Helgeson thought it unfair and said he was disappointed he couldn't continue to run for city council, but plans to run again when he retires from law enforcement. Helgeson's name will still be on the ballot since the ruling came too late to remove him from the June 13 primary. Helgeson said he essentially has no choice but to refuse the council seat even if he receives the most votes in the election.
That still leaves seven candidates seeking four positions on the Wahpeton City Council, including a number of contested races. The only candidate running unopposed is Jim Sturdevant, who is seeking to become mayor. Council incumbents Meryl Hansey and Rich Loberg along with newcomer Lane Wateland are running for two at-large positions. Incumbent Dave Badgley is being opposed by Tiana Bohn for Ward Three. Steve Helgeson is the only candidate on the ballot for Ward One, although Marty Schmidt is undergoing a write-in campaign.
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Jim Sturdevant
Sturdevant, 65, is running for Wahpeton mayor. He served on the city council from 1986 to 2002 and sat on the flood, personnel, finance and recreation center committees.
He attends and belongs to St. John's Catholic Church, Wahpeton. He also is a member of the Wahpeton Optimists Club, Wahpeton Eagles and Wahpeton Vets Club.
"I have a strong interest in growth," Sturdevant said of his desire to run for mayor. He wants to increase funding for schools, control real estate taxes and increase communication with legislators.
As for the proposed and much debated recreation center for Wahpeton, Sturdevant supports constructing the center on campus at North Dakota State College of Science. "It will give a total recreation package, which a stand alone structure won't give us," he said. "It would be owned and secured and retained by the Wahpeton Recreation Department," Sturdevant said.
Not only will the recreation center bring more people to town, Wal-Mart will also increase traffic for the entire city. Sturdevant believes Wahpeton needs a big box retailer to reap the advantages of outlying residents shopping in Wahpeton and not Fergus Falls, Minn., or Fargo.
Richard Loberg
Loberg, 50, has served on the council for 14 consecutive years, six years for Ward Three and eight years at-large. He sits as the vice president of the present council, is on the planning commission, zoning board, economic development and finance committees.
He is a member of St. John's Catholic Church and sat on the parish council. He gave up his civic organizations to be more active as an alderman and on city committees.
"I enjoyed serving on the council," he said. "I have a better understanding of running a city. I have more experience now." Loberg said he would like to see flood control continue and improve, and get the recreation center going.
An all-purpose recreation center is what Loberg wants to see for Wahpeton. He supports the recreation center and essentially doesn't care where it is placed, but he does not want to see the project start over.
As the recreation center has been a goal for many years, so has a big box retailer. Loberg wants Wal-Mart to come to town, citing increased traffic bringing more business to downtown that stores there may not regularly see.
"The downtown businesses are more customer friendly," he said. "Bigger retailers don't always have that kind of service." Loberg believes the small businesses will retain their customer base but Wal-Mart could be an asset to them also.
Dave Badgley
Badgley, 52, has served on the council for one term and is running for his second term in Ward Three. He sits on the vector control board as chairman, county zoning board, public works and public health committees.
Badgley does not attend or belong to a church. He does belong to the Wahpeton Vets Club.
"I feel I have more experience than candidates running," Badgley said. "I'd like to see the flood control go to phase two and additional funding from the state."
If re-elected, Badgley said he would like to see downtown restored in cooperation with the Dakota Avenue reconstruction. "It's expensive to restore these buildings and the businesses must make a profit to pay to restore the fronts," he said. He worries about the impact Wal-Mart may have on downtown even if the buildings are restored.
"Some businesses that sell same type of products as Wal-Mart may suffer," he said. "But it will probably bring in people from outlying areas and more opportunity to other businesses in town."
The recreation center can also bring more traffic through town. Badgley sees both sides. "It's a toss-up," he said. He supports where the people decide to put the recreation center. "The best option is at the NDSCS campus," he said.
Meryl Hansey
Hansey, 70, has served on the council for 12 years. He has been chairman of the police committee, serves on the building, finance, economic development, public works and safety, and public health committees.
He belongs to Bethel Lutheran Church, Wahpeton. He served on the board of education for one three-year term and was a Sunday school teacher for about seven years. He also belongs to the Wahpeton American Legion, Buffalo Club, Wahpeton Fire Department and the Wahpeton Eagles Club.
"I'm really excited about a big box retailer," Hansey said. With the possibility of Wal-Mart coming to Wahpeton it brings business downtown and more revenue to help pay for other projects. Hansey hopes to keep the ball rolling on bringing Wal-Mart and establishing an agreement on a Wahpeton Recreation Center.
"I support the recreation center 100 percent," he said. "Business creates traffic and traffic creates business."
The business created from a big box retailer will help generate revenue for a recreation center. Hansey supports a free-standing recreation center because that is what he hears from the people in his ward. "I base my decision on the feedback from those I represent."
Tiana Bohn
Bohn, 30, attends both Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Bend with her husband and Evergreen United Methodist Church in Wahpeton. She is a Methodist but belongs to neither church. While attending NDSCS, she belonged to Delta Epsilon Chi and was vice president of special projects.
"I would like to see Wahpeton grow to accommodate the youth," Bohn said. "I have lived in Wahpeton for 12 years and I'd like to bring something to the community for the 21 to 35 age range."
It'll be a challenge, Bohn said, but she is willing to work for it.
Bohn is for the recreation center because it is sorely needed for larger groups of people to gather. She believes the best spot for the center would be out on the 210 bypass near the industrial area. "It would be accessible to everyone," she said.
She is not against building the center at NDSCS, but has reservations about building onto the Clair T. Blikre Activities Center, and said the buildings may not compliment each other well.
However, she is all for a possible Wal-Mart.
"It'll bring economic stability to Wahpeton," she said. "It'll bring business from the south and the west." She is concerned for the smaller stores in downtown, but believes they will survive.
Lane Wateland
Wateland, 44, attends and belongs to Immanuel Lutheran Church, Wahpeton. He was on the Sunday school board for four years, board of trustees for four years and vice president of the church council for two years. He was president of the church council for four years. He has been a member of the Wahpeton Fire Department for 24 years.
Wateland would like to see new faces in the council and wants to help retain the city's population and see it grow. "I'd like to get new blood on the council and see some change," he said. "I'd like to maintain the population without raising taxes."
Wahpeton needs a big box retailer to attract more people, Wateland said. "It would make businesses more competitive." Making the businesses more competitive would create more revenue, which would in turn make possible for the smaller businesses along Dakota Avenue to renovate store fronts.
"Nothing has changed for 15 years (on Dakota Avenue)," Wateland said. "It would be more good than bad business for Dakota Avenue. The opportunity exists for small businesses to increase."
The increased business would also help fund a recreation center. Wateland supports the center to be built on city-owned land. "It belongs to the city, taxpayers are paying for it. The recreation center needs to not be dependent on Science School," Wateland said.
Marty Schmidt
Schmidt, 64, is a member of St. John's Catholic Church and served one term on the school board. He is a member of the Wahpeton Eagles Club and Airport Authority board for two terms, where he is starting his third term.
Schmidt is running as a write-in candidate for Ward Three. "It is something to do when I'm retired," he said. "I feel it's time I give back to the community." However, as Helgeson was running unopposed, Schmidt felt his neighbors needed choices in the election. "I was asked to run for city council," he said. He wants to help make the city more attractive and grow to get more business and people. "Without young people a community can't grow," he said.
Young people tend to leave Wahpeton and with a recreation center the town may be able to retain those youngsters. Schmidt is not sure where the center should be built, but believes the city should own the center and put it on city-owned land. "The city could convert a city-owned building and remodel it as a recreation center," he said. "The city must establish where to put the center and where the shortfall revenue will come from."
The proposed Wal-Mart could help generate that revenue by bringing more people into town to spend money and bring revenue to the city. The extra people would also spend their money at local businesses, helping to keep them alive.
pxbnt wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:20 PM:
hkjjl wrote on Jun 10, 2009 12:15 PM:
Lisa wrote on Mar 11, 2009 3:35 PM: