MISCELLANY (Continued from page 18) Having enjoyed the evening are Romina and Ardy Banan with Adriana and Igor Mezic (photo by Priscilla)
Actress Shirley Jones on her rocker
Hallelujah Homage Veteran music director JoAnne Wasserman was clearly in her element when the Santa Barbara Choral Society staged its fourth annual Hallelujah Project at the Lobero in memory of former board president Dr. Dan Secord, who delivered more than 6,000 new residents in a 35-year medical career. The concert, which of course included Handel’s uplifting Hallelujah Chorus conducted by former politico Brooks Firestone, was a glorious Yuletide miscellany of seasonal cheer featuring the Goleta Valley Junior High Choir and the American Riviera Children’s Chorus, with Oscar-winning Partridge Family actress Shirley Jones, narrating “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” with four of her Cassidy grandchildren, Caleb, Rowan, Lila, and Mairen. The two-hour show kicked off with local Stephen Dombek’s Fanfare de Noel with the audience joining in the rousing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, before wrapping with “The Twelve Gifts of Christmas” – with soloists Naomi Merer, Sally Rose Bates, James Kirkland, Eric Rodkey, and Tyler Reece – and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”. Oh, what a beautiful evening. Pride and Joy Summerland twosome Robert and Robin Fell opened the doors of their beautiful estate for a Christmas fund-
ly and internationally,” says Bruce Zipf, president and CEO of NRT LLC, America’s largest residential real estate brokerage company. As part of the three-day jaunt, Randy and his colleagues participated in strategic business sessions and panel discussions, providing insight into the world’s wealthiest markets. They also toured new Manhattan luxury developments that are altering the skyline I knew during my 25 years there immeasurably. Two for One
raiser for the San Marcos High Royal Pride Foundation. The colorfully decorated bash featured a performance from the school’s singing group, the Madrigals, with director Carolyn Teraoka-Brady, which includes the couple’s son, Alexander, who had sung earlier in the evening at the La Cumbre Country Club and recently participated with 600 singers in Disney by Candlelight in Anaheim. A Yuletide cracker. High & Lois Retiring Congresswoman Lois Capps, who made her last speech
Retiring politico Lois Capps loves Miscellany
on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives last week, tells me she is an avid follower of this column. Lois, 78, who has represented the Central Coast in Congress since 1998, says she reads it on her frequent flights from Santa Barbara to Washington, D.C. Praise indeed. Big Business in Big Apple Montecito uber-realtor Randy Solakian has just returned from New York, where he participated in an International Luxury Alliance Network event at Manhattan’s Peninsula Hotel. Representing the Santa Barbara marketplace, Randy was joined by fellow luxury marketing experts from North America and Europe affiliated with Coldwell Banker and the Big Apple’s premier luxury sales professionals from The Corcoran Group. In total, the group represents more than $2.5 billion in sales volume in luxury real estate sales and ranks within the top one percent of the company agents worldwide. “This gathering was an opportunity for them to strengthen their relationships and collectively harness their competitive edge, which ultimately benefits their clients who rely on them to market their estates domestical-
ANIMALIA from Tom Mielko and Erin Graffy rakes in awards
ANIMALIA, the popular new book which features the detailed graphic paintings of Montecito artist Tom Mielko paired with pithy poetry by my Journal colleague, Eric Graffy, has been garnering the accolades. It was recently presented the bronze medal for poetry by the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and the Benjamin Franklin silver medal for excellence in books on animals by the Independent Book Publishers Association. Judges for the honor commented: “Artwork for the cover, back cover, and insides was outstanding. Children
Welcoming their guests Jay Winner, M.D., Dana Winner with hosts Robin and Bob Fell (photo by Priscilla)
Montecito’s Randy Solakian joins world’s top realtors in New York
40 MONTECITO JOURNAL
• The Voice of the Village •
22 – 29 December 2016