Finding Grace opens October 23

EXHIBIT NAME: Finding Grace: Ten Years in Retrospect

DATES & TIMES: Exhibit Dates: October 23 to December 13
Opening reception: Friday, October 23, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.(free and open to the public)

Gallery talk and performance:
Thursday, November 5, 2009
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Gallery hours:
Monday - Friday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, noon - 5 p.m.

EXHIBIT LOCATION: The Gallery at the Regional Arts Commission
6128 Delmar Boulevard on The Loop
St. Louis, MO 63112
(Free parking in the lot behind The Pageant; metered street parking)

Finding Grace:Ten Years in Retrospect, an exhibit commemorating the first ten years of the community collabARTive, an integrated part of the Transitional Housing Program of Peter and Paul Community Services. PPCS provides housing and supportive services to those who are homeless, especially those who experience mental illness or live with HIV.

The men and PPCS staff work along side artists and community partners to raise awareness about homelessness, give voice to the marginalized, strengthen connections and build bridges.

This interactive exhibit will include visual, video and performance art that honors collaborations and collaborators past and present. Curated by Con Christeson, Michele Ryker-Owens and Keith Buchholz.

101 ESPN’S RANDY KARRAKER ANNOUNCES EFFORT
TO PURCHASE THE ST. LOUIS RAMS

ST. LOUIS – WXOS-FM’s Randy Karraker announced that he is stepping up to the plate in a bid to purchase the St. Louis Rams NFL franchise. Karraker made this announcement on the air this afternoon at 5:05pm on 101 ESPN.
As a diehard St. Louis Cardinals football fan, Karraker was crushed years ago when the football team left St. Louis to move to Phoenix back in 1987. It was with hope and optimism that he became a St. Louis Rams fan when the franchise moved to St. Louis. Randy has covered the team for the past 15 years, and has become a staunch Rams supporter. With the Rams’ Superbowl victory in 2000 under Dick Vermeil’s leadership, Karraker’s love of the team was solidified.
With the recent debacle of Rush Limbaugh’s efforts to join Dave Checketts’ quest to purchase the team, and the rampant rumors about the Rams potential sale and move back to Los Angeles, Karraker was reminded of how bad it hurt when football left St. Louis. And although there are a reported six potential groups interested in purchasing the team, none have stood out from the rest of the competition. Rather than just sit and watch it happen again, Karraker decided to do something about it, and has created the Randy Karraker: Save the Rams Fund- and Fan-Raising Campaign.
Karraker says “I believe St. Louis deserves an NFL franchise and when football has been good in this city, it’s been greatly supported. Rather than sitting on my hands and doing nothing about it, I’ve decided to do everything I can to make a difference and help keep our Rams here.” He continues, “Whenever 101 ESPN’s “The Fast Lane” broadcasts on location, we will have the Randy Karraker: Save the Rams barrel on hand to collect donations, with all funds donated going to this grassroots cause to keep the Rams where they belong, in St. Louis.”
101 ESPN Program Director Jason Barrett notes, “Randy is pulling together all of the people he knows, and is calling on the public to raise the funds necessary to keep the Rams where they belong, right here in St. Louis.” Barrett continues, “He realizes this is a huge uphill climb and he doesn’t expect it to be easy. But Randy is going to do his best to make a difference and he hopes to do it with the full support of the public.”
Karraker notes, “In the event that we are not able to raise enough money to buy the Rams or in the event that Chip Rosenbloom’s family elects to sell the team to someone else, our funds will then be donated to the Special Olympics of Missouri.
For more information about upcoming appearances of “The Fast Lane”, or how to join and contribute to the Randy Karraker: Save the Rams grassroots fund-raising effort, please contact Program Director Jason Barrett at (314) 983-6230 or jbarrett@bonneville.com.

St. Louis Rams Fans will also be able to make contributions through the radio station’s web site by clicking on “The Fast Lane” page at www.101espn.com/section/wxos_shows_fastlane.
And for the latest Rams and NFL news, visit 101 ESPN’s web site at www.101ESPN.com.


About Bonneville International
Bonneville St. Louis is an affiliate of Bonneville International (www.bonneville.com), which was founded in 1964 and currently owns and operates 29 radio stations in the Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Phoenix, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake City markets. It also owns and operates KSL Television (NBC affiliate) and has operating divisions of Bonneville Communications and Bonneville Satellite in Salt Lake City. Bonneville's motto is "Do good, do well, make a difference, and have fun."

In addition to competing aggressively in major-market broadcasting by structuring its business model on the three principles of building its people, making a difference in the community, and meeting aggressive financial goals, Bonneville also enjoys a longstanding reputation and is known industry-wide for its nationally recognized and award-winning commitment to serving the communities where it broadcasts.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Bonneville is known for its innovative business model and is a national leader in providing quality, values-oriented media products.

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The Missouri Botanical Garden Announces 2009 Plants of Merit

Introduces New Category, Edible Ornamentals

(ST. LOUIS): Just in time for spring, the Missouri Botanical Garden identifies 13 new “Plants of Merit™” for the Midwest in 2009. The Plants of Merit distinction aims to build home gardeners’ confidence in selecting annuals, perennials, shrubs and vines, trees and now edible ornamentals.

Selecting good plants for the landscape can be challenging, especially when faced with numerous possibilities and limited information. The task is made even more complex when many new plants are introduced each year with which gardeners have little experience. The Plants of Merit program aims to promote diversity in the home gardening landscape.

To be nominated as a Plant of Merit, selections must not be invasive in our area; be easy to grow and maintain; grow consistently well in Missouri, central and southern Illinois, and the Kansas City Metro area; be resistant or tolerant to diseases and insects; have outstanding ornamental value; and be reasonably available to purchase.

Highlights of the 2009 Plants of Merit list include Serena series (Angelonia angustifolia), a great, tough annual for Missouri. Try using this brightly colored annual in beds and borders, but also in mixed combinations. Available in three colors, plus a mix, Serena series is a great height item for smaller combination pots, creating a center height element. It requires full sun exposure and is tolerant of our heat and humidity.

In the perennials category is Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium). This Missouri native has ‘yucca- like’ leaves with flowers that resemble thistle heads one-inch in diameter. It tolerates poor soils, and is best used in taller back borders, cottage gardens, meadows and naturalized areas. The seed heads are great in dried floral arrangements. Try using natural paints to add a little zip!

‘Citation’ yew (Taxus x media), a shrub, is not your ordinary yew. ‘Citation’ is a columnar type that does well even in shade. If wet conditions are avoided, this plant will thrive in average soil and tolerates urban conditions. Use as a screen hedge in lightly shaded to shade conditions.

In trees, Chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) adapts well to urban conditions as a lawn, shade, or street tree. Another Missouri native, the Chinkapin oak has characteristics which do not resemble the typical oak leaf. These leaves are narrow, dark and glossy, with a serrated edge instead of a lobed airy leaf. The Chinkapin oak is a rather large tree, but easily sets its branches among the larger home landscapes, parks and even cemeteries.

The Plants of Merit program has a new category in 2009: edible ornamentals. This year’s pick is Ruby Perfection (Brassica oleracea). It’s a cabbage! Ruby Perfection produces three to four pound heads of edible red cabbage in 80 days, but also doubles as a colorful garden ornamental. It may be grown in the cool temperatures of spring or fall, but not in the heat of the summer. Harvest the cabbages for use in salads, slaws or as cooked vegetables, or simply enjoy their showy color in the garden.

The Plants of Merit program began in 1999. Partnering organizations include Powell Gardens, Mizzou Botanic Garden, the University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Landscape & Nursery Association, and Illinois Green Industry Association.

For more information on Plants of Merit, visit www.plantsofmerit.org. Plants of Merit brochures may also be purchased at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center for Home Gardening and the Garden Gate Shop.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is the oldest continually operating botanical garden in the nation, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2009. Missouri Botanical Garden: Green for 150 Years.