More endorsements

There are clear choices for Dover Schools’ voters in the upcoming election.
This blog endorses longtime incumbent Steven Mastin and newcomer Shaun M. Immel to fill two seats on the Dover Board of Education.
Other candidates are Steve Page and Landon L. Anderson. Vacating her seat is Beverly McHenry.
Mastin, who has served on the board 16 years, still is a tireless supporter of Dover schools. Criticism has been leveled at him for being on the board “too long.” That’s bunk. He has the experience, knowledge and drive to continue in an effective role.
Forty-one-year-old Shaun Immel also impresses. He serves as chief technology officer at Micro-Poise Measurement Systems LLC of Akron.
A Dover High and University of Akron product, Immel has served on numerous community and school-related organizations.
He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children.
Both Mastin and Immel deserve your vote on Nov. 3.
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Because I know all four candidates who are vying for three at-large seats on Dover City Council, this blog will refrain from making an endorsement in that race.
The candidates are incumbent Democrat Don Maurer, incumbent Republican Joseph A. Parolini and former Democrat councilmen Dan Minnis and Anthony J. Korns.
All of the candidates certainly are qualified to serve and good luck to them. Hopefully, we’ll hear some noise from the new council because contrary to popular belief, Dover is far from being a little Mecca.
I give less than satisfactory marks to current and previous councils, which have faltered on occasion in their watchdog roles. Running a multi-million dollar operation like a city requires oversight. Lots of it.
A resolution for 2010? Do your job, council. Ask questions. Lots of them.
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New Philadelphia’s Ward 2 residents have the opportunity on Tuesday to say goodbye to Councilman Robert Conner, who is the extreme opposite of Dover’s “quiet” councilmen. His shenanigans have been well-publicized.
This blog strongly endorses John Zucal for the seat.
Zucal’s brother-in-law, Darrin Lautenschleger, also is a councilman while his brother, Jim Zucal, is the city’s service director. If John Zucal wins the seat, I feel for family members who presumably will be exposed to a lot of shop talk.
If this were Cuyahoga County, I’d be worried about such a situation. But it’s not. It’s Tuscarawas County, where family involvement in public service is not necessarily a bad thing.
John Zucal promises to listen to constituents and work with colleagues and there’s no reason to doubt that. Richard Buterbaugh also is running for the seat.