Buzz knew it would only be a matter of time that some of the chatter would head his way concerning Santa Monica’s semi-famous City Councilman, Bobby Shriver. Buzz has learned in the past few years that despite his fame, Shriver is a stand-up guy, if not a little A.D.D. — the guy is all over the place. And when he is not sitting in City Council Chambers listening to the drones wax on, Shriver is “traveling.” Again, all over the place. Usually he’s kicking it with Bono trying to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Shriver is one of the guys who does-n’t just eat his oatmeal and read about the plight of millions of people in the newspaper — he actually goes where they are to offer help. As a Kennedy family scion, it’s nice to see someone with money and connections apply them properly. But it’s not the nobility that gets him the attention, it’s the peeps he hangs with. Consider an excerpt taken Lloyd Grove’s gossip column in the New York Daily News: Cruz-in' for a schmoozin' with beauty “The regulars at Michael's got a little thrill yesterday when Spanish screen siren Penelope Cruz sauntered in to chow down on Cobb salad. Tom Cruise's ex — unsuccessfully hiding under a dark hat — lunched at a front table with Kennedy family member Bobby Shriver, who's in town promoting the U.S. launch of Irish rocker Bono's Red campaign to fight AIDS in Africa.
As paparazzi gathered outside on the sidewalk, the two tried to discuss how Cruz might lure the cosmetics giant L'Oreal — for which she's the spokesmodel — into joining such corporate sponsors as Motorola, Gap, Armani and Converse in donating a percentage of sales to the Red cause. Shriver kept taking red-hued products out of a bag and piling them on the table for Cruz to inspect.
But their tete a tete was repeatedly interrupted by men pretending to say hi to Shriver: CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves, Revlon mogul Ronald Perelman, Comedy Central President Doug Herzog and other opportunists.
As Shriver and Cruz left the restaurant, camera flshes exploded on W. 55th St. ‘By the time they sell all the photos,’ said a wag,‘they'll be 'dating.'" Shriver, alas, is happily married.”
Whatever,works,Bobby.Maybe could bring some of that movie-star love over here to Santa Monica to take on the homeless problem. It might be a better alternative than beating your head ag≥ainst the dais out of frustration.
In world of not-so-famous — or infamous in some people’s minds — ex-City Councilman Michael Feinstein was seen grub-bing on another guest’s cheesecake at the retirement party for Police Chief Jim Butts. There,in the guest’s chair was Mike sipping her wine, scraping the fork and shmoozing it up at the table. Buzz guesses he got a sudden case of the munchies... Mikey likes it!
Buzz doesn’t mean to criticize, but City Hall’s new the slogan of “Doing the right thing... right!” is a little over the top, even for Santa Monica. A city-issued CD entitled “Doing The Right Thing... Right” has been distributed that takes the customer service message even further over the top. It’s so cheesy, it’s cute. Buzz thinks City Hall is on a roll. Go with it... As readers will see in the lyrics below, one line sums up it well... nothing compares to Santa Monica. Especially considering City Hall’s message sung to “Seventy-six Trombones”: WE DO THE RIGHT THING RIGHT (Seventy-six trombones) AND WE’RE PROUD TO SAY (led the big parade) IN SANTA MONICA WE’RE TRUE TO OUR CAUSE. (with a hundred and ten cornets close at hand) WE BELIEVE HONESTY AND INTEGRITY ARE NUMBER ONE (they were followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuo-) YOU SEE, AND THAT STRONG COMMITMENT BEGINS WITH ME. (sos, the cream of ev’ry famous band) BEING POLITE, AND HELPFUL IS A NATURAL, (Seventy-six trombones caught the morning sun) OUR FRIENDLY SMILES TELL YOU THAT WE TRULY CARE… (with a hundred and ten cornets right behind) WE’LL ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS,AND GIVE YOU (there were more than a thousand reeds) THE HELP YOU NEED, (springing up like weeds) AND DIRECT YOU FROM HERE TO OVER THERE! (there were horns of ev’ry shape and kind.) WE ARE SENSITIVE, AND CARING ABOUT THE JOBS WE DO (There were copper bottom tympani in horse platoons) UNDERSTANDING,AND PROFESSIONAL ALL THE WAY. (thundering, thundering all along the way) WE VALUE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK SO, LET’S HEAR FROM YOU, (double bell euphoniums and big bassoons) AND SPEAK YOUR MIND (each bassoon having) AT PUBLIC MEETINGS TOO! (it’s big, fat say!) OUR SANTA MONICA COLLEAGUES BENEFIT TOO… (There were fifty mounted cannon in the battery) TEAM PLAYERS, TEAMMATES WE KNOW JUST WHAT TO DO. (thundering, thundering louder than before) DEMANDS ON EV’RY SIDE, (clarinets of ev’ry size) BUT WE NEVER RUN AND HIDE,WE WORK TOGETHER (and trumpeters who’d improvise) TO GET THE BEST SERVICE TO YOU! (a full octave higher than the score!) (Reprise) OUR GREAT PARKS,AND SANDY BEACH WELCOME YOU (Seventy-six trombones led the big parade) THE BIG BLUE BUS WILL GET YOU SAFELY THERE. (with a hundred and ten cornets close at hand) WITH SO MANY THINGS FOR YOUR FAMILY TO SEE AND DO (they were followed by ros and rows of the finest virtuo-) THERE IS TRULY NO OTHER CITY THAT COMPARES. (sos, the cream of ev’ry famous band) THERE YOU HAVE OUR COMMITMENT OF SERVICE TO YOU (Seventy-six trombones caught the morning sun) WE DO THE RIGHT THING RIGHT EVERYDAY. (with a hundred and ten cornets right behind) SANTA MONICA IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY (there were more than a thousand reeds springing up like weeds) DOING THE RIGHT THING RIGHT GOES A LONG, LONG WAY! (there were horns of ev’ry shape and kind.) Makes you want to skip all the way to City Hall.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 5, 2006. Read the original PDF.