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Races start to heat up; recall in just 13 days
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The ballots are out and Hughson residents are counting down the days. After seven months of prep work, the recall election is finally coming down to the last two weeks before the big day on Aug. 24 and the candidates can't wait.

"I am getting more excited as it gets closer," said Jill Ferriera Silva, candidate for the seat of resigned Hughson council member Ben Manley in the recall election. "I am excited for the city to move forward."

Candidates have been hitting the streets with their campaign signs and knocking on doors to spread the word about what they can offer the small community of Hughson.

"I will bring my professionalism and respect for diversity and different opinions to the council. We need to come together and find a solution to better our community," Silva said.

She has put up about 200 signs and passed out leaflets to numerous Hughson residents in an effort to get her goals and priorities for the City of Hughson out to the public. She is also hosting a meet and greet from noon to 5 p.m. today at the Azteca Grill in Hughson.

Other candidates have also posted signs, gone door to door and hosted meet and greets to better acquaint themselves with the community.

"I've had a real positive response," said Jeramy Young, candidate for the seat of Hughson council member Doug Humphreys in the recall election. "A lot of people are frustrated with the way things are."

Frustration started building up in Hughson after the Stanislaus County Civil Grand Jury found council members Manley, Humphreys and Thom Crowder in violation of the Brown Act, the Hughson Municipal Code and the Fair Political Practices Code and Regulations in December 2009.

A concerned Hughson citizens group called the Citizens for Better City Government asked the three council members to resign on multiple occasions. Seeing no results, they took matters into their own hands and spearheaded the recall election.

Seeing a good response from citizens for the recall election, Young's main concern is people actually going out there to vote.

"I hope people go out and vote and show people that this type of behavior is not acceptable," he said. "Even if people think that one person might win, vote and let their voices be heard."

In other election news, the filing period for the November election for the Hughson Mayor position ended at 5 p.m. Friday. The filing period for the open council seats for the November election will be pushed back to 5 p.m. on Wednesday because incumbent Crowder did not file for re-election as of Friday.

"I will have three months left on my term and I am not planning on running again," Crowder said. "I will continue to look out for the best interest of the community and do the job they elected me to do."

Up for election this November are the seats of Mayor Ramon Bawanan and council members Matt Beekman and Crowder.

Even though a couple of applications were taken out for the Mayor position, Bawanan was the only person who filed his papers for the November election making him the Mayor of Hughson for another four years.

Three applications were taken out for the two available council seats, but so far George Carr, candidate for the seat of Crowder in the recall election, and Beekman are the only citizens who have filed their papers.

If the candidates for the seat of Crowder in the recall election wish to hold a position on the City Council past November, they must apply for the November election as well.

Miguel Oseguera, candidate for the seat of Crowder in the recall election, has not turned in his papers for the November election as of Friday.