The Morning Report
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Wednesday, November 16, 2005 | The fashion luncheon on Nov. 3 was themed “Flowers, Flounces and Frills” for Zandra Rhodes Haute Couture show at The Westgate Hotel.
Local personalities, including KUSI’s Sasha Foo, KNSD’s Emily Chang, KFMB’s Jaymee Sire, KNSD’s Pat Brown and Monica Dean, modeled Zandra’s couture. I was happy to be counted in the model mix too along with Jamie Danielle, Katie Poole, Deirdre Lane, Leilani Williams, Rosie Tisch, Ksenia Galyga and Alexandra Howes.
Well-dressed, pretty social sorts there included Mary Walker, defense attorney Karolyn Kovtun, Wanda Kaufman, and KUSI’s Andrea Naversen.
Zandra fan Jeanne Jones was there, too. Jeanne designed the healthy luncheon menu of the day. Guests enjoyed organic field-grown carrot and watercress soup, a curried Cornish hen on a bed of greens and “Zandra’s Poached Pear,” or pear in white zinfandel with sorbet.
The fashions were very chic. Ethereal hand-printed and hand-stitched fabrics with Zandra’s whimsical twists were paraded and twirled in front of guests. Zandra’s couture is collected by the chic of the international set, royals and by quite a few of the well-dressed in San Diego. Zandra also designs for the San Diego Opera.
Meanwhile, not far from Zandra’s design studio in Solana Beach …
The San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority in partnership with the Southern California Edison recently packed a full house into their one night only, tented “dining room.” The event location was on Via de la Valle by Rancho Santa Fe, which usually serves as the Strawberry Stand and Wetland Learning Center (the Center that has won a prestigious AIA architect honor).
But this one night, it was a supporters’ gathering to celebrate the San Dieguito Wetlands Restoration groundbreaking.
This project is a key 440-acre area. The project will ensure the wetlands for the San Dieguito River by Del Mar are restored to their natural, ecological balance. This will make a lot of critters, including lesser terns, mullets and who’s who of shellfish, survive and thrive. The project, when completed in the estimated three years, will provide plenty of viewing platforms for all to enjoy.
A lot of people are thrilled to see this project get the green light. After many years of hard work, San Dieguito River Park’s Executive Director Dick Bobertz happily remarked, “we’re on our way now!”
David Kay of Southern California Edison Company was there, too. SCE has stepped in with roughly $80 million to fund this project as a balance to SCE/San Onofre’s effects on the ocean. The San Dieguito Wetlands Restoration will restore the area’s full natural habitat hatchery status. It will also preserve rare San Diego open space.
Next on the San Dieguito River Park’s “to do” list is restoring the Park’s trail land along the San Diego Polo Fields and Fairbanks Country Club. This will provide a continuous trail system to the San Dieguito River Park’s Eastern border, by Volcan Mountain. To learn more about the San Dieguito River Park and this project, visit www.sdrp.org.
Meanwhile at SeaWorld …
SeaWorld’s Nautilus Pavilion was the location for a Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute tribute to Ed Fike, for his 35 years of community service to San Diego. Ed Fike was honored for a litany of accolades including, former editor of the editorial page of the San Diego Union, for being instrumental in the San Diego Convention Center’s construction, and for being key in the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum. Ed has served on many boards including Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute. He is also listed in the ‘Who’s Who in America’ and ‘Who’s Who in the World.’
Among the many there were honorary chairs Jo and Wally Schirra (the astronaut), Katherine Kennedy and Robert Horsman, CEO of San Diego National Bank, Camille Cacas and Peter MacCracken of Strategic Communications, San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Cynthia and Thomas Goodman, Anne Evans of the Evans Hotels, Dulie and Dr. John Ahlering, chair of the event organizing committee, Linden Blue, vice chairman of General Atomics, Adam Day of the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Roberta and Malin Burnham, Port Commissioner Paul McCarthy with his wife Sandra, Gail Stoorza and Ian Gill, and Mark Larson as emcee.
Dinner included a starter of sushi-style cultured fish from the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and California Growers. It was soon followed by filet mignon with Port wine sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. Dessert was a decadent chocolate cake with fresh berries and cream sauce. Then it was time for lively dancing to the Mar Dels.
To learn more about the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, visit www.hswri.org.
Speaking of seaworthy things….
Meanwhile at Koi Lounge in La Jolla, a fund-raiser event for Social Advocates for Youth (www.saysandiego.org), was chaired by Jacqueline and Matthew Rimel. SAY is dedicated to “the positive development of the children, their families and the communities of San Diego.” These aims are accomplished through SAY’s programs including delinquency prevention and juvenile diversion, extended day programs, child abuse prevention, drug prevention services, military family support, school readiness and support, and after-school enrichment programs.
The Koi Lounge offered chandeliered lighting, sushi and cooked temptations, New York-styled cocktails and hip music. Amidst the crowd there were Carla and Rudolph Rehm, Carisa and Paul Azzi, Anna and Mark Quint, Trish and Dan Allessio, Kim and Hank Guyader, and Mike Viscuso.
Even before the event happened, $20,000 was raised by generous contributors including San Diego Padres’ Ryan Klesko, and Rebecca and John Moores. John Moores has been busy on the social scene. He recently received the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. The award’s basis, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (www.wilsoncenter.org), was created in 1968 to coordinate scholars, business and policymakers in a non-partisan atmosphere to conduct study and discourse.
Margo Schwab, an alumna of the University of San Diego’s graduate business school, reports on social/charity events, celebrities and restaurants.