Picking the top five turkeys of the year

The Daily Pilot has its Top 103, and now this column has the Top

Five Turkeys.

A turkey, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the

English Language, Fourth Edition, is “a large North American bird

that has brownish plumage and a bare, wattled head and neck and is

widely domesticated for food.” The slang definition for turkey, from

the same dictionary, is “a person considered inept or undesirable.”

Today, I vary from the history of this column to present some

awards to the latter kind of turkeys, found right here in

Newport-Mesa.

Two sets of neighbors come in at No. 5 in our first-ever

Newport-Mesa turkey awards. It’s a tie between the neighbors of the

Home Ranch development in Costa Mesa -- some of whom appeared to be

trying to get extra improve-

ments for their homes while lobbying against the Home Ranch

development -- and those neighbors who were concerned about losing

1/100 of a percent of one degree of their 360-degree view from the

steeple at the proposed Mormon Temple being built in Newport Beach.

Turkey No. 4 is none other than Newport Beach City Council member

John Heffernan, who has been unable to make up his mind whether he

wants to serve out the balance of his term, announcing last spring

that he was going to resign his seat.

In July, Heffernan said he would continue, at least for the

moment, and see if some Greenlight allies were elected to the City

Council in November. It appears Heffernan gains an ally on the

Council with the election of Richard Nichols. Will he or won’t he? I

am one who is hoping he will.

Turkey No. 3 is none other than California Gov. Gray “Blameless”

Davis, who won reelection with ads attacking the character of his

opponent and avoiding discussion of his own record. Thanks to Davis’

lack of leadership over the past two years, we will feel the state

budget problem in Newport-Mesa.

Turkey No. 2 goes to Irvine Mayor Larry Agran and the Great Park

Initiative. It appears that the truth about the Great Park wasn’t as

important as the end result, stopping the development of an

international airport at El Toro.

The mayor flunked the first test of Rotary’s Four-Way Test: Is it

the Truth?

Drum roll, please. The No. 1 Turkey in Newport-Mesa goes to none

other than Newport Beach’s Dave Ellis, campaign manager

extraordinaire, who denied twice (before owning up to it) having

anything to do with a recorded message that gave a deceptive message

in a Newport Beach City Council race, and on behalf of the Airport

Working Group, was responsible for the last-minute attack phone calls

on Costa Mesa Mayor Linda Dixon that contributed to her defeat at the

polls.

Congratulations to all the 2002 Turkeys.

SAYING THANKS: The Orange County Coast Assn. will meet for lunch

on Wednesday at noon to say “thank you” to outgoing City Council

members from Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach,

Newport Beach and San Clemente, according to association president

Marian Bergeson.

The buffet lunch is being held at the Newport Harbor Nautical

Museum, 151 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. The cost is $20 for

members, $22 for nonmembers. Reservations can be made by calling

(949) 660-8665, ext. 3.

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS COMING WEEK

MONDAY

6:30 p.m.: Harbor Mesa Lions Club will meet at the Costa Mesa

Country Club for its annual Family Christmas Dinner, where Santa will

hand out gifts to every child in attendance; and the Costa Mesa

Newport Harbor Lions Club will meet at the Costa Mesa Country Club

for the Annual Kids Christmas Party.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will meet at Five

Crowns.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet at the Center

Club (www.southcoastmetro

rotary.org) and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

Noon: The Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club; and Soroptimist International Newport Harbor

will meet at the Santa Ana Country Club.

6 p.m.: The Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The Costa Mesa-Orange Costa Breakfast Lions Club will meet

at Mimi’s Cafe to hear David N. Hodges of the Orange County Council

of the Boy Scouts of America.

Noon: The Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the Holiday Inn

(www.kiwanis.org/club/

costamesa); the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will meet at the

Newport Harbor Nautical Museum; and the Newport-Irvine Rotary Club

will meet the Irvine Marriott Hotel (www.nirotary.org).

FRIDAY

4 to 7 p.m.: The Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club meets

at the home of Nancy and Jim Bell for their holiday party.

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by Fax to (949)

660-8667; e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol,

Suite 201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.