By DAVID CLOUSTON

Salina Journal

Rest assured, Phyllis Anderson says she has no intention of promulgating any right-wing conspiracy to foster the appointment of conservative judges.

"Let me think," Anderson said Wednesday, in mock seriousness. "I don't think I have any tendencies in that direction."

The same can be said of Betsy Wearing, the other applicant along with Anderson who was appointed by Saline County Commissioners Wednesday to fill posts on the commission that nominates candidates for district and magistrate judges in Saline and Ottawa counties.

"No. Not my plan," Wearing said light-heartedly. "There's no conspiracy."

Anderson is the public relations/marketing director for OCCK Inc., 1710 W. Schilling. Wearing is the executive director of the Greater Salina Community Foundation, 113 N. Seventh.

The two nonlawyer positions on the judicial nominating commission drew the attention of Salina Journal editor and publisher Tom Bell. Bell's editorial in Tuesday's edition questioned whether Commissioner Randy Duncan -- under the guise of a more open nominating process -- might be attempting to recruit social conservatives to the committee, where they could try to influence judicial appointments.

That's not playing nice

With just a little harmonious discussion on Wednesday, commissioners in short order chose the two women from a field of 17 citizens who applied.

And afterward, Duncan was adamant about his motives for leading a campaign to publicize the vacancies and solicit applications over the tradition of filling the vacancies by word-of-mouth interest and continuously reappointing some members.

"I didn't recruit anyone," Duncan said. "I was simply trying to make this, as the original (news article in Saturday's Journal) reported ... make the public aware that these two positions were open.

"It's not very kind to imply such a thing," said Duncan, a Republican, about suggesting he was trying to manipulate the nominating commission. "Unfortunately Tom Bell chose to write such an editorial. But my goal is to serve the citizens of Saline County in a nonpartisan fashion."

We need this interest

Duncan's discussions with commissioners Sherri Barragree and Craig Stephenson before their decision centered on who their top three candidates for the vacancies would be.

"I wish that we would get this much interest on committees that met, that affected everybody's lives on a monthly basis, rather than something they may not ever get to meet on," Stephenson said.

Nominating commission members serve four-year terms. County commissioners were required to make appointments to fill the nonlawyer positions by Friday. The nominating commission consists of eight members, four who are lawyers and four who are not. Two nonlawyer positions are appointed by the Ottawa County Commission and two by Saline County. Years can pass between openings for a district or magistrate judge so the nominating commission rarely meets.

Three applicants were each selected by at least two of the county commissioners as finalist candidates -- Anderson, Wearing and Barb Shirley, manager of Martinelli's restaurant in downtown Salina.

Anderson has served in the past on boards for Habitat for Humanity, Community Access Television, Salina Downtown Inc. and Leadership Salina.

"I thought it sounded like a really interesting opportunity to do something I hadn't been involved in before," she said. "I also got a couple of e-mails from people saying I should apply.

"I hope we're needed," she said. "I'm anxious to see how the process works."

Wearing said she was contacted about applying by an attorney who told her she would make a good candidate.

"It's not a huge time commitment. It's just something where I thought I could make a contribution," she said. Wearing has served on several nonprofit agency boards when she was the former marketing director for Salina Regional Health Center. She serves now on the site council for South High School, and is a member of the board of directors for Salina Noon Rotary Club.

Anderson and Wearing will replace Salinans Don Diederich, who'd served for 33 years, and John Vanier, a Salina city commissioner, who'd served for 12 years.

n Reporter David Clouston can be reached at 822-1403 or by e-mail at dclouston@salina.com.