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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels June 23, 2004 School board to choose replacement member By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings A new school board member to replace Ellie Thivierge will be selected at a special session on Thursday. The Ashland School Board will have six candidates to choose from, two of whom ran unsuccessfully in the May 2003 school board election. Thivierge announced her resignation earlier this month, citing family reasons. The candidates are Sheryl Lipski and Bob Kuenzel, who both ran in 2003, Mat Marr, a Southern Oregon University student who is a member of the Ashland Youth Activities Levy committee, and Craig Gorson, David Young and David Churchman, who all have children attending the school district. The school board will interview each candidate at a public meeting beginning at 6 p.m. at the district boardroom, located at 885 Siskiyou Blvd. After the interviews are completed, the board will make its selection, said Superintendent Juli Di Chiro. The person chosen will serve the rest of the term, which ends in May. "I think it's great to have six volunteers step forward," Di Chiro said. "It shows that people are willing to serve in such a difficult job and want to see what they can do to help the schools in Ashland." Gorson, a computer repair technician, has volunteered for a number of school related projects since moving to Ashland four years ago. He has volunteered for the Ashland Schools Foundation and at Bellview Elementary School, where his daughter attended. She will be at Ashland Middle School this fall. "I just feel passionate about the school district" he said. "I don't have a personal agenda, I just want to help out. I love that Ashland is a place that understands the importance of schools in the community." Young has children at Lincoln Elementary and AMS. He has volunteered extensively in the school district and has been a substitute teacher in Ashland. "I see the community, the school board and the district as partners and we all need to work together to find viable solutions," he said. Churchman has a son at the high school and moved to Ashland about a year ago. He was a professor in Middle Eastern History for more than 30 years in the California State University system in Dominguez Hills. He has run a master's program on conflict management and has written books on the subject. He also helped run a nonprofit wildlife education center. "When you move into a town you want to contribute," he said. Churchman said his experience in curriculum, evaluation, fundraising and conflict management would be assets that would serve the board well. Lipski was out of town and unavailable for comment. Kuenzel and Marr could not be reached for comment. For more information on the special session, call 482-2811. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams