Peter Douglas, the longtime defender of California’s coastline who survived any number of efforts by several governors to get rid of him, officially retires today as executive director of the California Coastal Commission. You can bet he didn’t go willingly, but at least no politician took him out. Douglas, 69, has advanced lung cancer, and is stepping aside after 34 pioneering years on the job. He tells the Mercury News:
“I’ve always been a survivor. It's not in my nature to sit and mope or wallow in despair. I'm going to make the most of every moment I have left."
Image: LA Times
