Friday, October 21, 2000
Seven seek three seats in Toronto
TORONTO - Seven people are seeking three Toronto Board of Education seats in the Nov. 8 election.
Incumbents Kyle N. Brown and Larry Davidson will face Matthew W. Morrison, John J. Ramer, James Rampello, Timothy Starr and Wade Steele.
Brown of 922 Euclid Ave., currently serves on the Toronto School Board. He is a 1972 graduate of Toronto High School and completed a four-year electrical construction apprenticeship.
He serves as business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 246 and on the executive boards of the American Red Cross Jefferson County Chapter, Upper Ohio Valley Building and Trades, Building Excellent Schools for Tomorrow project, Steubenville Rotary Club, Jefferson County Democratic Party, Workforce Investment Board and Eastern Ohio Tech Prep Consortium and as a trustee for the local apprenticeship, health care and pension plans.
Brown served on the Toronto Schools Continuous Improvement Plan committee, Region 10 School to Work Board, Ohio Career Education Association, the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School electrical trades advisory committee and various career day business partnership panels.
Brown's top issue of concern is student education.
"We must provide a professional administration, a nurturing staff, a challenging curriculum and excellent facilities to learn," Brown stated. "By expanding our curriculum, modernizing our facilities and providing a vision for our youth we can raise the bar for all of our graduates."
Davidson of 409 North River Ave. is a 1966 graduate of Toronto High School. He attended Kent State University, West Liberty State College and Lehigh University. Davidson graduated with a degree in physics and a minor in mathematics.
Davidson's experience includes being a computer programmer at Unibank and a senior research scientist at the Weirton Steel Corp. He also was a quality assurance engineer at ISG/Mittal Steel.
He has been serving on the Toronto board for the past 15 years, and said his two top issues of concern include keeping the city school district as a stand-alone school system, as well as replacing and upgrading school facilities.
Ramer, a lifelong resident of Toronto, graduated from THS in 1955. He is president of the manufacturing representative sales company, Ramer and Associates Inc. and is a sponsor of the American Legion Post 86 baseball team.
Ramer serves as a deacon and elder at the First Presbyterian Church. He has been a member of the Toronto Boosters Club for 45 years, was a member of the Upper Ohio Valley Dapper Dan Club for 40 years and is a member of the Toronto Area Chamber of Commerce
"Most candidates have an axe to grind ...I do not," Ramer said. "I will have an open mind regarding the operation and education of the students in the Toronto city schools system. I will work to unite the administration and staff (to be) on the same team, pulling (them) together in the same direction, with the common goal of developing a school system of excellence. If elected I would be a full-time school board member."
Rampello is co-founder of the Toronto City Schools Support Group, which is a group of concerned citizens and parents seeking improvement in the Toronto school district through positive and proactive discussion.
He earned an associate degree in civil engineering at Columbus Technical Institute in 1985.
Rampello said he believes elected board members should be responsible to the citizens of the community.
"If an elected official makes a decision on personnel or a policy, it is the right of the citizen to know why the decision was made. As a member of the board of education, I will always offer an explanation for my actions. I believe the citizens deserve this respect, which has been lacking in the past from the current board members," he said.
He also said issues should be addressed in a simple, logical manner and when presented with a proposal, he believes one should ask, "How is this proposal going to make the educational experience better for the students of the district?"
Steele of 26 Grant Circle in Toronto is a lifelong resident of the Gem City and a 1954 graduate of THS.
He is a retired employee of Titanium Metals and was employed with the company for 38 years and worked as a repair person and maintenance supervisor.
Steele has been married to his wife Delores for 50 years and has three children, all of whom graduated from THS.
Steele also served on the committee of the former Toronto organization, The Nice Committee from 2001-03.
Steele said there are a number of issues that need to be addressed when it comes to matters regarding the school district. A few of his top concerns include attitude and respect within the school district.
Pride is another issue Steele said that needs to be incorporated into the district.
"There are a lot of problems that need addressed from top to bottom and I would like to be a part of that," Steele added.
Matthew W. Morrison of 531 E. Fernwood Drive and Timothy Starr of 408 N. River Ave. did not respond to requests for information.
Friday, October 21, 2005
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