Recall Elections

Police call on voters for protection. A woman is charged with pummeling a heckler during a political rally. A judge says city councilmen conspired to dodge their duties. It's politics as usual in Hawaiian Gardens. More than a year has passed since the city divided over a referendum on building a poker club. But judging by events leading up to this week's recall election for four members of the City Council, the battle over Measure A isn't over.

Police call on voters for protection. A woman is charged with pummeling a heckler during a political rally. A judge says city councilmen conspired to dodge their duties. It's politics as usual in Hawaiian Gardens. More than a year has passed since the city divided over a referendum on building a poker club. But judging by events leading up to this week's recall election for four members of the City Council, the battle over Measure A isn't over.

A final tally of absentee ballots confirms the recall of two Hawaiian Gardens council members and the survival of two others. City voters rejected Councilwoman Kathleen Navejas by nearly a 3-to-1 margin, while Councilman Robert Prida succumbed by only 26 votes out of more than 1,300 ballots cast. Mayor Lupe Cabrera remains on the council with a 169-vote buffer. Councilman Robert Canada also held his seat, but by just 20 votes.

Two Gardena City Council members up for reelection in March are the target of a recall effort being organized by the local Committee for Political Reform, which is angry that the city will have a $3.3-million shortfall this year. In its attempt to recall council members Paul Tsukahara and James Cragin, the committee is preparing petitions that must be submitted to the city clerk by Monday. ( The clerk has 10 days to reply, after which the committee has 120 days to gather 4,500 signatures.

Two Gardena city council members up for reelection in March are the target of a recall effort being organized by the local Committee for Political Reform, which is angry that the city will have a $3.34-million shortfall this year. In its attempt to recall council members Paul Tsukahara and James Cragin, the committee is preparing petitions that must be submitted to the city clerk by Monday.

The campaign manager for the Doris Allen recall pleaded guilty Monday to taking part in a Republican effort to manipulate the ballot in last year's 67th Assembly District election, becoming the second GOP worker to be convicted in the election fraud case. Jeffrey Christopher Gibson, 24, admitted that he and an aide to Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle gathered signatures in Garden Grove last Sept. 21 to foster the candidacy of decoy Democrat Laurie Campbell.

The campaign manager for the recall of Assemblywoman Doris Allen pleaded guilty Monday to taking part in a Republican effort to manipulate the ballot in last year's 67th District election, becoming the second GOP worker to be convicted in the election fraud case. Jeffrey Christopher Gibson, 24, admitted that he and an aide to Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle gathered signatures in Garden Grove on Sept. 21 to foster the candidacy of decoy Democrat Laurie Campbell. The Nov.

Seal Beach and Dana Point, coastal cities at opposite ends of the county, both experienced reverberations from this week's City Council elections. Slow-growth candidates Patricia E. Campbell and incumbent Councilman George Brown won easily in Seal Beach, as expected, but their victory touched off a shock: Councilman Bill Doane suddenly resigned Wednesday, apparently in protest, some colleagues said.

A group of Pico Rivera residents, surprised in September when state officials notified them that the Gas Co. had applied for a 10-year permit to store toxic waste in the city, has failed in a recall effort against four of the city's council members. The Good Government Committee had until 5:30 p.m. Thursday to submit petitions to recall Mayor Garth Gardner and council members John Chavez, Beatrice Proo and Gil De La Rosa.

Westlake Village officials are undecided about levying fines against a citizens group that missed a deadline for filing campaign finance reports in connection with a failed recall attempt. City Clerk Laura Johnson said she will consult with the city manager and city attorney on the matter, but she thinks that the city will probably waive any fines because it appears the group did not deliberately defy the law.