the delmar loop | Harry Weber is known for his larger-than-life bronzes around the world, around Busch Stadium… and in the Delmar Loop. And come Sunday, June 21, Weber also will be unique in the Loop, in a brass star denoting his cultural importance to the StL. Weber’s star, at 6261 Delmar Blvd.—near the Peacock Diner in U. City, just west of Skinker, near Eastgate Avenue—is only a few blocks east of his distinctive likeness of a guitar-slinging rock icon, Chuck Berry in mid-duck walk, which is right across the boulevard from Blueberry Hill. Weber will officially join dozens of artists, musicians, sports figures and other notable Gateway City greats on the hallowed St. Louis Walk of Fame, from architect Gyo Obata and playwright Tennessee Williams to jazz innovator Miles Davis and the late, great vocal powerhouse Tina Turner—“Simply the best.” Weber, who turns 81 on June 11, is to be the guest of honor at a ceremony marking the installation of his star, the text for which reads as follows… “St. Louisan Harry Weber’s larger-than-life bronze sculptures of famous sports and historical figures grace stadiums and public spaces across the US, China and Africa. His expressive sculptures give the sense that the figures are actually in motion with a fluidity that captures the emotional vitality of the moment. He vividly brought to life everyone he depicted whether it was the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame baseball players in action, Boston Bruins hockey icon Bobby Orr exuberantly flying across the ice after a Cup-winning goal, Chuck Berry rocking and rolling with his guitar as if right on stage, or the striking portrait of Dred & Harriet Scott outside the courthouse where they began their fight for freedom from slavery.” To kick off the celebration, a ragtime band will start playing at 11 a.m.; the induction ceremony will start at 11:30 and is expected to last 15 to 20 minutes. The band will resume playing after the ceremony so visitors can see who’s who among all the famous people, both long passed and very much alive, represented by brass stars embedded in the sidewalks on both sides of Delmar.
clayton
I needed some cash. I mean, every once in a while, who doesn’t, right? But mydebit card was AWOL, and I hadn’t touched my checkbook in months. Most any banking I’ve needed to do since COVID-19 reared its ugly head in March 2020 has consisted of depositing checks and making payments—all online. My bank branch has been in the reasonably attractive midcentury modern building at Forsyth and Bemiston in Clayton since at least the mid-1990s,convenient for transactions like car loans, mortgages and stuff. It was only a few blocks from my company HQ, which issued paper checks that I had to physically deposit, at Allegiant Bank. Allegiant Bank doesn’t exist anymore, replaced at some point by—oh, let’s just call it the Nameless Bank. The Nameless Bank didn’t last too long either, because PNC took over at some point through purchase, merger or maybe some widely misunderstood macroeconomic need to create umpteen dozen pricey new signs throughout the metro, plus print zillions of checks and lots of letterhead, business cards, etc. Their debit card is bright orange. Hard to miss, until you do and really need to go cash a … What the heck?! The building had been gutted! Its exoskeleton was intact, but it was no longer PNC or any other bank, at least for the time being. Since I still needed cash, I just drove south a couple miles on Brentwood to the branch near O.B. Clark’s, but that’s now a veterinary clinic! Bewildered, I drove to Schnucks to write a check for some things we didn’t need, and got $25 back. The building that housed the erstwhile Clayton PNC branch, 7801 Forsyth Blvd., is undergoing a $7.15 million gut-rehab to become the main branch and HQ for M1 Bank, one of the newer kids in town. It’s projected to open in March 2024. Last March, former execs of Farm & Home Savings Association opened a time capsule the association had placed at the building’s completion in 1965. Presently there are two M1 branches open, one in Clayton and the other in Des Peres. Visit m1.bank for details. Meanwhile, the regional footprint of PNC, based in Pittsburgh, has shrunk from upwards of 50 branches in the metro to about a dozen.
downtown
Within the iconic architecture of St. Louis Public Library’s Central branch reside books, books and more books—plus more media options and opportunities than you could shake a paperback at, of course. And, my goodness, events! Events at Central Library are worthy of note pretty much year-round, but one running through next Jan. 7 should really get your attention. And, we hope, pique your interest. It’s wrapped up in a question that most born-and-bred St. Louisans are proud to answer by age 18: “Where’d you go to high school?” If you attended public, private or parochial high school here between the mid-1940s and early 1970s—the Baby Boom, give or take a dozen years—many answers may be found in an historic magazine. Stroll down memory lane while exploring SLPL’s exhibit highlighting its extensive collection of PROM magazine, a monthly publication from 1947-73 featuring news from the Lou’s dozens of high schools. The exhibit explores the publication’s start as post-war capitalism targeted young consumers, its revolutionary use of student reporters and its emphasis on celebrating the high-school years with social events, sports and fashion. Hopefully, the quaint coverage will raise other questions about those turbulent years. The exhibit, on the second floor in the Great Hall, is free and open during normal library hours.
notable neighbors
manchester
In a marketing career that includes 25 years with Anheuser-Busch, Bill Ellis could be considered every bit the go-getter. Today, he’s a ‘go-giver.’ Ellis points out: “It’s switching one’s focus from getting to giving. It’s not just a nice way to live, it’s financially profitable. In order for there to be giving, there has to be receiving, and receiving is not a bad thing!” When things went south with A-B, as they can anywhere for even the most dedicated and savvy exec, sooner or later Ellis had to look hard at himself in the mirror and ask: “What’s the point?” Today, it’s the name of his weekly podcast, where he interviews successful men and women from all walks of life, many in business, but not all. But we’ll get to that in a minute. That venture started out about six years ago as a weekly blog, “Friday’s Fearless Brand,” which consisted of concrete examples developed over a quarter-century in a corporate marketing position, with a concentration on what came after. His informed, creative and intuitive suggestions are a big part of what’s engineered his career since the corporate tether was cut. Which is, in a word: Plenty. As in, plenty worked for him with a Fortune 100 company, but when A-B made a separation offer he couldn’t refuse, he took it. Today, about 20 years after that happened in the early Aughts, he doesn’t consider himself a ‘brand manager’ or what-have-you. Ellis is a ‘brand architect.’ He notes: “We make good brands better. And a brand is the value we give a person, a product or business.” Ben Franklin is not only the face on the favorite denomination you’ve ever carried in your wallet, he’s a brand. He’s a source of great quotes. And so’s Dolly Parton: Recently ushered into the Rock Hall of Fame, she at first declined the nomination. She’s a country singer; countrypolitan, if you will, after all. How off-brand was it for the beloved songwriter, an entrepreneur and one of the smartest, most successful women in the world? Well, she just recorded and released a rock album, so we’ll see. Ellis wouldn’t mind, we suspect, having her on the podcast; she’s already featured on his blog. BTW, he has a great sense of humor. Somewhere during our chat, I made the offhand suggestion that it’s probably a good idea to wear shoes most of the time. Ellis ran with it. “Shoes are optional,” he said, straight-faced. “That is, unless you have gnarly feet, in which case you’re providing value by covering them up.” He considers guest recommendations from people who’ve already been featured. Diversity? “It’s one of the things I get most excited about.” He’ll scour LinkedIn to find good candidates for episodes on, say, stewardship, ethics, accountability, humility … Humility? For a leader? Two things: First, great leaders know their weaknesses, so someone can be hired or contracted to pick up the slack in a given area—a fabulous creative director might make a rotten CEO. Second, a go-giver is humble enough to realize he may be getting more from the other person than he’s given them. Food for thought. Want to sample a podcast or two? Visit bit.ly/30x66oA. Need ‘designs’ for your growing brand? Try brandingforresults.com.
