StreetScape Summer 2009 by TPH Media

SUMMER

Walking into: Fashion History Summer

2009 • Where to go • Events • Fashion • Life Styles

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CONTENTS

F E A T U R E S

Summer 2009 30 36 44 50

| iPOD WALKING TOURS— Tour St. Charles in style.

| CELEBRATING ST. CHARLES— People and places.

| DAY TRIPPER— P l a c e s t o g e t away from it all but still be close to home.

| SUMMER SHOES— F a s h i o n a b l e footwear for the season.

| ANIMAL RESCUE— Caring for God’s creatures great and small.

| LANDSCAPE— Summer is here and it’s time to focus on outdoor living.

D E P A R T M E N T S

4 6 10 12 14 22 30 34

36 40 42 48 56 58 61 63

ON THE COVER | Ola Hawatmeh wearing: Versace leggings, Bebe top, Faux fur jacket, Juicy Couture boots and David Eurman jewelery.

Please Note: The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. This disclosure is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missouri. STREET SCAPE MAGAZINE |3

BEHIND THE SCENES

C O M M E N TA RY

PUBLISHER & FOUNDER TOM HANNEGAN

Summertime! Welcome to the twelfth edition of Streetscape Magazine. As always, we invite you to come as our reader and stay as our friend. Below is a schedule of events for the first ever Greater St. Charles Fashion Week. “A Perfect Fit” promises to put this community on the fashion map with top designers from New York’s fashion scene. Community leaders, businesses and fashionistas are coming together to promote a week of fashion unparalleled in St. Charles County to date.

Tom, Co-Owner of Hannegan Real Estate & Construction, LLC holds a master’s degree from Lindenwood University. Hannegan shares his passion for real estate, community volunteering, and his appreciation of St. Charles in Street Scape magazine.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON Robin has been a writer/journalist for more than 18 years working in print and electronic media. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from UM–St. Louis, with minors in writing and criminal justice. ANN HAZELWOOD Ann Hazelwood is an accomplished quilt author, historian, and appraiser with several titles to her credit.

MONICA ADAMS Monica is a certified personal trainer and hosts a health and fitness show Sunday afternoons on KMOX Radio, and is the traffic reporter for FOX 2 News in the Morning. Monica is a St. Louis native who enjoys entertaining family and friends, and doing charitable work.

NATALIE WOODS Natalie Woods is the owner of Daisy Clover Boutique in Webster Groves. Her goal at the store is to help make women look better and feel better in clothes. She is also obsessed with getting women in the right pair of jeans.

MARY ELLEN RENAUD Mary Ellen is a seasoned Public Relations & Marketing professional. You can contact her at Universal B.P.R. (cell) 314-660-1975 renaud7207@centurytel.net.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL SCHLUETER Michael photographs people and places for advertising and corporate accounts locally and nationally. “The exploration and discovery process is what keeps photography so exciting for me.”

EVENT PLANNER DONNA COSTELLIA

Be Thankful, Be Passionate, Life is not only good. It is GREAT!

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Donna was a tourism professional for 25 years as the Assistant Director of the St. Charles CVB. She is now an independent meeting & event planner. Contact Donna by email at donna@streetscapemag.com or 314341-2790 for your next event.

BEHIND THE SCENES ADVISORY BOARD Deborah Alessi Mary Banmiller Susan Berthold Nadine Boon Diane Burkemper Erica Butler Sue Casseau Jody Cox Ann Dempsey Barbara Drant Cindy Eisenbeis Sally Faith Lorna Frahm Bill Goellner Sheryl Guffey Mary Lou Hannegan Grace Harmon Ann Hazelwood Chris Hoffman Jason Hughes Jan Kast Mike Klinghammer Martha Kooyumjian Caryn Lloyd Jeremy Malensky

Nancy Matheny Denice McKeown Bob Millstone Sandy Mohrmann Suzanne Matyiko Maurice Newberry Craig Norden Grace Nichols Kim Paris Toekie Purler Kathy Robertson Marc Rousseau Rocco Russo Richard Sacks Keith Schneider Bob Schuette Teri Seiler Joyce Shaw Kelley Scheidegger-Barbee Karen Vehlewald Aleece Vogt Brian Watkins Brian Wies Mary West Gail Zumwalt

ADVERTISING JUDY PETERS As Sales Account Manager, Judy Peters uses her many years of PR and marketing experience to consult with businesses and organizations on the many ways StreetScape Magazine may serve their marketing needs. Contact her at 636-448-2074 or judy@streetscapemag.com. BEVERLY GRONECK A recognized artist and educator, Beverly Groneck’s creativity and intuitive business skills are the perfect combination for your promotional needs. From idea to print to networking, your success is her focus. Tap into this resourceful sales account manager at Bev7Streetscape@aol.com or 314.956.4182 DISTRIBUTION Call Tom Hannegan at 636-916-4386 or via email at tom@streetscapemag.com Distributed to: Chesterfield, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, Maryland Heights, Lake St. Louis, St. Charles, St. Peters, New Town, O’Fallon, Weldon Spring, Wentzville, Wright City and Warrenton.

Volume 4, Issue 2 • Summer 2009 TPH Media 223 North Main Street, St. Charles, Missouri 63301 PHONE 636-916-4386, FAX 1-866-231-6159 WWW.STREETSCAPEMAG.COM Any reproduction of Street Scape magazine or its contents requires publisher’s prior written consent. Street Scape magazine aims to ensure that information is accurate and correct at all times but cannot accept responsibility for mistakes. Street Scape magazine reserves the right to refuse any advertisement and assumes no responsibility for submitted materials. Unsolicited material must include a self-addressed stamped envelope. © 2006 TPH Media. All Rights Reserved.

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FEATURED ARTIST

everyone. “David is my Willow. He is easygoing and resilient. You can’t hurt the guy. He has no agendas and is very comfortable to be around. A Willow is a very relaxed tree.” Trinklein’s signature collection is the culmination of nearly four decades of artistic sculptural development. He said even today—in these realistically depicted species of trees—he sees a model of people and human experience. “Trees have personalities, roles and relationships to each other and to us,” he said. In a self-taught unique process, Trinklein uses heat like a glassblower to mold and shape trunks and roots from metal. He said he often works at the “eutectic point”—an elusive state where metal is between solid and liquid. With swift, decisive movements Trinklein works metal as if it were clay.

Wayne Trinklein Art that Inspires Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photo by Michael Schlueter

Wayne Trinklein has a unique hobby. He makes trees—trees that describe some and inspire others. He began fashioning metal and rock into breathtaking faux foliage while he was a family medicine practitioner in his home state of Michigan. “I started making them in the doctors’ lounge while women were in labor,” he said. “I always felt like an honored guest. I could be patient while I was in the doctors’ lounge.” Trinklein said it was his admiration for his four brothers that inspired his early work and the idea of fashioning trees to fit the temperament and disposition of people he knew. He took his talents for poetry and descriptive prose and married the two to create a model of a living thing that imitates the people he loves. “I started making the trees 38 years ago to honor my brothers. They were handmade Christmas presents to honor them as individuals,” Trinklein said. Trinklein described the trees and each of his brothers. “Paul is the Birch. The Birch is rapidly growing. Paul is very full of energy, pioneering and always trying new things. He needs the balance and support of others which he gets from his wife Nancy.” “Dan is predictable, orderly, organized and a little boring,” Trinklein said. “He’s like the Spruce because you know exactly what you’re getting with him. The Spruce grows in an orderly fashion.” “Mark is gregarious. He’s my Maple. The Maple is round and symmetrical with wide spreading branches that entice us to walk and picnic under them. Mark is outgoing. He throws a lot of parties. He knows

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With a passion for his work, Trinklein creates each tree as an individual and hopes that the tree will speak to some special quality or characteristic in the recipient. “A tree knows nothing but to give,” he said. “I accent those anatomical features which I find noble and beautiful. Like people, it is the differences which make them interesting, useful and loveable. I present these tree characters, stripped of their leafy garments, to reveal inner beauty.” Trinklein’s trees are in several museums and high-end galleries all over the country, including Colorado, San Francisco, Illinois and Philadelphia. Trinklein never took an art class. “To me it just flows. I don’t do it deliberately.” His brothers, ironically, didn’t see their own artistic talents until later in life either. Brother Mark teaches floral design and decorating. Paul builds custom homes. Dan designs and installs spas. And David, while not working as a professor of anatomy, paints. All five brothers started out as teachers. Trinklein wrote a poem about his Redbud tree and in turn his wife, Susan Trinklein. “You are the promised breath of springtime that ends the long hard winter and greets the morning sunshine with the smile of a thousand kisses.” Wayne said the work he does as an artist is not unlike the work he did as a family doctor. “I’m doing the same thing I was doing when I was a physician. I’m getting into people’s lives to heal them inside and make them feel better about themselves.” The city of St. Charles commissioned Wayne to design and construct a tree which they installed in March at the Foundry Art Center in St. Charles to commemorate the city’s bicentennial anniversary. The piece is made of three tree sculptures with a Redbud tree as the centerpiece. The trees are mounted on rocks like a rivers edge, and overlook their reflection in the glass water surface. The Oak tree is five feet tall and has a bright green patina. A clump of birches are five feet tall and the Redbud is 2-1/2-feet tall and brilliantly enflowered with polymer resin florets. For more information on Trinklein and his work, visit grandnatural.com or waynetrinklein.com. ■

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STATE YOUR BUSINESS

Finishing Touches by Charlotte Completing your look Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

Charlotte Schuman rolls with the changes. The 17-year veteran saleswoman has spent the last two years renovating her store, formerly “This Olde House” and restocking it with the latest in home and garden décor. The result is “Finishing Touches by Charlotte.” Located at 825 South Main St. in St. Charles, Finishing Touches is filled with contemporary and eclectic décor “for you, your home and your garden,” she said. “We specialize in a unique look, yet not far

out,” she said. From mirrors to metal art to vases, Finishing Touches by Charlotte offers just about any piece one can imagine to put the finishing touches on one’s home, one’s garden or one’s self. Schuman said This Olde House featured more Victorian décor, which was losing its fervor as the 21st Century dawned. “I just felt we needed a shop like this on Main Street,” she said. She said with more contemporary merchandise came more a more youthful clientele. She said she used to cater to the 35-plus crowd but now more and more younger people are making their way into Finishing Touches. “It makes me feel good,” Schuman said, “the fact that the things that I’ve chosen are appreciated by other people.” Finishing Touches offers jewelry, hand bags, fragrances and lamps for the shopper, as well as unique plaques and statues for their gardens. Schuman said the merchandise in her store is “good quality yet not extremely priced.” “Everybody tells me I have great quality, unique products and a lot of choices,” she said. Schuman purchases her inventory from buying markets all over the country, including Atlanta, Dallas, and Las Vegas. She said she tries to stock as many Americanmade products as she can. Finishing Touches by Charlotte is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Summer brings extended weekend hours.

Charlotte Schuman

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“I don’t have the whole house. I don’t have the whole person. I don’t have the whole garden,” Schuman said, “but I have the finishing touches for you, your home and your garden—things that complete it.” ■

S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E | 11

YOU CAUGHT OUR EYE

Dynamic Duos The Boscherts Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photo by Michael Schlueter

Tom Boschert was working at First National Bank of St. Charles when he discovered his future bride—or rather she discovered him. Mary Witte’s mother, Agatha Witte, was also working at the bank. “I would go in to say hi to mom and look at Tom,” Mary Boschert said. “I would say, ‘Mom, will you please introduce me?’” The year was 1963. A 1956 graduate of St. Peters High School, Tom started at the First National Bank of St. Charles that year filing checks. During his 49 years in banking he operated a bookkeeping machine and worked as a teller, loan clerk and loan officer. By 1981, he was president. Mary was among the first freshman class to start at Duchesne High School in 1956. She was training to be a nurse when she met Tom. The future Boschert couple attended a rained out picnic together on August 15, 1963. They were engaged by Christmas and joined in marriage on May 9, 1964. By May of the following year, Mark Boschert, the couple’s oldest child was born. Mark is now Dr. Mark Boschert of Renaissance Plastic Surgery in St. Peters. The couple’s baby, Sarah Botts, is Mark’s office manager. Anne Ritter, the Boschert’s oldest daughter is a CPA with Brown, Smith & Wallace. The Boscherts have three grandsons: Andrew and Cameron Ritter, a film student at Chapman University in Orange County, California; and a student at

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Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and a professional juggler, respectively. Their third grandchild is five-year-old Connor Botts, Sarah’s son. The Boscherts say their secret to raising successful children is no secret at all. “It was a lot of positive reinforcement. We gave them a lot of attention,” Mary said. “We always made them responsible for their own actions.” Tom and Mary said their children’s successes are also due to a “good basis of Catholic education. It was discipline, their mother and their schools,” Tom said. “Their father tried to spoil them, but he didn’t succeed.” Mary said the family always ate together, turned off the television during Lent and “really enjoyed each other. The kids are really close even today. They see that we raised them with a lot of love.” The elder Boscherts themselves came from tight-knit families—all from the St. Peters

Boscherts

Parish. The family still attends the church today. Tom and Mary each had six siblings in their families, she two brothers and three sisters, he three brothers and two sisters. “We knew good times and we know how to have a good time with just the family,” Tom said. And after 45 years of marriage, the couple is still in love. Mary said that love and a faithfulness that surpasses their worldly understanding, is what has kept the family together and their children coming home. “We loved each other and we still do. You have to put your trust in God. If you don’t you’re finished,” she said. Tom was awarded the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce’s highest honor, Citizen of the Years in 1991. He is past president of the St. Charles Kiwanis Club and the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce. Mary was a volunteer with her children’s schools for years, even serving as a volunteer school nurse. She was chairman of the Foresight Committee at Duchesne High

School for the Bacheloreat Dinner. Today she volunteers with the Salvation Army’s soup kitchen at Fourth and Emmonds Streets in St. Charles, and is a Eucharistic Minister at St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles. Mary is also a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO).

calendar labeled with all of the family gatherings the Boschert family will share this year, complete with photographs. “We did good here,” Mary said. ■

But perhaps Mary’s most fulfilling mission in life, next to her family, has been her work with Missouri Cancer Care. When she started with Dr. Dan Luddke there in 1988, she was the only employee. When she retired in 2002, there were 42 health care and lay people working at the center in St. Charles. “It was hard work, but it was so rewarding,” Mary said. “There are so many success stories. We may not be able to cure them, but at least we could listen and show compassion. It touched my heart when people are so sick and yet God is there and in all of us. He loves us, and we have to allow that love to show through to others.” Tom and Mary participated in the 2002 Lewis & Clark Walk/Run Marathon and a half marathon in 2003. Mary still exercises three times a week at Main Street Gym in St. Charles and Tom walks three miles a day. The Boscherts received a special gift this year from their kids. It wasn’t a cruise, or even an expensive dinner package. It was time—their time. The Boschert’s children gave their parents a

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COMMUNITY FOCUS

Dardenne Prairie I t ’s e a s y b e i n g g r e e n Story by Amy Armour Photos by Michael Schlueter

It’s easy being green in Dardenne Prairie. Being environmentally-friendly and earthconscious starts at City Hall in Dardenne Prairie. The construction of the new twostory, 18,000 square-foot building has brought attention to the importance of protecting the environment with its many ‘green’ aspects. Dardenne Prairie City Hall is a LEED (Leadership Energy and Environment Design) Gold certified building. LEED building certification was developed and administered by the U. S. Green Building Council with the purpose of promoting design and construction that reduces negative environmental impact and improves the health and well-being of its occupants, according to its website. The LEED Gold standard is the second highest rating a building can achieve, following the Platinum standard. City Hall, and its seven full-time employees, will be housed in 11,000-square-feet of the building and the city will lease the additional 7,000-square-feet for office space. The building is slated for completion in June 2009. The idea for going ‘green’ started in 2007 when the city started its plans for the new urban downtown. The 300-acre mixed-use development will be a dense project with buildings closer to the street and each other, eliminating a lot of green space that would require maintenance and upkeep. “There’s less ground to maintain with the buildings built closer to the street—think of the money that will be saved (in maintenance),” said Dardenne Prairie Mayor Pam Fogarty.

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And closer buildings will encourage walking throughout downtown. “If you park and walk it’s obviously good for the environment,” said Fogarty. So far, a senior living apartment complex by Cardinal Ritter is planned. The 40apartment, threestory buildings are much more dense than a typical project would allow. The overall downtown development will include office, retail and living spaces—all that can be adjusted to meet the needs of the client. “It gives flexibility to keep changing with the times,” said Fogarty. And with the downtown urbanism came a serious job for Fogarty. She has invested time and energy researching ‘green’ ideals and ways the city could become more environmentally efficient. Fogarty also studied and passed the LEED accreditation test. With the accreditation, Fogarty can certify if a building is ‘green’ and speak to businesses and residents about ‘green’ ideals and ideas. “The more I learned, the more and more excited I became,” said Fogarty. In order to be considered a LEED Gold standard building, there were many aspects that needed to be considered.

Mayor Pam Fogarty

“Everything used in the construction used a certain percentage of recycled material in it,” said Fogarty. Almost all of the wood used to construct the inside and outside of the building was grown in certified forest. In a certified forest, all of the trees are grown and harvested for building and then new trees are planted. The heating and cooling system for the building is geothermal, which uses the earth’s temperature to heat and cool. A geothermal unit can use 40 to 70 percent less energy than conventional heating and cooling systems. About 2,000 roofmounted evacuated solar tubes will be used for heating and hot water. “The evacuated solar tubes can be integrated into an existing forced air system and provide the same thermal environment for about half the energy bill,” said Tim Short, city architect for Dardenne Prairie City Hall. The building has an energy efficient building envelope, which consists of R-19

insulated walls, R40 insulated roof and a Tyvek energy wrap and the windows are Low E Argon filled insulated glass. “All windows will open, so we can control some of the environment,” said Fogarty. “There will also be a fresh air circulation system.” City Hall will also feature low flow plumbing fixtures which will save water and all lighting will be fluorescent or LED light fixtures. The roof of City Hall will be a white membrane roof for an 82 percent heat reflectance to prevent the heat island effect, said Short. The parking lot will also use concrete instead of asphalt to help with heat absorption. “And all glues, paints, carpets and finishes will contain no or low VOC’s which will provide a healthy air quality for the interior of the building,” said Short. All of the carpeting in City Hall is recycled and biodegradable. The office furniture is all made of recycled or ‘green’ materials. And more than 90 percent of the office staff will have a view to the outside, which has shown to make happier workers, Fogarty said. To encourage employees to think about the environment, City Hall will have bike racks available for employees and on-site showers for bikers. And as an added incentive, there will be special designated parking spots for

employees with fuel efficient cars or for those who choose to car pool. Recycling will also be encouraged, with numerous recycling spots located in the building. Only recycled paper will be used and paper products will not be welcomed. Rainy days in the city will be productive, as the city will harvest the rainwater to be reused for landscape watering. An underground water storage unit will serve as a heat sink for the closed loop evacuated tube solar arrays. “The sun is free. Rainwater is free,” said Fogarty. “We’re only one small city, but soon there will be another city that joins us, and then another city and then another city. We need other energy alternatives and we better start looking in the United States,” she said. And city hall is just the beginning of the green movement in Dardenne Prairie. Fogarty said she would like to get a farmer’s market in downtown. And later this spring, the city will host a plant exchange where residents can swap flower bulbs. “Today, the concept of going green is becoming more and more main stream. In the years past, energy-conscious building were out there…but not main stream,” said Short. “The ‘70’s oil crisis brought design of buildings that used less energy to the public for a brief moment and spawned solar PV

panels, passive solar homes, and super insulated buildings which created an very energy efficient interior.” Fogarty would also like to create a ‘green’ educational program that would be given by the city to businesses or residents who are looking for ‘green’ ideas. “Sometimes people get overwhelmed with all of the information about being green,” said Fogarty. “But you just have to take it one thing at a time. Recycle your newspapers, or don’t use plastic coffee stirrers or buy a natural product…Target has socks made from bamboo and JC Penny has towels and linens made out of bamboo.” And Short believes ‘green’ options are here to stay, “The timing of the Green Movement has coincided with high energy costs and carbon issues. I do not see these items as a passing fad because the variables that have caused the Green Movement to gain momentum will not be going away,” said Short. “Both commercial and residential consumers are now realizing that an environment with healthy air, natural lighting and uses much less electric or gas makes much more sense for living and the economics of operation.” Short also said that ‘green’ buildings are worth more and people prefer to dwell in them. Whether building new or renovating a building, Short said there are a lot of simple and lower-cost ideas that can be incorporated into the project. Short suggests using low VOC, glues, paint and carpets. Choose energy star windows and appliances and use shading devices for reduced heating loads such as deciduous shade trees. And while the cost to construct a more environmentally-friendly building may be about 1 to 3 percent higher upfront, it comes back in utility savings. Fogarty said City Hall would be saving 50 percent in its utility bills. “You will see (being green) as a trend,” said Fogarty. “We see this as the future…and it just makes you feel good at the end of the day.” ■

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COMMUNITY FOCUS

iPod Walking Tours Audio on Main Story by Amy N. Armour Photos by Michael Schlueter

The tour is offered free of charge to both residents and visitors to the St. Charles area.

t’s the next generation of a history lesson. St. Charles is hoping to bring history alive with the help of the iPod.

“Visitors just need to leave a credit card number for loaning the iPod,” said Felzien. “The credit card information will not be used, just held, until the iPod is returned.”

The St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has put together a walking iPod Tour that will take walkers on a trip down a distant memory lane on Historic Main Street.

Visitors simply stop by the CVB and pick

The tour also goes beyond the well-known travels of Lewis & Clark in the area. It features Eckert’s Tavern located at 515 South Main, where local legend says that the Santa Fe Trail was drafted. The tour also features the first location of the telephone company, several hotels, and the Boone’s Lick Trail, originally blazed by Daniel Boone.

Armed with an iPod and laminated map, walkers are geared to immerse themselves in the history of Main Street. The iPod is loaded with historic and recent photos, re-enactments, and interesting tidbits of information about the unique buildings—and the people who lived and worked them in centuries past. Participants in the tour can learn about how The Opera House at 311 North Main is the second opera house located on the site because the two-story brick building was destroyed by fire in 1881. Or that the future father of business tycoon Howard Hughes was the lead actor in a play at the Opera House written by his brother Rupert Hughes, a student at the Saint Charles College in 1886. Or even about how the founders of Lindenwood University George C. Sibley and his wife Mary Easton Sibley were thought to rent a home at 230 North Main prior to the all-girls school opening in 1827. “It really makes a more detail-oriented picture (of history),” said Carol Felzien, public relations/communications coordinator for the city. “It takes history to a new level.” 16 | S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E

bureau at Missouri’s 1st Capitol, located at 200 Main Street. St. Charles served as the first State Capitol from 1821 to 1826 while the permanent state capitol in Jefferson City was constructed. The second floor of the building at 200 Main Street served as the governmental offices where the House and Senate would meet, and the first floor was the Peck Bros. Dry Goods & Hardware store.

“It’s a neat way to look at history,” said Felzien. “And it’s a great way to get a new generation of people interested in history.” And it’s cheap—and educational—family entertainment. With the current economy, Felzien said the tour is also geared to families who are looking for a fun time close to home.

up an iPod and laminated map of the area. The 18-stop, 13 block tour begins with a brief history of how St. Charles was founded by French fur trader Louis Blanchette in 1769 who named the city Les Petite Cotes, which is French for ‘The Little Hills.’ Walkers are then guided down the 13 blocks of Main Street, beginning just outside of the convention and visitors

And the tour is not only aimed at history buffs. The lighthearted approach to bringing history alive is geared to attract all tourists and residents alike, said David Rosenwasser, director of the St. Charles CVB. Ideally, the walking tour takes between 75 minutes and 90 minutes, but walkers can make the tour last as long—or as short-- as they want.

walk in front of a lot of businesses—you set the pace—and we did it that was intentionally.” Walking history buffs travel right past the Holiday House located at 612 South Main Street. Tom Feldewerth, owner of home décor store, said he has noticed an increase in foot traffic in the last month since the iPod tour was released. But he was not sure if the walking tour was the direct cause.

The idea for the tour came from Rosenwasser who had seen a similar production in Philadelphia. “We have a wonderful walking historic district,” said Rosenwasser. “Main Street lent it self so naturally to (this walking tour)…The walking tour runs north and south on Main Street, in the heart of the historic district.” And if the walking iPod tour in downtown Historic St. Charles proves to be successful, Rosenwasser would like to expand its reach to other areas in the city. Rosenwasser suggested a possible architectural tour of the Mid Town area or a tour on the Katy Trail highlighting important, relevant facts about the historic trail. On a larger scale, Rosenwasser would like to eventually offer tourists, or interested residents, in a driving tour of the area. Interested parties could pick up a DVD in the convention and visitors bureau and pop it into a DVD player in the car.

“Business has been good. We have certainly had nice traffic,” said Feldewerth. “And a lot of people do come in and ask about the history of the building.” Holiday House features custom floral arrangements, small furniture, lamps and collectibles. “The front desk (employees) indicate they have received very positive comments from business owners on Main Street, including several who have taken the iPod tour and enjoyed it immensely,” said Felzien. “However, beyond that, we have not monitored sales or tried to quantify any specific effects of this add-on service.” But the CVB plans on marketing the tour with radio and television advertisements to coincide with the city’s Bi-Centennial celebration in 2009. So far, the tour has been marketed only by word of mouth. “We hope this is like the first page of a really good book,” said Rosenwasser. “We hope people will want to learn more about the city after taking the tour.” ■

The tour would allow a more expanded historical tour, than in the tight restraints of downtown, said Rosenwassser. The project was completed in less than 90 days and cost an estimated $10,000. Vince Manzer, with Lake Saint Louis-based Travelers Television Network, produced and narrated the iPod tour. Rosenwasser said the project was made possible with the help of the convention and visitors bureau staff, the St. Charles Historical Society and individuals. The CVB was able to save money on the project because TTN already had much of the footage utilized from working on previous projects with the St. Charles County Historical Society. In the first month of its release in August, Rosenwasser estimated that hundreds of people have taken the tour down Main Street. And the CVB hasn’t even really marketed it yet, he said. In addition to drawing more tourists, and residents, down to Main Street, Rosenwasser said he thinks businesses will benefit from the increased the foot traffic. “I think this will be great for businesses on Main Street—since people will be walking the entire length of Main Street (during the tour),” said Rosenwasser. “This is a great way to (get shoppers) to S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E | 17

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Build-A-Bear’s Maxine Clark The stuff inside 1. How did Build-A-Bear come about? What was the inspiration? • Build-A-Bear Workshop® was born from an idea my friend Katie – who was 10 years old at the time – and I had when we were out shopping for stuffed toys. When we couldn't find the stuffed toy she wanted, she said, “These are so easy, we could make them.” She meant we could do a craft project, but what I heard was so much bigger. • I looked around to see if we could buy a business, like a factory that made stuffed animals and make it even more successful. I found a few that made stuffed animals, but no one wanted to sell. Katie thought we should just do it and so we did. We decided to reinvent the idea of making your own stuffed animals for mall- based retailing. After all, Ray Kroc from McDonald’s didn’t invent hamburgers and Howard Schultz from Starbucks didn’t invent coffee, they just invented how to sell more and how to sell it better. • Every adult I asked about the idea said it would never work – why would anyone ever want to make their own stuffed animal? But every kid said “Where is it?” and “When can I do it?” My teddy bear, “Teddy”, was my first best friend and helped shape who I am today, so I knew just how meaningful teddy bear friendship could be. • We opened our first store in 1997 at Saint Louis Galleria in St. Louis, Missouri. Today there are over 400 stores worldwide, and over 70 million furry friends adventuring around the globe. • I am so proud that at Build-A-Bear Workshop and now in Build-A-Bearville™ virtual world we have created a safe place where kids can play, express their creativity and use their imaginations. 2. Is it true that Children serve on your Advisory Board and give concepts and input to the organization? How does that work? Do the kids as they grow stay on with the Company and move into different roles? • Since

the

beginning,

Build-A-Bear

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Workshop has had a Cub Advisory Board, which is a group of children who offer their much valued opinions about BuildA-Bear Workshop products and services. Kids have insights and offer inspiration by looking at the world differently. They are a source of wisdom beyond their years. • We are still in contact with many of the original Cub Advisors and continue to value their pawsome feedback. • Now, we also have an expanded virtual advisory board with the internet … hundreds of kids give us their input on everything we do including product and store locations and now, Buildabearville.com 3. What would be your advice to a person that wants to be an entrepreneur and start their own business? • Dream big and have a positive attitude. • Don’t think about the things you cannot do- instead focus on what you can accomplish. • Believe in yourself and in what you can achieve • Do what you love • Put your plans in writing • Be willing to do any job and find a mentor • Know who your customer is and keep your customers happy. • Always listen to your customers first and the marketplace second. 4. Who was your mentor? • I’ve had a lot of different mentors, but I suppose my first business mentor was Stanley Goodman in 1972 (who was the chairman of the May Company). I happened to meet him very early on in my career, and, for me, he personified the leader. He was a Renaissance Man: he was a concert violinist, he was a businessman, he was an art collector, and he was a kind and generous man. He stood out for me in that you can be all those things. You don’t just have to always be in business, and you don’t have to always be tough. He was speaking to a large group of us and he

said, “Retailing is entertainment, and the store is a stage. When the customers have fun, they spend more money.” That really resonated for me... That day, he gave a purpose to my career, and it made me think about it as fun. When people can have a good time, they can spend money, and they can be connected to the products in so many different ways. That was a real turning point for me. Fortunately, it came early in my career and was a starting point for me to really help me think about my career. • I’ve had so many teachers who have touched me and who have helped me become who I am. They are all a part of me in so many ways: a lot of times sitting on my shoulders and advising me. For example, it was my English teacher who absolutely had perfect grammar. Every time I go to write a sentence I think, “What would she say?” My mother [was another teacher] who was a really strong social activist for handicapped children – [or, as I prefer to say], differently-abled children. • I’ve been very fortunate in my 60 years of life on this planet to have had the association with so many incredible people, and my mentors keep evolving. I’ve gone from teachers, to business associates,...to my superiors, to peers, and to community leaders. 5. Share your success with us as well as some of the stumbling blocks or some of those not so good ideas. • When I was first planning my vision for the company, many adults questioned my business concept, but every time I discussed the business idea with children, they got excited, which made me excited! • When I first shared my idea for the company with others, a lot of people told me what I shouldn’t do. • Rather than adhering strictly to the traditional ways of doing things, I have continuously challenged myself and those I work with to think more creatively. • We are constantly trying to come up with ways we can take a conventional product

or task and put our own unique spin on it by making it more bearish.

7. What are the future plans for Build a Bear?

6. What should colleges and universities do to train our future entrepreneurs. If you could design one class for a senior business major what would it be called and what would be taught?

• We are building the top entertainment brand in the world by engaging Guests both in the store and at home. Buildabearville.com opens up endless entertainment aspects and possibilities for our business.

• There should be a course in how to achieve your goals without boundaries. • Allow yourself to dream and dream big, and have the ability to challenge conventional thinking and think outside the box in all aspects of the business.

• At a time when more people are looking to save money and making fewer trips to the mall, our expanded selection of value priced merchandise has attracted new Guests while reinforcing our message that the Build-A-Bear Workshop experience is affordable, high-value, and fun.

8. What life lessons have you learned? • The following are some of the fun sayings that we have come up with at Build-ABear Workshop. Each of these “Bearisms” is a simple truth that guides how I live life and how we do business: • It takes a village to raise a bear • A bear hug is understood in any language • Bear in mind: Always Be Kind • Beauty is in the eye of the bearholder • Be the bearer of good news • Love is The Stuff Inside • You aren’t born a bear, you become a bear 9. If you wrote a book about your life what would it be called and why? • I wrote my book, “The Bear Necessities of Business,” to help those who have the dream of building their own businesses from the ground up, but I’m convinced that everyone seeking to become more successful can apply the strategies found in the book to their own lives. 10. Why is the world a better place with Build-A-Bear Workshop in it? • At Build-A-Bear Workshop, we live by the teddy bear philosophy of being good people and good bears. Since our inception, we have donated more than $20 million to support causes related to children, animals, and the environment. We have done this by sharing the hug of a teddy bear wherever it is needed in our communities and abroad, and recognizing kids who do great things. • We also have given our Guests a voice to support causes that are important to them. In 2009, we launched our Love. Hugs. Peace.™ global movement as a platform for our giving programs, which inspire and empower our Guests to make a difference. We began our Love.Hugs.Peace. global movement because we know that friends can make a world of difference and great things can start with a hug . . . of a teddy bear, of a family member, of a friend. Over 140,000 pledges to make a difference have been tracked so far on the Love. Hugs. Peace website.

Maxine Clark — Chief Executive Bear and Chairman of the Board, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Incorporated

http://www.buildabear.com/lovehugspeace/ ■

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TECHNOLOGY

Texting 101 Instant gratification Story by Amy N. Armour Photo by Michael Schlueter

treetscape Magazine is bringing a cutting edge technology to all of its readers.

Text messaging is the new, edgy and environmentally-friendly way to reach clients, consumers and friends. “Text messaging is a way for businesses to connect with potential consumers at the snap of a finger. Its instant gratification,” said Will Watson, vice president of mobile marketing for Anchor St. Louis, a full-service advertising agency headquartered in St. Charles. “Companies can track and measure marketing dollars through text messaging.” And text messaging is in vogue to keep St. Charles Fashionistas in the know for the Greater St. Charles Fashion Week which will take place on from September 13-20, 2009. Anchor St. Louis has ingeniously put together the texting capabilities to allow Streetscape the opportunity to keep its fashion readers up to date with the latest happenings for fashion week. Fashion-savvy texters can be part of the scene at the Greater St. Charles Fashion Show week, by texting FASHION to 41513. The simple text will get fashion hungry readers hooked up for the latest updates for the hottest fashion show in the St. Louis region. Weekly

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texts will keep local fashion experts apprised of specials and discounts from their favorite vendors participating in the show. Signing up for the texts provided by Streetscape Magazine will also give lucky texters a chance to win giveaways, coupons and participate in live contests. A lucky winner will have the chance to receive VIP tickets to the fashion show and a special contest will be held live during fashion week. To be included in the exciting fashion world in St. Charles simply text FASHION to 41513. As an additional perk, texters can register to win a fabulous Hollywood Makeover by texting OLA to 41513. For any questions about text messaging, email Watson at William@anchormail.net or text WILLIAM to 41513. ■

Sunday September 13 − Sunday September 20

• F E AT U R I N G • Indashio. Some of his clients have included Nicky Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Kathy Lee Gifford, Lil' Kim, Vanessa Carlton and Tyra Banks to name a few. Indashio currently resides in NYC, where he gets most of his inspiration. www.indashio.com

Melissa Rae Brown, Owner of Penny Rae Vintage takes hand selected vintage clothing and accessories and reconstructs them into something new and wonderful to add style to your fashion collection. www.pennyraevintage.com

Event co-organizer and Fashionista Ola Hawatmeh, reigning Mrs. St. Louis and the owner of M3, will collaborate with New York top designer Indashio on a makeover during Fashion Week. The makeover is in conjunction with the launch of Makeover for a Cause.

Esther Nash, a New York based fashion designer, model, socialite & fashion expert. Ms. Nash's fashions have been featured on the long running hit HBO series Sex and the City, and her last runway show (she has had over 2 dozen) was notably attended by Vogue's Editor in Chief Anna Wintour. www.esthernash.com

Steven Huntley, CEO - Huntley Jeans Huntley Jeans produces a variety of versatile high fashion jeans that are not only stylish, but comfortable. The jeans have high quality denim as well as high quality construction. The patterns have been tested and tweaked over a long period of time with customized personal touches from Steve Huntley. The styles can be worn in the comfort of one's home, at a club or a bar, in an urban setting and at school. www.huntleyjeans.com Event co-organizer Tom Hannegan, publisher and founder of StreetScape Magazine is pleased to announce the debut of a sister publication. As part of The Greater Saint Charles Fashion Week, StreetScape Magazine will launch StreetScape By Night, an annual lifestyle publication serving the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. We’re not afraid of the dark. Are you? Coming September 2009 StreetScape By Night. M A G A Z I N E

• Regional & National Designers • Fashion Runway Shows • • A f t e r H o u r Pa r t i e s • B o u t i q u e O p e n H o u s e s •

For more information and sponsorship opportunities please visit www.stcharlesfashionweek.com. S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E | 21

HISTORY

Celebrating St. Charles Its People and Places Story by Amy Armour Photos by Michael Schlueter

on Meyer believes in a personal touch.

“Bringing the personal touch to our many clients has always been an attribute to our firm,” said Don Meyer, founder of Meyer Real Estate in St. Charles. “We’ve always stood ready to handle the difficult transactions.” And that personal touch has served the family-owned business well. Meyer Real Estate, a residential and commercial real estate company, just celebrated its 50th Anniversary in April. “Fifty years is a long time for any business, yet it seems like almost yesterday,” said Don Meyer. “Still, Meyer Real Estate is ready to grow and prosper with the St. Charles community for the next century and beyond.” Meyer Real Estate was founded in 1959 by Don Meyer. He opened his first office on Elm Street with five agents, and his father Arlie, a former State Representative joined him soon after. His primary focus in the early years was on residential and commercial real estate as it remains today. His brother Bob joined the company in 1964 after graduating from college and three generations have worked for the company since its beginning. In 1985, Meyer Real Estate added a property management division which currently manages over 300 properties in St. Charles County. Don remained as the sole owner of the company with Bob acting as the sales manager for the first 40 years. In 1998, Don decided to

transition into retirement and Bob and Don’s son Doug took over the ownership of the family business. In 2007, it was Bob’s turn for retirement which opened the door for Bob’s son Keith Meyer and Don’s son-in-law George Black. Currently Black, Keith Meyer and Doug Meyer are the joint owners of the still-family-owned business. “The family name has always stood by every transaction we participate in, and that will continue to be our strength as we tackle all market types,” said Black. In the last five years, Meyer Real Estate has averaged $40 million in sales annually. “The last two years of challenges have seen the company remain profitable and lead by example in challenging times,” said Black. Black said the keys to the company’s success have always been owner participation on a daily basis in the business. “Every decision and opportunity is met on a local level with everyone having a voice in the decision-making process,” said Black. “Our philosophy is to truly coach and support our agents to be industry leaders, not just another name to place on a roster.” Giving back to the community has also always been a strong part of the company focus. “We are here for 50 years because of the people in our community. We stress to our agents the importance of building a relationship with clients that last through the years,” said Black. “Our continued success over the next 50 years will continue to rely on our clients’ loyalty and willingness to refer us to family and friends. We are not simply in this business for a commission check. Success is only achievable if each and every client is thoroughly pleased with our service.” Black said Meyer Real Estate agents and officers of the company have, and will continue to be involved in the community. The company has been active in Rotary, Kiwanis, Jaycee’s, Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, Habitat for Humanity and various Board of Directors. “We sincerely appreciate all the community has done for our family and agents over the last 50 years and look for every opportunity we can to impact our community,” said Black. Since opening 50 years ago, the real estate industry has changed dramatically. “Deals have gone from one-page documents and a handshake to endless documentation and legal complication,” said Black.

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Showing homes has drastically taken a new meaning since 1959. Agents used to drive their buyers to competitor’s offices to look at books with pictures of homes. To view a home, keys had to be checked out. Today, most customers view a home on the Internet and electronic lock boxes can be opened by using a cell phone. “Technology has evolved in real estate as much as any other industry in our country and Meyer prides itself on adapting to use this technology to our client’s best interests,” said Black.

times were simpler in some ways and harder in others. Josephine Graf is one of those individuals. Graf will be 105 next month. And although many are astounded not only at her longevity, but her vigor and mental acuity, she takes it all in stride. “I don’t think anything about it,” she said. “I just take every day as it comes along.”

The company started with five agents and in the last 50 years, more than 100 agents have contributed to its success. Currently there are four, full-time employees and about 25 active agents, who work as independent contractors.

Graf was born June 30, the year of the St. Louis World’s Fair. She remembers traveling by horse and buggy. She remembers adorning the Christmas tree—set up in a jug of pebbles—with popcorn strings, paper chains and real candles. And she remembers a time before airplanes, televisions, microwave ovens, computers and certainly cell phones.

“Taking care of clients and treating everyone as they would want to be treated has served the company well for 50 years, and there are no plans to change that key piece to the success puzzle,” said Black.

Teddy Roosevelt was president when Graf came into the world, which had not yet seen a world war, the New Deal or even an interstate highway system.

Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

oseph Joubert wrote in 1842, “Life is a country that the old have seen and lived in. Those who have to travel through it can only learn the way from them.” If this is true, people have a lot to learn from some of St. Charles County’s oldest residents, if only that

The oldest of three children, Graf was born on a grain and livestock farm in Kahoka near Clark County in northeastern Missouri. Her parents, Lynn and Lula Gregory Hume were well-suited to their workaday lifestyle and provided everything their family needed. She said both her parents lived into their nineties. Her younger siblings, though, did not and preceded Graf in death. Entertainment was sparse on the farm in the early part of the twentieth century and consisted mainly of visiting neighbors, playing cards, sledding and skating. Chores included herding the cows in from the pasture for milking. Graf doesn’t really attribute her long life to anything in particular, although she readily admits she never smoked or drank any more than an occasional glass of wine, and she swears by bananas, Kellogg’s Special K cereal and Pond’s cold cream. She said she did eat well as a child. “We ate what we raised on the farm. It was always fresh. We had our own meat. My father raised hogs. We had our own milk and butter.” Nevertheless, for the most part, health and vanity have never been high on Graf ’s list of concerns. “It just never occurs to me to do anything with my health. I don’t know why my health has stayed like it is.” And it’s good, even now. Graf has no pain. Nothing has been replaced. A pacemaker was added eight years ago, though she has had no problems with it. She wears glasses but still reads every day, specifically a publication called “Bottom Line Personal” that offers snippets of the world’s latest events. April’s edition told of drinking tea to reduce stroke risk, why one should add gold to their portfolio and how fees were skyrocketing on mutual funds. It was 1927, when Graf met and married her first husband, Edwin Plenge. She had three children with Plenge—Anna Lynn, Jean and Robert—before he died suddenly of a heart attack in 1950. She visibly saddens when she speaks of him and said the experience was hardest for her son who was only seven when he lost his dad.

Josepjine Graf

The couple had endured the Great Depression together. Graf said

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she remembers doing without more than not and even hosting a “cornbread and molasses hard luck” party. She said times were hard but people helped one another and came out wiser on the other side. After Plenge’s death, Graf went back to school and became a teacher. She taught fifth grade and later junior high history and English in the Hazelwood School District, with her best friend Effie Irving. Graf married her high school sweetheart, Chris Graf, in 1963, and the two moved to Chicago. Graf died in 1985. Josephine moved to Lake St. Charles Retirement Community in St. Norbert Wapelhorst Charles about 12 years we approve of what they’re doing. You can ago. Today she still enjoys going to church apply that to local, state or federal and reading historic novels. She said she is government. I don’t care which way you concerned most about history and the go.” current state of affairs in Missouri and the country. It disturbs her, she said, that On raising children, Josephine said she just children know very little of the history of did the best she could. “I just knew I had their home state. my hands full and I knew I better do it right.” She said aside from the crank-start Model T that her parents purchased, her favorite Josephine has been to Europe three times invention was probably the television, and and even passed through the Panama Canal, more specifically the evening news. “The which was constructed the year she was news was my favorite. It was so wonderful born. But, she said, St. Charles is where she to get today’s happenings from somewhere wants to be. “I’m not unhappy with this, else,” she said. where you can have winter, spring, summer and fall. I don’t know anywhere you can Josephine said she didn’t have a favorite have four seasons and have them so natural president and doesn’t even remember where as where we do.” she was when John F. Kennedy was shot. Rather, she said, people should pay Still, she’s nothing if not adaptable. And attention to how the government itself is although she still can’t assimilate herself to being run. “I’m not too in love with any the modern personal computer—her one of the presidents,” she said. “I think we stepdaughter sent her one—change is good should listen to what the people in charge of as far as Josephine’s concerned. “That our government are doing and see whether computer was too much trouble. I sent it 24 | S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E

back,” she said. “As time passes that’s what we’re going to put up with. I wouldn’t want to do the same things I did 40 years ago. I’m for change. I say, ‘Go for it’.” nother St. Charlesan, though Josephine Graf ’s junior, carries with him a wealth of St. Charles history and the title of the city’s first parks director. Norbert Wapelhorst, 94, was born to Frank and Margaret Wapelhorst on a farm north of St. Charles on Hawning Road—land granted to Arnold Wapelhorst (his great grandfather) in 1843 from the King of Spain and still owned by the Herbert Wapelhorst family today.

The oldest of four children, Norbert said life moved at a more moderate pace in those days. “Things seemed to be much slower than they are now,” he said. “We didn’t have access to a lot of things.” Highway 94 was a rock road then. The Wapelhorst’s took their horse and buggy to church on that road, “if the weather was right. You never had an automobile to go wherever you wanted. Automobiles were rather scarce in those days.” When the family did purchase a car, Norbert remembers heating bricks in the oven to put on the floor to stay warm. The house wasn’t heated either. “There was no electric until the mid fifties,” he said. “If you took a glass of water to bed upstairs in the winter, it would be frozen by morning.” Norbert recalls the treat of a nickel-soda at Hafer’s store and an occasional movie at the Strand Theatre, both then located on 2nd Street in St. Charles. He remembers trading

rabbits for milk or candy at Hafer’s. He calls to mind outdoor plumbing—a well and pump for drinking, a cistern for washing—and an “icebox” which contained a 50-pound block of ice. Christmas at the Wapelhorst’s was “quite entertaining” in those days. Spring-loaded wind up toys under a tree decorated with real candles impress upon Norbert’s mind the simple joys his family had at Christmas. Norbert married Virginia Sullentrop Wapelhorst and the couple had three children: Gloria Wapelhorst Schierding, Tom Wapelhorst and Mary Kay Wapelhorst . Virginia’s father, Harry Sullentrop, owned the Boschertown Tavern. Mary Kay died in 1986 at the age of 36 of bone cancer. Virginia died at 85 years of age in 2001. “God was willing to preserve me,” Norbert said.

Lake St. Charles Retirement Community celebrates a quarter century of service to older adults and the surrounding community.

Norbert was drafted and served in the First Army, Third Armored Division during WWII in Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, England and Scotland. A T-5 Corporal, he worked as a radio operator on a half track. “It was a pretty tough life. For 29 days, during the Battle of the Bulge, we had no hot food or baths.” He said he and the other young men with whom he served were not given the luxury of considering consequences. “When those 80-millimeter shells came by, any body would be scared. You didn’t need the courage though, they just sent you and you went.” Norbert had begun his career in the parks department of St. Charles in 1936, when the city was a small community of about 11,000 people with one park. He was hired by the federal government’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) as a foreman to oversee the construction of a swimming pool in Blanchette Park for the city. The city then hired him to manage the pool operation and the following year was named the park supervisor by the St. Charles Park Board. When Norbert retired in 1979, the St. Charles Parks Department had 13 parks with nearly 400 acres combined. A park is now named for him—Wapelhorst Park on Muegge Road in St. Chalres. Norbert was a charter member of the Missouri Parks & Recreation Association and in 1965 served as the organization’s president. Norbert was also one of the founders of the St. Charles Park & Recreation Foundation. He served in various positions on this board including president and has since been granted Emeritus Status with full voting privileges for life. Norbert said he’s been privileged to live such a long life. “I think being 94 years old is alright. Raising a family and being active in so many organizations, I’ve had the privilege to meet many people.” Among those organizations are the St. Charles Chapter of the American Red Cross, Duchesne High School Advisory Board, St. Charles Community Council and the St. Charles Chapter of the Knights of Columbus. In March, Norbert was inducted into the MPRA Hall of Fame. ■

The St. Charles Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2009- serving the community, and over 600 members.

(l to r) Debbie, Jim and Steve Droste

Alvin Droste, after working for many years as a journeyman carpenter, went into business for himself in 1933. Today Droste & Sons Construction celebrates 76 years in the family business.

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FEET

Happy Feet Pause for your paws Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photo by Michael Schlueter

s summer approaches and the feet emerge from their protective socks and shoes, the damage of the sun and sand as well as concrete and flip-flops add up quick. And podiatrists and nail technicians alike are reminding everyone to spend a little more time on their toes.

For example, the bottom of the big toe brings relief to the sinuses, the arch of the foot to the stomach. “The foot is a map of the body,” she said. “That’s why the whole body is cold if the feet are cold.” Caldwell claims the ankle relates to the uterus, and that strangely enough, women have been known to go into labor simply by stimulating this section of their feet.

“We try to teach people it’s not just about pretty toenail polish, it’s about maintaining healthy feet,” said Nikki Ward, a nail technician at Spa Winghaven in O’Fallon.

Nail technician and massage therapist in training, Sophie Drury said her second child was born three days after she received a reflexology pedicure. The child was two weeks early.

Ward offers a new anti-aging pedicure that she promises will bring a person’s feet into the next season with style and a new sheen.

Smooth, flat stones used in massage are boiled in a type of crock pot. The heat of the water penetrates the stones which, Caldwell said, are strategically placed to help bring heat deeper into the muscles of the feet. “The stones are part of what God left here to heal us,” she said. “They provide deep tissue massages. The heat from the stones goes deeper into the tissue.”

The pedicure begins with the client settling into a massaging pedicure chair. A neck warmer is placed on their shoulders. The feet are soaked in a warm whirlpool tub and feet are treated with sea salts and essential oils. A glycolic peel on the bottom of the feet provides a deeper exfoliating treatment to help maximize the amount of dead skin the technician can remove from the feet. A warm paraffin wax is applied for hydration, followed by an invigorating massage with peppermint foot cream. A soothing mask is then applied to the feet and they are covered with plastic bags and slippers. “It’s basically the same products we would use on the face,” Ward said. Following the cleansing and exfoliating portions of the treatment, certified massage therapists offer a reflexology pedicure to clients. “All the nerve endings stop in the bottom of the feet and all pass through every organ in the body so you can sense certain things going wrong in other parts of the body through your feet,” said Cookie Caldwell, massage therapist. Caldwell uses her hands and hot stones to relax and rejuvenate tired feet as well as bring healing to other parts of the body she says are related to pressure points in the feet. “The reflexology points are the trigger points to the rest of the body,” she said. 26 | S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E

Spa Winghaven sterilizes all instruments as well as the pedicure bowls and drains after each client, said Ward. She encourages people to remember to care for their feet in the summer the way they do their hands in the winter. “It’s important to maintain personal care and hygiene of the feet before things get so bad they have to see a podiatrist. Ingrown toenails can become a real problem for some people and flip-flops build up more dead skin than regular shoes.” For more information on Spa Winghaven call 636-625-8772 or visit www.spawinghaven.com. avid Anthony’s offers highly-specialized pedicure services, by specially-trained technicians.

David Anthony Pisciotta, co-owner and for whom the spa is named, said David Anthony’s believes in investing in its people and training them individually. “Our whole philosophy is that we grow our own people. We believe in investing in each person. So now I have 10 individually successful people, thus I don’t have to

worry about a successful salon.”

561-4006.

David Anthony Salon & Spa offers European Touch pedicure chairs. These highly specialized chairs offer pumpless technology which ensures water is never shared by clients, said Shellie Pisciotta, co-owner of David Anthony Salon & Spa.

Pisciotta said the water is in effect sucked out like a vacuum through a special propeller system following its use on each client, thus the water used to treat one client is never in contact with the feet of the next client. David said feet tend to become dryer in the summer as they’re exposed to the elements. Pedicures are especially important at this time of year, he said. “Pedicures are not so much a frivolous thing, but a healthful thing.” David Anthony Salon & Spa also offers a “Fire & Ice” pedicure which includes a reflexology massage with an exfoliant and a mask of cool menthol to soothe and rehydrate the feet. Warm paraffin wax, as well as creams, bags and hot towels are also used. Reflexology foot treatments are a crucial part of David Anthony’s overall foot care offerings. “Reflex points on the feet correspond with each organ, gland and structure in the body,” Shellie said. “Working these reflexes properly, reduces tension and improves blood supply and nerve functioning.” “People abuse their feet,” Shellie said. “Pedicures go along with having good health in all parts of the body. If your feet hurt, it’s not a good day.” For more information on David Anthony Salon & Spa, call 636-

r. Damon Hays of Hays Foot & Ankle Center in St. Peters said pedicures are great as long as you can trust the technician and the salon. Hays said sterilization of instruments used in pedicures is paramount to receiving good foot care. He said purchasing one’s own pedicure instruments and polish and taking them to the salon can derail any potential infections. Hays said to keep an eye on the feet to detect the first signs of fungal problems. “A prominent bump on the foot or discoloration of the toes can be the first sign of a fungus,” Hays said. Hays said a whole host of simple, outpatient procedures exist today for people who suffer with chronic foot pain, most of which results from inherited conditions. Inflamed swelling at the base of the big toes, or bunions as their commonly called, are almost always genetic, Hays said, as are hammer toes and flat feet. And although high heels can exacerbate the problem, they are not the ultimate cause. Hays said he is most concerned about diabetics with foot problems as they can end up losing toes or feet altogether. A “thickened” toenail, or one that appears yellow, brown or black, can turn into a serious infection quite quickly and result in the loss of toes. A toenail that digs into the skin can turn into an ingrown toenail seemingly overnight. Going barefoot in the summer is a temptation that’s hard to resist in the summer months, but Hays cautions people to be careful just where they shed their shoes. “Be careful walking where people with foot fungus might be walking,” Hays said. This includes locker rooms and pool areas. Hays said people might be surprised to learn that chlorine does not kill foot fungus. He encourages people to wear flip-flops around these areas. Hays said when thinking about beautifying the outer portion of the feet for those all-too-cute summer sandals, one should first address the health of the inside of their feet. “Calluses and corns happen for a reason.

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There are usually underlying deformities that need to be addressed,” he said. Hays Foot & Ankle Center sells medical grade, specialized orthodic inserts for all shoes, including sandals, that can help redistribute the pressure on misaligned feet. An outpatient procedure can remove corns and straighten toes in just 15-20 minutes per toe, Hays said. In two weeks the patient is back to wearing normal shoes. Calluses on the bottom of the feet or heel are usually due to bony prominences or too much pressure placed on certain parts of the feet. An x-ray can determine if there is a bone deformity and a computerized digital scan can show how weight is bourn on the feet. Both help Hays determine what course of treatment to take. Arch supports can slow down progression of deformities in children. New orthodic implants available for children with flat feet can help them live a life without foot pain, Hays said. Insurance usually covers work with children 100 percent, he said. “People don’t think they can have a pain-free lifestyle with their feet but they can now undergo a quick outpatient procedure to straighten their toes, and they can live a lifetime without discomfort,” Hays said. For more information on Hays Foot & Ankle Center, call 636-397-2229. ■

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DAY TRIP

Day Tripper A one-way ticket yeah! Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson

and scenic beauty of the area.

ooking for a short trip far enough away to feel like a mini-vacation, but close enough to home to go easy on the wallet? Missouri is full of quick getaways and classic yet distinguished venues for one- and twoday sabbaticals from the ordinary.

Rocheport, MO, just 15 miles west of Columbia, provides a peaceful intermission from the world around it, where the visitor can walk the quiet streets and savor the relaxed movement of time. The pace of things in Rocheport is much the same as it was when the town was founded in 1825, drawing travelers to its fine shops, restaurants and lodging. Mike Friedemann, owner of the School House Bed & Breakfast Inn at 504 Third Street in Rocheport, said the town boasts splendid dining and world-class accommodations where visitors can spend a day or a weekend exploring the rich history

Rocheport is the scenic gateway to the Katy Trail State Park. It offers everything from outdoor adventures on the Katy Trail and the Missouri River to pampered retreats in one of several award-winning bed & breakfasts. Rocheport also offers a fine winery and wine garden, gourmet dining, antique shops, galleries, artisans, a museum and live entertainment at the General Store. A restored 1914 school house is now an elegant 10-room retreat for romantic getaways, business meetings and family reunions. Gourmet breakfast is included at the School House Bed & Breakfast, as well as complimentary laundry and secure bike storage. In addition, The Yates House Bed & Breakfast, a Select Registry member inn, located at 305 Second Street in Rocheport, has been featured in USA Today, Southern Living, Sauce magazine and Columbia Home. Behind the Times, a quaint boutique featuring antiques and vintage and new items that harmonize for a retro look, is located at 205 Central Street. It’s also home of Mighty MO Canoe Rentals, where visitors can paddle the Mighty Missouri with an area naturalist and river historian as their personal guide. For more information, visit www.mightymo.com.

Les Bourgeois

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Highgate Gallery features Rocheport souvenirs displayed in a restored 1830’s home. Located at 500 Second Street, it’s also one of the area’s largest portrait studios. Manitou Studio, located at 302 Columbia Street, boasts fine hand-crafted stoneware and porcelain pottery, including bowls, jars, tea pots, vases, platters and one-of-a-kind pieces. Sloans on Central, located at 203 Central Street, is an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage and new.

Curiosities includes gifts from the new Barrington Baby Collection, hand-crafted Polish Pottery, period furniture pieces, and collectible and vintage glassware. Restaurants, casual and elegant, abound in Rocheport as well. From Les Bourgeois Bistro & A-Frame Wine Garden, where guests can venture to the bluff top and be dazzled by the view while dining in casual elegance overlooking the Missouri River Valley, to Rocheport General Store, where visitors can find groceries, including homemade ice cream, coffee, espresso, wine and beer as well as gifts and goodies. A café at the General Store offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as live music every Friday and Saturday night, free wireless internet, board games to borrow and people to visit with. The General Store is the social hub of historic downtown Rocheport. Friedemann said Rocheport is a great “home base” for day trips and activities. Innkeepers in the area can provide information on area golf courses, wine country tours, local theatre and symphony performances, Columbia nightlife and live jazz, art galleries and festivals, college sports at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Civil War battle sites, Lewis & Clark Trail, and Amish Country tours. The Missouri Artisan Festival will be held in Rocheport from 2 to 6 p.m. May 30 at the les Bourgeois Bistro & A-Frame Wine Garden. The festival will feature vendors from all over Missouri showing off and selling their Missouri-made products, as well as art, food, crafts, wine and children’s activities. For more information on Rocheport, visit www.rocheport.com. ape Girardeau was born on the Mississippi more than 200 years ago. In that time, the once tiny trading post has grown from a frontier settlement governed by a French-Canadian commandant to a thriving, culturally-rich community of over 37,000 people on the world’s only inland

cape. Chuck Martin, director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that although part of the actual cape was destroyed in the 1800’s to make way for the railroads, the memorial “cape rock” still sits atop the bluff of Girardot’s Trading Post. It was 1733 when an adventuresome French soldier, Jean D. Girardot, established a trading post in a region populated by more

Lorimier as well as the visit of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1803. The center houses an early 1800’s exhibit that reflects the lives of the early settlers of the old Cape Girardeau district. A rendering of Lorimier’s Trading Post displays authentic items that would have been sold at the turn of the 19th century. The trading post was the largest and most well known trading

and the special atmosphere of their stores, as opposed to the cookie-cutter retail chains that all seem to sell the same thing,” he said. “We also love our heritage and many Main Street districts are the cultural centers of their communities.” Martin said visitors to most historic towns are drawn to the idea of shopping on Main Street, and Cape Girardeau is no exception. Many people consider shopping on Main Street “experience shopping,” he said, “because you interact with people and a community, instead of frantically hunting for rock-bottom prices. Shopping on Main Street means finding merchandise that is infused with local heritage and can’t be found anywhere else. It’s about making a connection. It’s also about keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive and helping local businesses compete against Big Box retailers and other large retail institutions.” For over two centuries, the citizens of Cape Girardeau have been welcoming travelers. “Spectacular natural vistas, new tourism developments and our historic past all blend together to offer the perfect solution for any visitor to the area,” Martin said.

Cape Girardeau at night

than 20 Native American tribes. But it was French-Canadian Louis Lorimier, who is credited for founding Cape Girardeau in 1793, when he came to the area commissioned by the Spanish Governor General to establish a military post from which to trade and interact with the Native Americans. Today, Martin said, “Cape Girardeau is a regional hub for education, commerce and medical care. Although the city’s population is around 37,000 people, it is estimated that as many as 90,000 come to Cape Girardeau daily to work, shop, go to school or visit the many doctors’ offices or two hospitals. In addition, the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, which was officially opened in December 2003, carries 26,000 cars in and out of Cape Girardeau every day.” The Red House Interpretive Center, located just off Main Street in historic downtown Cape Girardeau, commemorates the life of

post between St. Louis and Memphis. Other historic places of interest in Cape Girardeau include Old St. Vincent’s Church, the historic Glenn House, the Cape River Heritage Museum, Historic Fort D, the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center and Trail of Tears State Park, among others. Along with the historical treasures that exist in Cape Girardeau is the Old Town District which includes more than 300 businesses. Martin said in the fall of 2006, Governor Matt Blunt awarded the city of Cape Girardeau the honor and designation of one of ten inaugural DREAM communities in the state of Missouri. Martin said the fact that “Americans love mom and pop shops” beckons them to Cape Girardeau. “We love their attentive customer service, their unique merchandise

Art venues in Cape Girardeau include the Edward Bernard Gallery, WESTRAY, “Garden Gallery, Gallery 1-2-5, the Artist Studio, Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, Visual Arts Co-op, Black Door Gallery and the River Campus Art Gallery. For more information, visit www.capearts.org. The Cape Alternative Farmer’s Market features Missouri-grown strawberries; farmraised and pastured chicks, eggs and pork; gourmet lettuce and fresh-cut herbs; breads, cakes and pies; gourmet canned items; goat milk soap; plants; fruits and vegetables; and all-natural pork and beef. Items offered at Cape Girardeau Farmer’s market have been grown within a 75-mile radius of Cape Girardeau. Seasonal produce and fruits, arts and crafts, baked goods, eggs, honey, cut flowers and plants are all available. Locally grown, fresh organic vegetables are available at Old Town Cape Scholarship Garden. Visitors can play golf at two driving ranges, one three-par golf course, one 18-hole S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E | 31

regulation golf course, one private course in the city and two semiprivate courses in the area. Seven parks can be found around the city as well.

The Glass Garden is open Wednesday through Friday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 636-456-0717.

Home of Southeast Missouri State University and well-known radio talk show personality Rush Limbaugh, Cape Girardeau is locally known as the place where the river turns a thousand tales.

Olde Glory Antiques & More is just that. Owner Helena McElravy said there is “a lot to see, more than you’d expect. The store looks like a little blue square from the outside, but you can’t believe how much is here when you come in, even in the bathroom.”

For more information on Cape Girardeau, call 1-800-777-0068 or visit www.info@visitcape.com. day trip to the Warrenton and Wright City areas can make a couple or family feel like they’ve left the state altogether. Rich in home-spun flavor, the two cities offer visitors golfing and dining and unique shopping very close to home. Women can visit the superior salon and spa Luminesce, while men take on a day of golf at the Warrenton Golf Course. Couples can meet up later at Brewskies for dinner and a drink, and spend the night around the pool at the Holiday Inn.

Luminesce Salon & Spa, located at 702 N. Hwy. 47 in Warrenton, is a full-service salon and spa where “experience” is the name of the game. Owner Tina Parrish said she offers makeup and hair treatments, massage, body treatments, facials, hand and foot treatments.

McElravy said there are many antiques and collectibles as well as antique, costume and new jewelry at the store, located at 21115 NW Service Rd. in Warrenton. One vendor sells top-of-the-line candles for just $5.99 each that McElravy said rival the most expensive candles of today. Snoopy collectibles and comic books as well as Precious Moments, and Shawnee, Hull and Hall pottery are also featured in the store. Fine antique furniture can be found at Olde Glory for unbelievable prices, McElravy said. For more information on Olde Glory Antiques & More, call 636-456-5786. Warrenton and Wright City, both just a stone's throw from St. Charles County, boast a variety of specialty shops and experienced professionals. See the back cover of this issue of SteetScape Magazine for more 'Big City Style with a Country Smile!"■

Located in the center of the Luminesce salon is a service bar where manicures and pedicures are done. Parrish calls this the “experience center” where Aveda Concepts products are offered for hands and feet. Foot soaks with warm stones are offered with every hair color service. Lay down shampoo beds are also offered, as well as steam showers. For more information about Luminesce, call 636-456-7082. The Glass Garden, owned and operated by husband and wife team Albert and Bev Holden, and their daughter-in-law Sheryl Holden, is a must-see for visitors. Located at 935 Market in Truesdale, the stained glass gallery and studio is just five minutes from Interstate 70. A natural talent and self-taught artist, Bev specializes in custom stained glass work. The Glass Garden includes a full shop with everything from windows to suncatchers, lighting, chimes, stepping stones and picture frames.

Need a bit of inspiration and a sincere smile? In Warrenton, “A Divine Connection” and co-owner, Randa Taylor will provide both.

Bev recently designed and made stained glass doors for a customer’s kitchen cabinets. She can also make stained glass memorial stones. Stained glass can be designed with anything from angels to fruit to animals to flowers. Bev has used many different mediums in her years as an artist, including paint, pencil, fabric and “anything I’ve ever run across.” She especially enjoys the design work that goes into creating a stained glass window. She likens the process to a jigsaw puzzle. First, she fashions the design on paper. Next she cuts the design into numbered pieces. She then cuts the glass to fit with the pieces using a self-oiling glass cutter. She uses a foil and solder method to fit the pieces together. The foil strips are placed around the edges of the pieces and a soldering iron is used to melt the pieces together. 32 | S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E

Like-new accessories, home decor & children’s clothing, hang in tidy order throughout owner, Rhonda Flure’s “New 2 U,” Wright City.

STATE YOUR BUSINESS

Thistle & Clover W h a t ’s u n d e r y o u r k i l t ? Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photo by Michael Schlueter

Jerry and Rhonda Dyer are on their third location with Thistle & Clover in St. Charles. Their current spot at 407 South Main St. is filled with Scottish, Irish and Welsh treasures from personalized handembroidered coats of arms to hand-woven shawls from Ireland to insta-kilts. The Dyer’s owned and operated The Bear Factory, also on South Main St. for 12 years before deciding to retire and travel. But after having dinner with some Scottish friends who complained of difficulties finding Scottish items—except through mail order—the two found a whole new business in which to venture. Thistle & Clover opened appropriately on Tartan Day in 2003. Tartan Day, celebrated nationally on April 6 each year, recognizes the contributions Scotts have made to America. It took the Dyer’s about six weeks to prepare for their grand opening, and yet, just three weeks later, they had to move to a larger shop. “The response was unbelievable,” Jerry Dyer said. The Dyer’s do their largest volume of business in family name traces. Using three

Jerry and Rhonda Dyer

databases, the Dyer’s can trace just about any family name to discover its coat of arms, clan and clan crest. “It’s a family name history, not a genealogical search,” Jerry said. “Where did you first find your name and in what country.” Jerry said 9/11 has had much to do with the business of family history. “Since 9/11, people want to know about their family. They care because we aren’t untouchable. They want to find out who they are. They want that sense of family.” Once the family’s coat of arms is discovered, any number of gifts can be custom made to include it. The Dyer’s can personalize just about anything from cigar humidors to flags to glassware to pool hall signs. “I can put your coat of arms on anything but you, and now I’m looking at temporary tattoos,” Jerry said. An individual’s family coat of arms is made of symbols that describe what the family did in medieval days, often a substitute for the family name as most people of the day were illiterate. “The coat was a medal of honor,” Jerry said. “You did something meritorious, whether a military or civil feat. At that time, people were illiterate. A proclamation was useless. They couldn’t write it. You couldn’t read it, so they gave you a picture and when people saw it, they knew what you did. Some of them go back to the Middle Ages.” Rhonda said everything on the coat of arms is significant, from the color to the symbols which encompass the artwork. Thistle & Clover offers customers an explanation of the many symbols—from griffin heads to lions to crescents and crosses—that make up the thousands of family coats of arms they have found.

Thistle & Clover can also personalize kilts and other period and historical clothing with the tartans of various clans. The familiar plaid fabric of kilts has a symbolism to the clans who wore them. “Within the country of Scotland, weavers in the community would take all the wool made and make blankets and cloth products,” Jerry said. “They would use the materials indigenous to the area for the dyes. Those areas became distinguished by the colors of the cloth. Tartans are the colors and patterns woven into the cloth of a specific area. As they got better at doing the dyes, they made tartans for names.” The various colors and patterns helped Scotts identify people from across the room or across a field by the kilts that they wore. And Rhonda said a kilt was much more than a skirt-type garment, as it is perceived by many today. The article of clothing was typically a nine-yard-long piece of cloth that was used as the wearer’s raincoat, sleeping bag, backpack, uniform and suit. Last year, Thistle & Clover was commissioned by the University of Missouri—Columbia to provide tartans for the school. Students there competed to develop the tartans, while Thistle & Clover worked with a weaver in Ireland. The Dyer’s sell hundreds of gifts and treasures for just about any occasion, including reproductions of high crosses found scattered about Ireland’s landscape. Rhonda said missionaries would erect a cross and stand under it to preach. Eventually the church would be built near the cross. The Dyer’s have made it their business to photograph and research the crosses of Ireland. Sweaters hand woven in Ireland, compact disks of Irish party songs, jewelry, personalized street signs and just about any item one can imagine, comes from suppliers to Thistle & Clover from all over the world. For more information, call 636-946-2449 or visit www.thistleandclover.com. ■

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A LA CARTE

Quintessential Catering Three generations of culinary perfection Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

Cindy Elking likes to say, “People eat with their eyes before they ever put a fork in their mouths.” She should know. The long-time local caterer extraordinaire has been cooking for the masses for a long time. She comes by it honestly. Her mother as well as her mother before her loved nothing more than to be in the kitchen making someone’s dinner dreams come true. Elking’s grandmother, Millie Schmidt, started the business in New Melle, MO some 35 years ago with her own daughter— Elking’s mother—Mary Ann Pezold. They called it Pezold’s Catering and worked it out

of Pezold’s kitchen catering small church events and the like. “Both of them always liked to cook a lot,” Elking said. “My mother liked to entertain. They started it as an additional source of income and it kind of grew from there.” Elking sort of “grew up in the business like most people grow up in a family business,” she said. “You think you’re never going to do that again.” But after college and a few years in the confines of corporate America, Elking returned to what she knew best. Then she and Pezold ran the business together. Pezold passed away recently. She had retired fully from catering four years ago.

Today “Quintessential Catering” is all that the name implies. Elking and her own daughter Chalyn Elking run the business, which now averages some 400 social, corporate and private events each year. Quintessential Catering has five full-time employees and some 30 on-call staff. The caterers orchestrate events for groups of 10 to several thousand. Quintessential Catering planned two of Costco’s grand openings in Missouri in as many years and “it just keeps growing,” Chalyn said. “We can do everything on location,” she said. “We have even set up a make-shift kitchen in a closet before.” Cindy Elking said she enjoys working with her clients and makes it her business to “work with what will work well for them. I enjoy helping them do what they want to do.” Quintessential Catering can give “as much or as little service” as the client needs, Cindy said. Whether they need to pick up a dish for dinner from the caterer’s headquarters at 801 Runny Meade Plaza in O’Fallon or whether they need a five-course sit-down dinner prepared in their homes, Quintessential can handle the affair. The Elking’s can secure venues and entertainment, as well as handle the china, crystal, flatware, decorations, tents, chairs, invitations, bar and beverages. “We can help execute the entire event,” Cindy said. Quintessential Catering has handled wine tastings as well as traditional and contemporary dinners and events. They offer a variety of ethnic cuisines as well, from Indian to French.

Philly-Style Roasted Beef, Duchessed Potatoes, & Fresh, Sautéed Asparagus

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Cindy said Quintessential Catering tries to stay at the “forefront of the catering industry,” offering their clients the latest and greatest catering and its phenomenal presentations. The Elking’s attended a

conference in Las Vegas recently as one of over 3,000 caterers across the globe, in an effort to bring the trends of the East and West coasts to the Midwest.

to soups and stews. Stacked and layered salads are also quite popular now, wherein ingredients are layered and then flipped over onto the plate.

The trend in catering at the moment is keeping it small, she said. From minimizing the dinnerware to placing three or four tiny servings on a single plate to inserting appetizers and desserts in ice cream cones, caters are meditating on the miniature. “That’s very popular and cutting edge right now,” Cindy said. “Caterers are putting four flavor profiles on a plate.”

For more information on Quintessential Catering or to book an event, call Cindy or Chalyn Elking at 636-978-6210 or visit www.qcater.com. ■

For example, a chef might place four varying tastes on one plate, “items that are distinct and different but compliment each other,” she said. A smoked guida on chicken, along with an onion-based vegetable, garlic potato and basil steamed broccoli might be presented together. “The flavors work together to give a distinct flavor,” Cindy said. Desserts are being minimized as well, she said. “People would rather sample a variety than have to choose. Mini is very popular. People are downsizing from super-sized.” From mini marshmallows to toaster pastries to cupcakes, less is more. Penny candy stations with bubble gum, root beer barrels and Mary Janes are also making a comeback, Cindy said. “Marrying interesting flavors is also in with hot spices and chocolate, jellies and fruit toppings,” she said. (l to r) Joy Noonan, Chalyn Elking, Cindy Elking, Jennifer Walter

Jar cooking is also resurfacing, Cindy said, from individual cobblers

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BEST SHOPPING FINDS

Summer 2009 If the Shoe Fits… Story by Natalie Woods

Summer is here and it’s time to put away all those dark heavy clothes and add some color and lightness to our lives. This year there are a lot of great fashions that will hopefully pry a little of your money out of your pocket and into the cash drawers of your local retailers – including fun maxi dresses, cute shorts and the super fun comfortable boyfriend jeans. But this visit to the world of fashion is not going to focus on those things ….. Let’s instead explore the trends this spring in footwear. After all, really what is better than a fantastic shoe?? They can make an outfit and let’s face it – they always fit!! I polled a couple of my favorite shoe stores in St Louis to find out what they will be stocking for your purchasing pleasure this spring and it’s going to be a great year for your feet. No matter what your budget you will be able to find something to take your spring wardrobe from drab to fab!! There is something for everyone on the color spectrum -- Laura Bryan from Wish Shoes in Ladue says to be on the lookout for lots of neutrals like tan and brown and Lindsey Terry a spokesperson for EJ’s Designer Shoe Outlet is excited about bright colors, orange and turquoise to be exact. Lindsey also says we are going to see a lot of black and white (which is also a big trend in clothing).

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Laura also sees patent leather continuing to be a very strong statement as it has been for the last couple seasons. For spring, your patent will get brighter and more colorful and probably have some embellishments to boot. Speaking of embellishments, Lindsey is loving the “edge” that shoes have taken on this spring – buckles, grommets, studs, crystals, beads, zippers, metal details, animal prints, ethnic touches – really anything that takes the shoe up a notch and makes it seem really special and different from years past. You will find these details on literally every kind of shoe on the market. Lindsey stresses that especially in these strange economic times – shoes must be multifunctional and special, definitely not plain – and must work with a lot of your clothes. These fun details, even the really rocker chic kind, fit this description and can be paired with work or fun clothes and really make an everyday wardrobe item special. In addition to all the fun described above, probably the single biggest trend this season in footwear is the gladiator shoe. This style made its debut last year and it has exploded in 2009 with even more options. You are going to see these interesting shoes with all of the above mentioned embellishments including studs and buckles and in bright colors as well as neutrals and in sexy heels or comfortable flat versions!! I personally love pairing these slightly harder edged shoes (even the simplest versions look a little harder and edgy because of the way the shoe wraps around your foot – hence the harder name – GLADIATOR) with really girly and more feminine clothes. I love the sassier heeled gladiators with your

cropped jeans and shorter dresses and I am obsessed with maxi dresses paired with the flat gladiator sandals. A boring gladiator shoe does not exist and the possibilities are literally endless -- Look in some of your favorite fashion magazines to see the thousands of ways to pair this exciting shoe with every spring trend and every classic fashion item. Hopefully your budget will allow you to add more than one shoe to your wardrobe but if not, our shoe experts have a couple different ideas for the one shoe you MUST have this spring: Lindsey and the folks at EJ’s looked to the woman that has a huge influence on the women of the US, the one and only Oprah when they said that the one must have is the Fit Flop Sandal. Oprah gave this flip flop that works out your legs while wearing, a seal of approval last year – and as you can imagine created a frenzy that lead to these bad boys being nearly impossible to find. They should be bit more available this year and are designed to help maintain balance, challenge hard to reach muscles in your legs and work out your tush muscles. Whether they actually work or not is up to you to decide but they come in a lot of different styles and colors – and I say if you can get a workout just walking around – it’s all good with me!!

This season for so many different reasons … the shoes definitely fit!! ■

On the dressier side of things -- Laura from Wish picked the gorgeous Giuseppe Zanotti Gladiator Sandal as her one must have. This shoe has jewels running from your toe to your ankle and will look amazing with every single piece of clothing in your spring wardrobe.

Natalie Woods is the owner of Daisy-Clover Boutique in Webster Groves, MO.

Wish Shoes – 9765 Clayton Road – Ladue MO 63124 – 314.432-0800 EJ’s Designer Shoe Outlet – 8620 Olive Blvd (just east of I-170) - St Louis, MO 63132 – 314.991.0183 119 Watson Plaza - St. Louis, MO 63126 – 314.966.2050

BOUTIQUE PROFILE Cindy Berg, Kim Egelhoff, Tina Rigoni - owners Aly’s Interiors and Gifts 5359 Hwy. N, St. Charles, MO 63304 636-939.2597 www.alysinteriors.com When did the store open? We celebrated 6 years in April 2009 What made you decide to go into the wonderful world of retail? Our community needed a resource that offers Fun Home Decor with an affordable in-home design source. That is what we’ve created and the community has welcomed us. Why should people shop with you vs. other retail (specialty services, etc)? You can bring in a picture of a mantle or wall and we will help you make the right choices. No one else offers that type of service. What are some of your best sellers? Custom-made Floral Toppers, Artwork and Jewelry. Plans/hopes for the future? To continue to be the best design resource in St. Charles so people know they can have a beautiful home with professional design help and know they’ve gotten a great value.

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Summer Shopping

Photos by Michael Schlueter

1 Botonical Wall Sconce. This beautiful sconce is made of natural botanicals and greens to add warmth and color to any space. Items like this can be custom made by Alyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Floral Designer to fit your space and coloring. 2 Aluminum Fluer Dis Lis Serving Tray. A perfect gift for that upcoming bridal shower or Wedding. This tray conveys class and elegance and can be used decoratively or as a serving piece for food items.

3 Tuscan Artwork. Fun color with a Tuscan feel to brighten any room. Alyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s can help you find the perfect art piece for any space. Feel free to bring in a photo of your specific area and we can find the answer for you. 4 Spring is all about color--Think Spring 5 Brighton Accessories----Carries has it all! Handbags, Jewelry, Sunglasses, Fragrances, Watches All the latest New Charms! 6 Create a New Look ---Experience Carries

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ST. CHARLES BICENTENNIAL KICKOFF St. Charlesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bicentennial was kicked off in style at the Foundry Art Centre on March 3, 2009. The evening featured heavy hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres focusing on our French, Spanish and German heritage. Live entertainment was provided by Crossover, a dynamic seven-piece band. Citizens with the longest St. Charles ancestry were recognized by Mayor York and the St. Charles City Council.

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HEALTH & FITNESS

Switch Fitness Personalized training Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photo by Michael Schlueter

Personal trainers beware. How about personalized exercise machines? They may not be Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper, but these Smart Cards can carry their owners into the annals of weight loss history just the same—by personalizing each machine to its user. Switch Fitness, with locations in O’Fallon and St. Peters, offers their members 11 weight training machines, each of which is computerized similar to nautilus machines. Weights are stacked vertically, controlled by computers and raised and lowered by magnets. A typical workout can be completed in 25 to 28 minutes, said Cindy Dean, assistant manager and personal trainer. The first seven machines are part of Switch’s “Quick Start” program, where users can get a whole-body workout in 18 minutes, spending approximately one minute on each machine. In between the machines are stretching stations, also lasting a minute each. But it’s the Smart Cards that make all the difference, Dean said. “When someone becomes a member with the program, each machine is specifically set for them,” she said. It works like this. When the user begins, a starting weight and seat position on each machine is programmed onto the Smart Card. When the card is inserted into the machine, the machine remembers the individual information for each person and the machine registers that person as the user. The machine is then able to track the range of motion of each user and as that individual completes 95 percent of their range of motion, the machine progressively increases the difficulty. “The machine will add a percentage of weight based on her fitness level,” Dean said. “When it gets too

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heavy, the computer senses that incomplete range of motion and automatically based on her fitness level, allows her to finish her repetitions. So it’s always pushing you to your max abilities and then drops back.” Thus the Smart Cards allow users to “switch” fitness levels as they continue their workouts. There are 10 fitness levels, one being the least fit and 10 being the most fit. A computer screen allows the client to see how many repetitions they are doing and how much weight they have cumulatively pressed, pulled and lifted. All of this information is saved and stored on the Smart Cards. As the user progresses, they get stronger, and again switch their fitness levels. Dean said the system is the first of its kind in the world. An inventor from the St. Louis area devised the Exertron system and franchised it, starting in O’Fallon in June of 2008. The St. Peters location opened in the spring. Switch Fitness also employs a registered

dietician as well as a fitness consultant, which are both available to clients during every workout. “This is an efficient strength training workout that someone can get in under 30 minutes hitting all of their fitness needs— strength, cardio and flexibility. Strength training is the key factor to getting real and lasting results,” Dean said. “This workout incorporates stretching with strength training. The best time to increase your flexibility is when your muscles are nice and warm. In a nutshell, this is circuit training at its best.” For more information on Switch Fitness, call or visit either location at 8612 Mexico Rd. in O’Fallon, 636-240-2183; or 7110 Mexico Rd. in St. Peters, 636-970-2444; or visit www.switchfitness.com. ■

Ice Cream

Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream Parlor in St. Louis celebrated “National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day” in February with a free scoop of ice cream for its patrons, many of which showed up in their pajamas for the occasion.

We all scream for Ice Cream Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

As Streetscape honors so many birthdays in its Summer 2009 issue, we thought it only fitting that we honor one of summer’s most tantalizing treats — ice cream. The theories and speculations on the origins of our favorite dessert are as varied and numbered its flavors. And although the ice cream cone made its debut at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, when Charles E. Minches of St. Louis supposedly came up with the idea of filling a pastry cone with two scoops of ice cream (people are even reexamining this claim now), the origins of the filler itself have been in question for hundreds of years. Most of the early history of the chilly treat remains at best unproven folklore. Even the history of the ice cream cone, to which St. Louis holds a very proud heritage has come into question of late. J.J. Schnebel, on his website “Who Cooked That Up?” said that although, “Doubtless, the 1904 Fair was the place where the cone became popular” it may not have been the place of its introduction. “Have you heard about the Great Ice Cream Cone Controversy? It has the folks in St. Louis hopping mad—and more than a little embarrassed,” Schnebel writes. “After several decades of boasting that like the hotdog bun and the hamburger, the ice cream cone was invented at the St. Louis Fair in 1904, it turns out that a New Yorker named Italo Marciony had a U.S. patent on just such an item several months before the fair opened. Marciony had been selling lemon ice in cones from his pushcart since 1896, and was issued a patent on his mold on December 13, 1903…In his application he described his invention as being ‘like a waffle iron and producing several small pastry cups with sloping sides’. Sounds like an ice cream cone to me.”

30 million gallons per year. The annual production has been on a continuously increasing rate, with the production of both soft and hard ice cream now at more than one billion gallons. This represents a per capita consumption of more than 19 pounds. Approximately nine percent of the total U.S. milk production is utilized by the ice cream industry.” The origins of ice cream and its resulting cone will always be the stuff of legends. And truth be told, the most common consumers of the chilly treat don’t really care. Whatever the origins, whatever the flavor and certainly whoever the consumer, I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream. ■

About.com states that while ice cream is considered as “American” as apple pie and Chevrolet, its origins were probably in Europe. We can be comforted, however, to know that the ice cream industry as we know it today, was wholly developed in these United States. “Ice cream undoubtedly evolved from iced beverages and fruit ices that were popular in early medieval periods, some of which probably contained milk or cream. The practice, in early times of cooling drinks in ice and snow containing salt is a matter of record. It seems possible that in overcooling some of these punches, the ice was discovered. At any rate, various records of frozen fruit flavored ices have been found in European history and frozen ices are still more popular in continental Europe than in the United States and Canada.” The site goes on to comfort us ice cream-loving Americans by saying, “The United States has gained undisputed leadership among all other countries in the production of ice cream. The industry grew slowly until about 1900, when the output of ice cream did not exceed 25 to S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E | 43

PET TALES

Animal Rescue C a r i n g f o r G o d ’s c r e a t u r e s great & small Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

Harley, Duke, Puppy, Lizzy, Loralie and Beth, respectively.

nimals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”

“I just think we have a moral responsibility to be caretakers and stewards of the animals on this Earth,” Wilson said. “Like Eighteenth Century German Philosopher Immanuel Kant said, ‘You can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.’”

A “

--George Eliot, “Mr. Gilfil’s Love Story” 1857 Dogs are often called man’s best friend. And it’s been said that if you want the best seat in the house, you’ll have to move the cat. Our love for animals traverses all generations, it crosses all racial boundaries. It surpasses all reason. Tell that to the young mother that spent $20 on a veterinarian visit to put down a gerbil after her six-year-old dropped it and ran over it with her roller skates. That was me. And it was all so my young daughter would not know she had actually killed the animal. But there are those among us who dedicate much of their time and certainly their talents to rescuing and caring for the creatures that others have either abandoned or taken for granted. In this article Streetscape Magazine honors just a few of them. We understand that we can not begin to scratch the surface of all of the animal rescue facilities and shelters that exist even just in St. Charles County. (If you want proof, just Google “animal rescue.”) For there is a group or home or group home for just about every conceivable breed of animal out there. But we hope to highlight and thank just a few of the people who take “caring for God’s creatures, great and small” to a new level. Amy Wilson is one such lady. Co-owner of Framations in St. Charles, Wilson is the “2008 Volunteer of the Year” and long-time member of the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation (MAAL). A selfproclaimed vegetarian, Wilson houses four dogs and three cats of her own---Max, 44 | S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E

Ken Farris

And Wilson said taking care of a pet is the best lesson for children. “If you treat an animal with humanity, it’s a good way to teach your kids how to be good to others. If kids can treat an animal with compassion they will treat others with compassion.” Wilson said MAAL, founded in 1990, works on the front end of legislation “toward a day when maybe we won’t have to.” The group’s mission is to protect animals from abuse, neglect and exploitation by monitoring and facilitating the passage of animal welfare laws. This they hope will enhance the quality of life for people and animals in Missouri. Wilson said unfortunately Missouri has earned the reputation as the “Puppy Mill Capital of the United States, as there are more licensed and unlicensed breeders in Missouri than anywhere else.” She said some 30-40-percent of all dogs sold in the United States come from Missouri due to the substandard laws for the care of puppies. Wilson said the Missouri State Auditor last year issued an audit of the Department of Agriculture and the Animal Care Facilities Act Program that confirmed that the state was not meeting its statutory responsibility to inspect annually all of the licensed commercial pet breeders in Missouri. This audit says nothing of all of the unlicensed breeders operating in the state.

This is just one of the issues facing MAAL. The non-profit organization also supports the “Healthy Pet Act”, or Senate Bill 186, which gives consumers recourse when they buy sick puppies from stores. “Right now when consumers buy a sick puppy, they can only get another puppy,” Wilson said. “Sadly, Missouri puppy mills currently churn out far too many sick animals because of the deplorable conditions in which they are raised and consumers are left with only the remedy of replacement, which is unacceptable to the families that have already become attached to the pet.” Wilson said some four million dogs are put to sleep each year in America needlessly. She said people mistakenly believe they can not find a pure breed dog or cat at a shelter. “Personally, I wish consumers wouldn’t spend $1,000 for a pure breed dog when they can get one for free from a shelter.” Wilson said MAAL is currently sponsoring several House and Senate Bills that would emphasize the welfare of the animals victimized by dog fighting. These bills would increase penalties for repeat offenders of being a spectator at a dog fight from a misdemeanor to a felony as well as enhance criminal penalties for all second or subsequent dog fighting offenses. For more information on MAAL, visit www.maal.org.

This story is dedicated to the loving memory of Publisher Tom Hannegan’s beloved Cinder, a seven-year-old black lab who was struck and killed by a car in April.

he volunteers of Midwest Doberman Rescue of St. Louis have tried since 2000 to “clean up” this reputation of the Doberman. “And I think we’re doing that,” said Director Deb McReynolds.

Midwest Doberman Rescue is a group of Doberman fanciers who, under the parent group of Purebred Dog Rescue of St. Louis, tried to find homes for Dobermans in trouble. Sometimes the Dobermans that the group rescues are strays. Others are rescued from local pounds, shelters or puppy mills. Still others are surrendered by people who find themselves no longer able to keep the dogs. Midwest Doberman Rescue places these dogs as well as provides temporary foster homes. McReynolds said the Doberman breed got its bad reputation in the 1970’s because people often trained them as guard dogs. “Their instinct is to protect you,” she said. “It’s almost like living with another person. They are very loyal. The Doberman is the fifth smartest breed in the world.” McReynolds said the group does not place dogs with a history of biting or with known debilitating health problems. “Most people give up their Doberman simply because they do not have the desire or the time to train the dog,” she said. “Relinquishing owners supply us with extensive information about the dog’s health and temperament.” McReynolds encourages future dog owners

to consider adopting adult dogs. “An adult dog usually is very aware that he has been chosen and is grateful for his loving new home. He is likely to follow his human parent devotedly, and will show great affection for his new family members. He might carry along with him a few habits from his original home, like sleeping on the sofa, but with love, patience and kindness, these an be changed.” Other good reasons for adopting an adult dog are: housetrained; not teething puppies; more mellow; able to understand no; able to settle in more easily; good at giving love and grateful for the second chance they’ve been given; instant companions; less demanding; accustomed to human schedules, and don’t need nighttime feedings, comforting and bathroom breaks. Midwest Doberman Rescue’s adoption fees run between $250 and $350 and include a health examination, spay or neuter, microchip, heartworm test and treatment if necessary, fecal test and worming, rabies, DHLPP and Bordetella vaccinations. Midwest Doberman Rescue will sponsor “Pet Fest ‘09” from noon to 3 p.m., Sunday, May 17 at Airedale Antics, 7328 Manchester Rd. in Maplewood. This is a “Rally to Rescue” event and will include ten other rescue groups and vendors. A “Doberman Adoption” will also be held from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, June 6 at

Petco, 6137 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters. For more information on upcoming events, adopting a Doberman or becoming a foster “human”, visit www.midwestdobermanrescuestl.org or call McReynolds at 636-947-1304. he St. Charles County Animal Control and Pet Adoption Center in St. Peters is the county’s clearinghouse for displaced and homeless cats and dogs. Theresa Williams, director of the Pet Adoption Center, said the folks who work for the county’s animal control and Pet Adoption Center have many responsibilities.

Under the auspices of St. Charles County Community Health and the Environment, animal control deals with bite control, nuisance animals, rabies problems and dangerous animals. Investigations for animal neglect and abuse are handled through animal control. This department typically deals with nuisance complaints including those that originate from “hoarding” cases. “Hoarders are people who collect more animals then they can humanely care for,” Williams said. These people start out just taking in animals to care for because they love animals so much. “But they find themselves unable to say no to animals. They don’t see that they’re being neglectful.” Rescues usually involve working with adoption and re-homing of the particular breed. Williams said nearly every breed of dog and cat has its own rescue group. For instance, if an 11-year-old Cocker Spaniel is rescued, Williams may call a specific rescue group for Cocker Spaniels as well as Senior Dog Rescue, a group that specializes in placing older dogs. “We do it all and also work well with animal rescue,” Williams said, adding that the responsibilities of the center overlap considerably. Williams said the Pet Adoption Center has a very high adoption rate. As an “open admissions shelter,” the center takes in animals from other shelters and rescue groups, regardless of their condition. “They S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E | 45

understandable that the family doesn’t want to fall in love with the dog and then lose them and be heartbroken.” But she said she’s also learned that the older dogs are the “best behaved dogs. They’re potty-trained and not demanding for exercise. All they want is someone to love them and to be with them.”

For more information on adopting a pet, call 636-949-7387.

Senior Dogs 4 Seniors also takes therapy dogs to hospitals and nursing homes. “We are continually amazed at the positive reaction these dogs have on the patients. Their faces light up when a dog walks into their room. We know the positive force that these dogs have in our lives and put the two things together to come up with the idea of Senior Dogs 4 Seniors. It came to us that it would be a win-win situation if we could place these older dogs in the homes of older folks who still live in their houses.”

enior Dogs 4 Seniors is a unique animal rescue organization that attempts to save the oldest of canines and match them with their older human counterparts.

Knowing that cost could be prohibitive to some seniors, the Pierce’s created a 501c3 non-profit so they could obtain donations to help their foster parents.

Williams said as sad as it is to discover animals that have been abused, she gets to experience a lot of happy endings as well. One happy reunion of a pet and its “human” occurred after a pet owner came to the shelter looking to adopt a cat. He had lost his own cat some four months earlier. Ironically, the cat that he had lost was awaiting adoption at the center.

“David and I have grown up loving man’s best friend,” said Diane Pierce. Diane and husband, David Pierce, own and operate Senior Dogs 4 Seniors. “As our daughters left home, we started rescuing dogs and found it to be very gratifying. The dogs that we rescued were wonderful dogs that just needed a chance at a better life.”

Like Wilson, Williams said a huge misconception exists about the kinds of animals that make up shelters such as the Pet Adoption Center. “I would like people

In the last several years, the Pierce’s have fostered over 60 dogs. “We have witnessed the fact that it is very difficult to find adopting homes for senior dogs. It is

Senior Dogs 4 Seniors Board Member Nancy Parko has fostered 820 puppies and over 150 adult dogs in the past six years. She maintains that all dogs need loving homes, not just the puppies. “I feel content and peace in knowing every single dog was given my heart and soul, learned as much as I could teach and found happy loving forever homes,” she said.

can be old, young, sick, aggressive,” Williams said. “If we took only adoptable animals, we would never have to euthanize.” There are always animals ready for adoption at the center. Prices for adopting animals from the center include spay and neuter, vaccinations, health exam, and treatment for parasites or sickness, and are as follows: cats 4 months and older, $30; kittens 4 months and younger, $40; Dogs 4 months and older, $50; puppies 4 months and younger, $60.

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to come to the shelter first (before buying an animal from a pet store),” she said. “People don’t know that 25 percent of animals adopted here are pure breeds. You can get a very healthy pure bred animal from a shelter.”

For more information on Senior Dogs 4 Seniors, call 636-458-1892 or visit www.seniordogs4seniors.com. ■

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OUTDOOR

Camping I t ’s g r e a t o u t d o o r s Story by Amy Armour Photos by Michael Schlueter

Whether it’s an outdoor adventure in the backyard or a two-hour trip into the wilderness, families can get away for some fun family time without breaking the bank. “I’ve found that people, once they go camping they love it and go more often,” said Corry Mains, camping lead at Cabellas in Hazelwood. “And most campgrounds have a minimal cost—at most $12 a night.” Before heading out to the wilderness for a few days, families should make sure they have all of the outdoor necessities. The Alpine Shop, a local and independent outdoor gear shop in Kirkwood, stocks all of the gear necessary for a trip into the wild or evening campout in the backyard. First and foremost, campers will need to invest in a good, solid tent. Cabella’s in Hazelwood carries a wide line of tents from the two-person backpacking tent to the full-size luxury eight person, tworoom tent. Andy Kjellesvik, with Alpine Shop in Kirkwood, said a four-person tent starts at about $150, but the nicer tents with better material and a lighter weight can run about $300 to $400. “It’s a bigger investment upfront, but it’s much more durable and it makes sense to spend the money,” said Kjellesvik. “A nice family tent for $300 to $400 can last a family 10 years.” If camping is going to be a frequent summer trip, Mains agrees that spending money on a Northface, Eureka or Columbia brand tent would be wise. 48 | S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E

W h e n choosing a tent, campers should first consider size. “You don’t want to get too small so you’re sleeping on each other,” said Mains. “And you don’t want it to be too big and take up the e n t i r e campsite.” Next, Mains Bass Pro Shops, the world's most exciting sporting goods. For more said to check information, visit www.basspro.com out the poles All campers should invest in a well-made to ensure stability and strength. The sleeping bag and a sleeping pad, which breathability of the tent is very important in insulates campers from the cold, hard summer camping, so campers should make ground. When looking for a sleeping bag, sure the tent has lots of ventilation. And Mains suggests checking out the bags for Mains said to make sure the rain hat, which strong solid zippers and good, quality sits on top of the tent, is durable and won’t material. leak with a few raindrops. “Just look for how well it’s made. You don’t “The cheaper tents are not the greatest in a want to put it in the wash once and it falls good storm,” said Mains. apart,” said Mains. “With summer And finally, make sure the bottom of the camping, just look for a sleeping bag that tent is thick enough to hold up to the sticks will keep you warm in 30 degree weather or above.” Sleeping bags cost between $25 and on the ground, Mains said. $300 at Cabellas. Larry Whiteley, communications director for Bass Pro Shop, recommends the two- Campers with back problems can check out room dome tent at Bass Pro for family a cot to keep their backs off the ground, said camping. The tent is just under $100 and Mains. with a 12' x 12' space it easily sleeps six. The Campers should also make sure to stock a tent also has a removable internal room cooler for perishable food items, and have a divider to fit the needs of any family. lantern on hand for some late-night

check out Hawn State Park in Ste. Genevieve, MO. Hawn State Park, located about 90 minutes from St. Louis, has grounds for tent and RV camping. There are hiking trails, and families looking for a little more wilderness can pitch a tent in the middle of woods. For a super-close vacation, a trip to Cuivre River State Park in Troy, MO is a great place, according to Mains.

Cabela’s, the world’s foremost outfitter since 1961. For more information, visit www.cabelas.com.

outdoor lighting. Whiteley recommends the ThermaCell Patio Lantern at Bass Pro which not only provides light, but simultaneously zaps all insects within a 15 foot radius. Kjellesvik suggests calling the campsite and verifying if campfires are allowed or if there are BBQ pits onsite. If the campground does not allow the fire, campers will have to invest in a camp stove to cook meals. Camp stoves can cost between $89 and $150 at the Alpine Shop. There are also a lot of camping items that may not be necessary for survival, but really add to the fun factor of camping.

Kjellesvik said a really fun toy to take on a family camping trip is an ice cream maker ball. The ice cream maker is a round silver ball about the size of a soccer ball. All that has to be added is cream, salt and ice. To churn the ice cream, the kids kick the ball around for about 20 minutes.

“There’s plenty of fishing and hiking and it’s not a far drive,” said Mains. Families looking for a practice indoor campout can check out Bass Pro early this summer. Whiteley said the store will have camping seminars inside the store that teach families how to camp in the backyard. For more information about camping adventures in Missouri visit http://www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/. ■

“We also carry a hand crank flashlight and radio,” said Kjellesvik. Frisbees, fishing poles and old-fashioned hand crank popcorn makers are also available at any of the camping stores. For a fun weekend trip somewhat close to home, Kjellesvik recommends families

The Alpine Shop serves almost every type of outdoor enthusiast from backpackers, hikers, campers, paddlers, and cyclists, to snowboarders and skiers. For more information, visit www.alpineshop.com. S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E | 49

YARDWORK

Landscape Summer Spruce-up Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

With more than 10,000 hanging baskets, hundreds of varieties of perennials, 100,000 pots of annuals and over 70 varieties of roses.

Has last year’s lawn lost is luster? Has your landscaping left you lackadaisical? StreetScape Magazine wants to give its readers some timely tips on how to spruce up their spruces as well as their spirea.

Daniel’s Manager Monica Koenig said one of the biggest problems people encounter during the summer months is watering—when to water, how much to water. “I go back to the Missouri Extension Office. They say to water an inch per week in one to two waterings,” Koenig said. “Watering every morning is not necessarily best for your grass.”

aniel’s Farm & Greenhouses, at 352 Jungermann Road in St. Peters, has become a staple on the St. Charles County landscape. Started by Ray and Maridel Koenig in 1956 with more than 1,000 apple and peach trees combined on 70 acres, over the years the Koenig’s raised strawberries, black and red raspberries, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, cantaloupe, watermelon, pumpkins, cucumbers, green beans and five varieties of squash.

Most crops were hand planted, hand picked, hand packed and taken to local grocery stores and produce row off Broadway in St. Louis. Some produce was sold at St. Charles Farmers market in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Sixty acres of the farm were eventually sold and became what is now the Misty Valley Subdivision. In 1990, Ray Koenig retired, leaving the care of what would become Daniel’s Farm & Greenhouses to his son, Daniel Koenig. Since then, Daniel has built 10 greenhouses, five Quonset greenhouses, a mum-growing field for 15,000 plants, a drip irrigation system and rock bins for gravel, mulch and topsoil. In 2000, a new planting house and irrigation system was put in place to accommodate 10,000 hanging baskets. And finally, in 2001 the front sale area was tripled in size. Today, October harvest activities bring families from all over the St. Charles region and beyond to enjoy a petting zoo, straw maze and full activity area. Open year round, Daniel’s offers an outdoor garden and greenhouses with a huge inventory that is constantly changing.

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Koenig suggests measuring with a rain gauge to determine how long it takes your specific sprinkler or sprinkler system to reach this goal. The Missouri Extension’s advice is true whether it is 70 degrees or 100 degrees outside, Koenig said. “More water is not going to help,” she said.But with the intense heat of St. Louis summer comes other problems, such as fungus and weeds. People who water too much are actually creating more weeds because weeds are shallow-rooted, Koenig said. When the top of the lawn is kept wet, these shallow-rooted plants are what survive. Some grasses just naturally go dormant and that’s ok, said Koenig. “Like bluegrass is more apt to turn brown and more water doesn’t make necessarily better grass.” Although most trimming is done in the spring and fall, some plants and trees can be trimmed in the summer, including evergreens when the goal is to control size. These include Spruces and Yews, which should be trimmed in May before the heat hits. Koenig said a general rule for planting is to plant during months that have the letter “r” in them—September through April. It’s best to wait until fall to dig something up to be replanted when the tree has lost its leaves. The tree has less water requirements then. The disturbance of the root system won’t be as hard on the tree. Koenig said in the summer months, homeowners need to be

especially aware of insects. She suggests bringing in the leaf from the plant that insects have attacked or the insect itself to a garden center in a plastic bag so a professional can suggest the proper product or solution for the problem. For more information on Daniel’s Farm & Greenhouses, call 636-441-5048. lorissant Iron Works can help any homeowner achieve a dream landscape with ornamental metals. Founded in 1951, Florissant Iron Works specializes in the design, fabrication, preservation and installation of fine custom architectural metal work and interior iron décor.

Whether they’re using an original design or building to the customer’s plans, Florissant Iron Works combines traditional old world fabrication and joinery techniques or forging and casting with modern metal working techniques. “These latest techniques afforded by advances in new production technologies such as CAD rendering, electric welding, water jet, plasma and laser cutting methods and advanced finishing, have proven to extend the range of our designs while maintaining affordability,” said Wayne Bowman, owner. The result, Bowman said, is exciting new forms of wrought iron, sand castings, aluminum, brass and bronze combined in uncommon, unconventional ways to

create unique custom pieces. Florissant Iron Works was founded, and remain,s on Florissant’s main street known as Rue St. Francois. The company’s office building has been traced by local historians as the oldest commercial building in Florissant. Bowman said ornamental metal work is more than a safety railing, a piece of furniture, a staircase, or an accent on a mirror or fireplace. “It is part of the design equation,” he said.

A large part of the reasoning behind using ornamental iron on one’s lawn is “essentially to increase property values,” Bowman said. But it’s also the beauty that ornamental iron brings. “People like to identify with some part of history or area of the world they’re fond of. With iron work, they can do that by expressing their individual tastes. For more information on Florissant Iron Works, call 314-837-3363.

Florissant Iron Work’s lead iron work designer is both an engineer and an artist. “Having traveled the world and lived abroad, he brings an international perspective to bear for you with architectural influences from all over the Americas, Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and Australia.”

Bowman said Florissant Iron Work’s library contains period and regional ornamental iron works spanning practically all ancient and modern influences of American, European, Middle Eastern and Asian metal work. The collection of technical drawings, foundry pattern books, catalogs and digests of architectural forms provide the insight and inspiration that is often crucial in the early phases of the company’s role in any project.

Curtis Foster, arborist and certified commercial applicator, is the lawn and land care manager for Hansen’s.

eff Hansen founded Hansen’s Tree Service in 1988. Hansen’s was the first tree care company in Missouri to be certified by the Tree Care Industry Association. Hansen’s employs 10 International Society of Arboriculturecertified arborists, making the company one of the most accredited tree service companies in the St. Louis area.

Foster said Hansen’s owes much of its growth to the diversification of services as well as its philosophy on employee education. The company not only provides residential and commercial services such as tree diagnosis, treatment for sick trees, pruning, tree removal and stump removal, but also has expanded into other areas. Among these are Hansen’s mobile grinder, lawn care, mulch and firewood services and compost. In all, Hansen’s employs 90 people and operates a fleet of 75 trucks. Hansen’s started as a side job. In 1988, Founder and President Jeff Hansen, longtime BFI employee, started trimming trees a few Saturdays per month so his wife could stay home with their children. Before long, his side job took more time than Hansen could do on the side, so he turned it into a full-time venture and Hansen’s was born. Hansen’s offers teams led by certified arborists, insurance for client’s piece of mind, and the right equipment for any

job. Hansen’s recycles 100 percent of its wood and green waste to produce organic compost, mulch or firewood. Many things can inhibit the growth of residential trees, including construction around them that may cause soil compaction or an invasion of the trees’ growth zone, as well as disease and insect infestation. Foster said finding out the culprit of disease or insects is important not only to the tree a homeowner is trying to save but to the surrounding tree and plant population. The first question should always be whether or not to save the tree. “Our team of certified arborists is trained to assess your tree’s condition and determine whether or not it can be saved. We won’t put your tree through a treatment program if that money could be better spent on removal.”

individual’s property and how they can best be cared for. Hansen’s Tree Service can be heard on the Garden Hotline, a monthly KMOX radio show on which host Mike Miller interviews Jeff Hansen. Hansen takes calls from listeners to discuss issues with tree diagnosis, treatment, pruning, tree removal, stump removal and lawn care. “Trees are like us,” Foster said, “if they’re getting enough water and getting fed properly, they are going to make it through whatever stress issues without much difficulty. But when they are weakened, they are vulnerable to insects and disease.” For more information on Hansen’s call 636-379-1830. ■

Besides disease and insect control, Hansen’s performs a variety of cultural treatments, like solid aeration that put trees in a position to thrive, such as Mauget injections and deep root fertilization and feeding. Hansen’s also answers homeowners’ questions about what trees are ideal for the

SealMaxx Preserve the beauty and life of your wood, concrete and masonry with the environmentally-safe SealMaxx sealing system. Guaranteed for 25 years, a one-time application of the SealMaxx system forms a permanent bond with wood, concrete and masonry, creating a protective barrier against damaging elements and chemicals. No other sealant can match the unparalleled protection you get with the licensed SealMaxx system. 636-294-MAXX

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2009 ALL MAYOR’S BALL The fifth annual All Mayors' Charity Ball was held Saturday, April 4, 2009 in the Ameristar Casino's Discovery Ballroom. The Casino Royale themed event benefitted local charities Connections to Success, Bridgeway Behavioral Health, Preferred Family Healthcare and the Children's Home Society of Missouri. Photos by Michael Schlueter

BRIDGEWAY’S BE SAFE AT HOME AUCTION Guests joined Honorary Co-Chairs Lou & Jackie Brock at Be Safe at Home, benefitting Bridgeway’s Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Programs. “With NO TIES, We’re all Winners!” Everyone celebrated being safe (& comfortable) at home by wearing their favorite team’s jersey!

Photos by Michael Schlueter

SOCIETY

SOCIETY SIGHTINGS … by Teri Seiler ong ago, but not so far away, was a small town known as St. Charles. Its social scene consisted of the arrival of outof-town relatives, church functions, tractor pulls, county fairs and of course, bridal and baby showers. But, that was then and this is now. That small town has grown into a thriving metropolis with a grandiose society that is always living life to its fullest. These are people who know how to live big and give big. I will be taking you behind the scenes of the lives of people who are making St. Charles County the place to live, work and play. Enjoy!

There are homes, there are elegant homes, and then there are estate homes such as the one owned by Jan and Bill Ziercher located in prestigious Upper Whitmore. This community-minded couple recently opened the doors to their elegant, 10,000-plus square foot manse to help benefit the bright minds of the children who attend The Academy of the Sacred Heart. Guests such as Russ and Jill Medonia, Michelle and Wayne Bowman, Dave and Moira Ross, Dr. John Powell, Ron and Leslie Theby, Barry and Susan Chapman, Bill and Kelly Dulle, Mary Beth and Steve Heying, Tom and Carolyn Hughes, Justine and Kevin Riggs, and Ray and Mary Beth Bulte enjoyed wine tastings provided by Regina Ruppert of Vintner’s Cellars in O’Fallon, while indulging in crudités and more provided by our town’s caterer-extraordinaire, Doug Risch. ASH Development Director, Jan McCosker discovered she had a fondness for pears; especially when used as a wine ingredient. According to party-goers the highlight of the evening was the lower level of the Ziercher home that is decorated a’la Hemingway hunting lodge and features a bar that rivals any upscale commercial establishment. Guests enjoyed the libations concocted by alumni parent, Jay Mudd. When the two-hour soiree was over, many headed to “after parties” held at Dr. Robert and Karen MacDonald’s Whitmore abode or Eric and Kelli Schaefer’s Austin Ridge castle. Sue and Bill Solomon, Brian and Susie Green, Paul and Chris Ziegler, Michelle and Joe Schrick, Tom and Sheri Clark were just a few of the couples that partied into the wee hours of the next morning. Love was in the air at the Boys & Girls Clubs Crystal Ball – a dinner, dance and auction - as Scott Shockley bid high and won a Lucky Ladies package which included a facial, flowers, dinner at Pujols Westport Grill and a night at the Drury Inn for his lovely wife, Missy Shockley. No one deserved the restful, romantic package more than Missy, as she served as Chairwoman of the

elegant soiree that raised $110,000.00 for the Clubs. The black-tie event brought out over 350 child advocates such as Rudy and Becky Beck, Ernie and Peggy Dempsey, Brad and Sandy Franta, Craig and Lorna Frahm, Harold and Dianne Burkemper, Steve and Tara Hovis, Vicki Schneider, John and Marie Covelli, Senator Tom Dempsey and his darling wife, Molly. Local celebrity auctioneers, Dr. Michael Conoyer, Gary Shaw and Jerry Hollingsworth worked the crowd over enticing them to bid in this trying economy and they actually succeeded. Steve Hollander will soon be fishing the English River in Ignance, Ontario Canada, as he won the high bid on a fishing cabin donated by Dan and Anne Burkholder. Sonny Robbins will be smiling pretty as he and his loved ones will be snapped by fav photographer Dave Seidel. Alan and Ronica Orf will be headed to Indian Shores, Florida for a relaxing vacation while staying at the beautiful get-away condo of Stan and Mary Ann Domijan. David and Kim Graham will be having a barrel of fun as the high bidders of Don Boschert’s Wheel Barrel of Booze. Dr. Robert MacDonald will be hunting the elite ducks flying the skies over the exclusive Diamond Drake Hunt Club. Tony and Cindy Kooyumjian won the bid on a 10-week old, female, Shih Tzu and Bichon mix Teddy Bear breed puppy. The little white ball of fluff was purchased by Tony as a gift to his ailing mother, Eileen Wells. The attempt to cheer her up worked wonders as Mrs. Wells enjoyed her final days with her new furry friend. After Mrs. Wells passed, the little pup found her way back in the welcoming arms of Tony and Cindy and, with the love and understanding that only a puppy can give, she has helped soften their grieving process. Do you know who wrote the theme song, “I Will Always Love You”, sung by Whitney Houston in the movie The Bodyguard? Does this sound like a trivial question? Well, over 150 supporters of the St. Charles Presbyterian Preschool answered questions like that all night long in their attempt to win first place at the school’s annual Trivia Night fundraiser. David Besgrove served as emcee and challenged the crowd of brainiacs such as Fran Pieper, Bill and Amy Pieper, Tom and Katy Smith, Nick and Laine Ives, Dave and Michelle McCune, Corey and Kendra Malone, Ted and Tara Boyer, Frank and Jan Kardasz, and Joe and Denelle Papa with some very thought-provoking questions. The teachers’ table consisting of Melissa Nichols, Jody Martin, Cindy Rothermich, Lora Kiel, Lindsay Wideman, Kathy Mudrovic and administrative assistant, Kevin Bauer, was thought to be the real threat of the evening since they would probably have all the answers – being teachers and all; but they failed and had fun doing so. School administrator, Nancy Simpson, was all smiles as she watched her own sons Scott, Chris, and Matt Simpson, draining their craniums to help support their mom’s efforts. It was a fabulously fun evening and not only did it raise funds for the school, the evening also proved profitable for school secretary, Mary Bloebaum, who went home with $400.00 after winning the

50-50 drawing. By the way, the answer to the above question is: Dolly Parton. Culture vultures were out in flocks as The Dance Company of St. Charles, under the artistic direction of Tracy Davenport and Deborah Davenport, recently celebrated their 25th anniversary with their annual Spring Concert. Thanks to supporters such as Phil Krupa, Chris and Jim Pauley, Janet Vinciguerra, Dave Bazzell, Greg and Gene Bearden, Ted Pashos, Steve Robbins, Dr. Mark Holland, Chuck Strubinger, Dr. Anita Watkins, Stephen Schoenherr, D.C., and the leadership efforts of Lisa Steinhoff and Kelly Dougherty concert dancers such as Richie Miller, Joanna Shelton, Phil Russo, Cathryn Pherigo, Kelsey Orf, Deidre Meyer, Amy Gammon, Jenna Conner and Amanda Beardsley were able to showcase their years of training and poetic movements to the packed house of dance aficionados. Applaus, applaus on 25 years! Linda Plummer and Linda Didion, who served as Honorary Chairwomen of the Heroes for Health dinner and auction held at The Columns Banquet Center were heroes themselves as they helped raise $42,000.00 via oral and silent auction items to

benefit Crider Center for Mental Health. Attendees at the event such as Frank Martinez, Angle Walters, Tom and Minnie Brown, Dave and Carol Cosby, Deborah Alessi, State Representatives Ann Zerr and Sally Faith, Judge Keith Sutherland, Robert Fruend, Debbie Hessler, Richard Metz, David Ross, Bill Zywiciel, and Paula Walters, were moved by the special experiences shared by Linda Clark, whose son benefited from the services of the wonderful organization. “My son had his first friend at the age of 16, thanks to Crider. Prior to that, I had no hope. Now he is 20, he can vote, holds down a part-time job and has his learner’s permit.” There were no signs of a recession at this event, as development director, Steve Martinez, was overwhelmed at the generosity of the attendees who, with a little nudging from Capital Campaign Co-Chairs, Harlan Pals and Ed Watkins, raised $91,000.00 that evening via pledge cards. These funds will help build a 43,000 square foot facility to house all the medical services provided by Crider. Fantastic! If you would like to contact me with any society sightings, you can e-mail me at: tseiler@ charter.net or contact me at 314-610-2315. ■

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STATE YOUR BUSINESS

Walter’s Jewelry A dazzling history Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

St. Charlesans love history. They love quality and they love good service. Walters Jewelry, a landmark in the Missouri river town, has them all. Charles Walters founded the store November 28, 1916, as St. Charles Music & Jewelry Company. It was said the man could fix anything. The store at 230 North Main closed three years later, and Charles Walters and Clara Austerschmidt Walters moved to El Paso, TX. But it wasn’t long before the couple returned to St. Charles, reopening the store in the Austerschmidt house on 4th Street, where they sold and repaired jewelry, musical instruments, clocks and watches from their kitchen table. By July of 1928, the store was moved to 212 North 2nd Street in St. Charles, and renamed Walters Jewel Shop. Although Charles Walters died June 28, 1930, Clara kept the store open. She moved the business to its current location in 1935 and later purchased the

building from then owner Laura Schubert in 1944. Clara Walter’s son, Paul Walters took over the operation and bought the business in the early 1950’s. Paul Walters was a hearing aid specialist. His brother, Charles “Doc” Walters, was an optometrist. At one time, an optometrist, dentist and medical doctor were all operating out of the building at 230 North Main in St. Charles, along with a dental lab. Tom Wapelhorst came into the picture when he came to work for his father-in-law, Paul Walters, in 1972. Wapelhorst married Paul’s daughter, Cheryl Walters. He bought Walter’s Jewelry in 1983. Wapelhorst received his training at the Gemological Institute of America as well as the American Gemological Society. Today, Walters Jewelry offers jewelry sales, repairs and appraisals. From diamond engagement and wedding sets to anniversary rings, Wapelhorst designs and manufactures much of his array of fine jewelry. Wapelhorst still harbors the safe that Clara Walters purchased for $25 so many years ago to store her jewels. It cost the young jeweler $55 just to transport it to St. Charles from St. Louis. About the size of a small refrigerator, the safe is still armed with tear gas, although it’s been disabled. If the lock was compromised by force or heat, a glass vial full of tear gas would break and render the thief incapable of completing his crime. Wapelhorst said nowadays he is required by law to affix a sign to the safe warning of the tear gas threat. Three additional safes house Wapelhorst’s valuables, however. For more information on Walter’s Jewelry, call 636-724-0604. ■

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Sand Volleyball Dig it! Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photos by Michael Schlueter

Although it’s a sport more well known on the west coast where beaches abound, sand volleyball is making a huge splash in the Midwest where bar and court owners are setting up mock beaches and players are flocking to dive in. A Mexican beach theme and plenty of Florida white sand don WAve Taco in the Historic Loft District at 1335 Convention Center Plaza just off Washington Ave. in St. Louis, where it’s ok to be completely relaxed and wear flip-flops, shorts and a bikini top to hang out in the grass area around the courts. Players can play volleyball while sipping cold beer and margaritas and enjoying some of the fresh Mexican food. Rachel Boles and her mother spend Tuesdays together at what is fast becoming Flint Hill’s new hot spot. It’s not a bar, but drinks are served. It’s not a sports arena, but sports are definitely the draw. “The Sandbox” at 2222 NE Service Rd. at Hwy. 61 North in Flint Hill actually opened in 1993. But owner Josh Driscoll said with eight outdoor courts on three acres, a concession stand, pavilion, bathrooms and a beer garden, the players just keep coming. Boles, 33, of Warrenton, played volleyball in high school until she hurt her knee. Sand volleyball has provided a soft return for her into sports and some quality time with her mom. “When you love the game it’s not something you want to stop doing,” she said. “It’s just a fun game, a fast game and good exercise. And it’s not a difficult sport to get involved with. There are different skill levels and all you need is a ball and net.” Driscoll said the Orf family operated the courts at The Sandbox originally. Driscoll took over in 2001. He played volleyball for four years at Fort Zumwalt South before graduation. Driscoll said leagues begin April 1 and go through October. The Sandbox offers play for women’s, coed, four-person and six-person leagues in power, intermediate and recreational designations. Tuesday night coed leagues are not refereed and are free, open play. “It’s really a family environment,” Driscoll said. “Kids build sand castles on the empty court while their parents play. People can get a hotdog for a dollar and chips for 50 cents. It’s something we can keep inexpensive for people to get out of the house and do.” Driscoll also has a full liquor license and offers patrons a full assortment of mixed drinks, draft and bottled beer. Driscoll said people like sand volleyball because the sport offers, among other things, a softer impact, and something new that only warm weather allows. “It’s also more of a social event. When people set aside a night during the summer and create a team, they stay. And at about $5 a person per night, you can’t get out of the house for that.” About 162 teams play on three nights during the summer session. For more information on The Sandbox, call 314-307-3575.

Sand volleyball has gotten so big at Ethyl’s Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon in O’Fallon that they had to hire a volleyball manager and coordinator. Ben O’Day is now in his first season in that role. Sand volleyball is in its eighth season at Ethyl’s. The restaurant and bar offers recreational and intermediate leagues Sunday through Friday and open play on Saturday. Three nine-week sessions go from April to October. O’Day has been playing the game for 19 years. At first he played with his dad. He later gave up baseball to take up volleyball in high school and college. He currently plays club ball on a league and coaches at East Central College in Union, MO. O’Day said volleyball has become a growing sport in St. Louis, especially over the last decade. “It’s a good sport to enjoy outdoors with friends and have a good time. It’s more of a friendly, close-knit atmosphere.” It’s also a life-long form of entertainment. O’Day said his dad, now 61, is still playing. For more information on Ethyl’s sand volleyball, call 314-6302406. Stratford Bar & Grill at 800 South Hwy. Dr. across from the Chrysler plant in Fenton, MO was voted Riverfront Time’s 2007 Best Sand Volleyball Court. With three sand courts made of Florida White Sand, a full menu and an outside bar with a 4,000square-foot patio, Stratford plays ball. League play is offered five nights a week and court rental is available for tournaments or private parties. Located inside the Stratford Inn, the place is famous for its Adult Happy Meal, which includes a burger fries and drink for $5 all day. Claiming to have served more than 10 million drinks, Stratford offers happy hour prices seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. as well as a complimentary buffet during happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. And Stratford is no stranger to sports. The place houses dozens of large television monitors showing all manner of sporting events. Along with three sizable sand volleyball courts, Stratford offers billiards, darts, foosball, poker tables, video games and plenty of dancing. For more information on sand volleyball at Stratford, call 636-3435757 ext. 367. ■

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FITNESS & LIFESTYLE

Taking the Plunge Deciding to train for a triathlon Story by Monica Adams

So you've made the decision to take on one of the more grueling adventures of your life; swimming, biking and running. All in a days work and no problem, right? Well for some maybe, but for others it is an arduous process to prepare both physically and mentally for such a feat. Many ﬁnd their path to their ﬁrst triathlon through the means of training for a charitable organization. is is the beginning of my

journey. I was asked to serve as the media participant for one of the local events put on by Team In Training or T.N.T., part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in St. Louis. I had previously completed a half marathon in New Orleans for the same organization. I did my second half marathon, on my own, in St. Charles county years later. e lesson I learned from my second experience was the lack of preparation. You can not just jump into one of these events without proper training, nutrition, hydration, stretching and mental preparation. I suﬀered a painful knee injury and promised myself I would never do a half marathon again. It had been a few years before I got the call from TNT to repeat this adventure. I kept to my promise not to do a half or full marathon but through my personal training I had always considered a triathlon to be a possibility due to the interval training 58 | S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E

aspect. Many have heard through sports medicine studies or doctors warnings of the pounding the body takes through running. What many physicians have told me over the years, though, is the benefit of something like a triathlon due to a different pattern of training for the body. So, I agreed to do the Innsbrook Triathlon June 6th. ere is a key component to a triathlon, however, and that is to make sure the body is physically able. Many begin training on this unknown path without ever consulting their physician. Also, without the assistance of a team of coaches, trainers, nutritionists; possibly even podiatrists, sports medicine doctors and mentors, you might be biting off more than you can chew. It is been likened to a "blind path". A recent study also found that to those weekend warriors a triathlon poses at least twice the risk of sudden death as marathons do. e risk is mostly from heart problems

during the swimming. Completing a triathlon is an amazing feat but don't brush off the importance of speaking with your doctor. Many who are signing up to take on this three sport race are not used to the demanding exercise. "It's something someone just signs up to do," often without a medical checkup to rule out heart problems, said Dr. Kevin Harris, a cardiologist at the Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. "ey might prepare for a triathlon by swimming laps in their pool. at's a lot different than swimming in a lake or a river." Dr. Harris is the lead author of a recent study into triathlon deaths which has a higher rate than those who have died while training for a sister event, like a marathon. Almost all triathlon deaths occurred during the swim portion. "Anyone that jumps into freezing cold water knows the stress on the heart," said Dr. Lori Mosca, preventive cardiology chief at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and an American Heart Association spokeswoman. Cold water constricts blood vessels, making the heart work harder and aggravating any pre-existing problems. It also can trigger an irregular heartbeat. On top of this temperature shock is the stress of competition. is study came out one week after I learned I had infiltrates in my lungs which was a stressor not only to my pulmonary function but to a stressed heart and a low blood pressure. At the advice of my doctor, it was recommended I halt my training. At the time of this article it is unknown if I'll be able to complete the June event but rest assured I will get a clean bill of health and compete either in June or in the Nation's Triathlon in Washington D.C. in September. For the study, researchers used records on 922,810 triathletes competing in 2,846 USA Triathlon-sanctioned events between January 2006 and September 2008. Of the 14 deaths identified, 13 occurred during swimming; the other was a bike crash. Autopsies on six of the victims showed that four had underlying heart problems. Two others had normal-looking hearts, but they may have suffered a fatal heart rhythm problem, Harris said. While many involved in this study knock charity groups for recruiting so heavily to those who have never done an event like this before, I have to commend the efforts of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for their stellar preparation and support groups. Unless you are tied to a group like Team In Training, with support through coaching, mentoring and injury prevention; you may be taking on a great risk. For information on TNT and how to get signed up for a triathlon through the guidance of professionals, log on to www.teamintraining.org and put in your zip code or call 314-878-0780. Lastly doctors offer these tips to anyone considering a triathlon: • Get a checkup to make sure you don't have hidden heart problems. • Train adequately long before the event, including open-water swims — not just in pools. • Acclimate yourself to the water temperature shortly before a race, and wear a wetsuit if it's too cold. • Make sure the race has medical staff and defibrillators on site. ■

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Ambassadors of Harmony Note-perfect Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photo by Michael Schlueter

They come from as far away as Decatur and Springfield, IL and even Iowa City, IA to practice every Thursday evening in St. Charles. There are 243 of them…men of all ages…and they’re absolutely amazing to listen to. Who are they? They are the Ambassadors of Harmony. The brochure says, “Fun for any guy who likes to sing.” But Director Dr. Jim Henry says, “There’s a long list of things that are unique about this chorus. It’s a very specific sort of all-American music.” Henry is the head of the Choral Studies Department at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has a Ph.D. in Music Composition from Washington University in St. Louis. He sang bass with The Gas House Gang—the 1993 International Quartet Champions for many years and now sings bass with a new quartet—partnered with three other past gold medalists— Crossroads. It was under Henry’s direction that the performing chorus of the Ambassadors of Harmony won their 14th consecutive championship in the BHS (Barbershop Harmony Society) Central States District Chorus Competition on October 11, 2008 in Cedar Rapids, IA. Singing such old favorites as “Love Walked In”, “Get Me To The Church On Time” and “This Joint is Jumpin’”, The Ambassadors have performed all over the world, from Ireland, Germany and England, to The Netherlands and Sweden. They practice each Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at the Blanchette Memorial Hall in Blanchette Park in St. Charles The public is welcome and there are always visitors watching. “There is just something about that many men singing with that kind of

passion”, says Dr. Henry. So it’s the music and fun that attracts them, but the brotherhood keeps them, Henry said. The Ambassadors of Harmony is known for its family-oriented reputation. Henry remembers when his brother—also a member of the chorus—was dying of cancer. “This chorus was an unbelievable support system. Every need his family had, from grocery shopping to pulling up stumps, it was just covered. It was just done. That’s why I say that the music attracts us but the fellowship keeps us.” Dr. David Wright, professor of mathematics at Washington University, is associate director of The Ambassadors and also one of the premiere songwriters and arrangers of a cappella music for the group. In July of 2004, The Ambassadors of Harmony won the BHS International Chorus Championship in Louisville, KY, singing two arrangements by David Wright and receiving a standing ovation for their gold medal performance. In July 2007, The Ambassadors achieved their highest competition scores ever in a first place tie with the Westminster Chorus at the Society's International Chorus Competition in Denver, CO. Per the Society’s tie-breaking rules, The Ambassadors were awarded the second-place silver medal. Last year, the chorus again took the silver medal at the international competition in Nashville, TN, missing a win by three-tenths of a percentage point. Henry said the 243-man Barber Shop chorus works at “an extremely high professional level, and yet the number of people who make a living in music that perform in this chorus” are fewer than the fingers on one of his hands. “They come from all walks of life and all ages and yet they make music at a level that’s almost unheard of.” Ken Schroer is one of them. He remembers standing in front of his new house in St. Charles many years ago. A man he knew pulled up and saw him standing there. The man had some sheet music on the car seat next to him. He was a member of the thenDaniel Boone Chorus.

Ambassadors of Harmony

That was four decades ago. He is still involved with the chorus, which is now called The Ambassadors of Harmony. The chorus was formed in 1963 by 26 men in St. Charles. The chapter is

F E AT U R E D M U S I C A RT I S T

affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) formerly known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA, Inc.). The society was formed in 1939. The Ambassadors range in age from 9 to 85 years of age. Boys under 16 can join the chorus if their father or grandfather is a member. Schroer said The Ambassadors currently host about four sets of grandfather, father and son trios. About 151 men make up the performing chorus. Each year, the Ambassadors of Harmony plans a season of events that includes a show in June, “Voices in Harmony”, and a holiday show in December, “Sounds of the Season”. For the past four years their performances have been at the Blanche Touhill Performing Arts Center at UMSL. Quartets from the group also deliver singing valentines each year all around the St. Louis area.

the entertainment doesn’t stop with the music. The choreography and the expressions on the faces of the hundreds of crooning entertainers leave the audience spellbound. “We really change people’s lives with our music,” Schroer said. “We give gold medal moments to our audience.” Henry directs his friends and fellow music men each Thursday night with the same passion that each of them brings to the table. He tells the men, “You’ve heard it said that the devil is in the details. Well, I say that God is in the details...especially in any kind of exceptional art or beautiful music.” He also gets extremely technical…insisting each man sing with ultimate resonance all the time. “Basses...get some raise in the soft pallet, Baritones…same deal, Leads…we’re not in danger of being too sharp…let’s have a G. That’s where we live, Leads. Tenors, think about leading the sound.”

The group’s mission is simple: to give its audience a gift that they will always remember with a smile and to provide the very best in a cappella music. Schroer said The Ambassadors’ main goal is learning songs “note-perfect so the four-part harmony can be recognized and enhanced.” “This can really be a challenge,” Schroer said. “The harmonics are above what we actually hear in any music. When the four-part harmony meets, there it is expanded sound. It’s different from anything you’ll ever hear in vocal production music or the church choir. Barber Shop has its own style. It is a unique art form and it takes a special arrangement to bring out the best of fourpart harmony.” That four-part harmony is so blended that the listener is unable to distinguish between the individual singers of the bass, baritone, lead and tenor parts. “But they create what we call overtones above those voices,” Henry said. That’s what those in the business call the “ring”. And it’s sheer pleasure to the ear. Schroer said The Ambassadors, and especially their directors, “know how to get the maximum ring out of any standing position.” It’s this “ring’ that causes the expanded sound. “Unlike most other vocal arrangements, you can understand each word. We deal so much with vowel accuracy. It’s a real science I’m taking part in.” “We call it ‘singlish’”, Henry said. “It’s like English but we’re really paying attention to all the sounds. The vowels are perfectly matched and the consonants are sung together.” The result leaves the listener unequivocally amazed and convinced there are instruments in accompaniment when there are not. But

Henry has created a clinic at UMSL for high school choir members that is sponsored and underwritten by The Ambassadors. Last year about 600 boys and their choir directors spent all day teaching songs in the Barber Shop style. They call it “A Capellooza” a play on the work a capella. This year, the group added a session for 500 girls, at the request of local choir teachers. The Ambassadors of Harmony will present “Voices in Harmony— 2009” on June 20, 2009, and the “Sounds of the Season” December 11-13 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. Tickets are on sale now. For more show information, visit www.aoh.org. The Ambassadors will be competing at the BHS International Convention in Anaheim, CA in July. ■

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Summer

M AY

| The Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire | The Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire opens for its eleventh season at Wentzville’s Rotary Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16. The family-friendly festival celebrates the visit of King Francois and his court to the re-created 16th century village of Petite Lyons. The shady streets are lined with merchants selling period-inspired wares. Live entertainment is featured on eight stages throughout the site, and jousting knights meet on the field of honor three times a day. The fair is open weekends. Cost is $13 for adults, $11 for students, $8 for children under 12, and children 5 and under are free. For more information, visit www.stlrenfaire.com. Directions: Hwy. 70 West to Exit 208 (Wentzville Parkway); go north past Walmart; turn left on West Meyer Rd.; go approximately 2-1/2 miles; park is on the right. | Bridgeway Behavioral Health Foundation - Run, Walk, and Roll | Bridgeway Behavioral Health Foundation will hold a Run, Walk, and Roll marathon-style event to support Bridgeway’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Programs from 9 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 30 at Frontier Park in St. Charles. For more information contact Kathi Corbett at 636-9163550 or kcorbett@bridgewaybh.com or visit www.bridgewaybh.com.

| The Ambassadors of Harmony - “Voices in Harmony 2009” | The Ambassadors of Harmony will present “Voices in Harmony 2009” from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center in St. Louis. Tickets are $26, $23, and $21. For more information, call 314-516-4949 or visit info@aoh.org.

J U LY

JUNE

Calendar of Events

| LifeLight Youth Theatre - “Beauty & the Beast” | The LifeLight Youth Theatre will present its adaptation of Disney’s “Beauty & the Beast” from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday June 4 and Friday June 5, and from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at the Carl Reininger Theatre at Timberland High School, 559 E. Hwy. N in Wentzville. The Saturday performance is a special fundraising show for the SCCHE Widow’s Fund. Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $7 for children ages 3 to 17 and seniors 55 and over. Tickets are reserved seating. Call 636-978-7852 for more information and to purchase tickets. For more information on LifeLight Youth Theatre, visit www.lifelightyouththeatre.com. | Wentzville Parks and Recreation - Kids Fishing Derby | Wentzville Parks and Recreation will hold a Kids Fishing Derby from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 6 at Rotary Park, 2577 West Meyer Rd., in Wentzville. This free event for kids 4 to 10 years old will include an “I Caught a Fish” contest. Prizes will be given to participants. For more information call 636-332-9236 or visit www.wentzvillemo.org.

| Heritage & Freedom Fest | The annual Heritage & Freedom Fest will be held Friday through Sunday, July 3 through 5 at the Ozzie Smith Sports Park. Enjoy national entertainment, two nights of fireworks, free kids activities, a carnival and midway and lots of great food vendors. Free parking located at Fort Zumwalt North High School and Christian High School with free air-conditioned shuttles to fairgrounds. For more information visit www.ofallon.mo.us.

For more information on events in our area, visit these helpful websites: → www.historicstcharles.com → www.historicfrenchtown.com → www.newtownatstcharles.com → www.stcharlescountycalendar.com → www.stpetersmo.com

Reedy Press, Paperback $14.95

100 UNIQUE EATS AND EATERIES IN MISSOURI by Ann Hazelwood

BOOK CLUB

Ann takes readers on a tour of yummy and interesting places to eat all over the state. Besides good food, each restaurant also has something else going on. If you decide to try every one, watch out. You may need a new wardrobe to take care of that increasing waistline.

Available at Main Street Books 307 South Main | 636-949-0105

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