Shelby's social diary
SWAT's Going On? Lots of fireworks with the Fertittas
The neighbors would have called the cops on the disturbance at Tilman Fertitta's River Oaks swankienda the other night -- except that they were already there.
The SWAT team firing endless rounds.
The bad guys firing back.
An HPD helicopter hovering overhead.
Chief Harold Hurtt and The Closer'sG.W. Bailey reigned over the noisy, smokey scene that had Andrea White and others in the line of fire ducking for cover. The Houston Police Foundation's "True Blue Evening" erupted in a mock hostage situation in which Wayne Dolcefino and Dayna Steele were kidnapped by critters from the so-called Crustacean Nation and saved by HPD.
While the otherwise serene neighborhood was jolted out of its cosseted slumber, the only real complaint was that Dolcefino was rescued.
No sedate soiree for the 475 guests who packed tables across the Fertitta landscape. Beyond the ear-splitting show of gunfire (blanks, of course) and The Wire-style hijinks, HPD supporters were entertained with great eats from Landry's restaurant empire and invited by HPD to inspect the department's cachet of high-tech weapons.
The crowd, including Paul Somerville, Edna Meyer-Nelson and Hannah and Cal McNair, tried out Taser guns, handled 50-caliber rifles and M-16s and avoided the mobile DWI van.
The team making it all happen included benefit chairs Paige and Tilman Ferittta and Chris and Don Sanders, dinner chair Laura Ward, master of ceremonies Dave Ward and Vicki King, HPD assistant chief of tactical support command.
