Off the Wall and Into the Dunk Tank

By the time the sun slid wearily under the horizon on Aug. 28, a number of players at the sixth annual Off The Wall Street Dance probably felt like doughnuts.

Not like eating them, to be sure, because such an international mix of rich, spicy and simply weird fare was dished up at the dozens of food booths, that no-one who sampled even a quarter of the possibilities would have been able to cram a further morsel down the old gullet that day.

No, no--people like Councilman Ron Roberts, La Jolla High Principal J. M. Tarvin and UC San Diego professor Paul Saltman felt like doughnuts because they were dunked so often. The dunking booth, probably the most popular on-going attraction at this yearly benefit for the UCSD School of Medicine and Medical Center, drew the usual enormous crowds of ball-pitchers and spectators to the corner of Wall Street and Herschel Avenue to revel in the sight of the notable being unceremoniously dumped in the drink. And dumped again. And again and again, so often, in fact, that some of the dunkees must have wondered just which way was up.

When his turn came around, restaurateur and part-time matador Paul Dobson said, “All things considered, I’d rather be fighting bulls.” The raging hits of the day were meter maids Maggie Clear and Connie Christman, who bravely wore their uniforms; it seemed that everyone in La Jolla who ever had received a parking ticket was in line to exact good-natured revenge.

The late-afternoon event featured bands on three stages, among them Joe Kool and the Rumblers, Dr. Feel Good and the Interns of Love, and Cat Tracks; dozens of food and game booths lining both sides of the four short city blocks appropriated by the party; clowns and mimes; the Quicksilver Cloggers at the entrance, and enough participants to send an agoraphobe right over the edge. All attractions and booths were underwritten by La Jolla businesses and individuals.

The streets seemed to fill almost immediately after the 4 p.m. opening, and within an hour the scene was strictly shoulder-to-shoulder; this is a party that has built steadily from year to year on its reputation. General chairman Bette Biddulph Smith estimated that at least 4,200 would pass through the gates that day, a new record for the event. Her own attendance, with husband Ken Smith, showed a remarkable dedication to Off The Wall, since the pair were married the previous day. Bette Smith estimated that the event would net proceeds of at least $105,000, which will be shared by such UCSD medical programs as the Regional Burn Center, the UCSD Cancer Center and the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment.

While the younger attendees wore the soles off their Reeboks dancing on the asphalt, the older folks browsed food booths that sold everything from ceviche and tamales to such exotica as Gustaf Anders’ pickled herring and Top O’ the Cove’s polenta (only in La Jolla would there be polenta at a street dance). One booth even dished up something called “Italian sushi,” a real novelty item of seasoned rice and garnishes rolled inside sheets of pasta. Several other pasta booths always seemed besieged by crowds of clamoring patrons.

Not everything was so deluxe, of course; it was possible to find chili, freshly barbecued hamburgers and a very good hot dog. “Pasta is for wimps,” said a patron at the hot dog booth, who then proceeded to slather his pup with trendy Dijon mustard, rather than patriotic, all-American, ideologically safe, ballpark-style yellow mustard.

Firehouse 13 hamburger flipper Bob Morris found himself locked in the Off The Wall “Jail” (it cost $1 to incarcerate a pal, but $2 for bail). “It says something about our burgers that I’m here,” he commented from behind the makeshift bars of the sociable slammer.

Dr. Jack Farris, associate dean of the UCSD School of Medicine and the traditional honorary Off The Wall chairman, reprised the role he has played at the five previous street dances. Deirdre Dooling chaired a sizeable committee that included Rosina Beaver, Lynn Wallace, Rayleen LiebhartQ, Linda Bird, Martha Ehringer, Melissa Elliot, Dotti Howe, Arleen Konor, Carole Mayo, Pam Mueller, Irma Muniz, Rudy Rehm, Maura Robbins, Bruce Sinykin, Jane Tonarely, Judy Turner, Sumner Walz and Norma Young.

Jennifer Heft, chairman of the “A Passport to Paradise” cocktail reception hosted Aug. 27 by the Junior League, timed her event so that the evening’s fine, full moon would be framed by the lush palms that surround the pool at the new Le Meridien.

Several among the 300 guests noted the virtually exact resemblance between the sketch on the invitations--a full moon hanging brightly over palms, San Diego Bay and the Coronado Bridge--and the actual scene. “This is nature imitating art,” commented one guest.

That the moment should have been rather obviously artsy was to the point, since the Junior League chose this event at which to showcase one of its prime beneficiaries, the San Diego Institute for Arts Education. Modeled after New York’s Lincoln Center Institute for Arts Education, the local organization fosters a partnership between teachers and volunteer artists that is intended to encourage young people to develop their creative and visual arts talents.

Junior League President Susan McClellan said although the evening was intended to be “fun for the members, the bottom line always is our emphasis on the community. In its three years, the SDIAE has reached more than 40,000 school children, and I think that’s phenomenal.”

A number of participating artists did turn out, along with SDIAE chief Liz Bergmann, but like the hotel guests who watched the scene from the pool, they appreciated the evening for its lighter side, which included dancing to Flight 7 and browsing buffets laden with salmon canapes, vegetable tempuras and Malaysian satays.

The guest list included Cheekie and Michael Dudine, Sara Jackson, Mary Talbot, Kim Burst, Kim and and Stephen Dankworth, Homa and Farhang Soroosh, Mary Pelkey, designer Carole Little and her husband, Leonard Rabinowitz; Debra and George Moncada; Mary Rathbun and Suzy and Jeff Gere.

SAN DIEGO--At 3 p.m. the same day, Marlise Ricardos, the reigning Miss California, already was dressed in a deep sapphire gown, cut well below the shoulders but trimmed modestly with a circlet of puffy silk roses.

It wasn’t that Ricardos was practicing for the big Miss America beauty pageant coming up Saturday; she certainly has had plenty of experience dressing. But Vangie and Dick Burt, her hosts for the summer and now almost a second set of parents, found themselves unable to resist giving Ricardos a glamorous send-off as she prepared to leave for Atlantic City.

The moment was perhaps a novelty for Ricardos, but not for the Burts, who have served as Miss California hosts since the pageant moved here in 1986; their previous charges are Lisa Kahre and Simone Stephens, who respectively captured the title in 1986 and 1987.

“The pageant wanted Miss California to live in San Diego from the moment she was selected until she left for the Miss America pageant, and we volunteered. We’ve enjoyed it,” Dick Burt said.

“I’m just a house mother, but it’s been fun adding another daughter to my family every year,” Vangie Burt said. The Burts certainly are accustomed to having daughters around the house; between them, they have six daughters and one son.

Ricardos received the 175 guests, including many ranking Navy and Marine Corps officers, as easily as if she were entertaining half a dozen friends at tea. She said that she was not entirely at ease, however.

“I’m completely packed and ready to go to Atlantic City, and just because I am ready, I’m feeling a little anxiety,” Ricardos said. “I wish the competition was tonight .”

Among the guests were Miss California Pageant President Bob Arnhym, the Raymond Burks, the Ben Hackers, the Lee Grissoms, the William Howells, the Ivan Lewises, the Jud Grosvenors, the Harry Schraders, the William Nelsons and Gaslamp Quarter Theatre director Kit Goldman.