For Austintown schools, Ritchie and Benyo

Votes in the Austintown school district are in an enviable position, with four qualified candidates running for two seats on the board.
But while all are qualified, one stands out especially. Dr. David W. Ritchie, 65, is not only the dean of school board members in Austintown, he is the dean of local board members in the Valley, with 36 years of experience on the board.
Ritchie, a retired podiatrist, has been involved in guiding the district through thick and thin, but has consistently demanded quality, and his efforts have been rewarded by residents with re-election again and again. This time should be no exception.
Ritchie remains an enthusiastic board member, a student of public education and an advocate for better schools, better teachers and better results. He earns The Vindicator's strong endorsement.
The other three candidates are: Gene F. Benyo, 58, retired chief executive officer of Northeast Fabricators; Michael W. Creatore, 41, principal in LPL Financial Services, and Peter C. Fraser, 56, a Postal Service letter carrier and U.S. Army Reserve retiree.
Creatore is running an aggressive campaign in which he demands that spending be "brought under control," but when challenged, he's short on specifics of what's out of control. While his financial expertise could be of value to the board, he'd be a stronger candidate if he toned down the rhetoric -- or made a stronger case for what he claims to be the board's shortcomings.
Fraser says he has served his country most of his adult life as a soldier and reservist and would now like to serve his community by bringing his experience to the board of education. He says the board should be more open in how it deals with the public and that he is committed to building on Austintown's record of providing its students with a quality education.
Of the three challengers, the candidate who made the strongest case for himself during endorsement interviews with Vindicator editors was Benyo., a retired executive who previously served four years on the board.
Strongest case
Benyo points to his experience in negotiations, purchasing and construction during his business career as assets he would bring to the board of education.
He believes that replacing the antiquated Austintown Middles School with a new building at the campus now housing the other middle school building, junior high and senior high buildings would result in cost savings in maintenance, utilities, transportation and instruction.
Which ever candidates win, the years ahead will be full of challenges. If the bond issue on the Nov. 4 ballot passes, there will be a major construction project to oversee. If it fails, the board will have to find ways of providing a sound education for a segment of its students who are attending classes in a deteriorating, 87-year-old building. If an operating levy on the ballot passes, the board will be charged with spending the money responsibly to provide the highest quality education possible. If it fails, the board faces deficits that threaten to cripple operations.
We believe that the taxpayers and students of Austintown would best be served by a board that includes Dr. Ritchie and Benyo. They receive our endorsement.