PATTY McCOMBS TO RETIRE AS RECORDER TO RUN FOR TOWN COUNCIL

 

Patty Steele McCombs, Monongah’s excellent Town Recorder since 2003, is leaving that job to run for Town Council.

Patty’s post:

“After a long hard conversation with myself...I have decided not to run for Recorder! 20 years of dedication of giving it my heart and soul.

“Just wanted to let everyone know the recorder position is open! I am going to run for Council, so I can keep active with the town and the news page. I hope all my Monongah friends will support me!”

Fairmont East grad Patty and her husband, Bill McCombs, Class of 1969, have spent a combined 60 years serving Monongah including, for Patty, deep involvement in the annual Monongahfest.

Assistant fire chief Bill, also Monongah’s premier water expert, has served in the Monongah Fire Department for more than 40 years and was town councilman for two decades.

Bill McCombs won the Monongah mayoral race several years ago when his name was drawn from a hat to break a tie with incumbent Don Harris. But after the state ruled that he couldn’t be both mayor and town water director, Bill resigned as mayor. 

 

 

 

Bill’s wife, Patty, broke the tie that put Greg Vandetta into the mayor’s chair. Vandetta Construction owner Greg is married to Monongahfest president Debbie Manzo Vandetta, Class of 1973.

Debbie and Patty have been involved with Monongahfest since 1988, the year it started when Danny Woods was Monongah’s mayor.

Patty and Bill have been married more than 40 years.

They once owned for five years the Dairy Kone built and operated by Amelia Shenasky Zentz and husband Bruce Zentz.

Monongah fire chief Harless McCombs, Class of 1976, is Bill McCombs’ brother. Harless is married to Monongah Middle School language arts teacher and children’s book author Lisa Myers McCombs, Class of 1977.

There’s a common thread running through the mayor and the Town Council – all are Monongah High alumni or married Lions. That should help the town roar.

They are newly elected mayor JohnBoy Palmer and Town Council members Brenda Manzo, Susan Staron Sanders, Aaron Justice, Jr., Roger Huffman and Charlie Parker.

JohnBoy is Class of 1974 at Monongah High.

Aaron is Class of 1972.

Susan, Class of 1971, led the fundraising that brought 26 Christmas street lights to Monongah.

Brenda is a Fairmont East High grad who is married to Danny Manzo, Class of 1957.

Charlie Parker, a former Monongah mayor, Town Council member and Monongahfest vice president, is the widow of the late Blinda Nobel Parker,  Class of 1968.

Patty Steele McCombs, a Fairmont East grad married to Bill McCombs, Class of 1969, Monongah’s water expert, was unopposed for Town Recorder.



Charlie Parker

JohnBoy Palmer defeated incumbent Greg Vandetta in the Monongah mayoral race, 140-115.

The Town Council races went to Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971, a newcomer who led the fundraising that brought 26 Christmas street lights to Monongah; newcomer Aaron Justice, Class of 1972; former Monongah mayor and Monongahfest vice president Roger Huffman; re-elected councilwoman Brenda Manzo, a Fairmont East grad married to Danny Manzo, Class of 1957; and former councilman Charlie Parker, who married the late Blinda Nobel Parker,  Class of 1968.

Patty Steele McCombs, a Fairmont East grad married to Bill McCombs, Class of 1969, Monongah’s water expert, was unopposed for Town Recorder.

Town Council candidates who didn’t get enough votes are Adam Michna, a 1980 North Marion graduate; Don Harris, Monongah Community Employment Board president; Cathy Wildman and John Ed Palmer, Class of 1974, married to Teresa Jacobin Palmer, Class of 1973. JohnBoy Palmer is John Ed and Teresa’s son.

Candidates for Monongah offices

 

Based on the notice about the blind draw for ballot positions in the Town of Monongah elections, it looks like Mayor Greg Vandetta, Class of 1975, and Recorder Patty Steele McCombs are unopposed.

Monongah doesn’t list candidates in alphabetical order, which would give an advantage to an Adams over a Yerkovich by putting him/her at the top of the ballot, but draws for ballot position.

Council candidates are incumbent Bertha Wilson, Brenda Manzo, Lenny White, Teena Field Ailstock, incumbent Don Harris, William “Bill” Watkins, Bill McCombs, incumbent JohnBoy Palmer and Mark “Hooch” Aldridge.

That’s nine candidates for the five seats.

JohnBoy Palmer, Don Harris, Charlie Parker, Bertha Wilson and the late Warren Sloan won the 2015 Council races. Sloan died in May 2016.

Charley Parker was married to the late Blinda Nobel Parker, Class of 1968, stepdaughter of Loraine Gorey Phillips Knobel.

Teena ran against Patty in 2015 for Town Recorder.

Brenda is a Fairmont East High grad who is married to Danny Manzo, Class of 1957.

Lenny is in Susan Staron Sanders’ Charge of the Lights Brigade that raises money for Christmas street lights for the town.

Harris is president of the Monongah Community Employment Board.

Bill McCombs, Class of 1969, is Monongah’s water expert, and has a state award to document his expertise. He’s married to Town Recorder Patty.

Bill won the Monongah mayoral race several years ago, but had to withdraw from the office because the state ruled his water duties conflicted with his mayoral duties.

Monongah public service runs in Hooch’s family. His late mother, Mary Jean “Mickey” Walker Aldridge, was town clerk for 30 years.

Hooch is Class of 1973. His siblings are Greg Aldridge, Class of 1972, and Scott Aldrdge, 1983 North Marion grad. Their father was the late Edwin Aldridge. Council
Bertha Wilson.
Brenda Manzo.
Lenny White.
Teena Field Ailstock.
Don Harris.
William "Bill" Watkins.
Bill McCombs.
JohnBoy Palmer.
Mark "Hooch" Aldridge.