White House

USC senior and former Newport Harbor High standout April Ross, who earned national Player of the Year honors after leading the Trojans to the NCAA women's volleyball championship, will be honored by President George W. Bush on March 23 at the White House. The ceremony, part of the White House's 2003 NCAA Fall Sports Champions Day, will also include USC football. The USC football team includes a trio of walk-ons who starred at Back Bay high schools.

Danette Goulet CORONA DEL MAR -- Just in time for Presidents Day, history came alive at three schools as some of the White House greats walked again. Last week, Students at Our Lady Queen of Angels School clamored to speak with George Washington when he put in an appearance at their campus. "Did you chop down the cherry tree? Was that you?" asked Christy Roberts, 13. In his guise as the nation's first president, Hal Pisors of Newport Beach visited first Eastbluff Elementary School, then St. Marks Preschool, and finally he met up with two other patriots at Our Lady Queen of Angels.

Andrew Glazer COSTA MESA -- While many presidential hopefuls are pushing each other for camera time in the blustery New Hampshire cold, Republican candidate Joe Schriner played with his family in sunny Balearic Park. "Who do you think the sane candidate is?" asked Schriner, 44, who wore two days of stubble and a flannel shirt with rolled-up sleeves. "Average Joe" Schriner and his staff -- wife Liz, feisty daughter Sarah, 4, and sleepy son, Joseph, 2 -- have traveled the country since April, when he declared he would seek the Republican Party's nomination for presidential candidate at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

Share Our Selves, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit committed to serving the impoverished and working poor populations in Orange County, announced Tuesday it has teamed up with the White House to become a certifying organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award. The national program recognizes Americans who demonstrate commitment to volunteer work and was created by President Bush to honor individuals, families and groups who meet the requirements. As a certifying organization, Share Our Selves will be responsible for verifying service hours, nominating potential recipients and delivering the award.

This time there was no need for sightseeing in Washington D.C. For Brittany Fullen, she had been there done that. This time, she and her teammates relaxed. No itinerary per se, just be at the White House at noon. That’s where Fullen, the Corona del Mar High product, and the rest of the players from the UCLA women’s water polo team were honored Tuesday for winning an NCAA championship, along with 19 other teams. Anne Belden, a former Newport Harbor standout who will be a senior for the Bruins, and UCLA assistant Sam Bailey, a former Corona del Mar coach, were also recognized.

If President Obama is a Christian as he claims to be, he should decorate his home with a Christian theme, if for no other reason than to educate his daughters about the true meaning of Christmas: God, in his love for humanity, coming to us as a child, making himself dependent and weak, in need of our love, so that rather than fearing him, we would love him. Interestingly, the New York Times recently reported that the Obamas were strongly considering not...

Let’s be sure — this is a gardening column, not a political column. But, whatever your politics, gardeners across the country are celebrating last Friday’s groundbreaking of an organic vegetable garden at the White House. On the first day of spring, First Lady Michelle Obama put her shovel into the ground and removed a small piece of lawn. The White House vegetable garden was begun. With the help of about 25 fifth-graders from a local elementary school, a portion of the south lawn of the White House was removed.

59, Newport Beach ... Chancellor of UC Irvine ... In past year, finished an assignment with National Academy of Sciences to present a report to the White House on climate change ... Congress got really active on the issue last summer just before Sept. 11, but since then it's given it less attention ... Found it a great experience and learned how hard people in White House are working on issue, though there is disagreement, just like everywhere else ... Continuing own research while chancellor ... Is happy about how campus is growing ... Great year of recruiting new faculty from around country ... Won a lot of battles with other universities in recruiting personnel ... Daughter Sara just got married, she is a structural engineering grad student ... Last year's ranking: 6

-- Paul Clinton President Bush and Rep. Chris Cox agreed to work toward passing an economic security bill by the end of the year in a Tuesday evening meeting at the White House. Bush and the Newport Beach representative both support granting businesses "moderate tax relief" as a way to stimulate a slumping economy and encourage the rehiring of laid-off workers. "Putting Americans back to work is of vital importance to winning the war on terrorism," Cox said in a news release.

The President was here this week. Did you know that? You probably did. There is a back story to the president’s visit that you might find interesting. It’s a story about how you never know when your 15 minutes of fame is going to strike — and sometimes it strikes with a vengeance. Turn the clock back two weeks. I am in Washington wearing my Orange County Transportation Authority hat, along with Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, who is also on the OCTA Board. We are meeting with lots of people on the Hill and at the White House, making our pitch for stimulus package moola.

If President Obama is a Christian as he claims to be, he should decorate his home with a Christian theme, if for no other reason than to educate his daughters about the true meaning of Christmas: God, in his love for humanity, coming to us as a child, making himself dependent and weak, in need of our love, so that rather than fearing him, we would love him. Interestingly, the New York Times recently reported that the Obamas were strongly considering not...

My dislike of the style and substance of the Obama administration is no secret. I wrote long before he was elected that his inexperience would hurt the country, and it has. One need look no further than the administration’s rookie attempt to reform health care. Apparently the folks in the White House really believed that an industry valued at nearly $3 trillion was going to give up profits or market share because “it’s the right thing to do.” Then he was caught riding a bike with his kids without wearing a helmet, one of those “do as I say, not as I do” moments that kids like to call us on. There’s another thing: I want my president to be presidential.

Tennis immortal Billie Jean King Billie Jean King will be among the 16 recipients of the Medal of Freedom today at the White House. It is so deserved. This year’s recipients were selected as “agents of change.” Billie not only changed tennis, she changed the way women think of themselves and are treated in the workplace, in education and in politics — at least in this country. Maybe it isn’t perfect, but it is a hell of lot better because of her. I first met Billie more than 40 years ago. She was a force to be reckoned with then and she still is. One of my favorite memories of her was the night before a singles final at Wimbledon.

President Obama blundered his way into the situation by commenting on an incident he admitted he didn’t know all the facts about. That’s not a good way for a president to decide how to spend his limited time. This was an unfortunate distraction at a time when there were other more pressing issues, like health-care negotiations, that needed his personal attention. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) [Did not respond.] Rep. John Campbell

A tour of the RVCA (often pronounced “RUCA,” which sounds like “Rooka,” to reflect the brand’s balance of yin and yang, or opposites) clothing company offices on the Westside makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping on a warehouse for an artists colony. But you know what’s even cooler? PM Tenore, RVCA’s chief executive and founder, recently visited with President Obama as part of the White House’s rollout of its plan to revitalize small businesses.

Let’s be sure — this is a gardening column, not a political column. But, whatever your politics, gardeners across the country are celebrating last Friday’s groundbreaking of an organic vegetable garden at the White House. On the first day of spring, First Lady Michelle Obama put her shovel into the ground and removed a small piece of lawn. The White House vegetable garden was begun. With the help of about 25 fifth-graders from a local elementary school, a portion of the south lawn of the White House was removed.

To snub or not to snub. That was the question Wednesday when President Barack Obama came to Costa Mesa to cajole his faithful to join his campaign to get Congress to approve his budget. It’s important to note the White House goofed up a couple of invitations. The staff gave a ticket to Assemblyman Van Tran, Costa Mesa’s state lawmaker, but then turned him away at a VIP entrance. By the time he got to the public gate, the Secret Service had locked down the building.

The President was here this week. Did you know that? You probably did. There is a back story to the president’s visit that you might find interesting. It’s a story about how you never know when your 15 minutes of fame is going to strike — and sometimes it strikes with a vengeance. Turn the clock back two weeks. I am in Washington wearing my Orange County Transportation Authority hat, along with Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, who is also on the OCTA Board. We are meeting with lots of people on the Hill and at the White House, making our pitch for stimulus package moola.

The Newport Beach consulting firm Outside Eyes is tucked away behind an unmarked, dark wood door in a quiet office park. Founded by former White House Assistant Press Secretary and Newport Beach resident Reed Dickens, the small firm specializes in crisis management, dealing with everything from corporate scandal to disgraced professional athletes. Dickens is the son of a preacher from small-town Louisiana. The faintest whisper of a Southern drawl is still detectable in his speech.

In regards to the Piecemakers flying the flag, I feel very strongly that it is disrespectful and an insult to our country, our Founding Fathers and to all of the patriots who have served and given their lives for our country. I don’t think that any patriot would knowingly spend a dime with such a business. The United States Flag Code states, “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.