2 new faces elected to school board

Orland Unified School District will have two new faces on its board in December.

Connie Carter and Jeff Aguiar led incumbents Ben Kraemer and Vangie Porras in Tuesday's election.

Carter is the front-runner with 2,520 votes for 25.99 percent with Aguiar coming in second with 2,157 for 22.25 percent in the completed, but unofficial count on Thursday.

The county Elections Office still must canvass and the Board of Superivsors must certify the election before the results are official.

Incumbent Larry Donnelley finished in third with 1,745 votes and 18 percent. Kraemer received 1.651 votes for 17.03 percent, while Porras had 1,622 votes for 16.73 percent.

Kraemer and Porras have served on the board since 2000 and each expressed satisfaction in leading the school district into the building and remodeling phases thanks to the passage of Measure K, a $21 million construction bond measure approved by voters in 2008.

Carter retired in June as the district's food service director.

"Any potential win is welcome," Carter said Wednesday. "I am delighted and thankful for the voter support."

She said she plans to enter the board with optimism and "to serve our community and continue the tradition of excellence in education in Orland."

Carter added she hopes to bring her expertise in finance to the board. She has a bachelor's degree in business administration from California State University, Chico.

She also believes voters apparently believe that expertise gives her something to add to the board — particularly since she is a retired district employee with experience on the inside, Carter said.

Aguiar is a parent and farmer who wants to "give it a whirl over the next four years and see what happens," he said on Wednesday.

He still has two daughters in the Orland school system, he said, and his oldest daughter graduated last year and is attending college.

"I don't know a lot about it," Aguiar said. "I am not going in with an agenda."

He said he is "real green," but will work to learn the ropes through time.

Aguiar even admitted he has not met Superintendent Chris von Kleist, but that will change in December.

In other school board races, incumbent Board member Jennifer Boone garnered 179 votes and 47 percent to keep her seat on the Capay Joint-Union School District Board.

Lorinda Strieby came in second with 108 votes and 28.42 percent to get a seat as well.

Challenger Nancy Osborne received 93 votes and 24.47 percent.

The Butte-Glenn Community College District had an upset in the race for Trustee Area 7 that represents the Willows area.

Incumbent David Vodden lost his seat to Glenn County Office of Education Board member Eugene Massa in Tuesday's vote.

Massa carried it with 5,466 votes earning him 70 percent of the vote to Vodden's 29.86 percent or 2,327 votes.

The tally was reversed in Butte County with Vodden leading by 51.81 percent or 25,324 votes to Massa's 24,287 or 48.73 percent.

Trustee Area 1 that represents Oroville also was on the Glenn County ballot since the trustees are voted at-large.

There, challenger Don Remley led incumbent Lou Cecchi in Glenn County with 3,573 votes or 52.40 percent to Cecchi's 3,246 or 47.60 percent.

But the results were reversed in Butte County with Cecchi getting 51.56 percent or 27.044 votes to Remley's 25,172 or 48 percent.

Butte-Glenn Trustees William McGinnis of Area 2 and Rick Krepelka of Area 3 were unopposed.

Yuba College Trustee Area 7 had Richard Savarese running unopposed as well.

Glenn County Office of Education had three newly created trustee areas with three candidates running unopposed also.

Orland attorney Helen Duree will represent Area A in Orland while Adele Foley is to represent Area B in Willows. Judy Holzapfel will represent Area E also in Orland.

Races in the Stony Creek Joint-Unified School District saw Kenneth Swearinger and Chonnie Murphy getting seats as well.

Swearinger received 109 votes for 28.39 percent while Murphy got 135 votes for 35.16 percent.

Mary Milsap got 107 votes or 27.86 percent while Elston Bill received 33 votes for 8.59 percent.

Also on that board, Anita McCabe won a two-year seat with 117 votes for 54.67 percent to Diana Corkill's 97 votes and 45.33 percent.

In Willows, incumbent school board members Jeromy Geiger and Buck Ward were unopposed and will remain on the board.

However, the district's Measure P $14 million school bond failed to pass with the 55 percent required.