Hollister
– Poised to take on some big issues in a little town, 10 San
Juan Bautista residents are running for public office.
Several of those seeking office are long-time residents versed
in the intricacies of the Mission town’s political scene, but
others are newcomers to the melange of sewer problems, growth
issues and ever-present chickens.
Hollister – Poised to take on some big issues in a little town, 10 San Juan Bautista residents are running for public office.
Several of those seeking office are long-time residents versed in the intricacies of the Mission town’s political scene, but others are newcomers to the melange of sewer problems, growth issues and ever-present chickens.
Up for grabs are two city council seats, the city clerk position and city treasurer.
Both incumbents and four other residents will be vying for the city council seats.
Mayor George Rowe, Jr., 50, was undecided whether he would run for a second term until a barrage of phone calls from residents and community support convinced him to throw his hat into the ring, he said.
Rowe’s top priority, if given the chance at another four years at the council table, will be continuing to work on the city’s ailing infrastructure, which includes a host of sewer, water and road issues.
Securing a nearly $4 million federal grant the city has been trying to land for some time tops his list of priorities, Rowe said.
“My main focus is getting the grant for infrastructure,” he said. “That would solve a lot of problems.”
Incumbent Dan Reed, 59, a retiree of the orchid industry, also said focusing on the town’s infrastructure is one of his goals if elected to a second term.
The town’s decrepit sewer system and water pipes have plagued council members for years, and while a lot of work has been done to rectify the problem, there is still considerably more to do, the 15-year-long San Juan resident said.
Also important to Reed is preserving San Juan’s small-town identity and historical ambiance.
“San Juan Bautista is very unique, and we’ve got to protect what we’ve got so we don’t wake up one morning and realize we’ve become this metropolis and have lost the character of San Juan Bautista,” he said.
Business owner Jim Pereyra, 58, who has lived in San Juan for 13 years, decided to run for City Council because he feels he can contribute to the city and help “move things along a bit,” he said.
Pereyra’s primary focus would be improving infrastructure, procuring more grants and bringing some growth to the town, he said.
“I have a law degree and I think I can cut through some of the red tape that’s been bogging the Council down,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m the best, but that’s something the voters will decide.”
Graniterock project manager Ken Schipper, 51, has been a resident for only six months. But from growing up in Hollister, he knows how desperate the town is for a new water system and that growth is always a big issue, Schipper said.
Representing the community and working through the town’s problems is his primary reason for running for city council, he said.
“I don’t have a specific agenda, but I believe in the character San Juan Bautista has as a little slice of Mission life, and American life in California,” Schipper said. “I believe in keeping it close to what it is now.”
Lifetime resident George Dias, Jr., 43, believes his extensive knowledge of the town, its problems and its residents qualify him for a council seat, he said.
Dias, a planning commissioner for the past two years and former San Juan fire chief, has been attending city council meetings since he was in high school, and has watched council boards battle infrastructure, growth control and tourism issues for years, he said.
“I know the town, I know what’s going on, I know everybody,” Dias said. “I’m only one vote and I’m not making any promises – all I can say is that I’ll try to do what’s best for this town.”
San Juan Bautista resident Fernando Gil, who is also running for city council, was unavailable for comment.
Running for the office of city clerk are incumbent Shawna Serna and neophyte San Juan resident Katie Guerrero.
Serna ran unopposed four years ago, and although she enjoys the competition because it exemplifies what America is all about, she hopes to garner enough votes to keep her position for another term, she said.
“I love my job, it’s brought me into the heart of the city. I grew up here, but working for the city has given me the full picture,” she said. “I get to interface with all my neighbors and friends – it’s really pretty exciting.”
Guerrero, 35, who moved with her family to the historic town from Santa Maria in January, doesn’t feel her rookie status is a hindrance in running for city clerk. It’s an advantage over the “good ole’ boy network” many small towns become accustomed to, she said.
“I think it’s good to have a fresh face, fresh perspective. When you’ve been a resident for a long time sometimes you don’t see things as clearly,” she said. “Every time I meet somebody it seems like they just moved to the area – it’s good to have a representative of the new people that have just come here.”
Guerrero runs the Central Coast Tourism Council, and said she hopes to bring her expertise to the tourism-driven community.
“I was active in politics in (Santa Maria) and active in the community, and I wanted to do the same thing here,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity to get to know people and find out what’s going on in the city.”
Paul Petersen and Vicki Abruzzini, neither of whom have held a public office, will vie for the treasurer position.
Both candidates have an extensive financial background; Petersen is a retired accountant and Abruzzini is a purchasing manager for Custom Chrome.
After getting a taste of San Juan when her second grade class visited the Mission years ago, Abruzzini, 50, fell in love with the town and now feels its time to give back to the place she’s called home for 11 years.
“I’m smart, I’m good, I’m honest and I’m fair,” she said. “I want to keep the integrity of the town as a historical town.”
Petersen, a World War II veteran who has lived in San Juan for about a year, originally said he wouldn’t run if he was opposed. But he decided to stay in the race when Abruzzini filed papers in order to experience the challenge of running for office, he said.
“I think it’s an amazing community and I love its roosters and chickens, if nothing else,” he said. “It’s quaint, obviously.”
Erin Musgrave can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 336 or at
