11 Seek to Fill School Board Post Vacated by Bartman

The race for the Los Angeles School Board’s West Valley seat, thrown wide open since incumbent Tom Bartman announced Monday that he will not seek a second term, has attracted 11, more than any other contest on the April 9 Los Angeles municipal ballot.

When City Hall closed Thursday, the second day for candidates to file a “declaration of intent” to run, the list of would-be school board members included:

Marvin M. Feldman of Van Nuys, a conservative Republican who organized a string of unsuccessful attempts to recall several judges, including California Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird and Los Angeles school integration Judge Paul Egly.

David Armor of Tarzana, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Tarzana) in 1982.

Claude Parrish of Tarzana, the Republican who lost to Beilenson last year.

Zeke Zeidler of Northridge, student government president at California State University, Northridge, who has been a leader in efforts to ban the sale of sex magazines at the campus bookstore.

Carie Vacar of Woodland Hills, a former Los Angeles schoolteacher who chairs the Valley Organization for Improved Childhood Education. The group is active in a number of school issues, including fighting school closings. She helped direct Valley campaign efforts in former school board member Richard Ferraro’s unsuccessful campaign for state superintendent of public instruction.

Other candidates for Bartman’s seat are Eleanore Parker of Granada Hills, who listed her occupation as corporate executive; Pearl J. Fields, a retired secretary from Canoga Park; Carolyn Brent, a retired teacher from Panorama City; Tony Acampora, an education engineer from Sepulveda; Neale H. Siegel, a Northridge sales representative, and Robert J. Worth, an education administrator from Northridge.

To be elected, a candidate must win at least 50% of the vote. Otherwise, the top two finishers face each other in a June runoff.

Filing for the East Valley school board seat held by Roberta Weintraub were Mary Louise Longoria, an educational consultant from Arleta, and Al Dib, an Arleta businessman. Weintraub has yet to file but has said she will run again.

Some candidates are already groping for ways to make themselves known.

Noel Horwin, for example, waited until 3:30 p.m. Thursday to kick off his campaign against Northeast Valley Councilman Howard Finn and boast about the “traveling headquarters” he will use.

Horwin couldn’t start earlier in the day because the recreational vehicle isn’t always available. It belongs to a friend who couldn’t get off work until late in the afternoon.

“I just didn’t think it would be nice to show it off without him here,” Horwin said at a news conference outside his headquarters, which was parked for the moment on Foothill Boulevard in Lake View Terrace.

As of Thursday, Horwin, past president of Shadow Hills Property Owners Assn., was Finn’s only challenger.

Candidates have until Monday to file their declarations of intent. They then must submit 1,000 signatures of voters or 500 signatures and a $300 filing fee by Feb. 2 to qualify for the ballot.

“We make no pretext that this campaign is just getting under way,” said Horwin, who has raised $400. Horwin, a 45-year-old public relations specialist, made only one other run for public office. He lost to Beilenson in the 1976 contest for the Democratic nomination to be a U.S. representative.

In other Valley races:

Councilman Marvin Braude, who represents the Valley roughly south of the Ventura Freeway and west of the San Diego Freeway, had yet to be challenged.

West Valley Councilwoman Joy Picus has drawn five challengers: Gary Klein of Winnetka, a former aide to West Valley Councilman Hal Bernson; Matt Lynch of Winnetka, a lawyer and president of the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce; Gilbert Eisner of Woodland Hills, a one-time field deputy for former County Supervisor Baxter Ward; Jon CQRobert Lorenzen of Reseda, son of the late Councilman Don Lorenzen, whom Picus defeated to win her seat in 1977; and Jeanne Nemo of Tarzana, a former schoolteacher.

Councilman Ernani Bernardi, who earlier toyed with the idea of running for mayor, instead filed for reelection to his Mid-Valley council seat. Paul Goldener, a former president of the United Auto Workers in Van Nuys, who collected 17% of the vote to Bernardi’s 76% four years ago, filed to try for the seat again.