It's Important To Get Out And Vote

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor-

Tuesday is Election Day and it's important that all registered voters get to the polls.

But before you get to the polls, please, get educated.

There aren't any races at the county level. It's not really an election, just an endorsement of a slate of Republicans.

There is one race at the trustee level in Wayne Township.

The Wayne Township Trustee's office had a budget of about $1.1 million last year, so it's a pretty significant position to hold.

The two candidates are Dan Slone, the Republican, and Pam Cartwright, the Democrat.

Please, voters, ask around. Make some phone calls. Get informed about these two candidates before you pull the lever.

The propensity in this county is to simply vote for the Republican, which I think is unfortunate.

Frankly, sometimes I think the Republicans in this county could put Osama bin Laden on the ballot and get him elected.

I readily admit that I am generally conservative and vote Republican, but I have never voted a straight ticket and I never will.

And really, political ideaology is not as important as qualifications at the local level.

The point is, voters need to be informed and select the most qualified candidate to fill the position regardless of political affiliation.

Vote for the person, not the party, in other words.

In the Wayne Township Trustee race, I think Cartwright is the more qualified candidate.

Apparently the current Wayne Township trustee, Beulah Fleagle, agrees. She has endorsed Cartwright. A courageous move, considering it had the potential to upset her fellow Republicans.

***

And now for an update on a story we ran earlier this week about a guy at Hoffman Lake.

George Konopasek lives next to an unimproved lot on Hoffman Lake. The lakefront lot has underbrush and small trees and over the years has become a haven for ducks, herons and other wildlife.

Konopasek tried to buy the lot, but he and the buyer couldn't come to terms on a selling price because the county appraised the property at a lot more than Konpasek was willing to pay.

Enter the DNR, who decided the unimproved lot - which was unsuitable for construction of a home because of its small size - would make a good spot for a boat ramp.

Konopasek said that anyone looking at the property would know that it was a lousy spot for a boat ramp.

The ramp, literally, would have been in his back yard, with all the resultant traffic, trash and a couple porta-potties. The DNR offered to put up a fence to shield him from the hubbub, but that would have occluded his view of the lake.

The DNR offered to buy the property, contingent on their own appraisal. But the DNR's appraisal came pretty close to what Konopasek was offering.

TheÊowner, having read about Konopasek's and other property owners' opposition to the ramp, decided to sell the property to Konopasek after all.

All's well that ends well. [[In-content Ad]]

Tuesday is Election Day and it's important that all registered voters get to the polls.

But before you get to the polls, please, get educated.

There aren't any races at the county level. It's not really an election, just an endorsement of a slate of Republicans.

There is one race at the trustee level in Wayne Township.

The Wayne Township Trustee's office had a budget of about $1.1 million last year, so it's a pretty significant position to hold.

The two candidates are Dan Slone, the Republican, and Pam Cartwright, the Democrat.

Please, voters, ask around. Make some phone calls. Get informed about these two candidates before you pull the lever.

The propensity in this county is to simply vote for the Republican, which I think is unfortunate.

Frankly, sometimes I think the Republicans in this county could put Osama bin Laden on the ballot and get him elected.

I readily admit that I am generally conservative and vote Republican, but I have never voted a straight ticket and I never will.

And really, political ideaology is not as important as qualifications at the local level.

The point is, voters need to be informed and select the most qualified candidate to fill the position regardless of political affiliation.

Vote for the person, not the party, in other words.

In the Wayne Township Trustee race, I think Cartwright is the more qualified candidate.

Apparently the current Wayne Township trustee, Beulah Fleagle, agrees. She has endorsed Cartwright. A courageous move, considering it had the potential to upset her fellow Republicans.

***

And now for an update on a story we ran earlier this week about a guy at Hoffman Lake.

George Konopasek lives next to an unimproved lot on Hoffman Lake. The lakefront lot has underbrush and small trees and over the years has become a haven for ducks, herons and other wildlife.

Konopasek tried to buy the lot, but he and the buyer couldn't come to terms on a selling price because the county appraised the property at a lot more than Konpasek was willing to pay.

Enter the DNR, who decided the unimproved lot - which was unsuitable for construction of a home because of its small size - would make a good spot for a boat ramp.

Konopasek said that anyone looking at the property would know that it was a lousy spot for a boat ramp.

The ramp, literally, would have been in his back yard, with all the resultant traffic, trash and a couple porta-potties. The DNR offered to put up a fence to shield him from the hubbub, but that would have occluded his view of the lake.

The DNR offered to buy the property, contingent on their own appraisal. But the DNR's appraisal came pretty close to what Konopasek was offering.

TheÊowner, having read about Konopasek's and other property owners' opposition to the ramp, decided to sell the property to Konopasek after all.

All's well that ends well. [[In-content Ad]]

Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Public Occurrences 05.17.25
County Jail Bookings The following people were arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail:

Court News 05.17.25
The following people have filed for marriage licenses with Kosciusko County Clerk Melissa Boggs:

1st Source Makes KBW Bank Honor Roll For Seventh Consecutive Year
SOUTH BEND – 1st Source announced that it made the annual bank honor roll by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. (KBW) for the seventh consecutive year.

Like The Rules Of Driving, Here Are 10 Rules For The Retirement Road
With four sons, I’ve spent significant time helping them learn to drive. Thankfully, all of my boys were quick learners, and we had professional driver’s education teachers to do the bulk of the work.

20th Year Of Fat & Skinny Tire Festival Gets Started With Large Community Ride
Before 60 mph winds and a bit of rain paused Friday evening’s Fat & Skinny Tire Festival activities, 650 bicyclists of all ages took part in the community mass ride from The Village at Winona to downtown Warsaw.