By JOSHUA THOMAS

and LINDA KELLETT

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, three candidates will face off in the election for Town of Minden Justice. The three candidates, Frank J. Alford (Republican), Ronald Bentz (Independence-Conservative), and Cindea Bradley (Democrat), all of Fort Plain, are running for the seat vacated by JuneAnn Rogers.

While Rogers’ position wasn’t up for election until 2013, whoever is voted into the position will begin a brand new, four year term.

Training will take place following the results of the election, and the new justice will begin January 1, 2013.

Voting will take place at two locations, the Minden Town Hall and the Fort Plain Senior Center, from noon to 9 p.m.

Republican Frank J. Alford, of Fort Plain, graduated from Middleburgh Central High School, and went on to earn a double Bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College (a major in English and minor in History, and a major in Acting and a minor in Directing).

He worked as a professional actor in New York City for a few years, earning spots in prolific productions and national campaigns. He was also the original morning man on WBUG radio, where he worked for ten years on and off. He also noted that he has training in survival and combat, and ran a search and rescue company for some time.

Alford was involved in political activities in Middleburgh years ago, but has not yet served as an elected official.

He noted that he is interested in the position of justice because there exists the possibility to give back to the community through service. He explained that he’s also familiar with the legal system, as his father was an attorney in Middleburgh, where Alford served as law clerk for a number of years, providing him valuable experience in legal research.

Ronald Bentz, of Fort Plain, is running on the Independence party ticket for the second time. He also secured the Conservative line in the September, 2012 election. He ran six years ago against current Justice Sue Buddles, receiving 178 votes. While that number wasn’t enough to win, it was enough to ensure Bentz that he was on the right path, sticking to his guns in remaining tied to a party he believed in (Indepen-dence), refusing to change his party affiliation even at the expense of losing votes.

Bentz, a longtime resident of Fort Plain, also attempted to secure a seat on the Minden Town Council during last year’s November elections, receiving 75 votes to incumbent, Repub-lican candidate Karolann Grimm’s 259 votes, and incumbent, Republican candidate Douglas R. Simmons’ 247 votes

He is adamant that if not elected justice November 6, he will continue to work toward a public service position, as it’s something Bentz has always strived for.

Bentz has a military background, serving in the United States Air Force where he earned his GED, then attending several colleges.

Retiring from U.S. Air in 2002, Bentz said he worked for several different airlines over his 22 year career in that field. Bentz noted that his travels, which brought him all over the United States — the fact that he’s interacted with people from all walks of life— have prepared him for the position of justice, as he believes in equal rights. He believes that he has the ability to treat anybody that might come before him with equal fairness.

While she may have lived in Fort Plain less than a decade, Democrat Cindea Bradley is no newcomer to politics or involvement in her adopted hometown.

One of two elected assessors for the town of Minden and a principle account clerk currently employed by Montgomery County, the California native and single mom was working as a fraud investigator for AT&T Wireless when she moved to the Mohawk Valley in June 2004.

Now 57, Bradley is not afraid to tackle new challenges. Although she completed coursework at the American River College and Heald’s Business College in California, she never earned a college degree. She’s currently taking classes at Fulton-Montgomery Community College, where she’s working toward an Associate’s degree in Accounting and/or Business Administration.

“It’s never too late to go back to school,” she said, noting that she’s passed mandatory coursework associated with her assessor’s position and is doing well in her classes at FMCC.

She’s also been a familiar figure in the courtroom of Minden Justice Susan Buddles. Bradley said she’s the only candidate for the available justice post who has gone to court virtually every Monday night for the past four months in order to learn about the position.

“They send you to training and they teach you what the law is and you have to do things within the law. I’m a nice person and I always try to find the best in people, but some people you need to get tough on,” Bradley said.

She added, “I’m intelligent, fair and honest... What qualifies me the most is my enthusiasm, I strive for excellence, I promise to do a good job, and I can pass the tests.”