Two newcomers elected to Washington Twp. school board

In Washington Township, home to one of Gloucester County's hottest school board races, two newcomers and one incumbent were elected Tuesday to the nine-member body.

Though school board elections are nonpartisan, the race had political overtones, as signs went up and literature was stuffed in mailboxes.

Stephen Altamuro, a Republican-turned-Democrat who has served on the Township Council and in the state Assembly, was the top vote-getter in his first bid for the school board. The local lawyer has said that he entered the race because he felt a seat on the school board was a way to control taxes and spending. He could not be reached for comment after his victory.

Newcomer Andrew Walter, a business manager who belongs to the county's Young Republicans club, also won on his platform of cutting costs. Though he had never voted in a school board election before, he said his dislike for high taxes motivated him to run.

Incumbent Jim Murphy, a Realtor who also favors fiscal responsibility, was reelected. He has served seven years.

"For incumbents, it was a tough year this year, an unbelievably tough year, because you get blamed for everything. But the people have voted, and I intend to fully work with those who were elected to the full extent," he said.

Defeated were incumbents Kenny Patrone, a facilities coordinator for the township Public Works Department, and Thomas Licisyn, who works as a substitute teacher in his retirement.

Also defeated were former board member and perennial candidate Chet Nawoyski, lawyer Ed Appel, and local business owner Vincent D'Ambrosio.

In Monroe, two incumbents and one newcomer were elected. Robert Graham, a sales manager who has proposed monthly budget reviews to rein in spending, won another term, along with incumbent Josephine Staffieri, a retiree who said academic programs should take precedence over sports.

Newcomer George Caruso also won a seat on the nine-member board.

Defeated were Anthony Ayres, a former township councilman, and newcomers Tara Hartwyk and Nick Koutsogiannis, the principal of Clayton High School/Middle School.