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    Shelby About Town

    Houston Ballet Barre, Elaine Turner and Anita Perry take center stage in this week's social scene

    shelby hodge
    Aug 27, 2010 | 2:58 pm
    Anita Perry, left, and Pamela Wright at Texas Bond No. 9 launch at Saks Fifth Avenue.

    It was a rockin' scene in the first-floor lounge at RDG + Bar Annie when Ballet Barre, Houston Ballet's young professionals group, took over for a season kickoff.

    More than 120 up-and-coming social stars lit up the scene in what might be one of the better singles mixers in the city (couples welcome). Plenty of Cute Young Things and Handsome Dudes in the throng. Co-chairs Kristy Junco and Lindsey Brown were busy bees at the membership table as the guests and new members signing up poured in.

    Revving the party engines were Cara Morales and Jared Lang, head of Momentum Audi which sponsored the event. And that explained all the sleek German wheels in the parking lot.

    A number of company dancers added grace to the evening including principals Mireille Hassenboehler and Amy Fote and new soloist Melissa Hough. Others taking advantage of the Ballet Barre $3 cocktails and other libations were Christine Transier, Lauren Levicki, Carey Kirkpatrick, Heather Pray, Mark Sullivan, Kristen Cannon, Beth and Nick Zdeblick and Chris Bradshaw.

    Dazzling the crowd with her jewelry display, on view in one corner of the party space, was former Houston Ballet dancer and ballet mistress Dawn Scannell.

    A decade of design

    Handbag and shoe designer Elaine Turner celebrated her 10th anniversary in the fashion world with a casual fete in her Memorial area mid-century home on Thursday. Just redone with the aid of interior designer Ashley Goforth, the spiffy house proved an ideal setting for showing off Turner's fall line which embraces a Jackie O esthetic.

    Among those checking out the fall look that is in stores now and samples from the spring collection were Lynn Wyatt, Sabrina Miskelly, Lauren Freeman, Elan Rogers, Lauren Gallagher and Carly Burns.

    Sweet smell of Texas

    It isn't necessarily redolent of summer clover and spring buttercups, but the new Texas Bond No. 9 fragrance received a sweet endorsement from Texas First Lady Anita Perry when she joined the Texas State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution at a launch of the new perfume at Saks Fifth Avenue.

    Part of the evening fun was perusing the jewels by designer Pamela Wright, who was on hand to greet Perry. In the welcoming party were Saks GM Terry Zmyslo and Sylvia Forsythe, Saks fashion director.

    Really good sports

    That would be Brandon Grissom and Jesse Botello who dedicated proceeds from the opening of their 360 Sports Lounge to Houston-based Sunshine Kids. Taking time out from shooting The Closer in LA, G.W. Bailey, executive director of the non-profit, was on hand to thank supporters who numbered more than 250.

    In addition to ohhhing and ahhhing over the major viewing options — three 10-foot HD projector screens, one 60-inch television, one 50-inch and eight 42-inch televisions — guests supped on bar bites from chef Shay Dean.

    Joining the party at 4061 Washington were J. W. Rogers, Ian Meltzer, Phillip Beavers, Marian Harper, Patty and Craig Biggio, Gayle and Robert Rosales, Linda and Mike Riehl, Lilli and Noel Braniff, Linda and Mark Stewart, Mary Jane Zummo and Aurora Perez.

    Wedding bells

    When Alison Leland and Billy McKinney, an NBA exec and former player, decided to wed recently, they made it a private affair. The couple flew to Hawaii and exchanged vows at the St. Regis Hotel in Princeville on Kauai. They have been dating for a while and now that her three boys are grown and on their own, it was time for Leland to begin the next chapter in her intriguing life.

    Anita Perry, left, and Pamela Wright at Texas Bond No. 9 launch at Saks Fifth Avenue.

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    Party Animals

    Rain or shine, Houston Zoo Ball raises $2.1M for a wilder future

    Eric Sandler
    Nov 20, 2025 | 12:30 pm
    Houston Zoo Ball 2025
    Photo by Daniel Ortiz
    Zoo Ball chairs Jay and Catherine Goossen, Kathy and Marty Goossen, and Lacey and Matthew Goossen.

    Rainclouds may have loomed, but Houston’s social set was undeterred at Zoo Ball 2025, themed Enchanted Forests, the Houston Zoo’s annual black-tie bash that raised an impressive $2.1 million for animal care, education, and wildlife-saving efforts.

    Houston Zoo Ball 2025

    Photo by Daniel Ortiz

    Zoo Ball chairs Jay and Catherine Goossen, Kathy and Marty Goossen, and Lacey and Matthew Goossen.

    More than 600 guests turned out for the woodland-themed evening chaired by the Goossen family — Kathy and Marty Goossen, Lacey and Matthew Goossen, and Catherine and Jay Goossen — which celebrated creatures great and small and honored former Houston Zoo president and CEO Lee Ehmke.

    Despite the threat of rain, organizers and guests came prepared. The zoo’s Masihara Pavilion was transformed into a lush, tented ballroom, complete with covered walkways and just enough sparkle to make the drizzle feel intentional. Stylish Houstonians paired their gala gowns with weather-smart footwear — because a little practicality never hurt anyone.

    Partygoers mingled with ambassador animals (including Clark the macaw, clearly the night’s breakout star) before sitting down to a multi-course dinner from City Kitchen. The elegant spread featured haricots verts salad, seared sea bass with roasted grape and basil beurre blanc, and the crowd-favorite Aunt Etta chocolate cake topped with crème anglaise.

    During the lively auctions, chaired by Courtney and Bas Solleveld, guests proved generous and competitive. Big-ticket items included a Puerto Vallarta getaway, an Aspen excursion, and naming rights for the Zoo’s newest okapi calf. A paddle raise added $259,000, amplified by a $110,000 matching gift from Dee Methvin, honoring the late Stacy Methvin, and Kerry Galvin.

    After dinner, the PNC-sponsored After Party, chaired by Anna Gryska, kept the tempo high and the temperature higher. The Drywater Band packed the dance floor as guests partied well past midnight, heat and humidity be damned. Those who survived the sweaty soirée were rewarded with late-night bites from Armando’s taco truck and Paulie’s cookies — the sweetest kind of sendoff.

    Party animals were Houston Zoo CEO Lisa and Alec Peterson, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Carina and Brooks Antweil, Cathy and Joe Cleary, Monica Kuraturi and Kumaran Sathyamoorthy, Dana, Daryl and Olivia Kenningham, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Jordan and Dylan Seff, and Kelley and Steve Lubanko.

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