26 September – 3 October 2013MONTECITO JOURNAL6 • The Voice of the Village •

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Miscellanyby Richard Mineards

Richard covered the Royal Family for Britain’s Daily Mirror and Daily Mail before moving to New York to write for Rupert Murdoch’s newly launched Star magazine in 1978; Richard later wrote for New York magazine’s “Intelligencer”. He continues to make regular appearances on CBS, ABC, and CNN, and moved to Montecito six years ago.

MISCELLANY MISCELLANY Page 27

What a small world!Steve and Caroline

Thompson, the owners of Cabana Home, the top interior design showroom, just returned to our Eden by the Beach after attending the Maison & Objet show in Paris.

“We were staying on the Left Bank in St. Germain des Pres and spotted a large poster in a store window of Jeff Bridges, who lives in our tony town, and thought it an amazing coinci-dence,” says Steve.

“We know him as a singer, actor and producer, but never knew he was a fashion model!”

The 63-year-old Oscar winner joins actress-model Amber Valletta, who has formerly worked for Prada, Emilio Pucci and Coach, as a high pro-file ambassador for the international German brand Marc O’Polo.

The ad campaign, which started last month, was photographed by top Italian snapper Mario Sorrenti and a video featuring Montecito resident Jeff “between the shots” is available on YouTube.

“We did not take the search for our ambassadors lightly,” says a spokes-man for the 36-year-old company, which has 1,600 retail outlets world-wide, as well as 60 franchises.

“We sought someone real.”Jeff obviously fits the bill admira-

bly...

Estate Sale Actress Drew Barrymore, who put

her Montecito estate on the market in May for $7.5 million, has just dropped the price by $600,000.

Drew, 38, who bought the 76-year-old, 2.3-acre, 6,258-sq-ft six-bedroom property, just a tiara’s toss from Law & Order producer Dick Wolf in June, 2010, for $5,705,000, married art con-

Cabana Home owners Steve and Caroline Thompson

Jeff Bridges spotted in a Paris store window in new ad campaign

Drew Barrymore cuts price of her Montecito estate

26 September – 3 October 2013 MONTECITO JOURNAL 27Never explain; your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway – Elbert Hubbard

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MISCELLANY MISCELLANY (Continued from page 6)sultant Will Kopelman on the estate in June last year, with guests including Cameron Diaz, Jimmy Fallon, Reese Witherspoon and Scarlett Johansson.

She also has an aerie in the Hollywood Hills, which she bought eleven years ago for $4,350,000, a short jog from fellow actress Hayden Panettiere...

Quite a Pair Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who

own a Santa Barbara beach house, are in the top five of Forbes maga-zine’s World’s Highest Paid Celebrity Couples, I note.

Rapper Jay Z, 43, and wife, singer Beyoncé Knowles, 32, took the crown for the second consecutive year earn-ing a hefty $95 million together in the financial year ending in June, up $17 million from the year before.

The power couple earned $15 mil-lion more than supermodel Gisele Bundchen, 33, and her New England Patriots quarterback husband Tom Brady, 36,who came in second place with combined earnings of $80 mil-lion.

Gisele out-earned Brady by $4 million as her line of flip-flops with Brazilian label Grendene – in which she owns shares – helped double her income from last year, which will no doubt help run the twosome’s new $20 million, 22,000-sq- ft eight-bed-room Brentwood mansion.

Meanwhile, Brad, 49, and Angelina, 38, raked in a hefty $50 million despite the fact they do not own any large businesses.

The couple – who have six children together, Shiloh, 7, Maddox, 12, Pax, 9, Zahra, 8, and five-year-old twins, Knox and Vivienne – pulled in the majority of their income from film fees while Brad earned a reported $7 mil-lion for his Chanel No.5 ad last year.

As well as their oceanfront home here, they also own an 880-acre Provencal estate Chateau Miraval, a historic mansion in the French Quarter in New Orleans, and a large estate in Los Feliz.

Actor Ashton Kutcher, 35, from the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, and his girlfriend, actress Mila Kunis, 30, came in fourth place, while the fifth spot was taken by rapper Kanye West, 36, and Kim Kardashian, 32...

Perfect Perlman Sublime would be the perfect

description when legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman kicked off CAMA’s 95th season at a jam-packed Granada.

Perlman, undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, was making his fifth appearance with the Community Arts Music Association, having debuted in 1967 as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic playing Paganini’s Concerto No.1 in D Major.

Accompanied by longtime musical

partner Rohan de Silva on piano, he mesmerized the audience, kick-ing off the much anticipated show with Beethoven’s Sonata No.1 in D Major and Grieg’s Sonata No. 3 in C Minor, wrapping with Giuseppe Tartini’s Sonata in G minor, known as the Devil’s Trill.

Last year the musical duo per-formed at a state dinner at the White House for Israeli president Shimon Peres, having also entertained Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the same venue some years earlier.

Perlman, who has won 15 Grammy awards and four Emmys, can’t come back soon enough...

Huang & Harbison

Camerata Pacifica kicked off its 24th season at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall in grand style with the debut of 23-year-old Taiwanese violinist Paul Huang playing John Harbison’s Four Songs of Solitude.

Huang, who plays a 1683 Nicolo Amati, rose magnificently to the chal-lenge, with the rest of the lunchtime concert works by another American named John, with Novacek’s Four Rags For Two Jons featuring a most jolly Warren Jones on piano and Jose Franch-Ballester on clarinet, bring-ing a delightful end to the energized show.

For the evening performance, John Serry’s Night Rhapsody was added

to the chamber music ensemble’s rep-ertoire.

For a third work, Harbison’s Songs America Loves to Sing founder and flutist Adrian Spence joined the talent-ed cast, along with Ani Aznavoorian on cello....

Bruce is BackTop photographer Bruce Weber

clearly loves Santa Barbara.The lensman, who shoots well

received campaigns for the likes of Calvin Klein, Abercrombie & Fitch and Ralph Lauren’s Polo label, was in our rarefied enclave earlier this year doing a week-long shoot for A&F at various venues, including on Butterfly Beach near the Coral Casino, as I exclusively reported here.

Now, says my mole with the martini, Weber will be back in our tony town this week working on another A&F

campaign and will be returning just weeks later to lens a Polo campaign.

Weber, known for his bushy beard and blue bandana, certainly gets around.

Earlier this month he was in Venice, Italy, for the city’s 70th film festival and bumped into Santa Barbara Polo Club sponsor, Cat Pollon, who was sojourning at the Cipriani, which she has visited regularly for the past three decades.

“I introduced myself and he was absolutely charming,” purrs Cat...

Hello GorgeousOn the subject of models, a new

agency, amusingly dubbed Hello Gorgeous, has just opened in Montecito.

The red carpet was rolled out, the Klieg lights were piercing the night

Itzhak Perlman shines at the Granada

Paul Huang makes his mark in Camerata Pacifica debut

26 September – 3 October 2013MONTECITO JOURNAL32 • The Voice of the Village •

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MISCELLANY MISCELLANY Page 39

MISCELLANY MISCELLANY (Continued from page 27)skies and the velvet rope was being worked overtime when the Montecito Aesthetic Institute on Coast Village Road, which provides medical and non-medical beauty treatments, host-ed a socially gridlocked bash to launch the enterprise.

Leggy models, ferried in a decid-edly overstretched white limousine, joined a host of handsome hunks for the fabulous fashion fete for the agen-cy, owned and managed by Shannon Loar-Coté, who also owns a beauty company called Blush & Lashes.

She works behind the camera as a make-up artist and specializes in art direction and photo styling.

“My models are like an extended family,” she twitters. “Their success is my success.”

A former international model, Loar-Coté says she found a strong need for a formal agency in Santa Barbara.

“So many local businesses are stuck with having to seek talent from Los Angeles and end up having to pay additional costs for them to travel here to work. Now our businesses have access to beautiful, local talent with-out all the added costs.

“I have been producing and direct-ing fashions shows and art events for the past five years here. Opening a talent agency is a natural progression since most of the talent I work with is now part of the new agency’s roster.”

Think PinkIt wasn’t a scene from the 1957

Stanley Donen classic film Funny Face with Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn, but everybody was cer-tainly thinking pink when the Breast Cancer Resource Center threw a pul-sating polo party at the Summerland estate of hotel magnate Pat Nesbitt and his wife, Ursula.

A record 368 guests turned out for the 15th annual event, which raised around $300,000 for the popular non-profit.

“It is a community effort that reso-nates with everybody,” says executive director Silvana Kelly. “Breast cancer is out there and people are willing to talk about and help with the cause. It is not a shameful disease.”

Given the equestrian theme creat-ed by silent auction designer Frank Ramirez and his company, Visuals, the Pink Polo Party, co-chaired by Carolyn Wyatt and Deann Zampelli, kicked off with some energetic horseplay in an all-female round robin match.

Ubiquitous Andrew Firestone emceed the event, which included auc-tion prizes of a two-night stay at the W Residences in Hollywood, a week at a 350-year-old cottage in Cornwall, England, jewelry by Natalie Baroni and a painting by local artist Karen Bezuidenhout.

Among those checking out the chuk-

kers were Susan St. John, Dallas Clark, Jonathan Burrows, Corinna Gordon, Jeff and Hollye Jacobs, Bilo Zarif, Mara Abboud, Caroline Thompson, Debbie Kass, Alicia St. John, Mireille Noone, Shaun Tomson, Nina Terzian, Victoria Firestone, Geonine Moriarty, Charles Ward and Pamela Haskell...

Rev Your Engines It was horsepower of an entirely

different kind that was on display at the Montecito Country Club when the Coast Village Classic Car Show held its first ever gala.

The bustling bash, which attracted 200 guests and was co-chaired by Dana Newquist and Dolores Johnson, fea-tured L.A. auctioneer Vinnie Mandzak selling a selection of goodies including a painting by the late Leroy Neiman, a week-long escape to Costa Rica, a stay at the Biltmore and a Ladies Day of Bliss at the El Encanto, featuring a spa visit for four, helping raise in excess of $100,000 for Special Olympics Santa Barbara.

The dinner also featured a “Dessert Dash,” in which the diners at the high-est donating table had first pick of the 19 varieties of cakes and puddings on display.

Among those at the gala, held 40 hours before 150 highly polished vin-tage automobiles went on display on Coast Village Road, were spon-sor Michael Hammer, Bill Dalziel, Orwin and Alma Middleton, Seth and Tanis Hammond, Arthur and Monica

Dolores Johnson, Dana Newquist and Sara Spataro at the Coast Village Car Show gala at the Montecito Country Club (photo by Priscilla)

Car Enthusiasts and race drivers Jack Bianchi and Tanis and Seth Hammond, who also designed and made the “one of a kind” Special Olympics Trophies (photo by Priscilla)

Michael Hammer being interviewed

by Steve Ford of “The Car Guy”

KTMS 990 radio show (photo by

Priscilla)

26 September – 3 October 2013 MONTECITO JOURNAL 39Taste is the enemy of creativeness – Pablo Picasso

MISCELLANY MISCELLANY (Continued from page 32)

Peterson, Viktor and Angie Hammer, Sara Spataro, Paksy Plackis-Cheng, Lana Marmé and Alex Mertens...

Trip of a Lifetime Montecito Bank & Trust executive,

Mary Ellen Tiffany, who just returned to our rarefied enclave after a six-month global trek around the world, has been reminiscing about her trip.

“There were so many highlights, it is almost a blur,” she says. “I was a traveler rather than a tourist.

“I woke up each morning knowing that I would experience something I had never enjoyed before. There were no low points during the trip other than having to leave countries earlier than I would have liked.”

Her travels took her to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Oman, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Rwanda, Kenya, the Seychelles, Morocco, Portugal and Spain.

“I would do it again – absolutely,” says Mary Ellen. “It was certainly the journey of a lifetime.

“However, I envision living a long life so I see many more opportuni-ties to continue enjoying these types of adventures. Returning home has

also been a great joy. To be greeted so warmly by so many people makes one realize how truly special it is to have relationships that endure both space and time. Life is good!”

Table of Life The Foodbank of Santa Barbara’s

second annual Table of Life event at the Pacifica Graduate Institute – the former Fleischmann estate – was clearly in the right aria when it got a last minute auction prize donated by Montecito entrepreneur Nina Terzian.

It seems Nina has become a good friend of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli over the years and offered tickets to a concert anywhere in the world, as well as a meeting with the singer after the performance, which was snapped up by local twosome Robert and Christine Emmons for $5,500.

Certainly something to sing about!More than 150 guests attended the

charming garden party lunch, chaired by Leslie Ridley-Tree, helping raise around $250,000.The event honored philanthropist Sara Miller McCune and the Goleta-based company Citrix for their contributions to the cause.

Erik Talkin, Foodbank CEO, says the organization put eight million meals on tables during the last year in Santa Barbara County, a hefty 14 mil-lion pounds of food!

“We are serving one in four people in this county, most of them children,” he emphasized.

Among those munching and lunch-ing were Eileen Mielko, Bob and Val Montgomery, Perri Harcourt, Karl and Nancy Hutterer, Harry and Judi Weisbart, Janet Garufis, Susan Dempster, Carole Ridding, Hiroko Benko, Pamela Lewis, Marybeth Carty, Sam Tyler, Larry Feinberg and Starr Siegele...

Shining Stars It was certainly a night on the tiles

when the Rape Crisis Center threw its 12th annual Shining Stars awards party on the roof of the Canary, rais-ing around $40,000 for the 39-year-old charity that has helped 700 survivors of rape and assault.

Sixteen staffers from the SB County Sheriff’s investigative unit were

honored, along with the late Susan Trescher, a longtime supporter who bequeathed $250,000 to the nonprofit, and 90-year-old Charlotte Ellen, a board member.

“We have a great relationship with Bill Brown and his officers,” says executive director Elsa Granados. “They deal with these matters with great sensitivity, which is very impor-tant.”

State assemblyman Das Williams emceed the event while state senator Hannah-Beth Jackson helped raise donations from the guests includ-ing Kent Newton, Paul and Beverly Weiss, Mary O’Gorman, Michael and Susanne Cohen, Damien Gaddis and Gail Rappaport...

Happy Birthday It is hard to believe Waxing Poetic

opened on Summerland’s Lillie Avenue 12 months ago.

The company, which also has a branch in Los Olivos, sells jewelry and keepsakes using the lost wax pro-cess in its molding, and now supplies 1,200 stores globally since launching 12 years ago.

“It has really taken off,” says owner Patti Simpson, who threw a first anni-versary bash to mark the occasion. “It has been a great success from day one.”

Palmer Jackson and his band, The Doublewide Kings, provided the entertainment as guests noshed the pizza and birthday cake...

Royal RecordThe Prince of Wales just celebrated

a new record, but one that he probably wishes he hadn’t.

Charles, who’ll be 65 in November, is now the oldest heir to the British throne for almost 300 years as his mother, Queen Elizabeth, 87, is now the oldest monarch in British history.

He has eclipsed the record of William IV, who became monarch in June, 1830, aged 64 years, ten months and five days, on the death of his father George III.

William died without an heir in 1837 and was succeeded by his niece, Queen Victoria, who went on to become the country’s longest reigning monarch, with 63 years on the throne.

HRH still has Sophia of Hanover to beat as the oldest heir to the throne.

The princess died aged 83 in 1714, a few months before Queen Anne died.

Charles became the heir apparent on the death of his grandfather George VI, when his mother succeeded to the throne on February 6, 1952.

He is already the longest serving heir to the throne having passed, a number of years ago, the previous record set by Edward VII who became monarch aged 59, when his mother Queen Victoria died in 1901...

Sightings: Oscar winner Kevin Costner shooting a VW commercial on the beach near the Santa Barbara Yacht Club... Rocker and former Extra anchor Mark McGrath checking out the wares at Rooms & Gardens on State Street... Julia Louis-Dreyfus and husband, Brad Hall, shopping at Montecito Urban Gardens in Summerland

Pip! Pip! for now

Readers with tips, sightings and amusing items for Richard’s column should e-mail him at richardmineards@verizon.net or send invita-tions or other correspondence to the Journal •MJ

Roy Miller, Special Olympics Car Show Judge presented “Best In Show” to Terry Karges and Paige Wheeler for the 1953 Ghia bodied Cadillac custom built for Rita Hayworth, which is kept in the Petersen Automotive Museum (photo by Priscilla)

Mary Ellen Tiffany recalls her six-month global trek

Patient Prince Charles

Assemblyman Das Williams, Jim Petersen, Sheriff Bill Brown, Susan Trescher (pictured), and Elsa Granados at the Rape Crisis Center gala (photo by Priscilla)