Five years ago we set off on a journey to create a product that was one we had always dreamed of. Our fundamental concept took us back to the past, where readers sharing information about what is going on in their lives and communities was tantamount to local newspaper coverage and explains why such papers were woven into the fabric of their communities. It was our vision when launching Town&Style to bring readers in many adjacent communities together as one. Unlike in the past, where municipalities interacted primarily within themselves, we recognized we are now all joined together in a profound fashion through schools, sports, worship, nonprofit affiliations and so much more. Leaving Ladue News and beginning Town&Style gave us the ability to shed the ‘old’ and create a new product dedicated to old-school journalistic values, yet relevant in the new world we live in—one that 
is connected in every way! As a homegrown paper, owned and operated by people who have grown up, lived their lives and raised their children within our readership, there is no more fulfilling task than to provide our own neighbors and friends with a high-quality publication they can both enjoy and learn from.
We are so grateful to our readers and advertisers that you have welcomed Town&Style with open arms right from the start. We could not have grown and become part of the local fabric without the interaction and support that everyone in the community has offered along the way. Know that through your actions and patronage, you too are supporting homegrown community news. We offer the content you will not find on the 24-hour news cycle, or that you can just Google. Town&Style is focused on the hyper-local content that only a community publication can provide, as we are connected at the grass-roots level of our community—with the people and small businesses that make it tick.
We also are extremely grateful for our amazing staff, many of whom left along with us and took the proverbial leap off the high dive. In addition, we could never put out a paper without our fantastic contributors from all walks of life—who continue to grow in ranks each year! We are highlighting them in this issue because we want you to get to know the people behind the columns. In addition, in our fifth year we are introducing many new features and columns that we hope you will love. You can read all about them in the pages to come.
Much gratitude for reading, engaging, embracing the flip, and helping us create something truly of the people and for the people of our community.
—Lauren Rechan & Dorothy Weiner
We are so delighted to be celebrating our fifth anniversary and sharing it with all of you. As those who have been following our progress over these past years know, we don’t rest on our laurels. We believe our readers are highly intelligent and engaged, and that’s how we treat them. Nothing short of stimulating content and vibrant presentations will do. Below, meet the columnists who help us bring that to you.
jeffrey hall, cs – happy hour
Born and raised in St. Louis, I have been involved in the hospitality industry since the age of 12. I spent 11 years in Los Angeles, including at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, catering to the A-Listers of the entertainment world. Now a certified sommelier at our Four Seasons here, I am especially passionate about wines and homemade liqueurs and hope to convey that to readers of T&S. In the Happy Hour column I want to educate readers about wine, spirits and food in a straightforward and fun way. Readers have told me that’s just what they like about my column. It has been a blast for me because as I write to inspire others, I in turn am being inspired!
ellen soule – style sense
What to Wear Where has gotten a face-lift; it’s become Style Sense and will consist of fashion advice and local fashion news. My hope is for you, the reader, to be informed, educated and at the same time inspired to embrace and incorporate a trend or two of the season into your signature look. The past three years of highlighting a charity’s fundraising event and suggesting what to wear have been rewarding. I’ve received positive comments from both the organizations, appreciating the opportunity to get the word out about their events, as well as from the readers, helping them visualize the possibilities when it comes to what they can wear. I hope you’ll enjoy the updated format and find it informative and inspiring.
paul doerner – homework
I am an architect who loves houses … all kinds of houses. I believe that living in beautiful surroundings can greatly enhance quality of life. With the Homework column, I bring my experience in architectural and landscape design to help readers get excited about the improvements they might make to their own homes. I endeavor to choose properties from those submitted that illustrate issues homeowners most often struggle with. While I think it is helpful to teach general principles, it is even more helpful for readers to see specific examples of houses like their own, transformed using ‘before and after’ illustrations.
sheila burkett – tech talk
When I was approached about writing Tech Talk, I was excited and anxious at the same time. Writing about computers, software and the Web is easy
for me, but I wondered, Will anyone want to read what I write? After hearing about the future of Town&Style, I knew I wanted to be part of this team. Each Tech Talk will include something you should ‘Check Out,’ along with something to ‘Try Out.’ Let me know about your technology struggles by tweeting me @saburkett or by email at sheila.burkett@sprydigital.com. I look forward to bringing your inner geek to life!
bill beggs jr. – talk of the towns
Here’s my answer to the penultimate St. Louis question: I went to Northport High on Lung Eyeland.* In the StL, from the city to the county, every neighborhood and town is a fiefdom with its own unique sense of identity. This is key to the rationale behind Talk of the Towns, modeled loosely after The Talk of the Town in The New Yorker. You get enough mayhem on the TV news and in the daily paper, so instead we try to spin yarns about the fun, humorous and colorful. Every so often, a criminal raises his knucklehead and we feel compelled to bring a little orange to the montage that is Talk of the Towns. (*Long Island, in Nuyawk patois)
kate pollmann – a room of your own & fashion
I have always had a passion for creating beautiful things and experiences. As a stylist and jewelry designer I find great joy in the details—a fabulous outfit complete with the right accessories, a perfectly styled bookcase or a gorgeous dinner party for my friends. My style aesthetic mixes the attainable with a bit of luxury where it matters, and I’m extremely proud to be able to share that point of view with our readers each month. Our local boutiques and designers have so much to offer. I love the thrill of the hunt each month to find the perfect pieces for my stories!
marylyn simpson – beauty
It is such an honor and pleasure to share one of my passions with the readers of Town&Style. I have been writing about fashion or beauty in some capacity throughout my career, so sharing my cosmetic discoveries, secrets and tips with my community is a dream come true. Makeup and skin and body care products aren’t just about looking good, but also about feeling good. Confidence comes from within, and I believe putting your best face forward is a direct reflection of that confidence. I hope readers have fun with my column every month and that they can take away some practical beauty advice to incorporate into their own routines!
alan e. brainerd – design on my mind
I have always felt fortunate to do what I love. I can’t believe I have been in my chosen field for 32 years now! Interior design has always been my passion; I can’t remember a time when it was not. Educating clients, readers and students about the origins of various elements of design has been a privilege. Whether I am sharing the history of a fabric or the provenance of an antique, knowledge matters.I am so excited that Dorothy and Lauren encouraged me to share my passion for design and its history with Town&Style readers. Can’t wait to get started!
joan berkman – the velvet hammer
Everyone needs a mentor, especially in business. My mother, who was a successful business owner, helped me deal with challenging work-related situations. Her advice was gentle but firm. I admired her style and have tried to emulate it in my column by hopefully providing tactful yet straightforward solutions to readers’ questions. Recently, a CEO emailed me to say: “This world would be a better place if more of us could master tough love and honest feedback like The Velvet Hammer.” It’s humbling when you strike a chord. Thank you for the opportunity to be a Town&Style contributor.
p. allen smith – from the garden
Bon anniversaire, Town&Style! It has been a genuine pleasure to provide ideas and information that help your readers find their personal garden style. Whether one gardens, cooks with fresh ingredients or simply wants to improve a living space, it is my mission to illustrate how a connection to the outdoors makes our lives and homes more complete. Cheers to my friends at T&S and to those of you who read my column! Let’s make the next five years about getting dirt under our nails, eating good, locally sourced food, and creating a more beautiful world.
Bill Hester – sports wrap-up
I have written about sports for almost four decades. I’ve done stories on superstar pro athletes such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Venus Williams, and have covered legendary professional teams like the St. Louis Cardinals. But I most enjoy amateur sports, especially high school where the young men and women are playing for the love of the game. Town&Style has provided a welcome avenue to recognize the achievements of so many talented local athletes. I was given a valuable piece of advice early in my career: Get in as many names as possible because Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and friends are likely to read. And make sure to spell the names correctly!
lisa forsyth – the joy of coloring
As a practicing textile artist with an MFA from SIUE, I see color everywhere. Being new to an empty nest, I can find time to defy my predisposition for hue, tint and shading by offering readers these black-and-white patterns—still, I can’t wait to put colors back in the empty spaces! I hope you feel the same. Grab your pencils and join the adult coloring craze! It’s a dangerous form of procrastination, but a very pleasant escape from a fast-paced world.
patty hannum – patty unleashed
Everyone has a goal in life, and mine is to make people laugh. Not chuckle but laugh out loud, or better yet, guffaw. When I was asked whether I wanted to write Patty Unleashed, the question was barely out of editor Dorothy Weiner’s mouth before I screamed,“Yes!” To make sure she didn’t change her mind, I turned in copy the next day. The best part is the feedback I get from you, my dear readers, when you tell me I made you laugh, sometimes causing you to spit out whatever you were drinking. To me, that is a job well done.
jonathan carli – on the table
My goal is to give a fair assessment of the dining experience. As the local community paper, Town&Style wants to let readers know what they can expect of a new restaurant—or an established one that might be celebrating a landmark anniversary or undergoing a major change. But I also strive to be fair to the restaurateur; after all, anyone can have a bad night. And because our reviews are done anonymously, we’re able to give you an accurate picture of how Joe Diner will be treated when he eats out. I hope you’ve found On the Table fun and informative these past five years.
raschelle burton & patty hannum – backtalk
Raschelle: I think it is safe to say both of us are opinionated. We believe we are right and love the fact that once a month we get to let our readers decide who they agree with. A few things we want to clear up: Yes, we are friends. No, we don’t decide who is going to take which side ahead of time. Yes, we sometimes agree but not very often. We love our job as modern-day agony aunts and are stunned people want our advice.
Patty : What she said.
rick stoff – health
Through 30 years of medical writing I have been privileged to interview hundreds of brilliant doctors, nurses and therapists, then translate their knowledge into stories that inform and, I hope, entertain readers. I always learn something new and try to share that in stories the ‘person on the street’ will understand. Thanks largely to our outstanding medical schools, St. Louis is blessed with world-class practitioners and technology. Three years ago I personally experienced their value—I am walking today thanks to the spinal neurosurgeon who was on call when I arrived at a trauma center after falling from a ladder. I had interviewed him the previous year!
kenneth bland – bridge with bland
I’m sure our readers know writing a bridge column ain’t journalism. Nonetheless, Town&Style saw fit to publish it. Can you imagine the staff there trying to help an electronically challenged bridge geek bring a bridge hand to print? It’s been great. When we first started, they sent me to Strauss Peyton for my photo. Photographer Colin Miller had me keep my hat on, grip some cards, and look shrewd and smart—that was the hard part. The result was Bridge with Bland, and I’m proud to say that the bridge community really likes my column, some of them picking up the paper and turning directly to it. Here’s looking forward to another five years and beyond!
dr. tim jordan – parent trap
I see myself as a spokesperson for children, and one way I can advocate for them is through my Town&Style column. I love spending time listening to kids and teens in intimate retreat, camp, and school settings and then sharing insights about what kids are experiencing and feeling. Readers have told me they like my practical, down-to-earth style and how I help parents see kids in a different way. This helps them ‘walk in a kid’s shoes’ and see life from their perspective. I hope parents, after reading my column, feel more educated, confident and inspired.
donna parrone – front¢er
Having been both an actor and a producer in the St. Louis theater scene, I feel I bring an intimate knowledge to my column about the shows and people who make theater in our city. I try to speak to what is most creative and interesting in the live performances available and spend little time giving plot summaries. I figure if people want to know the plot, they should go see the play! I am also a strong advocate for the smaller professional companies. Often on a slim budget but with a passionate belief in their work, smaller companies can produce magical shows.
bob paster – driven
In my upcoming automotive column, Driven, my primary goal is to convey information useful to readers who are interested in cars. I’ll be test driving select models, as well as writing about car events. Second, and more important, I hope to convey my passion for automobiles and car people. From my articles I hope readers will gain an appreciation for beautiful cars as rolling sculpture and recognize the amazing engineering that goes into a high-performance sports car and the exquisite craftsmanship in the leather and woodworking of a luxury vehicle like a Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Jaguar. I will strive to convey the passion that car people have for their cars, car hobbies and their fellow ‘petrolheads.’
Photos: Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography
