INSIDE SCOOP

-- Eron Ben-Yehuda and Andrew Wainer

Huntington Beach City Councilman Dave Garofalo is warming up his

well-known sense of humor as he prepares to become mayor next week.

He met with 25 mayors from China last week and boasted the city’s many

virtues. Garofalo said that a local magazine awarded Huntington Beach the

title of best place to live, and a local newspaper chose the city as the

place with the top pier.

“And they have the best mayor in the U.S.,” he told them.

“Who said that?” he recalls them asking.

“My mom,” he answered.

MAN WITH MANY NAMES

At a meeting last month, Huntington Beach Police Chief Ron Lowenberg

criticized the Independent for writing stories that take “cheap shots” at

city hall. He particularly disapproved of the coverage of the

taxpayer-funded holiday party, calling the articles “irresponsible” and

“idiotic.”

Apparently, he’s no stranger to criticism.

Last week, he assumed the responsibility of city administrator while Ray

Silver took a vacation. When asked how people should refer to him, he

answered with a grin, “I’ve been called a lot of things.”

WHAT NEXT?

Kids have powerful imaginations.

During an awards ceremony for a children’s essay contest at Mimi’s Cafe

in Newport Beach last week, some kids got the opportunity to exercise

their sometimes-wild creativity.

The restaurant sponsored an essay contest called “My Thanksgiving Wish.”

Some students used their essays to ask for cures to diseases. Others for

an end to homelessness and poverty. But some had less conventional ideas.

One finalist asked for psychic ability to move rocks and hypnotize

people. He used words like telekinesis in his essay.

Must be the approaching millennium.