CANDIDATES FORUM TEAM COVERAGE; TOWN COUNCIL, COLLEGE, SCHOOL, AND HOSPITAL BOARD

The Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce held a meet-and-greet event last night for candidates who are running for the Yucca Valley Town Council, Copper Mountain College Board of Trustees, Morongo Unified School District Board of Education, and the Hi-Desert Healthcare District board. Each candidate who attended was given a few minutes to introduce themselves and explain why they were running for office, after which, the public could talk with them one-on-one to get more in-depth information. Starting out our team coverage of the forum, managing editor Tami Roleff says that all four of the Yucca Valley town council candidates attended the event…

Jim Schooler and Edmund Shadman are both running in District 1. Schooler says he knows how government works and would be able to jump right in without a learning curve. “I think with my 21 years of background as a department head with the Town of Yucca Valley and my involvement in the community helping non-profits, being on boards, I feel like I’m ready and I’m a good candidate for town council.” Schooler added that he’s attended at least 400 town council meetings, as well as meetings of the town’s Park and Rec commission, the Cultural Arts Commission, and Planning Commission. After his retirement as the Yucca Valley Community Services director, he went to work as the field representative for California Senator Jean Fuller, and so he says he is familiar with all levels of government.

Shadman owns businesses in Yucca Valley which he says have given him a good pulse on the town. He also serves on the boards of three non-profits. He feels the town has lost its sense of community and that people need to get to know their neighbors. “Public safety is amongst the top for me. We have lost a sense of community. I have a feeling that people used to know their neighbors.” He adds that people have told him they don’t feel the town is very safe anymore with so many burglaries in all parts of town, both low- and high-income neighborhoods, and that children don’t even go trick-or-treating.

Jo Ann Bollen, who is running in District 3, explains why she’s running for town council. “I’m running because I think there should be more diversity in city government and I’d like to see some fresh voices on the town council.” She says she has lots of ideas to improve Yucca Valley’s housing situation and help its homeless population. Bollen suggested using a part of the transient occupancy taxes, as well as grants, to provide affordable housing for low-income residents and the homeless. She thinks the town should be more responsive to its residents by adding surveys and polls to its website, improving its Internet connectivity, which would draw businesses to Yucca Valley and allow people to work from home.

Incumbent Merl Abel, who is also running in District 3, says he’s been on the council for seven years and he wants to continue serving the residents of Yucca Valley. “We have a lot of unfinished business to do. We have a lot of illegal dumping, we need to bring a new fire station to the Morongo Basin.” He mentioned that he has also served on the town’s traffic commission, Parks and Rec commission, and the Cultural Arts Commission. Abel gave a tribute to the late Mara Cantelo, who made it her mission in life to serve others, and said that it was an honor and a privilege for him to serve others through both the town council and as a teacher at Yucca Valley High School and as an advisor for the 9th grade AVID students.

Continuing our team coverage of last night’s Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce meet-and-greet event for candidates running for office in November, Andrew Dieleman has information on the school board candidates…

Candidates running for the Morongo Unified School District Board Trustee positions presented themselves and their platforms at the meet-and-greet event. Incumbent Hilary Slotta emphasized the need for both current and future student learning programs. Standing in for candidate Jennifer Decker, who was recovering from minor surgery, was her daughter Quenby Davis, who emphasized Decker’s experience in the education field. Candidates Forrest McCracken and incumbent Chris Proudfoot were unable to attend the event. A forum for all four MUSD candidates is scheduled for October 17 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Joshua Tree Elementary School.

Two of the three candidates running for the Copper Mountain College board of trustees also attended the candidates’ forum last night. Eva Kinsman and Liz Meyer, both incumbents, have served on the board for 17 and 13 years, respectively. They both stressed how the college has grown while they’ve served on the board, to include an athletic program. Kinsman and Meyer said they want to be re-elected so that they can continue to see projects and programs through to completion. Challenger Ronald Stewart was not able to attend the forum.

All three candidates running for the Hi-Desert Healthcare District board of directors made statements at a meet-and-greet event last night. Reporter Eric Knabe says they are all involved in healthcare in one way or another…

Beverly Scott who is running for one of two seats on the healthcare district’s board, said she has a son with mental health issues, and so she is passionate about mental health care. The number one item on her agenda if she is elected would be to have more mental health services in the Morongo Basin.

Misty Evans is a home health nurse who says she would use her experience in caring for people in their home to expand outreach and education to those who need healthcare the most, and to be their voice in the district.

Incumbent Marge Doyle was proud of the accomplishments the hospital district has made in the past four years she has been on the board: a mobile health care clinic that will bring care to remote desert areas; increasing access to pediatric and dental care; and most importantly, saving the hospital and its 600 jobs from bankruptcy.