By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
It was speed dating with a twist – kind of like the parents tagged along to ask all the candidates about their intentions toward the school district or the city.
Approximately 100 people attended the “Face2Face” candidates night at the Veterans Hall in City Park, sponsored by the Bowling Green League of Women Voters Sunday evening.
Unlike candidate forums of the past in Bowling Green, the candidates were not all lined up in the front of the room, with each being asked the same few questions depending if they were running for school or city offices.
This candidate forum was up close and personal, with each of the 13 candidates sitting at round tables of seven or more citizens eager to know more about them. The candidates had 10 minutes to win over the potential voters at one table before moving on to woo the next table of voters.
The new format was designed for citizens to get to pose their questions to candidates.
Citizens quizzed the candidates on topics such as rental housing inspections, unkept properties that attract vermin, street and sidewalk repairs, how to attract new industry without giving tax abatements, and whether or not the city has infrastructure for new growth.
They were questioned about the siphoning off of public school money for charter schools, the banning of school library books, and allowing students to leave school for religious classes.
Some citizens pushed when the candidates’ answers were not believable – putting the candidates on the spot.
The evening allowed citizens to get to know their candidates better before casting their ballots in the Nov. 7 election. A total of 13 candidates were present. They included:
BG Mayor:
- Incumbent Democrat Michael Aspacher
- Green Party Joseph DeMare
BG Council At-Large:
- Incumbent Democrat Jeff Dennis
- Republican Eric Peck
BG Council First Ward:
- Republican David Drain
- Democrat Damon Sherry
BG Board of Education (three to be elected):
- Stephen Bateson
- Joseph Edens
- Howard “Ardy” Gonyer
- Steven Goyer
- Incumbent Tracy Hovest
- Brian Paskvan
- Peggy Thompson
Before starting the “speed dating” questions at each table, the candidates began the evening with a one-minute introduction of themselves.
DeMare, retired and owner of a small wind and solar business, started off by saying Bowling Green should never have penalized rooftop solar systems, and never have entered a 50-year agreement for energy from a coal plant.
Drain, a retired statistician, said he decided to run for City Council when he observed council in action and decided they needed corrections. He spoke of the importance of home ownership and decent rental housing.
Sherry, a political science major at Bowling Green State University, and the first generation of his family to attend college, said he is working on a “campaign of care.”
Peck, vice president of a business intelligence and analytics firm, said he believes in the BGSU slogan about being a “public university for the public good.” He said he believes in serving the public, noting his role as a volunteer firefighter.
Aspacher, a BG native and retiree from the building trades, said if re-elected he plans to focus on public safety – fire and police services; clean, safe and dependable utilities; and economic development.
Dennis, an attorney and BG native, said he believes the biggest challenge facing Bowling Green is updating the school buildings. “Not my department is not good enough,” he said, noting his involvement with BG Families for Schools.
Goyer, retired from the postal service, said he believes in transparency and inclusiveness. He voiced support for the school bond issue for a new high school, and commented on his competition. “You have some good quality candidates,” he said.
Edens, director of advancement and fundraising in higher education, spoke of his support for the bond issue, which could transform the school district. He talked about buildings and buses, investing to recruit and retain teachers, and the importance of the district enrolling in the Ohio Checkbook system.
Gonyer, a native of BG and restaurant owner, said he is running for a school board seat to give back to the district that led him on a successful career path. He supports the plan for a new high school, then believes the elementaries are next in line.
Hovest, a parent of a BG student and teacher at Washington Local Schools, would like to continue her board service to move the district forward. She prides herself on supporting students during her term on the board. “I’m hoping to be the voice of our constituents” for another four years.
Thompson, a former accounts payable clerk with the school district and owner of a business and apartments, said transparency and communication are vital on the school board. She also talked about the need for all the stakeholders, including rural residents, to be part of the communication process.
Paskvan, a retired college administrator, spent 31 years in higher education, and has chaired three successful levy campaigns for the Wood County District Public Library. Paskvan shared his concern for the drop in students’ test scores and decreases in district enrollment since the COVID pandemic.
Bateson, a 1986 BGHS grad and sales manager at Rosen’s Inc., spoke of how his once strong pride in the district has faded over the years. If elected, Bateson said he would be the first board member from the district’s rural areas in 36 years. “I’d like to bring common sense to complex problems,” he said.
In addition to the League of Women Voters, the event was also presented by the American Association of University Women, the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce, and the BGSU Retirees Association.
