56.0°,
Mostly Cloudy We endorse: the school board and library trustee election
Winds of change are blowing across the Five Towns as candidates emerge asking the most basic of questions: Where is our money going? Is it being used efficiently? Where can cuts be made? Who is in charge here?
In the upcoming May 17 election for Lawrence Union Free School District 15, longtime board member and incumbent trustee Dr. Asher Mansdorf has a proven record of providing fiscal responsibility alongside academic achievements. Voters have recognized this in previous elections.
Unfortunately, it took a costly court battle to recognize these facts as well, as we have reported over the past two years. The case saddled local taxpayers with unnecessary costs and it gave our community plenty of negative publicity, framed as a battle between the Orthodox and the non-Orthodox. Indeed, Dr. Mansdorf is Orthodox, but his accomplishments on behalf of all students, teachers, and parents, speak for themselves.
Likewise, Murray Forman takes pride in his fifth year as a trustee, keeping taxes from rising amid a nagging recession. His ability to balance the budget while keeping high academic standards merits his reelection to the school board.
In the race for Peninsula Public Library, the frustration on the inability to secure a new building brought newcomer Jeffrey Leb to declare his candidacy. He may be new to Five Towns, but his experience in government, community advocacy, and fiscal management, shows that the talent and experience is there.
His opponent, incumbent Stanley Nussbaum, also has an admirable resume of local leadership and activism, but in Leb's short time in our community, he has been able to secure a working relationship with local leaders. His involvement in a variety of local projects demonstrates his enthusiasm in shaping the future of his new home.
Alongside Leb, Sarah Yastrab also entered the race as a frustrated consumer, who wishes to see a better library.
Concerns that the composition of the trustee board ought to reflect geographic reality- by having a board member from each of the villages within the district, should be outweighed by the leadership potential of the candidates and their ability to serve the entire district, regardless of where in the district they live.
We introduce you to our endorsed candidates in their own words:
