Sunday News Clips (a bit late): 5/12

As you’ve probably noticed by now, NOCO has undergone some big changes recently. I decided to update the site layout to allow for more efficient use of space, as well as improve navigation, speed up loading time, expand advertising options and introduce several new features, which will be added soon.

To be honest, I didn’t expect everything to go live immediately, so I’ve spent the past week playing catch up and tweaking small problems. You may still notice a few issues here and there (especially with photos on older posts), but I’m trying to get them resolved quickly. So thank you for your patience as I work to make NOCO the best North County resource it can be! Now, onto the news clips…

• Tom George, chancellor of UMSL, announced yesterday that the university is one step closer to raising the funds it needs to build a new College of Business Administration building. Helping to make a dent in its goal of $25 million, the school has received a donation of $500,000 from Ameren. It has also renewed its partnership with Washington University for the groundbreaking Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program, which allows students to take general education and pre-engineering classes at UMSL and then complete higher level engineering classes at Wash U.

• May 19 should be an interesting day in the city of Bridgeton. That’s when the city council will hold a public hearing on the proposed Walmart Supercenter, which Rock Road Development LLC would like to build on the site of the former Value City, just west of Highway 70 on St. Charles Rock Road. The developer is seeking up to $8 million in tax increment financing (TIF) and is also asking the city to use eminent domain to acquire a portion of the Garden Ridge parking lot.

Proponents of the Supercenter say it would bring $7 million in annual tax revenue to Bridgeton, beginning in 2012. Opponents say that if the Supercenter is built, the subsequent closing of the existing Walmart across from Northwest Plaza would result in a huge revenue loss for the city of St. Ann, likely prompting layoffs and cuts in municipal services.

To learn more about this proposed development, attend the public hearing on Wednesday, May 19, at 7pm. It will be held at Bridgeton City Hall, 11955 Natural Bridge, 63044.

Kirsten Gindler

• A big NOCO congratulations to Kirsten Gindler, a junior at Pattonville High School who recently won a prestigious essay contest sponsored by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Competing against students from all over the U.S., Kirsten stood out with her essay on Wesberry vs. Sanders, a pivotal Supreme Court ruling that established the principle of “one man, one vote.” As part of her award, she will travel to Washington D.C. this summer for a week-long congressional seminar on politics, government and foreign policy.

Madison Dennis

• Another big NOCO hat tip to Madison Dennis, a junior at Hazelwood West High School who recently won a free trip to Camp Broadway in New York. Nominated by her peers at COCA in University City, where she studies dance every day (!), Madison will spend one week this summer working with Broadway stage professionals on subjects like vocal training, choreography and scene studies.

• In other local school news, it’s time once again for the Teacher of the Year Awards. At Pattonville High School, the honor went to Julie Kampschroeder, a college and career counselor. In the Riverview Gardens School District, third-grade teacher Jackie Hinrichs earned the prize. In the Hazelwood School District, another third-grade teacher, Lesli Henderson, won. And in a special award just for space and science education, I’m very proud to report that my neighbor Steve Marsden, a fifth-grade teacher at Duchesne Elementary in the Ferguson-Florissant district, was named Teacher of the Year by the Challenger Learning Center, an honor given to only five teachers nationwide! (You can see a video clip of him receiving the award here.) Congratulations to all of these great educators!

Lesli Henderson, Hazelwood School District's 2010 Teacher of the Year, and her third-grade class at Lusher Elementary

• Want to do some good the next time you’re dining out? Two North County restaurants recently signed up for Enjoy a Tree, a St. Louis-based program that takes a small portion of what you spend on certain menu items and uses the funds to plant edible, nutrient-rich moringa trees in third world countries. Both Hill Brewing Company in Ferguson and Mattingly’s in Florissant are participating in the campaign, which has a goal of one million trees, so be sure to give them your business!

• Speaking of local restaurants, you may remember my recent feature on Mama’s Sweet Treats and Breads in Bel-Nor. I’m happy to report that you can now find Mama’s delicious bread in Ferguson too! Mike Lonero, always a big supporter of local businesses, is offering it at his restaurant Vincenzo’s.

Barbara Primm

• Spanish Lake resident Barbara Primm was featured in a nice write-up in the St. Louis American recently. An educational consultant and aspiring author, the one-time teen mom now helps students locate scholarships for college and runs a program called LEAP (Literacy and Education Applied with Purpose). She’s also working toward her doctorate degree in education. Awesome work, Barbara!

• If you won’t be in Ferguson this Saturday for the citywide yard sale, why not stop by the Bellefontaine Neighbors Bike Rodeo? Scheduled for 10am to 2pm at city hall (9641 Bellefontaine Rd), this free event sponsored by the Holy Name of Jesus Parish Youth Group will feature a bike riding skills course, free bike helmets, face painting, games, prizes, crafts and the chance to see a medical helicopter up close! All children ages 2-12 are welcome! In case of rain, the Bike Rodeo will be held on May 22.

• Finally, a huge thank you to my newest NOCO advertiser, Prudential Patterson Realtors! The largest locally owned real estate company in the area, “PruPat” is also a sponsor of the Live Well Ferguson Twilight 5K this Saturday, and its vice president, Rory Schwartz, is a lifelong NoCo resident. Please support this great local business!

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