Two Years Later, The Mang Fire Brings Back Warm Memories

When your kitchen catches on fire and firefighters in bunker gear march through your dinner party, it's an experience friends don't forget.

That's what happened to former Bon chief financial officer Bob and Hilda Mang. On that occasion two years ago, they called off dinner and extended the cocktail hour through the rest of the evening.

When the Mangs left Seattle last year, friends held an "I survived the Mang fire" party, which included T-shirts with that inscription.

When they came back to town for this year's Poncho, John and Rita Getzelman gave a party in their honor. As the invitations read: "We won't set the house on fire but . . . "

When it comes to parties with spirits, or spirited parties, Bob Lucurell knows how to give them. While he admits to being perfectly content with a $6 bottle of wine from Safeway, he is heading the Poncho wine auction Oct. 17.

Also a car buff, Lucurell's new acquisition is a Model A with a Chev engine. As he made a stop while bringing it home from Olympia, a number of young women were "oohing and aahing" over the car.

He said to his skeptical employee Steve Moore: "See, the girls like this kind of car."

In the pre-Poncho festivities, McCaw Cellular's Bruce McCaw showed up at the fine art reception with Syndi Scoville, a sales rep from Columbia Sportswear Co. The company has donated several items to Poncho.

In other travels, Althea and Sam Stroum, Cindy Stroum Meagher and Donna Benaroya are reportedly bound for a party in California hosted by BankAmerica Corp.'s chairman Richard Rosenberg.

And Martin Selig is reportedly heading for Europe.

After the ad appears, featuring Seattle mechanical contractor Eric Peterson in his underwear, he may want to leave town.

Peterson is to be in the May issue of "GQ" wearing Jockey underwear. When Peterson's wife, Annette, saw an ad asking women to send in a photo of a man they felt would look great in a Jockey product, she couldn't resist.

Peterson is one of six chosen out of 1,000 entries.

Campfire honored Betty Patu, director of the Pacific Islander program at Rainier Beach High School, with the "On Behalf of Youth Award" for developing programs that provide at-risk youth with safe activities as an alternative to joining gangs.

KOMO-TV was also honored for its "For Kids' Sake" campaign.

And speaking of television, yes KIRO anchor Susan Hutchison is expecting Child No. 2. The first, John David, was born in 1989.

Hutchison, along with her husband Andy, also will join community leaders in cameo appearances during Seattle Opera's Platinum Night production of "Cosi fan tutte."

Last year, local CEOs and others were in the conga line during the Platinum Night production of "Don Giovanni." That event raised $80,000 for the opera.

So far no one is saying what role the Hutchisons and company will have in this production. Whatever it is, event co-chairmen Craig McCaw and Stuart Sloan are aiming for strong support - $150,000 worth - for the May 16 production.

Joining the Hutchisons will be Nancy and Wayne Badovinus of Eddie Bauer; Marilyn and Gerry Cameron of U.S. Bank; Steve and Judy Clifford of Northwest Mobile Television; Doris and Frank Gaudette, Microsoft; State Rep. Gary Locke; Elva and Peter Schmidt of MARCO and the Seattle Symphony's Gerard and Jody Schwarz.

A few familiar names have been inducted into The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Among them, KIRO TV's Chris Wedes (J.P. Patches); Ancil Payne, former president and CEO of KING; Jean Walkinshaw, KCTS/9; Bob Briley, public-affairs director at KHQ in Spokane; Don McCune, KOMO's Captain Puget, etc.; and Dorothy Bullitt, founder of King Broadcasting (nominated posthumously).

Another familiar name, Betty White, will be back in Seattle for the May 12 Tuxes & Tails auction at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, to benefit the Humane Society. White was in town a few months ago to do a segment on KOMO's "Northwest Afternoon" and also came to town for a Morris Animal Foundation benefit dinner at Longacres.

You won't have to put on a tux for the beginning of boating season. Max and Helen Gurvich are having their usual opening day party Saturday at their Webster Point home. The invitations are out - and in keeping with Gurvich style - so are the bad puns.

About Town by Nancy Bartley appears Sunday and Monday in the Scene section of The Times.