Albert and Deirdre Pujols still live in St. Louis during the offseason, and although the golf tourney that used to bear the slugger’s name is now the Matt Holliday Golf Classic, proceeds from the charity event still benefit Pujols’ nonprofit, the Albert Pujols Family Foundation. Now, before you Pujols haters start to wailing and gnashing your teeth about his ‘abandoning’ the Lou for L.A. and $240 million, let’s take a look at what the tourney, held last month and for 12 years previously, accomplishes. First and foremost, it has raised money for both young people with Down syndrome and impoverished residents of the Dominican Republic, Pujols’ homeland. Held at Meadowbrook Country Club in Ballwin, the contest still pulls in plenty of celebrity players, not to mention corporate and civic leaders, some of whom are not duffers. Yes, the sponsorships are taxdeductible, and Pujols’ foundation provides some relief for him from Uncle Sam. And true, many players are not very good role models, easily falling in the category of serial womanizer, drug abuser or worse. And then there’s Barry Bonds. But you have to give Albert Pujols credit for walking the walk. His daughter Isabella has Down syndrome, and he hasn’t turned his back on his hardscrabble beginnings. You may not like him, but the man’s an Angel now.
[chesterfield]
Although some may remember last spring’s Spirit of St. Louis Air Show as nearly impossible to watch (except from the roadside during traffic snarls in Chesterfield and beyond), the nonprofit driving the event is soaring. That organization (its name is a mouthful), the 2014 Spirit of St. Louis Air Show & STEM Expo, is donating $100,000 to aviation education groups, local STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) organizations and other nonprofits established to aid veterans. The first $20,000 was allocated last month. Recipients are: Missouri Friends of Injured Marines/Semper Fi Fund – $10,000; Franklin County Honor Flight – $7,500; and YMCA Veterans Programs – $2,500 Missouri Friends of Injured Marines/Semper Fi Fund provides financial assistance and lifetime support to wounded, critically ill and injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Franklin County Honor Flight transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit their war memorials, with top priority given to World War II survivors and terminally ill veterans. Major corporate support for the 2014 air show came from Monsanto, Boeing, Emerson and MasterCard.
[clayton]
The police shooting death of Michael Brown has spurred unprecedented community support for his family. His mother works at Straub’s in Clayton, and the grocery has posted a simple note encouraging patrons to send her notes of sympathy or donate to a memorial fund for her son. Respond to: Michael Brown Jr. Memorial Fund c/o Lesley McSpadden, P.O. Box 52011, St. Louis, MO 63160. Meanwhile, the Clayton School District is partnering with Operation Food Search to provide non-perishable foods and toiletries to Ferguson families. Through Sept. 9, items can be dropped off at area schools, each of which also has an inside collection area for students, parents and staff. The city is collecting donations at Clayton City Hall, 10 N. Bemiston Ave., and The Center of Clayton, 50 Gay Ave. The following items are especially needed: canned chicken, canned tuna, Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios (store brands welcome), deodorant and laundry detergent. No glass containers, please.
[creve coeur]
Creve Coeur is already a hotbed for international business. Think, in a word, Monsanto. But at least one other company in the ‘city of the broken heart’ also is growing by leaps and bounds. Bradford & Galt, an IT-consulting and stragetic staffing firm. It already has offices in Kansas City and will now expand to Louisville, Ky., by the end of the year with an office staff of about 30 employees. At present, B&G has 240 employees, 190 based in St. Louis. Brad Layton founded the company in 1984. Similar to an IT firm’s stock in trade, only part of the company’s name is based in reality. The other part is, well, virtual. The name merges Layton’s first name with the first and last of fictional character John Galt, from the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. In the book, Galt personifies capitalism and holds the world on his shoulders. Layton felt this was symbolic of Bradford & Galt’s “commitment to supporting clients by providing outstanding information technology services delivered with uncompromising integrity.” Bold statement; tall order.
[maplewood]
Anyone who still disses Maplewood as ‘The ’Wood,’ listen up: This inner-ring community continues to distinguish itself for its attractive little businesses—many of which have expanded beyond the confines of the homey ’burb. First, the aptly named Strange Donuts expanded to Kirkwood, then Columbia, Mo. And now, one of the region’s most exquisite chocolatiers, Good Food Award-winning Kakao, opened a shop last month in Clayton in the Centene building at 7700 Forsyth Blvd. Its original location is on Jefferson Avenue in South City; the yummy confection is made there and in the Maplewood store. And while no chocolate is made in Clayton, this is the only location that whips up espresso and other frou-frou coffees. Meanwhile, Maplewood’s biggest and bestest craft-beer maker, Schlafly Bottleworks, plans to build a second brewery in the Lou (possibly on 20 to 50 acres in north city), and also has deals to brew beer at facilities in Nashville, Stevens Point, Wis., and Coralville, Iowa—not too shabby for a homegrown boutique brewery. Hip and hoppenin’ Maplewood, yo!
[richmond heights]
Harvest, which has been a fixture around the corner from the Esquire Theater at 1059 S. Big Bend Blvd., closed in June. It had been open for 18 years which, in the topsy-turvy business of eateries in the Lou, is practically a century. Lamentable, yes, but taking its place is another popular restaurant moving up (and out) of its off-Cherokee Street neighborhood: Riverbend. The N’awlins-style cookery should be open by October.
[st. louis]
You don’t have to be Goth to get married in a cemetery. Bellefontaine Cemetery in north St. Louis has held numerous weddings in its chapel. Earlier this summer, the cemetery in its entirety was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Louis Sullivan designed the Wainwright Tomb, which, among other iconic gravesites or mausoleums, was already on the register. Now all 314 acres of hallowed ground have been officially designated as such by the National Park Service. At 4947 W. Florissant Ave., Bellefontaine is the final resting place for dozens of St. Louis notables, from ‘beat’ writer William S. Burroughs to Louisiana Territory explorer William Clark, brewer Adolphus Busch and architect James Eads. They are just a few among the 400-some famous folks at Bellefontaine listed on the indagrave.com website. There’s a billboard touting Bellefontaine as ‘the other Forest Park,’ and that isn’t far off. One of the main differences is that Bellefontaine, also rolling and worthy of arboretum status, is much more crowded. But quiet…87,000 people are buried there. With 100 acres available, plenty more will be able to join them.
[webster groves]
Knuckleheads know no shame. Their heads sprout knuckles because they attempt strong-armed robberies in broad daylight, as was the case last month when two juvenile suspects tried to wrestle a cellphone away from a jogger near Webster University (near East Lockwood and Plymouth avenues). The incident spurred authorities to lock down both the university and the high school a few blocks away for about 45 minutes around noon. No one was hurt, the jogger held on to his phone, and the apparently unarmed suspects were arrested a short time later and turned over to juvenile authorities. Ahh, cellphones: the coin of the realm for petty thieves. But once you snag one, what are you gonna do with it? The owner’s cell provider will deactivate it, of course. Before that, however, the company can provide a pretty good location for it via GPS.
[wildwood]
Cyclists, and motorists, may soon be subject to greater protection under Wildwood’s peace disturbance code. The city is considering additional language to protect cyclists from harassment by motorists. And, we surmise, viceversa. There are jerk* motorists, and there are jerk* cyclists. Cyclists, of course, have less protection in an encounter with a raging motorist who’s not too interested in sharing the road. On the other hand, we’ve seen more than a few cyclists ride side-by-side, rather than single file, which obstructs vehicular traffic. On some of Wildwood’s narrow, winding roads, that’s really tempting fate. Council members supported language that would apply to anyone whose actions were intended to ‘frighten or startle’ another road user. After extensive discussion, the council kicked the issue back to the Board of Public Safety for fine-tuning. (*Since we are a family-friendly magazine, we have abstained from using any of the more colorful language often ‘expleted’ by road hogs, whether on two or four wheels.)
Pictured: Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis