Wednesday, 02 April 2008
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Student candidates to challenge College District trustees
By LEIGH MUZSLAYSAN BERNARDINO - It's new school vs. old school in this November's San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees election.
Four current board members with 68 years on the board between them want their spots back. And three students, all with community college experience, hope to bring fresh perspective to the board.
"Instead of fighting against established ways of thinking, I'd like to come in with new energy and new ideas,' Riverside Community College student Arthur P.K. Anderson said.
Anderson attended San Bernardino Valley College for two years, serving as a senator then president of the Associated Students. But he transferred after becoming frustrated with disorganization at the school.
"Services at (Riverside Community College) are more student friendly,' Anderson, 24, said. "I don't think the board is aware of a lot of the problems.'
Anderson, who lives in San Bernardino, plans to declare his intention to run today.
Dawn E. Crawford, a San Bernardino Valley College student, is also running as a protest of sorts. She decided to run after signature problems halted her effort earlier this year to recall all seven of the district's trustees.
Crawford, a former student senator, has sparred with the community college district over alleged violations of her civil rights.
She has filed a lawsuit against the college and the district, along with several complaints with state and federal officials, charging the college has attempted to retaliate against her for asserting her civil rights. "Our current board members are corrupt,' Crawford, 32, said. "Even if I'm outvoted, I'll be there to blow the whistle. They vote in a block. No one's there to act as a watch dog I'm the perfect person for doing that.'
Cal State San Bernardino graduate student Mark A. Sheppard also plans to file papers to run for the board today. A community college graduate, Sheppard said he wants to help the district "maximize its resources' during the state budget crisis.
Sheppard is working on his master's degree in public administration and works for the Baldy View Chapter of the Building Industry Association.
The 34-year-old Redlands resident also spent 3 years as a district representative for state Senate Republican Leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga.
Incumbents Charles H. Beeman of Highland, Allen B. Gresham of San Bernardino, Carleton W. Lockwood Jr. of Redlands and Mary E. Sampson of Colton say they want to finish what they've started on the board.
For example, San Bernardino Valley College is in the middle of a major reconstruction project.
This is "a project we started over 10 years ago,' Beeman, 72, said. I want to see it to the end, and it'll be done by the time this term is over.'
The current board, incumbents said, will know best how to handle problems such as the state budget crisis.
"Alan (Gresham) and I both feel that it's important we keep the members on the board who are familiar with this,' Beeman, a board member for 20 years, said. "We have stability and that's what we want to keep.'
Sampson, who is wrapping up her first term on the board, agreed.
"I think we compliment each other with our skill sets,' Sampson, human resources director for Riverside Transit Agency, said. "We really mesh well.'
Conservative spending, she said, has kept the district afloat.
"The board has been able to keep the district in a real good financial condition,' Beeman said. "We're not laying anybody off. We're continuing to take anyone that comes in and give them an education.'
Carleton W. Lockwood Jr., first elected to the board in 1991, said it's important to stick things out during tough financial times.
"We aren't jumping the ship when water seems to be leaking,' Lockwood said.
He plans to declare hisintention to run today, he said.
Lockwood, 47, is president of Lockwood Engineering Co. in Rialto.
Board Vice President Allen B. Gresham was first elected to the board in 1971. He is the senior partner in the law firm of Gresham, Varner, Savage, Nolan & Tilden.
He is on vacation this week and could not be reached for comment.
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