WARREN COUNCIL Familiar faces to vie for at-large Bufano defeated in 1st Ward race

All of the 1st Ward candidates in Warren were write-ins.
WARREN -- There could be two fresh faces on city council next year -- but they've both been there before.
The only contests this year in the city races were for the at-large council seats and in the 1st Ward.
Helen Rucker, who had been a 6th Ward councilwoman until her defeat in 2001, scored one of the three at-large positions. In that contest, the other two elected, out of a field of six candidates, are incumbent councilmen Bob Dean and Gary Fonce, both Democrats.
In the 1st Ward, Fiore Dippolito, who was on council in 1998-99 before an unsuccessful run for city auditor, got the most write-in votes of a field of three write-in candidates. The incumbent 1st Ward Councilman Virginia Bufano came in second.
At-large races
Rucker could not be reached late Tuesday. But just last week she had lamented the condition of the central business district and the fact that parking is restricted to two hours.
She said such a time limit discourages people from shopping or dining in downtown businesses. She suggested better alternatives would be parking meters or better use of the city's parking deck.
Dean had been appointed to fill an at-large council vacancy last year.
"Outstanding," Dean said. "This is the first time I've ever ran for anything citywide."
Dean chairs council's Packard Music Hall/Robins Theater committee. "Being the chairman of that committee is especially gratifying," he said, recalling the debate years ago over where blacks should sit in such venues -- in the balcony. Dean is black. Dean works for Cleveland's port authority as a diversity manager and security manager, having retired from the Air Force.
Fonce is a former city policeman who directs operations for a nationwide security company and sought a third council term. He's big on regionalization, having hosted a gathering last month of officials from various cities and the county to discuss sharing of equipment and joint purchasing.
Unsuccessful were William Kruppa, Felipe M. Romain Jr., who was appointed to fill an at-large vacancy, and Tristan Hand.
Republican Niki Frenchko will be vying for an at-large seat in the fall. Paul Martof also filed as an independent at-large candidate.
Write-in race
In the 1st Ward race, Dippolito said it was a challenge to run as a write-in candidate.
"It certainly is really overwhelming and humbling, in some respects," Dippolito said. "Especially the write-in. It was really unusual, really a challenge."
Dippolito, with a background in finance and accounting, said he walked the ward by foot, hitting 99 percent of the homes. "It's the only way I know how to do it," he said.
He noted there are several candidates vying for the office come November, so much work remains ahead of him.
"The public has decided who they wanted," said Bufano, who noted it's too early to say what her political future holds. "I'm just going to review my options."
Running a distant third in that race was Eleanor V. Costantino, who had never before sought elected office.
It became a write-in's race after Bufano's Democratic petition of candidacy was rejected by the elections board, because of a problem with signatures being witnessed.
Bufano said she, at first, thought she'd have no opposition. Then she had to deal with running a write-in campaign, which allowed her to run as a Democrat rather than an independent candidate. Running as a Democrat was important to her, she said.
Dippolito also had unseated Bufano in 1997. She has served since the early 1980s.
1st Ward independents
Four people will seek the 1st Ward spot as independent candidates in November: Ray Bagaglia, also a former councilman; Stephen Turner; Bill Murphy; and Bob Weitzel.
Unopposed Democrats were the council president, treasurer and council members in the 2nd, 4th, 5th 6th and 7th wards.
Warren will have a new treasurer, John Homlitas, the 3rd Ward councilman.
In the 3rd Ward, Democratic nominee Andy Barkley will face Republican George Brown in November. Neither have held the office before. The independent candidate this fall is Patti Limperos.
Council president Democratic candidate Robert A. Marchese will face an independent candidate, Rodger Mease, this fall.
Unopposed were 2nd Ward, Alford L. Novak; 4th Ward, Robert Holmes III; 5th Ward; Vincent S. Flask; 6th Ward, James A. Pugh; 7th Ward, Susan E. Hartman;
In the 6th Ward, Jackie Hudson will be challenging Pugh as an independent candidate.