July 2011

July 2011

EcoChic

Green design ideas for your space

Help Save the Planet For the price of a movie ticket

EarthDance

Celebrating the culture in agriculture This issue is dedicated to

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Dear

Friends, What a month! Congratulations to Tyler Hill, Michael Rogers and the entire PRIDE St. Louis board and Sarah Baldwin, Colin Murphy and the entire Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinois board for making June 2011 one of the most exciting PRIDE months in memory.

I absolutely adored the unity and coming together of our tribe.

What’s more, I remain awestruck each time I stand on stage to present the PRIDE parade awards and look out on the sea of people that I’m PROUD to call MY community. Thank you St. Louis! Make sure to look for all things St. Louis Black Pride in our August issue!

We at Vital VOICE are equally proud to welcome PROMO to the Vital VOICE line up. Each month Missouri’s statewide LGBT advocacy organization will contribute political content to both our heavily trafficked website, thevitalvoice.com and upcoming print issues. With 2012 fast approaching, we recognize our charge to keep you informed on the many issues that LGBTers care about.

Also in the pipeline is the expansion of our video department on thevitalvoice.com. I’m excited to announce the launching of The VReel, a monthly news segment hosted by Ethan Barnett.

Ethan will be contributing to our video content bringing you hard news and in depth interviews with a whole new LGBT view.

As you can see, we at Vital VOICE continue to strive to bring you even more and exciting LGBT stories and information about our amazing, dynamic and prismatic family.

Cheers,

Darin Slyman Publisher

theVitalVOICE.com | 3

this

N ISSUE

The Vital VOICE Team Darin Slyman Publisher/Editor dsly@thevitalvoice.com Colin Murphy Senior Writer/Web Editor colin_murphy@sbcglobal.net Jeff Kapfer Art Director JeffKapfer@gmail.com Kristen Goodman

Volume 12, Issue 7

Director of Business & Marketing

kristen@thevitalvoice.com

Dieta Pepsi On Air Hostess dietapepsi@gmail.com Jimmy Lesch Assistant Design & PR Jimmy@thevitalvoice.com

Help Save the Planet Contact Point: St. Louis Aces Get Yo GREEN On! A Complex Era Meet Shelly Hickman The Body AND Brains Eco Chic Straight Talk Scene & Styling Non-profit of the Month

Cindi Bambini Writing Raj Tailor Writing & Photography Tim Brenner Photography Scott Lokitz Photography Studio Nova Photography Aaron Happe Design

Now Open

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July, 2011

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Contributors

Vital VOICE is printed on recycled newspaper and uses soy ink for a 100% recyclable product.

William A. Donius Thom Halter Colin Murphy Jay Perez Pam Schneider Kellie Trivers Sharon Tucci

Contact

Joshua Barton Writer josh.barton49@gmail.com

6 8 10 13 17 21 25 31 32 34

Advisory Board

Realtor | Designer www.circaSTL.com Raj.Tailor@CircaSTL.com 314.952.5472

theVitalVOICE.com | 5

Help Save the Planet

for the price of a movie ticket

T

hirty seconds is all it takes to join the thousands of Ameren Missouri customers (like Vital VOICE owner and publisher Darin Slyman) who are already Pure Power supporters.

By doing so, you help encourage development of new sources of emission-free wind power and promote economic growth in the state!

through Pure Power come from Missouri wind farms, enrolling is a great way to help grow the use of green power in Missouri.

When you enroll in Pure Power, Ameren Missouri purchases Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from the Farmers City Wind Farm in Atchison County, Missouri. One REC equals 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power. Each REC purchased carries a guarantee that the green energy will be delivered to the Missouri power grid and that the carbon reduction associated with that power is credited to the customer!

Customers who choose the Half-Block option pay $7.50 more per month on their utility bill – that’s the price of a matinee movie ticket. In return, their purchase guarantees the delivery of 500 kWh of renewable energy to the regional power pool each month.

What’s more, not only does Farmers City harness enough wind to power 33,000 Missouri homes per year, the project itself guarantees 150 permanent jobs in Missouri. Since 100 percent of the RECs purchased

6 |

July, 2011

Pure Power offers customers three purchasing options to meet their needs: 100 percent usage, the full “Block,” and now the “Half-Block.”

Purchasing one Half-Block per month for a year will prevent the release of 9,500 pounds of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into Missouri’s atmosphere— that’s almost 1.3 times more emissions reduction than if that same customer drove a hybrid vehicle for a year.* This is a simple and affordable way to reduce your carbon footprint and help save the planet.

Enroll today by picking the option that works for you: 1. Match 100 percent of your electrical usage with RECs for an additional penny and a half per each kWh used.

2. Select a 1,000 kWh “Block” for an additional $15 per month.

OR 3.Choose the 500 kWh “Half-Block” option for an additional $7.50 per month.

You’re all set!

(Cancel anytime. No hassles.)

If you sign up for Pure Power

by July 31, we’ll send you a free anytime movie pass from Wehrenberg Theaters.

Call toll free 866.665.7873 or AmerenMissouri.com/ PurePower *7,379 pounds = avoided emissions by switching from a standard car to hybrid.

(Source: epa.gov/oms/ climate/420f05004.htm )

Participation in this program does not constitute the purchase of energy. Renewable Energy Credits which represent the environmental attributes associated with past renewable energy generation are retired on behalf of program participants. All renewable energy credits purchased under this program are Green-e certified by the independent Center for Resource Solutions. v

theVitalVOICE.com | 7

CONTACT POINT: ST. LOUIS ACES AIM TO WIN Written by Joshua Barton Photography by St. Louis Aces Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park.

And in true St. Louis-style, opening night will be a party.

“On opening night we’re going to have a mechanical bull, beer and tennis,” says Aces owner Dani Apted, “I know, totally normal, but you have to love one of those things!”

“In tennis it’s all about the contact point,” says tennis trainer Jess Campbell as she tries to teach me how to properly grip my tennis racket as I attempt to hit dozens of neon yellow balls.

She teaches me how to serve, swing and shuffle across the brown clay court in editorial preparation for my story on the St. Louis Aces’ 2011 summer season and even though I’m not the next Andy Roddick, I still look damn good in some tennis shorts.

St. Louis tennis fans can expect to see lots of contact points and yes, tennis shorts, this summer as the St. Louis Aces compete in the World Team Tennis Pro League with seven home matches this summer at the

8 |

July, 2011

Apted has been with the Aces for the last six years but says tennis has always been in her DNA. “My family has been in the tennis business for over 50 years,” she says. “I remember when I learned how to play I was the same size as the racket!”

Her connection to tennis is what fuels her passion with the Aces, especially when it comes to their presence on the national scene.

“I will fight and kick and grab for this city to be recognized as a tennis city. If you look at the big picture in America, tennis popularity went down. Tennis needed new life and Americans love to love Americans and we didn’t have anybody to rally behind. It’s one of the reasons why Billie started the league.”

Yes, she’s talking about THAT Billie…

Billie Jean King, the icon of feminism, sports and LGBT equality, co-founded the professional league of World Team Tennis in 1974.

“She created this concept of men and women playing on the same team and their points counting toward the team goal,” says Dani. “So you’re going to see all tennis in one night: Men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. And because every point goes to a game total you get to watch the players fight and scratch and work for every single point. You see these top 100 players working hard and it inspires you and makes you want to play.”

On the Aces roster for the summer are seasoned and future tennis legends: Lindsay Davenport, Mark Philippoussis, Liezel Huber, Jean-Julien Rojer and Roman Borvanov.

“We going to have a team that gets along, has fun on the courts and we’re going to WIN,” says Dani.

Tickets to the St. Louis Aces are available online at Metromix.com or by phone at 314.534.1111. v

theVitalVOICE.com | 9

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Green Homes Great Health Festival Two great Garden events join forces to help your family live Green – and live healthier! Saturday, September 24, 2011 at Missouri Botanical Garden Bring your home improvement ideas and talk with over 100 green product and service exhibitors. Enjoy local foods, yoga and Tai Chi, live music, and solar car races. Take advantage of free health screenings and shop the Green Marketplace. Help paint a Metro bus and explore the giant inflatable human colon. Learn from expert workshops and talks about the many ways that plants, air, water, soil and energy sustain our homes, our health and our living Earth.

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1 Out of 10 Ain’t Bad!

A Complex Era Written by Colin Murphy – Senior Writer/Editor Photography by Tim Brenner and Scott Lokitz

W

hen last call rang out and The Complex closed its doors for the final time on June 22, the curtain came down on one of the great chapters in St. Louis LGBT nightlife. For owner Howard Meyer, it was a heavy sense of history that befell the business owner and community leader as he prepared to take his leave.

A gay bar has continually operated at 3511 Chouteau since Dennis Briden (owner of The Upside) opened The Warehouse in 1986. The bar was industrial in feel and offered happy hour, country western nights and eventually, a restaurant.

“Through an extremely complicated arrangement, I purchased it from Dennis—let’s just leave it at that,” quipped Meyer, who at the time was well known through his work in Hotel/Restaurant Management and later, Real Estate and Insurance with The HM Group in Clayton.

Meyer remembered well the draw that City Lights in Lafayette Square enjoyed and wanted to replicate it at The Warehouse with its ample space and more importantly, new kitchen. He envisioned a thriving restaurant and happy hour bar and then from 10 p.m. til close, a dance club.

The rehab started in spring 1989, but producers of the movie White Palace, which was being filmed up the street, came in and wanted to rent the space. Meyer was ahead of schedule and the price was right, so he jumped at the chance.

“It ended up that Susan Sarandon and James Spader were my first two customers, technically,” he recalled. “So they signed dollar bills which I still have hidden upstairs saying welcome and good luck and all that good stuff.”

Angles opened in a whirlwind on December 21, 1989. A host of well wishers came in to help decorate for the Holidays and before he knew it, Meyer was taking New Year’s Eve reservations. The restaurant seated 84 people and between 8 and midnight 234 people were served.

Very quickly, Meyer’s vision became a reality. Angles had the hottest happy hour in town and a wildly successful restaurant.

His Sunday Tea-Dances were the place to be seen and at night the dance floor was pumping with patrons. In late 1992 he even turned the basement into Mom’s – a small leather bar – and repurposed the old stainless steel bar from Twist Nightclub as counter tops and wall coverings.

But by the mid 1990s, a combination of events would take its toll on business. Many patrons fell victim to the AIDS crisis or started partnering off and not going out as much. Still others took jobs out of state when several major corporations moved out of town.

Similarly, the restaurant was not the draw it once was.

“My restaurant business began to decline because gay couples or gay friends didn’t feel they had to come here or Clementines to eat,” Meyer explained. “They could go anywhere and feel comfortable and not be harassed.” theVitalVOICE.com | 13

Realizing he needed to do something drastic to turn things around, Meyer brought in Tom White as general manager in 1995. White had done incredible things with visual display throughout St. Louis Center and the end result was a gutting of the entire bar which soon emerged as the ultramodern Complex Nightclub.

creative and they spend a lot of time processing it.”

“Angles had six-good-years and by that time the nightclub, once moved, got a lot more popular,” said Meyer of the expansion and rehab. “We were extremely popular for many years because there was no big nightclub in town except for Faces.”

“Drug culture has changed a lot,” said Meyer. “They take their pills at home and then come to the clubs and drink water.”

But Meyer was not just a bar owner. Heavily involved in city, state and federal politics, he served as an openly gay 6th Ward Democratic Committee member and hosted countless fundraisers starring Governors, Senators and Presidential Candidates. Indeed, Meyer had his finger on the pulse of local politics. What’s more, there were few LGBT nonprofits whose Board he did not sit on throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

“I have helped with acceptance of the LGBT community of St. Louis to the point where I’m not really needed as an LGBT officer for the Mayor and I’m very proud of that,” said Meyer, who has served as Mayor Francis Slay’s LGBT Liaison since his first term as well as the former HIV/AIDS liaison to the Mayor who helped to control 25-percent of The City Health Department’s budget.

Three generations of LGBTers have partied the night away at 3511 Chouteau, most recently Siren and The Glitter Bomb crowd who moved in when Faces shuttered in 2006. It proved a boost in the arm for the aging nightclub.

“They’re my biggest night,” Meyer smiled. “They’re very 14 | July, 2011

Meyer dismisses community speculation that drug activity had driven the Complex crowd away—admitting that one particular summer undercover dealers had pushed cocaine heavily, but once discovered, were run out.

In fact, the decision to close The Complex after 22-years was a long time coming. While 4-years of recession has taken its toll, the Internet proved a powerful blow—many LGBTers now hook up online instead of hitting the bars and when they do meet, prefer someplace more quiet.

“But a big part is my physical health—I can’t be here and I need to be,” Meyer said. “The other part is financial—our sales are 50-percent of what they used to be. But mainly because I don’t have the energy, the time or the money to tear this all out again and invest another $80-100 thousand dollars. So I just made a decision—sell.”

At almost 58, Howard Meyer is winding down from public life. But love him or hate him, his impact on the St. Louis LGBT community from where we’ve played to how we live is undeniable. I asked him what went through his mind as he closed the door on this chapter of his life: “I guess, really, to some degree, my own demise,” he said after a steady pause. “I helped a lot of people and I’m very proud of that. And it took the behind the scenes help from a lot of people, but we pulled it off. We brought this town totally into the 21-century.” v

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16 | July, 2011

Meet:

Shelly Hickman from Bad Girl’s Club Season 8

Written by Joshua Barton Photography by Studio Nova St. Louis Hair & Makeup by Charlie at Studio One Six One

“Haters are your number one fans,” she explains while at her kitchen table in South City. It’s a Friday night and I’ve decided to tag along with Shelly and her friends down Manchester in an attempt to document a night out with a ‘Bad Girl’.

You may recognize Hickman from Rehab Bar and Grill where she bartends but fans of Oxygen Network’s Bad Girls Club will soon be watching her on the addictive reality show produced by reality juggernauts Bunim/ Murray. The show is an all femme fatale version of The Real World where cameras follow the relationships and dramas of seven “bad girls” from across the country as they party and cat fight. Drinks are thrown…claws come out…weave is pulled… and I shamelessly love every second.

Tonight, Shelly’s nails are painted in pink leopard print, her pumps are black and she’s pulling off a blonde bombshell effect.

“A lot of people think they know me but they have no idea who the hell I am,” The show has yet to premiere and Shelly already has been grappling with the weight of fame in a small town like St. Louis.

“I am petrified. I’ve left them [the producers] with the power to make me into whatever they want. I know I’m a good person and so do my friends and family but the people who watch the show will only know what they see. It is extremely uncomforting.”

And a lot of people will be watching. Bad Girls Club has been a ratings success for Oxygen and the show pulls more than two million viewers per season. That means Shelly is in store for thousands of fans and thousands of haters.

We meet one of the “haters” while having drinks at Attitudes when a random homosexual claims to have known Shelly for years and that she can be “dramatic and over sensitive.” theVitalVOICE.com | 17

She flips through my note pad and scratches an X across his quote and writes the word HATER and an arrow.

“That guy doesn’t even know me! I think it’s a joke when people want you to be a fame hungry person because they’re hungry themselves and they’re just trying to feed their mouths not yours.

You have to ignore people like that.”

She says she doesn’t want to lose herself in the glitz and glamour of her impending fame.

“I had a life before the show and when the show ended I came home to the life I had before. I love it that way. A lot of these girls want the fame and the money and they completely forget about the life they had before the show.”

Before reality television, Shelly was the resident lesbian bartender who loves animals and other “real women.” She grew up in O’Fallon, Missouri where she says she survived a turbulent childhood with a drug addicted mother in and out of jail.

“I can remember her taking me on drug deals, pulling out guns in front of me, stealing from the store and putting the products in my bag,” she says. “It was terrible. She’d get out of jail and promise she had changed and I would give her a second and third and fourth chance but she was always fucking it up.”

Shelly says she has an amazing relationship with her step-mother who gave her the emotional support she needed during that time and when she came out to her family at 19.

“I knew when I was 12 that I was gay but I hid it. If I had thought it would have been more accepted I would probably be a golden ticket!” she jokes. I ask her what a golden ticket is.

“Never had sex with a guy,” she replies with a coy smile.

We finish our drinks and decide to walk over to Novak’s to continue the party. Now this is where it gets blurry. Fans of BGC will know that one of the guilty pleasures of the show is getting to watch the brawls and fights the girls get into and tonight we happen to find our very own on the sidewalk outside the bar.

To all of our credit the fight starts when a bully in his car gets upset that Shelly and her friends turn down his cat calls from his raggedy car rolling down Manchester. He gets out and begins cursing at us…I tell him to get the hell back inside the car and leave us alone…I get punched in the face.

In true BGC fashion, it goes down.

When the dust settles we brush ourselves off and head to the bar.

“That was crazy!,” Shelly says to me. “I’m glad you’re okay. I totally threw myself on you to keep him from kicking your head.”

And in the end it’s that mothering instinct that ultimately defines her.

“I truly believe I was put on this Earth to be a mother. I want to have soccer practice and be a housewife someday. I want to be the mother to my kids that I never had.”

For now she’s content with life at home with her dog Ella and her gay family at Rehab.

“I want a happy life and to live this for all its worth.” v 18 | July, 2011

!

theVitalVOICE.com | 19

The Bo & Br 20 | July, 2011

The Body—AND Brains

ody

Written by Colin Murphy – Senior Writer/Editor Everyone appreciates a great body—but brains complete the package!

To that end, Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS & The Brain, which opened, June 10 in the EXPLORADOME at the Saint Louis Science Center does not disappoint. While previous exhibits have intrigued Gateway City audiences, this all new presentation of BODY WORLDS focuses specifically on the brain and unravels the mystery of the mind and secret world of the brain.

Making its St. Louis debut, this thought provoking display features more than 200 authentic human specimens, all preserved through the process of Plastination, the specimen preservation method invented

by Dr. Gunther von Hagens. Through its aesthetic and accessible displays, BODY WORLDS invites contemplation, study and reflection of the power and vulnerability of the human body and the brain.

our emotions,” said Dr. Angelina Whalley, conceptual planner and creative designer of the exhibitions, which have been seen by more than 33 million people worldwide. “In neurology, love is all about dopamine, a key neurotransmitter associated with pleasure.”

The exhibition provides visitors with a broad perspective on the brain that merges anatomy, neuroscience and philosophy and resonates with everyone. Further, the aesthetic and accessible displays of BODY WORLDS encourage contemplation, study and reflection of the power and vulnerability of the human body and the brain.

rains “We often think about love and sexual desire as being controlled by our heart, but it’s really the brain that is the seat of

“I hope this exhibition gives people a better understanding of how fascinating the entire human body is and particularly the brain,” Whalley concluded. “It truly shapes who we are, creates our passions and dictates everything we do.”

BODY WORLDS & The Brain will run for a limited engagement. For more information and ticket details call 314.289.4424 or visit slsc.org

theVitalVOICE.com | 21

22 | July, 2011

The biggest indie Music event in St. Louis is back

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S

o, the reason why we want flowers is to bring a little nature into our living and working environments. Yet, to get them, we get in our cars to buy a bunch that is usually wrapped in not just one but two layers of plastic.

Kinda seems a little ridiculous if you think about it.

Take a look this centerpiece which is dramatic and elegant but uses only a few hosta leaves from the garden and three lemons (uncut so they can be used later).

It’s simply stunning, don’t you think?

Arrangement by Cathy Fry

24 | July, 2011

This section sponsored by

EcoChic

Green design ideas for your space Written and photographed by Raj Tailor

U

sually when someone talks about environmentally conscious design, we all nod approvingly (it would be just too obnoxious not to) but immediately start picturing something very non-chic like bulky solar panels, compost bins, or burlap covered pillows. All things that are kind to our planet but hardly aesthetically inspired. Or sometimes the whole thing just seems out of scope. What if you aren’t about to replace all your flooring with cork or bamboo or install a rain collection system?

Well, I’ve come up with a few ideas that are simple, easy and affordable ways to bring a little eco chic into your space. I challenge you to reimagine and reinterpret what you might already have and rethink some of your sources for design objects and inspiration. Go forth and be green while being chic!

theVitalVOICE.com | 25

Y I

s it a “VAY-sse” or a “VAH-z”? How about a tin can? The next time you are tossing out a glass bottle or can, ask yourself, is this something I could use? Check out this little arrangement that uses a can from India (the mango puree that was in it found itself in a delicious mango pudding). Often cans and bottles, especially from other countries, can be striking and playful containers for your party snacks or flower arrangements. In this case it was the latter…and I snagged the daylilies and grass from my condo grounds (Shhh…don’t tell the Board).

ou might be surprised at what other people throw out can be given new life in your space. Take a look at these shelves…. can you spot the items that were rescued from the dumpster? I picked up the branch off Skinker Blvd right outside my friend’s apartment. The images in the orange frames came from a magazine that was about to be tossed in the trash. The bird figurine was a thrift store find (it was broken…but a little dab of glue fixed that).

And to those eagle eyed readers out there, yes the Jonathan Adler bowl was also a found object (albeit from a clearance bin at Neiman). Hey, we all need to relax the rules once in awhile, right?

S

o anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a minimalist, to a fault even. When I designed my bathroom a few years ago, I thought I could live without much storage and live up to my clutter free ideal. Well, it looked great but I definitely had a couple of functional issues (like where to stash toiletries and supplies). When an attorney client of mine was tossing out a metal file cabinet and set of drawers, I snagged them to use them in my bathroom. They are fun and functional additions that do little to compromise my aesthetic.

I love it! v

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618.692.4729

FOUR MUDDY PAWS 3.597” x 2.319”

Health coverage you need, rates you can afford.

We offer health coverage for: • Individuals without Group Coverage • COBRA Alternative • Dependents and Students • Independent Contractors • Self-Employed • Small Businesses • Seniors and Early Retirees

Don’t put you and your partner at risk by trying to get by without health coverage.

Call me today to hear about our exciting new line of affordable individual health plans!

ALVERNA B. JOHNSON Authorized Agent

(314) 923-5542

alverna.johnson@anthem.com DEVAAL DESIGN alvernajohnson-insurance.com

In Missouri, (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area) Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of RightCHOICE® Managed Care, Inc. (RIT), Healthy Alliance® Life Insurance Company (HALIC), and HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by HALIC and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

TJODY DEVAAL 612 • 823 • 6967 tjody@devaal.com COPPERPLATE 9

FILE NAME:

Vital Voice PREMIERE EYE AD_2.319 X 3.597

PROJECT: CLIENT: CONTACT: DATE ASSIGNED: DATE STARTED: APPROVED:

Vital Voice Ad Premiere Eye Associates Denise Bruff June 3, 2011 June 7, 2011

STRATA: HEIGHT: WIDTH:

Newspri 2.319” 3.597”

PRINTER: FINAL SENT:

Kristen G

4/c process

FONTS: Times New Ro

IMAGES: Photo: ThreeDo theVitalVOICE.com | 27

NOW OPEN

www.bodyworlds.com

slsc.org 28 | July, 2011

GREEN + HEALTHY = FUN!

Save The Date

Â

Saturday

September 24, 2011 9a.m. to 5p.m.

Missouri Botanical Garden Festival tickets are included with Garden admission (FREE for members) Visit GreenhomesSTL.org for festival updates!

PRESENTED BY:

EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Garden Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine

theVitalVOICE.com | 29

30 | July, 2011

STRAIGHT talk: The Written by Joshua Barton Photography by Tim Brenner It is a Tuesday night and I’m sitting on a stool at Handlebar next to its owner Tatyana Telniknova. She’s smiling and giggling into her phone.

Pretty fun, pretty naked, well not entirely naked.

She’s speaking of course about the scantily clad models posed around the bar in red pasties for tonight’s event: Drink & Draw.

This is just one of many reasons why I love Tatyana and her bar.

Tatyana arrived in St. Louis from Moscow at 16 and her bright red, pixie effervescence brings to mind a Russian summer while chatting with her. Oh, and she’s smart as hell. She graduated high school at 14 in Russia and then again here in St. Louis at John Burroughs. After an undergrad at Wash U and an IMBA (International Masters in Business Administration) at UMSL all set for a high-powered corporate career.

I thought I was going to be in advertising and get a job at an ad agency in Europe. Then in 2008 the economy collapsed. The job offer I had accepted fell through. I had quit my job and had no idea what I was going to do. It was the best thing to ever happen to me!

Handlebar

wondering how we'd be received and so far it's been really great!

I like being a part of it and I like the vibe and the people in general.

I like to see the area growing and developing.

The Handlebar opened in September of last year and has grown to become one of those neighborhood bars where on any given night you can find a dance party, a jam band, fire dancers and bicycles…lots of bicycles. The five-foot-tall one in school-bus-yellow belongs to Tatyana.

It's called a double-decker bike. It's basically two bike frames stacked on top of each other. It is so much fun to ride! I love it because anyone who sees it instantly smiles. They have an OMG reaction!

The philosophy behind Handlebar can basically be summed up in two words: Beer and Bicycles. On tap are all regional brews and outside and in you can find patrons resting their bikes as they come in to cool down and relax.

With the bicycle community there are so many different divisions. You have the cyclists, the BMXers, the commuters, the mountain It pushed her into business ownership for the first time leading to bikers...what I want to convey an opportunity to open her first bar at the City Museum. here is that we all may be into When it was closing down I was trying different things but what we all to figure out what to do next when have in common is that we just like I found this space. I know the to ride our bikes. We really don't neighborhood has a reputation for care how old you are, if you're a being more of a gayborhood and I was man or a woman, gay or straight.

Bars should be a place where you feel comfortable especially if it's in your neighborhood. It should be a place where you can come and relax. You can have a conversation with someone and hopefully your mood will be a little bit better than when you came in.

WELL SAID COMRADE. BIKE ON! v theVitalVOICE.com | 31

Urbanaire

Dwight Davis Tennis Center May 7th, 2011 Several hundreds of people packed the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park for the annual Urbanaire event that benefits PROMO. Chaired by John DeGregorio and Dani Apted, Urbanaire provides the opportunity to mingle with community leaders & politicians. The event was a blend of a garden party and cocktail hour, featuring Kim Massie’s amazing vocal talents. Guests enjoyed a complimentary premium bar, champagne cocktail bar by Barefoot Wines, and food by local restaurants. PROMO, Missouri’s statewide organization advocating for LGBT equality, is the main contender in the fight for equality in the Show Me State.

32 | July, 2011

Scene Styling

Out in the City

Vegas Nights Pride Kick Off Pary

Vital VOICE and ALIVE magazine teamed up for the 2nd installment of OUT in the CITY networking event.

Over 150 people attended the event at PHD gallery on Cherokee. OUT in the CITY is presented by Bud light.

Look for another OUT in the CITY coming this August.

The 3rd Annual Pride Kick-Off Party dazzled at the Lumiere Theater on Saturday, June 11th. Each year, the organizer of the annual St. Louis PrideFest, recognizes the scholarship winners, community service award winners, parade grand marshals and generous sponsors with a fun, festive and fabulous party.

PHD Gallery May 12th, 2011

Lumiere Theater July 11th, 2011

theVitalVOICE.com | 33

Vital VOICE dedicates this issue to our Non-profit of the month

EarthDance is dedicated to preserving small farms while nurturing a community of growers and conscious consumers. Since 2009, EarthDance has operated a season-long educational apprenticeship program which trains participants in sustainable agriculture from seed to market and has worked to educate community members on the importance of being connected to the places that grow the food we eat.

EarthDance’s farm-based educational programs and Community Supported Agriculture memberships provide the opportunity for Saint Louis area residents to connect with the source of their food. The EarthDance Fresh Ideas Agri(Cultural) Education series, Educators Learning Circle, and farm tours for groups of all ages provide Saint Louisans the opportunity to explore and learn from a vibrantly productive organic farm and become a part of the good food movement.

EarthDance was founded in 2008 By Molly Rockamann, a young environmental activist/ community organizer. After promoting the organic agriculture movement in Fiji and Ghana, Rockamann returned to St. Louis, her home town. She saw a need to preserve small farms, and for more organic farmers to keep farms in production. She found a place to realize her goals on the historic Mueller farm in Ferguson, MO. Just north of the city of St. Louis, the Mueller family farm has been a hub of natural farming for over 100 years. In the spring of 2008, the Mueller Farm became the birthplace of EarthDance.

Since 2009, through its Organic Farming Apprenticeship program, EarthDance has grown more local, organic food and farmers for the St. Louis region. 2011 marks the first year of EarthDance’s public CSA program. EarthDance has grown substantially each year, while our graduates have gone on to start their own farm enterprises and community food projects. With the support of its fiscal sponsor, The Open Space Council, EarthDance is a 501C3 nonprofit organization.

Contributions to EarthDance are tax deductable.

On Saturday, July 16th, join EarthDance at The Ferguson Farmers Market for Pesto Festo, a community celebration of local FARMS--Food, Art, Relationships, & Music...Sustainably!. Attendees will be able to savor the basil season by participating in a pesto cooking contest.

Additionally, the day’s events will feature a yoga class, a raw foods cooking demonstration, a community art project, a performance from the Folk School, and a variety of vendors and educational booths promoting environmental stewardship.

EarthDance Offers: • Part-time Organic Farming Apprenticeships • Fresh, Unique Locally-grown Produce • Community Supported Agriculture • Volunteer Opportunities • Youth Programs • Farm Tours • Artist-In-Residence Program • Fresh Ideas Agri(Cultural) Education Series.

• Special Events, like Pesto Festo and EarthDance Mission Awards.

34 | July, 2011

For local FARMS, Rachel Levi Farm & Community Education Coordinator, EarthDance www.earthdancefarms.org office 314.521.1006. cell 773-398-6515 rachel@earthdancefarms.org

The mission of EarthDance is to grow and inspire local FARMS - Food, Art, Relationships, & Music, Sustainably!

July, 2011