Love of Creve Coeur Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry

The government of Creve Coeur, the name that means broken heart, is getting into the love business at a time when two former candidates and hundreds of their supporters have broken hearts and spirits.

Author Peter Kageyama on June 1 will attempt to teach Creve Coeur residents what love means when it hosts a half-day workshop the city government describes as, “Focus on how, as a community, Creve Coeur can better capitalize on those things which make our city lovable and how we can further enhance the emotional connection between citizens and our community.”

Maybe this really is the tonic to cure what ails us!  

Creve Coeur in recent years has become a 21^st century Peyton Place, The city’s last two elections saw Donna Dill of Maryland Heights who works at Overland-based Mark’s Quick Printing mail nasty-grams to help get Mayor Barry Glantz and Councilwoman Cynthia Kramer elected.  

Donna Dill should get a special VIP invitation  

Dill is the kind of person the Love of Creve Coeur workshop has in mind. She’s involved. Dill got involved in the 2012 mayoral election because in her campaign letter, she was tired of Bryant’s dirty style of politics and urged her Creve Coeur neighbors “It’s time we get involved and bring back honorand ethics to government.”

Dill spread the love for her clients Mayor Glantz and Councilwoman Kramer. Her letters worked. They won!

Bryant was described in Dill’s letter bomb, “Barry’s opponent has a long history of being embroiled in controversy and turmoil. She has wasted valuable city resources by engaging in divisive political actions.”

This year, Dill’s magic worked again in Kramer vs. Caldwell, Creve Coeur City Council, Ward 1. Her campaign letter called him a bully. It was a classic snow-job against Caldwell.

Two wins in a row for Dill. She’s connected with residents!

Dill loves Creve Coeur! She is someone who really likes to be involved in government, anytime, anywhere. Dill proved that in Overland and was involved in their 2008 election.

This Maryland Heights resident has devoted dozens of hours and thousands of dollars the past two years to help making Creve Coeur a place we should love!  

Dill loves Creve Coeur so much she published in her anti-Bryant letter she’s a Creve Coeur resident even though she lives in Maryland Heights. We don’t know why Dill doesn’t choose to live here. Maybe Maryland Heights is the next best thing on top of being next to Creve Coeur and Overland.

Donna Dill just isn’t involved with just Creve Coeur government, but she’s a part of our circuit court system as well, scheduled for an appearance in Judge Ott’s court next Tuesday.

With all preparation she needed to do in February and March to defend herself, it’s amazing she found the time to devote to us in Creve Coeur for the recent council election!

Dill showed her love to Mayor Dielmann by attending his retirement ceremony

Heck, the Love of Creve Coeur workshop shouldn’t have Dill just attend, they should have her speak about her love of Creve Coeur and how it benefits us today! Dill’s picture should be next to the definition of Love of Creve Coeur in the dictionary.

Wait, there’s been more examples of love in Creve Coeur.

After Dill’s letter helped Mayor Glantz get elected, someone chose the old fashioned way to send a letter by U.S. Mail to Councilwoman Jeanne Rhoades.

However, the writer used the new fashioned method patented by the Internet for the message. The letter had noreturn address or signature. It was filled with hate and personal threats. Rhoades said the writer called her “vindictive and mean spirited.”

Why? The secret letter writer didn’t like Rhoades going to bat for friend-and-colleague Bryant during the 2012 election by filing an election complaint against the Mayor. Mayor Glantz during his successful campaign filed a similar complaint against Bryant.

The Missouri Election Commission dismissed both complaints.

Rhoades sent the letter to Creve Coeur Police Chief Glenn Eidman for investigation. Since it involves the mail, that investigation falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Justice Department and postal inspectors.

No one’s been charged or arrested so we can assume they aren’t in jail and free to attend the Love of Creve Coeur workshop. Then again, maybe not. Councilwoman Rhoades is expected to be in attendance. Maybe he or she won’t want to see in person someone they hate. Then again, how would Rhoades or anyone else know? He or she chose to be anonymous!

Today, Bryant and Caldwell may be putting on a good face to hide possible broken hearts but they have broken spirits.

Bryant has her home up for sale will soon be a Clayton resident.

Caldwell, editor of CreveCoeurVoter.com, had a near-perfect attendance record for council and planning and zoning meetings since 2007. Since the election, he hasn’t attended one.

Councilwoman Rhoades’ face remains in the public eye. She’s wearing a figurative black eye today after Monday’s council meeting where she was attacked by Kramer who wants to invoke intellectual property for the message of Pastor Martin Niemoller poem.

Is the Love of Creve Coeur workshop the answer?

Let’s give it some time and judge it during the next Creve Coeur election.  

Creve Coeur has lots of baby boomers as residents so it’s safe to say that the majority of those attending the Love of Creve Coeur workshop will be baby boomers who saw the 1970 hit movie Love Story starring Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw.

Perhaps the workshop should have been called “Love means never having to say you’re sorry,” That’s what O’Neal told McGraw. It’s one of the most famous lines in motion picture history.

Laura Bryant, David Caldwell, Jeanne Rhoades and their followers can attest that’s the message they get from leadership today in Creve Coeur.

A friend suggested things in Creve Coeur aren't that bad and that we could change the city's slogan:

"Creve Coeur. At Least We're Not Ellisville!"

Scott Simon is a media consultant for ProVergent Strategies and specializes in
image management for their small business and not-profit organization clients.