DA Runoff Slated for November
Gilroy – The first competitive District Attorney’s race in 16 years proved a tight one between Superior Court Judge Dolores Carr and Chief Assistant District Attorney Karyn Sinunu, who will face each other in a runoff this November.
Carr finished nearly 9 percentage points ahead of Sinunu, with the candidates capturing 42 and 33.7 percent of the vote, respectively.
After District Attorney George Kennedy announced his retirement last year, four candidates with a wealth of experience campaigned heavily for the top seat, including Carr, Assistant District Attorney Marc Buller, Deputy District Attorney Jim Shore, and Sinunu, who had Kennedy’s endorsement.
Carr billed herself as an outsider with fresh ideas, while Sinunu promised to be more “progressive” than her predecessor.
Shore and Bull finished with 14.5 and 9.6 percent of the vote, respectively.
Errors cause voting problems
Stockton – Voters at several San Joaquin County polling places were turned away Tuesday because of machine glitches and voting inspectors who failed to show up.
In a handful of Stockton area precincts, polling places opened as much as three hours late after voting inspectors didn’t arrive for work, said Debbie Hench, the county’s registrar of voters. Voters were sent to nearby polling places where they were allowed to cast provisional ballots.
Hench said she did not know how many voters were affected by the no-shows, but added that the problems began when some inspectors didn’t pick up their equipment on Monday night.
Machine problems caused other voters to be sent away without balloting in Stockton, Lodi, Tracy and Morada.
Officials said the machines were touch-screen devices manufactured by Diebold Election Systems, which has been under scrutiny by federal and state officials.
Summer fun deal at California State Parks
Sacramento – California State Parks announced a new, annual day use pass, the Golden Poppy Pass. For use in a select number of parks, it is designed to provide an incentive for visiting lesser used parks and an additional choice and better value for those who are frequent park visitors.
The Golden Poppy Pass, at $90 a year, provides parking and day use admission to 98 select parks and all reservoirs at a $35 discount over the Annual Day Use Parking Pass.
A list of included and excluded parks is available online.
“Local residents can take advantage of the savings at our local Henry Coe Park and San Luis Reservoir this summer,” said Gilroy Visitor Bureau Director Jane Howard. “With our great weather, this can be a great family outing.”
Details: www.parks.ca.gov., or visit the Gilroy Visitors Bureau at in**@***********or.org.
Send news items to City Editor Robert Airoldi. FAX to 842-2206, mail to Gilroy Dispatch, 6400 Monterey Road, Gilroy, CA 95020, or e-mail ed****@****ic.com.
