‘Raise your right hand’

EAGLE — Eagle County voters elected some new faces and kept some old ones, and Tuesday those candidates were sworn in to the offices they campaigned so hard to earn.

District Court Judge Fred Gannett did the honors, but only after Jill Ryan, chairperson of the Board of County Commissioners, gave him his oath of office. Voters overwhelmingly voted to keep Gannett on the bench for another four-year term. Gannett has been a judge for almost three decades and said swearing-in ceremonies for the judiciary tend to be more private affairs.

Not on Tuesday.

The Eagle County Room was packed with county staffers, friends, family and well-wishers.

As Ryan welcomed Jeanne McQueeney to the Board of County Commissioners, she had high praise for Sara Fisher, who was term limited after two terms as county commissioner. Before that, Fisher was Eagle County’s clerk and recorder for 10 years. McQueeney takes Fisher’s spot on the county commissioners.

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“We’re proud to be able to thank Sara for her long and tireless service to Eagle County,” Ryan said.

Sheriff van Beek

Gannett shifted back to his own courtroom in the Eagle County Justice Center for the Tuesday afternoon swearing in of James van Beek, Eagle County’s new sheriff.

Van Beek’s road to the office twisted through four years and three elections — one primary and two general elections.

Four years ago, he lost to now former Sheriff Joe Hoy by less than 100 votes. After edging Hoy in this year’s Republican primary, he edged out Daric Harvey by less than 100 votes last November.

Gannett’s courtroom was packed for van Beek’s ceremony Tuesday afternoon.

“Never in all my years have we had this many people in this room without a summons,” Gannett said. “In all the we’ve done things in this room, rarely has it been this big or this good.”

Gannett was a deputy for the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office when van Beek was a deputy in Eagle County.

“James and I go back further together than either of us care to remember,” Gannett said.

Van Beek thanked the Sheriff’s Office staff for working so hard and so well during the transition in leadership and thanked his wife, Carrie, and their son, without whom he said he would never have made it this far.

He echoed his campaign theme of community service.

“I ran because I believe in service to our community, our state and our nation,” van Beek said. “By raising my right hand, I pledge to raise the level of service to the people of Eagle County.”

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vaildaily.com.