For Canfield Township trustee: Reese and Brashen

Change is inevitable, and Canfield Township Trustee William D. Reese seems to recognize that more than anyone. Over the last four years, he's given the prospects for change in the township a lot of thought.
He's gone to Charlotte, N.C., where the entire county is zoned. He's looked at Boardman. At Hudson. He's looked, as he says, for what a community facing growth should do and what it shouldn't do.
Now retired, Reese was in business for 25 years at Reese Industries, and for the 10 years before he began his first term on the board of trustees, Reese served on the board of zoning appeals.
He recognizes that the township needs to maintain good roads, he worked to contract for police protection for the township through a contract with the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department, he knows that some commercial growth is inevitable but believes it can be controlled through zoning regulations and vigilance by elected officials. He also has a vision for preserving green space in the township through development of a township park.
Reese, who is 66, would be an asset to any township. He combines good business sense with a strong community spirit. He does his homework, and in his endorsement interview with Vindicator editors, that showed. We strongly support Reese's re-election to the Canfield Township Board of Trustees.
The other seat on the board to be decided in the Nov. 8 election is that vacated by Judy Bayus.
Two to choose from
There are two candidates running, neither of whom has held elective office.
J. Randy Brashen, 54, of Shields Road, is a former owner of Petroleum Resources of Ohio Inc. and GrassRoots Lawn Care Inc. He says he is now free to serve as a full-time trustee.
Bob Dukish, 48, of Fairway Drive, is a former owner of Fixtron Corp., who is a computer and electronics instructor at ITT Technical Institute.
In our interviews, Brashen came across as the stronger candidate.
While he has never held elective office, he has served as a trustee of the Cardinal Joint Fire District, which has given him an insight into working toward a common goal with the city of Canfield and he has served on the Canfield Township Storm Water Drainage Committee.
He says he looks forward to working with Reese to guide the township toward the kind of development that makes sense for the township and its residents.
Dukish also spoke of the need for progressive development, but he spoke more about alleged frivolous spending by the trustees. We don't see evidence of that, and the one specific expenditure he mentioned -- a $5,000 payment toward a growth study conducted by Ball State University -- didn't strike us as extravagant.
Looking to the future
Canfield is at a crossroads -- literally and figuratively. Nearby highways give Canfield residents easy access to Cleveland, Akron and Pittsburgh. The relatively low cost of housing and taxes, coupled with a very good public school system, gives the township the potential for being a major bedroom community.
And with people come additional needs for commerce -- such as big-box stores and chain restaurants.
It will be a challenge for any board of trustees to control growth and preserve the township's amenities and character.
We believe the candidates with the best chance of rising to the challenge are Reese and Brashen. They get The Vindicator's endorsement.