Councilman causes outcry

June Casagrande

Television news vans overran the Newport Beach City Hall parking lot.

Legions of angry speakers from all over Southern California lined up

to vent. Articles appeared in newspapers as far away as Florida. A

nationally syndicated comic strip even seized on the controversy.

On June 17, freshman City Councilman Dick Nichols gave a telephone

interview that would throw the city into turmoil and create a ripple

effect that reached clear across the continent.

The interview was about proposed changes at Corona del Mar State

Beach. Nichols said he had many concerns with the plans. For one

thing, Nichols said he opposed expanding grassy areas for a number of

reasons, including his belief that, “With grass we usually get

Mexicans coming in there early in the morning and they claim it as

theirs and it becomes their personal, private grounds all day.”

The outcry was nearly deafening and surprisingly diverse.

Residents offended by the comment labeled it as flat-out racist.

Those who supported Nichols decried the media coverage as unfair

attacks that, among other things, violated Nichols’ right to free

speech. All six of Nichols’ council colleagues denounced the remark.

In the ensuing attempts to mop up the mess, things got even more

chaotic.

Nichols admitted he made the comment, but charged that it was

taken out of context because, out of the many points he had made

about beach improvements, the newspaper article emphasized the quote

about Mexicans above all his other points.

In defending himself, Nichols seemed to dig himself in even

deeper: “Where the hell am I in any way discriminating or being a

bigot by making a statement that is blatantly true?” he responded the

next day, challenging his detractors to visit the beach to see for

themselves the “predominance of people that don’t live in the area”

-- a point opponents seized on by pointing out that Corona del Mar is

a state beach. Nichols charged that the Daily Pilot, which first

reported the comment, was in a conspiracy with some members of the

City Council to oust him from his seat.

Mayor Steve Bromberg called for Nichols to resign, and was quickly

joined by the majority of other council members. When Nichols flatly

refused, city leaders weighed censuring him and local businessman

Lloyd Ikerd announced a recall campaign. And Council Chambers

overflowed with angry speakers from as far away as Glendale who

ranted on every side of the matter.

“I’m embarrassed to have a bigot on this council,” said Craig

McGowan, a Newport Beach resident.

South Orange County resident Todd McAndrew disagreed: “Your beach

has been overrun by Mexicans,” McAndrew told council members.

Others’ main concern was the outcry itself.

“Mr. Nichols’ only crime was to tell the truth,” Santa Ana

resident Lupe Moreno said.

In the midst of the furor, it was hard to imagine how Nichols

could remain on the council. But remain he has. And though the battle

left deep scars, city business has now returned almost to normal.

Nichols says that his position hasn’t changed: He still believes

he was the victim of a deliberate attempt by this newspaper to oust

him.

“The Pilot felt that they had the power to cause any councilman to

resign. We believe that you thought that if you made a big enough

fuss that I was not politically correct that the electorate would

rise up and cause enough pressure to force me to resign,” Nichols

wrote in an e-mail response to questions about the incident.

His feelings on his council colleagues, however, have softened

considerably.

“I have learned and grown to appreciate the time and thought that

Mayor Bromberg spent in doing his many city duties. I have grown to

respect the special intellect and time Councilman [John] Heffernan

has spent on city matters. I have appreciated the respect shown me by

the council and staff and particularly appreciate the help Councilman

[Don] Webb has provided.”

Bromberg said he believes that much healing has taken place, and

that even some good came to the city in the end.

“It was very unpleasant, but I don’t think it gave the city a

black eye,” said Bromberg, who said that he has no problem working

with Nichols in the aftermath of the controversy. “I think we did a

really good job giving the people the message that this is not the

way Newport Beach deals with people.... I think it was important we

send a message that if you’re going to be an elected official in

Newport Beach, then you have to have an open mind with respect to

diversity. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be an elected official.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.