Retired Engineer, 65, to Seek Council Seat

Retired engineer Murray Rosenbluth on Tuesday became the first person to file nomination papers for a Port Hueneme City Council seat.

A political rookie who has never run for public office, the 65-year-old Rosenbluth is seeking one of two council seats up for grabs this fall.

Councilwoman Toni Young is expected to attempt to retain her seat for a second term. Councilman Orvene S. Carpenter officially remains undecided, but isn’t expected to run for another term after serving all but three years since 1964.

An eight-year Port Hueneme resident, Rosenbluth favors developing the city’s underused pier and beach as tourist attractions, while preserving ecologically sensitive areas nearby.

“The theme of my campaign is building for the future, and as a parent and grandparent I certainly feel it’s my responsibility to build for the youth of Port Hueneme,” he said, adding that almost 30% of the city’s population is under age 18.

Rosenbluth is a director of the Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce and president of the Marlborough Seaside Village Homeowners Assn.

Two other potential council candidates have also taken out election papers, but have yet to return them. However, with an absence of controversial issues in the community, this fall’s field isn’t expected to be as crowded as 1994 when 14 candidates vied for three council seats.