Gift Keeps Giving

By Richard Mineards | October 11, 2018

(From left) Catholic Charities Santa Barbara staffers Rose and executive director Dan Grimm, staffer Yolanda Vasquez, board member and reverend Lawrence Seyer, and staffer Genevieve Morlino (photo by Chris Toomey)

Christmas came early when Chris Toomey threw a pre-Mistletoe Ball pizza party at his Carpinteria aerie, complete with Yuletide carols, for supporters of the Catholic Charities of Santa Barbara, our Eden by the Beach’s oldest social services agency, which helped more than 12,000 people county-wide last year.

The festive fete, which has been held at the Biltmore and Coral Casino over the years, is moving to Birnam Wood, with the 200 guests hoping to raise around $100,000 for the charity, which supports low-income families.

Co-chairs are Carol Wathen and Barbara Kummer, with Neal Graffy as emcee and the ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri as auctioneer. The gala will honor Maribel Jarchow, who has worked at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel for 40 years.

Among those noshing the pizza and quaffing the wine were parish priest Lawrence Sayer, George Leis, Haley Conklin, Kristan O’Donnell, Bill and Jocelyn Meeker, Ed Hindelang, Mike and Angie Ferraro, Frank McGinity, Teresa McWilliams, Trish Gainey, and Don and Wendy Gragg.

Try, Try Again

Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry may soon be walking down the aisle again.

The “Roar” singer’s English actor beau, Orlando Bloom, 41, intends to make it last with the 33-year-old former Dos Pueblos High student.

“Everyone would be excited if they got engaged,” a friend of the tony twosome tells the London Daily Mail.

“Katy is wonderful and they make a great pair.”

The dynamic duo got together in January 2016, and split in February 2017, before resuming their peripatetic relationship in April.

Take the Wheel

A gas-guzzling Bentley Turbo, formerly owned by Prince Charles, could be your for as little as $15,000 when it goes under the hammer later this month.

The 1994 car is a far cry from the ultra frugal and environmentally friendly $85,000 Jaguar 1-Pace, Queen Elizabeth‘s heir is currently driving.

While the zero-emissions 2018 Jag will cover 298 miles on a single charge of electricity, the 6.75-liter Bentley, which would have cost $130,000 when new, will do just 13 miles to the gallon.

It was part of the Royal fleet until 1996 and, under two different ownerships, now has 140,000 miles on the clock.