3 cities look to fill council seats

5/1/2005

Voters in three northwest Ohio cities will choose city council candidates in Tuesday's primary election.

In Bowling Green's First Ward, Democrats Gordy Heminger and Nathan Nickens are running for the seat now held by Sarah Tomashefski. Ms. Tomashefski, who was first elected to council while a student at Bowling Green State University, is finishing her third term but dropped out of the primary race, saying she did not have enough time for law school and a campaign.

Mr. Nickens, a Sylvania native who has never held public office, ran an unsuccessful bid against 2nd District State Sen. Randy Gardner in November. He has spoken at local forums about the need to have a student voice on council and to deal with unscrupulous landlords.

Mr. Heminger, 28, was twice elected to Maumee City Council as a BGSU undergraduate. He resigned his seat in 1999 to take a job with his fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi, then returned to BGSU to earn a master's degree.

A homeowner in the First Ward, Mr. Heminger is interim coordinator of student organization services at the university. He said he's in a unique position to represent the interests of year-round residents as well as the students who make up most of the ward's population.

The Democratic primary winner will face Republican Ashley Harlett, a BGSU sophomore from St. Marys, Ohio, in Novembern.

In Findlay, two primary races for City Council are contested. In the Fourth Ward, incumbent R. Ronald Monday is challenged by Billy J. Anderson, Jr., for the Republican nomination. No Democrats have filed.

Four Republicans are vying for three at-large seats on council: newcomer Andrew Douglas and incumbents Andy Peters, James P. Slough, and Randy C. Ward. The top three vote-getters will appear on the November ballot with Democrat Kevin Crook.

In Napoleon, five Republicans are competing for four city council seats.

The candidates include incumbents Glenn Miller, Travis Sheaffer, and Steven Small, and challengers Kevin Garringer and Ronald Behm. No Democrats have filed for the seats.