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Five up for three LTPS Board of Education seats BY BILL SANSERVINO
Isaiah Spencer in a three-point stance during a recent football practice at LHS. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)
Spencer overcomes obstacles to become offensive line stalwart BY RICH FISHER
Isaiah Spencer 1, Football Gods, 0. Try as they might, those great Gods of the Gridiron could not keep Spencer off the field forever. First they cursed the offensive lineman with – strange as it may
sound – too much size. Then they tried the more typical route of cutting him down with injuries. But the man of 1,000 resiliencies just kept coming, and played a major role in the Lawrence High football team’s 3-0 start this season. At 6-foot-6, 330 pounds, Spen-
cer is the Cardinals strong-side tackle. He and the rest of the offensive line were a big reason why sophomore running back James Lyons rushed for 608 yards in the first three games. “We take pride in that,” Spencer said. “We open up lanes for See SPENCER, Page 18
Lawrence Township residents will have the opportunity to vote for three candidates for two open spots on the Lawrence Township Board of Education. There is no municipal race this year. Five candidates are up for the vote. Joining incumbents Jo Ann Groeger and Kevin VanHise on the “Achieving Educational Success” slate is newcomer Olga Martinez. Facing off against them on the “Educational Success” slate are incumbent Robert Pluta and first-time candidate Shazia Shah. The Lawrence Gazette asked each of the candidates to provide biographical information about themselves and a statement of up to 1,000 words regarding why they are running for the board. Their answers are presented in alphabetical order below. Jo Ann Groeger has lived in Lawrence Township for almost 50 years. She and her husband, Steven, raised three children who all graduates from Lawrence High School. She has been a member of the school board since 2011. She graduated from Hopat-
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cong High School and attended The King’s College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. She received a Master of Education from Georgian Court College and 60 additional credits in education from Shenandoah University. Groeger retired in 2010 after working for 32 years as a health and physical education teacher in the Lawrence Township School District, where she worked in every school except Eldridge Park. Candidate statement: I am running for re-election to the Lawrence Township Board of Education because I want to continue to bring my passion and 32 years of experience as an educator, in Lawrence, to the students, staff and Lawrence community. During my 13-year tenure as a member of the Lawrence School Board, I have served on several committees, including the Community Relations and Legislative Affairs and Personnel Committees, of which I am presently the chairperson. I have been the Board liaison to a number of community groups, providing me direct interaction with the comSee ELECTION, Page 6
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