By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor

By the time you read this, we will have already held our first candidate forum – it’s set for Tuesday, July 9 at the Wakulla County Public Library.


Candidates Ed Brimner and Donnie Sparkman for property appraiser and candidates Jared Miller and Army Reyes sheriff were slated to appear.
The next forum will feature candidates for superintendent of schools – Rick Myhre, Matt Payne and Ricky Strickland – and then candidates in the school board races: Josh Brown, June Davis, Angie Nichols and Camden Smit. That forum is set for Tuesday, July 16 at the library beginning at 6 p.m.
Because of scheduling problems, we had to add a third forum for county commission candidates Mike Kemp and Valerie Russell. That will be held Tuesday, July 30 at the library beginning at 6 p.m.
As I write this on the eve of the first forum, our plan to livestream on YouTube and provide a link on our website is facing some technical problems. Hopefully, Eric, our IT master, is able to figure out some solutions.
I want to thank readers who submitted questions for the forum – it’s always good to know what your concerns are. It was a little surprising to me that the sheriff’s race generated the most reader questions – and many asked about the same subjects.
I also want to thank Heather Bryan and Rachel Pienta for their help – culling through all the submitted questions and trying to come up with focused and fair questions about the issues for candidates that give them an opportunity to share their opinions.
And thanks to all the candidates for agreeing to appear at the forum.
I appreciate all of you putting yourselves out there.

NOTE ON TALQUIN WATER REPORT

I had a reader call recently to express concern about language on the Talquin water report that warned water customers who are immuno-compromised should seek advice from health care providers. (The reader is undergoing chemotherapy and questioned why the language was in the water report.)
A Talquin representative responded: “This language is from the EPA guidelines and is included in all of our system’s Water Quality Reports. All of our test results were under the MCL or maximum contaminant level, which is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. Talquin Water and Wastewater constantly monitors for these potential contaminants to meet all regulatory requirements. We work very hard to make sure the water is safe for our Members.”
There you have it: Drink away, readers.

William Snowden is editor and publisher of The Wakulla Sun.