Pearson begins mayorship

Barbara Diamond

The City Council welcomed two new faces to the dais Tuesday, said

farewell to two familiar ones and chose Elizabeth Pearson as mayor.

It was a night for hugs, applause, tributes and floral

presentations, before getting down to business.

Outgoing Mayor Cheryl Kinsman presented plaques and proclamations

to retiring Councilman Wayne Baglin and City Clerk Verna Rollinger,

commending their service to the city.

“You all know how much I enjoy being involved in the city,” said

Baglin, who hugged Kinsman after accepting the place and the applause

of supporters. “I will miss being up here. ‘Retiring’ was an

interesting term. I certainly wouldn’t want to make a habit of it,

but I accomplished it successfully again.”

Baglin has served on the City Council in the past four decades,

but never for consecutive terms.

He had said Monday that he hoped there would be no fanfare when he

stepped down this time and he made sure of that by disappearing into

the crowd at the back of the City Council Chamber -- it was standing

room only for the installations and accolades -- where his wife, Faye

stood waiting.

The two of them slipped quietly out the back door.

“We will never see the last of Wayne, but I will miss him on the

dais,” Councilman Steve Dicterow said. “When things were not going so

well for me, he was the first person at my house. He was always there

for me.”

Dicterow also said he would always be grateful to Rollinger, who

helped him out when he was a novice candidate.

“Verna is amazing,” Kinsman said, when she presented a city tile

to Rollinger, “She has gone through seven elections. I can’t even

fathom it.”

Rollinger said it seemed more like three years than three decades.

“It has been a privilege to serve the city,” Rollinger said. “I

thank those who have served and those who will serve -- it’s a

wonderful thing to do. And I want to congratulate Martha. She will be

a dynamite City Clerk.”

Rollinger concluded her 29-year career with the city by certifying

the election of Jane Egly and Kinsman to the council, then installing

treasurers Laura Parisi and Anderson.

Anderson’s first official act as City Clerk -- after hugging

Rollinger -- was to install the other three winning candidates.

Egly gave a triumphant whoop as she climbed the stair to the dais.

She was presented bouquets, delivered to the dais by City Manager Ken

Frank, who has assumed that duty in recent elections.

Kinsman returned briefly to the mayor’s chair.

“I have decided I am going to stay mayor,” Kinsman kidded Mayor

Pro Tem Pearson, in line to take center seat on the dais.

Traditionally, in Laguna, council members take turns serving as

mayor and mayor pro tem, unless the nominated council member

declines, as Martha Collision did in the 1980s. Pearson’s godfather,

Cody Engel, who came from Chicago to see her installed as mayor

presented her with a stunning black iris bouquet. Also in the

chamber: Pearson’s husband, Ernie Schneider, and her in-laws

Christine and Don Parkinson.

Pearson began her term by presenting Kinsman with a ceremonial

gavel as a memento of her term as mayor.

“I was proud to serve as her mayor pro tem,” said Pearson, who

also served with Kinsman on the Planning Commission. “I have sat

beside her at many meetings. It is an honor to work with her and to

be her friend.”

Dicterow was elected mayor pro tem for 2005, setting up his third

shot as mayor. It was to be his swan song.

However, Dicterow said that after an article appeared in the

Coastline Pilot that quoted him as saying this would be his last

term, he began getting telephone calls asking him to reconsider.

“I am not considering it,” Dicterow said. “I will run again.”

Election results certified:

The council’s first action Tuesday was to adopt a resolution

declaring the results of the 2004 election as certified by Orange

County Registrar of Voters Steven P. Rodermund.

A total of 14,522 ballots were cast, 77.9% percent of the

registered voters.

Martha Anderson topped all other local candidates with 10,791

votes. Laura Parisi came in second with 10,688 votes. Both ran

unopposed.

Incumbent Cheryl Kinsman beat incumbent Wayne Baglin by 464 votes,

6,864 to 6,400. Jane Egly came in first with 7,745 votes.