With incumbent Gordon Mendenhall eliminated in the Oct. 3 primary election, Heber City's mayoral race has narrowed to two candidates - former Mayor Lincoln Rasband and Councilman Scott Wright.
City Council candidates also have dwindled, with one losing in the primary and another, Paul Royall Jr., pulling out of the race on his own. Remaining contenders for two council seats vacant this year are one-term incumbent Bob Morris, Val Draper and Harris Parcell.Heber recently used tax money to renovate an abandoned LDS stake center, called the Tabernacle, to make room for city offices. Candidates were asked whether they felt the cost of that project was justified for such a small city. They also were asked their opinions about the Jordanelle Dam, scheduled to be built 8 miles north and upstream of Heber.
Mayor
Lincoln Rasband, 77, has been a council member for two years. He also served a term as mayor from 1982-86. He is a retired school teacher, has six children, 45 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren.
He believes the money used to renovate the Tabernacle was "well spent" and said the job done was "magnificent." The city had outgrown its old offices and planned to build new ones when it began to look into using the abandoned church. "Can you ever say anything is too nice?" he asked about the results.
He said he doesn't have an opinion on whether the Jordanelle Dam is safe, because scientists disagree. "It depends on who you listen to." He looks forward to the tourist dollars the reservoir will bring in, and feels confident recreationists will choose Heber for lodging since its prices are generally lower than surrounding areas.
Scott W. Wright, 38, is finishing his second consecutive term on the City Council this year. He also serves on several special district boards and on the economic development board of the Mountains Association of Governments. He is manager of a drug store in Heber.
Although he believes the renovated Tabernacle is a beautiful building, he said the town may have overspent in some areas, particularly in furnishing the new City Hall. Using the church for city offices allowed the city to keep a historic structure and Wright said it was worth spending the money for that reason.
He said he doesn't know who to believe when it comes to dam safety, and also wonders how much good the reservoir will do the community. "We're giving up a lot and we're not going to get a lot back," he said. Wright is married and has seven children.
City Council
Val Draper, 40, is happy to see the abandoned Tabernacle used, but said, "It is an awfully big building for those few city (employees)." He is concerned citizens may not have been able to afford renovating the church, and believes the city may have been wiser to look for a smaller office space.
He demurs to the professional scientists when it comes to dam safety on the Jordanelle, but said the reservoir will bring needed tourist and recreational dollars to Heber. Although "most people in the Heber Valley didn't want the dam," Draper said it's time to "make the best of the situation." Draper served a four-year term on the City Council, and is employed as a technician for US WEST. He is married and has eight children.
Bob Morris, 59, believes the city got its money's worth in renovating the Tabernacle, and says it is "a real asset to our community." Because it was a historic structure, Morris said the city could not raze it to use the land. Now instead of being abandoned, it is something the whole community can use.
He said he is not comfortable with government assurances the Jordanelle Dam will not burst. "There's still always that question in your mind." Although the reservoir will bring some tourist dollars to Heber, it will also cost the city money to provide extra police and fire protection, he said, so it's hard to say whether the town will come out ahead on the deal. Morris is an incumbent City Council member, has served as a volunteer on the fire department for 23 years and is retired. He is married and has four children and nine grandchildren.
Harris Parcell declined to comment. He is the retired manager of the former Heber City Safeway. Parcell, 68, spent six years on the Wasatch School District Board and 19 years as a volunteer for the fire department. He is married, has five children and 17 grandchildren.