Archive for February, 2010

State economic development officials and St.Louis county exec Charlie Dooley are poised to announce a joint federal/local program to identify new users and uses for the  region’s shuttered auto assembly plants.  Meanwhile, the St. Louis Tea Party folks have likely done both Dooley, a popular Democrat seeking reelection, and Chesterfield Mayor John Nations, a rising star in the Republican party, an inadvertent favor.  They have published an announcement of a Feb. 27 gathering at the Gateway Arch that features a mocking image of the duo.

As the mainstream media begins to turn its harsh spotlight on North County Development’s 377-acre casino site plan, the columnist is rooting for the underdogs.  No, not for the dozen or so conservation groups hoping to avoid the blighting of the land around the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers Confluence by new construction.  Nor for the thousands of residents who have signed petitions complaining about the likely traffic, noise and trash of a new casino.  The columnist is cheering for the *bold face *names that have graced his column for decades: for Gene McNary, former St. Louis county exec and current Gaming Commission director, who has so far left no last legacy in either place.  And for Floyd Warmann,  who  lost millions of dollars in the early 1990s when his plans to flip a mooring lease on the city riverfront to a casino thwarted by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.  And for Brad Lakin and Julie McDonald, whose fathers are both in the federal pen.  Is it unreasonable to hope that the era of good government relaxes for just a little while in order to let some of the old guard enjoy a final chance to score?

Somewhere in her family, Alexis Tucci had to have inherited the genes of Cecil B. DeMille or David O. Selznick.  Only they and Tucci could produce a spectacular such as the Mayor’s Ball in City Hall t’other eve, crafted by Tucci.  Usually the corridors are as empty as an Elaine Viets book signing, but Friday night they were wall-to-wall, costumed party-goers as well as those in formal attire.  Why not? It was the eve of Mardi Gras festivities around town and the guests partied and jammed beyond belief. The aforementioned Dooley and Hizzoner Francis Slay were hugging and recalling how earlier in the day, Dooley pulled off his best joke yet. While Slay and others were at a Hardee’s launching of Heat Up St. Louis, they looked in vain for Dooley, whose presence was expected. Finally, someone caught a side-splitting Dooley at a drive-up window.

Speaking of attending functions, Guv. Jay Nixon was invited to the ball, but was a no-show much to the anger of some power brokers. “He doesn’t even care about St. Louis”, said one of them.  Another Dem chimed in about county exec hopeful Bill Corrigan and pointed out, “He’s been elected to Pulaski Bank’s board.  You know, the bank that has not yet paid back the TARP funds?”

With his wife, Gienne, at  his side,  Parks & Rec. chief Gary Best tipped that a conservancy is being formed to raise money for the Gateway Mall park. Nearby, St. Louis Sheriff Jim Murphy lamented about his nephew, Judge Joe Murphy, another victim of lung cancer. “It’s treatable – he’s now on chemotherapy,” said Murphy. Affable 25th Ward Alderman Shane Cohen enthused over having gotten a grant from the Justice Dept. for his district to cover police and prosecutorial services as well as the neighborhood watch program. Taking it all in were Deb and Cong. Russ Carnahan, who admitted he enjoys listening to Rush Limbaugh whenever possible. Getting admirable stares were the stunning duo of Teresa and broadcaster John Brown, while nearby were Michelle and St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson, who expressed comfort about what he described as a “coming together of all factions in the department, but several forces don’t want that.”  A few toasts were raised to Brian Wahby, chairman of the city Democratic Central committee for having pioneered the Mayor’s Ball way back then.

Mitt Romney will be in our town April 24 to headline a fundraiser for Tom Schweich‘s run for state auditor. Romney, seen as a front runner for the GOP nomination for president in the 2012 Presidential Election, is among the Schweich boosters, that include: Jack Danforth; Sam Fox; Peter Kinder; Bert Walker and John Bolton.  Schweich served as Bolton’s chief-of-staff, while he was in the U.N., reminded Tom over lunch with his wife, Kathy, at Schneithorst’s. . .

Look for the yoga and workout apparel vendor, LuLuLemon, to bow at Plaza Frontenac in April. . .

Kathy and gem stone dealer Phil Samuels were  huddled with Premiere Rentals’ Bill Miller at Protzel’s Deli on Saturday. That’s where Phil casually drew an envelope from his pocket exhibiting a sapphire and an emerald with a total retail value of $750,000.  “Bill’s going to buy one,” whispered Samuels.. .

And, kudos to Jennifer and Drew Sterling on the 15th anniversary of their  St. Louis Rotisserie, where the wood-fired ovens are aglow on Thursdays for their memorable barbecued spareribs.

Former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt has cinched a contract for more than $436,000 in annual fees to his Gephardt Group Government Affairs to undertake the great American specialty – lobbying.  The firm’s team includes Gephardt’s former chief of staff and the firm’s managing partner, Tom O’Donnell, and senior veep Janice O’Donnell, a onetime staffer with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to disclosure documents filed with the Department of Justice.  The country of Georgia is situated at the juncture of eastern Europe and western Asia. U.S. relations with Georgia have been under the microscope since a 2008  war between that country and Russia over the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. Georgia has also stressed its desire to join NATO.

Here’s one from the Downtown St. Louis Community Improvement District (www.downtownstl.org) that’s presenting the “first downtown St. Louis Idiotarod” on March 5-6. It reads, “MUSH! The Downtown Idiotarod is just like the famous Alaskan Idiotarod except. . . replace the dogs with people, replace the sled with a shopping cart, replace Wasilla with Washington avenue and replace courage and endurance with weirdness.”  Teams of fve will race for four miles around downtown to win prizes.

An invitation making the rounds will probably not endear attorney Bill Corrigan to any of St. Louis county’s restaurants and banquet rooms, but it IS convenient to his office in Met Square.  Can you even see St. Louis county from that room?  The invite is for a reception/fundraiser for Corrigan’s run for county exec on Friday, Feb. 19 on the 42nd floor of One Metropolitan Square.  You can co-host by raising or contributing $1,000.

Tom Klein has defected from the Post-Dispatch to join the Cardinals.  He was sports copy editor at the daily and is expected to ditto on the baseball club’s publications. . .

The St.Louis Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will bestow honors on those inducted to its Print Hall of Fame at a luncheon on March 11.  The inductees are: former broadcast scribe and commentary page editor Eric Mink, St. Louis magazine’s Ray Hartman and Print Hall of Fame founder Frank Absher – all of whom will participate in a panel discussion on their careers and the journalism industry of today.  Mark Vittert, another inductee to the Hall of Fame, never a journalist, but his financial support made possible the birth and operation of The Riverfront Times and the Biz Journal. The bash is at noon at the Lucas Park Grille.