Sunday, September 11, 2005

FRONT PAGE - FIRST CAPITOL NEWS September 10, 2005

MAYOR’S ENDORSEMENT COULD COST TAXPAYERS MILLION$





What Affect Will Mayor's Letter Have On $104 Million Lawsuit Against City?

By Tony Brockmeyer

Several local attorneys interviewed by the First Capitol News believe a glowing endorsement letter written by Mayor Patti York, to St. Louis Police Chief Joseph Mokwa, on behalf of fired St. Charles Police Sergeant Tommy Mayer, could have a chilling effect on the $104 million lawsuit Mayer has filed against the City.

The letter, dated May 3, 2005 (see letter on page 3) from the Mayor calls the firing a political “payback” to Sgt. Mayer. She also says in the letter she believes he will be successful in his lawsuit. She writes that she is proud of his record and proud of his service to our City and she is proud to have him as a friend. She also said that she thinks the Council members were picking on him.

Mayer was fired after an investigation regarding an incident where it was alleged he forced City Administrator Allan Williams to the ground at gun point during a traffic stop.
In June of 2004 shortly after the lawsuit was filed by Mayer against the City, the First Capitol News reported Mayor York’s close ties to Tommy Mayer, his and her (the Mayor) PR firm, Glennon Jamboretz and to Citizens for Responsible Community.

The First Capitol News learned that Glennon Public Relations handled the press conference and the press release regarding Mayer’s filing of the suit against the City. In that edition our sources informed us, they don’t believe in coincidence regarding what appears to be close ties between all those involved with the Mayor, Thomas Mayer and the contributors to Citizens for a Responsible Community.

According to Glennon’s web site, their client list includes Anheuser Busch, large home builders and Ameristar Casinos. Several Councilmen have complained this same bunch is trying to take over the City of St. Charles and gain control of the $100 million budget.

The First Capitol News also reported Mayor York supported Tommy Mayer’s receiving 200 hours of paid leave to work on Fraternal Order of Police business, a organization of which he is the president, at the expense of St. Charles taxpayers. Tommy Mayer and the FOP, supported York when she ran for City Council in 1993 as well as her most recent Mayoral election.

Most recently, the Mayor, under oath, admitted Tommy Mayer was her close friend and in the most recent disclosed document she stated, “I am extremely sorry to see Sergeant Mayer leave our employment. If there was anything I could do to stop it, I would have.” The Mayor also indicated, I believe he will be successful in his $104 million lawsuit.

After the discovery of this most recent letter written by the Mayor supporting Tommy Mayer alleging that all his accusations were true, our source from 2004 phoned us and said, “Now that all the pieces of the puzzle had come together, I called to tell you I told you so.”

Councilman Bob Hoepfner, for the past year, had questioned whether the Mayor was going to be loyal to the taxpayers of St. Charles or to Tommy Mayer.

Our sources also stated, now you know why the Mayor was not named in the suit.

In our April 2, 2005 edition the First Capitol News reported, City Administrator Allan Williams was investigating Tommy Mayer after receiving numerous complaints that Mayer was visiting the home of his girl friend while he was on duty. Shortly after midnight on March 24th Williams was ordered out of his vehicle at gun point on the parking lot of the police headquarters and forced to lie face down on the ground by Police Sgt. Tommy Mayer.

On September 2, 2005 Chet Pleban, the attorney for the City of St. Charles took Mayor York’s deposition at her private attorney’s office, Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, in Clayton in St. Louis County.

A defense fund had been set up by Glennon Jamboretz, Ken Kielty, TR Hughes, Kevin Kast, and other large developers and home builders to raise money to pay Gallop, Johnson & Neuman for her legal defense. in the Express Scripts incident where it was alleged that she signed a contract without City Council approval, in violation of the City Charter and City ordinances. Her signing of this contract resulted in an additional claim being filed against the City for $200,000.

Our 2004 Sources said, “We told you so!”

All attempts to get comments from City Council members were referred to Chet Pleban, the City’s attorney.

Pleban told the First Capitol News, “We are evaluating her commentary in her letter and her efforts to retract her statements. Admittedly, in a recent deposition, she said there was no factual basis for the statements in her letter. When asked if she was going to retract her letter to Joe Mokawa, (Police Chief for St. Louis City), she responded she needed to think about that.”
ttt

Missing Document Found - Proves Brown Right



By Phyllis Schaltenbrand

A document dated January 29, 2004 has been discovered at City Hall that proves Mark Brown owed nothing additional for sewer tap on fees for his home on Pearl Ridge despite claims by City Administrator Allan Williams and others.

The First Capitol News reported in earlier editions the City Administration was claiming that Brown owed money and did not have an occupancy permit for his home and was therefore ineligible to hold office as a City Councilman. Brown disputed those claims in our earlier edition and presented proof that the money was not owed. He also showed that some documents offered by the City had apparently been altered and others were missing from the file.

The St. Charles County Sheriff’s office has began an investigation to determine if the documents were altered and if so by whom.

The missing document from then assistant City Attorney Robert Hoeynck and dated January 29, 2004 was discovered on the hard drive of a computer at City Hall (see document on page 13). In the document addressed to Tom Ashburn (Director of Community Development) Hoeynck wrote, Mr. Brown should only have been charged the $500 he actually paid for sewer tap on fees in conjunction with building permit #1083. Attempting to charge him the additional $225 was improper, and any efforts to collect the $225 should cease. Additionally, I have been informed that Mr. Brown still has not received his final inspection on the permit due to the $225 “debt.” that final inspection should be performed.

City Administrator Williams and others were claiming that Brown owed the money and was not eligible to hold office as a City Councilman. They went so far as to present their evidence to St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Jack Banas and Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon requesting that action be taken to remove Brown from office. Their request was denied.

Even though former City Attorney Robert Hoeynck, Current City Council’s lawyer, Eric Tolen and former City Adminstrator and current City Attorney Mike Valenti disagrees, Williams said it was his opinion Brown was wrong and Williams then presented a package of information to the City Council members giving his contrary opinion Williams does not have a law degree.

At the City Council meeting Tuesday evening City Council President Rory Riddler presented his opinion to the Council:

RE: Pearl Ridge Sewer Tap On Fee
The City Administrator recently distributed what he called a SUMMARY OF FINDINGS with regard to an alleged amount owed the City by City Councilman Mark Brown. Having reviewed the material in-depth, I have reached the opposite conclusion of Dr. Williams.

I felt it necessary to respond in memo form myself, as there was an omission of key information which I feel helps clear this matter up.

Assistant City Attorney Findings
My findings concur with those of the former Assistant City Attorney Robert Hoeynck who concluded on January 29, 2004 that:

“I have reviewed the documents on this and conclude that the City had no authority to charge Mr. Brown the $225 back in July 2000. Therefore he is not in arrears to the City for $225, and no further action should be undertaken to collect this sum.”

Mr. Hoeynck's memo goes on to describe attempting to charge Mr. Brown the additional $225 as “improper” and recommended that “any efforts to collect the $225 should cease”.

This memo was sent to several persons in the Public Works Department and to Mike Valenti who was both City Attorney and Acting City Administrator at the time. It was not forwarded on to Mr. Brown who was a candidate for office at the time. No one at the time disagreed with the memo and all collection efforts ceased for the next nineteen months!

Interpretation Of 52.55 As Modified By 33.158
City Ordinance 52.55 does say that the Board of Public Works shall have authority to assess tap-on fees, user charges, and surcharges. But that power is modified by the language in the previous paragraph which states:
“Rates and charges for the use and services of the sanitary sewer system of the City are to be established by the Board of Public Works, pursuant to 33.158.” Section 33.158 says that the authority to set rates is subject to approval of the City Council.

What Action Did Board Take?

Also open to interpretation is what action the Board took relative to these rates and when.

January 10, 2000 Memo From Debra Aylsworth, Assistant City Engineer states that on December 18, 1996 the Board agreed for the City “to enter into” a recoupment agreement. It does not say they did.

Those early minutes say such an agreement should be “drafted” and a motion then carried to enter into such an agreement. There was no agreement to approve because it was not drafted and their action set no rate.

The January 10, 2000 memo goes on to say: “Attached is a revised recoupment agreement for your approval...” That attached agreement says the sewer rate should be $1,092.

The Board of Public Works Minutes of January 10, 2000 includes a motion saying the charge should be the same for all 64 lots. It does not say in the motion what that charge should be, nor does it approve the language of the revised recoupment agreement provided by staff to the Board.

I do not believe you can set a rate for which there is no agreement or legal basis.

Use Of Words “Recommend Approval”

The March 13, 2000 Memo from Debra Aylsworth says the sewer agreements are attached for the review and approval of the Board of Public Works. The Board then voted to “recommend approval”. The official minutes do not say the agreement is executed by the Board’s action, it says they “recommend” approval.

Which leads us to ask, recommend to whom? Obviously to the City Council and Mayor. In this draft agreement is the first reference to the rate being $725. There is no motion of the Board saying they have set this rate.

When Was Agreement Executed?

The agreement as recommended by the Board of Public Works was passed by the Council and signed by the Mayor on 11/27/2000 and by Mr. Wade on 12/11/2000. That is when the agreement between the two parties was in force.

Mr. Brown’s permit was in July of 2000. The fee and the agreement were not in effect.

How do you charge someone a rate for an agreement that doesn’t exist?

Other Evidence

I was somewhat surprised the RCA for the 11/14/00 meeting of the City Council was omitted from the research provided by the City Administrator. Here is the relevant 3rd paragraph which reads as follows:

“The attached revised recoupment agreement sets the sewer tap fees for the properties described in the attachment as $725 per residence, which prorates the increased cost of the lift station to those properties receiving the benefit. The City, in turn, agrees to pay the Developer quarterly an amount equal to tap fees collected not to exceed $46,447.50, which was actual cost of the lift station upgrade.”

Our own RCA, prepared by the Public Works staff, told the City Council on that date the agreement before us for approval “sets the sewer tap fees” for the properties described.

Role Of City Clerk

By law, the City Clerk determines if a Councilman elect is in arrears for any unpaid city fees prior to his or her swearing in. The City Clerk checked on Councilman Mark Brown in April of 2004 and declared that he was not in arrears.

Role Of The Finance Director

Ordinance 150.077 puts responsibility on the City Collector for maintaining a list of persons in arrears for certain fees and permits. Under the Charter the Finance Director is also the City Collector. It was this office that was consulted by the City Clerk and determined that Councilman Brown was not in arrears for any city fees or taxes.

The Clerk and the Finance Director have these responsibilities by law. While the Administrator may have an opinion that Mr. Brown owes this fee, I do not see it borne out by any of the evidence we were presented and that position was further weakened by the evidence which wasn’t presented.

I feel that further debate beyond the presentation of these documents is better left to press conferences and should not impede any further on the time we have to do the public’s business.

The First Capitol News contacted Mark Brown and asked why he thought the City Administrator, Williams, would continue to say you owe this bill, knowing that the former City Attorney, Current City Attorney/former City Administrator and the current City Council Eric Tolen disagrees?

Mark Brown replied, “It is a known fact that Williams is a close ally of Mayor York and has been acting as her campaign manager. He is closely tied to the developers and he is extremely upset with me for questioning his expense account.” We asked Brown what further action he thought would be taken concerning this matter. Brown said, “I know Williams has brought in the Sheriff’s department. Detective Sgt. Copeland informed Brown as we were going to press that he had located additional receipts which showed I paid the $225 that was in question. At this point the City now owes me a refund of $475 for funds they collected from me that I now find out I never owed. I planned to seek a refund. ttt

EDITORIAL CARTOON

HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF CONCERT Sunday Sept. 18 pm Frontier Park


Hurricane Katrina Relief
Sunday September 18
2:00 PM to 8:00 PM
FRONTIER PARK
St. Charles MO
We would like to invite folks down to the St. Charles Riverfront to bring donations of food, money, gift cards etc solely to benefit hurricane victims. On hand will be representatives of the Red Cross Disaster Relief Services, Salvation Army, Catholic Relief Services, Oasis Food Pantry and other charitable organizations will have booths and donation drop off points in the park.

In return for your generosity there will be an evening of free entertainment. Regional Bands will be playing on the Jaycee Stage in Frontier Park. Food and beverages will be available for purchase with the proceeds all going to benefit the hurricane victims.

Come on out and enjoy an afternoon/evening of great entertainment and help our fellow countrymen in their time of need.

For Questions: Contact Gene at 636-916-0883 or TJ 636-795-8887
ttt

RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR - Tony Brockmeyer

It’s Time For the Mayor To Resign

Mayor York has placed City tax payers at risk over an endorsement and a friendship with Fraternal Order of Police President Tommy Mayer. In this paper you will find a letter that was introduced as evidence in a law suit against the City by Tommy Mayer sent by Mayor Patti York to St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa. One has to question the motives and thoughts of York in sending a letter of recommendation while the taxpayers of this City are being sued for $104 million. When York wrote the letter she was aware of the law suit, she was aware that Mayer had placed the City Administrator on the ground at gun point during a traffic stop and was aware that Mayer had been fired. York placed her own selfish interest above that of the St. Charles citizens who will be stuck paying the bill if Mayer is victorious in his lawsuit. In the letter York claims that Tommy Mayer was harassed and that the Council singled him out, yet in her deposition under oath York said she “had no direct knowledge of that”. So which Mayor York are we to believe? Did she know or didn’t she? Did she send a false letter of recommendation to the St. Louis Police department in violation of the City Charter?

According to her testimony in deposition, under oath, the answer is, she didn’t have any knowledge of what York and Mayer accuse members of Council of doing. That makes the last question a big, “Yes”. The Mayor of St. Charles used her friendship with Chief Mokwa to influence the hiring practices in St. Louis and sent a letter that appears to be in direct conflict with her testimony under oath. Like her signing of the Express Scripts contract in violation of the City Charter and ordinances, she has once again signed something you and I might have to pay for. Of course we will have to pay for the legal wrangling that this letter will produce. Because York went out on her own and wrote this letter without asking the City Attorneys if it was proper, it could cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars to determine if what York has done is detrimental to the case.

This letter will probably be a key piece of evidence if this case goes to trial. How can the Chief Executive Officer of this City send something that goes against the best interest of the taxpayers? The answer to that question could be what Tom Mayer has hanging over York’s head and could be why she would jeopardized the City of St. Charles residents in this way. York has violated our trust and has demonstrated that she is in this for herself and not for the good of St. Charles. The next time you ask the Mayor a question you might want to put her under oath before getting the answer. On second thought what does it matter, I think we all see her in her true light.

Mayor York should do the citizens of St. Charles a favor and resign immediately.

“STOOPS WELL BELOW THE GUTTER WHEN REPORTING THE NEWS”

In her letter of recommendation for Tommy Mayer to Chief Mokwa of the St. Louis Police Department the Mayor writes, a local paper that stoops well below the gutter when”reporting” the news. What the Mayor failed to point out is that it is necessary for us to stoop below the gutter in order to report on her activities. It is ironic that when we report on the activities of the Mayor and her friends they claim we stoop below the gutter, but never consider their actions as being below the gutter. Mayor, we would love to step out of the gutter when reporting on you and your friends, so anytime you want to climb out, we will be right behind you.

MAYOR’S BODY GUARD COSTS $51.50 an hour

The cost to date for a body guard for Mayor York has amounted to $2,130.06 and averages approximately $51.50 an hour.

This includes a cost of $256.60 for a police sergeant to accompany the Mayor to the swearing in of the Chief of Police in Madison, Illinois on May 11th.

THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor

IN NEED OF HELP FOR KATRINA VICTIMS.
Dear Sir,

We have been informed that there are 2,000 people from the New Orleans Disaster area and are coming to the St. Charles City and County area. We are in need of help with providing for all of their needs. We have had places that have been donated for the families to live in but they need to be cleaned. So we need volunteers who will help clean these places so they can move right in. We need clothing and shoes, all sizes and types. Infant clothing, diapers and formula. Also toiletries, towels-wash cloths, pillows and blankets. We will need school supplies for the children when they start school. We need Non- Perishable foods and personal hygiene products. If you would like to make a Money donation you can send it to Regions Bank at 423 First Capitol Dr. St. Charles, Mo and in the Memo area you should put Christ the King Ministry Inc. You can also contact us at (636) 373-2337 or (636) 925-0335. Please help if you can. Thank you very much. God Bless !!!!!!!

Dear Editor:

I’m writing about this ridiculously skewed poll run in the Journal regarding fireworks. I am a fireworks retailer who has lived in this community my entire lift (almost everyone else lives out of the county; some even live out of state). I am writing this letter to show that it is not giving the proper ratio of yes to no votes. The Journal claims that they could not fit all of the votes in their articles. How many “yes” votes were not published versus the “no” votes?

Let’s break it down:
$30,000 for fireworks
$10,000 for labor
$ 7,000 for the property leased to greedy landlords
$ 4,000 to the city of St. Charles for the license (Now they want to raise it to
$ 5,000)
$ 3,000 for the tent rental
$ 8,000 for misc. supplies: electric, port-a-potty, cash registers, tables, bags, baskets, lumber, signs, storage, trash, state fees, gravel, etc.

That comes to a grand total of $62,000 just to break even.

Now let’s say a family spends an average of $30,000 (average based on the last 5 years of sales). That means that we must have 1482 families to break even. Suppose there are 3.5 people per family. That comes to 5187 individuals. Multiply that by 40 fireworks stands that held a license in the city and county, you come up with 207,480 people. The 2000 population census for St Charles County was 283,883. That is 73 percent of the population. Not the 16 percent claimed by the Journals’ poll taken over the last few months. Yes, some people come from other counties but over the last five years, St. Charles County citizens account for 92 percent of our sales. I believe the amount of “no” votes in the poll provided by the Journal, however, I do not believe they are publishing the correct ratios, or the people who are in favor, are not voicing their opinion.

I know in my neighborhood, more people discharge fireworks than those who don’t. If only 16 percent of the people were truly for fireworks, you would have 40 bankrupt fireworks stands.

Dennis Thebeau
St. Charles

Hello,

Just a note of thanks for all the ads you have done for the First Capitol Lions Club.

Thanks a ton

Ed Klenc
2005-2006 President of FC Lions Club

First Capitol News

This is a personal note of compliment for FCN. I appreciate your effort to present all sides of locally important issues. I hope you will continue to preside over an open forum.

I’ve checked a letter and drawing from the City of St. Charles demonstrating the intent of the City to make 30 acres available for marina, restaurant, night club development. Please pass this along to “Charles Hill” along with my thanks for the good words about our business in the July 30 Charles Hill commentary.

Sincerely
George Worthington
To The Editor:

This letter is in response to two articles in the First Capital News (August 27th)
1) Comments & Commentary by Charles Hill
2) Clowns and Friends by Lynndi Lockenour
I have written more than one letter to FCN concerning the survival of Historic Frenchtown, North and South Main St. I read about the closing of shops on South Main St. Crafty Lady and Clowns and Friends, both of them site a number of reasons, 9/11,the casinos and now gas prices.
I am not a shop owner and I do not know the retail business, but it seems to me, if the store owners want to be successful and survive they should ALL STAY OPEN LATER. You can’t expect to make money when your hours are 10 to 5 daily and closed on Monday. 9 to 5 is when most people are working, so how do the shop owners expect to survive if they close at 5? The shop owners need to stick together and ALL STAY OPEN LATER and be prepared to stay open late longer than a month. It will take more than a month to get the word out, that hours have changed in Historic Frenchtown, North and South Main St.
More advertisement is crucial to survival, if gas prices are a problem, advertise to St. Charles and St. Louis customers. If the casinos are offering the tour bus drivers $50 then the shops should offer $75. If the tour bus drivers are letting the people off at the casinos, maybe St. Charles should use the Trolley to take the people to Historic Frenchtown, North and South Main St. I’m sure not all the people on the buses want to gamble.
If the malls are getting the business, maybe the shops should consider their pricing and perhaps different inventory. The shop owners are concerned about the lost of foreign travelers, just how much can foreign traveler carry on an airplane?

Advertising is so very important, the CVB needs to promote Frenchtown, North and South Main St. They need to better educate volunteers and have at least one paid employee at the CVB on weekends and holidays. The CVB should have a meeting once a month, to provide information and promotional ideas, these meeting should be attended by shop owners, restaurants owners, hotel, motel, B&B owners, and representatives from radio and TV stations. These same businesses should put information on their web sites about later hours and up coming events in Historic Frenchtown, North and South Main St.. It wouldn’t cost a penny and just think how many more people we could reach.

We are all in this together. Lets make it everybody's business to promote Historic Frenchtown , North and South Main St., The Art Foundry, The New Convention Center and The Family Arena

Most Sincerely
Rhona Lococo
Lococo House ll Bed & Breakfast
1309 N. Fifth St. 636-946-0619
We are all in this together

Letter to the editor

“…Our nation’s elected officials in Washington have formed a partnership with the corporate supremacists and special interest groups in an effort to drive profits to the bottom line of U.S. multinationals at the expense of hard-working Americans.” This is copied from CNN.Com 8/31/05

I am concerned that this government macrocosm is being replayed as a microcosm right here in St Charles City and throughout the county. I read the First Capital News regularly to stay abreast of how special interest groups are attempting to railroad our elected Councilpersons that are resisting the temptation to form a partnership with the supremacists and special interest groups.

Last night I received two identical cards in the mail soliciting me to recall Mark Brown. I also see roadside signs on Arena parkway with the same message. I asked myself are these concerned citizens sending this message or is it the supremacists and special interest groups that are trying to remove an impediment to their master plan. I believe it is the latter.

I believe this is especially true after I phoned Councilman Brown and asked him what his motive is. In the ten minute conversation, I discerned that he is concerned about representing tax-paying citizens in the community. He told me about the pain his family is enduring even though they are not the elected officials. Also, he told me that on one occasion, he was offered $125,000 if he would vote in favor of a special interest project. He told me that he refused because his integrity is not for sale. There were other topics as well, but that provides a flavor of our phone conversation.

We also wondered together about the motive of Ed Watkins. He doesn’t even live in the community yet he produces a section in another newspaper that is devoted to trashing elected officials that won’t be influenced by the special interest groups.

I want to ask two things in closing. First, I want to ask others who support the Councilpersons who are fighting for us tax-paying citizens to become more vocal. Let’s not allow the special interest groups to take over our community. The second thing is that I want to ask Ed Watkins to publicly state in writing what his motive is for trashing public officials in a community where he is not a tax-paying citizen. Come-on Ed, the face you put on in front of the church community is contrary to the venomous message you are publishing in the newspaper. Which is the real Ed Watkins?

A concerned tax-paying citizen

Veterans and Citizens for Truth
314-544-5000 Fax: 314-544-5260
Benefit for thousands of Wounded Veterans - Many in Missouri & Katrina Hit areas - September 17th
Westin Hotel, St. Louis 811 Spruce Street
6:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Due to the disaster in the Gulf we are hoping you will continue to open your hearts to the desperate wounded soldiers returning everyday from Iraq. $100 gets you into the event but any amount you can afford will be appreciated and we hope some of the larger corporations will donate upwards of $1,000. All donations can be mailed to:
VACT
10241 Tesson Valley Ct.
St. Louis, MO 63123-7901
Non Profit Missouri Organization – All Volunteer – No salaries taken.

The event is bringing in speakers from around the country; Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Illinois as well as entertainment like the wonderful Ms. Jeannie Trevor. We will have a fabulous gourmet dinner complete with wine, gourmet coffees and dessert, cocktail party, LIVE AUCTION with trips and cruises, as well as Silent Auction with Sports and Political Memorabilia and much more. This is how we hope to raise awareness and funding for these wounded men and women and by getting word out of their fight for healthcare.

Sandra Vago

Dear Editor,

One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.

We all have the liberty to be whatever we please, both good and or bad towards our fellowman. We all understand this liberty, as we also understand that there are consequences for our actions both good and bad.

Let’s start with our Mayor and the cesspool she has created at City Hall. Like her executive orders, illegal signing of contracts in secret, calling special meetings to see city property below cost, transferring funds in secret, etc.

It is about control folks. She thinks she is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all when it comes to this City. Count the City administrators, police chiefs and fire chiefs we have had since she became Mayor.

I would like to suggest to the citizens of Wards 4 & 5, Kneemiller’s and Weller’s wards to watch them real close and you will see them play to the power and deceit this Mayor is all about trying to run this City Patti’s way.

We should take Mr. Weller’s advice and check out the videos of past Council meetings to see if my recall of some of the past meetings have any merit. Maybe they could shed some light on the cesspool she has created.

In Mr. Kneemiller’s letter to the editor in another publication he gave a very good definition of cesspool. Center of Moral Filth & Corruption After attending the Express Scripts hearing and seeing what took place, headed by millionaire TR and the other 74 lackeys I saw how this cover up got off to a good start.

We as citizens really need to get involved and take our City back for all the people and the liberty and justice that we as residents should demand. There has been wrongdoing concerning our tax dollars and favoritism shown to individuals and groups. If you think we have problems now wait till 2007 when we have a full time Mayor. If re-elected, things I mentioned here are minor compared to what it could be.

The vote for the full time Mayor passed by only 302 votes with 600 voters not voting either way. You can see the City is split right down the middle.

Our Mayor evidently thinks in her mind it is really 2007 now and Dr. Williams is just her assistant and she should be running the day-to-day operation of our City. Apparently Dr. Williams sees it that same way.

Pay attention folks. This is our City not just hers.

Bob Bredensteiner

THE CITY DESK - Rory Riddler City Council President

New Orleans Descent Into Anarchy Exposes Major Crisis Of Leadership

As I watched in stunned silence the horrific images of the collapse of a major American city, I knew that somewhere our enemies abroad were smiling. Five days after a major disaster the Federal Government couldn’t get troops into New Orleans to restore order.

I listened to the bureaucrats make excuses. I listened to the politicians make speeches. I watched the reporters on the ground shake their heads. They had finally had it with the lies, the spin doctors and the partisan apologists. Too many people were suffering.

I saw the first crack on Fox News, the bastion for conservative reporting. Three days into the rescue operation, a commentator was reading copy that said authorities were gaining control. He stopped and added in his own words, “Though the feed we’re broadcasting doesn’t seem to show that.” I wonder if they fired him?

Then last night, five days into the disaster, reporters at the New Orleans Convention Center taking matters into their own hands. Shaun Hannity was trying desperately back in the studio to put a positive spin on relief efforts. Reporter Shep Smith staring back from the darkness in disbelief, telling Shaun Hannity he was there on the ground and could smell it. Or Geraldo Gueverrra, holding up an overheated baby from the crowd to the camera and trying to shout over the banter from the studio, “Shaun, this is a baby, Shaun.”

They shamed a government into action. FEMA workers too “scared” to drive into an inner city. Did they think disasters in this country were only going to happen in nice neighborhoods? You could have lost an eye with all the finger pointing as the Mayor blamed the Feds, the Feds tried to blame the State and the State tried to blame the Mayor.

I’m not making this up. The Mayor of New Orleans was using choice expletives blaming the Federal Government for not getting in troops sooner to restore order. Federal officials intimated the Governor of Louisiana needed to ask for help sooner. Like they couldn’t see a Category 5 hurricane headed for a major U.S. city on their own! Then I seemed to hear some State officials saying the Mayor of New Orleans should have ordered the evacuation sooner. Like having an extra few hours would have helped a hundred thousand poor people secure cars, gas and a place to go on their own.

I’m not normally so negative, but the sheer volume of ignorance and incompetence displayed at all levels of government handling this disaster exceeds my recommended annual allowance. Normal levels of bureaucratic bungling I can take, but this time people died. People died from the natural disaster. There will always be natural disasters. But many people died after this natural disaster from the man made disaster of disaster relief.

There were heroes and moments to make us proud. The Coast Guard knew their job. They had helicopters pulling people from rooftops right away and kept it up for days. Doctors, nurses, EMS workers and other medical personnel were heroes and once more showed us all why those who follow the healing arts are the most saintly among us. They stayed at their posts giving what succor they could without light, without power, without food, without water, being threatened and shot at...till they had to hook themselves up to IVs to replenish body fluids.

Or the beleaguered and out manned handful of police officers who stood their ground. There was the dramatic images of one officer aiming his riot shotgun first at one, then another, and another looter to get them to drop what they had stolen in the chaos. Or the thousands of people who rushed to Mississippi, Alabama and New Orleans from all over the country with the Red Cross. For some reason I was touched by a short interviewed they did with an Asian-American from Hawaii who flew in on the second day of the disaster with the Red Cross. She said she was there to repay the debt for those who had come to the aide of her State in the past. People like her, tens of thousands of people, who came to help, or opened their doors, their hearts, their wallets...these people give us hope and make us proud to be part of such a caring nation.

There were also villains in this protracted morality play. Like the two-thirds of the New Orleans Police Department that seemed to fade away. When the going got tough, the tough got going. Or how about the two uniformed officers captured on film looting a Wal-Mart along with the criminals they are sworn to protect us from.

A famous Roman author once wrote, “It is a bad plan that can’t be changed.” We have got to change how we respond to disasters like occurred in New Orleans. Otherwise, what happens when the big earthquake hits southern California? Or if our terrorist enemies ever penetrate our broken southern boarders with a dirty bomb and set it off in downtown Houston, Chicago or Miami? New Orleans was only the 35th largest city in the nation and we weren’t prepared...not like we should have been...not like the politicians had promised.

So here is my free advice for the President.

First, you spent billions of dollars on homeland security and our community never saw a dime of it. Give local communities the resources they need and consider shooting the people who stole that money for worthless programs. (Just kidding about the shooting part).

Second, what was lacking in New Orleans was leadership (command and control) on the ground. We need rapid response teams within the military and FEMA to get real leaders with authority to act on the ground. That top commander on the ground needs to report directly to the President and have the authority to determine if local and State resources are inadequate, even if those leaders are too slow to request it.

Could you imagine going to war and the troops not know who their commander is? What was painfully obvious in New Orleans is that no one was in charge or could speak with any authority.

Third, these rapid disaster response teams should include a large contingent of MPs who could be sent into any situation to restore order and set up temporary detention facilities for lawbreakers. They should arrive with the command post within twenty-four hours of being called into action.

Fourth, regrettably, we need legislation that sworn police officers can not leave their post when an emergency is declared. This should be a felony punishable with prison time. It is not that I don’t have sympathy for those officers who wanted to be with their families, but they give up that right for the greater good when they put on that badge.

Fifth, all disaster plans should include immediately securing the local hospitals and providing protection to health care workers. As centers for relief, we should spend homeland security funds on “hardening” hospitals with greater on site emergency resources.

Sixth, when orders are given to evacuate a city, lets have a specific escape plan for the most impoverished among us and not count on football stadiums to double as Noah’s Ark.

Finally, we must all resolve to be better prepared for disasters as individuals. CPR and first aid should be taught in every school and workplace. The Red Cross encourages families to have emergency supplies in a bag someplace where they can be easily gotten to. We need to remind everyone to heed their advice.

Government may not always be there to catch us when we fall. The vast majority of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the personal resolve, fortitude and spiritual strength it takes to survive in the face of terrible depravation. Hopefully we will never have to experience the days and nights of hell they went through. But if we must, I hope the better angels of our nature will see us through.
ttt

CASE IN POINT - Joe Koester, Councilman Ward 9

I think I have finally found the formula to easy-life politics — don’t try to ever really make a change in the system. As long as it appears that you are not rocking the boat and that you are getting along with everyone in the works, then you can pretty much do what you want and not really answer to the electorate because, hey, people don’t want the truth, they want to be placated with a reality that suits their image of things! Just take a look at how long our county council has watched the Family Arena hemorrhage money (take out our City subsidy of $300,000 per annum and some years it’s been close to the million dollar mark) but they always got along (until some recent squabbles).

Next, do not upset the guys with deep pockets! In fact, the best thing to do is to find a nice corporate sponsor right away who will put their stamp of approval on all that you do! Let’s face it, if you have to raise money in dribs and drabs it will take you your entire time in office to scrape together the dollars you need to put up a feeble attempt to run a campaign against your opponent who will have no problem manufacturing whatever they need to in order to win! Also, people will claim that they don’t like a politician in the pocket of big money, but that’s really just something that people say; worse is to make waves, appear mean, or criticize!

This is actually a very refreshing outlook! I once thought that the political system was a means to make positive change, keep an eye on public tax dollars and really just help out. I always loved good debate, believed that everyone should have a voice in the process and really liked those people in society willing to stand up and “give ‘em hell” while looking the fat cats in the eye in order to challenge the status quo. I think these things really might have mattered in America at an earlier time; a time when a majority of the people read newspapers and the newspapers in turn really tried to be a progressive voice in society.

Times have changed though, and I was just wanting to place an advertisement here for a corporate sponsor who will be able to pump money my way when Linda Meyer comes dancing into my ward to begin her recall efforts. I’m not proud, so anyone with a large checking account and a self-purchased good image will do! If the image isn’t so good but the bank account is really large, well, I think that will still work okay. I know that the image machine will begin to churn with a few dollars to help oil the whole thing and before long we can turn things around! A few ads in the papers and they will be ours too!
If you’d like to apply, I think a local patron is best, but again, I have no problem with a national or international giant such as Exxon-Mobile, Disney, or Enron if they reappear. I have even heard of people getting compensated for sporting corporate logo tattoos; maybe the Nike “Swoosh” symbol wouldn’t be so bad! Again, the more local the better, so perhaps Premier Bank could make ball caps with current CD rates blazon on the front for me to wear during council meetings; “4% on $10,000 or more for 18 months!”

I have thought about each sponsor for the council and mayor. Some are obvious, but here are my thoughts: the Mayor would have T.R. Hughes and Jamboretz; Larry Muench’s sponsor will be K-Mart (they owe him anyhow for his stock loss); Mike Weller’s will be Citibank (talk about deep pockets!); I thought Dotty Greer could have Cingular or whomever owns them; John Gieseke will take Sheraton; Jerry Reese will use Crayola; Mr. Riddler can have Allied Waste; Bob Kneemiller’s will be State Farm Insurance; Mark Brown’s patron will be ECM (just for the sake of irony); I would like to have Anheuser-Busch or Pio’s for my patron. With the mayor and each council member firmly supported financially, we could have these folks wine and dine us and everyone would get along! There would be a few changes made - the city would get Cingular phones; bank with Citibank; have insurance through State Farm or a subsidiary; ECM would run our sewers; Mr. Hughes would construct any new homes or businesses and hook all of his developments around the county to ECM for the residents of St. Charles to subsidize; and we would either have beer or pizza at all public meetings (best would be both!).

Aaaah! It truly will be the best Democracy money can buy

FIRST CAPITOL NEWS SPORTS - Mike McMurran Editor


St. Charles vs Jennings - First Capitol News Photo by RJ Barton

MY COLUMN - Mike McMurran First Capitol News Sports Editor

It is my favorite time of the year, the start of the high school football season. However, there is something far, far more important than the high school football season that I would like to share with you, it deals with the best birthday gift I ever received. I know it will sound as if I am speaking in clichés, but it really does seem like it happened just yesterday.

Ten years ago this September 15, the creator of the universe blessed me with the most special birthday I could possibly imagine. My wife Lynn was a week overdue with our first child. I make mention of this because that is the reason we were sleeping in separate beds. On Friday morning, September 15, 1995 Lynn woke me up (at 4:30 a.m.) and informed me “today is the day, no doubt about it.” Less than ten hours later, Margaret Kurtz McMurran was born. Yes, this Thursday, my favorite daughter will be ten years old. Maggie has grown into quite a young lady. Naturally her friends are the center of her life – she will be celebrating with Elizabeth Francis, Tori Kruse, Bailey Lemke, Hannah Pruess and Elizabeth Watson at NASCAR Speedway at the Mills. Speaking as a proud father, Maggie makes just about straight A’s in school (she clearly gets that from her mom), and is very much involved in music. In addition to her year round performing with Just Kids (Patt Holt Singers), she recently began taking clarinet lessons. She plays soccer year round and is a rather decent pitcher in softball. Have I mentioned yet that she “is my favorite daughter?” Anyway, happy birthday Margo – I love you very much.

Too bad Sandy Fisher, who works Maggie’s mom, will have to read this column to know of Maggie’s birthday. Regular readers of this column have been found in the strangest places.

Tough luck for Corey Nesslage and his St. Charles High Pirates. They were defeated by Jennings and their new head coach, Ryan Wallace in the season opener for both teams. Regular readers of this column are aware that as Bob Barton and I cover the high school scene, we are anything other than objective – we want the local teams to win. The Jennings/St. Charles game was no different – with one exception. As long as I am reminiscing (see paragraph #2), allow me to go back to the year 1992, when Lynn and I were first married and moved into our home in beautiful Country Club Hills, MO. The first three years of our marriage Lynn and I were childless. Living directly behind us was nice family with four boys: Scotty, Wayne, James and Michael. The longer we lived there the more frequently the boys would visit – often times around lunch and dinner time. The fact is they were very well behaved, thus always welcome in our home. James and Michael were very young, may 2 and 3 years old. More times than not they could be spotted in their back yard playing football, baseball, basketball – all in their diapers. Well, I managed to secure an old football helmet and shoulder pads and gave it to the boys to play with. So now they were outfitted in helmet, should pads – and of course their diapers.

In 1996 Lynn and I (and of course Maggie) moved to St. Charles, but I stayed in touch with the boys. When their daddy died I invited them to spend the day at our house and go swimming. When I started teaching at Jennings Junior High I ran into their mother and she greeted me with a big hug. Anyway, the 4th and final touchdown in Friday’s game was scored by none other than Mike Heard. I am certain his daddy was looking down from heaven smiling, and I am equally certain I jumped for joy on the sidelines. No one has said anything to me about my behavior, but just in case someone saw me I wanted to explain. Knowing Corey, I am sure he would understand.

Prayers and condolences to the family of Bob Groff. Bob was a teacher and coach for over 20 years in the Zumwalt school district, from where he retired. I think it is safe to say that most high school coaches, on both sides of the river, either knew Bob, or knew of him. I knew of him, through his former students. Dea Hoover, formerly of Vandalia, MO remembered him as her former P.E. teacher. In the most recent edition of this weekly, in an interview with Ryan Wallace, Groff was mentioned as one his mentors in football.
Next week we will begin honoring high school athlete of the week. To nominate a student, contact me at 314.280.9189 or mcmurran@charter.net.


PIRATES' HOME OPENER NOT VERY SPECIAL
Special teams allow three touchdowns and a safety as Jennings wins 29-7

By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor

It wasn’t so much that Jennings scored on the first play from scrimmage that broke St. Charles’ spirit Friday evening. “Defensively I was pleased with the way we played,” said first year coach Corey Nesslage. “After the first quarter our defense really settled down and played a solid game.” Jennings senior quarterback Robert Thompson opened the game with a 70-yard bomb to receiver Al Carlisle 17 seconds into the game. The PAT was no good. Things got worse for the Pirates before they got better as the visiting Warriors blocked the Pirates first punt into the end zone for a safety and the Pirates trailed 8-0 less than two minutes into the game.

Jennings first year head coach Ryan Wallace said the first play was one of team design. “I talked to the players about how they wanted to start the game; dive, sweep, I wanted their input. Maybe I need to listen to them more often, it was their idea to go long on the first play,” Wallace offered.

Both teams’ offense sputtered pretty much the remainder of the first half, as neither was able to effectively move the ball. Then the ugly special teams play of the Pirates raised its head once again. With 4:44 remaining in the half, Jennings returned St. Charles punt 30 yards for a touchdown and a 15-0 lead.

As bad as St. Charles special team play was, Jennings was not much better. In the final minute of the first half, with Jennings in punt formation, the snap went over the punter head and the Pirates recovered. St. Charles took over on the Jennings 28 yard line with 17 seconds remaining in the first half. They needed only one play, a 28 yard pass from Mike Brown to Jake Bethman to cash in on Jennings mistake. After Bryan Lewis PAT, the score stood at Jennings 15, St. Charles 7. Just when it looked as though things were going the Pirates’ way – you guessed it, the ugly special teams play cost the Pirates.

On the following kickoff Nesslage told his kicker “to squib the ball, and he did. But they were still able to run it back.” Whatever momentum the Pirates had “didn’t last long,” Nesslage said. Halftime score: Jennings 21 St. Charles 7.

In defense of the Pirates special team play, Wallace offered “I told the guys before the season that with all of our speed we should score a touchdown every game on the special team. I guess we are ahead of that pace.” Nesslage would have none of it. “I did not have this team prepared and I take full blame for that,” said the former Pirate quarterback. “We are going to spend some time evaluating the personnel on the special teams and spend even more time on it.”

In the second half neither team could generate much offense. Jennings managed to return another punt for a touchdown when Mike Heard went 50 yard for the score.
Defensively we played really well after the first quarter; we finally started to tackle,” said Nesslage. I have no problem with the defense, especially when they were on the field for what seemed like 90 percent of the time and usually with a short field.”

Jennings closed out the scoring in the 4th quarter when the Pirates were called for intention grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety.

St. Charles will open Gateway Athletic Conference play Friday night when they host Timberland in a 7 p.m. kickoff.

So much for that 11-game HAAC winning streak.


LINDENWOOD STUNNED IN OPENER

First of all, it’s important to be clear on two things: a) a Lindenwood football team which opened the season ranked 7th nationally will offer no excuses for losing its opener at Culver-Stockton, and b) one of the Heart’s most stunning upsets ever had as much to do with how well Culver’s coaches and players performed, as it did to do with how poorly LU’s did.
Still, if not biblical in proportions, Saturday afternoon’s ambush of the Lions in Canton, Mo., certainly qualifies as a huge upset, one which could have far-reaching ramifications for both teams. Taking the game to the visitors from the opening kickoff, young head coach Christian Guenther’s Culver team made his coaching debut one to remember, knocking off the defending HAAC champs, 23-6.
The oldest cliche in the upset business is, “The longer you let the underdog stay in the game, the more dangerous they become”. The Lions executed this plan to perfection on Saturday, failing to score on two early trips to the red zone, before handing the Wildcats nine unanswered points without Culver’s offense stepping on the field early in the second quarter. Just like that, a team with only the most optimistic of hopes was up 9-0, and the blood was in the water.
First, sophomore quarterback Gerry Connell was forced into an intentional grounding penalty in his own end zone, after being sacked on the previous play, making it 2-0 in favor of Culver on the first play of the second period. Then, after LU recovered the ensuing free kick at the C-SC 33-yard line, sophomore Brent Hodgkiss threw an interception on 4th-and-8 which was promptly returned for a TD by Wildcat junior Shannon Benton.
“In no way did we play or coach well enough to win this football game,” said head coach Patrick Ross. “But those two mistakes in the second quarter gave their team the belief they could win, and after that, it didn’t seem nearly as hot on their sideline as it did on ours. Excuses are for losers, and we will not make them - we simply got outcoached and outplayed.”
“It was just one of those days for us where everything that could go wrong, did,” said Ross. “Give all the credit for that to Culver, because they deserve more than people saying it was just because we didn’t show up. We’ll be back, and we still believe this team is a championship caliber group of people who will have the heart to pursue all of the goals we have for this season. Starting next week.”
The Lions will have to regroup and refocus in a hurry - up next is a trip to the Chicago suburbs to play Olivet Nazarene, a 7-3 team last season which won its’ opener over Anderson (Ind.) by a count of 33-18 on Saturday. Game time is set for 6:00 pm in Bourbonnais, Ill.


RASCALS SEASON ENDS 10 GAMES BELOW .500

By Louis J. Launer

River City Rascals batting coach Jack Clark could sum up the 2005 season with one word – “brutal.”

In the final week of the Frontier League season, the Kalamazoo Kings swept the Rascals taking the Frontier League West Division title and home advantage in the playoffs. A fourth inning grand slam by Nick Rogers helped defeat the Rascals, 7-3 in the first game of the series. Rascals’ pitcher Brian Keating struck out seven batters while giving up six hits and four walks.

It didn’t get any better for the Rascals in the second game. Six runs were scored in the second inning alone and gave Kalamazoo a 12-4 win. The final game of the series featured Rascals’ pitcher Arron Ledbetter, one of the team’s winning pitchers. Ledbetter walked three in the first inning and Kalamazoo swept the series with a 3-0 win. Ledbetter had a 10-0 record midway through the season. One win and five losses in the second half was part of the Rascals’ slide from first place at the all-star break. Ledbetter would salvage his last start of 2005 with a win over the Gateway Grizzlies. In last Sunday’s second game of their series against Gateway, Ledbetter struck out 10 Gateway batters and allowed only 7 hits in the Rascals’ 11-1 victory. Ledbetter finished the season with a 12-5 record. Fans will only hope if Ledbetter will return next season on the Rascals’ pitching staff.

On an afternoon game on Labor Day, which was the final day of the Frontier League regular season, the Grizzlies opened up the scoring after an error by Rascals’ first baseman Mike Madrid. The 1-0 Grizzlies lead lasted until the 4th inning, which Rick Saunders and Kirk McConnell scored after singling and doubling, respectively, to open the inning. But the Rascals couldn’t keep the lead in the sixth inning as the Grizzlies scored 5 runs en route to a 9-4 victory.

The Rascals finished the season in 4th place in the Frontier League’s Western Division with a 42-52 record and ten games behind West Division champion Kalamazoo, nine away from Rockford and five games behind third place finisher Gateway.

RAGE MAKE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY

By Mike Thompson

One of the greatest joys any professional sports franchise can experience is the joy of giving back to the community it serves. Ask anyone in the front office, the community relations department or the public relations department of the Cardinals, the Rams, or the St. Louis Steamers about community and charity involvement and you’ll heartwarming stories of families who’s lives have been impacted by the generous donations of those teams, the seriously ill youngsters who have been given a new lease on life through foundation donations, or the happy smiles on the faces of children who might not otherwise have realized a Christmas wish come true. Even as I write this article, the New Orleans Saints coaches and players, along with the entire organization, labors diligently to find ways to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Go to the Saint’s web site at NFL.com, and the first thing you’ll see is the information and number for the American Red Cross Help-Line and it’s website link as well.
When Rage majority owners Tye Elliott, Scott Wilson and Jerry Lakin formed GST Sports, Inc. and assumed ownership of the team in December of 2004, they realized that along with putting a quality product on the football field, the team and the entire organization needed to look for ways to make a positive impact in the community as well. “It’s one of the reasons sports teams are important”, said Elliott last week, “and it’s definitely one of the true rewards of owning a football team. To see the influence our team could have on a family in need or a youngster needing help, even if it was in the smallest of ways, made this first season a complete success in my mind. It also helped keep the game of football in perspective for many of us.”

The Rage wasted no time in becoming involved. Within a week of assuming ownership of the team, the owners pledged to donate over $2,000 worth of toys to the WIL-FM “Stuff the Studio” Toy Drive, headed up by the station’s morning personality ‘Cornbread.’ And just over a month later, Rage players and cheerleaders joined the station to help raise money for the annual “Country Cares For Kids” radiothon, which raised over $550,000 for St. Jude’s Research Hospital.

If you attended any Rage home game this past season, you couldn’t help but notice the Heroes and Legends Silent Auction table set up in the outer foyer of the Family Arena. Sports memorabilia from legends like Stan the Man, Ozzie, Dan Dierdorf, and others were bid on by fans of the Rage before and during all 8 home games. Items were ‘reserved’ at a certain price, and any high bid over that amount was donated to the Rage specified charity of the evening.

The Shriners Hospital received nearly $800 and various other monetary donations were made throughout the year to the Moolah Shrine Temple. One of the more rewarding nights of the season for the team occurred on April 9th at Family Arena when The Rage defeated the Montgomery Maulers by the score of 90-39. Not only did that win register victory number 200 in the career of Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt, but close to $1,700 was raised and donated to two worthy causes. One was the Boy Scouts of America, receiving $500 from the team. Then there is the story of St. Charles high school student Kieth McCoy, who was paralyzed in an automobile accident. Rage Account Executive Jay Carter and Owner Tye Elliott went to the school to ask what the team could do to help then attended a school Pep Rally and got the students involved in a fund raising ticket program that untimely raised nearly $1,200 for Keith and his family. Keith also had a chance to attend the game with his family and friends and was introduced to the fans at halftime.

Another young man who benefited from Rage donations was Armin Memisevic, who experienced a very rare skin disease. The Heroes and Legends Auction generated $500 for Armin and his family. A stellar Rage fan, Armin was also introduced to the crowd at halftime of the Rage Lincoln game on June 3rd, not only receiving a great reception, but enjoying the game from the V.I.P Suites and taking in another Rage home victory. At a home game the following week, the youngster was thrilled to talk with former NFL star Mike Jones, who signed autographs throughout much of the second half. Ram’s fans will never forget the guy who made ‘The Tackle’ in Super Bowl 34.
Throughout the season, various donations were made to The Backstoppers and several other charitable entities. And The Rage made a point of donating tickets throughout the year to local military outlets and other non-profit organizations. This past Wednesday, at a silent auction and dinner for the Missouri KIDS, the Rage promotional baskets filled with season ticket vouchers and autographed footballs raised $1,000 for the non-profit organization dedicated to helping youngsters who have suffered disabling accidents as athletes in the high school system.

All in all, a successful and satisfying first year for the team involved in the community. And lest anyone think this article is a self imposed pat on the back, so to speak, please understand that, if anything, it’s the reflection of a year’s worth of gratitude to the various organizations and individuals from a football team and it’s staff and owners who are both humbled and honored to have been even a small part of the big picture. It’s the bright picture of smiles on the faces of people we’ve been allowed to help. To all of them, from us, a warm heartfelt ‘thank you’......We’re smiling, too!!

First Bank Joins In Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

First Bank Joins In Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

Bank accepting donations to aid victims at all First Bank locations

To assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina, First Bank is accepting and encouraging community and customer donations at all First Bank locations. The bank will also support and match First Bank employee donations during the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund Drive.
“We are all witnessing a catastrophic disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina,” said Terry McCarthy, chairman, president and chief executive officer for First Bank. “Both in the short and long term, there will be a great need for assistance of all kinds for the people affected by the hurricane.”
Through September 30, First Bank customers and others in the community who want to make a financial donation to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund Drive may do so at any First Bank location. Checks, money orders or cashier’s checks should be made out to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief. Cancelled checks can be used as a tax receipt.
“We appreciate any support in this relief drive to raise badly needed funds for the victims in Louisiana and Mississippi,” said McCarthy.

First Capitol Counseling Connection - The Psychology of Writing The Perfect Ebay Ad

First Capitol Counseling Connection

The Psychology of Writing The Perfect Ebay Ad

Dr. Howard Rosenthal

Yes, I am well aware that this column is usually devoted to mental health and social service issues. Normally, I’m pontificating about depression, anxiety, the latest psychotherapy modality, or how to handle your out of control monster, excuse me, I mean mother-in-law.

Nevertheless, lately people have flocked to online auctions trying to sell everything from the junk in their garages to the belts holding up their pants. Hey, let’s face it. This isn’t a bad way to make a quick buck.

I must say, however, that as a person trained in the behavioral sciences — and very well versed in the psychology of direct mail marketing — I am horrified at the horrendous copy I see passing for advertising when I peruse auctions such as Ebay.

Look, if you are selling something very rare such as a piece of jewelry owned by Britney Spears or perhaps a pristine 1957 dual quad Corvette you can write anything and your product will sell for a mint. (In fact, if you have an extremely unusual item you can go to the next article in this newspaper since you surely don’t need to waist time reading this one!)

On the other hand, let’s be honest and forthrightly admit that most of us aren’t selling jewelry owned by the stars or a one in a million classic car. Most likely, the average reader perusing this piece is trying to unload something mundane such as the tie your Uncle Max gave you for your birthday last year. You know, the one had had the nerve to admit he snared at a Blue Light Special. If this is the case, and you are selling a fairly typical item, then yes, you desperately need my help . . . keep reading!

Hence, without any further ado lets examine several strategies that could pump some life into those tired anemic Ebay Ads of yours.

First, tell fellow Ebayers precisely what in the Sam Hill it is that you are selling. I’m serious. Here is a case in point. This morning I was reading an ad and when I got finished I wasn’t sure whether the guy was selling a blank cassette, a cassette with music on it, or a cassette recorder. I don’t know about you, but most sane folks won’t buy something unless they know what it is!

Always begin your ad with a headline just line a newspaper article. Hint: 99% of all Ebayers don’t! Horrors! What in the world are these people thinking?

Thus, if you are selling grass seed you might begin with something like, “Amazing New Grass Seed Will Give You The Best Looking Lawn in the Neighborhood in 7 Short Days.” Anytime you can, use a number or numbers in your headline. Hence, an ad for a weight loss product might begin with “Lose 14 pounds in 28 days.”

Next, describe the features of your item (e.g., the toaster has a special setting for toasting bagels). Next share the product’s benefits (e.g., this television is identical to the ones the national chains are selling for three times the price).

Use short paragraphs for your ads. Research indicates that short paragraphs look easier to read and there is a better chance folks will read what you have to say.

And oh yes, let me answer the age- old question for once and for all: Long ads do sell better than short ads. Sorry, but that’s the truth. The more you tell, the more you sell.

Whenever possible tell a story about the item. For example, “My great, great grandfather acquired this rare political button while fighting in the Civil War.”

If there is something negative about your item always bring it to your reader’s attention. This is not a misprint. People would rather buy from honest buyers. For example, I’ve sold over 250 educational audio CDs on Ebay by pointing out that they do not have labels and therefore I can give the buyer a better price.

Finally, if you only have one item like the one you are selling, be sure to mention this fact in your ad. It will spark people to take action now. Remind the reader they may never see the ad again.

Since this article is way too short to share all the secrets I have amassed I would like to invite readers to attend my first ever How to Write the Perfect Ebay Ad course. This monumental event will take place on Friday September 30 from 8:30 to 10:00 in the morning at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley. To enroll, call 314-513-4200 and ask for Continuing Education. Since the program is being sponsored by the new Elder College, the college will knock 50% off the price if you’re over the age of 60.

As for me, well, let’s just say I’m going, going, going, gone.

Dr. Howard Rosenthal is Professor and Program Coordinator of Human Services at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley. He has lectured to over 100,000 people and is the author several books including two publisher’s best sellers. Most counselors use his books and audio programs to pass licensing exams. His website is www.howardrosenthal.com.
ttt