All Entries in the "Get Involved" Category
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.
NAC seeks entries for FloTown mural competition
Let this exquisite creation from Montreal inspire you. Old Town Florissant is seeking ideas for a new mural on rue St. Francois.
For at least ten years, I’ve been talking about commissioning a mural in downtown Ferguson, and I’m not the only one. We’ve kicked around lots of concepts – maybe a “ghost sign,” like an old advertisement, or perhaps something that commemorates local history. I honestly don’t care. I just know how striking a good mural can be, and that some communities even use murals to drive economic development and tourism.
That’s why I say BRAVO to Florissant Old Town Partners for teaming with the Northern Arts Council to sponsor a mural competition! Designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Valley of Flowers festival, this 12-foot x 30-foot installation will grace an exterior wall along rue St. Francois and “contribute to a lasting artistic presence on a public scale.”
All artists within a 50-mile radius of North County are invited to submit ideas, with the winner receiving a $500 prize. The general theme may be historical or contemporary but it must relate to the city of Florissant and/or the Valley of Flowers, with references to buildings, people and/or physical features.
For ideas, you may want to visit Historic Florissant. Or just think about all the great subject matter out there – the confluence, St. Ferdinand Shrine, Father DeSmet, Shoveltown, Casa Alvarez, Taille de Noyer, the old common fields, even Dick Weber!
A selection committee will judge mural submissions based upon theme, concept and overall design, and the winning design will be executed and painted by a muralist and may be modified or re-interpreted at the discretion of the selection committee. Designs become exclusive property of Old Town Partners and artists relinquish all rights to them. The tentative unveiling date is May 1, 2012, and there will be a reception honoring the designer and muralist.
If you want to submit a mural design, it should be in a scale of 1 inch to 1 foot (essentially 12″ high x 30″ wide) and saved as a JPEG, with a file size no larger than 4MB. Include a $10 entry fee per design, with a check made out to the Northern Arts Council. Also include your name and contact info.
Limit two entries per artist. DEADLINE: March 30, 2012 @ midnight. Mail submissions to: Northern Arts Council, P.O. Box 11015, Ferguson MO 63135.
By the way, check out this video of the Montreal mural being created. It should definitely provide some inspiration….
Let’s go, North County! From couch to 5K…
Live Well Ferguson's annual Twilight 5K is coming up May 19, and it's not too late to get ready! These free local training programs can help you boost your fitness.
“Don’t let the mark you make on the world be a dent in the couch.”
I saw that in a magazine ad once, and it still makes me laugh. It also inspires me to want to get off my butt and finally compete in the Live Well Ferguson Twilight 5K, not just the fun run. NOCO is a sponsor, after all, and I know I can handle the 3.1 miles, even if I have to walk most of it. So what you say, NOCO fans? Are you ready to get off the sofa with me??
In years past, Ferguson had just one Couch to 5K training program, led by the wonderful Pat Shelton, who has turned dozens of local residents into happy, healthy runners. This year, not only is Pat back, but a second program led by Marius Johnson of Beyond Housing will be available as well. Both C25K programs focus on gradually developing endurance to complete a 5K within two months, and both are FREE.
Pat’s group meets Monday evenings, 6pm, at Forestwood Park in Ferguson. Marius & his Beyond Housing crew meet Saturday mornings, 9am, at St. Vincent Park near Bel-Nor. Runners and walkers of all fitness levels are welcome!
To sign up for the Ferguson Couch to 5K program, which starts March 19, contact Pat Shelton at patshelton60@yahoo.com. To sign up for the Beyond Housing program, which starts March 24, contact Marius Johnson at (314) 882-6550 or mjohnson@beyondhousing.org.
By the way, have you noticed all the healthy eating options around Ferguson lately? I knew Cork and the Brewhouse had healthy menu options as part of the Eat Well Ferguson initiative, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear that good ol’ Faraci Pizza has also jumped onboard. They’re now serving a fresh veggie pizza on a whole grain crust!
For more info about Eat Well Ferguson, Live Well Ferguson or the Twilight 5K, jump on over to the Live Well website. I would love to see you walking in the 5K beside me!
Here’s a “souper” way to help the Metamo4ic
With its former home severely damaged in the Aprill 2011 tornado, Ferguson's Metamo4ic Math Center is looking to re-open at a new location, following some serious fundraising and a "green" renovation.
When a tornado swept through North County last April, leaving a path of destruction from Bridgeton to Bellefontaine Neighbors, it wasn’t just houses that bore the brunt of it. Several churches were hit hard as well, including the First Baptist Church of Ferguson, which had generously donated its entire third floor to the nonprofit Metamo4ic Math Center.
This kid-friendly math museum, which was featured on NOCO back in 2010, is a wonderful labor of love from teacher Vicki Adams, who cashed in her pension to open it and built all of the exhibits herself. Largely destroyed in the tornado, the Metamo4ic had an uncertain future for a while there. But now, thanks to a kind donation from Sportsprint’s Ralph Rockamann, the math center has a new home at 123 S. Florissant Road, the site of the former Ferguson Bowling Lanes.
Of course, there is a bit of a catch. The property needs about $700,000 worth of renovation, which the small nonprofit must raise in order to re-open. But the good news is, YOU CAN HELP!
This Saturday, January 28, the Metamo4ic is hosting a fundraiser at Dick Weber Lanes called the Souper Bowl, in which teams compete for cash prizes in two different contests. The first contest is a mix between crazy bowl and football, and could land your team 300 bucks. The second is a soup competition that yields $100 for the winner.
If you’d like to participate, the cost is $150 per six-person team plus a crockpot full of your best soup. And don’t worry if you can’t pull a whole group together. There’s also a “potluck” team for individuals, at a cost of $25 per person. All are welcome!
To register or get more info, contact Vicki Adams at (314) 807-3290.
The Souper Bowl is January 28, 1-4pm, at Dick Weber Lanes, 4575 Washington, 63031.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K