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Former Gallery Urbis Orbis co-owner and Emmy-winning "Living St. Louis" producer Margie Newmanis blogging. The St. Louis City expatriate is chronicling her physical and mental preparations for the half-marathon known as the LaSalle Chicago Distance Classic.
"Yes, it's true. This 43-year-old, mildly overweight, sort-of-exercising, formerly-jogging-but-never-very-serious-about-it human being, who has never done anything particularly athletic, will attempt to overcome all that," wrote Newman in her first blog entry. "Over the next 16 weeks I will train, in a quite organized fashion, to ultimately run 13.1 miles, one after the other."
Newman is running to help raise funds for lymphoma research. Her sister was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma last year.
Hundreds of people gathered downtown in Keiner Plaza today to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with music, traditional foods and dance. Click here to see more exclusive photos from the festivities.
State Auditor Claire McCaskill, who is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination to run against Sen. Jim Talent, will be speaking tomorrow night at the annual Truman Days banquet in Kansas City.
Party Chairman Roger Wilson and Attorney General (and 2008 candidate for governor) Jay Nixon are also expected to speak.
Truman Days is the Jackson County Central Committee's annual celebration of the Democratic Party and Harry Truman's birthday. Click here for a schedule of the event.
Alternative event planned for the same day as the Annie Malone Parade
By Antonio D. French
As an alternative event for northsiders and African-Americans upset by the decision to move the century-old Annie Malone parade out of north St. Louis, some folks have put together a festival that will happen at the same time as the parade.
The African-American Heritage Festival was been organized by the aldermen and residents of the wards through which the parade used to pass. Organizers promise live music, concession stands, vendor booths, and a sense of community -- everything people have come to expect in north St. Louis on the third Sunday in May, everything except a parade.
The event will be in Fairgrounds Park on May 21, from 1-6 p.m. All proceeds will be donated to charitable organizations within the 1st, 3rd and 21st Wards.
There will be a public meeting at Beaumont High School this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. to discuss plans of developing a Fairgrounds Park Master Plan.
Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. (3rd Ward), in whose ward half the park resides, said that there is discussion of the St. Louis Rams building a football stadium in the park that could be used by northside high schools, none of which currently have stadiums.
Gary Bess, the Director of Parks, will be at the meeting. The public is encouraged to attend. Click here to read more about Fairgrounds Park.
Aldermen Freeman Bosley, Sr. (3rd Ward), Ken Ortmann (9th), Steve Gregali (14th), and Jennifer Florida (15th) have introduced a bill that would ask city voters whether they would prefer commissioned police officers and civilian employees of the police department to live in the city.
The vote would not be binding since the City has no control over its police force. Rather, the vote would be meant to "assist the Missouri General Assembly in their deliberations."
As you will recall, the state-controlled police board recently voted to allow all civilian employees to live outside of the city limits. After complaints from Mayor Francis Slay, who is a voting member of the board but was absent at the vote, the board limited that decision to just special tech employees.
The board had earlier voted to allow some veteran police officers to move out of the city.
Last night, the St. Louis City Planning Commission approved a proposal that would allow Barnes Jewish Hospital to purchase or lease a portion of Forest Park. Click here to read our earlier story.
Here are some videos from the meeting. We apologize for the horrible sound quality. There were no functioning microphones at the meeting and our cameras, like many people in the audience, struggled to pick up all of the commissioners' words.
This video is of the actual vote:
This video is of Deputy Mayor Barb Geisman from before the vote:
This video is of Brandyn Jones who works in Aldermanic Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury's office. She said that Shrewsbury agrees with Comptroller Darlene Green that this proposal should wait until a new appraisal is completed.
Actor Danny Glover coming to town to speak against the death penalty
By Antonio D. French
Supporters of Reggie Clemons, who is on death row for the 1991 murders of Julie and Robin Kerry in what became known as the "Chain of Rocks" murders, are getting some support from a high-profile opponent of the death penalty.
Actor and activist Danny Glover will be in St. Louis on Wednesday, May 10, to discuss Clemons' case and the application of capital punishment in America.
Jamala Rogers, campaign coordinator for the Justice for Reggie Clemons Campaign, said she is grateful to Glover for coming to St. Louis to show his support for the campaign for clemency.
"We hope that his support will help to bring national attention to this grave miscarriage of justice,” said Rogers.
The forum is open to the public and will be from 7-9 p.m. on the campus of St. Louis University in the Busch Student Center.
For more information about Clemons' case and his appeal for clemency see www.justiceforreggie.com.
Barnes purchase of Forest Park land passes its first hurdle tonight
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Wednesday, May 03, 2006 at 9:48 PM
The St. Louis City Planning Commission tonight approved a proposal that would allow Barnes Jewish Hospital to purchase or lease a portion of Forest Park. The proposal still faces several hurdles and vocal opposition from several elected officials and numerous city residents.
More than a dozen people, including representatives from Comptroller Darlene Green's office and the office of Aldermanic Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury, spoke against the plan at a public hearing tonight in City Hall.
Deputy Mayor of Development Barb Geisman, who is also a voting member of the Commission, spoke on behalf of Mayor Francis Slay, who supports the plan.
"Many people don't even know this land is part of Forest Park," said Geisman. She also pointed out that Barnes is one of the largest employers in the city and has been a good neighbor in the Central West End.
Jim Garavaglia, from the Comptroller's office, told the Commission that the details of Barnes' plan still are not known. "Their intentions are unclear, unspoken and should be revealed to both the City and the community," he said.
He also pointed to the fact that the appraisal being used to determine the value of the 12 acres being considered is more that a year old. He said the Comptroller has authorized a new, more accurate appraisal of the land that should be available in two to three weeks. He and others asked the commissioners to hold off on a vote until that new appraisal came in.
The vote was 7 to 4, with one abstention. The plan will still have to be approved by the three-member Board of Estimate and Apportionment before it is finalized. That board is made up of Slay, Shrewsbury and Green.
For your downloading pleasure, we present this week's print(able) edition of PUB DEF Weekly. Print it, read it, give it away.
Click here to download. And as always, you activist types are encouraged to print lots of copies and drop them off at your neighborhood coffee shop, on your college campus, or in the lobby of your nearest multi-national corporation.
In other PUB DEF business, we are pleased to report another month of traffic growth for this website.
In April, we received 28,458 visits -- a 17% increase from March. PUB DEF's pages were viewed 36,158 times (a 24% increase).
If you are interested in advertising your political campaign, small business, or upcoming event on PUB DEF, email advertising@pubdef.net today.
A letter from three members of the St. Louis Board of Education appears in today's edition of the Post-Dispatch defending teachers from "unwarranted" criticisms over absences.
Board members Peter Downs, Donna Jones and Bill Purdy said that Superintendent Creg Williams unfairly criticized teachers for following orders to attend professional development seminars during class time.
"It was the superintendent, with school board approval, who scheduled the seminars during class time and made attendance mandatory," they wrote.
They said such negative stereotyping makes it more difficult for the district to attract new teachers.
Read the full text to the letter at the St. Louis Schools Watch blog (STLSchools.org).
UPDATE:By popular demand, here is a link to the letter written by Superintendent Creg Williams which appeared last week in the Post.
Williams writes, "The St. Louis Public Schools saw an average of nearly 10 absences per teacher over the course of the 2004-2005 academic year." He said that so far this academic year, teachers have already had an average of nearly eight absences. "That is too many," said Williams.
But according to members of the school board and representatives of the teachers union, Williams figure includes days that teachers were required to take off for professional development.
They also point to a recent "use it or lose it" mandate from the administration regarding vacation days.
Also... Our friends over at The Commonspace blog have pointed out that Metro Academic and Classical High School has been ranked #40 on Newsweek'slist of top schools in America. The magnet school was the top-ranked Missouri school on the annual list.
After weeks of rumors, the St. Louis Board of Education has placed a resolution on the agenda of next week's regular meeting to close Cleveland JROTC Academy.
At an administrative meeting tonight, Superintendent Creg Williams told board members and the public that the conditions at Cleveland have become unbearable for students. He showed photos of exposed electrical outlets, peeling paint and deteriorating brickwork.
"Everyday we allow our children to be educated in this environment is detrimental to those students," said Williams.
The district's plan would call for moving the students to Madison School, located downtown on 7th Street.
Ald. Dorothy Kirner (25th Ward), in whose ward Cleveland resides, addressed the board briefly. She said the school was an anchor for her southside community and closing the school would be "really tough."
Board member Bill Purdy, who had expressed doubts about the move, said that Williams made a compelling case.
Williams said that the building would need $15 million to repair and another $7 million to remodel. The whole school could be rebuilt for $2 million less, according to the superintendent's figures.
He spoke to Purdy and Kirner's concerns by pledging that the building would not be abandoned.
"I'm not saying close it, board it up," said Williams. "I think that would be devastating to that community."
He said that the district would examine alternative uses of the building, including putting it up for sale.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will be in town Wednesday, May 3.
Scalia will attend a Law Day Mass at the Old Cathedral in downtown St. Louis at 11:00 a.m. Following mass, he will be a featured speaker and honoree at the annual Law Day luncheon hosted by the Bar Association of Missouri-St. Louis (BAMSL) at noon at the Adams Mark Hotel.
The Justice will visit with members of the Federalist Society at a private reception at 1:30 p.m. at the Missouri Athletic Club.
It is rumored that Scalia will have a private meeting with Archbishop Raymond Burke before the mass. No details on the agenda, if there is one.
State senate candidate Jeff Smith today called for a filibuster to prevent the passage of a bill that would require all voters to show a state-issued photo ID before voting.
"Forty-one years after the landmark Voting Rights Act abolished poll taxes, property requirements, and grandfather clauses, the Missouri Legislature is seeking to reverse the progress so many fought valiantly to achieve," said Smith.
"Trying to force this bill through this year will result in chaos and widespread disenfranchisement. I urge voters to call their representatives and ask them to filibuster this bill," said Smith.
Smith noted that the House version of the bill banned straight-ticket voting, which is more prevalent among Democrats than Republicans. "That demonstrates that the bill is about gaining partisan advantage, not cleansing the electoral process," he said.
Smith is running in the August Democratic primary against State Reps. Yaphett El-Amin and Amber Boykins, former State Rep. Derio Gambaro, and former Ald. Kenny Jones for the seat being vacated by term-limited Sen. Pat Dougherty.
Arthur "Chink" Washington, the Democratic commiteeman of the 21st Ward, raised at least $1,400 $3,100 that he did not report to the Missouri Ethics Commission last quarter.
The most recent quarterly filing of Washington's "Original 21st Ward Democratic Organization" states that the committee did not raise or spend any more than $500 between January 1 and March 31, 2006. But finance reports from other committees show this is not the case.
The Jim Murphy for Sheriff committee reported giving sums totaling $550 to Washington’s committee on March 9, March 21, March 24, and March 28.
Aldermanic Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury's committee reported giving $400 to Washington’s committee on March 21.
Two committees gave money to Washington's committee but listed the address and/or name of the other 21st Ward committee controlled by Committeewoman Myrtle French (this reporter is the treasurer of that committee and has notified the Ethics Commission of these errors).
People Supporting James Buford reported giving $300 to "21st Ward Democrats" on March 14. The Sharon Carpenter for Recorder committee reported giving $150 on March 20.
At least $1,400 was contributed to Washington’s committee and not reported to the Commission. A formal complaint has been mailed to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Click here to read the text from the complaint.
UPDATE: Add another $1,100 to that amount raised, but not reported.
On February 28, Ald. Mike McMillan's campaign committee gave Washington's committee $450. Four days before, License Collector Gregory F.X. Daly's committee contributed $65o
UPDATE 2: Sharon Tyus also gave $350 on March 14. State Rep. Amber Boykins gave $250 on March 15.
Latino-owned business along Cherokee Street in south St. Louis are closed today in recognition of the national "Day Without Immigrants" protest.
"We are tired of being treated like second-class citizens," said Carlos A. Dominguez, the owner of Latino Americana, a convenience store at the corner of California and Cherokee.
Several other shop owners have joined Dominguez by closing their doors today to draw attention to the economic impact of America's immigrants. Large demonstrations are expected across the country in cities like Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, and New York.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has launched a website aimed at keeping up a steady stream of attacks on Missouri Auditor and U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill.
McCaskill is maintaining a small lead in the polls over Sen. Jim Talent, who does not appear to be directly linked to this attack site.
CluelessClaire.com attacks statements made by the Auditor on subjects ranging from gay rights and abortion to wiretapping and the Iraq War.
The NRSC has launched similar webites attacking other Democrats. BobsBaggage.com attacks New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. TheReidWorld.com attacks Sen. Harry Reid. FancyFord.com attacks Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.
Representatives of the St. Louis City Police Officers Association, the union representing most of the City's white cops, handed out certificates of recognition at Friday's Board of Aldermen meeting to the white aldermen that voted against the bill creating a Civilian Review Board (all of the board's black aldermen, plus 4 white alderman and Board Pres. James Shrewsbury, voted in favor of the bill, which was later vetoed by Mayor Francis Slay).
As Jake Wagman of the Post-Dispatchfirst reported on Friday, the original sponsor of the CRB bill, Ald. Terry Kennedy (18th Ward), was elected the new chairman of the Aldermanic Black Caucus, replacing Ald. Mike McMillan (19th Ward) who is now running for License Collector.
UPDATE 3: The campaign finance report for Shaun Simms, the husband of term-limited State Rep. and candidate of State Senate Amber Boykins, finally arrived at the offices of the Missouri Ethics Commission on April 28, nearly two weeks late. The reports shows that Simms raised $4,535 in the since January. In the last week of the reporting period, Simms made a personal loan to his campaign of $3,000.
His campaign incurred nearly $2,100 in expense for campaign signs, but had not yet paid on it, leaving the full $7,535 in the bank for the public reports.
So, for the record (on-hand/raised last quarter/loaned):
The candidates running to replace term-limited State Rep. Amber Boykins are Jamilah Nasheed, Sharon Tyus, Bob Bartlett, and Shaun Simms. Their campaign finance reports for this quarter were due April 15. Over the course of the day, the reports will be made available by the state Ethics Commission.
Bob Bartlett raised $1,300 last quarter. He spent $1,581.80. He had only $348.68 in the bank as of March 31.
UPDATE: Sharon Tyus' campaign did not recieve any contributions during the first quarter of 2006. She did however loan her campaign $15,000. After spending little more than $1,000, she has almost $14,000 cash on hand.
UPDATE 2: Jamilah Nasheed continues to increase her fundraising lead in her 60th district House race. The north St. Louis activist appears to have raised more than her three opponents combined (Shaun Simms' campaign finance report has not yet been recieved by the Ethics Commission).
During the first quarter of 2006, Nasheed raised nearly $9,000, bringing her total amount raised to nearly $22,000. After spending $3,066, she ended the quarter with $16,208 in the bank.
Nasheed's contributors included Darryl Piggee, aide to Congressman Lacy Clay; Attorney Donnell Smith; developer Clayco; the Pipefitters Union, and the 58th Legislative Democratic Committee (which also gave to State Rep. Rodney Hubbard and State Senate candidate Yaphett El-Amin).
Stephen Colbert, host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," was the featured speaker at last night's annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Here is video from Colbert's roast of the Bush Administration and the press corps. The third video is a "What If" of Colbert as the new White House press secretary.
"Yes, it's true. This 43-year-old, mildly overweight, sort-of-exercising, formerly-jogging-but-never-very-serious-about-it human being, who has never done anything particularly athletic, will attempt to overcome all that," wrote Newman in her first blog entry. "Over the next 16 weeks I will train, in a quite organized fashion, to ultimately run 13.1 miles, one after the other."
