Letters: Support for Etna trustee candidate, reelection of 3 Newark school board members
Etna administrator's husband urges vote for Trent Stepp
Will Etna Township voters empower two more years of circus-style meetings and lawsuits — or begin to clean up the mess? Residents mostly blame Mark Evans or Rozland McKee for the in-fighting. These two are voted on in 2025. The matter at hand is whether we elect twice-defeated Gary Burkholder to embolden Evans’ written threats, or elect the only candidate that is not a known associate of the Burkholder-Evans cabal, Trent Stepp.
Until the political targeting of my wife by Burkholder and Evans, threatening to fire her, I was content to sit out. With the release of the Burkholder-Evans plans via Evans' Facebook messages, attacking my wife, I must comment.
Nita Hanson, my wife, of 40 years (2 children, 5 grands and recent cancer survivor), became the Etna Township administrator about six months ago. I married a waitress that became a paralegal for 25 years and went to Capital University Law School in her 40s while working. Before coming to Etna, she was a corporate litigator for Dinsmore in Columbus. Anything good in me comes from her. She has shown remarkable restraint, calmly answering Mr. Evans’ rantings.
Evans (through Burkholder) simply wants to control the board again and get the township to fund his lawsuits. Citizens of Etna and East Reynoldsburg will decide the Evans vs McKee debate in 2025. Don’t get distracted by the sideshow. Vote for Trent Stepp for Etna Township trustee.
Jon Hanson, Etna Township
Former superintendent says three Newark school board members should be reelected
This November, Newark voters have the opportunity to reelect three Board of Education members currently serving the Newark City School Community — and serving them well!
In my eleven years of leading the Newark City Schools as superintendent, I had the pleasure and privilege of working with Tim Carr, Warren Weber and Tom Bline on various projects as well as the day-to-day operational items. They not only exceeded expectations of what a board member should be, but go above and beyond to gain knowledge of the district operations to make informed decisions. Tim, Warren and Tom have played a key role in the leadership of NCS by remaining off the ballot for new operating funds for the past 14 years, certainly a celebration that most districts do not experience. Their ability to ask the right questions and share knowledge of their professional lives is an asset to the district leadership. No question I felt supported by the board while being challenged by them to lead staff that allowed for professional growth in the district.
These three exemplify “community” in their broad range of qualifications for this position. Approachable, fair, honest, visible, hardworking and dedicated to the NCS, they will continue to bring their passion for a thriving, financially stable school district in Newark.
In my 25 plus years in educational administration, I have been blessed to be associated with very good board members, many of them from my time in Newark. Tim, Warren and Tom are most definitely at the top of the list. Selecting board members who have the best interest of the students and community at heart are important to any school district, and these three candidates deserve your consideration to continue as members of the board of education in the Newark City Schools.
Doug Ute, former superintendent, Newark City Schools
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: Etna trustee candidate, 3 Newark school board members backed
