The General Municipal Election will be held Tuesday, April 6, 2021. The candidates of the various local municipal offices were asked to submit information about themselves. Their responses (printed as submitted and in the order listed on the sample ballot on page 12) follow:

THERESA (PENNEL) LARSON

I’m Theresa (Pennel) Larson. I believe I would make a good board member because I bring a fresh perspective to the board of education. I have a diverse background that can complement the other current sitting board members.

I have a B.S. in Education and Master’s in Speech Pathology. I have been a certified speech pathologist for almost 20 years, practiced in special education for the past 10 years as a speech-language pathologist, special education related services team lead and clinical specialist. I have the unique perspective of providing education services to schools as an independent contractor. I have worked on teams with CEOs, school administrators, general education teachers, special education teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school counselors, school psychologists, diagnosticians, parents and students. On those teams we strategized and worked systematically to develop plans to maximize the services that could be provided to those students given the limited budgetary constraints as well as the diverse student needs.

I would dedicate my time as a board member to working to ensure our school is fiscally accountable to the community, hiring and maintaining the best teachers for Fairfax R-3 and maintaining and establishing community relationships through intentional dialogue and open communication. I believe these are the things that can make our school the finest in northwest Missouri. These things are important and vital to success for all students at Fairfax R-3.

My faith, family and community are important to me. I appreciate your vote on April 6th.

CHRIS SMITH

My name is Chris Smith. I graduated from Fairfax R-III and then earned a B.S. In Agriculture Business from Northwest Missouri State University. My wife Mandy and I moved back to Fairfax to raise our family and work on the farm. We have three children, Josh, Jasey, and Jaxson who attend our school. In addition to Farming, I have coached many seasons of Fairfax and East Atchison youth sports.

It has been an honor to serve on the Fairfax R-III School Board for the past six years. I understand the importance of the school boards role in shaping policy, selecting staff, prioritizing improvements, and overseeing finances. In every decision, we must consider what is best for our students, teachers, and taxpayers. This is done through collaboration, being objective, and making sound financial and educational decisions. Fairfax R-III has always been strong in academics and provides quality education for all students. These are the building blocks for our children and the future of our town. I am committed to preserving traditions and providing as many programs and opportunities for our youth to grow and develop into productive, responsible citizens.

I would love to see businesses and families move to Fairfax. By providing and maintaining quality education, organizations, and strong athletic programs we can help make this happen. It would be a privilege to continue an active role in the future of Fairfax R-III by serving another term as a school board member. I would appreciate your vote!

JON GRAVES

I have appreciated the opportunity to serve the school district the past six years. Within those years, the school board and administration have provided a solid education, have made facility upgrades thanks to the community support, and have successfully utilized an athletic co-op.

Beth and I have made Fairfax our home 25 years. Our daughters, Jaycee and Jesse, attend the University of Missouri, Columbia, and our son, Braden, is a sophomore at Fairfax High School.

Fairfax School and Community is very important to me. The challenges and changes our school and community have and will be facing will directly impact my family. Beth and I decided to make Fairfax our home, so we want it to be the best it can be.

I feel I have served as a positive addition to the school board because of my decision-making skills and teamwork. My experience of working with many people in different groups has enabled me to be a productive member of the school board.

We need to continue to provide a sound and safe education to our children. It is important that we continue to build the educational foundation in our elementary and JH classes, and prepare our high school students for college or career readiness. As for the future, there will be continual issues to address such as financial restraints, decreasing enrollment, and state requirements. I believe the most important job of the school board is to keep the focus on what is best for the students and teachers.

JERRY KIRKPATRICK

My name is Jerry Kirkpatrick and I’m running for a second term as Westboro’s Mayor. I have eight generations of family, both past and present, who have lived in Westboro.

As mayor, I check the water tower daily to ensure it’s running correctly and have looked for water leaks around town and got them repaired. I got a grant to have the water tower and infrastructure looked at to improve it. I got the school taken down. Westboro’s finances have improved in the last two years. I plow the city streets when needed. The only money I have received from Westboro is my yearly pay. I don’t charge Westboro for the work that I do. Everything that I do, I do out of my love for the town and in the best interest of the people who live there. In the next two years, I would like to get the streets fixed, as well as following through on what needs to be done with the city’s water system and other improvements that can be made to the city. I would appreciate your vote on April 6, 2021, so I can continue my work for Westboro for another two years.

JO-ELLEN “ESTES” MOORE

I, Jo-Ellen “Estes” Moore, am an Alderman running for Mayor of Westboro. I have twenty years experience as a Legal Assistant and Court Clerk.

I hope to accomplish the changes that have been promised and not delivered by past candidates. These include solving our water, street and city hall problems and paying our sewer debt.

I would appreciate your vote on April 6, 2021.

Thanks for your support.

NATHAN VARDAMAN

My name is Nathan Vardaman, I have lived in Westboro Missouri for 7 years now. For six of my seven years of living in Westboro I have been a member of the board and currently running for the next two years with the best intentions to continue helping my city. I currently maintain our sewer system and lagoon daily along with any other help needed throughout the city. I myself have worked closely with the other board members to obtain a grant for a new water infrastructure In my six years of running as Alderman I have served many volunteer hours working on the streets, sewer, and water systems. Please consider me for another term to help care for our town.

ASHLEY MEIER

My name is Ashley Meier. I have been a resident of Westboro currently for 7 years however  as most of you know Westboro is where I was raised. I am currently running for a re-elected position as Alderman of Westboro. I have worked closely with the board  members for the last 2 years and together we have achieved many great things for our little town. Recently we were approved for a 25,000 grant through the DNR to update our water infrastructure and are currently working on more funding through North West Missouri Regional Council of Government to complete it through grants. We have also recently been in contact with multiple agencies that own windmills surrounding our community that have agreed to donate to help our town in the near future. In the last year our board was able to double our funds in our cities account! We all pitch in a lot of volunteer work and in my two years I personally have learned alot about our water and sewer system and intend to continue to learn and help in anyway I can. My love for our little town runs deep and I hope you consider voting for me in the 2021 campaign.

KRYSTAL MANCHESTER

“Hello! My name is Krystal Manchester. I am running for alderman because I believe I can make a difference in the town of Westboro such as seeing about repaving the streets, getting new playground equipment and cleaning up the yards of the abandoned houses or trying to fix them up so more people can move to Westboro. I believe we should have our own City Hall to conduct meetings instead of the firehouse. I believe we also need to start enforcing all of the town’s ordinances such as the leash law for animals and not riding four wheelers in town. I think it’s time for fresh eyes to take a look at the problems going on and get new fresh ideas on how to fix those issues. If I get your vote I promise to do my best in creating these changes. Thank you!”

AMY THOMAS

I am an honest, hardworking and open-minded member of the Rock Port community. I work, shop and operate my business locally. I have personally taken part in fundraising and community betterment groups and volunteered countless times with community activities and service organizations.

I decided to run for Mayor because of the love I have for this community.

I realize striving to keep our small town values, while being open to progressive ideas, and economic possibilities, is not an easy task. Continuing our traditions yet being open will take the community’s participation as a whole with old and new models of that community. There will be fresh eyes, second opinions, a diverse group of family, career, business, and financial status.

I would like be a part of that; part of the Rock Port team continuing to work together and identify areas that could use improvements. We must hire and retain honest, hardworking employees, maintain the fiscal responsibility of our town, extend a helping hand to our neighbors, and work together with civic organizations, volunteers and betterment groups. We must continue to make Rock Port an inviting place for people to live, work and thrive.

I hope to lead by example, to serve with the honesty, integrity, and diversity, and continue the path of community that so many like myself have chosen to return to, raise our children and hopefully their children and grandchildren.

I would appreciate your vote for Mayor.

JOSHUA HAYES

I’ve lived here in Rock Port for three years now. My family will be raised here. I want to see Rock Port thrive and grow in a positive direction.

I wasn’t born and raised here but I feel that gives me an unbiased outlook to make decisions that could otherwise be influenced by long time friendships.

Rock Port is a great community that has been very welcoming to me. I feel I’m a good choice for Mayor because I’m a people person, get along with everyone, know no enemies, and don’t mind rolling up my sleeves to work hard for Rock Port.

Thank you for your consideration.

ERIKA DAUGHERTY

Hi everyone, my name is Erika Daugherty I graduated from Rock Port High School in 2007, and have lived the majority of my life in Rock Port. I am very family oriented and have 3 children: Declan, a 7th grader at Rock Port Middle School, Jossalyn, a 1st grader at Rock Port Elementary, and Leland, who is almost a year old.

After I graduated from Peru State College I decided to stay local and put my degree to use in my hometown. I help run and manage 3 local business including: Rock Port United Methodist Church, Rock Port Ministerial Alliance, and Rock Port Community Housing.

One of the main reasons I am running for North-ward Alderman comes from a board meeting I attended last year. The Alderman/mayor all told me how prepared I was and told me to run for office if a spot ever came open. So after this meeting I took a deep dive into the city Code and began studying it. I wanted to learn more about the procedures that help our town run smoothly. I think a fresh new perspective will help move our town in the right direction.”

RON DEATZ

My name is Ron Deatz. I have had the honor of representing the North Ward as Alderman for the past four years. I am running for re-election with the intention of seeing current projects realized, continuing to keep the best interests of our city in mind, and providing continuity to the board which will experience a great deal of turnover. Over the past four years, the city has completed an electrical system renovation which has provided much needed reliability, purchased equipment to provide street and sewer system service more efficiently and economically, and upgrade our streets in a more cost-effective manner. I believe the board’s efforts should always keep in mind the long-term effects of its actions and address problems the right way. For these reasons, I am running for North Ward Alderman and would appreciate your vote on April 6.