More candidates emerge

as election filing closes
By Melanie Marshall

Filing for municipal races across the county closed Friday.

Positions up for election include Boone mayor and three council seats; Blowing Rock mayor and three council seats; and three council seats each in Beech Mountain and Seven Devils. The mayor positions in elected from with the council in Beech Mountain and Seven Devils.

Incumbent Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson has filed to run for another term. John Mena and Tim Wilson have also filed for mayor.

The terms of current council members Janet Pepin and Rennie Brantz are up for election, as is the seat vacated by Liz Aycock earlier this month. Aycock relocated to a residence in the county and had to resign her position on the Boone town council.

While Brantz filed for reelection, Pepin decided not to seek another term.

Also vying for the open positions are Jamie Leigh, Andrew Ball, Matthew C. Long, Grant N. Holder, Thomas Benjamin White and Harold Frazier.

Blowing Rock incumbent mayor J.B. Lawrence will be running unopposed for the position. The terms of current council members Barbara Ball, Tommy Klutz and Keith Tester will expire this year. Klutz is the only incumbent to file for reelection.

George Sudderth, Jim Steele, Pat Fountain, Doug Matheson, Mike Kebelback, Jerry Starnes and Gary Lee Smith have filed for the available council positions.

Beech Mountain has three positions opening on the town council, those of current mayor Gil Adams and members Randy Corn and Pete Chamberlain. All three have filed for reelection. In addition, Paul Piquet, Barry Schorr, David Conrad, Cindy Keller, and E. “Rick” Miller have filed.

Seven Devils mayor Bob Dodson and council members Kay Ehlinger and Bill Wilkinson are up for election. All three have filed in addition to David A. Ehmig.

Election day for the municipal races is November 3.