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Posts Tagged ‘Alhambra Latino Association’

Virtual Candidates’ Forums Planned for Oct 6 and Oct 8

Posted in APG Events, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 27, 2020| Leave a Comment »

In anticipation of the November 3 general election, two virtual Alhambra Candidates’ Forums will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 and Thursday, October 8, 2020.

The Community and Candidates Forum on October 6 will feature Alhambra City Council candidates and will include questions from the community. All City Council candidates were invited to participate in the forum.

In City Council District 3, incumbent Council Member Jeff Maloney and challenger Chris Olson will participate. In City Council District 4, incumbent Mayor David Mejia and challenger Sasha Renée Pérez will participate. Mr. Karsen Luthi, a candidate in the City Council District 4 race, declined the invitation to attend.

California Senator Susan Rubio representing the 22nd senate district will provide the keynote welcome with the Pasadena area chapter of the League of Women Voters moderating the forum. To register to attend this free event on October 6, please visit the Community and Candidates Forum Eventbrite page.

Two nights later, on Thursday, October 8, the Kids and Candidates Forum will focus on candidates running for Alhambra Unified School District’s (AUSD) School Board and will also include questions from community members. There are races in three of AUSD’s five school board seats. All Alhambra School Board candidates were invited to participate in the forum.

The school board candidates who will be attending include challengers Dr. Marcia Wilson (District 1), Ken Tang (District 2) and Kaysa Moreno (District 3). As of the posting of this article on September 29, Alhambra Unified School District Board incumbents Wing Ho (District 1), Jane Anderson (District 2) and Patricia Rodriguez-Macintosh (District 3) had declined the invitation to participate.

AUSD Superintendent Denise Jaramillo will provide the keynote welcome and student leaders from our AUSD high schools will moderate the forum. To register to attend this free event on October 8, please visit the Kids and Candidates Forum Eventbrite page.

Alhambrans are invited and encouraged to participate in these two free virtual town hall-style meetings to meet the candidates and learn where they stand on key issues facing Alhambra.

Both forums will include live Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese translations.

If you would like to submit potential questions for either the City Council Candidates Forum or the AUSD School Board Candidates Forum, please send your questions via e-mail to education@alhambrasource.org. You may register for the events by visiting the Alhambra Source.

A coalition of Alhambra community based organizations comprised of the Alhambra Source, Alhambra Latino Association, Alhambra Preservation Group and Alhambra Visa Boosters, is partnering with the League of Women Voters, Pasadena Area and local high school students to produce these two virtual candidates forums.

The goal of both candidates forums is to give Alhambra City Council and AUSD School Board candidates the opportunity to discuss the various issues affecting Alhambra and provide residents with an opportunity to hear their positions on issues.  Given the many issues facing our city, the coalition invites all Alhambrans to attend this event and receive the information they need to cast an informed vote.

The general election will be on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Due to COVID-19, California will send mail-in ballots to all registered voters. For information on how to register to vote or to check your current voter registration information, please visit Vote.org.

Graphic courtesy of the Alhambra Source.

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October 11 Forum Features City Council Candidates and Alhambra’s Future Voters

Posted in APG Events, Events, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Candidates-forum-3Alhambra’s future voters took their role seriously as part of the 420 residents and students who attended the Kids and Candidates – A Community Engagement Forum on October 11 at Alhambra High School.

More than 100 Alhambra High School students gained inspiration to become more civically involved as they staffed the event, asked issue-based questions and engaged in one-on-one discussions with the three attending City Council candidates.

“This is not your usual candidates’ forum,” said Alhambra Unified School District Superintendent Denise R. Jaramillo, in her opening remarks preceding the candidates’ round-table discussion. “One of the things that makes it unique is that it’s being hosted by students and sponsored by so many community groups.” Forum sponsors included the Alhambra Teachers Association, Alhambra Preservation Group, Alhambra Latino Association, Grassroots Alhambra and Alhambra Source.

The format was also unique. The free event kicked off with a Community Engagement Fair in the Alhambra High School quad, where students and residents interacted one-on-one with the three City Council candidates, enjoyed a lively performance by the Alhambra High School Jazz Band, and visited information tables staffed by school and community groups.

Then the kids and candidates got down to business. Alhambra City Council candidates Katherine Lee and Andrea Lofthouse-Quesada, both running for the First District City Council seat, and Adele Andrade-Stadler, running for the Fifth District, engaged in a robust, politically neutral roundtable discussion, moderated by Tom Hollihan, professor and director of doctoral studies at USC Annenberg School of Communications. Candidates Suzi Dunkel-Soto, Laura Tellez-Gagliano, Ross Maza and Julian Reyes were invited but declined to attend.

Alhambra High School students’ and residents’ questions included the hot-button issues of affordable housing, traffic congestion, bike lanes, need for more green space, historic preservation and a historic preservation ordinance, how to encourage civic engagement in a diverse community, and how to market Alhambra’s cultural assets to visitors. The goal of the Kids and Candidates Forum was to provide students and residents with an opportunity to hear the candidates’ positions on these issues, according to the organizing coalition members.

Mission accomplished, according to the students. “This impacts my perspective on American politics because by hearing what these candidates have to say, it gives not only me but all of us a view into political matters so that when we will be of voting age, it will help shape who we feel can make the best contribution to our world,” said Amanda Tang,  16, a junior at Alhambra High School.

According to feedback from the survey handed out at the end of the event, a majority of the attendees found the forum helpful in their voting decisions, but were disappointed not to hear from all the City Council candidates and felt it was disrespectful of the four candidates not participating.

“Through my participation in this forum I have learned that you can make your voice heard no matter if you are under the age of 18. You just have to find the right places,” said Jonathan Reynosa, 16, a junior at Alhambra High. “I believe my role in civic matters in the future will be to inspire others in my generation and in other generations to go out and make their voices heard. I want to inspire people to create change in our community. Being able to ask questions directly to the candidates has affected my view on politics. This forum has made me confident in my own opinions and encouraged me to make my voice heard not only in political affairs just in California, but all over America.”

Weren’t able to attend? No worries. Here’s your chance to watch the forum.

Photo courtesy of Oscar Amaro.

 

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Kids and Candidates Forum To Be Held October 11

Posted in Alhambra Preservation Group, APG Events, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 26, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Vote.2018.buttonsKids and Candidates, a community engagement forum, will be held on Thursday, October 11, 2018 from 6-8:30 p.m. at Alhambra High School, located at 101 South 2nd Street in Alhambra. The event is free to the public. Spanish and Mandarin translators will be available at the event. For more information, visit the event’s site.

Alhambra City Council candidates and Alhambra school board members have been invited to participate in the pre-election event. The round-table discussion will be moderated by Tom Hollihan, professor and director of doctoral studies at USC Annenberg School of Communications. The event is being co-sponsored by the Alhambra Teachers Association, Alhambra Preservation Group, Alhambra Source, Alhambra Latino Association and Grassroots Alhambra.

Highlights of the event will include an hour, starting at 6:00 p.m. in Alhambra High School’s quad area, where attendees and students can meet with City Council candidates, Alhambra School Board members and Alhambra community groups while enjoying a performance by the Alhambra High School Jazz Band. At 7 p.m., Alhambra City Council candidates will participate in an issues-based round-table discussion in the high school auditorium. Community planning, schools, environmental sustainability, public health and safety, historic preservation, transportation, development and infrastructure are just a few of the topics that may be discussed at the forum.

Students will be involved in many different aspects of the fair and forum. High school students will be involved in the development of potential forum questions, staff informational tables, entertain attendees at the community engagement fair and provide event support throughout the evening. “A vote is a voice,” stated Anthony Hu, student at Alhambra High School and Public Relations Committee Lead with Vote at 16-SGV. “A fundamental part of our democracy is that all community members can express their own opinions and be heard.”

The goal of the Kids And Candidates Forum is to give Alhambra City Council candidates the opportunity to discuss the various issues affecting Alhambra and provide residents and students with an opportunity to hear the candidates’ positions on these issues, according to organizing coalition members. Given the many issues facing our city, the coalition invites all Alhambrans to attend this event and receive the information they need to cast an informed vote on Election Day.

Photo courtesy of Douglas County.

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