People : Building Inspector, 82, Tries Retirement Again

After 13 years as a building inspector for the City of Fountain Valley, 82-year-old Clarence (Chick) Crain has decided to call it quits. Crain, a native Oklahoman, began his inspection career with the City of Huntington Beach in 1964. He retired in 1972, only to begin work as a building inspector for Fountain Valley the same year.

“They (Fountain Valley’s Building Department) called me up soon after I’d retired to help them organize their department, they said,” Crain explained. “I ended up staying 13 years.”

“He’s a very fine person, as well as being a fine inspector,” Fountain Valley Planning and Building Director Clint Sherrod said of Crain.

“He was our public relations expert and was able to resolve neighborhood problems before they got out of hand. We will surely miss him,” he said.

Crain still plans to help the Fountain Valley building department when people go on vacations, as well as keep up with his favorite professional sports teams. His avid sports interest stems from his college days as a tackle for the University of Illinois, where a teammate was the “Galloping Ghost,” Red Grange.

Anaheim Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department announced that Ross Davis, director of the Anaheim Community Band, will retire after 17 years of service. Wayne Nelson of Cypress will replace Davis. Nelson, a volunteer member of the band for 17 years, has served in an administrative capacity with the band for the last two years. The band’s season premiere will be at 7:30 p.m. June 13 at Pearson Park Theatre, at Harbor Boulevard and Sycamore Street, Anaheim. Musicians of high school age and older are invited to join the band. Rehearsals are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays in South Junior High School Band Room, 2320 E. South St., Anaheim.

Newport Harbor High School alumnus Ralph Galantine, a senior at Claremont McKenna College, is the recipient of a three-year, $51,000 minority graduate fellowship from the National Science Foundation. Galantine will receive $11,000 annual stipend as well as $6,000 in tuition reimbursement. An economics major at Claremont, Galantine will enter the doctoral program in economics at the University of Chicago. The new scholarship is being awarded to minority students who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for advanced training in science or engineering.