One Creswell School Board incumbent won their seat, while another lost theirs at the polls this month. Unofficial results from the May 21 Special Election yield a victory for Director Kandice Lemhouse-Worsham and a loss for Board Chair Tim Rogers.
Director Lemhouse-Worsham said she was working out of town during the time and was notified of the results the next day. Of the 1,076 votes cast for Position 1, Lemhouse-Worsham garnered over 66 percent of the vote, or 716, while opponent Whyat Ocumpaugh received 345 votes. There were 15 write-in votes.
”I was impressed with the turnout, and appreciative of those that took the time to vote,” Worsham-Lemhouse said, who has been serving on the board since May 2018.
She said that the board’s first priorities right now are to hire and bring onboard the new superintendent and ”continue to focus on how to ensure student and staff safety both physically and emotionally.”
Meanwhile, current Chair Tim Rogers took a loss at the polls. Of the 1,314 votes cast for Position 3, Rogers brought in 582 votes while opponent Debi Wilkerson brought in 720 votes, or over 54 percent.
The end of June marks six years that Rogers has served on the board. He was elected to a two-year term in 2013, and then to a full four-year term in 2015.
He said he had a mixed reaction to seeing the elections results. ”While I dedicated myself to the best interest of our students by becoming the most informed I can, through Oregon School Boards Association training and a Master of Education, and am definitely disappointed that I will no longer be able to put this expertise and my six years of experience to use on the Board, especially in assistance of a new superintendent, Rogers said.
Rogers also said he is, ”relieved to know that I am being replaced by someone who is very involved at several levels of the District and dedicated to its success. Wilkerson is a quality member of our community and I am confident she will serve the voters well as she begins to attend board meetings.”
Despite the loss, Rogers said he still plans on being involved with the schools, with particular enhanced involvement with the Creswell Sports Boosters and the Creswell Music Boosters.
”Both programs are near and dear to me, having played sports and in band while at Creswell middle and high schools, but with working on my master’s degree and serving on the board I just haven’t had the time to properly dedicate myself to helping those two valuable groups,” Rogers said. ”I intend to do so now.”
He said he will also investigate the possibility of serving on the 2020 Creswell School District Budget Committee, and on the Creswell middle or high school site councils.
”Regardless, Creswell has been my hometown since I started at Creslane Elementary halfway through my second grade year in the early 1970s, and it always will be,” he said. I’m not going anywhere.”
Mark Parker vied for Position 2 and received 783 votes of 806, while 23 votes were write-ins.
Ashley Miller vied for Position 7 and 757 of the 776 votes. There were 19 write-ins.
The rest of the board is comprised of directors Mike Anderson, David Eusted and Lacey Risdal, whose terms expire in June 2021. There are currently no vacant seats on the board.
Interviews with new board members Wilkerson, Miller and Parker will be in an upcoming edition of The Chronicle.
PLEASANT HILL: Three people filed for Position 1 on Pleasant Hill School Board, and John Oldham took the lead by capturing over 48 percent, or 457 of the votes. He has served on the board since 2007. Andy Jenness received 277 votes while Marshall White received 188 votes. There were 15 write-ins.
Position 3 is a nail-biter, with two of the three contestants garnering nearly the same amount of votes. Wylda Cafferata, wgi gas served on the board since 2006, received 450 votes while Jeremy Dotson received 446 votes. Crystal E. Holmes received 315 votes and there were six write-ins.
Stephen Hammond tooko in the majority of the votes over opponent Kimberly Jeremiah. Hammond received 609 votes while Jeremiah received 609 votes.
SOUTH LANE: Tammy Hodgkinson was uncontested for Position 1 and took in 1,366 votes. There 43 write-ins. She has served two terms on South Lane School Board.
Dustin Bengtson ran uncontested for Position 3 and earned 1,633 votes. There were 57 write-ins.
Gerard ”Jerry” Settelmeyer ran uncontested for Position 6 and received 1,633 votes. There were 57 write-ins.
Gary Mort beat out opponent Demian Schwartz for Position 7. Mort received 1,008 votes while Schwartz received 721 and there were 26 write-ins. Mort has served on South Lane School Board since May 2016.
LOWELL: Suzanne Kintzley ran unopposed for her Position 1 seat and received 287 votes. There were 11 write-ins.
Vice Chair Dennis McCallum’s position also expires in June,and there were 67 write-ins for that position.
SPRINGFIELD: Todd Mann took home the win for Position 1 on Springfield School Board over incumbent Laurie Adams. Mann secured 5,499 of the 8,615 votes; meanwhile, Adam received 3,040 and there were 76 write-ins for the position.
Naomi Raven took in the most votes for Postion 4 of opponent Jessica Adams. Raven earned 5,348 of the 8,324 votes; Adams earned 2,930 and there were 56 write-ins. Raven has been serving on Springfield Public Schools Board in September 2018.
Karen Hunter squeaked by with the most votes for Position 5 over incumbent Michelle R. Webber. Hunter took home 4,409 of the 8,578 votes; Webber received 4,104 votes and there were 65 write-ins.
Also of note in the county, voters this election rejected a $154 million bond for to pay for a more adequate courthouse that would’ve been built in downtown Eugene. Unofficial results show that over 58 percent, or 43,503 of the 74,644 voters turned down the bond.
