Claudia Peschiutta
GLENDALE -- This is a place for kids, not candidates.
But New Horizons Family Center this week found itself in the midst of
a political squabble between the two men vying for the local Assembly
seat.
Republican Craig Missakian recently sent out mailers to voters in the
43rd District accusing Democrat Dario Frommer of making a "political
promise" to New Horizons. The piece claims Frommer used Sacramento
connections to help secure $250,000 in state funding. It goes on to say
he promised the money to New Horizons when it had actually been pledged
to another local nonprofit group, the Armenian Relief Society.
In July, New Horizons officials said they expected to receive $125,000
of the $250,000 in state funding coming to the Armenian Relief Society.
The center planned to use the money for the expansion of its teen
program.
Society officials said Thursday they are waiting for $200,000 from the
state. New Horizons recently got $50,000.
"After-school programs have been canceled. Why? Ask Dario Frommer,"
the Missakian mailer says.
Not so, New Horizons Director Maria Rochart said Thursday.
"There's no cancellation [of programs]," Rochart said. "That teen
center will become a reality."
The Missakian mailer also claims "Frommer contacted New Horizons and
offered them 'hush money' to the tune of $50,000 in state tax dollars, if
they would keep quiet."
But a statement released by the center Wednesday flatly denied that
allegation.
"New Horizons has not and would not accept 'hush money,' " the
statement read. "New Horizons was not led to believe that it would
receive the entire grant amount."
During a meeting held with Frommer earlier this year, center officials
came to understand that $125,000 would go to each organization, said
Vicente Ortiz, vice president of the New Horizons board of directors.
"If there was or was not any confusion, I don't know," he said. "We
are considering it a misunderstanding."
Joe Zago, manager of the Frommer campaign, said "This is just one of
five mailers that Mr. Missakian has sent out that don't even begin to be
factually correct."
Wayne Johnson, a Missakian campaign consultant, said the mailers were
accurate.
"It was wrong that we were used," Rochart said. "We are here for
children not ... for any politicians."
