Candidate Withdraws from School Board Race

Candidate Nels Luthman, Jr. withdrew his petition Friday to run for a seat on the Toms River Regional Board of Education.

Luthman, 63, of New Jersey Avenue, said he is leaving the race because, “It takes money to run” and he does not have sufficient financial support to get his message out to the voters, especially the senior villages in the district.

Luthman said he spent his own money on an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the board in last year's school election. Using personal funds “had its plusses,” Luthman said, but he decried the lack of no-cost public debates in school board campaigns. “Without debates, people don't get to see the candidates,” he said.

Luthman's withdrawal leaves in the April 27 school election. Luthman, an outspoken proponent of change and critic of the board's lack of transparency, is backing a slate that includes Alexander Pavliv of Discovery Way, Laureen Tarove of Stonehedge Drive and Ben Giovine of Hedge Street.

The seven other remaining candidates are: Maryann Bageac, Cranmoor Drive; Frank E. Rodgers II, Lincoln Avenue; Karen M. Kenny, Broad Street; Brian Geoghegan, Longman Street; Lester Kennett, Brand Road; Hank Eisenhauer, Daffodil Court; and Stephen Galgon, Arlene Court.

President Linda Garvey and former Presidents Betty Vasil and Meera Malik did not file for re-election. Their terms are up this year.

This is the first election following the Oct. 21 federal indictment of former Superintendent Michael J. Ritacco and former board insurance broker Francis X. Gartland, both charged with fraud and bribery in which Ritacco allegedly took more than $1 million from the district. Ritacco resigned that day.

At a board meeting following Ritacco's indictment, Luthman publicly called on board members to resign.

“There needs to be a change (on the board),” he said in an interview yesterday, “but it will not happen in just one (election) cycle.”

The three candidates who are not running again, the professional consultants and the rest of the board “were supposed to be watching the ship,” he said, referring to the Ritacco scandal. “Without change, we'll just have “more of the same.”

Luthman retired three years ago from the district after a 32-year teaching career that focused on Political and Legal Education.

Luthman attempted to run for the board prior to last year's race, but Ritacco blocked his candidacy when the former superintendent prevailed in an Administrative Law Court by claiming Luthman was still an employee of the district and ineligible to run, even though the teacher had taken an early retirement buyout and given back 100 unused sick days to the taxpayers, he said.

The deadline to file as a candidate in the coming election was last Monday.