Volunteer Extraordinaire, Patty Barrier

Patty Barrier with her giant bouquet of flowers in honor of
her Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Award

Last night, a full contingent of friends and family attended the Junior League of Seattle May Celebration when Patty Barrier received her Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Award which recognizes outstanding community volunteer leadership.

I was one of Patty's supporters attending last night and was so pleased to be asked to introduce her.  In addition, Patty's support group also included husband, Jimmy Barrier and son Kjell Schei, Katerie Laughlin, Ken Hatch, Patti Payne, Susan Brotman, Pat Wallace, Betty Rubenstein, Debi Giannola, Tara Stepenberg, Micki Flowers, Kathy Randall, Marla Moss, Janet Grimley, Sheri Salo, Ellen Bakke, Karen Roed, Gail Richards and many others. 

Patty's remarks were personal and she was

Patty proudly sharing her "Follies" video.

excited to share the video of her tap dancing prowess from her earlier days in Junior League of Charlotte when she chaired their major fundraiser, "The Follies".  But her list of past leadership positions and committee served on in Seattle is even more impressive because of the depth and breadth of what she has supported from serving on multiple boards and supporting capital campaigns (Benaroya Hall, Leo K Theatre, Seattle Humane Society, etc.) to chairing fundraising Galas (Pilchuck Auction Gala, PNB Nutcracker Ball) to the adventure of bringing back a plane load of abandoned dogs and cats following Hurricane Katrina, to committee work in the primary areas of the arts (both visual and performing) and animal welfare and rights, but health, human and social services too.  

Her primary message to the Junior League members in attendance was her advice to "lead by being a good follower".  This fit perfectly with my introduction of her because I have always said that she is the BEST committee member that you could ever ask to have on your committee.  She steps up and offers to help, thinks of specific actions that should occur, and successfully executes them to make a difference on every committee on which she has ever been involved.  She really knows how to be a key player and valued committee member, even when she is not the leader.

We have worked on dozens of projects and committees together over the past 28 years since she arrived in Seattle and we became friends.  One of my favorite funny memories is when Patty and I worked together when I served as PONCHO President, and Patty being the good friend that she is, offered to chair the never-before-done PONCHO Garage Sale.  It was a huge effort that required dozens of volunteer hours as she sought donations from our entire network of friends and associates.  My favorite part of the story is when she cleaned out Jimmy’s closet, thinking she was getting rid of 2 dozen old shirts that looked just alike, when in reality, she took his just-back-from-the-laundry, never-been-worn, brand-new collection of shirts and sold them to raise funds for the arts!  Actually, my husband Ken still continues to complain about both Patty’s and my overzealous attitude during the PONCHO Garage Sale adventure, though Ken primarily lost only ultra suede jackets in leprechaun green and jack o' lantern orange from his closet (what a relief)!  

Consummate volunteer and leader – and amazing friend as well – I salute Patty for truly having made a difference in the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest and especially in the quality of my life.  She is one of those brilliantly shining stars that I treasure and I congratulate her on receiving this much deserved award.

  

Celebrating Junior League of Seattle Volunteer Award to Patty Barrier

Previous Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Award winners with current honoree, Patty Barrier

This coming week will be a big celebration at MOHAI for the Junior League of Seattle.  It is the May Celebration when the current JLS President passes the gavel to the new President.  It seems like only yesterday, but was really in 1991 when I accepted that same gavel from my predecessor.


Another big focus of the celebration is the Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Community Service Award, for a lifetime of volunteer achievement which this year will be awarded to my dear friend, Patty Barrier.  

The Junior League of Seattle created the Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Community Service Award in 1989 to recognize outstanding achievement in the area of community service. Dorothy Stimson Bullitt was a charter member of the Junior League of Seattle, civic leader, women’s advocate and the founder of the King Broadcasting Company.

The Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Community Service Award honors an Active or Sustaining Junior League member who has enriched the lives of her neighbors and community at large through extraordinary volunteer public service. The Junior League of Seattle award is the only award Mrs. Bullitt allowed to carry her name.

Last week, there was a luncheon at the Sunset Club for all the past Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Award winners to celebrate the upcoming announcement of Patty as this year's recipient hosted by last year's DSB award winner, Kathy Randall.

We are all looking forward to this coming week when Patty will receive this very special recognition award.

We were Winners!

The "animal team," Cathi & Chloe

I played hooky this morning and played in the Member-Guest Tournament at Overlake Golf Club with friend, Chloe Mueller.  Chloe and I (without consulting with one another about our wardrobe choices) showed up in our animal prints so looked like we had planned a team outfit.

The format was a scramble and we were teamed up with Jayne Zogg and her daughter, Jessie and friend Julie Patrick.  We began on hole number 7B and with Chloe's strategic coaching and incredibly long hits, we ended the nine holes with a 37, only one stroke over par. Each of us contributed at one point or another throughout the round by either sinking a long putt,  hitting a long drive or nailing an approach shot.

On hole number 3, both Jayne and I got on

Jayne & Jessie Zogg, Julie Patrick

the green with our drives though we were a long distance away from the pin.  My ball was just a couple of feet closer to the pin but so far away that I would never have measured it for the "closest to the pin" competition, if Chloe hadn't noticed that no one had yet put their name on the chart.  When we measured, my ball was 39'1/2" away from the pin, but we entered the distance on the chart anyway.  You can imagine my surprise when the round was over and my name was the one listed as "closest to the pin"!

And we also were the winners of best score, beating one other team by only one stroke.  I had to capture this amazing news with a photo since I may not ever see my name atop the leader board for golf again!   

Undaunted with Judith Kindler

Judith Kindler, Artist and Hostess Extraordinaire

This week Ken and I attended a very interesting dinner party at Judith Kindler's Atelier 31.  She and her husband, Kyle Johnson, brought together a group of friends and appreciators of Judith's art to participate in her current project entitled "Undaunted".

It is always such a treat to visit Judith's studio since it is also a gallery of selections of her work and it is fascinating to see all the different bodies of work represented in one place.  It was also fun to catch up with friends, Chloe & Lance Mueller, JJ McKay, John Christensen, Michael Greer, Pam Anderson, Tim McKee,

Ken Hatch and John Christensen

Cathy & Tom O'Keefe and others.    

Pam Anderson & Tim McKee

Throughout the party, Judith invited her friends to come and model for her with a selection of props while she took individual photos and encouraged each subject to look angry, happy and sad (not all at once of course).  The props were an interesting selection of objects including a buddha, small nun in her habit with a large cross, baby doll, stack of books, two cantaloupe, a rabbit inside a cage, a stack of turkish towels, a small sailor man and a number of others.  Judith will convert a selection of these images that she took of her friends wielding the props into her project.  It will

JJ McKay and Julie Thomas

be interesting to see how my angry face turns out if she actually uses it (I am hoping not!).

Maestro of Wine at El Gaucho

Cheers!

On Monday evening ZINO Society members and guests gathered at El Gaucho Bellevue for the ZINO Society Maestro of Wine Monday, one of ZINO Society’s non-investment networking events open to all ZINO Society members and their guests. 

It was an intimate setting in a private room, which provided those attending the opportunity to engage with

Spencer Sievers, Amy Bailey, Cathi Hatch
Tom Keeney, Kelley Kavanaugh

one another and build relationships. The mood was festive, as  we connected with one another over excellent and interesting food and wine courses. See menu below.

With a little urging, guests shared some interesting little known facts about themselves.  Who knew that one of our ZINO Society members is proficient in Arabic? The rest of the secrets are safe with us . . .

One of ZINO Society's long time members, Tom Keeney-co-owner of Ash Hollow Estate Vineyards & Winery, provided the wines and introduced charismatic winemaker, Spencer Sievers, who is the Consulting Winemaker of Ash Hollow Winery. For the food and wine pairings, Stewart provided interesting background about the wines served

Darlin Gray and Claire Dillow

Mike & Susan Redmond

El Gaucho General Manager Tony Capra, Sous Chef
Sarah Brinlee with El Gaucho Service Team

while El Gaucho’s Sous-Chef, Sarah Brinlee, introduced her creative dishes, for each of the five courses served.

Spencer shared the story of his background, and although he didn’t choose the most conventional path for becoming a winemaker, he certainly has acquired the skills to present wines with a huge flavor profile.  My personal favorite was his 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve paired with Sarah’s Fiddlehead Fern Risotto; what a marvelous combination.  I definitely needed a larger portion of the risotto however!

Katherine Kitzmiller, Ken Hatch, Emma Landis

Emma Landis, Katherine Kitzmiller, Ann Rogers

Thank you to Tom Keeney and El Gaucho Bellevue for hosting such a delightful event and to ZINO Society friends for attending and making Maestro of Wine Monday such a memorable networking event. Fun photos of the evening, compliments of our amateur photographer and fellow ZINO Teammember, Claire Dillow.  Thank you, Claire!

Full menu:

Truffled Hens Egg

Crème Fraiche, Caviar

‘06—Library Sauvignon Blanc

Caille en Confit

Quail, Blackberry Gastrique, Watercress

NV—Headless Red Blend

Fiddlehead Fern Risotto

Fava Beans, Sweet Pea, Shiitake, Parmesan

 ‘08—Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon

Roasted Grapes, Whipped Purple Potatoes, 10 Year Balsamic

 ‘09—Malbec

Cassis Crème Brulee Tart

Port Reduction, Fresh Cream

NV—Fioria 

  

Party of the Century

Hallie Kuperman and Cathi Hatch

Tonight I went to DeLille Cellars to attend an event billed as the "Party of the Century" because it was a fundraiser to benefit Century Ballroom.  Century Ballroom owner Hallie Kuperman, was confronted with a huge tax bill of a quarter of a million dollars for a little known "tax on the opportunity to dance" which she was unaware of as were most establishments that also have a place to dance included.

Hallie is working to change the law since we are the only state where such a tax exists.  However, in the interim, she must pay the delinquent taxes.  She was ultimately able to get the State of

Hallie dances with Century Ballroom co-owner, Alison. 

Connie Blumenthal and Sheila Otter

Washington to settle for $92,000 and has raised $80,000 towards that bill to date.  Tonight's event was what she hoped would bring in the final $12,000 needed to fund the tax bill.

Hallie and several of her professional dancers did some exhibition dancing and it is always so much fun to see how accomplished they are!  Problems with the sound system at DeLille Cellars fazed Hallie not at all and she led everyone is clapping to the beat so the dancers could finish their dance.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Hallie and Century Ballroom because of my past experience in dancing in the Seattle Dances fundraiser to benefit Plymouth Housing Group a few years ago.  Hallie has been a sponsor of that event from the beginning which could not have happened without her involvement in using her teachers and dance associates to partner the local "celebrity dancers" and using her studios and ballroom as a place to learn and practice our dances.  Plus Hallie has served as the producer and co-emcee of each event too.

Ian MacNeil and Fredda Goldfarb

There were lots of friends and past Seattle Dances dancers on hand to support the cause.  Past "celebrity" dancers, Stacy Lill and Patti Savoy co-chaired the event and some of the other past dancers on hand included Ian MacNeil, Connie Blumenthal, Dean Jones and me.  Professional partners were also on hand and I was so pleased to see "my" partner, Marcelo Garces, who was there with his wife, Rachel.  We realized that each of the years that Marcelo has danced in the competition that his partners have won the "Peoples' Choice Award" for bringing in the most money.  Besides me, the Peoples' Choice winners have included Stacy Lill, Nancy Pellegrino and .

Rachel & Marcelo Garces

Connie Blumenthal

Other supporters attending the party included party co-host, Greg Lill, Fredda Goldfarb, Erik Anderson, Brad Vancour, Stacy Jones, Sheila Otter, Lorna Kneeland, Effie True Gleason and dozens of others.

Can't wait to hear the outcome of this evening's fundraising total which I will share with you soon!

Libations on Location at Chihuly Garden & Glass

Jessica Hoerschelmann, Alix Compton, Darlin Gray, Christy
Cheever, Matt Viers, Meg Landies, Claire Dillow

Howard Wright toasting ZINO Society

Yesterday evening, ZINO Society member, Howard Wright, hosted ZINO Society members and guests at the Chihuly Garden and Glass for a very special LOL! event.  In this case LOL! means "Libations on Location" and is one of several non-investment event networking parties that ZINO Society plans each year as an opportunity for members and guests to interact and build connections with other interesting people in a fascinating location.  The Chihuly Garden and Glass definitely fit the bill as an "facinating location"!!

TAN Angel Group Members John Rodenberg & Bob Kimball 

The attendees had the opportunity to tour all eight of the eye-popping galleries and the garden while the actual party was located in the Glasshouse with its soaring glass ceiling and bright orange and yellow floral glass arrangement and the Space Needle hovering above.  Featured ZINO Society Wine and Brew Professional Members included DeLille Cellars, Hedges Family Estate, Avennia, Treveri Cellars and the Pike Brewing Company.  The Collections Cafe supplied the delicious hors

ZINO Society Team Members Meg Landies and
Claire Dillow with Bob O'Hara

d'oeuvres.  My personal favorite was the "Cheese Curds in Sweet Tomato Jam".

Cathi Hatch, Michael Roupp, Chaitra & Ram Dutt

Thank you so much Howard for hosting such a delightful event which everyone enjoyed!  Here are a few photos to give you a taste of the evening.

The sign of the "Z"
ZINO Society Team Members Meg Landies,
Claire Dillow, Emma Landis

Meg Landies, Ann Lyda Rogers, George Thomas