Horse Power

Prime time is upon us, kiddies, and Saturday's rompin,' divot-stompin' 19th annual National City Family House Polo Match was the liveliest launch of the fall social season.

"Polo is a tough, physical sport … one of the most dangerous in the world," declared David Andrews, the voice of Palm Beach Polo who called the play-by-play from the tower. "This is probably the best organized, best attended (1,600 guests), best fund-raiser in the game." Chalk up those rave reviews to the 100 percent volunteer effort that has steered this galloping success from the giddyup. Read on.

A light shower did not keep Party Central from staking out Hartwood Acres as tailgate territory. Pity the poor socialite elsewhere in search of a caterer. Every upscale chef and classy kitchen had a command post and there was no horsing around with posies, either. Lavish bouquets in silver ice buckets or baskets of sunflowers are de rigueur with with bluegrass bunch. As are flutes of bubbly to quaff by.

Sights were top of the line, both on and off the playing field. Clothes horses went for tasteful versus tack-y in polished, put-together looks in mostly long skirts, strappy sandals and hats all around. But none more glam than stunning benefit co-chairs Marsha Deaktor and April Langford, there with Scott and Ross in that order.

All to support Family House … an affordable home away from home for patients and their families who must travel to Pittsburgh for transplants and treatments for life-threatening illnesses. Speaking of volunteers, they have staffed all three FH locations, 24/7, since 1983.

The format changed this year with the first match between D.C.'s Potomac and Great Meadow Polo Clubs from Virginia and the second set of chukkers with our own powerful contenders, the Ligonier and Darlington Polo Clubs. Too-too-long-long.

Now, the launch for "Stomp & Snort" was a horse of another color. Friday at sundown, some 400 volunteers and sponsors who had ponied up major bucks were feted at a fab to-do that was co-chaired by Laurie Gottlieb and Bill Stasko at the tented Hartwood mansion (same site as Saturday's apres "hard tea" party!).

Top caterers and restaurants — like Michael Lench, LaForet, Fluted Mushroom — donated every marvy morsel, the dahhlings. Because this crowd does not live by grilled sea scallops and raspberries alone, Vicky Ulicny of Victoria's Linens elegantly covered tables in hunter green/white and Xylem's David Strollo topped them with fall baskets of hydrangeas spiked with green pears. While the John Parker band played on. How nice to have valet parking by Jay Becker, too, for the tony car convoy.

It was full steed ahead for such as FH board chair Hoddy Hanna and Mary Anne (Hanna has been a team sponsor for 19 years); National City's Ellen Golonski with Jean and Steve Hartle; the fab Hennes: John and Dara, Anne Henne Rockwell and Sam, Meg Henne Gibson and Barry; Christina and Rob Cochran with Faith, Olivia, Eliza and Will; FH new director Cindi Roth; Mary and Ted Struck; fab Pat and Alan Siger (she's now with Children's Hospital!); Bobby Rahal's new mom Deborah Hessinger; Debbie and Joe Milicia of Turner Construction; Magee-Women's Irma Goertzen; Drs. Ellen and Loren Roth; Vange and Nick Beldecos; Joan and Joel Ettinger; Janet and Gayland Cook; Maggsie and Dan Sliger; Linda and Renny Clark; Bill Few's Joe and Marcie Scarpo; and such local polo stars as Dr. Richard Raizman, the Glen Wattersons and Mark Powers.

Plus beautiful Catherine Loevner; Penny and Ian Bamford of Red Square; Angie Longo; Hoby and Stacey Hanna; Becky and Herb Torbin; Janet Markel and Barry Lhormer; Christine Frattere; Bonnie and Steve Dake; Carolyn Grady; Marcy and Glen Feinberg; Betsy and Lee Deiseroth; Debbie and John Chuko; Anne Noland; knockout couple Brooke Bartos and Joe Murphy; Annie and Dennis Cestra; Judge Mary Jane Bowes and Ron; Alan and Selma Sherman; Susan Albrecht; Mary Shubert; Stacey and Mark Vernalis; Christine and T.J. McCrady; Dr. Elliott Kramer and Bill Modrak; Nancy and Bruce McGough; Fran and Jim Abraham; Aradhna and Anuj Dhanda; Susan Castriota; and Don Brown.

As well as Dr. Cathy Cohen and Saul Weitz; Susie and Brendan McLaughlin with son Brendan; Katie and David Caliguri; Dee Bold; Marsetta and Dick Schweiger; Sue and David Barnes; Sally and Jim Dawson; Dr. Tim Heffner; Jim Duratz; Stephen Zylstra; Don Brown; Susan Castriota; Wallis Katz; James and Angie Mahr; Carol and David Reese; Carol Word and Bill Truehart; Joe and Rose Kunkel Roarty; Diane Beckerman and Bob Mandell; Alison and John Brown; Michael and Niecey Terral; Laura Lyons; Deirdre Egan; Kathy and Dale Charochak; Catherine and Gordon Seaman; Anita Iglesias; Sandi and Bernie Pinsker; and Quecreek Miners Ron Hileman and Bob Pugh who threw out the first ball in each match.

Marsey doats.

The National Aviary staged a high flyer on Saturday with Feathered Jewels , a stunning 50th anniversary wingding in the parking lot next to Heinz Field. How could this be a parking lot when views of the city's skyscape were so drop-dead fabulous … and the see-through tents were as colorful as the A-list avians who were the eve's feathered jewels• Several were perched on tables that were color cued to each bird with matching posies and table linens. For close encounters of the bird kind, this was the place.

The skies were not cloudy all day. But at six on the dot, as some 600 blackties began arriving, a ferocious rain storm blew apart the entranceway and had everyone running for cover. And cocktails. At sunset, as guests bid and cooed in the silent auction tent, Mother Nature smiled and — ta-dah — a release of 50 white doves flocked to the skies. Talk about a flight of fancy.

The dinner tent was merely breathtaking with tables covered in a rainbow of colors and Tim Condron's dazzling centerpieces to match.

Wining and dining• I only need say three little words, The Duquesne Club, and you catch my drift. Ate like birds• I don't think so. More good news … there was no speechifying and a snappy live auction of a mere five items by nonpareil auctioneer Jim Roddey. Wearing a feathered face mask to the dais, he asked, "You thought it was Cyril Wecht, didn't you?!"

Spotted shaking their tail feathers off to (another golden touch) Pure Gold were such as benefit chair Judy Stalder and Jim (her co-chair Mel Rex was in D.C.); honorary co-chair Jim Cederna of Calgon Carbon and Carol; NA director Dayton Baker with his zoo bride Dr. Barbara; Jack and Darlene Mascaro; NA chair Tom Baily and Cindy; Van Dauler and Randi wearing a fab diamond/emerald parrot brooch; Jay Ferguson and Ranny with feathers in her hair; Cathy and Sy Holzer; Ken McCrory and Pam wearing a divine lilac gown; Lynn and Ron Davenport Jr; Shelly and Jeffrey Lipton; Rose and Bill Strickland; mayor Tom Murphy and Mona; and Sarah Scaife Foundation's Michael Gleba (he accepted the Phoenix Philanthropy Award on behalf of the Scaife family for their support of the NA) with fiancee Jennifer Kirby.

More birders: Electra and Jim Agras; Drs. Thema Snyder and Marc Liang; Barbara Luderowski and Michael Olijnyk; Caryn Rubinoff and Craig Dunham; Mona Generett and State Rep.William Russell Robinson; Nancy Byrnes who produced the benefit; Suzy and Jim Williams; U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart and Doug Austin; Mardi and Bill Isler; Donna and Vince Delie; State Sen. Tim Murphy and Nan; Patti Rambasek and Rik Laird; Dan Onorato and Shelly; Carroll and Jay Labarthe; County Councilwoman Jan Rea and Don; Lisa and Glenn Hawley; Rep. Tom Michlovic and Gwen Thomas in a red Chinese tunic brilliantly embroidered with birds; Terri and Don Hastings; Shelly and Thor Tolo; Patti Weber; Louisa and Jim Rudolph; Connie George; Joan and Ed Aiello; Kim and Bob Fanelli; Kitty Hillman; Melissa and David Stalder; Deborah and Bob Engel; and Russ Kemerer and Beth Wainwright in the eve's best gown, a hunter green silk with a huge ruff of black feathers.

In the nest-feathering department, a little bird told me the benefit raised $350K. Ah, the lives of the beaked and feathered.

Music is often most stirring at its extremes, in a full-blooded fortissimo or a floating pianissimo. Music is also often most stirring when we are in extremis, when we desperately need it to soften grief and rage. So it came to pass on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America, that the PSO sold out Heinz Hall for A Concert for Heroes … a brilliant performance that honored the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who sacrificed their lives to spare hundreds of others.

We came together to mourn, to remember. To send a message that we will prevail, that this country will not give up. The Mendelssohn Choir's famed conductor, Robert Page, opened the concert with a haunting rendition of Barber's "Agnus Dei" that went right to the heart, transcending the singers and musicians like a blessing from above. We withheld our applause, but not our tears. While Gilbert Kaplan, one of the few conductors who can meet and conquer the demands of Mahler's heroic "Resurrection" Symphony, did so with exquisite taste and blazing fire.

You should also know that every tix was priced at $50. And everyone (from Kaplan and the PSO to Page and the Mendelssohn Choir, to soloists Esther Heideman and Stacey Rishoi, to the Heinz Hall ushers), but everyone, bless 'em all, donated their talent and services to benefit the Somerset County 93 Memorial Fund . Interesting, too, that this audience was not comprised of season subscribers.

The 171st Air Refueling Wing color guard of Pennsylvania's Air National Guard stood at attention in the entrance, and Cheryl Redmond's Flight 93 memorial quilt was a focal point in the grand lobby.

Faces in the crowd: Dick Simmons; Glen Meakem; County Executive Jim Roddey; hizzoner Tom Murphy; Gideon Toeplitz and Gail Ransom; Connie and Benno Bernt; Sydelle Kessler; Susan Nernberg; Ada and Stan Davis; Jean and Hax McCullough; Louisa and Grahame Smyth; Jackie and Dave Christopher; Mildred Posvar; Christopher Hahn; Patte and Atilla Molnar; Katherine Detre; Sidney Stark; Laura Gutnick; Nachum Golan and Steve Hough; Audrey and Steve Richman; Ruth and Dr. Wes Parry; Marjorie and Jack Larouere; Manfred Bold and Vanessa Richardson; Marsha Berger and Kevin Silson; Joyce and Lt. Col. Jerry Mangis; Gail and Dr. Bruce Guerden; and Al Filoni.

The concert reinforced something we always knew: how resilient and loyal is the American spirit.

They found plenty of room at the inn Friday evening. That's a good thing — because a nearly overflow crowd of 250-plus turned out for the Mexican War Streets Pre-House and Garden Tour Gala .

Aptly named, The Inn on the Mexican War Streets swung open its wrought iron gates for a sneak peak of the hostelry's new restaurant, Acanthus (watch for it to open by year's end), and the 33rd annual MWS house tour. Once the home of North Side department store magnate Russell Boggs, the stunning Romanesque mansion now offers overnight guests yet another entree on the city's growing bed-and-breakfast menu.

While owners Karl Kargle and Jeff Stasko put last-minute touches on everything from the lumineria-lined sidewalks to the tasty edibles prepared by Beatty Tech culinary students, hosts Debbie and Doug Houston welcomed guests such as MWS Society prez Randy Buffington; Leslie Vincen and Dan Wintermantel , designer of the tour's posters and banners; Susan Larkin ; Roxanne Franchini and mom Jean ; Nancy and John Traina ; Joan Sberro ; Robert Miles ; Tim Keeney ; Chris Phillips ; David McMunn ; Patricia Jurczak with Chris .

Among the friends and neighbors mingling under the big tent in the garden were Char Hudson , Debbie and Mike Nahm , Loretta O'Connor and Danny Mallinson , recent San Fran transplants Cheryl Gach and Erik Riedel , Karl Owens , Tim Ohrum , Joann Zangaro and Rick Vano , Carrie Burnham , Jim Pierce , Sandy and Tom Coles , Annita and Leon Haynes , Joe Sciulli , Ingrid Berlund , Beth and Jurgen Christensen , Susan Meadowcroft , Paul Georg , John Debbis , Patsy Leonard , and Marcie Bochicchio.

Although fun was the party theme, gala proceeds help fund ongoing historic preservation in the War Streets. An Inn place, indeed.

—J.A.

Remember when they called Pittsburgh the Steel City• Well, a striking reminder of the region's industrial heritage will continue to burn bright on the South Side. Forged by Jerry Peckich and Art Silverman , a committed bunch of folks gathered Sunday for the Bessemer Converter Dedication at Station Square .

For those who don't know, the massive, egg-shaped Bessemer transformed steelmaking from an expensive, low-yield process to a profitable, high-output industry. Just ask Andrew Carnegie, who put the Bessemer to work at his U.S. Steel plants. But enough of the history lessons.

Presided over by event co-chair Marilyn Ross Peckich, Sunday's festivities kicked off in the afternoon with photo ops and speeches by a familiar cast of local pols. Then the real fun started as the VIP crowd trekked to the Amphitheater tent for a gigantic Steelers tailgate party, where fans enjoyed a nearly endless pre-game feast.

But the real show started at half-time—and we're not talking about marching bands and majorettes. With ESPN on hand to record the event for posterity, the restored 165-ton converter that squatted almost overlooked next to the Grand Concourse for almost two decades stood tall and proud in Station Square's newest fun spot—Bessemer Court. With perfect timing, Heinz Field's PA announcer counted down to zero to ignite a breathtaking pyrotechnics display—complete with Zambelli fireworks—that recreated the fiery geyser of gases and flames that spouted from the converter in its steelmaking heyday.

In case you missed Sunday's big event, the Bessemer will dazzle crowds every Saturday night at 9:40 through November. During the rest of the week, a scaled-down production will entertain. Either way, this Bessemer is a blast.

—John Altdorfe