Fit for several local queens

Elia Powers

Though they are separated by 50 miles of Southern California turf,

Newport Beach and Pasadena have always been connected by the

Tournament of Roses.

Pasadena, of course, is the home of the New Year’s Day

festivities. Newport Beach is the home of a handful of former Rose

queens.

Newport resident Nancy Skinner was the 1952 Rose Parade queen.

In 1976, Anne Wortmann (then Anne Martin) was named queen. Because

the country was celebrating its bicentennial year, she traveled to

places such as Boston and Philadelphia to represent the tournament.

Wortmann, who lived in La Canada, moved to Newport Beach 12 years

ago. She said being the queen was often nerve wracking.

“I had just graduated from high school,” she said. “They didn’t

prepare you like they do now. All they do is tell you to get on stage

and say something.”

Wortmann still has a lot to say about her experience, and she

shares stories with fellow Rose queens at events throughout the year

in Newport Beach.

Former Newport Beach resident Gary DiSano, vice president of the

Pasadena Tournament of Roses, said Newport has always been on the

mind of tournament directors.

“They were always entrepreneurs who were smart, real estate wise,”

said DiSano, now a San Juan Capistrano resident. “Many of them had

second homes in Newport Beach.”

For the past 30 years, the city has had what he calls the quiet

distinction of being the place where the Rose queen is selected.

In the fall, the contestants come to Newport Beach, where they are

taken to the Fun Zone, the Newport Pier and the Balboa Bay Club --

there they are observed and asked questions.

“People in the vicinity were always looking through their fences

and trying to guess who’d be named queen,” DiSano said.

He said he also remembered Newport Beach residents chartering

numerous buses on New Year’s Day to watch the parade and go to the

Rose Bowl.

DiSano, who lived in Newport Beach for more than 20 years, has

been involved with the Tournament of Roses as a member since 1972. He

is on the executive committee and is scheduled to become president of

the Tournament of Roses in 2010.

He has been involved in selecting float entries and has kept a

close eye out for Newport Beach.

“A number of people from the city kept saying, ‘When we celebrate

our centennial, we’d love an invitation,’” DiSano said.

Two months ago, that became a reality. Newport was given one of

about 50 invitations to enter a float in this year’s parade.

It will be the first time in about 65 years that the city will

have an entry. Wortmann said she plans to go to the parade and cheer

on the float.

“It’s fun for me; it’ll be my 20-year reunion of being queen,” she

said. “It’s nice timing.”

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