THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9603300127
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
How do you bring together 45 School Board candidates, let them all speak about their plans and beliefs, and get out of the meeting in less than three days? You limit them to 90 seconds each. That's what the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater did last Monday when it held the first forum of its type for this election. All but two candidates showed.
And while a minute and a half isn't a lot of time, it apparently is enough to make an impression.
``I know who I'm not going to vote for,'' remarked one man as he left at the evening's end.
- Aleta Payne How about mini-boards?
School Board candidate Al Wallace has what he thinks are two original bright ideas he'd try to implement if elected to an at-large, two-year seat.
Wallace would establish mini-school boards at each school to enhance community involvement and improve communications between parents, school officials and the main School Board.
``They would function as problem solving committees at each school, and would be all-volunteer,'' he explained. The ``advisory-type'' boards would interface with parents and the school principal and would make recommendations to the citywide School Board. The less formal setting of the mini-boards would make communication easier for all, Wallace said.
Wallace is keeping his second ``smoking gun bullet'' secret until campaigning goes full tilt.
- Nancy Lewis Cayce connection is real
In case you were wondering but hadn't taken the time to ask, School Board candidate Gail Cayce Schwartzer is related to the famous psychic of the same name.
Schwartzer, 49, is the granddaughter of Edgar Cayce, whose legacy is housed in the Association for Research and Enlightenment at 67th Street and Atlantic Avenue. The A.R.E. was founded in 1931 to preserve and research Cayce's work. Cayce moved to Virginia Beach in 1928 and died in 1945. He is known by many as the father of holistic medicine, and his work is known around the world.
Schwartzer formerly worked for the Edgar Cayce Foundation, which maintained the materials that Cayce had published. The foundation was folded into the A.R.E. in the mid-1980s. Schwartzer helped with research, archival, readings and legal work at the foundation.
Schwartzer, one of four candidates for the Lynnhaven Borough seat, is a homemaker and serves on the PTA board at Alanton Elementary where her son is a student.
- Kevin Armstrong The debate rages on
The candidates didn't speak at all at an issues forum held by the Christian Coalition on Thursday evening. About a dozen or so came to listen, however, as a panel of parents, educators and activists discussed what they thought should be taught in the schools.
Despite their differing philosophies, almost all supported an emphasis in the three R's with some science, social sciences and arts thrown in. There was less agreement on the state of the public schools and the tasks, besides teaching, that they should be responsible for.
The candidates will have a chance to give their opinions at another forum sponsored by the Coalition to be held from 7 to 9 p.m. April 16 at Regent University.
- Aleta Payne ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON
Plenty of literature was available at the candidates' forum Monday.
by CNB