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| Slider scores upset victory in Saint Robert; Newcomb joins Laughlin on Waynesville R-VI School Board |
By: Darrell Todd Maurina
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Posted: Wednesday, April 7, 2010 9:34 am
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WAYNESVILLE/SAINT ROBERT, Mo. (April 7, 2010) — While most city races in Waynesville and St. Robert were uncontested, candidate Charles Slider scored an upset victory over incumbent Ralph Cook in St. Robert’s first ward.
Slider, a retired soldier who now serves in jail ministry and a variety of local and denominational ministerial positions with his church, Greater Community Missionary Baptist Church, defeated Cook by a margin of 42 to 32. In the only other contested race for that city, incumbent St. Robert Municipal Judge Thomas Julian easily defeated two opponents, Gerald Marker and Kenneth Hawley, with 101 votes compared to 20 for Marker and 28 for Hawley.
Slider credited the support of St. Robert Mayor George Sanders as well as other campaign workers, Samuel Steele, Johnny Thompson, William Boone and Eddie Goodman, for his victory.
“I just plan to get with the mayor and find out what new projects are open and find out how I can help to manage the new projects, if any, and get his vision for the city,” Slider said. “I think Mayor Sanders tutored me a lot so I appreciate his tutelage in the process of running for alderman.”
While Slider’s major long-term proposals during his campaign included the possibility of bringing a Sea World to St. Robert and other recreational opportunities, for the short term, he said he wants to focus on infrastructure and public safety.
“I want to work on some road issues that we want to work on in Ward I and also the safety of residents,” Slider said. “I will get with the fire department to see what we can do to improve response times in Ward I … All the voters who came out and voted for me, I really appreciate their support and I promise to not fail them and to come through with a lot of things they really need to get done in Ward I and in the city.”
“I hope I can meet the expectations that the city of St. Robert had,” Slider said.
For the Waynesville R-VI School Board, incumbent Lori Laughlin won re-election with 583 votes and was the highest vote-getter in both the Waynesville and St. Robert precincts, as well as the absentee ballots. Laughlin is the manager of the St. John’s Clinic in St. Robert.
Two three-year positions were available on the school board; the other incumbent, Jan Dye, chose not to run for re-election. The second-highest candidate, Dorsey Newcomb, the retired commandant of the Fort Leonard Wood NCO Academy, gained 522 votes and was also the second-highest candidate in both precincts and in absentee ballots. Newcomb will join Laughlin on the board for the next three years.
Area banker Nathan Purdome trailed with 407 votes and area pastor Marcus Davis received 254 votes. Davis outpolled Purdome in St. Robert where his church is located, gaining 121 votes compared to 112 for Purdome, but was badly outpolled in Waynesville where Purdome had 261 votes compared to 109 for Davis.
In the uncontested city council races in Waynesville, Ward I Alderman Twyla Cordry received 35 votes, Ward II Alderman Tim Mann received 51 votes for a full two-year term, Ward II Alderman Perry Roberts received 53 votes to fill out the remaining year of an unexpired term, Ward III Alderman Ed Conley received 95 votes and Ward IV Alderman Butch O’Riley received 92 votes.
For the uncontested city council races in St. Robert, Ward II Alderman Ed Spotts received 19 votes, Ward III Alderman Todd Williams received 27 votes, and Ward IV Alderman William Urena received 28 votes.
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