Candidates speak at forums

Wahkiakum County's political season got into full swing this week with the arrival of primary election ballots in the mail on Saturday and candidate forums Monday in Cathlamet and Tuesday in Grays River.

Two write-in candidates have also made an appearance. Longview computer store owner Tim Sutinen announced a third try for election to the legislature; he is running as a write-in for District 19, Position 2; incumbent Brian Blake is seeking re-election to that position. On Tuesday, Puget Island resident Dennis Gordon sent The Eagle a letter to the editor announcing he is a write-in candidate for Superior Court, challenging incumbent Mike Sullivan.

Voters county wide will help settle a variety of regional or statewide races in the state's new Top Two Primary, which advances the candidates with the two highest vote totals to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. Voters have only one county wide race to settle, that of the treasurer's position, and voters in County Commissioner District 1 will narrow a field of four candidates down to two.

Ninety-nine people, including candidates, attended a forum Monday in Cathlamet, and about 80 attended one Tuesday at the Grays River Grange.

In both forums, candidates gave a short speech outlining their background and goals. In the Cathlamet forum, candidates for treasurer, PUD commissioner and county commissioner took turns asking questions solicited from the public. At the Grange forum, questions came straight from the audience and were addressed to any or all candidates for the particular position.

North Coast Community Radio of Astoria, KMUN 91.9 FM, recorded the forums. News director Kathleen Morgain said selections from the forums may be broadcast July 29, 7 p.m., and July 30, 9:30 a.m.

Here are summaries of the candidates' statements and selections from the questions they answered:

Wahkiakum County Commissioner, District 1

Four candidates are running for the seat from which incumbent Lisa Marsyla is retiring. They are Bill Wilkins, prefers Democratic party; Greg Prestegard, prefers Democratic; Stephanie Prestegard, prefers Independent, and Mike Backman, prefers Independent.

Backman graduated from Wahkiakum High School and attended Lower Columbia College. He is a commercial fisherman and also is a fish buyer. He is active in Wahkiakum Lions, Wahkiakum 4H, and the county's Marine Resources Committee. Creating new jobs and protecting existing jobs are his high priorities, he said. He would like the commission to support efforts to increase internet based jobs in the county.

Greg Prestegard, a WHS and Lower Columbia College graduate, is winding down a 21-year career as a contractor; that career followed a 25-year stint with Reynolds Aluminum in various management positions. He has also been a volunteer fire fighter and served as an elected fire commissioner and member of the Cathlamet Town Council. "This is something I've wanted to do for a long time," he said.

Stephanie Prestegard, married to a second cousin of Greg Prestegard, is also a WHS graduate. She earned a bachelor degree in business administration at Eastern University. She and her family recently reopened the Hotel Cathlamet; she has also been a real estate broker and substitute teacher. "I can bring a fresh perspective to the board," she said. "I feel compelled to serve a community that has so graciously given so much to me . . . with my skills and background, I feel I am the perfect candidate for the position."

Wilkins moved to Cathlamet nine years ago. He has worked as a glazier, managing large shops in the Seattle area and operating his own shop in Vancouver. He is now a real estate broker in Cathlamet and manages the Scarborough Building. He has been active in the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce. "I have a life-long interest in politics and would like to be part of the solution and move this county forward," he said.

Wahkiakum County Commissioner, District 2

Cothren is completing his third term in office. A WHS graduate, he has worked in the timber industry all his life. His focus on the board, he said, has been to champion the county's timber and recreational and commercial fishing industries.

Joan Harvey Chester, who is challenging Cothren as an Independent, was unable to attend the forum; she had scheduled a vacation trip last winter before deciding to run for commissioner. Her campaign manager, Diane Stockhouse, read a statement in which Harvey Chester spoke of her ties to the county. She attended WHS, graduated from a Longview high school, and pursued a career in airlines, hotel management, and real estate. She is now the proprietor of The Villa at Little Cape Horn, a bed and breakfast and wedding venue. She said she would work to help local business thrive, grow our economy, and preserve local jobs. This would be through infrastructure projects, cooperating with the town government, or teaming with businesses for marketing efforts. "I am commited to the following principles when working as a commissioner," she said in the statement, "preserve and grow local private businesses; safeguard the jobs of the businesses that are currently here, seek new economic opportunties that are consistent with the quality of our county, and expand tourism in ways that support preservation of our historic treasurers and pristine environment . . . I will treat the commissioner's position as a full time job, which is what I think it takes to do the job right."

Questions and responses

Here are the commission candidate's responses to three of the questions posed to them: All of the commission candidates are included:

1. What do you hope to achieve if elected:

--Cothren cited efforts to protect the commercial fishing industry, which is facing an Oregon initiative that would ban gillnets, to make sure the state legislature and Department of Natural Resources follow through with the new program that compensates the county for trust timberland locked up for endangered species habitat, to build up county financial reserves, and to use common sense to get the job done on the commission.

--Greg Prestegard said he, too, values common sense, and he added that he would like to see county government go through a strategic planning and goal setting process. "That's very important for the county, and for everyone," he said.

--Stephanie Prestegard said she would want to make sure county budgets are balanced, given the reductions governmental bodies are seeing in revenue, and to make sure the county lives within its budget.

--Wilkins said he would want to see a plan implemented to develop rates that would encourage people to connect to the town sewer main that has been constructed up to Boege Road. A development that planned to connect to the line has never been built, and connection fees deter people from connecting to the line. "We need to get an alternate answer," he said. He also said he would like to see county departments that are short handed get back to full staff.

--Backman said he would like to work on job creation efforts and to make the county budget and budgeting process more understandable for citizens.

2. What is the most important issue facing the county?

--"There are so many," said Greg Prestegard. Immediate issues needing attention include the erosion problems troubling citizens and the county--erosion of Steamboat Slough dike, Loop Road, and at a Middle Valley farm. Also, county offices need to learn to do more work with less funding. "There's not going to be more money, that's my opinion," he said.

--Stephanie Prestegard also cited erosion and budget work as important issues.

--The county needs to maintain its infrastructure, Wilkins said. Bridges are in good condition, but there are problems with roads. He added he is concerned about the closure of Columbia View Care Center and he would work with other groups to try to find a new operator of the facility.

(When asked later about the nursing home closure, all candidates said they would try to find a way to keep it open but that the county shouldn't try to own or operate the business.)

--Backman said meeting the budget and creating jobs are the two major issues. "We need jobs," he said. "Everything suffers if we don't have jobs."

--Cothren also said budget concerns are the major issue for the county. "We have made some major cutbacks," he said. "I scrutinize that budget. It's darn tough, but I think county government has set the example."

3. What direction should the commission take for land use planning?

--"We need to continue planning," said Stephanie Prestegard. The county has no zoning laws, "but I don't think you can pick one use over another . . . It would be a nightmare to start zoning laws."

--"We should continue working on and complete the comprehensive plan update," Greg Prestegard said. He added that he favors no restrictions on land use so that business and industry are free to develop. "This county needs the money," he said.

--Land use planning is a difficult issue, Wilkins said, adding that he agreed with points made by the two Prestegards. "I don't think it's that much of a problem," he added. "You get used to it (mixed uses existing side by side). As long as there's no health risk, I don't see a problem."

--"We need jobs, so I go with that direction," Backman said.

--Cothren commented that the board of commissioners had dropped the ball in completing the update of the comprehensive plan, and it should be updated. In his time on the board, he has had to face disputes over conflicting uses. Noisy, mechanized operations should be located away from residential areas, he said.

Wahkiakum County Treasurer

Three candidates, Republican Susan Bate and Democrats Marlena Silva and Tammy Peterson are seeking the job of treasurer.

Bate's background includes an AA degree in accounting and and ASN degree in nursing. She has served as an accountant in private industry and she has been the accountant for three fire districts and two port districts in the county. She is now working as a nurse, commuting to Lewis County; she has also worked as a bank teller.

Bate said her major strength would be the variety of skills she has developed in her varied background. "I believe I have the qualities to be a good leader and a public servant," she said. "Good accounting is being exact."

If elected, Bate said, she would study the department and look for ways to eliminate waste, and she'd make sure funds are used as they are intended.

Peterson graduated from WHS and Longview Business College. She has worked in county offices for 20 years in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties, including seven years in the Wahkiakum treasurer's office, where she was deputy treasurer. She has also worked for a savings and loan and as an aide in WHS. She is chair of the Wahkiakum Community Network board of directors.

"I know the office; I've worked in the office for so long," she said. "I know the job and can do it right. If I'm elected, you can count on me to give 100 percent."

For the past couple of years, the department has wrestled with computer program conversions, and Peterson said that if elected, she would complete the process and eliminate the problems that have come with the latest conversion. "My goal is to get that up and running," she said.

Silva, appointed in February to fill a vacancy created by Paula Holloway's retirement, has worked for years for Bank of America. "I bring new eyes to the office," she said. "I want to make changes that will benefit the county."

Silva said her strong banking background makes her highly qualified for the office. "I balance to the penny," she said. "That's the experience I have." She added that tax season was a breeze for her because of her banking experience.

In the position, she is working to lower the fees the county pays for banking, and she is studying how to use the department's new computer programs to make it easier to make payments.

Editor's note: With the large amount of material from the two forums, it has been impossible to report on all the races. Those reports will appear in next week's issue.