Gentlemen:
Thanks for keeping us abreast of the latest news in St. Charles. We own a scanner and heard the call about the pedestrian being struck on Raymond Drive last night. The web sites for the Post-Dispatch, KSDK, KMOV, and KTVI had no information about it. Yours did!
Thanks again for your up-to-date information.
Jane Verble
Dear Editor,
My roommate and I have been a resident of Powell Terrace for the past 6-7 years now and have seen many changes, but the worst has been the drivers speeding through the subdivision most of which lately have had Lindenwood University stickers on them.
This past Sunday 01/21/07 my roommate was shoveling the snow from our parking spots into the street so it could be taken care of by the snowplow, a vehicle approached quickly and the passenger of the vehicle yelled out “They had to slow down to 20 miles per hour because he(my roommate) was shoveling the snow into the street” now the speed limit is posted by a sign right by our apartment for 15 miles per hour; the occupant of the vehicle threatened to call police on him(my roommate) and he pointed to the speed limit sign passenger was then told to go ahead and call as my roommate pointed to the speed limit sign, the driver then spun out and almost lost control and almost hit a parked car in the process, my roommate noticed that on the back of the car was a Lindenwood University emblem on the rear glass and was trying to get a plate number but the license plate was covered with snow, I was told about the incident and called Lindenwood to try and make a complaint and was given the shuffle about not having the phone number for security, I finally told the person on the phone to connect me with security or the next phone call I make was going to be to St. Charles City Police and they connected me, the person that answered was told my name and the street I live on and the occurrence and I was told they would handle it.
Now understand that I have seen people slow down for the stop sign just up the street from me and I have even been yelled at for doing the posted speed limit but this speeding through Powell Terrace is getting really bad, there are children living in this area and police seem few and far between most of the time but I understand that sometimes they(the police) are busy elsewhere but what does a person have to do ? If you call the police every time you would be making a call several times a day and Lindenwood security from the sound of the person I talked to on the phone seemed like he would rather not even hear it.
Now the people that live in this neighborhood may not be the wealthiest and the homes may not be worth several 100 thousand dollars but we pay taxes and we live here and most of them are families with children all we can really ask for since Lindenwood seems to be trying to buy up all this area is respect for the speed limits posted and stop signs and consideration for the safety of the families living here.
I would prefer you withhold my last name and address since I don’t want any possible retaliation
Sensationalism Sells Newspapers
But You Deserve The Facts
Dear St. Peters Resident:
No newspaper or television reporter sat in on the Federal Court case brought by the owners of a bar against the City of St. Peters and myself (your former Mayor Tom Brown). While the Hodaks were interviewed extensively in the press, the same courtesy was not extended to myself as a defendant in the case.
I felt you had the right to hear the other side of the story. Then you can judge for yourself whether this was a case of justice.
Twenty witnesses appeared on behalf of the City and testified under oath that I NEVER directed them to take any action against the bar in question.
These witnesses included the current and former Police Chiefs of St. Peters and other law enforcement officers. Among the elected public officials who testified under oath that I did not direct the revocation of the bar’s liquor license, were Alderman Len Pagano and former Alderwoman Michelle Stein, two ardent opponents when I served as Mayor. Yet their testimony clearly proved that this was not a case of political retaliation for letters that the Hodaks had written critical of the City or myself. At no time did I try to tell these or any Alderman how to vote on the matter of the liquor license revocation.
The Hodaks produced several witnesses. They failed to produce even a single witness at trial who would testify that I had directed anyone to do anything against them.
So was there just cause for the City to have revoked the Hodak’s liquor license?
I believe that the jury failed to fully consider the strong record of license abuse at this establishment. Complaints to the City included fights where beer bottles were broken over heads (causing severe injury to a customer), four cases of minors being served alcohol, and the owner himself tackling and getting into a brawl with a patron on the parking lot.
This evidence was reviewed by the Board of Aldermen, who ultimately made the decision to revoke this license. They acted in the best interests of the residents and families of the City of St. Peters to protect the public health, safety and welfare of our community. I did not vote on this revocation, and in fact was not present when the vote was taken.
People remember the McDonald’s “Hot Coffee” lawsuit, which resulted in millions of dollars in a miscarriage of justice.
This is exactly the type of case that should be reviewed and the final chapter on this case may not yet be written.
What you can be sure of, however, is that your City and I acted properly. Anyone who takes the time to read the full transcript of the trial will come to the same conclusion. Had any member of the news media been at the trial, these facts would have come out sooner.
But the fact that only the Hodaks were given the opportunity to be interviewed by the media, and the sensationalism of the headlines, prompted me to write this personal letter to you and your neighbors.
I have always believed that the best defense against any slander is the truth and hope that I have done an adequate job in this limited space, to give you a true picture of this case. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for your fair consideration of its contents.
Sincerely,
Tom Brown
Former Mayor
City of St. Peters
