Election ’08 kicks it into high gear

The presidential election season is off to a running start in Laguna Beach. Here are some highlights of events and local campaign coverage.

DEMS KICK OFF ELECTION TONIGHT

The Laguna Beach Democratic Club will officially kick off the 2008 Election Campaign at an open house, set for 6 tonight at its headquarters, 1401 S. Coast Hwy.

Congressional candidate Steve Young is scheduled to speak. Jason Feddy will entertain.

No reservations are required. A $5 donation will get you in.

The Democratic Club traditionally opens a headquarters — at its own expense — only during election years, President Diane Valentino said.

The headquarters, in the former Boom Boom Room bar — complete with disco balls and beer taps — is open daily from noon to 8 p.m., staffed by volunteers.

The site is selling Barack Obama T-shirts and buttons, and registering voters.

“Voter registration is through the roof, and we expect more [registered] Democrats than Republicans in Laguna Beach,” Valentino said.

With voter interest expected to be high for this election, the club is seeking volunteers to walk precincts in Laguna Beach.

The club is also hosting free Friday movie nights at 7 p.m. Last week’s showing was “Charlie Wilson’s War.”

“We are trying to show films with a political theme,” Valentino said.

— Cindy Frazier

ROLLINGER ON A ROLL

More than 100 supporters showed up Sunday to kick off Verna Rollinger’s second run for a seat on the City Council.

A $75 donation was requested. A silent auction brought in more.

Cindalee and John Hall hosted the fundraiser at their oceanfront home on Crescent Bay. Ronn Sarnno chaired the event.

“This is my ninth election, and it’s the first time I was not on the event committee,” Rollinger said.

Duty free, she was able to mingle with supporters and to listen to what they had to say.

“The community knows what it wants,” she said.

Her test: Is it good for the residents and how does it impact the environment?

“I am being guided by the general plan, which has worked for 25 years,” Rollinger said. “The same values were expressed in Vision 2030 [a community-designed road map for Laguna’s future].”

Rollinger is no stranger to the campaign trail. She served six terms as the city clerk. The only time Rollinger ever lost an election was her initial run for the council in 2006, when she came fourth in a three-seat race, narrowly defeated by Kelly Boyd, who finished third behind incumbents Toni Iseman and Elizabeth Pearson. This time Rollinger is challenging incumbents Mayor Jane Egly and Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Kinsman.

Sunday’s event included entertainment by Hautewerk, fresh from the group’s gig at House of Blues in Hollywood and the release of its debut album, “Stop Start Again.” An impressive array of edibles, included eggplant spreads, hummus and dolmas provided by Exchange Club member Katy Moss; chicken and beef sate, grilled by John Monahan, husband of former Deputy City Clerk Meg Monahan; and a Greek orzo salad brought by Darrylin Girvin.

The silent auction contained donations of books by Arnold Hano, a deep-dish pie plate and recipes by potter Sally Wilde, gift certificates from Laguna Beach Books and Gaymart, Georgette Cerruti silver earrings, a Bruce Freund blown-glass Indian basket, Laguna Playhouse tickets, and paintings by Suzi Charlton, Rollinger’s water workout buddy, and Karen Schwager.

Renting legal parking spaces would have brought in a bundle. Cars lined the streets, most of them parked alongside the ubiquitous red curbs, a costly mistake.

Helen Krugman, Village Laguna President Anne Caenn and Armando Baez greeted guests. Among them: Iseman, Dr. Gary and school board member Betsy Jenkins, Laguna Greenbelt President Elisabeth Brown, former mayors Ann Christoph and Phyllis Sweeney, former City Treasurer Susan Morse, and former Design Review Board members Barbara Metzgar, Jeff Powers and J.J. Gasparotti.

“You can say that all the usual suspects are here,” said Dick Frank, Laguna Beach Democratic Club member.

And some not so usual.

Denise Viviani kind of slipped under the radar after Treasure Island Mobilehome Park closed, and Barbara and Richard Picheny recently moved back full-time to their South Laguna home, where they lived before annexation.

The biggest surprise was former Councilwoman Bobbie Minkin, who left Laguna 18 years ago.

“But this is home for me,” Minkin said.

Minkin moved out of town to New Mexico for five years, then to Colorado for eight years and finally to Rhode Island where her oldest daughter, Tracy, and her grandchildren live, for six years.

“But when the grandchildren went out of state to school at Andover I said to Tracy ‘It’s too cold here — I am going home.’” Minkin said.

Any chance she would be interested in running again for public office.?

“Once was enough,” she said.

For more information about Rollinger’s campaign: e-mail vernarollinger@cox.net or visit web site www.vernarollinger.com.

— Barbara Diamond

WRITE-IN CANDIDATE NOMINATION PERIOD OPENS

Monday was the first day that write-in candidates could take out nomination papers. None were chomping at the bit, but they have until Oct. 21 to file the documents.

ELECTION VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley has put out a call for election workers.

Orange County ranks third in the country for registered voters, which means 10,000 volunteers are need to work at the November election, according to an update from the registrar’s office.

Volunteers are needed to work from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Nov. 4. They will be paid $95 for the day and a required three-hour training session.

To date, the office has recruited nearly 3,000 individuals.

Not close to enough.

For more information, visit www.ocvote.com and click on volunteer.

VOTE BY MAIL

Absentee ballots are scheduled to begin arriving this week.

The ballots must be retuned to the registrar’s office before 8 on Election Night. The vote-by-mail ballots also may be cast at the polls, allowing voters to wait until the last minute to make their decisions.

Oct. 28 is the last day to apply for a regular vote-by-mail ballot. Applications and brochures can be found at government offices, banks, gyms and restaurants. Full details and an application also are available on the registrar’s website.

If you believe you were on the list to receive a mail-in ballot and didn’t, call the registrar’s office at (714) 567-7600.