Third BOE Candidate Drops From Race

A third candidate has withdrawn from the race for a term on the Board of Education, leaving eight candidates left running from who announced their bids last month.

Michael Tranberg of Dubac Road said in a telephone interview Tuesday morning that he has decided to call it quits, just hours before candidates are expected to answer public questions on their qualifications at a Candidate's Night tonight.

Tranberg said he decided Tuesday morning to withdraw from the race because of the possibility of voting complications.

Tranberg said he has relatives who work for the school district, and he would therefore be barred from voting on major issues in the district. 

"Some of the major issues, I wouldn’t be able to vote," Tranberg said. "I just found out about that."

Tranberg said he would support the candidacy of Joe Tonzola.

Tranberg, who sought a 1-year unexpired term, joins two other candidates who have dropped out of the race.,

Manson and Tranberg's names will still appear on the April 27 ballot, however, unless either candidate takes legal action to prevent it. Both candidates withdrew their candidacy after the state-imposed deadline to do so.

Incumbents David Wren, 3243 Rambling Hill Ct., Douglas Wild, 2131 Old Mill Road, and Pamela Perrotto, 2315 Xanadu Lane, have filed to run to retain their seats. 

Challenging them will be a slightly less numerous parcel of newcomers:

Robin Cervantes, 2009 Tally Ho Drive; Timothy Farrell, 1601 Walton Way;  Anne Moonan, 1910 Sherwood Drive; Joseph Tonzola, 2400 Lincoln Ave.; and John Tavis, 1610 Holly Blvd.

Tavis and Perotto are running for the one-year unexpired term of former board member Michael Bogner, who resigned in July, 2010.

Cervantes, Farrell, Moonan, Tonzola, Wren and Wild are all running for full, three-year terms.

Candidates tonight are scheduled to face public questions at a Candidate's Night event at the High School, 1630 18th Ave. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Audience members will submit questions they would like candidates to answer. The moderator, a League of Women Voters member, will organize those questions according to topic and candidates will each have a minute to respond. The program will conclude with a statement from each of the candidates, organizers have said.