Link offers solid plan for smooth riding on Ballwin streets

Ballwin Director of Public Works Jim Link presented a report on Jan. 11 that will pave the way for an overall better level of streets through year 2035. And, Link told the board, the proposed $1 million annual budget should get the job done.

The report, entitled “Benefits of a Proactive Program,” notes that street ratings “start at 1 being the worst and 10 being a brand new street.” The goal is a rating of 7 or better, which would compare favorably with other area municipalities.

“A 10 is actually if the street is brand new,” Link said. “If you have minor reflective cracks, it’s usually in the 7-8 range, for more extensive cracking you’ll be in the 5-6 range, significant cracking 3-4 or 3-5 range, and then if you have potholes forming, it’s usually 0-3.”

Link mentioned that Ballwin’s average numbers improved dramatically from just 6.3 in 2008 and 6.2 in 2010, up to 6.8 in 2015 and 7.1 in 2018 before dropping off again to 6.7 in 2020. 

“We started attacking a lot of the streets that had asphalt overlay (after the 2010 6.2 low). When we started doing that, it raised our score up to 6.8. We actually borrowed a paver from Manchester and used it successfully in that period. When we tried to give it back, they didn’t want it. After that, we went from 6.7 to 7.1, and that’s when you guys (the council) bought us a new paver and we got a concrete truck,” Link said. “Between 2018 and now, as you know with streets, you can bring them up, but they’re constantly falling. So, we’re trying to keep them anywhere between a 6.7 or a 6.8 and a 7.”

Among the processes used to maintain Ballwin’s streets are microsurfacing, milling and asphalt overlay, which includes replacement and upgrading of curb ramps. Link explained that the overlay process also means removing 2 to 3 inches of asphalt, repairing the base, then repaving it with 2 to 3 inches of asphalt. That work is normally done about every 20 years.

According to Link, Ballwin’s normal concrete street replacement entails a 4-inch base and 6 inches of concrete. That process, requiring Meramec rock and sand, normally has a 25- to 30-year life cycle.  He added that the city’s crack and joint sealing program has increased in frequency; taking place roughly every two to seven years instead of every seven years as had been done previously. Then, there’s Nova chip, an ultra bonded, asphalt-wearing surface developed in the 1990s to provide superior surface treatment on heavily traveled roads, offering better friction enhancement.

“If you do a reactive plan and wait until the streets are falling apart, and you throw money at the worst streets, you’re going to pay around $100 a square yard,” Link said. “If you do a proactive maintenance strategy, between year seven and year 14, you’re only spending about $5 a square yard. So, if you do it again around year 14, you’re basically taking it from ‘good’ back up to ‘excellent.’ Around year 20, you’re ready to mill and overlay the street from the ‘fair’ to ‘good’ range, you’ll spend roughly around $60 a square yard. My annual crack sealing is approximately 15 cents a square yard. So, it’s good insurance. In short, you don’t always want to spend all your money on the worst streets.”

Curb ramp replacement was also included in the presentation. To be compliant with the American Disability Act, there are roughly 25 requirements to consider. This has drastically driven up the cost with contractors, Link said, to about $180 a square yard.

“This year, we’re actually doing all these curb ramp replacements and all the sidewalks in house,” Link said. He noted that according to the federal highway administration, “any time we alter the street or do any new construction, we are actually required to replace (the) curb ramps.”

Link said that pavement deterioration “takes a nosedive” during the 10- to 15-year mark, and “from 20 years on, it’s very poor.”

In reference to the proactive approach, Alderman Kevin Roach (Ward 2), asked what the lowest tolerable rating would be prior to replacement or remediation. Link replied that it would be about a 5 and that there should never be any that have dropped into the 3s or 4s.

“When any drop down to a 5 or a 6, we need to start dumping money into it to get it back up.” Link said. “Basically, we’re looking at a 10-year cycle here. So, a million dollars a year is plenty of money to actually keep these numbers up.”

By contrast, Link said it would take some $7.6 million to immediately bring street averages from all four wards from their current 6.6-6.8 levels to as high as a 9 level. He also said that a larger percentage of the money will likely need to go to Ward 3.

Alderman Frank Fleming (Ward 3), joked that he had no problem with that, before seriously responding that annexation likely was the cause of Ward 3’s lower quality roads.  

“The good reason for (road condition) historically is that Ward 3 tended to grow via annexation, and we have inherited a lot of streets from (St. Louis) County that weren’t (sic) in the best of shape; whereas, in other wards, you have some of the newer subdivisions and construction was better,” Fleming said. “But I know we’ll responsibly allocate it across the city.”

                     Ballwin public works replacing concrete slabs – May 2020 (Source: City of Ballwin)

Link said the city diverted a lot of money to concrete slabs in 2020 while pulling back a little on asphalt. Both Fleming and Roach agreed that this was preferable to them.

“My constituents don’t care for the asphalt patch on the concrete,” Roach said. “They would prefer like replacement with like materials. Just from observation, the asphalt patches do seem to come back in six months or a year with another issue.”

“The main reason we put the asphalt on was safety,” Link said. “You don’t want a hole. You don’t want something there that’s going to destroy someone’s car. You can move in and move out quickly and get to the next hole. All of the cities around us use the same practice of milling and filling, and doing asphalt patches and such.”

Link also mentioned that the annual pavement evaluation and rating process was moved from January to September or October to get it ready for a new year’s budget. That’s how 2021 began.

When College Football's National Championship was Held on Dec. 6

 

(Updated from my Yahoo Contributor Network published article from this time in 2008)

Getting older has its positives and negatives. Sometimes one can better recall specific details from 51 years ago than 51 minutes ago.

Such is the case of December 6, 1969. The site was Razorback Stadium. The event was No. 1 Texas against No. 2 Arkansas. Both were perennial national powers of the now-defunct Southwestern Conference.

Each team had already captured a national championship in the 1960's. Both were returning powerhouses. The game was normally played in October. But due to the quest for incredible TV ratings, ABC Sports executive Roone Arledge was able to work a deal with Arkansas coach Frank Broyles to move the game to early December.

I still recall how everything worked out to perfection. Well....not for a longtime Missouri Tigers fan. Mizzou was undefeated until being done in by a long fourth quarter touchdown pass from Colorado quarterback Bobby Anderson in the rarefied air of Boulder.

Also, while Texas enjoyed a November bye week, Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines knocked off Big 10 rival and the current No. 1 team, Woody Hayes' Ohio State Buckeyes. Although Penn State was also undefeated at the time, featuring future National Football League greats Franco Harris, Lydell Mitchell and Jack Ham, the Nittany Lions' Independent classification often left them underrated.

So, it all came down to a shootout between Coach Darrell Royals' Longhorns and Broyles' Razorbacks.

I will never forget the major spread in the old TV Guide, which billed this as "The Game of the Century." In fact, President Richard Nixon was flying to Fayetteville to present a national championship plaque to the victor. How excited I was...being a big-time fan of all four major sports since sometime late in 1963!

Back then, college football was much more a ground game than today. The game matched the Longhorns' highly vaunted Wishbone running attack against the stingy Razorbacks' defense. It was kind of like World War I trench warfare prior to World War II air assaults.

Now giving way to Wikipedia.org/Texas_vs._Arkansas football game, so I can get all details straight, Texas had averaged 44 points a game, and Arkansas had surrendered just 6.8. Texas had won 18 straight, and Arkansas 15 straight.

In this battle, Texas uncustomarily turned the ball over six times. A first quarter one-yard TD run by Bill Burnett and a late third quarter 29-yard scoring strike from Bill Montgomery to Chuck Dicus gave Arkansas a 14-0 lead headed into the fourth quarter.

Due to all the Texas miscues, quarterback James Street decided not to pitch the ball as much in the game's final quarter. He not only scrambled into the end zone to start the fourth quarter, but followed that up with a two-point conversion run, cutting the margin to 14-8.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Montgomery drove Arkansas 73 yards down to the Texas seven. A field goal would likely have put the game out of reach. But Montgomery went to the air, and Texas intercepted.

With less than five minutes remaining, Texas faced a 4^th-and-3 from its own 43. That's when Randy Peschel made a dramatic grab in double coverage for a 44-yard gain. Just two plays later, future Los Angeles Rams' running back, Jim Bertelson, scored the TD, and Happy Feller converted the PATD on a high snap from center to give Texas a 15-14 lead with 3:58 left.    

Not to be outdone, Arkansas drove the ball down to the Texas 40 with All-America kicker Bill McClard waiting in the wings. Back then, the Southwest Conference used a rather lively ball that led to many field goals upwards of the 50- and 60-yard range. Remember Arkansas' Steve Little and Texas' Russell Erxleben?

But Montgomery was again picked off, this time by outside linebacker Tom Campbell at the 21 with less than a minute remaining.

Ironically, it was also Campbell who intercepted Notre Dame quarterback Joe Theismann on the final drive in the ensuing Cotton Bowl. That cemented Texas' claim to their national title, 21-17 in the New Year's Day Cotton Bowl. The only logical challenger would have been also undefeated Penn State, a 10-3 winner over once-beaten Missouri in the Orange Bowl.

SKI SAINT LOUIS: Kitzbuhel…St. Moritz…Cortina d’Ampezzo…Vail…Park City…St. Louis???

 

(Now that we are on the verge of that cold, wintry time of year, here is a piece I had published back in the mid-1990s in a magazine named Sports Saint Louis.  Enjoy!) 

     Believe it or not, The Mound City is rapidly gaining a reputation for developing quite a few top-notch snow skiers.  Much of the success goes to that 282-foot mound at Hidden Valley Ski area in Eureka.

     World-class downhill and slalom skiers don’t flock to Hidden Valley.  In fact, it would be ridiculous to try and compare the site with any of the nation’s foremost peaks and ski centers.  But Hidden Valley has provided St. Louisans with a strong springboard for cultivating their skills.

     The proof is in the powder!

     This past April, a small group of Hidden Valley Ski Team members traveled to Crested Butte, CO for the Salomon (Manufacturing Company) Spring Fling.  The competition pitted teams representing some 40 nationwide retail ski shops. 

     Lo and behold, the Alpine Shop of Webster Groves slipped away with the title in that Alpine formatted downhill event. 

     “It says a lot for St. Louis,” said team member Brett Borgard.  “We beat teams from Colorado, Utah, Vermont as well as the ones up north…places where they can practically ski year round.  Meanwhile, we’re from the Midwest with that hill about 280 vertical feet. ‘Wow!  You guys are from St. Louis, Missouri?’ they’d ask.”

     Not only did the team sparkle, but as individuals, Borgard and two of his teammates placed third, fourth and fifth, respectively, among some 250 racers.

     Borgard is a 1988 Lafayette High School graduate who spent two years on the University of Wyoming ski team.  He then competed for several years in the United States Ski Association’s Central Region circuit before yielding to his desire to teach the sport.  He formerly had worked at the Alpine Shop and currently can be found in the Sun and Ski Shop.

     Although Borgard still skis some 100 days a year, he is probably best known as one of Hidden Valley’s top instructors.

     Borgard began his Hidden Valley junior racing program in 1991.  He currently coaches some 50-60 youngsters with his sights set on developing national-level performers.  Last year, one of his pupils was just one spot away from qualifying for the Junior Olympic squad. 

     “Since we don’t have nearly the amount of snow they have in the west and the north, we do a lot of other things like roller-blading between gates,” Borgard said.  “Also, kids in some of those states take snow for granted.  Our kids take full advantage of Hidden Valley because you can’t ski all the time in St. Louis.”

     And the only place where one can actually ski in the St. Louis area is Hidden Valley.

     The Boyd family predictably drew a lot of chuckles when they first opened Hidden Valley in 1982.  After all, the average annual snowfall in St. Louis is only 20 inches.  Also, the site was hardly of Alpine quality; a mere hill built on the front nine holes of a golf course. 

     But owner Tim Boyd is now doing the laughing about his facility’s overwhelming success, which offers several overnight skiing sessions.

     Night-time skiing was the topic of a November 1995 story in Skiing Magazine which had Hidden Valley as its featured spot.  It described half-mile-long, police-directed traffic jams which often lead into the Eureka site.

     Massive crowds mean big bucks.  But as local Trails End Ski Association president Bill Ryan said, this type of scene doesn’t benefit everyone.

     “Hidden Valley is an excellent place for someone to go out and do something,” Ryan said.  “But you don’t want to have 3,000 people on a lift, waiting in line more than skiing.  If you select a timeframe like mid-week when others are working, you can find enough skiing time to help you decide if you want to spend more money on the sport.”

     Ryan, who formed his organization 17 years ago, sees some 300,000 potential skiers in St. Louis. 

     Hidden Valley continues to do its best to meet that demand.  For the third consecutive year, it has dramatically increased its snow-making capabilities by adding 15 new, permanent  snow guns to just 17 existing ones.  Now, much more snow is being rapidly pumped out in sub 30-degree weather.  

     The site promises many more open hours with more available runs and a lengthier calendar of events for the season, which runs through February.

     Despite the diminutive nature of Hidden Valley, the quality is good enough to feature the competitive Monday and Wednesday nights’ NASTAR Race League.

     Thanks to its good number of seasoned instructors, Hidden Valley has been a strong training ground for the novice skier.

     One such racer is Andrew Reich.  The recent CBC High graduate was a winning member of the Alpine Shop team who first skied at Hidden Valley at the age of nine.  Reich enjoyed his early Hidden Valley experience so much that his tenth birthday present was a ski trip to Snowmass, CO.

     “There’s a lot of different snow conditions at Hidden Valley,” said Reich, one of the 800-member, singles-oriented St. Louis Ski Club.  “Quite often, the snow is the best I’ve seen anywhere.  It’s hard to just go west to ski without first training a lot at Hidden Valley.”

     The Trails End Ski Association is taking that next step with young Hidden Valley Enthusiasts.  The organization features weekend trips to Dubuque, IA and Chestnut Mountain in Galena, IL for high school and scout groups.

     Ryan also packages novice to expert level skiing opportunities for corporate businesses and organizations.  One of his current goals is to further promote the sport by forming a ski council in St. Louis. 

     Borgard is certainly buying into that concept.

     “We all enjoy skiing and love spreading the word about it,” Borgard said.  “My goal is to get skiers on the Junior Olympic team, then to the Olympics.  The way skiing is growing in popularity here, someday, it might happen!”

Tommy’s Express Car Wash wins Ballwin board approval

In the near future, Ballwin residents may be singing, “Take Me Out to the Car Wash” while being just a short toss from the Ballwin Athletic Association ball fields. That’s because Tommy’s Express Car Wash, a national franchise headquartered in Holland, Michigan, has taken its first steps toward opening on Ballpark Drive.

At the Nov. 9 Ballwin Board of Aldermen meeting, Dowling Enterprises was granted a Special Use Exception (SUE) to build the car wash at 14918 Manchester Road.  The vote was unanimous.

Earlier this month, Tommy’s Express Car Wash opened its first area location at 101 Fallon Loop Road in O’Fallon, Misssouri.

The Ballwin property is owned by Cypress Real Estate of Chesterfield. Its chief spokesperson for the evening was Ben Stegmann, who addressed a wide variety of concerns before the vote.

Mayor Tim Pogue specifically asked about concerns raised at the P&Z meeting in regard to traffic flow and parking. To which, Stegmann said, “Since the Planning and Zoning meeting, we went back, looked at our site plan to take it into account some of the issues raised.”

Stegmann noted that some of the changes have been a real challenge. 

“It seems like a simple thing, ” Stegmann said. “But there’s about three grades that intersect there, a couple of storm(water) structures, retaining walls and a loading dock for the adjacent property that we’re trying to keep intact.”

Pogue also asked about a traffic study letter he had received from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).  He said he was interested in getting responses to those concerns as well.

Julie Nolfo, from the traffic division of the Lochmueller Group, was one of several others in attendance regarding the car wash project. The company is a regional consulting firm with an emphasis on planning and designing state and local infrastructure improvements.

“All the comments (P&Z) had were addressed,” Nolfo said. “The first one was the car lane issue. So, that was taken care of.” Nolfo was referring to changes in the site plan that resulted in the creation of two “escape lanes” for the car wash’s drive-through as well as cross access to the property from Ballpark Drive to the west.

Additionally, Nolfo said, “Two and three (of the concerns) had to do with some typo in the report itself, which was corrected.” Her final comment addressed concerns of high traffic volume around Ballpark Drive. But none of the board members considered that much of an issue.

On a final note, City Attorney Robert E. Jones wrapped up the discussion with a reminder that the proof would be in final development plan.

“I feel comfortable with the contingent items,” Jones said. “I was looking at the exhibit to the SUE bill that you’re considering, and if you look at paragraph 6, it requires a final development plan that meets all the requirements of the staff report and the minutes in this meeting … to be resubmitted within 30 days of the approval of the ordinance. That’s the catchall to make sure the product that’s received is what we approved.”

Communications tower soon to become a reality in Ballwin neighborhood

 (one of my recent articles in West Newsmagazine)

After facing a slew of citizen comments at the Aug. 24 Ballwin Board of Aldermen meeting regarding the proposed installation of a communications tower near the intersection of Kehrs Mill and Clayton roads, the project petitioner was granted a continuance.

Sometimes a delay in proceedings helps garner more ammunition for the defending side of an issue. But this time it merely led to a little more discomfort for the citizens on hand at the Sept. 28 board meeting, and perhaps for a few aldermen.

By a 6-1 vote, the board chose to issue a special use exception to erect the communications tower at 15407 Clayton Road near Claymont Plaza. 

“Again, to reiterate what we’re trying to propose is a 100-foot, monopole-style structure to replace the existing temporary cell site that is right next to the adjacent water tower. So, we’re trying to, in effect, take out one set of antennas and put in a permanent set of antennas. It will be able to handle other antennas; not just AT&T,” said Network Real Estate petitioner Matt Schlichter, representing AT&T Mobility, prior to the vote. “T-Mobile is also at that temporary site.”

Before the vote, 19 minutes were filled with passionate and sometimes emotional speeches by Wolf Café’s Bob Biribin; Ballwin residents Steve Weinstein, Amy Weinstein and Ken Dubinsky; and Catherine Cogorno, representing St. Louis for Safe Technology. The latter is a small group formed by people who have been seriously harmed by EMFs (Electromagnetic Fields) coming from 4G technology, such as cell towers, smart meters and WiFi.

This water tower on the edge of Claymont Plaza, located at 15407 Clayton Road, could be equipped with AT&T Mobility technology if a special use permit is approved by the Ballwin Board of Aldermen. The request is drawing concern from local residents. (Ryan Moore photo)

Amy Weinstein pointed out that she and her cohorts had garnered 168 signatures against the bill, and not a single person they spoke with was in favor of it.

“I’m not going to go into details about health issues, but through research, I know there’s enough evidence out there to talk about the damage cell towers and cellphones do to the body. I know you can’t consider health when voting on this. It’s kind of a shame. There is a reason why all the government data is inconclusive regarding health. The standard of testing has not changed since 1996. Just so you know, 3G wasn’t launched until January 2002. There are thousands of independent studies from scientists around the world that you can Google on the internet, easily,” Weinstein said.

Cogorno claimed, “EMFs are damaging. It’s been proven they actually will cause cancer, dysfunction, immune system deterioration … all kinds of things. What we need are grounded connections. We need to stop this more and more. Faster internet is faster death.’

“What is it doing to our kids?” she asked “Think about the children. My personal opinion is this is criminal activity. We lost a battle in Webster just a few weeks ago. They put nine more cell antennas next to a school where they already have a bunch … next to a recreation center where thousands of families go every week there. Radiation is cumulative. We are being bombarded.”

Despite those comments, according to both federal and state law, municipalities are not allowed to turn down communications towers based on health or an item’s appearance. City Attorney Bob Jones also squelched the property ownership rights questioned in a reciprocity agreement brought to the board at the Aug. 24 meeting.

View of the cell tower location from the Claymont Plaza. (Ryan Moore photo)

“I’ve had communications with the attorney representing the owner of Claymont Center,” Jones said. “Claymont Center is not the owner of the property. They are the beneficiary of a restrictive covenant. Missouri law does not consider Claymont Center to be owner, in my opinion. This is a private, contractual dispute between the owner of the shopping center and the property of where the tower would be located, and the city should not intervene in that dispute. The city should proceed to consider this on its merits.”

In response to an inquiry from alderman Mark Stallman (Ward 2), Jones added, “I see nothing in the application that would permit the city to decline this application.”

Alderman Kevin Roach (Ward 2), was still not sold on the merits or absolute legalities of the tower and cast the only negative vote.

“Relative to the special use exception, I see eight provisions in paragraph four,” Roach said. “I question whether or not the petitioner has achieved the threshold for two of them. The first, ‘would not adversely affect the character of the neighborhood,’ and the second, ‘that it could be developed and operated in a manner that is visually compatible.’”

(Ryan Moore photo)

Jones responded that the land use and the powers of the city in this particular special use exception would have to be harmonized with state law and federal law. While the city maintains its zoning authority regarding this application, every one of the findings that the board makes for a use exception has to be considered under the umbrella of state and federal law, which limits the city’s review.

“I found nothing in the applications or the proceedings to date to disqualify this applicant,” Jones said. “Each of you needs to make your own decision as a legislator, and I’m not going to tell you how you have to vote on a particular piece of legislation. All I can do is just give the best legal advice possible with regard to what’s before you and the parameters of what you can consider and what you can’t consider.”

The only other alderman who didn’t vote to approve the bill was Jim Leahy (Ward 3). He abstained because one of his brothers is a lead attorney for AT&T. 

Even in voting to approve, several aldermen offered sympathetic words for its citizens.

“I share the concerns of the residents and business owners who have expressed their concerns about this proposed cell tower,” Stallmann said. “As a resident of Mayfair subdivision, the upper part of this tower will be visible from my yard. Sadly, however, the Missouri legislature has tied the hands of local, elected officials in our state. Rather than leaving issues like this to be decided at the local level, they have bowed to the interests of the telecommunications industry and took away most of our rights to regulate these structures. I hope all of you will join me and all your elected officials to convey our displeasure with this intrusive state law. 

“That being said, our options in this matter are very limited, and in the expert opinion of our city attorney, the petitioner has met the requirements under state law to locate this tower at the requested location. We have been advised by our legal experts we have no grounds to deny the petitioner’s request, and if we do, we will lose the litigation that will follow that action. In good conscience, I believe that denying the petition and incurring thousands of dollars in legal fees for the lawsuit that we know going in we will lose, is not a responsible use of your tax dollars. Therefore, I feel I must do my duty in the best interests of the city to vote yes on this application.”

Alderman Michael Finley (Ward 1) noted that as an attorney who is licensed and practiced in the state of Missouri, he has reviewed all the laws. That included Mayor Tim Pogue’s reading of the applicable laws at the Aug. 24 meeting. He pointed to Missouri statute 79, which governs fourth class cities such as Ballwin. 

“Section 79.260, which includes our own oath of office, states that we will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the state of Missouri, the provisions of all laws of this state affecting cities of the fourth class,” Finley said. “We’ve taken an oath of office that we have to uphold those laws. We have very compelling arguments against this petition, but in my opinion, there’s nothing we can do as a legislative body. We are a country of laws, a state of laws and a city of laws, and we have to go by the governmental hierarchy that we operate under. In this case, the federal government and the state government are over us, and that’s what we have to deal with.”

Alderman Frank Fleming (Ward 3) said, “These decisions, when you know a lot of residents are not necessarily in favor of this, but we’re limited in our ability to do anything about it, are very difficult. What it comes down to is we’re a legislative body to provide oversight for the city’s budget and their employees, and we set policy and exact ordinances.

“AT&T did its requirements and provided the letter saying they had an agreement to do this on that piece of property, and the city attorney had advised us that we don’t have the basis for turning it down. It’s unfortunate sometimes that we’re the small kid and the bigger kids can tell us what to do. That’s kind of what the case is now.”

Leaving a Legacy: Former, current CBC students seek to serve servicemen

Gen. George S. Patton once said, “Live for something rather than die for nothing.” That’s been the end game of U.S. military men and women for more than 200 years. In the process, many die, others suffer crippling injuries and some are left struggling mightily in old age.

Tie those latter two items together, and it perfectly explains why 2020 Christian Brothers College High School graduate Tripp Tobey, born into a military family, started Serving Servicemen in May 2018.

CBC requires its juniors to give 50 hours of service in a one-week span. The school offered service trips within both the U.S. and internationally.

“You could get those hours working on a reservation or a farm,” Tobey said. “But they’re expensive at $900 a trip, and probably only covers 50 of the 200 kids in these classes. Kids can’t afford it, and there’s not a lot of local options. So, I thought, what if we can help veterans – people who really need it – and can give students service opportunities to help them learn, grow as leaders and get valuable life skills? That’s exactly what we’ve done.” 

Tripp Tobey (far right, black vest) with CBC student volunteers for Serving Servicemen.  (Source: Serving Servicemen/Facebook)

Serving Servicemen began humbly, with Tobey hanging fliers, visiting American Legion posts, giving speeches, attending meetings and mailing information packets. He also decided to stand outside the door of a local news station and wait for someone to leave for lunch.

“When they left, I went inside the building, gave someone an envelope, and eventually Fox 2 gave me a break,” Tobey said. “They let me on, and from there, it’s really taken off and snowballed. (John) Pertzborn and his news crew were great.”

What began as a viable option for the school’s service requirement, has morphed into far more. Fast forward to Aug. 6, 2020, and the 501(c)(3) papers have been signed to transform Serving Servicemen into a nonprofit organization. The expected date of acceptance is mid-autumn.

“It’s a way to get funding more easily,” Tobey said. “People ask me how they can give a donation. I tell them they can write me a personal check because I have a cash box in my room. (He laughs.) I can use funds a lot more easily this new way. Things are a lot more streamlined and official. It distinguishes us as a concrete thing versus a high school club.”

The organization has a $15,000 fundraising goal for 2020-2021.

“We love supporting local companies; local businesses, and love working with other companies. For example, if you own a deli, and you have a day where you can donate a percentage of your proceeds to us, we’ll pack your belly and we’ll pack the house,” Tobey said. “We’ll have guys outside all day long, making sure you get plenty of divests and kickback.”

“I would just like to ask anybody who can, if they would please donate.” Barton said. “We do need money to grow, and we’re just trying to help as many people as we can.”

There when they’re needed

The ServingServicemen.org website is chock full of blog posts and captioned photos showing CBC students participating in a wide variety of activities – raking leaves, mowing lawns, cleaning and packing houses and basements, patching roofs, caulking, cleaning windows, staining decks, painting houses, working at AMVETS and American Legion posts, and even serving as pallbearers at veterans’ funerals.

Tobey said most ideas come through Facebook. He also gets messages from Realtors saying, ‘I’m selling a house for a veteran, he needs this and that done. Can you help out?’ Marie Hatch has provided several opportunities, including connecting the organization with Gold Star Mothers.

“We also did a Big Richard’s Hot Dogs (St. Charles) event, raising $400 in one day,” Tobey said. “My buddies and I went there one night. There was a flier that read ‘Charity Day: 15% of proceeds go to local charities,’ so we signed up.

“It’s all just shooting from the hip, creating opportunities and taking opportunities.”

One event that greatly stands out for Tobey involved a Special Forces vet who lost his leg at the knee while training Nicaraguan rebels as an airborne ranger.

Ricky’s lawn before Serving Servicemen volunteers got busy.
(Source: Serving Servicemen/Facebook)

“Ricky wasn’t able to mow his lawn for four years,” Tobey recalled. “He couldn’t get around and had a lot of knee pain. He had bone cancer and amputation. With his mother passing away and with no family left, Ricky was in a really rough spot. So, we had 20 guys come in, and this place was an absolute jungle. We couldn’t get a lawnmower on it. I had six guys walking around with trimmers, just chopping grass down enough so we could barely fit a lawnmower on it. We took about 25 full recycle bins. The guys got all the brush inside and were stomping on it. We hauled all that stuff off and cleaned up his yard.

“He saw this group of 20 guys spending all day in 95 degrees, sweating and doing his work for him. He saw all these people really cared about him. That’s one of the biggest things we do. It’s not the work we do as much as the presence we bring behind our work. As we were packing up and leaving, he was teary-eyed, and you could see we made a very distinct impact on his life.”

Ricky’s lawn after Serving Servicemen volunteers cleared it of overgrowth.
(Source: Serving Servicemen)

That is just one example of dozens of wonderful deeds performed by Serving Servicemen that Tobey estimates has encompassed some 5,000 to 7,000 total hours of service.

Developing strong men for tomorrow

Currently in his first semester studying computer science at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Toby shares a room with fellow first-year friend and Serving Servicemen associate Andrew Barton, a mechanical engineering major.

“We’ll be able to run things easier in terms of the administrative side by working from the same house,” Barton said.

The nonprofit’s website was recently updated to include a new copyrighted logo with two hands shaking, plus an American flag. There are three stars beneath it representing the organization’s three listed goals: Help Veterans, Educate Students and Provide a Service Opportunity.

According to Tobey, those three goals are perfectly stated regarding the basic need of recruiting both present-day and future volunteers into the fold.

Volunteers from Serving Servicemen have even fulfilled the role of pall bearers at a veteran’s funeral. (Source: Serving Servicemen/Facebook)

“You don’t need to motivate somebody if what you’re doing is meaningful,” Tobey said. He added that, devoid of teachers and other adult authority figures, students truly learn to thrive while doing something personally meaningful.

“When you give students responsibility, they flourish,” Tobey said. “We give them more responsibility than they’ve ever had before. That really develops them into leaders, strong men for tomorrow, men of character and integrity. What matters most is not what you do, but the legacy of how you leave that place.”

As for the organization’s future, Tobey said his goal is making it a national nonprofit.

“It’s going to be huge one day!” he exclaimed.

We’re All in the Same Ocean, but Not the Same Boat

 

     One thing we have constantly heard during Covid-19 is that we’re all in this together, and more specifically, we’re all in the same boat.  In fact, the sheer number of both radio and TV commercials attempting to drive home this point has been nothing short of mind numbing.

     Well, we’ve all been set in roughly the same murky waters simply based on the drastic measures taken regarding regulations at the work place and for nearly all means of recreation.  However, the reasons why Americans are NOT in the same boat during Corona virus as well as before it began, and after it is eliminated, are WAY too numerous to mention.  But I will offer a great number of variables which set each of our lives apart.

     Let’s start with the prime money expenditure of our lives.  Some people reside rent-free in a relative’s dwelling.  Others pay a modest to large amount every month in renting an apartment or house.  Then there are house payments, personal property and real estate taxes for small, medium, large and luxurious houses.

     Within that realm, there is the living situation gamut of being totally alone, having a significant other; living with several other family members including brothers, sisters, parents, offspring of all ages and grandparents.  Some people live in flood plains, tornado and hurricane havens, snow belts, high heat areas, safe neighborhoods and miniature war zones.

     Our means of transportation often vary a great deal from walking and/or relying on buses, Uber, taxis and the like to get around to driving an old jalopy, a decent vehicle to very expensive and even super luxurious ones.

     Then, there are great differences in work and finances based on age, educational background, choices of professions, job availability by areas, individual level of motivation, personality, attitude and both physical and mental health.  Nowadays, there is also who is considered an essential vs. a non-essential worker.

     The Covid CARES Act also likely affected the level of motivation of job seekers.  After all, the total of some $100-$300 of state unemployment payment plus an additional $600 a week of Federal was akin to being thrown a life jacket. The total funds were far more than many employees were paid by working 40 hours.  Some people saved the extra funds to help weather future potential financial storms.  Others spent it on essentials, while a good number of people chose to frivolously wash it away on unneeded material items.

     One popular, time-honored adage is “If you have your health, you have everything.”  Well, other than a good number of people on Medicare, healthcare costs vary greatly by who you work for or if you work at all.  There are also personal health choices based on specific diets, smoking, drinking, and drug usage.

     How your life is today may also be greatly affected by your spending and credit habits in the past, present and plans for the future.  There’s spending habits on groceries, regular store and online shopping, social life, holiday shopping, higher education choices and the incredibly different means of leisure and vacation travel. 

     The amount of funds in your IRAs, savings and checking accounts also may vary widely by any and all the above factors, plus any family inheritances.  Some people make poor investments and business decisions, blindly placing their trust in the wrong people that lead to debt and even bankruptcies.  This includes falling prey to scams.  Working long hours on faulty projects is far from a guarantee of profits.  That’s why there are numerous adages regarding working smart over working hard.

     Receipt of government perks is yet another area where those funds can be affected.  Are you always underwater financially with the need of a lifeboat or do you glide at several dozen knots well above the headwaters?

     How about personal behaviors that make us different from others? How do we think about certain topics?  Have you fallen prey to victim mentalities where you’re constantly blaming others for your own poor life choices?  Do you use your own brain to decide on specific issues? What are our means of communication regarding individual issues?  Do you always drop the anchor and stay in peaceful and tranquil waters or do you often rock the boat to the point of making huge waves?

    The above also includes the gamut from total introvert to extrovert.  How one was raised is another important factor, as in ‘kids learn what they live.’  However, that’s also increasingly shaped nowadays by what we are exposed to in the 24/7 media cycle.

     All the above items are factors that prove that, while we may all be in the same ocean, truly none of us are in the exact same boat.  After all, you are generally the captain of your own life. So, can you think of any other areas in which we differ?  How else do we navigate through the waters in what I refer to as the ripple effect of life in which our specific actions often lead to certain predictable results?