Vern Herrst, who ran unsuccessfully last year for a seat on the Winthrop Town Council, has been selected to fill the council position that was created when Mort Banasky died in August.
Herrst was one of two people who applied to fill the council vacancy. The other was Billie Jo Hope. The council briefly interviewed each candidate at its Nov. 19 meeting before selecting Herrst after an executive session. Hope is a 35-year resident of the valley and works at Evergreen IGA. The council encouraged her to stay interested.
Herrst challenged and was defeated by incumbent council member Rick Northcott in November 2013. He has frequently attended council meetings during the past year and recently received recognition from the town for his volunteer efforts.
A retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman, Herrst worked with the U.S. Marines for most of his career. He served on Winthrop’s Westernization and Architectural Committee for about three years in the mid-1990s.
Herrst has lived in Winthrop since 1996 and operates a home-based embroidery business — V Bar J Enterprises — with his wife, Judy. He will be sworn in at the council’s Dec. 3 meeting.
