MATHIS WINKLER -- Reporter’s Notebook

A few months ago, someone complained to the Daily Pilot about a couple

of stories I’d written on Dennis Rodman’s plans and subsequent decision

to invest money in Josh Slocum’s restaurant.

We’d given the place free advertising and the writer, for one, would

never eat there simply because Rodman became involved. Surely there must

be more interesting things to cover than an ex-basketball player’s

decision to become a restaurateur, the writer implored.

But no matter what you think about Rodman, one thing’s for sure: The

notorious party boy is a celebrity, as proved by the seven television

crews, a couple of photographers and a few reporters who showed up for

Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

They’re usually not there, I can tell you that much. But because

Rodman decided to have his say about plans for a more stringent noise

ordinance, the big-shot media types descended on Newport Beach.

The spectacle certainly boosted my adrenaline levels.

But Mayor Gary Adams, who repeatedly chided Rodman during his

three-minute comments, said he just kind of tuned out the whole brouhaha.

“I think [Rodman] was behaving rude and like a child,” Adams said

Thursday, adding that the confrontation was a little annoying. “Which is

pretty much how he handles himself the rest of the time. Which is what

has gotten him into trouble.”

Like his colleagues behind the dais, Adams seemed much more

comfortable dealing with Rodman’s lawyer, Michael Molfetta. While council

members grilled the attorney during his extended time at the lectern,

Adams refused to give Rodman a second chance to speak, saying that he’d

already used up the three minutes he’s entitled to.

“My expectation was that he was going to continue to behave the way he

had,” Adams said. “That’s why I didn’t give him a chance to speak.”

But storming out of the meeting with the camera crews in hot pursuit,

Rodman told reporters on the council chamber’s steps that he’d simply

planned to apologize.

“I appreciate that,” Adams said when I told him about this. Apart from

John Heffernan, all of the council members voted for the changes to the

noise ordinance, by the way. A final decision is due June 12.

City officials have repeatedly said they wanted to revise the existing

law to make it easier to file criminal charges against famous and

not-so-famous noisemakers alike.

But Adams also readily admitted that the ex-basketball star’s 40th

birthday bash May 12, which was broken up by 20 police officers, sped up

the process.

“I think that maybe [Rodman’s] last party may have been the last

straw,” Adams said. But the changed law “is not pointed at Rodman and

doesn’t have anything to do with Rodman technically.”

The Worm’s lawyer sees things differently.

“I feel that Newport Beach has passed an ordinance specifically to

charge one human being,” Molfetta said. “They should call it the Dennis

Rodman section.”

Getting ready for a trip to Texas, Rodman didn’t have time to talk.

“He’s not going to be around this weekend, so the City Council can

rest easy,” Molfetta said.

But he added that his client was “planning on becoming very proactive”

in city life.

“The guy has a lot of popularity,” Molfetta said, adding that Rodman’s

likely to show up more frequently at council meetings and might even back

council candidates in the future.

“He’s got deep pockets. He’s not going to let them take away his

liberty,” Molfetta said.

Not that Rodman’s unwilling to sit down and talk with council members.

Molfetta said he hopes to set up meetings for Rodman in the near future

so they can talk to him in less frantic surroundings.

He added that Rodman might also be available to sit down with yours

truly to chat for a while.

Call me sensationalist. But, quite frankly, I also think it’s

newsworthy when the mother of the No. 5 and No. 6 in line to the British

throne decides to sell chinaware. That would be Sarah, Duchess of York,

who recently came to South Coast Plaza to do so.

Molfetta has my number if Rodman’s willing to share his view about

what’s been going on.

* Mathis Winkler covers Newport Beach for the Daily Pilot.