OUR LAGUNA: Pets and chili bring out the crowds

The 10th Annual Laguna Beach Pet Parade and Chili Cook-off, presented Sunday by the Laguna Board of Realtors and Affliates at Tivoli Too, raised almost $15,000.

Proceeds will benefit the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Laguna Beach Animal Shelter and Bluebell Cat Foundation.

Chili judges Police Chief Michael Sellers, Fire Chief Mike Macey, Assistant City Manager John Pietig, Liz Comerford and Yuji Hiroka awarded first place to Laguna Escrow Services. Second place went to Chris Lutz with Prudential, followed by Coldwell Banker Preview North. First Team Nolan was the People’s Choice. Booth prizes went to Laguna Escrow, First Team and Cyndi Coulloudon.

Prizes in the pet parade went to Bogey, a cocker-Springer mix and His Magesty (sic), a 16-year-old Shitzu, most gorgeous senior pets; Blue, a Great Dane of great size, and Nitro, a labradoodle, most handsome males; Elie, an English Setter, and Bluefield, a Golden Retriever, prettiest females; Buddy, a rat terrier, and Hurly, a Catahovla (leopard dog), most talented; Rosa, a guinea pig, and Shima, a French Bulldog, cutest babies; and Tucker, a West Highland Terrier, and Star Kitty, the only feline winner, best costumed.

Pets were judged by Pat Kramer, Michael Gosselin, veterinarians James Levine and John Hamill, and Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider, whose cocker spaniel, Sophie, was a past winner.

The event was founded by Caroline Haines. Rick McIntire, the board’s community events chair, was on hand, despite nursing a shoulder that had been dislocated and broken in a hit-and-run accident.

Volunteers included Gayle Waite, program designer Susan Steigelman, Brian James, Faye Kirk, Tom Simpson, Wayne Woodyard, Paul Benec, board Executive Vice President Stephanie Lennon, both Tammy Stanalands, Valerie Aceves, Hilary Edwards and Dianna Redman.

POKING FUN

You have to love City Council members who take community issues seriously but not themselves, especially if they are the ones poking fun.

Council members Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider, Toni Iseman, Steven Dicterow and Jane Egly did just that in the 2006 “Lagunatics: Alien Invasion,” presented Friday-Sunday by No Square Theatre at the Artists Theatre.

The 14th annual roast also featured Police Chief Michael Sellers in his “Lagunatics” debut and locals — almost all of them amateur performers — dancing the choreography of Vanessa Schneller and singing the parodies crafted by Chris Quilter and No Square founder Bree Burgess Rosen.

“It was a fun show,” Quilter said. “I have such a soft spot in my heart for last year’s show because of Mom, so when people say they like this one better, I figure it has to be good.”

The 2005 show benefited the Suzy Q Senior Center, named for the nom de plume of Quilter’s mother, the late Elizabeth Quilter, also known as Grandma Wiz.

This year’s show was not all laughs. Rufino Cabang’s rendition of “The Town That Got Away,” which included the closing of his family’s restaurant and other changes in town, was a nostalgic moment for many in the audience.

The show also featured Carol Robinson, a veteran of 12 years; Deborah Harris, Margo Burgess and Linda Martin, who each have appeared in seven shows; Gregg Barnette, with six years under his belt; and show “virgins” — besides Sellers — youths Sophia Tupy and Casey Miller, both of whom appeared in “Narnia,” Ohio transplant Samantha Stancliff, “Narnia” musical director Robert York and Darrin Reed, assistant to the Laguna Beach schools superintendent.

Proceeds will be used to buy a gift to benefit the theater on the Laguna Beach High School campus. Right now, the thinking is to purchase a lightly-used, 16-foot stake-bed truck as an adjunct to the backstage facilities, which are limited.

“The Artist’s Theatre is a unique hometown treasure,” show master of ceremonies and commentator Bill Harris said. “First and foremost, it serves our kids, but it is also a venue for local groups, like No Square.”

The diversity benefits the whole community, according to Burgess Rosen. Hence the gift.

Sunday’s show was preceded by a reception at the Veterans Memorial Building, which helped raise funds for the gift. A La Carte catered the reception, gratis. Ketel One Vodka gave the event its spirit. Kendall Jackson provided the wines.

Volunteers Ted (Save the Boom) Carver and Pat Barry were among the helpers who poured the wine. Tips went to the Truck Fund, as did the bids in the silent auction. The live auction of a Ketel One Tasting at the Aliso Viejo headquarters raised $1,800, bid by Burgess.

No Square supporters at the reception included Leonard and artist Julita Jones, recovering from a harrowing week of closing down her exhibit areas at the Festival of Arts and the Sawdust and coping with a vehicle breakdown on the way home from a weekend art show in Sausalito.

Also back from a trip: Charlie and Ann Quilter. They had flown north, in their 1953, five-seat Cessna 195 with a radial engine in which Charlie, a former U.S. Marine Corps and major airline pilot, takes great pride. The Quilters were revisiting areas where they first dated, but since they were in the neighborhood, they dropped in for lunch with retired Police Chief Jim and Linda Spreine in Squimm, Wash.

“They are having so much fun, but Jim said he misses Laguna,” Quilter said. “He sent his love to everyone.”

At the reception: The Quilter’s daughter, Emily, Docy and Barry Andrews, CEO of the company founded by Pat Quilter, who was in the show cast; Debbie and Peter Jones, also a cast member; former Mayor Kathleen Blackburn; Planning Commissioner Anne Johnson, Liza and Steve Stewart, who has been commissioned to landscape the Old Pottery Place; Catrina and Taryn Dicterow, Steve Dotoratos and partner Dave Sanford, chamber president; Theresa Daem, school district superintendent; Judy Sinisgalli and her daughter-in-law, Sharon Chenoweth; Ed Gazich and Dr. Gary and Betsy Jenkins, incumbent school board candidate.

Underwriters for the 2006 show included Dr. Richard Caso, Gahahl Lumber, two Rose Hancocks and the husband of one of them, Tom; the chamber, the No Square board, Patrick Quilter and Leon Rosen, a known associate of D’Bree.

“May the farce be with you.”