Chapman University

They sang. They danced. They even sent University President Jim Doti flying through the air above a stage lined up with chorus girls. And at the end of it all, they raised $2.12 million for student scholarships. American Celebration at Chapman University in Orange reached its 30-year milestone last week, producing one of the most spectacular events on the Orange Coast. A crowd of some 700 Chapman donors gathered in festive holiday black tie for the big show in Memorial Hall prior to a dinner party.

B.W COOK Martinis were served. Guests danced cheek to cheek. It was the start of a very romantic evening. An incomparable setting provided by hosts Twyla and Charles Martin set the tone for an end-of-summer gathering for the Fashionables in support of Chapman University. On the oceanfront cliffs above Emerald Bay, some 200 glamorous patrons arrived at the formidable Martin estate, a Georgian-inspired stone manor by the sea. The dinner party was set up on the sloping lawn above the Pacific facing north and west into the sunset.

B.W. COOK Big money for higher education was the big-ticket luncheon at Shady Canyon Golf Club in Irvine. A capacity crowd of Newport-Mesa supporters of Chapman University filled the dining room facing the California scenery of hills, cactus and Shady Canyon's course. They had come to applaud Kristina Dodge, a young, attractive and naturally engaging Newport Coast resident, who teamed up with husband Larry Dodge to make a $20 million donation to Chapman University, the largest ever in the history of the institution.

Friends of a Chapman University law professor who died after falling from a parking structure last week remembered her as a legal ally to supporters of same-sex marriage. Mary "Katherine" Baird Darmer was one of the founding members and served as the legal chairwoman of the Orange County Equality Coalition, providing legal counsel to those working to repeal Proposition 8. Darmer, who lived in Newport Beach, fell from a parking structure in the 19000 block of MacArthur Boulevard in Irvine on Friday.

Taylor Lynd Brigandi and Gregory George Swanson. Christopher and Christina Brigandi along with Richard and Ellen Swanson are pleased to announce the engagement of Taylor Lynd Brigandi to Gregory George Swanson. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Chapman University and is currently employed at Hurley. The future groom is a graduate of the University of Arizona and earned his Master's Degree at Cal State University Fullerton. He currently works in construction management.  The wedding will take place in Newport Beach on July 28th 2012.

Chapman University forecast, which was wrong in its 2005 predictions, calls for 4.2% dip in 2006.Last year, Chapman University's economic forecast incorrectly predicted Orange County home prices would drop. This year, the university's forecast is again projecting a decline for real estate. Thursday, when Chapman University professor Esmael Adibi presented the university's economic forecast for 2006, he admitted that he made a mistake last year when he predicted a drop in Orange County home prices.

ORANGE ? Rachel Bomgren hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning as Vanguard University salvaged a nonconference softball doubleheader split with Chapman University on Friday. The Lions (18-20) won the second game, 2-1, on Bomgren's homer. Erin Ladd's RBI single in the fifth inning tied the score at 1-1. Krista Mahan picked up the victory, scattering seven hits and striking out six. In the first game, Vanguard was held to six hits in a 2-0 loss. Bomgren had two hits in the game, with Ladd, Heather Durham, Jennifer Rynda and Jenna Willis adding hits.

56, Newport Coast ... Irvine Co.'s group senior vice president of public affairs ... Guides the company's communications, focusing on news media and community communications and Web site ... Major projects this year included work on the planned Pelican Hill resort hotel ... Once served as press secretary to Pete Wilson when he was mayor of San Diego, to George Deukmejian when he was governor and George Bush the senior when...

Bob Bassett , dean of the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University, welcomed the arts community in Orange County to the 13th annual Women in Focus conference. An accomplished female roster of industry talent addressed a crowd of some 400 guests on the "state of the intersection of art and commerce in the business of communication. " Among the celebrated panelists were Debra Martin Chase , producer of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "The Princess Diaries," Leslie Dixon , producer of "Mrs.

Taylor Lynd Brigandi and Gregory George Swanson. Christopher and Christina Brigandi along with Richard and Ellen Swanson are pleased to announce the engagement of Taylor Lynd Brigandi to Gregory George Swanson. The bride-to-be is a graduate of Chapman University and is currently employed at Hurley. The future groom is a graduate of the University of Arizona and earned his Master's Degree at Cal State University Fullerton. He currently works in construction management.  The wedding will take place in Newport Beach on July 28th 2012.

Friends of a Chapman University law professor who died after falling from a parking structure last week remembered her as a legal ally to supporters of same-sex marriage. Mary "Katherine" Baird Darmer was one of the founding members and served as the legal chairwoman of the Orange County Equality Coalition, providing legal counsel to those working to repeal Proposition 8. Darmer, who lived in Newport Beach, fell from a parking structure in the 19000 block of MacArthur Boulevard in Irvine on Friday.

COSTA MESA — Orange County will add an estimated 21,000 new jobs next year, but housing sales and prices will remain flat, according to Chapman University's economic forecast for 2012. The forecast delivered this week at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts estimates a 1.6% increase in payroll jobs countywide, but that estimate may turn out to be too conservative, said Esmael Adibi, director of the university's A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research. "The good news is, I think, the pace of job creation is picking up steam," he said.

BALBOA ISLAND — An African man peers from one side of her bed and an African woman stares from the other. Miriam Baker, the Balboa Island artist who will sculpt Newport Beach's Ronald Reagan statue, lives among her works. She admires people's faces and cultures so much that her house is filled with life-like, vibrant reminders of them. "Those little highlights give the eyes life," she said, pointing to wrinkles below the eye of a Reagan bust she created for Chapman University.

It is the holiday luncheon of the season in Newport. Christmas at The Ritz, a tradition for the past 24 years, unfolded last Saturday, bringing together an overflow crowd of super-spirited folks thrilled to celebrate the season and support Chapman University. Santa was on hand to greet the crush, and he was even intimidated by the good cheer. Santa whispered to me, "I've never seen so many good looking ladies in one place. " Mrs. Claus gave him a little push, and Santa bellowed, "Ho-Ho-Ho.

COSTA MESA — The Orange County and state economies should gain a modest amount of jobs in 2011, especially in service industries such as hospitality, education, health care and business services, according to the Chapman University forecast presented Monday. The slow job growth will continue to be a drag on the housing market, especially for the most expensive homes, forecasters told a large crowd at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. In total, they expect the Orange County economy to add 23,000 jobs in 2011, growing at a rate of 1.7%.

NEWPORT BEACH — He was never short on patience or time, but the Rev. Dennis Short knows when it's time to say goodbye. On Tuesday, the minister at Harbor Christian Church in Newport Beach announced that he plans to retire after devoting 35 years of ministry in Orange County. His last service will be 10 a.m. July 25, a departure, no doubt, that will move the small congregation of almost 150 to tears. A recognition dinner for Short will be in the evening on July 24. Short is a known advocate for the homeless in Costa Mesa, as well as a strong supporter of Planned Parenthood.