By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Candidate list growing as deadline nears
Placeholder Image
A fourth Ceres City Council candidate is materializing as the deadline nears Friday.

Burton Bedwell said he is obtaining the required amount of voter signatures on his nomination papers and plans to become a candidate by Friday.

Nomination papers are due at 5 p.m. on Friday for anyone to make the Nov. 3 ballot.

"I kind of got a late start," said Bedwell, 54, who is disabled after a career in property management. At one time Bedwell worked for the Los Angeles County Public Works Department in Alhambra.

"I am running because I kind of would like to give back to the community," said Bedwell. "I've gotten a lot from Ceres."

The Ceres born candidate said he believes that he "can offer some new ideas" and "contribute to logical solutions."

"I figured what the heck, even if I don't make it ... I plan to get involved with lots of meetings."

Other City Council candidates are Planning Commissioner Mike Kline and incumbent Ceres City Council members Ken Lane and Chris Vierra.

Lane and Vierra were both elected to the Ceres City Council in 2005. Kline, 51, ran unsuccessfully in a three-man City Council race in 2007, losing the election by 149 votes behind Rob Phipps. Kline also ran for Ceres School Board in 1999 and 2001. The 1976 graduate of Ceres High School is a salesman for Tony's Fine Foods.

Lane said the City Council has governed responsibly and has a good handle on city matters during these tough budget times.

Vierra, 43, said the city has accomplished a lot in the six years he's sat on the council. He points to construction of the Community Center and the Ceres River Bluff Regional Park, as well as the new Whimore interchange.

City candidates file with at Ceres City Hall.

School Board candidates surface

The race for the Ceres School Board grew by one last week when Valli Wigt threw her hat into the Trustee Area 3 ring.

Wigt, a retired teacher from the Westport area, is running for the seat now occupied by Teresa Guerrero. Guerrero had not filed by Friday.

The terms of Teresa Guerrero, Edgar Romo, Betty Davis and Mike Welsh expire this year.

In Trustee Area 5, Romo is being challenged by Lourdes Perez, an employee of the Ceres Partnership for Healthy Children.

Welsh is running in Trustee Area 2 and is the lone candidate to file thus far.

On July 22 Brian Kline has filed as a candidate for the at-large district held by Davis. She had yet to file as of press deadline.

Brian Kline said he's running to "help the youth, the students, get back to more of a tradition that Ceres is used to, you know, take pride in school. I think our schools have really turned into something that the youth don't look forward to attending."

The 26-year-old 2001 Ceres High School graduate works for a Turlock tractor supply shop. He also umpires and coaches the Ceres Coyotes and volunteers for youth swim teams.

Until 2013, the district will retain two at-large seats which are now occupied by Davis and Eric Ingwerson.

CUSD candidates file with the Stanislaus County Elections Office at 1021 I Street, Room 101, Modesto.

Hughson races

Four director seats in the Hughson Fire Protection District are also up for grabs: Gus Villarreal and Raymond Camagna, who each serve four-year terms, and Jeffrey Serpa, who is in a two-year seat. The fourth seat is vacant. As of Monday the candidates were Camagna and Robert "Bob" Hedrick.

Hughson area voters will be deciding who to send to the Hughson Unified School District Board of Trustees. The terms of Randy Heckman, Cindy Cunningham-Gipp and Rick Applegate all expire this year. Heckman, Cunningham-Gipp have filed as has Erik M. Lee, a school business manager.

Keyes races

Keyes has elections in November. The seats of three incumbents on the Keyes Union School District Board are up for election. They are Remona Rayburn, Tony Aguilar, and Marianne Pietrzyk. Candidates who have entered the race are Antonio Aguilar, Henry Benavides, Jimmy Emmons Sr., Sophia Munoz-Jimenez, Remona Rayburn, Jeff Reed and Christopher Reynolds.

Three seats on the Keyes Community Services District are also up for grabs now filled by Davey Landers, Harinder Grewal and Henry Benavides. The two-year seat of Casey Chadwick is also up for grabs. Landers, Benavides, Chadwick and Grewal have filed to run for the full term seat. Nobody has expressed interest in the two-year seat now held by Chadwick.

Keyes Municipal Advisory Council members Harinder Grewal and Karen Poppen are each seeking re-election without opposition so far.

Other races

Westport Fire Protection District has an election for new board members. The terms of Martin Avila and Edward Amador are up for grabs. Nobody had filed as of Monday.

Turlock Irrigation District has three open seats. Incumbent Director Charlie Fernandes in Division 2 (Ceres area) has filed for re-election without opposition so far. The term of Michael Berryhill in Division 3 (South Modesto and west Ceres) is also up. He's yet to file for re-election but two others have: Joe Alamo and Keith Silva. The term of Division 5 board member Randy Fiorini, who represents the Turlock and Merced County areas, has filed for re-election. Running him against him are Ron Macedo and Pamela Sweeten.

Ceres voters will be voting for a trustee to serve on the Stanislaus County Board of Education Division 5 seat. Luis L. Molina, the incumbent board member who lives in Patterson, has filed for re-election.