Meet the 3 city of Holyoke mayor candidates

Three candidates are running for the city of Holyoke mayor position. The person elected in the Nov. 3 election will serve a four-year term. Candidates are incumbentOrville H. Tonsing as well as Jes-c French and Roger Hogan. Each candidate was given the opportunity to fill out a survey, and their responses are printed below.

Jes-c French

Current employment/past experience: I am the English language arts teacher at Haxtun High School. Prior to that, I was a reporter for The Holyoke Enterprise for three and a half years after working at an international Christian boarding school in Granbury, Texas, for six years.

Education/training: I am a graduate of Holyoke High School, and I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, with a semester at University College Dublin in Ireland. Currently, I’m in an alternative teacher licensure program through Northeast Colorado BOCES.

Experience on boards/committees: I serve as the treasurer for the Holyoke Community Federal Credit Union board of directors and the secretary of the Phillips County Players board.

Community involvement: In addition to the aforementioned boards, I’m also involved with First Christian Church here in Holyoke. I enjoy playing softball during the summer and being a part of local theater and art shows in Phillips County.

Family: My husband, Jimmy, is a math teacher at Holyoke JR/SR High, and family is incredibly important to us. We moved to Holyoke specifically to be close to my family. My parents, Debbie and Jerry Brandt, as well as my grandparents, Maxine Brandt and Betty and Paul Wickenkamp, live in Holyoke. At the moment, two of my five siblings (AJ and Dani) live here too. My in-laws live in Brooklyn, so Jimmy and I travel to New York regularly to see them.

Reason for seeking election/re-election: My plans to run for mayor began in 2011 when I was living in Massachusetts. I still have copies of Holyoke’s home rule charter and the council rules and procedures that my dad picked up from the City office and mailed to me. (This was, of course, before the recodification made such materials available online.) Unfortunately, the timing of my move meant that I wouldn’t meet the one-year residency requirement to run for office in the April 2012 election. With that dream on hold, I moved to Texas for work instead. I returned to Holyoke in 2017, and finally, I am eligible to run. Reporting on the city council meetings for much of the past three and a half years only deepened my understanding of local government and my desire to be a part of it.

Since moving back, two particular incidents made me  all the more certain that I should run for mayor. Last year during summer softball, I was talking to another local who’s about my age. I mentioned that I would be leaving the game early to attend a city council meeting. To my surprise, she asked, “What’s that?” Then this year at the Phillips County Fair parade, when the mayor rode by, I heard a nearby teen comment, “Holyoke has a mayor?” Such moments reinforced my belief that there needs to be more buy-in by younger people in our community. I’m not one to simply hope for things to change without being willing to get involved myself, so I am ready to lead the next generation’s involvement in Holyoke City Council.

Share your thoughts on how the City of Holyoke can be improved: There are several things the City of Holyoke has done in recent years that I greatly appreciate. Creating the full-time recreation department, loosening restrictions on subdividing duplexes, and working with the Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative, to name a few. I think those efforts are representative of what I believe can make Holyoke a better place. I am also a staunch supporter of the things that don’t necessarily make money for the City but nevertheless add to the quality of life here. Things such as our library, swimming pool and parks. I believe that making them a priority is what makes Holyoke a great place to live.

Roger Hogan

Current employment/past experience: Food Service Supervisor - American Airlines Sky Chef - Denver
Police Detective - Denver Police Department - Denver - Retired
Child Protective Services Investigator - Nebraska
Advisor/District Commander - United States Department of State - Iraq
Supervisor Department of Revenue - Colorado
Advisor - United States Department of Defense - Afghanistan

Education/training: BS - Metropolitan State University - Denver

Experience on boards/committees: Church Committees

Community involvement: Worked closely with public school officials while assigned to Denver Police Juvenile Delinquency and Gang Units. Worked closely with courts and other child protective service organizations in Nebraska.

Family: I am married to my lovely wife Jennifer, she is a Colorado native. We have a dog, Cooper and a cat Ray, they are also natives.  My family moved to Colorado when I was ten. Jennifer and I have lived on the eastern plains for most of the last 45 years.

Reason for seeking election/re-election: The Federal Farmer ( a pseudonym) authored two pamphlets circa 1787. In one of the pamphlets was this quote “even good men in office, in time, imperceptibly lose sight of the people, and gradually fall into measures prejudicial to them.” Though change can be an over used word in politics, I believe it is time for change in Holyoke.

Share your thoughts on how the City of Holyoke can be improved: My thoughts are not as important as what the residents of Holyoke want to see. I would like to hear from the residents as to how they think Holyoke could be improved. It would then be the job of the mayor and council  to investigate viability, affordability, etc..

Having said that, the coming year will be a tough year for all levels of government including municipal. The best we may be able too do is hang on to the services we have now, for the the year 2021, hopefully not longer.

One issue that does concern me is the depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer. What solutions are available, if any? We need to start research on this NOW.

Orville H. Tonsing

Current employment/past experience: Retired. 44yrs as owneroperator Holyoke Cleaners.

Education/training: High School. School of hard knocks.

Experience on boards/committees: Past President, Chief, Secretary Holyoke Volunteer Fire Department. Past president, Secretary of the Northeastern firefighters Association. Past President of Colorado Firefighters Association. Current Secretary of the Holyoke Fire Protection District. Current Mayor of the City of Holyoke. Current nunicipal representative for Phillips County to the board of Northeastern Colorado association of local governments.

Community involvement: Member of the Holyoke City Council for 12 years. 10 of those years as Mayor Founding member of Because. Member of Zion Lutheran Church.

Family: Son Mark and wife Julie Tonsing of Merimo CO. One Daughter Marilyn Denney of Kenai Alaska. 2 grand daughters 4 Great grandsons all of Kenai Alaska.

Reason for seeking election/re-election: There are many things that need to be done.

Share your thoughts on how the City of Holyoke can be improved: Continued street improvement. New Fire Station. Continued airport improvement. New Police station. Continued support and improvement of the Heginbotham Library. Continued swimming pool improvement. Better pay for our employees. Continued suuort for lawful and steady growth.