APB is out for five kidnapped lighted deer

 (A serious article for West Newsmagazine, but fun nonetheless)

     Earlier this week, Ballwin resident Sue Magee put out a missing lighted deer report on NextDoor.com, the self-proclaimed ‘social networking service for neighborhoods.’

     The crux of Magee’s theft report from the Common Ground for Park Huntington, on Country Club by Briarwyck reads as follows: ‘I don’t know who took them, but they were NOT looking for a new home!  They have been quite content since the 1990s to live at our house!  We miss the joy they bring to the neighborhood and us!  If you know who took them, please ask them to return them.  No questions asked!  We miss them!’

     Magee said that there was a herd of 12 deer from which five were recently kidnapped. She began her collection with some little ones that her kids gave her for Christmas some 30 years ago. But to her, the lighted, wired deer are more for all neighbors and passersby to enjoy.

     According to Magee, these items are normally sold in season at both Lowe’s and Home Depot for roughly $35-$50 apiece. She is grateful that the very expensive 40-foot and 60-foot extension cords were left intact.

     “Still, the deer are an investment,” she said. “It takes forever to restring them every year for the lights that are out on them! Also, everybody who goes to and from Claymont School sees them. It’s right when you pull into the subdivision. Two or three of the LED ones that were taken are animated ones.  They’re for the neighborhood to make somebody’s evening a little brighter.   I leave these up through January, and I was going to leave them up through February this year.  It’s just a winter scene.  It doesn’t have to be for Christmas.  Plus, they’re peaceful.”   

     Magee has also made sure to change the position of the deer so every neighbor can see them through their kitchen window or from some other vantage point in their house.

     One thing that really irks her is that she had one set up right by her playhouse.  It was for a grandchild with Cerebral Palsy who has no way to climb towers or perform other playground functions most children can.

     “Several people have offered to replace them for me, but I don’t want them to do that,” Magee said.  “I have another neighbor who said they used to have a herd of eight or 10, and they offered to add to the herd for next winter. That’s very sweet of them and I may take them up on that.”

     Meanwhile, Ballwin Police Chief Doug Schaeffler said that although Magee didn’t file an actual police report, he will make sure to have someone keep an eye out on the place so more deer don’t fall prey in the near future.

Scooter’s Coffee is Set to Glide into Ellisville Location

 (Here are two restaurant pieces I did a week ago for West Newsmagazine.)

How can one deny the request for an establishment that sports the slogan "Amazing People, Amazing Drinks … Amazingly Fast?" Ultimately, the city of Ellisville did not.

At its Dec. 15 meeting, the City Council gave the green light for a conditional use permit granted to Scooter’s Coffee for a drive-thru facility adjoining a kiosk in a Commercial Zoning District at 16006 Manchester Road.

Some follow up questions and comments regarding that bill (No. 3732) was preceded by a rather lengthy public hearing. It began with City Attorney George Restovich rattling off a list of 16 exhibits in the petition. Next, Wilson Waggoner, a civil engineer working on Scooter’s plans spoke and fielded questions.

“It’s very similar to a Starbucks,” Waggoner said. “This particular location will be drive-thru only with no indoor or outdoor seating. It was preferred by the franchisee that there would be no walk-up business.”

Waggoner mentioned that Scooter’s primarily serves hot and cold drinks and breakfast sandwiches to some 400 locations in the U.S. in 33 states. Those locations include ones in St. Charles County (O’Fallon and Dardenne Prairie, which opened last month).

(Source: Scooter's Coffee/Facebook)

The building will be just 654 square feet. Waggoner showed slides for the projected site plan and also possible signs for all sides of the building plus a 12-foot-high "monument sign." The city code only allows for ones 10-foot-high. The idea of cross-access to Valvoline and Economy Car Care Center was also discussed.

“This is a really small lot, so I appreciate you have some really tough spots to work with,” council member Rob Compton (District 1) said. “As far as cross-access is concerned, we’re not looking for that to be applied immediately, but down the road. So, I don’t think removing that requirement is beneficial to us even if it’s not being used at this time.

“Also, we’re looking at an awful lot of signage on a tiny little building here. And on the sides of that building, you’re not sitting up very high. So, I don’t think those signs will even be seen, and one isn’t necessary in the back, either.”

City Planner Ada Hood reminded Compton that both the signage and cross-access would be discussed at an ensuing Architectural Review Board meeting. But both Compton and council member Mick Cahill (District 2) thought the cross-access issue should be settled prior to that meeting. Citizen Marilyn Niebling reiterated the immediate need for cross-access with regard to potential increased traffic issues on Manchester Road.

Per council member Vince McGrath’s (District 1) inquiry, Waggoner said the developer would have to revise its lighting plans to comply with the city’s specs. He also mentioned that there would be just one 6-foot high, wooden, dog-eared fence in the back of the property. Regarding employees, there would be three per shift and the hours of operation would likely be 5 a.m.-8 p.m.

With the assistance of council member Dan Duffy’s (District 3), Mayor Mike Roemerman added an amendment that would connect easements from the west to the east.

Cahill added a second amendment that there would be no sign on the back of the property that would be too visible to the people in the apartments directly behind it. That also passed as did the overall bill, which became Ordinance 21-3501.

“I’m happy and I believe the council is happy to see this come here to Ellisville. I think it’s a great plan. I like having a Starbuck’s alternative; hopefully, a little more economical. But I like the breakfast sandwich option, I like the look and I’m really not going to miss the current structure that’s on that property. I’m sure the staff at city hall will be coming by to get some coffee. It might be an upgrade from what they have at city hall,” Roemerman said. 

Ellisville grants Chick-fil-A extended hours for canopy work

On Feb. 9, it will be five full years since the grand opening of the Ellisville Chick-fil-A. And at the Dec. 15 Ellisville City Council meeting, nothing but upbeat comments were uttered by both its operator Tony Johnson and city council members.

Johnson appeared at the meeting by Zoom to petition for extended work hours in association with the construction of new canopies for the restaurant and its drive-thru at 304 Clarkson Road. The property is within a C-3  Commercial Zoning District. 

“What we’re looking to do is complete some of this construction with the heavy lifting, of which some has already been done, on the last two Sundays,” Johnson said. “There’s a group that comes from out of state to do the final completion of the canopies. We looked at it kind of six ways from Sunday. We’ve looked at shutting down the drive-thru altogether and trying to run it through the parking lot. All those have some issues like traffic backing up onto the road which would be disrupting our neighbors.” 

 Chick-fil-A Ellisville in snow in 2017 (Source: Chick-fil-A Ellisville/Facebook)

Mayor Mike Roemerman expressed concern about the possible decibel level associated with the project, especially since some of the work is slated to be done late at night.

Council member Rob Compton (District 1) had the same concerns. He questioned how that might work for a neighbor who had to be up early for work the next morning.

“If there is a complaint, is there a certain sound level that we can’t exceed?” Compton asked. 

City Manager Bill Schwer noted that there is an ordinance for acceptable sound levels.

“My understanding is that most of the concrete work … the bigger pieces with the concrete … have been done on the previous two Sundays during the daytime,” Johnson said. “What this group would actually be doing is the columns that go down with the flat roof. Most of that work will just be them putting the columns together and running the electrical, plumbing and wiring.  So, I think the only tools out there at night will be two lifts and a palette piece to help them move the steel.”

In response to a comment by council member Vince McGrath (District 1), Johnson said Sunday hours and extended daytime hours works best for the restaurant's business and also keeps from impeding on open hours of fellow businesses and creating traffic nuisances on Clarkson Road.

“I think you guys do a great job,” council member Dan Duffy (District 3) said. “My entire extended family is very happy with your restaurant and I’m in favor of anything that makes it easier to get in and out of there.”

The petition passed unanimously, and just as he had been at the start of his presentation, Johnson was both genuinely gracious and grateful for his opportunity to address the council.

“Thank you all for your time again, and also for a lot of the pre-COVID work that allowed us to stay in business; especially when we were kind of shut outside,” he said. “You let us put up temporary structures, and I can’t tell you how great that was, and I really appreciate you.  I think the support we felt from a business perspective and the flexibility you all shared with us, including not to have to close down for even one day, was awesome. It’s great to be part of the community!”

Public hearing on rail and truck facility draws ire from Chesterfield residents

 (West Newsmagazine)

The initial public comments segment of the first of two public hearing topics at the Nov. 23 Maryland Heights Planning & Zoning Commission, lasted well over an hour. Nearly a dozen Chesterfield residents showed up to voice concern over a proposed rail/truck facility proposed for 149 River Valley Drive.  A subsequent parcel at 860 Hog Hollow Road would be added should an overflow venue be required.

Precision Vehicle Holding, LLC is seeking to purchase that Maryland Park Lake District property, measuring nearly 4 million square feet, with an initial request to have it rezoned from Non-Urban District to Planned District-Manufacturing.

As noted in a proposal sent to the city of Maryland Heights, the purpose of the purchase is to “permit marshalling, storage and distribution by rail and car carriers of new production vehicles originating from the General Motors assembly plant at 15 E. Route A in Wentzville.”

The River Valley parcel is currently agricultural.

Under the proposal, it is set to feature an administration building of some 3,500 square feet and a truck repair facility of 9,500 square feet. Missouri American Water Company has a treatment plant just south and west of the entire proposed development while Chesterfield residential subdivisions are just south of the site.

The public hearings began peacefully as city planner Erin Lorusso presented the details of the project’s concept development plan. 

Lorusso offered slides regarding the land use and stormwater for the property. The site’s location is noted as “within the Creve Coeur Creek watershed and drains to the south and east to the State Route 364 mitigation area per the Maryland Park Lake District.” Several bioretention basins for water quality and a wet pond are being proposed to help with flood protection.

(Source: Google Maps)

Brett Griffin and Darrin McElroy, who founded Precision Holdings in 2014, shared a video that showed the process of loading passenger vehicles on rail cars from Wentzville and unloading them at the Maryland Heights site.

The 10-hour employee shifts of 6 a.m.-4 p.m. and 4 p.m.-2 a.m. were met with some resistance by residents. 

There would be two delivery loads each day. One would be in the morning, but far larger protests were lodged regarding any noise from evening train runs between 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. However, the applicants noted that, unlike other rail traffic, noise levels would also be limited to those associated with a 15 mph speed. Still, a resident complained that the noise from the connecting and disconnecting of couplings would be far too loud, especially at night when sound travels farther. 

Other fervent residential complaints focused on the fact that those homes in Chesterfield that are high on the bluff would be just several hundred feet from the proposed site. Residents mentioned flooding issues even during a period or two of heavy rain, environmental issues and the fact that, despite a selling point being jobs, there would be a maximum of just 25 employees on the site.  

One resident claimed that the constant trips between Wentzville and Maryland Heights make no sense due to ever-increasing fuel costs. Another said the proposed two-year construction alone would add a great deal of noise and destroy property values. It also was noted that most comparable facilities in the U.S. are built in manufacturing areas, not agricultural and residential areas. 

Whereas all the dissenting comments met with thunderous applause from the huge gathering, there was far less acknowledgment of comments by those in favor.  Those included the fact that municipalities have a right to develop their own land as long as doing so is within all guidelines of municipal, state and federal laws.

After additional vetting, the commission voted 4-2 in favor of approving the conceptual development plan with conditions. Lorusso noted that the applicants need to focus most on conducting a noise study and on the building design, which currently features corrugated metals that are not allowed by city standards.

Commission chairman Darrell Baker voiced hope that the applicants will reach out to the property owners regarding the issues they mentioned in the meeting.

An open meeting on the project will be held on Dec. 14.

Boardwalk Pizza is granted adjacent microbrewery

(Ran Nov. 19 in West Newsmagazine)

Famed author and humor columnist Dave Barry once wrote, “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” 

That pretty much matches the sentiment of Boardwalk Pizza owner Virgil Avanzado and his brew master Jake Mantz.

Through a Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation, followed by a Nov. 17 public hearing, the city of Ellisville council members voted unanimously to grant a liquor license and permission to open a microbrewery next to the restaurant at 15636 Manchester Road.

                                      Facebook image

City Attorney George Restovich rattled off 19 different exhibits regarding the paperwork involved, starting with a certified copy of the municipal code and ending with the city planner’s memo, dated Nov. 11, 2021. In between were several items offered by those submitting the petition for changes and additions.

“I’m the architect working with Virgil on the renovation of his pizzeria, and expansion into the neighboring facility which will house a microbrewery, tasting room, additional restroom, some additional seating and a storage area,” Mantz said. “The renovation includes an upgrade to the existing Boardwalk Pizza and some interior upgrades for the customer seating area. It will continue to operate as it currently does, but with these additions we will be expanding into the vacant tenant space next door. I never heard so many exhibits, but this was just a very basic summary of all those exhibits Mr. Restovich mentioned.”

In response to Mayor Mike Roemerman’s questions, the brewing will be handled on site with Mantz utilizing his own recipes. He currently has design space for up to eight taps.  

Council member Vince McGrath (District 1) inquired as to how this microbrewery would differ from most others.

Mantz answered that it’s going to be different from your normal, stand-alone microbrewery. They will not necessarily be catering to the regular beer enthusiasts, but are gearing toward beers that can easily be paired to the food Avanzado’s been serving. There will be light ales, lagers and maybe a couple darker nut-brown porters.

He added that they’ll have growlers that customers can buy, take home, and return them for refills at a reduced price. Mantz also mentioned having ‘crowlers,’ which he described as purchases in cans that are considered single serving sizes.

“I’ve done a little bit of research, and we’ll possibly be the smallest brewery in the United States,” Mantz said. “So, it will be very small and very specific.”   

McGrath also asked if sales would cover their rent. Mantz said that they crushed the numbers. Based on the cost of brewery equipment, supplies, cleaning, the modest expansion (about 150 square feet for this segment) and great margins for beers brewed on the premise, they will do just fine.  He added that they would be eliminating the middleman unlike bars that purchase beers from a distributor.

Looking at the pizzeria at 15638 Manchester, the microbrewery will be on the left side. Outside dining tables will be added inside the current walkway.   

Speaking to Virgil, council member Mick Cahill (District 2) said, “Seeing you start the place up, and appreciate that you’re trying to grow it, I know you’ve done a great job. It’s a vacant spot next to you.  So, you’ll be filling that spot and bringing some revenue into our city.”

Cahill subsequently made an amendment regarding expanding the areas in front of both addresses for the potential of covered outside seating for that entire area.

1938 newspaper shines among Ballwin Historical Commission donations

 On Nov. 9, current Planning & Zoning Commission member Gary Carr (Ward 1) carried several items into the Old Ballwin School House. He was there to donate pieces of Ballwin’s history. 

“Some of the stuff I’m donating today is from Ballwin Days. But the one that really struck me was the 1938 newspaper from the Community Press when they dedicated the brick building,” Carr said, referring to the school house. “My wife (Janet) had an anniversary party here for the building’s 50th year, back in 1988. We had the same chicken dinner that they had when they built the place. My wife’s uncle, Walter Bush, built that building.”

The paper, which Carr recently enclosed in a shadow box, features a large boxed section and the words “School Dedication Program.”  Just underneath that title are program details, including American flag ceremonies and addresses to be given by educational dignitaries. Near the bottom of the blurb, it mentions live performances of “Old Folks at Home,” “Heigh Ho” and “That Old Apple Tree” by the Ballwin Banjo Class. Underneath that was a note about the chicken supper Carr mentioned.

Gary Carr  and Ballwin Historical Commission Chairman Marie Clark (Source: City of Ballwin/Facebook)

“We’re thinking about moving in a couple years, but we want to stay in Ballwin,” Carr said.  “I’m just going through stuff the family has accumulated over the years, and we’re just trying to move stuff out. I didn’t want to throw any of this away, so I asked (the Historical Commission) if they wanted it. We were going to do this in the past. The plaque says 7/2019, but due to COVID, it was put off.”

According to the Historical Commission’s Facebook page: “The Old Ballwin Schoolhouse ended its role as a schoolhouse after the 1938 school year. It was then sold, ultimately becoming a private residence. For the next 50 years, it continued to be located at its original location: 110 Elm Street.  In 2001, it was moved to make way for the construction of the Old Towne Plaza.”

Carr said it took four years to complete Towne Plaza. 

“The reason it took so long,” he said, “(is) if you look at all these rocks back here, it was 70 feet down so they had to bring the grade up for the shopping center. They brought these rocks down here on 18-wheelers.  They had to have engineers here to tell them where to place them.”

One of the items donated by Carr was a Ballwin Days poster dated June 27, 28  and 29. While no one on the commission was certain which year the poster represented, it did mention that the carnival rides were by Tinsley’s Amusements, Inc, which began operation  in 1964.

In speaking with the Historical Commission, Carr mentioned one more item in his donations. 

Vintage Ballwin Days poster (Photo: Jeffry Greenberg)

“I was the treasurer at The Pointe, and this has all the paperwork of who donated money for the bond issue, built in 1995-96.”

Carr noted that his wife was responsible for acquiring some of the donated  items since her family has been in the area much longer than his own. Her great, great grandfather started (JJ) Kokesh (and Sons) Plumbing (currently at 408 Kehrs Mill Road) back in 1894. The fourth generation is running it now, and it’s believed to be the oldest continuous plumbing company in St. Louis County.

After being a plumber himself for 42 years, Carr retired in 2015. He’s been volunteering and working at the Christian Brothers home (La Salle Retreat Center)  in Wildwood, which has been there since 1886. However, he is most proud and moved by a far more recent historic event.

“I had the honor to work with the Gary Sinise Foundation at Officer (Mike) Flamion’s house as a volunteer,” Carr said.  Flamion, a former Ballwin Police officer,  was ambushed, shot in the back and paralyzed on July 8, 2016.

 “It was amazing to me the amount of people who stepped up to the plate and donated time or material. This went on and on and on,” he said. 

Fred Meyland-Smith receives Lieutenant Governor’s Senior Service Award

 (***This was a very special presentation I covered for West Newsmagazine)

It was a loud and often raucous lunchtime at Circle 7 Ranch in Des Peres on Wednesday, Nov. 3. In fact, the two heavy barn doors had to be completely closed in order to focus on the business unfolding in the restaurant’s private room – former Town & Country alderman Fred Meyland-Smith was being presented with a Lieutenant Governor’s Senior Service Award by current officeholder Mike Kehoe.

Meyland-Smith was one of roughly 100 individuals nominated for about one dozen awards. The requirements of which are to be at least 60 years of age and have performed at least 25 hours of volunteer work per year.  

The former alderman has gone well beyond the service hour parameter as highlighted in the full page letter State Rep. Dean Plocher (89th District) sent to Kehoe on March 30.

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe  (left) with Fred and Susan Meyland-Smith and Rep. Dean Plocher (Photo: Jeffry Greenberg) 

“When you look at Fred’s lifestyle, it’s been exemplary,” Plocher said at the presentation. “He’s been successful in business, as a husband and as a father. He’s just a good person who works hard and gives back to the community. He’s been retired for awhile, but he gave diligent service as an alderman for eight years, and has been serving on Planning & Zoning for 14. He doesn’t shy away from making hard decisions, and does what’s best for his community and for the state of Missouri. I’ve seen him do it, and it was an honor to nominate him.”

After graduating from Colgate University (in Hamilton, New York) with a degree in economics, Meyland-Smith was recruited by Procter and Gamble.  He spent 17 years with them in sales management.  He was then recruited by Ralston Purina and joined them in 1985. He soon became vice-president of sales for them, covering the entire United States until his 2001 retirement. In addition to his long tenure as a Town & Country alderman, he is still enjoying a 14-year stint on the Planning & Zoning Commission.

All that makes for an incredible lifetime resume but Meyland-Smith is far more proud of yet another volunteer activity.

“I am currently the vice-chair of the board of directors of Wings of Hope,” Meyland-Smith said. “We are a multi-national humanitarian organization headquartered at Spirit Airport. We are the largest medical air transport operation in the United States. In the course of a year, we will transport as many as 200 to 250 patients from their homes to wherever it is they need to get to for medical attention. We will do so at no cost to them, and we will do it repeatedly until they’ve achieved medical success. Sometimes that’s a dozen or two dozen flights over years to get them the medical attention that they need. 

     “We operate in 12 countries outside the United States, and proudly, we have twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. We operate three planes here in the United States, and planes in 12 other countries around the globe. Our mission is to help people lead a better life through the power of aviation. So, if we can use a plane to help someone get from their home to children’s hospitals or to get to the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota), Johns Hopkins University Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland), or to the University of Michigan’s (Ann Arbor) to get much needed medical care that’s not available where they live, we’ll be the catalyst to get them from home to the doctor’s office.”

Despite his years of service, Meyland-Smith was rather taken aback by being the recipient of the service award.

“I am humbled and honored by this,” he said. “Thank you. I was totally surprised. I did get a call from Diana (Hennerich), Dean’s administrative assistant, a while back, interviewing me and confirming some of the things I have been involved in. So, I knew Dean had nominated me for the award, but I didn’t know any of the details. This, today, is a surprise, and as I said, I’m humbled and honored by it. But I could only do all this because of my wife, Susan. She’s always so supportive and I’ve been proudly married to her for 53 years with three children and seven grandchildren!”

In his presentation, Kehoe told Meyland-Smith, “I deeply appreciate what you’ve done for our state.

He added, “I never met Fred until today, but when we read through the application and saw what he’s done in Town & Country … His involvement literally being the godfather to the Planning & Zoning process in Town & Country, his involvement with Trinity Church, with Wings of Hope … All of these things he’s done to give back to his community in retirement is what makes him a Senior Service Award member.”

The Senior Service Award was created 15 years ago by then Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder “to promote and highlight the positive accomplishments that Missouri’s senior citizens continually provide to their local communities.”

Long-time Ballwin resident honored for helping others

(This was just entered online yesterday at West Newsmagazine's site.)

 Once notified that it was her time to receive a proclamation at the Oct. 25 Ballwin Board of Aldermen meeting, Ginny Halloran was quick to reach the podium and quick to give her acceptance speech. 

“I just want to thank all of you,” she said. “I was so stunned when Hedy (Boone, Ballwin’s superintendent of recreation) called me and told me about the proclamation. But knowing the people in Ballwin, my brother (former mayor Dick Andrews) has a street named after him in Vlasis Park and my husband (Jerry) has a plaque in the Ballwin Athletic Association right on the other side of Manchester Road, and you’ve made this complete. My family loves the city of Ballwin and the people of the city of Ballwin. Thank you so much, and we’ll go get dinner so you can finish your meeting.”

There was hearty laughter from everyone in the room, then a spontaneous chant in unison: “Wait! You have to get your proclamation!”

Mayor Tim Pogue proclaimed Oct. 25, 2021, as Ginny Halloran Day and extolled her many years of exemplary volunteer service. 

Ballwin Mayor Tim Pogue presents a proclamation to Ginny Holloran in recognition of her volunteerism. (Source: Jeffry Greenberg)

“Ginny has been involved with Ballwin Days since its inauguration,” the proclamation reads. “She started and ran a Ballwin Days Fair Bowling Tournament, and started and operated the Ballwin Days funnel cake booth. She also has volunteered in all aspects of the event, including the ice cream booth, kids’ games, the duck pond and the sucker pull. Ginny also came up with the idea to add books to the committee booth and has been serving on the Ballwin Days Committee since 1978.”

She and her husband were the 2006 recipients of the Mr. and Mrs. Ballwin Days award. 

“Ginny has always been very active in the community,” the proclamation continues. “She has been involved in the PTA (Parent Teachers Association). She was a senior Olympic Gold medal winner. She had a winning tap-dancing team that put on Dancing Follies. Ginny led tap dancing for years at the Senior Center and she is still heavily involved at the Senior Center. She has donated many hours of tutoring time through OASIS at Westridge Elementary School.”

Pogue said, “I don’t know how much more I can add to this. I’ve actually had the pleasure of knowing both Ginny and her late husband for quite a number of years.  ... It’s a great pleasure to be able to give you this proclamation as a thank you for all the years of service you (have given to) this community.  Thank you very much, and it’s definitely not gone unnoticed.”

After more thanks and a thunderous round of applause, Holleran announced, “OK, we’re going to go eat.”

The next day she told West Newsmagazine that her initial reaction to Boone’s call was disbelief.

“I told them they had made a mistake,” Halloran said. “I’ve done different things in my life, but it’s always been things I’ve enjoyed doing, like tutoring at Westridge for 20 years. I figured the kids did more for me than I did for them.”

She mentioned how her brother started Ballwin Days and how the street leading up to the old city hall was named Andrews Parkway in his honor. She also added that a plaque at the Ballwin Athletic Association reads, “If you enjoy sitting here watching the ballgames, you can thank Jerry Halloran.”

Of all the activities in which Ginny has been involved, one of her greatest thrills is dancing.

“We used to go out and perform at a lot of retirement centers,” she said.  “We would perform there, and they would pay us money, but we would give the money back to the centers so they had money to do things.”

Though she no longer lives in the city, she proudly declared, “I’m still a Ballwin fan!”