(La Mesa Courier, La Mesa, CA) – This year voters have two La Mesa City Council seats to fill at the Nov. 6 general election. Although incumbent Ruth Sterling is running again for a seat, Dave Allan has decided to hang up his hat, leaving open an opportunity for a brand new councilmember. La Mesa Courier reached out to 2012’s city council candidates to see who is interested in joining local politics.
Name: Kristine C. Alessio
Age: 46
Occupation: Attorney/Local Business Owner
How long have you lived in La Mesa? 19 years
Best thing about La Mesa: Small town atmosphere
Why are you running for City Council? La Mesa needs proven leadership and experience to continue to thrive, which I have as I have been on the Planning Commission for nearly ten years and also been involved in various local civic organizations.
Name: Laura Lothian
Age: 50
Occupation: Realtor
How long have you lived in La Mesa? 2003, 2008 to 2012, plus 10 years working here.
Best thing about La Mesa: Vintage homes & neighborhoods, an honest-to-goodness Village with shops and restaurants, excellent weather: warmer/sunnier than the beaches, cooler than East County, easy commute to the rest of the county with three freeways: 125, 94 and the 8.
Why are you running for City Council? I own a 1926 home here and my business is centered here. Making La Mesa the best it can be – a destination city – is not a campaign for me but a cause.
Name: Shannon O’Dunn (married Charles G. “Mike” Bemis in 1979)
Age: 68
Occupation: Business Owner, O’Dunn Fine Art
How long have you lived in La Mesa? I lived here as a child with my parents, and attended Murray Manor Elementary. Then my husband and I bought a home on Poppy Street in La Mesa in 1990, where we live today.
Best thing about La Mesa: La Mesa has a wonderful topographic richness, a hand-stitched quilt of unique neighborhoods, a 19th-century downtown village heart of the city, and 21st century healthcare and transit facilities, and stability as a municipality.
Why are you running for City Council? La Mesa has some critical needs and issues to solve in the next few years, including finding new revenue sources, and I want to be part of that process. I am an independent thinker who brings fiscal responsibility and problem-solving skills to the table. As a geologist for private industry, I have field experience in land development/redevelopment projects, including resource development, slope stability, drainage, and ground water issues. I had years of direct responsibility for managing public funds, and public employees, and believe I am the only candidate in the race who has. As a business owner in La Mesa, I now have several years of dealing in the private sector as well. I want to put these skills to work in service to our city.
Name: Ruth Sterling
Age: Unknown
Occupation: La Mesa City Councilmember
How long have you lived in La Mesa? 50 Years
Best thing about La Mesa: It’s home. [La Mesa is] a city with a cohesive atmosphere of sincere, friendly, family-oriented people who express concern and care about one another. [Also] our police, fire and public works departments know and relate to many La Mesa citizens on a first-name basis, [and are] solid, so great.
Why are you running for City Council? Quality of life issues come up in every city. When a citizen or group of citizens reach out to their local government on a specific issue they deserve an immediate response to address/ alleviate their problem or concerns. That is what I do. I represent the citizens of La Mesa and have done so for the past 20 years. Email or by telephone or at a City Council meeting, you have representation. I have a servant’s heart and I am true.
Name: Patrick Dean
Age: 49
Occupation: Catering manager, former small business owner
How long have you lived in La Mesa? Five years
Best thing about La Mesa: It’s a great place to raise a family.
Why are you running for City Council? There are great challenges on the horizons. La Mesa needs a City Council that is not afraid to make big decisions. I want to cast the votes that build a thriving, healthy, safe and sustainable community and make La Mesa the leader it should be in the East County!
