The Times from Munster, Indiana • 3

The Times DECISION 1994 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9. 1994 A3 Buncich: 'There's a new sheriff in towri John Buncich Ernest Niemeyer (R) ...33,138 Victorious Democrat says election proves the political pundits wrong. BY MARK KIESLING Times Staff Writer He didn't have the backing of the Democratic king-makers in the May primary. He faced a popular veteran Republican politician in Tuesday's contest. But John Buncich, he had received a concession call from his Republican opponent, County Commissioner Ernest Niemeyer, about 8:35 p.m.

Buncich embraced his wife and kissed his mother, then praised his supporters, some of whom admitted they gave his candidacy a slim chance when it began 34 months ago. "I never thought we'd do it," said one. "Yeah, we've come a long way," another said. ating Engineers Local 150 union hall in Merrillville. The Sheriffs Department has always been considered Lake County's political plum because of its enormous staff and the sheriff's cut of collections on delinquent property taxes.

In the past, the office had been held by county politicians who passed it around each election like a pieces of spoils to be divided. But in 1983, the late Chris Anton, a county police officer, won the office using the slogan "a policeman for a policeman's job." When Anton died in office, he was replaced by County Commissioner Rudy Bartolomei, who later resigned in disgrace after pleading guilty to federal weapons and extortion charges. He was followed by a professional cop East Chicago's former chief, Stephen Stiglich -who was also a politician, having unsuccessfully challenged East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick. Buncich, who campaigned on the same theme as Anton, said his victory proved the political pundits wrong. He beat 11 other candidates in the May Democratic primary, including several popular, proven vote-getters.

"The people have spoken, and they're the ones who vote," Buncich said. "People aren't concerned with politics; they're concerned with crime. That's why they elected a professional law enforcement officer rather than as politician." Buncich told his supporters who rose through the ranks of the Lake County Sheriff's Department, was elected sheriff Tuesday. "I want to tell all the drug pushers, all the gang members, there's a new sheriff in town and we're coming after you," he said in a speech to hundreds of cheering supporters at the Oper Anton enjoys big win in county clerk race Or. if.

i m. Arim fwb'xUi tSwrnt1-' Anna N. Anton (D) 58,961 Fredrick Starks (R) .....31,834 SL 'lilt-: BY KIM BARKER Times Staff Writer ST. JOHN Veteran politician Anna Anton touched her hand to her throat when asked her reaction to winning the election for Lake County Circuit Court Clerk over Republican Fredrick Starks. Anton, a Democrat from Schererville, has been the Lake County auditor since 1986.

She's been a precinct committeeman since 1952. Still, she was surprised. With 99 percent of the votes tallied, Anton claimed 65 percent of the 90,795 votes cast, and newcomer Starks grabbed 35 percent. "I can't believe it," Anton said. "I'm very happy.

I just didn't think the people would come out like this." Anton, 67, set up camp at Restaurant in St. John with her daughter, two sons and four grandchildren. Many friends also waited for results with her. "I want to do a good job," she said. "I want to get to know the girls." She said she wanted to run a good, efficient clerk's office.

Three blocks north, Starks waited to hear the final news along with other Republicans at Teibel's Restaurant in Schererville. But he was resigned to his fate. II -1 V- "I hope Anna does a good job," Starks said. "I hope everyone elected does a good job." Starks of Munster is a relatively new face to politics in Lake County. He's 41 years old and an administrator for the National Guard.

Starks was a precinct committeeman from 1990 to 1994 and the secretary for the Munster Republican Party from 1992 to 1993. He planned to let Anton know that he wished her luck. Til probably write a little letter to her and put it on paper," he said. "I think she does a good job." He punctuates his sentences with humor and winks, and he's got an appropriate novel for every moment. In a 15-minute conversation, he recommended three books concerning politics and the media.

"And everybody thought that Adlai Stevenson was the last egghead, and on the other side," Starks said. Stevenson was the Democrat presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956. Starks did not rule out politics in his future. "You never know in two years," he said with a wink. Yvette Marie Dostatni The Times It was 45 minutes and counting for Bernice Olovich, who was waiting to cast her ballot at John Woods Elementary School in Hobart.

Problems at the polls steam voters rr Ryskamp tops Galambos for County Council seat i Am Grifflth Lance Ryskamp (R) ...........8,628 Richard Galambos (D) 6,330 Hobart Robert Crossk (D) 7,346 Carroll Lewis (R) 5,654 Crown Point Larry Blanchard (R) 10,379 David Dowling (D) 5,504 "You have taken away my privilege to vote," he said. "You make me feel like I have to look all the way around me. Can I go to the store without you being there? "I guarantee you," Kouros added, "that if there is something negative in that newspaper tomorrow, Til have my attorneys looking into it." Kouros lost his bid to be re-elected to the council to Baranowski in the spring primary. Recently, his brother George has been embroiled in controversy for directing 35 absentee ballots to be mailed to the house where he and Tom and their parents live. Tom Kouros said on Oct.

28 that he knew nothing of the situation involving the absentee ballots, and that he was supporting Baranowski. "That's an out and out lie!" Baranowski said outside the Precinct 4 polling place, adding that the election board should refer the absentee ballot controversy to prosecutors for investigation. Out of alignment Robert Woods said the MicroVote machine he used in Calumet Township Precinct 5 generated its own problem. On the third page of the electronic ballot, he said the candidate lines "didn't match up with the buttons to the side" and were off by one or two rows. Woods said he spoke with election officials at the polling place and "they couldn't give me a phone number.

They couldn't take any action such as calling in somebody to repair the machine. I was appalled." Explicit directions were given election workers on Saturday as to whom to call in case of difficulties, said Nancy Maluga, assistant chief deputy at the election board, adding that some workers just don't listen to the directions. BY WILLIAM LAZARUS Times Staff Writer Long lines in Hobart and Merrillville, a pol at the polls in Schererville, and askew electronic ballots in Calumet Township were among the concerns of some Lake County voters Tuesday. Af John Woods Elementary School in Hobart, voters waited up to two hours to cast their ballots at the sole voting machine available for 570 registered voters. Election officials promised a second machine in the morning, but it never arrived, said Precinct 26 Committeewoman Mary Dixon.

A staffer at the Lake County Combined ElectionVoters Registration Board said in the late afternoon that no more voting machines were available. Robert McGuckin said he waited one hour and 55 minutes before being able to vote about 6 m. When he left, he said, the doors to the polling place were closed, but the line inside still looked about two hours long. During that period, McGuckin said, Precinct 26A, also at the Woods school, had only about eight voters. In Merrillville, John Galanos said he had spent an hour waiting at St.

Andrews Church, the polling place for Precinct 8. He said he voted, but "there were people who just left" without casting their ballots. Schererville pol At Grimmer Middle School in Schererville, campaign workers for Democrat Town Council candidate George Baranows-ki were disturbed about the possibility that primary election bitterness had spilled over into the general election. Marylou Mamrila and J.T. Loudermilk said they were standing the required 50- Todd Panagopoulos The Times Schererville Town Council candidates George Baranowski, left, and Ed Cook discuss alleged electioneering.

foot distance away from the Precinct 4 polling place, passing out Baranowski literature, when they saw Town Council President Tom Kouros enter to vote about 7 a.m. Kouros, they said, stayed inside the doorway at the polling place for another half hour to 45 minutes, talking to voters as they came in. "Both the doors were open this morning. He was standing where the rope is," Mamrila said. Inspector Karen Rosiak disagreed, saying that no one campaigned from inside the polling place.

Kouros said he only had been waiting in line to vote and talking with neighbors for about 10 minutes, and had not done any campaigning. He strenuously objected to The Times' having responded to a complaint by making inquiries at the polling place without contacting him first. Dupey, Montgomery, Carter win re-election. BY KIM BARKER Times Staff Writer SCHERERVILLE When Lance Ryskamp walked into the Republican headquarters at Teibel's Restaurant on Tuesday night, he wore a big smile and shadows under his eyes. Ryskamp had just made the rounds to the different communities where he's a candidate for a Lake County Council seat.

And he had learned that he had beat incumbent County Councilman Richard Galambos, D-Griffith, with 99 percent of the votes tallied by a vote of 8,628 to 6,330. "Tonight, an important milestone in Lake County politics has been achieved," Republican Dan Pastar said over the microphone. "Richard Galambos has been defeated by Lance Ryskamp." Galambos, 64, is an energy consultant from Griffith. He has served on the County Council for 16 years. He was also a Griffith Town Board member from 1968 to 1978.

Ryskamp, 33, is a public relations consultant and a lawyer. He has been a Highland Town Councilman since 1992 and has served on the Highland Plan Commission and the Highland Council of Community Events. In the other two competitive County Council races, incumbent Councilman Robert Crossk, D-Hobart, held onto his seat with 7346 votes, and Larry Blanchard, a Crown Point Republican, won a slot with 10,379 votes. The County Council will now have five Democrats and two Republicans the same party breakdown as in the past but with different faces. Besides newcomers Blanchard and Ryskamp, unopposed Democrat John Aguilera will replace Republican Mark Herak as a county councilman for the 5th District.

Aguilera got 8,210 votes. Crossk's district includes most of Hobart, Lake Station and Merrillville Ryskamp's district in- returns dudes Munster, Highland, Griffith, Dyer and Schererville, and parts of Merrillville and St. John Township. Blanchard's district includes most of the land south of U.S. 30.

Blanchard fought against Democrat David Dowling, 31, a detective corporal in the Schererville Police Department. Blanchard is the managersuperintendent of the Oak Knoll Golf Course. Dowling received 5,504 votes. But now, Blanchard, 45, will have the seat for at least another four years. Crossk, a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, has been a county councilman since 1983.

The 62-year-old Hobart resident also served on the Hobart City Council from 1979 to 1983. Crossk beat Carroll Lewis, 55, the Hobart building commissioner. Lewis, who garnered 5,654 votes, is also the chairman of the Republican Party in Hobart and a precinct committeeman. In unopposed County Council races, council President Frances Dupey of Hammond won re-election with 8,784 votes. Council-men Morris Carter and Troy Montgomery of Gary won re-election with 9,181 and 9,191 votes respectively.

Aguilera, who won a hard-fought primary in May, also faced no opposition in his East Chicago council district. All four are Democrats. County Commissioner Rudolph Clay, D-Gary, was also re-elected Tuesday. He faced no opponent. Clay received 22,094 votes.

A 3 Sam Orlich (D) 53,735 Irene Hollnga (D) 59,040 QBi ooo I lamec Thnmas fRl 31.932 I Bernard A. Carter (D) 63,403 No candidate 0.000 Joe Krnich (R). BY TRACY HAYHURST Times Staff Writer Democrat Samuel Orlich will change offices at the Lake County Government Center come January when he takes over as county auditor. Orlich, who was elected county recorder in 1992, beat Republican Joe Krnich for the auditor's seat by a vote of 53,735 to 35,388, according to unofficial returns showing 99 percent of the vote. The auditor's office currently is held by Anna Anton, who was elected clerk of the Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Tm very, very happy and glad to see a Democratic victory," Orlich said Tuesday evening. "I think the vote showed that Democrats Highland. Holinga was treasurer from 1977 to 1986, and was elected again in 1990 after Nick Angel decided not to run for re-election. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter, a Democrat, ran unopposed for the post he has held since December 1993. He received 63,403 votes.

Carter was appointed prosecutor after Jon DeGuilio was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. Before becoming prosecutor, he was a Lake Superior Court judge for five years. are still the party of the people. "I think there are going to be a lot more (Democrats) in office with the leadership of the precinct organizations and (party Chairman) Bob Pastrick," Orlich said.

Krnich, of Center Township, said he was "very happy" with his results, especially his dominance in communities south of Interstate 94. "I think that speaks for itself." "Where people are looking at qualifications, there are a lot of possibilities," said Krnich, an accountant with his own business in Merrillville. "ome people are pulling straight levers because they've been doing that for 30 years and they think it's best, but we're very pleased with my results." Democrat Irene Holinga will serve a fourth term as county treasurer. She defeated Republican James E. Thomas, who was making his first run for elected office, by a vote of 59,040 to 31,932.

Holinga had a strong lead early Tuesday evening, watching numbers come in at the Wicker Park Social Center with fellow Democrats in her hometown of ft.