Northridge Family Goes Goofy Over Disney Paraphernalia

John Miller, principal of a middle school in Watts, is goofy about Dopey.

His wife, Kay, has some Mickey Mouse fancies of her own.

Their 20-year-old daughter, Kristina, has turned a bedroom of their Northridge home into the Snow White room.

The family obsession started innocently enough with trips to Disneyland. “You know, we would bring back a couple of souvenirs,” John Miller says.

Over the years, they began picking up more expensive trinkets. Somewhere along the line, the Millers began buying top-of-the-line collectors editions of famous Disney figures. The value of their collection runs into the thousands of dollars, John Miller says.

The most recent passion: the Disney Classics Collection, with figurines costing more than $200.

“The interesting thing about the classics is that they seem expensive when you first get them, but then you find out that two years later they are worth 10 times what you paid,” Miller says. Most collectors are interested neither in quick profits nor long-term investments, Miller says.

The family learned that there were many local collectors just as avid as themselves. Miller, a school principal who is used to getting things organized, decided to start a Disney collectors club.

“We started with about 15 people who were also interested in collecting all things Disney,” Miller says.

The group, now numbering 40 members, meets every other month in the South Court of the Panorama Mall. On Nov. 20, the group’s guest speaker will be Disney archivist David Smith. In December, the group plans a behind-the-scenes tour of Disneyland and Disney’s Burbank studio.

The collectors group, according to Miller, includes people from all walks of life.

“We have housewives, several journalists, some retired people and students. What brings us together is our love of Disney characters,” says Miller. “The world we know today can be so difficult, so it’s wonderful to have this kind of release.”

Miller says not everyone in his family is that taken with Disney collecting. His 16-year-old son is the lone holdout.

In a house that looks like Disneyrama, and where his mother has been known to dress up like Snow White, Mark is interested in other things.

“He thinks we’re nuts,” Miller says.

Senior Recreation Center Creates a Family Atmosphere

Nick Bucroff became director of the Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Senior Citizen Center last December. Since then, he’s been trying to form a gang.

Nothing illegal, mind you. He just wants to create a family-like atmosphere where friendships can grow.

“I came here from Westchester, where I knew everyone’s name because people came every day and hung out at the center. The programs I ran there gave people in the community a place to meet new people as well as something to do each day,” Bucroff says.

While 23 clubs use the center, most members leave after attending meetings, rather than socializing, he said.

“There’s no real feeling of community,” Bucroff says. He set about to change things.

His first change: organizing a monthly dance. Fifty people between the ages of 60 and 80 attend at a cost of $2.50, covering the band and refreshments.

“People like the fact the dances are held in the afternoon, so they don’t have to go out after dark,” according to Bucroff. “And they particularly like the dances that involve dressing up,” he says.

The biggest hit to date: the Polynesian ballroom dance featuring Danny Davis and his Vibratones band last July. About 90% of the participants came in Hawaiian garb. The center’s gardening staff found banana leaves and hibiscus flowers to decorate the room.

Dances are set for Oct. 3, with a Western theme, and Oct. 19, a Halloween dance that will feature costumes, bobbing for apples and a cakewalk.

Bucroff, pleased with community support, says what interests him most about the afternoon socials is how well everyone dances.

“These are people who grew up doing ballroom dancing. Watching them makes you realize how much the current generations have missed,” Bucroff says.

Bucroff is now planning a series of speakers on legal and medical issues affecting seniors.

He also wants seniors to know they can come and just hang out.

Overheard

First woman: “Let’s go somewhere like El Torito for some Mexican and margaritas. Or, how about doing Chinese for a change?”

Second woman: “Don’t you ever read a newspaper? Both are like a heart attack on a plate.”

First woman: “Well, how about California Pizza Kitchen or tempura at Teru Sushi?”

Second woman: “You must be kidding.”

First woman: “I can’t believe you are the same woman who used to say, ‘Life is uncertain, let’s eat dessert first.’ ”

Two women in Studio City negotiating lunch.