Airport, Jail Plans Have South County Officials Circling the Wagons

Talk of secession from the county seems to have cooled down, but now some South County officials--frustrated with proposals for a new commercial airport and jail in their midst--are kicking around several ideas for acquiring some political clout.

Laguna Niguel Councilman Mark Goodman wants to withdraw from the League of Cities and form a South County lobbying group. Dana Point Mayor Karen Lloreda won’t go that far, but would like to see the South County Assn. of Mayors (SOCAM) become a stronger voice.

Laguna Niguel Mayor Patricia C. Bates agrees with Lloreda but wants local business people involved. She has suggested that the Orange County Business Council could be used as a model.

Everyone agrees that something needs to be done, said Irvine Councilman Greg Smith.

“A lot of us feel our relationship with the county now is virtually nonexistent,” Smith said.

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More SOCAM: When the South County mayors’ group was considering an acronym, it quickly discarded “SCAM.”

“It got laughs,” said San Clemente Mayor Steve Apodaca. “But we figured, ‘No, we better not. That won’t work.’ ”

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Another campaign: Former Irvine Mayor Larry Agran has been a steadfast opponent of a proposed commercial airport at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station for two years and he is not about to let up now. Agran has formed a committee, Project 99, to research and develop airport alternatives. Last week he mailed letters to supporters urging them to get involved and continue the fight.

Agran said his primary focus now is in Irvine, where more than 70% of the voters supported Measure S, the failed countywide initiative on last March’s ballot that would have blocked construction of an airport.

“We’ve told voters we need to dig in for the long haul,” Agran said. “This is an in-the-trenches battle to preserve and . . . defend our city from the environmental devastation that a commercial airport would bring.”

Airport supporter Dave Ellis of Newport Beach responded that the effort “sounds like the start of a ‘Larry Agran for mayor’ campaign to me.”

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To be or not to be college educated? That was the question posed to members of Congress by The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper, which found that 54 of the lawmakers do not have college degrees.

Making the list from Orange County was Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), who described himself to the newspaper as an “eternal student” pursuing “unfinished business.”

The tabloid also reported Dornan “has read the Encyclopedia Britannica from beginning to end and can recite Shakespeare on cue.”

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Services for Smith: About 200 family members and friends attended memorial services last week for Dale Smith, a longtime union activist and county Democrat from Anaheim who died May 31 at the age of 84.

After services at Westminster Memorial Park, many gathered at the United Auto Workers union hall in Anaheim to honor Smith.

“I considered him my mentor,” said Carolyn Poindexter, who serves on the Democratic Party’s Central Committee. “He encouraged me to grow and get more involved, not to be afraid to stick your neck out and try to do something. He was one of those people who are the backbone of the party.”

Ray Cordova, regional director of the state Democratic Party, called Smith “a tremendous individual who had a lot of love and caring for people.”

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Warning shot: Trustees Martha Fluor and Edward H. Decker announced last week they will run for reelection to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board of Education in November and issued a warning to expect a tough campaign.

Board President Jim de Boom has already announced he will not run, and both Fluor and Decker said they expect formidable competition, possibly from candidates backed by the county’s conservative Education Alliance.

“Given what has occurred elsewhere with school boards, there is every expectation that group would recruit and run candidates in Newport-Mesa,” said Decker. “We want them and others to know that we intend to run and campaign hard.”

Mark Bucher of Tustin, co-director of the alliance, said no decision had been made on candidates in the Newport-Mesa district. The alliance generally supports a back-to-basics approach to education that stresses traditional values.

UPCOMING EVENTS

* Wednesday: Attorney Lois Liss will discuss affirmative action and its effects on women and jobs at a public meeting organized by the 73rd Assembly District Democratic Committee from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Dana Point Community Center, 24642 San Juan Ave., Dana Point. Information: (714) 496-9061.

* Wednesday: Edward and Tricia Cox will be guests at “Dressing the First Lady,” a special 10:30 a.m. event at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. A luncheon will follow honoring the Coxes’ 25th anniversary. Information: (714) 993-5075.

* Thursday: Dana Smith, the executive director of the Local Agency Formation Commission, and John Sauvajot, a consultant on water issues, will be the guests at the monthly meeting of the League of Cities at the Red Lion Inn, 3050 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. Information: (714) 972-0077.

Compiled by Times staff writer Len Hall with contributions from Times staff writer Gebe Martinez and correspondent Hope Hamashige.

* Politics ’96 appears every Sunday. Items can be mailed to Politics ‘96, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or faxed to (714) 966-7711.