Results of the Aug. 18 primary were made final by King County on Sept. 2.

The numbers held no surprises for voters or candidates as early vote tallies held up and the predicted first- and second-place winners will continue on to the general election in November.

However, as previously announced, two local candidates already have won their “races.”

In Kenmore, in the case of City Council Position 4, only former council member Bob Hensel, 57, filed to replace departing councilman Randy Eastwood.

Much the same occurred in regard to the District 4 seat on the Northshore School Board of Directors. Sandy Hayes was the only candidate to file to replace departing board member Gene Hawkridge.

In the case of both Hensel and Hayes, barring some unforeseen circumstance, both will take a spot in local government next year.

Hensel returns

Hensel served on Kenmore City Council 2004-2007, when he lost a bid for re-election to current Councilman John Hendrickson. Hensel said he really wasn’t considering a return to elected office.

“I had a lot of encouragement from folks in the community to run again,” he said.

During his time away from council, Hensel served on the city’s economic development advisory committee. He said that group came up with some specific recommendations he would like to see come into fruition, and he hopes to make economic development a focus of his return to City Hall.

According to Hensel, some key ideas of the advisory board included better marketing of Kenmore and the city’s strong points to both businesses and potential residents. While he hopes to attract new and different types of businesses into Kenmore, Hensel also wants to create closer ties between local government and the businesses already here.

The future of the Kenmore Village by the Lake project is one obvious and large development question facing the city.

Projected to spring up in the area around the current Kenmore Village shopping plaza, the revamped Kenmore Village has been put on hold several times, with officials blaming the sluggish economy for the delays.

“We still have a committed developer,” Hensel said, referring to the firm Urban Partners, chosen by the city to lead the project. But in his job at the James G. Murphy auction house, Hensel said he has been in contact with any number of distressed businesses who come to Kenmore to sell off their stock or equipment.

“It is about as tough as I’ve ever seen it out there,” he said, hinting, as have others, that the Kenmore Village development will recover at the same time as the overall economy.

Outside of development issues, Hensel said he is a big proponent of active park spaces and would like to add a few more to Kenmore’s roster. He also talked about infrastructure needs, particularly sidewalks.

Hayes gives back

Like Hensel, Hayes said she was encouraged to run by friends and neighbors.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to give back,” she added.

At a candidate forum held prior to the primary, Hayes explained some of her basic stances and goals. Perhaps most importantly she named maintaining class size as her top priority as the Northshore district continues to battle with budget cuts.

Like most of the rest of the panel, Hayes blamed many of the district’s money problems on a lack of support in Olympia.

Besides monetary concerns, one hot topic the night of the forum was the state-mandated Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) tests. However, candidates were asked the best way to evaluate teachers, as well as students.

“I don’t know what the single best way is,” Hayes said, adding there probably isn’t one single means to monitor the performance of students or teachers. Hayes added if there was one obvious, clear way to measure student or teacher performance, the district probably already would be using that method.

An attorney, Hayes runs her own business in Seattle’s University District teaching and tutoring would-be law students preparing to take law-school entrance exams. She’s had the company for 11 years. Hayes said during her time working with law students, she has noticed a distinct drop in her clients’ ability to stay focused on the task at hand. She blames the problem on myriad electronic media now available, as well as the pressure many people feel to constantly multi-task.

With all that in mind, Hayes said communication technology and teaching kids how to deal with it will be one priority when she joins the school board next year.

In regard to other issues, Hayes said she wants to be involved with the possible continuing construction bond the district may put on the ballot in the next year or so. In terms of readying herself to take a spot on the board, Hayes said she has been paying more attention to education news stories, particularly following the funding lawsuit filed against the state. She also said she intends to stay active in the PTAs at each of the three different Northshore schools attended by her children.

“I want to keep up with what people are talking and thinking about,” she said.