Four Candidates Vie For Medical Lake Council Seat

Voters in Medical Lake have plenty of choices to replace outgoing City Councilman Howard Jorgenson.

Four candidates are competing for the two years remaining on Jorgenson’s council term.

Jorgenson was the longtime president of the Washington Federation of State Employees. He resigned his council position and union job to accept an appointment to the state Personnel Appeals Board earlier this year.

The candidates on the ballot next Tuesday are John W. Aiken Jr., M. Frances Harland, Lahnie J. Henderson and Vivian Hill.

The top two vote-getters in the non-partisan race will advance to the Nov. 4 general election.

Aiken is a public works inspector for the city of Spokane and a 30-year resident of Medical Lake.

He graduated from Medical Lake High School and holds a geology degree from Eastern Washington University.

Aiken said he’s running for office because he believes utility bills are exorbitant in Medical Lake. A water bill, he said, could average more than $100 a month.

“That’s why no one waters their lawns out here,” he said.

Being so close to Spokane, Medical Lake needs to do a good job of planning for growth. It has about 3,700 people now, but the population could take off with new housing that’s going up, he said.

Harland is a retired chaplain for the state institutions in Medical Lake. Her husband, Terry, is a veteran council member in Medical Lake.

They have lived in the small West Plains city for 13 years.

Harland said she is running because she wants to contribute to the community.

“I’ve always been interested in running for City Council,” she said. “I thought now is a good time to do it.”

Harland said Medical Lake always has been a progressive community, and she wants to be part of its future.

Henderson is office manager for the Federal Aviation Administration at Spokane International Airport. She is attempting to make a return after serving nearly 12 years on the council before resigning last December.

She said she resigned because of a conflict between her work schedule and her council duties. The schedule conflict has been resolved, so she now can fill the duties of a council member, she said.

“I have a lot of experience I can offer to the community,” Henderson said. Her experience will be helpful in developing a new sewage treatment plant, improving bus service and implementing a new growth-management plan, she said.

Hill is a civilian protocol officer at Fairchild Air Force Base. She handles arrangements for visits by high-ranking military and civilian officials.

Hill and her husband, James, came to Medical Lake in 1984 to serve at Fairchild. Both have since retired. Vivian Hill left the Air Force with the rank of master sergeant.

Her candidacy is a family affair of sorts. James Hill, who is now a state trooper, is challenging Mayor Sharalyn Stearns in the November general election.

Vivian Hill said she wants to see Medical Lake grow with new businesses but slowly enough so the community can plan for change.

She wants to see the drug awareness program known as DARE brought back to the schools and wants the city to start handling misdemeanor prosecutions of juveniles. Delinquency is an ongoing problem in Medical Lake, she said.

The community center needs a boost from the city to make it a viable resource for residents and a place where young people can burn up some energy, she said.

“The city needs a fresh look with fresh ideas,” Hill said.

, DataTimes