Guardian Angels are Everywhere!

     It all started after my girlfriend and I spent more than a week combing through a 12-state area. We learned there were slim pickings regarding much of a travel-laden, extended Memorial Day weekend.  Due to COVID-19 shutting down nearly all attractions, both indoors and out, we had whittled down our plans to Kansas City. 

     Even then, we were forced to choose among limited time slots offered online at the zoo.  Similar choices existed for Sea Life Aquarium at Crown Center.  There were a good number of hiking options, but the latest forecasts showed heavy rain for nearly all four days!  So, it was down to staying much closer to home with three or four Friday hikes.

     But in the famous words of a Robert Frost poem, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”  And Friday’s hiking extravaganza never quite materialized.

     We arrived at Pickle Springs Natural Area at 9:35 a.m.  I unknowingly passed the first small parking area of the 77-mile drive, and turned into the adjacent one.  Luckily, it was a lot larger and deeper because within 20 feet of entering that lot and attempting to turn right into a parking space, my car briefly sputtered and died.  I tried to restart it.  But even though it more than sputtered, the car did everything but turn over.

     Since I just had a new battery installed within the last two months, I knew it wasn’t that.  But after paging through the 200-page-plus owner’s manual, we had no idea why this vehicle, with just over 45,000 miles, decided to shut down.

     At that time, Pickle Springs was set to be our first of four or five scheduled stops for the day.  There was just one other car and it was on the first lot.  Within a half hour, a half dozen more cars arrived.  I asked just about everyone if they could perhaps observe one of my attempts of starting the car and help diagnose the problem.  But everyone refused to even listen.

     That was both before and after we called a company to try and arrange a tow of the car to a service station somewhere close to Farmington.  We were told that tow truck drivers could try to jump start and tow vehicles, and could request to diagnose the problem, but could not guarantee it. We were also told there were probably no places open in Farmington that could actually fix my car during this Memorial Day weekend.

     Also, a tow truck driver could try and jumpstart my car, but if we drove it again, it could have died out again around there or even on the highway.  In addition to having to be towed again, that could be extremely dangerous.

     The kicker was that it was company policy merely to tow the vehicle, but not take any passengers due to the fairly recent corona virus.  So, we went back and forth with that company. 

     Meanwhile, I spoke to the owner of my long-time service station, whose shop is a couple miles from my house and 90 miles from here.  He said to bring my car there, as they were open until 5 p.m. 

     But there was one other problem.  How would we get back to that location?  We were wondering how much it would cost for an Uber to pick us up and drive us that far or if we even knew anyone we could call who would be willing to drive down there to pick us up.

     In the interim, I approached several people among another 10 cars that pulled into the two parking lots.  Finally, a young man and his wife, plus their two young children not only listened to my car, but showed sympathy throughout the episode.  Ironically, they lived just a mile on the other side of the same service station.

     That’s when our guardian angel stepped in.  We received a call from a man at an area tow truck company who said that, even with the COVID-19 scare, he would let us ride in his truck and take us back with the towed vehicle to our St. Louis area station. He said that helping others any way he could was his personal mantra.

    

     While we rode in the vehicle, we learned a great deal about the driver.  The first thing was that, he didn’t expect to be in the business very long, but once again, he enjoyed going the extra mile (no pun intended) to help others.  In the drive of some 90-100 minutes, he gave several details of that lifestyle in both his personal and professional life.

     The driver described his personal life of being born in Florida from a broken home and living in a foster home at the age of 11.  That’s when his father had passed away, but not before he taught and indoctrinated into his son the value of hard work and helping others.  Ironically, I was wearing a shirt this day that had Florida cities and attractions all over it!

     Although he was putting in countless hours and miles sometimes driving people as much as a couple hundred miles or more, he started his own physical location business recently. It’s also in a field that helps others. 

     Our driver said the part he likes least about being in business is dealing with money matters.  He said he hates money!  He also mentioned how, in his view, it’s strange how so many young people nowadays don’t possess a very good work ethic.  On that note, he described a very low-key manual labor position that paid $36/hour for a 40-hour job, but all the company found was one young man who lasted just two days.

     While all these stories unraveled and all three of us spoke about various aspects of today’s world, I mentioned he was like our Clarence, the guardian angel from “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

     The driver just laughed and reiterated, “If I can help people, I will.  That’s the most important thing.”

     As the driver pulled out of the service station parking lot in the St. Louis area, I noticed a large ‘In God We Trust’ sticker on the back of the truck window.  When he turned onto the main street, we waved goodbye.  The honking of the truck horn could easily have been mistaken for the sound of bells.  This driver definitely earned his wings with us!

Covid-19 Impacts Ballwin’s Recreation, Events and Finances

(published on May 12 in West Newsmagazine)

     
   Like countless get-togethers over the past several weeks, the May 11 Ballwin Board of Aldermen Meeting was solely available for viewing through ZOOM video conferencing. 

     Modern technology aside, the first half of the meeting was representative of how the city has conducted its business over the long term.  It was audit presentation time.

     Rich Gratza and Allison Weems, of the accounting firm Kerber, Eck and Braeckel, took turns praising Ballwin and its finance committee, led by Finance Officer Denise Keller.  Their major points reflected Ballwin’s continued progress in multiple areas while maintaining balance sheets where expenditures are consistently exceeded by revenues.

     Due to COVID-19, Ballwin is set to be even more stringent in its spending in the last half of 2020 while balancing health concerns and future fun.

     In answer to emailed questions after the meeting, Keller provided a wide variety of updates.

     “Concerning upcoming events, we have cancelled our Ballwin Days Festival and our Memorial Day program,” Keller replied.  “We are working on plans to schedule an event in the fall that has some of the elements of Ballwin Days, but on a smaller scale.  Our Summer Concert Series has been pushed back to the fall as well. We anticipate still holding our Craft Beer Festival in September, but with modifications.  New events we are adding include a Celebrate Summer Drive Thru Parade and a Virtual 5K Run.”

     Keller also said the city will consult more with St. Louis County before deciding when to reopen The Pointe at Ballwin Commons Recreation Center, North Pointe Aquatic Center and its summer camp programs.  Each of those opportunities will also include modifications.

     Increases in the admission fees/membership rates were decided upon several months ago to help offset some of the mandated minimum wage increases the city expected to incur as a result of primarily summertime employment.  Since they have already been implemented, Keller said the city would take a wait and see approach for any potential fee adjustments based on factors such as when venues might open and what allowable capacities will be.

     “The city is reducing costs when and where we can to offset the revenue shortfalls we are experiencing from our closed recreation facilities and the anticipated reductions in sales tax receipts,” Keller said.  “We have a strong reserve fund balance which is enabling us to maintain our full-time staffing level, although we have implemented a hiring freeze for full-time positions.”

     A few other COVID-related items were revealed at the Board meeting.

     A motion was passed unanimously for Ballwin to go to what Mayor Tim Pogue described as a ‘summer schedule’ for near future Board meetings.  The first meeting of the month will be cancelled for June, July and August, with meetings taking place only on the fourth Monday of those months.

     “Hopefully, we’ll be able to hold those meetings in person with social distancing instead of these ZOOM meetings,” Pogue said.

     Another item that was unanimously agreed upon was the extension of the end date for long-time City Administrator Bob Kuntz’s final term of office from May 31 to June 30.

     Keller said the Board was in the process of interviewing candidates for the position so Kuntz could retire, again.  Interviews are currently being conducted through ZOOM, but finalists will be interviewed in person after restrictions have been relaxed, she said.

  Ironically, Kuntz was in the limelight just prior to the board meeting adjournment.

     “Thanks to Mr. (Chris) Conway (director of parks and recreation), I have very attractive city of Ballwin face masks for each one of you,” Kuntz said.  “They are personally engraved, so you won’t confuse them with others.  If you go to any official function, you have your official city of Ballwin face mask.  I can arrange to get them to any of you.  They are very attractive for this situation!”

    At the request of Keller, Kuntz even modeled one of the dark blue items with white lettering.

     “I’ll be here (for mine) first thing in the morning!” Alderman Mark Stallman (Ward 2) said, noting when he would arrive to pick up his mask.

Always Appreciate the Simple Wonders of Life

     

      When athletes are on a hot streak, they are said to be in the zone.  That’s precisely how I felt after work yesterday evening simply because I was alone in nature.  After all, my mindset is akin to Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond; John Muir or Gifford Pinchot in forest or mountain solitude.

     Throughout my 8-4 work shift, I was literally praying that it would not rain during that ensuing time period.  That was after I met outdoors with my favorite once-a-week vendor in a light rain shower at mid-morning.

     Things looked promising most of the day.  Then it started raining as soon as I sprinted from the work place and got to my car.  Just five minutes later, it was pouring combined with lightning bolts in the west southwestern sky that seemed to travel from the skyline far into the stratosphere.

     But soon as I had parked my car at Creve Coeur Park’s Sailboat Cove, as I had done hundreds of times, the shower had ended.  It was as if my guardian angel had parted the clouds like Moses had parted the Red Sea.

     I normally walk around the entire lake counter-clockwise, which had been forbidden over the past two weeks due to the ungodly corona virus outbreak.  It didn’t matter how sick I was of the term ‘social distancing’ or TV and radio commercials proclaiming ‘We’re all in this together,’ etc. etc. etc.  I wanted to be alone in nature.

     So, after a brisk 10-minute walk in the demanded clockwise position on the paved trail, I made a sharp turn to my right and continued in that direction and all the way back on the nice, soft sand along the lake’s edge.

     On this 75-degree day, how I enjoyed the cool, fresh ‘ocean’ breeze tangling my long, salt and pepper brown hair.  I was lost in time as if I was back exploring some of the great coastal and landlocked beaches I’ve had the privilege to enjoy while exploring all 50 states and beyond.  While walking, I was reminiscing about coastal beach giants like Waikiki, Panama City, Cannon, Acadia and Valdez.

     I was also content to amble about, tuning out the remainder of civilization, collecting colorful pebbles and rocks of a wide variety of colors just as I have always done in other states.  The reason for this is that I have always enjoyed the simple things in nature…well before COVID-19 hit to enjoy its millisecond of time in the earth’s history.

     How about you?  What are some of the simple things in life you will choose to enjoy that perhaps you have taken for granted for lengthy stretches of your life?

     I know that many of you have let all aspects of the pandemic totally overtake your way of life and your psyche for two straight months.  But how will your thought process change in the coming weeks?  It’s 100 per cent up to you because, whether you realize it or not, we are not all in the same boat for this or just about any other areas of life. 

     Like a wide variety of diamonds, we were all created as individuals with an opportunity to exhibit our own special facets in the Great Human Potential of life itself.  And the time to start realizing that is in this very moment!  So, go find your own zones of wonderment in both work and play!