SAFE LIQUID: Maybe water in Irvine isn’t...
SAFE LIQUID: Maybe water in Irvine isn’t mountain stream perfect. But it’s well within state and federal standards. So beware the telemarketing people--this month they’re working Irvine--telling you by phone that your water has been “declared unsafe.” They’ll sell you a water filter, of course, to cure all. . . . The Irvine Ranch Water District is so upset it has contacted the district attorney’s office. It’s OK to sell such products, says district spokeswoman Marilyn Smith, “but we take real exception to this technique.”
NIXON LESSON? The Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace got media mileage last week out of being the only presidential library not affected by the furlough of federal workers. That’s because it’s the only one that doesn’t accept federal funding. . . . Now Rep. Jay Kim (R-Diamond Bar), noting the Nixon Library example, has asked the National Archives to look into privatizing them all. Kim says it would be a small step toward balancing the budget in seven years.
ATLANTA BOAT? DeAnne Hemmens of Costa Mesa was an alternate on the U.S. kayaking team at the 1992 Olympics. She’s come a long way since. . . . She was named woman kayaker of the year by the U.S. Olympic Committee last year--and just received the same honor for this year. “I just couldn’t believe I was in the company of Janet Evans,” says Hemmens, citing last year’s Olympic swimmer of the year. Hemmens, 31, of Costa Mesa trains at the Newport Aquatic Center with husband, Patrick. Next goal, of course: to compete at the Olympic Games in Atlanta next summer.
WET HOLIDAY: Turkey over, some plan a round of drinking at the first Microbrew Festival at the Hyatt Newporter in Irvine. It’s Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. . . . Some 50 micro-breweries from across the Western U.S. will line up to provide samples. . . . The drinks aren’t free: A $20 ticket gets you 10 coupons, each good for a four-ounce sample of alcohol. Spend $40 and you get unlimited drinking both days. . . . Designated drivers should abstain.
