Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 28, 1993                   TAG: 9304280355
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

RON CHAFFIN ONLY NOMINEE FOR SCHOOL BOARD

Chaffin, now in his eighth year as the Ingles District representative and the current School Board chairman, was the only nominee at a public hearing Monday night.

It marked a change from the hearings in filling the last four seats on the six-seat board, since the procedure changed a few years ago to have School Board members chosen by the supervisors. Most of the earlier hearings involved five or more nominees.

Last year, voters changed the procedure again in a November referendum to have direct election of School Board members. But that does not take effect for another year.

Peggy Atkins nominated Chaffin, who works at New River Community College, for a third four-year term.

She praised Chaffin for being responsive to her concerns. "He has a way of smoothing things out and making you feel good when it's over. . . . I feel like we need his experience and his leadership."

Dale Conrad also spoke in support of Chaffin. More support came in letters from Dr. Nathaniel Tuck, another School Board member, and Naomi S. Ratcliffe, a parent.

Only Colbern Linkous, a Dublin Town Council member, spoke against Chaffin. Linkous said no one involved in hiring the late James Burns, the county's previous superintendent, should be appointed or reappointed to the School Board.

Tuck, who was off the School Board for a while and later reappointed by the supervisors when a vacancy occurred, and Chaffin are the only members involved in hiring Burns who are still on the board.

Linkous said he had told the board about Burns' previous contract in Florida being bought out, and it ignored him and hired Burns anyway. Burns proved a progressive but controversial superintendent in Pulaski County during the 1989-90 year. He broke his contract with three years to go on it to become superintendent in Muscogee County, Ga. He was stabbed to death by an intruder in his Georgia home last October.

Chaffin attended the meeting but, when congratulated on the nomination, said only "We'll see what happens next week."

Under current board policy, the only way any further nominations could be made would be to hold another public hearing and none is scheduled before next week's interview procedure.