Posts Tagged ‘Brian Wahby’

“You cannot take photos or interview members of the site committee,” demanded Brian Wahby, a force behind the St. Louis host committee to lure the convention to St. Louis.  (Sorry, Brian, by the time you said that, the columnist, a dutiful news gatherer, had already covered the group). The site team, that will make their recommendations to the deciders to hold the 2012 convention here, might have already pored through the 1,000-page proposal, that had been submitted. (St. Louis is one of four cities being considered, including Minneapolis, Charlotte and Cleveland).  A tension-filled, bipartisan gaggle of our town’s leading citizens romanced the committee over cocktails at the Hilton Ballpark Hotel before a concert was to begin in Kiener Plaza. On hand were: Kitty Ratcliff of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commish, who had just returned from Vancouver, where she took the show on the road at a trade show; County Exec Charlie Dooley on the Immigration Bill – “No one should have to carry an ID”; former mayor Vince Schoemehl with his wife, Lois – “It would be a celebration of the renaissance of downtown. It would be guaranteed to carry Missouri in 2012″; Missouri Treasurer Clint Zweifel – “It would be on a Super Bowl level”;  Martin Casas, president of the Young Democrats, with his wife, Katie – “It would be a new identity, a fresh outlook and perception of St. Louis”; GOPer Ray Wagner – “It’s all about showcasing St. Louis to the world, but I cannot further comment. I’m here for Enterprise (Rent-A -Car)”;  State Sen. Robin Wright-Jones – “It would stop St. Louis from being a midwestern, sleepy town”; site committee member Steve Kerrigan, sipping a Bud Select, to former Mo.Lt. Guv Joe Maxwell – “You have an amazing city”; Jerry Feldhaus, exec sect’y. and treasurer of the St. Louis Building Trades Council, turned to the woes of unemployment and moaned, “There is about 30 percent unemployment – across the board”; St. Louis Police Capt. Sam Dotson on the convention – “It’s ours to lose”;  East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks, with his wife, Jo Ann - “It would help boost the economy of East St. Louis through the spillover. We have gambling and entertainment.” . . . It’s a mystery why his Mysterious Majesty of Khorassan  (read that as the Veiled Prophet) banker Joe Imbs was a no-show.

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.

Slay Park

The re-christening of the once Arsenal/Ellendale Park – now, the Francis R. Slay Park – took place over the weekend with a crowd of hundreds looking on. For about 40 years, area residents used the park, at the corner of Arsenal street and McCausland avenue to play soccer and softball.  The bill, for the conversion, was signed Saturday by Mayor Francis Slay, who said to his dad, “You know, Pa, while the park is in your name, you can’t try to run it or even sell it.”  Elder Slay shot back, “Well, what’s the use of having it?”  State Rep. Michelle Kratky presented Slay, Sr., with a state resolution for his outstanding contributions to the region. Also on display were the architectural drawings showing eventual improvements, that will include footpaths, a baseball field with a dugout, a water garden and a gazebo. The older Slay, who will turn 82 later this year, retired after 40 years ih public service as committeeman, Mo. state rep, recorder of deeds and later became a businessman.  On hand for the doin’s were: aldermanic prez Lewis Reed; Ald, Steve Gregali -14th Ward, ald. Craig Schmid -20th ward, akd, Marlene Davis -19th ward and Jennifer Florida.  Others there were: Tom Shephard; Collector of Revenue Greg Daly; Director of Parks & Rec.Gary Bess; retired judge Paul Simon; Jim Sonderman; Cathy Ruggeri-Rea; Brian Wahby and Slay siblings Gerard Slay, Monietta Slay, Sharon Bourne, Tom Slay and City Hall’s Mary Ellen Ponder, Sherry Wibbenmeyer, Patrick Brown; Robyn Wahbe and Angela Thompson.

The columnist doesn’t have to leave his computer for some juicy bits . . . Promoters may have pulled the plug on Kanye West’s scheduled Dec. 4 appearance here with the popular – but musically challenged — Lady Gaga, but that hasn’t, says plastic surgeon Carlos Farias, kept West out of St. Louis. Farias reports (via Facebook, of course) that he sat four rows away from KW on a St. Louis-bound airliner last week. Farias was on his way back from a vacation in Milan; West’s intentions were unknown, except perhaps to traveling companion (and on-again, off-again gal pal) Amber Rose . . . Ritz-Carlton Hotel snitches vow they recently ran into General Pervez Musharaff, former prez of Pakistan, and one of the hotel staffers followed him into the cigar club there. Musharaff is currently pursuing a career on the lucrative international lecture circuit, touting a vision for his country called “Enlightened Moderation.” He is represented by the Harry Walker Agency of New York . . . At a recent meeting of the Democratic National Committee (in Austin, Texas), our town’s Demo party chief Brian Wahby (@bwahby) was elected as Missouri’s at -large member. His political promotion to the upper echelon came, he says, with the blessing of Missouri’s twitterer-in-chief Sen. Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) and the encouragement of a resident in the White House . According to his tweets, Mayor Francis Slay (@mayorslay) has just jetted back from several days in Seattle, where he and 60 other mayors were sorting through local environmental policies . . . Delicious Monarch well-deserves its accolades (including numerous “Best Restaurant” mentions), but the Maplewood eatery seems embarrassed (or confused) by its address. On Saturday night, its social media marketing was directing potential diners to “the CWE” – a St. Louis neighborhood several miles (and a couple of zip code digits) away from Manchester and Sutton . The sacrosanct St. Louis Country Club will hold its “Monte Carlo Revisited” gambol on Nov. 7, featuring dinner and gambling. Call the cops?