Karcher Honored at Mardan Event

Prominent business leaders, politicians and others dedicated to conquering learning disabilities attended a tribute to Carl Karcher by the Mardan Center of Educational Therapy on Saturday night. Nearly 400 attended the black-tie awards dinner at Hotel Meridien in Newport Beach. The event celebrated the center’s 25th anniversary. Karcher was chosen for the award because of his service to the Orange County community, organizers said. He has been involved in 20 Orange County charity organizations, including Providence Speech and Hearing Center, Padrinos of Childrens Hospital of Orange County, South Coast Repertory Theater and Boy Scouts of America.

Karcher, who founded the Carl’s Jr. restaurant chain, said he had visited Mardan for the first time six weeks ago. “I was so impressed with the facilities and the people who were there,” he said. “What a heartwarming experience it was.”

Mardan’s executive director David Eisenman said he founded the school because, as a teacher and school psychologist, he had seen many bright children with learning disabilities.

Said board president Carol Hoffman: “These children may be great in math but unable to read. They may not be able to concentrate or remember their birthday, but they have normal intelligence and can learn when they’re given special help.”

Mardan’s 90 students range from preschool to high school and most often remain for less than three years. “Our goal is to mainstream them back into the public schools,” Hoffman said.

Board member Steve Adler, 29, said he owes his success in life to the year he spent at Mardan. He recalled that as a youngster he had problems with visual perception.

“Mardan teaches you to believe in yourself,” said Adler, who subsequently graduated from UCLA with honors. He now serves as executive vice president of his family’s business, Adler Shoes.

Melissa Hall, 20, said she had given up on school before entering Mardan as a youngster. She said that, instead of attending classes, she spent three years “hanging around with friends basically doing nothing. I lost interest in school, and school lost interest in me. No one said anything. No one cared.”

Eisenman remembered that when Hall arrived at Mardan, she had been accident prone, exceptionally self-conscious and suffered from low self-esteem.

Hall told her story to the audience with grace, dignity and self-assurance. She now works as a medical assistant to a pediatric allergist.

Event co-chairman Ralph Sabin said the dinner, at $200 per person or $250 per person at “silver anniversary” tables, had raised $65,000 for Mardan scholarships.

Under an archway of red and white balloons, Barry Cole and the Sounds of Music played for guests who crowded the dance floor between courses of smoked fish with caviar sauce, veal chop, goat cheese salad and lemon tart.

Tom Fuentes was emcee. Thomas Testman was event co-chairman. Committee members included Jeanne Karcher, Gladys DeRubis, Beth du Bruyne, Karen Fullerton, Mary Ellen Hadley, Kathleen Kerrigan, Leah Ann Lauritzen, Linda Mangold, Vivian Patterson, Susan Sabin and Jill Watkins.

Businesses represented included the Irvine Co., Santa Margarita Co., Aircal, Disneyland and Rockwell International. Politicos included Rep. Robert Badham (R-Newport Beach), State Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) Rep. William Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton), Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) and Orange County Supervisor Tom Riley.

Skies were clear, the mountain view was crisp and the sun was shining on the Santa Margarita Catholic High School site in Mission Viejo on Sunday, when 275 people gathered for a family barbecue and tour.

With Father Michael Harris as guide, potential students and their parents trekked through the 36-acre campus under construction, past the Administration Building, computer laboratories, classrooms, arts center, gymnasium and chapel. Father Harris, who now is principal of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, will be founding principal of the new school when it opens in September.

He said that of the estimated $25-million construction cost, the Diocese of Orange has committed $12.5 million and that more than $7 million has been raised privately.

The school project got under way in 1983, when the Moiso, Avery and O’Neill families donated land for the school. Tony Moiso and Art Birtcher now head the campaign for “leadership” gifts of $100,000 or more.

Said Moiso: “If Orange County is moving into the next generation with performing art centers, repertory theaters and museums, we’ll need educational alternatives too.

“We’re lucky here--our public schools are really very good, but many of us also value an independent education,” he said. “When you combine that with a Catholic education, then you have it made.”

Roger Kirwan, committee chairman for gifts of $25,000 or more, brought his entire clan to the feast of chicken, hamburgers, baked beans, corn on the cob and pie a la mode. Between bites of fruit salad, Kirwan’s son Sean, 11, announced his intentions of joining the first freshman class of 300 students this fall.

Eventually the school will accommodate 2,000 students, increasing county Catholic school enrollment by 50%.

Members of the Cinderella guild of Childrens Hospital of Orange County couldn’t help admiring the “English Country Brunch” table setting at von Hemert Interiors in Costa Mesa on Tuesday. The strawberry-themed setting, designed by the hospital’s Jack and Jill guild, had won first place at Cinderella’s annual “Designs for Dining” event, which included Tuesday’s cocktail party and Wednesday’s home tour, luncheon and fashion show.

Members of six hospital guilds combined their china, silver, table accessories, family heirlooms and ingenuity to create the table settings that were judged by interior designers Beverly McKeehan, Michael McCullough and Bill Gregory.

In honor of Cinderella’s 25th birthday, the Littlest Angel guild designed an elegant “Silver Anniversary Party” with crystal and silver candlesticks, pink lilies and white orchids. “A Garden Bloom with Sweet Surprises” by Tres Osos had white carnations looking like whipped cream in sherbet glasses. For “Rock Around the CHOC,” the Small World guild topped a table with a gray felt poodle skirt and some rather unusual platters: 45 records over 78s.

At Tuesday’s party, more than 100 guests honored Elinor Holstein, the only founding member still active in guild activities.

Said president Betty Finnegan: “Elinor has been active every day, week, month and year for 25 years.”

At $20 per person, Wednesday’s home tour attracted 1,100 guests to residences of the William Hadleys in Irvine, George Ryans in Newport Beach, Joseph Stemmlers in Irvine Terrace and Thomas Tesdescos in Harbor Island. Proceeds, which also include donations, are expected to exceed $70,000.

Louise Schwennesen served as event chairman with committee members Jean Mahoney, Mary Francis Morgan, Mary Jane Welsh, Helen Koberstein, Joan Kipper, Lee Ann Alford, Eve Holmgren, Jean Rimpau, Carola Campbell, Ruth Borders, Margie Thomas, Pearl Hoag, Carol McCann, Ina Russell, Alice Rosellini, Lynn Cancilla and Carol Parker.

Carol Rahn, president of the Los Ninos guild of Childrens Hospital, said that she would have gone on the Cinderella guild’s home tour but that her guild luncheon was held Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Laguna Niguel.

Since about 450 guests had slipped into their spring finest for the event, the San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente group was perfectly suited for the fashion show to come. Many had topped designer frocks with spring bonnets.

As Kitty Leslie presented fashions from Fashion Island in Newport Beach, the audience enjoyed a sumptuous lunch of spinach salad, chicken with herb mustard sauce and lemon mousse tart. Centerpieces were equally sophisticated--purple irises, yellow tulips and bachelor buttons with a spare willow branch.

Rahn said fund-raising had been difficult this year because so many charities and arts groups are competing for funds. Still, at $40 per person, proceeds were exstimated at $12,000. Lee Rosene and Juanita Armstrong served as event co-chairmen with members Karen Pepper, Louise Wilson, Anne Reed, Bea Halvorsen, Gale Ramsey, Neita Wiese, Linda Martin and Pat Ansara.