Editor’s Note: This is a new feature we will be utilizing more as the campaign season rolls closer. It is a collection of smaller announcements and stories from the various campaigns. Lily Shen, a UC Davis Student and former Court Watch Intern, is our new Election Coordinator.
Sam Neustadt for Yolo County Superintendent of Schools
Sam Neustadt formally announced his candidacy for County Superintendent of Schools at his campaign kick-off on Sunday, January 19, at the home of school board member Susan Lovenburg.
Mr. Neustadt has vast experience the education system. He has taught for 28 years in California public schools. He has been a teacher, principal, and educational leader at the county and state levels. He has been a consultant to many school educational-related organizations. He was a Solano County Assistant Superintendent for 14 years.
Mr. Neustadt aims at promoting better quality in the education system. His goal if he were the new county superintendent will be to create programs for students who have difficulties in the learning process. He also wants to ensure that preschools are affordable to the wide variety of prospective families.
He hopes that he can further administer schools with music, art, and foreign language classes to complement the core classes. As a candidate, his main desire is to provide students a learning environment in which they can succeed. For more information about his campaign, you can visit http://www.samneustadt.com
Sheila Allen for Davis City Council
She will officially announce the start of her campaign for city council at the Davis Farmer’s Market, between 4th and C Streets, near the carousel, on Saturday January 25, 2014, at 11am.
Sheila Allen has served on the Davis Board of Education since 2005, but announced that she would not seek re-election.
She also has announced her first council campaign fundraiser, “A Taste of the World.” It will run from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the home of Delaine Eastin, former state superintendent of public instruction, 4228 Dogwood Place.
For more information about her campaign, you can visit http://www.sheilaallen.org/
Judge Mock Retires
Last week, Yolo County Superior Court Judge Stephen Mock announced his retirement at a “Meet the Judges” event. He will retire in January 2015 at the end of his 24th year of service in Yolo County. He has been the long-cause judge, presiding over many of the major trials of the last decade.
His retirement means that his seat will be open. Already there are two possible candidates for the seat. Commissioner Janene Beronio right now covers arraignments. Ms. Beronio, 63, received her JD from McGeorge School of Law in 1978, and was appointed to her current position in 1989 after serving as a Deputy District Attorney in Yolo County from 1980-89.
Fredrick “Rick” Cohen, a Sacramento-based family law attorney is also said to be running for the position. He received his BA from the University of Michigan before getting his law degree from the UC Davis School of Law in 1989. Since 1996, he is the founder and principal of a two-attorney family law litigation firm, the Law Offices of Fredrick Cohen.
There is speculation that a third candidate for the judgeship may emerge as well.
—Compiled by Lily Shen, Election Coordinator
wonder how many readers understand how significant the retirement of Mock will be from a judicial perspective?
very disappointed to hear that the judges are backing beronio. some of my friends in the legal field who practice in yolo have deep trouble with her.
look at her record – she spent ten years as a dputy da. she became commissioner in 1990. since then, she has been a quasi-judicial official and yet over the last 23 years, the majority with republican governors, she has never been elevated to the bench. call that a huge red flag.
This is the second piece on Neustadt you have done and none about the other candidate Dr. Jesse Ortiz. Last week after a piece on Neustadt you mentioned Ortiz was going to announce. This week the Enterprise had a front page announcement and you have nothing. I’ve known Dr. Ortiz for a number of years and think he would be a great leader for schools in Yolo County. Neustadt is obviously well qualified as well but a look at their opening statements shows this will be a race about the direction new leadership will bring to our schools and after reading up on both I’m leaning toward Ortiz who I know will address the pressing issues associated with bridging the achievement gap. My mind is still open and I want to give Neustadt the opportunity to convince me but right now it looks like my vote is going the other way.
I’m meeting Jesse Ortiz on Wednesday, will have a full story then. We got something from Neustadt but not Ortiz. Don’t read into the coverage.
I know Jesse Ortiz a little bit, meeting Neustadt for the first time on Thursday. Don’t worry, we’re going to cover everyone and with the help of Lily, we’ll have more election coverage than anyone around here.