Ahmansons’ Eclectic Salon; Moorlach Is No Mr. Big Shot

Howard and Roberta Ahmanson wrapped several pleasant surprises into the salon they hosted recently at Fieldstead & Co. Inc. It’s their family office, which looks after a fortune that started with Howard Ahmanson Sr., the late founder of Home Savings of America and a giant in the development of Southern California as a powerhouse fueled by a middle class that had room to grow in nearly every sense of the word in the decades after World War II. That transformation was much on the mind of the salon, thanks to a talk by Joel Kotkin, whose new book, “The Human City,” might be the most sensible piece of advocacy for the middle class in years. Kotkin got quite a lead-up for his talk, starting with a first step into Fieldstead, which resides in what appears at a glance to be a run-of-the-mill, low-slung building not far from John Wayne Airport. Then the door opens onto a vibrant decor—bold, contrasting colors on the walls, fetching sculptures, engaging paintings, shelf after shelf of books. The crowd was just as eclectic, with style tones ranging from Country Club to Campus Intellectual to Cassocked Clergy. Then came Kotkin, who was sharp and witty as he put something serious on the minds of the 50 or so individuals in the room … A sign of the times at the CNN Newsstand in the busy B terminal at John Wayne Airport, where Chapman U. gets equal billing with UC Irvine, with logos of both schools on T-shirts and hoodies for sale. Nothing for Cal State Fullerton, Concordia U. or any other local colleges or universities … The same newsstand offers work by some smart designer who simply nailed it with a collection of baseball caps that sport ORANGE COUNTY airbrushed in an Asian font suggestive of calligraphy strokes … 2-Paper Town: Front page of the L.A. Times on May 26, the day after Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump made appearances in Buena Park and Anaheim, respectively: “Battleground California.” Same day out front for the Register: “Battle Ground: Orange County.” Give the Register the advantage on local emphasis … He does and he doesn’t—that’s the only way to explain the I (HEART) B.S. sticker on the Mercedes diesel SUV of Larry Thomas, a veteran media spokesperson who’s done Sacramento, Washington, Bechtel and the Irvine Company—and still knows how to stick to the truth while pitching a particular point of view. He also happens to love Borrego Springs, which explains the sticker and the choice of vehicle … Congratulations to the whole crew of the Business Journal—from the newsroom to the sales, marketing and events staff, the production crew, and the circulation and financial folks. Every aspect helped earn a California Small Business of the Year Award last week in Sacramento, where state Sen. John Moorlach bestowed the honor for the 37th District. A walk through the Capitol offered evidence that Moorlach is showing Sacramento the unique blend of bean counter/policy wonk/people person that has made him a formidable public servant, as well as a favorite of regular folks here for 20 years. He’s 6 feet 5 and became the tallest of the Senate’s 40 members upon his election to the body last year, but the big fella hasn’t gone big shot—something the Insider noted when Moorlach greeted the elevator operator in the Capitol building by name, extending the elderly gentleman the same courtesy he gives fellow legislators.