Preliminary New Westminster election results are in, and the results are not entirely unexpected. As in the 2008 election, there is only one new face on City Council, but unlike last time, voters did opt for change on school board. And despite an energetic campaign by challenger James Crosty, incumbent mayor Wayne Wright won by a landslide.

Remember that scene in “You Have Mail” where Meg Ryan is explaining to Greg Kinnear why they should break up? She confesses to him that during the last election she went for a manicure and forgot to vote. That’s right, went for a manicure, and forgot to vote. Apparently this is more common that I would have thought as 75% of New Westminster’s population didn’t vote in the last election – were they at the spa?

Public endorsements of candidates are not uncontroversial. Pat Tracy, editor at the Record, has publicly come out against them, and those who do share their endorsements open themselves to criticism for their choices. Those of us on the ‘editorial board’ of Tenth to the Fraser, who do the daily work of writing for the site, soliciting & editing guest posts, approving comments and interacting with readers and Facebook and Twitter, debated whether or not to share our picks for this election, but in the end we decided we must.

When you cycle in New Westminster you see transportation issues through a different lens. Factors which affect a cyclist’s safety and mobility can be very different that those affecting trips made in a vehicle. In addition the vision and understanding of civic politicians towards cycling issues can greatly influence the quality and level of cycling in a community.

This is the second of two articles sharing election candidates’ opinions on children and family issues in New Westminster.

Kathleen McConnell asked the candidates about family issues in the New Westminster election, focusing on two areas: what elected officials can do to help families, and specifically what changes candidates would advocate for if elected. This post focuses on answers from trustee candidates; a second post will follow focusing on mayor & council candidates.

Mayoral candidate James Crosty says he wants to see a “bottom up” approach to planning for neighbourhood amenities, with more input from residents’ associations to determine what citizens want.

Incumbent mayor Wayne Wright is known for attracting development to New Westminster, but the issue that is most personally meaningful to him is reducing homelessness in our city.

Mayoral candidate François Nantel dreams of promoting New Westminster venues for short track speed skating, drawing the Strong Men Competition downtown and hosting Little League championships at Moody Park.

Inspired by our riverfront location and maddened by traffic, mayoral dark horse Vance McFadyen would divert truck routes to the city’s perimeter and dreams of connecting Front St. to the new Pier Park & Quay with a vehicle and pedestrian ramp, thus eliminating the need for train whistles in the most irritable location.

Incumbent trustee Casey Cook believes New Westminster is on track in terms of programs of choice and the number of support programs offered, however he believes more planning is needed to improve decision-making, including strategic, communications, performance management and transparent budget management plans.

Improving communication with parent advisory councils, teachers and the community at large is a priority for trustee candidate James Pepa.

If elected, trustee candidate Jonina Campbell says she would initiate a task force aimed at improving physical and mental wellness, which would include initiatives to get more children walking and biking to school.

Trustee candidate MaryAnn Mortensen sees a lot to like in our school district, including a wide selection of programs of choice and many dedicated teachers and staff, but the biggest issue she sees is how decisions are made a the school board table.

Jim Goring wants to explore how New Westminster can better engage children and teachers in the future.

Brenda McEachern Keen would like to improve the structural readiness of our school district to improve its ability to take advantage of new opportunities for students. She’d also like to see improvements in project management of new school construction.

David Phelan wants the New Westminster School Board to keep the focus on creating the best education system possible, protecting what we do well and being aware of emerging trends in education that can help us improve, such as the introduction of School Learning Gardens, partnerships with community organizations such as the Royal City Farmers Market and new technologies that can support learning.

Trustee candidate Glen Richmond would like to see more play space for students, fewer portables and a return of the School Liaison Officer program.

Communication with the public and respectful dialogue among trustees are two areas where our school board needs improvement, according to veteran trustee Michael Ewen.

School trustee candidate James Janzen was the first to respond to the first Tenth to the Fraser all-candidates trustee candidates survey. The most important education-related idea or issue to James is ensuring choice for children and parents in public education.

School trustee candidate Lisa Graham supports proactive public engagement to better inform stakeholders, believing “meaningful discussion is informed discussion.”

Improving livability in New West is one of Cal Donnelly’s priorities. Some of his ideas? Taking trucks off the Pattullo Bridge during daytime hours, upgrading recreational facilities and improving the City’s communication with citizens.

Council candidate Chuck Puchmayr believes the best economic development is providing a safe, clean city – along with creative approaches to counter the impact of big box stores that hurt downtown cores.

All candidates were asked to share one ‘blue sky’ idea they would bring forward if cost was no object. Jaimie McEvoy offered five, and justified by saying, “That’s just the amazing thing about New Westminster. We refuse to accept the apparent limits as the end of what we can accomplish. And as a result, we often succeed.”

Council incumbent Bill Harper would like to see the City make better use of technology to improve access to information and make City Hall more citizen-friendly.