Local News in Brief : Activist for Elderly to Run Against Jones

Tony Lamb, a Thousand Oaks senior citizens activist, said Tuesday that he will seek the Ventura County supervisor’s seat held by three-term incumbent Edwin A. Jones.

His entry into the race was a surprise, given his longtime support of Jones.

Lamb, 82, said he will not actively campaign or raise election funds, but will use his strong name recognition in the Conejo Valley to bring attention to the need for expanded services for seniors.

Lamb filed election papers for the nonpartisan office Tuesday at county offices in Ventura. The seat will be contested in a primary June 3 and in a runoff between the top two vote-getters in November if no candidate wins more than 50% of the first vote.

In addition to Lamb and Jones, two other political activists have declared their candidacies for the 2nd District post--Thousand Oaks Councilwoman Madge Schaefer and Thousand Oaks businessman Nathaniel (Bud) Glickman.

Lamb, a retired electronics executive, has been widely credited with starting a variety of programs for seniors in Ventura County, including a hot-meal service, free taxi rides in medical emergencies and bus service.

As a supervisor, Lamb said, he would push for bringing a four-year public college to the county, building a 6,000- to 8,000-unit retirement community he has long advocated and expanding affordable housing for lower-income families.