Pend Oreille County Commission Lewis Vs. Hanson: Opposite Sides Of Land Use Issue

At least one of two Pend Oreille County commission races presents a clear choice.

Democratic challenger Sandi Lewis and incumbent Republican Mike Hanson are poles apart on growth management, the central issue in their contest to represent the southern end of the county. She wants to preserve rural lifestyles; he wants to preserve property rights.

At the northern end of the county, Republican challenger Wanda Stenzel has her work cut out for her if she’s to be more conservative than incumbent Democrat Karl McKenzie. He shares her distaste for the state Growth Management Act.

Lewis, 55, moved from Fremont, Calif., to the Fertile Valley area in 1990. She and her husband, Dale, a Spokane native, have three adult children. She attended San Mateo Community College and a private business college, and was a partner in an accounting firm for 14 years.

Hanson, 53, is a lifelong resident of the Diamond Lake area. A graduate of Newport High School, he attended Eastern Washington University while working nights for Kaiser Aluminum in Spokane. Then he bought the Harbor resort at Diamond Lake, which he and his wife, Karen, still operate. The couple has two adult sons.

McKenzie vs. Stenzel

Stenzel, 59, has been in the real estate business for 20 years. She operates a real estate agency in Metaline Falls, where she moved five years ago from Monterey, Calif.

Stenzel and her husband, Bill, have four adult children. She grew up in Texas and attended junior colleges in North Carolina and California.

McKenzie, 55, has lived in Metaline most of his life. He graduated from Metaline Falls High School, and was mayor for 10 years.

McKenzie manages the Lafarge cement terminal in Metaline Falls and has been a deputy. He and his wife, Yvonne, have four children.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: THE JOB Pend Oreille County commissioners serve four-year terms and are paid $23,760 annually.