By Neena Strichart
Signal Hill registered voters will have the opportunity April 8 to vote for the person they want to represent them as school board member for the next four years. I fear a lower than low voter turnout. Most elections include several items on a ballot–this go ’round will be just the one race, the one between three candidates vying for School Board member of Long Beach Unified School District’s (LBUSD) fourth district.
I worry many folks will not bother to vote with just the one race on the ballot while others who do not have school-age children will not think the matter, well–matters. I’m sure there will also be other categories of residents who will choose not to vote because they are either unfamiliar with the candidates or believe that their votes don’t really count.
In my opinion, whether it’s one race or a dozen, an election is an election and the voters need to respond. I am one of the voters who do not have school-age children; in fact I have no children (except for my two thirty-something step kids). Just because I don’t have children doesn’t mean the school board doesn’t concern me.
I am a product of LBUSD. I attended and graduated from Signal Hill Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School and Woodrow Wilson High School. Living so far away from my middle school and high school gave me untold opportunities to misbehave and participate in unsafe behavior, sorry Mom. Because of my personal experiences, albeit 30-plus years ago, I believe Signal Hill students and parents have unique needs and may need special attention from our school district and our board member.
We have run articles about some of the candidate forums and even included a question and answer special feature–part two of district 4 to run next week. Those who would like to meet the candidates and hear them debate various questions submitted by a live audience should consider attending the forum to be held next Monday at Mercedes Benz, 2300 East Spring Street, 6:30 p.m. next Monday night (March 31). The event will be moderated by Alan Tolkoff, and is sponsored by the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce and Concerned Citizens of Signal Hill. The Signal Tribune will provide coffee from It’s a Grind. Nothing better than caffeine to get the juices and questions flowing!
Those who think their votes don’t count can talk to Signal Hill city council member Larry Forester–or “Landslide Larry,” as we like to call him. Larry currently sits on the Signal Hill council because of one vote- that’s right ONE VOTE. Although several have taken credit as the person who marked that winning ballot–the point is, each and every vote does count. I hope to see you at the forum on Monday night.
