ELECTIONS ’88 ORANGE COUNTY : 3 Seats Open, but 2 Trustees Unopposed : College District Race Has Only 1 Contest

Only one incumbent faces opposition Nov. 8 in the North Orange County Community College District, where three seats are to be filled.

Incumbents Barbara Hammerman and Chris Loumakis are unopposed and will be automatically reelected.

Incumbent Wallace (Wally) Hardy has three challengers on the ballot. One of those opponents, Rebecca Gonzalez, is no longer an active candidate, she says, because she is moving out of the district. The other two challengers, both of whom are still seeking to unseat Hardy, are Steve White, a real estate broker, and John Kelly, a sales administrator, both from Anaheim.

North Orange County Community College District governs two community colleges, Fullerton College and Cypress College.

Candidates are elected districtwide, but they must reside in the geographic area, called a Trustee Area, that they seek to represent. Trustee Area 1, now represented by Hardy, is composed of Anaheim and part of Garden Grove.

Hardy, 43, has been a trustee for the district for the past 13 years. A software engineer with an electronics company, he formerly was a high school math teacher. Hardy said the college district’s biggest problem is “to be able to serve the people in the eastern part of the district; we need to develop the Yorba Linda site (a branch where community college classes are held) without impacting the rest of the district, since we are not receiving any state funds for development.” Hardy added: “Plans are being made to develop fund-generating projects . . . to raise the money to support the educational programs at the (Yorba Linda) site.”

Kelly, 48, also said he sees development and better use of the college district’s Yorba Linda site as a prime goal. He said there should be “effective usage of the Yorba Linda facility” and the district should be “initiating action to go forward.” He said he would “take positive steps to go forward after careful evaluation of all the facts” about the Yorba Linda site.

White, 41, the other challenger, strongly criticized the college district for not attracting many high school graduates who, he charged, are bypassing community colleges and are going to expensive private schools.

White, 41, said: “The most serious problem is the failure to meet the educational needs of the large and increasing number of students enrolling in private . . . schools in the district. Many such schools are reporting 20% annual increases in enrollment, while North Orange County Community College District enrollment remains constant.” White said “optional trimester,” rather than solely a semester schedule, would help many students who are seeking accelerated training available at private schools. White said he also thinks community college counseling and placement services should “be in closer coordination with the business community to provide the trained employee required. . . .”

NORTH ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT CANDIDATES

Three candidates are running for the Trustee Area 1 seat held by Wallace Hardy in the Nov. 8 election. Incumbents Barbara Hammerman and Chris Loumakis are unopposed and will be automatically reelected. Candidates are elected districtwide, but they must reside in a geographic area that they seek to represent.