Retirement

Relax now. You are 55 and have done 30 years under the umbrella of the Glendale?s retirement system. The morning dew clings to your golf bag and the course looks serene. Your $10,000 check will arrive from CalPERS this month. No need to despair about the economy. Your mortgage is paid off, kids finished college and the only concern you have is whether the cruise ship you?ll take this month will be exposed to the swine flu. For the next 30 years, whether the economy thrives or tanks, you?

The people of California voted out of office a man (Gray Davis) who, along with his legislature, had no fiscal responsibility and was driving California into mediocrity and bankruptcy. Yes, the fifth-largest economy in the world was falling to its knees after being beaten silly by omnipotent unions representing a variety of state employees. The Oct. 31 issue of Time Magazine was devoted to pension and retirement funds in America, and in that issue they directly addressed the issue of bloated pensions in California and the toll it is taking on the state.

Rima Shah Local officials and Democratic lawmakers expressed support for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision Thursday to abandon a controversial pension-reform plan, agreeing to work with local and state leaders across the aisle to reform the plan. The reform, introduced by Assemblyman Keith Richman, a Republican who represents part of Glendale, drew criticism from public employees and public safety officials on its lack of death and disability benefits and options to save the government money.

Writer?s logic goes up in smoke It?s hard to understand how one could be so naive. Armineh Hovanesian seems to believe that inhaling second-hand smoke is not harmful to a nonsmoker?s health (?Second-hand smoke no reason for police state,? May 27). I wish there was some way that we could ask the poor souls who are buried in Forest Lawn, and who no doubt suffered horribly from emphysema and lung cancer, before they died, ?was breathing in smoke from an inconsiderate smoker a contributing factor?

Jenna Bordelon LA CRESCENTA -- Pastor Thomas E. Witherspoon is not ready to retire just yet. He took over the leadership of Unity Church of the Valley last month after a long career in Florida and Lake Tahoe and is quite happy in his new home. "Retirement is not part of my language," he said. "I was sort of semi-retired in Tahoe and I didn't like it very much." His first order of business will be to attract new members to a congregation of about 50 people.

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.

SIDNEY CHARLES SIMS Sidney Charles Sims died Dec. 9, 2004. He was 86. Sims was born April 15, 1918, and was a longtime resident of Montrose. He worked at Lockheed Corp. in Burbank and Palmdale for 38 years until his retirement in 1977. After retiring, Sims focused on his passion for rifle and pistol shooting. He was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn. Sims was also a fan of Western history and art and volunteered at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum.

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.