Students Help Society Take a Look Back

Growing up and hanging out near the Huntington Beach Pier, Arrissia Owen snacked at Dwight’s concession stand for years. So it was a pleasant surprise when she discovered in an oral history class at Cal State Fullerton that one of the people she was assigned to interview, Jack Clapp, was the owner of that noted beach spot.

Brandy Ordway of Downey admits she at first tried to get out of interviewing anyone for that same oral history project. It wasn’t something she was used to doing. Now she’s so enthusiastic that she’s making arrangements to do an oral history with her great-grandfather, who came to this country by way of Ellis Island.

Cal State Fullerton professor Barbara Milkovich knows the value of oral histories, firsthand accounts of events. She thought it would be interesting for the Huntington Beach Historical Society, where she’s active, to see that history interpreted through much younger eyes and ears.

She brought nine students from her graduate class in oral history to its meeting this week at the Newland Barn, a meeting room on the grounds of the historic Newland House. They gave their interpretations of dozens of taped interviews they’ve conducted with longtime Huntington Beach residents. Their conclusions varied, as you might expect. But Clapp, the owner of Dwight’s, who was in the audience, later said aloud what many of the others were probably thinking.

“I’ve lived in Huntington Beach my whole life,” he said. “But I’ve learned things here tonight that I never knew before.”

The Cal State Fullerton students shared, for example, that many of those they interviewed very much missed the old city--the Huntington Beach where you knew all your neighbors and the cop on your block. Even the police chief knew who you were.

One longtime resident, interviewed by Shenandoah Lynd of Foothill Ranch, divided city residents into “old timers” and “outlanders.” There’s a term you don’t hear every day.

It might have surprised some at the Historical Society that those interviewed recognized and appreciated the foresight shown by city leaders in the past. Huntington Beach is widely noted for preserving green space as its population has boomed. It has 53 parks, which would be considered a minor miracle in some cities of comparable size.

One interviewee noted that one year Huntington Beach and Westminster had similar bond issues on the ballot for preserving park space. The one in Huntington Beach passed, but voters in Westminster rejected theirs. Westminster does not have anywhere close to 53 parks.

Cal State Fullerton student Nancy Garner of Bishop recalled one person she interviewed suggesting that the huge Central Park in Huntington Beach ought to be called Norma Gibbs Park. Suddenly almost all heads around me turned toward the back of the room. Gibbs, the first woman to serve on the Huntington Beach City Council, was sitting there, and smiled. Later, Gibbs graciously noted that a lot of other people had worked hard to preserve Central Park too.

Milkovich told the audience that only one person of some 60 approached was too busy to give students any time. The histories the students gathered will be transcribed and made available to the public.

“Oral histories are not always accurate,” Milkovich pointed out. “But they leave an impression. They provide a sense of the community, a sense of the times.”

Though the interviewees had complaints and concerns about the city, one of Brandy Ordway’s subjects probably summed up the feelings of most: “Once you’ve seen the sunset here, you never want to live anywhere else.”

What Took So Long? It’s been about a month since Cypress’ favorite son, Tiger Woods, set the golf world afire by winning two of his first five PGA events--this on the heels of winning his third straight U.S. Amateur title. You had to figure this was a story that book publishers couldn’t resist.

So the first Tiger Woods book hit Orange County stores this week. It’s called “Tiger Woods, The Making of a Champion.” When was the last time, its authors ask, “that a 20-year-old showed up and grabbed an entire sport by the throat?”

It’s put out by Sports Illustrated, and you’re right if you think this is one of those barely-scratch-the-surface quickies. It does have some nice photographs, which is where I assume Sports Illustrated got the nerve to put a $25 price tag on it.

PTL & O.C.: The other day, my son walked ahead of me coming out of the library, so no one would see he was related to the fellow who checked out a copy of Tammy Faye Bakker’s autobiography, “Telling It My Way.” Actually, I just wanted to read her views on the time when she and first-husband Jim Bakker brought their fledgling ministry to Orange County in the 1970s. (It was a prelude to their scandal-ridden PTL Club--”Praise the Lord”--TV ministry.)

The Bakkers stayed with Paul and Jan Crouch at their Irvine home. The Crouches continue to run a national TV ministry out of Orange County. Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker helped the Crouches start that ministry in the early days, but the two couples had a major falling out over control.

I won’t spoil it for you, in case you want to read this little corner of church history. But you can be sure Jan Crouch won’t be keeping this one on her coffee table.

Wrap-Up: Former Huntington Beach mayor Norma Gibbs said she told the following story only one other time in public before Tuesday night’s Historical Society gathering. It’s about her early days on the City Council, just over 25 years ago.

Council members had their own restroom at City Hall. But it was a men’s room. When Gibbs pointed out this “men’s only” problem to those who ran the building, they responded that there was a public women’s room down the hall.

She had to explain to them why it wasn’t the same: If there’s a council-only restroom for men, there should be one for women council members. After all, she said, she was just the first of what would be many women in office.

So the problem was solved, to some degree: The maintenance people simply partitioned the two-stall men’s room. Someone then hastily posted makeshift signs, written in pencil, designating “men” and “women.”

Gibbs took a look. She noted how small and cramped the women’s side was. She explains what happened next:

“I decided to go over and look at the men’s side. They had a much wider amount of space, a lot nicer. So . . . I simply switched the signs.”

As her audience roared with laughter, she added: “No one ever knew the difference.”

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling the Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com