Candidates file nominating petitions

By David Skolnick | August 11, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

For a list of candidates and issues, click here.

Seven candidates, including three incumbents, turned in nominating petitions to run for the four Youngstown Board of Education positions on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Incumbents Richard Atkinson, June Drennen and Michael J. Murphy filed by Wednesday’s deadline. Among the four challengers is Michael J. Write, a former school board member.

Anthony J. Catale, an incumbent who lost the May Democratic primary for the 5th Ward seat on city council, didn’t seek re-election.

Most school board incumbents in Mahoning County filed for re-election, including David W. Ritchie, who will run for his 12th consecutive four-year term in Austintown.

But the two incumbent members on the Canfield, Springfield and Western Reserve school boards didn’t seek re-election.

The board of elections will meet next Wednesday at 8 a.m. to determine the validity of the dozens of nonpartisan petitions filed by candidates for positions such as township trustee and fiscal officer and school board members.

There are three candidates for the one Poland Township trustee slot up for grabs in November: incumbent Annette Jeswald DiVito faces Tony Sferra and Eric C. Ungaro.

There are also three candidates for the lone Canfield Township trustee seat on the November ballot: incumbent Martha C. Zarlenga is being challenged by Joe Paloski and Stephen Maszczak.

In Boardman, Trustee Larry Moliterno faces Richard S. Scarsella, a county educational service center board member.

Lisa Oles of Austintown is among only four incumbent township trustees in Mahoning County running unopposed.

Among 14 tax issues in the county, there are requests for new levies from the Canfield school district, Austintown Township, Jackson Township and New Middletown.