School board winners' party hails new era

The new Wake County school board members are partying tonight at the Grand Marquis Ballroom in Garner.

John Tedesco, who won a runoff election for the school board this month, is organizing tonight's Victory Ball. He'll be joined by new board members Debra Goldman, Chris Malone and Deborah Prickett, who were all elected last month.

The four recent winners will join current school board member Ron Margiotta in forming a new majority on the nine-member board. They're supporters of neighborhood schools and critics of the district's diversity policy and mandatory year-round schools.

But before they take office Dec. 1, they'll "celebrate with an evening of dinner, dancing and the cutting of the cake," according to a flier for the celebration.Tedesco promises that the new board members will be joined by numerous state, county, municipal and regional business leaders.

"Together we will usher in a new era for our children and families," the flier says.

SAS report talk reset

Wake County Commissioner Tony Gurley is grudgingly getting his fellow commissioners to look at a recent SAS Institute report that questions how well the school system is educating low-income and minority students.

Gurley, a Republican, has been a frequent critic of the school system and its busing for diversity policy during his tenure on the commissioners. At his urging, the commissioners were scheduled to discuss the report at this week's work session.

The presentation was rescheduled because the report's co-author was sick and could not attend.

The Democrats on the board of commissioners haven't been thrilled by Gurley's focus on the issue. The Democrats have backed the diversity policy and supported several of the school board candidates who lost this fall, while Gurley backed winning candidates who want neighborhood schools.

More merger discussion

Fresh from his landslide re-election, Durham City Councilman Howard Clement revived a favorite topic this week: merging Durham's city and county governments.

"It's appropriate that we keep this matter on the front burner," he said during a meeting of council members and county commissioners.

Merger has been suggested repeatedly since the 1920s, most recently a decade ago. Each time, it has been dropped or defeated at the polls, but Clement raised the idea again earlier this year.

His colleagues remain unconvinced, but Clement said he isn't giving up.

"I just want to keep the process alive and viable," he said. "The voters have given me license to talk for four more years. ... I'm going to take advantage."

A tribute to Knudsen

The Democratic Party of Wake Party is hosting "A Tribute toBetty Ann Knudsen" on Monday with a free screening of a documentary about the former Wake politician at Cary's Galaxy Cinema. The event begins at 7 p.m.

Knudsen was elected to the Wake County Board of Commissioners in 1976 and became the first woman to lead the board. The documentary, "Show Up, Speak Out: The Public Life of Betty Ann Knudsen," was made by local filmmaker Vivian Bowman Edwards.

Political trails

State Rep. Paul Stam, R-Wake, minority leader in the House, is guest speaker at the Durham County Republican Party's November meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. His topic is the Republican agenda in the General Assembly.

Meeting place is the Nantucket Grill, 5925 Farrington Road. A donation of $10 is requested. See www.durhamgop.org.

Wake County Republican Women are meeting at 11:45 a.m. Thursday at the N.C. State University Club, 4200 Hillsborough St. The speaker is Dr. Karl Pete, and lunch is $15. Contact BrendaDobrick for reservations at brenda.dobrick@gmail.com or 906-3289.

The Democratic Women of Wake County are also having their monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the N.C. State University Club, 4200 Hillsborough St. The lunch is $15. Two speakers will talk about the national health care system. Send e-mail to Nancy Looper at info@dwwc.net or call Martha Farmer at 782-1272 for reservations.

The Orange County Democratic Women will meet at 7:30p.m. Thursday at the Durham Technical Community College, Orange County Campus at 525 College Park Drive in Hillsborough. The topic will be human services in Orange County in light of the current economy. Contact Linda Foxworth at 942-0045 or info@dwwc.net with questions.

The Johnston CountyRepublican Women will meet at 9a.m. Nov. 21, at the Golden Corral, 1319 N. Brightleaf Blvd. in Smithfield. Call 934-6377 or visit www.johnstoncountygop.com .

Compiled by staff writers Michael Biesecker, T. Keung Hui, Sarah Ovaska and Jim Wise

Latest Comment View all comments