Cardinals Care

Subscribe to Berger's Beat:

Posts Tagged ‘Alexis Tucci’

FIRE CHIEF DENNIS JENKERSON: “. . .WE DIDN’T STEAL ANYTHING”

Kim Tucci, Sherry Wibbemeyer, Joe Ambrose

Got a buzz out of being a hometowner on Tuesday evening despite the howling wind and sub-freezing temp.  It began at the Missouri History Museum, where Francis Slay‘s pre-Mayor’s Ball was held to raise extra bucks for the event on March 4 at City Hall.  That’s when his Mardi Gras masquerade is held to raise money for the Soulard community.  With his wife Michelle, Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson poo-poo’ed City Hall’s criticism of a swelling budget for his department of which the mayor’s chief of staff Jeff Rainford mentioned that it will reach 40 percent of the entire city’s budget:

Gary Best, Alexis Tucci, Martin Casas, Krista Mallett

“That’s money due to all the raises City Hall gave us. We didn’t steal anything. Not one of our 630 firefighters called in sick during the recent snow storm.” Others cornered at the buffet: Walgreen’s district manager Ed Catani: “Our new store on Olive Boulevard in Creve Coeur will open in April.  We won’t be building any more this year, but will be remodeling the 40 stores in my district. Also, new branding is being packaged for the company.” (Walgreens is one of the sponsor’s of the mayor’s events.)

Consultant Louis Hamilton: “AB-InBev contributed $50,000 in seed money for the ball.”

Ed Catani and Trish Hamilton

President of Young Democrats Martin Casas: “(2012 Senate hopeful) Ed Martin gives tons of crazy material to the media.”

Retired St. Louis Police Sgt. Dan Godfrey: “I recently ran into (former chief) Joe Mokwa at Lorenzo’s and he has so much money – $105k a-year in pension and $750k parting money.”
Word swept around the room in Bixby’s, the museum’s dinery, that more than a dozen employees in the U.S. Attorney’s office here are taking buyouts.
Kim Tucci was hailed on his Pasta House’s newest franchise and record-breaker on Manchester and Weidman Road, headed by

Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson and wife Michelle

David Ruth. Charming Krista Mallett, who crafted the event, said she will begin working at Logos School,  after her awful experience at MADD.  Alexis Tucci of MAC Meetings & Events chirped the firm’s bookings are filling up for the year. Upon leaving, a few notable figures were spotted braving the cold to hear a lecture at the museum on anthropology and info on the new Athens museum. Shivering while coming in from a Forest Park parking lot were

Park Ranger Dan Stritzel, Ret. Sgt. Tom Godfrey, Louis Hamilton

Marilyn Lipman and Judy Brilliant, followed by John Harney, “the prince of chintz.”

MR. NITELIFE

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.

TOWNIES

That’s Lauren Davis all over. The 30-year vet as an art teacher at Parkway Central High has turned how students who have become prominent designers, including Mike Binnette, Deanna Kuhlmann and Jeremy Lasky (who is now with Pixar production company). What’s Davis up to now? Sculptures. “I’m creating a big, fat, New York pigeon,” said the charmer. . . Former reporter and now a columnist and jewelry craftsperson, Susan Fadem, is having her first-ever gallery opening at 6 p.m., Oct. 9 at Crepes in the City, 500 S. Fourteenth Street. The entrepreneurial lady is also staging jewelry-and-stuff home shows at the Fadem manse. She has exhausted storage space and joked, “How many necks does a person have?”. . . What glowed in the dark and sported the libation of your choice? The glassware, of course, provided by American Airlines (via the always adorable Cindy Hutchings) at the Central West End Association’s benefit, “Glow in the Park” fundraiser in Forest Park the other night. Hundreds gathered under tents to watch dozens of balloons show their stuff, danced until the wee hours, and ogled the unique atmosphere created by our town’s Alexis Tucci, whose pop, Kim, served as auctioneer. Chris Williams of Southwest Bank chaired the event, which benefitted both the CWE nabe and the Flora Conservancy at Forest Park. Energizer’s Ward Klein joined the ranks of corporate toppers at the party, including Todd George of Lumiere, godbug Charlie Shapard of Holt & Shapard Capital Mangement, and Chris Sommers of PI Restaurant (soon to bow in the CWE). Parks Director Gary Bess and 28th Ward alderwoman Lyda Krewson held court and the Balloon Race prez John Marlow talked winds-aloft and BTU’s. He also reported that the Energizer Bunny, the lead launch for the race, was celebrating its 20th birthday – an event officially memorialized by mayoral proclamation.

Recent Comments