A Cornerstone of Giving
One of this county’s blessings, occasionally overlooked, is its many generous people. Some residents here make doing for others just part of their daily routine.
That’s Jane Grier of Costa Mesa. The American Society of Interior Designers will honor Grier on Sunday night--at the Cannery Restaurant in Newport Beach--with its annual Community Service Award. Her reaction is a mixture of delight and “Why me?”
When I asked Grier about the things she’s done that led to this honor, she kept talking about all the other people who are deserving, including heaping praise for her husband. (Behind every great woman . . . ?)
Grier is the new president of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County. But long before she got the top job, she worked in the trenches helping the society fund its many youth programs in music and the other arts. In the mid-1980s, Grier says, the American Society of Interior Designers, based in Laguna Niguel, suggested to the Philharmonic Society that it might benefit from a “House of Design” plan that was already successful in Pasadena.
Here’s how it worked: The public would pay to tour a house in which each room was furnished by a different local interior designer. Grier, who happens to be from Pasadena, was familiar with the plan and loved it.
“It took us awhile to find the kind of house we wanted to build our reputation on,” Grier said. “Once we got started, it became very popular.”
The first house was a grand Victorian in old Santa Ana in 1990. Since then, the Philharmonic Society has sponsored the interior design of one house each year. Here’s how successful it’s been: Last year, the house tour brought in $250,000 to the Philharmonic Society’s youth programs.
Still, Grier is a little puzzled why all this attention will be directed at her. There’s been a different chair for each house, in her view, plus all these other great people in the Philharmonic.
The answer is: Many doubt that there would have been a House of Design without Grier.
Carmen Olsson, the incoming president of the local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, insists that it was Grier who actually initiated the whole thing.
“She was the driving force,” said Olsson. “And she’s such a delight to work with, she’s made this effort not only beneficial to all of us, but a rewarding experience.”
Interior designers know what works in a house and what looks good. But Grier, Olsson contends, added a needed viewpoint that has enhanced the series.
“She has a very keen sense of what the public wants. We’ve all learned so much from her,” Olsson said.
With her added duties as Philharmonic president, Grier is busier than ever. In our interview, she wanted to make sure that part of the credit went to her husband, Milton Stanley Grier Jr.
“He is enormously generous with his time,” Grier said, meaning he’s understanding about sharing her with the Philharmonic.
Grier gave me more names than I have room to mention who are faithful to the 31 various committees under the Philharmonic banner. She added: “I’ve never worked with so many dedicated women.”
Wedding Trivia: I’ve always thought it quite an honor to be asked to be best man at a wedding. I’ve had the privilege twice, never mind that both marriages ended in bitter divorce.
Kimberly Burton Allen, a graduate of El Modena High School in Orange and a former student at Cal State Fullerton, was a bridesmaid 12 times before her own wedding. “With the money I spent on bridal showers, gifts, dyed-to-match shoes and one-time-use dresses, I could have gone to graduate school,” she said with a laugh.
But it did get her interested in weddings. Now she’s written a book, “Wedding Wonders.” She describes in the book how some wedding traditions got started and provides insights into wedding customs in other countries.
A few samples: Why the third finger of the left hand for the wedding ring: Traditional thinking was that finger has a nerve that ran straight to the heart.
Why do the bridesmaids’ dresses so often look like what the bride wears? Allen says there was an ancient belief it would confuse any evil spirits in attendance, so they couldn’t spoil the wedding.
Why are June weddings so popular? Juno was the Roman goddess of love and marriage, and Roman maidens considered the month lucky.
Allen, who now lives in East Hampton, N.Y., will sign copies of her book Aug. 25 at Dalton’s at the Orange Mall.
Looking Back: Regarding a recent column about a Costa Mesa jeweler’s successful quest to find his family: Several people called to talk about their own experiences in finding missing family members, or having those people find them. There was a common thread in their message: Never give up. It’s worth it, even if the news you learn is sometimes painful.
Regarding a recent column about John George Brown, the Death Row cop killer whose 14-year appeal wound up right back in Superior Court just one floor away from where he was sentenced:
The mother of the slain Garden Grove officer, Donald Reed, called. I had written that none of Reed’s family was in the courtroom for the latest Brown hearing. She feared readers might think the family didn’t care. She revealed that she and her husband, as well as Reed’s widow and their children, suffer daily while waiting for a resolution of the John George Brown case. The only reason they weren’t in court, she said, was because they didn’t know about the hearing. But Reed’s mother, who asked that I not use her name or her city, assured me they would be there next time. They had sat through Brown’s original trial each day.
Wrap-Up: The Philharmonic is busy looking for a house to showcase next year. The criteria: The house must be at least 5,000 square feet, with an exterior large enough for entertaining. Another slight hindrance, should you want your house showcased: No one can live in it between January and May. Call (714) 553-2422 if you have a house in mind.
Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling the Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com