9 am Wednesday Missouri Conservation Department’s Birdwatching Hike at Rockwoods Reservation, Wildwood. Register
6 pm Thursday Missouri Conservation Department’s Conservation Kids @ Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center. You and Me under the Canopy: Fall Fun for 3-6 year olds. Register
10 am Saturday Seed St. Louis In Person Workshop: Utilizing the School Garden in Winter. At Carriage House, Bell Community Garden, 3815 Bell. Register
5 pm Sunday Missouri Conservation Department’s Super Owl Prowl at Emmenegger Nature Park, Sunset Hills. 5 Tickets remaining. Register
9 am Nov 23rd Missouri Conservation Department’s 2.2 mile hike with MDC Naturalist. Discover Dogwood Ridge, Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, Kirkwood. 9 tickets remaining. Register
4 pm Nov 23rd Missouri Prairie Foundation Online Master Class Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect Free to Mo Prairie Foundation members & Grow Native Missouri professional members. $15 for non-members. Register
2 pm Nov 20 Guided Forest Bathing & Nature Therapy Walk at Forest Park, Kennedy Forest. Tickets
Nov 25 to Dec 30th Sachs Butterfly House special event, Chesterfield Winter Jewels: An Enchanted Celebration. Tickets
8 am Dec 3rd St. Louis Audubon Society’s Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park. Register
6 pm Dec 8th Seed St. Louis Zoom Class: Enjoying Winter & Preparing for Spring. Register
The Bosley Family’s matriarch has laid political claim to St. Louis City’s new 14th Ward, the combined 3rd Ward and 5th Ward under ward reduction and redistricting. This month, 3rd Ward Committeewoman Lucinda Frazier and three others incorporated 14th Ward Regular Democratic Organization as a nonprofit.
The club has not yet filed as a political action committee (all ward committees are pacs not party committees under Missouri law). No one residing in the current 5th Ward is an incorporator. It does not look like 5th Ward Committeeman and State Representative Rasheen Aldridge and 5th Ward Committeewoman and former State Representative Penny Hubbard are involved.
Frazier is the wife of former 3rd Ward Alder Freeman Bosley, mother to current 3rd Ward Alder Brandon Bosley and State Representative LaKeysha Bosley, and Chief of Staff for part-time Recorder of Deeds, bar owner, and Missouri State Party Chair Michael Butler.
Then there’s the new 4th Ward, the combined 23rd and 24th Wards.
In March of this year, Kate Lovelady filed a Fictitious Name Registration for 24WPD to own 4th Ward Democrats. Lovelady is Treasurer for 4th Ward Democrats registered (previously known as 24th Ward Progressive Democrats) with MEC.
St. Louis City political clubs often incorporate as nonprofits or file fictious name registrations (d.b.a.). It was thought that by incorporating, the name was owned and could not be used by a rival. They’ve been doing it for over a century. Some of the earliest ones were recorded in the Corporation Books of the City’s Recorder of Deeds. Campaign finance records began in St. Louis City in the late 20th Century via Missouri’s Corrupt Practices Act and were also recorded with the Recorder of Deeds. I did a lot of research and preservation work with these records when I worked as an archivist under the two previous Recorder of Deeds.
It’s been a long tradition for status quo ward clubs to use “Regular Democratic” or “Original” in the name to distinguish themselves from rump organizations who use “Independent.” The Independent organizations were often started by a noncommitteeperson, election competitor, or a committeeperson who did not see eye to eye with their ward colleague. Unfortunately, I was overruled by ward members when I was a committeewoman and had to file 7th Ward Independent Democrats instead of 7th Ward Irregular Democrats with MEC.
Help support the important services provided to unhoused neighbors by AmeriCorps St. Louis by attending 6 pm Saturday’s 12th Annual Share the Warmth Fundraiser
AmeriCorps St. Louis operates My Mother’s House Emergency Winter Shelter and provides showers, meals, laundry, mail service, and more.
This week, Alder Carol Howard introduces Board Bill 119 to increase Board of Alders salaries to $72,000 and increase expense accounts to $5,000. Howard has terminated her candidate committee and does not plan on running in 2023 for the new 2nd Ward that she was redistricted into with 16th Ward Alder Tom Oldenburg.
The proposed ordinance does not require Alders to serve full-time. Among the current Alders, there are five attorneys- including one at a firm involved in developments, two bankers involved in developments, two business owners, numerous landlords, other occupations, and conflicts of interest galore easily remedied with requiring the position to be full-time. Conflicts of interest from Alder Jack Coatar’s employment with Spencer Fane were an issue in Tuesday’s Board President election.
The Board of Alders is about to have a monumental transformation next year: 28 wards reduced to 14 wards. Voters will elect alders to serve a double number of constituents and double the geography in March-April. The potential increase in workload- and I say potential because I have had personal experience with lazy Alders- without commensurate pay could be a deterrent to running for office and reducing choices for voters. The time to increase salaries and require full time service is now.
Inserting “devote their entire time to the duties of their office” should be inserted into Board Bill 119. Alders cannot require the job to be full time except by Charter Amendment, but they can create a two tier salary system. Higher salary for those who make it full time and the lower, current salary for those who wish to be part-time. Stands to reason that it would make a good election issue- full-time v. part-time.
I am not saying that all Alders with jobs and businesses right now (or in the past) are not working hard for constituents. I am saying that making the job full-time with a decent salary reduces some opportunities for conflicts of interest at the same time it may increase the pool of potential candidates by making it more affordable to do so.
Results of my quick searches for occupations other than Alder for current Board of Alders. Let me know of any additions or corrections.
New 1st Ward Current 12th Ward Alder William ‘Bill’ Stephens: former librarian Current 13th Ward Alder Anne Schweitzer: political campaign consultant
New 2nd Ward Current 14th Ward Alder Carol Howard- former school principal Current 16th Ward Alder Tom Oldenburg: Vice President for Community Development |at US Bancorp Community Development Corp
New 3rd Ward Current 11th Ward Alder Jimmy Lappe: Director of Data & Research at Missouri Jobs With Justice Current 25th Ward Alder Shane Cohn:
New 4th Ward Current 23rd Ward Alder Joe Vaccaro: former car wash owner Current 24th Ward Alder Bret Narayan: attorney, private practice
New 5th Ward Current 10th Ward Alder & Acting Board President Joseph Vollmer: owner of Milo’s, landlord
New 6th Ward Current 8th Ward Alder Annie Rice: attorney at Khazaeli Wyrsch Stock until 2021 Current 15th Ward Alder Megan Ellyia Green: Adjunct Professor at Washington University
New 7th Ward Current 6th Ward Alder Christine Ingrassia: paddle guide for Big Muddy Adventures (obviously not a full time gig)
New 8th Ward Current 7th Ward Alder Jack Coatar: attorney at Spencer Fane’s Litigation, Governmental Affairs, and Real Estate Practice Current 9th Ward Alder Dan Guenther: former Monarch Community Liaison at Office of Sustainability Current 20th Ward Alder Cara Spencer: Senior Vice President for Community and Economic Development at St. Louis Bank
New 9th Ward Current 17th Ward Alder Tina Pihl: landlord Current 28th Ward Alder Michael Gras: attorney at Davis & Gras
New 10th Ward Current 26th Ward Alder Shameem Clark Hubbard:
New 11th Ward Current 19th Ward Alder Marlene Davis: Current 21st Ward Alder Laura Keys: landlord Clinical Data Coordinator at Biomedical Systems
New 12th Ward Current 1st Ward Alder Sharon Tyus: attorney, landlord Current 4th Ward Alder Dwinderlin Evans: landlord Current 18th Ward Alder Jesse Todd:
New 13th Ward Current 2nd Ward Alder Lisa Middlebrook: home healthcare Current 22nd Ward Alder Norma Walker: owner of Belt Loop Trucking, landlord Current 27th Ward Alder Pam Boyd: Certified Dietary Manager at The Valley Stonebridge Community skilled nursing facility
New 14th Ward Current 3rd Ward Alder Brandon Bosley: Current 5th Ward Alder James Page:
Woodpeckers: The Hole Story, narrated by Paul Giamatti, is airing on PBS. Check you local PBS station for when in you area.
6 pm Wednesday Old North’s Northside Workshop Support the Bee Sanctuary fundraiser at Turn Restaurant, Midtown. Tickets: $50
5-7 pm Thursday Seed St. Louis Urban Ag Happy Hour at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust No program. No agenda. Just fun and making connections.
2 pm Friday Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library In Person Class at Mid-County Library, Clayton: Container Gardening. Register
9 am Saturday ForestReLeaf North Riverfront Mississippi Greenway Tree Planting. Volunteers Wanted. Register
11 am Saturday Missouri Conservation Department’s Harvest Feast for the Birds at Rockwoods Reservation, Wildwood. 4 Tickets remaining. Register
1:30 pm Nov 14th Leaf Walk at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Master Guide led walking tour. Register
3 pm Nov 14th Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library In Person Class at Bridgeton Trails Library: Container Gardening. Register
9 am Nov 16th Missouri Conservation Department’s Birdwatching Hike at Rockwoods Reservation, Wildwood. Register
6 pm Nov 17th Missouri Conservation Department’s Conservation Kids @ Tower Grove Park, Stupp Center. You and Me under the Canopy: Fall Fun for 3-6 year olds. Register
10 am Nov 19th Seed St. Louis In Person Workshop: Utilizing the School Garden in Winter. At Carriage House, Bell Community Garden, 3815 Bell. Register
4 pm Nov 23rd Missouri Prairie Foundation Online Master Class Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect Free to Mo Prairie Foundation members & Grow Native Missouri professional members. $15 for non-members. Register
Join us Sundays on Twitter for #GardenSunday with host @stl7thward to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.
The Foundation will provide free legal, physical, and mental health services through health and wellness advocacy and outreach to individuals in our community.
Support the work of the Cora Faith Walker Foundation: social justice, women’s reproductive rights, sexual violence prevention, and health equity access advocacy.
Now thru Next Sunday, final week to see Seedfolks at Grandel Theater. A 9-year-old Vietnamese girl plants bean seeds in a trash-filled, vacant lot and starts a series of changes. Tickets
10 am Saturday Horticulture Trolley Tour @ Bellefontaine Cemetery. Two-hour trolley tour led by a Master Guide sharing horticulture and arboretum highlights, historical figures. Tickets $5. Register
3:30-5 pm Sunday Missouri Conservation Department’s Beaver Moon Stroll at the Confluence, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. 5 Tickets remaining. Register
6 pm Nov 9th Old North’s Northside Workshop Support the Bee Sanctuary fundraiser at Turn Restaurant, Midtown. Tickets: $50
5-7 pm Nov 10th Seed St. Louis Urban Ag Happy Hour at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust No program. No agenda. Just fun and making connections.
November Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Library In Person Container Gardening Classes: 2 pm Nov 11th @ Mid-County Library and 3 pm Nov 14th @ Bridgeton Trails Library. Register
9 am Nov 12th ForestReLeaf North Riverfront Mississippi Greenway Tree Planting. Volunteers Wanted. Register
10 am Nov 19th Seed St. Louis In Person Workshop: Utilizing the School Garden in Winter. At Carriage House, Bell Community Garden, 3815 Bell. Register
4 pm Nov 23rd Missouri Prairie Foundation Online Master Class Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect Free to Mo Prairie Foundation members & Grow Native Missouri professional members. $15 for non-members. Register
Join us Sundays on Twitter for #GardenSunday with host @stl7thward to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.
November 8th, voters of California’s San Bernadino County will vote on statehood. Sorta.
The ballot question is: “Do the citizens of San Bernardino County want the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to study all options to obtain its fair share of state and federal resources, up to and including secession?”
Republican governors today and for the foreseeable future will reshape the circuit court landscape of Missouri with appointments to courts in the state’s urban areas- St. Louis, Kansas City and Greene County (Springfield).
Missouri will become a state without checks and balances against abuse of power.
St. Louisans do not have the luxury of using the threat of secession as a bargaining chip to getting red flag laws, abortion rights, more public education funding (without first the slight of hands reducing funding first, again), or anything else from Republicans.
The Missouri GOP may agree to throw in some money for mental health services by robbing it from another program. To get that, some Democrats will probably have to vote for something on the Rex Sinquefield agenda. Republicans enjoy watching the selling out part.
Don’t get me wrong. I still want statehood for St. Louis. Two U.S. Senators. Woo Hoo! A streamlined city-county-state government. YES! Tight laws on campaign finance and lobbyists to shut out Rex Sinquefield. Damn skippy! No more wondering what horrible legislation the Republican Party will pass to force its hateful ideas on St. Louis. A gal can dream can’t she?
But maybe there is another option for St. Louis, a way out of Missouri with an ally- Illinois.
In Oregon, what began as the multi-county movement for secession to become the State of Jefferson is now the Greater Idaho movement to have the Idaho border moved to allow Oregon’s more Republican counties to become a part of Idaho. These county votes are nonbinding but the first step toward pressuring both Oregon and Idado state legislatures into voting for the change.
What if, instead of statehood, we lobbied Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker and other Illinois Democrats, Labor leaders, pro-abortion activists, etcetera, to work with St. Louis- St. Louis City, and St. Louis County if they want to come with- to become Illinois 103rd or 103rd and 104th counties.
It’s way less complicated than statehood. Congress creates an interstate compact for boundary changes, both states adopt the compact as a constitutional amendment, as happened in 1958 for Washington and Oregon. St. Louis becomes a part of Illinois, is subject to the Illinois Constitution and statutes, gets representation in Illinois General Assembly, and becomes a part of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.
Who on the Board of Alders will sponsor a nonbinding resolution for the St. Louis ballot to see if voters are interested in being free of Missouri and becoming Illinoisans?
Thru Nov 6th Seedfolks at Grandel Theater. A 9-year-old Vietnamese girl plants bean seeds in a trash-filled, vacant lot and starts a series of changes. Tickets
10 am Tuesday Horticulture Trolley Tour @ Bellefontaine Cemetery. Two-hour trolley tour led by a Master Guide sharing horticulture and arboretum highlights. Tickets $5 Register
5:30 pm Tuesday Heartland Conservancy Prairie du Point Watershed Informational Open House, Kappa House, Cahokia Hts, IL. Register
10 am Wednesday Seed St. Louis and St. Louis County Public Library Workshop: Container Gardening. Jamestown Bluff Library. Register
4 pm Wednesday Grow Native Missouri Zoom Master Class: The Seed Cycle: Native Seed Collection, Stratification, Propagation with Mike Hoyle, manager, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery. Free: MPF members and Grow Native Professional Members. $15: non-members. Register
4 pm Thursday Grow Native Missouri’s FINCA EcoFarm Tour and Native Edibles Tasting @ Lincoln University, Jefferson City. Register
9 am Saturday ForestReLeaf Fall Tree Planting, Ruth Porter Park, St. Vincent Greenway, West End. Volunteers Wanted. Register
7:45 pm Saturday Missouri Conservation Department’s Night Shift Walk to the Confluence, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. 3 Tickets Remaining. Register
3:30-5 pm Nov 7th Missouri Conservation Department’s Beaver Moon Stroll at the Confluence, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. 12 Tickets remaining. Register
6 pm Nov 9th Old North’s Northside Workshop Support the Bee Sanctuary FR at Turn Restaurant, Midtown. Tickets: $50
5-7 pm Nov 10th Seed St. Louis Urban Ag Happy Hour at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust No program. No agenda. Just fun and making connections.
9 am Nov 12th ForestReLeaf North Riverfront Mississippi Greenway Tree Planting. Volunteers Wanted. Register
10 am Nov 19th Seed St. Louis In Person Workshop: Utilizing the School Garden in Winter. At Carriage House, Bell Community Garden, 3815 Bell. Register
4 pm Nov 23rd Missouri Prairie Foundation Online Master Class Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect Free to Mo Prairie Foundation members & Grow Native Missouri professional members. $15 for non-members. Register
Join us Sundays on Twitter for #GardenSunday with host @stl7thward to interact with other outdoor and indoor gardeners and nature enthusiasts, ask questions, give answers, share photos.
The Great State of St. Louis 