Four days after Friday night’s Fireworks Spectacular at West Los Angeles College, some of the 12,000 witnesses still are buzzing about the Mehaul Spectacular.
One was scheduled, the other wasn’t. Exactly.
As eyewitnesses related the details to the newspaper, here is what happened before the non-human fireworks started.
Around 7:30, two of the highest profile politicians on West’s campus, County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and one of his twin sons, state Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Culver City, Crenshaw District) welcomed the throng.
West President Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, one of the best collegiate off-the-cuff speakers in America, followed, and Culver City Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells closed out the greetings brigade. Interim Police Chief Scott Bixby also was on stage.
While the Ridley-Thomas men made ‘em chuckle, the president and mayor were formful, and was anybody paying attention anyway?
Moments later, the buzz sizzling across the huge crowd continued unabated. Live music had stopped. Like a house full of expectant first-time parents anticipating the birth, there seemed to be a pregnant pause.
An unscripted show-stopper was about to unfold.
Culver City Vice Mayor Mehaul O’Leary, a little more than two months on the job, was in the wings.
Who knew?
Owing to several controversial statements he has made, Mr. O’Leary has become Culver City’s most visible vice mayor in years. Usually no one outside of a spouse knows the VM’s identity.
With the laser-focused crowd anticipating fireworks explosions in the next several breaths, Mr. O’Leary moved toward the spotlight.
“Mehaul got caught up in the crowds,” a friend told the newspaper.
“In a moment of patriotic enthusiasm, he asked officials if he — an immigrant American and naturalized citizen — could say a few words to the crowd. It was hard to say no.”
Another friend of the owner of Joxer Daly’s Irish pub was surprised when the vice mayor started to speak “because the program had been over for 15 minutes. Everybody was waiting for the show,” she said, “and here he came.
“He apologized for the people who had cut in line at the food trucks.
“He apologized for the parking lot being filled to capacity, causing people to park well off the grounds of the college.
“But he saved his best line for last, after the string of apologies.
“ ‘Next year this event will be much better run because I will be the mayor,’” Mr. O’Leary said.
Said still anther source: “Not many people were paying attention, but it clearly was not intended as a compliment to Meghan Sahli-Wells.”
