Riverfront Times, January 19, 2022 by Riverfront Times

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JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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THE LEDE

“ My favorite memory actually of him and hockey is when he came to watch one of my men’s league games and he said, ‘Is there gonna be any fights?’ and I said, ‘No, nobody ever fights ...’ and then, inevitably, I got [in] sort of a fight with somebody because they hit me from behind ... and he was sitting on the boards, right on the side of the glass, and just grinning ear-to-ear at the whole thing.”

PHOTO BY THEO WELLING

Chris Williams, photographed playing hoCkey With his son patriCk in Forest park on saturday, January 8 riverfronttimes.com

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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In Deep

or months, a pair of otherwise unremarkable post office boxes in St. Louis became conduits of ill-conceived dreams. Victims from across the country mailed thousands of dollars to the metro addresses in search of love, riches or both. The scheme eventually unraveled, and when it did, it wasn’t just the conmen who ended up in the FBI’s sights. In this week’s cover story, RFT staffwriter Ryan Krull wades through the tales of fraudulent military heroes to tell the story of the elderly marks whose losses included much more than money. —Doyle Murphy, editor in chief

TABLE OF CONTENTS Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Doyle Murphy

E D I T O R I A L Managing Editor Daniel Hill Digital Content Editors Jaime Lees, Jenna Jones Food Editor Cheryl Baehr Staff Writer Danny Wicentowski, Ryan Krull Contributors Eric Berger, Phuong Bui, Jeannette Cooperman, Mike Fitzgerald, Eileen G’Sell, Kathy Gilsinan, Reuben Hemmer, Andy Paulissen, Justin Poole, Jack Probst, Richard Weiss, Theo Welling, Ymani Wince Columnists Thomas Chimchards, Ray Hartmann, Evan Sult Editorial Interns Madyson Dixon A R T

& P R O D U C T I O N Art Director Evan Sult Production Manager Haimanti Germain M U L T I M E D I A A D V E R T I S I N G Associate Publisher Colin Bell Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel Director of Business Development Brittany Forrest, Rachel Hoppman, Chelsea Nazaruk Director of Marketing and Events Olia Friedrichs

COVER Money Mules How fake generals and bogus diplomats conned lovesick seniors into sending their savings to St. Louis — and turned their victims into FBI targets Cover illustration by

INSIDE

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E U C L I D M E D I A G R O U P Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein www.euclidmediagroup.com N A T I O N A L A D V E R T I S I N G VMG Advertising 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com

JUSTINE ALLENETTE ROSS

The Lede Hartmann News Big Mad Feature Cafe Short Orders St. Louis Standards Reeferfront Times Culture Film Savage Love

C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers

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HARTMANN Political Sickness Missouri Republicans can’t quit attacks on Medicaid BY RAY HARTMANN

pparently, drowning puppies didn’t poll well enough. So, state Representative Cody Smith, R-Carthage, has settled for the next best evil pursuit he could find: taking away health care from poor people across Missouri at the next opportunity. Smith, the House budget chairman, has proposed — once again — that Missouri’s politicians be granted their God-given right to deny health care for working poor folk in the state. Presumably in the name of Jesus. If Smith has his way, voters will go to the polls in November and return the state legislature’s power to deny health care to many of those who received it when the same voters demanded Medicaid expansion in August 2020. It’s conveniently timed to turn out the Republican base for the 2022 U.S. Senate race, among others in the general election. Well, it’s some of the same voters, just not the ones Smith represents in rural Missouri. The 2020 vote passed by a solid 6.5-point margin (53.27 percent to 46.73 percent). Trouble is, much of that 46.73 percent were real Americans in places like Smith’s hometown of Carthage near the Kansas and Oklahoma borders. The majority included too many minorities. Smith was one of the Republicans who wasn’t such a good loser back then. It hadn’t yet become fashionable at the time to blame all GOP election defeats upon nonexistent voter fraud, so Smith had this to say on the day after the vote: “Amendment 2 will be a knockout blow to the state budget as more services will be cut or eliminated to pay for the health care of able-bodied adults.” Well, that was certainly pre-

scient. If by “knockout blow” Smith meant getting forced to receive nearly a billion federal dollars ($968 million) for expanding Medicaid, then that’s Missouri on the canvas. In fairness to Smith, it’s tough being a budget chairman at a time of unprecedented billions in budget surpluses when your lodestar is that government spending is evil. Well, except for lending a helping hand to the right sorts of folks, if you know what I mean. Now it does remain to be seen whether Smith was merely acting out some Marie Antoinette fantasies or actually speaking for his party when he made news last Friday on this subject. Given that Smith is indeed part of the Missouri House leadership, the following passage in the news coverage raised a few eyebrows: “House Speaker Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, offered no hint of his position on Smith’s proposal Friday. ‘I need to talk to Cody about it,’ Vescovo told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ‘I’ve read it; I just don’t have any comment on it yet.’” Vescovo, from Arnold, is in his final year in the House because of term limits. Like Smith, he’s one of the more conservative members of the caucus. (His lifetime rating of 89.26 percent from the American Conservative Union ranks him 23rd among 111 GOP House members. Smith ranks two places ahead at 21st.) But the Missouri Supreme Court just last year unanimously affirmed the constitutionality of the 2020 vote to expand Medicaid. And any decision to mount such a craven attack on Missouri’s working poor would ultimately seem more political than ideological. Perhaps Vescovo was blindsided by Smith’s proposal. Or maybe this was all scripted. Perhaps Republicans are suffering from truly poor communication among their leaders. They did, after all, come out of the gates warring with one another while Democrats — you might recognize them as the only people wearing masks — enjoyed their popcorn. But at the end of the day, the bigger story is that Smith — and presumably other Republicans

In fairness to Rep. Cody Smith, it’s tough being a budget chairman at a time of unprecedented billions in budget surpluses when your lodestar is that government spending is evil. — just cannot let go of their Medicaid obsession. It’s one part heartlessness, the other part fiscal insanity. As to the latter, reinstating the policy of forgoing annual billions in federal tax dollars so that they might better be spent by other states speaks for itself. And so does this: Providing modest health care to working poor people — those barely above the poverty level despite the fact they are employed — is obviously the right thing to do from a moral perspective. And Medicaid expansion promotes everyone’s health, including those of us not on the program. Don’t try to tell this to Republicans during a pandemic, but there is an interactive component to public health. For example, just about all of us interact with employees at fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and the like. Many of them fall into the category of people for whom Smith and company would deny coverage. As I’ve asked before, if you go into a fast-food place and there are two cashier lines — one with a sign that says “this cashier has health care” and the other indicating “this cashier doesn’t have health care” — which one would you get into? Even Republicans would gladly wait in line a bit longer for their McNuggets. The logical extension of that

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principle of interactivity is that one ought not to have the right to spread infectious disease to others as “a personal health-care choice.” But I digress. Back to the denial of health care to the poor — Smith’s favorite cause when he’s not fighting against following the voters’ dictate to raise the minimum wage — the House Budget Committee chairman has even dredged up the strange MAGA argument that Missouri must establish a “work requirement” to be met by the working poor. That brilliant idea was annihilated all the way back in 2018 in the Journal of the American Medical Association: “A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis from spring of 2017 found that almost 80% of adults in Medicaid are from working families. Almost 60% are working themselves, and this is without any work requirements at all. Of those who don’t work, about 35% are unable to work because of disability or illness. Another 28% are taking care of other members of their families in lieu of jobs. Of those that remain, 18% are students, 8% are looking for work but can’t find it, and 8% are retired. That leaves about 3% of the nonworking adult Medicaid population who we could, possibly, define as ‘able-bodied’ yet choosing not to work.” What a fine group of people to target in 2022 here in Missouri. After all, why should hard-working taxpayers be subsidizing lazy welfare loafers like people with disabilities or illness or people taking care of their families or going to school? Why, Missouri needs to crack down now. If not, it’s only a matter of time before we’ll be giving handouts to people staying at home to take care of their dogs. And the polling certainly would be different on that. n

Ray Hartmann founded the Riverfront Times in 1977. Contact him at rhar tmann1952@gmail.com or catch him on Donnybrook at 7 p.m. on Thursdays on Nine PBS and St. Louis In the Know with Ray Hartmann from 9 to 11 p.m. Monday thru Friday on KTRS (550 AM).

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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NEWS Vax Rates Low for Missouri Kids Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

ewer than one in five vaccineeligible children in St. Louis have gotten their full inoculation, but that rate still ranks near the top statewide, as new data show Missouri continues to struggle in protecting children from COVID-19. Missouri is among many states where vaccination rates for young children between the ages of five and eleven have stalled. January 12 data from the CDC show just 13.1 percent of children in Missouri are fully vaccinated — though that’s only moderately worse than the nationwide average of 18 percent. As reported by Kaiser Health News last week, the local vaccine rates for children aged five to eleven show St. Louis County leading all municipalities in Missouri, with 24.5 percent fully vaccinated; it’s also notable that the county boasts nearly 85,000 children within the eligible age group, by far the largest among Missouri regions and more than twice the number of the roughly 36,000 vaccine-eligible children in St. Charles. Both St. Charles and the city of St. Louis show similar vaccine rates, at around 19 percent. St. Louis counts around 21,700 eligible children within its borders. In Jackson County, which includes Kansas City, about 15 percent of the county’s 65,000 children are fully vaccinated. There are multiple reasons for the slow speed of vaccine adoption for young children, and in its report, Kaiser Health News highlights the role of pervasive misinformation: Some parents, such as a Missouri mom who spoke to the news service about her initial hesitancy to vaccinate her child, latch onto claims that purport to show children are at greater risk for COVID-19 vaccine injury — specifically, for a heart-related side

Only 13.1 percent of Missouri children were fully vaccinated by mid-January. | DANNY WICENTOWSKI effect called myocarditis — than the danger from the disease itself. But scientific research on children with COVID-19 shows exactly the opposite: Yes, there is a greater risk for myocarditis — but that risk is found in unvaccinated children who contract COVID-19. And while children do have a lower risk for serious COVIDrelated illness, recent studies, including those involving researchers at Washington University and Harvard, found that children can still get seriously sick — and that they can spread the virus even

while asymptomatic. In St. Louis, pediatric COVID-19 cases have risen as the omicron variant continues its spread. The result is hospitalization numbers that rival even the worst stretches of the pandemic: In the first full week of January, the city set a new record for children hospitalized with COVID-19 at 64. This past Friday, the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force reported 46 hospitalizations for those eighteen and younger — of those hospitalized, 28 were younger than twelve, and six of those were list-

Accused Dog Stabber to Face Trial in 2023 Written by

DOYLE MURPHY

Crestwood man accused of stabbing his neighbors’ dog to death in front of them is headed to trial next year. A St. Louis County judge has set a long-awaited trial date for John Ross III for January 23, 2023. The 62-year-old was charged in 2019 with felonies of animal abuse by mutilating an animal while it is alive and unlawful use of a weapon. Crestwood police say the dog, Teddy, strayed into Ross’ yard on Greenview Drive before the attack. According to a probable cause statement, Teddy’s owners stepped outside as the stabbing was underway and screamed at Ross to stop. “After the first stab, victim was out-

John Ross III faces two felonies in the 2019 killing of a dog named Teddy. | PROVIDED side, saw Defendant holding the dog down and about to stab the dog again with a knife and screamed for the Defendant not to stab the dog again,” says

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ed as in the ICU. The combination of a rapidly spreading variant and a lag in vaccinations for children arrives at a difficult time for policymakers and medical experts trying to reduce the strangling of critical hospital resources. Measures that could help keep more people out of hospital beds — such as vaccine and mask mandates — have instead become the targets of Missouri’s attorney general in his mission to use an adverse court ruling to undo local health orders. On top of all of that, mobilizing COVID-19 testing facilities and shipping at-home tests has proven a challenge at multiple levels. St. Louis and other regions are also contending with an unreliable COVID-19 testing partner that is now facing inquiries over allegations of fraud. Dr. Alex Garza, who co-leads the pandemic task force, noted in a January 11 update that the absence of mitigation efforts has made the current spike in pediatric COVID-19 cases “sadly predictable.” The situation, he said, has allowed the virus to “really run wild.” “Among other things,” Garza added, addressing the omicron surge, “it’s making many children sick and keeping them out of school [and] putting an increased number in the hospital.” n the statement written by a Crestwood detective. “Victims observed Defendant viciously stab the dog multiple times.” Teddy was eventually taken to a veterinarian, but his injuries were so severe he was euthanized, authorities say. In arguing that Ross was dangerous, police said he admitted washing the blood off his knife after stabbing Teddy six or seven times and then stood with a firearm outside his house, staring down his neighbors. Ross was arrested in September 2019, and the case has dragged on through continuances and Ross’ motion to dismiss the charges. He was released on bond shortly after his arrest and remains under GPS monitoring. On Thursday, Judge Kristine Kerr set the new trial date. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said in a statement he was “deeply disturbed by the allegations” against Ross. “On behalf of Teddy and his owners, we take this case very seriously,” Bell said. “Whether it’s against humans or animals, we won’t tolerate violent crime. Period.” n

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RIVERFRONT TIMES

St. Louis Firefighter Killed Written by

RYAN KRULL

St. Louis firefighter died last Thursday afternoon battling a fire in a vacant two-and-a-half-story brick building in the 5900 block of Cote Brilliante in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood. St. Louis Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson told media at the scene that two firefighters entered the blaze to make sure that no one was trapped inside. When firefighters were on the top floor “they made the decision [to] back out, the fire’s getting too intense,” Jenkerson said. “As they were backing out the ... third-floor roof area totally collapsed, burying two entry firefighters.”

[PERSPECTIVE]

A Creve Coeur Encounter Written by

BRANDON FORD This essay is published in partnership with Before Ferguson Beyond Ferguson.

’m OK with the first ticket, but the second one you’ll have to take back.” This is what I told a Creve Coeur police officer on the night of July 28. I had conceded that my speeding ticket was just. But my “failure to yield to an emergency vehicle” was unjust. I had to summon a great deal of courage to say that. I had been in fear for my life. When I found a patrol car following me and signaling me to pull over about 10:30 that night, I had called my father. “Dad, the police are driving behind me and I’m scared.” “Where are you?” “I’m close to the Walgreens near home.” “OK, stay calm. I’m on my way.” I was scared because I’m Black. I had begun contemplating what it would take to stay alive. The cops began following me past a well-lit Walgreens on Olive and Dautel. After speaking with my dad, still in a panic, I kept going east towards the AMC Creve Coeur 12 cinema. As I reached Old Olive Boulevard near the theater, I found it was much darker there. By this time, I was telling myself I had maybe a 50-50 chance of living. I led the police back to the Walgreens. They were angry because I hadn’t stopped immediately. I explained that I had been frightened.

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A collapse in a burning building killed St. Louis Firefighter Ben Polson. | RYAN KRULL Jenkerson said the firefighter who was killed was buried under a “tremendous amount of debris.” Another firefighter was injured trying to save his colleague.

The cops – both white, one man and one woman – could not grasp what was going through my mind … the deaths of Michael Brown (2014 in Ferguson), Terence Crutcher (2016 in Tulsa) and George Floyd (2020 in Minneapolis) were all at the hands of the police. With those stories in mind, I would not pull over until I could find a well-lit place where other civilians might witness whatever was going to happen in this encounter. This is not to say that the cops were racist. They simply had the privilege of considering the situation race-less. “Get out of the car with your hands up!” said the officers. With guns trained on me, I instinctively reached for my phone to record the interaction. The phone was sitting in my car seat. “Hands up!” the male cop repeated. For all he knew, I could be reaching for a gun. I was placed in handcuffs. The male cop looked in my car and found nothing except for the sack of McDonald’s I’d just purchased. Fortunately, my dad arrived not long after to de-escalate the situation with his calming aura. Perhaps it comes from his years of coaching and teaching at suburban St. Louis schools. He talked the police down to a point of understanding. All of it happened under the lights of the Walgreens parking lot. Hidden from the officers’ perspective were my experiences growing up in Creve Coeur, which also played a role in triggering my fears that night. I had been a good student at Willow Brook Elementary. As a fourth grader, I won the spelling bee, a happy memory. But a less pleasant one haunts me to this day: I fell injured on the blacktop while playing recess basketball and cried aloud. My teacher, thinking I was expressing anger rather than pain, took me to the principal’s office instead of the

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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The deceased firefighter is 33-year-old Benjamin “Ben” Polson, who followed his father into the department in 2019. His funeral is set for Thursday morning at Cathredal Basilica. Jenkerson said that the fire department “does their job every day in buildings that many departments consider buildings that we shouldn’t enter. We know that people use these homes to stay warm. We know that people use these to provide protection against the different environments. We go in and take a look.” Sandra Hamilton lives next door to the house that caught fire. She said that “a whole bunch of people” wander in and out of and stay overnight at the house. She said that this has been going on for years, though it has become somewhat less common in recent weeks. Hamilton said she evacuated her home safely, but that by the time she was outside she could see the flames jumping from the house on fire to hers. “The whole west side was on fire,” she

Brandon Ford. | PROVIDED nurse’s clinic. From that point on I became hyperconscious about how I would be perceived by white folks. Am I overreacting to that incident? Well, consider that according to a 2020 study completed by psychologist Amy G. Halberstadt Black boys are 1.16 times more likely to be misjudged as angry than white boys. I learned to keep a close check on my responses in the presence of white people. So much so that when my white coworker at the Creve Coeur grocery store where I formerly worked made racist statements about Barack Obama, Black women and one of my Black coworkers, I didn’t react. “[Our coworker] Tyreon will never get a good job [because of his Black-sounding name],” that white worker had said. Was that just one bad-apple employee talking? A 2020 study by the Gallup Center on Black Voices finds that about one in four Black and Hispanic employees in the U.S. report having been discriminated against at work in the past year compared to 15% of white employees. My su-

said, about her own home. Hamilton’s sister, Connie Benson, lives on the second floor and said she’s going to have to stay elsewhere until her roof is repaired. By 4 p.m. on the day of the fire, the city’s Building Division was on the scene boarding up the front door of the house that had been gutted by flames. Cedric Hamilton, a supervisor with the Building Division, said that there was too much debris on the back side of the house to board up its missing doors and windows. “These are old buildings with threeand four-course bricks,” Jenkerson said. “There’s a lot of weight, a lot of heavy timber.” The chief went on to describe his department as “a huge family.” “This kind of event weighs tremendously heavy on the entire department,” he said. Hamilton said her former sister-in-law once lived at the house that caught fire but has since moved to Arkansas. n

pervisors were white. I chose not to tell them what happened. Likewise, was my encounter with the police just one of those things? Well, consider the report on traffic stops that the Missouri attorney general prepares annually. The 2020 report showed that African American drivers were 71 percent more likely to be pulled over by Missouri police officers that year than white drivers. In Creve Coeur, the figures using population and stop data show Black residents are almost four times as likely to be stopped by police than white residents. (To be fair, when compared with population data across St. Louis County, the disparity is far less.) The female cop refused to take the “failure to yield” ticket away even after I explained my fears. The power dynamic — white institutions first, Black individuals last — was reinforced. I was hot. “I’m Black in America!” I yelled at the officers before driving away from the scene. If they heard me, they decided not to react. Despite all I invested into the city of Creve Coeur — my home, my work and my school life — the city exacted its price. My case was adjudicated in October. My attorney fees from the Traffic Law Center were $181.91. It cost $450 more to change the two tickets to non-moving violations to save my driving record. Still, I have my life. And it provided me with one more lesson about how race is lived in my hometown. Instead of remaining silent, I have decided to share my story with as many St. Louisans as this account will reach. Perhaps it can be a lesson for others as well. n Brandon Ford, 23, a lifelong Creve Coeur resident, is an aspiring journalist and a board member of Before Ferguson Beyond Ferguson, a nonprofit racial equity storytelling project.

THE BIG MAD State of Shame Abusing MLK’s legacy, and misplaced pride Compiled by

DANIEL HILL

elcome back to the Big Mad, the RFT’s weekly roundup of righteous rage! Because we know your time is short and your anger is hot: VANITY OF VANITIES: Every year, the Missouri Department of Revenue releases a list of rejected personalized license plates, and while it’s sad to know that Big Government won’t let us ride around with “HTPCKT” or “3WENRS” on our cars, there was something else about this year’s slate of vanity plate requests that made us hit the brakes in disgust: According to the list, four separate applications were entered for variations on a shortened version of “Proud Boy,” the far-right men’s group that gained infamy in Portland street fights and whose members also turned up at the January 6 Capitol riot. More notable is the timing of the vanity plate requests: All four applications are dated January 12, less than a week after the insurrection. Currently, federal prosecutors are still investigating whether more Proud Boys members planned the violence that day, and one member has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction. Apparently, just days after America witnessed an attempted thwarting of democracy, with Proud Boys at the center, someone (or some group) in Missouri was so inspired by the spectacle that they paid $15 for “PRDB01” plates. Next time, just use that cash for an “Idiot on Board” decal. RECOGNIZING ROY: To celebrate the legacy of a legendary champion of civil rights, the Missouri MLK Commission bestowed its Dr. Henry Givens Legacy Award on none other than Roy Blunt. Yes, you read that correctly. Senator Blunt got an award meant to honor the man who dedicated his life to increasing voting rights for Black Americans while Blunt’s own party (and, sure, two Democrats) do everything they can to prevent the preservation and expansion of those gains. The Reverend Darryl Gray summed it up on Twitter, calling Blunt’s award an “affront to one of the greatest civil rights icons in American history.” Of Missouri’s two senators, Blunt is no doubt the sanest one with the fewest insurrectionist sympathies. So if the

retiring senator must receive a plaque, ribbon or some accouterment, let’s give him the inaugural “Did Not Participate” award. It could acknowledge that Blunt, unlike many others in his party, has not actively egged on stolen election conspiracies, nor has he equivocated on the January 6 insurrection. Good for him. Instead, he’s stood idly by as his Republican colleagues engage in those behaviors. When Blunt, who would have been up for re-election, realized he was going to have to go full crazy or speak truth to a Republican primary base unwilling to hear it, he bravely chose to GTFO. Conservatives often complain we live in a society that praises mediocrity. If Blunt is now what counts as a profile in courage, they might be onto something. NEVER TWEET: In another round of Politicians Completely Missing The Fucking Point: Martin Luther King Jr. edition, Missouri Representative Nick Schroer and Attorney General Eric Schmitt dedicated their first tweets of the day to popular MLK Jr. quotes. Piles of Missouri Republicans officials did the same, and Twitter users of the region promptly pointed out the hypocrisy of politicians who cry “Critical Race Theory” to undermine racial justice efforts. In case the two missed a history class (or several), MLK Jr has several other quotes. Here are a few: “The time has come for an all-out world war against poverty. The rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop the underdeveloped, school the unschooled, and feed the unfed. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation.” “We want all of our rights, we want them here, and we want them now.” “I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.” In other words, King stood staunchly against what Schmitt and Schroer campaign on. Unlike Schmitt and Schroer, King fought for workers,’ voters’ and human rights. Quoting him as if they’re honoring and celebrating his legacy is a slap in the face — and something King’s daughter Bernice specifically asked people not to do. If Schroer and Schmitt think they are not exactly the type of people King would fight against were he alive today, they are dead wrong. But by now they’re completely comfortable being wrong and pretending that they’re right. n

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JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

ILLLUSTRATION BY JUSTINE ALLINETTE ROSS 12

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MONEY MULES

How fake generals and bogus diplomats conned lovesick seniors into sending their savings to St. Louis — and turned their victims into FBI targets b y r ya n k r u l l

For Julia Dunaway, it began with a message on Facebook from a man in uniform. “Hello there thanks for adding me as a friend, tell me how are you doing?” The 70-year-old living outside of Tupelo, Mississippi, saw no reason not to respond to the friendly message. They exchanged some pleasantries. He quickly proved to be one of the most intriguing men she’d ever encountered. He said he was United States Army General Stephen Townsend, currently stationed in Syria. Life in his desert outpost was difficult. He and his troops faced enemy bombardment. A fire broke out on his base. Men under his command died. Despite the duress he was under, the general was unfailingly polite in his messages. He began every post addressing her as “Madam” and ended every conversation with a Christian salutation — “I hope God allows you to have a wonderful day,” or something similar.

After Dunaway and the general had gotten to know each other, he revealed to her his secret. The general had helped a Syrian family get out of their war-torn homeland and to Canada. As a token of their gratitude, the family had told the general the location of a secret portfolio of diamonds and other riches worth $3 million, still in Syria, that he could keep for himself if he could get the valuables out of the country. The general just needed someone in the United States who could safely receive the diamonds as well as pay some of the customs and import fees. He said that if Dunaway helped pay those fees, she could keep half the portfolio for herself. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the general said. How often are you able to help a high-ranking, highly decorated member of your country’s military and get rich doing it? Dunaway, who initially had been skeptical, asked the general how she could know for sure he was real. The general instructed Dunaway to type his name into Google. The first result was a website for the United States Africa Command, with an official .mil address. The general was a man with salt-and-pepper hair standing in front of an American flag wearing

a no-nonsense expression. If he weren’t in uniform, he’d look like someone who would do a really good job filing your taxes. “I’ve always been sympathetic to the military,” Dunaway tells the RFT. Those sympathies, combined with the man’s seemingly Christian values and his offer for a big payday, proved to be too much for Dunaway to resist. The general put Dunaway in touch with a man he called “the diplomat.” The diplomat told Dunaway his secretary worked out of an office in St. Louis and to mail the money there. Dunaway is not a rich woman. She’s been a house cleaner for the past 30 years. Before that, she worked at a jewelry store and in retail. After meeting the general and the diplomat, she became determined to do whatever she had to in order to get the $1.5 million they promised. “I was going to give the money to my kids,” Dunaway says. “My daughter and son-in-law had helped me over the past twenty years, and I wanted to give back to them. You start thinking about how you would love to do that for your kids, it just makes you foolish.” Her judgment clouded by the promise of riches, Dunaway mistook a story too good to be true for an opportunity too good to pass up and mailed $5,000 to St. Louis.

The P.O. Box in North St. Louis County The money Dunaway sent to St.

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Louis arrived at a post office just across Interstate 170 from Lambert Airport in Berkeley. Needless to say, the address had nothing to do with a diplomat’s secretary. There is a real General Stephen Townsend, but his identity had been stolen by fraudsters in Nigeria. The P.O. box in Berkeley had been opened by a woman identified in court documents as B.M., who was acting at the direction of north St. Louis County resident Trenice Hassel. According to a federal indictment, 43-year-old Bonmene Sibe of St. Louis paid Hassel $100 to find someone who would open P.O. boxes in their own name and not ask any questions. Authorities say Hassel chose B.M. because she was “vulnerable.” Sibe was himself working with 43-year-old Ovuoke Frank Ofikoro, a recently naturalized U.S. citizen who later said in court he was two semesters away from earning a bachelor’s degree in information systems. Ofikoro instructed Sibe “to find individuals who would open [P.O.] boxes to be used to receive the proceeds of their scheme,” according to court documents. At a hearing in July where Ofikoro pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry described Ofikoro as a “manager or supervisor” in this scheme. Ofikoro’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, declined to comment. Sibe’s lawyer did not return a call from the RFT, and address searches for

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the two scammers revealed little. The owner of the south-city property associated by public records with Sibe said she had never heard of him. And a Jennings address most recently listed for Sibe in court records turned up an abandoned house with a car’s bumper leaning against the door on the front porch. “No one has lived there in years,” a neighbor said. Ofikoro and Sibe’s involvement in the scheme began in the spring of 2019 when the two men used proxies to set up the P.O. box in Berkeley and another in the Near North Riverfront neighborhood of St. Louis. Dunaway was first contacted by the fake general at about the same time. Dunaway was hardly the only one mailing money to the two P.O. boxes. From the spring of 2019 to July 2020, dozens of senior citizens were bilked out of between $550,000 and $1.5 million as part of the scam. A 71-year-old Tennessee woman mailed at least $15,000 to St. Louis, thinking the money was going to a diplomat named William Smith and would be used to fly Smith from a Syrian hospital to the U.S. in a “bomb proof” airplane. A 71-year-old woman from New Mexico who fell for a story identical to the one used to dupe Dunaway mailed $160,000 to the Near North Riverfront P.O. box. A 68-year-old Florida resident sent between $55,000 and $60,000 to the Berkeley P.O box after being contacted by “Diplomat Barry Jones.” A 71-year-old Illinois woman sent an unknown amount of cash after being instructed to do so by a supposed lieutenant general stationed in Syria who went by the name “Raymond Chandler.” The list of anonymous victims in the indictments goes on and on. In the first six months of 2020, Sibe and Ofikoro collected or attempted to collect 87 packages and pieces of mail sent by elderly victims from 25 states. After Dunaway sent money to St. Louis for the first time, the diplomat said the portfolio would be mailed to her soon. In Mississippi, she paced her home nervously all day expecting the package. She didn’t want to go to sleep at night for fear she would miss the delivery. When the package didn’t arrive, she messaged the general and the diplomat asking what had happened. The diplomat said there

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had been a delay, and the delay meant there would be further charges. Dunaway says there were about a dozen days she anxiously awaited the delivery of her riches, only to be fed another excuse. The diplomat’s secretary had made a mistake or the package was tied up in customs. For every problem, Dunaway was asked to come up with more money. She ended up withdrawing $14,000 in credit-card cash advances, taking out a $3,000 loan from one bank and a smaller loan from another. Anticipating the fortune was almost within her grasp, Dunaway bought a lock box and sent photos of it to the diplomat and the

tion is different. It’s love.

Romance Scams and Money Mules J.T., a 76-year-old living in Utah, said in a victim impact statement that she fell in love with Lieutenant General William Garrett stationed in Iraq. Garrett asked J.T. where she wanted to live with him when he returned from duty, and J.T. said that she wanted to live with Garrett in California. (There is a real Lieutenant General William Garrett, but he was not the one exchanging messages with J.T.) Garrett told J.T. he had found the perfect place for the two of

Julia Dunaway hoped to help her kids with the promised money. | COURTESY JULIA DUNAWAY general so they would know the diamonds and cash would be safe in her possession. In 2020, a payment she sent to St. Louis caught the attention of U.S. Postal Service investigators here, who alerted Dunaway that there were no military men, and there was no diplomat or portfolio of diamonds. “My first thought was that he was talking about somebody else,” Dunaway says. “Because I never thought that I was being lied to.” However, Dunaway adds, “It didn’t take me long to change my mind.” Of the more than 25 victims of the scam involving the St. Louis P.O. boxes, Dunaway is actually an outlier. She was motivated to send money by the promise of a once-in-a-lifetime windfall. For most victims, the motiva-

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them, a house in Riverside on the market for $313,000. Not entirely trusting the lieutenant general, J.T. instructed her nephew who lived relatively close to the property to take a look at it. After her nephew did so, J.T. began sending money to a realtor, whose name was B.M. — the same person whose identity had been used to open the P.O. box in Berkeley. “He sent me beautiful text messages every day,” J.T. wrote. “I really thought he loved me. But obviously he was using me.” Garrett talked J.T. into buying him a cellphone by claiming his troops were in a fight with the Iraqi army and they lost their phones. J.T. did as instructed and sent the phone to B.M. in St. Louis. At one point, J.T. sent money for a plane ticket so Garrett’s son could visit her in Utah. To pay for the

ticket she had to spend the money she would have otherwise used for food. After the money was sent, Garrett messaged J.T. to say his son had been hit by a car and would not be flying to Utah. J.T.’s statement is filled with just as much loss as anger, as if writing about a relationship that she wished had worked out. J.T. said it “broke [her] heart” when Garrett stopped messaging. According to the FBI, a romance scam is carried out by a criminal who “adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust.” The indictment of Ofikoro and Sibe states that, as part of their scheme, “conspirators groomed the women by promising to marry them, and addressing the women as ‘Wife’ and ‘Wifey.’ The women believed they were working with their romantic interests to build a future together.” Romance scam fraudsters target “individuals looking for love and companionship,” according to the FBI. “They spend hours honing their skills and sometimes keep journals on their victims to better understand how to manipulate and exploit them. The scammers often watch social media accounts or glean information from an online dating profile.” Scams like the one Sibe and Ofikoro participated in are run out of a number of different countries, though they have become something of a cottage industry in Nigeria. A “419 scam” is an umbrella term for this type of fraud, named for the section of Nigeria’s criminal code outlawing it. The romance scam is an update on the well-known Nigerian prince scam, in which the victim is contacted by a person claiming to be Nigerian prince who has come into a large inheritance but needs a small loan to pay the fees in order to get the money. A person who truly believes they are sending money to would-be Nigerian royalty would have little compunction about sending money or valuables to Nigeria. However, when romance scams evolved to include fake generals in Syria, the logistics became a little more complicated. The money was still ultimately headed to Nigeria, but asking a victim to send a package or a wire transfer to the African nation for a supposed American soldier in the Middle East would almost certainly give victims pause. That is where what the FBI calls “money mules” come in. A money mule is “someone who transfers or moves illegally acquired money on behalf of someone else.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted Sibe and Ofikoro. She says fraudsters “rely upon United States citizens, or individuals who are residing in the United States, to move the money because their victims would be a lot more apprehensive and reluctant to send money to an address in Nigeria than they would an address in Missouri.” The money Dunaway and others mailed to St. Louis wasn’t staying here. According to the Justice Department, Ofikoro transferred some of the money to a bank in Nigeria. Online scams are nothing new. According to CNBC, before the pandemic the Nigerian prince version of the scam was bilking people out of $900,000 a year. But amid the increased social isolation and mental-health pressures brought upon by COVID-19, the FBI says the online fraud industry has boomed. Officials said at a press conference in December in St. Louis that during a typical month in the Eastern District of Missouri, the FBI receives about 300 complaints related to online scams. These 300 monthly complaints total an average of $2.4 million in losses, or $8,000 per victim. On April 8, 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service learned of the romance scam operating out of Berkeley. Berry couldn’t discuss how they uncovered this specific fraud ring but said they generally come to the attention of law enforcement thanks to diligent postal employees, family members of victims and even victims themselves. Arrest warrants were issued for Sibe and Ofikoro in August of that year. When Sibe was apprehended, he had in his possession electronic images of mail from elderly victims who lived in Georgia and Tennessee. He also had a package from Dunaway. Ofikoro was arrested in Chicago as he was headed out of the country. Hassel was arrested in September 2020 in St. Louis. At a hearing in July 2021 when Ofikoro pleaded guilty, the judge stated that Ofikoro could potentially lose his citizenship because in his application he signed a form saying he had committed no crimes while in the U.S. When Sibe pleaded guilty in December, he signed a plea agreement saying that he was ignorant to the wider scheme and “despite the high probability that the money was proceeds of a fraud scheme, [Sibe] deliberately avoided learning the truth.” Ofikoro could face as many as

says, Matson intended to use the money to “further her relationship with the individual she believed to be General J.D.” Prosecutors say Matson told some of the victims that she had met the general in person and he had a portfolio worth many millions of dollars. A Dayton man received text messages from someone claiming to be the general, stating that if he loaned J.D. $50,000, he could double his money in two weeks. The text messages originated from Matson’s phone. Finally, Matson also instructed another individual to transfer $125,000 from their Florida bank account so she could forward it on to the general. The allegations appear to show Matson falling more fully under the scammers’ control, but to federal Glenda Seim, shown in a a Justice Department video, fell hard for online scammers. | SCREEN SHOT authorities, she had crossed a line and was now victimizing others. Matson was arraigned in court nine years in jail. His sentencing the beneficiary of the funds she in Missouri in December and is scheduled for March. Sibe is set was mailing to St. Louis, Missouri.” pleaded not guilty. Matson’s progression from a to be sentenced sometime after Matson told authorities she February 28. would stop sending money to St. person being scammed to a person A woman identified only as C.H. Louis and even sent the inspec- doing the scamming is not as unin court documents was much tors a series of links to episodes of usual as it may seem. Her case is more succinct in her victim im- Dr. Phil’s show in which the popu- very similar to that of 81-year-old pact letter to the court than J.T lar daytime TV host covered the Kirkwood woman Glenda Seim. At some point prior to 2014, from Utah was. A widow who topic of romance scams, accordlives on social security and a small ing to prosecutors with the U.S. Seim was contacted by a man online who claimed to be a United pension, C.H. said the thief “dwin- Attorney’s Office. dled [her] savings account down “Matson was correct in refer- States citizen conducting busito nothing. These guys need to be encing Dr. Phil episodes,” Berry ness in Nigeria. He told her that put away for a long time. They are says. “Because he’s had numer- his business partners and memthe trash of the earth.” ous women and men on who have bers of the Nigerian government been catfished and who have sent prevented him from leaving the money and who have been con- country until he paid unspecified Both Victim fronted with the truth … and they “fees, taxes, or penalties.” and Accomplice In 2014, Seim received wire transjust continue.” The feds say that three days af- fers from people she didn’t know Two months after arresting Sibe, Ofikoro and Hassel, the Justice De- ter sending those links to inspec- and then transferred the money to partment indicted Ohio woman tors, Matson fell back under the Nigeria. She was alerted by Moneygram employees that she was Linda Matson in connection with sway of the imposter general. That’s when the case took a bi- a victim of an internet scam, but the scheme. If Dunaway is a textbook scam zarre turn. In the eyes of inves- she didn’t listen to their warnings victim and the men pretending tigators, Matson began to transi- or subsequent warnings from FBI to be “Diplomat Barry Jones” and tion from victim in the scheme to agents. She says now that she only “General Will Smith” textbook accomplice. Over the next three listened to “the love of my life.” Like Matson, federal authoriscammers, Matson falls some- months, she and others persuaded three people to loan her nearly ties say that Seim was persuaded where in between. The 61-year-old’s story began $600,000 to “secure General J.D.’s to transition from victim to acportfolio from the United States complice, opening at least eight very similarly to Dunaway’s. In early 2020, Matson was con- Customs Service; pay taxes and bank accounts which were used tacted online by someone who fees associated with her winning to receive ill-gotten funds. These had stolen the identity of a Unit- the Mexican lottery; and finance accounts became destinations for ed States Army general. “General General J.D.’s return from a mili- money transfers from other acJ.D.” told Matson that he needed tary assignment overseas,” accounts belonging to victims who had their banking information stofunds to recover a portfolio he cording to the indictment. Prosecutors say Matson also len. Accounts opened by Seim also claimed was worth $20 million. At the direction of the general, contacted Postal Service inspec- received fraudulent unemployMatson mailed about $300,000 to tors and said she needed to expe- ment benefits and Small Business the Berkeley P.O. box. over the dite the return of money she had Association COVID-19 relief loans. In 2017, at the behest of Seim’s onsent to St. Louis that had been course of several months. In May of that year, federal au- seized by authorities when they line love, she registered a business thorities contacted Matson in Ohio first revealed to her that she was with the Missouri secretary of state and told her she was the victim of a victim of a romance scam. She and later opened bank accounts in a romance scam and that the real needed the money back soon, she the name of that company. In May 2020, law enforcement military general whose identity said, because her niece had gone had been stolen was in fact “not missing. In fact, the indictment Continued on pg 17

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MONEY MULES Continued from pg 15

met with Seim and alerted her that she was committing bank fraud. She signed a document stating that she understood her behavior was illegal and that if she continued to carry on with it she could be subject to prosecution. Berry says that at this point, the fraudsters tell individuals like Seim, “No, baby. No, baby, this is all real. And I’m going to help you get your money back.” Three months later, Seim attempted to deposit a check for $100,000 into her business account. Instead of another warning, authorities arrested the 81-year-old. Seim pleaded guilty in November and will be sentenced in February. It is hard to know what sort of punishment individuals like Matson, if she is found guilty, and Seim may face. They’re accused of acting as accomplices, pulled so deeply into the scam by fraudsters that they helped victimize others. The case of Trenice Hassel, the woman paid $100 by Bonmene Sibe to find someone to open a P.O. box, may provide a clue to the fates of those in this difficult gray area. When Hassel was sentenced in

April, her defense asked the judge for time served plus supervised release, and the prosecutor Berry agreed. “There is a lot of restitution owed in this case but Mrs. Hassel is not being held responsible for any actual loss,” Berry stated at the hearing.

‘A Desperation Play’ In December, the FBI, the Secret Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced they were collaborating on a public education campaign to try to increase awareness of online fraudsters recruiting U.S. citizens to become money mules. The federal agencies chose Glenda Seim to be the face of their initiative, even as her prosecution continued its ways through the courts. At a press conference in December, the federal agencies debuted a video featuring Seim. In it, she is shown wearing a cardigan and glasses, typing at her computer. In narration, she says that in 2014 she met online a businessman whom she believed she was in love with. She recounts the escalating crimes she committed at his request and the warnings she ignored from friends and family and law enforcement. In the vid-

eo, she is shown counting cash to send him as well as handling electronics she says in voice-over her “love” sent to her to pawn. “I didn’t listen to anyone else but my love,” Seim says. “The love I have never seen or spoken to.” Seim closes the video by saying that after pleading guilty to two felonies last month, she’ll “be listening to the judge now” at her sentencing. At the press conference debuting the video, Berry, the prosecutor in the Sibe and Ofikoro cases, said that the public relations campaign is “basically a desperation play. We have been facing on a routine basis people who are continuing their criminal activity [after being warned by law enforcement]. They ignore when these law enforcement officers go to their door with their badges. They ignore everything that has been said to please the person that they have never seen.” A report issued by the Federal Trade Commission in October stated that people older than 60 had been swindled out of $139 million via romance scams in 2020, an increase from $84 million the year before. Though the FTC hasn’t released figures for 2021, the losses are

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likely to be even higher. In 2020, the agency received 5,169 reports of seniors being targeted by fraudsters on social media. The reports increased to 5,998 in the first half of 2021 alone. The statistics include a lot of people like Dunaway who are left to pick up the pieces after they realize their chance to strike it rich — or the love of their life — was nothing but a hoax. Dunaway says retirement for her is now years away. She’s spent the past year and a half putting her life back together, repaying the money she borrowed and the cash advances she took out on her credit card. At 70 years old, she says she’s never worked harder or cleaned more houses than she has in the past year. Thanks to all the hard work, she was recently able to pay back the last of what she owed the credit-card company. “It was either end my life because of being so distraught or put one foot in front of the other and dig myself out of the mess,” she says. As for the men in St. Louis who helped perpetrate the scam, Dunaway says, “A lot of us are going to have repercussions for a long time. They ought to have repercussions, too.” n

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CAFE

[REVIEW]

Rise of the Machines Alibi Cookies delivers hot and sweet treats with the help of a friendly robot Written by

CHERYL BAEHR Alibi Cookies 1136 Tamm Avenue. Tues.-Sun. noon-10 p.m. (Closed Mondays.) Cookie Bot available 24/7.

ike a lot of people during the first weeks of the pandemic, Mike Evans found himself stuck in his home with nothing to do but eat, drink and doomscroll through social media. Out of work from his jobs DJing, running a party bus and working in restaurants, Evans spent just about every day grilling a rack of ribs, drinking a twelve-pack of beer and a lot of Jameson, and wondering how he was going to keep his lights on. To keep his mind occupied, he went so far down the Facebook rabbit hole he jokes that he thinks he reached its end. However, rather than finding the flesh-eating demon we all know lurks in those depths, Evans found his saving grace: an article about vending machines in Japan. Struck by the impressive array of vending-machine fare available on the other side of the world, Evans was intrigued. Why didn’t the United States have such a robust vending-machine culture, one that stretched beyond stale trail-mix packets, chips and candy bars? From what he saw, the wide array of machines made it possible to offer just about anything out of them — even his favorite treat, warm cookies. Evans immediately began doing some research and was shocked by what he’d found: No one had yet invented a warm-cookie vending machine. To him, it seemed like such a no-brainer; having spent a majority of his working life surrounded by people eating, drinking and being merry,

Alibi Cookies owner Mike Evans is the mastermind behind the Cookie Bot. | MABEL SUEN

What strikes you when you grab the box from the machine is that it is indeed warm. a convenient, novel way to get a warm and tasty sweet treat would surely be a runaway hit. Once he saw that such a thing didn’t exist, he started experimenting at his house by pulling apart a mini fridge and putting a heater in it. Convinced by his prototype that it could actually work, he contacted a vending-machine manufacturer in Japan and spent the next six months going back and forth with different design ideas. After a lot of work, laughable Google translate exchanges, and trial and error, Evans plugged in his first warm-cookie vending machine, dubbed Cookie Bot, on September 4, 2020. Even before Cookie Bot made its way across the Pacific, Evans knew there had to be much more

The warm cookies come in three packs. | MABEL SUEN to his business than the machine. A self-described “cookie monster,” he has loved every kind of cookie for as long as he can remember and knew that, if he was going to fill a robotic machine with baked goods, they would have to be delicious. Determined to be a cookie company first and a novelty second, he founded Alibi Cookies and got to work perfecting his recipe. Once he was satisfied he had it just

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right he launched Alibi’s website for online sales, just a few weeks before Cookie Bot came online. Rather than reinventing the cookie wheel (outside of his unique way of delivering them), Evans relied on tried-and-true recipes of classic varieties to fill Alibi’s shelves and Cookie Bot’s tummy. However, he did have to navigate a lot of trial and er-

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ror in playing around with the right combination of ingredients that would ensure the cookies remained moist and the perfect texture for an entire day, even under the constant warmth of the machine. Though he laughs about being a horrible baker growing up, one taste of Alibi’s cookies proves he’s found the magic formula. Getting past that novelty was a feat, considering how fun the experience of using Cookie Bot is. The machine, a large white box with red letters, is slightly wider and taller than a soda vending machine, and has a clear glass front. Gold boxes with the Alibi label on them contain three individually wrapped cookies, either of the same variety or a mixed “surprise” pack. A touchscreen panel on the right side of the bot has pictures of the day’s wares; customers insert their payment into the credit-card slot, make their selection on the screen and watch as a slender robotic arm rises to their desired choice, picks up the box and delivers it to a small square window that opens to reveal the treat. The entire process lasts no more than ten seconds. What strikes you when you grab the box from the machine is that it is indeed warm. This should go without saying; after all, a warmcookie delivery system was Evans’ reason for founding Alibi in the first place. However, the experience of handling something that feels so fresh from a machine just feels so different from a typical U.S. vending-machine experience. That incredulity continues when you take your first bite. A peanutbutter-chip version, for instance, has the warmth and texture of a cookie that has just come from the oven. The edges are crispy, the interior soft, and the chips still in that perfect state that resides halfway between solid and molten. Even absent the cool machine, it’s an excellent cookie that balances its sweetness with the peanut butter’s saltiness. Like the peanut-butter version, Evans brings a delicious take on the classic chocolate-chunk cookie. Here, too, the cookie maintains that perfect balance of softness and crunch, delivering a stunning melty hunk of milk chocolate in every bite. If this is not enough for chocolate lovers, Evans offers a double-chocolate cookie, which encases those large chocolate hunks in rich, bittersweet darkchocolate dough. It’s positively

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Cookie cakes are also available. | MABEL SUEN

Cookies can come topped with icings and toppings. | MABEL SUEN

Deluxe cookies and brownies are additional sweet treats in Alibi’s stores. | MABEL SUEN decadent. Alibi’s ginger snap is striking in how much it tastes like actual ginger. You can feel the pleasant stickiness of the root in little bits throughout the crunchy cookie; its spice is equally apparent. Similar-

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ly, the oatmeal raisin has a generous amount of cinnamon warmth in every bite, balancing out the dried grapes’ sweetness. Equally impressive is the white-chocolate-macadamia cookie, which is crunchier than other versions,

therefore allowing it to stand up to the macadamia nuts scattered throughout. Toasty, sweet and buttery, Alibi’s version is perfection of the form. A s’more cookie is delivered with marshmallows as gooey as if they had just been pulled from a campfire. Snickerdoodles are delightfully restrained in their sweetness, and a lemon-white-chocolate-chip cookie is so spectacular Evans could stock Cookie Bot with this treat only and still be a roaring success. The flavor evokes the sweetness of a Meyer lemon, but it’s balanced with buttery and vanilla-tasting whitechocolate chips so beautifully you understand why Evans nearly had a riot on his hands when he ran out of them briefly. All of these versions are available, at some time or another, from Cookie Bot, though Evans offers a few treats only at his storefront. Iced cookies, covered in either chocolate or vanilla frosting, are like individual cookie cakes sprinkled with everything from brownie bits to chocolate chunks. He also reserves his deluxe cookies for in-store purchase only, including the deluxe peanut butter, which will send chocolate and peanut-butter lovers over the moon. Here, chunks of chocolate-peanutbutter cups are scattered throughout a thick, decadent peanut-butter dough, making it almost like a round brownie rather than a mere cookie. Evans even serves cookie shakes, each inspired by a different Dogtown institution, including the gansito-cake- (think Mexican Twinkie), sprinkles- and chocolatesyrup-laden Sunny’s Cantina. The shake was concocted to celebrate the restaurant’s twentieth anniversary; there couldn’t have been a more indulgent homage. Evans currently has two Cookie Bots, with associated stores, in Dogtown and Jefferson City, with another that will soon open in St. Charles. For now, his model is to have a storefront near each machine (currently, the machines are directly outside the stores), though he suspects the Cookie Bot phenomenon will take off enough that they will be able to exist on their own. Judging from the number of people that queue up every night of the week between 2 and 4 a.m. to enjoy Alibi’s warm, comforting treats — and his knack for producing delicious cookies that go beyond the machine’s novelty — the sky is the limit.

Alibi Cookies Cookie Bot three-pack��$6 Deluxe peanut-butter cup �� $2�37 Sunny’s Cantina shake �� $6

SHORT ORDERS

[BUZZWORTHY]

For the Love of Honey Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats to open storefront in Kirkwood Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

n June of 2020, Mike Shadwick and Meredith Gibbons Shadwick took a leap of faith and opened Honey Bee’s Biscuits + Good Eats (www.honeybeesbg. com) as a food stall in the Kirkwood Farmers’ Market. Now, less than two years later, the pair are getting ready to put down roots not far from where it all began. The Shadwicks are excited to announce that they will be opening a Honey Bee’s brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown Kirkwood, just down the way from the market, finally giving their beloved concept the permanent storefront it deserves. The Shadwicks announced their plans on social media on January 9, noting that they will be taking over the former Club Taco’s prime corner spot at the intersection of Kirkwood Road and East Jefferson Avenue. For the husbandand-wife team, the location made sense because of the outpouring of support they have received from the Kirkwood community since their very first day in business. “Kirkwood has automatically showed up for us since Day One when we sold out the first day at the market,” Mike says. “The community has been so incredibly supportive, so it just felt right to be there. The building is the perfect size on the perfect corner. The community has done so much for us and have proven that they will show up if you put out a good product.” For the Shadwicks, a brick-andmortar has always been in the back of their minds since they first launched Honey Bee’s. Instead of jumping right into that format, however, they took an interme-

Mike Shadwick and Meredith Gibbons Shadwick are excited to put down roots near where it all began. | MABEL SUEN diate step between the stall and a storefront by launching a food truck in February of last year. Like their market stall, the truck was greeted with instant success, prompting the Shadwicks to get serious about finding a place for a standalone restaurant. After putting out feelers with a landlord who owned several properties in the area, they couldn’t believe their luck when their dream spot came available. “We’d always thought that building would be perfect for us, but we didn’t think it would ever go anywhere,” Mike says. “It has the white brick and black fence that totally fits our brand. It’s just one of those crazy stories where it was kind of meant to be.” The Shadwicks are thrilled to have a permanent space for a few different reasons. As Mike notes, having a full, dedicated kitchen and storage area will finally allow them to keep all of their things in one spot, easing the logistical challenges they have encountered since they opened. “We use the Kirkwood Park commissary, we have another storage space, and I have two food trucks parked permanently at my house,” Mike says. “Our neighbors probably think we are insane.” In addition to easing their existing business needs, the new

location will finally allow the Shadwicks to expand their offerings and do more cooked-to-order items, something that has been a longtime dream of theirs. They insist they plan on starting out slowly — Mike notes this will be his first time cooking to order in a full-service kitchen — but they look forward to playing around with different ideas and are particularly excited about finally having the chance to cook their eggs to order. “Eggs are my specialty,” Mike says. “I’m excited to finally show off my soft scrambled ones. They are so good and just melt in your mouth.” Starting out, the Shadwicks will offer a menu similar to the one served at their food and market stall, consisting of their signature biscuits, different gravies and a few biscuit sandwiches. They are also excited to partner with local roaster La Cosecha Coffee and plan to offer boozy beverage options as well, including bloody marys, mimosas and other daytime-focused drinks, all using spirits from local makers such as Switchgrass Spirits and Social Grace Spirits. The restaurant will also serve locally brewed craft beer and Excel soda. In the future, the Shadwicks hope to expand their offerings to include more lunch-focused dishes

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like sandwiches and salads. They also plan on using the space to do pop-ups for other concepts they have been dreaming up over the past year and are open to seeing how things develop once they actually get into the space, including service flow. For now, they plan on having the restaurant set up in a fast-casual format, with guests ordering at the counter, then going through the line and watching as their food gets made in front of them, similar to a Qdoba. At this point, the Shadwicks do not have a firm opening date for the Honey Bee’s restaurant. Though they had hoped to open on the anniversary of the launch of their food truck, February 6, they believe that is unrealistic and project a March opening, though that is up in the air. Until then, they have been granted permission by Kirkwood to use their patio for pop-ups and to serve guests out of their Honey Bee’s trailer. And while they work to get the restaurant up and running, they plan on continuing their food truck, catering and both Kirkwood and Tower Grove farmers’ market business, and insist all of those operations will stay open even after the restaurant comes online. “It’s a lot of emotions,” Mike says. “We’re just really excited to get in there and get to work.” n

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

[FOOD NEWS]

Sky’s the Limit Webster Groves mainstay Big Sky Cafe has been sold to longtime employee as owner retires Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

hen Dominic Weiss first walked into Big Sky Cafe (47 South Old Orchard Avenue, Webster Groves; 314-962-5757), he was just a neighborhood kid looking for a gig bussing tables. Now, after three decades spent working at the restaurant and its former sister concepts, Weiss is stepping through Big Sky’s front doors with a much different job title: restaurant owner. On January 10, Big Sky’s longtime owner Tim Mallett announced on Facebook that he had sold the restaurant he founded in 1992 to Weiss. Citing a desire to retire from the restaurant business after 45 years, Mallett praised Weiss as Big Sky’s “defender from the challenges of the last couple of years,” stating that “there is no better man to carry on Big Sky Cafe’s traditions and no one who cares more for the staff and the customers they deserve.” For Weiss, the opportunity to take over such a storied institution is both thrilling and humbling. Though he had no idea how far he would go in the company when he started at Big Sky just a few weeks after it opened, Weiss went on to rise through its ranks, making his way into the kitchen and eventually in both front-of-house and back-of-house management positions. His tenure with Mallett extended into the restaurateur’s other brands as well; Weiss held prominent positions at Blue Water Grill, Ellie Forcella, and Remy’s Kitchen and Wine Bar. A little over a decade ago, Weiss stepped away from Mallett’s restaurant group to pursue opportunities outside of the restaurant industry. However, as he found himself missing the hospitality business, he made his way back to Big Sky, taking on a temporary role that was supposed to last a mere eight weeks. As he likes to joke, he never left.

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The longtime Webster Groves restaurant has a new owner in Dominic Weiss. | COURTESY BIG SKY CAFE “Tim told me that he had a short-term opportunity for me if I was still looking to get back in the business,” Weiss says. “One of his employees was going to be out on medical leave, and he asked if I wanted to fill in working the door as a host and taking care of the dining room. I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ so in a manner of speaking, I am still covering for someone who was supposed to be out for a short period of time because I haven’t left.” As Weiss explains, the experience of coming back made him realize that he wanted to stay on at Big Sky in a permanent capacity. He began taking on more and more responsibility, and eventually, he and Mallett started talking about him taking over the restaurant one day. Originally, they assumed that would be a five-year plan, but they carried on, business as usual, for roughly a decade. Finally, in early 2020, Mallett decided he was ready to move on. “Even before the pandemic, we started talking about it much more seriously,” Weiss says. “He got to the point where he was ready to retire, and he said to me, ‘So, are

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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you ready?’ I figured, yeah, I guess so. This was what we were going to do, right?” Mallett and Weiss may have recently finalized the details of the

[BREWERY NEWS]

Burger Time Bluewood Brewing finds new partner in Burger 809 Written by

JENNA JONES

urger 809’s founder Tasha Smith knows all fries are not created equal. She’s laughing, but she is dead serious about the extensive research she’s put into the partner to her bite-sized burgers. Fries are a new adventure for Smith, as is her newly minted partnership with Bluewood Brewing (1821 Cherokee Street; 314-261-4079). The collaboration was announced on social media the evening of January 12, when both Bluewood Brewing and Burger

sale, but the new owner is emphatic that he will still be looking to his old boss for advice. Referring to Mallett as a dear mentor and friend, Weiss is grateful for his guidance throughout the transition, as well as his willingness to help in any way that he can as long as Weiss needs it. Weiss admits that, even though he wants to respect Mallett’s retirement, he has no plans to stop calling him to ask his opinion on things, and he is confident that Mallett will always be there for him and the restaurant. Weiss also emphasizes that he has no plans to make dramatic changes to Big Sky. Considering his institutional knowledge of the place, as well as his respect for what Mallett created, Weiss feels that he has a responsibility to keep things running the way they always have. “My plan is to be a steward of the brand,” Weiss says. “I am tremendously proud of what Big Sky is and my part of it. Being afforded the opportunity to run Big Sky for the last ten years, I feel there is a lot of me in what it is now. Of course, a lot of that comes from Tim, so I don’t have any big left turns on the horizon. My immediate goal is to steer the brand and continue to develop and stay relevant and continue to be what people have been able to count on for the 30 years we have been here. We want to have new things on a regular basis like we’ve always endeavored to do, and we want there to be a reason to come in and see what we are doing differently, but we are going to remain Big Sky.” n 809 took to Facebook to shout the good news. The grand opening of the partnership is scheduled for Friday, January 21, at 11:30 a.m. Bluewood Brewing has been without a companion since Mac’s Local Eats closed up shop in the brewery in August. According to Grant Lodholz, co-founder of Bluewood Brewing, the brewery had been looking for a new partner since Mac’s exit that was not only local but within the Cherokee Street neighborhood. When Burger 809 was recommended to Lodholz and the team at Bluewood, they decided to check it out. “So, we went in there, and it was the best greens and best sliders we’ve ever had,” Lodholz says. “Not only that, once we realized her food was amazing, we just loved how [Smith] treated everyone. She brought so much warmth to the place, and we were like, ‘This would be a great addition.’” Conversations between Smith and Bluewood began after those fateful trips. Continued on pg 23

These tasty sliders are coming soon to Bluewood Brewing. | COURTESY OF BURGER 809

BURGER 809

Continued from pg 22

Smith credits Cherokee Street’s tight-knit community and Burger 809 regulars for fostering and supporting the partnership. She also believes that the partnership is made possible by the fact that both Burger 809 and Bluewood Brewing share similar values, such as the effort they put in their business. Burger 809 had been operating out of 2619 1/2 Cherokee Street since early 2019, and has been featuring takeout of its sliders and premium sides for the last year-and-a-half-plus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout its time in the space, a small patio was the only way guests were able to enjoy their food in person, so the ability to offer dine-in seating is something Smith looks forward to now that she has the space within Bluewood Brewing. “When we were catering, we were interacting with our customers,” Smith says. “And we missed that. So we’re really looking forward to providing a great dine-in experience.” In addition to the exciting future of dine-in for Burger 809, Smith’s menu will both expand and keep fan favorites. Mac and cheese, salmon, fresh salads, new sliders, their famous Southern greens and, yes, fries have all made the cut. One burger is a collaboration between the brewery and burger spot: the Bluewood Baby. Beer cheese that utilizes one of Bluewood’s brews, ground beef and a pretzel bun all make up the new creation. As far as fries go, Smith is putting in extensive research on which kind will grace the Burger 809 menu — the business hasn’t sold fries since its early stages, instead focusing on vegetables and mac and cheese as their side dishes. She’s weighing her options and has traveled to cities to review whether steak, crinkle-cut or an entirely different style will work best with the sliders. “It’s a lot of pressure,” Smith laughs.

“This is a serious question. ... We’re engineering all concepts. We know that there’s a perfect fry to marry with sliders.” “This is a serious question. I’ll have to unveil that later. We’re engineering all concepts. We know that there’s a perfect fry to marry with sliders.” Lodholz — while very excited about the fries — also looks forward to reinstating trivia and movie nights as safely as possible with COVID-19 remaining a challenge. He’s excited about the prospect of people being able to hang out longer in the brewery since they will have food once more. Live music is also on the todo list once the partnership is up and running. While guests are able to dine in at Bluewood, takeout will also remain an option for Burger 809’s guests; a new website launched on January 15 will allow customers to order online, with delivery a possibility in the future. Smith is closing Burger 809’s current Cherokee Street location because of the new arrangement with Bluewood. Both partners are excited to welcome guests into the brewery; Smith says seeing the employees make the beer you’re drinking is very cool, while Lodholz emphasizes the beauty of the brewery and its new partnership with Burger 809. “I mean, not to humblebrag,” Lodholz laughs. “We’re really excited about people getting to enjoy our spot, because let’s be real: Our taproom is beautiful.” n

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JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

ST. LOUIS STANDARDS

Bake or Break For SweetArt’s Reine Keis, baking is less a career than it is a calling Written by

CHERYL BAEHR

student of French and English, Reine Keis always assumed she would work in journalism, not the restaurant business. However, her plans would change after a fateful job interview that left her questioning not only her current opportunity, but her career trajectory in general. “I was doing freelance writing and was going up for an associate editor position with one of the magazines in town,” Keis says. “I had gotten to the final interview with four editors — three women and one man — and when we were finishing up, we were talking about life and children. When I stood up to shake hands, one of the editors asked me, ‘How many children do you have again?’ and the other one leaned over to her and said ‘three’ as if I had fifteen. I remember seeing her do that and thinking to myself that there was no way I was going to get this job. It was pretty painful to live through. As I walked across the street to my car, I thought that this might be the time to think about opening my own space, because I loved baking.” Now, roughly a decade and a half since that ill-fated job interview, it’s difficult to imagine Keis in any field other than baking. As owner of the beloved Shaw neighborhood institution SweetArt, Keis has been sharing her talents with her customers for thirteen years, producing some of the area’s most delicious, artfully presented baked goods and daytime fare. Even though she never set out to be a restaurateur and baker, when she looks back, she can see that she has been working toward this life for as long as she can remember. Growing up as the only girl with three brothers, Keis was always with her

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SweetArt is a favorite of St. Louis food lovers, excelling in savory and sweet vegan offerings. | ANDY PAULISSEN mother, standing alongside her in the kitchen as she showed off her cooking chops for her family. Those experiences instilled in Keis a passion for food — one that stayed with her no matter what she was doing in her life. “I’ve always cooked and baked, because that’s what my mother did,” Keis says. “I’ve done everything — I’ve taught aerobics, edited dissertations — I was the queen of small part-time jobs, but I would still come home and want to bake something. When I started dating, I would want to cook for that person, because it was my way of saying, ‘I really like you.’ Some young girls might twerk, but for me, I’d make you a plate. It was my superpower.” Keis found herself constantly daydreaming about baking, and she would fill her free time by following bakeries on social media and watching food-centric programs on television. Eventually, her hobby expanded to include baking for her brother’s co-workers; Keis’ wares were so well-received they started buying cookies from her, turning the endeavor into an actual small business. “I would go to work, but all I could think was, ‘I can’t wait to make this when I get home.’ I just

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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SweetArt’s vegan cupcakes are the bakery’s signature treat. | ANDY PAULISSEN couldn’t stop thinking about it,” Keis says. “Every time I went on vacation or took time for mental health, I was always trying to find the neighborhood bakeshop. I’d say to myself, ‘This is what I want to do; this is what I want to do.’ I finally had this realization that I am sure this is why I was born. I was born to cook and bake.” Keis found a champion in her

ex-husband, Cbabi Bayoc, who encouraged her to take the leap into baking full time. He suggested that they collaborate on a space; an ideal storefront would provide a place for her to bake as well as room for a proposed art studio and gallery. When they found the spot on 39th Street that ticked off all the boxes, they decided to go for it. Keis admits it

Reine Keis feels lucky she still gets to do things on her terms. | ANDY PAULISSEN

Paintings, quotes and other artwork create an inspirational setting. | ANDY PAULISSEN

Breaded cauliflower is one of SweetArt’s most popular dishes. | ANDY PAULISSEN

Thanks to her knack for plantbased cooking, Keis gained a loyal following of vegan and vegetarian customers; thanks to her culinary prowess, she’s loved by omnivores alike.

market — was a huge hit and garnered SweetArt serious buzz that led to features on local television shows, and even Netflix’s Fresh, Fried and Crispy, which ran last year. Through it all, Keis has felt the range of emotions that come with running a business. Exhilaration, satisfaction, fear, discouragement — all have hit her at some point in time, some simultaneously, and she is open about the added difficulties that come with running a Black-owned business. “A lot of people don’t understand that there is a stigma that comes with Black businesses and restaurants, with people thinking everything should be $5.99,” Keis says. “Heaven forbid that

something is $10. You get a lot of pushback from that, and I’ve had people tell me things like, ‘This is why I don’t support Black-owned businesses.’ However, you have to let it go and not hold it. There’s so much other shit to hold. During the life of this I’ve lost a parent suddenly, ended a business, sent kids to college, had friendships dissolve, had good employees and bad employees, and I’m still living life. You can’t let people who want to complain get you down. You have to keep pushing.” Keis also admits that the last few years have added an extra layer of challenges. Dealing with staffing shortages, higher costs of doing business, dramatic changes to how restaurants can operate

was difficult; with three children under the age of ten, she felt overwhelmed and questioned whether or not she should have waited a few more years to follow her dreams. However, as guests started coming in to ooh and ahh over her cooking, she understood that this was her moment. It didn’t take long for SweetArt to evolve from a simple bakery into a full-blown breakfast and lunch café. Thanks to her knack for plant-based cooking, Keis gained a loyal following of vegan and vegetarian customers; thanks to her culinary prowess, she was loved by omnivores alike. Her veggie burger — created in a time before the Impossible or Beyond Meat products came on the

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and the uncertainty that surrounds daily life in general have not been easy to endure. However, the situation has also spurred her to make important changes and pursue other endeavors as well. Recently, she has transitioned SweetArt to a full vegan bakery and restaurant, and she has even launched a line of plantbased cake mixes, sauces and dressings called Love + Magic. As these new efforts inspire her, she finds the energy to keep going. People feel that energy when they come into SweetArt. They always have. Though Keis understands she would not have customers were it not for the good food, she believes that there is something more that makes her bakeshop and café occupy such a special place in people’s hearts. Part of this is making sure everyone who walks through the door understands that she and her staff genuinely care. She’s worked hard to create a warm, welcoming environment that stirs something within everyone who experiences it, and she is proud that, thirteen years into a business she hoped would make it to year five, she is still able to do what she loves on her own terms. “My constant prayer up until year seven or eight was, ‘Please don’t let anyone’s payroll bounce,’“ Keis says. “It’s been hard, but since then, my prayer is that I am able to continue to do this the way I want to and to let me stop doing it when and because I want to and not because I have to.” n

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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REEFERFRONT TIMES

[ S PA C E T R AV E L ]

Trippin’ Bills Missouri bill would give patients right to try psychedelic drugs Written by

DANNY WICENTOWSKI

According to a study out of Oregon, some cannabinoids found in hemp could help stop COVID-19 from infecting the body. | VIA MARC FUYA/FLICKR

[ H E A LT H ]

Sweet (Re)Leaf Cannabis compounds may prevent COVID-19 infection, study finds Written by

LEE DEVITO

ould weed be the next COVID-19 drug? According to a new study by researchers affiliated with Oregon State University, compounds found in cannabis can prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from infecting human cells. An abstract of the study was published last week in the Journal of Natural Products. The researchers found that two compounds, cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), could prevent COVID-19 infection by gumming up the spike proteins of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which the virus uses to enter cells. “Any part of the infection and replication cycle is a potential target for antiviral intervention, and the connection of the spike protein’s receptor binding domain to the human cell surface receptor ACE2 is a critical step in that cy-

cle,” lead researcher Richard van Breemen says, according to KVALTV in Oregon. “That means cell entry inhibitors, like the acids from hemp, could be used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and also to shorten infections by preventing virus particles from infecting human cells. They bind to the spike proteins so those proteins can’t bind to the ACE2 enzyme, which is abundant on the outer membrane of endothelial cells in the lungs and other organs.” The researchers tested the compounds against the “alpha” and “beta” variants of the virus in human cells in a lab, and van Breeman said they “hope that trend will extend to other existing and future variants” of the virus, according to KVAL-TV, adding that “the combination of vaccination and CBDA/CBGA treatment should make for a much more challenging environment for SARS-CoV-2.” Though the study did not use human test subjects, the researchers noted that the compounds have “a long history of safe human use.” The compounds are found in the raw form of hemp, known scientifically as Cannabis sativa. “These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts,” van Breemen says. “They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans.” Of course, much more research is needed, so don’t think you can just go to the nearest dispensary for a COVID-19 cure. n

proposed Missouri bill would amend the state law that currently blocks the federal “Right to Try Act” signed under the Trump administration in 2018. If passed, the new law would allow certain Missouri patients to legally pursue treatments involving psychedelic drugs. Missouri has its own version of a right to try law, which went into effect in 2014; but while it does allow eligible patients to use “investigational drugs” that have not yet gained FDA approval, the law includes a hard cutoff around substances considered “Schedule I” narcotics. That designation includes substances like psilocybin and MDMA, both of which are the subject of increasing scientific interest as a wave of clinical trials build evidence that psychedelic drugs can act as a powerful anti-depressant. Filed by Republican state Representative Michael Davis, the bill would also expand Missouri’s eligibility for patients seeking the experimental treatments, adding categories for those with “debilitating” and “life-threatening” conditions. Under current law, Missouri patients must have a diagnosis for a terminal illness and have considered “all other” FDA-approved options before pursuing an investigational treatment. Even then, current law mandates that the treatment itself must have completed the first phase of an FDA clinical trial — and it can’t be a Schedule I drug. Davis’ bill would also lower the statelevel criminal punishments associated with a host of psychedelic drugs, including LSD, mescaline, peyote, psilocybin, DMT and MDMA. Currently a felony, the new law would make possession of those substances a misdemeanor. Davis filed an identical bill last year, but it never made it beyond the committee stage. During a November appearance at a drug policy conference in Columbia, the lawmaker noted that the 2018 Right to Try Act proved that opening psychedelic treatments had support from Trump and congressional Republicans — an observation that suggests the bill could be good politics and policy in Missouri’s Republican-dominated state legislature.

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Psilocybin, the substance found in “magic mushrooms,” would be legal for some patients under a proposed Missouri bill. | VIA WAQAS ANEES/FLICKR “Our bill would bring this down to the state level,” Davis said, adding that the bill will “allow patients to have access to these psychedelics that can assist them with their pain.” Psychedelic treatments are already in use in Missouri. Although patients here are barred from Schedule I drugs, treatments involving ketamine — an anesthetic that also gained notoriety as a party drug — can be prescribed by a doctor and even shipped through the mail in the form of nasal spray and lozenges. That’s because ketamine is designated a Schedule III illegal narcotic, and not banned under the state’s right to try law. The tension between law, science, and proponents of psychedelics was the subject of a December Riverfront Times cover story, which also featured scientists from Washington University who are leading a study into the effects of psilocybin on the brain. While clinical trials and research are underway, a growing number of other states are looking at expanding the legal status of psychedelics: In 2020, Oregon became the first state to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use, and since then multiple cities — including Washington D.C., Seattle, and Oakland — have passed local measures to decriminalize possession of psilocybin. Some of these efforts go beyond a “Right to Try”-style expansion of treatments intended only for the seriously ill: In Washington State, a proposed bill would make psilocybin treatments available to anyone over the age of 21. In Colorado a ballot initiative is seeking to decriminalize psychedelics and create a new agency to regulate manufacturing and sales. It remains to be seen whether the ongoing efforts to legalize psychedelics can find the same success as the push for cannabis. For hopeful patients in Missouri, the first step will be changing the law still standing in the way. n

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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CULTURE Sharpening the Edges From Parisian to Shinra Knives: Producer Ian Jones on In Grief Written by

JOSEPH HESS

or the past ten years, St. Louis producer Ian Jones has crafted a hazy, hip-hop-informed body of electronic music under the name Parisian. And so it was a surprise last month when he released a long-awaited full-length album under the new name of Shinra Knives. “More than anything, [Parisian] was a formative period in which I developed my voice,” Jones says, adding, “Felt like I was writing to be accepted by the creators I looked up to. Finally learned to write just for myself.” The change follows what was arguably Jones’ peak year as Parisian. In March 2021, he collaborated with Foveal Media for an intense audiovisual set that was featured in New Music Circle’s online series available on YouTube. Jones also performed live under the Parisian moniker in August where he played a sold-out show at The Pageant along with Foxing and other local favorites. In November, Parisian even contributed to Afrofuturism St. Louis, a compilation featuring several St. Louis artists under a unified cultural aesthetic released on cassette by Close-Far Recording. But even as Parisian succeeded, Jones began planning a shift. The release of his album, In Grief, as Shinra Knives was a calculated choice that reflects the sound artist’s progression through pain and persistence. “I know that there’s truth to the adage that time heals, but in that space when you’re still so close to the catalyst for your pain, that moment feels unrelenting and infinite,” Jones explains, adding, “This explores the idea that everything doesn’t always just ‘get better.’” On In Grief, Jones makes the transition to Shinra Knives with an un-

After a decade as Parisian, producer Ian Jones debuts as Shinra Knives for first full-length album. | JUDD DEMALINE relenting, vastly instrumental set of songs that evoke regret and anxiety in clever and often disarming ways. That’s not to say joy can’t be found throughout the album, but the production begs the listener to dig deeper for moments of respite. “I played one of the songs in its early stages for a musician friend, and their first response, before commenting on the technical parts of the song, was ‘Sorry for your loss,’” Jones says. The loss being the sudden passing of his father in December of 2015. “He went into the hospital and died unexpectedly a few days after his arrival there. Months later it came out that his death may have been due to the substandard care he received from the facility,” he says. Jones then spent the better part of three years embroiled in a wrongful death lawsuit against the veterans hospital where his father died, while simultaneously enduring what he calls “a difficult relationship.” “One of the last conversations I had with my father was discussing the things that he was going to do to improve his health in the future, and I responded with doubt, because I’d heard him express a similar sentiment before,” Jones says. “He passed before I could tell him I truly wanted to help him get better, and I really hated myself for not better supporting him in that moment. A lot of the things I wrote in that era were largely themed that way, around regret and anxiety.” When asked if working on In

Grief during that time helped him, Jones specifies that it was less of a coping mechanism and more of a way to pass the days until he started feeling “better.” “I wasn’t properly addressing my anxieties or depression, just writing songs. I think by the end, I didn’t feel better about the events that transpired, but I had a fairly accurate snapshot of how grieving felt like for me,” says Jones. Released on December 8, In Grief offers a stunning exploration of these themes through a maximalist approach to audio production. Drums can be heard rolling in-stereo like a toppled jar of marbles while melodies rush and contort to the resultant beats. Shinra Knives strives to suffocate with sound, letting up for only two moments of silence throughout the entire ten-track album. He’s sonic spelunking the whole time, digging for precious artifacts found by stretching the likes of a djembe solo or a heavily distorted drum loop. On title track “In Grief,” Shinra Knives can be heard rushing to the ocean floor before floating back up with a bounty of buried treasure as “Cathdralism” closes the record. Jones worked with Bryan Dematteis and Chad Eivins of Foveal Media to craft a pair of stunning music videos for two of the album’s key songs “Girl Missing” and “Posture.” Jones first met the pair when they worked on the Parisian video set for New Music Circle last year, and he reached out with an ambitious set of ideas

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for Shinra Knives. “I knew it could be a potentially difficult thing to ask someone to aid in making things with the sentiment I’ve attached to them, and they handled it with such grace. Bryan is a really brilliant artist, and it absolutely wouldn’t have come together in the way it did without his insight,” Jones says. Both videos, available on the Shinra Knives YouTube channel, show Jones as he vibes and performs in a physical space between his music gear and audio-reactive projections. Other footage gracefully dips in and out of the frame much like the samples scattered throughout each song. Influenced by the subtitles used in foreign films to translate the sentiment of characters on screen, Jones provides yet another layer with words that travel along kinetic beats. “Both the ‘Posture’ and ‘Girl Missing’ videos are handwritten letters to people that are no longer in my life. Things I didn’t have the wherewithal to communicate when they were still by my side,” says Jones. To date, In Grief has been released through most major streaming and digital platforms (Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, etc.) with no concrete plans for a future physical release. As a tribute to Jones’ father, all proceeds from the album go to the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust. “I know ultimately I can’t do anything to stop others from experiencing what he as a veteran and I as his son went through, but I’m doing what little I can to alleviate some of that pain,” Jones says. With all of the finality present in the themes of In Grief, it’s easy to forget the fresh start this album represents as the debut release of Shinra Knives. Jones has spent much of the pandemic educating himself on music and video production, and he intends to express that growth through new material that has a much different, and lighter, tone. “There’s no amount of songs I can write that will bring that person back,” Jones says. “Things have happened and time is going to pass, so I can either do something with that time or just sit and wallow. In the interim, I can at least learn something.” n

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

ELEVENTH HOUR

Tributes & Reboots

omething about a new year starting seems to get the music and arts worlds vibrating, and there’s tons of new stuff going on! But before all the sugar, some bitter news: IN MEMORIUM: I’m sad to report that Montez Coleman, St. Louis’ premiere jazz drummer and one of the true gentle giants in the city’s music scene, has passed away at age 48. He played with everyone in the city, it seemed like, and the tributes to his playing and personality have been pouring in. I talked with Tony Barbata, a formidable drummer in his own right, who used to go see him play at the Ritz way back when he was in an organ trio with Rick Haydon and Reggie Thomas. “He was just a monster player — and always smiling,” Barbata says. “Musically, he just oozed style, and I can’t think of anyone that swings like he did.” Barbata later studied under Tez at SIUE. “Before I met him he was a celebrity to me, the best jazz drummer in town hands down,” he says. “He was the first-call dude for all the jazz shit. He was very much a pillar and a mentor to the young Black players in town.” As much as St. Louis loses with his death, Tez Coleman’s character, charisma and style will always be St. Louis’ gain; his music is etched into the soul of the city. WHOA NOW: Brian McClelland has been lighting up STL’s stages for years in Tight Pants Syndrome, Middle Class Fashion and even as David Bowie for a little while there, but his greatest musical achievement, by my count, was You’re Under Attack, a flashing pop gem he created in 2013 under the name Whoa Thunder. That band has had a variety of lineups over the years but only a couple more singles to add to the stack — until now. Whoa Thunder has just released a fantastic new song, “Stars & Space Junk,” that glows with ’80s pop radiation. It’s the first track off of a new EP that the band is planning to release this spring. It’s a doozy, from the Turkish guitar lick opener to the radio-friendly production to the lyrics, which seem to be from the perspective of a (space?) vampire. Maybe that’s why one of the verses is in Romanian! Even better news is that ace guitarist John Horton, most recently of the Bottle Rockets, has joined Whoa Thunder’s roster, meaning that you should start scanning the horizon now for show dates cos this is going to be amazing. Oh, and tune into KDHX, where “Stars & Space Junk” is

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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BY EVAN SULT getting plenty of love. S-O-S NOW: If you’ve been to the St. Louis Sound exhibit at the Missouri History Museum recently, you’ve spent some time at a glass case devoted to The Welders, a smart-ass, photogenic all-female punk band that was rocking the city in 1975. Back then their live show had quite a buzz and so they recorded an EP … that somehow never actually came out. BDR Records put out a killer 7” a while back, but that was it for The Welders — until last year, when Rerun Records decided to put out an LP version of their album at long last. This being something of a legendary mystery, the vinyl sold out before it was even released, so kudos to you if you got a copy. But! It looks like they may try to get another pressing going because the demand has been so high. First, though, the records have to actually get to the label. Pandemic backups kept delaying the delivery, and just last week, Rerun announced that the albums got seized by customs in Detroit. When will we finally get to spin “Debutantes in Bondage” on vinyl as originally intended? Stay tuned! SPRING FORWARD: Though he has rightfully achieved worldwide renown for his fiddle skills, the fact is that Kevin Buckley is also a truly superlative songwriter and thoughtful pop craftsman who records and performs under the name Grace Basement. Those albums number among STL’s finest releases, where pained emotional nuance is captured within crystalline song structures glorified by satisfyingly strong hooks. For Big Spring, his first album since 2018’s excellent AOR rocker Mississippi Nights, Buckley has decided to drop the band name and call the project by his own name. Big Spring is due out February 22, and Buckley will be celebrating with a record release show that night at the Sheldon. THE PLAY’S THE THING: The pandemic put the kibosh on the entire arts world, but it has been especially hard for the theater, which relies on the intimacy of live performance. Various attempts at Zoom events were tried, but none (at least to me) held a candle to the real deal. This month, Upstream Theater is diving back into performance mode with Iphigenia in Splott. Splott is a town in Wales, where Effie has been going fully off the rails on a bender of epic proportions, which would be sad if she wasn’t so wickedly funny about it. It’s a wild one-woman monologue full of fury, detail and some deadly funny bits. The play runs January 21-February 6 at the Marcelle Theatre, with both proof of vaccine and masks required. n

FILM [FILM]

Accounting for Taste Licorice Pizza is braless and lawless, but far from flawless Written by

EILEEN G’SELL

ike a shot of sunshine on a cold, COVID-wary afternoon, Licorice Pizza looks to be one of the most acclaimed films of the season — keeping open the doors of more than a few arthouse cinemas, at least for another few weeks (God willing). This, in and of itself, feels cause for celebration. But is the actual movie actually … good? Named for a landmark SoCal record store — which, perhaps meaningfully, never shows up in the film — Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest would seem to celebrate the freewheeling spirit of the San Fernando Valley in the early ’70s, a time when skirts were short, bras were optional and grass was as plentiful as gas was not. But while the nostalgia trip (trap?) assuredly offers an array of great music, outfits and petrol-guzzling automobiles, as a coming-of-age love story between a young man and a (much less) young woman, Licorice Pizza leaves a bit of a bitter taste. The film chronicles an unconventional friendship between Alana Kane (Alana Haim), a listless 25-year-old who lives with her parents and older sisters in Encino (her real-life family, the siblings of which comprise the band Haim), and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman, son to the late Philip Seymour Hoffman), an enterprising high schooler and selfdescribed showman who at fifteen boasts a modest degree of renown as a child actor. “So what’s your name?” Gary badgers Alana, one of many photographer assistants working his school portrait one day. “Are you asking me out?” she asks, incredulously. “I’m not going to go on a date with you, kid.” But Gary is relentless, and Alana

Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim star in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1970s throwback, Licorice Pizza. | COURTESY METRO GOLDWYN MAYER PICTURES INC./MGM relents, joining him not only for an acutely cringey dinner at the local Tail O’ the Cock (a Valley landmark) but as chaperone for a trip to New York for a television promo. At this point, her interest in Gary seems somewhat plausible; she’s flattered by his attention, has little going on in her own life, and the lure of show biz, however small-scale, makes for a cheap temporary thrill. What makes a lot less sense is how, after his auditions dry up, Gary lassoes Alana into a series of ventures that span across a number of years. Whether schilling Fat Bernie’s Waterbeds or newly legal pinball machines, the two “business partners” maintain what seems a simultaneously flirty and antagonistic platonic relationship, joined by a ragtag troupe of teens and tweens, all of them male, and all of them inexplicably never in school for the majority of the movie. Plot holes abound, as though we’re all supposed to throw up our hands and say, “Welp! It was the ’70s!” “Do you think it’s weird that I hang out with Gary and his friends all the time?” Alana asks her older sister (Este Haim), sharing a joint on a rainy eve. “I think it’s weird that I hang out with Gary and his friends all the time.” Well, girly, you think it’s weird because, ahem, it is weird. And for as much as I typically not only tolerate, but champion, idiosyncratic lady behavior, especially onscreen, this particular brand of behavioral weirdness felt more and more untenable as the film went on. Also

weird was the fact that her two older sisters (who, oddly, are in their late twenties, and all appear unwed) seem not only to put up with Alana’s boy-squad antics, but give it their blessing. It would be one thing if Alana chose to romp around with a gangly brood of teenage boys for a latenight jolt or summer lark. But socializing with those ten-plus years younger for years at a time? Twenty-five-year-old women, however insecure, underachieving, impulsive or aesthetically disadvantaged (which, to be sure, Haim, twelve years senior to Hoffman, is not), do not tend to congregate around high school boys; they do not join them in spontaneous business schemes, kowtow to their sophomoric imperatives or flash their boobs to appease a blemished baby face. And even if a 25-year-old woman somehow did feel compelled to surround herself with a pack of adolescent hustlers, certainly her older sisters would not support it. In this case, simply reversing the gender script from older man to older woman does not make it progressive, even if initially it feels less sexist. “You’ve come a long way, baby,” declares the bust of Alana’s tight cotton tee, a reference to the classic Virginia Slims slogan. But over the course of this two-hourplus film, it’s remarkable how her character goes pretty much nowhere; she, like Gary, does not evolve as a character; she, like Gary, moves from one caper to the next without ever growing as a person.

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Anderson has long thrived on building a movie narrative out of the premise that two broken people being broken together is basically the best we can hope for. In a lot of ways, the Valley itself is the most compelling character onscreen because it changes. Laws and mores evolve, businesses open and close, oil prices skyrocket. One thing that is wholly delightful about Licorice Pizza is the sheer volume of attractive-yet-imperfect-looking people onscreen: Crooked teeth, neck acne and leg jiggle abound, and it’s wonderful, especially in an age where practically anyone in a major motion picture looks like they could be a beauty-brand ambassador. The number of scenes involving unathletic running across the sidewalks and streets of the Valley are so exuberant that they are arguably worth the cost of admission. Anderson has long thrived on building a movie narrative out of the premise that two broken people being broken together is basically the best we can hope for. But as a whole, Licorice Pizza feels like a lazy mashup of Wes Anderson’s 1998 Rushmore, Cameron Crowe’s 2000 Almost Famous and Paul Thomas Anderson’s own 2002 Punch Drunk Love. If culture recycles every twenty years, it would make sense that suddenly each of these feels relevant again. Far be it from me to tell anyone not to enjoy this film. It’s natural to lust for the freedom of youth — even more so in a time when adulthood literally means being somewhat locked down indoors. But if you, like me, found a slice of Licorice Pizza ultimately less appetizing than the critics have made it, you are not alone. n

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

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SAVAGE LOVE Fast and Furious BY DAN SAVAGE Hey Dan: I’m a straight guy but my whole life I have wanted to be spanked by older men. Does this make any sense? Because I’m confused. I don’t like or want penis. Yet I want to be spanked as a punishment by men. I don’t understand myself sometimes. Sincerely Pondering And Not Knowing The truly important question here isn’t why you want this, SPANK, but how much more time you’re gonna waste sitting on your ass wondering why you want this when you could be out there getting that ass spanked? And even if you came up with a neat and tidy answer, you’re still gonna want older men to spank you. Because getting to the bottom of a kink — identifying some childhood trauma that explains everything — isn’t a cure. Instead of seeing the spankings you want as a riddle you need to solve you should see them as a reward for all the wondering you’ve had to do. If you need a label, SPANK, just say you’re bisexual for spankings. Not bi for blowjobs, not bi for anal, not bi for JO or mutual masturbation. Just bi for spankings. Hey Dan: I like the way you walk the talk because gay guys in women’s clothes get me hard and horny and when I see a gay guy dressed in sexy clothing it just makes me want to jerk off and maybe one day I’ll meet a gay guy like you and suck and blow him. Gooning About Gay Guys In Naughty Gowns Articles of clothing don’t have genders, GAGGING, because anyone can wear anything, as Billy Porter was sent down to earth to teach us. Also, not all gowns are naughty — think night, hospital, dressing, etc. That said, GAGGING, I don’t wear the kind of clothing the cishet patriarchy would have us believe is for women alone. Well, I don’t wear that stuff anymore. I used to drag, GAGGING, and the pictures are out there, but I haven’t worn so much as a skirt for years. So, you can stop thinking about sucking my dick.

Hey Dan: I’m hoping to get an objective POV on something. I’m a 31-year-old male bottom. I have been in an open relationship with an amazing 31-year-old male top for twelve years. One year ago I started to suffer some gender dysphoria. At roughly the same time he expressed a desire to be topped. I never had any desire to top someone, I’ve never even felt that male urge to thrust my hips, but I hate that I’ve let my BF down. I can do this, but only with the help of ED meds. How can I get some pleasure out of it? Topping Burden You could penetrate your BF with toys, or you could take one (or give one) for the team once in a while (by taking ED meds and topping him), or your boyfriend could bottom for other men, seeing as your relationship is already open. Or all of the above. And if it’s the thrusting and/or being in control that turns you off (or tweaks your gender dysphoria), take an ED med and let your boyfriend ride your hard dick — then instead of you fucking him, he’ll be fucking himself. Power bottom, sub top! Hey Dan: I’m wondering how AJ, the FinDom you quoted at length in your most recent column, wound up on your radar and getting what amounted to free advertising in your column. You said he lives in the Pacific Northwest. Isn’t that where you live, Dan? And you said his bathroom is always spotlessly clean. How would you know that? Are you his bathroom? Dan’s Ethics Are Lacking I’ve never met AJ in person, there’s more than one city in the Pacific Northwest (and we don’t live in the same one), and I found AJ looking for gay FinDoms on Twitter who might want to answer CASHFAG’s question. That said, DEAL, while I’m far too cheap to be anyone’s finsub (or their sugar daddy, for that matter), I do enjoy cleaning bathrooms — but not in a pervy way. I enjoy cleaning bathrooms in an eat-an-edible-and-listento-musicals-and-zone-out-doinghousework-while-the-husbandand-his-boyfriend-are-at- the-gym sort of way. So, while I wouldn’t necessarily say no to cleaning AJ’s bathroom, I haven’t been asked, DEAL, and consequently haven’t

I haven’t worn so much as a skirt in years, so you can stop thinking about sucking my dick. had the pleasure. Hey Dan: This is about your recent response to UNCUT, the guy who met men who believed they were uncut when they were very much cut. You suggested that these men were lying about being uncircumcised. But not knowing might be more common than we assume. This is from Epidemiology, the authoritative textbook written by Leon Gordis of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health: “They asked a group of men whether or not they had been circumcised. The men were then examined by a physician. Of the 56 men who stated they were circumcised, 19, or 33.9%, were found to be uncircumcised. Of the 136 men who stated they were not circumcised, 47, or 34.6% were found to be circumcised. These data demonstrate that the findings from studies using interview data may not always be clear-cut.” Some Truly Are Thrown While it’s true that men lie to prospective sex partners all the time — and, yes, #NotAllMen and #SomeWomenToo — it turns out that men may not be lying about this. In addition to the textbook example you shared, STAT, other readers sent along a clip of Patrick Stewart on the Graham Norton Show. In it, Stewart tells Norton he got into an argument with his wife about his dick one day. He insisted he was circumcised, she insisted he was not. Stewart, who thought he knew his own dick, followed up with his doctor and it turned out his wife, who may have had a larger frame of reference, was correct: Contrary to what Stewart believed about his own dick, he was not circumcised as an infant or at any time in his life. The clip, which is easy to find on YouTube (and very funny), is yet more evidence — anecdotal, in Stewart’s case — that some men don’t know from their own dicks.

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Hey Dan: In your reply to “SADSON” you are clearly taking sides based on how comfortable you must be about withholding the truth from a partner. You say the father should have “kept his mouth shut” about the affair he had! You know nothing about this couple’s values and decisions! Who are you to push your views on others? Many of us consider lying about cheating reprehensible! And the last sentence of your response (“I hope there were other women”) was astonishingly juvenile, meanspirited, and vindictive — and for what reason? To take sides against a clearly tormented heterosexual woman! Disgusting and shameful! Thoroughly Appalling Take Enrages Reader This is an advice column, TATER. People send in questions; I answer those questions. So, I’m not pushing my views on anyone here. I’m sharing my views. That’s literally my job. And I’m not the first advice columnist to urge a cheater to withhold the truth from a partner: “The adulterer who wants to ‘set everything right’ by telling all would be better advised to keep his mouth shut and work out his guilt by behaving in a more thoughtful, loving, considerate way and stay out of other beds in the future.” That’s from the Ann Landers Encyclopedia, which was published in 1978. (Ann assumes all adulterers are male; I guess she could also be accused of “taking sides.”) In the case of SADSON’s parents, TATER, don’t you think SADSON’s mom would’ve been happier if her husband had taken Ann Landers’ advice and kept his fucking mouth shut? Instead, SADSON’s dad told SADSON’s mom about the affair he’d had a decade after it was over. So, it wasn’t the affair that tormented SADSON’s mom, but knowing about it. As for my snarky post-script (“I hope there were other women”), SADSON’s mom has made her husband’s life a daily living hell for thirty years. Why? Because he fucked somebody else forty years ago. I don’t know about you, TATER, but I think the punishment should fit the crime. And there’s only one way that’s possible here: more crimes, lots of crimes, so many crimes. questions@savagelove.net @FakeDanSavage on Twitter www.savage.love

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

riverfronttimes.com

JANUARY 19-25, 2022

RIVERFRONT TIMES

Riverfront Times, January 19, 2022

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