Pend Oreille County

Thu., Oct. 29, 1998

By John Craig johnc@spokesman.com

The hottest race in Pend Oreille County is the sheriff’s contest between former Sheriff Tony Bamonte and retired Anchorage Police Lt. Jerry Weeks.

Voters in the Cusick School District are asked to approve a five-year, $2.4 million school renovation bond that would cost an estimated $1.69 per $1,000 of assessed value.

In the Sacheen Lake Water and Sewer District, voters are asked to provide a one-year, $21,868 operating levy that would cost an estimated 90 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

Here is a look at contested races:

Sheriff: Tony Bamonte, 56, was a Spokane police officer and a Pend Oreille County sheriff’s deputy for 10 years before becoming sheriff in 1978. He was voted out after 12 years, and ran unsuccessfully for Spokane County sheriff in 1994. Jerry Weeks, 50, is a retired Anchorage, Alaska, police lieutenant with 26 years of police experience.

Commissioner: First-term Democratic incumbent Joel Jacobsen, 49, sells composting toilets and operates an espresso shop in Newport. Republican Jim Wise, 65, is a 911 dispatcher who previously worked in insurance and sales management and was a career Army officer.

Auditor: Republican Kathy Crisp, 57, is a retired banking manager who managed U.S. Bank’s 35-person Eastern Washington retail lending unit. Incumbent Democrat Ann Swenson, 60, was appointed auditor in September 1993 and has worked in the office for 19 years.

Assessor: Republican challenger William Lands, 38, is a real estate agent who has taken some courses in appraisal. Twenty-year incumbent Democrat Steve Thompson, 57, is a state-certified appraiser and was the county’s chief appraiser for 11 years before becoming assessor.

Superior Court Clerk: Democrat John Bockemuehl, 55, has been an Alaska state trooper and office manager for Impact Ministries in Redmond, Wash. He ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 1982. Republican Fawn Opp, 42, has been the assistant clerk since August 1996 and previously worked 15 years for federal agencies in Moses Lake.

Treasurer: Democrat Charlotte Demlow, 59, has worked in the treasurer’s office for 25 years, 20 of them as chief deputy. Republican Paul Murray, 43, spent 15 years in the Air Force, later worked as a stockbroker, and ran unsuccessfully for treasurer in 1994.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.