INCUMBENTS CHALLENGED IN COUNCIL RACE THREE SEATS UP FOR GRABS IN CITY OF SAN FERNANDO.

Byline: RICK COCA

Staff Writer

With little more than a week before elections, the race for the city of San Fernando's council is becoming increasingly heated.

Incumbents seeking re-election -- Mayor Nury Martinez, Julie Ruelas and Steve Veres -- all are fighting to keep their part-time seats amid both praise and criticism.

And challengers James L. Lawson, Danitza Pantoja and Ruben Sandoval Jr. are stepping up their campaigns to get into the mix.

Lawson, a semi-retired health care consultant, said he thinks the council lacks the organization and management skills that he could bring with his experience working on state and federal health commissions through the years.

Lawson also said he would concentrate on boosting economic development, improving the city's streets and sidewalks, and providing regular maintenance such as tree trimming.

"It's time for (the incumbents) to move on and let other people in the community who are interested in serving (have the opportunity)," Lawson said. "People like myself."

For her part, Martinez cites her effort to bring affordable housing to the area, including the addition of more than 90 senior-housing units. Some of the units were finished last year; the rest are nearing completion.

A lifelong resident, she said quality-of-life issues also are important and cited council action after a pit-bull mauling last year.

Under her leadership, a community action plan was put into place, and stricter code enforcement of nuisance abatement violations were enforced. A full-time county animal control officer also has been assigned to the area.

She said focus on mixed-use facilities also has improved under her leadership, and the council has invested $1.7million in sidewalk and street repairs.

"I want to go back and finish the work we started," Martinez said.

Pantoja, a part-time family counselor and behavioral therapist who works with families and autistic children, has served on the city's parks and recreation commission and Healthy Cities program, and led its Relay for Life and Parade Literacy projects.

She said she would work to reduce barriers to business including easing liquor-license restrictions for restaurants opening in the city.

"I don't see what the bad thing is in bringing a restaurant with a liquor license when people are driving through the city to go to other restaurants (in other cities)," Pantoja said.

Ruelas, an incumbent and mayor pro tem, said that in her first term she revived the city's Disaster Council, which has helped boost the city's response to a disaster or emergency.

She also helped establish the Children Youth and Families Advisory Committee, which created a forum for people to speak out on related issues.

Ruelas, a child development professor at Mission Community College, said her profession has served her well on the council.

"I think because of the fact that I work as an educator and I was a grant writer, that gave me leadership skills to help me become a good council member," she said.

With no political experience, Sandoval's motto is, "Going back to basics."

He said his campaign is based on a desire to serve a community he loves.

"I want to become the public's servant," Sandoval said. "Put all personal agendas to rest."

Sandoval, a product safety inspector, said he would like to see more effort to recruit police and would consider a program to help home-grown officers buy homes.

"I've set goals for myself that I could hopefully achieve in my four years," he said. "Education, increase our public safety (and) new development. I felt that the community needs to be represented."

In his campaign, incumbent Veres notes his leadership role in building Heritage Park, a site that highlights the contributions of the area's American Indian, Latino and Japanese residents.

The park is set to open next month. He also worked on bringing affordable housing to the area for seniors.

An educator and district director for former California Assemblywoman Cindy Montanez, Veres said the council needs to finish work on the aquatic center at Cesar Chavez Park and continue to expand on a restaurant row.

He said he also would work to bring a movie theater to the Northeast Valley.

"That whole Northeast corridor," Veres said. "There's not a movie theater, and San Fernando is in quite a unique position to provide that."

rick.coca(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1) LAWSON

(2) PANTOJA

(3) MARTINEZ

(4) RUELAS

(5) SANDOVAL

(6) VERES