BonnerSprings.com

A handful of candidates waited until the final hours leading up to the filing deadline Tuesday morning, but the final list showed a race for each elected position on the Bonner and Edwardsville ballots in this spring’s city and county elections.

According to each city’s city clerk and the unofficial candidate list on the Wyandotte County Election Office website, on Tuesday, two challengers filed to run against the incumbent in Bonner Springs Ward 3, and another newcomer filed in Bonner’s Ward 4. In Edwardsville, a second candidate filed for mayor — the city’s former city administrator, Doug Spangler — while a fourth candidate filed for the two at-large council positions.

The final candidate list means that Edwardsville City Council member John Eickhoff, whom The Chieftain has been unable to reach for comment, opted not to run for re-election.

Among the most recent candidates to add their names to Bonner’s ballot were: Don Beets for Ward 1; Ryan Beasley for Ward 2; William Crum Jr. and Monica Shonkwiler for Ward 3; and Kenneth Crosby and Joe Peterson in Ward 4.

In addition to Spangler in Edwardsville, recent filers include incumbent Mark Bishop and Margaret Shriver for one of Edwardsville’s two at-large council seats. Chris McDonnell also recently filed to make five candidates for three at-large positions on USD 204 Board of Education.

Beets, 66, is a retired business manager for Hallmark Cards and represented Ward 3 on the Bonner council from 1982 to 1988, stepping down because he moved to another ward. He also spent 20 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Bonner Springs Fire Department, “retiring” with the rank of battalion chief in 1999.

Since 1988, Beets has served as a member of the planning and zoning commission and said he was ready to go back to a higher level of community service.

“Now that I’m retired, have time to do that again,” said Beets, who filed for candidacy Jan. 15. “I think with my business background, I’ve got some things to offer.”

Beasley, 37, is a firefighter with the Kansas City Kansas Fire Department. He said he has lived in Bonner since 2005 and was approached by a few community members about running for council.

“I’m running just to get involved with the community,” said Beasley, who filed Jan. 16.

Beasley said if elected, he would like to push the city to move toward having a full-time fire department.

Crosby, 50, owns Plumber Time in Bonner and has lived in the city since 1974. He said he has long been involved as a volunteer around town.

“I’ve done things on outside, and I’d like to see what I can do on the inside,” said Crosby, who filed Tuesday. “I just want to be a part of everything.”

Peterson, 42, who filed Thursday, Jan. 17, is a transportation supervisor for the Turner school district. He said his family moved to Bonner Springs because his son has special needs, and they thought the school district was the best option for him.

He said he has been learning about community issues since moving here and he wants to see Bonner take advantage of the opportunities he sees with the growth in western Wyandotte County.

“I’d just like an opportunity to help in any way possible to take advantage of that,” he said.

McDonnell, 41, filed for the school board Jan. 17 and continues the trend of firefighters hoping to be elected public servants. The Edwardsville resident also is a firefighter with the Kansas City Kansas Fire Department and said he decided to run for school board because he has two children and two stepchildren in the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville school district.

“It’s just an opportunity to serve, and it would be nice to have another person from Edwardsville on the board,” he said.

Shonkwiler, 43, is a stay-at-home mom but prior to her recent graduation, she was also a full-time business student at Kansa City Kansas Community College until recently. She said she has been considering running for city council for some time, since her mother is mayor of a town in Oklahoma, and they like to “talk politics.”

Shonkwiler, who filed Tuesday, added that she wanted to run for council because there are some issues she would like to see addressed and because of “the passion I feel for Bonner. I grew up here and now live in the house I grew up in.”

Shriver, 45, is a human resources manager for Boilermakers National Funds. Shriver filed Tuesday in her first attempt to run for city office.

“I want to try to make a difference,” she said of her decision to run. “I want to try to make sure good decisions are made. I want to try to make this a good city.”

The Chieftain did not immediately get a response from Bishop, Crum, Spangler or Smith.

Comments

buddygr 3 months, 4 weeks ago

now that the people are set for the up coming elections, i would like for the people to comment on what they think about the apartment complex that is going to be built at 132nd &kansas ave. we all know how the city voted on this last year. Keep in mind we had 97% of all the people around that area againts it, there was standing room only at city hall, and the city voted againt us anyway. Now i would like for all the people who want in office to state there view on this. Keep in mind they want to pu t in 285 units in bonner there is going to be another 500 plus just about 4 miles from here over in edwardsville and another 300 plus over on state just about 5 miles from here. Do we really need the 285 units in bonner? I all ready know where shannon stands and Harrinton and i will not vote for them. I want to know how the rest stand

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