Incumbents retain seats in college race

Danette Goulet

Two long-standing board members will return to the Coast Community

College District for another term.

Armando Ruiz of Huntington Beach captured 58.2% of the vote, or 93,436

tallies. Daniel Kittredge, also of Huntington Beach, was trying to uproot

Ruiz, but received only 40.8%, or 65,566 votes.

With all of the districts reporting, Paul 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.

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

board. Berger is well into his second.

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. A product of a community

college education, he 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 significant 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 didn’t sway

voters to change the board’s leadership.

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

what an election is,” Forbath said.

Ruiz and Kittredge could not be reached for comment Wednesday.