Hartnell students host candidate debate

Candidates running for election to represent Trustee Area 1 (Demetrio Pruneda and Manuel Osorio) and Trustee Area 4 (Bill Freeman and Aurelio Salazar) will appear to make opening statements and answer questions submitted by the audience at a candidate debate hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Salinas Valley and the Hartnell College Political Science Club.

When: 6:00 – 7:30 pm Thursday, October 15.

Where: B-208 (The Meeting Room), Hartnell College

Supported by: The Associated Students of Hartnell College

School elections are Nov. 3, and two candidate forums are on tap

The first one is being organized by the New Monterey Neighborhoood Association and will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14, at the Hilltop Center, 871 Jessie Street at Withers.

Newcomer to politics Derrick Jory, a recent graduate of Monterey High School, is challenging Jon Hill for his position as the Monterey Peninsula School District board trustee from District 3 (Monterey). Hill stands for his first election after winning the seat four years ago. Hill, a PhD, has been involved in education for years. His seat is the only one of three being contested in the District.

The forum will also have the candidates for the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, Molly Evans and Jeffrey W. Gorman.

The second forum is being organized by the Salinas Taxpayers Association, where the seven candidates vying for two open seats will face off. It will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1071 Pajaro St., Salinas.

See you there!

Friday is the last day to file for the upcoming school election

And there's already some interesting surprises. For instance, not one but three people are running against Janet Barnes in the Salinas City Elementary School District. I suspected Barnes would face at least one opponent, but three? 

Former Hartnell Trustee David Serena is coming back for seconds. He's filed for the Trustee Area 4 seat, now occupied by Elia Gonzalez-Castro. Now word yet if Gonzalez-Castro plans to run, in which I would suspect it would be a very nasty contest given the past history between them.

And if Gonzalez-Castro decides to seat out, then the balance of the board would change to have four males and three females -- who have voted along gender lines in some specially tough decisions. It would make for an interesting dynamic.

We'll see what other surprises the Aug. 7 deadline brings. Stay tuned.

The November election is upon us...

So I will be sharing interesting tidbits from time to time about who's running and what not.

For starters, if you're considering to run for a seat in the Monterey Peninsula College governing board, President Walter Tribley will be conducting an orientation at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 20, in Room 106 of the humanities building of the college.

At the orientation, Tribley will provide information about the college district, the state community college system, and the role of the governing board. For additional information, call Vicki Nakamura, at 646-4114.

The seats up for re-election are Trustee Area 3 (Monterey/Del Rey Oaks), Trustee Area 4 (Pacific Grove/Pebble Beach), and Trustee Area 5 (Carmel/Carmel Valley/Big Sur).

Any registered voter interested in running for office in the November 3 election can file the required paperwork by the August 7 deadline . Candidates for schools or special district offices file with the Monterey County Elections Office. Find more information about this election, including available seats here or call (831) 796-1499 toll-free at (866) 887-9274.

Election season is upon us

It's school board election season, and several trustees are up for re-election -- Jon Hill, Debra Gramespacher and Diane Creasy among them.

For the would-be candidates out there, the Monterey County Elections Department is hosting a candidate seminar and invites anyone interested in running for office in the November 3 elections to attend.

The seminar is scheduled from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 13 at the Schilling Place Building, 1441 Schilling Place, Salinas.

Personnel from Monterey County Elections will provide an overview of:

Requirements for office
Filing procedures
Important deadlines
Campaign finance reporting obligations

Attendance is free. To RSVP call 831-796-1499 or email Greta Arevalo at arevalog@co.monterey.ca.us. For more information click here.

Local lawyers host fundraiser for Tom Torlakson

If you have a cool $100 to spare, and you're dying to meet California Superintendent of Schools Tom Torlakson, this fundraiser is for you.

Lombardo and Giles -- the high powered land use attorneys that are reputedly expanding their expertise into education law -- will host the "Agriculture & Hospitality Industry Fundraiser" for Torlakson on April 16 at Corral de Tierra Country Club.

The event will also feature a special recognition for Margaret D'Arrigo-Martin for doing both the agricultural industry and school children a favor by increasing the number of salad bars in local schools.

Torlakson just got re-elected in 2014 in a very competitive race. If he's starting fundraising so early it must mean that: he's running again (this one from the duh! files) and that he's expecting another strong challenger.

And if you feel generous, you could support the supt at different financial levels. Call Holly Davis at 754.2444 ext 333 or email Holly@LG-Attorneys.com to find out how.

Monday's the last day to register to vote in Ibarra recall

If you live in trustee area 1 of the Alisal Union School District, and you've been following the saga of Meredith Ibarra and efforts to recall her, you'd probably want to know the last day to register to vote in the election is Monday.

You can register to vote, update your registration, or verify your registration status at the Elections Department, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1370-B South Main Street in Salinas, or online here.

Registration forms must be received or postmarked by Aug. 25 to be qualified to vote on the Sept. 9 Recall Election.

Go vote!

The biggest takeaway from the MPUSD election

MPUSD trustees, this message's for you.

And it's a message that I was going to send later in the month, as you come closer to select a new superintendent -- but I reserve the right to re-send the message later in the year ;)

The community has spoken. And the community really wants a leader they know and trust.

Isn't that what teachers and other people have been telling you for years?

So Mr. Tim Chaney ran a good, hard campaign, but he's a newcomer to the community. To his credit, he's very close to winning a seat on the board, and perhaps we won't know until Friday whether he actually makes it. 

And here's Carole Dawson, a respected community leader who's voluntereed for several organization over the more than two decades she's lived among us.

She practically didn't lift a finger for the campaign, and she's close to nabbing that seat.

If you count the votes cast for Richard Gold, who has lived in the community also for over two decades, you can tell Monterey residents decidedly voted for trust.

It's not just the election that's making me write this. It's what's happening in your district, from MAOS on down.

You need a leader who can be trusted. And trust does not just blow in from the bay like the summer fog. It's built over time, it's earned.

And unfortunately, given the current circumstances, it can easily be shattered. Think about that.

Alisal, being sued by teachers left and right

This is another one of the stories I'll get to eventually.

Alisal Union School District employee Liz Nájera Ramirez has filed a claim against the district alleging sexual harassment by Jesus Lepe, principal at Frank Paul Elementary. A few days ago, before the Alisal Board went into closed session, Nájera Ramirez accused Trustee Lilia Cortez Garza of lying to a newspaper by saying she didn't know anything about her claim.

Like all trustees, Cortez Garza is informed during closed session of all legal claims against the district.

Nájera Ramirez goes on to make pretty severe accusations against Lepe, who's also running for school board in Greenfield Union Elementary School District. This is not the first time I hear of these allegations, and apparently, there are two claims against Lepe filed with the district.

My editor filed a public records request to obtain the claims, but so far, we have not received response from the Alisal.

You can watch Nájera Ramirez make her accusations here.

It's not surprising to see the Alisal once again return to the spotlight, given its history. But I think the elections have ratcheted up the overall level of nastiness. 

It'll be interesting to see who wins the election. Stay tuned.

Pacific Grove and North Monterey County will ask voters to approve school bonds

Along with the myriad candidates seeking office at local school boards, two school districts want voters to approve bonds for infrastructure and technology upgrades.

Measure G will ask voters of PG Unified to let them issue $27.8 million in short term bonds.

Measure H will benefit North Monterey County Unified, which for years has decried the poor shape of some of its buildings. That bond would be $23.8 million.

Measure H campaign folks will host an information session at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16, at La Scoula Building, 10700 Merrit St., Castroville. For more information, contact Lori Miranda, the campaign's chair, at 831-235-3842.

José Castañeda responds to Salinas lawsuit

If you are a typical reader -- like most media assumes you are -- you're probably no doubt enamored of the José Castañeda debacle; breathlessly waiting for our next installment in the drama of his apparently illegal claim to hold on to two seats, and the media's desperate attempt to dislodge him from such comfortable accomodations.

Well, if that describes you, here's the latest: the document Castañeda filed last night to challenge the city's claims. A story will follow later today and tomorrow's print edition. Stay tuned.

Former Monterey Peninsula College trustees spoke, and Marina listened

If you missed the controversy of the week, three former Monterey Peninsula College trustees (namely Charley Page, Jim Tunney and Lynne Davis) urged current Marina trustee Margaret-Anne Coppernoll to either not run or for Marina residents to step up and find someone to run against her.

You can find the Herald's story here, an editorial on the topic here, and a rebuttal from current Marina City Councilman Dave Brown here.

Well, it looks like at least one Marina resident will heed the Peninsula folks' advice. Former Marina Mayor Gary Wilmot has taken out papers to run for the MPC seat. His paperwork is not complete, but neither is Coppernoll's, so anything can happen between now and August 9. Maybe another candidate will throw his/her hat in the ring?

Stay tuned.

School boards election watch in Monterey County

For those who want to represent their communities at the various school boards, we're almost a month away from Monterey County's deadline to file for candidacy.

A few interesting races are shaping up so far.

Maricela Cruz will take on Lilia Cortez-Garza for her seat the Alisal Union School District. Cruz co-owns a soccer store in the Alisal, which means she's probably well known among the area's soccer fans. Cortez-Garza, like the rest of the board, is a strong supporter of Superintendent John Ramirez and the current status quo, which some folks are unhappy about.

Former Salinas Union High Superintendent Fernando Elizondo will throw his hat in the ring on Aug. 8, when he'll announce his candidacy at a Salinas restaurant. His election website is up and running, and you can find it here. He's running against Lila Cann, who has been on the board since 2005 and who's well liked among his constituents, I'm told. Cann announced she's running for re-election a few weeks ago, along with all the incumbents seeking re-election.

Stay tuned.

Election season is upon Monterey County

Oh yes, we're going to have elections this year. And judging by the excitement already in the air, they're going to be more exciting than ever.

Deadline for candidates to file their paperwork is Aug. 9, but many have already announced their plans. At MPUSD, Trustees Helen Rucker and Regena Lauterbach already said they're not running, so there will be brand new trustees in those spots. Bettye Lusk will run for re-election, and I'll be interesting to see if anybody steps up to challenge her. Tom Jennings will have to run if he wants to keep his seat.

The list goes on and on. At the Alisal Union School District, where some constituents are not happy with decisions being made at the top, Lilia Cortez-Garza will have at least one challenger. Also up for re-election are Sarah Garcia and José Castañeda -- who's facing a lawsuit from the City of Salinas to give up his school board seat.

The office of Monterey County Elections will host a candidate's seminar from 9 to 11 a.m. this Saturday. So if you're interested, here's your chance. You can find more info here.

Mark Stilwell to fill vacancy on Carmel Unified School District board

Mark Edward Stilwell Sr., executive vice president for the Pebble Beach Company and a 12-year resident within the boundaries of the Carmel Unified School District, has been appointed to fill a vacancy on its board of education.  The appointment was confirmed late Tuesday at a special meeting.

Stilwell and his wife Susan have three children who attend Carmel High School. He's been an involved parent, volunteering as a youth sports coach in soccer, basketball and baseball for the Monterey YMCA and Carmel Unified Youth Baseball. In addition, he volunteers as an alumni interviewer for Yale and has interviewed seniors at Carmel High and other local schools for many years.

Mathew Fuzie has resigned from the board effective June 5, and Stilwell will be in office until the next election scheduled for November.

Of Michelle Rhee and the upcoming school board elections

Michelle Rhee and her organization, StudentsFirst, are doling out a lot of dough to elect candidates that will carry out her anti-union views at school boards. Here's a really good article about her recent contribution to candidates for the L.A. Unified School District.

I wonder what her daughters think about her mom's "frank talk." 

School board elections are more than seven months away, but there's already chatter on both sides of Monterey's Lettuce Curtain about who's going to run and who's going to throw in his/her weigh behind candidates.

I expect it's going to get really nasty at the Alisal. There's rumors that anti-status quo forces (and yes, Castañeda is the status quo) are gearing up to recruit three candidates to take over the board. One of the candidates would have to run against -- yes, you guessed it -- José Castañeda.

Not only is Castañeda nowhere near giving up his seat at the Alisal board, but I hear he wants to run AGAIN for the seat come November. I'm not making this up.

Speaking of the Alisal, there's a lot of discontent brewing because administrators fired Oscar Loya Principal Dannette Bryson, who has not even been at the district for a year. Then about 15 classified employees were given a pink slip last week. Long time principal of Alisal Community School Elizabeth Armenta was also forced out. No surprise there. Castañeda and his allies have always had it against Armenta's brother-in-law, Monterey County Supervisor Fernando Armenta, and it's surprising Elizabeth lasted this long after Castañeda took over the board.

At MPUSD, several trustees have said they don't want to run again. It'll be interesting to see who throws their hats in the ring.

North Monterey County to hold special hearing on trustee boundary lines

The Monterey County Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday to approve proposed trustee boundary lines. The new boundary lines will mean trustees will be elected by district, and new elections would begin this November for trustees in areas 2 and 4.

Traditionally, this type of change requires an election, but North Monterey County Unified is requesting the election be waived, and Monterey County trustees will consider whether to waive the election also at Wednesday's meeting.

The meeting will take place at North Monterey County Middle School, 10301 Seymour St., Castroville.

Pacific Grove Unified will get manual recounting for parcel tax vote

There will be a public recount for local ballot Measure A, Pacific Grove Unified School District’s parcel tax measure, Monterey County Elections officials announced Monday.

Results tallied by Monterey County election officials reflected that the measure failed by less than one percent, with 6,102 votes in favor of and 3,092 votes against the measure. Parcel taxes need 67 percent of the vote to be approved.

The request for a recount was made by the Pacific Grove Unified School District on December 5. Any request for a recount of any ballot contest must be filed within five days of certifying the election, which was Friday, December 7, according to elections officials.

The manual recount will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, and will continue every day until it's complete.

San Antonio students go for Romney

Today students at San Antonio School in south county received a civics lesson by 8th graders with the older pupils guiding their younger peers in the importance of voting.
 After watching videos of the presidential candidates, listening to presentations on the issues, and discussing what they all meant, the students voted and here's the results:

Presidential Vote
Obama - 78  (48 percent)
Romney - 85 (52 percent)

Prop 30 - Tax Increase
No - 106  (65 percent)
Yes - 56 (35 percent)

Prop 37 - Food Labeling
No - 77  (52 percent)
Yes - 72  (48 percent)

Given current polls, it doesn't seem likely the students will be predictors, at least not on the propositions. Maybe in the presidential election? Who knows. The important issue here is that the little ones are being schooled in the importance of voting. So they'll urge their parents to cast their ballots tomorrow, if they haven't done so.

Happy election day, everyone! I can hardly wait. 

Gov. Brown's coming to Salinas to rally for Prop. 30

Monterey County Democrats are all abuzz about a rally to be held Thursday at Hartnell College, when Gov. Jerry Brown's scheduled to make an appearance and rally for Proposition 30.

Brown has been campaigning all over the state for the tax measure, aimed at balancing the budget and keep funds for schools, colleges and universities at the same level they were last year. If the measure doesn't pass, Brown will cut $6 billion to education.

Opponents to the measure feel the governor is holding education hostage, and have launched a strong campaign to defeat the additional taxes.