NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“It’s like patriotism. We take it for granted until all of a sudden,

we realize what it’s about.”

-- Bernadette Peters, Broadway star who performed at the Orange County

Performing Arts Center Friday and Saturday, on Rodgers and Hammerstein

songs.

“I was really excited. I was very happy with my performance. It felt

like I was Sarah Hughes.”

-- Diane Booth, a classical dancer from Newport Harbor High School, on

winning an award for dance at the Music Center Spotlight Awards last

week.

“People greatly discard older people today, but here you will find, as

I lead you through this story, that this guy was really something.”

-- Tony Sandler, entertainer who will perform “Chevalier: Maurice and

Me” at Orange Coast College today, on his childhood idol Maurice

Chevalier.

“We don’t know if that would help or hurt us. It’s a crapshoot right

now.”

-- Erin Cohn, public affairs director for the Coast Community College

District, on a $344-million bond to improve facilities that would likely

compete for attention with a $13 billion statewide bond if placed on the

November ballot.

“I played for 30 years. That’s all it was. Just playtime.”

-- Jules Gage, former Newport Harbor High athletic director and

basketball coach at Newport Harbor and Costa Mesa high schools, on his

career here.

“He never really liked the spotlight. But the times he was under the

spotlight, he was really good at it.”

-- Linda Biehl, former Newport Beach resident, on her husband Peter

Biehl, who died last week after complications from colon surgery. Biehl’s

daughter Amy, a Newport Harbor High School graduate, was killed in 1993

by a mob of angry black youths in South Africa.

“This isn’t racism. It’s reality. It’s time we got out of the Job

Center business.”

-- Chris Steel, Costa Mesa councilman, on his opposition to keeping

the city-funded Job Center open. The council voted 4 to 1 that the center

remain open.

“This is about the hands that peel the potatoes, chop the tomatoes and

wash the lettuce that goes to your table. Everybody deserves the right to

put food on their table.”

-- Paty Madueno, member of the Orange County Congregation Community

Organization, St. Joachim’s Church and a resident manager at Costa Mesa

Family Village, on Costa Mesa’s Job Center remaining open.