Five square off for three seats in Littleton

Tuesday, Nov. 6 is election day in Littleton, and 432 registered voters will be able to choose from among five candidates for three open seats on the town board of commissioners.

A brief profile of each of the candidates is presented here, giving a little bit about their background, why they want to serve on the board, and what they may have accomplished if they’ve already been on the board.

The candidates are presented here in alphabetical order.

Alfred L. Cooke Sr.

Alfred L. Cooke Sr,. is running for a second consecutive term on the town board.

Cooke, a retired carpenter, is running in his third election, having lost a previous bid for a seat on the board several years ago.

In his more recent, successful bid for office, Cooke ran, at least in part, on the issue of the town cemetery, and what he perceived were to be problems with how the facility was maintained, and where money for that purpose was being spent.

“This town is controlled by a small group of people,” he said recently. “Most people don’t even go to the town meetings any more.”

Cooke said he believes he is working to restore governing power to a wider cross section of the town’s inhabitants.

Cooke said recently he believes the town police department, which has five fulltime and part time police officers, is too big and is costing the town too much to maintain.

“We’ve never had that much,” he said. “Our whole tax base is going to that department.”

Cooke has also voiced displeasure with the fact that the board has made some key votes -– the current year’s budget of $566,555 -among them – with less than a full contingent of commissioners on hand to cast a vote. The budget, for instance, was approved on a 2-1 count, with commissioners Billy Matthews and Clara Debnan not at the meeting because of scheduling conflicts. The mayor was in attendance, but does not vote unless a measure is deadlocked.

Cook said he has also never liked the fact that the board – again on a less-than-full vote -– sold the former McPherson building. That facility, he said, was a gift to the town and should have been kept for a town hall, police station, and other uses.

Instead, the town sold it, and now several businesses, including the Littleton branch of the Halifax County Public Library, and the Littleton Observer, occupy the structure.

Cooke said he hopes voters will return him to office so he can address those issues, trying to work to force the board to hold key votes will all members in attendance, and to address what he says are still problems with the town cemetery.

Clara Debnam

Clara Debnam is running for her second full term on the board of commissioners. Although she was appointed this past summer to fill the unexpired term of Marilyn Hale, Ms. Debnam had served a full four-year term before losing in her first re-election bid four years ago.

She works part-time as an office assistant with the Halifax County Upward Bound program, after having retired six years ago from her post as computer lab manager with the Halifax County school system.

She ran that first time because she said some friends asked her to. “I was asked to do it the first time, and I was encouraged to get back on the board (this summer),” she said. “I felt it a privilege to get back on the board again, to see if I can help the town.”

During her time in office, Ms. Debnam said she is proud of several things, including the completion of the sewer system project on the east end of town.

“That was a good project for the town,” she said.

Now, she would like another term in office to address two things: economic growth and increased recreation opportunities for youth who live in Littleton.
‘We need more stores, place like department stores,” she said. Littleton has a grocery store and two small discount retailers, in addition to several specialty shops, but she said that still means town residents often end up going elsewhere for more selection.

“I think we need to work more on attracting additional stores to the town,” she said.

She would also like to give area youth a little more of a structured environment and program for their idle hours.

“We need some sort of building with recreation opportunities,” she said. “We have the Littleton Senior Citizen center for older residents, I would like to see some sort of facility with programs for teens and youth.” She said such a facility could be the site for tutoring, organized games, and various activities.

“A place to get them involved in something, instead of just hanging out in the streets.”

If re-elected, she said she plans to take on those issues and hopes to get others on council involved as well.

“I ask people just to keep an open mind, and to consider voting for me,” she said of her campaign, which she is taking door-to-door this week.

Patrick E. MacRae

Patrick E. MacRae is a newcomer seeking elected office, running for such a post for the first time in his life.

But, he says that doesn’t mean he is new at public service.

He is a seventh grade social studies teacher and a retired U.S. Navy veteran, having spent 31 years in the military service.

MacRae is also an active member of the Littleton Lions Club and the American Legion Post 425. He said he’s active with those two clubs because they give him a way to help as many other people as he can with his time.

MacRae said that he is seeking office for two reasons.

“First, a desire for community involvement, to be part of a town where we’ve chosen to live,” he said. MacRae believes his background and education enable him to bring new ideas to the table -– “Problem solving skills, interpersonal interactions, things like that.

“Any small town needs people willing to do things, to work. This is just another way for me to continue to serve, like I did in the military.

“I didn’t decide to run because of a hot burning issue that needed my attention. I ran because I wanted to be involved, I’m willing to work to help the town become better … Lots of people come to board meetings, say things, want this and that, but few are willing to do it.”

His second reason is, quite frankly, to replace some members who are on the board with a particular ax to grind, rather than working for the good of the whole town.

“You should be there (on the board) for the good of the town, and not so you can carry your own personal grudge. Although I applaud the effort to resolve an issue, but the issue has been resolved.”

Just like the other candidates running for office, MacRae said he chose to not spend any money on the election. He said getting out, meeting people face-to-face, doing the legwork necessary to represent the town as a board member is how he plans to serve, thus that is how he decided to.

“I’ll walk around town and talk to people, that’s how I intend to run,” he said recently.

Mark Murphy

Mark Murphy is making his first run for elected office in the Littleton elections next week.

Murphy, the chef at Main Street Station, has lived in several towns over the years, and he wants to bring ideas he has gleaned from those travels to the town commission.

“I want to see this town grow, see people get together,” he said. “I don’t want to see a Wal-mart, I want to see more shops, smaller mom and pop stores.”

Every town government is faced with budget and policy decisions. It’s what the local government does beyond those day-to-day activities that can set a town apart, he believes.

He said building a stronger sense of community, getting more folks working together in Littleton, can help bring that about.

“I’ve been to town meetings and people come to the commission and complain about” yards that are overgrown, homes falling down, junked cars and other unsightly property in town.

“Why can’t we just get together, as a community go clean up those areas and hire someone with a truck to come and haul it off?” he asked.

“People talk about grass growing through the sidewalks. I look at that as something we can do as a community. Instead of hiring someone to come in and take care of that, why not have a community clean-up day?”

Murphy believes the commission can take the lead in getting folks more involved in community activities. He pointed to the annual Independence Day parade as something that could grow significantly over

He said earlier this year he’s also like to see a Founder’s Day celebration that could involved merchants and townsfolk.

Murphy is big on parades, festivals, and community events because he has seen what they have done elsewhere.

Those type of events galvanize community spirit, and bring a steady flow of visitors into town, which in turn leads to more shops and businesses opening.

Like the other candidates in this year’s Littleton election, Murphy has opted not to spend any money on his campaign, which means no signs or ads. Instead, he’s concentrating on meeting potential voters face-to-face.

That’s how he views the entire local government process – something to be done face to face with his constituents.

“I don’t look on being on town council as being a politician. I look at it as being part of the town, helping the town growing, becoming a part of the town and helping any way I can.”

He does have a few specific areas of interest as well. Murphy said he would like to see the town support the Main Street USA program that seeks federal grants to help with development and economic growth projects.

And, he said he supports the police department at its present size and recognizes that as the town grows, he believes the police department may also have to grow.

“I hear people, at council meetings, complain about how much the police spend driving back and forth to Halifax. But, we have no jail in town, no magistrate, what do you expect? They (deputies) have to make that drive.”

Terry Newsom

Of all the candidates running in this fall’s election, Terry Newsom has the most experience on the board of commissioners, having completed two-and-a-half terms, or 10 years.

He works part time for BEARS Inc., a for-profit mental health organization, after having retired from working for the state of North Carolina for 30 years. When he retired, he was an employee assistance professional for the state.

Because his father served as the police commissioner in Littleton for 20 years, he said that’s what he hoped to do when first elected to office.

“I have an interest in security,” he said. “I kind of ran to start off with telling people I wanted to be the police commissioner, and the board was nice enough to allow me to take that position.” He continues to hold that post on the town board.

Naturally, he points to several police-related factors he is most proud of from his time in office.

First, he said he was glad Littleton was the first municipality in North Carolina, as far as he knows, to enact a ban on non-hands free cell phone use while driving a vehicle.

He said it’s important to realize the town really didn’t plan on giving out tickets for folks who were caught violating the ban, at least not early on.

“We had that on the books for ten months, when we started to put up signs along the roads. What we were going to do, is if we found people driving unsafely (and using a cell phone), we were just going to stop them and give them a warning.”

But, he said, several people, including cell phone service provider Sprint, complained and the ordinance was repealed on a 3-2 vote.

Now, a number of localities, as well as the state of North Carolina, have placed different types of restrictions on cell phone use while driving.

“Littleton had an insight that others didn’t have,” he said, “I guess I’m kind of proud of that, we did something that led the state in doing.”

He’s also proud of the growth and effectiveness of the police department.

“I feel like I have learned and helped the police department grow into what we have today, with the help of Chief Suggs, who is an excellent chief and is dedicated to the town. We don’t agree on everything, but as he says, we can agree to disagree and have a good working relationships,” Newsom said. “I think the police department is doing a great job, from a few years ago when we had all the robberies and break-ins. We’re going to continue to try to improve.”

Newsom said people in town to  called to talk to him about votes knows what he’d like all voters to know, that he listens to them and values their opinion.

“Sometimes I don’t vote the way you don’t want me to vote, but you can always call me and talk about it,” he said.

He also wants to remind voters that other than moves related to the periodic re-evaluation of real estate property, the town board hasn’t raised taxes in a decade.