Two new board members were sworn in and a new board president was chosen for the Fort Bragg Unified School District last week.
Retired state official Robert Hotchkiss and Fort Bragg attorney Ryan Perkins were sworn in by Superintendent Steve Lund.
Wendy Boise was picked as new president of the board, replacing DeeLynn Carpenter. The board president directs the meeting, similar to the way a mayor chairs a council meeting.
Board member Jennifer Owen told the audience the board generally rotates the presidency among its members.
Owen took her opportunity as leader of the patriotic exercise, to praise departing board member Linda Rosengarten, owner of Cheshire Books in Fort Bragg.
She called Rosengarten a patriot for her passion in serving the district”s students.
“She provides an eloquence of speech and thoughtful presentation of ideas that we seldom encounter today, when we are all eager for a sound byte,” Owen said.
“You don”t get a sound byte from Linda Rosengarten. You get great information and beautiful conversation … It never fails that … you have learned something very valuable,” said Owen.
Owen presented Rosengarten with branded items from each school, from a pom-pom to a Dana Gray Dolphins sweatshirt.
“She has put in countless, countless hours of work for our benefit. I know it was a labor of love, even if it totally exhausted her,” said Owen.
Lund presented her with a ceramic apple on a stand, engraved in thanks for her 12 years of service.
“This has been truly an honor to serve the children of our community. I will say it again. The best kept secret in the state of California is this school district,” Rosengarten said.
Hotchkiss and Perkins were chosen in uncontested elections, with terms to end in 2011. The other three members are up for reelection in 2009.
School board races in the past have been real races, Owen remembered. When Rosengarten was first elected in 1995, Jim Hurst was reelected in an infamous tie election.
“That”s why we always vote and we vote for ourselves,” Owen said.
