Music Lovers Get in Mood for Bidding

Nothing like a little French country ambiance to get music lovers in the bidding mood.

The Chanteclair restaurant in Irvine was the setting for Chapman Music Associates’ first Auction Pot-Pourri held on Saturday. The group is the fund-raising arm of Chapman College’s music department.

Amid stuffed roosters, antler-chandeliers, crystal lamps and the other distinctive appointments found in the restaurant, 165 guests wandered among auction items, making bids on a baton once wielded by conductor Zubin Mehta, a French provincial Baldwin piano, a sizable South American emerald, dinner for 10 aboard Chapman supporter Warren Hancock’s yacht and a trip to Borrego Springs--complete with a ride in a World War II-vintage airplane piloted by Newport Beach attorney Richard Hawkins.

Auction chair Marie Burke said her auction favorites were the photographs of flowers taken by committee member Carolyn Broe and the violin-shaped chopping block made by Roger Foster, a violin-maker and president of Chapman Music Associates.

English Taxicab

Perhaps the most interesting auction item was parked outside the restaurant--a 1959 English Broadmore taxicab. The car had been donated by George Gerber, founder of Imperial Oil & Grease Co., who wore his company logo--an imperial crown with jeweled spokes--on his tie clasp, cuff links, lapel pin and ring.

Posed beside the taxi was Chapman’s composer-in-residence William Kraft, who wrote “Of Ceremonies, Pageants and Celebrations” for opening night at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. He said that John Williams, director of the Boston Pops, is considering the piece for the Pops’ orchestra. Said Kraft about Williams: “He’s Mr. Big in the movie world.” (Williams composed themes for “Star Wars,” “Superman,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and other movie epics.)

Joni Smith, wife of Chapman College President G.T. (Buck) Smith, said about Kraft: “He’s Mr. Big in Orange County.”

With Marshall Klein, public relations director of the Los Angeles Rams, as auctioneer, the auction netted $13,000, bringing the day’s proceeds to $15,000. The piano fetched $2,250, the emerald, $1,250, and the Borrego Springs weekend, $250. No one anted up the $4,000 minimum bid for the English taxi. Others in attendance included Nora Hester, honorary chairman of the Chapman Music Associates, and auction committee members Mindy Ball, Susan Beechner, Carol Blanchard, Suzanne Darweesh, Fern Luna, Betty Prizio and Kathy Quisling.

More than 50 people paid $50 each to enjoy brunch on Saturday in the Newport home of clinical psychologist Virginia Foster and her husband, Larry Young, a general contractor, hosts of the first At Home benefit for Orange County’s homeless women. Proceeds of $1,400 went to the YWCA Hotel for Women, scheduled to open March 1 in Santa Ana.

The hotel had originally been scheduled to open before winter settled in, but furnishings are still to be purchased and certain permits yet to be obtained.

“I don’t think we realized how much time everything takes,” said YWCA director Mary Douglas. “There is so much to check--heating, air conditioning, water, electricity--everything. You can’t occupy a building until you get all the permits.”

Foster explained, however, that when the hotel opens, it will provide far more than shelter for the homeless. “The spirit of the hotel is rehabilitation. It is not philosophically designed as a shelter but designed to put women back in the mainstream,” she said.

Need for Counseling

Psychological counseling by Foster and her staff will be available to hotel residents. Foster said: “There is a need for psychologists because many of the homeless are mentally ill. On a national level, between one-third and one-half are estimated to be mentally ill.”

At the brunch, guests were invited to wander through the couple’s home. One room had a sweeping view of Newport Harbor. Seen through its window was the Xanadu yacht, owned by Foster’s father, Cleo, who, along with brothers Leo and Larry, founded the Stater Bros. Markets. The Xanadu was moored at his Linda Isle home beside the Reuben E. Lee restaurant.

Other guests included Orange County Supervisor Thomas F. Riley with wife Emma Jane, Ralph and Phyllis Martin, Warren and Gina Tate, Vina and Dan Young, Dr. John Maybury, David Stone and Maynie Ramirez. On leaving, each guest received a copy of “The Quest for Love & Money,” Foster’s book of strategies for achieving career and relationship goals.

Dr. Paul and Jackie Kamin plan to host the group’s next At Home brunch. Supporters of the project expressed hope that hundreds of others will schedule similar events to raise funds for Orange County’s homeless women.