Greg Behlman and Finishing the Race

“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong…”

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

In the photo of me resplendent in spandex accompanying this column I’m displaying what is probably the broadest smile I’ve shown in any photo ever taken of me, dating back to childhood.

I began the day the photo was taken in bone-chilling desert cold and finished it in beating Tucson, AZ sun. I had just ridden a bicycle 110 miles. The professional riders had completed their ride hours before me. But I had not given up. I had finished.

Right now you may be struggling to stay in the race. Even if you’re holding your own you may feel some days like you’re running out of gas. In bicycling that’s called “bonking”. Riders who have trained for distance pay careful attention to their intake of liquid and food while riding. Allow yourself to become dehydrated and your muscles will cramp; forget to eat and you’ll “bonk”— run out of energy and be completely unable to continue.

Attending to the family, spiritual, physical, business, financial, social and intellectual parts of our life and keeping them in balance are particularly hard in times like these. But they were never more important than they are right now. That balance is critical to our attitude. And attitude, backed by the right amount of fuel in all aspects of our life is what enables us to finish the race.

I recently attended a half-day seminar presented by national sales coach Tom Hopkins. Early in his career Hopkins was taught that whatever kind of day, week or month he was having, the proper response when people asked how things were going was “Unbelievable.” “Either way that pretty well covers it,” Hopkins said. Tom Woodcock from Seal the Deal, whose column runs in CNR, encourages his clients to do the same.

I was sharing stories with a group of folks during cocktails at a Midwest Council American Subcontractors Association meeting. The question went round the group about how business was going, prompting a lot of eye rolling. I was just a couple of days out of the Tom Hopkins seminar, so I told the group about Tom Hopkin’s suggestion.

That exchange led to a dinner conversation between myself and Dave Behlman, one of the fellows in the group. The Behlman family owns Behlman Builders, a large finish carpentry and framing, firm, plus drywall and crane companies. I have worked with the Behlman brothers on some projects and we have become friends.

At dinner Dave and I found out that our stories were very similar. We both grew up in families of seven children with contractor dads. We both remembered that when things were lean in construction growing up it had meant day-old bread stores and powdered milk. We talked about understanding what it takes to get through tough times in business and in life.

Dave recalled a few years back when his mom was still alive they were sitting at the kitchen table talking about the time when Dave and his siblings were growing up. Dave’s son was listening and his jaw began to drop. “Grandma, were you poor?,” the boy asked. Dave’s mom thought about the question and said, "I guess we WERE poor. But we didn't know it."

Dave asked me if I had heard the latest news about his brother Greg, who is vice president at Behlman Builders. Last July Greg was diagnosed with cancer that a spread to a large mass pressing the kidneys on his back. He went through 12 weeks of chemotherapy, which lasted through November.

I had seen Greg around the first of the year and he looked great. But on January 31st he went to the emergency room with a high fever. An infection, which perplexes his doctors to this day, had attacked his lungs. It was probably some vestige of the weakness caused by the chemo. For a while it was touch-and-go. But day-by-day Greg has come back. When Dave talked to me his brother was scheduled to go to a rehab center.

Dave’s pride for his brother was obvious in his eyes as he told me the story. “My brother is determined to be there for his family,” Dave said. “He may end up needing to walk with an oxygen tank, but he will walk down the aisle when his daughters get married.”

That’s what finishing the race is all about.

If you'd like to see how Greg's doing or drop him a note, visit his web page at CaringBridge.com.

Swapping Boxers with John Hickenlooper

In an article on downtown areas in the September issue of the Commerce magazine, Chris Leinberger, visiting fellow, Metropolitan Policy for the Brookings Institution, relates the story of how Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, brought 32 suburban mayors into the Wynkoop, his LoDo (Lower Downtown) Denver brewpub/restaurant, got them lubricated, and then convinced them to support a $4 billion light rail system for Denver.Leinberger's story didn't surprise me at all. I had the opportunity to spend an evening with Hickenlooper back in the ‘90s when he was still putting LoDo on the map. His equal in our town would probably be Joe Edwards, but Hickenlooper is a LOT less shy and self-effacing than Edwards.

Through a hospitality magazine I owned at the time I was producing a beer dinner at the Denver Athletic Club. My original presenter for the dinner, the CEO of the brewers association, developed a conflict and asked Hickenlooper to sub for him. I should have known that I was in for a wild ride when John showed up with a handler in tow who turned out to be his ex-wife.

After the dinner he invited me to hang with him for the evening at the Wynkoop. When Hickenlooper arrived at the Wynkoop a party atmosphere erupted. I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but the next thing I knew Hickenlooper had agreed to swap boxer shorts with another guy in the bar. John ducked into the restroom and came out waving a brightly-colored pair of boxers.
John Hickenlooper's taste in clothing has apparently evolved a little bit in the past decade (he appeared in Esquire magazine), but his "let's do it" attitude has proven infectious in Denver - whether he's supporting mass transit or early childhood education. In 2005, two years into his first term, Time magazine named him one of the top five "big city" mayors in America.

In November we've got the opportunity to show that our industry has the same kind of can do creativity displayed by John Hickenlooper when he invited the suburban mayors to his brewpub. The Greater St. Louis Transit Alliance, a coalition of business, labor and transit users advocating the passage of Proposition M. Proposition M will ask St. Louis County voters on the Nov. 4 general election ballot to approve a half-cent tax to fund Metro operations and future expansions. Construction industry supporters of the Transit Alliance include AGC of St. Louis, Missouri Growth Association, St. Louis Labor Council, and St. Louis Realtors Association.

If the ballot measures passes, Metro will have a stable funding source and will plan for major system expansions such as: increased express buses, high-speed bus service and bus rapid transit lines, and an expanded Metrolink line to north and west St. Louis County.
If Proposition M fails, Metro will be forced to eliminate 28 of its 60 existing bus routes, including all service west of I-270. Metro could eliminate all express routes and night service in two years, if new revenue is not found.

Nobody is asking you to drop your boxers: But I AM asking you to consider - particularly in light of the pressures from fuel costs that are not going away - the repercussions that the lack of decent mass transit can have on our St. Louis region. We need to do everything we can to support this measure.

Thinking Green

If you're interested in what some of the world's most prominent "green thinkers" have to say, check out this video site posted by the Washington Post.

I was particularly taken by the comments of Richard Branson. His Virgin Group began with Virgin Records and is now in everything from travel to wine. He is known for his stance on social responsibility. Branson is putting all the profits of Virgin Airlines into coming up with a clean airline fuel.

Crunching Consumer Credit

Tuesday Shaun Hayes, who is stepping down as president of Missouri Operations for National City Bank, spoke at an RCGA breakfast. I've known Shaun a bunch of years and he was, as usual, very funny in a self-deprecating way and very insightful. He was also very concerned about the continuing effects of a consumer-based economy.

Shaun grew up in Thayer Missouri, a town of about 2,000 people south of Rolla on Route 63. He told the crowd that he comes from a family of entrepreneurs and attorneys. He started what became Allegiant bank with about $300,000 and several million dollars raised from 82 investors. The bank sold for half-a-billion dollars and assumption of its debt. Yesterday he talked candidly about what he did right and what he did wrong in that business.

He has always been an enthusiastic entrpreneur. It's what you would expect from a guy who earned $20,000 a year while in College running a fireworks stand for six weeks a year, then turned around and loaned the money (at interest) to his fraternity brothers.

But for someone who's made a lot of money he's also always shown deep respect for the people who work for him and those who have less than he has. He's worried about Americans spending more than they make. Shaun's the small town guy who recently told me that the television sets in his house come from unclaimed inventory in his sister's pawn shop in Nashville, which he buys from her for his family and friends (a story he didn't share with the audience Tuesday).

Shaun said that it is unconscionable that even the educated people in the room to whom he was speaking couldn't understand (and wouldn't read if they could) the pages of mumbo jumbo in their mortgage documents. He said that those who were practicing predatory tactics on the undereducated and poor should be prosecuted.

A Congressional staffer who was in the room somewhat antagonistically asked what it was that Shaun would require regulators to put in place. Shaun replied that the basic terms of every loan agreement should be spelled out in plain English on a single sheet of paper.

He said that the shareholders of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (not the bondholders) should lose all the value of their stock, and that those institutions should start over.

He stated that at some point in the not-too-distant future the consumer debt that this country has amassed is going to come home to roost when other countries that have fronted the money begin to call in their markers.

There's a great series in The Beacon website on "Facing the Mortgage Crisis" which deals with not only mortgage issues but with the overall consequences of consumerism versus saving.

The series mentions a blog which is worth taking a look at: "I've Paid for this Twice Already." "Paidtwice", is a 30-something married mom of two who writes that she has "a PhD in Genetics that sits in my closet and a 3rd degree blackbelt in taekwondo. What else could you want out of life? Maybe peace of mind. We owe lots of $$ and we’re getting out of debt a penny (or sometimes a dollar) at a time."

Her very-literate blog chronicles the things she is doing to reduce her family's debt, and the sense of empowerment that it provides.

Tom Suter Creates Beauty "Up on the Roof"

"When this old world starts getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
And there the world below can't bother me..."

From the song "Up on the Roof" by Gerry Coffin and Carole King

In early July a dedication ceremony was held in an unlikely location: the rooftop of a two-story storefront at the corner of Marconi and Bischoff in the Hill neighborhood of the city. Attending was St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. The roof was blessed by Father Vincent Bommarito of St. Ambrose Church. Holding court on a corner of the roof was Hill "royalty", Rich LoRusso of LoRusso's Cucina restaurant, which catered the event.

So what brought Mayor Slay, Father Bommarito, and Rich LoRusso up on the roof? Sustainability, technology, and heck of a view all came into play. Tom Suter of Shield Systems, Inc. has transformed the building's roof into a garden with a sculpture, flowers, and herbs.

Suter has been an architectural representative in the St. Louis area for 30 years, specializing in moisture protection. His product lines include below-grade waterproofing, sealers for masonry and concrete, waterproofing systems for plaza decks and garden roofs, traffic membrane systems for concrete exposed to vehicular or pedestrian traffic and a full range of exterior and interior expansion joints.

About nine years ago Suter bought a boarded-up tavern in the Hill neighborhood. Doing much of the work himself, he has restored the building into offices for his own company, a salon, a caterer, and two apartments on the second floor. The rooftop garden was created as both a demonstration center for the green roof system that Suter reps, and as a tenant amenity.

The lightweight assembly allows the 2" X 12" roof timbers to carry five inches of lightweight growing medium. The first task in installing the green roof system was to remove the existing built-up roof and add decking to receive hot, rubberized, fluid-applied waterproofing. Ninety mils of hot rubber membrane was reinforced with scrim cloth. A second coat of hot rubber at 125 mils was then applied and a protection course was placed in the curing rubber.

To increase energy efficiency two inches of Dow Styrofoam was placed over the entire deck area. On the non-garden area pedestals were then used to level the deck area. In the pathway areas, precise pavers were placed directly on the pedestals in a similar manner to that used for raised computer flooring.

On the garden sections of the roof a heavy polyethylene root block material was installed, followed by the Dow Styrofoam covered by a reinforced scrim to help with loading.
An eggcrate-shaped drainage material with cups that collect and store irrigation and rain water was then placed on top of the scrim and covered with four inches of engineered soil, a lightweight material filled with organics.

"From an educational viewpoint I wanted a living a garden and an exhibit to be able to show architects and owners greenscapes roof systems," Tom Suter said. "And I wanted my tenants to be able to enjoy the space."

He said that the both the commercial and residential tenants appreciate the views and quiet afforded by the garden. The herbs grown on the roof are used in preparing food for the catering business.

A plaque on the roof dedicates the garden to Tom Suter's mother, Theresa Suter, who died a short time before the dedication ceremony.

By the Rockets' Red Glare

"I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

"I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them...

" I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.

"Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 2:3-11

Yesterday's Fourth of July extravaganza was a time for stepping back. We attended the Webster Groves Community Days Fourth of July Parade, carnival, and fireworks.

It's been a wild ride for the past decade. The Fourth of July yesterday served to focus that entire journey for me. Ten years ago the we watched the Fourth of July Parade from the back parking lot of my old office building. Eight years ago I was riding in the parade as "citizen of the year." I walked to the end of my block for the parade. Two years ago our house was "on the parade route" and we'd have 50-100 people in our yard.

This year, Rachel and I went down to watch the parade. I ran into people I've known in various capacities over the last 30 years. Rachel and I hung out with Dave and Tanya, some of my dearest friends. They are among the close circle of folks who understand that for years I felt like I was carrying office buildings, and staff, and houses on my back, but didn't know how to get out.

Yesterday felt good. Rachel and I visited with folks during the parade, then walked to our car, drove home, and ate grilled cheese sandwiches. It was fun. Yesterday evening we ate rib tips at the Lions' barbecue, then met with friends with kids to do the carnival rides and catch the fireworks. It felt laid back and wonderful.

I used to dread the preparations for the Fourth when we lived on the parade route. I enjoyed smoking turkeys with David the night before and it was kind of cool being the host. But mostly it was lot of work and a big production. It was always a huge letdown when people left and there were chairs and tables to be hauled, flys to be taken down and folded, all in sweltering humidity.

Getting stripped of businesses, buildings, homes, tons of extraneous stuff, and all the baggage of "being that guy," allowed me to be in the moment yesterday, to be grateful to God for friends, family, and country.

No Rollin' Along the River

Yesterday I had was going to try to ride my bike up the Riverfront Trail. I figured that the Mississippi had gone down enough. Well, no.

I reached the foot of Washington Avenue near the Arch and everything was under feet of water. I cut through Laclede's Landing and behind the Lumiere Casino to the entrance of the trail, which was dry. Riding along the trail was really strange. The Mississippi was just a few feet away and the flow was really boiling.

About a quarter-mile down the trail was a spot where the trail was covered by water. I made it through that. Another quarter-mile and there was what appeared to be a similar spot. I went it and was immediately up to my pedals in water.

I turned around and headed up to North Broadway. I got to ride, actually at a good clip because it's really flat, through a part of old St. Louis that few people see, and I wouldn't much recommend to tourists. You could make out the old manufacturing businesses, most prominently the former Mallinckrodt facility that was bought by Tyco and spun off to find new life in the growing medical care field last year as Covidien.
Across the street from the plant is the old Bremen bank and a diner called Chili Mac's. There is wholesale commercial plant nursery, with everything laid out on asphalt, and a couple of bag companys. Further South is a closed sign company with an amazing mural on the wall.

The whole levee situation is concerning, but one that is being addressed... finally. Last August FEMA asked the Corps of Engineers if the Illinois and Missouri levees would fail in a 100-year-flood (which, since Global Warning have been happening about ever 15 years). The Corps said yes, indeed we could be up to our eyeballs in the Big Muddy.

This prompted some hand-wringing in Illinois, which feared that it would lose developers who couldn't get flood insurance. But it also prompted three counties in Illinois and the City of St. Louis to cut loose of dollars to fix the situation. In June, a levee conference with Corps of Engineers and local officials from Illinois to California was held here. Among the topics of discussion was what progress has been made here.

“Until August last year, we didn’t know a whole lot about levees or think about them much,”Les Sterman, executive director of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments said. “We had a rude awakening when we were told our levee systems are inadequate, and that the area would be subject to increased flood risk.”