Flags at Altadena Senior Center polls. All photos by L.B. Monteros

In typical laid-back Altadena fashion, the results of yesterday’s Town Council elections are not posted on the Town Council website. Instead, a link is posted to the premier news source in Altadena, altadenablog.

And here they are:
Census Tract 4601
Gino Sund, incumbent, 166-35 over Dwight A. Equitz
Census Tract 4602
Okorie Ezieme, incumbent, 113-49 over Brian Fuller
Census Tract 4603.01
Alice Wessen, incumbent unopposed, 22
Census Tract 4603.02
Sandra Thomas, incumbent unopposed, 11
Census Tract 4610
Tecumseh Shackelford, incumbent, 109-81 over Brent Musson
Census Tract 4611
Allen Wasserman, incumbent unopposed, 30
Census Tract 4612
Ruth Neilan Edwards, incumbent unopposed, 37
Census Tract 4613
Diane Marcussen, 53-33 over incumbent Susan Goldman

While the results may not be a surprise, what they do show is that contested elections garner significantly more votes. They also give a little measure of pride to those who came out, because one of 11 is a pretty large percentage.

Town Council ballot and census tract maps at polling station.

For readers who are in a fog about the rather arcane practice of voting for Town Council members in the unincorporated Los Angeles County community, here’s a brief tutorial.

The Town Council is not a governing body. It is an advisory board that keeps County Supervisor Mike Antonovich in touch with issues and interests in Altadena. There are 18 such councils in the Fifth District, which covers 2,838 square miles and had an estimated population of 2,092,704 in July, 2005 (from Fifth District map).

In Altadena, council members are elected by census tract. Each census tract has two representatives who serve two-year terms and are elected in alternate years. Volunteers, not paid poll workers, staff the six stations scattered throughout the township—simple affairs with cardboard ballot boxes and no private booths. Voters may vote at any of the stations by showing identification to indicate their tract.

Volunteers Doug Colliflower and Joan Madsen staff the table and ballot box.

Altadena Headlines Examiner spoke with two poll workers on Saturday at the Altadena Senior Center.

Doug Colliflower, representing Census Tract 4603.01, has been active in the community for many years. He served nearly 20 years on the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, three of them as president. He also served on the Sheriff’s Support Group of Altadena. He leases the Eaton Canyon and Altadena golf courses from the county.

Asked why he decided to serve on the Town Council, Colliflower replied that he was responding to a request. “I’m filling the term for someone who resigned,” he said. “I’ve only been on a few months, I’m still getting my feet wet.”

Colliflower said he spends a minimum of a couple hours a week on Town Council business, but members of committees, such as the Land Use Committee, spend much more.

Joan Madsen volunteered to staff the polls, because “I’m active in the community and Doug called me. There was a little arm-twisting, not much,” she smiled.

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