THE CROWD:Saul Levine receives a Golden Baton Award

The 20th anniversary Golden Baton Award given by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County was presented to broadcaster Saul Levine at a recent Sunday evening dinner and reception.

Levine, president and general manager of Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters, was lauded at the gala patron reception and dinner held at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach.

The recipient of the Golden Baton Award is chosen each year based on his or her commitment to and support of the arts in Orange County.

In Levine’s case, a 50-year career in broadcasting has been devoted to programming in support of classical music.

“Levine has done remarkable work in making classical music happen not only for Orange County, but throughout the Los Angeles basin,” Dean Corey, president of the Philharmonic Society, said.

Levine established Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters in 1959, and today his radio broadcasting business includes K-Mozart 1260 AM, in addition to country stations KKGO 105.1 FM and XSUR 540 AM.

The evening at the Balboa Bay Club began with a cocktail reception followed by a formal dinner during which Levine and his wife Anna were presented to the crowd.

Wines from Cobblestone Vineyards, owned by Levine, were served to the delight of dinner patrons who were treated to a concert by a classical guitar trio called Triada -- three brothers from Bulgaria.

Spotted in the crowd were underwriters, honorees and classical music devotees including Eugenia Thompson, Douglas and Deidre Smith, Elaine Redfield, and Stan and Jane Grier.

Also supporting the Philharmonic Society were Darrel Anderson, Alan and Linda Beimfohr, Douglas Burch, Jack and Elaine Delman, Judith Jelinek, Jaak and Siret Jurison, Mike and Lori Nadler, Stephen and Stephanie Salyer, Elaine Weinberg, George and Mary Ann Wentworth, and Bill and Bobbitt Williams.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County hosted their summer fundraiser at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club in Corona del Mar.

Organizers produced a “Casino Night” at the yacht club netting an impressive $31,000 for CASA, which is dedicated to protecting the rights of abused children. The funds will go directly to support special events, including trips and outings for children in the Orange County foster care system.

The party was designed around a Caribbean theme and began with a cocktail reception overlooking the harbor, followed by dinner, dancing, gaming and an auction.

For more information on CASA, call Lynda Sloan, director of community relations, at (714) 619-5155.

The 2007 Jones Cup, sponsored by Fletcher Jones Motor Cars, is set to take place Sept. 5 at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach.

Organizers expect to attract Orange County’s best golfers to compete for top honors on the course.

The public is invited to follow the match, with tee-off time at 1 p.m. As in past years, the Jones Cup will maintain its unique format of having four teams made up of both male and female athletes playing together in the one-day, 18-hole, stroke-play tournament. Professional golfers from area country clubs will join the amateur players on the field.

Fletcher Jones has donated some special hole-in-one prizes, including an S-Class sedan valued at $90,800 and an ML350 provided by Mercedes Benz Financial and valued at $43,455.

The two amateur players with the lowest gross round score will represent Fletcher Jones Motor Cars at the Mercedes Benz Championship Jan. 8 in Kapalua, Hawaii.