Local politics will heat up the Shannon Center as the City of Whittier turns out for its first debate of this election season, slated for Tuesday, March 11, at 8a.m. Among the participating candidates vying for three city positions will be incumbents Owen Newcomer, Joe Vinatieri, and Catherine Warner, as well as challenger Jeanette Fasone. Moderated by Jeff Ball, president of local business Friendly Hills Bank and Whittier alumnus (Class of 1989), debate topics will include hot-button issues such as development and preservation projects, general city safety issues, and land re-use proposals.
Whittier City Council candidates will face off in a one-hour debate on Tuesday, March 11, at 8 a.m., at the Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts, 6760 Painter Ave, located on the Whittier College campus. Co-sponsored by Friendly Hills Bank and Whittier College, this event is free and open to the public.
Four candidates are scheduled to participate in the debate: incumbents Owen Newcomer, Joe Vinatieri, and Catherine Warner, as well as challenger Jeanette Fasone. The debate will be moderated by Jeff Ball, president of Friendly Hills Bank and Whittier College alumnus (Class of 1990).
With elections a little more than a month away (April 8), this debate is positioned as the first opportunity for candidates to share their respective positions on key issues affecting the City of Whittier, including city development and preservation, general safety concerns, and the hotly contested use of the “Nelles site,” formerly the Fred C. Nelles School for Boys.
Jeff Ball, chief organizer for the debate, is hopeful that by offering this first debate earlier in the election cycle, Whittier residents will have maximum time to analyze and consider the candidates’ platforms, as well as the issues that will affect their voting decisions.
As to the partnership between Uptown business Friendly Hills Bank and Whittier College, and the decision to hold the event on campus, President Sharon Herzberger had this to say: "Considering the College’s and city’s combined Quaker heritage, and the College’s own educational mission, an event focused on careful listening, individual analysis, and open discussion is a natural fit."
Area residents and professionals are encouraged to attend the morning event, which will be open to all registered and non-registered voters, as well as the Whittier College community. The forum for this debate will include opening candidate statements, moderated discussion, and select audience questions.
ABOUT THE CANDIDATES
Jeanette Fasone is a 30-year resident of Whittier. Fasone earned a law degree from Western State University in 1996. She is a local realtor with an interest in a contracting firm with her husband. Fasone is a member and past president of Las Damas of Sun Gold Hills, director and past chairperson of the Whittier Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union, board member of the Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital Foundation, and member of the Relay for Life Committee. She is currently Chairperson of the Whittier Design Review Board. Fasone has two sons and two grandchildren.
Owen Newcomer retired in 2005 after a 30-year career as a political science professor at Rio Hondo College. Newcomer earned a B.A. and M.A. in political science from California State University, Northridge. He also has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Southern California. Newcomer is author of Governing California and Los Angeles. He is the secretary for the Los Angeles Division of the League of California Cities and was appointed to the Los Angeles County Homeless Services Authority Commission. He is the current mayor of Whittier.
Joe Vinatieri was born and raised in Whittier and currently works as an attorney at Bewley, Lassleben and Miller. His community service includes board positions with the Whittier Area Chamber of Commerce, Whittier Union High School District Bond Oversight Committee, Whittier High School Alumni Association and Educational Foundation, and the YMCA of Greater Whittier. He previously served on the Social Services Commission for the City of Whittier and was a volunteer counselor at the Fred C. Nelles School for Boys. He currently serves on the Whittier City Council.
Catherine Warner is a 60-year resident of Whittier. Warner earned her A.A. degree from Fullerton Junior College and her B.S. in dental hygiene from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She previously served on the city’s Cultural Arts Commission, the East Whittier City School District Governing Board, the Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees, and the Tri-Cities ROP Governing Board. She has also been a member of the Project Area Committee for the Whittier Boulevard Commercial Corridor Redevelopment Project Area. She currently serves on the Whittier City Council. Warner has seven children and 20 grandchildren.
Founded by Quakers in 1887, Whittier College is an independent, four-year college offering a traditional liberal arts program integrated with both professional and pre-professional courses of study. With an emphasis on diversity, community, and curricular innovation, the College’s primary mission is to endow students with the education, skills, and values appropriate for global leadership and service. Whittier College is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Whittier Law School, which is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools, is located on a separate campus in Orange County.
