St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page F001

CC KK YY MM PPAAGGEE FF0011PPDD11FFNN11001122 CCMMYYKK Periodically, the Regional Chamber Growth Association takes business and civic leaders on a trip to learn what other cities are doing right. This week, their took them to St. Louis. Predictably, the agenda had plenty of room for patting ourselves on the back about Lambert new runway, downtown redevelopment and the local life-sciences industry. To its credit, the RCGA also brought up an issue that is more cause for shame than celebra- tion.

Race and racism usually discussed at these upbeat civic gatherings, but they were front and center for three hours on Monday. a panel of St. Louisans was assigned to discuss why the region has trouble attracting and keeping talented professionals who happen to be members of minority groups. Arnold Donald, chairman of sweetener company Merisant, described his vision for a cooperative recruiting effort that would bring young people to St. Louis for a job with a major company and a degree at a local university.

these young people as favorite sons and daughters of St. he suggested. them feel like this is a place that really wants Judging from the personal experiences, African- Americans had that feeling in the recent past. Dr. Donald Suggs, publisher of the St.

Louis American, and Brenda Newberry, president of Newberry Group, described racial taunts and discrimination their children endured at majority- white schools. None of those children, now grown, live here. we talk about these things as history, they are not Newberry said. still Michael Holmes, a former executive at Edward Jones and a graduate of Washington University, said about half of his African-American classmates moved to Atlanta after graduation. was a perception that was a place you could be accepted and you could build a he said.

Atlanta was mentioned several times, with a hint of jealousy. In 1960, Suggs noted, metro Atlanta was 40 percent smaller than metro St. Louis; today, 58 percent bigger. growing economy, of course, created opportunities for people of all races, but St. brain drain seems particularly severe among people of color.

least some of the best and brightest young white people stay here in St. Suggs said. few of the best and brightest young African-Americans Lest the RCGA be accused of being all talk and no action, it also included Phillip Page of Boston on the program. Page is both a graduate and a vice president of the Partnership, a re- cruiting and training effort formed after school- busing crisis in the 1970s. It has provided leadership training to 1,400 people of color since 1987, and 85 percent of them have stayed in the Boston area.

The program works because it focuses on economic goals. not about developing a feel- good Page said. about positioning Boston to be competitive in the world. Page is involved in discussions about setting up a similar program here for the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative.

If those discussions bear fruit, maybe the new tag line will ring true for an important segment of the population. The slogan says St. Louis is and but clearly we have some work to do on the connections front. COME BACK TOMORROW A local entrepreneur is working to make movies and radio more accessible for the hearing-impaired. Sharing media Business RCGA has talk on brain drain of our young blacks DAVID NICKLAUS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2005 SECTIONF Business TOP NEWS CROPREPORT A new Monsanto- sponsored study touts the of genetically altered crops.

F2 INSIDE BYE, BYE KC Pulaski Bank closes Kansas City branch, saying it will concentrate in the St. Louis market. F2 NEW LOGO The St. Louis Regional Chamber Growth Association unveils its new logo and branding campaign. F3 APPLE MISSES Apple stock is hammered after the computer maker misses Wall expectations.

F3 SETTLEMENT RealNetworks and Microsoft reach a $761 million settlement in antitrust case over digital music software. F3 FED NOTES The Federal Reserve want to send mixed messages about the resilience, so that is why it will probably continue to raise interest rates. F3 STOCKS SLIP Wall Street continues to be haunted by concerns fueled by high fuel prices. F4 INBRIEF NEW ROUTES FOR JET BLUE JetBlue on Tuesday launched services that use its new 100-seat regional jets, in what observers expect to be a big test of the U.S. low-cost business model.

The airline has added regional service from New John F. Kennedy International Airport to Boston; Austin, Texas and Richmond, Va. I 1 ONLINE IN THE NEWS Watch for updates today on quarterly earnings. Also: Apple Computer is expected to make an announcement today possibly about a video iPod. For updates, STLtoday.com/business DOW JONES INDUSTRIALS 10,253.17 NASDAQ COMPOSITE 2,061.09 STANDARD 500 1,184.87 BLOOMBERG ST.

LOUIS 487.67 MARKETS St. Louis Post-DispatchSOURCE: Grand Center 1 2 3 4 5 1. KETC (Channel 9) 2. Fox Theatre 3. Garage 4.

Continental Building 5. Woolworth Building New office building ST. LOUIS CO. 270 170 70 64 44 40 DETAIL AREA Rendering by Killeen Studio Architects By Charlene Prost ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH The Grand Center arts and entertainment district on Grand Boulevard is about to get something the district has- seen since the mid-1970s a new of- building.

Construction of the $2.2 million, three-story building will begin later this year on Olive Street, just west of the parking garage for the renovated 25-story Continental Building. Owen Development is building it for the Public School Retirement System of St. Louis. The retirement system will move nine employees to the district from leased space at 501 North Seventh Street downtown. System will rent the space they need as well as street-level retail space.

the long haul, this will help solidify their said Jeffrey Hartnett, a lawyer for the system, which oversees a pension fund for teachers. than paying out rent, they will essentially pay it to themselves, and have a building with leased space that will generate Despite its diminutive size, the building is likely to be a standout. Architects at Killeen Studio Architects of St. Louis designed it modern- style, with a smooth stucco-like exterior painted blue. of a sky said Mike Killeen, one of the owners of the architectural Anthony Duncan, another architect at the came up with the idea of using bold color to resolve a major challenge with the project.

The architects had to stay within budget, which meant they use more expensive materials such as brick or concrete for the exterior. They also wanted the building to blend visually with larger, more grand buildings around it. Killeen said they placed the building close to the street, with parking at the rear, to with how the Art Deco Continental and other historic buildings in Grand Center district to get a sky-blue addition Lohr dispute heats up as strikers lose jobs By Gregory Cancelada ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH A labor dispute at St. Louis city beer wholesaler Lohr Distributing Co.

has turned uglier after Lohr told strikers that lost their jobs to permanent replacement workers. The move complicates any settlement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents the drivers. been on strike for nearly months. However, move weakened the resolve of the striking drivers, Teamsters Local 600 President Dan McKay said Tuesday. still looking to negotiate a fair contract, still looking to get our people back to he said.

approach also disturbs the labor community, said Robert Soutier, president of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council, AFL-CIO. unfortu- nate that Lohr even bargaining with the he said. The Teamsters union repeatedly has complained that Lohr shows no interest in negotiating or reaching a compromise. Lohr return phone calls on Tuesday.

The wholesaler has- responded to calls seeking comment on the dispute. Though Lohr told the union it wants to continue negotiations, SEC, NYSE and South Carolina are probing activities. By Jack Naudi ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH A.G. Edwards Sons Inc.

said Tuesday that it is the subject of at least three new investigations by regulatory agencies. Two of the actions against the St. Louis stock brokerage are related to inquiries into alleged irregularities that previously have been reported. Those include: An examination by the Securities and Exchange Commission of alleged market timing of mutual funds before October 2003. Market timing usually involves frequent trades, trying to capitalize on swings in the stock market.

By itself, the practice is not illegal. But many mutual funds prohibit the practice. The SEC has proposed an undisclosed civil action A.G. Edwards is target of 3 new investigations Small building for the Public School Retirement System of St. Louis will be the constructed there since the mid-1970s.

PLEASE SEE BUILDING F6 PLEASE SEE SEC F6 PLEASE SEE STRIKE F6 WHAT IT MEANS: The Teamsters believe the beer distributor is making replacements permanent to dump older workers and break the union. NEXT: No talks between the union and the company are scheduled and Lohr did not respond to calls for comment..