Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York), May 10, 2007, Thursday

Copyright 2007 Star-Gazette (Elmira, NY)

All Rights Reserved

Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York)

May 10, 2007 Thursday

SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 5C

HEADLINE: ELMIRA SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES

BODY:

Timothy M. Blandford

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Address: 305 Schuyler Ave., Elmira.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Home phone: (607) 737-6239.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Employment: Mental health therapy aide at Elmira Psychiatric Center.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Education: Attended Elmira city schools; Notre Dame High School graduate; attended Monroe Community College in Rochester; resident seminarian at St. John Fisher's Becket Hall.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Birth date: Aug. 5, 1961.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Incumbent or challenger: Challenger.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Why are you seeking this office? I am seeking the position on the Elmira board of education because I believe we can no longer settle for schools that are on the Schools in Need of Improvement list. We can no longer settle for the current dropout rate, and we should never settle for failure in our school district.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Community membership or activities: Eastside Parents Association; American Red Cross; New Life Assembly of God Church; Boy Scouts.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Honors/awards: Outstanding Boy Scout Award, 1974.

Lynn Grottenthaler

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Address: 107 Walsh Road, Wellsburg.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Home phone: (607) 733-9707.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]E-mail address: ourownsliceof heaven1@verizon.net.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Employment: Retired from Elmira school district; primary (kindergarten and first grade) teacher, 38 years.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Education: Southside High School graduate; Elmira College, bachelor's and master's degrees; post-graduate, IBM, to train teachers; post-graduate, Labor Relations School, Cornell.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Incumbent or challenger: Challenger.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Why are you seeking this office? I have knowledge, experience, skills, history. I can hit the ground running and need no special training. There is a disconnect of information to the board and public. I know the questions to ask and the answers we should be getting. I am not easily intimidated.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Experience in elected office: President of Elmira Teachers Association, 1986-2002; New York State United Teachers Policy Committee, 1997-2001; vice president, ETA, prior to and following presidency.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Experience in school administration and operation: Negotiator for ETA for more than 20 years.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Community memberships or activities: United Way co-chair/ education chairperson/public relations coordinator for volunteers; Red Cross board and activities; volunteer to build Andrew Sperr Memorial Park; co-coordinator for middle and senior high school students' Ski Club for Ernie Davis and Elmira Free Academy students on Saturdays.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Honors/awards: New York State United Teachers Committee chairperson in New York City, three times; letter from Carl Hayden praising my leadership; New York State United Teachers awards for leadership and unionism.

Michele Dildine Macri

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Address: 565 Cypress St., Elmira.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Home phone: (607) 733-5912.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Employment: Home mother.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Education: 1985 graduate from Southside High School.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Birth date: May 2, 1967.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Incumbent or challenger: Challenger.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Why are you seeking this office? I am seeking this office because we are about to lose our Reading First grant. I feel it is crucial that we replace this program immediately. There are too many kids today that struggle because they cannot read at grade level. I also would like to help maintain fiscal responsibility.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Community memberships or activities: Member of Southside Alliance Church.

Dee Reid

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Address: 856 Upland Drive, Elmira.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]E-mail address: deadrar @hotmail.com.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Employment: Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Education: Bachelor's degree, Elmira College.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Birth date: May 11, 1969.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Incumbent or challenger: Challenger.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Why are you seeking this office? I currently have a child in the school district and one who has graduated from the district. I would like to provide a change of voice in addressing the concerns of special education, graduation rates, safety of all students and helping to advance the district beyond its current state.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Community memberships or activities: Catholic Charities board member.

Rodney J. Strange

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Address: 386 Raecrest Circle, Elmira.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Home phone: (607) 734-6160.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]E-mail address: rstrange@stny.rr.com.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Web site: www.STRANGE2007.com.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Employment: Cook, kitchen manager, Elbow Room; rural newspaper carrier; independent Avon sales representative; notary public.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Education: Southside High School graduate, 1986; attended Corning Community College.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Birth date: Sept. 16, 1968.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Incumbent or challenger: Challenger.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Why are you seeking this office? I have the experience, knowledge and proven ability to be an effective board member for the taxpayers of the district. I will bring a perspective and independent voice to the board that will serve an important purpose and make a difference. I will once again be the taxpayers' fiscal watchdog.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Experience in elected office: Elected to the Elmira school board in 1991 and re-elected in 1994 and 1997. Served as board vice president and budget committee chairman.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Community memberships or activities: American Cancer Society volunteer; Sons of the American Legion; National Notary Association.

Ethel Stroman

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Home address: 517 W. Water St., Elmira.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Phone: (607) 731-7172.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]E-mail address: estroman@stny.rr.com.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Employment: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Chemung County.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Education: School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, Human Resources Certification, 2002.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Birth date: April 4, 1953.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Incumbent or challenger: Incumbent.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Why are you seeking this office? It is important that someone who can identify/discern various subtleties of leaving a child behind serves in the foreground. If re-elected I will continue to be that voice that holds our system accountable for the promises made for a quality education in this school district.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Experience in elected office: Elected to school board in 2004.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Community memberships or activities: Youth leader, Faith Temple Community Church; member, church scholarship committee; member, Elmira Juneteenth Committee, Chemung County Office for Aging Advisory Board.

Robert Woods

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Address: 633 Mount Zoar St., Elmira.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Home phone: (607) 733-6232.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Employment: New York State Office of Children and Family Service, Lansing.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Education: Elmira Free Academy, 1981.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Incumbent or challenger: Incumbent.

[UTF8]C295[/UTF8]Why are you seeking this office? To help our kids and our community.