Inside scoop

Daily Pilot staff

In last week’s story about the Scrabble Club 350 of Costa Mesa, we

neglected to mention that our own theater reviewer, Tom Titus, happens to

be the club’s first Scrabble champion. The club, which started in

January, had its first final in July.

Titus, who has written for the Pilot for more than 35 years, has been

involved in Scrabble tournament play since 1983. He has won about 10

other tournaments in his 17 years on the circuit, including the Pasadena

tournament in January, when he beat Costa Mesa club director Gary Moss.

Titus’s favorite Scrabble memory comes from a weeklong tournament in

Reno. He was playing someone from a higher rank. The last tile came out

of the bag and the other guy had “hung a V” in the top middle triple.

Titus bingoed out (used all his tiles) with the word “violated,” winning

the game. From then on, Titus has been known as “The Violater.”

The word-master has traveled as far as the Carribean on sea and Pigeon

Forge, Tenn. on land in his quest for Scrabble excellence.

Cowan now dog owners’ best friend

Costa Mesa Councilwoman Libby Cowan redeemed herself last week by

hammering out a compromise that would allow grass in the city’s Bark

Park.

Cowan confessed during the meeting that it was her “wonderful” idea to

consider covering the park with bark in the first place. It was an idea

that dog owners hated.

But Cowan’s efforts were rewarded with cheers and whistles last Monday

when a plan to allow Bark Vounteers to grow grass was approved.

As dog owners exited council chambers, Cowan left them with a simple

request.

“Now take my picture off of the fire hydrant out there, will you?” she

said.

One leader meets another

Rabbi Mark S. Miller of Newport Beach’s Temple Bat Yahm met President

Clinton three weeks ago while attending a fund-raising event in Beverly

Hills for Congressman Brad Sherman, a congregant of the temple.

“He was very low key,” Miller said of the chief executive. “He was very

patient and he shook hands with my children.”

The President was casually dressed in a polo shirt and khaki pants. “He

was very gracious,” Miller said.