EDITOR’S NOTE: This report has been corrected to reflect that Heather Short, William Payne and Charles Meyer are running in the Aug. 4 primary for the Sequim School Board position held by Walter Johnson, who is not running for re-election.
The League of Women Voters of Clallam County plans three forums featuring candidates and issues appearing on the Aug. 4 primary ballot.
The forums will deal with a proposal by the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center for formation of a metropolitan park district and with candidates for commissions governing the Port of Port Angeles, Clallam County and Fire District No. 3, as well as for a Port Angeles City Council seat and a seat on the Sequim School Board.
Only races with three or more candidates will be on the primary ballot.
The top-two primary will cull down the choices in each race to two, who will go before voters during the Nov. 4 general election.
Ballots will be mailed July 15.
Members of the public are encouraged to bring questions for the candidates.
At each forum, audience members who are candidates for other offices, including those not in contested primary races, will be asked to stand and introduce themselves.
Time will be allowed at the conclusion of each forum for one-on-one questions with candidates.
SARC proposal
The proposal from the aquatic center, known as SARC, will be the topic of the first forum from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 28.
The forum will be at the Shipley Center, 921 E. Hammond St., Sequim.
The forum will begin with a discussion of the ballot measure to create a metropolitan park district to support the center.
Susan Sorensen of Citizens for SARC will speak in support of the measure, while Pat Johansen of Citizens for Sequim’s Future will talk in opposition to it.
Candidates for the five-member board for the proposed district also will speak.
They are Bob Anundson, Gayle Baker, Rich Bemm, Fritz Gruetzmacher, Paul Gruver, Mike McAleer, Eckart Mildenstein, Dick Neal, Virginia O’Neil, Warren Pierce, Susan Sparks Smith and Ken Stringer.
Port, City Council
Candidates for seats on the Port of Port Angeles commission and the Port Angeles City Council will be featured at the second forum from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, at Port Angeles City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
Candidates for the District 3 port commissioner seat and for Position 5 on the council will speak.
Port candidates are Connie Beauvais, vice chair of the Clallam County Planning Commission and a Charter Review Commission member; Michael Breidenbach of Forks; Rick “Doc” Robinson of Port Angeles; and Lee Whetham, Port Angeles city councilman.
Candidates for the Port Angeles City Council are Michael Merideth, Shan Pak and Marolee Smith.
County commissioners
The third forum is set from 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Sunday, July 12, at the Shipley Center.
It will feature candidates for the District 1 Clallam County commissioner seat, the Position 5 seat on the Sequim School Board and Clallam County Fire District No. 3.
County Commissioner Jim McEntire, a Sequim Republican, will be challenged for his seat by Bryan D. Frazier, a Carlsborg Democrat who helped found Citizens for the Preservation of Carlsborg Community Action Group, and Mark Ozias, a Sequim Democrat who is the director of the Sequim Food Bank.
Heather Short, William Payne and Charles Meyer are running for the Sequim School Board position held by Walter Johnson, who is not running for re-election. Meyer will not be present at the forum but will send a representative.
While the District 1 Sequim School Board race will appear on the primary ballot, two of the four candidates who originally filed for the position have withdrawn.
Willard Naslund and Rebecca Bratsman withdrew from the contest too late to have their names removed from the ballot.
Appointee Heather Jeffers and Robin Henrikson will run in the November election.
Incumbent Michael Gawley is challenged for his Clallam County Fire District No. 3 seat by Sean Ryan and Alan W. Slind.
For more information about the forums, voter registration and the League of Women Voters, go to the league’s website at www.lwvcla.org.
