"Need and Not Have"

They say it's always better to "have and not need" than to "need and not have".

There's one thing we could use in St. Louis that at the present time is definitely in the "need and not have" category.

St. Louis is a place known for its wealth of architectural assets. Some of them are in need of emergency stabilization. Unfortunately, there is no fund designated for emergency stabilization of historic structures.

While there are many old buildings that make sense to demolish [if you don't believe me, let's take a tour sometime and you can draw your own conclusions..], there are many others worth preserving.

Some are important contributing structures located in St. Louis historic districts. Without a ready source of emergency stabilization funds, we wind up losing some of these important buildings.

With a wide variety of opinions, we've discussed donating funds to different sorts of nonprofit organizations. Would you consider making cash donations to an organization whose sole purpose was to award emergency stabilization funds for preserving historically significant buildings?

Summer in St. Louis

Hot? Yes. A Great Vacation Destination? Absolutely...

Here's a list of possible day trips starting from St. Louis:

French Discovery

Cahokia Court House and Cahokia Mounds
Fort Des Chartres
Chester, Illinois
St. Genevieve, Missouri
Belleville, Illinois
White Cottage for ice cream
Our Lady of the Snows

Mississippi River Country

Clarksville, Missouri
Louisiana, Missouri
Pere Marquette State Park
Illinois/Missouri Ferries
Alton, Illinois
Finn Inn, Graffton, Illinois
Elsah, Illinois
Cahokia Mounds
Wood River, Root Beer Stand
Hanibal, Mark Twain sites

Missouri River - Hermann - Missouri Wine Country

Historic St. Charles
Augusta, Missouri
Purina Farms
Daniel Boone Home
Meramec Caverns
Washington, Missouri
Gary Lucy Studio
Katy Trail
Hermann, Missouri

St. Louis County

Butterfly House
Laumeier Sculpture Park
UCity Loop
Prologue Room (Boeing)
Jefferson Barracks
Grant's Farm/Clydesdales
Swim outings
Museum of Transport
Glencoe Train
Magic House
Kirkwood/Webster
Six Flags over Mid America
Ice Skating

St. Louis City

Gateway Arch
Old Cathedral
Old Court House
Scott Joplin House and Historic Mansion Tours
City Museum
Crown Candy
Calvary and Bellefontaine Cemeteries
Soulard Market
Soulard Neighborhood
Lafayette Square Neighborhood
Central West End Neighborhood
New Cathedral
Missouri Botanical Garden
Forest Park
St.Louis Zoo
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
Union Station
Ted Drewes for frozen custard
Cherokee Antique Row
Fox Theater
The Muny Theater
Powell Hall and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour/Clydesdales
The Hill Neighborhood
St. Louis Cardinals
Eugene Field House and Toy Museum

Check back..more links to follow...

Education Vouchers For Missouri?

From the tone of yesterday morning's Wake Up call show on WGNU radio, it sounds like a bill to bring education vouchers to Missouri is gaining momentum in the state legislature. The topic was being discussed by Quincy Troupe, Irene Smith, and Lizz Brown. They were looking for St. Louis to be excluded from the proposed law.

4 of 5 Top City Wards for New Housing Construction in North City

Results consistent with city's overall recent population turnaround.

STL Must See: The Wabash Frisco and Pacific Railroad

St. Louis is blessed with some of the country's finest family-oriented amenities. The St. Louis Zoo, the Science Center the Magic House, and the City Museum are just a few of our region's great recreational and educational attractions.

One of our favorites is the historic Wabash Frisco and Pacific Railroad located in Glencoe (near Eureka) Missouri, off of Route 109. Most young people love trains, and these narrow guage steam locomotives are a pure delight.

You can ride a train at the Zoo and Grant's Farm, but for an authentic railroading experience, the Glencoe trains are the real deal.

Coal and oil smells. The hissing sound of steam from the boilers. The ear piercing whistle of the steam driven horn. The tinkering with valves and controls by the engineers. Followed by a 20 minute ride along the Meramec River, through dappled sunlight shining through the trees of a Missouri forest.

If you don't have kids of your own, still check out this place. For more fun, bring a young relative, and a camera. It will make a memory that will last a lifetime.

Eisele's Would Be Proud

Eisele's Black Forest on Cherokee and the Bavarian Inn at Gravois and Arsenal were two long-time German restaurant standards on the city's south side. Years ago, the Black Forest closed, followed some years later by the Bavarian Inn. Now, I don't think you can find a German restaurant in the city.

Not far from where the Black Forest and Bavarian Inn were located, a new restaurant has opened bringing added life to the city's Tower Grove East neighborhood. It's called "Pestalozzi Place", located at the corner of Virginia and Pestalozzi in a beatifully renovated, one hundred-plus year old building. We visited Pestalozzi Place for the second time this weekend.

I had the stuffed pork chop. The chop was stuffed with fresh spinach and andouille sausage. Delicious (and our server's favorite)! For a city built by lots of Germans, it's hard to find a good German meal in town.

Pestalozzi Place isn't known as a German restaurant, but their stuffed pork chop would make a fine addition to the menu of a German restaurant anywhere!

Teen Sex

St. Louis leads the country in V.D. cases. This stat probably has more to do with our goofy "city in a donut" status, but is a bad thing regardless.

Yesterday marked Matt's 13th birthday. In the past week, we've heard stories about two young teenage girls becoming pregnant. Teens having unprotected sex is probably the number one reason.

Blame the boys and to some degree the girls? Mostly the boys. Rumor has it that the impregnating boy of one the pregnant girls mentioned above is bragging to his friends about it.

Hormones are raging for the kids in Matt's seventh grade class. Phone calls from girls and "instant messaging" is a daily routine.

Girls have crushes on Matt, and he has crushes back. As a parent, trying to pull in the reigns on these young romances probably just makes them more alluring to the kids involved.

Add to that the peer pressure and a culture that pushes casual sex, and these kids are facing a tough challenge for the next few years.

Maybe all-boy and all-girl schools would lessen the pressure on them?

Servant Rider

Andy Krumseig, the Executive of the Jubilee Christian Development Corporation, a branch of the Jubilee Community Church based in the city's Lindell Park neighborhood, is leaving today for California, about to embark on a 2,600 mile, coast-to-coast bike ride to raise funds for the church and its ministries.

You can help Andy and Jubilee by sponsoring the ride by the mile. A penny a mile is $26.00. Ten cents a mile, $260.00. In total, the ministry is working to raise $500,000 to convert a vacant grocery store on North Grand into its new home.

Last year, the Landmarks Association of St. Louis recognized the Jubilee Community Church for the rehab of their current 3118 North Grand location as one of the "Most Enhanced Sites" in St. Louis. Through the Jubileee Christian Development Corporation, the faith-based organization is continuing to renovate homes in the Lindell Park neighborhood.

They can really use your support. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution in whatever amount you can afford. Thanks. More information is available at: stlouisjubileeride.com

Safe and happy riding to you, Andy! We'll see you when you get back.

Retirement Planning: STL Style

People often comment on the lower housing costs offered in the midwest compared to the coasts. Having lived for many years in California, we know that cost savings in St. Louis extend to all aspects of everyday life.

Presently, we are in the market for a new trombone. We are comparing prices in St. Louis versus California.

The retail price for the trombone pictured above is $300 higher in California compared to what it sells for here in St. Louis. And in California, the product must be back ordered, while here in St. Louis, the store has three in stock.

If you're ever thinking about retirement, consider how much faster your retirement savings could accumulate by living on a St. Louis budget!

Blogger Courtesy

I will defer to the comments of my fellow blogger on this topic.

Maybe if they added some shrubbery?

Moving Downtown?

We're considering moving downtown into one of the new Ballpark Village condo towers. Some questions we need to consider....

Are there dog walking services available? We wonder how much they charge...

Any predictions on the price of a 2 bedroom condo facing the new ballpark?

Or, we'd be interested in a unit with an Arch view, as long as the designers provide a roof top deck with views of the ballpark...

Any idea of the timing of construction and sales? And what about high school choices for downtown teens?

Future Role For Avalon Theater?

From an email sent to the Southampton email list:

We are professional actors and Southampton Neighborhood residents who have founded one of St. Louis' newest professional theatre companies, Avalon Theatre Company. Organized as a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization, Avalon is dedicated to the professional theatre artists who have chosen to live and work in St. Louis. In recognition of its artistic vision and commitment to St. Louis theatre artists, Avalon was recently awarded a grant from The Fox Associates Foundation.

Our inaugural production was the St. Louis premiere of BOSTON MARRIAGE by David Mamet. Our next production is Lee Blessing's A WALK IN THE WOODS, which runs March 17 through April 2, 2006 (preview performance March 16) at Union United Methodist Church, 3543 Watson Road. Directed by Heidi Winters Vogel, the production features Gary Wayne Barker* as Honeyman and John Contini* as Botvinnik.

The place is a "pleasant woods on the outskirts of Geneva," where two superpower arms negotiators, the Russian, Botvinnik, a seasoned veteran, and his American counterpart, Honeyman, a newcomer to the arms-control talks, meet informally after long, frustrating hours at the bargaining table. Through their absorbing and revealing conversations we become aware of both the deepening understanding between these two wise and decent men, and also of the profound frustration they increasingly feel – that the elemental differences in their two systems of government will continue to exacerbate as long as the real power rests in the hands of those burdened by the bitterness of the past.

Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 3:00 pm. Ticket prices are: $28 adult; $23 student/senior; $20 preview (Thursday, March 16). To learn more about Avalon Theatre Company or to make convenient ticket purchases online, please visit ATC's website at www.avalontheater.org or call 314-351-6482.

Avalon also has two volunteer usher/concession positions available per performance. Ushers see the show for free. If interested, please contact the theatre.

Thank you.

Larry Mabrey, Artistic Director
Erin Kelley, Managing Director
314-351-6482
ATC@avalontheatre.org - www.avalontheatre.org

*Member Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

Affton PeeWees Vie for State Championship

During the regular season, the two Affton "Gold" House PeeWee hockey teams finished 1-2 in the standings.

Now, as the playoffs reach the final game, the same two Affton teams square off in an in-house rivalry to determine this year's Missouri state champions in the gold division.

Along the way, the teams defeated regional rivals, the St. Peters Spirits and the Twin Bridges Lightning, to make it to the championship game.

Matt's team is in the finals. If they win tonight, it will be his second state championship in four years.

The puck drops at 5:30 PM at the Kirkwood Community Center ice arena on Geyer Road.

RIP Kirby Puckett

Ever since the 1987 World Series, St. Louisans have a hard time appreciating Minnesota's brand of baseball, especially with their "Glad Bag" stadium wall. But we all respected Kirby Puckett. Puckett was a big factor in the '87 Twin's World Series victory over the Cardinals.

Way back before ballplayers routinely started charging for their autographs, I remember the time we sent a baseball book up to the Twins, attention Kirby Puckett. Puckett mailed it back to us with his autograph and a personalized note.

There weren't very many ballplayers who earned the widespread admiration of Kirby Puckett. He was a tough competitor and a great representative of the game. He would have looked great in a Cardinal uniform, but, turning down more lucrative contract offers, he would play his entire career with the Twins.

Cold Frostys

There was a time when St. Louis had more breweries than almost any other American city.

Based on the age of car parked in front, the picture above probably dates back to the Bevo Mill's alcohol free days.

I wonder what a cold beer at the Bevo Mill would have tasted like right after the end of prohibition? Pretty darn good I bet.

"The Oldest Road In St. Louis County"

"St. Charles Rock Road, the first road through St. Louis County, was laid out in 1772 as “The Road to St. Charles” by the Spanish. The road began in St. Louis (where it was called “Kings Road”), followed in a general direction the route now used and led to the bank of the Missouri River opposite St. Charles. In 1819, St. Charles Road was established as a post and stage road; in 1837 it was first incorporated as a turnpike. In 1865, St. Charles Road was rebuilt with macadam (successive layers of small broken stones) and renamed St. Charles Rock Road. In 1921, it became the first concrete state highway in St. Louis County."

Excerpted from the official website for the City of St. John, St. Louis County, Missouri.

Free Downtown Baseball

The Harris Stowe Hornets have started their 2006 college baseball season on their home field, located at the northeast corner of Compton and Market in the city of St. Louis.

They are playing their first game today against Webster University.

Traffic Forecast?

Frequently, when large crowds head for downtown STL to attend a major nightime event, coupled with thousands of daytime office workers exiting their parking garages, the result is gridlock around the Old Court House.

Savvy drivers in search of a speedier exit have been known to move their cars to street parking spaces ahead of the rush.

Any predictions on what traffic downtown is supposed to be doing after 4:00 pm this evening? Tonite is the night for the annual Fat Tuesday parade.

"It's Not Over...

'til we say it's over!!"

Nottingham Community Center proponent gives update on the effort's current status.

(Scroll to the bottom for the latest entry in the comment section).

STL-Something Rises Down in Texas

...Apparently, way down south in Texas, they love St. Louis-style pizza. At least they think they do.

The image in the picture is what some folks down in Texas actually believe is a St. Louis style-pizza. Hah!

The menu doesn't even offer provel!

If someone knows where in St. Louis you can find a pizza like the one in the picture, please share.

Maybe California Pizza Kitchen?

Good or Bad?

Over at South St. Louis Talk, there's a post about making Ballpark Village a sort of "Taste of St. Louis" experience. There's some appeal to that idea, but on the other hand, we might regret exposing the outside world to how bad St. Louis-style pizza really is...

There's talk of building a high-dollar, touristy, aquarium attraction, like the one in the picture above. That could be an awesome addition to the St. Louis destination downtown experience.

If you're aiming to create a sustainable, ballpark-anchored district, how would you approach it? Emphasize a ballpark/themed entertainment focus? Or just keep it simple and urban: high density and mixed use, with baseball a part of but not the central focus of the mix?

Ballpark Village

More than Balls and Strikes

Spring training and baseball are about belief in the possible. Possibilities and STL come together in a new downtown ballpark.

A Beautiful French Connection

The inspiration for our City Hall is the Hotel De Ville in Paris (shown above).



The second image is a historic postcard view of St. Louis City Hall. Back in the 1960s, many considered the building obsolete, and it was nearly demolished in favor of a modern civic center complex. Fortunately that never happened. But the building needs some costly repairs.

On the outside, it carries blemishes from failed attempts to remove discoloration caused by years of coal soot accumulation on the limestone exterior. Thanks to the St. Louis chapter of the AIA, there is a private effort to raise funds to rehabilitate the exterior of the building. But private fundraising is a slow business, and the dollar goal is substantial.

If presented to voters, would you support a bond measure to finance the cost to rehabilitate the historic building?

An Anchor On The Ivanhoe Strip

In the ground floor commercial space of a mixed-use, corner building in the heart of the ever-improving Ivanhoe Avenue neighborhood business district (near I-44 and Arsenal), an independent music store, "Killer Vintage", is quietly becoming one of the midwest's leading suppliers of rare guitars and amplifiers.

With the right pedigree (pre-CBS ownership, through 1965), a Fender Statocaster like the one in the picture above could bring $10,000-$20,000 American, and as much as $75,000 in Japan as a high-demand Americana collectible.

Given the popularity of the road-worn look, some guitarists have been known to tie their late-model Stratocasters into burlap sacks, and drag them down the street for a block or two, just to mimick the appearance in the picture above.

STL Rising---Not Just Buildings

In North St. Louis, near the intersection of North Kingshighway and Hwy 70, for years a bike racing track sat overgrown with weeds.



Now, the track looks like new again.



For more information, check out the website for the Missouri Bicycle Racers Association.

User Support for Dummies

This blog has needed some livening up for sometime, and so, starting today, thanks to the technical assistance of Matt and his friends, they are trying to show this old dog how to insert a photo into a blog....

and it works like this...

go to goodle images...

double click on the image...

click on "see full size image"...

then click on image icon in blogger posting screen...

then copy and paste url from your chosen google image into the blogger url space...

then use style and size features to center or size the image...

then click "upload image"...

then click "done"...

and if all goes well...

the Eads Bridge will be the inaugural STL Rising pic...

Charter Reform Pathologists

Robert Cropf and Todd Swanstrom of St. Louis University have written a detailed analysis of the failed Advanced St. Louis Charter Reform Measures A, B, C, and D.

You can read their entire report here.

MSN: Find out Where to Celebrate Mardis Gras...

...except for in St. Louis.

A Valentine to STL

A friend and I were talking today about our shared-adopted hometown of St. Louis. We agreed that one of the things that makes this place so endearing is the way it is so far from perfect. The place is a work in progress, and we are all a part of it.

For those of us with St. Louis in our blood, it is a passion. When Kerri and I moved away for a few years, I'll never forget how we missed it so much. We wanted to move back the whole time.

And now that we're back again, we're here for good. The place has worked its way into our souls. We love it.

StL Evolution Critiques Ballpark Village

Over at StL Evolution, blogger Matt Fernandez gives an upbeat overview of the Ballpark Village project. He even makes the point that locating the ballpark right next to Highway 40 is turning out well.

Ballpark Village represents another $450,000,000 investment added to the city's renaissance, including 1,200 condo units in four towers on a newly restored street grid. Naysayers take note: at present, there is more construction happening in the City of St. Louis than anywhere else in the region.

During the '90s, everyone was talking about the revitalization of downtown, LoDo, Denver**, with downtown baseball and loft conversions leading the way. Now, in the '00s, it's the revitalization of downtown St. Louis that is making national news.

**(Click on the LoDo link and note the similarity between our new ballpark and Denver's...)

Maybe the promoters of 2004 were right?

1804: Lewis and Clark
1904: St. Louis World's Fair
2004+: St. Louis Is Back

Historic District Nominations...Demystified

Thanks to Michael Allen for providing a detailed description of how the process works to nominate a neighborhood for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Michael's description can be found in the comments section of this posting.

A New Way

It was on the way home, via a short cut from the 4300 hundred block of West Florissant, south on Prairie Avenue, across Fairground Park, continuing south to Dr. MLK, and then west a few blocks to catch up with the Metropolis Walk in the Ville.

Driving down Prairie, I rode by three other inviting looking night spots in the Fairground neighborhood. Maybe on a another night the Walk visits Fairground? Maybe. Thanks to Brian Marston for organizing the Ville Walk. It was a good time with a lot of fun people.

After visiting the Walk, I made another detour off the main routes, and headed straight south, down either Whittier or Sarah...I think Whittier (I couldn't tell; some of the street signs were missing). Somewhere around the corner of Washington and Whittier (or Sarah?), I arrived at a beautiful white stone church with a huge monolithic-shaped bell tower. I can't remember ever having noticed it before. A couple more blocks south, I would arrive in the heart of the new Gaslight Square development, situated along the northern edge of the Central West End neighborhood.

Prior to the Walk, the evening started out with a conversation with some Third Ward neighbors, including one long-time resident of the Fairground neighborhood. He's in his mid-80s now, but he remembers back as a young father, back in 1969, when his was the second black family to move on to his block in Fairground. Through the years, he's witnessed firsthand the long drought of disinvestment that blighted his community.

All along, he's remained active working as a volunteer to serve his neighborhood. Those years of work are starting to show a return. Today he sees more investment in the city's Third Ward than he's seen in the previous thirty-plus years. The drought years had seriously worn on his patience, and there's still a level of frustration, but now there's a new beginning too.

First Class Upgrade

Our Midget 2 baseball team, the South Sox, is returning for its second season of practices at Tower Grove Park in South St. Louis.

Tower Grove Park offers fee waivers on field use permits for youth sports teams. For more information, call (314) 771-4484.

Watch for the South Sox on Saturday mornings, beginning in early March. We'll be holding practices on the full-size baseball field located at the southwest corner of the park, just up from Arsenal along Kingshighway.

Architectural Irony

St. Louis has one of the nation's best collections of historic architecture. It's not surprising considering that back in the year 1900, St. Louis was America's fourth largest city. Many believe that our architectural heritage is one of the city's greatest assets.

We also have a culture that is very resistant to change. So today our conservative midwestern culture is challenged to think differently about the importance of our architectural resources. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard people say, "Oh, that's not historic."

Our mostly conservative culture isn't comfortable placing restrictions on the use of private property. Yet progressives want to see our historic architecture preserved and carefully reused.

Getting St. Louisans to think differently about the importance of our local architecture will take more than teaching them about the significance of historic buildings. It will take getting St. Louisans to become more willing to accept change.

And that has little to do with architecture.

Marketplace Snapshot

St. Louis neighborhoods are a diverse marketplace. There are many submarkets of people who make the city their residential destination of choice.

Given the diverse nature of city residents, what would you say are the leading household submarkets choosing city living?

Here's a start-

Empty nesters choosing downtown lofts

First time homebuyers seeking affordable housing

Bosnians moving into Little Bosna

Middle class African Americans wanting to move back to their old city neighborhoods

Catholic families with kids

Gays

There are lots more. What do you think?

South Sox Baseball Club

I manage a baseball team for 6th and 7th grade boys. The name of the team is the St. Louis "South Sox". The team practices at Tower Grove Park and plays out of Heine Meine Field.

We are looking for some new sponsors. If you are interested in supporting a youth baseball team, and promoting your business or organization at the same time, we'd like to introduce you to our team.

The budget for the season is approximately $1500. Our goal for sponsorships is $150 per sponsor. If you are a restaurant owner, your sponsorship cost would be made back through after-game visits by our team and their friends and families.

If interested, please contact me at rbonasch@sbcglobal.net. Thanks.

Maybe we're not paying the right people?

How is it possible that St. Louis is not mentioned anywhere on this website?

More Is Better

One thing that sets St. Louis apart from most other American cities is our historic neighborhoods. Much has been written about the marketing and reinvestment potential of historic rehabilitation. And much of that is made possible through the use of state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits.

However, only a small percentage of the city is currently eligible for historic tax credits. If we set out to substantially increase the number of city neighborhoods listed on the National Register, who knows how much more we could see in neighborhood revitalization?

With the exception of the new Jefferson-Gravois Streetcar Suburb Historic District and the expanded Tower Grove Heights Historic District, most of the city's historic districts are concentrated close to downtown, along the riverfront (Hyde Park and St. Boniface) or in the central corridor. Visit the neighborhoods listed on the National Register, and you 'll see a large amount of historic rehab, both underway and recently completed.

The rebirth of downtown has largely been driven by historic rehab. Good work is happening now in Old North St. Louis and Forest Park Southeast through the same resource.

Yet, the vast majority of North and South City is not part of any national historic district. The lack of historic tax credits makes it much harder to finance rehab in these neighborhoods. Where would be a good place to start next?

"Experiment a Success"

KMOX's Kevin Killeen reported this morning that McBride and Sons' experiment to build a "suburban-styled" subdivision in the city is a success.

Homes have sold at a brisk pace, and contracts for an additional twenty homes have been written.

Then Killeen asked the builder if crime has been an issue: "I've noticed a lot of signs for security companies in the front yards".

According the builder, there has not been a single break-in in the development. The developer noted how the new neighbors are cooperating with each other to make the neighborhood a safe place.

Overall, it seemed like a strange news story. For starters, Botanical Heights is not what most people imagine when they picture a "suburban styled" housing development. There are no ranch or single story homes. All the homes have rear garages off of alleys, and the side yard setbacks are much less than most suburban developments. And there are plans for attached townhomes.

Next, it's really not much of an experiment, but rather a successful formula that has been replicated in multiple housing developments all over town. The West End, the Gate District, and the near north side are all places where you can find large, new home developments that have sold well.

And even though there has been none, Killeen decided to make crime a key part of his story. He could have taken many angles when reporting on the success of the project. The fact that he chose to highlight the issue of crime when reporting on the success of a new home development in the city is disappointing.

Bored in St. Louis

Seldom played, late model Fender Telecaster, with original metal-flake blue finish, white pick gaurd, and maple neck, seeks new home. Owner desires a like-quality acoustic mandolin in even exchange. Interested parties, please contact the owner of this blog. Thanks!

"The trouble with boys"

Much has been in the news lately about the struggles of young boys making the passage into adulthood.

They are failing at greater rates than ever before, and schools are having a hard time figuring out ways to help them improve.

Some say boys are treated like defective girls, rather than looked at as individuals with their own unique concerns.

With Matt turning thirteen in a less than two months, we're facing these challenges on a daily basis, and much of what we're reading in the articles and watching on the news we have seen happen in Matt's life.

This week, two boys, one in 6th the other in 7th grade, were expelled from Matt's school. The news came as a shock to all of us since we've known these two young people since they were kindergarten age.

It's not a St. Louis thing, but a national concern. Some suggest all-boy middle schools would help. Others say the presence of a father figure in the home is a big factor. Reports are that 40% of young boys are growing up in homes without their biological fathers.

What about opening up the schools for evening study halls with sons and fathers? We could help each other out.

CBC High School Considers Mandatory Drug Testing

In a move that may lead to wider spread efforts, CBC High School in Town and Country Missouri, a posh suburb of St. Louis, is considering mandatory drug testing of students.

School administrators believe mandatory testing may provide students a way to say "no" to offers to experiment with illicit drugs.

A First for Downtown St. Louis

In an attempt to position the event as a major regional event, for the first time in its long history, the Annie Malone parade will be held this year in downtown St. Louis.

Annie Malone is not a city neighborhood, but rather a famous person in St. Louis history who was one of America's first African American millionaires. She made her fortune developing and selling hair products targeted to African American consumers. She resided in the historic Ville neighborhood.

Today, the Annie Malone organization serves low income St. Louis households, providing a wide array of services. The Annie Malone organization is based in the Ville neighborhood, 2612 Annie Maolone Drive, St. Louis, MO 63113. Telephone 314-531-0120.

The Annie Malone organization also operates a Day Care Respite and Crisis Nursery in the Penrose neighborhood at 4411 North Newstead, St. Louis, MO 63115. Telephone 314-381-2410.

RIP Mary Taylor

Longtime 3rd Ward neighborhood resident and volunteer Mary Taylor died recently after suffering a heart attack.

Ms. Taylor volunteered for many years on various neighborhood projects and served on the board of directors of the Neighborhood Council. She was a beloved friend, neighbor and dedicated city resident. She will be missed by her many friends.

5,000 + 50,000 = Great Family Fun

You don't have to wait for the 2006 season of Six Flags to find great family fun in St. Louis. At 1:00 pm on Sunday, February 19, visit Soulard for the annual Krewe Barkus Dog Parade.

5,000 dogs and 50,000 human spectators will fill the historic streets of Soulard for this offbeat, family-friendly festival.

An Interesting Blip

Most of the ancient Indian mounds in St. Louis proper have been lost to development. There are the partial remains of one next to Highway 55 near S. Broadway. A '50s vintage home was built on the carved out side of the mound.

One of our longtime friends, a local historian who talks about having personally "shoveled out Lafayette Square townhouses back in the 70s", prides herself on having travelled nearly every south city neighborhood street by foot. Sometimes she leads historic walking tours of city neighborhoods.

St. Louis is a place layered in history. Recently, we were on foot, walking every block of a neighborhood on the city's near north side. A large part of the area had become industrialized, and then mostly abandoned by industry. There was one spot in the middle of the neighborhood that didn't fit the rest. It was undeveloped, yet surrounded by heavy industrial uses.

On one side was a fenced yard holding dozens of retired trailers. On the other lay parallel rows of abandoned railroad track, along with an overhead signal fixture. Sandwiched between the train tracks and the trailer lot was a small forested hill, roughly thirty to forty feet wide, rising approximately 8 to 10 feet above the grade of the sidewalk-and the grades of all the nearby blocks.

I wondered, why was this lot left alone when the rest of the blocks were originally developed? Was it created by transporting fill to the site in past decades? Or could it be the remains of an old Indian Mound? I hope it's an Indian mound.

If you want to visit this mound yourself, you can find it on the eastern side of the intersection of Hadley and Howard, two blocks north of Cass Avenue.

Urban Studio Presents D-I-Y Plaster Repair Course

Plaster is a beautiful wall and ceiling material found in most older city homes. However, the repair and installation of plaster is a dying art, and expensive to hire..

The Urban Studio, a nonprofit community resource center located next door to Crown Candy in the Old North St. Louis, is presenting a course to learn do-it-yourself plaster repair:

Learn How to Repair Your Own Plaster (and save thousands of dollars) with Master Plasterer, Eric Aulbach

For more information about the plaster class and the Urban Studio, please visit:

The Urban Studio Blog

"That's not North St. Louis"

I was at a gathering recently near Calvary Cemetary where a group of neighborhood residents were discussing perceptions of the city's north side.

They explained to me that if you are in the know, which I wasn't, you know that much of what is generally referred to as "North St. Louis" isn't considered so by local residents.

By their traditional standards, areas south of Page and west of Union are not considered North St. Louis. Those areas are considered Central or West End.

School Board: "Thanks but no thanks"

Citizen-led effort to build a Southwest City community center hits roadblock as city school board rejects offer to purchase Nottingham School. There are no plans for an alternative location, Journal reports.

Katrina'd Out?

The issue of insurance companies ending earthquake coverage on older masonry buildings has barely made the local radar screen.

The St. Louis Oracle wrote about it in November.

Since ours is a stone foundation built in 1933, we were just talking about this over the weekend. Has anyone else heard about insurance companies dropping such coverage?

Maybe the insurance industry figures better to plan on a federal bailout than provide earthquake coverage near the New Madrid fault zone?

Scene at Ramp Riders

Matt has been getting more into the BMX biking scene, so we've been spending lots of Friday nites lately with the skateboarders and acrobatic cyclists down at Ramp Riders at Salena and Gravois in the Benton Park neighborhood.

Given the warehouse setting, the management invites bands to perform in the space. The bands are loud, metal, and drawing a young, skater-friendly crowd. Most of the ones we've seen so far haven't been very good.

That all changed Friday nite. Not since seeing Tuck and Patti in the Berkeley Hills back in 1985, have I had such a "we saw you when" experience as we had watching Gage Love (guitarist extrordinaire) and the band he plays with, "Torch the Morgue".

Love learned music through song and trumpet and his college major was opera. He's only played guitar for five years, but he's as good as anyone I've seen. He's played with Torch the Morgue for about a year.

The setup at Ramp Riders wasn't the best. The promoter didn't have an adequate PA, so you really couldn't hear the singer. Torch the Morgue normally has two vocalists, but they only had one for this show.

Torch the Morgue comes to St. Louis from the Quad Cities area of Iowa/Northern Illinois, and has a built up a local following there. They were on a tour midwestern towns. This nite they would only make $9 apiece. These guys have a real shot to make a lot more.

Thinking back to that list of possible bands for St. Louis summer concerts...this'd be one that could get a much deserved break with a chance to play in front of a larger audience. I'd recommend them. Not for the baby stroller or 3-wheeled scooter crowd, but definitely a showcase of serious talent in the metal niche. We plan to see them again.

Gage Love's personal music project

"Torch the Morgue's" myspace site

Promontory Point St. Louis, 2008? 2009?

Promontory Point is that desolate place in the middle of northern Utah, where in 1869 two train track laying crews met to connect the nation's first transcontinental railroad.

Everyone's seen that famous picture where the crews are standing on the two locomotives having a toast as the golden spike was driven into the last section of rail.

Why not apply the same principle to the widening of Highway 40 through St. Louis?

Hire two companies, start one on the east end of the expansion, the other on the west end. Build in bench mark and completion date incentives to the construction contracts, and make it a competition between the two companies. The company exceeding the most benchmark goals and the final completion goal date by the greatest number of days gets a BIG final incentive payment. Just think of the gaming possibilities!

Track the competition in St. Louis media. Then sometime during 2008 or 2009 (hopefully), when the job is finished somewhere around Highway 40 and McKnight, recreate the Promontory Point photograph, with the crews of roadbuilders sitting atop massive tractors, along with the County Executive and the Mayor of St. Louis, all raising commemorative mugs of famous St. Louis beverages in a toast to the successful completion of this massive civic endeavor.

Have fun with it!

Oh, and build it so that at least one lane remains open in both directions during construction.

Neighborhood Choices

St. Louis is known as a city of neighborhoods, with each having its own character and various pluses and minuses. There are many great neighborhood choices.

As neighborhoods work to improve, they want to know what potential new residents are looking for in a new neighborhood. If you were thinking of moving, what would be your top three priorities in selecting a new neighborhood?

Postcard Views of Historic Belleville

Follow this link to visit a website offering hundreds of scans of historic postcards and photographs old Belleville.

"Signal Hill", the tiny (unincorporated?) neighborhood on the bluff connecting East St. Louis to Belleville, is a little-known gem from this part of our metro area, with one beautifully-maintained, hillside mansion with that unmistakable, antebellum look. Is it authentic? It sure looks like it.

Jack Snow Dies from Staph Infection

Former Ram player and KTRS sportscaster, Jack Snow, died last night due to a staph infection. Staph infections have become very resistant to antibiotics, and do not only affect older people.

Young athletes are highly susceptible to developing staph infections from bacteria that can grow in their equipment. A few years ago, a young Affton hockey player nearly died this way.

Summertime Concert Series

Every year, the City of St. Louis and other sponsors offer free concerts downtown. One of the challenges in planning such events is signing the best possible mix of artists given the financial constraints.

Given that the concerts are planned for larger-sized audiences (5,000-15,000), which bands would you encourage promoters bring to St. Louis in 2006?

Winnebago Revisited

It was the winter of 1986, and we were about to spend our first night in St. Louis in the vacant and unfurnished upstairs unit of a 2-family on Winnebago, a couple blocks east of Grand, near the old Lindy's Sausage shop.

A couple of months previously, and only a few months into married life, my promising new job working for a prominent Northern California real estate company came to an abrupt end when the company owner drove his 1984 Corvette off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean in the tiny resort town of Mendocino. The company shut down its development arm, and I was given notice about my job ending.

In the meantime, Kerri had joined Citicorp, and was in daily communication with people in their St. Louis offices. She developed a friendly working relationship over the phone with one of the St. Louis staffers, and, as my job was ending, Citicorp was closing down its Northern California leasing operations, leaving Kerri and I both out of work. Citicorp was looking to fill lots of positions in St. Louis, so we figued, why not? Let's check it out.

Kerri's Citicorp telephone-friend encouraged us to visit St. Louis, and invited us to stay with them at their Winnebago 2-family. We booked a flight, and afer a whirlwind tour and Kerri's job interview, we made the decision to relocate to St. Louis.

We were immediately taken in by the neighborhood around our friend's apartment. Coming from the land of frame and stucco, we had never seen so much brick. Even the streets were brick. That was 20 years ago, and our friends no longer live on Winnebago, but we still live just a few minutes away from this building.

One of my morning routes to work goes through the intersection of Chippewa and Gravois. Usually, I'll head up Gravois toward downtown, but it's not necessary, or even faster. So, today I decided to stay on Chippewa, heading east toward Grand.

Crossing Grand, I passed the Keystone Place project. It's good to see a few new homes starting construction. I made a left, and drove one block north to Winnebago. I made a right, heading east. On the second block, I passed our friend's old apartment. Whenever I'm on this block, I check out that old 2-family where we spent our first night in St. Louis. It looked pretty much the same. Brick buildings are pretty slow to change.

I decided to stay on Winnebago and head over to Jefferson. The street is now part of the Gravois Jefferson National Register Historic District, and you can see why. Nearly every original building is intact, with historic live-work commercial buildings on the corners. There are lots of original, faded wall signs painted on the sides of buildings.

One block before Jefferson, Winnebago has been barricaded to through traffic, diverting me north past the historic Lutheran Church where a few years ago we attended the funeral of firefighter Rob Morrison, the father of one Matt's then-classmates, who along with fellow firefighter Derek Martin died fighting a fire in a south city refrigeration company.

I crossed Jefferson, headeding east, entering the south side of the Benton Park neighborhood. There has been a noticeable amount of new, single family, infill residential construction. My route took then me through the Cherokee Antique Row district, where this time of year the place looks its best. The Bradford Pear trees have dropped their leaves, so you can easily see the beutiful detailing of the all the buildings.

The building that housed one of the first "Nickelodian" movie theaters in St. Louis is part of this district. Many of the Antique Row buildings have newly added decorative lighting, which added a warm glow to the brick buildings and sidewalks.

I crossed I-55 at the historic St. Agatha's Church, and hit a traffic jam on Broadway at the Brewery. Being a snob (or smart?) city driver, and loathing traffic tie-ups, instead of sitting in the Broadway traffic, I turned at Arsenal, merged onto northbound I-55, and finished the trip downtown to the office in about the same amount of time that I would have had I made that northeasterly turn back at Gravois and Chippewa about fifteen minutes earlier.

Downtown Improvisationalists

Personally, I don't have much use for car alarms. The sound of them used to inspire a sense of urgency. But now their honking blasts have become so commonplace, that when one goes off, it's less of a call for alarm, and more just unwanted noise pollution.

Car alarms have become so mundane, yet annoying, that they're about as welcome as the sound of someone's cell phone ringing in a movie theater. Often, the reactions on the owner's part are about the same: a frenzied search for the "off" button.

Much more welcomed are the sounds of street musicians, and, lately, there has been a noticeable increase in the amount and talent of downtown street musicians.

A couple of weeks ago, we attended the unfortunate Rams-49ers game at the Dome. Set up and playing furiously was a New Orleans-styled trio, jamming to Christmas music. They sounded pretty good, and were headed towards pulling down a thousand dollars in tips from the tide of football fans walking past them on the way to the game.

Then there's the fellow who plays his saxophone mid-days near the corner of 7th and Olive. From Met Square to the Laclede Gas Building, you can hear him playing a wide variety of jazz standards.

Yesterday his stylings were being crowded out by the dissonant blastings of a car alarm coming from the middle floors of one nearby parking garages. When I stepped out of our office building, he was playing, but not any recognizable tune.

I listened harder, and then realized he was improvising. He was playing accompaniment to the car alarm. He was harmonizing with it. Together, it didn't sound half bad. Now that's what I call a real "street musician".

Making Eye Contact

The Zoo's "Penguin and Puffin Coast" exhibit is a great place for a wintertime visit.

The penguins are always entertaining to watch, and the Zoo has taken great care to make the whole exhibit a positive experience, from the time you're waiting in line, until you exit through a penguin and puffin-themed gift shop. The place reminds you of a major theme park attraction in Florida, except at the St. Louis Zoo, it's free!

In summer, there are long lines to see the penguins and puffins. Sometimes up to an hour or more. Over the winter, you practically have the place to yourself. Last week, we stopped by the Zoo thirty minutes before closing time, just to visit the Penguin and Puffin Coast.

When we arrived, there were maybe ten or so other visitors at the exhibit. And during the winter, it's actually warmer inside the exhibit than it is outside! Plus, with so many fewer visitors, there are way more penguins per person.

Rather than the way the penguins scan out over the huge summertime crowds shuffling past them during the summer, when you visit during the winter, the penguins swim up next to you and look right at you. Sometimes, with them so close, you get splashed when they dive in or pop up out of the water. It's great fun.

The person working at the exhibit told us that sometimes the over-exuberant ones pop right out of the exhibit and land on the floor next to you. That's when he has to bend down and pick them up and help them back onto their side of the glass.

Another interesting fact about the exhibit not obvious to the casual observer is the way the tank holding the penguins is one continuous tank. It connects under the walkway, so the penguins can swim back and forth to both sides of the exhibit.

Suburban Journal Front Pages Blogs

Featuring Urban Review St Louis, ACC, and Joe Frank's blogs

New Year's Resolution

For 2006, adults and parents should resolve to discourage the increasing practice of encouraging specialization in youth sports.

Young athletes should be encouraged to play as many sports as they enjoy, can be afforded, and without conflict with other family priorities and school.

Instead, there is a growing trend for adults and parents to encourage specialization in youth sports, starting with children as young as 8 or 9. This practice does a disservice to young people and should be discouraged by all adults parenting or coaching kids.

KMOX had a baseball coach on the air this weekend promoting a January baseball camp for kids. He said he coaches a "pretty good '9-U' ballclub" (players at or below 9 years of age). He said he sees lots of young players practicing baseball 10 months of the year.

We have had coaches tell us that Matt would not be able to play on their baseball teams if he was not available to attend January baseball practices, forcing him to choose between year round baseball or playing hockey and basketball over the winter months.

Everyone knows that 99.9 percent of youth athletes will never go on to professional sports. Most will never even make it at the college level. Yet while they're in middle schools, overzealous parents and coaches are encouraging them to specialize in a single sport.

Youth sports are supposed to be about exercise, fun, teamwork, and making friends and memories. Let's make 2006 the year when we encourage the only specialization in kid sports to be HAVING FUN!

Water Skating

Our January thaw was right on time this year, with nighttime temperatures in St. Louis close to 60 degrees on the evening of January 1st.

We decided to take the ten minute ride over to Steinberg Rink in Forest Park with a group of friends for some ice skating. When we arrived, the place was packed.

As far as urban St. Louis goes, Steinberg has got to be one of our most urban destinations. The huge outdoor rink is located right off of Kingshighway, on the edge of the largest urban park in the nation, and under the high rise towers of the Barnes Jewish Hopsital complex.

With last nite's unseasonably warm temperatures, the Zamboni was getting a workout. There was so much melting of the ice, they had to send the Zamboni out ever forty five minutes or so to mop up the water. In some places, it was over an inch deep. They could have erected temporary "no wake" signs.

As far as 2006 wishlist items go, an beautiful and functional upgrade to the Steinberg cafe space would be to add a new stone fireplace, similar to the one at the remodeled Boat House.

The cafe area is already much improved, featuring an expanded food and drink menu, and adding a large, 2-sided (possibly indoor/outdoor) stone fireplace would elevate the ambiance to resort-quality status and help warm the chilly toes of Steinberg's winter customers.

Rolen, Edmonds, Pujols

I heard that a local urology group paid $2,000 apiece for the urinals from the Cardinals' locker room at the old Busch Stadium. I wonder what the plans for them are?

Maybe there's inspiration from another downtown institution, the Anheusuer Busch Clydesdales. (click for a great historic view of the brewery)

If you've ever visited the Clydesdale stables at either the Brewery or Grant's Farm, then you've seen the way horses have their names engraved on polished brass plaques affixed to the gates of their stalls.

Now picture you're in the men's room at the same urology practice. They have installed the urinals on the wall, decked out the room in Cardinal red, and attached the names of famous Cardinal players on brass plaques above each stall.

Well, they will have to do something to distinguish these from plain old fashioned garden variety urinals, right?

Nottingham Community Center Updates

Bill Burnes, committee member for the project, updates us on progress and further project details with this recent entry (scroll to the bottom to read Bill's comments).

Also, according to an article in the latest edition of the Suburban Journal, the organizers of the effort have recently submitted an offer to purchase Nottingham School.

www.gotostlouis.org

The RCGA has introduced an infomative new program to market the St. Louis area.

Midnight Run

At 2:00 am, we were awakened by the sound of Matt whimpering in pain in the bathroom. The sound of your own child in real pain is something that pierces right through you, and a sound that wakes you right up. He couldn't swallow, and was having difficulty breathing. A trip to the ER was pretty much a certainty.

By about 2:10, we were on our way to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. It always amazes me to think about the wonderful medical facilities available to residents of the St. Louis area.

I'll never forget the time, about 8 years ago, when my mom was visiting from out of town. She wasn't feeling well, and needed to see a doctor. Unfortunately, she did not have medical insurance. I remembered hearing how the old Alexian Brothers Hospital on South Jefferson would treat patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

It was Christmas day when we went down to Alexian Brothers. My mom had worked in hospitals in California, and was immediately impressed with the appearance of the facility. She did not believe me when I told her the care would be provided to her at no cost.

They took her in, gave her a private room, and treated her with dignity, kindness and repect. The doctor was wonderful, cracking jokes and flirting with her. When everything turned out okay, the staff all wished her a Merry Christmas, and sent us on our way. No charge. Mom was floored. She had never heard of anything like this happening in California.

6 months later, she received a note from the hospital, checking in with her, suggesting a donation if she could afford one, and that was it. No pressure. No demand for payment. Zilch; nada. It was another of those experiences we've filed away under "St. Louis Moments".

Alexian Brothers is no more, and at Children's, you have to pay. Fortunately, we have insurance. The place is wonderful, and was Matt's second trip there. His first was about 6 years ago on New Year's Eve. He had an accident, cutting open an inch gash in the top of his head. The ER doc stapled it closed and he was fine.

Children's is the same hospital where the kids washed away in last week's dam failure at Johnson's Shut-Ins were treated. We talked with the nurses about it, and they all said it was stories like those that make their work the best. Given the miraculous nature of it, we figured someday the story would be turned into a network TV event.

3:00 am in the ER is a nocturnal world of strange events. A lady was arguing with the desk nurse about urine test results on her ten-year old daughter. The test showed crack cocaine in her urine, but the mom insisted "there were two 'urines' on the counter" and that the hospital had switched the vials.

She looked over at Matt and me and warned us: "You better watch your urines!". Then she raised her voice, and announced that she was contacting her attorney. She flipped open her cell phone, and left a 3:00 am message on her lawyer's voice mail to file a complaint.

For some reason, the ten year old needed to be seen at another hospital. Even though they were all walking around normally, and appeared to be completely fine, an ambulance and ER team was on its way to drive her to her next hospital stop.

Meanwhile, we were waiting on Matt's test results. When the doctor came in, she told us he was suffering from a bad case of strep throat. A 10-day Rx for penicillin, and he should be fine.

We got back in the car and made the 10-minute ride home, passing the very strange site of seeing the Berra Park athletic fields on the Hill fully illuminated at 5:00 o'clock in the morning.

By this time, Matt was starting to feel better. Call it good luck or bad luck; his Christmas vacation starts today.

What Matters

Last night, I phoned a friend about the developing situation going on in his old St. Louis neighborhood. For forty-plus years, he lived on Columbia, just around the corner from St. Aloysius church. Last year, he and his family moved to a big new home across the Missouri River, over in St. Charles County.

He graduated from St. Aloysius in the 70s, and knew a little about the plans to demolish the church for a new subdivision. He thought the project would be an improvement to the area, and supported it. He couldn't understand why the Preservation Board denied the demolition request. What would happen now? Would the old church complex remain vacant indefinitely?

He went on to say how he thought most of the housing around the church was "dilapidated", and how new homes would bring up the area. New homes built on the St. Al's site would encourage other developers to come in and tear down dilapidated housing around the church, and a whole new neighborhood could be built, just like what is happening at Botanical Heights.

I explained how a group of historic preservation and pro-city advocates testified to save the buildings to preserve the historic fabric of the neighborhood and how they thought the buildings could be converted to some other use, such as loft condominiums.

My friend didn't understand how a church could be converted to housing. I mentioned a few examples of how it had been done before, and he said he thought whether the church would be demolished for new homes, or rehabbed, the two choices gave the city a "win-win" set of alternatives, and that either option would be good by moving new families into the area.

I could tell he really wasn't that interested in discussing the St. Al's situation. What he really wanted to do was catch up on how our two sons are progressing in sports. His son is a real strong kid, with a rocket for an arm. He told me how this off-season, he's making arrangements for him to have private pitching lessons with former Cardinal pitching star, Danny Cox. He assured me that the lessons would be expensive, but he wanted the best for his son. The boy does have a lot of potential.

Our sons started out growing up together, attending Lutheran shools and playing on the same sports teams. My friend's experience is just the opposite of ours. He grew up Catholic, and converted to the Lutheran faith as an adult. Kerri and I on the other hand were both raised Lutheran, but then converted to Catholicism a couple of years ago. It really doesn't make much difference now anyway, since Lutherans and Catholics are kind of becoming the same thing.

This winter, we're thinking of setting Matt up for some private pitching lessons too. I doubt he'll have a former Cardinal as an instructor though, that is unless they have some of them working down at the St. Louis Baseball and Fast Pitch Baseball Academy. However, I have heard that another former Cardinal pitcher is dating a woman that lives in Magdalen parish, and how we might be able to get him to give our kids some free pitching lessons. Now, that would be cool.

Heinous Christmas Decorations

Decorating things is a big deal for St. Louisans. We take shards of broken ceramic tile and mirrors, and turn them into men's room mosaics. We hang buses and broken airplanes off the tops of buildings.

You even see it when we're on the road. Travel to one of Missouri's campgrounds, and you can always tell the St. Louisans by the strings of colorful electric lights and pink flamingos surrounding their campsites. That's all fun stuff and makes us part of an extended community.

But sometimes, we go too far. This year's gotta-have yard decorations are the new, $299-$350 inflatable snow globes. They're showing up on front lawns all over St. Louis. Am I the only one who wants to pop one of these things with a giant poker? Giant puffy snow men, Santas on Harleys, reindeer scenes, they're are all great.

But snow globes are supposed to be miniature winter fantasies, sealed in a crystal ball. When they're 6 feet tall, undulating in the breeze, and emitting a constant hum from an electric fan, that's where I draw the line.

Exciting Riverfront Plans...

...along the blue waters of the Mississippi up in Grafton.

Float a few miles down the river, and discover that Alton has its own multi-million dollar riverfront improvements planned...

Old world service, within a five minute ride

A couple of weeks ago I made a great buy on a leather jacket at the ScholarShop in Clayton. It was during their annual volunteer appreciation day where they open the store only to the family and friends of their volunteer staff.

On the following Monday, I wore the jacket for the first time, and promptly snagged it on a sharp object, tearing a 2-inch hole in the side. So I've been searching for a place to have it repaired.

Calling around, I found a little place at 5423 Gravois: "Bob Stevenson's Shoe Repair & Leatherwork & Orthotics". Sounds like a good South City place, doesn't it? They're located in the Bevo area, just a couple of blocks southwest of the old Gravois Bootery.

Bob, answering his own phone, assured me he could repair the damage like brand new, and his price was less than half of what his suburban competitors quoted. One of the best things about St. Louis are all the small independent businesses operating out of our stock of historic, mixed-use buildings, where the "Low Overhead" way still applies...

Shattered Kevlar

Johnnie Mac's sporting goods store in Crestwood is an athlete's paradise. They specialize in hockey equipment, and you'd be amazed at the variety of products they carry. They must have over 300 hundred different hockey sticks in stock. And hockey sticks are no longer the clunky, wooden variety you remember from years ago. They've gone all high-tech. And some have gotten very expensive, approaching $200 apiece.

Kevlar is the ultra lightweight and very strong synthetic fiber invented by DuPont used in making bullet proof vests. Like other space-aged technology, it has other uses as well, including the manufacturing of athletic equipment.

Matt plays with a "hybrid", "Z-Bubble" stick made by Easton. The good thing about hybrids, unlike their more expensive one-piece counterparts, is that the blades are replaceable. Replacement blades run anywhere from $12-$50 dollars. Snap a blade and the whole stick is not ruined.

To make them more lightweight and durable, Easton wraps the shaft of its Z-Bubbles with Kevlar braiding. You can see the Kevlar braid through the clear coat finish of the shaft. The result is a cool, 3-D illusion. The "bubble" in a Z-Bubble supposedly gives it more flex on a slapshot. Not ever having played ice hockey myself, I wouldn't know anything first hand about stick flex or making a slapshot...

Last nite, the Affton Gold House Peewees went on the road to St. Peters in the second game of a home-and-home series, trying to reclaim first place in their division. In their last game, St. Peters moved into first place by beating the Affton team at Affton, 4-2. So yesterday, it was Affton's turn, hoping to beat St. Peters on their home ice.

We made the 30-plus minute drive from South City to St. Peters, (and this with no traffic), arriving at the impressive St. Peter's Rec-Plex. This is the same facility which played host to 2004's Olympic diving qualifying tournament..

The Affton team started the game with a short bench-only 9 skaters; while the St. Peters team had lots of reserves, about 20 skaters in all. Nonetheless, the Affton team jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period. However, by the end of the first period, you could see the Affton players tiring, and St. Peters tied the score, 2-2.

Late in the game, the score was tied 4-4. With about 4 mintues to play, skating in a crowd, Matt unintentially speared a St. Peter's player with his stick. The Kevlar-wrapped shaft of the Z-Bubble shattered in two. He wasn't whistled on the play, but was sent to the penalty box for 2 minutes for not dropping his broken stick to the ice, a safety penalty.

Affton killed off the penalty, and with less than a minute to play, the score remained tied 4-4. Affton had played a strong game, and well enough to win, but it looked like this one would end in a tie.

Then with about 20 seconds left, an Affton forward, broke free in front of the St. Peter's goal. He took a shot over the goalie's shoulder, and scored. Affton held on for the final 17 seconds to win the game and move back into first place with a 5-1 record.

Back at home, plans are in the works to mitre down the shattered Z-Bubble into four sections, and turn it into a picture frame for Matt's bedroom. With Kevlar reinforcement, it ought to be good for a couple hundred years...

Magdalen's Second Chance

[Update: In a close game, a very strong St. Margaret Mary team from South County defeated St. Mary Magdalen by the score of 2-0. St. Margaret Mary scored its first goal just before the end of the first half on a rebound from a penalty kick and its second goal on a breakaway midway through the second half.]

Earlier this year, the 7th grade boys baseball team from St. Mary Magdalen parish made it into the City-County championship tournament. They played hard, but lost in the second round of the playoffs. The good news for them? Baseball is not their best sport; soccer is.

Presently they are contending for the CYC City-County championship in the "closed division". ("Closed" means no select players are allowed on your team. If you play "open", you can load up your team with players from "select" leagues).

Even though the Magdalen team plays in the "closed" division, I have seen them beat many "open" division opponents. The team has been playing together since kindgergarten under the excellent coaching of Spiro Cosmas. None of these boys play on any other soccer team; they devote their full soccer effort to the Magdalen parish CYC team.

They have earned their way to play in the championship game of the City-County championship, winning their two qualifying games in convincing fashion, the mercy rule being applied in both matches.

Good luck to all the coaches and players in your championship game!

Another 15 Minutes Faster

Determined to catch the earlier bus, I arrived at the Hampton Gravois Bus Center 15 minutes earlier than the day before. The 80 Southampton was already waiting.

A quick check on yesterday's trash pile at the Bus Center revealed that the cleaning crew had been through and picked up the place. Everything looked good, except for a recently emptied, 40-ounce can of Colt 45, set up on one of the recently cleaned seats.

The Southampton driver told me I'd be a lot better off catching the 10 Gravois across the street. So I heeded his advice, crossed Gravois, and waited at the stop.

Standing in the 33 degree misty air, the sky still dark at this early hour, gazing out across the wide expanse which included a Schnucks, a Walgreens, the cozy Hampton/Gravois Bus Center, and a Steak and Shake, but mostly, hundreds of cars travelling in all directions, made me feel like about one in 50,000. Most everyone else was riding by in cars. The few of us waiting for buses were barely noticeable.

Then a man started to cross the street from the Bus Center. An eastbound car on Gravois nearly hit him. The pedestrian had to jump out of its way. After a couple of minutes, the 10 Gravois arrived, and about five of us stepped aboard. The route would be pretty much a straight shot down Gravois towards downtown.

Just before Meramec, we passed under the Gravois Viaduct. I was reminded of the perennial Suburban Journal letter writer who periodically like clockwork writes in to criticize the 14th ward alderman for the deteriorating conditions of this and the nearby Chippewa Viaduct. I wondered, should an individual alderman - elected in the mid-1990s - be held responsible for semi-crumbling, massive, viaducts built in the 1920s or 30s?

A short while later, we stopped near Roosevelt High School at the corner of Gravois and Michigan. A group of high school-aged youths exited the bus. None of the them were carrying any backpacks or books.

The bus continued down Gravois, until it made a swing over to 14th Street to enter downtown proper. It passed the Sheraton Hotel in the old Edison building, and I wondered what the late Don Breckenridge might have done if he had a chance at rehabbing the old Children's Building across Clark Street.

At Tucker and Market, the bus headed east. It turned north on Fourth Street, and I started looking for the most convenient stop. I moved to the front of the bus, and was surprised to learn that the canned-sounding, recorded voices you hear narrating stop and transfer information are actually the driver's, speaking into a small microphone, played back after a 2-second delay.

I exited the bus at 4th and Locust, and walked through the new Federal Reserve Plaza. It's an urban plaza that really works, connecting points of interest together. It's all granite and bronze, lots of horizontal and vertical angles, classic in design, even more beautiful this time of year decorated for the holidays. It felt like a one-block section of mid-town Manhattan was moved to downtown St. Louis.

Walking another block west on Locust, I passed the remains of an abandoned homeless encampment, blocking the doorway of the old Mercantile Library/Boatmen's Bank building. Plans are in the works for this building to soon be converted into another loft housing development. At this point I checked my watch, and was 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

I ran some quick numbers in my head. If I didn't need a car during the day to get around to business meetings, we could save hundreds of dollars every month by riding the bus...

A one-hour tour

Having run into a recent spate of car-related problems (yeah, it's back in the shop again....), I had the opportunity to ride MetroBus. It would be my first time riding it since Metro instituted the new routes, and my first time departing from the newish Gravois/Hampton MetroBus Center.

Readying for my trip, I visited the MetroBus website and downloaded a PDF of the schedule. Possibly due to my limited tech-savvy, when printed, the font on the schedule was scaled so small, I needed a magnifying glass to read it.

I arrived about 20 minutes early for the 7:20 bus. Passing by car, I always enjoyed seeing the new Gravois/Hampton bus depot. It was a positive addition to the Gravois entry into South City. Having had an up close and personal look at it, it was not so impressive.

The waiting areas are equipped with electric heaters. Unfortunately, they were only working on one half of the station. On the side they were working were piles of trash, including an empty liquor bottle, discarded fast food containers, the remains of a lost purse, and strewn stacks of "Playback" magazine. So, instead of sitting amongst the garbage, riders chose to wait it out on the unheated side.

My bus arrived about 15 minutes ahead of its scheduled departure time. I asked the driver if I could wait on the bus. He said "no". I then mentioned to him about the piles of trash in the heated shelter. He said he'd "call someone". Then he disappeared into an auxiliary building for about 15 minutes. Why he didn't come out with a broom and a dustpan to clean up the trashed waiting area, I couldn't explain.

In the meantime, I searched the MetroBus station and the side of my bus unsuccessfully for fare information. At about 7:19 am, the driver invited me aboard. The fare machine read, "$1.65" for a one-way ride. I deposited the fare and took a seat in the rear-third of the bus.

About 7:30 am, we passed the Southampton Presbyterian Church. Not knowing the potential health risks of cel phone antennas, I can say that the visual impact of the device on the church chimney is barely noticeable. Not sure if I ever posted before how I remain one of the world's last remaining cel-phoneless residents.

A block west of Kingshighway, at the southeast corner of Lawn Avenue and Oleatha, we rode by one of the city's top decorated Christmas houses. A must-see on any lights drive...

Turning north onto Kingshighway, the sun was just rising above the purple facade of the Charles Schmitt exotic used car lot.

7:39 am: Traffic jammed briefly on northbound, South Kingshighway, ten riders on the bus.

7:40 am: Pass King Dodge. Wave in direction of the family car in distress. Offer a novena to the auto repair gods.

7:41 am: Pass Steve Smith's "Royale". Sidewalks clean and swept.

7:42 am: Tower Grove Park stop crowded with at least 15 riders waiting for buses.

7:43 am: Overhear fellow passengers bemoaning bad luck drawing "Lotto" numbers.

7:44 am: Eastbound across Magnolia along northern edge of Tower Grove Park. Rising sun shining through the branches of the park's bare trees. Park looks pristine. Nets off the soccer goals.

7:45 am: Enter Shaw neighborhood heading north on Thurman. At corner of Thurman and Shenandoah, pass the remains of the Thurman cafe, housed in the former home of the Garden District Commission. Outdoor seating, tiny wrought iron fence, and outdoor fireplace still positioned for phantom cafe customers.

7:45 am: Eastbound on Shenandoah. Historic Shaw buildings looking better than ever. Out of the whole ride, Shaw neighborhood looks by far the "most improved".

7:49 am: Northbound on 39th. Pass mini-traffic jam at entrance to St. Margaret's of Scotland.

7:50 am: Northern edge of Shaw neighborhood, at Shaw and 39th, pass the only visible signs of remaining neighborhood decay. Cross under Hwy 44, approaching Botanical Heights.

7:51 am: Passing Botanical Heights. Tiny street trees, fresh asphalt, and most of the windows in the new houses having no curtains gives the new neighborhood a sterile feel. Northern edge of Botanical Heights neighborhood, a passenger on the bus shouts out, "Somebody running for the bus!". The driver stops and opens the door. The runner climbs on board. Standing room only now on the bus.

7:56 am: Passing through SLU Hospital land. The area looks sharp. Ever since the start of the ride, there is a noticeable lack of trash blowing through through the city's streets and sidewalks. The neighborhoods looks clean! Passengers on the crowded bus are speaking in muffled tones. The crackle of the driver's radio is audible above the soft conversations of the riders.

7:59 am: Crossing Grand on Park into the Gate District. Years of work started by neighborhood resident LaVerne Foster, and carried on by organizations including SLACO, CF Vatterott, and Pyramid Construction, have resulted in a dramatic, mixed- income, diverse new urban neighborhood built upon the original street and alley grid.

8:04 am: First sight of the Arch and downtown.

8:05 am: Pass under the elevated, double-decker Highway 40 structure connection to Illinois. It still looks like braces hanging across the southern edge of downtown.

8:08 am: Pass the City Hall/Savvis surface parking lot built on the site of the former Children's Building.

8:10 am: Conversation in the back of the bus reduced to talk of b-----s, mo-fo, shid, a--, booty, shid like dat, smack dat shid.

8:12 am: Headed eastbound along Washington Avenue. Abundant signs that groundfloor retail spaces of loft buildings are rapidly filling with tenants.

8:15 am: Overhear two middle-aged ladies riding the bus since Southampton express dismay at the amount and prices of downtown loft housing developments.

8:17 am: Exit bus at the Convention Center, walk the one block to the office. Total trip time from South St. Louis to downtown: 1 hour.

Smart Move By Cards' Management

Matt Morris is now a San Francisco Giant. His 90+ mph fastball and nasty curve will no longer be part of the Cardinal attack. As much as we'll miss his likeable, low-key demeanor and his squeaky, little kid sounding voice, we won't miss him that much as a player.

Despite a good regular season record, Morris wasn't effective in post season, and he's starting to get up in years. The Cardinals offered him arbitration, but apparently Morris had the option to consider other offers.

Enter the Giants. San Francisco picked up Matty Mo, offering him between $24 and $27 million dollars for three years. $8-9 million per year? Hey Morris is good, but he's not that good. Hats off to the Cardinals' brass for knowing where to draw the line.

The bigger question is, with some favorite ex-Cardinals like Matt Morris and Mike Matheny now playing for San Francisco, what will happen to the late 80s, Jeff Leonard/Ozzie Smith/Chili Davis-inspired bad blood rivalry between the Cardinals and the Giants?

All in all...not a bad week!

Or, "Thanks, King Dodge!"

Things didn't start out so well.

On Monday, it looked like Matt's soccer team would be playing through snow drifts later in the week, and I tore a hole in a beautiful leather jacket I had just made a great buy on two days earlier at the ScholarShop...

On Tuesday, our dog was to go in for surgery to remove a fast growing tumor.

And on Wednesday, we were scheduled to have transmission work done on our newer car (a five year old Dodge).

So Tuesday morning, I started off taking the dog to Jewell Animal Clinic on Chippewa. Being low on gas, and having a few extra minutes, I drove across the street for a fill-up. Upon returning to the car, it didn't want to start. Uh-oh. Then it reluctantly fired up.

Driving the one block back to Jewell, I decided better to leave the car running than to risk it dying again. So I walked Hollie in for her surgery, and took my chances with the car.

Leaving the dog in the good hands of the staff at Jewell, I began the trek downtown. The car was going through its recent tranny gyrations, but managed to make it in the rest of the way. However, upon arriving at the top floor of Kiener West garage, the engine warning light illuminated. Now what? Park it and risk being stranded? Or turn around and try limping back to the dealer a day ahead of schedule? I decided to go for it.

Jogging back and forth across side streets, I tried to make it down to King Dodge. Now the tranny would not shift gears. It was stuck in either first or second, and the anxiety of breaking down midway was peaking.

I crossed Utah to Morganford, then over Oleatha to Kingshighway. I made it the couple blocks up Kingshighway, and then jogged through their parking lot to the service area and parked it. I opened the hood, and there was this bad plastic/oil burning smell and some smoke. Was the tranny toast? In thirty years of driving, this would be my first time dealing with a transmission problem.

Now it's all pray, wait, and see, imploring mercy from the auto repair gods. The phone rang at my desk. It was DeeDee from King Dodge service. She had good news and bad news. The good news was she had her "best transmission guy working on it". (I'm thinking, "when is the good news for me going to start?")....and he thought if he tried this and that, the transmission might be fixable for about $950.

The bad news is that our warranty expired 3,000 miles ago (already knew that), and if a new transmission was needed, that would push the cost to $2,500. Ouch. That's about the total value of the car. Sheesh. Okay, so now we're waiting, and praying some more. Christmas this year is starting to look real tight...

DeeDee calls again, and the mechanic is making progress. He wants to try a couple more things, and it just might work. But he finds a broken tie-rod, so more work is needed...

Meanwhile, Kerri and Matt pick up Hollie, and she's doing fine, highly medicated, and totally sedated. The backyard wildlife will have at least a one-day reprieve...

Next day, Thursday, still waiting on the car. About 11:00 am, the phone rings. The repairs worked, but the starting problem is probably related to the battery getting weak. New battery recommended. I agree to have it replaced. The car should be ready about 1:00. Transmission repairs worked!

The shuttle guy and I ride through the snow back to King Dodge. Total cost on the car, about $950 and only about $620 of it is for the transmission work! Thanks, King Dodge! In the distance, I think I hear the sound of sleigh bells ringing...

At home, Hollie is feeling better; we're still waiting for the lab results on her case.

Then around 5:00 pm, CYC officials make the decision to cancel Matt's soccer snow bowl.

We should hear in a day or so about Hollie's situation. If she's okay, then that just leaves finding a leather repair shop to complete this week's domestic survivor drill...

Snow Bound?

The 2005 City-County CYC Soccer Championship Tournament is set to begin this week, with games scheduled to be played on the St. Mary's High School field off of South Grand.

With temps holding below freezing and 1-3 inches of snow predicted, the game may look more like a Packers/Vikings game than a South St. Louis tussle...

Old St. Louis

This morning we had a handyman come over to do some small repairs. He's a little-sized guy, about 65, and a 2005 heart attack survivor.

While looking at a quirky bathroom we have on the main floor, he commented how "you can still by those tiny "zinks" in stores.

I haven't heard that expression in well over a year, and have never heard anyone under the age of 55 use it.

Street Trees, Part 2

Our city is blessed with a superior urban forest. Not including the trees in parks and on private property, the city counts 80,000 street trees at a value of about $133,000,000. Mature shade trees make our neighborhoods more beautiful and help conserve energy.

The city Forestry Division does an excellent job maintaining and expanding our stock of street trees. They do it with crews of tree surgeons and arborists, assisted by only two inspectors, one north and one south, tracking the health of trees and when necessary, removing and replacing them for public safety purposes.

Trees are things most of us appreciate, especially when they provide us cooling shade on a hot summer day. We gather under them at block parties. We rest under them. They are part of our community. They are impressive. They are real urbanism.

In Asheville, North Carolina, they have established a Tree Response Committee to support the care and maintenance of street trees. Even for Sweet Gums...

In the spirit of community building, and engaging residents in neighborhood improvement, we could start a new program for concerned citizens and volunteer tree experts to promote expanding the stock of street trees and supporting the city's efforts protecting trees in distress. Such a program would heighten awareness of our outstanding urban forest, and create another opportunity for citizens to work together for the long-term improvement of our community.

There are lots of potential ways to engage citizens in looking out for the welfare of our lush tree canopy, and we'd be reinforcing another of the positive messages about St. Louis.