2007
Election - Council
& Mayor (sort of) Candidate Debate
Sultan High School, Sept. 26, 2007 - 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Previous
Sultan Elections
(G.R.I.T.'s ELECTION PAGE)
Three participants were absent from the debate:
- Unfortunately, John Seehuus was hospitalized after major (scheduled) surgery that day, prompting me, at least, to question the wisdom and value of holding a debate without him. Richard Hill, Sarah Davenport-Smith's opponent, was a no-show.
- Absent too was sitting Sultan Councilman Derek Boyd. Mr. Boyd, who still has two years left of a perfectly good term on council, for reasons known only to himself and unfathomable to everyone else, decided to challenge fellow Councilman Jim Flower's run for re-election. Apparently, Boyd's new job responsibilities/duties will make it difficult for him now to any new council responsibilities. Still, isn't that Boyd's name printed on ballots queuing up to be mailed to voters? So much for "withdrawing" from the race. [Correction to an earlier inaccurate statement that Mr. Boyd's term had two more years remaining, when in fact it expires at the end of this year. My apologies to Mr. Boyd.]
ELECTION
DEBATE:
Sponsored
by the Sultan Toastmasters -- Good job, guys!
Thanks to organizer Bart Dalmasso and others, for making this available
to Citizens. Especially nice was the High School Commons, the audio acoustics
of which are infintely superior to the Middle School's.
Aside from Mr. Seehuus' glaring absence (and the quixotic timing of same, which will provide new grist for Sultan's Rumor Mill), and Mr. Burl Champeaux's inappropriate question for Kerry Ourada only, as well as Debate Moderator Joe Easley's lack of nipping that situation in the bud, it was a extremely well-organized and well-run event.
In keeping with G.R.I.T.'s tradition of really unprofessional grainy grass roots photography, below are a few lousy photos commenorating last night's debate.
FULL AUDIO OF THE 80-MIN. DEBATE (will be posted Friday morning, 9/28)
PHOTOS:
ABOVE: Right-to-left: Joe Easley, Debate Moderator; Mayoral candidate Carolyn Eslick, Sarah Davenport-Smith (challenger Richard Hill was a no-show); Sitting Councilman Jim Flower (challenged by Sitting Councilman Derek Boyd in another council position); and Kerry Ourada and Dale Doornek for Pos. 7.
ABOVE: right-to-left: Moderator Joe Easley, Carolyn Eslick and Sarah Davenport-Smith
ABOVE: left to right: Doornek, Ourada, Flower, Davenport-Smith and Eslick.