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Highlands Today

It's Election Day In Avon Park

KATHY WATERS/HIGHLANDS TODAY

Jim Rahenkamp walked up and down Main Street for about an hour on Monday as part of his campaign for city council. Voting is set for today.

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By Douglas  Carman | Highlands Today

Published: November 6, 2007

AVON PARK — After nearly 100 voters climbed up the steps of City Hall for the early elections last week, Avon Park's two polls are now prepped for a combined crowd to reach into four figures as the city elects a mayor and a new councilman.

Mayor Sharon Schuler will try to hold on to the mayor's office, facing challenges from RCMA Technology Director Ed Dickerson, Local Advocacy Council Chairman Gonzalo Lezama and former Mayor Gordon Marshall.

Avon Park Air Force Range mechanic Paul Miller, retired pastor James Rahenkamp, middle school teacher Al Hinson and Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Michael Shirey are running for a council seat being vacated by Doug Eason, who chose not to seek re-election.

Highlands County Elections Supervisor Joe Campbell is predicting between 1,100 and 1,200 voters to
slam the two polling places today. That's roughly 25 to 30 percent of the 4,095 registered voters living inside the city.

During the early voting, 94 people already voted at city hall, and 14 other voters turned in absentee ballots by Monday afternoon.
The polls will open today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. These elections are at-large, which means that any eligible city voter could vote for both elections.

Issues?

Ralph Day already voted, and he even remembered the ballot number. "Number 72."
He did not say who he voted for, but he had the city's economy in mind.
"I wish Avon Park would get some more more industry," he said as he took a break from playing shuffleboard at the Avon Park Senior Activities Center.

Longtime resident Wendell Lutes, on the other hand, said he liked the way the city was being handled and saw no major problems. He said he would vote today.
So will Barbara Beacham, but as she headed into Winn-Dixie Monday morning, she had a different issue in mind.

"The city needs to cut back on the watering," she said. "With the restrictions, we can't water our yards yet they water... 12 hours a day. That's a waste of water."
Which candidate would address that? "I haven't really gotten into it."

End Of The Campaigns

Despite a large number of candidates, the campaigning was relatively quiet, and some of the candidates reached Monday had no plans on making any more noise today.

"This time of the day, people have decided one way or another," said Rahenkamp, one of the four city council candidates. He spent Monday afternoon walking with his large campaign sign chained to his body down Main Street as he has done for the past several weeks, but said he had nothing special planned.

Marshall was done campaigning. When asked what his plans were after the election was over, all he said was, "I'm gonna look in the paper Wednesday."

Dickerson said he might try talking to more voters today. He added that he would be "very surprised" to see Schuler remain the mayor, though he only said he thought it was between him and Marshall.
Rahenkamp and Marshall were more modest about their odds. "I think I probably have at least one chance in a hundred," Rahenkamp said with a laugh.

Calls and e-mails to Schuler and Lezama, as well as Shirey, Hinson and Miller were not returned before press time.

BY THE NUMBERS:
Registered Voters in Avon Park 4,095
Early Voting ballots cast 94
Absentee Ballots cast(as of 3:30 p.m. Monday) 14
Ballots cast inside Avon Park in:
2001 770
2003 671
2004 2,591
2006 1,762
2007 (estimates) 1,100-1,200

Note: No municipal elections in 2002 and 2005. Elections in 2004 and 2006 coincided with national and state-wide elections.
Source: Highlands County Supervisor of Elections Office

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