Quartet seeks pair of Lind Town Council seats

The Town of Lind has three council positions open for election, with two of the positions having two candidates on the election ballot. General Election ballots have been sent to Adams County residents, and Lind citizens can expect to see Rose Elkington and Karissa Labes vying for the Council Position No. 1, Calah Kulm and Kathy White for Council Position No. 2, and Tom Strohmaier as the sole candidate for Council Position No. 3.

All of the positions are nonpartisan, four-year terms to serve for the Lind Town Council. Elkington is currently the incumbent for Council Position No. 1, and Strohmaier is currently serving in an appointment on the council following the resignation of DJ Williamson from Council Position No. 3.

Rose Elkington

Age: 57

Spouse: Jim

Incumbent Rose Elkington has filed for reelection for the opportunity to be able to be of service to her community and its residents. After serving on the council for a term, she believes her experience contributes to the enhancement of the town and her knowledge gained in the council position can help her assist community members.

Elkington believes to be efficient and effective as a council member, the key is listening to the concerns of the people she is serving. Ultimately, their concerns are the concerns of the town and should also be addressed, she explained.

“I listen to the people when they talk to me, because that’s what I’m there for,” Elkington said. “I’m elected by them to represent them.”

If reelected to the council position, Elkington’s first priority is to work with the council to improve the town’s failing infrastructure. Elkington believes it is crucial that the council works diligently to continue replacing water and sewer lines, and improving the town’s streets.

“The biggest thing is the issue of our infrastructure,” Elkington said. “We need to get our infrastructure going, if you don’t have an infrastructure than you don’t have a town.”

Elkington explained that during her time as a council member, she has attended conferences to gain a better understanding about potential grants available for infrastructure improvements in the town. She is interested in pursuing grant avenues to lower the expenses of the town, and in turn reduce the high utility rates the citizens are currently paying.

Elkington said she never votes to increase the water rates in the town because she understands the hardship and stress it causes many of the citizens.

“I know people in town that can’t afford it,” Elkington said about the utility rates. “We don’t need to be burdening the citizens.”

Aside from her leadership on the town council, Elkington has also been an active member of the Lind Chamber of Commerce for six years.

“I’m looking forward to serving the people and the Town of Lind,” Elkington said if she is reelected to the position. “If anybody has any concerns, come to me and talk to me. I want to represent them, that’s the whole purpose.”

Karissa Labes

Age: 31

Spouse: Adam

Children: Nicholas, Taytum, Harper

As a longtime Lind resident, Karissa Labes is seeking a position on the Lind Town Council in order to give back to the community and serve as a voice for residents. Labes expressed her love for the small town and said it provides a safe and welcoming atmosphere to raise a family in.

“I wanted to be more involved with the future decisions of our town,” Labes said about her decision to run for a council position. “I’d like to see our town grow and be successful. I’m interested in getting new businesses in.”

Labes said she thinks the town has potential to continue to grow and provide more people with the high quality of life she currently enjoys about the community. She hopes to be able to represent the citizens of the town and serve as a liaison between residents and the council about potential issues in the town.

Labes explained her primary goal is, “Just to stand up for the public. If they need anything brought up at council, I’d be their voice for the town.”

For Labes, the main goal for the town should be to attract businesses to the community to help fill the vacant storefronts and also provide more job opportunities within the town. The creation of more jobs would keep residents in the community, Labes said, and hopefully reduce the stress of the high utility bills.

While attending council meetings since deciding to run for the position, Labes said she has gained a better understanding about how the town functions. She knows there is still a lot to learn as a council member, and said it’s crucial for council members to fully understand what is going on, both with the budget and with happenings in the community.

Labes is employed as the secretary at the Lind-Ritzville Middle School and is active in the school’s events. She also serves as one of the coordinators for the Lind Fun Fair, and works part-time at The Ritz Roadhouse and for Cathy Jo’s Catering.

If elected, Labes said she is looking forward to becoming a member of the council to voice not only her opinions, but also the concerns of the residents in the community. She is excited for the opportunity to be a voting member of the council and help make a positive impact on the Town of Lind.

Calah Kulm

Age: 37

Children: Haley, Wyatt, Aliya

Calah Kulm has made the decision to seek election to Council Position No. 2 in order to contribute to her community and preserve the town as it currently is: a safe and welcoming place. Kulm raises her three children in the community and wants to serve as a council member to ensure Lind remains a safe and viable community.

Kulm began attending council meetings when she made the decision to run for a council position and said the meetings have helped her become aware of many of the town’s issues and have questions answered. Kulm said the majority of citizens’ concerns are about the town infrastructure and the high utility rates.

“My primary goal would be seek out the citizens’ wants and needs, and voice them to the council and hopefully address whatever the issue is,” Kulm explained about her role as a council member, if elected.

Kulm believes many issues in the town can be resolved with the creation of committees or by the council working with local organizations to research potential options to remedy certain issues. She explained that creating committees helps more people voice their opinions and in turn creates more discussion for resolving issues.

For Kulm, the first step in preparing herself for a role on town council is to learn as much about the town and how it is run as possible. She said attending council meetings has helped her gain some insight into the role, but believes it is crucial for her to continue learning about the running of the town if elected to the council.

“You really have to do your homework,” Kulm said. “That consists of, doing your research and knowing what the issues are, listening to others’ points of view and everybody coming to a consensus.”

Kulm has been active in the Lind community and serves as one of the coordinators of the Lind Fun Fair. She attends the Lind Assembly Calvary Church and is involved with activities at the schools and in the community. She works as a teacher in the Warden School District, but also works part-time as a waitress at The Ritz Roadhouse and for Cathy Jo’s Catering.

“I’m looking forward to becoming more involved in the community and giving back,” Kulm said.

Kathy White

Age: 50

Spouse: Cliff

Children: Rachel, Becca, PJ

Lind resident Kathy White has made the decision to pursue a slot on the Lind Town Council in order to become more active and involved with the community.

White has resided in Lind for over a year and is looking to assist the town by serving in a leadership position on the council.

White’s primary goal if elected to the council position is to work towards bringing more events into the community.

While the Lind Combine Demolition Derby and town parades draw people to town, White believes adding more community events would greatly benefit the town.

White hopes to use the existing facilities and amenities of the town to bring more people into the community and create a new source of revenue for the town. White explained the town has four parks, and could utilize them more often for events to attract more people to the community.

The vacant storefronts and homes are a concern for White, and she believes adding more attractions, such as a farmer’s market, could help the town gain new residents and reduce the number of empty houses around the town.

White hopes to be able to fulfill all of the responsibilities and requirements of being a town council member, and said there is still a lot to learn if she is elected into the position.

There are many components to how the council functions, she said, and she wants to focus on learning the workings of the council to knowledgeably serve Lind residents.

“It’d be a big learning curve, seeing how the town functions financially and physically,” White explained.

White is a member of the Adams County Sheriff’s Posse and has served as a 4-H leader in the past.

She currently works at Ritzville Hardware and enjoys being a part of the small town communities.

“I think if people of the town could voice their opinion to somebody and have it expressed at meetings … I could be their voice for them,” White said.

(Katelin Davidson can be contacted at [email protected].)