a
smaller town.
"I can't make you a lot of
promises about what I would do
as county commissioner
because I don't know the limita-
tions of that job. One thing I'd
like to do is work with the com-
missioner's court to get all of
the departments working togeth-
er.
Question for all of the com-
missioner candidates - "Looks
like the taxpayers are going to
spend $200,000+ on the roof of
the new jail. In your opinion
what can you do to get the job
done right the first time? Also
looks like there should be some
sort of guarantee."
Ross- "As far as spending the
money on the roof is use a rep-
utable company and see that you
get a guarantee."
Cheshier - "I feel the same
way. I would really want to look
deeply into it before we spent
that kind of money. Look into
whatever type of materials.
Check and make sure they are
up to standards and will stand
behind with a guarantee. I
would definitely want to look
into it very deeply."
Sheriff
James Glen Neff is with his
wife who is very ill had to go to
the emergency room.
Sheriff Bill Keating was in
attendance but left before the
candidates spoke.
Keating - "Why are you not
here? (laughter)
Moderator - "What he told
me when he left that he had to
go because he had an emer-
gency."
Bob Blackburn - "For 16
years I've been aggravating
child molesters and drug deal-
ers. If any of them here and are
offended tonight, I don't apolo-
gize. That's what I do.
"I filed cases in district court
on child molesters, pedophiles.
I work on the emergency man-
agement teams that draft plans
that are put into effect in case
disaster strikes.
"I'll do what I have done for
16 years — provide quality law
enforcement for the citizens of
this county."
Question - "If elected as
sheriff what will be your evacu-
ation of what will be the new
Bowie High School campus in
case of a train derailment of
hazardous materials?"
Blackburn - "I am part of
what is called the Bowie School
District Crisis Management
team which believe it or not has
plans in writing of what to do in
case of such disasters. The plans
are integrated with the city of
Bowie and hopefully in the
future integrated with the coun-
ty.
"There are contingencies in
place for that. As far as plans for
the new Bowie High School,
there are no plans in place for
that. I'm sure it will be
addressed.
Paul Cunningham - "Some
of the things that I feel are
important to Montague County.
Number 1 narcotics. We can do
that through various means. A
memorandum of understanding
with other agencies local, coun-
ty and state. That doesn't mean
that we have a task force.
Doesn't mean we have to con-
tribute a lot of money to this
effort. You will provide a per-
son to this task of narcotics and
that means several other people
in other counties and other
agencies, then you'll have 20-25
investigators working together
working in your county and
you're investigating in their
county.
"One of the other things I
would like to see in Montague
County is Wise Eyes which is
currently being used in Wise
County. It was started by Sheriff
Phil Ryan. It is an internet
based, email program. You
build an email data base.
Individuals, businesses, delivery
people, build it with your utility
people. And when you have an
incident, you have a missing
child, a missing elderly adult, or
a crime, you send it out and you
have thousands of people out
looking for this individual.
Rather than have one to five
deputies.
"One of the other things I'd
like to see happen is cooperation
between law enforcement both
city, county, state. Hold month-
ly intelligence meetings
between agencies and exchange
information. These intelligence
meetings are very valuable."
Question -"If elected will
you follow the commissioner's
court order for no smoking in
county owned buildings? And
how would you improve rela-
tionships with office and com-
missioner's court?"
Cunningham - "That's pretty
much a no brainer. As far as the
issue of no smoking if that's the
county policy that's the policy.
It's just like the personnel poli-
cy, if it's a policy, that's the pol-
icy ... whatever the policy is.
"Since 1992 when I was the
city of Lewisville I was over
investigations for the FD. I was
responsible for budget, respon-
sible for the people working
under me. I answered for that
budget. Not one time did I have
a controversy with those people.
"Since 2003 when I became
the Wise County Fire Marshal,
answered to the county commis-
sioners. I've been responsible
fro a budget in that office. Not
once did I go over budget. Not
once did I have a big controver-
sy in commissioner's court with
those commissioners. I'm not
going to say we didn't have our
differences, but we've been able
to sit down and work things out.
Question -"A friend had
property stolen. The deputy
tried to take pictures with his
cell phone because he had no
camera. The homeowner used
her own camera and took the
crime scene photos. Do you
think all deputies should have
their own equipment?"
Cunningham - "Being a
deputy and doing your job is no
different than any other job you
do out here day to day. If you
don't have the proper equip-
ment, how can you do the job?
How can you do what's need to
be done to prosecute that case?
I'm a firm believer of having
the tools to get the job.
"There are ways for getting
the tools through commission-
er's court. There are grants. I
believe having the tools to do
the job is very important. I
don't believe a deputy can do
his job without the proper
tools."
Question of all sheriffs can-
didates- "Who do you think
you answer to who do you think
you job is?"
Ronnie Reynolds - "Right
here. We work for the public.
Peace officers all work for the
public. I realize the commis-
sioners are responsible for the
budget. Y'all are my boss."
Cunningham - "I kind of go
along with Ronnie. The first
and most important for the sher-
iff are the citizens of the coun-
ty. That's who put you in office.
They have entrusted you, that's
Please See 'Response' Page 9
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Mesler, Tracy R. & Mesler, Linda L. The Nocona News (Nocona, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 37, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 21, 2008, newspaper, February 21, 2008; Nocona, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth439464/m1/6/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Friends of the Nocona Public Library.