Marlborough’s Annual Merry Mart Set

We’ve always heard that the Marlborough Merry Mart has the best Christmas trees in town. Chairman Carole Terry is telling us that again. She’s Santa’s chief helper for the 11th annual Mart Festival, Thursday through Sunday at 3rd and Rossmore. An industrious coterie of Anna Mae Kass, Ann Ronus, Susan Renwick, Martha Crockwell, Judy Citron, Libby Conner, Kathy Patterson, Deedie Hudnut, Kacey McCoy, Lois McLane, Pat Stanton, Judy Needham, Liz Sobelle, Lucie Barron and Linda Randgaard will have bounteous numbers of garlands, wreaths, poinsettias.

They also plan a Holiday Boutique with hair bows, jewelry, ornaments and a Santa’s Pantry with fantastic fudge, baked goods and cider Thursday and Friday. Only for Marlborough families, alumnae and faculty will be the traditional Wassail Party on Saturday on Marlborough’s front lawn.

AT THE HELM: Cindy McNeish, vice president-merchandising for Desmond’s, Inc., has been elected president of the Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee. That means she’ll be busy raising funds for the Los Angeles Philharmonic through the annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design.

It’s a fact: The Showcase will be 25 years old this year. That calls for super planning, and Jeanine Cushman (wife of the real estate magnate John) has been tapped to be 25th anniversary chairman. This week the board of directors (including vice president Nancy Fuller, Alison Slattery, Martha Unickel, Marianna Little and Brenda Owen) staged the Designer Walk Thru at the house--1435 Orlando Road in Pasadena. It all leads up to the Empty House Party on Feb. 5 and Showcase Premiere Night on April 16.

SAVE SOUTHWEST: The Southwest Museum (Los Angeles’ oldest museum, we’re told) kicks off a dire campaign Dec. 14 with an evening of champagne and dinner. It’s a major fund-raising SOS (Save Our Southwest) launched in November to meet the immediate financial crisis.

Cafe Jacoulet in Pasadena has donated a two-part evening--a champagne reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with modern French (with a Japanese flair) hors d’oeuvres and ethnic music. It’s limited to 250 and the donation will be $25.

At 8 p.m., the second event will enable 100 guests ($75 for museum members, $100 for non-members) to dine on New Zealand oysters, scallops and veal. Cafe Jacoulet owners Alvin and Baba Simon live in the museum’s Mount Washington neighborhood. They and their son, Robert, offered to help after reading about the museum’s deficit. The museum is taking reservations.

CORONETS: Twenty-eight presentees stepped through a massive golden coronet covered with pink carnations, camellias and greenery to be announced at the 39th annual Coronet Debutante Ball sponsored by the Coronet Debutante Ball Board of the National Charity League Los Angeles founder chapter at the Beverly Hilton. Each bowed before promenading on the arm of her father/sponsor.

Later, Joe Moshay and his orchestra played the traditional waltz as fathers and daughters danced until escorts cut in. All went exactly as ball director Merelyn O’Donnell and president Marcia Colwell anticipated. No no-shows; no flaws; no falls. Then debs, parents and family friends “let down their hair” at the after-glow finale planned by a trio of mothers--Leona Barker, Millie Robbins and Gretchen Farrell.

Debutantes were Shannon Alonso, Michele Althouse, Jennifer Aponte, Amanda Baird, Julie Barker, Kristen Barnard, Kristi Chang, Marlena Chumo, Christina Cornwall, Kirsten Doss, Cay Enns, twins Amanda and Elizabeth Estes, Julian Fogarty, Hilary Hatch, Alexandra Kahn, Julie Kern, Caroline La Londe, Michele Leonetti, Melissa Loeffler, Debra-Anne Prestine, Kathleen Robbins, Kelly Sather, Janet Seed, Tracie Temple, Julie Thiel, Victoria Walraven and Christina Warden.

SCOUTING: Vassar College plans a new $10-million art gallery. That’s why president Frances Fergusson has been in town visiting Los Angeles art museums, including Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Accompanying her was Canadian architect Peter Rose, who’s currently at work on the new Canadian Center for Architecture in Montreal. He’s winner of the Vassar competition. Ground will be broken in 1988.

There’s been a sunny California reception: Franklin and Judith (Vassar alum) Murphy hosted a dinner Wednesday; the next evening Vassar Club gave a private dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel. President Fergusson also had some important sessions with Getty Trust officials.

GLITTER: Multitudes of goodwill parties--private and for causes. An overview: Ashley and Cameron Reagan, grandchildren of President Ronald Reagan and their parents, Colleen and Michael Reagan, took part in the gala tree-lighting ceremony at Filmland Center this week. Later a crowd joined the Reagans for dinner at the elegant Le Montage restaurant at Filmland and the new pre-Broadway edition of Michael Chapman’s musical revue “Showstoppers!”

In the spirit of giving, guests attending the Holiday Party hosted by the membership Committee of the Neil Bogart Memorial Laboratories (they do the fabulous “Night at the Races” benefit) were asked to bring wrapped gifts for children. Later, West Coast director Beth Zimmerman took along an entourage of celebrities to deliver the gifts to Childrens Hospital.

Antoinette Bill and Jenny Sullivan co-chaired the West Coast premiere of “Walker” (the Alex Cox adventure drama shot in Nicaragua and released by Universal) to benefit Medical Aid for El Salvador and Cispes (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) Wednesday evening at Laemmle’s Monica in Santa Monica.

VERY SOON: Friends of Tel Hashomer plan a tribute dinner honoring Marian Rees and Dr. Robert Gale on Tuesday at the Beverly Hilton. Jean Firstenberg, Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin are honorary co-chairs. Monty Hall will be master of ceremonies.

Carolyn and Frank Fried are co-chairs with Arthur J. Warschaw, new West Coast chairman of the American Friends of Haifa Medical Center, Bnai Zion Foundation, of a benefit concert today.

Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women has its fourth annual Comedy Night at the Comedy Store, 8433 Sunset Blvd., today at 6:15 p.m. with celebrities including Emo Phillips, Ally Sheedy, Kate Clinton. Proceeds benefit the 24-hour rape and battering hot lines.

John Houseman headlines the Anti-Defamation League’s major fund-raiser, the “World of Isaac Bashevis Singer” dinner-dance, this evening.

PAST TENSE: Neil Simon was honorary chairman of the dinner and film preview of “Off Limits” for the Liver Assn. for Research and Education on Friday evening. The fund-raiser was in memory of the association’s founding president, Robert A. Memel, who originally contracted hepatitis from a blood transfusion while overseas and died last July. Family and friends including Mike Emery, Ron and Joan Leff, Richard Freedman, Jerry and Dee Dee Gartman, Kathy Memel, Sherwin and Iris Memel, Tom Wood and Don and Linda Block were supporters.