By TaRessa Stovall

Dean Grose, Mayor of Los Alamitos, California, has been using e-mail to get into and out of hot water.

Dean Grose

Grose has been widely criticized for sending an e-mail showing watermelons planted on the White House lawn, with the caption, “No Easter egg hunt this year.” One of the recipients, a local entrepreneur and city volunteer, Keyanus Price, who is black, has called for a public apology from Grose.

The incident set off a storm of media coverage, most of it criticizing Grose.

Today, Grose sent another e-mail announcing that he will resign on Monday, March 2. In the spirit of recent similar messages from the editors of the New York Post about their infamous chimp cartoon, in which the perpetrators refuse to take full responsibility for their actions, Grose’s statement said, in part, “The attention brought to this matter has sadly created an image of me which is most unfortunate. I recognize that I’ve made a mistake and have taken steps to make sure this is never repeated.”

He also said he has apologized to Price and others. Good move, Your Honor. I guess he’ll have plenty of time to think about his actions as Easter approaches. But I doubt he’ll be invited to the holiday festivities on the White House lawn.

Read the full story about Grose’s resignation