Last month, on Tuesday April 21st, the Aldermen from odd-numbered wards were sworn in to four year terms. For three of the 14 this was their first term (Cohn, French & Vacarro).
I was there to capture the moment on video. They were actually sworn in twice. The first time was in a conference room prior to the first meeting where they had a ceremonial swearing in.
Tomorrow, Friday May 15, 2009, is bike to work day, as part of National Bike Month:
May 15, 2009, Friday 6:30 – 9:00 AM Join Trailnet for a continental breakfast during your bike commute to work! Three refueling stations:
Missouri History Museum is located at Lindell Blvd. and DeBaliviere Ave. on the north edge of Forest Park. Look for the tents at the north entrance to the museum.
View Google Map
Missouri Botanical Garden is located at 4344 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110. View Google Map
Memorial Park in Clayton is located on S. Meramec Ave., between Forsyth Blvd. and Bonhomme Ave., in downtown Clayton. View Google Map
Big Shark Bicycle Company is offering Big Shark to Work Certificates to all of the riders at all 3 refueling stations “while supplies lastâ€. These are worth $5 in shark bucks.
Lone Wolf Coffee Company is donating one pound bags of coffee to the first bike commuter at each of our refueling stations
In the times before cars we didn’t have the “convenience store” like 7-Eleven. Well, we did, we just didn’t call them convenience stores. They were simply the corner market:
7-Eleven pioneered the convenience store concept way back in 1927 at the Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas. In addition to selling blocks of ice to refrigerate food, an enterprising ice dock employee began offering milk, bread and eggs on Sundays and evenings when grocery stores were closed. This new business idea produced satisfied customers and increased sales, and convenience retailing was born! The company’s first convenience outlets were known as Tote’m stores since customers “toted” away their purchases, and some even sported genuine Alaskan totem poles in front. In 1946, Tote’m became 7-Eleven to reflect the stores’ new, extended hours – 7 a.m. until 11 p.m., seven days a week. (Source)
Although 7-11 started in 1927, but it was not until 1952 that they opened their 100th store. It took until 1960 to reach 500 locations but by 1963 they opened their 1,000th store.
The above Kroeger store at Virginia & Fassen (map) is long closed but there is a 7-11 a block to the South and a former 7-11 was a few blocks to the North. Another within six blocks to the West. We never totally lost the coener market. They just morphed into places to drive too.
Earlier today I got word of a meeting regarding Paul McKee’s development in North St. Louis. I posted about the meeting and decided to go.
It looked like a public meeting:
Sign posted outside door to meeting.
However, the first order of business was an announcement that the meeting, about a development project, was private and all media had to leave. I stayed seated until a man came over to me and asked me to leave — saying Central Baptist Church was private property. I left in shock. Outside I found reporters from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, KWMU radio and later KMOV that were not allowed inside. I guess I was in good company.
A security guard was on hand to keep the press in check.Church representative that announced media had to leave locked both exterior doors so nobody could enter.
The doors were locked so we could not enter the building. The doors do have panic bars so people could exit. While outside some regular citizens arrived. They had to pound on the door to be let in. Not all persons inside were residents of the two wards that had their Aldermen on the agenda (April Ford Griffin & Marlene Davis). A third Alderman was present in the audience, recently sworn Alderman Antonio French from PubDef.org.
I’m no expert on Missouri’s Sunshine Law but I’m pretty sure this was a violation. I’ve already filed a complaint with Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster.
Developer Paul McKee was not at the meeting but the agenda listed William Laskowsky of McKee’s McEagle Development company and a Mark Johnson from Civitas, Inc. Alderman Davis told us the public meeting would be on the 21st, most likely at Vashon High School. McKee has substantial real estate holdings in North St. Louis. Stay tuned.
UPDATE 5/11/09 @ 11pm. KMOV reporter Ray Preston blogged about not being able to cover the meeting.
UPDATE 5/13/09 @3:30PM – response from Missouri Assistant Attorney General Daryl Hylton:
I appreciate and understand your concerns about the meeting referenced. As I understand the situation, this “meeting” was facilitated by two alderman, so that developers could address concerns of the citizens impacted by the development  Missouri courts, however, have interpreted the sunshine law to not apply to actions of individual members of a government entity when acting independently without any authority of the body; or to meetings of less than a quorum of the entity absent an attempt to avoid the purpose of the sunshine law. See Colombo v. Buford, 935 S.W.2d 690 (Mo. App. W.D. 1996).
So the meeting was allowed to be closed to the press. While legal it is not good PR for a project that has yet to garner any good PR.
Word is spreading of a meeting tonight either about and/or with controversial “Blairmont” developer Paul McKee:
April Ford-Griffin has announced a meeting at Central Baptist Church (2842 Washington Ave) this coming Monday 5/11 at 6pm for neighborhood residents and Paul Mckee.
There may also be a second meeting, with tentative date on May 21, possibly at Vashon.
I’ve sent an email to Ald. Griffin (D-5th Ward)Â to verify this information.
McKee, through various holding companies, has purchased quite a bit of land in the 5th Ward. For a map to the church click here.
UPDATE 5/11/09 @ 7:35pm:
As the meeting started the first announcement was the meeting was private and all media had to leave. I was seated at a middle table with others and a man came over and asked me to leave. More in a new post shortly. In the meantime check out the agenda.
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