Hometown Celebrating Nixon : Holiday: All 100 Yorba Linda city workers get a day off in honor of resigned President’s birth, 77 years ago. Some will tour his library.

YORBA LINDA —  Former President Richard M. Nixon will not be on hand for the birthday celebration, but his hometown is observing its first legal holiday in his honor today with a preview look at the $25-million Nixon presidential library.

Richard Nixon Day, in honor of the former President’s birth here 77 years ago today, also gives all 100 City Hall employees the day off. Many made plans to go golfing or skiing, although City Manager Arthur C. Simonian and City Council members planned to attend a morning press tour of the library.

Assistant City Manager Bruce Channing, a longtime Nixon supporter, also planned to be on hand for the library tour.

“I voted for him twice, and I don’t regret the votes that I made,” Channing said, alluding to the Watergate scandal that forced Nixon to to resign the presidency. “As an individual, both the city manager and the council think very highly of him.”

The library complex is going up on the nine-acre site of the old Nixon ranch at the corner of Yorba Linda Boulevard and Euclid Avenue. The two-story frame home where Nixon was born is also being renovated on its original location at the site.

The two-story library, scheduled to hold artifacts and exhibits from Nixon’s 42-year political career, is tentatively scheduled to open July 19, with a possible appearance by the former President.

It is being built by the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation, a nonprofit trust that raised the $25 million through donations.

Although the library work site was still a beehive of construction activity Monday, Channing said foundation officials wanted to take advantage of Yorba Linda’s first observance of the Nixon holiday to give the media their first update on the library since the ground breaking Dec. 2, 1988.

No other events are planned.

At the library site Monday, Richard A. Mora, project manager for Koll Construction, the general contractor, said work is proceeding on schedule without major problems. Workers Monday were installing red roof tile and interior dry wall.

“We’re real happy with the progress so far,” Mora said.

The library is expected eventually to draw half a million visitors annually, but the only sightseers on hand Monday afternoon were a retired couple from the Seattle area.

George McCulley said it was not admiration that brought him and his wife, Florence, to Yorba Linda. He said they have set a goal of visiting the nation’s 1,500 historical landmarks, of which the Nixon birthplace is one.

“We have to get him off our list of landmarks to visit,” McCulley said.

Although many residents in this city of 50,000 remain supportive of Nixon despite the Watergate scandal and approve of Richard Nixon Day, not everyone endorses the notion of a legal holiday.

“I really think, personally, that it’s going a little too far,” said Edith Eichler, 95, a former neighbor who remembered Nixon as “a good boy” when he and his family were living on a lemon ranch next door. “I think Mr. Nixon is a fine man, and he does deserve a nice library.”

Sandra Hogan is another Yorba Linda resident who thinks highly of Nixon but objects to the holiday. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s one of the best presidents we’ve ever had . . . (but) we have too many holidays as it is.”

Whatever the viewpoint, Simonian said, the holiday should not cause any serious disruption of city business.

“We’re basically a quiet little place anyway,” Simonian said.