Six running for three Oran alderman seats

New candidates seek to fill three of four Board of Aldermen wards in Oran, Missouri, in the April 7 municipal election.

In Ward 4, Tiffany Schaefer is filling the one-year vacancy of deceased alderman Charles Bonifield, who died in September, and Karen LeGrand is running unopposed for the second seat.

In Ward 1, incumbent Harold Landewee is running against Craig Friga. In Ward 2, incumbent Melissa Spencer faces Danny Forehand. In Ward 3, Jimmy Westrich is challenging incumbent Brenda Cook.

Ward 1

Landewee has been in Oran city government for nearly six decades. He recalls first being elected to Oran's council in the 1960s and again in the 1970s. He took time off from city government in the '80s, but was elected again in the '90s.

Landewee retired in 2000 from Mac Con Co. and has been an Oran resident most of his life.

"There are three main things we need to address in Oran," Landewee said. "We've been working to get drinking water up to date; there's been so much trouble with floodwater, new ditches and culverts; and the last thing is the possibility of a new city hall. We want to make it ADA-accessible."

Friga had never run for council, but has been active with the Oran Jaycees for several years.

"I think there could be some newer, fresher ideas on the board right now," Friga said. "I think some newer ideas would be beneficial."

Ward 2

Spencer has served on the alderman board for the past two years. To this day, she calls the experience "a learning one."

"As a lifelong resident of Oran, I have watched the changes it has gone through. The past two years serving on the council has given me the opportunity to learn the operations of our town," she said. "I would like to continue learning and see if I could possibly help make some changes."

Spencer also agrees water is the main issue facing the town.

"We need a new well, and the pumping system needs to be upgraded," she said.

Forehand moved with his family to Oran 13 years ago. He had been on the council once before in Ward 4.

"I Just want to do my part to get things better, improve the town as a whole," he said. "There's a tremendous amount of stuff that could be improved upon ... drainage, water, sewer ... just a lot of community improvements."

Foreland said he just wants to help and wishes more people would be involved in the community.

Ward 3

Being on the board, Cook knows the city is facing infrastructure issues and said she hopes they'll be corrected shortly. But she recognizes these issues aren't much different from what other towns are facing.

Cook is a store clerk at David's Food Mart in Oran.

"I take being an alderman very serious," she said. "I want people that I have known my whole life to know that there is someone who has their best interest at heart, someone they can trust."

Westrich, another lifelong resident of Oran, also previously served four terms as Ward 3 alderman. He is an auxiliary operator at AECI's power plant in New Madrid, Missouri.

When asked about the most important issues in Oran, Westrich listed cleaning abandoned houses and property, proper drainage, keeping city ditches clean and keeping children safe by identifying felons.

Westrich also said fair and open communication is something he found important as alderman.

"[You] always have to remember there are two sides to every situation," he said. "Be open-minded and not quick to judge."

smaue@semissourian.com

388-3644