January 2005

January 31, 2005

First Mangrove, now Jaboni's

Sad news again from StL A La Mode. Time to start serving up some good news for a change!

January 30, 2005

Lop-sided

Latest campaign finance filings for Mayor
Irene Smith raised $10,375; spent $4,596; has $5,778 on-hand.
Bill Haas raised $5,050 (of which $5,000 is debt); spent $3,917; has $1,082 on-hand.
Francis Slay raised $277,680 (bringing his election total to a little under $1.5 million); spent $228,652; has $749,029 on-hand.

Smith's expenditures include $350 to Cheap Towing. So far then towing makes up 7% of her campaign expenses?
Haas loaned himself $5,000 and received a $50 donation from Bill Purdy.

January 28, 2005

Clay book tour contines

Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay, his wife, Ivie, along with Attorney Darryl Piggee
and Sterling Adams, will host a "Conversation and Book Signing" for former
United States Congressman William “Bill” Clay, Sr., who will sign copies of
his latest book, “Bill Clay: A Political Voice at the Grass Roots.”

The event is from 7-9 p.m., Friday, January 28, 2005, at the Kappa House,
500 North Vandeventer, St. Louis.

Rep. Bill Clay will recount his 42-year odyssey through a career filled with
controversy, conflict and confrontation.

Mangrove gone

According to StL A La Mode.

That's a set-back for the re-emerging FPSE neighborhood and the Manchester strip.

January 27, 2005

Spinks - Judah

St. Louis American throws it at the top of the front page and they are right on. This is a huge event - February 5, Savvis Center.

No doubt this will sell out. Helping that happen is the rumor that Nelly will be on-hand and rapping as Corey Spinks enters the ring.

The other half of the rumor is that Jay Z will be rapping the intro as Zab Judah enters the ring. Jay Z is from the Brooklyn as is Judah, creating a NYC - StL boxing/rapping rivalry.

Tickets start at $25 and if you're not married to a public health nurse who thinks that boxing should be outlawed, it should be a pretty amazing evening of entertainment.

Syphilis outbreak in StL?

Reports of fifteen new cases in the last two weeks.

More later.

John Hancock and the Skirtlifters!

Dance the night away to the sounds of ragtime music in the New Rosebud Cafe at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site on Feb. 12.
The Skirtlifters and John Hancock will get your toes tapping to the pulsing baseline and march tempo of traditional ragtime music. The Skirtlifters, a band from northwest Arkansas, specializes in ragtime, square dance and late 19th century and early 20th century traditional and authentic music including American rags, gallops, marches and minstrel tunes. Composing and performing ragtime music is a favorite hobby of John Hancock, a sixth generation Missourian, and the music of Scott Joplin is his favorite. Period clothing is welcomed for the event, but not required. Light refreshments will be served. Contact the historic site to make reservations to attend this annual ball.
Annual Rosebud Balls were once held at the Rosebud Cafe, the turn-of-the-century bar and gaming club that the New Rosebud Cafe is modeled after. These events featured food, piano duels and music, including some of the best musicians around.
Scott Joplin House State Historic Site is located at 2658A Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis. For more information about this event or to make reservations, contact the site directly at (314) 340-5790 or call the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 1-800-334-6946 (voice).
The event, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

More on Polling

From Greg Freeman's Forum

and

from one of our readers:
"Given the fact that members of this firm (Mr. Yang is the only one I've met personally) have been used in the past by heavy-hitters, incl. Rep. Gephardt, Mayor Slay, and Gov. Holden, I think your hunch is probably correct."

January 26, 2005

Someone's Polling...

About the School Board:

"Hey guys, I got surveyed last night by Garin-Hart-Yang Research on my opinions about the school board, it's direction, and political figures connected to these issues over the past couple years. It was quite thorough (though I think flawed in some aspects) and obviously quite expensive. They wouldn't tell me who hired them (she probably didn't know), but from the question phrasing I got the gut feeling it was a pro-majority entity (who else could afford it, for that matter?)."

UPDATE: Check out Blog St. Louis where Archpundit has more details.

January 25, 2005

KWMU to Air Blunt Speech

You can listen in tomorrow:

90.7 KWMU-FM will air live coverage of Missouri Governor Matt Blunt's State of the State address Wednesday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m. Blunt will discuss his legislative goals for the year and the budget for Fiscal Year 2006 that he will submit to the Missouri General Assembly.

January 24, 2005

An earlier generation picked their favorite Beatle

Over at the Commonspace, the debate rages - Nelly or Chingy?

Federated in town

The acquisition team from Federated Department stores is rumored to have checked in at Westin Hotel downtown.

"You're going to like it"

MO State Medical Association tells its members in its January 20, 2005 Legislative Report...

"TORT REFORM -- COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

There's no need to pace the floor like an expectant father in a hospital waiting room. The long-awaited tort reform bill is coming. The current plan - which is subject to change - is to unveil the package sometime next week to coincide with Governor Blunt's State of the State Address. Sure, it seems to be slow in coming, but it's really not so. Last year's tort reform bill wasn't introduced until January 29, but was among the first bills to land on the Governor's desk. And, you might recall, receiving it wasn't exactly on that Governor's priority list. This year it is a very high priority for the Governor, and likewise for the leadership in both the House and Senate. The package has been drafted (you're going to like it) and it's going to receive preferential treatment. Time is not going to be an issue. The real issue is what the package will look like when the legislative process gets done with it. For that reason it is vitally important that you keep the fire lit under your legislators."

Handlin and Downs

Are on tonight's Collateral Damage.

Larry Handlin has been mostly supportive of the moves made by the Board majority and Peter Downs has been mostly critical. So it should be an interesting discussion. (Now watch they'll agree on everything tonight.) 7pm, FM 88.1.

January 21, 2005

Meet Jennifer Allen

Hello. My name is Jennifer A. Allen and I am a candidate for SLPS Board. I grew up in central Illinois, the daughter of an elementary school teacher and a k-8 principal. My mother continues to teach elementary school after 41 years and my father took early retirement and then returned to education in a position as an alternative school director. Early on, I learned the role of the School Board and the continuous battle to determine where the line between administration and governance lies.

I earned a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Illinois and then came to St. Louis where I attended SLU, earning both a JD and Master in Health Administration in 2000. I moved with my husband to the State of Oregon where I practiced law, representing the City of Madras, Oregon as well as assisting my employer with research issues in their representation of the local school district. Once our daughter was born, we decided to return to St. Louis to raise our family.

I am currently a stay-at-home mom to 2 year-old Mia and 7 week-old Ava. I hope to continue in this role until they enter SLPS in a few years.

I decided to run for the School Board for many reason, including:

As a mother and city resident, I want my children to attend public school. However, in the current state of the school district, I have many reservations, primarily safety and academic performance. While these issues seem to increase as the education level rises, these issues affect every stage of education. We need to revisit the issue of alternative schools. When the alternative schools are closed and those students are sent back into the regular classroom, the impact is enormous for both the students and the teachers.

While a contract was finally agreed upon, the voice of the teachers has fallen upon deaf ears for far too long. The board needs to be open to change and needs to take teacher and parent concerns into consideration. The new board needs to turn away from the poor decisions of the past and look toward the future.

I could go on and on about old textbooks, deteriorating facilities, etc... In short, this is why I believe you should vote for me for SLPS Board:

My education and practical experience have provided me with a working knowledge of the School Board and its governing role. I am dedicated to the City and to public education, including sending my own children to SLPS. I am a friend to our teachers. I am a team player yet I will not follow a voting block merely to avoid confrontation. I am not afraid to ask questions and make forward-thinking decisions.

Thanks for your time.

And now Bill Purdy

William(Bill) Purdy For School Board - April 5, 2005 (PUNCH #2)
I have officially entered one of the most important and difficult undertakings of my life - running once more for a seat on the Board of Education. My place on the ballot will be # 2 just behind Veronica O'Brien. I am strongly supporting Veronica O'Brien, who is first on the ballot, and Peter Downs, who is last on the ballot.

BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM (BILL) PURDY
In April 1991, it was my honor to be elected to a six-year term on the St. Louis Board of Education and was reelected for a second six-year term in April 1997. I was a member of the boards that successfully negotiated an end of the lengthy and costly desegregation litigation and built the new Vashon and Metro High Schools, the Nance, Clyde C. Miller Academy, the Gateway Elementary and Middle Schools, Stix ECC, Carnahan Middle while most other schools, such as Adams and McKinley were completely renovated within budget and without public controversy. A comprehensive air-conditioning program was begun without increasing tax rates. Community Education programs were expanded. During those years the district experienced steady improved student achievement, a reduction in the drop out rate and improved student attendance. The district moved within two points of receiving full state accreditation. After earlier serving two terms as vice-president, I served as president of the Board of Education during the 2002-2003 school year and completed my board service in April 2003.

I spent most of my life associated with the SLPS and genuinely care about all children, the city of St. Louis, and our public school system. After spending my kindergarten and elementary school years at Roe Elementary, my next four years were spent as a student at Southwest High School. Following graduation from Southeast Missouri State University and the University of Missouri, Columbia, I returned to the District in 1960 as a teacher at Southwest High School. After spending ten years at Southwest, Lincoln Opportunity and Cleveland High Schools as an administrator and teacher, I spent the next twenty years as the High School Principal of both Central and Roosevelt High Schools. I retired from the district in June 1990.

I caught batting practice for the old St. Louis Browns baseball team (now the Baltimore Orioles in 1952 & 1953 and caught the famed pitcher Satchel Paige) My involvement in educational programs and organizations continued beyond my service on the Board of Education. I hold active memberships in the National Association of Secondary Principals, Missouri Association of Secondary
Principals, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Advisory Committee with the United States Military Recruiting Commands, the St. Louis Science Center as a trustee and a member of the Science Center Marketing Committee, and the community health board of Reach. I am a former member of the Staff Development Advisory Committee of the Cooperating School District of greater St. Louis, the Board of Directors of the Missouri School Board Association, a trustee board of the Missouri Botanical Garden and a trustee of the St. Louis Public School Retirement System.

Other professional opportunities have included serving as a graduate assistant in Education at the University of Missouri - Columbia, assisting in student teaching programs at SLU, Washington University, Southeast Missouri State University and the UMSL, a participant and speaker in the C. F. Kettering Foundation School Climate Improvement Project, a recipient of the James E. Allen Fellowship Scholarship of the Danforth Foundation, and participated in many North Central Association schools accreditation evaluations. I co-chaired and served on citywide committees at the request of Mayors Vincent Schoemehl, Jr., Freeman Bosley, Jr. My wife, Mary Beth Purdy, is the former Principal of the Classical Junior Academy at McKinley. We are members of the Concord Baptist Church. All of my children and three grandchildren attended the St. Louis Public Schools and two of my adult daughters are in the midst of long careers as teachers in the city schools.

The Painful Facts Today
The four-member majority backed by Mayor Francis Slay that won control of the board in 2003 has put the schools in the worst shape in years. And the decline appears to be continuing. Teacher morale is at an all time low. There are accounts from various teachers and parents of deplorably maintained schools and of high school class sizes far too large for effective instruction. When the new majority took office, the school system had been steadily improving and was just shy of regaining full accreditation by the state. That trend was abruptly reversed. The majority put the schools in the hands of a New York management consulting firm with no prior educational experience under a $10 million contract. The consultants built a high-salary centralized bureaucracy and fired hundreds of dedicated employees through outsourcing of custodial, maintenance, food services, insurance benefits, and warehouse operations to out-of-town companies. They also hired multiple expensive public relations and law firms.

The bottom line results have been alarming. In June, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the district a rating of only 48 points for 2004 on its performance toward accreditation, the lowest level in recent memory. That rating is 18 points below the minimum of 66 required for full accreditation, and is a drop of 16 points from the rating in 2003. The rating is made annually but decisions on removal of accreditation are taken only after continued years of substandard performance.

GRAVE CRISIS: The points awarded reflect an objective state assessment of attendance, drop-out and graduation levels, of students' standard test scores, and of the range and level of education services and resources available to the students. Clearly, the schools are in a grave crisis, and the controlling majority has advanced no plan for progress. Indeed, the board is riven by acrimony and has become a public embarrassment. Currently, the schools are under the third acting superintendent in the last year and a half. The board majority claimed the closing and sale of public school facilities and the outsourcing and administrative steps were necessary because it had "discovered" a $90 million deficit. In fact, the financial picture had been clearly shown in public reports at the time of the 2003 campaign, and most of the deficit was because of post 9-11 severe reductions in promised state funding and new payments to charter schools. There has been no indication of any financial savings from the outsourcing and building sales that have offset the major problems it created. Indeed, the board told the state this summer that it is running at a $44 million deficit.

I feel my service as a teacher and a 20 year principal in the St. Louis schools, as well as my experience as a board member and board president, will be particularly useful in this extremely troubled time in the schools. My track record in the school house and in the board room shows my ability to work with people in a constructive, non-confrontational way.

MY POSITION ON THE ISSUES:
* My top priority is to strengthen student academic performance.
* The district must regain full state accreditation and financial stability.
* To insist that all board decisions be in the best interest of the children.
* To demonstrate respect and support for the dedicated employees of the district.
* To see a major reduction in both the dropout rate and in disruptive student behavior. The board of education should implement the comprehensive recommendations made in 1992-93 by a panel of parents, students, teachers, St. Louis County school officials, district security staff, police, court officials, members of the clergy, union officials, and representatives from both the office of governor and mayor. This committee was created by the former board and chaired by the late Alderman, Dan Kirner and school administrator Charles Simms. The recommendations in this report have been completely ignored by the current board of education.
* To reestablish the alternative schools for chronically disruptive students which were closed by the current board of education.
* I believe in strong neighborhood schools.
* I believe in and support the continuation of successful magnet school programs.
* To return stability in our schools and in our neighborhoods. Parents and children must have a continuity and consistency in school assignments. Children cannot continue to be objects that are moved around the city from school to school.
* I believe in strong parent, teacher, staff and community relationships with open and honest communication with all members of the public. Parents, teachers and neighbors know more about what works in their school and community than do "downtown" administrators.
* To reconnect school and neighborhood decision making within a centrally structured but school based friendly environment.
* From 1991-1993 progress was being made in reducing bureaucracy and transferring more authority and accountability to each school site. I will continue to push the district toward meaningful neighborhood school-based
decision-making. Unfortunately there has been a reversal in that movement.
* We must regain public confidence in the school system and reverse the recent decline in student enrollment. For the past twelve years, citizens have demonstrated their confidence in former board members by approving every tax increase and bond election by substantial margins.
* At this time, although the need is quite real, I am not in favor of a local tax increase because of the wasteful spending of the present board.
* The feuding and fighting between board members and the community must be replaced with cooperation and respect for students, parents, employees and the community.
* To end the pattern of closed-door decision-making.
* End the continuing practice of issuing no-bid contracts. This was identified as a significant issue in the recent audit conducted by state auditor Claire McCaskill.
* Return to the practice of providing backup information to the public at school board meetings on matters pending before the board. Board decisions must never be conducted in secrecy and out of the view from the public and the media.
* I strongly oppose the outsourcing of public services to out of town, private, for profit international and national corporations at the expense of our own citizens.
* To get a clear demarcation between the board's policy-making role and the superintendent's administrative responsibilities.
* Reducing the recently enlarged high salaried central bureaucracies and making the district more responsive to students, parents, the professional staff and the community.
* While cooperation and respect with the city mayor is desirable, as established in state law, there must be separation of governance. Political influence from city hall in the hiring and contract practices of the school district must STOP. I will be running independently and not as part of a formal organized slate but I am strongly supporting Veronica O'Brien (first on the ballot) and Peter Downs (last on the ballot).

Who is Frank Kriegel?

Frank posted this in the comments below and I'm reposting it because I was worried that it would get lost down there. (Other candidates are encouraged to send in their statements as well.)

My name is Frank Kriegel and I have listed my name as a candidate for the St. Louis School Board. I am a lawyer in a general civil practice at 6100 South Grand. I was born here a bit more than a half century ago and have remained since in the City of St. Louis. My family came to South St. Louis in the 1850's. I have three children, one a lawyer downtown, one at Washington University's law school,where I went and the youngest, an R.N. at Children's Hospital. None have ever been indicted and all are altogether pleasant in their father's opinion. I have been for some 20 years an AV rated lawyer which means something to other lawyers. The significance of the same can be determined by a visit to martindale hubble's web site, the competency and virtue ratings system for lawyers as determined by anonymous judges and other lawyers. I grew up in Carondelet, comically poor. In proper Dickensian fashion, a priest sent me out of his pocket to a fancy prep school, Augustinian Academy, now burned down. In my first year among the opulent youth, he died; hence my work career began at age 13. I paid my own tuition. I went to Mizzou as a philosophy major on a series of Curators' scholarships and work study and got out at age 20. Richard Nixon abruptly abolished the draft at the same time and my already passed number 69 in the draft no longer meant I was going to be drafted. I worked for a very brief while as the operator of a circular saw making chair legs, the stuff of a thousand unpleasant recollections and way beyond the grisly of Upton Sinclair, and then moved on to another factory as a punch press operator. I got a scholarship to Washington University School of Law and graduated in 1976. Currently I am a member of the vestry of Christ Church Cathedral, downtown at 13th and Locust. I am its secretary and also its chair of finance. It has a budget of about 1.1 million per year and an endowment of about 7.5 million owing to the beneficence of dead Episcopalians. During my term, it finally arrived at a balanced budget after some 20 years. I can read, do, sing financials, all in a fairly congenial fashion. I manage and serve the Saturday Morning Breakfast Club on the fourth and fifth Saturdays of each month, serving about 220 of the working poor, women,kids and old people out of food stamps and the very many and very needy people we carry under the title of homeless. For 2 years I was a twice a week tutor with the YMCA's Y-Read program for gradeschool children reading two levels behind. I am a volunteer for Girls, Inc. I serve on the board of City Angels, a not-for-profit fundraising entity which supports City of St. Louis charities for the needy. I have taught Sunday School for middle school kids. I have served on other charity and religious boards. I tried to a successful and unanimous jury conclusion the first gay bashing civil case in the St. Louis Circuit Court. I served as the civil lawyer who broke up the old LNP Towing enterprise as part of our city's eradication of organized crime and the gang bombings which terrorized the City in the early 1980's (and please don't think I wasn't scared--it just had to be done). I have represented just about everybody in the 11th and 13th wards, the bank and tons of indigent immigrants. I've written extensively on legal topics in the Missouri Bar Journal and the Journal of the Metropolitan St. Louis Bar. For seven years I worked on translating and editing Theophylact's Commentaries on the Gospels, a three volume series of a particularly bright Greek scholar of the eleventh century, as well as the editing of another's transation of some Slavonic hagiography. Okay, enough about me.
I am running for school board because it is imperative that we as a community in collegial fashion consider the following:
1. There are 524 school districts in Missouri. Of them, more than 97% are accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. There are 14 that are only provisionally accredited. The City of St. Louis is one of those 14. This fall from grace occurred in the fall of 2004. If our accreditation scores fall much further or if our provisional accreditation status lasts longer than 5 years, we will be become unaccredited. Take a look at R.S.MO 162.1100 to see what unaccreditation will mean to our community: loss of local control, prescribed tax rates, a suspension of real estate tax abatements and TIFs and a horrific list of draconian educational rules. These consequences, many of which are of economic importance to property owners, are nothing when compared against the harm which will be suffered by our children whose hard work and diplomas will be devalued and become the subjects of scorn.
2. Admirable good work has been accomplished in the last 2 years. We now have gradeschool and high school curricula which are both horizontally and vertically integrated. Transportation has been rationalized. The delivery of books and other logistical operations now actually work. Some good cost savings have been achieved, but not in every respect. There exist system wide and uniform standards of measurement and accountability. We have some truly great grade schools, and even those that are not yet great, have gotten better, with some exceptions. We need to applaud and celebrate these successes. And of course, we need to build on these successes.
3. Most of the high schools and middle schools are an academic mess. The 2004 Missouri Assessment Program scores for llth graders show our kids at this grade level to be doing very poorly: more than 70% are not at a level approaching proficiency in English and more than 90% are not at a level approaching proficiency in either math or science. These figures should be enough to dispel any nostalgia for the dysfunctional ancien regime. As I write this note, these same kids, if they are still in school, are just some 4 months from graduating and entering into the world as either workers or post-secondary education students. As a community of adults we are morally obliged to help repair our system's failure so that other young people are never treated in so insouciant a fashion in our name.
4. The big high schools don't work. The literature supports a view that smaller groupings of kids at the high school level promotes better rigor in studies and better relationships. Our big high schools, say Roosevelt, pretend to educate more than 1400 students. Take a look at the Missouri Assessment Program scores for Roosevelt and our other high schools, not counting the great performing school at 4200 McPherson, and you'll see what I mean. If the actual topography and the map in your hand don't agree, the map is wrong and throw it away. The School Board in congenial and intelligent fashion needs to urge the educators in its employ to consider means to reduce the size of these pathologically hypertrophied institutions that are simply not performing
5. We need to thank and respect our teachers and principals. We need to remember that we are all created equal members of one human family, and that although we may have different tasks to perform, all work is of equal dignity. How do we do this? We need a School Board that has the patience to listen to its teachers and principals, that honors their input and service and when wrong, clearly and sincerely speaks the truth and makes a turn to a better and wiser course.

January 20, 2005

Standing Up for St. Louis

That appears to be the slogan this time around for Francis.

Can anyone find Irene Smith's website?

Down in the 22nd

State Representative Harold Selby announces that he plans to run as an independent for Stoll's old Senate seat.

Does this help or hurt the Republicans trying to beat Johnson?

Two schools of thought: 1. Selby, a Democrat, will draw Democratic votes away from Johnson. 2. Selby is closer to Republican nominee Bill Alter on some issues (pro-life; pro-gun; pro-tort reform) and may draw votes from him.

January 19, 2005

Schlafly Soft Drinks

Over at Syndicate member StL A La Mode, they see Schlafly expanding into soft drinks soon.

Over in KC, changes are underway

From Combest, KC City Hall streamlined.

January 18, 2005

Flint Fowler Steps Up

to a plateful of pain.

Hasn't he been reading the papers lately. Doesn't he know this is no fun.

January 17, 2005

Another Stephanie Simon piece

Thanks to Meridith McKinley who forwarded this article from the LA Times about our symphonic troubles.

Maybe the most important issue for St. Louis revitalization

2005 Legislative Session Kick-off for the Coalition for Historic Preservation and Economic Development

Come and make sure we preserve Missouri's Historic Tax Credit and
Rebuilding Communities Credit

Thursday, January 27, 2005
The Tap Room
2100 Locust
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Joe Hodes (314) 518-1797

Our Lady of Sorrows Sale

From Joe Daus via St. Louist

Our Lady of Sorrows Convent (built 1927) will soon be emptied out so that demolition can begin. Momentos, furniture, house wares, interior wood trim, doors, hardwood floors, bathroom fixtures and more will be sold.

General Public Sale
Saturday, January 29, 2005
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The OLS Convent is a bit west up the street from Rhodes and Kingshighway.

All proceeds will go to the Our Lady of Sorrows Building With Faith Capital
Campaign.

Counter-Inaugural Ball

On Inauguration Day, January 20th, don't spend the night alone. You are cordially invited to join local justice and peace activists at the Counter-Inaugural Ball at St. Louis City Hall!.

Gather in the City Hall Rotunda to dance and celebrate our continuing commitment to build movements for peace and social justice. There will be live dance music and great company from 7 - 10:30 pm. Admission and refreshments are free. People's Coffee will sell more substantial food and fair trade coffee. Dress casual, dress formal... just come!

Participants include: ACT volunteers, Catholic Action Network for Social Justice, Center for Theology and Social Analysis, DFA/Change for Missouri, Human Rights Action Service, Instead Of War Coalition, Interfaith Legal Services for Immigrants, Jobs With Justice, Justice & Peace Shares, League of Pissed-Off Voters, MoveOn volunteers, Peace Economy Project, Planned Parenthood, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

January 16, 2005

Post puts out a great issue

Mokwa must either explain or resign. My old hockey coach, Mike Quinn, smelled a rat, but couldn't ferret it out.

Nice follow-through on National Alliance.

And the issue for Missouri's budget - education funding. Legislators will suffer through a politically painful game of twister and pass some change to foundation formula thereby changing the facts of the case and delaying the lawsuit's remedy for a year or two. But eventually a judge will be deciding this issue.

Now if only the editorials and op/eds weren't so amazingly boring. I'm forgiven for not finishing the seven-page New Yorker articles, but really 600 words shouldn't be such a struggle, right? Just give me at least one editorial or op/ed that is both insightful and interesting. Just one, I'd be happy.

Nelly loses a million dollars

Ouchy-wa-wa.

Evil stock-broker takes Nelly for a mill.

And then...

Hustle on over to The Commonspace benefit...

At Nik’s Wine Bar and Hookah Lounge (307 Belt Ave.)
When: Tuesday, January 18, 5:00pm - midnight
Phone: 314-454-0403

School Board filing

Closes Tuesday, 5pm.

If the current majority has persuaded any citizens to run for the three open seats, we'd expect to see them some time Tuesday.

If the past is any indication, they would be familiar names on the civic landscape.

We'll see.

January 15, 2005

Rick Johnson

As noted in the comments below, Rick Johnson got the nod.

I don't want to over do this, but he is not in the Steve Stoll mold. He's liberal. Pro-choice; Anti-gun. Seemingly creates the opportunity for a Republican pick-up.

Senate Seat in 22nd

The 22nd Democratic Senatorial Meeting will occur today at 1 PM at the County Aministration Center in Hillsboro. They will be voting a nominee to run for Steve Stoll's seat. McKenna and Johnson are the two favorites. Rick Johnson was minority leader in the House last year, but I've heard from two people down there who think McKenna has the edge right now.

I'll update the site today when I hear what happened.

Yesterday Deb Peterson repeated a rumor that Zip Rzeppa is being wooed as the Republican nominee.

January 14, 2005

StL City Budget

Tight again this year.

Despite increases in personal property tax, earnings tax, and sales tax, overall revenues down some $4 million due to decreases in license tax, franchise tax and phone taxes.

Some of it is NHL's fault.

January 13, 2005

Dandamudi Update

As of December 28, 2004, The Sierra Club's Eastern Missouri Group (EMG) Executive Committee made Sreenu Dandamudi the Political Chair of the EMG.

He plans to focus on voter turnout for the November 2006 election. The EMG has 6,200 members, in the following Counties: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Warren, St. Charles, Lincoln, Pike, Ralls, Marion, Lewis, and Clark.

Temple Report

Roy Temple is blogging again.

New Gladwell book

Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote the much loved "Tipping Point," has a new book out - Blink.

January 12, 2005

Mohn signs on with Patterson campaign

Former 3rd CD candidate Corey Mohn will become the treasurer for Steve Patterson's insurgent 25th ward aldermanic campaign against incumbent Dorothy Kirner.

Over at Ecology of Absence

Michael Allen's talking about the destruction of McRee Town.

Smith gushing continues - in NH

From the Dartmouth paper.

Metropolis Does it Again!

Metropolis will elect its next Steering Committee on Wednesday, January 19th, 6:30 PM at The Tap Room.

Who will be victorious? Well, we've got a pretty good idea since all positions are unopposed.

Here is the final slate of nominees:
President - Scott Goessling
Secretary - Bill Clendenin
Treasurer - Fred Blanton
Fundraising - Dave Whitman
Marketing - Regina Przetak
Membership - Kim Mitchell
Leadership - Jennifer Estes
Living Environment - Kimberly Henricks
Perception - Michal Caldwell
Policy - Paul Eisenstein
Social Events - Randi Carter

Working Together

Collaboration by Design: Case Studies in Intergovernmental Cooperation

January 27, 2005
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
J.C. Penney Conference Center, Room 229
University of Missouri - St. Louis

Panelists
E. Terrence Jones, UM-St. Louis Department of Political Science
Jacqueline Wellington, St. Louis County Economic Council
Michael Schoedel, City of Clayton, Missouri
Tim Fischesser, St. Louis County Municipal League
Moderator: Miranda Duncan, University of Missouri Extension

New Openings coming soon in TGE

Bill Kapes will soon open (really this time) "Riley's" at Arkansas and Arsenal. He's built in beautiful oak booths with marble-topped tables, restored the bar itself and the high old tin ceiling and windows. The adjacent space formerly known as "Coffey's Donuts" has additional seating, with an area reserved for darts. (Mrs. Coffey used to sell Roosevelt kids cigs there for a quarter each ("Ya need matches withat, honey?") until some cop told her it was illegal.) Bill's menu will include a variety of pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. And he plans to eventually feature outdoor seating in front of the place as well.

Also there is a proposal by a Fox Park resident planning to open a restaurant ("Pestalozzi Place") at the corner of Virginia and Pestalozzi, also in the heart of TGE. The lunch menu is simple, but dinner is pretty fancy.

Networking Event

Mark your calendar, Coro Leadership Center-St. Louis is teaming up with River City Professionals for a Happy Hour and Networking Event!

Who: River City Professionals and Coro Alumni & Friends

When: Tuesday, January 18th from 5:30 - 9:00 PM

Where: Lucas Park Grille & Market at 1234 Washington Ave

Parents for Kids

To All Concerned:

St. Louis Parents for Kids is a group from the St. Louis Public Schools who believe that parents know best what our children need and deserve from their school district. We feel that the current School Board does NOT have our children’s best interests as their first priority. As a result, we are trying to include as many parents as we can, from every school in the district to come together so that we can a have a collective voice loud enough to be heard and respected by this administration. Our next meeting is on Thursday, January 13th at the Carpenter Branch Library at 3309 S. Grand. We will be discussing the upcoming School Board elections and possible candidates. It is our hope that the parents can identify the candidates who will do the best job for our children and can make the changes that are so desperately needed to repair the damage that has been done to our children’s school district. We, as parents, have the power to make these changes if we act together. Please show your support for our children and for public school education by attending this meeting and offering your support to this cause. If you have any questions, please contact us at stlparentsforkids@yahoo.com.

Sincerely,

Meg Zoellner
Parent Outreach – St. Louis Parents for Kids

January 10, 2005

Hickey joins KWMU

Maria Hickey has been named Afternoon Newscaster at KWMU. Hickey comes to KWMU from KERA in Dallas where she produced and anchored local newscasts

January 07, 2005

See if there are any filers at the deadline

The list so far.

January 06, 2005

Dandamudi becomes MABA VP

Sreenu Dandamudi, former candidate for the 64 th district was voted Vice President of the Missouri Asian Bar Association (MABA). It's a 1-year term.

Haas to remain Blue

Rumors had Haas backing out of the Democratic primary and refiling as a Green in the mayoral general election. Haas says - not so, "I'm going to win the Democratic primary."

January 05, 2005

Scrap the Code?

Time to radically change the way we pay for education?

Definitely worth looking at.

Over at the Syndicate

Over at the StL Syndicate, there's a new blogger: StL A La Mode, covering St. Louis shopping and dining.

Don't forget - this Friday.

See you all at the Board of Elections when filing closes this Friday.

January 3, Mike McMillan drew a challenger, Mwenyeji Mtu.

January 03, 2005

ArchPundit in our thoughts and prayers

His websites, widely-read blogs about St. Louis and Illinois politics, were torpedoed by spammers over the weekend.

How about dedicating some real resources to figuring out how to enforce our anti-spamming laws?

Blunt's Majority

AP article via Combest raises possibility of fissures within ruling Republican majority.

January 01, 2005

William Stage Exits RFT

Last issue contains his farewell.

One email tipster tells us, "it's not his choice - he'd rather stay and continue the column." So would we.

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