St. Louis Hills Block Captain Program – February 2008 In This Issue What Makes Our Neighbors Special? | by Nancy Vordtriede & Mark Daly Block Capt. e have decided to divert from place when I am late home from work. Chair Report 1 Wour normal routine this quarter in Red ribbons appear on our trees at order to discuss our neighbors and what Christmas time and Flags line the street 16th Ward makes them special in our lives. How on the July 4th... Southland Ave. Alderwoman 2 they come through in the most needed moments and times, yet too we celebrate Progressive Dinners, Block Parties, Chili St. Louis Hills at the happiest of times. Our days are Cook-Offs. Neighbors are wonderful Southside Entrance 2 so fast paced with technology, cell because they have a key to your house phones, computers, emails, voice when you don’t!.. Neosho Ave. President’s Report 3 mails, Blackberry’s, our family routines, etc. that we rarely take time to focus on Neighbors caring for other neighbors who Lighting Award Winners 4 the essentials of life. This includes our are elderly. Cooking, delivering them special neighbors. meals, picking up newspapers, taking in Holiday Party Wrap Up 5 trash carts, cleaning up their yards after Yet, it continues to amaze both of us in storms, checking on them, they have a pinch or at a party what can happen Easter Egg Hunt 5 been a blessing... Highfield Rd. next door, or down the street, or in the middle. For some of us this special work The most evident example is the Rosemary’s Corner 6 of our neighbors is quite evident and Christmas lighting. We have many for some it is silent. Whether it be a trash volunteers and contributors working Christmas Decorations 7 cart taken in, tree branches removed together to help get the street ready. after a storm, papers picked up, dog Next, everyone gets busy decorating their William Bradburn sitting, houses watched for safety, parties homes. On the weekends many of planned or the next Christmas lighting Athletic Field 8-9 us gather to help spread the cheer! display meeting for charity designed, We have many other activities throughout Old Newsboys Inductee 9 these are all items which make our neighbors special. So, to all of you our the year to keep us in touch... special neighbors a humble thank you. Murdoch Ave. Home & Kid Safety 10 We have taken the opportunity to talk Sure we have block parties just like Del Pietros 11 with some of you in the neighborhood many other streets, but each year and in your words hear what makes your we come up with more reasons to get Spring Cleaning 12 neighbor special. The names are not together. After Trick or Treating on mentioned, however streets if requested Halloween we gather on the circle for St. Raphaels 13 have been. chili & hot dogs. Football party on the driveways. Speaking of football we HCBA 14 I love spring and summer you can never enjoyed our first “Holiday Kick-Off” get any work accomplished in the family football game the Wednesday Flower of the Season 14 yard, everyone is talking and the kids before Thanksgiving. Then we topped are playing, just hearing the kids is a off 2007 with a little Christmas Caroling. Tax Credit 15 delight... Southland Ave. Here’s to fun-loving neighbors and a great neighborhood!.. Willmore Rd. She sees something suspicious 911 is Calendar of Events 16 called. My trash cart ends up back in its To a wonderful 2008. 2 16th Ward Update | by Donna Baringer, 16th Ward Alderwoman n the winter of ‘07, a 16th Ward constituent asked me to approach our neighboring county Imunicipalities to see if they would be willing to let residents of the 16th Ward join their outdoor swimming facilities at a reduced rate. I approached a couple and one, Maplewood, agreed. Last summer 16th Ward constituents enjoyed the use of the Maplewood outdoor pool at a reduced rate. I have once again asked the city of Maplewood, and the request will be put before the city council in May for approval. The outcome of this meeting will be posted on my website. If the agreement is approved again, I will post when the passes may be purchased for summer 2008. This is a great example of how municipalities can work together as a team by sharing resources to help each other out regionally. If you have suggestions or ideas on how we can improve our community, I am more than happy to listen. Please stop by the Starbucks the first Friday of the month from 7:45-8:45 a.m. and have coffee with me. St. Louis Hills Southside Entrance – Progress Report | by Steve Doss t. Louis Hills has always been a great place to live because the neighbors, businesses, and churches work Stogether to build a unique caring community. When I put out a request in the last newsletter for funds to help build a new neighborhood identification marker on the Southside of the neighborhood, all three entities answered the call. We have achieved our goal and plan on breaking ground for the pillar in April. The number of neighbors who have donated are too numerous to mention but special thanks goes out to the following church groups, businesses and associations: St. Gabriel’s Golf Committee Imo’s St. Raphael’s Men’s Club Lesher’s Flowers Aboussie and Associates McDonald’s – Procter Family Franchises Artega Studios Mitchell Mechanical Bartolino’s/ Chris’ Restaurants Schaefer’s Auto Care Eichelberger Realty Sharamitaro & Associates, CPA Gilmore Electric Standard Travel Hampton Shoe Repair Ted Drewes Home Stretch Team – Realty Executives of St. Louis Webster Mortgage Group Thanks for all you do to make this a great neighborhood. Run for the Hills Correction he Run for the Hills women’s 5K race results were posted incorrectly in the November issue of Hills St. News. TIt should have read… 70+ 1) ANN WILSON 34:01 3 SLHNA President’s Report | by Carol Wilson ecently I had a discussion with a member POLITICAL SIGNS about “the old days” when the St. Louis Hills R The comments below were part of my column in the Neighborhood Association board was smaller and more November, 2006 newsletter. The issue has come up again, “manageable.” Although I am not sure I could tell you so I have asked that we reprint my previous comments. what I had for lunch yesterday, I do remember how different our association was twenty years ago. Some may feel that the sudden appearance of so many candidate/issue yard signs this year were an unwelcome In the late 1980s our board was considering whether violation of our tradition. Signs were always taboo in we should participate in an event where each city the Hills. Candidates did not put them in our yards neighborhood would share information about its com- because they felt the signs would actually cost them munity and neighborhood association. One board votes. This year those signs stood boldly right in the member explained to me that this was simply not middle of many lawns. something that St. Louis Hills should do because we were a hidden jewel in the city, and we should stay Are the signs attractive additions to our landscaping? that way—hidden. Absolutely not. Would some people like this association to ask residents to remove them? Yes, they would, but Then, as now, there were dedicated people on the we have not and cannot. The U.S. Supreme Court has board, but meetings were sometimes monopolized by ruled that the signs are expressions of free speech, and a few members whose attitude was negative toward as such, they are legal. A city ordinance regulates the anything new or innovative. My favorite was the size and number of signs, but neither the city nor the gentleman who told us that the first Run for the Hills SLHNA can outlaw them. We can cite our tradition, but would be a huge failure. He was convinced he was we must also be aware of the law. right when he arrived at Francis Park about 1:00 the day of the event and saw no one there, not realizing If signs encourage discussion and participation in the that we had cleaned up and left the park by noon— electoral process, then they have some value. When after hundreds of people had attended the Run. elections are over, the signs come down, and regardless of which candidate or issue wins, we all move on, not We have evolved. Membership is nearly triple what it as political opponents, but as friends and neighbors. was in the late 1980s, which provides us with a budget that subsidizes more events and projects, such as Run for the Hills, Art in the Park, the John Burghoff Gator patrol and the St. Louis Hills pillars (spearheaded by Tom Gilmore and Steve Doss). We changed our name from the St. Louis Hills Homeowners’ Association to the St. Louis Hills Neighborhood Association in order that both owners and residents would feel included. Our board members live throughout the Hills. We attend different churches or no church; we are Republicans, Democrats and independents; we have lived here forever or are relatively new to the neigh- borhood. We all share a lively sense of humor, we are definitely not always manageable, but we genuinely like one another (almost always). And thanks to our board members and volunteers, St. Louis Hills is still a jewel, but no longer hidden. Join us at our next general meetings on March 12 and June 12 at 7:00 p.m.