All Entries in the "Community" Category
Get a sneak peek at the “Spanish Lake” movie
Confronting North County's history of racial tension head on, the new documentary "Spanish Lake" will be previewed on April 18.
As you may remember, NOCO fans, I wrote about the “Spanish Lake” documentary last July. That’s the film currently in production by NoCo native Phillip Andrew Morton, who is bravely tackling some very emotional and complicated issues by exploring the history of “white flight” in North County.
Morton grew up in Spanish Lake and now lives in Los Angeles, where he’s able to view St. Louis’ unique “cultural challenges” through a much broader lens. After spending the past year interviewing dozens of current and former residents, he has certainly riled up LOTS of people, but I happen to think that’s a good thing.
I hear from both sides of this saga all the time – the people who left North County and the people who stayed behind. I also hear from those who absolutely love living in NoCo, today. What I don’t get is, if you moved away, why do you feel the need to bash the place where I live, right now? And if you stayed but really wished you had left, well, that’s easy too. Go ahead and move. It’s not too late.
But to keep complaining over and over and over, blaming black people and HUD and whoever….that’s just not healthy. So let’s just pull this scab and get it over with. Yes, North County has changed. So has every other inch of the planet, because life IS change.
All we can do is learn from the mistakes of yesterday and hopefully develop better solutions for today. That’s where Morton’s film comes in.
Featuring a broad cross-section of viewpoints, from flat-out racism to an emotional stew of hopefulness, anger and malaise, the documentary uses personal stories to ultimately frame larger questions about race, class, migration patterns and government policies. It’s not quite done yet, but what you can see is a preview screening of extended clips, debuting at the Shuttered Film Fest on April 18.
Morton will be there to lead a discussion, as will producer Matt Jordan Smith. Admission is free.
“Spanish Lake” will be the first of four films presented during Open/Closed, a five-day conference focused on the problem of vacant properties in St. Louis. It will be screened Wednesday, April 18, 7:30pm, at the Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar Boulevard. All are welcome.
My Birthday Wish: a North County tool library
Happy spring, NOCO fans! What a beautiful day! Today is actually my 40th birthday, so you know what that means…. I get to make a wish!
I realize it’s supposed to remain a secret and all, but I think this is meant to be shared. That’s because my wish is for something we could all benefit from: a community tool library!
I’m sure you know how the regular library works: people borrow books & media on the honor system. Well, a tool library runs exactly the same way, except with home improvement supplies.
The first tool library in the US opened in 1976 in Columbus, Ohio, followed three years later by the Berkeley Tool Lending Library in California. Today, you’ll find nearly 40 others spread out across the country, most of which are volunteer-run and funded by grants and overdue fines.
Rental items can include hand & power tools, gardening tools, lawnmowers, ladders, home efficiency meters, paintbrushes, tape measures, automotive & bicycle tools, and more. Some tool libraries also offer classes & workshops, rent out DIY books & instruction manuals, and sell recycled building materials.
But the tools will get stolen! That’s what you’re thinking, right?
And yes, some of the tools will get stolen. Some will also get damaged. That’s just a fact of life in a library. But for a modest investment of $20-30,000, which many tool libraries have obtained through federal Community Development Block Grants, just imagine what a positive impact this could make in North County…
As a real estate agent, I see our local housing stock up close on a daily basis, and I can tell you one thing: We are in trouble. The vast majority of houses here are at least 50 years old, as you this census image shows:
That means they’re not exactly spring chickens. In fact, we have thousands of older homes needing significant deferred maintenance, and that problem is compounded by our high volume of rentals and foreclosures. Add in the demographic challenge of a population that’s getting older and poorer, and I think it’s pretty obvious that we need to do something to protect our North County neighborhoods.
So why not invest in them, and empower our residents at the same time? We have plenty of good people who want to make their homes nicer, who are willing to put in the sweat equity but just can’t afford all the tools. We also have a wealth of quality, affordable housing with great potential.
A tool library just makes sense here.
And it really makes sense in Ferguson, where there’s already a municipal library with an established inventory and patron system. Ferguson also has a proud history of innovative housing programs, a large pool of community volunteers, an untapped reserve of resident knowledge & donations, and a perfect little building at 320 S. Florissant Road (with apologies to FSBD).
So what do you say? Tool library anyone?
If you need more convincing, check out this resource page. And don’t miss this inspiring video….
Valley of Flowers Festival celebrates 50 years
Here's me and my Rambler in the 2010 Valley of Flowers parade, with Stonehenge on the roof. Just wait 'til you see what's in store for 2012!
Several readers have asked me if I plan to participate in the Valley of Flowers parade again this year, and my answer has always been the same: Let’s wait and see what the theme is. Well, the theme has been announced – Valley of Flowers Celebrates 50 Years of Festivals – and I can’t tell you how excited I am!
Why? Because the event committee is letting parade participants choose from all the previous themes of the past 39 years!
Valley of Flowers has actually been celebrated every year since 1963, making this the 50th anniversary, but themes weren’t introduced until 1973. So check out this list of gems to choose from. I have it narrowed down to two for my parade entry, but how about you? What creative masterpiece can you dream up?
- 1973 That Wonderful Year -
Remember? - 1974 Happiness Is…..
- 1975 Freedom
- 1976 1776, A Past to Remember, A Future to Mold
- 1977 Love is…..
- 1978 Florissant Sings
- 1979 A Child’s World
- 1980 Family Life in Florissant
- 1981 Friendship
- 1982 Festival of Nations
- 1983 Mother’s Day in Florissant
- 1984 Where Rivers Meet
- 1985 Florissant Salutes International Youth
- 1986 Florissant Celebrates 200 Years
- 1987 Silver Jubilee
- 1988 Mothers are Special
- 1989 Holidays in Florissant
- 1990 Wake Up to Missouri, Wake Up to Florissant
- 1991 My Favorite Book
- 1992 Florissant Travels Around the World
- 1993 Famous Mothers -
Real or Fiction - 1994 Florissant Salutes Competitive Sports
- 1995 America the Beautiful
- 1996 Florissant…Past, Present and Future
- 1997 Valley of Flowers…35 Years and Still Growing
- 1998 My Favorite Nursery Rhyme
- 1999 Florissant Salutes the 1900’s
- 2000 Valley of Flowers Celebrates 2000
- 2001 Favorite Cartoon Characters
- 2002 Valley of Flowers Festival Celebrates Its 40th Year
- 2003 Florissant Salutes America’s Heroes
- 2004 Valley of Flowers Celebrates the Lewis & Clark Expedition
- 2005 A Dream Vacation
- 2006 My Favorite Decade
- 2007 My Favorite State
- 2009 Florissant Goes to the Movies
- 2010 Florissant Salutes Landmarks of the World
- 2011 Valley of Flowers Mothers Love…..
If you want to register for the parade, which takes place Sunday, May 6, you have until April 6 to get your application in. The online form is right here. You can also call (314) 837-0033 for more info.
Personally, I’d love to see some really fun entries this year. With so many options, we have no excuses. And besides, happiness really is a motorized sofa, right?
Public input sought for sustainable regional plan
If you’re a resident of Ferguson or any of the surrounding communities mentioned above, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments wants to hear from you. This local nonprofit recently received a $4.7 million grant from the federal government, which will be used to “create a regional plan that builds the capacity of local and regional leaders to implement sustainable practices by sharing knowledge, best practices, and resources; connecting local, regional, state and federal planning efforts; and making federal and local investments more effective and efficient.”
In other words, they want to listen to citizen input and then develop long-term strategies to meet six core goals:
- Provide more transportation choices
- Promote equitable, affordable housing
- Enhance economic competitiveness
- Support existing communities
- Coordinate policies and leverage investments
- Value communities and neighborhoods
During this three-year process, there will be public meetings in 11 different Community Planning Areas. For our Ferguson area, the first meeting is tomorrow night, 6:30pm, at the St. Louis Community College Training Center, 3400 Pershall Road. If you live in Spanish Lake, Glasgow Village, Bellefontaine Neighbors or Riverview, your meeting is March 20, 6:30pm, at Trinity High School, 1720 Redman Road.
If you can make it to either of these events, wonderful! If not, you can still participate in the process by completing this community survey. You can also learn more about the St. Louis Regional Sustainable Communities project, which is what this whole thing is called, on the RPSD website.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K