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QUAKER CAMPUS April 9, 2026

Volume 24 — Issue 11

The voice of Whittier College since 1914

Joe Vinatieri Seeks Re-election As Mayor

Courtesy of Joe Vinatieri

Whittier's current mayor, Joe Vinatieri seeks reelection on April 14. Ethan Airada COPY EDITOR As Election Day approaches the current mayor of the City of Whittier, Joe Vinatieri was interviewed by the Quaker Campus to share his experiences and plans for the future of Whittier. Vinatieri explained that he is a Whittier native, “born and raised,” and has always been interested in politics during high school. In addition, he was raised by a family involved in politics, as he was heavily influenced by Republican politician M. David Stirling. His political career officially began in 2006, and he has remained a part of Whittier’s government for the past twenty years, continuing his position as mayor since 2016. Regarding public safety, Vinatieri cited projects that he has signed off on during his terms, such as the Whittier Narrows reservoir and helihydrant system designed to combat any wildfire that may occur in the Puente Hills Landfill and the rest of the Whittier Hills. Vinatieri shared that these plans came about because of the Palisades fires that happened in January of last year. Furthermore, the project includes the construction of Fire Station 17, located on Hadley Street, and the $60 million in reserve the City has accumulated and allocated specifically for disaster relief, such as wildfires or earthquakes. The project also includes planting over ten thousand oak trees throughout the City, as they provide natural fire resistance. Vinatieri emphasized that, during his tenure, he has prioritized public safety and

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making Whittier “the best place in Southern California to raise a family.” Some of his projects are focused on this, as the City has renovated and added new features to some parks in Whittier, such as a new playground in Penn Park or adding soccer fields to Parnell Park. Vinatieri also mentioned an Easter egg hunt that was very successful and a sign that the renovations are working as intended. Given that Whittier is a historic town, many residents feel that new pursuits, like the construction of townhomes and the Greenleaf Promenade, are an erasure of long-standing aspects of the City. Vinatieri explained that the City is required by the

in a balanced way, but we need to do some housing. We can’t just not do it,” he says. Vinatieri also elaborated on the Greenleaf Promenade project and the controversy over the removal of the historic ficus trees throughout Uptown. As an Uptown business owner of Auntie’s Bakery & Cafe, he was not involved in the decision and reiterated the same reasoning that the City provided. The ficus trees in Uptown were planted in the late 1960s and have since become a staple of the town. However, after losing a $7 million lawsuit after Justine Gurrola tripped and fell on an uneven sidewalk warped by tree roots, the City later resolved to remove all the

"If you're interested in dealing with those issues, then I'm here to continue to do that. I have a track record." - Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri State government to have the capacity to build 3,439 homes, making the townhomes the most efficient way to stay in accordance with California state law and to accommodate the growing population. “Look around, where are we gonna build 3,439 new homes? Where? I mean, it’s— it’s almost impossible.” According to the Census Bureau, Whittier has a population of about 85,000 people, and a population density of about 5,800 people per square mile. Given this, the City rezoned itself for high-density housing to directly address this despite pushback. “It all depends on the community, so we want to do it

ficus trees in Uptown, a cause for much controversy. The reasoning for this decision was not only due to the lawsuit but also potential damages to a water main on Greenleaf Avenue due to the roots having grown into the infrastructure of many buildings throughout the street. On the subject of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Vinatieri explained that he remains officially neutral, but does not condone their reported practices. “I don't care for the masks. I don't care for the fact that they're not identified with a badge. If anybody in the Whittier Police Department

did that, they would be fired.” ICE was active in Whittier during June of last year and has sparked protests around the city. Vinatieri e x p l a i n e d t h a t W h i t t i e r ’s neutrality is only because the City does not want to become a target of the administration like many other cities in California. The mayor has previously remained silent on ICE, but mentioned in the interview that the City set aside funds for families experiencing financial difficulties due to ICE activities and for the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce. Vinatieri left this message for the residents of Whittier: “As people are looking to vote, they need to ask themselves, ‘ What do I want a future to look like?’ And, the future is making sure we take care of our people and in specific ways, not just amorphous—saying things— but specifics because we have some real issues that we have to deal with, and we are dealing with." Vinatieri continues with, "If you're interested in dealing with those issues, then I'm here to continue to do that. I have a track record. I love Whittier. I bleed Whittier red, and I'm here to serve the people, and it's an honor to be able to do so.” Vinatieri continues to seek reelection and to continue serving Whittier as mayor. His current opponent is James Becerra, who focuses on communication and long-term planning for the city. The local election takes place on Tuesday, April 14. Whether one votes for Joe Vinatieri or James Becerra is up to them, and both have different visions for the City in the coming years. Whoever wins, it’s all up to the residents of Whittier.

Iranian Conflict On Tuesday, April 7, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire in the war which included reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, stated AP News. The ceasefire will include a 10-point plan that would help end the war. The plan allows Iran and Oman to charge a fee up to $2 million a ship on vessels transiting through the strait, shares The Guardian. However neither country has stated when the ceasefire agreement would go into effect. Before the reached agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to widen attacks on Iran and warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” These claims were made in order for Iranian officials to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. On Wednesday, April 8, the U.S. White House stated that Israel was on board with the ceasefire, but Israel is still actively attacking Iran and Lebanon, shared with an Israeli military. Now, Iranian leaders are accusing Americans of violating the agreement and are moving towards restricting traffic throughout the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. and Israel governments have both agreed that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran does not include operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the Lebanese health ministry at least 182 people were killed after Israel carried out the largest strike on Lebanon since the war began. Michael Rubin, an expert on Iran at the American Enterprise Institute states, “The big issue seems to be that the two sides cannot agree on what the agreement is.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi shared that the U.S. should choose between a ceasefire or continued war via Israel. He continues, “The ball is in the U.S. court, and the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.” The ceasefire agreement going into effect will all depend on whether all countries involved in the conflict can halt conflict.