All Entries Tagged With: "Bellefontaine Neighbors"
Election Day brings new leadership to NoCo
Among yesterday's winners: new mayors Tom Schneider in Florissant (left) and James Knowles in Ferguson. Prop S, to fund a firehouse, also passed in Ferguson.
Amid relatively low turnout, thousands of North County voters cast a ballot in local elections yesterday, choosing a handful of incumbents but mostly fresh faces.
In Ferguson, councilman James Knowles III was elected mayor with 49% of the vote, defeating local realtor Pearce Neikirk and former Ferguson mayor Steve Wegert. At 31 years old, Knowles will become one of the youngest mayors in St. Louis County, if not the entire state.
Also in Ferguson, voters approved Prop S by an overwhelming 74% margin, giving the city the go-ahead to spend up to $8 million on the construction of a new firehouse.
Over in Florissant, a six-way race for mayor resulted in longtime councilman Tom Schneider winning with 37% of the vote. Candidates Susan Geerling and Mark Behlmann came in second and third place, respectively, earning around 23% each. Schneider will be Florissant’s third mayor in nearly 50 years, succeeding current mayor and former police chief Bob Lowery. Schneider was endorsed by Lowery.
In Bridgeton, longtime mayor Conrad Bowers retained his seat, with 48% of the vote, as did Black Jack mayor Norman McCourt, with 61%. In Dellwood, Loretta Johnson captured 59% in the mayor’s race, beating Donald Haynes for the position long held by Jack Agnew, who is retiring after more than 40 years in public service.
In the Ferguson-Florissant school board elections, it was not a good year for incumbents. James Clark lost his seat after more than 30 years in a crowded race. Doris Graham is also out after 23 years, as is Les Lentz after six years. The newly elected board members are Chris Martinez, Paul Morris and Rob Chabot.
In the Hazelwood School District, incumbent board members Ann Gibbons and Charles “Chuck” Woods bested Nina Curry by six points. They will join newcomer Brenda Youngblood for the upcoming term.
When it came to bond issues, Jennings successfully passed Prop J, allowing the school district to borrow up to $11 million for the purpose of renovating and improving school buildings. Also in Jennings, Mayor Ben Sutphin retained the post he has held since 1995, winning 43% of the vote in a close race with Yolanda Fountain Henderson.
The mayor’s race wasn’t nearly as tight in Bellefontaine Neighbors, where former alderman Robert Doerr defeated four candidates, including three sitting aldermen. He will succeed Marty Rudloff, who has served as mayor for the past 20 years.
Jim McLaughlin is out as mayor of Pasadena Hills, losing to Scott Livingston, who got 60% of the vote. In St. Ann, former state rep Michael Corcoran was selected as the new mayor, narrowly beating Shawn Short.
Finally, in Kinloch, Keith Conway will keep the mayoral job he has held since 1999. He ran unopposed and received 100% of the 14 votes cast.
To see a comprehensive list of local election results, visit the St. Louis County Election Board.
War of 1812 Symposium returns to the Bissell House
History buffs will head to the General Daniel Bissell House in Bellefontaine Neighbors this weekend for the 21st annual War of 1812 in the West Symposium. Image by J.Pollack Photography.
In the early 1800s, when North County was still a part of the vast and rugged frontier known as the Louisiana Territory, Fort Belle Fontaine became the westernmost military installation in the United States. A former fur trading post built on land that once belonged to the Sac and Fox tribe, it served as a campsite for Lewis & Clark in 1804 and 1806, and was the regional Army headquarters during the War of 1812.
Daniel Bissell, a Revolutionary War soldier from Connecticut, was the commander at Fort Belle during this period, and he was responsible for constructing 30 new buildings at the site. In 1812, he also built a home for himself several miles south on Bellefontaine Road, and this weekend, the beautifully preserved General Daniel Bissell House is the site of the 21st annual War of 1812 in the West Symposium.
Sponsored by the 1st United States Infantry Clemson Company, St. Louis County Parks and the Friends of Fort Belle Fontaine, this free educational event runs Saturday and Sunday and is open to all. It includes the following lectures and activities:
Saturday, March 26
8:30am – Exhibits on the War of 1812 and Coffee, juice and rolls.
9:00 am – “Re-examining the raid on York, 27 April 1813″ by Rich Barbuto, Lt. Col. Retired, Author of Niagara, 1814 and Long Range Guns, Close Quarter Combat: The Third United States Artillery Regiment in the War of 1812, professor of History Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
10:00 am – “The 1st Infantry regiment at the Sortie of Fort Erie, Upper Canada, 1814″ by David Bennett, War of 1812 Symposium Coordinator, author of several articles on the War of 1812
11:00 am – “Martial Law: Occupied Detroit and the Michigan Territory, 1812-1813″ by Hal Youmans, Colonel Retired, Editor Journal War of 1812
Noon – Box lunch provided for attendees & presenters, courtesy of the Friends of Fort Belle Fontaine. Tour of the General Daniel Bissell home during the break, courtesy of St. Louis Parks.
1:30 pm – “Campaigning with David Murphy, Missouri Militia: The Peoria Indian War of 1813″ by Michael Harris, History Teacher, Editor of The Despatch.
2:30 pm – “The Missouria Indians During the War of 1812″ by Michael Dickey, author of Arrow Rock: Crossroads of the Missouri Frontier and to be released in 2011, The People of the River’s Mouth: In Search of the Missouria Indians. Site administrator Arrow Rock, Missouri, State Historic Site.
3:30 pm – “Anglo-Native Aims and operations in the War of 1812″ by Sandy Antal, Canadian Forces retired, Professor, Ontario, Canada. Author of A Wampum Denied: Procter’s War of 1812
4:30 pm – Symposium Closes. Attendees and Presenters, please join us as we dine at the Oatman House, 6 pm, 501 E. Main Street, Collinsville, Illinois 618-346-2326
Sunday, March 27
8:30 am – Exhibits on the War of 1812, coffee, juice and rolls
9:00 am – “Hoosiers, Ruskies, and The Battle for a National Icon” by Jeffrey Patrick, National Park Ranger, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield Park, Author of numerous articles on the War of 1812.
10:00 am – “Geology of the War of 1812: Terrain Influences on the Battle of the Sink Hole, MIssouri Territory” by Johnny Bertalott, undergraduate student, Department of Geography, Geology, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
11:00 am – “Recent Archaeology at Fort Madison, Iowa: The Battlefield and “Black Hawk’s Ravine” by John Doershuk, Iowa State Archaeologist
Noon: The 21st Annual Symposium Concludes.
The General Daniel Bissell House is located at 10255 Bellefontaine Road, 63137. For more info on the symposium, contact Dave Bennett at ebclemson@aol.com.
Maline Greenway plans to be unveiled 3/24 & 29
Suburban Avenue in Ferguson will eventually rest at the heart of the Maline Greenway, a proposed trail network spanning all across North County.
As I first mentioned back in October, the planning process is officially underway for the new Maline Greenway, an interconnected trail system that will run from the city of St. Louis all the way to Berkeley. Following the length of the historic Maline Creek, it will travel through Kinloch, Ferguson, Cool Valley, Jennings, Moline Acres, Riverview and unincorporated North County, ultimately linking the existing St. Vincent and Confluence Greenways and adding to the 600+ miles of trails that the local nonprofit Great Rivers Greenway has already completed.
Consultants from GRG have been busy soliciting citizen input and hammering out the details on the Maline project, and now they’re ready to share their results. During public open houses that start next week, they’ll lay out conceptual plans for the new trail and offer a glimpse at what each of the participating communities can expect.
“Our plan for Maline Greenway is intended to inspire citizens, developers, community organizations and local governments to work together to form an interconnected trail system along Maline Creek, providing children and families with a safe option for exercise, commuting and outdoor activities,” said Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway.
The first open house will be held March 24, from 6-8 pm at the Bellefontaine Recreational Center, 9669 Bellefontaine Road, 63137. The second open house will be held on March 29 from 6-8 pm, at Ferguson Middle School, 701 January Ave., 63135. All are welcome. Free snacks and children’s crafts will be available during the event.
If you can’t make it, you may want to check out this video from Great Rivers Greenway. It follows a bus tour of the proposed Maline route, with commentary provided by GRG staff. The sound kicks in around :49.
By the way, the photo at the top of this post shows last year’s Live Well Ferguson 5K. Just wait until this year’s event, when my colorful new Ferguson banners will line Suburban Avenue… Have you registered for the race yet? It’s May 14th.
It’s Mini Golf time in Bellefontaine Neighbors!
Open since 2004, the Bellefontaine Neighbors municipal miniature golf course offers 18 holes in a lush, private setting.
If you’re a NoCo native of a certain age, no doubt you remember Putt-Putt, the mini golf course/fun park whose huge fiberglass slide used to tower over Lindbergh and 270. I loved Putt-Putt! That’s why I was excited to discover that the spirit of that once delightful place is still alive and well in North County!
The slide and the carnies are long gone, of course. But tucked away behind the Bellefontaine Rec Center, you’ll find a magical slice of mini golf heaven, where anyone who wants to can come play 18 holes.
Open since 2004, the Bellefontaine Neighbors Miniature Golf Course is one of the few municipal courses in the entire state. Costing more than $200,000 to build, it was made possible by a donation from the Municipal Park Grant Commission and the hard labor of BN city employees, who did much of the construction work themselves.
Over a six-month period, they performed the grading, poured the concrete, and installed the greens, water features and landscaping – all while still completing their usual maintenance tasks around town. Impressively, they were even able to make the course’s first nine holes ADA-compliant, allowing even those in wheelchairs to play.
Originally, Bellefontaine Neighbors considered installing a skate park or perhaps more basketball courts, but mini golf won out because of its broad appeal. Today, nearly six years later, countless families, couples, senior citizens and even birthday party guests have benefited from that decision, using the course almost year round.
If you’re looking for some affordable fun, definitely head to Bellefontaine Neighbors! The city’s mini golf course, located at 9641 Bellefontaine Road, is open April through October, with hours Monday-Saturday 9am-8pm and Sunday 1pm-8pm. Non-resident admission is $3 for children 2-12 and $4 for ages 13 and up. For more info, call (314) 867-0700.
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K