THE LAST WORD:Apology is a good sign

Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry’s apology to Mayor Steve Rosansky and the community this week for the acrimony surrounding the Newport Beach city hall issue, and Councilman Ed Selich’s spirited but civil debate with Bill Ficker on the same topic (go to www.dailypilot.com/cityhall to see video), may signal a turn for the good.

We hope it does, anyway.

The issue of where to build a new city hall — there are now four options — has divided the community like no other in recent years.

The back-and-forth has been marked by defensiveness, character attacks and general incivility.

Our country was founded on the rough-and-tumble free market of ideas.

Let’s keep it that way: rough-and-tumble, but not divisive.