We need volunteers to help put the South Grand medians to bed for the winter. ?If you have a few hours, or six at the most, we welcome all able bodied neighbors to come help.?
We will be starting at 7:30 am, Saturday November 7th, at the southern end of the medians, at Arsenal. ?We have a professional crew who will be cutting and volunteers will be asked to rake the materials off the medians and onto provided trucks to be hauled away. ?Please bring a rake and if you have one, a pitch fork or scoop shovel ( this can be a snow shovel). ??Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.
Please let me know in advance by email: florascapes@sbcglobal.net if you can volunteer so we know that we have enough people. ?
Anyone who has come out to volunteer in
the past, I would appreciate any input to improve the process. ?If we get enough volunteers I hope to have two crews working to help this go even faster than last year. ?If someone would like to head up the second crew please let me know in advance so we can discuss. ?Last year we started at 7:30 am and finished around 2:30 pm with a break for lunch, trimming down all nine medians and several of the corner bumpouts.
We try to be as green as we can. ?Prior to 11/7??the medians will be cleared of all trash, as much as possible, then all the green material will be hauled away to a dumpster provided for free by St. Louis Composting who will then compost it down for reuse. ?
Hope to see you on Saturday, November 7th! ?Come when you can.
Anne G. Moore

Support Group: The Alzheimer’s Asociation has three new support groups in the South City area. The purpose of these groups is to share struggles and solutions in caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Gatherings are led by a trained profesional or volunteer. For more information, contact the Alzheimer’s Asociation at 314-432-3422 or visit. www.alzstl.org

Eye Exams: Has it been a while since you went to the optometrist? Do you think your vision has changed? South Grand Senior Ministry is working in conjunction with the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging, UMSL, and the Gateway Lions to provide free vision checks to low income 60+ adults.  Free glasses may be provided if deemed necessary. Exams will take place Monday, Nov. 9 from 9:30am – 3:30pm at St. Anthony’s Church.  To register, call Billy at 664-9700.

Friday. Oct. 16       7pm         Webster G.              Webster G.

Friday, Oct. 23       7pm         Chaminade             Chaminade

Saturday Oct. 31    1:30pm    Vianney                   Roosevelt

Several after-school programs are starting at Roosevelt including: reading, gardening, cooking, Explore St. Louis, and possibly French, track, and/or ”rap, rhythm and rhyme.” If you are interested in helping with any of these after school groups, contact Sarah Chilenski, Sarah.Chilenski@mimh.edu.   Supplies are needed for the cooking and gardening groups. If you are able to donate any of the following, contact Sarah Natwick, sarah.natwick@slps.org: measuring cups, spoons, aprons, fabric, thread, yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks.   Another exciting new program at Roosevelt High School is “Conscious Choice” which gives young women support in delaying motherhood and completing a college degree. Shirley Harvey and Karessa Morrow report that 198 Roosevelt students have joined! Mentors are needed for these young women, and activities that are currently planned include career shadowing, visiting college campuses together, and assisting with the college application process. Let’s throw a “college shower” for these 198 young women, instead of a baby shower! To volunteer, e-mail Gwendolyn Meyers, gwendolyn.meyers@slps.org.   Principal Sonya Wayne says things are off to a great start at Shenandoah Elementary School. To volunteer at Shenandoah, call her at 314-772-7544.   Several excellent principals retired from 59th district schools in 2009: Dr. Alice Roach from Carnahan High School of the Future, Dr. Gerald Arbini from Monroe Elementary, and Dr. Carol Hall-Whittier from Shepard E-Mints. Thanks for your many years of service, and happy retirement to all. Awards Recently Received I am thankful to have been recognized this year by the following groups:

• Progressive Legislator of the Year, MO Progressive Vote Coalition
• Human Rights Award, Church Women United, St. Louis Region
• SAGE Visionary Award
• Faith Aloud Award
• Certificates of Appreciation, MO Immigrant and Refugee Advocates & Interfaith Legal Service for Immigrants

Serving in the minority party makes it very difficult for me to move legislation forward. It’s always appreciated when ally groups notice that I am trying hard to win progress on our shared agenda for justice. Note: To reserve tickets for the Nov. 14 Pro-Vote Annual Awards dinner, go to: http://www.missouriprovote.org/ProgressiveAwardsDinner.asp Opportunities to Do Good Things Repower America has asked me to share this announcement. Repower America is a campaign in support of transitioning to a clean energy economy to create millions of jobs, break our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, reduce the threat of harmful pollution and leave a healthy Earth for our families. Right now, landmark clean energy and climate legislation is moving through the U.S. Congress and our Senators may cast the deciding vote. If you support clean energy and comprehensive climate legislation, please call 877.9.Repower to leave a message for Senator McCaskill and Senator Bond and let them know. To learn more about Repower America and sign up to get involved, you can check out this website, www.repoweramerica.org. —– “Come Cruise Down the River” on the historic Becky Thatcher Riverboat and sing Happy Birthday to Ollie Stewart of Southside Senior Citizens Center, 3017 Park Avenue. Boarding starts at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, at 50 N. Lenore K. Sullivan Blvd. on the Riverfront. Tickets are $60 for the two-and-one-half hour voyage which includes a brunch, Dixieland music, and a chance to mingle with a fun crowd including radio legend (and all-around-great-guy) Bernie Hayes. For more information, call Ollie Stewart or Ruth Rowan at 314-664-5024. —— “Are you smarter than a Youth?” – A Trivia Night event supporting the youth group (grades 6-12) at Lafayette Park United Methodist Church in missions, service, and fun activities. It’s at 2300 Lafayette on Oct. 17. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; play starts at 7 p.m. Popcorn and refreshements will be provided as long as the supply lasts.  Feel free to bring your own foods and beverages – No alcohol allowed. Mulligans, raffles, 50/50 will be available.  Also, a silent auction will offer items for sale. —– Congratulations to the Chippewa-Broadway Business Association for receiving a substantial Neighbors Naturescaping grant from Operation Brightside! Get your Halloween groove on by attending their special networking membership social, Thursday, October 29, from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Jefferson Avenue Bistro. Holloween costumes are optional. Refreshments will be served. Door prizes. Guests are welcome. —–

Metro Transit Planning Workshops

Moving Transit Forward

Beginning October 13, Metro will launch a series of transit planning community workshops where the public will be asked to help create the long-range vision of transit in the St. Louis region, and share their ideas for improving transit service and expanding the system.

You are invited to participate in one of more of these important discussions throughout the region:

Thursday, October 15

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club

Sportsman’s Park Unit

2910 N. Grand Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63107

Metro Access: #70 Grand

Saturday, October 17

9:00 am – 11:00 am

Southwestern Illinois College

Main Complex, Room 1410

2500 Carlyle Ave.

Belleville, IL 62221

Metro Access: College

MetroLink Station

Monday, October 19

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

St. Louis Community College

Florissant Valley

Student Center, Multi-Purpose Room

3400 Pershall Ave.

Ferguson, MO 63135

Metro Access: #36 Spanish Lake

Tuesday, October 20

11:00am – 1:00pm

City of St. Louis City Hall

1200 Market Street, Rotunda

St. Louis, MO 63103

Metro Access: Civic Center MetroLink Station, #99 Downtown Circulator

Thursday, October 22

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Eric P. Newman Center

Washington University

Medical Center

320 S. Euclid Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63110

Metro Access: Central West End

MetroLink Station

Monday, October 26

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Carpenter Branch,

St. Louis Public Library

3309 S. Grand Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63118

Metro Access: #70 Grand

Tuesday, October 27

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Mehlville High School Library

3200 Lemay Ferry Rd.

St. Louis, MO 63125

Metro Access: #73 Carondelet

If you cannot participate at the above public forum in your area, please considering attending one of our workshops in other districts.  Up-to-date information on the transit planning community workshops can be found at the new Metro blog, Nextstopstl.org.

If you have questions, please email ajones@metrostlouis.org.  Thank you for supporting public transit in St. Louis.

—–

Looking for a little Halloween fun? Then attend the Democratic Central Committee Party:

Friday, Oct. 23
7:00 – 10:00 PM
Glaizers Union Hall
5916 Wilson Ave, St. Louis City

$100 Tables (includes 10 tickets)
$15 tickets in advance
$20 at the door

Please make checks payable to: St. Louis City Democratic Central Committee, PO Box 1233, St. Louis, MO 63188. For more info, Jack Coatar, (314) 374-0691.

Correction to District Directory For those who received a district directory through the mail, please make this correction. On page 11, delete the American Red Cross Adult Day Care. This facility is no longer open. JMO Jeanette Mott Oxford
State Representative – 59th MO House District
314-771-8882 (home); 314-775-8940 (cell)
2910 Lemp, St. Louis, MO 63118
www.jmo4rep.com

Minutes waived until next month

Treasurer’s report – $5978.49 balance

Alderman Conway report – details on the Vandeventer/Kingshighway intersection and street improvement.  using stimulus funds and 8th ward capital improvement funds Click here to view plan

The Thurman loop building (behind Magnolia/Thurman condos) will have an open house in the next month

open house for the renovation at Magnolia/Macklind

Gas station at Lawrence/Shaw has been demolished – plans for a green space/garden

Board of Alderman meeting – smoking bill will be debated – it mimics the StL Co. bill and will be contingent on if Co. passes their bill; talked about McKee Northside development plan – does not favor city guarantee of TIFs

Senator Robin Wright-Jones gave a legislative update and a forecast of the next sessio

Jim McHugh, district director for Cong. Russ Carnahan, gave a legislative update

Rep. Michele Kratky gave a legislative update; she was just named to the Interim committee on Autism Spectrum Disorders and is seeking input

Joe Keaveny, Democratic candidate for 4^th Senatorial District was introduced by Alderman Conway and Committeeman Stelzer.  He took questions from the membership.

Committeeman Jack Stelzer report –  City Dems Halloween Party, October 23, 2009 at the Glazier’s Hall (5916 Wilson).  Motion to purchase up to 20 tickets for interested members. – passed.  Contact committeepeople for tickets.

Fundraisers – Lewis Reed birthday – Oct. 9, Glazier’s Hall, 5:30pm, $25; 9/25, Michele Kratky Missou party, 6411 Clifton, $25; 10/6, 5:30, Pinup Bowl, Joe Keaveny

Committeewoman Cara Jensen report – congrats to Rep. Jeanette Mott-Oxford for being named 2009 outstanding progressive legislator by Missouri ProVote;   OFA health reform rally and canvass, 9/26, Reservoir Park, 12-3pm; Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan, speaking at Powell Hall, Oct 1, 8pm; 17^th Historic Shaw Art Fair, Oct 3-4; Congressman Carnahan hosting Nancy Pelosi, Oct 3, Chase Park Plaza

Announcements – Desales Housing Corp silent auction fundraiser, Oct 23, 5:30-8pm, Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park, tickets 2/$75 or $40 each

Next meeting Thursday, October 15, SMOS basement, 7:30pm

Annual SVDP coat and costume drive:  Once again this year our SVDP conference plans to give away 65 or more new winter coats and gently used Halloween costumes to children in our parish neighborhood.   Donors are needed to support this very appreciated program.  A financial donation of $35 will ensure that a child received a new winter coat.  Please contact Cathy White at 773-0363 with your financial donation or your donation of a Halloween costume.  The event will take place on Sunday, October 25 so please act soon.

SVDP pantry needs:  personal hygiene and cleaning items – soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, paper towels, toilet tissue.  Please contact Jeff Goldone at 776-2204.

Go Ed Go: Martin jumps in to take on Carnahan

It probably won’t make any national lists of congressional races to watch. But the battle between Ed Martin and U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, could be entertaining.

Martin kicked off his congressional bid on Wednesday in south St. Louis County. The Republican faces an uphill battle of sorts against Carnahan, a three-term lawmaker who represents parts of St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and Ste. Genevieve County.

read full story here

By Susan Turk

September 30, 2009–St. Louis–The much maligned Roberti administration, renowned for its bean counting, did not have the gall to do this. Today was the last day of employment for 15 SLPS school nurses. Fourteen of the positions were “Reductions in Force” and one was labeled “attrition”.  Adding these to the 6 unfilled nursing positions at the end of the last school year, the district is left with only 50 nurses on staff for 75 schools.  What this means is that only one third of our schools will have a full time nurse.  The remainder will share nurses. These cuts in school nurse staffing are unprecedented.

The affected nurses received notice from former Human Resources Director Sharonica Hardin in August, before the start of school, that September 30 would be their last day.  The decision apparently came from Superintendent. Kelvin Adams as a cost cutting measure.  The SAB approved the cuts in this year’s budget.

As a result of the morale boosting news, some the RIF’ed nurses never reported for duty.  They either took accumulated PTO days or found other jobs, which generally pay 40% more than SLPS salaries anyway.  The remaining nursing staff have tried to adjust but have been overwhelmed in light of the H1N1 pandemic.  Some schools are seeing as much as 12 to 15% of their student body out sick, others are reported to have higher rates of absentees.  Nurses report their offices full of students with fevers, vomiting, and other flu symptoms.  Adding this to their regular duties for the many disabled and chronically ill students who are mainstreamed in our schools, the remaining nurses are stretched beyond their limits.  Concern has been expressed among some remaining nursing staff that there is a need for a full time nurse in every school building.  The current level of staffing cannot ensure a safe and healthy school environment.

Aside from evaluating sick children and contacting parents to come pick them up and take them home, nurses are required to assess returning students who have been absent because of illness before they can re-enter their classrooms.  In the past, this has been done in person.  Now, these evaluations may have to be done over the phone when the nurse is in her other building.  As many as three to four children each day are in need of being sent home while another 3-4 return and require evaluation for re-entry into school.  Not having the nurse in the building to make these decisions will mean more students and staff exposed to flu and other illnesses.

Contacting parents to come pick up their sick children is a time consuming chore for the nurses.  One parent left five phone numbers with the school.  None of them were effective.  Unable to reach the parent, the nurse had to keep the sick child in her office all day, exposing everyone who entered to her flu symptoms.  The nurse sent a note home with the child at the end of the day informing the parent that if she did not stop sending her sick child to school to infect other students and that if she did not provide the school with an effective phone number for reaching her, that she would be reported to the Department of Family Services for child endangerment.  The parent contacted the school the next day and provided a working phone number.

Short staffing the nurses during an epidemic is flat out dangerous. The school nurses are the first line of defense for preventing the spread of pathogens. It boggles the mind that the administration would jeopardize the health of students and staff by cutting the nurses at this time.

Even without the flu epidemic, for which school nurses have been planning since last spring, providing for the day to day basic care requirements for students in many schools is challenging.  Students have seizures, asthma attacks and require monitoring for chronic ailments.  There are students on dialysis.  Some are diabetic.  There is an unfortunate high rate of pregnancy among middle and high school students.  Roosevelt HS alone had 52 pregnant students last year.  In one elementary school a fifth grader was pregnant.  When a student goes into labor, the school nurse is the first to assist her. There are presently 84 pregnant students in district schools and that number will unfortunately increase as the school year progresses.  According to district policy, there is supposed to be a full time nurse in every school where there is a pregnant student. That policy is no longer being followed.  When pregnant students were secluded in their own continuing education program, one nurse sufficed.  But since the closure of the Meda P. Washington building which housed that program, pregnant students are now dispersed throughout the district.  As a result of these staffing cuts, only 5 high schools will have a full time nurse, Roosevelt, Gateway, Nottingham, Soldan and Miller. Pregnant students in other high schools are out of luck.

Gallaudet, all of whose students have special needs, has always had a full time nurse until now. This round of cuts has left them sharing a nurse. Board of Education (the elected board) policy requires a staffing ratio of one full time nurse to every 500 elementary school students, 400 middle school students and 1000 high school students.  It also requires a full time nurse in every school with special education classrooms and handicapped students.  The appointed Special Administrative Board is abandoning this policy.

Nurses are the only staff who can administer injected medication.  Other staff can be trained by the nurse to administer oral medication and or inhalers.  Type I diabetics who are required to take an insulin shot at school must see the nurse. Nurses also supervise these students checking their blood sugar.  This involves time before breakfast and lunch. If there are diabetic students in both of the schools to which a nurse is assigned, their well-being will be put in jeopardy.

There are more than 200 students enrolled in the SLPS who suffer from life threatening food allergies. Each school is equipped with syringes that deliver a dose of epinephrine, which can block an allergic reaction. It must be administered immediately if a child begins to show signs of an allergic reaction to prevent a full blown life threatening attack.  Of district staff, only nurses can administer the shot.

And of course the nurses administer first aid to students and staff suffering from injuries after fights or accidents, whether it’s a concussion, puncture wound, fracture or an abrasion.

Nurses also monitor and assist sick staff members.  With the flu epidemic, nurses have been determining when a teacher has a fever and should be sent home.  Nurses inform principals of the need to call for a substitute teacher.  Nurses have aided diabetic staff members experiencing insulin shock and blood pressure problems.

At the beginning of the school year, the nurses evaluate their schools for hazards.  They also evaluate the health care needs of their students and staff.  When they share assignments to more than one school, they determine whether they will be in a building for a full day or whether they will have to travel between buildings to be in both for part of each day.  Ideally they remain in one building for the entire day, but the needs of the students in their care sometimes require them to travel, during which time neither building has a nurse in residence.

Then there’s the paper work. Nurses are required to make weekly reports to the City Board of Health on the health status of students and staff in their schools.  They also must meet federal reporting requirements for all disabled students.  In some cases the added stress of a doubled work load has taken a toll on their health.  Substitutes used to be hired to replace a nurse who was out sick. That practice has been eliminated. Other nurses must now cover for those who are absent, compounding their stress and diminishing their availability at the schools to which they are normally assigned.  In the words of one of the nurses, “These decisions downtown are putting 26,000 children at risk.”  Given that this is happening during the H1N1 pandemic, it is especially ill-advised.

You may read the relevant Board of Education policy regarding the provision of health services at

http://sab.slps.org/Board_Education/policies/6164.1.htm

It was last revised on September 10, 2002.  The SAB may believe that that they are not bound by the policy. But is it worth noting that no elected board governing this district dared to cut health services to the bone.

SAB Testing the Waters: May Float Bond Issue

Sept. 21, 2009–St. Louis–The last item on the Consent Agenda from the SAB’s September 10 meeting was the approval of, “a contract with Dr. Charlene Jones to develop, coordinate and supervise all SLPS activities regarding potential issues for the April 16, 2010 ballot for the period July 1, 2009 through April 30, 2010 in an amount not to exceed $60,000.”

Dr. Jones retired from the SLPS at the end of 2008 after more than 20 years of dedicated service during which time she coordinated several bond issue campaigns, all of them successful.

A focus group of SLPS parents was held at Harris-Stowe University on Tuesday, September 15.  Both SAB member Richard Gaines, who is chairing this effort, and Dr. Jones attended.  The actual running of the focus group, was out-sourced to former SLPS Public Information Director Johnny Little’s consulting firm.  It’s always nice to see the district out-sourcing work to former employees.  The district is lucky they are available when needed.

The focus group was attended by only 6 parents.  Parents who attended speculated that attendance was low because there was confusion over the location of the meeting since the name of the building in which it was located had changed.  Also, there was at most only a week’s notice for the meeting.  Some who attended received phone calls or letters only a few days before.  One parent had been invited by school staff and then was subsequently told her presence was not needed.

From the questions parents were asked, it is apparent that the SAB is considering floating a bond issue to cover the cost of building and grounds maintenance. If the bond issue, which requires 57.1% approval by the voters, is passed, it would free up at least $21 million from the General Operating Budget for other expenditures.

Aside from the fact that the date of the April election was mis-typed in the consent agenda; it’s April 6; the Watch wonders if the SAB realizes that scheduling the ballot measure for April will require them to cover the cost of two elections in 2010?  There will not be a school board election in April.  The Slay controlled Board of Education had the legislation passed in 2005 which switched the school board elections scheduled during even years to November.  They allegedly did this to save the district money.  School board elections normally took place when municipal elections are held so they shared the cost of the election with the city, which elects aldermen and mayors in odd years.  However, the school board was downsized from 12 to 7 as part of the 1998 legislation authored by SAB Member Richard Gaines, which enabled the desegregation case to be settled in 1999. Board terms were also shortened to 4 years from 6. When there were 12 members serving 6 year terms, their elections were staggered so that 4 members were elected every 2 years. To stagger the election of the 7 member board, one of the elections was moved to even years.

Municipal elections cost between $150,000 and $200,000.  November general elections cost about $400,000.  Granted the district will share the cost of the general election with the state and federal government but it will still be charged for a third of the cost.  Burying a school board election on the November ballot where it will have to fight for attention with congressional and senatorial elections will most likely result in its getting less of a voter’s attention.  Since more people vote in the November federal and state elections than do in the April municipal elections, it will also be more expensive for school board candidates to reach those voters.  But the main problem for the district next year will be finding the extra money to pay for both elections.  The SAB approved the expenditure of $8,440,000 for lead abatement at their September 22 meeting admitting that they had no idea how they were going to pay for it and as previously noted in this edition, they are laying off nurses.

But, if the ballot issue is successful, it would free up $21 million annually from the GOB for other purposes.  The question is will it succeed?  The political climate has changed since the district last sought a bond issue during the administration of Superintendent Cleveland Hammonds. The onset of charter schools has divided the constituency for public education in the City of St. Louis.  With nearly 10,000 children now attending charter schools, their parents may not feel a need to vote for a bond issue which does not benefit their childrens’ schools.

Moreover, victory requires 57.1% of the voters’ approval.  That is the reason for the focus groups.  One of the questions asked concerned lead abatement.  While the emphasis appears to be on maintenance of buildings and grounds, the focus groups may result in the addition of other issues for funding, if they would increase the likelihood of passage.

There had been speculation that money from the bond issue would include construction funds for the 2 new schools recommended by the MGT facilities study earlier this year.  Community resistance to the closing and replacement of 3 historic school buildings on the south side would make that controversial and could doom the ballot initiative.  Limiting it to maintenance issues and perhaps lead abatement would avoid controversy.  The final wording should be available in early 2010.

Still, the last bond issue was for air conditioning.  There was anger in the community when schools which were air conditioned with that money were subsequently closed or sold.  Voters who support the SLPS may be hesitate to support another bond issue unless there is some guarantee that school buildings will remain open and not be sold to charter schools.

Dr. Jones’ expertise will be fully utilized trying to get this passed.  But with her track record, it has a chance.

Money Not So Well Spent

With the recent resignations of State Rep T. D. El-Amin and State Senator Jeff Smith, one extraordinarily deep-pocketed campaign donor may be feeling some remorse about the politicians in whom he invested.

Both Smith and El-Amin benefited from the generosity of billionaire school choice supporter Rex Sinquefield.  Smith received $10,000 and El-Amin $40,000 from Sinquefield’s PAC’s.  It is indeed unfortunate that Dr. Sinquefield had to rely on corrupt individuals to further his agenda.

The St. Louis Public School District , the Special Administrative Board and its appointees to the City of St. Louis Tax Increment Financing Commission fully recognize the importance of major economic development projects, including the proposal being discussed today, to the future of the City and the entire St. Louis region.  We know that projects of this magnitude stimulate the local economy during development and after completion.

This project, specifically, will require a significant investment in public infrastructure  – streets, sidewalks, sewer, water and school buildings.  Renovated or newly constructed school buildings will be a necessary part of the public infrastructure investment for this project.  This project will attract new families to the area, and their children will need schools.  For this reason, the St. Louis Public Schools , the Special Administrative Board and its appointees to the City of St. Louis Tax Increment Financing Commission encourage this commission to fully support the use of infrastructure funds within the TIF Zone for renovation or new construction of St. Louis Public School District facilities.  We encourage this Commission to recommend that an agreement between the St. Louis Public Schools and the developer for new construction or substantial renovation of school buildings be a part of the Commission’s final project plan before it is submitted to the Board of Aldermen for approval.

October 5, Monday, MSIP Review Findings Report, 10 a.m., Administration Building, 801 North 11th Street, room 108 October 8, Thursday, regular bi-monthly SAB meeting, 6 p.m., 801 North 11th St. room 108   October 13 , Tuesday, regular monthly of the Board of Education, 7 p.m., Carr Lane VPA Middle School, 1004 N. Jefferson Avenue, Dance Studio   October 22, Thursday, regular bi-monthly SAB meeting, 6 p.m., 801 North 11th St. room 108

Questions for the Watch?

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Stories to contribute? News tips?

Send them to SLS_Watch@yahoo.com

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The Grand Oak Hill Home Repair Program offers a $5,000 forgivable loan that pays for repairs involving health, safety, and code violation issues. Eligible repairs include electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling, roofing, tuckpointing, concrete, and sewer work. The loan acts as a lien on the property, and 20% of the loan amount is forgiven for each year the homeowner remains in the home. After five years the entire loan amount is forgiven.

Loan approval is based on income and the number of persons in the household. The homeowner also has to be current on city real estate taxes and MSD sewer bills, and provide proof of homeowner’s insurance.

For more information, or to apply for a Home Repair Program loan, call the Housing Program Director at (314) 865-5530 extension 108.

Rep. Mott-Oxford’s district is in the Tower Grove East neighborhood of the 8th ward.    She will be given the award at the 14th Annual Awards Dinner on Nov. 19 – click here for more info.

Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition (Pro-Vote) is a statewide coalition of forty labor unions and community groups founded in 1992 to give grassroots organizations the tools to engage their membership in the public policy process.

They work on a wide variety of issues, including quality public education, quality & affordable health care access, workplace safety, environmental protection, living wage, civil rights, gun safety, reproductive rights, lesbian / gay / bisexual / transgendered rights, and pay equity.

full story at St. Louis Beacon – Kinder, Talent, Coleman encourage Martin to challenge Carnahan.

A Conditional Use Hearing will be held in Room 208 City Hall at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2009 :  2201-03 S. 39th Street – AO-463613-09 – Catering Service 1st Floor Only (Sharing Kitchen Only) “F” Neighborhood Commercial District.

Wed., Sept. 16, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Breast Cancer Screenings – Isaiah 58 Ministries, 2149 S. Grand Blvd. The community breast cancer screening is provided by the David C. Pratt Cancer Center at St. John’s Mercy in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Show Me Healthy Women. All women who have a mammogram will receive $5 grocery gift card. Appointments are required; please call June at 314-776-1410 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m

APPEAL #9382 – Appeal filed by Sharon Foote, from the determination of the Building Commissioner in the denial of an occupancy permit authorizing the Appellant to operate a daycare for 20 kids (4 infants, 16 children 2 ½- 10 yrs) Mon – Fri. 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., 1st and 2nd floors at 4216 Shaw. WARD 8

I wanted to let you know about the upcoming test that the City Streets Department has agreed to conduct. This will happen beginning September 8, so any help you can give us in getting out the information to your neighborhoods would be appreciated. A press release is in preparation to alert media outlets.

At the public meetings and through the on-line surveys conducted in August, we found that many members of the public and business community favored an option to reconfigure South Grand from Arsenal to Utah from four through lanes to two through lanes and a center turn lane. After meetings and conversations among several parties, including the two aldermen, Streets Department staff, members of the CID, design team staff, and East-West Gateway staff, we decided it would be a good idea to test the viability of proposed changes under real traffic conditions for 30 days before committing to a final preferred alternative for the corridor.

The Streets Department has agreed to a plan: crews will change the timing of traffic signals, reduce the number of traffic lanes from four to three, place concrete barriers to simulate curb extensions at intersections, and close the two alleys on the west side of Grand between Arsenal and Juniata. Placement of electronic message boards and signal timing changes are planned for Tuesday, September 8. Restriping, placement of barriers to simulate curb extensions, and alley closures are planned for Wednesday and Thursday. The restriping work will proceed weather permitting.

If the 30-day test shows that the lane reduction will not handle the traffic volumes adequately, the project will keep the existing four-lane configuration and focus on the other elements of the project: retiming signals; adding curb extensions; improving crosswalks; and enhancing the appearance through lighting, signage, and landscaping.

Let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for your help.

Terry Freeland

Transportation Corridor Improvement Group

East-West Gateway Council of Governments

One Memorial Drive

St. Louis, MO 63102

314-421-4220 (Missouri line)

618-274-2750 (Illinois line)

via St. Louis Beacon – Intersections – South Grand.  Click on link to view image.

Click here to read the article and find my quote!

Gov. Jay Nixon has called a special election for this position on Nov. 3, 2009. There will be no primary, this will be a general election. According to the bylaws of the Missouri Democratic Party, the Democratic Committeepeople who reside in the 4th Senatorial district (the Senatorial District Committee members) have the responsibility of choosing the Democratic candidate for this election. Each Committeeperson of each ward in the district receives 1 vote per every 1000 votes cast for the Democratic candidate for Governor in the last general election. The Senatorial District Committee will meet and cast their votes for the Democratic nominee and that person will be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 4 general election.

Whew! So I will be receiving many phone calls and emails from prospective Senatorial candidates and their supporters over the next few weeks. I will do my best to represent your interests and weigh the qualifications of each candidate with that in mind. I would appreciate your input and advice over these next few weeks as well. Please do not hesitate to call or write me to to discuss this upcoming election.

During my 2004 Congressional race, I became aware of an independent effort to produce two mailers to benefit my campaign. Federal campaign finance law prohibits specific coordination between a campaign and anyone preparing an independent expenditure.

When the independent operator requested funding, I authorized a close friend to raise money for the effort, and my press secretary provided public information about my opponent’s voting record. I withheld my knowledge of these facts during the Federal Election Commission’s 2004 investigation, misleading investigators and filing a false affidavit.

The FEC cleared our campaign of wrongdoing. But in 2009, the government received new information and reopened its investigation. When questioned, I stood by our 2004 account and encouraged my close friend to do so, misleading the authorities. Today I am taking full responsibility for my mistakes, and have pled guilty to obstructing justice.

This event has humbled me. I have done some significant introspection and that has been the hardest part: coming to terms with my own poor judgments and mistakes.

I apologize to my constituents, my staff, my Senate colleagues, my supporters, and to Congressman Carnahan. I am sorry to be leaving an institution I dearly love and the chance to represent a City with so much potential. Most importantly, I apologize to my family for not living up to what you expect of me, or what I expect of myself.

But I’m proud of my work in the Senate. With the help of my legislative staff, colleagues, and issue advocates, I believe I positively impacted several policy areas. I worked to create the Missouri Teaching Fellows Program to bring top-notch teachers to struggling school districts, expanded early childhood education for impoverished City children, and helped add $5M in bonuses to the salaries of City teachers whose students make exceptional academic progress.

My office spent many hours working with advocates for eco-friendly policies. I led the drive to pass a Green Sales Tax Holiday for energy-efficient appliances, a tax deduction for home energy audits, and a mandate that Missouri increase its energy efficiency standard for state buildings.

Working with the Fathers Support Center of St. Louis, I sponsored and passed two bills that will transform our child-support system. One will help fathers struggling to pay child support avoid felony convictions and jail time by creating “fathering courts” to help non-violent offenders find jobs and resume support payments, saving the state millions in incarceration costs. The second will reduce erroneous paternity judgments and ensure that men with DNA tests showing non-paternity will no longer have to pay for children who are not theirs.

Finally, I helped successfully defend Missouri’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit, which has done more than any other program to revitalize formerly dilapidated urban neighborhoods, creating jobs and putting abandoned buildings back onto the tax rolls.

I hope that my Senate tenure, albeit brief, is remembered as productive and beneficial to those I served. I thank my colleagues with whom I worked on the above as well as my trusted and loyal aides: Stacy Morse, Christine Brauner, Johnny Little, and Kailey Burger.

I am saddened by the thought that some may give up on politics because I let them down. I was blessed to have so many amazing volunteers who worked to support me with no political experience and developed a passion for activism through their work. Today I fear that some of them – some of you – may feel as if your efforts were in vain. But they were not.

If you helped in my election to office, my 3-on-3 basketball tournament and community fair, my MLK Jr. Blvd. cleanup, or other programs I promoted, please don’t let my mistakes sour you on active civic involvement. There are no perfect people and no perfect candidates, but I hope you’ll find a candidate or a cause in which you believe and fight for it with the same zeal you fought for me. Because the real tragedy of my lapses would be if they discouraged people like you from civic engagement.

Mary Pickford once said that failure is not falling down but staying down. I won’t run for office again, but I’ll stay active in the causes that animate me – from urban education to preserving historic neighborhoods to providing health care for all – to try and help the City I love continue its return to the glory of its past.

Thank you for being a part of my life the last few years. I deeply regret the mistakes that have forced my resignation, but I hope you will balance them against the totality of my service, and that we can work together again in the future.

Best,

Jeff

57 Manchester
The 57 Manchester would no longer serve the Grand MetroLink Station, but service would be provided between Wildwood and the Civic Center MetroBus Center seven days a week. Weekday and Saturday service would operate every 30-minutes between the Civic Center MetroBus Center and Barrett Station Road, and every 60-minutes to Wildwood. Sunday service would operate every 40-minutes between the Civic Center MetroBus Center and Barrett Station Road, and every 80-minutes to Wildwood.

59 Shaw
Service would extend to the Webster Groves area, ending at the Rock Hill Loop via Brentwood Boulevard, Kirkham Road, Elm Avenue, and Lockwood. All trips would serve Maplewood Commons. Weekday and Saturday service would operate every 30-minutes during daytime service and every 60-minutes during evening service. Sunday service would operate every 60-minutes all-day.

70 Grand
Weekday service would change from operating every 15-minutes to every 12-minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Service would extend to Broadway and Taylor until 9:30 p.m. These changes are proposed because of heavy passenger loads.

Metro is seeking public comment about the proposed transit service restoration plan. Comments may be forwarded by email to restoration2009@metrostlouis.org or by phone at (314) 335-3433. You may also address comments to: Metro, Attn: Planning-Restoration 2009, 707 N. 1st Street, St. Louis MO 63102. All comments must be received by 5:00 P.M. on Monday, June 8. If you are hearing impaired and wish to comment, you may call TTY at (314) 982-1509.

Click here to view the entire metro service enhancement plan

A blog entry on MayorSlay.com reports that the city of St. Louis expects to receive $5.3 million in additional Community Development Block Grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and that there is a May 22 deadline for applications. Apparently, the city received a notice from the Department of Housing and Urban Development on May 6. The funds are prioritized for “hard development costs” associated with infrastructure activities that provide basic services to residents or activities that promote energy efficiency through rehabilitation or retrofitting of existing buildings.

The link to the application forms is  here.

These funds can do a lot of good for the city, especially because they are expressly available for existing buildings. Hopefully neighborhood organizations are ready to jump at this chance!

Conservatives are running $1 million in ads, starting today, to crush the public health insurance option¹—the heart of Obama’s health care plan. And they’ve promised to spend tens of millions more.²

To win against the powerful insurance lobby, we’ll need to be everywhere. Hundreds of thousands of MoveOn members have already made calls, signed petitions, faxed Congress, rallied at events—and we’ll even run our own ads soon—all in support of the public health insurance option.

But with the insurance industry in all-out attack mode, we now need to go even further. Can you drop by your senator’s local office today or tomorrow to tell him or her to stand up for a public health insurance option that would guarantee coverage and reduce costs by up to 30%?³

Here’s the office closest to you (or at least we hope so; see the P.S. for other options):

Sen. Claire McCaskill’s District Office
5850 A Delmar Boulevard
St. Louis, MO

Click here to print out your flier and let us know you’re going:

The House of Representatives on April16 approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would eliminate Missouri’s income tax and replace it with a higher sales tax. The measure went to the Senate on a 90-65 vote.

The individual and corporate income taxes currently account for the bulk of state general revenue collections. HJR 36 would eliminate those taxes but bump the state sales tax to 5.11 percent from the current 4.225 percent. Although it would be just a modest percentage-point increase, the scope of the tax would be greatly expanded to apply to services, which currently aren’t subject to the sales tax, in addition to goods. Supporters say the expansion of the sales tax base would generate revenue sufficient to replace the income tax.

Supporters also say the sales tax is a fairer method of taxation and harder to avoid paying than the income tax. Opponents say it would shift the tax burden to the poor. They also contend the replacement sales tax rate would be far too low to cover the lost income tax revenue, resulting in massive cuts to government services.

And thank you for our State Reps who voted NO on this bill: Rep. Colona, Rep. Kratky, Rep. Mott-Oxford. Let’s hope it gets lost in the Senate…

A great suggestion via a Shaw resident is to ask the trash/yard waste truck drivers to let you sweep under the dumpters for that extra sparkly alley goodness!

Here are some instructions for the cleanup via Operation Brightside:

Blitz Info & Trash Instructions

1. All “Yard Waste Only” and trash receptacles will be emptied on your Blitz Saturday.

Large appliances, tires, car batteries, and motor oil will also be collected but separately from other bulk items. These items will be recycled.

All debris must be bagged and put into trash receptacles. Loose debris will NOT be picked up.

2. Trash collection will begin at 10:00 a.m. Please have all items out by this time.

3. Branches more than 2 inches in diameter and no longer than 3 feet must be bundled and placed with bulk items for collection.

via Saint Louis Beacon – City treasurer confirms 73 employees to be laid off.

By Jo Mannies, Beacon Political Reporter

Posted 2:30 p.m. Fri., April 3: St. Louis city Treasurer Larry Williams has just issued a statement confirming what the Beacon first reported Thursday: he is laying off 73 members of his staff on June 1.

I have endorsed Maida Coleman for St. Louis City mayor because she comes out as the best choice when I reflect on my own endorsement principles.
Those principles are:

What has been the political history of the candidate who is seeking my endorsement? What legislation has she/he sponsored if previously in office? Do he/she have a reputation for honesty, transparency, and keeping commitments made to others?
Does the candidate have a history of social justice activism or public policy advocacy for the common good? Has the candidate worked to get social justice advocates elected? Will the candidate’s presence in elected office enrich our diversity by adding a voice from an under-represented category of citizens (women, People of Color, LGBT citizens, religious minorities, etc.)?
Is the candidate working hard and making good use of low-cost grassroots campaign methods? Is the candidate’s opponent someone who has a particularly appalling track record?

I hope you will take steps to help Maida win. She would be the first woman mayor of the City of St. Louis. For more information about Maida Coleman’s campaign, to request a yard sign, volunteer, or donate, go to:
http://www.maida4ma yor.com/.

For those concerned about whether she can win given the huge advantages of the incumbent, here are some things to think about:

- The incumbent won his primary with 19,359 votes to 10,039 for Irene Smith, former 1st Ward Alderman, with less than 15% of registered voters showing up at the polls. As former holder of the Senate 5 seat, Maida Coleman has a broader beginning base of folks who know her and who have voted for her in the past than Ms. Smith had.

- The school board elections are apt to draw a certain number of folks out who are not prone to vote for the incumbent (that is, hardcore public schools activists).

- In recent memory, a woman with a small amount of money, but a vigorous grassroots presence, overcame an opponent who outspent her more than five to one. That candidate was Robin Wright Jones – also in Senate 5. Maida supported Robin in that campaign. Your help for Maida could produce the second grassroots miracle in less than a year.

A fundraiser is planned for March 25 (6-8 p.m.) at Rue 13, 1311 Washington in St. Louis City. Call Maida at 314-241-2009 for more
details.

JMO

Jeanette Mott Oxford
2910 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, MO 63118
314-771-8882; isaiah-58@juno. com

In 2008 we graduated over 50 kids from our Earn-A-Bike program, gave away about 100 refurbished bikes to local causes, shipped almost 300 bikes to Ghana, and hosted our most successful Cranksgiving ever. Last year was significant not just for what we accomplished, but also because it gave us a glimpse of what BicycleWORKS could become.

In 2009 we would like to realize more of that potential. We have set goals to expand our outreach to the community by increasing the number of kids we affect, as well as by including other populations in need.  However, to accomplish these goals will require we restructure our efforts.

Saint Louis BicycleWORKS will SUSPEND WEEKLY BICYCLE SALES FOR 2009.
We will hold two large sidewalk sales (April 18th and September 12th) and several fund raising events in order to pay our bills. This change will allow us to spend more volunteer hours on our programs, and enhance the lives of more people in the community.

We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to another very successful year.
Used Parts for Sale:

We will continue to sell used parts to the bicycling community. We have moved everything out onto the sales floor for your convenience. You are required to dig for what you are looking for, but everything is very reasonably priced and worth the effort. A volunteer will point you in the right direction, but we do not specifically know what is in our inventory. Come by our shop Tuesday or Thursday nights 7-10 PM. Kids have the priority when we are open on Saturdays, no part sales while class is in session.

No Repair Service:

We DO NOT offer a drop-off repair service at BicycleWORKS, we recommend taking your bike to a professional bicycle shop in town. However, adults are welcome to use our shop to work on their own bike. We ask for a modest donation of $5 for the use of a
bike stand and tools. We only reserve a couple of stands for this purpose Tuesdays and Thursdays on a first-come first-serve basis. Kids have the priority when we are open on Saturdays, no stand rental while class is in session.

Thank you to all who braved the bitter cold to help out.  Thanks also to Dana Grey of SouthWest Garden for providing hot chocolate and Floyd Wright for taking pictures. Check out the media center for more pictures of this event.

8th ward cleanup day

Join 8th Ward Committeewoman Cara Jensen for President-Elect Barack Obama’s Day of Service on Monday, Jan 19, 2009 .  Meet at the Southwest Garden Neighborhood Association Office ( 4950 Southwest Ave. ) at noon to help clean up some of our busiest thoroughfares.  We will focus on Kingshighway, Vandeventer, and Southwest Avenues within the 8th Ward of the City of St. Louis .  Please call 773-2881 for more information.

For more information on this Day of Service, click

http://www.usaservice.org