[st. louis]
Helping citizens of Ferguson regain their footing has struck a chord. Literally. Classical guitar aficionados were hoping to raise $20,000 by the end of June to support the purchase of additional instruments for music students in Ferguson schools, an amount to be matched dollar for dollar by ‘visionary’ donors throughout the metro. (Of course, every dollar helps and none is too late.) The initiative unfolded in November with a $20,000 grant from the Augustine Foundation in NYC to The St. Louis Classical Guitar Society to fund twice-weekly programs in two Ferguson elementary schools. The monies will go toward purchase of classical guitars, as well as additional compensation for educators in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Several volunteers from the Society will spend time in the classroom to assist as fifth- and sixth-graders learn the instrument in preparation for solo and ensemble performances. Much of the program derives from an online program that Society members say has been instrumental for kids in 50 schools in Austin, Texas, to learn classical guitar. Society members hope the program, which got a foothold in Normandy, will continue to expand in the northern suburbs, at first to six additional Ferguson-Florissant schools. (pictured above)
[ballwin]
When it comes to completing a transaction generated online, whether through Craigslist or another website that connects buyers and sellers, trust your instincts. You wouldn’t buy a watch from somebody in a dark alley, would you? We hope that image gives you the creeps. Because that’s basically the same as ‘meeting’ a complete stranger you found on the Internet and completing an in-person cash transaction (minus the dark alley). Ballwin police are offering a safer alternative: the parking lot or lobby of the police station, both of which are monitored by surveillance cameras 24/7. The lobby desk is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ballwin residents also should consider the ‘safe transaction zone’ provided at the station at 300 Park Drive in Vlasis Park. Chief Steve Schicker notes that many criminals seek their victims online. Don’t be one of those suckers born every minute. Certainly, never go to a buyer or seller’s house, or let them into yours. Be smart. Take advantage of this public service. Meanwhile, Chesterfield has announced that it also is providing a ‘safe exchange zone’ on city hall property, and we’d wager that other municipalities would do the same.
[chesterfield]
You have to be of a certain age to remember 905 liquor stores. (There weren’t that many of them, of course: ‘905’ was the company name. They even had their own brand of swill, canned and marketed as beer.) Now it looks as though another, even bigger, booze retailer is coming to the metro. In Chesterfield, Total Wine & More will take over the former Toys “R” Us store at 1709 Clarkson Road. In Brentwood, it will move into the Brentwood Promenade Court space vacated by Golf Galaxy. Another will be built in Town & Country. The stores typically take over ‘second generation’ spaces that have room to accommodate about 13,500 varieties of wine, liquor and beer. Based in Maryland, the company keeps an eye out for buildings with between 20,000 and 30,000 square feet of space. The three superstores in the metro will represent Total Wine’s first foray into Missouri, and doors should open sometime in the fall. Having a hard time picking the perfect wine to match your menu? About 8,000 different vintages should keep even the most dedicated oenophile busy.
[kirkwood]
For cars built before 1980 and many drivers from—well, sometime before that—The Great Race began on Father’s Day at the Kirkwood train station. This year’s event followed Route 66 and ended in San Bernardino, California, before this issue hit newsstands. It was festive in Kirkwood, especially for the dads who prefer cars over fishing or golf (when they’re not spending quality time with their beloved families, that is). One lamented, tongue in cheek, that the memory card in his camera wasn’t large enough to capture all that rolling stock. There were plenty of rides from back in the day when (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 came out, and some from way before that. This was not a speed contest, and competitors were not allowed the luxury of GPS, or even a map. Their skill boiled down to getting from point A to point B in a specified amount of time. If all goes well in a rally such as this, cars arrive at the finish line a minute apart. Drivers were on their way June 21 to Rolla (for lunch), then to Springfield to overnight before the second leg. Route 66 starts in Chicago and heads south through Illinois before it winds through “St. Louie, Joplin, Missouri, Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty, you’ll see… Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico.” Many other towns mentioned in the song were along the route, including Flagstaff, Arizona, and San Bernardino, before drivers wound up at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. Lovers of old cars need not mourn the passing of the classic vehicles through Kirkwood a few weeks ago. Weather permitting, nearly as many vintage vehicles as you’ll see in American Graffiti come every Friday night to the lot of Sonic at Kirkwood Road and Big Bend Boulevard for owners to compare notes and for drop-ins to gawk at what’s under the hood.
[maplewood]
Maplewood and Richmond Heights are tying the knot! Maplewood’s chamber of commerce will merge with its counterpart in Richmond Heights, and there’ll be plenty of time for all to adjust during the transition. For one thing, it’s not official until January. For the time being, the larger organization will operate under the ‘Maplewood Chamber of Commerce’ umbrella and have its headquarters in the Maplewood offices. A two-year period has been established to allow the two chambers to become acclimated to working together as a unit. All our best to the happy couple.
[rock hill]
How good is the fare at Carl’s in Rock Hill? Just ask me and my family. Or, you could query another regular: U. City’s own Joe Edwards, proprietor of Blueberry Hill, another joint legendary for its burgers. Carl hasn’t been in the picture for quite a while. The drive-in with no drive-thru window, dinky parking lot, and old-school counter and stools, owned and run since the ’80s by Frank Cunnetto, has been sold to a longtime customer and businessman from Belleville. It’s been at the top of a hill at 9033 Manchester Road since Eisenhower was president in 1959. In the not-too-distant future, there’ll probably be another Carl’s Drive-In somewhere in the metro, maybe St. Charles. But the recipe will remain the same, Cunnetto promises. (Whew!) I’ll take another frosty mug of root beer and a triple cheeseburger—and I might not need another meal for a week. Or, so says my paunch.
[st. charles]
What’s a four-letter word for the vehicle that takes you to the airport, or safely home when your designated driver has had too much to drink? Taxi might be the first that comes to mind, of course. Uber might be another nowadays. The ‘ride hailing’ company might be setting up shop (so to speak) in St. Charles, based on what the city has to say following a briefing by company officials. Actually, UberX is what it’s called; Uber Black, the company’s upscale limo service, already operates in St. Louis. However, UberX, not surprisingly, has met resistance from the Metropolitan Taxicab Association for one reason or another, reportedly over background checks and insurance issues. This may all be moot, based on a larger issue that ride-hailing companies are facing: Are drivers contractors or employees? The former has meant they’ve had to pay for their own fuel and cover maintenance and other expenses. The latter, anathema to Uber et al., would pave the way for expensive measures like health insurance and profit-sharing. To wit: California’s Labor Commission ruled in favor of an Uber driver who maintained that the company owed her some $4,000 in expenses. Uber promptly appealed, of course, contending that its business model is just a smartphone app. The “1099 economy shuddered,” as aptly put by Slate magazine.
