Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Tornado warning didn't darken Havana Nights

By MARY JANE PARK
Published March 2, 2005

Great Explorations, St. Petersburg's museum for children, became a cantina on Saturday for Havana Nights.

A Latin-themed buffet, mojitos, pastel paper lanterns, tropical table arrangements and music from Salsa en St. Pete created a festive background for the party; originally, it was to have taken place outdoors at Marlin Manor, the home of interactive media executive Kevin Harrington in Pinellas Point.

Volunteers watched the weather with the preoccupation of hurricane trackers all week. With rain forecast for the weekend, the fiesta moved to the museum.

Katie Hellier and Georgia Mattern co-chaired the event committee, which included Shannon Arnao, Leah Adams, Janet Carroll, Christin Creignou, Karen Evans, Terry Llewellyn, Jennifer Maxwell, Janet Peterson, Mila Turtle and Toni Walsh.

Attendees included Murray Beairsto, the museum's executive director, with her husband, Doug; guild president Janet Allweiss and husband, Mike; Pat Walsh; Judy and Troy Holland; Gray Mattern; Kathy and Joe Saunders; Scott an d Lee Silbert Burgess; Mary Joan Mann; Dr. Andy Peterson; Stephanie and Kevin Dyer; Lis and Dr. Micheal Mastry; Janet and Mike Carroll; Kanika Tomalin; Yvonne Jelks; Michele and Philip Farley; Whitney and Jim Cohen; Mary and Bronson Alexander; Johanna and Kal Nekvasil; an d Bill and Jeanne Heller.

For Beth Houghton and Scott Wagman, it was the second consecutive evening at the museum. Friday night, friends and family members threw a surprise birthday for Houghton, who is vice president of the museum's executive board of trustees.

Havana Nights also featured a tribute to executive board president Bill Heller, who was honored at Rio Carnivale, a Feb. 11 patrons party.

Houghton made the presentation to Heller, who is a professor of special education at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and retired as the campus vice president and executive officer. He has been active in the museum's leadership since 1995.

On Monday, he appealed to City Council members to restructure the debt the museum owes the city.

Anje Bogott, Beth Morean and Wendy LaTorre co-chaired the patrons party, where the guest list included Scott Wagman, Kristen and David Brett, Janet Allweiss, Georgia Mattern, Jeff Goodis, Carol and Ben Fisher, Bonnie and Paul Hargrett, Christin Creignou, Mary Joan Mann, Marty Wallace, Linda and David Punzak, Katie Hellier, Shawn and Dick Ulrich, Shannon and Tony Arnao, Jillian Doyle, Jared Samon, Elise Minkoff and Mary Potter.

Spanish artist Jordi Colomer was in town last week for the opening of his commissioned work for St. Petersburg's Salvador Dali Museum. Arabian Stars, a high-definition video filmed in Yemen, is the first in "Traces (of the avant-garde): A New Commissions Gallery," a series of new works the museum will underwrite over two years. William Jeffett, the Dali's curator of exhibitions, produced the piece.

The Colomer exhibition and "Dali Revealed: Land, Myth, Perception and God," opened Friday night. Zodiac Group affiliates held an after party at Dino's; after that, Colomer was guest of honor at dinner at the Garden. He celebrated a birthday last week, and dessert was a surprise: an enormous candle-lit birthday confection constructed of puff pastry, fresh strawberries and whipped cream, to which Emmanuel Roux added a spun-sugar halo.

Celebrating art and the evening were Hank Hine, the Dali's executive director; Margaret Miller, director of the USF Contemporary Art Museum and Graphicstudio; Cristina Sostre; Peter Tush and Kathy White; Joan Kropf; Natasha Nickodem; Chris Fraser; Katherine Franckle; Simone Bennett; Diane Hession; Perry Iannaconi; Melissa Rutland; Joe Mazzara; Dr. Susan Beaven; Allen Loyd; Rep and Laurel DeLoach; Carrie Johnson; Adrian and Yvonne Marrullier; and Burton Bullard and Deanna Barcelona.

A private reception and tour of "Diana: A Celebration" at the Florida International Museum on Saturday benefited PARC, the Pinellas Association for Retarded Children.

Guests, who indulged in hors d'oeuvres from the Wine Cellar and toured the exhibition that celebrates the life of the late Diana, princess of Wales, included PARC's chief executive, Curt Thomas, and his wife, Peggy; Barbara Paonessa; Gary and Cheryl Sanchez; Barb Thomas; Connie Whitehead; Fred and Barbara McCoy; Jeanne Nelson; Luisa Perez-Harvey; and Suzanne Fisher.

Play for Hunger, the Isla del Sol Yacht & Country Club's benefit for the St. Petersburg Free Clinic and Daystar Life Center, raised nearly $77,000 for the two charities last month, donating substantial checks along with clothes, nonperishable food, toiletries and other items.

Bob and Dixie Rogers, who co-chaired the 15th annual golf and tennis event Feb. 19-22, report that Isla members have given nearly $500,000 to the agencies since 1991.

Other members of the Play for Hunger committee are Bob Curtis, Vern Farnsworth, Al Hoerrner, Jay and Marcia Holser, Don and A.J. Lovelock, Dick McManus, Chuck and Leanne Palmer, Tony and Joyce Selvaggio and Ed and Bev Smith.

Friday

DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB: Palladium Theater benefit performances by Tampa Bay area civic leaders. 6 p.m. dinner gala, 7:30 p.m. performance. Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Ave. N, St. 6:30 p.m. $150 gala; $40 performance. 822-3590; www.palladiumtheater.com

FIRE AND ICE: Benefits Shorecrest Preparatory School. Black tie. 6:30 p.m. Coliseum, 535 Fourth Ave. N, St. Petersburg. $150. 522-2111 ext. 114.

Saturday

DALI BENEFIT DINNER: Dinner, unveiling of new acquisition. 6 p.m. Salvador Dali Museum, 1000 Third St. S, St. Petersburg. $200. 823-3767 ext. 3024.

PROGRESSIVE ADVENTURE IV: Arts Center benefit begins with appetizers at the Arts Center, tour of four homes with outstanding art collections, dinner, dessert and music at final destination. $150. Reservations required. 822-7872.

TOUR OF HOMES: Sixth annual benefit for St. Petersburg Catholic High School features eight homes in south Pinellas County. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $15. 364-7179; 421-8402.

Mary Jane Park can be reached at 727 893-8267; fax (727) 893-8675; e-mail park@sptimes.com P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

[Last modified March 2, 2005, 11:40:38]