 Chuck Lapicola
In Northern Ozaukee School District, challengers can’t unseat incumbents
Tuesday’s spring election proved to be a mixed bag for many local incumbents, including the unseating of Joe Short as Fredonia village president.
Short, who had been village president for the past four years, lost to Trustee Chuck Lapicola, 395 to 259.
Lapicola, 59, has been a village trustee since 2007. He is a retired engineer with the U.S. Forest Service.
“There was a good turnout in the village, which I think worked in Chuck’s favor,” Short said.
“It is funny, but when I heard the results, the first thing I thought was, ‘Wow, I’m relieved of everything being president carries.’”
He said he was considering applying to serve out the remaining time on Lapicola’s unexpired trustee position.
“I am gratified by the results. Now I have to serve as president of all of the people of Fredonia, not just the ones who voted for me,” Lapicola said.
He said his top priorities will be to refine the capital purchasing program and focus on “creating a team feeling” involving employees and officials.
The village election was not the only taste of defeat for Short. Unofficial results show he lost in his bid to unseat Paul Krause for the Village of  Joe ShortFredonia seat on the Northern Ozaukee School Board, 893 to 538.
Krause, 36, is the current board president. He is a development engineering manager at Rockwell International who has been on the board since 2005.
“It was an impressive turnout, especially in the village. What I take from the results are that people are generally pleased with the direction the school district is headed, although they are anxious for the changes to be completed,” Krause said
In the school district’s other contested race, incumbent Stacie Stark held on to the Town of Fredonia seat, topping John Blasczyk, 893 to 538.
Stark, 49, was first elected to the board in 2008. Blasczyk, a Fredonia town supervisor, was making his first bid for a seat on the School Board.
In the race for two seats on the Fredonia Town Board, incumbent Supr. James Stemper lost his post in a three-way race.
Challenger Mark Schubert and incumbent Chris Janik were the top vote-getters, with 388 and 376 votes. Stemper received 340 votes.
Janik, 48, is president of Universal Level in Fredonia, and has been on the board for 10 years. Schubert, who is vice president of the Ozaukee County Fair Board, was making
his first bid at elected office.
Stemper, 54, was seeking his third term as a town supervisor.
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