POSTAGE DUE : BRITAIN APPROVES GARCIA TRIBUTE ON WEST INDIES ISLAND'S STAMPS.

Her majesty's no Deadhead, but the Queen of England has certainly become more familiar with the legacy of Jerry Garcia.

Matter of fact, she has approved two postage-stamp designs depicting the late Garcia. In a spin on the Yanks' process of determining by public vote whether a young or old Elvis Presley should be made into a postage stamp, designers are asking fans to cast their ballots for a young or old Garcia to appear beside Queen Elizabeth's royal cipher on a stamp of the crown colony of Montserrat, a Caribbean island in the British West Indies.

``Jerry had a lot of fans, and a lot of people feel very strongly about the first anniversary of his death,'' which is coming up Aug. 9, said Don Palazzo, managing director of stamp manufacturer and distributor Eaglebrook Consultants of Foxboro, Mass., which orchestrated the project. ``This is a way for them to participate; they can have an input.''

Montserrat is home to a branch of Air Studios, which has produced music by the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Sting, Phil Collins, Lou Reed and others. Net profits from the stamps will go to the Young Persons Concert Foundation, an international charity devoted to music education, Palazzo said.

``It is rare that the queen gives approval for the commemoration of non-British subjects on stamps issued within her domain,'' the stamp dealer said. ``This is truly a special occasion in the history of postage stamps, Grateful Dead and the British Empire.''

Voters may write ``younger'' or ``older'' on a postcard or in a letter and send it to: The Philatelic Bureau, Plymouth, Montserrat, British West Indies. Those who include their name and address will receive information about the final stamp design, slated for issue in September. For more information, call [phone].

SOURCE: - Brett Pauly

schmooze An idea ages to perfection

A dinner for 10 with Robin Williams in San Francisco fetched $23,000, while a trip to Bordeaux, France, sold for a mere $10,000.

And how much does it cost to dine with world-renowned wine collector Dr. Bipin Desai at Spago these days? Try $5,000.

It all went to a good cause as more than 800 wine tasters and hors d'oeuvres nibblers filled the ``streets of New York'' Saturday at Paramount Studios. The multiple offerings of cabernets and chardonnays were truly the mostest, but the true star was the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which walked away with more than $420,000. Somebody make a toast!

What: A very chi-chi way to raise money for research - a massive wine tasting-cum-auction for cystic fibrosis dubbed ``An Evening With the California Winemasters.'' It's the brainchild of Allen Balik of Sherman Oaks, a longtime lover of California, French and Italian wines who decided to parlay his hobby into something more useful. It worked; the fund-raiser has netted more than $1.5 million since it started six years ago.

Where: Paramount Studios on Melrose Avenue, on the streets of New York back lot. Under balmy skies, guests drove through the famous Paramount arch and strolled a few hundred feet to the cool New York scene.

Who was there: More than 100 chefs, winery owners and wine masters from around the country set up shop on the back lot as casually clad wine tasters wandered to and from each table to sample the wares. Lee Hefter from Granita was there, as was Luciano Pellegrini from Posto and Celestino Drago from his namesake. Strangest culinary offering? Lukewarm spinach knishes from Stage Deli of New York. The winery representation was equally impressive (although many wished the samples were more than a tablespoonful), including tasting tables from Robert Mondavi, Mumm Cuvee, Caymus Vineyards and Au Bon Climat.

Highlights: The dinner for 10 with the star from ``Jumanji'' will take place in Masa's Wine Cellar in San Francisco, round-trip air fare included. The meal with Desai will be prepared by Wolfgang Puck. A magnum signed and numbered as one from Screaming Eagle of the Oakville area of Napa Valley sold for $1,600. And a five-liter bottle of Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Isabelle went for $1,500.

If you missed it: There's always next time. The next fund-raiser/wine auction is slated for May 17, 1997, at Paramount Studios. Information: [phone].

SOURCE: - Lynette Rice

up & coming

Burbank Art Association's Spring Show is presently exhibiting paintings for sale in several categories, including traditional, contemporary/abstract, landscapes, life/genre, marine, still lifes and florals, from today through May 30 at the Burbank Department of Water and Power Building, 164 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. Call [phone] or [phone].

The 18th annual Emeriti Arts and Crafts Exhibit will display original works of art by UCLA emeriti professors from a variety of academic disciplines and their spouses, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, bonsai, furniture and crafts, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today in the California Room of the UCLA Faculty Center. For more information, call [phone].

``Music at Noon,'' a series of free weekly concerts offered by the Friends of Music Program of Pasadena Presbyterian Church, presents violinist Mari Haig and pianist Beth Clements from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. Wednesday in the church's Sanctuary, Colorado Boulevard at Madison Avenue, Pasadena. Following the concert, listeners are invited to eat their brown-bag lunch on the patio or enjoy a sandwich buffet prepared by volunteers for a $3 donation. Call [phone].

The Construction Specifications Institute is holding a show featuring over 150 booths comprising manufactured products, construction services, literature on construction and architectural products to promote new products and services, and a seminar on the use of computers in the industry and the availability of related on-line services, from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Pasadena Center Exhibition Building, 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Preregistration is recommended. For more information, call [phone].

``Your Child's Creativity,'' a parent workshop, will discuss creativity as the route of all learning, thinking and problem solving from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Encino Community Center, 4935 Balboa Blvd., Encino. For more information, call [phone].

``Getting Ready for Summer'' is the theme of a free seminar on fitness and sun safety with a kinesiologist who will give tips on exercise and stretching, and a cosmetic consultant who will teach how to keep skin healthy and how to examine the skin for skin cancer, 7 p.m. Wednesday at Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, 14201 Central Ave., Glendale. For reservations, call [phone].

``Politics From the Inside,'' a fun seminar led by Phill Miller, who has been a paid political consultant, will include topics such as why people enter politics, what it takes to manage an election, the ploys and bags of tricks politicians use, winners and losers, handling the media, the effects of politics on your life and ways you can take advantage of officeholders' services, from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at Pierce College Extension, 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills. Registration: $35. Call [phone].

SOURCE: - Ana Young

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: You got to vote on the young Elvis vs. the oldElvis; now you can vote for the younger Jerry Garcia, pictured here, or older Jerry as Britain approves a postage stamp for the West Indies isle of Montserrat.

Box: WEEKEND MOVIE MONEYMAKERS (Box Office)