Wendell Cutting Remembered… The FlashReport noted the June 28 passing of this civic activist, humanitarian and longtime aide to Congressman Duncan Hunter, including Thursday’s SDUT 
editorial (if you missed it), "How Wendell Cutting made a difference." Thursday’s memorial service at Shadow Mountain church in El Cajon, with nearly 1,000 attending, was inspirational. Congressman Hunter, Assemblyman Jay La Suer, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Chancellor Omero Suarez, and Salvation Army Captain Darren Norton addressed the throng, mixing stories of Wendell’s great sense of humor with testimony of his strong faith. This is a man whose life, personality and friendship will always be remembered.
The East County Herald News has set up some tribute pages to Wendell (including the photo above):
– Photos
– Wendell Remembered
– Obituary
Leave it to Jon… FlashReport Big Daddy Jon Fleischman knows me better than most, so apparently felt compelled to stifle the urge to send me some kind of heartwarming tidings following my decision last week to become a recovering politician. In classic JF fashion, although on vacation with his fiancé, he took the time to send me the following:
Barry – this is the best news I could have received from my vacation here in Great Britain. While your retirement is bad news for the citizens you represent, as you are a great councilmember, I can now take the $500 bucks I would have had to send to your re-election and bet it all on England over Portugal in the World Cup! If I win big, I may never come home! -Jon
Jon did not respond to my note back that I still have debt from 1990, if he wanted to help. But, since England lost the match, and he did make it home, may we assume the 500 smackers are no more? Jon?
Who’s on First?… As far as my post of the Sunday before last, asking for anyone who could reference the title, "A Quick One While He’s Away" to anything other than my being on vacation, we had a few takers. Jim Lantry, Pete Kanelos and Jerry Livingston all nailed it as a song by the Who, a mini rock opera, actually.
Oh, yeah. Fellow FR correspondent Joe Justin also got it right, although he was the one person I indicated was not eligible to guess, for obvious reasons by his response (and now you may have an understanding why JJ dubs all his posts with a song title):
Pete Townsend’s first mini opera played at the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus which caused Mick Jagger to refuse to let the footage of the entire show out for public consumption because the Who played it so well.
Do not play Rock & Roll Trivial Pursuit with this man.
Waldron on Illegals… She may have lost her 74th AD Assembly bid to Martin Garrick, but Escondido Councilmember Marie Waldron is not shutting down her conservatism. Read the NCTimes story on her proposal to ban landlords from renting to illegal immigrants. I predict other cities will follow the lead.
Logan Jenkins on Jack Orr… Yesterday’s SDUT column on North County political consultant Jack Orr’s letter to Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood was a hoot. Orr is not afraid of taking on the city council majority in Oceanside. “Your pathetic allegations are so much horse manure, delusions of grandeur made by an ignorant, pompous, posturing, self-indulgent popinjay," Orr writes to Mayor Wood.
See the Logan Jenkins take on it here.
By the way… Thanks to many of you who weighed in with me on these pages or with personal emails about my pending "retirement." It means a lot to me. Whether or not I have an elected title in front of my name is of little consequence compared to the many folks I have gained that I will always be able to call friends!