Newcomers carry school board race in Siuslaw district.

Byline: Karen McCowan The Register-Guard

FLORENCE - The founder of a school volunteer program was unseating an incumbent to join two other newcomers claiming seats on the Siuslaw School District board.

Caroline Estill, who founded the nonprofit "Florence Bridge" to provide volunteers, grants and fundraising for district schools, was leading Position 1 incumbent Everett May, 56 percent to 44 percent.

Fitness center owner and classroom volunteer Deena Mitchell was leading real estate agent Rob Shepherd, 68 percent to 32 percent, in the race for Position 3. And art dealer Tammy Butler was leading real estate broker Jeff Crayne, 68 percent to 32 percent, in a bid for Position 5.

While the trio didn't run as a slate, all were endorsed by the local Democratic Club, and all called for raising the bar academically and making better use of technology for such purposes as expanding elective course offerings, Estill said.

In the Central Linn School District, which has had three superintendents in the past two years, incumbent Vern Hoyer was leading school district janitor Josh Kometz, 48 percent to 40 percent, in his bid to retain his Brownsville Zone 5 board position.

Meanwhile, school volunteer Julie Smith was defeating business owner Craig Scoggen, 60 percent to 26 percent, in the race for the board's Halsey Zone 3 position.

Smith pledged to help end the "turbulence" that has roiled the district, while Hoyer, appointed last year, vowed to continue working to get the district's educational program back on track after floundering during the administrative upheaval.

In the Harrisburg School District, Position 2 incumbent and business owner Bob Strutz was locked in a tight race with challenger and PTO officer Cindy Suttles, leading 50 percent to 47 percent, in a tally that did not yet include the district's Lane and Benton county voters. The elementary school parent-teacher group had clashed with district administrators in recent years.

In Cottage Grove's South Lane School District, early returns showed fire captain Joe Raade remaining on the board even though he didn't run as an incumbent: Raade had to file for a different seat because of moving to his family farm in another board zone. But he was leading former school administrator Demian Schwartz, 72 percent to 28 percent.

Preliminary results for other contested school board races:

Sheldon High School - and former Creswell High School - Athletic Director Mark Risen was leading medical records analyst Ron Blatch, 56 percent to 44 percent, in a bid for Creswell School Board Position 1.

In the Crow-Applegate-Lorane District, Position 1 incumbent Paul Atkinson was losing a three-way race - as he'd hoped. The farmer, who filed for re-election when it appeared no one else would run, later urged voters to pick one of his two opponents. They were doing so, with small business owner Tracy Evans garnering 48 percent of the vote, followed by fire department equipment technician Don Gleason with 31 percent and Atkinson with 21 percent. Nurse Denice Goodheart was leading machine parts salesman Darren Willits, 55 percent to 45 percent, in the race for the district's Position 2.

In another three-way race, Oakridge credit union manager Donna Tipton was leading with 50 percent, followed by school volunteer Carol Miller with 36 percent and motor coach employee Paul Forcum with 14 percent of the vote for Oakridge School Board Position 4.

In Drain, North Douglas School Board Position 5 incumbent Pat Johnsrud was in a close race, leading challenger Deanna Derrick, 46 percent to 42 percent. Stan Resch was capturing 11 percent of the vote in the three-way race.

Appointed incumbent Jim Smith was leading challenger Thomas Brandt, 65 percent to 35 percent, in the race for Marcola School Board Position 4.

Triangle Lake microlight manufacturing employee Phil Earle was unseating incumbent dairy owner Nick Sumich, 64 percent to 36 percent, in a bid for Blachly School Board Zone 3 Seat.