They were among seven candidates, including two write-ins, running for the two open seats on the five-member council. Mayor Roy Musgnug and Councilman Bill Ripley did not seek re-election.
Hopkins was the top vote-getter with 468 votes. Bateman received 451 votes.
Ed Sharkany finished a distant third with 344 votes. Bob Vetter was fourth with 227 votes and Henson Frost had 127. Write-in candidates Joe Stout and Katherine Rice finished sixth and seventh respectively as of Tuesday night's count. Stout received 37 absentee votes, and Rice received 32. Both also received a number of write-in votes, which were still being tabulated. Elections Director Glenda Clendenin said Wednesday that the write-ins would not be enough to affect the election outcome.
The voting precinct is at the Whispering Pines Rescue Squad building off Ray’s Bridge Road. All of the candidates spent at least part of the day there shaking hands and asking for votes.
Hopkins said that he noticed that a large number of villagers came out to vote on a warm, sunny day. From speaking with the organizers, he said that probably about 900 voters cast ballots, but the official number will not be available until Friday.
Hopkins and Bateman will inherit some problems when they take office next month. There has been controversy at a number of council meetings.
First, there was the controversy over a discussion the council held about possibly buying the Whispering Pines Country Club without the approval of the villagers. Then there was a ruckus about a buoy in Spring Valley Lake, followed by the hiring of a new police chief and the defection of two officers.
Musgnug often gaveled meetings closed before audience members had a chance to speak, which did not sit well with residents.
Also, one resident called for the resignation of a council member because of the buoy issue. There are two petitions circulating calling for changes in the village charter that would allow voters to recall council members and repeal unpopular ordinances.
Hopkins knows that regaining the trust of the village is going to be a difficult job.
“I am very pleased, and I’m going to need all the help that I can get,” Hopkins said.
Bateman could not be reached for comment after the results came in Tuesday night. Earlier in the day, he said that he would be thrilled if he were to win.
“I’m naturally going to be overjoyed,” he said. “I think I could do a lot for the village.”
Hopkins said he is looking forward to working with the remaining council members and that he is pleased to be joining Bateman.
He said there is a way for the village to have open, structured meetings, and he pledged to work with the council to accomplish that goal.
Hopkins is planning director for the town of Aberdeen and serves on the Whispering Pines Planning and Zoning Board. Growth is a major issue, he said. Hopkins believes the village can and will grow and keep the character that its residents love.
“We just have to plan ahead,” he said. “Instead of waiting for the train to catch us, we have to catch up to the train.”
Hopkins has had an inside look at a smooth-running municipal government in Aberdeen. He said there no reason why Whispering Pines can’t be the same.
Aberdeen and the other bigger Moore County towns have town managers to run the day-to-day operations. But Hopkins said that Whispering Pines isn’t yet large enough to hire a manager.
Hopkins has an extensive background in planning zoning. He was the county planning director before taking the Aberdeen job. He has been a Moore County resident for 20 years and a Whisper-ing Pines resident for seven years. Though he has run for the council before, this is his first election to public office.
Bateman served on the Whispering Pines Village Council from 1998 to 2001. He is a World War II veteran. His background is in electrical engineering, and he has been a village resident for nine years.
Bateman has said previously that one of his main concerns is the quality of the water in Whispering Pines. He also wants the village to construct a community building and take more action to rid the area of mosquitoes.
The five-member council se-lects the mayor. Picking one will be among the first items of business for the new council.
