By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

FORMER Sen. Benjamin Cruz is no longer a senator but he will continue to be in the legislative scene, this time as the legal counsel for the Democratic minority in the 29th Legislature.
“He has had a distinguished career in government service as a senator,” minority leader Judi Won Pat, D-Malojloj, said of the retired Supreme Court justice.
“We are honored to have him continue his service to the people of Guam as our legal counsel,” Won Pat added.
Cruz, who served one term in the 28th Legislature, ran for lieutenant governor as former Carl Gutierrez’s running mate but their team lost in the Sept. 2 primary.
During his last days in the Legislature, Cruz tried, but failed, to get the Republican-dominated 28th Legislature to address the deficit problem facing the government of Guam.
Other members of the 28th Legislature who did not return to the Legislature are Mike Cruz, who is now the lieutenant governor, and Frank B. Aguon, who lost his bid for lieutenant governor as former Congressman Robert Underwood’s running mate. 
Three Republicans—Joanne Brown, Bob Kliztkie, and Larry Kasperberbauer— decided to cap their political career and retreat into private lives after years of serving in the Legislature.
Brown said she still has no immediate plans other than landscape her garden. “I’m assessing my options and the offers that have been made to me,” Brown said in an earlier interview.
Having served six terms, for a total of 12 years in the Guam Legislature, Brown confessed to finding it “kind of a strange to be at this point of your life when you’re going to make a decision on what you’re going to do in the next two years.” Which, she added, “is not necessarily a bad thing because you can’t always plan your life.”
Kasperbauer said he will embark on his long-delayed book project and a number of other personal projects that he said had been putting off for many years.
Culture and its sociological implications will be the focus of Kasperbauer’s book project tentatively titled “Growing Old in Guam.”  Kasperbauer served five terms in the Legislature.
Klitzkie said he opted not to seek reelection because he never intended to become a career politician.
“I wanted to be a citizen senator, not a career politician. I was fortunate to be elected two terms. Now I’m going back to being a private citizen,” he said in an earlier interview.