Two more area debates scheduled

The political pace picks up considerably in October with two more area debates announced for the month before the Nov. 5 election.

The dates for the recently announced area debates are Oct. 10 in Brainerd and Oct. 15 in Crosslake.

Health issues will be the focus of the debate featuring legislative candidates from Senate District 12 and House District 12A. The debate will be 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Central Lakes College.

Attending the forum will be Sen. Don Samuelson, DFL-Brainerd, and his opponent, Republican Paul Koering, Fort Ripley, as well as Rep. Dale Walz, R-Brainerd, and his opponent, DFLer Lucy Nesheim, Brainerd.

Sponsored by the Minnesota Smoke-Free Coalition and the Rosenmeier Center, the debate will be preceded by a 6:30 p.m. town meeting that's billed as a briefing on Minnesota's leading health problem, tobacco. Also listed as sponsors are Healthy Kids Minnesota, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the Minnesota Medical Association, the Children's Defense Fund-Minnesota, Education Minnesota, Joint Religious Legislative Council, Medical Alley and the Minnesota Rural Health Care Association.

For planning purposes, those who would like to attend are asked to phone in an RSVP at (877) 277-2929.

Crosslake Community Center will be the site of a 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 15 debate sponsored by the Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce. It will include Crosslake city races, the Crow Wing County District 2 commissioner race (Commissioner Ed Larsen and David Kennedy), Crow Wing County sheriff (Sheriff Dick Ross and Deputy Eric Klang) the Senate District 4 race (Republican Carrie Ruud and DFLer Stan Nagorski), House District 4B (DFLer William Weis and Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker).

The Crosslake debate will be taped and broadcast later in the Crosslake area.

Also, Lisa Paxton, chamber executive director, said the time of the previously announced Oct. 22 debate sponsored by the chambers, the American Association of University Women and League of Women Voters of the Brainerd Lakes Area has been moved up to 6 p.m. at the Little Theatre at Brainerd High School. The Oct. 22 debate will be broadcast live on Charter Communications. Crow Wing County candidates in non-contested races will be allowed to pre-record statements that will be broadcast during the breaks.

The Brainerd and Crosslake chambers also are listed as co-sponsoring organizations for a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce debate for the four U.S. Senate candidates at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Paramount Theater in St. Cloud. Paxton said the area chambers may try to organize a contingent from this area to travel to St. Cloud.