B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

The Center Stars’ Summer Party 2001 rallied local society at the

Pacific Club in Newport Beach to raise funds for the Orange County

Performing Arts Center. The festive evening was themed around worldwide

vacation destinations.

Center Stars’ co-chairs Pat Sytnyk and Sharon Hartshorn invited

attendees not to come as they are, not to come as they would like to be,

but rather to come as their favorite destination dream spot. One guest

commented, “I love Paris, but my husband refused to come as the Eiffel

Tower, and, frankly, I don’t look very good as the Arc de Triomphe.”

Lido Isle’s fashionable Rusty Hood and her handsome husband, Bill,

dressed as Arabs to remind them of a recent trip to Jordan. Newport

Beach’s Sandy Segerstrom and John Daniels decided to represent hula-land,

as Hawaii has always been one of their favorite vacation haunts. Of

course, it’s always easier to come in a hula shirt than an Eiffel Tower.

Susie and Steve Perry also chose the Hawaiian theme. Shari Esayian came

as Boston. Don’t’ ask. Paul Revere will never be the same.

Glamorous Karen Hardin just looked her very fashionable self telling

the Center Stars’ guests that she decided to come as if she were on a

cruise. And cruise they all did, through an evening of friendship, fine

wines and a three-course dinner preceded by a selection of hors

d’oeuvres.

The Center Stars are famous for their trips around the globe, making

the theme of the party appropriate. The ladies and their spouses and/or

guests have done everything from exploring Charleston, S.C., and

Washington, D.C., to traversing New Orleans and Chicago. This fall, they

will spend a week in New York City. They have been down the Mississippi

on the American Queen, and they have spent 12 days on the Danube.

In the crowd at the Pacific Club were Center Stars’ outgoing

president, Karen Elliott Stentz; Darby and Bill Manclark; Diana Sterling;

Susie and John Meindl; Judy Duke; Ann and Mike Howard; Ev and Pete

Parrella; Elaine Redfield; Susan Baker; Ann and Bob McLean; and Ellen

Stapp.

The guests were entertained by soprano saxophonist Jeff Gonzales and

his band, with a very special performance by tenor saxophonist Jerry

Mandel, president and chief executive of the Orange County Performing

Arts Center.

* * *

The Bookworms Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Southern

California celebrated its annual Spring Fling Weekend at the Balboa Bay

Club in Newport Beach. Joyce Corazza, president of the Bookworms,

welcomed 40 members, their husbands and guests to a weekend of

festivities organized to thank them for a year of fund-raising in support

of the Assistance League.

Newport Beach resident Bette Jackson chaired the event with assistance

from Terry Quimby and Elain Rothell. Jackson commented, “One of the

Bookworms’ very special endeavors is working with the Assistance League’s

Children’s Club. The club is a home away from home for Los Angeles- and

Orange County-area children with the purpose of supporting self-esteem

through such activities as homework assistance and computer training.”

Jackson and her staff filled the Assistance League weekend with

back-to-back events, including a concert at the Performing Arts Center,

yachting on the Newport Harbor and elegant dinners at the Balboa Bay Club

and The Center Club in Costa Mesa.

Two new members of the Bookworms, Raylene Creath and Joanne Koll, were

welcomed into the organization. On hand for the event was Bay Club

President Henry Schielein, a close friend of Jackson.

* * *

The sport of tennis has always been a social magnet. Once again,

tennis on the California Rivera is attracting the bold and beautiful

players in search of great exercise, great friendships and plenty of

tennis socializing. Recently, Success Magazine came to town to hold its

championship tennis tournament at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.

Proceeds from the four-day event benefited the Kinship Center,

headquartered in Monterey, with regional offices around the state,

including Orange County. The Kinship Center has the mission of improving

the lives of children via the support of adoptive and foster families.

Organizers held an elegant center court gala at the Newport Beach

Tennis Club, attended by John McEnroe, Yannick Noah, Mats Wylander, John

Lloyd, Henri Leconte, Scott Davis, Pat Cash and Leif Shiras. Actors Eric

Braden, James McDaniel and comedian Rich Little were on hand for the

gala, which included a major live and silent auction, dinner, dancing and

modeling by lovely women in St. John Knits. More than $35,000 was raised

for the adoption center.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.