12 ready to run for school...

12 ready to run for school board in November

One city, four school boards and, thus far, 12 candidates.

With the November election fast approaching 12 hopefuls have emerged with plans to snag the various open seats from the elementary

to the community college level.

With three spots up for grabs on the Huntington Beach Union High

School board, Bonnie Castry and Matthew Harper are both set to defend

their spots, while Brian Garland, the recently retired principal of

Edison High School and former Huntington Beach City School board

member, has thrown his hat into the ring. Garland recently resigned

his position on the Huntington Beach City School Board so that he

might run in November.

In the city school district, Shirley E. Carey and Robert J. Mann

will both run for reelection, with competition coming from resident

and parent Celia Jaffe, who served on the district advisory

committee, which discussed the use and possible sale of the

district’s three closed school sites. Retired attorney Bill Wallace,

who helped head up the recently successful $30-million school bond

campaign to fix up the schools has also thrown his hat in the ring,

as has resident Rosa E. Latios.

Three incumbents will dominate the race for the Ocean View School

District board. Carol Kanode, Tracy L. Pellman and Pam Walker are all

planning a bid for reelection, but they’ll be joined by four other

community members in that bid.

Homemaker and attorney Debbie Cotton, teacher Carolee Focht, who

spoke out about the district’s $10-million gymnasium and auditorium

projects, and retired teacher Sharon A. Holland will also run.

For the Coast Community College District incumbent George E. Brown

has picked up papers for Area 1. Joseph E. Ribal, a marriage family

therapist has also picked up the necessary paperwork.

Incumbent Walter G. Howald is the only person so far who has

picked up papers for Area 5 of the Coast Community College District.

-- Jose Paul Corona