FRONT PAGE - FIRST CAPITOL NEWS, February 11, 2006

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PEARL RIDGE – NOT OUT FROM UNDER THE WATER YET

By Phyllis Schaltenbrand

Despite numerous attempts by City Administrator Allan Williams and Councilman Mike Weller, Ward 5, the Pearl Ridge Subdivision flooding problem received a 8 – 1 vote of the City Council to proceed with a contract to install a storm water drain, Weller being the only dissenting vote. This project has been in the news for over three years due to the enormous safety hazard it poses to the children of nearby Harvest Ridge Elementary School.

After a storm the fast rising water raises quickly to levels, which sometimes submerge the subdivision’s electric station during heavy rain and floods, several new homes in the subdivision along with the City streets. The Pearl Ridge Subdivision backs up to the Harvest Ridge Elementary Schools Playground/Baseball field and neighbors have taken photos of the children often times playing and swimming in the storm water which can take up to two days to drain. The subdivision’s development was accepted by the City of St. Charles several years ago, despite the fact it did not provide a storm water drain required by City ordinance. This issue was further complicated because in 2000, the city staff not only allowed the developer to violate the city ordinance, but allowed the developer to disregard a Missouri State Statute, which prohibits developments from using sinkholes to drain storm water. The Department of Natural Resources has recently cited the City of St Charles, informing them that this matter needs to be corrected.

Councilman Brown of Ward 3 lives in the Pearl Ridge subdivision and has been a strong advocate for the residents he represents. Brown recently voted not to renew City Administrator Williams’ contract with the City of St. Charles and has challenged Williams for his close ties with developers doing business in St. Charles. This subject led to a debate, which lasted almost an hour as City Administrator Allan Williams attempted to block the Council’s affirmative vote to repari the Pearl Ridge flooding problem.

On October 18, 2005, the Mayor received the final approval from the Council on a budget amendment, in which she allocated and transferred funds to repair the storm water flooding project. Allan Williams informed the Council he had removed the funds, which they had already approved, from the new 2006 operating budget. Council President Riddler took Allan Williams to task concerning the lack of authority to remove the money. Riddler told Williams the money, which was approved by the Council, could not be transferred after the contract had been authorized and construction started. Williams left the Council chambers several times to get answers from someone in the hallway to reply to Council President Riddler’s questioning. Williams, after returning from one of his short sessions in the hallway came back in and said the City attorney had told him the Mayor should veto this bill because the city failed to have the money budgeted before passing the bill.

In the end, Councilman Bob Kneemiller of Ward 4 indicated that despite the fact that many of his allies would be mad at him for moving ahead with this project, he would vote in favor of it because it was the right thing to do. Kneemiller went on to say that he was not on the Council when this project was approved, and he felt the developer was the one responsible for the situation and urged the Council to fight the developer vigorously to recoup the taxpayers’ money and to fix the problem.

Councilman Weller begged and pleaded and admonished his allies on the board to join him in voting against resolving the problem. Weller said he would rather buy the homes that were affected than to fix a problem even though he acknowledged its affect was far reaching beyond the Pearl Ridge Subdivision. Weller said he knew it wasn’t a popular stance, but he indicated he felt he should protect the County residents before helping residents who live in the City. The Council discussed the fact that other neighborhoods were affected because they could not tie in to the City’s sewer system due to flooding caused by this project.

Councilman Brown told the First Capitol News, “In every city government you have politics and in some, political fighting. The residents of St. Charles can be proud their Council, with the exception of Weller, put the safety of the children and our community before petty politics. I could not believe Weller, earlier he had publicly announced his support for this project and took the time to write the residents. He told them he was a strong supporter of the project. Weller gave his word to the Council he would support the project. Instead, he turned around and voted no because of a big money developer he has become closely associated with.

On the other hand, I have great admiration for Councilman Kneemiller who said I am not going to let politics stand in the way of doing what’s right for the residents of St. Charles. I know he and Councilman Muench will receive a lot of pressure for their support, but they will sleep much easier at night. I want to assure every resident in our great city, that I, too, will always put the health and safety of our community before politics. I want to apologize to the residents for Councilman Weller’s childish, unprofessional, and hateful behavior.”

Williams informed the Council that this issue was not over yet and that he would urge the Mayor not to sign the contract until the proper monies were retransferred to the budget and this would take the Council’s approval. Williams said that until this matter is addressed, “We will not proceed with any construction.” Williams and Weller also discussed getting St. Charles County Executive Joe Ortwerth to intercede with this project. Williams has placed this budget item for discussion on the next regularly scheduled meeting’s agenda.

$500,000 In Liens Filed Against City and Convention Center Hotel

$500,000 In Liens Filed Against City and Convention Center Hotel

Copyright © 2006 First Capitol News

By Tony Brockmeyer

The First Capitol News has learned that liens totaling close to $500,000 have been filed against he City of St. Charles and John Q. Hammons Revocable Trust U/T/A of Springfield, Missouri. John Q. Hammons is the operator of the Embassy Suites Hotel that is adjacent to the St. Charles Convention Center.

The land under the hotel is owned by the City and is leased to John Q. Hammons Revocable Trust U/T/A of Springfield the owner and operator of the Embassy Suites Hotel. The hotel is located at 1051 Veterans Memorial Parkway in St. Charles.

The construction manager for the construction of the Embassy Suites Hotel was KCC Contractor, Inc. of Springfield, Missouri.

The First Capitol News discovered that a mechanics lien in the amount of $214,198.24 plus interest was filed in St. Charles County Circuit Court on December 13, 2005. Crown Reinforcing, Inc. of St. Louis County filed the lien.

On December 21, 2005 Grau Contracting of St. Charles filed a mechanics lien against the City of St. Charles in the amount of $265,784 plus interest. The lien was for work Grau performed in the construction of the Embassy Suites Hotel.

The First Capitol News has been told that more liens totaling over approximately $1 million are expected to be filed aoon against the City and John Q. Hammons Revocable Trust U/T/A.

We have not yet been able to contact any of the parties involved. Our investigation is in the process but we decided to move forward with our story when we heard Councilman Mark Brown mention the liens during the City Council meeting Tuesday evening.

More to come.
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RAMBLING WITH THE EDITOR - Tony Brockmeyer

A Fairy Tale?

Once upon a time in a Village I will call St. Chuck there lived an evil Queen. The Queen reminded many of Cruella Deville in appearance and in action. The Queen of St. Chuck had a court jester whose name was Willy. She had legal representation named Val and henchmen named Huey, Kev, Glen, Kenny K, Kneel and Wellman. The goal of this group was to control all the lands and taxes that were collected in St. Chuck.

The Queen’s group was outraged when a friendly band of seven began to rain on there reign. This band of seven started off with many accomplishments that immediately created a void in the pockets of Huey and the Queen. The Queen called for a special meeting of her dastardly gang to discuss how the band of seven could be defeated. Huey, Kev, Glen, Kenny K all thought that going after the weakest link would be the best way to foil the marvelous band of seven. This plan along with the court jester’s efforts to divide and conquer the fabulous seven would surely bring control of the treasury back in the hands of the Queen to dole out to her faithful servants.

Huey, Glen and Kenny K went to work on trying to remove the Dot from the band of seven. The Dot was considered weak because of where and how she came to power. They said she was too old and they would tell people she was senile. They enlisted the help of numerous minions who decided by hook or crook they would deliver the Dot’s head to the Queen. The minions received riches for their efforts doled out by the Queen using the precious tax dollars that had been collected from the subjects who populated the Village of St. Chuck. The minions felt they had arrived because they were rubbing elbows with the rich and famous of St. Chuck.

Little did they know that a High Sherifft known as the White Knight had arrived in the Village, sworn to uphold the laws of the land and he would not be bullied by the henchmen or take illegal orders from a jester. The Queen was upset that one of her subjects would dare defy her in their efforts to destroy any and all opposition.

The White Knight enlisted the rest of his ethical round table to investigate the crimes committed under the direct orders of Huey, Kenny K, Glen and the Queen. This investigation was called political and they cried and shouted that Whit Knight should not be in charge of the investigation. Never before had this been said regarding issues in the Village of St. Chuck.

Before the arrival of the High Sheriff, when one of the Queen’s brood broke into a house and beat another, the henchmen gathered but they Had the Black Knight handle it but did not consider their actions political. Many believed the Queen used her relationship with the Black Knight, who worked for St. Chuck, to help sweep many of like incidents under the carpet.

The Black Knight was empowered by the Queen because many of the activities of her brood took place at night when the Black Knight roamed. The Queens cell phone number was given to many of the Black Knights crew and instructions were given to call the queen if any of her offspring were caught violating the laws of St. Chuck. From potential check fraud to selling drugs from a local gym to beating mailboxes with baseball bats, the Black Knight and his crew made sure the Queens kids were protected. The Queen and her round table never thought the covering up of those incidents should be called political. Now when there is something that the White Knight refuses to sweep under the carpet for the Queen, it is called political by her and her band of merry henchmen and they would like to expel him from the Village..

But the Black Knight has been banished to the Lou and can no longer provide protection for the Queen and her family.

This fairy tale would make for a great movie but why rent the movie when you can live it daily?

EDITORIAL CARTOON

THE CONSERVATIVE FACTOR - Alex Spencer

In light of all the excitement in the news about government reform, I think it might be time for us to revisit the founding of our democracy.

Our founding fathers believed in democracy, but wisely recognized that it had its limits. They had just fought against English tyranny. They fought for a government where the “people” had a vote. But they also feared that unbridled democracy would devolve into rule by the whim of the angry mob. In short, they didn’t trust anyone having unlimited power—even the majority. Majority rule is mob rule.

So when drafting the U.S. Constitution, they set up a system of government based on elected officials with staggered terms. And they varied the lengths of the terms. The House stood every two years, so it had to be very conscious of public opinion. But Senators served six year terms with only one third of the Senate up for election every election (and originally, they didn’t even trust the people to elect them directly—they let the state legislatures do it). The idea was that the Senate could stop the whims of the majority and would only be forced to reflect longer held public opinions. And they gave the President a veto that required a supermajority to be overridden. The system brilliantly balanced the public’s need to have a government that quickly responds to public opinion without being overwhelmed by it.

According to Alexander Hamilton’s notes of the discussions, they considered whether the people should have some type of right to recall politicians they didn’t like. The founding fathers decided that they wanted the leaders to govern according to their conscience instead of governing by polling. They gave each elected official a term of office. The only recall was on the day of the next election.

The drafters of the Missouri Constitution (and virtually every other state constitution) basically mimicked the founding fathers wisdom. They have representatives elected to terms of varying and staggered lengths without any recalls. And the state legislature, when setting up the rules for city governments, followed the same model. They made Councils elected to staggered terms without recalls.

But the St. Charles City fathers thought they knew better than John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Our City fathers created a rather interesting balance of power with ten city council members elected to three-year terms. The ten council members are up for election at the same time. In addition, the Mayor serves a four-year term and occasionally, the Mayor is up for election at the same time as the entire City Council. For good measure, they threw in the right of recall. In St. Charles City, elected officials are basically off limits during their first six months in office and six months after they survive a recall. Also, they are “safe” during the last three months of their term. Apparently this is the only window of time during which they have the opportunity to govern. There really aren’t many restrictions on the process, how signatures are collected, the timeframe during which signatures can be collected or anything else that might be important. It strikes me that our City fathers envisioned recalls would only be used in extreme circumstances or in instances of official misconduct. Unfortunately, they were wrong.

So, we find ourselves today facing the first such recall elections in our City’s history. Some folks are wondering how we got here. The most troubling aspect of these recall elections is the manner in which they have been pushed forward. As is often the case, “owning” a Mayor is rarely sufficient to accomplish anything (i.e., St. Peters and O’Fallon). Instead, if a special interest group wants to push a particular agenda, they do much better to finance a majority of the legislative body. Basically some rich Ladue duck hunters decided that they needed a community leader to “front” for them in St. Charles County. They cut a deal with Tom Hughes, a local home builder who is high profile and well-connected in the community. Tom Hughes had his own agenda and it involved St. Charles City. At the behest of Perilous Patti, Tom Hughes financed a slate of candidates in the last City Council elections. Tom Hughes tried his best to win a majority during the regularly scheduled elections in 2004. He was unsuccessful. As a result, Perilous Patti, and she had some trouble funneling money to her friends, hiring her cronies and otherwise diverting taxpayer funds inappropriately. That didn’t really sit well with Perilous Patti or her benefactors. The duck hunters decided that they needed to change leadership of the City Council. They wanted a do-over. The recall effort was born.

Now, this effort has a name – the Citizens Empowerment Committee and a leader in Linda Meyer. Basically, the Citizens Empowerment Committee is a front for Tom Hughes and the duckboys. Linda Meyer is well compensated for her efforts and has taken the reigns of this sham operation. She hired a collection of thugs from all over the St. Louis region who have collected signatures to recall Darling Dottie and Mark Brown for the trumped up offenses of merely addressing an issue raised by constituents and an unfortunate comment taken out of context, respectively. She also appears to be the mastermind behind the bounty program which netted the signature gatherers a dollar amount per signature (dead or alive). As the litigation progresses, stories of signature gatherers who were coerced into affirming signatures they did not witness are certainly troubling. It’s ironic that Linda Meyer has been whining in any publication that will quote her that she has been harassed and ridiculed. She also admits to being paranoid. Well, Linda, I might be paranoid too if I was responsible for this circus. Get a clue – you are being used by the duckboys. You’ll be abandoned too, just ask Shawn Brown. Besides, if you can’t stand the heat…

It remains to be seen how this unfortunate chapter in our City’s history will end. With the entire council up for election next year and a Mayoral election to boot, the people will have a chance to be heard. Hopefully, the people will also have a chance to bring some meaningful reform to the recall process which was so badly abused by the duck boys this past year. Regardless of anyone’s feelings on the idea of a recall election, I think we can all agree that the circus we have experienced is not what our City fathers intended.

On a lighter note, I want to send a special greeting to my sweetheart, Mrs. Spencer and all my readers…Happy Valentine’s Day!

CASE IN POINT By Joe Koester, Councilman Ward 9

Conservatives and Liberals Unite!

Do you want to help get people off of welfare? Force corporations off of welfare!

For too long, corporate welfare has been painted as something that is okay because it creates jobs, whereas, social welfare, it is claimed, creates dependence. To put it frankly — that’s hogwash!

Quite honestly, I think this is a pretty simple issue — put investment back into the local market and remove the biased tax breaks that now go to the very corporations who need it least. So, if it is so simple, then why is it so difficult to implement? Currently, corporations are ruling the roost on a global level! Empty Main Streets and vacant factories tell the story from coast to coast. The corporate welfare handed to the competition of all those shop keepers and business people who make up our towns has resulted in the shuttering of stores not powerful enough for the corporate handouts and not large enough to demand rock-bottom wholesale prices!

How do these mega-corps rule? They know that their limited resource (retail/sales tax generation on large scale) is something that people are willing to fight over. Cities compete against cities for the likes of Lowe’s while states battle it out against other states for the corporate headquarters of the same. Countries battle countries in order to land the multinational factory that will pump the shelves full of cheap junk we in America seem to be so enamored with or to manufacture some over-processed food that is so void of nutrition that our American youth are now, on average, shorter than their European counterparts by as much as three inches.

Why not just make our whole area a corporate-welfare free zone? In an instant we then become disadvantaged to our neighboring towns, regions, and states. What if we march to Congress and begin lobbying our representation there for an end to these tax giveaways by the power of federal law? No city, region or state could take tax dollars and give them to corporations who have become dependent on this source of financing (after all, our taxes are a much better deal than bank loans to do such). Several things would happen: cities, counties and schools would begin receiving the taxes these property holders and businesses owe them. Small business would have a better chance to enter the market. In turn, ownership would be moved from Wall Street to Main Street and so would a great deal of income!

New businesses would invest in infrastructure and improve standing buildings. This would create jobs — lots of jobs! Think of one Walmart representing three local grocers, three pharmacies, two tire and muffler shops, a couple of sporting goods stores, a few clothes retailers, a candy store, a news stand, a book store, an electronic store, and a few other small shops like a pet store and an eye glasses shop. If we take Sam’s Club into account too, these two strip-box retailers could easily represent 40 stores that would be spread throughout our town. Forty shops with forty owners raising forty families and putting 140 children through school and college! To continue, forty families depositing forty paychecks into local banks. Forty stores hiring 240 workers who are making a living wage, are provided with health insurance, who maybe have a rapport with the customers and if service isn’t up to par, you only have to step up to the owner and tell him firsthand your complaint! You can also tell the owner that you are willing to pay a little more for better quality or maybe an American made item!

One day, a mega-store threatens to leave your town unless you give them another twenty year tax break! Your city gives in because they cannot afford to lose the sales tax. Imagine the same threat coming from one of those forty shops spread throughout town! One shop leaving could easily be absorbed and a new entrepreneur found who wants to enter into business.

So, what about the global competition? Wouldn’t we lose our industry to China and the cheaper markets in the East? Japan and Germany are the second and third largest world economies respectively. Japan and Germany out produce and out export the United States. In fact, Germany was the world’s largest exporter until reunification. They are both very expensive markets to work in and have very high living standards. Germany and Japan still value manufacturing and know that quality can compete against quantity (see the automobile industry for further details). Certainly, they have seen their share of factories go to China, but we have come out far worse in this migration of means of production!

We still have much going for us that would prevent multinational corporations from being able to pull out altogether — a market of 300 million with a good amount of disposable income; a stable democracy where business can be safely conducted; and many large American owned companies willing to do right by their own country — companies for whom the bottom line doesn’t mean absolutely everything!

I have heard that it is for the best that we no longer manufacture shoes in the States because we don’t want such factories. Instead, we want computer factories! Well, at zero unemployment, maybe we wouldn’t want a shoe factory, but take a drive to rural parts of most states and I guarantee a shoe factory paying a living wage with some benefits would be welcomed with open arms! Also, bad news about that computer — read the box of your next computer purchase and I will bet you it says, “Made in China.”

Maybe it’s a little like biology in the sense that bio-diversity increases the health of an ecosphere and likewise, economic diversity creates a more healthy community for many reasons (not the least of which is an eclectic market place for shoppers) as mentioned above.

I want to point out that “corporation” does not automatically equal “bad.” Anyone who worked for McDonnell Douglas knows that good companies existed and some still exist! Corporations are just taking advantage of what “we the people” have allowed to happen for these many years. The time has come for Liberals and Conservatives to stand up and fight a battle that we can all unite behind — stopping corporate welfare; helping move citizens off of social welfare and into ownership in their community; providing opportunities for Americans regardless of race, creed, or socio-economics by investing in a playing field that stands up to the abuses of the mega-corps rather than helping them decimate jobs and local ownership! While the lower and middle classes fight about “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” the wealthiest corporations are literally laughing with glee at record profits that come at our communities’ expense!

If you support pro-life and pro-family, then support your neighbor, support social justice beyond the single issue, support putting families and towns back in control of their own economic well-being! Right or Left we can all agree to end corporate welfare from sea to shining sea!

THE CITY DESK - City Council President Rory Riddler

Western Culture Owes Much
To “Imagining” The Divine

One of my passions in life is history. I’ve spent many enjoyable hours reading about ancient cultures and discovering what we owe those men and women who helped forge the foundations of Western Civilization. While we tend to teach history as one long succession of wars, there were many other struggles…clashes of ideals, of values and the triumph of reason. These struggles often produced their own heroes, whose names are not as widely known or as frequently remembered in the collective consciousness.

One of these amazing individuals is Saint John of Damascus. If you already know who he is, give yourself ten bonus points.

You can probably also answer today’s question. What do rioting Muslim extremists in Denmark, the Taliban, a Byzantine Emperor, a Saint raised in a Muslim country, the Renaissance, Da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper and concrete Statues of the Virgin Mary you see in yards have in common? Sounds like the plot of a good mystery novel.

The answer is: they all relate to the issue of portraying religious images in works of art.

Around the world, deadly riots are taking place by extremist Muslims over an editorial cartoon in an obscure Danish newspaper which incorporated a likeness of the Prophet Mohammed. The fact that they may have found the cartoon’s message offensive is a secondary issue. The great “sin” committed by those who reproduced the cartoon was simply to embody an image of the divine.

Unlike our Western Culture, with its great reserves of tolerance for those who step beyond the bounds of good taste in exercising freedom of the press or freedom of speech, Muslims participating in these riots believe that governments should be held responsible for what private newspapers print. Further, they take personal umbrage from one image of the central religious figure of their faith being produced thousands of miles from where they live. Just how far is Denmark from Indonesia anyway?

Because of this key prohibition against religious icons, some Muslim groups have on occasion committed acts of “iconoclasm” against the devotional images of other religions. Yes, “iconoclasm” is a real word. It literally refers to the destruction of religious icons for religious or political motives. A horrific example of iconoclasm was the destruction five years ago of frescoes and monumental statues of the Buddha at Bamiyan by a then little known radical Muslim sect…the Taliban.

What people may not know is how close Christianity came to a similar intolerance for artistic expressions of the divine. In the early years of Christianity, iconoclasm was motivated by a literal interpretation of the second commandment, which forbids the making and worshipping of “graven images”. The Byzantine Emperor Leo III, in the year 726, banned the veneration of religious images and their display in public places. Like the Taliban, his soldiers and followers destroyed priceless works of art and persecuted those who disagreed with the Emperor.

Which is where Saint John of Damascus comes in. Though brought up under Muslim rule in the City of Damascus, there was a certain degree of religious tolerance afforded the Christian community in that city. John’s family were not persecuted and, from all indications, their Muslim countrymen held the family in high esteem. His father held an important hereditary public office as the chief financial advisor for all of Syria under the Caliph Abd al-Malik. John of Damascus succeeded his father in this position and was appointed chief councilor of Damascus after his father’s death.

John’s father had made sure his son was well prepared for his future responsibilities. When John was twenty-three, his father wanted John to have a Christian tutor to continue his studies. He found a Sicilian monk by the name of Cosmas, who had been taken prisoner in a raid on the Italian coast. John’s father had the man freed in exchange for teaching his son.

The Sicilian monk turned out to be a brilliant tutor and under his instruction, John made great advances in the fields of music, astronomy and theology. His biographer would write that John soon equaled the most learned of men in the study of algebra and geometry as well.

But John of Damascus was to have a higher calling…one that would have a profound impact on the way we view the world, ourselves and God. John was a talented and prolific writer. He wrote three treatises “Against Those Decrying The Holy Images”. He was able to attack the Emperor safely from his position in the Caliph’s court. His simple writing style also made his works more popular and widely circulated among common people, which in time incited a revolt against the harsh edicts of the Emperor.

I probably can’t do justice to summarizing his writings, but I’ll try. Basically it is that images of religious subjects are justified on the ground that while God is “without form,” God became visible in the Logos, which was made flesh. Therefore an image of the flesh of God, which has been “seen” by man, can be made.

John also wrote that “worship”, as a sign of reverence, has many forms. The highest is due to God alone. But Christians could also worship, as an expression of their reverence, those things connected with salvation…the cross, altar, religious statues, paintings, etc. John wrote, “I worship not the material, but I worship the fabricator of the material, the one who…through the material has wrought my salvation.” Pictures of God, Christ and the Saints were seen as reflections of the originals and not idols in their own right.

John was persecuted, for his teachings and one story is that the evil Emperor (this is starting to sound like Star Wars), even had papers forged to try to make it appear to his Syrian overlords that he had been disloyal. One story has it that his hand was cut off. The story has a fortunate ending. John’s writings helped influence public and religious thought leading to his vindication and another Emperor overturning the prohibition against religious icons. John of Damascus would later attain Sainthood.

Had the views of Byzantine Emperor Leo III prevailed in the East, it might have spread to the emerging kingdoms of Western Empire. It might have been imposed militarily on a later Pope. The great artists of the Renaissance would have had no commissions to create the religious masterpieces we so cherish today. Without the funding of the Church and wealthy religiously inspired patrons, would the world have ever heard of Michaelangelo? Would DaVinci have been just an eccentric inventor?

We can’t even begin to imagine a world where a group of our neighbors, driven by religious zeal, would go from house to house smashing concrete and plaster statues of the Virgin Mary or Jesus. While it is good to remember that those rioting represent only a small percent of the tens of millions of devout Muslims, religious extremism stands as the single greatest impediment to peace.

While it is heartening to see democratic elections taking place in Iraq, I have to wonder if the “foundations” for long term success have been laid. Our nation is founded on a Bill of Rights. Freedom of speech and of religion are central to those rights. Religious extremists believe in neither.

Perhaps somewhere in Damascus, Baghdad, Kabul or Cairo there is another man of reason. Someone with the courage to challenge the extremists. Someone with a gift for communicating those thoughts and inspiring a majority of their fellow Muslims to condemn violence and religious intolerance. The world needs another John of Damascus.

VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS by Jerry Haferkamp

First, here are the answers to the quiz at the end of the last column. Actually, Bart Simpson uses the phrase “I didn’t do it. Nobody saw me do it. You can’t prove anything.” Those of you who guessed that it was the head of the petition drive to disenfranchise voters in wards 3 and 7 lose 1 point.

The next answer to the statement, “It doesn’t matter how they got the signatures, all that matters is that they have the signatures.” (May not be verbatim) was of course, Petty Patty. Although it may have sounded like the fictional Mafia boss Don Vito Corlione or the real life Al Capone, it was our own Patty. You should have figured that one out since there were no severed horse heads left in anyone’s bed. Not yet, anyway.
For those of you who, like me, are missing that magnificent missive of malcontent and misinformation, The Citizen, don’t despair. I’m sure the editor and his $$$$ backers are just saving up to present you with a blast of glossy, professionally printed mailings just prior to election time. Unfortunately, the various column and letter writers in the FCN don’t have millions to spend on getting the truth out. Then again, we are not looking for financial gain like they are. All we have to gain with your support is good government. We do need YOU to speak out.

Speaking of spending, have you ever put an ad in the St. Peters ad rag. Not very cheap, is it? Just think how much a multi-paged insert must cost to run every other week. Think how much it costs to rent rooms at the Convention Center to have meetings. Think of how much (thousands) was spent to get signatures by the “Astroturf” recall organizations (For those who missed last week’s column, Astroturf designates groups whose “grass roots” are artificial, like Astroturf). What would possibly be the reason Astroturfers would spend so much money to get their majority on the Council? Could it possibly be that developers don’t ever want to hear the word “no”’ again? Since they never heard it prior to this Council, when they finally did hear it they probably had to look up the meaning.

The two Councilpersons being attacked are working in the best interests of their constituents. Unlike some previous council members, they aren’t there to get future contracts from the city. They aren’t voting “aye” on every request from Lindenwood in order to get (or keep) a job there. Unlike their predecessors, both attend almost every meeting and question what effect each act will have on their constituents.

Ward 3 and ward 7 voters, think about it. Do you want to revert to the type of representation, or actually the lack thereof, that you had before?

When it gets nearer to the election, I’ll get into the REAL reasons for these recall efforts. I want them to be fresh in your mind when you step into the voting booth. Believe me, it has nothing to do with cell phone towers, fireworks or the word “cesspool”. The reasons these anti-resident groups exist is completely self-serving and not for the good of our citizens. Actually the many groups are all the same group, financed by the same people. They keep coming up with more names for themselves to make you think there is a real citizen’s recall effort out there. Don’t be fooled. There isn’t.

Ward 3 and ward 7 voters can take the For Sale sign off City Hall. The rest of us can only stand by and watch and hope they do. Don’t help in making our electoral process a joke.

CITY ISSUES by R.L. Greer

CITY ISSUES by R. L. Greer
In January 1903, McClure’s magazine ran three articles that followed the same theme. That of big corporations and its executives contempt for the law, another concerning union committing and excusing crimes, and then another regarding city officials knowingly breaking the law. This disregard for the law was stated by McClure in his writing, “We have to pay in the end, every one of us. And in the end the sum total of the debt will be our liberty.” Their crusading journalists targeted injustices, and everyone knows today there are numerous injustices. McClure’s writers wrote that democracy wrongs can be righted by an informed voting citizenry. They developed a new kind of journalism called investigative journalism. One of his writers published a remarkable story about John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil. She wrote, “…it was not capitalism but an open disregard of decent ethical business practices that lay at the bottom of the story, a thing won by breaking the rules of the game is not worth winning. It is regarded as a portrait of greed, secret dealings and brazen contempt for the law.” The prior paragraph is written for the sole purpose of encouraging you, the city residents, to get in touch with your council representative, with your city governments practices, attend council meetings in person, ask questions, and read the First Capitol News weekly. They do investigative reporting. Reporting the facts not rumors, not untruths but genuine information to help you make conscious informed decisions.

There appears to be a movement underfoot to consider some charter amendments to be voted on prior to April 2007. Apparently the reason given for the changes is resulting from the Charter change approved in April 2004. During the 2004 campaign, Council Representative Dottie Greer was the only candidate who publicly stated she did not favor that amendment. Remember folks the original charter and its subsequent change was spearheaded by an attorney who was a member of the interview committee for the 2004 candidates. A very interesting column was reprinted in last weeks FCN that had been written in April 2004. If you did not read it you need to.

The entire situation we the resident/taxpayers of ward 3 and 7 find ourselves in 2006 follows very closely with the events of the Book of Esther. If you have not read it yet, please do. See if you find any correlation. It appears our society does not want to acknowledge their individual responsibility and accountability for their actions. Remember the day when a person gave his/her word, it had value. When a person did something wrong or out of character they suffered the consequences. Now its blame someone else for his/her mistake or violation of the law by concocting reasons he/she did what he/she did. They attempt to discount the severity of the action but saying its something less than it really is.

The truth is you may fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time. Truth does have a real way of revealing itself. It is found in the character and integrity of the individual. The tenacity to continue on even through the toughest times knowing you have done everything possible to the best of your ability for the residents your were elected to represent.

I wrote previously in an article about the value of our name and signature. We are finding out how that value had been taken away from some folks. And how misinformation was given to obtain a signature. Truth does have a way of revealing itself.

Just heard that since the city needed more space and moved out the fire department they are now going to locate the Allied Waste office in City Hall. I have nothing against Allied Waste but why should the City spend $25,000 over the next 3 to 4 years plus installation costs to move the Fire Department into the old County Administration building but not consider remodeling the old firehouse on Booneslick and Fairground Blvd ? Parking is a premium around city hall and looks like it will be more difficult for residents to transact business with Allied than the previous convenient location on Booneslick. Especially if the parking fee increases to $3 and you park in the garage it will cost a total of $16.50 for 6 yard waste bag stickers or $2.75 each. Maybe this idea should be reconsidered for the benefit of the residents.

“The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the minds of fools” Proverbs 15:7 NASB

THE PEOPLE SPEAK - Letters to the editor

Dear Editor

At a church service as a teenager I made a solemn pledge never to use, serve or sell alcoholic beverages. For fifty-seven years I have kept that pledge. Had I taken a job as a waitress in a restaurant which served wine would it have been acceptable for me to neither take the customer’s beverage order nor to send another waiter to take it? Should I have told the customers to enjoy their meal but to go elsewhere for a glass of wine?

As a checker at a supermarket should I have rung up all purchases except beer and told the customer to get in another line to pay for that? Should the customer have had to guess if any of the other checkers felt as I did and how many lines he would have to go through?

In each of these situations should my employer have been prohibited from firing me or from not hiring me in the first place? After all, just as a pharmacist who refuses to fill an order for Plan B, I would have been acting according to my deep personal beliefs.

Many will say that there is no comparison between this belief and abortion but I disagree. Alcoholism has ruined countless lives and the use of alcohol is responsible for the deaths of many. Besides, the issue is my personal belief, not those of the customer.

By permitting a pharmacy to refuse to fill a lawful prescription we are opening a can of worms. A man may believe that all women should have their heads covered. If that man drives a bus should he be permitted to refuse entry to women with uncovered heads. We could go on and on with examples of unintended consequences should we continue down this road.
Shirley Bryan
O’Fallon

To The Editor

In response to Mr. Sonderegger’s column of February 2, I don’t think the storm over Linda Meyer’s petition drive has anything to do with her right to petition or her longevity as a resident of St. Charles. No one questions her right to petition. It is her tactics which have come under fire. If Mrs. Meyer thinks Mrs. Greer has committed some crime for which she deserves recall, perhaps she should have found people with similar viewpoints in Ward 7, and together they should have gathered signatures. Red flags were raised all over the place when thousands of dollars, most of which came from outside sources, started flowing into the coffers of the campaign treasury (check their campaign report which is on-line at the MO Ethics web site at MO.gov.org), and people who are not part of the voting Ward were paid to collect signatures.

Another bothersome issue about this recall drive is that it was first initiated one month after Mrs. Greer was elected, long before she had committed the “crimes” of not voting the way some people wanted. I don’t believe recall was ever meant to overturn a legitimately elected official just because the election didn’t turn out the way the opposition wanted. If the Ward 7 people object to Mrs. Greer, there is another election next year and they can vote her out of office. That’s the way our democracy runs.
It cheats us citizens when a duly elected official has to keep campaigning for his office during his term of office rather than tending to the duties for which he was elected. I sincerely hope this situation will bring the issue of recall to light and that our city and state officials will re-examine the purposes and appropriateness of when a recall should be instituted.

As far as the Recall Committee’s consternation about the negative publicity they are receiving, perhaps they should have remembered the words of another Missouri politician before they entered the political arena, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”.

Eleanor McCune

To The Editor

While the President continues wearing his rose colored glasses and attempting to mesmerize Americans into seeing through them, the State of The Union is disintegrating around us. We have a Government ready to continue the “War on Terrorism” by ignoring the real problems of border security, poor intelligence, threats from the actual terrorist who really did attack the U.S. rather than giving them a training ground to practice their skills on our troops and innocent Iraqi’s or giving us a real plan to deal with countries that truly do have armies and WMD like North Korea and Iran. We heard more about tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy being permanent, more about keeping America safe; how, by taking away our civil liberties, making sure a right wing conservative be made a Supreme Court Justice and spying on us secretly and praising Anti-Abortion protesters while ignoring the millions of women who protest for women’s rights over their own bodies? We heard rhetoric about education and today the House votes on bills that will make education nearly impossible for many with tuition going higher; we heard about the great economy without any mention of the highest national debt in our country’s history and it continues to climb (he never includes the debt caused by the invasion of Iraq) and all the while the oil company Exxon Mobile has made the highest profits in history as our gas prices soar. And we heard that 82 Billion dollars was allocated to help New Orleans and Mississippi recover from Hurricane Katrina when in reality most of that money, 62 Billion, has been tied up in bureaucracy and red tape with very little remaining for the victims and FEMA still has 65,000 people waiting for help with home trailers and over 200,000 are still spread out around the country without homes to return too. But there was one really impressive moment yesterday, the Police arrested and jailed Cindy Sheehan, an invited guest, for wearing a Tee Shirt not supporting the President’s “War On Terror”. Now that’s the America and the state of this broken union we are becoming accustomed to, makes you wonder, doesn’t it? If it doesn’t, it should.

Sandra M. Vago

Dear Editor

Last night I had a strange thing happen to me. I went to a council meeting. Meeting is a mild word to describe this. I took a copy of the agenda for the night’s meeting. Five or six sheets. The City Council is supposed to cover this(!) during the night. This agenda does not involve the back biting, yelling, screaming, arguing, pontificating that goes with each item.
It seemed endless!!!!

I went to the speakers podium to speak on some of the findings I found in the petitions. I would look up at the councilmen-two were talking to each other, the Council President was diligently writing something, Mrs. York was involved with something for the first minute. The others were attentive. I felt this was rudeness personified by some of the members. I had two more items when the buzzer went off but Mr. Riddler would not let me finish. SO THERE!!!!! At the end of the meeting they decided, rather Mr. Weller decided, this was a political matter and the city should not hear anymore speakers of this issue. I wonder if this applies to Mrs. Meyer or members of “Do the right thing.”

I can see why the city is so tired of this mess. They need to apply the brakes to a lot of this. The council members should be allowed to talk for only 5 minutes once on any subject. If you can’t say what you want to say in five minutes don’t talk until you get your thoughts together. Shorten the agenda. It is way too long for one meeting. A councilperson needs to be appointed to oversee that those meetings that were supposed to explain issues coming up happen. You need follow through. Packets of paper (looked like 100 sheets or more need to be given out four days in advance so people don’t have to waste time asking questions because they missed the meeting or didn’t have time to read the packet.

Ward 7 Constituent
Jane Horning

Dear Editor,

City Council got a surprise at this week’s meeting with the turnout of many Frenchtown business owners and residents opposing a bill brought forward by John Gieseke legislating eminent domain. Because of this being a hot topic lately in the news I think that John thinks perhaps this is the time to get rid of eminent domain entirely. There were several people there speaking against this bill, so council decided it best to table it.

This legislation has been on hold for awhile, so it’s perplexing why all of a sudden there is a pressing need for final passage just prior to Frenchtown’s request for a Chapter 353 plan. We now have a private developer who wants to come in and re-develop from French St. to Tecumseh. Part of a Chapter 353 plan we are seeking for this area would include implementing eminent domain where necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a proponent for wholesale eminent domain, but if there was ever a case for it this is it. For years we have tried it on our own and we can’t do it. We have to have private monies to get the job done. We don’t want or expect the city to do it for us. What we do want and expect from the city though is to recognize and act upon this wonderful opportunity. We implore the city council to retain the tool of eminent domain in areas of serious blighting, which these blocks on N. Second St. qualify for on almost every count, and to implement the Chapter 353 designation. It is not likely that any developer will risk their money without this tool in place in case they need it. I would invite all interested people to come to council work session meeting Feb 13th at 7 p.m in council chambers. I don’t believe there will be an opportunity to speak at this meeting, but there will be a huge turnout there in support of the Chapter 353 plan, come on down, supporters will all be sporting red shirts, and perhaps you can be educated as to why this is needed for Frenchtown.

By the way, when I presented this letter to FCN, Tony asked me if I would sell my property if I were in the proposed blighted area and I said ABSOLUTELY! In fact, I wish I were in the blighted area, ( I have 2 commercial buildings in the 800 block of N. Second St.) I would love to have an easy and fast way to sell my property to get, in all likelihood, more than market value, I would consider it a good opportunity. To those of you in the affected area I would like to say this, Frenchtown is in trouble and I don’t see it getting better, we are heading towards becoming a bona fide slum area if something isn’t done and fast. I know some feel they don’t like being told what to do and that is understandable, but do consider that no one is trying to steal your property. I am sure the developer will do the best they can for you even to helping you find a suitable spot to relocate, and you can have the satisfaction of knowing that you helped a truly depressed area to blossom. I believe there are only a total of about 9 affected businesses, 65% of this area is vacant or abandoned. This is truly a prime area for re-development.

Delores Barton

Editor First Capitol News

I am sending this email to you to clear up some misleading comments made by residents at the Feb 7, Council meeting. I have enclosed the email that was sent as well as my response. It obviously got the administrators attention and the problem was resolved before the Feb 7th meeting. I appreciate the entire Councils support in this matter and on behalf of the resident of ward three, we appreciate their unanimous vote to direct staff to install the privacy fence in which I requested.

Dear Ms. Scoville,

First, let me address the breakdown in communication on my part because that is in my control. My office does a tremendous amount of business and on occasion, messages do get misplaced. I have a message dated April 25th from you and that message indicated that you would be sending me a fax. There is a follow up by my staff that states no fax had arrived by the end of business hours. So I did not respond because I was under the impression that you had something in writing for me to respond to. There is no record of the May 5th call in the phone log.

I am sorry if this caused a lack of communication. I have always taken pride in being easily accessible to the residents of my ward, and I apologize for the mix up. I was not invited to your last homeowners association meeting, and I understand that you lead a discussion about my lack of follow-up. I would have been at your meeting if invited and would have been able to address the issue. In the future so you, any resident of Southern Oaks, and I can communicate please call my office at 314-426-0419, home 636-896-9977, cell phone (636) 368-8359. This will take any message out of the equation. Anyone who has worked in an office place should understand that at times, messages get misplaced or misinterpreted. I have three phone numbers listed and only two phone calls to my office are referenced. There appears to be no communication from your board after the meeting with Mayor York and Dr. Williams.

I have been aware of the vines and the problems the association has been enduring because Dr. Williams had informed me of the meeting. Our City Charter requires me to go through the City Administrator with complaints and concerns. Since Dr. Williams had been aware of the concerns after the meeting scheduled with the Mayor and himself, I was under the impression that he was acting on it. After that meeting I have not received any follow up from him or your homeowners association regarding the issue so I thought it had been dealt with. After all Dr. Williams is in charge of these issues. It appears he did not place this issue very high on his to-do list.

Ms. Scoville, this is one of many instances in which the City Administrator has ignored the residents of Ward 3 and their needs. In your letter you state, “I am not pointing blame”, but you should be. You met and spoke with the administrator of the City of St. Charles. He and Mayor York both represent the executive branch of government and are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the City. Williams has a responsibility to address this problem and he did not. I hope now you realize my frustration as a councilman with Dr. Williams at the helm. He selectively picks where and who gets the services we all deserve. Southern Oaks is a beautiful neighborhood and you all pay your taxes. You deserve the services and a City Hall that cares about you. I am placing this item on the agenda for the Tuesday, Feb. 7th meeting for discussion. This will create a public record and hopefully this will move the city along.

As far as taking this to the oversight committee, Dr. Williams alone can get this cleaned up with a simple phone call to public works. The City is the owner of the property, not the oversight committee.

As you are aware I am in the midst of a recall. The Mayor and Williams have been active in the process. They have made it difficult for the residents of Ward 3 to obtain city services in an effort to create negative feelings toward me. I hope this helps the residents of Southern Oaks understand what kind of politics is being played.
I am sending your e-mail and this response to all the residents in Southern Oaks. I believe that this will go a long way in rallying the troops to call the Mayor and Dr. Williams to get this done.
Mark Brown,
St. Charles City Councilman Ward 3

E-mail sent to Councilman Mark Brown follows:
Dear Mark Brown,

I am president of the homeowners association for Southern Oaks Villa Homes. I have talked to you before and you have attended our annual homeowners meetings. On April 13, 2005 I sent a letter to the mayor and cc you in regards to the vines and trash on the side of our development that backs up to the convention center. I also called you and left a message at your work on April 25th and May 5th. I never heard from you. When Dan Nieland was our council member he and the mayor had worked with us on the convention center before it was built so that is why I started with her and sent you a copy also. The mayor called me back and set up a meeting with herself, the city administrator, myself and one of my board members (Armin Cassel). The meeting was on June 27th however the mayor had something come up at the last minute so we met with the city administrator. We walked the back of the convention center property and showed him the vines, trash, etc. that was along the chain link fence. The fence was put there by the prior owner of the convention center property (it is not our fence). We had a survey done of our property and showed him the property line. We want the fence cleaned up. The vines and so on are killing our trees. Also in the future we want the city to put up a privacy fence like the one that the other properties have that back up to the convention center. We were very cooperative with the city when they were building the convention center and we think that should count for something The city administrator said he would take this information back to the Oversight Committee (I understand you are on that committee) and get back to us with an answer. I called the mayor’s office on October 18th and again on October 26th. I still do not have an answer. I am not pointing blame on anyone I would just like this addressed. Can you help us with this?? Please let me know.

Sincerely,
Carol Scoville
President of Southern Oaks Homeowner Association

A Frenchtown Business & Property Owner Asks For Help Fighting Emiment Domain

A Frenchtown Business & Property Owner Asks For Help Fighting Emiment Domain

My name is Douglas W Medley. I am the owner of Frenchtown Transmission Inc. I own property in the Frenchtown Historic district of St. Charles Missouri. The area is in the Northeast corner of the city just adjacent to the downtown historic district.

A group led by Tim Griffey of Griffey Homes has a plan for redeveloping the area with a mix of residential and retail properties. The St. Charles City Council had already begun the process to declare the area blighted before the business owners in this area were ever informed there was a redevelopment plan.

The representative for the developer has been in contact with us and has discussed our moving to another location. They are very nice people. The problem is that they have made no offers to buy any of us who are against the redevelopment. They have discussed our moving to another location in the same conversation in which they have inferred that the process to take the property through eminent domain is going quite well for them.

We the business owners in the area are discovering that the city council and the developer have had discussions for several years already and are taking the necessary steps to take our properties by eminent domain. They have done much already behind our backs. They intend to get the land for the least amount of money possible and it is painfully obvious the city council is helping.

We can pass laws to prevent eminent domain but if the process for what is taking place here in downtown St. Charles isn’t stopped soon they will be grandfathered in.

I have attached a copy of a letter I mailed to each Council member and the Mayor Of St. Charles

We need help.

St. Charles City Council

My name is Douglas W. Medley. I am the owner of Frenchtown Transmission Inc., located at 1718 North Second Street since 1987. My home address is #7 Huntington Forest Court, West, also in St. Charles City. My children attend Academy of the Sacred Heart.

In recent weeks I have learned of a plan being proposed by Tim Griffey for the redevelopment of an area of the Frenchtown Historic District. My business, which is the sole source of income for my family and myself, is in the area Mr. Griffey wants for his redevelopment.

There is talk he is pursuing acquiring the property through eminent domain for economic development. His own representative has expressed to me that his company, Griffey Homes, and the St. Charles City Counsel have already begun the process for declaring my property blighted.

I wish to inform you that I understand the blighting process and the reasons it is used to acquire property through eminent domain, but Mr. Griffey has not made a single offer to purchase this property. His representative has made several inferences that the progress of their efforts to acquire my property through the aid of the St. Charles City Council and eminent domain is going quite well.

I feel that the St. Charles City Council, which is supposed to be government by the people, for the people is acting more as if government is for the developer.

Declaring my property blighted for the purpose of lessening the value would be a good strategy if negotiations were not going well for Mr. Griffey and his group. However, so far there has been no offer and no negotiations. I feel the process of eminent domain should be stopped or Mr. Griffey should approach me with a firm offer and a negotiating process begun.

You are a member of the government, which represents me, and your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Douglas W Medley

FIRST CAPITOL NEWS SPORTS = Mike McMurran Sports Editor

Hats off to whomever scheduled the Gateway Athletic Conference – North Division boys’ basketball schedule. This Friday at St. Charles High the Pirates will host cross-town rival Duchesne in a key GAC contest. High (18-5, 3-1), led by 6’8” junior forward Josh Harrellson who is averaging 19 points per game, hope to hand Duchesne (17-2, 3-0) their first conference defeat. Duchesne pounds opponents with a one-two punch called Plackemeier and Lada. Junior Zach Plackemeier leads the conference in scoring with a 23.4 clip. Teammate Mike Lada is right behind him with a 18.6 average.

Should Duchesne topple the Pirates, and I am not for a second saying they will, it will set up a Friday night rumble between two (conference) undefeated squads: Duchesne and St. Charles West. On Friday, February 17, the Warriors of St. Charles West (16-6, 4-0), led by sophomore phenom Kramer Soderberg (22.8 points per game) will travel to Duchesne for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. Depending upon who beats whom, one team will walk away: conference champion, conference co-champions, or conference tri-champions. I wonder if Duchesne a.d. Dave Thurmer is selling advance tickets?

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday, it doesn’t get much better than that. For years Lynn and I attended a Super Bowl party “for adults only.” Since we didn’t have any kids it really didn’t matter – but then the latter half of the nineties presented itself; as Lynn likes to say: “I was pregnant for most of the second half of the 90’s.” She has a tendency to exaggerate. She was only pregnant 27 out of 60 months, clearly less than half. But back to the Super Bowl.

Once we started having children I felt uncomfortable leaving them behind on one of the holiest days of the year. I know this will sound sexist, and I suspect it is, but I remember holding both Joe (9 months old) and Dee (2 months old) during the introduction of players and playing of the national anthem for their first Super Bowls. It just seemed like the right thing to do. You see, I am a football guy. Football is directly responsible for the quality of my life. If you can understand that, then you too might be a football guy. If you can’t, well, we can’t all be football guys. Football guys want their sons to be exposed to football so that they too might become football guys. Notice I say, “exposed,” as opposed to “brain-washed,” as suggested by my good friend Robin Carroll. Both Joe and Dee were “exposed” to high school football locker rooms before they could walk. Both Joe and Dee attend one Rams’ game per year, at least one. Joe was at the NFC Title game when the Rams beat Philadelphia, so you can see, they both have been exposed to the game.

The exposure is beginning to reap benefits, as this past Sunday Joe sat on my one side and Dee on the other as the teams were introduced and the national anthem performed. Joe was cheering for the Steelers and Dee the Seahawks. Neither left the room during the first half unless it was to gather some of the “appetizers” their mom and sister had prepared. I suspect this would be the best time to interject that both Lynn and Maggie rushed into the room every time there was a break in the action and a commercial was on. Me, as a football guy, having one of my sons on either side of me and the Super Bowl on the tube, a fire burning in the fire place, plenty of snacks and cold Ultra, all I could think was “life doesn’t get much better than this.” Thank you God.


The Jeff Brown Era Begins. Will it Last
Beyond 2006?
By Louis J. Launer

On February 1, the Missouri River Otters made the uneventful announcement that former St. Louis Blues defenseman Jeff Brown was named the team’s head coach for the rest of the season. Brown was filling in as the interim coach after head coach Kevin Kaminski was fired during the all-star break. Kaminski was a fan favorite. But Brown was given a cool reception in his debut against both Adirondack and Port Huron. Brown is still looking toward the future to keep the faith and save some of the season, even though the chances of the River Otters making the playoffs are very dim.

“I’m extremely excited to be a part of professional hockey again,” said Brown. “I look forward to working with this group of players and believe we can have a lot of success over the second half of the season.”

The 39-year-old Brown spent 13 seasons in the National Hockey League with seven different teams, including the Blues. He played five seasons from 1989-1994 with the Blues, enjoying the most productive stretch of his career.

Before the game against Fort Wayne, the River Otters acquired defenseman Steve Makway as the second half of the deal that sent forward Dave Stewart to the Flint Generals.

“Steve will provide a physical presence for us on defense,” River Otters General Manager Frank Buonomo said. “He is a talented young player who will be a strong contributor on our blueline.”

The 22-year-old Makway played the first half of this season with Flint.  His statistics include no goals, seven assists and 98 penalty minutes out of 27 games he played.  Makway played last season with the Central Hockey League’s Laredo Bucks.  Makway comes from British Columbia.

Makway was a scratch in both games last week against Fort Wayne and Motor City. In Friday’s game, Five different Fort Wayne Komet players scored in a 5-2 victory against the River Otters last Friday at the Family Arena. The Komets continue to extend their third place position by two more points ahead of last place Missouri.

After two Fort Wayne goals, the River Otters came back on a power play as Tim O’Connell fired a shot from the left point behind Komets goaltender Kevin St. Pierre. The Komets scored the lone two goals in the second period and extended their lead to 5-1 early in the third period. Mark Odut scored a too-little, too late goal on a Paul Falco assist.

Reed Low, who was assigned to the River Otters from the AHL Peoria Rivermen, fought once in the game, but it didn’t last long. The linesmen quickly intervened and broke it up. Low has been making his presence known with the Otters. It’s also evident from last week’s Fort Wayne Komet game that Low will be the target of many AA-level players who want the opportunity to take a shot at a former NHL player. Sources tell the First Capitol News that Low refused to be sent to the regular Rivermen’s AA affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska. Low is coming off a hand injury and most likely will remain a River Otter for the rest of the season.

Also acquired after the all-star break was right-winger Tim Kruekel from the Kalamazoo Wings. It was the completion of a deal that took place in December. Kruekel did get an assist in last Saturday’s game against Motor City. The Otters still lost, 6-2.

FINGER POINTING OR SOUR GRAPES:  Success does have its downfalls.  Successful teams attract fans.  Die-hard loyal fans of teams after a few winning seasons will step it up a notch just to prolong the moment in the spotlight.  But that spotlight can become rather mean.  A few years ago, the Quad City Mallards were enjoying the success of a team that won 50 games in each of the five seasons from 1998 through 2002, including two Colonial Cups.  Everyone said that the Mallards were favored by the officials during those years and allowed a few players to get rough and tough.  This season, the Muskegon Fury, who have won three of the last four Colonial Cups is being accused by other teams, their fans and other newspapers, of cheating.  Several teams became suspicious because the Fury has talent this season, the league’s best record so far and the fewest call-ups.

There has been no concrete evidence according to UHL Commissioner Richard Brosal. Brosal claims that other teams and their fans have been envious on Muskegon’s successes in the last four seasons.

This leads to some of the stuff going on here in Missouri. It’s turned out to be a lean season. Most fans are beginning to accept that. Even during the All-Star break, River Otters majority owner Mike Shanahan, Jr. admitted that his team was not good this year. But he’s not ashamed.

“My team is in last place,” he said. “Someone has to be there. It just happens to be us this year.”

While many fans are upset over the firing of Kevin Kaminski and equally upset with General Manager Frank Buonomo, some fans are realizing that some tough decisions had to be made. Some die-hard hockey fans who really enjoy the sport and attend the games to root for the team during the lean years realize that the Otters are looking toward the future. Jeff Brown might not be next year’s coach, but he is the coach for the remainder of the season, according to River Otters management.

Several fans also heard rumors that a few of the River Otter players have asked to be traded. The team refused to comment or identify those players. But management and some fans do agree that it’s not unusual for some players after a coaching change to want out of a team facing the worst record in the league.

Even owners of other teams who come to St. Charles appreciate what Missouri is trying to do. Michael Franke, majority owner of the Fort Wayne Komets believes that the River Otters will be around for a long time and fans should not worry about the record this season.

“Missouri appears to have some great fans,” Franke said. “They’ve had their troubles on the ice. They got some players further into the season and this team could turn around and be quite good in the second half of the season.”


IT’S OFFICIAL! RAGE READY TO BULL THROUGH 2006 AT SAVVIS CENTER
By Mike Thompson
I’ll borrow the phrase made famous by the late Cardinal broadcaster Jack Buck. “Pardon me while I stand and applaud.”

I couldn’t help but feel just that way as I watched the Savvis Center staff setting up the podium, tables, and seating chart for our press conference this past Tuesday, getting the Rage primed to greet media and sponsors for our big step into the big time. I thought about how this franchise had grown, the hard work that was the forte’ of every member of the staff, from front office to coaches, players, cheerleaders, interns, you name it…everyone associated with the RiverCity Rage had a big hand in making this very special day come about. My mind hit the rewind button as I reflected on the very first such gathering of Rage and media, the one in December of 2004 that announced the formation of GST Sports, Inc. and introduced Majority Owners Tye Elliott and Scott Wilson to a skeptical array of TV sports anchors, scribes, and radio reporters who may have wondered about the wisdom of spending time hearing yet another story of promise from new owners of a so-called minor league team. As the newly appointed Director of Media Relations, I held my breath that day as I studied the entrance of the Locker Room Restaurant at Family Arena, hoping the media I had pounded the pavement to personally contact would be marching through the door one by one, microphones and cameras in hand, pens poised and ready, to get the news out to all that the Rage was up and running, this brand new bull was out of the chute and ready to ride to an NIFL title.

I remember that day well….KMOV-TV was there, as was KSDK-TV, News channel 20 and our friend Randy Gardner, Joe Lyons from the Post and Russell Korondo of the Journal….my friend and co-worker at KLOU, Michelle Holiday came by for moral support and to get a quote or two…and this newspaper was on hand to get word out to it’s readers about the new shift in power.

All in all, not bad that day, not bad for a start, but from that point on I knew the real work was all waiting ahead, and I wondered if we, if I…would be up to the challenge that lie ahead. The challenge to get fans in the seats, to get the media’s attention in a city that boasts of the Cardinals, the Rams, the Blues and a dozen other majors and minors sandwiched in between. Would the team be a winner?

Would the owners see the wisdom in involving themselves and their new upstart team with charitable causes and other worthy concerns? The ‘would-a’ I understood….all this was new…my apprehension involved the ‘could-a’ or even worse…the ‘should-a’…a new team could wither and die on that one! As I walked to my car on that cold winter’s day following that initial foray into the world of professional sports, I silently vowed to myself that I, for one, would not fall prey to that mode of thinking and would do everything in my power to ensure success for this new ownership group rolling the dice on everything from financial stability to personal sanity.

Well, everyone else associated with this team must have walked away that afternoon with many of the same thoughts in mind, because if you followed this football team in 2005, you know full well the impact it has had on the sports fan, the media and the metro area as a whole.

First of all, the team was a winner. Entering the playoffs with a record of 10-5 on the regular season, the Rage lost in double overtime in the opening round of the playoffs, but even that brutal slap in the face had some positive results. In the thrilling, nerve wracking, heart stopping loss, the crowd at Savvis Center and the welcome extended to us by the Savvis management was enough to prompt Tye and Scott to explore ways to make that venue our permanent home. The wheels were soon in motion to make it the reality being played out in front of me on Tuesday afternoon. Our owners threw themselves wholeheartedly into charities and found new, inspiring ways to use the football team and it’s sponsors to add joy and hope to the lives of those in need. We grew from a front office staff of three to a full time staff of six in less than a year, with individuals now available to lend their talents to promotions, sales and community involvement. The Rage became to ‘go-to’ franchise for the entire NIFL. Morris Groves our Director of Operations months ago was given the title of Director of Media Relations for the entire league, and handles all the website duties. I was recently selected as the new Information Director for the NIFL. Coach Mike Wyatt has been the Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year two years in a row, and last November added General Manager of the Year to his impressive resume. We have a full time mascot…Ragie the Bull…making appearances all over the metro area…we’ve added the Ragie Kids Club and a reading and educational program to our list of community activities…we instigated a program that honored high school players and teams with engraved plagues that were sent out every week…we grew, we built, we added…and hopped right under the radar gun of major league status with our latest move to Savvis Center. The next step, perhaps an NIFL Title, will put this team over the top!

So as I watched all the major television stations, radio outlets and news scribes come parading into the Savvis Club on Tuesday for our big announcement, as I saw the room begin to fill up with corporate sponsors, league officials, friends of the team, and even one wildly dressed super-fan, I remembered that similar, yet so vastly different day some 14 months ago. My gosh, how far we had all come….as I listened to Savvis Center VP and General Manager Dennis Petrullo make his opening remarks to get this magical day underway, I looked around the room and thought of how proud I was of my team, my owners, my coach, the players, and everyone who had given his or her heart and soul to this cause calling itself RiverCity Rage football.

“The Rage is a great addition to the sports scene in downtown St. Louis,” Petrullo began, “let’s welcome them to Savvis Center.”

The crowd began to applaud. I was kneeling down, off to the side of the podium taking notes for this article…when I did the only thing I could do…I stood up and began to join in.

Like that first step into the spotlight some 14 months prior, I mentally made note that the real work for this team was waiting ahead. That feeling, I couldn’t shake. The knowledge that this time around our team, this franchise, was ready for that challenge made it a lot easier to accept!


Lindenwood scores second consecutive stellar recruiting class
List of someday stars includes some of Missouri’s leading rushers, super sleepers and record breakers, All-Staters and future All-Americans

By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor

Kelan Bannecke St. Louis, (Mo.) Lindbergh 6’3 195 WR
Big-framed receiver was two-time 1st team All-Suburban West selection; can make tough catches in traffic

Donnie Bridges St. Charles, (Mo.) St. Charles West 6’2 180 DB
One of the top players in the GAC North as a junior, sleeper missed entire senior year after preseason knee injury

Morgan Campbell Harrison, (Ark.) Wentworth Military 6’0 188 CB
Speedy 1st team All-MRVC pick at running back, after rushing for over 1200 yards and averaged 9.8 yds. per carry

Nathan Crossett St. Charles, (Mo.) Francis Howell 6’0 245 DE
1st team All-State Class 5 selection is one of the state’s top heavyweight wrestlers and a future D-Line star for LU

Taylor Dalby Lee’s Summit, (Mo.) West 5’10 175 WR
Fast-rising program at Lee’s Summit West sends 2nd team All-Suburban Mid Six pick to the Lions

Ryan Dalton Blue Springs, (Mo.) Blue Springs South 6’5 200 LB
Long and rangy with big upside, 2nd team All-Suburban Big Seven selection will play outside linebacker for LU

Josh Davis Dexter, (Mo.) Dexter 6’3 245 TE
Monster TE prospect was 1st team All-SEMO Central on both sides of the ball, with 75 tackles at LB and 20 receptions

Brandon Ellis Brentwood, (Mo.) Brentwood 5’11 185 RB
2nd team All-Metro pick ran for 1,798 yards in ten games to lead metro area; named 1st team All-State in Class 2

Tony Hall Shelbina, (Mo.) South Shelby 6’0 200 RB
Two-time 1st team All-State pick rushed for 2,652 yards and 35 TD’s as senior; ninth all-time single season in Missouri

Dan Harris Desloge, (Mo.) North County 6’1 195 RB
Fast and physical two-way player for one of the state’s top Class 4 programs scored 19 TD’s as a senior

Trevan Hombs Blue Springs, (Mo.) Blue Springs South 6’2 195 WR
Senior injuries limited Jaguar star to five games, but he still earned 1st team All-Suburban Big Seven honors at WR

Dwayne Glaspy Farmington, (Mo.) Farmington 6’3 225 TE
1st team All-Mississippi Area Red honoree has the look and athletic ability of a big-time TE/LB prospect

Austin Hulett Fenton, (Mo.) Rockwood Summit 6’0 180 WR
Versatile two-way performer earned All-Suburban South honors for solid Rockwood Summit program
Jeff Julian Blue Springs, (Mo.) Blue Springs South 6’2 190 OLB
One of state’s very best: two-time 1st team All-State Class 6, 2005 Buchanan Award winner in KC, intimidating hitter

Josh Kimrey Farmington, (Mo.) Farmington 6’0 185 DB
3rd team All-State Class 4 selection at QB, with 1287 passing yards and 500 on the ground, will play safety at LU

Lucas Kirkendoll Kansas City, (Mo.) Park Hill South 5’11 180 DB
1st team All-Suburban Big Six at LB and at RB, earned rep as huge hitter and sideline-to-sideline competitor for PHS

Oscar Mafuli Hazelwood, (Mo.) Hazelwood Central 6’2 220 ILB
One of the state’s top LB’s: 1st team All-State Class 6, 1st team All-Suburban North, 106 tackles, fast and intense

Drew Mannen Independence, (Mo.) William Chrisman 6’2 180 WR
Followed LU freshman Ben Kisner at QB for Chrisman, and had a huge year: 1439 passing, 1012 rushing, 29 TD’s

Will Meury Wentzville, (Mo.) Holt 5’11 200 RB
LU coaches are ecstatic about landing Meury, a rare package of size, speed and power - best kept secret in the state?

Nick Neeley Bonne Terre, (Mo.) North County 6’1 185 ATH
Great 4.5 speed athlete with huge star potential, four kickoff returns for TD’s the last two years - an impact player soon

Zach Palme Edwardsville, (Ill.) Edwardsville 6’3 225 DE
Big-framed, hand-on-the-ground player with toughness, 2nd team All-Metro DE, outstanding wrestler at 215 this winter

Jay Pope Ste. Genevieve, (Mo.) Valle Catholic 6’0 180 WR
Athletic two-time 2nd team All-State Class 1A selection, 1st team All-Mississippi Area Blue pick at DB and at WR

Tony Porto Port Orange, (Fla.) Father Lopez 6’1 190 OLB
2nd team All-State Class 2A, District Player of the Year, tremendous intensity and always around the football

Mike Redpath Carol Stream, (Ill.) Driscoll Catholic 6’1 185 DB
Conference and Team MVP for team which has won five straight state titles - explosive return specialist and hitter

William Royston Manchester, (Mo.) Parkway South 6’0 180 OLB
Suburban West Defensive Player of the Year earned 2nd team All-Metro and 1st team All-Conference honors at LB

Aaron Shepard Blue Springs, (Mo.) Blue Springs 6’0 255 C
Worked with Lion coaches at MU Camp during the summer, making an impression with his toughness and strength

Ronnell Simpson Hazelwood, (Mo.) Hazelwood West 6’1 270 OL
1st team All-Suburban North, 2nd team All-Metro, top heavyweight wrestler with good quicks and toughness

Nick Stemmler St. Louis, (Mo.) Bishop DuBourg 6’2 190 DE
Long and lean with a great motor, was named 1st team All-AAA League on both sides of the ball the last two years

Adam Stipanovich St. Charles, (Mo.) Orchard Farm 5’10 225 ILB
School’s all-time record holder in career tackles (330), single season tackles (150) and single game tackles (19)

Tory Thompson Palm Coast, (Fla.) Flagler Palm Coast 6’2
195 QB
3rd team All-State selection in Florida’s largest class threw for over 3,400 yards and 24 TD’s the last two seasons

Ryan Zimmerman St. Peters, (Mo.) Francis Howell Central 6’1 205 ILB
1st team All-GAC North selection is one of area’s top wrestlers at 215, and has the mean streak Lion coaches love at LB


Saint Louis Lions set tryouts for Premier Development League

By Mike McMurran
Sports Editor

The St. Louis Lions Soccer Club, St. Charles County’s contribution to the Premier Development League, will hold open tryouts February 18 and 19 at St. Dominic High School in O’Fallon.

A $25 tryout fee is required and players must be 17 or older to participate. Registration will begin each day at noon; tryouts will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Players interested in trying out are asked to contact the St. Louis Lions at 636.939.5151 or e-mail at tglavin@stlouislions.com prior to February 17.

The Lions are the newest members of the Premier Development League, which provides top players the opportunity to compete in a “professional setting” while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league allows for seven foreign players and for eight players over the age of 23. The core of each team’s 26-man roster will feature local players 23 and younger.

The Lions will play their home contests at the Tony Glavin Complex in Cotteville. The Lions will be coached by Tony Glavin.

FIRST CAPITOL NEWS SPORTS = Mike McMurran Sports Editor

Hats off to whomever scheduled the Gateway Athletic Conference – North Division boys’ basketball schedule. This Friday at St. Charles High the Pirates will host cross-town rival Duchesne in a key GAC contest. High (18-5, 3-1), led by 6’8” junior forward Josh Harrellson who is averaging 19 points per game, hope to hand Duchesne (17-2, 3-0) their first conference defeat. Duchesne pounds opponents with a one-two punch called Plackemeier and Lada. Junior Zach Plackemeier leads the conference in scoring with a 23.4 clip. Teammate Mike Lada is right behind him with a 18.6 average.

Should Duchesne topple the Pirates, and I am not for a second saying they will, it will set up a Friday night rumble between two (conference) undefeated squads: Duchesne and St. Charles West. On Friday, February 17, the Warriors of St. Charles West (16-6, 4-0), led by sophomore phenom Kramer Soderberg (22.8 points per game) will travel to Duchesne for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. Depending upon who beats whom, one team will walk away: conference champion, conference co-champions, or conference tri-champions. I wonder if Duchesne a.d. Dave Thurmer is selling advance tickets?

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday, it doesn’t get much better than that. For years Lynn and I attended a Super Bowl party “for adults only.” Since we didn’t have any kids it really didn’t matter – but then the latter half of the nineties presented itself; as Lynn likes to say: “I was pregnant for most of the second half of the 90’s.” She has a tendency to exaggerate. She was only pregnant 27 out of 60 months, clearly less than half. But back to the Super Bowl.

Once we started having children I felt uncomfortable leaving them behind on one of the holiest days of the year. I know this will sound sexist, and I suspect it is, but I remember holding both Joe (9 months old) and Dee (2 months old) during the introduction of players and playing of the national anthem for their first Super Bowls. It just seemed like the right thing to do. You see, I am a football guy. Football is directly responsible for the quality of my life. If you can understand that, then you too might be a football guy. If you can’t, well, we can’t all be football guys. Football guys want their sons to be exposed to football so that they too might become football guys. Notice I say, “exposed,” as opposed to “brain-washed,” as suggested by my good friend Robin Carroll. Both Joe and Dee were “exposed” to high school football locker rooms before they could walk. Both Joe and Dee attend one Rams’ game per year, at least one. Joe was at the NFC Title game when the Rams beat Philadelphia, so you can see, they both have been exposed to the game.

The exposure is beginning to reap benefits, as this past Sunday Joe sat on my one side and Dee on the other as the teams were introduced and the national anthem performed. Joe was cheering for the Steelers and Dee the Seahawks. Neither left the room during the first half unless it was to gather some of the “appetizers” their mom and sister had prepared. I suspect this would be the best time to interject that both Lynn and Maggie rushed into the room every time there was a break in the action and a commercial was on. Me, as a football guy, having one of my sons on either side of me and the Super Bowl on the tube, a fire burning in the fire place, plenty of snacks and cold Ultra, all I could think was “life doesn’t get much better than this.” Thank you God.


The Jeff Brown Era Begins. Will it Last
Beyond 2006?
By Louis J. Launer

On February 1, the Missouri River Otters made the uneventful announcement that former St. Louis Blues defenseman Jeff Brown was named the team’s head coach for the rest of the season. Brown was filling in as the interim coach after head coach Kevin Kaminski was fired during the all-star break. Kaminski was a fan favorite. But Brown was given a cool reception in his debut against both Adirondack and Port Huron. Brown is still looking toward the future to keep the faith and save some of the season, even though the chances of the River Otters making the playoffs are very dim.

“I’m extremely excited to be a part of professional hockey again,” said Brown. “I look forward to working with this group of players and believe we can have a lot of success over the second half of the season.”

The 39-year-old Brown spent 13 seasons in the National Hockey League with seven different teams, including the Blues. He played five seasons from 1989-1994 with the Blues, enjoying the most productive stretch of his career.

Before the game against Fort Wayne, the River Otters acquired defenseman Steve Makway as the second half of the deal that sent forward Dave Stewart to the Flint Generals.

“Steve will provide a physical presence for us on defense,” River Otters General Manager Frank Buonomo said. “He is a talented young player who will be a strong contributor on our blueline.”

The 22-year-old Makway played the first half of this season with Flint.  His statistics include no goals, seven assists and 98 penalty minutes out of 27 games he played.  Makway played last season with the Central Hockey League’s Laredo Bucks.  Makway comes from British Columbia.

Makway was a scratch in both games last week against Fort Wayne and Motor City. In Friday’s game, Five different Fort Wayne Komet players scored in a 5-2 victory against the River Otters last Friday at the Family Arena. The Komets continue to extend their third place position by two more points ahead of last place Missouri.

After two Fort Wayne goals, the River Otters came back on a power play as Tim O’Connell fired a shot from the left point behind Komets goaltender Kevin St. Pierre. The Komets scored the lone two goals in the second period and extended their lead to 5-1 early in the third period. Mark Odut scored a too-little, too late goal on a Paul Falco assist.

Reed Low, who was assigned to the River Otters from the AHL Peoria Rivermen, fought once in the game, but it didn’t last long. The linesmen quickly intervened and broke it up. Low has been making his presence known with the Otters. It’s also evident from last week’s Fort Wayne Komet game that Low will be the target of many AA-level players who want the opportunity to take a shot at a former NHL player. Sources tell the First Capitol News that Low refused to be sent to the regular Rivermen’s AA affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska. Low is coming off a hand injury and most likely will remain a River Otter for the rest of the season.

Also acquired after the all-star break was right-winger Tim Kruekel from the Kalamazoo Wings. It was the completion of a deal that took place in December. Kruekel did get an assist in last Saturday’s game against Motor City. The Otters still lost, 6-2.

FINGER POINTING OR SOUR GRAPES:  Success does have its downfalls.  Successful teams attract fans.  Die-hard loyal fans of teams after a few winning seasons will step it up a notch just to prolong the moment in the spotlight.  But that spotlight can become rather mean.  A few years ago, the Quad City Mallards were enjoying the success of a team that won 50 games in each of the five seasons from 1998 through 2002, including two Colonial Cups.  Everyone said that the Mallards were favored by the officials during those years and allowed a few players to get rough and tough.  This season, the Muskegon Fury, who have won three of the last four Colonial Cups is being accused by other teams, their fans and other newspapers, of cheating.  Several teams became suspicious because the Fury has talent this season, the league’s best record so far and the fewest call-ups.

There has been no concrete evidence according to UHL Commissioner Richard Brosal. Brosal claims that other teams and their fans have been envious on Muskegon’s successes in the last four seasons.

This leads to some of the stuff going on here in Missouri. It’s turned out to be a lean season. Most fans are beginning to accept that. Even during the All-Star break, River Otters majority owner Mike Shanahan, Jr. admitted that his team was not good this year. But he’s not ashamed.

“My team is in last place,” he said. “Someone has to be there. It just happens to be us this year.”

While many fans are upset over the firing of Kevin Kaminski and equally upset with General Manager Frank Buonomo, some fans are realizing that some tough decisions had to be made. Some die-hard hockey fans who really enjoy the sport and attend the games to root for the team during the lean years realize that the Otters are looking toward the future. Jeff Brown might not be next year’s coach, but he is the coach for the remainder of the season, according to River Otters management.

Several fans also heard rumors that a few of the River Otter players have asked to be traded. The team refused to comment or identify those players. But management and some fans do agree that it’s not unusual for some players after a coaching change to want out of a team facing the worst record in the league.

Even owners of other teams who come to St. Charles appreciate what Missouri is trying to do. Michael Franke, majority owner of the Fort Wayne Komets believes that the River Otters will be around for a long time and fans should not worry about the record this season.

“Missouri appears to have some great fans,” Franke said. “They’ve had their troubles on the ice. They got some players further into the season and this team could turn around and be quite good in the second half of the season.”


IT’S OFFICIAL! RAGE READY TO BULL THROUGH 2006 AT SAVVIS CENTER
By Mike Thompson
I’ll borrow the phrase made famous by the late Cardinal broadcaster Jack Buck. “Pardon me while I stand and applaud.”

I couldn’t help but feel just that way as I watched the Savvis Center staff setting up the podium, tables, and seating chart for our press conference this past Tuesday, getting the Rage primed to greet media and sponsors for our big step into the big time. I thought about how this franchise had grown, the hard work that was the forte’ of every member of the staff, from front office to coaches, players, cheerleaders, interns, you name it…everyone associated with the RiverCity Rage had a big hand in making this very special day come about. My mind hit the rewind button as I reflected on the very first such gathering of Rage and media, the one in December of 2004 that announced the formation of GST Sports, Inc. and introduced Majority Owners Tye Elliott and Scott Wilson to a skeptical array of TV sports anchors, scribes, and radio reporters who may have wondered about the wisdom of spending time hearing yet another story of promise from new owners of a so-called minor league team. As the newly appointed Director of Media Relations, I held my breath that day as I studied the entrance of the Locker Room Restaurant at Family Arena, hoping the media I had pounded the pavement to personally contact would be marching through the door one by one, microphones and cameras in hand, pens poised and ready, to get the news out to all that the Rage was up and running, this brand new bull was out of the chute and ready to ride to an NIFL title.

I remember that day well….KMOV-TV was there, as was KSDK-TV, News channel 20 and our friend Randy Gardner, Joe Lyons from the Post and Russell Korondo of the Journal….my friend and co-worker at KLOU, Michelle Holiday came by for moral support and to get a quote or two…and this newspaper was on hand to get word out to it’s readers about the new shift in power.

All in all, not bad that day, not bad for a start, but from that point on I knew the real work was all waiting ahead, and I wondered if we, if I…would be up to the challenge that lie ahead. The challenge to get fans in the seats, to get the media’s attention in a city that boasts of the Cardinals, the Rams, the Blues and a dozen other majors and minors sandwiched in between. Would the team be a winner?

Would the owners see the wisdom in involving themselves and their new upstart team with charitable causes and other worthy concerns? The ‘would-a’ I understood….all this was new…my apprehension involved the ‘could-a’ or even worse…the ‘should-a’…a new team could wither and die on that one! As I walked to my car on that cold winter’s day following that initial foray into the world of professional sports, I silently vowed to myself that I, for one, would not fall prey to that mode of thinking and would do everything in my power to ensure success for this new ownership group rolling the dice on everything from financial stability to personal sanity.

Well, everyone else associated with this team must have walked away that afternoon with many of the same thoughts in mind, because if you followed this football team in 2005, you know full well the impact it has had on the sports fan, the media and the metro area as a whole.

First of all, the team was a winner. Entering the playoffs with a record of 10-5 on the regular season, the Rage lost in double overtime in the opening round of the playoffs, but even that brutal slap in the face had some positive results. In the thrilling, nerve wracking, heart stopping loss, the crowd at Savvis Center and the welcome extended to us by the Savvis management was enough to prompt Tye and Scott to explore ways to make that venue our permanent home. The wheels were soon in motion to make it the reality being played out in front of me on Tuesday afternoon. Our owners threw themselves wholeheartedly into charities and found new, inspiring ways to use the football team and it’s sponsors to add joy and hope to the lives of those in need. We grew from a front office staff of three to a full time staff of six in less than a year, with individuals now available to lend their talents to promotions, sales and community involvement. The Rage became to ‘go-to’ franchise for the entire NIFL. Morris Groves our Director of Operations months ago was given the title of Director of Media Relations for the entire league, and handles all the website duties. I was recently selected as the new Information Director for the NIFL. Coach Mike Wyatt has been the Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year two years in a row, and last November added General Manager of the Year to his impressive resume. We have a full time mascot…Ragie the Bull…making appearances all over the metro area…we’ve added the Ragie Kids Club and a reading and educational program to our list of community activities…we instigated a program that honored high school players and teams with engraved plagues that were sent out every week…we grew, we built, we added…and hopped right under the radar gun of major league status with our latest move to Savvis Center. The next step, perhaps an NIFL Title, will put this team over the top!

So as I watched all the major television stations, radio outlets and news scribes come parading into the Savvis Club on Tuesday for our big announcement, as I saw the room begin to fill up with corporate sponsors, league officials, friends of the team, and even one wildly dressed super-fan, I remembered that similar, yet so vastly different day some 14 months ago. My gosh, how far we had all come….as I listened to Savvis Center VP and General Manager Dennis Petrullo make his opening remarks to get this magical day underway, I looked around the room and thought of how proud I was of my team, my owners, my coach, the players, and everyone who had given his or her heart and soul to this cause calling itself RiverCity Rage football.

“The Rage is a great addition to the sports scene in downtown St. Louis,” Petrullo began, “let’s welcome them to Savvis Center.”

The crowd began to applaud. I was kneeling down, off to the side of the podium taking notes for this article…when I did the only thing I could do…I stood up and began to join in.

Like that first step into the spotlight some 14 months prior, I mentally made note that the real work for this team was waiting ahead. That feeling, I couldn’t shake. The knowledge that this time around our team, this franchise, was ready for that challenge made it a lot easier to accept!


Lindenwood scores second consecutive stellar recruiting class
List of someday stars includes some of Missouri’s leading rushers, super sleepers and record breakers, All-Staters and future All-Americans

By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor

Kelan Bannecke St. Louis, (Mo.) Lindbergh 6’3 195 WR
Big-framed receiver was two-time 1st team All-Suburban West selection; can make tough catches in traffic

Donnie Bridges St. Charles, (Mo.) St. Charles West 6’2 180 DB
One of the top players in the GAC North as a junior, sleeper missed entire senior year after preseason knee injury

Morgan Campbell Harrison, (Ark.) Wentworth Military 6’0 188 CB
Speedy 1st team All-MRVC pick at running back, after rushing for over 1200 yards and averaged 9.8 yds. per carry

Nathan Crossett St. Charles, (Mo.) Francis Howell 6’0 245 DE
1st team All-State Class 5 selection is one of the state’s top heavyweight wrestlers and a future D-Line star for LU

Taylor Dalby Lee’s Summit, (Mo.) West 5’10 175 WR
Fast-rising program at Lee’s Summit West sends 2nd team All-Suburban Mid Six pick to the Lions

Ryan Dalton Blue Springs, (Mo.) Blue Springs South 6’5 200 LB
Long and rangy with big upside, 2nd team All-Suburban Big Seven selection will play outside linebacker for LU

Josh Davis Dexter, (Mo.) Dexter 6’3 245 TE
Monster TE prospect was 1st team All-SEMO Central on both sides of the ball, with 75 tackles at LB and 20 receptions

Brandon Ellis Brentwood, (Mo.) Brentwood 5’11 185 RB
2nd team All-Metro pick ran for 1,798 yards in ten games to lead metro area; named 1st team All-State in Class 2

Tony Hall Shelbina, (Mo.) South Shelby 6’0 200 RB
Two-time 1st team All-State pick rushed for 2,652 yards and 35 TD’s as senior; ninth all-time single season in Missouri

Dan Harris Desloge, (Mo.) North County 6’1 195 RB
Fast and physical two-way player for one of the state’s top Class 4 programs scored 19 TD’s as a senior

Trevan Hombs Blue Springs, (Mo.) Blue Springs South 6’2 195 WR
Senior injuries limited Jaguar star to five games, but he still earned 1st team All-Suburban Big Seven honors at WR

Dwayne Glaspy Farmington, (Mo.) Farmington 6’3 225 TE
1st team All-Mississippi Area Red honoree has the look and athletic ability of a big-time TE/LB prospect

Austin Hulett Fenton, (Mo.) Rockwood Summit 6’0 180 WR
Versatile two-way performer earned All-Suburban South honors for solid Rockwood Summit program
Jeff Julian Blue Springs, (Mo.) Blue Springs South 6’2 190 OLB
One of state’s very best: two-time 1st team All-State Class 6, 2005 Buchanan Award winner in KC, intimidating hitter

Josh Kimrey Farmington, (Mo.) Farmington 6’0 185 DB
3rd team All-State Class 4 selection at QB, with 1287 passing yards and 500 on the ground, will play safety at LU

Lucas Kirkendoll Kansas City, (Mo.) Park Hill South 5’11 180 DB
1st team All-Suburban Big Six at LB and at RB, earned rep as huge hitter and sideline-to-sideline competitor for PHS

Oscar Mafuli Hazelwood, (Mo.) Hazelwood Central 6’2 220 ILB
One of the state’s top LB’s: 1st team All-State Class 6, 1st team All-Suburban North, 106 tackles, fast and intense

Drew Mannen Independence, (Mo.) William Chrisman 6’2 180 WR
Followed LU freshman Ben Kisner at QB for Chrisman, and had a huge year: 1439 passing, 1012 rushing, 29 TD’s

Will Meury Wentzville, (Mo.) Holt 5’11 200 RB
LU coaches are ecstatic about landing Meury, a rare package of size, speed and power - best kept secret in the state?

Nick Neeley Bonne Terre, (Mo.) North County 6’1 185 ATH
Great 4.5 speed athlete with huge star potential, four kickoff returns for TD’s the last two years - an impact player soon

Zach Palme Edwardsville, (Ill.) Edwardsville 6’3 225 DE
Big-framed, hand-on-the-ground player with toughness, 2nd team All-Metro DE, outstanding wrestler at 215 this winter

Jay Pope Ste. Genevieve, (Mo.) Valle Catholic 6’0 180 WR
Athletic two-time 2nd team All-State Class 1A selection, 1st team All-Mississippi Area Blue pick at DB and at WR

Tony Porto Port Orange, (Fla.) Father Lopez 6’1 190 OLB
2nd team All-State Class 2A, District Player of the Year, tremendous intensity and always around the football

Mike Redpath Carol Stream, (Ill.) Driscoll Catholic 6’1 185 DB
Conference and Team MVP for team which has won five straight state titles - explosive return specialist and hitter

William Royston Manchester, (Mo.) Parkway South 6’0 180 OLB
Suburban West Defensive Player of the Year earned 2nd team All-Metro and 1st team All-Conference honors at LB

Aaron Shepard Blue Springs, (Mo.) Blue Springs 6’0 255 C
Worked with Lion coaches at MU Camp during the summer, making an impression with his toughness and strength

Ronnell Simpson Hazelwood, (Mo.) Hazelwood West 6’1 270 OL
1st team All-Suburban North, 2nd team All-Metro, top heavyweight wrestler with good quicks and toughness

Nick Stemmler St. Louis, (Mo.) Bishop DuBourg 6’2 190 DE
Long and lean with a great motor, was named 1st team All-AAA League on both sides of the ball the last two years

Adam Stipanovich St. Charles, (Mo.) Orchard Farm 5’10 225 ILB
School’s all-time record holder in career tackles (330), single season tackles (150) and single game tackles (19)

Tory Thompson Palm Coast, (Fla.) Flagler Palm Coast 6’2
195 QB
3rd team All-State selection in Florida’s largest class threw for over 3,400 yards and 24 TD’s the last two seasons

Ryan Zimmerman St. Peters, (Mo.) Francis Howell Central 6’1 205 ILB
1st team All-GAC North selection is one of area’s top wrestlers at 215, and has the mean streak Lion coaches love at LB


Saint Louis Lions set tryouts for Premier Development League

By Mike McMurran
Sports Editor

The St. Louis Lions Soccer Club, St. Charles County’s contribution to the Premier Development League, will hold open tryouts February 18 and 19 at St. Dominic High School in O’Fallon.

A $25 tryout fee is required and players must be 17 or older to participate. Registration will begin each day at noon; tryouts will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Players interested in trying out are asked to contact the St. Louis Lions at 636.939.5151 or e-mail at tglavin@stlouislions.com prior to February 17.

The Lions are the newest members of the Premier Development League, which provides top players the opportunity to compete in a “professional setting” while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. The league allows for seven foreign players and for eight players over the age of 23. The core of each team’s 26-man roster will feature local players 23 and younger.

The Lions will play their home contests at the Tony Glavin Complex in Cotteville. The Lions will be coached by Tony Glavin.