Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : 92 File to Run for 15 School and Water Boards : Elections: A high school district draws its largest candidate field in years, despite recent financial troubles.

Ninety-two people filed candidacy papers for seats on 15 school and water district boards in the November election, led by 14 candidates for a trio of seats on the governing board of the region’s troubled high school district, county officials said Wednesday.

The fact that the Antelope Valley Union High School District has been on the verge of financial ruin for most of the past year did not stop the race from getting its largest field of candidates in years, at the close of Wednesday’s filing deadline for the Nov. 2 election.

Following is the final candidates roster reported by the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office for nine Antelope Valley school districts and six local water agencies. In cases where incumbents are unopposed, they will automatically be reappointed without appearing on the ballot:

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Antelope Valley Community College District: Three incumbents and five challengers filed for three seats. The incumbents are Herman Kicenski, a semi-retired physician; high school teacher James DuPratt; and Betty Lou Nash, a former college staff member. The challengers are James Hutchins, a quality specialist with Northrop’s B-2 Division in Palmdale; Kamal Chalabi, a frequent Palmdale City Council candidate; accountant Mohamed Abul Kheir; Kenneth Johnson, a plant security aide; and Nancy Martin, president of the Llano Community Assn.

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Antelope Valley Union High School District: One incumbent and 13 challengers filed for three seats. The lone incumbent is Charles Whiteside, human resources director at Antelope Valley College. The challengers are Tony Welch, captain of the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station; William Olenick, deputy county probation officer and a former high school board member; Michael Huggins, aerospace engineer and president of the Lancaster School District board; and Sue Stokka, a former trustee in the Wilsona School District.

Also running are Wendy Sue Kalbacher, an accountant; Richard Brown, facilities director for the Lancaster School District and 1992 Lancaster City Council candidate; Behrooz (Bruce) Farhangi, an Antelope Valley College instructor; John Hosea, an engineer; Frank Tymon, Quartz Hill Water District board member and Town Council member; Allen Walker, university director; Keith Davis, a retired probation officer who ran in 1991; R. (Bob) Davis; and Jason Zink, a former Littlerock Town Council member. Incumbents Steve Landaker and Sophia Waugh did not seek reelection.

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Palmdale School District: Two incumbents and four challengers filed for three seats in the Antelope Valley school district with the largest enrollment. The incumbents are Frederick Thompson, dean of social studies at Antelope Valley College, and Velma Trosin, a retired nurse. The challengers are conservative family counselor Gene Gray; Kenneth White, a mechanic and business owner; Sheldon Epstein, an educator and former board member; and Larry Logsdon, a teacher and 1992 Republican congressional primary candidate. Incumbent Fay Harrington did not seek reelection.

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Lancaster School District: Two incumbents and nine challengers filed for three seats. The incumbents are Melinda White and Richard White (no relation). The challengers are Dewey White, a substance abuse consultant who is Melinda White’s ex-husband; Donald Ranish, a political science professor at Antelope Valley College; Peter Robles, an environmental engineer at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Facility; teacher Beth Ercek; Greg Tepe, a safety services coordinator; Merle (Mel) Kleven, product safety supervisor; Tyler Nakamura, a program engineer; Val Holt, a candidate in 1991, and William Horning. Incumbent Michael Huggins is running for the high school district board.

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Eastside Union School District: Three incumbents and two challengers filed for three seats. The incumbents are Lee Doughty, Martha Johnson, and Larry Lake. The challengers are Jose Meza, an electrician, and Willard Ritchie, a former board member.

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Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union School District: Two incumbents and one challenger filed for three seats. The incumbents are Lola Skelton Mantooth and Peter Stolken, and the challenger is David Bowen, a nonprofit agency director. Incumbent Stanley Packer did not seek reelection.

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Keppel Union School District: Three incumbents and three challengers filed for three seats. The incumbents are school principal R. Michael Dutton, Valorie Gorney, and Bert (Buddy) Hayman. The challengers are bank technician Roger Fonvergne, homemaker Maxine Griffin and telephone splicer Rafael Mendoza.

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Westside Union School District: Two incumbents and eight challengers filed for three seats. The incumbents are David Ryckebosch and Leon Swain. The challengers are veterinarian Larry Bosma; Kevin Cullen, a sales director; Scott Gmur; Charles (Chuck) Haskell, a deputy sheriff; Mitchell Klein, an electrical business representative; David Korczyk, an assistant civil engineer; Steve Lichtenstein, a senior programmer-analyst, and Michael McCormick. Incumbent Charles Strole did not seek reelection.

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Wilsona School District: Three incumbents, Michael Brown, Frank Donaldson Sr. and Luis Easterwood, and challenger Sharon Toyne, a homemaker, filed for three seats.

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Palmdale Water District: Ronald Cunningham, Palmdale’s deputy treasurer, was the only candidate to seek the Division 2 seat held by Walt Dahlitz, who did not seek reelection. Incumbent Nolan Negaard, a retired teacher, was the only candidate to seek his Division 5 seat.

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Quartz Hill Water District: Three incumbents and one challenger filed for three seats. The incumbents are Olan Flick, Don Raven and Michael Risolo Jr. The challenger is Johnie (Wayne) Argo, an electrical supervisor.

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Littlerock Creek Irrigation District: Three incumbents and four challengers filed for three seats. The incumbents are Brian Okerlund, Art Stout and Charles Yingst. The challengers are veterinarian Larry Connelly, businesswoman Barbara Hashemian, aircraft flight mechanic Roman Noriega, and Frances Young of Littlerock.

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Palm Ranch Irrigation District: Two incumbents, Edward Lisbony and Dorrance Ulvin, were the only ones to file for two full four-year terms. Appointed incumbent Jess Baker, a construction electrician, was the only one to file for a two-year term.

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Green Valley County Water District: Incumbent Jim Billesbach and six challengers filed for three seats. The challengers are John Ameluxen, a retired teacher; Christopher August, a graphic artist; Dennis Dickinson, a construction supervisor; Eileen Hoenshell of Green Valley; Gordon Jacks, a retired Department of Water and Power worker; and Jerry Strealy, a teacher. Incumbents Fred Cannon and Jeffrey Rankin did not seek reelection.

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West Valley County Water District: The two incumbents, Nat Karchem and Douglas Loveridge of Lancaster, were the only ones to file for their two seats.