[ballwin]
Manchester Road is one of our area’s great streets, when it comes to connecting here to there: It runs from the city all the way out to Wildwood, reverting simply to ‘Hwy. 100’ as it winds to St. Albans and beyond. It’s even been called the Main Street of St. Louis. But, to make a gross understatement: traffic can be a problem. And its aesthetics are, well, special. But it could be a ‘Great Street,’ according to city governments and MoDOT, which will start rolling out the asphalt and pour concrete beginning next summer, creating medians and making other improvements from Ballwin to Ellisville and Wildwood. Under development for more than seven years, the $5 million project was designed to improve safety and traffic flow, and will include median access changes, sidewalk improvements and other enhancements. Manchester will sport new signage, illuminated street name signs and landscaping. The project also features a multi-use trail extension from Wildwood into Ellisville. Construction is slated to begin next summer and is projected for completion in fall 2015. Meanwhile, don’t grip the wheel so tightly, watch your language, and keep your fingers inside the vehicle.
[chesterfield]
If the second ‘downtown’ in the St. Louis area is Clayton, there’s a third skyline rapidly rising in Chesterfield, and for now it’s mainly composed of luxury hotels. DoubleTree, a few years ago dubbed the ‘resort on the ridge,’ was first to rise far above the treetops north of Hwy. 40 / I-64 as drivers descend into the Missouri River valley. It’s 12 stories tall. Then came a 10-story Drury Plaza, just to the east and south of the highway. In Drury’s shadow is Hyatt Place, a nine-story boutique hotel built by Drury and licensed to Hyatt Hotels, scheduled to open sometime this month. Now a construction crane near the DoubleTree has enhanced the feel of urban development off Clarkson Road … Swingley Ridge Drive, precisely: Reinsurance Group of America (RGA) is well into a $150 million headquarters project.
[glendale]
Energetic is an apt word to describe the area teachers and education leaders who have been honored by Peabody Energy with $1,000 awards and a shot at the company’s top prize of $5,000. Kimberly Rappold, a special education teacher at North Glendale Elementary, makes home visits to ensure consistency for her students and establish rapport with parents. Colleagues say positivity, compassion and creativity are among her assets. Other $1,000 winners in our readership area: reading specialist Angela Kelly, Ladue Fifth Grade Center; curriculum coordinator for Webster Groves schools Dr. Chris McGee; math teacher and department chair Alison Owens, Lift For Life Academy; interim principal and science teacher Paul Bozdech, Loyola Academy; and history teacher Shante’ Lyons, Cardinal Ritter College Prep H.S. The 2013-2014 awards program is continuing to accept nominations for exceptional education professionals in public, private and independent schools where Peabody Energy employees live and work, which includes Illinois, Indiana and Colorado schools.
[maplewood]
Some folks cringe when it’s time for dessert at Thanksgiving, as they’d prefer a sharp stick in the eye to a slice of pumpkin pie. But others, apparently, can’t get enough of it. Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood has been brewing a pumpkin-flavored ale for years, and kicked off production back in August to meet demand; the company expects to brew 75 percent more of the variety this year. Maybe this just seems weird because pumpkins are so closely tied to fall. But we Americans have always been pioneers. By golly, you can eat breakfast any time of day if you want to, practically anywhere, without breaking any laws. Anyhow, you can also order up a pumpkin flavored latte at any of the scores of area Starbucks, or a pumpkin-pie concrete at Andy’s in Kirkwood, the pie mixed in with frozen yogurt, crust and all. The good people at Nielsen, a market-research firm, confirm that sales of pumpkin products have increased dramatically over the past two years: 19 percent in 2012, and 28 percent by the beginning of this fall. Some wonder what all the fuss is about, because they dislike the flavor and texture of pumpkin almost as much as cranberry sauce, pearl onions or mashed yams baked with a toasty marshmallow topping.
[saint louis]
The standing ovation at New York City’s Carnegie Hall for conductor David Robertson and his St. Louis Symphony orchestra and chorus lasted nearly 10 minutes. The players and singers had just performed Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten… on Nov. 22, the 100th anniversary of his birth… as the final opus in a week of dates on both sides of the pond celebrating the life and works of the great 20th century British composer.
One chorus member, although she agonized from note to note of the difficult, tragicomic opera, said there was no question Robertson had the audience in the palm of his hand. There were two intermissions, and each time Robertson bounded on stage and approached the podium to join his musicians, the stamping and yelling began and the decibel level increased.
Robertson also had full command of his orchestra and chorus. He had insisted the chorus sing off score, so that they could follow every nuance of his direction. And as the three-hour masterpiece unfolded, he sang every word himself.
Reviews of the performance were stunningly laudatory. Not a note was criticized by publications ranging from the operatic to The Grey Lady herself: The New York Times. One writer admitted that there were not enough superlatives to describe this Grimes. An audience member said it was the best ‘staged’ performance he had seen and heard at Carnegie in 30 years.
[town & country]
Looks like it’s status quo in Town & Country… again. This town’s residents are some of our area’s most politically active when it comes to the prospect of rezoning their community. What part of ‘No’ don’t developers and institutions understand? It looks as though the citizens group ‘No Rezoning in Town & Country’ may score another victory against those who would attempt messing with precious acreage here, this time along Conway Road. Maryville University has requested that the city rezone 16 acres for its plans to build a parking lot and maintenance facility. Citizens, of course, say it will be an eyesore and negatively impact property values. Could you blame them? People live here because there’s lots of space for homes and even some horses. Citizens already have lobbied successfully against a senior living complex, a pediatric outpatient center and ball fields for the university. Corporate developers with very deep pockets have been sent packing. I surmise hell would freeze over before something like a CVS pharmacy appeared here.
[university city]
Long a popular draw for U. City strollers, the Walk of Fame now has morphed into the Talk of Fame: A book about the men and women honored by bronze stars embedded in Delmar Loop sidewalks has been penned by the peripatetic Joe Edwards. St. Louis Walk of Fame: 140 Great St. Louisans has been published in time for holiday gift-giving, and provides much more depth about featured local luminaries than the bronze plaques below their stars possibly could. Yes, Yogi Berra and Maya Angelou both have had a way with words. Kevin Kline and John Goodman are actors who didn’t go to the same high school. The stars on the Walk represent all walks of life, from aviation to civil rights, the arts to architecture. Sales of the book will benefit the Walk, a nonprofit organization. It’s available at Subterranean Books and other stores throughout the area, as well as two of Edwards’ establishments in and near U. City: Blueberry Hill and The Moonrise Hotel. Copies will be donated to secondary schools throughout the area.
[webster groves]
Anyone who’s having trouble kicking their holiday spirit into gear would do well to take in a house tour. Seeing fine homes all gussied up is a great way to absorb decorating ideas, or at the very least take a break from shopping, wrapping, baking, shopping, attending this and that party—and shopping. One such opportunity arrives Dec. 8, this Sunday, in Webster Groves. The annual Hixson House Tour is from noon to 4 p.m., and incorporates six homes, including a newly built one with all the bells and whistles of ‘green’ construction; it’s been featured in domestic and international publications. (No potbellied stove in here.) A couple of this town’s storied ‘century’ homes are featured. Refreshments and a holiday boutique will take place in Schroer Commons at Eden Seminary. Available at several locations in town, tickets are $15 and support the PTO at Hixson Middle School.
By Bill Beggs Jr.