CANDIDATES RUSH TO FIX DEFACED SIGNS : SIGN VANDALISM INCREASES AS CITY COUNCIL ELECTION NEARS.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

They're called the ``Sign Wars.'' And for City Council candidates, it means a frenzied scramble to replace election signs that have been uprooted, defaced or stolen by their political enemies.

As Tuesday's election approaches, many of the 12 candidates are reporting a rise in dirty campaign tricks. This week, political upstart Frank Ferry became the second candidate to file a police report after sledgehammer-wielding vandals destroyed $2,000 in signs over the weekend.

Councilwoman Jan Heidt filed a police report three weeks ago after someone defaced the window of her bookshop which features a campaign sign.

No vandals have been apprehended in what is becoming an increasingly common election practice. Last week, someone stole campaign signs for George Pederson, who lost his bid for the 36th Assembly seat.

Some candidates even have gotten used to it.

``It's just part of the process,'' former Councilwoman Jill Klajic said. ``You just take it with a grain of salt. You put them up and someone knocks them down again.''

To protect themselves, some candidates have volunteers cruise busy streets, looking to replace damaged signs. Others place their posters in hard-to-reach locations, while still others buy more signs than they need to.

Ferry and Heidt said they plan to replace any missing signs sporadically during the week before the election. Klajic bought 250 more signs than she needed and plans to place her signs behind fences and on steep hillsides where vandals will have a tougher time reaching them.

``I want to make it a little more difficult than just putting it on the side of highway where they can jump out and grab them,'' Klajic said.

A spokesman for the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station said he wasn't surprised to hear reports of vandalism.

``Everybody gets really into it,'' Lt. Robert Elson said of the election. ``It doesn't really surprise me.''

Candidates said the sign tampering underscores the importance of the local election for those vying for the two council seats.

``I know a lot of people feel there's a lot at stake here,'' Ferry said. ``I'm told by a lot of people that I'm an upstart and haven't paid my dues.''

Some political observers said such mischief has little impact in a race expected to draw few voters.

``The electoral importance (of the signs) is overstated,'' said Hunt Braly, president of the Santa Clarita Valley Congress of Republicans. ``Most people looking at those signs are not voting.''

Some campaign workers said such unscrupulous tactics stain the city's reputation.

``It's a real low blow,'' said Carmel Sizer, a volunteer for Klajic. ``It's petty. We're supposed to be grown up now. We're supposed to be well-established. It makes me angry that we look so petty.''

But Ferry was able to look on the bright side.

``I should take it as a compliment,'' he said. ``Obviously somebody thinks I have a good chance of winning.''