All Entries in the "Community" Category
Want to make a difference in your community?
Here's what it looked like when several Pagedale residents came together to improve their neighborhood. What can you achieve in your own corner of NoCo?
In 2003, when my husband and I were going door to door in the August heat, asking our neighbors if they wanted to help start a neighborhood association, we really had no clue what we were doing. Neither of us had experience in community organizing or starting a nonprofit, so we just kind of bumbled along until things fell into place. Looking back now, I can’t imagine how much easier it would’ve been had we only known about the Neighborhood Leadership Academy.
Launched by UMSL in 2002, this intensive continuing education program teaches people how to be proactive leaders in their community, covering topics like project planning, goal setting, communication, and of course fundraising. Spanning ten sessions from February to May, the NLA draws civic-minded folks from all across the region and has produced dozens of graduates who have gone on to make a real impact.
My awesome neighbor Heather Robinett went through the program, and she and her husband, Larry, ended up founding the Old Ferguson West Community Garden. I was also honored to be a speaker during last year’s NLA classes, and I heard about countless community projects and neighborhood initiatives that really knocked my socks off.
No doubt about it, if you want to be a successful community leader, this is the way to make it happen.
The next Neighborhood Leadership Academy starts in February, so you still have plenty of time to sign up. But in the mean time, check out this upcoming workshop sponsored by the NLA team. Called “Funding Your Neighborhood Project,” it takes place this Saturday, December 3, from 9am to 1pm. The cost is only $40, and you must register by December 1. If you’re interested, here’s the detailed info…
Join us to learn the tools and techniques to secure funding for your neighborhood project. Learn how to seek out a variety of funding opportunities and sources specific to your project. Become skilled in the art of persuasive writing as a tool for making your funding request successful.
This hands-on workshop is being offered in partnership with the Community Partnership Project’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy. It will provide you with real-world examples and take-aways that will help you get your neighborhood project started or expand an existing one. Whether you’re new to grant writing or fundraising, or a seasoned professional, this workshop is for you.
Grant writing consultant Wendy Dyer is once again sharing her expertise in grant prospecting and grant writing for this one day workshop. To read more about the workshop or Wendy, please visit this website. Light snacks will be provided.
If you have any questions, please call Kara at 314.516.6392 or email at lubischerk@umsl.edu. To register, please call Jennifer at 314.516.5994 or by email at clementecrarenj@umsl.edu.
More North County nostalgia on the way…
As every good NOCO fan knows, my main goal with this blog is to showcase what’s going on in North County today. It’s not that I don’t like history or nostalgia. Exactly the opposite really. I just don’t think it helps our cause to constantly focus on what North County used to be, or to talk about the community as though it’s nothing but a has-been.
Also, I’m not a baby boomer. So needless to say, I was not among the 6,500 people who eagerly scooped up copies of Cruizin’ North County, a 2008 book of NoCo memories and old photos authored by Craig Kaintz and Bill Kasalko.
But then I got a chance to meet Craig and Bill in person, and they turned out to be very nice guys. I discovered that Craig’s aunt, Kate Poelker, was actually the grade school teacher who first encouraged me to be a writer. (Love that woman!) I also learned that these former North County residents were working on a second book.
That was last year some time, and I just recently got word that their new book is done. Officially released yesterday, it’s called Let’s Go Cruizin’ Again, and just like the first one, it’s filled with North County nostalgia from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, including a wealth of great photos.
When Cruizin’ North County was published, Craig and Bill got a ton of media attention, and it looks like they’re set to repeat that. They’ll be on the Charlie Brennan Show the morning of November 23. You can also catch them at two local book signings: November 27, noon to 3pm @ the Cross Keys Barnes & Noble, and December 3, 11am – 1pm @ Nagle’s in Florissant. (Boomer favorite Bob Kuban will be at the Nagle’s event too.)
So, if you know someone who grew up in North County way back when, you might want to snag a copy of Let’s Go Cruizin’ Again. It’s available at local book sellers or through this website. And who knows? Maybe all this nostalgia will inspire some former NoCo residents to move back home…
Save our North County parks from closing!
A budget dispute at St. Louis County has threatened to close a number of North County's finest recreational gems, including Sioux Passage Park and its popular disc golf course. Photo: flickr/GuyFuNGo
Some call it a political game. Others say it’s a genuine crisis resulting from a bad economy. Whichever way you feel, one fact remains: Following St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley’s recommendation for significant budget cuts in 2012, some of North County’s most beautiful parks are scheduled to be closed.
Dooley’s plan to save $10 million and achieve a balanced budget calls for closing 23 of the county’s 50 parks, including several of the most exceptional and historically significant parks in the area. In NoCo, the closure list is outright brutal, and especially disappointing given that Dooley is a North County resident. On it are some of our most valuable local treasures…
- Fort Belle Fontaine – the site of the first U.S. military post west of the Mississippi, where Lewis & Clark camped both before and after their epic journey. Also home to unique WPA structures from the 1930s and incredible walking trails by the Missouri River.
- Larimore, Kinloch, Castle Point and Bon Oak – These smaller parks provide the only public recreation area in their respective neighborhoods.
- Sioux Passage Park – A 188-acre natural wonderland where you can fish, ski, hike, ice sled, play frisbee golf, and launch your boat into the Missouri River.
- St. Vincent Community Center & Park – This Normandy-area landmark sits in the shadow of one St. Louis’ most striking historical buildings. It’s also a vibrant community hub, offering swimming, playgrounds, bike trails and a rec center.
- North County Recreation Complex – St. Louis County recently spent $1.8 million upgrading the facilities here and the place has never looked better. Countless NoCo residents enjoy the Olympic-sized swimming pool, fishing lake and indoor basketball and volleyball courts.
If you agree that closing these parks would be a great detriment to our North County community, make sure your voice is heard! You have two options:
1) Attend the public hearing tomorrow, November 15, 6:30pm, in the St. Louis County Council Chamber, Administrative Building, 41 S. Central Ave., Clayton, 63105.
2) Contact your council reps directly……..Charlie Dooley: (314) 615-7016 or cdooley@stlouisco.com, District 1′s Hazel Erby: (314) 615-5436 or HErby@stlouisco.com, District 2′s Kathleen Burkett: (314) 615-5437 or KBurkett@stlouisco.com, District 4′s Mike O’Mara: (314) 615-5439 or MOmara@stlouisco.com.
In case you’re interested, there’s also an online petition to save the county parks. And here’s a list of other links (Facebook pages, etc) where you can support the parks as well.
Ferguson created a “Better Block.” What now?
Ah, the joys of a flea market! Could this be the next big thing in Ferguson?
Well, the Better Block Project came and went this weekend, drawing a steady stream of visitors to downtown Ferguson. Several temporary businesses and sidewalk vendors sprouted up for the day, including my own little antique store, Raw, which nearly sold out! Thank to you all the NOCO fans who came to shop. It was so great to meet you and to send you home with some fun new treasures!
Many of you asked me if I plan to open a real store in the future, and for the time being the answer is no. But I have to say, I did find the whole experience super enjoyable and now I’m inspired to keep the ball rolling…
When I lived in Los Angeles, one of my favorite haunts was the Rose Bowl Flea Market, a massive monthly event that draws upward of 15,000 shoppers. Just like our own Gypsy Caravan here in St. Louis, the Rose Bowl hosts hundreds of independent vendors selling an absolutely staggering variety of furniture, antiques, vintage clothing and handmade items. High-end decorators shop there. So do artists, Hollywood set designers and all manner of people looking for great deals on unique and recycled finds.
Over its 40-year-history, the Rose Bowl Flea Market has become a true destination, not to mention a powerful economic driver for the city of Pasadena. It allows regular people who can’t afford to open a shop the perfect venue for selling their items – a particular boon during this changing economy. More importantly, it’s a blast!
Flea markets bring communities together and encourage people to get creative (and go green) rather than always buying something brand new. Which is why I’m just gonna jump right in and say it….I think it’s time for a flea market in Ferguson!
Sure, the idea has been kicked around before but it has never really gained any traction. Apparently some residents think it might “junk up” the area and attract the “wrong” kind of people, which of course is bunk. Properly organized, with an emphasis on antiques and artisan items, a monthly flea market could be a HUGE success, drawing an eclectic mix of shoppers from all over the St. Louis area, including folks who would probably never come to North County otherwise.
Those people will eat at our restaurants, see our beautiful neighborhoods and hopefully go away with a more positive view of Ferguson. It’s a win-win. So what do you think, NOCO fans? I’m in if you are! I’ll even volunteer to organize the flea market, just as long as the city green-lights it.
If you have any interest in being a potential vendor, please leave a comment below or shoot me an email at shannon@NOCOstl.com with “flea market” in the subject line. I’d just like to gauge the general interest before I actually start to dive in. Thanks again!
