By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
After longtime Toledo area Fire Commissioner Lorraine Spahr died last spring, both her husband and daughter-in-law decided they would try to fill the vacant position, although neither knew the other was interested.
Clark Spahr
Clark Spahr, 64, and Jacqui Spahr, 39, are both on the ballot for the fire commissioner race in Lewis County Fire District 2.
Both have roots in the fire service and both want to give their time to lead the district that protects some 98 square miles with less than 20 volunteer firefighters.
Clark Spahr thinks of it as a way to serve a community of people he’s come to care for very deeply following some 35 years of working as a volunteer firefighter.
“I figured with my background and experience, I could help the community a little longer,” he said.
The now-retired millwright joined the department in 1970, trained soon after to get certified as an emergency medical technician and worked his way through the ranks, even serving as chief in the early 1990s.
Way back when, his wife was his ambulance driver, and he recalls fondly those at the other end of the emergency calls, such as two different elderly couples who would phone the Spahrs at home when they needed help.
“In a way, it was a real compliment,” he said. “Instead of calling 911, they’d call Clark and Lorraine.”
Jacqui Spahr
Clark Spahr retired from the department in early 2006, and two years later, retired from Longview Fibre.
Now he’d like to like to get involved again with the fire district, to “make sure the bills are paid, the books are in the black and help the citizens get good service,” he said.
Jacqui Spahr, who married Steve Spahr, Clark Spahr’s son, and moved to Toledo in 1999, first got involved in firefighting as a high school student in Rainier, Wash.
When she was in her mid-20s, a close call during a structure fire caused her to hang up her turnout gear, but she then launched a fire auxiliary group for the department.
She attempted a run at commissioner after moving to Toledo, but after losing out to someone else, turned to raising her family.
Today, Jacqui Spahr works for the state Department of Natural Resources in Castle Rock, and has been part of its wild land firefighting system for the past decade.
This summer, she applied for the interim commissioner position and was selected to be commissioner until this week’s election, when she will find out if she continues.
Jacqui Spahr says she feels like she has to work a little harder in the race, because her father-in-law is so well known.
She put a float in the Cheese Days Parade in July, and tossed some 60 pounds of candy, she said.
“When I vote, I think about, when it’s close, who put in the most effort,” she said.
She’s interested in using what she calls her natural leadership skills, and “common sense like you wouldn’t believe” to ensure top notch emergency services in the Toledo area. She has a particular interest in doing what she can to recruit new volunteers.
“I have a well-rounded background with business training and education that gave me the job to begin with,” she said. “And, experience in the fire service.”
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Brief bios
Candidate: Clark Spahr
Age: 64
Occupation: retired millwright from Longview Fibre
Resides: Toledo
How long there: since 1969
Education: Winlock High School 1965; studies at Centralia College, including the second EMT class to be offered there in 1974
Political experience: none
Candidate: Jacqui Spahr
Age: 39
Occupation: technician at Department of Natural Resources in Castle Rock
Resides: Toledo
How long there: twelve years
Education: Rainier High School, 1990; studies at Centralia College and South Puget Sound Community College
Political experience: ran for fire commissioner in Toledo in 1999 and lost
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Ballots are due before or on Tuesday. Review other local area races for fire commissioners:
• Lewis County Fire District 6, rural Chehalis: Kirk Johnston and Jim Martin, here
• Lewis County Fire District 15, Winlock: Randy Pennington and Dan Godat, here
• Lewis County Fire District 5, Napavine: Kevin Hanson and Jamie Guenther, here
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For preliminary election results shortly after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, click here or go to the “elections center” section of the county auditor’s page on the web site for Lewis County government.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter