A DOZEN DISTRICT 5 candidates gathered Thursday night at the Park Branch Library, not to size each other up, but to hash out common goals. The unique "Candidates Collaborative" is the brainchild of poet and candidate Diamond Dave Whitaker, and was MC'd by Stanford philosophy student and candidate Julian Davis. The array of serious candidates (neither Whitaker nor h brown, who also attended, are in to win) agreed on two basic principles: minimize personal attacks and focus on increasing turnout. Gathered around the room were Francis Somsel, a clean-cut progressive Democrat; Benjamin Vanderford, 22-year-old political independent, musician and video-game programmer; California
maybe the same guy???