Two newly elected Arnold Council members hope to help move the city forward after winning an election race that didn’t garner much attention or competition.
Frank Radeshak and Terrilyn Cheatham Prescott will be sworn-in Monday.
Two four-year council seats were on the November ballot, but Radeshak was the only candidate who filed to be on the ballot, and earned 403 votes, according to election results. Cheatham Prescott won a write-in campaign for the second available seat when she received 242 votes.
Outgoing council members Adam Zweig and Deborah Vernon did not seek reelection. Radeshak had been appointed to fill a vacancy left by Zweig in November.
“My goals would be to attract small businesses in the city and have responsible spending,” Radeshak said. “The city doesn’t have a whole lot of money. Grants, of course, help.”
Radeshak, who owns Radeshak’s Auto Services in the city, said his business skills can be an asset for council.
“I know how to deal with people, and financially, I know from being in business what it takes to run things.”
Other goals Radeshak has are to clean up blight, improve streets and keep crime in check.
“I’d like to make the city safer and more productive,” he said.
Cheatham Prescott saw the opportunity to serve on Arnold Council as a way to make a difference in her community.
“I wanted to do more, and how could I do more? That’s when we talked about coming up with the write-in campaign,” she said.
Born and raised in New Kensington, Cheatham Prescott moved to Georgia after graduating from law school in 2006.
She returned to Arnold about a decade ago and worked for the Westmoreland County Pro Bono office and now at Gwen’s Girls, a North Side-based nonprofit aimed at empowering girls and women. She also is a member of the Valley Vikings Education Foundation.
Familiarity with the community, a legal background and people skills are the strengths Cheatham Prescott believes she can bring to council, she said.
“I want to be a voice for our community,” she said. “I want our kids to be able to have places to play and have activities in the area. I want landlords, tenants, residents and property owners to share concerns and pull together to move Arnold forward.”
Mayor Shannon Santucci said she’s excited for Radeshak and Cheatham Prescott to join council.
“(Radeshak’s) heart is in the community, and his concern for moving the community forward is top of the list,” she said. “A simple ask and he was all-in to run. I look forward to have him be a positive addition to the council we have now.”
Cheatham Prescott’s legal background and overall knowledge will be valuable to council, Santucci said.
“We’re all really excited about moving the community forward,” Santucci said. “(Cheatham Prescott’s) a smart lady and moved back to the area. She wants to see the thing we all want — a turnaround in our community.”
