Election

Friday was the deadline to file paperwork for the November election. Five City Council candidates submitted their papers: •Steve Dicterow, who previously sat on the council for 12 years . •Mayor Jane Egly and Mayor Pro Tem Verna Rollinger also filed papers. •Robert Ross and Bob Whalen round out the five. Ross has been known to question the City Council's and city counsel's expertise at meetings . Whalen has served on the school board, the Little League board and the Boys & Girls Club . Candidates were required to get at least 20 signatures from registered voters.

A crowd of more than 100 responded Tuesday to Steve Dicterow's invitation to a 9/11 tribute at Mozambique Steak House, which his daughter, Taryn, said was also a celebration of her father's reelection campaign. "I am overwhelmed by the number of people here," said Dicterow, who is seeking his fourth term on the council. "We expected maybe 50. " Dicterow was especially pleased by the turnout of young people. "I think they like my message," Dicterow said. Certainly, his daughter likes his message.

A recount of ballots cast in last week's special primary for the 35th District state Senate seat could be completed early next week, officials said, but it would be a historic anomaly for Orange County if it changed the election's outcome. In the April 11 election, Republican Assemblyman Tom Harman beat GOP opponent and Dana Point City Councilwoman Diane Harkey by 236 votes, becoming his party's nominee on the June 6 ballot. In the general election, Harman will face Democrat Larry Caballero, who was the only other candidate on last week's ballot.

Effort to check voter choices via 'parallel election' at local polls raises concerns.Voters rejected all 12 ballot measures on Tuesday in a resounding statewide defeat for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's efforts to reform state government. Voters in Orange County, however, reacted favorably to Schwarzenegger's proposals -- as well as to a measure that would have required parental notification for a minor seeking an abortion. The notification measure was favored by a margin of 59.5% to 40.5% in the county but rejected statewide by 52.6% of voters.

Suzie Harrison The race for the Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education favored incumbents Jan Vickers and El Hathaway over first-time candidate Mark Itnyre. Election results showed strong support to re-elect Vickers who received 6,942 votes or 42% and Hathaway with 6,409 votes or 39.5%. Itnyre lagged with 2,893 votes or 17.8%. The League of Women Voters results indicate that education leadership is a priority in Laguna Beach.

Two Republicans have announced they will run in the race to fill John Campbell's seat in the legislature.The special election to fill the 35th District state Senate seat will be held in conjunction with the June 6 statewide primary, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced last week. The news pleased Orange County election officials, who will save money and work by holding the two elections together. A primary is scheduled April 11 for the state Senate seat, which was left open after Republican Sen. John Campbell was elected Dec. 6 to an open seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

There will be some excitement in the race for Laguna Beach City Council after all. Former City Clerk Verna Rollinger became the fourth and last candidate for city office in the 2008 municipal election. Rollinger will vie with Mayor Jane Egly and Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Kinsman for one of the two open seats. Rollinger filed nomination papers and her candidate’s statement late Friday afternoon, less than two hours before the 5 p.m. deadline. The nomination document was submitted to the county Registrar of Voters for official verification that at least 20 of all 30 signatories are registered voters in Laguna.

The people have spoken, and now campaigners in the local elections can analyze what went right and what went wrong with their efforts to convince voters that they were the best choice for the job. This was one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, races for City Council, with candidates raising record amounts and spending that cash as quickly as they could. In the race to replace termed-out Fifth District Supervisor Tom Wilson, losing candidate Cathryn DeYoung spent an astonishing $2.8 million — more than double that of winner Pat Bates.

Councilwoman Verna Rollinger is getting an early start on her reelection campaign. She got the ball rolling with invitations to a fundraiser this month, seeking financial support for a second term on the council. Hers is the first announcement of council candidacy for the 2012 election. "I was a Girl Scout - be prepared," Rollinger said. "I always started early - except the last election. " Rollinger squeaked by former Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Kinsman in the 2008 election by fewer than 200 votes.

As a Sawdust exhibitor I have recently fielded questions from many in our community who are concerned about the future of the festival. This is due to recent letters harshly criticizing the Sawdust Festival Board of Directors and the general manager. I feel it is necessary to set the record straight. The festival is alive and strong, and is still full of the artistry and optimism that make it so special. In fact, we owe a great deal of its vitality in this dire economy to the hard work and dedication of its board and manager.

Two new faces looked out from the City Council dais Tuesday night, and two familiar faces departed the chamber. Robert Whalen and Steven Dicterow were the top vote-getters in the 2012 council election, in which incumbents Verna Rollinger and Jane Egly were unseated. The election results were reported by retiring City Clerk Martha Anderson, and certified by Neal Kelley of the County Registrar of Voters. Anderson's final task after 13 years as a city employee, and eight as the clerk, was to install her deputy, Lisette Chel, as her successor.

It was a long night for Laguna Beach City Council candidates. Absentee ballots posted shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday put Planning Commissioner Robert Whalen in the lead followed by Steven Dicterow. But it was hours before all 26 precincts were counted, confirming the wins. Whalen was the top vote-getter from the first count of absentee ballots, but it was nearly three hours before the precinct results began to trickle in. The first update was posted at 11 p.m. Tuesday, with just two precincts reported.

Not unlike librarians, election volunteers probably have an FBI file. They keep us in line, which means they make other people nervous. Amid the hubbub of the interminable election, legions of volunteers once again made everything seem so ordinary. No hanging chads, no massive fraud and only a few voting machine snafus across the country. Locally, they train every year to avoid trouble. Sue White has been working the Emerald Bay polling location for more than 15 years. "When you're training, you realize that you really need to do it correctly," she said.

I have not paid as much attention to local politics as I should have until recently when I became familiar with the proposed social host ordinance. Whatever your opinion on whether such an ordinance is right for our community, we should all be greatly concerned about the process in which it has been brought to council and our school board's involvement in it. Few residents had heard of this proposed ordinance at its first hearing in June, and the petition opposing SHO, which was circulated at the beginning of October and obtained over 320 signatures in less than one week, shows that few still know about its implications on our kids' safety, our constitutional rights and the city's budget.

Mayor Pro Tem Verna Rollinger, one of the two incumbents running for reelection to the City Council, has accumulated the biggest war chest of the campaign, as of Oct. 20. Donations to her campaign since she announced her candidacy in September of 2011, have added up to $64,324. And she is the big spender, although she reported total expenditures of $33,149, with $4,500 of that in this filing period. Robert Whalen raised the second biggest total. Treasurer Matt Lawson reported total contributions of $57,195 through Oct. 20. He has spent $30,874.

The South Laguna Civic Assn. surveyed the six South Coast Water District candidates about issues pertinent to Laguna Beach, such as Aliso Creek, water recycling and the five-year Tunnel Stabilization and Sewer Pipeline Replacement Project. Laguna Beach residents don't vote in candidates due to a 1998 agreement when The Local Agency Formation Commissions consolidated water districts. Dana Point, Capistrano Beach and San Clemente residents do get to vote for the candidates, who serve a four-year term.

The Laguna Beach City Council election is nonpartisan race, but you would never know it based on some of the campaign literature and rhetoric. Steven Dicterow, who has identified himself as the only Republican candidate, is endorsed by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) and supported by Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa). Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Orange County denied Mayor Jane Egly its endorsement because she has accepted donations from Republicans as well as Democrats, according to Audrey Prosser.

The election is less than two weeks away. The Coastline Pilot offers a last look at the five candidates for City Council. * Name: Steven Dicterow Age: 57 Occupation: Attorney, small business owner Education: bachelors degree, State University of New York, Albany; juris doctor, University of Southern California Endorsements: Orange County Register, Laguna Beach Taxpayers Assn. Top three issues: According to his responses at forums and his campaign literature, public safety, fiscal responsibility and doing more for kids are his top priorities.

Four down, one to go and the City Council candidates will be done with scheduled forums for 2012. City Council candidates will have had a week and a half off between last week's forum and the upcoming forum, sponsored by Top of the World Neighborhood and Temple Hills Civic associations and set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council Chambers. At last week's forum - held Oct. 12 by the League of Women Voters, Laguna Beach Woman's Club, the American Assn. of University Women and the Susi Q - questions were taken from the audience and screened to avoid duplications.

The Laguna Board of Realtors and Chamber of Commerce held a fast-paced forum Oct. 4 in the City Council chambers. Topics covered included homelessness, development, trees, historical preservation and issues facing young families. Laguna Beach businesswoman Joan Gladstone moderated the forum, which included no opening statements and only two minutes for closing statements. Candidates Steven Dicterow, Jane Egly, Verna Rollinger, Robert Ross and Robert Whalen discussed their long-term solutions to homelessness in Laguna and how they would reduce the cost of the Alternative Sleeping Location.