The next and perhaps best chance of the entire campaign to evaluate the contenders for the three open seats on the School Board comes tonight at 7 with a Candidates Forum in Council Chambers at City Hall.
The League of Women Voters, with the venerable Frances Talbott-White at the helm, is sponsoring the program, which means it will be classy and professionally operated.
Unlike the canned, pre-recorded “candidates forum” last month at El Marino Language Immersion School, tonight should afford an authentic test of the candidates’ mettle and specific qualifications.
With this 6-candidate field, it is a tossup as to how many will show for a community program.
Based on recent history, the size of the turnout may depend on the weather for the extremities — whether a case of cold feet will sideline contender Gary Abrams for the second straight forum.
Otherwise, Karlo Silbiger, the odds-on favorite to be the leading votegetter, and the four closely bunched prospectve runnersup, Alan Elmont, Patricia Siever, Kathy Paspalis and Robert Zirgulis, are sure to be in their seats when Ms. Talbott-White gavels the evening to order.
As a pure showcase, this forum will give the candidates not named Silbiger their broadest opportunity to leave specific impressions with voters with less than four weeks to go until Election Day, Nov. 3.
None of the four, to date, has nudged ahead of his or her rivals.
