TONY DODERO -- Editor’s Notebook

Excuse me if I’m having a hard time grasping this concept. But here goes.

Based on rumors of some phantom accident, the owners of the Southcoast

Childhood Learning Center should have been able to foresee the day when

perhaps someone bent on hurting children would indeed aim his or her car

toward the preschool and the children playing there.

The operators should have known that such people exist and should have

taken every precaution to protect the children from harm, building large

walls and turning the school into a fortress.

Well, at least that’s what the lawyers for the parents of the two

children killed last May are saying.

But if we were to follow that logic, as one of my newsroom colleagues

pointed out, maybe the preschool operators should build a concrete dome

over the top of the site right now just in case some deranged pilot

decides to perform a kamikaze mission at the school.

And while we’re at it, maybe all the children should now be fitted with

oxygen masks, in the unlikely event of a terrorist chemical warfare

attack on the school.

You can never be too careful, right?

You know, I guess that’s why lawyers get paid such good money. Anyone who

has the gall to make such claims deserves to make big bucks because I’m

sure it’s hard to look at yourself in the mirror each day.

The sad part is that lawyers have now dragged down into the muck both the

parents of Brandon Wiener and Sierra Soto, two children who were

senselessly killed by a car that sped onto their playground, convincing

them that the operators of the learning center were negligent and should

be sued.

And the worst part is that the latest lawsuit was filed against the

center operator, Sheryl Hawkinson, just as she entered her ninth month of

pregnancy.

Apparently neither logic, nor decency is taught in law school.

*

Many of you probably think county Supervisor Tom Wilson spends every

waking hour trying to derail the El Toro airport plans.

But after spending lunch with him last Friday, I learned ofanother pet

project, which he devotes much of his time to, is ensuring local

waterways stay clean.

He holds regular meetings at the Newport Beach Public Library regarding

coastal issues, and he recently spoke to the Newport Harbor Yacht Club

about the importance of keeping the harbor free of pollution.

Wilson spearheaded the creation of the Orange County Coastal Coalition

and is active in similar coalitions at the state and national level. He’s

on the Newport Back Bay Sediment Committee, where he pushed for dredging

dollars, and he’s working with Newport Beach leaders Jack and Nancy

Skinner to come up with ideas to alleviate the mass amounts of runoff,

which drop into the Newport Harbor each year.

Maybe the pro-El Toro forces need to change strategies and convince

Wilson that creating an airport there will help keep the oceans clean.

*

As for John Wayne expansion, Wilson did say that he is absolutely opposed

to it.

“I want to get folks behind us and take care of John Wayne Airport,”

Wilson said, noting that it is important to get legislation started now

since the clock is ticking on the current agreement, which expires in

2005.

*

One funny exchange took place at the restaurant, when the host who was

seating us noticed Wilson’s county of Orange pin tacked to his coat

lapel.

“You work for the county?” the host asked.

“I’m a county supervisor,” Wilson said.

“Is that a good job with good benefits?” the host asked.

For those of you wondering about his future political aspirations, Wilson

said it was.

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

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