Two volunteers for the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District were elected to the district's board in elections Tuesday.
While only two percent of the eligible electorate voted, it was remarkable the district had an election at all.
Longtime Upper Pine Chief Jim Piccoli thinks there might have been a board election sometime in the 1990s, but that was the last time he could remember one taking place.
Casey Cook, a volunteer captain for the district, won the election with 143 votes, followed by Wayne Walters with 131 votes. Walters volunteers for the district on emergency health issues.
The district has 7735 eligible voters (6134 active, 1601 nactive), according to a press release for Upper Pine. People who own property in the district but who are not residents were eligible to vote, as well.
The other three candidates were incumbent board member Bill Kourim, with 66 votes, and Bill Faust with 30 votes. Incumbent Roger Pennington received 25 votes.
The new board members will be sworn in at the next board meeting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 15 at the administration building on Sower Drive.
Staff from the La Plata County Clerk's office worked at the elections and prepared the electronic voting machines for the election. Election judges were LaVonne Elston, Betsy and Paul Romere and Margaret Adams.
