Presidential Burdens

Your Ad Here

DAN BERNSTEIN

Today's word is "serendipity."President Kennedy and President Brewer. Coincidence or what?

Last week, I opened an old book and read about Gen. Maxwell Taylor joining the Kennedy administration. Taylor wanted to be called The Military Representative of the President. Kennedy preferred Special Military Representative. Kennedy, the president, won.

A day later, acting on a tip, I scored a DVD of last week's Jurupa school board meeting, during which new member Noreen Considine, a retired Navy officer, made it clear what she wanted to be called.

When Board Prez Dawn Brewer called her "Ms. Considine," she responded, "Captain Considine." Later, a gent in the audience rose to say he'd appreciate the board calling his wife captain, "a title she has earned."

Whereupon board member Mike Rodriguez said he didn't want to be called "Mike" anymore. "I address you as President Brewer or Madam President, and you ... continue to call me Mike. It's not that kind of a relationship. I think I've earned the title of Mr. Rodriguez."

Much like President Kennedy, President Brewer, had to make a decision. What would it be?

Considine won't be called "captain" by this president. Electeds, Brewer told me, are addressed by their title: congressman, supervisor etc.

Another Navy captain is called Sen. McCain. Henceforth, Brewer will call board members "trustee."

Considine: "That sounds like somebody on a chain gang."

Lonely job, the presidency. But next meeting, they'll discuss the district's dire financial condition. It'll be a relief to get back to trivia.

Geologist Jeff Fitzsimmons was hitting on almost all cylinders the other night as he held forth on the San Jacinto fault at a Riverside meeting of the Inland Geological Society. His Power Point presentation was supposed to start with a "rumble" of an earthquake. But the sound was missing, so Fitzsimmons told his assistant he'd have to "provide the sound effects."

Just before 8 p.m. last Thursday, as Fitzsimmons leveled his laser pointer "on the seismic trend I was talking about, the earthquake hit." His assistant had come through big time. "I believe I high-fived him."

GREYHOUND: Now that they're talking again, Riverside Councilman Mike Gardner has suggested Greyhound and the city undertake a joint intel operation to pick potential sites, then go house to house (sort of) alerting the masses "before they ever apply" to open a depot. Gardner calls it "Neighborhood Buy-In." Warns it will be time consuming. He awaits word from the hound.

LIBRARY EXPANSION: Might be years before the Main Libe gets huge. But Gardner says a "design process" will go forward for "a significantly expanded library." How significant? He predicts the library's most devout backers will be tickled with a city manager's report, due in days. Pleased with the CM? What's changed?

Gardner: "There was an (City Council) election. Things changed. He's (City Manager Brad Hudson) marching in a new direction. I don't think he's as devious as he's accused of being."

That's awfully high praise.

Big welcome to the Afghan judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys visiting Riverside to study the American legal system with hopes of re-establishing their country's rule of law.

Someone should make sure the 14-member delegation observes weekend check-out lines at Costco so they'll know even RivCo handles some backlogs quite efficiently.