Candidates turn out at Topaz Ranch Estates, voters don't

Along with their spouses and staff, candidates outnumbered residents at a Topaz Ranch Estates candidates night held Wednesday night.

Ten candidates turned out to talk about issues facing Douglas County at the Topaz Ranch Estates Community Park building. The event was sponsored by the South County Association.

Candidates attending the meeting were East Fork Township Justice of the Peace Jim EnEarl; Jan Brace, a representative from gubernatorial candidate Jim Gibbons; Public Administrator candidate Lynn EnEarl; Douglas County Commissioner District 4 candidates Nancy McDermid and Greta G. Hambsch; candidates for the East Fork Swimming Pool District Gordon Gray and Lesley Solt; Topaz Lake resident Judy Jacobs was there to represent Secretary of State candidate Danny Tarkanian; Assembly District 39 candidate James Settelmeyer and U.S. Senate candidate David K. Schumann, Independent American party candidate from Minden.

The evening was moderated by Topaz Ranch Estates resident Sam Dupuis, who though running for public administrator, did not speak on his own behalf.

Dupuis expressed his disappointment in the low turnout and lack of public interest.

"Personally, I feel people are so disgruntled over politics," Dupuis said. "Also, this is an area of a lot of older people. It is hard for a lot of them to get out in the evenings, some don't drive at night. For younger residents maybe the weather was just too nice or people are too busy."

Hambsch suggested a different time would have produced a greater attendance as the meeting began at 5:30 p.m., which did not give people enough time to get home from work and is also most dinner hours.

The South County Association, headed by Dupuis, will offer residents another chance to attend a candidates night meeting which has been scheduled for Oct. 25 at the Topaz Ranch Estates Community Park building, time to yet be announced.

For more information about future meetings in the south county area, contact Sam Dupuis at 266-3796.