Sequim Gazette, November 04, 2015

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Blaze burns Sequim barn Under new ownership Local family

Dangerous dozen

takes reins at Anytime Fitness

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SHS teens stage adaptation of ‘12 Angry Men’

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SEQUIM GAZETTE

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015

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Vol. 42, Number 44

School bond falling short Ozias leads race for county commissioner

Sequim Gazette staff

A Sequim schools construction bond that would have added a new elementary school, high school band, choir and science classrooms, an expansion at Greywolf Elementary and modernization of a district kitchen is falling short. The first count of ballots in the Nov. 3 general election show a $49.3 million Sequim schools construction bond isn’t passing, with 4,291 yes votes (57 percent) to 3,205 no votes (43 percent). The bond proposal needs a 60-percent super majority to pass. “We’re hopeful. We still have all of today’s (Tuesday) vote,” Colleen Robinson, president of Citizens for Sequim Schools, said. “I want to thank the voters, the Citizens for Sequim Schools team and the school district.” “We’re feeling pretty good right now,” Brandino Gibson, vice president for Citizens for Sequim Schools, said. “We know a lot of ballots came in late today so hopefully those reflect positively on Friday.” If it fails, it will be the third time a school bond proposal has failed in Sequim in the past two years. In April 2014, voters defeated a $154 million bond proposal by a 56-44 percent margin. A trimmed down version put to a vote in February 2015 of $49.5 million received more than 57 percent yes votes, falling short of the “super majority” figure.

General Election Results Sequim School Construction Bond (Prop. 1) Approve Reject

Jim McEntire* Mark Ozias

6,076 7,043

Sequim City Council • Position 1 Above, Colleen Robinson and Brandino Gibson, president and vice president of Citizens for Sequim Schools, raise support for a Sequim school construction bond at Washington Street and Sequim Avenue on Oct. 23. At left, Clallam County Commissioner candidate Mark Ozias speaks with his father after reviewing General Election results. To his left is his wife, Lisa Boulware. Sequim Gazette photos

other city council races with comfortable leads of plus 56 percent. In the Sequim School Board races, newcomer Robin Henrikson leads Heather Jeffers with 56 percent of ballots cast. Running mates Jim Stoffer and Heather Short also lead. William Jeffers has a large lead in his bid to unseat incumbent Gil Goodman in the lone contested SARC board of commissioners race.

optimistic again tonight.” McEntire, a retired Coast Guard captain and a former Port of Port Angeles commissioner, initially won the county commissioner seat in 2011. In other local races, Candace Pratt has a big lead in her bid to retain her Read a full election story online at Sequim City Council seat while John Miller and Pam Leonard-Ray lead in www.sequimgazette.com.

Board picks Neal to lead Sequim schools Top administrator held interim role for start of 20152016 school year by MICHAEL DASHIELL Sequim Gazette

An interim no longer. After serving as the Sequim School District’s top administrator on an interim basis since mid-summer, Gary Neal moves into the role permanently. The school district’s board of directors unanimously voted to hire Neal to lead Sequim schools Monday night. “It feels very good; this is

57.24% 42.76%

Clallam County Commissioner, District 1

Challenger leads commissioner race With nearly 54 percent of the votes tallied Tuesday evening, Democratic challenger Mark Ozias looks to have unseated incumbent Republican Jim McEntire for District 1 Clallam County Commissioner. Ozias, the executive director of the Sequim Food Bank, said he was thrilled. “The initial results are very positive,” Ozias said. ”After the primary’s second round of ballots came in, they tended to be in my favor, so I’m feeling very

4,291 3,205

Gary Neal receives congratulations from Ben Hughes, Sequim School District board student representative, on Monday, after Neal was offered the position of district superintendent. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

what I was looking for,” Neal want to leave.” said Monday night. “I just Board directors voiced bought a house here. I don’t their confidence in Neal on

just a day before hearing results of a $49.3 million school construction bond proposal. “Every group we heard from said, ‘Let us move forward,’” board president Bev Horan said. “We’ve been so clear what the expectations are (for Neal, and) he is just so positive. He’s been so helpful to us as a board and in the community. “He’s really continued (the role) in a real positive way and been out there 110 percent (touting the bond proposal).” The vote ended a selection process that began in earnest in February, when the board selected three finalists, declined to offer them contracts

See NEAL, A-2

46.31% 53.69%

Brandon Janisse Pam Leonard-Ray

595 818

42.11% 57.89%

Susan Lorenzen John Miller

614 784

43.92% 56.08%

Candace Pratt* James Russell

815 597

57.72% 42.28%

• Position 2 • Position 7

Sequim School District board of directors • Position 1 Heather Jeffers* 2,775 Robin Henrikson 3,623

43.37% 56.63%

Jim Stoffer Charla Wright

3,534 2,863

55.24% 44.76%

Will Payne Heather Short

1,731 4,900

26.10% 73.90%

• Position 3 • Position 5

Clallam County Parks & Rec. District 1 (SARC) • Position 1 Gil Goodman* William Jeffers

* — incumbent

2,333 3,372

40.89% 59.11%

Clallam Co. Charter Review Amendment 6 Would have DCD director appointed, not elected Approve Reject

4,376 8,219

34.74% 65.26%

Next ballot count is Friday

Here are the preliminary results of races and issues of interest to voters in Sequim and the Dungeness Valley for the 2015 Clallam County general election. Totals represent 13,761 ballots received by the Clallam County auditor and include votes mailed or placed in drop boxes as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Across the county, ballots were mailed to 47,509 voters. About 28.9 percent of voters had cast ballots as of Tuesday with another 3,998 left to be counted. The auditor will tally votes again on Friday, Nov. 6, and the election must be certified by Nov. 24.

Sports B-5 • Schools B-8 • Arts & Entertainment B-1 • Opinion A-12 • Obituaries A-11 • Classifieds C-1 • Crossword Section C

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