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Saturday, October 29, 2005
FRONT PAGE OF FIRST CAPITOL NEWS - October 29, 2005
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Murder For Hire Plot Foiled By Federal Agents
The office of Bail Bondsman Gerald Cox on Jefferson St where the murder was to occur. First Capitol News Photo by Tony BrockmeyerBy Phyllis Schaltenbrand
Agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have foiled a Murder For Hire plot involving a St. Charles Bondsmen. Virgil Jackson, who worked out of an office at 815 South Fifth Street was arrested and charged Tuesday in an attempt to have a rival Bondsman killed.
According to law enforcement sources, Jackson was upset with another St. Charles Bonds Man, Gerald ‘Jerry’ Cox. Jackson allegedly threatened to kill Cox in December of 2004 because he felt Cox was taking customers from his bail bonding business.
Our source said that in January of this year Jackson told a confidential informant, “Jerry Cox needs a bullet in his head.” Cox operated Cox Bail Bonds on Jefferson Street in St. Charles. Cox is a former St. Charles County Deputy Sheriff and former Missouri State Representative.
On Thursday of last week Jackson allegedly met with the informant at JJ’s Restaurant on South Duchesne in St. Charles. Federal agents recorded the lunch meeting during which the murder for hire of Cox was discussed. The informant; an undercover federal agent working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives drove to Cox’s office on Jefferson where it was reported Jackson discussed how the informant would ambush Cox and kill him after he left his office.
Several days later Jackson provided the informant with a loaded gun and extra ammunition. Shortly thereafter, United States Marshals took Jackson, into custody.
Jackson has been convicted of multiple felonies throughout his life. He has now been charged with possessing a firearm and bullets and could receive a sentence of 15 years to life if convicted.
Writer Of Letter To Editor About Defrocked Priest Threatened
By Tony Brockmeyer
Bob Breidensteiner, a lifetime St. Charles resident, reported to St. Charles Police that he was threatened by telephone late Sunday evening because of a letter he had written and was published in the last edition of the First Capitol News.
Breidensteiner said he was at home Sunday evening when he received a telephone call. “The caller told me in no uncertain terms what he was planning on doing to me. He made it perfectly clear he was threatening my life.”
In the last edition of the First Capitol News, the newspaper had printed a letter from Breidensteiner regarding a former priest at St. Charles Borromeo Church. In his letter, Breidensteiner told of rumors going back about 25 years ago regarding a priest assigned to the parish who was known as Father Duck. Breidensteiner wrote, the rumors at the time implied that the priest was doing more than just his priestly duties with young men in the parish. He also wrote that he contacted the organization headed by David Clohesy that tracks these types of priests and found out the Duck is alive and living in south county and has been sued numerous times by individuals he has allegedly taken advantage of. He has been defrocked and the Catholic Church paid off on two of the suits against him and two additional suits are pending.
Breidensteiner has been a frequent writer of Letters to the Editor and has been a vocal opponent of Mayor Patti York who also serves as a Eucharistic minister at the church. He has been at the front of a movement to recall the Mayor and is a frequent visitor and spokesman at City Council Meetings.
Breidensteiner told the First Capitol News, “They can threaten me all they want but they will not stop me. It is important that we let the people of St. Charles know what outrageous things the Mayor and her cronies are doing and how they are hurting the taxpayers of this fine City. I refuse to be intimidated by their threats. It is evident these people cannot deal with the truth of what has happened and what is happening in this town and they are determined to use any means to keep the public from knowing what they are doing.”
An investigation is being conducted by the St. Charles Police.
Bob Breidensteiner, a lifetime St. Charles resident, reported to St. Charles Police that he was threatened by telephone late Sunday evening because of a letter he had written and was published in the last edition of the First Capitol News.
Breidensteiner said he was at home Sunday evening when he received a telephone call. “The caller told me in no uncertain terms what he was planning on doing to me. He made it perfectly clear he was threatening my life.”
In the last edition of the First Capitol News, the newspaper had printed a letter from Breidensteiner regarding a former priest at St. Charles Borromeo Church. In his letter, Breidensteiner told of rumors going back about 25 years ago regarding a priest assigned to the parish who was known as Father Duck. Breidensteiner wrote, the rumors at the time implied that the priest was doing more than just his priestly duties with young men in the parish. He also wrote that he contacted the organization headed by David Clohesy that tracks these types of priests and found out the Duck is alive and living in south county and has been sued numerous times by individuals he has allegedly taken advantage of. He has been defrocked and the Catholic Church paid off on two of the suits against him and two additional suits are pending.
Breidensteiner has been a frequent writer of Letters to the Editor and has been a vocal opponent of Mayor Patti York who also serves as a Eucharistic minister at the church. He has been at the front of a movement to recall the Mayor and is a frequent visitor and spokesman at City Council Meetings.
Breidensteiner told the First Capitol News, “They can threaten me all they want but they will not stop me. It is important that we let the people of St. Charles know what outrageous things the Mayor and her cronies are doing and how they are hurting the taxpayers of this fine City. I refuse to be intimidated by their threats. It is evident these people cannot deal with the truth of what has happened and what is happening in this town and they are determined to use any means to keep the public from knowing what they are doing.”
An investigation is being conducted by the St. Charles Police.
Contradiction In Testimony Calls Into Question York's Credibility
By Tony Brockmeyer
On September 2, 2005 Mayor Patti York was deposed in the Thomas Mayer vs. City of St. Charles lawsuit. Mayer, a former police officer had filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against all ten council members and the City Attorney Mike Valenti last year. Mayor Patti York is the only elected official not named in the suit.
In May of 2005 York crafted a letter of recommendation to St. Louis police chief Joe Mokwa regarding Thomas Mayer. The First Capitol News’s was the first to break the story of the letter. In the letter York states…………..
Since 2001 we have had some Councilmen who have gone out of their way to single out and harass Sergeant Mayer, both in public and behind the scenes. It was obvious to many of our residents that Sergeant Mayer was a target by certain Councilmen because he was constantly being written about in a local paper that stoops well below the gutter when “reporting” the news. This harassment has gone on ever since, and yet in every instance, Sergeant Mayer performed as he always does; with absolute decorum, with great skill and as the true professional he is.
This firing was truly and only a political “payback” to Sergeant Mayer. I believe this in every way because he has withstood deep harassment from certain Councilmen for such a long time and his reaction was to resolve the harassment by filing a lawsuit against these men. I believe he will be successful.
During the deposition the lawyer for the City, Chet Pleban, asked York why she wrote the letter and if she thought about Mayer’s pending lawsuit before she sent the letter. Chet Pleban asked York. “At the time when you wrote the letter of recommendation, did you know that Thomas Mayer had filed a lawsuit against the City of St. Charles and the members of the City Council both in their individual and official capacities? York replied, “Yes”. Pleban continued to try to find out why York would jeopardize the City of St. Charles taxpayers with this potentially damming letter of recommendation. Pleban asked York, “Did you take that consideration when you wrote this letter? York replied, “Honestly, no”. I didn’t really think about it. The letter to Mokwa clearly says that she believes Mayer will be successful in his lawsuit, yet she testified that she didn’t really think about it. Pleban went on to ask, “Did you consider in any respect the impact of this letter on the lawsuit? York answered, “No, I did not. This was something that was put together, as I said before, kind of leveling the playing field and trying to get some of this out in the open. It was truly allegations. There’s things I heard, the gossip, the rumors around and tried to put some of those to rest.” Pleban then asked, “If I understand your testimony correctly, the bottom line here is that Thomas Mayer is a friend of yours, correct? York answered, “Yes”.
The testimony clearly shows that York wrote the letter knowing that her admitted friend was fired from the City of St. Charles, had a multi million dollar law suit against the City and she told Chief Joe Mokwa, she was confident Mayer would prevail.
“York appears to have placed her friendship over the best interest of the City and the City taxpayers. This is very irresponsible of the Mayor of St. Charles.” stated Joe Koester, councilman Ward 9. Councilman John Gieseke, Ward 8 questioned York’s statements that the City Administrator had disclosed the reasons for Mayer’s firing. Gieseke told the FCN’s, “Williams has never told us the reasons for Mayer’s dismissal and I wouldn’t think he would until the appeal process was complete yet York testified under oath that it happened but it never did.” There seems to be a number of inconsistencies in York’s testimony that leads one to wonder why the Mayor of the City of St. Charles would write such a letter.
York testified that she had been told the reasons why Mayer was fired in closed session so she couldn’t talk under oath about the reasons. Pleban questioned why under oath she felt the closed session information was confidential yet she sent a letter about Mayer’s termination to Chief Mokwa and that information would have been relayed to her during closed session. “The truth is she couldn’t have been told the reasons in closed session because the council would have been there to hear the reasons. It did not happen in closed session. If you look at the testimony that she never discussed this with anyone other than her son you see the reason she had to testify that she heard it in closed session. She would have to come clean and really tell the truth that she had been speaking with Mayer the whole time and that is why she wrote the letter.” Councilman Mark Brown, Ward 3.
Thomas Mayer and Mayor Patti York have both hired the same Public Relations firm to do work for them. Glennon Jamboretz and his Glennon Company has been working for Thomas Mayer and the FOP. In February of 2005 York began to pay Jamboretz’s companies, Lafayette Partnership and Sarah Collins & Associates, from the City treasury. According to many on the Council the two are seemingly working in concert with one another in an effort to gain control of the council so the City will settle with Mayer on his lawsuit.
On September 2, 2005 Mayor Patti York was deposed in the Thomas Mayer vs. City of St. Charles lawsuit. Mayer, a former police officer had filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against all ten council members and the City Attorney Mike Valenti last year. Mayor Patti York is the only elected official not named in the suit.
In May of 2005 York crafted a letter of recommendation to St. Louis police chief Joe Mokwa regarding Thomas Mayer. The First Capitol News’s was the first to break the story of the letter. In the letter York states…………..
Since 2001 we have had some Councilmen who have gone out of their way to single out and harass Sergeant Mayer, both in public and behind the scenes. It was obvious to many of our residents that Sergeant Mayer was a target by certain Councilmen because he was constantly being written about in a local paper that stoops well below the gutter when “reporting” the news. This harassment has gone on ever since, and yet in every instance, Sergeant Mayer performed as he always does; with absolute decorum, with great skill and as the true professional he is.
This firing was truly and only a political “payback” to Sergeant Mayer. I believe this in every way because he has withstood deep harassment from certain Councilmen for such a long time and his reaction was to resolve the harassment by filing a lawsuit against these men. I believe he will be successful.
During the deposition the lawyer for the City, Chet Pleban, asked York why she wrote the letter and if she thought about Mayer’s pending lawsuit before she sent the letter. Chet Pleban asked York. “At the time when you wrote the letter of recommendation, did you know that Thomas Mayer had filed a lawsuit against the City of St. Charles and the members of the City Council both in their individual and official capacities? York replied, “Yes”. Pleban continued to try to find out why York would jeopardize the City of St. Charles taxpayers with this potentially damming letter of recommendation. Pleban asked York, “Did you take that consideration when you wrote this letter? York replied, “Honestly, no”. I didn’t really think about it. The letter to Mokwa clearly says that she believes Mayer will be successful in his lawsuit, yet she testified that she didn’t really think about it. Pleban went on to ask, “Did you consider in any respect the impact of this letter on the lawsuit? York answered, “No, I did not. This was something that was put together, as I said before, kind of leveling the playing field and trying to get some of this out in the open. It was truly allegations. There’s things I heard, the gossip, the rumors around and tried to put some of those to rest.” Pleban then asked, “If I understand your testimony correctly, the bottom line here is that Thomas Mayer is a friend of yours, correct? York answered, “Yes”.
The testimony clearly shows that York wrote the letter knowing that her admitted friend was fired from the City of St. Charles, had a multi million dollar law suit against the City and she told Chief Joe Mokwa, she was confident Mayer would prevail.
“York appears to have placed her friendship over the best interest of the City and the City taxpayers. This is very irresponsible of the Mayor of St. Charles.” stated Joe Koester, councilman Ward 9. Councilman John Gieseke, Ward 8 questioned York’s statements that the City Administrator had disclosed the reasons for Mayer’s firing. Gieseke told the FCN’s, “Williams has never told us the reasons for Mayer’s dismissal and I wouldn’t think he would until the appeal process was complete yet York testified under oath that it happened but it never did.” There seems to be a number of inconsistencies in York’s testimony that leads one to wonder why the Mayor of the City of St. Charles would write such a letter.
York testified that she had been told the reasons why Mayer was fired in closed session so she couldn’t talk under oath about the reasons. Pleban questioned why under oath she felt the closed session information was confidential yet she sent a letter about Mayer’s termination to Chief Mokwa and that information would have been relayed to her during closed session. “The truth is she couldn’t have been told the reasons in closed session because the council would have been there to hear the reasons. It did not happen in closed session. If you look at the testimony that she never discussed this with anyone other than her son you see the reason she had to testify that she heard it in closed session. She would have to come clean and really tell the truth that she had been speaking with Mayer the whole time and that is why she wrote the letter.” Councilman Mark Brown, Ward 3.
Thomas Mayer and Mayor Patti York have both hired the same Public Relations firm to do work for them. Glennon Jamboretz and his Glennon Company has been working for Thomas Mayer and the FOP. In February of 2005 York began to pay Jamboretz’s companies, Lafayette Partnership and Sarah Collins & Associates, from the City treasury. According to many on the Council the two are seemingly working in concert with one another in an effort to gain control of the council so the City will settle with Mayer on his lawsuit.
RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR - Tony Brockmeyer
I am someone who believes in the representative form of government. The only exception to that rule is when a process designed to protect the taxpayers from despicable politicians is abused. Today we have the potential for the first recall election since the charter was instituted. The ironic thing about it is the recall is taking place in a Ward where the last legally elected official violated the law by drinking and driving, then while in custody he allegedly tried to bribe a police officer with a take home car. The people of the Ward sat by and did nothing.
Now there is an attempt to recall Council woman Dottie Greer. Did she commit a crime? Did she violate the charter? No, to both. So what has this person done? When the residents of her Ward could not get any help from their Councilman, Dan Gould, and he challenged her to run for the office if she could do better, she cared enough about the City and Ward 7 to place her name on the ballot. She won the election. Dottie Greer has been someone who truly believes that solving problems and representing her ward is not done by what the “in the know” and “the movers and shakers” want. No, she believes in trying to do what is best for her residents. What are the thanks some residents show? They are taken in by a “paid for by campaign” that was far from a grass roots effort. This was bought and paid for by likes of TR Hughes and Glennon Jamboretz and Ken Kielty. It now appears it might have been paid for by Mayor York using city tax dollars.
To the people of Ward 7, you are the first to ask for a recall. I just want to find out if you knew that those circulating the petitions were paid help from Rolla, Fairview Heights, St. Louis, and Ferguson. Did you know this was not a grass roots effort but a clever campaign that cost over $15,000 to complete (which by the way was more than all the money spent in the last election), and did you really know that this was a recall election petition before you signed it? If you really want the best government money can buy, then stay silent. If you want to stand up and say money can’t buy my signature then come forward and tell us what led you to sign and we will get you the proper forms to get your name off the petition. Your name can be taken off by filling out a simple form, so if you were misled and lied to by these people please contact us.
Now there is an attempt to recall Council woman Dottie Greer. Did she commit a crime? Did she violate the charter? No, to both. So what has this person done? When the residents of her Ward could not get any help from their Councilman, Dan Gould, and he challenged her to run for the office if she could do better, she cared enough about the City and Ward 7 to place her name on the ballot. She won the election. Dottie Greer has been someone who truly believes that solving problems and representing her ward is not done by what the “in the know” and “the movers and shakers” want. No, she believes in trying to do what is best for her residents. What are the thanks some residents show? They are taken in by a “paid for by campaign” that was far from a grass roots effort. This was bought and paid for by likes of TR Hughes and Glennon Jamboretz and Ken Kielty. It now appears it might have been paid for by Mayor York using city tax dollars.
To the people of Ward 7, you are the first to ask for a recall. I just want to find out if you knew that those circulating the petitions were paid help from Rolla, Fairview Heights, St. Louis, and Ferguson. Did you know this was not a grass roots effort but a clever campaign that cost over $15,000 to complete (which by the way was more than all the money spent in the last election), and did you really know that this was a recall election petition before you signed it? If you really want the best government money can buy, then stay silent. If you want to stand up and say money can’t buy my signature then come forward and tell us what led you to sign and we will get you the proper forms to get your name off the petition. Your name can be taken off by filling out a simple form, so if you were misled and lied to by these people please contact us.
CASE IN POINT By Joe Koester, Councilman Ward 9
Going once, going twice, going three times…to the vote of the people.
Once upon a time, a man was elected to the office of Governor of California. This elected official had committed no crime, however, a select few industrial leaders with very deep pockets decided that they didn’t like this elected official’s plans to re-regulate energy and cut into their ever-growing profits so they decided to begin a recall that would play on the public’s frustration over increasingly frequent brownouts and skyrocketing energy costs!
At the time, the populace was ignorant to the fact that those funding the recall were tied directly to the problems and cost increases that they were experiencing. Later the public would learn that the brownouts were created by design and hear with disgust taped recordings made by these robber barons where they laughed gleefully about the so-called “energy crisis.”
…the “Governator” was born and the integrity of public office died.
California Republicans and big money had opened a can of worms that soon found its way to Saint Charles County. Jeff Morrison was elected to office but an unpopular stance catapulted him right into a recall.
The next local elected official to face recall was Dottie Greer. What reason had been given to overturn the results of this duly elected official? What terrible crime or misdemeanor had this official committed that caused powerful developers and the movers and shakers to spend thousands of dollars (and the way it looks, our taxpayers’ dollars) to begin a recall using hired help (and at $5/signature, the potential hourly wage wasn’t too shabby)?
After a failed attempt to make the sale of fireworks illegal, Dottie Greer offered up a compromise city ordinance to limit the use of fireworks to three days and in return the City would expect stricter enforcement. The result was the issuance of more summonses for the illegal use of firework than ever before, in fact, the ordinance on the books was never enforced! Dottie also supported a flag post style cellular tower on church property within her ward to solve severe lack of cellular coverage in the area.
Doesn’t every elected official regularly make unpopular choices? How many elected officials have taken tough, unpopular stances throughout the years that might have resulted in their recall had we played by the current game rules? These willy-nilly recall petitions undermine the result of our elections, cost our community resources, intimidate elected officials from taking difficult stances, and deter Jacksonian Democracy in favor of elitist politics.
Our City should consider a charter amendment that provides for recalls when elected officials commit crimes, not when they step on the toes of the powerful!
Once upon a time, a man was elected to the office of Governor of California. This elected official had committed no crime, however, a select few industrial leaders with very deep pockets decided that they didn’t like this elected official’s plans to re-regulate energy and cut into their ever-growing profits so they decided to begin a recall that would play on the public’s frustration over increasingly frequent brownouts and skyrocketing energy costs!
At the time, the populace was ignorant to the fact that those funding the recall were tied directly to the problems and cost increases that they were experiencing. Later the public would learn that the brownouts were created by design and hear with disgust taped recordings made by these robber barons where they laughed gleefully about the so-called “energy crisis.”
…the “Governator” was born and the integrity of public office died.
California Republicans and big money had opened a can of worms that soon found its way to Saint Charles County. Jeff Morrison was elected to office but an unpopular stance catapulted him right into a recall.
The next local elected official to face recall was Dottie Greer. What reason had been given to overturn the results of this duly elected official? What terrible crime or misdemeanor had this official committed that caused powerful developers and the movers and shakers to spend thousands of dollars (and the way it looks, our taxpayers’ dollars) to begin a recall using hired help (and at $5/signature, the potential hourly wage wasn’t too shabby)?
After a failed attempt to make the sale of fireworks illegal, Dottie Greer offered up a compromise city ordinance to limit the use of fireworks to three days and in return the City would expect stricter enforcement. The result was the issuance of more summonses for the illegal use of firework than ever before, in fact, the ordinance on the books was never enforced! Dottie also supported a flag post style cellular tower on church property within her ward to solve severe lack of cellular coverage in the area.
Doesn’t every elected official regularly make unpopular choices? How many elected officials have taken tough, unpopular stances throughout the years that might have resulted in their recall had we played by the current game rules? These willy-nilly recall petitions undermine the result of our elections, cost our community resources, intimidate elected officials from taking difficult stances, and deter Jacksonian Democracy in favor of elitist politics.
Our City should consider a charter amendment that provides for recalls when elected officials commit crimes, not when they step on the toes of the powerful!
THE CONSERVATIVE FACTOR - Alex Spencer
Karl Rove has long served as President George Bush’s political mastermind. He runs the White House’s political operations, which means he is involved in virtually every congressional race in the country.
But recently, Karl Rove has been embroiled in his own controversy: a special prosecutor is investigating him over the alleged leak of some classified information. Now political pundits are openly questioning whether Rove being distracted with the possibility of an indictment may cause the Republicans problems during the mid-term elections.
Here in St. Charles, Adolphus Busch IV appears to be suffering similar problems. He formed a club of rich St. Louis duck-hunters dedicated to the principle that those with inherited wealth should be able to bully or buy enough local politicians to stop anyone from moving too close to their duck-hunting preserves. His primary target was stopping St. Peters’ proposed development along 370 Highway. And his buddies kicked in the bucks to fund a huge political spin machine deceptively named the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance.
But money alone doesn’t buy elections. Someone has to run the operation. Someone has to write the attack pieces against politicians that can’t be bought. Someone has to do what Karl Rove does for the President. So the duck brethren turned to St. Louis spin-doctor Glenn Jamboretz and his public relations company.
With Jamboretz writing the attack pieces, the duck gang scored an early surprise success by unseating the primary architect behind the 370 project, St. Peters Mayor Tom Brown. But despite that, the St. Peters Board of Aldermen kept pushing the 370 project forward. Jamboretz couldn’t get Adolphus and his guys what they wanted most: all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put the duck hunters’ paradise back together again.
And when Adolphus ran to federal court to stop the project, the judge said that not only was the Army Corp of Engineers right that the project would not hurt the flood plain, but because the project includes setting aside a bunch of acres for wetlands, St. Peters was actually protecting the environment. So much for Adolphus’ claim to be a great environmentalist.
Things are not going well for the great white duck hunters. No one appears to be at the wheel. A little like Karl Rove, Adolphus’ man about town appears to be mightily distracted by his extracurricular problems.
For example, Jamboretz is orchestrating the recall attempts against St. Charles City Council members Mark Brown and Dottie Greer. He claims to have the signatures to start the recall election against Darling Dottie. But Jamboretz may have gotten a little bit sloppy on this one. He paid a $5 bounty for each signature. Not unexpectedly, it looks like some of the St. Louis “bounty hunters” Jamboretz brought in may have simply forged the signatures. And they totaled their bounties right on their petition forms. They must know not to trust Jamboretz when it comes to money.
And Jamboretz got caught with his hand in the St. Charles City taxpayers’ cookie jar. Mayor York loved Jamboretz’s efforts to recall her political critics on the Council. She apparently decided to reward Jamboretz by funneling him (through an assortment of empty shell companies) juicy city contracts worth more than $15,000. All Jamboretz had to do was produce the Mayor’s State of the City Report. The problem is that despite the Mayor signing off that the work had been done, Jamboretz may not have bothered to write the report—at least, the Mayor apparently couldn’t produce it when asked.
Something tells me that Jamboretz is busily squirreled away trying to finish his “homework” that is now past due. The best evidence of this is that his Frankenstein in St. Peters, Mayor Shawn Brown, appears to be responding to his own scandal about his haunted house without any advice from Jamboretz.
Last week, Shawn found himself under fire for trying to hide that he secretly owned the haunted house in St. Peters. Any political advisor worth his salt would have told Shawn to lay low. Responding to those types of allegations (especially when they are true) will just end up getting them repeated in the press. Politicos call this type of mistake “extending the cycle.”
But Shawn went out there screaming to the press. He told the press that when he formed his company to run the haunted house he put down the wrong address because “nobody needed to know it was the Mayor.” He admits that he deliberately didn’t put down his real address because he didn’t want the Aldermen to know of his involvement with the project until after it was cleared by the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission. Shawn thinks that the Aldermen are out to get him.
He also told the press that the Chief at Central County Fire and Rescue unfairly required him to put in $4000 in safety equipment in his haunted house. Shawn alleges that the Chief did it because the fire department is running the other haunted house in the County — the Haunted Hotel. Shawn thinks that the Chief is out to get him
Shawn also told the press that St. Peters’ Suburban Journal, which broke the story, had falsely reported that he used an incorrect address. When that paper confirmed their facts and refused to retract the earlier report, Shawn claimed that the paper was working for former Mayor Tom Brown. Shawn thinks the Suburban Journal is out to get him.
But the crème de le crème of Shawn’s misstatements to the press relates to his boat. Apparently, some clever reporter found out that he doesn’t use his real address when registering his boat. Shawn was quoted as saying, “I may be the mayor of St. Peters, but why would I pay (higher taxes) down here (in St. Peters) when I can pay at the Ralls County rate?” Apparently the fact that the people of St. Peters pay Shawn $43,000 per year to be Mayor isn’t enough of a reason for him to actually pay his St. Peters taxes. With statements like that, I think Shawn should be worried that he is out to get himself.
Where in the world is a muzzle for Mayor Shawn Brown? Where in the world is Glenn Jamboretz? Maybe after he gets Mayor York’s homework done, he can stop Mayor Brown from committing political suicide.
But wait, duck season starts next week. And Adolphus, Jamboretz and their buddies only got into this to protect their duck hunting. All the county’s empty suit “duck” politicians may be on their own until the mallards are again off limits in January.
But recently, Karl Rove has been embroiled in his own controversy: a special prosecutor is investigating him over the alleged leak of some classified information. Now political pundits are openly questioning whether Rove being distracted with the possibility of an indictment may cause the Republicans problems during the mid-term elections.
Here in St. Charles, Adolphus Busch IV appears to be suffering similar problems. He formed a club of rich St. Louis duck-hunters dedicated to the principle that those with inherited wealth should be able to bully or buy enough local politicians to stop anyone from moving too close to their duck-hunting preserves. His primary target was stopping St. Peters’ proposed development along 370 Highway. And his buddies kicked in the bucks to fund a huge political spin machine deceptively named the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance.
But money alone doesn’t buy elections. Someone has to run the operation. Someone has to write the attack pieces against politicians that can’t be bought. Someone has to do what Karl Rove does for the President. So the duck brethren turned to St. Louis spin-doctor Glenn Jamboretz and his public relations company.
With Jamboretz writing the attack pieces, the duck gang scored an early surprise success by unseating the primary architect behind the 370 project, St. Peters Mayor Tom Brown. But despite that, the St. Peters Board of Aldermen kept pushing the 370 project forward. Jamboretz couldn’t get Adolphus and his guys what they wanted most: all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put the duck hunters’ paradise back together again.
And when Adolphus ran to federal court to stop the project, the judge said that not only was the Army Corp of Engineers right that the project would not hurt the flood plain, but because the project includes setting aside a bunch of acres for wetlands, St. Peters was actually protecting the environment. So much for Adolphus’ claim to be a great environmentalist.
Things are not going well for the great white duck hunters. No one appears to be at the wheel. A little like Karl Rove, Adolphus’ man about town appears to be mightily distracted by his extracurricular problems.
For example, Jamboretz is orchestrating the recall attempts against St. Charles City Council members Mark Brown and Dottie Greer. He claims to have the signatures to start the recall election against Darling Dottie. But Jamboretz may have gotten a little bit sloppy on this one. He paid a $5 bounty for each signature. Not unexpectedly, it looks like some of the St. Louis “bounty hunters” Jamboretz brought in may have simply forged the signatures. And they totaled their bounties right on their petition forms. They must know not to trust Jamboretz when it comes to money.
And Jamboretz got caught with his hand in the St. Charles City taxpayers’ cookie jar. Mayor York loved Jamboretz’s efforts to recall her political critics on the Council. She apparently decided to reward Jamboretz by funneling him (through an assortment of empty shell companies) juicy city contracts worth more than $15,000. All Jamboretz had to do was produce the Mayor’s State of the City Report. The problem is that despite the Mayor signing off that the work had been done, Jamboretz may not have bothered to write the report—at least, the Mayor apparently couldn’t produce it when asked.
Something tells me that Jamboretz is busily squirreled away trying to finish his “homework” that is now past due. The best evidence of this is that his Frankenstein in St. Peters, Mayor Shawn Brown, appears to be responding to his own scandal about his haunted house without any advice from Jamboretz.
Last week, Shawn found himself under fire for trying to hide that he secretly owned the haunted house in St. Peters. Any political advisor worth his salt would have told Shawn to lay low. Responding to those types of allegations (especially when they are true) will just end up getting them repeated in the press. Politicos call this type of mistake “extending the cycle.”
But Shawn went out there screaming to the press. He told the press that when he formed his company to run the haunted house he put down the wrong address because “nobody needed to know it was the Mayor.” He admits that he deliberately didn’t put down his real address because he didn’t want the Aldermen to know of his involvement with the project until after it was cleared by the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission. Shawn thinks that the Aldermen are out to get him.
He also told the press that the Chief at Central County Fire and Rescue unfairly required him to put in $4000 in safety equipment in his haunted house. Shawn alleges that the Chief did it because the fire department is running the other haunted house in the County — the Haunted Hotel. Shawn thinks that the Chief is out to get him
Shawn also told the press that St. Peters’ Suburban Journal, which broke the story, had falsely reported that he used an incorrect address. When that paper confirmed their facts and refused to retract the earlier report, Shawn claimed that the paper was working for former Mayor Tom Brown. Shawn thinks the Suburban Journal is out to get him.
But the crème de le crème of Shawn’s misstatements to the press relates to his boat. Apparently, some clever reporter found out that he doesn’t use his real address when registering his boat. Shawn was quoted as saying, “I may be the mayor of St. Peters, but why would I pay (higher taxes) down here (in St. Peters) when I can pay at the Ralls County rate?” Apparently the fact that the people of St. Peters pay Shawn $43,000 per year to be Mayor isn’t enough of a reason for him to actually pay his St. Peters taxes. With statements like that, I think Shawn should be worried that he is out to get himself.
Where in the world is a muzzle for Mayor Shawn Brown? Where in the world is Glenn Jamboretz? Maybe after he gets Mayor York’s homework done, he can stop Mayor Brown from committing political suicide.
But wait, duck season starts next week. And Adolphus, Jamboretz and their buddies only got into this to protect their duck hunting. All the county’s empty suit “duck” politicians may be on their own until the mallards are again off limits in January.
CITY ISSUES - THE CITY WATCHMAN
CITY ISSUES
By The City Watchman, R. L. Greer-Author
“”Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” (Proverbs 16:18-19 NKJV)
It appears St Charles has it’s own form of terrorist group as those in Iraqi and Afghanistan, only this group uses the power of words as their bombs and weapon of destruction by desiring to use lies, untruths, innuendoes and twisted forms of the English language. Through the use of hateful statements and remarks, this group with its (consisting of approximately seven main individuals) leaders are dividing this County in half and doing a terrible injustice to the citizens of St Charles County.
Since 1968 the City of St Charles has never experienced such events that have taken place recently through decisions by the current Council, simply because those decisions have been to improve the quality of life of the residents and save taxpayers money but fortunately are contrary to the past agendas. Those prior decisions affected the residents but were designed to benefit a select few or special interests, all at the expense of the residents.
I opened this column with the above scripture for the sole purpose to speak to the tactics being used by these individuals who are set out to destroy the character and reputation of good honest and sincere individuals who were elected to be public servants not politicians. This column is not meant to be a sermon, for hopefully they are receiving theirs from their own individual Pastors. Looking closely at the various statements this group has made; they are extremely negative/hateful and appeal to the feeling of emotion. Everyone knows the consequence of making decisions based on personal emotion. Destruction! After reading some of these statements it is apparent the intent is not to improve the situation by offering sound solutions but to tear down and ridicule. The phrases used certainly are not what one would expect to read if that person was in tune with the Heavenly Father. None of these individuals know or have attempted to contact the Council Representative they are attacking to learn that person’s reasons for their decisions or to determine the character of that person. I can assure everyone the decisions made by Dottie Greer are based on sound moral and ethical principles and are made only after thorough research by reading the hundreds on pages of material furnished and then asking questions. The same questions many constituents would ask.
An election could take place in February 2006 that will allow the registered voters of Ward 7 to decide if they want their elected representative to continue to represent them. You the taxpayer will pay the cost of this special election. If the opposition is successful there will have to be an additional election to select a representative. You the taxpayer will pay the costs of this additional special election. One has to wonder what serious reason would require a negative vote. The accusation given so far centers on the fireworks issue. The Council Representative sponsored responsible legislation this past summer to tighten enforcement of violations. Past years are reported to have experienced few or none summons issued. This summer 30 summons were issued, a 3,000% improvement. The number of days legal for the firing of fireworks is restricted to two. Prior, when there was no legal days did you hear fireworks going off on more than one day? In prior years did the police authorities respond and issue a summon if a complaint call was made? Parental responsibility is now in ordinance form to be responsible for their underage children violating the ordinance. The sale of bottle rockets has been banned in the City of St Charles. Firework companies are seeking a ban on bottle rockets at the state level. The Council passed a resolution to encourage the state legislature to ban the sale of bottle rockets statewide. Has the opposition shared with you any of the above facts? Have you been told how the opponents propose enforcement if fireworks were banned entirely in the City when people would still be able to purchase them elsewhere and still fire them off? The Mayor and City Administrator attempted to not provide the funds necessary to cover the costs for enforcement this past summer by questioning the use of additional funds received from fireworks stands. The final words spoken by Jesus Christ hanging on the cross speaks quite clearly on the situation in which the residents of Ward 7 find themselves. “Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do.”
I encourage every individual to be their own watchman by searching out the true facts and not be swayed by sensational and irrational statements. Call your Council Representative; speak to him or her yourself. Learn their views regarding the status of the City. Seek answers by asking questions. Let your views be known. Attend a Council Meeting. See for yourself the goings on that are not shown on the television screen; i.e. the Mayor walking up to speak to a Council Person; the City Administrator walking out of the room, both taking place while the meeting is in session. And observe the antics of certain Council members. The Mayor refers to herself as the Chief Executive Officer of the City. What Corporate Board of Directors or Stockholders would retain their CEO while violating his/her position responsibilities? The same situations we have read about the past six months. Is our Mayor performing like a true CEO?
Think About It !
Truth will prevail !
By The City Watchman, R. L. Greer-Author
“”Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” (Proverbs 16:18-19 NKJV)
It appears St Charles has it’s own form of terrorist group as those in Iraqi and Afghanistan, only this group uses the power of words as their bombs and weapon of destruction by desiring to use lies, untruths, innuendoes and twisted forms of the English language. Through the use of hateful statements and remarks, this group with its (consisting of approximately seven main individuals) leaders are dividing this County in half and doing a terrible injustice to the citizens of St Charles County.
Since 1968 the City of St Charles has never experienced such events that have taken place recently through decisions by the current Council, simply because those decisions have been to improve the quality of life of the residents and save taxpayers money but fortunately are contrary to the past agendas. Those prior decisions affected the residents but were designed to benefit a select few or special interests, all at the expense of the residents.
I opened this column with the above scripture for the sole purpose to speak to the tactics being used by these individuals who are set out to destroy the character and reputation of good honest and sincere individuals who were elected to be public servants not politicians. This column is not meant to be a sermon, for hopefully they are receiving theirs from their own individual Pastors. Looking closely at the various statements this group has made; they are extremely negative/hateful and appeal to the feeling of emotion. Everyone knows the consequence of making decisions based on personal emotion. Destruction! After reading some of these statements it is apparent the intent is not to improve the situation by offering sound solutions but to tear down and ridicule. The phrases used certainly are not what one would expect to read if that person was in tune with the Heavenly Father. None of these individuals know or have attempted to contact the Council Representative they are attacking to learn that person’s reasons for their decisions or to determine the character of that person. I can assure everyone the decisions made by Dottie Greer are based on sound moral and ethical principles and are made only after thorough research by reading the hundreds on pages of material furnished and then asking questions. The same questions many constituents would ask.
An election could take place in February 2006 that will allow the registered voters of Ward 7 to decide if they want their elected representative to continue to represent them. You the taxpayer will pay the cost of this special election. If the opposition is successful there will have to be an additional election to select a representative. You the taxpayer will pay the costs of this additional special election. One has to wonder what serious reason would require a negative vote. The accusation given so far centers on the fireworks issue. The Council Representative sponsored responsible legislation this past summer to tighten enforcement of violations. Past years are reported to have experienced few or none summons issued. This summer 30 summons were issued, a 3,000% improvement. The number of days legal for the firing of fireworks is restricted to two. Prior, when there was no legal days did you hear fireworks going off on more than one day? In prior years did the police authorities respond and issue a summon if a complaint call was made? Parental responsibility is now in ordinance form to be responsible for their underage children violating the ordinance. The sale of bottle rockets has been banned in the City of St Charles. Firework companies are seeking a ban on bottle rockets at the state level. The Council passed a resolution to encourage the state legislature to ban the sale of bottle rockets statewide. Has the opposition shared with you any of the above facts? Have you been told how the opponents propose enforcement if fireworks were banned entirely in the City when people would still be able to purchase them elsewhere and still fire them off? The Mayor and City Administrator attempted to not provide the funds necessary to cover the costs for enforcement this past summer by questioning the use of additional funds received from fireworks stands. The final words spoken by Jesus Christ hanging on the cross speaks quite clearly on the situation in which the residents of Ward 7 find themselves. “Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do.”
I encourage every individual to be their own watchman by searching out the true facts and not be swayed by sensational and irrational statements. Call your Council Representative; speak to him or her yourself. Learn their views regarding the status of the City. Seek answers by asking questions. Let your views be known. Attend a Council Meeting. See for yourself the goings on that are not shown on the television screen; i.e. the Mayor walking up to speak to a Council Person; the City Administrator walking out of the room, both taking place while the meeting is in session. And observe the antics of certain Council members. The Mayor refers to herself as the Chief Executive Officer of the City. What Corporate Board of Directors or Stockholders would retain their CEO while violating his/her position responsibilities? The same situations we have read about the past six months. Is our Mayor performing like a true CEO?
Think About It !
Truth will prevail !
THE CITY DESK - City Council President Rory Riddler
Growing Up In A Haunted House
(A Halloween Treat)
Having grown up in a haunted house, I’ve always been somewhat sympathetic to those who claim to have seen or heard something out of the ordinary. But those experiences also never particularly frightened me as a young child. Every child is the lord of his or her own domain, whether being raised in a modest Midwestern home, or a grass thatched hut on the plains of Africa. Kids aren’t about to let a few bumps in the night keep them from their favorite playtime “haunts”. It takes time to learn to be afraid.
I was around four or five years old when I saw my first and only ghost. Not the floating bed sheet kind or the wispy garden variety. No, my ghost had to be towering over me (though most things towered over me at five). It was night and I had left the comforting light of the kitchen to go into the darkened living room. I turned around to face the fireplace and there it was. The apparition had a light about him that gave off a green glow.
He just stood there in the living room. I say it was a he because whatever it was left me with that impression, but I couldn’t tell you what he wore. He didn’t seem to pay any attention to me or speak. I wanted to run an tell my parents, but couldn’t quite bring myself to move or cry out. It was the first and only time I’ve had that sensation.
The apparition finally moved off towards the enclosed front porch and I was free to run to my parents and tell them of the strange green man. I was probably given a hug and ushered off to bed. No one pays much attention to a child’s “imaginary” friend.
What I wasn’t told till many years later, was the next day a neighbor had asked my parents what the green light was they had seen on our porch.
It was the last time I ever saw the ghost (or what I thought was a ghost). But it wasn’t the last supernatural incident. My parents bought us a Scottish terrier when I was about ten. Every once in a while “Duffy” would start barking at thin air. Sometimes he would jump, start scratching at a spot in the floor and then follow whatever “wasn’t” there through the house. Once he got whatever “it” was to the front porch and out the door, he settled down self-contentedly.
When my parents moved us to our home on North Benton in 1970, Duffy never felt the need to “exorcise” that same way again.
There was also an old table in the house that always creaked at the same time each night. I remember my parents laughing about it. It was a low-lying long table that had been used in an old school in St. Louis. My family has the table now, but it stopped being an annoyance once we left the old house.
There were also things that moved on there own, but nothing that we observed first hand. The worst incident was the spring my Father went to get the window fan out of the basement to install. For those of you younger than forty, it was how people survived before air conditioning. The fan had been undisturbed in a corner of the basement all winter. But when he took it out, every fan blade had been bent.
These were heavy-duty steel blades inside a steel cage. The cage didn’t have a mark on it. It would have been very awkward for someone to have gotten to the blades, let alone bend them.
What I don’t remember was ever being afraid in the house. We lived there from when I was about two till I turned fifteen. It wasn’t that old of a home back then, probably being built in the 20’s or ‘30s. But it sat about a hundred feet from a much older building, that we were told by some elderly neighbors, enclosed a partial log structure and had served as a stage coach inn.
Of course belief in ghosts or ghost stories are as old as man. The first recorded description of a ghost can be traced back to 2,000 B.C. This first ever ghost story is in The Epic of Gilgamesh, etched in cuneiform clay tablets from Babylon. The story tells of the hero Gilgamesh and the ghost of his dead friend, Enkidu. Here is an excerpt:
“And Nergal, accustomed to absurd orders, obeyed as soldiers do.
He freed Enkidu to speak once to kin
and showed Gilgamesh how to descend halfway
to Hell through the bowels of earth.
Enkidu’s shadow rose slowly toward the living
and the brothers, tearful and weak,
tried to hug, tried to speak,
tried and failed to do anything but sob.
“Speak to me please, dear brother,” whispered Gilgamesh.
“Tell me of death and where you are.”
“Not willingly do I speak of death,”
said Enkidu in slow reply.
“But if you wish to sit for a brief
time, I will describe where I do stay.”
“Yes,” his brother said in early grief.
“All my skin and all my bones are dead now.
All my skin and all my bones are now dead.
“Oh no” cried Gilgamesh without relief.
“Oh no,” sobbed one enclosed by grief.
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (born around 70 A.D.) was perhaps the most famous Roman Historian who is our greatest source of information about the early Imperial families. His work Lives Of The Caesars has been the major basis for famous works from Shakespeare Anthony And Cleopatra to the I Claudius series. He also passed along a ghost story from his own time. Writing about the life of Augustus Caesar he made the following observation about a haunted villa:
“In the country mansion, near Velitrae, which belonged to Augustus’s grandfather, a small room, not unlike a butler’s pantry, is still shown and described as Augustus’s nursery...It has long been believed that casual visitors would be overcome by a sudden awful terror; and recently this was proved true when, one night, a new owner of the mansion, either from ignorance or because he wanted to test the truth of the belief, went to sleep in the room. A few hours later he was hurled out of bed by a supernatural agency and found lying half-dead against the door, bedclothes and all.”
It reads more like a scene from a modern B rated movie thriller than a description of a haunted house over 1,900 years ago.
I’m happy to report my own home is quiet and nothing the least “supernatural” has occurred here despite the building dating to the 1860s. That is if you don’t count the three imaginary playmates our daughter told my wife about when she was five.
Three spinster sisters had remained in the house together till the last one passed on. The house, built by their father, had been owned by their family for ninety years.
Three imaginary playmates...three spinster sisters...hmmmm, probably just a coincidence.
Happy Halloween!
(A Halloween Treat)
Having grown up in a haunted house, I’ve always been somewhat sympathetic to those who claim to have seen or heard something out of the ordinary. But those experiences also never particularly frightened me as a young child. Every child is the lord of his or her own domain, whether being raised in a modest Midwestern home, or a grass thatched hut on the plains of Africa. Kids aren’t about to let a few bumps in the night keep them from their favorite playtime “haunts”. It takes time to learn to be afraid.
I was around four or five years old when I saw my first and only ghost. Not the floating bed sheet kind or the wispy garden variety. No, my ghost had to be towering over me (though most things towered over me at five). It was night and I had left the comforting light of the kitchen to go into the darkened living room. I turned around to face the fireplace and there it was. The apparition had a light about him that gave off a green glow.
He just stood there in the living room. I say it was a he because whatever it was left me with that impression, but I couldn’t tell you what he wore. He didn’t seem to pay any attention to me or speak. I wanted to run an tell my parents, but couldn’t quite bring myself to move or cry out. It was the first and only time I’ve had that sensation.
The apparition finally moved off towards the enclosed front porch and I was free to run to my parents and tell them of the strange green man. I was probably given a hug and ushered off to bed. No one pays much attention to a child’s “imaginary” friend.
What I wasn’t told till many years later, was the next day a neighbor had asked my parents what the green light was they had seen on our porch.
It was the last time I ever saw the ghost (or what I thought was a ghost). But it wasn’t the last supernatural incident. My parents bought us a Scottish terrier when I was about ten. Every once in a while “Duffy” would start barking at thin air. Sometimes he would jump, start scratching at a spot in the floor and then follow whatever “wasn’t” there through the house. Once he got whatever “it” was to the front porch and out the door, he settled down self-contentedly.
When my parents moved us to our home on North Benton in 1970, Duffy never felt the need to “exorcise” that same way again.
There was also an old table in the house that always creaked at the same time each night. I remember my parents laughing about it. It was a low-lying long table that had been used in an old school in St. Louis. My family has the table now, but it stopped being an annoyance once we left the old house.
There were also things that moved on there own, but nothing that we observed first hand. The worst incident was the spring my Father went to get the window fan out of the basement to install. For those of you younger than forty, it was how people survived before air conditioning. The fan had been undisturbed in a corner of the basement all winter. But when he took it out, every fan blade had been bent.
These were heavy-duty steel blades inside a steel cage. The cage didn’t have a mark on it. It would have been very awkward for someone to have gotten to the blades, let alone bend them.
What I don’t remember was ever being afraid in the house. We lived there from when I was about two till I turned fifteen. It wasn’t that old of a home back then, probably being built in the 20’s or ‘30s. But it sat about a hundred feet from a much older building, that we were told by some elderly neighbors, enclosed a partial log structure and had served as a stage coach inn.
Of course belief in ghosts or ghost stories are as old as man. The first recorded description of a ghost can be traced back to 2,000 B.C. This first ever ghost story is in The Epic of Gilgamesh, etched in cuneiform clay tablets from Babylon. The story tells of the hero Gilgamesh and the ghost of his dead friend, Enkidu. Here is an excerpt:
“And Nergal, accustomed to absurd orders, obeyed as soldiers do.
He freed Enkidu to speak once to kin
and showed Gilgamesh how to descend halfway
to Hell through the bowels of earth.
Enkidu’s shadow rose slowly toward the living
and the brothers, tearful and weak,
tried to hug, tried to speak,
tried and failed to do anything but sob.
“Speak to me please, dear brother,” whispered Gilgamesh.
“Tell me of death and where you are.”
“Not willingly do I speak of death,”
said Enkidu in slow reply.
“But if you wish to sit for a brief
time, I will describe where I do stay.”
“Yes,” his brother said in early grief.
“All my skin and all my bones are dead now.
All my skin and all my bones are now dead.
“Oh no” cried Gilgamesh without relief.
“Oh no,” sobbed one enclosed by grief.
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (born around 70 A.D.) was perhaps the most famous Roman Historian who is our greatest source of information about the early Imperial families. His work Lives Of The Caesars has been the major basis for famous works from Shakespeare Anthony And Cleopatra to the I Claudius series. He also passed along a ghost story from his own time. Writing about the life of Augustus Caesar he made the following observation about a haunted villa:
“In the country mansion, near Velitrae, which belonged to Augustus’s grandfather, a small room, not unlike a butler’s pantry, is still shown and described as Augustus’s nursery...It has long been believed that casual visitors would be overcome by a sudden awful terror; and recently this was proved true when, one night, a new owner of the mansion, either from ignorance or because he wanted to test the truth of the belief, went to sleep in the room. A few hours later he was hurled out of bed by a supernatural agency and found lying half-dead against the door, bedclothes and all.”
It reads more like a scene from a modern B rated movie thriller than a description of a haunted house over 1,900 years ago.
I’m happy to report my own home is quiet and nothing the least “supernatural” has occurred here despite the building dating to the 1860s. That is if you don’t count the three imaginary playmates our daughter told my wife about when she was five.
Three spinster sisters had remained in the house together till the last one passed on. The house, built by their father, had been owned by their family for ninety years.
Three imaginary playmates...three spinster sisters...hmmmm, probably just a coincidence.
Happy Halloween!
Suit Allegding Defamation Filed Against Tom Hayden, Councilman Mike Weller’s Campaign Manager
Suit Allegding Defamation Filed Against Tom Hayden, Councilman Mike Weller’s Campaign Manager
A lawsuit has been filed in St. Louis City Judicial Court Allegding defamation of character against St. Charles resident, Tom Hayden.
Hayden, a pharmacutical salesman resides on Autumn Wood in St. Charles. He is the campaign Manager for City Councilman Mike Weller and a confidant of St. Charles Mayor Patti York. He was recently appointed to the St. Charles County Planning and Zoning Commission by County Executive Joe Orthwerth.
The suit filed by Eric Tolen, an attorney who is also special counsel to the St. Charles City Council, claims three counts of defamation and prays for judgement against Hayden in the amount of $50,000 on each count plus such damages as are fair and reasonable, together with interest and costs along with injunctive relief and for the removal of the defamatory material from Hayden’s web site.
Tolen alleges Hayden is reponsible for a vile and vicious web site that has been on the internet for the past year. The site’s main purpose appears to be the vilification of anyone who speaks out against the Mayor or former St. Charles Police Sergeant Tom Mayer, state president of the FOP.
In his petition Tolen claims defamation with information Hayden allegedly placed on the web site and claims that Hayden knew the information was false.
Hayden could not be reached for comment by press time.
ttt
A lawsuit has been filed in St. Louis City Judicial Court Allegding defamation of character against St. Charles resident, Tom Hayden.
Hayden, a pharmacutical salesman resides on Autumn Wood in St. Charles. He is the campaign Manager for City Councilman Mike Weller and a confidant of St. Charles Mayor Patti York. He was recently appointed to the St. Charles County Planning and Zoning Commission by County Executive Joe Orthwerth.
The suit filed by Eric Tolen, an attorney who is also special counsel to the St. Charles City Council, claims three counts of defamation and prays for judgement against Hayden in the amount of $50,000 on each count plus such damages as are fair and reasonable, together with interest and costs along with injunctive relief and for the removal of the defamatory material from Hayden’s web site.
Tolen alleges Hayden is reponsible for a vile and vicious web site that has been on the internet for the past year. The site’s main purpose appears to be the vilification of anyone who speaks out against the Mayor or former St. Charles Police Sergeant Tom Mayer, state president of the FOP.
In his petition Tolen claims defamation with information Hayden allegedly placed on the web site and claims that Hayden knew the information was false.
Hayden could not be reached for comment by press time.
ttt
THE NEW TOWN AT ST. CHARLES HOSTS HALLOWEEN PARTY AND PARADE
Everyone is invited to join in the fun as The New Town at St. Charles hosts its first Halloween Party and Parade at the New Town Amphitheater on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 2 – 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Children are encouraged to dress up and participate in the parade around the New Town Amphitheater at 2 p.m. After the parade, families can enjoy face painting, games, magic tricks, pumpkin painting, fun giveaways and more. Some of the businesses that are building in New Town will be handing out candy as well.
“These events play a major role in making this development a true town,” says President Greg Whittaker. “New Town is becoming another great destination place in St. Charles where people can hang out and stay awhile. These free events allow people to slow down and spend quality time with their family.”
Ultimately, this $1.5 billion project will be a thriving town with approximately 5,700 residences in ten phases, with a carefully planned mix of homes in addition to a large town center and four neighborhood centers.
To reach The New Town at St. Charles, take Hwy. 370 to north on New Town Blvd., 1 ? miles to New Town on the right. For information, call 636-970-1511 or visit www.newtownatstcharles.com.
Children are encouraged to dress up and participate in the parade around the New Town Amphitheater at 2 p.m. After the parade, families can enjoy face painting, games, magic tricks, pumpkin painting, fun giveaways and more. Some of the businesses that are building in New Town will be handing out candy as well.
“These events play a major role in making this development a true town,” says President Greg Whittaker. “New Town is becoming another great destination place in St. Charles where people can hang out and stay awhile. These free events allow people to slow down and spend quality time with their family.”
Ultimately, this $1.5 billion project will be a thriving town with approximately 5,700 residences in ten phases, with a carefully planned mix of homes in addition to a large town center and four neighborhood centers.
To reach The New Town at St. Charles, take Hwy. 370 to north on New Town Blvd., 1 ? miles to New Town on the right. For information, call 636-970-1511 or visit www.newtownatstcharles.com.
MY COLUMN - Mike McMurran Sports Editor
Was it just me, or did anyone else notice that just hours after the baseball season ended in St. Louis the weather took a terrible turn for the worse? The truth is, the weather simply began acting as it should in October; it had been unseasonably warm for a couple of weeks. It was as if the Creator of the Universe decided: baseball is over, so is summer – let there be Fall.
I am not ashamed to admit that I was informed of Albert’s home run the morning after. From what I have read the game ended at approximately 10:40 p.m., which is way past my bedtime. You see on Tuesday mornings I must take Maggie to band practice, which requires getting up at 5 or so. I am usually in bed by 9:30 at the latest. I think on that special Monday night I stayed up until at least 10:15, but by then it was clearly over (shows you what I know). My being in bed is not my point. My point is so were all of my children, and I suspect most children under the age of…well, shall we say most kids were in bed and missed the home run.
How many of you out there remember Kenny Boyer’s grand slam home run in the 1964 World Series? I am not sure which game it was, 3, 4 or 5, but I know it was in New York. I remember watching it live. I also remember watching game #7 in school. My point: Major League Baseball is doing absolutely nothing to build a fan base for the next generation. I think all the World Series games are played at night – too late for many, if not most kids to watch. Kids are waking up in the morning and tuning in ESPN’s SportsCenter to see how their favorite team fared the previous day. Television and its revenue may just be destroying baseball. What a thrill it must have been for those who stayed up and watched Albert’s homer. And what about the walk off homerun in game 2 of the ‘Series; I bet far, far more kids watched the replay than saw the action live.
Can we rewind for a moment to last June. Remember when the River City Rage were forced to play their first home playoff game in franchise history at Savvis Center as opposed to their home at Family Arena. In my column I wrote that the entire endeavor was “seemed more of a courtship than a courtesy.” Granted, this weekly is not mentioned in the same literary conversations as larger, more established publications, but the fact is you read about the possibility of the Rage leaving Family Arena here first! I had no references, just a gut feeling about the way the entire situation was being handled – call it a hunch. Well, I have another hunch – Mike Martz will not return as the head coach of the Rams. Listen to what the man said at Monday’s press conference announcing he would not return this year: “This is Joe Vitt’s team now,” Martz said. “They are going to be fine without me and that makes me mad.” Think what you want of Martz, I for one love him, my partner Bob Barton thinks he is over-rated, Martz usually is very clear when trying to make a point. Oh sure, when he doesn’t want to make his point clear, he can talk circles with the best of them, but when he wants you to know what he is thinking – he is clear as can be.
Monday, Martz announced that he was taking the remainder of the season off with sick leave, but first he made it very clear that his boss was a liar. Believe me, I have learned first hand that one does not “call his boss out” in public without suffering, usually severe, consequences. Once again, its just a hunch, but I would bet dollars to donuts (or is it the other way around), that Martz has seen his last day as head coach of the Rams.
Lastly, as I write this I am not certain how the “roof-gate” incident will turn out in Houston. But I do think that should the roof had been open when the Cardinals were playing, well, the Cardinals might still be playing. Unfortunately, for me and my kids, the games would have ended past our bed times.
I am not ashamed to admit that I was informed of Albert’s home run the morning after. From what I have read the game ended at approximately 10:40 p.m., which is way past my bedtime. You see on Tuesday mornings I must take Maggie to band practice, which requires getting up at 5 or so. I am usually in bed by 9:30 at the latest. I think on that special Monday night I stayed up until at least 10:15, but by then it was clearly over (shows you what I know). My being in bed is not my point. My point is so were all of my children, and I suspect most children under the age of…well, shall we say most kids were in bed and missed the home run.
How many of you out there remember Kenny Boyer’s grand slam home run in the 1964 World Series? I am not sure which game it was, 3, 4 or 5, but I know it was in New York. I remember watching it live. I also remember watching game #7 in school. My point: Major League Baseball is doing absolutely nothing to build a fan base for the next generation. I think all the World Series games are played at night – too late for many, if not most kids to watch. Kids are waking up in the morning and tuning in ESPN’s SportsCenter to see how their favorite team fared the previous day. Television and its revenue may just be destroying baseball. What a thrill it must have been for those who stayed up and watched Albert’s homer. And what about the walk off homerun in game 2 of the ‘Series; I bet far, far more kids watched the replay than saw the action live.
Can we rewind for a moment to last June. Remember when the River City Rage were forced to play their first home playoff game in franchise history at Savvis Center as opposed to their home at Family Arena. In my column I wrote that the entire endeavor was “seemed more of a courtship than a courtesy.” Granted, this weekly is not mentioned in the same literary conversations as larger, more established publications, but the fact is you read about the possibility of the Rage leaving Family Arena here first! I had no references, just a gut feeling about the way the entire situation was being handled – call it a hunch. Well, I have another hunch – Mike Martz will not return as the head coach of the Rams. Listen to what the man said at Monday’s press conference announcing he would not return this year: “This is Joe Vitt’s team now,” Martz said. “They are going to be fine without me and that makes me mad.” Think what you want of Martz, I for one love him, my partner Bob Barton thinks he is over-rated, Martz usually is very clear when trying to make a point. Oh sure, when he doesn’t want to make his point clear, he can talk circles with the best of them, but when he wants you to know what he is thinking – he is clear as can be.
Monday, Martz announced that he was taking the remainder of the season off with sick leave, but first he made it very clear that his boss was a liar. Believe me, I have learned first hand that one does not “call his boss out” in public without suffering, usually severe, consequences. Once again, its just a hunch, but I would bet dollars to donuts (or is it the other way around), that Martz has seen his last day as head coach of the Rams.
Lastly, as I write this I am not certain how the “roof-gate” incident will turn out in Houston. But I do think that should the roof had been open when the Cardinals were playing, well, the Cardinals might still be playing. Unfortunately, for me and my kids, the games would have ended past our bed times.
UHL Opening Weekend - RIVER OTTERS LOSE TWO IN A ROW
UHL Opening Weekend
River Otters Lose Two in a Row
By Louis J. Launer
Opening Weekend for the Missouri River Otters turned out to be a little rough out on the Family Arena ice. River Otters goaltender Kevin Reiter returned to the team after his latest Chicago call-up. On opening night at Family Arena, Reiter appeared shell shocked.
The Motor City Mechanics shot only seven times in the first period on opening night. Three of those shots were goals. Reiter was benched at the end of the first period. Brenden Cuthbert, the team’s new backup goaltender, replaced Reiter and finished the game.
The damage was already done as Motor City defeated the River Otters, 5-2, spoiling the opening day festivities including the first allowed tailgate party held at the Family Arena parking lot. Damian Surma and Brian Church scored for Missouri.
On Saturday night, the Rockford IceHogs came to town and the River Otters remained in focus on the game the first two periods. The River Otters had a 2-1 lead in the second period. Disaster struck in the third period when one IceHog single-handedly finished the River Otters. Left-winger Jason Notermann scored a hat trick (3 goals in a game) and the game-winning goal in a 5-2 loss for Missouri.
Lars Pettersen got his first goal of the season for the Otters in the Rockford game. Damian Surma scored his second of the year as a River Otter. Pettersen’s goal game at 9:00 of the second period after picking up a loose puck at the Rockford blue line and fired in a slap shot.
Steve Yetman for Rockford scored a fluke goal for Rockford late in the third, taking advantage of Kevin Reiter being kept away from the net by the Rockford defense. To add to the disaster, Rockford center Olivier Proulx scored an empty net goal after Reiter was replaced by a sixth River Otter attacker.
Although the River Otters lacked scoring last weekend, they made it up with a number of fights. In the Rockford game, River Otter left winger Richard Paul slammed Rockford defenseman Ryan Carrigan into the boards. Carrigan retaliated by slugging Paul. Both received fighting majors and Paul was giving an additional minor penalty for boarding.
Paul fought again in the second period. This time, he took on Rockford’s Robin Big Snake. Later in the game, Big Snake took on River Otter defenseman Martin Vasut, after Big Snake was high sticked in the face. This time, Big Snake drew blood as Vasut suffered a gash to his head. Vasut was able to skate off the ice and is expected to play on the River Otters first road trip of the season this Halloween weekend.
Forward Mark Odut is expected to return to the River Otters possibly in December. Odut has had a broken wrist suffered in training camp. Dimitri Toupikov is still absent from the team due to U.S. visa problems. Toupikov remains in Canada awaiting U.S. entry.
The River Otters dedicated last Saturday night’s game in memory of long-time season ticket holder Fran Pinkley. She had been a season ticket holder since the team’s beginning in 1999. Pinkley passed away this June. Also, fans cheered as they announced the news former River Otter enforcer Marty Melnychuk, who became a proud father of a baby girl on October 22. Melnychuk played for the River Otters in the 2002-03 season and continues to be an all-time fan favorite.
River Otters Lose Two in a Row
By Louis J. Launer
Opening Weekend for the Missouri River Otters turned out to be a little rough out on the Family Arena ice. River Otters goaltender Kevin Reiter returned to the team after his latest Chicago call-up. On opening night at Family Arena, Reiter appeared shell shocked.
The Motor City Mechanics shot only seven times in the first period on opening night. Three of those shots were goals. Reiter was benched at the end of the first period. Brenden Cuthbert, the team’s new backup goaltender, replaced Reiter and finished the game.
The damage was already done as Motor City defeated the River Otters, 5-2, spoiling the opening day festivities including the first allowed tailgate party held at the Family Arena parking lot. Damian Surma and Brian Church scored for Missouri.
On Saturday night, the Rockford IceHogs came to town and the River Otters remained in focus on the game the first two periods. The River Otters had a 2-1 lead in the second period. Disaster struck in the third period when one IceHog single-handedly finished the River Otters. Left-winger Jason Notermann scored a hat trick (3 goals in a game) and the game-winning goal in a 5-2 loss for Missouri.
Lars Pettersen got his first goal of the season for the Otters in the Rockford game. Damian Surma scored his second of the year as a River Otter. Pettersen’s goal game at 9:00 of the second period after picking up a loose puck at the Rockford blue line and fired in a slap shot.
Steve Yetman for Rockford scored a fluke goal for Rockford late in the third, taking advantage of Kevin Reiter being kept away from the net by the Rockford defense. To add to the disaster, Rockford center Olivier Proulx scored an empty net goal after Reiter was replaced by a sixth River Otter attacker.
Although the River Otters lacked scoring last weekend, they made it up with a number of fights. In the Rockford game, River Otter left winger Richard Paul slammed Rockford defenseman Ryan Carrigan into the boards. Carrigan retaliated by slugging Paul. Both received fighting majors and Paul was giving an additional minor penalty for boarding.
Paul fought again in the second period. This time, he took on Rockford’s Robin Big Snake. Later in the game, Big Snake took on River Otter defenseman Martin Vasut, after Big Snake was high sticked in the face. This time, Big Snake drew blood as Vasut suffered a gash to his head. Vasut was able to skate off the ice and is expected to play on the River Otters first road trip of the season this Halloween weekend.
Forward Mark Odut is expected to return to the River Otters possibly in December. Odut has had a broken wrist suffered in training camp. Dimitri Toupikov is still absent from the team due to U.S. visa problems. Toupikov remains in Canada awaiting U.S. entry.
The River Otters dedicated last Saturday night’s game in memory of long-time season ticket holder Fran Pinkley. She had been a season ticket holder since the team’s beginning in 1999. Pinkley passed away this June. Also, fans cheered as they announced the news former River Otter enforcer Marty Melnychuk, who became a proud father of a baby girl on October 22. Melnychuk played for the River Otters in the 2002-03 season and continues to be an all-time fan favorite.
THE RAGE FOOTBALL by MIKE THOMPSON
THE RAGE
BY MIKE THOMPSON
COME TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW
I was on the air doing my regular Saturday morning show at Oldies Radio 103.3 KLOU about three weeks ago when my cell phone rang with news from Coach Mike Wyatt that the annual NIFL meetings would be coming to the Gateway City. And I swear it’s true, the above mentioned headline title song, the Beatles number one summertime hit of 1969, was playing as I took the call. Really, I swear (hey, radio on-air people never stretch the truth...you know that)...anyway, I remember smiling as I considered the timing just right, the news exciting, and laughing out loud to Coach on the phone when I considered it best I found out this way than the fiasco played out just a week prior by our owner Tye Elliott. Oh yeah, you haven’t heard that one...get this...Tye leaves on a flight for San Francisco, where the meetings HAD been scheduled, when a call comes to Coach Wyatt at the Rage office informing us that the meetings have been cancelled! Apparently, too many owners from the south and especially the league office near New Orleans were having trouble getting flights out, and some even had to address issues more pressing at the time in regards to the Hurricane. Nothing we could do here at home but wait for the plane to land, get him on his cell phone with the bad news, and then it’s Tye back in the sky. At the end of the day, all told, it was nearly 7 1/2 hours of flight time for what seemed like nothing at the moment, but as I told Coach, the league ‘made up for it’ in awarding The Rage and St. Louis the annual affair.
And it’s like the week before the season opener, or maybe the first playoff game, around here at Rage Headquarters. The Adam’s Mark Hotel in downtown St. Louis will be center stage and host for the three day affair, and League President Carolyn Shiver will be presiding over a large contingent of owners, perspective owners, general managers, coaches and other individual team personnel, all focused on making season number six for the National Indoor Football League the best ever.
“The strength and the projected growth of this league is nothing but exciting,” said Shiver from her office in Louisiania early this week, “the main focus of our meetings will be to adress the area of expansion and I’m pleased to say their are many perspective owners who are eager to be part of this game, this league. Their applications will be voted on in St. Louis and it’s going to be great for the league to expand and then localize, while still keeping a national footprint, so to speak, in the eyes of the sports community.”
Expansion for the league, in it’s perfect form, would allow teams to reduce travel costs by lining up teams and division within certain geographical areas. The Rage, for example, would play
Dayton and Cincinnati, and travel wise, branch out as far as Huntsville, Alabama, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Fayetteville, North Carolina. But because the Tri-Cities Fever, located near Seattle, does not have as many regional teams in it’s area, if they were to play us and have to travel to St. Louis, The Rage would then, schedule wise, be obligated to make a trip to play a team travelling a similar distance. Complicated? Well, let’s just say I’m glad I’m not the schedule co-ordinator! But it’ll all be sorted out very soon and after expansion voting next week, it’ll all be in place to put teams to dates and 2006 will be on the sportsmap.
For those looking to buy an NIFL franchise, well, most are charted by a new astrological category. Namely, the dollar $ign! Not to suggest that shrewd business dealings and careful financial dealings haven’t been part of the plan with each individual owner or perspective owner. But it takes a big buck to get in on the fun in the NIFL, and that’s just for starters. As a rule, each application is launched with a $200,000 membership fee, coupled with a $100,000 line-of-credit. Granted, it’s not buying into the NFL, but it’s still not heading on down to the used car dealership! AND, that’s before you begin to calculate the cost of personnel, players, insurance, office rental, arena rental for games, travel costs, and oh, yeah, equipment...gotta have that. Footballs, shoulder pads, jerseys, pants, helmets, it doesn't take long to tug away at the debit side of the ledger. Some are individuals with a love of sports and money to invest, others form partnerships and split the costs, but they all have one thing in common. Rage owner Tye Elliott says it best, “it’s the love of the game for me, a chance to be a part of a first class organization and respected league, a chance to bring to people, especially kids and families, an exciting fan-friendly, fast paced brand of football, coupled with other game day activities that make a day or night at a Rage game a fun time. And, from a practical, business standpoint, it is a solid investment opportunity. Sure, there are struggles along the way, problems to iron out, sometimes on an hourly, if not daily basis. But both Scott and I agree that it’s worth it now, and will be more so in the long haul.”
Finally, the meetings will center also on the adaption of rule changes, if any, and will structure the formation of local and national public relations and media outreach, focus on both local and national sales for teams and the league as a whole, and concentrate on issues of travel costs, risk management and imaging.
Rage owner Scott Wilson is pumped up about the chance to show off the Savvis Center on Wednesday night when The Rage play host to the league officials at the Blues hockey game.
“Talk about fun mixed with business, “ Wilson mused last week, “not only do the Blues play one of their biggest rivals in the Chicago Blackhawks, but it’s a chance to take various owners and our league president up to our new home, introduce them, show them around and let them get the feel for where The Rage will be mixin’ it up come March. It’s a great chance to show them they made the right choice in coming here for the fall meetings, plus they’ll see when the Blues pound the ‘Hawks that St. Louis IS the best sports city in America. I want that roar of the crowd to ring in their ears for a long while.”
At the annual banquet, scheduled for Thursday, November 3rd at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, The Rage is up for the following awards:
Best Gameday Presentation
Best Stat Crew
Best General Manager
Most Fun
Coach of the Year
So, Tye and Scott....Morris, Coach Wyatt, and myself....we’re all ready to get it rollin’ come Tuesday of next week. And the good news for Tye, well, he’ll only have to hop in his car and drive downtown!!.
BY MIKE THOMPSON
COME TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW
I was on the air doing my regular Saturday morning show at Oldies Radio 103.3 KLOU about three weeks ago when my cell phone rang with news from Coach Mike Wyatt that the annual NIFL meetings would be coming to the Gateway City. And I swear it’s true, the above mentioned headline title song, the Beatles number one summertime hit of 1969, was playing as I took the call. Really, I swear (hey, radio on-air people never stretch the truth...you know that)...anyway, I remember smiling as I considered the timing just right, the news exciting, and laughing out loud to Coach on the phone when I considered it best I found out this way than the fiasco played out just a week prior by our owner Tye Elliott. Oh yeah, you haven’t heard that one...get this...Tye leaves on a flight for San Francisco, where the meetings HAD been scheduled, when a call comes to Coach Wyatt at the Rage office informing us that the meetings have been cancelled! Apparently, too many owners from the south and especially the league office near New Orleans were having trouble getting flights out, and some even had to address issues more pressing at the time in regards to the Hurricane. Nothing we could do here at home but wait for the plane to land, get him on his cell phone with the bad news, and then it’s Tye back in the sky. At the end of the day, all told, it was nearly 7 1/2 hours of flight time for what seemed like nothing at the moment, but as I told Coach, the league ‘made up for it’ in awarding The Rage and St. Louis the annual affair.
And it’s like the week before the season opener, or maybe the first playoff game, around here at Rage Headquarters. The Adam’s Mark Hotel in downtown St. Louis will be center stage and host for the three day affair, and League President Carolyn Shiver will be presiding over a large contingent of owners, perspective owners, general managers, coaches and other individual team personnel, all focused on making season number six for the National Indoor Football League the best ever.
“The strength and the projected growth of this league is nothing but exciting,” said Shiver from her office in Louisiania early this week, “the main focus of our meetings will be to adress the area of expansion and I’m pleased to say their are many perspective owners who are eager to be part of this game, this league. Their applications will be voted on in St. Louis and it’s going to be great for the league to expand and then localize, while still keeping a national footprint, so to speak, in the eyes of the sports community.”
Expansion for the league, in it’s perfect form, would allow teams to reduce travel costs by lining up teams and division within certain geographical areas. The Rage, for example, would play
Dayton and Cincinnati, and travel wise, branch out as far as Huntsville, Alabama, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Fayetteville, North Carolina. But because the Tri-Cities Fever, located near Seattle, does not have as many regional teams in it’s area, if they were to play us and have to travel to St. Louis, The Rage would then, schedule wise, be obligated to make a trip to play a team travelling a similar distance. Complicated? Well, let’s just say I’m glad I’m not the schedule co-ordinator! But it’ll all be sorted out very soon and after expansion voting next week, it’ll all be in place to put teams to dates and 2006 will be on the sportsmap.
For those looking to buy an NIFL franchise, well, most are charted by a new astrological category. Namely, the dollar $ign! Not to suggest that shrewd business dealings and careful financial dealings haven’t been part of the plan with each individual owner or perspective owner. But it takes a big buck to get in on the fun in the NIFL, and that’s just for starters. As a rule, each application is launched with a $200,000 membership fee, coupled with a $100,000 line-of-credit. Granted, it’s not buying into the NFL, but it’s still not heading on down to the used car dealership! AND, that’s before you begin to calculate the cost of personnel, players, insurance, office rental, arena rental for games, travel costs, and oh, yeah, equipment...gotta have that. Footballs, shoulder pads, jerseys, pants, helmets, it doesn't take long to tug away at the debit side of the ledger. Some are individuals with a love of sports and money to invest, others form partnerships and split the costs, but they all have one thing in common. Rage owner Tye Elliott says it best, “it’s the love of the game for me, a chance to be a part of a first class organization and respected league, a chance to bring to people, especially kids and families, an exciting fan-friendly, fast paced brand of football, coupled with other game day activities that make a day or night at a Rage game a fun time. And, from a practical, business standpoint, it is a solid investment opportunity. Sure, there are struggles along the way, problems to iron out, sometimes on an hourly, if not daily basis. But both Scott and I agree that it’s worth it now, and will be more so in the long haul.”
Finally, the meetings will center also on the adaption of rule changes, if any, and will structure the formation of local and national public relations and media outreach, focus on both local and national sales for teams and the league as a whole, and concentrate on issues of travel costs, risk management and imaging.
Rage owner Scott Wilson is pumped up about the chance to show off the Savvis Center on Wednesday night when The Rage play host to the league officials at the Blues hockey game.
“Talk about fun mixed with business, “ Wilson mused last week, “not only do the Blues play one of their biggest rivals in the Chicago Blackhawks, but it’s a chance to take various owners and our league president up to our new home, introduce them, show them around and let them get the feel for where The Rage will be mixin’ it up come March. It’s a great chance to show them they made the right choice in coming here for the fall meetings, plus they’ll see when the Blues pound the ‘Hawks that St. Louis IS the best sports city in America. I want that roar of the crowd to ring in their ears for a long while.”
At the annual banquet, scheduled for Thursday, November 3rd at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, The Rage is up for the following awards:
Best Gameday Presentation
Best Stat Crew
Best General Manager
Most Fun
Coach of the Year
So, Tye and Scott....Morris, Coach Wyatt, and myself....we’re all ready to get it rollin’ come Tuesday of next week. And the good news for Tye, well, he’ll only have to hop in his car and drive downtown!!.
Duchesne takes District volleyball crown
CLASS 3 DISTRICT 7 VOLLEYBALL
Duchesne takes District volleyball crown
Pioneers win eighth consecutive district title
By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor
Next year when making the 2006 volleyball schedule, St. Charles West may think twice about scheduling Duchesne the week before districts begin. In last week’s Gateway Athletic Conference-North Division action, the Warriors of West went the full 3 games before falling to head coach’s Courtney Blands Pioneers. Tuesday’s event looked nothing like last week’s battle.
Led by junior middle blocker Emily Wandersee (former FCN athlete of the week), the Pioneers attacked quickly and never let up, taking home 25-8 and 25-14 victories. “Playing them last week helped us, no doubt,” said the 5’11” Wanersee, “we were familiar with their style of play and kind of knew, or at least had a pretty good idea of where they were going to hit the ball tonight.”
The title is the eight consecutive district crown for Duchesne, who now advances to sectional-quarterfinal action to be played at Mexico High. Sectional play will pit the district winners from Visitation Academy and Mexico at 3 p.m., with Duchesne taking on the district champ from Trinity Catholic at 4:30 p.m.
“If we can keep our focus and play the way we did today, I definitely think we have a chance of getting back to state,” Bland said, “Today, we were about as steady as we’ve been all season, and that’s what we need. No more of this up and down stuff. We need to really work hard the next three days in practice to stay confident and to stay consistent. We are ready for the next level.”
The winners from Saturday’s sectional-quarterfinal action will play at 6 p.m. for a place in the State finals, held November 4-5 at Central Missouri State in Warrensburg.
First Capitol News High School Athlete of the Week Collin Magilligan, Senior, Duchesne High School
First Capitol News High School Athlete of the Week
Collin Magilligan, Senior, Duchesne High School
By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor
Photo by Bob Barton
Age, HT., WT.: 17, 6’0”, 165
FAMILY STATUS: Lives with parents, Pat and Tammy Magilligan, sister Lyndsey and brothers Reed and Brett in St. Charles City
PEOPLE MOST INFLUENCED ME THE MOST/WHY? Certainly my parents, they have pushed me to excel in sports as well as in life. Most first football coach, when I was playing JFL for the Steelers
HOBBIES: Sports pretty much take up my entire life, I have little time for anything else, except of course for school
BEST ADVICE ANYONE EVER GAVE YOU: I know it sounds incredibly simple, but to never give up, no matter what the odds
CAR: 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora
FAVORITE ACTOR: Jamie Foxx
FAVORITE MOVIE: “Any Given Sunday”
FAVORITE TV SHOW: Nip/Tuck
FAVORITE MUSIC: I like everything pretty much
FAVORITE PROFESSIONAL SPORTING TEAM: Atlanta Falcons, or, any team Michael Vick plays for
BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE: High school, right now, this is the best time of my life
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Missing the first couple of football games my junior year due to a hip injury
ADVICE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN: Never give up, work your very hardest, and probably most importantly, never let someone tell you that you can’t do something
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor,
I have a comment regarding the photo on page 13 of the October 22-28 issue. It is a beautiful fence but I don’t see how this helps our school districts financial situation. I was just at a meeting at Null School on October 17th with parents in our district and James Cale the Superintendent. Are you aware he will be recommending to the school board ways to reduce our school districts budget in January? One of the options he has mentioned is closing Benton School although his presentation notes say different use. Listed below are the options that were presented to us:
Administration Center: non-use, hold or lease
Blackhurst Elementary: non-use, hold or lease
Success Campus: non-use, sell
Lincoln Elementary: Different use
Benton Elementary: Different use
these buildings are being considered due to present use, size, and proximity to other schools
or reconfigure our schools:
option 1. K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12
option 2. K-4, 5-7, 8-9, 10-12
option 3. K-2, 3-6, 7-9, 10-12
(He claims our transportation cost will not go up with this plan. I can’t understand how they won’t go up and if we are running all of our schools but one High School. We will be bussing kids all over St. Charles)
Apparently, in the 2006-07 school year we will be operating at a deficit. It is possible he could present to the voters a transfer of the levy approved for SEEK construction. Currently it must be used to pay debt and cannot arbitrarily be used to operate schools. A forty-five cent tax hike is possible to keep running as we are at our current student to teacher ratios.
The survey they gave us was ridiculous. You could not answer several of the questions because it clearly depended on what the changes were. i.e.. Do you support alternate uses of the school buildings? Obviously, this depends on what their alternate use is.
Supposedly, Lindenwood is very interested in Blackhurst. Lindenwood is a private entity but yet exempt from taxes. They are buying up St. Charles and stealing much needed revenue from our public school system.
Are you covering any of this? This is definitely news that concerns our St. Charles Community. They are taking our schools out of our neighborhoods. They are going to overcrowd the classrooms with higher ratios to gain financially. This is not 1973-1978 where students had support from home and the special needs and disruptive children were put into specialized classrooms. Now no matter what your diagnosis you have a right to be in the classroom. Our teacher’s hands are full with the current ratio’s of 1:20 or so. Probably at least 5 if not more are diagnosed with AD, ADHD, language barrier issues, etc. Then there are those who just need a hand held to make it through the day. Teacher’s are already spread thin with “No Child Left Behind.”
Please cover this issue, the community needs to be informed. The next and last meeting is on Monday, October 25th at Monroe Elementary, 2670 Zumbehl at 7:00 P.M.
Thank you for a great paper. I look forward to it every Saturday.
(Concerned Parent of the School District)
P.S. If you choose to print any of this in the editorial section, please withhold my name. I do not want to offend those who have children with special needs. I am fine with them in my child’s classroom. On the other hand these teacher’s are struggling to keep the special needs children up to speed, the exceptionally advanced children challenged and the average on track. They are running several levels of instruction in their classrooms. If you add 8 more students into the classroom someone will be left behind.
First Capitol News,
Thank you for your donation of the $500 of advertising in the First Capitol News for our Silent Auction which we held along with our Oktoberfest Dinner/Dance on September 23rd. Our event was a huge success, thanks in part to your support. Your item was one of the most popular items in our auction.
The proceeds from this event will enable us to continue our cultural exchanges with our Sister City in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Thank you again for your support.
Sincerely
St. Charles Sister Cities
Oktoberfest Dinner/Dance Committee
First Capitol News Editor,
My comments are directed to Alex Spencer’s article of Sept.24th. Thank you Mr. Spencer for the history lesson praising the Roman Republic for successfully balancing the interests of the Plebeians (commoners) and the Patricians (nobles).
I guess the Roman Empire, as it was taught in school, should be congratulated for trying to rule the world with their “balanced” Army, feeding Christians to the Lions or having them killed by their Gladiators. The history lesson continued when you informed us that the American Republic works the same way as the Romans, but in America only the rich re the nobility, that money is King, especially in the campaign finance system where only the rich get to buy a “Bigger Better Vote.”
I never realized that my family was part of the nobility and the wealthy land-owing aristocracy, and I think you for letting us know this. Gee, we surely should be entitled to a “Bigger, Better Vote” that you say just the rich get to buy. Because we give $50 contributions to several local and state candidates and $50 to our national party preference.
You will have a big decision to make if you would be lucky and win the lottery, would you give the entire amount to charity or become one of those wealthy land-owing aristocrats you write about? Also be sure none of your children, if you have any, become a professional athlete or start their own business that may become successful otherwise they could become one of those rich ones.
What Adolphus Busch IV, or anyone else does with their money is their business.
I was a volunteer naturalist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, at Busch Wildlife Conservation Area, for over 13 years with 2000 hours of service before retiring last year. Four of us gave an off-site program at Belleau Farm, the Busch property in O’Fallon for over fifty school children and their teachers.
The program was done on the Monday following the weekend Mr. Busch and many of his friends held a fundraiser on his property. The large amount raised was added to other monies already donated to the Conservation by that same group. After the ’93 flood, which put 6-8 feet of water over those 2000 acres and into his home, Mr. Busch redeveloped that flooded ground into the most beautiful wildlife conservation area I have ever seen. Sure, it was his land, and that’s what he wanted to do, but that’s his prerogative isn’t it? Could it be that what he saw in the ’93 flood he doesn’t want to see gain?
I am not an engineer, just a layman with an opinion The levee may hold flood water out of the flood plain development, but surely impact north and south of the levee, plus Illinois. It’s like St. Peters and the Corp of Engineers are saying, “It ain’t our problem, it’s theirs”.
Mr. Spencer, if you think the lights in the development would deter ducks from landing on a huge 2000 acres, you must not be a duck hunter.
This is not written to discuss politics in St. Peters. We surely have more than our share in St. Charles and O’Fallon. Mr. Busch or Mr. Musick do not know me from Adam. I just wanted to express my opinion because of the negative articles criticizing them. The Busch family has given millions to many worthy causes over the years. Sure they could afford it, but isn’t that what is expected from wealthy land-owning nobles? In fact Busch Wildlife Conservation wasn’t named that by accident.
Anyway thanks again, Mr. Spencer, for teaching your reader students history lessons. I do agree with your closing statement – Long live the Republic, but want to add to it, God Bless America.
Jim Goessling
I have a comment regarding the photo on page 13 of the October 22-28 issue. It is a beautiful fence but I don’t see how this helps our school districts financial situation. I was just at a meeting at Null School on October 17th with parents in our district and James Cale the Superintendent. Are you aware he will be recommending to the school board ways to reduce our school districts budget in January? One of the options he has mentioned is closing Benton School although his presentation notes say different use. Listed below are the options that were presented to us:
Administration Center: non-use, hold or lease
Blackhurst Elementary: non-use, hold or lease
Success Campus: non-use, sell
Lincoln Elementary: Different use
Benton Elementary: Different use
these buildings are being considered due to present use, size, and proximity to other schools
or reconfigure our schools:
option 1. K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12
option 2. K-4, 5-7, 8-9, 10-12
option 3. K-2, 3-6, 7-9, 10-12
(He claims our transportation cost will not go up with this plan. I can’t understand how they won’t go up and if we are running all of our schools but one High School. We will be bussing kids all over St. Charles)
Apparently, in the 2006-07 school year we will be operating at a deficit. It is possible he could present to the voters a transfer of the levy approved for SEEK construction. Currently it must be used to pay debt and cannot arbitrarily be used to operate schools. A forty-five cent tax hike is possible to keep running as we are at our current student to teacher ratios.
The survey they gave us was ridiculous. You could not answer several of the questions because it clearly depended on what the changes were. i.e.. Do you support alternate uses of the school buildings? Obviously, this depends on what their alternate use is.
Supposedly, Lindenwood is very interested in Blackhurst. Lindenwood is a private entity but yet exempt from taxes. They are buying up St. Charles and stealing much needed revenue from our public school system.
Are you covering any of this? This is definitely news that concerns our St. Charles Community. They are taking our schools out of our neighborhoods. They are going to overcrowd the classrooms with higher ratios to gain financially. This is not 1973-1978 where students had support from home and the special needs and disruptive children were put into specialized classrooms. Now no matter what your diagnosis you have a right to be in the classroom. Our teacher’s hands are full with the current ratio’s of 1:20 or so. Probably at least 5 if not more are diagnosed with AD, ADHD, language barrier issues, etc. Then there are those who just need a hand held to make it through the day. Teacher’s are already spread thin with “No Child Left Behind.”
Please cover this issue, the community needs to be informed. The next and last meeting is on Monday, October 25th at Monroe Elementary, 2670 Zumbehl at 7:00 P.M.
Thank you for a great paper. I look forward to it every Saturday.
(Concerned Parent of the School District)
P.S. If you choose to print any of this in the editorial section, please withhold my name. I do not want to offend those who have children with special needs. I am fine with them in my child’s classroom. On the other hand these teacher’s are struggling to keep the special needs children up to speed, the exceptionally advanced children challenged and the average on track. They are running several levels of instruction in their classrooms. If you add 8 more students into the classroom someone will be left behind.
First Capitol News,
Thank you for your donation of the $500 of advertising in the First Capitol News for our Silent Auction which we held along with our Oktoberfest Dinner/Dance on September 23rd. Our event was a huge success, thanks in part to your support. Your item was one of the most popular items in our auction.
The proceeds from this event will enable us to continue our cultural exchanges with our Sister City in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Thank you again for your support.
Sincerely
St. Charles Sister Cities
Oktoberfest Dinner/Dance Committee
First Capitol News Editor,
My comments are directed to Alex Spencer’s article of Sept.24th. Thank you Mr. Spencer for the history lesson praising the Roman Republic for successfully balancing the interests of the Plebeians (commoners) and the Patricians (nobles).
I guess the Roman Empire, as it was taught in school, should be congratulated for trying to rule the world with their “balanced” Army, feeding Christians to the Lions or having them killed by their Gladiators. The history lesson continued when you informed us that the American Republic works the same way as the Romans, but in America only the rich re the nobility, that money is King, especially in the campaign finance system where only the rich get to buy a “Bigger Better Vote.”
I never realized that my family was part of the nobility and the wealthy land-owing aristocracy, and I think you for letting us know this. Gee, we surely should be entitled to a “Bigger, Better Vote” that you say just the rich get to buy. Because we give $50 contributions to several local and state candidates and $50 to our national party preference.
You will have a big decision to make if you would be lucky and win the lottery, would you give the entire amount to charity or become one of those wealthy land-owing aristocrats you write about? Also be sure none of your children, if you have any, become a professional athlete or start their own business that may become successful otherwise they could become one of those rich ones.
What Adolphus Busch IV, or anyone else does with their money is their business.
I was a volunteer naturalist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, at Busch Wildlife Conservation Area, for over 13 years with 2000 hours of service before retiring last year. Four of us gave an off-site program at Belleau Farm, the Busch property in O’Fallon for over fifty school children and their teachers.
The program was done on the Monday following the weekend Mr. Busch and many of his friends held a fundraiser on his property. The large amount raised was added to other monies already donated to the Conservation by that same group. After the ’93 flood, which put 6-8 feet of water over those 2000 acres and into his home, Mr. Busch redeveloped that flooded ground into the most beautiful wildlife conservation area I have ever seen. Sure, it was his land, and that’s what he wanted to do, but that’s his prerogative isn’t it? Could it be that what he saw in the ’93 flood he doesn’t want to see gain?
I am not an engineer, just a layman with an opinion The levee may hold flood water out of the flood plain development, but surely impact north and south of the levee, plus Illinois. It’s like St. Peters and the Corp of Engineers are saying, “It ain’t our problem, it’s theirs”.
Mr. Spencer, if you think the lights in the development would deter ducks from landing on a huge 2000 acres, you must not be a duck hunter.
This is not written to discuss politics in St. Peters. We surely have more than our share in St. Charles and O’Fallon. Mr. Busch or Mr. Musick do not know me from Adam. I just wanted to express my opinion because of the negative articles criticizing them. The Busch family has given millions to many worthy causes over the years. Sure they could afford it, but isn’t that what is expected from wealthy land-owning nobles? In fact Busch Wildlife Conservation wasn’t named that by accident.
Anyway thanks again, Mr. Spencer, for teaching your reader students history lessons. I do agree with your closing statement – Long live the Republic, but want to add to it, God Bless America.
Jim Goessling
Law Enforcement To Investigate Recall Petitions
City Council President Rory Riddler confirmed that he had turned over a list of concerns regarding the collection of petitions for the recall of Councilwoman Dottie Greer to law enforcement this week. The First Capital News reported last week on some of the similar handwriting, possible falsified signatures and serious questions regarding the sworn affidavits which accompanied the petition packets turned in to City Clerk Marilyn McCoy.
Councilman Riddler declined to discuss details of his complaint simply saying that he had placed the concerns in the hands of the proper authorities and felt they would be handled in a professional manner.
If evidence supports the concerns raised last week, there are State Statutes that may have been violated by persons associated with the recall committee. Each petition must be accompanied by a sworn notarized affidavit that the person attests they personally circulated the petition and that the persons whose signatures appear on the petitions, signed in their presence.
A review of the petitions by the First Capitol News shows that most of the petitions were circulated by persons from outside the City of St. Charles. Two of the people who took petitions around for the recall of Councilwoman Greer lived in Illinois, one from as far away as Rolla, two in the City of St. Louis, one each from St. Peters, Wright City, Berkely, Ferguson, Florissant and Kirkwood.
Council President Riddler says it was not against the Charter for the person circulating the petitions to not live in the City, but that it is shocking that a Councilperson is being recalled by paid workers who don’t even live in St. Charles. Spending reports show that the recall committee has raised and spent approximately $36,000 trying to recall just two Councilmembers. The largest donations have come from developers or those working for large developers.
Councilman Riddler declined to discuss details of his complaint simply saying that he had placed the concerns in the hands of the proper authorities and felt they would be handled in a professional manner.
If evidence supports the concerns raised last week, there are State Statutes that may have been violated by persons associated with the recall committee. Each petition must be accompanied by a sworn notarized affidavit that the person attests they personally circulated the petition and that the persons whose signatures appear on the petitions, signed in their presence.
A review of the petitions by the First Capitol News shows that most of the petitions were circulated by persons from outside the City of St. Charles. Two of the people who took petitions around for the recall of Councilwoman Greer lived in Illinois, one from as far away as Rolla, two in the City of St. Louis, one each from St. Peters, Wright City, Berkely, Ferguson, Florissant and Kirkwood.
Council President Riddler says it was not against the Charter for the person circulating the petitions to not live in the City, but that it is shocking that a Councilperson is being recalled by paid workers who don’t even live in St. Charles. Spending reports show that the recall committee has raised and spent approximately $36,000 trying to recall just two Councilmembers. The largest donations have come from developers or those working for large developers.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Apparent Election Fraud Uncovered Against Group Seeking Recall Of Councilwoman Greer
By Phyllis Schaltenbrand
According to City Council President Rory Riddler, there appears to be significant problems with petitions turned in by a recall committee against Councilwoman Dottie Greer, including identical handwriting on different signatures and petitions that appear to have been circulated by persons other than those attesting that they did so.
These problems were brought to the attention of the City Clerk by City Council President Rory Riddler. So far, the Citizen Empowerment Committee has spent $36,000 on the effort to try to recall Councilmembers, more than was spent in any Council race during the regular election.
Council President Riddler says he was visiting with City Clerk Marilyn McCoy on other City issues, when he noticed and asked to look at a copy of the petitions on her desk. “I was struck right away by how many signatures appear to be identical. I asked for a copy to study and within an hour had identified dozens of what appear to be falsified signatures,” explained Riddler.
“I brought my concerns to the attention of
the City Clerk and asked that she contact the County Clerk to ask that each signature be verified against the signature on that individual voter’s registration card. I heard back from her today that the County Clerk’s Office would be doing that as they had already noticed some of the same discrepancies.”
The Citizen Empowerment Committee, headed by Linda Meyer, turned in petitions this week purporting to bear the signatures of 951 registered voters in the 7th Ward. 740 valid signatures are required to put the issue of recall before the voters. Meyer is also leading efforts to recall Councilman Mark Brown in the 3rd Ward, even though she doesn’t live in that ward.
Riddler also found an even more troubling problem with the petitions turned in. “I noticed that several of the packets that were stapled together had incomplete sheets. At the top of these sheets were different names. On some packets, the names on top matched the name of the person swearing they had circulated the petitions and witnessed each signature themselves. But on others there were several different names bundled together and Linda Meyer attesting and swearing that she personally had collected those signatures,” explained Riddler.
“It appears that she did not and that she filed a false affidavit with the City and Election Authority to have done so. I believe any potential fraud should be investigated thoroughly and those signatures thrown out.”
Riddler speculates that many of the problems with the petitions are the result of the Citizen Empowerment Committee paying $5 per signature to workers from outside of the area. On some of the petitions turned in the amount of money paid for them is written right on the bottom of the sheets.
Records show that the majority of signatures collected were by workers who don’t even live in the city of St. Charles. The list of workers includes addresses in Cahokia and Belleville Illinois, Wright City, the City of St. Louis, Ferguson, Florissant, Kirkwood, St. Peters and Rolla. Almost no one from Ward 7 other than Linda Meyer collected signatures or circulated petitions. “When you have to pay workers and can’t even hire citizens from your own City, it shows how little popular support there is for this group and their efforts,” observed Riddler.
SEE DOCUMENTS PAGE 16
Mayor Caught - Taxpayers Out $15,475
By Tony Brockmeyer
Early editions of the First Capitol News were placed in the St. Charles City Hall on Thursday, October 6th. The First Capitol News reported that three different fictitious names, using the same federal tax ID number were paid over $15,475. The investigation showed documents where the City signed a contract with Sarah Collins and Associates and made a series of three payments to Lafayette Partnership and the tax ID number traced back to the Glennon Company. All three companies were owned by Glennon Jamboretz. The First Capitol News Investigation showed the money was paid out for paper when in fact the contract that the payments went for said for layout and design work for a State of the City report.
The purchase order for these same payments reads, Paper Newsprint for State of the City Report.
The FCN questioned how you could have a contract with Sarah Collins and Associates for layout and design and the check was written to Lafayette Partnership for paper and the money went to Glennon Jamboretz. In the real world this is often times referred to as money laundering.
The First Capitol News also questioned the fact that the City made a payment to Lafayette Partnership for $2300 on February 15th and the Lafayette Partnership registered under a fictitious name with the State of Missouri on February 1st. We also pointed out this is the same time a mailing to recall Councilwoman Dottie Greer was mailed in Ward 7. Councilman Mark Brown, who owns a printing company, told the First Capitol News the cost of this mailing to recall Dottie Greer would have been around the same amount, $2300. At the time we went to press this was all the information our investigation was able to uncover.
After the First Capitol News was placed in the City Hall wheels began to spin. Councilman Riddler, after reading our paper marched straight to the clerk’s office and demanded to see the invoices, check register and all documents and contracts pertaining to these purchases. Council President Riddler stated he was concerned that the City was capable of signing a contract for one company, paying another and yet have the money go to a totally different company. He questioned how the City Administrator, the Finance Director, City Attorney were unable to detect the series of financial irregularities contained in the documents we printed in our October 8th edition. Council President Riddler then and there requested to see the work product the City received for the $15,475. City Administrator Williams told the Council President he would have him the work product no later than Friday, October 7th. At the end of the day on Friday, Council President Riddler did not receive the work product and was unable to make contact with the City Administrator throughout the entire weekend. On Monday Riddler called City Hall and requested to speak with the City Administrator and was told the City Administrator had too much work to do and was not coming into the office but was staying at home so he could get his work done. Also on Monday Councilmen Brown and Gieseke said they read the FCN and they also made several attempts to contact Williams to no avail. On Tuesday, October 11th the Council held a special meeting along with their regular work session. Included on the agenda for the special Council meeting was bill #8720, an ordinance amending certain revenues, expenditures and fund balance accounts for the budget fiscal year 2005, commonly referred to as budget amendment Number 9. Included in this amendment was a series of transfers of funds and new appropriations for several items including one item which was the funding of the Pearl Ridge Estates flooding project. This project drew the most attention in the budget amendment and was a topic of discussion in every news media including the FCN in the City. Also included in this budget amendment was $15,000 additional funds to be allocated to the same paper account in which the alledged money laundering occurred.
This drew a series of heated questions to Mayor York. Councilman Gieseke challenged her on why she failed to produce any work product pertaining to the State of the City Report for which the $15,475 was paid. Councilman Gieseke went on to question her on why she not only paid for a product that was never received but why she paid the same person who was renting and receiving a business license from her rental property located at 338 South Main St. He questioned the fact that this same person, Glennon Jamboretz was responsible for the recall efforts against two of the current Council members, Councilwoman Greer and Councilman Brown. He also noted Glennon Jamboretz, who owns the public relations company, Glennon Company, represented Sgt. Thomas Mayer when he filed his $104 million lawsuit against the City a year ago.
Councilman Joe Koester chimed in stating he felt this violated the public's trust, having the Mayor give $15,475 to a company who has represented and worked in conjunction with attempting to rob the taxpayers of $104 million with a lawsuit he described as frivolous. He chastised the Mayor for doing business with a company in which they were attempting to do a recall on Council members and the payments were consistent with the payments that would have been paid for printing against the two Council members.
The Mayor told the Council she had received a work product and that it was on a disk and that each member of the Council could have a copy of it the following day. She stated that the $15,475 was used to prepare a State of the City Report and she said it was finished with the minor exceptions that she had two pages still to write, the City Administrator had a page, the Park Department had a page and the City Council still had a page to write. She estimated the report would be between 12 and 20 pages depending on how many pictures they were going to place in it.
Councilman Koester continued to question why she didn’t know how many pages it was going to be if the product was done. The Mayor responded by saying, “it depended on how many pictures we have and how long each of us use when we do our own statements.” Councilman Koester asked, :What size is the report layed out to be?’ The Mayor stated, “It is not layed out yet.” The Mayor then said on three separate occasions, “We are going to layout and design this report in house.”
On Wednesday, several Councilmen were contacted by the FCN after the meeting and asked why the City would be doing the layout and design work when under the contract the City made a $15,475 payment and the stated purpose was for layout and design to be done by Sarah Collins & Associates. We also asked the Council members if they received the disk containing the ten pages of typed information which the Mayor said she was going to give them. They said they had not received the disk and they were trying to get a copy.
On Friday, a frustrated Councilman Gieseke, filed a Freedom of Information request under the Sunshine law mandating the Mayor produce any work product pertaining to the contract and payments to any of the three fictitious names used by Glennon Jamboretz. As of Tuesday, October 18th 7PM Council meeting, Councilman Gieseke nor any other Councilman received any work product.
This led to more than an hour of heated questions in which the Mayor unsuccessfully attempted to justify her actions. The Mayor stated that she put on each Councilman’s desk over 400 sheets of paper which contained reports and that was the work product she had. Councilman Gieseke quickly challenged the Mayor stating, “Mayor these reports were all prepared by staff. None of this is work done by any of the three fictitious companies to which we paid $15,475 to.” The First Capitol News obtained a copy of the reports which were given to the Council members. The papers given to the Council by the Mayor were just copies of year end reports that have been given to the Council by Department heads over the past several years. Several Council members went into in depth questioning asking how the Mayor could funnel $15,475 to fictitious companies and the City Administrator did not do anything to protect the taxpayers money.
The City Administrator said, “I have done everything I can. I have requested a copy of the work product and I have not received it either. If this was one of my department heads I could make them produce it or I could fire them. However, I cannot require any elected official to produce a document.” Councilman Koester asked Williams why he signed off on the payment when he had not received the work product? Williams said, “I asked if the work product was in hand and I was told by the Mayor it was. If I was lied to there is nothing I can do about it.” Williams indicated he trusted the Mayor when she gave him her word.
The FCN had provided Councilmen with additional information pertaining to financial disclosure reports filed by Citizens Empowerment Committee and St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government that we had discovered during our investigation. Councilman Brown pointed out the reports disclosed all payments made by the City, which totaled $15,475, were consistent with the payments made in the efforts to recall him and that were reported in the disclosure report. Brown stated, “It was so obvious, the last check written by the City was for $13,175 and the campaign disclosure report for that period revealed the committee showed receipts of $13,185.
Councilman Brown also pointed out the St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government was headed by Glennon Jamboretz and Ken Kielty. Brown said, “I am disgusted to see there was an attempt to launder money through these committee also and the St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government, headed by Glennon Jamboretz was making payments to the Citizens Empowerment Committee who in turn were paying Glennon Jamboretz to run the recall campaigns.
The First Capitol News will continue the investigation of this matter which may ultimately lead to criminal implications. We will disclose additional information in our next issue if the proper authorities give us permission.
Early editions of the First Capitol News were placed in the St. Charles City Hall on Thursday, October 6th. The First Capitol News reported that three different fictitious names, using the same federal tax ID number were paid over $15,475. The investigation showed documents where the City signed a contract with Sarah Collins and Associates and made a series of three payments to Lafayette Partnership and the tax ID number traced back to the Glennon Company. All three companies were owned by Glennon Jamboretz. The First Capitol News Investigation showed the money was paid out for paper when in fact the contract that the payments went for said for layout and design work for a State of the City report.
The purchase order for these same payments reads, Paper Newsprint for State of the City Report.
The FCN questioned how you could have a contract with Sarah Collins and Associates for layout and design and the check was written to Lafayette Partnership for paper and the money went to Glennon Jamboretz. In the real world this is often times referred to as money laundering.
The First Capitol News also questioned the fact that the City made a payment to Lafayette Partnership for $2300 on February 15th and the Lafayette Partnership registered under a fictitious name with the State of Missouri on February 1st. We also pointed out this is the same time a mailing to recall Councilwoman Dottie Greer was mailed in Ward 7. Councilman Mark Brown, who owns a printing company, told the First Capitol News the cost of this mailing to recall Dottie Greer would have been around the same amount, $2300. At the time we went to press this was all the information our investigation was able to uncover.
After the First Capitol News was placed in the City Hall wheels began to spin. Councilman Riddler, after reading our paper marched straight to the clerk’s office and demanded to see the invoices, check register and all documents and contracts pertaining to these purchases. Council President Riddler stated he was concerned that the City was capable of signing a contract for one company, paying another and yet have the money go to a totally different company. He questioned how the City Administrator, the Finance Director, City Attorney were unable to detect the series of financial irregularities contained in the documents we printed in our October 8th edition. Council President Riddler then and there requested to see the work product the City received for the $15,475. City Administrator Williams told the Council President he would have him the work product no later than Friday, October 7th. At the end of the day on Friday, Council President Riddler did not receive the work product and was unable to make contact with the City Administrator throughout the entire weekend. On Monday Riddler called City Hall and requested to speak with the City Administrator and was told the City Administrator had too much work to do and was not coming into the office but was staying at home so he could get his work done. Also on Monday Councilmen Brown and Gieseke said they read the FCN and they also made several attempts to contact Williams to no avail. On Tuesday, October 11th the Council held a special meeting along with their regular work session. Included on the agenda for the special Council meeting was bill #8720, an ordinance amending certain revenues, expenditures and fund balance accounts for the budget fiscal year 2005, commonly referred to as budget amendment Number 9. Included in this amendment was a series of transfers of funds and new appropriations for several items including one item which was the funding of the Pearl Ridge Estates flooding project. This project drew the most attention in the budget amendment and was a topic of discussion in every news media including the FCN in the City. Also included in this budget amendment was $15,000 additional funds to be allocated to the same paper account in which the alledged money laundering occurred.
This drew a series of heated questions to Mayor York. Councilman Gieseke challenged her on why she failed to produce any work product pertaining to the State of the City Report for which the $15,475 was paid. Councilman Gieseke went on to question her on why she not only paid for a product that was never received but why she paid the same person who was renting and receiving a business license from her rental property located at 338 South Main St. He questioned the fact that this same person, Glennon Jamboretz was responsible for the recall efforts against two of the current Council members, Councilwoman Greer and Councilman Brown. He also noted Glennon Jamboretz, who owns the public relations company, Glennon Company, represented Sgt. Thomas Mayer when he filed his $104 million lawsuit against the City a year ago.
Councilman Joe Koester chimed in stating he felt this violated the public's trust, having the Mayor give $15,475 to a company who has represented and worked in conjunction with attempting to rob the taxpayers of $104 million with a lawsuit he described as frivolous. He chastised the Mayor for doing business with a company in which they were attempting to do a recall on Council members and the payments were consistent with the payments that would have been paid for printing against the two Council members.
The Mayor told the Council she had received a work product and that it was on a disk and that each member of the Council could have a copy of it the following day. She stated that the $15,475 was used to prepare a State of the City Report and she said it was finished with the minor exceptions that she had two pages still to write, the City Administrator had a page, the Park Department had a page and the City Council still had a page to write. She estimated the report would be between 12 and 20 pages depending on how many pictures they were going to place in it.
Councilman Koester continued to question why she didn’t know how many pages it was going to be if the product was done. The Mayor responded by saying, “it depended on how many pictures we have and how long each of us use when we do our own statements.” Councilman Koester asked, :What size is the report layed out to be?’ The Mayor stated, “It is not layed out yet.” The Mayor then said on three separate occasions, “We are going to layout and design this report in house.”
On Wednesday, several Councilmen were contacted by the FCN after the meeting and asked why the City would be doing the layout and design work when under the contract the City made a $15,475 payment and the stated purpose was for layout and design to be done by Sarah Collins & Associates. We also asked the Council members if they received the disk containing the ten pages of typed information which the Mayor said she was going to give them. They said they had not received the disk and they were trying to get a copy.
On Friday, a frustrated Councilman Gieseke, filed a Freedom of Information request under the Sunshine law mandating the Mayor produce any work product pertaining to the contract and payments to any of the three fictitious names used by Glennon Jamboretz. As of Tuesday, October 18th 7PM Council meeting, Councilman Gieseke nor any other Councilman received any work product.
This led to more than an hour of heated questions in which the Mayor unsuccessfully attempted to justify her actions. The Mayor stated that she put on each Councilman’s desk over 400 sheets of paper which contained reports and that was the work product she had. Councilman Gieseke quickly challenged the Mayor stating, “Mayor these reports were all prepared by staff. None of this is work done by any of the three fictitious companies to which we paid $15,475 to.” The First Capitol News obtained a copy of the reports which were given to the Council members. The papers given to the Council by the Mayor were just copies of year end reports that have been given to the Council by Department heads over the past several years. Several Council members went into in depth questioning asking how the Mayor could funnel $15,475 to fictitious companies and the City Administrator did not do anything to protect the taxpayers money.
The City Administrator said, “I have done everything I can. I have requested a copy of the work product and I have not received it either. If this was one of my department heads I could make them produce it or I could fire them. However, I cannot require any elected official to produce a document.” Councilman Koester asked Williams why he signed off on the payment when he had not received the work product? Williams said, “I asked if the work product was in hand and I was told by the Mayor it was. If I was lied to there is nothing I can do about it.” Williams indicated he trusted the Mayor when she gave him her word.
The FCN had provided Councilmen with additional information pertaining to financial disclosure reports filed by Citizens Empowerment Committee and St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government that we had discovered during our investigation. Councilman Brown pointed out the reports disclosed all payments made by the City, which totaled $15,475, were consistent with the payments made in the efforts to recall him and that were reported in the disclosure report. Brown stated, “It was so obvious, the last check written by the City was for $13,175 and the campaign disclosure report for that period revealed the committee showed receipts of $13,185.
Councilman Brown also pointed out the St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government was headed by Glennon Jamboretz and Ken Kielty. Brown said, “I am disgusted to see there was an attempt to launder money through these committee also and the St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government, headed by Glennon Jamboretz was making payments to the Citizens Empowerment Committee who in turn were paying Glennon Jamboretz to run the recall campaigns.
The First Capitol News will continue the investigation of this matter which may ultimately lead to criminal implications. We will disclose additional information in our next issue if the proper authorities give us permission.
RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR - Tony Brockmeyer
THE MAYOR, WHO SHE REALLY IS
There has been recent talk of term limits and changing the way City government is run. Usually when you have talk of term limits its because those who want power can’t win an election.
Lets look at St. Charles over the past 5 years. When this paper first started we interviewed all the newly elected officials. Eight of ten of the City Council members were political newcomers. Richard Baum and Rory Riddler were the two who won re-election. In my opinion the ballot box limits the terms of politicians. In the last election, six of ten were new to public office. The only person that would be affected by term limits is Councilman President Rory Riddler. The residents of Ward 1 have voted him into office for over 25 years. If the voters in his Ward want term limits they can use the ballot box like everyone else.
In doing this editorial I began to look at the one constant in the City over the past six years. The majority of the council has turned over twice and we have had four City Administrators. The one thing that hasn’t turned over is the Mayors position.
The CEO of the City has presided over what I would say is one of the most dysfunctional times in St. Charles history. Many like to blame the City Council and the City Administrator but is that blame being placed on the right people? It would appear to me that somebody in the position of CEO can’t work and play well with others.
York has served with three councils all of which had a hard time moving things forward. The Spellmann curve was the beginning of the Mayor not being able to gain consensus and create a positive image for the City. Instead, she allowed infighting and backbiting among the Council members. She still has not shown any leadership.
The next Council experienced the Mayor’s inability to lead with the Cavendish Square controversy and the convention center. Both of these items divided and created an atmosphere of distrust.
This council has experienced York with the Chief of Police issue, Thomas Mayer and Pearl Ridge. York stands in the way of many things, takes credit for everything, and gets away with it. In the 90’s they called Gotti the Teflon Don in St. Charles we have the Teflon Mayor.
From the unethical sale of the old police headquarters, signing illegally the Express Scripts contract to the payment of Glennon Jamboretz and his fictitious companies for his political efforts to oust her political foes, York seems to walk away from the fights without a scratch.
York has continually placed her own selfish interest above that of the average resident. The question of whether or not York used public tax dollars to run a recall effort against Councilman Mark Brown and Councilwoman Dottie Greer doesn’t differ from her running the campaign for the Convention Center using public tax dollars.
York is self-serving. Self-serving is not what you want in a public servant. Some call things contradictions others call them lies. You be the judge. I am hopeful that the residents start to see York for the person she really is.
ttt
There has been recent talk of term limits and changing the way City government is run. Usually when you have talk of term limits its because those who want power can’t win an election.
Lets look at St. Charles over the past 5 years. When this paper first started we interviewed all the newly elected officials. Eight of ten of the City Council members were political newcomers. Richard Baum and Rory Riddler were the two who won re-election. In my opinion the ballot box limits the terms of politicians. In the last election, six of ten were new to public office. The only person that would be affected by term limits is Councilman President Rory Riddler. The residents of Ward 1 have voted him into office for over 25 years. If the voters in his Ward want term limits they can use the ballot box like everyone else.
In doing this editorial I began to look at the one constant in the City over the past six years. The majority of the council has turned over twice and we have had four City Administrators. The one thing that hasn’t turned over is the Mayors position.
The CEO of the City has presided over what I would say is one of the most dysfunctional times in St. Charles history. Many like to blame the City Council and the City Administrator but is that blame being placed on the right people? It would appear to me that somebody in the position of CEO can’t work and play well with others.
York has served with three councils all of which had a hard time moving things forward. The Spellmann curve was the beginning of the Mayor not being able to gain consensus and create a positive image for the City. Instead, she allowed infighting and backbiting among the Council members. She still has not shown any leadership.
The next Council experienced the Mayor’s inability to lead with the Cavendish Square controversy and the convention center. Both of these items divided and created an atmosphere of distrust.
This council has experienced York with the Chief of Police issue, Thomas Mayer and Pearl Ridge. York stands in the way of many things, takes credit for everything, and gets away with it. In the 90’s they called Gotti the Teflon Don in St. Charles we have the Teflon Mayor.
From the unethical sale of the old police headquarters, signing illegally the Express Scripts contract to the payment of Glennon Jamboretz and his fictitious companies for his political efforts to oust her political foes, York seems to walk away from the fights without a scratch.
York has continually placed her own selfish interest above that of the average resident. The question of whether or not York used public tax dollars to run a recall effort against Councilman Mark Brown and Councilwoman Dottie Greer doesn’t differ from her running the campaign for the Convention Center using public tax dollars.
York is self-serving. Self-serving is not what you want in a public servant. Some call things contradictions others call them lies. You be the judge. I am hopeful that the residents start to see York for the person she really is.
ttt
THE CITY DESK - City Council President Rory Riddler
Belated State Audit Useful...
If Awakening From A Coma
It’s hard to get excited about news that arrives a year late about events that took place two and three years ago. Citizens who started a petition drive in 2002, finally have a State Audit of the City of St. Charles for the year 2003. It’s belated arrival is about as useful as learning Boston won the World Series last year.
That could be one reason State Auditor Claire McCaskill ended up speaking to a nearly empty room to present the audit findings. Another reason for poor attendance could be that her staff had booked the meeting on the same night as a Cardinal’s playoff game. That’s what we get having the State Capitol in the middle of the State...too many Kansas City Royals fans.
The State Auditor did her best to spice up the show. Borrowing a page from Dr. Phil, she even tried her hand at “marriage” counseling between the Council and Mayor, urging everyone to try to get along.
State Audits rarely turn out to be what the petitioners expect. Unlike television’s CSI, which can convict someone on the evidence of a hair follicle ten years after the crime, State Audits rarely end up putting someone in jail. Those who signed petitions demanding a State Audit, and expecting it to uncover some nefarious criminal activity, were probably disappointed. More disappointing must be the lack of any mention (pro or con) of issues the petitioners committee tried to raise with the Auditor’s Office in the first place.
Here was one of the more (yawn) dramatic findings. The City sold the old Police Station without advertising it widely enough and probably for less than we could have gotten. An obvious straw party then flipped the building to others who probably made a tidy profit.
The City Administrator at the time, who recommended the sale, is gone. Half the current members of the Council weren’t on at that time. Most of those who voted for the sale are gone. In fact, the transaction was a factor in the defeat of former Councilman Richard Baum, when it was raised by Councilman Jerry Reese in his campaign back in April of 2003. Two of the five returning Councilmembers, including myself and John Gieseke voted against the sale at the time. As a result of that sale, I sponsored and the Council passed an ordinance over a year ago to keep straw parties from doing what happened on the old Police building.
All of this is very old news to everyone but the employees of the State Auditor’s Office. I hate having to be so hypercritical of the Auditor. Claire McCaskill is a very smart woman who is running for the United States Senate. But she was ill served by her staff in the conduct of this audit and needs to make some major operational changes.
If State Laws or local ordinances are broken or money is missing then say so. If no laws are broken and no money is missing then have the decency to say that. The personal opinions of the State Auditor’s Office are just that...personal opinions. The Auditor’s Office also needs to conduct and present its reviews in a timely manner. When it goes beyond six months the Auditor should roll up her sleeves and work side by side with her staff to see what the hold up is.
One of the criticisms by the State Auditor was that beer was served as a beverage to a rather large delegation of Germans from our Sister City of Ludwigsburg back in 2003. For the record, I don’t drink beer, but I have it on good authority that many Germans do.
In the movie Casablanca there’s a scene where the French head of the local Viche Police is ordered to shut down Rick’s nightclub and casino. When challenged as to why he is ordering the place closed, pocketing his own winnings, he says something to the effect of, “I’m shocked, shocked to learn that gambling is going on here.”
It was hard for the State Auditor to keep a straight face while saying how “shocked” she was to learn that beer was served to a German delegation at a dinner reception. Given the power Anheuser Busch has in the Missouri General Assembly, I was actually surprised there wasn’t a law mandating beer be served. Of course, no State Law was broken, but you can’t audit a $98 million dollar budget and tell people you didn’t find anything.
It is the same reason the State Auditor feels compelled to routinely tell communities they can’t have holiday parties at Christmas for public employees or buy flowers for the funeral of a public employee killed in the line of duty. All such non crimes will result in a stern finger wagging from Missouri’s public watchdog...ready to spring into action and respond in a matter of years.
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor,
In the recent edition of the City Newsletter Mayor York talks about the heroes her children have to look up to in their magazines. Her attempt to make herself sound like she still has teen and pre-teen kids is just another attempt at creating the false persona she carries. York’s kids are grown, her youngest, a daughter now lives in the office that Glennon Jamboretz is supposed to occupy. I take great offense to her trying to play this motherly figure. York has done this in the past when she was accused of wrongdoing of the Express Scripts contract.
Having been a co-worker with her and her husband I can tell you that she is not the person she is trying to convince everyone she is. This paper has done a great job exposing the real truth and what she is all about. I encourage you to continue. There is a lot more to uncover.
Ozark forever
To The Editor
Though I’m not an advocate of recall in general, I do know that if the citizens of St. Charles are not happy with a duly elected official, they certainly have the right to petition for a recall vote of that official.
However, there is something wrong when people who do not live in the city, let alone a Council Ward, decide they have an interest in overturning the duly-elected Ward officials, and so they hire professional petitioners (who are being paid by the number of signatures they can obtain) to go from door to door with half-truths, innuendos, and pressure tactics until enough signatures are gathered to put the recall on the ballot. This seems to be the case in the recall petitions of both Councilpersons Greer and Brown.
According to an article in the Oct. 18th Post-Dispatch, a large sum of money was spent by Glenn Jamboretz of St. Louis Co. and T.R. Hughes of St. Charles Co. as well as a committee headed by Jamboretz and St. Charles resident Ken Kielty who, though a St. Charles resident, lives in neither Greer’s nor Brown’s Ward. Ward voters might wonder why out-of-towners and people who do not even live in their Wards should have more of an interest in their councilperson than the voters themselves. Are Mr. Jamboretz and Mr. Hughes planning to move to one of these Wards? What’s the motivation here for spending large sums of personal money to affect a recall for an official who will never be their representative?
You can bet that if the recall vote occurs, these Wards will start receiving expensive, colored brochures advocating the recall, they will see full-page ads in all the local papers advocating the recall, and their phones will be ringing with paid solicitors also advocating the recall. The voters of these Wards will be subject to the best negative advertising money can buy, all bought and paid for by non-residents of the targeted Wards. Perhaps the voters should start to question who is really going to benefit from these types of political shenanigans. Do we really think these out-of-towners would be spending thousands of dollars to overturn an election if there was no financial gain for them?
Eleanor McCune
An Open Letter About The Convention Center Complex
The St. Charles Convention Center and adjoining Embassy Suites Hotel has been a work in progress for the past 10 years. As a business owner in the community, I was anxious for it’s completion and was enthused with the business prospects the center would generate. I shared my enthusiasm with friend, business associates and guests of my Bed & Breakfast.
When I learned the Working Women’s Holiday show, held September 20 through October e2, 2005 was scheduled at the Convention Center I immediately reserved my place as a vendor. Please note the announcement of the show to be held at the Convention Center was nearly a year ago. I worked very diligently for many months spreading the word of the show, passing out flyers and displaying posters with local shops and stores.
On September 30th my husband and I prepared our booth and readied ourselves for the show. The following are observations made during our weekend: The Charles Convention Center and Embassy Suites Hotel are not vendor or guest friendly. The event was designed for the ease of the Convention center and did not accommodate vendors, who paid for vending space, or guests who paid to attend the event.
Guests were not permitted to enter through the front doors nor through the hotel. The guest entrance was in the back of the building and was not mentioned in any of the show’s advertisements. Guests were advised by small signs affixed n the doors to enter from the “back lower level”. The Convention Center’s lovely front exterior and parking lot were blocked off. Many people parked in the commuter parking across the street from the front facility only to learn the front entrance was locked and they were to walk quite a distance to the back of the building, an extremely difficult task for many of the show’s older guests. I personally saw many women trying to access doors only to find them locked.
On Sunday, my husband and I wanted to treat ourselves to a nice lunch at the Embassy Suites Hotel dining room. We walked to the adjoining door between the Convention center and the hotel where we were confronted by a Convention Center employee who would not allow us to enter. The guard directed us out the back of the building and around the front to enter through the hotel’s front entrance. After a weekend of vending, making the long trek around the building to reach a destination that could be seen through the doorway made our lunch plan less than inviting. We decided to skip lunch at the Embassy Suites. The security guard’s behavior was unprofessional and discourteous.
When the show was concluded, I have a very negative feeling about the Convention Center complex. Others that I spoke with, guests and vendors alike shared the negativity.
St. Charles has worked long and hard for the Convention Center complex and its success will depend on its ability to accommodate its vendors and guests. With the shoddy treatment given to the Working Women’s Holiday Show, I will not be surprised to see the business going elsewhere.
If you were involved in or attended the Working Women’s Holiday Show I would appreciate your input concerning the Convention Center complex.
Sincerely,
Rhona Lococo
Lococo House II Bed & Breakfast
1309 N. Fifth St. St. Charles, MO 63301
636-946-0619 Rhonaloc@charter.net
Editor, First Capitol News
In reading an article in Saturday’s Post-Dispatch, first I had to ask myself why Justice Thomas got himself involved in Missouri State Law in the first place, “Justice Thomas Blocks Abortion Order”? Why the state is refusing to take this young woman, an inmate in a correctional institution who is paying personally for her own access to clinical abortion as is allowed by Missouri law, saying it is too costly and time consuming to allow it with two guards back and forth to the clinic, and instead is now insisting that we, the taxpayers force her against her will to carry this child; to pay for medical care and delivery of a child while she is in prison, literally forcing her to go through 9 months of an unwanted pregnancy in a prison environment, stressful and unhealthy for carrying a baby, certainly much more expensive and more time consuming and problematic for the prison, as is stated in the P.D. article Oct. 15th, than to have her make one trip to the clinic, and then force her to go through the emotional stress of either giving the child up after birth or trying to find someone to take it? She knows she won’t be able to take care of it upon her release which will be traumatic for both mother and child. Another thing that really upset me, aside from all the remarks that I’m used to by now from our self professed Christian Governor who takes from the poor to give to the wealthy and proclaims to know what’s best for everyone rather than letting anyone make their own decisions, is the fact that it was a POST-DISPATCH reporter who contacted a St. Charles republican state Senator Chuck Gross, to “tip him off” and get a bunch of anti-abortionist protesters firmly in place outside a clinic where this young woman was to have her procedure is beyond my belief just in case she made it there before Justice Thomas stepped in and stopped it. What is the Post-Dispatch planning to do about that? What is St. Charles and it’s voters planning on doing about Senator Gross?
Sandra Vago
Dear Sirs,
i was wondering if you could check the grammar in the Mayor’s letter to Chief Mokwa? Should the word “incidence” be “incident” in this official letter? I was also wondering if your find paper could put a picture of Linda Meyers in and a biography of where she came from and what she is trying to accomplish from all the pamphlets, postcards, mailings and phone calls we citizen are getting to recall our Council persons. Is she planning on running if they get recalled/ What is her agenda?
Thank you
A concerned Citizen and Loyal reader.
Dear Editor,
Mayor, don’t worry. Be happy. You’ve got your good parishioners at Borromeo to stand behind you. Well I do not know how true that statement really is.
At least you have Henry and Father Tillman in your corner for your legal defense fund. You yourself are a Eucharistic minister as well as that Ron guy on the recall committee to recall Dottie Greet so you can get that power back.
Then you have some judges, doctors, lawyers, labor people and people like me who used to attend and many still do.But for whatever reason they are afraid to say anything about your reign as Mayor of this town unless it is a back slapping get together.
Mayor, you asked a question (Council meeting of 10/18) about if anyone thought you would do such a thing as to funnel money to Jamboretz to pay for the recall of Greer and Brown, giving the people of this City (taxpayers) the impression you would never do such a thing. Well I’m here to tell you, you and Father Tillman better get together. He could tell you that you could probably go to hell for lying. You, Henry and Father Tillman and the movers and shakers of this town seem to think the principals and or commandments of God do not belong in politics.
I would like to give you one example to show what happens when coverups occur in our town.
Back about 25 years ago on Decatur Street between 4th & 5th streets where the church sits, Msgr. Michael Owens, Pastor, and a young priest who was known as Father Duck were ministering to the parishioners of this parish.Story has it that Father Duck was doing more than his priestly duties with young men in the parish. You can imagine the rumors going on around the town as this was taking place. I know at the time Henry was very active in the parish and was on the parish council as he was a good friend of Msgr. Owens. There was also a high ranking law enforcement official who attended mass very frequently at this church and could have been a parishioner.
I’ve recently talked with the David Clohesy organization that tracks these types of priests and found out the Duck is alive and well and living in south county and has been sued numerous times by individuals he has taken advantage of. He has been defrocked and the Catholic Church has paid off on two of the suits against him and two are pending.
So you can see Mayor, people like Henry, when he says in your campaign literature that, “Patti gets things done” and then I see you do get things done that are really not good for the taxpayers of this town. We have Henry and friend Kevin , Father Tillman, TR, Jamboretz, Kielty, Baum and Watkins etc raising money for your defense, makes them look pretty silly when you insist that you would never do anything wrong. (illegal that is)
How about ethically and or morally wrong? Would you admit to that? Look at her record folks and you make the call.
Bob Breidensteiner
In the recent edition of the City Newsletter Mayor York talks about the heroes her children have to look up to in their magazines. Her attempt to make herself sound like she still has teen and pre-teen kids is just another attempt at creating the false persona she carries. York’s kids are grown, her youngest, a daughter now lives in the office that Glennon Jamboretz is supposed to occupy. I take great offense to her trying to play this motherly figure. York has done this in the past when she was accused of wrongdoing of the Express Scripts contract.
Having been a co-worker with her and her husband I can tell you that she is not the person she is trying to convince everyone she is. This paper has done a great job exposing the real truth and what she is all about. I encourage you to continue. There is a lot more to uncover.
Ozark forever
To The Editor
Though I’m not an advocate of recall in general, I do know that if the citizens of St. Charles are not happy with a duly elected official, they certainly have the right to petition for a recall vote of that official.
However, there is something wrong when people who do not live in the city, let alone a Council Ward, decide they have an interest in overturning the duly-elected Ward officials, and so they hire professional petitioners (who are being paid by the number of signatures they can obtain) to go from door to door with half-truths, innuendos, and pressure tactics until enough signatures are gathered to put the recall on the ballot. This seems to be the case in the recall petitions of both Councilpersons Greer and Brown.
According to an article in the Oct. 18th Post-Dispatch, a large sum of money was spent by Glenn Jamboretz of St. Louis Co. and T.R. Hughes of St. Charles Co. as well as a committee headed by Jamboretz and St. Charles resident Ken Kielty who, though a St. Charles resident, lives in neither Greer’s nor Brown’s Ward. Ward voters might wonder why out-of-towners and people who do not even live in their Wards should have more of an interest in their councilperson than the voters themselves. Are Mr. Jamboretz and Mr. Hughes planning to move to one of these Wards? What’s the motivation here for spending large sums of personal money to affect a recall for an official who will never be their representative?
You can bet that if the recall vote occurs, these Wards will start receiving expensive, colored brochures advocating the recall, they will see full-page ads in all the local papers advocating the recall, and their phones will be ringing with paid solicitors also advocating the recall. The voters of these Wards will be subject to the best negative advertising money can buy, all bought and paid for by non-residents of the targeted Wards. Perhaps the voters should start to question who is really going to benefit from these types of political shenanigans. Do we really think these out-of-towners would be spending thousands of dollars to overturn an election if there was no financial gain for them?
Eleanor McCune
An Open Letter About The Convention Center Complex
The St. Charles Convention Center and adjoining Embassy Suites Hotel has been a work in progress for the past 10 years. As a business owner in the community, I was anxious for it’s completion and was enthused with the business prospects the center would generate. I shared my enthusiasm with friend, business associates and guests of my Bed & Breakfast.
When I learned the Working Women’s Holiday show, held September 20 through October e2, 2005 was scheduled at the Convention Center I immediately reserved my place as a vendor. Please note the announcement of the show to be held at the Convention Center was nearly a year ago. I worked very diligently for many months spreading the word of the show, passing out flyers and displaying posters with local shops and stores.
On September 30th my husband and I prepared our booth and readied ourselves for the show. The following are observations made during our weekend: The Charles Convention Center and Embassy Suites Hotel are not vendor or guest friendly. The event was designed for the ease of the Convention center and did not accommodate vendors, who paid for vending space, or guests who paid to attend the event.
Guests were not permitted to enter through the front doors nor through the hotel. The guest entrance was in the back of the building and was not mentioned in any of the show’s advertisements. Guests were advised by small signs affixed n the doors to enter from the “back lower level”. The Convention Center’s lovely front exterior and parking lot were blocked off. Many people parked in the commuter parking across the street from the front facility only to learn the front entrance was locked and they were to walk quite a distance to the back of the building, an extremely difficult task for many of the show’s older guests. I personally saw many women trying to access doors only to find them locked.
On Sunday, my husband and I wanted to treat ourselves to a nice lunch at the Embassy Suites Hotel dining room. We walked to the adjoining door between the Convention center and the hotel where we were confronted by a Convention Center employee who would not allow us to enter. The guard directed us out the back of the building and around the front to enter through the hotel’s front entrance. After a weekend of vending, making the long trek around the building to reach a destination that could be seen through the doorway made our lunch plan less than inviting. We decided to skip lunch at the Embassy Suites. The security guard’s behavior was unprofessional and discourteous.
When the show was concluded, I have a very negative feeling about the Convention Center complex. Others that I spoke with, guests and vendors alike shared the negativity.
St. Charles has worked long and hard for the Convention Center complex and its success will depend on its ability to accommodate its vendors and guests. With the shoddy treatment given to the Working Women’s Holiday Show, I will not be surprised to see the business going elsewhere.
If you were involved in or attended the Working Women’s Holiday Show I would appreciate your input concerning the Convention Center complex.
Sincerely,
Rhona Lococo
Lococo House II Bed & Breakfast
1309 N. Fifth St. St. Charles, MO 63301
636-946-0619 Rhonaloc@charter.net
Editor, First Capitol News
In reading an article in Saturday’s Post-Dispatch, first I had to ask myself why Justice Thomas got himself involved in Missouri State Law in the first place, “Justice Thomas Blocks Abortion Order”? Why the state is refusing to take this young woman, an inmate in a correctional institution who is paying personally for her own access to clinical abortion as is allowed by Missouri law, saying it is too costly and time consuming to allow it with two guards back and forth to the clinic, and instead is now insisting that we, the taxpayers force her against her will to carry this child; to pay for medical care and delivery of a child while she is in prison, literally forcing her to go through 9 months of an unwanted pregnancy in a prison environment, stressful and unhealthy for carrying a baby, certainly much more expensive and more time consuming and problematic for the prison, as is stated in the P.D. article Oct. 15th, than to have her make one trip to the clinic, and then force her to go through the emotional stress of either giving the child up after birth or trying to find someone to take it? She knows she won’t be able to take care of it upon her release which will be traumatic for both mother and child. Another thing that really upset me, aside from all the remarks that I’m used to by now from our self professed Christian Governor who takes from the poor to give to the wealthy and proclaims to know what’s best for everyone rather than letting anyone make their own decisions, is the fact that it was a POST-DISPATCH reporter who contacted a St. Charles republican state Senator Chuck Gross, to “tip him off” and get a bunch of anti-abortionist protesters firmly in place outside a clinic where this young woman was to have her procedure is beyond my belief just in case she made it there before Justice Thomas stepped in and stopped it. What is the Post-Dispatch planning to do about that? What is St. Charles and it’s voters planning on doing about Senator Gross?
Sandra Vago
Dear Sirs,
i was wondering if you could check the grammar in the Mayor’s letter to Chief Mokwa? Should the word “incidence” be “incident” in this official letter? I was also wondering if your find paper could put a picture of Linda Meyers in and a biography of where she came from and what she is trying to accomplish from all the pamphlets, postcards, mailings and phone calls we citizen are getting to recall our Council persons. Is she planning on running if they get recalled/ What is her agenda?
Thank you
A concerned Citizen and Loyal reader.
Dear Editor,
Mayor, don’t worry. Be happy. You’ve got your good parishioners at Borromeo to stand behind you. Well I do not know how true that statement really is.
At least you have Henry and Father Tillman in your corner for your legal defense fund. You yourself are a Eucharistic minister as well as that Ron guy on the recall committee to recall Dottie Greet so you can get that power back.
Then you have some judges, doctors, lawyers, labor people and people like me who used to attend and many still do.But for whatever reason they are afraid to say anything about your reign as Mayor of this town unless it is a back slapping get together.
Mayor, you asked a question (Council meeting of 10/18) about if anyone thought you would do such a thing as to funnel money to Jamboretz to pay for the recall of Greer and Brown, giving the people of this City (taxpayers) the impression you would never do such a thing. Well I’m here to tell you, you and Father Tillman better get together. He could tell you that you could probably go to hell for lying. You, Henry and Father Tillman and the movers and shakers of this town seem to think the principals and or commandments of God do not belong in politics.
I would like to give you one example to show what happens when coverups occur in our town.
Back about 25 years ago on Decatur Street between 4th & 5th streets where the church sits, Msgr. Michael Owens, Pastor, and a young priest who was known as Father Duck were ministering to the parishioners of this parish.Story has it that Father Duck was doing more than his priestly duties with young men in the parish. You can imagine the rumors going on around the town as this was taking place. I know at the time Henry was very active in the parish and was on the parish council as he was a good friend of Msgr. Owens. There was also a high ranking law enforcement official who attended mass very frequently at this church and could have been a parishioner.
I’ve recently talked with the David Clohesy organization that tracks these types of priests and found out the Duck is alive and well and living in south county and has been sued numerous times by individuals he has taken advantage of. He has been defrocked and the Catholic Church has paid off on two of the suits against him and two are pending.
So you can see Mayor, people like Henry, when he says in your campaign literature that, “Patti gets things done” and then I see you do get things done that are really not good for the taxpayers of this town. We have Henry and friend Kevin , Father Tillman, TR, Jamboretz, Kielty, Baum and Watkins etc raising money for your defense, makes them look pretty silly when you insist that you would never do anything wrong. (illegal that is)
How about ethically and or morally wrong? Would you admit to that? Look at her record folks and you make the call.
Bob Breidensteiner
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