How we see it

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Remember Aretha Franklin’s popular rhythm and blues tune? Well, the

teachers and administrators at Corona del Mar High may well be thinking

about teaching that to their students now that they’ve adopted a zero

tolerance policy on rude or obnoxious behavior.

Unfortunately, an increasing trend among students these days is to use

foul-language and disrespectful speech. And we like the zero tolerance

stance.

It’s a matter of respect. Students must learn to respect teachers,

respect counselors, respect principals and of course respect each other.

And that’s a lesson students should learn early in life.

There should be no tolerance for anything less.

Judge Shaw versus Judge Judy

While we’re on the theme of offensive speech, we were just thinking how

glad we are that we don’t spend much time in Judge Susanne Shaw’s

courtroom.

At least we wouldn’t want to be sitting in the defendant chair.

Shaw, whose had to publicly defend her behavior this week, is being taken

to task in court hearings. She has been accused of making curt remarks to

defendants, dressing down district attorneys and singing Christmas carols

to people she sent to the slammer for the holidays.

The state’s Judicial Performance Commission will ultimately decide

whether Shaw’s courtroom performance was over the top.

A cool million

Who needs Regis Philbin when you have Donna Crean?

Crean, wife of Santa Ana Heights mega-millionaire John Crean, made that

abundantly clear this week when she passed a seven-figure check over to

local activist and tireless worker Dana Pettit to help fund restoration

of the old Balboa Theater.

Pettit was elated.

And so will the rest of Newport be when that money helps to turn the old

movie house into the performing arts theater that Pettit and other Balboa

Peninsula residents and merchants are dreaming of.