Try St. Louis, Buy St. Louis…Taste St. Louis

(My St. Louis Small Business Monthly article)

Few people more fervently take to heart the song lyric, ‘root, root, root for the home team’ than the St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball faithful.

Why shouldn’t those same proud St. Louisans also go to bat for other quality hometown products?

St. Louis is renown for possessing more than its fair share of top-rate restaurants.  So, good food is one item St. Louisans can easily appreciate.  But getting an individual food product into the mainstream is not always an easy task.

“You do have an edge if it’s a local product,” said Jim Alexander of the Alexander, Koetting, Poole & Buehrle food brokers.  “The buyer has pride in the city and state, and knows a local product helps the economy.  It’s difficult to get quick response, but once people have tried a good product, there’s no problem selling it.”

That’s precisely what one of Alexander’s clients, Reuben Anderson, learned a decade ago.

Working for McDonnell-Douglas at the time, Anderson yearned to try something on his own.  In 1982, after about a year of experimentation in his basement, Anderson started Andy’s Seasonings.  He left McDonnell-Douglas in 1985, having perfected his recipes for chicken and fish coatings, breadings and seasoned salt along the way.

Andy’s Seasonings can currently be found in 17 states.  Locally, one of its marketplaces is Dierberg’s, which itself is a good example of how a local entity can survive and thrive.  Dierberg’s markets, which began with the old Craig Road store in 1854, now has 14 sites in the St. Louis area.

“We buy a lot of local products,” Dierberg’s buyer Bernie Moran said.  “We have no official store policy on that, and we don’t necessarily go out of our way to find them.  They seem to come our way…like Maria & Sons pasta, Max German meats and the milk companies.

“People tend to buy products from here.  It sounds corny, but they want to help our community.  The big thing for us is the people are here to answer any problems right away.  Distribution is another plus.  We get our products right away, too.”

Leon Corbin carries that latter point to an extreme.  Owner of Ketrina, Ltd., Inc., Corbin even makes house calls to peddle his Corbin’s Classic original and Cajun marinades to fellow St. Louisans.    

One shouldn’t be surprised that Corbin goes the extra mile to find new homes for his products.  After all, he painstakingly spent 15 years developing it, and three to four more years refining both its taste and tenderizing qualities.

“I experimented for years and years,” Corbin said.  “One day, I knew I was close to it, and started changing one ingredient at a time.  Finally, one day I was doing a round steak on the grill, turned it over and it tore off the fork.  I thought maybe they gave me the wrong cut of meat.  But I tried another round steak with the same results.

“People started asking me about the recipe.  How much would I charge them for it?  I turned down a seven-figure offer.  I filled orders for four to six people, then two or three more.  It got to the point where I couldn’t keep up with the orders.  The demand was so much greater than I could possibly supply it!”

That’s when Arcobasso began manufacturing, packaging and delivering for the various clients Corbin had already lined up. 

Naturally, grocery stores are the prime outlet through which food items can be sold.  Another outlet for Corbin is the Winery of the Little Hills Garden Restaurant in St. Charles.

“I ran into him one day, and he said he had a new marinade,” Winery owner Martha Kooyumjian said.  “I tried it because we have a lot of grilled foods.  It’s a great product—‘Corbin’s Classic’ marinated chicken breast and Cajun charbroiled hamburgers are Winery menu items.  We also sell it in our gift shop.”

National Supermarkets, purchasers of both Corbin and Anderson products, is interested in buying and reselling local items.  National teams with KMOX Radio for an annual autumn Holiday Harvest promotion held in Kiener Plaza, featuring only local products.  National also prints a special two-page Governor’s Sale circular, listing all its store items which are produced in St. Louis and Metro East.

“We don’t have a policy on local goods, but if it’s a St. Louis manufactured product, we definitely have a preference for it,” said Ron Jezierski, National’s director of grocery business. 

“Economy-wise, it helps the manufacturer grow, and creates jobs.  If it’s locally manufactured and all else is right, we lean toward it.  That’s why the majority of foods manufactured in St. Louis are in our stores.”

When a product is offered to National, it is assigned to one of 10 or 11 category managers (formerly known as buyers) with whom an appointment is made if there is any initial interest.  Once National becomes more familiar with the product, a determination is made before a panel.  Quality, price and the needs of the consumer on a daily basis are considered before a decision is made.

All the buying outlets are pretty much in agreement that no one who has spent a good deal of time developing a product should feel hesitant about approaching them.

“We’re always open to new products,” Moran said, “and everyone should look to purchase local products.  We’re always pushing ‘Buy U.S.A.’ Why not 'Buy St. Louis?'”

The Enjoyment of Racial and Ethnic Profiling

I did a whole lot of racial and ethnic profiling this past Saturday morning and into the early afternoon.  Sorry, but I just couldn’t help it.  Casually noticing just how different people can look and also move about is such a natural thing whenever I attend the International Institute’s Festival of Nations, held at Tower Grove Park.  

In fact, even before the Festival had begun, I noticed just how dark the skin was of my new friend Grace with whom I traipsed through the park for the next few hours.  Despite being white (not sure of her ethnic background), Grace was at least three shades darker than me and also darker than a good percentage of black Americans we came across.  I later learned that it is from her countless hours by the pool.

Grace had recently returned from a lengthy trip to Kenya.  So, she was not only eager to fill me in on some of her experiences there, but she also did so to a fair-skinned white woman and a very beautiful dark-skinned black woman at the Kenya booth in the World Bazaar section of the Festival.  Later, Grace also just happened to have an even darker-skinned young man stand next to us at the Main Stage entertainment venue.  He sported an olive green t-shirt with the word ‘Kenya’ printed upon it.  It was another chance for Grace to share her stories.

I’m not sure what country was represented by the middle-aged black man who introduced the first performing groups there.  He could have been born in the United States for all we knew.  Anyway, he said he was affiliated with such events for more than 20 years, and was just as equally enthusiastic about giving praise to the very young to the 20's set of dancers who performed from India and Scotland as he was for the West African group.

I enjoyed that part of my racial profiling experience because all too often people seem to gravitate toward and give special treatment to those of their own perceived kind.  Actually, I notice that far more today regarding the Mainstream Media.  In general, people seem to treat each other far better as individuals when they are left free to explore and educate themselves aside from any overt indoctrination.  After all, we are all a product of our life’s experiences.

Let’s see.  I grew up Jewish in a predominately Jewish Olivette neighborhood on the poor side of Olive from Price Road.  One of my grandfathers was from Lithuania, the other from somewhere in Russia, and one of my two grandmothers was from Austria.  So, I could legitimately use the hyphen to label myself European-American.  But I don’t.  I also never refer to any black person as an African-American, or Asians and Hispanics born here as Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans or the like.  We are all just Americans.

Growing up, I knew absolutely no prejudice.  But the truth be known, I don’t recall knowing anyone other than white people.  There were no blacks, Asians, Arabs, Hispanics or any other ethnic group in my neighborhood or school.  So, I knew very little about them and especially black Americans other than the fact that the vast majority of them were far from being treated as fairly as white Americans.  In fact, I recall only one black student in my high school and one of my friends was of Lebanese ancestry.

I did learn a lot more about racism from interviewing Eric Vickers for an April 1990 Limelight Magazine article.  Vickers was the attorney for former East St. Louis Mayor Carl Officer.  I interviewed him the afternoon after he stepped out of jail following his arrest for participation in his St. Louis Minority Contractors Association’s blocking the entrance to a north St. Louis work site regarding lack of minority hiring in building the TWA Dome.  Well before that, Vickers’ family had their windows broken and black paint thrown through them upon their move to University City in 1967.  That was just the tip of the iceberg.  

In those years, race made no difference to me because I was a huge music fan and followed all four major sports religiously since I was eight years old.  Obviously, I noticed varying skin colors.  How can you not???

My favorite St. Louis Cardinals player was center fielder Curt Flood.  

Not only was I flabbergasted by his amazing leaping catches like the one way up into Wrigley Field’s ivy that appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, but I also admired the humble way he conducted himself on and off the field.  That’s why other favorite athletes included Willie McGee and San Francisco 49ers Hall-of-Fame receiver Jerry Rice.  I also loved Bob Gibson, and still wear my Lou Brock t-shirt to every Cardinals game I attend. 

Locally, I loved our St. Louis Hawks, who were led by the likes of black players Lenny Wilkens, Zelmo Beatty, Bill Bridges, “Jumpin’” Joe Caldwell and Paul Silas.  For the football Cardinals, my very favorites included Mel Gray, Ottis Anderson and Terry Metcalf.

Since then, considerably fewer blacks have decided to make a career of baseball.  But who doesn’t love some of the other non-whites that have come along?  Japan’s So Taguchi was a fan favorite here among so many other Asian players, and that is since the explosion of Hispanic players. 

Bench player and subsequent coach Jose Oquendo has been one of our favorites, Albert Pujols was an icon here for more than a decade and we all love Yadier Molina, right?  

In music, it was Motown by a wide margin over everything else.  I still love listening to the Temptations, Four Tops, the Shirelles, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, etc.  In fact, I still have a copy of the high school paper for which I wrote a glowing article defending Stevie Wonder after he was attacked by another student.  

Ironically, this is the week that commemorates the 50^th anniversary of The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech.  King LIVED his life for civil rights for all Americans without any race-baiting techniques, unlike some of today’s media characters who have the title ‘Reverend’ in their names.  

  Another King, who died in the 1960s, is my all-time favorite male singer.  That would be Nat King Cole.  

I guess the point I’m making with all this is that we can live together in harmony if we remember that we were all Created to love and help one another.  We can cheer for one another in musical, athletic performances and the like…even if we DO innocently racially profile one another and see that we have a different skin color or ethnic face.

 I like to view each person as an individual and think that each of us not only has an incredible human potential, but we are also personally responsible for how we treat one another in all areas of life.  That includes the flawed thinking of making up one’s mind ahead of time recording any legal matters, including pending court cases.

There is also absolutely no excuse for purposely causing harm to anyone’s person or property based on race, ethnicity, etc.   We will also only survive as a nation and a human race if each of us also raises our own children with that mentality…regardless of race, gender, ethnic origin, etc.

Another Stanley Cup Finals for Singing the Blues

As the skates were laced up for the start of Wednesday night’s Stanley Cup Finals, two facts boldly stood out.  First, not since 1979 had both finalists been from the National Hockey League’s original six franchises.

The second note is that, for the 43^rd straight season, the finals are devoid of The Blue Note!

Those two facts sort of go hand in hand.  After all, 12 different teams that either came into the league when St. Louis did in the 1967-68 season or entered afterwards, have captured Stanley Cups.  Leading the way in those Cup winners are the Edmonton Oilers (5), the New York Islanders (4), the Pittsburgh Penguins (3) and New Jersey Devils (3).

On this night, the Boston Bruins were led by two goals and an assist by Milan Lucic to take a 3-1 lead.  But the Chicago Blackhawks scored twice in the third period to tie it 3-3 and send the game into overtime.    After a thrilling first overtime that featured great end to end play and outstanding goaltending by Chicago’s Corey Crawford and Boston’s Tuukka Rask, another full 20-minute scoreless period followed. 

Finally, Andrew Shaw scored on a deflection at 12:08 of the third OT on the game’s 117th  shot as  the Black Hawks escaped with a 4-3 win.   It was the fifth longest game in Stanley Cup Finals history and I’m exhausted!

Big time playoff magic vaulted those teams into this year’s finals.  Chicago not only solved Los Angeles goalkeeper Jonathan Quick, but the Black Hawks actually put an end to the Kings’ 15-game home win streak.  Of course, Chicago began the season by not losing any of its first 24 games in regulation time.

Meanwhile, Boston’s ride has been even more miraculous!  The Bruins rallied from a 4-1 deficit midway through the final period to tie Toronto before besting the Maple Leafs in overtime of game seven!  Boston then swept a Pittsburgh team led by Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz, holding the Penguins to just three goals.    

Both teams had also suffered major Cup droughts until recently.  Chicago had not won the Cup since 1961 when it was led by Hall of Famers Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote and Glenn Hall.    Boston’s last title was the 1972 powerhouse squad of Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr, John Bucyk and Ken Hodge.

Wait!!!   That was until the last few years.  The Black Hawks won it in 2010 and the Bruins triumphed the following year.   But they are both back once again!

Meanwhile, the Blues have still never won it.  St. Louis fans were spoiled the first three seasons when the playoffs were set up to have the survivor from the expansion Western Division face the winner from the Eastern Division’s original six.   The Blues were twice swept by Montreal, then again by Boston.  They haven’t been to the finals since!

What’s odd is that the City of St. Louis was not even opting for an NHL team back then.  The Black Hawks and their owner William Wirtz not only owned the old St. Louis Arena, but St. Louis also featured the St. Louis Braves, which was Chicago’s top farm team.  Serving as chairman of the NHL’s Board of Governors, Wirtz convinced the other team owners to grant St. Louis the sixth and final new franchise.

Did St. Louis sign a secret agreement with Chicago way back then?  After all, the goat curse has kept the Chicago Cubs from winning the World Series since 1908, and the St. Louis Blues are kind of akin to the Cubs of hockey!

New Glarus (Wis.) Preserves Its Swiss Heritage

***For history and travel buffs, this is a reproduction of a story I had published exactly 33 years ago in The Chicago Tribune.  Do an Internet search under New Glarus, Wisconsin, and you will find that June is still the month in which many of these festivals still take place!  Less than a year after this article appeared, I spent about eight days in Switzerland, including a hike to Tellskapelle—William Tell’s Chapel, on the shores of Lake Luzern in Canton Uri.***

America is chock full of miniature communities that constantly remind us of our accepted national stance as the world’s “melting pot.”  A slice of Holland exists in one region, while Grecian, Japanese and Polish neighborhoods persist elsewhere.  Yet, none has worked harder at preserving its true heritage than New Glarus.

The “Swiss Colony of New Glarus,” as it was first dubbed, was born in 1845.  Crippling economic conditions fueled by serious famine had struck the Canton of Glarus and other areas of Switzerland.  Faced with impending misery, several Swiss chose to emigrate.

Two representatives of The Emigration Society of Canton Glarus, Switzerland, were sent to the United States to purchase land for a settlement.  Months later, 108 homesteaders flocked to southern Wisconsin to make New Glarus their residence.

At first, life was difficult for these artisans and textile workers turned farmers.  But they endured the tough years, the town was organized in 1850, and New Glarus prospered thereafter, thanks to new influxes of settlers.

Although the settlement’s name changed to the Town of New Glarus in 1850, then to the Village of New Glarus in this (20th) century, much of the old heritage has either remained intact or has been restored.  Examples of this are New Glarus’ architecture, language and food.

Houses of New Glarus are built in the style of Swiss chalets with wide, overhanging roofs and several small windows complete with window boxes displaying red geraniums—a favorite Swiss flower.  Houses and shops are further embellished with canton shields or emblems, denoting Swiss family heritage.

The language, a Swiss-German dialect known as Glarnerdeutsch, is still spoken in many homes and shops.  Strangely enough, this same speech has been so altered back home that it barely exists in its native regions of Switzerland.

Emmentaler, which is more widely known as Swiss cheese, is a popular staple food for fondues or served with Swiss sausages and wine.  You will have no trouble finding these, other delicacies, and mouth-watering crisp pastries at authentic Swiss restaurants in New Glarus.

However, the major connection with the traditions and customs of Old Glarus is preserved through lively annual festivals and pageants.  The first of the warm weather affairs is the Heidi Festival, held annually the last full weekend in June.

Festivities begin with the Heidi Drama, held from 1:30 to 3:15 p.m. June 28 at the high school on Second Street.  Adult and child alike will marvel at this charming tale set in the Swiss Alps.

After Heidi strikes up a friendly relationship with her grandfather, who lives up in the mountains with his goat, Little Swan, she is abducted by her artful Aunt Dete and taken to Frankfurt to live with invalid Clara Seesman. 

In the heartwarming conclusion, Heidi steals away to be reunited with her grandfather in the mountain village of Dorfli.  General admission is $2.50 for adults and $1.25 for children under 13.

Part two of the activities is the Little Switzerland Festival, held at 8 p.m. in the high school gym.  This is where the greatest array of ethnic talent can be enjoyed.  Traditional entertainment like yodeling, flag throwing, bell ringing and Alpine horn blowing are featured for $2 per general admission seat.

Besides another showing of Heidi on Sunday, the final feature of the festivities is the Heidi Crafts and Food Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Village Park.

Two midsummer events of New Glarus are the Schutzenfest and Volkfest.  Held on July 5, the shooting fest pits the best marksmen in the area in competition for various trophies in all age groups.  There is no charge to observe this loud and smoky affair.

The Volkfest is held at the same Shooting Park on the first Sunday in August.  At this time, folks of New Glarus and other Swiss communities pay tribute to Swiss Independence Day with entertainment and merriment.

Highlights of the day-long event include dancing to live music, folk tunes by the New Glarus Maennerchor—an authentic men’s Swiss choral group, guest speakers, yodelers, Swiss storytelling, and of course, food galore.  Admission for this gala affair is $2 for adults and $1 for children. 

The Wilhelm Tell pageant has been held every Labor Day since 1938.  Entertainment begins at the Tell Amphitheater at 1 p.m. on each of the three days, and the Wilhelm Tell Drama starts at 1:30 p.m.—in English on Saturday and Monday, and in original German for the Sunday performance.

This highly popular legend depicts heroism at its finest.  Wilhelm Tell freed his nation from tyranny of the 13^th-Century Austrian Hapsburgs by shooting an apple from his son’s head.  Reserved seats by mail for this spectacular performance run $4, while general admission rates are $3 for adults and $2 for children.  Other activities are an Alpine Festival, a free street dance and the Tell Outdoor Art Show.

The final events of this year are the Schwingfest, or Swiss Wrestling Tournament, held on Sept. 14, and the Sugar River Marathon Run on Oct. 18.  At the former event, the best grapplers of the world are featured—one including an Olympic medal winner.  It begins at 9 a.m. with general admission ticket prices at $4 and $2.

The Marathon also begins at 9 a.m. and is held on a course that is also used for biking and snowmobiling at different times of the year. 

New Glarus has preserved its native charm through other annual events, too. Bells of the Swiss church and bank tower can be heard as you observe the sheer beauty of the Swiss Floral Clock.

Two additional popular landmarks which charge nominal fees, are the Chalet of the Golden Fleece and the Swiss Historical Village, open to Oct. 31.

The Swiss Historical Village is an assemblage of 12 buildings, which are replicas of those from New Glarus’ original pioneer village.

Accommodations may be secured at the New Glarus Hotel or at the Swiss Aire, Landhaus Chalet or Town Edge Motel.  For more information, write NEWTAP, Box 713, New Glarus, Wis.  53574.

An Emotional Yet Glowing Evening

A simple classroom was the venue for a terrific fundraiser last evening at The Center for Spiritual Living.   It was filled with a variety of foods, desserts, drinks, raffle ticket prizes and silent auction items.  However, the main feature was some 70 people whose hearts were overflowing with love for the woman who recently learned she has breast cancer.

For the first two hours, upbeat conversation, smiles and laughter were the bywords.  But no amount of Breast Cancer Awareness Days, Weeks, Months, or any related events could have prepared anyone for the ensuing chapel ceremony.

At center stage was a highly emotional hair cutting scene. 

Leading the proceedings was a woman who in 2006 was told that her own breast cancer would end her life sometime in 2009.   She began with a Mundan Prayer, usually reserved by Hindus for a child’s first haircut.  In this case, it was explained that what had transpired until this point in her life was one life and now things would start anew.

For this occasion, the script was something like this:  “Let this unbreakable razor cut the locks, and let the waters with their moistening power soften the hair of (said person).  May God remove disease for this (person).  May (person) attain to long life.  May (person) acquire knowledge from this experience.”

A table set between the speaker and the hair-cutting recipient, included a statue of Kwan Yen, the goddess of compassion and mercy.  It also held a small menorah and a candle, both representing the light of brightly-burning flames.

The lady, whose hair was easily shoulder length, remained pretty calm at the outset.  But a few tears were evident throughout the gathering.  A quick, loud shriek followed, sending more people into tears.  But the lady re-gathered her strength, and all calmed down.

During this process, two mantras were repeated 54 times apiece.  That adds up to 108, which is like a necklace of that many mantra counting beads.  The Internet mentions some 40 different reasons for the magic of that number.  It includes reference to the heart chakra, which was also part of last evening’s ceremony.

A handout sheet given to all recipients says that “Mantras, when combined with meditation, can have powerful, life-transforming spiritual, mental, and even physical benefits.”

The first of the two mantras was “Thiru Neela Kantam.”  It is chanted in the throat while visualizing a blue light, and is known as the bad karma-busting mantra, including that of financial matters.  The second mantra was chanted by all in a more happy and upbeat manner, with the thought that anything is possible.  It was “Ara Kara—Perfect Health.”

How fitting that the event was sponsored by a group known as ESPW, which stands for Encouraging, Supporting and Promoting Women.  Prior to the proceedings and well after it had ended, highly supportive well wishers hugged the ceremony’s recipient and told her in countless ways just how equally beautiful she looked after her hair was removed.

Indeed.  Her incredible beauty from within radiated a glow from her smile that was just as prominent as rays of sunshine that sparkle and glisten the earth’s waters. 

West County Woman Lives Life to the Fullest

Ruth Anderson of West County began drinking from “The Cup of Life” at the age of four.  Sixty-three years later, Anderson’s thirst for the most meaningful and rewarding lifestyle still has not been fully quenched.

“I don’t let one minute go by without living life to its fullest,” Anderson said.  “Every minute is like a precious, golden apple.  God puts surprises out for us every day, but we just don’t look for them.” 

At the time, the then Ruth Riekenberg, wasn’t too thrilled with the first really big surprise God presented to her.  At the age of four, Anderson’s parents deserted her and her two deaf brothers at Barnes Hospital.

Anderson was turned over to the authorities and she waited in limbo to become adopted.

“I’ll never forget how I felt while I was sitting and waiting there,” Anderson said.  “I thought I’d die.  I was so lonely.  Then I felt the presence of God.  He spoke to my heart and said, ‘You will be fine.’ “

What an understatement that has become!

Anderson is nothing short of a dynamo; a whirlwind of positive activity.  She not only instills a positive mindset to her own relatives and friends, but also reaches out to help others feeling downtrodden.

For starters, Ruth and her husband William Henry Anderson, a former mayor of Vinita Park, are pastors.  They hold regular Bible studies in their home as well as holding a prison ministry three or four times a week since 1973.

“We’ve been married for 46 years,” Ruth Anderson said.  “Each day gets sweeter.  He’s my gift from God.”

Actually, nearly every person whose life she has touched can probably say the same thing about Ruth Anderson.  She has put her art training from Washington University and Harris-Stowe Teachers College degree to good use by teaching a variety of subjects from her Heritage Farm home, including a preschool Heritage Farm fellowship.

“We teach whatever mothers feel they can’t teach,” Anderson said.  “There’s no peer pressure for our home children.  As a result, they’re all self-confident.”

Anderson jokes about her farm home being located in two counties.  The Andersons eat and sleep in Franklin County while their activity room lies in St. Louis County.  That recreational room is from an original log home dating back to 1830.

And what activities and plans take place in that room!  For the past 20 years, Anderson has gone into the inner city to teach art and music.  She spends considerable time on both interests in her home.

Anderson plays all percussion instruments and has composed more than 100 songs, some of which are played on the radio.  One of her favorites is an anti-abortion tune entitled, “I Want to Live.”  Her new song is “Heart Strings.”

“In this house, we never use words like ‘bored,’ ‘old’ or 'depressed',” Anderson said.  “If someone says he’s bored, I just tell him to find someone to do something for.  We have to get our minds off ourselves all the time.”

One thing is for sure.  Anderson is never bored.  She also teaches riding for preschoolers, is an organic farmer, a massage therapist and an inventor.

Anderson’s inventions include a perfume named “Rose of Sharon,” as in the Old Testament’s Song of Solomon, a poison ivy formula named “Golden Glow,” an arthritis formula named “Lotion of Lebanon” and a hair-growing tonic.

There’s still more.  Anderson took up fencing about two years ago and last year won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze in that sport at the National Senior Olympics.  She also earned the award of “Miss Congeniality” at the 1993 Senior Missouri pageant.

“I love people and each day,” Anderson said.  “I value each moment and rejoice with life.  When someone gets down or feels old, he should just think of the passage from the Book of Psalms:  ‘My youth is renewed like the eagle, and I will mount up like the wings of an eagle.’ “

Anderson to Defend Gold Medals in National Competition

Considering her peaceful, “beating swords into plowshares” attitude and demeanor, one of Ruth Anderson’s most recent successes may come as quite a shock to a lot of people.

Touche! 

For two years, Anderson has lifted her own sword and has enjoyed every second of it.

“It’s something I always wanted to do when I was a little girl,” Anderson said.  “Then, I got it out of my mind for a long time, and got involved in music and a lot of other stuff.  Well, about two years ago, I asked my husband if I could get fencing lessons for my birthday.”

Anderson signed up with the Parkway Fencing Club after enrolling in its continuing education program, also run by Coach Chuck Willis.  Eight months later, Anderson won a pair of gold medals at the National Senior Olympics.

Naturally, no one could have predicted such a rapid rise for someone who focuses her attention on so many interests and professions.  But Anderson was confident she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to…or anything she set her heart to.

“It was a desire of my heart,” Anderson said.  “I’m a person who loves the Lord.  I prayed and prayed and God had me go forth to the challenge.  I just took all the zest and zeal that God gave me.”

The event was held in Fort Myers, Fla., and Anderson walked away with gold medals in both epee and foil for participants 60-years-old and over.  She also won silver and bronze medals in age 40-and-over competition.

Despite her already full lifestyle, Anderson and her grandson, Nathaniel Smith, give fencing demonstrations to high school students and Boy Scout groups.  She also enters as many tournaments as she can against opponents age 12 and older.

“It helps me with my agility and in keeping it,” Anderson said.  “It also stimulates my mind.  You have to develop strategies and think quickly so when something comes at you, you’re able to defend yourself.”

Despite leg injuries and slow progress, Anderson said she is determined to defend her gold medals at this year’s National Senior Olympics, beginning Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Meanwhile, Anderson is enjoying her fencing life through another of her many interests.  Her new song, “Heart Strings,” is currently being developed into a video.

“This story is about a great pianist named Blair Dyerman who played on the radio for years,” Anderson began.  “One time he asked me, ‘What instrument did Jesus play?’  The answer was heart strings.

“Anyway, that’s how I chose the title of the song, and I use fencing in it.  I’m in my fencing outfit and Nathan has a heart on him and strings coming out.  I take the foil and pluck on his heartstrings with it.  My granddaughter is also in it, dancing in the fields by our house wearing a pretty chiffon dress.  I can’t wait until it’s ready for production!”

That will certainly be just one of many productions in a most productive life.

***This article and sidebar first appeared in the June 1, 1994 editions of various West County Journal newspapers.  Within a year, my son David and I, who I home schooled from September 1994 to June 30, 2000, enjoyed our visit to Heritage Farm.  A few years later, Ruth and Nathan were the featured speakers/performers at St. Louis Area Mensa’s monthly meeting at the Washington University extension on Forsyth.  My girlfriend, Stalina, was with me at the time, and we posed for pictures with the fencing stars.

Peanut Butter Passion

    (published in the Baton Rouge Advocate...back in the early 1980s)

Over 700 phobias are known to mankind, and Arachibutyrophobia is one of them.  Yes, there really is a fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.

Yet, it is quite obvious that this fear is hardly of consequence.  In the United States, 117 companies produce peanut butter, and approximately 630 million pounds of the tan spread were consumed in 1979 alone.  That is roughly 50 ounces per person!  

Peanut butter is packaged in everything from six-ounce snack jars to colossal five-pound plastic pails.  It easily outsells all the jams, jellies and preserves combined, making peanut butter the 14^th most purchased supermarket item.

Although peanut butter is near the top of America’s favorite food list, it is but a rookie to the diet.  After all, unlike sap used in maple syrup, peanut butter does not merely flow from trees.  It took a long time in reaching the sandwich spread.

It all started with the peanut, Arachis hypogaea L.  Recent scientific research has pinpointed a small region in eastern Bolivia as the likely birth of the peanut, way back in 2100 B.C. 

However, the more modern strain is traced to Peru, where archaeologists have discovered jars of peanuts and remnants of peanut-shaped pottery from 750 B.C.  Sixteenth century Spanish explorers seeking gold in Peru, found these peanuts instead.  They took this ‘gold mine’ back to their kingdom, and later traded peanuts to Africans for spices and elephant tusks.  Africans fell in love with their ‘goobers,’ which were believed to have souls. 

In parts of Africa where gold was plentiful, local craftsmen hammered the gold into nuggets then shaped them into the form of peanuts.  These peanut nuggets later became the gifts of tribal chiefs to warriors at great festivals and feasts.

Naturally, when Negro slaves were brought to the New World, peanuts were transported as well.  Peanuts had finally reached American shores.

As the popularity of the peanut grew after the Civil War, Dr. George Washington Carver and others began experimenting with it in order to find other uses. 

  Lo and behold, in 1890, a little-known St. Louis physician discovered peanut butter by tossing a handful of peanuts into a grinder.

Although South Americans had produced a peanut paste mixed with honey and cocoa several centuries earlier, the St. Louis doctor is credited with creating the first widely-used peanut butter.

Soon peanut butter was recommended to invalids because of its high protein value and low carbohydrate content.  But it was seldom eaten at first due to limited quantity from a scarcity of manufacturing equipment, and an inflated market price.

Today, one of the foremost reasons for peanut butter’s wide use is its relative low cost among not only protein foods, but all foods.  It still costs only eight cents for the two tablespoons commonly used to make a sandwich.

An important decision facing the sandwich maker is, of course, whether to use smooth or chunky.  The latter variety simply combines small bits of roasted peanuts into its contents.  Industry figures point to a 3-to-1 choice for smooth over its counterpart.

The late Senator Hubert Humphrey was content on lunching on his own creation—toast literally drowned in peanut butter and topped with bologna, cheddar cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise, and ketchup.

“Give me smooth or crunchy,” Humphrey said.  “I’m not fussy.  I just love peanut butter!”

Another Senator, Lowell Weicker of Connecticut, is a skin-diving enthusiast as well as a peanut butter enthusiast.  His claim to fame, other than politics, was eating peanut butter snacks 50 feet under water.

While touring an undersea lab off the Grand Bahama Islands, Weicker claimed, “It was nice and quiet down there, the company was fine, and for breakfast I had peanut butter and mayonnaise on a cracker.  It was just heaven!”

Peanut butter started to gain popularity around 1900.  Peanut roasters, blanchers and grinders were placed on the market for home use.  A few years later, peanut butter was commercially made and sold by the pound.  Grocers used to ladle it out of tubs, and by 1910, the first packaged brand name peanut butter appeared in colorful metal pails—now collectors’ items.

 

Prior to the 1920s, the entire content of peanut butter was peanuts and a bit of salt.  A new development was then introduced—stabilizers—which prevented the separation inside the jar.

When the Peanut Butter Manufacturers Association was organized around 1940, improvements were made in methods of roasting, peanut grading, spreadability, extending the product’s shelf life and lessening the chance of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.

 

In recent years, there has been somewhat of a revival of the pre-1920s product.  Most health food stores sell this item, which contains 100% peanuts and a layer of oil on the top.  By the mid-1970s, a few companies had developed countertop grinders for home use.

Peanut butter has been a popular staple in this country because of its pleasing flavor, easy use in cooking and refusal to spoil.

Political analyst William F. Buckley, Jr., once listed his life values and placed peanut butter No. 5 behind God, his family, his country and Johann Sebastian Bach.

If you think peanut butter is ‘for the birds,’ you are right.  According to experiments at the Georgia Test Station, all birds love peanut butter, whether insect eaters or seed eaters.

Of the 300,000 tons of seed consumed annually by birds, 100 million pounds is peanut butter.  Naturally, they also prefer a bit of additive to render it less sticky.  What bird likes to have peanut butter stuck to the roof of its beak?

Whether feeding a child or a flock of birds, there is little question about peanut butter nutrition.  The scrumptious spread is 26 percent protein—a percentage higher than milk, cheese, eggs or fish sticks.  In fact, peanut butter contains more protein for the money than any food except dry beans, and also delivers 11 of the 13 mineral elements essential to the human diet.

The high nutritional value of peanut butter has been especially appealing to athletes.  Mile runner Dick Buerkle, names peanut butter as a major factor in the new indoor record of 3 minutes and 54.9 seconds he set in 1978.

 

Golfer Al Geiberger is known as “the peanut butter kid.”  He credits peanut butter as the stimulus in capturing well over $1 million in prize money over the past two decades.

“It’s my secret weapon,” announces Geiberger as he chomps on a peanut butter sandwich while preparing for the final holes of a round!

The Spirit of St. Louis is All Around Us

On this day in 1927, Charles Lindbergh left the runway of Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York on “The Spirit of St. Louis.”  Traveling 3,500 miles, he reached Paris a full 33 ½ hours later to become the first pilot to fly the Atlantic alone. 

As a lifetime St. Louisan, I always burst with pride when I think of the plane’s name.  It also makes me think of the 1974-75 and ‘75-‘76 American Basketball Association seasons played by our Spirits of St. Louis.  The jersey uniform worn by colorful figures like Marvin Barnes, Maurice Lucas, “Fly” Williams, Moses Malone, and Freddie Lewis, featured a depiction of Lindbergh’s plane as part of the large orange logo.

The Spirits also introduced a young upstart named Bob Costas as their radio announcer.  Here is one of Costas’ main broadcasting highlights from the Spirits’ first season.  It came in game five of the playoff opening series that pitted a St. Louis team with a 32-52 regular season record against a New York Nets team led by Julius (Dr. J) Erving that finished 58-26.

“Lewis from three…Yes!  Yes!  He made it.  The (New York) Nets with no time outs left…(Bill) Melchionni  heaves it…It’s no good.  The Spirits win the series!  The Spirits win the series!” 

 

But far beyond basketball talk in the midst of the National Basketball Association’s conference finals, “The Spirit of St. Louis” also makes me think of how fortunate I’ve been to call St. Louis my home.  Like any major metropolitan area, we do have our problems, but yes, most of us are indeed filled with civic pride as we enjoy our lives in one of the nation’s most affordable large cities!

Now at the start of the summer travel season, our own Forest Park is one of the nation’s finest city parks.  It’s 60 percent larger than New York’s Central Park, and contains one of the very finest zoos, the nation’s largest outdoor theater (Municipal Opera), and also the Science Center, Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, the Boathouse, and miles of walking/biking trails.   Nearby Missouri Botanical Gardens is also one of the very best of its kind in North America. 

The St. Louis area also boasts other incredible attractions that include The National Museum of Transport, Grant’s Farm, Jefferson Barracks National Military Park, Laumeier Sculpture Park, The City Museum, the Old Courthouse, Cahokia Mounds, the Magic House, Six Flags Over Mid-America, several wineries, and dozens of parades, fairs, and festivals in and around our nation’s two greatest rivers.  How can I forget the St. Louis Cardinals?  Many of us have been weaned on them!

It’s time to head out for lunch.  It shouldn’t be tough finding a nice place to eat since I’m just a few miles from Lindbergh Boulevard!  This will be a happy flight…I mean drive!

Life’s Momentous Occasions

From mid-to-late July 1969, most of the world was abuzz and completely captivated by the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. 

First was the pre-flight anticipation.  Next was the lunar landing on The Sea of Tranquility.  

Finally, mankind’s first steps on the moon were taken by Mission Commander Neil Armstrong, who passed away last August 25 at the age of 82.  Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin followed Armstrong onto the moon’s surface while Michael Collins piloted the command spacecraft in lunar orbit, awaiting his crew’s return.

Few of us could ever imagine even coming reasonably close to matching such an endeavor in our own lives, but we have all had our own thrilling life experiences. 

 

Several dozen of my greatest memories have revolved around earthly land travel.  In fact, the first major vacation I remember just happened to fall during the Apollo 11 mission.  It was an eight-day trip to nearly all of the top spots of eastern Texas.  

This was in the period of me using my junior high Study Hall time to be a college football  bookie and planning detailed vacation itineraries for my own family and that of many of my Parkway North classmates. 

 

There were so many memories from that trip of nearly 44 years ago!  First, despite not leaving until mid-morning, my mom drove the full 800 miles to Houston and the Chief Motel on day one.  Of course, back then, the speed limit was at least 70-75 everywhere.  I had to check the average cost of gasoline which was 35 cents per gallon.

I do recall that just as we were approaching northeast Texas from southern Arkansas, we heard on the car radio that there was a prisoner escape from a penitentiary in Longview or Marshall, Texas.  What a soothing thought!

The next day was a memorable one indeed!  After spending some time in the motel swimming pool, we walked across a huge open field of grass to Astrohall where the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus was then being held.  Next door was the Harris County Domed Stadium, better known as The Astrodome, deemed “The Eighth Wonder of the World!”  

I still have a ticket stub for a $2.50 mezzanine reserved seat in the 4-1 Los Angeles Dodgers win behind subsequent Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton over Astros hurler Denny Lemaster.  Jim Brewer got the save for the Dodgers and first baseman Wes Parker homered.  Another Hall of Famer, Joe Morgan, known primarily as a Cincinnati Reds second baseman, homered for Houston’s only run.  So, we did get to see the huge, ultramodern scoreboard go crazy with fireworks for that and the word ‘Tilt’ printed upon it after Parker’s blast!   

The Astrodome, known as “the first, fully-air conditioned, enclosed, domed, multi-purpose sports stadium in the world,” was first opened for an Astros-Yankees exhibition game on April 9, 1965.  Sadly, it has sat totally vacant for a few years now, and before this calendar year ends, it will be decided if it has a future or if it will be demolished.

We next headed for lunch at the Continental Restaurant in Victoria, then for the Rodeway Inn in Laredo.  It’s interesting to read through the breakfast menu and see free coffee, doughnuts for 10c apiece, and a combination of three hot cakes with ham, bacon, or sausage for exactly $1. 

How exciting it was to cross the Puente Internacional Laredo into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico!  It was the first time my two sisters and I had ever set foot in a foreign country!  All I remember is how dry and narrow the Rio Grande River was, and going to marketplaces where we bought sombreros, castanets, and jewelry.

Next, it was up to San Antonio and the Master Hosts Wayfarer Inn Motor Hotel.  Yes, we did first head to the most famous attraction, The Alamo. 

I still recall the eerie feeling I had while walking inside and on the grounds of where so many died in Texas’ War of Independence in what was noted on a brochure as “Thirteen Fateful Days in 1836.”

We took pictures of us with a Spanish cannon from 1830, the original front door, the Ammunition Room, the cenotaph, and the original well.  That same night, we ate at the revolving restaurant near the top of the 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas in Hemisfair Plaza from the World’s fair held there the previous year.

I still have the souvenir ashtray from our Tower of the Americas' dining experience.  But I also have two other memories.  One was watching all the city lights while the tower slowly moved around in its circle.  The other was looking down and seeing a flashing light way down by our car.

From far above, it sure looked like we were getting a parking ticket.  But after a couple of us ventured down to the street, we realized that it was just a street cleaner.

Speaking of clean, that is my lasting impression of Austin from the next day’s visit.  We loved touring what was then noted as the nation’s largest statehouse with its grandiose capitol dome.  

We also have a photo of The Ten Commandments statue on the grounds.  The entire city of Austin seemed so young and new, with a population of less than 250,000.  It has since added 600,000 residents to that total! 

On to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and a couple nights spent at the Quality Motel Cibola Inn in Arlington.  Unfortunately, that featured one of my worst memories ever!  After heading down the sliding board into the shallow end of the swimming pool, I slipped into the deep end and would have drowned if a man hadn’t dragged me out and resuscitated me!

In addition to that near nightmare, we decided to forego visiting the crime scene of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.   It was still so fresh in our minds after watching all the video tapes on TV less than six years prior, on November 23, 1963.

The next day, we had an absolute blast at Six Flags over Texas!  

Highlights were The Southern Palace show in the Confederate Section, Krofft’s Puppet Theater, Spelunker Cave Ride, Fabulous Flume, Fiesta Train Ride, Crazy Horse Saloon, and the Sawmill Ride!  What a long, fun day that was!

The next morning, we had breakfast at The Hungry Bear in Dallas.  We all remember that the place was like a giant cafeteria with such horrible service that my mom ended up going from table to table and pouring coffee to fellow travelers.

Prior to our last night’s stay at the Howard Johnson’s Trade Winds East in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we spent a couple hours at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center in Oklahoma City.  There were mementos of “The Singing Cowboy,” Gene Autry, a Gary Cooper saddle, and several other items.  My dad probably enjoyed it the most, but the rest of us were not really into that sort of thing.  

But travel itself is another story!  Since that time, I’ve been to every state but Alaska, all but three Canadian provinces, dozens of cities and towns in non-touristy Mexico, the Caribbean, Western Europe and more.

 

What memories do you have of your first major vacation?  Please share details by clicking the ‘comments’ tab below.