Songkran Festival All Wet…just in time for spring mating season!

(This article was published in International Travel News way back in Feb. 1981.)

     Thanks to modern technology, travelers whiz around the globe via jumbo jets with the world seeming to shrink as previously remote corners become quickly and easily assessable. Yet, cultures from hemisphere to hemisphere remain as diverse as ever.

     If you visit Thailand; especially the northern village of Chiang Mai from April 13-15, you will agree that even a rocket ship could do little to narrow the culture gap between that country and ours!

     This is the time of the Songkran Festival.  Southeast Asians know it as the lunar New Year, but visitors recognize Songkran as the ‘water-throwing’ festival. 

     The first day of this event is a public holiday.  Tens of thousands of local residents and Thais from the south country join to literally drench one another.

     Originally, Songkran was a highly religious time of ‘bathing the Buddha.’ Although the festival probably derives from ancient fertility rites, there is another reason water is so important.  Mid-April is the peak of Thailand’s dry season, and all of Buddha’s creatures and creations thirst for the cooling waters that are unleashed.

     The festival starts out slowly, as people march to their temples, or wats, in colorful native costumes.  They sprinkle a little water here and there as they await the grand procession.  Leading the group is a handful of monks clad in bright yellow robes.

     The costumes of parade participants are simply stunning as is the entertainment.  Music consists of young men playing Java pipes, gongs, cymbals and conical, 12-foot-long drums.  Other men take part in the ramwong folk dance, while young women in burgundy costumes perform the sensuous fawn leap.

     Foreigners hardly notice the passing out of silver bowls and squirt guns, but after the chant of “Sawadee Pimai,” meaning “Happy New Year,” all hell breaks loose!

     Most youngsters set out to dump water on members of the opposite sex, for Songkran has long been known to bring a boy and girl together.  In fact, this type of courting activity is encouraged by their parents.  No wonder most Thai weddings occur prior to the June monsoon season!

     I guess it would be trite to say that the Songkran Festival is good clean fun!  But when you go, remember not to take along your good clothes, any important papers, a camera or wristwatch.  Maybe bring a washrag and a bar of soap!

Home Schooling is a Viable Option: Don’t Assume You Can’t Do It

***Here's an article I had published online for pay through the Yahoo Contributor's Network in 2013.  The main reason I am posting it now is because within a couple months, I will be doing a very lengthy article with several people interviewed regarding comparisons of all forms of schooling in West St. Louis County and St. Charles County. 

Jeffry Greenberg, Yahoo! Contributor Network

About five years ago, I went to a Mensa monthly meeting at the Washington University (where the final Obama-McCain presidential debate was recently held) extension in suburban St. Louis. The topic was different methods of schooling.

A panel was set up with one representative apiece from public, private, Montessori, magnate and charter schools. There was no home schooling member. But as one of some 50 Mensans in the crowd, I was happy to tell of my opinions and experiences...especially in regard to that time-worn generalization about a home-schooled child's lack of socialization.

What I did, in a nutshell, was stand up and tell the entire crowd why home schooling my son David was not only the best decision I have ever made in my life, but the most rewarding one.

How did I find out about home schooling? I had interviewed a young, soon-to-be state diving champion who was home schooled for about five years prior to middle school. Once there, she was in the top five in her class academically for three years straight. So, I thought...why not my son David?

I started back in September 1994, when David was four years and four months old. In Missouri, the calendar year for home schooling was July through June. I simply chose to start when regular schools were in session. But after that initial Sept-June 30 year, I did adhere to the July-June schedule.

The regulations for Missouri were to have 1,000 units in a calendar year, 600 of which had to be core units. Non-core units were art, music, physical education, religion and the like. I learned that units were different than hours. Many of the units I taught took far less than an hour. Nearly every calendar year, we did some 1,750 units...about 1,300 of which were core units.

Other home school requirements...in case one was ever challenged...were being able to show proof of regular lesson plans, grading assessments, and work samples.

Home schooling worked for me because I had a three-times-a-week part-time job, plus I covered high school sports and did other freelance writing...when print journalism was still in vogue. However, one can home school no matter what hours he or she has available. Unlike "regular" school, there is absolutely no need to conform to a 9-to-4 schedule.

Actually, the beauty of home schooling is LACK of conforming! I took that to an extreme regarding curriculum. Unlike most teachers, I did not use any pre-packaged one. From the outset, I went to Target, Kmart, Venture and other stores, and bought a variety of pre-school through third grade workbooks, miniature text books and other things to help teach...like a variety of flash cards.

I also went to the annual St. Louis County Book Fair and always got a shopping cart full of textbooks, workbooks, reading books, and other items at greatly reduced prices. These were all donated by the general public, with proceeds going to charity.

How did I do it? By pure logic, starting with the most basic in every subject, then moving on when I knew my son had developed a great understanding and proficiency. Also, I somewhat combined teaching him reading with phonics, spelling, English and writing. In fact, I had him write at least two very lengthy papers every week before he was six. He had to write each misspelled word from those 100 times. When he got older, it was 500 times. After awhile, he was careful NOT to misspell anything.

Through all this, David won two or three Home School Spelling Bees, including a championship against all the private school kids. He was also a high finisher in the Science Fair, had read more than 3,000 books...all well beyond his age level...by the time he was 10. David was also telling time before he was five, writing cursive before the age of six, and doing complicated high school algebra when he was seven.

In social studies, David could take a blank map of the United States, and name every state, name and location of its capital city, plus other major cities, major rivers, and national parks. He also knew the capitals of all 230-plus countries in the world...including their spellings. We also had contests where we would name every president in order from start to finish...and time each other to see who was fastest. These are just some of the things I remember off the top of my head!

There was a lot of work...some in the morning, some in the afternoon, some in the evening and some very late at night when children well older than David were already in bed. But I also made things really fun.

Every year, we went on at least 50 field trips...obviously more in the warm weather months. That included nearly every tourist type and educational type attraction in the entire St. Louis area, including Illinois and St. Charles County in Missouri.

David also adopted a tree, we did great autumn leaf collecting and matting, lots of hiking, learning and playing a variety of sports. I also made sure he had a good deal of socialization. Not only did David play with neighborhood kids, but we also did picnics, roller and ice skating, bowling and a variety of activities with both the North County and West County Christian Home School Groups. I also got him involved in Cub Scouts and a bowling team.

The result of all this? In June 2008, David was one of 33 in his high school class of 429 to graduate Summa Cum Laude. He just completed a perfect 4.0 in his first semester of college...of which he will attend the first two years totally free except for books. David has also worked at the same place some 24-32 hours per week for well over two years, and also has several dozen friends.

It is just David and me living here since late October 2001. We have an incredible bond between us, have never had any real argument, he has never been in any major trouble beyond a couple traffic tickets, and has a great sense of self, including self-esteem, self-reliance and self-control.

Obviously, David is just one example of a home-schooled person, but in the years I home schooled, I learned that the average home-schooled child is in the 93rd percentile if and when they go to a regular school. That is a major result of one-on-one instruction.

Is home schooling worth a try? That is an option you may want to check out in your state. And please, do not automatically use the excuse that you are not smart enough or don't have enough patience. Just like with me, it just may turn out to be a labor of love.

Author's Bio

     Yay! I finally have my Author Bio up on West Newsmagazine!  Here is my final version after about a dozen edits from a 225-word start!

    

     Jeffry is a freelance writer with some 3,500 published pieces for West County Journals and other local, regional and national publications since 1979. He’s also written and hosted several adult and children’s theme parties with props, storytelling events for Rockwood School District and a Bridgeton shelter for abused women, puppet shows, a “Wacky Olympics” and humorous spoofs with song parodies of “The Wizard of Oz” and “Oklahoma.”  This is mainly while working full-time jobs. Jeffry homeschooled his son David for six years, has traveled and hiked in all 50 states and internationally, led a “Selling Non-Fiction Articles” workshop for the Ellisville Writers Club, is former editor of MSLaneous (St. Louis Mensa Monthly newsletter), a dog lover, scrapbooker and wild dancer.

Gem of St. Louis, The Arena Marks 60 Years of Community Service

(As many of you know, I’ve covered a wealth of sports & other topics in my life. Here’s a major historical piece assigned to me for a Sept. 1989 edition of a publication that still exists, the West End Word. My family had Blues season tickets for several seasons there. I’m thrilled to share this as we still savor our 2019 Stanley Cup champs & great memories of The Arena!)

     Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and Sept. 24 marks the diamond anniversary of the grand old dame of Oakland Avenue, The St. Louis Arena.

     The Arena has been a real gem to the St. Louis metropolitan area.  So it is only fitting that employees of the establishment honor her 60 years of service to the community.

     “We made the decision to make it a year-round celebration instead of one specific event,” said Arena marketing manager Ann Eggebrecht.  “We want to get the word out that having an arena in St. Louis is important.”

     No one can reasonably dispute that, and The Arena will continue to offer a wide variety of quality entertainment.  What it will have in store for its visitors, which number about 3 million per year over some 200 booking dates, includes the following family attractions through March 1990:  an NBA exhibition basketball game (Oct. 15), women’s Olympic volleyball (October), Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom on Ice (Oct. 31-Nov. 5), the Mud Bog (Nov. 18-19), Olympic gold medal ice skaters Torvill and Dean (Dec. 17), Missouri vs. Illinois Busch Braggin’ Rights basketball game (Dec. 20), the Harlem Globetrotters (Jan. 7, 1990), Stars on Ice (Jan. 26), Truck & Tractor Pull (Feb. 23-25), the Ice Capades (March 20-25) and two WWF wrestling cards with dates to be announced.

     “It’s a great entertainment facility providing all the touring acts to the area,” said Arena general manager Roger Dixon.  “Besides all the family entertainment, what’s also helped is that rock ‘n roll became such a viable entity—not to mention the St. Louis Blues!”

     Hockey has indeed played a major role in The Arena’s existence, although all has not always been rosy with the sport.

     The building’s first hockey team was the American Hockey Association’s St. Louis Flyers, which began Arena play the last week of 1931.  A few months later, depression-era times left The Arena with a delinquent electric bill, resulting in a playing surface that was more water than ice.

    

     In order to remedy the situation, management opened every single window on a bitterly cold day, freezing all the water the natural way.  The Arena crowd also froze that night while watching the only indoor hockey game ever played in St. Louis on non-artificial ice.

     Following the Flyers to the ice for only the 1934-35 season, was the St. Louis Eagles of the National Hockey League.  (As Yogi Berra used to say, you can look it up!) A couple decades later, the Chicago Black Hawks played some of their home games as The Arena, followed by the St. Louis Braves, Chicago’s Central Hockey League farm club.  That entity, coached by long-time Blues color man Gus Kyle, featured such future NHL stars as Phil Esposito, Roger Crozier, Dennis Hull (Brett’s uncle) and Fred Stanfield.

     When the NHL had its first expansion in 1967, St. Louis and The Arena were a natural choice.  The St. Louis Blues have been a popular commodity ever since.

     Its early owners, the Salomons, certainly helped improve the building’s facilities by adding escalators and expanding the seating capacity from 13,000 to 19,000.  A March 31, 1973 against Pittsburgh drew an Arena record crowd of 20,009 before the fire marshall forced a reduction in seating the following season.

     Ralston Purina, which briefly rescued the team from bankruptcy, added air conditioning and a more sophisticated sound system while temporarily changing the name of the building to The Checkerdome.

     Besides hockey, The Arena has boasted big-time boxing, including Primo Carnera’s stunning 1933 title victory over heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey.  St. Louisan Archie Moore captured the light heavyweight title at The Arena in Dec. 1952.  Joe Louis and Max Baer fought there, too.

   Other sporting events have included rodeos, sport and auto shows, a few seasons of the American Basketball Association’s Spirits of St. Louis, and unusual events like indoor baseball and football, a six-day bike race and midget auto races.

     Prior to the rock ‘n roll era, The Arena hosted such outstanding entertainers as Frank Sinatra, Cab Calloway, Guy Lombardo, Sally Rand and unsuccessful 1940 presidential candidate Wendell Wilkie.

     The Arena got off to a rollicking start, opening with a fabulous banquet on the evening of Sept. 24, 1929.  According to long-defunct City Beautiful Magazine, “At its dedicatory banquet, more than 3,000 people were served at 80 tables; each 50 feet long.  Three hundred people sat at the head table—the largest head table in all American history.”

     The 475-foot-long by 275-foot-high structure saw few reasons for celebration in its early years.  It took one year and three days to build The Arena at a cost of $2 million.  The Arena was, according to the May 26, 1928 edition of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, “designed primarily for the use of the annual two-week (National) dairy show.  It was expected to make St. Louis the center of the dairy industry of the United States.”  The Arena was also hailed as unique for its total avoidance of pillars and posts.

     But that event was only held for one year—Oct. 12-20, 1929—on The Arena’s then dirt floor.  It was obvious that the building either had to modernize its facilities or be destined to be nothing but a tremendous financial flop.  So, shortly thereafter, a cement floor and ice plant were installed, along with ticket booths.

     Nevertheless, The Arena faced great financial woes during the Depression years.  The Arena’s first owner, Ben Brinkman, lost a fortune on the building.  After a foreclosure was held and the building was sold in 1933, a new group of owners sold 6,149 Arena chairs to finance the $1,681 needed to reopen the building.

     By 1926, the entire property was valued at just $150,000.  The building had become such an undesirable entity, that it was rumored that even St. Louis University had turned down The Arena as a gift.

     But The Arena not only survived the toughest of financial troubles, but also a killer tornado that ripped the roof off in 1959.  Perhaps The Arena’s greatest challenge lies ahead.  Plans for a downtown sports arena have put the building’s future in jeopardy.

     “Chances are, they’ll tear it down and build something in its stead,” Dixon said.  “Whether or not its time has come and gone, it’s still a viable building.  But a new one is needed; no question about it.

     “The push we’re putting on the 60^th anniversary is not where The Arena is heading, but what it has meant to the St. Louis area.  I came to St. Louis from Miami and grew up in southern Illinois.  I remember as a kid coming here to see sporting shows.  It was great because there’s so much character here.  It will be a sad day when The Arena closes.”

Moolah Shrine Circus Event Set to be Greatest Show on Earth and Above

(This is my brief, unedited piece soon to be published in the MidRivers Newsmagazine)

     There was not a moment’s hesitation when Circus Director Ron Reynolds was asked about the featured performer at this year’s Moolah Shrine event, held March 19-22 at the St. Charles Family Arena at 2002 Arena Parkway.

     “We actually have Bello Nock this year!” Reynolds announced. “He’s the famous clown daredevil with orange hair. He’s a really big name who gets around, and used to be with the Barnum and Bailey Circus.”

     Not only does Nock’s orange hair stick straight up to the sky, but his entire being is often seen high up as well. Born just a year before Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon, Nock has been known to do a variety of death-defying events far off the ground like atop cruise ships and over the Statue of Liberty.

     Back in the summer of 2017, Bello Nock was shot from a cannon over the rotating blades of a helicopter.  That occurred on an episode of “America’s Got Talent.”

     But Nock is not the only performer at this year’s 78^th annual event with strong…ahem… pedigree from that popular television show.  Patrons will even be able to pose for pictures with the Olate (family) dogs that captured the $1 million grand prize in the 2012 season.  The Olates have also appeared at numerous college and professional basketball game halftime shows, circuses and several other venues.

     Tickets for those photo opportunities as well as elephant, pony and train rides plus face painting, a giant slide and a bounce house can be purchased and enjoyed starting an hour before and immediately after each show.

     “We have tigers and five elephants,” Reynolds said.  “The elephants are for the shows and for riding.  The State of Illinois doesn’t allow elephants, but we have them here!”

     The authentic three-ring circus also features incredible high-wire trapeze artists, beautiful Arabian stallions, hilarious clowns, and the show is capped off by an unforgettable FMX motorcycle finale. The venue also offers a wide array of popular carnival type refreshments.

     Tickets for all of the eight shows, ranging in price from $18.50 to $38.50, can be purchased at various times at the Family Arena (636-896-4200) or 24 hours a day from Ticketmaster at https://familyarena.com/ or the Moolah site, https://moolah.org/.  The latter site also offers a free child ticket for age 12 and under for each paid general admission ticket.

     A decent amount of the events’ profits go toward helping with the annual budget of the Moolah Shrine Center at the 12545 Fee Fee Road location.  They have been in that former Parkway North Jr. High building since 1987.

     Per the Moolah website, “Shriners are distinguished by an enjoyment of life and a commitment to philanthropy. They enjoy parades, trips, dances, dinners, sporting events and other social occasions. They support what has been called the ‘World’s Greatest Philanthropy,’ Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 pediatric specialty hospitals, operated and maintained by the Shriners.”

On Tour at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

*****Here is a joint article I wrote with many high-tech details throughout contributed by Danforth Center experts. My contributions were from several pages of notes I took from an early December 2019 group tour.  The article was published on 1/27/20 in West Newsmagazine with great work from my editor, Kate Uptergrove.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center [Danforth Plant Science Center photo]

     Docent Joan Culver needed just an apple, a knife and a few choice words to convince her tour group of the impending world food crisis. Her display was conducted in the lobby of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center before her official tour began.

     The apple was first cut into four equal pieces. Culver held up one of those pieces, stating that only about 1/4 of the earth is non-water, where food can be grown.

     Then, she cut that piece in half, leaving 1/8 of the apple and stating that hardly any food can be grown in the desert, Arctic, Antarctic, etc. She cut that piece in half again, leaving just 1/16 of the original piece because what can be grown on roads, highways, school properties and the like? The final cut accounted for other buildings.

     So, the total area where food can be grown was down to just 1/32 – roughly 3% of the planet. Culver then added that further reductions were due to harmful fertilizers.

     Finally, Culver carefully cut off the apple peel from that small slice. She explained that, at our current population growth, the Earth’s 7 billion residents today should grow to about 10 billion by 2050. 

     In a few minutes, the purpose of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center was perfectly explained in a nutshell – or rather an apple peel.

     Founded in 1998, the Center’s original building was constructed in 2001. The William H. Danforth wing opened in 2016. It is the largest independent, not-for-profit plant science research institution in the world. Its mission is: “To Improve the Human Condition through Plant Science.” 

     All of the Center’s labs are open, their mini pods and other open spaces are designed so that scientists from different disciplines can connect and share ideas.  The Center’s culture of collaboration is geared toward accelerating research to bring innovations to market more rapidly due to the urgency of the combined current and future world food conditions and population growth. 

The greenhouses at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center [Danforth Plant Science Center photo]

     The Center can mimic climates around the world in its approximately 80 growth chambers and has several research projects to improve staple crops grown in developing countries. For instance, Center scientists are working with partners in Kenya and Uganda to add important nutrients to cassava, a root vegetable similar to a potato, as well as make it resistant to two virus diseases which have been damaging farmers’ harvest for decades. Cassava is grown in over 30 African countries. Approximately one-third of the continent’s population relies on cassava’s starchy tuberous roots for over 50% of their daily caloric intake, making it the second most important staple food crop [after maize].

     A cassava tuber [the edible part of the plant] can stay in the ground for a couple years until its needed for food, but there’s no way to tell whether or not it’s diseased until cut open. Making cassava more disease resistant could mean that years of growth are not wasted.

     The Center features over an acre of research-grade greenhouse space and over 80 controlled environment growth chambers. These state-of-the art facilities are available to Danforth laboratories, though scientists and companies from outside the Center can also rent space as small as one square foot to advance their research and commercialization efforts.

     A rapidly growing number of those greenhouses are now utilizing horticultural LEDs, some with a magenta color and others in a more familiar bright white. These cutting-edge LED technologies are being used to improve general plant growth and crop quality, as well as to address specific research efforts such as breeding crops with improved photosynthetic capacity and higher yield. These new LED lights not only are proving to grow high quality crops, but they do so while operating at nearly half the electricity of conventional greenhouse lights, require far less maintenance, and are free of hazardous mercury common in fluorescent lights.  Danforth is excited about the early results and continuing potential of these LEDs to drive sustainable innovation for Center scientists and collaborators. 

     Using a multi-million-dollar phenotyping machine, scientists can measure plant characteristics that they can then use to measure things such as how efficiently plants use light or nutrients. Approximately 180,000 images are taken per five-week experiment. 

     Throughout its brief existence, Danforth Center researchers have published more than 1,000 important discoveries  in scientific publications, many of which are in the public domain. Additionally, its president, James C. Carrington, Ph.D., is recognized as one of the most highly-cited plant scientists in the world.

     The Center is committed to the development of new companies and has a BioResearch & Development Growth [BRDG] Park located on its campus that is home to 15 companies and a workforce training program.  

     Tenant KWS SAAT describes itself as “an independent and family-owned company based in Germany that focuses on plant breeding, with activities in about 70 countries.” The company located their North American headquarters here in 2014.

     Benson Hill Biosystems, a startup launched with technology developed at the Danforth Center, describes itself as “a crop improvement company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants.” It recently announced a plan to make St. Louis its official headquarters and will be located in the new EDGE@BRDG 160,000-square-foot building scheduled to open this spring.  

     The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, BRDG Park, the Helix Incubator, Bayer Crop Science and the Yield Lab are anchors of 39º North, a 600-acre innovation district near the intersection of Creve Coeur and Olivette. Each of those entities are contributing to agricultural research and commercialization in significant ways. 

     Though the tour covers just a fragment of all that is taking place in the “AgCoast” of St. Louis County, it is an hour well spent. 

Tours can be arranged by calling Brigid Thayer at (314) 587-1073 or emailing BThayer@danforthcenter.org. Those who attend must sign the guest book and provide their email address. Tour attendees will get invitations to three more events per year. Visitors must be at least 18 years old and photographs cannot be taken once visitors leave the lobby area.

Delmar: ‘Bridge’ to Development? War Zone or New Frontier?

(…one of my first pure news stories from some 30 years ago, after interviewing seven people in the know. It’s interesting to see what has changed since that time.)

     Named for the home states of two 19^th-century property owners—Delaware and Maryland—Delmar Boulevard has been a key thoroughfare in the development of St. Louis, both city and county.  For many, the term ‘north of Delmar’ has indicated ‘marginal’ neighborhoods where developers and lending institutions fear to tread.  West End Word writer Jeff Greenberg examines development prospects along Delmar Boulevard from U.City’s Loop to the Central West End, including a few ‘pioneers’ who have staked a claim in once desolate areas.

     While city and county officials continue to mull over details of the proposed Metro Link light rail system, future development of sections of an important West End link hangs in the balance.

     Several civic and business leaders and developers cite Delmar Boulevard as the pivotal bridge to additional progress in the area.  That is the primary reason 28^th Ward Alderman Daniel McGuire introduced a bill on Feb. 9 proposing a major blighting operation on the 5200 to 5000 blocks of Delmar Boulevard.  McGuire is seeking a policy of eminent domain for all but six of the 26 buildings in that area.

     “Unfortunately, Delmar has been a physical and psychological barrier to the city,” McGuire said.  “It should be a bridge—not a barrier anymore.  “We should assist businesses there.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to use the hospital (St. Louis Regional Medical Center) to work off.”

     According to McGuire’s ‘bridge’ theory, the U. City Loop stands at one end with Kingshighway Boulevard to Sarah Street developments at the other.

     While few people can dispute the U. City Loop’s role as Delmar’s principal economic anchor, one can hardly dispute the history of other stretches of Delmar Boulevard to that of the Loop.

     “I don’t think the U. City Loop ever hit bottom as badly as this area,” said City Wide Realty developer Bruce Ring, who has developed $10 million worth of commercial and residential property along Delmar Boulevard and the near North Side.  “So, the intellectuals and college people never deserted the Loop like they did the Delmar-Skinker area and other places to the east.”

     “We’ve been reborn every six months, but this is a stable, developing neighborhood that never really died,” said U. City 2^nd Ward Councilman Paul Schoomer.  “There was a time when it wasn’t great for retail, but it had other things to offer.  We have businesses that come and go with the frequency of any small business failures.  It’s like economic Darwinism.”

     While the U. City side of Delmar Boulevard has indeed remained pretty stable, serious decay of buildings on and near other parts of the thoroughfare has hindered progress elsewhere—as in the case of McGuire’s ward.

     Developments in many sections of the city have been especially slowed by the difficulty of securing necessary financing for construction and rehab projects.  But the unavailability of low-cost insurance has been another barrier.

     According to 28^th Alderman Marian Miller, the brunt of the dilemma is due to the elimination to key public programs.  Miller cited problems that Citywide Realty had in getting financing to rehab a multi-family dwelling on the south side of Delmar Boulevard at Union Boulevard.

     “Once the lending companies get off their prejudicial behinds, this area will be OK,” said Ring, whose projects include the Medicare-Glaser Center.  “As soon as the stigma goes away, these areas will keep improving.”

     Despite the barriers, Miller is steadfastly working with Rep. William Clay, Sen. John Danforth, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Boatmen’s Bank in an effort to further improve the physical and psychological climate.   

     Elsewhere, Nesby Moore is determined to push for continued progress with his private entity, the Union-Sarah Economic Development Corp.

     “This area had one of the highest crime rates in the entire city when we began here 14 years ago,” said Moore, whose group was responsible for the popular National Supermarket at Delmar and Kingshighway boulevards.  “We had the first major development plan in north St. Louis.

     “There are over 50 kinds of businesses, and when we started, there were only six.  You look at the economics of that and see that the number of people employed rose from about 50 to more than 400.”

     Ring pointed to traffic estimates of about 50,000 cars a day passing by Delmar and Union to reiterate the market for further business expansion.  There are other reasons to believe that this would be a good area in which to locate.

     While the width of Delmar Boulevard is another asset, Steve Casagrande of Bevco Liquors chose his 5127 locale because of its quick and easy access to all parts of the St. Louis metropolitan area. 

     But in order to secure a solid West End future, Casagrande believes that commercial property along Delmar must be accompanied by suitable residential dwellings.

     “I think that getting the population stabilized would be the key to this area,” Casagrande said.  “We need family ownership of homes instead of rental areas.  That will attract restaurants and boutique shops, and ultimately draw the rest of the businesses.”

     Ring referred to the success of the Central West End to agree with Casagrande’s assessment.  He said that the CWE has come a long way in the last 10 to 15 years, and housing costs are evidence to that fact.  Ring said that a $45,000 Portland Place house is now worth $500,000 to $1 million.

     “Like the Central West End, we’ll be brought back—but only after the lending institutions have backed us,” Miller said.  “Maybe they’re getting more conservative, but our people are more active in organizing.  People are tired of waiting.  Young people need support in order to keep them there.”

     Miller said that she has definitely seen an upswing in the number of people in their 40s who have moved into the area or who are planning to. 

     Casagrande said that no progress in that direction will be hasty because conditions in the Central West End were never quite as extensively run down as major stretched near Delmar.

     “One of my close friends once said, ‘Delmar is like a deep river,’” Casagrande said.  “It’s like a dividing line between north and south St. Louis…and it looked like a war zone when I got here (from native Spring Lake, NJ) 30 years ago.”

     That ‘deep river’ analogy provides the perfect basis for supporting the quest to ‘bridge’ Delmar’s major gaps in development.  

     Metro Link is one project that is expected to benefit much of the area.  A Metro Link station is planned near Delmar and Hodiamont Avenue, close to where the old Wabash train station now sits.  “That stretch of Delmar needs another anchor, and I feel the Metro Link station will generate traffic, attract investment and spur additional commercial development,” said Nancy Farmer, executive director of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Development Council.

     But many area leaders predict that any boon from that system will not occur in the near future, and that it will only help this area if commercial and residential developments are begun both before and shortly after its completion.

     “The Central West End has jelled to the point where we no longer have large patches needing massive rehabilitation,” McGuire said.  “Now we need to extend the rejuvenation.  To me, it’s a natural growth.  Cities not only grow, but they rebuild.  Add on the impact of the light rail system, and I think we have a wonderful opportunity to ride the momentum”

     McGuire was elated to announce that the practicing architects and students at the American Institute of Architects will discuss Delmar Boulevard for this October’s annual ‘charette,’ a massive brainstorming session.