By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Local voters will select three members of the Val Verde Hospital District Board in the upcoming May 7 election.
The three positions on the board are for At-Large, Precinct 1 and Precinct 2. All voters in the hospital district may cast ballots in all three races, since all of the hospital board positions are at-large positions.
Two persons have filed for the Precinct 1 seat on the hospital board. They are Dr. Daniel Chartrand and Christopher Kuechmann.
Chartrand is the incumbent and is running for re-election to a third term on the hospital board. He has served on the board for eight years. Chartrand is an obstetrician/gynecologist who has been practicing in Del Rio since 1998.
Kuechmann spent 30 years working in libraries across the U.S., most recently serving as the head librarian for the Val Verde County Library. He currently serves as a member of the Val Verde County Appraisal District Board of Directors.
Dr. Julio “Dr. O” Otazo is the only person who has filed for the board’s Precinct 2 seat. He is unopposed, as the incumbent, Gerald Prather, did not file for re-election.
Otazo works as an interventional radiologist and pain management interventionist at Val Verde Regional Medical Center. Otazo has been at the hospital for seven-and-a-half years.
Three persons have filed for the At-Large seat on the board. They are Raul J. Alatorre, Cris A. Diaz and Dr. Lee A. Keenen.
Alatorre previously served on the hospital board for eight years. He is a native of Del Rio and has worked in the home health and medical equipment industry for 26 years.
Diaz is a native of Del Rio and has been a registered nurse for 30 years. She currently works as a travel nurse.
Keenen is a podiatrist who practices in Del Rio.
Early voting is ongoing at the Del Rio Civic Center until Tuesday, May 3. Persons can vote Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and May 2 and May 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voters will be required to present photo identification before receiving a ballot. This can be either a Texas driver license or a Texas identification card, according to Val Verde County Clerk Generosa “Janie” Ramon, who has been contracted to oversee the elections.
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Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
