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April 23,. 1975
School and a 1967 graduate
of Elizabethtown College
with a degree in accounting.
He is a Certified Public Ac-
countant and is employed
as an Audit Executive in the
Harrisburg office of the in-
ternational accounting firm
of Ernst & Ernst. He is a
member of the American
Institute of CPA’s and the
Pennsylvania Institute of
CPA’s. He also serves on
the Harrisburg Chapter of
the Pennsylvania Institute
of CPA’s Committee on Re-
lations with Schools and
Colleges. He is a former
Treasurer and a Past-Presi-
dent of the Mount Joy Jay-
cees and is presently work-
ing with the Mount Joy Bi-
centennial Commission. Mr.
Meckley is a member of St.
Mark’s United Methodist
Church where he serves on
the Budget and Finance
Committee and the Steward-
ship Commission. He is
married to the former San-
dra Wolgemuth and they
have two daughters, Jennifer
Jo and Elizabeth.
Mr. Meckley's Statement
I have felt for some time
that some new and in parti-
cular younger faces are need-
ed on the Donegal School
Board. In addition, having
two children of pre-school
age, I have a sincere interest
_in the quality of the educa-
tion provided by the Done-
gal school system and would
like to play a key role in the
continuing development of
a high quality educational
system which will meet the
needs of all the students
within the district. Recog-
nizing that we will continue
to be faced with the pro-
blem of managing the fiscal
affairs of the school district
within the framework of a
complex and inflationary
economy, I believe that it is
extremely important that
board members use their
best efforts to insure the
greatest possible return from
every dollar spent for educa-
tion in the Donegal School
District. I believe that my
background and experience
in financial management
would be an asset to the
school district in the area of
fiscal management.
Mengel
MORRIS M. MENGEL
Biographical Information
Following graduation
from Lafayette College with
a B.S. in Chemical Engineer-
ing in 1960, Mr. Mengel
came to Lancaster County
as a Process Development
Chemist for the Armstrong
Floor Plant. Nine years later
he moved with his family to
East Donegal Township,
when he was assigned as
Production Superintendent
at the company’s Marietta
Ceiling Plant.
Mr. Mengel feels that his
background and interests
provide him with a wide
- view of the educational pic-
"ture. As a student he parti-
cipated in football and track,
though currently he divides
his time between wood-
working and studies at the
Capitol Campus, Penn State
University, with the objec-
tive of earning a Master’s
Degree in Business Admini-
stration.
Mr. Mengel’s Statement
During my family’s five
year residence in Donegal
Township I have become
increasingly concerned with
our school system. My wife
Joanne’s background in art
education and her studies at
Millersville as a Reading
Specialist have made me
aware of current issues in
education;and my children’s
progress through the local
system have acquainted me
with local problems. I feel
that our schools should be
places where trained pro-
fessionals who like children
create an atmosphere where-
in no child experiences frus-
tration or failure unnecess-
arily. Each child should be
treated as an individual, and
his needs should be recog-
nized and administered to.
We should develop the maxi-
mum potential in each staff
member as well as in each
child.
Attending the public sess-
ions of the School Board
during the past four years, I
have found them to be a
non-learning, non-informa-
tive experience, concerning
matters related to the edu-
cational process. All actions
are preceeded by discussion
in closed committee, so that
the actual Board meeting
rarely provides any oppor-
tunity for the public to
understand the decision pro-
cess of the members. | feel
that lack of public interest
and attendance at the meet-
ings is a direct result of the
nature of the meeting.
School Board members
should be individuals of an
open mind who keep abreast
of educational, management,
and fiscal issues so that they
can interact intelligently
with administrators, faculty,
and the public for the good
of children. I would wel-
come the opportunity to
serve.
JOSEF L. PORTNER
Biographical Information
Mr. Portner, 34, is mar-
ried to Loretta M. Portner.
They have three children:
Tammy, 14; Dwayne, 12;
and Deane, 8; and reside at
25 Essex Street, Marietta.
Mr. Portner is sales coor-
dinator for Vanply, Inc., is
Mr. Portner is sales coor-
dinator for Vanply, Inc., is
a member of the American
Legion, was treasurer and
vice-president of the Mari-
etta Jaycees, and serves cur-
rently as secretary of the
Zoning Board of Marietta
Borough.
He is a member of Zion
Lutheran Church, Marietta.
Portner
A graduate of Donegal
High School, he attended
York College.
Mr. Portner’s Statement -
My children, especially
Tammy, who is in high
school, encouraged me to
run for the school board. I
have heard from my child-
ren about many instances
when teachers were not
backed up by administra-
tors in the school system.
Teachers should have more
support than they presently
receive from members of
the school board. In parti-
cular, teachers should get
more support from parents
and from the school board
in disciplining students.
If elected, I would sup-
port the teachers of the
Donegal School District in
their efforts to raise the
level of academic achieve-
ment of their students. They
need backing up in teaching
the basic 3 R’s, to which we
must return. There has been
They reside at 222 West
Front Street, Marietta. He
is an attorney with the firm.
of Nikolaus and Hohenadel
and is a member of Zion
U.C.C. Church, Marietta,
the Marietta Lions, and the
East Donegal Township Jay-
cees.
He was educated at
Franklin and Marshall Coll-
ege, Villanova University
School of Law, and is cur-
rently attending Temple
University Law School for
Graduate Studies in Taxa-
tion. He was a student
teacher at Manheim Central
High School and a substitute
teacher at William Penn
School in Upper Darby.
In 1969, Mr. Umben-
hauer served two months
on active duty with the
United States Navy.
Mr. Umbenhauer’s
Statement
Basically, my philosophy
of education is a conserva-
tive one. I believe the so-
called “progressive” trend
in education should be re-
versed and the greatest em-
phasis should be placed on
fundamental skills, i.e. read-
ing, mathematical skills,
grammar, and self-express-
ion. While I advocate an
emphasis on basic skills, I
find these skills are only a
too much emphasis on ex-
tracurricular activities in the
Donegal schools.
If less money was spent
on non-educational projects
and more on basic educa-
tion, we could raise the §
scholastic level of students
in our schools. A teacher
told me recently her classes
were so large she was not
able to give the attention
that they need to all her
students.
I think I speak for the
people, the taxpayers, the
parents of students, when I
say our schools should re-
turn to an emphasis on basic
education. The people’s
wishes are not represented
adequately on our school
board at present. The peo-
ple of Marietta are most
poorly represented. I want
to make the voice of the
people and parents heard on
the school board.
One way to make sure
the people will have more
influence on the school
board is to have all meetings
open to the public. I oppose
the current practice of mak-
ing the important decisions
in executive sessions that
are closed to the public.
I am not running for the
school board because of the
prestige of the position. |
am running because there is
a job to be done, and I in-
tend to do it.
RICHARD A.
UMBENHAUER
Biographical Information
Mr. Umbenhauer, 27, is
married to Joyce M. Um-
benhauer, elementary gui-
dance counselor for the Eli-
zabethtown School District.
Umbenhauer
part of the development of
the “whole child.” This full
development is the primary
goal of public education,
and to this end, I advocate
establishment of a truly de-
velopmental guidance pro-
gram in the elementary
school. :
As part of the total
school program, I would
urge the Board’s continued
support of a full extra-cur-
ricular program, for this is
where young people can
find a constructive outlet
and opportunity for self
expression and achievement.
Extra-curricular activities,
especially athletic organiza-
tions, also instill and en-
courage the spirit of com-
petition. Although some
people are concerned with
subjecting children to com-
petition, I feel the competi-
tive spirit is an important
part of both classroom and
extra-curricular training,
since competition is funda-
mental and essential to the
American way of life.
Since any one member of
the Board of Education can-
not dictate Board policy, I
can make no promises as
to specific programs or chan-
ges within the District.
There is, however, one pro-
mise I can make to the citi-
+ SUSQUEHANNA BULLETIN — Page 9
zens of the Donegal School
District: I will be an active
member of the Board and
will make an honest effort
to run our schools economi-
cally, efficiently, and, most
important, in a manner
beneficial to our children.
‘Waser
C. DONALD WASER
Biographical Information
Rev. Waser was born in
Manheim. Both his parents
were school teachers. For
the past 23 years he has
lived in Mount Joy. Mar-
ried to the former Hazel
Kaylor, the Wasers have one
son (Charles), who was the
first Merit Scholarship win-
ner in the Donegal School
District.
Because of a shortage of
teachers at the end of World
War II Rev. Waser taught
school. He is an ordained
minister having been a pas-
tor for 10 years. He attend-
ed public school in Man-
heim, was graduated from
Elizabethtown College with
a degree of B.S. in Science,
and from Eastern Baptist
Seminary with a B.D. de-
gree. He also attended the
University of Pennsylvania,
School of Education.
Rev. Waser has been with
Friction Materials Div. of
Raybestos Manhattan for 25
years, as a Supervisor in
Management.
Rev. Waser's Statement
It is my desire to serve
my community as an active
member of the School
Board. Some friends and
Party Leaders have encour-
aged me to run for office.
I believe I have had ex-
perience in all the phases
necessary to be a good mem-
ber of the School Board;
1. a teacher; 2. a parent;
3. a manager.
I am quite happy with
our present physical facili-
ties in the Donegal School
District - However, there
are some other things that
are really to be desired. So
I would like to see and keep
a high scholastic-rating in
our system along with a
balance in Culture and Ath-
letics. To improve our ath-
letic program we need to
have a strong Intermural
Sports program, whereby we
will develop the existing tal-
ented young people that
we have, so that they in turn
will make a better showing
in the country-league-com-
petition in all sports. An-
other area that we are really
lacking in and that I would
strive for, would be a Cul-
ture-Building Program, of
Music (vocal and instrumen-
tal), Speakers (on various
subjects). This kind of a
program would bring Fami-
lies and Friends together
into the School for enlight-
enment and enjoyment.
As for helping to pay
the bills of the School Sys-
tem, possibly local industry
could and would be willing
to supplement our present
income as a Board. After
all, industry is interested
in and needs well educated
individuals with above-aver-
age education, to help oper-
ate our modern manufac-
turing procedures.
The other night I told
the parents who attended
the Riverview Elementary
School P.T.O. that it is high
time that we get back to the
3-R’s again; Reading, Riting
. (Writing), and Rithmetic
(Arithmetic), because this is
necessary. Colleges have
had to put Remedial Read-
ing into the Freshman cur-
riculum, as a must, so as to
prepare students so that they
can do the necessary reading
requirements that are a part
of the modern college edu-
cational programs.
I stand for quality edu-
cation, and to me this
means - Modern approaches
to learning with up-to-date
text books; however, always
keeping in mind, ‘The Tried
and True’ of the past, with
a real demand for quality in
knowledge and not just the
handing out of a piece of
paper called a dirloma.
4 i
Weidman
JOHN N. WEIDMAN
Biographical Information
Mr. Weidman is Regional
Sales Manager for Pioneer
Hi-Bred Inc.
He and his wife, Barbara,
have three children: John, a
Senior at Donegal H.S.; Mark
a Sophomore at Donegal;
and Susan, 4 years old.
His hobbies are reading,
hiking and antiques.
He served 6 years on
Donegal School Authority
and is presently finishing a
full term on the Donegal
School Board. He is Direc-
tor on Advisory Board, Na-
tional Central Bank, Mount
Joy; Director Mount Joy
Building and Loan Assn.;
member of Mount Joy
Church of God; and teacher
of Post High Class. He is
also a member of the Mount
Joy Lions Club, and is a
Past President.
Mr. Weidman's Statement
If I am reelected I will
continue to promote quality
education along with a well
balanced extra-curricular
program. It is also my de-
sire to seek other tax re-
venues rather than putting
most of the burden on pro-
perty owners.