Family Time -- Steve Smith

For at least the past two years, I have seen Newport Mesa Unified

school board trustee Jim Ferryman at the opening day of the Costa Mesa

National Little League, judging banners and throwing out the first pitch.

I don’t know if Ferryman prefers baseball to soccer, but if he does he

has taken the wise road and kept his preference to himself.

About a year ago, when my son’s basketball coach had overlapping

commitments and was late to a game, Ferryman was there at Costa Mesa High

School to spell him for a few minutes until he arrived.

I point out these two instances of Ferryman’s community involvement

because one of the common criticisms of those of us who had hoped that

Ferryman would do the right thing and resign from the school board after

his drunk driving conviction is that we discount his local contributions.

But the opposite is true. It is precisely because Ferryman has been so

involved, because he has a history of doing the right thing, particularly

when it comes to setting an example for our children, that we hoped and

expected him to do the right thing one more time and resign, thereby

showing children the dangers and consequences of substance abuse.

On Oct. 9, Ferryman told us that his first reaction after his arrest

on Sept. 27 was to resign. I believe him. Subsequently, however, he

listened to a little band of followers who did not have our children’s

best interests in mind, nor did they have Ferryman’s best interests in

mind. What they had in mind were their own self-interests, and they

convinced Ferryman that the preservation of this so-called “team” of

board members was greater than the valuable lesson he could teach our

kids.

I have been on hundreds of teams in my life, both personal and

professional, and I have never been on one or heard of one that supports

the weakest part of a member the way this school board “team” supports

the weakest part of Jim Ferryman.

Bunny Tobias is a licensed clinical psychologist with an office in

Lake Forest. She specializes in the care and feeding of children, and she

was one of my sources for a magazine story on childhood nutrition (Here’s

a preview: That “nutrition” doesn’t exist). Until a month ago, I had

never heard of her, and until about two weeks ago we had never spoken.

When I was done learning about nutrition from Tobias, it dawned on me

that she may have an opinion on what effect a school board member

convicted of drunk driving could have on children in the district.

I gave Tobias the facts, and she asked me two questions in return. She

wanted to know what each side is using as their supporting arguments.

My replies were that those who support him believe that his community

involvement outweighs any need for a resignation and that this whole

affair is a personal matter. Those who want him to resign believe that it

is in the best interests of the community and our children to do so.

“As a society, we have to deal with the role models we want for our

children,” Tobias said. “We must consider what is the greatest good for

the greatest number. Right and wrong is a bigger issue here. This man has

done something that broke not only the law of the land but the law of

values.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for him as a human being to review

his values and to make an even greater contribution and do it in a way

that will cause him to earn respect at an even higher level. He needs to

prove to children that he has learned from the experience, put in some

time and then come back and be reconsidered.’

Ferryman’s decision to stay on the board is an action that, as with

all actions, will have consequences. One of them is to face this issue

over and over again, for no matter how many times he wishes it away or

asks that it not be brought up again or declares that it is a personal

matter when it is not, it is not going away. The publishing of letters to

the Pilot nearly four months after his arrest should convince him of

that.

Another consequence of not doing the right thing by resigning is a

change in the way history will treat his tenure. His legacy now will be

that he spent his last year embroiled in a controversy over a drunk

driving conviction.

Had he resigned, it could have read: “After his resignation stemming

from a drunk driving conviction, Ferryman went on to become one of the

area’s leading spokesmen against alcohol abuse. His efforts helped

thousands of children remain alcohol-free for many years.”

That’s the Jim Ferryman I knew.

*********

Thanks to all of the readers who pointed out that the 23rd Psalm is

not the Lord’s Prayer. I am sorry for the error.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer. Readers

may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at (949) 642-6086.