“Please join us for a casual reception and to learn more about the Scholarship Foundation’s activities and future plans in the Santa Maria Valley.”
So read the invitation to an event held on Feb. 12, at Trattoria Uliveto restaurant. Said reception was a very pleasant gathering of about 80 North County donors and supporters of the organization. Based in Santa Barbara, the foundation, in our neck of the woods, is very active in collecting and distributing funds to send high school graduates to college and vocational training.
Among the many educators in the throng were Nancy Hight and Clare McGhee, Mark Muller, George Risher (Pam Risher, we missed you!), and Erik Frost (he is a vice president on the Foundation’s board).
Ron and Mary Nanning, Jim Bray, and David and Gayle Pratt were on the host committee for the evening. The job of the host committee, I surmised, was to circulate and pick up the slack when conversation among guests seemed to be faltering, but in this group, there was absolutely no chance of that.
Jennifer Murray, Roy Reed, Kathy Boysen, and Nancy Johnson enjoyed the company of friends and neighbors.
To accompany the wine, Trattoria Uliveto served their incomparable, utterly delectable meatballs, sweet Italian sausage chunks on skewers, mini-flatbread pizzas, and bruschetta. “Mama mia!” I said, savoring all. So good!
Jay Hardy, who is president of Hardy Diagnostics, and his wife, Ann, received an award for their outstanding generosity to the foundation. In accepting the award, Hardy made some lighthearted remarks. He said that when he was a student at Fullerton State, his only expense was a $10 parking permit fee. He made us laugh when he said the students at that time complained about even that tiny cost.
Commenting that times are now much different, he added, “I hate to see kids have to go into debt to go to college.”
Paint the Coast Red
February is the month during which the American Heart Association emphasizes learning about what makes our hearts go bonkers.
In partnership with Marian Medical Center, they sponsored an annual information luncheon on Feb. 6 at the Santa Maria Country Club promoting awareness of heart disease in women.
The bad news (for us gals) is that more women than men suffer from strokes. The good news is that, according to keynote speaker Dr. Brett Gidney, “technology is spectacular.” He added: “It is amazing what we can do.”
My table included six ladies from the office staff of Marian’s Director of Cardiology Dr. Mark Ginkel (he gave the welcome and introductions): Casey Bell, Nancy Gil, Olivia McNutt, Anne Hansen, Denise King, and Bree Sommerfield, as well as realtor Ellen Thermos and Judge Rogelio Flores.
Among the 180 guests were Dan and Peggy Blough, cardiologist Dr. Bruce Ourieff, Jason Diani, Linda Smith and her mother Sally Sheehy, Ashley Payne, and Terri Lee Coleman.
The event was entitled the Wear Red Day luncheon, and was subtitled Paint the Coast Red.Guests were encouraged to wear, of course, red.
Macy’s provided each of us with a bottle of red nail polish and a red card entitling the holder to $10 off a purchase. Lunch included grilled chicken, a tasty chilled tomato bisque, and raspberry sherbet. Tickets were $55.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Feb 19-26, 2015.
