Posts Tagged ‘Kitty Ratcliffe’

WashU has reported it has garnered an endowment of $5.3 billion as of fiscal year ending in June. . .Former banking wunderkind Shaun Hayes has collected two more lawsuits: First Collinsville Bank and Excel Bank. . .Kitty Ratcliffe’s St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commish has just inked the National Recreation & Park Association convention for October, 2016, that will bring 5,200 attendees and 14,000 room nights. Great Rivers Greenway’s Susan Trautman was among the supporters for the bid. . .Linn State College in Linn, MO. is the first college in the nation to require all adult students to submit to mandatory drug tests. So says the ACLU, which will seek to overturn the policy at an Oct. 25 court hearing. The school is just outside Jeff City. . .Former Blues enforcer Tony Twist is taking off his gloves to helm the “Blissful Wishes Ball on Nov. 20 at the Coronado Ballroom. The St. Louis chapter of the Wish Upon a Wedding, the world’s first non-profit wedding wish grant organization will raise bucks to continue its mission of granting weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness and other life-altering situations. . .Liam Sehnert was given a rousing birthday party over the weekend at the St. Louis Priory marking his 14th year in our world. Liam is the son of Jane and Thom Sehnert of Annie Gunn’s and the Smokehouse fame. It was at the Smokehouse where affable g.m. Mike Sehnert, who was checking in homemade pancake mix for the holidays, said his pop Joe Sehnert took off for Liberia where he will school 250 orphans.

The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE} is expected to bring 5,000 people here Aug. 6-9 at America’s Center. Kitty Ratcliffe, prez of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission (CVC) said, “Member associations dominate the $102 billion meetings industry spending more than $60 billion annually to hold meetings and conventions.”  About 3,000 association executives, 2,500 industry suppliers and 500 other participants will gather for the educational and networking opportunities.  There are estimated to be 900 associations in the St. Louis region including: Optimists International; American Soybean Association; American Association of Blacks in Energy.

Aren’t we fortunate to have the exquisite taste to be St. Louisans?  We are among the favored few in a world going mad  We allow the country to intrude on our paradise.  The columnist has heard compliments about our town from among the 5,500 secondary and post-secondary college admission counseling professionals, who are currently filling 10 downtown hotels.  More than a few Norman Rockwell families are being introduced to our world-renowned St. Louis Symphony Orch of which Adam Crane hailed as having racked up revenue of $8.1 million for the fiscal year – more than $1 million over the previous year.  The educators are probably aware that:  the first kindergarten was established here; St. Louis University is the oldest college/university west of the Mississippi River.  If they knock off a pork steak, gooey butter cake, Dr. Pepper or – heaven forbid – a martini, they should know they were all St. Louis firsts.  It was an exorcism here that led to a best-selling book and hit movie.  Entrepreneurs?  From Build-A-Bear Workshops to wheel-out cameras, with generators, that work for 30 days documenting car break-ins on construction and shopping center sites and transmit the crimes to the security office.  Such is the case with Mike Hackett’s “HackettWatch.”  The former restaurateur is filling orders by day and night under the eagle-eyes of his dad, retired St. Louis chief of detectives James J. Hackett.  Jim, by the way, was feted on his 79th natal day at MAC-west by his entourage of long-time pals: Tony Karakas; Stan Musial; Ed Thornton; Tom and Bill Suntrup; Cindy Crider; Dave Dolan and barrister Jim Holloran, who gifted Hackett with a police special and a pair of handcuffs, that drew guffaws. Holloran quipped, “They won’t give me the bullets.” The handcuffs might’ve reminded Hackett of his days on the beat.  It seems the cops were on the prowl for a felon, whose two fingers were missing. One day, Hackett popped into Gus Torregrossa‘s barber shop.  He noticed upon entering, that Gus quickly shielded a guy in the chair with a barber’s gown.  The customer’s hand was visible – sans two fingers.  Both the barber and the client were hauled into jail.  If they watch enough television in their hotel rooms, the conventioneers will see faces of candidates almost every hour on the hour – deft performers they’re not.  But, there’s always high-end shopping in the chic stores at Plaza Frontenac, with the type of apparel described by the late style icon Sir Cecil Beaton: “Never in the history of fashion has too little material been raised so high to reveal so much that needs to be covered.”  So here’s a toast to Kitty Ratcliffe of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commish and a wish for many more tourists upon rest our hopes and half-aspirations to discover that it’s better to be poor in St. Louis than rich in New York.

The columnist has made hundreds of New Year’s resolutions over the years – for himself and on behalf of many of you.  Some have taken: some have not.  For himself, the columnist vows better attention to health; more acceptance of the limits of medicine; greater patience with the pace of healing; and a more heartfelt gratitude to doctors, nurses, billing clerks, insurance companies, and (especially) to well-wishers.  He also vows greater attention to correct spelling, accurate timing, complete quoting, standard punctuation, organized note-taking, credible attribution, flattering photography, and graceful corrections.  Of course, that is an annual resolution, made with little real intention of doing anything about the habits of a lifetime gossipist. On your behalf, the columnist attributes (with no foundation and with relatively little malice) the following fantasy resolutions:

• From President Barack Obama: I’ll do my Christmas vacation next year with Claire, Joe, and their family in St. Louis, as long as Claire promises not to Tweet about it and Joe pays for the Pi.
• From Governor Jay Nixon:  I’ll ask Peter Kinder, who practically lives there, to tell Georganne the best places to eat, shop, and stay in St. Louis.
• From Archbishop Robert Carlson:  I’ll make more good news with Catholic Charities than bad.
• From SLU president the Rev. Larry Biondi:  I’ll commission a statue of a naked Rick Majerus for Bannister House if the Billikens make the NCAA Tournament.
• From Sen. Kit Bond:  I’ll use my final year to find jobs for all my staff.
• From County Executive Charlie Dooley:  I’ll ask the nice Greg Boyce for a couple of lumps of clean coal to put into a certain former staffer’s Christmas stocking.
• From Mayor Francis Slay:  I’ll give a Key to the City to Lady GaGa.
• From KMOV GM Alan Cohen:  I’ll do infomercials 24/7.
• From “Donnybrook” founder Martin Duggan:  I’ll start a blog. What’s a blog?
• From Emerson CEO David Farr and celebrated attorney Linda Martinez:  We had no idea we were named “man and woman of the year” by the Variety Club until we read it in Berger’s column. We hope he’ll be seated with us at the April 24th dinner.
• From Congressman Lacy Clay:  I’ll check “finally single”  on my Census form next year.
• From former GOP consultant Rod Jetton: I’ll use the hot air
• From the Robin  Carnahan campaign to fill a bouquet of green balloons.
• From Gateway Foundation donor M. Peter Fischer:  I think I’ll do another two blocks.
• From Build-A-Bear boss Maxine Clark:  I’ll stuff the first marketing person who suggests a children’s video on national health care reform, immigration, or gun control.
• From former Engineered Air’s Mike Shanahan:  Since that fancy country club in Naples, Fla., has blackballed me and sent me a check that bounced, I think I’ll remain at Old Warson.
• From the St. Louis Beacon’s Bob Duffy:  We now have our own space in the KETC-TV offices and hope we’ll open an Illinois bureau in Pontoon Beach.
• From television reporter Alex Fees:  Maybe I can get Donna Wilkinson to follow Steve Schankman on my “Conversations with. . .” in January on HEC-TV – if her stockings aren’t falling.
• From Congressman Russ Carnahan:  I’ll use my frequent flier miles to send mouthy Ed Martin on a long trip to country without the Internet.
• From Blues owner Dave Checketts:  I’ll play Ed Goltermann in goal for home games.
• From Gerard Craft:  I’ll open a Niche on every corner.
• From WashU chancellor Mark Wrighton:  I’ll get that Top 10 ranking back.
• From Chief Tim Fitch:  I’ll find a new badge for Floyd Warmann.
• From KSDK GM Lynn Beall:  I’ll retire or replace any face viewers might conceivably recognize.
• From Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom:  I’ll fire the coach if he blows our number one draft choice by actually winning another game.
• From Bob Baer:  I’ll ride the last Metro bus to Chesterfield if the County tax campaign fails in April.
• From would-be Rams owner Rush Limbaugh:  I’ll buy the Arch Rival Roller Girls instead.
• From north St. Louis developer Paul McKee:  I’ll mow all my yards and rake yours too.
• From entrepreneurs Mike and Steve Roberts: We’ll suggest changing the name of St. Louis City to Roberts St. Louis City.
• From Symphony music director David Robertson:  I’ll buy KFUO and program it with hip-hop, uh. . .classical music.
• From Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III:  I’ll change the name of Ballpark Village to Holliday Haven.
• From the Loop’s Joe Edwards:  I’ll open a successful venue on the actual Moon.
• From Lee CEO Mary Junck:  I’ll improve morale by signing a good contract with the Newspaper Guild.
• From AmerenUe officials:  I’ll use the phrase “a warm holiday glow” in our next filing with the Public Service Commission to soften them up on a nuclear power rate increase.
• From Art Museum honcho Brent Benjamin:  I’ll expand.
• From AB Inbev boss Carlos Britto: I’ll find out if Clydesdales go better with a little lime.
• From grocer Greg Dierberg:  I’ll open the most popular grocery in a decade and call it. . .Culinaria Too.
• From the Caseyville and Collinsville police:  Next time we hope we’ll get it right. (At Teezers Bar in Collinsville, a guy walked in with a silver handgun over the holidays and fired off a few rounds and marched out.  Police began looking for a 70 year-old man known to them and after much searching, they decided that the gunman they really needed to look for had the same name but was just 52.  Then, the Caseyville police gave their Collinsville counterparts an entirely different suspect’s name. The guy, who allegedly committed the explosive act, was none of the above: he had been hiding out all that time at Jessi’s Hideout in Collinsville.)
• From restaurateur Sam Kacar: I hope to open a third Trattoria Branica in Chesterfield Valley by mid-January and then focus on a fourth in the CWE or Webster Groves.
• From former airport director Dick Hrabko: I’m going to get those slots installed at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport.
• From Wind Capital exec Tom Carnahan:  I’ll use the hot air
• From the Roy Blunt campaign to generate electricity.
• From uber-flack Joan Quicksilver:  I’ll nominate Jerry Berger as Media Person of the Year.
• From affable CVC’s Kitty Ratcliffe:  I resolve I’ll ask for another convention center. (The woman has garnered kudos for signing such major confabs as the Church of God in Christ, that brought 40,000 here and has inked its convention for St. Louis in 2011 and 2012 – away From Memphis.
• From all of this column’s many sources: We’ll not turn a blind eye to any item that might amuse St. Louis in Jerry Berger’s website.

Caveat lector and Happy New Year!

Zhao Xiaojiang, deputy mayor of Nanjing, China, St. Louis’ sister-city, coined a phrase for the river city: “Gateway to the East.”  The deputy mayor presented Mayor Francis Slay with a ceramic piece in gold and jade before 50 members of the Nanjing Foreign Trade group.  Hizzoner pointed out there were only 10,4673 miles between each city, which included “a kayak sail across the Pacific Ocean.  On hand for the meeters and greeters were: Tim Nowack, Cheryl Marty, Stella Sheehan, Ana Romero-Lizana, Sean Mullins, Joel Glassman, Doug Potts, Kitty Ratcliffe, Dan Mehan, Susanne Evans, Wilma Prifti, Sam Solomon and Joanne Gladney.

The many football tailgaters, bless them, provided some interesting fodder for the paragrapher. If you hang around the fringes of Kitty Ratcliffe‘s kingdom (especially with a notebook), you can kibitz, eat, and drink well. Packers fans seemed to outnumber Rams fans, but locals of both flavors seemed to outnumber visitors. (We certainly outweighed them!) The visitors seemed to enjoy St. Louis, and one of them even asked a question about our pronunciation of street names that I could answer in under 600 words. I scribbled down these Overheards: “Oh, it was just a bladder infection” . “Black and white don’t make no difference” .”I won $100 at the casino and put it all back where it belonged” . “The scalpers are busy today, but why?” (asked a guy who looked like Gertrude Stein) . “St. Louis has a baseball team, too” . “City Hall must have had a fire” . “You can walk across that bridge and be in another place.” (I suggested he not.)