Historic locations around St. Louis hold holiday celebration

 (This story appeared a couple weeks ago in West Newsmagazine in celebration of a Dec. 7 holiday event to be held at several St. Louis area venues.)

                              Photo courtesy of the 1860 Gittemeier House in Florissant

The sights and sounds of the holiday season will be on full display from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 as more than 20 historic sites throughout the Greater St. Louis area participate in A Spirited Holiday Past, held annually on the first Saturday of December. 

Buildings built as far back as 1782 will come alive for this volunteer-led program run by Historic Saint Louis, a partnership of many local sites working together to promote the history of the area.

In Millenium Park, Creve Coeur’s Tappmeyer Homestead started decorating for the event in mid-November. Come December, the Italianate townhouse from 1880 will be bedecked with natural garlands, red bows and other holiday decorations both inside and out. 

Tappmeyer Program Director Laura Dierberg Ayers said there will be activities to match the festive atmosphere, like candle-making, which was a crowd-favorite in the past. 

Last year’s Christmas Tree in the Tappmeyer Homestead. (Photo courtesy of Laura Dierberg Ayers)

“Years ago, we had an ensemble from one of the high schools play a violin, bass and other instruments for some live music,” Ayers said. “We don’t have a huge amount of space, but we hope to do that this year. We’ll also probably have cookies and punch, and there may be the smell of cinnamon in the air.”

The Field House in St. Louis is another historically-significant venue participating in A Spirited Holiday Past. Attorney Roswell Field, who worked on the historic Dred Scott v. Sandford case, rented the house located at 634 South Broadway. He was the father of poet and newspaper columnist Eugene Field. According to Executive Director Stephanie Bliss, the house was saved in the 1930s thanks to Eugene and became a National Historic Landmark. It is Federal-style architecture, built in 1845.

“We love holidays and don’t necessarily go by periods at the Field House Museum,” Bliss said. “We like to bring out our toy collection for the holidays, so you’ll see them on display. We’re also going to have an exhibit called ‘The Wonderful World of Collecting.’ It’s Hallmark Disney ornaments. Also, for the day of the event, we’re going to have (historian and storyteller) Kellee Bohannon.” 

A mantle at the field house bedecked with holiday paraphernalia. (Photo courtesy of Field House Museum)

The Sappington House in Crestwood is also Federal-style architecture. Built in 1808 when Thomas Jefferson was President, it is the oldest surviving brick building in St. Louis County. No one knows for sure when it was first decorated for Christmas.

“We do know that Christmas trees were not part of the early celebrations in this area … so, that doesn’t happen at the Sappington House,” Resident Manager Sally Cakouros said. “We do green boughs, ferns and evergreens, green plants and holly.

                       The Sappington House in winter. (Photo courtesy of Roger Ottwell/Sappington House)

This year, Sappington House’s part in the event will feature a violinist, who repaired an antique Sappington family violin. 

“We might also have a guitar player with him, and are hopeful to have a pianist playing Christmas carols that people can sing along to,” Cakouros said. “We’ll also have a gingerbread house display.”

A collection of gingerbread houses and barns on display from a previous year. (Photo courtesy of Sappington House)

Some venues have an admissions fee. For a list of hours, costs and other information, visit historicsaintlouis.org/winter-event. 

A mantle at the field house bedecked with holiday paraphernalia. (Phot

I’m not Yente: Dating coach focuses on clients who are marriage-bound

 (This is the final, published version of an article I turned into the St. Louis Jewish Light two or three months ago.)

Mimi David makes it clear that her role as a dating coach is not akin to Yente the matchmaker in “Fiddler on the Roof.”

A lot of people don’t know the difference” said David, who is director of women’s studies at Aish HaTorah and married to its executive director, Rabbi Yosef David. “A matchmaker is someone who might say, ‘I know this guy and this girl, and it seems like they’d be good for each other,’ and she introduces them.  I don’t do that professionally, although I do that when I can.

“A dating coach normally gets involved when a couple is already dating each other. What I help with is realistic expectations from the dating process; like what productive dating should look like.”

David explained that her overall role is to help couples navigate the relationship that goes from near strangers to best friends if they are right for one another. She does this through a healthy progression that includes maintain expectations and building the relationship in a way that can potentially lead to a deeper connection.

Originally for New York, Mimi, age 49, grew up in an observant family and went to a Jewish grade school and high school. At age 20, she married Yosef David, began having children, and in 2007, moved to the St. Louis area.

“I did not date very much,” she said.  “I only dated men who my parents vetted. Most of the guys were short experiences; just a few dates. It was pretty clear to me that they were not for me. Dating for marriage is extremely targeted and extremely goal-oriented. It becomes pretty clear, very soon, if someone is not the right one for you. 

“I had no real complications in knowing that my husband was the right one soon after meeting him. We only dated for one month, then got engaged, and were married seven weeks later. We’ve been married nearly 29 years now!”

David has been a long-time teacher at Esther Miller Bais Yaakov High School.  During that time, she developed close relationships with her students, who also started viewing her as a dating/life coach.

“They knew I was an objective listener who had their best interests in mind and would not be emotionally involved like their mothers,” she said.  “Eventually, what really started me as a dating coach was my students started calling me with their Mikvah questions after they got married. That wasn’t my expertise, but they felt comfortable with me when dating and after they got married.” 

David said that nowadays, she works with clients of all ages and stages. Men and women. Old and young. Widows, widowers, and those who have been divorced.

“The largest criteria is they have to be dating for marriage,” she said. “If they’re not dating for marriage, I do not coach them. They can just have fun and don’t need my help.”

David generally works with clients over the phone, though occasionally she will Zoom with them.

“I actually prefer not seeing a client because I have no judgment about them on my own.  I think everybody is wonderful and I can tell a lot by what they tell me; not in terms of their looks but by how they are as a person, then I can focus on that as opposed to being distracted by some physical feature, which I think helps me be more objective.”

Every year, David goes to Cincinnati for a singles convention with people in different age groups. She recently did a presentation for a group of 55+ singles in Baltimore on Zoom. She said that’s more of an overview of a productive dating process instead of coaching for a specific scenario.

David also does a local event for the Orthodox community every couple of years as an overview of the dating process for girls who are starting to date for marriage.

“I’ve been a dating coaching professionally about four years, and unprofessionally for about 10 years before that,” she said.  “I did it just for my former students.  I didn’t have a system at that time. I was just their mentor before I went into training. “Now I do it more as a paid business, but if I wanted to get rich, I’d probably be doing something else.”

David explained that everyone she coaches gets a free get-to-know-you session. She hears from her clients about themselves so she can get a better idea about them and what they are looking for in a partner.  In addition, David tells them about her background, her experience, and provides a quick overview of the dating process.

Susan B, a former student of David’s who asked that her real name not be used, said that last year at age 29, a mutual friend from St. Louis introduced her to a man.

“We exchanged information so we could kind of check into each other before, then I handed it to Mimi David to set it up,” Susan said.  “She started on one level then got into a deeper level and I found things I had to work through in order to get married to anybody. She was there for the heavier stuff, too.”

Susan said that it wasn’t love at first sight, but the man was nice and a good conversationalist.  They dated for about two months, were engaged about three months later, and were married this past March.

“I told Mimi it kind of went from A to Z…from zero to marriage,” Susan said.  “She helped work it through from figuring my thoughts out, what was normal for a guy, totally helped me understand what I was noticing and helped me know how to better communicate.  As in all things in life, especially something as big as this, it brings up your own hangups and things I needed to work on.  She was there for me the entire process.  She’s so wise and understood where I was coming from, and was so supportive while also being totally practical.

“I am very grateful I had her for this. I’m so happy I used her! She’s a dependable confidant who cares so much, and pushes you to make an effort. Having that relationship with a teacher for all four years really helped because I was so comfortable with her and she was always so honest and open.”

 

Whispering Oakwood’s golden anniversary celebration was a true gem

 (This is how I submitted one of my favorite recent stories for West Newsmagazine back in mid-September. Photos are a courtesy of MICDS graduate Michael Kerber, whose brother Kevin starred in water polo and other brother Chris does the radio play-by-play of the St. Louis Blues, including back before we won the Stanley Cup on June 12, 2019!)

In marriage, the 50^th anniversary is a golden one. Back in 1974, the cost of that precious metal was well below $200 an ounce. It has since skyrocketed well over the $2,500 mark. That is precisely how a Ballwin neighborhood has grown in memories since that time.

On Sept. 14, Whispering Oakwood, a neighborhood of about 165 houses, hosted its annual WO500 event in honor of 50 years of existence!  

WO stands for Whispering Oakwood. In the event’s tradition, dads of the neighborhood plan and run a soapbox derby. According to the event’s current president, Michael Kerber, the ‘500’ could be in reference to the Daytona 500 or Indy 500.

“That’s what we all believed,” Kerber said. “But this year, as I connected with more people, I started hearing a rumor that if you measure the distance of the race hill from start to finish in some of the years we’ve run it, the distance was 500 feet.  But that is totally unconfirmed.”

Photo Credit:  Scott Blackwell

With a rock ‘n roll theme, a guitar-playing dad performed The National Anthem in the Jimmy Hendrix style to kick off this year’s festivities. As usual, the neighborhood scouts were in their classy outfits hoisting the American flag.

As customary, Metro West brings a fire truck and an ambulance to lead the parade throughout the area. But the proceedings were slightly altered this year.

“Metro West helped start the parade, but about 15 seconds into it, they got an emergency call,” Kerber said. “So, they threw their lights on and bolted out like lightning! But one neighbor joined the parade with an old classic convertible car from the ‘70s. Also, a brother of one of the neighborhood moms is a Shriner. So, they loaded up a couple of their cars on trailers and joined our parade.  That made it extra special as did some of the 1970’s outfits.”

The race was the next big event. There were 31 kids racing this year; all from the WO neighborhood. One group is third graders racing just half the hill in their first year of the event, trying to get used to the ride that Kerber described as ‘being bouncy and noisy in a manually-driven car.’   The remainder are from grades four through eight.

Those grade levels are also how the racers are divided into their two race brackets a la college basketball’s March Madness. But in this case, the two different groups are placed randomly into double elimination tournaments. So, each kid gets to race downhill at least twice.

“We don’t really have anyone who builds cars because we have to keep to our budget,” Kerber said. “So, what we do is refurbish the cars and reuse them every year. The week before, we size up every kid in the car that fits them, and if you take a car home and store it for a year, you get to paint it to look however you want.

“By the time the race is over, the winners have probably raced down the hill seven or eight times. We do trophies for the winners, and for every racer, we have a medal engraved with their name. It’s daunting going down that hill in a car made or wood or plastic with a brake made out of a four-inch square tire and a foot pedal made out of wood.  So, the fact that they went down the hill is pretty valiant. The first, second, and third place winners of the overall race bring home a trophy made up the street at Crown Trophy.”

The dads this year, referred to as ‘The Pit Crew,’ ran the activities during the day after loading bales of hay and setting them on the street the night before the race.

Kerber added that one means of reenacting the mid-1970s look was having wives secretly purchase shorter-than-usual white shorts to wear. It was a secret until the week before, and as Kerber added, ‘that’s when some of the dads realized they were going to expose some of their tan lines.’

The extravaganza also included a big-time block party chock full of a variety of food options. There were some different things this year like the playing of a mariachi band, loved by adults and kids alike.

              This year’s dads (aka: Pit Crew) for the 50th WO 500 dressed in Retro Dad Pit Crew attire.  Photo Credit:  Sue Kerber 

Also, during the previous week, Kerber and his wife Sue started a Where’s Waldo hunt. They created a bunch of Waldo characters plus race-related items like keys, race cars, race flags and bales of hay. About 33 neighbors put colored copies of those images in their windows for families to enjoy while walking around the neighborhood.  The challenge was to find all the characters and all the lost items.

Whispering Oakwood is a unique neighborhood without an official neighborhood association. So, Kerber teamed with a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer to create the event.

“When we all moved to the subdivision and started getting involved with the race day, we all kind of volunteered,” Kerber said. “‘I’ll be the one to set up the race flags,’ or someone else will make sure we have all the plates and food for the family party, ‘I’ll take care of this tennis ball or frisbee throw event.’ As president, I was in charge of scheduling the meetings and putting things together.  When tough decisions have to be made, you’re required to make those decisions and be the president of the day itself.”

There’s one meeting a month for four of five months prior to the event and the group is responsible for the safety of the kids and pulling permits from the City of Ballwin to enable them to close the street down.

Kerber added that it’s a very special neighborhood that’s had mainly a natural amount of turnover where retirement-aged people leave in bunches about very five years. But every year there are about eight to 20 kindergartners who attend Kehrs Mill Elementary, which is right down the street. Also, the moms have a Mah Jong group, a book club, and there are progressive dinners each year in the neighborhood.

Part of the history stays alive with the help of an ‘I Grew Up in Whispering Oakwood’ public Facebook group page. With a scroll through it over the past 5-7 years, you’ll see people photos of people’s childhood in the neighborhood.  Someone in Virginia posted, ‘I grew up there from the time I was five until I was 12, and I’m still friends with all of my neighbors.’ There’s an old photo from the mid-70s showing the top of the race hill with a bunch of dads in blue shirts, white tennis shorts, and painters’ hats. 

Kerber pointed out that one of the dads has a real classic mustache, and the trees in the subdivision were tiny at that time.  One of the moms was wearing a green skirt or dress in 1970s attire. One is a married couple that still lives in the neighborhood, and their son is also in the photo wearing a football helmet in the car. Their daughter enjoyed growing up in the neighborhood so much that she moved back and still lives there.

“That photo was kind of like, that’s the attitude we want to bring back,” Kerber said. “So, a group of us grew beards and shaved them into mustaches this year.”

               Returning Original Homeowners & creators of the first WO500 -                                                        photo credit: Julie Roesler

One of the major features of the event was the emotional responses it created.

As word started to spread that they were putting this on for the 50^th year, there was a group of people on that Facebook page who were eager to ask, ‘Hey!  Can we come? I grew up in the neighborhood.’

“It meant so much for the original homeowners or the previous homeowners I spoke with, who were crying when they were telling me their stories of the family memories they made in the subdivision and in the race. So, I have a photo of five or six original homeowners who came back. One of them flew in from Virginia Beach. We had another who was one of the original dads who started the race.  He was wearing sunglasses with race flags printed on them. There was also a 90-year-old husband and wife came back. Their daughter still lives in the neighborhood.

“The comment they made to us was how warm it made them feel. They had just started it as a reason to have a little barbecue and for dads to do something with their kids. They were surprised that 50 years later, the neighborhood would still be doing it, and we’ve never missed a year. Every year, we vote in someone into our Hall of Fame like a lifetime achievement award for a dad that everyone feels put a lot into creating it and making it fun every year. So, one of the original dads and homeowners, Jerry Disper was voted that this year. Some of them coming back and reliving the lifetime memories was probably the coolest thing for me!”

The Pickleball craze is spreading like wildfire throughout the area

 (Here is my original, highly-detailed pickleball story for West Newsmagazine.  Unbeknownst to me, it was later combined with a writer who added St. Charles County pickleball venues and it appeared meshed together to run in both West and Mid Rivers Newsmagazines.)

Most casual observers would be shocked to learn that pickleball was invented way back in 1965.

That was when Washington State congressman Joel Pritchard returned home from playing golf with businessman buddy Bill Bell. Surprised to find their families sitting around bored, the two gradually and unknowingly converted an old badminton court on the property into the new game. They used ping pong paddles, traded shuttlecocks for whiffle balls, and reduced the net height from 60 inches to just 36.

The following weekend, joined by friend Barney McCallum, they created rules, and the family-friendly game of pickleball was formed.

Per St. Louis Pickleball Hall of Famer John Callahan, the sport was likely named after the pickle boat in rowing.

While it took exactly 25 years for the game to be played in all 50 states, it was roughly 50 years before the real popularity hit St. Louis County around 2015.

Callahan Pickleball Academy instructors and students at the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. (Photo courtesy of Callahan Pickleball Academy)

How popular is the sport? The Callahan Pickleball Academy has over 300 clinics in the St. Louis area. John also wrote the #1 seller book, Pickleball: Tips Strategies Lessons and Myths, available at Amazon & Racketman and has a podcast: https://pickleballfire.com/podcast-2/017-the-10-myths-of-pickleball-with-1-best-selling-author-john-callahan/

“It is so popular that we teach pickleball clinics five days a week at Chesterfield Valley Athletic Center. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in U.S. with over 10M (some say 30M) players. And St. Louis is ranked as one of the top ten pickleball cities; not surprising given St. Louis’ history as one of the top tennis cities.”

Callahan also noted that the St. Louis Shock is our Major League Pickleball (MLP) professional team. It’s owned by the Chaifetz family and features four of the best players in the world.

No pun intended, but so many totally relish the sport in 2024 at both the recreational and highly competitive level!

One such player is Manchester resident Martha Roper, soon to turn 76, and primarily a tennis player for 30 years.

“Tennis began to hurt my neck as I did the hard, up-and-over serve. What complicates my pickleball involvement is that my husband (Dr. Peter C. Scales), besides being a psychologist, is a tennis teaching pro and coach at Parkway South High School. I was a teacher there, too, and our lives were all about tennis. Suddenly, I felt like I was sneaking off to do something that wasn’t in line with that when I found out there was pickleball at The Pointe (at Ballwin Commons) just 10 minutes from us.  I didn’t tell him I was going. But I fell in love with it the first week, and he adapted well to me being a pickleball player. It was so joyful and it has an underhanded serve.  So, nothing hurts when I play.”

The Pointe offers daily pickleball activities during the school year. During summer hours, courts are mostly given to kids. New Ballwin Park where she teaches, has three courts. She added that Ballwin just converted the upper tennis court to pickleball at Holloway Park.

“So now, there will be eight pickleball courts there with ample parking, restrooms, water fountains, shade,” Roper said. “Bring your own chair and it’s a party every single morning every day when it’s 50 degrees or above!

Roper’s coach referred her to big name pickleball player Mike Chapin who gave her five years of lessons and mentored her into being a teaching pro. The long-time health teacher is now certified at the highest level in the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association and the Professional Pickleball Registry.

Meanwhile, Ray Slama, former Twin Oaks Mayor and current District 3 rep for the Municipal Park Grant Commission, has been a long-time avid pickleball player and advocate.

Slama first became aware of area pickleball around 2015 after his retirement from coaching lacrosse at Cor Jesu Academy. Being unsure about the welcoming aspect of the pickleball community, Slama didn’t get involved until a neighbor talked him into it in 2019. Covid hit the area in March 2020. So, Slama didn’t return to the sport until the following year. He has no regrets about that decision.

“I was never a fan of tennis.  I played some when I first retired. I find tennis doubles much too slow. I have been a ping pong player from an early age. Pickleball and ping pong are much more closely related. The speed of the game and the eye-hand coordination are very similar. Pickleball is the perfect sport for people who played handball and racquetball. Strategies are very similar. That said, we have found that tennis players who take up pickleball learn extremely quickly the nuances of pickleball and are very competitive very quickly.

“About the same time I took up pickleball, I was advised by my health care provider to lose 30 pounds. With a change of diet, pickleball and bicycle riding, I accomplished my goal in under a year. Pickleball may have also saved my life when my endurance and recovery time decreased dramatically. After reporting this to my primary doctor, and a follow up stress test (failed), the cardiologist said I would probably have died in two years.  Two years later (and bypass surgery) this month, I am still playing three to four times a week.”

Slama added that pickleball is suitable for all ages and playing ability, and its community of experienced players readily accepts beginners to their games. He added that many courts have open play and the cost of equipment and play is nominal.

He currently administers a pickleball program for high school girls at Nerinx Hall, Ursuline Academy, Notre Dame and St. Joseph’s Academy.  The numbers have grown from 30 to 80 players at the latter school with plans to expand into Parkway and Rockwood high schools, and eventually add pickleball for boys. Slama also hopes it will someday be a MSHSAA sport.

Mac McKeever is another West St. Louis County pickleball enthusiast. He was first introduced to the sport in 2015 at the Kirkwood Community Center, and started getting deeply involved the following year.

“I had retired in 2015 and had taken up bike riding for exercise.  I wanted something different for two reasons: Riding takes up your whole day, and I realized I was eventually going to be seriously injured since I liked going fast.  The Chesterfield newsletter mentioned they had pickleball in the valley and I decided to give it a try.  I was sold immediately.  I help run a local arts organization that produces old-time barn dances.  Socially, the two are very similar, so I felt right at home.

“Socially, pickleball is like no other sport. You show up alone; no need to make arrangements with others. Everyone mixes it up, so each game is with different people.  Everyone is supportive and new players are helped getting started.  The social aspect is as important as the physical.  The growth has been unbelievable.  Also, there’s age diversity as more and more younger players are involved.”

McKeever said he’s had very few injuries, and none serious. He added that the biggest cause of serious injuries is back peddling to catch up with balls high over your head.  The benefit to him is that it keeps him moving, using all his muscle groups without being too demanding.

“By the way, we have several players in their 80s that I have a hard time keeping up with.  Again, health wise, the social aspect is just as important as the physical.  It just makes you feel good.  I can lose all my games and still go home feeling like I had a wonderful morning.” 

All three noted the tremendous growth of pickleball, adamantly opposing any inclination that the sport is a mere fad. The proof is in the number of pickleball courts that exist throughout West St. Louis County with more in the offing.

                                            Pickleball (Source: Adobe Stock)

Per Director of Recreation Jason Valvero, Creve Coeur has two dedicated pickleball courts in Conway Park and two shared tennis/pickleball courts in Lake School Park.  The city will also soon be adding lines to Conway’s tennis courts to be shared with pickleball players.

Manchester Director of Parks and Recreation Kat Schien added that her city has four such highly popular courts free and open to the public near the entrance of Schroeder Park. There is no current plan to expand that number.

Director of Parks, Recreation and Arts T.W. Dieckmann noted that Chesterfield currently has two concrete courts in Logan Park and four asphalt ones at the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex. Despite considerable discussion, no additional courts are planned at this time.

Meanwhile, AnnaBeth Batson, who has served as a Chesterfield Recreational Specialist for more than three years, is amazed at how pickleball has caught on!

“Within these three years, I’ve watched our courts only offer 1-2 days’ worth of clinics to now, offering clinics 4-days a week as well as 4 leagues. Due to the continued growth of the sport, we have goals of bringing more leagues to our courts. I believe the sport is growing so rapidly due to the ability for anyone to participate. Pickleball is a sport that encourages individuals of all skill levels to play and easily groups these skill levels together so you grow with others to become more advanced. The sport has had a steady increase in popularity, and I can see this remaining constant for the next few years to come. For the future, I foresee more younger participants learning the sport, and the game transitioning into schools as a competitive sport instead of a physical education section.

“Based on our clinic and league registrations, we have noticed that more females participate in pickleball than males. In terms of the players ages, a large percentage range from 50-65 years old. No matter the age, pickleball is a great way to keep individuals both socially and physically active. Pickleball is played nationwide, and is a great chance to mingle and meet new people when you are traveling or in your hometown. When you play pickleball, you can decide how active you want to be since you can control the pace of the game.”

Ballwin Recreation/Sports Specialist Jacob Briscuso added that his city currently has three courts at New Ballwin Park, eight at Holloway Park and 3-5 inside The Pointe.

Briscuso has also noticed monumental changes in the number of players and the demographics just in the two years he has served in his city.

“What first started out as a retiree game has evolved into something more. Plenty of high school/college-aged kids play on a regular basis now. Our outdoor courts see all ages, while inside are more retirees. I think Covid had a big impact on the game. It was an easy way for people to get outside and play at a distance from each other, but it is easier than tennis to pick up. Most people have grown up playing it in school gym classes at some point as well. Social media and it becoming a professional sport have added to its popularity.”

In addition to the sport becoming more prevalent in city parks and recreational facilities, a good number of community and senior retirement centers have also added a decent number of indoor pickleball courts.

Naturally, the elevated age range of that latter group has led to health questions. But a couple of top EMS personnel haven’t seen much change in their calls since pickleball has expanded.

                                Pickleball equipment (Source: Adobe Stock)

“What’s important for people to remember is the same thing we talk about when shoveling snow,” said Matt Coppin, Captain of External Affairs and Community Health for the Metro West Fire Protection District. “People need to realize their limitations and work inside of those. But a lot of 70-year-olds have a very diverse sense of athletic ability. We have some who still run marathons while others struggle to get the mail at the end of the driveway. It’s kind of a self-assessment of where your abilities lie, and staying inside of those instead of overly stretching your abilities which can be challenging when you’re talking about competitive sports.”

“For older players or those with pre-existing conditions, it’s best to consult with your physician before engaging in any new or rigorous activity,” added Nick Smith, Deputy Chief of EMS for the Monarch Fire Protection District. “If you do choose to play, choose appropriate footwear and be cognizant of your physical limitations. The game can safely be played by most folks as long as we don't get swept up in the competition and forget we aren't 18 anymore. Depending on the venue, be sure to stay hydrated and know when to take a break to avoid leaving yourself vulnerable for heat-related illnesses or unintended falls.” 

Both EMS experts agreed that warming up is vastly important regardless of age, but especially for seniors.  Smith added that players should try to avoid courts that have uneven surfaces or loose gravel that could lead to trips and falls.

Smith also noted that pickleball injuries are similar to other sudden stop and start sports like tennis and racquetball. These include ankle, knee, and shoulder injuries from racing in one direction, stopping abruptly, then racing in another direction, which puts a strain on joints.

“If you’re able to play and have no health restrictions, the benefits to play, being active and those regular cardio activities, are only going to strengthen your heart and make you healthier and more agile,” said Coppin. “The key for older adults is to maintain your mobility to limit the number of falls around the home. Another benefit of pickleball for seniors is to be able to socially interact with many other people. Those interactions are a lot more important to older adults. It’s the ability to have something to look forward to. That’s important to mental health and leads into physical health as well.

“But when it comes to any kind of sport, the primary thing is to know when you need EMS help. If you’re playing and you have a sprain or a strain, or maybe you fall on the court and hurt your arm…knowing that’s in one category, and if you’re having trouble breathing, experience any kind of chest pain, any of the signs of stroke that we talk about, that’s the time to call 911 immediately. Those are the things for which you don’t want to just go home and see what happens in an hour.”

Smith added that pickleball has a low barrier to entry for most active individuals, making it an ideal sport for beginners looking to stay active and not spend a ton of money…or leaving one in a pickle financially!

A Culinary Spectacle: Missouri Lodge Singles Division makes night of it

         (I covered this event and wrote this article in 1987 for a B’Nai B’rith publication.)

Chopsticks and cue sticks were the featured implements at the May 21 Missouri Lodge Singles Division Ethnic Dining Event.

Mike Temkin wasted no time while waiting for dinner to arrive at Yoshi’s Japanese Sushi Restaurant. He gave a detailed demonstration of proper chopstick usage to member Rosanne Abrams. But just how effective was it?

“She’ll try it, get the piece of sushi up, put it toward her mouth, and it will probably go flying!” Temkin said. “I’ve known people who bring pencil sharpeners, and sharpen the edges to use them better!”

Elsewhere, experienced chopstick user Liam Newberg was showing member Rick Pass how to choke up more on the chopsticks like a baseball bat.

Even though the event took place a full month after Passover, B’nai B’rith Director Michelle Gralnick insisted that her seaweed salad and other items be passed around for all to sample.

“Everyone has to try something outside their comfort zone,” Gralnick said.

Two young guests, Sara Zessar and Arianna Haut, were understandably unshaken by any unusual food item, being teachers at two of the most notoriously rough neighborhood high schools—Zessar at Vashon and Haut at Roosevelt.

Zessar was hesitant, but willing to expand her culinary horizons.

“I know it was fish eggs,” she said after a bite of sushi. “I wasn’t thrilled about it, but I wasn’t going to scrape it off.”

Actually, everyone thoroughly enjoyed nearly everything that was served. The Caterpillar Roll was a unique visual delight, cut up into six or seven one-inch segments, and resembling a caterpillar, with a pair of eyes and antennae to boot.

Someone asked what type of glaze covered the Caterpillar Roll.

“Centipede sauce, of course!” joked Todd Binenstock, a dining club first-timer and also a non-native St. Louisan. He sat next to member Mark Bernstein, relieving Bernstein of being the only one who attended high school outside the state.

Meanwhile, member Fred Rosenblum didn’t remember whether he had eaten his antennae. But he was certainly on task during the night’s second event—some friendly, yet competitive games of pool. Rosenblum went undefeated in six games of pool at the Chesterfield Billiards Bar and Grill. The group stayed nearly two hours.

A memorable bad shot was executed by Temkin, who fired a ball off the table, which then crashed into Abrams’ leg and onto her foot.

At the same instant, Temkin and I started to say, “And you thought this wasn’t a contact sport!”

“Great minds think alike,” Temkin said.

“Yeah, and ours do, too!” I said.

For more information, email Michelle Gralnick at bbd2wro@aol.com.

Jeffry Greenberg is a charter member of the Singles Division. A freelance writer for 19 years, he has nearly 3,000 published pieces and has won awards for his sports writing.

Creve Coeur resident Pat Chambers recognized for volunteer legacy at pediatric hospital

 (I totally loved doing this interview and also the one-on-one tour with Kristen Carroll of Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital.)

Seasoned entertainers who leave a memorable impact earn stars on a Walk of Fame. Superstar athletes get inducted into a Hall of Fame for contributions to their respective sports.

Pat Chambers, who volunteers every Tuesday and Friday morning from 9 a.m.-noon at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, recently received her own special tribute following her 90th birthday.

Having exceeded 18 years of volunteering at the hospital, the long-time Creve Coeur resident was honored with her own “Pat’s Miracle Corner” in the welcoming area of Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights.

Pat Chambers, her daughter Kathy Logan and Ranken Jordan President and CEO Shawn Dryden speak with an attendee at Chambers’ birthday celebration. (Photo courtesy of Ranken Jordan)

Why that specific label? Ranken Jordan Leadership Gift Officer, Kristen Carroll offered the explanation.

“My colleague, Nellie LaVigne, who also loves Pat, originally floated the idea to do something special to honor her when we learned Pat had asked for donations to be made to Ranken Jordan in lieu of gifts for her 90th birthday,” Carroll said. “I brought it up to Pat's daughter Kristin. She spoke with the rest of Pat's children about the idea. They loved it. We decided on Pat's Miracle Corner together because of the phrase Pat always uses at Ranken Jordan: ‘Every time I come through those doors, I know I'm going to see a miracle.’”

Pat's four children were onboard from the moment they were told about the idea - so much so that they offered to match the donations from Pat's other friends and family with their own, raising over $10,000 for the hospital.

“Life is a struggle sometimes, certainly for some of these kids and their parents,” Chambers said. “But there is always hope. I have my miracle corner, and in 18 years, I’ve seen so many miracles! It’s amazing. Sometimes it’s tiny steps, and sometimes huge steps. You want to be able to be stimulated in life and to stimulate others.” 

Born an only child in Savannah, Missouri, that attitude is what inspired Chambers to enter the field of early childhood education. 

“My name is Pat, P.A.T. and I was with an organization that is now nationwide and in eight foreign countries called Parents as Teachers,” Chambers said. “I became the coordinator of a local school district called Pattonville! Have you got that down pat now?”

From her experience on the job, Chambers noted many parents needed their parenting skills bolstered. As their first teacher, she would go into homes, sit on the floor and work with parents.

After retiring from Pattonville, Chambers traveled to nearly every state in the U.S. with the Parents as Teachers Association. She helped parents with several aspects of the development of their children. In addition to her background of working with parents and children, Chambers has four children of her own, plus 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. 

Fast forward to 2006, and Chambers’ volunteer start at Ranken Jordan, which is a 60-bed pediatric bridge hospital that cares for kids from birth to age 21, who are well enough to leave a traditional hospital but need help before they go home. 

“I knew I still wanted to work with children, and this is in my local area,” Chambers said. “When I started there, it was a place for me to be in the nursery. I got to rock those babies, talk to those babies, and sing to those babies because we know this is critical.” 

“Then I was promoted,” Chambers added, laughing. “Same salary – volunteer – to the therapy department. I got in the pool with the kiddos, and when they were having a sad day, they always laughed at the old lady in the bathing suit. Then I had an amputation of my leg in 2012 after a bout with cancer.”

Even after losing a leg, Chambers kept volunteering at the hospital; she became a greeter. She said that everybody needs a friendly greeting, whether they’re a vendor, a patient or a patient’s loved ones.

Throughout her years, Chambers said she has witnessed dozens upon dozens of miracles.

“I see a little guy in a wheelchair who has a (tracheotomy) and a feeding tube and with no verbalization,” Chambers said of an encounter from October 2023. “But he came over one day, rode his wheelchair my way and asked, ‘What happened to your leg?’ I knew that his brain had come awake, and that little guy walked out of here a month later and it was publicized because it was a miracle. He was an eight-year-old automobile accident victim.”

Another time, Chambers met a grandmother whose 16-year-old granddaughter had a stroke. Once, after they had visited many times, Chambers asked her if the trach was permanent. The grandmother said, “Pat, there’s always hope.” 

“What a lesson that was because some parents are faced with so many challenges,” Chambers said. “I try to tell the parents that they receive the best medical care possible at Ranken Jordan. People don’t realize how important everyone here is to these little ones. Sometimes it’s the small things like a ‘hello’ or a smile. But we need them to communicate and be active in helping others. We all look out for each other and our patients.”

The hospital does more than just greet patients with a friendly face. Activities and special events help make children’s experience at the hospital better. One such activity is a Teddy Bear Clinic, where kids pretend to be doctors for teddy bear patients so the children get more comfortable with medical procedures.

“There’s another activity here I think is wonderful,” Chambers said. “It’s Paint the Docs. The doctors dress up in aprons and so forth, and children fill their hypodermic needles with paint, then they paint the doctors. There’s always activities here to stimulate.”

Ranken Jordan is chock full of several play areas on both floors, in addition to an outdoor area with gardens and even more play facilities. There are tunnels and swings that are wheelchair accessible, plus a ballfield and a golf course.

Chambers’ birthday celebration was packed. A full busload of friends from Brookdale Senior Living, where Chambers lives, was brought over, along with Brookdale staff members.

“They had booked the room for 60 people, but there were 20 more,” Chambers said. “So, we had 80 people here to celebrate this fundraising, my birthday, and my service. There’s nobody at the senior living place I’m involved with who doesn’t know about Ranken now. I’ve sold greeting cards that the kids here have made, and I try to publicize it everywhere I can.”

Carroll said Chambers is the best marketer the hospital could ever ask for.

“Pat’s heart and giving spirit to these families is just incredible,” Carroll said.” She does a fantastic job here, and she’s like our ambassador to the community.”

Relentless positivity is another area in which Chambers excels.

“There’s a saying – ‘Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present,’” Chambers said. “My thoughts are always, ‘I’m going to make the best of this day, and tomorrow may be even better!’ And I try to live that. You have to think this is a perfect day and I’m going to make the best of it. I was recently diagnosed with inoperable cancer, and each day is such a blessing. 

“I’m not going to worry about yesterday, and I hope tomorrow’s an even better day than today.”

Pat Chambers smiles at Ranken Jordan outpatient Lavender Watson at the dedication for “Pat’s Miracle Corner,” a permanent space in the hospital named after Chambers to honor her dedication as a longtime Ranken Jordan volunteer. Lavender is one of Chambers’ biggest fans and even dressed up as Chambers for her 90th birthday in March. (Photo courtesy of Ranken Jordan)

It doesn’t pay to be negative, Chambers said, and she wants to always look on the bright side and consider all the blessings that are easy to overlook.

“When new parents come in, I now say, ‘I have a corner. See that little sign up there? It says Pat’s Miracle Corner, and I’m Pat. I get to see miracles and I hope your child is one of those miracles. Maybe it will be a little one; maybe it will be a giant one,’” Chambers said. “‘So, will you be my miracle?’” 

Ranken Jordan’s annual Beyond Gala is coming soon on Sept. 21, hosted at the Ritz Carlton. For more information, email kristen.carroll@rankenjordan.org.