Incumbents hold comfortable leads in college race

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Incumbents Paul Berger and Armando Ruiz had captured

comfortable leads late Tuesday night, suggesting that the long-standing

board members will continue to reign over the Coast Community College

District.

With 101 of the district’s 495 precincts reporting, Berger, of Costa

Mesa, carried 61.8% of the vote while his challenger, Costa Mesa

community leader Jean Forbath, received 37.5%. Berger has served on the

board since 1987.

Berger could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

Ruiz, of Huntington Beach, captured 57.8% of the vote. Huntington

Beach resident Daniel Kittredge who was trying to uproot Ruiz, received

41.4%.

“I have no comment; we’re still looking at the results,” said Ruiz,

who has been on the board for 17 years. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow when

the results are in.”

Ruiz’s victory would carry him into his third decade of service on the

board and Berger well into his second.

Forbath continued to hold out hope, waiting for the results of the

remaining 394 precincts.

“Well, the early returns don’t look too good, but I keep thinking its

Seal Beach or one of those places that don’t really know me,” she said.

“I’m just hoping when I wake up in the morning it’s good news.”

Forbath is well known in Costa Mesa as the founder of Share of Selves,

the largest poverty relief agency in Orange County. A former college

professor and high school teacher, she has dedicated her time to helping

the impoverished for more than two decades. Kittredge was having only

slightly better luck in the early results. Kittredge, the product of a

community college education, has earned his reputation as an activist

fighting development along the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach.

The district’s schools, Orange Coast, Golden West and Coastline

community colleges have had much success in the areas of curriculum,

vocation and transfers to four-year schools -- and it seems voters don’t

want to mess with success. The teachers union recently raised questions

and accusations of misconduct by the board, but it was apparently not

enough to sway voters into changing the face of the board.

“I’ll feel badly for the people who worked hard, but I guess that’s

what an election is,” Forbath said. “We’re hopeful. Whatever the voters

want, that would be the best for the district and I hope they want me.”