Sheena Easton wows Mercy party-goers

Mercy Health Partners hospital CEOs, from left: Jeff Peterson of St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Karen Connors of St. Anne Mercy, and David Ameen of St. Charles Mercy. The hospitals were recognized by the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital program.

Basking in their success were members of the Mercy Health Partners family. St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, St. Anne Mercy Hospital, and St. Charles Mercy Hospital each earned the Distinguished Hospital Award from J.D. Power and Associates for consistently providing an outstanding patient experience.

To celebrate, J.D. Power held a dinner Friday night at the Valentine Theatre featuring Grammy Award winner Sheena Easton. No fund-raiser, just fun. Fresh flowers filled the room as revelers feasted on delicious edibles, from canapes to carved tenderloin and pastas, and cheeses, salads, and Mediterranean favorites.

Steven Mickus joins performer Sheena Easton at a concert honoring Mercy Health Partners award-winning hospitals.

In the theater, David Stephan of J.D. Power and Associates presented the awards. Accepting them were chief executive officers Jeff Peterson of St. Vincent, David Ameen of St. Charles, and Karen Connors of St. Anne, and Steve Mickus of Mercy Health Partners.

Then, Sheena Easton wowed the audience as she sang favorites including "For Your Eyes Only," "Almost Over You," and "Modern Girl."

Among the full house were Dick and Peggy Evens, Barbara and Mike Berebitsky, Don and Sharianne Petroff, David and Joyce Franzblau, Nanci and Lachman Chablani, Carlos DeCarvalho and Carol Greenberg, Karen Merrels, Don and Dee Saunders, Kushala Hegde, Wilson Felix, Karen Fraker, Dennis and Sheila Johnson, and Mayor Jack Ford and his wife, Cynthia.

LIGHTS, cameras, action! It was like Hollywood Saturday night for the Lake Erie West Cultural Arts Awards presented by the foundation and arts council. Artists and art lovers paraded into the Owens-Illinois World Headquarters theater for a smashing presentation. Northwest Ohio natives Jon Hendricks, the internationally renowned singer, Jerry Reed, a Cotton Club tap dancer, and Helen O'Connell, a legendary singer, were inducted into the Lake Erie West Cultural Arts Hall of Fame.

Mercy Health Partners hospital CEOs, from left: Jeff Peterson of St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Karen Connors of St. Anne Mercy, and David Ameen of St. Charles Mercy. The hospitals were recognized by the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital program.

Then, just as in show business, the Arts Education awardees were announced: Randy Hardy, Anthony Wayne Local Schools superintendent; volunteer Anne Steinmetz of St. Mary School in Tiffin; teacher Benjamin Culver of Saline Area Schools and Saline Fiddlers in Saline, Mich., and the Ritz Theatre in Tiffin. After the presentations, guests retired to the Riverview Terrace that overlooks the Maumee River for an elegant reception. Handmade pots from the Potters Guild held yellow forsythia that seemed to glow in the candlelight. A gourmet buffet sated appetites with shrimp, pates, and more, and even the strictest of dieters couldn't resist the chocolate fountain. Guests danced the night away to the tunes of the Pete Ford Trio.

THE DEVIL made them do it! Toledo Opera Guild hosted a lunch yesterday at Carranor Hunt and Polo Club to celebrate Toledo Opera's Faust, which is to be presented tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon at the Valentine Theatre. In addition, a soiree was held Sunday in the home of Serena and Tom Williams with co-hosts Patrice and Lyman Spitzer to entice guests to support the opera. And how could one resist? It was a magical event. Opera stars from Faust mesmerized the 40-some guests with their baritone and soprano voices. Among the guests were Dave and Jan Merrell, Sandy Carman, Susan and Frazier Reams, Michael Craig and J.C. Jarvis, Becky Fuhrman and Don Leary, Bob and Karen Lucas, and Michael and Ditte Galbraith.

10 COUPLES who have been together for more than 30 years recently returned from a trip together on the Caribbean Princess. The group started out playing tennis many moons ago and now they just get together on a regular basis for parties. The group has two teachers, so they had to schedule the trip during spring break.

In honor of the occasion, they had T-shirts to match with "World Famous Greater Toledo Area Tennis Group," plus, "10 Fun To Be With Couples, 1176+ Years of Life, 359+ Years of Marriage, 28 Children, and 25+ Grandchildren." To say the least, they stood out in the crowd on the ship. The group includes Rick and Margy Black, John and Susan Croci, Mike and Marilyn Errington, Carl and Sue Happ, Dave and Moe Judy, Charlie and Karen Kaufman, Bob and Mary Miller, Pat and Diane Pacella, Warren and Pat Tipton, and Gary and Sue Zdawczyk.

FRANK Rockwell and Donna Brick are still smiling about their vacation. They boarded the Amsterdam in Rio de Janeiro. Their destination was the Antarctic Peninsula. After a cruise around icebergs in the peninsula, they departed for the west coast of South America, rounding Cape Horn, and concluding with Valparaiso, Chile. It was great, but ahh, nice to be back home.

FINAL touches are being made for the Colors for Cures fashion show/dinner auction to benefit the American Cancer Society. The event is next Thursday night at Gladieux Meadows. Chairmen Gayle Eversole and Margo Leininger said cancer survivors will model clothing from Lady C, the Discovery Shop, and Robert's Men's Wear.