Looking to fix the Westside and council

Deirdre Newman

If the eyes are a window to the soul, an e-mail address can be a

window to someone’s demeanor.

In the case of Eric Bever, his business e-mail address is

“madmandsgn,” short for Mad Man Design, the graphic design part of

his business.

Not because he is hellbent on destruction, the Westside resident

joked, but because he attacks projects with a dogged determination

that leaves others in awe.

“When I am given a project, I go out and work like a madman until

it’s done,” Bever said. “It’s all consuming.”

Bever, who has invested a lot of that determination in improving

the Westside, is hoping to parlay his grass-roots efforts into an

appointment to the City Council. He is one of two candidates whittled

down from a gang of 26 candidates to serve out former Mayor Karen

Robinson’s seat. His competition is Mike Scheafer, the Costa

Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club president.

On Monday, the council will have one more chance during a

regularly scheduled meeting to choose between the two. If it is not

successful by May 15, the process to fill the seat will automatically

become a special election. Robinson resigned April 15 to become an

Orange County Superior Court judge.

Bever and wife Tammy have lived in Costa Mesa for 16 years, 13 of

those in the Marina Highlands area. Because of his civic involvement,

he works part time with a business he created called Modern Artifact,

which is involved with buying, selling and trading antiques and art.

He also provides restoration services, an apt analogy to what he will

bring to the council, if appointed, he said -- the desire and ability

to restore things to their former brilliance.

“I have always been a person who likes to fix things,” Bever said.

“I find things I believe are worthy and I endeavor to fix things and

bring them back to their original glory. I am now looking to help

restore Costa Mesa.”

Bever embodies the trials and tribulations of efforts to improve

the Westside over the past decade as a founding member of the

Westside Improvement Assn., involvement with the defunct Westside

Specific Plan and a stint as a member of the Community Redevelopment

Action Committee, which he resigned from in March.

He said he resigned because he felt the process the consultants

used was leading members to a predetermined conclusion.

“It’s an insidious process,” Bever said. “I didn’t feel

comfortable continuing to be involved with that.”

Bever’s supporters laud his intelligence, dedication and work

ethic.

“He always had the energy to go the extra mile and get the job

done and did research to get the necessary information,” said Mike

Berry, a Westside resident who supported Councilman Allan Mansoor’s

City Council campaign. “I was impressed by that.”

In the opening rounds of the City Council selection process on

April 21, Mansoor and Councilman Chris Steel nominated him for

consideration.

Mansoor said he is impressed with Bever’s commitment to all

aspects of Costa Mesa.

“I just think that anyone that’s ever taken the time to talk with

[Bever] knows that he’s very reasonable and ... that his goal is the

best interest of the entire city,” Mansoor said.

Bever is confident that his creative background will serve him

well if he is appointed to the council.

“It would be my goal to help bridge some of the gaps that exist on

the council, to try to make it a more constructive body and bring

more creative solutions to the table to help restore Costa Mesa,” he

said.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].