Harrah’s Chopper on Call; Checking on Youthful Rosse, Sim
OC INSIDER
by RICK REIFF
Mike Harrah’s ready to help. The bearded, outsized, cigar-chomping, Harley-biking man-on-the-go who wants to build a 37-story office tower in downtown Santa Ana has offered the services of several helicopters, including a Cobra, if Orange County suffers a terrorist attack or other disaster. Harrah is one of about 600 reserves deputized by Sheriff Mike Carona. Harrah pilots the Cobra in movie stunts, most recently for “The Hulk,” which comes out next summer. However, the Insider is assured Harrah won’t be taking out any evildoers,his chopper only fires on cinema, from toy guns …
Chris Schulz emphasizes that when Alan Bell told the Insider that Freedom Communications was “out of the magazine business” he was referring to its closed national consumer magazines division. Local pubs done under the OC Register umbrella,Coast, Orange County Home, Golf Extra, programs for the Mighty Ducks, South Coast Repertory and the OC Performing Arts Center,”are alive and well” …
Jim Rosse finally persuaded his folks it’s time they got into an assisted living apartment. So Rosse, 70, former provost at Stanford and retired CEO of Freedom Communications, along with brother Wendell, 69, retired chairman of hematology and oncology at Duke, were in Omaha, Neb. recently helping their independent-minded parents James, 99, and Shirley, 95, move out of their home of 42 years. As for the proposed ownership transition at Freedom, Rosse said, “I think the proposal made by the fourth generation of the Hoiles family is a promising development. I know at first hand that the fourth generation has the potential of strong leadership within its ranks, leadership that is fully capable of guiding Freedom as it evolves to its next stage of development” …
Service with a smile: Melody Shank at the Diedrich Coffee cafe in Park Place, Irvine …
Last month Dick Sim marked his 66th birthday and first anniversary of his retirement from The Irvine Company by visiting Scotland with son Brian, a Mazda exec in Chicago. They played seven golf courses (St. Andrews Old Course, both Turnberry courses, Troon, Prestwick, Gullane and Carnoustie) in seven days. “I lost five pounds. We walked 40 miles.” And he shot in the 80s in the wind, rain and gorse. Then it was on with wife Ann to their vacation home in Phoenixville, Pa. for two weeks with 50 kids, grandkids, other relatives and friends. Back here, Sim, who ran Donald Bren’s investment properties for 20 years, is giving Irvine Mayor Larry Agran free advice on the “Great Park” plan. He also donates time to UCI, Barclay Theatre and Human Options. And after a career in which he never used a keyboard, Sim has become an avid e-mailer. He’s on his second computer, having “fried” the first one. Now he knows to use a surge strip …
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