Matthew Vansuch remembers first meeting him nearly 12 years ago at an American Legion Boys State event.
At the time, Vansuch was only 17, but he reminded Richard Orwig of the encounter just last week, days before challenging him for the spot he's held on the Howland Board of Trustees for 32 years.
"I just wanted to let him know, a good, hardy competition is of good, democratic value," said Vansuch.
Tuesday, Vansuch, now 29, beat the 84-year-old veteran and longtime legion member by a margin of about 167 votes.
In years past, Orwig said he's been challenged by two or four candidates in any one election, but never as many as this year's eight. Incumbent Sally Wehmer was the top vote-getter followed by Vansuch. Orwig was third in votes.
"This year, there seems to be a lot of dissatisfaction everywhere," said Orwig. "A lot of townships had a lot of races."
In Bazetta, there were nine candidates fighting for two trustee seats. In Champion and Hartford, six candidates vied for two spots on each board.
Orwig said this year he campaigned as he always did, going door to door and handing out fliers.
He said the township is in excellent shape financially and, over the years, it's been fortunate to house Republic Steel and Packard Electric, he said. Big issues he remembers during his tenure is annexation of the Eastwood Mall to Niles and the establishment of SCOPE.
His term will expire at the end of the year. When it does, he'll continue his activities with American Legion and to work the cabinet shop he has at his home.
As far as his victory, Vansuch feels voters realized they had to think of the future.
"That tells me voters in Howland are ready for something different," Vansuch said of the results. "People I believe are very concerned ... and looking to the future and asking themselves, what are we going to do."
Vansuch is a Howland graduate and works as an attorney in Warren. He was part of the township's comprehensive planning steering committee and helped with a building study and levy campaign for the improvement of the school district's buildings.
Vansuch and Wehmer will join Trustee Rick Clark on the board.
