DeHart, White lead council race

At 10:01 p.m. Tuesday night, with 66 percent of Turlock voting precincts reporting, the race to fill two vacant Turlock City Council seats remained too close to call.

Hughson council remains the same after election

Some major changes have hit the small town of Hughson in the past year including the hiring of a new city manager and the removal of three council members through a recall election, but with the preliminary results of Tuesday's election it looks like Hughson residents are happy with their present leadership.

Turlock city council candidate profile: William “Bill” W. DeHart, Jr.

Name: William "Bill" W. DeHart, Jr.Age: 62Occupation: Director of Marketing, Covenant Village of Turlock, a Continuing Care Retirement CommunityBackground: Retired Commissioned Officer - U.S. Marine CorpsHelicopter Pilot, Airborne, Leader of Marines 30 years Small Business Administration & Management/Ownership/SalesDirector of Marketing/Sales Team developmentQ. Why do you think you would make a good council member?A. Life experiences which have equipped me with a "common-sense" approach to collaborative leadership enabling all to work together as a team. My ...

Turlock city council candidate profile: David Fransen

Name: David Fransen Age: 34 Occupation: Business Owner Background: My family roots run deep in Turlock. My grandparents, John and Katherine Martinez (Martinez Plywood), were active in Turlock's development and Everett and Carmen (Soderquist) Fransen settled in Turlock in the 1900s. This "early Turlock" background and my participation in "modern Turlock" provide me with a unique perspective that helps de­fine my long-term vision for our town. I have a long ...

Turlock city council candidate profile: Forrest White

Name: Name: Forrest White Age: 63 Occupation: Retired C.E.O. Background: I have been a resident of the City of Turlock for over 25 years and my wife, Colleen, was born and raised in the community. I retired in 2008 after spending 35 years in public service. Five of those years as a Recreation Supervisor for the City of Turlock; I then changed careers and went into fair management. The last 20 years ...

Turlock city council candidate profile: Patrick “Pat” Noda

Name: Patrick "Pat" Noda Age: 90 Occupation: Businessman Background: I was born in Merced County. I have been a Turlock resident for over 40 years. I received a BA degree in Business Administration with a teaching credential from Central College in Iowa. I have taught for a total of five years. I also have a Bachelor of Divinity degree from McCormick seminary. I sold produce for 25 years, household goods for ...

Turlock city council candidate profile: Jeremy Rocha

Name: Jeremy Rocha

Turlock city council candidate profile: Timm LaVelle

Name: Timm LaVelle Age: 51 Occupation: Business Owner Background: Education - Masters Public Administration, CSU Stansilaus; B.A. International Relations, CSU Chico. Family - Married, two children, resident of Turlock for 24 years. Q. Why do you think you would make a good council member? A. I feel the qualities that will make me a good council member once elected are my ...

Streetlights will stay on in three Denair neighborhoods, following a vote approving annexation into

Streetlights will stay on in three Denair neighborhoods, following a vote approving annexation into a county lighting district. The neighborhoods in question – Brookside Park Homes, Eastgate Estates, and Shelton Estates – had mistakenly received free street lighting for years, the county says, when they should have been included in a large Denair lighting assessment district. Most Denair parcels are served by the Denair Highway Lighting District, which since 1915 has assessed ...

Bublak announces council candidacy

Four candidates –and both incumbents – have now thrown their hats into the Nov. 6 Turlock City Council Election. Incumbent Turlock Councilmember Amy Bublak, previously mum about her intentions, announced Friday she will seek reelection. Since her 2008 election, Bublak, a Modesto Police officer, has advocated primarily for public safety and fiscal restraint. "I hope to continue to build on these successes and provide a strong voice for taxpayers and ethical ...

Jackson seeks second council term

Incumbent Councilwoman Mary Jackson will seek reelection in the upcoming Nov. 6 election, she announced Friday. The announcement ends months of speculation, as Jackson had previously been mum on her candidacy. "I am running for reelection to the Turlock City Council because our city is at a crossroads," Jackson wrote in a statement. "Our community has survived the national economic downturn and I am looking ahead for our economy to grow with ...

Library tax passes; Denham, Hernandez earn slots on November ballot

Despite low turnout, Stanislaus County's one-eighth cent library sales tax appears to have earned voter approval in Tuesday's Presidential Primary Election. As of 8:44 p.m., with 57.11 percent of precincts reporting, Measure T was ahead with 82 percent of voters in favor and 18 percent opposed. "When we told people here they were all screaming and yelling," said Vanessa Czopek, county librarian. "I think it's just proof that the whole county values ...

Justice Department, state reach agreement to protect military votes

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with California state officials to help ensure that military service members, their family members and U.S. citizens living overseas have the opportunity to participate fully in California's June 5, federal primary election.

Voters face full ballot in June

The 10th District U.S. Congress race is just one item on a full ballot facing voters in the June 5 Presidential Primary Election. Voters will help determine which presidential candidates will make the November ballot. And voters will complete the primaries for one of California's U.S. Senate seats, currently held by Diane Feinstein (D). Locally, three Stanislaus County Supervisor seats are up for grabs – incumbent Bill O'Brien, running unopposed for District ...

Election season heats up with town hall forum

Three of five candidates for California's 10th Congressional District seat spoke at a town hall forum at California State University, Stanislaus on Wednesday, but neither presumed front runner attended. Incumbent Jeff Denham (R – Atwater) and Jose Hernandez, a former NASA Astronaut running as a Democrat, both skipped the only scheduled event in Turlock. Denham was in Washington, D.C. at the time taking part in a legislative session, while Hernandez's representative said he ...

Condit: Putting Central Valley 1st in Congress

Chad Condit makes no apologies. He doesn't care about party politics. He isn't courting special interests in search of campaign donations. His first and foremost focus is the Central Valley. "We can't afford to be partisan," Condit said. "We have to be regional." Condit is taking advantage of the first ever open primary where the top two vote getters regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof in the June 5 ...

City Council candidate joins staff of State Sen. Anthony Cannella

Turlock City Council candidate and current Parks, Recreation, and Community Commissioner Steven Nascimento has been hired as district director for State Sen. Anthony Cannella (R – Ceres). Nascimento had previously served as district director for U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D – Merced). In October, Cardoza announced he would not seek reelection. "I am excited to have Steven Nascimento join my staff as district director. Throughout his career, Steven has demonstrated he is ...

Parks commish throws hat into City Council race

With just 351 days until the 2012 Turlock City Council election, the race now has its first competitor. Steven Nascimento, a current Turlock Parks, Recreation and Community commissioner, announced this week he will campaign for a Turlock City Council seat. "I have the opportunity now where I feel like I can give back to my own community that has given me so much," Nascimento said. On the Nov. 8, 2012 ballot, ...

Olsen to run for new Assembly District 12

Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen (R-Modesto) will campaign to represent an Assembly district which includes Turlock in 2012, she announced Tuesday. A former Modesto City Council member and past vice president of communications for California State University, Stanislaus, Olsen has served as an assemblywoman since 2010. She currently acts as Assembly Minority Whip. Olsen characterizes herself as a reformer who looks to bring more power to local, rural governments. "It has been an ...

Registrar reports low turnout for election

On Election Day Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters Lee Lundrigan reported her office had counted 35,876 ballots for the Nov. 8 Consolidated District Election. Eighteen of the 163 Stanislaus polling sites had fewer than 15 voters cast ballots on Election Day. There were two polling sites where only two voters cast ballots continuing the trend of voters to select the option to mail their ballots instead of going to the polls. The ...

TUSD board to welcome new trustees, return incumbents

Don’t forget to vote

Polls will open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and voters will get a chance to choose their favorites in the five local races. The Turlock Unified School District race offers the most crowded field, with seven candidates vying for three seats. Incumbents Frank Lima and Eileen Hamilton will take part in the race, but Loren Holt did not file for reelection. The incumbents will face off against real estate agent Miguel Galvez, senior ...

TUSD election end of an era

Candidates vying for the four open seats on the Turlock Unified School District Board of Trustees all have a plan to keep education a priority, while balancing an ever-dwindling budget.