Green squeaks by Bannar for LTUSD seat

By Kathryn Reed

Barbara Bannar’s last act as president of the Lake Tahoe Unified School District was to preside of the Dec. 4 special board meeting.
A week later, incumbent Sue Novasel and newcomers Mike Doyle and Larry Green were sworn in as board members. Novasel, who has been the clerk, is expected to the take the reigns of the board and Angela Swanson is likely to become clerk.
(And this is what happened.)
In the final results, Green edged incumbent Bannar by three votes. He garnered 1,786 or 18.44 percent to Bannar’s 1,783 or 18.41 percent.
Registrar of Voters Bill Schultz took it upon himself to have LTUSD’s Nov. 6 votes recounted because of the narrow margin.
“I just felt before I could certify the election this time we had to (have a hand count),” Schultz said. “We did it because it was so close.”
That count came out the same as when the final 431 absentee ballots, 33 mailed ballots and 68 provisional ballots were tallied – which is different from what the Election Night totals were.
“I’m not a politician so I didn’t know how the system works. When I got the call I was happily surprised,” Green said of his third place finish that landed him a seat. “I am going to work hard at this, to do my research and listen to the community to make the best decisions to help our children.”
Instead of going to the annual California School Boards Association conference last month in San Diego, Bannar was off to Carmel. She hopes more traveling is in her future. Beyond that, she isn’t sure where she’ll turn her attention to locally.
“I’m definitely going to take a minimum of six month off to do family stuff,” Bannar said. “My children were the ones who finally said don’t ask for a recount. It really sounded like they did their job at the county. (My kids) said they were done and were ready to move on. They have been through a lot. I had to take that to heart.”
She had kind words for and confidence in the men joining the five-person board.