Point Reyes Light - November 4, 1999
Sloan & Bohman win in the Valley; Amoroso and Kayfetz in Bolinas
Despite the county's first use of a new system for counting ballots, the results in West Marin of Tuesday's election didn't produce many other changes. Here's a look race by race:
Lagunitas School Board: incumbent Richard Sloan (549 votes) and newcomer Denise Bohman (413) beat Jim Clapp (360) and David Picchi (333).
Bolinas Public Utility District: incumbent Vic Amoroso (353) and former director Paul Kayfetz (258) beat Malcolm Ponder (229).
Measure H (Nicasio School bonds): passed 127 to 37.
Measure M (paramedic tax): passed 1,841 to 415.
Inverness Utility District: incumbents Bill Campbell (157) and Barbara Dewey (133), along with newcomer James Landreth (124), beat David Douglas (60).
Laguna School Board: newcomer Keith Soreng (31) beat Frances Beretta (23).
Union School Board: incumbent Lori Glenn (21) beat Charles Belford (8).
College of Marin Board: incumbents Frank Parnell (22,668), Phyllis Metcalfe (22,173), and Larry McFadden (20,461), along with newcomer Eva Long (19,201), beat Vivien Bronshvag (14,923), Otis Bruce (13,723), and Pete Romanowsky (4,860).
Measure O (allows Inverness Public Utility District to spend all the property taxes it is entitled to): Yes (176) beat No (6).
Measure N (allows the Paradise Ranch Estates Permanent Road Division to maintain through 2004 a road-improvement tax first approved in 1992): Yes (32) beat No (3). Measure N received virtually no publicity before the election, and one resident of Paradise Ranch Estates told The Light Wednesday he had been unaware the five-year-tax extension was on his ballot.
In West Marin, probably the four most-watched races on Tuesday's ballot were Measure M (which beefs up paramedic service here); it won 1,841 to 415; BPUD, where Kayfetz squeaked back into a director's seat; Measure H, which will allow Nicasio School to upgrade its campus; and the Lagunitas School Board, where Sloan garnered 33 percent of the vote and Bohman picked up 25 percent.
"It was a landslide," laughed a happy Trustee Sloan on Wednesday. "I'm thrilled." Before the election, he admitted, "I was concerned, but I'm always concerned."
Sloan attributed his victory to involving Valley residents when the school makes decisions and to his volunteer work on numerous school projects. "I really want to concentrate on rebuilding the Lagunitas campus playground," he said, "and we will use a lot of volunteers."
Bohman told The Light, "I'm happy he won. [The race] was wide open with four of us. When I went into it, there was no one else running."
What helped her win? "I know it was name recognition," she replied. "The Bohmans are a big family out here. Plus my involvement with the school. Every parent here at one time or another received a note from the school with my name on it. People knew who I was."
In the BPUD's board of directors' race, Amoroso easily led the three-man field with almost 42 percent of the vote while Kayfetz slipped past Ponder with only 30.4 percent to 27 percent.
"I'm pleased the way [the election] came out," said Amoroso. Kayfetz's victory, he added, "will make my life a little easier." He said both of them are concerned with Shoreline Disposal's franchise to pickup garbage in Bolinas. And referring to parking congestion downtown, Amaroso said, "Malcolm didn't have any sense it was even an issue. Paul and I did."
The congestion is discouraging Bolinas residents from patronizing Bolinas businesses, which tends to encourage a tourist-based economy, Amoroso added.
Kayfetz, for his part, acknowledged he was "very happy with the result" and added that during the campaign, "all three candidates handled themselves as gentlemen."
He noted that Ponder had called him on election day and they both agreed that "whatever the result, we will continue to work well together."
As to why he won, Kayfetz credited his endorsement by The Light. With a victory margin of only 29 votes, "I think that made the difference," he said Wednesday. "The result," he quipped, "is a measure of the power of the press."
Now that he will be back on the board, Kayfetz said he wants BPUD to pay more attention to septic problems on the Mesa, along with garbage costs and parking congestion.