Doug Kirkorian

Published:

Long Beach Press Telegram (CA)

Doug Kirkorian, Sports

May 3, 2002

'JEWELS' BRINGS DIFFERENT FEEL TO PYRAMID

The Pyramid, which usually is the site of such banal activities as guys and girls shooting basketballs and spiking volleyballs, will turn into a bacchanal room Saturday night.

Oh, calm down, Dede Rossi, just kidding.

One of this community's most anticipated social events, the Jewels Of The Night, never turns into a drunken orgy.

It just seems that way because the 1,000 or so people who always turn up have so much fun dancing, eating, laughing, imbibing, talking, joking and bidding on the coveted auction items.

What other place can you go to this weekend and be able to make a offer that could result in one day having dinner with me, an experience so exhilarating and thrilling that I’m sure it would even surpass flying into space with the Russian astronauts?

For sure, it will be a lot cheaper, since the latter costs $20 million and having the opportunity to exchange cultural ideas with me and listen to my art musings-yes, Gericault’s The Raft of the Medusa is my favorit painting but Caspar David Friedrich and Nicolas Poussin are my favorite artists-won’t cost you more than 800 bucks.

As usual, trips to Australia and New Zealand will be up for grabs, as well as seventh row VIP tickets to Sunday’s Paul McCartney concert at the Pond and a visit to the 2003 Masters.

“I think one gift that will attract a lot of attention this year is a weekend trip to New York, and a chance to go out to Yankee Stadium and have Jason Giambi personally sign a bat and ball,” says Rossi, who’s in charge of the event. “Jason is a former Dirtbag (Long Beach State baseball player), and is looking forward to doing it.”

There will be hundreds of other gifts that will be auctioned in an annual bash that has raised more than a half million dollars during the past eight years for the Long Beach State Athletic scholarships.

There will be a cross section of genteel people attending and ones not so genteel, including two of this area’s popular doctors, Terrie St. Germain, who fixes teeth, and Franklin Lowe, who fixes bodies, Craig & Polly Cross, Glen & Debbie Bickerstaff, Ira & Cini Robb, Les & Cindy Robbins and, of course the celebrated Seal Beach Fun Couple, Stu (The Defrocked Playboy) Milligan & wife Elizabeth, known in architectural circles as the Eighth Wonder of The World.

Also present will be the usual Long Beach devotees of nocturnal conviviality, Susie Atwood & Constant Companion Dave Butler, Mike (The Hammer) DiMarzo & Constant Companion Carol Brassel, Two-Fisted Ted Hulsey & Constant Companion Steve (Son of Bob) Folger, and the notorious Bad Stu Ledsam, hungrily on the prowl for a new Constant Companion.

Naturally, Dr. Robert Maxson and his beloved Sylvia will be present, as will Mayor Beverly O’Neill, who won’t give a campaign speech, alas Someone even told me ol’ Ben Agajanian will show up. And I’m sure John Morris will make a grand appearance.

I’m not sure if the roly-poly Long Beach fireman Craig (Five Bellies) Verstermark will make it because he’s on a strict diet and more than 54 restaurants will be catering food for an extravaganza that commences at 5p.m. and costs $75. It’s Five Bellies fervent goal to eventually be known in this column as Four Bellies, a goal I seriously doubt ever will be achieved.

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