Laurier School Board Elections: Partners For Success (PFS) succeed

Fighting off what many considered a stiff challenge to its control of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board's Council of Commissioners, the Partners For Success (PFS) electoral ticket scored an overwhelming victory in last Sunday's School Elections, taking 14 of 19 seats, a drop of a single ward from 2003, when they won 15 of 19 seats.

Leading the way to victory was Steve Bletas, founder and leader of PFS, who easily outdistanced his PACE counterpart, Luigi Lapolla, by 122 votes, winning 213-91 in ward 13.

For Mr. Bletas, who has been the one and only chairman of the Laurier Board since 1998, the win represented a third straight mandate as ward 13 commissioner, and most likely an easy election to a third term as chairman.

Although PFS did not run a full slate of candidates on Laval island, opting to not challenge 3 of 4 independent sitting incumbents, they nonetheless took 6 of 6 seats in which they were present. In addition to Mr. Bletas, the other PFS members who'll represent the island on council are: Mario Di Domenico (ward 14), Nazario Facchino (ward 15), Grace Nesi (ward 16), Nick Milas (ward 17), aand Tom Mouhteros (ward 18).

The three independent incumbents who retained their seats are: Albina Pace (ward 11), Steve Kmec (ward 12), and Walter Fogel (ward 19).

Mrs. Pace begins a second term, Mr. Kmec and Mr. Fogel return to council for the umpteenth time, having served many consecutive mandates on many Laval school boards since the 1970s. All three won rather easily in their respective wards, with Mrs. Pace taking 66% of the vote against independent challenger Michael Arfanis and Mohammed Aly of PACE> Mr. Kmec took 77% of the vote against Maggie Delli Colli of PACE, and Mr. Fogel winning 84% of the ballots in a confrontation with PACE's Vince Mafei.

Tony De Lauri, independent incumbent in ward 14, was a distant third to Renzo Orsi of PACE and winner Mario Di Domenico of PFS, in a spirited race which involved two experienced educators (Mr. Orsi and Mr. Di Domenico), and dentist De Lauri.

Joining Mr. Di Domenico as a first-time winner is former parent commissioner Tom Mouhteros, who took ward 18 in what proved an easy race. Mr. Mouhteros, who had served the ward since the spring of 2006 following the passing away of long-time commissioner Morton (Morty) Schrier, beat runner-up Franca Celli (independent) 229-76, with independent Manuel Lima getting only 11 votes.

Mr. Facchino (ward 15), Mrs. Nesi (ward 16) and Mr. Milas (ward 17) all won rather handily, with sizeable margins. Mr. Milas, with 402 of 428 ballots cast, took 93% of the vote, trailing only two other PFS winners, both off-island, in that department, Carolyn Curiale (96.14%) and Merle Parkinson (97.60%). Mr. Milas, incidentally, has been a school commissioner since the mid-1980s.

The two PACE candidates who'll sit on council are Steve Mitchell, who nosed out PFS incumbent David McKinley 88-74 in ward 7, and Mike Pizzola, who more doubled PFS representative Denis Lucas in ward 9, 77-35.

Also elected on the PFS ticket in other off-island districts are: Edward Turchyniak (ward 8) and Nancy Rupnik (ward 6). Both are veteran commissioners, with Mr. Turchyniak occupying the chair of the executive committee at the dissolution of the council of commissioners in mid-September.

Returning by acclamation for PFS are William Pollock (ward 1), Peter MacLaurin (ward 2), Robert Dixon (ward 3), and Georges Benoit (ward 4). All these seats are off island.