Two Challenge Incumbent For Seat

Cheney has one primary race for City Council, and it pits incumbent Marliss Gregerson against two challengers.

They are P. Michael McKeehan, a fourth-grade teacher at Reid Laboratory School, and C. Allan Gainer Jr., a former textbook manager at First Street Books in downtown Cheney.

Gregerson is seeking a second term on the council. She is a bookkeeper for the Cheney School District, currently working at the high school.

She served for eight years as the secretary-treasurer for the county’s search and rescue dive team.

Like other candidates in Cheney this year, Gregerson is talking about improved efficiency in city government. She said she is proud of the new growth management plan recently approved by the City Council.

“Whether I am elected or not, I’ll still be concerned with Cheney city government and how our community functions,” she said.

McKeehan is a Cheney High School graduate who holds three college degrees, including a doctorate from the University of Washington.

As a teacher, he is a former president of the Cheney Education Association. He also has served on the city planning commission.

McKeehan said he is concerned about the health of Eastern Washington University following its recent drop in enrollment. The university needs to maintain its focus on a strong Cheney campus, he said.

On other issues, McKeehan is a supporter of growth planning to maintain the city’s quality of life.

“I like it here, and I want it to stay a good community,” he said.

Gainer is also a Cheney High graduate. He spent eight years in the Navy and has two degrees, including a master’s in management and human resource development from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.

He said the city needs to promote its businesses better. For example, the Cheney Rodeo in July should include activities in the downtown area, too.

“I can be a voice listening to the business people, hearing their complaints,” he said.

Gainer is a critic of the police department and its handling of a string of commercial burglaries in the city last year.

, DataTimes