Would-be candidates begin process

Three residents have started the process of running for a seat on the Hesperia City Council Thursday, and one resident has begun the process of seeking a spot on the Hesperia Unified School District school board.

As of Friday afternoon, Mayor Mike Leonard, Russ Blewett and Mark Kirk have picked up the papers from Hesperia City Hall required to run for one of the two open seats on the city council. Councilman Tad Honeycutt has said he does not intend to run for a third four-year term.

Leonard is a retired Hesperia and San Bernardino County firefighter and was first elected to the city council in 2004. Blewett is the former mayor of Baldwin Park and is a county planning commissioner serving the 1st District. Kirk is a member of the Republican Central Committee and the chief of staff for Supervisor Gary Ovitt.

Only one would-be candidate has picked up the papers from the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters to run for one of the two open seats on the Hesperia Unified School District school board. Republican Central Committee member Anthony Riley, who works for the county's Economic Development department, concentrating on the county's airport system, is the only resident to begin the process of seeking one of the seats vacated by board members Bruce Minton and Helen Rogers, neither of whom is expected to seek another term.

No one has yet picked up papers from the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters to run for one of the two seats on the Hesperia Recreation and Park District governing board, where incumbents Bob Chandler and Jack Hamilton are up for reelection.

Would-be city candidates must have their completed paperwork returned to the office of the Hesperia City Clerk (for city council candidates) or the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters (for school or park board candidates) by August 8 at 5 p.m. The deadline is extended until August 13 if one or more incumbents on a governing body choose not to run for re-election.

For more information about the city council candidacy process, call 947-1027. For more information about the school or park board candidacy process, call (800) 881-8683.

Beau Yarbrough can be reached at 956-7108 or at beau@hesperiastar.com.