THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512020153
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: WHO WILL LEAD OUR SCHOOLS?
SOURCE: PROFILES BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Activism is nothing new to Mary Mazur.
In Barrington, R.I., where she lived with her husband and children for more than 10 years, she lobbied hard for reform in a state where nine children died on poorly maintained school buses over the course of just a few years. State and local officials heeded the cries of Mazur and other parents and started a program to get old buses off the road.
After the experience of taking on the state of Rhode Island, Mazur planned to run for election to the school board in Barrington. But she and her husband missed Hampton Roads, and they decided to move back.
``We love it here,'' she said. ``We have a lot of good friends. And business-wise, you couldn't ask for a better community.''
So she dove into volunteer activities for Great Bridge schools. One of her two school-aged children attends Great Bridge Middle School North; the other goes to a private school, Greenbrier Christian Academy.
Now that there's an opportunity to run for School Board in Chesapeake, Mazur is grabbing it.
``With having four children and being involved with schools for so long, I just feel that I'd have ideas,'' she said.
``We've got some good kids,'' she said, about Chesapeake's students. ``They're very special to me, and I want them to have the very best.''
Mazur said that if she were elected to the board, she would advocate programs like Drug Abuse Resistance Education, that help counter the bad influences on kids.
``I just think they (kids) need a lot of self-esteem,'' she said. ``Peer pressure is so strong sometimes.''
And she would review the curriculum periodically to ensure that basic skills, such as reading, writing and mathematics, are being emphasized in schools.
``I think they're being taught,'' she said. ``But some of our kids are having trouble with spelling and grammar.
``And I just think sometimes we don't put the emphasis on basics.''
Mary F. Mazur
Age: 48
Occupation: Co-owner, DeSigns Inc. on South Battlefield Boulevard
Born: Norfolk
Years in Chesapeake: Six
Residence: Great Bridge
Family: Husband, Joseph; children Stephanie, 27, Michelle, 24, Alyson, 15, Joey, 13
Education: Norfolk Catholic High School graduate, 1965; two years of study at Old Dominion University in nursing and business administration
Community Service: Volunteer, Great Bridge schools; 20-year volunteer in schools in Barrington, R.I.; member, Prince of Peace Catholic Church
Official endorsements: None
How to reach: 436-7270
Major campaign issues: Relieving crowding in schools and eliminating portable classrooms; concentrating on teaching basic skills; protecting kids from guns and drugs. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Mary Mazur lobbied hard for reform in Rhode Island, where nine
children died on poorly maintained school buses.
KEYWORDS: CHESAPEAKE SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION CANDIDATES CHESAPEAKE SCHOOLS
PROFILE by CNB