A high school teacher, a former school board president, and a Tea Party activist were among the winning candidates in the September 14 primary elections for school board; the first school board elections ever to be held in Harford County.
In the non-partisan, in-district school board races, primary voters in three Harford council districts narrowed down the candidates to the top two vote-getters in each district on Tuesday. The primary winners will face off in the general election on November 2, 2010. Elections in the three remaining Harford council districts will begin in 2014.
Results from the September 14 primary are still unofficial, with absentee and provisional ballot counts to be finalized late next week.
District A Edgewood/Joppatowne
Bob Frisch was a clear winner. The Baltimore County Public School teacher led second place Jansen Robinson by a margin of more than two to one. Frisch and Robinson will compete in the general election to represent Edgewood and Joppatowne on the school board.
“I am wowed to say the least,” Frisch said, adding that he was being cautious about the general election and planned to be outdoors on Wednesday afternoon, waving a big ‘thank you’ sign to voters.
Robinson, chairman of the Edgewood Community Council, said that he started late in campaigning, but was satisfied with the primary results, “I accomplished what I set out to accomplish.”
Pastor Tony McDonald came in third, despite dropping out of the race in mid- August and throwing his support behind Robinson. McDonald withdrew too late to have his name removed from the ballot, and edged out Jerome Foster, who finished last.
District B Fallston/Abingdon
Ron Eaton, a former president of the Harford County Board of Education, was the top vote-getter. Attorney Cassandra Beverley came in a close second.
Eaton, who was an appointed school board member from 1985 to 1996, said after his primary victory, “It’s not a right, it’s a privilege to be in public service.”
Cassandra Beverley said she was somewhat surprised, but especially pleased by the support she received from the Abingdon community where she lives.
Eaton and Beverley are likely to be on the Fallston/Abingdon ballot in November. But third place Tom Myers, who trails Beverley by 131 votes, told The Dagger that he planned to wait for absentee and provisional ballots to be counted. “Tom Myers is not throwing in the towel yet”, Myers said.
William Street and Greg Seltzer came in fourth and fifth, respectively.
District D North Harford
An activist in the tea party group Campaign for Liberty, Rick Grambo posted a solid win. Grambo was followed in the vote count by stay-at-home mom Lorrie Warfield. Grambo and Warfield will vie to represent North Harford in the general election.
Grambo told The Dagger, “I’m really happy to see that people are receiving my message.”
A delighted Warfield said, “It’s amazing to me that a no-name farm girl from Norrisville can make it this far.” She added that she was thankful to her supporters and to all the other candidates.
Joseph Hau came in third in the district, followed by Martha Dauphinais and Glenn A. Miller, Sr.
Official Results
On Thursday, September 16 at 10:00 a.m., the first set of absentee ballots will be counted at the Board of Elections office in Forest Hill. On September 22, provisional ballots and absentee ballots received on or after Election Day will be counted and added to the totals. The official primary results will be certified on September 24, 2010.
The Harford County Board of Elections reported the following election night vote counts: (Note: The three missing “precincts” in each race are the upcoming absentee and provisional vote counts.)
Oh man, I can’t stop laughing at that picture with Tom Myers’ freakishly small head in the corner! Whoever did that deserves a medal.
Tom, stop referring to yourself in the third person, give up, and get back to 7-11; we all know that’s the only place you’re qualified to work.
Congrats to Ron and Cassandra!
Terrance,
Your continuing harassment and slander against Tom is uncalled for and very immature. I’ve met Tom in person and he’s a very nice guy who displays a lot of heart and care for our children’s education. If you cannot see that, then you are blinded by your arrogance and ignorance! Our school system needs a change and Tom is the right person for the job. So what if he works at 7-11 and doesn’t publically state his higher education? What is important are his good intentions and his vigor to make our public school system a better place for everyone. I’m rallying for Tom to win so you would look like a total fool!
Besides, I can’t wait for every public school in our district to start selling Super Big Gulps and Slurpees! It’s aboot time for a change in our public school system!
“So what if he works at 7-11?”
So what?? That’s a huge deal to me, and a lot of people around the county with kids.
Tom is an absolute failure – he still lives at home with mommy, he calls himself a “comedian” yet has never had a paid gig, he’s done nothing to advance his professional life since he graduated high school…in other words, he’s everything you don’t want your kids to aspire to be! That’s the guy you want making decisions for the county’s students?
Greg Johnson below talks about Tom greeting people, knocking on doors, etc…you know why Tom has all this time to do these things? He does nothing with his life. While the rest of us are busting our asses at work, he can head out and bother people for votes before his part-time 7-11 shift. This whole “campaign” was just a lame power play for someone who has an unjustifiable arrogance about him.
Is it official that he lost yet? I want to throw a party. You’re all invited!
Regardless of all of the non-sense here, there were no clear front runners and with that Terrance, close your mouth.
Terrance,
I went to school with Tom Myers, and also with Ron Eaton’s daughter. I’ve got no beef with Ms. Beverly wanting to serve on the school board either, just a concern that she is a bit of a statist. My point is, I’ve got no dogs in this fight, especially since it’s not even my district.
My problem is with your ad nauseum harassment of Tom Myers. It’s disgusting and base, and I would hope that you’re better than that. I have grown quite weary of the political thuggery in this county and the baseless personal attacks and destruction of property that have been leveled by our “honorable” current elected officials and their minions (see: destruction of Tritt-Gallion sign at Forest Lakes and the theft or destruction of a dozen of my signs) when you dare challenge them. I’m not throwing in the towel, but I must say your words are just as nefarious and sophomoric. I worked FHS yesterday for Dave Tritt and myself, and Tom was there all day connecting with voters. He has a great knowledge of and concern for people in the community. You are heartless and it really discredits you when you post garbage like that on a public forum. I might disagree with Tom on pretty much everything, but I can still see what kind of a person he is: a much better example of humanity than you if you keep it up.
Greg, you are wrong to accuse the (successful) incumbents of vandalizing the sign. I put up the Norman signs at that polling place in the middle of the night, and I assure you the sign was intact at the time. Join Jason in not making accusations you can’t support, especially when I’m the one you’re implying did wrong.
I’m sorry that you, like me, were unsuccessful in the RCC run.
Brian,
I didn’t imply it was you. Please. I know you wouldn’t waste time on that. It could just as easily have been one of “Craig’s Crew,” given their penchant for destroying property. Heck, they hacked up a District 7 “Team Ehrlich” sign with axes in broad daylight, taking video of themselves doing it, and Wagner signs went missing on a routine basis. Nobody knows who destroyed the Tritt-Gallion sign, and we probably never will. But I can only judge people on their past actions, and it’s obvious that it wasn’t just random vandalism because it was the only sign that was destroyed in that whole polling place. I would sincerely doubt it was anyone close to Wayne, especially since that was the very polling place that he camped out at all day. My comment was not to attack your boss. It was to show my disappointment with the way elected officials allow their staff and volunteers to conduct themselves in this county.
funny how both of you are argueing over integrity, yet you were both part of the dirtiest trick of the season with campaign for liberties “liberty pledge”
Fair enough, Greg.
Liberty Pledged, I signed the pledge after it was done and the flyers were printed. I talked with some of the Campaign for Liberty leaders at their home and told them I was disappointed in the way it was done, and that I hadn’t been contacted before they printed such a piece. It took about half an hour, but we talked through our differences and reached some agreements, so I signed the pledge.
Also, our “argument” was not over integrity. I don’t agree that it was Craig’s Crew either. It could have been the same person I understand who vandalized Jason’s signs previous, which was not politically motivated. As Greg says, we may never know.
Greg, you state that it was “current elected officials and the minions”. That is stating directly that a candidate destroyed signs, which there is no evidence of and only innuendo of their minions doing it. Bring forward a video, bring forward a witness that saw an elected official destroy a sign, or say the truth which is that someone is destroying signs of anti-establishment candidates and it is “probably” the establishment but there is no proof of that.
DoughRollin’,
Very well. I’ll restate for you: “The destruction of only a Tritt-Gallion 4 x 8 sign at an Elementary School plastered with signs at 3:30 in the morning on a weekday that just happened to be the day on which a contentious election was being held was MERELY A RANDOM ACT and there is NO WAY it could have been done by volunteers for candidates (who may or may not have sanctioned their actions) who were also out putting up signs at the very same time in the morning, and one of whose campaign trucks had been seen near the scene after the destruction occurred.” Hope that helps clarify!
But you’re right… I didn’t have my nightvision camera handy to record the event as it happened, so it must not have.
On an unrelated note, I’d like to give a big shout out to my buddy Rick Grambo for winning big in District D! He is a wonderful dad and will make a great representative for the community on the Board of Education. Lorrie Warfield is an honorable person and I am sure they will have a very clean and issues-driven general election race.
There are those of us who fought long and hard just to have these elections and I would like to personally thank all of the school board candidates who chose to run. Our appointed members assured us that no one would spend their money and take the time to run, but we had more faith in the people of Harford County! It is a pretty thankless job and I thank each of you for taking the time and showing the interest in our county’s students. Also a huge thank you to Senator Barry Glassman who started this legislation when he was a Delegate, and to all of our local politicians who supported it. And, of course, to Cindy Mumby who realy got the ball rolling. This is a wonderful thing for our students!
Sandy, thanks your your positive remarks. I appreciate your perspective and encourage your continued interest and energy as the voters begin to discover the real character and credentials of the the candidates. Those who are successful in the general election will have a challenge to bring a “blended” appointed/elected Board together. It will take real leadership during the transition. But the matter of post importance is parent/public and elected official confidence in the Board. Their participation must be embraced, encouraged and facilitated. Without their active engagement the Board (elected or not) will face difficult times. It can and must be fixed.
I saw Bob Frisch yesterday enthusiastically waving with his thank you sign and I thought that was really nice. All the politicians are out there waving when they want your vote. But only he was out there saying thank you.
Great observation and comment. I dropped my thank you letter off at the Aegis this morning. It is impossible to stand on every street corner and waive. But I sincerely respect the opportunity the voters have given me and other candidates.
You don’t want to thank your readers/supporters here though?
Jessica,
Thank you for the kind words. There is little that I can do to reach the many supporters who had enough faith to honor me with their vote. Waving my thank you sign in Edgewood yesterday and in Joppatowne today was a meager attempt to express my sincere appreciation. I know that few of the more than two thousand voters that supported my candidacy actually saw me these last two days, but it was the least I could do. I hope that all can feel my gratitude.
Don’t hold back – how do you really feel about him? Are you always so sweet and kind to people you don’t know, or did he do something to piss you off?
Dee – you are [edited] That is all.
brian…eaton’s behavior only reflects his pompous air, he’s bullshit, piled higher and deeper…
Stuff it Ron~~~!!!!
Wow. I can’t believe the things people say on this website without knowing anything about these candidates.
It would be wise of some to do their research and listen before posting their accusations and assumptions for the public eye.
You are only offending yourself when you post your disrespectful comments.
Wow. I can’t believe the things people say on this website without knowing anything about these candidates.
It would be wise of some to do their research and listen before posting their accusations and assumptions for the public eye.
You are only offending yourself when you post your disrespectful comments.
Wow. I can’t believe the things people say on this website without knowing anything about these candidates.
It would be wise of some to do their research and listen before posting their accusations and assumptions for the public eye.
You are only offending yourself when you post your disrespectful comments.
Third time’s the charm.
I would like to thank all of those voters that supported my candidacy during the recent primary election. I remain overwhelmed by their enthusiasm. The final results of individual precincts demonstrate that my candidacy has widespread support across the Edgewood, Joppatowne, and Joppa communities.
I am thankful that so many voters took the time to educate themselves on the significant issues facing our school system. In November the voters will again choose between candidates who will ultimately make decisions that will have a profound impact on the education of our children.
I continue to encourage all voters to research the candidates, not just their resumes, but to see who they are as real people. That will give you the best opportunity to see how likely they are to govern if elected. Parents, children, and taxpayers deserve and demand that Board of Education members be skilled, well versed on the issues, and committed to the hard work ahead. We only have one chance to get it right, please choose wisely.
I also want to thank the Dagger reporters, readers, and commentators for their continued interest in the school board elections. All of you remain a vital instrument in the education of the public regarding the little understood responsibilities of the school board or the significant power the board wields.
It’s raining, and I am waiting for the light at Joppa Farm and Rt 40 and there is Mr. Frisch holding an umbrella and a THANK YOU sign. Unless I missed something, and I certainly could have, I did not even see a THANK YOU put across anyone else’s sign anywhere, let alone the person standing out there holding a THANK YOU sign. In my opinion…….shows some real class !!
There was an interesting article in the Aegis today about the school board races. Two comments stuck out as I read the piece. First Lorrie Warfield said, “I am very excited. I didn’t think I would go past the primary. It is astounding.” I can appreciate Lorrie’s euphoria, but she should be more confident in her own abilities if she expects others to have confidence in her.
The other was Jansen Robinson stating, “Everybody knows who the candidates are, so I am not wasting time waving on corners.” Considering he got beat by a two to one margin it would appear that he is correct. The voters do know the candidates and they chose Mr. Frisch in a landslide.
I have been paying close attention the Board of Education races this year. The winners will fill very important positions.
Sadly others have not paid nearly enough attention. Grambo is a sick man that has NO place making decisions about the future of our schools. He is an ideologue that fights for unconstitutional policies while claiming to be ‘firmly grounded’ in the constitution. Lorrie Worfield, while lacking the necessary education (as does Grambo) and experience to make decisions about school operations, is infinitely better than this TEA Party implant Grambo.
My comment does not stem from lack of confidence in my abilities it comes from the fact that other than local people in the pta I am a relatively unknown name. I have not belonged to any local political groups. Other than my children’s PTA and a local car club I have never held office. But despite my lack in those areas I believe that I can represent the citizen’s of district D in a manner which will improve the Board of Education. I have become frustrated with many things within the system that I have either been involved in or witnessed. These are the things that prompted my run for Board of Education. As far as my lack of education goes I am pursuing an second associates degree and then going on to pursue a higher degree. I did not go future when I was younger because I felt that it was important to give as much time as possible to my two little girls. If anyone has concerns reguarding my abilities I would please encourage you to send me a message and I can get in touch with you.My email is lorrie.warfield@gmail.com. Thank you
Lorrie Warfield
Candidate of Board of Education District D
lorrie.warfield@gmail.com
Tom Myers has conceded:
http://www.daggerpress.com/2010/09/18/myers-concedes-loss-in-tight-district-b-board-of-education-race/
I totally agree with the comment above. There is no reason to attack someone who you most likely don’t know. I don’t see the people making this rude comments running for an elected office. I expected this site to be maintained with class and dignity. Some of these comments take it too far.
I hear crickets!
Please explain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWlqiv-YL7c&feature=player_embedded
Some folks on here are just following the party line. CRAZY isn’t it.