Double Bogey

On November 26, the parks officials' predictions became reality -- they indeed had the votes. The revised contract passed with only Quan voting against it. Lopez would run Glenbrook for at least six more years.

Crispin remains relentlessly positive. She stresses her religious beliefs to the point of invoking Bible verses in response to almost any question. But her faith sounds almost vengeful when she talks about how the city treated her: "Just because they're getting away with this now...," she says, "God sees all. God knows all."

Crispin was notified last month that the city had denied her claim for unemployment benefits. She was always thrifty, but she's almost run through her savings; soon, she says, she plans to be out of Texas for good.

"My parents stayed at their jobs for 20 to 30 years at a time," she says. "I wanted to be a faithful person like that, to work my way up the ladder."

That was before the confrontation over the golf course, which confirms that Lopez is still a force at City Hall.

"I know he's a player," Councilman Quan says. "But a lot of people play, and they don't get this kind of deal."