The Watermelon Patch
If you're relatively small hometown makes it into the news, you can be pretty confident it's not going to be anything good. Loyal to that formula, the high-income and relatively insular city of Los Alamitos has gotten its first taste of political scandal since I can remember. Mayor Dean Grose (he's the one in the center of that photo) sent a poorly photoshopped, poorly timed depiction of a watermelon patch in front of the white house with a caption he apparently thought was so funny it was worth repeating (I don't). Now he's resigning from his post. I'm sure you heard about it, if you have you might want to check out this amazing flickr photograph of the soon to be ex-mayor dressed as what looks to be a pimp during a Rotary Club fundraiser. If you haven't, check out what the Press-Telegramhas to say about it by reading on:
Mayor Dean Grose says he will resign after being criticized for sharing an e-mail picture depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons under the title "No Easter egg hunt this year."Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose issued a statement Thursday saying he is sorry and will step down as mayor at the City Council meeting on March 2. Grose came under fire for sending the picture to what he called "a small group of friends." One of the recipients, a local businesswoman and city volunteer, publicly scolded the mayor for his actions. Grose says he accepts that the e-mail was in poor taste and has affected his ability to lead the city. He found a smashed watermelon at his office's doorstep Thursday morning, a day after widespread published reports about his e-mailing a depiction of the White House with watermelons superimposed in the garden area. Grose called police around 8:20 a.m. to Event Medical Services Inc. at 10765 Noel St. where officers saw "what appeared to be a watermelon" that had evidently been thrown at the area outside the door, said Los Alamitos police Capt. Bruce McAlpine.
So that's that. Word has it from the amazing, slick and informative Let's Fix Los Al that this "resignation" is only a gesture, that he'll still hold the same power and influence as before, and that Al Sharpton might be attending Monday's city council meeting. Actually, I'm not sure if Los Al as seen anything like this. Ever. Stay tuned.