Even by the notoriously nasty standards of small-town politics in Glendora, the late-night arrest of two teenagers last week has taken local elections in this little city to a bracingly new low.
The 18-year-olds, Keleigh Marshall and Christina Giammalva, set out the night of Feb. 19 to engage in some mischief by putting stickers on the political signs of Glendora elected leaders. The stickers read, "This sign violates Glendora city ordinance," a reference to Glendora's law prohibiting campaign signs on public property.
Notwithstanding that law and an accompanying set of rules that regulate the placement of campaign material, the same council members who passed the regulations appeared to be violating them -- and thus the protest by Marshall and Giammalva.
While the young women were affixing those bulletins, however, they were confronted by none other than Councilman Gary Clifford, who is among those running for reelection. He demanded that they remove the stickers, and when they refused, the retired police officer called for backup.
Glendora's tiny Police Department responded in force, rolling out four cars and a sergeant -- every available unit that Monday night. The strike force ignored the teenagers' allegations that Clifford was the scofflaw and came down hard on the young women.
They were handcuffed by the side of the road and taken to the station in separate cars. They said they were booked, searched and kept in jail four hours, and interrogated separately while their parents and lawyers were held at bay. Later, when a department spokesman released a statement to the media on the arrests, he identified both teenagers by name but omitted Clifford's identity, describing him only as "one of the victims" of the vandalism.
Glendorans are used to backbiting in their local politics -- recalls and accusations of misconduct have been commonplace in recent years -- but the spectacle of a councilman and his Police Department placing two teenagers in irons dismayed many residents.
"To me, it's criminal," said Gene Osko, a retired judge who has agreed to represent the teenagers.
Erica Landmann-Johnsey, a resident of Glendora since 1981, was equally disturbed. "I'm just appalled," she said. "I feel horrible for the girls."
There's now talk of a recall should Clifford win Tuesday. Landmann-Johnsey says she'll happily circulate petitions to make that happen.
