What’s got you peeved?

OUR LAGUNA

Here’s my New Year’s Resolution.

Never, never, unless it’s a direct quote with which I will not

tamper, will you read in this column the word persons.

As far as I am concerned, the plural of person is people. Folks

also works. But persons belongs only in statements such as “murder by

person or persons unknown.” If you know ‘em, you probably also know

whether they are man or woman, boy or girl.

Does any obstetrician ever say, “It’s a person”? What about twins.

“Would it be, “It’s two persons.” No. “It’s a boy”; “It’s a girl”; or

“It’s twins.”

What was Time magazine thinking?

Persons of the Year?

As if nobody noticed that cover featured three women?

As if calling them women made them less worthy of being on the

cover? Excuse me?

Can’t you just see a bunch of editors sitting around mulling over

the politically correct cover title.

Whistle-blowers of the Year probably wouldn’t have worked. But

what was wrong with Women of the Year. If Man of the Year and Woman

of the Year was OK, why not the plurals.

Do persons gather at funerals, meetings, civil demonstrations?

Have you ever invited a bunch of persons to a New Year’s Eve party?

Well, I am not inviting persons to have a Happy New Year. But hey,

you folks, you people, here’s to your health and happiness in 2003.

I am not the only one with pet peeves, some of which can be fixed,

some not.

We all know David Connell’s views on trees.

Mayor Toni Iseman would like to banish from Laguna all cigarette

boats and cigarette butts.

“My pet peeve, due to the limited water resources we have and

which could be more limited, is seeing water wasted by broken

sprinklers that people don’t fix,” said Renae Hinchey, general

manager of the Laguna Beach Water District.

It’s safe to say that dogs running loose on the beach are enough

to get Bruce Hopping’s goat.

“My pet peeve is people who don’t take responsibility,” City Clerk

Verna Rollinger said.

Anne Johnson just hates having those little white lights still

twinkling downtown after the holidays.

“My pet peeve, now that I am getting older, is the speed of cars

going through town,” Gigi Blount said. “Crossing the street is a bit

of a challenge.”

Well, surely the city could do something about that.

“I don’t get peeved about much,” said Michael Kinsman. “It’s

wonderful life and wonderful place we live in.

No fix needed.

“Given the small lots in town, we have learned to live with

neighbor’s idiosyncrasies such as barbecuing more often than we do,

so the biggest thing that bothers me is excessive noise,” former City

Councilman Wayne Peterson said. “It comes in a variety of forms, but

car alarms are near the top.”

Joy Dickerson would like the city to do something about

door-to-door solicitations.

“We are getting more of them and they are persistent,” Dickerson

said. “They even come at night and if you don’t open the door, they

come back. One time, they told me that my neighbor had suggested they

contact me. She didn’t.”

The solicitors also told one neighbor that another one had given

them $400. Not true.

Perhaps the city could publicize how it licenses solicitors and

what identification they need.

“My peeve is the city imposing rules on others that it doesn’t

follow itself,” said Planning Commissioner Norm Grossman. “It has

always bothered me and I have always fought against the idea that the

rules don’t apply to the city. It’s better than it used to be, but it

needs to be watched constantly.”

Watchdogs be alert.

“My pet peeve is the phrase ‘past history,’” said Ron Harris of

South Laguna. “It is used all the time.”

Redundancy need not apply.

People who carry a grudge aren’t popular with Jean Law.

“If something bothers me, I forget it in a couple of hours,” Law

said. “It’s not worth it to stay mad. The only one that hurts is

you.”

Bob Mosier is peeved that the city abandoned the flood control

project on Broadway. Well, maybe peeved is not quite the right word.

“It’s gotta be worked out,” Mosier said. “It’s a matter of public

safety.”

John Bing wants more recognition for the Laguna Art Museum.

“The L.A. Times has totally ignored the museum,” said Bing. “In

fact, art is relegated to the third page of Calendar section, and we

don’t even get a mention in the Sunday paper.”

Bill McDonald objects to the use of four letter words and the

misuse of I in the objective case.

“Lack of personal accountability is my pet peeve,” said Bree

Burgess Rosen, founder of No Square Theatre. “I am so annoyed by

people” -- NOTE, NOT PERSONS -- “who don’t take responsibility for

their actions or their words.

“As the director of a nonprofit organization, if the answer is no,

fine,” she said. “But don’t say yes when you mean no.”

Ron Lutz referees basketball games with female players, but isn’t

supposed to refer to them as girls or ladies.

“Hey players, listen up?”

Well, it beats “Hey, persons, listen up.”

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call 494-4321; or fax 494-8979.