New members elected to School Board

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By Preston Knight -- pknight@nvdaily.com

WOODSTOCK -- Shenandoah County voters elected two new members to the School Board on Tuesday.

Karen Whetzel, in District 1, and Irving "Skeeter" Getz, in District 5, were runaway winners on Election Day, according to complete but unofficial returns reported by the Virginia State Board of Elections.

One new board member was a given going into the day -- Getz, who worked in the school system for 51 years, ran against two other others for the seat currently occupied by Lisa Currie, who did not seek re-election for a third term.

Whetzel defeated incumbent Evelyn Burner, who is finishing her first term.

Board chairman Gary Rutz, of District 4, ran unopposed for re-election to his second term and received 1,711 votes. There were 62 write-in ballots.

A former principal at Stonewall Jackson High School, Whetzel received 63.7 percent of her district's votes -- 1,203 votes to Burner's 678 -- according to the board of elections. There were seven write-in votes.

Getz took 50.7 percent of his district's votes. He received 1,090 votes to Mike Chimento's 535 and Connie Broy's 513. Residents cast 10 write-in votes.

Whetzel, who worked for 38 years in the school system before retiring after a year as grant writer in July, said her background in education likely gave her the edge. She also credits everyone who helped with her campaign and was proud of running a "positive, upbeat" campaign.

Burner said she has no regrets and plans to continue volunteering at schools on the southern campus when her time on the board runs out.

"I'm cool," she said. "I did everything for [constituents] that they asked me to do."

Whetzel said Tuesday was a long day, but at least she won all in one day. When Burner was elected, she did not officially defeat Mike Davis until there was a recount in Circuit Court a month after the election.

"I'm looking forward to being on the School Board, and I know it's going to be a challenge," said Whetzel, 60. "I think the learning curve will start right away."

At least for her sake, she will not be the only newcomer. A farmer, Getz, 70, spent the final 31 years of his employment with the county as the school bus garage foreman before retiring at the end of last school year. He said he would have run for office even if Currie, whom he has never spoken with, had sought re-election.

"I'm happy that I won," Getz said. "I'm just kind of overwhelmed with winning."

He thanked everyone who voted for him, and added that he probably won because people in District 5 agree with his position on the school system's plan to build two new elementary schools.

"I'm not for new schools," Getz said.