New Democratic candidate running for Ward 1
In the November election, Doug Heller will challenge Republican candidate Roy Hanshaw Jr. for the board of commissioners seat.
Doug Heller thought for all of a week before he agreed to run as the Democratic candidate for Springfield Township Commissioner from Ward 1.
"It wasn't arm twisting," he said Tuesday. "It really was an honest feeling that I could be more as a commissioner than I could be coming to meetings and being frustrated."
The frustration arose when he saw that many residents who spoke at commissioners' meetings seemed underinformed on important issues, he said, and if elected, he would like to use his experience as a Web master to keep information flowing to his constituents.
Heller, a 53-year-old resident of West Mill Road, is running for the board of commissioners in place of Erin Young, who was selected as the Democratic candidate from Ward 1 in the May primary.
In the November election he will challenge Republican candidate Roy Hanshaw Jr. for the seat currently held by board of commissioners president Kathleen Lunn.
Young was unavailable for an interview, but John Alviti, a Democratic committeeman for Ward 1, said Tuesday she withdrew from the race a month ago for personal reasons.
Heller was offered the candidacy after a search conducted by a committee consisting of Lunn, Democratic Committee Chairman Richard Haaz, and Vice Chairwoman Maryellen Alviti. His name will appear on the November ballot in place of Young's.
John Alviti described Heller as a bright and capable candidate.
"We're very glad that he said yes," Alviti said.
Heller is a self-employed Webmaster who maintains more than 30 sites. After he agreed to run for commissioner, his own campaign Internet page, www.hellerspringfield.com, went online within days.
"My father was chairman of the computing department of the University of New York at Stony Brook," Heller said. "Programming is something I learned to do as a young boy. I loved information."
Issues listed prominently on the site include preservation of historic buildings and open space, communication with the public, and making the Flourtown Country Club more accessible to the entire Springfield Community.
If elected, Heller said, he will use his site to explore ways of communicating with his constituents.
"What we have not seen yet is the Web being used aggressively to make for a more informed citizenry," he said. "My concern is giving information and being honest and fair."
Heller belongs to the volunteer communications committee established by the Springfield Board of Commissioners, and he was an outspoken advocate for the preservation of the Black Horse Inn during the board's debates on the issue.
He worked as a crossword puzzle editor for 20 years. He appeared as a contest judge in the movie "Wordplay," and he occasionally contributes challenges to the puzzle feature on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday Morning.