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| DeMartini comes out on top in supes race |
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| Written by Jonathan Partridge | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Friday, 06 June 2008 | |
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Jim DeMartini has studied plenty of numbers during his past four years as county supervisor, from the county’s predicted budget deficit to the acreage of the proposed PCCP West Park project.  DeMartini “We think it may be a new record,” DeMartini said this week. DeMartini captured 3,571 votes to Fantazia’s 1,418 for the win. He said he spent several weeks walking the various precincts in his district before Tuesday’s vote. “Last night, I retired my pair of shoes,” he said Wednesday. Both DeMartini and Fantazia ran on campaigns that focused on opposition to the proposed 4,800-acre PCCP West Park industrial center in and around the Crows Landing Air Facility. They both also have expressed concern about the flooding of Orestimba Creek near Newman and have shown support for jobs and roadway improvements within the district. However, Fantazia has said he thought he could work better with others than the county supervisor does.  Fantazia DeMartini said a flier Fantazia’s campaign produced that portrayed the incumbent as a lying Pinocchio was not entirely truthful itself and, ultimately, likely damaged Fantazia’s chances. Among other accusations, the flier alleged that DeMartini helped Supervisor Jeff Grover get elected in secret hopes that Grover would put in a vote for West Park, though it was unknown which firms hoped to develop the air facility during most of the campaign. Fantazia was out of town this week and could not be reached for comment. Looking ahead, DeMartini said he wants to watch closely the environmental process for West Park after supervisors voted 4-1 to move ahead on the project in April. He said he is particularly concerned that hitchhiker pests from other countries may tag along with cargo containers that are shipped to the proposed industrial park via rail from the Port of Oakland. He also wanted to make sure the 1,527-acre airfield, which is mostly owned by the county, is developed before surrounding privately owned land. A southern corridor between Interstate 5 and Highway 99, which would be funded by a half-percent sales tax on the ballot in November, also will be a priority, DeMartini said. He thought the route should connect with Interstate 5 via a northern bypass along Zacharias Road, in the direction that Patterson is planning to grow, rather than via a southern bypass closer to Crows Landing. Several other road improvement projects also will be on the table, including improvements to Marshall and Moran roads near Crows Landing, Eastin Road near Newman, Sycamore and Elm Avenues east of Patterson, and Del Puerto Canyon Road to the west. At the same time, budget cutbacks will be a reality in the coming months, with a decline in sales and property tax revenues and less funding from the state, he said. As supervisor, DeMartini also will need to continue to work with Fantazia for Newman-related issues, but he said that should not be a problem. After all, candidates have to differentiate themselves in a political race, he said. “I’ve always gotten along fairly well with Fantazia,” he said. To reach Jonathan Partridge at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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