Friday’s Man About Town finale featured teams of the three candidates—Paul Ortuno, Ace Evers, and Phil Hamilton, as well as the Soroptimists’ Basket Cases team (which was actually firefighters from the Big Bear City Fire Department in pink ensembles)–in a baseketball game against the Harlem Ambassadors, which was enjoyed by a packed house at Big Bear High School. The April 24 event was the culmination of weeks’ worth of fundraising by the three Man About Town candidates, in an effort to raise money for the Soroptimists’ campaign to end teen violence in our community. The good news, as presented by Soroptimists, is that more money was raised this year than last, and the grand total amounted to $72,646.The candidate who generated the most funds was Paul Ortuno, who was named the Valley’s Man About Town. Ortuno, a 30-year resident of Big Bear with wife Joyce, father of two, chef at the former Iron Squirrel, and an active member of Los Vaqueros riding club, told Friday’s crowd, “I’m so proud to be a part of this community”–especially, he added, as despite the economy, Big Bear still gave generously to help the Soroptimists make our community a safer place for our young people. Ortuno is the Soroptimists’ 16th Man About Town, joining a distinguished list, which includes Bob Leiske, Steve Hirschler, Pat Sevedge, Vic Oberneder, Loren Hafen, Jayme Nordine, Jim Bollingmo, Rick Rey, Rich Lambert, Ron Peavy, Tyler Wood/Reno Holler/Michael Perry (tied in 2004), Simeon Prophet, Jay Obernolte, the team of Scott Towsley and George Crezee, and the band Mad Mad Marcae and His Lost Roll of Pennies Blues Band.
