The Columbia District seat on the Fluvanna County School Board is up for grabs in the upcoming Nov. 7 election. Andrew Pullen and Linda Staiger are competing for the seat being vacated by Camilla Washington.

Pullen will appear on the ballot. Staiger’s candidacy was originally certified but Registrar Joyce Pace later discovered that Staiger had filed an incorrect financial form. Staiger then submitted the correct form but the State Board of Elections denied her appeal. She is running a write-in campaign.

In an effort to get to know the candidates, the Fluvanna Review asked the following questions.

Tell us about yourself: where you grew up, your education, your family and how long you’ve lived in Fluvanna.

Pullen: I grew up in Fluvanna and graduated from Fluvanna County High School in 2004. I have been a career fireman for 12 years. My wife Sarah and I live in Kents Store with our daughter Emmalyn. 

Staiger: My father was a Navy pilot so when I was little we moved around. When he retired, we finally settled down in beautiful Fluvanna. I was just starting high school and eventually graduated   from high school at Carysbrook. I went on to Virginia Tech for two years; then I worked and later went to the University of Virginia, where I paid my way and graduated cum laude. After I finished medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School on loans and scholarships, I did training to become an orthopedic surgeon at the University of California in San Francisco. I moved back to Virginia in the mid ’90s to help my family. I practiced surgery in Farmville and then at the University of Virginia. I live on land from my family farm near the village of Palmyra.

What three words best describe you?  

Staiger: Compassionate, determined and problem solver.

Pullen: Passionate, determined and empathetic.

Before your candidacy, how many School Board meetings did you attend? 

Pullen: I’m not sure how many to be exact. I’ve been attending School Board and Board of Supervisors meetings for many years.

Staiger: None.]]> https://fluvannareview.com/2017/10/panel-examines-gerrymandering/ Thu, 19 Oct 2017 19:33:23 +0000 http://fluvannareview.com/newsite/index.php/2017/10/19/panel-examines-gerrymandering/ Way back in October 1788, Fluvanna County became part of the first case of gerrymandering in U.S. history when Patrick Henry led a movement to draw the lines of what would become the 5th District in such a way as to keep his political enemy, James Madison, out of office.

The effort failed, but the principle of creating voting districts that favor one political party is alive and well 229 years later. 

Last week, about two dozen Fluvannians assembled at the Historic Courthouse in Palmyra for a day-long look at the issue of redistricting.

Organized by artist Lindsay Nolting and author and historian Mac Griswold, with the assistance of the non-partisan advocacy group OneVirginia2021, the conference brought together activists, politicians, and academics who talked about everything from the moral and ethical aspects of the practice down to the nitty-gritty of algorithms that make gerrymandering so effective and so often damaging.

Most states look at redrawing voting districts in the year following the decennial census, ostensibly to readjust political representation based on whether the population has increased or decreased over the previous 10 years.
The problem is that the politicians themselves draw the lines, and the party in power of a state’s legislature at the time of redistricting controls much of the process. The incentive to draw the map to favor their own party, or “gerrymander,” is strong.]]> https://fluvannareview.com/2017/10/fluco-girls-cross-country-team-excels/ Thu, 19 Oct 2017 15:30:47 +0000 http://fluvannareview.com/newsite/index.php/2017/10/19/fluco-girls-cross-country-team-excels/ https://fluvannareview.com/2017/10/middle-school-girls-basketball-undefeated-for-season/ Thu, 19 Oct 2017 15:26:34 +0000 http://fluvannareview.com/newsite/index.php/2017/10/19/middle-school-girls-basketball-undefeated-for-season/ https://fluvannareview.com/2017/10/letters-to-the-editor-48/ Thu, 19 Oct 2017 15:12:13 +0000 http://fluvannareview.com/newsite/index.php/2017/10/19/letters-to-the-editor-48/ Write in Linda Staiger on ballot
Linda is a very remarkable person and the School Board will benefit greatly with her as a member.

Linda has an amazing background and career in the medical field as an orthopedic surgeon. She uses her free time as an artist to relax and create beautiful paintings, which shines through in her wonderful, calming personality. She understands the importance of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM), which enhances our students’ abilities. College and the workforce are very competitive and the students of Fluvanna must be prepared beginning at an early age to compete with their peers from other districts.

Linda worked very hard to become a successful, productive female. She has persevered through many trials and tribulations to become the successful woman she is today. As a woman, I know all about hard work and being denied opportunities. The citizens of Fluvanna need Linda on the School Board to fight for the equal rights and opportunities of all students. Her determination and energy is what our students need when they encounter obstacles. They will have a Board member that knows how it feels to go through hardship and be a fighter. She will come up with ideas and strategies along with the Board to empower our students to do the best they can to be successful. She will also be very supportive of the teachers and the administration.

There is still a divide of learning among our students that needs to be identified and Linda will work diligently for a resolution.

Linda is a Fluvanna public school success story, and will be able to pinpoint what’s required to enrich our school system. As an African American woman, I wholeheartedly offer my support to Linda who will be an advocate for all our students.

Vote for Linda! Write in “Linda Staiger” and blacken the circle beside her name!

Barbara M. Cary
Palmyra

My pen pal is a photocopier
Rob Bell has received an F rating from the Virginia Education Association for the last three years. I know my fellow parents and I appreciate the form letters his office mails when our kids do well in school, but we should be supporting someone who supports our schools. He’s had 17 years as a delegate. He’s sent plenty of letters during that time, but we’ve also seen a significant decrease in school spending, increased mandates that are passed down to the local level, and the utterly backwards Standards of Learning process.

Vote for Kellen Squire on Nov. 7. Kellen has children in public school and understands the frustrations that parents face.

Peter M.J. Gross
Scottsville
]]> https://fluvannareview.com/2017/10/school-board-41/ Tue, 17 Oct 2017 21:48:33 +0000 http://fluvannareview.com/newsite/index.php/2017/10/17/school-board-41/ School Board dives into student transportation data

Studies cost of disadvantaged student programs

At the Fluvanna County School Board meeting Oct. 11, School Board member Charles Rittenhouse (Cunningham) heard answers to his questions on school buses, student transportation and programs for disadvantaged students.