It Was Everybody Into the Pool

Hot flashes: There were a few surprises at the Celebrity Pool Toss on Wednesday at the Phoenix Hotel: Olympian Kerri Strug was a planned surprise as an emcee. Fellow medalist Jonny Moseley was an unplanned one -- just dropped by and then found himself onstage as another emcee.

Another surprise, thanks to chairmen Jeannette Etheredge and Mark Leno, was that the event made $225,000 for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp. Charles Schwab helped by matching the $5,000 each tossee raised. Susan Lowenberg of the real estate family was pushed into the pool by Kimberly Smith for $16,500. Laura Knoop King, who brought a dignified cheering section headed by Mike and Connie Hooker and Tom Kelley, went for $5,100 from Yvonne Sangiacomo.

Tom went on for a snack at Zuni and ran into real celebrities: visiting chef Carlo Cioni, who was whipping up something delish for Maria Manetti Farrow, and blue-chip homemaker Martha Stewart, who was with venture capitalist John Doerr and other big dealers, talking about her IPO . . . Pool tossees emeriti Stanlee Gatti and Supe Gavin Newsom, who just had his hair cut by celebrity stylist Frederic Fekkai (told Gav not to use gel; but forget it, the gel is back), went on to Gordon's Fine Eats for dinner with another celebrity, ``Nash Bridges'' actress Yasmine Bleeth, and Billy and Vanessa Getty.

Ellen DeGeneres just told Deborah Strobin that she'd do the UCSF benefit and tribute to Michael Douglas at Davies on November 15. Other entertainers will include Nancy Dussault, Davis Gaines (San Francisco's original ``Phantom'') and Mary Hart . . . Can't find a house you like to buy? Neither could a certain computer genius, in a story going around, but then he drove by a place he really liked. Problem: Not for sale. Click: He asked the owner, ``If you were to sell your house, what would you ask?'' and the reply was $6 million. ``OK,'' said the genius, ``I'll give you that and $14 million to move.'' Done.

Sharon Stone and Jan Yanehiro raised $67,500 when they auctioned five trips in 20 minutes Wednesday at the Ballet's annual fashion show lunch at the Fairmont -- including $27,000 from Nancee Garsth for a Kenya safari. Among the other items being auctioned was a New Year's Eve package at the St. Francis and a red beaded Vera Wang gown from Sharon's collection. When asked what size it was, she replied, ``It's size 6-8-10.''

The Saks fashion show honored Italian designer Alberta Ferretti, who showed her spring 2000 collection: lots of wispy chiffons and silks, gorgeous colors worn with thong sandals; divine for those size 2-4-6 (some models in the show were in their early teens). ``I loved those dresses. I want the whole collection, but I've got to get the models to go with it, too,'' said Carole Shorenstein Hays, sitting with Ballet board chairwoman emeritus Chris Hellman. Alberta, Ballet Auxiliary President Judy Hobbs, fashion show chairwoman Elizabeth Kramer Polenske and benefactors had fun at a cocktail party Tuesday at the home of Wendy Paskin and mayoral candidate Frank Jordan. Nice touch: Caterer Dan McCall set up a table with desserts and coffee on the sidewalk for people waiting for their cars.

Alberta and her group, including Elizabeth Perkins (she and Alberta bonded last week in St. Tropez), had to go just a few blocks to the home of Italian Consul General Sebastiano Salvatori and his wife, Mariella, for dinner. First course: risotto Milanese, and fabulous. That'll show those judges at the Museo ItaloAmericano risotto contest who didn't pick her risotto as the best.

Frederic and four women had dinner Tuesday at Florio, where he ran into another hairstylist, Joseph Cozza. ``The scissors will be flying,'' said Florio's owner, Doug Biederbeck, but no problem. Joseph and Frederic bonded. Frederic wielded a scissors in Joseph's salon Wednesday on Kelley Johnson, Summer Walker and Ali Speer . . . Despite having flown halfway around the world for tea at Burburry's on Wednesday, the company's CEO, Rose Marie Bravo, looked great, wearing a moss-green boucle jacket, which Chris Boskin was trying on.

``You look so much better than I do in it,'' said ultimate saleswoman Rose Marie, but Chris decided she didn't. So she bought a divine -- really -- duffel coat in lilac. Summer also dashed in and bought a orange chunky cashmere sweater with a huge turtleneck. Because her hair is a quarter-inch shorter, she feels chilly.