An Economic Impact Analysis report prepared by Rubin, Brown, Gornstein & Co. LLP (RBG & Co.) recently reported the economic impact of The New Town at St. Charles, a traditional neighborhood development by Whittaker Homes, on the region.
According to the report, the $771 million of construction costs at The New Town at St. Charles will generate $1.3 billion in total output, $416 million in labor income and $43 million in indirect business taxes to the region over a 12-year construction period.
To illustrate the magnitude of the construction costs of New Town, RBG & Co. has compared New Town’s direct construction expenditures to construction costs to other projects in the region. For example, New Town’s direct construction costs are roughly the equivalent of constructing two St. Charles Convention Centers each year for a period of 12 years, generating a tremendous amount of income for the region every year.
Plans for New Town include a commercial component that is expected to impact the region long after construction ends. RBG & Co. found that the estimated economic impact to the region for ongoing operations is significant, with $4.9 billion estimated in total output over a 20-year period.
RBG & Co. also found that the City of St. Charles stands to receive approximately $5.1 million in fees paid by developers and builders related to the construction costs of New Town. Additionally, the city could estimate the receipt of direct public sector payments, from operations of approximately $4.7 million per year.
RBG & Co.’s report directly states, “Our economic analysis has indicated that the City of St. Charles, St. Charles County and the surrounding four counties will be significantly impacted by the constructions and operations of New Town. To put this in perspective, the sum of economic impacts from hosting two Rams playoff games, the 2002 Soulard Mardi Gras Parade, the first and second rounds of the 2002 NCAA Tournament, five Cardinals playoff games and 15 conventions at the St. Charles Convention Center is approximately $67 million. The New Town at St. Charles and the Annex has almost five times the annual impact of the aforementioned events combined.”
Ultimately, The New Town at St. Charles, a $1 billion project will consist of over 5,000 residences in ten phases, with a carefully planned mix of homes in addition to a large town center and four neighborhood centers and over 500,000 square feet of office and commercial space.
The New Town at St. Charles is located off Hwy. 370 and New Town Blvd.
For information regarding The New Town at St. Charles, call 636-949-2700 or visit www.newtownatstcharles.com.
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Crimestoppers Select F. Steven Pope, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and Mary Magrew, Police Civilian Employee of the Year
Crimestoppers Select F. Steven Pope, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and Mary Magrew, Police Civilian Employee of the Year
Pictured above at the St. Charles Crimestoppers banquet Thursday evening from left to right are Detective Ray Juengst, President of the St. Charles Police Officers Association; Mary Mayer National Night Out Coordinator and Community Relations Director for the Police Department; Officer F. Steven Pope, a school resource officer at Hardin Middle School, selected as the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by Crimestoppers; Mary Magrew selected as the Police Civilian Employee of the Year by Crimestoppers; St. Charles City Councilman John Gieseke Ward 8; St. Charles Chief of Police Tim Swope and St. Charles Police Sergeant Ron Lloyd, Supervisor of the school resource officers First Capitol News Photo by Tony Brockmeyer
Pictured above at the St. Charles Crimestoppers banquet Thursday evening from left to right are Detective Ray Juengst, President of the St. Charles Police Officers Association; Mary Mayer National Night Out Coordinator and Community Relations Director for the Police Department; Officer F. Steven Pope, a school resource officer at Hardin Middle School, selected as the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by Crimestoppers; Mary Magrew selected as the Police Civilian Employee of the Year by Crimestoppers; St. Charles City Councilman John Gieseke Ward 8; St. Charles Chief of Police Tim Swope and St. Charles Police Sergeant Ron Lloyd, Supervisor of the school resource officers First Capitol News Photo by Tony Brockmeyer
The Death Of A Golf Course, A Community Crime?
By W. Red Hudson
St. Charles City residents have approved a rezoning request and annexation for the parcel of land that is currently, and has been for decades, the St. Charles Golf Course. Let’s review what we’ve done: we’ve promised ourselves more houses. That’s not what St. Charles needs. It seems the folly here is so deep and so wide that the misdeeds against past, present and future generations in St. Charles City and County are invisible. Indeed, the perpetrators of this community crime are also the victims. And the reasons are multifold – having to do chiefly with poor intergovernmental cooperation and faulty bearing of the public trust. The achievement will be the paving over of nearly every last square foot of open space inside an already wholly developed and mature city.
What’s the half-life of bad propaganda? As is repeatedly advertised, the “highest and best use” (a legal measuring standard) would be housing, not open space. We don’t really need a golf course. Wrong. Of course, the owners of the golf course wish to take as much profit from the fortunate holdings of their progenitors, regardless of the planned cannibalization of the landscape. That would be the “highest and best outcome” for the current titleholders. It is not the highest and best use for the community. Lest we get the two mixed up.
And why? Because a community is not to be a monolithic presentation of houses, tops of houses and houses on top of each other. The premise behind “highest and best use” is planning. The premise behind planning is to shape communities in some sort of functional way. Thus the premise of a community is functionality. Part of function includes amenities. One amenity is a golf course.
Here we are, St. Charles City and County residents, taxpaying for a convention center and hotel. We have amenities in the casino, Main Street, Family Arena, the riverfront, etc. for attracting visitors. Yet the City and County either have allowed or hastened the development of the two public golf courses nearest this grand hotel (St. Andrews, St. Charles). Many visiting business people enjoy golf. Like it or not, they really do. Call it a game for the gentry. Too expensive for some. Too boring for others. Too difficult for most.
The issue is not preserving a game for the ten percent of the population who plays. The land itself is an asset, a public asset to all of us. One party’s land title and profit-taking rights fail to trump the deleterious effect development has on the other spaces across the community. As a golf course, the land would remain open for future use in many potential ways. As a subdivision, foreclosed are the demands of future markets or community needs.
Second, as a part of this discussion, the tenets of the free market remain revered, even though land cannot be a part of the free market. That’s because land is not a commodity, by definition. It cannot be mass-produced. It cannot be reproduced. More is not flowing from the factory doors. Also, land is highly regulated via zoning. A heap of case law, therefore, allows communities to change or not change zoning laws.
Were the golf course owners to take incredible amounts of cash from the sale of their golf course to become a landfill, a rendering plant, or a hazardous materials storage center, citizens would protest. Elected officials would deny zoning. There would be no outcry that “the government” (a.k.a. The People) prevented private landowners from doing what they want with their land. We are nearing the finish line for these types of decisions in St. Charles now. The City is almost completely built out. End-game development has arrived. And it is as noxious to community function as approving a landfill.
St. Charles City or County should both have told St. Charles Golf Course owners, “No. You have created the precedent for your enterprise. If you want to sell it, sell it as a golf course. Do not depend on the actions elected officials to help subsidize your profit taking while it pilfers an asset away from the entire community forever. Zoning request denied.” You could have been brave, County Council members; the Constitution is on your side. You could have stopped this calamity. Instead, City Council members and city residents faced a Hobson’s choice – annexing and zoning it for residential use knowing, if the City did not, the county would. County Council members showed us these colors, their colors, during the St. Andrews Golf Course debacle. This is poor stewardship, poor cooperation, painfully poor leadership. The sum of it has bequeathed to St. Charles City voters an agonizing perpetration upon themselves of another community injustice.
Finally, artist renderings promise this development to look much the same as most. The seemingly drunken fury to gorge as much of St. Charles County land as fast as possible has positioned it as a paradigm of sterile, dysfunctional built environments. The golf course is soon to meet the same doom. It raises an issue: what tourist deplanes an aircraft at Lambert Airport and says, “Let’s head straight to O’Fallon or Florissant or Wentzville or St. Peters or Ellisville, you know, places where we know there’s an Applebee’s. Then we’ll also take in the city’s unique sights.” Few, if any. Just like you’d not get off a plane in Philadelphia to experience the wonder of its suburbs. They’re mostly the same. Mostly nondescript. Every place need not be a tourist destination. They should just be interesting, modestly interesting. The only such attempt in this county is New Town, a planned community-penance after Winghaven’s immense failure.
None of the foregoing contemplates the contradiction entangled with the conservative majority leadership of this County. An excruciatingly burdensome state and federal public subsidy builds the roads and sewers and water lines and electric lines and phone lines and school buildings and police cars and police stations and fire engines and firehouses, and all the collateral salaries into perpetuity. Duplicated and ever-expanding services and infrastructure accompany such unbridled growth. When people can buy houses at 80 cents on the dollar, the prism of reality becomes clearer. The subsidy has fostered four times, 400 percent, more use of Missouri land than 25 years ago with little or no population growth. Funny how we define socialism based upon its intended beneficiary, whether it be for under, middle or over classes. What’s the shelf life of bad legislation?
Two decades of socialized and poor planning notably exposes the fallout. Real community is dying. The percentage of people who can actually walk or take public transportation to a job, a quick shop, a restaurant, a laundry, a park or a public house is so miniscule, that many of them have become tourists in their own county. They drive from their neighborhoods, absent any purposeful destinations by foot, to historic Main Street in order to be able to walk to somewhere – to anywhere – while in a neighborhood. Then they return to their cars to drive back to subdivisions whose only nexus to the outside world is the car. It is this absurdity, growing out of a merciless development foray, which has lead to bizarre perversions such as the current one: turning a golf course into a subdivision.
St. Charles City residents have approved a rezoning request and annexation for the parcel of land that is currently, and has been for decades, the St. Charles Golf Course. Let’s review what we’ve done: we’ve promised ourselves more houses. That’s not what St. Charles needs. It seems the folly here is so deep and so wide that the misdeeds against past, present and future generations in St. Charles City and County are invisible. Indeed, the perpetrators of this community crime are also the victims. And the reasons are multifold – having to do chiefly with poor intergovernmental cooperation and faulty bearing of the public trust. The achievement will be the paving over of nearly every last square foot of open space inside an already wholly developed and mature city.
What’s the half-life of bad propaganda? As is repeatedly advertised, the “highest and best use” (a legal measuring standard) would be housing, not open space. We don’t really need a golf course. Wrong. Of course, the owners of the golf course wish to take as much profit from the fortunate holdings of their progenitors, regardless of the planned cannibalization of the landscape. That would be the “highest and best outcome” for the current titleholders. It is not the highest and best use for the community. Lest we get the two mixed up.
And why? Because a community is not to be a monolithic presentation of houses, tops of houses and houses on top of each other. The premise behind “highest and best use” is planning. The premise behind planning is to shape communities in some sort of functional way. Thus the premise of a community is functionality. Part of function includes amenities. One amenity is a golf course.
Here we are, St. Charles City and County residents, taxpaying for a convention center and hotel. We have amenities in the casino, Main Street, Family Arena, the riverfront, etc. for attracting visitors. Yet the City and County either have allowed or hastened the development of the two public golf courses nearest this grand hotel (St. Andrews, St. Charles). Many visiting business people enjoy golf. Like it or not, they really do. Call it a game for the gentry. Too expensive for some. Too boring for others. Too difficult for most.
The issue is not preserving a game for the ten percent of the population who plays. The land itself is an asset, a public asset to all of us. One party’s land title and profit-taking rights fail to trump the deleterious effect development has on the other spaces across the community. As a golf course, the land would remain open for future use in many potential ways. As a subdivision, foreclosed are the demands of future markets or community needs.
Second, as a part of this discussion, the tenets of the free market remain revered, even though land cannot be a part of the free market. That’s because land is not a commodity, by definition. It cannot be mass-produced. It cannot be reproduced. More is not flowing from the factory doors. Also, land is highly regulated via zoning. A heap of case law, therefore, allows communities to change or not change zoning laws.
Were the golf course owners to take incredible amounts of cash from the sale of their golf course to become a landfill, a rendering plant, or a hazardous materials storage center, citizens would protest. Elected officials would deny zoning. There would be no outcry that “the government” (a.k.a. The People) prevented private landowners from doing what they want with their land. We are nearing the finish line for these types of decisions in St. Charles now. The City is almost completely built out. End-game development has arrived. And it is as noxious to community function as approving a landfill.
St. Charles City or County should both have told St. Charles Golf Course owners, “No. You have created the precedent for your enterprise. If you want to sell it, sell it as a golf course. Do not depend on the actions elected officials to help subsidize your profit taking while it pilfers an asset away from the entire community forever. Zoning request denied.” You could have been brave, County Council members; the Constitution is on your side. You could have stopped this calamity. Instead, City Council members and city residents faced a Hobson’s choice – annexing and zoning it for residential use knowing, if the City did not, the county would. County Council members showed us these colors, their colors, during the St. Andrews Golf Course debacle. This is poor stewardship, poor cooperation, painfully poor leadership. The sum of it has bequeathed to St. Charles City voters an agonizing perpetration upon themselves of another community injustice.
Finally, artist renderings promise this development to look much the same as most. The seemingly drunken fury to gorge as much of St. Charles County land as fast as possible has positioned it as a paradigm of sterile, dysfunctional built environments. The golf course is soon to meet the same doom. It raises an issue: what tourist deplanes an aircraft at Lambert Airport and says, “Let’s head straight to O’Fallon or Florissant or Wentzville or St. Peters or Ellisville, you know, places where we know there’s an Applebee’s. Then we’ll also take in the city’s unique sights.” Few, if any. Just like you’d not get off a plane in Philadelphia to experience the wonder of its suburbs. They’re mostly the same. Mostly nondescript. Every place need not be a tourist destination. They should just be interesting, modestly interesting. The only such attempt in this county is New Town, a planned community-penance after Winghaven’s immense failure.
None of the foregoing contemplates the contradiction entangled with the conservative majority leadership of this County. An excruciatingly burdensome state and federal public subsidy builds the roads and sewers and water lines and electric lines and phone lines and school buildings and police cars and police stations and fire engines and firehouses, and all the collateral salaries into perpetuity. Duplicated and ever-expanding services and infrastructure accompany such unbridled growth. When people can buy houses at 80 cents on the dollar, the prism of reality becomes clearer. The subsidy has fostered four times, 400 percent, more use of Missouri land than 25 years ago with little or no population growth. Funny how we define socialism based upon its intended beneficiary, whether it be for under, middle or over classes. What’s the shelf life of bad legislation?
Two decades of socialized and poor planning notably exposes the fallout. Real community is dying. The percentage of people who can actually walk or take public transportation to a job, a quick shop, a restaurant, a laundry, a park or a public house is so miniscule, that many of them have become tourists in their own county. They drive from their neighborhoods, absent any purposeful destinations by foot, to historic Main Street in order to be able to walk to somewhere – to anywhere – while in a neighborhood. Then they return to their cars to drive back to subdivisions whose only nexus to the outside world is the car. It is this absurdity, growing out of a merciless development foray, which has lead to bizarre perversions such as the current one: turning a golf course into a subdivision.
Unqualified Arrogance
My Opinion
By Elijah Lovejoy III
I don’t think God much likes his name being invoked on either side of an argument. So I won’t do so, despite the temptation to respond on point to local pitchman Ed Watkins’ call for a revival. What he revived via his April 13 edition of the Citizen newspaper is a campaign to quell dissent, praise his credentials, prove his commitment to family, come to the aid of cronies, butcher the English language and draw a bright line between the godly and the others. In one of his impotent innuendos, he went so far as to fear his family’s safety because of reaction to his brave statements.
It’s also unadvisable to speculate on the contents of another’s heart. If you ever could get through the skeleton-ized, calcified, calcium-ized, hardened portion of Mr. Watkins’ heart, he might actually have a very large tender area. Who knows what all has managed to worm itself in there?
Mr. Watkins’ endeavors in character assassination only hurt himself. He’s not known as the sharp-witted man. He’s not known as the muscle. The gaping crevasses between his intended text and his unintended subtext – that is, the words and their singular meanings and the underlying, hidden meanings – are wide and treacherous. Readers must take caution not to fall into Mr. Watkins’ pit of self-lauding. His prose proffers interpretative fodder akin to stream-of-conscious analysis of a psychologist’s ink blotter. Wrapped around the “come-on-Eddy-do-it-do-it-Eddy-do-it” encouragement from his cheerleading section of moneyed elites is the deep failing of a brutally insecure man. He is still the deficient boy on the playground trying to do something spectacular so the right kids like him. Evident by his abandonment of his own self-applied principles on April 13, he wants to be liked a little too much.
Yet we can unpack God and His truths from Mr. Watkins heartless, wild-eyed and rabid attack on a significant list of St. Charles city residents and officials, including the people of this weekly newspaper. Mr. Watkins departed onto the dark road of ranting from his man-made fortress of morality. Neglected in his columns is the great tenet of forgiveness and consulted by him is the troubling vice of laying judgment.
Also evident from Mr. Watkins’ Opinion and Editorial sections is a sophomoric dropping of names. We were waiting for a Lou Brock mention. He utters Lou’s name about once an hour. His awkward and self-inflating injection of resume’ line items caused confusion over his objectives. So did his rudimentary understanding of literary articulation. And because he presented his skills to us in print, we thought it only proper to offer critique. For instance, consider a survey of his butchery on p.3:
“In fact, the experts tell us that the world is now separated by only six degrees of separation.” Has separation ever been separated from itself? The verbal meandering riddles his two columns and perplexes its readers.
Or how about during Mr. Watkins’ fully elevated aggression and ire where he calls his targets “…principles, without principals…” When disburdening oneself of such an attack through the new-found skill of newspaper editor, one of the things one should do is make sure that, in the body of the attack, all the Ts are crossed and all the Is are dotted. Oh yes, a “principal” likely was to have referred to the “key players” in Mr. Watkins’ pretend, paranoia-mired fantasy world. Conversely, “principles” would reflect axioms of good decorum and ethics.
Of these three words – it’s, its and its’ – one them is not a word. It’s its’. Indeed, its’ is not a word. It’s an anomaly of the English language, but “its” is actually possessive. No apostrophe needed. By the recurrence of – its’ – in Mr. Watkins’ diatribes, he announces that he’s not using the Queen’s English.
Also, originality fails as a quality. His story is entitled “The Fleecing of St. Charles.” That’s a rip off of a TV news series title.
Plus, the use of all caps (all capital letters) means the writer is “YELLING.”
Making references to people like “just ask Mr. X, or ask Ms. Y” are nebulous smoke screens erected with little payoff.
“…I confess to being unashamedly conservative when it comes to the values that I feel shaped this country in general and shaped my life in particular.” Only the values that you hold as your own shaped this great country? Unqualified arrogance.
Either say what you’re trying to say, or don’t. When readers get past all the great things Mr. Watkins has done, and all the neat people he knows, what he intones is that there’s a good vs. bad battle in our city. Not right vs. wrong. Not better vs. best. Not differences of opinion.
Mr. Watkins’ generic brand of pandering moralist ambition is a thinly veiled attempt to manipulate St. Charles citizens into believing that Mr. Watkins and St. Charles citizens are fighting the same battles. Mr. Watkins is a man of privilege and prominence. Merely because he has wealth does not make his voice superior to others. A wise man once characterized a reformer as someone who takes a glass bottom boat through the city’s sewers. Apparently, Mr. Watkins doesn’t want a view of the odious truth in St. Charles. From his office in his half-million dollar home, Mr. Watkins would rather defend people like the mayor and her improper official actions. His truth is shrouded in holier-than-thou pontifications rooted in his right and his wrong. Great care should be taken any time one hopes to employ the word “hypocrite.” It’s like a firearm that shoots in both directions simultaneously. Time to make another petition.
Mr. Watkins should meddle in the his own enclave’s subdivision codes, doing as little damage from afar to this fair hamlet of St. Charles.
By Elijah Lovejoy III
I don’t think God much likes his name being invoked on either side of an argument. So I won’t do so, despite the temptation to respond on point to local pitchman Ed Watkins’ call for a revival. What he revived via his April 13 edition of the Citizen newspaper is a campaign to quell dissent, praise his credentials, prove his commitment to family, come to the aid of cronies, butcher the English language and draw a bright line between the godly and the others. In one of his impotent innuendos, he went so far as to fear his family’s safety because of reaction to his brave statements.
It’s also unadvisable to speculate on the contents of another’s heart. If you ever could get through the skeleton-ized, calcified, calcium-ized, hardened portion of Mr. Watkins’ heart, he might actually have a very large tender area. Who knows what all has managed to worm itself in there?
Mr. Watkins’ endeavors in character assassination only hurt himself. He’s not known as the sharp-witted man. He’s not known as the muscle. The gaping crevasses between his intended text and his unintended subtext – that is, the words and their singular meanings and the underlying, hidden meanings – are wide and treacherous. Readers must take caution not to fall into Mr. Watkins’ pit of self-lauding. His prose proffers interpretative fodder akin to stream-of-conscious analysis of a psychologist’s ink blotter. Wrapped around the “come-on-Eddy-do-it-do-it-Eddy-do-it” encouragement from his cheerleading section of moneyed elites is the deep failing of a brutally insecure man. He is still the deficient boy on the playground trying to do something spectacular so the right kids like him. Evident by his abandonment of his own self-applied principles on April 13, he wants to be liked a little too much.
Yet we can unpack God and His truths from Mr. Watkins heartless, wild-eyed and rabid attack on a significant list of St. Charles city residents and officials, including the people of this weekly newspaper. Mr. Watkins departed onto the dark road of ranting from his man-made fortress of morality. Neglected in his columns is the great tenet of forgiveness and consulted by him is the troubling vice of laying judgment.
Also evident from Mr. Watkins’ Opinion and Editorial sections is a sophomoric dropping of names. We were waiting for a Lou Brock mention. He utters Lou’s name about once an hour. His awkward and self-inflating injection of resume’ line items caused confusion over his objectives. So did his rudimentary understanding of literary articulation. And because he presented his skills to us in print, we thought it only proper to offer critique. For instance, consider a survey of his butchery on p.3:
“In fact, the experts tell us that the world is now separated by only six degrees of separation.” Has separation ever been separated from itself? The verbal meandering riddles his two columns and perplexes its readers.
Or how about during Mr. Watkins’ fully elevated aggression and ire where he calls his targets “…principles, without principals…” When disburdening oneself of such an attack through the new-found skill of newspaper editor, one of the things one should do is make sure that, in the body of the attack, all the Ts are crossed and all the Is are dotted. Oh yes, a “principal” likely was to have referred to the “key players” in Mr. Watkins’ pretend, paranoia-mired fantasy world. Conversely, “principles” would reflect axioms of good decorum and ethics.
Of these three words – it’s, its and its’ – one them is not a word. It’s its’. Indeed, its’ is not a word. It’s an anomaly of the English language, but “its” is actually possessive. No apostrophe needed. By the recurrence of – its’ – in Mr. Watkins’ diatribes, he announces that he’s not using the Queen’s English.
Also, originality fails as a quality. His story is entitled “The Fleecing of St. Charles.” That’s a rip off of a TV news series title.
Plus, the use of all caps (all capital letters) means the writer is “YELLING.”
Making references to people like “just ask Mr. X, or ask Ms. Y” are nebulous smoke screens erected with little payoff.
“…I confess to being unashamedly conservative when it comes to the values that I feel shaped this country in general and shaped my life in particular.” Only the values that you hold as your own shaped this great country? Unqualified arrogance.
Either say what you’re trying to say, or don’t. When readers get past all the great things Mr. Watkins has done, and all the neat people he knows, what he intones is that there’s a good vs. bad battle in our city. Not right vs. wrong. Not better vs. best. Not differences of opinion.
Mr. Watkins’ generic brand of pandering moralist ambition is a thinly veiled attempt to manipulate St. Charles citizens into believing that Mr. Watkins and St. Charles citizens are fighting the same battles. Mr. Watkins is a man of privilege and prominence. Merely because he has wealth does not make his voice superior to others. A wise man once characterized a reformer as someone who takes a glass bottom boat through the city’s sewers. Apparently, Mr. Watkins doesn’t want a view of the odious truth in St. Charles. From his office in his half-million dollar home, Mr. Watkins would rather defend people like the mayor and her improper official actions. His truth is shrouded in holier-than-thou pontifications rooted in his right and his wrong. Great care should be taken any time one hopes to employ the word “hypocrite.” It’s like a firearm that shoots in both directions simultaneously. Time to make another petition.
Mr. Watkins should meddle in the his own enclave’s subdivision codes, doing as little damage from afar to this fair hamlet of St. Charles.
THE CITY DESK by Rory Riddler, City Council President
Fishing’s Best In The Muddy
Waters Of Municipal Finance
Now how’s that old song go? “You get a line and I’ll get a pole, honey. You get a line and I’ll get a pole baby.” Then, something, something, something…fish’n hole. Let’s see, I have my spreadsheets, my magnifying glass for the fine print, my sense of humor, a bucket to put all the money in I find and waders to get out in the deep end where the big ones are. It’s time to go fishing for your tax money that wasn’t spent last fiscal year.
You won’t need a new bass boat, state of the art sonar or even a bucket of bait, but that doesn’t mean public sector finance isn’t a challenging sport. You still need patience and a keen eye to reel in the big ones, which is what your City Council was doing Tuesday night as we considered a multi-million dollar budget amendment from the Mayor.
Our fiscal year starts January 1st, but public projects don’t conveniently stop and start when someone shouts HAPPY NEW YEAR! Money appropriated for a particular purchase in one year may not get paid out till the next year. It could be some sort of contract work, like street reconstruction, which extends from one fiscal year to the next. Or it could be a major project, which was funded over several fiscal years. It might be a vehicle or piece of equipment that is simply on order and didn’t arrive by the end of the year. In these cases, the money is simply in the pipeline and the necessity for that funding to carry over from one fiscal year to the next is clear.
Things get a little murkier when unused funds get rolled over into new projects. These require a budget amendment or BA for those who want to sound cool around municipal officials. It’s probably best to use a real world example for this one.
Last year the City Council wanted to help reduce speeding by buying speed-monitoring trailers. These are the ones the Police place on streets, which flash how fast you’re going. Money for another trailer was already in the Police budget, but the Council at that time thought a second one was warranted. So in the Police budget there was a $15,000 line item and the Council in its own budget provided another $15,000.
That turned out to be more than was needed. As a result there was $8,675 left in each of the line items, after the two trailers were purchased. That’s great news, right? But no one seems quick to share that kind of information. Here’s why.
Extra money is often rolled over to a new line item. In this case, to purchase vehicle mounted video cameras. The so called “residual” money from line items that wasn’t needed in last fiscal year, often goes to pay for items which a department did not get funded in the normal course of the annual budget review process for the current year. I use the word “residual” because they hate it at City Hall when I use the term “found” money. They have a point that it was never “lost”, but it certainly got found.
And what of the residual $8,675 from the money the City Council had put towards this worthy project? The line item in the Council’s budget was zeroed out. We weren’t given the opportunity to say if the money should or shouldn’t go to some other need.
In the past, budget amendments didn’t always get the scrutiny they received Tuesday night. I decided to go “fishing” because there are several key road projects that are short of funds this year, when higher than anticipated bids came forward. There are also pressures on the sidewalk budget and projects, anticipated to be funded in future years, which are needed now.
Towards that goal, the Council “netted” about $2.5 million in its initial review. We “rediscovered” $202,600 that has been floating around since 2001. The project it was to fund never got off the ground.
Our biggest catch of the day, however, had to be $482,436 in gaming revenue that wasn’t needed for the new Convention Center. The taxpayer protection act, adopted as part of selling the Convention Center to the public, pledged that no city tax dollars other than those generated on site and from the tourism fund were to go to underwrite operations of the center. The Finance Director also confirmed this money no longer had to remain in this line item as the project had come in well under budget.
Sometimes money tends to build up in a line item, like the $522,392 rolled over from 2004 in the Economic Development Fund. That’s more than the annual allocation for the fund for 2005. I would like to see this money put to better use, to spur redevelopment of some of our commercial corridors or to help attract new business rather than to sit idle for another year. I should also point out the money I’m talking about is in excess of a fully funded reserve account.
While the Council was able to cut specific line items from the budget amendment, the process is more like catch and release. The extra funds simply go to an unappropriated fund balance. The Mayor and Council have to jointly decide how to reappropriate the money. Hopefully we can reach consensus on how to best fund current needs. In the meantime, we can stow away our gear, brag about the ones that “didn’t” get away and pass around the tartar sauce.
Waters Of Municipal Finance
Now how’s that old song go? “You get a line and I’ll get a pole, honey. You get a line and I’ll get a pole baby.” Then, something, something, something…fish’n hole. Let’s see, I have my spreadsheets, my magnifying glass for the fine print, my sense of humor, a bucket to put all the money in I find and waders to get out in the deep end where the big ones are. It’s time to go fishing for your tax money that wasn’t spent last fiscal year.
You won’t need a new bass boat, state of the art sonar or even a bucket of bait, but that doesn’t mean public sector finance isn’t a challenging sport. You still need patience and a keen eye to reel in the big ones, which is what your City Council was doing Tuesday night as we considered a multi-million dollar budget amendment from the Mayor.
Our fiscal year starts January 1st, but public projects don’t conveniently stop and start when someone shouts HAPPY NEW YEAR! Money appropriated for a particular purchase in one year may not get paid out till the next year. It could be some sort of contract work, like street reconstruction, which extends from one fiscal year to the next. Or it could be a major project, which was funded over several fiscal years. It might be a vehicle or piece of equipment that is simply on order and didn’t arrive by the end of the year. In these cases, the money is simply in the pipeline and the necessity for that funding to carry over from one fiscal year to the next is clear.
Things get a little murkier when unused funds get rolled over into new projects. These require a budget amendment or BA for those who want to sound cool around municipal officials. It’s probably best to use a real world example for this one.
Last year the City Council wanted to help reduce speeding by buying speed-monitoring trailers. These are the ones the Police place on streets, which flash how fast you’re going. Money for another trailer was already in the Police budget, but the Council at that time thought a second one was warranted. So in the Police budget there was a $15,000 line item and the Council in its own budget provided another $15,000.
That turned out to be more than was needed. As a result there was $8,675 left in each of the line items, after the two trailers were purchased. That’s great news, right? But no one seems quick to share that kind of information. Here’s why.
Extra money is often rolled over to a new line item. In this case, to purchase vehicle mounted video cameras. The so called “residual” money from line items that wasn’t needed in last fiscal year, often goes to pay for items which a department did not get funded in the normal course of the annual budget review process for the current year. I use the word “residual” because they hate it at City Hall when I use the term “found” money. They have a point that it was never “lost”, but it certainly got found.
And what of the residual $8,675 from the money the City Council had put towards this worthy project? The line item in the Council’s budget was zeroed out. We weren’t given the opportunity to say if the money should or shouldn’t go to some other need.
In the past, budget amendments didn’t always get the scrutiny they received Tuesday night. I decided to go “fishing” because there are several key road projects that are short of funds this year, when higher than anticipated bids came forward. There are also pressures on the sidewalk budget and projects, anticipated to be funded in future years, which are needed now.
Towards that goal, the Council “netted” about $2.5 million in its initial review. We “rediscovered” $202,600 that has been floating around since 2001. The project it was to fund never got off the ground.
Our biggest catch of the day, however, had to be $482,436 in gaming revenue that wasn’t needed for the new Convention Center. The taxpayer protection act, adopted as part of selling the Convention Center to the public, pledged that no city tax dollars other than those generated on site and from the tourism fund were to go to underwrite operations of the center. The Finance Director also confirmed this money no longer had to remain in this line item as the project had come in well under budget.
Sometimes money tends to build up in a line item, like the $522,392 rolled over from 2004 in the Economic Development Fund. That’s more than the annual allocation for the fund for 2005. I would like to see this money put to better use, to spur redevelopment of some of our commercial corridors or to help attract new business rather than to sit idle for another year. I should also point out the money I’m talking about is in excess of a fully funded reserve account.
While the Council was able to cut specific line items from the budget amendment, the process is more like catch and release. The extra funds simply go to an unappropriated fund balance. The Mayor and Council have to jointly decide how to reappropriate the money. Hopefully we can reach consensus on how to best fund current needs. In the meantime, we can stow away our gear, brag about the ones that “didn’t” get away and pass around the tartar sauce.
RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR - Tony Brockmeyer
President Riddler Gavels
V’Anne Mydler To Stop Her Outburst
V’Anne Mydler, a resident residing on Boone's Lick was gaveled out of order and told to be quiet and sit down by City Council President Rory Riddler at Tuesday’s Council Meeting. Mydler, who spoke to the Council during a public hearing regarding a Community Improvement District sought by Ameristar Casino objected to the word ‘blight’ used in the description. She also complained she had no knowledge of the proposal even though she had spoken about it at other meetings of the City Council. When Council President Riddler started to explain to her it had been on several agendas and published in several newspapers she interrupted him and started shouting at him. Council President Riddler told her her time to talk had expired and asked her to be quiet. She continued her outburst until Riddler gaveled her.
BODINE BROWN
REST IN PEACE
As a father you go through life worrying and hoping your kids will have a better life. That is what makes me as a father tic. I hope my kids won’t make the mistakes I have made. They have learned a lesson or two. The reason I am writing this is one of our friends has lost his Dad. Councilman Mark Brown’s dad passed away this week after a lengthy illness. Watching Councilman Brown during this time strengthened my belief that his father left us a person of integrity, honesty, who understands what being a friend is. You see Mark’s best friend was his dad. His dad began to take a turn for the worse and Mark didn’t send him to a nursing home to wither away. Mark took care of his family because that is what his dad taught him. He taught him the importance of friendship by being not only a strict father but also a tremendous friend.
When you speak with Mark about his dad it becomes evident how much his Dad meant to him. You learn that his dad taught him life lessons that make Mark unique. Bodine Brown worked as a police officer and at the brewery. Mark watched a dad that could be labeled a workaholic and he has taken on that same work ethic. When I was growing up my dad told me if you could leave this earth with one best friend your life would be a success. Think about a man like Bodine who leaves us not only with a great friend but a son that considered him his best friend. That is something all fathers would love to be able to say when we meet our maker.
Mark we send you our sympathies. They are sent with thanks to your Dad for teaching and instilling the values that have made you what you are. Those who have not met you can’t appreciate what your friendship means and can’t understand your passion for public service. These qualities have been learned from your Dad and he left the world with pride in his heart and the knowledge he was a success because he left behind a family that takes care of others.
COUNCIL SAYS NO TO MAYOR
At a recent executive session of the City Council the Mayor requested they approve an expenditure for an attorney to represent her at hearings that are going to be held regarding the alleged illegal signing of a contract with Express Scripts which could result in a loss of $200,000 to the taxpayers. The contract, which had not expired, was signed by the Mayor without City Council approval as required by ordinance. The contract had not been approved by the legal department and no copies of it could be found anywhere in City Hall. The alleged illegal signing of the contract by the Mayor was discovered during the process being conducted by the Council in an attempt to provide insurance to City employees at a savings over previous carriers. Even though the Mayor admitted signing the contract with out Council approval a hearing must still be held. The City Charter gives the Council authorization to hold the hearing, subpoena witnesses and remove the Mayor from office if she is found guilty.
HEARING DATES TO BE SET
The First Capitol News has learned at the City Council meeting on Tuesday evening the Council will set the dates for the upcoming hearing on the alleged illegal signing of a contract with Express Scripts by the Mayor. It is expected the hearing will be rather lengthy and will probably take more than one setting.
We have also been told the office of the Missouri Attorney General and the Department of Insurance for the state of Missouri are conducting investigations into the previous companies who carried the insurance coverage for the City and the handling of the insurance program by the city. The investigations were requested by some of the members of the Council.
DON’T BE SURPRISED
Don’t be surprised if you hear of some personnel changes in the City of St. Charles in the next couple of days. We don’t have any specific information but it appears meetings are being held and planning is in the works for some changes.
NEER APPOINTED SHERIFF
Tom Neer has been appointed Sheriff of St. Charles County. He will finish serving the term of former Sheriff Tim Swope who was recently appointed Chief of Police in St. Charles. Neer has indicated he plans to run for re-election when his term expires.
Neer was appointed by County executive Joe Orthwerth and approved by the St. Charles County Council at its meeting last Monday evening.
Neer is taking command just in time to be the host for the opening of the new Sheriff’s Office at 101 Crossing Industrial Court in O’Fallon.
BOARDED UP BUILDINGS
Shortly after we ran our photo essay on boarded up buildings a couple of editions ago, Councilman Bob Kneemiller had a motion passed on the Council floor. The motion was for the City Administrator to direct the Community Development Department to start issuing tickets daily to the property owners who did not remove the plywood. The owners of the former Jack-In-The-Box on West Clay have removed the plywood. Below is a photo of a building owned by the Mayor and her husband at 218 N. Main St. The plywood has been in the window for about a year. I wonder if they are getting a ticket every day? Hmmmmm What do you think?
V’Anne Mydler To Stop Her Outburst
V’Anne Mydler, a resident residing on Boone's Lick was gaveled out of order and told to be quiet and sit down by City Council President Rory Riddler at Tuesday’s Council Meeting. Mydler, who spoke to the Council during a public hearing regarding a Community Improvement District sought by Ameristar Casino objected to the word ‘blight’ used in the description. She also complained she had no knowledge of the proposal even though she had spoken about it at other meetings of the City Council. When Council President Riddler started to explain to her it had been on several agendas and published in several newspapers she interrupted him and started shouting at him. Council President Riddler told her her time to talk had expired and asked her to be quiet. She continued her outburst until Riddler gaveled her.
BODINE BROWN
REST IN PEACE
As a father you go through life worrying and hoping your kids will have a better life. That is what makes me as a father tic. I hope my kids won’t make the mistakes I have made. They have learned a lesson or two. The reason I am writing this is one of our friends has lost his Dad. Councilman Mark Brown’s dad passed away this week after a lengthy illness. Watching Councilman Brown during this time strengthened my belief that his father left us a person of integrity, honesty, who understands what being a friend is. You see Mark’s best friend was his dad. His dad began to take a turn for the worse and Mark didn’t send him to a nursing home to wither away. Mark took care of his family because that is what his dad taught him. He taught him the importance of friendship by being not only a strict father but also a tremendous friend.
When you speak with Mark about his dad it becomes evident how much his Dad meant to him. You learn that his dad taught him life lessons that make Mark unique. Bodine Brown worked as a police officer and at the brewery. Mark watched a dad that could be labeled a workaholic and he has taken on that same work ethic. When I was growing up my dad told me if you could leave this earth with one best friend your life would be a success. Think about a man like Bodine who leaves us not only with a great friend but a son that considered him his best friend. That is something all fathers would love to be able to say when we meet our maker.
Mark we send you our sympathies. They are sent with thanks to your Dad for teaching and instilling the values that have made you what you are. Those who have not met you can’t appreciate what your friendship means and can’t understand your passion for public service. These qualities have been learned from your Dad and he left the world with pride in his heart and the knowledge he was a success because he left behind a family that takes care of others.
COUNCIL SAYS NO TO MAYOR
At a recent executive session of the City Council the Mayor requested they approve an expenditure for an attorney to represent her at hearings that are going to be held regarding the alleged illegal signing of a contract with Express Scripts which could result in a loss of $200,000 to the taxpayers. The contract, which had not expired, was signed by the Mayor without City Council approval as required by ordinance. The contract had not been approved by the legal department and no copies of it could be found anywhere in City Hall. The alleged illegal signing of the contract by the Mayor was discovered during the process being conducted by the Council in an attempt to provide insurance to City employees at a savings over previous carriers. Even though the Mayor admitted signing the contract with out Council approval a hearing must still be held. The City Charter gives the Council authorization to hold the hearing, subpoena witnesses and remove the Mayor from office if she is found guilty.
HEARING DATES TO BE SET
The First Capitol News has learned at the City Council meeting on Tuesday evening the Council will set the dates for the upcoming hearing on the alleged illegal signing of a contract with Express Scripts by the Mayor. It is expected the hearing will be rather lengthy and will probably take more than one setting.
We have also been told the office of the Missouri Attorney General and the Department of Insurance for the state of Missouri are conducting investigations into the previous companies who carried the insurance coverage for the City and the handling of the insurance program by the city. The investigations were requested by some of the members of the Council.
DON’T BE SURPRISED
Don’t be surprised if you hear of some personnel changes in the City of St. Charles in the next couple of days. We don’t have any specific information but it appears meetings are being held and planning is in the works for some changes.
NEER APPOINTED SHERIFF
Tom Neer has been appointed Sheriff of St. Charles County. He will finish serving the term of former Sheriff Tim Swope who was recently appointed Chief of Police in St. Charles. Neer has indicated he plans to run for re-election when his term expires.
Neer was appointed by County executive Joe Orthwerth and approved by the St. Charles County Council at its meeting last Monday evening.
Neer is taking command just in time to be the host for the opening of the new Sheriff’s Office at 101 Crossing Industrial Court in O’Fallon.
BOARDED UP BUILDINGS
Shortly after we ran our photo essay on boarded up buildings a couple of editions ago, Councilman Bob Kneemiller had a motion passed on the Council floor. The motion was for the City Administrator to direct the Community Development Department to start issuing tickets daily to the property owners who did not remove the plywood. The owners of the former Jack-In-The-Box on West Clay have removed the plywood. Below is a photo of a building owned by the Mayor and her husband at 218 N. Main St. The plywood has been in the window for about a year. I wonder if they are getting a ticket every day? Hmmmmm What do you think?
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
To The Editor,
I am sending this to you since the new “voice” in St. Charles, doesn’t have a letters column. They apparently don’t want to hear from the citizens. They will tell you dummies out there what to think.
Except for a spot on Lindenwood, a fine article by a local doctor, and a story on a mission there was nothing in the tabloid that was of import to the St. Charles residents. The publisher touts that he will bring us facts about issues, but none have appeared.
The publisher is one of our “movers and shakers”. I don’t know about “shakers”, but if his tabloid is the result of what occurs when he “moves”, it is much the same as when one’s bowels “move”. I advise all to stand back and hold your noses
Most of the tabloid was dedicated to him saying, “I’m God’s favorite. I’m not like those unworthy sinners”. I’m sure he sits in the front pew.
Jerry HaferkamProud contributor to the FCN
Dear Editor:
I was taken aback by your article of the assault on Dr. Allan Williams.
Apparently Officer Tom Mayer likes to talk with his gun and aggression instead of admitting what he was doing while on the clock.
If regular Joe Citizen did this he wouldn’t be reporting to work the next day!
Too bad Donald Trump can’t deliver the ever popular statement, “You’re Fired”. Incidently, whose job is that exactly? Who gets to fire overzealous rogue cops? Can you apply for this position? I’m sure there would be plenty of applicants. especially newspaper readers that are sick and tired of seeing this guy’s name in print! But hey, he gives newspaper circulators and reporters the thrill of releasing info to the public.
We thank you for this info. Can we focus on another point of interest?
Officer Mayer’s whole deal is giving off an awful stench. How about legal grounds of the impeachment of Mayor Patti York.
M. Vogt
An Open Letter To Ed Watkins
I do imagine that the guy named Paul who wrote the biggest part of the New Testament, the best seller of all times the “Holy Bible”was probably called a hyprocrite also.
I was told by some very humbe people a long time ago that I shoud be very careful when calling someone a hypocrite - they told me there is always room for one more.
These same humble people also told me that honesty is the Best Policy and the definition of honesty is “The Total Basence Of Any Intent To Deceive.” This is what these people I find to be the truest of my friends told me and I deal with this issue as I write this letter.
You say you areall about an honest voice about honest issues. You talk about the political principle of the Golden Rule. (Mr. Riddler and his four cohorts) “Those that have the gold make the rules.”Isn’t it time that a copule of your good friends (as stated by you they are friends and guilty as charged) Bill Weber and Tom Hughes tried to use some of their gold and probably an anonymous business owner to two to try to influence those running for the City Council to their way of thinking. I wonder if you would still be a friend of people like them if you were told by them to leave by the back door if you did not accept their golden influence. It is like the Councilman said in the news, “He is there to represent the citizens of this city and not necessarily Tom Hughes and his county project that is going to cost the residents of St. Charles. (So TR hook onto St. Peters of look into the cost of treating your sh-- yourself.)
Back to honesty - and your voice. I would like for you to take into consideration all of the facts as recorded on all meetings of the City Concil and all the facts reported in the First Capitol News for the last four years concerning the Mayor’s office and the Mayor, (Patti).
If you read carefully you will see that Mr. Brockmeyer did not attack the office and or position of Mayor but Patti and her way of doing business as Mayor with the very people you would have us believe do not do any wrong for the taxpayers of this fine community.
Let’s be honest Mr. Ed. Patti is the one and only who should be held accountable for making us, as you said in your other friend’s (Jon Boy) article, the laughing stock of the midwest. It all happened on her watch with her influence.
Bob Bredensteiner
I am sending this to you since the new “voice” in St. Charles, doesn’t have a letters column. They apparently don’t want to hear from the citizens. They will tell you dummies out there what to think.
Except for a spot on Lindenwood, a fine article by a local doctor, and a story on a mission there was nothing in the tabloid that was of import to the St. Charles residents. The publisher touts that he will bring us facts about issues, but none have appeared.
The publisher is one of our “movers and shakers”. I don’t know about “shakers”, but if his tabloid is the result of what occurs when he “moves”, it is much the same as when one’s bowels “move”. I advise all to stand back and hold your noses
Most of the tabloid was dedicated to him saying, “I’m God’s favorite. I’m not like those unworthy sinners”. I’m sure he sits in the front pew.
Jerry HaferkamProud contributor to the FCN
Dear Editor:
I was taken aback by your article of the assault on Dr. Allan Williams.
Apparently Officer Tom Mayer likes to talk with his gun and aggression instead of admitting what he was doing while on the clock.
If regular Joe Citizen did this he wouldn’t be reporting to work the next day!
Too bad Donald Trump can’t deliver the ever popular statement, “You’re Fired”. Incidently, whose job is that exactly? Who gets to fire overzealous rogue cops? Can you apply for this position? I’m sure there would be plenty of applicants. especially newspaper readers that are sick and tired of seeing this guy’s name in print! But hey, he gives newspaper circulators and reporters the thrill of releasing info to the public.
We thank you for this info. Can we focus on another point of interest?
Officer Mayer’s whole deal is giving off an awful stench. How about legal grounds of the impeachment of Mayor Patti York.
M. Vogt
An Open Letter To Ed Watkins
I do imagine that the guy named Paul who wrote the biggest part of the New Testament, the best seller of all times the “Holy Bible”was probably called a hyprocrite also.
I was told by some very humbe people a long time ago that I shoud be very careful when calling someone a hypocrite - they told me there is always room for one more.
These same humble people also told me that honesty is the Best Policy and the definition of honesty is “The Total Basence Of Any Intent To Deceive.” This is what these people I find to be the truest of my friends told me and I deal with this issue as I write this letter.
You say you areall about an honest voice about honest issues. You talk about the political principle of the Golden Rule. (Mr. Riddler and his four cohorts) “Those that have the gold make the rules.”Isn’t it time that a copule of your good friends (as stated by you they are friends and guilty as charged) Bill Weber and Tom Hughes tried to use some of their gold and probably an anonymous business owner to two to try to influence those running for the City Council to their way of thinking. I wonder if you would still be a friend of people like them if you were told by them to leave by the back door if you did not accept their golden influence. It is like the Councilman said in the news, “He is there to represent the citizens of this city and not necessarily Tom Hughes and his county project that is going to cost the residents of St. Charles. (So TR hook onto St. Peters of look into the cost of treating your sh-- yourself.)
Back to honesty - and your voice. I would like for you to take into consideration all of the facts as recorded on all meetings of the City Concil and all the facts reported in the First Capitol News for the last four years concerning the Mayor’s office and the Mayor, (Patti).
If you read carefully you will see that Mr. Brockmeyer did not attack the office and or position of Mayor but Patti and her way of doing business as Mayor with the very people you would have us believe do not do any wrong for the taxpayers of this fine community.
Let’s be honest Mr. Ed. Patti is the one and only who should be held accountable for making us, as you said in your other friend’s (Jon Boy) article, the laughing stock of the midwest. It all happened on her watch with her influence.
Bob Bredensteiner
THE CONSERVATIVE FACTOR by Alex Spencer
When one encounters a wild dog in the woods, the single animal usually barks, acts threatening, and then runs off. When one encounters a pack of wild dogs, the individual is in mortal danger because the group will attack.
A single predator poses little threat; however, a predator that runs with a group for moral support and unfair attacking advantage is quite deadly. The single predator also lacks courage and is quite cowardly. It is his nature to cut and run without group support. Most predators are opportunistic creatures that can be counted on for little more than “cutting and running” when the going gets tough or immediately after his hunger has been momentarily satisfied.
It takes real courage for individuals to not only face a pack of wild dogs, but stand firm and never retreat. The longer they stand firm and ceases to retreat, the predator must increase the size of the pack in order to have the nerve to go in for the kill.
Wild animals kill for food, to protect their young and to settle boundary disputes. Humans are different in that greed, power over others, and unfair advantage is often their primary driving forces. In many ways animals are far more humane than people because they need a reason to kill other than “because they can.”
Five years ago a new newspaper came to town to serve this city with articles that pertain to the city, its people, and its politics. The First Capitol News prints the news as it happens. Everything that happens in this city is not always pretty and sometimes it is downright disgusting. The public mind is easier to control if all the ugly is glossed over and hidden so that individuals think less therefore insuring the continued control by whoever is in charge.
The First Capitol News covers civic and sports events and has captured beautiful colored photographs of this city and its people to share with the public. For the first time the public has easy access to the government agenda and accurate reporting of what really happens at City Hall. It has made people wonder what was going on prior to The First Capitol News opening all the windows and letting the sun shine in.
All that sunshine does not set well on those hiding their activities cloaked in darkness. Not one of these individuals who have spent the past five years attempting to drive Tony Brockmeyer and Phyllis Schaltenbrand out of business has the courage to stand up and single-handily attack them one on one. A sure way to insure deeper probing and examination is to continue to attack and hope to drive out of business the people printing the truth as it happens. This type of activity makes people who have always been perceived as “smart” look real “stupid.” It also makes them appear to be hiding more than what is printed and does not instill confidence in the public to trust their judgment, much less their leadership.
People as well as animals emit an odor when paralyzed with fear. The odor is becoming overwhelming. What are these people afraid of if the First Capitol News keeps printing? Are they afraid of losing their power grip in the future or afraid of being exposed for past activities?
A handful of egos have used and misinformed all they know to increase the number of wild dogs to add to the pack for the final, ruthless, inhumane kill. Some local organizations were included a long time ago to help attack the First Capitol News for the Mayor and her minions. In order to control any organization, one only has to control the Board of Directors. The members just follow along. No upstanding organization should do the dirty work for the “leader of the pack,” whoever that is. Scaring the public with lies is the oldest gimmick in the world to secure support and votes.
After an attempted break-in at the newspaper, phone threats, unlawful background checks on citizens, harassment of advertisers, and slander, the First Capitol News is alive and well. It is widely read because it has substance and our advertisers reap the rewards of its popularity.
The newest addition to the pack is the creation of another newspaper whose goal is to attack our newspaper and tell “what is really happening in St. Charles County.” The publisher calls himself an “entrepreneur.” “I think that means a jack of all trades open to any and all opportunity to make a buck.” The money behind the operation is a wealthy individual and a few friends who have grudges and absolutely no sense of humor. I’m still attempting to determine which is larger, their pocketbooks or their egos.
I want these gentlemen to do whatever they think they are big enough to do and then witness the temper tantrums when they fall short. I wonder how long they are willing to spend what appears to be $20,000 per month to print their temper-tantrums for the sole purpose of attacking another newspaper which truly provides a public-service. How do you equate all that venom as beneficial to any community?
It seems a handful of power-mongers are exerting a tremendous effort to close a newspaper. I think it would make more sense if they apply a direct approach and form a swat-team to raze the building housing our newspaper. J.Noto would have a fit because he has a thriving business downstairs, but not to worry, that’s just a casualty of war. The winning side has the POWER, and power and who has it is all that matters.
The pack is on the attack because that is what is good for us and good for this community. Now if there is at least one person out there that believes that, then please call me. I want to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.
A single predator poses little threat; however, a predator that runs with a group for moral support and unfair attacking advantage is quite deadly. The single predator also lacks courage and is quite cowardly. It is his nature to cut and run without group support. Most predators are opportunistic creatures that can be counted on for little more than “cutting and running” when the going gets tough or immediately after his hunger has been momentarily satisfied.
It takes real courage for individuals to not only face a pack of wild dogs, but stand firm and never retreat. The longer they stand firm and ceases to retreat, the predator must increase the size of the pack in order to have the nerve to go in for the kill.
Wild animals kill for food, to protect their young and to settle boundary disputes. Humans are different in that greed, power over others, and unfair advantage is often their primary driving forces. In many ways animals are far more humane than people because they need a reason to kill other than “because they can.”
Five years ago a new newspaper came to town to serve this city with articles that pertain to the city, its people, and its politics. The First Capitol News prints the news as it happens. Everything that happens in this city is not always pretty and sometimes it is downright disgusting. The public mind is easier to control if all the ugly is glossed over and hidden so that individuals think less therefore insuring the continued control by whoever is in charge.
The First Capitol News covers civic and sports events and has captured beautiful colored photographs of this city and its people to share with the public. For the first time the public has easy access to the government agenda and accurate reporting of what really happens at City Hall. It has made people wonder what was going on prior to The First Capitol News opening all the windows and letting the sun shine in.
All that sunshine does not set well on those hiding their activities cloaked in darkness. Not one of these individuals who have spent the past five years attempting to drive Tony Brockmeyer and Phyllis Schaltenbrand out of business has the courage to stand up and single-handily attack them one on one. A sure way to insure deeper probing and examination is to continue to attack and hope to drive out of business the people printing the truth as it happens. This type of activity makes people who have always been perceived as “smart” look real “stupid.” It also makes them appear to be hiding more than what is printed and does not instill confidence in the public to trust their judgment, much less their leadership.
People as well as animals emit an odor when paralyzed with fear. The odor is becoming overwhelming. What are these people afraid of if the First Capitol News keeps printing? Are they afraid of losing their power grip in the future or afraid of being exposed for past activities?
A handful of egos have used and misinformed all they know to increase the number of wild dogs to add to the pack for the final, ruthless, inhumane kill. Some local organizations were included a long time ago to help attack the First Capitol News for the Mayor and her minions. In order to control any organization, one only has to control the Board of Directors. The members just follow along. No upstanding organization should do the dirty work for the “leader of the pack,” whoever that is. Scaring the public with lies is the oldest gimmick in the world to secure support and votes.
After an attempted break-in at the newspaper, phone threats, unlawful background checks on citizens, harassment of advertisers, and slander, the First Capitol News is alive and well. It is widely read because it has substance and our advertisers reap the rewards of its popularity.
The newest addition to the pack is the creation of another newspaper whose goal is to attack our newspaper and tell “what is really happening in St. Charles County.” The publisher calls himself an “entrepreneur.” “I think that means a jack of all trades open to any and all opportunity to make a buck.” The money behind the operation is a wealthy individual and a few friends who have grudges and absolutely no sense of humor. I’m still attempting to determine which is larger, their pocketbooks or their egos.
I want these gentlemen to do whatever they think they are big enough to do and then witness the temper tantrums when they fall short. I wonder how long they are willing to spend what appears to be $20,000 per month to print their temper-tantrums for the sole purpose of attacking another newspaper which truly provides a public-service. How do you equate all that venom as beneficial to any community?
It seems a handful of power-mongers are exerting a tremendous effort to close a newspaper. I think it would make more sense if they apply a direct approach and form a swat-team to raze the building housing our newspaper. J.Noto would have a fit because he has a thriving business downstairs, but not to worry, that’s just a casualty of war. The winning side has the POWER, and power and who has it is all that matters.
The pack is on the attack because that is what is good for us and good for this community. Now if there is at least one person out there that believes that, then please call me. I want to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.
PUT ST. CHARLES FIRST
By Jerry Haferkamp
“Thanks” to all the folks who patronized the SCW Marching Warriors Band barbeque last week. It was a great success and helped finance their activities including the scheduled trip to the Gator Bowl over New Years next winter. The 9th annual Saint Charles West Warrior Band Golf Tournament will be Sunday, May 1st at Mid Rivers Golf Links. We need players, prizes and hole sponsors. Call Joan DeSplinter at 636-947-3620 for information. Time’s short. Do it now!
I hope all our readers got out to the preview of the new Convention Center. I think everyone there was “wowed” by what has to be the most beautiful building in St. Charles. The murals are fantastic. The grand ballroom can be used as one great room, or can be divided into several smaller rooms with the use of hidden room dividers.
The one disappointing exhibit was the electronic screen that told of upcoming events. While they were informative, there was cause for concern. Every event booked was of a nature that would bring local residents to the Center. These events put no one into our motels, restaurants or our businesses. Wasn’t the purpose of this spending of your taxes supposed to bring money into our city? The only revenue our city will see is if you attend these events and go out to dinner in the process. Some of these events were previously held at such prestigious locations as the Belz Outlet Mall. Others are the type that would have used the Family Arena, so we are taking events from the Arena to make the Center look good.
You would have thought that since the chosen few hundred VIP’S (Very Important Pattifriends) were served Champaign and food on their visit Thursday, the peasants (the ones underwriting these events) who attended Saturday could have at least been served an ounce or two of cola or coffee and the leftover crumbs from the food. Since the guests on Saturday weren’t considered to be Very Important People, we found our place with the Convention and Sports Authority board. We just aren’t very important.
If the center is to succeed, all of you not Very Important People need to get organizations in which you have membership interested in using our Center when they have events suited to this facility. With Mr. Powell utilizing his distinctive skills, Global Spectrum’s management will need all the help they can get. Everyone needs to pitch in. When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. We’ve got the lemon. (A beautiful lemon, but still a lemon) Now, all of us need to get to work.
How long will it be before Joe Oertwerth gets to decide who uses the Convention Center?
Our next meeting is still on hold pending release of the Auditor’s report.
Has Steve Powell been fired yet? Why not?
“Thanks” to all the folks who patronized the SCW Marching Warriors Band barbeque last week. It was a great success and helped finance their activities including the scheduled trip to the Gator Bowl over New Years next winter. The 9th annual Saint Charles West Warrior Band Golf Tournament will be Sunday, May 1st at Mid Rivers Golf Links. We need players, prizes and hole sponsors. Call Joan DeSplinter at 636-947-3620 for information. Time’s short. Do it now!
I hope all our readers got out to the preview of the new Convention Center. I think everyone there was “wowed” by what has to be the most beautiful building in St. Charles. The murals are fantastic. The grand ballroom can be used as one great room, or can be divided into several smaller rooms with the use of hidden room dividers.
The one disappointing exhibit was the electronic screen that told of upcoming events. While they were informative, there was cause for concern. Every event booked was of a nature that would bring local residents to the Center. These events put no one into our motels, restaurants or our businesses. Wasn’t the purpose of this spending of your taxes supposed to bring money into our city? The only revenue our city will see is if you attend these events and go out to dinner in the process. Some of these events were previously held at such prestigious locations as the Belz Outlet Mall. Others are the type that would have used the Family Arena, so we are taking events from the Arena to make the Center look good.
You would have thought that since the chosen few hundred VIP’S (Very Important Pattifriends) were served Champaign and food on their visit Thursday, the peasants (the ones underwriting these events) who attended Saturday could have at least been served an ounce or two of cola or coffee and the leftover crumbs from the food. Since the guests on Saturday weren’t considered to be Very Important People, we found our place with the Convention and Sports Authority board. We just aren’t very important.
If the center is to succeed, all of you not Very Important People need to get organizations in which you have membership interested in using our Center when they have events suited to this facility. With Mr. Powell utilizing his distinctive skills, Global Spectrum’s management will need all the help they can get. Everyone needs to pitch in. When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. We’ve got the lemon. (A beautiful lemon, but still a lemon) Now, all of us need to get to work.
How long will it be before Joe Oertwerth gets to decide who uses the Convention Center?
Our next meeting is still on hold pending release of the Auditor’s report.
Has Steve Powell been fired yet? Why not?
Straight Talk by Councilman Bob Hoepfner
Hello again out there. Yes, another week has gone by in Paradise. The economy isn’t looking that good. Taxes are rising. It is getting more and more expensive to live these days especially for us folks who are retired.
I am going to pursue an initiative to get rid of the utility tax.I am going to start an initiative drive to get the City to drop the utility tax. There are some who say they must have that money to operate the city.
Well folks let me tell you. We can operate without that utility tax.
Let me give you an example. The Fire Department is the highest paid fire department in the state. These guys work nine days a month and they make wages and benefits of $100,000 a year minimum. Now, there is a move to give them a raise. I say they ought to be treated like the police department, no raise. How do they justify a raise. Try this. They say they will get in good physical condition. Don’t you think that it should be required to have that job to be in good physical condition?
And further justification comes from the fact they know how to install child safety seats. Anyway folks we don’t need to increase their wages while everybody else in this city is not getting a raise. We do not need this extra burden put on the taxpayer. We need to find other ways to cut costs so the resident taxpayers can get a break.
Hopefully folks, we can start being concerned with the plight of the resident taxpayer. Fiscal responsibility. Yes I am calling for fiscal responsibility and compassion for our senior citizens.
Many of you have in recent days called me concerning your ability to pay for your taxes and possibly losing your home. Keep supporting my efforts and we will realize some sort of tax break together.
As usual stay in tune, stay in touch call your councilperson let them know what you are thinking. Call me anytime 949-0956,
I am going to pursue an initiative to get rid of the utility tax.I am going to start an initiative drive to get the City to drop the utility tax. There are some who say they must have that money to operate the city.
Well folks let me tell you. We can operate without that utility tax.
Let me give you an example. The Fire Department is the highest paid fire department in the state. These guys work nine days a month and they make wages and benefits of $100,000 a year minimum. Now, there is a move to give them a raise. I say they ought to be treated like the police department, no raise. How do they justify a raise. Try this. They say they will get in good physical condition. Don’t you think that it should be required to have that job to be in good physical condition?
And further justification comes from the fact they know how to install child safety seats. Anyway folks we don’t need to increase their wages while everybody else in this city is not getting a raise. We do not need this extra burden put on the taxpayer. We need to find other ways to cut costs so the resident taxpayers can get a break.
Hopefully folks, we can start being concerned with the plight of the resident taxpayer. Fiscal responsibility. Yes I am calling for fiscal responsibility and compassion for our senior citizens.
Many of you have in recent days called me concerning your ability to pay for your taxes and possibly losing your home. Keep supporting my efforts and we will realize some sort of tax break together.
As usual stay in tune, stay in touch call your councilperson let them know what you are thinking. Call me anytime 949-0956,
Kiwanis Charity Golf Tournament
Kiwanis Charity Golf Tournament
The St. Charles Kiwanis will hold their 18th Annual Charity Golf Tournament on Monday, May 2nd. The event will be held at the Bogey Hills Country Club in St. Charles. The proceeds from this years tournament will be benefiting: Kiwanis Camp Wyman, Cystic Fibrosis, Unlimited Play and the Child Assessment Center.
This will be a three person scramble. Registration will begin at 9:30 am with a shotgun start at 11am. The cost is $150 per golfer and includes: 18 holes of golf, 2 mulligans per golfer, Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin contests. Lunch and beverages on the course, and a steak dinner and open bar following. We are also in need of hole sponsors. Prizes will be awarded for A, B and C flights, three places for each flight.
For more information contact: Bob Davis at 636-946-6552, Jim Lloyd at 636-946-3411 or John Pallardy at 636-922-9090.
The St. Charles Kiwanis will hold their 18th Annual Charity Golf Tournament on Monday, May 2nd. The event will be held at the Bogey Hills Country Club in St. Charles. The proceeds from this years tournament will be benefiting: Kiwanis Camp Wyman, Cystic Fibrosis, Unlimited Play and the Child Assessment Center.
This will be a three person scramble. Registration will begin at 9:30 am with a shotgun start at 11am. The cost is $150 per golfer and includes: 18 holes of golf, 2 mulligans per golfer, Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin contests. Lunch and beverages on the course, and a steak dinner and open bar following. We are also in need of hole sponsors. Prizes will be awarded for A, B and C flights, three places for each flight.
For more information contact: Bob Davis at 636-946-6552, Jim Lloyd at 636-946-3411 or John Pallardy at 636-922-9090.
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25
By Phyllis Schaltenbrand
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 is a safety campaign targeting observance of the speed limit on residential streets. In most towns and cities across the U.S., the residential limit is 25 mph. The goal is simply to remind drivers to check their speed and slow down as needed. Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 is a friendly reminder to slow down in a fast paced world!
Under the leadership of Councilman John Gieseke, Ward 8, a group is forming to promote the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 program in St. Charles. According to Councilman Gieseke, “Most drivers speeding on your street live in your neighborhood. It is not unusual for speeders to be clocked in excess of 40 mph (and even 50 mph) in a 25 mph zone.”
Information gleaned from a Database on Police reported accidents in 1999 reveal that a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling 30 mph is three times more likely to die than one hit by a vehicle traveling 25 mph.
Councilman Gieseke has offered to attend any organization, school, neighborhood or group meeting to explain the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 program and provide information on how to start in your neighborhood. You can contact him at 636-368-8362.
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 is a safety campaign targeting observance of the speed limit on residential streets. In most towns and cities across the U.S., the residential limit is 25 mph. The goal is simply to remind drivers to check their speed and slow down as needed. Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 is a friendly reminder to slow down in a fast paced world!
Under the leadership of Councilman John Gieseke, Ward 8, a group is forming to promote the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 program in St. Charles. According to Councilman Gieseke, “Most drivers speeding on your street live in your neighborhood. It is not unusual for speeders to be clocked in excess of 40 mph (and even 50 mph) in a 25 mph zone.”
Information gleaned from a Database on Police reported accidents in 1999 reveal that a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling 30 mph is three times more likely to die than one hit by a vehicle traveling 25 mph.
Councilman Gieseke has offered to attend any organization, school, neighborhood or group meeting to explain the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 program and provide information on how to start in your neighborhood. You can contact him at 636-368-8362.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY by Clara Scott
The French home located at 920 North Third Street in City Block No. 61 is the home. No record can be found as to when the house was built, but a record was found where Baptiste Jeaneasue lost title to this house in February 1812 and was sold on the court house steps to Henry Hight for $35.00. It is recorded that Baptiste Jeaneasue made no effort to save this house and his quote was “Now I can buy on Main Street where there is life, activity and people. I can tell you it is a lonely life living way up on the hill away from everything. We long for neighbors. We are tired of living in the country. We will be happier living in the city”.
On February 7, 1815, Henry Hight sold the home to Robert Spencer for $110.00 and again it is recorded that Robert Spencer sold the home on May 26, 1816 to Samuel Dorlaque for $110.00 and his quote was “The new owner will be happy there with so many children; he won’t get so lonesome living so far out.”
It was stated that in 1960, the house was probably 148 years old and would easily bring ten thousand dollars. (Can you imagine a home for $10,000.00?)
The house is made of hand made brick. Twice additions have been added but originally it is recorded in the sale as having three rooms on the main floor and one large room on the next floor and two rooms built ? on street level and ? half in the foundation level where cooking and eating rooms was done. It is thought that many French homes were built this way. The outside walls are 18 inches thick; the inside walls are 12 inches thick made of rows of brick. The windowsills are eight inches deep and originally the home was heated with fireplaces. There was no fireplace in the upper floor, so an opening in the corner of the room allowed heat to go up from the fireplace in the room below.
There is an intriguing inside staircase that leads from the kitchen in the ? basement to the “sleeping” room on the top floor.
The Abstract of Title shows there have been many owners of this old home and how amazing the prices have varied with this home. The home sits 76 ft on Third Street, the lot being 150 ft deep.
In 1941 the home was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Leo Stinger and did extensive remodeling but fortunately they retained the lovely Old French lines and style of this home.
(This article is from Historical Series – The $35 Residence by Edna McElhiney Olson with permission from the St. Charles County Historical Society.)
On February 7, 1815, Henry Hight sold the home to Robert Spencer for $110.00 and again it is recorded that Robert Spencer sold the home on May 26, 1816 to Samuel Dorlaque for $110.00 and his quote was “The new owner will be happy there with so many children; he won’t get so lonesome living so far out.”
It was stated that in 1960, the house was probably 148 years old and would easily bring ten thousand dollars. (Can you imagine a home for $10,000.00?)
The house is made of hand made brick. Twice additions have been added but originally it is recorded in the sale as having three rooms on the main floor and one large room on the next floor and two rooms built ? on street level and ? half in the foundation level where cooking and eating rooms was done. It is thought that many French homes were built this way. The outside walls are 18 inches thick; the inside walls are 12 inches thick made of rows of brick. The windowsills are eight inches deep and originally the home was heated with fireplaces. There was no fireplace in the upper floor, so an opening in the corner of the room allowed heat to go up from the fireplace in the room below.
There is an intriguing inside staircase that leads from the kitchen in the ? basement to the “sleeping” room on the top floor.
The Abstract of Title shows there have been many owners of this old home and how amazing the prices have varied with this home. The home sits 76 ft on Third Street, the lot being 150 ft deep.
In 1941 the home was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Leo Stinger and did extensive remodeling but fortunately they retained the lovely Old French lines and style of this home.
(This article is from Historical Series – The $35 Residence by Edna McElhiney Olson with permission from the St. Charles County Historical Society.)
Frenchtown Neighborhood Spring Clean-Up April 23rd
Frenchtown Neighborhood Spring Clean-Up April 23rd
The Historic Frenchtowne Association is sponsoring a Frenchtown neighborhood clean-up on Saturday, April 23 from 9am to 12 noon.
Residents wishing to participate should have their “junk” by the curb by 9am. Trailers will come by and pick up the items.
There will be eight dumpsters located on the gravel lot on the east end of Olive St. near the Blanchette Landing. Residents may bring their “junk”, discards, yard waste, etc. to the Olive St. location, but must have proof of residency in Frenchtown. Frenchtown boundaries are Clark St. north to the south side of Tecumseh; Missouri River west to east side of North Fifth St.
The group is in need of more volunteers to help load and unload the trailers. Anyone wishing to help should report to the Olive St. location near the Katy Trail.
Due to environmental issues, there are some items they cannot accept. If in doubt about an item or willing to help please call 946-8682.
The Historic Frenchtowne Association is sponsoring a Frenchtown neighborhood clean-up on Saturday, April 23 from 9am to 12 noon.
Residents wishing to participate should have their “junk” by the curb by 9am. Trailers will come by and pick up the items.
There will be eight dumpsters located on the gravel lot on the east end of Olive St. near the Blanchette Landing. Residents may bring their “junk”, discards, yard waste, etc. to the Olive St. location, but must have proof of residency in Frenchtown. Frenchtown boundaries are Clark St. north to the south side of Tecumseh; Missouri River west to east side of North Fifth St.
The group is in need of more volunteers to help load and unload the trailers. Anyone wishing to help should report to the Olive St. location near the Katy Trail.
Due to environmental issues, there are some items they cannot accept. If in doubt about an item or willing to help please call 946-8682.
Chorale and Children’s Chorus to perform annual Broadway
The Masterworks Chorale and Children’s Chorus will present “Give My Regards to Broadway” on Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Sunday, May 1 at 2:30 pm in the historic Lindenwood University Auditorium (formerly Belleville West High School) in Belleville. This annual pops concert has been a favorite with audiences since 1983.
Masterworks Chorale, a 45-voice adult vocal ensemble in their 31st concert season under the direction of founder Dr. A. Dennis Sparger, will open the program with a set of songs from popular musicals including Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady, Marvin Hamlisch’s They’re Playing Our Song and Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls. The chorale will also honor the prolific composer Harold Arlen on the centennial of his birth by performing some of his compositions including: “Stormy Weather” and “One for My Baby”.
The 80-voice Masterworks Children’s Chorus will then take the stage to perform selections from Rodger and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. Members of Firstchoir (grades 1-3) and Upperchoir (grades 4-6), conducted by Nancy Anderson, and Concert Choir (grades 7-12), conducted by Dr. Joel D. Knapp, will be dressed as characters from this popular and moving musical and movie.
The Chorale will open the second half with selections from the new musical Wicked. This “Untold Story of the Witches of Oz”, features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Academy Award winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt). “Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.”
As always, it’s wise to have a ticket in advance to avoid standing in line and to be assured of a good seat. Season members enjoy reserved seating for Masterworks concerts.
Advance tickets prices are $15.00 and may be purchased from all chorale members or by calling (618) 236-0182. In addition, tickets are available at the Lindenwood Office, 2600 West Main St, Belleville, (618) 222-1050; Broadway Center of Arts, 124 East Main, Belleville, (618) 233-0431; The Vineyard, 6500 West Main, Belleville, (618) 394-2050; or The Basket Case, 1680 Lebanon Ave., (618) 233-0290. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $18.00. Student tickets are always $5.00. For more information about Masterworks Chorale, go to www.singmasterworks.org.
Masterworks Chorale, a 45-voice adult vocal ensemble in their 31st concert season under the direction of founder Dr. A. Dennis Sparger, will open the program with a set of songs from popular musicals including Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady, Marvin Hamlisch’s They’re Playing Our Song and Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls. The chorale will also honor the prolific composer Harold Arlen on the centennial of his birth by performing some of his compositions including: “Stormy Weather” and “One for My Baby”.
The 80-voice Masterworks Children’s Chorus will then take the stage to perform selections from Rodger and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. Members of Firstchoir (grades 1-3) and Upperchoir (grades 4-6), conducted by Nancy Anderson, and Concert Choir (grades 7-12), conducted by Dr. Joel D. Knapp, will be dressed as characters from this popular and moving musical and movie.
The Chorale will open the second half with selections from the new musical Wicked. This “Untold Story of the Witches of Oz”, features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Academy Award winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt). “Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.”
As always, it’s wise to have a ticket in advance to avoid standing in line and to be assured of a good seat. Season members enjoy reserved seating for Masterworks concerts.
Advance tickets prices are $15.00 and may be purchased from all chorale members or by calling (618) 236-0182. In addition, tickets are available at the Lindenwood Office, 2600 West Main St, Belleville, (618) 222-1050; Broadway Center of Arts, 124 East Main, Belleville, (618) 233-0431; The Vineyard, 6500 West Main, Belleville, (618) 394-2050; or The Basket Case, 1680 Lebanon Ave., (618) 233-0290. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $18.00. Student tickets are always $5.00. For more information about Masterworks Chorale, go to www.singmasterworks.org.
MY COLUMN - Mike McMurran Sports Editor
So you say there is nothing exciting to do during the week here in beautiful Saint Charles; wrong I say. Why not check out a high school baseball or soccer game, there is one almost every weekday, some where. “But how do I know who is playing whom (not just being fancy, whom is the objective form and who is the subjective), and where are they playing?” you ask. Fair question – and I have the answer: Right here in your First Capitol News. Starting this week we will run the schedule and results from Duchesne, St. Charles and West high school’s baseball, girls’ soccer and boys’ volleyball teams. Check out a game, you’ll be hooked, I promise. More importantly bring along a youngster. You never know which activity a child might be exposed to that can change a life. Athletics certainly has been the avenue to success for many, and it all starts with youth sports.
Speaking of youth soccer, Saturday morning a group of first grade boys from Academy of the Sacred Heart will take the field at Savvis Center prior to the Steamers match with Milwaukee.
Speaking of the Savvis Center, the Missouri River Otters, who have called the Family Arena home all season, will play their United Hockey League playoff home games at Savvis Center. The 7th seeded River Otters (42-32-6) will take on the 2nd seeded Komets (51-24-5) of Fort Wayne this Friday and Sunday on the road before returning to Savvis for 7 p.m. games Tuesday (April 19) and Wednesday (April 20). Should a game 6 be needed, it will be played at Savvis on Sunday (April 24) at 5 p.m. Scheduling conflicts at Family Arena warranted the move.
Speaking of April 20th (nice transition, wouldn’t you say), I would like to wish a happy 7th birthday to my oldest son Joseph Conway McMurran. It seems like just yesterday when his birth announcement appeared in Bernie Mikilitz’s column. It really did, check the archives.
Lastly, the fifth annual Gateway Athletic Conference Baseball Classic will be played at T.R. Hughes Ballpark this Friday and Saturday. Locally, St. Charles West will take on Holt on Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. On Saturday Duchesne plays Timberland at 10 a.m., and the Pirates of St. Charles tangle with conference rival Warrenton at 3 p.m.
Speaking of youth soccer, Saturday morning a group of first grade boys from Academy of the Sacred Heart will take the field at Savvis Center prior to the Steamers match with Milwaukee.
Speaking of the Savvis Center, the Missouri River Otters, who have called the Family Arena home all season, will play their United Hockey League playoff home games at Savvis Center. The 7th seeded River Otters (42-32-6) will take on the 2nd seeded Komets (51-24-5) of Fort Wayne this Friday and Sunday on the road before returning to Savvis for 7 p.m. games Tuesday (April 19) and Wednesday (April 20). Should a game 6 be needed, it will be played at Savvis on Sunday (April 24) at 5 p.m. Scheduling conflicts at Family Arena warranted the move.
Speaking of April 20th (nice transition, wouldn’t you say), I would like to wish a happy 7th birthday to my oldest son Joseph Conway McMurran. It seems like just yesterday when his birth announcement appeared in Bernie Mikilitz’s column. It really did, check the archives.
Lastly, the fifth annual Gateway Athletic Conference Baseball Classic will be played at T.R. Hughes Ballpark this Friday and Saturday. Locally, St. Charles West will take on Holt on Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. On Saturday Duchesne plays Timberland at 10 a.m., and the Pirates of St. Charles tangle with conference rival Warrenton at 3 p.m.
Rage Coach Reaches Milestone With Career Win # 200
By: Mike Thompson
It was a long time in coming, but with the victory Saturday night against Montgomery at Family Arena, Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt realized the culmination of a dream both personally and professionally. In what he called a ‘theme of love” regarding his players and the sport to which he has devoted the greater part of his working life, Coach Wyatt embraced his 200th career victory. It’s been a road that has seen him travel to and coach in Europe, win championships, work in the NFL, inspire his players in Italy to produce an undefeated Championship season, coach teams that have set amazing offensive records, and along the way, have an impact and influence on the lives of young men who even today, regardless of time or distance, still refer to him as a mentor and friend. The emotion of the 200th win on Saturday is best conveyed by the man who was there for the other one hundred and ninety-nine , Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt, As humans, we all need a sort of validation for our success. We have the need to be cared about and care for otheore about a teammate than himself. I could see the emotion as I told them they could play for themselves, play on this new turf at the Family Arena, play with pride and play under the rules to show respect for their sport and the city they represent. I urged them to get victory number 3 for themselves, and when that happened, the career milestone for me would be remembered as one given by a team that never let up, never backed down , with each man on the field making a contribution to a night that I’ll forever remember.”
The Rage players, assistant coaches and owners made sure Coach Wyatt had a least one tangible reminder. After Saturday’s win, Coach Wyatt was presented with a gold colored football signed by every member of the 2005 Rage team. It rests proudly in the office of Mike Wyatt, serving now as a daily reminder of how skill and preparation and patience and yes, even love, can make success a reality.
It was a long time in coming, but with the victory Saturday night against Montgomery at Family Arena, Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt realized the culmination of a dream both personally and professionally. In what he called a ‘theme of love” regarding his players and the sport to which he has devoted the greater part of his working life, Coach Wyatt embraced his 200th career victory. It’s been a road that has seen him travel to and coach in Europe, win championships, work in the NFL, inspire his players in Italy to produce an undefeated Championship season, coach teams that have set amazing offensive records, and along the way, have an impact and influence on the lives of young men who even today, regardless of time or distance, still refer to him as a mentor and friend. The emotion of the 200th win on Saturday is best conveyed by the man who was there for the other one hundred and ninety-nine , Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt, As humans, we all need a sort of validation for our success. We have the need to be cared about and care for otheore about a teammate than himself. I could see the emotion as I told them they could play for themselves, play on this new turf at the Family Arena, play with pride and play under the rules to show respect for their sport and the city they represent. I urged them to get victory number 3 for themselves, and when that happened, the career milestone for me would be remembered as one given by a team that never let up, never backed down , with each man on the field making a contribution to a night that I’ll forever remember.”
The Rage players, assistant coaches and owners made sure Coach Wyatt had a least one tangible reminder. After Saturday’s win, Coach Wyatt was presented with a gold colored football signed by every member of the 2005 Rage team. It rests proudly in the office of Mike Wyatt, serving now as a daily reminder of how skill and preparation and patience and yes, even love, can make success a reality.
First Capitol News High School Athlete
“No one says life is gonna be easy, sometimes you are going to have to work through the adversity. That makes you a better person, I think.”
Rachel Lee, Senior, Duchesne
Its seems the Creator of the universe smiled broadly upon Rachel Lee, a senior from Duchesne high school, at a very young age. “I’ve been playing soccer as long as I can remember, at least since I was 4 years old,” shares the leading scorer of head coach Dave Thumer’s Lady Pioneers. “By the time I was in the 3rd grade I was playing select soccer and I have never looked back.”
“Rachel is a very special player,” suggests Thurmer, “I would go so far as to say she is probably in the top four players in the entire region. She has it all, she can defend, she dribbles very well, and of course her ability to score is, well, very impressive.” So impressive that Illinois State in Bloomington, IL has already offered Rachel a full ride to play soccer for them in the Missouri Valley Conference starting next season. “Finance, I am going to study Finance,” says Lee.
Rachel will be the third of John and Laura Lee’s three children to have soccer pay for their college education. “My sister Michelle played at SIUE and my brother John played at McKendree College,” proudly tells Lee, “we get it from our dad, who played at Rosary and Riverview Gardens; my mom, well, she’s not too athletic,” she explained.
Maybe not athletic, but certainly a worthy role model. “My parents have prepared me for life, it just so happens I play soccer,” Rachel testifies, “my parents have taught me values, values to live my life by, and most importantly they have taught me a work ethic – if you’re going to do it, do it right,” she says. Thumer concurs, “She is a very talented player, no doubt about it, but she takes nothing for granted and will not be outworked, period,” he shares, “and she is a natural leader. I’m not gonna say she is one of those who leads by example, if one of her teammates needs a verbal boost Rachel is not afraid to tell them. No doubt about it, the younger girls look up to her.”
Rachel likes to eat, and giving her a credit card with unlimited credit at a restaurant could be a dangerous thing. “Unlimited, huh,” she first says. ‘Well, no doubt I would head to Outback. And no doubt I would start with a blooming onion. After that we would have to see. I do like to eat. I think I would order a steak dinner and their chicken breast dinner. If you’re paying for it I will eat it,” she shares.
To nominate an athlete contact Mike McMurran at mcmurran@charter.net or 314.280.9189
Rachel Lee, Senior, Duchesne
Its seems the Creator of the universe smiled broadly upon Rachel Lee, a senior from Duchesne high school, at a very young age. “I’ve been playing soccer as long as I can remember, at least since I was 4 years old,” shares the leading scorer of head coach Dave Thumer’s Lady Pioneers. “By the time I was in the 3rd grade I was playing select soccer and I have never looked back.”
“Rachel is a very special player,” suggests Thurmer, “I would go so far as to say she is probably in the top four players in the entire region. She has it all, she can defend, she dribbles very well, and of course her ability to score is, well, very impressive.” So impressive that Illinois State in Bloomington, IL has already offered Rachel a full ride to play soccer for them in the Missouri Valley Conference starting next season. “Finance, I am going to study Finance,” says Lee.
Rachel will be the third of John and Laura Lee’s three children to have soccer pay for their college education. “My sister Michelle played at SIUE and my brother John played at McKendree College,” proudly tells Lee, “we get it from our dad, who played at Rosary and Riverview Gardens; my mom, well, she’s not too athletic,” she explained.
Maybe not athletic, but certainly a worthy role model. “My parents have prepared me for life, it just so happens I play soccer,” Rachel testifies, “my parents have taught me values, values to live my life by, and most importantly they have taught me a work ethic – if you’re going to do it, do it right,” she says. Thumer concurs, “She is a very talented player, no doubt about it, but she takes nothing for granted and will not be outworked, period,” he shares, “and she is a natural leader. I’m not gonna say she is one of those who leads by example, if one of her teammates needs a verbal boost Rachel is not afraid to tell them. No doubt about it, the younger girls look up to her.”
Rachel likes to eat, and giving her a credit card with unlimited credit at a restaurant could be a dangerous thing. “Unlimited, huh,” she first says. ‘Well, no doubt I would head to Outback. And no doubt I would start with a blooming onion. After that we would have to see. I do like to eat. I think I would order a steak dinner and their chicken breast dinner. If you’re paying for it I will eat it,” she shares.
To nominate an athlete contact Mike McMurran at mcmurran@charter.net or 314.280.9189
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