A last-minute statement by the Kootenay Lake school district on the conduct of a Creston Valley school trustee doesn’t appear to have had much effect at the ballot box.
Allan Gribbin was re-elected as a rural representative with 585 votes, second to newcomer Mary Jayne Blackmore with 672. Incumbent Cody Beebe fell short with 557.
Gribbin was returned to the board despite a statement issued by the district this month about the legal expenses and staff time they said they had spent as a result of Gribbin’s actions and another on the eve of the election about what they called “derogatory and misleading information.”
Kathy Etheridge beat Clements Verhoeven 786 to 598 to represent the Town of Creston. Incumbent Becky Coons did not seek re-election.
Meanwhile, longtime board chair Lenora Trenaman held on to her seat representing the East Shore and North Shore of Kootenay Lake by beating David Feldman 445 to 403.
Julie Bremner and Murray Shunter will represent the City of Nelson on the board. Bremner topped the polls with 1,417 votes followed by Shunter with 1,243. They will replace incumbents Bill Maslechko and Sheri Walsh, neither of whom sought re-election.
The runners-up were Tricia Braun with 638, Lesley Garlow with 431, Tamara Ziemer with 272, and Kathy Krulitsky with 212.
Slocan Valley/Bonnington trustee Sharon Nazaroff was elected to another term, 396 to 214 over Emily Duggan.
Kaslo trustee Dawn Lang was also re-elected, 419 to 217 over Dustin East.
Susan Chew had already been acclaimed as the trustee for Salmo, Taghum, and Blewett.