Scott Wassermann for Brewster County JP Pct 1

It’s official Brewster county-I was sworn in today as Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1. Thank you for this opportunity to be of service!

Good morning, Brewster County! As we wake up to the election results, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for your encouragement, support, and votes!!

I also want to thank Bob Steele for the positive and professional race and for his service our community. I look forward to being of service to the place Heidi & I love and call home!

Thank you!

Tuesday is Primary Election Day!

Vote from 7am-7pm
Locations are:
Prec 1 - Sunny Glenn Coop Building - 2209 West Hwy 90
Prec 2 - Val Beard Office Complex (old library next to courthouse )
Prec 3 - Marathon Community Center
Prec 4 - Alpine Civic Center (City Hall)
Prec 5 - Panther Junction Community Room (Big Bend Nat’l Park)
Prec 6&7 - Study Butte Community Center.
Prec 8 - Food Pantry Building -933 East Gallego

Thanks and please vote!!

Two days left for early voting-it ends Friday the 25th. Election day is Tuesday March 1st.

Tomorrow morning (2/22) at 9 I'll be joining Martin on KVLF for his "2nd Cup of Coffee" show. Tune in if you can, you can livestream it here: https://bigbendradio.com/

Thanks, and don't forget to vote!

Big Bend Radio – It's All Good NOAA all-hazards weather radio for the Davis Mountains – Big Bend area is on the air. KJY-69 is now broadcasting weather information 24/7 at 162.550mhz. In addition to regular forecast information, NOAA weather radio also broadcasts weather alerts and advisories for this area. Our system is also c...

I'll be joining Martin on KVLF 1240 am for his "2nd Cup of Coffee" program tomorrow (Tuesday 2/22) at 9 am. Tune in if you can-you can stream it live here: https://bigbendradio.com

Thanks, and don't forget to vote!

Big Bend Radio – It's All Good NOAA all-hazards weather radio for the Davis Mountains – Big Bend area is on the air. KJY-69 is now broadcasting weather information 24/7 at 162.550mhz. In addition to regular forecast information, NOAA weather radio also broadcasts weather alerts and advisories for this area. Our system is also c...

No lines, no waiting!

Early Voting Starts Today-please get out and vote!

Here's where to cast your ballot (from Brewster County's website):

Precincts 1-8 Val Beard Office Complex, 203 N. 7th Alpine
Precinct 3 Marathon Community Center, 2nd & E. Marathon
Precincts 5, 6, 7, Red Patillo Community Center, Study Butte

I'd greatly appreciate your vote for JP Pct 1, but even if you vote for someone else, it's important that you VOTE!

Thank you,

Scott

UPDATE-we've had to reschedule for next week. I'll update this post once we've set a date. Stay tuned!

Next Thursday (2/10) at 9am I'll be joining Martin for his "2nd Cup of Coffee" show on KVLF 1240. Tune in if you can-you can stream it live here:

Big Bend Radio – It's All Good NOAA all-hazards weather radio for the Davis Mountains – Big Bend area is on the air. KJY-69 is now broadcasting weather information 24/7 at 162.550mhz. In addition to regular forecast information, NOAA weather radio also broadcasts weather alerts and advisories for this area. Our system is also c...

While I’ve been out walking neighborhoods to engage with voters, I’ve encountered a few people that confuse their voting district with the boundaries of Justice of the Peace Precinct 1. There are 8 voting districts and 3 Justice of the Peace Precincts.

Here’s a map of the voting districts in Brewster county. JP Precinct 1 covers voting districts 1, 2, 4, & 8.

www.brewstercountytx.com

Don’t forget-January 31 is the deadline to register for the March 1, 2022 primary! Tell your friends!

(The faq below is for the March 1, 2022 primary)

VoteTexas.gov » FAQs for the May 1, 2021 Election The below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) have been compiled with the March 1, 2022, Primary Election in mind. We hope that you will take a moment to review these pages, as you may find the answers to your questions. We encourage you to explore our website for more detailed information on election...

Here's part two of my answer to Kathy Holley's question:

“Wow! IMO that gives you a background in both the practical, hands-on skills and the intellectual and academic aspects of life in America. How do you see your skill set as being helpful in the role of a Justice of the Peace?”

The JP does not work alone-they must work with various law enforcement entities, other courts and local municipalities to fulfill their duties. During my military career I worked with other Search and Rescue entities coordinating search plans, other Law Enforcement agencies conducting counter narcotic operations, and even other governments by providing boarding at sea and defensive tactics training to Saudi, Kuwaiti, Dutch and Canadian military personnel. I have trained all ranks and advised Captains of US Navy ships during law enforcement operations. I have also been part of multi-national teams working for the UN and NATO. In short, I can work alongside just about anyone to accomplish the mission. I will bring this same skill set to the JP position in order to provide maximum service with minimal drama to the citizens of Brewster County.

I'll share more later.....

From Kathy Holley: “Wow! IMO that gives you a background in both the practical, hands-on skills and the intellectual and academic aspects of life in America. How do you see your skill set as being helpful in the role of a Justice of the Peace?”

Thanks Kathy! For 14 years of my Coast Guard career I was involved in law enforcement, both Civil (Boating Safety, Fisheries enforcement and Oil Pollution investigation) and Criminal (Boating Under the Influence, Counter Narcotics), so I understand our legal system. One of the JP’s duties as magistrate is to examine arrestees to first ensure there was sufficient probable cause for the arrest. I understand what probable cause is and how it applies in a legal sense. The JP can also issue arrest and search warrants, so my law enforcement training and experience will serve me well. In addition to law enforcement, I was also heavily involved in Search and Rescue, both as a first responder and a response planner. As JP I will be called to emergency scenes to pronounce someone deceased. This can be an especially gruesome scene that few ever experience (thankfully). This will not be my first experience with such a sight, so I hope to be able to provide a bit of solace and empathy to those who may be grieving in an otherwise chaotic situation.

I’ll discuss more of my experience in future posts.

What does the JP do? (a quick overview)

The JP position is the first step in the judicial system hierarchy. The court is designed so people can quickly settle lower level disputes without the need for an attorney. The JP deals with small claims court, landlord/tenant disputes & evictions, Class C and lower misdemeanors that are punishable by fine only (no jail time), and since we have no coroner, the JP also pronounces death at unattended deaths and conducts inquests into the cause of death when needed. The JP also performs magistrate duties (examining arrestees and setting bail) and hears truancy complaints.

The first question I’ve been asked is “why do you want to run for JP?”

The short answer is: To be of service.

After I retired from the US Coast Guard in 2002, Heidi and I returned home to Texas to find a permanent place to call home. We discovered Alpine and Brewster county by accident in 2005. The scenery and the people we met touched a place in our hearts and we knew this was “the spot”. We moved here in 2007; I finished my college degree and Heidi started teaching in the public school system.

In 2018, I considered running for JP, but we had three businesses operating at the time and there was no way I could commit the time and energy needed for the job. Since the pandemic, we have restructured our operations and I can now meet the time and energy requirements necessary.

And finally, some friends we have known for a long time (since we moved here!) asked if I would consider running for the position. I trust their political insights, I have the time and energy, and I still want to contribute to the community we call home, so my answer is
an enthusiastic YES!

March 1, 2022 is the date of the Primary election. There is still time to register to vote!

From https://www.votetexas.gov/faq/index.html

Q. I’m not registered, but want to vote in the March 1, 2022 Primary Election; how can I be sure that I’m registered in time to vote?

A.
The deadline to register and be eligible to vote in the March 1, 2022 election is January 31, 2022. This can be either the postmark date or the date the application is received in the office of the voter registrar. You may, of course, register at any time before that date to ensure that your registration is effective for voting in March. You can obtain a voter registration application from your voter registrar's office, libraries, most post offices, and high schools. You can also fill out a voter registration application online. or request a postage-paid application be mailed to you. Note: If you fill out a voter registration application online using the above link, you must print the completed application and send it to your county voter registrar’s office.

VoteTexas.gov » FAQs for the May 1, 2021 Election The below Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) have been compiled with the March 1, 2022, Primary Election in mind. We hope that you will take a moment to review these pages, as you may find the answers to your questions. We encourage you to explore our website for more detailed information on election...