POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Candidates raising funds and friends

Incumbent City Council candidate Toni Iseman will kick off her fundraising campaign Sept. 3.

The event will offer hors d’oeuvres and wine, entertainment by award-winning musician Linda Roth and a silent auction that includes tickets to the Rolling Stones concert in November at Dodger Stadium, tickets to the Dodger Fan Appreciation Day and a shopping spree.

“Wear sensible but cute shoes,” said Iseman, who claims a black belt in shopping.

Donations (i.e, admission) $95, or bring a friend for another $80.

Parking, a perennial issue for Iseman, will be sparse at the location. A shuttle bus will pick up guests at the corner of Catalina and Center streets.

Reservations a must. Call (949) 357-4309.

Iseman’s plans for the next four years will be the topic of discussion at an open house hosted in her honor by former Mayor Wayne Peterson and Laguna College of Art & Design trustee Terry Smith Sept. 17.

“Excluding the usual catastrophes that seem to take up so much of the council’s time, I am sure there will be many new projects we would like to hear about,” Peterson said.

Peterson and Smith had earlier endorsed Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider, a longtime friend and political ally of Peterson.

“We are endorsing both of them because they have worked so well together and we wanted to make our endorsement of Toni more public,” Peterson said. “Actually, this has helped Elizabeth, because people asked why we weren’t endorsing her, and we told them that we had done that early on.”

The endorsement of Iseman comes as something of a surprise. Peterson and Iseman, who grew up in the same Nebraska town, do not share the same political bent, which is reflected in the list of guests invited to the open house.

“Toni didn’t recognize half of the names,” Peterson said. “Some of them I hadn’t seen since I ran.”

Wine, cheese and conversation with Toni will be offered. No donations requested.

For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call (949) 494-7648.

Rollinger keeps rolling along

Madison Square Café and Garden was mobbed Sunday afternoon for the free “Friend-raiser” for City Council candidate Verna Rollinger.

Donations were not required, but accepted. Rollinger said donations to her campaign to date are in the neighborhood of $45,000.

“That’s a lot of money,” Rollinger opined. “My first campaign [for city clerk] we raised something in excess of $2,000. My daughter and I cut bumper stickers out of contact paper.”

Dropping the city’s voluntary election fundraising limit to $15,000 from the previous $30,000 virtually voided the pledge, Rollinger says.

“Steve Dicterow, who proposed the limit, raised more than that, and he ended up not filing,” Rollinger said.

Rollinger has fundraisers scheduled for Sept. 24 and Oct. 22, locations to be announced by invitation.

Council Candidates Forums

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