Soap Lake school candidates talk change
Chrystal Doucette/Columbia Basin HeraldSoap Lake School District Board of Directors candidate Steve Merriel (left) speaks at a forum Monday, while candidates Newton Moats and Jerry Bessett listen.
Meeting focuses on communications
SOAP LAKE - Candidates running for the Soap Lake School District Board of Directors had an opportunity to answer questions from voters Monday at a candidates forum.
Change was the dominant theme of the evening.
Pos. 1 candidate Steve Merriel, Pos. 3 candidate Jerry Bessett and at-large Pos. 4 candidate Newton Moats were in attendance. Moats is running unopposed for a new term.
Pos. 1 incumbent Dean Lundgren and Pos. 3 incumbent Linda Hoffman were absent.
Bessett, a lifelong resident of Soap Lake, said the school board has limited what the community can say.
Moats said while he doesn't feel it is a good time to point fingers, he does feel the avenues of communication should be reopened.
Merriel said he was prompted to take a closer look at the Soap Lake School District after attending his first football game in the district.
"I saw grandstands that have been condemned, I saw a track that was deplorable," Merriel said.
An elderly couple at the game needed help getting into the grandstands, he added.
Merriel echoed the sentiment of Bessett and Moats that board meetings should be reopened to allow the public to speak.
One member of the community asked how the candidates, if elected, would involve the community in the board's decision-making process.
Bessett said the meeting agenda is currently restricted so community members and staff members have no time to speak at a board meeting. In addition, the audience is unable to ask questions, he said.
He said he personally would be available to hear from the public.
"I want to hear their opinions, so I can go as an informed voter when issues come up during the meetings," he said.
Moats said in addition to seeing meetings opened up, he would like to see committees formed for a more productive use of time.
The committees can then present ideas and findings to the board, he said.
Merriel said an exchange between adults is difficult when board members sit in adult chairs and the audience sits in chairs designed for children.
"It's really hard to have an adult-to-adult talk," he said.
Board member John Marthini disagreed and said any groups wanting to speak have been welcomed with open arms. Marthini said he isn't receiving any phone calls from the public, even though his number is listed.
"I'm still at the same place I've lived for 15 years," he said.