ELECTIONS / GLENDALE : Voters Stay With Givens, Zarian in Triumph of Tried and True

Opting for continuity, Glendale voters Tuesday elected Mayor Eileen Givens to a second City Council term by a wide margin, while Councilman Larry Zarian also managed to defeat the challengers who had attacked him on everything from his political agenda to his education.

Glendale voters--who cast ballots for two seats each on the council, school board and Glendale Community College Board of Trustees--provided no surprises as they elected the best-financed, best-known candidate in five of the six races.

Without a major issue dominating the debate, the 51-year-old Givens waged an upbeat campaign focusing on her accomplishments in office and her goals for a second term.

Although she has advocated continuity rather than radical change, Givens has helped shepherd several major developments, including the televising of council meetings and formation of a task force on race relations. Givens has said her second council term will be her last.

“I think the voters see me not as an extremist but as someone who takes a balanced approach to the issues,” Givens said as her victory became clear.

Zarian, 57, a retired businessman, was on the defensive for much of the campaign, which may account for his performance at the polls, which was weaker than in previous elections, but he was still pleased with the results.

“I’ve done fantastic with all the battering I’ve taken and negative publicity,” Zarian said. “I was the only one that was attacked in this race, but I hope now we can put it all behind us.”

Most of the heat Zarian took during the campaign came from David E. Wallis, 58, a retired aerospace engineer, and David Weaver, 55, a civil engineer and homeowners association activist, both of whom had run unsuccessfully for the council once before.

The two challengers tried to cast doubt on the importance of Zarian’s impending appointment to lead the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Zarian countered that Glendale would forfeit the benefits of having a resident in the powerful chairmanship if he were not reelected.

Both men asserted that their attacks shed new light on Zarian’s record, but in the end the veteran councilman was better financed and his recognition in business and political circles was too difficult to overcome.

“He is a well-liked representative with great social skills,” Wallis said. “But this was a victory for the Glendale oligarchy.”

Campaign finance reports filed last week showed that Zarian--who spent nearly $58,000 in his previous council campaign in 1991--had raised nearly $35,000 in this race, spending much of it on newspaper advertising and mailers. Givens, who spent about $40,000 in her first election bid four years ago, had raised about $31,000.

In comparison, Weaver trailed with a war chest of less than $5,000, Wallis was campaigning with about $4,000 of his own money and John K. Beach, in his third run for the office, was using about $2,400 of his own funds.

Voters also chose familiar faces in the race for the Board of Education, which was dominated by discussion of campus crime.

Victory went to longtime PTA volunteer Pam Ellis, the only candidate with children in the public schools, and Lina May Harper, an accountant and longtime PTA activist.

They will fill two seats left vacant by the retirement of Blanch Greenwood and Sharon Beauchamp.

Ellis, 44, benefited from her long involvement in PTA work and activities with the Northwest Glendale Homeowners Assn. She also had substantial financial advantages over the other candidates.

A surprise loser was attorney John Gantus, whose two children attend Catholic private schools.

As of last week, Gantus’ campaign had raised more than $14,000 for mailings and other expenses and Ellis’ had raised about $11,000, compared to about $7,000 for Peter Musurlian, an aide to Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-Glendale), and $5,000 for Harper.

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The typically low-key race for the Glendale Community College board was ignited this year by the campaign of Michael J. Smith, 37, a former president of the school’s student government, who criticized the college’s administration and called for changes in spending and compensation policy.

In the end, however, he lost to incumbent Robert K. Holmes, 47, a local attorney and part-time teacher at the college, who was elected to a fourth term. Martin Pilgreen, the principal of Alan F. Daily High School who dropped out of the race two weeks ago, placed second in the voting, but it was unclear if he would accept office. He could not be contacted.

Political newcomer Victor I. King, 30, a business attorney who has represented community colleges and received endorsements from key political and business groups, placed third and would take office if Pilgreen declines.

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Glendale Municipal Elections 65 out of 65 precincts reporting GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL (2 seats) Eileen Givens *: 9,182 Larry Zarian *: 5,198 David G. Weaver: 4,038 David E. Wallis: 2,629 John K. Beach: 2,078 GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES (2 seats) Robert K. Holmes *: 7,761 Martin Pilgreen: 5,137 Victor King: 5,118 Michael J. Smith: 4,187 (Note: Pilgreen withdrew from the race in mid-March, but his name appeared on the ballot) GLENDALE BOARD OF EDUCATION (2 seats) Pam Ellis: 8,510 Lina May Harper: 6,647 John M. Gantus: 4,643 Peter Musurlian: 4,029 * Indicates incumbent