All local school board elections were basically settled in the primary election

By Rachel Carta (Staff Writer rachel_c@newsitem.com)
Published: November 4, 2009

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All local school board elections were basically settled in the primary election in May with most candidates receiving both Democratic and Republican nominations.

Shamokin Area

Incumbents Edward Griffiths, Tracey Witmer and LaRue Beck, and political newcomer Brian Persing, were elected to the Shamokin Area School Board.

Griffiths received 1,801 votes,followed by Witmer, 1,605, Beck, 1,424 votes, and Persing, 1,414.

The four won over a pack of 11 candidates in the primary election.

Griffiths who was the top vote-getter on both party tickets in the spring and in Tuesday's election, saw his candidacy challenged as a possible violation of the federal Hatch Act, a 1939 law that applies to executive branch state and local employees who are principally employed in connection with programs financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the U.S. or a federal agency. Griffiths, a corporal with the Shamokin Police Department, which uses equipment purchased with federal funds, was cleared of any possible violation in a ruling by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel on Aug. 13.

Mount Carmel Area

Incumbents Donna James, Charles Mannello and Dr. Ray Kraynak, along with former Kulpmont mayor and councilman Nicholas P. Goretski, who all cross-filed on the Republican and Democratic tickets, assured their election to Mount Carmel Area School Board with victories in the primary.

The lead vote-getter was Kraynak with 1,630 votes. Incumbent Dennis Hepler did not seek re-election.

Mannello received 1,432 votes, Goretski, 1,326, and James, 1,288 votes.

Line Mountain

In the only contested seat for Line Mountain School Board in the primary, newcomer Lamont Masser, of Leck Kill, was victorious over incumbent Marilyn Kauffman for a two-year seat.

He received 339 votes, or 80.91 percent of the vote, in the general election.

Two seats were available in Region 1 for four-year terms,with incumbent Bryan Buddock, of Dornsife, and Lawrence I. Neidig, of Sunbury, winning on Tuesday. Both were cross-filed for the four-year terms. Neidig received 276 votes and Buddock received 259 votes.

Incumbents Dennis W. Erdman, of Herndon, who received 335 votes, or 77.19 percent of the vote, in Region 2 and Jeffrey S. Blasius of West Cameron Township, who received 213 votes, or 76.07 percent of the vote, in Region 3 ran unopposed for their seats on the board.

Southern Columbia

In Southern Columbia Area School District, three of the Region 1 seats were available and no one opposed the incumbents, who all cross-filed.

Richard Steele and Michael Yeager, both of Elysburg, earned four-year terms, while incumbent Timothy W. Vought, also of Elysburg, won a two-year term.

Vought received 385 votes, Steele received got 335 votes, and Yeager 344 votes.

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