Another candidate files papers in Menlo Park fire board race Another candidate files papers in Menlo Park fire board race (August 06, 2003)

** Former board member Erv Ericksen considers run.

By Renee Batti
Almanac News Editor

Two incumbents and two newcomers are in the running for seats on the Menlo Park Fire Protection District board so far, while one former board member is considering jumping into the race.

With the deadline for filing papers set for this Friday, August 8, former fire board director A. Erwin (Erv) Ericksen said he still hasn't decided whether he will file the candidate papers he took out on July 29.

Meanwhile, John Osmer of Menlo Park filed papers last week, joining retired businessman Pete Hammond, and incumbents Bart Spencer and Steve Kennedy on the candidates' roster.

Voters in November will elect two people to the five-member board, which makes policy for the fire district serving Menlo Park, Atherton, East Palo Alto and nearby unincorporated areas.

Mr. Osmer, a supply chain manager for electronics manufacturing firm Solectron in Milpitas, said his primary concerns are the upcoming talks on ambulance service in the county; the need for cooperation among jurisdictions at a time a new federal agency -- the Department of Homeland Security -- is imposing new rules on local governments; and the need for a strategic plan to maintain the district's current level of service during tough financial times.

Mr. Osmer said his current work and his experience working with congressional staffs in Washington, D.C., have given him the skills needed to contribute in all three areas.

Mr. Ericksen was a board appointee for about a year and a half before winning elections to the board in 1991 and 1995. He served as board president for seven of the nine years.

A retired veterinarian and Atherton resident, Mr. Ericksen didn't seek re-election in 1999, and because only Mr. Spencer and Mr. Kennedy filed papers, they were automatically installed on the board.

"Now that I've had my four years off, I feel refreshed," he said last week.