Blankenship strives of inclusivity
I look forward to voting Tuesday for Bryce Blankenship for Moscow City Council. While serving on the Moscow Human Rights Commission and in a range of other local volunteer roles, I’ve had the good fortune to interact with leaders who understand the importance of inclusivity and human rights in our community.
Moscow is a diverse town with varied needs, and it is essential for leaders to seek constituent input in their decision-making that reflects this diversity. I am confident Bryce will go above and beyond to ensure Moscow remains a welcoming place for everyone.
Bryce will work toward data-driven and sensible solutions to our town’s most pressing issues — from sustainable water use to affordable housing. Please remember to vote Tuesday. You can find your polling place at voteidaho.gov.
Jana Argersinger
Moscow
Three deserve the job
The importance of school board elections cannot be overstated. Too often school boards have been taken over by extremists, with horrible results. Voters must assure the candidates they choose share their values.
In the Moscow School District, seats in zones 1, 3, and 4 are up for election. The incumbents, Jim Frenzel, Dulce Kersting-Lark and Dawna Fazio have represented us well, showing clearly that they share the values of a majority of Moscow residents. Depending on the school board zone in which you reside, you may have the privilege of voting for one of these individuals.
Frenzel’s opponent in Zone 1 is Cody Barr. Barr and his wife are home-schooling their four children. He expresses his concern that certain “sexually explicit” books must be removed from school libraries, commenting that libraries are for learning, not for “sexualization.” Barr has also expressed the belief that schools should be entirely privatized.
Kersting-Lark’s opponent in Zone 3 is GayLynn Clyde. Clyde is particularly interested in parental rights. She states that there are certain materials in our libraries of which parents should be made aware, adding that parents would be appalled with materials being made available to their students. It seems that there is a segment of our community sharing “juicy” things found in the library the way we shared parts of “Peyton Place” when I was in high school.
There is currently a school district policy in place to give parents the opportunity to discuss concerns about library materials.
The three incumbents, Frenzel, Kersting-Lark, and Fazio are the clear best choices for the Board of Trustees of Moscow public schools. They have a deep understanding of public education and you can trust them to make solid, appropriate decisions for our youth.
Shirley Ringo
Moscow
Supporting Davis
I am writing this letter in support of Drew Davis. Drew is running for Moscow City Council and I support him not only because of his experience in the position, but more importantly because of my personal experiences with him. I’ve known him as a student, as an adjunct instructor and as a member of the community. From the beginning I have appreciated his open-minded attitude, willingness to listen to all opinions, his ability to solve problems creatively, and his care and concern for the people he works with and for. Drew believes in providing service to his community to improve the quality of all our lives. I will certainly vote for him Tuesday.
Shauna Corry
Moscow
Why I want to serve
As the campaign comes to an end, I thank my family, friends, advisers and donors for their support and inspiring me to run for Moscow City Council. I hope others decide to give me similar support and vote for Joe Campbell for Moscow City Council on Election Day on Tuesday.
While campaigning I have learned a lot about our city, and my love for Moscow has grown. The two are connected. I want to serve on the city council because I want to help create opportunities for others. This is a value shared by most if not all of us — a desire to create equal opportunities for all — and is what sets our community apart.
Joe Campbell
Moscow
Supporting McNeil
I’m throwing my support behind Deb McNeil as Pullman’s mayor. A long-time resident, Deb has been a middle school teacher, a business owner and for many years she volunteered her time to work the sidelines at the Washington State University football games. Her position on water planning is well known, but there are other issues affecting this city and she has the vision to solve them.
One of the issues that is absolutely key to whom I choose to vote for has to do with which candidate is going to continue making Pullman a safe and welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ and members of other marginalized communities. As someone with a gay brother and a lesbian daughter, I understand the struggles they face, and I feel it’s extremely important to live in a community that values them.
While Deb has always been welcoming of all people, her opponent, Francis Benjamin, attends the fundamentalist Living Faith Fellowship church which does not support Planned Parenthood or LGBTQ+ people. I can’t vote for any candidate clinging to outdated, religiously motivated bigotry that doesn’t care if harm falls on members of my family.
The town has grown over the past couple of decades and it’s clear that getting from one end of town to the other has become much more of a hassle due to traffic congestion. Deb’s solution is to extend the lanes to cover the truck congestion and eliminate parking spots on East Grand Avenue downtown, thus creating more lanes for traffic to flow.
Deb is the right candidate for Pullman. From her background working directly with the community to her experience as a business owner, and her compassion for everyone who lives here, she is absolutely the right person to lead us into the future.
Darrin Drader
Pullman
Look for the volunteers
The people we elect for the Moscow City Council and Moscow School Board will be making decisions that affect our day-to-day lives. We encourage you to find out all you can about the candidates and which ones are on your ballot by going to bit.ly/Nov23ElectionLCLD or VOTE411.org. Please vote between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. If you are not registered, or if your address has changed, you can register at the polls. Bring your photo identification and proof of Idaho residency for at least the last 30 days.
There is one more thing you can do on Election Day. You will have the opportunity to sign the Open Primaries petition that will create a nonpartisan primary system open to all voters regardless of party affiliation and will ensure that the winner enjoys support from a broad coalition of voters. Gathering enough signatures on this petition will make it possible for it to be on the 2024 ballot. Whether or not you support this initiative, we want to get it on the ballot so all Idahoans can decide.
Moscow voters, look for volunteers with clipboards 100 feet away from the polls at the Latah County Fairgrounds and Hamilton Indoor Recreation Center. If you are voting by mail or have already voted early, stop by the Hamilton Indoor Recreation Center any time from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., where there is ample parking, and sign the petition Tuesday.
Kathy Dawes andGretchen Wissner
Moscow
