WATCH YOUR MAIL!
EFFECTIVE ON OCTOBER 8, 2005 THE FIRST CAPITOL NEWS WILL BE COMING TO YOU IN YOUR MAIL.
There will be no publication next week. The next edition of the First Capitol News will be published on October 8th. It is necessary that we use that time to get our systems changed over. Hopefully the changeover will be smooth. This is something that we have been working on for some time and it is now coming to fruition. We are very excited and believe this will be a great benefit to our readers and our advertisers.
If you do not receive a First Capitol News in your mail on October 8th please let us know so we can rectify the situation. You may call us at 636-724-1955 or e-mail us at firstcapitolnews@aol.com.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
FRONT PAGE - First Capitol News of September 24, 2005
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Hoepfner, Conflict of Interest?
By Tony Brockmeyer
The First Capitol News has learned that plumbing permits for Michael Sellenschuetter, a developer who has a controversial bill pending before the City Council, were issued to Master Plumber, Charles “Bob” Hoepfner, Councilman for Ward 10 and the City Council vice president. Hoepfner is also a retired Master Plumber.
City Council President Rory Riddler has abstained from any votes or discussion by the Council on Sellenschuetter’s development. Riddler filed a Conflict of Interest/Vote Abstention Form with the City Clerk on September 6, 2005. On his form he stated, “I am doing some work thru my firm for a subsidiary of this firm on a project outside of City limits - and did not want an appearance of conflict even though I am not working on this item.”
Hoepfner has not filed a Conflict of Interest form.
Sellenschuetter, through several of his companies, S & S Builders, MM Devel- opers, Inc. and C.S.M. & Associates, is developing Whispering Oaks Villas and now it’s second phase Oak Ridge Condominiums off of Arena Parkway in St. Charles County.
St. Charles City Council Bill 8680, sponsored and introduced by Hoepfner, calls for a cooperation agreement between the City and MM Developers, Inc. owned by Michael Sellenschuetter. The cooperation agreement would allow Sellenschuetter to hook up the Condos in Oak Ridge Condos to the City’s sewer and water system, even though they are not located within the City limits. Whispering Oaks Villas, his phase one development, was given permission to hook up to City sewers and water in the past while Hoepfner was serving as Chairman of the Public Utilities Committee.
A conflict has been raging before the City Council for the past several months regarding Sellenschuetter’s request to connect his development to the City sewer and water systems. Leading the cheerleading squad for Sellenschuetter has been Hoepfner. Hoepfner, also known as “Battling Bob”, claims to be the advocate for the resident taxpayers of the City, but most of his efforts over the past several months have been the lobbying of Sellenschuetter’s application for City water and sewers for his St. Charles County project.
Fighting the attachment of County residents to City water and sewers is City Councilman Mark Brown, Ward 3. Brown claims that even though Sellenschuetter agrees to annex his properties into the City at a later date, the County building codes are not as restrictive as the City's. Brown also claims the buildings in Sellenschuetter's development are built within 10 feet of the top of a creek bank and the requirement is 50 feet. Brown believes it will be a costly problem to solve for St. Charles taxpayers in the future. Councilman Riddler has estimated it would take more than $90 million to fix all the creek bank stabilization and storm water problems in the City.
Records on file at City Hall disclose that a City of St. Charles Plumber Occupation License Application was issued on June 14, 2004 to Marshall & Long Plumbing Company with an address of 5802 S. Kingshighway in St. Louis. It shows James Marshall - Melody Marshall as the owners and Charles R. Hoepfner as the Master Plumber License Holder. The license period was from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005.
The record also reflects that plumbing inspection permits issued by the City for Master Permit #76703, Charles R. (Bob) Hoepfner’s license number,were issued for Lots 17, 18, 33 and 34 in the Whispering Oaks Subdivision where the contractor is S & S Builders of 343 N. Main Street in St. Charles and the Company owner is Michael Sellenschuetter.
The permits on file at City Hall, Permit #020050518 for 188 Woodland Place Ct., Permit #020050518 for 192 Woodland Place Ct., Permit #020050552 for 219 Woodland Place Ct. and Permit #020050553 for 215 Woodland Place Ct. were all issued in March of 2005 and all list the plumbing company as Marshall & Long Plumbing with an address of 425 Nantucket in St. Charles and a phone number of 314-457-9214. Hoepfner is the resident and property owner at 425 Nantucket. All the homes are in Sellenschuetter’s Whispering Oaks development.
The phone number given for Marshall & Long Plumbing has been disconnected and we were unable to locate a current address or phone number for them.
During an August Council meeting an agreement between Sellenscheutter and the City was introduced by Councilman Hoepfner on the Consent Agenda rather than as a bill. During a Council meeting, a heated discussion was held regarding Sellenschuetter’s developments and the failure of the City Clerk to list the correct name of the development on the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda listed Oak Tree and the name is actually Oak Ridge. That evening the agreement was passed by a 9-0 vote in favor. Several Council members said they believed they were voting for a Oak Tree development and believed it was in Councilman Hoepfner’s ward because he was the sponsor as listed on the Consent Agenda Council President Riddler declared the vote invalid and said the matter should have been introduced as a bill and not placed on the Consent Agenda.
At the next meeting Hoepfner introduced the agreement as a Bill. During a reading of the Bill, Councilman Hoepfner was chairing the meeting, Sellenschuetter and his attorney, Keith Hazelwood, were discussing the bill with Council Members. It was obvious that Hoepfner was trying everything in his power to get the Bill passed that evening. Several members of the Council remarked that he should just step down from the chair and turn the meeting over to Sellenschuetter and his attorney. Finally City Attorney Mike Valenti told the Council that Sellenschuetter had refused to sign the development agreement with the City and he would recommend it not be passed that evening.
During the meeting Brown told Hoepfner, “I don’t sell plumbing permits...And I may ask for an executive session to have a Council investigation regarding your actions.”
Just days after that meeting Hoepfner requested a tape of the meeting for Sellenschuetter. Shortly after that the Council was given documents threatening a lawsuit if the Council did not vote in favor of the development agreement.
At that time Brown told the FCN, “I will not succumb to these strong arm tactics and I believe that legislation against this type of threats apply. I fully intend to defend the City as well as the residents of Ward 3 against this multi-family apartment complex that will be built to lesser standards than their homes, just so this developer can make more money.”
The next day, Recall Mark Brown signs went up all over Sellenschuetter’s developments and telephone calls were being made to the residents of his ward suggesting he be recalled from office.
At the Council meeting Tuesday evening Hoepfner introduced a substitute bill. He chaired the meeting and also made the motion to approve the substitute which received a vote of 5 for and 3 against. Brown, Koester and Greer voted against the substitute. Kneemiller, Muench, Weller, Reese and Hoepfner voted in favor. Riddler abstained and Gieseke was out of town on business. Over the objections from Brown that the City Charter required a majority of the elected members of the Council to pass, Hoepfner, chairing the meeting, declared that the substitute bill had passed. Brown called for a legal opinion from the attorneys. City Attorney Mike Valenti agreed with Hoepfner and Council Attorney Eric Tolen told the Council the bill failed.
We have been told the Mayor is planning on calling a special Council Meeting for Tuesday evening so that Sellenschuetter's Bill can be considered for final passage. The First capitol News is aware that Sellenschuetter’s name appears as a contributor to the Mayor’s fund raising events. Sellenschuetter is also a contributor and works with the Citizens Empowerment Committee. That Committee is headed by Linda Meyer, wife of a St. Charles Police Officer who is a past president of the Police Association. The Citizens Empowerment Committee is supported by the Mayor and is also funded by TR Hughes another local millionaire developer and supporter of the Mayor The Citizens Empowerment Committee is funding workers soliciting signatures to recall Councilman Mark Brown and Councilwoman Dottie Greer.
We attempted to contact Councilman Hoepfner for his comments and were finally able to reach him just before press time.
When questioned about the plumbing permits in his name for the Sellenschuetter development he said, “The hall called me and said they had a new plumber that had some work at some schools in St. Charles but he was not a Master Plumber. They asked if he could work off of my license. I said sure. Later when I was talking to the plumber he talked about some other jobs he had picked up in the area and he mentioned working at some condos. I asked where the condos were and he told me at Whispering Oaks (a Sellenschuetter development). I told him he could not do that so he stopped. I received no money.”
When asked if this procedure was illegal (the use of his permit) he responded, “Yes, but it is done all them time.”
When asked why he did not abstain from voting on Sellenschuetter’s project Hoepfner replied, “I talked to a lawyer and three judges and they all told me there was no conflict and I had no problem.” He did not mention the names of those he talked to.
Hoepfner admitted he was the Chairman of the Public Utilities Committee when approval was given for Sellenschuetter’s Whispering Oak Villas to be hooked up to City sewer and water.
Hoepfner told the First Capitol News during our interview he had decided to abstain from any further votes involving Sellenschuetter.
Brown said, “Sellenschuetter and his attorney, Keith Hazelwood, offered to give $125,000 toward the sewer project that has troubled my home and subdivision since it was developed, in return for my vote for this project.” Brown said, “I was told if I would go along with this project Sellenschuetter’s Company had a lot of printing that needed to be done.” Brown owns a printing company. Brown said I am not interested in anything they have to offer. That development will cost the taxpayers of St. Charles literally millions of dollars.
Councilman Brown stated, “I never believed Hoepfner would sell the residents of St. Charles out. Hoepfner knows if this project is approved the taxpayers will be spending millions of dollars in creek bed stabilization. Something has happened to him lately and he has forgotten that he represents the people and he is only interested in seeking plumbing.” Brown said, “Sellenschuetter is throwing money around town like it grows on trees. There are several politicians throughout the country who are in jail for the same type of activity.” Brown is considering taking this information to the Attorney General’s office or possibly the FBI.
Brown said, “Even though DNR has cited this project for several violations, several council members continue to push for it’s approval for the St. charles taxpayers to take on the financial burden of this project. Brown asked the FCN, “Can you figure out why? Now you know why they are trying to recall me.
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The City Desk - Rory Riddler City Council President
Facts Derail Political Wish
To Merge All Fire Districts
There’s an old saying to be careful what you wish for. County Councilman Dan Foust found a magic lamp last year and after a considerable amount of rubbing was able to make a genie appear. The genie was a lot shorter than Dan, didn’t sound at all like Robin Williams or Barbara Eden, and said he wrote for the Post-Dispatch. Together, they were going to make Dan Foust’s fondest wish come true.
It seems Dan felt he had been pushed around on the political playground by some firefighters and now his singular desire was to put all firefighters (and the totally innocent County Ambulance District) under his control. So he wished for an independent commission of citizens to study the consolidation of the fire districts under a countywide umbrella.
Poof! The genie granted Dan his wish. The County Executive appointed an eight member panel to study the idea of merging all of the fire districts in the County. Dan knew it would be only a matter of time and they would endorse his idea.
But like most magical wish stories, the wish maker always seems to fall short of phrasing his wish in just the right way to avoid getting the short end of the stick. In Dan’s case, the short end of the stick was also on fire.
In this case, the commission was chaired by a very capable and honest former public servant, John Hanneke. It’s members represented a cross-section of highly trained professionals and those with business sense.
For months, this dedicated group of individuals volunteered their time to study a very complex issue...one that affects the delivery of crucial public safety services. On the one hand they heard from Dan Foust and his personal genie. All they had to do was merge all the districts, put it under the control of the County and all their problems would be solved. Dan had already gone out and bought himself a fire chief’s hat.
But what the members of the commission were also hearing is that bigger doesn’t mean better. Do the City of St. Louis public schools do a better job than ours because they are a bigger district? How about that bang up job FEMA did?
What the commissioners learned is that response times vary widely in the County. From an average response time of around 3 minutes in the City of St. Charles to as much as 20 minutes in the far rural areas with mainly volunteer firefighters.
If you merged all of the districts there isn’t the promised “economy of scale” that merger proponents thinks there is. Few, if any, fire stations could be closed without significantly increasing response times in the more urban areas like the City of St. Charles. And, if you wanted to improve response times in other parts of the County, you have to build and staff more stations.
It is true that there would be a few less chiefs, but one chief couldn’t cover the entire County without a lot of “assistant” chiefs. And the savings from one or two management positions would be dwarfed by the increased number of paid professional firefighters and paramedics needed to make up for the volunteers still used in some districts.
Merger proponents would argue you could save the cost of expensive fire equipment. But we already have mutual aid between all districts where they help cover each other. Again, the apparatus that is needed in each fire department or district now, would still have to be located in those stations or areas to get to the fires and emergency situations. You can’t say we are only going to have one aerial ladder truck and this week it will be parked in Wentzville and we hope they don’t need it in St. Charles.
So the more the commission learned the less willing they were to endorse a radical plan. They voted 7 to 1 to disband, recommending that the professional Fire Chiefs were capable of working out any additional merger or mutual aid plans. Some mergers may make sense, where the districts are smaller and close together. Lake St. Louis and Wentzville may be prime candidates to start discussions. But there was never anything for the citizens of the City of St. Charles to gain. We already had the best service and don’t have to pay a separate fire district property tax.
Right now our Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes and six of our firefighters are in New Orleans. As of last week they had searched over 300 houses, checking for human remains. They were sloshing through water, if we can still call it that, three feet deep. The smell is excruciating I’m told. They are there as part of a national response plan of mutual aid in such dire emergencies. They all volunteered to go.
This week our firefighters were busy with a storm closer to home. One that took out many beautiful old trees and damaged some homes. In the 5th Ward I‘m told they responded to a home where a tree went through the roof. As the rain poured in, they helped carry the families furniture and possessions downstairs to keep them from further damage.
Not exactly the picture of union thugs we see painted by some.
Dan Foust was so angry that the commission members didn’t endorse his plan that he used up his second wish to have the genie put a curse on them. He’s ready to use his third wish to get the issue placed on the ballot anyway, without a plan. There’s nothing like poor planning when it comes to responding to emergencies. Just ask the residents of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
And be sure to put more politicians and newspaper columnists in charge. They know a lot more about public safety than people who have dedicated their entire lives to helping others, who train constantly, have degrees in the subject and rose through the ranks based on merit. God forbid we should give them any deference.
Maybe Chief Rhodes and his men will find a magic lamp of their own in the rubble of New Orleans and make a wish that their more vocal critics could slosh around in their boots for even one day.
To Merge All Fire Districts
There’s an old saying to be careful what you wish for. County Councilman Dan Foust found a magic lamp last year and after a considerable amount of rubbing was able to make a genie appear. The genie was a lot shorter than Dan, didn’t sound at all like Robin Williams or Barbara Eden, and said he wrote for the Post-Dispatch. Together, they were going to make Dan Foust’s fondest wish come true.
It seems Dan felt he had been pushed around on the political playground by some firefighters and now his singular desire was to put all firefighters (and the totally innocent County Ambulance District) under his control. So he wished for an independent commission of citizens to study the consolidation of the fire districts under a countywide umbrella.
Poof! The genie granted Dan his wish. The County Executive appointed an eight member panel to study the idea of merging all of the fire districts in the County. Dan knew it would be only a matter of time and they would endorse his idea.
But like most magical wish stories, the wish maker always seems to fall short of phrasing his wish in just the right way to avoid getting the short end of the stick. In Dan’s case, the short end of the stick was also on fire.
In this case, the commission was chaired by a very capable and honest former public servant, John Hanneke. It’s members represented a cross-section of highly trained professionals and those with business sense.
For months, this dedicated group of individuals volunteered their time to study a very complex issue...one that affects the delivery of crucial public safety services. On the one hand they heard from Dan Foust and his personal genie. All they had to do was merge all the districts, put it under the control of the County and all their problems would be solved. Dan had already gone out and bought himself a fire chief’s hat.
But what the members of the commission were also hearing is that bigger doesn’t mean better. Do the City of St. Louis public schools do a better job than ours because they are a bigger district? How about that bang up job FEMA did?
What the commissioners learned is that response times vary widely in the County. From an average response time of around 3 minutes in the City of St. Charles to as much as 20 minutes in the far rural areas with mainly volunteer firefighters.
If you merged all of the districts there isn’t the promised “economy of scale” that merger proponents thinks there is. Few, if any, fire stations could be closed without significantly increasing response times in the more urban areas like the City of St. Charles. And, if you wanted to improve response times in other parts of the County, you have to build and staff more stations.
It is true that there would be a few less chiefs, but one chief couldn’t cover the entire County without a lot of “assistant” chiefs. And the savings from one or two management positions would be dwarfed by the increased number of paid professional firefighters and paramedics needed to make up for the volunteers still used in some districts.
Merger proponents would argue you could save the cost of expensive fire equipment. But we already have mutual aid between all districts where they help cover each other. Again, the apparatus that is needed in each fire department or district now, would still have to be located in those stations or areas to get to the fires and emergency situations. You can’t say we are only going to have one aerial ladder truck and this week it will be parked in Wentzville and we hope they don’t need it in St. Charles.
So the more the commission learned the less willing they were to endorse a radical plan. They voted 7 to 1 to disband, recommending that the professional Fire Chiefs were capable of working out any additional merger or mutual aid plans. Some mergers may make sense, where the districts are smaller and close together. Lake St. Louis and Wentzville may be prime candidates to start discussions. But there was never anything for the citizens of the City of St. Charles to gain. We already had the best service and don’t have to pay a separate fire district property tax.
Right now our Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes and six of our firefighters are in New Orleans. As of last week they had searched over 300 houses, checking for human remains. They were sloshing through water, if we can still call it that, three feet deep. The smell is excruciating I’m told. They are there as part of a national response plan of mutual aid in such dire emergencies. They all volunteered to go.
This week our firefighters were busy with a storm closer to home. One that took out many beautiful old trees and damaged some homes. In the 5th Ward I‘m told they responded to a home where a tree went through the roof. As the rain poured in, they helped carry the families furniture and possessions downstairs to keep them from further damage.
Not exactly the picture of union thugs we see painted by some.
Dan Foust was so angry that the commission members didn’t endorse his plan that he used up his second wish to have the genie put a curse on them. He’s ready to use his third wish to get the issue placed on the ballot anyway, without a plan. There’s nothing like poor planning when it comes to responding to emergencies. Just ask the residents of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
And be sure to put more politicians and newspaper columnists in charge. They know a lot more about public safety than people who have dedicated their entire lives to helping others, who train constantly, have degrees in the subject and rose through the ranks based on merit. God forbid we should give them any deference.
Maybe Chief Rhodes and his men will find a magic lamp of their own in the rubble of New Orleans and make a wish that their more vocal critics could slosh around in their boots for even one day.
GUEST EDITORIAL FROM A READER
Dear reader,
Courage! What is it? Who has it? Who doesn’t have it? Do you have it?
Webster defines courage as: “The mental or moral strength enabling one to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty firmly and resolutely. It is that confidence that encourages and sustains.” Mark twain says courage is “Resistance to fear, mastery of fear –not absence of fear”. Being courageous does not mean you are not afraid. It means you do not let your fear impede or prevent your worthwhile actions. You act in spite of fear. Shakespeare says: “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once”. But true courage is not foolhardy or reckless; for it has also been said “Discretion is the better part of valor”. The soldier on the battlefield who appears to recklessly risk his all to save his fellows is not reckless. In this case, that being risked and that being saved are both of infinite value. The courage I exhort you to muster today need not go to such extremes. Far less is required.
Good citizenship requires courage. If you think you don’t have that kind of courage, look to others who do. Courage is contagious. It shines like a beacon to others. It sets an example. It stimulates others to be likewise. Longfellow in his inspiring poem, A Psalm of Life, says: In the world’s broad field of battle, in the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife! Set an example. Be a participant. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Your team will surely lose if you do.
Who does have this kind of courage? The publisher of this paper definitely has courage. It is not easy to go against the “establishment”. Agitation for change (or at times against change) has always been a difficult struggle requiring a great deal of courage, facing strong opposition. The editor of this paper demonstrates courage. The people who present their views in this paper have courage. People who step out front to right wrongs have courage. Controversial actions and opinions often provoke reprisals, and reprisals there have been in our town.
This brings us to the question of who does not have courage. Those who respond to other’s views, opinions, and actions to which they are opposed by means of unidentified threatening e-mails and letters do not possess courage. Their actions are tantamount to fighting a duel while hiding behind a tree or shooting a man in the back. This type of action is cowardly. The opposition has complained that some columnists in the First Capitol News do not use their real names. But, these writers’ names are known to the newspaper so they cannot be considered anonymous or unidentified. They have identified themselves sufficiently that they can be responded to. There are times when public figures cannot speak as private citizens and at the same time reveal their identities without confusing their personal role and their public role in the mind of the public.
Do you have this kind of courage? The courage to speak out on what you want or on what you believe? The courage to step out and take action or in a group? If you don’t have the
Courage of your convictions” do you really have any convictions? Edmund Burke said two hundred and thirty years ago; “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”? Are you doing nothing? Are you letting the opposition do all the doing and the taking? If so, you deserve what you will get. If you are happy with the status quo this letter isn’t for you. However, since you are reading this I know you not only read the First Capitol News but also the Reader’s Opinion section. If you support the mission of this paper and share at least some of the views expressed within its pages then give me your attention.
I don’t see how anyone can read the First Capitol News and remain neutral. I would think some of the things presented here would make your blood boil. I suspect they provoke the same emotions in the hearts of the opposition but in a different way. Citizenship is not a spectator sport. It requires participation. Your participation. Citizenship can be a pretty rough game at times. You may sustain occasional injuries. That is where courage comes into the picture.
Do you vote? That is a starting point. Do you vote intelligently? By voting intelligently I do not mean do you vote for the candidates I vote for. I mean, have you gone to the trouble to find out who you are really voting for and why? Are you familiar with the issues, or are you seeing an issue for the first time when you walk into the voting booth? An ignorant voter is more damaging to democracy than a non-voter. This is true no matter what your political or civic preference may be.
Have you ever attended a public meeting on civic issues? Have you had the nerve to speak out at such a meeting? Have you ever written a letter to a newspaper? Have you ever distributed literature (not hate mail) in support of your candidate? Have you ever called or written your elected officials? Have you ever watched the City Council meeting on cable channel 20? Have you ever attended a City Council meeting? Do you even know what ward you are in or who your Councilperson is? You elected them and are paying them to represent your interest in the conduct of our City government. They can do a much better job if they know how you would like them to perform. Politics is preference. Make your preferences known. Have you ever signed a petition? Have you ever initiated or joined a group to initiate a petition? This is grass roots democracy. This is how it works. We can only have government of and by the people if the people participate.
A list of local elected official’s names, addresses and telephone numbers, a ward map, and a copy of the City Charter may be had at the City Clerk’s window for the asking. Go to City Hall at 200 North Second, go to the fourth floor, walk all around to the other side and you will see a window prominently marked City Clerk.
Remember, all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. For a starter, muster up some courage, an envelope and stamp, a pen, typewriter, or computer and give public expression to your thoughts right here in this column. You’re not a writer? Sure you are, just write like you speak. You have never done it before? Be of courage, it is much easier the second time. Let’s hear from you. Join our fight; help us take back our city.
Glen Dashner
Courage! What is it? Who has it? Who doesn’t have it? Do you have it?
Webster defines courage as: “The mental or moral strength enabling one to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty firmly and resolutely. It is that confidence that encourages and sustains.” Mark twain says courage is “Resistance to fear, mastery of fear –not absence of fear”. Being courageous does not mean you are not afraid. It means you do not let your fear impede or prevent your worthwhile actions. You act in spite of fear. Shakespeare says: “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once”. But true courage is not foolhardy or reckless; for it has also been said “Discretion is the better part of valor”. The soldier on the battlefield who appears to recklessly risk his all to save his fellows is not reckless. In this case, that being risked and that being saved are both of infinite value. The courage I exhort you to muster today need not go to such extremes. Far less is required.
Good citizenship requires courage. If you think you don’t have that kind of courage, look to others who do. Courage is contagious. It shines like a beacon to others. It sets an example. It stimulates others to be likewise. Longfellow in his inspiring poem, A Psalm of Life, says: In the world’s broad field of battle, in the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife! Set an example. Be a participant. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Your team will surely lose if you do.
Who does have this kind of courage? The publisher of this paper definitely has courage. It is not easy to go against the “establishment”. Agitation for change (or at times against change) has always been a difficult struggle requiring a great deal of courage, facing strong opposition. The editor of this paper demonstrates courage. The people who present their views in this paper have courage. People who step out front to right wrongs have courage. Controversial actions and opinions often provoke reprisals, and reprisals there have been in our town.
This brings us to the question of who does not have courage. Those who respond to other’s views, opinions, and actions to which they are opposed by means of unidentified threatening e-mails and letters do not possess courage. Their actions are tantamount to fighting a duel while hiding behind a tree or shooting a man in the back. This type of action is cowardly. The opposition has complained that some columnists in the First Capitol News do not use their real names. But, these writers’ names are known to the newspaper so they cannot be considered anonymous or unidentified. They have identified themselves sufficiently that they can be responded to. There are times when public figures cannot speak as private citizens and at the same time reveal their identities without confusing their personal role and their public role in the mind of the public.
Do you have this kind of courage? The courage to speak out on what you want or on what you believe? The courage to step out and take action or in a group? If you don’t have the
Courage of your convictions” do you really have any convictions? Edmund Burke said two hundred and thirty years ago; “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”? Are you doing nothing? Are you letting the opposition do all the doing and the taking? If so, you deserve what you will get. If you are happy with the status quo this letter isn’t for you. However, since you are reading this I know you not only read the First Capitol News but also the Reader’s Opinion section. If you support the mission of this paper and share at least some of the views expressed within its pages then give me your attention.
I don’t see how anyone can read the First Capitol News and remain neutral. I would think some of the things presented here would make your blood boil. I suspect they provoke the same emotions in the hearts of the opposition but in a different way. Citizenship is not a spectator sport. It requires participation. Your participation. Citizenship can be a pretty rough game at times. You may sustain occasional injuries. That is where courage comes into the picture.
Do you vote? That is a starting point. Do you vote intelligently? By voting intelligently I do not mean do you vote for the candidates I vote for. I mean, have you gone to the trouble to find out who you are really voting for and why? Are you familiar with the issues, or are you seeing an issue for the first time when you walk into the voting booth? An ignorant voter is more damaging to democracy than a non-voter. This is true no matter what your political or civic preference may be.
Have you ever attended a public meeting on civic issues? Have you had the nerve to speak out at such a meeting? Have you ever written a letter to a newspaper? Have you ever distributed literature (not hate mail) in support of your candidate? Have you ever called or written your elected officials? Have you ever watched the City Council meeting on cable channel 20? Have you ever attended a City Council meeting? Do you even know what ward you are in or who your Councilperson is? You elected them and are paying them to represent your interest in the conduct of our City government. They can do a much better job if they know how you would like them to perform. Politics is preference. Make your preferences known. Have you ever signed a petition? Have you ever initiated or joined a group to initiate a petition? This is grass roots democracy. This is how it works. We can only have government of and by the people if the people participate.
A list of local elected official’s names, addresses and telephone numbers, a ward map, and a copy of the City Charter may be had at the City Clerk’s window for the asking. Go to City Hall at 200 North Second, go to the fourth floor, walk all around to the other side and you will see a window prominently marked City Clerk.
Remember, all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. For a starter, muster up some courage, an envelope and stamp, a pen, typewriter, or computer and give public expression to your thoughts right here in this column. You’re not a writer? Sure you are, just write like you speak. You have never done it before? Be of courage, it is much easier the second time. Let’s hear from you. Join our fight; help us take back our city.
Glen Dashner
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
To FCN:
I read the First Capitol News faithfully each week from front to back. I just would like to know why I have to read the continuation of sports stories before I get to the sports headline. It seems to me the sports could start on the 13th or 14th page and then continue on the following pages just like all of the other stories you write about!!!!!! Is there any way this could be corrected?????
Loyal Reader:
Richard W. Funderburg
Editor’s response
Thank you for your suggestion. Our sports editor requested the placement so there would be a ‘front page’ for the sports section. It is done this way in the New York Times, New York Posts and several other major newspapers. We have considered changing it but have not yet made a decision. Your suggestion will be given consideration and we appreciate your comments.
Managing Editor
First Capitol News
Mike McMurran Sports Editor
Thanks for the football roundup score and article on St. Charles High School game. My grandson (Robert Brown) played for SCHS until he graduated in 2004. He is in the marines now and I send him newspaper clippings of SCHS, college, and pro games every week. The Post Dispatch and St. Charles Journal have ignored SCHS once again so hope you continue reporting SCHS scores & stats. Thanks again for a job well done.
Robert’s grandmother
Nancy Morton
Editor FCN
I know that St Peters project is out of your St.Charles. But I live very near to it and it will affect me.
For the last couple of weeks, just northwest of the Truman road railroad overpass, several large earthmovers have been digging. I think someone is laying sewer pipe and raising this plot for a pad for building construction. This started way before the levee permit was issued.
People lose sight of the fact that not only is Lakeside in the Mississippi flood plain at a narrow bend, but this area is between two major creeks
Lakeside traffic, coupled with the New Town will produce gridlock on I 370 and Spencer.
Anonymously T
Dear Editor,
After watching the news on TV about the City of New orleans being ravished and nearly destroyed by flooding, I could not help but compare it to St. Charles. The ill-fated winds of corruption blowing in trying to destroy everything in their paths. Floods of money trying to over-whelm the chosen few and pulling the muck over the eyes of taxpayers with their head in the sand and not seeing.
Let’s not over-look the looting going on in both cities, by the corrupt and greedy politicians and some elected officials.
One might say we can not compare the two types of looters. I say we can. New Orleans looting is being done by some low-life elements who prey and steal and don’t care about the law. In St. Charles we have the looters who hide behind phony organization names and use positions and money to loot from the tax payers.
At least the New Orleans looters are fairly open about what they do. But here in St. Charles they hide behind their Puppet Politicians and money.
Tale of two Cities?
PJ
I read the First Capitol News faithfully each week from front to back. I just would like to know why I have to read the continuation of sports stories before I get to the sports headline. It seems to me the sports could start on the 13th or 14th page and then continue on the following pages just like all of the other stories you write about!!!!!! Is there any way this could be corrected?????
Loyal Reader:
Richard W. Funderburg
Editor’s response
Thank you for your suggestion. Our sports editor requested the placement so there would be a ‘front page’ for the sports section. It is done this way in the New York Times, New York Posts and several other major newspapers. We have considered changing it but have not yet made a decision. Your suggestion will be given consideration and we appreciate your comments.
Managing Editor
First Capitol News
Mike McMurran Sports Editor
Thanks for the football roundup score and article on St. Charles High School game. My grandson (Robert Brown) played for SCHS until he graduated in 2004. He is in the marines now and I send him newspaper clippings of SCHS, college, and pro games every week. The Post Dispatch and St. Charles Journal have ignored SCHS once again so hope you continue reporting SCHS scores & stats. Thanks again for a job well done.
Robert’s grandmother
Nancy Morton
Editor FCN
I know that St Peters project is out of your St.Charles. But I live very near to it and it will affect me.
For the last couple of weeks, just northwest of the Truman road railroad overpass, several large earthmovers have been digging. I think someone is laying sewer pipe and raising this plot for a pad for building construction. This started way before the levee permit was issued.
People lose sight of the fact that not only is Lakeside in the Mississippi flood plain at a narrow bend, but this area is between two major creeks
Lakeside traffic, coupled with the New Town will produce gridlock on I 370 and Spencer.
Anonymously T
Dear Editor,
After watching the news on TV about the City of New orleans being ravished and nearly destroyed by flooding, I could not help but compare it to St. Charles. The ill-fated winds of corruption blowing in trying to destroy everything in their paths. Floods of money trying to over-whelm the chosen few and pulling the muck over the eyes of taxpayers with their head in the sand and not seeing.
Let’s not over-look the looting going on in both cities, by the corrupt and greedy politicians and some elected officials.
One might say we can not compare the two types of looters. I say we can. New Orleans looting is being done by some low-life elements who prey and steal and don’t care about the law. In St. Charles we have the looters who hide behind phony organization names and use positions and money to loot from the tax payers.
At least the New Orleans looters are fairly open about what they do. But here in St. Charles they hide behind their Puppet Politicians and money.
Tale of two Cities?
PJ
CASE IN POINT - Joe Koester, Councilman Ward 9
“Scheinheilig” is a great word in German that translates to, “hypocrite” but, take the word apart and you have, “scheinen” meaning, “to appear” and “heilig” meaning, “holy.” A hypocrite is a “Scheinheiliger” or loosely translated, a “holy-looker.” If you need to locate a load of these “holy-lookers” in a hurry, then look no farther than, The City of Jefferson!
These so-called, pro-life Republicans, after seizing control of all branches of Missouri’s State government, hastily cut services from the mental health community, made certain that our schools remained 40-somethingth in the nation and cut the funding from the elderly and the poorest among us for medical treatment. Pro-life indeed!
Now, after three years of threatening legislation to hamper stem-cell research that resulted in the Stowers Institute rethinking the expansion of its research facilities in Missouri, Illinois’ Governor Blagojevich has expressed to these research firms that he welcomes them with open arms and $10 Million dollars into his state.
Quickly, Governor Matt Blunt reassured our research institutes that he supports stem cell research! He supports Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer! He will veto his own Party’s attempts to outlaw the same!
Dear Matt - turn and smile for the camera and LOOK HOLY!
On another note, the national media has done a dismal job reporting calls for election reform. In the 2000 election, in an about face, the Supreme Court decided that States’ Rights, (that they had clung to so faithfully), always applies except when it comes to selecting Presidents.
In 2000 we had Florida and Tennessee, in 2004 we had Ohio and New Mexico! To keep it simple though, just look at Florida and Ohio. Think back to 2000 and all those chad...boy, what a mess! I bet you didn’t hear about Volusia County and their little touchscreen voting problem, did you? That was the place where Al Gore’s numbers ran backwards and in precinct 216 the machine’s count was (negative) -16,022 for Gore! There were no paper ballots that could be audited!
The company responsible for the machines that can count backwards is the Ohio-based, Republican-backing firm of Diebold. Their defense was to blame this on a faulty memory chip! For more on Florida’s 2000 election, pick up “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.”
After 2000 and the damage it did to many American’s faith in the election process our nation quickly decided to change all that and install touchscreen, paperless voting machines all over the place! Now, to be fair, it’s not just Diebold who has been making money and giving money to the GOP, ES&S out of Nebraska actually led in both touchless voting machine manufacturing and GOP contributions! The entire time since 2000 many in our country have been warning and warning that these machines are easily hacked into and if for no other reason than this, we need a system that can be audited! This makes sense, right? Bills were introduced in Ohio and Washington to mandate such machines and in both cases Republicans objected!
November 2004 rolled around and with it came another dubious election. This time, as had been forewarned, Ohio’s results were questionable and attempts to challenge the system were quashed with the help of Secretary of State, J. Kenneth Blackwell. So, surely the voice of reason won out and we can now audit the results because such protections were put into place, right? Think again! Diebold has even gone to court to prevent such audits in order to protect so-called trade secrets. Doesn’t the public good come before trade secrets?
There is/was an answer to this dilemma by the name of Truvote. A Mr. Athan Gibbs, an accountant concerned with the 2000 election, had brought forward a voting machine that was touch screen, however, after you had made you choices the ballot slid under Plexiglas for you to confirm. Upon confirmation, the ballot was cast and a numbered receipt was printed out for the voter to take home and later check to make certain his or her ballot had been counted!
Truvote’s creator was killed in a car wreck which brought his efforts for elections that can be audited to a halt.
If you’d like more information on fair elections, you can visit: www.blackboxvoting.ORG (there is also a “.com” version that you can take a look at too).
Clean, fair elections is of the utmost importance to both Republicans and Democrats alike! Nothing less than our Democracy is at stake!
These so-called, pro-life Republicans, after seizing control of all branches of Missouri’s State government, hastily cut services from the mental health community, made certain that our schools remained 40-somethingth in the nation and cut the funding from the elderly and the poorest among us for medical treatment. Pro-life indeed!
Now, after three years of threatening legislation to hamper stem-cell research that resulted in the Stowers Institute rethinking the expansion of its research facilities in Missouri, Illinois’ Governor Blagojevich has expressed to these research firms that he welcomes them with open arms and $10 Million dollars into his state.
Quickly, Governor Matt Blunt reassured our research institutes that he supports stem cell research! He supports Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer! He will veto his own Party’s attempts to outlaw the same!
Dear Matt - turn and smile for the camera and LOOK HOLY!
On another note, the national media has done a dismal job reporting calls for election reform. In the 2000 election, in an about face, the Supreme Court decided that States’ Rights, (that they had clung to so faithfully), always applies except when it comes to selecting Presidents.
In 2000 we had Florida and Tennessee, in 2004 we had Ohio and New Mexico! To keep it simple though, just look at Florida and Ohio. Think back to 2000 and all those chad...boy, what a mess! I bet you didn’t hear about Volusia County and their little touchscreen voting problem, did you? That was the place where Al Gore’s numbers ran backwards and in precinct 216 the machine’s count was (negative) -16,022 for Gore! There were no paper ballots that could be audited!
The company responsible for the machines that can count backwards is the Ohio-based, Republican-backing firm of Diebold. Their defense was to blame this on a faulty memory chip! For more on Florida’s 2000 election, pick up “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.”
After 2000 and the damage it did to many American’s faith in the election process our nation quickly decided to change all that and install touchscreen, paperless voting machines all over the place! Now, to be fair, it’s not just Diebold who has been making money and giving money to the GOP, ES&S out of Nebraska actually led in both touchless voting machine manufacturing and GOP contributions! The entire time since 2000 many in our country have been warning and warning that these machines are easily hacked into and if for no other reason than this, we need a system that can be audited! This makes sense, right? Bills were introduced in Ohio and Washington to mandate such machines and in both cases Republicans objected!
November 2004 rolled around and with it came another dubious election. This time, as had been forewarned, Ohio’s results were questionable and attempts to challenge the system were quashed with the help of Secretary of State, J. Kenneth Blackwell. So, surely the voice of reason won out and we can now audit the results because such protections were put into place, right? Think again! Diebold has even gone to court to prevent such audits in order to protect so-called trade secrets. Doesn’t the public good come before trade secrets?
There is/was an answer to this dilemma by the name of Truvote. A Mr. Athan Gibbs, an accountant concerned with the 2000 election, had brought forward a voting machine that was touch screen, however, after you had made you choices the ballot slid under Plexiglas for you to confirm. Upon confirmation, the ballot was cast and a numbered receipt was printed out for the voter to take home and later check to make certain his or her ballot had been counted!
Truvote’s creator was killed in a car wreck which brought his efforts for elections that can be audited to a halt.
If you’d like more information on fair elections, you can visit: www.blackboxvoting.ORG (there is also a “.com” version that you can take a look at too).
Clean, fair elections is of the utmost importance to both Republicans and Democrats alike! Nothing less than our Democracy is at stake!
THE CONSERVATIVE FACTOR - Alex Spencer
In this country, we talk about our democracy as a system where everyone has an equal voice in our government. In truth, we live in a republic. And our founding fathers created that republic on principles borrowed from the ancient Roman republic.
For about two hundred years, the Roman republic successfully balanced the interests of the plebeians (commoners) and the patricians (nobles). The trick they employed: give the common masses enough of a voice in government that they remain happy enough not to revolt, while giving the wealthy, land-owning aristocracy a significantly larger say than the poor so that they are happy enough not to use their inherited wealth to overthrow the government.
Now, despite all our talk about “one-man, one vote,” our Republic works the same way. But in America, the only nobility is in being rich. It doesn’t really matter whether you inherited your money, earned it, or lucked into it. Money is king.
On Election day, everyone gets a vote equal to that of the richest citizen. But leading up to the big day, we have a campaign finance system where only the well off participate. And they get a voice in proportion to their ability to give. The two systems taken together create a certain balance. Everyone gets a vote—the rich just get to buy a bigger, better vote.
For example, Adolphus Busch IV inherited a great name and a bunch of money from his beer brewing ancestors. He also inherited a large chunk of land here in St. Charles. Adolphus isn’t from the part of the Busch family that goes to the brewery everyday to run the business. Instead, he has spent his life hunting game birds on his family’s estates and traveling the world with a string of polo ponies trying to win a game that most of us commoners have never even seen played.
So if you are looking for someone in St. Charles County who qualifies as part of the aristocracy, Adolphus tops the list. For a long time, Adolphus was too busy enjoying the fortunes derived from “picking” wealthy parents to interfere with St. Charles government. But recently, he became upset by St. Peters’ proposed development of 1,600 acres north of the City.
In his mind, the development was kind of close to his ancestral hunting grounds. The development would bring lights. And lights might chase off the ducks. This would interfere with his favorite past time—shooting ducks out on his 2000+ acre estate. Therefore, the development needed to be stopped.
So Adolphus demanded a meeting with St. Peters Mayor, Tom Brown, and told him that he better stop the City’s plans to build on the 1,600 acres. Mayor Brown refused to stop it. The Mayor pointed out that the citizens of St. Peters had already passed a bond issue for the project with about two-thirds of the voters’ support. He pointed out that the City had spent almost $12 million of the bond money in buying the land and preparing the site. He pointed out that it was too late to stop the development. The regular people had already spoken. Election day had already occurred. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
So Adolphus found a young man named Shawn Brown, who had filed against Mayor Tom Brown, but had been removed from the ballot because he had not paid his taxes. Adolphus paid lawyers to sue the City on that young man’s behalf to get Shawn back on the ballot.
Then Adolphus got all his rich, St. Louis, duck-hunting buddies together and formed a PAC. He called it G.R.H.A. (which might as well stand for Greedy Rich-kids Hunting Alliance). They paid media consultants and political campaign people to run Shawn’s campaign against Mayor Tom Brown. This paid army of pollsters and media experts attacked Mayor Brown for trying to sneak through a big pay increase for himself. The voters on Election day didn’t like the pay increase. So they replaced him with Shawn Brown without noticing that Adolphus had just bought himself a mayor—a mayor who promised to stop the development.
But Adolphus didn’t understand that it wasn’t really Tom Brown who told him “no.” Tom was just speaking for all those “commoners” who voted in favor of the project.
Adolphus also didn’t understand that a mayor couldn’t stop the project without the Board of Aldermen. And Adolphus hadn’t bought any new Aldermen. So he was surprised when the Aldermen, who remembered the prior public vote, told Adolphus that it was too late to stop the development. The regular people had already spoken. Election day had already occurred. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
So Adolphus tried to get the Corp of Engineers to not issue a permit for the City to build the project. He demanded meetings with Senators Bond and Talent to get them to threaten the Corp’s funding if the Corp issued the permit. The Senators ignored him because they knew that it was too late to stop the development. The regular people had already spoken. Election day had already occurred. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
But Adolphus knew that the Corp couldn’t issue the permit if the State of Missouri didn’t send a letter saying it was o.k. to issue the permit. So Adolphus demanded a meeting with Governor Blunt to try and get him to stop the letter, which would stop the permit, which would stop the project. But the Governor ignored Adolphus and let the letter be issued because he knew that it was too late to stop the development. The regular people had already spoken. Election day had already occurred. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
So the City has a permit. The earth is being turned. The rich may have a bigger voter in this republic, but sometimes it doesn’t matter how much money you have. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
Long live the Republic.
For about two hundred years, the Roman republic successfully balanced the interests of the plebeians (commoners) and the patricians (nobles). The trick they employed: give the common masses enough of a voice in government that they remain happy enough not to revolt, while giving the wealthy, land-owning aristocracy a significantly larger say than the poor so that they are happy enough not to use their inherited wealth to overthrow the government.
Now, despite all our talk about “one-man, one vote,” our Republic works the same way. But in America, the only nobility is in being rich. It doesn’t really matter whether you inherited your money, earned it, or lucked into it. Money is king.
On Election day, everyone gets a vote equal to that of the richest citizen. But leading up to the big day, we have a campaign finance system where only the well off participate. And they get a voice in proportion to their ability to give. The two systems taken together create a certain balance. Everyone gets a vote—the rich just get to buy a bigger, better vote.
For example, Adolphus Busch IV inherited a great name and a bunch of money from his beer brewing ancestors. He also inherited a large chunk of land here in St. Charles. Adolphus isn’t from the part of the Busch family that goes to the brewery everyday to run the business. Instead, he has spent his life hunting game birds on his family’s estates and traveling the world with a string of polo ponies trying to win a game that most of us commoners have never even seen played.
So if you are looking for someone in St. Charles County who qualifies as part of the aristocracy, Adolphus tops the list. For a long time, Adolphus was too busy enjoying the fortunes derived from “picking” wealthy parents to interfere with St. Charles government. But recently, he became upset by St. Peters’ proposed development of 1,600 acres north of the City.
In his mind, the development was kind of close to his ancestral hunting grounds. The development would bring lights. And lights might chase off the ducks. This would interfere with his favorite past time—shooting ducks out on his 2000+ acre estate. Therefore, the development needed to be stopped.
So Adolphus demanded a meeting with St. Peters Mayor, Tom Brown, and told him that he better stop the City’s plans to build on the 1,600 acres. Mayor Brown refused to stop it. The Mayor pointed out that the citizens of St. Peters had already passed a bond issue for the project with about two-thirds of the voters’ support. He pointed out that the City had spent almost $12 million of the bond money in buying the land and preparing the site. He pointed out that it was too late to stop the development. The regular people had already spoken. Election day had already occurred. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
So Adolphus found a young man named Shawn Brown, who had filed against Mayor Tom Brown, but had been removed from the ballot because he had not paid his taxes. Adolphus paid lawyers to sue the City on that young man’s behalf to get Shawn back on the ballot.
Then Adolphus got all his rich, St. Louis, duck-hunting buddies together and formed a PAC. He called it G.R.H.A. (which might as well stand for Greedy Rich-kids Hunting Alliance). They paid media consultants and political campaign people to run Shawn’s campaign against Mayor Tom Brown. This paid army of pollsters and media experts attacked Mayor Brown for trying to sneak through a big pay increase for himself. The voters on Election day didn’t like the pay increase. So they replaced him with Shawn Brown without noticing that Adolphus had just bought himself a mayor—a mayor who promised to stop the development.
But Adolphus didn’t understand that it wasn’t really Tom Brown who told him “no.” Tom was just speaking for all those “commoners” who voted in favor of the project.
Adolphus also didn’t understand that a mayor couldn’t stop the project without the Board of Aldermen. And Adolphus hadn’t bought any new Aldermen. So he was surprised when the Aldermen, who remembered the prior public vote, told Adolphus that it was too late to stop the development. The regular people had already spoken. Election day had already occurred. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
So Adolphus tried to get the Corp of Engineers to not issue a permit for the City to build the project. He demanded meetings with Senators Bond and Talent to get them to threaten the Corp’s funding if the Corp issued the permit. The Senators ignored him because they knew that it was too late to stop the development. The regular people had already spoken. Election day had already occurred. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
But Adolphus knew that the Corp couldn’t issue the permit if the State of Missouri didn’t send a letter saying it was o.k. to issue the permit. So Adolphus demanded a meeting with Governor Blunt to try and get him to stop the letter, which would stop the permit, which would stop the project. But the Governor ignored Adolphus and let the letter be issued because he knew that it was too late to stop the development. The regular people had already spoken. Election day had already occurred. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
So the City has a permit. The earth is being turned. The rich may have a bigger voter in this republic, but sometimes it doesn’t matter how much money you have. Sorry Adolphus, you lose.
Long live the Republic.
CITY ISSUES by The City Watchman
CITY ISSUES
By The City Watchman
Every person has one thing in common. One particular item that is more valuable than any amount of money can buy. This item is larger than a thousand-caret diamond. Each angle cut on that diamond represents one decision we have made during our lifetime, which is the reason for it being so valuable. What is it? Well it is simply the signature of our name. I’m sure every one of us have been told the old adage, buyer beware. Well think about it, each time you place your signature on something you are in effect selling your name because you are either increasing it’s value or you are placing that diamond in danger (good decisions make valuable cuts, bad decisions make bad cuts). A Lapidary friend of my confided in me that a diamonds value is determined not only by size but also by the angle cut. Every jeweler will tell you the value is depended upon the angle cut which reflects light beams to give it that sparkle. After all your name represents your character, your integrity, your word and all the material things you own. I say all this to inform everyone of a situation I encountered last Saturday. I was working outside doing maintenance around the house and stopped to talk to a neighbor. She informed me that last Thursday a young lady around forty rang her doorbell and made the following statement:
“I am soliciting signatures to place Dottie Greer for re-election on the board.”
Knowing Dottie Greer personally I informed my neighbor that this was an outright untruth. I want to warn folks to read before signing your signature. Do you remember when the lady got up and spoke about the petition she signed and circulated concerning the St Charles Golf course redevelopment? She stated she was told the petition would keep the golf course but in reality what the petition stated meant something entirely different, as she found out after the fact. Again I reiterate, read carefully before giving away your diamond or any part of it.
At the September 19th Council meeting an amendment was proposed to Rule 13 Relative to Cancellation of Council Committee Meetings. The Amendment change adds the following - “ …Council Committee meetings shall only be cancelled upon approval of both the Chairperson of the Committee and the President of the Council; or upon determination by the City Clerk that a quorum will not be present at the meeting.” A motion was made by Council Representative Brown and Seconded by Council Representative Dottie Greer to add the appointment of a Vice-Chairman to all-important Committees. The motion was unanimously approved and with that addition the exact verbiage of the rule change will be changed from that of above. This change will assist all of you folks who have planned to attend, or perhaps actually appeared at the designated time of a particular Committee Meeting (the Public Utilities Committee in particular) and find out at the last moment it has been cancelled. And it has been rescheduled for a different date and sometimes for a different starting time. When that date arrives sometimes you are told it has been cancelled.
An ordinance was approved for a contract with Nextel in the amount of approximately $51,581.00 for approximately 161 phones for use by various city staff. Will a request for copies of these individuals billings be made by responsible citizens? An item on the Consent Agenda for the minutes of the Street Committee was approved for a contract with “Cole & Associates to Perform Design of the Third and Tecumseh Roundabout Project”. Council Representative Dottie Greer asked clarification of the location of this roundabout in regards to the Archery Club building. Mr. Riddler stated that staff had informed him they have moved the location of the roundabout so as to save the Archery Club building.
Don’t know if anyone noticed but the City built a ramp for Councilman Bob Hoepfner to use to be able to sit at Councilman Larry Muench’s usual place but Mr. Hoepfner refused to sit next to Councilman Mark Brown. Where did he sit? Off the dais next to Attorney Mike Valenti and City Administrator Dr. Allan Williams. Now you the taxpayers are out the expense of building the ramp. I thought Battlin Bob was always for saving taxpayers money.
Think About It !
People
who are wrapped up in themselves
make small packages.
Benjamin Franklin
By The City Watchman
Every person has one thing in common. One particular item that is more valuable than any amount of money can buy. This item is larger than a thousand-caret diamond. Each angle cut on that diamond represents one decision we have made during our lifetime, which is the reason for it being so valuable. What is it? Well it is simply the signature of our name. I’m sure every one of us have been told the old adage, buyer beware. Well think about it, each time you place your signature on something you are in effect selling your name because you are either increasing it’s value or you are placing that diamond in danger (good decisions make valuable cuts, bad decisions make bad cuts). A Lapidary friend of my confided in me that a diamonds value is determined not only by size but also by the angle cut. Every jeweler will tell you the value is depended upon the angle cut which reflects light beams to give it that sparkle. After all your name represents your character, your integrity, your word and all the material things you own. I say all this to inform everyone of a situation I encountered last Saturday. I was working outside doing maintenance around the house and stopped to talk to a neighbor. She informed me that last Thursday a young lady around forty rang her doorbell and made the following statement:
“I am soliciting signatures to place Dottie Greer for re-election on the board.”
Knowing Dottie Greer personally I informed my neighbor that this was an outright untruth. I want to warn folks to read before signing your signature. Do you remember when the lady got up and spoke about the petition she signed and circulated concerning the St Charles Golf course redevelopment? She stated she was told the petition would keep the golf course but in reality what the petition stated meant something entirely different, as she found out after the fact. Again I reiterate, read carefully before giving away your diamond or any part of it.
At the September 19th Council meeting an amendment was proposed to Rule 13 Relative to Cancellation of Council Committee Meetings. The Amendment change adds the following - “ …Council Committee meetings shall only be cancelled upon approval of both the Chairperson of the Committee and the President of the Council; or upon determination by the City Clerk that a quorum will not be present at the meeting.” A motion was made by Council Representative Brown and Seconded by Council Representative Dottie Greer to add the appointment of a Vice-Chairman to all-important Committees. The motion was unanimously approved and with that addition the exact verbiage of the rule change will be changed from that of above. This change will assist all of you folks who have planned to attend, or perhaps actually appeared at the designated time of a particular Committee Meeting (the Public Utilities Committee in particular) and find out at the last moment it has been cancelled. And it has been rescheduled for a different date and sometimes for a different starting time. When that date arrives sometimes you are told it has been cancelled.
An ordinance was approved for a contract with Nextel in the amount of approximately $51,581.00 for approximately 161 phones for use by various city staff. Will a request for copies of these individuals billings be made by responsible citizens? An item on the Consent Agenda for the minutes of the Street Committee was approved for a contract with “Cole & Associates to Perform Design of the Third and Tecumseh Roundabout Project”. Council Representative Dottie Greer asked clarification of the location of this roundabout in regards to the Archery Club building. Mr. Riddler stated that staff had informed him they have moved the location of the roundabout so as to save the Archery Club building.
Don’t know if anyone noticed but the City built a ramp for Councilman Bob Hoepfner to use to be able to sit at Councilman Larry Muench’s usual place but Mr. Hoepfner refused to sit next to Councilman Mark Brown. Where did he sit? Off the dais next to Attorney Mike Valenti and City Administrator Dr. Allan Williams. Now you the taxpayers are out the expense of building the ramp. I thought Battlin Bob was always for saving taxpayers money.
Think About It !
People
who are wrapped up in themselves
make small packages.
Benjamin Franklin
FIRST CAPITOL NEWS SPORTS - Mike McMurran Editor
First Capitol News Photos by Bob Barton
MY COLUMN - Mike McMurran
Have I ever shared with you that from 1974-1976 I served on active duty with the United States Navy? Sure did! Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 was my outfit – the Fighting Seabees we were known as. July 4, 1976 we were stationed on a coral atoll, right smack in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Officially it was known as British Indian Ocean Territory – we knew it as Diego Garcia. “The Rock,” as we called it, was a classic example or the term paradox; easily the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets one could imagine, virgin, and I really mean virgin beaches, twenty-foot waves were common. Our main task was to expand the length of the runway to allow bigger aircraft to utilize it. (During the bombing of Iraq, Diego Garcia launched hundreds of sorties) We blasted the coral to make concrete, and it was common for hundreds to attend a blast. Not for the blast itself, rather to witness the scores of great white sharks that would appear soon after the blast.
On the flip side there was nowhere to go, and I mean nowhere. No television, VCR’s were not around yet, no grass, only crushed coral. One chow hall, which feed everyone. NO WOMEN. We slept in tin huts with no air conditioning (no heat was needed). Mail would arrive twice a week, usually at least two weeks old. Did I mention NO WOMEN? Clearly “it was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”
Anyway, a bunch of my shipmates have been planning a thirty-year reunion next July. It would be cost prohibitive to travel back to Diego Garcia, although some day I would love to do just that, so we decided to have our reunion at the site of our homeport – Gulfport, Mississippi.
Hurricane Katrina altered our plans. Those in charge of planning our reunion have informed us “ain’t no way Gulfport will be ready for anything next July.”
So it seems we will hold our reunion in conjunction with a national Seabee organization – in August, in Florida. Correct me if I am wrong, but is that not hurricane season?
My personal apologies to Eileen Toy of St. Patrick’s parish in Wentzville. This is my public apology, I called her personally to do so. It seems I was unaware of a rule in soccer that led my kindergarten to a romp over the St. Patrick squad. According to CYA rules, once a team has a 5-goal lead, all shots must come from outside the penalty area. Sounds like a great rule and I have no problem with it. My problem is how do I teach a bunch of five year-olds where the penalty area starts. In my own defense I did have my three most aggressive players sit out the final ten minutes of the game. Is it any wonder Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm is my favorite character. Much like him, no matter what I do, no matter how good the intention, it usually ends up politically incorrect, at best, and down right offensive – at worst.
And finally, it has been brought to my attention by a regular reader that even though St. Dominic is located outside the St. Charles City limits, a number of city residents attend school there. Therefore, starting next week we will list the schedule for St. Dominic.
RAGE STAY FOCUSED
By Mike Thompson
River City Rage co-owner Scott Wilson said it best. In front of the television cameras of News channel 20 this past Tuesday afternoon, during the Rage monthly TV wrap-up with anchor Randy Gardner, he sighed and told our audience “I didn’t think the off-season would be as hard pressed as it’s been. It’s every bit as intense and focused as when the team was playing out it’s schedule, only now the concentrated efforts are on all the things that will make 2006 an even better year than our first. But we are up to the challenge, because when Tye and I took over the team, we told everyone on board that if we were going to make a go of this, it would have to be done with professionalism and no shortage of hard work.”
Let the off-season fun and games begin! But, truth be told, The Rage has keep the ball rolling in it’s direction since the day after the disappointing playoff loss to the Cincinnati Marshals back in July. That game, you’ll remember, was the first of what we hoped, at the time, would be three straight weekends at Savvis Center in downtown St. Louis. The loss to the Marshal’s ended that dream, but the partnership of Rage football and Savvis Center was explored and examined and pursued by both parties. And now that association is a firm reality. After a summer’s worth of negotiation, sometime in the next week or two an official press conference will be held to announce the Savvis Center as the new home of the River City Rage of the NIFL.
So, we’re preparing for new digs, and everyone is busy. NIFL league meetings will get underway next week and Rage owners Scott Wilson and Tye Elliott are off to San Francisco for three days of meetings that will focus on expansion for the league in 2006, some new team division alignments, and the possibility of a national television contract. Wilson is excited about the Rage “nomination for the NIFL Executive Committee. This will afford our team a say in league voting, give us input on any major decisions, and it is a direct connection to the NFL in regards to our officials. It’s a huge step forward for this football team. Right now, it’s just a nomination, but the votes should swing in our favor and if they do, it highlights The Rage as one of the premier teams in the league.”
Hey, we’re all busy! Check out our team website at ragefootball.com and you’ll notice a new feature that focuses on area high school football. Each week Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt, myself, and at least one assistant coach sit down and thoroughly examine the reports of high school games played over the weekend. We agree on two players of the week and a team of the week, send e-mails to the coaches of those teams informing them of the honor, highlight the achievements on our website, and send out a River City Rage plaque engraved with the respective selections. We’ve just completed week number three and it’s on tap for the rest of the season, including playoffs. The response from the various coaches has been great, and it’s our way of letting area athletes and coaches know that we’re on top of their game as well.
Then, click on to the NIFL league website and see what Coach Wyatt calls “the new and innovative website that keeps us on the cutting edge.” And we’re proud to say, our Director of Operations Morris Groves is responsible for the entire new user friendly, updated info you’ll find. Morris is now the Webmaster for the entire league and has worked over the last month to take the league’s showcase over the top. Forthcoming features will include a Chat Line, an updated and interactive Fan Forum, audio and video clips and highlights and timely updates and news from all teams around the league. Wanna read how it all came about? See Morris’ profile on the front page of the NIFL website!
And Rage Dance Director Kathy Martinez has been working to take the Rage Cheerleading program to the next level for 2006. This past weekend at the St. Peters City Hall, tryouts were held for the newly formed Rage Mini-Squad, and 28 excited young ladies ages 7 to 11 were informed that they would be on the squad to perform at Savvis Center during Rage home games next season. I was there, my ears still ring from the shrieks and squeals and cheers that rang out when the news was announced. Twenty-eight girls showed up and all twenty-eight made the team. Everyone was happy! And there’s more on the way and again our website is the place to go for all the information. Tryouts for both a Rage Promotional team and cheerleader expansion are on tap in the very near future.
Hey, Scott’s right......it’s kind of like preparing for a wedding. You plan and organize and scheme and plan some more and it all leads up to the big day. It goes off as planned, then you sit back and breath deep and realize all that hard work and thought and organization was worth it. Well, for us, around here at Rage headquarters, it’s the planning stage right now, and I know we are all going to be in that mode for a long time. But come spring, new season, new home, new beginning, we’ll be able to take that deep breath, but hold it for only a while. Because I know someone will say, “Hey, now the hard work really begins.” Can’t wait!!
Kiwanis Golf Tournament To Benefit Boys & Girls Club
On Monday, October 10th, the St. Charles Kiwanis Club and Big A’s Sports Bar & Restaurant will hold their 12 Annual Fall Golf Tournament. The Golf Tournament will benefit the St. Charles Boys & Girls Club.
It will be held at the Warrenton Golf Course with a shotgun start at 11:00 am. The cost is $95 per person and the tournament will be a three-person scramble. The price also includes lunch, beverages on the course and dinner following.
Hole sponsorships are also available. You are eligible for an early entry contest if you send your registration in by October 5th. For registration forms Call Bob Davis at 636-946-6552, Tom Lloyd at 636-949-9900 or John Pallardy at 636-922-9090.
Matt McSparin:
Still A Fan to St. Charles and Hockey
After His Tenure with the River Otters
By Louis J. Launer
Many hockey fans remember Matt McSparin from his days as the General Manager of the Missouri River Otters. Some fans wish he was back. McSparin served as GM of the River Otters from 1999 to 2001 and was a United Hockey League executive of the year for the 2000-01 season.
McSparin, who now operates 62 Sports Group, a sports promotion business in Roxana, Illinois, said that the first few years with the River Otters was a combination of good times and bad times.
“My River Otters days were some of the toughest but also most rewarding days on my career,” McSparin said. “It was great fun on game night and meeting and getting to know people like [all of the loyal fans] is what I miss most.”
Under McSparin, the River Otters finished with winning records. He kept a great coach in Mark Reeds, who is now at Kalamazoo coaching the K-Wings.Plus the River Otters would finish just below or be eliminated by theeventual Colonial Cup champion - either the Quad City Mallards, Muskegon Fury or the Fort Wayne Komets. They were well-established teams who the River Otters played many tough games. Fans were happy with the first few seasons and were awaiting the River Otters to make the move to the next
level, beyond the first round of the playoffs. In the River Otters’ short playoff history, they have never advanced beyond the first tier of the Colonial Cup playoffs.
At the same time off the ice, the River Otters were having difficulty surviving as a franchise. United Sports Ventures, a company known for establishing new minor league franchises in new markets owned the Missouri River Otters franchise. They also owned the Quad City Mallards and the Rockford IceHogs. Today, all three teams are big rivals. Quad City remains the most successful of the three. Rockford had some problems early in their franchise history, dating back to 1999, when they were actually a transfer franchise from Thunder Bay, Ontario. But Missouri kept their head above water. McSparin believes to this day that there could have been some better decisions made with the business.
“United Sports Ventures had as much to do with the lack of financial success of the River Otters as the Arena did,” McSparin said. “But having a more favorable lease would have been the key to our early years as the revenue numbers were ample, the expenses is where our back was being broken.”
Family Arena has never recorded a sold-out River Otters game. The largest crowds have been close to 8,500. Family Arena holds 10,000. Usually those draws are because of a popular game, a popular promotion, or other sports events were not being held on that particular night. The attendance number of 8,500 only came once a season, especially if the team was in a serious playoff hunt. Although good attendance was needed to keep the team going, the River Otters were spending more on Family Arena rent, compared to the other franchises in the United Hockey League who also rent their arenas.
A new renegotiated lease was made with the River Otters franchise in 2002, after United Sports Ventures sold the franchise to a local investment group. Soon after the new lease came into effect, fans became aware that popular draws at Family Arena were disappearing. Fewer concession areas were open, creating long lines at games when the attendance reached 5,000
or 6,000. Fewer promotions were held and by the 2002-03 season, minor league games at Family Arena were treated similar to that of junior hockey or college club hockey, compared to professional hockey at the “AA” level - the level of minor league hockey in the UHL.
As Family Arena became more “bare,” arenas in the Quad Cities and Rockford started to succeed. United Sports Ventures sold all three UHL franchises they owned to local investors/businessmen by 2002. The Quad Cities, with their MARK arena, continued to draw capacity crowds and earned two championships. The MARK is located in downtown Moline, Illinois, next to two major hotels, several restaurants and an active downtown shopping district. The Family Arena is just outside the city limits of St. Charles, next to a quarry and no major development around the venue at
this time.
“More infrastructure around the arena would help make it more of a destination,” McSparin said. “A more visible location would have helped it. The bottom line is the region has failed to fully adopt the team and make it their own like some of the other regions have done with minor league sports. I read where the Springfield [Missouri] Cardinals AA baseball team drew 550,000 people in its first year. That is a good example of build it and they will come. Unfortunately with Family Arena, it was built and not many came. Why? I still do not fully understand it.”
McSparin believes that the County Administration has done a better job compared to the management group that the County contracted to manage the Family Arena when it opened in 1999. But he thinks that things could be done better to continue operation of the facility and it become a success.
“Family Arena Management Enterprise [FAME] was the worst thing to happen to Family Arena because there was a lot of incompetence that made the presentation of game day a nightmare for fans, tenants and anyone else that came in contact with the management of FAME in the early years,” McSparin said. “There were of course exceptions like Matt Hacker who I
thought was competent and reasonable.”
Soon after the County eventually ended FAME’s management deal, United Sports Ventures sold the team. “The County was better than FAME but remember I did not have the luxury of working with the County much, only my successors did.”
McSparin feels that the County should do more to make Family Arena much more appealing to not just the hockey fans, but to fans of all sports, concerts and other gatherings.
“If I was the county I would commission a study on what the region wants in that building and try to deliver it,” McSparin said. “I would study why fans don’t support the teams and try to help the teams fix that. I would engage every school in the county with programs designed to develop kids interest in the activities and sports offered at the arena. I would put a dynamic, driven, likeable guy in the drivers seat and let them have the autonomy to build the arena up.”
McSparin also believes that the parking fees at Family Arena aren’t really much of a problem, but how it is applied needs examination. “I don’t think it was a deterrent,” he said. “But I do not believe it is
consistent with what the arena should be about, affordable family entertainment. I think it was a big issue at the beginning and less of one now.”
Continuing to be a loyal fan, McSparin is very encouraged and curious with what the River Otters could do in the 2005-06 season. He wishes the team and its fans success this season and also hopes for possibly a farther advance in the playoffs, compared to previous seasons. It would not be a surprise if he and some other former River Otters personnel appear in the stands at the games at Family Arena. McSparin likes what he sees in the current River Otter ownership with Mike Shanahan, Jr. as the managing partner and current General Manager Frank Buonomo calling the shots.
The River Otters ownership who purchased the team from United Sports Ventures was dissolved in 2003 after there were financial problems and the UHL League Office noticed concerns within the franchise that the league will not disclose. The UHL operated the Missouri franchise throughout most of the 2003-04 season. The Shanahan family, along with some other small investors, purchased the team in the summer of 2004 and expressed a
long-term commitment to minor league hockey in St. Charles County. The River Otters front office also said they are working with the current arena management to be as accommodating to the fans this hockey season and to try to draw more interest in minor league hockey in the area.
TWO PRESEASON GAMES IN OCTOBER: The River Otters will play on Friday,
October 14 against the Quad City Mallards at the Quad City Sports Center in Davenport, Iowa with a face-off at 7 PM Central Time. On Sunday, October 16, the River Otters will host the Rockford IceHogs at the St. Louis Mills IceZone. The game is scheduled to start at 6:30 PM CentralTime. General admission tickets for the game will only be available at the
IceZone starting at 10 AM the day of the game.
Prep Sports Calendar for the week of September 24 - 30
Friday September 23
Football
St. Charles West vs. Fort Zumwalt North at Lindenwood, 5 p.m.
Francis Howell at Francis Howell North, 7 p.m.
Softball
St. Charles vs. Fort Zumwalt North at Kiwanis Park, 4:15 p.m.
St. Charles West at Parkway North, 4:15 p.m.
Volleyball
St. Charles at Lutheran – St. Charles, 6:30 p.m.
John Burroughs at Orchard Farm, 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 24
Football
Duchesne vs. Holt at Lindenwood, noon
St. Charles vs. Warrenton at Lindenwood, 3 p.m.
Orchard Farm vs. Affton at Lindenwood, 6 p.m.
Monday, September 26
Softball
St. Charles at Riverview Gardens, 4 p.m.
St. Charles West vs. Duchesne at McNair Park, 4:15 p.m.
Howell North at Hazelwood West, 4:15 p.m.
Volleyball
Whitfield at Orchard Farm, 4 p.m.
St. Charles at Francis Howell, 5:30 p.m.
Hazelwood West at St. Charles West, 7 p.m.
St. Dominic at Duchesne, 7 p.m.
Pattonville at Howell North, 7p.m.
Tuesday, September 27
Softball
St. Charles West at Parkway West, 4:15 p.m.
Duchesne vs. Cor Jesu at McNair Park, 4:15 p.m.
Principia at Orchard Farm, 4:15 p.m.
Soccer
St. Charles at St. Charles West, 6 p.m.
S.L.U.H. at Duchesne, 6 p.m.
Howell Central at Howell North, 6 p.m.
Volleyball
Zumwalt West at Orchard Farm, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, September 28
Softball
St. Dominic at St. Charles West, 4:15 p.m.
Howell North at Lafayette, 4:15 p.m.
Thursday, September 29
Softball
Duchesne at Borgia, 4:15 p.m.
Soccer
St. Charles West at Timberland, 4:15 p.m.
Duchesne at Holt, 6 p.m.
Volleyball
Howell Central at Howell North, 5 p.m.
St. Charles at St. Charles West, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, September 30
Football
Duchesne at Zumwalt North, 7 p.m.
Warrenton at St. Charles West, 7 p.m.
Westminster at Orchard Farm, 7 p.m.
Howell North at Fox, 7 p.m.
Softball
St. Charles vs. Parkway North at Kiwanis Park, 4:15 p.m.
Parkway Central at St. Charles West, 4:15 p.m.
Soccer
Hazelwood East at St. Charles, 4 p.m.
St. Charles West vs. McCluer North at Florissant Civic Center, 4 p.m.
Annual Gateway Athletic Conference Gridiron Classic
Lindenwood University will host the Annual GAC Gridiron Classic this weekend. The Schedule:
FRIDAY
Fort Zumwalt North vs. St. Charles West, 5 p.m.
Francis Howell Central vs. Washington, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY
Holt vs. Duchesne, noon
St. Charles vs. Warrenton, 3 p.m.
Affton vs. Orchard Farm, 6 p.m.
Advance tickets can be purchased through the athletic departments of the participating schools for $7; admission at the gate will be $7. Children age 6 and under are admitted free.
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