Thieves may have recently absconded with the city's name at its northern Highway 99 portal, but Ripon still knows its identity and seems to have a solid grasp on where it's going.
The six candidates for the three spots on Ripon's City Council in the Nov. 4 election have differing priorities, but share common views of what it will take to maintain the quality of life in this San Joaquin County city.
Incumbents Mike Restuccia and Curt Pernice are not running for re-election.
The candidates who responded to a Modesto Bee questionnaire listed what they thought should be the top priorities for the next council:
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- Increase police protection and give the force the tools to combat gangs.
- Prioritize city expenditures to maintain the quality of life and protect the small-town atmosphere.
The election pits incumbent Elden "Red" Nutt against challengers Charlie Gay, Billy Gonzales, Garry Krebbs, Jennifer Sanguinetti and Dale C. Wild Jr.
Gay works for United Sign Systems. He has not held an elected office but is a past member of the Ripon Economic Development Commission and the Ripon Planning Commission. He is a graduate of Davis High School and holds a bachelor's degree in geography from Brigham Young University and a master's degree in history and international relations from California State University, Stanislaus.
Krebbs is a retired construction inspector in his 19th year on the Ripon Planning Commission. He represents Ripon on the San Joaquin Council of Governments Citizens Advisory Committee and is a member of the Ripon Green Committee. He worked for the Department of Defense for 38 years out of the Tracy and Sharpe depots in the engineering division and reached the rank of staff sergeant during his time in the Air Force. He attended San Joaquin Delta College, Modesto Junior College and CSU, Stanislaus. He is a member of the Combined Federal Campaign, Ripon Lions Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Sanguinetti is seeking her first elected public position, but serves as co-chairman of the Public Owned Utility Customer Association and is the second vice president of the California Women for Agriculture, San Joaquin County chapter. She holds degrees in psychology and communications from the University of California at Davis and is a self-described stay-at-home mom, looking after children Avery, 4; Madison, 2; and Jake, 1.
Wild never has run for public office before, but is in his third term as a Teamsters union steward. He said he's never lost a grievance, but his greatest successes have come through his ability to make differing sides come together in agreement. Wild is a native of Fremont. He attended MJC and is a master mason.
Nutt is the former longtime police chief of Ripon. He declined to respond to a written request for information.
Gonzales, a business consultant, did not provide information.
Bee staff writer Brian VanderBeek can be reached at bvanderbeek@modbee.com or 578-2300.
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