PORT TOWNSEND — Voters will have plenty of opportunities to question candidates in local elections this season at a full slate of candidate forums scheduled by four civic organizations, with the first set for today.
Forums are planned by the Jefferson County League of Women Voters, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, the Port Townsend Rotary Club and the Port Townsend Kiwanis Club.
Forums will include candidates for Port Townsend City Council, the Port of Port Townsend, the Jefferson Healthcare hospital board and the Quilcene School District.
League forums
The League of Women Voters will feature candidates for the Port Townsend City Council at 7 p.m. today at the Quimper Grange, 1219 Corona St.
The forum will feature Position 6 candidates Paul Rice and Amy Smith and Position 7 candidates David Faber and Travis Keena as well as unopposed incumbent candidates Deborah Stinson, Position 3, and Robert Gray, Position 4.
Contested candidates will appear together on the panel during the first half of the forum, while the unopposed candidates will join the panel after the intermission for the second half of the program.
The moderator will be Fred Obee, retired Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader general manager.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the league will hold a forum at the Port Townsend Yacht Club, 2503 Washington St., for hospital board and port commissioner candidates.
The forum will feature hospital board Position 2 candidates Chuck Russell and Kees Kolff and Position 4 candidates Mari Dressler and Paul Stafford.
The second half of the program will include Port of Port Townsend commissioner Position 1 candidates Steve Tucker and Diana Talley.
The moderator is yet to be announced.
The final league forum will feature candidates for port commissioner and Quilcene School Board at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Quilcene Community Center, 294952 U.S. Highway 101.
The forum will include School Board District 1 candidates Shona Davis and Mark Apeland along with Tucker and Talley.
In the District 3 School Board race, candidate Viviann Kuehl will appear while her opponent, Bonnie Hitt, is not participating.
Kuehl will be present at the forum to “meet and greet” attendees but will not be participating in the formal panel.
The forum will be moderated by Katherine Buchanan.
Chamber forums
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce has scheduled individual forums for hospital commissioner Sept. 21, City Council on Sept. 28 and port commissioner Oct. 5.
All forums will begin at noon at the Elks Lodge, 333 Otto St., and will be moderated by Leader Publisher Scott Wilson.
The Port Townsend Rotary Club has scheduled individual forums for port commissioner Oct. 13, hospital commissioner Oct. 20 and City Council on Oct. 27.
All forums will begin at noon at Fort Worden Commons.
No moderator information is currently available.
Kiwanis
The Port Townsend Kiwanis will hold its forums Oct. 14, 21 and 28, although the races have not been scheduled, according to club member Bob Carter.
Kiwanis meets at noon at the Highway 20 Roadhouse, 2152 Sims Way.
The Sunrise Rotary Club is not sponsoring any forums this year, according to club member Chuck Henry.
