THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510200223
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL AND ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Long : 155 lines
USUALLY IN MID-DECEMBER, folks are busy buying holiday gifts or planning winter vacations.
Not registering to vote.
But city officials are hoping residents this year will put aside tradition and hectic schedules to perform their most sacred civic duty, by voting in the Dec. 19 special election for School Board members.
``I know it's very close to Christmas,'' said city Voter Registrar Virginia W. Garrett. ``But I hope they will take just a few moments to stop by and vote, because it is a first for Chesapeake and it is important to all of us.''
Almost everyone acknowledges that the timing is not the best. In addition to colliding with the holidays, the ballot will come just on the heels of high-profile races for state General Assembly and a special City Council election Nov. 7.
Council set the date for the School Board election on the advice of City Attorney Ronald S. Hallman. Hallman said state law requires the city to hold the ballot within a certain period of time after the Justice Department's August decision to lift its objections to Chesapeake's plan to elect the board at-large.
Still, the relatively short notice has raised concerns.
Early interest in the race is high - 18 people had picked up candidate information forms in the voter registrar's office as of Thursday. But some worry that there's too little time for campaigning, which could work against candidates who are novices to the local political scene.
No one can predict yet what effect that will have on minority representation on the board, a concern of Justice Department officials, who initially objected to Chesapeake's proposal to elect board members at-large because they said city voting records showed a pattern of racial polarization.
There are three blacks on the board now, two of whose seats are up for election. There also are two women, including board Vice Chairwoman Barbara B. Head. Head's seat will be on the ballot.
The Chesapeake chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will not endorse candidates, said president March Cromuel.
The NAACP, Cromuel said, will work to get out the vote and ``to urge people to look at what candidates have done, what they stand for and what they are doing.''
``There are many, many African-Americans who could fit the mold to be a No. 1 candidate for the School Board election,'' he said.
Elections for board members, who traditionally have been appointed by City Council, were supposed to open the process to people outside the good ol' boy network.
Now there's fear that the opposite will occur - candidates getting elected because of their name recognition, and special interests controlling a ballot because of low voter participation.
``I do not anticipate a tremendously high (voter) turnout,'' Garrett said.
Renee Hannas, a 36-year-old Deep Creek resident who says she's not affiliated with either political party, wanted to run because she's interested in the education her three kids and other children are getting. But she's not sure she could organize and raise money to finance a campaign by December.
``I don't think it's going to be a fair election,'' Hannas said. ``It's just so quick. But that's politics.''
Leaders in the Democratic and Republican parties already have begun behind-the-scenes recruiting of favored candidates, although contenders are required to run as independents.
State Del. J. Randy Forbes, a Republican of Chesapeake, said, ``Once candidates come forward, we'll sit down and talk to them'' for possible endorsement.
The city teachers union, the Chesapeake Education Association, also is getting involved. The association will question candidates about their positions on issues such as basic skills, safety, goals for the school system and job training for students. Based on their answers to the questions, some candidates will get the association's endorsement.
In Virginia Beach's first School Board election in the spring of 1994, the teachers' association and its endorsed candidates became pitted in a bitter race against a group of conservative candidates backed behind the scenes by Republicans and overtly by national religious leader Pat Robertson.
Vice Mayor Robert T. Nance Jr., a Republican whose brother Theodore G. ``Ted'' Nance plans to run for election to the board, said he hopes Chesapeake's race does not become too political.
``This is too important for politics to play into it,'' he said. ``There's just too much at stake with our children's future.
``I don't think you're going to see this quote-unquote Democrat or Republican ticket emerge,'' he said. ``I may be wrong, but I don't think it's going to come about.''
Another major concern expressed by people close to the school system is that the December special ballot, in which five board seats will go up for grabs, will be followed by a May regular election for the other four seats.
That means the city could be faced with a whole new board within the space of about six months.
School administrators, who must help new board members learn a mountain of information about everything from education law to school budgeting, say privately they hope that won't happen.
``I was concerned about having two elections within six months of each other, and possibly losing the continuity of the board,'' said board member L. Thomas Bray, who plans to run when his seat goes on the ballot in December. ``But they've made the decision and it's following the law, so I'm going along with it.''
Bray and three other incumbents whose seats will be on the ballot have said they plan to run, including Vice Chairwoman Head, James M. Reeves and Roderic A. Taylor. Board member Lynn K. Pierce said he does not plan to defend his seat.
In a written statement, Pierce cited ``increasing time constraints related to my career and the time and attention I need to devote to my family.''
Pierce said he hopes voters will study the candidates closely before choosing board members.
``It is extremely important for parents and the community as a whole to get involved and participate at some level in the education of our youth,'' he said. ``To that end, I urge the citizens to carefully select a board that will lead with a common sense approach, listening to all sides before reacting, and make decisions based on what is best for the children and the financial stability of our city.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Incumbent James M. Reeves plans to defend his seat on the School
Board.
Board member L. Thomas Bray plans to run.
Vice Chairwoman Barbara B. Head plans to defend her seat on the
School Board.
Roderic A. Taylor also plans to run for his seat on the School
Board.
Lynn K. Pierce does not plan to defend his seat.
Graphic
Candidates in the wings
Other than the four incumbents who will defend their seats, only
a few people so far have said they plan to run for election to the
School Board Dec. 19:
Michael J. Woods, 39, a lawyer who lives in Western Branch
Theodore G. ``Ted'' Nance, 44, a retired conductor and brakeman
for the Norfolk and Portsmouth Beltline Railroad and a South Norfolk
resident
Tambria L. Watson, 37, a Deep Creek resident with two sons in the
school system
Side Bar
Nuts & Bolts
How to be a candidate
How to Vote
For copy of side bar, see microfilm<
Chronology: An elected School Board
Staff Graphic by Elizabeth Thiel and Janet Shaughnessy For copy of
graphic, see microfilm
<
KEYWORDS: SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS CANDIDATE CHESAPEAKE by CNB