INSIDE SCOOP

-- compiled by the Daily Pilot staff

Well, we know it’s not nice to try to pretend that we’re smarter than

others. But after a week full of election tension, we just can’t help

ourselves.

At Thursday’s Planning Commission meeting, Balboa Island resident

Nancy Heinz Russell petitioned commissioners to grant her a permit for a

fountain in her frontyard.

She had forgotten to get the documents before actually building the

thing, which depicts children at play (don’t worry, you’ll get the real

scoop on that story from us this week).

Commissioner Michael Kranzley played the devil’s advocate and

suggested that no matter how beautiful the fountain might be, approving

it might set a bad precedent (He later voted along with his colleagues to

approve the fountain).His argument: Residents need only look to New York,

where an artist dipped animal carcasses in formaldehyde and displayed

them as art.

We’re sure Kranzley’s not going to bear a grudge against us when we

respectfully want to help him out on that one just a little (After all,

he said himself that his wife, Catherine Saar-Kranzley, keeps telling him

that his taste in art is in his mouth).

The guy works in London, Mike. And his name is Damien Hirst. He’s

actually pretty big over there, although no less controversial. And he’s

thrown a shark, a sheep and a cow’s head into formaldehyde-filled

aquariums.

So there. No more smarty-pants from this end. That’s a promise. And,

everyone, go check out Russell’s fountain. We’ll do it this week.