The filing deadline for the local election was noon Monday, and only one additional candidate filed. Retired teacher Ralph Beardsworth is seeking a three-year seat on the Ketchikan School Board.
Beardsworth said he was a teacher for 22 years, part of that time in Metlakatla. His wife is an administrator in the Annette Island School District.
He said he’s interested in education, and in Ketchikan.
“I’ve been a resident of Ketchikan on and off since 1974,” he said. “We’ll be here, then we’ll leave, then we’ll come back again. We decided we’re making this our home. We like the community much better than about any other place we’ve found. Except for the rain. But you can’t do anything about that.”
Beardsworth said he would like to see the district meet the federal Adequate Yearly Progress guidelines from the No Child Left Behind Act. However, he said he doesn’t have a list of issues or goals.
“I don’t have a large agenda,” he said. “I don’t have a sheet here of what I want to try to accomplish. I would just like to try to work within the system, and just try to help out where I can.”
There are four open seats on the Ketchikan School Board, three are three-year terms and one is a two-year seat. Candidates who filed earlier for the three-year seats are Colleen Scanlon and Board Member Stephen Bradford.
Board Member Michelle O’Brien has filed for the two-year seat.
For the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly, Jim Van Horn and incumbent Todd Phillips are running for the two open seats. Assembly Member Mike Salazar can’t run again because of term limits.
There are two open City Council positions, and incumbents Bob Sivertsen and DeAnn Karlson both filed to retain their seats. In the only contested local race, incumbent City Mayor Lew Williams III will run against Lewis Armey Jr.
The municipal election is Oct. 2nd. The state primary election is Tuesday, and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
