ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605080068
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on May 9, 1996.
Annyce Levy, who ran unopposed for a Radford City Council seat
Tuesday, received 540 votes. A chart in Wednesday's paper reported an
incorrect total.
Experience and persistence paid off for the two winning candidates in this city's first ever School Board elections.
Carter Effler, who had earlier served on the board for six years, and Chris Harrison easily won the two open seats. Both Harrison and Effler had unsuccessfully sought seats on the board last year when City Council made its final appointments before the switch to an elected School Board.
Roberta Nester, a registered home-care nurse for Radford Community Hospital, came in last in all three precincts in Radford.
The three candidates, who spent the rainy day visiting the precincts, said they were discouraged by low voter turnout. About one-quarter of the city's 5,500 registered voters made it to the polls.
Effler, a supervisor for Carilion Consultative Laboratory in Roanoke, won 71 percent of the vote. He attributed his win to "the fact that people knew you and just voted for you."
Nester said if more people had turned out, particularly in the 20- to 40-year-old range, she might have received more than 35 percent of the vote.
Effler and Harrison both had the endorsement of the Radford Education Association's Political Action Committee, and they agreed it helped to get their names out. Harrison drew support from 59 percent of those voting.
"I know that [the PAC members] made a lot of phone calls and helped get what little vote there was out," said Harrison, who co-owns an employee benefits firm in Radford. "I didn't change my views at all when I went through the interview process. What came through [was] that I was interested in the benefits of the kids."
Nester had opted not to return the association's questionnaire.
"I do think that Carter [Effler] and Chris [Harrison] will do a very good job," she said. "I hope next time there'll be more citizens and parents who will want to serve on the board."
The two candidates running unopposed for seats on City Council were within 48 votes of each other. Newcomer Annyce Levy led with 640 votes, while incumbent David Worrell received 592 votes.
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines KEYWORDS: ELECTIONby CNB