brentwood
About when the wintry nor’easter (aka ‘bomb cyclone’) slammed into the northeastern United States, amazing photos of a partially frozen Niagara Falls started showing up on the Internet. Temperatures here—in the single digits for a long stretch, compared to 15 below along the U.S.-Canada border—were extremely harsh, enough below freezing for Mother Nature to create some ice sculptures of her own throughout the metro. Some hardy folk (maybe they were visiting from Alaska) even ventured out to see. Dripping Springs waterfall at Creve Coeur Lake created stalactites and stalagmites of ice. It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as Niagara, but it wasn’t as cold here—and just the name Dripping Springs tells you it’s nothing like the 3,000 tons of water that flows per second over Niagara. Aside from any created by busted water pipes, one of the most striking ice formations in the area was at the fountain along Brentwood Boulevard, just south of Hwy. 40. A week or so ago, it still managed to spray a little from the top and spritz here and there from the sides, but its normal operation was impeded by a mini mountain of ice that formed during the long cold snap. It was beautiful, and some of it may still be there, depending on how much the weather warms between this writing and your reading. But it also was cause for a snicker. Affixed to the stone wall behind the fountain.
ballwin
On what could be one of the most typical summer days in the metro—somewhat hot and extremely steamy—Ballwin Golf Course is slated to host a Men’s USGA Senior Amateur qualifying round Aug. 6. The USGA recently announced more than 40 selections for 2018 qualifying rounds for the tournament. The course is perfect for old duffers like my dad, who just quit playing at age 89. Golfers don’t have to make the turn—it’s only nine holes! It’s not exactly commonplace to hold a tournament of this caliber on a 9-hole course, especially a public one, says Ballwin’s PGA pro, Dave Furlong, adding that only one other 9-hole course in the nation has ever been selected to host this qualifier. The tournament is open to golfers 55 or older (I think the same age you have to be to qualify for the AARP) with a handicap of 7.4 or lower. (It’s been a while since I’ve made fewer than 7.4 strokes on a hole. Hey, most of them have been par 4, not even counting most mulligans. But that’s enough about my severe lack of prowess on the links.) The championship will be held in Oregon at Eugene Country Club Aug. 25 through 30. Ballwin’s course is in remarkable playing condition, says Curt Rohe, executive director of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association. The qualifier will largely attract players in the metro, but can draw players from across the country.
creve coeur
It’s almost here—the annual used book sale at the J. With books, books on tape, CDs and DVDs priced from 50 cents to $3 apiece, the sale at the Jewish Community Center in Creve Coeur runs from Sunday, Jan. 28, through Thursday, Feb.1. Apps are great, but there’s nothing like the feel, not to mention the smell, of a real book! Book lovers, collectors and avid readers agree … unless they’ve been raised in a tech bubble and only read from an electronic device like a Kindle. (But what happens if the tech bubble bursts? Oh … never mind.) Thousands of titles include mystery and intrigue, novels, biographies, politics, religion, sports, cookbooks, history, animals, art, science, science fiction, fantasy, business, women’s issues, foreign languages, gardening, poetry, psychology, self-help, humor, you name it. Collectibles, art books and antique books are priced as marked. The best availability, of course, is on the first day, but it will cost you 10 bucks. (Buyers 17 and older, that is; younger readers are free.) That helps underwrite production costs. On Preview Day Jan. 28, the sale is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; line ticket sales will begin at 9 a.m. After that, it’s open until 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and admission is free. And, on Feb. 1—Bag Day—you can fill a bag with books for $5. (I may see how many music CDs I can haul away … and I need more of those like a hole in the head.) So, head to the JCC’s Staenberg Family Complex in the Arts & Education Building at 2 Millstone Campus Drive (63146 for the very specific GPS users among us).
laclede’s landing
Another historic building on Laclede’s Landing is receiving a makeover that aims to bring it 115 years from the early 20th century—it was built in 1902— and update it for the 21st, but not all the way. One of the most charming features is ‘Witte Hardware Company’ painted up high on the south side of the brick exterior in block capital letters, weathered just so, like the barns in the East with ‘See Rock City’ still evident on the roof. We hope the $2 million earmarked for renovation doesn’t mess with that too much. It would be akin to gilding the lily. There aren’t all that many buildings left in the metro with long-gone owners’ names still emblazoned near the cornice (one in Kirkwood used to house an agricultural company). These days, paint on bricks, alas, is often graffiti applied none too artistically. Drury Development Corp. is bringing the Witte building, 707. N. Second St., into our energy-efficient time without sacrificing the ‘wrinkles’ it wears so proudly. (We wonder what Betty White, 95, would say about that.) Renovations will create a better energy footprint to include more efficient HVAC systems and LED lighting. The building is blessed with a sixstory atrium that will provide many of the new office spaces with natural light. Exposed timber will be a feature retained from the building’s origins, as will be the 16-inch cedar columns. Remember Hannegan’s? The restaurant used to occupy the ground floor, and the space eventually may be home to two restaurants facing Second Street (signs label it Rue d’Eglise for you proud Francophiles).
ladue
Correction: In the item about Cultural Icons of the 20th Century, a book by Ladue resident Doug Kaufman, your ever-faithful scribe mistakenly identified the wife of filmmaker Mel Brooks. Anne Bancroft was married to Brooke from 1964 until her death in 2005. I acknowledge and regret the error of getting Brooks involved with another femme fatale.