Newcomers add to the school board mix
Published: November 11, 2009
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DONICA McGEE
DIANE IVES
Area residents attending school board meetings in the region will see some new faces as a result of ballots cast in Tuesday’s election.
In Elk Lake, incumbent Arden Tewksbury was reelected to the only seat open this time in Wyoming County and will be joined by Susquehanna County incumbent Eric Emmerich, newcomer Donica McGee who replaces the retiring Kevin Pierson and newcomer Diane Ives whose write-in campaign ousted veteran school board member Jack Sible.
Ives said that part of her success was that people were upset about a proposed expansion of the Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center, which is on the Elk Lake campus because they felt that in a down economy the money is not there to further tax local residents.
Over and over, Ives said, is that she was told that “It’s simply time for a change” and they welcomed her willingness to ask tough questions.
In the Blue Ridge School District, Christina Whitney was elected to the Region 1A seat and Christina Cosmello was elected to the Region 1B seat. Both Whitney and Cosmello served on the board after being appointed to fill vacancies created in the past term.
The BR board will also see the return of former board member Alan Hall, who was elected to the Region 2 seat. Hall previously served on the board but was defeated in the 2007 Region 2B election by Laurie Brown-Bonner.
Hall will serve in the seat currently held by Cindy Gillespie.
Two new faces will also take their seat on the BR Board. John Ketchur and Shane Rumage were unopposed on the November ballot.
Ketchur, a retired district employee, defeated Lonnie Fisher in the Region 3B Primary.
Rumage will take over the Region 2A seat from Dawn Franks who did not seek re-election.
Write in votes determined the outcome of the Region 3 Forest City Regional slot. William Heller garnered 11 votes to earn a school director position.
The winner will join Region 2’s Lorne S. Powell and Region 9’s Fred Garm, who were also elected.
Four candidates in Montrose Area races were re-elected to their board seats.
In Region 1, Julie Humphrey and Gloria Smith were re-elected.
They are joined by Region 2’s George Gow and Region 3’s Karl Wimmer, who were both also re-elected.
In Mountain View, Todd L. Adams, Region 1B; James Zick, Region 2C; Dava Rinehart-Cowan, Region 3A; and Kevin M Griffiths, Region 3B, were elected to serve as school directors.
Susquehanna Community write-in winner in Region 1, Amanda Cook, 22 votes, will join re-elected Region 2’s Clay Weaver and Lori Canfield. Carol P. Jackson, Region 3, was also elected.
