Candidates lined up in Calaveras

The ballot is almost set for a late-summer vote in Calaveras County.

Twenty-six utility and service “special district” boards around the county have seats up for grabs in this election cycle. While many were settled when the number of candidates equaled the number of vacant seats during the recent filing period, the most prominent races on the ballot, those of the Calaveras County Water District, will each be contested.
 

 In District 1, representing most of the Ebbetts Pass corridor, candidates Don Stump and Dan Emerson, both of Avery, filed early for the seat about to be vacated by Bertha Underhill.
 

District 2 Director Bob Dean, of Mokelumne Hill, and District 3 representative Ed Rich, of Copperopolis, both looked to be unopposed early but Calaveras County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Diane Gray and Dennis Dooley, both of Angels Camp, filed to run against Rich and Jorge A. Contreras, of Mountain Ranch, will oppose Dean.

In other races:
    • incumbents Ronny Spradlin, of Valley Springs, and Gary West, of Burson, are vying for two four-year terms on the Foothill Fire Protection District board with challengers David Sant, of Wallace, and Robert Wayne Fry, of Burson.
    • incumbents Charles C. Moore, of Mokelumne Hill and Dave Ortegal and John Lavaroni, both of San Andreas, are facing a challenge from San Andreas resident Bill Perley for three open four-year Calaveras Public Utility District seats.
    • incumbent William J. Reidel, of Murphys, and Angels Camp residents Bill Airola and Greg Rasmussen along with Vallecito’s Gordon Sadler Jr. are seeking one of three four-year seats on the Union Public Utility District board.
    • West Point residents Carlos Cleo Young, Dawn Renee Zehms-Young and Charmaine Gyorkos all are going after two two-year slots in the Middle River Community Services District.
    • Darlene DeBaldo, Sue Russ, Phyllis Richards, Stephen Marsden and Eva Gress, all of Copperopolis, are competing for three four-year terms with Saddle Creek Community Services District.
    • David Reyner and Richard Guantone are in the race for a two-year term on the Wallace Community Services District,  while incumbents William Pugh and Charles Cantoni will be challenged by Patsy L. Bailey, Gerald O. Zedlitz and Larry Howen for three four-year slots.

In Angels Camp, a vote among City Council members is anticipated at Tuesday’s meeting for an appointment to fill the remaining year-and-a-half of late Councilman Paul Raggio’s term.

Angels Camp Business Association Past President Anne Forrest added her application to those of George Fry and Donnie Brooksher on Monday.

The public relations consultant, 70, said city residents should be proud of the “very diligent financial management” of its government, calling Angels “one of the best financially managed towns or cities in California.”    

The city has built up a substantial rainy day fund, she said, and “it is raining,” calling for some expenditure from the reserve.

Forrest also said the time has come for a strong economic development program to be implemented “to ensure jobs and quality of living.”

“While no one can even begin to fill Paul’s shoes or have the knowledge of Angels Camp that he had, I hope that through my experience with the Angels Camp Business Association and other organizations here in town, I will be able to represent the needs and issues of local businesses and property owners, as well as those of the entire community,” Forrest said.