Now that will be an interesting retirement dinner

M-M-M-My Pomona reports that there will be a retirement dinner for former Pomona Police Chief Joe Romero.

There will be a retirement dinner for Chief Joe Romero on Thursday evening, Feb. 5 at Sheraton Fairplex. The cost of the dinner is $55 per person. The no-host social hour is at 6:00 pm with the dinner at 7:00 pm.

For more information contact Beth Brooks of the Pomona Rotary at (909) 629-3477 email Beth3477@aol.com, or via mail at P.O. Box 7787 La Verne, CA 91750. The event is being coordinated by Virginia Madrigal of the Pomona Breakfast Optimists Club.

As I noted previously, said "retirement" was forced. I haven't really kept up with the story, but the aforementioned M-M-M-My Pomona did, and Monica Rodriguez wrote about it in the Daily Bulletin. Rodriguez, on December 30, 2008:

[M]any city residents have spent the holiday season wondering what is going on at City Hall and what prompted the firing of Police Chief Joe Romero, who was fired Dec. 9.

He was not given a specific reason for his termination, Romero has said.

The separation was later characterized by both the city and Romero in separate statements as a voluntary retirement.

The retirement, which goes into effect at the end of the year, came after more than 33 years of service and 28 months left on his contract.

Residents upset about Romero's treatment have indicated they could be pursuing the recall of four council members - Mayor Elliott Rothman and council members Freddie Rodriguez, Cristina Carrizosa and Steve Atchley - all of whom were present when Romero's employment was discussed Dec. 4 in closed session.