Author Archive

For almost $49 million, “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest will close on the purchase of Ellen DeGeneres’ Bev Hills, 9,200 square-foot house with a separate 3-bedroom house.

DeGeneres’ property also comes with two guest houses. The transaction is reportedly taking place this week.

Tom and Becky Steuby with Susan Block and unnamed Clydesdale

Columnists making the rounds may become extinct like Lifebuoy soap, Ipana toothpaste, Nehru jackets (an incitement to riot) and Forest Park Highlands.  Philanthropy is never extinct here given the generous companies like Centene, A B InBev, World Wide Technology, Clayco, Emerson, Peabody, and Ameren.  Then, there are the zero heroes, minus pluses. St. Louis is still a better place to live than many other cities in the world.  Through hefty donations, Opera Theatre and the St. Louis Symphony survive. No thanks to the sometimes ridiculous coverage of the media, OTSL and the Symph have been made to appear a social bauble – and those who run it have not done enough to correct the image. Those thoughts flashed across my mind as I wandered through traffic on Broadway at Market Street Saturday night headed to the Hyatt Regency for the JDRF (Mo. Chapter of the war on type 1 juvenile diabetes). “The Garden of Hope Dream Gala” was underway when chair Susan Block estimated the auction/dinner would raise $1 million.  A center of attraction was a Clydesdale horse for which the highest bidder could christen the equine with the name of the donor. Another big item on the block was a party for 350 at Grant’s Farm.  Here ‘n there were: Marc, Nancy Sokolik with grandsons, Justin and Cameron Gellman; Tom and Becky Steuby; Angela andBrad Daubach with Lizzie Kurowski; John and Dorothy Sheahan; Sharon Bachman; Danielle and Taylor Campbell; Shirley and William Robertson; BJ and Janet Cranseen.

On the Town

Mark, Karen, Ali and Mark Hoeman, Jr.

A block away at Anthony’s, Ira and Bill DeWitt, III dined at the bar with their eyes riveted to the screen and flinching as the Braves’ prowess.

Ira and Bill DeWitt, III

Nearby, Pulaski prez Tom Reeves was feted on his birthday by his wife, Kathy, and his offspring Katie, Brian and Danny Reeves, who confided he’s bought six Justin Bieber toothbrushes for gift-giving.

Ken Bollwerk, Ken Bollwerk, Jr. and Bob Frischmann

At Tony’s Louis andGiovanna Buck honored their son, Chris on his graduation.  Ditto for Tony’s matire de Ken Bollwerk, who fed his son, Ken Jr., on his graduation, while Lindenwood prof Bob Frischmann joined in the festivities.  In Tony’s party room, Beth Pollnow 

Beth Pollnow flanked by her twin brothers, Slade and Trask

tossed her own natal day celebration with her twin brothers, Slade and Trask Bradbury and a crowd of celebutantes. On Mom’s Day at the Ritz Carlton,

Brett Syberg, Abigail Lopez

Brett Syberg, with his best gal-pal, Abigail Lopez, explained how his family’s namesake restaurant chain is expanding:

Katie, Tom, Kathy, Danny and Brian Reeves

“We’re tearing an entire block on Gravois in Affton to create a Fast Eddie’s;  we’ll build two beer gardens at Syberg’s in Chesterfield; we’re exploring the construction of Syberg’s venues in Arnold and Fairview Heights, Illinois.”

Brett noted both his parents, three brothers and two sisters are involved in the company, where he is head chef.

Panera Bread Company has picked a Chicago firm, Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago, as its new creative agency. . .On Friday, a discussion of our town’s local TV newscasts will happen at the James J. Eagan Civic Center in Florissant. Participants include former anchors Dick Ford, Julius Hunter, Don Marsh and Laurie Waters. . .Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley recently set up a Blue Ribbon Citizens Committee on the state’s transportation needs.  In the coming weeks, that body, chaired byRod Jetton and Bill McKenna, will be holding public meetings.  But blogger Steve Patterson points out that the first meeting, set for this afternoon in Chesterfield, isn’t accessible by public transit.  He also notes that most panel members “represent businesses/industries that profit from keeping Missouri locked into the auto culture”. . .The Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum reminds us that this weekend is the 85th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight.  The museum houses Lindbergh’s memorabilia and a reproduction of the Spirit of St. Louis’ cockpit.

“The Avengers” has grossed a whopping $700 million worldwide in just two weeks of release. . .AMC Theaters may have a new owner with the Wanda Group of China thisclose to purchasing the second largest movie theater chain in the U.S., which is valued at $1.5 billion. . .FOX News has launched  streaming live on smartphones and tablets and the sale of ads on live streams is in the works.  The streaming is for customers of AT&T, DirecTV and U-verse. . .In an op ed in today’s N.Y. Times, Professor Janet Davis notes President Obama ‘s recent admission that he ate dog meat years ago.  She claims that in the U.S., “dog-eating has been a longstanding flashpoint for anxieties about race and citizenship” and cites the well-known 1904 World’s Fair incident in which “a group of scantily clad Philippine Igorots from the Luzon highlands reenacted a daily “Bow Wow Feast” at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.  Loosely based on the custom of sumang, in which a dog was sacrificed and eaten after a military victory, the dog-eating spectacle was a sensation”. . .A new exhibit at K.C.’s Nelson-Atkins art museum just opened, titled “Inventing the Modern World: Decorative arts at the World’s Fairs 1851-1939,” World’s Fairs curators say, “became the first platform for introducing new styles, manufacturing techniques, and consumer goods on a global state.”  The exhibit features popular products first presented at a World’s Fair, including mayonnaise, Cracker Jacks, the sewing machine, the telephone and the prototype Herman Miller plexiglass chair will make any design-lover swoon. . . On the hairbending beat, it’s congrats to Ginger Bay Salon owners Laura Ortmann and Jeffrey Evenson.  Their biz was just named “Salon of the Year” by SALON TODAY magazine. . .Jerry Dial, Bonni Gogel and Lois Bryant have arrived at be Salon.

In a new interview, comedy veteran Kathleen Madigan  explains the different between Missouri and the Lone Star State: ”We don’t have that kind of crazy state pride like, there was this guy in Texas who right before he was executed, yelled “Go, Cowboys!” There’s no way that anybody from St. Louis, right before you kill him, is going to yell “Go, Rams!” It’s just not going to happen.” She also explains why she quit her brief career in journalism:  ”I really didn’t like to do hard news. My friend was writing about toxic waste dumping in St. Louis — oh my god, no! I just wanted to visit with and write about a 100-year-old lady who had a Ronald Reagan stamp collection, those kind of stories.” By the way, St. Louis is third from top and K.C. is ninth on Coupons.com’s list of the “Top 25 Most Frugal U.S. Cities.  “The Midwest cities is the country’s most frugal region, though Atlanta took top honors and Tampa and Raleigh were also in the “top 10.”

In a “just out” news release, state education commissioner Chris Nicastro announces that eight Missouri high schools have won designation as “Gold Star Schools.”  Two are local:  Lindbergh and Valley Park. . .”Climb aboard the exploitation starship as we travel to the outer reaches of cinematic insanity!”  That’s how the Webster U. Film Series is hyping Dan Halsted’s visit to the campus this weekend.  The Portland film collector’s been dubbed, “The Indiana Jones of Film Archivists” and his passions are Hong Kong cinema and 70s exploitation films. Halsted will show and discuss such cult classics as “The Bastard Swordsman” and “The Mystery of Chess Boxing” (hello?). . .Time magazine names Cardinal Tim Dolan “one of the most influential.” But, actress Tilda Swinton?  Funny gal Chelsea Handler?  The “most influential?” Really?. . .A gaggle of Wehrenberg Theaters will screen a digitally restored for 4k digital cinemas the animated classic fantasy film, “Yellow Submarine” on May 10, 11, 19. . .Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly reports that activist John Chasnoff is suing the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners – again, over alleged violations of Missouri’s Sunshine Law when it voted in a 2011 in a closed meeting to close internal records about an investigation in the World Series ticket scandal.  The suit was filed Wednesday. . .Back in 1988, a burgundy 1964 Bentley Flying Spur was sold at a classic car auction in Miami.  The advertised title history for the “deluxe saloon,” indicated only two previous owners:  then-Cardinal John J. Carberry, the orginal owner, to actor George Hamilton.  So says Michael Wegs, a former Kenrick seminarian in a detailed new blog post at “Thy Child’s Face” about alleged abuse in which he also mentions a bevy of current and former Midwestern bishops: Anthony O’Connell;  Timothy Dolan; Michael McAuliffe; John Gaydos; Kevin Vann; George Lucas; Thomas Paprocki and Richard Sitka.

For many years, the columnist has endorsed the fragrant coffee served by McDonald’s and the staff, thoroughly marinated in founder Ray Kroc’s policies.  Now,  the company should earn more stripes with its rollout of an ode to spring and summer with: Spicy McBites;  strawberry creme pie and strawberry shake; chocolate dipped cones; chocolate banana shake; chocolate chip frappe; blueberry banana nut oatmeal; cherry berry chiller frozen drink – “with a focus on value and adding healthy choices.”  The columnist got a preview at the spanking clean McDonald’s in Creve Coeur, where a seminar was held for owners and operators. Among the owners was our town’s Colleen Schoendienst, sprig of the Cardinals’ Red Schoendienst. Colleen owns two McDonald’s – in Lamp & Lantern Village and in Chesterfield Valley. She participated in the seminar at which the “McDonald’s coaching for creating and monitoring a crew training plan” was set in motion.