Littlerock council to see new, old faces sworn in

By JULIE DRAKE
Valley Press Staff Writer

The council will meet at 7 p.m. at Alpine Grange Hall, 8650 East Ave. T-8.

The resignation of council President Bill Guild and Vice President Irene Wilson, along with results of the Nov. 4 election, helped change the council's composition.

David Cleveland, Georgia Halliman, Tom Fidger and Abbe Hofstein were elected to the four open two-year council seats.

Hugo Estrada and Mary Ann Arnone-Ciaravino were elected to the two one-year alternate seats.

Patrick Hough will serve as council president; Penny Verble as vice president; Stephanie Chase as secretary; and Halliman as treasurer.

Other councilmembers are Cleveland, who served previously on the council, Fidger and Hofstein. Leslie Alameida will serve as community service liaison.

Your Town Council meets the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m.

 at the Alpine Grange Hall located at 87^th Street East

 and Avenue T-8. Littlerock, California

Faces of council to change next month

By JULIE DRAKE
Valley Press Staff Writer

The council has lost five members within the past four months and will welcome up to seven new members next month.

Former council officers William Guild and Irene Wilson and member Mary McMann resigned their seats within a couple of weeks of each other last month.

Guild, who had one year remaining on his term, said previously he resigned his post due to other business interests. He has been on the council on and off since 1996.

Wilson, who has been on the council on and off for five years, resigned her post two months before it was due to expire because of medical reasons, she said previously.

McMann, who had served on the council on and off since 1996, said she resigned her seat in part because of her part-time job, to care for two new puppies and because she does not have the time to devote to the council that it deserves.

The trio's exit came about two months after councilmen Sam Cordova and Dennis Tetu resigned their seats.

Four regular two-year council seats and two to three alternate seats will be up for election on Nov. 4.

Council President Patrick Hough, Vice President Penny Verble and Secretary Stephanie Chase, whose terms would have expired this year, will retain their seats for an additional year.

Treasurer Georgia Halliman, who was appointed as an alternate in July, is expected to run for re-election.

Thursday is the deadline for submitting an application for a seat on the council. Applications are available at Littlerock Hardware, Silly Tilly's Mercantile, 8300 Pearblossom Highway; Penney Lynn's Wind Toys, 8115 Pearblossom Highway; Littlerock Home N Ranch Center, 8010 Pearblossom Highway; and the Littlerock Library, 35119 80th St. West.

The cost to apply for a seat as an alternate is $25, and the cost to apply for a seat as a full councilmember is $50.

The meeting also will feature guest speakers Kathy Spoor, vice president of the Rosamond Community Service District's board of directors, and Assembly candidate Linda Jones.

Spoor has been outspoken in opposing the use of chloramines to disinfect drinking water.

Jones, a Democrat and Westside Union School District trustee, is running against Republican Steve Knight to replace 36th District Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Alpine Grange Hall, 8650 East Ave. T-8.

Littlerock Council loses 3

 seeks community members to serve

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press
Monday, September 29, 2008.

By JULIE DRAKE
Valley Press Staff Writer

LITTLEROCK - About two months after the Littlerock Town Council welcomed two new members, President William Guild, Vice President Irene Wilson and member Mary McMann resigned their seats within a couple of weeks of each other earlier this month.

Councilmen Sam Cordova and Dennis Tetu resigned this summer because business commitments conflicted with their ability to donate time to the council.

"I just don't have the stamina for it," said McMann, whose two-year council term would have ended this year.

McMann has served on the council off and on over the past 12 years. She said she has a part-time job and two new puppies to care for and that she does not have the time to devote to the council that it deserves. She stressed she has no hard feelings and remains friends with everyone on the council.

Wilson, who has been on the council off and on for five years, said she resigned her post due to medical reasons, noting she has difficulty sitting for long periods.

Guild, who had one year remaining on his term, said he resigned his post due to other business interests. He has been on the council on and off since 1996. "I think we've accomplished a great deal in that time," Guild said.

During that time the council got its community standards in place; negotiated with Caltrans for a three-lane road on Pearblossom Highway instead of a four-lane road as previously proposed, because Guild said that would have "pretty much destroyed the city," and also successfully pushed for stop lights at 90th Street East and Avenue T and Avenue R and 90th Street East near Jackie Robinson Park.

"It will change the look of the town completely and I think do some wonders for it in terms of what it will look like in the next 10 to 20 years," Guild said.

Guild said he will continue to work toward a solution for the cargo container storage issue.

"We were very shocked when we found out they had decided they were going to resign," said Norm Hickling, field representative for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

Hickling, who was not aware McMann had resigned also, said he was sad to hear Guild and Wilson had left the council and that he had called and asked them to reconsider, to no avail.

He said the council had been working well together and had been effective in addressing problems in the community.

"They were all just good examples of people getting involved in their community and making it a better place," Hickling said.

Five regular council seats and two alternate seats will be up for election Nov. 4. The regular term is two years but three of the seats are for one year to finish out the terms of members who resigned.

"We really need people to run and be part of the community," Guild said.

Applications are available at Littlerock Hardware, Silly Tilly's Mercantile, 8300 Pearblossom Hwy.; Penney Lynn Wind Toys, 8115 Pearblossom Hwy.; Littlerock Home N Ranch Center, 8010 Pearblossom Hwy.; and the Littlerock Library, 35119 80th St. West. Applications are due Thursday, Oct. 9.

The cost to apply for a seat as an alternative is $25 and the cost to apply for a seat as a full councilmember is $50.

Council Secretary Stephanie Chase said she will run for re-election, along with the new president, Patrick Hough, Vice President Penny Verble, and Treasurer Georgia Halliman.

Chase said the absences will be addressed at the next council meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 9, at the Alpine Grange Hall, 8650 East Ave. T-8.

"We're going to go ahead and mention who's doing what and let the community know not to worry … We're moving forward and we're moving forward in a very positive way," Chase said.

Chase said there has been a lot of interest from the community regarding the council and that anyone with questions about the responsibilities expected of council members can contact her at (661) 944-7592 or Hough at (661) 406-7006.