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2010-02-09

2010-01-19

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Thursday, April 02, 2009 11:51 AM

Map by Elliot Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Candidates from across Franklin and Anderson counties will vie for school board offices in Tuesday’s vote. Local districts with elections next week include Ottawa, Central Heights, West Franklin, Wellsville and Garnett.

Newcomers try for open seat on Wellsville board

By COURTNEY SERVAES, Herald Staff Writer

Two newcomers and two incumbents are vying for three spots on the Wellsville School Board.

While incumbent candidates Ron Bloss and Juanita Peckman are running unopposed for Position 4 and Position 6, respectively, Clyde Coons and Lou Meyer both hope to fill Position 5.

Ron Bloss

Bloss still has four years left in him, he said.

If elected this year, Bloss will have served 20 years on the Wellsville School Board.

“I just think that there are some things left to do,” he said.

Bloss said the budget is a concern of his, and he wants to be around to help see it through.

“I could see they are going to face some tough times economically,” he said. “I didn’t want to bail out when times were tough.”

Bloss and his wife have five children. He has lived in Wellsville his entire life.

Juanita Peckman

Peckman isn’t a newcomer to the school board scene.

Even before being appointed last year to fill someone’s unexpired term, Peckman had experience on the school board. She served eight years before leaving her post in 1989, she said.

“I enjoy being on the school board,” she said. “I just felt it was something I enjoy doing.”

Peckman and her husband have lived in the area for more than 30 years. They have three daughters.

“The budget is probably one of the main concerns,” she said.

After leaving the school board 20 years ago, Peckman said she missed working for the district.

“I felt lost after I left,” she said. “I feel like I’m putting something back in the community.”

Clyde Coons

The Wellsville School District is no stranger to Coons.

He previously worked within the district for about six years, and his wife still works as a school bus driver for the district. His daughter is a middle school teacher and basketball coach in Wellsville.

With all of these connections to the school district, Coons said he started noticing some changes he wanted to see made.

“There were a lot of things that I felt were being neglected — especially technology,” he said.

Besides a lack of technology and life-skills programs, Coons also noticed that teaching has changed since he was in school, he said.

“I got to noticing that they no longer teach,” he said. “They teach to a test.”

Coons works for an electric company and has lived in the Wellsville area most of his life.

“There’s not going to be any easy answers for the budget,” he said. “There’s a lot of people in the state that are against funding the schools properly. I’d like to be a voice for that.”

Lou Meyer

Running for the school board has been in the back of Meyer’s mind for a couple of years.

Meyer, a self-proclaimed stay-at-home-mom, said being an involved parent made her want to be more involved in her children’s lives — and their schools.

“I think focusing and making sure these kids have a strong academic background, that’s their life,” she said. “With all the budget cuts and changes, I think it’s important that we make sure our kids’ education does not suffer.”

Meyer has three kids. She and her husband have lived in Wellsville for 15 years. She’s been involved in the school booster club programs and helped with other volunteer opportunities within the schools.

“I know being on the school board is not about me or my kids,” she said. “It’s about every single person enrolled in this school district. It’s never been just about my kids. It’s about making things better for all of them.”

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