An Extraordinary Man to the Finnish

This week Ambassador to Finland Rockwell A. Schnabel of Los Angeles received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland from the president of Finland, Dr. Mauno Koivisto, at a farewell luncheon hosted by the president and Mrs. Koivisto for the ambassador and his wife, Marna, at the presidential Palace in Helsinki.

The decoration is rarely awarded to a foreigner, and Schnabel becomes the first U.S. ambassador to receive the order from President Koivisto. Now, after three years as the U.S. envoy to Finland, the Schnables (who are building a Frank Gehry house in Brentwood) move to Washington to “join the Bush team.”

THANKS: James and Mary Kay Farley (he’s vice chairman of Citicorp) wanted to say thanks to people who have welcomed them to Los Angeles during the past 1 1/2 years (they still have their house in Greenwich, Conn.), so it was a cozy gathering at the California Club. Among the crowd were John Anderson, Jane Arnault, Fred and Joan Gerstell, Ron Hartwig, John and Mary Heidt, Stephen Keller, Peter Locke of San Francisco, Carson McKissick, Claremont’s President John D. Maguire, Jack Pike, escorting Mary Jones, Jane Pisano, Richard Riordan, Ed and Ruth Shannon, Vida and W. J. Fassler, Maury and Carolyn DeWald, and old friends from Greenwich now living in Reno, Nancy and Robert Phelps.

PAST PERFECT: The Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee is getting ready for its 25th anniversary Pasadena Showcase House of Design. The committee is the group that over the years has donated $3 million to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and to youth music education in the San Gabriel Valley.

The other evening, 600 did “the empty-house tour” of the home, a Mediterranean villa on 5 acres in La Canada Flintridge, and heard benefit chairman Brenda Owen say she and her committee have chosen a Siena, Borghese blue, Tuscan teal and cream color palette for interior and exterior designers to follow in decorating the house for its public showing April 23-May 21. The invitational preview will be April 21.

CENTER STAGE: Junior League of Pasadena models cruise the runway at the Los Angeles Westin Bonaventure on Saturday in noon and evening shows. At the finish line, says Center Stage chairman Andrea Gregg, the league hopes to net $100,000. According to league president Cynthia Perucca, funds will go to Rosemary Cottage, a residential treatment facility for abused young girls, and Pasadena Adults Sexually Molested as Children.

BUSY TOWN: Former Las Madrinas president Jane Ackerman hosted “tea for two” to honor her son Wil Von Der Ahe and introduce his fiancee, Karen Smith, to her friends, among them Linda Pennell, Lynn Evans, Elaine Techentin. . . . Friends surprised Webb and Ruta Lee Lowe with a wedding anniversary party at Victor Hugo’s. . . . Arthur and Bella Simon celebrated the marriage of their friends, Toni Holt and Arthur Crowley, with a dinner party, delivering baskets of fresh spring bulbs as invitations. Pre-wedding, Cynthia Gershman and Jane Kramer feted Toni with a bridal shower at the Bistro Garden. . . . Madame Sylvia Wu hosted Chinese New Year’s in her VIP Room to honor longtime friend Pat Devine.

HOLIDAYS: Smoke Tree Ranch in Palm Springs has been brimming with Southlanders, we hear. Families trekking down for tennis, mountain hikes, horseback riding and biking included Cheryl and Peter Ziegler, Carolyn and Jamie Bennett, Isabel and Garret Leahey, Deborah and Spike Booth; Deborah’s sister, Susi, arrived from Piedmont with husband, Peter Browne, and three children. John Welborne welcomed all at a cocktail party at his new Smoke Tree abode, and Bill Wenzlau Jr. and his wife, Cindy, popped in, and Carrie Belle McFie, brought along her own house guests, Florence and Dick Sutphen and Adele and Lew Whitney. A lot of them will be returning to Smoke Tree in April for a round-robin tennis tournament and a moonlight tailgate party on the desert.

AMERICANA BALL: Four-time Oscar-winning composer Jimmy Van Heusen of Rancho Mirage gets the tribute as “The Man and His Music” Saturday at the Radisson Palm Springs Resort Hotel. The board of directors of the Palm Springs Senior Center will feature orchestra leader Tony Rose at the affair. Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono and his wife, Mary, are ball co-chairs.

GLITTER: Don and Judy Tallarico show their precious jewel collection invitationally today at the Ritz-Carlton at Rancho Mirage. They’re weekending at the desert after the Bob Hope Cultural Center gala.

ABOUT TOWN: Pasadena Symphony supporters opened Bill Maldonado’s and Yvonne Monahan’s “Tecolote” restaurant with a bundle of proceeds for the symphony. At the forefront of hosts were Alyce and Warren Williamson, president Ron Jernigan, Renee Hanson, Dr. John and Edith Roberts, Neil and Tina Diver, Joey Leslie, Kay Paschall, Harry Montgomery, Millicent Reynolds, Estelle Schlueter. . . .

A private party this evening at UCLA’s Wight Gallery marks the closing of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation exhibition.

CIRCLE RED: Barry Kaye will be master of ceremonies at the $1,000-per-couple black-tie Golden Key Foundation dinner Friday at the Century Tower ballroom. Proceeds go to the Reiss-Davis Foundation Child Study Center in Vista del Mar. Charmaine Gordon and Theresa Gross are co-chairmen with Ruth Kraft in charge of the party. . . .

Orchid Ball chairman Ruth Le Sage of Encino is revving the National Arts Assn. up for the ball April 28 at the Beverly Wilshire. The women were breakfasting in the Zodiac Room at Neiman Marcus to view Victor Costa fashions. . . .

KUDOS: To Thomas and Terri Grojean and William and Nancy Mortensen, parents who have devoted countless hours to furthering Marymount High School goals and who will be feted at the annual Blue and White Ball Saturday in the Century Tower Ballroom planned by co-chairs Jo Anne Klane and Carol Smith. . . .

To Vivian Fountain, elected president Bel Air Guild of Childrens Hospital. . . .

To the Sunday Night Supper Series, celebrating its 21st year with an opening party at Perino’s chaired by Gertrude Coleman and Barbara Harris. . . .

To the Easter Seal Society of Los Angeles and Orange Counties Inc., reaping $30,00 from the Uniglobe Travel auction.

PLAUDITS: Tova Borgnine, Sybil Brand and Ginny Mancini receive halos at the Women in Show Business luncheon today at the Beverly Hills Hotel. . . . The Beverly and Sidney Kline Garden will be dedicated today at the City of Hope. The Klines, of Los Angeles and Palm Springs, originated the Desert Communities Wall of Life, which has raised $2 million for genetic engineering in five years. . . . Friends of Tel Hashomer, headed by Sam Katz, chairman, and Kal Sussman, president, have completed a $1-million project for cancer research at Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Israel.

RE: VIDEO: Media violence authority Jenny Pomeroy speaks on the topic “Violence on Video” Tuesday morning at the Huntington Library in San Marino. The talk is hosted by the Junior League of Pasadena.