Quimby Plates on Ebay

Quimby’s license plates

Four months after the passing of former Assemblyman John P. Quimby, his legislative license plates have now been listed for sale on Ebay.

The seller, who identifies himself as “Bob The License Plate Man from Woodland, CA” has set the price at $300 and the auction is scheduled to end in a little over two weeks if nobody uses the “Buy it now” feature before then.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-72-1970-1975-GREEN-A-California-ASSEMBLY-License-Plate-/121099494048?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3217a2a0

UPDATED 5/5/2013@10:32 PM to clarify that the author of this article is not the seller of this item on Ebay.

William A. Munnell (1920-2013)

William A. Munnell

I received an email today informing me of the passing of Assemblyman William Arthur Munnell.

Munnell was born in Iowa on October 9, 1920. He served in the Army in World War II, and came to California after the war to attend the University of Southern California. He served in the Assembly from 1951 to 1961, and held several important offices within the house (including both Minority and Majority Leader). He resigned in 1961 to be appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court (where he had a twenty-year career). Munnell died Friday in Reno.

Although I never met him, I was always impressed by Munnell. He was an active member of California’s “Doomsday Committee“, spending three years working on developing a plan to keep the candle of democracy lit in the aftermath of a global nuclear war. At the same time, he kept his humor. Even in the past few years, friends of his created a website noting that “Judge Bill Munnell Would Make a Great President!

The man was, in my book, a legend. He was one of those people who brought distinction to the Legislature, and who the current generation of legislator should hope to be more like. Not to suggest that he was perfect (because few people are), but this guy served his state and nation very well.

He will be missed.

Nolan Frizzelle (1921-2013)

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that former Assemblyman Nolan Frizelle died at his home in Folsom last weekend. A Marine veteran from the second world war, Frizzelle served in the Assembly for six terms before the 1990s redistricting forced him into the same district as Assemblywoman Doris Allen, who he lost to in the primary that year.

Frizzelle is survived by wife Ina and his six children; Roger, David, Diane, Robert, Sabina and Timothy.

[Sacramento Bee article]