“I don’t think the building is doing its job adequately within its four walls,” he noted. “We’ll see what the public wants and maybe move some things around.”Geis noted that he expects progress during his four-year term: “The city is moving forward and the library wants to move with it; if we can get the hospital back we’ll all lock arms and move forward,” into a revitalized future.Mueller, a former BCL employee who recently resigned her post, also is happy that she won a full-term on the board, noting “I really appreciate all those who supported me.”The board is working on the electrical and driveway upgrades and “I’m very interested in seeing those completed because they will make a big improvement for the public and the staff,” she noted.Filling Mueller’s appointed two-year term will be a matter of board appointment after no candidate filed for the seat.“I’m sure we’ll be discussing that forthwith,” said Geis.Reyes-Sena, now elected to her second full-term, noted that the trustees can legally skip the application process and instead consider selecting among the candidates who failed to be voted into library office.“I personally would want to consider the candidates,” said Mueller, “but if someone else out there that would be interested I think it would be fair to accept other applications.”Measure L, a government housekeeping measure to release library funding secured through an existing $40 annual parcel tax, was also approved by voters, 71.8 percent (3,741) to 28.2 percent (1,468).
Library: Geis, Mueller, Reyes-Sena elected to BCL Board of Trustees
November 05, 2004
Santa Paula News
Ed Geis, Beverly Mueller and Ninette Reyes-Sena led the candidates for the Blanchard Community Library Board of Trustees and are ready to move forward with common priorities.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesEd Geis, Beverly Mueller and Ninette Reyes-Sena led the candidates for the Blanchard Community Library Board of Trustees and are ready to move forward with common priorities.Geis, appointed earlier this year to a vacated seat, said that overall, “I don’t think there was a loser in there, we had a nice slate of people,” vying for the BCL board.Mueller, recently appointed to fulfill a two-year term left open by the retirement of Dr. Dora Crouch, was the top vote-getter with 2,566, 25.5 percent followed by Geis with 2,242, 23.2 percent. Board incumbent Reyes-Sena garnered 1,844 votes, 19.1 percent of the total.Petra Quintero received 1,400 votes (14.5 percent), Sandra Perello 1,050 votes (10.9 percent) and Robert Pallares 536 votes (5.5 percent). There were 28 write-in votes, 0.3 percent.The library district – which exceeds city limits – has 11,970 registered voters.Reyes-Sena said she was happy to be reelected especially since “I would have felt bad having to leave with things unfinished…there’s so much going on it would have been hard to leave it in someone else’s lap.”She looks forward to the reorganized of the 8th Street library facility, upgrading the electrical system and “finally getting the ball rolling,” on determining the fate of surplus library property.A St. Sebastian schoolteacher, Reyes-Sena said her 5th students were “really into” the election and her campaign.Geis also wants the library building to be utilized for maximum public and staff use.