FERRIDAY &045; Only 14 votes separated District B alderman candidates Glenn Henderson and Marion Terrell in the April 2 election, and both men have been pounding the pavement in favor of higher numbers in this Saturday’s runoff election.

Parishwide issues ring just as true in Ferriday, and both Henderson and Terrell said jobs and recreation topped their lists of concerns.

&uot;We’ve got to get the local leaders and the state leaders just talking and finding out what business and industry would locate here,&uot; Henderson said.

Henderson, who received 45 votes to Terrell’s 31, said he was encouraged by recent meetings between the leaders of Ferriday, Vidalia and Natchez and would like to see more regional focus.

&uot;I think Ferriday reaches out and touches Natchez and Jefferson County,&uot; he said.

To bring industries and businesses to town, Henderson said Ferriday was going to have to be willing to give to the company too.

&uot;The city might have to work with them as far as taxes,&uot; he said. &uot;There are a lot of buildings that are open to business, we are just going to have to be willing to give some to get companies to come here.&uot;

Henderson said he thought it was important to bring several small industries in to avoid putting &uot;all your eggs in one basket.&uot;

For Terrell, the thing holding Ferriday back economically is the lack of an industrial park.

&uot;The small places that they have here are not large enough to accommodate any business of large size,&uot; Terrell said.

&uot;Ferriday has never had an industrial park situation to offer anyone anything&uot;

Terrell also said Ferriday needs to spend some money cleaning up the town to make it more inviting to businesses and residents.

&uot;We need money to fix the town up,&uot; he said. &uot;The streets are getting in horrible shape again. I think if someone could write grants for the town (getting money for roads) wouldn’t be a problem.&uot;

Terrell said there was no good reason Ferriday shouldn’t be growing like Vidalia.

&uot;We just need something to light the fuel in this town,&uot; he said.

&uot;It seems to just be dying and the City of Vidalia is just growing leaps and bounds. If Vidalia can do that, why can’t we?&uot;

Both candidates said they were unhappy with the work of the Recreation Board.

&uot;That’s one of the reasons I got involved,&uot; Henderson said. &uot;I’m really disappointed that the parish and city has all these funds for recreation and never gets anything started.&uot;

Henderson said Ferriday has opportunities for recreation using the town’s gym and the space across from Town Hall currently occupied by the old school building.

Once the building is torn down, Henderson said he’d like to see a public park.

&uot;It would just take someone with some vision,&uot; he said. &uot;Someone with ideas, not just to talk about them and push them aside, but to go through with some things they talk about.&uot;

Terrell said he was excited about the potential that the new Board of Alderman would have some members, including recently elected District D’s Johnnie Brown, dedicated to children who will push along plans with the Recreation Board.

&uot;We don’t have a park or anything,&uot; he said. &uot;We don’t have anything as it is, so it’s going to have to start from scratch.

&uot;The Recreation Board should have more responsibility on that than anything, because they get a certain amount of money from taxes.&uot;