SLIFF Concludes, Plus Work and Meetings

One week ago Thursday night (9 November) found me at the Tivoli Theatre (https://www.landmarktheatres.com/st-louis/tivoli-theatre) in the Delmar Loop for my second volunteer assignment of this year's St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) (http://www.cinemastlouis.org/about-festival). I handed out fan ballots and demographic surveys for the film "The Light of the Moon," a drama about a woman in New York City dealing with being raped. This screening replaced the originally scheduled film for that night, "The Upside," which was pulled before the festival due to the sexual harassment allegations against its producer, Harvey Weinstein. "The Light of the Moon" was very well done, and I stayed after the movie to catch some of the panel discussion on sexual assault, as well as helping collect ballots and surveys.

Back at work the next morning, it was a usual busy (for much of the day) Friday, but all went well.

Saturday morning (11 November), I drove to the Missouri History Museum (https://mohistory.org/) in Forest Park for my next SLIFF volunteer stint. I helped pass out ballots and surveys for two films screened there: The French (but dubbed into English) animated feature "Mune: Guardian of the Moon," a nice family-friendly film; and "Nat Bates for Mayor," a documentary about a mayor's race in Richmond, California in 2014. I was able to get a break midway through my stint, so I grabbed lunch at Bixby's restaurant (http://bixbys-mohistory.com/) and browsed through the Museum Shop (https://mohistory.org/shop). In the latter, I found copies of the book "The Aerial Crossroads of America: St. Louis's Lambert Airport," which the Museum has published and which I helped out a bit in research.

After my shift ended at the Missouri History Museum, I went to Coffee Cartel (http://www.thecoffeecartel.com/) in the Central West End for a latte. I sat in the shop for awhile enjoying my beverage and the view out the window.

After a break at home, it was on to Winifred Moore Auditorium at Webster University (http://www.webster.edu/) for my fourth SLIFF volunteer assignment. This was a screening of a restored print of "Wanda," a 1970 crime drama that was written by, directed by, and starred Barbara Loden. It was quite a good movie--very sparse dialog, no music, a basic movie that was the antithesis of Hollywood product. I enjoyed the movie, in between distributing and then collecting ballots and surveys.

Home on Sunday, I worked on the November issue of The Arch Scaler News, the newsletter of IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/). This month, I am taking over from Brad Vaughn as newsletter editor, a job I held in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, with advances in word processing and desktop publishing, I can do a much better quality newsletter than I did back then.

That night, I was at Brown Hall at Washington University (https://wustl.edu/) for my fifth and final SLIFF volunteer assignment. It was providing surveys and selling concessions at the documentary "Intent to Destroy." It was about the Armenian Genocide just over 100 years ago and the making of the 2016 feature film "The Promise," which was set during that time. I was most impressed by this film, seeing film and pictures of that period that I had never seen anywhere before. I came home tired but happy to have helped out in at least a small way in making SLIFF a success.

I followed a busy (as usual) Monday (13 November) at work with a meeting at Christian Academy of Greater of St. Louis (http://public.cagsl.net/) in Overland for the monthly board meeting of Viva Brasil STL (https://www.vivabrasilstl.org/). Carolina Holtmeyer, the board president, invited me to attend because she and other board members think I would be a great fit for their board. I went with an open mind, but came away with a good impression. I told them I would be interested in serving on their board for 2018. Elections for that will be held at next month's board meeting.

After work Tuesday and Wednesday, I came home to work on The Arch Scaler News. I assembled the articles and photos into a document that would be sent via email and US Mail.

Early yesterday morning, I drove to the corner of Bayless and Union/Weber in Lemay to buy a newspaper for Old Newsboys Day (http://www.stltoday.com/old-newsboys-day/). Held one week before Thanksgiving since 1957, this program raises money for St. Louis area children's charities by volunteers selling a special edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Articles inside the paper tell of the children impacted by these charities. People paid what they could for the newspaper--I paid $5 for my copy.

Back home after that, I finished the newsletter and printed a handful of copies at OfficeMax (https://www.officedepot.com/) in Mehlville, for those members who wanted a mailed copy. Then, I got postage on them at the Post Office and mailed them out. That night, I send the majority of members The Arch Scaler News via email, along with a copy of the revised Constitution and By-Laws, to be considered at the meeting this Tuesday night. I was very happy to get this first newsletter of my new stint done.

Last night, I was at Creve Coeur Airport (http://crevecoeurairport.com/) for this month's Missouri Aviation Historical Society (https://moavhist.org/) meeting. This event was the launch of the new book "Swift As An Arrow: The Story of Thomas Benoist, Pioneer American Aviator," by Melody Davis (grand niece of Benoist) and Gary R. Liming, a board member of the Society. I bought a copy of the book, signed by the co-authors, and watched a slideshow on Benoist that Liming presented to the audience. Several descendants of Benoist were in attendance at the meeting. I also put in my reservation for the Society's Christmas party next month, to be held at Creve Coeur Airport.

Later.

This Week: Work, Scale Models, and a Book Launch

Back to work at the car rental branch on Monday (14 November), we had a good amount of business as usual for the week's beginning, with returns off the weekend and rentals to start the week. I had plenty of vehicles to prep for rental, and to drive--be it to pick up or return customers, or to ferry vehicles to and from drop locations or other branches.

Right after work on Tuesday, I was off to Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) in Mehlville for this month's IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) meeting. Our crowd was late in arriving, due to a traffic tie up on southbound Interstate 270/255 in south St. Louis County. (I got off I-270 at Tesson Ferry Road and made my way to Calvary from there.) We had our fourth and final model contest towards Modeler of the Year, which had Heavy Haulers as the special category. I didn't have any models to enter, and might have helped judge the contest, but was needed to record the meeting minutes, due to our secretary not being there. I did give a report on my recent trip to Kansas City and my visits to several museums there (Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, National World War I Museum and Memorial, National Airline History Museum, TWA Museum). Additionally, I plugged the Missouri Aviation Historical Society's meeting two nights later. (More on that meeting in a moment.)

My off day Thursday started with a drive to the corner of Union Road and Weber Road in Affton. There, and at a 7-Eleven store on the corner, I bought two Old Newsboys Day (http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/old-newsboys-day/) newspapers from volunteers, paying $1 for each. Old Newsboys Day--the Thursday before Thanksgiving Day--is a St. Louis tradition since 1957, in which volunteers sell a special edition newspaper, which donations going to local charities serving at-risk children. I was a volunteer newsboy last year, but was not asked this year, so I was happy to help out with a donation.

That afternoon, I picked up a suit from the dry cleaner, and dropped off some IPMS/Gateway flyers at Checkered Flag Hobby Country (https://www.facebook.com/Checkered-Flag-Hobby-Country-488152001202821/?rf=160139410673404), which had moved from Concord Village to a new location in Mehlville. The shop manager appreciated me bringing these flyers, which should be of help to his shop's scale modeling customers.

The Missouri Aviation Historical Society (https://moavhist.org/) met at Creve Coeur Airport (http://www.crevecoeurairport.com/) that night. Daniel L. Rust, a former professor at UMSL and now at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, made a presentation about the history of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (http://www.flystl.com/). This was a tie-in to Rust's new book, which was released for sale at our meeting: "The Aerial Crossroads of America: St. Louis's Lambert Airport" (http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/A/bo25077991.html). After his talk, Rust signed copies of his book--including mine. This book is the culmination of the Society's Lambert History Project, an effort of over two years to chronicle the airport's story going back to its founding by Major Albert Bond Lambert in 1920. I was proud to have helped a bit in this project, and am very pleased to see this book in print at last. Copies of "The Aerial Crossroads of America" are available for purchase through the Missouri Historical Society (http://mohistory.org/node/57873), the University of Chicago Press, at St. Louis area bookshops, and through amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Aerial-Crossroads-America-Lambert-Airport/dp/1883982898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479570301&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Aerial+Crossroads+of+America). All royalties from the book will go to the Missouri Aviation Historical Society.

Back at work yesterday, I brought in some doughnuts from Krispy Kreme (http://www.krispykreme.com/) for my colleagues. We had a lot jammed full of vehicles to clean and spot, and it was a challenge to find space for all of them. Still, we got things in good order by the time we closed up last night.

Later.

Doing Good, and Work and Film Festival Time

Last Thursday night (12 November) found me at the Moore Auditorium of Webster Hall at Webster University (http://www.webster.edu/). This was my second volunteer shift at this year's Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) (http://cinemastlouis.org/about-festival). I helped provide customers with programs, survey forms, and fan ballots. I also got to go see the documentary feature "Orion: The Man Who Would Be King." It told the story of singer Jimmy Ellis, who masqueraded as Elvis Presley back from the grave during the late 1970s and early 1980s. A fascinating tale that I never knew about, but was glad to have seen.

After work Friday night, I got dressed in suit and tie and headed to the Grand Hall of St. Louis Union Station (http://www.stlouisunionstation.com/grand-hall/). There, I was a guest of my Saint Louis University (SLU) friend Lisa Baudendistel-Suntrup at "Salute: An Evening to Benefit Greater St. Louis Honor Flight." After drinks and a buffet dinner in the Grand Hall, the attendees (about 400, I estimate) went to the midway for the night's program. Greater St. Louis Honor Flight (GSLHF) (https://www.gslhonorflight.org/) recognizes World War II veterans by giving them all-expense paid flights to Washington, DC to visit the World War II Memorial and other sites of interest. GSLHF board members speak of their efforts, and a video showed a typical day in one of these Honor Flights. It was a very nice program that I was most happy to attend. Lisa introduced me to a US Coast Guard veteran of World War II, and it was most interesting. Also, Lisa's SLU friend Lynne Wilhite (nee Landholt) was there.

I was at work the next morning (14 November) at the rental branch, then headed to the Saint Louis Area Sippers (Coffee Meetup) (http://www.meetup.com/Saint-Louis-Coffee-Meetup/), held at Park Avenue Coffee (http://parkavenuecoffee.com/) on North 10th Street in downtown St. Louis. We had six of us there enjoying coffee and each others company. A good time at a good place, which I had never been to before.

That night, I was on the SLU campus (http://www.slu.edu/) for my third SLIFF volunteer shift. This brought me to the university's Center for Global Citizenship, which is in the former West Pine Gym on the western part of the Frost (main) Campus. The documentary "Takin' Place," about life on Chicago's South Side, was screened and I liked it. We had a small crowd, but one that generally appreciated the film.

I was a fan on SLIFF's last day Sunday, going to two films. First, I was back at Webster University's Moore Auditorium for the narrative feature "Four Way Stop," a locally filmed and produced movie. It was about a 17 year old high school dropout on St. Louis' North Side trying to make a better life for himself despite obstacles at home and in society. It was very well done. After the movie, the film's director, other crew, and some cast members spoke with and took some questions from the audience. That night, I went to Brown Hall at Washington University (http://www.wustl.edu/) for the festival's final film screening, the documentary feature "Dateline-Saigon." It told of five Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists who covered the Vietnam War in the early 1960s, often butting heads with the US and US-backed South Vietnamese governments. It was a terrific movie. The film's executive producer, Richard Chapman, was interviewed on stage by Art Holiday of KSDK Channel 5 after the film and they took some questions from the audience.

Work has been going well, with branch management changes coming soon. Last night, some of us were at a happy hour at Double D Irish Pub & Karaoke (http://doubledstl.com/). After enjoying beer and food, I took up the karaoke challenge, singing the Moody Blues classic "Nights in White Satin." It wasn't half bad.

Tuesday night (17 November) was the IPMS/Gateway (http://www.ipms-gateway.com/) at Calvary Presbyterian Church (http://calvarypresbyterianchurch.org/) in Mehlville. We had our final Modeler of the Year contest of 2015, with my USA-USSR Missile Set entered in the Foot Long special category (at least part of the model had to be 12 inches/30.5 cm long). I didn't win, but we ha d some very nice models entered. We also started taking nominations for the Bob Stroup Award for outstanding service and the 2016 club officers.

This morning, I was at the corner of Lemay Ferry Road and Victory Drive in Mehlville as one of two volunteers there for Old Newsboys Day (http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/old-newsboys-day/). This is an annual fundraiser for St. Louis area children's charities. Randy Johnston and I of the Saint Louis Singles Group: 40+ (http://www.meetup.com/Saint-Louis-Singles-Group-Ages-40/) spent over two hours hawking the Old Newsboys newspaper, collecting donations from motorists who stopped by. This was my third time doing Old Newsboys Day, and I was very happy to be a part of it.

Later.