Wow! What a lovefest.
It seemed like everyone at the Orcutt Children’s Arts Foundation’s (OCAF) 16th annual gala was totally enamored of country music singer Pryor Baird. The young man—who was raised in Orcutt, attended Orcutt schools, and had been a contestant on The Voice—flew in from Nashville with his band to perform at the fundraiser held on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Country Club. It was like the Grand Ole Opry and then some.
The County Club rocked as 225 OCAF fans swooned during the singer’s after-dinner show.
OCAF’s board President Eric Melsheimer, gala committee Chair Kirby Fell, and Executive Director LuAnn Luongo were clearly delighted with the excitement in the air.
Current and former OCAF board members, including Pat McDermott (with wife Cyndy), Allison Smith (with Aaron), and Jan Zilli, were among the crowd that included Jim McGlothlin, OASIS powerhouse Julie Hall, and Mark and Wendy Stellar.
Before dinner, members of the Orcutt Union School District Band—smartly dressed in bright blue uniforms and wearing white-plumed hats—played one marching number as they circled the dining room.
There was a lot of bidding action and neighborly chitchat on the patio, where the silent-auction tables were set up and protected from chilly night air by overhead heaters.
Paint the Town was the theme of the evening. In keeping with that and OCAF’s mission of promoting the arts in the schools, there were displays of student art, also on the patio.
Of course the room was full of Orcutt school parents and members of the education establishment, including Allan Hancock College President Kevin Walthers and Shannon Elliot, art teacher John Hood with Debra, and graphics guru Nancy Jo Ward with Rick Sweet.
Mistress of Ceremonies duties were the realm of former KSBY news anchor and Sun Eats writer Wendy Thies Sell.
Community support for OCAF was evident in the dessert auction prices. Get a load of this: A pink champagne cake sold for $3,000. A cheesecake baked by Orcutt School Superintendent Deborah Blow went for $1,000. That’s like five bucks a calorie.
I remember one of the early OCAF fundraisers, held in the courtyard of what was then The Loading Dock. There were fewer than 100 attending. Who knew—or even suspected—that OCAF would grow to be a must-attend event?
Pryor, we loved you and can’t wait for a return engagement.
Love your library
Another lovefest of sorts happened at the Love Your Library fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 10, in the main library’s Shepard Hall.
First, there was the cause: raising money for library programs. Second: You had to love the Tri City Chorus—20 ladies dressed in red—and the speaker, a former Hollywood gossip columnist and now a significant senior activist, Rona Barrett. (That’s what I call a career change.)
And then there was the food, catered by The Moxie Café on McCoy, which has an outpost in the library lobby. Eighty book lovers enjoyed generous portions of pulled pork, tri-tip, and/or free-range chicken. Grilled vegetables, a rice medley, salad, and a variety of beverages completed the lunch.
Recently elected City Councilmember Gloria Soto was out and about, connecting with her constituents. She shared a table with acting City Attorney Phil Sinco and Cristine Martins Sinco. Cristine founded the Teal Foundation, which is having its always-lively fashion show on April 6 at the Radisson.
When I saw Frank and Suzanne Hajnik (she is vice president of the Library Foundation board), I knew her sister Sandy Buchanan and Rob must be nearby, which indeed they were. The foursome’s table included Francine Woods, who represented her family’s Woods Foundation.
City Librarian Mary Housel was all smiles when she announced the Santa Maria library system has plans for a bookmobile that will travel around the city and perhaps expand the number of clients the library serves.
She also told us that, in the near future, the library will be able to take applications for passports.
Artist Minnie Anderson (attending with husband, Jim) was oh so happy to win a silent auction item—vintage silver jewelry. Perennial nonprofit volunteer Diane Aleman-Stevens took home at least two items, including a bingo basket from the Elks Lodge.
Artist Marilyn Benson, Joe and Avery Galas, Kathy Brown, and John and Karen Ransome were other familiar faces in the crowd.
After the program, Miss Barrett signed copies of her book, Gray Matters.
Tickets for all this book-related bliss were $50 each.
All in all, a lovely time was had by all, wouldn’t you say?
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you can contact her at column151@gmail.com.
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 7, 2019.