OUR LAGUNA: ‘Island’ raises relief funds

The Island Party rocked the Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach on Saturday night and raised more than $20,000 for the Resource and Relief Center.

“It was a great event,” said Councilman Kelly Boyd, honorary chairman of the fundraiser.

The club’s new floor got a workout with dancers stomping to the rollicking music of Sedona, while cast members of “Lagunatics” were having way too much fun rehearsing the parodies they performed later in the evening. City instructor Miss Linda taught the hula to the music of Ukelene.

Between dancing, dining on the Hawaiian buffet provided by major event sponsor Chris Keller’s K’ya restaurant and imbibing the rum punch supplied by Eva’s Caribbean Kitchen, partygoers made the rounds of the silent auction items, which ranged from a beach hat and bag from George Nelson at Fawn Memories to a child’s electric car from Crevier BMW, one of the Wahini-class sponsors, which also included Wayne and Louise Wright and the United Methodist Church.

Pat Carmichael’s offer of a catered dinner for six at her oceanfront home was so popular, she doubled it.

The silent auction also included cuts, blow dries and permanent makeup from Hair by Tori And Co. and gift certificates from Mozambique, Romeo Cucina, the Beach House, French 75, Ti Amo, Café Zoolu and Polina’s Salerno, among other restaurants, and Bushard’s Pharmacy, Hobie’s, Crystal Image and Fiori, to name a few of the business donors.

Dr. Gary and School Board member Betsy Jenkins, Montage Resort & Spa and Athens Group were “Big Kahuna” sponsors.

Table sponsors included Michael and Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman, with sons Josh and Nicholas; Lee Kucera; Robert Eckert and Charlie and Ann Quilter. The Quilters were out of town, so daughter Emily hosted the table with her special guest, Julia Cohen, a friend since nursery school.

Festive table decorations in tropical shades of blue and green were recycled by the thrifty event committee from the Woman of the Year Luncheon the day before the Island Party. Event Coordinator Sande St. John was assisted by Glori Fickling, Barbara Painter and a host of volunteers. Rose Hancock and Connie Burlin worked in the kitchen. Anne Wood and Marsha Bode sold tickets. Nadine Nordstrom sold drinks.

Enjoying the evening: Morris and Stephany Skenderian, Ernest and Kimberly Stuart, Bette and Ken Anderson, Karyn Philippsen, Bob and Faye Chapman, Andy and City Clerk Martha Anderson, Tamara Campbell, and Michelle Boyd.

GOLF CLASSIC CHIPS IN

Boyd and Aggie Doherty presented checks to local groups totaling $13,000 from the proceeds of the fourth annual Dave Le Bon Memorial Spring Golf Classic.

“In the past we have given all the proceeds to the Laguna Beach High School boys’ and girls’ golf teams, but we are making so much money, we decided to spread it around,” Boyd said.

Boyd and Doherty co-chaired the event.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center, the Senior Center, the Resource and Relief Center, the Community Clinic and the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach each received $2,000. The golf teams got $3,000.

ST. BREE

Bree Burgess Rosen was canonized by the community, if not the church, on June 6 when she was feted as the Woman’s Club Woman of the Year. Glowing tributes were paid to Burgess Rosen, who received a proclamation from Mayor Jane Egly. “I brought a lot of ‘whereases’ from the city,” Egly said.

The proclamation listed the many organizations for which Burgess Rosen has raised funds, including the woman’s club, which has a new sound system thanks to the Diva’s fundraising concert last year.

Cast members from “Lagunatics” recognized her contribution to the club in song.

To the tune of “Sound of Music,” they sang:

“The hall is alive with the sound of music

The lyrics we sing are so crystal clear

That all you can hear is the sound of music

The lousy acoustics were fixed last year…”

Other groups that have benefited from Burgess Rosen’s inability to say no to a worthy cause include the Ebell Club, Laguna Playhouse, Aids Services Foundation and South Coast Medical Center — to name a few.

But lest we forget: “Angel” Burgess Rosen’s halo has a devilish sense of humor, a wicked talent for puncturing pretension, and certainly not Job’s patience for less than 100% efforts.

The originator of the “Roast of the Coast” was roasted in a parody of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” conducted by Arts Commissioner Pat Kollenda.

“Somewhat dramatic, she’s not shy

There’s no chance you won’t notice

When she is passing by

Somewhat overemphatic, yes, it’s true

And the high Cs that she can sing really do cut through….

Sometimes when we’re rehearsing blue words fly

And the screams when she screams she seems

Just like Captain Bligh

“She’ll say that our performance stinks

And the show is on the brink of dying

Unless we practice till we drop

We will be in an awful flop

It’s very trying”

But

“We’ll sing for free for Bree

Oh happy little songbird we

Are in a hit show led by Diva Bree.”

Among the speakers paying tribute: Woman’s Club outgoing President Lee Winocur Field, Ed Gazich, Bill Harris, Councilwoman Toni Iseman, “Lagunatics” collaborator Chris Quilter, and Burgess Rosen’s husband, Leon.

Son Noah declined to speak. “I’m not married to her — you are,” Noah said when urged by his father to say a few words about his mother.

The couple met in Las Vegas, where Burgess Rosen was performing and raising funds for low cost housing for people living with AIDS.

“I am Mr. Bree,” Rosen said.

Burgess Rosen joins a distinguished list of Women of the Year: St. John, Sandy Thornton, Kathleen Blackburn, Cheryl Post, the inseparable Lois Solomon and Anne Campbell in 1999, Doris Shields, Violet Lansdell, Pauline Walpin, Carolyn Wood, Marsha Bode, Ann Christoph, Elizabeth Pearson and Jean Raun.

OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, 92652; hand-deliver to Suite 22 in the Lumberyard, 384 Forest Ave.; call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949) 494-8979.