A Special Election Preview : Central County : Voters to Decide Race for Garden Grove Mayor

School board races in Orange and Santa Ana unified school districts and a mayoral race in Garden Grove are the focal points of elections Tuesday in Central Orange County.

Eight candidates are competing for the Garden Grove mayor’s post, including three current members of the City Council.

In Orange Unified, there is political uncertainty about voter reaction to a still unfolding scandal, and in Santa Ana Unified two incumbents seeking reelection are being opposed by the potentially powerful teachers union.

The scandal in Orange Unified involves an alleged contract bid-rigging scheme in the early 1980s. An ongoing investigation by police and the district attorney’s office has disclosed that more than $3 million in school construction and repair contracts were rigged to go to favored contractors in exchange for kickbacks to a former district employee.

Although no school board member was charged with taking part in the scheme, the 1986-87 Orange County Grand Jury accused four of the seven school board incumbents of willful misconduct for not supervising the bidding more closely. One, Eleanore Pleines, has resigned, and the other three, Joe Cherry, Ruth Evans and Robert Elliott, face a non-criminal trial Dec. 2.

The district attorney’s office specifically exonerated the remaining three incumbents. Two of them, William Steiner and Russell J. Barrios, are seeking reelection Tuesday to four-year terms.

“I’m hoping there won’t be a backlash--that people have read beyond the headlines,” said Barrios, who is seeking his second term. “There is a lot of confusion, though. I’ve talked to many audiences, and I find that people are very interested about, and very confused about, the investigation. I remind people that Bill Steiner and I strongly supported an investigation.”

Barrios also said that he mentions the work he has done for the school district, including going to Sacramento to try to get more money for the schools.

One of Barrios’ two opponents, Robert Viviano, a director of the Brunswick Corp. in Costa Mesa, charges that Barrios and Steiner should be held accountable for “the still unexplained firing” of former Supt. Kenneth Brummel. Brummel, who had gone to the Orange police to seek an investigation of the bid-rigging allegations without first consulting the school board, was terminated by the board in October, 1986.

Board members said they could not comment on the reasons for the firing because of an agreement with Brummel. Barrios voted against Brummel’s termination; Steiner voted for it.

Viviano said he is campaigning for “better management of the school district.” Another challenger--Cal Poly Pomona Prof. Robert Muffoletto, who has been a teacher 17 years and has a Ph.D. in education--said he is not bringing up the scandal in his campaign.

Steiner, the current president of the school board, has only one opponent, Frank A. Safarik, a painter in Orange who has not been very visible in the campaign.

Five candidates are on the ballot for the seat vacated by Pleines’ resignation. Only four, however, are still in the race, as Dean Dykema withdrew.

In Santa Ana Unified School District, the teachers union is urging the ouster of two incumbents, James Ward and Sadie Reid-Benham. The union said “teachers feel a total lack of support” from the two incumbents. A third incumbent, Joan Wilkinson, is not seeking reelection. She has endorsed Robert L. Richardson, a business specialist who also was endorsed by the teachers union.

The other two candidates endorsed by the Santa Ana Educators Assn. are Audrey Noji, a teacher and coordinator of aid to disadvantaged students at Saddleback College, and Sal Mendoza, an insurance businessman.

In Garden Grove Unified, three incumbents on the five-member school board are seeking reelection to another four-year term. There are five challengers in the at-large election.

In Westminster Elementary School District, two seats are to be filled, and no incumbents are on the ballot. The Westminster Teachers Assn. has endorsed two of the five candidates, Jeffrey Howell and Nancy Blumenthal.

GARDEN GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Governing Board, Elect Two Roger D. Hughes

Educator Lynn Hamtil

Member, Governing Board Kenneth Hugh Slimmer

Member, Governing Board Watson Lewis Warren

Engineer, Veteran Jimmy E. Moore

Sales Plumbing Supply Gerald L. Tolman

Educator Joyce T. Johnson

Member, Governing Board Bruce A. Broadwater

Insurance Broker ORANGE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Trustee Area 2, Governing Board, Elect One

Jeff E. Holstien

School District Administrator Dean Dykema

Legislative Administrative Aide Daniel E. Matranga

Independent Insurance Agent Lawrence R. Labrado

University Administrator Steve Barke

Youth Administrator Trustee Area 3, Governing Board, Elect One

Frank A. Safarik

Painter William G. Steiner

Governing Board Member Trustee Area 6, Governing Board, Elect One

Robert Viviano

Director, Major Corporation Robert Muffoletto

Professor of Education Russell J. Barrios

Governing Board Member SANTA ANA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Governing Board, Elect Three

John Pugh Jr.

Criminalist Sylvia Jeniece Ross

Receptionist Robert L. Richardson

Business Specialist Sadie Reid-Benham

Incumbent Audrey Yamagata Noji

Educator/Parent Gary L. Shouse

Admissions Coordinator James E. Ward

School Board Member Sal Mendoza

Insurance Businessman Dave Markovitz

Businessman Carol M. Lawrence

Teacher-Mother-Manager WESTMINSTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

Governing Board, Elect Two

Jeffrey J. Howell

Parent/Homeowner Grace P. Epperson

Homemaker, Instructional Aide Janis Smith

Parent, Volunteer, Student Harold V. Lorton

Businessman Nancy L. Blumenthal

Parent/Attorney/Businesswoman GARDEN GROVE MAYOR

Elect One

Milton Krieger

Mayor Pro Tem Malcolm R. Fisher

Businessman J. Tilman Williams

Tax Fighter Steven R. Childres

Self-Employed Businessman Karen Tracy Moreland

Business Owner John August Modaffari

Tax Fighter, Businessman W.E. Donovan

Councilman-Businessman Robert F. Dinsen

Tax Fighter, Councilman TUSTIN BALLOT MEASURE

Annexation, Measure L

Shall the order adopted Aug. 3, 1987, by the City Council of the City of Tustin ordering the annexation to the City of Tustin of the territory described in that order and designated as Prospect-Vandenberg Annexation No. 141 be confirmed?