St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page A011

ST.LOUISPOST-DISPATCH NEWS A11 Braxton issetforthisweek ContinuedfromA1 Nearlyeveryonecallshimbrilliant. sistantformostofhistimeinSt. Louisandstillcountshimasa speechesandthathewouldoften staylonghoursinhisofficework- ingonthem. criticsarethemenwhohewilllead afterWednesday.Atameetingin CardinalFrancisGeorgeexpres- singconcernaboutthewayBrax- tonwasselected.Threeweeksago, sevenofthepriestsrepresenting thosewhohadsignedtheletter traveledtoChicagoforatwo-hour meetingwithGeorge.Then,twoof themflewtoWashingtontomeet withArchbishopGabrielMontalvo, thepapalnunciointheUnited vations. muchtheprocessasitisthe them.

knewabouthow(Braxton)hascon- ductedhimselfasaleaderinthe pastandabouthisleadershipstyle, thewayhewasappointedwould nothavemadealotofdifference tendtheceremonyatSt.Peter’s ofSt.LouisandBelleville’sseventh ofAtlanta.Montalvo,thepapal dictXVIandwillperformthecere- mony. Apastorstruggles BraxtonwasborninChicagoon schools.Hewasordainedin1970 andspentthreeyearsworkingas anassociatepastorinChicagountil movingtoBelgiumtopursuegrad- uateworkintheology. WhenhereturnedtoChicagoin sityofChicago.Hethenspenttwo yearsteachingtheologyatHarvard andNotreDame. workedforCardinalJamesHickey ofWashingtonashispersonaltheo- logian.HereturnedtoChicagoin 1983toworkasthedirectorofthe CatholicstudentcenterattheUni- versityofChicago. AftersometimeinNewYork workingforareligiouspublisher, BraxtonreturnedtoChicagoin St.CatherineofSienna-St.Lucyin St.Lucywashisfirstandonlystint well.

Immediatelyaftertakingover, Braxtonforcedapopular(andpro- gressive)nunonthestafftoresign, whichcausedprotestsandmany Countyemployeewhowasthehead ofSt.Catherine-St.Lucy’spastoral councilatthetime. attendanceatSt.Catherine-St. Lucyhadwitheredtosuchanex- tentthatinordertobringpeopleup usedyellowpolicetapetocordon retiredschoolworkerwhonow livesinWisconsin. BuettnersaidthatBraxtoneven- tuallybecameaneffectivepastorat St.Catherine-St.Lucy,butthatit washisownactionsthatcreated hisinitialproblems. himselfrightfromtheverybegin- Priestsorganize ManypeopleintheBellevilledi- thingsimilarinthethreemonths tion.

toBellevillefromLakeCharlesfor theannouncementofhisappoint- wasnotpleased.Heaskedthatthe homeberenovated.Monsignor JamesE.Margason,thediocese’s formervicargeneralandcurrent wasnomoneyforexpensiveim- generalrepairs. Therenovationflapinfuriated bothclergyandlaity.Formany, sentthekindofmantheywereget- tingastheirnewleader. Almostimmediatelyafteritwas announcedbytheVaticaninMarch thatBraxtonwouldbecomethe askquestions: Howisitpossibleanewbishop wasnamedjusttwomonthsafter wasalightning-fastpaceforapro- cessthatnormallytakestheVati- canfivetimesaslong.Margason cessorwasnamed. Normallyitwouldhavebeen bishopsintheregionandthedio- severalnamestotheapostolicnun- afinaldecision. FellowshipforSouthernIllinoisLa- cessbywhichBraxtonwasselected wasproblematicandtheresult alarmedmembersofhergroup.

whenhewasnotwell-receivedin werebeginningtoorganizeand publiclyvoicetheirsuspicionsthat thenormalprocessbywhich bishopsarechosentoleaddioceses wascircumventedinthiscase. Margasonandthesevenpriests whometwithGeorgeinChicago metwithBraxtonlastweekatSt. ofthepriestsatthemeetingcalled Despitetheheadlinesandcontro- versiesoverstyleandpersonality, Braxtonwillinheritadiocesethat, struggling. IfBraxtondecidestogoforward withtheclusteringplan(aprogram inwhichapastorservesmultiple outhowtofundtrainingandsala- riesforlayministerswhowillhelp pastorsthroughoutthediocese, Margasonsaid. TheBellevillediocesecounts HesaidBraxtonplannedatour ofthedioceseafterhisinstallation forhimtomeetpeopleandforpeo- agrasponthegeographicalarea MargasonsaidBraxtonhastobe himselftogetbeyondthecontro- versiesthathaveswirledaround tiesandskillstoshepherdthisdio- opentodifferentstylesanddiffer- ReporterTimTownsend GABRIELB.TAIT BishopEdwardK.BraxtontookatourofthediocesancampusinBellevilleinMarch,aftertheannouncementthathewouldsucceedBishopWilton Gregory.HesaidhewasexcitedabouttheopportunitiestheBellevillecommunityoffered.St.Peter’sCathedralisatleft.

Linktoour earlierstoryon STLtoday.com/links ContinuedfromA1 inassumeddebt.Underthissce- tiallygottheteaminreturnfortak- ingoverpaymentsonthebondsis- struction. ThenextsaleoftheBluesalsois likelytoincludetheteamandthe debtobligations.Anewownerwith deeppocketscouldseektoreduce theannualarenacostsbypaying offallorpartofthedebt. Thatwouldmeanabiggerup- erreturns. tiumof19largecompaniesthat ownedtheBluesanddevelopedthe vorabletermstomakesurethe teamwouldhaveasolidfoundation andtopreservethestronghockey traditioninSt.Louis. TheLauriessharplyincreased turningtheteamintoaStanleyCup contender.Theteamreachedthe TheBluesandotherNHLteams inadisputeoveranewlabor agreement.Thelaborstrifeleftthe Lauriestomakepaymentsonthe buildingwithoutthehelpofreve- nuefromhockeygames.

TheLauriesstruckadealin1999 franchisetoSt.Louisandsplitting thearenacostswiththeBlues.But afterthebasketballleaguesignaled plan. TheLauriessaidFridaythatthey wereputtingtheBluesonthemar- ketbecauseofheavylossesand concernsaboutthefuture.Asource closetothecouplesaidthattheop- thepasttwoyears. Teamofficialshavenotedthat thecombinedcashdeficitsforthe teamandtheSavvisCenterhave buildingopenedin1994. TheeconomicsofhockeyinSt. LouischangedwhentheBlues vis).

$135millionindebtusedtofinance othersourcesofrevenue. millioninbondstodemolishtheold erectaparkinggarage. Thedebtpaymentsonthenew buildingfarexceededthelease payrollsthroughouttheNHLbegan themselvesdeeperinthered. millionforthe1998-99season, whentheLauriestookover.The the2003-04season. ThepotentialsaleoftheBlues putspressureoncityofficialsto providesometaxbreakstokeep theteamdowntown.Itisalsosure toonceagainignitethedebateover whetherpublicmoneyshouldbe usedtoaidsportsteams.

Bluesofficialshavesaidthatthe taxestheycollectonticketsalesare thehighestofanyprofessional sportsteaminanyleague. Foreverydollarofticketreve- centintaxes.Morethanhalfthat amountisforstateandlocalsales thecitychargesprofessionalsports franchises. andtheCardinalspay.Butthatwill changefortheCardinalswhenthe teammovesintoitsnewballpark nextseason. Aspartofthedealtobuildthe wouldhavegonetothecity. Itisagainstthatbackdropthat cityofficialsconsiderwaivingtaxes tokeeptheBluesinSt.Louis.A keypartofthedecisionwillcome Board.Thethree-memberbody— theBoardofAldermenandthecity BluesPresidentMarkSauerre- centlyspoketoMayorFrancisSlay justforhockey.Atthatpoint,he wasseekingawaiveronpartofthe taxesonticketsforboxing.

Spurredbythesuccessearlier thisyearoftheCorySpinkscham- pionshipfightatSavvisCenter, Sauerwaslookingforhelptoline upaseriesoffuturematchesatthe arena. ButSauercouldnotsecuresup- portonataxbreakforboxingfrom ownershipoftheBlues.Ifcityoffi- cialswouldnotapproveataxbreak chancesofnettingthemforhockey weredim. Slayhassignaledthatheiswill- ingtoworkwiththeBlues.City outofthecityofSt.Louis,”hesaid Friday. breaksforboxingbutrecognizes thatitcouldbetheonlywayto keephockeyinSt.Louis.Shrews- burysaystheBluesshouldnotfeel slightedthatthemayorandothers havenotgonetobatfortheBlues astheyhavedonefortheCardinals. SlaylobbiedfortheCardinalsin JeffersonCityandwasamajorpro- ponentofbuildingthemanewsta- dium.

ComptrollerDarleneGreensays shewouldconsiderreducingthe tickettaxaspartofanincentive packagefortheBlues. VincentSchoemehlhelpedthe Bluesgainthearenathatisnow Savvis.Thecitytechnicallyowns lionannuallyindebtservicerelat- edtothearena. Butsolvingthetaxequationis onlypartofmakingahockeyfran- chiseattractivetopotentialbuyers. Becauseofthecurrentlockout, manyfanshaveforgottenaboutthe sport.Nextyear,itwillbehardto stadium. WhatSt.Louisdoeshavegoingit foritisareputationasonethe chiefexecutiveoftheRegional TheSt.Louisarea,Flemingsaid, isdeceptivelywealthyandhostsa numberofpotentialbuyers.Keep- inghockeyinSt.Louiscouldring thesamebellsofcivicsupportas ForestParkandbuildingtheArch.

toprotectourcivictreasures.I thinktheBluesfitintothatcatego- 1998toexplorewaystocutits losses.Thegroupsaidithad theteamandarenaoverfouryears tocoveroperatingdeficits. fourpossiblecoursesofactionfor thearenaorboth. BringanNBAteamtoSt. Louistoshareexpenses. $96millionindebt.

Securerealestatedevelop- mentrightsaroundthearenato generatemoreeconomicactivity andrevenue. TheownershipgroupandGold- thealternativesofferedenoughpo- tentialforimprovement. Thegroupthendecidedtofind thebeststewardforthefranchise. Althoughseveralpotentialbuy- toselltotheLauries. Lessattractivedeal PaulZemitzschwaspartofari- wasinterestedintakingoverthe Bluesandthearena.Hethinksthat packageislessattractivetoday thanitwasfiveyearsago.

pectofbreakingevenorpossibly tionsandmarketingfirm. Bluesarewithoutanaming-rights Bluesexecutiveshavetrimmed reflectitscurrentcircumstances.It nowhas11playersundercontract ingthatallremainontheroster. Thatleaves13morerosterspots, andthelistofBluesundercontract doesnotincludedefensemanChris player. WhenClarkEnterprisessoldthe teamanditsinterestinthearenato thatownershipgroupwroteoff $100millionoftheirinvestment. Thepartnershipalsoagreedto keepresponsibilityformillionsin deferredsalariesowedlargelyto playerswhowerenolongerwith theteam.

mittedcontractuallytokeepingthe BluesinSt.Louis. Theyalsomadeacleareffortto Giventheuncertaintysurround- orverycommittedtothecommuni- Butanyonewealthyenoughto buytheteamwouldbemorelikely toinvestinsomethingthatprom- said.Thatleavesabuyerorgroup ofbuyerswhosemotiveismoreal- ReporterChristopherCarey ReporterJakeWagman Blues Savvisdebtcould weighonnewowner.