STEVE SMITH -- What’s Up

Our family attended the Costa Mesa City Council meeting Monday to

persuade its members to leave Fairview Park the way it is. Plans for the

“development� of the park include a lot more concrete and what others

believe are improvements.

Our daughter, Bean, was particularly upset, so much so that she

mustered up the courage to speak to the council during the public-comment

portion of the meeting.

But before it was Bean’s turn, a number of other citizens mustered up

something else -- not courage -- to speak to the council. Two speakers

stood out.

One was a man who was complaining about the presence of some bottle

rocket remnants near his property. The man brought the parts to the

meeting to make his point, but I’m still not sure what his point was. He

did not ask the council to do anything and I’m not sure they could have

helped had he asked.

Fireworks on the Fourth of July are a way of life in this town, and

unless we develop a history of large fires or personal injuries because

of them, they are here to stay.

And that’s a good thing. It’s ironic to me that we allow 16-year-olds

to get behind the wheel of a car -- a dangerous weapon -- but some cities

will not allow fireworks to be sold to adults. Teenage drivers have

proven to be dangerous and my guess is that they cause far more property

damage and personal injury each year than the fireworks that are legal

one day each July.

Kids firing off bottle rockets on the Fourth of July are hard to round

up. That’s not to state that we should simply give in or give up; after

all, bottle rockets are flying flamethrowers. But our Police Department

has finite resources and it could very well be that this is not a

priority during the hectic Independence Day. But I digress.

The other stand-out speaker came to complain about the last in a

series of outdoor concerts sponsored by the Costa Mesa Parks and

Recreation Department. The concert, held at breathtaking Vista Park, was

a smashing success. The city rolled out its portable stage, a hot Latin

band played and young and old were dancing the dusk away. The woman’s

complaint? Noise, and the style of music chosen by the city.

“I like to choose my own music,� she said. Then she stormed up the

aisle.

A smart real estate agent would have told this curmudgeon about

College Park in Costa Mesa and offered to help her find a house there.

Having led the charge to rid the area of both the Pacific Amphitheater

and Cirque du Soleil, city concerts should not be much of a problem for

College Park residents. This lady was so adamant that I don’t care if I

ever see her again in the council chamber. One more rant like that and

she’ll put me out of a job.

As she stood in line for her chance to speak, Bean exchanged smiles

and waves with Mayor Gary Monahan. This is a good point to mention why I

love Costa Mesa. We have an outstanding City Council, and even though I

may not agree with them on certain issues, I believe that this is an

intelligent, hard-working and honest group. Ours is a city that works and

it does so because of their effort and energy. That they are also nice

people is a huge benefit. Imagine the thrill for a scared 10-year-old

girl to suddenly see the mayor smiling and waving at you.

Bean stood at the microphone and spoke for about two minutes. Her

extemporaneous comments included something about leaving nature alone and

being able to have her grandkids see the park the way is is now when they

grow up. I’m not sure of the rest because I was lost in her courage and

the clarity of her thoughts.

When she was finished, the audience broke into extended applause. Bean

walked up the aisle to her seat, but her time at the mike was not over.

“Are you the famous Bean?� Councilwoman Linda Dixon asked.

Bean, who was nearly all the way up the 50-foot aisle, walked back to

the microphone, leaned in with a dramatic pause and said, “Yes,� and

walked back to her seat.

Thanks to the Costa Mesa City Council, my daughter is hooked on

politics. That’s OK, except that it may end up costing Cay and me a small

fortune in food. You see, all she wants to do now is go to Skosh

Monahan’s and talk politics with the mayor.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. Readers

may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at (949) 642-6086.