Only city candidates to take part in forum

Just one of two candidates forums scheduled in Ely this week will go on as planned.Ely’s mayoral and city council candidates have been invited to take part in a two-hour debate set for Wednesday (7 p.m.) in the theater at Vermilion Community College.Scheduling conflicts forced organizers to scrap Tuesday’s forum, which was to include candidates for Minnesota House of Representatives seat 6A.The public is invited to attend and submit questions to the candidates.Format for the event includes opening and closing remarks by each candidate, and the opportunity to answer questions written by the audience, screened by a panel of four and then given to the moderator.Several local organizations are working together to sponsor the forums.The Ely Rotary Club, the Arrowhead Association of University Women, the Ely Echo, WELY Radio and the Ely Timberjay are all on board as sponsors.The groups sponsored similar candidates events in 2002.WELY is scheduled to broadcast the forum, and arrangements are being made for the event to be taped for broadcast on Ely’s public access cable television channel.Ely has three candidates for mayor: incumbent Frank Salerno and challengers Roger Skraba and Mark Haarman.In the city council race, eight candidates are vying for three available spots.Current council members Mark Zupec, Paul Kess and Jerome Debeltz are joined on the ballot by Charles Novak, Louis Kotzian, Pat Osaben, David Schmidt and Robin Mathews.Three candidates are in the 6A race as incumbent Democrat David Dill faces a primary challenge from party-endorsed candidate Bill Hansen. Ely Republican Marty Breaker awaits the winner in the general election.