John McKenna

Carson City voters will go to the polls twice this year to decide who they want representing them for the contested office of sheriff.

With the filing period closed, four are running for city's top law enforcement job. The decision will be narrowed to two in the June 10 primary election. Alphabetically those who have filed are: Ken Furlong, Don Gibson, Daniel Gonzales and Lorne Houle.

In the Nov. 4 general election the contested races are as follows:
District Attorney: Mark Krueger and Jason Woodbury.
Supervisor Ward 1: Karen Abowd and Lisa Helget

John McKenna is seeking a second term on Carson City’s Board of Supervisors to complete tasks slowed by economic malaise, he said after filing to retain the seat from Ward 3.

Here is the video of the Feb. 27 candidates forum hosted by the Carson City Republican Central Committee.

The candidates who participated (in order of their appearance):

Mark Krueger, candidate for Carson City District Attorney (0:00)
Jason Woodbury, candidate for Carson City District Attorney (8:54)
Adam Laxalt, candidate for Nevada Attorney General (18:45)
Dan Schwartz, candidate for Nevada State Treasurer (28:18)
Ken Furlong, candidate for Carson City Sheriff (34:55)
Don Gibson, candidate for Carson City Sheriff (43:23)

The following was read at the Feb. 20, 2014 Board of Supervisors meeting. I said the following:

A Better Plan for Carson City

Now is the time for courage in leadership as we seek to secure financing and determine the timing of projects through a cooperative effort which will bring together the community, city staff and elected officials.

In an emotionally-charged issue that brought out passionate pleas for and against, Carson City supervisors agreed to a 1/8th-cent sales tax to fund several infrastructure projects.

The final vote was 4 to 1, with Supervisor Jim Shirk dissenting. John McKenna, who was seen as the swing vote, agreed in the end which allowed for a required two-thirds majority.

Carson City Supervisor John McKenna provides an update on the actions taken by the Board of Supervisors at its Jan. 16, 2014 meeting.

Among other things McKenna discusses a compensation study for city employees and guidelines for a vetting committee in the search for a new city manager.

Meetings have been established with two Carson City supervisors to discuss proposed downtown revitalization plans as well as building, improvements and infrastructure for Carson City through a proposed 1/8-cent sales tax.

Carson City's Forward group will meet today with Carson City Supervisor John McKenna, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Business Resource Innovation Center, BRIC, 108 E. Proctor St., Carson City.

Showing its continued support for the Carson City community, Walmart has donated a $25,000 grant to Friends in Service Helping, otherwise known as FISH, for its food bank delivery vehicle.

Walmart recently provided the money needed for the new FISH Food Bank delivery truck, which currently distributes to food bank locations in Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties.  

St. Teresa of Avila Catholic School eighth graders Margaret Rich, vice president student council and Alejandro Escobar, council secretary, recently spent a day with the Carson City Board of Supervisors.

Former Carson Mayor Harold Jacobsen was honored and given a presentation and took pictures with the board and the St. Teresa students.

“If thou be judged, thou shall be judged by the company ye keep”
— Author Unknown
When the Traveling Vietnam Wall came to Carson City, I was a member of the Honor Guard. In no particular order, and if I’m to be judged, then, the following comments are from men and their families whose company I choose to keep!

Three months after the deadly shooting rampage that left four diners dead, the Carson City IHOP is once again serving up breakfast this morning.

One of the first diners at the reopened restaurant is Sheriff Kenny Furlong, who is currently enjoying his morning meal in a place that holds some bad memories for him and his deputies who responded to the the shooting on Sept. 6. Four people who were sitting inside the restaurant died after being shot by Eduardo Sencion, who killed himself minutes later in the parking lot.

Gov. Brian Sandoval, Mayor Bob Crowell and Supervisor John McKenna were also among the first diners at the restaurant this morning.

Carson City issued a proclamation on November three “recognizing the religious and historical significance of the festival of Diwali.” Mayor Robert L. Crowell read the proclamation in the meeting of Carson City Board of Supervisors and then presented it to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed.

After a marathon meeting today, the Carson City Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to allow staff to begin negotiations on agreements to develop the City Center/Nugget Project.

But the project may face hurdles getting final approval, as two of those voting yes expressed concerns about the project.

I have been been going over the Nugget Project feasibility report this morning, tying to digest the details.

Overall, it really isn't much different than what was presented to the citizens committee back in September. The one exception is that P3 Development seems to think that building a hotel is more feasible now, following another study showing that it is.

A special Tuesday meeting of the board, with its newest member John McKenna. The live video is here, and the agenda is here.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting today at noon to approve the canvas of results from last week's election.

At the board's next regularly scheduled meeting on Nov. 16, it will vote to appoint John McKenna to fill the remaining term of Supervisor Pete Livermore, who resigned last week after winning his election for Nevada Assembly District 40.

The board will also tackle funding for the downtown ice rink and holiday events, and the approval of a grant application for federal funds to support the proposed City Center/Nugget Project.

I turned off the TV late last night, unable to withstand another minute of talking head after talking head trying to come up with a narrative for this election.

For some reason, it seems they think that their audience is comprised of 6-year-olds who can't comprehend anything that isn't force-fed to them in tiny, single-concept bites.

Was it the NObama election? Was the the fiery phoenix of the Tea Party? Was it creeping socialism, or simple arrogance? What about government spending? Or was it just time to throw the bums out?

With all precincts, early voting and absentee ballots counted, here is the still yet unofficial percentage breakdown for Carson City elected positions.

Sheriff:
Kenny Furlong 60.75
Bob Guimont 39.25

Supervisors Ward 1:
Karen Abowd 54.14
Rob Joiner 45.85

Supervisor Ward 3
John McKenna 63.65
Day Williams 36.35

School Board District 1
Ron Swirczek 50.53
Julie Bushner 49.48

School Board District 6
Barbara Myers 54.52
Randy Carlson 45.50

Assessor
Dave Dawley 76.65
Ian Mindling 23.35

Carson City School Bond Passes 55.44

State questions
1: no 65.25
2: no 61
3: no 68
4: no 71

State Senate
James Arnold Settelmeyer 65.88
Kevin Ranft: 29.14

Assembly District 40
Pete Livermore: 51.42
Robin Williamson: 48.58

Leaders in early voting (percentage of the vote)

Sheriff:
Kenny Furlong 62.8

Supervisors Ward 1:
Karen Abowd 52.28

Supervisor Ward 3
John McKenna 64.18

School Board District 1
Ron Swirczek 50.3

School Board District 6
Barbara Meyers 54

Assessor
Dave Dawley 78

School Bond 53.6

State questios
1: no 65.25
2: no 61
3: no 68
4: no 71

Before you head to the polls tomorrow (if you haven't voted early), you might want to check out the candidate expense forms to see who is backing our local candidates. The Secretary of State's website doesn't have all the latest forms online yet, but here are the links to the ones they do have:

Nevada Assembly District 40
Pete Livermore
Robin Williamson

Judy Whites letter about John McKenna's job at Access TV is right on the money. John MckEnna was the teasurer on the Board of Trustees for the Carson Access Television Foundation when over $500,00 dollars was embezzeled by Craig Swope. I remember this story now because I was so outraged that Craig Swope got a slap on the wrist while any Joe Smo would have got years in prison. The president of that Board was Tom Baker. Mr. Baker had been in office longer than the by laws permitted.

Click here for live video. The event began at 6:30 p.m.

Tonight's forum feature candidates for Carson City Board of Supervisors and the Carson City School Board. Candidates include Karen Abowd, Rob Joiner, John McKenna and Day Williams for Board of Supervisors, and Ron Swirczek, Julie Bushner, Barbara Meyers and Randy Carlson for school board.

The Carson City Arts and Culture Coalition is sponsoring a forum for local candidates running for office on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St. The forum is free and open to the public.

The yet-to-be-completed plans for the Carson City Center aka Nugget Project may not be voted on by the Carson City Board of Supervisors until after the beginning of the new year, according to City Manager Larry Werner.

Werner said there will be a status update presented to the citizens committee on Sept. 27. Another committee meeting will be scheduled once the plans are finalized, Werner said. The presentation of the full plans had already been delayed twice before, adding two months to the original timeline.

Ok, so we know who won. But did yesterday's vote tell us anything?

I wrote earlier about how the outcome of the supervisors races could give us a clue on how the public views the Nugget Project, AKA the Carson City Center Project.

Karen Abowd, the only candidate to openly support the project, did come in first in her primary with 31 percent of the vote in a six-way race.

Supervisor Ward 1
Karen Abowd vs. Rob Joiner

Supervisor Ward 3
John McKenna vs. Day Williams

Carson City Sheriff
Kenny Furlong vs. Robert Guimont

School Board District 1
Ron Swirczek vs. Julie Bushner

School Board District 6
Barbara Myers vs. Randy Carlson

State Senate Capitol District
James Settelmeyer (R) vs. Kevin Ranft (D)

State Assembly District 40
Robin Williamson (D) vs. Pete Livermore (R)

State Assembly District 38
Tom Grady (R) vs. Dennis Gomez (IAP)

A candidates forum, hosted by the Carson City Arts and Culture Coalition, will be held tonight from 7 to 9 p.m., in the Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center. Carson Now will have live coverage.
The forum is free and open to the public.

John McKenna talks about his run for Carson City Board of Supervisors Ward 3 seat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePtWyXqtyyo

A few thoughts about tonight's supervisor candidate forum (you can get our live blog of the event here, and the Nevada Appeal version here):

• All candidates did well. There were no obvious gaffs. A lot of times, these forums expose those not-ready-for-prime-time candidates. Not this time. All spoke well and knew the issues.

Candidates for Carson City Supervisor will be answering questions at 6 p.m. at the Carson Nugget, at a forum put on by the Carson City Chamber of Commerce.

Here are the candidates who are scheduled to speak:

Ward 1 Candidates:

Karen Abowd
Rob Joiner
Sean Lehmann
Paul Saucedo
Gary Schulz
Norman Scoggin

Ward 3 Candidates:

John McKenna
Mark Sattler
Day Williams

WNC Professor Robert Morin will serve as moderator and ask each candidate a series of three questions.
The audience will have the opportunity to weigh in.