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HARRIS NEW GRANTSVILLE MAYOR - McCartney Loses Seat |
| (06/13/2001) |
| Gary Knight, Grantsville's one-term Mayor and former town councilman, lost
his bid for re-election yesterday in the county seat of 550 residents. Former
Mayor Don Harris defeated schoolteacher Gary Knight two-to-one, 86 to 45
votes. Two incumbent council members were re-elected, Collins and
Shock.
 Donald Harris elected Grantsville Mayor "I love Grantsville," said Harris. "It has always been my town." We hope to apply some common sense and try to make people in our community welcome." Harris said he will take an active role in trying to get funding for town projects. "I'm not afraid to ask for help," he said. Councilman Mike McCartney was also defeated, receiving the least amount of votes of six candidates filing for five seats. A new council person is P. Jane Wease, who helped lead a ban on the town's municipal swimming pool, after councilman McCartney's son, Eric, was hired pool manager last year. McCartney demanded The Hur Herald not tape record council meetings, but after seeking legal advice the town said taping and photographing of council meetings was allowed in public meetings, defined in the Freedom of Information Act in West Virginia. Knight had promised citizens he would do audits on the town's books, but failed to deliver. The Hur Herald questioned Knight why the town could not provide a current financial statement, although he said progress was being made. A Freedom of Information request failed to produce a financial statement. The former Mayor declared The Calhoun Chronicle was the only official news media to which town information would be released, although The Chronicle has rarely printed minutes of council meetings. Even then, Knight became angry at The Chronicle when editor Newton Nichols asked questions about town fees being increased. Knight became outraged when The Herald reported town council news and reported on the Mayor's legal problems. Going on the offensive, he wrote lengthy, rambling letters to The Calhoun Chronicle, disclosing information about his personal life, calling the editor of The Herald a "loser." The unofficial results in yesterdays election: MAYOR: Donald Harris - 86 Gary Knight - 45 Ray Slocum - 2 Candace Burge - 2 RECORDER: Phyllis Maze - 114 COUNCIL: Marguerite Basnett-103 Ambros "Jerry" Collins - 90 Peggy Cain - 88 P. Jane Wease - 84 Edna Joann Shock - 83 Michael McCartney - 52
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