Retirement

Andrew Edwards Surf City voters returned all school board incumbents to office Tuesday and brought in two fresh faces, one in each elementary school district. Voters returned Armando Ruiz to the Coast Community College District dais despite his retirement announcement late Friday that allowed him to take advantage of a loophole in the system and collect a pension from his post on the board at 11 times the rate it normally would have been. Ruiz stepped down from the board on the same day he retired from his counselor's job at Irvine Valley College, allowing him to double his overall pension to about $120,000.

UNIVERSAL CITY ? More than 500 people packed the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Universal on Saturday to pay tribute to Glendale Community College president and superintendent John Davitt, who is retiring from his post at the end of the month after 21 years. "John has left behind not only touching the lives of generations of students ? but he left a tangible mark on the campus of Glendale Community College," Rep. Adam Schiff said. The retirement dinner included speeches from Schiff, Assemblyman Dario Frommer, Glendale Mayor David Weaver, Burbank Mayor Todd Campbell and others.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Ken Small has announced his retirement after 11 years with the city. "He's got 40-plus years in law enforcement," City Manager Fred Wilson said. "It'll be a great loss to the city. I think [Small], in my opinion, was an outstanding chief. " Small started his law enforcement career of 42 years in 1971 with the Los Angeles Police Department, mainly working in the Watts division, which was a "pretty tough part of town," he said. "The first year I was in Watts, which is about half the size of Huntington Beach, we had 142 murders," Small said.

William Loose, the superintendent of the Ocean View School District, has announced his retirement, the district announced July 12. The district's board of trustees voted unanimously July 11 to accept Loose's resignation, according to a media release. Kathy Kessler, who recently retired as superintendent of the Huntington Beach City School District, was named interim superintendent and will take office July 30 if the board approves her contract. Loose, who replaced Alan Rasmussen, has been Ocean View's superintendent since July 1 last year.

Fountain Valley approved changes to future employees' retirement benefits that will help relieve some of the burden pensions are putting on the city. The City Council unanimously approved a change Tuesday to newly hired employee benefits that increases the amount the employee will contribute and determines the retirement amount on employees' top three years of highest salaries. The action will help reduce the overall retirement problem for the city, said Mayor Larry Crandall.

Dylan Garrity received the ultimate high-five Sunday. The senior, who wore No. 5 as a guard for the Edison High boys' basketball team, will have his jersey hoisted up in Dave Mohs Gymnasium from here on after the school retired the jersey number during the team's banquet at Mesa Verde County Club in Costa Mesa. He is the first player to have his jersey retired in the 42-year history of the boys' program, said Edison boys' Coach and Athletic Director Rich Boyce, who made the decision.

Jim Katapodis experienced it all as a police officer: being shot at a couple of times, going undercover as a paraplegic in a drug bust and almost getting stabbed during a domestic dispute. After 35 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Huntington Beach councilman and sergeant is retiring from the force. "I think 35 years is plenty for a police officer," Katapodis said during a recent phone interview. "In my mind, I can go over fences, jump walls and fight kids that are younger than me. The reality is it's probably not a good idea.

As general manager for the last five years for the Mesa Consolidated Water District, Huntington Beach resident Diana M. Leach's responsibilities have included overlooking everything from operations and engineering to administrative, financial and customer services. After 10 years with the district ? the first five as assistant general manager ? Leach will be retiring at the end of this year. Her retirement was announced Monday. "The board appreciates her leadership and her involvement in a number of very important projects," board President Paul E. Shoenberger said.

Andrew Gemmell has been a volunteer at the Seniors' Outreach Center for less than a year, but already he is making a major difference in many people's lives. Gemmell, a Huntington Beach resident for 21 years, retired a year ago and saw that the center was looking for volunteers. Despite a nearly daily commute by the center for years, he had never noticed it before. The outreach center caters to senior residents of Huntington Beach who can't get out easily and don't have many resources.