Change was the central theme in one of the most historic presidential elections in our nationís history. So, itís not surprising that local elections would echo that motto, such as the Woodlake City Council.

With two seats decided and one left to go, one thing is certain ñ there will be three new city councilmembers.

Gregorio Gonzalez, Jr. defeated the only incumbent running for city council with 538 votes compared to Gracie De La Rosaís 315. The two ran head-to-head for a short term seat on the council created when Chuck Ray resigned in May after moving to another city.

ìI felt privileged to see my name on the same ballot as our countryís first black president,î Gonzalez said. ìIt was a historic moment for me and my family and the United States.î

In the other Woodlake City Council race, three candidates vied for two seats vacated by Jack Ritchie and De La Rosa, who decided to run for the short-term seat. Jose ìJoeî Martinez built an insurmountable lead with 600 votes. The third seat on the council remains undecided with only 29 votes separating Rudy Mendoza and Heriberto Rodriguez, Jr. There are an estimated 250 absentee ballots to be counted, according to the Tulare County Elections Office.

ìI want to thank all of the people who voted for me,î said Martinez. ìThere are a lot of things I want to work on, including growing the chamber of commerce, develop a five-year plan to attract new businesses and provide more afterschool activities for the children of this community.î

As a business executive, Mendoza stated in his candidate questionnaire that he would use his experience to help ìsellî Woodlake to tourists and businesses. Rodriguez did not submit a candidate questionnaire, but seemed to share that sentiment during a candidate forum prior to the election.

All of the candidates agreed that the city council needs to be more proactive in bringing youth sports and afterschool activities into the city. Each of them also agreed that the city council should work closely with the schools to share resources, information and apply for grants. Mendoza went so far as suggesting the creation of a city-run Recreation Department that just handles youth sports and activities.

ìI have coached every sport in this town and the real problem is that I see a lot of kids watching instead of playing because their parents canít afford it,î Gonzalez said. ìThatís what needs to change. We need to work with the school districts to find funding to offer lower fees for these kids.î

Gonzalez, a program director at the Woodlake Family Resource Center, which works under the umbrella of the elementary school, said he is looking forward to using his experience and knowledge to make a better community for his children and all children.

ìWe have expanded our youth football program to include younger kids and have an excellent AYSO soccer program, but there is no Little League or baseball league, something that I have fond memories of as a child,î Gonzalez said.

Matinez, who served on the Woodlake Union Elemetnary School Board for 13 years, said he is excited about the possibility of working to create more opportunities for youth.

ìI am looking forward to working with these other people who share my passion for providing constructive things for kids to do afterschool,î Martinez said.

Exeter City Council

Robyn Stearns continues to inch closer in her bid to fill the void left by her brother, Jon Stearns, who decided not to seek re-election after eight years on the council.

Stearns had garnered 1,045 votes in a crowded field of four candidates for two seats. Leon Ooley, the only incumbent in the race, led all candidates with 1,171 votes. Jacob Epperson, III, was trailing with 820 votes while Jim Garcia has seemingly been eliminated from the field with only 545 votes. With an estimated 700 absentee ballots still be counted, the race is still too close to call, according to the Tulare County Elections Office.

This is the second time that Epperson and Garcia have run for council. In 2006, Epperson and Garcia finished behind incumbents Charlie Norman and Ted Macaulay and newcomer Jack Allwardt.

Epperson, a third generation Exeter resident, is the current president of the Exeter Senior Center board. A retired quality control engineer for Southern California Edison, Epperson is one of the few people running for office not to support the northernmost route for SCEís proposed path for new high-voltage powerlines. However, he does oppose the route proposed by SCE, along with Stearns and Ooley. Garcia did not answer a candidate questionnaire and could not be reached for comment.

Stearns and Ooley said they think the Yokohl Ranch development in the foothills east of Exeter would have a positive impact on Exeter by bringing more money into town without adding to the cityís population. Epperson did not say how he felt about the project.

Farmersville City Council

Incumbents Don Rowlett and Paul Boyer are well on their way to re-election, but there is still a chance that challenger Allen Atchison may catch one of them.

Rowlett led all three candidates with 625 votes, Boyer was in second with 489 votes and Atchison was trailing with 234 votes. However, there are an estimated 400 absentee ballots still to be counted in Farmersville, according to the Tulare County Elections Office.

Atchison, a tow truck driver, said he was running for his first elected office to bring change to the city. He said he was concerned with the gang activity within the city.

Rowlett and Boyer have served on the city council for 26 years and 9 and a half years respectively. Rowlett did not return calls as of press time or answer a candidate questionnaire, but Boyer said in his questionnaire that Farmersville has made several important strides in preventing gang violence.

Boyer pointed out that the Farmersville Police Department has partnered with police departments in Exeter, Woodlake and Lindsay to form a Quad City Task Force and Entry Team where the cities share detectives, information and resources to combat criminal activity. Boyer also supports activities such as Cal Ripken Baseball and Boys & Girls Club, which help keep kids off the streets.

Print this story

Email this story

Return to Index