In honor of the Sophisticates

Pillar Wayne Upchurch will open her Newport estate on the Back Bay

for a reception honoring the Sophisticates of the Assessment and

Treatment Services Center. Guests at the Upchurch evening next week

are underwriters for the upcoming Spring fashion show being called

“Le Beau Boudoir.” The massive fashion event will take place on April

1 in the grand ballroom of the new Hyatt Regency, Huntington Beach,

and it will be the 20th anniversary celebration of the Sophisticates

dedicated to the children assisted by ATSC. The dynamic duo Nili

Stevens and Eve Kornyei will chair the fashion luncheon event in

association with Nordstrom, South Coast Plaza. Kornyei reports that

it will be a spectacular fashion show featuring the Spring

collections of both American and European designers. Working with

Stevens and Kornyei is Sophisticate fashion chair Grace Thelen, with

dedicated support from Newport-Mesa standouts including Shari Ciko,

Tora Brown, Nancy Olson, Debbie Newmeyer, Carol Durham, Elena Ross,

Cindy Jones, Cheryl Johnstone and Carol Pontremoli. Denice Mock

serves as president of the Sophisticates, and with her husband Brian

and underwriters including Harriet and Sandy Sandhu, Nora Hester, and

corporate sponsor Mercedes-Benz of North America, to mention only a

few, are planning the fashion event of the season. In addition to the

show the presentation will honor 20 years of past presidents of the

Sophisticates of ATSC. Many of them are expected to attend the party.

Reserve your fashion show tickets by calling Christy Netro at (714)

730-6529.

TENNIS EXTRAVAGANZA

The high season in the desert is in full swing, and a large

contingent of the Newport-Mesa social crowd are commuting from the

oceanfront to the sands of the San Jacinto desert region. This week,

Newport’s Pacific Life is sponsoring the big tennis extravaganza in

Indian Wells and the private jets are filling the Palm Springs

airport with the rich and famous who love the sport of rackets.

Recently, an elegant tea party was thrown in Palm Desert at Masion

Felice, a gallery of fine art and antiques on the famed El Paseo and

hosted by the fabulous Phyllis Washington. Author and designer Betty

Lou Phillips was invited to address the crowd, speaking on the

influence of French decor. Enjoying the tea were glamorous locals as

well as more than 100 distinguished guests from all over Southern

California including Newport. Spotted in the crowd were Donna

Schuller, the daughter-in-law of Orange County’s Rev. Robert

Schuller, Elaine Pace, Joyce Stein, Andrea Salzman, Pamela Salzman,

Lissa Wagner, Catherine Schmidt and Wendy Greene.

HONORING GOLDWATER CLAY

Social activist Peggy Goldwater Clay of Newport Beach was honored

recently by the “Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge” as an

outstanding American citizen. Clay, daughter of former U.S. Senator

Barry M. Goldwater, joined local restaurateur Antonio Cagnola,

actress Donna Douglas, former co-star of the television series “The

Beverly Hillbillies” and Luis Armijo, a Navajo Indian code talker who

served America during World War II. The luncheon event, which took

place at the Irvine Hilton, was billed as a tribute to “America, And

Those Who Love Her.” The luncheon was sponsored by local citizens

Libby Pankey, Jerry and Jackie Britain, Stephen and Frances Knott,

Virginia Schoepe, Verona Weeks, Ben and Barbara Harris, Bill and

Harriet Harris, Richard and Marilee Hawkins, Marion Knott Montapert,

and Dale and Connie Sackett. Also sponsoring the award presentation

were Newport’s John and Donna Crean and Orange County hamburger baron

Carl Karcher and his bride Margaret.

* The Crowd runs Thursdays and Saturdays.