2013 Municipal Election season begins

    Nominations are in for 2013 municipal and county elections on October 21.
    The number of candidates may have looked sparse leading up to nomination day, which was held on Monday, but acclamations are few as a number of candidates, both incumbent and new have handed in their papers.

Drumheller
    In Drumheller, Terry Yemen will serve a second term, which is now four years, as Mayor of Drumheller after winning his seat through acclamation.
    However, there is plenty of competition for Town Council’s six remaining seats.
    For incumbents, Jay Garbutt, Lisa Hansen-Zacharuk, Sharel Shoff, and Tom Zariski have put themselves forward. Former Drumheller mayor Bryce Nimmo will be running for a spot as a Town councillor.
    New candidates include Jenny Dannhauer, Crystal Jensen, Patrick Kolafa, Tara McMillan, and Kalon Sykes.

Terry Yemen, right, hands his nomination papers to Town of Drumheller returning officer Byron Nagazina. Yemen will serve another four years as mayor of Drumheller after no other nominations were submitted for the position. Residents in the area will be heading to the polls on October 21, after only a few council seats were determined through acclamation.

Big Valley
    There will be no election in Big Valley after only three candidates submitted their nominations for the village’s three council seats.
    Incumbents Gail Knudson and Lois Miller, and newcomer Ken Johnson were awarded seats on council through acclamation.

Carbon
    There will be an election in Carbon after six candidates have submitted their papers for the election. There are five seats on the Carbon Village Council.
    Incumbents Richard Ekman and Mike Still will run alongside Marie Koolman, Marty Morgan, Don Morrison, and Steve Reyman.

Delia
    There is plenty of competition for Delia’s three council seats. Eight candidates have put their names forward to fill the village’s three council seats.
    John Rogers, who served as mayor last term, and Dennis Thordarson, the two incumbents, will run for election against Glenn Arnold, Irene Arnold, Dawn Bancroft, John Fox, Beverly Hall, and Susan Waye.

Hussar
    An election is in Hussar’s future after four candidates let their names stand for the three seats on the Hussar Village Council.
    Incumbents Bruce Kaufman, who served as mayor last term, and Tim Frank will be joined by Corey Fisher and Timothy Muir on the election trail.

Morrin
    An election is on the way for Morrin. Six candidates will vie for the Village of Morrin’s three council seats.
    Howard Helton, Lloyd Hodge, Suzanne Lacher, Maynard MacArthur, David MacLeod, and Janis Siemens have stepped forward to run in the upcoming election.

Munson
    Only three candidates submitted nominations for the Village of Munson Council’s three seats, meaning no election is scheduled for the community.
    Laura Cawiezel, Kerry McLellan, and Robert Spencer won their seats through acclamation.

Rockyford
    Rockyford’s next council will be decided through an election after eight candidates submitted their nominations. The Rockyford Village Council consists of only five seats.
    Incumbents Darcy Burke, Rockyford’s mayor during the last three years, Gerry Katterhagen and Leah Smith will run again.
    Five new faces let their names stand for the election, including Greg Baillie, Wayne Beerling, Dalia Cheshire, Natalie Desantis, and Jayne Koester.

Standard
    In Standard, six candidates have put their names forward for the village’s five council seats.
    Incumbent mayor Alan Larsen will run for re-election as will fellow incumbents Mark Clark, Ron Corbeill, and Adam Sommerfeldt.
    Martin Gauthier and Joseph Pedersen, both newcomers, will run for election as well.

Kneehill County
    Nominations were extended in Kneehill County to today (Wednesday, September 25) at noon after no candidates came forward in Division 2.
    Most seats, as of press time, were likely to be decided by acclamation. Incumbents Brian Holsworth (Division 1), Jerry Wittstock (Division 3), Greg Keiver (Division 4), Bob Long (Division 5), Ken Hoppins (Division 6), and Bobby Painter (Division 7) will likely serve another four years on the Kneehill County Council.

Starland County
    Several elections are imminent in Starland County.
    In Division 2, incumbent Norman Stanger will defend his seat against Steve Wannstrom.
    Incumbent Allen Avramenko will defend the Division 4 seat against James Krywcun.
    Current Reeve Barrie Hoover will defend the Division 5 seat against Greg Herzog.
    Murray Marshall (Division 1) and Robert Sargent (Division 3) won their seats through acclamation.

Wheatland County
    Two elections are planned in Wheatland County.
    In Division 2, the race is heating up after six candidates have put their names forth to fill the seat left vacant by Ken Sauve. Rex Harwood, Jackie Kirk, Ian Mast, Kevin G. Miller, Colin Smith, and Russell Smith will vie for the Division 2 council seat.
    Incumbent Don Vander Velde will defend the Division 3 council seat against Donna Biggar.
    Alice Booth (Division 1), Berniece Bland (Division 4), Brenda Knight (Division 5), current Reeve Glenn Koester (Division 6), and Ben Armstrong (Division 7), who are all incumbents, won their seats through acclamation.

Golden Hills School Division
    Residents in Ward 1, which includes Three Hills, Torrington, Huxley, Trochu, and area will be voting between three candidates to fill the Ward 1 school board vacancy. Colleen Eyjolfson, Barry Kletke, and Larry Maerz have submitted their names for Ward 1.
    David Price will serve another term as the Golden Hills board member for Ward 2, which includes Acme, Carbon, Linden, and areas.
    Sherri Nielsen will serve as the board member for Ward 3, Drumheller.
    Larry Tucker was acclamated to Ward 4, Strathmore.
    Alan Larsen and Corey Fisher have submitted their names for Ward 5, which includes Carseland, Gleichen, Cluny, Hussar, Rockyford, Standard, and surrounding areas.

Prairie Land Regional Division
    Most of the Prairie Land Regional Division board were awarded their seats through acclamation. Holly Smith (Ward 1, Berry Creek), Dean Hansen (Ward 2, Hanna Rural and Youngstown), Marsha Tkach (Ward 3 Veteran), Barry Davis (Ward 3, Consort and Altario), Lyle Cawiezel (Ward 4, Morrin), and Ed Brinkman (Ward 4, Delia) won their seats.
    In Ward 2, Hanna Urban, several candidates will vie for two vacancies on the Prairie Land board. Jade Hill, Vern Thuroo, and Angie Warwick have let their names stand for the election.

Christ the Redeemer School Division
    Voters in Drumheller will have an extra box to tick as two candidates have submitted their names to run for Drumheller’s seat in the Christ the Redeemer School Division Board of Directors.
    Incumbent Paul Andrew will defend the Drumheller seat against Mark Chung.

    The election is scheduled for October 21. Keep reading The Drumheller Mail for coverage on the 2013 Municipal Elections.