Eight residents vie for six seats

Eight Crescenta Valley residents have submitted their names as candidates for the six open seats on the Crescenta Valley Town Council. The election is Nov. 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Crescenta Valley High School.

Due to work and other commitments, Councilwoman Krista Smiley opted not to run for re-election after nine years on the council. Smiley expressed her regrets but, after two terms on the council, beginning with one that started in 1994, Smiley said her other involvements — including work — take too much time for her to adequately represent her constituents.

“It just breaks my heart that I’m not running again,” Smiley said, adding, “I love the Town Council — it’s such a great group in the community and when you plan a park, or some other project, and see the results, it’s such a great feeling.”

However, Smiley left open the door for a future come back to the council. “I retire in six years, so when I retire, look out,” she joked.

The five council and alternate members running for re-election to the council are: Liz Arnold, Charles Beatty, Danette Erickson, Robert Thomas and Dennis van Bremen.

New to running for a seat are Robbyn Battles, Christina Cauble and Steve Goldsworthy.

Each of the candidates also was expected to participate in last night’s candidate forum during the regular CV Town Council meeting, except for van Bremen, who had a pre-scheduled event to celebrate his wife’s birthday on that night. Since the forum was scheduled to run after press time, the Valley Sun will have coverage of that event in the Oct. 24 edition.

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Liz Arnold

Liz Arnold, 41, is completing her first term as an alternate council member. Arnold was born in Bergen County, N.J., and moved to Simi Valley with her family when she was 13 years old. She has a bachelor’s degree in child development from California State University Northridge. In 1989, she married husband, Todd, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley. The couple has two children, Patrick, 15, a sophomore at Crescenta Valley High School, and Elissa, 12, a seventh-grader at Rosemont Middle School. The family moved to La Crescenta from Monrovia 14 years ago.

Arnold had begun working for Monte Vista Elementary school as head teacher of child development while the couple was living in Monrovia and, she said, she came home and told her husband, “It’s such a great community, we have to move there.”