RUSSELL SPRINGS — To help voters get a feel for local candidates the Business and Professional Women's Club held a candidate event Monday at the high school.

Most of the candidates made an appearance and many of them stayed to tell the voters what they felt was important.

J.R. Simpson, a candidate for the school board said he wanted everyone to know that he was there because he intended to be an active member of the board and would insist on in depth information for the board and for the public on all issues.

He brought up the issue of teacher to student rations. Simpson said the ratio of college trained certified teachers to students was 25 to 1.

Counting the number of assistants and other teaching staff he said the number was lower, but students deserve teachers, not aids.

Mary Ann McDaniel questioned the present board's decisions such as the number of cars that the district owns.

The incumbent board member Harry Kimbler said the cars were money saving measure that keeps travel costs down.

He said the student teacher ration is within state bounds. He also addressed complaints about the new auditorium / natatorium, saying the facility would pay for itself and will be an asset to the district and the community at large.

With that the candidates for school board were done and those for the Jamestown City Council took the podium.

Odell Polston said he wanted to join the council to bring more businesses to the city.

Marcelene Taylor, an incumbent, praised the work of the council and said she wanted to continue serving her community.

Another incumbent Terry Robertson touched on expanding and improving the city's infrastructure and mentioned the possibility of sending the city's trash to an incinerator to generate electricity.

Candidate Linda Wright said she also wanted to bring more industry to the city. "They are stacking up in Russell Springs," she said.

She said the town also needs to work at bringing people into town, since the bypass has taken much of the city's traffic around downtown now.

Next up were the candidates for the Russell Springs City Council.

Lillard Pettyjohn began this section of the gathering. He said the city was loosing too much money due to lawsuits.

He said the city need to do a better job of screening applicants and went so far as to say the city would "hire people who just got out of prison."

Lisa Mann said she has wanted to help the city grow and improve and she has already won, just through what she has gained in meeting all the citizens she has while campaigning.

Richard Wooldridge said he is proud of his time on the present commission and has worked to treat everyone the same. He also pointed out that he was the only one on the commission who voted as the people of the city did, to change to a council form of government.

David Blakey said he has the business sense to help guide the city through the reduced revenue due to the worsening economy. He added that the city needs to add sidewalks and repair the ones it has.

Darry McElroy said the city has a number of problems and wants to join the group which will band together to solve them.

"We need to let the past be gone and move forward," McElroy said.

Denver Wilson said he wanted to join the council to join in bringing more retail business to the city.

He said he is presently working with investors who he said were interested in bringing an outlet mall to the city.

Wilson said more business means more revenue for the city without raising taxes.

Danny Salazar said he wanted to encourage the local industries to increase the hourly wages of their workers, which would improve the quality of life and the money coming into the city's coffers to provides services to the citizens.

Kenvie Reece said he wanted to be an independent voice on the council.

Timmy Hudson said he wanted to continue serving the city as the commission becomes a council.

When he started his term after the last election he said there was a lot he found out he didn't know about city government, and there is likely still much he has to learn yet.

But he promised that he would work to improve the city, and do the best job he could.