The Kent County League of Women Voters is sponsoring two forums in October for candidates in the November 5 Chestertown election. Both forums will be held in Town Hall, 118 North Cross Street, second floor, with free admission.
A forum for the seven mayoral candidates will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22. The candidates are vying to assume the role filled for many years by the current but retiring mayor, Margo Bailey.
The forum for Town Council will be two days later – Thursday, Oct. 24. The incumbents in Ward 1, James R. Gatto, and in Ward 3, Mabel Mumford-Pautz, are being challenged . Liz Gross seeks the seat in Ward 1, and Samuel Shoge and Alex Smolens are running in Ward 3.
The Chestertown Town Charter forbids the listing of candidates by political party.
Both forums will be led by a moderator who will ask the same questions of each candidate. Alice Ritchie will moderate the mayoral forum, and Dick Hawkins will conduct the session for Town Council. Some questions will be those of the Kent LWV, while other questions may be submitted by audience members, time permitting. The format puts a time limit on the candidates’ answers.
The candidates for mayor, in alphabetical order, are: Bill Arrowood, Sarah Brown, Chris Cerino, Armond Fletcher, Holly Geddes, Thomas Hayman and Linda Kuiper.
The Kent League asked each via e-mail for a 25-word biography on their backgrounds. Below are their answers:
MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Bill Arrowood – Born and raised in Chestertown; BA in Communications; owner of successful business in film industry; chairman, Recreation Commission; volunteer with multiple local community organizations.
Sarah Brown – Teacher, visionary, leaders, communicator, hard worker; Services: Board of Education,Title 1, Parks and Recreation, PTA boards; multicultural, NAACP, MABE, AKA Sorority.
Chris Cerino – Chairman. Chestertown Planning Commission; vice president, Sultana; 21-year resident of Kent County; raising two sons in Chestertown; Masters in Teaching from UVA.
Armond Fletcher – Returned native-10years, NSU- Bus.Adm-5 yrs., retired business executive, Outreach Minister/Comm./Church; Co-Founder-Diversity Dialogue, Board; The G.A.R, The Garfield Foundation.
Holly Geddes – IBM programmer, portrait photographer, PTA, two school task forces, American history teacher grade eight. Teachers Council for MCPS; president of Arts League and Main Street.
Thomas Hayman – Lifelong resident of Chestertown; graduate of Kent County Public Schools and Washington College; seventh grade history teacher with QACPS; married with one son.
Linda Kuiper – Chestertown Town Council member Ward 2. QA administrator for Chestertown based Psychotherapeutic Services Inc.; appointed to the Public Guardianship Commission; Shared Opportunity Services board member.
Brief biographies on the candidates for Town Council will await more responses to the League’s e-mail requests.
For more information on the Kent League of Women Voters, see the website, www.kent1.lwvmd.org.
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