Candidates Speak As Election Nears

By Bill Johnson Published Oct 7, 2004 11:00 am Updated Jan 31, 2009 04:42 pm

We´re in full-on debate season, and last night was Calaveras County Candidates Night.

Nick Baptista from the Calaveras Enterprise was the host of last night´s forum, held at the Foothill Village Retirement Home.

Candidates for Angels Camp City Council, Mark Twain Union Elementary School District, and the Mark Twain Health Care District appeared to talk about the issues, as did proponents for the Transient Occupancy Tax and the Yosemite Community College District Special Bond Election.

And speaking of Measure E, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors had a split vote when it came to coming out in favor of the bond measure for the Yosemite Community College District.

The president of Columbia College, Dr. Jim Riggs, appeared before the board Monday to ask for their support.

But the vote ended in a tie, with supervisors Paul Stein and Victoria Erickson voting against the support.

Supervisor Tom Tryon was absent.

Measure E would generate 326-million dollars which would be spent on campus improvements for Columbia College and Modesto Junior College, as well as an expansion for the college´s Calaveras Center.