BIG TEN: The Irvine Co. may be...

BIG TEN: The Irvine Co. may be the most visible private company based in Orange County, but it’s not the biggest. The new annual Forbes magazine list of 500 largest private U.S. companies shows 10 from here. . . . Largest among them: Golden State Foods in Irvine, a McDonald’s distributor, ranked 120th. The Irvine Co., a real estate development company, ranks 257th--a drop from being 208th last year. . . . Only newcomer: Webb Automotive Group of Irvine (442nd), which has eight local auto dealerships.

SHE’S IN NOW: Defense lawyer Jennifer Keller pulled a surprising upset in 1992 when she was elected secretary of the Orange County Bar Assn.--13 former bar presidents had endorsed her opponent. But the legal community loved her sassy, irreverent campaign literature--”kicked out of Girl Scouts, expelled from Catholic School for placing ‘kick me’ tag on bishop’s rear.” . . . It’s paying off big now. With bar policy elevating her through the ranks since, Keller this week was named bar president for 1996.

TRADITION PLUS: It’s egg rolls on the side when Thanksgiving arrives a day early today at the Little Saigon restaurant in Garden Grove. More than 200 turkey meals will be served to the homeless and poor by the Asian-American Senior Citizen Assn. . . . “We wanted to share part of ourselves to those less fortunate,” says its founder, Dzung Tu. “This community has given us so much; we wanted to give back.” The egg rolls are a Vietnamese addition to tradition.

NO ROSE RIDE: The somewhat wacky parade in downtown Orange this morning--7:30 to 10:30--wouldn’t ever be confused with the Macy’s Parade, says Mark Thompson, half the morning duo of the Mark & Brian Show (KLOS 95.5-FM): “It’s just a celebration of the silliness of our listeners.” . . . The popular rock music hosts will do their morning show from the downtown circle. . . . Says Thompson: “Our show appeals to no certain type. We have big Hollywood movie stars who listen and construction workers who listen.”