All Entries in the "People" Category
Think Pink: a FloTown landmark now for sale
You know you've seen it - the old pink farmhouse with a big ol' barn, just steps from North New Florissant Road. Here's the story on this unique local landmark...
In the early 1970s, Frank and Sandy Tricamo went looking for adventure. The parents of five children, they wanted to do something that involved the entire family, so they purchased a condemned house on New Florissant Road and proceeded to launch a major renovation.
Built around 1844 by Sidney Harris and later occupied by Joseph Stroer, one of Florissant’s early mayors, the home was originally just one room measuring 18 square feet. But over the years, it had grown to a seven-room, two-story structure, much of which was in very poor condition by the time the Tricamos got involved.
Frank and his sons replaced the rotting lumber, shored up the stone foundation and removed the old mud and straw insulation from behind the walls, but their plan was not to remodel. It was to restore the home’s historical integrity and capture a glimpse of life in early Florissant.
They used wood to heat the house and pumped water into large pots in the kitchen. They also installed a Charter Oak cast-iron stove, which runs on wood and natural gas, and has no temperature gauges. It took a while, but Sandy eventually learned to cook by sight, touch and instinct.
The Tricamos still love their rustic kitchen, adorned with numerous antiques.
Elsewhere in the house, Frank used materials salvaged from other buildings to complete the renovation – tin ceilings, wide-plank floors, colorful stained glass windows. At one point, he even installed an inground pool and laid huge stone slabs to create a tranquil patio space.
With most of the major work completed, the Tricamos continued to collect antique furniture and other items, sometimes hauling treasures home on their Harleys. Over time, that resulted in the incredible masterpiece you see today – a truly unique, artistic home that feels like a place lost in history.
Frank and Sandy have lived there nearly 40 years now, so it should come as no surprise that these brave pioneers are finally ready for a new adventure. They put their house on the market last week, and they’re hoping to find a new owner who loves it as much as they do.
Here’s a peek at their gorgeous yard and a pic of the house in its early days. Follow this link to see dozens of additional photos showing inside and out….
1089 North New Florissant is currently listed by Jane Quartuccio of Circa Properties for $286,500. It has 3 bedrooms & 2 baths in 2,050 square feet.
Local student earns full scholarship to Princeton
I am continually amazed at the exceptional students coming out of North County’s supposedly terrible public schools. Here’s yet another local graduate with a very bright future ahead. Nez Savala has the full story….
Last fall, at the start of her senior year in high school, Brittney Watkins applied to 13 colleges. She applied to Princeton University, Yale, Harvard, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Duke University and Georgetown University.
A few weeks ago, she accepted a full scholarship to Princeton, her top choice. She will major in politics and work toward certification in Latin American studies.
“I want to be a lawyer, and then become a senator,” said Watkins.
Watkins, who attends Hazelwood West High School, is senior class vice president, a member of National Honor Society and Tri M, and is the Soprano II Choir section leader. She is involved in her church and the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA). She was selected as one of 48 “outstanding” students in St. Louis City and County to serve on the Missouri 1st District Congressional Youth Cabinet (CYC), led by U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay. The cabinet advises Clay and his staff on key national and local issues that impact young people.
“The scholarship means a lot. One of the reasons I applied is because of their large endowment. They want to make sure students can attend, no matter their socio-economic background,” she said.
Her family is “very excited” about her scholarship. “It takes away worry about how to pay for my education because everything is covered.”
Besides Princeton, Watkins received scholarship offers from Pennsylvania, Georgetown, Richmond, Northwestern, and American Universities. She received more than a half-million dollars in offers – $554,547.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Watkins said of her upcoming graduation. “My dream is coming to fruition. Another chapter of my life is beginning, but I can only celebrate for a little while because I have a scholarship interview.” She is interviewing for a scholarship from a local organization.
This summer, Watkins will “take a break and rejuvenate so that when I go off to school, I can be fully ready.” On Saturday, May 19, she will graduate with the class of 2012.
Hazelwood Central senior earns acceptance to MIT
Luther Banner, a senior at Hazelwood Central High School, will fulfill his dream of attending prestigious MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
For all the grief that North County schools receive, you might be surprised to know that the Hazelwood School District has been quietly building an award-winning robotics program. It is so successful, in fact, that one of the students on the Hazelwood Central team recently received a rare invitation to study mechanical engineering at MIT, the #1 ranked university in the world for engineering and technology! HSD’s Diana Gulotta shares his inspiring story…
Every college-bound high school senior has aspirations of getting accepted to the college of his dreams, and when the dream becomes a reality, it takes a little getting used to. Luther Banner, a senior at Hazelwood Central High School, is on the verge of experiencing his dream of attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In mid-December, the school released its early action decision list online. A few days after seeing his name on the list, he got a shiny, silver cylindrical package from MIT containing a formal acceptance letter, confetti, balloons, stickers and information about the school. The package arrived just before Christmas.
“It’s pretty surreal for me. It hasn’t settled in that I’ve been accepted to MIT,” said Banner, noting that only 11 percent of students are accepted for early action. “It’s still shocking. It’s my dream school.”
Banner plans to accept the offer from MIT to study mechanical engineering. He said MIT will offer him a scholarship, but he is researching other scholarship opportunities too. He was also accepted to Georgia Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
“My grandmother and mom are really excited. They pretty much told me that they knew I was going to get in, but I was worried about it,” he said. “I wasn’t 100 percent sure I’d get accepted. It’s a highly competitive school to get into. I was thinking about the other kids that I’d be up against for admission.”
Banner is a notable student, taking five advanced placement (AP) classes this year – calculus, senior English, government, Spanish IV and physics. He is a co-captain of the RoboHawks robotics team, and last spring, he was nominated and received the FIRST Dean’s List Award at the FIRST Robotics Competition St. Louis Regional.
Banner and his teammates on the Hazelwood Central RoboHawks demonstrated their robotics skills at a St. Louis Cardinals game last year.
FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – is a “thrilling and unique spectator sport experience in which teams of high school students solve an engineering design challenge through imagination, dedication, teamwork and the help of their robotic friends.” The RoboHawks won the event and qualified to participate in the FIRST National Championship, which took place in St. Louis. (in NoCo actually, at St. Louis Community College – Flo Valley)
During the championship competition, Banner was named to the FIRST Dean’s List, an honor recognizing 10 students from the United States and abroad for their leadership and dedication to FIRST. Of the 10 selected, only two were juniors – Banner and a student from Rhode Island. Winners received a long list of prizes, including a BlackBerry Playbook tablet, a BlackBerry Torch mobile phone, a Nike book bag with a shirt and hat, gift cards to JC Penney and Starbucks, a Kindle e-reader, a flip camera, software and a trip to New Hampshire to the FIRST headquarters.
Being named as a Top 10 student involved in robotics certainly didn’t hurt his chances of realizing his dream. “It helped,” he said. “MIT was always the school in the back of my head. I knew it was tough to get in. I didn’t view it as a reality at first, but I decided to apply at the end of my junior year.”
Banner went to New Hampshire in August, during the first week of school in HSD. While there, the students toured MIT, but at this point, he had no idea what his future would hold.
Fast forward to the present and Banner seems quietly humbled, yet excited, about what’s to come. The robotics team is preparing for the competition season and plans to participate in events in Kansas City and St. Louis. The team is working toward earning the prestigious Chairman’s Award, presented to the team that best represents a model for other teams to follow and embodies the goals and purpose of FIRST.
Banner said the team is trying to enhance the awareness of FIRST and be an “inspiration to the community and the District.” When he goes to college, he said he will “miss everything” about robotics.
“I plan to find a team to help mentor. It’s an environment and an atmosphere that you can’t get away from,” he said. “I’ll miss being on a team. To see that you built something that great with your own hands is exhilarating.”
Banner gives credit to “every teacher I’ve had who pushed me to work as hard as I can” in getting him to where he is today. He especially gives thanks to Catherine Sylve, a former teacher at HCHS and RoboHawks sponsor, for “making” him get involved in robotics. Sylve continues to be actively involved with the team. He also gives thanks to retired Spanish teacher Carol Villalobos for encouraging him to apply to MIT.
As for his family, Banner is grateful to them for “believing in me and for all that they give up to support me.”
“My family has always said ‘Strive to be the best. If not, why do it?’ I try to live by that in everything I do.”
Photo Essay: Dave Naumann’s Native NoCo
An adventurer at heart, local attorney Dave Naumann likes going off the beaten path to explore the hidden natural areas of North County.
As the year closes out and I look back at all the reasons I’ve had to be grateful in 2011, I can’t help but think of you, dear NOCO readers. Since I launched this blog two years ago, I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing people, both here in North County and throughout St. Louis. Hundreds of you have emailed with story ideas or insightful comments, and quite a few have even offered to help. Thank you!
One of those generous “helpers” is David Naumann, a Florissant attorney and lifelong NoCo resident whose passion is hiking and biking North County’s many unspoiled pockets of wilderness. Dave knows the area’s trails and hidden pathways probably better than anyone, and lucky for us, he always brings a camera along.
He has been offering to share his images for months now, and I finally got a chance to pull them all together. I have to admit, some of them are so gorgeous, they even made me wonder if they’re really in North County. But of course they are!
Many thanks to Dave Naumann for these beautiful photos, and to everyone who read NOCO and supported North County this year! You are truly appreciated!! Enjoy…
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K