Deadlines Extended for Council, Board Races

Filing deadlines for elections to fill seats on city councils and school and community college boards throughout the San Fernando Valley region were extended Friday because many incumbents failed to submit papers to run again.

Incumbents from Lancaster to Agoura Hills missed Friday’s normal deadline, triggering an automatic three-day extension under state law to encourage non-incumbent candidates to jump into the Nov. 2 elections. The new deadline is Wednesday at 5 p.m.

In the Antelope Valley Union High School District, only one of three incumbents decided to run again. Charles Whiteside said he will seek reelection while incumbents Steve Landaker and Sophia Waugh decided not to.

So far, 12 non-incumbents are vying for three open seats. They are: Sheriff’s Capt. Tony Welch; William Olenick, a former board member; Michael Huggins, a Lancaster School District board member, and Sue Stokka, a former Wilsona School District trustee.

Also running are Wendy Sue Kalbacher, an accountant; Richard Brown, a school facilities director; Behrooz (Bruce) Farhangi, a college instructor; John Josea, an engineer; Frank Tymon, a Quartz Hill Water District board member; Allen Walker, a university director; Keith Davis, a retired probation officer, and R. (Bob) Davis.

In the Antelope Valley Community College District, three seats are available and all three incumbents have filed: Herman Kicenski, a physician; teacher James DuPratt, and arts patron Betty Lou Nash.

Their challengers to date are: James Hutchins, a quality specialist; Kamal Chalabi, a veteran candidate; accountant Mohamed Abul Kheir; Kenneth Johnson, a plant security aide, and Nancy Martin, Llano Community Assn. president.

In the Palmdale School District, three seats are available, with incumbents Frederick Thompson, a college dean, and Velma Trosin, a retired nurse, seeking reelection. The four challengers are family counselor Gene Gray; Kenneth White, a business owner; Sheldon Epstein, a former board member, and Larry Logsdon, a former congressional candidate. In the Lancaster School District, with three available seats, incumbents Melinda White and Richard White are seeking reelection.

They will vie with challengers Dewey White, a substance abuse consultant; Donald Ranish, a professor; Peter Robles, an environmental engineer; teacher Beth Ercek; Greg Tepe, a safety services coordinator, and Merle Kleven, product safety supervisor.

In the Santa Clarita Valley, Newhall School District trustee Zandra Stanley is seeking reelection.

Stanley could wind up serving on the board with her husband, David Rapoport, who also filed papers to run.

Meanwhile, incumbent Michael McCabe filed for reelection while incumbent Pat Willett did not. Newcomers Susan Edwards, a substitute teacher, and accountant John Castagna are also seeking election.

In the Saugus Union School District, trustees Eileen Connolly and Betty Lund are seeking reelection while Marilynn Blaylock is not. The non-incumbent hopefuls so far are Douglas Bryce, an engineer who also heads a local Young Republicans chapter; homemaker La Vaughn Ane; security director Jim Chaffee; nurse Rose Koscielny; small-business owner Gary Murr and Canyon Country resident Katherine Powers.

All three trustees for the William S. Hart Union High School District have filed: William Dinsenbacher, Dennis King and Sandra Loberg. Parent Patricia Hanrion and engineering manager Peter Warren are also running.

In the West Valley’s Las Virgenes Unified School District, board member Iraj Broomand declined to run again.

So far, six candidates have declared their intention to run, including incumbents Barbara Bowman-Fagelson and Judy Jordan.

In Agoura Hills, only one of three incumbent city council members filed nominating petitions for new terms. Times correspondents Doug Alger and Sharon Moeser contributed to this story.