Knees Galore: There were kilts a-plenty at the 17th annual Kirkin’ of the Tartan at the Cathedral Church of All Saints, where Dean Kevin Carroll welcomed Scots celebrating their heritage. The church reverberated with the thunder of Milwaukee Scottish Pipes and Drums, augmented by the Caledonian Scottish Dancers’ Highland flings and plenty of historical readings.
Dignitaries on hand included Judge Tom Cooper; piper/organist Rob McWilliam; Scottish Fest’s Dave Berger; Jean Bills, head of Celtic Women Worldwide; Irish Fest founder Ed Ward; Bob McWilliam, the force behind recognition of the official Wisconsin tartan; and Harold Hansen, St. Andrew’s Society whiskey master.
Memorialized among community members who died the preceding year were John Alley, noted photographer and explorer, and award-winning Scottish dancer Reuel Zielke.
Among the celebrators were Michael and Pam Todd, Brendan McDaniel, Dale Larson, Hugh Crawford with MacKenzie Ross, Nicholas Hennigan, Jerry Brown and Cheryl Dawson, Mark Allen and the hirsute Rick Pfeiffer, resplendent in Clan Cameron colors.
Woofing It Up: The inimitable Dear Ruthie, founder of Ruthie’s Kennel Club, hosted her 2014 Kickoff Party at Art Bar. Established last year, the organization raises funds for animal-focused charities around Greater Milwaukee. Ruthie announced this year’s recipient organizations and their representatives: Remember Me Ranch with Marissa Saad; Canine Cupids, Diane Holmes; Second Hand Purrs, Nancy Benoit; and Happy Endings, a “no kill” cat shelter represented by Julie Gottfried. Ruthie thanked her volunteers and board members Sandy Ploy, Todd Richards and Kevin Keul.
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Maple Veneer organized the silent auction with donors including dog photographer Stephanie Bartz; Stacy LaPoint, Fresh Is Best Natural Pet Food president; designer David Howser, who contributed a Cher T-shirt; and Jeff Gosseck, whose chocolate vodka basket incited a bidding war won by Mary Briggs.
Although Ruthie left her Westies Roxie and Rocco at home, numerous tail-waggers sniffed about. Among them were Ren, a rat terrier, there with owners Flame and Ann Powell; Rowdy, a whippet of Peter Zalinski and Wayne Wu; and Beano, a French bulldog with owner Brad Didenko. Canine Cupids’ Rachel Davids accompanied Scrapper, a foster Cockapoo. Circulating were Tolly Arthur and Jodi Valind, Marquette’s Dr. Robin Brown, SJM Designs’ Steven J. Miller and Joe Mancuso.
Operatic Profundo: The Florentine Opera Company hosted a convivial soiree at the Wayne & Kristine Lueders Florentine Opera Center to announce its upcoming season. Company Director William Florescu described the “season of original productions,” with a song from each opera presented by their studio artists: soprano Julie Tabash, mezzo-soprano Erin Gonzalez, tenor Aaron Short and baritone Pablo Siqueiros. A “name that opera tune” contest offered an opportunity to win tickets.
George and Angela Jacobi, opening night sponsors of The Flying Dutchman, and Claire and Glen Hackmann, sponsors of From Vienna to The Great White Way, were among the partiers. Also enjoying the performances were director Reynolds Honold and his wife, Linda; board members Cathy Costantini of the La Lune Collection and Mark Berry; Dan Schmidt; new opera lovers Kiko DeLorenzo and John Molitor; Robert Sobczak; Fred and Gail Tyszka; and Joannie Williams. Jeff Martinka chatted with David Drew. Mary Kelly and Cassie Platt discovered they both hail from Flatbush in Brooklyn. Marketing director Richard Clark organized the evening.
Triple Header: Amazing treats from a dozen chefs paired with music by 88Nine Radio Milwaukee DJs and bolstered by an eclectic group of fans made for a perfect evening at the station’s annual SoundBites. Guests sipped and schmoozed at the Iron Horse. Spotted were station guru Mary Louise Mussoline and her husband, Dr. Jim Cope; Maureen and Keith Kolb; Sarah and Steve Zimmerman; Tracey and Andrew Wadsworth; Danae Davis; Ignacio and Susan Catral; and Mike Drescher.
Making the rounds were Jeff Bentoff; Marci Pelzer, who was nursing sunburned feet from an Ecuador jaunt; Maggie and Ben Brown and Jackie and Omar Darr, who are co-chairing the Betty Brinn Gala; Scott and Sally Siegel from Hanson Dodge; Aphisack Ay Senboutaraj with BMO Harris Financial Advisors; Baird’s Dan Gilipsky and Cathie Madden chatted with Leo Ries and Marie Kingsbury; Ian Abston and BVK’s Sara Meaney; foodie/writer Lori Fredrich; and RN Debra Murphy. Maria Cieslik and attorney Bennett Choice confabbed with fellow barrister Ned Witte, there with his wife, Mary.
Book Bites: Talented bibliophiles and bakers created 21 culinary oeuvres inspired by literary works at Woodland Pattern’s eighth annual Edible Book Show. Artist Gina Litherland’s pizzas, an homage to Dante’s Divine Comedy, was awarded Most Difficult and “Emily Dickinson’s Black Cake” by poet Anne Heide was judged Most Delectable.
Other winners included “Sushi Roll Love Poems” by DakotaSky Bowen and Brian Nigus and “Beauty & the Beast on My Kindle Paperwhite” by Ray McNulty, there with his mom, Jody Janus, and her mom, Joan. The afternoon also included food-inspired readings by Kyle Cherek, enjoyed by his fiancée, Nada Johnson, and their youngsters Petra and Henry; Ron Faiola, author of Wisconsin Supper Clubs; and Molly Snyder, the outgoing Pfister narrator-in-residence. Her children, Olivia, Kai River and Levi, created “Anne Frank’s Diary.” Peter Goldberg had a copy of his new chapbook, Strange Fire.
If you have any tips for Boris and Doris, contact them at borisanddorisott@aol.com. Their next column will appear in the May 1 issue of the Shepherd.
