WOOOSH! That’s the sound of the dog house blowing by. (not really, but it feels like it.) Even the dog is hiding under my feet as the torrent of wind rushes by, twirling and howling around chimneys, kicking up snow till it looks as though we live in the middle of White Sands in a wind storm. UGh. I can deal with snow, and even cold…but arrrgh…the wind irritates! And, hmmm, how that reminds me of all the wind blowing on the political trail to President. Not to mention the rip tides blowing the snows in our tiny village and it’s upcoming election. I wonder when last there was such a bevy of candidates here? Three running for Mayor, (Current Mayor Clanton, Councilor Larry Leahy and Councilor Chuck Howe…and let’s see if I can recount all those running for Council. Stuart Hamilton, Al Lotte, Luther Robinson, Deborah May, and County Commissioner, Bill Conley). Now, of course, there is one Mayor position, currently held by A. C. (Bubba) Clanton who is running for re-election against Larry Leahy and Chuck Howe. There are two open Council positions (vacated by Ed Culotta and Hoot Gibson). With 5 running for two open positions and two incumbent positions running for Mayor…it’s all abit overwhelming…and exciting! Should one of the two incumbent Councilors win as Mayor, he will then appoint his Council replacement, so the two incumbent seats are not “up for grabs” as it were. The five running are competing for the two open seats.

I’ll urge local residents to head out to the candidates forum(s) hosted by the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce. The Council Candidates Forum is February 13, 6-8pm at the Community Center. The Mayoral Candidates Forum is February 21, 6-8 at the Community Center. You’ll need all the help you can get to sort it out. As for me? Stakeholder? Yes. Business Owner. Director/President for two small non-profits. Does it matter? You better believe it does. But I’m not a property owner/resident and I can’t vote. Not Village rules…it’s the State Constitution that says so. Sigh. And if, your calendar is not full enough, let me add this: On February 20, at the Community is the next community forum for the economic development plan. Now, I know.
We’ve been there before. Roughly 10 years ago. But is it not, really, really, time, to move on? Can we not really come together, work together, change our future for us? It’s high time we moved beyond the past, the bickering and dismay, and work together for our future!