Dec 17, 2007

Homeowners welcome public to 'Our House'

By Janet Duca Norton / Society Columnist

The 19th annual "Christmas at Our House" home tour, a benefit for St. Francis High School, showcased a trio of handsome Los Altos homes decorated for the holidays. Tour events included luncheons, shopping in the holiday boutique, vocal and instrumental student performances of seasonal music, a donation drawing, complimentary tea and a first-time fashion show featuring St. Francis Women's Club members modeling clothes from Stuart's Apparel by Nellie K. of Los Altos.

Presented by the St. Francis High School Women's Club, the Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 events raised funds for the campaign for a performing arts center. Prominently displayed in the entrance to tthe hospitality tent, the architectural rendering of the Center for Performing Arts by Tim Houlihan received rave reviews. If all goes according to plan, groundbreaking will take place in March 2008.

"Our 'Christmas At Our House' fundraiser was a terrific success," chairwoman Charlene Raisch said. "We are grateful for the continuing presence of our generous underwriters, advertisers and guests who consistently support our wonderful students."

Located in the historic Woodland Acres area, the homes were selected for their diversity and unique architectural and design features. Woodland Acres is an apt description for the tree-covered 106 acres of terrain, dating back 80 years to the purchase of the land parcel by Mr. Edward Hohfeld and his family. These new, architecturally distinct homes are handsomely set against the ambience of this country landscape.

Laurie Rubenstein Medina and Hector Medina not only opened their Tuscan villa home for the tour, they managed to have the newest addition, an outdoor loggia with a wood-burning pizza oven, finished in time for the tour. Their garden was the setting for the complimentary tea and fashion show. Built by Jim Netzel, the home combines Mediterranean style with state-of-the-art electronics and appliances. Rubenstein and Medina did their own decorating for the tour, including displaying their own collection of lighted Christmas houses and accompanying miniature winter landscapes, created by Rubenstein.

St. Francis alumni Christina Papoulias and Tom Barton are celebrating their second Christmas in their European country manor. The two were planning to build their dream house when they toured the home to get ideas for their project. But after seeing the perfect kitchen (that has two islands), Papoulias and Barton made an offer, and builder Matthew Harrigan of Timeline Designs accepted. Together, the two have added their personal touches, including hand-painted murals on the walls and ceilings. Their garden was the perfect setting for the display of the famous Santa's workshop gift baskets that were sold by a donation drawing.

Jane and Jim Carter completed their dream house, a castle on the hill, just in time for the tour and to celebrate their first Christmas in their new home. The eclectic Mediterranean-themed home features a Gothic turret, wonderful views and state-of-the-art amenities. The Carters' large dining room with an elegant granite fireplace was the perfect setting for this year's "Twelfth Night" table setting of traditional "Holiday" pattern china, glassware and flatware donated by Tiffany & Co. At the close of the tour, past tour chairwoman Shelly Barsanti was thrilled to find out she had purchased the winning ticket for the table setting.

The tour has many traditions, starting with the gorgeous gala tent preview party that honors the families who opened their homes for the tour. St. Francis students presented their original pen-and-ink drawings of the tour's homes to the respective homeowners along with large souvenir nutcrackers. Principal Patricia Tennant was awarded the original family map drawing.

Co-chairwomen Marylou Descalso and Annette Papapietro were thrilled 300 guests turned out for the post-tour event at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, including many past chairwomen and their spouses, among them Shelly and Don Bacci and Katy and Tom Kelly, as well as Linda and Howard Graham, Mari Jo Pelzner, Michelle Barsanti, Shelly Barsanti and Kim Lorstad.

Past chairwomen also returned to serve buffet luncheons for both days of the tour. Guests seen sampling the fabulous food by caterers The Party Helpers and enjoying the St. Francis Jazz Band's sets included Anne Hambly, Lisa Webster, St. Francis board president Kevin Makely and his wife Joan, and alum Rob Jensen and his wife Diana, founders and proprietors of Testarossa Vineyards, who donated the wine for the party and luncheons.


HOLIDAY TEA AT CRANE PLACE

Pinatas, sombreros and silver tea sets set the scene for the festive annual holiday tea hosted by the Peninsula Volunteers for residents of Crane Place and Partridge-Kennedy retirement apartments in Menlo Park.

The sold-out Dec. 1 party featured a musical afternoon with a little something for everyone, starting with a pre-tea performance of holiday songs from around the world by Woodside School's second-grade students, under the direction of Kara Ireland Ambrosio with piano accompaniment by Amanda Negrete. Highlights included an accordion solo by Abigail Klein, sound effects by class members and a singalong.

Part of the afternoon's fun was a post-performance greeting from the young performers, who shook hands with Crane Place and Partridge-Kennedy residents. Tea entertainment also featured cabaret singing by Lyn An King with the Peninsula Volunteers Notables chorus and a program of chorus line-dancing by the Serendipity Dance Troupe.

"At this time of year, it is so encouraging to see children and teens doing for others," tea coordinator and event founder Amalia Popell said. "Members of the Octagon Club at Woodside High School came early to set up and decorate the dining room, helped serve and stayed late to clean up."

Known for their hands-on activities, Peninsula Volunteers members continued the nine-year tradition of preparing fabulous food, donating their silver tea sets for the formal tea and performing hostess duties. Joining current president Carol Young in hostess duties were Lori Congress, Sandy Ferrando, Carole Gumucio, Elsie Quigley, Berdine Jernigan and past presidents Ann Griffiths, Linda Dickinson, Nancy Greenbach, Ramona Cole and Leslie Wong.

Peninsula Volunteers is celebrating its 60th year of providing services and programs for seniors in San Mateo County. These apartment complexes - 30 units at Partridge-Kennedy and 93 at Crane Place - provide 82 percent of the low-cost housing for seniors in Menlo Park.


Janet Duca Norton's society column appears every Sunday in the Daily News. Please send event information to society@paloaltodailynews.com.