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On the town

Diners at museum benefit got plenty of Dali

By MARY JANE PARK
Published March 12, 2006

In tuxedos and ball gowns, patrons of the Salvador Dali Museum attended its annual benefit dinner on March 4, an experience where guests are seated at tables placed throughout the museum galleries and surrounded by Dali's extraordinary work. Even the floral arrangements and dessert are homages to the artist.

Longtime supporter William R. Hough is the 2006 recipient of the Morse Award from Tiffany & Co., named for museum co-founders Eleanor R. Morse and her late husband, Reynolds Morse. Hough and his wife, Hazel, who served on the gala committee, were traveling and were unable to attend.

Over lamb chops, grilled asparagus and a flourless chocolate confection, attendees couldn't stop talking about plans for a new building to house the collection. It is not a fait accompli, but leaders are confident it will take shape.

The guest list included museum director Hank Hine; board of trustees president Tom James, with wife Helen; Frank an d Carol Morsani of Tampa; Bill and Sally Habermeyer; Andy Corty; Don and Chris Eastman; Gene and Karen Lang Johnston; Dr. Bob and Joy Daugherty of Tampa; former Ambassador (to Italy and Australia and Nauru) Mel and Betty Sembler; Marshall Rousseau; Tom Sansone and Cathy Unruh; former St. Petersburg Mayor Bob Ulrich; Foard and Lisa Meriwether; and Dick and Helen Minck.

Karol Bullard was chairwoman of the event committee, which included Jeannine Hascall, Suzanne MacDougald, Carole Merritt, Sonya Miller and Janet Root.

The vintage milk bottles used as luncheon table vases at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club on March 4 harked back to the early days of the Junior League of St. Petersburg, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Founded as the Junior Service Club in 1927 (it became the Junior League in 1931), the young organization established a milk fund for underprivileged children in 1928.

The event was a celebration of the league's many accomplishments: In the years since, members have given thousands of hours to numerous causes in St. Petersburg, among them All Children's Hospital; American Stage; the Christmas Toy Shop; Community Action Stops Abuse; Florida International Museum; Great Explorations, the Children's Museum; Eckerd College; Family Visitation House; the Juvenile Welfare Board; Mainsail Art Festival; Mound Park Hospital (now Bayfront Medical Center); the Museum of Fine Arts; the Pinellas Association for Retarded Children; the Pinellas Youth Symphony; Ronald McDonald House; St. Anthony's Hospital; the Science Center; WEDU; and YWCA of Tampa Bay.

American Stage's Barbara Mazer Gross, a member of the anniversary committee, helped coordinate a fashion show featuring vintage styles. A powder blue ball gown was donated by the late Betty Reynolds, whose daughter Carole Cowan was present.

Mary Wyatt Allen, one of the many past presidents attending, is a second-generation member. Her mother, the late Rachel Upham, was the first president of the league under its charter in 1931. More history: the mothers of luncheon guest s Sally Wallace and Norma Jean Harris also were charter members of the league.

The crowd included Virginia Rowell, Evelyn Moorefield, Ginny Sexton, Fran Weaver-Nohren, Loretta Stitt, Susan Riggins, Nat McMasters, Joyce Sewell, Marty Foreman, Judy Stanton, Barbara Godfrey Smith, Janet Raymond, Anne Long, Margaret Bowman, Georgia Mattern, Sally Habermeyer, Sarah Longquist, Charlotte Bacon, Mary Joan Mann, Jan Herzik, Sandy Bozeman, Royce Haiman, Jane Graves, Betty Jane Johnson, Ardith Rutland and numerous other women who have helped to shape St. Petersburg, said current president Jillian Doyle.

The Fred G. Minnis Sr. Bar Association presented its annual diversity awards to Pinellas Pasco Public Defender Bob Dillinger and to the law firm Ruden, McClosky, Smith, Schuster & Russell last week.

The third annual scholarship and awards banquet took place Tuesday evening at St. Petersburg's Stetson College of Law.

Keynote speaker Linnes Finney voiced concern at the declining numbers of black college and law students; even the number of black-student applications to institutions of higher educations have decreased over the past five years, he said.

"How can we assure that the pipeline does not narrow any further?" he asked, urging his audience to work hard, be ethical and become active community leaders.

"Make something happen that makes a difference."

Finney is president-elect of the National Bar Association and a partner in the Fort Pierce law firm Gary, Williams, Parenti, Finney, Lewis, McManus, Watson and Sperando.

Stetson law school students receiving $1,250 scholarships each are Royce Bluitt, Patice LaDell Holland and Bridgette Sanders. Additional scholarship recipients are Shauntiel Bennett, Pinellas Park High School; Sakira N. Hadley, St. Petersburg High School International Baccalaureate program; and Sherman Willard Jones III, Lakewood High School Center for Advanced Technologies program.

Jeannine S. Williams received the President's Award, presented by Cheryl Smith-Khan.

The organization is named for the late Fred G. Minnis, the first black lawyer to have a full-time practice in St. Petersburg.

With stunning water views and a Brightwaters address, Baia Casa is an appealing home.

The 11-year-old former residence of Tony and Carolyn Bond is this year's Florida Orchestra Guild Designers' Showhouse, brought fully up to the moment by creative talent from throughout the Tampa Bay area.

From the dark chocolate walls of the kitchen and morning rooms to the pink and zebra print whimsy of one of the upstairs bedrooms, the place is filled with decorating ideas.

And, yes, it's for sale, with an asking price of nearly $3.5-million.

Orchestra supporters first toured the home on March 3, then went on to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club for a gala dinner celebrating the more than three decades of the charity fundraiser.

Home Depot's Deborah Devine and Dottie Wenner are design coordinators. Sheila and Herb Tempelmann are volunteer leaders for the event, with Edie Spies and John Murphy as co-chairs; Claire Mazzella, gala chairwoman; and Greta Myers, gala co-chairwoman. Rosemary O'Connor heads the gift boutique, which is open during tour hours. Catherin McGarry is president of the guild.

An astounding number of additional designers and civic club volunteers are the foundation and framework of the event, which continues through March 26 at 1761 Brightwaters Blvd. NE, St. Petersburg. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

More than 150 guests attended Infinity's Mardi Gras Madness fashion show and luncheon held Feb. 21 at the Isla del Sol Yacht & Country Club. The organization benefits abuse victims of all ages.

Modeling fashions from Ann Taylor and Ambria's Gallery of Wearable Art: Connie Whitehead, Kelsey Littlefield, Sarah Longquist, Joann Barger, Sally Poynter, Karol Bullard, Melissa Rutland, Diane Winning, Greta Kishbaugh and Carol Russell.

Maggi McQueen chaired the event committee, which included Debbie Barnes, Fern Clayton, Roseanna Costa, Susan Fearnley, Ann Foster, Luisa Perez-Harvey, Vera Jones, Hugh Ann Cason-Kelly, Barbara Kyes, Pat LaMonde, Dot McCarthy, Bernice McCune, Paula Park, Nora Pearson, Terry Ray, Candy Scherer, Mary Shuh, Maritza Smith, Edie Spies, Shirley O'Sullivan and Andrea Winning, with CitiLife magazine's Sterling Powell as master of ceremonies.

Mea culpa: The Evening Branch of the All Children's Hospital Guild hosted the highly successful 75th anniversary Charity Ball on Feb. 4. Last week's column incorrectly credited a different branch of the guild.

Today

LUNCHEON, FASHION SHOW: GFWC St. Petersburg Woman's Club event features styles from Boutiques on Wheels. 1-3 p.m. $20. St. Petersburg Woman's Club, 40 Snell Isle. Blvd. NE. 895-2506.

Thursday

BOHEMIAN WRAP-SODY: Benefits Florida Craftsmen, features heavy hors d'oeuvres, dessert, coffee, cash bar, entertainment, auctions of original art. 6-10 p.m. St. Petersburg Yacht Club, 11 Central Ave. $50. 821-7391.

TOWN AND GOWN: Spring luncheon meeting features "Fraudbusters: Fraud Examiners and Forensic Accountants" presentation by Richard G. Brody, University of South Florida St. Petersburg associate professor of accounting. 11:30 a.m. Bayboro Station (Third Floor, Room 2), 263 13th Ave. S. $12. 873-4842.

Friday

COLLECTORS CIRCLE LECTURE: Features George Wachter, Old Masters expert with Sotheby's North and South America. 6 p.m. Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg. Museum members, $8; nonmembers $15; students with current identification, free with museum admission. 896-2667.

Saturday

BASEBALL FOR KIDS: Dinner, auction benefit All Children's Hospital, Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. 6:30 p.m. A La Carte Event Pavilion, 4050 Dana Shores Drive, Tampa. $225. 767-8422; tracyc@allkids.org

CASINO NIGHT, SILENT AUCTION: League to Aid Retarded Children (LARC) event includes beverages, hors d'oeuvres, gaming chips. 6 p.m. All Family Community Center, 7655 38th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. $30. 573-4693.

HADASSAH FIESTA MEXICANA: St. Petersburg Chapter of Hadassah event benefits Hadassah Medical Organization, features margaritas, mariachi band, dinner, dancing. 7 p.m. The Wine Cellar, 17307 Gulf Blvd., Redington Beach. $120 payable to Hadassah, c/o Emily Rotenberg, 6240 Kipps Colony Court, No. 303, Gulfport, FL 33707. 343-2196; 347-0879.

March 19

SICKLE CELL DINNER, JAZZ EXTRAVAGANZA: 14th annual event features dinner, entertainment, door prizes. 5-9 p.m. Hilton St. Petersburg, 333 First St. S. $35. 896-2355.

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 12, 2006, 01:18:21]