Newcomer Smith takes only contested Crook parks seat

By Rachael Scarborough King / The Bulletin
Published: May 16. 2007 5:00AM PST

PRINEVILLE – Debbie Smith appears to have fended off her two opponents to earn a position on the Crook County Parks and Recreation District board.

As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Debbie Smith was leading the race for Position 4 on the board with 51 percent of the vote. Larry Smith was running second with 27 percent of ballots cast, and Charles Poarch had 22 percent.

Although four out of the board’s five seats were up for election, Position 4 was the only one that saw a contested race.

“I’m honored that the community felt the confidence in me to elect me to that position, and I hope I can do a good job for them,” Debbie Smith said. “I was born and raised here, I think a lot of people know me, I’ve been in a lot of volunteer groups, and I just keep hands-on with this community.”

Debbie Smith, 53, is a member of Volunteers in Action, the political action committee that has been campaigning to build a new aquatic center in Prineville. She has lived in Prineville her whole life and owns ABC Fence Co. with her husband.

Incumbent Larry Smith, who is not related to Debbie Smith, has been a Parks and Recreation District board member for nine years. He was appointed to the board in 1998 and has been re-elected twice.

Poarch, 77, is a former member of the Crook County Planning Commission and Prineville Planning Commission.

The roughly 7,800 registered voters in the Parks and Recreation District chose the board members. In the uncontested races, Jerry Coale, Cindy Hurt and Donna White won seats on the board.