STANTON : 3 Candidates to Seek 2 City Council Seats

A 24-year-old recent college graduate and a 58-year-old automobile dealership manager will join Mayor Sal Sapien in the November race for two City Council seats.

Robert Hyun, who recently graduated from Cal State Long Beach, and William Horton, a 13-year resident of the city, submitted their candidacy papers Wednesday, the final filing day for the Nov. 3 election. Sapien, who has been on the council eight years, filed last week to run for reelection.

The 53-year-old mayor, who works as an administrator at Rosemead High School, said he was hesitant about running again because of the time commitment required of council members, but added that he wanted to remain involved in the programs and projects that he helped initiate.

“The city needs to continue in the progressive direction we’ve established,” he said.

Councilman David John Shawver, however, decided not to seek reelection after serving four years. The outspoken councilman, who has repeatedly clashed with Sapien on various issues, blamed the mayor for his decision.

“I’m getting very tired of Mayor Sapien’s personal attacks on me and my family,” said Shawver, a high school football coach. “The best way to do that is to avoid the problem.”

Shawver has filed a lawsuit against Sapien, contending that the mayor defamed him in a letter sent to voters in December, 1991, after an unsuccessful Shawver-led attempt to recall Sapien.

Shawver said he does feel a sense of satisfaction that he was able to provide the city with programs and improvements such as after-school recreation for latchkey children and a new drainage system that eased flooding at Cerritos Avenue and Beach Boulevard.

But he challenged new council members to pursue one goal he said he was not able to reach--”adequate law enforcement” in the city.

Council candidate Hyun, who grew up in Stanton and graduated from Magnolia High School, said he has a number of concerns, including the “cleaning up” of Beach Boulevard. He said his youth will be an advantage in that he will bring “a little more enthusiasm, life, determination and persistence” to the city.

Hyun recently founded an organization, Korean Americans for Political Representation, aimed at getting more Korean-Americans into politics.

Horton could not be reached for comment Wednesday.