School Bonds Faring Well in Early Returns

Supporters of school bond measures in three Los Angeles County communities took heart from early returns Tuesday night, while the outcome in a fourth city was more uncertain.

In San Marino, Downey and Baldwin Park, more than two-thirds of the votes counted were in favor of raising property taxes to pay for basic repairs and improvements to schools throughout their districts.

A similar measure in Palmdale was falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage.

In San Dimas, Alhambra Police Capt. Jeffrey W. Templeman edged out former Councilwoman Maria Tortorelli in a race for the city’s vacant council seat. Templeman received 1,615 votes to Tortorelli’s 1,425.

Curt Morris gave up the seat to become mayor after Terry Dipple resigned in the wake of fraud and forgery convictions. “Having grown up in San Dimas, this is an honor,” Templeman said. “Police officers aren’t meant to be emotional but I am tonight.”

Early returns in a hotly contested run-off for the 4th District seat on the Long Beach City Council had Delano Roosevelt, the great-grandson of the 32nd president, slightly ahead of Dennis Carroll. The two had led a field of five candidates in an April 9 election to succeed Tom Clark, who resigned in November after 30 years on the council.

Roosevelt promised to use his connections in Washington and industry to lure big business back to Long Beach, where he won endorsements from the mayor as well as the police and firefighters unions. Carroll took a local tack by wooing the vote of disaffected neighborhood organizations and promising stricter oversight of City Hall.

Supporters of the school bond issues, which require two-thirds approval to pass, went into Tuesday’s races with a hopeful attitude. Last November, 18 school districts out of 39 with bond issues on the ballot voted to increase their tax load to improve schools.

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Times correspondent John Cox contributed to this story.