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On criticism of Barbara Bush’s comment about son Jeb Bush running for president: “We’ve had enough Bushes”, her grandson Mark Bush offered, “Nobody tells Barbara what to do.” Mark served with Arnold Donald and Mark Schnuck as toppers of Saturday night’s gala for the Center of  Creative Arts (COCA) at its University City HQ.  Scott, with his wife, Lindsay, confessed he couldn’t attend the previous day’s bow of the Bush dynasty’s library and museum in Dallas and opined, “It’s a genuine reflection of a man (George W.) who made good decisions and freedom for all people.” When Billy Bush of the syndicated radio show and “Access Hollywood” fame arrived as headliner of the evening, he graciously posed with Schnuck and others and quipped, “I’m squeezed between a Schnuck sandwich.” Mark, an exec with Edward Jones, was with his pals Peter Smith of Wells Fargo and Bobby and Bob Ciapciak (son is with Goldman Sachs and Bob is with Edward Jones).  The gala featured an auction, dinner and a mind blowing showcase performed by students of COCA that nurtures talent abetted by a wow in-house team. On to the bow of Dominic Bertani’s Ladue spinoff of his Chesterfield Dominic Michael’s in Ladue’s Colonial Marketplace. Michael has created a blueprint for the perfect “industrial chic” salon replete with a coloring lab, interiors of cold rolled steel and walnut-stained walls.  Hors d’oeuvres by neighboring Cini Restaurant were served and the 50 employees graciously greeted the several hundred guests.  “This is really a workshop and we have served about 3,000 clients a month,” boasted Bertani.  Tokyo’s current kawaii cuties craze was in evidence among the attractive staffers that included Alessandra Tiller; Amy Moncey; Gena Mazzamuto and Nikki Clark.  Stylist Ryan Wenick, a.k.a. “the stud,” stood out among the staffers (and he seemed to love it). . Finally, to the Four Seasons to glad-hand Mo. Supreme Court Judge Laura Denvir Stith upon picking up an award as “Woman of the Year” at the “Women’s Justice Awards,” presented by Missouri Lawyers Weekly.  Among the faces in the crowd were two men with the Asian Bar Association: Sreenivasa Rao Dandamudi, MO. Administrative Hearing Commissioner, and Raymond Flojo, Associated St. Louis Counselor. Here ‘n there were: WashU vice provost Adrienne Davis and associate dean Rafia Zafar; Judges Patricia Breckendridge and Peggy Richardson of Madison County; Georgia Ruson, retired chief of Family Services, Human Development Corp.; Gail Boker, senior assist. WashU; the Federal Reserve’s Mary Karr; Sarah Siegel of the St. Louis Assessors office; Surpeme Court Judge Bill Thompson; Ann Lemp; Bob Keafer; Johnathan Berns; Jerome Dobson; Beth Riggert, communications counsel of the MO Supreme Court; Judge Ann Covington and Richard Jackoway, editor of Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

In today’s New York Times, scribe Benjamin Hoffman likens Mets pitcher Matt Harvey  – who’s off to a stellar start this season – to giants like ex-Redbirds Fernando Valenzuela and Steve Carlton.   “Since 1916, a (major league) pitcher has started the season with four starts of seven or more innings and one run or none allowed just 45 times,” writes Hoffman. One of them was ex-St. Louis Brown hurler Ernie Wingard  back in 1924. . .Joe Besser - who?  Born and raised in our town, he was only one of the  Three Stooges,  who had replaced Curly in 1946.  He appeared in 16 short subjects with The Stooges and on The Abbott and Costello and Joey Bishop shows with Moe and Larry.  So now,  get ready for The Joe Besser Film Festival at 1 p.m.,  June 9 at the AMC Esquire Theater, that’s helmed by Tom Stockman.  Admission – $10 ..On May 14-15 in the County Circuit Court, MO. A.G. Chris Koster’s lawsuit against Republic Services, Inc., for a preliminary injunction will be heard.  Koster alleges the company has violated a number of Missouri’s environmental laws in its  operation of the Bridgeton Landfill. . .What’s with FOX2′s anchor Mandy Murphey?  First, no ring.  Now, the ring is on the middle finger.

Fox News, The Wall St. Journal and Shaw Media have joined to launch an aid to advertisers to convert television commercials into hyper-local mobile commercial opportunities. When a brand’s 15-or 30-second spot gets repurposed for interactive videos such as the Fox News Mobile site, the tech company’s system can serve a digital coupon.  The video ads can be targeted by location and iPhone/iPad users can save the coupons to their Passbook application.  Then, thanks to an alerts feature, consumers will be notified when they’re near a participating retailer.

Music Man Paul McKee (oh, we got trouble  – right here in river city – with a capital T (tax breaks for half-baked projects) got a partial victory from the Mo. Supreme Court that his plans do fit within the confines of the Near North Side plans.  However, he DID NOT get clearance for the tax financing deals.  Yaaay!!  Use your own money, Professor! Not the usual OPM sources.

Tight faces, hyper-social animals, those who would rankle at the old-money elitists and shark-infested waters were not in evidence Saturday night at the DADA Ball unlike other events the columnist has attended.  The frolic took place at the Contemporary Art Museum where art, fashion and revelry contributed to an extraordinary evening framed by a celebration of British artist Jeremy Deller’s exhibit of “Joy to the People.”  A cocktail and dinner party, auction, dancing and silent auction drew hundreds of enthusiasts bringing in about $400,000 to be used for the museum’s exhibition and education programs.  Many wore Brit-inspired apparel and some wore kink.  Savvy museum director Lisa Melandri, who has become a resident of Tower Grove South, greeted every single attendee at the door, that included hairstylist David Brown who pranced wearing a sequined crotch and Angie Ecker who touted as an auction item a pair of Goomi earings valued at $8,000 with tickets going for $75.

Other stops: Herbies Vintage ’72 where co-owner Aaron Teitelbaum confirmed his engagement to Marci Texier, occupational specialist with the Mehlville School Dist. – both heading for a September nupt.  Other news there: the appointment of Paris-trained exec chef Chris Ladley. ..And, at Il Bel Lago Plaza Motors chief Jerry Patterson: “We’re interested in acquiring Ford and Chevy dealerships”. . .At the Ritz Carlton, John Porta and Bob Walpert concluded arrangement with lenders to develop two apartment complexes in Boston.
GALLERY OF PICS TAKEN AT THE DADA BALL & OTHER STOPS

Wordsmith/editor Dick Weiss has taken a leave from the St. Louis Beacon to work on some books.  One involves Max Starkloff, a biography written by Charlie Claggett, a former local ad wizard known for bringing the Budweiser frogs to television.  Charlie was a good friend of the late Starkloff and is chairman of the board for the Starkloff Disability Institute. The book is due to hit the sheves in 2014.  Weiss is also working with Marshall Cohen on his memoir.  Marshall created the Lift for Life Gym and then a charter school, Lift for Life Academy, that has created many opportunities for inner city kids.  That book is due soon.  The latest Weiss efforts have been heading up the Beyond November project for the Beacon, the Nine Network and Public Radio, which will continue on without his stewardship. . .According to Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, WashU ranks a #1 among selective colleges as “most competitive”. . .Pressure from abuse victims and a federal judge is prompting Milwaukee Catholic officials to release a deposition of Cardinal Timothy Dolan this summer.  Dolan, a St. Louis native, was questioned for three hours about how he dealt with clergy sex abuse and cover up cases in Milwaukee before being promoted to head the NYC archdiocese. ..Hats off to our town’s Bob Whitehead, who has been named “conservative communicator of the year” by the State Dept. of Conservation. . .

A 31-year veteran of the Missouri Division of Employment Security who was fired by former Labor Department Director Larry Rebman has filed a formal complaint with the state. The sacked department veteran, Cindy Guthrie, and her attorney, Roger Brown of Jefferson City, allege Rebman overstepped his authority because she is a merit system employee. As Columbia Daily Tribune statehouse bulldog Rudi Keller reported Sunday, both Guthrie and Brown say Rebman “>fired Guthrie without cause and did so as part of a pattern of micromanaging and retaliation when workers would not accept orders that contradicted state laws or policies.” If that didn’t set off alarm bells, this does: Keller reports that Division of Employment Security Director Gracia Backerwas recently fired by Governor Jay Nixon’s administration after she stood up for Guthrie and other employees targeted by Rebman. The attorney, Brown, told Keller: “My gut is that Gracia did nothing wrong … She got caught up in a mess, and there is nothing I have seen that is even remotely close to Gracia doing something wrong.” Guthrie, the fired veteran employee who stood up to Rebman, told Keller that Backer “was defending all the merit people who were doing things right.” Backer is a woman of political accomplishment in state history. During her career as a state representative from Callaway County spanning 1983 to 2001, she was the first woman to serve as House Democratic Leader. She also directed the Division of Employment Security under Governor Bob Holden. While Backer got the boot after blowing the whistle, Rebman recently landed a $100,000 appointment from Nixon as an administrative law judge in Kansas City. Keller notes that in a mid-March news release that didn’t mention Backer’s departure, Nixon praised Rebman, saying he “has done a tremendous job.” Rebman declined Keller’s request for an interview. But when Keller caught up to Nixon on Thursday, he asked the guv whether there were any issues that prompted Rebman’s removal. Nixon replied: “Nah. Nope. Nope.” Keep up with Keller’s coverage here:http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/local/employee-s-claim-might-explain-labor-department-moves/article_935bc632-99b3-11e2-877f-10604b9ffe60.html

A food caring wait staff, romantic atmosphere and show-stopping dishes make Zoe Robinson Pidgeon’s Bar Les Freres a must.  The endless creativity that Pidgeon possesses was evident at a pre-Easter adventure.  That’s where we learned from vet maitre d’ Michael Weber that our town’sGeorge Frasher is celebrating the 13th year of his colossal Frasher’s Steakhouse in Scottsdale.  Frasher opened what is now St. Louis Steakhouse.  Over at the Ritz Carlton, more than 500 attended the 13 Black Katz soiree, headed by Tommy Wilder, who said that the organization had just donated 200 Easter hams and clothing to the less-fortunate in conjunction with the Deltas. Charlene Higgins and Drew Davis said they’ll be married next May.  Breaking vows and trading barbs were franchise consultantPatrick Elsner with his wife, Alicia, sales manager of KSDK, Channel 5, who tipped that the station’s topper Lynn Beale will soon be crowned “manager of the year” among all Gannett stations.  Speaking of Channel 5. former reporter and fill-in anchor Courtney Gousman has become a reporter for Chicago’s WBBM, a CBS station, and most recently got kudos for her coverage of the mobs in the Second City. At Cardwells at Frontenac, hair stylist to the stars Tom Cerrutti toasted acclaimed haberdasher Sam Cavato on his 81st birthday.