By that I mean an impressive lineup of movers and shakers in North County and an equally impressive lineup of silent and live auction items. Sign of the times: An Amazon Kindle was on the silent auction table.
This made Winter Nights, held Saturday evening, Nov. 19, at the Santa Maria Country Club, very special.
The $60-a-ticket event benefited the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center.
Among the 150 who attended Winter Nights were Congresswoman Lois Capps, Sheriff Bill Brown, District Attorney Joyce Dudley, Santa Maria City Councilman Mike Cordero, and Etta Waterfield from State Senator Sam Blakeslee’s office.
Are we talking heavy hitters or what?
Judge Art Garcia and his wife Carmen Vadillo, and Commissioner Denise Motter and husband Gerald were also in the group.
There were a lot of folks from Lompoc, including Chief of Police Tim Dabney and wife Susan, Joyce Howerton, Mary Harvey, and Lompoc Chamber of Commerce CEO Ken Ostini with wife Toni.
Santa Maria’s Dr. Dennis and Franziska Shepard, Jackie and Bruno Brunello, and Gene Martinez and Deborah Whitford were among the guests.
The holidays were the theme of the silent auction tables in the foyer. There was a humongous nativity set and lots of Santas, snowmen, and toys for under the tree. If you shop for kids at Christmas, you could have gone bananas.
There was also a gorgeous handmade wine rack, 3 feet high, made from an oak wine barrel. Haven’t seen one of these before. Lompoc artist Betty Biggs donated a handsomely framed (by her husband, Levi) and provocatively titled watercolor, Nectar Kisses, for the live auction.
The auction items were not same-old, same-old. A stay at Yosemite, dinner for 10 from the fabulous New West Catering, a stay at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara, a gift certificate from the highly regarded Santa Barbara restaurant Olio E Limone, and tea at Penelope’s in Lompoc were among some of the new and fresh entries. The affable Jim Glines was auctioneer.
Marjorie Gjerdrum’s interest in the North County Rape Crisis Center evolved out of her daughter Attorney Karen Gjerdrum Fothergill’s involvement on the board.
“Rape Crisis,” Marjorie told me, “doesn’t have a particularly nice ring. It’s impressive that so many important people came out to support this evening.”
This was not the kind of event where you would want to misbehave. Sgt. Deanna Clement of the Lompoc PD; Chris Clement, a D.A. investigator; and Capt. Larry Ralston of the Lompoc PD and wife Susan were at Dabney’s table.
Also, there were David and Laurel Barcelona (she’s Lompoc city administrator) and Mike and Cozetta Blow (she’s a domestic violence advocate for Lompoc police).
Terri Zuniga was pleased at the turnout. Terri worked closely with Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS) before moving on to work on similar issues in the D.A.’s office. She plans to run for Santa Maria City Council in 2012.
DVS and the Rape Crisis Center often work together. DVS’s Associate Executive Director Marsha Marcoe and Development Assistant Natalie Gutierrez drove up from Santa Barbara to show support.
I enjoyed their company at the Santa Barbara Foundation table that included Don and Kay Rowland from Lompoc. He’s chairman of the Lompoc Affiliates of the SB Foundation.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Dec 1-8, 2011.
