Town&Style

Talk of the Towns: 3.19.14

[ballwin] One of the most bizarre alcohol-fueled disasters in recent memory involves a drug-addled Ballwin woman who rigged her car with fireworks—plus two mortar shells—then set off down the road in lighter-fluid-soaked vehicle with her two teenage sons aboard. The explosion and fire certainly could have killed all three, not to mention rescuers or other motorists, had the military ordnance rigged to the headrests detonated. It was bad enough: The boys were taken to the hospital for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation. Police say the woman had given her married boyfriend an ultimatum to leave his wife, and then told the boys their grandmother had suffered a heart attack. She was charged with DWI and felony assault and jailed on a $200,000 bond. We offer yet another BGO (Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious) regarding alcohol and drugs: Leave any major decisions to when you’re sober.

[chesterfield] You win some, you lose some. Inside the kingdom of Chesterfield, it’s a little of one, a little of the other. Sales at Chesterfield Mall have dropped, and mall owners blame it on the two outlet malls in The Valley that opened last summer. have But sales also have dropped at malls region-wide, and analysts acknowledge the two outlets may have sponged up some of that business, as well. Meanwhile, Chesterfield is seeing a net gain in sales taxes, overall, from the bump in business at the new mega-malls. Does this mean the bloom is off the rose nationally for shopping malls? Fiscally, no. The industry increased 3 percent in sales per square foot last year, a modest gain that could be attributed to purse strings loosening in a recovering economy. But not everyone is happy. Radio Shack’s mall stores are losing ground. And the food courts are feeling the pain. Sbarro’s, a national pizza chain, has declared bankruptcy and plans to close 150-odd outlets. Well, maybe it’s just that more diners are turning up their noses at food that has been under the heat lamps awhile.

[clayton] Two up, two down. For the sweet of tooth, the bad news is that a frozen-yogurt place and a cheesecake emporium in Clayton have closed recently. The good news is that with the yogurt place … a new one is cropping up in its stead. Chill, which closed March 2, will be replaced by Yo My Goodness, a local yum factory that first opened in Webster Groves and now has a handful of other locations, including Hilton at the Ballpark. It will unlock its doors in a few weeks, so … chill. Meanwhile, My Daddy’s Cheesecake shuttered last month. But hey: Hank’s is still happenin’ in Richmond Heights… so stop the snuffling, already. OK, now smile. A new Kakao location is planned for the Centene Building in May, and although no chocolate will be made on-premises, plenty of it will be sold there—as will the juice of the bean. Coffee varieties from local roasters will be served. Sorry, dear readers, for the mood swings from not-so-sweet back to luscious, but that’s just how cookies crumble in our eatery environment.  

[st. louis city] There’s no way to go but up. During the ‘Fight for Air Climb’ at Metropolitan Square Building this Saturday (March 22), participants are allowed only to walk up the stairs. They’ll have to take the elevators back down. It’s like the ultimate StairMaster workout … well, it is for Ultimate Climbers, who ascend the stairwell for 40 stories, descend, then go back up again as many times as their lungs and thighs will allow in an hour. Climbers are sponsored by friends, family, companies, churches and other groups to benefit the American Lung Association. First responders, e.g. firefighters, may climb in full gear including a heavy air tank. Virtual Climbers are those who ‘climb’ from the futon; i.e., they collect donations but don’t make the climb themselves.

[creve coeur] Harry S. Truman famously had a plaque on his desk that read, ‘The Buck Stops Here.’ Fitting, considering a recent ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court, where the buck for red-light camera cases has stopped. Again. In a recent issue we noted that the jig appears to be up for said cameras in the City of St. Louis, and now it is for Creve Coeur, one city in the county that had appealed its camera case. The sticking point was that state officials don’t (and won’t) assess points to vehicle owners whose cars are caught on camera running a light or illegally turning right on red: After all, ladies and gentlemen, who was behind the wheel? Mom? A car thief? The big loser is ATS: American Traffic Solutions, the Arizona company raking in the dough for bagillion ‘offenses’ caught on camera in cities operating the equipment at intersections. Do all those scofflaws, including yours truly for making a right on red, have reason to rejoice? OK, whoopee. But the rest of y’all do need to slow down: when the light turns yellow, press the pedal on the left, not the right.

[frontenac] A purveyor of ladies shoes at Saks in Plaza Frontenac overheard some confusing dialogue from a woman purchasing slingbacks for just south of $1,000. He’d just brought a customer some Jimmy Choo’s for her to compare to the kicks he’d been showing from other fabulous designers when her cell rang. In an attempt to extricate herself from the call, she ended the conversation with the following, Honey, I have to get off the phone. I’m in the checkout line at Target. I guess it was her husband.

[university city] Clang, clang, clang went the trolley / Ding, ding, ding went the bell … Yes, it sure did. But will it ever again, for real? Although doubt remains about the U. City trolley project, it isn’t among City Council members. Well, not completely. The council voted unanimously to extend a conditional-use permit that would actually allow streetcars one day to click along rails from The Loop to Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. But the august body did not extend the permit for as long as proponents had hoped. Let’s get to it, right? As the calendar swings toward a proposed groundbreaking this summer, we’ll have a better idea whether this is still a pipe dream or a sure thing. On one hand, it just seems—well, really cool. On the other, it will claim more trees than originally anticipated. Plus, some residents worry about increased congestion. Lawsuits remain unsettled, and the feds even had threatened to pull a $25 million grant for concerns about the trolley organization’s structure. All that said, we think this dream’s extreme coolness means it should become a reality. I mean, ultimately it’s NIMOOBY … Not in Most of Our Back Yards.

[webster groves] After spending 20 years at Oak Knoll Park in Clayton, the Artists’ Guild of St. Louis will be returning to Webster Groves, but not to the center of town at Gore and Lockwood avenues, from whence it moved in 1995. It appears the guild will take over the vacant church building and former home of Church of the Open Door on Big Bend Boulevard, near the city’s southwest  border with Crestwood, where it will have more room for gallery space and events. A few housekeeping items with city planners and new neighbors need to be taken care of for the guild, 125 years young, to relocate. At this writing the organization had a contract pending on the property. The guild would replace or restore landscaping that separates the former church property (1.7 acres) from neighbors, and plans to offer available space for community use.

[wildwood] Matt Perry, 17, is a high-school kid with a great ride, but he can’t park it in the driveway overnight. It’s a 49-year-old Ford truck, almost three times his age, which for all intents and purposes is a classic vehicle. He bought it and pays the insurance himself, but his Wildwood subdivision, Valley View, has a rule that prohibits truck parking in driveways. The family garage is already full, so he can’t hide it in there. A neighbor came by to tell young Matt that he could call the cops about the truck, which he did, apparently. What a noodge. The rule was probably established, as have been many similar such neighborhood or city regulations, to keep work vehicles out of sight. Makes sense for an upscale subdivision. But the young man’s truck doesn’t have ‘Matt’s Lawn Care’ emblazoned on the side or anything like that. It just says ‘F-100.’ The fine is $25 a night. Yikes. Here’s a thought, Matt: Until trustees rethink the rule, ca. 1970 and probably way too broad, have your folks move one of the cars out of the garage and park your truck inside. Ya’ think?

[ TT Trivia ] Who made Trolley Song famous, and when? The first correct email answer we receive at towntalk@townandstyle.com will win an exclusive Town & Style tote bag or apron! Last issue’s answer: The Beatles played a then-brand-new Busch Stadium—the previous incarnation completed in 1966 and replaced in 2006—on Aug. 21, 1966

by Bill Beggs Jr.

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