ELECTIONS : Familiar Faces Among 11 Who Enter Torrance City Council Race

In a race that includes no incumbents but plenty of familiar faces, 11 candidates Wednesday formally declared their intentions to run for three seats on the Torrance City Council.

The candidates, who had until Wednesday to file candidacy papers, include Dan Walker, who was on the council from 1978 to 1992, and Burton Fletcher, an El Camino College professor who ran for council in 1992 and caused a stir last month when he removed copies of the campus newspaper because of an offending article.

A number of the candidates also have experience on various city commissions.

Last week, Councilman Bill Applegate and Councilwoman Dee Hardison formally began their campaigns for mayor, and this week Councilman Mark Wirth filed papers to run for city clerk.

Walker decided to run for council instead of making another bid for state office. He ran unsuccessfully in the 1992 Republican primary for the 53rd Assembly District.

“I looked at my options and concluded that I liked the idea of being in local government rather than state office where you are surrounded by single-issue Sacramento lobbyists,” said Walker, 53. He said he hoped voters would want to choose someone who has council experience.

Fletcher, who a month ago said he would not run, surprised other candidates by throwing his hat back into the ring.

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Fletcher admitted last month that he removed copies of the student newspaper because of an article that questioned his teaching methods. He later apologized in a full-page advertisement and paid the paper $350 to cover costs for printing extra copies.

“There has been an outpouring of requests from friends and supporters requesting and insisting that I re-enter the race,” said Fletcher, 43, adding, “I have taken everything into consideration.”

The other candidates are:

* Michael Botello, 43, another El Camino College professor and attorney.

* Marcia Cribbs, 58, a member of the Torrance Civil Service Commission and retired certified public accountant and finance executive.

* Joseph Martinez, 35, chairman of the Planning Commission and a business and corporate attorney.

* Mike Mauno, 36, a member of the Planning Commission and a financial institution project manager.

* Jack Messerlian, 48, an urban planner and chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission.

* Joe Quinones, 56, an air-conditioning and heating technician.

* Gerry Rische, 59, member of the Torrance Civil Service Commission and a retired high school teacher.

* Steve Whitehead, 41, a business executive.

* Hope Witkowsky, 53, a real estate agent and former member of the city Human Resources Commission.

Aside from Wirth, 43, the other city clerk candidates are Sue Herbers, 48, chairwoman of the city’s environmental quality and energy conservation commission, and Gary Spero, 28, a former city prosecutor. The winner will succeed incumbent John Bramhall, who decided not to seek reelection.