On the north side of downtown St. Louis, there’s a little family owned and operated restaurant that has been patronized by St. Louisans for 100 years. Walking in the door of Crown Candy Kitchen is like taking a step back in time with the malt machines, small jukeboxes at every booth and vintage Coca-Cola signs on the walls. […]
Imagine sitting on a stage completely naked. The room is quiet as an art instructor tells students how to sketch you – fat rolls, wrinkles and all. Sound scary? This is part of a regular day for nude models, who bare it all in Forest Park art classes. “I’ve never been nervous,” said Bert Haier, 72, of Webster Groves, a retired hairdresser who has been modeling for 35 years. “I have always been comfortable with my body.” […]
Richard Athens was 15 years old when he bought his first car for $45 in 1973. It was a yellow, green and gray 1956 Chevy. A customer at his father’s service station sold it to him after determining he couldn’t afford the repairs. “It was the first in a long line of cars,” Athens said. “I remember blowing the transmission drag racing on Grand.” Athens, 54, has been teaching in the automotive studies department at Forest Park for 25 years. He recently was promoted to department chair. […]
The Lego Gryphons are elementary school students during the week, engineers on weekends. The team of three boys showed up at a Junior FIRST Lego League exposition at Forest Park last weekend with an “Escalator Chair,” a machine made of Legos that carried a figure named “Mr. Pickles” up and down. […]
A Forest Park student with a colorful background competed in the Mrs. Missouri United States pageant last month. Wauneen Rucker, 50, was one of six contestants from across the state. She’s a baking and pastry major, a Baptist minister and a mother of two. She formerly served in the U.S. Marines and worked as a police officer. […]
Life can get busy – really busy. To keep up the fast pace, people stretched between multiple responsibilities turn to caffeine, and most get their “fix” from coffee. St. Louis is a coffee city. It’s a little-known fact that until the mid-1920’s, the city was the coffee-roasting capital of the world, boasting more than 75 major plants. I have patronized coffee shops and coffee houses throughout St. Louis. Recently, I came with my personal list of the Top 5 close to the Forest Park campus. […]
Ann Coleman knelt down to comfort Lovey Duvey, an 11-month-old pit bull that was frightened by a passing truck. Minutes later, the excited dog was jumping and eating snow along Macklind Avenue. “This is the immediate gratification,” said Coleman, 54, of St. Louis, a former freelance writer who lives in St. Louis. She is one of 300 volunteer dog walkers at the Humane Society of Missouri, which is next door to St. Louis Community College at Forest Park. More volunteers are needed. […]
I have been able to see two of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest acts perform live in the past few months. In February, I had the honor of meeting the legendary Chuck Berry, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis. Growing up listening to different types of music and having family members in bands has enhanced my knowledge of “greats” like Berry. Meeting this man, who is still performing around the world at 86, was truly a dream come true. […]
Jeremy Connors faced a big challenge preparing for his role in “Bleacher Bums,” a play being staged at Forest Park this weekend. His character, Greg, is a Chicago Cubs fan who has been blind since birth. “It was hard playing this character because I had to adjust to playing a blind person and react differently throughout the play to things,” said Connors, 23, a business administration major. “Greg is a sensitive guy and not insecure about his disability. I can relate to this character’s passion for sports, especially baseball.” Connors is one of 10 cast members in “Bleacher Bums.” It takes place in the bleachers at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. A group of fans are watching a game on a summer afternoon. They’re drinking beer, eating hot dogs and making friendly wagers. […]
Students on the Forest Park campus of St. Louis Community College speak more than 60 languages. Nearly 80 percent of students at Meramec are white. Many students go to Florissant Valley to study engineering, and Wildwood is known as an environmental showcase. “Every campus has certain programs that only they offer,” said Tom Flynn, coordinator of deaf communications studies at Florissant Valley. “For instance, horticulture is only offered at Meramec, the restaurant and hotels hospitality stuff is only offered at Forest Park. […]
© 2025 The Scene