City council, mayor races set in New Market, Lonsdale

The field of candidates has been finalized for city elections in New Market and Lonsdale for the November 8 election, and in both cities, there will be multiple candidates for each spot on the ballot.

The filing period for city offices ended Tuesday, Sept. 13, with eight candidates filing for four positions in New Market and eight candidates filing for three positions in Lonsdale.

Residents of both New Market and Lonsdale who live in the New Prague Area School District will also help choose from among six candidates for three four-year terms on the school board and will help decide on four bond referendum questions (see story, front page). Both cities have two school districts within their city limits. New Market lies mostly in the New Prague district, with some newer areas in the Lakeville district. Lonsdale lies mostly in the Montgomery-Lonsdale district, with some newer areas in the New Prague district.

Lonsdale

Incumbent Mayor Tim Rud will seek a second two-year term as mayor, and will face a challenge from Roz Carson. Rud, who is a former city council member.

City Council incumbents Fritz Duban and Evelyn M. Duban have filed for reelection, and will face four other candidates. They are Karmin Stanley, Blaine Smith, Mike Thompson and Jim Freid. The top two vote-getters in the November 8 election will win four-year terms on the council.

New Market

Incumbent Jim Friedges has filed for another two-year term as mayor. He will face a challenge from Henry N. Zweber, who is currently chair of the city’s planning and zoning commission.

There are two four-year seats and one two-year seat on the ballot in the November election. Tom Michaud and Jason Ponsonby are the incumbents and have filed for reelection. Both were appointed to the council in 2004 to finish the terms of two council members who resigned. They will face challenges from Joe Crawford and Joshua Storlie.

There is also a two-year seat to finish the term of a council member who was elected in 2003 and resigned in 2004. Curtis William Sticha was appointed to finish the first two years of that term, and has filed to finish the remaining two years of the term. He is being challenged by Millie M. Theilmann.

New Prague Schools

Six candidates filed in July for three four-year terms on the New Prague Area School board. They are Marty Beckius, Don Dvorak, Pam Tietz, Amy Trygestad, Jerry Walerius and incumbent Diane Weyrick.

Incumbent board members Tim Heinen and Rod Tietz chose not to run for reelection.

There will be four bond referendum questions on the November 8 ballot in the New Prague Area School District. The first question would provide $17.175 million in bonds for an addition to the high school, the second question, which is contingent on the first question passing, would provide $5 million for construction of a swimming pool at the high school. The third question would provide $1.5 million for purchase of land for a future school, and the fourth would provide $1 million for boiler repairs/replacement and other energy-efficient improvements.