Editor’s Notebook -- Danette Goulet

Danette Goulet

One potato, two potato, three potato, four.

Who will land in the hot seat recently vacated by the infamous Dave

Garofalo?

Residents didn’t even agree on whether or not he should resign, so

there’s no way they’ll agree on who should take his place.

But they won’t have to, not yet anyway, because the City Council,

wisely, decided to take applications and appoint someone until the

November elections.

Vying for the coveted leather lounger are all the usual suspects

waiting out there in the wings, ready to swoop in.

Of course they’ve been putting bugs in all the right ears, waiting to

see what the City Council was going to do. Would they appoint an oldie

but goodie, like former Mayor Grace Winchell, who they can be certain

won’t run in the fall when the seat opens up again? Or would they put out

applications and then appoint a Bill Borden or a Ron Davis who are always

telling them how to do their job anyway, and give them a possible leg up

in upcoming elections?

Isn’t this fun, this is what small town politics are all about.

Monday night, the City Council chose the option to fill the seat the

quickest, while still being somewhat fair and democratic.

So now, all those active community members whose names we have all

heard whispered, or in some cases shouted or chanted, will each have to

pick up an application at City Hall to be filled out and returned by no

later than 4 p.m. on Jan 25.

So who will throw their hat in the ring?

We’ve now all heard from the Borden camp and the vocal supporters of

Davis, the Independent columnist who is, incidentally taking a voluntary

vacation until he decides what he wants to do.

Other names we’ve heard tossed about that the council may have to

choose from are Tom Livengood, a former president of the Amigos de Bolsa

Chica and planning commissioner, Victor Leipzig, a former mayor and

councilman and an Independent columnist and even a reluctant Winchell may

run.

We have even heard talk of candidates past, Norman Westwell, Steve

Young, Diane Lenning. You can be sure to see a return of those candidates

who have run and lost in recent years who had their eye on a seat this

November. Incumbents are hard to beat, right?

The council chose to conduct interviews for a mere 15 minutes for a reason -- Huntington Beach has a populace like no other. While this could

be a five or six candidate race in actuality, there will be a dozen

applications submitted.

This may be the most politically active city around.

* DANETTE GOULET is the assistant city editor. She can be reached at

(714) 965-7170 or by e-mail at o7 danette.goulet@latimes.comf7 .