Tag: St. Louis

Aldergeddon: New 1st Ward

Map of New 1st Ward, St. Louis City (2023)

Last Updated: 04/27/2023

New St. Louis City 1st Ward includes all or parts of Bevo, Carondelet, Boulevard Heights, Holly Hills, Patch Neighborhoods, parts of old 11th, 12th, 13th Wards, other Wards, and is the result of Census Redistricting and Ward Reduction.

All 14 New Ward Profiles here.

2023 General Election Results

18+ Population: 17,986
Registered Voters: 13,793 (76.68% Registered)
Total Ballots Cast:  3,121 (22.63% Turnout)
Board President
Megan Green: 1,954 (84.9%)
Alder
Anne Schweitzer: 1,614 (52.02%)
Tony Kirchner: 1,472 (47.4%)
Prop C (Charter Commission): Yes 1,543 (52.70%), No 1,385 (47.30%). Passed Citywide.
Prop No Letter/Number (Recreational Cannabis Tax): Yes 1,950 (63.13%), No 1,139 (36.8%). Passed Citywide.
School Board (citywide at-large election, top two elected- Sadie Weiss and Tracy Hykes)
Sadie Weiss: 1,625 (40.21%)
Tracy Hykes: 1,331 (32.94%)
J.L. Quinones: 980 (24.25%)
St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees (numerous wards participating- Nicole Robinson won)
Nicole Robinson: 299 (49.75%)
Pam Ross: 289 (48.09%)
Citywide and Subdistrict Election Results

2023 Primary Results

18+ Population: 17,986
Registered Voters: 13,774 (76.58% Registered)
Total Ballots Cast:  2,188 (15.89% Turnout)
Total Votes Cast, Approval Voting:  2,670 – In St. Louis City Municipal Primary Elections, voters may vote for as many candidates as they want with top two advancing to General Election.
Board President
Megan Green: 1,307
Alder (top two advance to General Election)
Matt Kotraba: 409
Tony Kirchner: 1,088
Anne Schweitzer: 1,173

Public Officials Residing in New 1st Ward

New 1st Ward Alder Anne Schweitzer
Neighborhood: Boulevard Heights
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: campaign consultant at Public Eye
Other Elected Office: former 13th Ward Alder
Other Politics: treasurer for Reinvest StL 2016 Prop E & F and Reinvest StL 2015 Prop 1
Genealogy: daughter of Jane Schweitzer, former/last elected City Circuit Clerk; daughter of Gordon Schweitzer, former municipal judge; granddaughter of Gordon Schweitzer, former Sheriff
2023 Alder Primary: 1st of 3 candidates, 1,173 Votes of 2,670
2023 Alder General Election: 1,614 (52.02%)
Campaign Finance
April 2023 Report #2: $1,860 raised ($500 Board President Megan Green’s Progress PAC, $500 Associated General Contractors Mo, $500 Iron Workers, $250 Glaziers, $50 former Fire Chief Sherman George); $630.02 spent; $14,101.61 on hand; $0 debt
April 2023 Report #2: Limited Activity
April 2023 Report #1: $1,330 raised ($500 Plumbers & Pipefitters 562); $12,857.80 spent ($11,807.76 Bouchard Gold Communications, Austin); $12,871.63 on hand; $0 debt
March 2023 Report #1 Amended: Added 7 contributions ($1,000 SEIU Healthcare, $500 Pro Choice Mo, $500 Sheetmetal Workers, $300 IBEW, $200 Operating Engineers, $200 Bricklayers. New Totals- $17,760 raised; $13,255.11 spent; $24,399.43 on hand; $0 debt
March 2023 Report #1: $15,035 raised ($6,150 from Labor, $500 former 13th Ward Alder Fred Wessels, $500 Realtors Association, $200 former 11th Ward Alder Matt Villa, $100 former Police Chief Sam Dotson, $100 City Assessor Michael Dauphin, $50 former City Health Director Pam Walker); $13,255.11 spent (Bouchard Gold Communications, Austin); $21,674.43 on hand; $0 debt
February 2023 Report: $6,705 raised ($1,500 SEIU MO/KS, $1,500 SEIU Healthcare, $1000 LIUNA, $450 Sierra Club PAC), $23,689.55 spent ($22,474.56 Bouchard Gold Communications, Austin), $19,894.54 on hand, $0 debt
January 2023 Report #2: $2,284 raised ($500 Building Trades PAC, $500 IAFF Local 73, $75 City Treasurer Adam Layne), $777.97 spent, $38,385.12 on hand, $0 debt
January 2023 Report #1: $3,760 raised ($1,000 from dad- Gordon Schweitzer), $2,848.80 spent, $36,879.09 on hand, $0 debt
October 2022 Report: $2,624.46 raised, $84.43 spent, $35,967.89 on hand, $0 debt
Treasurer: Jane Schweitzer (Alder’s mother, former/last elected City Circuit Court Clerk)

City Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly (county office)
Neighborhood: Boulevard Heights
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: Collector of Revenue
Other Elected Office: former License Collector; briefly candidate for Mayor
Party Office: 12th Ward Democratic Committeeman**
Other Political: treasurer of 12th Ward Regular Democratic Organization; treasurer of 2021 Yes on Prop E Earnings Tax STL
Genealogy: sister of Geraldine Kraemer, St. Louis City Election Board Commissioner
Campaign Finance
April 2023 Report: $718.38 raised (interest earned); $6,605.63 spent ($3,065.26 on food including $1,096.83 Bartolino’s South and $879.43 at four restaurants in Florida, $294.56 Sam’s Club, $250 Prop C Charter Commission campaign); $446,845.03 on hand; $2,153.88 debt
January 2023 Report: $247.18 raised, $5,566.34 spent, $452,732.28 on hand, $879.06 debt
December 2022 Report: $985.98 raised, $6,257.81 spent, $458,051.44 on hand, $1,112.99 debt
November 2022 Report Amended: $4,200 raised, $4,661.76 spent, $463,323.27 on hand, $4,913.98
October Report Amended: $5,609.75 raised, $2,739.11 spent, $463,785.03 on hand, $1,435.15 debt.
Treasurer: Dana Gamache (works at Collector of Revenue)
Deputy Treasurer: Kathy Gamache (12th Ward Committeewoman, works at Collector of Revenue)

State Rep. Steve Butz
Neighborhood: Holly Hills
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: owner of Crawford-Butz Insurance Agency, managing partner for Eagle Hurst Ranch in Steelville
Other Elected Office: former candidate for State Rep. 2016 (Ben Borgmeyer was listed on MEC filing as a member of the campaign committee. He’s now Democratic Director of Elections at St. Louis City Election Board)
Campaign Finance
April 2023 Report: $0 raised; $210 spent; $66,332.22 on hand; $32,500 debt
January 2023 Report: $1,000 raised; $0 spent; $66,542.22 on hand; $32,500 debt
November 2022 Report: $500 raised; $2,783.66 spent; $65,542.22 on hand; $32,500 debt
October 2022 Report #2: $5000 raised; $11,896.67 spent; $67,825.88 on hand; $32,500 debt
October 2022 Report #1: $11,400 raised; $1,260 spent; $74,722.55 on hand; $32,500 debt
Treasurer: Ted Hartzler

St. Louis City Assessor*** Michael Dauphin
Neighborhood: Holly Hills
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: attorney, Assessor
Party Office: former 13th Ward Democratic Committeeman

Ward Committee (PACs)

New 1st Ward Democratic organization: None

New 1st Ward Republican organization: None

Old 12th Ward Regular Democratic Organization
Campaign Finance
April 2023 Report: Limited Activity
February 2023 Report: $650 ($250 AFT 420, $400 Dem Central Committee, both 2022 checks); $1,040.40 spent (printing in January); $833.47 on hand; $0 debt
January 2023 Report: Limited Activity
December 2022 Report: Limited Activity
October 2022 Report #2: Limited Activity
October 2022 Report #1: Limited Activity.
July 2022 Report: $38.79 raised, $1,205.10 spent, $1,455.74 on hand, $0 debt.
Treasurer: Gregory F.X. Daly (12th Ward Committeeman, Collector of Revenue)

Old SOS filings: 12th Ward Democratic Political Party Committee (nonprofit)
Officers: 12th Ward Committeeman & Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly is President, Secretary, and all three Board members. He also owns 12th Ward Democratic Political Party Committee as a fictious name registration.

Old 12th Ward Trivia: former Circuit Clerk Mariano Favazza (also former State Rep candidate, former Alder candidate) registered 12th Ward Pro Life Democrats as a d.b.a. in 2004. It expired in 2009. Circuit Clerk is now appointed by Circuit Court Judges via legislation from Missouri General Assembly.

Old 12th Ward Republican organization: None

Old 13th Ward Regular Democratic Club
Campaign Finance
April 2023 Report: $100 raised ($100 AFT 420); $0 spent; $4,109.37 on hand; $0 debt
January 2023 Report: $30 raised; $560.89; $4,009.37 on hand; $0 debt
October 2022 Report: Limited Activity
July 2022 Report: $0 raised; $0 spent; $4,540.26 on hand; $0 debt
Treasurer: Paul Sager (realtor, former president of Holly Hills Improvement Association)

Old 13th Ward Republican organization: None

Political Party Committeepeople

Old 12th Ward Democratic Committeewoman Krissy Sullivan
Neighborhood:
Residence Tax Abated:
Occupation: physical therapist
Genealogy: daughter of John Temporiti, former chair of Missouri Democratic Party; former chief of staff to Mayor Vince Schoemehl; wife of Brian Sullivan, deputy Democratic director at St. Louis City Election Board
*No party committeewoman account filed at MEC

Old 12th Ward Democratic Committeeman Gregory F.X. Daly
Collector of Revenue (see above)

Old 12th Ward Republican Committeewoman Mary Therese McLean
Neighborhood: Princeton Heights
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: owner of Morning to Midnight Media; owner of Totally Renewed (using Farmington Mo address)
Other Elected Office: former candidate for State Senate 2022
Other Party Office: chair of St. Louis City Republican Party
Other Political: treasurer for 2nd Ward Alder candidate Phill Menendez
Campaign Finance
Termination 12/09/2022: Transferring $870.81 to new committee not identified
November 2022 Report #2: $500 raised; $1,511.60 spent; $870.81 on hand; $0 debt
November 2022 Report #1: $0 raised; $0 spent; $1,882.41on hand; $0 debt
Treasurer: Chris Clark (former treasurer for former candidate for State Senator 2018; former treasurer for former candidate for 23rd Ward Alder Robert Crump 2013; former treasurer for former candidate for Sheriff Robert Vroman Sternberg 2012)
*No party committeewoman account filed at MEC

Old 12th Ward Republican Committeeman Joe Carretero
Neighborhood: Boulevard Heights, New 2nd Ward
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: currently at Campbell Security; retired sergeant at St. Louis Police Dept, “Kettle” lawsuit; was security manager for Pulitzer Arts Foundation while a policer officer; retired sergeant major from U.S. Army
Campaign Finance
*No party committeeman account filed at MEC

Old 13th Ward Democratic Committeewoman– Vacant

Old 13th Ward Democratic Committeeman Fred Wessels Jr.
Neighborhood: Holly Hills
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: co-owner of Poderosa Properties; former Community Development Agency Director; former executive director of St. Louis Peregrine Society
Other Elected Office: former State Rep, former 13th Ward Alder, former candidate for City Treasurer
Campaign Finance
April 2023 Report: $0 raised; $0 spent; $1,477.45 on hand; $0 debt
January 2023 Report: $0 raised; $0 spent; $1,477.45 on hand; $0 debt
October 2022 Report: $0 raised; $0 spent; $1,477.45 on hand; $0 debt
Treasurer: Gloria Wessels (owner of Cruises & Tours by Gloria; wife of Committeeman Wessels; treasurer of Leadership Committee PAC 2014-2016)

Old 13th Ward Republican Committeewoman Diane Dailey
Neighborhood:
Residence Tax Abated:
Occupation: realtor, retired sergeant at St. Louis Police Dept
Campaign Finance
*No party committeeman account filed at MEC

Current 13th Ward Republican Committeeman Matt Kotraba
See former Alder candidates below

Former Public Officials

Former 12th Ward Alder William ‘Bill’ Stephens
Neighborhood: Boulevard Heights
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: former librarian
Other Elected Office: candidate for State Rep. 2022
Other Political: Chair of LGBTQ Caucus, Missouri Democratic Party
Campaign Finance
Account says it is a candidate committee for State Rep 81st District in 8/6/2024 Primary
January 2023 Report: Limited Activity
October 2022 Report: Limited Activity
September 2022 Report: $500 raised; $2,515.84 spent; $2,686.15 on hand; $5,108.16 debt
Treasurer: Madeline Buthod (14th Ward Committeewoman)

Former 12th Ward Alder Larry Arnowitz (deceased)
Campaign Finance
April 2023 Report: Limited Activity
October 2022 Report: Limited Activity (late)
July 2022 Report: Limited Activity (late)
April 2022 Report: Limited Activity (late)
January 2022 Report: Limited Activity (late)
October 2021 Report: Limited Activity (late)
July 2021 Report: Limited Activity (late)
April 2021 Report: Limited Activity (late)
October 2020 Report: Limited Activity (late)
July 2020 Report: $0 raised, $0 spent, $21,745.06 on hand, $0 debt
Deputy Treasurer: Philomena Arnowitz (wife/widow Of Alder Arnowitz)

Former Alder Candidates

Tony Kirchner
Neighborhood: Bevo Mill
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: deputy sheriff
2023 Alder General Election: 1,472 (47.4%)
2023 Alder Primary: 2nd of 3 candidates, 1,088 of Votes of 2,670
Campaign Finance
April 2023 Report: $5,200 raised ($2,600 Todd Schnuck- Schnuck Markets, $2,600 Husch Blackwell- Lawyers of TIF); $12,152.86 spent ($3,000 G3 Strategies- Greg Christian, PIO @ City Sheriff); $10,912.53 on hand; $2,000 debt
March 2023 Report: $14,890 raised ($2,600 Commerce Bank, $2,600 attorney Jerry Schlichter, $2,500 former Emerson Electric CEO David Farr, $1000 Leadership Counts- a legal money laundry for Steve Stone + STL Cardinals + LIUNA 42 + Kevin Short, $250 former Mayor Vince Schoemehl, $150 former 17th Ward Alder Joe Roddy); $14,577.74 spent; $17,865.39 on hand; $2,000 debt
February 2023 Report #2: $7,785 ($1,000 LIUNA 42, $250 Alder Jack Coatar, $100 former Sheriff Jim Murphy, $100 Alder Carol Howard); $0 spent; $17,553.13 on hand; $2,000 debt
February 2023 Report #1: $3,715 raised ($500 St. Louis Police Officers Assn, $300 former 8th Ward Alder Steve Conway, $250 Lobbyist/Lawyers of TIF David Sweeney), $3,183.20 spent (mostly on mailing), $9,768.13 on hand, $2,000 debt
January 2023 Report #2: $1,682 raised, $2,529.17 spent, $9,236.33 on hand, $2,000 debt
January 2023 Report #1: $11,368 raised ($1,000 from accused rapist Steve Roberts, $250 from Terence Niehoff- Alder Coatar’s PAC treasurer, $2,000 loan from the candidate), $1,284.50 spent, $10,083.50 on hand, $2,000 debt
Treasurer: Jen Graves

Matthew E. Kotraba
Note: There is a Matthew T. “Toby” Kotraba who is a St. Louis City firefighter and insurance agent
Neighborhood: Boulevard Heights
Residence Tax Abated: No
Occupation: infrastructure manager at BJC HealthCare
Party Office: 13th Ward Republican Committeeman
2023 Alder Primary: 3rd place of 3 candidates, 409 Votes of 2,670
Campaign Finance
Terminated committee 04/05/2023: $85 raised; $1,008.24 spent ($835.94 returned to donors); $0 on hand; $0 debt
February 2023 Report: $410 raised; $523.13 spent; $923.24 on hand; $0 debt
January 2023 Report #2: $550 raised ($500 St. Louis City GOP); $2,733.63 spent ($975 Newstalk STL radio); $1,036.37 on hand; $0 debt
January 2023 Report #1: $3,220 raised; $0 spent; $3,220 on hand; $0 debt
October 2022 Report: Limited Activity
Treasurer: Deb Bennett
* No party committeeman account filed at MEC

* Political Party County Central Committee ward and township committeepeople have the option to file their campaign finance reports with their county election authority- Board of Election Commissioners in the case of St. Louis City- or online with Missouri Ethics Commission. The St. Louis City Board of Election once posted pdfs of ward committeepeople campaign finance reports to the Board’s website. That is no longer the case. To inspect records, you must visit the Board in person.

** A committeeperson who is also an elected official is not required to have a separate campaign finance account for committeeperson contributions and expenses.

***appointed by Mayor Lyda Krewson, then Mayor Tishaura Jones

City Election Candidate Filing Opens Nov 28

Candidates for Board of Alder President and all 14 Ward Alder seats begin filing 8 am Monday, November 28. Filing ends 5 pm January 6. The Primary is March 7 and General Election is April 4.

For those of you interested in running and not part of a slate, or running on your own, and already collecting nominating signatures, here are the qualifications and requirements.

A candidate for Board of Alder President must be at least 30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 5 years, St. Louis City resident for at least 5 years, an assessed City taxpayer for at least 2 years, and must not have been convicted of malfeasance in office, bribery or other corrupt practice or crime.

A candidate for Alder must be at least 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 5 years, St. Louis City resident for at least 3  years, a resident of the ward from which elected for at least one year, an assessed City taxpayer for at least 2 years, and must not have been convicted of malfeasance in office, bribery or other corrupt practice or crime.

✔️ All candidates for City office will need petition signatures for Certificate of Nomination.

✔️ All candidates must obtain a receipt from City Treasurer for payment of a filing fee  equal to 1% of the salary of the office sought.

✔️ All candidates must obtain a Statement of Tax Clearance– confirmation the candidate  is not delinquent in the payment of city taxes and water and refuse bills- from City Collector of Revenue.

Candidates must take their Certificate of Nomination, receipt for payment of filing fee, and Statement of Tax Clearance to the Board of Election to file by the deadline.

✔️ Candidates must also file campaign finance reports with Missouri Ethics Commission.

Also see Board of Election Candidate Filing Information.

 

 

This Week In Gardening & Nature

Start planning your 2023 Garden with Seed St. Louis Seed Starting/Planting Calendar

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

Ward Consolidation Wars

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.

Registered agent for the new 14th Ward registration is Limda Primer, who is also Treasurer for MEC registered 3rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization and Civil PAC, and Deputy Treasurer for Citizens for Brandon Bosley (3rd Ward Alder) and Citizens for LaKeysha Bosley (State Representative and sometimes employee of the Recorder of Deed’s bar).

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.

In September, Greg Meyer incorporated 4th Ward Regular Democratic Organization as a non profit with the help of attorney Ted Dearing. Meyer is also Treasurer for MEC registered 23rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization (aligned with 23rd Ward Alder Joe Vaccaro) and St. Louis Labor Legislature Club. The October 2022 Report for 23rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization shows the club paid Ted Dearing $300 in August for legal services.

In St. Louis County, you can visit the St. Louis County Democratic Central Committee website to find your township political club.

There are two online sources for anyone (a lot of us do not have book of faces) to look for St. Louis City ward organization information and neither are the St. Louis Democratic City Central Committee website. Instead, you have to search Missouri Ethics Commission and/or Missouri Secretary of State’s Business Entity database for ward committees.

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.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Gardening by Month from Missouri Botanical Garden: November Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems

November Garden To Do List from P. Allen Smith

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.

Support the Cora Faith Walker Foundation

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.

Follow the work on Twitter @corasfoundation

Donate to the Cora Faith Walker Foundation.

This Week in Gardening & Nature

Gardening by Month from Missouri Botanical Garden: November Tips & Tasks, Pests & Problems

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

Peak color right now in a lot of places. Missouri Fall Color Report and Illinois Fall Color Report

For Grade School Teachers: Pumpkin Graveyard lesson plan

Someone asked me about plant dyes awhile back. Have deleted the DM or text. Apologies. Anyways, this is the recommended book: The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft with Organic Colors from Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, and Other Everyday Ingredients by Sasha Duerr

1:30 pm Thursday Leaf Walk at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Master Guide led walking tour. Register

8 am Saturday St. Louis Audubon Society Beginner Bird Walk at Forest Park

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

6:30 pm Saturday rescheduled Astronomy Festival activities at Tower Grove Park: Telescope Viewings + Night Hike with Naturalists, Missouri Conservation Department

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.

St Louis Statehood or Greater Illinois?

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?”

The Fair Share ballot issue is more of a nonbinding vote in favor of flexing muscles for more state revenue.

Republicans will likely have complete domination of state government after Missouri’s November 8th election. St. Louis City will not be in any position to get much of anything good from the pro-death Republican majority in Missouri’s statewide offices and General Assembly.

The Missouri Democratic Party is a dysfunctional, useless, private club.

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.

Think about what it would be like to live in a state that isn’t willfully ignorant about guns.

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?