Posts Tagged ‘unincorporated North County’

Designed by one of the world's premier labyrinth artists, the labyrinth at Zion United Church of Christ offers a peaceful place for prayer and meditation.

For at least 4,000 years, human beings have used labyrinths as a tool for deeper personal insight and a way to connect with nature and the divine. Taking slow, purposeful steps on a winding pathway, you’re invited to calm your mind, set aside your daily concerns, and for a short while, simply be.

Reverend Mark Milligan of North County’s Zion United Church of Christ discovered this blissful experience while attending a conference in 1998, and he was so touched by it that he eventually inspired his congregation to build a labyrinth of its own.

“When I first walked on a labyrinth, I found it to be a very moving and freeing experience, allowing me to know God’s spirit in a much different way,” Milligan says. “I came back from the conference and just started talking about it and gathering photos, and then we started integrating labyrinths into our Bible study and Sunday school classes, and then finally the congregation just decided that we should install a labyrinth as a gift to the community.”

One of a handful of permanent labyrinths in the St. Louis area, the Zion Labyrinth is the only one located in North County.

It took several years to bring the project to fruition, but the church’s “gift to North County” opened in late 2005 and has since welcomed 25-30 visitors every week. Nestled on an idyllic woodland property just west of Jamestown Mall, the 48-foot circle features a gently intertwining path of paver bricks and rests in an incredibly peaceful setting enveloped by dense forest. It even overlooks the private Lake James.

“As a congregation we wondered what we could do that no other church was doing…what really made us stand out,” Milligan says. “With this beautiful, pastoral setting that we have, the labyrinth just seemed like a natural fit.”

To build it, Milligan sought the guidance of Robert Ferre, a world-renowned labyrinth builder who just happens to be based in St. Louis. Ferre’s company, Labyrinth Enterprises, has constructed more than 1,000 temporary and permanent labyrinths all over the globe, and Ferre himself is considered the leading expert in all things labyrinth.

The result of generous donations from Waldbart's Nursery and a Missouri Botanical Garden master gardener, the zen-like landscape surrounding the Zion Labyrinth greatly enhances the sense of tranquility.

He first became interested in the subject while visiting Gothic cathedrals in Europe, and before long he was completely intrigued by the medieval labyrinth at the Chartres cathedral in France – a classic and often repeated design dating from 1220. It was this pattern of 11 concentric circles that Ferre used to create the Zion Labyrinth.

“Being able to work with someone as knowledgeable as Robert has been such a joy,” Milligan says. “Since our labyrinth was built, he and I have been able to develop a friendship, and we now work together on the International Labyrinth Society, whose mission is to educate people on the history and benefits of labyrinths.”

Historically speaking, labyrinths show up in many world cultures – Greek, Peruvian, Ukranian, even Swedish – and the pathway often represents the journey between birth and death. For early Christians, labyrinths served as a mock pilgrimage for those unable to travel to the Holy Land, while for Hopi Indians, the labyrinth has always been a much revered symbol for Mother Earth.

Today, labyrinths are believed to enhance right brain activity, balance the body’s energy system, and of course, help you relax. “Walk the labyrinth and I guarantee you will feel some positive effect,” Milligan says, noting that even those in wheelchairs can participate. “We made sure that our labyrinth is open and accessible to everyone.”

And no, you don’t have to be a church member or even a Christian to enjoy it. “There’s never a fee, and there’s never an expectation that you have to join the church,” Milligan says. “We’ve just tried to create a place where people can come to get away for a while, and we truly do view it as a gift to the entire North County community.”

On May 1, Milligan and his congregation are taking their gift one step further by hosting a festival celebrating World Labyrinth Day. Members of local African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches, who have been working with their own temporary labyrinths, are helping to organize the event, and Milligan expects to draw quite a crowd.

“It just amazes me how many positive things happen around the labyrinth, without us really doing anything purposefully,” he says. “All kinds of people are drawn to it, and now we’re even bringing people of different cultures and religions together. Really, it’s done so much more than we ever anticipated.”

Want to experience the Zion Labyrinth yourself? It’s located behind Zion United Church of Christ, 5710 N. Hwy 67, 63034, and is open every day, sunrise to sunset.

Mark you calendars! For the next five weeks, there's a fish fry every Friday.

Having grown up Catholic, I’ve attended my fair share of Lenten fish fries, and one thing is certain: not all fish fries are created equally! I’m still lamenting the sad little cod square I got several years ago at one church. Fortunately, I’ve also enjoyed a number of home-style fish fries in North County, where every fillet is hand-breaded and actually looks like a fillet, and where even the side dishes have been lovingly prepared.

With Lent just starting, I haven’t been able to personally test every one of these fish fries, so I’m relying on the recommendations of NOCO readers in many cases. This is by no means a comprehensive list of every Friday night fish fry in the area, but I think it represents some of the best. Prices average $7-8 per adult meal, plus drinks and dessert.

St. Ferdinand: 1735 Charbonier, 63031, 3-7pm

This granddaddy of NoCo fish fries, which the parish has been running for 40 years, is open year-round and always draws a huge crowd. The fish is excellent; the seamless assembly line is even more impressive! Fried and Cajun catfish, fried and baked cod, shrimp, chicken, pie and more

Our Lady of Guadalupe: 1115 S. Florissant Rd, 63135, 11am-2pm, 3:30-7pm

If you like your fish with a Mexican twist, try this fish fry, which draws on the parish’s large Hispanic congregation and is also open for lunch. Fried cod, baked tilapia, fish tacos, shrimp, guacamole, clam chowder, baked apples, mac & cheese and quesadillas

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne: 3500 St. Catherine, 63033, 4-7pm

I’ve gotten LOTS of emails touting the tastiness of this fish fry. Fried Alaskan cod, poppy seed coleslaw, clam chowder, French fries, green beans & hush puppies

American Legion #444: 17090 Old Jamestown, 63034, 4-7pm

Open since January, this fish fry offers a serene setting in the woods! Fish by the pound, plate or sandwich, plus spaghetti, baked beans, coleslaw and hush puppies

Holy Trinity: 3500 St. Luke, 63074, 4-7pm

Another parish with a growing Hispanic congregation, this fish fry features handmade chile rellenos!! Grilled salmon, fried and baked cod, grilled cheese, fried catfish, grilled and fried shrimp, spaghetti, mac & cheese and applesauce

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: 1050 Smith Ave, 63135, 4-7pm

Drive-thru service is the big draw here, but you can also eat in. I’ve enjoyed this fish fry many times. Cod, shrimp, catch of the day, two soups, pizza and more

St. Andrew United Methodist: 3975 N. Lindbergh, 63034, 4:30-7pm

Fried fish, baked chicken, spaghetti, coleslaw, baked beans and hush puppies

Holy Name of Jesus: 10235 Ashbrook Dr, 63137, 3:30-6:30pm

Baked or fried cod, spaghetti, green beans, coleslaw and French fries

St. Ann: 7532 Natural Bridge, 63121, 5-7pm

Baked or fried cod, shrimp, coleslaw, salad and spaghetti

Knights of Columbus #2951: 50 St. Francois, 63031, 3:30-7pm

Battered cod, jumbo shrimp, spaghetti, mac & cheese, green beans

If you try any of these fish fries, I’d love to hear what you think! Happy eating!

Ice skating coach Becky Kern-Ryan (left) teaches fundamentals to a class of pint-sized beginners at the Ice Zone in Hazelwood.

Like me and many other NoCo natives of a certain age, Ferguson resident Becky Kern-Ryan grew up ice skating at the North County Recreation Complex on Redman Road. She got her first pair of ice skates for Christmas when she was 11, and before long, she had far surpassed us “casual skaters” (who showed up mostly to meet boys) and started competing in local meets.

“Over time, I became really involved with the synchro teams at North County,” Kern-Ryan says, referring to the sport of synchronized figure skating where anywhere from eight to 32 skaters perform what’s essentially a dance recital on ice. By age 18, she was not only competing as a synchro skater. She and a friend were also coaching beginner teams at the rec center – despite the fact that interest in ice skating in North County seemed to be waning.

“For a while, we moved over to [U.S. Ice Sports in] Fairview Heights because it was just more active over there,” Kern-Ryan, 33 and now a mother of three, says.

In fact, the number of skaters at North County Rec Complex had dropped off so dramatically in recent years that St. Louis County closed the rink in spring 2008. Its final season drew around 2,000 skaters between October and March, as well as a budget deficit of $160,000.

“People don’t think about it, but the cost of maintaining an ice rink is outrageous,” says Ken Daniels, manager of the Dellwood Soccer Complex, which stopped icing its rink way back in 1983. “All the compressors, the Zamboni…it’s easy to see why a lot of rinks have closed. And not just in North County.”

Daniels recalls the Ice Chateau that used to be on Larimore Road in the 1970s. For a time, the city of Hazelwood also maintained an outdoor rink at White Birch Park, but that was closed in the mid-80s and later converted to a BMX/skate park.

Since the 1990s, the St. Louis area has lost a total of three ice rinks. Today, just two remain in North County: the recently renovated facility at Florissant’s James Eagan Civic Center and the Ice Zone at Hazelwood Mills, where Kern-Ryan now coaches and the St. Louis Blues hold their practices.

Both rinks have had a busy season thus far, offering public and private sessions and skating instruction. The Ice Zone, in particular, has served as the primary training facility for a number of competitive young skaters.

“Having the Blues here really draws people in,” Kern-Ryan says of the Hazelwood rink, where former Ukranian pairs skating champion, Olga Vavilova, is also a coach. “We’re especially busy now, with the Olympics coming up and so many kids getting skates for Christmas.”

And the North County Rec Complex – what’s happening there these days? Following an extensive $1.8 million renovation, the center’s old ice rink is now home to several basketball courts, a volleyball court, a two-lane walking track and new community meeting rooms, all of which are about to be officially unveiled next weekend. I stopped by today and the place is gorgeous!

If you want to see for yourself, attend the open house on Saturday, February 20, from 1-5pm, at 2577 Redman Road, 63136.

You also still have plenty of time to take in some ice skating before winter is over. The Ice Zone has public sessions seven days a week – $5.50 per person plus $2.50 skate rental. Call (314) 227-5288 for specific schedules. The Eagan Ice Rink is also open seven days a week, with admission ranging from $1.50 to $4. For more info, call (314) 921-4470.

Where there was once an ice rink, the North County Rec Complex now boasts a brand new multi-sport facility, which officially opens on February 20.

A secret driveway leads to this 1.2-acre, two-house haven on Lookaway Drive, on the edge of the bluffs near Riverview and Glasgow Village.

In most cities, a house with a hilltop location and a beautiful water view would be considered real estate gold. But as we all know, St. Louis is…special. That’s why one of the area’s best-kept secrets remains just that, and why, if you told someone you were moving to Riverview, they would probably think you’re nuts. But ah, what treasures await in this gorgeous little corner of North County.

Perched high on a bluff overlooking the mighty Mississippi, the vintage homes on and around Lookaway Drive are truly architectural gems. Most date from the 1920s and 30s, coinciding with the growth of the Riverview Gardens and Glasgow Woods subdivisions, but some – like 11152 Lookaway, which is currently for sale – date back to the 1800s.

Resting on more than an acre of lush, very private property that was originally deeded to one Isabella Chitwood before the Louisiana Purchase, the house is like a place lost in time. Built just prior to the opening of the Chain of Rocks Water Works (those cute little buildings in the river), it’s surrounded by land once owned by Dr. William Carr, the first mayor of St. Louis, and Amadee Valle, a Missouri legislator and close friend of Abraham Lincoln.

A Glasgow Village brochure from the 1950s. Credit: Lori Campbell

Of course, from 1927 through 1977, the house shared its lovely bluff view with the Chain of Rocks Amusement Park (later known as Fun Fair Park), a once bustling destination whose rides, roller rink and massive swimming pool many St. Louisans still fondly remember. But during the 1950s, it was nearly swallowed by redevelopment, as William Glasgow’s adjoining “Bienvenue Farm” gradually became the sprawling collection of modest ranch homes known as Glasgow Village.

Much has changed in the area since then. Though most of the houses on the bluff still radiate their unique charm and a handful of Glasgow Village’s original homeowners still remain (and remain active), white flight has opened the door for an increase in poverty and rentals, spurring St. Louis County to identify the community as “changing” – essentially stable but with “emerging signs of trouble in specific areas.”

I hope I’m not alone when I say this, but man, we are crazy to let this happen. The Riverview bluff’s quaint winding streets, tucked with enchanting, one-of-a-kind homes, remind me of the fabulous canyon hillsides in Los Angeles – except that here, you also get a view of one of the grandest rivers in the world.

I think it’s a crime to let this area deteriorate, especially when you consider that exceptional older houses and estate-style properties can be found all around the Bellefontaine/Chambers/Riverview corridor. Talk about an opportunity for some bold, creative redevelopment, building on the area’s existing assets and potential for eco-tourism! (Green homes, anyone? Bob Cassilly’s wondrous recycled Cementland is right next door.)

It was natural beauty that attracted early landowners here in the first place, inspiring them to build such captivating houses. With a little focused effort, particularly from those who claim to love this area so much, why couldn’t it draw a new wave of progress now? Why walk away from a part of town that still has so much to offer?

Click any image for a larger view, and navigate with the arrows beneath it.

Come to Fort Belle Fontaine on January 23 for an up-close experience with both bald eagles and North County's frontier history. Credit: Greg Wacker

Fort Belle Fontaine Park is a magical place any time of year, but this Saturday, the frontier-era former military post will also be a bird watcher’s wonderland. Offering sweeping views of the Missouri River, where many bald eagles do their winter fishing, the park will host well-known birder Kraig Paradise and experts from the World Bird Sanctuary.

Visitors will be able to see a live eagle and other birds of prey up close. They’ll also have a chance to view migrating eagles through telescopes and take a guided three-mile nature hike through historic Fort Belle.

Lewis and Clark camped here in both 1804 and 1806. The park is also home to a number of architectural treasures, including the (allegedly haunted) Grand Staircase built by WPA crews in the 1930s. If the river is low, you might even have a chance to see the actual Belle Fontaine, or “beautiful fountain,” a lovely underground spring that flows into the Missouri.

Saturday’s event is sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of Fort Belle Fontaine Park. It’s free and open to the public, January 23, 11am-2pm, at 13002 Bellefontaine Road, 63138.

I’m not quite to my winter breaking point, where I’m stir-crazy and ready to go anywhere with heat and sunshine. That usually comes in February. But I am counting the days until spring.

To help tide myself over, I like to look through my old garden photos. And while I was doing that today, I realized, holy cow, I’m sitting on a huge stack of amazing North County images!

As a field editor for around a dozen Better Homes & Gardens magazines, I’ve had the privilege over the years to scout some really beautiful locations, including a number of residences in North County. One of my favorites was the home of my friend Linda Mosley and her husband, Kim, where I discovered a sprawling woodland garden adorned with found treasures and Linda’s own captivating sculptures. Truly a magical place.

Before retiring to Austin in 2008, the Mosleys, both lifelong artists and educators, had lived in NoCo for many years, working at St. Louis Community College and contributing greatly to the local art community. These images, which I’m using to kick off my new Gardens of NoCo series, feature their gorgeous garden in June 2005. All of the pottery sculptures, including the innovative “lace” bodices, were hand made by Linda, in a studio not far from her herb garden. Enjoy!

Click any image and navigate with the arrows beneath it. To see more of Linda’s work, visit the NAC Gallery in Ferguson, which Linda had a big hand in opening.