Newport Beach candidate forums will be held Wednesday and Thursday
Newport Beach voters will have an opportunity to see and hear candidates for local offices during two community forums this week.
On Wednesday, Speak Up Newport will present a forum for City Council hopefuls. Three council seats are up for grabs in the Nov. 8 election, with at least two candidates running for each one.
Local attorney Phil Greer, city Finance Committee member Will O’Neill and former Planning Commissioner Fred Ameri are running to replace Councilman Keith Curry, who will be termed out of his seat representing District 7 (Newport Coast and Newport Ridge).
Businessman and activist Mike Glenn, longtime resident Jeff Herdman and businessman Lee Lowrey are running to replace Councilman Ed Selich, who will be termed out of his seat representing District 5, which includes Balboa Island, Newport Center and portions of Big Canyon.
Harbor Commissioner Brad Avery and law student Shelley Henderson are vying to replace Councilman Tony Petros, who is not running for reelection, representing District 2, which includes Newport Heights, Newport Shores and Newport Crest.
Michele Gile, Orange County reporter for KCBS-TV/2 and KCAL-TV/9, will moderate Wednesday’s panel. Residents can submit questions for the candidates by filling out a form at www.speakupnewport.com/contact-us.
The forum will be held in the Civic Center Community Room, 100 Civic Center Drive, from 6 p.m. to about 7:10 p.m.
Council and school board forum
The Newport Beach Women’s Democratic Club will hold a forum on Thursday for candidates for City Council and the Newport-Mesa Unified School District board of education.
Lowrey declined to attend that forum, and Henderson did not respond, according to event organizers.
Three Newport-Mesa board seats are up for grabs in November.
Incumbent Vicki Snell and challenger Michael Schwartzmann, a local parent and managing director for a public accounting, consulting and technology firm, are seeking the seat representing Area 1, which includes Early College and Estancia high schools, TeWinkle Intermediate and Adams, California and Killybrook elementary schools.
Incumbent Martha Fluor and Newport Beach resident, businesswoman and parent Amy Peters are vying for the seat representing Area 3, which includes Back Bay/Monte Vista High School, Lindbergh School and Kaiser and Mariners elementary schools.
Incumbent Dana Black and Newport Beach resident and teacher trainer Leslie Bubb are competing for the Area 6 seat representing Newport Harbor High School, Ensign Intermediate, Harper Preschool and Newport Heights and Woodland elementary schools. Bubb will be unable to attend the forum because of a family commitment, according to the club.
The forum will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Room 2AB at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave., Corona del Mar. The event is open to everyone, but RSVPs are requested at www.nbwdc.org.
