On Tour at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

*****Here is a joint article I wrote with many high-tech details throughout contributed by Danforth Center experts. My contributions were from several pages of notes I took from an early December 2019 group tour.  The article was published on 1/27/20 in West Newsmagazine with great work from my editor, Kate Uptergrove.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center [Danforth Plant Science Center photo]

     Docent Joan Culver needed just an apple, a knife and a few choice words to convince her tour group of the impending world food crisis. Her display was conducted in the lobby of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center before her official tour began.

     The apple was first cut into four equal pieces. Culver held up one of those pieces, stating that only about 1/4 of the earth is non-water, where food can be grown.

     Then, she cut that piece in half, leaving 1/8 of the apple and stating that hardly any food can be grown in the desert, Arctic, Antarctic, etc. She cut that piece in half again, leaving just 1/16 of the original piece because what can be grown on roads, highways, school properties and the like? The final cut accounted for other buildings.

     So, the total area where food can be grown was down to just 1/32 – roughly 3% of the planet. Culver then added that further reductions were due to harmful fertilizers.

     Finally, Culver carefully cut off the apple peel from that small slice. She explained that, at our current population growth, the Earth’s 7 billion residents today should grow to about 10 billion by 2050. 

     In a few minutes, the purpose of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center was perfectly explained in a nutshell – or rather an apple peel.

     Founded in 1998, the Center’s original building was constructed in 2001. The William H. Danforth wing opened in 2016. It is the largest independent, not-for-profit plant science research institution in the world. Its mission is: “To Improve the Human Condition through Plant Science.” 

     All of the Center’s labs are open, their mini pods and other open spaces are designed so that scientists from different disciplines can connect and share ideas.  The Center’s culture of collaboration is geared toward accelerating research to bring innovations to market more rapidly due to the urgency of the combined current and future world food conditions and population growth. 

The greenhouses at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center [Danforth Plant Science Center photo]

     The Center can mimic climates around the world in its approximately 80 growth chambers and has several research projects to improve staple crops grown in developing countries. For instance, Center scientists are working with partners in Kenya and Uganda to add important nutrients to cassava, a root vegetable similar to a potato, as well as make it resistant to two virus diseases which have been damaging farmers’ harvest for decades. Cassava is grown in over 30 African countries. Approximately one-third of the continent’s population relies on cassava’s starchy tuberous roots for over 50% of their daily caloric intake, making it the second most important staple food crop [after maize].

     A cassava tuber [the edible part of the plant] can stay in the ground for a couple years until its needed for food, but there’s no way to tell whether or not it’s diseased until cut open. Making cassava more disease resistant could mean that years of growth are not wasted.

     The Center features over an acre of research-grade greenhouse space and over 80 controlled environment growth chambers. These state-of-the art facilities are available to Danforth laboratories, though scientists and companies from outside the Center can also rent space as small as one square foot to advance their research and commercialization efforts.

     A rapidly growing number of those greenhouses are now utilizing horticultural LEDs, some with a magenta color and others in a more familiar bright white. These cutting-edge LED technologies are being used to improve general plant growth and crop quality, as well as to address specific research efforts such as breeding crops with improved photosynthetic capacity and higher yield. These new LED lights not only are proving to grow high quality crops, but they do so while operating at nearly half the electricity of conventional greenhouse lights, require far less maintenance, and are free of hazardous mercury common in fluorescent lights.  Danforth is excited about the early results and continuing potential of these LEDs to drive sustainable innovation for Center scientists and collaborators. 

     Using a multi-million-dollar phenotyping machine, scientists can measure plant characteristics that they can then use to measure things such as how efficiently plants use light or nutrients. Approximately 180,000 images are taken per five-week experiment. 

     Throughout its brief existence, Danforth Center researchers have published more than 1,000 important discoveries  in scientific publications, many of which are in the public domain. Additionally, its president, James C. Carrington, Ph.D., is recognized as one of the most highly-cited plant scientists in the world.

     The Center is committed to the development of new companies and has a BioResearch & Development Growth [BRDG] Park located on its campus that is home to 15 companies and a workforce training program.  

     Tenant KWS SAAT describes itself as “an independent and family-owned company based in Germany that focuses on plant breeding, with activities in about 70 countries.” The company located their North American headquarters here in 2014.

     Benson Hill Biosystems, a startup launched with technology developed at the Danforth Center, describes itself as “a crop improvement company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants.” It recently announced a plan to make St. Louis its official headquarters and will be located in the new EDGE@BRDG 160,000-square-foot building scheduled to open this spring.  

     The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, BRDG Park, the Helix Incubator, Bayer Crop Science and the Yield Lab are anchors of 39º North, a 600-acre innovation district near the intersection of Creve Coeur and Olivette. Each of those entities are contributing to agricultural research and commercialization in significant ways. 

     Though the tour covers just a fragment of all that is taking place in the “AgCoast” of St. Louis County, it is an hour well spent. 

Tours can be arranged by calling Brigid Thayer at (314) 587-1073 or emailing BThayer@danforthcenter.org. Those who attend must sign the guest book and provide their email address. Tour attendees will get invitations to three more events per year. Visitors must be at least 18 years old and photographs cannot be taken once visitors leave the lobby area.

Delmar: ‘Bridge’ to Development? War Zone or New Frontier?

(…one of my first pure news stories from some 30 years ago, after interviewing seven people in the know. It’s interesting to see what has changed since that time.)

     Named for the home states of two 19^th-century property owners—Delaware and Maryland—Delmar Boulevard has been a key thoroughfare in the development of St. Louis, both city and county.  For many, the term ‘north of Delmar’ has indicated ‘marginal’ neighborhoods where developers and lending institutions fear to tread.  West End Word writer Jeff Greenberg examines development prospects along Delmar Boulevard from U.City’s Loop to the Central West End, including a few ‘pioneers’ who have staked a claim in once desolate areas.

     While city and county officials continue to mull over details of the proposed Metro Link light rail system, future development of sections of an important West End link hangs in the balance.

     Several civic and business leaders and developers cite Delmar Boulevard as the pivotal bridge to additional progress in the area.  That is the primary reason 28^th Ward Alderman Daniel McGuire introduced a bill on Feb. 9 proposing a major blighting operation on the 5200 to 5000 blocks of Delmar Boulevard.  McGuire is seeking a policy of eminent domain for all but six of the 26 buildings in that area.

     “Unfortunately, Delmar has been a physical and psychological barrier to the city,” McGuire said.  “It should be a bridge—not a barrier anymore.  “We should assist businesses there.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to use the hospital (St. Louis Regional Medical Center) to work off.”

     According to McGuire’s ‘bridge’ theory, the U. City Loop stands at one end with Kingshighway Boulevard to Sarah Street developments at the other.

     While few people can dispute the U. City Loop’s role as Delmar’s principal economic anchor, one can hardly dispute the history of other stretches of Delmar Boulevard to that of the Loop.

     “I don’t think the U. City Loop ever hit bottom as badly as this area,” said City Wide Realty developer Bruce Ring, who has developed $10 million worth of commercial and residential property along Delmar Boulevard and the near North Side.  “So, the intellectuals and college people never deserted the Loop like they did the Delmar-Skinker area and other places to the east.”

     “We’ve been reborn every six months, but this is a stable, developing neighborhood that never really died,” said U. City 2^nd Ward Councilman Paul Schoomer.  “There was a time when it wasn’t great for retail, but it had other things to offer.  We have businesses that come and go with the frequency of any small business failures.  It’s like economic Darwinism.”

     While the U. City side of Delmar Boulevard has indeed remained pretty stable, serious decay of buildings on and near other parts of the thoroughfare has hindered progress elsewhere—as in the case of McGuire’s ward.

     Developments in many sections of the city have been especially slowed by the difficulty of securing necessary financing for construction and rehab projects.  But the unavailability of low-cost insurance has been another barrier.

     According to 28^th Alderman Marian Miller, the brunt of the dilemma is due to the elimination to key public programs.  Miller cited problems that Citywide Realty had in getting financing to rehab a multi-family dwelling on the south side of Delmar Boulevard at Union Boulevard.

     “Once the lending companies get off their prejudicial behinds, this area will be OK,” said Ring, whose projects include the Medicare-Glaser Center.  “As soon as the stigma goes away, these areas will keep improving.”

     Despite the barriers, Miller is steadfastly working with Rep. William Clay, Sen. John Danforth, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Boatmen’s Bank in an effort to further improve the physical and psychological climate.   

     Elsewhere, Nesby Moore is determined to push for continued progress with his private entity, the Union-Sarah Economic Development Corp.

     “This area had one of the highest crime rates in the entire city when we began here 14 years ago,” said Moore, whose group was responsible for the popular National Supermarket at Delmar and Kingshighway boulevards.  “We had the first major development plan in north St. Louis.

     “There are over 50 kinds of businesses, and when we started, there were only six.  You look at the economics of that and see that the number of people employed rose from about 50 to more than 400.”

     Ring pointed to traffic estimates of about 50,000 cars a day passing by Delmar and Union to reiterate the market for further business expansion.  There are other reasons to believe that this would be a good area in which to locate.

     While the width of Delmar Boulevard is another asset, Steve Casagrande of Bevco Liquors chose his 5127 locale because of its quick and easy access to all parts of the St. Louis metropolitan area. 

     But in order to secure a solid West End future, Casagrande believes that commercial property along Delmar must be accompanied by suitable residential dwellings.

     “I think that getting the population stabilized would be the key to this area,” Casagrande said.  “We need family ownership of homes instead of rental areas.  That will attract restaurants and boutique shops, and ultimately draw the rest of the businesses.”

     Ring referred to the success of the Central West End to agree with Casagrande’s assessment.  He said that the CWE has come a long way in the last 10 to 15 years, and housing costs are evidence to that fact.  Ring said that a $45,000 Portland Place house is now worth $500,000 to $1 million.

     “Like the Central West End, we’ll be brought back—but only after the lending institutions have backed us,” Miller said.  “Maybe they’re getting more conservative, but our people are more active in organizing.  People are tired of waiting.  Young people need support in order to keep them there.”

     Miller said that she has definitely seen an upswing in the number of people in their 40s who have moved into the area or who are planning to. 

     Casagrande said that no progress in that direction will be hasty because conditions in the Central West End were never quite as extensively run down as major stretched near Delmar.

     “One of my close friends once said, ‘Delmar is like a deep river,’” Casagrande said.  “It’s like a dividing line between north and south St. Louis…and it looked like a war zone when I got here (from native Spring Lake, NJ) 30 years ago.”

     That ‘deep river’ analogy provides the perfect basis for supporting the quest to ‘bridge’ Delmar’s major gaps in development.  

     Metro Link is one project that is expected to benefit much of the area.  A Metro Link station is planned near Delmar and Hodiamont Avenue, close to where the old Wabash train station now sits.  “That stretch of Delmar needs another anchor, and I feel the Metro Link station will generate traffic, attract investment and spur additional commercial development,” said Nancy Farmer, executive director of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Development Council.

     But many area leaders predict that any boon from that system will not occur in the near future, and that it will only help this area if commercial and residential developments are begun both before and shortly after its completion.

     “The Central West End has jelled to the point where we no longer have large patches needing massive rehabilitation,” McGuire said.  “Now we need to extend the rejuvenation.  To me, it’s a natural growth.  Cities not only grow, but they rebuild.  Add on the impact of the light rail system, and I think we have a wonderful opportunity to ride the momentum”

     McGuire was elated to announce that the practicing architects and students at the American Institute of Architects will discuss Delmar Boulevard for this October’s annual ‘charette,’ a massive brainstorming session.

Firmly Rooted: Family Greenery Planted Runner’s Interest in Botany

(Here’s a story I did long ago that I thought of after last Monday night’s terrific Donald Danforth Plant Science Center tour)

     Running has become almost as natural to Donna Ford’s environment as caring for plants.  It’s just that her interest in running has taken a bit longer to germinate.

     For more than two years, Ford has attended Washington University while performing post graduate work through the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  The Central West End resident recently began a five-month hiatus of plants studies in Chile and Argentina.

     Ford disliked grade school science classes, but her outlook abruptly changed after her family became members of their hometown Cincinnati Zoo.  Donna not only took summer education courses there, but she assumed the title of junior zoologist.

     “Between my junior and senior years of high school, I went on an African safari with about 16 other teenage zoologists,” Ford said.  “The purpose was to collect insects for our insectarium, but I was more into botany.

     “I think I got more into plants because my family always had plants in the home and gardens, and there were always a lot of plant barks.  Plants are easy to carry around and identify, and they can’t run away from you.”

     About the same time that Ford became certain of her preference for the comparatively immobile tendencies of plants, she got caught up in the running craze at her high school.

     “When I got to tenth grade, I said, ‘I can’t do sprints,’ so they said, ‘Why don’t you do distance events?’  After they saw me the first day, they said, ‘Yeah.  You’re a distance runner’ because I could already run with the ones who went out the year before.  They thought I’d do three laps and stop, but I did all eight just like everyone else.”

     Ford’s Colerain High School track coach was so impressed by her stamina and natural ability that he recommended that she and another girl run with the boys’ cross-country team. 

     That turned out to be outstanding training experience for Ford’s future 5K and 10K runs, although she admitted that winning was virtually impossible in that atmosphere.

    “Sometimes, it was like a no-win situation for me,” Ford said.  “One day, the coach really rapped on some guys because I was close to them in a practice run.  He told them, ‘You’re barely beating the girls.’ I thought that was a sexist comment.  But the only time I beat one of the guys was when he dropped out of a race.  I didn’t know any of the guys’ faces, but knew all of their backs.”

     Shortly thereafter, Ford helped organize the local running club of Oxford, Ohio while earning Bachelors’ degrees in botany and mathematics from nearby Miami University. 

     From there, Ford kept her studies at a maximum and her running at a minimum.  In 1985, she received a Masters degree in plant biology from the University of Michigan, specializing in plant systematics and evolution.  She worked at a biological station in northern Michigan and at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago before arriving in St. Louis.

     Ford got back into running several years ago and experienced most of her greatest successes during the 1987 season.  Not only did she finish second overall in the Ballwin Days’ 5-mile run, but Ford also helped her Washington University team to first place in the St. Louis Corporate Challenge 10K race.

     Considering Ford’s outlook on running, it’s not surprising that she was the top female in the April 1987 Cystic Fibrosis 5K Run for Breath, and in the August Westport Plaza 5K Run Against Cancer.

 “When there’s a good cause, I run my heart out,” Ford said.  “But personal health is one of the main reasons I stuck with running.  I feel good about myself and what I can do.  I’m not really into it for competitiveness, but I do it for fellowship and for physical and mental health.

     “Maybe my love for running is similar to my love for plants.  It’s a good sport for me because I enjoy the outdoors.  If I didn’t run, I’d probably be into biking.  They’re both appropriate for my personality because they’re individual things.  Studying plants requires attention to detail, patience and persistence.”

Howard Baer’s Influence Evident in All Facets of St. Louis Living

(Here is a story I had published in the West End Word back in 1989.  If you are familiar with Howard F. Baer Plaza, Forest Park Forever or the Zoo-Museum District, which is why our zoo, art museum and science center all still have free admission, you know a little bit about Baer. He was born in 1902, I interviewed him when he was 87, and he didn’t pass away until 1998.)

     It has often been said that a person is a product of his environment.

     Howard F. Baer’s early surroundings were indeed a major factor for his huge success in helping improve the St. Louis cultural scene.

     Most men (and women) fritter away much of their lives by not actively pursuing their dreams.  But Baer learned at an early age that few things are more personally satisfying than following one’s visions and acting upon them.

     “Maybe I’ve been involved in so many things because I went to schools where that kind of stuff was advocated,” said Baer, who in 1924 received a (general) Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University.  Prior to that, Baer spent five years at a tough New England boarding school.

     The Central West End resident, who turned 87 this past June, boasts a lengthy resume of accomplishments.

     Most recently, Baer spearheaded a fund-raising drive through the Jewish Federation of St. Louis to help renovate the Jewish First American Settlement Tercentenary Monument near Kingshighway and Lindell boulevards.

It was only fitting that Baer be active in the renovation.  He played a major role in its original dedication on Thanksgiving Day of 1956—exactly 300 years after the first Jews arrived in what was then known as New Amsterdam. When Rabbi Ferdinand Isserman expressed interest in having a commemorative monument constructed in St. Louis, he turned to Baer.

     “He asked me, ‘Why not St. Louis?’” Baer said.  “So, I asked him what I could do.  I recommended a sculptor, Carl Mose, for the 300^th anniversary of the landing in New York City.  But it’s more than just a Jewish event because it laid the ground for all religions and people.

     “Unfortunately, over the years it had deteriorated.  An organization called Forest Park Forever came to me because they had seen my name affiliated with it.  So I went to a few people I thought would be interested in raising money.”

     Almost immediately, longtime civic leaders Stanley and Lucy Lopata contributed a large amount of money that Baer referred to as a challenge gift. 

     After renovation, the 80-inch-tall sculpture is being mounted on a granite base and placed between two existing reflecting pools.  It is scheduled for October completion.

     Although she has only assumed the position of Forest Park Manager since February, Anabeth Calkins has enjoyed working with Baer on the project.

     “He’s marvelous—a real talent,” Calkins said.  “He’s very knowledgeable about history, curious about St. Louis and he’s been the force behind some of the most positive things in the St. Louis area.”

     Nowhere has Baer’s civic accomplishments been more widely felt than within Forest Park itself.  Besides serving as the St. Louis Zoological Subdistrict Commission, Baer was longtime president of the Zoo’s board of control and vice-president of the Zoological Park Commission.

     One of Baer’s major victories occurred in the late 1980s, when he won support of shared city-county funding for the Zoo-Museum District, which encompasses the Zoo, Art Museum and Museum of Science and Natural History.

     “The Zoo belongs to the city and the tax rate did, too,” Baer said.  “But the city’s population was going down and we needed the county and its wealth.  My wife (Isabel) is fond of the Art Museum and the arts.  She persuaded me that the Museum should be included, and I agreed.”

     Baer is also credited with the creation of the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis and was an early backer of wooden directional signs in Forest Park.

     A couple of Baer’s more recent honors include the 1982 dedication of Baer Plaza, a circular plaza’s south end, and the 1983 Mayor’s Award for the Arts for Baer’s longtime investment in St. Louis cultural programs.

  “I’ve been a really lucky guy,” Baer said.  “Of course I’ve had failures, but I’ve been lucky in my public and private lives.  I don’t like to think about what-ifs.”

     Shortly after marrying the daughter of Louis P. Aloe, the Charleston, WV native moved to St. Louis in 1927 to work for the Aloe Company, which handled hospital supplies and surgical instruments.  Baer retired in 1962 as president of the firm.  Prior to that, he was the chief of specifications in the Army and Air Force medical departments during World War II.

     Baer’s other achievements include his late ‘60s work to gain passage of the $200 million bond issue for the improvement of Lambert Field.  His book, “St. Louis to Me,” offers an interesting behind-the-scenes account of the St. Louis political scene.  It has sold some 3,000 copies since it was published in 1979.

     So, what’s next on Baer’s agenda?

     “One guy said, ‘What are you going to do now?’” Baer said.  “Are you kidding?  At my age?  I told him that I’m not going to buy any green bananas!”

It’s a Wonderful Life for Butch Wax Singer Liz Henderson

        (This is the full, unedited version I wrote & sent to Liz after a shortened version made its way into West Newsmagazine in late 2019.)

        On December 20, 1946, Frank Capra’s classic tale, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” was released for play in America’s movie theaters. The film’s theme was the connectivity of our lives, centering on George Bailey, played by motion picture superstar James Stewart. 

        As he constantly put the happiness of others first, George’s own life seemed to be on the verge of total destruction because of Mr. Potter, the powerful and greedy banker of Bedford Falls.  Facing what he thought was a good deal of jail time due to the carelessness of his Uncle Billy, George said he wished he was never born, then jumped off a bridge outside of town.

     That’s when guardian angel Clarence jumped in to save George, and to show him all the horrible things that would have happened negatively in the lives of so many if George had indeed never been born.

     One of Clarence’s famous lines to George at that point of the movie’s happy resolution was, “Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?”

    

      For the purpose of this story of Elizabeth Exarhou Henderson and countless others, the word ‘he’ can just as often be changed to ‘she.’  Here’s the background for Liz’s story. It also shows how terrific people reaching out and touching the lives of others in positive and selfless ways can lead to incredible outcomes.

     Let’s go back in time well before the movie’s release.  Elizabeth’s father, Klark Exarhou, was born in 1933 in Kavala, a city currently inhabited by 125,000 people in northeast Greece.  He immigrated here in the 1950s with the dream of becoming a doctor. 

      “My mother (Paula) was sick and one of the doctors said she was going to remove her appendix,” Liz said. “But my dad came in and stopped her.  At that time, my mom told her own mom that she was going to marry him.  That happened six months later!”

         Liz was born in the St. Louis area. Her family lived in Brentwood Forest, then far West St. Louis County before moving to the Ladue School District in the middle of Liz’s 5th grade year.  That’s when she had her first solo at Conway Elementary.

 

     “Not until I moved to Ladue did I have opportunities,” Liz said.  “That’s when teachers recognized I had talent and I started getting singing opportunities.   Mrs. (Jo Anne) Smiley (who spent 30 years as director of choral music in the Ladue School District), came into my life in junior high. She was then transferred to Ladue High School where she continued to be my choir teacher and musical director.  She was such an amazing person in my life when I was growing up!”

     In musicals, Liz got the lead almost every year of high school; even as a freshman playing Rosemary in “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.”  Ironically, her daughter Sarah recently played that lead role, too!

     Liz also mentioned Smiley helping a boy named Tommy Gallop earn the lead role in the performance of “The Music Man” at Ladue High School.

     “He was a junior and I was in 8th grade,” Liz recalled.  “To me, seeing a young man a few years older than me in that role….I was blown away!  I was stunned and fell head over heels in love with him.  We dated when he was a senior and I was a freshman.  He took me to his senior prom.   Tommy went on to have roles in "The Bourne Identity" series of movies, "Will and Grace," "X Files,” "Seinfeld" and many, many more. He now owns a chocolate shop in Beverly Hills.”

     Smiley was not only a terrific help in launching musicians’ careers, but has also touched the lives of thousands in various walks of life.  She’s been mayor of Clarksville, MO for nearly 15 years.  Smiley earned the Congressional Medal of Merit award for her leadership in combating the major 2008 flood and her town’s subsequent recovery.

      At the end of summer 2018, Smiley received the President's Volunteer Service Award. She was given the President's Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes U.S. citizens who have contributed more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service. The President's Volunteer Service Award is administered through Points of Light, the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. For that achievement, Smiley was given a personalized certificate, an official lapel pin and a framed congratulatory letter from President Donald Trump.

     After graduating from Ladue High in 1986, Liz attended University of Missouri-Kansas City.  Smiley suggested Liz go there to spend a good deal of time with Kirby Shaw, (who does a wide variety of musical projects throughout the world) to sing in his show and choir. But Shaw left the next year, leaving Liz uncertain about her future.

     She then heard about Berklee School of Music in Boston.  Liz liked the music part but not other things like writing music.  She just wanted to perform.

     “I heard they were holding auditions in the city for Nashville shows,” Liz said.  “They had auditions for Opryland.  I asked my mom, ‘Can I move to Nashville in two weeks?’ She helped me pack up and make the move.  I was there for several years doing five shows a day at the theme park and on the General Jackson showboat.  I even got to perform with Brenda Lee and Porter Waggoner on the Grand Ole Opry stage!

      “Then I met my husband (Jon Henderson) while I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar.  He came in, I ate lunch with him, and a year later we were engaged, then married and then had children. For 10 years, I didn’t sing! But at some point, we really wanted to move back to St. Louis. We had two little kids and both my mom and sister (Laura) lived here, and could help watch the kids.”     

     Liz had done some recordings for Lee Greenwood Studios.  As she stated, “It was like my toe was in again, but far from all of me.”  Meanwhile, Jon heard his company was closing, so the Hendersons packed it all up and moved from Nashville to St. Louis. They had heard of the great reputation of Rockwood schools, so they moved in with Liz’s parents.

     Their daughter was two and son (Jonathan) was five.  The Hendersons were looking for a house, but back then (2005), there was such a shortage in the market that houses sold immediately. Since Paula was in real estate, she sent out flyers, and the Hendersons found a house in Clarkson Woods.  It was in bad shape, but they loved the area.  They bought it and spent a year on renovations before moving in.

     “Some time after that, my sister said, ‘Hey!  Michael Schaerer is playing at Truffles.’  We knew him through family.  His dad was a brain surgeon and our dad was a general surgeon.  Michael was in musicals and performing arts.  Laura said we should see him.  He was with another girl.  He said, ‘Why don’t you sing a song with me?’ I told him I hadn’t sung in about 10 years.  But I sang and he asked if I’d sing another, then he said, ‘Why don’t you get us some gigs?’ He asked what songs I like to sing, so I made a list.  I sang several songs with him at private parties.”

     Some of Liz’s favorite artists that helped fill that list included the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Rait, Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline.

     Laura’s husband is Nick Cowlen.  An interesting sidelight is that Nick's dad owned Top of the Sevens Restaurant. Meanwhile, Liz’s mom owned The Greek Gourmet. Now, the Cowlens are getting ready to open a restaurant in Creve Coeur called Orzo Mediterranean. They just sold their very successful food truck, Go Gyro Go to another Ladue musician, Kenny Hirsch.

       Shortly thereafter, Liz’s friend Gigi recommended they go to Villa Farotto in Chesterfield.  Gigi never heard Liz sing, but went up to Gus Buehner and said, ‘She’s a hell of a singer!  You got to let her sing.  She’s from Nashville.’  So, Liz sang a couple of songs. 

     “At the end of the evening,” Liz said, “he told me, ‘What you and Michael do won’t fit in because Villa Farotto had a lot of dancing. But he said, ‘Learn these 100 songs.’ Little by little, he called me, saying things like, ‘My singer didn’t show up.  Can you be here in 30 minutes?’ Before you knew it, I was singing 10 times a month! I did 100 gigs a year with Gus for six years and with Leonardo Price for Encore Band for six years.”

     After that, Liz started seeking other musical connections. Sometime in 2016, Butch Wax asked Liz to fill in, then again on New Year’s Eve, and at that point, she went full-time with them. 

          “I had seen Liz singing in another group, and we had a vacancy in Butch Wax,” group founder Gene Ackmann said.  “I called her up because I was impressed with her, and asked her if she had any interest.  She said she did.  I met Liz and her husband for dinner. 

  What’s interesting is we had a show coming up in Iowa with the famous country singer Darius Rucker. One of the gals couldn’t go, and we would be playing in an arena with 10,000 people watching. Liz wanted to go, but couldn’t because she had another job already.  I was impressed because she would forego this because of a commitment she made.”    

 

     But Liz wondered how she could go from 100 gigs with Encore to just 45 for Butch Wax?  So, Ackmann asked her if she wanted to sing with Garden Party, too. So, she also went part-time with them.

     Liz said Garden Party was a leap of faith.  Then one of its band members fell ill, so she was more of a regular member.  It was she, Gene, Richie (Daniels) and sometimes Sonny (McGraw) and Ed (Callison) for the last full year.

     “She does a great job with country, country rock and is so easy to work with!” Ackmann said of Liz’s Garden Party inclusion. “We do a lot of Vince Gill, Linda Ronstadt, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and music from so many others.  Besides the fact that she’s a great singer and great band mate, Liz is a wonderful friend with fantastic stage presence. Liz is so personable and has made friends with so many folks.”

     “It’s such a joy and passion for me!” Liz said.  “This past weekend (October 18-20), we played four gigs in 36 hours, with 12 hours of singing!  Some of our fans went to every gig. They follow us around.  Now, I’m helping both bands do 120 gigs this year!  We had two shows with Johnny Rivers—one at Chicago’s Ravinia outdoor theater, and in July at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Center where their symphony orchestra plays.  I’ve gotten to travel a lot with those two bands. It’s amazing to me! I’m so lucky and blessed!”

     Liz is also real estate partners with her mom with the Paula Exarhou Team. Their office is in the Chesterfield/Wildwood area. By the time Liz and Jon moved back to St. Louis from Nashville, Paula was one of the top agents at Coldwell Banker Gundaker.  Liz has been helping show properties here for some 13 1/2 years.  She loves working with first time home buyers to share her expertise in helping them make all the best buying decisions.

     Lately, Liz has had terrific success with sales in the Picardy Villas at Clayton and Kehrs Mill with Larry Wilson in their new home division with McBride.  So, on weekends, Liz is a singer; during the week, she’s real estate. 

     Jon Henderson is with Worldwide Technology at the Advanced Technology Center. Daughter Sarah, soon to be 16, is acting, singing, dancing and playing guitar.  Jon takes her around to so many events on the weekends. 

     “My son is a sophomore at (University of) Science and Technology in Rolla.  Jonathan is big into computer science like his father.  He is his father’s son.  Sarah is her mother’s daughter, but she’s so much more talented.  She’s been dancing since she was three, has a beautiful voice and her acting is out of this world! She has a beautiful future in music and theater, and dreams to be on Broadway.  I have no doubts at all that she’ll make it!”

     Meanwhile, Butch Wax and the Hollywoods will be celebrating its 35^th anniversary sometime in 2020.  Both the band’s name and the brand of music changed in the early years, but both have been consistent over recent decades.

     “I was always a big fan of oldies music,” Ackmann said. “Chaser was the name of our group at the start.  We did one-half Top 40 and one-half oldies.  People would say, ‘Hey!  We want to hire you, but want you to play all oldies.’  So, we needed to come up with a retro band name.  I thought of Butch Wax after the hair dressing from the 1950s.  My original thought was Butch Wax and the Cadillacs.  But one of my members at the time said, ‘How about Hollywoods?’

     “One time, I was going though the airport in San Francisco wearing the band’s sweatshirt.  Someone came up to me, saw the shirt and asked, ‘Are you in that band?’  It was like, Wow!  We’re known by people that far away? But he thought I was in Butch Wax and the Glass Packs.  Holy cow!  I thought we were so unique!”

     Through those nearly 35 years, Butch Wax has opened up for and/or played with so many notable people like Chuck Berry, Johnnie Johnson, Tammy Wynette, Bonnie Raitt and Bruce Hornsby. 

     “It’s been a fantastic thing!” Ackmann said.  “We’re so grateful for all our fans and also for people who sign up for our private shows. I’m also thrilled that I’ve been friends with Johnny Rivers for about 15 years.  Earlier this year, he called me up and got us a show in Chicago.  Liz and Tandra (Williams) really showed him how talented they are!  Then, this past July, we played at a sold out show in Nashville plus after parties!  

    “I think the thing I’m most proud of is playing these 35 years non-stop, and true to playing oldies.  We’ve been to so many places and have met so many great people we wouldn’t have met otherwise.  I’m also proud of our reputation!  We are known to always give good, professional shows, and ones where you can take your entire family to.”

  

     But just like George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” both Butch Wax and Garden Party have gone out of their way to initiate the most selfless acts of kindness. There have been so many throughout the Butch Wax existence, but two highly notable ones over the past two years.

     The most moving story from the past several years occurred in the summer of 2018.  It involved Bill Asher, one of the area’s top oldies music fans who did a lot for veterans and was a DJ for a lot of benefits. 

     “I really got to know Bill about five years ago,” Ackmann said.  “When we did the 4^th of July show (in 2018 at Manchester’s Schroeder Park), Bill made an oldies clock out of 45 records and presented it to me. He told me he only did that for his special friends.  I was really moved by it.   

Bill later called me and said he wasn’t going to our (upcoming) Des Peres Park concert because he and (girlfriend) Rose were going to Branson or Nashville.  I told him be sure to go visit these places and to eat at these other places.  He chose Branson. The last thing I said to Bill was, ‘Have fun and safe travels.’"

     Shortly thereafter, much of the St. Louis music community was in shock to learn that Asher and Rose Heupel Haman were among 17 who drowned in that accident on Table Rock Lake when theor tourist boat went down in high winds associated with an impending storm.

      “When they pulled Bill out of the lake, he was wearing a Butch Wax shirt,” Liz said.  “Gene gave the eulogy at his funeral. It was one of the most beautiful eulogies. Right after that, at a concert, Bill’s family all wanted us to sign that same shirt he was wearing, and they put it in a frame.”

     “Bill was such a big fan of Sh-Boom, Bob Kuban Band, Billy Peek and also Butch Wax,” Ackmann said.  “People from all those groups were at the funeral.  Butch Wax bass player Rob Miller also performed.  He was also one of the founders of Sh Boom.  They were together for 35 years and reunited at the funeral to sing one of Bill's favorite songs, ‘Just My Imagination.’ After time had passed, I came up with a song about him (“DJ to the Stars”).  Many of his family members and closest friends were there when we performed at Rickman Auditorium in Arnold.  Listening to the song was very emotional for them. But we’re so grateful for the ones like Bill who’ve been to so many shows.” 

     Earlier this year, John Scott, a close friend of Gene, had a massive stroke.  He was on a hospital gurney and was given a very low chance of survival. He could talk and move just a little.  He recognized his wife, but didn’t remember her name.

     “I visited him there and brought an acoustic guitar,” Ackmann said.  “I’ve known him a long time but he didn’t recognize me. I told him, ‘Take a look at this guitar. Why don’t you play it in the key of G?’ I had him play one of his favorite songs, ‘Hello Mary Lou.’ We all sang along and his family videotaped it.  His family was in tears.  He didn’t know the names of any of his own family members. I visited him there three or four more times. “

     This past July, Garden Party threw a benefit for Scott and raised $10,000 to help pay for groceries and bills. One of the auction items was playing golf with Theo Peoples, formerly of the Temptations and Four Tops.  Danny Liston (formerly of Mama’s Pride) agreed to do a house concert and raised $1,700.  According to Ackmann, John is kind of back on his feet and recovering.    

     “Just a few other thoughts...,” Liz began. “I think one of the things I appreciate most about Butch Wax and the Hollywoods and Garden Party is the generosity that exists among the members. We often perform in benefits to raise money for different causes...Foodstock in Washington every year, Faust Park, and Veterans Benefits. It's nice to be part of a group that is so generous not just with their time, but with their talents. I feel very blessed to know and perform with these amazing musicians and people!” 

    That’s precisely what can happen when the lives of so many people touch one another.  It’s indeed a wonderful life for Liz, all her Butch Wax and Garden Party members, and fans alike!