SIMI VALLEY : Back Injury Forces Kanegai Out of Race

Simi Valley City Council candidate Bruce Kanegai said Tuesday that he is dropping out of the race because of chronic back problems, narrowing the number of candidates vying for two council seats to eight.

Kanegai, an art instructor at Simi Valley High School, said he decided to quit the race during the weekend when a two-year-old back injury flared up. Kanegai said he suffers from a compressed disc.

Kanegai, 42, said he was concerned that his back problems would make it difficult for him to effectively serve on the council.

Kanegai said he is endorsing candidate John Etter for the council because they share similar views on protecting the environment and controlling growth. Kanegai said he will probably make another run for the council in two years.

The remaining council candidates in the Nov. 6 election are Councilwoman Ann Rock, who is seeking her third term; Dave McCormick, a Simi Valley businessman; Judy Mikels, chairwoman of the city’s Planning Commission; Kenneth Wenning, a Los Angeles attorney; Marilyn Maurer, a retired Los Angeles schoolteacher; Sandi Webb, a local businesswoman; and Harold Lawrence Fick, an administrative manager for General Motors; and Etter, a General Motors engineer.