New Year Brings
Reflection
On Those Lives
Worth Living
It was tough saying goodbye, as it always is, to some rather remarkable men. Within the span of a few weeks, three former City Councilmen and two of the pioneers of the remarkable revitalization of South Main Street passed away much like the old year.
I’m not very good at writing obituaries. I could never do justice to the lives these gentlemen lived and the things they did. But perhaps I can express some of what these individuals meant to me and to our community.
The first of the five who died was former Councilman Dan Conoyer. I served with Dan the seven years he was on our Council. He then spent seventeen years helping to build up the St. Charles Community College. That’s the Dan Conoyer most people are familiar with.
But as a Councilman, he fought to try to have competitive bidding among professional service contracts like engineering. It is a concept that appalls engineers, but which Dan proved could save taxpayers huge sums. His local ordinance worked so well in fact, that the professional engineers of the state banded together and got the Missouri General Assembly to pass a law saying that municipalities could not require engineers or architects to bid against one another.
It was particularly hard going to Dan’s memorial service at All Saints the Friday before Christmas. Dan had been a groomsman at my wedding and his second wife Debbie was one of Sue’s bridesmaids.
In my mind’s eye he’s still working by my side, helping to build a float for the City Council to ride on in the July 4th Parade. We built a pretty good likeness of the Washington Monument that year. But everybody thought it was a missile.
Next I heard about the death of South Main advocate and preservationist Archie Scott. Archie relished his role as gadfly of historic preservation. He was very good at shaming people into doing the right thing.
Too many people that were born and raised in St. Charles just looked on the historic buildings as, well old buildings. It took eyes like those of Archie Scott to see the gems beneath the dust.
I then learned of former Councilman Bill Baggerman’s passing. I was a good friend of his daughter Janey. We were in Journalism together at St. Charles High and one of my first assignments was to interview her in her home. That’s when I met her father.
I remember him saying to me (perhaps half jokingly) that opening the new bridge ruined St. Charles with the flood of new residents. Then realizing that I was probably one of those newcomers, excepted all present company. It was the closest I came to being granted a Visa to be here.
I remember Bill Baggerman as a gracious, highly intelligent and vigorous individual who spoke passionately about the things he believed in. The first City Council meeting I ever went to, on the second floor of the old City Hall (formerly the fish market) on North Main Street, was with Janey to watch her Dad.
Before the drive to stamp out public smoking, the old Council chambers were filled from eye level to ceiling with cigarette and cigar smoke. Mayor Brockgreitens sat on the bench normally reserved for a judge and the Council members were arrayed around long tables facing each other.
The audience sat on benches behind a railing. One Councilman (not Bill) sat back in his chair, his feet propped up on the table and his white socks showing beneath dark trousers. It was like a scene out of To Kill A Mockingbird.
In sharp contrast to his surroundings, Bill Baggerman represented the next generation in the development of St. Charles. And he helped inspire me to run for the City Council and to try to leave a place better than I found it.
I was hardly off the phone talking with Janey about her father, when I learned that yet another former Councilman, Gil Brown, had died as well. It was turning out to be a very tough New Year. It was too late by the time I caught up with the news to make Gil’s funeral, but I want his family to know the deep and abiding respect I had for the man.
Gil was old St. Charles. He was a proud member of the Pikers’ Club and the first person to tell me what the organization was. His one idiosyncrasy was he hated fish with a passion. He had spent a lot of time on the rivers as a member of the Army Corps of Engineers. He told me he knew what fish swam in and he didn’t care to eat any. That was too much of a challenge to a former prankster Councilmember, (who shall remain nameless LR), who put an open can of sardines in Gil’s desk drawer in the Council chambers.
Gil used his engineering expertise and knowledge of the Missouri River to benefit St. Charles and freely gave of his time to review stormwater plans.
One time on a flight back from a National league of cities Conference in Washington, D.C., I recall that Gil and I discussed how a German heritage festival, an Oktoberfest, would be good for St. Charles. The idea got passed along to Mayor Mel Wetter, who gave it to one of his sons in the Jaycees and the St. Charles Oktoberfest was born.
Gil didn’t get a lot of recognition in his lifetime, other than from friends and family. They didn’t give out as many awards in those days and Gil never looked for nor expected any recognition.
That same sad week brought a call from Councilman Larry Muench that his father-in-law, South Main icon and personal hero finally succumbed to his long illness. John Dengler was sick for a long time and the end seemed upon him at several turns. But I remember telling Sue that John would be around at Christmas, because no one loved Christmas more on South Main Street, nor held it in his heart better, than John Dengler.
John was loved by so many people, from the Fife and Drum Corps and the hundreds of young lives that program enriched through the years, to our Tourism efforts, the Special Business District Board, the South Main Preservation Society, his former comrades in arms and thousands of customers.
One of the last events I remember John and I being together for was his military reunion. I filled in for the Mayor to present a proclamation to his old military unit whose veterans of World War II had stopped in St. Charles. John was so proud to show off his hometown and much of what he could show off, were projects he had worked towards.
If John Dengler ever made an enemy I wouldn’t know it. It is a skill I wish I had mastered sooner. John took a real interest in me, my wife Sue and our children Kathleen and Justin. He watched them grow up at reenactments and in parades on South Main. He always asked about your family and talked about his own.
John fought to make St. Charles the fun place it became, with festivals and entertainment for those of all ages. His efforts helped put us on the map for something positive and not as oddballs trying to ban cursing in bars.
John knew the real happiness to be had in life was in bringing joy to others and he was a happy and lighthearted soul for it. John made us laugh, he made us smile and only at the end of his life, did he make us cry.
Which brings me to the ending of this story that John would not want me to forget. These five men all gave of themselves to the community and their neighbors. They lived lives worth the living. To those who have picked up the torch, I ask that you measure yourselves by what these men accomplished and ask yourselves the most important question a human being can…how do I want to be remembered?
Friday, January 18, 2008
CASE IN POINT by Joe Koester
“Too many people think Martin freed black people; in truth he helped free all people.”
Marin Luther King, Sr.
The new year has arrived and brought with it economic uncertainties. In the late 1970s, President Carter was in office and America experienced a recession that was also experienced worldwide. It is spurious to blame Carter for the economic woes of the period since the entire world was experiencing economic slowdown too. If you believe those who say it takes a few years for the economic policies of a new administration to impact things, then you’d have to believe that Gerald Ford was to blame. I personally don’t believe that Ford or Carter was to blame – an opinion probably most widely accepted and supported by most readers and by facts.
The economic woes of 2008 are quite different. If you believe that the economic policies of Bush’s first four years are now kicking in, then he himself is to blame. If you believe that it’s just a worldwide phenomenon, you may want to check out the scene from around the globe. What you will see is a one-sided economic slowdown (recession?) that seems to be a, by-far, American, problem. We may still bring some, most, or the entire world down with us, but we are the genesis of the problem.
China churns ahead with exportation (much due to our own importation of their cheap consumer goods); Germany has the highest employment since reunification and has seen an increase in exports. In fact, Europe in general is doing well. The Canadian Dollar is about equal with our own having recently surpassed our currency’s value before falling back slightly. No, this sour economic state is not due to a global financial downturn but rather failed economic policies of the current administration. Local construction companies might do well to rethink their political stance (typically GOP stalwarts) since policies that are deleterious to the middle class are deleterious to their customers. The same goes for most local and even national shops and companies. The concept is simple but always convoluted by those at the very top; namely, more money in more people’s pockets means more money in more people’s pockets. The middle class will spend its money on home improvements putting local trades people to work or on new (usually, American) cars keeping people at Ford, Chrysler and GM employed. These folks are buying new homes keeping developers afloat and carpenters on the job, as well as, real estate agents employed. In contrast, the very wealthy often drive cars from overseas, travel abroad, move factories to foreign shores so that they can maximize profit for themselves (and damage to their country).
Certainly these past seven years of huge tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans while spending like mad has put us in the very boat in which we now sit. The “Charge-and-spend” GOP has done what they do best – put us in the red (now you know why they make the states they win red on the map). There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, the light would be at the end of the year – just slightly into 2009.
Many of you already know that my reference is the end of one of the worst (not to mention illegitimate) presidencies in American history and certainly the worst since WWII. Will the new administration figure out that America needs to rethink its globalization stance and actually protect American jobs from leaving and current American workers by leveling the playing field with import taxes if the manufacturing country’s standard of living is below our own. My choice candidate is John Edwards because he told us eight years ago that we cannot continue to live with “two Americas.” He recognizes the problems within middleclass America and has offered ideas on how to combat those problems. Surprisingly, someone on the far Right also has interesting ideas about how to tackle the problem of cheap imports destroying American jobs -- Pat Buchanan.
For those out there who say they want “free trade” the reality is that markets are regulated already and are no less regulated under GOP governance than they are under Democratic governance. Baseball is regulated and so is plumbing. Simply ask any bar owner in St. Charles about regulation that helps some and hinders others (i.e. who can serve alcohol past 1:30 am and who cannot). No, per usual, when “free market” blabber starts to come up, it’s probably from the fellow who benefits quite nicely from regulation and status quo.
Of course, there is a lot of regulation that helps the powerful keep their power. There is, of course, also regulation that seems silly. Take the regulations on Trailhead. Although they could easily schlep a keg of beer right down Main Street to Lewis and Clark’s, they are not allowed to. Instead, their beer has to be handed to a distributor who adds a fee to drive the four or five blocks. Truly many regulations need to end but it seems that the only regulations that are somehow taboo are the ones protecting American jobs. Hopefully, the next administration will embrace the fact that a great nation must do more than push paper – we also need to manufacture quality goods for home and abroad. I believe this is the first presidential election where all of the choices seem better than what we currently have. Even Ron Paul has many valid points which and I think many on the Left would agree with a lot of what he believes in; the differences between Americans in most policy matters is not as great as the similarities we share. If given the honest facts, most of us would agree on most things and compromise on the rest. I wonder if we could create a hybrid candidate espousing ideas from John, Ron and Pat?
Concerning local matters, I was not happy to hear talk at work around the water cooler where someone stated that, “Things are really bad in Saint Charles. My son moved to get away from it all.” This comment came up with a discussion about the recent robbery of the Shell station on Droste Road. Crime has definitely increased in the past few years and I am guessing that a look into the facts would show a correlation between the casino’s arrival and increase in crime, especially robbery, car theft and related crimes. That said, crime has increased throughout the county, not just in St. Charles City. In fact, many crimes go unreported and therefore provide a false perception of things being better in other areas. Regardless of fact, it is perception that matters, as we all know. You might remember the misinformation that called me a “pro-abortion activist” and thereby creating a perception (albeit a totally false one).
I am the first to defend Saint Charles and always speak well of my hometown to others in the area so it is of utmost importance that we stand up and defend our town by fighting this perception. This very perception was why the police chief fight a few years ago was of utmost importance to me. Apropos to this story, I want to take a moment to thank the police officers who responded to the robbery call and put their lives on the line for all of us!
I would be remiss to bring up local issues and not at least mention council proposal to create an ordinance making cursing in certain places illegal. I believe this is already covered by state law and agree with Erv Ermeling that there are enough laws on the books, just enforce those. I know that a lot of people got emails making fun of Saint Charles due to the proposed ordinance. Just remember, it’s still our city, so say something constructive about our town if you happen to respond to them.
Marin Luther King, Sr.
The new year has arrived and brought with it economic uncertainties. In the late 1970s, President Carter was in office and America experienced a recession that was also experienced worldwide. It is spurious to blame Carter for the economic woes of the period since the entire world was experiencing economic slowdown too. If you believe those who say it takes a few years for the economic policies of a new administration to impact things, then you’d have to believe that Gerald Ford was to blame. I personally don’t believe that Ford or Carter was to blame – an opinion probably most widely accepted and supported by most readers and by facts.
The economic woes of 2008 are quite different. If you believe that the economic policies of Bush’s first four years are now kicking in, then he himself is to blame. If you believe that it’s just a worldwide phenomenon, you may want to check out the scene from around the globe. What you will see is a one-sided economic slowdown (recession?) that seems to be a, by-far, American, problem. We may still bring some, most, or the entire world down with us, but we are the genesis of the problem.
China churns ahead with exportation (much due to our own importation of their cheap consumer goods); Germany has the highest employment since reunification and has seen an increase in exports. In fact, Europe in general is doing well. The Canadian Dollar is about equal with our own having recently surpassed our currency’s value before falling back slightly. No, this sour economic state is not due to a global financial downturn but rather failed economic policies of the current administration. Local construction companies might do well to rethink their political stance (typically GOP stalwarts) since policies that are deleterious to the middle class are deleterious to their customers. The same goes for most local and even national shops and companies. The concept is simple but always convoluted by those at the very top; namely, more money in more people’s pockets means more money in more people’s pockets. The middle class will spend its money on home improvements putting local trades people to work or on new (usually, American) cars keeping people at Ford, Chrysler and GM employed. These folks are buying new homes keeping developers afloat and carpenters on the job, as well as, real estate agents employed. In contrast, the very wealthy often drive cars from overseas, travel abroad, move factories to foreign shores so that they can maximize profit for themselves (and damage to their country).
Certainly these past seven years of huge tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans while spending like mad has put us in the very boat in which we now sit. The “Charge-and-spend” GOP has done what they do best – put us in the red (now you know why they make the states they win red on the map). There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, the light would be at the end of the year – just slightly into 2009.
Many of you already know that my reference is the end of one of the worst (not to mention illegitimate) presidencies in American history and certainly the worst since WWII. Will the new administration figure out that America needs to rethink its globalization stance and actually protect American jobs from leaving and current American workers by leveling the playing field with import taxes if the manufacturing country’s standard of living is below our own. My choice candidate is John Edwards because he told us eight years ago that we cannot continue to live with “two Americas.” He recognizes the problems within middleclass America and has offered ideas on how to combat those problems. Surprisingly, someone on the far Right also has interesting ideas about how to tackle the problem of cheap imports destroying American jobs -- Pat Buchanan.
For those out there who say they want “free trade” the reality is that markets are regulated already and are no less regulated under GOP governance than they are under Democratic governance. Baseball is regulated and so is plumbing. Simply ask any bar owner in St. Charles about regulation that helps some and hinders others (i.e. who can serve alcohol past 1:30 am and who cannot). No, per usual, when “free market” blabber starts to come up, it’s probably from the fellow who benefits quite nicely from regulation and status quo.
Of course, there is a lot of regulation that helps the powerful keep their power. There is, of course, also regulation that seems silly. Take the regulations on Trailhead. Although they could easily schlep a keg of beer right down Main Street to Lewis and Clark’s, they are not allowed to. Instead, their beer has to be handed to a distributor who adds a fee to drive the four or five blocks. Truly many regulations need to end but it seems that the only regulations that are somehow taboo are the ones protecting American jobs. Hopefully, the next administration will embrace the fact that a great nation must do more than push paper – we also need to manufacture quality goods for home and abroad. I believe this is the first presidential election where all of the choices seem better than what we currently have. Even Ron Paul has many valid points which and I think many on the Left would agree with a lot of what he believes in; the differences between Americans in most policy matters is not as great as the similarities we share. If given the honest facts, most of us would agree on most things and compromise on the rest. I wonder if we could create a hybrid candidate espousing ideas from John, Ron and Pat?
Concerning local matters, I was not happy to hear talk at work around the water cooler where someone stated that, “Things are really bad in Saint Charles. My son moved to get away from it all.” This comment came up with a discussion about the recent robbery of the Shell station on Droste Road. Crime has definitely increased in the past few years and I am guessing that a look into the facts would show a correlation between the casino’s arrival and increase in crime, especially robbery, car theft and related crimes. That said, crime has increased throughout the county, not just in St. Charles City. In fact, many crimes go unreported and therefore provide a false perception of things being better in other areas. Regardless of fact, it is perception that matters, as we all know. You might remember the misinformation that called me a “pro-abortion activist” and thereby creating a perception (albeit a totally false one).
I am the first to defend Saint Charles and always speak well of my hometown to others in the area so it is of utmost importance that we stand up and defend our town by fighting this perception. This very perception was why the police chief fight a few years ago was of utmost importance to me. Apropos to this story, I want to take a moment to thank the police officers who responded to the robbery call and put their lives on the line for all of us!
I would be remiss to bring up local issues and not at least mention council proposal to create an ordinance making cursing in certain places illegal. I believe this is already covered by state law and agree with Erv Ermeling that there are enough laws on the books, just enforce those. I know that a lot of people got emails making fun of Saint Charles due to the proposed ordinance. Just remember, it’s still our city, so say something constructive about our town if you happen to respond to them.
Great Rivers Greenway District Announces New Officers
St. Charles Representatives Named
President and Treasurer
The Great Rivers Greenway District, the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails, known as the River Ring, announced new officers elected for the Board of Directors. Anne Klein, representing St. Charles County, was elected President; Neal Perryman, representing St. Louis City, was elected Vice President; Jim Hall, representing St. Louis County, was elected Secretary; and John McGuire, representing St. Charles County, was elected Treasurer.
The Great Rivers Greenway District’s Board of Directors is comprised of 10 members appointed by the Mayor or Executive of the County represented. This includes three members from the City of St. Louis, five members from St. Louis County, and two from St. Charles County. Each board member serves a three-year term.
About The Great Rivers Greenway District:
The Great Rivers Greenway District is the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails, known as the River Ring. The River Ring will join two states and cover an area of 1,216 square miles. The Greenway District was established in November 2000 by the successful passage of the Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Trails Initiative (Proposition C) in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, Missouri.
President and Treasurer
The Great Rivers Greenway District, the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails, known as the River Ring, announced new officers elected for the Board of Directors. Anne Klein, representing St. Charles County, was elected President; Neal Perryman, representing St. Louis City, was elected Vice President; Jim Hall, representing St. Louis County, was elected Secretary; and John McGuire, representing St. Charles County, was elected Treasurer.
The Great Rivers Greenway District’s Board of Directors is comprised of 10 members appointed by the Mayor or Executive of the County represented. This includes three members from the City of St. Louis, five members from St. Louis County, and two from St. Charles County. Each board member serves a three-year term.
About The Great Rivers Greenway District:
The Great Rivers Greenway District is the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails, known as the River Ring. The River Ring will join two states and cover an area of 1,216 square miles. The Greenway District was established in November 2000 by the successful passage of the Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Trails Initiative (Proposition C) in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, Missouri.
Comments & Commentary by Charles Hill
Just when you think the city council and the tourism department hasn’t a clue how to market St. Charles they prove us wrong. The adage any press is good press must be the new mantra. The new liquor license law rewrite has truly made us the laughing stock of the country on so many levels. Mayor York has proudly proclaimed that her task force worked on this bill and Councilman Richard Veit was thrilled with sponsoring it. Since St. Charles, because of York and Veit has now made USA Today, FOX 2 News, CNN, the big 550 KMOX and channel 5 to name a few. To say the press was good wouldn’t be true. Worst is the message that has been sent with these stories is even worse.
A town that depends on tourism dollars isn’t helped much by saying the Main Street “where history comes alive”, “fun then fun now”, has a problem with the bar scene. This isn’t the best way to get tourists. As a matter of fact there is a good chance it will have the opposite effect.
Main Street suffered through the pedestrian mall fiasco, now we have the Mayor and her nine yes men and one yes woman city council trying to reach inside the bars and run the businesses. York has provided such great leadership in managing the city that she now has decided that she knows how to run the bar business. Her own failed bed and breakfast wasn’t enough, now she wants to ruin other businesses.
Those who haven’t really discovered the real reason for this change to the liquor ordinance need to look at the bars that will be allowed to remain open even though their liquor license was approved by those in city hall in violation of the law. One of these bars is in a building on North Main Street that is owned by the Mayor and her husband. The new proposed liquor bill appears to be a smoke screen to cover yet another law that York decided not to follow.
In conclusion, thanks Mayor and city council for truly making St. Charles the laughing stock of the country. Your efforts to ensure York’s rent money from her building have resulted in St. Charles becoming the butt of many jokes. The simple truth is we have a good liquor law on the books if it would be followed and enforced. There isn’t a need to make the changes.
Note to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and convention center, here is a good selling point. Come to St. Charles where swearing is outlawed in our bars, we have the fighting under control. So come visit, you won’t get beat and won’t hear sh--.
ttt
A town that depends on tourism dollars isn’t helped much by saying the Main Street “where history comes alive”, “fun then fun now”, has a problem with the bar scene. This isn’t the best way to get tourists. As a matter of fact there is a good chance it will have the opposite effect.
Main Street suffered through the pedestrian mall fiasco, now we have the Mayor and her nine yes men and one yes woman city council trying to reach inside the bars and run the businesses. York has provided such great leadership in managing the city that she now has decided that she knows how to run the bar business. Her own failed bed and breakfast wasn’t enough, now she wants to ruin other businesses.
Those who haven’t really discovered the real reason for this change to the liquor ordinance need to look at the bars that will be allowed to remain open even though their liquor license was approved by those in city hall in violation of the law. One of these bars is in a building on North Main Street that is owned by the Mayor and her husband. The new proposed liquor bill appears to be a smoke screen to cover yet another law that York decided not to follow.
In conclusion, thanks Mayor and city council for truly making St. Charles the laughing stock of the country. Your efforts to ensure York’s rent money from her building have resulted in St. Charles becoming the butt of many jokes. The simple truth is we have a good liquor law on the books if it would be followed and enforced. There isn’t a need to make the changes.
Note to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and convention center, here is a good selling point. Come to St. Charles where swearing is outlawed in our bars, we have the fighting under control. So come visit, you won’t get beat and won’t hear sh--.
ttt
The View From The Cheap Seats by Jerry Hafferkamp
The View From The Cheap Seats
By Jerry Haferkamp
I want to start this column with an acknowledgement of the contributions to South Main that were made by Archie Scott. I was raised on South Main and enjoy looking at what it has become.
We moved off South Main in 1957. Before that my grandfather owned and rented out what is now the Mother-In-Law House. There were no ghosts there back then. Donna Hafer must have stirred one up when she remodeled. Grandpa also owned and lived in the two storied home next door. My uncle, a former state representative, owned the duplex style home beside Grandpa’s. We had the two storied home next to that, but it burned down years after we moved. My uncles relatives owned the tavern that is now the winery of the Little Hills. My roots are South Main.
Although I disagreed with some of Mr. Scott’s ambitions for South Main, I am well aware that this area defines St. Charles. Archie brought the area back from sure ruin. Due to his efforts, (some rather heavy-handed, I’ve been told) we have a prime tourist attraction here. He had a vision for the area and his efforts led the way to making that vision a reality.
Thanks, Archie Scott. The city owes you the honor of some sort of permanent remembrance for the contributions you have made.
Now the anti-profanity issue. Councilman Veit is too young to remember Lenny Bruce, the blue material using “comedian” of the ‘50’s. Due to the misguided judiciary of the time, he proved that profanity was protected as “free speech”. Those judges bastardized our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. The right of free speech was acknowledged to allow citizens to speak out against our government and not be imprisoned for it. No more, no less. It wasn’t to give any inbred, knuckle-dragging drunk the right to yell obscenities whenever he wasn’t man enough to handle his alcohol or handle himself in public. The bar owners who cry “free speech” are just proving their ignorance of the Bill of Rights. They would make good liberal judges.
Of course, that’s just the view from the cheap seats.
ttt
By Jerry Haferkamp
I want to start this column with an acknowledgement of the contributions to South Main that were made by Archie Scott. I was raised on South Main and enjoy looking at what it has become.
We moved off South Main in 1957. Before that my grandfather owned and rented out what is now the Mother-In-Law House. There were no ghosts there back then. Donna Hafer must have stirred one up when she remodeled. Grandpa also owned and lived in the two storied home next door. My uncle, a former state representative, owned the duplex style home beside Grandpa’s. We had the two storied home next to that, but it burned down years after we moved. My uncles relatives owned the tavern that is now the winery of the Little Hills. My roots are South Main.
Although I disagreed with some of Mr. Scott’s ambitions for South Main, I am well aware that this area defines St. Charles. Archie brought the area back from sure ruin. Due to his efforts, (some rather heavy-handed, I’ve been told) we have a prime tourist attraction here. He had a vision for the area and his efforts led the way to making that vision a reality.
Thanks, Archie Scott. The city owes you the honor of some sort of permanent remembrance for the contributions you have made.
Now the anti-profanity issue. Councilman Veit is too young to remember Lenny Bruce, the blue material using “comedian” of the ‘50’s. Due to the misguided judiciary of the time, he proved that profanity was protected as “free speech”. Those judges bastardized our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. The right of free speech was acknowledged to allow citizens to speak out against our government and not be imprisoned for it. No more, no less. It wasn’t to give any inbred, knuckle-dragging drunk the right to yell obscenities whenever he wasn’t man enough to handle his alcohol or handle himself in public. The bar owners who cry “free speech” are just proving their ignorance of the Bill of Rights. They would make good liberal judges.
Of course, that’s just the view from the cheap seats.
ttt
New Town residents want the snow plowed
By Phyllis Schaltenbrand
Some residents of New Town are contemplating a class action lawsuit against the City of St. Charles after the city refused to plow their streets with the last snow storm.
When the streets weren’t plowed, residents called Councilman Mike Klinghammer and were told, “The city hasn’t accepted the streets and Whittaker (The developer) is responsible.” The streets were so bad that it was very difficult and dangerous for emergency vehicles to exceed 10 miles per hour causing a public safety hazard for the New Town residents.
The acceptance of the streets conveys maintenance to the City of St. Charles but does not prevent city services from being provided. The First Capitol News searched the ordinances of the city to find support of the city’s position and couldn’t find any written law. The city’s position is that the streets are private until formally accepted. This position is not supported with an ordinance that states the streets are private according to current law.
New Town has a legally approved plat that shows streets and has an application for acceptance on file, and has been inspected. In addition, the police are able to write speeding tickets, parking violations as well as enforce open container laws. The police service would not be available if the streets were private.
The developer did not pay for the plowing of the streets. The cost is passed back to the New Town property owners even though they have been paying taxes to the city for city services. The New town residents are reasonable and would seek the actual cost spent for plowing from the city.
Currently the residents of New Town pay taxes like every other property owners in the city. These taxes are to be used on services the city provides including snow plows. Snow plowing is a service and public safety issue. With the last snow the residents had to pay a private company to plow as well as city taxes. The FCN asked a local attorney if the resident’s case was valid. He confirmed it was very valid and said the residents could actually sue for more damages. This is a classic case of taxation without representation.
Any other neighborhood that has had the same problem is encouraged to contact the FCN. The suit can be expanded to include other areas that have had the same issues.
Some residents of New Town are contemplating a class action lawsuit against the City of St. Charles after the city refused to plow their streets with the last snow storm.
When the streets weren’t plowed, residents called Councilman Mike Klinghammer and were told, “The city hasn’t accepted the streets and Whittaker (The developer) is responsible.” The streets were so bad that it was very difficult and dangerous for emergency vehicles to exceed 10 miles per hour causing a public safety hazard for the New Town residents.
The acceptance of the streets conveys maintenance to the City of St. Charles but does not prevent city services from being provided. The First Capitol News searched the ordinances of the city to find support of the city’s position and couldn’t find any written law. The city’s position is that the streets are private until formally accepted. This position is not supported with an ordinance that states the streets are private according to current law.
New Town has a legally approved plat that shows streets and has an application for acceptance on file, and has been inspected. In addition, the police are able to write speeding tickets, parking violations as well as enforce open container laws. The police service would not be available if the streets were private.
The developer did not pay for the plowing of the streets. The cost is passed back to the New Town property owners even though they have been paying taxes to the city for city services. The New town residents are reasonable and would seek the actual cost spent for plowing from the city.
Currently the residents of New Town pay taxes like every other property owners in the city. These taxes are to be used on services the city provides including snow plows. Snow plowing is a service and public safety issue. With the last snow the residents had to pay a private company to plow as well as city taxes. The FCN asked a local attorney if the resident’s case was valid. He confirmed it was very valid and said the residents could actually sue for more damages. This is a classic case of taxation without representation.
Any other neighborhood that has had the same problem is encouraged to contact the FCN. The suit can be expanded to include other areas that have had the same issues.
The Family Arena had three quarters of a million people come through the doors in 2007
The Family Arena had three quarters of a million people come through the doors in 2007, a first for the St. Charles County Government operated venue.
Several first-time events helped increase the overall attendance, including the Longhorn World Championship Rodeo, Wide Open Bike Show, and a charity all-star basketball game hosted by Nelly, St. Louis’ own hip-hop music sensation.
The Family Arena also played host to some memorable concerts last year, such as Hank Williams Jr., The Cheetah Girls, Dierks Bentley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blue October, Alice Cooper, Casting Crowns, Cheap Trick, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Soul Asylum, Chris Tomlin, Yellowcard, and George Thorogood.
In addition, the Family Arena was also a great place for action with such events as Mixed Martial Arts, a nationally televised Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay per view event, AMP Motor Sports Monster Trucks, and Army Boxing Championships.
True to its name, the Family Arena also had several events for families _ Disney Channel’s The Doodlebops, Disney on Ice Presents Disney/Pixa’s Finding Nemo, My Little Pony LIVE, and a new circus benefiting Siteman Cancer Center. NBC’s Last Comic Standing live tour and The Smothers Brothers filled the house with laughter during their stops here as well.
Moreover, the Family Arena held another sold-out WinterJam concert featuring Steven Curtis Chapman. The Moolah Shrine Circus, Xtreme International Ice Racing, and The World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions also returned with their events.
Once again, WIL 92.3 brought its annual sold out Jinglefest concert featuring Taylor Swift, American Idol finalist Bucky Covington, and Eric Church. And the RiverCity Rage Arena Football team again called the Family Arena home as it played nine home games in the St. Charles arena. The Rage had a successful season and made it to the playoffs, and Arena Football will return to the building this spring.
In December, the Family Arena capped off another successful year with a Kenny G holiday concert and the National Cheerleading Championships.
This year, many outstanding events already are on the calendar. The Longhorn Rodeo was held last weekend, and there will be football, boxing, wrestling, cheerleading, circuses and much more returning to The Family Arena in 2008.
Disney On Ice will also return this fall with exciting ice and stage shows. Tony La Russa’s annual fundraiser to help rescued animals is on tap for Sunday evening (Jan. 20). In addition, concerts featuring B.B. King, Tom Jones, Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson are already booked.
And the Missouri Valley Conference will also hold its women’s basketball tournament at the Family Arena in March.
ttt
Several first-time events helped increase the overall attendance, including the Longhorn World Championship Rodeo, Wide Open Bike Show, and a charity all-star basketball game hosted by Nelly, St. Louis’ own hip-hop music sensation.
The Family Arena also played host to some memorable concerts last year, such as Hank Williams Jr., The Cheetah Girls, Dierks Bentley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blue October, Alice Cooper, Casting Crowns, Cheap Trick, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Soul Asylum, Chris Tomlin, Yellowcard, and George Thorogood.
In addition, the Family Arena was also a great place for action with such events as Mixed Martial Arts, a nationally televised Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay per view event, AMP Motor Sports Monster Trucks, and Army Boxing Championships.
True to its name, the Family Arena also had several events for families _ Disney Channel’s The Doodlebops, Disney on Ice Presents Disney/Pixa’s Finding Nemo, My Little Pony LIVE, and a new circus benefiting Siteman Cancer Center. NBC’s Last Comic Standing live tour and The Smothers Brothers filled the house with laughter during their stops here as well.
Moreover, the Family Arena held another sold-out WinterJam concert featuring Steven Curtis Chapman. The Moolah Shrine Circus, Xtreme International Ice Racing, and The World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions also returned with their events.
Once again, WIL 92.3 brought its annual sold out Jinglefest concert featuring Taylor Swift, American Idol finalist Bucky Covington, and Eric Church. And the RiverCity Rage Arena Football team again called the Family Arena home as it played nine home games in the St. Charles arena. The Rage had a successful season and made it to the playoffs, and Arena Football will return to the building this spring.
In December, the Family Arena capped off another successful year with a Kenny G holiday concert and the National Cheerleading Championships.
This year, many outstanding events already are on the calendar. The Longhorn Rodeo was held last weekend, and there will be football, boxing, wrestling, cheerleading, circuses and much more returning to The Family Arena in 2008.
Disney On Ice will also return this fall with exciting ice and stage shows. Tony La Russa’s annual fundraiser to help rescued animals is on tap for Sunday evening (Jan. 20). In addition, concerts featuring B.B. King, Tom Jones, Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson are already booked.
And the Missouri Valley Conference will also hold its women’s basketball tournament at the Family Arena in March.
ttt
Dan Foust Re-elected County Councilman Chairman
Dan Foust
Re-Elected County Council
Chairman
The first order of business for the St. Charles County Council at its first meeting of the year Monday night (Jan. 14, 2008) was to name its chairman.
Dan Foust, District 6, was re-elected by a voice vote. Foust, who has served on the council since 1997, put in his first stint as chairman last year.
Joe Brazil, District 2, was chosen as vice-chair of the council. He has been on the council since 2001.
The council also approved Bob Schnur as the new director of finance for St. Charles County Government. Schnur, a CPA, previously served on the council for 12 years, and was chairman of the council for six years. He will begin his new duties Feb. 1
ttt
Re-Elected County Council
Chairman
The first order of business for the St. Charles County Council at its first meeting of the year Monday night (Jan. 14, 2008) was to name its chairman.
Dan Foust, District 6, was re-elected by a voice vote. Foust, who has served on the council since 1997, put in his first stint as chairman last year.
Joe Brazil, District 2, was chosen as vice-chair of the council. He has been on the council since 2001.
The council also approved Bob Schnur as the new director of finance for St. Charles County Government. Schnur, a CPA, previously served on the council for 12 years, and was chairman of the council for six years. He will begin his new duties Feb. 1
ttt
FIRST CAPITOL COUNSELING - Dr Howard Rosenthal
How to Reduce Stress by Making Smart Technology Decisions in 2008
Dr. Rosenthal goes one-on-one with a 14-year old techno-geek!
Dr. Howard Rosenthal
Technology is intended to make our lives easier, less stressful and (dare I say it) fun. The cold-hard truth, however, is that technology often drives us to the boiling point. Who among us has not threatened to do bodily harm to our computers? Fess up, it won’t get you thrown in the slammer – yet!
To make your life easier, I’ve chosen to interview the most technologically sophisticated person I know: My 14-year old son, Paul Rosenthal, mastermind for the www.freecomputerhelpinfo.com website. Paul has repaired scores of computers, a boatload of websites, and does things with his cell phone most people only dream about. (When was the last time you personally used your cell phone to secure wireless high speed internet access on your laptop from St. Louis to Pittsburgh? Try it sometime.
So, without any further ado, here is my interview with my son, 14- year old Paul Rosenthal.
Dr. Rosenthal: Paul, everybody wants an iPhone. True, I personally can’t afford one on a mental health columnist’s salary, but assuming I did have the money, would this be a wise purchase?
Paul: iPhones are very expensive because of all the hype. In addition, when you purchase the iPhone, you are locked into a single provider, AT&T. Unless your readers already have one, I suggest they save their money. A Blackberry has better email capabilities and costs less.
Dr. R: In 1965 Gordon Moore created the now famous “Moore’s Law” which postulates that transistor capabilities of computer chips double every 18-24 months. If a reader has a computer that is two or three years old, will a new out-of-the-box computer really be that much more helpful or powerful?
Paul: If you have a bottom of the line computer, then yes, you will notice a real difference then the answer is yes. If you bought a top of the line model then save your money. The difference will be minimal.
Dr. R: Gee “minimal” Paul. Do people ever tell you sound a lot like me when you are talking?
Paul: Actually dad, a teacher did tell me I sound exactly like you!
Dr. R.: Okay, let’s say a reader has a son or daughter who wants to become a gamer, should the parents be purchasing a PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, or a Wii?
Paul: A Wii is best for younger children or those who are new to gaming. The PlayStation 3 and the XBox 360 have excellent graphics. The PlayStation is a lot more money so I don’t personally recommend it unless you want a Blu-Ray DVD player.
Dr. R: What’s the dumbest mistake folks make when buying a cell phone?
Paul: Three things: read the fine print, read the fine print, and read the fine print again. Most cell phone contracts will lock you in for two years. If you want to switch carriers there is generally a hefty termination fee so be 100% sure you like the plan before signing on the dotted line. Also, many providers offer great mail-in rebates. Remember to ask your salesperson.
Dr. R: Do all techno-geeks really wear pocket protectors?
Paul: In my mind, the label geek is a compliment and no, I’ve worn a pocket protector. My goal is to bring out the hidden geek in everybody.
Dr. R: How in the heck did you learn so much about technology when your dad (namely me) struggles to find the on/off switch on a power strip?
Paul: Well, basically at age 3, I broke your computer and decided I should learn how to fix it. Since that time, I’ve been researching technology.
Dr. Rosenthal is the author of the newly-released Special 15th Anniversary Edition of the Encyclopedia of Counseling used by counselors coast-to-coast to secure licensing and certification. His son Paul wants to make the world a better place using technology. Dr. Rosenthal’s website is www.howardrosenthal.com
Dr. Rosenthal goes one-on-one with a 14-year old techno-geek!
Dr. Howard Rosenthal
Technology is intended to make our lives easier, less stressful and (dare I say it) fun. The cold-hard truth, however, is that technology often drives us to the boiling point. Who among us has not threatened to do bodily harm to our computers? Fess up, it won’t get you thrown in the slammer – yet!
To make your life easier, I’ve chosen to interview the most technologically sophisticated person I know: My 14-year old son, Paul Rosenthal, mastermind for the www.freecomputerhelpinfo.com website. Paul has repaired scores of computers, a boatload of websites, and does things with his cell phone most people only dream about. (When was the last time you personally used your cell phone to secure wireless high speed internet access on your laptop from St. Louis to Pittsburgh? Try it sometime.
So, without any further ado, here is my interview with my son, 14- year old Paul Rosenthal.
Dr. Rosenthal: Paul, everybody wants an iPhone. True, I personally can’t afford one on a mental health columnist’s salary, but assuming I did have the money, would this be a wise purchase?
Paul: iPhones are very expensive because of all the hype. In addition, when you purchase the iPhone, you are locked into a single provider, AT&T. Unless your readers already have one, I suggest they save their money. A Blackberry has better email capabilities and costs less.
Dr. R: In 1965 Gordon Moore created the now famous “Moore’s Law” which postulates that transistor capabilities of computer chips double every 18-24 months. If a reader has a computer that is two or three years old, will a new out-of-the-box computer really be that much more helpful or powerful?
Paul: If you have a bottom of the line computer, then yes, you will notice a real difference then the answer is yes. If you bought a top of the line model then save your money. The difference will be minimal.
Dr. R: Gee “minimal” Paul. Do people ever tell you sound a lot like me when you are talking?
Paul: Actually dad, a teacher did tell me I sound exactly like you!
Dr. R.: Okay, let’s say a reader has a son or daughter who wants to become a gamer, should the parents be purchasing a PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, or a Wii?
Paul: A Wii is best for younger children or those who are new to gaming. The PlayStation 3 and the XBox 360 have excellent graphics. The PlayStation is a lot more money so I don’t personally recommend it unless you want a Blu-Ray DVD player.
Dr. R: What’s the dumbest mistake folks make when buying a cell phone?
Paul: Three things: read the fine print, read the fine print, and read the fine print again. Most cell phone contracts will lock you in for two years. If you want to switch carriers there is generally a hefty termination fee so be 100% sure you like the plan before signing on the dotted line. Also, many providers offer great mail-in rebates. Remember to ask your salesperson.
Dr. R: Do all techno-geeks really wear pocket protectors?
Paul: In my mind, the label geek is a compliment and no, I’ve worn a pocket protector. My goal is to bring out the hidden geek in everybody.
Dr. R: How in the heck did you learn so much about technology when your dad (namely me) struggles to find the on/off switch on a power strip?
Paul: Well, basically at age 3, I broke your computer and decided I should learn how to fix it. Since that time, I’ve been researching technology.
Dr. Rosenthal is the author of the newly-released Special 15th Anniversary Edition of the Encyclopedia of Counseling used by counselors coast-to-coast to secure licensing and certification. His son Paul wants to make the world a better place using technology. Dr. Rosenthal’s website is www.howardrosenthal.com
MIKE MCMURRAN First Capitol News Sports Editor
Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2008 finds everyone happy and health. Today’s column will be an old fashion “stream of consciousness” style of narrative. It’s a device I learned while studying English at UMSL – I think it might even officially be a literary device. I suspect I asked more questions that anyone else in most of my classes – I remember like it was like yesterday asking the dear old professor if he could break the term stream of consciousness down for me and explain it on a level even I could understand. He responded, “It’s the continuous unedited chronological flow of conscious experience through the mind.” Yep, that’s exactly what he said. I remember it so very clearly, because in my mind I though, (a) that’s a totally b.s. answer, and (b) b.s. is exactly what stream of consciousness really is – at least to us lay folk. Now when I must deal with those highly educated in the English language – you know the type, those who know when to use who or whom – or is it, those whom know when…I think you get the idea.
Is it just me or is buying your child an Officially Licensed Cardinal Baseball Jersey a bad investment? Last Christmas, that would be Christmas 2006, with the Cardinals’ World Series win fresh on the minds of both my sons, both asked Santa Claus for Cardinal jerseys. Joe, because he plays mostly third base for his team, the Titans, naturally wanted a Scott Rolen jersey. Dee, on the other hand, wanted a David Eckstein jersey – mostly because Joe didn’t. So on Christmas morning, both boys opened their gifts, and both received the respective jersey they had asked for. We are now the proud owner of two, Officially Licensed Cardinal Baseball Jerseys, of player who no longer play for the Cardinals. I don’t mean to be an angry old man about the whole situation, but Joe is going to wear his Scott Rolen jersey until he out grows it, at which time Dee will wear it.
Might I suggest, what we are going to do in the McMurran family, is only buy Officially Licensed Cardinal Baseball Jerseys of players retired, and quiet possibly in the Hall of Fame. Of course there would be two exceptions; if either of my boys wanted to wear a “McCarver #15,” jersey, or a “Maris #9,” I would be more than happy to purchase it for them, as they were my two favorite Cardinals as a child.
You’ve less than two months to watch one of the greatest high school basketball players every to come out of Saint Charles County – Kramer Soderberg. In case you’ve been living in a cave, Kramer has been rewriting the record book at St. Charles West – which arguably has the most storied record book in Saint Charles County. Not only has Kramer climbed the ladder into the top 100 scorers in the history of high school basketball in the entire state of Missouri, he is only the third player in the history of Saint Charles County to crack the elusive 2000 point plateau. Ironically, the last player from the county to reach 2,000 was St. Charles West’s very own Ryan Robertson, who scored 2,751 points during his four-year career in the mid-1990s. It seems unlikely Soderberg will top Robertson’s mark, but don’t underestimate this young man. He really is something special to watch. He currently is leading his team to a 16-1 record – against a schedule with the likes of Hazelwood Central, Webster Groves, McCluer and C.B.C., all of whom have fallen to the Warriors. January 29th is a red letter day, as the Warriors will travel to Zumwalt South (14-2) and hope to pay the Bulldogs back for their only blemish this season.
It seems the sport of basketball has crept into a rather significant spot on the McMurran family calendar. Maggie is playing for her school in the Saint Charles County CYA – her team is doing rather well. As a matter of fact, they have advanced to the Championship Game of the Assumption (O’Fallon, MO) Sixth Grade Girls Invitational Tournament. Maggie is not the star, she contributes her 2 points per game and plays a ferocious defense. We have quite the point guard in Elizabeth Francis – who is really fun to watch. She is turning into quite the basketball player, so much so a fan at the Assumption Tournament wanted to know where she was going to play high school ball. As a former high school a.d., such talk is illegal and dangerous. I know what school the gentleman was from, but will not divulge the information. It really does turn my stomach.
More basketball – this time 4th grade boys from Saint Charles City. Now, this isn’t my idea, I simply overheard it and have been pondering the idea in my head. The gentleman who shared it with me probably knows of what he speaks, as he played his college football at Iowa – advancing all the way to the Rose Bowl. To paraphrase him: every now and then there is just a banner year for a region, or a state, in terms of athletic ability. I suspect I can present arguments both in favor and against his idea. However, if he is right, look out for the class of 2016. In the recently completed Sixth Annual Holy Rosary 4th Grade Boys Basketball Tournament – the entire championship game was made up of St. Cletus – that’s right, St. Cletus (team Briscoe) played St. Cletus (Soderberg/Hash) in the title game. Out of a field of 16 teams, they rose to the top – with Briscoe’s team crowned the champion. I know most people are going to think I’m talking out of, well, most are going to think I’m talking over my head, but remember the following names: Alex Moore, Andy Witte, Ryan Bloomfield, Cole Ziesler, Ryan Briscoe, Tony Morris, Shane Ray and Austin Ray. These boys play for Jim Briscoe and took home the First Place Trophy. Suiting up for coaches Brad Soderberg and Lance Hash were Davis Soderberg, Christopher Rehagen, Jake Hearst, Hunter Eisenbath, Shane Loewenstein, Ian McConnaha, Tyler Hash, Lloyd Bussell, James Quiggins and Jonathan Haupert. It seems Brad Soderberg could not be present for all the games, so he had Lance Hash, one of my favorite people on earth, fill in for him. Of course that may explain their second place finish.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, the third place finishing team also came from beautiful downtown St. Charles. Dr. Dan Coogan’s Academy of the Sacred Heart’s team lost only to St. Cletus – holding them to a two year offensive low. Proudly wearing the Red, Black and White of ASH were Andrew Clark, Sean Coogan, Ryan Hasenbeck, Andrew Heying, Joe McMurran, Griffen Plamer, Nathan Smith, Alex Solomon and Jack Wilke.
Not only do these boys compete against each other in basketball, they’ve been butting heads in soccer since kindergarden. The baseball season finds Andrew Clark playing with the Cletus group and Hash playing with the Sacred Heart group – more times than not in a very competitive game – often times for a tournament title.
I’m not sure which, if any of the Cletus boys play football, but August thru November will find Joe McMurran playing for O’Fallon Jr. Renegades and Griffen Palmer and Alex Solomon suiting up for Chesterfield.
And that my friends, is an example of stream of consciousness. See ya.
Is it just me or is buying your child an Officially Licensed Cardinal Baseball Jersey a bad investment? Last Christmas, that would be Christmas 2006, with the Cardinals’ World Series win fresh on the minds of both my sons, both asked Santa Claus for Cardinal jerseys. Joe, because he plays mostly third base for his team, the Titans, naturally wanted a Scott Rolen jersey. Dee, on the other hand, wanted a David Eckstein jersey – mostly because Joe didn’t. So on Christmas morning, both boys opened their gifts, and both received the respective jersey they had asked for. We are now the proud owner of two, Officially Licensed Cardinal Baseball Jerseys, of player who no longer play for the Cardinals. I don’t mean to be an angry old man about the whole situation, but Joe is going to wear his Scott Rolen jersey until he out grows it, at which time Dee will wear it.
Might I suggest, what we are going to do in the McMurran family, is only buy Officially Licensed Cardinal Baseball Jerseys of players retired, and quiet possibly in the Hall of Fame. Of course there would be two exceptions; if either of my boys wanted to wear a “McCarver #15,” jersey, or a “Maris #9,” I would be more than happy to purchase it for them, as they were my two favorite Cardinals as a child.
You’ve less than two months to watch one of the greatest high school basketball players every to come out of Saint Charles County – Kramer Soderberg. In case you’ve been living in a cave, Kramer has been rewriting the record book at St. Charles West – which arguably has the most storied record book in Saint Charles County. Not only has Kramer climbed the ladder into the top 100 scorers in the history of high school basketball in the entire state of Missouri, he is only the third player in the history of Saint Charles County to crack the elusive 2000 point plateau. Ironically, the last player from the county to reach 2,000 was St. Charles West’s very own Ryan Robertson, who scored 2,751 points during his four-year career in the mid-1990s. It seems unlikely Soderberg will top Robertson’s mark, but don’t underestimate this young man. He really is something special to watch. He currently is leading his team to a 16-1 record – against a schedule with the likes of Hazelwood Central, Webster Groves, McCluer and C.B.C., all of whom have fallen to the Warriors. January 29th is a red letter day, as the Warriors will travel to Zumwalt South (14-2) and hope to pay the Bulldogs back for their only blemish this season.
It seems the sport of basketball has crept into a rather significant spot on the McMurran family calendar. Maggie is playing for her school in the Saint Charles County CYA – her team is doing rather well. As a matter of fact, they have advanced to the Championship Game of the Assumption (O’Fallon, MO) Sixth Grade Girls Invitational Tournament. Maggie is not the star, she contributes her 2 points per game and plays a ferocious defense. We have quite the point guard in Elizabeth Francis – who is really fun to watch. She is turning into quite the basketball player, so much so a fan at the Assumption Tournament wanted to know where she was going to play high school ball. As a former high school a.d., such talk is illegal and dangerous. I know what school the gentleman was from, but will not divulge the information. It really does turn my stomach.
More basketball – this time 4th grade boys from Saint Charles City. Now, this isn’t my idea, I simply overheard it and have been pondering the idea in my head. The gentleman who shared it with me probably knows of what he speaks, as he played his college football at Iowa – advancing all the way to the Rose Bowl. To paraphrase him: every now and then there is just a banner year for a region, or a state, in terms of athletic ability. I suspect I can present arguments both in favor and against his idea. However, if he is right, look out for the class of 2016. In the recently completed Sixth Annual Holy Rosary 4th Grade Boys Basketball Tournament – the entire championship game was made up of St. Cletus – that’s right, St. Cletus (team Briscoe) played St. Cletus (Soderberg/Hash) in the title game. Out of a field of 16 teams, they rose to the top – with Briscoe’s team crowned the champion. I know most people are going to think I’m talking out of, well, most are going to think I’m talking over my head, but remember the following names: Alex Moore, Andy Witte, Ryan Bloomfield, Cole Ziesler, Ryan Briscoe, Tony Morris, Shane Ray and Austin Ray. These boys play for Jim Briscoe and took home the First Place Trophy. Suiting up for coaches Brad Soderberg and Lance Hash were Davis Soderberg, Christopher Rehagen, Jake Hearst, Hunter Eisenbath, Shane Loewenstein, Ian McConnaha, Tyler Hash, Lloyd Bussell, James Quiggins and Jonathan Haupert. It seems Brad Soderberg could not be present for all the games, so he had Lance Hash, one of my favorite people on earth, fill in for him. Of course that may explain their second place finish.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, the third place finishing team also came from beautiful downtown St. Charles. Dr. Dan Coogan’s Academy of the Sacred Heart’s team lost only to St. Cletus – holding them to a two year offensive low. Proudly wearing the Red, Black and White of ASH were Andrew Clark, Sean Coogan, Ryan Hasenbeck, Andrew Heying, Joe McMurran, Griffen Plamer, Nathan Smith, Alex Solomon and Jack Wilke.
Not only do these boys compete against each other in basketball, they’ve been butting heads in soccer since kindergarden. The baseball season finds Andrew Clark playing with the Cletus group and Hash playing with the Sacred Heart group – more times than not in a very competitive game – often times for a tournament title.
I’m not sure which, if any of the Cletus boys play football, but August thru November will find Joe McMurran playing for O’Fallon Jr. Renegades and Griffen Palmer and Alex Solomon suiting up for Chesterfield.
And that my friends, is an example of stream of consciousness. See ya.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
College Foundation Selects Grace Harmon For Achievement Award
Will Recognize Her Lifetime of Community Betterment
The St. Charles Community College Foundation has chosen local civic leader Grace Harmon of St. Charles as the 2008 recipient of the Professional Excellence Achievement Recognition (PEAR) award.
Harmon will be the guest of honor at the Foundation’s annual PEAR Award Gala Dinner on Feb. 23 at Whitmore Country Club in St. Peters.
Each year, PEAR award recipients are recognized by the community college Foundation Board for their personal and professional contributions to the quality of life for St. Charles County and its residents.
Harmon, who with her late husband, Ray, previously operated the world’s largest and most successful baby photo company, has spent a lifetime contributing back to society through her leadership, volunteerism, and philanthropy.
“It is easy to understand why our Foundation Board of Directors has selected Grace, whose love of community clearly demonstrates a true spirit of caring and giving,” said Julie Bartch, president of the Foundation. “Her causes have been many – supporting and encouraging economic development, education, health care, the arts, the disabled, and those who simply need a roof over their heads or a head start in seeking career and job opportunities.”
A savvy businesswoman in her own right, Harmon worked with husband Ray as he developed First Foto-HASCO International 50 years ago in Alexandria, Va., later establishing St. Charles as the headquarters in 1977. By 1999, HASCO was serving 2,750 hospitals in 50 states, photographing roughly 78 percent of all American babies. As the company grew, Grace would step in to start up new departments – “a jack of all trades,” she called herself. She found her real niche in the personnel department hiring and placing new employees.
For the Harmons, professional success was a blessing that reflected a joy for living, a respect for work, and a love of family, church, and education. Their business success afforded them a means to become active in their community with a goal of supporting change and innovation for the greater good.
Now retired, Grace Harmon is a past president of the area’s Business and Professional Women’s organization. Active in the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce since 1986, she served as its president in 1999 and was selected as the chamber’s Citizen of the Years award recipient in 2002. She is a graduate of Leadership St. Charles (1990) and Leadership St. Louis (1995), was a member of the Regional Business Council of the RCGA, and she received Rotarian of the Year accolades from the St. Charles Sunrise Rotary Club in the year 2000. She and Ray were honored by the St. Peters Chamber of Commerce and by Youth in Need (1996) for their involvement in activities supporting young people.
Harmon has also been honored with the Athena Leadership Award and the Dove Award for her community service, mentoring others, and supporting the development of women in leadership. A champion of education, she has served a number of years on Lindenwood University’s Board of Directors. She was a charter member of the St. Charles Public Schools Foundation, where she served for 10 years. She participated in career awareness fairs for eighth-graders and the annual Ethics Seminar for high school seniors.
“Young people are the future of St. Charles County,” Harmon said, “and it pleases me to see the busy leaders of institutions and corporations working together to help develop students’ skills and talents.” Harmon credits business organizations like Partners for Progress and people like Randy Shilling, president of Quiligy; James Evans, president of Lindenwood University; and John McGuire, president of St. Charles Community College for their collective contributions to educating the future workforce.
Harmon currently serves on the boards of Partners for Progress, Foundry Art Center, Mosaics Festival for the Arts, and ShowMe Aquatics. She chaired the St. Joseph Health Center Foundation in 1991, and the Harmons’ monetary gift in 1998 enabled the hospital to build a new rehabilitation center for patients suffering from heart and lung conditions. She is the 2007 chair of the St. Joseph Health Center Advisory Board.
Harmon served on the board of Connections for Success, where she supported the needs of women breaking the cycle of poverty to enter the job market. She also joined the Habitat for Humanity Board and is currently a church elder who is active with New Hope Presbyterian Church.
“As a workplace leader and as a community servant, Grace has always strived to lift up people who are less fortunate,” Bartch said. “A person of great compassion and optimism, her style is to contribute and to serve, and she encourages businesses and corporations to do the same.”
Foundation Executive Director Edie Kirk said the gala dinner in Harmon’s honor will be an opportunity to raise funds in support of SCC students while at the same time recognizing Harmon for “a lifetime of compassion, of leading the way, of revitalizing our community, and empowering others to success.” “We are pleased to honor someone who has contributed so much over so many years to the quality of life in this area,” Kirk said.
The theme for the Foundation gala is “Destination Education,” a lively roast and toast in keeping with a passion for travel that Grace and Ray Harmon shared over more than 50 years of marriage. The Harmons’ company captured the baby photo business at nearly all the hospitals in Canada and Australia, and they also set up operations in Paris, France. Their work and their vacations took them to more than 20 countries around the globe, including a balloon trip across the Serenghetti Desert.
Grace and Ray both graduated from St. Charles High School in 1943, and the couple married in 1947. They had two daughters, Jan and Lynn, six grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. The Harmons often took family vacations, which Grace continued to do after Ray’s death in 2005.
But Harmon’s heart remains in St. Charles County. She still sets a major priority on participation in her community. “It’s part of belonging,” she says.
Veit Attempts Parlimentary Ploy In Attempt To Fool Residents of Frenchtown
By Tony Brockmeyer
A ploy by Councilman Richard Veit, Ward 1, at the recent city council meeting may have backfired on him.
Veit has been attempting to rezone properties on North Fourth Street from residential to industrial in defiance of the requests of neighborhood residents. When the bill came to a vote. Councilmen Kneemiller, Stivison, Ermeling, Beckering voted for the rezoning. Feldman and Weller did not attend the meeting, Councilmen Muench, Reeese and Klinghammer voted against the rezoning. Veit was the last to cast his vote and when asked for his vote he hesitated and then to the surprise of those in the audience he voted no.
Veit voted no in an apparent attempt to keep the rezoning issue alive until the two missing council members could be present at a later meeting and vote in favor.
The city council meetings are run by Roberts’s rules of Order. Those rules allow someone who votes in the majority on an issue to be able to have the issue reconsidered at the next meeting. Thus once Veit voted no and was therefore in the majority he could have asked for reconsideration of the matter at the next council meeting. Perhaps one at which the opposition, not aware of his ploy, would not be in attendance.
However, apparently City attorney Mike Valenti rules against that procedure. According to city hall sources, Valenti has ruled that the city council rules say the matter must be called for reconsideration at the same meeting as the original vote. It is Valenti’s opinion that the city council rules overrule Roberts Rules of Order. Therefore, unless Valenti is over ruled or convinced to change his mind Veit’s ploy did not work.
Since being elected Veit has been pushing hard to rezone properties at 1427, 1501, 1503 and 1517 North Fourth Street from residential to industrial. The properties are currently being used for an out building manufacturing company and several automotive businesses such as a body shop, transmission repair and used car lot.
The zoning was changed several years ago by former City Council President Rory Riddler at the request of residents of the area. Riddler’s rezoning grandfathered all the businesses currently being operated there and would have allowed the property to be used for the same type of business if and when they were sold.
In an apparent attempt to help some of the people who helped during his election campaign Veit introduced a bill to eliminate the residential zoning and rezone the properties to industrial. The bill for industrial rezoning was changed to commercial rezoning at the urging of councilman Beckering.
The bill has been on the agenda for several weeks causing the residents in opposition to have to attend each meeting to make their feelings known At one meeting Veit told the residents in attendance that he was not interested in what they wanted, he was voting for the rezoning and they had nine other council members they could try to convince. The bill was to have been voted on at the November 20th meeting of the council but was postponed due to one of Veit’s frequent absences.
At the December 4th meeting Councilman Mike Weller and Councilwoman Laurie Feldman were both absent.
A ploy by Councilman Richard Veit, Ward 1, at the recent city council meeting may have backfired on him.
Veit has been attempting to rezone properties on North Fourth Street from residential to industrial in defiance of the requests of neighborhood residents. When the bill came to a vote. Councilmen Kneemiller, Stivison, Ermeling, Beckering voted for the rezoning. Feldman and Weller did not attend the meeting, Councilmen Muench, Reeese and Klinghammer voted against the rezoning. Veit was the last to cast his vote and when asked for his vote he hesitated and then to the surprise of those in the audience he voted no.
Veit voted no in an apparent attempt to keep the rezoning issue alive until the two missing council members could be present at a later meeting and vote in favor.
The city council meetings are run by Roberts’s rules of Order. Those rules allow someone who votes in the majority on an issue to be able to have the issue reconsidered at the next meeting. Thus once Veit voted no and was therefore in the majority he could have asked for reconsideration of the matter at the next council meeting. Perhaps one at which the opposition, not aware of his ploy, would not be in attendance.
However, apparently City attorney Mike Valenti rules against that procedure. According to city hall sources, Valenti has ruled that the city council rules say the matter must be called for reconsideration at the same meeting as the original vote. It is Valenti’s opinion that the city council rules overrule Roberts Rules of Order. Therefore, unless Valenti is over ruled or convinced to change his mind Veit’s ploy did not work.
Since being elected Veit has been pushing hard to rezone properties at 1427, 1501, 1503 and 1517 North Fourth Street from residential to industrial. The properties are currently being used for an out building manufacturing company and several automotive businesses such as a body shop, transmission repair and used car lot.
The zoning was changed several years ago by former City Council President Rory Riddler at the request of residents of the area. Riddler’s rezoning grandfathered all the businesses currently being operated there and would have allowed the property to be used for the same type of business if and when they were sold.
In an apparent attempt to help some of the people who helped during his election campaign Veit introduced a bill to eliminate the residential zoning and rezone the properties to industrial. The bill for industrial rezoning was changed to commercial rezoning at the urging of councilman Beckering.
The bill has been on the agenda for several weeks causing the residents in opposition to have to attend each meeting to make their feelings known At one meeting Veit told the residents in attendance that he was not interested in what they wanted, he was voting for the rezoning and they had nine other council members they could try to convince. The bill was to have been voted on at the November 20th meeting of the council but was postponed due to one of Veit’s frequent absences.
At the December 4th meeting Councilman Mike Weller and Councilwoman Laurie Feldman were both absent.
RAMBLING WITH The Editor Tony Brockmeyer
PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN FAVORED TO SERVE ON ST. CHARLES BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IF BILL PASSES
Several years ago it was apparent to the then members of the city council that the Mayor was filling a lot of the boards and commissions with her cronies. That is to be expected however the council discovered that many of her appointments did not live in St. Charles, did not own property in St. Charles, and were not registered voters. One of those was the Mayor’s aunt who lived in St. Louis. The council believed that to have proper representation on St. Charles Boards and Commission the members should be registered voters and residents of the city. They introduced a bill, which became an ordinance requiring it.
Now that the Mayor owns the current city council she can do whatever she wants. Councilmen Ron Stivison and Councilman Erv Ermeling have introduced a bill that if passed, would do away with that requirement. You would no longer have to neither be a resident of St. Charles nor be a registered voter to be appointed by the Mayor to a St. Charles Board or Commission. It is Bill 9523.
The previous council also passed an ordinance that when the term a member of a board or commission expired they were no longer a member of the board. At the time several patronage friends of the Mayor were serving on the boards. Some of them did not even live in the city. When their terms expired the Mayor would just not appoint anyone else so her patronage friends would continue to serve even though their terms had expired. Stivison and Ermeling’s bill voids that and allows the board members to serve for at least six months after their term expires is no one has been appointed to the seat.
There was also a section that required any member of a board or commission to disclose any financial or other private interest in city legislation. They are taking this requirement out along with the provision prohibiting a board or commission member from having a financial interest, direct or indirect, in any contract with the city or are financially interested, directly or indirectly in the sale to the city of any land, materials, supplies, equipment or services.
On some of the boards, local organizations, such as the Historic Downtown District, Frenchtown Historical District, and South Main Street Historical District would make two nominations to the boards and one would be selected by the Mayor and city council to serve. This section has also been deleted form the bill. Councilman Veit remarked, “I don’t want to see any little fiefdoms built up.”
They have also deleted the Citizen’s Participation and Advisory Committee, Oktoberfest Committee, Lewis and Clark Rendezvous Days Committee, and Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority.
CHANGES TO LIQUOR LICENSE LAW
Another interesting bill is Bill #9527 which is being sponsored by Councilman Veit. This bill, if passed by the city council, would void the provision that currently prohibits possession of an open container in a motor vehicle.
It also will prohibit any dancing, sitting or standing upon a bar, tables or an other raised surface that is used for preparing or serving food or beverages. If would also be a violation if a liquor license holder or any employee failed to prevent or suppress any violent quarrel, disorder, brawl, fight, or other improper or unlawful conduct nor would profane or obscene language, song, entertainment, literature or advertising material be allowed upon the premises.
There is also a section in the bill that restricts to six, the number of liquor licenses that can be issued in the 100 block of South Main Street and the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of North Main Street.
Several years ago it was apparent to the then members of the city council that the Mayor was filling a lot of the boards and commissions with her cronies. That is to be expected however the council discovered that many of her appointments did not live in St. Charles, did not own property in St. Charles, and were not registered voters. One of those was the Mayor’s aunt who lived in St. Louis. The council believed that to have proper representation on St. Charles Boards and Commission the members should be registered voters and residents of the city. They introduced a bill, which became an ordinance requiring it.
Now that the Mayor owns the current city council she can do whatever she wants. Councilmen Ron Stivison and Councilman Erv Ermeling have introduced a bill that if passed, would do away with that requirement. You would no longer have to neither be a resident of St. Charles nor be a registered voter to be appointed by the Mayor to a St. Charles Board or Commission. It is Bill 9523.
The previous council also passed an ordinance that when the term a member of a board or commission expired they were no longer a member of the board. At the time several patronage friends of the Mayor were serving on the boards. Some of them did not even live in the city. When their terms expired the Mayor would just not appoint anyone else so her patronage friends would continue to serve even though their terms had expired. Stivison and Ermeling’s bill voids that and allows the board members to serve for at least six months after their term expires is no one has been appointed to the seat.
There was also a section that required any member of a board or commission to disclose any financial or other private interest in city legislation. They are taking this requirement out along with the provision prohibiting a board or commission member from having a financial interest, direct or indirect, in any contract with the city or are financially interested, directly or indirectly in the sale to the city of any land, materials, supplies, equipment or services.
On some of the boards, local organizations, such as the Historic Downtown District, Frenchtown Historical District, and South Main Street Historical District would make two nominations to the boards and one would be selected by the Mayor and city council to serve. This section has also been deleted form the bill. Councilman Veit remarked, “I don’t want to see any little fiefdoms built up.”
They have also deleted the Citizen’s Participation and Advisory Committee, Oktoberfest Committee, Lewis and Clark Rendezvous Days Committee, and Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority.
CHANGES TO LIQUOR LICENSE LAW
Another interesting bill is Bill #9527 which is being sponsored by Councilman Veit. This bill, if passed by the city council, would void the provision that currently prohibits possession of an open container in a motor vehicle.
It also will prohibit any dancing, sitting or standing upon a bar, tables or an other raised surface that is used for preparing or serving food or beverages. If would also be a violation if a liquor license holder or any employee failed to prevent or suppress any violent quarrel, disorder, brawl, fight, or other improper or unlawful conduct nor would profane or obscene language, song, entertainment, literature or advertising material be allowed upon the premises.
There is also a section in the bill that restricts to six, the number of liquor licenses that can be issued in the 100 block of South Main Street and the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of North Main Street.
THE CITY DESK - Rory Riddler
Strategic Plan Is Shiny Thing
To Distract You From The Truth
The latest newsletter from the City of St. Charles arrived this past week and gave me one of those “stop, rewind, what did that say” moments. The article from the City Council was about a retreat they had in August to discuss a Strategic Plan for the City of St. Charles.
The article described how they “dove” into the strategic planning process. They hope to be able to identify the issues facing the community and establish a vision for our community as a whole.
Now in my day (earlier this year) the Council was “elected” to establish policy for the City. The identification process for the needs of the people, were “identified” through the process of running on a platform, and going door-to-door in a campaign to listen to the people. Council members were elected to roll up their sleeves and begin the job the people elected them to do, not to begin a never ending process of self-evaluation with what amounts to an over-priced therapist asking our elected public officials to just lay back on the couch and tell us about their childhoods.
So four months after they began, nine months after the new council was elected, we are reading a December newsletter about what they talked about last August. They state in the article that the retreat was “…not a forum for the establishment of priorities for specific projects.” Why bother with the details like accomplishing anything.
No, the strategic planning process, or as our President likes to call it, “Strategy”, is like the Never Ending Story or worse, every parent’s nightmare trapped in a car with young children…The Song That Never Ends. You know, “This is the song that never ends. It just goes on and on my friends. Someone starting singing it, not knowing what it was. And now they go on singing it, forever just because…this is the song that never ends. It just goes on and on my friends…” (Must will myself to stop now).
Ahhh, that’s better.
So how long can this process go on? Well, the Mayor’s column in the same newsletter gives us a hint. She writes, “This next year will see us planning for the future with a Strategic plan…we want participation from everyone…It is our gift to you.” Wow, a gift I get to put together myself.
This is how the council described the process, “Only after we have received input from the overall community, and secured the full commitment from stakeholders, business and residents will we begin to formulate our vision, mission statement and goals for the City.” Yawn, this could take longer than I thought. I wonder if they would know a stakeholder if they saw one? We used to call them taxpayers back in the day.
Of course, for the public to come together and plan where the community is going, everyone will have to have the same level of information and knowledge of where we’ve been, where we are, the available monetary resources, types of taxes, funds, previous commitments for those resources and basic finance principles, personnel resources (manpower, training and management capabilities), the limitations placed on change by State and Federal Law and the Courts, and perhaps some experience in urban planning.
That used to be the job of our elected public officials, to educate themselves and work in a political environment to serve the needs of the people. Now, like the advent of self-service gasoline pumps, we are being challenged to do it for them.
All of this is not to say I am against planning, but people with some experience, expertise and authority best do planning. It isn’t like the City doesn’t have a newly updated “Comprehensive Plan” already. The Planning & Zoning commission and the Community Development Department led that effort and it lays out exactly what the Council in their article said they were looking for in a Strategic Plan, “…a widely accepted guidebook to achieve a higher quality of life”.
There is an old joke that goes, how do you spell Government in action…with one word (inaction) or two (in action)? There is also what I like to call “dynamic inaction” which is when government, business or large utility companies (Ameran U.E. is a master at this), talk a lot about what all they are going to do, commission studies, hold hearings, focus groups, think tanks, do public engagements and run full-page ads telling you about how new and improved they are.
Nothing gets done, but they try to look busy doing it. It reminds me of the Dilbert cartoon where he asks, “How did people look busy before computers?”
One of the sillier ways in which Washington bureaucrats have decided to waste our money is in requiring a “public engagement process” on larger Federal projects. The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) just signed a contract to spend over half-a-million dollars with a company to see how people feel about them dumping sewage in area streams and rivers because of an outdated collection system for sanitary waste.
My guess is the public feels that is “bad”, but may not want to spend the estimated billions it will take to fix it if it means raising sewer rates. A year from now, and after spending $500,000 to check it out, we will see if my prediction is true.
Of course if City officials truly wanted to know what is on our minds, all they have to do is conduct a scientifically valid public opinion poll. We can know with a range of plus or minus 4% what the majority of people think about any given subject. We have the technology.
But knowing the “real” truth versus shepherding along the development of a “perceived” truth, are two very different things. No one really wants your opinion in this kind of process. They want to have a select group of elites come together and validate their own beliefs. The process will test public opinion, but only the public opinion of those individuals engaged enough to come to meetings and sit through the process. The end results are therefore invalid for the universe of all City residents from the start.
In many ways, these are the same skills magicians employ to distract us from the truth. It is called misdirection. The Strategic Planning Process is a giant shiny thing being dangled in front of the public to explain away a lack of progress and vision for the community…a vision at one time provided by those we elect to public office.
Haggling over the nuance of every word in a one-size fits all mission statement, may be shiny enough to distract a cat, but will it work on real people? What we’re missing is the obvious. They don’t have a clue what to do.
Not everyone in local government can be painted with the same broad brush. Many, I am sure, came to office with ideas, goals, hopes and dreams. But they are being badly served in listening to those who now say the City’s future is better served if we get everyone together for a group hug. Nothing against group hugs…it’s just no way to run a City.
To Distract You From The Truth
The latest newsletter from the City of St. Charles arrived this past week and gave me one of those “stop, rewind, what did that say” moments. The article from the City Council was about a retreat they had in August to discuss a Strategic Plan for the City of St. Charles.
The article described how they “dove” into the strategic planning process. They hope to be able to identify the issues facing the community and establish a vision for our community as a whole.
Now in my day (earlier this year) the Council was “elected” to establish policy for the City. The identification process for the needs of the people, were “identified” through the process of running on a platform, and going door-to-door in a campaign to listen to the people. Council members were elected to roll up their sleeves and begin the job the people elected them to do, not to begin a never ending process of self-evaluation with what amounts to an over-priced therapist asking our elected public officials to just lay back on the couch and tell us about their childhoods.
So four months after they began, nine months after the new council was elected, we are reading a December newsletter about what they talked about last August. They state in the article that the retreat was “…not a forum for the establishment of priorities for specific projects.” Why bother with the details like accomplishing anything.
No, the strategic planning process, or as our President likes to call it, “Strategy”, is like the Never Ending Story or worse, every parent’s nightmare trapped in a car with young children…The Song That Never Ends. You know, “This is the song that never ends. It just goes on and on my friends. Someone starting singing it, not knowing what it was. And now they go on singing it, forever just because…this is the song that never ends. It just goes on and on my friends…” (Must will myself to stop now).
Ahhh, that’s better.
So how long can this process go on? Well, the Mayor’s column in the same newsletter gives us a hint. She writes, “This next year will see us planning for the future with a Strategic plan…we want participation from everyone…It is our gift to you.” Wow, a gift I get to put together myself.
This is how the council described the process, “Only after we have received input from the overall community, and secured the full commitment from stakeholders, business and residents will we begin to formulate our vision, mission statement and goals for the City.” Yawn, this could take longer than I thought. I wonder if they would know a stakeholder if they saw one? We used to call them taxpayers back in the day.
Of course, for the public to come together and plan where the community is going, everyone will have to have the same level of information and knowledge of where we’ve been, where we are, the available monetary resources, types of taxes, funds, previous commitments for those resources and basic finance principles, personnel resources (manpower, training and management capabilities), the limitations placed on change by State and Federal Law and the Courts, and perhaps some experience in urban planning.
That used to be the job of our elected public officials, to educate themselves and work in a political environment to serve the needs of the people. Now, like the advent of self-service gasoline pumps, we are being challenged to do it for them.
All of this is not to say I am against planning, but people with some experience, expertise and authority best do planning. It isn’t like the City doesn’t have a newly updated “Comprehensive Plan” already. The Planning & Zoning commission and the Community Development Department led that effort and it lays out exactly what the Council in their article said they were looking for in a Strategic Plan, “…a widely accepted guidebook to achieve a higher quality of life”.
There is an old joke that goes, how do you spell Government in action…with one word (inaction) or two (in action)? There is also what I like to call “dynamic inaction” which is when government, business or large utility companies (Ameran U.E. is a master at this), talk a lot about what all they are going to do, commission studies, hold hearings, focus groups, think tanks, do public engagements and run full-page ads telling you about how new and improved they are.
Nothing gets done, but they try to look busy doing it. It reminds me of the Dilbert cartoon where he asks, “How did people look busy before computers?”
One of the sillier ways in which Washington bureaucrats have decided to waste our money is in requiring a “public engagement process” on larger Federal projects. The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) just signed a contract to spend over half-a-million dollars with a company to see how people feel about them dumping sewage in area streams and rivers because of an outdated collection system for sanitary waste.
My guess is the public feels that is “bad”, but may not want to spend the estimated billions it will take to fix it if it means raising sewer rates. A year from now, and after spending $500,000 to check it out, we will see if my prediction is true.
Of course if City officials truly wanted to know what is on our minds, all they have to do is conduct a scientifically valid public opinion poll. We can know with a range of plus or minus 4% what the majority of people think about any given subject. We have the technology.
But knowing the “real” truth versus shepherding along the development of a “perceived” truth, are two very different things. No one really wants your opinion in this kind of process. They want to have a select group of elites come together and validate their own beliefs. The process will test public opinion, but only the public opinion of those individuals engaged enough to come to meetings and sit through the process. The end results are therefore invalid for the universe of all City residents from the start.
In many ways, these are the same skills magicians employ to distract us from the truth. It is called misdirection. The Strategic Planning Process is a giant shiny thing being dangled in front of the public to explain away a lack of progress and vision for the community…a vision at one time provided by those we elect to public office.
Haggling over the nuance of every word in a one-size fits all mission statement, may be shiny enough to distract a cat, but will it work on real people? What we’re missing is the obvious. They don’t have a clue what to do.
Not everyone in local government can be painted with the same broad brush. Many, I am sure, came to office with ideas, goals, hopes and dreams. But they are being badly served in listening to those who now say the City’s future is better served if we get everyone together for a group hug. Nothing against group hugs…it’s just no way to run a City.
EDITORIAL _ County Executive Steve Ehlmann
AN EDITORIAL OPINION
Rumblings have come from some on the St. Charles City Council members that they are tired of hearing and reading they are the Mayor’s city council. Apparently, the councilmen are so afraid of friends of the mayor claiming they are “micro-managing” the city, they are allowing the administration do whatever, spend whatever, hire whomever the mayor wants.
The council needs to go back and read their civics books and find out their real role in city government. They would find out oversight is a requirement of the job. This oversight might make them think they are “micro managing” but they really are not. This council believes they are part of the administration, not legislative, and haven’t looked at anything with an eye to protect the taxpayers’ money. Now, I would like to say they aren’t with the Mayor on everything, yet, they have voted her way each and every time. So why wouldn’t the rest of us believe they are the mayor’s lap dogs? A free thinker in this group has yet to come forward. This council needs a Bill Conroy or Mark Brown type to ask the thought provoking questions.
This city council can’t continue sticking their heads in the sand leaving all the important decisions up to the mayor. They need to get involved, ask questions and dig into details. Something they are currently not doing. This is not a job they volunteered to do. They are getting a nice salary and yet some of them do not even show up for the meetings.
The previous city council created council committees such as public works, auditing, law enforcement, streets, traffic, etc. to hold hearings and make recommendations to the council as a whole. The current council and the mayor have now made a point to do away with the city council committees and start citizen committees. The city council and York both told us citizen input is what they want. They want to hear what the residents think.
But, evidently, that is not happening. Recently the city staff and the Landmarks committee voiced their opinion on an additional sign for Ameristar that would go on the west side of the building facing Interstate 70. The lighted sign would be 35 feet by 55 feet (1925 square feet) on which the message could be rotated. The mayor and the council went against the staff and citizen committees and approved the Ameristar sign.
The real reason they want the citizen committees goes back to the defeated former councilman and defeated candidate for other offices, Richard Baum. Baum especially liked the citizen committees so he could hide behind them when it suited his argument. Now this council and mayor are employing this tactic and every citizen on these committees should wake up and see that their opinions are not important unless they suit the wishes of the mayor and council.
If this city council would be doing the job of oversight and accountability they were elected to do the mayor would not have fired Brent Schultz, the former assistant city administrator (who worked for the city for over 30 years) and hired three new people to do what he was doing. You allowed the Mayor to balloon the administrative budget and that’s your legacy to date.
I think the fact that the council members are all scared to speak out demonstrates the level York plays politics. York is not a statesmen, she is a bully politician that hurts those who speak against her. The city needs to be investigated by the same group that caught former St. Peters Mayor Shawn Brown.
York gets $60,000 in taxpayer money a year to run the city and now we have to pay newly hired city administrator Michael Spurgeon from Miami, Oklahoma $124,000 plus benefits, plus $1,000 a month for a furnished apartment, plus auto expenses to run the city. York hired Dave Gipson to work as a liaison between the Mayor, council and residents because she does not want to deal with them and is paying him over $50,000 and benefits.
A lot of people voted for York because they believed she was supposed to know what to do? She lied to everybody about being the CEO and having the smarts to run the city. Where are the fiscal conservatives?
The numbers above don’t include the fact that the City now has a City Attorney, Assistant Attorney and has hired a special counsel to handle all of the employee complaints filed since the Mayor has taken charge; and special counsel to handle the federal subpoena for city records and the Express Scripts and Sellenschuetter lawsuits.
Never have so many employees been overlooked for promotion, moved without cause or dismissed. Of course, you don’t hear much of this because it takes place in closed session. This is to hide the hundreds of thousands you will spend on York’s vindictive politics.
Rumblings have come from some on the St. Charles City Council members that they are tired of hearing and reading they are the Mayor’s city council. Apparently, the councilmen are so afraid of friends of the mayor claiming they are “micro-managing” the city, they are allowing the administration do whatever, spend whatever, hire whomever the mayor wants.
The council needs to go back and read their civics books and find out their real role in city government. They would find out oversight is a requirement of the job. This oversight might make them think they are “micro managing” but they really are not. This council believes they are part of the administration, not legislative, and haven’t looked at anything with an eye to protect the taxpayers’ money. Now, I would like to say they aren’t with the Mayor on everything, yet, they have voted her way each and every time. So why wouldn’t the rest of us believe they are the mayor’s lap dogs? A free thinker in this group has yet to come forward. This council needs a Bill Conroy or Mark Brown type to ask the thought provoking questions.
This city council can’t continue sticking their heads in the sand leaving all the important decisions up to the mayor. They need to get involved, ask questions and dig into details. Something they are currently not doing. This is not a job they volunteered to do. They are getting a nice salary and yet some of them do not even show up for the meetings.
The previous city council created council committees such as public works, auditing, law enforcement, streets, traffic, etc. to hold hearings and make recommendations to the council as a whole. The current council and the mayor have now made a point to do away with the city council committees and start citizen committees. The city council and York both told us citizen input is what they want. They want to hear what the residents think.
But, evidently, that is not happening. Recently the city staff and the Landmarks committee voiced their opinion on an additional sign for Ameristar that would go on the west side of the building facing Interstate 70. The lighted sign would be 35 feet by 55 feet (1925 square feet) on which the message could be rotated. The mayor and the council went against the staff and citizen committees and approved the Ameristar sign.
The real reason they want the citizen committees goes back to the defeated former councilman and defeated candidate for other offices, Richard Baum. Baum especially liked the citizen committees so he could hide behind them when it suited his argument. Now this council and mayor are employing this tactic and every citizen on these committees should wake up and see that their opinions are not important unless they suit the wishes of the mayor and council.
If this city council would be doing the job of oversight and accountability they were elected to do the mayor would not have fired Brent Schultz, the former assistant city administrator (who worked for the city for over 30 years) and hired three new people to do what he was doing. You allowed the Mayor to balloon the administrative budget and that’s your legacy to date.
I think the fact that the council members are all scared to speak out demonstrates the level York plays politics. York is not a statesmen, she is a bully politician that hurts those who speak against her. The city needs to be investigated by the same group that caught former St. Peters Mayor Shawn Brown.
York gets $60,000 in taxpayer money a year to run the city and now we have to pay newly hired city administrator Michael Spurgeon from Miami, Oklahoma $124,000 plus benefits, plus $1,000 a month for a furnished apartment, plus auto expenses to run the city. York hired Dave Gipson to work as a liaison between the Mayor, council and residents because she does not want to deal with them and is paying him over $50,000 and benefits.
A lot of people voted for York because they believed she was supposed to know what to do? She lied to everybody about being the CEO and having the smarts to run the city. Where are the fiscal conservatives?
The numbers above don’t include the fact that the City now has a City Attorney, Assistant Attorney and has hired a special counsel to handle all of the employee complaints filed since the Mayor has taken charge; and special counsel to handle the federal subpoena for city records and the Express Scripts and Sellenschuetter lawsuits.
Never have so many employees been overlooked for promotion, moved without cause or dismissed. Of course, you don’t hear much of this because it takes place in closed session. This is to hide the hundreds of thousands you will spend on York’s vindictive politics.
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
Tony
We hope you will print this letter to the editor in your next addition of your paper, The First Capitol News, regarding comments by Charles Hill.
Bob and Clara Scott, WWII veterans and proud to have served our country when the need arose.
Subject: Disparaging Comments on St. Charles Veteran’s memorial
An opinion piece bearing the authorship of “Charles Hill” in a local publication not only disparages $300,000 spent on the St. Charles City Veteran’s Memorial, but also incorrectly states that the “monument was spearheaded by a group of self-serving veterans who felt they deserved a statue.”
No veteran in St. Charles ever asked or lobbied for this monument. None of us feels that anyone owes us a statue. A unanimous resolution by the members of the City Council for erecting the monument led to the Mayor placing it in the City budget. An amount of $300,000 was unanimously approved by the Council. This was an action taken by the duly elected representatives of the people of St. Charles, not a special interest group of “self servers.”
Leo Zerjav, a local architect and not a veteran, designed the monument. He donated his services. It didn’t cost the City a dime.
The lowest bid for erecting the memorial came in at $330,000 or $30,000 over what the Mayor and Council had budgeted. A Veteran’s Memorial Committee, appointed to provide oversight for the project, did not go back to the Council to ask for additional funds. It was determined to cut costs and/or find alternative funding sources. The St. Charles Lions Club and Councilman Bob Hoepfner should receive great credit for providing the flags and flag poles. That was a donation of $15,000. The remaining $15,000 shortfall was made up through value engineering efforts by the prime contractor, Integra. The landscaping was accomplished as a Boy Scout Eagle project.
“Charles” also mentioned that the $300,000 would have been better spent for helping individual veterans. That’s a judgement call and a separate and mutually exclusive concern. The issue that was voted on and approved was constructing a Monument in remembrance of this City’s veterans, not establishing a local veteran’s relief organization.
Interestingly, the veteran’s of St. Charles and their organizations give back over time much more that the $300,000 appropriated for the monument. VFW Post 2866 alone gives back between $50,000 and $80,000 per year to various St. Charles community activities. Every penny, for example, that we raise at our annual Buddy Poppy sale goes to supporting our less fortunate Heroes in our Veterans’ Homes and Hospitals.
The memorial also draws tourists and conventioneers. From 14 - 16 December a conference of the national VFW Auxiliary will be held in St. Charles. The national Auxiliary President will lay a wreath at our monument. Next year a national reunion of the USS Corpus Christi Bay, a Vietnam veteran’s organization is scheduled. They selected our memorial over all others in the St. Louis area.
“Charles Hill,” continue to visit our beautiful Memorial. All of us Veterans are grateful and appreciative of our generous citizens for providing this quiet and reflective place of remembrance. We are well aware of the financial sacrifice of their tax dollars. Rest assured that we veterans have been will continue to be good stewards of the trust you have placed in us.
Tom Kuypers
Chairman, St. Charles Veteran’s Memorial Committee
Impressed with this community
Thank you. As the campaign chair for the Tri-County Division of United Way of Greater St. Louis for the past two years, I want to let the people in this community know how grateful I am to them.
Because of the record level of generosity in the St. Charles, Warren and Lincoln counties, our division of United Way was able to raise nearly $3.15 million toward the total $68.8 million raised across the region. This means that United Way will put more than one million dollars each week back into this region in 2008. Because of you, nearly 200 local United Way funded agencies will be able to continue to do what they do best – help people.
Out of those nearly 200 agencies, more than 100 of them serve people in our specific region including: Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Charles County; Bridgeway Behavioral Health; Community Council of St. Charles County; Crider Health Center; Emmaus Homes; Family Support Services; Lincoln County Council on Aging; Turning Point; United Services for the Handicapped in St. Charles County; and Youth in Need. In 2008, Almost Home and Life Skills will be added to that list.
As someone who once benefited from a United Way agency, I can tell you that United Way does make a positive difference in lives every day. That it does help build a healthy, strong community for us to live in; that it has a set of standards it expects its funded agencies to adhere to, ensuring quality; and that more than 90 cents of each dollar donated goes directly into programming and services.
You can rest assured that your contribution will be efficiently and effectively used to help build a strong, healthy region throughout the Lincoln, Warren, St. Charles counties and the other 13 counties in Missouri and Illinois.
Brian Bredensteiner
Chairman, 2007 United Way of Greater St. Louis Tri-County Campaign
Bredensteiner & Associates
We hope you will print this letter to the editor in your next addition of your paper, The First Capitol News, regarding comments by Charles Hill.
Bob and Clara Scott, WWII veterans and proud to have served our country when the need arose.
Subject: Disparaging Comments on St. Charles Veteran’s memorial
An opinion piece bearing the authorship of “Charles Hill” in a local publication not only disparages $300,000 spent on the St. Charles City Veteran’s Memorial, but also incorrectly states that the “monument was spearheaded by a group of self-serving veterans who felt they deserved a statue.”
No veteran in St. Charles ever asked or lobbied for this monument. None of us feels that anyone owes us a statue. A unanimous resolution by the members of the City Council for erecting the monument led to the Mayor placing it in the City budget. An amount of $300,000 was unanimously approved by the Council. This was an action taken by the duly elected representatives of the people of St. Charles, not a special interest group of “self servers.”
Leo Zerjav, a local architect and not a veteran, designed the monument. He donated his services. It didn’t cost the City a dime.
The lowest bid for erecting the memorial came in at $330,000 or $30,000 over what the Mayor and Council had budgeted. A Veteran’s Memorial Committee, appointed to provide oversight for the project, did not go back to the Council to ask for additional funds. It was determined to cut costs and/or find alternative funding sources. The St. Charles Lions Club and Councilman Bob Hoepfner should receive great credit for providing the flags and flag poles. That was a donation of $15,000. The remaining $15,000 shortfall was made up through value engineering efforts by the prime contractor, Integra. The landscaping was accomplished as a Boy Scout Eagle project.
“Charles” also mentioned that the $300,000 would have been better spent for helping individual veterans. That’s a judgement call and a separate and mutually exclusive concern. The issue that was voted on and approved was constructing a Monument in remembrance of this City’s veterans, not establishing a local veteran’s relief organization.
Interestingly, the veteran’s of St. Charles and their organizations give back over time much more that the $300,000 appropriated for the monument. VFW Post 2866 alone gives back between $50,000 and $80,000 per year to various St. Charles community activities. Every penny, for example, that we raise at our annual Buddy Poppy sale goes to supporting our less fortunate Heroes in our Veterans’ Homes and Hospitals.
The memorial also draws tourists and conventioneers. From 14 - 16 December a conference of the national VFW Auxiliary will be held in St. Charles. The national Auxiliary President will lay a wreath at our monument. Next year a national reunion of the USS Corpus Christi Bay, a Vietnam veteran’s organization is scheduled. They selected our memorial over all others in the St. Louis area.
“Charles Hill,” continue to visit our beautiful Memorial. All of us Veterans are grateful and appreciative of our generous citizens for providing this quiet and reflective place of remembrance. We are well aware of the financial sacrifice of their tax dollars. Rest assured that we veterans have been will continue to be good stewards of the trust you have placed in us.
Tom Kuypers
Chairman, St. Charles Veteran’s Memorial Committee
Impressed with this community
Thank you. As the campaign chair for the Tri-County Division of United Way of Greater St. Louis for the past two years, I want to let the people in this community know how grateful I am to them.
Because of the record level of generosity in the St. Charles, Warren and Lincoln counties, our division of United Way was able to raise nearly $3.15 million toward the total $68.8 million raised across the region. This means that United Way will put more than one million dollars each week back into this region in 2008. Because of you, nearly 200 local United Way funded agencies will be able to continue to do what they do best – help people.
Out of those nearly 200 agencies, more than 100 of them serve people in our specific region including: Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Charles County; Bridgeway Behavioral Health; Community Council of St. Charles County; Crider Health Center; Emmaus Homes; Family Support Services; Lincoln County Council on Aging; Turning Point; United Services for the Handicapped in St. Charles County; and Youth in Need. In 2008, Almost Home and Life Skills will be added to that list.
As someone who once benefited from a United Way agency, I can tell you that United Way does make a positive difference in lives every day. That it does help build a healthy, strong community for us to live in; that it has a set of standards it expects its funded agencies to adhere to, ensuring quality; and that more than 90 cents of each dollar donated goes directly into programming and services.
You can rest assured that your contribution will be efficiently and effectively used to help build a strong, healthy region throughout the Lincoln, Warren, St. Charles counties and the other 13 counties in Missouri and Illinois.
Brian Bredensteiner
Chairman, 2007 United Way of Greater St. Louis Tri-County Campaign
Bredensteiner & Associates
The View From The Cheap Seats by Jerry Hafferkamp
The View From The Cheap Seats
By Jerry Haferkamp
It is seldom that an opportunity arises that there is any reason to compliment the St. Peters Journal. They never, ever report on misdoings in the St. Charles city administration. I don’t recall any questioning about who is responsible for dumping thousands of dollars of taxpayer money (in the form of new trash containers) into the weeds. No mention at all of York hosting a dinner at taxpayer expense that assisted a pal in equipping her new restaurant. There is no mention at all of the millions that are spent to subsidize businesses in a twelve block area on South Main and virtually nothing in comparison spent on the rest of the business in our city. After all, the Journal probably considers that all that is O.K. since York got 55 percent of the vote. Isn’t that a “mandate” to abuse the taxpayers if she wishes?
Ahh, but I digress. There is reason to compliment Steve Pokin on his series on the subject of Internet harassment He should be at a paper where news is the issue, not ads. However, as a result of his columns several area cities are enacting ordinances against such activity. But there’s the rub.
I’m sure that the ACLU will be on that like stink on doggy doo. You know they will claim that under the free speech provision of our Constitution, morons are allowed to harass on the Internet, no matter who is harmed.
There is also the question of how many additional law enforcement personnel will be needed to investigate these acts. There would be at least five or six needed to investigate all the harassment on the infamous Stchuckwatch site alone. For the first time in about six months, I accessed the site the other day. I can only tolerate a small amount of stupidity per year, so I enter the site rarely. There they were, anonymous individuals still harassing anyone who fails to bow to their Queen. Harassment in the past was aimed at Mark Brown, John Gieseke, Dottie Greer, Tim Swope, Ron Lloyd and, of course, the First Capitol News and Tony Brockmeyer.
Yes, the factually challenged are still at it, even though the elections are over and the product they purchased was re-anointed. The harassment of the FCN continues in the form of promoting the harassment of business that advertise there. The harassment of Gieseke and Brown continues partly because the council hired an attorney who was later charged with sexually connected crimes. I’m pretty sure neither Brown nor Gieseke spent time peeking into this attorney’s bedroom window, and had no knowledge of his alleged crimes. Oh, and he was hired by the entire council, not just Brown and Gieseke.
If St. Charles passes such an ordinance, will there be an investigation of the continuing harassment on this site? I doubt it as long as Chief York continues to run the police department.
I owe an apology to Jack Banas. With all that is going on, he really doesn’t have time to prosecute the people that attempted to void your vote through fraud. Sorry folks, your Constitutional right to elect and retain your public officials is no longer guaranteed. Not in St. Charles County anyway.
Of course, that’s just the view from the cheap seats.
By Jerry Haferkamp
It is seldom that an opportunity arises that there is any reason to compliment the St. Peters Journal. They never, ever report on misdoings in the St. Charles city administration. I don’t recall any questioning about who is responsible for dumping thousands of dollars of taxpayer money (in the form of new trash containers) into the weeds. No mention at all of York hosting a dinner at taxpayer expense that assisted a pal in equipping her new restaurant. There is no mention at all of the millions that are spent to subsidize businesses in a twelve block area on South Main and virtually nothing in comparison spent on the rest of the business in our city. After all, the Journal probably considers that all that is O.K. since York got 55 percent of the vote. Isn’t that a “mandate” to abuse the taxpayers if she wishes?
Ahh, but I digress. There is reason to compliment Steve Pokin on his series on the subject of Internet harassment He should be at a paper where news is the issue, not ads. However, as a result of his columns several area cities are enacting ordinances against such activity. But there’s the rub.
I’m sure that the ACLU will be on that like stink on doggy doo. You know they will claim that under the free speech provision of our Constitution, morons are allowed to harass on the Internet, no matter who is harmed.
There is also the question of how many additional law enforcement personnel will be needed to investigate these acts. There would be at least five or six needed to investigate all the harassment on the infamous Stchuckwatch site alone. For the first time in about six months, I accessed the site the other day. I can only tolerate a small amount of stupidity per year, so I enter the site rarely. There they were, anonymous individuals still harassing anyone who fails to bow to their Queen. Harassment in the past was aimed at Mark Brown, John Gieseke, Dottie Greer, Tim Swope, Ron Lloyd and, of course, the First Capitol News and Tony Brockmeyer.
Yes, the factually challenged are still at it, even though the elections are over and the product they purchased was re-anointed. The harassment of the FCN continues in the form of promoting the harassment of business that advertise there. The harassment of Gieseke and Brown continues partly because the council hired an attorney who was later charged with sexually connected crimes. I’m pretty sure neither Brown nor Gieseke spent time peeking into this attorney’s bedroom window, and had no knowledge of his alleged crimes. Oh, and he was hired by the entire council, not just Brown and Gieseke.
If St. Charles passes such an ordinance, will there be an investigation of the continuing harassment on this site? I doubt it as long as Chief York continues to run the police department.
I owe an apology to Jack Banas. With all that is going on, he really doesn’t have time to prosecute the people that attempted to void your vote through fraud. Sorry folks, your Constitutional right to elect and retain your public officials is no longer guaranteed. Not in St. Charles County anyway.
Of course, that’s just the view from the cheap seats.
Kratzer's Corner by Mel Kratzer
Christmas Light Viewing 101
By Mel Kratzer
Has the Christmas shopping season depleted your funds from your entertainment column in the worst way? Its time to adapt and implement the cheap date out activity by going Christmas light viewing. A lot of us just get off the highway from work making a bee line straight to our home without checking out the neighborhood decorations. Pile the kids, wife, or significant other into the car and take everyone Christmas light looking. Tonight!
Now with the family in the car for an hour or two Christmas light watching, you may want to set the group’s mood with some merry ol Christmas carols on the radio. That’s not mandatory though as “Jingle Bells” tunes could get old real quick. Go ahead and rock out while Christmas light viewing to some AC/DC, Pearljam, or some Led Zeppelin. I’ve done and it put me in the high-energy festive spirit.
It’s a sure guarantee while you are driving around doing the Christmas light thing, they’ll be a battle over how warm or cold the cars inside temperature should be. Usually my wife likes it as she puts it “toasty” inside. To me it feels like I’m being barbequed in the driver’s seat rotisserie Instead, I like it kind of cool with the chilly air vent blasting air upside my face preventing me from nodding off and slamming into someone’s porch. Every thirty seconds some soul is adjusting the climate control so have a compromising attitude.
When it’s snowing or ice storming, your first reaction is to hunker down inside the nice heat-filled house with your feet warming by the fireplace. Though the roads may resemble an ice rink or ski slope, it still is worth chancing it looking at Christmas lights as they have a special sparkling glistening effect glowing under the frozen precipitation. You’re driving slow to begin with, so spinning out creaming a person’s lawn Santa is a low probability.
Expect when you are slow motioning along taking in the Christmas lights, to have minor disputes or debates about the arrangements. Spending five minutes observing a light set up you like may be like spending five minutes watching paint dry to the backseat passenger. Some give and take on this how long we spend on the lights display will keep a civil car atmosphere.
Quite amazing the length of trouble Christmas light decorators will go to make there illuminated strand stand out. You could have sworn these people hired monkeys to get their lights on treetops and roof gutters. Then again you can tell who put their lights up after chugging the spiked eggnog also.
From near colossal mishap experience, never go out driving to see Christmas lights after going on a soda or water-drinking binge. Never fails that you get lost in one of those rat maze subdivisions with seemingly no way out while you have a full “I gottta go bad” bladder. Crossing your legs while trying to navigate your auto doesn’t work. As you feel like your eyes are turning yellow, you begin to uneasily contemplate whether you might get noticed if you are able to sneak behind that large bush or tree.
Only safety tip I have concerning Christmas light viewing is to stop when taking a long peek. Last thing you want to do is plow into the back of a parked Rolls Royce and spend your Christmas fleeing across the Canadian border from the law. Oh, and stay off the cell phone. Christmas light drivers who talk on that contraption leave their brains in their glove compartment.
When I was a wee young lad, I’d help my pop with the annual light configuration. Untangling the nest like strand was the second hardest part next to locating the burnt out bulb that caused the whole strand to be out. Those lights we put up look primitive caveman- like compared to the modern lights and inflatables they have now covering one’s property.
Every St. Charles area whether it be Main Street, Frenchtown or wherever has its pockets of Christmas light explosions some more than others. Occasionally you will come across a street with “zilch” lights on them. Guess if they did have lights they’d all spell “Humbug”. The economic energy price bug has a bite on us all so you may not see as many light displays as you might have in years’ past. AmerenUE sponsors a Christmas light contest so now you know where your paying the electric bill goes.
When you are finally Christmas lightoutted, I suggest you stop off somewhere, grab a hot cocoa and head over to Jehlings Hardware store to see their massive Christmas light/train display inside. The set up took 9 weeks to complete and will take you around 20 minutes to take it all in. It’s the building on First Capitol with the train caboose in front of it.
Sometimes the simplest things you do in life can be the most fun. I’d say making the Christmas light seeing rounds would fall into that category. It makes my day when my 19-month-old little girl sees Christmas lights swarming a house from the back car seat and says”wow.” Never fails that the kid falls asleep while you are driving. And you keep on driving looking at more Christmas lights. Sort of like coloring the coloring book after your kid has left the room. Happy Holidays to you.
Mel Kratzer
By Mel Kratzer
Has the Christmas shopping season depleted your funds from your entertainment column in the worst way? Its time to adapt and implement the cheap date out activity by going Christmas light viewing. A lot of us just get off the highway from work making a bee line straight to our home without checking out the neighborhood decorations. Pile the kids, wife, or significant other into the car and take everyone Christmas light looking. Tonight!
Now with the family in the car for an hour or two Christmas light watching, you may want to set the group’s mood with some merry ol Christmas carols on the radio. That’s not mandatory though as “Jingle Bells” tunes could get old real quick. Go ahead and rock out while Christmas light viewing to some AC/DC, Pearljam, or some Led Zeppelin. I’ve done and it put me in the high-energy festive spirit.
It’s a sure guarantee while you are driving around doing the Christmas light thing, they’ll be a battle over how warm or cold the cars inside temperature should be. Usually my wife likes it as she puts it “toasty” inside. To me it feels like I’m being barbequed in the driver’s seat rotisserie Instead, I like it kind of cool with the chilly air vent blasting air upside my face preventing me from nodding off and slamming into someone’s porch. Every thirty seconds some soul is adjusting the climate control so have a compromising attitude.
When it’s snowing or ice storming, your first reaction is to hunker down inside the nice heat-filled house with your feet warming by the fireplace. Though the roads may resemble an ice rink or ski slope, it still is worth chancing it looking at Christmas lights as they have a special sparkling glistening effect glowing under the frozen precipitation. You’re driving slow to begin with, so spinning out creaming a person’s lawn Santa is a low probability.
Expect when you are slow motioning along taking in the Christmas lights, to have minor disputes or debates about the arrangements. Spending five minutes observing a light set up you like may be like spending five minutes watching paint dry to the backseat passenger. Some give and take on this how long we spend on the lights display will keep a civil car atmosphere.
Quite amazing the length of trouble Christmas light decorators will go to make there illuminated strand stand out. You could have sworn these people hired monkeys to get their lights on treetops and roof gutters. Then again you can tell who put their lights up after chugging the spiked eggnog also.
From near colossal mishap experience, never go out driving to see Christmas lights after going on a soda or water-drinking binge. Never fails that you get lost in one of those rat maze subdivisions with seemingly no way out while you have a full “I gottta go bad” bladder. Crossing your legs while trying to navigate your auto doesn’t work. As you feel like your eyes are turning yellow, you begin to uneasily contemplate whether you might get noticed if you are able to sneak behind that large bush or tree.
Only safety tip I have concerning Christmas light viewing is to stop when taking a long peek. Last thing you want to do is plow into the back of a parked Rolls Royce and spend your Christmas fleeing across the Canadian border from the law. Oh, and stay off the cell phone. Christmas light drivers who talk on that contraption leave their brains in their glove compartment.
When I was a wee young lad, I’d help my pop with the annual light configuration. Untangling the nest like strand was the second hardest part next to locating the burnt out bulb that caused the whole strand to be out. Those lights we put up look primitive caveman- like compared to the modern lights and inflatables they have now covering one’s property.
Every St. Charles area whether it be Main Street, Frenchtown or wherever has its pockets of Christmas light explosions some more than others. Occasionally you will come across a street with “zilch” lights on them. Guess if they did have lights they’d all spell “Humbug”. The economic energy price bug has a bite on us all so you may not see as many light displays as you might have in years’ past. AmerenUE sponsors a Christmas light contest so now you know where your paying the electric bill goes.
When you are finally Christmas lightoutted, I suggest you stop off somewhere, grab a hot cocoa and head over to Jehlings Hardware store to see their massive Christmas light/train display inside. The set up took 9 weeks to complete and will take you around 20 minutes to take it all in. It’s the building on First Capitol with the train caboose in front of it.
Sometimes the simplest things you do in life can be the most fun. I’d say making the Christmas light seeing rounds would fall into that category. It makes my day when my 19-month-old little girl sees Christmas lights swarming a house from the back car seat and says”wow.” Never fails that the kid falls asleep while you are driving. And you keep on driving looking at more Christmas lights. Sort of like coloring the coloring book after your kid has left the room. Happy Holidays to you.
Mel Kratzer
First Capitol News Sports - Mike McMurran Sports Editor
Christmas tradition, I think it is one of the most wonderful experiences in the McMurran household. Some of our Christmas traditions have been passed down from Lynn’s family, some are traditions we started on our own. Together they make for a very exciting time.
Without going into great detail, my family doesn’t gather at Christmas, but Lynn’s certainly does. Like everything else in life, things have a strange way of balancing. My family doesn’t get together, her family over does it. As is usually the case, my kids have the best of both worlds.
Being in education allows me to have two weeks off with Maggie, Joe and Dee – two wonderful weeks. Lynn almost always manages at least one week off, so as a family we have quite the time.
Years before Lynn and I were married, I used to buy her parents season tickets to the Muny as a Christmas gift. Don’t ask me why, but every Christmas Eve I would drive down to the Muny and pay for the tickets. The older I get, the more convinced I am that I am touched with a degree of obsessive compulsive behavior. I think the year was 1990 and I had just finished teaching a unit on drama. One of the plays we studied was Tennessee Williams’ Glass Menagerie. The play focuses around a dysfunctional family (see earlier family comments) from St. Louis. At one point in the play he makes reference to the Jewell Box in Forest Park; talks about the beauty both inside and out. So in 1990, after purchasing the season tickets to the Muny, I decided to visit the Jewell Box. As I walked down the sidewalk I couldn’t help but look at the mature trees and wonder what size they were when Williams viewed them – I sometimes think the strangest things. One year after Maggie was born, Lynn and Maggie took the trip with me, and we’ve been doing it as a family ever since. Easily the most exciting year was about four years ago, when it began snowing as we entered the Jewell Box. By the time we exited there was at least 2 inches of snow on the ground; by the time we returned home it was more like 4 or 5 inches. Lynn’s niece was in from Texas that year and her daughter experienced snow for the first time in her life.
After the Jewell Box we trek over to the zoo and visit the animals. Maggie says we do it because, “The animals don’t smell nearly as bad as they do in the summer heat.” Every Christmas Eve, be it 60 degrees or 10 degrees, and we’ve experienced both, Family McMurran spends an hour or so at the Zoo. My personal favorite animal is the bears – they are far more active when it’s cold.
After that it’s on to Lynn’s mom’s house, for Christmas Eve dinner and distribution of presents – it’s an event worth the admission. Any where from 30 – 50 people, depending upon who is in town, in a 900 square foot condo – per bedlam. I would never let Lynn know this, but personally it’s the highlight of the Christmas season. My children share the time with their aunts, uncles and cousins. It’s a tradition that started long before my wife was born and will continue for generations to come. It really is special.
On a related note, the same group of people gather the very next evening, Christmas evening, at Lynn’ sisters’ house, that I never did understand. “You just saw everyone the night before,” is usually how the conversation goes, “What could you possibly have to say?” Like most all of Lynn’s family gatherings, we take two cars. Lynn, God bless her, likes to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. Not me. My kids can never get enough of their cousins, so they, like their mom, stay until the very end.
I may have shared some of this with you on previous Christmases. But stay tuned, because I guarantee, what I’m about to share, I’ve never shared with anyone.
I would like to wish a very special Christmas greeting to Lynn’s entire collective family – all however many of them there are. Lynn has 4 sisters and 1 living brother – all of whom have children. That means there are brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, mothers-in-law, cousins, aunts, and uncles – and probably most importantly, grandmothers – which to me would be mother-in-law.
I guess what I’m saying is, “thank you” to Lynn’s family – to each and every member of Lynn’s family. As much as most of you find me abrasive, and I know I can be, I have an unconditional love for each and every one of you. It may not always be obvious, but you have to remember I was raised far, far differently than y’all were. I guess the biggest compliment I can give them is this: I am doing my best to raise my children in the same loving environment that each of you were raised. Bud, Lynn’s dad, who died 5 months before Maggie was born, is my role model as a father. I guess what I’m saying is, I want my children to grow up and be like Lynn’s family. Don’t think I don’t know if it were not for Lynn’s family, I wouldn’t have a family at all.
Merry Christmas, may all your dreams for 2008 be realized.
Without going into great detail, my family doesn’t gather at Christmas, but Lynn’s certainly does. Like everything else in life, things have a strange way of balancing. My family doesn’t get together, her family over does it. As is usually the case, my kids have the best of both worlds.
Being in education allows me to have two weeks off with Maggie, Joe and Dee – two wonderful weeks. Lynn almost always manages at least one week off, so as a family we have quite the time.
Years before Lynn and I were married, I used to buy her parents season tickets to the Muny as a Christmas gift. Don’t ask me why, but every Christmas Eve I would drive down to the Muny and pay for the tickets. The older I get, the more convinced I am that I am touched with a degree of obsessive compulsive behavior. I think the year was 1990 and I had just finished teaching a unit on drama. One of the plays we studied was Tennessee Williams’ Glass Menagerie. The play focuses around a dysfunctional family (see earlier family comments) from St. Louis. At one point in the play he makes reference to the Jewell Box in Forest Park; talks about the beauty both inside and out. So in 1990, after purchasing the season tickets to the Muny, I decided to visit the Jewell Box. As I walked down the sidewalk I couldn’t help but look at the mature trees and wonder what size they were when Williams viewed them – I sometimes think the strangest things. One year after Maggie was born, Lynn and Maggie took the trip with me, and we’ve been doing it as a family ever since. Easily the most exciting year was about four years ago, when it began snowing as we entered the Jewell Box. By the time we exited there was at least 2 inches of snow on the ground; by the time we returned home it was more like 4 or 5 inches. Lynn’s niece was in from Texas that year and her daughter experienced snow for the first time in her life.
After the Jewell Box we trek over to the zoo and visit the animals. Maggie says we do it because, “The animals don’t smell nearly as bad as they do in the summer heat.” Every Christmas Eve, be it 60 degrees or 10 degrees, and we’ve experienced both, Family McMurran spends an hour or so at the Zoo. My personal favorite animal is the bears – they are far more active when it’s cold.
After that it’s on to Lynn’s mom’s house, for Christmas Eve dinner and distribution of presents – it’s an event worth the admission. Any where from 30 – 50 people, depending upon who is in town, in a 900 square foot condo – per bedlam. I would never let Lynn know this, but personally it’s the highlight of the Christmas season. My children share the time with their aunts, uncles and cousins. It’s a tradition that started long before my wife was born and will continue for generations to come. It really is special.
On a related note, the same group of people gather the very next evening, Christmas evening, at Lynn’ sisters’ house, that I never did understand. “You just saw everyone the night before,” is usually how the conversation goes, “What could you possibly have to say?” Like most all of Lynn’s family gatherings, we take two cars. Lynn, God bless her, likes to be the first to arrive and the last to leave. Not me. My kids can never get enough of their cousins, so they, like their mom, stay until the very end.
I may have shared some of this with you on previous Christmases. But stay tuned, because I guarantee, what I’m about to share, I’ve never shared with anyone.
I would like to wish a very special Christmas greeting to Lynn’s entire collective family – all however many of them there are. Lynn has 4 sisters and 1 living brother – all of whom have children. That means there are brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, mothers-in-law, cousins, aunts, and uncles – and probably most importantly, grandmothers – which to me would be mother-in-law.
I guess what I’m saying is, “thank you” to Lynn’s family – to each and every member of Lynn’s family. As much as most of you find me abrasive, and I know I can be, I have an unconditional love for each and every one of you. It may not always be obvious, but you have to remember I was raised far, far differently than y’all were. I guess the biggest compliment I can give them is this: I am doing my best to raise my children in the same loving environment that each of you were raised. Bud, Lynn’s dad, who died 5 months before Maggie was born, is my role model as a father. I guess what I’m saying is, I want my children to grow up and be like Lynn’s family. Don’t think I don’t know if it were not for Lynn’s family, I wouldn’t have a family at all.
Merry Christmas, may all your dreams for 2008 be realized.
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