By Tom Davidson
SHARPSVILLE AREA — The eight remaining Sharpsville Area School Board members spent more than an hour Monday interviewing three of the four candidates to fill the opening left when board member Charles “Chaz” Rice resigned last month.
The candidates interviewed thus far are:
• Daniel Houck, 43, of 44 Charles St., Clark.
A Republican, Houck works as a supervisor for a wrap-around services agency.
Houck has a master’s degree in counseling and sociology and is working toward a doctorate.
This is his first foray into public office.
A father of two Sharpsville students, “my wife and I believe in the district,” he told the board.
“This is one opportunity to get involved,” he said.
It’s important for school board members to “have their ear on the community,” he said, adding he understood that “no matter what you do, you’re not going to make everyone happy.”
• Beverly Barrett Scurpa, 43, of 470 7th St., Sharpsville.
A Democrat, Mrs. Scurpa works as a surgical services technician at UPMC Horizon, Farrell.
She also serves as judge of elections for the borough’s first precinct.
Her husband is a teacher and his brother is a high school principal, she said.
She has three children who are students in the high school.
The daughter of two teachers, Mrs. Scurpa said education has always played a big role in her life.
“I think it’s a very essential thing of children to have a good education,” she said.
School directors “provide the tools to make the schools and teachers efficient,” she said.
Although she’s related to district employees, Mrs. Scurpa said they don’t often “talk shop” at home.
She also said she can provide a “fresh perspective” because she isn’t Sharpsville born and bred.
• Cameron McConahy, 32, of 57 Milton St., Clark.
A Democrat, he is a human resource manager at Wheatland Tube.
He has no previous experience in public office.
McConahy said he moved to Clark five years ago and intends to “stick to” this area.
His two foster daughters will be Sharpsville students and he wants to be involved, he said.
Among his goals would be to “try to help do things in a better way,” he said.
His background gives him knowledge of how business works and how to manage people, he said.
He also emphasized his detachment from “local politics” of Sharpsville.
The board will interview the fourth candidate when it meets at 7 p.m. next Wednesday.
