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Green’s the thing on eco-fab home tour
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Laura Turner Seydel, left, and Monica Hagedorn at the Harry Norman EcoTour event. Photo by Ross Henderson.
The EcoBrokers of Harry Norman Realtors celebrated Earth Day last month with an EcoTour of Homes, spotlighting two Buckhead homes in the Haynes Manor neighborhood that are as green as they are grand.
Barbara Marxer served as EcoTour steering committee co-chair. Members included Janey Lowe, Mary Stuart Iverson, Fluffy McDuffie, Beatrice Garner, Irene Bagiatis, and Carson Mathews.
Guests heard from Bill Harrison and Rick Hatch of Harrison Design Associates and eco-friendly interior designer Jillian Pritchard Cooke.
Tour proceeds benefited North Atlanta High School’s Earth Club, which supports hands-on environmental projects for youth.
Homes toured were EcoManor, owned by Laura and Rutherford Seydel, and the Peachtree Battle home of Paul and Monica Hagedorn. Both feature numerous eco-friendly innovations including solar design, geo-thermal HVAC systems, energy efficient appliances, and innovative water recycling programs.
Janey Lowe, from left, Fluffy McDuffie, Barbara Marxer, Irene Bagiatis, and Beatrice Garner at the Harry Norman EcoTour event. Photo by Ross Henderson.
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Mystery ‘Fly Spy in action at the Human Rights Campaign bash
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Y’all, I can’t be everywhere, but luckily the Butterfly counts a number of fabsters among her colleagues. Chief among them is today’s mystery correspondent, who sends this missive from Saturday’s Human Rights Campaign dinner.
The 21st annual HRC dinner, at the Hyatt Regency downtown, promised to be fabulous if only for the keynote speech by actress and activist Kathy (“Sister Act”) Najimy, who delivered with a series of “what-if-gays-ran-the-world?” moments. (No hate crimes and Ellen for President were two favorites.)
Co-chairs for the event were Jason Lowery and Ebonee Bradford, who attended with their respective partners, Jon Woody and Denetra Mayfield. Bradford was particularly stunning in a scarlet halter gown and headpiece, custom made for the occasion.
Key committee members included LeeAnn Jones, Chip York, Chuck Stephens, Denetra Mayfield, Chris Vazquez, Brad Willard, Jeremy Jones, Chad Spurlin, Ronane Toomsen, Ashley Mahaffey and Ravi Batra.
Also, Glen Paul Freedman, Julie Wood, Chris Doyle, Dana Williams, David Fritsch, Trinh Huynh and Kevin Knight.
The crowd applauded heartily for political types including U.S. Rep. John Lewis and Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders and honorees Dennis A. Meredith, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church, and Frank Bragg, director of communication for Metrotainment Cafes.
But the evening’s star surely was Jordan Brooks, a 16-year-old transgendered youth from Roswell. Brooks sashayed onto the stage in a stunning strapless gown to read her winning YouthPride essay on being beaten and bullied.
Still, with mother Kathy Brooks and friend Justin Dean along for support, she was upbeat: “It’s been a long and difficult road to becoming this fierce,” she said with a 360-degree finger snap and a toss of her hair.
This book club’s been busy
The Butterfly’s wingspan reaches Henry County this week, where members of the Eclectic 11M book club were so moved by Three Cups of Tea, detailing Greg Mortenson’s quest to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, that they decided to organize a fund-raiser.
Liz Bantley played host for the April 29 affair, a book sale and a book swap featuring a light supper and cocktails. Admission was a $25 donation to Central Asia Institute Mission, providing education and literacy programs in remote mountain regions of Central Asia. The ladies let it be known they would gladly accept additional generosity, and from a crowd of about 70, raised some $12,000.
You read that right: a book club in Henry County raised $12K. S.B.’s in two book clubs. We’ve got to get busy.
EE clubbers include Susan Baker, Lisa Evans, Jackie Fields, Sue Harden, Janet Ivarie, Emilie Khair, Diane Lanio, Sara Lithgow, Diana Pennington and Ruth Rucker.
Going…going…gone?
Pretty much any charity event in town, from casual community wine tastings to swank black-tie galas, includes a silent and/or live auction.
During the cocktail hour, patrons cruise the aisles of restaurant gift certificates, jewelry, vacations, signed sports memorabilia, artwork and other silent auction items. Then, after dinner (and after everyone’s had a few drinks), live auctioneers take the stage to shake top dollar from the crowd for high-ticket items like trips to the Canyon Ranch Spa, big-time bling or, a recent favorite, Hannah Montana tickets.
I’ve seen really fab items go for a relative song, while others fetch eye-popping prices. Thanks to Aida Flamm for sending along this article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, about how auctioneers may face a tough time reaching fund-raising goals at charity galas.
Have you scored any silent or live-auction bargains? Better yet, if you are serving on an auction committee, are you worried about meeting your charity’s fundraising goal?
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I’m going to China. Are you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Butterfly is Beijing-bound.
I’ll be traveling this summer as part of the AJC’s Olympics team, which includes veteran sports columnist Jeff Schultz and photographer Johnny Crawford.
Schultz, naturally, will be taking the lead on sports coverage. Read his recent Olympics column here
I’ll be there reporting on the social scene, and capturing the color and character of the Games for Atlanta readers, with a strong emphasis on stories with Atlanta and Georgia connections. I’m already chasing Olympics stories with Atlanta ties - such as the Buckhead couple who paid top dollar at last fall’s Atlanta Symphony Orchestra gala for a trip to the Games.
The other day I talked with gold medal gymnast Bart Conner. He and wife and fellow gold medal gymnast Nadia Comaneci will be commentators for Televisa during this summer’s Games.
“In many areas in life, you can get in the door because you know somebody, or you buy your way in, or your dad knows somebody he can call,” Conner said. “In the Olympics, you can’t get in because you’ve got connections. There’s only one way in and that’s hard work and dedication. There’s a certain credibility that goes along with that.”
Conner is a spokesman for Allstate, presenting sponsor for the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, and a Hall of Famer himself. The Hall will induct its next class, including the 1996 women’s gymnastics team, at a June 19 ceremony in Chicago.
By the way Conner and Comaneci are proud parents of Dylan Paul Conner, who turns 2 on June 3. Conner came up with five “Olympic” sports his energetic son has discovered.
He’s mastered jumping on the bed. I don’t think that’s an Olympic event. It’s something like the bedroom trampoline.
He loves to hang on the rings and swing on the rings (at the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy). As far as he’s concerned, he has a 28,000-square foot playground.
This will be his first real summer of swimming. He loves to swim.
He’s a real lover. When he leaves the gym he says to our secretary, “Ciao baby, peace out.” He’s got a little girlfriend on the team. She’s 11.
I’ve seen a few meltdowns. We’re coming into the terrible 2s. I’m hoping on the 19-hour flight to China, we don’t see an Olympic-sized meltdown.
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Heroes, Saints, Legends…and an update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wesley Woods Foundation President Lillian Darden with Walter E. Massey, president emeritus of Morehouse College and one of the honorees at the recent Heroes, Saints and Legends event. Photo by Laura Heath Gary.
The recent Heroes, Saints and Legends gala at the Piedmont Driving Club honored folks who represent all three categories.
The event, benefiting Wesley Woods’ care and research programs for adults with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, is the annual fund-raiser for the Foundation of Wesley Woods. The Emory University complex includes a geriatric hospital, nursing home, independent living residence for seniors and outpatient center.
This year’s honorees included former Morehouse College President Walter E. Massey, civic leader extraordinaire Colleen O’Brien Nunn and retired Southern Bell CEO Franklin Skinner. The evening included video presentations detailing the lengthy accomplishments of each honoree as well as a surprise caregiver award for Elizabeth Eakes, who has worked at Wesley Woods for more than two decades.
“My love and devotion to the elderly has no end,” Eakes said as she accepted the award from honorary chair Carl E. Swearingen.
Elizabeth Eakes accepts the caregiver award. Photo by Laura Heath Gary
WSB-TV’s Mark Winne served as emcee. The Rev. William O. Britt IV gave the invocation and Bishop L. Bevel Jones III gave the benediction. The crowd also heard from Dr. Alfred Sanfilippo, Emory’s executive vice president for health affairs. The event honored the memory of Jane Carithers.
Foundation president Lillian Darden announced HSL raised more than $463,000. She and her husband, former U.S. Rep. Buddy Darden, were seated with donors Dottie Fuqua, Kathy and Neely Young, Mary and Billy Warren and their son and daughter-in-law, lenn and Susan Warren.
Fred and Janet Sanfilippo. Photo by Laura Heath Gary
Merritt Bond, chair of the Wesley Woods foundation’s board, reminded the crowd that Darden recently was named Woman of the Year by YWCA of Northwest Georgia.
“Lillian, you are not only the woman of the year,” Bond said. “You are the woman of the decade if not the century.”
From left, Franklin Skinner, Ruth Ann Skinner, Colleen O’Brien Nunn, Sam Nunn, Shirley A. Massey, Walter E. Massey. Photo by Laura Heath Gary
Update on Su and Gordon Daitch
I’ve heard from several folks who bought paintings from Su Daitch after reading about her husband Gordon, who has bladder cancer.
“I want to thank you for writing the article about Su and Gordon Daitch in the AJC,” wrote Nancy Lee Daily. “That is an example of journalism making a positive difference for many people. I knew that Dr. Lori Elliott (director of the Urban Literacy Clinic at Georgia State University) has been looking for art to hang in the clinic and Su’s “It Takes a Village” will go up this week. Thanks for your article - we met a great couple and found a painting that’s a perfect fit!”
Here’s a nice note from Roz Howell:
“I cannot thank you enough for the lovely article in Sunday’s paper about Su and Gordon Daitch. After reading your story, I checked out their website. Then, I emailed them; and then, my husband and I went to their house last night to meet them and to purchase a painting. It was all-around a most positive experience and we cannot be more delighted. Please feel free to share this email with whomever you like. Without your story we may never have had the opportunity to know Su and Gordon or to have one of her paintings in our home.”
And here’s one from Curt Gill:
“I just wanted to thank you for writing the story about Su and Gordon. We just bought two pieces from them yesterday. They are quite a pair. Sounds like thru your help they have really been able to sell a bunch of stuff. A great way to sell her work and for a great cause. Thanks again for the heads up. It’s nice to read some uplifting stories once in a while. Please keep us updated on their story.”
Su wrote on Wednesday to say Gordon, who has had initial surgery at Kennestone, will be there another night. They’ll know more in coming days about how things went and what comes next. Stay tuned!
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A FAB bash to salute the Lion King
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jovita Moore, left, and Ben Lipitz. Photo by Poane’.
About 200 guests attended the fab bash at FAB earlier this month to kick off Disney’s “The Lion King,” here through May 4 at the Atlanta Civic Center.
Chantylla Johnson, from left, Georgette Francois, and Christopher Borger. Photo by Poane’.
Jovita Moore, Tracye Hutchins,Tony Conway, Randy Stone and Kevin Benefield were among the attendees at the opening night event at French American Brasserie, hosted by Atlanta mag.
Cast members including former Atlantans Dionne Randolph (Mufasa), Maia Moss and Amyia Burrell (Ensemble), joined the party, along with fellow cast members Phindile Mkhize (Rafiki), Ben Lipitz (Pumbaa), and Dashaun Young (Simba).
Dionne Randolph, from left, Jeremy Gumbs, and Dashaun Young. Photo by Poane’.
Young actors Christopher Borger, Jeremy Gumbs, Georgette Francois and Chantylla Johnson (who rotate in the roles of “Young Simba” and “Young Nala”), also attended.
My colleague Wendell Brock gives the show a B- and says kids “will be filled with awe and wonder by this one-of-a-kind visual achievement, which uses puppets and masks to express the exotic animal beauty of Africa in human terms, and hits just enough musical high notes to provide an emotionally satisfying experience.”
For tickets and information see www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.
Fairrah Newsome, from left, Ramona McKee, Dan McKee, Phindile Mkhize and Frank Mendez. Photo by Poane’.
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