Four candidates have filed to run for Cheverly's Ward 2 seat in the May 2 election, stressing preservation, public safety and a need for town economic development. The most contested race in the election is being vacated by Councilman Micah Watson, who decided not to run for re-election.

The candidates that filed by Friday's deadline are residents Rachel Audi, Mary Jane Coolen, John Dotson and John LeGloahec.

Audi, 38, said speeding is a concern to her on Crest Avenue, which she said runs parallel to Cheverly Avenue. Audi, director of development and public affairs at Capitol Heights' Mission of Love Charities Inc., asked former mayor Julia Mosley for a speed hump but reached a compromise on putting a stop sign at Crest Avenue and Carlyle Street instead. She said the stop sign has not stopped the speeding which exceeds the posted 20 mph limit. She and neighbors are currently circulating a petition for two speed humps and an additional stop sign.

"When my nieces and nephews are over I'm actually concerned about their safety and that's not good," Audi said. "[Some drivers are] probably going 40 to 45 miles per hour. Driving safety is something that needs to be enforced and it's not happening right now."

Coolen, 51, a co-chair for local activist group Progressive Cheverly, said she is also concerned with drivers going too fast and running stop signs in Ward 2, particularly at the Crest Avenue and Euclid Street intersection, she said.

Coolen is currently unemployed, but volunteers for several local groups, and has worked in business sales and was a former legislative aide to Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly for three years. She said she wants the town to be good neighbors to incoming businesses such as the Aldi that will replace the Giant Food which left Route 202 on Feb. 24 and establish business relationships early on.

"They don't need to call the town hall and say the Giant's leaving, but if you're in a position where everybody is friends to begin with, you're more likely to get those phone calls so you don't get as little notice as we got this time," Coolen said.

Dotson, 39, said he is running to help continue to preserve the town's environmental initiatives such as the Cheverly Green Infrastructure Plan, a volunteer group formed to maintain the town's ecosystems, and the town's tree canopy. Dotson researches and reports for the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Dotson said he continues to talk with Ward 2 residents to ask what's important to them but knows economic revitalization of the business areas on Arbor Street and Tuxedo Road is on his radar screen and an opportunity to invite new businesses to settle in Cheverly.

Like Dotson, LeGloahec, 43, agrees the Tuxedo Road area is overdue for revitalization. LeGloahec ran and lost against Watson for the Ward 2 seat in the May 2009 election.

With the loss of career firefighters at the Tuxedo Cheverly Fire Station, he said he would like to see the town negotiate with the county to lease the space to create an artist colony gallery if elected. He said he's encouraged by a Walgreens in the works at the corner of Route 202 and Kilmer Street and the planned Aldi.

LeGloahec, an archivist for the National Archives, added he would like to tackle ward representation and wants to make sure the Hanson Arms and Cheverly Terrace apartment residents feel connected to their local government.

The verification of two people who registered as Ward 5 candidates is still pending and the last resident to fill the seat was Vernell Johnson who left it vacant in May 2010 when he moved out of the town boundaries. LeGloahec said the town may need to look at whether having an at large council member would be a good or bad idea.

"I think this next council and the mayor need to look at this idea of representation and make sure all of the voices in Cheverly, that their voices are heard. Here in Ward 2, we've certainly benefited from Micah's representation. There's an opportunity for change here and I'd like to be that individual."

Watson, who has served as a Ward 2 councilman since 2004, said it was time to get some "fresh blood and new energy" on the council.

"I think that I will continue to find a way to do public service," Watson said. "If in the future that is an elected office so be it. If it's in some other capacity so be it but I remain committed to helping Prince George's County and particularly the inner beltway communities achieve their fullest potential."

nmcgill@gazette.net