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Women in Support of Education (WISE) hosted a debate in the Ouray Community Center on Tuesday evening between District 59 State House incumbent J. Paul Brown (R) and challenger Mike McLachlan (D). Moderator Nancy Wolkin asked questions submitted by audience members and kept candidates to time limits.
The candidates come from different backgrounds. Brown is a rancher in Ignacio and has served as a county commissioner and school board member. McLachlan was raised in a military family and after an honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps earned a law degree. He practices in Durango. Both candidates have raised families and believe that District 59 is the most beautiful in the state.
Candidates on common sense

by Beecher Threatt

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Two local candidates' forums each attracted well over 100 attendees on Sept. 26 and Oct. 2. Ouray County Cattlemen's Association, host for the first forum, and Women in Support of Education, host for the second, ran efficient, lively programs with respectful and knowledgeable audiences. Participating in both were District 1 county commissioner candidates incumbent Lynn Padgett (D) and challenger Jack Flowers (R). District 3 candidates are Pat Willits (U) and Don Batchelder (R). (Willits is technically the incumbent, as the governor appointed him to fill the four-month unexpired term created when Heidi Albritton resigned in August.)
At the OCCA forum, held at the 4-H Center in Ridgway, moderator Don Latham gave each of the four candidates two and a half minutes to answer each of 10 questions, chosen by members of OCCA. At the packed Ouray Community Center, WISE moderator Nancy Wolkin first announced each speaker would get one minute per question, but when that received grumbles she suggested two minutes and fewer questions. Batchelder suggested one and a half minutes, which all agreed to.

By Caleb Stento

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Ouray High School student Patrick Link has the distinction of being a National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) semi-finalist.
It's an enormous achievement, and the competition at this level is just as big. As Ouray’s Superintendent/Principal Scott Pankow related, this could have a big impact on Link’s future.