New PCC Board Elected
Kathleen Loyd and Vickie Clubb Patterson check in voters Tuesday during an election of a new Patterson Community Center board.
Susan Elayer was elected the new president of the Patterson Community Center Tuesday evening. Nearly 100 votes were cast in the election. Dean Finch told Elayer after the votes were counted that he does not recognize the results.
Finch, several members of the old PCC board, as well as Finch’s attorney sat at a table on the opposite side of the gymnasium from where the voting took place. Elayer walked over to shake hands after results were counted. While she was standing there, Becky Burns, Finch’s attorney, asked Elayer to provide the names and addresses and all contact information for the individuals elected to the board of directors.
Before ballots were printed, Elayer told the newspaper that she had sent a message to Finch asking if he wanted his name included on the ballot and if he did want to be included on the ballot to let her know what office he wanted to run for. Elayer was the only name on the ballot.
While votes were being counted, Finch related that neither he nor his wife cast ballots during Tuesday’s election.
Voting began at 3 p.m. at the Patterson Community Center. Kathleen Loyd and Vickie Clubb Patterson manned the table with the ballots and counted the votes when the polling time concluded at 6 p.m.
Elayer received 91 votes. Dean Finch received two write-in votes.
Becky Burns, seated with her back to the camera, speaks with Susan Elayer following an election of a new governing body for the Patterson Community Center. Dean Finch and his wife, Sandy, are also pictured. Finch said he does not recognize the election results. Burns requested the names and contact information of everyone elected to serve on the new board.
Dale Bryant will be the new vice president of the PCC board. He received 67 votes. Five other individuals received write-in votes. Jim Webb received 6 votes. Gage Goodwin had two votes, Dennis Shearrer had two votes, Larissa Mell-Young received one vote, and Bill Pogue received two votes.
Debbie Leach Cummins was elected secretary with 92 votes. Norvalee Goodwin received one write-in vote.
Elected to the board of directors were: Robert Kirkpatrick, Randy Mell, Larissa Mell-Young, and Ben Pruett. Kirkpatrick had 90 votes, Mell 78 votes, Mell-Young 86 votes, and Pruett 81 votes. Five other people received write-in votes—Bill Pogue, 6 votes; Wally Griggs, 2 votes; Gage Goodwin, 3 votes; Denny Shearrer, 1 votes; and Rick Thompson, 1 vote.
PCC voters were also asked to change the organization’s constitution. The ballot question read, “The Number of Directors may be decreased by no less than five (5) by majority vote of the Patterson Community.” The measure passed by a vote of 61 to 8.
After the votes were tallied, John Daves was asked to read the results. After the results were read, the new PCC board had a brief meeting.
Monday afternoon, Finch reportedly changed all of the locks on doors at the Patterson Community Center. Tuesday morning, Elayer learned of the issue. She reported the incident to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and also contacted Finch and demanded the doors be open at 10 a.m. so election set up could begin. Finch could not comply with the request, but agreed to open the doors by noon. While the election was taking place, Dale Bryan changed several of the door locks and was reportedly filmed by Finch.
Patterson residents and former Patterson School students chat Tuesday afternoon during an election of a new Patterson Community Center.
