Inside Scoop

Eron Ben-Yehuda and Ellen McCarty

Huntington Beach City Councilman Ralph Bauer rarely loses his composure,

but he apologized at last week’s City Council meeting for accusing those

opposed to building a Wal-Mart of “hating children.”

The Ocean View School District owns the land on Talbert Avenue, the site

of the proposed project. The district expects the store to generate

millions in revenue that will be spent on education.

“In the heat of the battle, you sometimes say things that are

inappropriate,” he said. “Hopefully, those who are upset by that will

forgive me.”

A nice place to park?

In a presentation at last week’s City Council meeting, a local newspaper

awarded Huntington Beach with the title of the best city to live in, with

the best places to walk and jog. Surf City also was chosen as the city

with the best pier and the best Fourth of July parade.

But resident Tim Wetzel, opposed to the city’s plan to build spaces for

trailers below Bluff Top Park, said the city deserved one more accolade.

“I guess we didn’t win enough awards tonight,” he said. “We want to have

the best parking lot.”

Mayor Collins: the Flying None

The Oct. 19 Fountain Valley City Council meeting was short -- shorter

than usual. There were no public hearings, no ordinances, no

administrative items. As the council quickly sped through the items

listed as “none,” Mayor John Collins joked, “I haven’t seen so many

‘nones’ since the convent. Oh, look, another none!”