The South Louisiana Sporting Clays Classic brings out the competitive spirit in gals and guys who like firing off at biodegradable clay pigeons. Started by former Rex Thomas Dugan Westfeldt and favorite cohort and wife Linda, the event benefits The Chartwell Center, which reaches out to children with autism. While the event is held annually at High Point across the river, the party-going set gathers the night before for a “Cajun Night” feast and lots of camaraderie. This year, Susan and Jimmy Gundlach pitched a large tent in their side yard for the party where tables sported “Hopedale Top-Siders” filled with flowers. Among those enjoying the fun were Fred and Boostie Ingraham, the Buzzy Browns, the Norwood Thorntons, the Miles Pollards, Rear Admiral Mary Landry USCG, and husband Mark, Dev Moring and others too sharp-shooting to name.
Peggy and Jack Laborde’s daughter Blayne, an interior designer who worked with John Chrestia in
New Orleans, is engaged to Davis Bonham of Houston. A former Queen of Osiris, Blayne was on hand to show off her ring and watch the “changing of the whistle” at the ball over Carnival. No date yet set for the UVA grad but mom Peggy is making plans while the couple commutes between here and Houston.
With residences and roots here and Baton Rouge, Herb Boydstun, Randy Bryan and Marsha Gassan, are commuting between Boca Raton and New Orleans. The three former Hibernia executives raised $400 million in capital to strengthen First Southern, a southern Florida Bank, and grow its franchise. Often by their side is public relations executive Jim Lestelle who, with interior designer John Stephens, hosted a post-Super Bowl/Mardi Gras celebration at their CBD loft. Lestelle’s daughter Carey, her husband Gabe and Lestelle’s adorable granddaughter Kendall, drove in from Brandon, Miss., while John’s mother Beverly plus sisters Dawn Ufkes and Robin Canady made their way out of snowbound Quincy, Ill. Interior designers Ned Marshall and Reynaldo Gonzalez of New Orleans and New York City joined in. Malcolm and Pia Ehrhardt, Marc and Bridgette Ehrhardt (of the Ehrhardt Group) and OMNI Bank President Kyle Waters and wife Cookie simply traveled across town. Ditto, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s Sharon Litwin and Babs Mollere.
Speaking of the LPO, Louellen and Darryl Berger hosted a reception at the Windsor Court post-concert for the sublime Midori (she needs but one name). They can’t do enough for Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto who, by coincidence, is their next door neighbor in Snowmass. There is joyous news from the Prietos: wife Isabel just gave birth to their third child, first son and another Carlos, in Mexico City.
Fred Starr’s Orchestra made the music magic at the Mary Lou and Bill Christoviches’ big-number wedding anniversary soirée at the NOCC. Among those saluting this formidable duo were Avery and Beau Baccich, Prescott and Sarah Dunbar, Benjamin Crosby and Katherine de Montluzin, former-mayor Moon and Verna Landrieu, Edgar and Alva Chase, Bitsy and Grover Mouton, Historic New Orleans Collection’s Priscilla and John Lawrence plus Drew and Julie Jardine, (Drew is the head of The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Laussat Society). The Jardines live in Mandeville, and if you’re ever invited to their home when the thousands of hummingbirds begin to arrive each summer, do go – it’s an amazing sight.
It is spring, hooray! It is April, hooray! Flowers, festivals, more benefits, birds and butterflies; enjoy them all!
