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Around Town
with Donna Shor
This year's Ambassadors Ball'the
twenty-sixth' rolled merrily along
again, even though several of the
120 ambassadors it salutes annually
were missing. Although scheduling
conflicts found them at the United
Nations, it was a fun affair, held in the
Grand Hyatt Hotel's Independence
Ballroom amid roses donated by
the Colombian Ambassador Luis-
Alberto Moreno and his wife,
Gabriela, from the Columbian flower
growers and exporters.
Many ambassadors' wives attended
in the absence of their husbands,
including Nada Simonyi of Hungary,
Cheryl Caterino of Portugal, Susan
Blickenstorfer of Switzerland, and
Marie-Thérèse Lowell of Malta.
The Swedish Ambassador Jan
Eliasson attended, as did New
Zealand's ambassador, John Wood,
and his wife, Rose. Among other
ambassadorial couples noted were
the Tunisian Ambassador Hatem
Atallah and his wife, Faika, and the
Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic
Baktybek Abdrissaev, and his wife
Chalpon.
There were many handsome gowns,
but two that attracted attention
were Luma Kawar's iridescent
ball dress (Luma is the wife of
the Ambassador of Jordan), and
Micaela Salahi's form-fitting white
gown with floating chiffon cut-outs
that fluttered attractively as she
moved. Her polo player husband,
Tareq Salahi, a member of the
local Multiple Sclerosis executive
committee, donated many of the
silent auction's wine items from his
Virginia-based Oasis vineyards.
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Other guests included executive committee
member Renée Robinson,
and her husband General Wallace
“Robbie” Robinson. Esther
Coopersmith and Ruth Frenzel
served as co-chairs of the ball's
Diplomatic Advisory Committee.
Hardworking Jeanne Oates Angulo,
president of the National Capital
Chapter of the Multiple SclerosisSociety, said that over the years the
proceeds of the Ambassador's Ball
have contributed more than $8.5
million to fight the illness. James
Conzelman, chairman of the chapter
's board of trustees, thanked the
Freddie Mac Foundation and Maxine
Baker, the foundation's president and
CEO, for sponsoring the event for the
last four years.
HOT TICKET: Invitations to parties
at the home of Jeffery Weiss and
Juleanna Glover-Weiss are among
the most sought-after in town. Their
Kalorama home has long been a party
place, as its former owner, Gertie
d'Amecourt, was known for her
frequent soirées.
Juleanna Glover-
Weiss is the attractive redhead who
got a river of ink in breathless profiles
in the New York Times, Washington
Post, citing her wide swath as a
dynamite lobbyist with Clark and
Weinstock, and spectacular hostess.
Juleanna has a high profile political
background, and is a wife and mother.
She was formerly the press secretary
to Vice President Dick Cheney and
advisor to both former New York
Mayor Rudy Giulani and then–Sen.
John Ashcroft.
One of the recent parties honored
New York real estate tycoon Jon
Tisch and his book, “The Power of
We.” Among the very-Washington
crowd were: NBC correspondent
Norah O'Donnell, Debbie
Dingell, Mark Ein, Dan and Rhoda
Glickman, CNN Bureau Chief
David Bohrman, Beth Dozoretz,
Elizabeth Drew, Bob and Rita
Barnett, Jack Oliver (the Bush-
Cheney finance director), Phillipe
Reines (press secretary to Sen.
Hillary Clinton), Democratic consultant
Hilary Rosen, and a host of
others.
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ONE MORE CHANCE: In any
city, some good causes are glittery
stepping stones to social prominence,
while others are the grungier sort,
where the need is as overwhelming,
but butterfly-types aren't attracted to
sign on as easily.
It's especially nice when an evening
helping a needy cause lures not just
the serious types, but the party people
as well. Everyone goes home happy.
That was the case at the “Last Kiss
of Summer” at Teatro Goldoni,
the Indian summer party to benefit
Second Chance Employment
Services. The group provides job
placement services free of charge forbattered and abused women and welfare
recipients, helping them return to
society with dignity and a job.
Dr. Ludy Green, the organization's
founder and president, aided by cochairs
Lanah Hamilton, Donna
Lomangino and Katherine Wood,
and their committee members, helped
muster the troops, as did the event's
co-chairs Dr. Ronald S. Perlman and
Dr. Kevin Ryan.
In the crowd: NBC-4's Barbara
Harrison and committee members
Cindy Jones, Tracey Ellis,
Mary Bird, Grace Bender,
Debbie Sigmund and Linda Haan.
Attorneys David Harrison and Marc
Cohen were two of the men's committee
present. Also seen: Peggy
Ledvina and Corrine Skye—whose
Indian name is “Kills Pretty
Enemy”—decked out in the fullfeathered
regalia of her Lakota tribe.
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SHOCKER! The crowd at Kitty Kelley's book party at the Warner
Atrium drew about 300 guests waiting
for copies of her latest blockbuster, “The Family,” a warts-and-all
chronicle of the Bush dynasty from
the 19th century onwards. Kelley
signed books steadily for three hours
with a black felt-tipped pen, of
the heavily-footnoted tome, which
includes several eyebrow-raising
revelations that might have scared
off a less intrepid writer. She records
chapter and verse of the disclosures
from her interviewees, who invariably
tell her more than they had planned todivulge. Though feared and disliked
by many she has chronicled, she has
never been sued successfully.
RING-A-DING EVENING Chaired
by Susie Eisinger and Anna Maria
Via, Arts for the Aging's benefit was
one of the organization's most outstanding
efforts since its founding
13 years ago. It was hosted by the
Japanese Ambassador Toshiko Koto
and his wife, Hanayo, at their residence,
where the three hundred guests
had plenty of space to roam through
its handsome, understated rooms. It
was a see-and-be-seen crowd, the
sushi, hot dishes and never-ending
desserts were excellent, and the silent
auction (conducted by Bob Ryan)
was fun.
Ambassadors and their wives represented
Argentina, Chile, Bolivia,
France, Iceland, New Zealand, Malta,
Portugal, Colombia and Turkey.
Other guests included Bill and
Dorothy McSweeny Calvin Cafritz,
Judith Terra, Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg, Alessandra and Michael
Daigneault, Pat Bush, Cynthia and
VanKirk Fehr. .. Also there was
John Boyd and his bride, the stunning
Ann Boyd, who was born in
Ireland and living in Paris before their
marriage.
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The chrysanthemums donated by
Colombia found their perfect match
when Julia Hopping found Silver
Spring florist Erica Paz, who produced
the tall crystal containers of
Over 1,000 guests danced the night away on the Filene Center stage for Wolf
Trap's annual ball, “Jewels of India,” hosted by Indian Ambassador Renendra Sen
and his wife, Kalpana, and chaired by Mark Lowham and Dr. Joe Ruzzo.
Dr. Ludy Green, Eleanor Holmes Norton
and Dr. Ronald S. Perlman
Photo courtesy of Second Chance
Second Chance held its “Last Kiss of Summer” benefit at Teatro Goldoni on
September 23. The group provides job placement services free of charge for battered
and abused women and welfare recipients.
Janice Martel Gaiter, Frida Burling
and Kitty Kelley
Over 300 guests lined up on September 21 at the Warner Atrium for signed copies of
Kitty Kelley's latest blockbuster, “The Family,” a chronicle of the Bush dynasty from
the 19th century onwards.
1. Eloise Poretz, Dr. Joe Russo, Kalpana Sen,
Indian Ambassador Renendra Sen and Mark
Lowham 2 .Leola Higgs Dellums and Keter
Betts 3. Susie and Steven Cooper
1
2
3submerged flowers as well as the
vases of sprays.
Lolo Sarnoff, the indomitable
founder of Arts for the Aging, has
passed on the presidency to Donald
Bliss, but will remain as chairman
of the board of the organization that
does so much to enrich the lives of
the elderly.
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HERE AND THERE: Good to have
Café Milano back after a renovation
that kept it closed in August. Owner
Franco Nuschese started things
off with a book launching party for
his friend, thriller author Robert
Andrews, whose “A Murder of
Justice” made its debut. The heavens
opened in a torrential downpour but it
didn't deter 100 hearty souls wanting
to meet the colorful Andrews, a writer
fascinated by unsolved homicides, a
former Green Beret and the author
of seven books. Guests included Dr.
Jane Morse, Paul Dooley, Garnett
Stackelberg, Tandy Dickerson and
Beverly and Richard Amberg…
..The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural
Center premiered a documentary on
Washington-based, world-renowned
artist Yankel Ginzburg. The film,
titled “Ladders” after a recurring
theme in his work, traces his life
from his boyhood in Stalinist Eastern
Europe to his present place in circles
of influence in Washington. One
of the rungs up Ginzburg's ladder
was from an asbestos shack on the
Israeli-Jordanian to his current home,
the former residence of Jordan's late
King Hussein in Chevy Chase…
Cairo Fred, one of the more offbeat
bands in the tri-state area, is headed
by Desson Thomson, a music critic
at the Washington Post for seventeen
years. The group call its innovative
music “original adult pop rock,” and
so it is. Cairo Fred's weird moniker
was the nickname international
Egyptian movie star Omar Sharif
had in the movie industry, after Peter
O'Toole so dubbed him during the
filming of “Lawrence of Arabia.”
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GREEN INTO RED: That was
the objective when Jelli van
Eenennaam, wife of Netherlands
Ambassador Boudewijn J. van
Eenennaam, and Aniko Gaal Schott
decided to change the rather pale
green drawing room of the embassy
to a rich cinnabar red. The unveiling
was a great excuse for a party, and
Jellie and her husband went all out,
performing a really amusing skit.
The ambassador also thanked and
paid homage to Aniko's talent and
charm, and said he would call her “ambassadorable,” except that this
particular title was reserved for his
wife.
Aniko, who was recently appointed to
the 11-member President's Advisory
Committee on Cultural Property
Heritage, was pleased to find that
all of its members came to the party,
including James Willis, a tribal arts
specialist and son of Rowena Willis,
twin sister to Roberta McCain;
Earl “Rusty” Powell of the NationalGallery; and the group's head, Jay
Kislak, the Miami Beach philanthropist
who has donated manuscripts and
maps valued at $100 million to the
Library of Congress.
NAME THE DAY: When
Washington Mayor Anthony
Williams proclaimed a city-wide
“Dorothy I. Height Day,” he cited
Height's lifetime of working to
enhance the quality of life for others,
and her career of advancing democratic
freedom and social justice for
all peoples.
That same evening, Dr. Walter Boek,
president of the National Graduate
University, inducted Height into the
Democracy Hall of Fame at a dinner
where he cited her many international
and domestic accomplishments.
At age 92, she is the chair and president.
Participating in the program were
Rev. Walter Fauntroy; Rep.
Elijah Cummings, chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus; Anna
C. Chennault of the university's
board of governors; and Wesley
Pruden, editor in chief of the
Washington Times. Keeping the evening
on track was Dr. Jean Boek.
Guests, many of whom participate
in the university's development,
included General Donald and Ginny
Dawson, Louise Gore, Ernest
and Betty Mays, Jill Smart Gore,
Francis Colt de Wolf III and George
L. Hesse.
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Do you have an item “Around Town” should know about? Send it to me at
donnashor@aol.com
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