Reagan Pals Won’t Be at Bush’s Party
It won’t be three-in-a-row inaugurals for the Reagans’ First Friends. A quick survey of their best buddies shows that they are staying right here, in sunny California, and watching the inaugural celebrations on the telly. Perfect for being on hand to welcome the Reagans home. . . .
Not to be televised, but socially newsworthy: That’s who gets invited to the still-under-wraps very special birthday party for the soon-to-be-former President on Feb. 6 at “The Group’s” perennial favorite, the Bistro Garden. No more than 100 are reported to be on the guest list for Ronald Reagan’s 78th birthday party, hosted by former Ambassador Bill and Betty Wilson, Armand and Harriet Deutsch, Norman and Erlenne Sprague and Marion and Earle Jorgensen.
A TOUCH OF PARIS--Those in the know are talking about a proposal from Rocco Forte, the master of the massive European hotel chain Trusthouse Forte, to open a Plaza Athenee in Bev Hills. The veteran and vivacious managing director of the landmark Parisian hotel, Franco Cozzo, has been here working out details. The Plaza Athenee is on Paris’ Avenue Montaigne, the mecca of jet-set shoppers, and so it would be copacetic if Forte gets the go-ahead and can open his California version just a shopping-bag’s toss from Rodeo Drive and Neiman Marcus. . . .
KUDOS--We hate to say goodby, but Morris Polan, the University Librarian at Cal State Los Angeles, retires at the end of this month. Morrie did everything to dispel the image of a librarian as a musty, book-shelved persona--and, boy, did he succeed.
On the job since 1955, he supervised the building of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library on the campus, directing its expansion into a collection of nearly 1 million volumes. But he also defined his work as making the library, and his campus, a place where professionals from all over Los Angeles went to visit and chat and participate.
Polan is a co-founder of the Los Angeles Cooperative Library Consortium and the coordinator of the California Center for the Book. He is also well-known as a person who has taken the human values that readers cherish in books and bringing them alive. Good luck, Morrie.
NEW CAREER?--His wit is always a highlight of any political dinner (or fracas, for that matter). But now he really gets to take the stage, as, Jan. 30, Assembly Speaker Willie Brown takes part in “San Francisco Comedy Comes to Los Angeles” at the Mark Taper Forum. Featured are Will Durst, Michael Meehan, Michael Pritchard and Robin Williams--and it’s all to benefit the Southern California Counseling Center.
MORE KUDOS--To Frank Zolin, Los Angeles County clerk and executive officer of the Los Angeles Superior Court, honored as “Person of the Year” Thursday night at the dinner sponsored by the Metropolitan News-Enterprise. Also recognized--California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk; Presiding Justices of the California Court of Appeal, 2nd District, Mildred Lillie and Lester William Roth; and retired Superior Court Judge Kathleen Parker. . . To Dion, the legendary rock ‘n’ roll star who sang such hits as “Runaround Sue,” “A Teen-ager in Love,” and “The Wanderer,” who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next week. . . .
To the Windward School, which has come up with a great fund-raising idea. On Feb. 24, in the Tudor-style home of John and Barbara McLoughlin, with an Elizabethan theme to match the setting, their “Soiree ‘89” will showcase the talents of the professional artists and performers among the faculty, parents, students and alumni. Mimes, bards and minstrels will direct guests to courtyard art exhibits, and, to concerts and food and a general good time. How terrific to come up with such a novel party. . . .
Happy birthday to Vidal Sassoon (he is still looking good) and to his son, Elan, who celebrated Tuesday with a luncheon and then Elan was off to American University in Washington, D.C.