Mel Levine Sallies Forth to Woo Bay Conservatives

Mel Levine, the Democratic congressman long associated with West Los Angeles liberal politics, ventured into the South Bay one evening last week for a town hall meeting with the more conservative constituents he picked up in the last two reapportionments.

It was the first of a series of meetings that Levine plans in an effort to build rapport with voters in the southern portion of his Pacific Palisades-to-north Torrance 27th Congressional District, where about half of his 550,000 constituents now live.

Probably few, if any, minds were changed in the lengthy but often lively exchange of views on the great issues of the day at Redondo Beach’s Perry Park Community Hall. But having met in person what one speaker called the “brilliant and charismatic” lawmaker from Santa Monica and given him a piece of their minds, even Levine’s critics appeared to mellow under his relentlessly gracious and sympathetic responses to their complaints.

What seemed to disarm many of the 41-year-old lawmaker’s critics in the audience of about 200 was his cheerful willingness to agree with them--or at least with some part of their arguments. Complimenting his opponents on expressing their views with such articulation and cogency didn’t hurt either.

After staking out a strong position in opposition to further U.S. aid to guerrillas fighting Nicaragua’s Sandinista government, Levine readily agreed with several speakers who found fault with the Marxist-led regime. “I don’t like the Sandinistas, either,” he said.

After sternly denouncing “vicious, nasty counterattacks” against his pending bill to prohibit Americans from sending private donations to the guerrillas, or contras , he allowed that reasonable men could disagree on the issue and, certainly, if Congress detected a “groundswell of support” for the private funding, his proposal would never be adopted.

Speakers who inveighed against excessive taxation and “all those cotton-picking laws you’re passing to subjugate us” found the congressman nodding in sympathy with their anger. A young man linked the federal deficit with the free-spending habits of liberals (“I’ve looked into your record on that,” he told Levine) and the congressman agreed that there’s “plenty of blame to go around.”

He accepted the reproach of aerospace workers for opposing the MX missile (“I’ve had to face some tough decisions”), but pointed out his support for the B-1 (“I’m very close to Rockwell . . . I have the highest regard for the military”).

He laughed as loudly as anyone when another speaker, upset over Levine-sponsored legislation that would require defense contractors to provide a warranty on their products, declared that Levine should have to guarantee good results from laws he helped pass.

And so it went for more than 3 1/2 hours, until about midnight, when the last of dozens of speakers had had their chance to question the congressman and express their views.

“You have to admire the way he handles himself,” said one woman at the door, who indicated that she had voted against Levine in his bid for a second term in 1984. “He is mighty quick on his feet.”

Did she feel a little better about his representing her in Congress? After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded thoughtfully. Did she maybe even like him a little bit? “Well,” she laughed, “let’s wait and see.”

Public Launches Nordstrom

When the big, smoked-glass doors were thrown open, it was just like the ringing of the starting gate at Hollywood Park.

But those weren’t racehorses that took off. They were people, dashing in for their first look at the mirrored, mauve-carpeted, skylighted elegance of Nordstrom as it took its bow as the premier department store of the new South Bay Galleria.

“I go to every one of their openings,” said Ann Hale of Baldwin Hills, whose passion began three years ago when the South Coast Plaza store made its debut in Orange County. The Galleria store was number six. “I plan to stay a long time and I brought along my protein drink for energy so I won’t slow down,” said Hale, who took a vacation day from work to be a part of the big event.

For John and Alice Sindzinski of South Redondo, the opening was the culmination of months of watching the store being built. “We just want to see what it’s like,” said John. “We may buy, but we’ll probably window shop. With a monthly check, you don’t impulse-buy.”

Along with Mervyn’s and the May Co., Nordstrom anchors the $70-million Galleria shopping complex, which is a redevelopment project for Redondo Beach and provides jobs for Lawndale residents because of that city’s financial participation. About 170 mall specialty shops will open this summer.

A line of crisp Nordstrom executives held their heads high as the “first-dayers”--most of them women--rushed by en route to the shoe department and the long glass counters laden with perfumes and cosmetics.

“We came for the freebies,” said Hjordis Reichel of Redondo Beach, who was sniffing at her wrist, which she had turned into a scent sampler with daubs of cologne. In this instance, the freebie was a potpourri of creams and colognes. Reichel’s companion, a friend from Hungary, beamed at the mercantile splendor around her. “There’s no store like this in Hungary,” she said, with Reichel translating.

Joann Bailey said she was determined to buy a pair of navy blue pumps. She certainly had been trying--five pairs of shoes were strewn at her feet.

The “instant credit” tables, offering a $300 spending limit for starters, were doing a terrific business. “The store is right by my house and I’m going to (be) using it,” said Sharon Thompson of Hermosa Beach, who planned to run up her first bill on a sweater and shoes.

Looking at what she described as a “high-class, punk-rock beaded blouse,” Deborah Williamson of Lawndale thought she might blow her credit all at one time. The blouse had a $300 price tag.

For many, meandering through the store--from the Italian espresso bar near the front door to a collection of brilliantly colored ceramics on the third floor--was an adventure in something brand new.

“I normally shop at Del Amo but I’m impressed with the layout here,” said Florine Bolinger of Torrance.

After touring the store with his 7-month-old son in his arms, Brian Iinuma decided to leave the rest of the shopping to his wife. As for himself, he settled into an overstuffed gray chair and watched Tina Turner on video.

“I’m resting my feet,” he said.