First Clallam County League of Women Voter forums set next week in Sequim

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, September 16, 2015

SEQUIM — The League of Women Voters of Clallam County will sponsor a voter forum Wednesday, Sept. 23.

The forum will be the first of five the league will host before the Nov. 3 general election.

It will be from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in council chambers at Sequim City Hall, 152 W. Cedar St.

This forum will consist of three panels.

The first will be candidates for the Port of Port Angeles District 3 commission seat: Connie Beauvais, 64, of Joyce and Michael Breidenbach, 63, of Forks.

Beauvais is the operator and manager of the Crescent Water Association and co-owner of Alpacas of Cedar Wind.

She serves on the 2015 Charter Review Commission.

Breidenbach is a Forks City Council member. He retired from Rayonier as the West Coast senior manager.

The second panel will be a discussion of a proposed $49.3 million construction bond for the Sequim School District.

Sequim resident and former small-business owner Bryan Carter will speak against the measure. Brandino Gibson, vice chairman of Citizens for Sequim Schools, will speak in favor of it.

The third and final panel will consist of the candidates for three Sequim School Board positions.

Running for the District 1 seat are Robin Henrikson, 37, and Heather Jeffers, 43; running for the District 3 seat are Jim Stoffer, 55, and Charla Wright, 50; and running for the at-large position are Heather Short, 38, and William Payne, 58.

Members of the public are encouraged to bring questions for the candidates and speakers.

Time will be allowed during the breaks and at the conclusion of each forum for one-on-one questions with candidates and speakers.

League of Women Voters volunteers plan to video-record this forum, and a link to the recording will be available at the league’s website at www.lwvcla.org after the event.

Other forums are set for:

■ Wednesday, Sept. 30 — 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, 401 E. First St., Port Angeles.

Candidates for Clallam County commissioner District 1 seat — incumbent Jim McEntire and Mark Ozias — and Port Angeles City Council Position 5 — Michael Merideth and Marolee Smith — will be featured.

■ Thursday, Oct. 1 — 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Forks Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave.

Appearing will be candidates for Port of Port Angeles commission, county commissioner — McEntire will send a representative — and Forks City Council Position 5 — Christina (Stina) Kohout and Jon Preston.

Tentatively scheduled are speakers for and against the proposed levy for Fire District No. 1, which covers Forks and Beaver.

Voters will be asked to approve a regular property tax levy of 75 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation for collection in 2016 and authorize annual increases of up to 3 percent for each of the five succeeding years to fund a paid fire chief position and to maintain or increase staffing and service levels.

■ Sunday, Oct. 4 — 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Port Angeles council chambers, City Hall, 321 E. First St.

Candidates for Port of Port Angeles commissioner and Port Angeles School Board are scheduled.

■ Tuesday, Oct. 6 — 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sequim Transit Center, 190 W. Cedar St.

Appearing will be candidates for Clallam County commissioner, Sequim City Council — Position 1, Brandon Janisse and Pam Leonard-Ray; Position 2, John Miller and Susan Lorenzen; and Position 7, Mayor Candace Pratt and James Russell.

Also appearing will be candidates for the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center board — Bill Jeffers and Gill R. Goodman — and for Fire District No. 3 commissioner — G. Michael Gawley and Sean Ryan.

For more information about the forums, see www.lwvcla.org.