Mayor Webb navigates 100 years in talk

Dapper Don Webb leads audience at dinner on a unique journey through Newport history.Newport Beach Mayor Don Webb took part in a 25-year tradition and brought more than 100 years of history with him when he presided over the annual Speak Up Newport Mayor’s Dinner on Wednesday.

Resplendent in a top hat and Newport Beach-themed vest and bow tie, Webb also broke with tradition at the event, held at the Newport Beach Marriott, attended by about 40 and emceed by Daily Pilot columnist and former Costa Mesa Mayor Peter Buffa. Most mayors select a keynote speaker and use their own time at the podium for a “state of the city” address.

Instead, Webb was the main attraction, and he talked about one of his favorite subjects, Newport Beach history. He’s excited about the city’s 100th birthday, which is officially Sept. 1 but will be celebrated all year.

Webb started with the 1860s, when the harbor was shallow and hard to navigate, and he stressed a number of pivotal moments: when the McFadden brothers failed to make a commercial success of Newport as a shipping hub; when the Red Car reached Newport in 1905, cementing the city as a tourist destination; a 1920 bond issue that paid to rechannel the Santa Ana River and construct the harbor much as it remains today; the first Newport to Ensenada race in 1948; and the original John Wayne Airport settlement agreement in 1985.

On Thursday, Webb answered a few questions for the Daily Pilot about his first mayor’s dinner as the city’s mayor:

Question: You took the mayor’s dinner in a little different direction than in the past. Why did you decide to go that route?

Answer: The main reason I went that route is because of the centennial, and I really wanted to give people an opportunity to hear about the history of Newport, and I felt that it would be a little more interesting than relating what has happened last year and what we’re going to do next year, because you guys write that up on a regular basis, and I just felt that I could tell a better story this way.

Q: How did the crowd receive it?

A: I got a number of compliments -- actually one of the things I noticed is that during the presentation, a lot of the time, you’ll hear people talking and rustling around, and I didn’t hear that happening.

Q: How do you think it compared to previous years?

A: I thought it went very well, and because of the reaction of the crowd afterward that everybody had a good time and they left with a smile on their face.

Q: Did you get a lot of comments and compliments on your outfit? What about your tie?

A: It brought a smile to everybody’s face, and they felt that it was pretty appropriate for me and the event. My wife made the tie, and it was made out of the [Hawaiian shirt maker] Reyn Spooner centennial shirt material. It had two life rings, and one life ring says 1906 and the other one says 2006, and then it said “centennial.”

Q: You covered a lot in your talk. If you had to distill it, what was the single most important event in Newport history?

A: The thing that made Newport great is the fact that we have a wonderful recreational harbor, and the fact that it was not turned into a commercial harbor by Southern Pacific [Railroad] and the [U.S. Army] Corps of Engineers was, I thought, a real unique thing and it allowed the community to build into what it is today.

Q: What’s the top issue now in the city? You’ve got a lot to choose from -- a new city hall, the general plan update, getting the council and its new member adjusted?

A: As I’ve said consistently, getting that general plan amendment completed is very important. I think another issue is going to be the election of six council members [in November]. It’s going to be a unique experience for the city, and it’s going to make people really look at the candidates and hopefully choose wisely.

Q: Would a wise choice be a vote for Don Webb?

A: Very definitely, I can’t deny that because I am going to run again, and hope that I will be reelected.

Q: Any other thoughts?

A: I think the Speak Up Newport people do a great job putting on something that allows the community to join together and look at positive aspects of our city government.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at [email protected].