Retirement

Well, I note that in the March 1 edition of the GNP that another of Glendale Water & Power's busy squirrels has caused still another power outage . Perhaps he can be induced, like many of the other squirrels in that department, to take an early retirement and start drawing his pension (he can always come back as a consultant and get a few more bags of acorns). With the weather starting to warm up and the inevitable turning on of air conditioning units, I assume we will be getting back to our daily outages, a hallmark of this city.

The early retirement of experienced teachers from our schools has been presented as good news. Can someone tell us what we will replace them with? New teachers? Inexperienced teachers? Cheap teachers? Non-teacher teachers? Has any thought been given to the effect on our children who are the students of the aforementioned teachers? How much are we “saving” from this exercise, and at what cost? Theodore Polychronis Glendale

GLENDALE — After suffering a shoulder injury that stemmed from a violent home-plate collision last season, Gregg Zaun found himself behind home plate for the first time Sunday during a spring training contest against the Oakland Athletics at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. Zaun caught three innings and had two plate appearances. Shortly after the game ended, Zaun, a Glendale native and 1989 St. Francis High graduate, took off his equipment and tugged off his uniform for the final time before announcing his retirement on Sunday following a 16-year Major League Baseball career.

Maggie Doud, 68, retired recently after working for many years as an executive assistant. She participates in numerous charity organizations and programs because she thinks it?s crucial to help others in need. She said she believes everyone is capable of giving something back to the community by setting aside a chunk of time. ?Anyone can do it,? Doud said. ?All you need is a willing heart.? She has an optimistic view on life, she said, and she enjoys making everyone laugh.

Darleene Barrientos The paperwork on his desk might make it look as if nothing has changed, but Glendale Police Capt. Jim Swinford retired recently after more than 30 years with the force. Swinford, 55, retired Dec. 30 after nearly 33 years of police work. But Swinford has not let retirement put a dent in his routine -- the captain will continue to work at an hourly rate until the department has moved into the new multimillion-dollar police headquarters across the street from the old station.

Amber Willard NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale Police Sgt. Bob MacLeod left the profession Wednesday that four generations of his family have followed. After almost 29 years with the agency, MacLeod retired with a roomful of co-workers wishing him well, including Chief Russell Siverling. "There's a certain apprehension I feel," MacLeod said Wednesday afternoon during his farewell party. "There are a lot of super people that I'm leaving." MacLeod is the last in a line of police officers.

A senior citizen might say, "I'm retired. I have earned the right to do nothing but enjoy life." Pity. The premise might seem sound, yet there is surprise when many with such claims say premature farewells. Others who are more realistic use the age of Social Security to move on to more exciting and rewarding years. Retirement without activity is like an abandoned fireplace. Let it alone and the flame flickers out. Nurture it with fuel to live for and it continues to light up the room.

Darleene Barrientos Horace Mann Elementary School's front office has been like home -- the place where school careers begin and where students go if they're hurt or need help. But home will lose three family members on June 30 with the retirement of clerks Sarina Schroeder, Anoosh Hambarsumian and administrative secretary Joy Pruett. With Track A students and teachers leaving for off-track vacation Friday, teachers and administrators are dreading the three longtime office workers' retirements.

Newport Beach's Ed and Mary Chavez were living the dream of retirement, reaping the benefits of a lifetime of hard work. Ed Chavez retired in 1993, and the couple bought their retirement home -- a beautiful town house with a picturesque view of the Back Bay. They also bought a camper and spent much of their time traveling the Southwest. Without the restraints of a schedule, they were able to spend as much or as little time in any one place as they wanted.

Tim Willert GLENDALE CITY HALL -- Public Works Director Kerry Morford announced his retirement Tuesday, nearly 21 years after going to work for the city. Morford, 55, was appointed director in 1996. He announced his plans to retire in a letter to City Manager Jim Starbird. "It was an easy decision for me," Morford said Tuesday. "I'm just ready for that retirement phase of my life." Morford, who oversees a division with 300 employees and a $70-million annual budget, will step down Dec. 6. Starbird called Morford a "strong and talented administrator" who has provided "tremendous leadership for the Public Works department."

Former Glendale Police Capt. Ray Edey is not one to relax, so when he had the opportunity to return to writing grant applications for the city in September 2011, about a week after he retired, he took it. "I don't golf, fish or hunt," said the 30-year employee. "I need to keep my mind busy. " In addition to more work, he also reaped more money. He took home both an annual pension of $198,386 and a self-reported salary of roughly $80,000 a year until about four months ago. Edey is one of 46 city employees who, since 2000, retired and then returned to work at City Hall, according to an analysis of records from Glendale and California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS.

Glendale Police Chief Ron De Pompa quietly announced his retirement in late February, but was quickly hired back as an hourly employee until the city can replace him. He is expected to earn $103 per hour on top of his roughly $192,600 state pension. De Pompa, 57, has worked at the department for about 37 years and so gets 90% of his salary under the California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS. According to City Manager Scott Ochoa, De Pompa's base salary was approximately $214,000.

When it comes to managing skyrocketing pension obligations, Glendale's either done all it can or is failing horribly, depending on who you talk to. While most City Council candidates have criticized city pensions, the city manager, incumbents and union leaders say Glendale has already implemented comprehensive reform and nothing more can be done. Glendale has taken big steps to curb rising pension costs, but more - albeit controversial - options are available. “The first thing I would say is, I have no magic formula.

Well, I note that in the March 1 edition of the GNP that another of Glendale Water & Power's busy squirrels has caused still another power outage . Perhaps he can be induced, like many of the other squirrels in that department, to take an early retirement and start drawing his pension (he can always come back as a consultant and get a few more bags of acorns). With the weather starting to warm up and the inevitable turning on of air conditioning units, I assume we will be getting back to our daily outages, a hallmark of this city.

The early retirement of experienced teachers from our schools has been presented as good news. Can someone tell us what we will replace them with? New teachers? Inexperienced teachers? Cheap teachers? Non-teacher teachers? Has any thought been given to the effect on our children who are the students of the aforementioned teachers? How much are we “saving” from this exercise, and at what cost? Theodore Polychronis Glendale

Enough Glendale Unified employees have committed to an early retirement option to stave off the need to issue pink slips later this year, district officials announced this week. The threat of layoff notices for up to 125 employees had loomed large as Glendale Unified worked to cut spending by about $6 million in an effort to tackle the district's $15 structural deficit. But on Tuesday, the school board approved the 115 employees who applied for the district's early retirement plan.

"Neighborhood Services Administrator" - it's a job City Council candidate Sam Engel has been out of for nearly six months, but that's how he's describing himself on the April ballot. Doing so is by the book. Candidates get only three words to describe themselves after their names appear on the ballot. And state law governing ballot titles allows candidates to use a title they have held within the last calendar year. “That's how I'm known in the community,” Engel said. “We thought about using 'retired city administrator' or 'retired neighborhood administrator,' but in the end decided that those were not real accurate.

A retired senior Army official on Wednesday told a group of Glendale Unified students that the U.S.-backed military invasion of Iraq developed into a “full-scale insurgency” and warned that the effort in Afghanistan threatens “to keep soaking up our national treasure.” The comments by retired Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton came via teleconference with the Geopolitics Club at Clark Magnet High School - from the perspective of a man who was in charge...

Sixty-one Glendale Unified teachers have accepted the district's early retirement plan, a figure that could prevent teacher layoffs later this year, officials said. District officials had hoped at least 75 teachers would take the offer, but just 61 certificated employees accepted it by the Feb. 1 deadline. Glendale Unified officials had previously said that 75 to 125 employees could be let go in an effort to save about $6 million. But with 14 teachers short of the initial goal, plans to lay off teachers remain uncertain.

Just two weeks short of a deadline for attracting Glendale Unified 75 employees into early retirement to minimize the scope of layoffs later this year, district officials this week reported that just nine have applied for the offer. The incentive entails a teacher being paid 50% of their base salary over the course of five years, or the employee's lifetime, in addition to health benefits. Out of the pool of 1,290 employees that include teachers, nurses or counselors, about 350 are eligible for the early retirement plan.