GAMBIER — On Nov. 4, Gambier residents will vote on which of the five candidates running for the four open seats in the Gambier Village Council they want to see in office.
There are two newcomer candidates seeking election, and three candidates seeking re-election.
Of the five candidates, Alec Wood is the only non-write-in candidate and is one of the three seeking re-election.
The other incumbents, Phil Brooks and Liz Forman, are also seeking re-election and will be write-in candidates on the November ballot.
Jim Lenthe and Calvin Murphy will also be write-in candidates and are the newcomers seeking election into the Gambier Village Council.
Knox Pages sent all five candidates an email asking them to fill out a questionnaire for publication.
However, Phil Brooks, Liz Forman and Jim Lenthe were the only candidates who responded to the email questionnaire. Their responses are below.
Phil Brooks
Age: 62
Occupation: Writer
Education: MFA University of Iowa, BA Lake Forest College
Qualifications for office: I’ve lived in Gambier since 2000. I keep track of current events. I try to be open-minded and seek common ground and understanding with all of my neighbors.
How are you involved in the community?
A: I’m out and about and know most folks in Gambier. I’ve been a Council member for parts of 3 terms. My wife is a professor at Kenyon College, so I’m also part of that important aspect of Gambier.
What prompted you to run for a council seat?
A: I’m currently on council and hope to continue serving the community.
What are the three most significant issues facing the municipality? What will you do as a council member to address them?
A: I’d say a lack of housing available for young families is something we need to look into. Budgeting to maintain our sewer system, road repair, etc., is always a key issue.
Knox City Schools Department is looking at where to locate a proposed group of newly built schools. I hope to help keep a similarly excellent K-5 school in town when the obsolete Wiggin Street School building is replaced.
If elected, what committee assignments would you seek and why?
A: I currently chair Streets & Utilities and serve on Public Safety and Personnel. I’ve gained a familiarity over the years with the issues these committees deal with and know I can be of value going forward.
What differentiates you from your opponent(s)?
A: I support many of my opponents, so that’s a tough one. I think we all care about the community, or we wouldn’t be running. I think I’m a reasonable and engaged citizen, and I count my age and experience in life, and as a council member as a plus.
Liz Forman
Age: 74
Occupation: My first job was shelving books in a library; I have also worked in and later
managed theater box offices, taught in writing programs for high school students and
spent twenty-five years working as an Admissions Director at Kenyon College.
Education: I have a BA from Kenyon College and an MA in English and also teaching
certification from The Ohio State University.
Qualifications for office: I have served four terms as a member of the Gambier Village
Council. It has been a privilege to serve on Council in a time of dynamic change and leadership in the Village.
Over the past years, Gambier has improved and updated water and wastewater management systems, repaired roads, added new sidewalks, created a zoning code for the Village, added solar power to Village buildings as well as initiated a number of green initiatives in our parks and the village cemetery.
How are you involved in the community?
A: Besides serving on the Gambier Village Council, I also served on a joint committee of the Village Council and College Township that undertook an in-depth study of the Gambier Fire Department and Emergency Squad.
I am an active member of the Gambier Dog Park, played duplicate bridge for many years, and worked with the Kenyon Review Young Writers summer program for over twenty years.
What prompted you to run for a council seat?
A: I grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but have lived in Ohio for over fifty years. I love this community and this part of the world. Living in Ohio is a privilege, and Knox County is truly the heart of Ohio.
I was asked to consider running for Council years ago by several older friends who knew that Gambier was facing new challenges: the Village was just beginning to consider implementing a Zoning code; both the Village and College were growing rapidly which
would bring new demands on the Village’s infrastructure of water, sewer, sidewalks,
roads.
I decided to run back then and to run now in hopes of continuing to help make
Gambier a safe, well-managed, community-oriented place to live.
What are the three most significant issues facing the municipality? What will you do as a council member to address them?
A: The Village has challenges ahead: Will Gambier continue to house an elementary school, an essential part of how we define our community? Can we find a means to improve and create a more accessible and inviting Community Center that encompasses our whole community?
Village Council has worked hard these past four years to maintain events that help define our community – the long-standing tradition of our 4th of July Parade, and our new event, Winter Lights. One of the challenges these next four years will be to continue to find ways to bring us together as a community.
If elected, what committee assignments would you seek and why?
A: Over the years, I have served on each of Gambier’s standing committees and have found the work of every committee to be both a challenge and an opportunity to help the Village move forward.
The Village is in the midst of plans to repair and improve the Gambier Community Center, as well as trying to anticipate new uses for the Center.
I would hope to continue to serve on the Buildings and Grounds Committee. As to other committee assignments, the Mayor of Gambier is responsible for committee assignments, and I am ready to serve where needed.
What differentiates you from your opponent(s)?
A: Probably what differentiates me the most from other candidates for Village Council is my length of service on the Village Council. My knowledge of what has changed, and what has yet to change in the Village over the past number of years, can, I hope, be helpful.
But I am most interested in helping the Village move successfully into the future, to help the Village find new ways to improve Village services and to create ever stronger community engagement.
Jim Lenthe
Age: 74
Occupation: Retired
Education: MPA, BS Education, U.S. Navy Training
Qualifications for office: My formal education plus years of “hands-on” actual/real city management experience.
How are you involved in the community?
A: 24-year resident & previous village administrator.
What prompted you to run for a council seat?
A: I know my “hands-on” / “first-hand” public administration experience will contribute a great deal to the village.
What are the three most significant issues facing the municipality? What will you do as a council member to address them?
A: Village resident safety, traffic control and water loss.
The Village of Gambier receives its water from the City of Mount Vernon. Gambier is a customer of Mount Vernon’s water department. There is a meter at the village limit on Route 229 that meters the water coming into Gambier.
Gambier, in turn, bills the residents (including Kenyon College). Ideally, the village should be billing the exact same amount (from Gambier users) as it is getting billed from Mount Vernon.
In reality, that is not the case. Due to water line leaks &/or old meters, water loss (at one point in time) was 70+%, which equals lost income for the village. NOTE: General rule of thumb, “acceptable” water loss is 10% to 15%. I would strongly push for a “water loss” program that would greatly decrease Gambier’s water loss.
If elected, what committee assignments would you seek and why?
A: Whatever/wherever would best use my experience & PA knowledge.
What differentiates you from your opponent(s)?
A: My formal education and “first-hand/hands-on” public administration knowledge and experience.