A LITTLE DEMOCRACY NEVER HURT ANYBODY: Modesto City Council candidates have a few more people to win over than usual this fall when they seek the Latino Community Roundtable's endorsement. That group typically issues its recommendations from its leadership. This time, it's opening up its endorsements to popular votes among the organization's membership. Doing so avoids an awkward pick in Modesto's District 2 race, for example. Candidate Al Nava sits on the roundtable's board of directors while Dave Geer, his opponent, is a member. "We don't want to offend any members, so we're going to do it by vote," said Maggie Mejia, a roundtable spokeswoman, adding that the group has too many candidates to weigh in this fall's elections. "We want to leave it up to the members," she said. The group has scheduled the endorsement vote Oct. 14. The roundtable's endorsement is up for grabs in every race across the county except two. Its leadership has chosen its endorsements for the Riverbank mayoral election and the race for seats on the Ceres Unified School District Board of Trustees.
WEST SIDE CANDIDATE FORUMS: Candidates for seats on the Newman-Crows Landing Board of Education and the Gustine Unified School District Board of Education will take questions at events sponsored by Soroptimist International of Gustine-Newman. The Newman-Crows Landing candidates will be available Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in the McConnell Adult Education Center, 1348 Patchett Drive, Newman. The Gustine Unified candidates will meet Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Gustine High School auditorium.
OLSEN FUND-RAISER: Modesto City Councilwoman Kristin Olsen is holding a fund-raiser for her re-election campaign Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. in Sherwood Park, 3201 Claremont Ave. She's asking for $5 and promising a mix of kid-friendly activities hosted by her supporters. R.S.V.P. to Amy Neumann at neumannamy@hotmail.com, or 523-4749.

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