Archive for the ‘In Our Town’ Category

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology describes University of Missouri researchers’ study suggesting that statins, the cholesterol-lowering meds, may actually block some of the fitness benefits from exercise. . .Pastors from the Ignite Church in Joplin were in Moore, Oklahoma on Monday ”to be able to empower the people,” said one of the ministers. (The devastation there came the day before the second anniversary of a tornado that leveled one-third of Joplin). . .Tablets may overtake Smartphones as a major shopping device by 2017.  Nearly three-fourths of mobile retail sales will be tablets with 125 million people using them for purchases. . .Atheist/comedian Ricky Gervais, no fan of prayers for victims of the disastrous Oklahoma twisters, and would prefer donations: “Prayers for something, but not doing anything to make it happen, has the same effect as writing to Santa and not letting mummy read the letter”. . .

They’re gone now along with the impending closure of Macy’s downtown store.  We’re talking about Nugent’s, Famous-Barr, Scruggs Vandervoort & Barney, Stix, Baer & Fuller, Garlands, Kline’s, Sonnenfeld’s, Cunningham’s, Werner-Hilton, Richman Bros., Bond’s, National Shirt Shop, Lane Bryant, Boyd’s, Wilkinson’s, Wolff’s, Stacy Adams, Red Cross Shoes, Birdie’s Hat Shop, Kresge’s; Schneider Millinery – all of which wove the fabric of a booming downtown St. Louis.  There were the popular restaurants over those years: Trader Vic’s; the Orient; Rio Room; the Forum; Tunnelway; Max Carl’s; the Pines; Grecian Garden’s; Miss Hulling’s; the Washington Cafe; the Holland Bldg. Cafeteria, Tutenberg’s and F&E Sandwich Shop. There were the burlesque houses: Garrick, Grand and Harry Wald’s World, where he was overheard to say, “That stripper is great except for two little things.”  Merchants prospered.  Long gone are  Central Hardware, C.E. Williams Shoes, Greenfield’s Poultry and a bevy of hardware stores. Saloons had their doors propped open, and bartenders kept running out of Tom Collins mix in this normally vodka, scotch town. The old Union Market building remains and houses a Drury Inn and the wonderful Jf Sanfilippo’s Ristorante. The naked downtown district is shrinking to small town size.

Richmond Heights native Ryan Fogle, 29, flew out of Moscow on Sunday for the U.S.  Fogle was the accused American spy for the CIA and was the third secretary of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. . .Treasurer Clint Zweifel will announce a new education initiative partnership with the Jewish Federation tomorrow re unclaimed property worth $750 million for more than 4.4 million accounts. . .WashU researcher Jeffrey Gordon in the spotlight of the national media for his work on malnutrition in mice.  He found that the mice which were fed the children’s typical diets and could not metabolize nutrients and he concludes that it takes more than calories to cure malnutrition. . .Hostess to guest: “Is that a tan?”  Guest: “Yes.  Either that or my liver’s going.”

John and Sue Sinclair

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled to revoke a mining permit of a proposed mine by Arch Coal (Spruce No. 1). . .Keep your eyes peeled to KSDK, Ch. 5 for this falls’ “The Million Dollar Quiz” in which participants could compete to win up to $10 million.  The panel would compete for 12 straight days and nights and live in an hour-glass structure in Manhattan.  Home viewers can play along and win opportunities to appear on the show.. . .Also, NBC Universal has gotten the green light to build a $1.6 billion structure, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” in the company’s southern California theme park. . .The 25th anniversary of the Bob Costas Benefit for Cardinal Glennon Chidlren’s Med Center at the Fox Theater was a resounding hit.  Hosted by Mike Neidorff’s Centene Charitable Foundation, the stage headliner was John Mellencamp, who has amassed 22 Top 40

Tom and Carol Voss with Dr. Pennell

hits and nominated for 13 Grammys. A pre-show dinner was held in the innards of the showplace and attracted such A-listers as: Susan and Michael Scully, regional prez of US Bank; Ch. 5′s Mike Bush and his wife, Claudia, who mentioned their son Matthew had just passed the bar; Janet and Jeff Rainford, Mayor Slay’s chief of staff; Mercy’s Dr.Rick Pennell cornered by Carol and Tom Voss; Sue and John Sinclair, who tipped a new dealership is in the wings and added, “I played Indian ball with Costas in the 1970s Jim and Jennifer Komen; mortgage scion Ray Vinson with Olga Senante; Zoo exec Susan Gallagher with hub, biz scribe Jim Gallagher and elsewhere – WashU profs Cameron Adams and Josh Lawrence with students Brianne Murphy and Jordan Sanders. Quipped former Ameren puffer Susan Gallagher: “I went from one zoo to another.”

Susan and Michael Scully

Jim and Jennifer Komen

Ray Vinson and Olga Senanante

Mike and Claudia Bush

Janet and Jeff Rainford

Robert Davi flanked by Amanda and Ky Pietoso

Union pension funds have provided a $1 billion investment in Missouri projects of which $115 million went for seed money for four buildings: the Laurel; Pet Building Apartments; Majestic Stove Lofts; Forest Park Apartments and the Gatesworth reitrement center.  The St. Louis Labor Tribune reports the total impact of pension fund investments is $2.3 billion, equal to 6.3 Busch Stadiums. . .Our town’s Ky Pietoso of Cafe Napoli fame and his wife, Amanda, were in L.A. to visit syndicated radio star George Noory and actor Robert Davi, who has appeared in almost every movie ever made and also sings Sinatra and he’s itching to do a benefit at the Peabody to benefit Dismas House.  The house was founded by Rev. Charles “Dismas” Clark in 1959.  Father Clark was a Jesuit priest who long had a goal of helping ex-offenders by providing accomodations  to allow them to get on their feet after their release from prison.  In the 1960s, Dean Martin,  Sammy Davis and Sinatra did a benefit at Peabody’s predecessor – the Kiel – to benefit Dismas House. . .Martyl Langsdorf recently died at 96.  The former Martyl Schweig was born in our town, graduated from WashU and became a celebrated artist whose works have been on view in many museums and the Smithsonian.  At the age of 18, she sold a painting to composer George Gershwin.  Martyl was married to Dr.Alexander Langsdorf, Jr., a physicist who had worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb.  He was one of 70, who petitioned President Harry Truman NOT to use the bomb.

KMOV’s Claire Kellett with Cardinals PR chief Ron Watermon

You can romance all you want about baseball, but you had to be downtown Monday for the Cardinals home opener – a true high.  They never get old.  The late and beloved Stan Musial would have blushed to see all the sights and sounds that paid homage to “the man.”  Bryan Schwarze,  Musial’s grandson who served as his companion and like a brother and a dad in later years, graciously acknowledged all the kudos.  He mentioned that Musial is buried at Bellerive Cemetery in a site that should become a mecca for generations to come.

Chris Duncan and Bryan Schwarze

The 360 atop the Hilton at the Ballpark was overflowed with crowds dining and wining under the eagle eyes of Bob and Steve O’Loughlin, toppers of Lodging Hospitality & Management (LHM), a partner in the ownership of the station. “We hope to have excursion trains running to and from the Missouri wine country and to Cubs games in Chicago,” said Bob.  Red Schoendienst’s daughter, Colleen, introed her son and daughter in-law, Henry Schwetye and Lucy Schnuck who married over the weekend at the Church of the Anunnziata and after the game were off to honeymoon in the Virgin Islands.  Lou Brock was on hand with his favorite nephews. Brad and Roy White while nearby were Kat and Dan Ungerleider, who introduced himself: “I’m the grandson of the Cardinal team’s partners, John and Ellen Wallace. Paul Pagano a.k.a. “Father Time” rolled around Busch Stadium in his wheelchair festooned with Stan Musial memorabilia.  Here ‘n there were parking lots with signs hawking prices from $35 to $40 to fill the pockets of the greedy. A low point was a traveling billboard sponsored by Amini’s that blocked a few thoroughfares.

John Mozeliak interview with KTRS’ Martin Kilcoyne

Paul Pagano

Colleen Schoendienst flanked by Lucy Schnuck and Henry Schwettye

Jack Clark and Angie Finks

Lou Brock flanked by Roy and Bradley White

Founded in 1966, hamburger lovers have trekked to the Clayton stand during its heyday, then operated by Vince and Tony Bommarito. Fatted Calf venues sprung up from coast-to-coast in the 1970s.  Alas, the restaurant has folded.

Beginning tomorrow, Budweiser will bring the Chinese New Year (the year of the snake) to Times Square.  The Bud commercial will run continuously on an LED screen Feb. 9-16 and will feature urbanites in Beijing, New York and Paris holding the brew and counting down to the theme, “Celebrate the Chinese New Year Around the World.”