Newberry candidate forum to take place Thursday

NEWBERRY – Instead of reading about what candidates think about the latest issues in Newberry, residents will get a chance to hear from the candidates themselves on issues such as economic development.

Candidates running for the Newberry City Commission will answer questions on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Newberry City Hall at 25440 W. Newberry Road.

The seven candidates will get a chance to answer several questions prepared by the Newberry Chamber of Commerce members. At the forum, residents can also submit questions to ask the candidates.

The election will be held on April 10 at the Newberry Fire Station at 310 NW 250^th Street. Residents can vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Former Newberry City Commissioner and State Representative Debbie Boyd will moderate the forum, which will be televised on channel 97 for Cox Cable users. The Newberry Chamber of Commerce has held the forum for about a decade, according to the Newberry Chamber of Commerce Vice President Joy Glazner.

Three incumbents are up for re-election in this year’s election.

In Group One, incumbent Joe Hoffman will run against Tim Marden and Linda H. Woodcock.

Hoffman is a business owner who has served on the city commission since 2002. Fellow business owner Marden owns Space Walk of Gainesville and has over 20 years of business experience. The final candidate running in Group One, Woodcock, has an extensive background in education and spends her time volunteering and serving on both the Planning and Zoning Board and the Cemetery Committee.

Incumbent Lois Forte will run against Barbara Hendrix in Group Two.

Forte has served on the city commission for about 20 years and has been working for the Newberry Senior Citizen Program since 1997. Her challenger, Hendrix, is the executive director of the Newberry Main Street Program and owns daba designworks in Newberry.

In Group Three, incumbent Alena King Lawson will run against Monty Farnsworth.

Lawson has served on the city commission for about 10 years and is an investigator for the Public Defender’s Office. Farnsworth has experience in the nursing field and has served on the city commission previously.