TONY DODERO -- Editor’s Notebook

Don’t tell my boss, former Daily Pilot Editor Bill Lobdell, that I

said this, but Peter Buffa did a pretty good job of replacing him as this

year’s emcee for the 19th annual Speak Up Newport Mayor’s Dinner.

Buffa, a former Costa Mesa mayor and now columnist for us, managed to

roast and toast several folks who dared show up at Thursday’s soiree at

the Newport Marriot.

He took special aim at the members of the Newport Beach Library board

of trustees and foundation members for their recent penchant for brawling

over finances.

Indeed, there were lots of jokes about the ensuing debates over

development and, of course, the whole Greenlight Initiative, which if

passed would go a long way to curbing some of the city’s big plans.

The lightheartedness even managed to crack a smile on Tim Quinn, the

proprieter of the Dunes resort, the site of a prosposed major hotel

project. The Dunes and Quinn have been high-profile Greenlight targets

and have taken a pounding over the last few months.

But Quinn was in friendly territory at the Irvine Co. sponsored event.

Though I know there were more than a few Greenlighters in the crowd, some

folks seemed to do a polite hiss, every time the subject came up.

Despite all of that, if you were looking for a place to mingle with

Newport’s political stars, this was the place. A few of those heavy

hitters out that night were state Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer and former

mayors Clarence Turner, Evelyn Hart and Jackie Heather.

And there was a special photo of former Mayor and Councilman Phil

Sansone, who has recently packed his bags and moved to Hawaii to become a

professional surfer. Well, OK, I’m kidding, but I’m sure he’s having a

good time there even though he’s greatly missed here.

Speak Up Newport honored Sansone with its Sunshine Award. Pretty

fitting for a guy who’s probably getting lots of sunshine these days.

Also in the giant ballroom were several school board members and

planning commissioners and, of course, Mayor John Noyes and the entire

current council, except for one -- Councilman Tom Thomson.

Who knows, maybe he’s still smarting from being passed over for the

mayor’s post by his colleagues?

Of course the big draw for the night was mega sports agent Leigh

Steinberg, who gave the keynote address.

Steinberg was accompanied by his wife, Lucy, who is the chairwoman of

the upcoming Spirit Run fund-raising event for local schools on Feb. 27.

A resident of Newport Beach for 13 years, Steinberg had the line of

the night when he noted that you can’t get a more powerful political name

than “Mayor Noyes.”

*

Speaking of mayors and library donors, longtime advocate for books

Lucille Kuehn sent me a recent note correcting a description of her that

we published.

The description appeared below a piece she wrote for our Community

Forum page regarding the squabble between the trustees and the

foundation.

“Thank you for bestowing the honor and title of ‘mayor.’ However, it

is inaccurate. I was simply a member of the Newport Beach City Council

from 1975- 78.”

Sorry Lucille. But, in hindsight, if you weren’t mayor you darn well

should have been.

*

We recently asked our readers what they thought of the new Harbor

Center, the rebuilt Costa Mesa shopping complex that features several

large new stores. But one reader, who didn’t leave a name, wasn’t too

impressed with the new space-age look.

“It’s gone from an old ugly shopping center to a new ugly shopping

center. It looks like something out of a ‘Jetsons’ cartoon.”

Though the reader has a point, I must say the new center is a vast

improvement from the old one and I’m looking forward to seeing similar

progress in other parts of the West Side.

* TONY DODERO is the editor of the Daily Pilot. He can be reached at

949-574-4258 or via e-mail at [email protected].