Walnut City Council incumbents Nancy Tragarz, the current mayor, and Antonio “Tony” Cartagena held a press conference Monday morning in support of their re-election effort.

Flanked by supporters, Tragarz and Cartagena were interviewed by Chinese media outlets and Patch at The Hub Café on Amar Road.  Mayor Pro Tem Mary Su, Walnut Planning Commissioner Wen Pei, Walnut Valley Unified School District Board Member Phillip Chen, and Walnut Valley Water District Board President Allen Wu all spoke in support of the two council members.

Chen said in both Chinese and English that local government has the greatest impact on the every day lives of people and praised Tragarz and Cartagena for collaborating well with the school district.

“For me, it’s the character of the individual,” he said.  “These people have the utmost character. They have the utmost integrity.”

Cartagena is running for his fourth term.  The incumbent, who has served as mayor three times, said this campaign has been tougher than others in the past because of the stolen and vandalized campaign signs. 

“Whether it is for fun or intentional, this will leave a bad mark on the individuals who remove yard signs from properties,” he said.

Cartagena highlighted Walnut’s high property values, refurbished streets, and diversity.

“I am running for re-election because I want to continue my service and passion,” he said.

Tragarz spoke of the Walnut’s ranking as 57^th in the nation for the best small cities, the completion of Meadowpass Road, and the low crime rate.

The mayor said she grew up in Walnut and ran the first time because she thought she could contribute.  She previously served on the city’s Ethics Committee and the Parks and Recreation Commission. 

“I feel like I’ve been a strong asset to the City Council for the last few years,” she said.  “I like to give back. I like to serve.”

COUNCIL CHALLENGER HOLDS FUNDRAISER

Walnut City Council hopeful Eric Ching hosted a fundraiser Saturday for his campaign effort. The event was at Cross Christian School on La Puente Road.

“We had a great event with over 100 people attending,” Ching said. “A dozen volunteers performed dance and singing, and a few showed their talents on piano and saxophone.”

Among those in attendance were Councilman Joaquin Lim, 39^th District Congressional candidate Jay Chen, Chinese-American Association of Walnut President Ivy Kuan, Cal State Fullerton Associate Vice President Howard Want, and Anyork Lee, a former Walnut Valley Unified School District board member among others.