Thursday, April 4, 2013
Venki Palamand released a short statement after the Tuesday election that ended his six-year tenure on the board.
After six years serving the Mehlville School District Board of Education, Venki Palamand lost re-election Tuesday night. Palamand, the current president of the board, responded to Patch with the following statement: "The voters have spoken and I wanted to offer my congratulations to Larry Felton and Lori Trakas for their successful campaigns. I wish them, and the Mehlville School District, continued success in the coming year." Previous Patch stories:
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The two winners will serve three years on Mehlville School District's Board of Education.
Larry Felton and Lori Trakas won Tuesday's election for Mehlville School District Board of Education, defeating the board's current president. Felton, who has served six years on the board and camped out for days to make sure his name was first on the ballot, took the largest share of votes with 36 percent. Trakas defeated Venki Palamand, the current school board president, by only 234 votes. "I want to say thank you to the community for coming out and supporting me and getting behind me because of who I am and what I stand for," Trakas told Patch from her election viewing party at her home. "I just want to do a great job. I want to put the kids first. I want to put the district first. I want to make sure the money is being used to the …
Catch up with Lori Trakas, the challenger in the Mehlville School District Board of Education race, on Election Day.
Wrapped in a distinctive green scarf and hat, Mehlville School Board candidate Lori Trakas greeted voters at Bernard Middle School with smiles and handshakes. As the only non-incumbent on the ballot for the school district's board of education, Trakas said she's proud to have provided a new choice for voters. Tonight, she'll watch the results come in from her home, surrounded by volunteers and supporters. "No matter what the outcome is, we worked hard," Trakas said. "We gave the community a choice. Let the community decide." Get news and live elections results on Mehlville-Oakville Patch. Trakas said she's considered stepping up for public service for years now and decided to "give it a shot" late last year before she knew who else was …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Two incumbents and one challenger are vying for two seats on the Board of Education for the April 2nd election.
On April 2, voters in the Mehlville School District will select two candidates to serve on the board of education. Three candidates have submitted their names for the election: Felton waited in line for almost a week to earn the top spot on the school board ballot. He currently serves as the board's treasurer. Palamand is also an incumbent and currently the board's president. Lori Trakas, of Mehlville, has also filed. Follow Patch on Facebook for more news on the election.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Filing for the Mehlville School District school board ends today at 5 p.m. So far, only the incumbents have thrown their hats in the ring.
If you're thinking of running for Mehlville School District's Board of Education, today's your last chance. Filing for the April 2 election ends at 5 p.m. January 15. Two seats are up for election, each with a three-year term. So far, only the incumbents for the two open seats have submitted their candidacy: Larry Felton and current board president Venki Palamand. Felton ensured his name will be first on the ballot by waiting in line at the school district office six days before filing even began. SEE RELATED STORY: Candidate Already in Line for School Board Election Palamand, the school board's current president, is second on the ballot and is holding a fundraiser March 15 at the Blarney Stone. For more, check out Palamand's candidacy …
Monday, December 10, 2012
The election for the Mehlville School District Board of Education starts Tuesday morning, but Larry Felton is already in line.
Hoping to be first in line to file as a candidate for the Mehlville School District Board of Education? Tough luck. Larry Felton has you beat. Candidates can’t file until 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11, but Felton has been in line to file since Wednesday afternoon, ensuring his name will be first on the ballot. “I think it’s a sign of respect to the people of the district, that I put my time in to be first on the ballot,” Felton said at the district’s headquarters on Mehlville High School’s campus. “It’s just showing commitment.” In order to keep his spot at the front of the line, Felton waits at the school board headquarters from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. He can take three 15 minute breaks: one in the morning, one for lunch and one in the afternoon. …
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Mehlville School Board interviewed eight of the nine candidates applying for the open position Wednesday.
Eight of the nine candidates gathered in front of a small crowd Wednesday at Mehlville High School to interview for the open school board position. The board will meet again at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Administration Building to discuss the candidates and interviews in an open meeting. If necessary, the decision could go to a third meeting at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the Administration Building. The board must have four out of six votes for a candidate to be selected, who will serve until the April 2012 election. The candidates who applied are Ken Leach, David Wessel, Michael Gindler, Greg Frigerio, Timothy Champion, Marea Kluth-Hoppe, Fred Padberg, Aaron Hilmer and Ronald Fedorchak. Candidate Ken Leach could not attend due to a work …
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Gindler chose the Mehlville School District as a place to put down community roots for her children.
When Franchesca Gindler was growing up in the Houston area, she attended eight schools by the time she was in ninth grade. When she had her own children, she and her husband wanted to find a permenant community and school district to raise their two children. Having being born in St. Louis, Gindler and her husband decided on Mehlville. Gindler is certified to teach grades nine through 12 and previously taught in a private school. She was on her way to getting her master's degree in school counseling when she had her first daughter. Now a stay-at-home mom, Gindler has run a small, in-home daycare for the last nine years. After moving to Mehlville, Gindler wanted to give her kids the roots she didn’t have as a child, and she decided that the…
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Deb Langland is running for a Mehlville school board position in April's election.
Deb Langland wants to change public perceptions of the Mehlville School District. As a 54-year-old real estate agent, Langland has heard her fair share of worries from families wanting to buy houses in and out of the district. Several people have expressed concerns about moving into the district on completely illegitimate rumors and reasons, she said. If elected, Langland hopes to improve public opinion about the district, feeling that its staff and students deserve the credit. A St. Louis native, Langland grew up in Lemay and attended Hancock High School. After graduation, she went to work at an accounting company while attending night school. Seeing her first computer sparked an interest in the IT field, and after taking classes at …
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
As a family and faith-centered man, Roland plans to take a positive approach to problem solving if he's elected to the Mehlville School Board.
John E. Roland, Jr., born in Columbia, MO, has lived in the Oakville area for nearly 22 years. After thinking about it for several years, Roland has decided to run for a position on the Mehlville School Board. He said that his 11-year involvement with the Mehlville Optimist Club and experiences working with many of the principals and administrators within the district prompted him to consider running. “I never did it before because my kids were so young,” he said. “An opportunity came up this time around, and I had people in the community telling me I’d be great for the school board because I do so much with the kids already.” Roland said that when he mentioned the idea of running for the school board at a family dinner, his wife told him …
Lori Coco
12:10 pm on Thursday, April 4, 2013
I was also disappointed to hear that Mr. Palamand did not have the votes. He was very committed, always available, and an asset for this board. Thank you for all your accomplishments, dedication and effort during your service. more ›