Published: April 02, 2009 08:34 am      

Spavinaw to elect three trustees

The Town of Spavinaw will vote Tuesday, April 7 for city trustees.

Two-year trustees Arlene Gay and Daniel Millington are facing opponent Sienna Sasser for the unexpired position. Bud Guffey, Beverly Chance and Lou Young are challenging four-year trustee Angela Brewer.

Spavinaw voters will choose three of the four candidates for the three open four-year terms. The three candidates with the most votes will take the positions.

One two-year unexpired position is open. Voters will choose between Gay, Millington and Sasser.

Some of the candidates talked to The Daily Times about their views.



Arlene Gay

Spavinaw city trustee Arlene Gay, 72, has served on the board of trustees for four years.

She is running for her third term as a two-year unexpired board member.

“I’ll continue to work as I have to help the town,” said Gay.

Gay said the town is still working to get city sewer. The town does not yet have the funds to build a sewer plant to serve city residents.

Gay said a lot of older residents cannot afford the price for sewer, and she is working to keep costs down. Gay said the cost for sewer hookup in Spavinaw would be expensive.

Gay said she has helped collect money for the Spavinaw fireworks display on Independence Day.

“The town has a nice display,” she said.

Gay said the town holds a bikers’ rally during Memorial Day weekend to raise funds for fireworks. She is trying to bring in a car club for the town’s Memorial Day parade.

Gay said during the 2007 ice storms she worked to provide water and supplies for town residents. Along with others in the town, she made numerous trips to Langley for supplies. She delivered food to a number of people who couldn’t get out.

Gay said she is certified by the Oklahoma Municipal League to serve as a Spavinaw trustee.

Gay works for Home of Hope, based out of Vinita. She is certified in CPR and has several other licenses for working with the mentally disabled and people who are ill. Gay provides in home care in Pryor.

Gay has three sons, one of which lives in Spavinaw.



Beverly Chance

Beverly Chance is running for the open four-year term for Spavinaw City Trustee.

Chance, 69, is hoping for a positive change in the town government.

“Spavinaw could really be a beautiful place,” said Chance.

Chance wants the town to address issues such as delapidated structures and dogs at large.

Chance worked as the Spavinaw City Clerk and Treasurer for three years. As city clerk, she sent out letters to property owners requesting them to take care of their properties. She said one man allowed the Spavinaw Fire Department to burn his father’s old house for firefighter training.

Chance said a lot of the properties’ problems are “just issues of mowing and cutting weeds down.

“I’d just like to see it pleasant,” said Chance. “A lot of people would like to see Spavinaw just stay the way it is.”

Chance said some citizens want no new businesses coming into town.

“I’m not saying me as one person is going to be able to change everything,” Chance said. “I think we need new people. We need a change.”

Chance said the town needs to address issues that haven’t been addressed before. She said people have responded “that’s the way it’s always been” instead of seeking a solution.

“Instead of getting answers, we’re just getting rumors,” she said.

Chance said she stopped attending council meetings because “it was just an arguing match.” She said the meetings she attended were negative and nothing was resolved.

Chance feels the public should be allowed to express their opinions.

“We need to talk about it in an orderly fashion,” she said.

Chance is a notary and the secretary of Spavinaw Community Center.

Chance became a widow nearly eight years ago when her husband died of cancer. She has eight children, 23 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. She enjoys crafts, going to yard sales and attends Spavinaw First Baptist Church.



Claude “Bud” Guffey

Bud Guffey wants the feeling of “small town community” to return to Spavinaw.

Guffey, 32, is running for the first time for the four-year trustee position.

“I would like to get the townspeople more involved with the meetings,” said Guffey.

Guffey has lived in the town since 1981. He said neighbors seem to be more distant than they were when he was a child. Guffey feels getting the people involved in the town gives the “small town appeal.”

Guffey said he would like to revive the Spavinaw Days celebration on Memorial Day weekend.

Guffey would like to work on getting the sewer project going. Spavinaw residents currently rely on septic systems to dispose of sewage.

Guffey wants to work with Spavinaw School and the Cherokee Nation to provide activities for the town’s children.

“I take a lot of pride in my work,” said Guffey. “I’ll definitely give 100 percent all the time.”

Guffey has worked for seven years with people with developmental disabilities as a habilitation training specialist. He is currently going to school to be an elementary school teacher.

The Guffey family has lived in Spavinaw for many years. Guffey’s grandparents were Spavinaw residents. His parents Claude and Georgia live in town, along with two of his sisters.

Guffey has been hap-pily married for three years to his wife Rebecca.