Hawaiian Gardens City Council

Hawaiian Gardens population: 13,639 Election: April 14 On the ballot: 12 candidates for three seats

INCUMBENTS

Esther E. Flores

Age: 42

Occupation: Bridal shop owner

Remarks: “The most important thing we have to do is look at ways to have more affordable housing and sheriff’s protection. We have to deal with the gangs and drugs in the streets right now. I have fought to provide our citizens with special-assignment police officers to prevent drugs and gangs from taking over our city. We’ve been having quite a bit of influx of gang activity and drive-by shootings. We are looking at different ways at bringing in a sheriff’s substation.” She has been on the council for two years. During that time she voted to provide senior citizens with quality housing at affordable prices, she said. “I believe in serving the people and continuing progress and redevelopment. We need positive community growth.”

H.M. (Lennie) Wagner

Age: Declined to state

Occupation: Kennel owner

Remarks: “We need a cohesive council to provide honest, fearless leadership. Our next four years are crucial for economic stability of individuals, cities, states and our nation.” She believes that the city’s Health Department, dental clinic and Dial-a-Ride programs for seniors and the needy must continue to be improved. She also advocates more academic and job training programs and is concerned about crime. “My years on the council show improved local law enforcement. Burglaries, gang warfare and drug-related crimes must be further addressed.”

CHALLENGERS

Randal Black

Age: 29

Occupation: Interior designer and display artist

Remarks: “The No. 1 thing we need is police protection. The current council has neglected to take care of the people. The residents of the city should be No. 1. We need to get tax dollars back into the city and make sure residents feel safe. They need to know their children can walk on the sidewalks without someone shooting them down.” His goals are to get the police protection the city needs and to increase tax revenues. “This city is turning into a ghost town because the council doesn’t want to work with the business sector. We should upgrade existing undeveloped redevelopment property throughout the city so we can gain tax monies. If we can’t get that money back in the city, we can’t get that police protection.”

Lupe Cabrera

Age: 58

Occupation: Property manager

Remarks: “I will promote unity on the council and in the city. We need to work as a team of five people advocating conservative spending. For the last six years, our seniors and youth have been neglected, as has our community. We haven’t had a good working team in leadership, and this needs to be corrected now.” He has been a Hawaiian Gardens resident for 42 years and served on the City Council from 1972 to 1984. He also served on the Planning Commission. “We need strong, sound financial planning, management stability and a safe, secure environment. I will work to strengthen nutrition programs and improve the image of Hawaiian Gardens.”

Alan Calcote

Age: 37

Occupation: Math and science teacher for Los Angeles Unified School District

Remarks: “Close behind the need for more law enforcement is the need to clean up the city. There is a lot of blight. We have a lot of illegal aliens, and absentee owners have 20 people living in one apartment. It’s out of control. If it’s not checked the city will decline. Rental properties are increasing all the time, and that needs to be reversed.” Although the U.S. Census shows 13,600 live in the city of about a square mile, unofficial estimates are as high as 18,000, he said. “I’m not really connected to anybody in the city. I’m independent and would go into an issue and vote on what is best for the homeowners and the children, instead of voting to gain acceptance. We have the unique ability to really clean up our area.”

Robert Canada

Age: 49

Occupation: Medical records analyst Remarks: “I believe in strong fiscal management. We need to formulate a budget for the city. Our first responsibility is to the people of Hawaiian Gardens. We need strong, fair law enforcement to take care of the gang violence and drugs. Most problems with gangs are coming from outside the city. Our city doesn’t have adequate parks. I support the development of single-family housing and residential clean-up and rehabilitation. We need more parks and more programs for the seniors and the youth.” He is a member of the Parks Commission and is active in senior citizen programs. “Our seniors let us know what they’re interested in--they need more affordable housing. We should also find organizations to help our youth with college scholarships.”

Mary Corrales

Age: 43

Occupation: Housewife

Remarks: “We have a lot of problems. Our current council has been bickering for two years. We need to have open communications with the council, and they have to be open to the schools and the public. The City Council needs to listen when people speak. The city is going in the right direction as far as police protection. Of course, it could always get better.” She wants more programs for seniors and youths. “Our seniors have been waiting for years for their programs. They have the right to choose the kind they want. We also need a youth post that kids can direct. We have to have programs for the kids. Many come from dysfunctional homes. Some don’t know how to read and write and can’t get through the school system.”

Valerie Gaxiola

Age: 48

Occupation: Housewife

Remarks: “I think we need to work more with the youth. They need a place of their own, where they can go and hang out and stay off the streets. We need to get the senior citizens their own director to run the senior center. I feel that I could help. I’d like to bring back Little League for the kids, so they’d learn to hit their first ball instead of their first pipe or vein. The council forgot about our youth.” She is concerned about the way city redevelopment money is spent. Council members “spend too much money on redevelopment. All we have is empty fields. They buy property and tear down the houses. But they’re not building houses. There’s just empty fields.”

Virginia Lee

Age: 69

Occupation: Hardware store owner

Remarks: “We need to clean the city up. I want it to be as nice as when my husband was on the council. I want to make it a safe place for our people and keep the people and trade in the community. I want to stop the gang shootings and improve the community for everybody.” Her husband, C. Robert Lee, was one of the first council members from 1964 to 1977. The community center is named in his memory. “I want a recreation program for all the children, not just a few. There is sort of a dividing line at Carson Street. People on the north side don’t come to the south side. I want to see all the people act together as a community. If we have good community relationships, people will be happier, if they know their neighbors. I want to help the people.”

Robert Prida

Age: 52

Occupation: Custodian for ABC Unified School District

Remarks: “The Hawaiian Gardens City Council needs positive and hard-working individuals to continue progress in the city. We also need a sheriff’s substation and a youth center for the young kids. We need more programs for gangs, to settle them down. We need to provide our youth with positive role models.” He envisions a youth center that would provide an after-school site with recreational programs. He believes more senior citizen programs and housing also are needed. “I’d like to get the seniors more affordable housing. Right now it’s kind of rough for them. We need more community programs for seniors, and we need to protect them.”

Donald E. Schultze

Age: 58

Occupation: Building contract company owner

Remarks: “More law enforcement is the No. 1 concern here. We have one of the best law enforcement agencies in the country, but we have to leave them alone. We need strong law enforcement without council interference.” Schultze served eight years on the council and is also concerned with the way the city handles money. “The year is almost over, and there is still no budget. We need a balanced budget and responsible spending. There is too much favoritism in the city, too many favors for friends of council members. They’ve got to stop bickering within themselves, it kills the city for that to happen. We’re losing all our businesses. We don’t do anything to help them.”

Grant Winford

Age: 38

Occupation: Mechanic for a nonprofit foundation

Remarks: “We need neighborhood and community redevelopment, not just businesses, because when you have an upgraded neighborhood, crimes tend to be reduced. When the crime rate is lower, businesses are more likely to consider moving here. We could take advantage of the fact that our rental rates are lower than in other urban or upscale areas.” He also said business and service organizations have become disenfranchised and need to work together. “The most important thing we need is community involvement. We must have good leadership on the council to get the community involved. This city is unique because of its smallness. People can get involved with things that will actually affect the community.”