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Candidates stress water, ASU relations |
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Thursday, 29 September 2005 |
by MICHAEL BEAHM
News Reporter
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce gave the public a chance to get to
know the candidates running for mayor and a seat on the Boone Town
Council Monday night at a “Meet the Candidates” forum held at the Boone
Town Council Chambers.
The two mayoral candidates, Mayor Pro Tem Loretta Clawson and
Appalachian student Michael Georger, as well as the five town council
candidates, Rennie Brantz, Mac Forehand, Janet Pepin, J.W. Randolph and
incumbent Dempsey Wilcox, answered questions posed by an audience of
about 40 people.
The five town council candidates are running for three open seats.
Audience members submitted written questions for the candidates to a mediator, who addressed the questions to the candidates.
The Boone municipal election is Oct. 11, which is the last day of Appalachian’s Fall Break.
Students registered to vote in Watauga County can participate in early
voting, which began Sept. 22 and will last through Oct. 8. Early voters
may cast their votes at the Watauga County Board of Elections office in
the Watauga County Courthouse annex.
During the forum the candidates primarily agreed on the main issues
facing Boone, and on some of the issues, the candidates even agreed on
solutions.
Questions included issues of financial challenges facing the town, the
role of small business in the town, traffic problems, balancing
progress and preservation in Boone, and the issue of water shortages
facing Boone in coming years.
One of the primary issues focused on during the forum was that of
water, specifically whether or not candidates would support the
connection of Appalachian State University’s water lines with those of
the Town of Boone.
Wilcox, Georger, Forehand, and Randolph were all in favor of the connection as a temporary provision to the water shortage.
Randolph proposed a three-step plan for solving the water shortage in
Boone, which included the connection of the two water lines in the
town, sharing at times of maximum output and private conservation
measures.
Clawson and Pepin said they are still looking at the issue of water in
the town and the possibility of interconnecting the waterlines, while
Brantz said the town should take a more regional approach to continue
having enough water for the town to grow in the future.
Candidates were also allowed to make closing remarks.
In closing, Forehand said, “Basically Boone ain’t broke, so I’m not
going to go to any radical ends to try to fix it … but it does have its
problems.”
The biggest challenge is getting everyone working together and
cooperating, specifically the university and the Town of Boone, he said.
Pepin said she believed she would be a member of the town council who would listen, learn and be effective.
Georger, who at times stumbled in his answers, stressed his belief that
the town and university can work together to solve the issues that face
the town.
Brantz said he would bring fresh ideas, common sense, an open mind and
care for the people of Boone. He also focused on the importance of
preserving the town for future generations to enjoy.
Randolph showed poise in his answers throughout the forum.
“Running for office is something that I take very seriously,” Randolph
said. “I will continue to serve the High Country above and beyond this
election and plan to be open, honest and accessible to everyone I
serve.”
Having previously served on the Boone Town Council, Wilcox and Clawson
touted their political experience and pointed to work they have done in
the past.
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