Councilman Mark Brown addresses
the political
environment in St. Charles.
If your opinion is:
- The infighting in our city is hurting our city’s reputation
- I’m tired of the petty politics
- I wish our elected officials would work for the residents and stop all this political fighting
Please examine the following facts:
Politics in St. Charles are the same as every other city except for … controversy.
Each city throughout the St. Charles/ St. Louis area has its share of disagreement and debates.
What makes St. Charles different?
In April of 2004, a new council was elected. The council quickly recognized that big money and special interest groups were controlling the city at the residents’ expense. The majority of the council established a goal to return the city to the residents who elected them. For this reason, the mayor and her rich friends hired a public relations firm to twist the truth and degrade any accomplishment the council achieves. This has created 14 months of what appears to be negative publicity for our city.
When individuals hire a public relations firm to spin the truth and create negative publicity, are they interested in helping the community or destroying the city’s image? The answer is not quite that simple. These big money people (who for the most part are not St. Charles residents) have taken advantage of our mayor and preyed on her weaknesses.
How do the big money people get their hooks into elected officials and newspaper columnist?
They first look for the weakest personalities and prey on their weakness. Most politicians, after getting elected, try to make a positive impact in their community. However, a small percentage of elected officials begin to think they are way more important than they really are.
They allow their ego to take over their mind and they become consumed with their image of importance and stealing everyone’s ideas and accomplishments as they strive to feed their ever growing ego.
These high rollers have continued to further take advantage of these simple minded people, when they feed politician’s egos by inviting them to special events and parties where they are allowed to hobnob with the rich and famous.
Unfortunately, the rich and famous could care less about the residents in St. Charles. They only care about getting favors and special treatment even if it comes at a high cost to the taxpayers in our city.
In the city of St. Charles, the rich and famous did their homework. They knew before Patti York was elected mayor that she was an airline stewardess with low to moderate income. They recognized that she was approachable and targeted her to lead their agenda. Since that time, she now drives a high priced Lexus sports car, shops in the most upscale clothing stores outside St. Charles, and attends special events put on by these raiders who feed at the public trough at the expense of the taxpayers.
Together they had a very successful five years and it appeared that the more they took from the residents of St. Charles, the more they wanted.
This came to an end after the last election. The voters of St. Charles said they had enough. The voters of St. Charles demanded their city back.
The voters in Ward 3 were upset that developers used our mayor and former councilman and convinced them to create new ordinances to rid our city of its last existing green space. They programmed them like puppets as they lobbied to double the density previously allowed for subdivisions.
The more land they took, the more they wanted. Substandard homes were allowed to be built and inspectors and department heads overlooked violations on a regular basis.
That brings us to where we are today. Six members on the city council decided to fulfill our obligation to the residents of St. Charles. We stood up and said we are going to hold the rich and famous accountable. The council would no longer allow the rich and famous to rape the taxpayers.
This new approach to “fair government for everyone” has been costly to The Big Money People. It has also restricted their activity on issues such as getting unfair bidding practices, overlooking ordinance violations, cost over runs, selective enforcement, buying of city property and receiving special consideration. Putting a stop to this process is not an easy task. The big spenders have made it clear they will do whatever it takes to protect and save their mouthpiece at city hall. This includes hiring public relation firms to act as spin-doctors. These spin-doctors, spin the truth and make anyone who challenge them appear to be a fool and attack their integrity.
Read between the lines of a recent article that appeared on page 1 of the June 23, 2005 issue of the St. Charles County Post reported:
York defense fund nears $20,000
How far will they go to defend their unethical practices?
Close to $20,000 has been raised for a legal defense fund set up for Mayor Patti York, says Ken Kielty, a former City Council member who helped set up the fund.
Much of that amount was raised at a fundraising reception Tuesday evening at Pio’s restaurant, he said. He said that more than 75 people attended. The fund was set up to pay for a lawyer to represent York during the current council’s inquiry into her signing a pharmacy benefits agreement last year without council approval. The council refused York’s request to use city funds to hire an attorney for her.
Kielty also is treasurer of a new political committee, St. Charles Citizens for Responsible Government. He says that committee will be available to raise money for potential recall drives against some or all of York’s critics on the council.
Glennon Jamboretz, a St. Louis public relations firm owner who is deputy treasurer, said the committee also may support candidates in future city elections.
Until The First Capital News came along, these high rollers only worried about wining and dinning one newspaper columnist who began feeling important because he was invited to attend special functions and he was allowed to associate with the rich and famous. In turn, he never reported on any unethical practices that involved this group of raiders. No matter how bad their actions are, he will view the situation through his rose-colored glasses and attack everyone who attempts to seek justice. The interesting thing about this is that St. Charles is the only place the daily paper allows this unethical reporting to exist. You never find it in North County, South County or the West County papers. By and large, the newspapers normally don’t allow reporters to accept this special treatment for favorable reporting. Maybe the money is too big here and the people involved spend a tremendous amount of money advertising in their paper.
Whatever the case is, public relation firms have only one job, spin the truth and protect their client.
I want to personally thank The First Capital News for continuing to report on the issues affecting the taxpayers of our city and for exposing this public relations firm when they distort the facts and attempt to confuse the public.
The First Capital News has obviously taken a tremendous toll on this group of raiders. It has exposed them to such a point that they were forced to start a disingenuous and demonic newspaper to muddy the waters and confuse residents by getting them to a point that they just don’t care.
I ask the public to see through the spin doctors’ distorted truth and examine the facts. When Big Money talks, everybody listens and often times the less informed are fooled. Stay informed and examine the facts. Why would this group be concerned to the point of establishing a mayor’s legal defense fund? If the mayor did not do anything wrong, she has nothing to fear. The only question left now is: how fearful is the council of this group, now that they publicly announced their attempt to recall anyone who continues to seek justice? This group is among the people who raise money again and again throughout the year for the mayor for one reason or another. They are concerned that York has lost her political steam and without their political spin, they will not be able to buy a mouth piece in the up-coming election.
Our city is no different from any other city;
We have debate and disagreements.
The only difference is the negative publicity
“The Spin Doctors” create when
The City of St. Charles attempts to debate or disagree with the big spenders who continue to feed at the public trough.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Mayor’s 2005 Budget Income Projections OFF Over A Million Dollars At Mid Year
By Phyllis Schaltenbrand
It fell to City Administrator Allan Williams to deliver the bad news Tuesday evening, that income projections in the Mayor’s 2005 City Budget are off by $1,160,736 near the midpoint of the fiscal year. The report was bad news for the Mayor who had submitted the projections to the Council last Fall along with projected expenditures based on the rosier numbers.
The shortfall was most acute in projected revenues from Ameristar Casino. While casino revenues for the City are running ahead of last year (2.1%), the Mayor’s Budget had anticipated far more growth (7 + %). The City Administrator and Finance Director reported that Gaming Fund revenues are projected to be $830,000 short of projections by the end of the year if current trends continue.
Sales tax revenues, which go primarily to the General Fund to support municipal services such as Police, Fire EMS and many City Hall departments, could be off the mark by as much as $528,500 this year. This downturn is offset somewhat by increases in permit fees and interest income, but the net loss of non gaming revenues is still projected to top $330,000.
Councilman Mark Brown was particularly upset that the report was not sent out to the Council in its regular packet so Council members could study it prior to Tuesday’s meeting. “I feel like they are pulling a fast one,” he said, adding, “I’ve seen reports on how the casino is doing that are higher than how I’m being told they are performing by this Administration.”
Councilwoman Dottie Greer, speaking with the First Capitol News after the meeting, said that having a report of this importance “Just dropped in your lap during a Council meeting was wrong. By doing this it makes me think they are trying to stir something up. Trying to make the public believe something that is really not there. That’s why we have a rule that any reports to be given out to the Council are suppose to be sent to us in advance.”
Councilman John Gieseke was disappointed the Administration had missed the mark by so much saying, “We relied on the Mayor’s numbers. Time will tell if that faith was misplaced.” Gieseke also questioned the timing of the release of the report on the 21st of June since the midpoint of the fiscal year is July 1st. “In some cases you have five or five and a half months of performance compared with six months in other categories.”
City Council President Rory Riddler said disappointing sales tax numbers were to be expected with the sluggish economy and high gasoline prices. “When people are spending $40 and $50 dollars to fill up at the pump, it reduces their discretionary spending. The only people who think everything is fine with the economy right now are in Washington, D.C. and wearing rose colored glasses,” commented Riddler.
“But I am concerned that the casino numbers appear to be so far off. Had the City Council not reduced our dependence on gaming revenues, our options would be more limited..”
The City Administrator is preparing a list of recommendations on where to reduce spending, but said that the problem was not so great as to force layoffs. Under the Charter, it will be up to the City Council to decide where and how cuts should be made.
The Council unanimously supported a motion by Councilman Brown to review an updated report on the City’s financial status at the July Council Work Session, one which would use June 30th as the cut-off date and update all projections.
The City Administrator’s report appeared under the normal Council portion of the agenda, prompting the Mayor to remark that it should have been listed under her reports. The Mayor, however, did not deliver any portion of the presentation, which was handled by the Administrator and Finance Director, and made no comment during the ensuing discussion concerning the conclusions of the report.
“I’m surprised the Mayor didn’t offer any personal explanation since the problem originated with the budget numbers she submitted to the Council, “ remarked Councilman Gieseke after the meeting.
“It is a good thing this City Council has been concerned with reducing such costs as the employee’s insurance and held the line on no raises this year. Otherwise we would be looking at layoffs instead of a mid year adjustment,” said Councilman Gieseke.
It fell to City Administrator Allan Williams to deliver the bad news Tuesday evening, that income projections in the Mayor’s 2005 City Budget are off by $1,160,736 near the midpoint of the fiscal year. The report was bad news for the Mayor who had submitted the projections to the Council last Fall along with projected expenditures based on the rosier numbers.
The shortfall was most acute in projected revenues from Ameristar Casino. While casino revenues for the City are running ahead of last year (2.1%), the Mayor’s Budget had anticipated far more growth (7 + %). The City Administrator and Finance Director reported that Gaming Fund revenues are projected to be $830,000 short of projections by the end of the year if current trends continue.
Sales tax revenues, which go primarily to the General Fund to support municipal services such as Police, Fire EMS and many City Hall departments, could be off the mark by as much as $528,500 this year. This downturn is offset somewhat by increases in permit fees and interest income, but the net loss of non gaming revenues is still projected to top $330,000.
Councilman Mark Brown was particularly upset that the report was not sent out to the Council in its regular packet so Council members could study it prior to Tuesday’s meeting. “I feel like they are pulling a fast one,” he said, adding, “I’ve seen reports on how the casino is doing that are higher than how I’m being told they are performing by this Administration.”
Councilwoman Dottie Greer, speaking with the First Capitol News after the meeting, said that having a report of this importance “Just dropped in your lap during a Council meeting was wrong. By doing this it makes me think they are trying to stir something up. Trying to make the public believe something that is really not there. That’s why we have a rule that any reports to be given out to the Council are suppose to be sent to us in advance.”
Councilman John Gieseke was disappointed the Administration had missed the mark by so much saying, “We relied on the Mayor’s numbers. Time will tell if that faith was misplaced.” Gieseke also questioned the timing of the release of the report on the 21st of June since the midpoint of the fiscal year is July 1st. “In some cases you have five or five and a half months of performance compared with six months in other categories.”
City Council President Rory Riddler said disappointing sales tax numbers were to be expected with the sluggish economy and high gasoline prices. “When people are spending $40 and $50 dollars to fill up at the pump, it reduces their discretionary spending. The only people who think everything is fine with the economy right now are in Washington, D.C. and wearing rose colored glasses,” commented Riddler.
“But I am concerned that the casino numbers appear to be so far off. Had the City Council not reduced our dependence on gaming revenues, our options would be more limited..”
The City Administrator is preparing a list of recommendations on where to reduce spending, but said that the problem was not so great as to force layoffs. Under the Charter, it will be up to the City Council to decide where and how cuts should be made.
The Council unanimously supported a motion by Councilman Brown to review an updated report on the City’s financial status at the July Council Work Session, one which would use June 30th as the cut-off date and update all projections.
The City Administrator’s report appeared under the normal Council portion of the agenda, prompting the Mayor to remark that it should have been listed under her reports. The Mayor, however, did not deliver any portion of the presentation, which was handled by the Administrator and Finance Director, and made no comment during the ensuing discussion concerning the conclusions of the report.
“I’m surprised the Mayor didn’t offer any personal explanation since the problem originated with the budget numbers she submitted to the Council, “ remarked Councilman Gieseke after the meeting.
“It is a good thing this City Council has been concerned with reducing such costs as the employee’s insurance and held the line on no raises this year. Otherwise we would be looking at layoffs instead of a mid year adjustment,” said Councilman Gieseke.
Whittaker Announces New Town Grand Opening On June 25 and June 26
Save the date! Whittaker Homes announces the much anticipated grand opening for The New Town at St. Charles, a traditional neighborhood development off Hwy. 370 and New Town Blvd., on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday June 26 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. The event will take place at the New Town Amphitheater.
The grand opening will debut the five new single-family displays and four row house displays. In addition, Whittaker Homes is releasing new sites in Phase II, known as the Island District. Some of the units planned for this phase will be directly on the water and will portray an architectural style that is similar to that found in Europe.
The days’ events will include stilt walkers, jugglers, a magician, giveaways and prizes, such as bikes and a Vespa scooter. Many on-air personalities will be live from New Town during select times on Saturday or Sunday, including talent from KEZK, KMOX, K-Hits, and 101.1 The River. There also will be live bands performing at different times both days.
During the grand opening, the amphitheater will be surrounded by approximately 50 booths. Many of the suppliers will be on hand to answer questions about the unique housing products and materials used at New Town. Some of the local churches and schools also will have a booth at the event.
As part of the grand opening festivities, Whittaker Homes is hosting a Taste of St. Charles as well. These tents will be located around the amphitheater. Attendees are invited to sample food from Hawaiian BBQ & Grill, The Coffee Cottage, Tony’s on Main, Crazy Sushi, Maui Wowi, Claudia’s Cake Café, Hawaiian Shaved Ice and St. Charles Vintage House & Wine Garden.
Attendees are invited to stay for Shakespeare in the Park. The St. Charles Arts and Cultural Commission present an entertaining circus version of Romeo & Juliet. The performances will take place on Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at the New Town Amphitheater.
Priced from the $100s to $800+, The New Town at St. Charles is a new urbanism town with a mixed use of homes designed for all income levels. Housing types include condo/townhome mansions, row houses, detached townhomes, cottages, single-family homes, custom homes, live work units and senior courtyard homes.
Ultimately, this $1.3 billion project will be a thriving town with approximately 5,700 residences in ten phases, with a carefully planned mix of homes in addition to a town center and four neighborhood centers.
To reach The New Town at St. Charles, take Hwy. 370 to North on New Town Blvd., 1 ? miles to the entrance on the right. For information, call 636-949-2700 or visit www.newtownatstcharles.com.
The grand opening will debut the five new single-family displays and four row house displays. In addition, Whittaker Homes is releasing new sites in Phase II, known as the Island District. Some of the units planned for this phase will be directly on the water and will portray an architectural style that is similar to that found in Europe.
The days’ events will include stilt walkers, jugglers, a magician, giveaways and prizes, such as bikes and a Vespa scooter. Many on-air personalities will be live from New Town during select times on Saturday or Sunday, including talent from KEZK, KMOX, K-Hits, and 101.1 The River. There also will be live bands performing at different times both days.
During the grand opening, the amphitheater will be surrounded by approximately 50 booths. Many of the suppliers will be on hand to answer questions about the unique housing products and materials used at New Town. Some of the local churches and schools also will have a booth at the event.
As part of the grand opening festivities, Whittaker Homes is hosting a Taste of St. Charles as well. These tents will be located around the amphitheater. Attendees are invited to sample food from Hawaiian BBQ & Grill, The Coffee Cottage, Tony’s on Main, Crazy Sushi, Maui Wowi, Claudia’s Cake Café, Hawaiian Shaved Ice and St. Charles Vintage House & Wine Garden.
Attendees are invited to stay for Shakespeare in the Park. The St. Charles Arts and Cultural Commission present an entertaining circus version of Romeo & Juliet. The performances will take place on Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at the New Town Amphitheater.
Priced from the $100s to $800+, The New Town at St. Charles is a new urbanism town with a mixed use of homes designed for all income levels. Housing types include condo/townhome mansions, row houses, detached townhomes, cottages, single-family homes, custom homes, live work units and senior courtyard homes.
Ultimately, this $1.3 billion project will be a thriving town with approximately 5,700 residences in ten phases, with a carefully planned mix of homes in addition to a town center and four neighborhood centers.
To reach The New Town at St. Charles, take Hwy. 370 to North on New Town Blvd., 1 ? miles to the entrance on the right. For information, call 636-949-2700 or visit www.newtownatstcharles.com.
KEEPING OUR WATERS SAFE - Missouri State Water Patrol
By Lynndi Lockenour
With the first official days of summer just behind us, boating season is in full swing. This means longer hours patrolling Missouri’s waterways for Corporal Mike Porter of the Missouri State Water Patrol. Porter describes his work as similar to that of a policeman. “I basically do what all other state cops do,” he said, “except I patrol the water instead of the highway and I don’t have an air conditioner.”
Porter said the season usually starts with the weather and declines after Labor Day when students go back to school. “We don’t have a set date to start,” he said, “but usually the first warm day we have, people are out here.”
The Missouri State Water Patrol has the responsibility of patrolling the major waterways in the state. This includes: 272,770 acres of lakes with 5,500 miles of shoreline, 519 miles of the Mississippi River, 533 miles of the Missouri River and the tributaries along these waterways. During his 19 years of covering the Missouri waterways, Porter said he has seen some very interesting things. “Once, when I was still on the Dive Team for the Missouri State Water Patrol, we recovered the weapon used in a murder,” he said. “Though it was found six months after the murder, the fingerprints were still detectable and the guy was caught.”
First Capitol News visited the Alton Pool, also known as Pool 26, with Corporal Porter. He said this is one of the busiest locations in the area with as many as 5,000 boats on the water during a busy weekend. During boating season there is one officer on patrol during the weekdays, and two during the weekends. “Today there is only me and my partner from here to about Iowa,” Porter said.
Porter said tickets are most frequently written to people on personal watercraft vehicles (PWC). Porter said PWC vehicles make up only seven percent of registered boats, but account for 50 percent of boating accidents. “People on PWC watercrafts are usually very unaware of their surroundings,” he said, “which causes them to have accidents.” Porter said people usually claim they weren’t aware of the rules they were violating if they get pulled over. “When you get out here on the water you are responsible for all the rules,” he said, “and not knowing isn’t an excuse.”
Porter also said most people aren’t thinking about the rules when they are out on the river. “People come out here to have fun and enjoy themselves,” he said. “I argue that they can do that and be safe at the same time.” He said the most common fatality stems from intoxicated people who jump off the boat without a life jacket and try to swim. “Too often they are too intoxicated to maneuver and they end up drowning,” he said.
Recently there was a new addition to the rule book for those traveling on Missouri’s waterways. Everyone born after January 1, 1984 is required to have a license to operate a boat. These licenses can be acquired by attending a boater’s education class offered by the Missouri State Water Patrol. Porter said three or four classes have already met this spring and they will continue into the summer. Also, any boat license from another state is valid in Missouri. For information on obtaining a boaters license, contact the Water Patrol by calling their office in Jefferson City at 573-751-3333 or visiting their website at www.mswp.dps.state.gov.
Porter said the number of fatalities differs every year. “Some years we have six or eight fatalities, but other years, maybe only one,” he said. However, Porter said it seems the hotter the weather, the better chance something will go wrong. “I’m not sure why, but when the temperature is up around 100 degrees, it never fails that there will be problems.”
Porter said he chose the job because he enjoyed working outdoors, but hates it when the weather is bad. “We get guys out here ice fishing in January, so it isn’t always pleasant.” Porter said he provides a valuable service and loves helping people when he is needed. “Everyday is different,” he said, “so that keeps things interesting.” Though he enjoys his job, Porter said it isn’t for someone who wants their weekends free. “It’s guaranteed that I’ll be out here every weekend.”
Corporal Porter gets a new boat approximately every five years. He said people are constantly asking him if he’s excited, but he said not really. “After this many years, getting a new boat is like getting a new flashlight,” he said. “It’s just another tool I need to do my job properly.” When Porter first started he patrolled in a small fishing boat, but now because other boats have also gotten larger, Porter’s is now 28 feet long. “We have to continue to get larger boats to keep up with everyone else,” he said. “Otherwise they’d just run over us and never pay attention.”
Besides patrolling the rivers, the Water Patrol serves several other purposes. They include: providing safety exhibits and inspecting safety equipment in vessels; investigating water related accidents, administering first aid, investigating complaints, criminal activities and assisting other law enforcement. Other duties are: patrolling regattas, races, fishing tournaments, skiing exhibitions and other water related events, authorizing placement of navigation buoys and investigating navigational obstructions. The Water Patrol also attends boat shows in the area to give boaters information and make sure people know the rules. “People are a lot more inclined to ask questions at a boat show than out on the water,” Porter said.
Officers from Illinois also patrol the waters. Porter said they have what is called “joint jurisdiction” with Illinois water patrol unit. This means Missouri officers are allowed to arrest or pursue someone all the way to the bank of the Illinois side, but not on the land. The same is true for Illinois officers and their right to arrest someone on the Missouri side of the river, but not on the bank.
With the first official days of summer just behind us, boating season is in full swing. This means longer hours patrolling Missouri’s waterways for Corporal Mike Porter of the Missouri State Water Patrol. Porter describes his work as similar to that of a policeman. “I basically do what all other state cops do,” he said, “except I patrol the water instead of the highway and I don’t have an air conditioner.”
Porter said the season usually starts with the weather and declines after Labor Day when students go back to school. “We don’t have a set date to start,” he said, “but usually the first warm day we have, people are out here.”
The Missouri State Water Patrol has the responsibility of patrolling the major waterways in the state. This includes: 272,770 acres of lakes with 5,500 miles of shoreline, 519 miles of the Mississippi River, 533 miles of the Missouri River and the tributaries along these waterways. During his 19 years of covering the Missouri waterways, Porter said he has seen some very interesting things. “Once, when I was still on the Dive Team for the Missouri State Water Patrol, we recovered the weapon used in a murder,” he said. “Though it was found six months after the murder, the fingerprints were still detectable and the guy was caught.”
First Capitol News visited the Alton Pool, also known as Pool 26, with Corporal Porter. He said this is one of the busiest locations in the area with as many as 5,000 boats on the water during a busy weekend. During boating season there is one officer on patrol during the weekdays, and two during the weekends. “Today there is only me and my partner from here to about Iowa,” Porter said.
Porter said tickets are most frequently written to people on personal watercraft vehicles (PWC). Porter said PWC vehicles make up only seven percent of registered boats, but account for 50 percent of boating accidents. “People on PWC watercrafts are usually very unaware of their surroundings,” he said, “which causes them to have accidents.” Porter said people usually claim they weren’t aware of the rules they were violating if they get pulled over. “When you get out here on the water you are responsible for all the rules,” he said, “and not knowing isn’t an excuse.”
Porter also said most people aren’t thinking about the rules when they are out on the river. “People come out here to have fun and enjoy themselves,” he said. “I argue that they can do that and be safe at the same time.” He said the most common fatality stems from intoxicated people who jump off the boat without a life jacket and try to swim. “Too often they are too intoxicated to maneuver and they end up drowning,” he said.
Recently there was a new addition to the rule book for those traveling on Missouri’s waterways. Everyone born after January 1, 1984 is required to have a license to operate a boat. These licenses can be acquired by attending a boater’s education class offered by the Missouri State Water Patrol. Porter said three or four classes have already met this spring and they will continue into the summer. Also, any boat license from another state is valid in Missouri. For information on obtaining a boaters license, contact the Water Patrol by calling their office in Jefferson City at 573-751-3333 or visiting their website at www.mswp.dps.state.gov.
Porter said the number of fatalities differs every year. “Some years we have six or eight fatalities, but other years, maybe only one,” he said. However, Porter said it seems the hotter the weather, the better chance something will go wrong. “I’m not sure why, but when the temperature is up around 100 degrees, it never fails that there will be problems.”
Porter said he chose the job because he enjoyed working outdoors, but hates it when the weather is bad. “We get guys out here ice fishing in January, so it isn’t always pleasant.” Porter said he provides a valuable service and loves helping people when he is needed. “Everyday is different,” he said, “so that keeps things interesting.” Though he enjoys his job, Porter said it isn’t for someone who wants their weekends free. “It’s guaranteed that I’ll be out here every weekend.”
Corporal Porter gets a new boat approximately every five years. He said people are constantly asking him if he’s excited, but he said not really. “After this many years, getting a new boat is like getting a new flashlight,” he said. “It’s just another tool I need to do my job properly.” When Porter first started he patrolled in a small fishing boat, but now because other boats have also gotten larger, Porter’s is now 28 feet long. “We have to continue to get larger boats to keep up with everyone else,” he said. “Otherwise they’d just run over us and never pay attention.”
Besides patrolling the rivers, the Water Patrol serves several other purposes. They include: providing safety exhibits and inspecting safety equipment in vessels; investigating water related accidents, administering first aid, investigating complaints, criminal activities and assisting other law enforcement. Other duties are: patrolling regattas, races, fishing tournaments, skiing exhibitions and other water related events, authorizing placement of navigation buoys and investigating navigational obstructions. The Water Patrol also attends boat shows in the area to give boaters information and make sure people know the rules. “People are a lot more inclined to ask questions at a boat show than out on the water,” Porter said.
Officers from Illinois also patrol the waters. Porter said they have what is called “joint jurisdiction” with Illinois water patrol unit. This means Missouri officers are allowed to arrest or pursue someone all the way to the bank of the Illinois side, but not on the land. The same is true for Illinois officers and their right to arrest someone on the Missouri side of the river, but not on the bank.
THE CITY DESK - Rory Riddler City Council President
Legal Questions Raised By Legal Defense Fund
Or Much Ado About Nothing
I never hesitate to answer that Shakespeare is my favorite playwright and Henry The Fifth my favorite work by the Bard of Avon. King Henry’s “feast of Crispian” speech to his troops, just before the battle of Agincourt (Act 4, Scene 3), to this day remains one of the most stirring passages of English Literature.
The return of “Shakespeare In The Park” to the summer stage prompted me to once more thumb the pages of a wonderful book entitled Brush Up Your Shakespear by Michael Macrone. It helps explain the Bard’s most memorable and oft misquoted lines in the context of the language of the time.
Polonius in Hamlet (Act1, Scene 3) gives this famous advice to his son Laertes:
This above all; to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man,
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!
We apply our own modern meanings to the words and ascribe greater wisdom about leading an “honest” life and listening to your own inner voice than Shakespear ever meant. At the time, to thine own self be “true” meant to put your own interests above others and the part about not being “false” to any man meant not having a bad reputation. It loses a lot of its romance when understood as being advice to always act in your own selfish interests to protect your image in the community.
Shakespeare loved to poke fun at pretense and ego. His sharp pen and sharper wit would have been busy in our town, where pretense stands on ceremony. In other words, we take ourselves too seriously.
This week a group of movers and shakers hosted a party to raise money for a Legal Defense Fund for the Mayor. Letters were mailed to City contractors, Union PACS and even some members of City boards and commissions. I was surprised donation cans weren’t put out at area checkout counters. Normally you see this level of effort in raising money for someone who needs an operation...not a lawyer.
All of which seemed to me, Much Ado About Nothing.
No one is suing the Mayor. There are no impeachment proceedings...a fact that interestingly enough seems to anger the Mayor’s supporters as much as her detractors.
The City Council is simply trying to find out how a three year contract was signed by the Mayor without a copy being placed on file anywhere in City Hall, without it being reviewed and signed off on by the City Administrator, City Attorney and Contract Administrator for the City. We want to know why we are being asked to pay $200,000 for the cancellation of a contract that was suppose to have had no cost to the City. Along the way a few other questions have arisen. Like why we didn’t get any rebate checks till the issue became public? Why those rebates seem to be far less than the $40,000 a year the Mayor and HR Director thought they would be.
Our goal is to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It would also be nice if future contracts the Mayor signs are on file somewhere for public inspection. If a contract is signed by the Mayor to make a private firm money, even if there is no cost to the City, you have a right to that information.
Having failed to garner the required seven votes of the Council to subpoena witnesses, the Council’s review of this incident is winding down just as the fundraising for the Mayor’s Legal Defense Fund is kicking into high gear. Last Monday we reviewed the data assembled by the City Administrator. We will probably make some recommendations, but legal action against the Mayor by the Council isn’t an option.
The rush to create a Legal Defense Fund is more about showmanship than substance.
Hamlet: Madam, how like you this play?
Queen: The lady doth protest too much, me thinks.
(Act 3, Scene 2)
I’m also not sure the Mayor could legally accept help from such a group. There is a City Ordinance which prohibits gifts of over $75 from those doing business with or regulated by the City or who would gain financially from any action pending before the City. I know that solicitation letters went out to companies doing business with the City. Owners of establishments with liquor licenses for example, are regulated by the City and could not give more than the $75.
I don’t see how the Mayor or her attorney could accept money that may have come from these prohibited sources. Simply running it through a separate committee, I don’t feel releases the Mayor from the obligation to not accept such gifts.
Or in the words of Shakespeare's Hamlet...ay, there’s the rub (Act 3, Scene 1).
Unlike political donations, there are no limits to how much an individual or business can donate to a Legal Defense Fund. No doubt thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of dollars will be raised by this group. But the public will never know who gave or how much unless the group voluntarily releases that information. The public will never know how the money is spent, unless the group voluntarily agrees to open their books.
Interestingly, the group raising money for the Mayor’s erstwhile legal fees, decided to use Premier Bank at about the same time the Convention Center Oversight Committee (which the Mayor serves on) tried to shift millions in deposits from Commerce Bank to Premier. Premier has yet to build their bank in St. Charles and is renting a storefront at this time.
Then we all learned last week that former Councilman Ken Kielty (who serves on the Mayor’s Legal Defense Fund) has started a committee to raise more money to recall City Council members. We presume just the ones he doesn’t like. Kielty, who until recently served on the Convention Center Oversight Committee with the Mayor, also listed Premier Bank (with their Jefferson City address) as the bank his committee was using.
What an incredible coincidence!
“If this were played upon a stage now, I would condemn it as an improbable fiction.”
Fabian, Twelfth Night (Act 3, Scene 4)
Or Much Ado About Nothing
I never hesitate to answer that Shakespeare is my favorite playwright and Henry The Fifth my favorite work by the Bard of Avon. King Henry’s “feast of Crispian” speech to his troops, just before the battle of Agincourt (Act 4, Scene 3), to this day remains one of the most stirring passages of English Literature.
The return of “Shakespeare In The Park” to the summer stage prompted me to once more thumb the pages of a wonderful book entitled Brush Up Your Shakespear by Michael Macrone. It helps explain the Bard’s most memorable and oft misquoted lines in the context of the language of the time.
Polonius in Hamlet (Act1, Scene 3) gives this famous advice to his son Laertes:
This above all; to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man,
Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!
We apply our own modern meanings to the words and ascribe greater wisdom about leading an “honest” life and listening to your own inner voice than Shakespear ever meant. At the time, to thine own self be “true” meant to put your own interests above others and the part about not being “false” to any man meant not having a bad reputation. It loses a lot of its romance when understood as being advice to always act in your own selfish interests to protect your image in the community.
Shakespeare loved to poke fun at pretense and ego. His sharp pen and sharper wit would have been busy in our town, where pretense stands on ceremony. In other words, we take ourselves too seriously.
This week a group of movers and shakers hosted a party to raise money for a Legal Defense Fund for the Mayor. Letters were mailed to City contractors, Union PACS and even some members of City boards and commissions. I was surprised donation cans weren’t put out at area checkout counters. Normally you see this level of effort in raising money for someone who needs an operation...not a lawyer.
All of which seemed to me, Much Ado About Nothing.
No one is suing the Mayor. There are no impeachment proceedings...a fact that interestingly enough seems to anger the Mayor’s supporters as much as her detractors.
The City Council is simply trying to find out how a three year contract was signed by the Mayor without a copy being placed on file anywhere in City Hall, without it being reviewed and signed off on by the City Administrator, City Attorney and Contract Administrator for the City. We want to know why we are being asked to pay $200,000 for the cancellation of a contract that was suppose to have had no cost to the City. Along the way a few other questions have arisen. Like why we didn’t get any rebate checks till the issue became public? Why those rebates seem to be far less than the $40,000 a year the Mayor and HR Director thought they would be.
Our goal is to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It would also be nice if future contracts the Mayor signs are on file somewhere for public inspection. If a contract is signed by the Mayor to make a private firm money, even if there is no cost to the City, you have a right to that information.
Having failed to garner the required seven votes of the Council to subpoena witnesses, the Council’s review of this incident is winding down just as the fundraising for the Mayor’s Legal Defense Fund is kicking into high gear. Last Monday we reviewed the data assembled by the City Administrator. We will probably make some recommendations, but legal action against the Mayor by the Council isn’t an option.
The rush to create a Legal Defense Fund is more about showmanship than substance.
Hamlet: Madam, how like you this play?
Queen: The lady doth protest too much, me thinks.
(Act 3, Scene 2)
I’m also not sure the Mayor could legally accept help from such a group. There is a City Ordinance which prohibits gifts of over $75 from those doing business with or regulated by the City or who would gain financially from any action pending before the City. I know that solicitation letters went out to companies doing business with the City. Owners of establishments with liquor licenses for example, are regulated by the City and could not give more than the $75.
I don’t see how the Mayor or her attorney could accept money that may have come from these prohibited sources. Simply running it through a separate committee, I don’t feel releases the Mayor from the obligation to not accept such gifts.
Or in the words of Shakespeare's Hamlet...ay, there’s the rub (Act 3, Scene 1).
Unlike political donations, there are no limits to how much an individual or business can donate to a Legal Defense Fund. No doubt thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of dollars will be raised by this group. But the public will never know who gave or how much unless the group voluntarily releases that information. The public will never know how the money is spent, unless the group voluntarily agrees to open their books.
Interestingly, the group raising money for the Mayor’s erstwhile legal fees, decided to use Premier Bank at about the same time the Convention Center Oversight Committee (which the Mayor serves on) tried to shift millions in deposits from Commerce Bank to Premier. Premier has yet to build their bank in St. Charles and is renting a storefront at this time.
Then we all learned last week that former Councilman Ken Kielty (who serves on the Mayor’s Legal Defense Fund) has started a committee to raise more money to recall City Council members. We presume just the ones he doesn’t like. Kielty, who until recently served on the Convention Center Oversight Committee with the Mayor, also listed Premier Bank (with their Jefferson City address) as the bank his committee was using.
What an incredible coincidence!
“If this were played upon a stage now, I would condemn it as an improbable fiction.”
Fabian, Twelfth Night (Act 3, Scene 4)
RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR - Tony Brockmeyer
VACATION
The next edition of the First Capitol News will be published on July 16th. There will be no edition next week because of the 4th of July holiday. The following week we will be on vacation. Even though we are taking a few days off, we will be in and out of the office and checking our voice mail and e-mails and regular mail. Any breaking news that we discover will be placed on our web log;
firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com.
Isn’t it Time To Hold The Mayor Accountable?
At the June 7th meeting of the City Council the Council indicated they would like to interview some of her proposed appointments to boards and commissions prior to voting to approve them. She told the Council that as a Councilwoman she had introduced the ordinance that required submission of appointees names to be made to the Council in advance. At the June 21st meeting Councilman John Gieseke pointed out to her that when the ordinance was passed she did not even live in St. Charles and when an amendment was made she was not even on the City Council.
She also claims to have brought John Q. Hammonds to St. Charles. He is the developer of the Convention Center Hotel. The truth is, Doyle Shockley and Jim Rice were the ones who brought John Q. Hammonds to St. Charles.
The Mayor also claims to have brought Bass Pro to St. Charles. Nothing could be further from the truth. Greater Missouri Builders were responsible for Bass Pro.
ATTEMPT TO SAND BAG?
Members of the City Council were surprised when City Administrator Allan Williams appeared at the Council meeting Tuesday evening and told them the Mayor’s budget income projections were off by more than $1 million dollars that would have to be made up. Williams told the Council members he did not include the information in their packets because he did not want it released to the press. Whenever they don’t want something released to the press I would think they are trying to hide something? What do you think?
JAYCEE PARADE the 4th
We designed the ads the City Council has been running promoting Riverfest 2005 and their Salute to Veterans and members of our Armed Forces. The FCN was told that members of the Jaycees who are also members of the Riverfest 2005 Committee were upset because we did not mention that the St. Charles Jaycees were the sponsors of the 4th of July Parade that will be held at 10am on Monday, July 4th.
We took our information from the flyer the Riverfest 2005 Committee had designed and distributed and the news release we received from TJ Slattery of the Committee. There was no mention of the Jaycees in either of those documents. Thus there was no mention in this newspaper until now.
The Parade Route begins at St. Charles High School, proceeds down Waverly to Kingshighway, to Clark Street, to North Main traveling south down Main Street and ending at Bishop’s Landing. This years parade features over 100 units including bands, floats and candy!
The next edition of the First Capitol News will be published on July 16th. There will be no edition next week because of the 4th of July holiday. The following week we will be on vacation. Even though we are taking a few days off, we will be in and out of the office and checking our voice mail and e-mails and regular mail. Any breaking news that we discover will be placed on our web log;
firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com.
Isn’t it Time To Hold The Mayor Accountable?
At the June 7th meeting of the City Council the Council indicated they would like to interview some of her proposed appointments to boards and commissions prior to voting to approve them. She told the Council that as a Councilwoman she had introduced the ordinance that required submission of appointees names to be made to the Council in advance. At the June 21st meeting Councilman John Gieseke pointed out to her that when the ordinance was passed she did not even live in St. Charles and when an amendment was made she was not even on the City Council.
She also claims to have brought John Q. Hammonds to St. Charles. He is the developer of the Convention Center Hotel. The truth is, Doyle Shockley and Jim Rice were the ones who brought John Q. Hammonds to St. Charles.
The Mayor also claims to have brought Bass Pro to St. Charles. Nothing could be further from the truth. Greater Missouri Builders were responsible for Bass Pro.
ATTEMPT TO SAND BAG?
Members of the City Council were surprised when City Administrator Allan Williams appeared at the Council meeting Tuesday evening and told them the Mayor’s budget income projections were off by more than $1 million dollars that would have to be made up. Williams told the Council members he did not include the information in their packets because he did not want it released to the press. Whenever they don’t want something released to the press I would think they are trying to hide something? What do you think?
JAYCEE PARADE the 4th
We designed the ads the City Council has been running promoting Riverfest 2005 and their Salute to Veterans and members of our Armed Forces. The FCN was told that members of the Jaycees who are also members of the Riverfest 2005 Committee were upset because we did not mention that the St. Charles Jaycees were the sponsors of the 4th of July Parade that will be held at 10am on Monday, July 4th.
We took our information from the flyer the Riverfest 2005 Committee had designed and distributed and the news release we received from TJ Slattery of the Committee. There was no mention of the Jaycees in either of those documents. Thus there was no mention in this newspaper until now.
The Parade Route begins at St. Charles High School, proceeds down Waverly to Kingshighway, to Clark Street, to North Main traveling south down Main Street and ending at Bishop’s Landing. This years parade features over 100 units including bands, floats and candy!
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
First Capitol News,
We are very pleased you are honoring all those who serve their country. All Americans, whether they agree with the cause or not, should be thankful for all the men and women who have and are sacrificing their lives for our freedom.
I have enclosed a picture of my son who is presently serving in Afghanistan.
Florence Braun
Dear Editor:
I read with great fascination your article, “Great Rivers Habitat Alliance Caught”, appearing in the June 18, 2005 issue of FCN. Along with a number of business owners and citizens of St. Peters who formed and joined our group, I am satisfied that the true intent of GRHA has finally been brought to the forefront.
St. Peters Citizens and Business for Smart Growth was formed in July of 2004 to offer support to the Board of Aldermen and the city staff in their efforts to bring about the Lakeside 370 Business Park. Our group believed that the City Staff and Aldermen had performed professionally to bring about a wonderful project that would stabilize property tax rates, increase tax revenues for St. Peters and St. Charles County, enhance property values and, of course, produce thousands of construction and permanent jobs. We are thrilled that the City has located a developer who will provide an incredible return for the citizens of St. Peters. However, we remain concerned about Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and its shadow groups such as Citizens for Responsible Community. Early on, our group was certain that environmental concerns were not the real focus of GRHA. The City of St. Peters had offered a compromise to GRHA which included the annexation of 25,000 acres of flood plain to be placed into a conservation disrict controlled by GRHA. The group was not willing to trade its opposition to the 1,600 acre business park for 25,000 acres. We felt that a real environmental group would have jumped on this offer without hesitation.
This entire episode, along with the many money connections reported in your article, should provide a loud warning to the citizens of O’Fallon, St. Peters, St. Charles and St. Charles County. Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and Citizens for Responsible Community have maintained an anti-growth agenda and seemingly attempt to subvert progress and change. There is no question that the primary operators of these groups do not live within the city limits of the towns in question, however, they have affected elections through hard and soft money contributions and have not been afraid to brag about the outcomes and their assistance with them. It is, of course, any group’s right to push an agenda and to throw money at the politicians in an attempt to secure the agenda. However, the connections reported in FCN provide a sour taste in the mouth of politics where, once again, big money attempts to secure an outcome for a selected few and at the detriment to the majority of the people. One only has to look at the GRHA attempt to purchase the St. Peters property for $12,000,000 which would have been a terrible deal given that St. Peters will now realize $50,000,000. And, by the way, Tom Hughes, a significant developer in St. Charles County, recently joined forces with Great Rivers Habitat Alliance. Could this be mere coincidence? Or, is this developer really an environmentalist?
Our group applauds St. Peters, its Aldermen and the staff for the tremendous work that has been accomplished for the benefit of the city as well as for St. Charles County. We look forward to providing a voice for progress and growth and to counter the unidentified agendas and meddling of the outsiders who claim membership in organizations such as Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and Citizens for Responsible Community. It is our hope that all citizens will scrutinize future candidates for public office and ask those candidates about their funding especially as to what groups are providing money and support of any kind. We also thank First Capitol News for its reporting of this latest chapter of what can go wrong within our county and within the cities which comprise our great county.
Daniel K. Fetsch
St. Peters Citizens and Business
for Smart Growth
We are very pleased you are honoring all those who serve their country. All Americans, whether they agree with the cause or not, should be thankful for all the men and women who have and are sacrificing their lives for our freedom.
I have enclosed a picture of my son who is presently serving in Afghanistan.
Florence Braun
Dear Editor:
I read with great fascination your article, “Great Rivers Habitat Alliance Caught”, appearing in the June 18, 2005 issue of FCN. Along with a number of business owners and citizens of St. Peters who formed and joined our group, I am satisfied that the true intent of GRHA has finally been brought to the forefront.
St. Peters Citizens and Business for Smart Growth was formed in July of 2004 to offer support to the Board of Aldermen and the city staff in their efforts to bring about the Lakeside 370 Business Park. Our group believed that the City Staff and Aldermen had performed professionally to bring about a wonderful project that would stabilize property tax rates, increase tax revenues for St. Peters and St. Charles County, enhance property values and, of course, produce thousands of construction and permanent jobs. We are thrilled that the City has located a developer who will provide an incredible return for the citizens of St. Peters. However, we remain concerned about Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and its shadow groups such as Citizens for Responsible Community. Early on, our group was certain that environmental concerns were not the real focus of GRHA. The City of St. Peters had offered a compromise to GRHA which included the annexation of 25,000 acres of flood plain to be placed into a conservation disrict controlled by GRHA. The group was not willing to trade its opposition to the 1,600 acre business park for 25,000 acres. We felt that a real environmental group would have jumped on this offer without hesitation.
This entire episode, along with the many money connections reported in your article, should provide a loud warning to the citizens of O’Fallon, St. Peters, St. Charles and St. Charles County. Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and Citizens for Responsible Community have maintained an anti-growth agenda and seemingly attempt to subvert progress and change. There is no question that the primary operators of these groups do not live within the city limits of the towns in question, however, they have affected elections through hard and soft money contributions and have not been afraid to brag about the outcomes and their assistance with them. It is, of course, any group’s right to push an agenda and to throw money at the politicians in an attempt to secure the agenda. However, the connections reported in FCN provide a sour taste in the mouth of politics where, once again, big money attempts to secure an outcome for a selected few and at the detriment to the majority of the people. One only has to look at the GRHA attempt to purchase the St. Peters property for $12,000,000 which would have been a terrible deal given that St. Peters will now realize $50,000,000. And, by the way, Tom Hughes, a significant developer in St. Charles County, recently joined forces with Great Rivers Habitat Alliance. Could this be mere coincidence? Or, is this developer really an environmentalist?
Our group applauds St. Peters, its Aldermen and the staff for the tremendous work that has been accomplished for the benefit of the city as well as for St. Charles County. We look forward to providing a voice for progress and growth and to counter the unidentified agendas and meddling of the outsiders who claim membership in organizations such as Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and Citizens for Responsible Community. It is our hope that all citizens will scrutinize future candidates for public office and ask those candidates about their funding especially as to what groups are providing money and support of any kind. We also thank First Capitol News for its reporting of this latest chapter of what can go wrong within our county and within the cities which comprise our great county.
Daniel K. Fetsch
St. Peters Citizens and Business
for Smart Growth
STRAIGHT TALK - Councilman Bob Hoepfner
Well hello again out there folks. We have several issues to talk about today.
First off is this matter regarding our municipal judge. This matter is being researched as you read my column. I believe that it is illegal for him to be our municipal judge and also be elected to the Junior College Board. However, I am not a lawyer so we are researching this matter. If it is determined it is illegal we are going to remove him from office.
Now about the state audit. The auditor presented the audit information to the City Council. They said they found nothing wrong except they had some concerns about some things in the parks department. Being the instigator of the audit, I was very displeased. They had not covered 80 percent of the items they were asked to look at. The auditors even said they did not have to meet with the petitioners of the audit.
The Council asked the auditor to do it over and do it professionally and correctly or we were not going to pay for it. We also learned that the Mayor and department heads had met with the auditor before they came to the Council. Wonder what was going on there? What do you think? The taxpayers are once again made to suffer because of the bureaucracy.
You know the address, folks, 425 Nantucket. You know the phone 949-0956. Let me hear from you.
First off is this matter regarding our municipal judge. This matter is being researched as you read my column. I believe that it is illegal for him to be our municipal judge and also be elected to the Junior College Board. However, I am not a lawyer so we are researching this matter. If it is determined it is illegal we are going to remove him from office.
Now about the state audit. The auditor presented the audit information to the City Council. They said they found nothing wrong except they had some concerns about some things in the parks department. Being the instigator of the audit, I was very displeased. They had not covered 80 percent of the items they were asked to look at. The auditors even said they did not have to meet with the petitioners of the audit.
The Council asked the auditor to do it over and do it professionally and correctly or we were not going to pay for it. We also learned that the Mayor and department heads had met with the auditor before they came to the Council. Wonder what was going on there? What do you think? The taxpayers are once again made to suffer because of the bureaucracy.
You know the address, folks, 425 Nantucket. You know the phone 949-0956. Let me hear from you.
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
When All Else Fails! Amateur Radio provides emergency communications.
The Public and amateur radio operators in the St. Charles County area are invited to view and operate amateur radio stations set up to simulate temporary, emergency conditions. The Emergency Communications Association of St. Charles County is participating in the American Radio Relay League National Field Day 2005 Emergency Communications Test and Demonstration. This display and operation of portable communications equipment will be located at Pavilion 2 of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Park, 2300 North Main, St. Charles City, MO. from 1:00 pm on Saturday, June 25th through 1:00 pm Sunday, June 26th. The event continues around the clock for 24 hours. Visitors will have the opportunity to operate an amateur radio station under the supervision of a licensed amateur radio operator. The new St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management Interoperability Command Post will also be on display and in operation during the event. Be sure to visit and inspect this new addition to the communications systems in St. Charles County.
The Emergency Communications Association (ECA) has a charter to provide St. Charles County with emergency communications resources in times of emergency. Field Day provides an opportunity to exercise our capabilities and demonstrate them to the public. ECA members cooperate with and assist the St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management in severe weather spotting activities, land & river search & rescue activations and river flooding emergencies. Other ECA activities include communications support for public service events like March of Dimes and MS Society Walkathons and Bikathons.
Amateur Radio Field Day is a nationwide event designed to test Amateur Radio Operators’ abilities to set up and operate portable radio stations under emergency conditions such as the loss of electricity. The event is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. Field Day is a serious test of communications skills, and a contest for fun too. During the weekend, the Amateur Radio Operators try to contact as many other Field Day stations around the country as possible in a 24 hour period. Tens of thousands of Amateur Radio operators across the United States participated in last year’s event.
ECA consists of approximately 40 skilled members that volunteer their time and resources to assist St. Charles County residents in times of need. ECA invites the citizens of St. Charles County to visit our Field Day site in Dusable Park during the June 25-26 weekend and learn about how to become involved in an interesting and useful Amateur Radio hobby.
The Public and amateur radio operators in the St. Charles County area are invited to view and operate amateur radio stations set up to simulate temporary, emergency conditions. The Emergency Communications Association of St. Charles County is participating in the American Radio Relay League National Field Day 2005 Emergency Communications Test and Demonstration. This display and operation of portable communications equipment will be located at Pavilion 2 of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Park, 2300 North Main, St. Charles City, MO. from 1:00 pm on Saturday, June 25th through 1:00 pm Sunday, June 26th. The event continues around the clock for 24 hours. Visitors will have the opportunity to operate an amateur radio station under the supervision of a licensed amateur radio operator. The new St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management Interoperability Command Post will also be on display and in operation during the event. Be sure to visit and inspect this new addition to the communications systems in St. Charles County.
The Emergency Communications Association (ECA) has a charter to provide St. Charles County with emergency communications resources in times of emergency. Field Day provides an opportunity to exercise our capabilities and demonstrate them to the public. ECA members cooperate with and assist the St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management in severe weather spotting activities, land & river search & rescue activations and river flooding emergencies. Other ECA activities include communications support for public service events like March of Dimes and MS Society Walkathons and Bikathons.
Amateur Radio Field Day is a nationwide event designed to test Amateur Radio Operators’ abilities to set up and operate portable radio stations under emergency conditions such as the loss of electricity. The event is sponsored by the American Radio Relay League. Field Day is a serious test of communications skills, and a contest for fun too. During the weekend, the Amateur Radio Operators try to contact as many other Field Day stations around the country as possible in a 24 hour period. Tens of thousands of Amateur Radio operators across the United States participated in last year’s event.
ECA consists of approximately 40 skilled members that volunteer their time and resources to assist St. Charles County residents in times of need. ECA invites the citizens of St. Charles County to visit our Field Day site in Dusable Park during the June 25-26 weekend and learn about how to become involved in an interesting and useful Amateur Radio hobby.
Festival of the Little Hills Committee Awards Scholarships
The interesting thing about justice and accountability is that it sometimes takes a very long time. We just saw a remarkable example of it taking 41 years. As I watched the verdict being announced in the case of Edgar Ray Killen, age 8l, I saw a mean old man who almost escaped being punished for a heinous crime. As people age, they usually adopt a more frail, harmless appearance, regardless of past conduct and crimes. Even with his oxygen in place, he looked neither weak, frail, nor remorseful.
Forty-one years to the day after the murder of the three young civil rights workers in Mississippi, Edgar Killen learned that he would spend his remaining days on this earth in prison. This was the case that prompted the movie, “Mississippi Burning.”
Throughout history we have witnessed the days when regardless of heroic effort, the Dragon wins. We can award the dragon a few battles, but hopefully, he will never win the war. The Mississippi case reminds us of the tragedy of the evil that results from arrogance, peer pressure, ignorance and abuse of power unchecked.
From the beginning of mankind, the battle between good and evil has been waged on a royal scale. We have been fortunate and blessed in times of peril, we have always had a few good men who met the challenge and rose to the occasion. I don’t believe that any of us ever know what we will do until we are actually faced with the challenge and the tough choice in determining what path we will walk down.
The City of St. Charles now faces this dilemma and has some serious choices to make, about not only what is acceptable from a practical standpoint, but also which is ethically and morally acceptable. These choices will define who we are as a society and as human beings.
We have a new publication which reared its ugly head to educate us about “honesty” and “honest issues.” The editor is Ed Watkins. He may have vested interests in economic ambitions with his cronies, however he does not nor ever has lived in the City of St. Charles. His greatest accomplishments during the past 25 years seems to be the ability to promote himself and show up at all events which may present a new deal or opportunity.
Watkins has shamelessly ignored every truth and reality and has consistently used this bi-weekly hate missile to attack decent people in St. Charles who live here and work for the benefit of this City and its future. These decent people will still be around working for their City and the quality of our lives long after Watkins has moved on to a more lucrative opportunity.
His cohorts appear to be advertising giant, Glennon Jamboretz, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, Carl Maus and Raymond Stone of Citizens for Responsible Community, T.R. Hughes, St. Chuck Watch, and Mayor York. All these groups appear to have hired Jamboretz to do their public relations work and promote the agenda of Mayor York. At the moment, he seems to have a full-time job trying to repair her deteriorating public image.
Except for six members of the St. Charles City Council, these groups and individuals have their people in place at both the county and state level and are unchecked in getting their way. Those six St. Charles City Council members are all that is preventing the big boys from totally controlling our city government. The attacks upon our City Council and misinformation and outright lies will not stop until Watkins and his cronies have driven them from the offices WE elected them to serve as our representatives.
Individuals attending Tuesday’s City Council meeting were shocked at what they observed. Jamboretz was reported to have been communicating from his laptop computer to Mayor York who was responding to him on her laptop. It was observed Jamboretz closed up his computer and left with Stone and others. Mayor York then left to follow them out, accompanied by a St. Charles City Police Officer, who appears to be serving as her “body guard.” I do not believe that anybody is interested in the Mayor’s body or wishes her any physical harm. The public would like nothing more than the Mayor to fulfill her duties with honesty and integrity. That is not a “life-threatening” request.
Our city is at a major crossroads and the decisions we make and the path we choose will define our integrity and our future. May we all have the wisdom to make these decisions based on common sense, logic, and whole lot of conscience and soul seeking. We can rise to this challenge with dignity based on ethics, morals and compassion or we can allow self-serving people to direct our thinking and be a party to injustice.
Forty-one years to the day after the murder of the three young civil rights workers in Mississippi, Edgar Killen learned that he would spend his remaining days on this earth in prison. This was the case that prompted the movie, “Mississippi Burning.”
Throughout history we have witnessed the days when regardless of heroic effort, the Dragon wins. We can award the dragon a few battles, but hopefully, he will never win the war. The Mississippi case reminds us of the tragedy of the evil that results from arrogance, peer pressure, ignorance and abuse of power unchecked.
From the beginning of mankind, the battle between good and evil has been waged on a royal scale. We have been fortunate and blessed in times of peril, we have always had a few good men who met the challenge and rose to the occasion. I don’t believe that any of us ever know what we will do until we are actually faced with the challenge and the tough choice in determining what path we will walk down.
The City of St. Charles now faces this dilemma and has some serious choices to make, about not only what is acceptable from a practical standpoint, but also which is ethically and morally acceptable. These choices will define who we are as a society and as human beings.
We have a new publication which reared its ugly head to educate us about “honesty” and “honest issues.” The editor is Ed Watkins. He may have vested interests in economic ambitions with his cronies, however he does not nor ever has lived in the City of St. Charles. His greatest accomplishments during the past 25 years seems to be the ability to promote himself and show up at all events which may present a new deal or opportunity.
Watkins has shamelessly ignored every truth and reality and has consistently used this bi-weekly hate missile to attack decent people in St. Charles who live here and work for the benefit of this City and its future. These decent people will still be around working for their City and the quality of our lives long after Watkins has moved on to a more lucrative opportunity.
His cohorts appear to be advertising giant, Glennon Jamboretz, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, Carl Maus and Raymond Stone of Citizens for Responsible Community, T.R. Hughes, St. Chuck Watch, and Mayor York. All these groups appear to have hired Jamboretz to do their public relations work and promote the agenda of Mayor York. At the moment, he seems to have a full-time job trying to repair her deteriorating public image.
Except for six members of the St. Charles City Council, these groups and individuals have their people in place at both the county and state level and are unchecked in getting their way. Those six St. Charles City Council members are all that is preventing the big boys from totally controlling our city government. The attacks upon our City Council and misinformation and outright lies will not stop until Watkins and his cronies have driven them from the offices WE elected them to serve as our representatives.
Individuals attending Tuesday’s City Council meeting were shocked at what they observed. Jamboretz was reported to have been communicating from his laptop computer to Mayor York who was responding to him on her laptop. It was observed Jamboretz closed up his computer and left with Stone and others. Mayor York then left to follow them out, accompanied by a St. Charles City Police Officer, who appears to be serving as her “body guard.” I do not believe that anybody is interested in the Mayor’s body or wishes her any physical harm. The public would like nothing more than the Mayor to fulfill her duties with honesty and integrity. That is not a “life-threatening” request.
Our city is at a major crossroads and the decisions we make and the path we choose will define our integrity and our future. May we all have the wisdom to make these decisions based on common sense, logic, and whole lot of conscience and soul seeking. We can rise to this challenge with dignity based on ethics, morals and compassion or we can allow self-serving people to direct our thinking and be a party to injustice.
MY COLUMN - Mike McMurran Sports Editor
O.K., so the Blues are for sale – no problem. I would be the first to admit that I am not a big hockey fan. I really couldn’t tell you the last time I attended a Blues hockey game. For my money I would really rather attend an Otters contest right here in beautiful St. Charles. From my perspective the Blues priced me right out of attending any of their contests. On the negative side it would do nothing but hurt the image of our region should they decide to leave; it would leave only professional baseball and football. Some say the void of the Blues could be filled with an NBA team – once again the likelihood of my attending such a contest is highly unlikely. Few attend more high school basketball games than I, and nothing is more exciting than the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, held annually at the Savvis Center. But the idea of watching an NBA contest does nothing for me.
Last Friday evening I took Maggie, Joe and Dee to see a River City Rascals game in O’Fallon. If I were writing a review of the contest, it would get two thumbs up. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house, with the exception of sitting in the left field outfield just as the sun sets. Thirty to forty minutes before sunset you are blinded and can’t see a thing. There are plenty of things for the kids to do in the “Children’s Village.” The up close seating really does make you feel like you’re on the field. Best of all the beer prices are reasonable. If you are looking for something to do this summer I strongly suggest taking in a game. I bet you go back – I know I am.
The next paragraph or two will be nothing other than a personal reflection; read on if you wish.
As a parent I have always wanted to have the kind of household where my kids’ friends would want to hang out. Certainly, always having the right kinds of snacks and drinks helps greatly in this endeavor, but more importantly, I think, is having a pool in the back yard. At any given moment there may be as many as 9 or 10 kids swimming in our back yard. The parents know this and spontaneous cookouts are as common as the swimming parties. I make mention of this because one the families most likely to attend one of these spontaneous parties, The Yothers, will soon be relocating to Indiana. It seems like just yesterday when Nancy Yothers first introduced herself to me and shared that she would love for her daughter Molly and my daughter Maggie (both of whom at the time were 2 years old) to grow up and be friends. At the time I thought it was a strange thing to say, but now that they are leaving, I realize that Molly and Maggie (now both 9) have in fact grown up to be friends, close friends at that. Despite the fact that the Yothers attend(ed) Becky – David, and my kids attend ASH, it was not uncommon for my kids to be waiting at the bus stop for Molly and Sam to come home so they could play. Factor in their oldest son Nate is mature beyond his middle school age years, and can be trusted to be a primary care giver. The patriarch of the family, Geoffrey, hails from Philadelphia and continues to be an Eagles fan, but other than that is a great guy. He would rather drink Bud Lite than Mich Ultra, but we all have our faults.
When we first saw the “for sale” sign in their front yard, I had a funny, sickly feeling in my stomach – even though we knew it was coming. As irony would have it, we were with The Yothers at St. Elizabeth’s Church picnic when Geoff got the call from their realtor that the next day’s open house would be cancelled because they had a firm offer at the right price. I know time cures all, but there will be a void when the Yothers move. My son Joe asked if we could visit them maybe every 10 years or so, which is a longer period of time than we have known them. I seriously doubt that we will. But as I write this I can picture us attending their children’s weddings, and vice versa. As a matter of fact I cannot imagine my children getting married without the Yothers being present.
I know this is no big deal to most, and in the grand scheme of the universe it barely warrants attention. But within the McMurran household it is a big deal – my children’s friends are moving away, and they have never experienced such. To Nancy and Geoff, good luck in life, may all your dreams be realized. The two of you are very caring, fun to be with, and just down right good friends. One request please: Look into job openings for air traffic controllers. I’ve another neighbor I would love for you to take with you.
Last Friday evening I took Maggie, Joe and Dee to see a River City Rascals game in O’Fallon. If I were writing a review of the contest, it would get two thumbs up. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house, with the exception of sitting in the left field outfield just as the sun sets. Thirty to forty minutes before sunset you are blinded and can’t see a thing. There are plenty of things for the kids to do in the “Children’s Village.” The up close seating really does make you feel like you’re on the field. Best of all the beer prices are reasonable. If you are looking for something to do this summer I strongly suggest taking in a game. I bet you go back – I know I am.
The next paragraph or two will be nothing other than a personal reflection; read on if you wish.
As a parent I have always wanted to have the kind of household where my kids’ friends would want to hang out. Certainly, always having the right kinds of snacks and drinks helps greatly in this endeavor, but more importantly, I think, is having a pool in the back yard. At any given moment there may be as many as 9 or 10 kids swimming in our back yard. The parents know this and spontaneous cookouts are as common as the swimming parties. I make mention of this because one the families most likely to attend one of these spontaneous parties, The Yothers, will soon be relocating to Indiana. It seems like just yesterday when Nancy Yothers first introduced herself to me and shared that she would love for her daughter Molly and my daughter Maggie (both of whom at the time were 2 years old) to grow up and be friends. At the time I thought it was a strange thing to say, but now that they are leaving, I realize that Molly and Maggie (now both 9) have in fact grown up to be friends, close friends at that. Despite the fact that the Yothers attend(ed) Becky – David, and my kids attend ASH, it was not uncommon for my kids to be waiting at the bus stop for Molly and Sam to come home so they could play. Factor in their oldest son Nate is mature beyond his middle school age years, and can be trusted to be a primary care giver. The patriarch of the family, Geoffrey, hails from Philadelphia and continues to be an Eagles fan, but other than that is a great guy. He would rather drink Bud Lite than Mich Ultra, but we all have our faults.
When we first saw the “for sale” sign in their front yard, I had a funny, sickly feeling in my stomach – even though we knew it was coming. As irony would have it, we were with The Yothers at St. Elizabeth’s Church picnic when Geoff got the call from their realtor that the next day’s open house would be cancelled because they had a firm offer at the right price. I know time cures all, but there will be a void when the Yothers move. My son Joe asked if we could visit them maybe every 10 years or so, which is a longer period of time than we have known them. I seriously doubt that we will. But as I write this I can picture us attending their children’s weddings, and vice versa. As a matter of fact I cannot imagine my children getting married without the Yothers being present.
I know this is no big deal to most, and in the grand scheme of the universe it barely warrants attention. But within the McMurran household it is a big deal – my children’s friends are moving away, and they have never experienced such. To Nancy and Geoff, good luck in life, may all your dreams be realized. The two of you are very caring, fun to be with, and just down right good friends. One request please: Look into job openings for air traffic controllers. I’ve another neighbor I would love for you to take with you.
FIRST CAPITOL NEWS TEAM OF THE WWWK
This week’s First Capitol News team of the week is the Misfits, a group of “younger, middle age women,” according to team captain Anne Oberle. “We have been playing together now for almost 20 years,” said Oberle, which would have made most of the players 15 years old when they started, that is if in fact “the average age of the girls is 35,” as Oberle claims.
The team is sponsored by Old Mill Chiropractic on Jungermann Road; which make Dr. Dan Coogan the team’s general manager. “The team started out almost 20 years ago without a single win,” shared Coogan, “hence the name Misfits. They probably peeked about five years or so ago when they were considered one of the better recreational teams in the area.” Past their prime or not – we are happy to acknowledge them as Team of the Week.
The team is sponsored by Old Mill Chiropractic on Jungermann Road; which make Dr. Dan Coogan the team’s general manager. “The team started out almost 20 years ago without a single win,” shared Coogan, “hence the name Misfits. They probably peeked about five years or so ago when they were considered one of the better recreational teams in the area.” Past their prime or not – we are happy to acknowledge them as Team of the Week.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
GREAT RIVERS HABITAT ALLIANCE CAUGHT
Secret Document Reveals So Called Environmental Group Interested In Greenbacks
Not Greenspace
Group Includes Millionaires Adolphus Busch IV, Don Musick III, T.R. Hughes,
Charles Hager
Tell Tale Document Discovered During Legal Proceedings
By Tony Brockmeyer
The City of St. Peters informed the First Capitol News of the discovery of a secret document which disclosed a sneak attempt by Great Rivers Habitat Alliance to gain millions of dollars for its operations if it were to obtain control over the controversial Lakeside 370 Business Park Property. This scheme can be compared to the rich and powerful land barons of the early 20th century.
The document was discovered by the City during legal discovery proceedings in a lawsuit filed by Great Rivers against the City of St. Peters in Cole County, Missouri over the city’s use of Tax Increment Financing funds for the Lakeside project, a $350 million commercial development on 1,600 vacant acres owned by the City near Highway 370 and Interstate 70.
The document was from Wayne Freeman, executive Director of Great Rivers and addressed to Great Rivers chairman Adolphus Busch IV and board member Don Musick III. It contradicted years of public statements by the group and its officers that the land should be sold to them and they would keep the property for park development with half going to the City of St. Peters with the balance to St. Charles County and the State of Missouri.
Great Rivers had offered St Peters $5 million for the Lakeside 370 property and in mid-May surprised the St. Peters Board of Alderman by suddenly increasing their offer from $5 million to $12 million. They did not reveal to the City the potential financial gain for Great Rivers and their intent to develop as much as 800 acres on the property. The sale contract offered to the City by Great Rivers called for great Rivers to put up $10,000 as earnest money with closing to come three years after the contract was accepted. Thus Great Rivers would have plenty of time to secure donations and make development deals without having to put up any more of their own money. Last week the St. Peters Aldermen approved the sale of the Lakeside 370 property to Kaplan Development for $50 million. It is expected the sale will be completed later this summer.
“It’s clear from this secret memo that Great Rivers has been planning this buyout for some months,” said Terry Hawkins, president of the St. Peters Board of Aldermen. Hawkins noted, during this period Great Rivers continued to encourage local river communities to support an intended lawsuit to stop construction of a levee proposed to protect the 1,600 acres from a 500 year flood, not indicating to the communities that it was their intention all along to build on the land themselves and not preserve it for flood control purposes.
Hawkins said, “Great Rivers appears to be prepared to continue the deceptions even after the proposed purchase of the property. One of the most disturbing and alarming parts of this secret memo is Mr. Freeman’s description of a scenario where he says how Great Rivers will try and pull the wool over the public’s eyes by using advertising to try and put the blame on St. Peters, telling the public they could only make this deal if development was promised to our City. It is more and more obvious that when it comes to Mr. Freeman - the ends justify the means.”
The secret document describes Freeman’s plan for Great Rivers to disguise its real intentions by telling the public in a full page ad to be purchased and printed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the only way Great Rivers could get control of the property was to promise St Peters they could have some development on the land after the sale to Great Rivers.
“I have always felt that the Great Rivers habitat Alliance was not what it seemed to be,” said Alderman David Hayes. “It is now clear from documents recently discovered during litigation that they have been considering their own commercial development of the Lakeside 370 land once they acquired the land under the guise of environmental protection.”
“We’ve said all along based on scientific studies, the levee will not impact flood levels anywhere. Great Rivers must agree because they are willing to build on this land. The shame of it all is they have been deceiving local communities and not revealing their plans all the while attempting to get them involved in Great Rivers’ lawsuit against St. Peters on a false premise,” added St. Peters Alderman Rocky Reitmeyer.
Here is an alleged environmental group formed explicitly to stop our development finally having to come clean as to their true intent. It’s now clear the actions by our Board to not succumb to their pressure and instead move forward with this project in the best interests of the residents of our community was the right decision. We stood up to the incredible pressures generated by Great Rivers who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising, direct mail, billboards, telephone calls, slanted polls, and public relations to try and derail a program that will ensure the economic future of St. Peters,” added Hawkins. The City is awaiting permit approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to begin construction of a levee to protect the development.
Alderman Bruce Holt says after the recent sale of the property to Kaplan Development St. Peters citizens are clearly the winners. “After reading this memo I am now convinced this offer we have is truly the best agreement we could have made. The citizens of St. Peters stand to make millions of dollars in return on their investment from this deal. If we would have signed the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance agreement the GRHA would have stood to make millions from this project,” he explained.
“What we have done for our city and the residents is we have made the best financial decision for the residents,” added Alderman Len Pagano. “It was a tremendous return on our investment.”
The First Capitol News asked former St. Peters Mayor Tom Brown to give us his thoughts on what happened. “This is one of the proudest days of my life,” he said. “I am so proud of our Board of Aldermen and our City staff. They have stood up to the pressure and intimidation from the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and the misinformation and half truths they have been spreading about this project. This development proposed by St. Peters was for our kids and our grandchildren. It would have provided six to eight thousand permanent jobs, tens of thousands of union jobs, construction jobs for the next 15 to 20 years. Great Rivers Alliance was formed after a group of individuals appeared at one of our Board meetings to speak against this great project. I demanded they identify themselves and where they lived. They were from Ladue, Clayton and Town and Country. Nobody from St. Peters. Nobody from our County. I told them I didn’t think there was even any discussion on this matter. That is when Great Rivers Alliance was born. The next thing we heard about is now it is an ecology issue and Great Rivers Alliance is coming back to do battle with the terrible City of St. Peters who wanted to build a levee. We spent over $1 million dollars with Sverdrup, an internationally known company. They built levees around Earth City and Riverport. The levees held in ‘93 and ‘95. The land was dry. They are experts in building levees and doing this type of work around the world. I presented this to August Busch and to August Busch’s engineering firm. The City has a copy of the letter that came back saying: Dear Mr. Busch this project will not impact you one bit. Still Great Rivers Alliance kept talking about how unsafe it was going to be and all the problems it would create. All these lies and innuendos and half truths. It was kind of like the Gestapo in World War II. I guess they felt if they threw enough - and of course money is unlimited with those people. The City cannot spend taxpayers dollars like they can spend money. They flooded every household in St. Peters with half truths and lies. Letters to our attorney were even stolen from City Hall. I am very happy to hear this. I am very proud of our Board. I am very proud of our staff. They stuck together even without leadership they stuck together. It has been pretty tough. Really, really tough. I am very proud of them. But the underlining fact I want to get across to everybody, this is the proudest day I have had. Leonard Kaplan got one hell of a great deal. But there is no other choice when you have all the problems that you heard from me, facing you. They done well. They done well. But you know the Post and the Journal keeps mouthing Great Rivers Alliance distortion of the truth. Come on people get with the story.”
Not Greenspace
Group Includes Millionaires Adolphus Busch IV, Don Musick III, T.R. Hughes,
Charles Hager
Tell Tale Document Discovered During Legal Proceedings
By Tony Brockmeyer
The City of St. Peters informed the First Capitol News of the discovery of a secret document which disclosed a sneak attempt by Great Rivers Habitat Alliance to gain millions of dollars for its operations if it were to obtain control over the controversial Lakeside 370 Business Park Property. This scheme can be compared to the rich and powerful land barons of the early 20th century.
The document was discovered by the City during legal discovery proceedings in a lawsuit filed by Great Rivers against the City of St. Peters in Cole County, Missouri over the city’s use of Tax Increment Financing funds for the Lakeside project, a $350 million commercial development on 1,600 vacant acres owned by the City near Highway 370 and Interstate 70.
The document was from Wayne Freeman, executive Director of Great Rivers and addressed to Great Rivers chairman Adolphus Busch IV and board member Don Musick III. It contradicted years of public statements by the group and its officers that the land should be sold to them and they would keep the property for park development with half going to the City of St. Peters with the balance to St. Charles County and the State of Missouri.
Great Rivers had offered St Peters $5 million for the Lakeside 370 property and in mid-May surprised the St. Peters Board of Alderman by suddenly increasing their offer from $5 million to $12 million. They did not reveal to the City the potential financial gain for Great Rivers and their intent to develop as much as 800 acres on the property. The sale contract offered to the City by Great Rivers called for great Rivers to put up $10,000 as earnest money with closing to come three years after the contract was accepted. Thus Great Rivers would have plenty of time to secure donations and make development deals without having to put up any more of their own money. Last week the St. Peters Aldermen approved the sale of the Lakeside 370 property to Kaplan Development for $50 million. It is expected the sale will be completed later this summer.
“It’s clear from this secret memo that Great Rivers has been planning this buyout for some months,” said Terry Hawkins, president of the St. Peters Board of Aldermen. Hawkins noted, during this period Great Rivers continued to encourage local river communities to support an intended lawsuit to stop construction of a levee proposed to protect the 1,600 acres from a 500 year flood, not indicating to the communities that it was their intention all along to build on the land themselves and not preserve it for flood control purposes.
Hawkins said, “Great Rivers appears to be prepared to continue the deceptions even after the proposed purchase of the property. One of the most disturbing and alarming parts of this secret memo is Mr. Freeman’s description of a scenario where he says how Great Rivers will try and pull the wool over the public’s eyes by using advertising to try and put the blame on St. Peters, telling the public they could only make this deal if development was promised to our City. It is more and more obvious that when it comes to Mr. Freeman - the ends justify the means.”
The secret document describes Freeman’s plan for Great Rivers to disguise its real intentions by telling the public in a full page ad to be purchased and printed in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the only way Great Rivers could get control of the property was to promise St Peters they could have some development on the land after the sale to Great Rivers.
“I have always felt that the Great Rivers habitat Alliance was not what it seemed to be,” said Alderman David Hayes. “It is now clear from documents recently discovered during litigation that they have been considering their own commercial development of the Lakeside 370 land once they acquired the land under the guise of environmental protection.”
“We’ve said all along based on scientific studies, the levee will not impact flood levels anywhere. Great Rivers must agree because they are willing to build on this land. The shame of it all is they have been deceiving local communities and not revealing their plans all the while attempting to get them involved in Great Rivers’ lawsuit against St. Peters on a false premise,” added St. Peters Alderman Rocky Reitmeyer.
Here is an alleged environmental group formed explicitly to stop our development finally having to come clean as to their true intent. It’s now clear the actions by our Board to not succumb to their pressure and instead move forward with this project in the best interests of the residents of our community was the right decision. We stood up to the incredible pressures generated by Great Rivers who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising, direct mail, billboards, telephone calls, slanted polls, and public relations to try and derail a program that will ensure the economic future of St. Peters,” added Hawkins. The City is awaiting permit approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to begin construction of a levee to protect the development.
Alderman Bruce Holt says after the recent sale of the property to Kaplan Development St. Peters citizens are clearly the winners. “After reading this memo I am now convinced this offer we have is truly the best agreement we could have made. The citizens of St. Peters stand to make millions of dollars in return on their investment from this deal. If we would have signed the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance agreement the GRHA would have stood to make millions from this project,” he explained.
“What we have done for our city and the residents is we have made the best financial decision for the residents,” added Alderman Len Pagano. “It was a tremendous return on our investment.”
The First Capitol News asked former St. Peters Mayor Tom Brown to give us his thoughts on what happened. “This is one of the proudest days of my life,” he said. “I am so proud of our Board of Aldermen and our City staff. They have stood up to the pressure and intimidation from the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and the misinformation and half truths they have been spreading about this project. This development proposed by St. Peters was for our kids and our grandchildren. It would have provided six to eight thousand permanent jobs, tens of thousands of union jobs, construction jobs for the next 15 to 20 years. Great Rivers Alliance was formed after a group of individuals appeared at one of our Board meetings to speak against this great project. I demanded they identify themselves and where they lived. They were from Ladue, Clayton and Town and Country. Nobody from St. Peters. Nobody from our County. I told them I didn’t think there was even any discussion on this matter. That is when Great Rivers Alliance was born. The next thing we heard about is now it is an ecology issue and Great Rivers Alliance is coming back to do battle with the terrible City of St. Peters who wanted to build a levee. We spent over $1 million dollars with Sverdrup, an internationally known company. They built levees around Earth City and Riverport. The levees held in ‘93 and ‘95. The land was dry. They are experts in building levees and doing this type of work around the world. I presented this to August Busch and to August Busch’s engineering firm. The City has a copy of the letter that came back saying: Dear Mr. Busch this project will not impact you one bit. Still Great Rivers Alliance kept talking about how unsafe it was going to be and all the problems it would create. All these lies and innuendos and half truths. It was kind of like the Gestapo in World War II. I guess they felt if they threw enough - and of course money is unlimited with those people. The City cannot spend taxpayers dollars like they can spend money. They flooded every household in St. Peters with half truths and lies. Letters to our attorney were even stolen from City Hall. I am very happy to hear this. I am very proud of our Board. I am very proud of our staff. They stuck together even without leadership they stuck together. It has been pretty tough. Really, really tough. I am very proud of them. But the underlining fact I want to get across to everybody, this is the proudest day I have had. Leonard Kaplan got one hell of a great deal. But there is no other choice when you have all the problems that you heard from me, facing you. They done well. They done well. But you know the Post and the Journal keeps mouthing Great Rivers Alliance distortion of the truth. Come on people get with the story.”
Citizens For Responsible Community used As Hired Guns For Millionaires Group
Citizens For Responsible Community used As Hired Guns For Millionaires Group
Great Rivers Habitat Alliance has been using Citizens For Responsible Community and its founders, Carl Maus and Raymond Stone, as their hired guns in attempts to wrest control of some municipal governments in St. Charles County. Stone and Maus formed the organization in 2002.
Great Rivers Habitat Alliance membership includes Adolphus Busch IV as Chairman, Don Musick III as President and Peter von Gontard as Secretary. Other members include T.R. Hughes, a developer and close associate of St. Charles Mayor Patti York, and Glennon Jamboretz of the Glennon Company who has done public relations for the Fraternal Order of Police and the Mayor along with Citizens for Responsible Community. Hughes and Jamboretz are working on York’s legal defense fund. The fund was started by Hughes, Ken Kielty, a former city councilman and former chairman of the County Convention and Sports Facility Authority. Also involved are former Councilman Richard Baum, who was recently defeated by Joe McCulloch in an election for County Councilman, and Father Tillman the Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church.
The fund was started after the City Council began hearings into allegations the Mayor illegally signed a contract without the authority of the City Council as required by Ordinance and the City Charter. The alleged signing of this contract by York could result in the St. Charles taxpayers being indebted to Express Scripts in the amount of $200,000. Mayor York requested the City Council allocate funds for her to hire a private defense attorney. When the Council refused to spend taxpayer dollars defending her until it is known whether or not legal action is warranted, Hughes, Kielty, Baum, Tillman, and Kevin Kast started her legal defense fund.
Over the past couple of years members of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance have given Citizens for Responsible Community hundreds of thousands of dollars to be used as soft money in political campaigns throughout the county. Busch and Musick have given around $25,000 each and Jamboretz has given $23,000 with von Gontard giving a little less. Kielty and T. R. Hughes have also contributed to Citizens for Responsible Community and Hughes has spent money on his own in an attempt to have his candidates elected to the St. Charles City Council. He was successful in the elections of Councilmen Bob Kneemiller, Larry Muensch, Mike Weller and Jerry Reese. The attempts by Hughes to defeat Councilmen Rory Riddler, Mark Brown, John Gieseke, Joe Koester, Bob Hoepfner and Councilwoman Dottie Greer with candidates of his choosing were unsuccessful.
In addition to the St. Charles City Council elections, CFRC have involved themselves in municipal elections in St. Peters and O’Fallon as well as in County Council elections. County Councilmen Joe Brazil and Doug Funderburk have received thousands of dollars of support from CFRC along with State Representative Sally Faith. In a recent County Council special election CFRC spent several thousand dollars attempting to elect former St. Charles Councilman Richard Baum; in this they failed.
In O’Fallon, CFRC involved themselves in the mayoral and city council races. They supported Donna Morrow who was elected Mayor.
In St. Peters thousands of dollars were spent to defeat incumbent Mayor Tom Brown who had been in office 22 years. Brown told the First Capitol News, “Adolphus Busch and his group spent $95,000 in court fees to get Shawn Brown on the ballot and then spent over $30,000 to get him elected.”
Most of the money spent by this group is soft money. Soft money is the money a group spends on a candidate without the limits or restrictions on money collected and spent by the candidate.
When the St. Charles City Council recently proposed Charter Amendment One that would provide checks and balances on Mayoral appointments, CFRC spent thousands of dollars and worked to defeat the amendment.
The group also spent thousands of dollars to help Mayor York win reelection in her campaign against Dan Foust. Even though York was photographed with members of the group and in fact donated money to them, when questioned, she denied any knowledge of the organization or its members. After the election, Maus and Stone attended most of the St. Charles City Council meetings and were given use of the Mayor’s office at City Hall by York. Maus and Stone’s involvement in municipal government has been questioned by many. Neither live in any of the cities in which they have involved themselves. Both live in areas south of St. Charles and East of Hwy 94. We have been unable to locate any members of CFRC who live within the city limits of St. Charles.
CFRC has gained a reputation of conducting dirty smear campaigns against anyone who stands up to them. Several members of the St. Charles City Council have been victims of their wrath and dirty tricks campaigning.
Citizens for Responsible Community and Developer T.R. Hughes were responsible for the development and distribution of exotic literature developed by political professionals. Not only did the CFRC donate money to the political campaigns they were responsible for soft money spent in the campaigns. Soft money in CRFC’s hands is money spent to fool the public and to degrade a particular candidate and sway the public’s opinion to electing the candidate of their choice.
This is done by distorting facts, and telling half truths in an attempt to destroy a candidate or any supporters of candidates who may reveal their secret agenda.
Those close to the political scene believe Great Rivers has been using CFRC as hired guns in an attempt to keep themselves above the fray but believe it has not worked. It did not take long to determine who the money was behind these want-to-be power brokers.
Great Rivers Habitat Alliance has been using Citizens For Responsible Community and its founders, Carl Maus and Raymond Stone, as their hired guns in attempts to wrest control of some municipal governments in St. Charles County. Stone and Maus formed the organization in 2002.
Great Rivers Habitat Alliance membership includes Adolphus Busch IV as Chairman, Don Musick III as President and Peter von Gontard as Secretary. Other members include T.R. Hughes, a developer and close associate of St. Charles Mayor Patti York, and Glennon Jamboretz of the Glennon Company who has done public relations for the Fraternal Order of Police and the Mayor along with Citizens for Responsible Community. Hughes and Jamboretz are working on York’s legal defense fund. The fund was started by Hughes, Ken Kielty, a former city councilman and former chairman of the County Convention and Sports Facility Authority. Also involved are former Councilman Richard Baum, who was recently defeated by Joe McCulloch in an election for County Councilman, and Father Tillman the Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church.
The fund was started after the City Council began hearings into allegations the Mayor illegally signed a contract without the authority of the City Council as required by Ordinance and the City Charter. The alleged signing of this contract by York could result in the St. Charles taxpayers being indebted to Express Scripts in the amount of $200,000. Mayor York requested the City Council allocate funds for her to hire a private defense attorney. When the Council refused to spend taxpayer dollars defending her until it is known whether or not legal action is warranted, Hughes, Kielty, Baum, Tillman, and Kevin Kast started her legal defense fund.
Over the past couple of years members of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance have given Citizens for Responsible Community hundreds of thousands of dollars to be used as soft money in political campaigns throughout the county. Busch and Musick have given around $25,000 each and Jamboretz has given $23,000 with von Gontard giving a little less. Kielty and T. R. Hughes have also contributed to Citizens for Responsible Community and Hughes has spent money on his own in an attempt to have his candidates elected to the St. Charles City Council. He was successful in the elections of Councilmen Bob Kneemiller, Larry Muensch, Mike Weller and Jerry Reese. The attempts by Hughes to defeat Councilmen Rory Riddler, Mark Brown, John Gieseke, Joe Koester, Bob Hoepfner and Councilwoman Dottie Greer with candidates of his choosing were unsuccessful.
In addition to the St. Charles City Council elections, CFRC have involved themselves in municipal elections in St. Peters and O’Fallon as well as in County Council elections. County Councilmen Joe Brazil and Doug Funderburk have received thousands of dollars of support from CFRC along with State Representative Sally Faith. In a recent County Council special election CFRC spent several thousand dollars attempting to elect former St. Charles Councilman Richard Baum; in this they failed.
In O’Fallon, CFRC involved themselves in the mayoral and city council races. They supported Donna Morrow who was elected Mayor.
In St. Peters thousands of dollars were spent to defeat incumbent Mayor Tom Brown who had been in office 22 years. Brown told the First Capitol News, “Adolphus Busch and his group spent $95,000 in court fees to get Shawn Brown on the ballot and then spent over $30,000 to get him elected.”
Most of the money spent by this group is soft money. Soft money is the money a group spends on a candidate without the limits or restrictions on money collected and spent by the candidate.
When the St. Charles City Council recently proposed Charter Amendment One that would provide checks and balances on Mayoral appointments, CFRC spent thousands of dollars and worked to defeat the amendment.
The group also spent thousands of dollars to help Mayor York win reelection in her campaign against Dan Foust. Even though York was photographed with members of the group and in fact donated money to them, when questioned, she denied any knowledge of the organization or its members. After the election, Maus and Stone attended most of the St. Charles City Council meetings and were given use of the Mayor’s office at City Hall by York. Maus and Stone’s involvement in municipal government has been questioned by many. Neither live in any of the cities in which they have involved themselves. Both live in areas south of St. Charles and East of Hwy 94. We have been unable to locate any members of CFRC who live within the city limits of St. Charles.
CFRC has gained a reputation of conducting dirty smear campaigns against anyone who stands up to them. Several members of the St. Charles City Council have been victims of their wrath and dirty tricks campaigning.
Citizens for Responsible Community and Developer T.R. Hughes were responsible for the development and distribution of exotic literature developed by political professionals. Not only did the CFRC donate money to the political campaigns they were responsible for soft money spent in the campaigns. Soft money in CRFC’s hands is money spent to fool the public and to degrade a particular candidate and sway the public’s opinion to electing the candidate of their choice.
This is done by distorting facts, and telling half truths in an attempt to destroy a candidate or any supporters of candidates who may reveal their secret agenda.
Those close to the political scene believe Great Rivers has been using CFRC as hired guns in an attempt to keep themselves above the fray but believe it has not worked. It did not take long to determine who the money was behind these want-to-be power brokers.
Mayor’s Supporters Form Group To Attempt Take Over Of St. Charles City Government
By Tony Brockmeyer
Acting on a tip, an investigation conducted by the First Capitol News has discovered Ken Kielty and Glennon Jamboretz have formed a new political committee in an apparent attempt to take control of St. Charles City Government.
Kielty is a former City Councilman and the immediate past chairman of the St. Charles County Convention and Sports Facilities Authority. He was also the operator of the St. Charles State License Office on Randolph until his recent removal by Governor Blunt. Blunt who replaced him with Ernie Dempsey, the owner of Pio’s Restaurant and the father of State Representative Tom Dempsey.
Kielty is a supporter of Mayor Patti York and was a campaign consultant for her last reelection campaign. His company, Kielty Enterprises, also donated to Citizens For Responsible Community a group of people who do not live in St. Charles but who have attempted to control city government through their campaigns for Mayor York and other City Council candidates.
Jamboretz operates the Glennon Company, a public relations company in St. Louis. He has handled public relations for the Fraternal Order of Police headed by former St. Charles Police Sergeant Tommy Mayer. Mayer was fired recently by Chief Tim Swope. Mayer had stopped City Administrator Allan Williams and had ordered Williams out of his vehicle at gun point and made him lay on the ground. Mayer and his group also supported the Mayor in her reelection campaign. The Mayor has called Mayer, “The Top Cop In The State,” and has traveled around the state promoting Mayer and the FOP. Jamboretz is a member of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and a contributor to Citizens for Responsible Community.
Our investigation revealed on June 10, 2005, Kielty and Jamboretz filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission a Statement of Committee Organization. Their group is called, St. Charles Citizens For Responsible Government (SCRG) and gives a post office box in St. Charles as their address. (SEE COPY OF FORM THEY FILED ON PAGE 13).
Kielty gives a home address on Dev- onshire in St. Charles and Jamboretz gives an address on Geyer in the City of St. Louis.
The stated purpose of the St. Charles Citizens For Responsible Government is given as SUPPORT RECALL ELECTED OFFICES ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI.
On the filing form the Official Fund Depository for the checking account for the St. Charles Citizens For Responsible Government is PREMIER BANK at 815 West Stadium Boulevard in Jefferson City, Missouri. This is the parent bank of the Premier Bank recently opened in a store front on South Fifth Street in St. Charles.
This is the Premier Bank involved in projects with T.R. Hughes a local homebuilder and member of the board of Great Rivers Habitat for Humanity. Hughes and Kielty are members of a group formed to solicit donations for a legal defense fund for the Mayor who allegedly signed a contract with Express Scripts without the approval of the City Council as required by the Charter and City Ordinances. It has been reported the alleged illegal signing of the contract by the Mayor could indebt the City to Express Scripts for approximately $200,000.
The St. Charles City Council recently rejected an attempt by members of the County Convention and Sports Facilities Authority to name Premier Bank as the depository for the Convention Center. City ordinances and charter leave that authority with the City Council.
We were unable to contact Keilty or Jamboretz prior to going to press.
Acting on a tip, an investigation conducted by the First Capitol News has discovered Ken Kielty and Glennon Jamboretz have formed a new political committee in an apparent attempt to take control of St. Charles City Government.
Kielty is a former City Councilman and the immediate past chairman of the St. Charles County Convention and Sports Facilities Authority. He was also the operator of the St. Charles State License Office on Randolph until his recent removal by Governor Blunt. Blunt who replaced him with Ernie Dempsey, the owner of Pio’s Restaurant and the father of State Representative Tom Dempsey.
Kielty is a supporter of Mayor Patti York and was a campaign consultant for her last reelection campaign. His company, Kielty Enterprises, also donated to Citizens For Responsible Community a group of people who do not live in St. Charles but who have attempted to control city government through their campaigns for Mayor York and other City Council candidates.
Jamboretz operates the Glennon Company, a public relations company in St. Louis. He has handled public relations for the Fraternal Order of Police headed by former St. Charles Police Sergeant Tommy Mayer. Mayer was fired recently by Chief Tim Swope. Mayer had stopped City Administrator Allan Williams and had ordered Williams out of his vehicle at gun point and made him lay on the ground. Mayer and his group also supported the Mayor in her reelection campaign. The Mayor has called Mayer, “The Top Cop In The State,” and has traveled around the state promoting Mayer and the FOP. Jamboretz is a member of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance and a contributor to Citizens for Responsible Community.
Our investigation revealed on June 10, 2005, Kielty and Jamboretz filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission a Statement of Committee Organization. Their group is called, St. Charles Citizens For Responsible Government (SCRG) and gives a post office box in St. Charles as their address. (SEE COPY OF FORM THEY FILED ON PAGE 13).
Kielty gives a home address on Dev- onshire in St. Charles and Jamboretz gives an address on Geyer in the City of St. Louis.
The stated purpose of the St. Charles Citizens For Responsible Government is given as SUPPORT RECALL ELECTED OFFICES ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI.
On the filing form the Official Fund Depository for the checking account for the St. Charles Citizens For Responsible Government is PREMIER BANK at 815 West Stadium Boulevard in Jefferson City, Missouri. This is the parent bank of the Premier Bank recently opened in a store front on South Fifth Street in St. Charles.
This is the Premier Bank involved in projects with T.R. Hughes a local homebuilder and member of the board of Great Rivers Habitat for Humanity. Hughes and Kielty are members of a group formed to solicit donations for a legal defense fund for the Mayor who allegedly signed a contract with Express Scripts without the approval of the City Council as required by the Charter and City Ordinances. It has been reported the alleged illegal signing of the contract by the Mayor could indebt the City to Express Scripts for approximately $200,000.
The St. Charles City Council recently rejected an attempt by members of the County Convention and Sports Facilities Authority to name Premier Bank as the depository for the Convention Center. City ordinances and charter leave that authority with the City Council.
We were unable to contact Keilty or Jamboretz prior to going to press.
RIVERFEST 2005 July 4th Celebration
By TJ Slattery
The Mayor and St. Charles City Council along with the St. Charles 4th of July Committee invites you to come join the fun at RiverFest 2005 , held at Frontier Park July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
The 2005 St. Charles Riverfest promises to be a star-spangled treat for the senses! Riverfest-goers will enjoy the sounds of the best local and regional bands…the smells and tastes of tantalizing summer fare…experience goose bumps from the patriotic parade...and marvel as the St. Charles skyline explodes with two nights of breathtaking fireworks.
Family activities, including craft booths, a full scale carnival complete with rides and games, and continuous musical entertainment on both the Jaycee Stage and the Big Tent in Frontier Park.
Riverfest 2005 Kicks off at 1:00 PM on Saturday July 2nd. Two, Internationally Renowned Fireworks displays will close the event on the evenings of July 3rd and 4th at 9:30 PM. The scenic riverfront provides the best backdrop for fireworks that rival displays anywhere. The displays are choreographed to music and will be simulcast on Lindenwood University’s KCLC-FM radio station at 89.1 FM
The annual parade will kick off the event on the morning of Monday, July 4th at 10:00 AM complete with a military flyover from the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard.
The Parade Route begins at St. Charles High School, proceeds down Waverly to Kingshighway, to Clark Street, to North Main traveling south down Main Street and ending at Bishop’s Landing. This years parade features over 100 units including bands, floats and candy!
A Salute to Veterans. The City Council would like invite all area veterans to Frontier Park on Sunday July 3rd for an additional fireworks display to honor all who have served in the Military and as a special tribute to the individuals currently safeguarding our freedom by serving abroad as well as at home.
New this year Riverfest 2005 will sponsor a Red Cross Blood Drive and canned food drive during the entire event. Just bring a canned good and drop it off at any gate as you enter Frontier Park. The proceeds of this year’s food drive will benefit our St. Charles area food pantries.
The Mayor and St. Charles City Council along with the St. Charles 4th of July Committee invites you to come join the fun at RiverFest 2005 , held at Frontier Park July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
The 2005 St. Charles Riverfest promises to be a star-spangled treat for the senses! Riverfest-goers will enjoy the sounds of the best local and regional bands…the smells and tastes of tantalizing summer fare…experience goose bumps from the patriotic parade...and marvel as the St. Charles skyline explodes with two nights of breathtaking fireworks.
Family activities, including craft booths, a full scale carnival complete with rides and games, and continuous musical entertainment on both the Jaycee Stage and the Big Tent in Frontier Park.
Riverfest 2005 Kicks off at 1:00 PM on Saturday July 2nd. Two, Internationally Renowned Fireworks displays will close the event on the evenings of July 3rd and 4th at 9:30 PM. The scenic riverfront provides the best backdrop for fireworks that rival displays anywhere. The displays are choreographed to music and will be simulcast on Lindenwood University’s KCLC-FM radio station at 89.1 FM
The annual parade will kick off the event on the morning of Monday, July 4th at 10:00 AM complete with a military flyover from the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard.
The Parade Route begins at St. Charles High School, proceeds down Waverly to Kingshighway, to Clark Street, to North Main traveling south down Main Street and ending at Bishop’s Landing. This years parade features over 100 units including bands, floats and candy!
A Salute to Veterans. The City Council would like invite all area veterans to Frontier Park on Sunday July 3rd for an additional fireworks display to honor all who have served in the Military and as a special tribute to the individuals currently safeguarding our freedom by serving abroad as well as at home.
New this year Riverfest 2005 will sponsor a Red Cross Blood Drive and canned food drive during the entire event. Just bring a canned good and drop it off at any gate as you enter Frontier Park. The proceeds of this year’s food drive will benefit our St. Charles area food pantries.
RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR - Tony Brockmeyer
BRING CANS OF FOOD TO RIVERFEST 2005
The Riverfest 2005 Committee is requesting that visitors to the celebration bring cans of food with them to the activities in Frontier Park on the St. Charles Riverfront. This is the first year they are conducting a food drive for local food pantries according to committee member, TJ Slattery.
ANOTHER BOAT ON THE RIVERFRONT?
The First Capitol News has learned that Convention and Visitors Bureau member, Brian Hill, has made arrangements for a presentation at the CVB meeting on the 23rd regarding a Riverboat on the St Charles Riverfront. We understand the boat is currently being operated in Glasgow, Missouri and has a floating dock on which a restaurant is operated. That is the only details we have at press time.
The St. Charles Empress currently operates from the St. Charles Riverfront in Frontier Park.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMM
Bids were recently received for the power washing of the wooden shingles on the sides of the St. Charles Senior Center on Fairgrounds Drive. I don’t recall the exact amount of the bids but I believe two were received. One for about $9,000 and one for about $11,000. The lower bidder was going to use ladders to reach the wooden shingles and the higher bid was going to use a cherry picker to reach the shingles. It was thought the higher bid was the best bid because apparently the shingles must be power washed from the top down. If they are washed from the bottom up as suggested using ladders, it is feared they would be damaged. It was then discovered City staff had made a mistake in the bidding. State law requires the winning bidder on public works projects to furnish the City with insurance and a bond. Because of the omission by City staff neither bid complied with the law.
New bids were taken and were higher than the original bids. It was discovered by adding the insurance and bond requirements several thousand dollars was added to the cost. I do not believe the first two bidders participated in the second round of bidding. The City staff was perplexed and did not know what to do. A call was made to one of the bidders asking them to reduce their bid. They refused and it was also pointed out it was apparently illegal or unethical to call for reductions after the bids were opened. What to do! What to do! “Maybe,” someone remarked, “we should rebid the job”
We have a better idea. The City owns a power washer. The City also has several vehicles with Cherry Pickers attached. Wouldn’t it be a simple procedure to drive one of those vehicles to the Senior Center and have a City employee use the City’s power washer and wash the shingles? The job could be done in several hours and the taxpayers would see a savings of several thousand dollars.
ATTENTION VETERANS AND ARMED FORCES PERONNEL
On Sunday, July 3rd the City Council is honoring Veterans and members of our Armed Forces during the Riverfest 2005 activities. The City Council approved an additional night of fireworks for that evening.
The June 25th edition of the First Capitol News will be a commemorative edition honoring our Veterans. If you would like your stories or photographs published in that issue we will need to receive them at our office no later than 5pm Tuesday, June 21st. We realize your service photographs are very important to you and all photographs will be returned. For additional information please call 636-724-1955.
The Riverfest 2005 Committee is requesting that visitors to the celebration bring cans of food with them to the activities in Frontier Park on the St. Charles Riverfront. This is the first year they are conducting a food drive for local food pantries according to committee member, TJ Slattery.
ANOTHER BOAT ON THE RIVERFRONT?
The First Capitol News has learned that Convention and Visitors Bureau member, Brian Hill, has made arrangements for a presentation at the CVB meeting on the 23rd regarding a Riverboat on the St Charles Riverfront. We understand the boat is currently being operated in Glasgow, Missouri and has a floating dock on which a restaurant is operated. That is the only details we have at press time.
The St. Charles Empress currently operates from the St. Charles Riverfront in Frontier Park.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMM
Bids were recently received for the power washing of the wooden shingles on the sides of the St. Charles Senior Center on Fairgrounds Drive. I don’t recall the exact amount of the bids but I believe two were received. One for about $9,000 and one for about $11,000. The lower bidder was going to use ladders to reach the wooden shingles and the higher bid was going to use a cherry picker to reach the shingles. It was thought the higher bid was the best bid because apparently the shingles must be power washed from the top down. If they are washed from the bottom up as suggested using ladders, it is feared they would be damaged. It was then discovered City staff had made a mistake in the bidding. State law requires the winning bidder on public works projects to furnish the City with insurance and a bond. Because of the omission by City staff neither bid complied with the law.
New bids were taken and were higher than the original bids. It was discovered by adding the insurance and bond requirements several thousand dollars was added to the cost. I do not believe the first two bidders participated in the second round of bidding. The City staff was perplexed and did not know what to do. A call was made to one of the bidders asking them to reduce their bid. They refused and it was also pointed out it was apparently illegal or unethical to call for reductions after the bids were opened. What to do! What to do! “Maybe,” someone remarked, “we should rebid the job”
We have a better idea. The City owns a power washer. The City also has several vehicles with Cherry Pickers attached. Wouldn’t it be a simple procedure to drive one of those vehicles to the Senior Center and have a City employee use the City’s power washer and wash the shingles? The job could be done in several hours and the taxpayers would see a savings of several thousand dollars.
ATTENTION VETERANS AND ARMED FORCES PERONNEL
On Sunday, July 3rd the City Council is honoring Veterans and members of our Armed Forces during the Riverfest 2005 activities. The City Council approved an additional night of fireworks for that evening.
The June 25th edition of the First Capitol News will be a commemorative edition honoring our Veterans. If you would like your stories or photographs published in that issue we will need to receive them at our office no later than 5pm Tuesday, June 21st. We realize your service photographs are very important to you and all photographs will be returned. For additional information please call 636-724-1955.
THE CITY DESK - Ror Riddler City Council President
Shifting Sands & Secret Memos
Bring On A Flood Of Questions
If they ever wanted to spice up the game of baseball, they could try designating a “switch player”. At any given time in the game, this player would switch sides and start playing for the opposing team. We had a pitcher like that for the Cardinals, or so it seemed to fans at the time. I’m not even sure if it isn’t already a rule in the American League.
Last week in local politics, we saw the equivalent of a New York Yankee tearing off his jersey and going to bat for the Cardinals in the middle of a game. I’m referring to the sudden political conversion of St. Peters Mayor Shawn Brown on the Lakeside 370 development.
Opponents of the development, which include a strange assortment of bedfellows, were shocked when their “star player” suddenly switched sides in the debate. Arguably Shawn Brown would not have been elected Mayor of St. Peters over long time incumbent Mayor Tom Brown without the massive infusion of political cash they provided.
First there were huge sums donated to his legal defense fund (much like one now being set up for our own Mayor). Donations to a legal defense fund can be anonymous and are not required to be reported. Speculation is the money to pay Shawn Brown’s legal bills came from members of the group opposing the Lakeside 370 Development. This money helped keep Shawn Brown’s name on the ballot.
Second, his campaign benefitted from over $100,000 donated to Citizens for Responsible Community, most of the money coming from large donations from just three wealthy individuals; Adolphus Busch IV, Don Musick III and Glennon Jamboretz whose advertising firm worked for Musick. Normally an individual would be limited to donating $300 in the race for Mayor of St. Peters. But there is no State Law limiting what an individual can give to a group like Citizens for Responsible Community. They in turn spent most of the funds they raised running a negative campaign against Mayor Tom Brown to benefit Shawn Brown.
A coalition of political enemies of the incumbent Mayor, environmentalists and millionaire duck hunters were out to seize control of City Hall in St. Peters. Cost was no object. Their only agenda was to stop the rampant development of flood plain ground North of St. Peters. Or so we were told by a complacent mainstream press which doesn’t ask tough questions of old money whose names end in Roman numerals.
As it turned out, defeating Mayor Tom Brown didn’t scare St. Peters into submission. A majority of the Board of Aldermen in St. Peters and the City Administrator were still firmly behind the Lakeside 370 Development. The new Mayor spoke out against the development at every turn, but really couldn’t do much to derail it.
That’s when millionaire homebuilder Tom Hughes appeared on the scene and joined the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance...the group created by Busch and Musick to oppose the Lakeside 370 Development. It seemed strange at the time. Now you had environmentalists, ant-sprawl advocates, millionaire duck hunters, a St. Louis County developer AND now a homebuilder joining forces...but for what?
Then last week it was reported that the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance wanted to buy the Lakeside 370 land for $12 Million from the City of St. Peters. But instead of backing its sale to the group that put him in office, Shawn Brown switched jerseys and hit one out of the park for the home team. He came out strongly in favor of selling the land to developer Leonard Kaplan for a deal totaling approximately $47 Million...nearly four times what the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance had offered.
Great Rivers Habitat Alliance Executive Director Wayne Freeman was fuming as he told members of the press that Shawn Brown would have a lot to “answer” for to the voters. But Shawn Brown apparently knew a lot more about the group which had backed him than they wanted him to know. He was also smart enough to get himself traded from the losing team at just the right moment.
A few days after the sale to Kaplan, the City of St. Peters issued an amazing press release revealing the contents of a “secret” memo from Wayne Freeman to Adolphus Busch IV and Great Rivers Habitat Alliance board member Don Musick. Ironically, St. Peters got its hands on the secret memo from documents subpoenaed as part of defending itself from the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance’s own lawsuit.
Let me quote directly from their press release:
“In a memo dated April 21, 2005, Great Rivers Executive Director Wayne Freeman outlined a plan to take over the Lakeside 370 property and instead of keeping it as floodplain, as they had been proposing for the last two years, they would actually develop properties which could reap the Alliance millions of dollars from the sale of property to developers and “administrative fees.”
“The document was addressed to Great Rivers Chairman Adolphus Busch IV and Board member Don Musick III. Freeman’s proposal led to a surprise offer to St. Peters in mid-May which increased Great Rivers year-old offer for the 1,600 acres from $5 million to $12 million, but did not reveal the potential financial gain for Great Rivers and their intent to develop as much as 800 acres of the property.”
“The secret document describes Freeman’s plan for Great Rivers to disguise its real intentions by telling the public, in a full-paid ad to be purchased in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, that the only way they could get control of the property was to promise St. Peters that they could have some development on the land after the sale to Great Rivers.”
Talk about uncovering a smoking gun! These guys need to move to California and hire Michael Jackson’s attorney.
The discovery of the memo raises a flood of questions, washing away the levee of credibility they had tried to build through buying political friends and smearing the reputation of those who stood in their way. I would like to know who they had lined up to develop the 800 acres? Who stood to pocket that rich prize? When exactly were they going to tell all the people who believed in them, and really do care about environmental issues, that they had sold them out?
Now I have always believed that if something looks like a duck and walks like a duck, that it is probably a duck....or in this case a competing development meant to make someone rich, while promising to protect some ducks! And what the heck, if you can TWIST the truth and blame it all on the other guy go ahead. It’s enough to make we want to go the ballpark and order a Coors Light.
Bring On A Flood Of Questions
If they ever wanted to spice up the game of baseball, they could try designating a “switch player”. At any given time in the game, this player would switch sides and start playing for the opposing team. We had a pitcher like that for the Cardinals, or so it seemed to fans at the time. I’m not even sure if it isn’t already a rule in the American League.
Last week in local politics, we saw the equivalent of a New York Yankee tearing off his jersey and going to bat for the Cardinals in the middle of a game. I’m referring to the sudden political conversion of St. Peters Mayor Shawn Brown on the Lakeside 370 development.
Opponents of the development, which include a strange assortment of bedfellows, were shocked when their “star player” suddenly switched sides in the debate. Arguably Shawn Brown would not have been elected Mayor of St. Peters over long time incumbent Mayor Tom Brown without the massive infusion of political cash they provided.
First there were huge sums donated to his legal defense fund (much like one now being set up for our own Mayor). Donations to a legal defense fund can be anonymous and are not required to be reported. Speculation is the money to pay Shawn Brown’s legal bills came from members of the group opposing the Lakeside 370 Development. This money helped keep Shawn Brown’s name on the ballot.
Second, his campaign benefitted from over $100,000 donated to Citizens for Responsible Community, most of the money coming from large donations from just three wealthy individuals; Adolphus Busch IV, Don Musick III and Glennon Jamboretz whose advertising firm worked for Musick. Normally an individual would be limited to donating $300 in the race for Mayor of St. Peters. But there is no State Law limiting what an individual can give to a group like Citizens for Responsible Community. They in turn spent most of the funds they raised running a negative campaign against Mayor Tom Brown to benefit Shawn Brown.
A coalition of political enemies of the incumbent Mayor, environmentalists and millionaire duck hunters were out to seize control of City Hall in St. Peters. Cost was no object. Their only agenda was to stop the rampant development of flood plain ground North of St. Peters. Or so we were told by a complacent mainstream press which doesn’t ask tough questions of old money whose names end in Roman numerals.
As it turned out, defeating Mayor Tom Brown didn’t scare St. Peters into submission. A majority of the Board of Aldermen in St. Peters and the City Administrator were still firmly behind the Lakeside 370 Development. The new Mayor spoke out against the development at every turn, but really couldn’t do much to derail it.
That’s when millionaire homebuilder Tom Hughes appeared on the scene and joined the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance...the group created by Busch and Musick to oppose the Lakeside 370 Development. It seemed strange at the time. Now you had environmentalists, ant-sprawl advocates, millionaire duck hunters, a St. Louis County developer AND now a homebuilder joining forces...but for what?
Then last week it was reported that the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance wanted to buy the Lakeside 370 land for $12 Million from the City of St. Peters. But instead of backing its sale to the group that put him in office, Shawn Brown switched jerseys and hit one out of the park for the home team. He came out strongly in favor of selling the land to developer Leonard Kaplan for a deal totaling approximately $47 Million...nearly four times what the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance had offered.
Great Rivers Habitat Alliance Executive Director Wayne Freeman was fuming as he told members of the press that Shawn Brown would have a lot to “answer” for to the voters. But Shawn Brown apparently knew a lot more about the group which had backed him than they wanted him to know. He was also smart enough to get himself traded from the losing team at just the right moment.
A few days after the sale to Kaplan, the City of St. Peters issued an amazing press release revealing the contents of a “secret” memo from Wayne Freeman to Adolphus Busch IV and Great Rivers Habitat Alliance board member Don Musick. Ironically, St. Peters got its hands on the secret memo from documents subpoenaed as part of defending itself from the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance’s own lawsuit.
Let me quote directly from their press release:
“In a memo dated April 21, 2005, Great Rivers Executive Director Wayne Freeman outlined a plan to take over the Lakeside 370 property and instead of keeping it as floodplain, as they had been proposing for the last two years, they would actually develop properties which could reap the Alliance millions of dollars from the sale of property to developers and “administrative fees.”
“The document was addressed to Great Rivers Chairman Adolphus Busch IV and Board member Don Musick III. Freeman’s proposal led to a surprise offer to St. Peters in mid-May which increased Great Rivers year-old offer for the 1,600 acres from $5 million to $12 million, but did not reveal the potential financial gain for Great Rivers and their intent to develop as much as 800 acres of the property.”
“The secret document describes Freeman’s plan for Great Rivers to disguise its real intentions by telling the public, in a full-paid ad to be purchased in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, that the only way they could get control of the property was to promise St. Peters that they could have some development on the land after the sale to Great Rivers.”
Talk about uncovering a smoking gun! These guys need to move to California and hire Michael Jackson’s attorney.
The discovery of the memo raises a flood of questions, washing away the levee of credibility they had tried to build through buying political friends and smearing the reputation of those who stood in their way. I would like to know who they had lined up to develop the 800 acres? Who stood to pocket that rich prize? When exactly were they going to tell all the people who believed in them, and really do care about environmental issues, that they had sold them out?
Now I have always believed that if something looks like a duck and walks like a duck, that it is probably a duck....or in this case a competing development meant to make someone rich, while promising to protect some ducks! And what the heck, if you can TWIST the truth and blame it all on the other guy go ahead. It’s enough to make we want to go the ballpark and order a Coors Light.
THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters To The Editor
To The Sports Editor
Mr. McMurran:
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the exceptional way that you covered the St. Charles High School baseball season. I truly believe you played a great part in their success. You brought this team to the attention of the St. Charles area. This is a GREAT bunch of kids and they truly deserved the limelight that YOU gave them. I will admit that I am a little impartial,(my son is Brian Randazzo) but I have heard from SO MANY St.Charles residents that have said that they began following them and rooting for them and I believe it was because of the spin that you put on the articles.
This team was not given many upbeat articles in other papers(if they even received an article), no-one but you headed their final article with the fact that they were 2nd in the state , which really is quite an accomplishment!
Thank you for the wonderful words you wrote about my son, I have always known Brian to be a wonderful young man, but now the rest of St. Charles does!!! It was a great ride and I thank you for coming along with us!!!!!!
Kathy Randazzo
Dear Editor,
In response to the comments regarding the recent Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in St. Charles, we would like to mention several items that may be of hope and healing to the community.
From its very inception, our country has built its foundational principles on our abiding passion for freedom. It has been one of the very pillars of our society. The free exercise of conscience, provided that conscience does not infringe on the rights and liberties of others, is gratefully upheld. The freedom of worship falls in that category, and it is upon that subject that we wish to make a few remarks.
St. Charles County has long been a rather homogonous community. But in recent years we have been witnesses of a remarkable “westward expansion” as significant numbers of people have moved out here from St. Louis County and elsewhere. The increase in population has also brought an increase of diversity. In addition to cultural and ethnic diversity, peoples of varying faiths now make St. Charles County their home, bringing fresh values, vitality and perspectives with them.
The Interfaith Partnership of St. Charles County, (working under the Interfaith Partnership of St. Louis), welcomes those of all faiths. Our mission is to promote peace, respect and understanding among people of all faiths. We promote unity, respect, dignity, and peace through regular dialogue groups, community service, and celebrations of faith. While holding dear the tenants of our own particular faith, we reach out to those who believe differently than ourselves in a spirit of friendship and mutual understanding. To those of all faiths, we would like to say – thank you for making St. Charles County your home. All are welcome here. All are safe here. We are among friends.
We encourage the community of St. Charles County to continue to show respect and dignity to those of all faiths. This is one of the greatest freedoms that our country stands for, and we are grateful heirs to those who sacrificed much so that we may enjoy that freedom today.
For more information about the Interfaith Partnership of St. Charles County, please contact Beth Rodriquez, Project Coordinator of Interfaith Partnership, at bdrodriguez@interfaithpartnership.org
Deborah Coffey, Chairman
St. Charles Chapter of
Interfaith Partnership of St. Louis
Dear Editor:
Have you ever noticed other publications in town consider disputes between the County Executive and County Council as mere spats or disagreements while calling all disputes between the City Council and Mayor of St. Charles battles or warfare?
D. Lammers
St. Charles
To The Editor,
We cannot forever hide the truth about ourselves, from ourselves. Which brings me to the question of how I’m living my dash. (-) You know the little line between the year you were born and the year you take that final step into eternity. Let’s say 1951 - and counting. You see what that little line represents is your whole life and what you did for the good of mankind.
I’ll say right up front I do not intend to judge anyone - that is not my job. I do have eyes to see and ears to hear and breath to breath given to me by my Creator as well as everyone else.
The reason I am writing this letter is because I see the turmoil this town is in and I know that I’m not the only one seeing this turmoil and down right division of us, the taxpaying people. I see a whole lot of deceit, deceit, deceit and a whole lot of not telling the truth when it comes to the people paying the bills, You know the taxpayer. This all did not start yesterday, nor will it stop tomorrow. There was a recent quote, “The best and brightest don’t pursue politics, but the ego-driven, power hungry do.” I wonder if the Mayor knows somebody on her team feels that way about her? I will quote another ‘new’ member of her team - Father Rich Tillman a member of her legal defense solicitation team. Quote or not this was printed in the April 7, 2005 St. Charles Borromeo bulletin. I think it may be a good piece of advice as this legal defense solicitation fund moves forward. He (the writer) is paraphrasing John 10:5 out of the Book of Truth, the Holy Bible. “Do you follow Jesus, the good shepherd, or do you follow a stranger? Before you answer, think about ‘strangers’ that Jesus warned us of: Greed! Fame! Riches! Power!
We pray that we may faithfully follow Jesus and not be let astray by materialism, greed or personal gain.
So when all you (FOP) friends and followers of Patti get together at Pio’s for her legal defense solicitation fund you may want to keep that little memo in mind and what the real reasons are for you being there.
Now see - I just put a little bit more on my “dash” right or wrong in everyone’s eyes. I feel real good and hope for the best for everyone involved.
May God bless you as he does myself and my wife.
Bob Bredensteiner
Mr. McMurran:
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the exceptional way that you covered the St. Charles High School baseball season. I truly believe you played a great part in their success. You brought this team to the attention of the St. Charles area. This is a GREAT bunch of kids and they truly deserved the limelight that YOU gave them. I will admit that I am a little impartial,(my son is Brian Randazzo) but I have heard from SO MANY St.Charles residents that have said that they began following them and rooting for them and I believe it was because of the spin that you put on the articles.
This team was not given many upbeat articles in other papers(if they even received an article), no-one but you headed their final article with the fact that they were 2nd in the state , which really is quite an accomplishment!
Thank you for the wonderful words you wrote about my son, I have always known Brian to be a wonderful young man, but now the rest of St. Charles does!!! It was a great ride and I thank you for coming along with us!!!!!!
Kathy Randazzo
Dear Editor,
In response to the comments regarding the recent Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in St. Charles, we would like to mention several items that may be of hope and healing to the community.
From its very inception, our country has built its foundational principles on our abiding passion for freedom. It has been one of the very pillars of our society. The free exercise of conscience, provided that conscience does not infringe on the rights and liberties of others, is gratefully upheld. The freedom of worship falls in that category, and it is upon that subject that we wish to make a few remarks.
St. Charles County has long been a rather homogonous community. But in recent years we have been witnesses of a remarkable “westward expansion” as significant numbers of people have moved out here from St. Louis County and elsewhere. The increase in population has also brought an increase of diversity. In addition to cultural and ethnic diversity, peoples of varying faiths now make St. Charles County their home, bringing fresh values, vitality and perspectives with them.
The Interfaith Partnership of St. Charles County, (working under the Interfaith Partnership of St. Louis), welcomes those of all faiths. Our mission is to promote peace, respect and understanding among people of all faiths. We promote unity, respect, dignity, and peace through regular dialogue groups, community service, and celebrations of faith. While holding dear the tenants of our own particular faith, we reach out to those who believe differently than ourselves in a spirit of friendship and mutual understanding. To those of all faiths, we would like to say – thank you for making St. Charles County your home. All are welcome here. All are safe here. We are among friends.
We encourage the community of St. Charles County to continue to show respect and dignity to those of all faiths. This is one of the greatest freedoms that our country stands for, and we are grateful heirs to those who sacrificed much so that we may enjoy that freedom today.
For more information about the Interfaith Partnership of St. Charles County, please contact Beth Rodriquez, Project Coordinator of Interfaith Partnership, at bdrodriguez@interfaithpartnership.org
Deborah Coffey, Chairman
St. Charles Chapter of
Interfaith Partnership of St. Louis
Dear Editor:
Have you ever noticed other publications in town consider disputes between the County Executive and County Council as mere spats or disagreements while calling all disputes between the City Council and Mayor of St. Charles battles or warfare?
D. Lammers
St. Charles
To The Editor,
We cannot forever hide the truth about ourselves, from ourselves. Which brings me to the question of how I’m living my dash. (-) You know the little line between the year you were born and the year you take that final step into eternity. Let’s say 1951 - and counting. You see what that little line represents is your whole life and what you did for the good of mankind.
I’ll say right up front I do not intend to judge anyone - that is not my job. I do have eyes to see and ears to hear and breath to breath given to me by my Creator as well as everyone else.
The reason I am writing this letter is because I see the turmoil this town is in and I know that I’m not the only one seeing this turmoil and down right division of us, the taxpaying people. I see a whole lot of deceit, deceit, deceit and a whole lot of not telling the truth when it comes to the people paying the bills, You know the taxpayer. This all did not start yesterday, nor will it stop tomorrow. There was a recent quote, “The best and brightest don’t pursue politics, but the ego-driven, power hungry do.” I wonder if the Mayor knows somebody on her team feels that way about her? I will quote another ‘new’ member of her team - Father Rich Tillman a member of her legal defense solicitation team. Quote or not this was printed in the April 7, 2005 St. Charles Borromeo bulletin. I think it may be a good piece of advice as this legal defense solicitation fund moves forward. He (the writer) is paraphrasing John 10:5 out of the Book of Truth, the Holy Bible. “Do you follow Jesus, the good shepherd, or do you follow a stranger? Before you answer, think about ‘strangers’ that Jesus warned us of: Greed! Fame! Riches! Power!
We pray that we may faithfully follow Jesus and not be let astray by materialism, greed or personal gain.
So when all you (FOP) friends and followers of Patti get together at Pio’s for her legal defense solicitation fund you may want to keep that little memo in mind and what the real reasons are for you being there.
Now see - I just put a little bit more on my “dash” right or wrong in everyone’s eyes. I feel real good and hope for the best for everyone involved.
May God bless you as he does myself and my wife.
Bob Bredensteiner
CONSERVATIVE FACTOR Alex Spencer
If one waits long enough, the truth always surfaces and that truth always bares the motives, schemes and goals of all involved. The root of all evil does appear to be one thing only-money, money, and more money. When people become obsessed with money, they can never get enough. They lay down any integrity and ethics they ever possessed and never look back. It is a devastating sickness that erodes the soul and devastates everything and everybody that has the misfortune of being in the vicinity.
The citizens of St. Charles County have been duped and made fools of under the banner of, “Let us preserve the green space. We can not allow the City of St. Peters to develop near the duck habitats around Hwy. 370.”
These wealthy conservationists who purport to save land for parks have just been exposed for greed that has surpassed anything we have yet seen transpire by any developers in the history of this county. They used the services of advertiser, Jamboretz, Citizens for Responsible Community (Moss and Stone), Mayor York, and until recently, St. Peters Mayor Shawn Brown, to attempt to defeat any effort by the City of St. Peters to develop this proposed area.
When this group of do-gooders made an offer to purchase the land to “preserve the green space,” they started at $5,000,000 and eventually raised the bid to $12,000,000. During discovery, documents just became public which show the true design of these people and rather than save the land from development, they intended to develop it themselves and make countless millions of dollars.
They lied to every taxpayer in this county, they lied to the City of St. Peters, and they spent a fortune defeating Mayor Tom Brown for reelection. They thought they owned Shawn Brown and they put him in as mayor of St. Peters. They appear to be ugly animals that have no ethics or moral compass whatever. These are the type of individuals who should never be listened to regarding what is in the best interest of the people of this county. They don’t care about anything but their own ambitions and how they can make a buck.
Right in the middle of all this muck is our own mayor, Patti York. It appears that her signing illegal contracts and being led around by the nose by a rogue cop is just the tip of the iceberg. That is mere child’s play; this is serious low-down dirty as it gets politics. Many of the same individuals who are involved in the St. Peters scandal are listed on her Legal Defense Fund. That is not a coincidence.
This is the first time in the history of St. Charles that a mayor has had to use a professional advertising giant to paint a false picture of what she is actually doing while pretending to serve the citizens of St. Charles. The mayor’s actions do not match her words. It appears we have a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
This is also the first time in our history that a newspaper has been created by wealthy individuals for the sole purpose of serving our mayor in her continued false presentation of facts in order to control and dupe the public. That tabloid has also attacked the city of St. Peters for their efforts to develop the Hwy. 370 area.
This is also the first time in our history that groups of citizens are going door-to-door to obtain signatures to put the question of recalling this mayor before the voters.
There is definitely a big stink at City Hall, but it isn’t the majority of the City Council producing the stench. It is the mayor and her four little boys, Kneemiller, Weller, Reese, and sometimes Muench.
People have been asking for months, “What is really going on that is so big and involves so much money for these people to behave like this? It has to be more than just the Convention Center.” I believe we are finally getting closer to the answer to that question.
The citizens of St. Charles County have been duped and made fools of under the banner of, “Let us preserve the green space. We can not allow the City of St. Peters to develop near the duck habitats around Hwy. 370.”
These wealthy conservationists who purport to save land for parks have just been exposed for greed that has surpassed anything we have yet seen transpire by any developers in the history of this county. They used the services of advertiser, Jamboretz, Citizens for Responsible Community (Moss and Stone), Mayor York, and until recently, St. Peters Mayor Shawn Brown, to attempt to defeat any effort by the City of St. Peters to develop this proposed area.
When this group of do-gooders made an offer to purchase the land to “preserve the green space,” they started at $5,000,000 and eventually raised the bid to $12,000,000. During discovery, documents just became public which show the true design of these people and rather than save the land from development, they intended to develop it themselves and make countless millions of dollars.
They lied to every taxpayer in this county, they lied to the City of St. Peters, and they spent a fortune defeating Mayor Tom Brown for reelection. They thought they owned Shawn Brown and they put him in as mayor of St. Peters. They appear to be ugly animals that have no ethics or moral compass whatever. These are the type of individuals who should never be listened to regarding what is in the best interest of the people of this county. They don’t care about anything but their own ambitions and how they can make a buck.
Right in the middle of all this muck is our own mayor, Patti York. It appears that her signing illegal contracts and being led around by the nose by a rogue cop is just the tip of the iceberg. That is mere child’s play; this is serious low-down dirty as it gets politics. Many of the same individuals who are involved in the St. Peters scandal are listed on her Legal Defense Fund. That is not a coincidence.
This is the first time in the history of St. Charles that a mayor has had to use a professional advertising giant to paint a false picture of what she is actually doing while pretending to serve the citizens of St. Charles. The mayor’s actions do not match her words. It appears we have a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
This is also the first time in our history that a newspaper has been created by wealthy individuals for the sole purpose of serving our mayor in her continued false presentation of facts in order to control and dupe the public. That tabloid has also attacked the city of St. Peters for their efforts to develop the Hwy. 370 area.
This is also the first time in our history that groups of citizens are going door-to-door to obtain signatures to put the question of recalling this mayor before the voters.
There is definitely a big stink at City Hall, but it isn’t the majority of the City Council producing the stench. It is the mayor and her four little boys, Kneemiller, Weller, Reese, and sometimes Muench.
People have been asking for months, “What is really going on that is so big and involves so much money for these people to behave like this? It has to be more than just the Convention Center.” I believe we are finally getting closer to the answer to that question.
ThAT'S MY OPINION - Councilman Bob Hoepfner
Hello again out there. We are back for another week in review. I was thinking about our municipal court judge, Mr. Barklage. I haven’t heard any more about Mr. Barklage holding two positions. That as Municipal Judge and on the Board of Trustees for the Junior College District. I still believe this is wrong. That's the way I interpret the law. But then again I am not a student of the law. Like yourself I am usually the victim.
You know, these judges take great liberties. They don’t give you the law, they give you their opinion of the law. For instance, did you hear about the guy who had 8 or 10 DWI’s and is still out driving around? Perhaps endangering the lives of our fine citizens. Now I am not here to say our municipal judge would do something like that.
However, I know of a case where a pit bull chewed off the ear of another dog. The pit bull is allowed to continue to run loose. What I find strange about this is the owner of this animal was ordered by the judge several months ago to construct a pen under our vicious dog ordinance to contain his animal. The ordinance also calls for a $100,000 liability bond for the dog. The dog must be photographed and a danger sign posted on the fence.
My friends, not only was none of this done but the guy doesn’t even show up in court. My question is, why hasn’t the judge cited this guy for contempt? The police cannot even confiscate the dog.
The pit bull is still allowed to run loose on weekends in the neighborhood. Now, I am not trying to influence the court. But I don’t understand why the judge, at the next court date, wouldn’t follow the city’s laws and do something with the owner of this animal. Does it take a child or senior citizen being attacked by this dog before the judge will react?
Well, this brings me to the point where I need to tell you my friends. The Council has talked about a second judge because obviously this judge can’t handle the work load. I am going to press for a second judge. We will leave this judge for speeding violations and have the second judge handle domestic, nuisance and code violations. That way we can get some public interest judgements handed down.
This my friends, is a classic example of we the public being the victim while our protection under the law is being ignored.
In closing, far be it for me to ruffle the feathers of this judge. Hopefully he can see the bigger picture and accept constructive criticism and do the right thing for the public.
That's all for this week. Remember, call me any time, 949-0956 or stop by 425 Nantucket. I am always happy to speak with our fine taxpayers.
You know, these judges take great liberties. They don’t give you the law, they give you their opinion of the law. For instance, did you hear about the guy who had 8 or 10 DWI’s and is still out driving around? Perhaps endangering the lives of our fine citizens. Now I am not here to say our municipal judge would do something like that.
However, I know of a case where a pit bull chewed off the ear of another dog. The pit bull is allowed to continue to run loose. What I find strange about this is the owner of this animal was ordered by the judge several months ago to construct a pen under our vicious dog ordinance to contain his animal. The ordinance also calls for a $100,000 liability bond for the dog. The dog must be photographed and a danger sign posted on the fence.
My friends, not only was none of this done but the guy doesn’t even show up in court. My question is, why hasn’t the judge cited this guy for contempt? The police cannot even confiscate the dog.
The pit bull is still allowed to run loose on weekends in the neighborhood. Now, I am not trying to influence the court. But I don’t understand why the judge, at the next court date, wouldn’t follow the city’s laws and do something with the owner of this animal. Does it take a child or senior citizen being attacked by this dog before the judge will react?
Well, this brings me to the point where I need to tell you my friends. The Council has talked about a second judge because obviously this judge can’t handle the work load. I am going to press for a second judge. We will leave this judge for speeding violations and have the second judge handle domestic, nuisance and code violations. That way we can get some public interest judgements handed down.
This my friends, is a classic example of we the public being the victim while our protection under the law is being ignored.
In closing, far be it for me to ruffle the feathers of this judge. Hopefully he can see the bigger picture and accept constructive criticism and do the right thing for the public.
That's all for this week. Remember, call me any time, 949-0956 or stop by 425 Nantucket. I am always happy to speak with our fine taxpayers.
Fire Station Open House
Open House at Fire Station Three
Scott Freitag
St. Charles Fire Department
The St. Charles Fire Department will hold our annual open house at Fire Station 3, 2817 Elm Street, on Saturday, June 18th, from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. Firefighters and members of Healthy Communities St. Charles County will be on hand to fit children and adults with bicycle helmets. Helmets will be for sale for just $5.00 the day of the open house.
Summer is the time of year that people are back on their bikes taking to the roads and trails for a day of family fun. Without a helmet, the day can turn tragic quickly and without warning. That is why it is important for the fire department and healthy communities to send the message that a properly fitting bicycle helmet can save your life in an accident. A helmet provided to a young man at an area grade school last year saved his life just weeks after being fitted with the helmet by fire department personnel.
We invite the community to come by the firehouse and learn more about helmet safety and other services provided by the St. Charles Fire Department. Fire trucks will be on display.
Scott Freitag
St. Charles Fire Department
The St. Charles Fire Department will hold our annual open house at Fire Station 3, 2817 Elm Street, on Saturday, June 18th, from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. Firefighters and members of Healthy Communities St. Charles County will be on hand to fit children and adults with bicycle helmets. Helmets will be for sale for just $5.00 the day of the open house.
Summer is the time of year that people are back on their bikes taking to the roads and trails for a day of family fun. Without a helmet, the day can turn tragic quickly and without warning. That is why it is important for the fire department and healthy communities to send the message that a properly fitting bicycle helmet can save your life in an accident. A helmet provided to a young man at an area grade school last year saved his life just weeks after being fitted with the helmet by fire department personnel.
We invite the community to come by the firehouse and learn more about helmet safety and other services provided by the St. Charles Fire Department. Fire trucks will be on display.
Fireworks Prohibited in St Charles Parks
Fireworks Prohibited in
St. Charles City Parks
For the safety of all visitors to the St. Charles City Parks, possession or discharge of fireworks within our Parks is prohibited at all times. Park User Safety and/or Park Facility Protection are of paramount importance to the St. Charles Parks and Recreation Board. Violators of the Fireworks Policy could result in being cited, charged, and/or arrested for the unlawful possession and/or use of fireworks in any of the City of St. Charles Parks and illegal fireworks could be confiscated.
We encourage everyone to join the Riverfest activities in Frontier Park July 2nd, 3rd and 4th. A professional fireworks display will take place July 3 and 4 at 9:30 pm. Please leave your personal fireworks at home and come to Frontier Park and enjoy continuous musical entertainment, games, carnival rides crafts, lots of food and refreshments. Canned food items will also be collected to help stock local food pantries.
A copy of the St. Charles Parks and Recreation Board “Fireworks Policy” can be obtained from the Administration Office in Blanchette Park, 1900 W. Randolph Street, 636-949-3372.
St. Charles City Parks
For the safety of all visitors to the St. Charles City Parks, possession or discharge of fireworks within our Parks is prohibited at all times. Park User Safety and/or Park Facility Protection are of paramount importance to the St. Charles Parks and Recreation Board. Violators of the Fireworks Policy could result in being cited, charged, and/or arrested for the unlawful possession and/or use of fireworks in any of the City of St. Charles Parks and illegal fireworks could be confiscated.
We encourage everyone to join the Riverfest activities in Frontier Park July 2nd, 3rd and 4th. A professional fireworks display will take place July 3 and 4 at 9:30 pm. Please leave your personal fireworks at home and come to Frontier Park and enjoy continuous musical entertainment, games, carnival rides crafts, lots of food and refreshments. Canned food items will also be collected to help stock local food pantries.
A copy of the St. Charles Parks and Recreation Board “Fireworks Policy” can be obtained from the Administration Office in Blanchette Park, 1900 W. Randolph Street, 636-949-3372.
COMMENTS & COMMENTARY by Charles Hill
I was not in attendance at a recent meeting of the County Convention and Sports Authority and the City Council, but I did have a report given to me. The person relayed to me a comment made by Councilman Mike Weller of Ward 5. Weller spoke about the Partners for Progress Dinner to be held at the center and how these events would keep the center in business and how these events were great.
I would like to tell Weller he is dead wrong. He needs to look at how the debt is paid. Weller would have us all believe these type of events are the cash flow to pay the debt. Weller doesn’t get it.
The Convention and Sports Authority and the City’s portion of the debt service is dependent upon taxes generated from the sale of hotel rooms. While Weller’s lack of understanding is not unusual for him, those in attendance should have reminded him of that fact. Corporate dinners are good for the center and I hope they continue, but the goal has to be to limit the amount of shortfall and operations and debt service.
On a side note. Why is Steve Powell allowed to continue with the City and the Convention Center? He has taken another job in another city. Can you say conflict of interest? To top it off, Powell has been reported to have said he agreed with the holistic approach to marketing the City. Steve if you would have been this open and understanding when you worked for the City you might still be the director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Another interesting tidbit. Julie Guftaston is the PR company hired by John Q. Hammonds Convention Hotel. You might remember Julie was contracted as the CVB’s PR director as well. Wonder how she landed that job with so many other companies in the area? Could it be that Steve urged them to hire her? Makes one wonder.
I would like to tell Weller he is dead wrong. He needs to look at how the debt is paid. Weller would have us all believe these type of events are the cash flow to pay the debt. Weller doesn’t get it.
The Convention and Sports Authority and the City’s portion of the debt service is dependent upon taxes generated from the sale of hotel rooms. While Weller’s lack of understanding is not unusual for him, those in attendance should have reminded him of that fact. Corporate dinners are good for the center and I hope they continue, but the goal has to be to limit the amount of shortfall and operations and debt service.
On a side note. Why is Steve Powell allowed to continue with the City and the Convention Center? He has taken another job in another city. Can you say conflict of interest? To top it off, Powell has been reported to have said he agreed with the holistic approach to marketing the City. Steve if you would have been this open and understanding when you worked for the City you might still be the director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Another interesting tidbit. Julie Guftaston is the PR company hired by John Q. Hammonds Convention Hotel. You might remember Julie was contracted as the CVB’s PR director as well. Wonder how she landed that job with so many other companies in the area? Could it be that Steve urged them to hire her? Makes one wonder.
History Surrounds Us: Missouri’s First State Capital
By Lynndi Lockenour
From the outside it looks like just another old brick building along Main Street, but inside the walls are filled with history. Taking a tour of the Missouri’s First State Capitol grounds is comparable to taking a trip back in time. The renovated rooms are decorated to look like those of the 1820’s, featuring replicated furniture and tools.
Eleven rooms in the Capitol complex have been restored to their original state and nine rooms are complete with furnishings from the 1821-1826 time period. The Peck brothers’ residence and general store have been restored and furnished as they might have looked in the 1800s. Dried animal pelts hang from the ceiling as an illustration of merchandise needed in the 1820s, which could be found at the Peck Brothers Dry Goods Store.
The general store seems to be a favorite among the hundreds of children who visit on field trips every year from local elementary schools said Dave Klostermeier, Natural Resource Manager 1. “I play guessing games with the children when they come into the store,” he said, “to see if they could guess what the tools in the store were used for in the 1800s.”
Before Missouri was granted statehood on August 10, 1821, various locations in St. Louis had served as the seat of government for territorial affairs. As statehood became a certainty, the search began for a site to become the permanent seat of government. An underdeveloped tract of land located in the center of the state overlooking the Missouri River was chosen to become “The City of Jefferson,” Missouri’s first permanent capitol.
However, until the new capitol could be built, the legislators needed a place to meet. Nine cities competed for this honor of hosting the temporary seat of government for the state. Among these cities was St. Charles, which was ideal because it was booming with trade activity from its location on the Missouri River and Boones Lick Road. The citizens of St. Charles at the time pledged that if their city was selected, they would provide a free meeting space for the legislators.
On November 25, 1820, Governor Alexander McNair signed a bill, which made St. Charles the official first state capitol. The first meeting of the legislators was held on June 4, 1821.
This free facility the citizens provided was on the second floor of two newly constructed adjoining Federal-style brick buildings. The Peck brothers, Charles and Ruluff, owned one of the buildings where they operated a general store on the first floor. Klostermeier said the building wasn’t always as primitive as it looks now. “Now we think of it as being run down,” he said, “but in its day they sold fine items like silk here.”
Chauncy Shepard owned the adjoining building, where he ran a carpenter shop on the first floor. The second floor of the building was divided and used as the Senate and House of Representatives chambers, an office for the governor and a small committee room. During the use of this temporary space, four Missouri governors ran state affairs from St. Charles until the new Capitol was ready in Jefferson City.
A movable wall divided the legislative chambers with the 43 House of Representative members on one side seated in benches and the 14 senators seated on the other side at tables. These tables were covered with a green cloth similar to which pool tables are made of that Klostermeier said was common at the time. “The green color was the best since it reflects the least light, but absorbs the most,” he said, “so it was good on their eyes and it made for an easy writing surface for quill pens.”
In the 1900s the buildings and neighborhood surrounding the first state Capitol slowly started to decay. The building that now makes up the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site was acquired in 1960. From there the state began a 10-year restoration project that initiated the revitalization of St. Charles.
The Capitol is located at 200-206 South Maine Street in St. Charles and charges a small fee of $2.50 for anyone over the age of 13 and $1.50 for those ages 6-12. Tours are available Monday - Saturday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and on Sundays from 11a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information call 636-940-3322 or visit their website at www.dnr.state.mo.us.
From the outside it looks like just another old brick building along Main Street, but inside the walls are filled with history. Taking a tour of the Missouri’s First State Capitol grounds is comparable to taking a trip back in time. The renovated rooms are decorated to look like those of the 1820’s, featuring replicated furniture and tools.
Eleven rooms in the Capitol complex have been restored to their original state and nine rooms are complete with furnishings from the 1821-1826 time period. The Peck brothers’ residence and general store have been restored and furnished as they might have looked in the 1800s. Dried animal pelts hang from the ceiling as an illustration of merchandise needed in the 1820s, which could be found at the Peck Brothers Dry Goods Store.
The general store seems to be a favorite among the hundreds of children who visit on field trips every year from local elementary schools said Dave Klostermeier, Natural Resource Manager 1. “I play guessing games with the children when they come into the store,” he said, “to see if they could guess what the tools in the store were used for in the 1800s.”
Before Missouri was granted statehood on August 10, 1821, various locations in St. Louis had served as the seat of government for territorial affairs. As statehood became a certainty, the search began for a site to become the permanent seat of government. An underdeveloped tract of land located in the center of the state overlooking the Missouri River was chosen to become “The City of Jefferson,” Missouri’s first permanent capitol.
However, until the new capitol could be built, the legislators needed a place to meet. Nine cities competed for this honor of hosting the temporary seat of government for the state. Among these cities was St. Charles, which was ideal because it was booming with trade activity from its location on the Missouri River and Boones Lick Road. The citizens of St. Charles at the time pledged that if their city was selected, they would provide a free meeting space for the legislators.
On November 25, 1820, Governor Alexander McNair signed a bill, which made St. Charles the official first state capitol. The first meeting of the legislators was held on June 4, 1821.
This free facility the citizens provided was on the second floor of two newly constructed adjoining Federal-style brick buildings. The Peck brothers, Charles and Ruluff, owned one of the buildings where they operated a general store on the first floor. Klostermeier said the building wasn’t always as primitive as it looks now. “Now we think of it as being run down,” he said, “but in its day they sold fine items like silk here.”
Chauncy Shepard owned the adjoining building, where he ran a carpenter shop on the first floor. The second floor of the building was divided and used as the Senate and House of Representatives chambers, an office for the governor and a small committee room. During the use of this temporary space, four Missouri governors ran state affairs from St. Charles until the new Capitol was ready in Jefferson City.
A movable wall divided the legislative chambers with the 43 House of Representative members on one side seated in benches and the 14 senators seated on the other side at tables. These tables were covered with a green cloth similar to which pool tables are made of that Klostermeier said was common at the time. “The green color was the best since it reflects the least light, but absorbs the most,” he said, “so it was good on their eyes and it made for an easy writing surface for quill pens.”
In the 1900s the buildings and neighborhood surrounding the first state Capitol slowly started to decay. The building that now makes up the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site was acquired in 1960. From there the state began a 10-year restoration project that initiated the revitalization of St. Charles.
The Capitol is located at 200-206 South Maine Street in St. Charles and charges a small fee of $2.50 for anyone over the age of 13 and $1.50 for those ages 6-12. Tours are available Monday - Saturday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and on Sundays from 11a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information call 636-940-3322 or visit their website at www.dnr.state.mo.us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)