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REIDSVILLE — There are some similarities between Mayor James Festerman and Mayor Pro Tem Donald Gorham, who are both vying for the mayor’s seat in the city’s October election.

Both men have strong ties to the city. They are natives who built long careers in Reidsville. Festerman had a 34-year career with the police department, having served as chief part of that time. Gorham is a longtime educator who retired as principal of Lawsonville Avenue Elementary School in 2005.

Festerman, 67, and Gorham, 56, say they want to continue to build on the successes Reidsville has had in recent years, such as with the revitalization of its downtown.
“I’m just real excited about the things we’ve got going on,” Festerman said. 

Festerman and Gorham both filed for the office of mayor Friday, the first day of filings for the Reidsville elections. Festerman has been mayor since 2005 and has been on the City Council since 1998. Gorham is in his first term on the council.

No one else had filed for the mayor’s seat as of late Monday. The filing period ends noon Aug. 21. The election will be held Oct. 6.

Both candidates said they’ve had constituents encouraging them to run for mayor.

Gorham would like to work with surrounding municipalities to bring more jobs to the area and said Reidsville has the qualities to attract more business and industry: good schools, police and fire departments; a sound infrastructure; and a thriving downtown. “I’d like to see all that maintained,” Gorham said.

The council has worked together to help achieve those things, Gorham said. “Everything that we do is council-oriented. It has nothing to do with just one individual. It’s a team thing.”

Festerman said he, too, would like to see more jobs come to Reidsville. And he counts the Reidsville Industrial Park, which opened around 2005, as a key spot for new businesses to set up.

“Millions and millions” of dollars have been invested there and the park is home to more than 700 jobs already, Festerman said. He’d like to see jobs created there that are environmentally friendly but also provide a good living wage to residents.

Two at-large seats are up for grabs on the Reidsville City Council. The seat currently held by Gorham is available, as well as the one held by John Gentry. Gentry is not seeking re-election.

Richard Johnson, 36, filed on Friday for one of those seats. Johnson, a juvenile counselor technician with Court Alternatives in Guilford County, has lived in Reidsville about 15 years.

He said he wants to do more outreach work with children and is particularly interested in working with the city’s parks and recreation department to implement more mentoring programs for young people.
 

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 627-4881, Ext. 126, or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com.