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Sunday's Headlines & Surprises: Register UCI Panic!

Posted by R. Scott Moxley in Crime & Sex, Moxley, News Roundups

September 16, 2007 6:42 AM

Permalink | Comments (4)

  • OC Gym Crook Arrested in LA: Police arrested Ronald James Navarrette Jr. of Mission Viejo Friday in El Segundo for breaking into men's lockers at the Spectrum Athletic Club not far from LAX. Gym employees had been on the lookout for the 45-year-old crook they knew from surveillance video taken at other incidents. His dark glasses and black beanie disguise (to cover his bald spot) apparently didn't fool anyone this time. Police say Navarrette, already on parole for burglary, stole wallets from lockers or used binoculars to see if gym members tried to hide their wallets in their vehicles before working out. Records show he's a habitual criminal convicted of burglary, forgery, narcotics, auto theft and assault since 1980.
  • Lagunatic Popular in Tokyo: The next issue of Fortune highlights Nissan Motor Corporate Spin Doctor Simon Sproule, the 38-year-old Laguna Beach resident of seven years though he's there about 20 days a year. Sue Zesiger Callaway reports that the Britain native most often bases himself in Japan where he's hailed for his most eligible bachelor status. Other tidbits Callaway uncovers: Sproule carries a 60-gig iPod, loves any Four Seasons hotel, enjoys drinks on the roof of Laguna's La Casa del Camino--the spot where the local planning commission wants to ban alcohol except for paying hotel guests, and shirts from Turnbull & Asser. Sproule offered the magazine's readers this advice about visiting Japan: “Tokyo's subway system is amazing. But be careful you don't get into one of the women-only carriages during rush hour. It's not a mistake I'll make twice.” Hmmm. Need more info.
  • Giving Birth to the Dune Buggy: Today's New York Times celebrates Newport Beach-native Bruce Meyers for inventing the first dune buggy in 1964. Meyers “took a standard Beetle of the era, threw away the body, shortened the frame, fitted fatter tires and bolted on a fiberglass tub with two seats,” writes reporter Jerry Garrett. “Voila! The dune buggy, which he called the Meyers Manx, was born.” In 1967, Meyers and co-rider, Ted Mangels, took the dune buggy for a non-stop run from Tijuana to La Paz. The trip to 34 hours. “Almost overnight we had 350 orders,” the still active 81-year-old told Garrett. The following year, actor Steve McQueen used one in “The Thomas Crown Affair.” And now you know the rest of the story.
  • Register Finally Tired of Having its Ass Kicked: Until now, one daily newspaper--the LA Times--has dominated the week long Erwin Chemerinsky scandal story. Today, we learned that Reg management finally realized the point and huddled nine reporters: Norberto Santana Jr., Marla Jo Fisher, Cindy Carcamo, Gary Robbins, Martin Wisckol, Greg Hardesty, Gwendolyn Driscoll, Sam Miller and Ellyn Pak. I haven't seen this much Reg frenzy since they got a whiff that Nativo Lopez might be dirty. All of us in journalism know it's a bitch playing catch up, and the Register story today essentially reported what the Times published yesterday: There is an effort underway to end the mess, Chemerinsky--reached at his North Carolina home--says he's open to further negotiations, and Michael V. Drake, the klutzy UC Irvine chancellor, won't answer his phone. "I have nothing but the highest respect for Michael Drake and of course I would talk to him," a generous Chemerinsky told the Reg. "I really like him as a person. I feel bad about what has happened." Meanwhile, OC Republicans Scott Baugh and Matt Cunningham said they were unaware of any organized plot to derail Chemerinsky. That position seems to conflict with recent words of ex-California GOP boss Michael J. Schroeder (AKA Vader because of his cutthroat behind-the-scenes maneuvering in Orange County). Schroeder claims the Chemerinsky hit began with conservatives emailing each other and then a “daisy chain” reaction.
 

Comments (4)

  1. Debby Bodkin says:
    September 16, 2007 12:32

    When the OC Republicans, Baugh, Cunningham and Schroeder make a decision to overturn any corporate, religious or political decision in Orange County, history shows a pattern that is familiar to those paying attention. This is probably why Chemerinsky went "Adios". This statement, of course, is an exercise of my guaranteed freedoms of speech, press and opinion.

    Maybe some of the OC Republican GOP enjoy controlling the thoughts, legal maneuvers and client representations of the self-serving and conflicted attorneys in OC that continually represent religious institutions, law enforcement agencies and corporate entities, simultaneously, all with apparent adverse interests at times. This statement, of course, is an exercise of my guaranteed freedoms of speech, press and opinion.

    If Chemerinsky is an expert in separation of church and state laws, then I can understand now why some of the OC Republican GOP leaders privately and secretly put one of their cult-like hate crimes into motion to terminate Chemerinsky's contract as the new dean of the UCI law school. This won't be the first time and definitely won't be the last time OC citizens will witness the political powers at work behind the scenes. It is obvious that some of the OC Republican GOP leaders violate separation of church and state laws because they have for years, without corrective action. Afterall, who is powerful enough to take on the rich, famous and politically-connected members of a legal community that have run this county without checks and balances. In the real world of law practice, these types of self-serving conflicts of interest would have been corrected long ago. This statement, of course, is an exercise of my guaranteed freedoms of speech, press and opinion.

    The list of Western State Law School graduates grows on a daily basis and consists of lawsuits and clients representations that pose an appearance of conflicts of interest, which is enough to tell you why OC needs another law school. Chapman cannot handle educating its future attorneys on the legal principles of separation of church and state and legal conflicts of interest, without assistance from another law school. Western State Law school has failed some of its students, not all. This statement, of course is an exercise of my guaranteed freedom of speech, press and opinion.

  2. Bob Squalonero says:
    September 16, 2007 13:44

    Jesus H. Christ! It's about time y'all said something about the "Chemerinsky/UCI" scandal!

  3. Marc Morin says:
    September 17, 2007 06:07

    My sister went to law school at the University of Southern California, back in the mid/late 1980's, and personally knew Erwin Chemerinsky when he was a law professor there (they still remain in professional contact).

    When I told her about what happened to professor Chemerinsky and the UCI Law School scandal, she was saddened, but not surprised.

    When my sister was at USC Law School, she told me about some "rumblings" ("grumblings"?) she heard, coming out of Orange County, and how a group of people from OC were just about begging USC, to open up a satellite branch in general--and specifically of the law school--down in Orange County.

    The reason for wanting this (drum roll, please): They were unhappy with the the level of academic quality at UC Irvine, and they weren't too thrilled with then-called, Chapman College either (go figure).

  4. case of the vapors says:
    September 17, 2007 16:56

    oh i do declare! matt cunningham? disingenuous? say it isn't so!

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