600 Turn Out to Pay Tribute to Wittenberg

He was put on trial by television’s Judge Wapner, teased as a tightwad and serenaded with Ventura County’s own version of “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”

On the eve of county manager Richard Wittenberg’s departure for a new job in Santa Clara County, nearly 600 friends and colleagues turned out Thursday night to pay tribute to the man who has run Ventura County for the past 16 years.

“I’m just here to see how you roast a ham,” state Sen. Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria) said.

For the tribute, county officials transformed the agricultural building at the county fairgrounds into a banquet hall with blue bunting draped from the ceiling and red, white and black balloons.

Wittenberg, an inveterate schmoozer, greeted many of the guests as they arrived and then made his way to most of the tables.

The evening began with a sing-along to a reworked version of the hit song “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”

“You can’t really breathe in San Jose, but you’ve found a nice big house and lots more to pay,” the crowd brayed.

A top candidate for chief executive in other large counties for years, Wittenberg twice turned down requests to apply for the San Jose job, but consented in August.

Although he will be receiving a large pay raise in his new job--$150,000 annually, contrasted with $123,000 here--Wittenberg said the new challenge, not money, prompted him to leave.

After dinner, the hall was turned into ersatz courtroom as Judge Joseph A. Wapner of “People’s Court” fame put Wittenberg on trial for ‘deserting your friends, looking for better fortunes, and being cheap.”

The cheap theme continued throughout the evening.

“Richard’s idea of a power lunch depends on who’s paying,” Supervisor Maggie Kildee said. “If it’s the county, brown bag at the outdoor fountain. If it’s Richard, window seat at the China Palace. If anyone else antes up, it’s the Tower Club.”

But the night was not all jokes. Wittenberg’s three grown children--David, Kevin and Laura--gave a touching and tearful tribute to their father. “Dad, I just want to say that I admire you and I admire that you are a hard worker, and the driven man you are,” Laura said.

Wittenberg, himself, expressed emotion as he spoke at Thursday’s tribute.

“It’s hard to leave Ventura County,” Wittenberg told the crowd. “It’s a wonderful place live and work.”

Wittenberg says he’ll be back: He is keeping his home in Ventura and plans to retire here.