April 2019 SLM by St. Louis Magazine

E N D G A M E O R A N O T H E R S TA L E M AT E ?

A N I N - D E P T H L O O K AT B E T T E R T O G E T H E R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S P R O P O S A L

p.58

April 2019

Plus:

Floral-Inspired Fashion at the Jewel Box p.80

APRIL 2019 STLMAG.COM

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The Truth About Hoarding p.88

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FEATURES

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VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 4

80 Wild at Heart

A tale of untamed spring fashion Photography by Jai Mayhew Styling by Kristi Pinkham

➝ Model Caroline Stallings works with Bubblegum, an albino yellow belly ball python.

E N D G A M E O R A N O T H E R S TA L E M AT E ?

A N I N - D E P T H L O O K A T B E T T E R T O G E T H E R ’ S P R O P O S A L p.58

April 2019

Come Together? Plus:

Floral-Inspired Fashion at the Jewel Box p.80

The Truth About Hoarding p.88

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Artist Neil Jamieson created a chess-inspired cover, the perfect metaphor for Better Together’s political gambit involving the city-county merger and local officials’ ensuing moves.

Photography by Jai Mayhew

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More than a century after the Great Divorce, Better Together’s plan to reunite the city and county sparks debate.

Top Dentists

Local pros to know and dental tips

Hoarding

It’s dangerous. It’s misunderstood. And it’s increasingly common. By Jeannette Cooperman

By Jeannette Cooperman, Jarrett Medlin, Jen Roberts, Samantha Stevenson, Tim Woodcock, and Amanda Woytus

April 2019 stlmag.com

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D E PA R TM E N T S

VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 4

From the Editor

TASTE

47 Snap & Pizzazz The Poached Egg at Elaia

G AT E WAY

48 A Safe Bet Morton’s The Steakhouse reopens at Lumière Place on Laclede’s Landing.

29 E

ELEMENTS

Fan Favorite Catching up with So Taguchi in Japan

Bag Meets Belt A practical trend in purses takes its cue from the humble fanny pack.

14 Fresh Set Comedian Patton Oswalt brings new material to The Family Arena.

32 Functional Fabrics Dorothy Jones is changing clients’ relationships with clothing at Bespoke.

16 Devil in the Data Taking a closer look at St. Louis’ crime statistics

34 Party Pics Ranken Jordan’s Beyond Gala, St. Louis Arts Awards

18 The Wild Life Ginny Busch wants you to know the wolves are alright.

ANGLES

RHYTHM

Chop, Chop Kemoll’s moves to Westport Plaza and rebrands as Kemoll’s Chop House.

50 The Croissant Crew The flaky, lush pastries are now available across the region. 52 Han Solo St. Louis’ only Laotian-Thai restaurant opens in Brentwood. 54 Hot Spots Il Palato, POP, Midwestern Meat & Drink, and more 55 Ins, Outs & Almosts Fried, Il Palato, Midwestern Meat & Drink, Café Coeur, Cobalt Smoke & Sea, and more 56 The Adams Family Culinary families unite as Tim Adams joins Mike Del Pietro’s new Italian restaurant.

Curtain Call

Saying goodbye to The Rep’s Steven Woolf

24 Top 10 Aziz Ansari, Slatkin Conducts Bernstein, Bon Iver, and more 26 In Retrospect Cassie Donish questioned her identity. Her poetry followed. 27 Listmaker St. Louis Sound: An Illustrated Timeline captures our rich musical heritage.

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Jason Hall

The risk-taker and Arch to Park CEO on philanthropy, reunification, and STL MADE

40 Grandmasters of the Street St. Louis has some unusually strong chess players—even in its emergency shelters.

St. Louis Sage

128

44 Game On Ladies’ Day at the ballpark

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY

VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 4

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Jarrett Medlin Deputy Editor Amanda Woytus Staff Writer Jeannette Cooperman Dining Editor George Mahe Associate Editor Samantha Stevenson Digital Media Manager Steph Zimmerman Contributing Writers Pat Eby, Holly Fann, Brad Lefton, Dave Lowry, Jen Roberts, Stefene Russell, Sarah C. Truckey, Tim Woodcock Intern Elizabeth Rund ART & PRODUCTION Design Director Tom White Art Director Emily Cramsey Designer Elizabeth Gladney Sales & Marketing Designer Monica Lazalier Production Manager Dave Brickey Staff Photographer Kevin A. Roberts Contributing Photographers & Illustrators Diane Anderson, Neil Jamieson, Wesley Law, Jai Mayhew, Britt Spencer Stylists Ana Dattilo, Brady Nance, Kristi Pinkham ADVERTISING Account Executives Chad Beck, Jill Gubin, Brian Haupt, Carrie Mayer, Kim Moore, Liz Schaefer, Dani Toney Sales & Marketing Coordinator Elaine Hoffmann Digital Advertising Coordinator Blake Hunt MARKETING Director of Special Events Jawana Reid CIRCULATION Circulation Manager Dede Dierkes Circulation Coordinator Teresa Foss BUSINESS Business Manager Carol Struebig

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rate is $19.95 for 12 issues of St. Louis Magazine, six issues of Design STL, and two issues of St. Louis Family. Call 314-918-3000 to place an order or to inform us of a change of address. For corporate and group subscription rates, contact Teresa Foss at 314-918-3030. ONLINE CALENDAR Call 314-918-3000, or email Amanda Woytus at awoytus@stlmag.com. (Please include “Online Calendar” in the subject line.) Or submit events at stlmag.com/events/submit.html.

What’s your favorite Opening Day memory or tradition? “Scoring front-row seats on the warning track. How can you beat seeing the Clydesdale hitch at close range, followed by the players who can see you wave and wave back?” —George Mahe, dining editor “The Opening Day parade—specifically, watching the Hall of Famers line up as they exit the cars.” —Dave Brickey, production manager “My dad taking me out of school to go to the game.” —Dede Dierkes, circulation manager

MINGLE To inquire about event photos, email Emily Cramsey at ecramsey@stlmag.com. (Please include “Mingle” in the subject line.) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to jmedlin@stlmag.com. MARKETING AND EVENTS For information about special events, contact Jawana Reid at 314-918-3026 or jreid@stlmag.com. ADVERTISING To place an ad, contact Elaine Hoffmann at 314-918-3002 or ehoffmann@stlmag.com. DISTRIBUTION Call Dede Dierkes at 314-918-3006. Subscription Rates: $19.95 for one year. Call for foreign subscription rates. Frequency: Monthly. Single Copies in Office: $5.46. Back Issues: $7.50 by mail (prepaid). Copyright 2019 by St. Louis Magazine LLC. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts may be submitted but must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. ©2019 by St. Louis Magazine. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550 St. Louis, MO 63144 314-918-3000 | Fax 314-918-3099 stlmag.com

“I always take the day off. The excitement and buzz is hard to match, and being there to experience it with 50,000 likeminded people is an experience I never want to miss.” —Emily Cramsey, art director

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FROM THE EDITOR

VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 4

Merging Art Award-winning artist Neil Jamieson, who created the illustrations for this month’s cover feature (p. 58), has worked for the likes of ESPN, Money, People, Field & Stream, and Sports Illustrated.

Glimpse of Spring THESE DAYS, EVERYONE’S talking about the lines that divide

us. Some say such boundaries prevent unity and collaboration. Others say they’re vital to preserving independence and a certain way of life. Personally, I cross over at least one of these lines every day. In fact, I’ve spent years living on both sides. Initially, I lived in a studio apartment in the Central West End, near the New Cathedral. It was just a quick jaunt to Left Bank Books and Bar Italia, Brasserie and Kampai Sushi Bar. On Saturday mornings, my wife and I would take our Great Pyrenees on long walks through Forest Park. On Halloween, we’d join the revelry outside Culpeppers. Each night, we’d fall asleep to the sound of car horns and the helicopters at nearby Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Eventually, though, prompted by our pup’s need for a backyard, we decided it was time to move. We spent a year searching for the perfect house and finally settled down in a quaint county neighborhood where a lab named Lola often joined the mailman on his deliveries. That first night in our new house, as we drifted off to sleep, we startled at the sound of an owl. Eventually, that sound was drowned out by the cries of our newborn daughter, whom we now take to the playground at Tilles Park. And on Halloween, we trick-or-treat with our neighbors. Still, we often return to our old stomping grounds. We spend weekends at the zoo and Science Center, Busch Stadium and The Sheldon. My wife works downtown, zipping back and forth along I-44 nearly every day. Strangers ask where we live, and we reply, “St. Louis,” without qualifying it in any way.

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Stylist Kristi Pinkham’s clients have included Adidas, Vogue Italia, and Budweiser. For this issue, she helped with a stunning spring fashion photoshoot at the Jewel Box (p. 80).

Play Ball Freelance journalist Brad Lefton covers baseball in Japan and the U.S. For this issue, he interviewed former Cardinal So Taguchi in Japanese (p. 13).

All to say, we’re not alone. Like countless other St. Louisans, our lives are entwined in both the city and county. There’s a growing chorus of St. Louisans calling for unity. STL Made’s “unified narrative” (p. 37) is only the latest example. Talk of a merger has also returned (p. 58), this time in the form of a much-debated proposal from Better Together. If history’s any indication, there’s a chance it will follow the same fate as the many previous merger attempts—though this time, the entire state gets to weigh in, a point of much contention. Among most St. Louisans, however, there’s a wide stretch of common ground. Many agree that the existing structure is fragmented and inefficient, and we’d have better national rankings if the city and county merged. Other St. Louisans contend that reunification is really just a city “bailout,” that it might bring less community control over planning and services, weaken some groups’ political voices, and create new financial concerns. All of these points are worth examining. The devil, of course, is in the details. Better Together lays out more than 100 pages outlining timelines, tax policy, and more. The proposed legislation is worth a close read—we should be vigilant. We should also consider alternative ideas. It would be easy to let our predispositions polarize us, but the city and county aren’t as far apart as the arguments would suggest. We all live in both.

Follow Along @stlmag @stlmag @stlouismag

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FRESH SET p.14 D E V I L I N T H E D ATA p.16 WILD LIFE p.18

GATEWAY

FAN FAV0RITE TOPIC

Catching up with So Taguchi in Japan BY BRAD LEFTON

SO TAGUCHI NO longer carries a bat and

glove onto the field. Instead, he clutches a binder and pen as he paces the dirt behind the batting cage. But when he calls a player over to open the binder and discuss its contents, he greets him with that familiar smile, warm and wide.

Photography by Akihiko Suda

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G AT E WAY

TOPIC A

in the third base coach’s box to get a better view of something he needed to think about. I’m blessed to have been influenced by such a professional staff.” Taguchi still refers to St. Louis as his second hometown and continues to own a house in West County. His son, Kan, was born in Japan in December 2003 but spent several formative years in St. Louis where, most importantly, he acquired a love of baseball and developed his lefthanded swing. Now an accomplished high school batter, he, too, eyes playing in the United States during college and beyond. The Taguchis used to return annually to their second hometown. Once, the family attended a Blues game. When So was shown on the center ice video board, the sold-out crowd responded with After three years spent managing such a raucous standing ovation, in the minor leagues, the former it rivaled any home team goal that Cardinal fan favorite has been night. It moved his wife, Emiko, Play Ball to tears. promoted to major league batThe Cardinals’ home ting coach with his onetime team, The demands of being back in opener, against the Japan’s Orix Buffaloes (formerly uniform, though, have made it San Diego Padres, starts at 3:15 p.m. the Blue Wave). difficult for Taguchi to return in April 4. Visit mlb.com Besides his endearing smile, recent years. for details. fans will forever remember the Asked what he misses most former outfielder for shifting the about St. Louis, he grins: a momentum of the 2006 National plain Ted Drewes concrete with League Championship Series with a tiebreaking whipped cream, the Dutch baby at The Original home run off New York Mets closer Billy WagPancake House. Mid-reverie, he pauses, then ner in Game 2. It helped propel the Cardinals lists something else he’d like to savor. “This all the way to their first world championship season will be the first time Albert [Pujols] in 24 seasons. plays in St. Louis since he signed with the In an interesting way, Taguchi’s new job Angels, right?” gives him a fresh reminder of the one he had Informed that his teammate of six seasons as an outfielder and bench weapon here, from will indeed be returning to Busch Stadium 2002–2007. June 21–23, for the first time since the 2011 “It’s funny how now that I’m in this position, World Series championship, Taguchi says, “I’d I constantly see images of Tony La Russa and love to be there for that, so I could stand and his coaching staff flash through my mind,” cheer for all he did. He added so much richness Taguchi says during spring training in Miyazaki, to the franchise, and, for me, playing baseball a city in southern Japan. “To me, they are for an organization that celebrates such a deep the standard of game management, so I’ll be history is what I will always cherish the most thinking, ‘Well, Tony would have stood here about my time wearing the birds on the bat.” to get a look at this thing,’ or I’ll see an image of José Oquendo stepping back from his spot

stlmag.com April 2019

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COMEDY

FRESH SET CO ME D I A N PAT TO N O S WA LT B R I N G S A L L-N E W MAT E R I A L TO T H E FA MI LY A R E N A

Patton Oswalt has a lot going on. The comedian has a role in NBC’s A.P. Bio. Then there’s his turn as a simpering lackey on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot. He’s in back-toback voiceover sessions for a project he’s not quite ready to discuss. And now Oswalt is on tour, performing at The Family Arena on April 26. In his Netflix special Annihilation, Oswalt discusses the unexpected death of his wife, crime writer Michelle McNamara; caring for their daughter as she mourned; and dealing with his own grief—wondering at one point whether he was the one who’d actually died. “It’s that thing of when your reality has been shot out from underneath you and you can’t accept that this is reality,” he explains, “so if you can’t accept that, then what’s the next logical step?” For the comedian, it’s finding ways to move forward, and that includes a new set, which he’s bringing to St. Charles, though he’s not revealing any details: “I want it all to be a surprise.” –AMANDA WOYTUS Oswalt performs at The Family Arena at 8 p.m. on April 26. Visit family arena.com for details.

Photography by Akihiko Suda

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RIVERVIEW

G AT E WAY

WARNING: GRAPHIC

NORTH POINTE

WA L N U T PA R K W E S T

CENTRAL WEST END

WA L N U T PA R K E A S T

1,235 total crimes, up from 1,208 in 2017 151 total person crimes 1,084 total property crimes 14,471 population (2010) 8.53 crimes per 100 people

MARK T WA I N I-70 INDUSTRIAL

732 total crimes, down from 804 in 2017 144 total person crimes 588 total property crimes 13,333 population (2010) 5.49 crimes per 100 people

H A M I LT O N HEIGHTS

-6%

The total crimes committed in all neighborhoods in St. Louis in 2018 is 23,857. In 2017, it was 25,404.

COLLEGE HILL

PENROSE O ’FALLON

K I N G S WAY WEST

FAIRGROUND NEIGHBORHOOD

K I N G S WAY EAST

G R E AT E R NEAR NORTH HYDE VILLE RIVERFRONT PA R K ACADEMY THE VILLE V I S I TAT I O N F O U N TA I N PA R K PA R K SKINKER LEWIS S T. L O U I S JEFF DEBALIVIERE PLACE PLACE VA N D E R L O U DEBALIVIERE VA N D E V E N T E R OLD NORTH PLACE S T. L O U I S COVENANT WYDOWN BLU–GRAND CARR SKINKER CENTER SQUARE COLUMBUS WEST END

SQUARE

C H E LT E N H A M

HI-POINTE

C L AY T O N -TA M M

KINGS OAK

F R A N Z PA R K

THE HILL

MIDTOWN FOREST PA R K SOUTH TIFFANY EAST B O TA N I C A L T H E G AT E HEIGHTS DISTRICT

CLIFTON HEIGHTS

ELLENDALE “Even though crime is down a little bit, we still have a high percentage of crime in our area, so we can’t let up and we have to be vigilant,” says Ryan Barry L I N D E N W O O D of the Tower Grove Heights PA R K Neighborhood Association. The neighborhood is in constant contact with police and raised $8,000 for surveillance cameras.

S H AW SOUTHWEST GARDEN

DUTCHTOWN 1,134 total crimes, down from 1,294 in 2017 310 total person crimes 824 total property crimes 15,770 population (2010) 7.19 crimes per 100 people A new Crime Reduction Zone in Dutchtown will mirror the Hayden’s Rectangle approach taken in North St. Louis, which saw an 18 percent drop in crime by the end of 2018.

Devil in the Data

Taking a closer look at St. Louis’ crime statistics

DOWNTOWN WEST L A FAY E T T E SQUARE

LASALLE PA R K

P E A B O DY DARST WEBBE COMPTON HEIGHTS MCKINLEY HEIGHTS FOX SOULARD PA R K TOWER GROVE EAST

NORTHAMPTON

BENTON PA R K

KOSCIUSKO

DOWNTOWN 1,484 total crimes, down from 1,521 in 2017 176 total person crimes 1,308 total property crimes 3,721 population (2010) 39.88 crimes per 100 people The second of the new 2019 Crime Reduction Zones. Police Chief John Hayden is focusing resources on combating car break-ins, carjackings, and aggravated assaults.

BENTON PA R K W E S T G R AV O I S PA R K

SOUTHAMPTON

S T. L O U I S HILLS

NORTH RIVERFRONT

MARK T WA I N

WELLS GOODFELLOW

“We know that our neighborhood is competing for police resources just like other neighborhoods,” says Jim Whyte of the Central West End Neighborhood Security Initiative. Taxpayers fund about 3,000 supplemental patrols every year, and in 2018, the initiative gave police video evidence that resulted in 70 arrests, up from 54 the previous year.

TOWER GROVE SOUTH

BADEN

BEVO MILL PRINCETON HEIGHTS

MOUNT PLEASANT H O L LY H I L L S

B O U L E VA R D HEIGHTS

PAT C H

MARINE VILLA

CARONDELET 850 total crimes, up from 694 in 2017 155 total person crimes 695 total property crimes 8,661 population (2010) 9.81 crimes per 100 people

Angel Tutt of the Carondelet Community Betterment Federation says that the neighborhood hosts meetings and policein-community events. Cameras or supplemental patrols like Tower Grove South and the CWE? “Those neighborhoods, their household incomes are double, triple what ours are,” she says. “Those aren’t things we can do.”

“THERE IS THIS conception of the city as crime-ridden throughout,” says University of Missouri–

St. Louis criminology professor Richard Rosenfeld. Take a look at the homicide rate, which ranks at or near the top among U.S. cities each year, he says, and it can convey a message that the violent crime risk is the same everywhere here. Rosenfeld’s research says otherwise: “It’s very high in a few neighborhoods on the north side, and in and around Dutchtown, and hardly anywhere else.” So how should St. Louisans look at the city’s crime data, which reported a 6 percent decrease in total crime overall last year? We took the five neighborhoods with the highest total crime numbers in 2018 and broke down property versus person crime, population, and crime per capita. SLM also talked with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and local associations about what’s being done to combat crime. One more thought from the police: “When an area is more populated or popular, there is a higher potential for crime to occur and for that crime to be reported,” says Officer Michelle Woodling. –A.W.

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G AT E WAY

Wild Life

Ginny Busch wants you to know the wolves are alright.

Why does the center focus on wolves? Red wolves were native to Missouri until the mid-1800s, when the government had a bounty on their heads. The view at that time was to kill pest animals like wolves because they hunted the same animals people did— moose, elk, deer. Is that why people are afraid of wolves? Yes, that bounty developed a culture in the U.S. that wolves are bad. But in reality, they are good for the ecosystem. Where do the wolves that live at the center come from? Many of our canids are born at the center or come from other facilities in North America that are part of the Species Survival Plan.

INSIDE INFO

THE ENDANGERED WOLF CENTER, in Eureka, is one of the

region’s best-kept secrets, says its executive director, Ginny Busch—who intends to change that. Red wolves were once native to southern Missouri, but the population was declared extinct by 1980. The center is working through managed breeding and reintroduction to restore red and Mexican wolves to parts of the country and cares for four red, 19 Mexican, and five maned wolves. Catch the organization at this year’s Earth Day celebration—Earthday365—on a tour at the center, and during school visits with their animal ambassadors, including fennec fox Daisy (below). “We think the educational component is equally important,” says Busch.

want to run away from people. We maintain that shyness. We don’t pet, talk to, handfeed, or habituate the wolves. That way, when they’re released into the wild, they run away from people. Could red wolves ever make their way back into Missouri’s ecosystem? We’ve seen success with repopulating them in North Carolina, but it’s slow going. There is a pause on that program. We are a holding facility waiting to hear where the next release area will be. Southern Missouri could be one of them. Part of your job is to expose people to animals they’re afraid of. We are inviting more curiosity to make a connection. When we educate, we think a powerful way to connect is to meet an animal in person. Having snakes and possums in our ecosystem keeps the rodents in check. You explain that to kids, and you start to see the wheels turn. —AS TOLD TO SARAH C. TRUCKEY

FYI

How do you care for the wolves as you prep for their rerelease? One thing most people don’t know about wolves is that they are naturally shy and

stlmag.com April 2019

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Earthday365, St. Louis’ 30th annual Earth Day festival, takes place 11 a.m.–5 p.m., April 27 & 28 on The Muny grounds, in Forest Park.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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RHYTHM

PRELUDE

CURTAIN CALL

Saying goodbye to The Repâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steven Woolf BY AMANDA WOYTUS

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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RHYTHM PRELUDE

MEET HANA 4 things to know about Hana S. Sharif, the Rep’s incoming artistic director

Hana S. Sharif, the Rep’s incoming artistic director

WO MONTHS OUT from his farewell event at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, artistic director Steven Woolf is in the middle of teching—theaterspeak for getting the lights, sound, and so on together—for the last show he’ll direct, Oslo. It’s a complicated one, and after two months in rehearsals, he’s got to get it on the stage this week. Asked how he’ll feel on the last night of the last performance of his 30-plus years at The Rep, the soon-to-be emeritus isn’t sure—he hasn’t allowed himself the time to think about it. Woolf took over as artistic director of The Rep in 1986, when the theater was in trouble both financially and artistically. His guiding principle, he says, was to present interesting programming and do it well. More than 300 productions, 100 Kevin Kline and St. Louis Theater Circle awards, and a lifetime achievement honor from the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis later, Woolf is leaving. Hana S. Sharif, most recently associate artistic director of Baltimore Center Stage, takes over on June 1. At A Standing Ovation for Steve, April 10, St. Louisans will have the opportunity to celebrate Woolf ’s career. Looking at a list of the Rep’s programming—a mix of well-known titles and new and challenging works—Woolf notes that there is no formula for running a theater, that “you follow your instincts;

you trust the people around you and come up with seasons that, in our case, we wanted to show that we could deliver a really superior product.” He ensured they weren’t turning out “cookie cutter material” by “really investing in people and artists that bring new vision and new ways of looking at shows.” It’s what’s kept the theater alive. Fans will remember, as an example, the 2016 opener for the Rep’s 50th anniversary: Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. The show is big, expensive, and not staged as often as other Sondheim works like Sweeney Todd. The performance won seven St. Louis Theater Circle Awards. What made it a great revival, Woolf says, “was the deeper idea of making sure that we understood why songs were where they were during the show and how those connected to the book, which makes us unique in its depth.” The Rep’s production of Sunday in the Park with George was similarly successful, as was To Kill a Mockingbird, to which director Risa Brainin added characters to put a greater focus on the black community. Can he name a favorite achievement? He laughs. “Look, we’re here, we’re safe,” he says. “Both artistically, doing work at a very high level, and on the financial side, we’re stable—and so that’s enough, for God’s sake.”

FYI A Standing Ovation for Steve gets underway at 6:15 p.m. April 10 at Edward Jones headquarters, in Des Peres.

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Doing Homework “There’s so much about [St. Louis], and the energy, and the heartbeat, and the people that I have to learn. A huge part of that is learning who is the community The Rep is a service to, how are their artistic lives being fulfilled and how does the work that we do enhance and improve the human condition of the communities that we serve?” Why St. Louis? “Part of the appeal of The Rep was the extraordinary foundation. It has an incredible reputation for outstanding production value and attracting some really compelling artists.” Stage Work “I’m passionate about new American voices, I’m passionate about American classics— and so I imagine that what you’ll see onstage will reflec both of those things.” School Daze “I have an 8-year-old daughter. People ask, ‘Oh, do you know where you’re going to live?’ We’re not choosing where we’re going to live until we pick a school… What I love about [St. Louis] is that it’s a city and a region made up of all these little neighborhoods that each have their own idiosyncrasies and energy.”

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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RHYTHM AGENDA

Apr 10 THINGS TO DO

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

and cold beer on a Friday night. Now the country-rock band is exploring new frontiers, releasing a single co-written by Shawn Mendes and, with this tour, venturing Down the Rabbit Hole. April 26. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, livenation.com.

Tim Price’s play Salt, Root and Roe follows identical twin sisters Iola and Anest, living in a farmhouse on northwest Wales’ Pembrokeshire coast, as they embark on a suicide pact. Upstream Theater is reviving the dark show, sprinkled with surprising moments of irreverent comedy. April 26–28 & May 2–5, 9–12. Kranzberg Arts Center, upstreamtheater.org.

Maggie Rogers’ debut EP, Now That the Light Is Fading, has a track (“Alaska”) that left Pharrell speechless, with “zero notes” for the then–NYU student, and another (“Light On”) that pushed Mumford & Sons from the No. 1 spot on a Billboard chart. April 7, The Pageant, thepageant.com.

Comedian Aziz Ansari is returning to the public eye after a sexual misconduct allegation put his career on hold. How he’s doing it: a nearly 30-city tour dubbed Road to Nowhere. April 27. Stifel Theatre, stifeltheatre.com.

4 1

Grammywinning ensemble The Branford Marsalis Quartet, led by the eldest of New Orleans’ famed Marsalis brothers, releases its latest album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, on March 1. The

acclaimed sax player and his compatriots play here just a month later. April 2–4. Ferring Jazz Bistro, jazzstl.org.

It’s been a while since the Zac Brown Band dominated the charts singing about fried chicken

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Bon Iver has made a name personifying a musical style you might deem fitting for Henry David Thoreau’s walk to that cabin in the woods. With 22, A Million, the band continues to contemplate existentialism, but this time it’s to a more synthesized tune. April 4. Stifel Theatre, stifeltheatre.com.

The Big Muddy Dance Company’s Footnotes flaunts our town’s bountiful talent in an “eclectic repertory dance performance” featuring St. Louis musicians, composers, and music organizations. April 6 & 7. The Grandel, thebig muddydanceco.org.

St. Louis collectors John and Teenuh Foster’s assortment of photographs is not your standard family photo album. In Poetry of the Everyday: Amateur Photography, more than 100 amateur snapshots capture nostalgia and the human experience, 1890–1970. April 26– August 25, Saint Louis Art Museum, slam.org.

With full and half marathons, a 10K, and a 5K, the Go! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend has a challenge for just about everyone. And with more than 25,000 participants, the largest competitive fitness event in the state, it’ll feel like they’re all here. April 5–7. Downtown St. Louis, gostlouis.org.

In Slatkin Conducts Bernstein, conductor laureate Leonard Slatkin leads the St. Louis Symphony in Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish,” dedicated to President John F. Kennedy. April 28. Powell Hall, slso.org.

“Untitled (leaping dog)”, 1940s; American; gelatin silver print; sheet: 3 5/16 × 4 5/16 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, gift of John R. and Teenuh M. Foster 278:2019

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S T UQD&I O RHYTHM A

IN RETROSPECT

She questioned her identity. Her poetry followed. BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON

OET CASSIE DONISH figures that a piece might be done once you finally decide to leave it alone. “Or when it tells you to go away?” she adds. “Or maybe when it gets published.” As Donish revised her latest manuscript, however, transformative experiences—questioning her identity and queerness—made her reconsider her previous work. For this second collection, also the winner of the 2018 Iowa Poetry Prize, the poet revisited her past work with newfound clarity—and it was only after this that she considered it complete. The Year of the Femme, available April 1, includes poems the Mizzou instructor originally wrote as an MFA student at Washington University. Donish will read from the collection at Left Bank Books on April 9 as part of National Poetry Month. “I almost felt like I overlaid a grid of my experiences onto these poems that were already written, and they suddenly became about something else,” Donish says. “It’s like the poems were moving with me forward in my life.” Donish shaped the collection to embrace questions of queerness, gender nonconformity, and interiority. Iowa Prize judge Brenda Shaughnessy

wrote, “A bold and redemptive truth is found here, not reliant on answers for its power and meaning.” Without answers, the questions haunt, building as readers follow such characters as the woman in “The Leaf Mask.” It depicts a woman walking through a park, alluding to Donish’s own walks in Tower Grove Park. Written before Donish identified as queer, the first draft came from a time when she was feeling “confused and distant from my own life,” she says. “I was about to go through a breakup with my ex-fiancé.” In “Desire and the Social,” Donish raised more questions about queerness, sexuality, and desire. How much of our desire comes from within ourselves? And how much are we conditioned to feel through socialization? Donish doesn’t feel equipped to answer. Again, we’re left to reflect. Ahead of The Year of the Femme’s release, Donish has been attending readings for her first book of poetry, Beautyberry, released just last December. With an additional forthcoming chapbook, On the Mezzanine, it might be the year of the femme but also possibly the year of Donish.

FYI Donish reads from The Year of the Femme at 7 p.m. April 9 at Left Bank Books.

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READING ALOUD More not-to-be-missed National Poetry Month readings at Left Bank Books Ryan Patrick Smith On April 8, the University of Missouri–St. Louis alumnus reads from his debut poetry collection, The Death Metal Pastorals. Smith’s work tackles consumption, gendered violence, and white supremacy. Author Shane Seely refers to the work as “grave, visionary poems, as dark as they are compelling.” Stacey Lynn Brown A poet and professor of creative writing at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, Brown visits April 9 to read from The Shallows, in which poems depict a daughter dealing with the aftermath of her father’s stroke and with her own illness. Alison C. Rollins On April 17, the St. Louis native brings excerpts from her debut poetry collection, Library of Small Catastrophes. Within its pages, she explores how we process loss, as well as how race, sexuality, spirituality, violence, and American culture interact.

Photography by William Youngblood

2/26/19 4:18 PM

Read This Now

Compose Your Own Series Familiar Classics. Blockbuster Films. Iconic Artists.

S T. L O U I S S O U N D

Joe Edwards caps off the foreword to the new book St. Louis Sound: An Illustrated Timeline, out March 15, by writing: “Pop, rock, jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, gospel, hip-hop, classical, opera, folk, bluegrass, country—you’ll discover it all in St. Louis Sound.” The all-but-comprehensive compendium, by Steve Pick and Amanda E. Doyle, begins with the rattles, drums, and flutes of Cahokia’s Mississippian culture and progresses all the way through 2017 to Old Salt Union, the “bluegrass band for people who don’t like bluegrass bands,” whose bass player is Jesse Farrar, nephew of another local band member, Jay Farrar of Son Volt. That’s what makes St. Louis Sound so much fun: tracing the connections among bands, gigs, and musicians. Take Uncle Tupelo, the alt country band from Belleville, Illinois, that included Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn. The group split in 1994, but Tweedy went on to front Wilco and Farrar to lead Son Volt. And Festus native Brian Henneman, who played guitar for Wilco, also led another area band, The Bottle Rockets. “There are so many people who are here and who have always been here, nurturing those offshoots,” says Doyle. Back to Edwards’ point, the book also serves as a record of the diversity of performers (from Kim Massie to Bunnygrunt to Chuck Berry to the St. Louis Symphony) and venues (Laclede’s Landing to Off Broadway to The Pageant) that call or once called St. Louis home, as well as some interesting highlights from out-of-towners. Were you one of the lucky ones who saw The Beatles play Busch Stadium in 1966, after John Lennon said the band was bigger than Jesus? —AMANDA WOYTUS

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April 2019 stlmag.com

RHYTHM_0419.indd Photography27 by Anne Taussig

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ELEMENTS

TRENDING

Bag Meets Belt

A practical trend in purses takes its cue from the humble fanny pack. BY ANA DATTILO

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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BELT BAG

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April 2019 stlmag.com

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ELEMENTS TRENDING

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Yellow cropped denim boyfriend jacket, $58. KOHO. Lilla P. white tank, $55. Paisley Boutique. Herschel nylon belt bag, $25. Urban Outfitters. Paige Hoxton ultraskinny polka-dot jeans, $212. KOHO.

Marnie linen cherry gingham halter dress, $59. Urban Outfitters. Mali + Lili quilted vegan leather belt bag, $32.40. Nordstrom.

Stephie Army shirtdress, $159. Paisley Boutique. Herschel nylon belt bag, $30. Urban Outfitters.

Victorian smocked eyelet blouse, $69. Urban Outfitters. Cooperative gingham miniskirt, $49. Urban Outfitters. Modern Pop belt bag, $49.95. Free People.

Seychelles Echosystem black open-toe bootie, $129. Paisley Boutique.

Coconuts No Return strappy sandal, $82. Paisley Boutique.

Qupid nude suede mule, $42. KOHO.

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AMS mustard flat, $34. KOHO.

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Clients “When you have a job to do, you need to not worry, ‘Is my bra strap showing?’ or ‘God, this is so tight,’” Jones says. She creates clothes with functionality and uses visual tricks to combat customers’ negative feelings about their bodies. “It changes their view of themselves.” Collaboration Customers often show Jones an idea, asking, “Can you do this?” Most recently, a client whose wife is a fan of the film Enchanted wanted a frock coat similar to Patrick Dempsey’s character’s for a ball. After an initial consultation, Jones will often create a muslin, or sample garment, for a fitting. Once the garment exists in 3-D, it’s easier for clients to see what works and what doesn’t. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

3/4/19 4:36 PM

A PREVIEW OF THE DAY ’S TOP STORIE S

Daily Newsletter St. Louis Magazine recently launched a daily newsletter, The Current, providing a quick look at the top stories from stlmag.com. Find out what’s happening this weekend, discover the region’s newest restaurants, and dig into the latest in-depth stories.

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ELEMENTS MINGLE

Patty and Mark Mantovani Kennedy Holmes, Ben Scanio Curtis Cassel, Shannon Bagley, Ryan Tusek Tom and Carol Voss

Cynthia Prost, Ken Kranzberg

Gregory Glore, Sherry Sissac Doug and Julie Stanley David Wilson, Carrie Houk, Mike Scully

SPOTLIGHT Pat Smith Thurman St. Louis Arts Awards co-chair

The Arts and Education Council’s St. Louis Arts Awards

Caressa Davis, Michael Baxter Bryan Batt, Jill McGuire

ON JANUARY 21, guests at the Arts and Education Council’s annual awards, held at The Chase Park Plaza, enjoyed a performance by Kennedy Holmes, who recently competed on NBC’s The Voice. The evening honored local artists, educators, philanthropists, and arts organizations.

Ranken Jordan’s Beyond Gala 2019

“The St. Louis Arts Awards celebrate the individuals and organizations that make our arts scene so vibrant. It’s a fun night with entertainment, plus we raise funds to support more than 70 arts organizations across the region. Solomon [Thurman] and I are proud to serve as co-chairs of this year’s event.”

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DURING ITS ANNUAL gala, held Janu-

ary 19 at the Four Seasons, Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital staff shared moving stories of the facility’s patients. Proceeds benefit the hospital, whose mission includes bridging “the gap between acute care and home for kids with even the most complex conditions, illnesses, and injuries.”

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Mike and Lauren Cassimatis, Matt and Stevie Telken, Ryan and Tammie Rallo

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P OW E L L H A L L

3/4/19 4:45 PM

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ANGLES

Q&A

JASON HALL

STL Made BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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ANGLES Q&A

HEN I FIRST MESSAGE Jason Hall, he’s in an early breakfast meet-

ing in preparation for the NGA land transfer. He’ll spend the rest of the day finagling investments for local startups and strategizing the new STL MADE initiative. Son of a Granite City steelworker, he was the first in his family to graduate from high school. Polished by his law school professors, New York economists, a federal appellate judge, the partners at Bryan Cave, and former Governor Jay Nixon, Hall’s learned to temper his intensity. Still, when St. Louis needs a push, he’s not shy. You started at Bryan Cave in 2003, then made the front page of the Post-Dispatch by starting an LGBT bar association. I didn’t know a soul in this city, and I’d just recently come out. But I got involved right away, because Missouri was the first state that had to face a ban at the ballot box on same-sex marriage. I was scared as hell. I wasn’t even out to my family. I get a call from my mom at 6 a.m.: “Your father and I saw the paper…” But my parents were great about it, and so was Bryan Cave. [Managing partner] Peter Van Cleve sent this note around saying something like “We encourage our associates to get involved in the community.” So it was a good reminder: Live an authentic life. Next you took a sharp pay cut and moved to Jefferson City. Jay Nixon called right after he was elected. He said, “What do you think about being part of my economic development team?” That was ’08 into ’09, financial meltdown everywhere, and economic development was the kitchen table issue. Earlier in your career, you’d worked for an economic consulting firm in New York. Does St. Louis seem sleepy or slower-paced than Manhattan? I have a pretty intense personality, and New York probably took it to another level. I found a home in the entrepreneurial community here, though. Nobody cared who you were or where you were from; it was how hard you worked and how willing you were to take a risk. You’re cofounder and CEO of Arch to Park— which is what, exactly? We were an investor in the Chouteau Greenway, helping create a physical connection between

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“WHEN PEOPLE HEAR DISSENT, THE REACTION HAS BEEN TO SQUELCH THAT VOICE.”

Arch and park. We also wanted to connect islands of economic revitalization. So it’s a switchboard of collaboration to find new investment resources. In the Gilded Age, St. Louis had its kingmakers; in the 20th century, Anheuser-Busch. Philanthropy today seems a bit piecemeal. It is—but there’s $8 billion in redevelopment occurring in the city right now. We’re at a critical crossroads. We’ve had to deal with something no other region faced at the same magnitude: a 63 percent population collapse out of the city. Your thoughts on reunification? Whether you’re from Granite City or Wentzville or Ballwin, your future is fundamentally linked to having a strong city. The millennial generation has clearly expressed a preference for urban living. It’s like skating to where the puck is: We need to be a walkable, safe, dynamic city, or young people won’t come here. How do you get St. Louisans to take risks? When I was a kid, I had to be a little scrappy to get ahead. I’m never comfortable—I’m always a little on edge—but it doesn’t have to be about me personally. The tendency is to have ego-driven organizations. A lot of times, when people hear dissent, the reaction has been [he punches the desk] to squelch that voice. Except in the startup community. And that spirit goes deeper into the psyche of this region than I realized. It’s influencing areas far broader than tech, and we’re going to be amping that up with STL MADE—a platform for people who are changing their community. We want to influence the national perception of St. Louis. To date, we’ve lacked a common story; people don’t know what a great place this is to start a career or business, stand out and be recognized, stay and put down roots. Online: Hall on STL MADE, homegrown businesses, and St. Louis as a global geospatial hub

Photography by Wesley Law

3/4/19 4:45 PM

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ANGLES NOTEBOOK BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

GRANDMASTERS

St. Louis has some unusually strong chess players—even in its emergency shelters. 40

stlmag.com April 2019

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AVIER JALLOW, A freshman

at St. Louis University High School, sits in the chaotic warmth of Sts. Peter & Paul Community Services’ emergency shelter, ignoring shouts and clattering trays, eyes fixed on his opponent. Jallow and one of this evening’s residents, Jerrod “B.B.” Booth, are engaged in a silent fast-pitched battle. They reach to slide and capture, knights and bishops knocking heads as they’re swooped off the board. A small crowd gathers, drawn by the power of the men’s concentration. Finally the game reaches a point of no return. “He’s in a bad position—bad position,” Booth explains, “and his queen can’t even help him.” Still, they play it out, the moves stretching apart as the men give each other room to think. Ed Rataj, a retired law partner from Bryan Cave, watches fondly from the sidelines. Nicknamed “Chess Man,” he started this program, and he’s at Sts. Peter and Paul or Biddle Housing Opportunities Center four nights a week. “You’re never sure who’s going to be there,” he says. “Sometimes I’ll go in, set up the boards…nobody. But by the time we leave, two or three guys are lined up to play next.” Rataj (pronounced with the “j” silent) played chess as a kid but only got serious when he volunteered for city schools that wanted programs. Delighted, he boned up on strategy. Soon after, he was at Sts. Peter and Paul, dropping off a packet of bonds used to recruit Union soldiers in the Civil War (“I donate weird stuff to charity auctions”) and mentioned that he was on his way to teach a chess class. A staffer looked up: “Did you say chess?” They’d had some interest, especially from one guest. Maybe he could start a program? “I thought I was going to be teaching people to play,” Rataj says, laughing. “I never beat Eduardo. Never once. He’d move his piece then get up and do a dance”—he demonstrates, feet kicking high and arms windmilling—“and the whole time, he was obliterating me on the chessboard.”

CMY

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

3/4/19 4:45 PM

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When Rataj tried to recruit more players from his parish, Immacolata, they protested, saying, “All I know is how the pieces move.” He nodded briskly: “Perfect. We’re trying to build up the homeless guys’ self-esteem and your humility.” These days, better players are volunteering—because they find worthy opponents. Corey Reinig, an actuary for Anthem, joined the world-class St. Louis Chess Club but also plays regularly at the shelter. Samuel Roth, a grad student in business at Washington University, “was kind of interested to play at a less formal place. You get some really creative, aggressive players here.” Rataj agrees, but he’s noticed that many “have terrible openings. I’ll say, ‘People have been working on this for 1,000 years. Here’s the London opening. Here’s the Colle Zukertort. Instead of you opening in a way that’s weak and gives me all sorts of advantages you’re going to have to overcome…’” He sighs. “Often they want to play it their way.” Eddie Morris regrets that stubbornness—in life as well as chess: “When I was young, I made some very, very foolish moves.” We talk at the Biddle shelter one sharply cold evening; cots are being brought in to increase capacity, so we have to wait to set up the chess boards. Of grandfatherly age, Morris is wearing a Mizzou Tigers hoodie and carefully coughing into his elbow; there’s a hoarse rustle in his deep, calm voice. “I learned the fundamental moves when I was in the penitentiary,” he says. “The strategy you have to develop on your own, but my downfall is, I never read the chess book.” That hasn’t stopped him from wiping the board with volunteers, though. Above high cheekbones, his eyes curve into a merry squint, like Santa’s. Chess, to him, is “a mind game. You can apply it to life situations, figure out what moves you’re gonna make. If a person gets angry with you, are you gonna come at them strong, push forward real fast, or hold back and speak to them in a calm and gentle manner?” He gropes for a word, pulls out his phone. “OK Google, what is the word when you rush into something without thinking about the consequences?” He peers at the screen. “Impulsive.” Roth, whose life has been softer and more stable, wants chess to teach him to “stay aggressive, stay hungry. I’ll start losing more often when I’m starting to be defensive, and I have to remind myself to, when I’m threatened, punch back harder. Don’t go into a shell.” He starts a game, a black and a white piece concealed in his closed fists. His opponent chooses black, which gives Roth an instant advantage. White always opens. A skinny guy approaches Rich Esswein (chess coach for SLUH) with his

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“I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE TEACHING PEOPLE TO PLAY. I NEVER BEAT EDUARDO. NEVER ONCE.” hands up in front of his chest, as though to ward off embarrassment: “It’s been a while since I played.” Esswein goes into teaching mode: “The pointy-headed guy is the bishop…” Slowly the guy relaxes into the game. Relationships form here. Players aren’t swapping stories or asking about one another’s families, but “you get a sense of who your opponent is,” Rataj says. “He becomes a person to you.” I ask Rataj for his most moving experience, expecting a poignant redemption story of some sort. “I beat Ken!” he exults. “He did not see the checkmate coming. I have lost so many games to Ken!” Across a chessboard, people play as equals, and everything else drops away.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

3/4/19 4:46 PM

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ANGLES SNAPSHOT G R A N D B O U L E VA R D A N D D O D I E R S T R E E T

Game On “Women vote, smoke, drink and vie with men for jobs today. But although we have ‘Ladies Days’ at baseball parks, there are no ‘Gentleman’s Days,’” groused a newspaperman in 1938, around the time this queue to the “Ladies’ Gate” at Sportsman’s Park was snapped. Pretty much every ballpark from L.A. to New York offe ed free or cheap admission to women on certain days, but there was a reason they called it “the St. Louis idea.” Browns president Robert Lee Hedges created Ladies’ Day in 1912, offering f ee entry with a male escort. After the Browns realized that women were hanging around the ballpark trying to “crab” their way in on any guy’s arm, they decided to just let them in; the Cardinals followed suit. By the 1930s, Ladies’ Day games were packed with “high school girls carrying their textbooks, grandmothers holding daughter’s arm, mothers towing or carrying children, pushing a trio ahead, trying to force the tide of the crowd,” and what they saved on tickets, they spent on buttermilk, near beer, and ice cream. Despite the objections of grouchy male sports columnists, Ladies’ Day would stick around for decades. —STEFENE RUSSELL 44

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Photography courtesy of the Missouri History Museum

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MORTON’S p.48 K E M O L L’ S p.50 HAN LAO p.52

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THE DISH

Snap & Pizzazz The locavore movement has come a long way in St. Louis, even to the point of redefining such buzzy food terms as “seasonality.” The emergence of sophisticated greenhouses and hoop houses means that Midwestern farmers are now growing out-of-season vegetables almost year-round. So it comes as no surprise that radishes (traditionally a spring vegetable) were—and still are—featured on chef Aaron Martinez’s menu at Elaia. In an homage to his culinary travels in Belgium—where radishes were so plentiful, they were served “every which way… even made into a granita”— he plates an assortment from EarthDance Farms (“some raw, some smoked, some dehydrated”) with a deep-poached egg yolk to mimic the classic radish/sea salt/butter combination. The classic theme is repeated in a frothed vinaigrette made with lemon, fresh dill, buttermilk whey (“a byproduct from a byproduct”), and another radish—horseradish root, grated— whose flavor announces itself, then dissipates just as quickly. —GEORGE MAHE

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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MAIN COURSE

A Safe Bet

Morton’s The Steakhouse reopens at Lumière Place on Laclede’s Landing. BY DAVE LOWRY

anticipated. We viewed a porterhouse of the dimensions of a manhole cover, a filet thick as a sofa cushion, a bone-in ribeye so opulently veined with fat that it looked like Venetian marble. It was The restaurant’s tempting to say, “Just fire ’em all up, name is iconic: After medium rare.” We instead settled more all, Morton’s peddles modestly but still managed to work our beef in dozens of cit- way through a lot of steer. Every bite ies. If you’ve perused was a reminder of how good fine beef an in-flight maga- can be when expertly prepared. That bone-in ribeye? Flawless, with zine, you’ve probably seen the ads. a rosy center, a tantalizing aroma The décor at the new of smoke, a delicate char. If you’re downtown location is unsure what to order, go with this one. luxurious, typical of The 10-ounce filet mignon defines the the Morton’s brand: tender muscle that renders the cut plush seats, lots of so special. It was paired with a shank dark wood, carpeted bone packed with luscious marrow. floors, and ceilings And there are still more exorbitant designed to tamp cuts—the imposing porterhouse, a noise to a genteel New York strip—no matter your prefmurmur. Large black- erence, it’s likely available. There’s even and-white photos of a Cajun-spiced ribeye that combines St. Louis scenes are meat and the fragrant dimension of HIS MONTH’S RESTAURANT particularly attractive. Tableware sparLouisiana seasoning. fact: The overall quality kles. All of it says, “You’re here to enjoy, Visiting a steakhouse and ordering something besides beef seems like of a city’s dining scene is and we’re here to make that happen.” directly correlated with the The ceremonial presentation of the going to Mardi Gras for a meditational number of restaurants with staff wield- protein platter displays the quality to be retreat. Still, pork fans will find haping table crumbers. piness in double-cut proporMorton's The We were reminded of this certitude tions. A meaty, juicy chop is Steakhouse as our server deftly swept crumbs from wrapped around two bones. 999 N. Second 314-725-4008 the starchy linen, moving properly from Fork tender it isn’t, nor should mortons.com/stlouis the right to keep her elbow out of our it be. The texture has a pleasDinner nightly ant solidity, the surface a salty, faces. It was a nice touch, one of many at Morton’s, which recently relocated to delectable crust. A scattering of seafood Lumière Place. dishes—miso-marinated sea THE BOTTOM LINE Morton's relocation from Clayton to Lumière Place could pay big dividends. bass, glazed salmon—might Shrimp Scampi Capellini: spinach, toasted pine nuts, tomato, and white wine

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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divert some diners. A fine pasta dish— a pillow of capellini strings ringed with curls of roasted shrimp—demonstrates kitchen talent not normally associated with a steakhouse. A curling stone–size brioche—eggy, yeasty, redolent of the roasted onion flakes on top—comes with a squirt of warm butter. Salads are fresh and don’t distract from the main event. (Let’s face it: Salads are at best a warmup act at a steakhouse. Who remembers the opener for The Beatles, in ’64 or at any other time?) A lobster bisque is spicy and satiny. You know the sides: roasted Brussels sprouts, creamed spinach, a cheesy potatoes gratin. Do try the mac and cheese, corkscrews of cavatappi laden with liquid cheddar and mixed with what must be chunks of an entire lobster. “Upgrades” are mostly an array of flavored butters to decorate steaks: blue cheese, roasted poblano, black truffle. If there just aren’t enough calories on your plate, liven things up with seared foie gras, asparagus spackled with béarnaise sauce, or (and this is your passport to Decadenceville) a classic Oscar presentation that pairs your steak with asparagus, lump crab, and enough hollandaise sauce to give your cardiologist palpitations. Only the extraordinary Gerard’s in Des Peres could match the book-length wine list. It’s overwhelming. Prices tend toward the expense-account stratosphere, but there are some decently affordable reds. Cocktails are cool and smooth and steakhouse-priced. Desserts are the expected. It’s wise to order soufflés early, because they require some time. You won’t be disappointed in a fudgy hot chocolate cake that spills its silky dark liquid center beneath the fork. A primary challenge for any eatery situated inside a casino is blocking the noise and smells of the gaming areas, but Morton’s prevails. Formal dining is always a treat. Morton’s succeeds, with nary a crumb left on the table.

• Open Everyday • Lunch • Dinner • Happy Hour • Complete Take-Out Menu • Parties To Go Menu • Gluten Free Menu Available www.pastahouse.com

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FIRST BITE

Chop, Chop

Kemoll’s moves to Westport, rebrands as Kemoll’s Chop House.

THE CROISSANT CREW

T H E F L A K Y, L U S H PA S T R I E S A R E N O W AVA I L A B L E A C R O S S THE REGION.

Despite our city’s rich French heritage, great croissants haven’t been readily available here until fairly recently. At La Pâtisserie Chouquette (1626 Tower Grove), owner Simone Faure not only bakes buttery plain croissants but also creates seasonal specialties, such as the savory, slightly sweet Thanksgiving Turducken croissant (turkey, duck, and chicken with cornbread dressing and cranberry sauce). Her top-selling Darkness croissant begins with multiple layers of chocolate-laminated dough, filled with, yes, more chocolate, topped with a drizzling of chocolate, and finished with pink Himalayan salt.

WHEN THE HUMBLE J. Kemoll’s Café opened at

Grand and Penrose in 1927, no family member would have dreamed that the restaurant would, six decades later, move to the exclusive Metropolitan Square Building, the tallest building in St. Louis, and occupy a whopping 24,000 square feet on the upper floors. Nor would have they imagined that when it moved again, 30 years later, settling into the former Dierdorf & Hart’s in the reenergized Westport Plaza, many of the dishes that Gaetana Danna Kemoll introduced to St. Louis—cannelloni, manicotti, calzone, cheese bread, and the signature carciofi fritti—would still be popular. Over time, however, other dishes took center stage: grilled steaks, chops, fresh fish… So switching to a chophouse format was a logical choice, accord-

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Joyce Farms half-roasted chicken with wild mushroom au jus

ing to fourth-generation family member Mark Cusumano. Finished in patterns of gray, black, and tan, the space seats 145 across three versatile rooms (all private or all general dining) with a 90-seat bar as the hub. Brass-and-black drum pendants hang from coffered ceilings. Wall-towall carpet begs the use of restaurant voices. The main wall, clad in futuristic crinkly gold, doesn’t lessen one’s appreciation of the family’s gilded antique mirrors, the ideal backdrop for a dry-aged petite sirloin or behemoth veal chop— with a side of penne Bolognese, of course. 323 Westport Plaza, 314-421-0555. —G.M.

At Nathaniel Reid Bakery (11243 Manchester), croissants serve as the base for everything from sunny breakfast sandwiches to delectably sweet midnight snacks, such as the sinful chocolate-almond variety. Customer favorites include Waldorf chicken salad and smoked turkey with Havarti, each served on a flaky golden croissant. Mr. Meowski’s (3315 N. Highway 94, St. Charles) sourdough specialist, Timothy Nordmann, offers three classic croissants—plain, almond, and chocolate—as well as seasonal specialties and other pastries made with his buttery dough. His retail bakery in St. Charles is only open 6–10 a.m. on Saturdays, and the stock often sells out, but Nordmann takes preorders to ensure that customers get their croissants and signature sourdough bread. —PAT EBY

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

3/5/19 10:05 AM

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SECOND HELPING

Han Solo

St. Louis’ only Laotian-Thai restaurant opens in Brentwood. BY HOLLY FANN

OMETIMES IT’S EASIER to intro-

duce people to something new by way of something familiar. That was the intention of Han Lao chef/owner Thom Chantharasy, who also owns Robata. Although St. Louis was already familiar with ramen and yakitori when Robata opened, Han Lao is the region’s first Lao-focused restaurant. Thai food, on the other hand, is already popular here. Thailand, which borders Laos, shares dishes and ingredients with the small landlocked Southeast Asian country, so Han Lao offers dishes inspired by both. Located just off Hanley Road in Brentwood, the restaurant features a long counter that looks into an open kitchen. The dining room seats about 50 in booths and at a long table. White herbs, red onion, and crisp bean the depth of rich chicken flavor Larb gai: cold salad orchids in pots dot the room. sprouts and seasoned with lime will knock you over. It’s also one of Most dishes are perfect for sharing. and fish sauce. It’s served with with pulled the few non-spicy dishes offered. chicken Sticky rice, served at every meal in Laos, cucumber slices and lettuce leaves The Thai dishes are favorites: is a must. Han Lao serves a greatest hits that make perfect wrappers. pad thai, tom yum goong, pad see of common Laos dishes. The thum muk Nam khao is spectacular and quite ew. The last offers smoky undertones huong (green papaya salad) is refreshingly spicy. A salad of crispy rice is flavored that display Han Lao’s mastery of wok crunchy, spicy, sour with lime, and offers cooking. The Laotian dishes, however, with red curry, fresh herbs, and dried a little funk from shrimp paste and fish peppers. The jewels of the dish are small steal the show with their fragrant herbs, sauce. Served with raw cabbage nuggets of meltingly soft nam bright sour and subtly bitter notes, and and puffy pork rinds, it pairs permoo (pickled pork sausage). spicy heat that has a slow and sneaky fectly with the salty beef jerky. Khao poon is a comforting build. You’ll want to order one of the The Lao-style sausage is packed bowl of curry and coconut pork bubble teas to cool your mouth, but beer with flavor from herbs and ginbroth soup with ground pork, and wine are also available. There’s also ger and is served with jeow bong herbs, bean sprouts, bamboo, a selection of cocktails, but we found (chili paste) for dipping. and rice noodles. Another many of them exceedingly sweet. The larb gai is another dish Han Lao Han Lao serves skillfully prepared, soup, the khao piak sen, is a you’ll want to share. Larb are 1250 Strassner thick, pale broth holding pulled flavor-packed dishes. Though familiar chicken and fat rice noodles Thai offerings might initially be the lure, cold, fresh herb-and-meat 314-932-1354 hanlaostl.com and topped with fried garlic. It the outstanding Laotian dishes are reasalads. At Han Lao, the dish Lunch and dinner appears murky and bland, but son to come back time and again. is made with pulled chicken, Mon–Sat THE BOTTOM LINE Traditional Laotian and Thai dishes provide a new international cuisine option in Brentwood.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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Hot Spots W H AT ’ S N E W A N D N O TA B L E THIS MONTH

Doing nothing is not one of them!

1. Il Palato  In the onetime Remy’s location, two former executive chefs present southern Italian, Sicilian, and other Mediterranean dishes—a different approach from those of Mike Del Pietro's other restaurants. 222 S. Bemiston. 2. POP  It was a magical evening when restaurateur Dave Bailey completely changed concepts— from L’Acadiane to POP, a bubbles-based bar and restaurant—in the middle of dinner service earlier this year. Corks have been popping there ever since. 1915 Park.

3. Midwestern Meat & Drink  In the former Flying Saucer space, the operators of The Wheelhouse and Start Bar (along with Ben Welch, formerly of Big Baby Q) present a barbecue restaurant, so expect great ’cue, rockin’ patios, and full service. 900 Spruce. 4. Morning Glory Diner  Open for breakfast and lunch in the former Vista space, the cheery 30-seater features vintage kitchen tools, an old-school jukebox, and good ol’ classic American diner fare by chef Ari Jo Ellis. 2609 Cherokee.

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5. Fried At this novel quick-service concept, guests can choose one of six deep-fried “nugs,” add a sauce, and decide whether to load the nugs (with fries or mac), roll them, or neither. Save room for a fried dessert (Snickers, Oreos, or Twinkies) on a stick. 1330 Washington. Photography by Kevin A. Roberts, Cassandra Hutchinson, and David Torrence

3/5/19 10:06 AM

INS, OUTS & ALMOSTS AS OF A LATE-FEB. PRESS DATE

CLOSINGS

Good Fortune 1614 Tower Grove, Feb. 14 Extra Brut 16 S. Bemiston, Feb. 15 Cha Cha Chow 4916 Shaw, Feb. 16 Handcrafted by Bissinger’s 32 Maryland Plaza, Feb. 16

OPENINGS

Kimchi Guys 612 N. Second, Feb. 1 POP, Sparkling Bar & Restaurant (L'Acadiane) 1915 Park, Feb. 1 Layla (Milagro Modern Mexican) 20 Allen, Feb. 11 Kemoll’s Chop House (Dierdorf & Hart’s) 323 Westport Plaza, Feb. 12 Balkan Treat Box (Stratton's Cafe) 8103 Big Bend, Feb. 13 Morning Glory (Vista) 2609 Cherokee, Feb. 14

COMING SOON

Fried (Red Oak Biscuits) 1330 Washington, early March Il Palato (Remy’s Kitchen & Wine Bar) 222 S. Bemiston, early March The Midwestern Meat & Drink (Flying Saucer) 900 Spruce, early March Café Coeur 10477 Old Olive, mid-March

Cobalt Smoke & Sea (Gas House Grill) 12643 Olive, late March Prime 55 Restaurant & Lounge (Vietnam Style) 6100 Delmar, late March Bemiston Cocktail Club (Extra Brut) 16 S. Bemiston, early April Bulrush 3307 Washington, early April Hi-Pointe Drive-In (Porano Pasta) 634 Washington, mid-April

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HOT SEAT

spaghetti pomodoro or cacio e pepe have, like, four ingredients, but they eat like there’s more. That’s part of the enjoyment. It’s like there’s magic in there. What was the takeaway from some of the places you worked? Spiaggia: A tight, no-mistakes-tolerated restaurant where everybody pushed everybody to work at the perfection level that it takes to win a Michelin star. Cielo: I had a blast before, during, and after chef Fabrizio [Schenardi] pushed me into a leadership role. He taught me I could be more than a line cook. Brasserie: The meat station is one of the busiest stations any of us have ever worked, and the oven only held four pans, so you had to learn how to stack. Sometimes that didn’t go so well. Pastaria: Gerard gave me a shot. It was my first sous-chef job. I felt like—or was made to feel like—I was the building block for the entire restaurant. Ricardo’s: My dad hired me to be the exec chef. I worked alongside him for years. He gave me full control, so I was able to introduce fresh pastas and different specials but kept the base menu the same. Eventually my parents got an offer from the Polite Society guys and after 26 years decided to shut it down.

The Adams Family

Culinary families unite as Tim Adams joins Mike Del Pietro’s new Italian restaurant.

HEN MIKE DEL PIETRO was

noodling his latest restaurant, he wanted the food to be different from what he (or his family) had offered before. The culinary gods smiled and dispatched Tim Adams, whose thick résumé and skill with southern Italian cuisine aligned perfectly with Del Pietro’s wishes. Last month, Il Palato (Italian for “the palate”) opened in the former Remy’s space in Clayton. —G.M.

Did you ever consider any other aspect of the industry besides cooking? My mom was a sommelier. Although she shouldn’t have taken me to a wine tasting when I was 16 or 17, she did. I was told not to drink, but as long as I spit—well, I was supposed to spit—nobody got too concerned. Why do people love Italian food so much? It’s so simple and delicious that people think it has to be complex. Dishes like

ONLINE Visit stlmag.com for more examples of tough love in the kitchen.

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Where did the Ricardo’s name come from? My grandparents would go to church with their kids, who always wanted to go to breakfast afterward. But my grandfather, Richard, couldn’t afford it, so he’d joke that he was taking them to Ricardo’s and then would make pancakes for them. When my parents finally opened their restaurant, they ordered a cake that said, “We finally made it to Ricardo’s.” What was the most important lesson you learned? I’m a [keep it simple, stupid] guy. Too many flavors and components, and you lose sight of what the dish should be. That mantra carries through at Il Palato. There’s beauty in being simple, but simple doesn’t have to look boring. Is tough love still a thing in the kitchen? At some Michelin-starred restaurants, chefs still yell and scream, GorPhotography by Kevin A. Roberts

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don Ramsay–style, but when I helped open Pastaria—under Brian Moxey and Gerard Craft—the culture changed. It was uplifting that the lead guys supported us, wanting to teach us and bring us up to their level, without intimidating. It changed the way that I run my kitchens. Do you have any mentors? I was lucky, because at every place there was someone who wanted to push me further. A lot of it was tough love, but if I ever win any awards, they’ll all get a mention. How will Il Palato be different than Del Pietro’s other Italian restaurants? We’ll focus on lighter southern Italian, Sicilian, and Mediterranean food, but since I have a classic background and there are so many great classic northern Italian dishes, a few of those will appear as well. But there are Spanish, French, and North African influences as well.

Are there any sure-bet dishes? Mussels with Calabrian ’nduja sausage, just spicy enough to make you want to keep eating and not share. Canederli, bread dumplings made with pancetta and Italian sausage, poached in beef broth, served with mushrooms—so simple. Squab roasted over hay in a cast-iron pot that gets opened at the table. Pistachio-crusted trout over cauliflower purée, farro salad, and capers. Scallops with salsify, served with balsamic-reduced Prosecco di Treviso—sweet, bitter, creamy, delicious. How about the dolci? How does a plate of ricotta zeppole, dipped in chocolate and topped with toasted hazelnuts, sound? Any chance you’d ever re-create Ricardo’s and hire your parents? Absolutely yes— and probably no.

85-foot fully-stocked bar Peel Brewing Co. beers

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Wood-fired Creations Sunday Brunch

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Will Il Palato be open for lunch? Yes, but with a more lunch-appropriate menu: a porchetta sandwich, panini, small flatbreads, lunch-size salads… There’s also a 15-item menu for the bar. We’ll probably end up serving both menus on the patio.

2019

dining For more o F the la te s t , check u s out on so cial media !

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MERGER: ST. LOUIS CITY / ST. LOUIS COUNTY

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN, JARRETT MEDLIN, JEN ROBERTS, SAMANTHA STEVENSON, TIM WOODCOCK, AND AMANDA WOYTUS ILLUSTRATION BY NEIL JAMIESON

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MORE THAN A CENTURY AFTER THE GREAT DIVORCE, BETTER TOGETHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PLAN TO REUNITE THE CITY AND COUNTY HAS SPARKED FIERCE DEBATE.

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MERGER: ST. LOUIS CITY / ST. LOUIS COUNTY

A BITTER DIVORCE— WITH NO JOINT CUSTODY

RESIDENTS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY HAVE SPENT 150 YEARS BEING WARY OF EACH OTHER. BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

e’ve been wasting our breath arguing. This whole city-county arrangement was never legal in the first place. First, the Scheme to divide the city of St. Louis from the county was submitted after midnight on July 3, 1875—on a national holiday, when legal documents cannot be filed. Second, the vote to separate the city from the county failed. City residents just barely voted yes (11,878 to 11,525), and county residents voted no (2,617 to 848). Then there was a recount—after a judge in the Missouri Court of Appeals threw out ballots that showed partially erased yes votes replaced with nos. According to the St. Louis GlobeDemocrat, election officials admitted they’d “stuffed in bogus votes by the handful, swore to false returns and by every device of perjury, corruption and rascality did all that lay in their power to convert the election into a shameless farce.” They said they’d been directed to falsify the count by politicians (in both city and county) who feared they’d lose power if the measure passed. The politicians at fault were not indicted, but the court did direct that the ballots be recounted. The new tally flipped the outcome to victory by a margin of 1,253. And with that inauspicious beginning, city and county separated.

St. Louis’ Great Divorce ... and attempts to reunite

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1875 By popular election in November, a board of freeholders is to be appointed to write a new charter separating city from county.

DEEP BACKGROUND

In the first five years after the Civil War, the population of the city of St. Louis shot up 30 percent, to 310,864. From there, it continued to rise, sparking elated predictions that it would soon hit 1 million. But it peaked at 880,000 in 1950 and started a long downward slide, picking up speed as it dropped below the 1870 count to hit, in 2017, a U.S. Census estimate of 308,626. Meanwhile, St. Louis County started with 27,000 in rural population and grew to 996,726, in spitting range of that million the city was supposed to reach. Fortunes had reversed. Back in 1870, the city was the locus of power and civic energy, controlling nearly $148 million in taxable wealth (compared to $14 million in the county). City residents suspected that the county court was not only remote but corrupt and wasteful as well, greased by patronage. It allowed the state legislature to meddle in their affairs. It allowed—that great American theme—unfair taxation. Discontent had rumbled since an 1844 attempt to separate city from county. Now, powerful city residents pushed in earnest. Three plans were put forth: Give the city more representation in the County Court. Consolidate city and county more completely. Separate city and county altogether.

1 876 On August 22, the new Scheme and Charter are voted down. After a November recount, the measures pass.

1 87 7 In March, the city officially declares itself independent.

The third idea caught momentum. In November 1875, the entire state voted to elect 13 “freeholders” (landowners) who would write a city charter separating the two governments. Disenchanted with partisan politics even then, voters spurned the slate presented by the Democratic and Republican central committees and chose instead a slate of “citizens” endorsed by the Merchants’ Exchange and the Taxpayers’ League. They were touted as being “selected from our wealthiest citizens,” and of larger caliber than the existing ward politicians. The classist tone wasn’t lost on opponents, one of whom complained that the separation process had “arraigned one class of citizens against another.” Insisting that he was “no communist” but rather a Democrat, he objected to “a government of the rich for the benefit of the rich.” Such protests were to no avail. Between April and July 1876, the 13 freeholders met 52 times. The board chairman, George Shields, would later call the meetings “harmonious.” They were also closed to the public. The new Scheme and Charter were formally submitted in July 1876 for an August vote. Members of the Merchants’ Exchange sent a missive to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch heralding “a document of such vital importance

1924 A new board of freeholders is formed.

1 926 The county rejects its plan to consolidate city and county.

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to every citizen of this County as has never before been presented to them.” Should the new Scheme and Charter not be adopted, the writers warned, it would forever prevent separation of city from county unless the state constitution be amended. (One reader fired back a letter calling this a scare tactic: “There’s no law in existence to prevent the city of St. Louis from adopting another scheme of separation and charter.”) Money worries were invoked by both sides. An attorney who opposed separation noted that “the government of our neighboring city of Chicago has been reduced to bankruptcy—a condition which St. Louis should studiously strive to avoid.” Proponents listed civil salaries that could be eliminated if the city and county separated. They also warned of “designing ward politicians, bummers and tricksters who are circulating false statements… One word to the workingman, that makes his living by honest labor, and who has been fleeced for years by political harpies. Read the Scheme

and Charter, and see for yourselves how it abolishes the County Court, and discourages ward politicians and bummers, and puts a stop to all Tweedism in our city affairs.” On August 22, 1876, voters in St. Louis city and county cast their ballots. November’s recount finalized the separation. AN EMPIRE WITHIN AN EMPIRE

Under the terms of the Great Divorce, the city expanded from 18 square miles to 61. “Since the change would be permanent, the territory ought to be large,” noted lawyer Albert Todd, a member of the state’s 1875 constitutional convention. The “New District” was carefully drawn to encompass Forest Park, O’Fallon Park, Tower Grove Park, and Shaw’s Garden. In return for all that lovely land, the city assumed the county’s debts and pledged good roads and bridges for the entire region. At the time, 61 square miles must have felt more than ample, extending the west-

“It is now conventional wisdom among urban historians and urban scholars that patchwork governance has been disastrous for American cities,” wrote Colin Gordon in his depressing classic, Mapping Decline: St. Louis and the Fate of the American City. “The City itself appreciated early on that it was bearing much of the cost and reaping little of the benefit of suburban sprawl.” 1930 A bid for a Greater St. Louis metropolitan government is defeated.

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19 59 Another board of freeholders offers a plan to create a Metropolitan District with citycounty cooperation, but it falls flat.

196 2 Both city and county refuse a reorganization into boroughs, à la New York.

1982 An initiative led by John Hanley, Monsanto CEO, considers reunification but winds up urging only increased citycounty cooperation.

ern boundary from Grand to Skinker and tripling the city’s square mileage. “It fixes permanent city limits,” wrote the freeholders, “which, after the adoption of the Charter, will never be changed.” At least one opponent objected to this permanence, pointing out that it “fences in the city of St. Louis.” Shortly before the election, he attended a meeting at Cass Avenue and Francis Street, where a Post reporter jotted his argument: “Believing that it was destined, and not at a very remote period, to be equal to New York, he was unwilling to see it shorn of the natural barriers formed for it by the Almighty, the Missouri River to the west and the Mississippi on the east.” The new, permanent boundaries— with the county blocking the city’s growth on the north, south, and west, and the river a wet blanket to the east— only began to look foolish to the rest of St. Louis in the next century, as other cities grew exponentially. Suddenly St. Louis “was the only city of any size in the U.S. that had not extended its boundaries in the last 50 years,” noted Circuit Judge Samuel Rosenfeld in 1922. “Unless permitted to widen out, St. Louis, which dropped from the fourth to the sixth city of the country from 1910 to 1920, would be passed by Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles and other citizens by 1930.” Rosenfeld was urging reunification, with the city either annexing the county or returning to the county. “Under the second plan, return of the city to the county, a dual government with double expenses and two sets of politicians, jealousies and divided interest would result,” he warned. “Still, St. Louis would be given the opportunity to grow now denied it.” “An empire within an empire,” St. Louis was called in an 1893 U.S. Supreme Court decision. But because of those permanent spatial constraints, the imperialism was never its own.

1 9 87 Another board of freeholders is established, but opponents sue and block the plan.

1 9 96 Talk of city-county merger heats up again.

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MERGER: ST. LOUIS CITY / ST. LOUIS COUNTY

“DAMN THE CITY”

In 1924, a new board of freeholders formed, this time to suggest reunification. The county voted no. A 1930 bid for a metropolitan government was also soundly defeated. At Missouri’s 1945 constitutional convention, an exasperated city official announced that St. Louis “suffers like one whose feet are hobbled, whose hands are manacled and whose body is enclosed in a steel corset.” In 1959, a new board of freeholders proposed a District Plan in which the city re-entered the county, and the county became the metropolitan government for both. Voters in the city and the county overwhelmingly rejected the idea. By then, St. Louis was bleeding out, losing jobs, retail businesses, corporate headquarters, the General Motors plant, and above all, residents. Those who stayed were, overall, poorer, older, and less employable than the county’s residents. Plus, with only 61 square miles, it was increasingly difficult for the city to do any disciplined, long-term planning and development. In the county, “municipal redundancy had reached the ridiculous,” wrote historian James Neal Primm, “as tiny enclaves scrambled to establish an identity separated from dangerous neighbors… Worse yet, the political leaders of the county and its myriad of municipalities adopted a ‘damn the city’ stance, with unsubtle overtones of racism.” After a metropolitan district plan too timid to suggest merger crashed and burned in 1959, there was another attempt: the 1962 Borough Plan, dividing St. Louis city and county into New York–style boroughs, with eight in the city, seven in the county, and seven straddling the city-county line. Now a new argument was raised: This would dilute the political power of AfricanAmericans, because they’d be residing mainly in only two boroughs. The plan failed spectacularly for that and other reasons, and reunification was pronounced unpopular and impossible.

2004 The Advance St. Louis charter reform task force strikes out; voters reject all four of its suggested amendments to the city charter.

2005 Mayor Francis Slay hints at city-county merger in his inaugural speech.

In 1973, though, the RAND Corporation shamed St. Louis on the national stage, publishing a study that called the city’s plight abnormal even in an age of urban decay. During the 1960s, jobs and per capita income had increased only about half as fast as in the nation as a whole. Nothing much happened in response. Along with the geography of race, there was the political geography to contend with: The city was solidly Democratic, the county bipartisan. That silenced the discussion for several years, if you don’t count behind-the-scenes scheming and grumbles. Businessman and civic leader Howard Baer called the 1876 divorce “roughly equivalent in economic consequence to England’s giving up the 13 colonies, only the city did it from choice, whereas Great Britain at least had the good sense to struggle.” Finally, in 1987, yet another board of freeholders was established, but its opponents sued so fast, the plan never reached the voters. The case rose to the

U.S. Supreme Court, which pronounced a board of “freeholders” unconstitutional because the name implied that the members must own land. In 1996, talk of a merger simmered again as George H. “Bert” Walker III, then head of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on City Governance (and now, 13 years later, a chairman emeritus on the Better Together board) branded the current system fragmented, outmoded, inefficient, and destructive. In 1999, George Wendel, a professor of urban affairs at Saint Louis University, wrote in the Post that reuniting city and county would instantly give St. Louis significantly more positive national rankings and stats for per capita income, poverty, and crime. He also noted that “the most likely form of governmental change which might occur at some time in the future would be re-entry of the city of St. Louis into St. Louis County. St. Louis County could then become the overall govern-

2011 A study funded by Rex Sinquefield is released.

2019 Better Together announces a push for a statewide vote on reunification.

2013 The Better Together project is announced.

2 019 County mayors launch a petition drive to create a board of freeholders who would study the issue without involving the rest of the state. Illustration by Neil Jamieson

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mental authority for all of its territory, including the city of St. Louis.” Still, nothing happened. In 2004, a letter in The Des Moines Register suggested that “those against a consolidation of Des Moines-area governments should drive to St. Louis and view the effects of many separate government entities.” We’d become a lesson in what to avoid. DÉ JÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN

Like a divorced couple who manage to get through their kids’ weddings with civility, the city and county have cooperated on a few cross-border initiatives: the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District in 1954, a junior college district in 1962, the Zoo-Museum District in 1971, and a regional sales tax for trails in 2013. But advocates of reunification haven’t stopped trying. “In four years, [County Executive] Charlie [Dooley] and I may share fire engines, airports, a health district, a bond issue, a tax base—or even an office,” Francis Slay quipped at his second mayoral inauguration. He slipped another mention in during his third. Two years later, in 2011, a 195-page study funded by Rex Sinquefield claimed that as much as $40 million a year could be saved by combining certain city and county departments and programs. Many of the suggestions in the study were innocuous—go in together to get bulk deals on supplies, for example. But city and county leaders had shared all sorts of information with the analysts, creating a foundation for the group Sinquefield funded two years later, Better Together, to study the possibility of a merger. In 2016, former St. Louis County Executive Gene McNary resurrected and reimagined the old borough plan that had failed twice before. This January, Better Together released its plan for reunification, pledging to use a statewide ballot in 2020. Mayors from the county’s municipalities countered with a proposal to keep the matter local. Here we go again.

N OVEMBER 3, 2020 Missouri voters decide on the amendment.

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WHAT’S THE DEAL? BETTER TOGETHER’S PROPOSAL RAISES PLENTY OF QUESTIONS. BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON AND AMANDA WOYTUS

What exactly is Better Together? The

nonprofit was assembled in November 2013 to begin research on city and county public finances, economic development, public health and safety, parks, and more. On January 28, Better Together released a 160-page report detailing findings from a five-member city-county task force as well as how it would combine, through a constitutional amendment, the city and county into a new “metro city” with municipal districts replacing municipalities, one metro city mayor, one police department, one prosecutor, one municipal court system, and a 33-member council to eliminate duplicate spending and increase efficiency. Its board consists of 18 members, including chairman emeritus, businessman, and former U.S. ambassador to Hungary George Herbert Walker III. Better Together needs 160,199 signatures to get the consolidation issue on the 2020 ballot—meaning that it will be put to a referendum, asking all Missourians to decide what happens in St. Louis. If it passes, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger would become the new metro city mayor and wouldn’t face election until 2024. Why is the entire state voting on it? Dave

Leipholtz, director of community-based studies for Better Together, says the call for a statewide vote has three reasons: (1) “The board of freeholders doesn’t allow you to supersede general Missouri laws or the Missouri Constitution. There was a general Missouri law that says that if you are a city of more than 400 people, you have to provide police. To consolidate police, you can’t do that that way.” (2) “In terms of the courts, they are gov-

erned and overseen by the Supreme Court and part of the state system. So to change that and how it interacts with the local government, you’d have to do an amendment.” (3) “We have 15 or so charter cities in St. Louis County, which get their authority directly from the state Constitution, so there’s a lot you can’t do with that as well.” Is there an alternative to Better Together’s plan? The Municipal League of Metro

St. Louis is proposing the creation of a board of freeholders to decide how, and to what extent, the city and county should combine. Only the city and county would then vote on the board of freeholders’ proposed plans. How much money might Better Together save? In late February, the organization

released a fiscal analysis stating that its recommendations would create $40 million in new revenue for Missouri over 10 years, and save city and county taxpayers $250 million a year by 2026. As of press time, no entity had published a thorough analysis of Better Together’s fiscal plan, though one told St. Louis Magazine it was working to check the numbers. Visit stl mag.com for more information. Isn’t Better Together’s plan just a buyout for the city? It’s a question Leipholtz says

he hears a lot. The city’s debt for fiscal year 2018, including pension obligation, was $2,003,328. To address this, Better Together says, debts will stay within the municipal district in which they were incurred and be paid off with existing revenue and money collected within that district. No debt would transfer.

JAN UA RY 1, 2 0 2 1 If approved, the city and county would be combined as the metropolitan city of St. Louis. The initial charter would be modeled on the county’s charter. The county executive would become metro mayor, and the city’s mayor would become transition mayor; together, they would act as the metro city’s CEO during a two-year transition period. Municipalities and the city would become municipal districts. The metro city would provide “general district services” and the municipal districts would continue providing “municipal district services.” Outstanding obligations of a municipality or the city would remain the obligation of the municipal districts. Schools would be unaffected.

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MERGER: ST. LOUIS CITY / ST. LOUIS COUNTY

How would the Better Together plan affect the city’s earnings tax? The city collects

What role did the five-member task force play in putting together the proposal?

a 1 percent earnings tax from city residents and non–city residents who work within city limits. That money—about $164 million—makes up one-third of the city’s budget. Under Better Together, the city’s earnings tax would be phased out by 10 percent annually; over 10 years, the money would be used to pay off the city’s debt and pension obligations, which the nonprofit predicts could be retired within seven years.

The five members of Better Together’s city-county task force (pictured at right), chosen with the endorsement of Mayor Lyda Krewson and Stenger, spent 18 months reviewing four years’ worth of Better Together’s research and data. Per the recommendation, they were tasked with understanding the “thoughts, concerns, and values of the St. Louis community related to regionalism and how these perspectives would impact any potential governmental reforms to improve cost and effectiveness to government services.” The recommendations state that more than 2,500 people contributed to the task force’s work through town halls, surveys, and other community events.

How will police departments be affected?

According to Benjamin Granda, the media relations officer for the St. Louis County Police Department, there are about 54 police departments employing 949 commissioned officers and 302 staff members within the county. Each is an independent organization. Better Together’s plan would see the city and county police departments consolidated into one “accredited police department serving the entire area,” per the organization’s recommendations. Better Together found that St. Louis spends $468 million on policing, or $355.20 per capita—and that Indianapolis, Indiana, for example, spends only $242 per capita. In its research, Better Together wrote that 75 percent of police departments in the St. Louis region were unaccredited. The St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association has responded that now 90 percent of its agencies are either accredited or going through the process of achieving accreditation. In a paper titled “Law Enforcement: A Regional Approach,” St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar outlined his plan to leave the county municipal police forces intact but take over policing in the city and add 320 officers, totaling 2,654. John Hayden, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, hasn’t commented on Better Together or Belmar’s proposals. He has previously said that he believes in cooperation between the city and county police.

BY APR IL 202 1 Neutral experts would be appointed to develop an apportionment plan for 33 metro council districts and department heads.

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BY S E PT E MB E R 2021 An apportionment plan would be submitted to the county council and the municipal district’s governing body.

How is Rex Sinquefield involved? The

index fund pioneer is officially listed on Better Together’s website as a supporter alongside 124 other St. Louisans and businesses. Better Together is a project of the Missouri Council for a Better Economy, which is backed by Sinquefield. Marius Johnson-Malone of Better Together told St. Louis Public Radio that Sinquefield has not “been the driver behind this process or the work of the research.” Walker initially helped fund Better Together, Johnson-Malone said, and Sinquefield came on later. The five members of Better Together’s city-county task force say that Sinquefield has never talked to them about their work. Sinquefield has previously dipped a toe into the consolidation pool. In April 2011, he released a study claiming that $40 million could be saved annually by combining particular city and county programs. Sinquefield has fought to eliminate the city’s earning’s tax in years past. In 2016, he donated $1 million to a group devoted to phasing out the tax. Under Better Together’s proposal, the tax would be phased out over 10 years. SLM reached out to Sinquefield but didn’t hear back before the issue printed.

JA NUA RY 2 0 2 2 County functions would be rolled into the metro city. Incumbents would serve out terms. A single judicial circuit would form.

AU G U ST 2 0 2 2 Primary elections for the metro council would be held.

BETTER TOGETHER’S CITY-COUNTY TASK FORCE

Joe Adorjan Adven Capital Partners

CHAIRM AN ,

Arindam Kar Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

PART N E R ,

Dr. Will Ross AS S O CIAT E D E AN FO R D I V E R S I TY, P RO FE S S O R O F ME D I C I NE ,

Washington University

Suzanne Sitherwood P RE S ID E N T AN D C E O,

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Kira Van Niel P RO GRAM M AN AG E R ,

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NOVE M BE R 2 0 2 2 A general election for the first metro council would be held.

BY N OV EMBER 15, 2 02 2 Mayor/transition mayor would jointly publish reorganization plan and recommend budget.

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BALLWIN BELLA VILLA BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS BELLERIVE BEL-NOR BEL-RIDGE BERKELEY BEVERLY HILLS BLACK JACK BRECKENRIDGE HILLS BRENTWOOD BRIDGETON CALVERTON PARK CHAMP CHARLACK CHESTERFIELD CLARKSON VALLEY CLAYTON CONCORD COOL VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB HILLS COUNTRY LIFE ACRES CRESTWOOD CREVE COEUR CRYSTAL LAKE PARK DELLWOOD DES PERES EDMUNDSON ELLISVILLE EUREKA FENTON FERGUSON FLORDELL HILLS FLORISSANT FRONTENAC GLENDALE GLEN ECHO PARK GRANTWOOD VILLAGE GREEN PARK GREENDALE HANLEY HILLS HAZELWOOD HILLSDALE HUNTLEIGH

JENNINGS KINLOCH KIRKWOOD LADUE LAKESHIRE MANCHESTER MAPLEWOOD MARLBOROUGH MARYLAND HEIGHTS MOLINE ACRES NORMANDY NORTHWOODS NORWOOD COURT OAKLAND OLIVETTE OVERLAND PAGEDALE PASASDENA HILLS PASADENA PARK PINE LAWN RICHMOND HEIGHTS RIVERVIEW ROCK HILL SHREWSBURY ST. ANN ST. JOHN SUNSET HILLS SYCAMORE HILLS TOWN & COUNTRY TWIN OAKS UNIVERSTY CITY UPLANDS PARK VALLEY PARK VELDA CITY VELDA VILLAGE HILLS VINITA PARK WARSON WOODS WEBSTER GROVES WELLSTON WESTWOOD WILBUR PARK WILDWOOD WINCHESTER WOODSON TERRACE

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

THE MANY MUNIS 4 T HING S TO KNOW ABOU T MU NIC IPALITIES AND BETTER TO G ETHER

-1-

-2-

-3-

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St. Louis County has 88 municipalities, labeled above. Better Together argues that competition between them, and the city, hurts economic development. “Our region cannot compete with places like Nashville or Chicago when we are too busy pitting Maplewood against Kirkwood,” its report states.

While meeting with Better Together officials during the research stage, residents expressed how much they loved the individual identities of their neighborhoods. The organization decided that instead of eliminating municipalities, they would reclassify them as municipal districts of the metro city.

Municipal districts will be able to offer fire, parks and recreation, and trash and recycling services. Many of the municipal aldermen and mayors would stay, says Dave Leipholtz, Better Together’s director of community-based studies, but they would have less authority over police, sales tax revenue, and courts.

St. Louis County has 78 municipal courts. Research from Better Together found that in 2013, municipal courts in the city and county collected more than $61 million in fines—46 percent of all the fees collected in Missouri that year. It recommends one municipal court system for the region.

JAN UARY 1, 2 0 2 3 The first metro council would take office. The St. Louis Municipal District would continue as the St. Louis Municipal Corporation to provide municipal district services. The St. Louis Fire Protection District would be established and initially governed by a five-person board of directors appointed by the transition mayor.

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AP R I L 2 0 2 3 Elections would take place for members of governing bodies of municipal districts.

AU G U ST 2 0 2 4 A primary election would be held for the metro mayor, prosecuting attorney, assessor, and even-numbered metro council districts.

NOVE M BE R 2 0 2 4 A general election would be held for the metro mayor, prosecuting attorney, assessor, and even-numbered metro council districts.

JA N UA RY 1, 20 25 The metro mayor, prosecuting attorney, assessor, and evennumbered metro council districts would be sworn in.

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MERGER: ST. LOUIS CITY / ST. LOUIS COUNTY

SOUND OFF WHAT WOULD COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ACADEMICS

CHANGE ABOUT THE CURRENT CITY-COUNTY STRUCTURE?

“Simply put, the region’s governance is fractured. It makes regional coordination on the smallest of issues difficult. On major issues—such as economic development, equity and race, public safety, efficient delivery of public services—the fractured governance stands in the way of effective coordination and overall accountability.” —ST. LOUIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE STEVE STENGER

“It would be very useful to bring the city into the county. It would help with the duplication of county services, and it would save the city quite of bit of money. We have a long history of cooperative agreements in the region, everything from the Metropolitan Sewer District to Great Rivers Greenway, and they’ve all been successful. It’s something that nobody touts here.” —WEB STER GROVES MAYOR GERRY WELCH

“One of the oldest tools of segregating St. Louis has been the allowance for each municipality in St. Louis County to hold its own home rule zoning and planning powers. The division in zoning powers allows some municipalities to completely restrict any kind of housing where low-income people would dwell. The patchwork of planning powers has rendered many neighborhoods—historically those occupied by black or minority residents—vulnerable to the vagaries of competitive retail wars.” —HISTORIAN MICHAEL ALLEN

“The perception that the cause of our various problems is the number of municipalities is a false impression. The number of municipalities is a byproduct of the failure of the city; it’s not the cause of the problems of the city. I think we do have too many municipalities; I think many are too small to provide efficie services. But the suggestion that bigger is more efficient i ’t necessarily true.” — CHESTERFIELD MAYOR B OB NATION

“Access to a quality education is one of the most important issues. We need to talk about school equity as part of a regional structure, including a unified school district if that is the best way to share resources and integrate.” —ST. LOUIS TREASURER TISHAURA JONES

“One of the problems is that unincorporated parts of St. Louis County lack local governments with direct representation to guide municipal functions. Other than a County Council representative—representing districts with populations of more than 100,000— residents in unincorporated areas do not have direct relationships to municipal functions such as planning, zoning, and economic development.” —UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI– ST. LOUIS POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR TODD SWANSTROM

“The most important factor is St. Louis’ image around the country. We could become a top 10 city once again, which would improve our chances of becoming an airline hub and attracting businesses and keeping them. We would not be No. 1 in bad categories, and we would be ranked higher in good categories.” —DEVELOPER JOE EDWARDS

Photography by Paul Nordmann and Wesley Law

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“We have about 88 municipalities, 55 police departments, around 80 municipal courts, and somewhere around 650 elected offi als. We fight a out where the next Walgreens is going to go and who should pay for the convention center. The structure we have now, it’s actually our job to fight a out these things, but that’s not where the competition should be. The competition should be between St. Louis and Nashville, or St. Louis and Indianapolis. We need to set up a structure where we are all working toward the common good.” —ST. LOUIS MAYOR LYDA KREWSON

“The political dysfunction we see in the city and county is partially driven by the partisan election process in both of those governments. What we have now is essentially one-party rule, which means leaders are chosen during the primary, in which only a small part of one party actually votes to choose who will be our leaders.” —FERGUSON MAYOR JAMES KNOWLES III

“St. Louis’ problems aren’t unusual. There are brilliant solutions out there already. Why don’t we apply them? Usually because a handful of municipalities are willing, and the others aren’t part of the conversation. I’m not trying to take away anybody’s sovereignty. But chopping ourselves up into tinier and tinier fiefdoms was foolish, and it limited our ability to solve big problems.” —ENTREPRENEUR JIM MCKELVEY

“Having seen a lot of fires and natural disasters, the one thing the city and county need to do better is coordinate their response to everyday incidents, incidents we know are going to come.” —ST. LOUIS FIRE CHIEF DENNIS JENKERSON

“For us in St. Charles County, the most immediate [concern with] the current structure is the airport. We have an airport that was purchased by the city in 1927. Since then, all the money used to improve the airport has come from landing fees and federal grants. Twenty-five years ago, we had a debate about the expansion of the airport, and a decision was made to expand to the west, not to the east. All of us in St. Charles were upset that we weren’t at the table. Now we need to decide who is going to run Lambert Field and whether they are going to run it in the interest of the entire region or just the interest of St. Louis [City].” —ST. CHARLES COUNTY EXECUTIVE STEVE EHLMANN

Photography by John Smith

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MERGER: ST. LOUIS CITY / ST. LOUIS COUNTY

WISH LIST

IN THE DUST STORM OF REPORTS AND PROPOSALS AND DEBATE, IT’S HARD FOR MOST OF US TO IMAGINE ANY CITY-COUNTY TERRAIN THAT HASN’T BEEN DUG AND RAKED. BUT TALK TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND BREATHE THIS STUFF, AND YOU’LL FIND PLENTY THEY WISH THEY’D SEEN IN THAT 160-PAGE BETTER TOGETHER REPORT. BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

A BROADER EARNINGS TAX

Rather than slowly phase out the earnings tax, Robert Lewis, assistant professor of urban planning and development at Saint Louis University, thinks it ought to be kept and extended throughout the new metro city: “St. Louis city and St. Louis County are both essentially larger during the day than they are at night, and all the other counties, including St. Charles and Metro East, are bedroom counties.” Lewis believes St. Louis County has even more fiscal potential. BIGGER AND BETTER?

In pushing for reunification, Lewis says, “there may be an element of trying to save the city from its own issues, but I think the true motivation is to make greater St. Louis much more noticeable to the world. If we have 1.3 million people, we look bigger, and the data will be better.”

people show up to meetings to hear about and run for city council to talk about. Maybe that could be shared.” REDRAWING THE MAP

“Where I think Better Together doesn’t go far enough, frankly, is in incorporating the whole county,” the planner continues. “They should use the current school district boundaries as the new municipal boundaries. That’s already how real estate is valued. It goes to your property tax rate. Granted, some municipalities would go away, but you’d be incorporating the entire county in districts that people tend to care about already.”

EXPLAINING THE STATEWIDE VOTE

“This plan is winnable if they can sell it to the whole state. I think they know it’s not winnable if it’s just the city and the county,” says the planner. That said, “it’s not crazy that the state sometimes makes decisions for local communities. St. Louis County is now the economic engine for the whole state, so it’s definitely a state issue. If we go from 114 counties to 113, that’s also a state issue. “Will people outside the region care to vote? A few will be informed enough to say, ‘As goes St. Louis County, so goes the state of Missouri.’ And to the west, Jackson County, as the state’s other urban

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD WANT TO KNOW MORE AND S HARE YOU R OPINION? BETTER TO G ETHER AND THE ST. LOU IS PRES S C LU B ARE HOSTING TOWN HALLS IN LATE MARC H AND APRIL .

THE REAL DILEMMA

“The big challenge that St. Louis shares with almost every other metro area in the U.S. is that we are just not as relevant anymore,” he concludes. “People aren’t moving here. They’re relocating to Houston, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta—and Minneapolis kind of falls in there, too, at the bottom of the list. Six or seven metro areas are capturing the lion’s share of net growth.” PLANNING & ZONING

“From a policy standpoint, I like the Better Together plan,” says an urban planner with enough experience in both city and county to request anonymity. “I’m totally for combining the courts—the municipal courts are a mess—and the police, and the roads. Having economic development completely regionalized makes a ton of sense. Where it gets dicier is planning and zoning. That’s what

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AS OF PRES S TIME , ALL BU T THREE WERE AT CAPAC ITY. G O TO BETTERTO G ETHER STL .C OM TO R SVP.

“Better Together” St. Louis Press Club Friday Forum at Missouri Athletic Club–West County 17 7 7 D ES PERES

NOON / MARCH 22 Town Hall at O’Fallon Park YMCA 4 34 3 W. F LORIS SANT

6 P.M. / APRIL 11 Town Hall at Thomas Dunn Learning Center 311 3 GAS C ONAD E

6 P.M. / APRIL 16

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center, knows its fate is tied to St. Louis’. To the north and south, I think they’ll sell it as ‘St. Louis is broken. We need to fix them.’ And they might use the ‘Stick it to the city slickers’ angle.” Whatever the propaganda, the result might justify it: “What we’re doing now is not working. It’s damned near impossible to get anything done anymore, given all the layers you have to go through,” the planner says. “You see people setting up parallel structures just to avoid dealing with the government. We are driving a very scary pattern by being so dysfunctional as a public sector.” B OROUGHS

County executive from 1975 until 1989, Gene McNary has long pushed for reorganization. He even modernized the old boroughs plan. Currently he’s chairing the St. Louis County Charter Commission, which he thinks “could work in tandem with the Better Together plan.” (At the first meeting, he suggested including a representative from Better Together on the commission, though several members resisted the idea.) “There are a lot of things on the table—more than ever in my lifetime— that are going to be hashed out,” McNary says. McNary’s boroughs plan did a few things that the Better Together plan doesn’t do. “Jails and courts were part of my plan, because the city took those when they separated, but they should really be county services, and that’s a big cost.” In McNary’s plan, the number of courts dropped from 82 to nine, with a single police board and a single fire board. “Better Together has gone with police,” he says. “I objected to them not putting fire in their plan. They give you this ‘Well, we can’t beat them.’ They feel as though the fire districts are too powerful and would defeat it. I think the fire fighters and fire companies are very amenable to better structure, and a good plan could bring about better service.” NONPARTISAN RATIONALITY

“My plan was nonpartisan,” McNary adds. “There’s no reason for local government to be tied to parties… There needs to be a nonpartisan government, run like a business.”

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SCHOOL’S OUT THE PROPOS ED MERG ER LEAVES OU T

A F U NDAMENTAL AS PECT OF LIF E IN ST. LOU IS . BY TIM WOODCOCK

Better Together’s ambitious proposal addresses a great many things, but it leaves out the linchpin of life in St. Louis: education. In its report, Better Together explained that recommendations didn’t address school districts directly because the task force was charged with finding efficiencies in government and municipal services, and that schools in Missouri are a type of “political subdivision separate from a city or county in which they are located.” As Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokeswoman Nancy Bowles says, “This is strictly a local government decision. The school district boundaries would not change.” Better Together spokesperson Ed Rhode says the task force did closely examine the potential for improving services for children throughout the region—for example, reforming incentive abuse that redirects tax revenue away from school districts. The task force, he says, believes that education is a critical issue for the region that would require an entirely separate effort. (Better Together backer Rex Sinquefield has long promoted charter education as a promising alternative.) At least one expert believes that education should be part of the conversation. Jerome Morris, an education professor at UMSL who specializes in the structures and cultures of schools, says it’s perplexing that there’s been a general “unwillingness to put schools into the conversation.” He notes that “schools are the places where people connect, possibly more than communities,” citing the classic St. Louis question to prove his point. “When you have a conversation about education, you are having a conversation about housing,” he says, which means addressing socioeconomic inequalities. “I am leery of any grand proposals that don’t center on marginalized communities,” he adds. “There are some brilliant scholars who do work in this area and should be part of that conversation.” Saras Chung, executive director of SkipNV, a consultancy that examines system-level strategies to improve educational equity, believes it is wise to not bring school districts into the merger discussion. Otherwise people who are open to the possibility of consolidating the city and county might resist the idea solely on the basis of how it would affect their local schools. Though it’s possible to make reasonable projections about tangible budget items, Chung says, it’s much harder to predict what could happen with intangible factors, such as the level of trust between various communities and stakeholders. Even if reorganized school districts are off-limits in the merger talks, some pieces of the education equation might need to be reconsidered. The Special School District, which provides services to children with disabilities in the county, has been supported by a tax levy on county residents since 1957. Would this arrangement continue in the same way? And what would it mean for the city, where the equivalent work is folded into the remit of the Saint Louis Public Schools? Likewise, current state law authorizes charter schools to exist in the city but not in the county. What happens if those geographical labels become a thing of the past? At least for now, Better Together would rather not take on these issues. Any further reorganization would likely need to come from state legislators.

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MERGER: ST. LOUIS CITY / ST. LOUIS COUNTY

BEYOND ST. LOUIS

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FRO M THE C ONSOL IDATION OF INDIA NA P OL IS A ND MA RION C OU NT Y? BY AMANDA WOYTUS

hings are going to get better,” says John Krauss, an attorney and

mediator from Indianapolis, “but they’re not going to get better immediately. Everything’s supposed to be like never-never land? No, it isn’t.” In the late 1960s, Krauss worked with former Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar (pictured at right) to create Unigov, or “unified government,” a consolidation of the city of Indianapolis and neighboring Marion County. It was during a period of history—the 1950s and ’60s—when mergers were taking place everywhere. Jacksonville, Florida; and Nashville were two other major cities to enact city-county mergers at the time. Fifty years later, Better Together is proposing something similar.

STATS & STORIES

Better Together’s members use stats from other cities that have consolidated a city and a county government, such as Indianapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, which underwent a merger in 2003, to illustrate why they believe that St. Louis should do the same. “Research revealed that the per capita cost to fund municipal services in Indianapolis–Marion County was $1,208.11 and $1,094.76 in Louisville–Jefferson County,” reads a regional spending update by the nonprofit. “The St. Louis region was spending between $609.60 and $714.95 more per capital [sic] than these comparable regions.” Statistics and personal accounts say the Indianapolis merger was a success. According to research by Jeff Wachter, who studied the impact of the city’s consolidation 40 years on, population grew while those of cities of similar size (including St. Louis) declined. Employment rose every year through 2011. The city’s tax base became larger, and Indianapolis completed more than 50 development projects, including work on the zoo, the children’s museum, the city market, and the now-demolished Market Square Arena. It also attracted an NFL team, the Colts. In 2005 and 2007, the police and some fire districts consolidated even further. Bart Peterson, who served as Indianapolis’ mayor at the time of the merger and

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now works as CEO and president of nonprofit Christel House International, says Unigov changed the outlook of the population. “The psychological effect was to tie the people outside the core of the city to the city and to give them a common destiny,” he says. “We didn’t see ourselves as a big city before Unigov, and one census after Unigov, we were the eighth-largest city in the country because our population almost tripled… All of a sudden, everybody’s fates were intertwined. That changed everything— it changed the way the city looked at itself, the whole way it acted to the outside world. It built our confidence as a city enormously.” NEVER-NEVER LAND

There’s little doubt that Unigov saved Indianapolis from declining growth. As Krauss says, however, it’s not nevernever land. When he and Lugar started the consolidation, in 1969, Marion County comprised 23 cities and towns and nine townships. Its population was less than St. Louis County’s, at 697,567 in 1960. Unlike the Better Together proposal, the police weren’t in the running for consolidation—it was too politically risky. (As in the Better Together proposal, fire and schools weren’t considered.) One big difference: Instead of putting it up to a referendum as Better Together plans to do, Lugar went through the Indiana General Assembly.

(Upon learning that legislative action isn’t an option here, Krauss exclaims, “So [St. Louis is] going to let people who don’t live there have a say? Oh, jeez.”) The 1968 state races in Indianapolis and Marion County were incredibly important. Lugar, a Republican, traveled around Indiana, campaigning for candidates in his party and asking favors—and he was successful. In 1968, Republicans controlled the mayor’s office, the Indianapolis City Council, the Marion County Council, both houses of the General Assembly, and the governor’s office. Unigov passed in the Senate 28 to 16 and in the House 66 to 29. It went into effect January 1, 1970. Overnight, the city grew from 82 to 402 square miles and increased its population from 480,000 to 740,000. (Four cities—Lawrence, Speedway, Beech Grove, and Southport—were excluded.) So what made the plan work—and what lessons should St. Louis glean from it? “You can’t overpromise,” says Krauss. “You don’t eat a whole pizza at once.” The plan must work for the whole city-county, he says. Because you can’t eat the whole pizza, “try doing some smaller steps,” such as unified planning. If you want to merge police departments, he says, you have to find a way to keep everyone’s job and pension. At the same time, he recognizes that a city can’t have countless captains. Currently, St. Louis County has more than 50 independent police forces, as well as the county police, who work in unincorporated areas and partner in municipal contracts. In early February, Florissant Mayor Thomas P. Schneider said the town’s police force was its best asset and that “we would like to continue to be protected by police whom we know and trust.” Better Together’s director of community-based studies, Dave Leipholtz, says the appointed police chief will decide how the consolidation process will unfold if the legislation passes.

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Indianapolis essentially underwent a two-phase consolidation: first, the cities, towns, and townships, in 1970; then the police and some fire departments, in 2005 and 2007. Does St. Louis’ plan to make a go of all of it at once raise a red flag for Peterson? “None of this is easy,” he says. “That’s the reason other people haven’t done it. You can find lots of academic literature that will say, ‘This is the smartest thing to do.’ From my perspective, this is the most important thing I can say: I think the best thing that ever happened to Indianapolis was doing Unigov in 1970.” Wachter’s research shows the resulting decrease in the proportion of African-Americans in the consolidated city under Unigov, from 27 to 17 percent, was cause for criticism. Though some in the black community noted that anything that revitalized the city would in turn be good for everyone, many African-American voters dubbed Unigov a Unigrab; they argued that adding around 85,000 primarily white Republican voters from Marion County would dilute the power of black voters, limiting their ability to influence development projects in city

neighborhoods, for instance. Some critics also contended that the Democratic Party would have to spend more time appealing to suburban Republicans. “They saw loss of power,” Krauss says,

MORE MERGERS CON SOLIDAT ED CIT IES WIT H POPU LATIONS OVER 50 0,0 0 0

CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, COLORADO JACKSONVILLE-DUVAL COUNTY, FLORIDA INDIANAPOLIS-MARION COUNTY, INDIANA LOUISVILLE-JEFFERSON COUNTY, KENTUCKY BOSTON-SUFFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS THE CITY OF NEW YORK-COUNTIES OF BRONX, KINGS, QUEENS, AND RICHMOND, NEW YORK PHILADELPHIA-PHILADELPHIA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA NASHVILLE-DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE S O U RC E : T H E N AT IO N A L LE AG UE O F CI T I E S

“so you had to get black leaders either neutralized or involved and advocating for it.” Former state Senator Patrick Chavis labeled Unigov a way for white people to “avert a takeover of Indianapolis by blacks,” The Washington Post reported. Concerned that black political influence would drop should Better Together’s plan pass, aldermen Brandon Bosley and John Collins-Muhammad started a petition drive in late February to recall Mayor Lyda Krewson. But Better Together says it did take representation into consideration, one reason the group’s plan proposes a 33-member metro city council and keeps municipal mayors, aldermen, and city aldermen in place. “They have less authority when it comes to police, courts, and sales tax revenue, but those representatives will still be representing those communities,” Leipholtz says. After visiting cities with larger councils, Better Together concluded that communities were better represented with more members. “We made that number larger and similar to our state representative breakdown, because the demographics there reflect closely who we are as a region,” Leipholtz says. “We wanted a number that would be able to do that and share that repreFor the latest sentation on the council.” coverage, visit stlmag.com.

Illustration by Neil Jamieson

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D EN TAL T I P S + LO CAL P RO S TO K N OW

TOPDENTISTS2019

LOOKING FOR A DENTIST? VISIT STLMAG.COM FOR ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION.

April 2019 stlmag.com

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INTRODUCTION

ENDODONTICS

This list is excerpted from the 2019 topDentists™ list, a database that includes listings for more than 340 dentists and specialists in the greater St. Louis area. The St. Louis area list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. The complete database is available at usatopdentists.com.

ROXANNE P. BENISON

SELECTION PROCESS

STEVEN D. CHOD

“If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?” This is the question we’ve asked thousands of dentists to help us determine who the topDentists should be. Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies, and, of course, physical results. The nomination pool consists of dentists listed online with the American Dental Association, as well as dentists listed online with their local dental societies, thus allowing virtually every dentist the opportunity to participate. Dentists are also given the opportunity to nominate other dentists who they feel should be included in our list. Respondents are asked to put aside any personal bias or political motivations and to use only their knowledge of their peers’ work when evaluating the other nominees. Voters are asked to individually evaluate the practitioners on their ballot whose work they are familiar with. Once the balloting is completed, the scores are compiled and then averaged. The numerical average required for inclusion varies depending on the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geographic area. Borderline cases are given a careful consideration by the editors. Voting characteristics and comments are taken into consideration while making decisions. Past awards a dentist has received or status in various dental academies can be a factor in our decision. Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing with the board. Then letters of congratulations are sent to all the listed dentists. Of course, there are many fine dentists who are not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent in the field of dentistry in the United States. A dentist’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow dentists. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, we remain confident that our polling methodology largely corrects for any biases and that these lists continue to be the most reliable, accurate, and useful list of dentists available anywhere.

DISCLAIMER This list is excerpted from the 2019 topDentists™ list, which includes listings for 340 dentists and specialists in the St. Louis metro area. For more information call 706-3640853; or write P.O. Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; or email info@usatopdentists.com or visit www.usatopdentists.com. topDentists has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Copyright 2009-2019 by topDentists, LLC of Augusta, GA. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without permission of topDentists. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission.

Signature Endodontics 618-659-2030

R. PATRICK ROACH

Endodontics of Greater Saint Louis & Arnold 636-379-4500 EDWARD T. ROSE

GREGORY T. BERG

Berg Endodontics 636-928-6000

Rose + Uhrich Endodontics 618-288-7372 SHELLY L. SARICH

314-727-3350

Endodontics of Greater Saint Louis & Arnold 636-379-4500

CHARLES W. CLARKE

Advanced Endodontics 314-894-5600

GENERAL DENTISTRY

GILBERT J. CYR

AQSA AHMAD-MAJEED

DANIEL A. DUNBAR

TYLER M. AHOLT

Southwest Endodontics 314-781-1919 314-961-9225

Dental Care Saint Louis 314-968-3533

South St. Louis Dental Group 314-752-7468

SPENCER J. ELMORE

Endodontics of Greater Saint Louis & Arnold 636-379-4500

MARGARET S. ALBIN-WILSON

AARON W. ETCHESON

KEITH F. ANDERSON

618-530-1868

314-427-0525

Radiant Smiles 314-961-5866

ERIC M. FOSS

Saint Louis County Endodontics 636-778-9901

CRAIG E. ANZILOTTI

MARILEANA GARCIACORRETJER

SHERINE R. APTE

Sage Endodontics 636-220-3553

Anzilotti Family Dentistry 314-993-8017 Dental Care Saint Louis 314-968-3533 ALI A. BADIHI

JOHN F. HATTON

IT’S ELECTRIC “I ALWAYS RECOMMEND HAVING AN ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH, SONICARE OR ORAL-B,” SAYS DENTAL ANESTHESIOLOGIST SEAN THOMS, A GREATER ST. LOUIS DENTAL SOCIETY BOARD MEMBER. “IT TAKES THE MANUAL DEXTERITY PROBLEM OUT OF THE EQUATION. THEY’VE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO DO A BETTER JOB OF CLEANING THE TEETH.”

Saint Louis University Center for Advanced Dental Education 314-977-8363 WILLIAM J. KOWALSKI

636-225-2330

314-739-7900

MARK G. BECK

Sunset Hills Dental Group 314-842-5000 DANIEL E. BERGMAN

Bergman Family Dental 636-391-9666

TIMOTHY P. MAHER

Southwest Endodontics 314-822-2210 SCOTT D. NEWLIN

Newlin Endodontics 636-928-3552 RICHARD T. ORRICK

Creve Coeur Endodontics 314-994-3737 CHRISTOPHER A. PALMER

Apex Endodontics 636-391-8080

CHARLES F. POESCHL

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine 618-474-7120

ROBERT L. BLACKWELL JR.

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine 618-474-7064

RICHARD R. BOATMAN JR.

Troy Family Dental 618-667-8020

CLARE E. BORELLO

Rieser Family Dental 636-332-2044 AUGUSTINE J. BORGMEYER

Borgmeyer Dental 314-351-6554

DAVID J. BORGMEYER

Borgmeyer Dental 314-351-6554

BARRY A. POLINSKY

314-727-3350

WILLIAM C. BURCKHARDT

Town and Country Dental 314-567-5477

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ELIZABETH J. BURNS

MORGAN A. EMERY

WILLIAM “CHIP” HAINES

GREGORY D. CAMFIELD

R. ERIC EMERY

ADIS HASANAGIC

MICHAEL J. FADDIS

RICHARD L. HERMAN

VINCENT A. FALLERT

WILLIAM J. HERMAN

Burns Family Dentistry 636-928-5550

Smile Station Dental 314-821-7100

Ballas Dental Care 314-432-5544

KEVIN M. KILLIAN

636-978-2699

MICHELLE P. KLEINHEIDER

314-993-6262

Midwest Dental - Seven Oaks 314-821-7100

Southtowne Dental 314-487-8844

MATTHEW J. KRANER

DAVID T. CAPPETTA

314-862-7007

LINZI A. CAVANAUGH

Sheldon Dental Group 314-991-0103

Brentwood Dental Group 314-400-7524

Confident Smiles and Implants 636-447-6060

DARLENE L. CLARK

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine 618-474-7123

314-842-3333

Apple Dental 636-225-4555

JAMES A. FEIGENBAUM

Feigenbaum Dental 314-628-8146

DEBORAH L. COON

314-287-6400

Town Center Dental 636-273-5866 AARON J. CREGGER

314-567-7737

JEFFREY B. DALIN

Dalin Dental Associates 314-567-3555

CHRISTOPHER B. HILL

EARL R. LARSON

Healthy Smiles of Saint Louis 314-832-1366

MARK F. HILTON

JEFFREY M. LAUTZ

ANDREA M. FOLEY

LAWRENCE M. HOFFMAN

The Dental Anesthesia Center 314-862-7844

Smiles By Choice 314-837-2120

City Smiles 314-375-5353

314-831-4660

Foley Dental Group 618-288-9670

314-997-7500

MICHAEL J. HOFFMANN

The Dental Anesthesia Center 314-862-7844

Foley Dental Group 618-288-9670

LORI K. HOLCOMB GREG C. FRIMEL

314-726-3200

West Olive Dental 314-514-0660

MICHAEL P. FRITH

CHRISTA D. HOPP

Masterpiece Smiles 636-394-5200 314-544-3434

CHARLES D. FUSZNER

314-821-5566

CHRISTOPHER G’SELL

Eureka Dental Group 636-938-7827

DeCo Dental 636-349-2400

RIVKA GOLDENHERSH

BRET K. DEFOREST

MICHAEL F. GRASSO

636-947-6080

636-660-0490

DAVID E. GREAVES MICHAEL B. DIETRICH

314-291-2777

JEFFREY M. DOUGHERTY

636-272-5015

Butler Hill Family Dentistry 314-892-8060 SUZANNE E. GREGOIRE

314-558-4181

DARRELL N. DRISSELL

JOSEPH S. GRIMAUD

GEORGE L. ELLIS

CHRISTOPHER J. GUILFOY

Kehrs Mill Dental Arts 636-230-7557 636-458-3193

Watson Pointe Dental 314-963-2000 Oakville Dental Care 314-487-0333

HOLLY C. ELLIS

Ellis Dental 314-965-1334

Innovative Dentistry 618-258-0028

JOSEPH M. LAVENTURE

Franklin County Family Dental 636-452-7675 GERARD R. LEDOUX

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine 618-474-7164 ALAN S. LEVI

JENNIFER R. DECOTA

DeForest Dental 636-561-2378

Wild Horse Dental 636-400-1295

THOMAS C. FLAVIN

ADAM C. DECOTA

DeCo Dental 636-349-2400

314-638-8040

LOUISE R. FIRST

ALMA R. FULTON VICTORIA Q. DAUGHERTY

636-394-3196

RONALD T. LANG

JOCELYN C. FREEMAN JON M. COPELAND

CHRISTOPHER B. LAMMERT

Herrick Dental Care 314-842-6200

GENE C. COHEN

636-532-2522

314-361-7700

JASON M. HERRICK

MATTHEW P. CLINE

Cline Dental Group 636-230-8081

Kraner Family Dentistry 636-856-5274 FRANCIS J. KUBIK

STEPHEN CHRISTY

314-645-6400

The Dental Suite 314-667-4514

CHRISTOPHER G. HAFFNER

Sunset Hills Dental Group 314-842-5000

314-432-0960

314-968-7979

FLOSS LIKE A BOSS THERE’S AN ART TO FLOSSING CORRECTLY. “YOU WOULD THINK IT MAY NOT BE TECHNIQUESENSITIVE, BUT IT REALLY IS,” SAYS THOMS. IF YOU CAN’T MASTER THE SKILL (OR JUST REFUSE TO FLOSS REGULARLY), HE SAYS, FREQUENT VISITS TO A DENTIST’S OFFICE ARE RECOMMENDED: “WE CAN TEACH PATIENTS HOW TO EFFECTIVELY REMOVE PLAQUE AND THINGS BELOW THE GUM LINE.”

ROBERT A. LEVY ERIC J. HURTTE

Boardwalk Family Dental 636-561-4117 ARNOLD S. JACOBSON

314-569-0106 JUDEL LEW

Lew Dental Group 314-569-2208

314-726-1644

JENNA LEW-FEIT LESTER C. JOERN JR.

South Saint Louis Dental Group 314-752-7468

Lew Dental Group 314-569-2208

BARRY R. LIEBMAN

314-845-3100

EMILY JOHNSON

Magnolia Family Dental 314-822-4521 VANESSA N. KELLER

Clayton Family Smiles 314-725-4343 KEVIN J. KELLERMAN

Kellerman Dental 618-288-3535

ANDREW T. KEMLAGE

Kemlage Family Dentistry 636-225-1777

EDWARD M. LOGAN

O’Fallon Family & Cosmetic Dentistry 636-561-5445 ROCKY F. LUPARDUS

Eureka Family Dental Care 636-938-4450 JACK M. MARINCEL

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine 618-474-7225 ANTHONY J. MARINO

THOMAS K. KEMLAGE

Kemlage Family Dentistry 636-225-1777 AYSE KILFOY

Woodlawn Dental 636-240-9211

314-645-7247

ERIN L. MARISCAL

Arnold Smiles 636-464-6444

CRYSTAL L. MARTIN

636-227-0507

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NOEL Q. MARTIN II

Wydown Dental Excellence 314-721-5161

JEREMY A. PFEFFER

MARK A. SCANTLAN

314-353-1851

Meramec Dental Center 573-468-2774

GENA F. PINEDA YAMUNA A. MATHEW

Des Peres Family Dentistry 314-394-0540 JAMES W. MAXWELL

Crestwood Dental Group 314-821-2134 Dr. Waite & Associates 314-251-5775

314-434-5757

DEAN F. TELTHORST

Creating Smiles 618-345-7676

JAMES L. SCHMIDT

314-968-7979

Lake Forest Dental 314-725-2232

JENNIFER PLESSNER

JAMES J. SCHNEIDER

JENNIFER THARP

Lakeview Dental 636-332-3322

314-567-7737

Creative Smiles Dental Care 636-561-6035

SHERRYL K. SCHOENING SHERRI L. POETTKER

SCOTT A. MCCLAIN

ANTHONY J. TEGENKAMP

Lakeside Dental 636-561-0800

Phoenix Village Dental 636-561-1154

KEVIN T. THORPE

ETHAN J. SCHUMAN

MICHAEL E. THUM

314-727-6110

KEVIN F. POSTOL

636-238-3197

Schuman Center 314-432-1444

ROBERT RAHM TERRY M. MCKENNA

636-394-5215

Chesterfield Valley Dental 636-537-5240

ERIN S. SCIMONE

SCOTT J. MEYER

STEPHEN J. RANEY

VEDRANA SEDIC

Affton Dental Center 314-842-5700

Uthoff and Ho aling Family Dentistry 314-842-0440

KATHY J. SHAFER

MELANIE L. VADNAL

LISA J. MCDONALD

314-727-1319

314-991-1400

GARY S. TRAUB

The Hills Dental Care 314-481-3369

South County Dental Group 314-821-6800 WILLIAM E. UTHOFF

Meyer Dental 314-894-9700

618-281-7300

VINCENT U. RAPINI JR. KRISTIN A. MILLER

Miller Family Dentistry 618-234-3700

Old Orchard Dental Care 314-961-2600

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine 618-474-7080

DAN H. RATHGEBER PHILIP MILLER

Chester Family Dental 618-826-5017 KEVIN M. MORGESTER

Morgester Dental 636-227-6500

DENNIS J. MUNSON

314-830-9990

314-892-4445

JAY VANDEWATER DOXEY R. SHELDON

Sheldon Dental Group 314-991-0103

MICHELLE M. REGA

Premier Dental Partners 636-300-4380

314-781-7352

RANDALL C. REYES

Boulevard Dental Care 636-939-6868

636-464-2200

Rieser Family Dental 636-724-2044

DANIEL A. NARUP

KENNETH E. RIGDEN

314-821-4410

Rigden Dental 314-849-2222

PETER N. NGUYEN

Hampton Hill Dental 314-288-0630

JULIE L. RING

Generation Dental Group 636-532-2228

STACY B. OCHOA

Precision Dental Care 636-461-2255 JAN S. OLIVIER

Ballas Dental Care 314-432-5544 KYLE PALMER

STL Family Dentistry 314-353-1851 STEPHEN F. PAUL

314-878-8880

DANIELLE RIORDAN

Family Dentistry of Saint Peters 636-928-1100

LORI W. ROSEMAN

Family Dental Services 636-757-1800 STEVEN C. ROSENBERGER

Woodland Dental Care 314-839-9339

AARON C. ROWBOTTOM PAUL R. PENCE

Ladue Family Dental 314-991-0722

Meramec Dental Center 573-468-2774 THOMAS C. RUZICKA

ANGELA K. PERNOUD

Hawk Ridge Dental Care 636-561-4540 MICHAEL J. PERNOUD

Hawk Ridge Dental Care 636-561-4540

636-394-7330

DAVID E. WAGNER

314-731-2273

JAMES G. SHORTELL JONATHAN W. SILVA

Chesterfield Family Dentistry 314-878-9808

MATTHEW L. RIESER PATRICK M. MURPHY

Infinite Smiles 314-892-8853

314-287-3554

MARC R. SATTOVIA

Chesterfield Dental Associates 636-532-3208

STUART D. WAITE

Dr. Waite & Associates 314-251-5775 MICHAEL P. WALLACE

314-968-0003

KIMBERLY D. SIMONDS

TONGUE TWISTER IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE TEETH. “THE TONGUE INCLUDES KERATIN [ON ITS SURFACE], AND BACTERIA CAN NESTLE IN THOSE KERATIN FIBERS,” SAYS THOMS. “THAT’S WHAT CAUSES BAD BREATH.” THOUGH CHEWING GUM AND MINTS CAN LEAVE YOUR BREATH SMELLING MINTY FRESH, BRUSHING THE TONGUE SHOULD BE A PART OF YOUR ROUTINE.

Ballwin Dental Care 636-552-9647

THOMAS J. WARD

JEFFREY M. SINDELAR

DOUGLAS T. WATANABE

JEFFREY P. SMITH

ADAM T. WEHRMEISTER

Oakville Dental Care 314-487-0333 636-255-8693

314-993-0014

Ballas Dental Care 314-432-5544

Baxter Dental Group 636-227-9666

JORDAN SPENCER

Troy Family Dental 618-667-8020

KURT A. WEISENFELS

HARRY W. STADNYK

ARTHUR T. WESTPHAL

CHAD R. STEWART

TERENCE J. WHITAKER

BRUCE K. STOLLE

W. KYLE WHITSON

JULIA M. SUDEKUM

ALAN J. WICKENHAUSER

Kehrs Mill Dental Arts 636-230-7557 Infinite Smiles 314-892-8853

Hawthorn Dental 314-551-9127

Sunset Hills Dental Group 314-842-5000

314-961-3244

Hawthorn Dental 314-551-9127

The W Dental Group 314-743-1109

Concord Dental Group 314-842-2038 618-688-2590

TODD J. WIND MARK D. SUEOKA

314-838-5030

314-843-2078

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BRENT D. WOHLFORD

Ginger Creek Dental 618-692-1110

DONALD C. HOFHEINS

ROBERT R. STEMME

GREGG W. HOSCH

MARYANN L. UDY

Midwest Oral Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery 636-379-1333

Saint Louis County Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 314-434-0493

JUNE K. WOLFF

Clayton Dental 314-727-4900

CHRISTOPHER M. WOLKEN

Wolken Family Dentistry 314-727-6676 SCOTT M. WOLTER

618-462-7471

Southwest Oral Surgery 314-822-3322

Northwest Oral Maxillo-Facial Surgeons 314-291-3810

STEVEN J. HYTEN

Edwardsville Oral Surgery and Implant Center 618-656-3100 First Capital Oral Surgery 636-928-7217 Saint Louis County Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 314-434-0493

JEFFERY YENZER

ANTHONY C. KRAMER

TRISHA M. YOUNG

Clayton Family Smiles 314-725-4343

RICHARD W. WEBER JR.

ELIZABETH M. HITE

TIMOTHY M. WEBER

SUE HONG

Saint Louis County Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 314-434-0493 Saint Louis County Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 314-434-0493

Southwest Oral Surgery 314-822-3322

Hentscher-Johnson Orthodontics 618-281-2929

Bauer Hite Orthodontic Specialists 618-692-1044 Arch Orthodontics 314-328-1207 STEVEN W. HOUGH

JEFF KRATKY

Midwest Oral Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery 636-536-5158

ORTHODONTICS

Hough Orthodontics 636-391-1959

CYRUS M. ALIZADEH

DIDEM O. INCE

Alizadeh & Schreiner Orthodontics 636-394-5455

JOSEPH M. ZEIGLER

314-872-7590

JODI K. HENTSCHERJOHNSON

DAVID M. IVEY

Baxter Dental Group 636-227-9666

Yenzer Family Dental 636-549-8020

Pickard & Helmkamp Orthodontics 636-256-2626

DAVID E. URBANEK

Midwest Oral Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery 636-536-5158

BRENT L. KINCAID JAMES J. WOODRUFF

Hayes Orthodontics 636-527-2237

MARY E. HELMKAMP

ANDREW M. WOLKEN

Wolken Family Dentistry 314-727-6676

ANDREW M. HAYES

TYMAN LOVELESS

Ince Orthodontics 636-978-9300 JAMES G. KLARSCH

MATTHEW J. BAUER

NINA J. ZEIGLER

314-872-7590

Archway Oral Surgery & Dental Implants 314-328-5995

ELENA ZEREGA

GLENN A. MILLER

BLAKE R. BORELLO

Bauer Orthodontics 636-447-2083

Klarsch Orthodontics 314-993-2483 LARRY J. LEVENS

Sunset Hills Dental Group 314-842-5000

Oral Surgery & Implant Institute of Illinois 618-397-2464

MARK R. ZUST

Family Dentistry of Saint Peters 636-928-1100

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY JOHN N. CHIAPEL

Saint Louis Center for Oral & Facial Surgery 636-405-1400

JOHN R. MONTERUBIO

Monterubio & Herbosa 314-721-1010

STEWART E. MORELAND

314-310-5653

REZA MOVAHED

314-878-6725

MICHAEL W. NOBLE

Oral Facial Surgery Institute 314-251-6725

SCOTT A. DROOGER

Midwest Oral Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery 636-536-5158

SCOTT F. NOLEN

Gateway Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons 314-921-1129

ROBERT E. HAWKINS

636-928-0209

EUGENIO G. HERBOSA

Monterubio & Herbosa 314-842-0020

MICHAEL R. HESTERBERG

Southern Illinois Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 618-233-8080

BRIAN R. OGLANDER

Southwest Oral Surgery 314-822-3322 MICHAEL K. PARSONS

Midwest Oral Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery 636-442-0039 BRADLEY W. ROBERTS

618-465-9000

STEPHEN W. HIATT

Northwest Oral Maxillo-Facial Surgeons 314-291-3810

RISHAD SHAIKH

Midwest Oral Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery 314-677-3030

Borello Orthodontics 636-628-2182

Levens Orthodontics 314-872-3218 RANDALL C. MARKARIAN

A CLOSER LOOK A TOOTHBRUSH AND FLOSS SOMETIMES JUST AREN’T ENOUGH FOR HARD-TOREACH PLACES. “YOU COULD HAVE A LOT OF CALCULUS, OR TARTAR, AND PLAQUE BELOW THE GUM LINE,” THOMS SAYS. TARTAR AND PLAQUE BUILDUP CAN EVENTUALLY CAUSE TOOTH AND BONE LOSS, SO THOMS RECOMMENDS A VISIT TO THE DENTIST EVERY SIX MONTHS TO HELP IDENTIFY AND TREAT PROBLEMS WHILE THEY’RE STILL EASILY MANAGEABLE.

C. DAVID BRICKMAN

Brickman Orthodontics 618-656-3837

Markarian Orthodontics 618-236-7846

WILLIAM L. MASTORAKOS CHRISTINE L. BRINLEY

Brinley Orthodontics 618-288-3384

Mastorakos Orthodontics Associates 314-966-4117

JEFFREY T. CAVANAUGH

JEFFREY S. MASTROIANNI

STEFANIE B. DOUGHERTY

JULIE F. MCCRAY

RENEE DOYLE

JACQUELINE M. MILLER

Century Orthodontics 636-391-0499

Dougherty Orthodontics 636-825-1000 Doyle Orthodontics 618-281-5896

Amazing Smiles Orthodontics 618-731-4862 Amazing Smiles Orthodontics 314-721-5551 Walde Miller Orthodontic Specialists 636-239-5151

DEBRA F. FINK

Saint Louis Orthodontics 314-984-9900

FARHAD MOSHIRI

Moshiri Orthodontics 314-427-2237

JOHN R. FIRTH

Bankhead & Firth Orthodontics 314-487-1141

MAZ MOSHIRI

R. ANDREW FROST

RICHARD J. NISSEN

Frost Orthodontics 314-567-1888

Moshiri Orthodontics 314-427-2237 Orthodontic Consultants of Saint Louis 314-727-6162

MICHAEL V. GARVEY

Garvey Team Orthodontics 636-441-2777

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GENEVIEVE M. OTTO

Otto Orthodontics 636-887-3731

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

JOSEPH P. OSDIECK

MURRAY H. APPELBAUM

314-567-1122

DANIEL M. AUTRY

KENNETH G. RAWSON

Accent Dental of Saint Louis 314-862-2006

Periodontics of Southern Illinois 618-233-7300

ADAM M. SNYDER

THOMAS V. SCHABERG

DANIEL C. STOECKEL

JOHN W. SCHAEFER

LARRY W. THOMAS

JUSTIN M. SCHLAIKJER

DOUGLAS H. REDIGER

Rediger Orthodontics 636-282-0550 CHARLIE RIES

Ries Orthodontics 636-230-6100 DARREN RODABOUGH

Bankhead Orthodontic Specialists 636-978-8848

BRIAN A. SCHLUETER

Embrace Our World Orthodontics 314-842-4105

Pediatric Dentistry of Sunset Hills 314-822-2764

Riverbend Pediatric Dentistry 618-596-3725

KEVIN C. BEYERSDORFER

Associated Pediatric Dentistry 618-288-5437

Saint Louis Children’s Hospital 314-454-6250

EMILY BROWN

Pediatric Dentistry of Sunset Hills 314-822-2764

Mercy Hospital 314-872-8590

JAMES E. BURCHETT

My Child’s Dentist 636-294-5437

Junction Orthodontics 314-821-1101

Dentistry for Children and Adolescents 314-567-1122

KRISTEN M. CUMMINGS

All Grins 4 Kids 618-628-4400

GARY H. SHANKER

Embrace Our World Orthodontics 314-842-4105

JONATHAN A. SHANKER

Shanker Schlueter Orthodontics 314-842-4105

Children’s Dental Zone 314-830-9663

ANDREW J. DILL

Dentistry for Children and Adolescents 314-567-1122

ROBERT A. SHAPIRO

Orthodontic Specialists of Saint Louis 314-569-2050

636-537-3600

JAMES L. UNGER

636-939-3777

Chesterfield Pediatric Dentistry 314-576-4335

Varble Orthodontics 314-567-3444

Pediatric Dentistry of Sunset Hills 314-822-2764

Pediatric Dentistry of Sunset Hills 314-822-2764 Midwest Pediatric Dentistry 314-731-1688

Walde Miller Orthodontic Specialists 636-239-5151

618-346-8000

JAMES E. LENAHAN

Lenahan Smiles 314-843-8500

ROBERT WAXLER

Century Orthodontics 636-391-0499

MEGAN E. LENAHAN

Lenahan Smiles 314-843-8500

RICHARD J. WHITE

White Orthodontics 314-838-8762

JOHN R. MARKARIAN

Associated Pediatric Dentistry 618-233-8667 GERUSA S. MELLOBURSTADT

Associated Pediatric Dentistry 618-288-5437

Schlueter Periodontics & Implants 314-842-6151 314-720-8547

ROBERT A. STRATHMAN

636-394-9177

PROSTHODONTICS KYLE E. DONAHUE

Donahue Dental 636-946-6117

R. DUANE DOUGLAS WILLIAM M. COHEN

Greater Saint Louis Periodontics & Implants 314-991-7730

CRAIG S. HOLLANDER

KENNETH S. KOLLMANN KEVIN C. WALDE

314-434-2101

MARK A. FERNANDEZ

ANDREW M. KIM ZACHARY L. VARBLE

PERIODONTICS ELIZABETH BINZ

KELLY M. JOBE

314-729-7840

CAROLYNN F. WOLFF

AURELIA A. DUNAGAN

Pediatric Dentistry of Sunset Hills 314-822-2764

Sunset Hills Dental Group 314-842-5000

STEPHEN C. SNITZER

EDWARD J. SHAHEEN JR.

Shaheen Orthodontics 314-991-0697

West Port Periodontics 314-434-4676

SCOTT R. SCHLUETER AMY VARBLE

CANDACE T. WAKEFIELD JACLYN SCROGGINS

Periodontics of O’Fallon 636-379-6905 JOSEPH A. RENNER

REBECCA F. SCHREINER

Alizadeh & Schreiner Orthodontics 636-394-5455

SARAH NORTHCOTT

Pediatric Dentistry of Sunset Hills 314-822-2764

PEARLY WHITES IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A BRIGHTER SMILE, AT-HOME WHITENING PRODUCTS CAN HELP—TO AN EXTENT. “IF YOU WANT TO WHITEN YOUR TEETH, YOU CAN TRY THE STRIPS,” SAYS THOMS. “USUALLY YOU CAN GET A COUPLE SHADES WHITER, BUT IF THE PATIENT IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE DRASTIC, THEY MAY NEED A STRONGER PRODUCT, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE WOULD GIVE AT THE OFFICE.”

ProsDoc & Associates 618-258-1300 BARRY S. GOLDENBERG

314-997-7972

JEFFREY A. COLLIGAN

618-258-1244

VIDESH D. DESHMUKH

Periodontal Specialists 314-725-4221

ERIC M. LANGENWALTER

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine 618-474-7088 THOMAS M. MATTHES

GEORGE V. DUELLO

Masters Institute of Implants & Periodontics 314-334-1073 JOHN C. HOPPIN

636-946-9890

Matthes Prosthodontics 314-989-9777 JOSEPH F. SHEA

Saint Louis Prosthodontics 314-822-9446 ROBERT E. WILLIS

JAMES A. KOPFENSTEINER

Saint Charles County Periodontics 636-928-8790

Forum Dental 573-364-1821

DWIGHT E. MCLEOD

314-731-1700

D. DOUGLAS MILEY

Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine 618-474-7024 JEFFREY R. NAYLOR

Naylor Periodontics 618-288-1550

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAI MAYHEW

STYLING BY KRISTI PINKHAM

Gucci gloves, Nordstrom. Mignonne Gavigan earrings, Anthropologie. Mignonne Gavigan beaded scarf necklace, Vie. Vince dress, Neiman Marcus. 80

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A TALE OF UNTAMED SPRING FASHION

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LEFT: Mysterious by NPN gown. Silk flower, The Vintage Haberdashery. Oscar de la Renta earrings, Neiman Marcus. Christian Louboutin lace booties, Neiman Marcus. RIGHT: Mysterious by NPN gown. Miguel Ases earrings, Vie.

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La Femme dress, Neiman Marcus. 84

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LEFT: Mysterious by NPN gown. BĂźbish ostrich feather bolero, Nordstrom. Mignonne Gavigan earrings, Vie. RIGHT: Parker Black Monarch dress, Vie. 1920s rhinestone headpiece, The Vintage Haberdashery. Hair & Makeup: Brady Nance Styling Assistants: Hannah Chancellor & Leah Sostman Photography Assistant: Izaiah Johnson Location: The Jewel Box Model: Caroline Stallings, West Model & Talent Management Special Thanks: The Rep prop rental, The Tye-Dyed Iguana & Bethany Joan Gresoski

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BY MIDDLE AGE, YOUR FACE TELLS YOUR LIFE STORY, and Debra Kricensky has smiled a lot more often than she’s frowned. Most days, it’s effortless. But the first time she entered a hoarded home, she made a deliberate effort to keep that pleasant countenance set: no widening of the eyes, no jaw drop, not the slightest hint of recoil from the mess before her. Slowly, the homeowner opened up. Once a distinguished banker, he said, he’d been blackballed for refusing to tell a fib. And then his mother got sick and died. And then his wife told him she was a lesbian. His depression was obvious. So was the drinking— and Kricensky thoroughly understood the need for solace, however self-destructive. She and the police officer were the first people he’d let inside his home in a long, long time. Squirrels were eating the wires, and an ornately carved mahogany grandfather clock lay toppled on its side in the entryway, denting piles of rubbish. The plumbing hadn’t worked in months, so—? “I poop in bags,” the man said, shrugging matter-of-factly, “and bury them.” Kricensky’s own home is orderly and immaculate. She felt an overwhelming wave of sympathy: This had to end. She wanted his place cleaned up so he could stay there and find a little happiness again. So rather than dump a lot of smug advice and run, she rolled up her sleeves, and together, they managed to restore his home to order. An X-ray technologist by training, Kricensky started volunteering with her subdivision’s neighborhood watch 19 years ago. She’d shown up because she was worried about security—her home had been broken into—but at the meetings, she kept hearing complaints about problem properties: the foul odors that streamed from them; the cockroaches that crawled out to visit the rest of the neighborhood. She couldn’t help but think about the property owners who were living in that hell. Maybe the next time St. Louis County had to issue a formal eviction notice, she could tag along? Sure, she knew she was risking nightmares afterward, bacterial contamination, hantavirus from rat droppings... But she wanted the news of eviction to be paired with an offer of help. Kricensky was so nonjudgmental, so patient (“More than with my own family,” she admits, sounding a little puzzled), and so consistently effective that in 2006, the manager of property maintenance said, “I think we ought to hire you.”

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When Stuff Takes Over “My ditzy friend reported me,” says Jan [a pseudonym], still annoyed. “She got upset with my house looking the way it was. The firemen and police and a social worker knocked on my door and said if I didn’t open it—” “We don’t know for sure who called,” Kricensky inserts gently. “Hotline calls are anonymous.” “I know,” Jan insists. “Anyway, all the social worker did was give me a book for old people” (listing housing options for seniors). “But they got me to her.” She nudges Kricensky, who’s sitting next to her in an orange booth at Denny’s. “She’s one of my best friends now—because she stuck with me.” Hoarding happens behind closed curtains, and it can stay invisible to the outside world for

a very long time—until some sort of crisis brings it to the state’s attention. In this case, it was the threat of foreclosure. “My sister and two daughters made sure to clean me out so the bank wouldn’t seize my stuff,” says Jan. “They waited till I wasn’t there. So I walk into the house and everything is gone.” She was too depressed to think about moving. But now most of her furniture was gone, so the stuff she’d had piled on the table just stayed on the floor…along with other stuff that would have been crammed into a drawer…and tons of junk mail, because her name kept being sold… “Things were kind of hodgepodge,” she says, sneaking a glance at Kricensky. “They were…relaxed,” Kricensky agrees. That was the year Jan lost her job, and her beautiful 3,000-square-foot house flooded with sewage three times, and she fell behind on all her bills, and her car started giving her trouble, and the antidepressants drifted like feathers into the abyss. She sat in a chair most of the day, watching Ellen DeGeneres over and over again, hoping for a chance to laugh. These days, she’s feeling brighter, hopeful enough to take hold of her life again. She’s

been living with her sister—who, she says, also hoards. “We came from a home that was cluttered anyway, because our parents were Depression babies—my mother could get blood out of a nickel—and our generation had the money to buy more.” Jan collects Lladró, Hallmark princesses, ivory horses, wooden horses, Lenox, Waterford, and Wedgwood but also vast quantities of Tupperware, any plastic jar with a nice lid, and all possible paperwork. “I learned by going back and back and back to court with my divorce that if it wasn’t on paper…” She says she worked

for years as an efficiency expert for the U.S. Army: “When I do organize, it’s meticulous, but I don’t do it at all if I can’t do it right. I want perfection.” Meanwhile, she’s renting four storage spaces, and she’s not even sure what’s in them. (She’s not alone. According to the 2015–16 Self Storage Industry Fact Sheet, there are 60,000 primary self-storage facilities in the world, more than 48,500 of them in the U.S.—roughly 2.5 billion square feet of rentable space. Everyone in the country could fit under that canopy. Almost 10 percent of American households—most in homes with garages, attics, and basements— rent at least one storage unit. I ask Jan why she hangs on to so much stuff.

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“Because somebody gave it to me—my mother or my Aunt Jo, or my sister when she traveled in Europe and Japan,” she begins. “Or it’s my kids’ schoolwork from kindergarten. Through eighth grade. Through college. Or I’m saving things for the church. I save everything just in case I’m going to use it or I can give it to somebody else. We’re a throwaway society. But see, the trouble is, you keep everything because you’re going to do something with it, but you never do it because you’re so busy keeping things.” She pauses. “It’s not an impulse,” she says, her blue eyes steady on mine. “It’s a need. It’s a need to control your environment. A need to control yourself.” Why Hoarding’s Increasingly Prevalent For a month, every single time somebody asks what I’m working on and I name the topic, a shadow crosses their face, and they tell me about a family member or friend who hoarded. No way is this disorder affecting just 2 to 5 percent of the population, the longstanding official estimate. “It’s largely a hidden problem,” agrees Max Zubatsky, assistant professor in family and community medicine at Saint Louis University and an advisory board member of The

Hoarding Project. “Individuals don’t seek treatment.” Until a family member or neighbor forces the issue, the person just keeps acquiring. Stuff is private, idiosyncratic. It lives outside the shared economy. People withdraw and stop letting anyone into their home, so there’s no reality check. The clutter creeps up on them, and they just keep managing, swimming like the frog in that simmering pot, not noticing it’s reached a rolling boil. “So it’s underdiagnosed,” Zubatsky concludes, “and we’re starting to see more prevalence, for a lot of reasons.” We’re a consumer-driven society so glutted in stuff that even our landfills are full. Everywhere you look, temptation dangles, sales and swaps and Freecycle and bulk pickup in city alleys. And as older adults live longer and stay in their own homes longer, many surround themselves with objects they just might need or can’t manage to sort and discard. They’re lonely and find the stuff comforting; they’re scared and find it reassuring. Their kids then inherit houses crammed with possessions, even as they’re wad-

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participants had a close relative with similar problems. A study of more than 5,000 pairs of twins estimated the heritability of severe hoarding at 50 percent. In families with two or more members who hoard, researchers have found a link to an allele on chromosome 14. In Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things, pioneering researchers Randy Frost and Gail Steketee write: “One possibility is that hoarders inherit deficits or different ways of processing information. Perhaps they inherit an intense perceptual sensitivity to visual details [that] give objects special meaning and value to them. Or perhaps they inherit a tendency P.89

for the brain to store and retrieve memories differently. If visual cues (i.e., objects) are necessary for hoarders’ retrieval of memories, then getting rid of those cues is the same as losing their memories.” And if that’s the case, then asking them to pitch stuff is like asking them to give up chunks of their past. The brain’s responses play a role, too: In one study, people with hoarding disorder had lower-than-normal activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, the part of the brain that connects emotions with focused decisionmaking. Yet when they were faced with the possibility of discarding one of their own possessions, the activity in that part of the brain shot way above normal.

There are other patterns and crossconnections: Some researchers have observed a shortage of the neurotransmitter dopamine in people who hoard; others point to a disrupted serotonin level. Severe anxiety and depression, which also have a neurobiological basis, often coexist with hoarding disorder. So can Tourette’s syndrome and traumatic brain injury. Just as people who hoard often churn through piles, picking something up and then, unable to sort or discard it, setting it back down again, researchers churn through various explanations. It’s likely that there is no neat solution; that these explanations are all true to some extent, in some instances. In other words, hoarding disorder, true to its nature, has an accumulation of causes, and if there’s an underlying order, it’s difficult to discern.

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Traits That Predispose Us Who hoards? We all do. Some of us hoard praise; some hoard fun; some hoard shoes. But when hoarding becomes a disorder, excess and friendly clutter are weaponized. Over the years, Kricensky’s noticed patterns in the traits that can contribute: 1. PERFECTIONISM that makes it daunting even to begin organizing, because you’ll never have enough time or the ideal conditions. 2. PROCRASTINATION that keeps people from completing the projects they dream up or following through to move an object out of the home. Someone might thoughtfully save a kitschy ashtray he just knew his friend Dolores would love—but never give it to her. “The heat of the moment is important to understand,” says one of the therapists Kricensky enjoys working with, Alec Pollard, director of

won’t overwhelm that particular client. One woman shut down at too many choices, so Lee quickly sorted a pile of socks by color and took out two at a time. “Between A and B,” she said, “which do you like?” Even that was a mistake: “Like” opened up way too many paths. So Lee hastily reframed, asking the client what she needs in a pair of socks. “Well,” the woman said, “to be warm and comfortable.” “OK, which pair is warmer?” “Oh, this one!” Along with indecisive-ness, people who hoard often have real trouble categorizing and prioritizing. It’s as though everything

IT’S DANGEROUS. IT’S MISUNDERSTOOD. AND IT’S INCREASINGLY COMMON. BY JE AN N E T T E C O O P E R M A N

the Center for OCD and Anxiety-Related Disorders. “When you’re tempted to get or keep something, all your cognitive energy goes into justifying the acquisition. We trick ourselves—and then later realize the trick. They may realize, ‘Oh, Dolores won’t really want this.’ Or Dolores may say, ‘Absolutely not.’” 3. FEAR OF LOSING ONE’S MEMORIES. Why does somebody save a cream cheese packet for a quarter-century? “Because it brings back a good memory, maybe a lunch with a friend,” Kricensky explains. “It touches their heart. And if they toss that packet, they’re afraid the memory itself will vanish.” 4. DIFFICULTY FOCUSING AND CONCENTRATING. Many people who hoard have ADHD, so “they may need more time to make a decision, but at today’s breakneck speed, there isn’t time,” says Denise Lee, a certified professional organizer whose company is called Clear Spaces. “So what do you do? You don’t make the decision. Things pile up because the demands of life have outstripped your ability to cope with them.” She’s learned to frame decisions in whatever format

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weighs the same—a $100,000 stock certificate, a third-grade report card, a July 1962 National Geographic... Each seems important; it can’t possibly be lumped with others like it. As a result, all the National Geographics don’t live together on a shelf, which would make it obvious that there are three copies of July 1962. Instead, that July 1962 issue is in the southwest-corner pile, 3 inches from the bottom. Lee calls this “sorting by geography.” Memory is spatial, and it’s often uncannily accurate. But the order’s invisible, so other people barge in and mess things up unwittingly. P.90

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A Question of Proportion Kricensky loves the story of the woman who was so sick of her adult daughters’ telling her to get rid of her magazines, she went to the bank, drew out cash, and started sticking a $10 or $20 in every magazine. They piled up higher and higher. When she died, her daughters raced over with a dumpster, eager to clean the place out. They carried out the magazines by the armful. And when the dumpster was too full to drop in a stack, they slung them—and greenbacks whirled free.

They had to empty the entire dumpster. They counted $10,000. That woman just liked her magazines— and wanted the last word. But often, hoarding’s motives are nobler: Waste not, want not. Someone might need this. You might need it; you have to be prepared for an uncertain future. You’re responsible for it. It could be worth money someday. These are practical bits of wisdom, corrections to a throwaway society. There’s strong sentiment, a sense that each object carries potential and meaning and memories. There’s also a supercharged ability to imagine a million cool uses for somebody else’s trash. “Maybe,” write Frost and Steketee, “hoarding is creativity run amok.” Opening a talk about hoarding disorder, Lee holds up a plastic soda bottle top. “Think of all the things you could do with this,” she challenges her audience. Table for a dollhouse? Drinking bowl for a sparrow? A cookie cutter for Yorkie dog treats? People who hoard see potential where oth-

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ers see trash. Aglow with ideas, they pile up future reclamation projects, too many to ever tackle. “Or they have this anthropomorphic relationship with things,” Lee adds. “They believe the thing has feelings, and purpose.” She mentions a client’s cardboard shoebox, which apparently was destined to have a useful life of far more value than temporarily containing a pair of shoes. “By keeping it, they are rescuing it from loneliness, saving it from a landfill.” She waits a beat. “And now the landfill’s their home.” When the adult children of her clients call, spluttering with frustration, Lee urges them “not to apply logic where there is no logic. This is emotional.” When I ask how she stays so calm, she smiles. “One reason I enjoy working with hoarding is that the people are often very deep. They’re very interesting folks, and they’re thoughtful. Being creative is a good thing. Being frugal is a good thing. With hoarding, it’s all just turned on its head.” Pollard agrees: “The problem’s not the irrationality of any individual belief that drives their behavior. The problem is the place those beliefs and priorities take in the person’s life. It’s disproportionate. The beliefs are held in such a perfectionistic way that it’s at the cost of other priorities, like family life or having people over.” But what made those beliefs harden and expand? Pollard’s a cognitive behavioral therapist, more interested in pragmatic help than speculation. I hammer him with theoretical questions, like a 3-year-old asking, “But why?” and he repeats, “We’re not sure,” slowly draining his ample reserves of patience. Science isn’t very far along in understanding hoarding disorder. “Fortunately,” he reminds me, “a lot of the advances we’ve made in behavioral treatments don’t require knowing the cause,” he says finally. “We’re interested in what maintains the disorder, what keeps it going.” Avoidance tops that list: “The more they avoid dealing with it, the worse the problem gets, and

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A DISORDER ALL ITS OWN It wasn’t until 2013 that severe hoarding emerged as a psychiatric disorder in its own right. Until then, it was a subset of obsessive-compulsive disorder—a mistake now painfully obvious. At least twice as many people have hoarding disorder as have OCD, and studies have shown that 80 percent of them don’t even meet the criteria for OCD. Its compulsions are driven by fear or anxiety; hoarding’s more like addiction, its negative emotions punctuated by a thrilling little burst of endorphins at each acquisition. Genetic studies of hoarding and OCD show a different pattern of heritability. Brain scans show a different pattern of activation. Medications that work for OCD do nothing for hoarding disorder. When severe hoarding was given its own section in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5, Debra Kricensky compared the criteria to her own experience: Acquisition of objects that are not needed and, in most people’s opinion, have little or no value. Like the used tissues, old receipts, and sticky peppermints one client used to dump out of her purse and save. She had stacks of these boxes. “We sure could make some progress if we went through these,” Kricensky ventured. No dice. the more overwhelming it is to even think about dealing with it.” There are also some mind-bending paradoxes at work: Our brains are biased to endow an object with higher value just because we own it. And every time we consider parting with that object but don’t follow through, its value to us notches up a bit. It must be cool, we decide subconsciously, or we would have tossed it. Procrastination is based in fear and anxiety: What if I need it? What if it’s irreplaceable? What if I’m being wasteful? But beneath that agitated surface lies a deeper fear, says Pollard: “the belief that if you part with this object, your emotional experience will be unbearable.” And because we keep avoiding, we never test that belief—so it never goes away. Treatment begins with motivational work, Pollard says, “because as a group, folks with hoarding disorder tend to be less motivated and less willing to change. They’re not always suffering; it’s the family members who are suffering.” Once motivated, you identify what beliefs and priorities led to the chaos. Third comes “acquisition control training... There’s no sense throwing things out the front door when they’re still coming in through the back door. That’s a big mistake even Oprah made when she sent the professional organizers in.” The fourth step is learning organizational skills—and only then should a client whip out the sheets, draping large areas to make it possible to focus one manageable area at a time, and begin the actual reorganizing.

Persistent difficul y parting with these objects and severe distress at the thought of discarding them. One day, a dumpster driver called Kricensky’s cell and said, “She won’t let me take the dumpster.” Sighing, Kricensky said, “Put her on the phone.” The woman had found a box of teabags she wanted in the discard pile. Alarmed, she was now insisting on combing through the entire dumpster. Kricensky wasn’t entirely surprised; a previous client had ordered a dumpster emptied right back into the house. That time, Kricensky needed a few long, calming breaths. “You were with me when we made these decisions,” she pointed out. “Well,” the client said, “I changed my mind.” Homes with rooms that were no longer functional. One woman was so excited when she saved up to buy a new stove. “I’m going to bake cookies!” she told Kricensky—who was staring at the niche from which the old stove had been removed, now packed solid with objects, newspapers, containers of partially eaten food, and filth. Lives that were no longer functional—or were sharply endangered. “Psychologists will tell me, ‘You can’t make somebody get rid of their stuff,’” Kricensky says, “and I say, ‘Well, we have to make them if they want to live in their house. It’s a fire hazard. There was one up in Spanish Lake, the guy’s living room was so full of books and magazines, they were blocking the front door. His gas stove exploded, and the firefighters couldn’t get in.”

Life’s Twists and Turns After years of this work, Kricensky has learned to accept its paradoxes like they’re Zen koans. She’s stopped being surprised when people are ashamed to let even a repair person into their homes yet adamant that they don’t have a problem. When people so cherish their belongings that they pile them in festering heaps. When people are so eager for control over their stuff, they can’t see that it’s controlling them. When they think what’s crammed into their cars and homes will hide them from the world, and instead it exposes them. Praised to the end of the earth when they clear a shelf—“Oh, that’s beautiful!”—they fill it again the minute she leaves. Hoarding’s not just about acquisition. It’s about filling emptiness. And it’s a disorder of excess. “Say there’s a death in the family,” Kricensky offers. “They want to hold on to everything. One client had two houses, inherited from family members. She had a hell of a life, raised kids on her own, lived between the houses, and now her family was saying, ‘We have to get rid of all this stuff and sell these houses.’ Well, a lot of the stuff in there was hers, and she was so attached to it. It was causing her so much stress, but she couldn’t see that.” They wouldn’t finish as fast as her family wanted, Kricensky told her client. “Look how many years it took to accumulate. But just think what it will be like when we’re done. You are going to be able to use your stove and your refrigerator. Sit on your couch and watch TV. Sleep in a bed.” Until now, the objects in the way felt too charged with memory, with love, to just toss them aside. The hoard becomes inextricable from what it represents—and sometimes, from your very self. It’s as though your identity is projected outward, onto that heap Continued on p. 126

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2019

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FIVE STAR AWARD WINNERS REAL ESTATE AGENTS • MORTGAGE PROFESSIONALS • HOME/AUTO INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS Anyone who’s ever bought or sold a home knows that it’s not always easy. From listing to open houses, finding the right financing to making sure you’re properly insured, there are many moving parts to keep aligned. With the right team of real estate agents, mortgage professionals and home/auto insurance professionals, it can be a less stressful and more rewarding process. Five Star Professional conducted rigorous research combining client feedback and production measures to recognize outstanding professionals in the Saint Louis area who excel in their field. Award winners featured here represent some of the areas most dedicated professionals, each committed to outstanding service and client satisfaction. For the complete list of award winners in your area, go to fivestarprofessional.com.

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Featured winner from the Five Star Professional section FS • 2

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2019 ST. LOUIS FIVE STAR AWARD WINNERS Uncovering St. Louis’ top real estate agents, mortgage professionals and home/auto insurance professionals A Select Award Five Star Professional identified real estate, mor tgage and insurance professionals in the St. Louis area who deliver outstanding service and client satisfac tion. The Five Star Professional research team surveyed homebuyers, sellers and industr y peers and analyzed online consumer evaluations. Survey respondents rated their ser vice professional on cr iter ia such as overall satisfaction and whether they would recommend the provider to a friend. The research methodology allows no more than 7 percent of professionals in each category to receive the award.

No more than 7% of professionals in each category receive the award

Rising Star Award Winners Meet the next wave of outstanding real estate agents in the St. Louis area! Five Star Professional’s research team contacted branch managers, established real estate veterans and consumers to identify up-andcoming real estate agents in the industry. Rising Star award winners are held in high regard by their peers and mentors and have received a qualifying nomination for the award. Evaluators were asked to identify an agent who has been in the industry for five years or less and embodies professional excellence, exhibits superior customer service and shows great potential to excel in their profession. All Rising Star award winners must be actively licensed, satisfy minimum produc tion cr iter ia and have a favorable regulatory history to be eligible for award consideration. FS • 3

Research — How The Winners Are Chosen • The 2019 Five Star Real Estate Agents, Mortgage Professionals and Home/Auto Insurance Professionals do not pay a fee to be included in the research or the final lists. • Each professional is screened against state-governing bodies to verify that licenses are current and no disciplinary actions are pending. • The inclusion of a real estate agent, mortgage professional or insurance professional on the final list should not be construed as an endorsement by Five Star Professional or St. Louis Magazine.

Determination of Award Winners Professionals who satisfied each of the following objective criteria were named a 2019 St. Louis Five Star Real Estate Agent, Five Star Mortgage Professional or Five Star Home/Auto Insurance Professional: Evaluation Criteria: 1. Qualifying rating Eligibility Criteria: 2. Holds an active license and employed in their field for a minimum of five years 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review 4. Satisfies minimum production on a one-year and three-year basis

Recognizing outstanding Real Estate Agents, Mortgage Professionals and Home/Auto Insurance Professionals

5. Successful completion of a Blue Ribbon Panel review

Real estate agents, mor tgage professionals and home/auto insurance professionals are pooled only with other candidates from their profession. The final list of 2019 St. Louis Five Star award winners is a select group, representing approximately 2 percent of real estate agents, 3 percent of mortgage professionals and 1 percent of home/auto insurance professionals in the area. To see the full list of winners, visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.

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Five Star Professionalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary research process includes nominations by clients and peers, interviews with potential winners, regulatory and complaint history reviews and input from a panel of industry experts.

Nomination of Candidates We survey both homeowners and industry peers. Homeowners are asked to evaluate a professional on key attributes of service and peers are asked to recommend people that embody professional excellence.

Evaluation Score Using our scoring algorithm, each nominee is given an evaluation score based on surveys in our database. High scorers are named candidates.

Candidate Submission of Business Information Candidates must complete either an online or over-the-phone interview.

Eligibility Criteria Candidates must be in the industry for at least five years, have a favorable regulatory history and meet minimum production thresholds.

Blue Ribbon Panel A Blue Ribbon panel of industry experts reviews the final list of candidates.

Final Selection

Less than 7 percent of professionals in the market are selected as 2019 Five Star award winners.

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Mitzie Fenberg Realtor

2019 Rising Star Real Estate Agent

Keller Williams Realty 16690 Swingley Ridge Road, Suite 240 • Chesterfield, MO 63017 Phone: 314-623-0610 • mitziefenberg@gmail.com kw.com/agent/mitzie-fenberg • @FenbergMitzie

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Buying and selling a home is an exciting milestone in our lives! My experiences from my previous 16-year career in titling equip me to ensure the details are intact and to streamline the real estate process for my clients! Going the extra mile and anticipating their needs allows me to hand over the keys knowing my clients are able to focus on their new path!

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REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Sue Torbeck Broker, Salesperson, CRS

The Torbeck Team is Sold on St. Louis No. 1 Coldwell Banker Gundaker South Regional Office agent, 2018 No. 1 Coldwell Banker Gundaker agent in South County, 2018

YEAR WINNER

Left to right: Larry Torbeck; Stephanie Torbeck; Fourteen-year winner Sue Torbeck; Monica Torbeck; Matt Torbeck

Member of the Coldwell Banker Gundaker Hall of Fame As a proven leader in the real estate market, we will work tirelessly with professionalism and integrity to help you achieve your real estate goals.

9964 Kennerly Center • St. Louis, MO 63128 Phone: 314-845-0042 • Phone: 314-660-0042 • sue.torbeck@cbgundaker.com www.thetorbeckteam.com • @TheTorbeckTeam • #thetorbeckteam

Sue and The Torbeck Team are grateful for the many wonderful people they have served throughout the past 36 years, and would appreciate the opportunity to show you why The Torbeck Team is sold on St. Louis!

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Brandy Dudenhoeffer Realtor

Your No. 1 Source for Your Real Estate Needs in St. Louis and St. Charles Counties! Building strong client relationships Repeat- and referral-based business

YEAR WINNER

Left to right: Eleven-year winner Brandy Dudenhoeffer; Steve Clark

STL Premier Realty Group Keller Williams Realty West 856 Waterbury Falls Drive, Suite 200 • O’Fallon, MO 63368 Phone: 314-440-8900 • brandy@stlprg.com www.stlprg.com

Steve Clark and I merged businesses in 2018 to create STL Premier Realty Group, powered by Keller Williams Realty. We have a combined 20-plus years of real estate experience to assist buyers and sellers throughout St. Louis and St. Charles counties and the surrounding areas. Whether buying, selling, building or investing in real estate, our team can help. Our goal is to provide a high level of service and build relationships that make us our clients’ Realtors for life! I am passionate about giving back to the community and am a Homes for Heroes Realtor affiliate. Homes for Heroes is a rewards and savings program for our local heroes, including police, firefighters, EMS, teachers, healthcare and military professionals. I have also been a team leader for Habitat for Humanity: Women Build for the last five years. M.A.D. Dream Builders is our team name, as making a difference is my motto.

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

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REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Melinda Becker

Susan Raimondo

Listing and Buyer Specialist

Realtor

Colleen and The Irvine Team 10805 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 102 St. Louis, MO 63127 Cell: 314-910-2057 Office: 314-775-2747 sraimondo@kw.com susanraimondo.com

Coldwell Banker Gundaker 111 Chesterfield Towne Centre Chesterfield, MO 63005 Cell: 314-346-1317 www.melindabecker.net

YEAR WINNER

Full-Time Realtor Since 2002

∙ Melinda is a multimillion-dollar producer with strong negotiation and analytical skills ∙ Specializes in residential, condo and new construction ∙ Member of the No. 1 ranked Coldwell Banker Gundaker team — Colleen and The Irvine Team

YEAR WINNER

Melinda has over 17 years of real estate experience and prides herself on excellent customer service. She goes above and beyond to meet her clients’ needs, whether they are buying or selling a home. “My approach is simple. I concentrate on my clients’ particular goals and work diligently until they are met. I never lose sight of the fact that honesty, compassion, creativity, accountability and quick responsiveness is what sets me apart from the majority of agents.” — Melinda Becker

Susan specializes in assisting buyers and sellers in Sunset Hills, Town and Country and the surrounding areas with over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing. She brings an appreciation for impeccable craftsmanship and a sophisticated understanding of the exquisite subtleties that distinguish luxury properties. She works hard to ensure she has a clear understanding of her clients’ needs to develop a highly intentional strategy designed to meet those needs. Her attention to detail and her vast resources ensure that her clients are guided through each step of the transaction. Luxury Homes by Keller Williams was founded on the principles of trust and honesty. That means always putting clients’ needs first and having the integrity to do the right thing every time. Susan is recognized as a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist™ Million Dollar GUILD™ member.

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Christi Miceli

Lisa Adkins

Sales Associate

Broker/Owner

410 Crestview Drive O’Fallon, MO 63366 Cell/text: 314-324-6219 Office: 636-980-8200 Lisa@LisaAdkins.com LisaAdkins.com

YEAR WINNER

Left to right: Nine-year winner Christi Miceli, Sales Associate; Britani Schubert, Licensed Assistant

Always Personal Service Christi has 27 years of experience and is an area leader in sales. “It’s always an honor to receive this award. Again, we would like to thank our clients for your business. Every year we continue to grow and stay educated with the constant change in the real estate market. Buying or selling, we excel from start to finish.” — Christi Miceli Proud sponsor of the Children’s Miracle Network, The BackStoppers, P.A.W. Stoppers and Susan G. Komen Foundation. Chesterfield, MO 63005 • Office: 636-812-4400 Christi: 314-750-0765 • Britani: 314-223-4240 ChristiM@remax.net • BritaniSchubert@gmail.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

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Dedicated to Exceptional Customer Service

YEAR WINNER

Let’s Bring You Home!

∙ A leading agent in the market covering St. Louis and St. Charles counties ∙ Proven record of success with all aspects of buying, selling, relocation and investments, including 401(k) purchases ∙ Fully staffed team with experience in residential, new construction, land/equestrian properties, commercial and church property sales ∙ President of St. Charles County Women’s Council of Realtors, 2017 ∙ Board of Directors, St. Charles Realtors, 2013 – 2017 Our success is due to our work ethic, integrity, negotiation skills and market knowledge. We pride ourselves on our ability to work well with our clients as well as other agents and industry professionals. I’m a Homes for Heroes agent offering discounts to military, law enforcement, firefighters/EMS, teachers and healthcare workers! Call for details! Real Estate Agent Award Winner

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REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Tom Thornton

Steve Mathes • Joe Mathes

Broker/Salesperson

YEAR WINNER

Left to right: Reenie Thornton; Four-year winner Tom Thornton

Left to right: Twelve-year winner Steve Mathes, GRI, CRS; Four-year winner Joe Mathes, J.D.

Call Mathes to Help Guide You Home! Buying or selling a home is an exciting, complex adventure. With over 35 years of experience, excellent negotiating skills and the best resources and technology at our fingertips, we would be honored to help you with all of your real estate needs!

Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Proudly Serving the Real Estate Needs of St. Louis Since 1985! ∙ Experience counts — celebrating our 34th year in business ∙ Professional, full-service marketing program ∙ Designated home staging expert ∙ First-time homebuyer program ∙ Certiﬁed Seniors Real Estate Specialist® 8077 Maryland Avenue • Clayton, MO 63105 Reenie: 314-302-4235 • Tom: 314-330-5442 Office: 314-872-6653 Reenie.Thornton@BHHSALL.com www.tomandreenie.com

9651 Clayton Road • Ladue, MO 63124 Steve: 314-503-6533 • Joe: 314-276-1604 stevemathes@realtor.com • joe.mathes@gmail.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Dan Snodgrass

Chrissy Wagner

Realtor

10805 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 102 St. Louis, MO 63127 Cell: 314-808-0549 Office: 314-966-4700 dansnodgrass@kw.com www.dansnodgrass.com

YEAR WINNER

Serving St. Louis and the Surrounding Areas

17107 Chesterfield Airport Road, Suite 160 Chesterfield, MO 63005 Cell: 314-412-9938 Office: 636-237-6000 chrissy@redkeystlouis.com www.realestatebychrissywagner.com

Real Estate With Results

YEAR WINNER

∙ Residential and investment property expertise ∙ Relocation knowledge ∙ Handling multiple property types ∙ Experience with short sales and foreclosures

∙ Client-ﬁrst philosophy ∙ Providing a stress-free experience ∙ Negotiating seamless transactions ∙ Consistent client communication

Welcome to the best resource for searching for homes, provided by Dan Snodgrass of Keller Williams Realty. A home is not a home because of its dimensions or the color of the walls. It is about how you feel when you walk through the front door, and the way you can instantly envision your life unfolding there. This is about more than real estate. It is about your life and your dreams. Dan Snodgrass utilizes the latest technologies, market research and business strategies to exceed your expectations. More importantly, he listens, and that means he finds solutions that are tailored to you.

As a seasoned Realtor, I understand that buying or selling a home is more than just a transaction — it’s a life-changing experience. That’s why I am dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized service for all of my clients. I treasure the relationships I am able to build with my clients and always work diligently on their behalf to help them achieve their real estate goals. Thank you for giving me the opportunity and privilege to do what I love to do!

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

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REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Beth Rogers

Kim Anderson

Real Estate Consultant

Residential Realtor

10805 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 102 St. Louis, MO 63127 Cell: 314-452-2384 Office: 314-775-0370 bethrogers@kw.com BethSellsStLouis.com

Matching You With the Home of Your Dreams

YEAR WINNER

∙ The matchmaker ∙ Licensed since 1990 ∙ Specializing in the Lindbergh and Rockwood school districts ∙ Giving back to the community as a member of Crestwood/Sunset Hills rotary since 2010 A home is about how you feel when you walk through the front door — the way you can instantly envision your life unfolding there. This is about more than real estate. It is about your life and dreams. Let Beth, along with her team of professionals, match you with the home of your dreams!

YEAR WINNER

Referred for a Reason!

YEAR WINNER

∙ No. 1 individual agent companywide ∙ Full-time Realtor with proven results ∙ Strong negotiator on your behalf ∙ Honest, ethical and knowledgeable ∙ Tech-savvy market expert ∙ Excellent customer service Whether you are buying or selling a home, Kim will ensure you make educated decisions every step of the way. You can rely on Kim’s honesty, positive attitude and loyalty. You will appreciate her strong negotiation skills as well as her sense of humor, friendly manner and high energy. Kim loves her job — and it shows. Call Kim today!

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Jean Burkemper

Victor Ponce

GRI, ABR®, CRS, CRB, SRS, e-PRO®, GREEN, PSA

Realtor

Jungermann Realty, Inc.

RE/MAX Gold

115 First Street Old Monroe, MO 63369 Cell: 636-299-3078 Office: 636-661-5300 jmrburke@yahoo.com www.jungermannrealty.com

16497 Clayton Road, Suite 104 Ballwin, MO 63011 Cell: 314-601-2866 Office: 636-529-8024 victor@prgremax.com www.prgremax.com

Customer Service Is My Specialty

2019 Rising Star Real Estate Agent

∙ Over 46 years of real estate expertise ∙ Representing buyers and sellers ∙ Short sale and foreclosure experience Jean Burkemper has been handling residential real estate transactions throughout the St. Louis area for over four decades. She specializes in handling classic country properties and prioritizes giving her clients an excellent experience. Jean’s extensive real estate education and training have prepared her to expertly handle your real estate purchase or sale, no matter what your specific situation may be. Allow Jean to bring you home! Real Estate Agent Award Winner

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11785 Manchester Road St. Louis, MO 63131 Cell: 314-704-1276 Office: 314-775-2050 kim@choosekim.com www.choosekim.com

∙ Buyer and seller agent ∙ Fluent in English and Spanish ∙ Military Relocation Program certiﬁed ∙ Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals board member ∙ U.S. Army retired ﬁrst sergeant Victor conveys loyalty, duty, respect, honor and integrity to his clients, which transforms into professionalism and an outstanding work ethic. He is a member of the St. Louis Association of Realtors, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals. He covers the areas of St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Warren County. Rising Star Real Estate Agent Award Winner

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REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Irene Hasegawa

John Zarky

Realtor

100 Firwood Drive Webster Groves, MO 63119 Phone: 314-920-1846 johnzarky@gmail.com johnzarky.janetmcafee.com

YEAR WINNER

10936 Manchester Road • St. Louis, MO 63122 • Cell: 314-707-5517 Office: 314-677-6044 • ireneh@kw.com • www.soldbyirene.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Serving the Real Estate Needs of St. Louis!

Lynn Bodenheimer Broker Sales Person, GRI, CRS

∙ Results-driven and effective under pressure ∙ Positive and energetic personality ∙ Exceptionally dedicated work ethic Licensed in 2016, John’s experience with St. Louis housing is not new. Before becoming a licensed agent, he was a residential appraiser with Town & Country Appraisals. John’s real estate practice relies on his appraisal knowledge as well as his strong research, listening and problem-solving skills. He recognizes the importance of personal service for each client, having thoroughly developed his customer service background prior to entering the real estate field. His clients can count on his integrity, loyalty, passion and honesty. Connect with us on Facebook at @johnzarkyrealestate.

YEAR WINNER

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Chris Zager

Celia Homsher

Sales Associate, Lic. 2002018232

ABR®, SRES®

∙ Over a decade of real estate expertise ∙ Specializing in first-time homebuyers ∙ Representing buyers and sellers

WINNER

Laura Maze Properties

As a full-time Realtor, I go above and beyond for each of my clients, no matter what the price range. I pride myself on my business being based entirely from repeat and referral customers, and gladly thank my clients and family for their continued support.

∙ 25-plus years of dedication

YEAR WINNER

Laura Maze Properties 5170 Westwood Drive • St. Charles, MO 63304 Phone: 314-852-9000 • chriszagerrealtor@gmail.com

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Georgia Ferretti

As a native St. Louisan with more than 25 years of selling real estate in the St. Louis area, I have experienced every level of seller and homebuyer. I provide dedicated, expert guidance in every step of the process and was awarded Realtor-Associate of the Year by the St. Louis Association of Realtors in 2001. Every client gets outstanding, quality service! 8077 Maryland Avenue • Clayton, MO 63105 Direct: 314-872-6731 • Cell: 314-795-9549 homsh@sbcglobal.net • www.CeliaHomsher.com

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

YEAR WINNER

∙ Ranked in the top 1 percent of all St. Louis Realtors (SLAR) ∙ Reputation as the doctor of real estate, serving all needs ∙ Providing real estate services to three generations “If you want to work with a true professional, your only call should be to Lynn Bodenheimer. We’ve worked with Lynn to buy our first home, build a new home and sell the first home over the last 10 years. She had experience with every situation we encountered and always had recommendations on how to best handle them, protecting our interests.” — J.R., client St. Louis, MO 63131 • Cell: 314-308-9362 • Office: 314-821-5885 lynn.bodenheimer@cbgundaker.com • www.lynnbodenheimer.com

Rising Star Real Estate Agent Award Winner

9 YEAR

∙ Two decades of real estate expertise ∙ Finding solutions tailored to your needs Irene Hasegawa is a native St. Louisan whose background is in sales and marketing. She has been in the real estate business since 2000 when she co-owned a property rehabilitation company and has been a licensed real estate agent since 2003. Irene represents both buyers and sellers in the St. Louis area. Irene helps you find the right place for your life. Reach out to her today to find your way home!

Susan Brand

Sales Executive

Realtor, GRI, ABR®, SRES®

I believe in serving my customers the same way I want to be served. Listening closely to my clients’ needs and wants has been the foundation of my success in real estate for the last 17 years. Communication is the key to all relationships. I believe that service doesn’t stop after contracts and closing. At the end of the day, my approach is simple. A good agent isn’t a salesperson — they’re an advocate, and that’s what I always try to be with my current and future clients.

∙ Graduate, Realtor Institute ∙ Accredited Buyer’s Representative ∙ Seniors Real Estate Specialist® As a member of the St. Louis Association of Realtors, the Missouri Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors, in addition to her collection of certifications, Susan Brand has clearly distinguished herself as a leading real estate representative who caters to the needs of her clients in the Greater St. Louis area.

Coldwell Banker Gundaker 1100 Town and Country Crossing Drive • Town and Country, MO 63017 Cell: 636-675-0329 • Office: 636-394-9300 georgia.ferretti@cbgundaker.com • www.michaelandgeorgia.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

YEAR WINNER

10805 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 102 • St. Louis, MO 63127 Phone: 314-602-7887 • susanbrand@kw.com www.susansellsstlouis.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

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REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Kelli Uxa

Cindy Williams

A perfect home is a home that fits your needs. Whether you are listing a house or navigating the buying process, Kelli’s skilled experience in this ever-changing market helps her understand her clients’ needs in a home sale or purchase. With nearly a decade of expertise in real estate, she focuses on each individual client, taking the time to understand their unique needs and lifestyle, and she’ll do the same for you!

∙ Prioritizing clients’ needs and wants ∙ Over 16 years of real estate expertise I am excited to be able to provide you with a wealth of valuable and unique real estate information. Our vision at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alliance Real Estate is crystal clear — to deliver the finest real estate services to all of our clients! From these unparalleled resources, I am able to provide you with the answers you are looking for and the solutions that are right for you

Buyer/Listing Specialist, Pricing Strategy Advisor, Certified Negotiation Expert

YEAR WINNER

Realtor, Sales Associate

YEAR WINNER

BHHS Alliance Real Estate

Keller Williams Realty 10805 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 102 • St. Louis, MO 63127 Cell: 314-960-2518 • Office: 314-775-2755 kelliuxa@kw.com • kelliuxa.kw.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

1905 Wentzville Parkway • Wentzville, MO 63385 Cell: 636-485-2262 • Office: 636-887-3536 cindy.williams@bhhsall.com • www.cindywilliamsre.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Rose Hefele

Renee D. Schultz

∙ Serving Greater St. Louis ∙ National Association of Realtors member ∙ Specializing in working with buyers and sellers throughout the metro area I thoroughly enjoy helping my clients find just the perfect home, and I am committed to working with you to sell your home. I have also finished in the top five real estate agents in my office since beginning my career in real estate. Allow me to guide you to your new home in St. Louis!

∙ Over two decades of real estate expertise in St. Louis Having sold homes in West and St. Louis counties, the city of St. Louis and the surrounding areas for more than 20 years, Renee prides herself on her unsurpassed skill of helping sellers and buyers sell or purchase their homes. Her professionalism and proven negotiating skills ensure that her clients get the best price possible! Renee specializes in assisting seniors and facilitating the highest profit from as-is sales. Call Renee to make your real estate dreams become a reality!

Realtor

YEAR WINNER

Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Realtor

YEAR WINNER

17107 Chesterfield Airport Road • Chesterfield, MO 63005 Cell: 314-520-3396 • Office: 636-237-6000 reneedschultz@gmail.com • reneeallday.com

9964 Kennerly Road • St. Louis, MO 63128 • Cell: 314-607-6998 Office: 314-815-5723 • rose.hefele@cbgundaker.com • rosehefele.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

Jay Phillips

Tracy Houska

Real Estate Consultant

Realtor

∙ Over 20 years of real estate experience ∙ Assisting buyers and sellers ∙ 85 percent referral-based business

4 YEAR

WINNER

RE/MAX Results

Let our team be your one-stop shop for all things real estate. If you are looking for consultants who meet and exceed your expectations, look no further. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer, a move-up buyer or a downsizing seller, The Phillips Team is here to assist you in the process. 13208 Manchester Road • St. Louis, MO 63131 • Cell: 314-791-7653 Office: 314-238-0239 • jay@thephillipsteam.com • thephillipsteam.com

Before beginning real estate Tracy executed deluxe group international travel — hundreds of details with every departure. Real estate allows Tracy to utilize her past skill sets; coordinating many details, delivering clear communication and fulfilling her desire to provide quality service to every buyer and seller. This along with18-plus years of working knowledge in many markets has earned Tracy hundreds of happy clients.

YEAR WINNER

Realty Executives

Real Estate Agent Award Winner

12016 Tesson Ferry Road, Suite A • St. Louis, MO 63128 Cell: 314-276-3811 • Office: 314-756-9100 tracyhouska@gmail.com • houskasellshouses.com Real Estate Agent Award Winner

“Always be honest. It can take a lifetime to build a reputation, but it can only take a second to destroy it.” — Five Star award winner

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

REAL ESTATE AGENTS

MORTGAGE PROFESSIONALS

HOME/AUTO INSURANCE PROFESSIONALS

To see the full list of winners, visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.

Real Estate Agents All Areas Lisa Accurso ∙ WM French Buyers Real Estate Marilyn Adaire ∙ Laura McCarthy Real Estate Lisa Adkins ∙ RE/MAX Page 7 Kim Anderson ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties Page 9 Karie Lyn Angell ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Tracy Houska ∙ Realty Executives Page 11

Chris Zager ∙ Laura Maze Properties Page 10

Donna Johnson ∙ Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Preferred Properties

Aviston

Kevin Buchek ∙ Roanoke Realty Denise Dowd ∙ Keller Williams Realty St. Louis

Jackie Schmitz ∙ Kues Brothers Real Estate

Nancy Gulick ∙ Janet McAfee Realty

Cheryl Lade ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Ballwin

Kathy Ann Helbig ∙ Experience Realty Partners

Angela Laskowski ∙ RE/MAX

Charlotte Graf ∙ RE/MAX SELECT

Katherine Lovegren ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Breese

Brenda Ladd ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Colleen Maginn ∙ Coldwell Banker

Chad Sellers ∙ Equity Fifty-Five Realty

Michelle LaRose-Wicks ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker Victor Ponce ∙ RE/MAX Gold Page 9

Chesterfield Mitzie Fenberg ∙ Keller Williams Realty Page 5

Celia Homsher ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Page 10

St. Louis

Kim Hove ∙ Coldwell Banker

Adam Bundren ∙ Bundren Property Group

Luan Meredith ∙ Realty & Associates

Joe Mathes ∙ Coldwell Banker Page 8

Chesterfield

Jody Newport ∙ Red Key Realty Leaders

Webster Groves

Wilma Dean Badgley ∙ Coldwell Banker

Steve Mathes ∙ Coldwell Banker Page 8

Nathan Bank ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Sarah Nguyen-Bani ∙ RE/MAX

John Zarky ∙ Janet McAfee Page 10

Mary Bay ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Colleen McCoole Payne ∙ Red Key Realty Leaders

Dawn Gluesenkamp ∙ RE/MAX Suburban

Donald Posegate ∙ Coldwell Banker

Clayton

Susan Raimondo ∙ Keller Williams Realty Page 7

Mortgage Professionals

Melinda Becker ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker Page 7 John Besmer ∙ Landmark, Realtors Lucyann Boston ∙ Laura McCarthy Real Estate Rachel Boxdorfer ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Susan Brand ∙ Keller Williams Realty Page 10 Kelly Britt ∙ RE/MAX Results

Melanie McIlroy ∙ Real Living Now Real Estate Rosemarie Meister ∙ Keller Williams Realty Eric Merchant ∙ Trophy Properties and Auction Christi Miceli ∙ RE/MAX Suburban Page 7 Donna Milberg-Forbis ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Katherine Bussmann ∙ Red Key Realty

Glenn Miller ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alliance Real Estate

Joyce Cammon ∙ Keller Williams Realty St. Louis

Carrie Nenonen ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

J Peter Warner ∙ Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty

Columbia Judy Fruth-Long ∙ RE/MAX Results

Creve Coeur Lynn Bodenheimer ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker Page 10

Des Peres Maureen Bahn ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Festus

Donna Catanzaro ∙ Keller Williams Realty

Stephanie Parson ∙ Keller Williams Realty West

Candy Citrin ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Jay Phillips ∙ RE/MAX Results Page 11

Cathy Cline ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Dean Porter ∙ RE/MAX

Sharon Colona ∙ St Louis Realty

Kathy Renaud ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Ann Carver Cordeal ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties

Jerry Roark ∙ Realty Executives Advantage

Innsbrook

Jean Schneider ∙ Laura McCarthy Real Estate

Steven Waters ∙ Innsbrook Properties

Lee Cowap ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker Aimee Davison ∙ Schneider Real Estate Robert Dean ∙ RE/MAX Wayne Deen ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker Tabitha Dewalle ∙ RE/MAX Brandy Dudenhoeffer ∙ Keller Williams Realty West Page 6 Debbie Dutton ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker Cathy Federer ∙ Red Key Realty

Pam Schneider ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Renee D. Schultz ∙ Red Key Realty Page 11 Louise Shapleigh ∙ Worth Clark Realty Catherine Shaw-Connely ∙ Tom Shaw, Realtors Dan Snodgrass ∙ Keller Williams Realty Page 8

Liz Fendler ∙ Paradigm Realty

Ryan Thies ∙ REsolutions

Georgia Ferretti ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker Page 10

Tom Thornton ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Page 8

Tamara Finder ∙ Keller Williams Realty

Hayley Tomazic ∙ J.F. Meyer Realty/ Keller Williams

Julie Fleck ∙ RE/MAX Terry Gannon ∙ RE/MAX Results Jennifer Gentry ∙ RE/MAX

Susan Torbeck ∙ Coldwell Banker Page 6

Claudia Counsell ∙ Realty Executives Five Star Homes

Florissant Steven Studnicki ∙ Coldwell Banker

Kirkwood Teri Nicely ∙ Red Key Realty Peggy Streb ∙ RE/MAX

Ladue

Karen Ratteree ∙ Realty Executives of St. Louis Maria Strizhev ∙ Coldwell Banker Kelli Uxa ∙ Keller Williams Realty Page 11 Frederick Wolfmeyer ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alan Woodhouse ∙ Worth Clark Realty

St. Peters

Mary Ann Braun ∙ Citizens National Bank Greg Carlson ∙ Citizens national Bank Marie Bergin Cuddihee ∙ F&B Financial Group Michael Dailey ∙ Mortgage Solutions of St. Louis, LLC Eileen Dalhoff ∙ Flat Branch Home Loans Janie Evans ∙ Carrollton Bank

Leah Petras ∙ Real Living Now Real Estate

Melissa Imo-Moffitt ∙ American Eagle Credit Union

Sunset Hills

Karen Kallemeier ∙ American Eagle Credit Union

Beth Rogers ∙ Keller Williams Realty Page 9

Town & Country

Ann Langston ∙ Highlands Residential Mortgage Trisha McConkey ∙ Associated Bank

Jeanne Belle ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Jane Miller ∙ Flat Branch Home Loans

Melissa Guz ∙ RE/MAX Stars

Tom Mueller ∙ Central Bank of St. Louis

Washington

Dean Pilcher ∙ First Bank Mortgage

Ginger Groff-Brinker ∙ RE/MAX Gold

Ted Rood ∙ First Bank Mortgage

Mary Jane Schriewer ∙ RE/MAX

Stephanie Shipley ∙ Cornerstone Mortgage a Division of Guild Mortgage

Webster Groves

Tom Sinak ∙ New American Funding

Peggy Dozier ∙ Janet McAfee Realty

Dorcas Dunlop ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Gai Lowell ∙ Janet McAfee Realty

Susan Schiff ∙ RE/MAX

Lake St. Louis

James Weston ∙ American Eagle Credit Union

Wentzville

Sean Zalmanoff ∙ USA Mortgage

Evelyn Krazer ∙ Sunshine Realty

Karen Susan Clark ∙ RE/MAX EDGE

Old Monroe

David Rohlfing ∙ STL Buy & Sell Realtors

Jean Burkemper ∙ Jungermann Realty, Inc. Page 9

Cindy Williams ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Page 11

Richmond Heights

Wildwood

Carolyn Mantia ∙ Clarity Street Realty

Scott Graham Peterson ∙ Keller Williams Realty

Kathy Golden ∙ Golden Realty

Patrick Tosie, Sr. ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

St. Charles

Matthew Graves ∙ Graves Realty

Denise Tower ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker

Shara Balotti ∙ Real Living Real Estate

Chrissy Wagner ∙ Red Key Realty Page 8

Scott Hagar ∙ Realty Executives of St. Louis

Brad Trotter ∙ Worth Clark Realty

Susan Eilers ∙ Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties

Irene Hasegawa ∙ Keller Williams Realty Page 10

Jessica Tumminello Fenton ∙ Savio Realty

Shannon Howard ∙ More, Realtors

Rising Star Real Estate Agents

John Hecht ∙ RE/MAX Gold

Sue Voigtmann ∙ Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield

Roxann Taylor ∙ St. Louis Realty

All Areas

Rose Hefele ∙ Coldwell Banker Gundaker Page 11

Cindy Wilson ∙ RED Realty

Sherri Welner ∙ Coldwell Banker

Zak Dittamore ∙ The Dittamore Group/ RE/MAX Alliance

Rachel Witt ∙ Keller Williams Realty St. Louis

Jodie Brandt-Neuman ∙ Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

St. Louis Jennifer Bickel ∙ Red Key Realty

Mark Streeper ∙ Stifel Bank & Trust

Home/Auto Insurance Professionals Tammy Luechtefeld ∙ State Farm Shawn McBride ∙ Affiliated Insurance Agencies Barry Menzel ∙ American Family Insurance Michael Murphy ∙ Murphy Insurance & Financial Services Lisa Neislein ∙ AAA William Newhouse ∙ Shelter Insurance Vicky Shrum ∙ Crawford-Butz Insurance Agency

Rebecca Gasperoni ∙ Ultimate Realty

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READERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; CHOICE POLL

2019

Let your voice be heard! Every year, St. Louis Magazine reveals the A-List, our tribute to the top of the town. You weighed in by nominating your favorites. Now we want to know who will take the crown. The winners will be recognized in the July issue and at a special awards presentation this summer. Voting ends April 19.

Visit stlmag.com/alist to vote.

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Join the conversation. #ALISTSTL

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DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

2019

DENTAL PROFILES

WHETHER YOU’RE IN NEED OF A SIMPLE CLEANING OR A COMPLETE SMILE MAKEOVER, THESE PROVIDERS SHOULD BE ON YOUR LIST OF PROSPECTS.

 April 2019 stlmag.com

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PROFILES

Reza Movahed, DMD

Movahed OMS ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY Dr. Reza Movahed has been practicing as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for nearly eight years, serving the greater St. Louis region and patients around the world. Dr. Movahed has offices in O’Fallon, Illinois, and Chesterfield—both of which are designed to care for patients regardless of which treatments they need. The offices are installed with the latest technology and staffed by a knowledgeable team trained to provide the best care. Dr. Movahed received his undergraduate degree in biology and art history from Rutgers College in New Jersey. After receiving his dental degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 2007, he completed an internship with Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of New York. Dr. Movahed went on to complete his residency in Florida at Nova Southeastern University, where he was exposed to the full scope of his specialty. Due to his interest and expertise in dentofacial deformities and temporomandibular joint disorders, Dr. Movahed completed his fellowship at the prestigious Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. During his fellowship, he was involved in the management and treatment of very complex orthognathic and TMJ surgical cases. By this time, his

passion for oral surgery had been cemented, and his drive for quality patient care made him the leading expert in his field Dr. Movahed has a great appreciation for the cutting-edge technological advancements in his specialty, particularly the computer-aided surgical simulation (CASS) in combined jaw and TMJ surgery. This approach adds a higher value of precision to surgical planning and execution. Dr. Movahed has implemented the use of transoral robotic surgery into his advanced surgical approach to correct obstructive sleep apnea. His interest in academia has resulted in book chapters and many publications in peer-reviewed oral and maxillofacial surgery journals. Additionally, he actively presents and lectures at meetings, both locally and nationally, of dental and oral surgical societies of which he is a member. As of 2014, he has joined the Saint Louis University Department of Orthodontics as a clinical assistant professor involved in research, teaching, and overseeing surgical orthodontic cases. “We are specialists with a broad goal: to improve your quality of life,” says Dr. Movahed. “By focusing on a few key areas of dental health, we can have a profound impact on a patient’s overall well-being.”

1585 WOODLAKE DRIVE, STE. 208, CHESTERFIELD, MO 63017 | 314-878-6725 | MOVAHEDOMS.COM

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PROFILES

FROM LEFT: Katie, hygenist; Ashley, hygenist; Julie, assistant; Jennifer, administration; Kurt A. Weisenfels, DDS; Sheila, office manager; Lu Ann, assistant; Cheryl, hygenist

Kurt A. Weisenfels, DDS GENERAL & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Dr. Kurt Weisenfels practices general, implant, and cosmetic dentistry at his office in Webster Groves. “Our philosophy is to respect a patient’s time and choice of how healthy they would like to be,” says Dr. Weisenfels. “Our goal is for all patients to have optimal dental health. We feel it is critical that we help them be engaged in their dental health care decisions.” To remain on the cutting edge of technological advances and treatments, Dr. Weisenfels attends continuing education that supports the advances in technology. Technology has dramatically changed the face of dentistry in his 30-plus years in practice, and his office reflects that. The practice has a CEREC machine, which allows for a new crown or onlay to be made in one visit. Dr. Weisenfels also uses a computer bite analysis (T-Scan™) for each patient. “This improves our diagnosis of TMJ problems, headaches, gum disease, and tooth sensitivity,” he says. The X-Guide™ system is brand new technology that helps guide the doctor’s hand in ideal placement of implants, allowing the best final crown aesthetics and function.

“We use a third-generation laser, allowing for many fillings and gum treatments to be done without numbing the patient,” Dr. Weisenfels says. He also utilizes digital X-rays and intraoral photos, which help patients understand the benefits of any necessary dental treatment. Far better than traditional X-ray technology, digital X-rays also significantly lower radiation exposure. The office’s high-tech, 3-D X-ray machine allows for better diagnostic capabilities in both implant placement and root canal therapy. It also allows for TMJ imaging. The office also utilizes CariVu, using LED light to detect decay, instead of X-rays. “Since all of our restorative treatments start with the final restorations in mind, this technology becomes critical in the placement of dental implants,” says Dr. Weisenfels. “Precision placement helps us to provide properly fitted crowns, which helps mimic nature as closely as possible.” The success of the practice is related to Dr. Weisenfels’ dedicated team, each of whom will go the extra mile to make patients’ experiences both enjoyable and comfortable. A patient with a history of dental anxiety recently said, “Everyone in Dr. Weisenfels’ office is excellent at what they do. I no longer fear going to the dentist.”

20 W. LOCKWOOD AVENUE, WEBSTER GROVES, MO 63119 | 314-961-3244 | KURTDDS.COM

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Justin M. Schlaikjer, DDS PERIODONTICS & IMPLANT DENTISTRY Dr. Schlaikjer is a periodontist located in South County. His goal is to make you feel welcome and comfortable in his office while optimizing your oral health. He takes his time discussing your individual needs and ensuring you completely understand how he can help and approve his recommendations. Each patient is treated with individual care and attention. Dental implants are an excellent solution for someone who is missing a tooth or teeth, or has a poorly fitting denture. For dental implants, he utilizes dynamically guided (X-Guide/X-Nav) implant placement for missing teeth, digital impressions, and an enhanced digital workflow that can reduce your time commitment visiting his office and your dentist’s office. For periodontal disease, his minimally invasive laser treatment (LANAP) and combination of a small endoscopic camera allows him to see below your gum line during treatment, ensuring the best possible results.

His goal is to improve your oral health with customized treatment based on your individual needs and desire. He has simple solutions to correct most “gummy smiles” and gum recession that leaves roots exposed in the mouth. His offices hours are Monday– Thurday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. You can meet with Dr. Schlaikjer in person to discuss your concerns by calling his office at 314-729-7840, or learn more about treatment options by searching his name on YouTube.

13 RONNIE’S PLAZA, SAPPINGTON, MO 63126 | 314-729-7840 | JMSPERIO.COM

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PROFILES

Family Dentistry of St. Peters FAMILY DENTISTRY The dentists at Family Dentistry of St. Peters provide the finest comprehensive dental care, with patient comfort and convenience as their utmost priorities. While patients can enjoy luxurious massaging chairs or benefit from the expediency of same-day crown capabilities, it is the entire team’s relentless focus on the patient experience that is truly unique. Dr. Mark Zust has been in practice for more than 40 years and, in 2010, was joined by his daughter, Dr. Danielle Riordan. Dr. Zust and Dr. Riordan are proud of the practice’s father-daughter dynamic and believe this has helped create the family atmosphere that makes their office warm and anxiety-free. The office is a state-of-the-art facility that contains the latest technology in the field, including Invisalign®, digital x-rays/3-D imaging, and much more. The doctors embrace technological advancement and look to the future for even better ways to improve their patients’ experiences. Both Dr. Zust and Dr. Riordan are extremely active in organized dentistry and have held multiple leadership positions at the local, state, and national levels. While Dr. Zust and Dr. Riordan are very proud of their practice and the patient relationships they have developed, they are just as passionate about giving back to their community by providing free dental care to those most in need. They do this through programs such as Give Kids a Smile, Missouri Missions of Mercy, and Missouri’s Donated Dental Services. “My father and I recognize that we are extremely fortunate to practice dentistry, and we believe strongly in giving back to our community,” says Dr. Riordan. Dr. Zust, Dr. Riordan, and their entire staff are honored and humbled by another topDENTISTS recognition.

SEATED, FROM LEFT: Danielle Riordan, DDS; Mark Zust, DDS MIDDLE ROW: Meg, Lisa, Svet, Kirbie, Megan BACK ROW: Kacey, Ashley, Ana, Nicole

80 GAILWOOD DRIVE, ST. PETERS, MO 63376 | 636-928-1100 | FAMILYDENTISTRYOFSTPETERS.COM

Greg Berg, DDS ENDODONTICS ABOUT THE DOCTOR: Dr. Greg Berg has been a specialist in root canal therapy since 1993

and is specifically trained to relieve oral and facial pain and save natural teeth. He performs routine, and complex endodontic procedures including microsurgery. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: A modern dental office incorporates advanced technologies, such as digital imaging and operating microscopes, into root canal treatments, resulting in greater accuracy and optimal results. EDUCATIONAL STRIDES: Dr. Berg’s highly skilled clinicians and staff are committed to continuing education. They regularly attend dental lectures, meetings, and conventions to stay abreast of new technologies, products, and equipment. BUILDING TRUST: Treating patients as individuals is vital to Dr. Berg’s success. His entire team is dedicated to providing personalized care to make patients as comfortable as possible. 1325-A Queens Court, St. Peters, MO 63376 636-928-6000

April 2019 stlmag.com

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Barry S. Goldenberg, DMD, MS PROSTHODONTICS Dr. Barry Goldenberg is a board-certified prosthodontist in Missouri. A 1982 graduate of Washington University of School of Dental Medicine, he later attended UMKC and completed his specialty residency in prosthodontics while also attaining his master’s degree. Dr. Goldenberg is a global educator in the field f implants. WHAT IS A PROSTHODONTIST? Prosthodontists are highly trained specialists in state-of-the art techniques and procedures for treating many diverse and complex dental conditions and restoring optimum function and esthetics. THE PRACTICE: Passion describes the philosophy of Dr. Goldenberg’s practice, which is a leading referral practice in prosthetic dentistry, including implant and aesthetic dentistry. The practice is known among dental professionals for providing the kind of excellent service to the finest detail. Dr. Goldenberg has had the distinct opportunity to lecture about implant dentistry worldwide in eight countries. NEW INNOVATIONS: Dentistry is a profession that does not stand still. Dr. Goldenberg is committed to continuing education, both as a student and a mentor. Dr. Goldenberg has been dedicated to placing the latest equipment and technology into his state-of-the-art facility. His practice is backed by more than 35 years of clinical experience providing life-changing solutions to complex dental problems. DR. GOLDENBERG’S MISSION: Dr. Goldenberg strives to devote sufficie time to and genuine care for patients and their unique set of problems; to be aware of the multiple disciplines in dentistry and refer patients to the proper specialist when planning their treatment; to consistently provide a high standard of work that will stand up to the scrutiny of dental peers; and to constantly improve.

777 S. NEW BALLAS ROAD, STE. 213-E, ST. LOUIS, MO 63141 | 314-997-7972

Sonu Muthuvalliappan, DMD

Arch Dentistry FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Dr. Sonu creates life-long relationships with her team, patients, and community. She provides comprehensive dental care centered around patient education, longevity of relationships, and a commitment to excellence. Dr. Sonu and her team strive for: A RELATIONSHIP-BASED PRACTICE – When you walk through their doors, you become a member of their dental family. They want to empower you, educate you, and partner with you to obtain optimal oral and whole-body health. AN INNOVATIVE PRACTICE – Dr. Sonu is unequivocally passionate about staying on the leading edge of dentistry, and she invests hundreds of hours into ongoing training every year to bring her patients the best care possible. Whether you have an urgent need or want a routine check-up, the practice brings excellence and compassion to create a warm and encouraging experience. 807 Hazelwest Drive, Hazelwood, MO 63042 314-764-5312 | archdentistry.com

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PROFILES

Julie L. Ring, DDS FAMILY DENTISTRY Dr. Julie Ring is once again elated to be selected by her peers in topDENTISTS for the eighth consecutive year. Dr. Ring and her team are proud to have served multiple generations of families with excellent dental care for 25 years. Among procedures offered are ZOOM whitening, extractions, crowns, bridges, implants, partials, dentures, root canals, Invisalign, and periodontal cleanings. Born and raised in Creve Coeur, Dr. Ring attended Ladue High School and graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s exclusive sixyear program. After graduation, she completed both a general practice residency and a hospital dentistry fellowship at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Dr. Ring has worked extensively with patients who have special needs, Down’s Syndrome, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and autism. Generation Dental Group is thrilled to have Dr. Chris Dowling join the practice. Dr. Dowling completed his undergraduate education at Boston College, then attended University of Missouri-Kansas for his dental degree. He has been treating patients in St. Louis for almost 40 years. Generation Dental offers convenient early morning and evening appointment times, as well as Saturday appointments. If you’re looking for a new dental home, Dr. Ring and Dr. Dowling would love to meet you.

FROM LEFT: Julie Ring, DDS; Christopher Dowling, DDS

1001 CHESTERFIELD PARKWAY EAST, STE. 202, CHESTERFIELD, MO 63017 | 636-532-2228 | KURTDDS.COM

Renee Doyle, DMD, MS

Doyle Orthodontics ORTHODONTICS Dr. Renee Doyle is a specialist in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. She received a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Southern Illinois University and a master’s degree in orthodontics from Saint Louis University. For the past 10 years, Dr. Doyle has provided orthodontic care to patients of all ages. While the trend in orthodontics leans toward larger practices, Dr. Doyle keeps her practice more intimate, allowing for incomparable attention and communication throughout her patients’ treatments. In addition, the practice’s modern office features top-notch technology, including an intra-oral scanner, to ensure you receive the best results. Doyle Orthodontics wants the path to your new smile to be fun, personalized, and convenient. You will not only love your smile, but you will also enjoy the journey to achieve it! 106 Veterans Parkway, Columbia, IL 62236 618-281-5896 | doyleorthodontics.com

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DENTAL

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PROFILES

Kemlage Family Dentistry FAMILY DENTISTRY The practice of Drs. Thomas and Andrew Kemlage blends the familiar comfort of a traditional family dental center with modern technology found at the most high-tech of dental offices. Through an array of preventative, diagnostic, and treatment services, the team at Kemlage Family Dentistry provides patients with the highest quality of care. Dr. Tom has been serving patients not only in the St. Louis region, but around the world for 31 years. His son, Dr. Andrew, has been practicing alongside him for the past five years. This father-son duo provides individuals and families with unsurpassed quality and affordable care in all aspects of dentistry, including dental implants; single-appointment crowns; cosmetic dentistry; full-mouth rehabilitation; orthodontics, including clear aligners; and snoring/sleep apnea treatment. The list goes on. Drs. Tom and Andrew accomplish this using the most advanced dental equipment available in the field, such as 3-D radiographs, computer-designed surgical guides for implants, CEREC for porcelain crowns and veneers, unique cavity-detecting cameras, relaxing nitrous oxide gas, digital impressions, and more. The team at Kemlage Family Dentistry has designed their practice around total patient convenience. The office remains open as late as 8 p.m., and they even have hours on Saturdays. They also provide an in-house insurance plan for individuals or families who are fed up with the nuisances of their insurance or those who simply do not have dental insurance. The supreme quality, innovation, convenience, and affordability provided at Kemlage Family Dentistry truly place them at the top. Their family looks forward to serving yours.

1576 SMIZER STATION ROAD, FENTON, MO 63026 | 636-225-1777 | KEMLAGEFAMILYDENTISTRY.COM

Kellerman Dental FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Patients frequently mention service, integrity, and trust as core feelings they experience when describing Kellerman Dental. They describe the office as “the only place where I will receive my dental care from now on.” “We treat our patients in a holistic way,” says Dr. Kellerman. “We take a closer look at the health of the patient. We not only look at gum health and tooth health, but we also look at chewing system health and whole body health. It’s what separates us in what we do”. Services include all facets of comprehensive care, as well as 3D radiography, Invisalign®, implants, teeth whitening, sedation, tooth replacement, and bio-rejuvenation of worn or broken teeth. Dr. Kellerman also treats pain associated with headaches, chewing muscles, and TMJ. 16 Junction Drive West, Ste. 101, Glen Carbon, IL 62034 618-288-3535 | kellermandental.com Kevin J. Kellerman, DMD

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Dentistry for Children & Adolescents

PROFILES FROM LEFT: Andrew Dill, DMD; Murray Appelbaum DMD; Michael Wong, DMD; Amy Varble, DMD

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY For almost 50 years, Dentistry for Children & Adolescents has been recognized in St. Louis for its specialty in pediatric dentistry. Pediatric dentists complete two additional years of training beyond dental school that is instrumental in their ability to make their patients feel safe and to perform excellent dentistry in even the most uncooperative situation. A child’s first visit is recommended around the time the first tooth appears, unless there are other issues. Parents are always welcome to accompany the child into the treatment area. The office is also equipped to handle patients with special needs, including behavioral and developmental issues. Established in 1971, the practice has grown to feature four pediatric dentists and two convenient locations: Creve Coeur and St. Charles. The offices are open six days a week, and the doctors are on call 24/7 for dental emergencies. Dr. Murray Appelbaum joined Dr. Steven Levitt in 1985, and his level of experience makes troublesome cases seem routine. Dr. Andrew Dill, Dr. Amy Varble, and Dr. Michael Wong are all board certified by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Their exceptional clinical skills, comforting presence, and personal brands of silliness can coax even the most nervous children through a successful dental visit. They also offer nitrous oxide free of charge. The doctors and the SmileKidz Team work hard to make every child’s experience a positive one!

11709 OLD BALLAS ROAD, SUITE 104, CREVE COEUR, MO 63141 | 2050 BLUESTONE DRIVE, ST. CHARLES, MO 63303 CREVE COEUR: 314-567-1122 | ST. CHARLES: 636-946-5225 | SMILEKIDZ.COM

Zachary Varble, DMD, MSD

Varble Orthodontics ORTHODONTICS Varble Orthodontics is the practice of Dr. Zachary Varble, offering orthodontic care to patients of all ages with a primary focus on the treatment of children and adolescents. While the trend in orthodontics leans toward large, multidoctor practices, Dr. Varble chooses to keep his intimate. This approach allows the clinical and administrative staffs to better establish a continuity of care and communication throughout treatment. Raised in the small town of Jerseyville, Illinois, and the son of an orthodontist, Dr. Varble prefers the small-town style. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Dr. Varble began his journey to orthodontics by attending Southern Illinois School of Dental Medicine, where he received his Doctor of Dental Medicine. Dr. Varble then received both his certific te to practice orthodontics and master’s degree in dentistry from Saint Louis University, where he received the J.P. Marshall Award as the valedictorian of his orthodontic residency. 11709 Old Ballas Road, Ste. 104, Creve Coeur, MO 63141 | 314-567-3444 2050 Bluestone Drive, St. Charles, MO 63303 | 636-757-1136 varbleorthodontics.com

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Genevieve Otto, DDS, MSD

Otto Orthodontics ORTHODONTICS For the past 10 years, Dr. Genevieve Otto has provided patients with top-ofthe-line orthodontic care. With a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in orthodontics from Saint Louis University, Dr. Otto provides the full scope of orthodontic treatments. She strives to provide the best care possible to her patients by offering a comprehensive set of options—from traditional braces to Invisalign® and esthetic braces colors such as clear and rose gold—to ensure that she has an orthodontic solution that will be perfect for you, regardless of your age or needs. The practice’s modern offices feature state-of-the-art technology to ensure you receive optimum results in the most efficient manner possibl Dr. Otto believes that great care extends past knowledge. She has created a fun office atmosphere where kids love to be treated and adults feel equally at home. Patients of this practice are not just patients; they are family. Dr. Otto and her amazing staff provide each of their patients with the compassionate and individualized care they deserve. Otto Orthodontics’ commitment to patients doesn’t stop at the office; the team believes in giving back to the community in which they live and work. Every year, Otto Orthodontics sponsors numerous local schools, sports teams, and community events. Otto Orthodontics is happily accepting new patients of all ages. For convenience, the practice offers early morning and Saturday hours at two locations, in Des Peres and Wentzville. To get the smile you have always dreamed of and to be treated in a caring, fun environment, call Otto Orthodontics for a free consultation.

12360 MANCHESTER ROAD, STE. 204, DES PERES, MO 63131 | 1002 SCHROEDER CREEK BOULEVARD, WENTZVILLE, MO 63385 636-887-3731 | OTTOORTHO.COM

Lakeside Dental FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY When you visit Dr. Sherri Poettker and her dedicated team at Lakeside Dental, your smile is their top priority. Everyone in the office is dedicated to providing the personalized, gentle care that you deserve. Patients routinely comment on how comfortable they were during procedures. Along with being truly compassionate to all patients, the team strives for excellence at every opportunity and always provides patients with the information they need to make informed decisions about their oral health needs. “My philosophy of care is to treat every patient as if they were a member of my family, and to truly listen to what they have to say,” says Dr. Poettker. “My goal is to provide the smile that a patient has always wanted to boost confiden e and self-esteem.” Services include state-of-the-art digital radiography, teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, Invisalign®, intraoral cameras, lasers, implants, dentures, white fillings, and c owns. 3090 Winghaven Boulevard, O’Fallon, MO 63368 636-561-0800 | smilesbylakeside.com Sherri Poettker, DMD

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PROFILES

Lisa J. McDonald & Associates GENERAL & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Dr. Lisa McDonald, Dr. Suveetha Mikkili, and Dr. Kelly O’Shaughnessy practice complete health dentistry and focus on elimination of inflamm tion and dental disease in order to help their patients achieve optimal oral and overall health. Research continues to show a link between dental infections and chronic disease. By restoring patient’s teeth and gums to a healthy state, the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic disease is reduced. All three doctors focus on quality, personalized care. They educate patients about dental needs while providing state-of-the art service in their newly remodeled office. The doctors are continually advancing their training to stay on the leading edge of dentistry. This past year, the doctors and team completed training in evaluating airways and treating sleep apnea and incorporated the latest in 3D technology to enhance patient care. Their new “green” 3D X-ray machine provides the highest-quality images at a low radiation dose. The group’s dental team is the best in the business. The dental hygienists, Angie and Katie; dental assistants, Nicole and Tiona; and business team, Barb, Julianne, and Katrina are dedicated to making each patient’s visit a wonderful experience. The doctors and team are also proud of the service they provide for the community. Last September, the team sponsored and participated in the St. Jude 5K walk/run in downtown St. Louis. Giving back is an important value in this practice.

FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT: Angie; Lisa McDonald, DMD; Suveetha Mikkili, DMD; Nicole BACK ROW: Barb; Katrina; Kelly O’Shaughnessy, DDS; Julianne; Katie; Tiona

7247 DELMAR BOULEVARD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63130 | 314-727-1319 | DENTALHEALTHANDWELLNESS.NET

Kenneth Ausmer, DMD

Midwest Smiles Family Dentistry FAMILY DENTISTRY Dr. Kenneth Ausmer is committed to improving the lives of his patients through excellence in dentistry. Dr. Ausmer says his joy comes from the response he gets from his patients when they experience improved dental health and appearance. He loves to ease the minds of “dentalphobics.” Dr. Ausmer and the Midwest Smiles team are committed to providing the highest level of patient care with each interaction. They want to help patients maintain healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime. Dr. Ausmer uses modern technology and precise hand skills to achieve a patient’s best smile. Services include general dental procedures, state-of-the-art cosmetic procedures, multiple options to replace missing teeth, and several alternatives to braces. The office is always accepting new patients; its clientele always appreciates the personalized care and attention provided. 4169 N. Highway 67, Florissant, MO 63034 314-653-1200 | bestmidwestsmiles.com

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Ballas Dental Care SEDATION DENTISTRY As a dental care provider in the St. Louis and surrounding areas for more than 45 years, serving three generations, Ballas Dental Care stands out as one of the top dental offices in the region. Ballas Dental Care places emphasis on clear communication. Innovative services include conscious oral sedation dentistry, dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, crowns, bridges, and dentures. Oral sedation dentistry provides outstanding results with less time in the dental office. Patients with anxiety or fear receive extensive treatments in as little as one appointment and literally relax through their visit. It is fulfillin for the dentists when they are able to resolve years of neglect for patients who have avoided treatment—all while they’re completely at ease. As a trusted, well-established practice grounded in integrity, Ballas Dental Care treats each patient as a family member. The doctors care about their patients’ well-being in addition to their dental health. “Our philosophy is very simple: Our patients come fi st,” Dr. Watanabe says. “This is paramount to every facet of our practice. State-of-the-art techniques and equipment are used to benefit our p tients.” Ballas Dental Care happily accepts new patients of all ages. The office opens weekdays at 7 a.m., with extended evening hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Saturday for patients’ convenience. Patients also are offered several payment options, including interest-free financin through CareCredit. Ballas Dental Care’s goal is to help patients achieve and maintain overall dental health. Contact the practice to see how they can help you achieve a healthy, beautiful smile.

FROM LEFT: William “Chip” Haines, DMD; Douglas T. Watanabe, DDS; Jan Olivier, DMD

2821 N. BALLAS ROAD, STE. 140, TOWN & COUNTRY, MO 63131 | 314-432-5544 | BALLASDENTALCARE.COM

Robert Rahm, DDS

Chesterfield Valley Dental GENERAL, COSMETIC & IMPLANT DENTISTRY Chesterfield Valley Dental is locally owned by Dr. Robert Rahm, a Chesterfield resident and St. Louis native. A graduate of Marquette University, Dr. Rahm offers a family-friendly practice as well as cosmetic and implant procedures. If you’re looking for a dentist who understands the fear that prevents a patient from having their ideal smile, you’ll be in good hands with Dr. Rahm. His numerous positive online reviews attest to his gentle and calming nature. In addition, he has an excellent team supporting him in providing superior service in a state-of-the-art facility. Dr. Rahm spent his first years of practice focused on elderly patients and has a special knack for treating them, which has been a plus for those looking for dental care for their aging parents. Chesterfield Valley Dental’s reputation is one of patient-focused, quality dental care delivered with personal attention. 6 McBride and Son Center Drive, Ste. 100, Chesterfield, MO 63005 636-537-5240, chesterfieldvalleydental.com

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PROFILES

Dr. James L. Schmidt & Associates FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Dr. James L. Schmidt is a graduate of Northwestern University Dental School. He completed a one-year residency program at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and he is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Dr. Schmidt also teaches part-time in the Restorative Department at Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Christa Hopp is a graduate of SIU School of Dental Medicine. She also completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency from SIU. She is a member of the ADA, the AGD, and the Academy of Operative Dentistry. She is currently a full-time associate professor and head of the operative section at SIU School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Hopp works part time at Dr. Schmidt’s dental office. Dr. Katie Meister graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. She completed a one-year general dentistry residency at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, California. She practiced for several years in San Francisco before returning to the Midwest. Dr. Meister is a member of the ADA and an Invisalign® provider. Dr. Al Khatib is an associate of Dr. Schmidt and works part-time in the practice. Dr. Al Khatib is a member of the ADA, AGD, American Association of Orthodontics, and the World Federation of Orthodontics. Dr. Schmidt’s office uses state-of-the-art technologies, including digital radiography and in-office digital scanning, design, milling and cementation of ceramic restorations with CEREC technology in a single appointment.

FROM LEFT: Feras Al Khatib, DMD, MS; Katie Meister, DMD; James L. Schmidt, DDS, PC; Christina D. Hopp, DMD

7809 WATSON ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63119 | 314-968-7979 | DRJAMESSCHMIDTDDS.COM

Gena F. Pineda, DDS

Gena F. Pineda, DDS FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Dr. Gena Pineda is a graduate of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. After graduating from dental school in 2000, Dr. Pineda completed a four-year tour in the United States Navy, where she completed a hospital residency at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. Dr. Pineda devotes hundreds of hours every year to dental education in the areas of cosmetics, implants, sleep apnea, and restorative dentistry. She values the importance of staying current with the newest dental techniques and materials. In addition, Dr. Pineda is a clinical instructor for a hands–on cosmetic dentistry course, teaching other dentists the science and techniques of cosmetic dentistry. Her professional memberships include the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. 101 United Drive, Ste. 150, Collinsville, IL 62234 618-345-7676 | creatingsmilesfamilydentistry.com

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PROFILES

Healthy Smiles of Saint Louis GENERAL & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Everyone at Healthy Smiles of Saint Louis is in the business of building relationships while they build smiles. The team works hard to meet individual needs, understanding that when patients are happy and comfortable, they are more likely to schedule the regular care they need. They know that to have good overall health, patients need to have good oral health. Thorough exams and focus on prevention will give anyone a great start on the path to wellness. The Whitening For Life program is designed to keep healthy teeth bright with free take-home whitening at every regularly scheduled cleaning. New-patient specials offer discounts for new and referred patients. EDUCATED, COMPASSIONATE, COMMUNITY-FOCUSED DOCTORS:

Drs. Thomas Flavin, William Seaton, and Tarah Ridenbark have dedicated their lives to continuing education and advancement, regularly attending ongoing post-graduate training and education at such prestigious institutions as Pankey Institute, The Dawson Academy, Spear, and Kois Center. In addition, the doctors are dedicated to helping their community—and the world—smile. Dr. Flavin is president and one of the developers of Give Kids a Smile. He is past president of Delta Dental Health Theatre, now HealthWorks! Kids Museum, where he is currently a board member. Dr. Seaton and Dr. Flavin are past presidents and past board members of the Greater St. Louis Dental Society. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY: Healthy Smiles of Saint Louis has invested in the latest equipment and techniques, including state-of-the-art diagnostic and digital imaging, laser technology, the restoration of dental implants, sleep apnea appliances, treatment for TMJ disorder, total mouth transformations, and their very own on-site crown and bridge lab. The office now offers same-day crowns through use of CEREC technology and digital impressions.

CENTER, FROM LEFT: Thomas Flavin, DDS; Tarah Ridenbark, DMD; William W. Seaton, DDS

74224 WATSON ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO 63109 | 314-832-1366 | DRTHOMASFLAVIN.COM

James Galea, BChD, DDS, MSD

Cardinal Orthodontics ORTHODONTICS At Cardinal Orthodontics, your smile is just the start! Dr. James Galea and his team are committed to providing superior service for patients of all ages while helping them achieve a healthy and beautiful smile. Cardinal Orthodontics is a leading provider of Invisalign® and utilizes the most up-to-date technologies, including the iTero® Element™ Intraoral Scanner and self-ligating braces. Whether you’re interested in Invisalign® or braces, Cardinal Orthodontics offers free initial exams. This gives you the opportunity to discuss your individual goals with the doctor and to figu e out the best treatment options for your smile. “One of my passions is creating beautiful smiles, even in challenging situations,” says Dr. James. “Seeing our patients more confi ent about their image when treatment is complete gives me a sense of happiness and achievement.” Cardinal Orthodontics treats patients in both Webster Groves and Ballwin. 24 S. Gore Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119 | 15028 Manchester Road, Ballwin, MO 63011 314-962-6242 | cardinalorthodontics.com

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PROFILES

Wolken Dental FAMILY DENTISTRY Wolken Family Dental is a concierge-level dental practice providing premium dental care for families in the Ladue/Clayton neighborhood. The patient-centered approach means an entirely different experience with the highest standards. Putting patients first means in-depth examinations, custom treatment plans, and world-class technology for superior results. Recently introduced Wolken Family in-house private dental plans are helping patients make decisions based on their oral health needs instead of what insurance dictates. For repair, cosmetic treatment or full reconstructive dental work, you can see results over the span of nearly 80 years. A multi-generational commitment to excellence in preventative care, beautiful cosmetic outcomes, and patient comfort is what makes the Wolken legacy continue to thrive. Discover why more families trust their smiles to Wolken Family Dental today. 8888 Ladue Road, Ste. 200, St. Louis, MO 63124 | 314-727-6676 | wolkendental.com FROM LEFT: Christopher Wolken, DDS; Andrew Wolken, DDS Didem Ince, DDS, MS, PhD

Ince Orthodontics ORTHODONTICS Dr. Didem Ince, a graduate of Saint Louis University, has practiced orthodontics in the St. Louis area for more than a decade. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and a member of the American Dental Association and the American Association of Orthodontists. Dr. Ince has contributed to scholarly dental and medical literature as an author in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, The Journal of Rheumatology, the Journal of Prosthodontics, and many other internationally recognized journals. She is honored to be recognized by her peers as a top orthodontist in the St. Louis region for 14 years in a row. “My first priority is to provide the highest level of orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment,” says Dr. Ince. “Our state-of-the-art facilities are equipped with the latest technology that improves patient comfort and reduces appointment frequency and treatment times.” 9022 Mexico Road, Ste. 2, O’Fallon, MO 63366 | 636-978-9300 2444 Taylor Road, Wildwood, MO 63040 | 636-458-8848 inceorthodontics.com

Ladue Family Dental GENERAL DENTISTRY Located in the Clayprice Shopping Center, Dr. Paul Pence and his staff at Ladue Family Dental have provided dental health services to families in Ladue and surrounding communities for the past 20 years. The practice is pleased to offer services including Invisalign® and ZOOM®, the in-office whitening technique. They also provide white fillings, root canal therapy, all porcelain crowns, and anterior porcelain veneers. Additional services that have been well-received are smile makeovers, which involve implant placement and implant-supported restorations. A 1995 graduate of Southern Illinois University’s School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Pence completed a general practice residency at BJC and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. In 1999, he was invited to sustain the practice known today as Ladue Family Dental. Currently, Dr. Pence is a member of the American Dental Association and the St. Louis Dental Society. Dr. Pence welcomes all new patients. Call for an appointment or consultation. Paul R. Pence, DMD

9216 Clayton Road, Ste. 110, Ladue, MO 63124 | 314-991-0722 | laduedental.com

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Parenting doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come with a handbook.

But weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the chapter on safety.

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SPECIAL ADV ER TI S I N G S ECTI ON

FUNDRAISING FUNDRAISING EVENTS Events Calendar Local nonprofits rely o the generosity of individuals like you to carry out their missions of helping others. Mark your calendar for one or more of these lively events that support a variety of causes.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27 / 6:30 P.M.

Casino Night hosted by Friends of the Club BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER ST. LOUIS

Join the young friends at The Vault at Southside Tower for an evening of live music, dancing, casino games, raffles, and m e to raise money for Club youth! 314-335-8000 / bgcstl.org

FRIDAY, MAY 3 / 8 A.M.

LaunchCode’s Moonshot Awards LAUNCHCODE

In the spirit of entrepreneur Jim McKelvey, LaunchCode’s Moonshot Awards recognize the efforts of the St. Louis pioneers of today—those working toward new solutions to better the community. LaunchCode invites the community at large to honor St. Louis innovators by nominating them for a Moonshot Award category. Award winners will be announced by McKelvey at a breakfast celebration on May 3. launchcode.org/moonshot

FRIDAY, JUNE 7

VBRC 15th Anniversary Fundraiser VETERANS BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER

VBRC is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a fundraiser to help former military members and their families become entrepreneurs or expand an existing business. 314-531-8387 / vetbiz.com

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MONDAY, JUNE 17 / 11:30 A.M.

Jim Butler’s Charity Golf Classic BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER ST. LOUIS

The Jim Butler Golf Charity Classic, one of St. Louis’ premier golf tournaments, will take place June 17 at the Country Club of St. Albans. The event supports Club Health & Life Skills programs and will include an 11:30 a.m. shotgun start, lunch, on-course food stations, and dinner. Both courses will be available for the tournament, which also helps increase awareness of BGCSTL’s efforts to promote health and wellness to youth members. 314-335-8000 / bgcstl.org

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 / 7:30 A.M.

Seize the Day 5K Run/Walk EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF MISSOURI AND KANSAS

Join the Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri and Kansas for the Seize the Day 5k Run/Walk in Kirkwood Park. This family-friendly event features a professionally timed 5K and 1-mile walk, the Bubble Bus, balloon art, and miniature horses. One in 26 people are diagnosed with epilepsy, and the organization needs your help to continue the fight to stop seizu es. This event helps support the 72,000 children with epilepsy in Missouri. 314-781-4949 / efmk.org

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 / 8 A.M.

St. Louis Walk to Defeat ALS®, Forest Park THE ALS ASSOCIATION

Every year, thousands of people bring their determination, energy, and passion to the Walk to Defeat ALS®. Register today and bring hope to those affected by ALS, raise money for a cure, and join together to create a world without ALS. 888-873-8539 / alsa-stl.org

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 / 8 A.M.

5Kimmswick Keep Your Eyes on the Pies THE ALS ASSOCIATION

This 5K race and 1-mile walk or fun run is held in historic Kimmswick and comes complete with lunch, beer— and yes—the chance for race winners to take home a Mile-High Pie from the Blue Owl Restaurant & Bakery! 888-873-8539 / alsa-stl.org

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MONDAY, AUGUST 19 / 10:30 A.M.

Swing for a Cure Golf Tournament THE ALS ASSOCIATION

Join the ALS Association for a day of fun, sun, and golf at Sunset Country Club. Proceeds help the ALS Association St. Louis provide free services for local people with ALS and their families, while also funding research for treatments and a cure. 888-873-8539 / alsa-stl.org

NOVEMBER / 6:00 P.M.

Great Futures Gala BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER ST. LOUIS

The Great Futures Gala is the largest fundraiser benefiting the Boys & Girl Clubs of Greater St. Louis and focuses on the Youth of the Year process and the great futures kids attain through their Club experiences. Enjoy a reception, sit-down dinner, after-party, and the selection of the Youth of the Year. 314-335-8000 / bgcstl.org

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 / 6 P.M.

Ice Bucket Bash THE ALS ASSOCIATION

The Ice Bucket Bash is a fun, energetic party that puts St. Louis celebrities on the hot seat... err, the cold seat! Ice Bucket Bash attendees will experience an ice-themed celebration with interactive elements for guests to explore. Five notable St. Louisans will take the stage as guests pledge donations to see them dunked. 888-873-8539 / alsa-stl.org

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ing through all their kids’ toys and games and gear. If you Googled “hoarding” in 2011, you would have pulled up about 2.5 million hits. Today, you’ll get 47 million. The continuum of a hoarding disorder stretches from a “clean hoard,” out of control but not contaminated or infested, to frank squalor, in which people let garbage and rotting food pile up around them. At that extreme, they’re often also suffering from Why Hoarding’s Increasingly Prevalent paralyzing depression, dementia, For a month, every single time somebody asks what or psychotic delusions. I’m working on and I name the topic, a shadow crosses In between swirl all sorts of their face, and they tell me about a family member or variables, from consumerism friend who hoarded. No way is this disorder affecting and childhood influences to neujust 2 to 5 percent of the population, the longstanding robiology and personality. official estimate. Genes definitely play a role: In “It’s largely a hidden problem,” agrees Max an early study of hoarding disZubatsky, assistant professor in family and order, almost 85 percent of the community medicine at Saint Louis University and an advisory board member of The

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Hoarding Continued from p. 91

of stuff, and tethered there with nylon cables. Throwing something away is like sawing off a piece of your soul. Displacement—as a refugee or by a natural disaster—can also make hoarding more likely. Lee sees a lot of loss and PTSD in her clients: “In that very vulnerable moment when we’re in their home, they will say things that would not necessarily bubble up in a therapeutic session. And sometimes as we’re digging, I’ll notice that everything on the bottom layer is from 1984, and I’ll say, ‘What happened in 1984?’ and they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s the year my mother died,’ or ‘I had this terrible accident.’” So they built a barricade to protect them from pain—and now it’s made them more vulnerable than ever. Or maybe that’s just a poetic attempt to inject meaning into the chaos? “We kind of throw around this picture of people insulating themselves from the world with their stuff,” Lee observes. “I think from a practical point of view, it’s more that your brain just isn’t working the same way. Some trauma affected the way you look at the world and the way you make decisions. Maybe your selfesteem is low, or your executive function’s a little cloudy.” Criticism, real or imagined, can also be paralyzing. Lee was helping a client go through stuff in her basement, and suddenly the woman stopped short. “It’s the committee!” she blurted. She’d often hear her mother’s voice in her head, criticizing every move she made—and not only her mother but other women from the same generation—and whenever this happened, she’d hover, unable to decide. With Lee by her side, she was finally able to laugh about it. Another client kept showing Lee what she called “guilt gifts”—presents from her husband while he was having an affair with someone else. When she found out, she divorced him. Years had passed since. Now she sat back on her

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heels and said, “I just realized that it’s ever since that messy, horrible divorce that things really got hard for me.” Lee smiled. “You have turned a corner, my friend.” ENTERING A HOARDED HOME

Kricensky’s sitting in a booth at Chevys Fresh Mex with Jaime Tiff, who helped her grow the St. Louis Hoarding Help Coalition and now works for SERVPRO, an emergency cleanup service. The women make it through an entire bowl of chips and salsa before they realize that the young man they’re meeting is seated at an adjacent table, waiting for them. Kricensky’s face lights with pure relief. She needs this guy. Young, earnest, and gentle, Scott Morrow is a licensed clinical social worker who told Kricensky he’d be willing to go to people’s homes. She’d been looking high and low for someone who’d do this. Morrow’s presence would counter her clients’ excuses to duck therapy (no gas money, snow, an achy back…) and prevent them from minimizing the hoard or exaggerating their progress. When she and Morrow first spoke by phone, though, he said, “Now, Debbie, I’m kind of limited.” Oh, crap, she thought, here we go. Then he continued, “I can only do it evenings and weekends,” and she breathed again. “Not a problem!” she assured him gaily. “You have to be able to see it,” she says now, carrying her purse and chips and salsa to Morrow’s table and settling in. “Even the judges in mental health court often don’t realize the magnitude. They see this poor older person coming in being picked on, because usually someone has reported them.” What’s the solution? “Come to the house at least once!” I envision a judge lifting black robes, stepping gingerly over that threshold. “I’d also like to see the courts require weekly visits with a mental health professional,” Tiff chimes in. Without therapy, she says, people slide right back to where they were. Or, if it’s been a forced cleanup, the hoarding worsens as they try to fill that space again. I mention an episode of Hoarders about twin sisters who worked in a cake mix factory in southern Illinois. Their home was condemned, so Hoarders put them up in a hotel—and they stacked the

room to the ceiling with new purchases. That reminds Kricensky of her stint on an episode of Hoarding: Buried Alive: “The 1-800-Got Junk? boss, a really tall guy, was in the kitchen, leaning up against the sink, and the floor had rotted, and it broke through. Thank God there was metal shelving right below in the basement. All of a sudden he’s standing on it, several feet shorter than the rest of us.” The stories go on, graphic and wry but not funny; hoarding’s a lousy source for schadenfreude. Kricensky emphasizes the need for tact. “If it’s my first visit, I don’t want to come to the door in a Tyvek jumpsuit.” They talk about Zubatsky (all three know him; this is a small, tight world) and his point that hoarding cuts across gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic standing. The eccentric, impoverished old cat lady is only a stereotype because women live longer and are less reclusive. As for the assumption that hoarding happens at the poverty level, it couldn’t be less true. “It’s a matter of getting caught,” Tiff says. “Wealthy people can pay someone to maintain the outside of their house, and nobody sees the inside.” REPLACING RELATIONSHIPS

The smell wafted from the house, so pungent, it caught you as you entered the cul-de-sac. There was a fan in the window, but it was so thickly coated in cat hair, it was barely visible. Kricensky drew a deep breath and walked inside, nearly running into a Rubbermaid tub in the hallway with a dead cat decomposing atop the lid. Inside the washing machine, another cat was liquefying. They ended up taking out almost 200 cats, dead and alive. “Animal hoarding feels like an entirely different kind of hoarding,” Kricensky says, “but I’ve seen them overlap.” There are also a few core similarities: the good intentions, the impulsive acquisition, the sense of rescuing something from a worse fate, the inability to see the hoarding as a problem—and the speed at which it spins out of control. In this case, “it all started with a traumatic event,” Kricensky learned. “Afterward, she felt no one was going to ever love her. Then she saw a sign: Free Cat! A light bulb went on. She adopted the cat, and it worked so well, she got another

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one. And another. And then they were breeding”—and spaying or neutering seemed less and less doable as the numbers grew—“and it got out of control.” Even love can get out of control. Kricensky’s matter-of-fact cheer slips a little when she talks about the kids, spouses, and siblings who belittle her clients. Not long ago, she stood there gritting her teeth while a relative said, “You need to get this shit out of here. You live like a pig. Can’t you see how this is upsetting me?” Oh, she thought, we’re all about you now? What bothers her is the casual cruelty of these remarks, the self-righteous obliviousness to their consequences. “A lot of times I have to undo what the family has done to them,” she says. “I become their ally, because I just keep focusing on the positive. And it’s the truth. These people are so kind, so intelligent. They’re not bums on the street; they’re highly educated. And they have not always lived like this. I’ve seen photos of their houses before.” Lee’s just as defensive of her clients. She makes it a point to talk to spouses ahead of time, because if they’re not going to be supportive, the project’s doomed. One woman cleaned out a small space—a long-awaited triumph—and her husband blurted, “Well, yeah, but what about the rest of this stuff?” “He was really frustrated, too,” concedes Lee—and maybe a little panicky. Hoarding’s a stubborn phenomenon, and it’s scary: You can’t even wait for the person you love to hit bottom. They’re cushioning their own fall, suffocating so slowly, they don’t care. And speaking your mind too bluntly can make the problem even worse. “In our culture,” Lee says, “there’s this idea that shaming is the way to institute change, when in fact, shame’s on the same circuit as the reward system, neurologically. When that’s engaged, behavior is reinforced.” Kricensky can be dismissive of professional organizers. In a hoarded home, they’re out of their depth, and their pretty shelves and baskets sink fast. But a few, like Lee, have mastered this. One because she had no choice. GROWING UP INSIDE THE HOARD

Mindy Manley’s easy to talk to, ready at any moment to laugh at herself or cry for

somebody else. She calls her company Skeleton Key Organizing, “because that’s the key that unlocks every room in your house.” Her motivation? She grew up in a house packed floor to ceiling. “If a friend came to pick me up, I’d make sure I was on the porch ready to go,” she says. “I didn’t even want the door open, because you could see it. We had our windows covered. When I got a little older, if a boy wanted to pick me up for a date, I’d walk down the street and have him pick me up at a different address.” At first it had been fun going with her dad to “estate sales, garage sales, yard sales, any sale. It was treasure hunting. But then his mother died, and soon we had what people call deer paths,” narrow openings to navigate between the piles. I carved out a little reading cave, like an igloo, with clothes draped over the top.” Back then, there weren’t any reality TV shows, and no one talked about “hoarding.” Kids used to take pictures of her dad’s hoarded car—complete with a spice rack on the dashboard for fast food—and post them on Facebook. “It didn’t make me not love him,” she says. “I just knew: I will never live like this. My mom was miserable; she just kind of shut down. She’s very social, but they didn’t have many friends. There’s a sense of hopelessness that sets in.” Manley lifts her coffee cup halfway, then sets it down again. “Some people think, ‘Oh, they’re as happy as a pig in a sty,’ but they are not. There’s anxiety that someone will get in and steal their things. They’re ashamed. Depressed. No one would say to someone who was alcoholic, ‘Why can’t you just not drink?’ But this is also a chemical difference in a person’s brain. We make them feel terrible about it, and those bad feelings lead directly to them obtaining more things because it feels good; it’s soothing.” Why are we so quick to condemn this particular phenomenon? We know that germs and bugs and rodents can make us sick. That part’s primal. But why does even a clean hoard trouble so many of us? Maybe for the same reason Marie Kondo’s sparks of joy have sparked a craze: We’re all overrun with stuff. Our closets are crammed, our basements filled with tubs we forgot to label. I ask Manley why seeing it magnified makes us nervous. Her dad held on to stuff. He loved history, she says. “Some

of it’s documentary. It marks the passing of time. Significant events. Or people remember where they were when they saw that. They worry that if they get rid of the object, they’ll be dishonoring the past. Even a gift they don’t like—it’s ‘How could I get rid of that? Aunt Bessie gave it to me!’ And so it stays, even after Aunt Bessie’s long dead. Out of some sense of false chivalry, they hang on to things. And then they die, and all the stuff ’s trashed or sold at auction anyway.” Her dad also thought his books, magazines, CDs, coins, and stamps would increase in value. “He might’ve even thought that someday he was going to set up a museum,” she says. “It never happened. It never was going to happen.”  Why do so many good intentions fall by the wayside? “Too many ideas. That one idea was great, but pretty soon, it’s buried, and you’re overwhelmed; you don’t know where to start. I tell my clients, ‘Try not to let the buying outpace the doing.’” Manley isn’t convinced that spatial mapping is at play as the piles build up: “When stuff ’s creeping up the walls, pretty soon it’s just, ‘Where’s a hole the size of this thing?’” I ask about something else that puzzles me: the number of unopened packages in many hoards. She nods. “I call it the dump and run. You might go to Target for trash bags to start cleaning, and then you see something on sale, and the cashier says, ‘Ooh, you got a good deal,’ and you drive home and the sun’s shinin’ and the birds are singin’”—she’s from Kentucky, and the soft twang returns with emotion—“and then you open the door and realize you have nowhere to put it. And all the good feelings melt off, and you get that warmth of shame in your face, you can hear your heart beat, and you think, ‘Oh my God, I’ve made it worse. I’ve made it worse again.’ So you drop the bags and go do something else.” How does she manage doing this work? Doesn’t it trigger too many memories? “I definitely feel their anxiety,” she says. “My chest gets tight when I enter their home, because I feel the pain of them saying, ‘You’re the first person I’ve let into my home in 12 years.’ But I want to take the pain I experienced and turn it on its head. I want to be the person who didn’t judge—because that’s the person who’s going to help.” April 2019 stlmag.com

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S T. LO U I S SAG E

T O M AY T O , T O M A H T O

How do you pronounce Pulitzer? T

HE WAY ST. LOUISANS pro-

nounce it. These ridiculous foppish East Coasters with their nasal PEW-litzer pronunciation are wrong. Wrong! It’s Puhl-it-zer. Named for our own Joseph, who emigrated here from Hungary, where Pulitzer is a common family name. Originating in the village of Pullitz, it’s sometimes spelled Politzer—try pronouncing that with a “pew”! Once Joseph Pulitzer had made his way to St. Louis, he drove mules, schlepped baggage, waited tables, and spent the rest of his time hunched over books at the Mercantile Library, studying English and law. By the age of 31, he owned the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; five years later, he added the New York World. It’s fitting that his namesake prize is extended to literature and music: Joseph favored a storytelling style, urging his reporters to seek “what is original, dramatic, romantic…odd, apt to be talked about” (without forsaking accuracy, of course). Colorful, intelligent, and socially conscious, his “Western journalism” won over the New Yorkers. But he worked himself too hard, and by age 43 he was virtually blind and excruciatingly sensitive to noise. Using an elaborate codebook for confidentiality, he ran his papers from soundproofed rooms in Bar Harbor and on his yacht, where he died in 1911.

NUMBER OF PULITZER PRIZES WON BY THE ST. LOUIS POSTDISPATCH (1917-PRESENT) PUBLIC SERVICE 5 EDITORIAL CARTOONING 3 EDITORIAL WRITING 2 NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY 2 REPORTING 2 TELEGRAPHIC REPORTING 1 CORRESPONDENCE 1 COMMENTARY 1 CRITICISM 1

The following year, his bequest established the Columbia School of Journalism, where the first Pulitzer Prize—for which he’d left clear instructions—was awarded in 1917. It went to a New York World reporter who’d gone “Inside the German Empire” at the Great War’s end. Over the next century, Pulitzer Prizes would acknowledge intrepid reporting of strikes and police riots, corporate and government corruption, racial tension and violence, abuse in mental hospitals, natural (and unnatural) disasters... On April 15, we’ll learn the 2019 winners, so brace yourself for a fresh round of PEW-litzer. The Poynter Institute once grew so frustrated with the dueling pronunciations, it polled a few real Pulitzers. “My husband said that his father told people to say ‘Pull it sir’” was Emily Rauh Pulitzer’s reply. Why, then, is the venerable prize so oft mispronounced? The answer, writes linguistics prof Edwin L. Battistella on the Oxford University Press website, lies in the way we articulate our consonants or raise our vowels—specifically, our “u-palatalization,” or treatment of consonants before a long u sound. “A palatal semivowel (a gliding sound represented by the phonetic symbol /j/ but often spelled with a Y in popular transcriptions) occurs between the consonant and the long ‘u’ vowel,” he explains. Poppycock. It’s those East Coast types trying to tell us how to talk.

ST. LOUIS MAGAZINE, VOL. 25, ISSUE 4 (ISSN 1090-5723) is published monthly by St. Louis Magazine, LLC, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144. Change of address: Please send new address and old address label and allow 6 to 8 weeks for change. Send all remittances and requests to St. Louis Magazine, Circulation Department, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144. Periodicals postage paid at St. Louis, MO, and additional mailing office. Postmaster: Send address changes to St. Louis Magazine, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144.

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