YEAR OF THE WOMAN: When Christine Diemer,...

YEAR OF THE WOMAN: When Christine Diemer, director of the local Building Industry Assn., accepted a 1993 Woman of the Year award from a Republican women’s group here this week, she created her own Top 10 reasons why women should get into politics. . . . A sampling, a la David Letterman: “(No. 8) Precinct walking is a great way to meet men. . . (No. 2) U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood is dating again . . . and (No. 1) If California ever splits into two states, South Coast Plaza would be the new state capital.”

EAST MEETS WEST: The New York Times this week wrote its first review of a performance at the 7-year-old Orange County Performing Arts Center. Reviewer Jack Anderson wrote some nice things about the American Ballet Theatre’s “Nutcracker” at the Costa Mesa center. . . . But he added his own East Coast spin in his assessment: The show “occasionally suffers from blandness. Yet there is plenty of time to brighten it up before it reaches New York” next May.

SECOND BEST? Hairdresser to the stars Vidal Sassoon seemed to have more fun than anyone when his likeness was unveiled Thursday at Buena Park’s Movieland Wax Museum. Sassoon said he had kept the wax figure at home for a while: “My wife kissed him by accident--and preferred him to me.” Sassoon, 65, added, “It’s very strange having a look-alike. In 10 years time, he’s going to be the same; I’m not.”

ABOUT FACE: A year ago, Trustee Harriett S. Walther won her fight to cut the invocation at Saddleback Community College board meetings--a 25-year-old tradition--citing legal concerns. She won on a 4-3 vote. This week, she lost on the issue: 4-3. The opening prayer is back. Board President Marcia Milchiker reversed her vote, explaining: “It sets a proper tone to begin the serious deliberations of our board meeting.” Board members will rotate the duty, and those opposed can ask, instead, for “a moment of silence.”

* The Top of Today’s News is on A2