Slates set for April 21 school board elections

Slates set for April 21 school board elections
BY DANIEL HOWLEY and KENNETH WALTER Staff Writers

School board elections are approaching, and candidates are poised for the April 21 vote. In some local towns, races are contested, while in others, candidates are running unopposed. The most heated contest appears to be for school board seats in Eatontown, where seven candidates are vying for three open seats on the Board of Education.

This year, candidates had extra time to file their petitions to run for school board seats after Gov. Jon S. Corzine extended the deadline by two days, to March 4, after a heavy snowstorm caused most municipal offices to be closed March 2.

Long Branch

The race for seats on the Long Branch Public School District Board of Education will be uncontested, as three incumbents are running unopposed for the three open seats. Each seat is for a three-year term. The incumbents seeking re-election are: Mary George, who is seeking a sixth term on the board; Lucy Perez, who is seeking her fifth term; and Lorenzo Dangler, who is seeking a second term.

Ocean Township

In Ocean Township there are three seats on the district Board of Education to be filled with the three incumbent candidates who submitted nominating petitions. They are Denise Parlamas and Anne Marie Sparaco, who are both running for their third terms; and Michael Beson, who is running for a second, full three-year term.

Eatontown

In Eatontown there is a contest among seven candidates for three open seats, and another two candidates are vying for one open seat for an unexpired two-year term on the board.

Incumbents Fredric Naimoli, Julie Robertson and George Marcouiller are being challenged by newcomers Pete Siino, Carl Lawson, Bob English and Vito Palantonio for the three open seats on the board. Each seat is for a three-year term.

Incumbent Donna Mazzella-Diedrichsen is being challenged by newcomer James Eggleston to fill the seat for the unexpired two-year term.

West Long Branch

In West Long Branch, three candidates are running for the three open seats on the Board of Education. Seeking re-election is incumbent Mary E. Orendorff-Gassman. Also running is Dr. Edwin T. Hunter, who has served on the board in previous years, and newcomer Erin K. Hegglin.

Monmouth Regional High School

The Monmouth Regional High School District, which is made up of students from Eatontown, Shrewsbury Township and Tinton Falls, has six candidates vying for three open seats on the district's Board of Education.

For Eatontown, newcomers John Carretta and Edmund Fitterer Jr. are seeking to challenge incumbent candidates Yvonne Hicks and Linda Thatcher for two open seats on the regional board.

For Tinton Falls, newcomer Mason Lewis is challenging incumbent candidate Johnathan Cohen for one open seat on the board.

Shrewsbury Township does not have an open seat on the board this year.

Shore Regional High School

Made up of students from West Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport and Sea Bright, the Shore Regional High School District has four incumbent candidates running unopposed for four seats on its Board of Education. Each of the corresponding open positions on the board represents one of the school's four representative towns.

The candidates include: Elizabeth Garrigal, of West Long Branch; Paul Rolleri, of Oceanport; Anthony Moro, of Monmouth Beach, and Nancy DeScenza, of Sea Bright.