With all the new people settling in Mapleton, there is a youth movement afoot here - so says mayoral candidate Blaine Hales.
And for the 65-year-old retired real estate appraiser, that ultimately spelled trouble for his campaign.As a result, 43-year-old Richard Young edged out Hales and will become Mapleton's next mayor. "A lot of younger people have moved here and they don't know me," said Hales, who is a former mayor pro tem in Mapleton.
Young, a risk-management consultant, reacted with surprise. "I've lived here just one year," he explained. "My opponent has lived here most of his life. I'm humbled. . . . This is a heavy responsibility."
Young is with the Citizens Party while Hales is a member of the Progressive Party. In the City Council race with four seats available, two from each party were elected to office.
The two four-year council seats will be filled by Richard Hjorth (Progressive) and Linda Olsen (Citizens). Two incumbents, Lyle Wasden and Chuck Rowlings, were unsuccessful in their bids.
Brian Lambert (Progressive) and Stuart Newton (Citizens) will serve in the pair of two-year council seats. They beat out Liz Snow and J. Reed Hansen.
Of Mapleton's 2,955 registered voters, 1,393 turned out to cast their ballots.