INSIDE SCOOP

-- Daily Pilot staff

After the article announcing that Sid’s Steakhouse was being closed by

the Health Department, Newport’s old-timers inundated the Blue Beet with

irate phone calls. Messages criticized the management for “letting their

restaurant go to hell.”

The reason? The place used to be called Sid’s Blue Beet, after the same

owner as the Steakhouse.

But current Blue Beet owner Steve Lewis assures locals that they have “a

fabulous reputation with the Health Department” and that there’s no cause

for concern that it will be closing any time soon.

The Health Department decided to legally close the Steakhouse after it

found 35 violations -- some of which could be considered rude table

conversation. However, Sid Soffer, the ever-eccentric owner who is on the

lam in Las Vegas, plans to put up a fight saying he’s been treated

unfairly.

He’s scheduled a hearing with the department on May 15.

COLOR BLIND?

When researchers dumped 22 gallons of dye into the mouth of the Santa Ana

River May 1, they were hoping to learn something about the water currents

in the area.

But the study raised an entirely different question: what color was the

dye?

The Pilot called it “red,” “pink” and “magenta.” The Orange County

Register decided it was “bright pink” and the Los Angeles Times went with

“magenta.”

Study organizers, on the other hand, looked at things differently. They

called it “reddish-orange.”

Ah, science! Where would we be without its precision?

FUTURE FASHION PLATE OR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR?

At last week’s Newport Beach City Council meeting, a group of UC Irvine

students dropped in as part of their urban planning course. One of the

more colorfully dressed young men stood up to introduce his classmates

and chat with council members.

Mayor John Noyes quipped that the loudly dressed fellow might have a

future job as head of public works. Looking over at the current head of

public works, Don Webb, who was dressed in a spring ensemble with a

bright floral tie and checkered-print jacket -- council members and

audience roared with laughter.

THE PANTHERS ARE REPRODUCING!

Like it or not, Costa Mesa’s Panther Palace -- the West Side swingers

club founded by the late “Wild Bill” Goodwin -- has made national news.

The partner-swapping parlor even popped onto the pages of the Sunday

magazine of the pristine Old Gray Lady, the New York Times.

Online magazine, Salon wrote a multi-screen-long review on the recently

released documentary about the Panther Palace, “The Lifestyle: Group Sex

in the Suburbs.”

The title of the article: “Swap Meat.”

A WINDFALL FROM IRVINE

The Irvine Co. officials must believe actions speak louder than words,

because after funding 20 school grants at the Newport-Mesa Schools

Foundation dinner last week, they had a special surprise for the

district’s teachers of the year.

Carol Hoffman, vice president of community relations for the company,

announced that along with their accolades, each teacher would receive

$3,000, except for the top-three teachers who would get $5,000. The

$109,000 announcement had teachers giddy with excitement.