Leece fought the good fight

George Grupe

We are here to thank Wendy Leece for eight years of service to

Newport-Mesa. I know there are thousands more who would also like to

thank you.

We didn’t always agree with you, but most of the time we did. So

often, you were the only light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

Even with five or six Newport-Mesa Unified School District board

members against you, you stuck to your guns, a lady with true grit.

We have often watched board members attack you in ways almost

beyond belief. You sat there and simply took it. We feel that with

the situations reversed, these board members would never have had

your ability to withstand these attacks.

Since 1995, there have been times we personally have waited hours

-- once for four hours and 20 minutes -- to read a three-minute

statement to the school board. We were concerned about U.S. history

textbooks in use in this school district that denigrate national

heroes like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The superintendent

at the time and members of the audience wanted to hear concerns.

Leece was interested, but no other member was, and after more than

four hours, we were turned away. We found it could happen no matter

how well informed you were.

In December of 2001, we spoke on behalf of Leece; seven other fine

citizens did, also. Only three adults spoke against you; one is

president of the teachers’ union. At that school board meeting, we

said that you faced a stacked deck, and you still do.

Never was a stacked deck more evident than in the last election.

Judy Franco and Serene Stokes didn’t need money to get reelection,

but Tom Egan did. So, in most cases the three ran as a team, with

signs and mailers included. Most of us feel Egan couldn’t have won on

his own, so they ganged up on you. The team had more than 13 times

the money to defeat you, and still it was very close. The board

wanted you out and succeeded. But you will be missed. For many, none

of them ever will.

New board member Egan seems to have a very high regard for

himself. He says, “You just don’t run an empty suit and expect to

win.” Maybe. We better wait four or even eight years to see how full

or empty Egan’s suit was or is.

* GEORGE GRUPE is longtime Corona del Mar resident and historian.

These comments were made at Tuesday’s Newport-Mesa Unified School

District Board of Trustees meeting.