Posts Tagged ‘Francis Slay’

All the county executive’s men and women will help Charlie Dooley blow out 63 candles on his natal celebration on Dec. 15 at Sugo’s. . .Where’s Charlie?  He’s been to attorney Bob Blitz‘s Christmas party at Cafe Napoli.  Others there were Gaming Comish general counsel Chris Hinkley, Mayor Francis Slay, Lt. Guv Peter Kinder, Judge John Ross, Judge Larry Mooney, Sarah Steelman and Ann and Ray Wagner.  FYI: Clients of Blitz’s Jeff City branch include firms that manufacture games for casinos. . . . .Guests at the St. Louis Hills holiday party saw Cong. Russ Carnahan show up and shake hands with his former opponent Ed Martin and his wife, Carol.  Carny got some ogling over his full leather jacket from Australia.  And, wife Debra was a no-show. . .The hoity-toity Plaza in Clayton condos is now home to some prominent bachelors and almost-bachelors.  Among them are Joe Buck, Sam Bradford, Steve Shankman and Stifel Financial’s ceo, chairman and prez Ron Kruszewski, whom friends say is calling off his marriage. . .Pioneer Bank’s Tom Brewster, Jr., is heading for some housecleaning at Reliance Bank. . .Soldier of Fortune and owner of the yesteryear American Athletic Club on Manchester, Joe Adams, 60, is celebrating his fourth year of marriage to Deanna Daughhetee, owner of American Equity Mortgage at their snazzy Hampton Park manse. But, that’s not the item. Adams is now heading Project Bluelight, an anti-terrorist intelligence operation in support of Homeland Security personnel in the field.  “We primarily report to Border Patrol Intelligence, but do assist agents in the field when called upon,” said Adams.  “Our mission SOP is to make no contact or be detected by anyone entering the United States illegally or involved in illegal activities.  The only time Project Bluelight wavers from the mission is for medical emergencies or the presence of children.  We report all movement and/or activity to federal authorities.”  Recalling the days, when he ran his physical fitness empire where he helped clients attain their physical fitness goals, he poo-poo’ed today’s personal trainers.  “Some charge up to $75 an hour and I charged $125 a-year to help members,” he said. . .Look for Erker Optical Co. to import the chic Mainbach glasses from the Bayern region of Germany.  Jack Erker was toasted on the family-owned business on its 130th anniversary at Herbie’s Vintage ’72 and the soon-to-debut Erker’s in the CWE on Maryland Avenue, which will replace McGinty’s in Ted Koplar‘s edifice, bringing to three stores in the Erker chain. . .Aloyse Heiss McShane is now enjoying the good life in Florida these days, according to her heiress Barbara Heiss, who was with her best friend, Steve Kay, at Protzel’s.  Aloyse, 83, was once married to the late Gordon Heiss, bossman of the Lenox and Mayfair Hotels and then to Edwin R. “Bill” Culver, III.  Meanwhile, deli lama Max Protzel and his wife, Rachel, became parents of Eli Alexander, who popped out at more than eight pounds. . .Susan Gray‘s MAC Meetings & Events is becoming a rising force when it comes to producing street festivals and public events.  The meeting and event planner has scored with some major festivals here:  “Tour De Grove” and the “Grovefest” as well as the “Soulard Oktober-fest.”  Expanded responsibilities will follow for the 2011 Oktober-fest event along with some other major happenings.

 Unless you’ve fallen into the arms of Ambien or Valium, you’d know that our town swings pretty hard during election campaigning.  At fundraisers, food is cooked with delicate precision and with plenty of ingredients to make the blood course through one’s arteriosclerotic veins. If there were any previous question about the loyalty of the St. Louis City political establishment to the candidacy of U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, it was put to the test at a pouring at Amsterdam Tavern.  Organized by the Board of Aldermen prez (and long-time Carnahan neighbor) Lewis Reed, the event packed the hipster lounge with politics’ most precious commodity: actual voters.  Carnahan was introduced by Mayor Francis Slay, who stressed the importance of holding the 3rd Congressional District for Dems, and feted by a quorum of aldermen, including former Carnahan staffer Kacie Starr Triplett and veteran Freeman Bosley, Sr.

U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan will flex his political muscles with a fundraiser on Sept. 13 at Amsterdam Tavern.  Mayor Francis Slay, Ald. President Lewis Reed, Comptroller Darlene Green, and two former city mayors, all but two city aldermen (two aldermen named Fred – Heitert and Wessels – are MIA), an entire royal of labor officials, the city’s Democratic legislative delegation and enough lawyers to staff a midsized law firm anchor the host committee.

AT 5:30, Sept. 13, Republican candidate for Congress, Ed Martin, will hold his fundraiser at Trattoria Marcella.  But, here’s the item:  hosts include George Kerry, who was an aide to former Dem Cong. Dick Gephardt; Jamie and Steve Komarek, Dem Mayor Francis Slay‘s cousins and Tim Kilo, who is related to Dem Martie Aboussie.

“Ed Martin will give Carnahan a run for his money. . .I like Ed,” said St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay of Martin, who will duke it out with incumbent Cong. Russ Carnahan.  Slay also confided, that his brother Raymond Slay is in New Orleans to check out the bar scene.  “He wants to open a gay sports bar on Manchester in The Grove,”  continued hizzoner at the annual St. Nicholas Greek Festival.  Slay was there sans his wife, Kim, whom he said went on a cruise with her parents and were stalled in Nova Scotia due to Hurricane Earl.  Surrounded by County Exec Charley Dooley, The Evening Whirl’s Gentry Trotter, Sherry Wibbenmeyer and Lounge Concepts co-founder Pete Ferretti. Slay chowed down on lamb and as he sipped from a bottle of Mythos Beer, he quipped, “Like George W. Bush might say, ‘when in Greece, do as the Grecians do.”

A sight to behold: fervent Republican Donna Wilkinson and devoted Democrat Tom Green in an embrace. . .Ditto for Jamie and Jason Cohen, a strategist and Beltway/St. Louis commuter, charged with helping to craft the proposal for a Stl victory in the run for the convention… Soldier of fortune/physical fitness guru/mercenary Joe Adams and his better half, mortgage doyenne Diana Daugherty, plunked down $1.1 million for the Hampton Park manse from the late do-gooders Ruth and Dr. Walter Washington, according to their son, Kevin, who tub-thumped holding the convention here. . Mike Shannon arrived with his love, Quincy,IL travel agent Lori Bergman. . .KSDK reporter/co-anchor Mike Garrity telling Kara E. Bolin, press sect’y to Mayor Francis Slay, “I covered the team getting off the bus”. . .Then, it was onward to Tony’s to glad-hand former Cardinals football linebacker Jamie Rivers and his wife, Brenda, who marked their 45th wedding anniversary and toasted their four grandchildren. BTW – The winsome twosome own the McDonald’s on Lindell Boulevard. After a sampling of exec chef Vince Bommarito, Jr.’s soft shell crabs, stuffed with crab meat – another stop. Over at Cyrano’s, bossman Charlie Downs was vending real deal Lake Superior white fish and organic blueberry crumb pie with cinnamon ice cream.

Mo. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder got high-fives from a gaggle of the 71,000 participants in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  Kinder, a Republican, ran in the 5K section.  Overdupois Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon also competed.  (Maybe his weight gain can be attributed to his recent visit at Sweetie Pie’s.)  Slim Mayor Francis Slay kicked off the ceremonies in his Polo shirt – sans his usual natty suit.  Juan Carlos Antolinez was on hand as was his wife, Mo. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a breast cancer survivor, who tagged along.  Her bro, Cong. Russ Carnahan, made a cameo. Some women oggled over State Rep Chris Carter‘s buffed torso as he made it through the finish line with his adorable Naomi West. Martin Casas, prez of the Young Democrats, was raced, while his soul mate, Katie Casas cooled her jets at home with their newborn Sophie Ann.

Although not as thorny as the problems of Israel along the Gaza Strip, the contretemps along the median of Jamieson Avenue in  south St. Louis have caught the attention of local TV reporters, newspaper writers, the Associated Press, and the editors of several outstate news organizations, who are unused to seeing municipal battles waged over snack foods.  At the center of the controversy is Joe Kunkel, who has been peddling pretzels on the streets of  St. Louis for 30 or so years.  Mr. Kunkel’s hobby recently caught the attention of some imitators, who thought that there might be some dough in pretzels.  The Gus-come-lately’s – whose sales techniques were somewhat more sprightly than Mr. Kunkel’s – made neighbors unhappy and sparked calls for law enforcements.  The city’s mayor, Francis Slay, has opined on the issue twice via his blog (mayorslay.com), and on Tuesday evening offered the suggestion that Mr. Kunkel’s supporters should buy pretzels from him and boycott his competitors.  Which brings us full circle to Gaza.