Silver Valley Candidates See A Bright Future Infrastructure High On Lists Of Candidates In Shoshone County

Some mining jobs have returned. Major progress is being made on the Bunker Hill Superfund cleanup. Voters just approved building a new school.

Things are looking up in Shoshone County, and in one community after another along Interstate 90, candidates for local office say they want to help plan a bright future.

Elections take place Tuesday.

Wallace

While the mayor’s job will switch hands without a contest, five people are competing for two spots on the Wallace City Council.

Among their campaign issues: Abandoned houses and crumbling residential streets.

“The curbs and streets and sidewalks are really in bad shape. The bridges are really in bad shape,” said candidate Jon Ruggles.

Ruggles and Brenda Auld both are running against incumbent Virginia Mattern for a four-year council position. Dorwin Hinman wants to unseat Linda Brunette, also for a four-year term.

Both Edwin “Chase” Sanborn and incumbent John Hansen are running unopposed. Ronald Garitone is leaving the council to replace Mayor Archie Hulsizer, who is stepping down. No one has challenged Garitone.

Those in the running are:

Ruggles. A carpenter who often runs other peoples’ campaigns, Ruggles said “frustration” prompted him to try for a council job.

While fix-up efforts have focused on downtown, he said, “the infrastructure in the residential areas is pitiful at best.” Abandoned cars and houses make parts of the city unsafe and unsightly, he said.

Auld. She also is concerned that the city’s blight ordinance isn’t being enforced, and worries about dilapidated bridges. She wants to start a new youth program, inviting students to be honorary council members and report on what is happening in their schools.

“They would build stronger relationships between community and youths, and provide future leaders,” she said.

Auld is a former bookkeeper who is on disability retirement.

Mattern. The operations manager for a brokerage firm, she’s served on the Wallace council for five years, and found it gratifying.

Street repair probably is the biggest issue coming up; residential areas look especially bad in contrast to the spruced-up downtown.

“And we’d like to work on the blight problem,” she added. “If it’s an unoccupied home owned by someone out of state, and it’s a danger, you can’t just go out and tear it down. There probably will be a committee appointed to deal with that.

Hinman. He has chaired the planning, zoning and historic preservation commission for eight years. “I’m more positive about Wallace than at any time since I arrived 10 years ago. There are fewer vacant storefronts, a more positive business community, and more fun.”

But he said some ordinances are selectively enforced, and that residents aren’t encouraged to bring their problems to the council. He’d like to see the 5:30 p.m., dinner-hour council meetings scheduled when more people can attend.

Kellogg

Michael Stevenson and Roger Mangum are competing to replace Mayor Mac Pooler, who is not running for re-election.

“I’m not approaching it with an ax to grind or a vendetta or a personal agenda,” said Mangum. “I just want to help out the community. If we pull together as a community we can get a lot more done, instead of pulling in different directions - which is what I sometimes see.”

Magnum has been on Kellogg’s planning and zoning commission for eight years. He owns Medical Center Pharmacy.

Stevenson, 23, describes himself as “probably the youngest person to run for office here.” His job with Welcome Wagon keeps him in touch with the community, he said.

He thinks Kellogg needs to fix its roads and do more for its poor residents. He’d also like to see a Job Corps center established. “That would really boost the economy.”

Three council positions are open. Ken Schueman is running unopposed.

Larry Halley and Max Faller are competing for a four-year council seat, but neither could be reached for comment. Dale Guardipee, who also couldn’t be reached, is running against Larry Burcham for a two-year position.

Burcham is mountain manager for Silver Mountain ski resort, where he’s worked for 16 years. No single issue is driving his campaign, he said. “We need to be a town that’s clean and green and safe and friendly,” he said.

Mullan

Michael Dunnigan and Larry Hoven are in the running for mayor. Incumbent Gary Pemble is stepping down.

Dunnigan is a self-employed remodeler and wood-turner. He’d like to nail the community back together.

“We’re divided more than anything by differences of age,” said Dunnigan, 53. “It’s pretty much a retirement community.”

Hoven didn’t return calls seeking comment.

Three council positions are open. Blair Gosline and Don Kotschevar are seeking the two-year post. Seeking the two, four-year seats are Daniel White, Gary Garitone, David Randel and Mike Ban.

Gosline is a former council member and mayor. A retired building contractor, he said he’s mostly interested in “getting our streets and sewers in order, and seeing if we can get the community working again.”

Kotschevar is a recent council appointee. A high school teacher and volunteer firefighter, he wants to see continued street improvements. “We need to encourage people to move into our area - not only for our community, but for our schools.”

White is owner of the Lookout Motel, and is taking a stab at the council because “I won’t complain about something until I try to do something about it.” He wants to see more promotion of tourism. Mullan, he said, is in an excellent position to link to the snowmobile trail system that Wallace has promoted.

Randel said he’s qualified to serve on the council because of his “ability to listen to both sides of an issue, to hear what people are saying and help them hear each other.” He has a disability retirement from the Postal Service.

Garitone served on the council in the 1980s. A retired miner, he said the council needs better communication with the public and with Shoshone County. He noted that new families are moving into Mullan, and “I’d love to see it grow.”

Ban is upset with what he calls “poor public relations between the people and the City Council.” He looks at the cleanup of mining wastes in the Kellogg area, and would like to see something similar happen around Mullan. He pointed to the old Morning Mine dump as an example. Ban is retired on a medical disability.

Pinehurst

Four Pinehurst residents are running for two, four-year council positions.

Stan Edwards, a golf pro, has served on the council for eight years. He’s eager to see more activities for kids, and is working on a skate park. “We hope to start construction in the spring.” As police commissioner for the past few years, he also has worked to have officers spend more time with young people.

Pub owner Jimmy Winebrenner also would like to have things for young adults and teens to do. He moved to Pinehurst last year from St. Maries. “What drew me to this town was how nice and clean it was. I’d like to keep it the same way, and get more people to stop and enjoy our town.”

Nancie Burkhart said current city officials do an excellent job, but she’s giving in to family and friends who encouraged her to run for office. “I’m a take-charge person. I like people of all ages,” she said. She’s semi-retired from a health care career.

Cindy Christmann-Wilbur would like to see a few changes. “Some of the streets are needing repair. And little Pine Creek needs to be dug out (for flood control), and they’re not pursuing that as much as they should.” She works for the state liquor store, and co-owns owns J’s Fire Extinguisher Service with her husband.

Smelterville

Three men are in the running for two, four-year council seats.

Incumbent Thomas Benson, who owns an auto body shop, was appointed a year ago. He wants to follow through on projects he’s involved with, such as the Bunker Hill cleanup and plans to put an industrial park on the site. He said he’ll seek a grant for a new storm sewer system.

Chuck Padula could be reached for comment.

Randy Aamodt, a hoist operator at the Sunshine Mine, also is seeking the post. “It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do, get involved in city government,” said Aamodt, who thinks boom times are ahead for his community. “I see in the next few years after this Superfund cleanup is done, Smelterville is going to go on a growing spree.”

, DataTimes