Posts Tagged ‘Tom Voss’

Amy and Amrit Gill, restorers of architectural treasures, have been focusing on their born-again Hotel Blackhawk in Davenport, IA., about which Amy described the inn as “becoming a destination for same-sex marriages and we have one tonight to the tune of $10,000. Out magazine has named the hotel one of the 10 best in the nation for those marriages and receptions.”  The cost includes photography, cake, flowers, etc., she pointed out.  The Gills were at Saturday night’s “Red 2011: Lighting the Way” benefit for Doorways at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  Doorways provides housing for those affected by HIV-related illnesses and require 24 hours nursing.  Award-winning KMOX talk-show broadcaster Charlie Brennan and his wife, Beth Stoher were special guests. He joked, “I have a hearing problem and went to an audiolgist and I don’t know what he said.” They beamed about their son Charles and daughter Lyn, who attend Captain School.  Our town’s glammy Kristin Hart, a costumer,  and General Motors engineer Patrick Marcus announced their engagement and said they met on an airplane a few years ago.  Carl Hoagland and state Sen. Joan Bray were all aglow over the festivities as were Dr. John Daniels and Lance Cimarolli, who were cornered by WashU’s Glenda Wiman and hub, Al.  While AmerenUE may field criticism at times, the utility may best be described as a totally dedicated sponsor of community activities such as Doorways.  It’s topper Tom Voss and wife Carol served as co-chairs of the gala along with Richard and Kathie Winter.  And, AmerenUE presented the event.  Faces in the crowd included: Bill Donius, who told the columnist, “Don’t write about me!” (Oh, if the walls at banks would only talk.); FOX2′s Kevin Steincross and KSDK’s Jeff Small; famed cardiologist Dr. Robert Lehman; ophthalmologists Drs. Mark Spurrier and Randal Nake; Terry Kite; St. Louis Ald. Shane Cohen; attorney Joseph Perez; Doorways’ resident manager Opal Jones with hub-firefighter Robert; Eric Plume; caterer to the stars Bryan Young; David Nations; Burley Minton with Kevin Johnson and Doorways’ chairman Chuck Miller, who said that about $100k was raised, including the auction. A jewel in the auction was dinner and entertainment for 25 in the Chase-Park Plaza penthouse of stockbroker John Russell and Darryl Redhage for an estimated value of $7,000.

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Robert Archibald, distinguished prez of the Missouri History Museum, gave the columnist a preview of things to come at the Forest Park museum, including: “Homelands: How Women Made the West”; a collection of Napoleonic memorabilia and in 2011 – an exhibit in honor of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. Visionary Archibald has begun creating a museum on the internet “for the 21st century by uploading more than 600,000 photos and historical documents of the museum’s collections for interaction with the public,” he said. Wife Kathy, a former newspaper reporter in Fulton, Mo., looked on as Archibald received an award from the National Conference for Community and Justice of Metropolitan St. Louis for promoting racial and ethnic history of the region. The awards program took place at the Paladium, where Dr. Bernard and Janet Becker, Lydia Padilla, David Price, Jr., Joyce Price and AmerenUE’s Tom Voss were also honored. With his wife, the charming Michelle Reagan, The Muny prez Dennis Reagan, a fan of Carol and Tom Voss, speculated that the outdoor theater may enter negotiations for the bookings of the Brit import and rock ‘n roll musical, “Buddy,” the story of Buddy Holly (remember “Peggy Sue”?) and the Tony Award-winning “DreamGirls.” Cocktails, dinner and a live auction, emceed by former KSDK, Channel 5 anchor-turned-AmerenUE speak, Karen Foss, were the highlights of the event. Cornered with Kathy and Richard Winter, an overdupois Foss said she’s dating, but declined to comment on her most recent and disastrous fourth marriage. The 200 guests, some of whom were political naifs, impulsive with gestures with all the pomp and panoply that a democratic city can provide, were front ‘n center. Political operative Joyce Aboussie avoided the photographers and was heard to say, “Don’t put my pictures in!” She diligently worked the room and then sped off in her big, black Chrysler. Completely concerned with the problems and future of our planet, cerebral WashU philosophy prof Dr. Claude Evans described his upcoming book about the 19th century’s radical Christian and Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard and Germany’s radical atheist Friedrich Nietzsche. In the book, Dr. Evans said, “They talk to each other.” Dr. Evans was hand-in-hand with his wife, Jill Petzall, who is creating magic with her unique jewelry designs. Then, the columnist was off and running, thoroughly convinced that night life is not dead. I wish I could say the same for me. And all that sort of kitschy-koo.

Rev. Earl Nance, Clifton Davis, Dan McFadden, Anna Maria Horsford and Sherman Hemsley

If Martin Mathews hadn’t existed, it would have been necessary to invent him. The leader of the Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club rallied entertainment headliners, high-powered corporate blue bloods and supporters to the “Say Amen Banquet” Saturday night at the St. Louis Airport Marriott Hotel, raising $150,000 for the club.  With hefty assists by the club’s former CEO chairpersons Ron Fromm of Brown Shoe, Mike Neidorf of Centene, KSDK, the Post-Dispatch and KMOX, the event marked the 50th anniversary of the club, that has remained a cornerstone of our community. Ameren UE’s Tom Voss, with his wife, Carol, said the club “is a treasure for St. Louis.”  The Vosses hail from Eureka, Mo., where he said, “We can see as far as seven miles and the stars at night from our deck.”  He hailed Martin Mathews as, “Our own Mother Teresa.”  Channel 5′s 31-year vet Art Holliday, who served as emcee, said his wife, Linda, didn’t attend. “She doesn’t want to hear me talk anymore,” he joshed.  The Post-Dispatch editorial page editor Gilbert Bailon fielded positive comments about his page and admitted, “With so few resources.”  Then, he flattered the columnist and noted, “Everyone reads your column.” (Blush-blush.)

Had a great reunion with former singer/dancer Clifton Davis, whom the columnist knew as a press agent at The Muny in the 1968 production of “Hello, Dolly!,” in which Davis was a chorus boy in the Pearl Bailey headlined production. Davis, who is now a minister, continues his foray on the stage.  He pointed out, “I’m now negotiating to perform in a play, bound for Washington, D.C., about church folk heading to hell.”  Sherman Hemsley, who portrayed George Jefferson in the teleseries, The Jeffersons”, for 11 years, joined in the chorus of “Amen”, with Davis, Anna Marie Horsford, Barbara Montgomery and Roz Ryan.  Rev. Earl Nance, chairman of Mathews-Dickey and spiritual leader of the Greater Mt. Carmel Church, said the money raised would be used for educational purposes. Catherine and former St. Louis Fire Chief Sherman George were toasted on their 39th wedding anniversary.  Meanwhile, Sherman lashed out at the city’s administration. (Remember, he was demoted for refusing to promote firefighters based on testing, that he claimed was faulty?)  George claimed, “There’s no question, that the administration is racist. The mayor, the board of aldermen and its president are on the same page. We need to have a debate on what’s right and what’s wrong with the city.”  He added, that both he and former mayor Clarence Harmon are now on the board of the ACLU.

Faces in the crowd included those of: Good News Baptist Church Rev. Byron Crawford and his wife, Shirley; Maritz veep Dan McFadden; former Miss Black USA Kyria Virshelle with Eyekon Records’ Steve Hart and Eddie Hasan. Ida Goodwin Woolfolk received the Bill Maritz Memorial Award and Judge Richard Webber was recipient of the Benjamin F. Edwards Memorial Award.

Look for Circus Flora, one of the best in the world – give or take a few hundred – will partner with the much-heralded  St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, according to a source who wishes to remain anonymous.  (In newspaper jargon – “a source spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the continuing investigation.”)  Word leaked out about the partnership over the weekend at the opening of the circus on Powell Hall’s parking lot. That’s where Carol and Ameren UE’s chief Tom Voss, who served as honorary ringmaster, got beaucoups handshakes on the event.

Winner of the 2008 “America’s Got Talent”, Neal E. Boyd, who shared the evening’s bill with soul singer, Al Green, harkened back to his gaffe duriing the winning segment. He chirped,  “My fly was open and when I went on camera, someone alerted me and I turned my back to the audience and zipped it up.”  Belma and Harris-Stowe State University’s Henry Givens boasted that there are now 2,000 students there.  Other faces in the crowd of 632 guests were: Joanne and Chuck Knight; Karen Lorenzini with hub Tim Lane; Neiman-Marcus restaurateur Lucy Bommarito with Tony Mazzola; Peabody Energy’s Fred Palmer with his wife, Gayle; Karen and Jasper Noto; Marsha and Bill Rusnack, who took Clark public and Ameren UE’s prez Tom Voss with his wife, Carol.  The evening’s thunderstorms took its toll here, but Voss said, “Only 17,000 outages and no tornado yet.” (Hello?)

BTW, savvy Linda Martinez of counsel and partner at Bryan Cave, was dubbed “Woman of the Year.” Jan Albus, exec director of Variety, said she anticipated that $1 million will be raised from the event to help children with physical and mental disabilities.  At 6:45 p.m. the hotel’s sirens sounded and flood lights blinked warning that something dangerous might be happening. Some people began running through the lobby. Then, an announcement on the p.a. system informed that all was well and it had been a power failure in the hotel’s system.

GALLERY OF PICTURES AT EVENTS;