Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 8, 1995 TAG: 9511080031
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
And in the School Board races, William Helm Jr. became the first African-American to be elected to a county office, beating out Christian conservative Amanda Davis in an at-large contest - perhaps the most-watched in the county.
"It makes me feel good that people gave me a vote of confidence," said Helm, who has served on the board for 14 years as an appointee of the Board of Supervisors. This year was the first time citizens voted directly for School Board members.
Davis, a United Parcel Service worker who said God wanted her to run, advocated charter schools and local control over family life curriculum. She also favored student-formed Bible clubs in schools, an issue she's brought before the School Board in the past as the mother of an eighth-grader.
"There's not as many conservative voters in Franklin County as I thought," said Davis, reached at her home Tuesday night. "Next time I might run for sheriff, you never know."
In other contested School Board races, voters kept Shirley Jamison, took challenger Carl Dudley over incumbent Gilda Woods, and gave newcomer G.B. Washburn Jr. a seat.
With three independents joining the seven-member Board of Supervisors, the balance of power will likely shift toward the conservatives. The new board will consist of two Democrats and five independents.
"They call themselves independent, I guess," said Page Matherly, one of the two remaining Democrats. "It should be an interesting year next year."
Matherly beat his opponent by a 3-2 ratio. The other Democrat, board chairman Gus Forry, was unopposed.
Don Riddle, an independent who beat out incumbent Charles Ellis, had not heard the news before a reporter called him. "I got Scruggs [district], too?" he asked over the phone, at which a roomful of people shouted and cheered.
"I've got all my friends, all my neighbors - even my preacher's here. We were going to have a party one way or another," said Riddle, a retired state trooper who campaigned on keeping taxes in line and a balanced budget. "This is my first try at politics."
The mood was decidedly more somber outside the registrar's office, where folks shook hands and hugged a visibly upset Lois English, who lost despite having campaigned "very hard, for the last two months," for a second term on the Board of Supervisors.
"There was just an undercurrent going on," English said, mentioning misinformation she said was put out by challenger Jerse Lumsden. English would not elaborate.
The third new supervisor is John Helms, victor over Murray.
About 64 percent of the 18,868 people registered to vote in the county turned out at the polls. Registrar Peggy Allman said the rainy weather probably dampened voter enthusiasm.
"I know it had a damper on political literature," she added, noting that some candidates decided not to hand out last-minute leaflets at the polls.
Keywords:
ELECTION
by CNB