Local city races produce mixed results

Hanson, Pipple keep Palmer council seats

By SCOTT CHRISTIANSEN-Frontiersman reporter

PALMER -- Incumbents Brad Hanson and Tony Pippel kept their council seats with a door-to-door campaign that basically told voters that things are going well in Palmer.

"People appreciate the fact that we are moving forward and we've accomplished things," Hanson said.

Two seats were open in Palmer, and three names were on the ballot. Palmer council seats are at-large, and the candidates don't run for individual seats. Instead, each voter is asked to choose two candidates from the three names or write in a candidate or candidates of their own.

Hanson placed first with 242 votes and Pippel came in second with 197. Detlef Wanke, a retired postal service letter carrier and city planning commissioner, received 90 votes.

Hanson has served on city council for four years. He initially won a three-year term in 1998. He lost his re-election bid last year, but was appointed to fill the last year of a term in the seat left vacant when Jim Cooper was elected mayor. Hanson said he and Pippel campaigned hard this time around.

Hanson is coach in the Palmer High School football program and he joked that winning or losing to Wasilla High makes a difference when he runs for council.

"They always schedule this election right after the game with Wasilla," he said. If you lose to Wasilla you don't get any votes and if you win, then you get the votes."

Hanson said he met voters during the campaign who want Palmer to become something more than just a bedroom community. Better shopping and more small parks are two things Hanson said Palmer residents desire.

"A lot of people don't spend a lot of time here other than to come home and sleep," he said. "People have the desire for more neighborhood parks within their subdivisions -- and when people mention something for kids, I listen."

Between early ballots, by-mail absentee ballots and questioned ballots there are 31 ballots left to be counted. Palmer's current city council will serve as the election canvassing board at its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. and decide how many of the 31

remaining ballots will count.