THE CROWD -- B.W. Cook

They came from Shreveport, La. to Newport Beach, Peggy and Aaron

Selber Jr. whisked into town last week to spend a bit of quality time

with daughter Pam Weston and her husband Mark Weston of Newport Beach.

This in and of itself is not so unusual. However, Peggy and Aaron wanted

to meet Pam and Mark’s friends, so they took over the top floor of Andy

Crean’s Villa Nova Restaurant and told their children to send out

invitations.

The Selbers, prominent Louisiana merchants, make a habit of getting to

know their grown children’s pals. Whenever they come to town, glasses are

toasted in celebration.

At their recent evening on the California Riviera, tennis was the

common denominator. The Westons are dedicated tennis enthusiasts, so they

invited their fellow players from the Palisades Tennis Club in Newport

Beach to meet the parents and other family members including Dewey and

Gigi Corley, also in town from Shreveport.

Cousin Anne Jenkins joined the fun, chatting with USC football great

Tino Lagano and his wife Donna. Cardiologist Brian Chesnie and his wife

Robin were spotted in the crowd along with Kelly Knight, Linda Roberts,

Don and Suzanne Smith, Kerry and Tracy Gizant, Lynn and Rich Cohen,

Mallory Ketchum Heydorff, Don and Kim Campbell, and Debbie and Gene Lee.

Also attending the dinner were Ellie Snow and Rich Weed, and Stacy and

John Blaugrund.

The Villa Nova catering staff served sausage and peppers, Caesar salad

chicken Parmesan and pasta, pasta, pasta as the Selbers brought a bit of

real Southern charm and hospitality to Southern California.

“When your children are grown, and families are separated by distance,

we are blessed to be able to be a part of each other’s lives in this

fashion,” commented Peggy Selber. “What is more important than family?”

Indeed.

* * *

Oscar mania invaded the Orange Coast this past week as multiple

charities capitalized on the golden statuette named after the late Bettie

Davis’ husband Oscar. Why was it named after him? The story goes that

Davis, at a very early Academy Awards presentation in the late 1930s,

took one look at the statue (before it had a name) and commented, “The

backside looks just like my husband Oscar.”

So the award that captivates the world and motivates mega-charitable

giving is named for a dead man’s derriere.

The Divas of the Balboa Theatre took full advantage of the occasion,

hosting an elegant Saturday evening dinner at the Clubhouse at Pelican

Hill. Chaired by Darby Manclark, Nancy Irvine, Carol Durham and Denise

Mock, the Oscar affair called for costume attire, and dress up they did.

Eve Kornyei, Divas president, was very glam in her retro-Hollywood

gown. Nancy Smith took the award for Dianne Keaton look-a-like. Smith’s

husband Craig is the building contractor reconstructing the Pentagon. His

firm, DMJM Holmes and Narver, is an international concern responsible for

such venues as the John Wayne Airport and Disney’s California Adventure.

Craig Smith, visiting with Divas donor and debonair man-about-town,

Arthur Voss, commented, “We were just nearing completion of the Pentagon

remodel when the plane hit on 9-11.”

He added that crews have been working nonstop to rebuild, with a

second completion very near. The Smith’s live on the Balboa Peninsula and

are avid supporters of architectural preservation, placing them at the

forefront of the campaign to restore the old Balboa Theater.

In the Divas crowd were Lana Chandler, Penny Fox, Peggy Whitehead,

Kathleen Duffy, Nancy Lynn Olson, Joanne Pavia, David and Debbie

Schweickert, Don and Carol Julien, Tom and Debbie Newmeyer, Harold and

Lola Taylor, Howard and Mitzi Wells, and Patsy and Tim Marshall.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.