One Point issue wins; second and one in Amherst fall
By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
One of the Stevens Point Area School District's referendum issues was successful Tuesday, April 2, but a second one and one in the School District of the Tomorrow River in Amherst lost.
The election also brought some changes to local offices.
In the Stevens Point School District, voters approved borrowing $16.5 million for building and maintenance repairs in district schools. The vote was 4,901 in favor and 3,340 opposed.
The second referendum issue sought $6.9 million to remodel and improve school buildings and that lost, with 3,603 in favor and 4,635 against.
The Tomorrow River's referendum issue, to borrow $4.4 million to repair and remodel school facilities, failed with 567 in favor and 645 opposed.
In the race for four seats on the Stevens Point Area Board of Education, James Harmon collected the most votes, 3,713. He was followed by Robert Larson, 3,538, and Christina Scott, 3,537, to win the three-year terms on the board.
Curtis "Kit" Kiefer had the fourth highest total, 3,179, to win a two-year term, filling the unexpired term of Ray Haas who resigned in November.
They were followed by Trudy Beth Peters, 3,143; Mark Marti, 2,829; James M. Gingles, 2,755; and Leo Trzebiatowski, 2,618.
In Amherst, Nick Trzebiatowski collected 1,044 votes as the only candidate for his seat on the Tomorrow River School Board.
In the Rosholt School District, Krystal Ferg and James Zdroik were re-elected to three-year terms on the School Board. Ferg had 246 votes and Zdroik 208 to challenger Laura Jakubek's 204. A canvass could change the outcome of the Zdroik-Jakubek race.
Sharon Dittmer, Kevin Cummings and Jerry Dernbach retained their seats on the Almond-Bancroft School Board. Dittmer had 153 votes; Cummings, 135; and Dernbach, 128; to defeat challenges from Karen Turner who had 84 votes and Divine Giese who had 78.
The Portage County Board had six contests, with the incumbents winning five of them.
Incumbent Ronald J. Check, town of Sharon, lost the race in District 24 to Jeanne Dodge. Dodge collected 209 votes to 157 for Check. The district's boundaries were changed with reapportionment, with the bulk of the population coming from the town of Stockton, which Dodge formerly represented.
County Board Chairman Clarence Hintz defeated a challenge by Greg Chelcun, 358-191, in District 29.
In District 5, which covers wards 9 and 10 in Stevens Point (formerly the 5th Ward), incumbent Marion "Bud" Flood defeated John Brown, 155-130.
In District 12, which includes the village of Whiting and ward 1 in the village of Plover, incumbent William H. Peterson beat Kirk Bangstad, who withdrew from the race, 270-179.
In District 15, which includes wards 6 and 7 in the village of Plover, incumbent Doug Warner defeated Jeff Jagodinski, 276-84.
In District 26, which includes wards 4 and 5 in the town of Hull and wards 1 and 3 in the town of Sharon, incumbent Robert Brilowski defeated Gerald C. Kirschling, 285-239.
The districts with unopposed supervisors and their vote totals are, 1. Bob Woehr, 167; 2. Jesse Higgins, 129; 3. Bill Zimdars, 97; 4. Kevin Ruehl, 142; 6. Richard M. Purcell, 293; 7. James E. Clark, 272; 8. Tony Patton, 349; 9. Eugene G. Szymkowiak, 228; 10. Dwight Stevens,137; 11. Richard Bishop, 51; 13. Donald Jankowski, 337; 14. James Gifford, 318; 16. O. Philip Idsvoog, 135; 17. Robert Steinke, 241; 18. Melvin Steinke, 125; 19. John O. Rendall, 207; 20. Lonnie Krogwold, 406; 21. Harvey Olson, 429; 22. Ronald J. Borski, 275; 23. James Zdroik, 231; 25. Jerome Borski, 299; 27. James F. Krems, 409; and 28. Leif Erickson, 296.
Stevens Point had two contests for alderman.
In District 2, incumbent Hans Walther narrowly defeated challenger Jesse Higgins, the County Board supervisor, 81-78.
In District 8, incumbent Marge Molski defeated a challenge from Tony Patton, the County Board supervisor, 358-137.
Without opposition on the ballot were aldermen Jo Seiser, District 4, with 157 votes; Jack Barr, District 6, with 312 votes; and Mike Phillips, District 10, with 150 votes.
Plover also had two contests for trustee positions on the Village Board.
In the 1st Ward, Kenneth Schmidt defeated Joe Desorcy, 422-162.
In the 2nd Ward, Orville Damrow, who lost a trustee position last year, defeated incumbent Anton Anday, 455-308.
In the 3rd Ward, incumbent Gary Krause was without opposition and collected 201 votes.
In Whiting, incumbent trustees Gary K. Wegner, Ralph Brillowski and Albert Walkush were the only candidates for three trustee positions.
In the village of Almond, incumbent trustees Donald Pohl, Franklin Glodowski and Kenneth Trzebiatowski were unopposed.
In the village of Amherst, incumbent trustees Laurel Mittelstedt and Barb Kluge were re-elected. Incumbent Mary Schweitzer didn't run, so the Village Board will appoint her successor.
In the village of Amherst Junction, incumbent trustee Mark Pionkowski was unopposed.
In the village of Junction City, incumbent trustees Terry Trzinski and Mary Jicinsky were also unopposed.
In the village of Nelsonville, incumbent trustee Dennis Bartig was the only candidate.
In the village of Park Ridge, incumbent trustees Elmer Fournier and James LaMar were unopposed.
In the village of Rosholt, incumbent trustees Helen Pliska and Duane Dobbe were unopposed, and newcomer Jill Kumenius was elected to fill the spot held by Donald Hartvig, who did not seek re-election.
In the town of Hull, the only town with a local election, incumbents Melvin A. Bembenek and Wayne Hartzheim were re-elected to two supervisor posts.