Seats open as incumbents move on

The date to register for the November elections in Chowchilla opened Monday.

There will be three seats up for grabs on the City Council and six local school board races in three districts.

On the Chowchilla City Council,incumbent Dennis Haworth announced he will be running again. Jim Kopshever and David Alexander have said they will not run for re-election.

Kopshever said he's not going to run in order to focus on his real estate career and spending time with his grandkids.

"I put 13 years in the planning commission, five years on the council. I feel my 18 years of public service it's time to move on. I'm certainly not going away. I'll be helping the community out in anyway possible in the future. It's time for some new people to get in there."

Alexander also said he wanted to put aside politics in order to spend more time focusing on his work and with his family.

"It's a four-year commitment and I have daughters that are 4 and 6 years old," Alexander said. "I have to get the kids to and from school and to 4-H. I'm still going to be active in the local community, but at this age I have to spend more time with my family and at my business."

Waseem Ahmed, has been the most outspoken challenger so far. He ran for city council in 2008 and works as the operator of the Valero Truck Stop on Avenue 24 in Chowchilla.

"The community I live in, I love," he said. "And I have a good resume . I really believe in public safety and financial responsibility."

The School District offices in contention include Chowchilla High School (Areas 1 and 3), Alview-Dairyland Union Elementary School District (Areas 3 and 5) and Chowchilla Elementary School District (Areas 1 and 5).

The Chowchilla Union High School incumbents are Steve Massaro and Brent Tatom.

The Alview-Dairyland Union School District incumbents are Trudie Nieuwkoop and Clay Haynes.

The Chowchilla Elementary School District incumbents are Charlene Pettitt and Barbara Schnoor.

The last date to file for candidacy is August 10, unless the incumbent candidate does not file for re-election, in which case the deadline is August 15.

Prospective candidates can obtain and file the required documentation with the Madera County clerk-recorder, located at 200 West 4th St. in Madera. For more information, contact the county elections division at (559) 675-7720 or (800) 435-0509.

Reporter Joshua Emerson Smith can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or jsmith@mercedsunstar.com.