B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

The glamorous Sophisticates of Assessment Treatment Services Center

took over Bayside Restaurant in Corona del Mar last week for their annual

February luncheon honoring the local press, including The Daily Pilot.

Editors from Costa De Oro, 714, the Orange County Register, Orange

Coast Magazine and Coast Magazine exchanged stories with local gals

including Sophisticates president Debbie Newmeyer, Denice Mock, Janeen

Hirshon, Lana Chandler and South Coast Plaza’s Debra Gunn Downing.

The theme of the affair was appreciation. Newmeyer, looking chic in

her Valentine’s red suit, told the gathering, “We are here today to honor

the press for supporting us all year long.”

Members of the social press such as Gloria Zigner and Donna Bunce

returned the praise, thanking the Sophisticates for all the work they do

throughout the year helping children and their families to deal with

difficult times and circumstances in their lives.

As a main fund-raising arm of the center headquartered in Newport

Beach, the Sophisticates have championed the center’s cause for many

years, raising more than a million dollars to support counseling efforts

in the community.

Also supporting the cause and attending the luncheon were fashion guru

Barbara Magness, Mary Pon, Nancy Lynn Olson, Debbie Schweicker, Eve

Kornyei and major Sophisticates underwriter Bob Toorey of Bowne Printing

in Irvine.

A luncheon of designer greens and fresh fish delighted the crowd,

including local Newport social mover and shaker Darby Manclark, who

commented, “This was such a perfect lunch for the ladies . . . so light,

so fresh and wonderful. Oh, then again it may not have been good for the

men . . . too light and fresh.”

The good life on the Gold Coast moved from lunch at Bayside to dinner

at The Ritz, Newport Center as members of the Sound of Music Guild, which

supports the Orange County Performing Arts Center, gathered for cocktails

and dinner.

The party was also a gathering of appreciation designed to entertain

underwriters and supporters of the guild’s upcoming gala dinner

fund-raiser, being called a night at “Studio 54,” set for March 3 at the

Four Seasons Hotel, Newport Beach.

The Sound of Music Guild is one of the very successful support arms of

The Center. The small association of members have raised over $1 million

to support performing arts in Orange County.

The underwriters dinner, led by Patsy Marshall, was spirited and

festive, with couples sharing conversation over cocktails in the Ritz

Garden followed by a dinner of filet and salmon served in the

incomparable tradition of Hans Prager. Speeches were kept to a minimum,

however special thanks was paid to major benefactors John and Donna

Crean, Edward and Sally Crockett, and John and Kelly Hague for their

financial underwriting of the upcoming major dinner fund-raiser.

Also acknowledged for their generosity were Kathie and John Porter.

Kathie Porter is the president of the group. She graciously worked the

restaurant to ensure the pleasure of all in attendance. Eve Kornyei and

her long time beau, Stan Hanson of Corona Del Mar, were also honored.

Spotted in the dinner crowd were Diane Palumbo, Scott and Kimberly

Matteson, Leslie Cancellieri and husband Larry, Caroline Jones from

Cartier in South Coast Plaza, Harriet and Sandy Sandhu, Delvan and Robin

Rae Lewis, and fab furniture designer Barclay Buttera, who was looking

very smart in a black pin stripe suit by Versace worn with the silver “H”

buckle by Hermes.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.