Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 16, 1994 TAG: 9411160134
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Six men, including a pastor who owns a plumbing and electrical business and an adjunct psychology professor who runs a chain of fast-food restaurants, will be considered for the seat. County officials have not publicly announced the names of those under consideration. But the Roanoke Times & World-News obtained a list of the applicants, who agreed to talk about their reasons for seeking the county's highest elected office.
The winner will represent the county's biggest geographical district, which includes the Huddleston, White House and New London areas.
The Board of Supervisors gave a deadline of last Wednesday to apply for the empty seat. The board has until next Wednesday to appoint a new member, or the choice goes to Bedford County Circuit Judge William Sweeney.
The new member will serve the rest of Teass' term, which expires in November 1995. Voters then will elect a supervisor for a four-year term.
All six men seeking the seat said that, if appointed, they would seek re-election.
Here are the six applicants for Teass' seat:
Wayne Barger: Born and raised in Bedford County, the 53-year-old machinist has lived on the same Huddleston farm his entire life. He was the first of the six applicants to submit his name for consideration. "I got into this to represent the farmers," he said Tuesday.
The proposed consolidation of Bedford County and Bedford is one of his top concerns, he said, adding that he thinks the county should keep its tax base protected from annexation by Lynchburg and Vinton.
Barger is a high school graduate who attended New London Academy. He is a past president of the Piedmont Beekeepers Association and is an active member of Timber Ridge Baptist Church. He works at AMP Inc. in Roanoke and has been married for 21 years. He has one daughter.
Roger Cheek: Cheek, 48, has owned and operated an auto body repair shop on Virginia 43 since 1976. Cheek, a Huddleston resident, said: "We need a voice. Somebody that will speak up for people. I'd like to see some positive things come through our district. The undesirable things seem to come to this district - power lines that nobody else wanted and the county landfill. I'd like to see that turn around."
A high school graduate and native of Bedford, Cheek served six years in the Virginia National Guard. He has been married 26 years and has two grown children.
Michael Cook: "Probably the thing I like best about Bedford is the wide-open spaces, the fact that you tend to have cows for neighbors. I also like the tax structure," said the 43-year-old Cook, who is a vice president in his family's fast-food business, which manages a chain of Arby's restaurants in Lynchburg, Danville and Martinsville.
Cook lives in New London, holds a master's degree in psychology from Virginia Tech and teaches psychology part time at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg. "It gives me more of a real-life perspective. [As a teacher], I cross paths with people from all levels of the socio-economic strata. It certainly helps give me a better pulse on the area here."
Born in Tennessee, Cook moved to Lynchburg in 1968 and has been a Bedford County resident since 1980. He owns rental property in Campbell County and Lynchburg, and was a member of the board of directors of Lynchburg-based Timberlake Christian Elementary School for eight years. In his second marriage for 16 years, Cook has five children and one grandchild.
Earle Hobbs: Hobbs, 68, said he threw his name into the hat because of his long friendship with James Teass. A seven-year veteran of the Bedford County Public Service Authority, an appointed citizens group that oversees the county's sewage and water systems, Hobbs said: "I believe in the environment and safe drinking water. I believe in promoting industry in the county. I'm an advocate of the Bedford County school system.
"Right now, I haven't studied too many issues. I don't know what's on the board's back burner. But I plan on studying if I'm appointed."
Hobbs said he supports the regional jail and the county's Land Use Guidance System.
Born in Bedford County, Hobbs is a high school graduate and a World War II veteran. He spent most of his life in Lynchburg, working in sales and distribution for Flowers Baking Co. He and his wife moved to Smith Mountain Lake in 1980. They have four children and seven grandchildren.
Douglas Potter: Recently retired from his job as a manufacturing systems controller with Lynchburg-based Intermet Foundry, the 61-year-old Potter lives in the Peters Creek subdivision in New London. Potter says of his shot at being a supervisor, "It's a new venture for me, and I like challenges. I have no previous government experience, but I have a very good background in budgeting and overall management of people."
If appointed, Potter hopes to use the board seat as a voice for fiscal conservatism by the county government, and he hopes to lower property tax rates.
Born in Massachusetts, Potter moved to Bedford County in 1973 and holds an associate degree in accounting from Central Virginia Community College. After 22 years of service, he retired from the Navy in 1973 with the rank of lieutenant commander. He has been married 36 years and has two children and one grandchild.
David Smeltz: A Bedford County resident since 1987, Smeltz, 49, is the founder and pastor of the nondenominational Open Door Bible Church in Bedford and gives early Sunday morning sermons on local radio stations. He also owns a family-run plumbing and electrical business. He was chairman of the Moral Majority's Indiana chapter in 1983 and 1984 and founded an anti-pornography group there.
"Bedford County is a tremendous growth area, and I'm concerned about the future for my children and grandchildren," Smeltz said. He added that he supports the city/county consolidation plan and wants to work for lower property taxes.
Born in Lynchburg, Smeltz grew up in Florida and is a Vietnam War veteran. He moved back to Virginia in 1974 and became pastor of Valley View Baptist Church in Buchanan. He has five children and one grandchild.
by CNB