Candidate for
Council Member; City of La Habra Heights

Our View: Our picks for La Habra Heights City Council

IT'S a community of about 5,700 people in mostly larger, single-family homes, tucked away in the Puente Hills between Whittier and La Habra.

But although it is of small size, the issues swirling around the upcoming La Habra Heights City Council election are many and the public interest strong.

If we had to narrow the issues to three, the same number of seats open to voters on March 3, election day, we'd list them as: fire safety, protecting its semi-rural lifestyle, and city finances.

These are not easily solved. That's why voters must sift through the candidates' web sites and door-hangers and decide who's best to handle these issues and work together as a team of five to solve them.

On the issue of fire safety, no one knows more than George L. Edwards. Edwards is adamant about finding better ways to protect residents' homes from wildfire.

During last year's devastating fires in Carbon Canyon and Yorba Linda, Edwards said too many La Habra Heights residents - especially those on the east side - felt unprepared. "That is the reason why I am running," he told our editorial board. "People were really just scared. It really comes down to prevention."

Edwards, 40, a member of the La Habra Heights Fire Watch organization, is enthusiastic about helping neighbors feel protected and bringing additional fire protection to the city.

While his call for a full-fledged fire station on the east side seems an idea that is presently underfunded and therefore a long way off, his passion and knowledge on this issue is something that will help the City Council address it, and certainly raise the level of fire awareness in this quiet town.

The city is also wrestling with adding housing that does not fit with its character. "Rural is not accepting a 17,000-square-foot house and a 3,000-square-foot pool or attempting to force condos into La Habra Heights," Edwards said at a candidate forum last week.

For all the above reasons, Edwards gets our endorsement for one of the three seats...

"We want the city of La Habra Heights to succeed and to work through important issues. It starts with electing the best people on March 3."

-Editorial Board, Whittier Daily News