DIFFERENT TONE? It was set up as...

DIFFERENT TONE? It was set up as a festive occasion for a worthy cause: Arrivederci Summer Celebration, with Nicole Brown Simpson’s family as host, at Carmelo’s Restaurant on Coast Highway in Corona del Mar on Oct. 12. The $100 per person is to help fund the Nicole Brown Simpson Charitable Foundation, and the special guest scheduled is TV personality Geraldo Rivera, now a close friend to the Browns. . . . A restaurant spokeswoman says O.J. Simpson’s acquittal Tuesday will not interfere with the event. But the festive tone might change.

BETTER GRIP: Orange County has added three newcomers to the Forbes 400 richest people in America: Jim Jannard, owner of Oakley sunglasses in Irvine, plus David Sun and John Tu, partners in Kingston Technology of Fountain Valley, which makes computer parts. . . . The Kingston co-founders’ worth is estimated at $370 million each. Jannard, whose firm went public in August, started out selling motorcycle handlebar grips. His net worth is estimated at $750 million.

LOOK BACK? Carole Walters and her watchdog Committees of Correspondence want to delve even further into the county’s bankruptcy. So tonight the group will hear from former County Administrative Officer Ernie Schneider, who was fired during the crisis. . . . “He wants to tell his story,” Walters says. “People want to know what happened behind closed doors.” . . . The 7 p.m. session at Orange City Hall will be open to the public.

COMPUTER LAW: Two newcomers to the Internet: Municipal Court in Laguna Niguel and the Irvine Police Department. You can’t use the Net to look up court cases, but you can learn procedures for matters like civil filings, traffic offenses or small claims court--and where the fine money goes. . . . Irvine police will tell you about its job openings, the latest Penal Code changes, and some information on crime trends or specific investigations.

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By Jerry Hicks, with Debra Cano and Sheila Kern