Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 29

Personal Background

Resident of Visalia since 1998, I opened my law office near the Tulare County Courthouse and have made appearances in courts in both Tulare and Fresno Counties.

I have continued my tradition of community service representing the League of Women Voters on Visalia's Regional Retail Growth Task Force. I now serve on the city's Environmental Committee. I belong to the Tulare County Bar Association and am a new member of the Visalia Chamber of Commerce.

As a Democrat, I have worked for more than 10 years to help organize new Democratic clubs in Visalia and in Kern and Inyo counties while serving on the Democratic State Central Committee, Tulare and Kern County Central Committees and the 29th and 34th Assembly District committees. I endorse the Democratic principles of social justice, equal opportunity, support for public education, appreciation of our diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, wise stewardship of natural resources, and a woman's right to make her own reproductive decision.

In Ridgecrest, my home for 26 years, I was an award-winning editor of the Daily Independent newspaper. My journalism career included reporting on everything from world news to local youth groups, crime to sports. I reported on local government and courts, environmental issues and business. I also monitored the impact of national and international developments on the local defense community.

I was active in the community with service projects ranging from originating the community's Halloween celebrations and annual Easter egg hunts to sponsoring performances of "The Nutcracker" ballet. I initiated a "Student of the Year" scholarship program which also recognized students from our three high schools for their achievements in scholarship, sports or service.

With a local economy stagnating because of cutbacks in military spending at the China Lake Navy base, I joined the IWV2000 Economic Development Committee, where I was an organizer of major community beautification and cleanup efforts. I also served on advisory committees working on elements of the city's general plan.

My writing career also included free-lance work ranging from an independent publication studying teenage alcoholism to a newsletter that I published under contract with the local water district.

AWARDS Individual and staff awards included CNPA first place for spot news (individual) and several for lifestyle sections (staff), John Swett Award from California Teachers Association for education reporting, ARC Golden Rule Award (Clair Burgener Public Information Award) for coverage of retarded citizen programs, Ridgecrest City Seal for service to the city.

PUBLIC SERVICE City of Visalia Environmental Committee, Visalia Regional Retail Growth Task Force. Valley Improvement Project of IWV 2000 economic development committee, Kern County Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board, United Way, Cerro Coso Community College Fire Mountain Foundation, Ridgecrest-Tepatitlan Sister City Association, Ridgecrest Improvement Program and various general plan advisory committees.

EDUCATION Ridgecrest School of Law, juris doctor, 1997. UCLA music major (1948 - 1950). American River College and Sacramento State University, journalism-government major (1968-1971). Variety of other college-level classes.

ORGANIZATIONS State Bar of California, American Bar Association, Tulare County Bar Association, League of Women Voters. National Women's Political Caucus -- Fresno, Former member, California Elected Women's Association for Education and Research, Kern County Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board, Society of Professional Journalists, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Kern County Press Club.

PERSONAL Native of Detroit, Mich., I have been a California resident since 1939. My late husband of 48 years was an engineer. I have two adult sons, two adult daughters and nine grandchildren.

29th Assembly District

The 29th Assembly District is the hub of California's rich agricultural economy. Tulare County is ranked first and Fresno County third in the nation in agricultural production. Both county seats, Visalia and Fresno, are within the district along with Clovis, Farmersville, Exeter, Woodlake, Ivanhoe, Three Rivers, Auberry and Squaw Valley. Of an estimated one million residents in the two counties, Hispanics comprise the largest minority, about 36 percent.

The area is described as politically conservative with a voter registration that is currently 47 percent Republican, 39 percent Democratic, 10 percent decline to state and the remainder spread among a half dozen other parties. More than 200,000 voters were registered to vote in the 1998 general election. Of those, 83,080 voted for the current Assembly member, and 8,000 voted for a write-in candidate, while nearly 40,000 persons who voted in the election did not vote in the 29th Assembly District race.