Bruce Bellamy thinks his working class background and the fact he is the only African-American candidate will add needed diversity.
By BARBARA BEHRENDT
Published May 4, 2004
Inverness native Bruce Bellamy, 50, has four grown children and has coached local basketball, soccer and football teams.
INVERNESS - Bruce Bellamy, a lifelong Inverness resident and son of the Rev. Leroy Bellamy, joined the race for the District 5 School Board seat Monday.
Sandra "Sam" Himmel will vacate that seat in November to run for superintendent.
Bellamy, 50, said his decision to run was a logical step for him since he has spent years working with local youth as a coach for Little League and various basketball, soccer and football teams.
"I just love kids, and I think that I can be effective in making sure that this aspect of the school system is well represented," said Bellamy, who has four grown children of his own.
Himmel is leaving the seat midterm, so the winner of the District 5 race will serve the remaining two years of her term. In addition to Bellamy, two local educators also are seeking the District 5 School Board seat. They are Barbie Bogart and Linda Powers.
Bellamy said this run for public office, his first, is an extension of a lesson his father taught him: to do the right thing. The elder Bellamy has a road named after him in Inverness as a testimony to community support for the minister.
A carpenter by trade, Bellamy said he thinks his background as a working man would be a plus to the School Board, which traditionally has been made up mostly of teachers. Bellamy also is the only African-American currently seeking a School Board seat.
"My philosophy is that the more diversity you have on a board, the better," he said. "That diversity makes a board effective."
Bellamy has a wide variety of interests, and when he is not on the ball field with local youth, he is frequently on stage in a variety of community theater roles. Most recently he completed performances in To Kill a Mockingbird.
From his experience working with children and families through athletics, he said he has learned to deal with different kinds of people coming from different backgrounds. He said that skill will be a plus if he wins a seat on the board and is faced with the challenges that job includes.
Those experiences have also helped him learn fairness, no matter who a child's parents might be. "In every decision I want to do what's best for the school system" without playing favorites or advancing a personal agenda, he said.
"I think we need more diversity, and I think we need more people who don't have a personal agenda," he said.
While he isn't running to promote specific issues at this point, Bellamy said he would promise to research all issues carefully to reach his decisions. "I will do my homework," he added.
The School Board races are nonpartisan and the first primary is Aug. 31. If none of the candidates win 50 percent of the vote plus one in that election, the top two vote getters will move on to the November general election.
The current School Board salary is approximately $28,800.
Three seats on the board are open this year. Incumbent Ginger Bryant is currently the only candidate for the District 2 seat. District 4 incumbent Patience Nave has announced that she will not seek another term and four candidates have announced plans to run for that seat. They are Fred Clark, John Kolley, Felicia Kelly Smith and Bill Murray.
