This write-in was nobody to write off

Running for the St. Anthony-New Brighton school board wasn't a last-minute idea for write-in winner Don Siggelkow.

By Norman Draper, Star Tribune

Last update: November 17, 2007 - 3:36 PM

Don Siggelkow's idea of a campaign isn't exactly pounding the pavement, setting up phone banks or massive lit drops.

The newly elected member of the St. Anthony-New Brighton Board of Education campaigned one weekend -- the one just before the election. He spent about $80 printing up flyers, then handed them out to friends and asked them to do the rest of the work. On election eve, his campaign was thwarted by the weather; it was a bit chilly.

"So I ended the campaign," said the unapologeitc Siggelkow, 50, who works as a general manager for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

But, hey, whatever works.

Siggelkow won the third seat up for grabs on the board as a write-in candidate. There was no opposition; in the St. Anthony/New Brighton district this year, two candidates -- both of them incumbents -- ran for three seats on the Nov. 6 ballot. Siggelkow figured that the third seat was his for the taking, and he was right. His 83 write-in votes dwarfed those of any opposition write-ins, none of whom got more than 10 votes.

It should come as no surprise that incumbent board members Jane Eckert and Mike Volna were reelected, both garnering more than 600 votes. All things considered, Siggelkow considers his vote tally to be a pretty decent showing.

"Without anything to motivate them to go to the polls, I was pleased to get 83 votes," he said. "I think I probably know every one of them."

Running for the board as a write-in wasn't something Siggelkow dreamed up just a few days before the election. He was mulling it over last summer, after hearing that incumbent Rick Dunn was stepping down. But he figured his duties as a traveling baseball team coach and commissioner for the St. Anthony community baseball program would prevent him from campaigning.

The July 3-17 filing period came and went, and no candidates stepped in to fill the void.

"I was surprised someone hadn't been recruited to be a candidate," Siggelkow said. "I became enthusiastic when I saw there were only two candidates. ... There have been a couple of people I've talked to who might have wanted to do it, but there were things that precluded them from doing it. I did do a lot of talking to people, and got some encouragement. "

Sigglekow, who with wife Helen has two school-age children, and has been active as a school and district volunteer, figures he talked to about 100 people before determining in mid-September that he would throw his hat in the ring.

The idea appealed to him for several reasons. Siggelkow said he wants to be part of the solution to the district's building maintenance problems. Also, from his volunteer work on a superintendent search committee a year ago, he came to admire the candidate who was hired -- Rod Thompson -- and wants to work with him. He's also interested in starting a high school alumni association and mentoring group for graduating seniors.

"It's an excellent school district and I'm happy to be a part of it," he said. "I don't have an agenda to change direction."

He begins his four-year term in January, and he has already received his marching orders from board Chairman Volna. Those include reading the district strategic and facilities plans.

"He's got a lot of stuff for me to review before I start," Siggelkow said.

As for the vote total, it's going to be hard for Siggelkow to forget.

"[Parks and Recreation Commissioner] Walt Dziedzic is now calling me 'number 83,'" he said.

Norman Draper • 612-673-4547

Norman Draper • ndraper@startribune.com

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