15thWardSTL.org

Seriously, folks. CDA/SLDC and Jennifer Florida have effed up pretty bad on this one. Yeesh, I just couldn\'t pass this one up, even though I moved eight months ago.

This is just a brief post to call your attention to the ongoing fiasco at 3460 Oak Hill. I wrote about this beautiful art deco building almost two years ago. Since then, the project fell through again and yet another developer was selected and the project fell through yet again.

I can\'t do the same research I did in the past, but quickly:

• The building is still owned by LRA.

This Monday come on down to the Carpenter branch of the St. Louis library (on Grand across from Schnucks) and check out the candidates forum.

Candidates for the Missouri Senate’s 5th district, the Missouri House’s 59th and 67th districts, and the 15th ward committeeman/comitteewoman candidates.

It’s Monday April 14th at 7:00 pm.

Bring your questions!

St. Louis needs to ban smoking in indoor public places. All of them.

This is one that I’m not going to equivocate on. A poll on Francis Slay’s blog last week put the question out there, and it’s since gotten a little chatter in the neighborhood.

A lot of the chatter in this debate swirls around the alleged individual “right” of smokers to choose to smoke. There is a strong point here. In the privacy of one’s home, I agree that people should have the right to smoke cigarettes. In fact, I’ll go most of the smoker’s rights “libertarians” one better- I would support legalization of all drugs.

I received word last night that Steve Patterson of Urban Review has been hospitalized. Without his personal approval, I won\'t discuss the details here. However, at this point his prognosis is good. I\'m sure he would appreciate well wishes either e-mailed directly to steve@urbanreviewstl.com or posted here.

I would like to extend my personal support and hope for a speedy recovery.

Today was the conditional use hearing for 3737 S. Grand.

As I said before, I was unable to make it, but doubtless, some you you did.

Reports? Discussion?

http://raisingagarden.blogspot.com/

The website raising funds for the garden commemorating Marti Frumhoff has moved.

Marti made tremendous contributions to Tower Grove South and the city of St. Louis. Check it out and please support.

This Thursday, at 8:30 am, in room 208 of city hall, a Conditional Use Hearing will convene to begin making the decision on a Rent-A-Center going in at 3737 S. Grand.

This is an important opportunity for anyone who feels trepidation about businesses like Rent A Center (or anyone who for some reason supports them) gaining a greater foothold in our community. There will be an opportunity to speak if you are so interested. If this is your neighborhood, you are a relevant stakeholder and your opinion matters.

Businesses like Rent a Center do little to support healthy communities, IMHO. They prey on the poor and others with few options, offer a marginal product, and get people caught up in payment schemes in which they eventually pay far more for the merchandise than its actual market value.

Full disclosure: I have not done my homework. In the interest of convincing both remaining loyal readers of this blog that I am serious about updating regularly, I am getting this out quickly rather than spend a lot of time on research.

This Feb. 5th, registered St. Louisans will not only have the opportunity to support the aspirations of Barack Obama or another candidate for the Democratic or Republican nomination, they will also get to vote on whether or not to hike the city sales tax another 1/2 cent, in the interest of, among other things, \\\"...funding police and fire pensions...\\\".