Comptroller Darlene Green invites you to join her in celebrating the 2008 holiday season Wednesday, Dec. 17 at the Carpenter’s Hall, 1401 Hampton Ave., from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Special guests include U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and City Treasurer Larry Williams. Come and share in the fun including food, drinks, door prizes and music. Parking is free on the Carpenter’s Hall lot. Please R.S.V.P. by Dec. 15 to Lillie at 314-622-4389.
Tonight is Consultant Jim Ross' Holiday Season Celebration
"We would like to thank these elected officials and candidate whom we had the pleasure of working with in 2008: State RepresentativesPat Yaeger, Jake Zimmerman, Steve Hodges, Representative-elect Jill Schupp, and Andria Simckes."
The Fifth Annual edition of St. Louis Kick Ass Awards will be held on Thursday, November 13, with a live presentation at Joe’s Café, Bill Christman’s whimsical, one-of-a-kind, retro-futuristic (and booze-free) music venue in the heart of the Skinker-Debalivere neighborhood. The awards will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will run until approximately 9 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
The St. Louis edition of the Kick Ass Awards launched in the early winter of 2004, based on the popular Austin, TX, event begun earlier that year by writer/raconteur Spike Gillespie. Since then, nearly 70 St. Louis individuals, organizations and other entities have been honored by the publishers of 52nd City, who promote this annual event, dedicated to folks in the community who often don’t get the praise they deserve… or, in other cases, folks that the publishers of 52nd City really, really dig. (For a full list of previous winners, you can check: www.kickassawards.blogspot.com.)
This year’s recipients make up our most delightfully diverse group ever, including:
* The Angry Black Bitch, aka Shark-Fu: provocative commentary on all subjects, dished out in blog-sized bites
* The Cupcake Project: quite likely the only “experimental cupcake blog” in the entire United States, based right here in the river city
* The Fox Hole: the most amusing sports show on the AM dial, featuring Maurice “The Mayor” Drummond, Martin “Marty Mar” Kilcoyne and Andy “Strick Nasty” Strickland
* Lucas Hudson: a winner for his work as both editor of the Vital Voice newspaper, as well as his role as the market master of the Old North Farmer’s Market
* The International Institute: a long-running, landmark South Side organization dedicated to serving the needs of New Americans from all over the globe
* Kosha Irby: an Associate Athletic Director at Saint Louis University, who slips plenty of good deeds into his 70-hour workweek
* George Malich: actor, improviser, star of “A. (anonymous),” upbeat advocate of the arts and a room-brightener, always
* Phil Valko: a resident of Old North, rehabber, board member, avid cyclist and twenty-something ass-kicker in a variety of progressive causes
* Lori E. White: blogger, urban explorer, dancer, actress, and, most importantly to us, a relentless advocate for The STL in a wide variety of media
* Josh Wiese: musician, neighborhood activist and all-around good guy; if only the City of St. Louis had a few thousand more of this personality type
Two more set, announced winners will be added shortly, along with our annual mystery winner, plucked from the event audience and brought onstage for the wild adulation that automatically comes with winning a Kick Ass Award. We’ll also have some “special” treats, including guided meditation and the appearance of a classic St. Louis sports mascot… really!
In short: St. Louis’ weirdest, free-est awards show is back. Please spread the word.
The economic downturn—particularly job losses-- will place additional strains on the healthcare system as the number of uninsured is likely to increase. This is one of several topics to be addressed by Missouri House of Representatives candidates in four districts.
Missouri House Races: District 73 (Clayton/Richmond Heights): Steve Brown (D) vs. Daniel O'Sullivan (R) District 82 (Creve Coeur): Frank Plescia (R) vs. Jill Schupp (D) District 91 (Webster Groves/Glendale): Randy Jotte (R) vs. Jeanne Kirkton (D) District 94 (Kirkwood/Des Peres): Deb Lavender (D) vs. Rick Stream (R)
Presenting sponsors include: Alliance on Mental Illness-NAMI St. Louis; American Association of University Women (AAUW)-Kirkwood/Webster Groves Branch; Central Reform Congregation; Congregation Shaare Emeth;Disability Coalition on Healthcare Reform; Eden Theological Seminary; First Congregational Church of Webster Groves; First Unitarian Church of St. Louis; Hadassah-St. Louis Chapter; Jewish Community Relations Council; National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis Section; Paraquad; and Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice.
Co-sponsors are: American Association of University Women (AAUW) Ballwin/Chesterfield Branch; Interfaith Parntership/Faith Beyond Walls; Lutheran Family & Children's Services of Missouri; Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy; Older Women's League (OWL)--Gateway Chapter.
Panelists include: Julie Steakhouse from the Federal Reserve, Bill Ratliff from the Missouri Bankers Association, Eric McClure from the Division of Finance, and Radha Gopalan from Wash U's Biz School.
Senate Candidates Eric Schmitt and Rep. Jim Lembke will be joined by Rep. Walt Bivins tomorrow for a public forum with energy experts to help develop an energy plan for Missouri.
The three officials will be joined by experts in the areas of natural gas, wind, nuclear energy, bio-fuels and clean coal technology.
The event will begin at 8 a.m., Tuesday, September 30, 6921 South Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis.
Young Democrats August 25th General Membership Meeting and Toast to CLAIRE MCCASKILL as she gives the keynote speech at the Democratic Convention Tonight.
From StL Platform: I think Sen. John Danforth’s and the Danforth Foundation’s big idea of developing a brilliant cultural institution as a companion to the Gateway Arch — housed in a structure and situated at a place on the Arch grounds to be decided through an international design competition — is thrilling.
I also think this: Altering the Arch grounds will be a hard sell to the National Park Service.
Parks and the people who run them, after all, are about conservation, and that’s as it should be.
But if ever there were a project that should enable parks people to move outside their comfort zone, this would be it:
Location:ChambersPark (between Franklin and Compton) 19th Ward
Attendance:2,000-2,500 people*
Purpose:To create an environment that is entertaining and fun, yet offers essential information and screening on health, financial, and job opportunities/resources to benefit the community, particularly targeting senior citizens and children.
To create job opportunity matches with entry level and qualified hard to reach candidates
Chair:Marlene Davis, Alderman, Ward 19; Michael McMillan, Chrm Bd of Directors, VJVL Initiative
Event Attractions & Highlights: (partial list)
SPECIAL UNVEILING
Live Entertainment Job Recruitment
Go CartsFree Food and Beverage
Ferris WheelAttendance Prizes
Free GiftsBasketball Demonstration
Free Candy Land Free Swimming
Boxing & Martial Arts ExhibitionCorvette Show
St. LouisScienceCenter YES Voter Registration
Missouri History Society Exhibit Health Screenings
Logan Indy Race Car ExhibitionCorvette Club Display
On Monday, June 16 Andria Simckes, the Democratic candidate for Missouri State Treasurer, will hold a press conference at medical office at 493 Saint Francois Street Suite 2 in Florissant, MO 63031 at 11:30am.
She will call for new thinking about the office: "For too long, the state has suffered from lack of innovation causing us to accept status quo.This doesn’t have to be the case.State Treasurers all across the country are developing creative financing strategies and promising programs to make the most of taxpayer dollars, and I believe we can, too."
Simckes will also announce creative ways the State Treasurer could expand health care in Missouri.
The Central Reform Congregation is holding a forum about food access inequalities in the St. Louis region on May 12 at 6pm. CRC is at the corner of Waterman and Kingshighway. Professor Baker from SLU School of Public Health is working with the community to come up with ideas for improving the situation. She is going to make a presentation at the forum.
Because of concern with unsafe traffic speeds, pedestrian safety, accessibility and visual appeal on Grand Blvd., the South Grand Community Improvement District applied for and won a Great Streets Initiative grant for technical expertise from East-West Gateway Council of Governments.
After working with us to fine-tune the issues impacting Grand Blvd., the consulting team will present concepts for transforming the corridor into a more vibrant and exciting destination. These ideas are far from final and input will help guide future design decisions for the corridor.
View the design concepts and share your thoughts for improving Grand Blvd. (from Arsenal to Utah) on Monday, March 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Carpenter Library. As an open house, you may visit anytime during the two-hour period. And for those wanting to learn more about the Great Streets Initiative and some of the specific design concepts for us, a 30 minute presentation will begin at 6:30 pm.
The St. Louis Federalist Society will present a panel of property rights experts debating the law of eminent domain. Eminent domain is a hot issue in Missouri, as shown by the publicity surrounding City of Arnold v. Tourkakis.
On Thursday, March 6, 2008, come to the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis and hear a panel discussion featuring: Gerry Carmody (developers) Tim Sandefur (homeowners) Alan Bornstein (developers) Dave Roland (homeowners) Anthony Martin (moderator)
Lunch will be served at 12:10 and the debate will begin at 12:30, to give the speakers time to eat. RSVP to stlfedsoc@gmail.com if you would like lunch. Lunch (chicken or fish) will cost $20.00, but attendance is free.
By request of the panelists, no media or recording devices allowed.
**** Gerry Carmody has been litigating cases for 30 years, trying more than 100 cases to conclusion in state and federal courts. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Jerry concentrates his practice in commercial, real estate and employment litigation. According to Missouri Lawyers Weekly, "[Gerry Carmody] is considered by many in his profession to be among the top experts in eminent domain within Missouri." Gerry was chosen by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt in 2005 to serve on a task force to review eminent domain law and procedures.
Timothy Sandefur is a Staff Attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, where he is currently working to prevent the abuse of eminent domain, and to protect the right to earn a living under the Fourteenth Amendment. Mr. Sandefur holds a J.D. from Chapman University School of Law and a B.A. in political economy from Hillsdale College. He is the author of Cornerstone of Liberty: Property Rights in 21st Century America, and he has published more than 25 scholarly articles, which have appeared in such publications as the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy and the Michigan State Law Review.
Alan Bornstein has a B.S. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a J.D. from Washington University, and earned his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. Mr. Bornstein has extensive experience in negotiating and documenting real estate transactions on behalf of both lenders and developers. Mr. Bornstein's work on behalf of developers has included participating in and managing the legal work for numerous community shopping center developments, including land assembly, governmental approval, architect's agreements, construction agreements, construction financing, acquisition of properties for rehabilitation, and dispositions of completed community centers. His work in this area has involved properties in more than twenty states. Mr. Bornstein served for ten years as an adjunct professor in the Washington University School of Law Graduate Tax Program, where he taught a course on selected topics in real estate taxation.
Dave Roland came to the Show-Me Institute after three years in the nation's capital as an attorney with the Institute for Justice, where he litigated school choice, economic liberty, and property rights cases in state and federal courts. Dave earned undergraduate degrees in political science and Biblical studies at Abilene (TX) Christian University before studying law and religion at Vanderbilt University, where he received his M.T.S. and his law degree in 2004. Mr. Roland has published several articles, including "Will the Missouri Supreme Court Leave Your Home At Risk?", available at the Show-Me Institute Web site.
Governor Matt Blunt appointed Anthony Martin as Missouri's first Ombudsman for Property Rights on August 20, 2007. Prior to serving in Governor Blunt's administration, Anthony was a prosecutor in the U.S. Office of Special Counsel in Washington, D.C. There he prosecuted federal government officials for corruption in violation of Title 5 of the United States Code. He also prosecuted veterans' rights discrimination within the federal government. Before returning to Missouri, Anthony worked as a law clerk in the office of U.S. Senator James M. Talent; a law clerk in the Law Enforcement DefenseDivision of the Office of the Texas Attorney General; and as a Rule 13 attorney in the Office of the Missouri Public Defender. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Arts from Mercyhurst College; a Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis; and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis.
West End Lofts Invites You To A Meet And Greet With New Vital Voice Editor, Lucas Hudson! Wednesday, March 5th 6PM to 8PM
Enjoy this unique opportunity with Mr. Hudson in the intimate setting of West End Lofts. Have an up close and personal question and answer session with the new editor, find out what is new with Vital Voice and talk with Mr. Hudson about aspects of the publication.
Complimentary appetizers provided by neighborhood favorite, Terrene and wine tastings from Mary Michelle Winery. Space is limited. RSVP to 314-531-4441. Register to win a year's subscription to Vital Voice.
West End Lofts Hosts New Vital Voice Editor, Lucas Hudson Wednesday, March 5 6PM to 8PM 4100 Forest Park Ave. in the Central West End 314-531-4441 www.westendlofts. com
New Legislative Effort at Local Control of Police Dept.
State Reps. Talibdin “T.D.” El-Amin and Rodney Hubbard and other St. Louis-area legislators, in partnership with St. Louis African-American Aldermanic Caucus Chairman Terry Kennedy and other members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen will hold a joint press conference on Monday to discuss support for legislation to give St. LouisCity local control of its police department.
Alderman Kennedy last week successfully passed a resolution at the Board of Alderman expressing the board’s full support for local control. This in essence serves as an impetus for the St. Louis delegation in the Missouri General Assembly to pursue legislation to make local control of the St. Louis Police Department a reality.
El-Amin on Monday will file a bill in the House of Representatives to transfer control of the St. Louis Police Board from the state to the city.
Young Republicans and Young Democrats will play a game of Softball this Sunday at 2pm at Lyon Park, Broadway and Arsenal.
