PARTY LINES : FERNANDO LUNCHEON TINGED WITH DRAMA.

Byline: Barbara De Witt

As far as social scenes go, August is traditionally a quiet month. And few complain because it's a chance to get their black-tie attire dry-cleaned in readiness for the new society season that kicks off Sept.8 with the opening of the L.A. Opera production of ``Carmen.''

The biggest deal of the week was the luncheon at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City where the finalists for the coveted Fernando Award for community service and volunteerism were announced. It was your standard rubber chicken fare, spiced up a bit with a strange but yummy pumpkin-tasting soup and ice cream cake drowned in chocolate sauce. But we weren't there for the food. The 300 guests were eager to find out which of the 13 Fernando Award nominees were going to be named as finalists.

The event began with an invocation by Jane Boeckmann, the first woman to ever receive a Fernando Award. Then all the nominees were brought to the stage by David Fleming, where they received certificates, before president Irwin Rosenberg announced the top five finalists. They are: Van Nuys businessman Herman Berman, Van Nuys developer Rickey Gelb, West Hills manufacturing firm president Walter Mosher Jr., Woodland Hills attorney Bob Scott and Woodland Hills developer Robert Voit, who now have to wait until Nov. 6 for the awards night gala.

At another luncheon, over at the Regency Club in Westwood, Roberta Novick was named president of the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary for a two-year term. Her new board members will include Valley residents Gretchen Wayne, Toni Wayne La Cava, Rudy Perkal, Fran Chernus-Cutler, Gerri Farnell and Diane Krieger. The auxiliary has raised more than $8 million since its founding in 1983 and is the largest support group of the John Wayne Cancer Institute at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica.

Coming up are a number of soirees, including the Verdugo Hills Hospital Foundation Humanitarians of the Year dinner Sept. 18 at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel honoring Betty and Roy Anderson who have worked with the Weingard Foundation, which has contributed $400,000 to the hospital. For ticket information, call [phone].

Autumn is typically a busy season on the social circuit, and you may be wondering what to wear, besides basic black. For suggestions on some of the hottest tickets in town, check out the L.A. Life section on Thursday, where we'll be featuring some of the newest in gala gowns.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1) Schmoozing at the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary luncheon at the Regency Club in Westwood are newly elected board members Diane Krieger, left, and Fran Chernus-Cutler.

Lee Salem/Special to the Daily News

(2) Helping raise money for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are ``Days of Our Lives'' star Millicent Martin, left, actress Ruta Lee and watercolorist Dorothy Rice at the new Crustacean Restaurant in Beverly Hills. The event was a book-signing party for Rice.

Paul Marsh/Special to the Daily News