Social Set Kicking Up Heels for Summer

Do you notice that those on the social scene seem to be kicking up their heels in some sort of summer’s-coming-devil-may-care euphoria? The Sonance crowd kicks up its heels and kicks off summer at a “Just for Fun” party at the Bistro Garden Pavilion on June 2. The invitations are engraved “sent with love” from Barbara Sanders and Judy Tallarico.

The same evening David H. Murdock hosts a cocktail supper to honor Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington on the publication of her new book, “Picasso: Creator & Destroyer” at his Bellagio House in Bel-Air.

ON AGENDA: U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani (Southern District of New York) has been tapped to be speaker at the Constitutional Rights Foundation’s 26th spring dinner May 31 at the Beverly Hilton. That evening Elizabeth Sanders, vice president, general manager, Nordstrom Inc., will receive the 1988 Bill of Rights in Action Award. Byron Allumbaugh is chairing the dinner for the board of directors headed by Alan I. Rothenberg.

AL FRESCO: The Friday luncheon program “A Tasteful Interlude” has been a big hit at Banning Residence House in Wilmington.

Now it’s being expanded for the public for the first time June 3. The event is designed to introduce groups to aspects of the Greek Revival house. “It’s in response to so many requests,” commented Zoe Bergquist, museum director.

The al fresco buffet calls for crab mousse, zucchini salad, homemade Italian rolls and raspberry chocolate tea cakes with white wine and fruit punch for $10. But reservations are required; call (213) 548-7777. The current exhibit is “Domestic Economy--the Victorian Kitchen.” This is the house built in 1864 by Gen. Phineas Banning, a city founder.

HIGHER PURPOSES: The directors of the Historical Society of Southern California are naming their first Fellows--Glen Dawson, Miriam Matthews, Ward Ritchie, Irving Stone and Jean Stone.

“LA’s Own” will be saluted June 2 at a reception in the Times Mirror Harry Chandler Auditorium. President George A. V. Dunning and executive director Thomas F. Andrews have launched the Fellows program to recognize uncommon lifetime achievements in the pursuit of history--”five lifetimes that have brought cultural distinction to Los Angeles and sharpened our sense of place and identity.”

PAST PERFECT: The Tyler Prize dinner at the Four Seasons attracted a crowd to honor Swedish atmospheric chemist Bert Bolin (with $150,000 in prize money) for focusing world attention on “greenhouse gases” such as carbon dioxide. Among them: Frank W. Clark Jr., chairman of the UC board of regents, William Gould and his wife, Erlene, and Alice C. Tyler (who established the prize in 1973).

The Founders Circle of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation gathered for a party at the Donald Ford home in Canyon Country to support construction of the hospital’s nursing facility.

BIG APPLE: Celebrity Polo attracted the Big Apple Committee of Pacific Clinics at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. Lu Lund chaired, assisted by Anita Tsuji, Weta Mathies, Doris Morgan, Susan Williams, Olga Stangl, Robertine Weiss, Melba Macneil and Mireya Jones.

CATCH-UP: Author Genevieve Davis was in the spotlight with her new book on Beverly Hills history at a cocktail party at Greystone Mansion. . . . A. U. Kovalev, director of Palekh Russian Lacquerware, and Lucy Maxym, an authority on Russian lacquerware, were feted by Gump’s at a private cocktail reception in Beverly Hills. . . . The John Wayne Cancer Clinic opened its auxiliary membership to men for the first time this week at the Beverly Wilshire. The gents were treated to a Nolan Miller fashion show. Among first males--Michael Wayne, Rudy Perkal, Harvey Rosen, Jack Lerman and Jack Green.

AGENDA: Michael Schwartz unveils an exhibition of works by impressionist Paulemile Pissarro at a champagne reception Wednesday evening at his Galerie Michael in Beverly Hills. . . .

Rock musician Roy Orbison, jazz bassist Charlie Haden and Los Angeles Philharmonic assistant conductor Heiichiro Ohyama headline musical entertainment today for Festival ‘88, a concert and food festival/auction for Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences. . . .

East meets West in a culinary explosion today in Pacific Asia Museum’s courtyard. There will be specialty dishes from 16 restaurants for “A Taste of Asia” benefiting educational programs.

CONGRATULATIONS: James F. Dickason is the new board president of Southwest Museum. (He’s also chairman of the executive committee of Newhall Land and Farming and a Stanford trustee.)

KUDOS: To Susan Chalek, president of Young Musicians Foundation’s Women’s Council. . . To Dr. Simon Ramo and Air Force Gen. (Ret.) Bernard Schriever, honored by the Aerospace Historical Committee of the California Museum of Science and Industry. . . To Sue Allen, new president of Los Angeles Planned Parenthood Guild, taking over from Sue Bunzel at a luncheon at the home of Janice Rusack. . .

To Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, who received the Founder of Hope Award at the Esperanza Ball, netting $150,000 for City of Hope research on diabetes. . . To winners of Susan Awards from the National Leukemia Broadcast Council, given at a black-tie party Friday at the Beverly Wilshire--Joseph Campanella, Monty Hall, Marty Ingels, Gordon Jump, Meredith MacRae, Jan Murray, Kevin O’Connell and Bill Welsh. . . .

To automobile dealer Terry York, who will be honored by the Arthritis Foundation’s San Fernando Valley branch at a British-themed “A Night for a Knight of York” black-tie affair June 10 at the Registry Hotel.