The candidates we think will serve citizens well
Five candidates for Snohomish County Superior Court, Position 2 threw their hats into the ring following the sudden resignation of Judge James Allendoerfer in July. After 19 years on the bench, Allendoerfer died of brain cancer two weeks later.
As a result, attorneys, David Hulbert, Scott Lord, Scott Peterson, Rico Tessandore and Joe Wilson, who had once stood before him, now vie for the non-partisan seat.
Of the five, we think Tessandore, 38, has been preparing himself for a judgeship since he began his career. He earned his undergrad at Seattle University and his law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. He did four consecutive internships and served as a law clerk for the juvenile court division. He worked as a deputy prosecutor for Snohomish County for four years and a judge pro tem in Evergreen and Cascade district courts, as well as Superior Court for the past three years. He is currently serving as the president of the Snohomish County Bar Association.
Tessandore, the only child of a single mother, paid his way through college and never lost sight of his goal. We think his tenacity, intellect and social skills will serve the citizens of Snohomish County well.
While Stanwood City Councilman Tim Loney has the experience, confidence and charisma to be a good mayor, we think incumbent Mayor Dianne White continues to be an inspiration to her constituency and a good representative of Stanwood. Before her tenure, she said Stanwood was often lost in the shuffle for Snohomish County funds, vaccinations, snow removal equipment, sand bags and emergency management supplies. “I helped bring attention north to Stanwood,” said White.
She serves on the Snohomish Health Advisory Board and job shares a pharmacist position with her husband at QFC in Stanwood that helps keep her in touch with the community. She plans to establish a park district to complete a trail system along the Old Channel of the Stilliguamish River, make improvements to Heritage Park, and attract a technical college and other family-wage jobs here. We say give her another four years to accomplish her vision.
Tim Pearce and Gerald “JJ” Steik are running for Shelley Klasse’s vacated seat for Stanwood City Council Position 2. Steik is a former small business owner and believes he has the pulse on what small businesses need in Stanwood to survive, one of them a broader sign ordinance that captures the attention of those passing by on SR 532. While he has the enthusiasm, he has spent no time on the planning commission to gain an understanding of city issues and its idiosyncrasies. Tim Pearce has served two terms on the city’s planning commission making recommendations to the city council. Now he would like to be part of the decision making body. We think Pearce has paid his dues, has a keen knowledge of the city’s dwindling revenue projections and will contribute to helping Stanwood weather the financial storm ahead.
As for Snohomish County Council, challenger and newcomer Ellen Hiatt Watson (D) has already proven she knows how to take on the big dogs when she fought developers proposing to build a rural cluster development on 3,000 acres in the Seven Lakes area of Stanwood. After a two-year fight and after starting her own grassroots organization, 7 Lakes, the council voted 4-1 to remove fully contained communities from the code in September. That one dissenting vote came from incumbent John Koster (R). While Koster has made several contributions to the county, we think Watson offers the insight of being raised in Stanwood and the passion to protect our rural lands into the future.
– Kelly Ruhoff
Editor
