By Tina Kitt
    The Wauneta Breeze
     In less than two weeks, Nebraska voters will go to the polls during the May 13 primary, deciding which candidates will advance to November's general election.
     The race for the District 1 seat for Chase County Commissioner, however, will be wrapped up in May, with all five candidates running on the Republican ticket. With no Democratic candidates, and barring unforeseen write-in candidacies, whoever wins the primary race will be District 1's next commissioner.
     That office is presently held by two-term commissioner Joe Johnston of Wauneta, who opted not to seek re-election.
     District 1 spans the eastern third of Chase County, extending from Dundy County on the south to Perkins County to the north and bordering Hayes County to the east. The district includes the towns of Wauneta and Enders and takes in a section of Imperial on the east.
     Those seeking to be the district's next representative on the Chase County Board of Commissioners include William "Bill" Greeley of rural Chase County, Randall "Randy" Hileman of Enders, and Danny Hale, Charles "Chuck" Vette Jr. and Carl Williams, all of Wauneta.
     Among them, the five men bring a vast array of experiences, skills and perspectives.
     This past week they each responded to a brief questionnaire sent to them by the Wauneta Breeze and Imperial Republican, in which they gave an overview of their backgrounds as well as sharing their thoughts on the county commissioner position they are seeking.
     Danny Hale has lived in Nebraska for 15 years - 10 years in Dundy County and five years in Wauneta. He grew up in Santa Monica, Calif., where he graduated from Santa Monica High School and attended Hamilton College.
     Hale works at Crossroads CBS Gas, Inc., in Wauneta. Prior to that, he worked at Peavey Grain in Imperial, the Benkelman Elevator and at an area farm/feedlot.
     In California, he was an owner-operator hauling road construction material. He also ran the family salt business for 16 years.
     He and his wife, Donna, have been married for over 30 years. They have three grown children and a granddaughter who attends school at Wauneta-Palisade.
     Randy Hileman has lived in southwest Nebraska for more than 16 years, moving to this area from Kansas. He and his wife, Darleen, live in Enders. He graduated from high school in Kansas and attended college for three years at the Colorado School of Mines.
     Hileman is a self-employed businessman who owns and operates Drover's Ranch Supply near Enders. He previously owned Laker's in Enders. North of Swanson Lake near Trenton, he constructed NorthShore and developed 67 home sites plus other facilities.
     The Hilemans have four children and eight grandchildren. Their family includes daughters Anita and Thrina who is a homemaker, and sons Bob, a minister, and Tod, a Kansas Highway Patrolman.
     Bill Greeley has been a resident of Chase County for 51 years, living in the towns of Imperial, Lamar and Champion. For the last 39 years, he has made his home in the rural Wauneta area of northeast Chase County.
     He is self-employed in cattle and farming and has started a fencing business. Greeley has worked for the City of Imperial Public Utilities Department, the Nebraska Department of Roads and part-time for the Nebraska Game and Parks construction and operations division. He has also worked part-time at the Imperial Auction Market.
     Greeley attended grade school in Lamar, Champion and Imperial, graduating from Chase County High School.
     He and his wife, Chris, have four children: Elisha is married to Marty Smith and they have one daughter, Ava. Echo is a student at Kansas State. Son Chance attends the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis, and the Greeley's youngest daughter, Amanda, is graduating this spring from Chase County High School in Imperial.
     His civic and organizational activities include the Jaycees, Pheasants Forever, 4-H and serving as horse superintendent for the Chase County Fair.
     Chuck Vette of Wauneta was born in St. Francis, Kan., and has lived in Chase County's District 1 for 55 years. He attended grade school in Enders and graduated from Chase County High School in Imperial.
     Vette is a self-employed entrepreneur and truck driver for H&M Farms of Trenton. He owns a recycling business, which he has operated for the last 13 years, and has operated a lawn business with customers across the area for 27 years. He has been a part-time salesman for Frenchman Auto Trailers for the past seven years.
     He and his wife, Betty, have been married for 41 years and their family includes daughter Michelle and her husband, Heath Seeker, and their son, Matthew; son Bobby and his wife, Chrystal, and their children Kelcie and Lane; and Katrina and Sean Baker and their son, Tyson.
     Vette is a 36-year member of the Wauneta United Methodist Church and 19-year member of the Wauneta Volunteer Fire Department, certified as a state and national firefighter. He is a past board member for the Wauneta Boy Scouts.
     Carl Williams has owned a home in Wauneta for 11 years, moving here from Denver. He grew up in Oklahoma and attended college in California, where he graduated with a business degree.
     Williams worked in the banking industry in California and later for a California import distribution company, from which he retired. This summer he is working for the Village of Wauneta.
     Williams served in the U.S. Navy.Past experience in elective office includes president and zoning spokesman for his home owners association of 500 homes, member of his labor union's negotiations team and director of the Little League Umpire Association.
     He and his wife, Patsy, have been married for 43 years. They have one son, Robert, who lives in Denver.
    Q&A Responses
     Each of the candidates gave written responses to the following questions:
     Q: Why did you choose to seek the position of county commissioner?
     Hale: I can see that things need to change. There are things that could be done differently that would save the county money. And instead of just complaining about it I thought I would try to do something about it.
     Hileman: I feel that I can represent the wishes of the taxpayers in District 1 in a professional manner. The taxpayer pays the bills and should be heard.
     Greeley: My goal is to work towards a better and safer county overall for the taxpayer.
     Vette: I thought it was a good time of my life for me to get involved in the local government when the previous commissioner decided not to run again.
     Williams: With my education, and business background, I feel I have much to offer the people of Chase County.
    
     Q: What unique experiences or perspectives do you have that make you particularly well suited to this position?
     Hileman: I have been self-employed and dealt with the public and managed our businesses. I am willing to listen to their wishes and I feel that the job of commissioner is a 365-day job, 24 hours at a time. I have to believe that my life experiences have given me a solid foundation of understanding.
     Greeley: Have worked around equipment and understand the viewpoint of the public as well as the county employees.  
     Vette: I have worked for many of the people of the Wauneta, Enders and Imperial area through my lawn and recycling businesses and various other jobs I have had.
     Williams: Organizational skills, good listener, able to make tough decisions and a good manager of people.
     Hale: I ran the family business that consisted of hauling salt and brine to the fields. I've been around trucks and equipment most of my life. I drove and dispatched drivers. I was also an owner-operator. I hauled road construction materials for many years.
    
     Q: What do you foresee as the major challenges that lie ahead for the county board of commissioners?
     Greeley: Budget, financing of projects, roads, bridges, etc. Water issues, water usage could change value of property which would have an impact on budgets considerably.
     Vette: With the economy facing the challenges in the future, the board will be seeing several different places that will have to be addressed to keep us moving forward at a reasonable cost to the taxpayers.
     Williams: Property taxes, fuel and maintenance costs, and the continuing difficulties associated with putting on the fair every year.
     Hale: Keeping costs under control. With fuel costs rising, everything is costing more. We need to save money and look at ways that are more efficient with our equipment, and the ways to do the jobs, keeping the roads in good condition. Doing the job, checking on the crew daily, and the jobs that should be done.
     Hileman: I don't feel I can answer this question until I have served as commissioner.
    
     Q: What particular concerns do you have with recent actions taken by the present board of commissioners?
     Vette: I think the current board is doing a good job in all aspects of their responsibilities at the current time.
     Williams: The position as county commissioner cannot be an easy job. To critique past decisions of the present board would be unfair as I was not directly involved and did not have all the facts needed to make an honest and well thought out decision.
     Hale: I feel equipment is being purchased that does not need to be purchased. I feel time is not being used efficiently. Money that the county does have should be used more efficiently so that taxes are not raised.
     Hileman: I have to say that not to have been directly involved in any of the actions that the commissioners have acted on, in addition to not having any of the actual facts, I would not be able to make any statement - only what I personally feel.
     Greeley: Conflict of interest.
    
     Q: Please include any other information you believe is relevant to your running for commissioner.
     Williams: In talking to the citizens of Wauneta and Imperial, their concerns are the same as we hear from all over the country. I think my past life experience could be useful to the county commissioners office.
     Hale: I believe that hauling fuel to the maintainers would save money, instead of riding the maintainers back to town to fuel up. I believe that looking at each job, and doing it the most efficient way possible, instead of spending money wastefully, getting the job done right the first time, would save money. I think it's time to look at the way the county is spending money, and to speak up if you believe you can save the county money and in turn save the taxpayers. With the rising cost of fuel/food/living, the working man will not be able to afford paying more taxes. Equipment is being purchased that I don't believe is necessary. If you would like to hear more of my views or to voice your own concerns please stop in and visit with me, or give me a call.
     Greeley: I cover most of the District 1 area in the travels of my work.
     Vette: I believe I can be an asset to the board because of my experiences working with and for the people of Chase County in the past. My business experience will definitely be a benefit to the financial planning of the job.