Here are some of the highlights so far from the first group of interviews from Wake County school board applicants for the District 1 vacancy.

David Menaker acknowledged that he was talking himself out of the job by criticizing magnet schools. He said it's "absurd" that you have magnet schools at the elementary school level with all the options for children so young.

Menaker said the district does too much to perpetuate competition among schools, citing magnets as an example, instead of trying to make all schools fundamentally desirable.

David Menaker argues that what the Wake County school board needs is someone like him who is a businessman and not another educator to fill the District 1 vacancy.

In his application, Menaker, 64, points to his experience as president of a company that builds homes and commercial properties and managing partner of a residential development company. The Wendell resident also notes he was an elected official in Kill Devil Hills and is now a single parent with a son at Lake Myra Elementary.

"You will, no doubt, get applications from suitable ex-educators, administrators, etc. — well meaning folks with public education experience — I am not one and suggest that you already have a staff full of that talent," Menaker writes in his application.

The eight applicants for the Wake County school board vacancy are giving their views on diversity, armed guards in schools, the choice plan, performance pay for teachers, the school construction bond issue and charter schools.

The answers are part of an article in this week's issue of the liberal Independent Weekly, which focused on their views on diversity and armed guards. The diversity responses run the gamut from support to opposition to its use in student assignment.

On one end are these people whose views on diversity seem to be the closest in line to the board majority.

My eventual goal is to do separate blog posts for the six applicants who filed Friday for the Wake County school board District 1 vacancy, similar to what I did when the first two applied.

But for now, I'm including links so people can view the applications that all eight applicants submitted. Some tout their K-12 education experience, or their business experience or their military experience.

The applicants also bring up an interesting list of references, including current state legislators, past and present mayors, past school board members and leaders of community groups.

Pencil in Feb. 5 for the date when the Wake County school board will fill the vacancy for the District 1 seat.

The school board will hold 30-minute interviews with all eight applicants that day. The vote will come toward the end of that day's regularly scheduled meeting.

It was a bit of a compromise.

We've got the names, but not yet the application packets, for the people who filed Friday for the open District 1 seat on the Wake County school board.

The applicants are:

* H. Wade Minter, a Democrat from North Raleigh, who unsuccessfully ran in 2002 and 2004 as a Libertarian candidates for state House.

Actors who participated in Renaissance Fair say they didn't get paid and the former  board treasurer expresses concern over finances.

The Knightdale Town Council has authorized the condemnation of the property on which a pump station under construction sits at the Neuse River and Hodge Road.

JDH Riverview Commons of Charlotte that planned to build a commercial and residential development at Poole and Hodge Roads misplaced an easement before it was recorded, Town Attorney Clyde Holt told the Town Council  Wednesday.

The 3,600 square-foot parcel is held in a trust. The trustees are Thomas and Iris Tilley of Chapel Hill, Holt said.

Holt told the council that the Tilleys want to connect their nearby mobile home park to the town’s sewer line in exchange for the easement.

The mobile home park is outside of the town of Knightdale.

“We can’t wait on that process (annexation proceedings) for the easement,” Holt said Thursday.

“I will contact the Tilleys again and see if we can achieve this through a voluntary conveyance,” Holt said. “ If not, unfortunately we will have to file a condemnation. That sewer line is going to serve all of the property on Poole Road between Wendell and Raleigh. It’s just a tremendous public deterrent to not moving this project along.”

Holt said he estimated the market value of the property at $5,000 and that the Tilleys would receive that amount.

The Tilleys were unable to be reached.

Knightdale has been in negotiation with JDH Riverview Commons for over a year, trying to get the pump station finished.

The lost easement is the latest in a series of delays.

A subdivision planned for the property adjacent to JDH’s development can’t pump its sewer across the Neuse River until the pump station is complete.

Developer David Menaker of Menaker and Associates has asked the council to take action because he said he can’t build without sewer.

Menaker completed a $800,000, 30-inch .7 mile, water line to the corner of Hodge and Poole road for city water to lots at his subdivision, JDH’s development and Knightdale residents who live nearby.

He was reimbursed $400,000 by the city of Raleigh for the line.

Menaker said the delays with the pump station have cost him $10,000 a lot and $400,000 in interest.