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Monday August 17, 2020
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Welcome To The 56th Issue of the Valley Beat
Lynn Attebery announces his candidacy for County Commissioner in district two; “Experience Counts”
Just when it seemed as if the races for Custer County Commissioner in districts two and three were a done deal, two write-in candidates have thrown their names in the hat during this November’s election. Over the next two weeks, The Valley Beat will be featuring the four candidates for those seats. This week, we are featuring the write-in candidates. Lynn Attebery is running against Kevin Day in precinct two and Lucas Epps is facing-off with current commissioner in precinct three, Tom Flower, as he is running for re-election. Next week, we will feature both Day and Flower. Our goal is to make sure that you, our readers, have the information you need, in order to make an informed, unbiased choice during the upcoming election. –Tracy Ballard
Lynn Attebery is not a newcomer to local county government. This isn’t his first “rodeo,” so to speak. A Custer County resident for over 40-years, he served the citizens for two-terms: 2008-2012 and then was re-elected 2012-2016. Last week, Attebery sat down with this reporter, to discuss current challenges facing the county, including the pandemic.
When asked what challenges the county is currently facing, Attebery replied that it is the Coronavirus and of, course, the local economy. “Making everything stretch and work. We will always have people new to the Valley coming in. Dealing with and managing growth in a small county with a small budget, and people with lots of wants,” can be a challenge. “Our Zoning office handles growth well. All the offices in the county do a great job. It is certainly inevitable. In relation to the virus, he replied, “it will pass soon, hopefully. Then we will have to go through the debriefing process. I’m sure the state will have lots of things for us to deal with and want to know this and want to know that.”
Attebery decided to run for commissioner in district two after commissioner Jay Printz decided not to run for re-election. “Printz was the most experienced person on the board. Experience is very real. It is a part of the job that you only get by doing it. When he decided to step down, it became an open seat. That changed everything. I felt that my experience having done it in the past, could be very helpful at this time for the county. Plus, I enjoyed the heck out of it!” he chuckled.
He would like the voters of the county to know that experience counts. “We realize all the needs of Custer County. I have worked with five different commissioners, so I know they all have different ideas on how the county works, what the job is, and it just takes time to learn the job. I really do think that having the experience, matters.” As a write-in candidate, Attebery is aware of the challenge that he is presented. “The reason I had to go the write-in route is because this whole election cycle has been goofed because of the pandemic. We had the caucuses, but we did not have a county assembly, where I could have seen if there was some support out there, because there is. People asked me if I would have been willing to do it again. I thought about it and was looking forward to the assembly.”
Attebery is looking forward to the upcoming candidate forums on Sept. 17 and Oct. 5. The pandemic has made conversing with people and getting information out there a little more difficult. “Some people read the papers, some don’t. Some people listen to the radio station, some don’t. The current environment is tough.” He would love to get together with a “legal size group” for questions and answer sessions.
Attebery feels that “as with any job, you get out of it whatever you put into it. I have worked five other great commissioners. They all have different personalities and had different ideas about Custer County and what they wanted to do, and try to move forward as a board to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. I am really focused on the money and on the budget.” He talked about his predecessor in district two, Dick Downey. “He always talked to me about how important the budget was and he really pounded it into me. The most amazing part of that was I really listened to him. It was probably the most- humble thing for me in my first two terms as county commissioner.”
He is available to be reached by phone and by email, before 9 p.m. 719-783-2227 or 719-371-3036. Email: lattebery@centurytel.net.
- by Tracy Ballard
Lynn Attebery is not a newcomer to local county government. This isn’t his first “rodeo,” so to speak. A Custer County resident for over 40-years, he served the citizens for two-terms: 2008-2012 and then was re-elected 2012-2016. Last week, Attebery sat down with this reporter, to discuss current challenges facing the county, including the pandemic.
When asked what challenges the county is currently facing, Attebery replied that it is the Coronavirus and of, course, the local economy. “Making everything stretch and work. We will always have people new to the Valley coming in. Dealing with and managing growth in a small county with a small budget, and people with lots of wants,” can be a challenge. “Our Zoning office handles growth well. All the offices in the county do a great job. It is certainly inevitable. In relation to the virus, he replied, “it will pass soon, hopefully. Then we will have to go through the debriefing process. I’m sure the state will have lots of things for us to deal with and want to know this and want to know that.”
Attebery decided to run for commissioner in district two after commissioner Jay Printz decided not to run for re-election. “Printz was the most experienced person on the board. Experience is very real. It is a part of the job that you only get by doing it. When he decided to step down, it became an open seat. That changed everything. I felt that my experience having done it in the past, could be very helpful at this time for the county. Plus, I enjoyed the heck out of it!” he chuckled.
He would like the voters of the county to know that experience counts. “We realize all the needs of Custer County. I have worked with five different commissioners, so I know they all have different ideas on how the county works, what the job is, and it just takes time to learn the job. I really do think that having the experience, matters.” As a write-in candidate, Attebery is aware of the challenge that he is presented. “The reason I had to go the write-in route is because this whole election cycle has been goofed because of the pandemic. We had the caucuses, but we did not have a county assembly, where I could have seen if there was some support out there, because there is. People asked me if I would have been willing to do it again. I thought about it and was looking forward to the assembly.”
Attebery is looking forward to the upcoming candidate forums on Sept. 17 and Oct. 5. The pandemic has made conversing with people and getting information out there a little more difficult. “Some people read the papers, some don’t. Some people listen to the radio station, some don’t. The current environment is tough.” He would love to get together with a “legal size group” for questions and answer sessions.
Attebery feels that “as with any job, you get out of it whatever you put into it. I have worked five other great commissioners. They all have different personalities and had different ideas about Custer County and what they wanted to do, and try to move forward as a board to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. I am really focused on the money and on the budget.” He talked about his predecessor in district two, Dick Downey. “He always talked to me about how important the budget was and he really pounded it into me. The most amazing part of that was I really listened to him. It was probably the most- humble thing for me in my first two terms as county commissioner.”
He is available to be reached by phone and by email, before 9 p.m. 719-783-2227 or 719-371-3036. Email: lattebery@centurytel.net.
- by Tracy Ballard
- Lynn Attebery photo by Tracy Ballard
For Lucas Epps, freedom and personal responsibility are the cornerstone of his candidacy for County Commissioner in district three
Lucas Epps recently announced his write-in candidacy for County Commissioner in district three. He, his wife Jolie, and their children have lived in Custer County for five years. Epps is not a newcomer to the political scene as he previously served as mayor in his hometown in Nebraska. He is “not a man with political aspirations, but a man with a willingness and desire to serve within his community.”
Epps decided to run as a candidate for commissioner after much thought and consideration. “Friends of mine and I have discussed many times since my time as a mayor about whether I would go back into public office again. Earlier this year, they suggested a county commissioner seat and I really began to think more about public office being a place I could realistically serve in again. I had been asked by several people to run for a county commissioner seat halfway through my term as mayor back in Nebraska. I turned them down since I wanted to finish my term as mayor and then I would think about it afterwards.” Epps expressed that he “really enjoyed my service to the community as a mayor and supervisor of the towns law enforcement for four years.” He also gave it serious consideration after he “saw elected officials getting paranoid about and fearful about the virus. I don’t think we can have elected officials afraid of something or be fearful and then not communicate that, ‘hey, we need to respect each other and we need to be respectful of those that are not really concerned and those that don’t need to be really concerned. We have got to allow free choice of the people and allow free choice of businesses.” He also believes that citizens should respect the rights of a business owner to refuse service if someone is not wanting to wear a mask.
One of the biggest challenges that he sees the county facing right now is “citizens losing their freedom of speech and this whole mask thing and people not able to peacefully assemble in their religious buildings or practice their religion. This is what really seems to have many people up in arms right now.” Epps expressed that “anything that happens in a presidential election year is about the presidential election. I also believe that H1-N1 Swine Flu affected millions more Americans than this has, at least based on the statistics we see, but I think that Westcliffe and numerous other towns saw COVID back in January and February and just didn’t know what it was and we didn’t have a test for it.” Epps continued, “Do I believe this is a real virus? I think so. Whatever happened at a lab in Wuhan, China, we may never know.” As to the wearing of masks, “I think we need to respect each other. I wear a mask if I am cutting concrete to protect myself from silica. So, that’s okay. If someone asks me to wear a mask because they’re concerned for their health, then I will wear a mask if I am going to speak with them if that is what they would like for me to do. I am not so hard-lined that I won’t wear one.”
Epps is currently studying and learning the background on various issues facing the county as the pandemic is not the only issue important to the citizens.
He would like everyone to know that he has an “open-door policy.” He also believes in the importance of constitutional freedoms. “I think that is the underlying issue with most of the people I have seen, heard, and talked to. Veterans make up 23-27 percent, somewhere in there. When we put health before constitutional freedoms, I think we have negated everything they have ever done. I think that is wrong.” Epps continued, “Freedom and personal responsibility and the ability to make their own choices is my overall theme for my candidacy. Being willing to listen during this time, we are being made to be introverts. People just really need someone to listen. I don’t have to agree, but, someone just really needs to listen because there are really upset people right now.”
The best way to reach Epps is by phone at: 719-315-1055. “Emails tend to get lost more easily, so phone calls are best.”
- by Tracy Ballard
Epps decided to run as a candidate for commissioner after much thought and consideration. “Friends of mine and I have discussed many times since my time as a mayor about whether I would go back into public office again. Earlier this year, they suggested a county commissioner seat and I really began to think more about public office being a place I could realistically serve in again. I had been asked by several people to run for a county commissioner seat halfway through my term as mayor back in Nebraska. I turned them down since I wanted to finish my term as mayor and then I would think about it afterwards.” Epps expressed that he “really enjoyed my service to the community as a mayor and supervisor of the towns law enforcement for four years.” He also gave it serious consideration after he “saw elected officials getting paranoid about and fearful about the virus. I don’t think we can have elected officials afraid of something or be fearful and then not communicate that, ‘hey, we need to respect each other and we need to be respectful of those that are not really concerned and those that don’t need to be really concerned. We have got to allow free choice of the people and allow free choice of businesses.” He also believes that citizens should respect the rights of a business owner to refuse service if someone is not wanting to wear a mask.
One of the biggest challenges that he sees the county facing right now is “citizens losing their freedom of speech and this whole mask thing and people not able to peacefully assemble in their religious buildings or practice their religion. This is what really seems to have many people up in arms right now.” Epps expressed that “anything that happens in a presidential election year is about the presidential election. I also believe that H1-N1 Swine Flu affected millions more Americans than this has, at least based on the statistics we see, but I think that Westcliffe and numerous other towns saw COVID back in January and February and just didn’t know what it was and we didn’t have a test for it.” Epps continued, “Do I believe this is a real virus? I think so. Whatever happened at a lab in Wuhan, China, we may never know.” As to the wearing of masks, “I think we need to respect each other. I wear a mask if I am cutting concrete to protect myself from silica. So, that’s okay. If someone asks me to wear a mask because they’re concerned for their health, then I will wear a mask if I am going to speak with them if that is what they would like for me to do. I am not so hard-lined that I won’t wear one.”
Epps is currently studying and learning the background on various issues facing the county as the pandemic is not the only issue important to the citizens.
He would like everyone to know that he has an “open-door policy.” He also believes in the importance of constitutional freedoms. “I think that is the underlying issue with most of the people I have seen, heard, and talked to. Veterans make up 23-27 percent, somewhere in there. When we put health before constitutional freedoms, I think we have negated everything they have ever done. I think that is wrong.” Epps continued, “Freedom and personal responsibility and the ability to make their own choices is my overall theme for my candidacy. Being willing to listen during this time, we are being made to be introverts. People just really need someone to listen. I don’t have to agree, but, someone just really needs to listen because there are really upset people right now.”
The best way to reach Epps is by phone at: 719-315-1055. “Emails tend to get lost more easily, so phone calls are best.”
- by Tracy Ballard
- Photo by Jordan Benson