All Entries Tagged With: "Jennings"
NoCo gets some love in new StL Guidebook
If you’re an out-of-town visitor to St. Louis and you go to one of the official tourism websites, you’ll probably notice a suspicious void in the northern parts of the metro area. Nothing to see here – that’s the message you get. And yet, those of us who live in NoCo know that our neighborhoods absolutely do have tourist-worthy stops. But how are we supposed to attract visitors when many of our locals won’t even venture north?
Enter Amanda Doyle. An associate editor at Where Magazine – St. Louis and co-founder of the late, great Commonspace e-zine, Amanda recently authored a new book on St. Louis neighborhoods and, lo and behold, North County has its very own chapter! Though Amanda lives in the Tower Grove area, she has a close friend here in Ferguson who inspired her to run a story about our revitalization efforts way back in 2005, so I’m not the least bit surprised that her new book offers a broad and thorough tour of North County.
Truth be told, Amanda’s Commonspace website was one of my inspirations for NOCO, given its focus on “grassroots civics and culture in St. Louis.” Now I’m hoping her book, which features a number of NOCO advertisers and many of my own favorite local spots, will spur lots of new visitors to our businesses and attractions.
Included in the mix are Fort Belle Fontaine, Cork Wine Bar, White Barn, Columbia Bottom, Hendel’s, BJ’s, Thies Farm, EarthDance and quite a few other North County gems that have been showcased here on NOCO. You can also learn about dozens of other independent local establishments throughout the St. Louis area, even in the Metro East.
Amanda’s book is called Finally, a Guidebook to St. Louis by and for St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood and it’s published by Reedy Press. Grab your own copy for just $18 right here.
Time Capsule: a fun hodgepodge for summertime
Ever notice the Chinese restaurant next to the Ferguson Farmers Market? Well, this is what it looked like as King's Pharmacy, one of the first pharmacies in St. Louis to have drive-thru service.
What happened to the time capsule? That’s what a reader asked me recently. She was talking about one of my most neglected NOCO categories, Time Capsule, which I admit has been a bit ignored. I usually like to focus on North County today, to keep reminding people that we still have a great community up here, but I was cleaning out my files this week and found some goodies that I just had to share.
I actually have a pretty large collection of paper (and digital) items related to North County’s history – maps, postcards, old shopping center directories, etc – so you can expect to see quite a few “capsules” opened in the coming months. Here’s a preview to get us started, just an odd mix of images from all over NoCo….
The old Woolworth's at River Roads Mall in Jennings, which opened in the 1950s and closed in 1991. Remember the lower level?
An early view of Lambert Airport, sans Highway 70
A swinging airport hotel, the Parkway House, in what has to be the 60s
Formerly located at 3570 N. Lindbergh, the Parkway House is described on the back of this postcard as such: “St. Louis’ most unique host. In the main building, each unit is a 3-room suite including living room, bedroom, kitchenette with executive bar, deluxe bath and private terrace. Heated swimming pool. Home of the famous Corinthian Room. Illustrated are two of the new, plush Sir Richard suites complete with sunken living room, executive bar and luxurious ultra-modern decor with king and queen beds.”
Here’s the kind of action you might have seen in the “famous Corinthian Room,” well before the Parkway House became a divey motel/apartment complex like it is today.
Don Cunningham Quartet at Parkway House, St. Louis, September 1965. Photo credit: Picasa/Richard A Oberle
An architectural drawing of the proposed new church building at St. Ann's in Normandy. I'm guessing the steeple didn't make the cut.
Finally, here’s a vintage matchbook made right here in Ferguson, commemorating a place I miss every single time I drive down Florissant Road. Can you imagine how awesome it would be if there was still a bowling alley in downtown Ferguson?!
Ahh, a girl can dream….
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.
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.
