By CRAIG NORTHRUP

Staff Writer

Mark Dane

Mark Dane is a man of few words and a pragmatist with little use for frivolity. When asked what Athol means to him, he was succinct.

“I love Athol,” the Seat 3 candidate for Athol’s City Council said after a moment of reflection, followed by another moment of silence.

Dane might not exude bubbly passion or dispense flowery rhetoric, but the 60-year-old is nonetheless a tried-and-true Athol resident. He describes himself as someone who’s lived in the town “off and on” since 1971. When asked how long his last stint in Athol has lasted, he took a minute to think back.

“About 23 years,” he finally said.

For Dane, the privilege of wisdom is to listen. Just because he doesn’t speak his mind at every turn doesn’t mean he lacks an opinion. The core of his brand of local politics almost always leans toward fiscal conservatism.

“You got to pay for it,” Dane said when asked about introducing sidewalks to busier streets in Athol. “[Sidewalks] would be nice. Sure. But you got to pay for it. And that’s up to the people to decide. People should take a survey: If you want to spend the money, do it. If not, don’t.”

It’s a theme that persists throughout his viewpoint on Athol’s politics and its history. When asked about his position on growth — specifically, how he felt about Super 1 coming to Athol in 2018 — Dane stayed on message.

“I didn’t really care either way,” he said, “as long as it didn’t cost the city money.”

That mindset informed every vote Dane cast when he served a previous term on the council, where he bore witness to one of the city’s most tumultuous times. One of the first questions he posed in the wake of a 2014 embezzlement scandal involving then-city clerk Sally Hansen was directed to his fellow council members: “How much money do we have?”

“It was a lot different back then,” Dane reminisced. “Everybody there had a mindset that if [residents] don’t come to the council meetings, [they] don’t have to know nothing. That’s what got us into so many problems. People just weren’t informed.”

Which leads to the main platform of Dane’s campaign. The man of few words said what the city government truly lacks is communication.

“It’s getting so that people think the mayor and council decide on things,” he said. “But it’s not. It’s the people that decide. I think the city could put out more information to the people to help them make better decisions.”

Dane was a council member when Athol took its first digital leap into the 21st century, establishing a website and an electronic newsletter. He said those were necessary steps that should continue moving forward.

“I was always trying to get them to get a website back then,” he said. “But really, it was [then-Mayor] Darla Kuhman who got it going. Darla should have gotten a lot more credit for it. I don’t think [residents] really thanked her. She was never really recognized for that, and she should be.”

Part of Dane’s communication campaign involves a series of surveys to not only inform residents of upcoming council decisions but also provide Athol’s own an opportunity to voice how they would vote. This, Dane said, would give the council a clear direction when it comes time to make crucial decisions — with a catch.

“I think it’s a good idea,” he hedged, “as long as it don’t cost too much.”

The potential for a survey system isn’t Dane’s only idea. He said, if elected, he would look to ease restrictions on what property owners can do with their land.

“We kinda got a city planner,” he said, referring to contracted planner Rand Wichman. “But we need to look at changing some ordinances. If people want to build, we should let them build. If I own a piece of property, and I want to build a six-car garage, and I have six cars, I should be able to build that garage.”

He emphasized that the city ordinance prohibiting building on more than 50% of a parcel should remain in effect, but prohibiting who can do what with their property infringes on people’s rights. Ordinances on the books limiting those rights, Dane added, is nothing new.

“We didn’t really follow those ordinances before,” he said, “because they don’t make no sense.”

Despite several urgings, the Athol candidate declined to submit a photo of himself to The Press for this story, saying it was unnecessary.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dane said. “People know who I am anyway.”

Cindi Denis

Most incumbents fight for their seats with the backbone of hardened, jaded politicians. They seldom come across as mild-mannered servants who took office through odd twists of fate.

But that humble demeanor and unique path is exactly what describes Cindi Denis’s journey into local politics.

“I’m not really one to gossip,” the Athol resident since 2005 and incumbent for Seat 3 on its City Council replied when asked about her opponent, Mark Dane. “I believe, if you’ve got something to say, say it. All I know is that Mark has always been polite to me. I really don’t know him very well.”

Denis, manager of Farragut Storage, has a history with the area since she moved to Athol in 2005. Her most recent history includes participation on the Land Use Planning sections of the 2016 Community Review Report, a document that maps out (among other things) how Athol should proceed with future projects.

“I love Athol,” she said. “I’d like our little town to stay small, but not too small. We need to be careful about how we choose to grow, but growth is coming. I know it’s coming, no matter what.”

Inevitability is a concept that became very real to Denis. In 2018, then-Mayor Bob Wachter stepped down after a contentious, brief tenure. Mary Zichko was then appointed to finish Wachter’s term. Someone needed to fill Zichko’s shoes on Seat 3.

“It was something I was happy to do,” Denis said. “I believe a council [member] should listen to the people, listen to the citizens. One thing I will say is, I’m here for our citizens. I wish they got more involved, but as long as I’m serving, I’ll be here for them.”

It was Denis’s involvement that carried her into office. A frequent attendee of Athol council meetings, the council and newly appointed mayor selected the Cleveland, Ohio, native to assume Zichko’s role, thus kickstarting her career in local politics.

“Honestly, I stopped going [as a spectator to the meetings] for a while,” she admitted. “I just got tired of the bickering. Those years — and the years before — were a very hard time for the council and for Athol.”

Denis described her year-plus on the council as eye-opening.

“It’s been interesting,” she said. “Somebody from the outside looking in might not be proud. We’ve done some things I’m proud of. We just passed the 1-acre ordinance [reducing some lot sizes from 2 acres to one]. I’m proud of that.”

Denis said she, like most Athol residents, is wary of growth, but she said its daunting freight-train speed needs to be slowed, not stopped.

“Super 1 is a good example,” she said. “At the time, I was very much against it. I didn’t want it to hurt our local businesses. But over time, I saw they can be partners with us without hurting the smaller companies like Little Town Market. I think we’re blessed to have it here. The seniors have a drug store now inside, so they don’t have to drive all the way to Coeur d’Alene or Hayden for their medicine.

“Don’t get me wrong: I still support Little Town Market, but thank God for Super 1.”

As for future growth, Denis shied away from the idea of larger conglomerates, urging small businesses to set up shop.

“We need more small businesses to come in,” she said. “You’ve got to have some development over there [near Super 1]. I think that’s the most responsible way to grow.”

Denis added she’s proud of Athol but admits that growth will require some future additions, some of which won’t come cheap.

“Sooner or later, we’re going to need our own police department,” she said. “The [Kootenai County] Sheriff’s [Office] does a great job. We have a great partnership with them. But sooner or later, I don’t know if they’ll be enough.”

Denis added that police don’t have to worry about bank robbers in Athol.

“I’d love to see a bank here,” she said. “I think the community could really benefit from that. And I think we could really use a community center or a rec center, someplace adults and the kids can go in the summer to keep them busy.”

Ultimately, Denis insisted — win or lose — she will always believe in the core value Athol residents all share.

“I think we all need to be neighborly with each other,” she said. “I just think we should all take care of one another.”

And win or lose, Denis said she’ll remain firm in her convictions.

“Whatever happens, whether I win or lose, God knows what’s best,” she said. “It’s God’s place to decide.”