For Archbishop, Christening Is in Triplicate
Archbishop Roger Mahony is a twin himself, but he had never officiated at a baptism for triplets. He did last Sunday, flying in only an hour earlier from El Salvador where he had attended the 10th anniversary tribute to assassinated Archbishop Oscar Romero.
At Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills, he christened April and Dale Garen’s beautiful trio--Maxwell Robert, Samantha Christine and Katherine Marie--as proud grandmother Fiorenza Courtright, widow of the late hotelier Hernando Courtright, beamed under her huge red straw hat in a front row.
Then the archbishop made his way down the aisle shaking hands with every guest before the crowd left for Fiorenza’s pretty Beverly Hills home for champagne toasts and ham sandwiches and strawberries.
April’s twin, Regina, was among the guests. Another sister, Victoria, flew in from Chicago, and a crowd held fingers with the babies and admired the antique christening dresses. In the crowd--Roberta Grady, Bob and Michelle Boffo, Maude and Dick Ferry, Ann Miller, Hannah and Ed Carter, Sister Mary Jean Meier, Hubert and Shirley Laugharn and Norma Bowles.
NATURE LOVERS: The weather’s right, and all over the Southland, it’s tres chic to be in the garden or arranging flowers.
At the Pasadena Garden Club “Garden Song” benefit last week, everyone from President Patty Burschinger to garden show Co-Chairwomen Susan Seidel and Cynthia Lewis were competing in horticultural efforts at Descanso Gardens . . . .
Carol Mancino and Donna Kamin launched the Friends of the Robinson Gardens forthcoming tour of “the most beautiful gardens in Los Angeles” at a cocktail party at the Janis Aldridge Gallery . . . .
And April 18, Kitty Bartholomew, Cindy Connolly, Josselyn McAdam and Pat Rauth will be hosts of their sixth Garden Gathering to benefit the Children’s Chain of Childrens Hospital. They’ll tour the acclaimed gardens of landscape artist Nancy Goslee Powers and then lunch at the home of Cindy Connolly in Pacific Palisades.
CONCEPTS: He quoted Alexis de Toqueville and Jaime Escalante, praised Lech Walesa and the late George Pepperdine, proclaimed that Eastern Europe and East Los Angeles people want the opportunity to soar like eagles, and said: Any young girl or boy with good grades and the “guts to bust out” should be able to go to college; the capital gains tax should be eliminated on minority entrepreneurs to aid in urban renaissance, and “fatalists never change anything.”
Jack F. Kemp, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, introduced by Lodwrick M. Cook, at the Pepperdine Associates dinner, packed in the concepts.
A black-tie crowd of nearly 850 was there: Dr. Roscoe and Lydia Webb, Pepperdine President David Davenport and his wife Carole, retired Superior Court Judge McIntyre Faries, Arpad and Katherine Domyan, John Bowles, Dan and Debbie Demko and Chancellor Charles B. Runnels.
Regents Chairman Thomas G. Bost gave the invocation, and Ginie Braun was in bright yellow to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
KING OF DARTS: William Keck sent his jet off and it came back with New Yorkers Pat and William F. Buckley for the USC School of Public Administration’s Ides of March VIII roast of Buckley, a sort of King of Darts for the night.
But, to be roasted is to be loved, and Buckley--columnist, author of 28 books and host of “Firing Line” on PBS--was more praised than singed at the Beverly Wilshire. All night he was teased for his “penetrating elucidations” and his “catalytic conclusions.” Buckley, in turn, spoke of “intellectual hubris” and noted he would rather be governed by 2,000 names in the telephone directory than by 2,000 members of the Harvard faculty.
The city’s leaders were there to hear Tom Dreesen and Roger Barkley chatter away. Among them: John C. Argue, Dr. Ross Clayton, James P. Miscoll, David Coquillard, Ray Remy, Jane and Kris Popovich, Frank Simpson, Dr. Edward and Norene Zapanta. Wells Fargo Chairman Carl E. Reichardt flew down from San Francisco to be chairman, and banker John F. Grundhofer and Beverly flew in from Minneapolis. Philosophized Buckley: “We are basket cases of ingratitude--so many of us. . . . We need a rebirth of gratitude.”
SPRINGTIME: Sold out weeks in advance, the Junior League of Pasadena Center Stage earned more than $130,000 in revenues at the matinee and evening dinner-dance chaired by Susan Ralston-McCormick at the Bonaventure . . . .
The Society of Junior Fellows of the Huntington Art Gallery sipped champagne to honor the 200th birthday of artist William Henry Hunt. They’ll have their Easter Egg Hunt April 14 for members’ offspring . . . .
Dr. Ewart F. Brown chaired the Charter Day Awards Dinner for Howard University alumni at the JW Marriott . . . .
Floral pieces were replaced by decorative bags of food and then distributed to homeless shelters after the United Jewish Fund’s Medical Division dinner at the Century Plaza chaired by Dr. Maxine S. Ostrum . . . .
Benefactors at the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum Western furniture exhibit featuring Thomas Molesworth included John Cushman, Ellen and Bernie Byrens, Judy Biggs, Tim Smith, Dick and Amanda Poladian . . . .
Margie Masterson chaired the Crescendo ’90 gala and auction to benefit the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra at the Ramada Renaissance. She’s hoping for more than $200,000 net from the sell-out crowd of 500 . . . .
That same evening 800 were at the Century Plaza for the Marine Scholarship Ball--an event launched 28 years in New York City when a coterie of former Marines envisioned the idea of a fund-raising ball to help sons and daughters of Marines . . . .
Janet and Maxwell Hillary Salter co-hosted Friends of Tel Hashomer at the Hillcrest Country Club . . . .
Carol and Warner Henry entertained at a black-tie dinner at the California Club to fete his goddaughter, Alison Beaumont of Newport Beach, and her fiance David Hahn of Laguna Beach.
