By Allison Brophy Champion

Published: May 6, 2008

Here are the candidates on the ballot today in the Culpeper Town Council Election:

Pat Baker
Age: 58
Occupation: gifted education teacher, Mary Walter Elementary School in Bealeton
Political background: regular speaker during public comment session at Town Council meetings, former member, Help Protect Culpeper
Family: Husband, Larry, two daughters
Home: town of Culpeper resident since 1985, grew up in N.J.
Education: bachelors in elementary education from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) in N.J., master’s in education from Mary Washington College
Civic/awards: Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award, 2004; Fauquier County Teacher of the Year; National Board of Professional Teaching Standards; spent three years teaching first grade at Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Iceland, Japan and Italy
Issues: residential overcrowding in single-family homes, giving the people a voice, protecting the town’s water and sewer system, supporting the schools
Why people should vote for her: “I’m an intelligent person, logical. I believe in an open mind and a good ear to listen and respect for people. I think you may need a calmer voice in a very confusing sea of issues. We have water we have sewer we have taxes we have an economy that is tanking: good today, bad tomorrow, people losing a lot of money in stocks. We have mortgage companies, we have a lot of real estate issues. We are approaching really tough times and we people that will say, if you don’t have it, don’t spend it. We need someone that’s got a stake in it all.”

Jerry Beckett
Age: 64
Occupation: retired command sergeant major, U.S. Army, Vietnam veteran
Political background: regular speaker during public comment session at Town Council meetings, charter member and president of Help Protect Culpeper
Family: wife, Chieu, four daughters
Home: town of Culpeper resident since 2004, formerly of California
Education: associates in business management
Civic/awards: Culpeper American Legion, organizer and founder of Warrior’s Banquet, Vietnam Veterans of America, Toastmasters Club
Issues: illegal immigration, police station project, fiscal responsibility, open government
Why people should vote for him: “If I get elected to council, I am not going to wait on the people to come to the council meeting. At least once a month, I want to hold town hall meetings. Get the people in here, find out what their concerns are. By doing so, at least they feel like they have someone they can talk to, someone they can approach. Right now, (Town Council) is unapproachable.”

Chip Coleman, incumbent
Age: 58
Occupation: director, Culpeper Human Services
Political background: first appointed to Town Council in 2003 to fill an unexpired term; elected to first four-year term in 2004 election with the most votes, currently seeking reelection to a second term
Family: Wife, Carol, one daughter, three stepchildren
Home: town of Culpeper resident since 1989, grew up in Al-exandria
Education: bachelors in education with a minor in history, master’s degree in rehab counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University
Civic/awards: member executive committee of Virginia Board of People With Disabilities; Piedmont United Way Board, 1989 to 1995; recipient Golden Apple Award, 2004; former chairman Culpeper Public Transportation Advisory Com-mittee; former vice chairman Salvation Army Board; established Families First, victim witness program and cosmetol-ogy training center
Issues: running the town as a business, road improvements, police station project, growth, water and sewer, open communication with the county, consolidation
Why people should vote for him: “The biggest thing I bring to council is I’m open-minded. This is who I am. I like everybody. I get along with everybody. I get along very well with the supervisors so we can beat on each other and it’s not personal. I’m very interested in the town and I love the town. I chose to live here. I have a lot of knowledge. I know budgets. I know government.”

Laurel Care Gravatte
Age: 53
Occupation: registered nurse, director Free Clinic of Culpeper
Political background: brother, Terry Care, is state senator in Nevada
Family: Husband, Dr. L. Trice Gravatte, three grown children in California, three stepchildren
Home: town of Culpeper resident since 2001, born in Kansas grew up in California
Education: bachelor’s in nursing science from the University of Virginia
Civic/awards: former candy striper; Healthy Culpeper; Virginia Association of Free Clinics; legislative committee Windmore Foundation for the Arts; board member Piedmont Symphony Orchestra; attendee Virginia Nurses Association, member and delegate District 7; nominee, VNA Nurse of the Year, 2008
Issues: communication, public safety issues, health, traffic calming, police station, roads
Why people should vote for her: “I have experience with multitasking and with people. Rather than a platform, my ethic is, you’re getting something from the government. It’s a privilege to live in the United States. It’s a privilege to live in Culpeper and if you’re not willing to put something back in for the product that you’re getting, there’s something wrong. And basically, the experience I have gained running that free clinic for three years. I brought it from a place that was down and out and owed the federal government money to now we are self-sustaining. It isn’t so much what I will do, but the fact that I do listen.”

Michael Olinger, incumbent
Age: 36
Occupation: manager, Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts
Political background: first elected to Town Council in 2000, elected again in 2004 by a five-vote margin, currently seeking reelection to a third term; served on town parks and recreation commission, 1996-2000
Family: Wife, Caryn; three sons
Home: town of Culpeper native
Education: Culpeper County High School graduate, class of 1989; Germanna Community College graduate
Civic/awards: member, Soap Box Derby of Culpeper Committee since its inception in 2003
Issues: new police station, water and sewer agreement with the county, traffic, consolidation
Why people should vote for him: “Experience. Native. Open-minded. And I’m not a big go out here and waste taxpayers’ money type of person. My voting record shows that I’ve supported stuff that has been good for the town, like the trolley buses. As far as open government, I like to be upfront with people and let them know what I’m thinking and how I’m going to vote. ”

Julie Peppe
Age: 51
Occupation: junior kindergar-ten teacher at St. Luke’s Lutheran School through a new program for which she designed the curriculum
Political background: occasional speaker during public comment session at Town Council meetings; executive board member, Help Protect Culpeper
Family: Husband, John, three children
Home: town of Culpeper resident since 1988; grew up in N.J.
Education: Watchung Hills Regional High School, Warren, N.J., graduate class of 1974
Civic/awards: American Cancer Society Relay for Life team captain; Sunday school teacher
Issues: open government communication with citizens, growth, illegal immigration, parks and recreation, residential overcrowding
Why people should vote for her: “New ideas. Different perspective. Life experiences. The main thing too is to listen to what people have to say and give some response, give some report aid I don’t agree with them, I’ll tell them that. Be a little more friendly at Town Council meetings like it used to be. That’s why we need some new people. It’s like anything in life, whether you’re sitting on this board or the school board, if you have the same people year after year after year it gets stale.”

William Platts
Age: 43
Occupation: welding inspector, Williams Bridge Company, Manassas
Political background: member Help Protect Culpeper
Family: engaged, no children
Home: Culpeper resident since 1973, lived in S.C. a few years
Education: Culpeper County High School graduate, class of 1983; graduate Piedmont Technical College
Civic/awards: served in U.S. Navy, 1987-1991 during Desert Storm
Issues: illegal immigration, day laborers, police station, taxes
Why people should vote for him: “I have an independent point of view. I have no personal or fiscal interest as far as I do not run a business in the town of Culpeper so I am free to do what’s best for the people rather than how is that going to impact my business. There is quite a bit of that going on right now — backroom politics. I firmly believe that the Town Council is there to serve the best interests of the people, not themselves, not their business, and if that means eliminating the Town Council so be it.”

Frank Reaves Jr.
Age: 55
Occupation: part-time court-house security, Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office
Background: retired, Virginia Department of Corrections
Family: Wife Sandra, one son
Home: town of Culpeper native, grew up on West Street
Education: Culpeper County High School graduate, class of 1970
Civic/awards: member Culpeper Branch NAACP; charter member Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 45; Charles E. Merritt Top Performance Award in 2002
Issues: cooperation among Culpeper boards, growth, water and sewer, police station
Why people should vote for him: “I think I’m a likeable person because I know how to get along with people. I was brought up like that. No matter who you are I get along with you.”

Bobby Ryan
Age: 63
Occupation: semi-retired, sales, Blue Ridge Growers
Political background: Culpeper Town Councilman, 1994-2002, vice mayor 2000-02
Family: wife Phyllis, three children
Home: town of Culpeper resident since infancy
Education: Culpeper County High School graduate
Civic/awards: served in U.S. Army 1966-68; president Rotary Club of Culpeper; former president Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce; usher, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Issues: water and sewer, growth, consolidation
Why people should vote for him: “I have the experience. I’m not a bigot, not a racist. I’m not a bully. I stand for integrity.”

Cecil Schoniwitz
Age: 61
Occupation: part-time tax preparer H&R Block, part-time customer service, Culpeper DMV
Background: retired police detective, Washington, D.C. Police Department
Family: Wife Judy
Home: Culpeper resident since 1989; grew up in Mississippi
Education: high school graduate, Saucier, Miss. 1965, military police school
Civic/awards: served in U.S. Army, 1966-68
Issues: consolidation, illegal immigration, public safety
Why people should vote for him: “One reason: I’ve never been in politics so I’ve not got a set mind as to what has to be done. I am willing to look at all sides of an issue and then vote how the townspeople want me to vote.”

Chris Snider, incumbent
Age: 38
Occupation: regional circulation manager, Washington Post
Political background: first elected to Town Council in 2004 with the second highest number of votes; currently seeking reelection to a second term; served five years on Culpeper County Parks and Recreation Commission
Family: wife, Martha, two sons, three stepchildren
Home: town of Culpeper resident since 1998; born and raised in Richmond area
Education: Manchester High School graduate, class of 1988; three years at the University of Virginia
Civic/awards: six years with the Virginia National Guard; member Piedmont Rail Coalition; immediate past president Culpeper Ruritan Club; co-founder Depot District Neighbor-hood Watch; board member Culpeper Renaissance and Mu-seum of Culpeper History
Issues: consolidation, budget, new police station, water and sewer
Why people should vote for him: “Look at my track record. I hate to toot my own horn — I’m so bad at that — but I’ve been part of a council that has kept tax rates low and the town is well-managed.”