CONGRATULATIONS are IN ORDER!

School leaders elected in Pontiac, other districts


Wednesday, November 4, 2009



By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY

Of The Oakland Press



Early unofficial results gave board President Damon Dorkins and school activist Caroll Turpin the top places in a tight race for two, four-year terms on the Pontiac school board.



Turpin was the top vote-getter, with 3,708, and Dorkins second, with 3,019. Angelena Thomas took 2,336, Ben Shattuck, 2,080, and Tommaleta Hughes, 1,474, in the race for the two, four-year terms, according to the Oakland County Clerk’s Web site.



A Pontiac teacher came out the surprise top vote-getter in the race for a one-year term on the board. Mary Barr, who teaches career and technology at Pontiac Middle School, had 3,300 votes.



Barr, who rode through town in a horse-drawn carriage bearing her sign during the campaign, won the seat away from Trustee Hazel Cadd, who was appointed to fill out the term in September 2008, with 1,147 votes, and Kaino Phillips with 2,620.



After his victory speech at the Coyote Club in downtown Pontiac, Dorkins, a 33-year-old Pontiac police officer, said: “This is a good thing for the board.



“This means the community is supportive of the leadership, which means the board can move forward with those programs to educate our kids. This support shows we have a chance. We will push the administration to hold everyone accountable in the district.”



Turpin, a social worker, who is married to dentist Bruce Turpin and has four adult children, was leading early in the race. A school activist, she has volunteered on many district committees, including Oakland Press Roundtable and the Financial Stabilization & Recovery Committee.



During her campaign, Turpin promised, “I will work to make our schools the No. 1 school of choice for parents and children.”



Dorkins said, “I am looking forward to working with Caroll. She’s a great advocate for kids and now it is time to take her avocation to another level as a trustee on the board.”



Voters across Oakland County selected the candidates they thought best to steer their schools through an assault of state cuts in school funding.



There was an upset in the Madison District school board, which has also survived some major struggles this year, including the firing of a superintendent, the hiring of a new one and the overcoming of a threat of jail terms if a deficit wasn’t eliminated.



Board President Keith Beguhn, who was vying for a third term, lost by only a few votes a tight race for one of two, four-year terms to challenger Albert Morrison, who had 649 votes and newcomer Alexander Marr, with 490. Beguhn had 471 votes.



Beguhn said the board and staff worked together to eliminate the deficit and he was hoping voters would give him the chance to help keep the district out of deficit without hurting programs and closing schools. James Owens was also vying for two, four-year terms.



In the second race, challenger Kenneth Melchert had 559 votes to win the a two-year partial term away from incumbent Sue Barron, who had 447 votes. Anjela Freeman had 146 votes.



In the race for a one-year partial term incumbent, Jennifer Lorenz, who opted to run for the partial term rather than another four-year seat on the board, was way out in front of Michael Hohner, with 682 votes to his 444 votes. Hohner was running to fill the seat to which he was appointed.



Other districts with contested races are Avondale, Berkley, Birmingham, Farmington, Huron Valley, Novi, Oxford, Royal Oak, South Lyon and Troy.



AVONDALE — In a five-candidate race for four, four-year terms, incumbents Cynthia Tischer, with 1,996 votes, and Cyndi Pettit, with 1,819, took the lead and challengers Sean Johnson, with 1,689, and Sid Lockhart, with 1,597, also won a seat on the board. John Nofs had 1,463.



BERKLEY — Incumbent Randy Travis, with 2,458 votes, barely claimed another term on the board, with Ryan O’Gorman taking 2,976, and Sheryl Stoddard, with 2,949, leading a close race for the other two of the three, six-year terms up for election. They beat out newcomers Paul Honkala, with 2,242, and Deborah Rittman, with 2,376. Incumbent Roger Blake ran unopposed for a partial term.



BIRMINGHAM — Incumbent Lori Soifer, with 3,305, won a tight race against challenger Katie Reiter, with 3,172 for one, four-year term on the board.



FARMINGTON — Incumbents Priscilla Brouillette, with 4,606 votes and Frank Reid, with 4,416, beat out four challengers to win the two, four-year terms on the board. Challengers were Cindy Flynn, Umesh Gandhi, Dennis Homant and Steven Stimson. In a separate race, incumbents Sheilah Clay and Gary Sharp ran unopposed in their bids for six-year terms.



HURON VALLEY — Six candidates vied for two, four-year terms. Incumbent Sean Carlson and newcomer Rebecca Walsh were running ahead of challengers Ron Boyd, Thomas Kolakowski, Jennifer Peitz and May Russell.



OXFORD — Robert Martin and Kimberly Shumaker were running far ahead of Franz Langegger in the competition for two, four-year terms on the board.



ROYAL OAK — Carrie Beerer came out on top with 4,138 votes n a race for two, four-year terms, with Jeff Bringer taking the second seat with 3,865 votes. Arthur Makarewicz won 3,149.



SOUTH LYON — Five candidates sought two, six-year terms. Candidates were incumbents Greg Downey and George Ehlert and challengers Steven Brummer, Frank Domanico and Carl Towne.



TROY — Four candidates — incumbents Paula Fleming and Nancy Philippart and challengers Bruce Bloomingdale and Bernie Lourim — vied for two, four-year terms. In a separate race, incumbents Ida Edmunds and Wendy Underwood ran unopposed for two, six-year terms.



School board races were uncontested in Brandon, Northville, Novi, Rochester, Southfield and West Bloomfield Township.



Contact staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray at (248) 745-4638 or e-mail diana.dillaber@oakpress.com. Karen Workman also contributed to this story.