Located on a historic property in Normandy, the Wayside Community Garden provides plots for more than 30 "garden families." Credit: Jennifer Hope

If you’ve ever driven on Florissant Road near Bermuda, no doubt you’ve seen “Wayside.” The sprawling Victorian house, built in the 1890s by John Mullanphy Cates, was for many years home to wealthy salt baron Thomas Hardy.

Upon his death in 1960, his wife donated the property to the Normandy School District, stipulating that it could only be used for educational purposes, and since then it has served as a reading clinic, an early childhood center and a food prep facility. But in 2006, citing the prohibitive cost of maintenance and repairs (and following what some would call “remuddling” of the home’s original design), the Normandy School District essentially abandoned Wayside and started talking demolition.

Concerned residents quickly mobilized, forming Citizens for the Advancement of Normandy (CAN), and for several years the group explored ways to raise funds for renovation. But alas, the money never materialized and Wayside continued to sit vacant…until finally, the idea for a community garden came up.

“We realized that we didn’t have the funds to rehab the house, but we still wanted to do something positive for the community,” says CAN’s Jane Reise.

Gardeners of all ages lend a hand at Wayside Community Garden. Credit: Stephen Engelmeyer

So in March 2009, she and a handful of other volunteers broke ground on the three-acre Wayside Community Garden, eventually winning a grant from Gateway Greening to install rain barrels and a water pump and drawing an eclectic mix of “garden families.” During its first growing season, the garden boasted an incredible 30 plots, each maintained (using organic practices) by an individual or organization.

UMSL students and professors, low-income Normandy families, retirees, Operation Food Search volunteers – those were just some of the gardeners who helped Wayside yield more than 2,000 pounds of produce in 2009. And Reise is hoping for even more this year.

“The neat thing about the people who garden here is that it’s such a diverse group,” she says. “We’ll even have neighborhood kids wander by and ask if they can help.”

Technically, first dibs go to anyone who lives or works in the Normandy School District, but so far nobody has been turned away. “The more the merrier,” says Reise. “It’s just great learning who the people are in our community.”

During the 2010 season, Wayside gardeners can expect more educational workshops, field trips and fun events. Reise also anticipates a boost in garden funds, now that CAN has gained 501c3 non-profit status and all donations to the group are tax-deductible.

“We had no idea the garden would as successful as it was last year, but now that we have a good thing going, we hope to take it even further,” she says. “We’re not just growing vegetables, we’re also building community here. And that is such a great benefit!”

If you’d like to find out more about the Wayside Community Garden, attend opening day this Sunday, March 14, at 1pm, 415 Bermuda, 63121.

In January, UMSL's Students of Service volunteered at Wayside Community Garden, filling an entire dumpster with debris from the old Hardy house.

Designed by one of the world's premier labyrinth artists, the labyrinth at Zion United Church of Christ offers a peaceful place for prayer and meditation.

For at least 4,000 years, human beings have used labyrinths as a tool for deeper personal insight and a way to connect with nature and the divine. Taking slow, purposeful steps on a winding pathway, you’re invited to calm your mind, set aside your daily concerns, and for a short while, simply be.

Reverend Mark Milligan of North County’s Zion United Church of Christ discovered this blissful experience while attending a conference in 1998, and he was so touched by it that he eventually inspired his congregation to build a labyrinth of its own.

“When I first walked on a labyrinth, I found it to be a very moving and freeing experience, allowing me to know God’s spirit in a much different way,” Milligan says. “I came back from the conference and just started talking about it and gathering photos, and then we started integrating labyrinths into our Bible study and Sunday school classes, and then finally the congregation just decided that we should install a labyrinth as a gift to the community.”

One of a handful of permanent labyrinths in the St. Louis area, the Zion Labyrinth is the only one located in North County.

It took several years to bring the project to fruition, but the church’s “gift to North County” opened in late 2005 and has since welcomed 25-30 visitors every week. Nestled on an idyllic woodland property just west of Jamestown Mall, the 48-foot circle features a gently intertwining path of paver bricks and rests in an incredibly peaceful setting enveloped by dense forest. It even overlooks the private Lake James.

“As a congregation we wondered what we could do that no other church was doing…what really made us stand out,” Milligan says. “With this beautiful, pastoral setting that we have, the labyrinth just seemed like a natural fit.”

To build it, Milligan sought the guidance of Robert Ferre, a world-renowned labyrinth builder who just happens to be based in St. Louis. Ferre’s company, Labyrinth Enterprises, has constructed more than 1,000 temporary and permanent labyrinths all over the globe, and Ferre himself is considered the leading expert in all things labyrinth.

The result of generous donations from Waldbart's Nursery and a Missouri Botanical Garden master gardener, the zen-like landscape surrounding the Zion Labyrinth greatly enhances the sense of tranquility.

He first became interested in the subject while visiting Gothic cathedrals in Europe, and before long he was completely intrigued by the medieval labyrinth at the Chartres cathedral in France – a classic and often repeated design dating from 1220. It was this pattern of 11 concentric circles that Ferre used to create the Zion Labyrinth.

“Being able to work with someone as knowledgeable as Robert has been such a joy,” Milligan says. “Since our labyrinth was built, he and I have been able to develop a friendship, and we now work together on the International Labyrinth Society, whose mission is to educate people on the history and benefits of labyrinths.”

Historically speaking, labyrinths show up in many world cultures – Greek, Peruvian, Ukranian, even Swedish – and the pathway often represents the journey between birth and death. For early Christians, labyrinths served as a mock pilgrimage for those unable to travel to the Holy Land, while for Hopi Indians, the labyrinth has always been a much revered symbol for Mother Earth.

Today, labyrinths are believed to enhance right brain activity, balance the body’s energy system, and of course, help you relax. “Walk the labyrinth and I guarantee you will feel some positive effect,” Milligan says, noting that even those in wheelchairs can participate. “We made sure that our labyrinth is open and accessible to everyone.”

And no, you don’t have to be a church member or even a Christian to enjoy it. “There’s never a fee, and there’s never an expectation that you have to join the church,” Milligan says. “We’ve just tried to create a place where people can come to get away for a while, and we truly do view it as a gift to the entire North County community.”

On May 1, Milligan and his congregation are taking their gift one step further by hosting a festival celebrating World Labyrinth Day. Members of local African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches, who have been working with their own temporary labyrinths, are helping to organize the event, and Milligan expects to draw quite a crowd.

“It just amazes me how many positive things happen around the labyrinth, without us really doing anything purposefully,” he says. “All kinds of people are drawn to it, and now we’re even bringing people of different cultures and religions together. Really, it’s done so much more than we ever anticipated.”

Want to experience the Zion Labyrinth yourself? It’s located behind Zion United Church of Christ, 5710 N. Hwy 67, 63034, and is open every day, sunrise to sunset.

Volunteers hunt for litter along the Missouri River at the 2009 Confluence Trash Bash. This year's clean-up is scheduled for March 27. Credit: Dan Zarlenga, MDC

During 2009, volunteers for the organization Missouri River Relief removed an astounding 57 tons of trash from the Missouri River and her tributaries. That included 636 tires, 370 bags of recyclables, 11 refrigerators and a very long list of other items that have absolutely no business being in our waterways.

When you consider that North County borders two major rivers, each fed by numerous smaller streams, it should be no surprise that littered waterways are a big concern here. That’s why several local groups have come together to sponsor the Confluence Trash Bash, a day when volunteers just like you can help to clean up sites all over NoCo.

Hosted by Trailnet, the Confluence Partnership and Metropolitan Sewer District, this year’s event will tackle trash pick-up along the Mississippi and Missouri as well as at various locations in Maline Creek and Cold Water Creek. You can volunteer to work from either the water or the land, and everyone who participates gets free lunch.

To keep things fun, trash artists will also be on hand to create recycled art from some of the objects found, and prizes will be awarded for the largest, weirdest and most valuable items discovered during the pick-up.

If you’d like to sign up, you can register here. The 2010 Confluence Trash Bash will be held Saturday, March 27, from 8:30am to 12:30pm. Crews will meet at the Chain of Rocks Bridge and spread out from there.

One of North County's many historic homes: the Bockrath-Weise house in St. Ferdinand Park, as depicted by local artist Daniel Fishback*

Owning an older home can be a great adventure and a rich learning experience. But as I’ve discovered with my own 108-year-old dwelling, it can also be quite a challenge, both to your time and to your bank account. That’s why I’m pleased to let all the historic house owners out there know: Help is on the way!

This Saturday, the Ferguson Landmarks Commission is hosting Renovate Ferguson: Spring Home Design Workshop, where experts will be on hand to answer all kinds of questions: What’s the architectural style of my home? What are the dos and don’ts to retain my home’s value? How do I conserve energy in my older home? Where can I find renovation resources?

You can ask all this and more at this free workshop, and be sure to bring a photo of your house for one-on-one advice! Anyone with a vested interest in preserving North County’s historic real estate is invited to attend – Saturday, March 6, from 9:30am-noon at Ferguson Middle School, 701 January Ave, 63135. For more info, call Ferguson City Hall at (314) 521-7721.

(*Artist Daniel Fishback, whose painting is featured above, can create a one-of-a-kind painting of your home too. Read more about his work here.)

Quite possibly the oldest fencing club west of the Mississippi, the St. Louis Fencers Club meets every Thursday night in North County.

If you ever find yourself in a church basement in Charlack, surrounded by sword-wielding men in masks and tight white pants, don’t worry. It’s only the St. Louis Fencers Club.

Since 1904, when legend has it that athletes training for the St. Louis Olympics first formed the group, it has attracted fencing enthusiasts from all over the metro area, each eager to learn the skills and subtle nuances of this ancient and intriguing sport.

The original St. Louis Fencers Club, which was based in Clayton, merged with the North County Fencers Club in the early 1990s, and weekly meetings have been held in NoCo pretty much ever since. These days, club members gather every Thursday at Stephan Memorial Methodist Church, just east of 170 at St. Charles Rock Road, and they come from nearly every walk of life and every corner of St. Louis.

Pat Dorsey, the current club organizer, is a writer from Webster Groves. The night I visited, he was joined by a West County surgeon, a Millstadt, Illinois, printer, a South City administrative assistant, a Ferguson retiree, and an interesting mix of probably ten other fencers who spanned all ages and backgrounds.

“What I love about fencing is that it’s a sport you can do your entire life,” says Millstadt’s Pearce Wilson, a scout leader who brought along two of the group’s youngest members, including sixteen-year-old Brett Beusink. “You might change the way you fence over time, but you can still fence even when you’re well into your seventies.”

“People assume that fencing is like what you see in Zorro or Robin Hood, but that’s movie stuff,” Dorsey adds. “In reality, you learn to become more efficient over time, and your movements become more conserved.” As an example, he points to club member Carl Herkstroeter, who at 73 is still considered one of the group’s toughest competitors.

“Carl is always in the right place,” Dorsey says. “He can move inches and score while other people will move a foot.”

Fencing Basics

In fencing, points are earned when your weapon makes contact with the opponent’s body. And yes, for one of the three varieties of fencing, that’s any part of the body. “If someone left their foot wide open and you hit it, that definitely wouldn’t be considered a cheap shot,” Dorsey says. “Fencing is about being cunning and stealth, and looking for that tiny window of opportunity. You never know where it’s going to be.”

The sport we know as modern fencing stems from Renaissance-era rapier dueling, which was a common and usually fatal way of settling disputes in Europe. Back then, the blade had a sharp edge. Today, fencers have a choice of three blunt-edged weapons, each with distinct rules and scoring targets, and they duel with them in an area measuring 15 yards by two yards – roughly the size of hallways in medieval castles.

Their first sword, the foil, originally a practice weapon for the rapier, has a slender, 35-inch blade that is often outfitted with a push-button electronic tip. Many fencers wear a vest made of metallic thread, which gets wired (via a long cord) into the electronic scoring system and lets it know if the foil’s tip hits a valid target on the torso.

Less flexible than the foil but equally sized is the epee, a triangular blade whose tip can score points on any part of the body. Fencers can also choose to duel with a sabre (the most pirate-looking sword in the bunch), which scores points anywhere above the waist, with either the tip or the “cutting” edge.

Members of the St. Louis Fencers Club practicing their footwork

A Rich History

“The sword is a weapon of honor in nearly every world culture,” Dorsey days. “Sabres, in particular, have been used by swordsmen and even soldiers for hundreds of years.”

Around the turn of the 20^th century, fencing for sport became very popular, especially with high-society women, who would often compete wearing skirts. Appearing at the first modern Olympics in 1896 and every Olympic Games ever since, it gained a sizable following in St. Louis, where teams from both the North Side and Central YMCAs sent talented swordsmen to the 1904 world championships. In 1901, the North Side YMCA even hosted a bout between one Mr. T.R. McGowan and Miss Julia Laughlin.

Perhaps it was these early YMCA athletes who founded the St. Louis Fencers Club? Records confirming that have yet to be discovered. Or maybe the club was founded a bit later by Arvilla Droll, the woman widely credited with bringing yoga to St. Louis, who also happened to be a champion fencer and fencing teacher. Her 1990 obituary says she was the club’s founder…though I’m not sure current members really mind either way.

The weapons of fencing: A) the epee, B) the sabre and C) the foil

An Intense Workout

Kathy Pogue, one of a handful of women who belong to the St. Louis Fencers, says that she enjoys fencing because it’s an incredible workout for both the body and the mind. She started coming to meetings with her ex-boyfriend five years ago and for most of that time she was the club’s only female.

“The guys were very welcoming from day one,” she says. “Because I’m so much smaller than most of them, my challenge is to try to get inside their reach,” noting that height and long limbs are a definite advantage in fencing.

“A lot of this relies on explosive power, so men do have some advantage,” Dorsey adds. “But then again, women can conserve their movements, and they’re often smaller targets.”

Pogue wears a protective chest plate when she duels. Like everyone else in the club, she also dons a protective helmet, thick gloves and a heavy white top that vaguely resembles a straight jacket. Apparently, the white uniform is a hold-over from the days prior to electronic scoring, when hits were verified by how many ink-tipped blades landed their target.

And does it hurt when the blade lands? Absolutely, says Pogue, who has gotten her fair share of bruises. Knee and ankle injuries are also not unusual in fencing, according to Dorsey. But he insists that the sport’s signature white jacket, or croissard, really does protect quite well. “It’s made of Kevlar so it’s made to stop things from penetrating,” he says. “Honestly, you’re more likely to pull your groin than get stabbed with a foil.”

Fencing is all about honing technique, so part of every weekly meeting of the St. Louis Fencers is devoted to practicing footwork. Members bend their knees in a wide “on-guard” stance, then move forwards and backwards again and again and again, as if they were dueling. Talk about a muscle burn.

Expert Guidance

Many in the club practice together informally, dueling multiple opponents and discussing tips and strategy. Members trickle in over the course of the evening, casually chit-chatting and seemingly ignoring the fact that swords are swinging everywhere!

In one corner of the room, five members are taking a private class from Hossam Hassan (above, in black), former coach of the Egyptian Olympic fencing team. In another corner, a group of fencers is talking about an upcoming tournament and admiring new swords that someone just purchased off the internet.

“You really have to buy the equipment online, but it isn’t that expensive,” Pogue says. A starter set can run anywhere from $125 to $195. On top of that, club dues are $75, but you don’t have to pay those right away. You also don’t have to show up with your own equipment on your very first night.

“We’re always happy to welcome newcomers at our meetings,” Dorsey says. “If you have workout clothes, tennis shoes and a leather work glove, we can provide everything else. It’s just great to be able to introduce more people to fencing.”

Right now, the St. Louis Fencers Club has about 25 active members, most of whom just participate in the sport recreationally. Sometimes, for fun, they’ll cover themselves in balloons and have a mass duel, and the last one standing with an unpopped balloon is the winner.

“This group is really about fun and fellowship,” Dorsey says. “At one point, all of us were new to the sport, and even the old-timers are still always learning, so we come together to help each other improve. If you want to learn about fencing, no matter who you are, you are always welcome here.”

The St. Louis Fencers Club meets every Thursday, 6:30-10pm, in the basement of Stephan Memorial Methodist, 2730 Walton Road, 63114. For more info, visit the club’s website.

• Vacant since late 2008, Ferguson’s former Circuit City building may have a new owner soon: St. Louis Community College. The school’s board of trustees is currently weighing a proposal to purchase the $2 million property, which is adjacent to the Flo Valley campus, and convert it into a job training center. Recently the college has received $3.2 million in grants for “green jobs” training, and officials there are looking to expand existing workforce development programs and possibly introduce others, which the new building would allow them to do.

Just around the corner from the old Circuit City, another exciting real estate development is coming soon. The Ferguson Wal-Mart is being converted into a Supercenter! Groundbreaking for the demolition and re-build begins March 20.

• In an effort to spur economic development and revitalization along Natural Bridge Road, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments is working with several local municipalities to develop a long-range improvement plan for the street. Elected officials and other area stakeholders have been meeting with consultants to hash out design ideas and potential upgrades as part of the Natural Bridge Great Streets Initiative, and for the first time this Thursday, the public will have a chance to participate.

Focusing on the 3.8-mile corridor between 170 and Lucas and Hunt, the project will develop a land use plan that incorporates ways to beautify Natural Bridge and make it more pedestrian-friendly. If you’d like to learn more about phase one of the initiative and contribute your input, be sure to attend the public meeting: Thursday, March 4, from 4-8pm in UMSL’s JC Penney Auditorium.

Dividing Natural Bridge into three distinct zones, the Great Streets Initiative aims to build on existing assets while also adding new improvements.

• The Old Ferguson West Community Garden recently won a competitive grant from Gateway Greening to cover the cost of building five new raised garden beds. Coordinators Larry and Heather Robinett plan to build a total of 15 beds this season, and already 12 of those are spoken for. In less than a year, garden volunteers have installed a water tank at the site, built a compost bin, and planted hedges, grape vines and apple trees. Look for even more progress in 2010! Congratulations and awesome work, OFW Garden!

Adam Sturgeon

• Looking to have fun and support some great local causes at the same time? Then head to one (or both!) of these upcoming fundraisers:

First up is the Adam Sturgeon Benefit on March 6, a day of games, good food and live music to help a 26-year-old NoCo man who’s fighting a rare form of lymphoma and will soon need a bone marrow transplant. To be held at VFW Post 4105 at 410 rue St. Francois, this event will feature a BB shoot, raffles, 50/50 draws and pot shot cards. And of course, proceeds go toward Adam’s rising medical expenses. For more info or to make a donation, contact Greg and Joan Lohman at (314) 703-1737. The benefit runs from noon to 7pm.

Two weeks later, on March 20, get ready for a swingin’ evening of dancing and fine drinks as Ferguson’s historic Savoy theater is transformed into “Club Savoy” for one night only! Guests at this nightclub-inspired fundraiser benefiting Blessed Teresa of Calcutta School should come dressed to impress and ready to dance to three decades worth of groovin’  music. Light snacks and a martini bar will also be available, along with silent auction items. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and you can purchase them at Ferguson Style & Spa, Thyme Table Cafe and BTC School or by calling (314) 521-2545. Doors open at 7pm. The Savoy is located at 119 S. Florissant Road.

• Are you an entrepreneur with an innovative, highly marketable product or service? If so, you can enter the 2010 St. Louis Regional Business Plan Competition for a chance to win up to $50,000 in seed money. Only companies with $100,000 or less in annual revenue are eligible, and you must enter soon! The deadline for submitting business plans is March 9.

• Kudos to the St. Louis American for being the only local news outlet (until now) to cover a story that has the potential to affect every single person in North County. Earlier this month, the paper followed a group of residents and St. Louis City aldermen as they toured the West Lake landfill at St. Charles Rock Road and 270, where illegally dumped radioactive waste threatens to contaminate the local drinking water.

The radioactive material originally came from Mallinckrodt Chemical, which once produced uranium for atomic bombs, and it was dumped just a few miles upstream from the intakes that supply ALL of the drinking water in North County and some in St. Louis City.

My grandfather worked at Mallinckrodt for 45 years, longer than almost any other employee, and he was there during the Manhattan Project days when uranium was being made. He has told me many times about chemicals and other toxic materials being carelessly dumped, and in fact, he and other longtime workers have received financial settlements to compensate for the cancerous tumors and other serious health issues they’ve endured as a result of working at Mallinckrodt and handling these substances.

In other words, these are very dangerous materials we’re talking about, and unfortunately, they are already in contact with our groundwater. Let’s hope that elected officials in Bridgeton, where the landfill is located, can work with other North County leaders to address this problem before it gets even worse.