Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Payne, Zartman Elected to ANC, Byrd to School Board

In an election in which only 37 percent of the nearly 44,000 registered Georgetown voters showed up at the polls, eight Advisory Neighborhood Commission candidates in District Two won resounding victories, each receiving at least 40 percent of the vote in their respective districts. However, despite [opposition by Campaign Georgetown, former ANC Commissioner Westy Byrd](https://www.thehoya.com/news/campaign-georgetown-attacks-byrd/) won a seat on the D.C. Board of Education. The [only current Georgetown student who ran as an official candidate, Matt Payne (COL ’01)](https://www.thehoya.com/news/sophomore-payne-seeks-seat-on-anc/), took 93 percent of the votes in district 2E05. Roberto Coquis, Payne’s one serious write-in opponent, proved to be non-threatening. In January Payne will replace James Fogarty (COL ’98) and he will become the only student on the Commission. “I am looking forward to putting forward my best for Georgetown,” Payne said. “I think we’ve made great strides in the past two years in neighborhood relations, and I’m sure we’ll continue that during my term.” Defeating Campaign Georgetown-sponsored [Garrett Rasmussen and Eric Gaull (GRD ’95, MBA ’98), Barbara Zartman](https://www.thehoya.com/news/anc-hopefuls-square-off-in-forum/) will [replace Westy Byrd in district 2E04](https://www.thehoya.com/news/three-vie-for-bryds-anc-seat/). Though Zartman is known to agree with Byrd on issues such as student voting and off-campus student housing, she said that she and Byrd are nevertheless very different people with very different approaches to community problems. “I just today sent off my check to subscribe to The Hoya and I’m going to contact [Campaign Georgetown Co-chairperson] Bridget Siegel,” Zartman said. She also invited any students with issues or problems to come talk to her. Zartman added that she looks forward to bringing “any contribution [she] can make” from her extensive experience in District-wide public service to the ANC over the next two years. Byrd, though she resigned from the ANC after moving out of the area last spring, won 46 percent of the vote for the Ward 2 position on the D.C. School Board. Campaign Georgetown had endorsed George Holmes, who was second. Last week, Campaign Georgetown hung a series of flyers to mobilize students not to vote for Byrd because of her history of anti-student actions. As ANC commissioner, Byrd supported the zoning overlay, which would have limited the amount of unrelated students in a house to three. The measure was defeated by the D.C. government in November 1997. Byrd also challenged students’ voting rights in the District in 1996, hanging fliers on campus saying that students would lose their financial aid if they voted in D.C. The D.C. Court of Appeals has upheld students’ right to vote in the District. In [district 2E08, Mark Ryan (DMA ’81)](https://www.thehoya.com/news/anc-candidates-in-2e06-7-8-focus-on-students-community/) defeated incumbent James Linen (MBA ’93), who has served on the ANC since a special election last January. Ryan, who had 61 percent of the district’s votes, said he wasn’t running a campaign against anyone, but rather for himself and for the Georgetown community. “I’m going to try to do the best job I can by bringing in new ideas. I’m just going to be there when the time comes,” he said. Running unopposed, Jonda McFarlane, the returning ANC chair, won 93 percent of the vote in district 2E06; Art Schultz, replacing Cynthia Anthony (SFS ’76), had 94 percent of the vote in district 2E07; Fran Goldstein, a returning commissioner in district 2E02, had 93 percent of the vote; and Peter Pulsifer, a known pro-community activist replacing Rebecca Sinderbrand, had 92 percent of the vote in district 2E03. Defeating [last minute write-in candidate Kay Parish (COL ’02)](https://www.thehoya.com/news/frosh-parish-runs-as-anc-write-in/), Scott Polk swept district 2E01 with 93 percent of the vote. Polk will replace Judy Dollenmayer. [William Lippert (GRD ’99) was defeated in district 3B03](https://www.thehoya.com/news/lippert-bids-for-anc-spot-in-next-election/) by Ann Lloyd Breeden, who works in Georgetown University’s President’s office and took 81 percent of the votes. Well-balanced with pro-student and pro-community commissioners, the new ANC board is likely to continue the recent trend of the last two years of improving community/university relations in Georgetown. Since the last election in 1996, when both the topics of the zoning overlay and student voting were actively and hotly debated and relations between the students and the community were at their recent worst, both issues have been settled or at least put aside for the time being. Despite the losses of Rasmussen and Parish, Campaign Georgetown was pleased with the election results. According to Bridget Siegel (COL ’99), co-chair of Campaign Georgetown, “It was great to see so much student activism for the elections. The students’ continued involvement has made a real, positive difference which was illustrated by the friendly and effective atmosphere at the polls.

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