LOCAL RACES ATTRACT CANDIDATES; THREE ANNOUNCE TO RUN

The Polk County political scene is beginning to gain attention, as two candidates for the School Board have announced their intentions to run, as well as one County Commission candidate.

Tim Harris, a 54-year-old resource specialist in the district's career education services office, became the first candidate to file papers to run for the District 7 seat currently held by Jack English. English is currently undecided on wheather he will seek reelection. Harris taught for 18 years before moving to his current position, where his primary responsibility is overseeing the annual survey of Polk's high school graduates. District 7 includes much of North Lakeland and Polk City.

Hazel Sellers, currently serving as Chairwoman of the School Board, announced that she will seek reelection to her District 3 seat, which includes the Bartow/Fort Meade area. The 54-year-old Sellers retired in 2002 as a gifted program facilitator after 25 years in the classroom.

And the all-GOP race for the Polk County Commission's District 2 slot just got even more crowded, as Lake Wales avaition businesswoman Betty Hill entered the fray. Ms. Hill recently sold her interest in Phoenix Air, Inc., which owns the World Skydiving Center and Lake Wales Avaition, the fixed base operator at the Lake Wales Airport. She becomes the third challenger to incumbant Randy Wilkinson of Mulberry. Also seeking the seat are Lake Wales insurance adjuster Jonathan David Thornhill and Dave Hallock of Bartow.

Wilkinson has been known throughout his time on the commission for occasional inopportune comments. But he was lauded by the Polk County Republican Executive Committee after casting the only dissenting vote last year among the all-GOP commission against the first property tax increase in 12 years.