Alas, my party days are over; I'll miss you

Many of you have heard the news already, but I want to impart it to you in this column anyway.

The party, for me, is over. In another two weeks or so, I take on the job of critic for the visual arts from Mary Ann Marger, whose work graced the pages of the St. Petersburg Times for many years but who has decided to retire. Mary Jane Park, a thoughtful writer and charming person, will assume responsibility for On the Town.

I have enjoyed getting to know you and have always tried to write On the Town both for those who came to the parties and for those who would see them only through my words.

This has been a wonderful job, and it gave me a new life when I needed one. I reckon I have gone to about 700 breakfasts, luncheons, cocktail parties, dinners and miscellaneous fundraisers where you raised millions of dollars for good causes. I have loved bearing witness to a world that is both exclusive (you have to be willing to work hard and give generously) and inclusive (all you have to do is work hard and give generously).

But I am ready to try something new. And I am excited about working in the arts, which I have always loved. Believing as I do in the importance of social coverage in our newspaper, I would not have moved on to another job if this one were not first filled. Knowing Mary Jane will be on the town lets me go without regret. But before I remove my rhinestone harness for good, I have a few more parties I will report on, such as the Charity Ball this past weekend.

I hope, when I am 71 years old, that I am as much fun as the Charity Ball. This venerable party, now in its eighth decade, is consistently one of the area's best black-tie galas. Its success owes a lot to the energy and commitment of volunteers in the Evening Branch of the All Children's Hospital Guild who never rest on their laurels. Lucie Campbell has chaired the event twice before and returned as chairman this year, along with other veteran committee members such as Diane Keane, Jerri Cunningham, Sandy Moss, Sue Hands and Janis Albritton, who already has agreed to be next year's chair.

Vickii Block, president of Spellbound, arranges all kinds of trade shows, corporate events, parties and conventions in her professional life but does the Charity Ball as a labor of love.

This year, spandex ruled in the cavernous space of the Coliseum. Ms. Block and her crew stretched it over chairs, making them into sculptural elements in sorbet shades of orange, lime and raspberry. She created huge trapezoids that became screens for an ever-changing bath of lights. Tubes were wrapped and bent into squiggles and placed around the room as bright exclamation points. The effect was Keith Haring meets the Jetsons. I loved its lightheartedness.

Like almost every other party this year, attendance was down for the Charity Ball, if you can call a crowd of 600 "down." (Last year about 800 attended.) But the group made a virtue of it, using round tables instead of the less sociable rectangles. And the good news is that sponsorships remained strong, so the party brought in a net profit of about $90,000. Newlyweds Joel and Debbie Momberg are still raving about their trip to New York. (They are the only people I know personally who got tickets to The Producers.) Also back from a fun trip were Steve and Marjie Ruth, who cruised the Panama Canal with Larry and Joyce Beltz.

Ward and Barbara Curtis celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary this week but the real party will be this spring when they rent a house in Key West for a family vacation that will include their children and grandchildren.

Another upcoming family trip is one that Jabe and Jeanne Breland gave to themselves and their children for Christmas, a summer cruise along the Alaskan coast.

Merrill Lynch executive Linda Marcelli commuted for 20 years between her job with the company and her home in Gulfport, so she is understandably happy about being the managing director locally now and staying put. One thing that kept her and her husband here is a family business, growing tomatoes to the dead-ripe stage and shipping them to chic New York restaurants such as Lutece, Le Cirque 2000 and Le Bernadin.

University of South Florida trustee Gus Stavros' birthday coincided with a meeting at USF, so president Judy Genshaft sang Happy Birthday to him a cappella. Then she attended a ceremony honoring Lee Roy Selmon, hopped a plane to Louisville for the USF basketball game, came home on Saturday in time to view the Gasparilla parade and joined friends at the Charity Ball -- Gus and Frances Stavros and Bill and Jeanne Heller among them. On Sunday, she and husband Steven Greenbaum hosted a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's for son Bryan, 5. And we think we're busy.

Also in the crowd were Dennis and Ginny Sexton; new ACH chief of staff Dr. Glenn Vaughn (his wife Dr. Mimi Farmer was under the weather); Jeff and Mary Ellen Howells; Neil and Susie Savage; Dr. Steve and Cathy Collins; Mary Wyatt Allen; Rob Shingler; Ed and Marlene Comejo; Jan Knowlton; Dr. Jim Henry and his daughter Gretchen Henry Walsh; John and Alicia Bryan; Scott Wagman and Beth Houghton; Larry and Emily Fasan; Louie and Mary Adcock; John and Jeannine Green; David and Lupi Coffin; Van and Jane Sayler; Bob and Betty Willis; Dr. Norval Marr and Ardith Rutland; Dr. Gardner Evertz and Dr. Jill Emery; Stephanie Goforth; Dr. Howard and Susan Hinesley; Hadley Heindel; and Dr. Mack and Susan Hicks.

The brave thing organizers did this year was drop the served dinner for a buffet. I know, I know. Buffets are not elegant enough for formal parties. Long lines are a drag. You think of Jell-O salads melting and melding on a plate with the green bean casserole.

This buffet, from Michael's on East, was none of those things. Three stations with double lines eliminated waiting. The food, while not to die for, was very good. And it meant that people could mix and mingle for the entire party and eat whenever they chose. Dessert was a fabulous confection of creme brulee in a chocolate box with fresh fruit and chopsticks -- one of white, the other of dark chocolate. This could start a trend in galas.

From the "What Was I Thinking?" Department: In Sunday's column, I wrote about the dedication of Resurrection House and mentioned several clergy members in attendance. The Rev. Chris Thompson and his wife, Mary Jo, were there. Not attending was the fictitious Rev. Chris Nelson. Chris Nelson is actually my dermatologist and a doctor of medicine, not theology. Coincidentally, his wife is also named Mary Jo. And the Rev. Thompson is rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, which I attend. So I have no excuse for the error. In any case, I am profoundly sorry for defrocking the Rev. Thompson and ordaining Dr. Nelson. In print only, of course.

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