[chesterfield]
The area’s newest museum is a cross between The Magic House and the Museum of Transportation, with a smattering of library reading rooms tossed in. St. Louis Children’s Illustrated Art Museum began as a project to encourage sick children by gathering original artwork that appears in children’s literature and creating a journal with it. But as donations from artists and publishers grew, it became apparent that the collection would need to be curated in a permanent home. It’s in Chesterfield Mall, with the latest exhibit opened in August, and is delightful for train buffs of any age. Front and center is a 40-foot-long wooden steam train, from locomotive to caboose, built with unfinished lumber from area Home Depot stores. It’s part of ‘All Aboard: Now and Then,’ an exhibit featuring models of choo-choos from the early age of steam to today. Thomas the Tank Engine is here, as is an operating electric train layout from back in the day. There’s a look back at Union Station and its important role in St. Louis history, as well as a pictorial history of Amtrak. Located on the mall’s second floor near Macy’s, the museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. For this exhibit there’s a $5 admission charge per person, $10 for a family.
[clayton]
If you’ve got an outstanding warrant in Clayton, Oct. 6 might be your lucky day. On that Monday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., defendants can have the slate wiped clean on the amnesty day docket at the municipal court, 10 S. Brentwood Blvd. Defendants will be seen by the municipal court judge and city prosecutor on a first-come, first-served basis. Anyone who qualifies, of course, knows this; they’re well aware there’s a warrant out for their arrest. If you have a bunch of traffic tickets, that’s one thing. You may get off scot-free. But if it’s something more serious, you may have to post bond. So, come prepared for that or to pay fines. Valid identification and proper attire are a must, so no shirt, no shoes, no way. (Now, if you’ve been on the lam for a serious offense in another jurisdiction, of course, this doesn’t include you. If you think it does, you may continue your career as a knucklehead.)
[ladue]
In the case of the now-defunct Spicer’s, Yogi Berra might say, ‘It’s like déjà vu all over again.’ A Ladue fixture for nearly three-quarters of a century, the toy, novelty and candy store is closing. Again. Yogi might also say, ‘It ain’t over ’til it’s over,’ but this time, it’s over. Looks like the fat lady has sung. After inventory and fixtures have been liquidated, the beloved, classic five & dime at 8859 Ladue Road—resurrected after its 2006 closing by Doug and Cindy Murdoch—is gone for good. The emporium’s namesake, Max Spicer, opened it in 1947, and Joe McNulty ran it from 1970 until 2006. The Murdochs had more or less continued to offer the same inventory of candy, school supplies, greeting cards, gifts, puzzles, games, movies and more toys. Alas, maybe it was finally time to retire. The store had been in business for 67 years.
[st. charles]
After a 20-something girl ran off the road in St. Charles County, overcorrected and flipped her car on its side, the real mayhem began, cops say. She resisted arrest for DWI—big time. She attempted to pull away several times as the state trooper tried to handcuff her, then she unbuckled her seat belt in his car and tried to get out. He pepper-sprayed her. Then, on the way to the hospital to confirm her blood-alcohol level, she threatened the trooper’s family with bodily harm. Once at the hospital, she tried to escape again, whereupon the trooper pepper-sprayed her a second time. She tried to kick the officer in the chest. The drunk was charged with a laundry list of felonies and misdemeanors, and by the time she calmed down and sobered up, she couldn’t have been pleased that she was in custody on $25,000, cash-only bond.
[st. louis]
Gunpowder and gasoline. Cats and dogs. Oil and water. Guns and schools. Usually, none of these pairings is a good idea. And it appears so far that many, if not most, area school districts aren’t very excited about the prospect of arming teachers, legislation that Gov. Jay Nixon tried to put the quietus on in July, although his veto was overridden a few weeks ago. Kelvin Adams, superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools, is among many supers who don’t foresee arming designated staff members anytime soon, if ever. The downside of such legislation was demonstrated recently when the gun carried by a Utah teacher discharged accidentally in a restroom, injuring her and shattering the toilet. This scenario is not lost on area administrators. In any case, the law, as it stands, permits select school staff members to be armed. It does not require them to be. The incident in Utah is blackly humorous, but a gun ‘accidentally discharging’ in a classroom, cafeteria or gym would not be.
[olivette]
A new municipal center will be erected in Olivette, thanks to voters overwhelmingly passing a $13.5 million bond issue in August. It’s been a long time coming. Observers say the existing building at 9473 Olive Blvd. is cramped and outdated. To wit: When it was built 60 years ago, the police department had only two officers; now there are about 25. Police even have had to use a holding cell for storage. Two years ago, the city proposed the purchase of an existing building, which did not come to fruition. The new center—to the east, on Dielman Road just north of Olive Boulevard—will combine the police and fire departments under the same roof, as well as the city administration, planning department, and some parks and recreation personnel. It isn’t clear when construction will begin or when the project will be completed.
[town & country]
Did professional sharpshooters in Town & Country and other municipalities help keep the county deer population down, resulting in fewer cars striking deer Missouri-wide from July 2013 through June 2014? Well, State Farm is there—the huge insurance company is on it, and the answer is: probably not. A viral disease that spread as a result of the severe 2012 drought has reduced the state’s deer population, conservationists say. According to State Farm claims data, Missouri drivers are nearly 8 percent less likely to collide with a deer in the next 12 months than they were last year. The odds drivers will hit a deer in Missouri in the coming year are 1 in 124, still above the national average of 1 in 169. Where do we stand in our deer-striking probability? We’re 18th. One more reason not to live in West Virginia? There’s a 1-in-39 chance of hitting a deer in the mountainous state. Another reason to move to Hawaii? The odds of getting a deer in your headlights there are only 1 in 10,281. And who says statisticians have no fun? They calculated that Hawaiians are three times more likely to get struck by lightning in their lifetime than they are to hit a deer in the next year. Well, OK. We’d like to know, on average, how long a Missourian will scratch a chigger bite.
[university city]
Firefighters in U. City have been at odds with city administrators for some time. Last April, six were suspended three months for appearing in gear for an ad touting a city council candidate (he lost). Now, city firefighters have locked horns with city manager Lehman Walker, who is leading the charge to privatize ambulance services. Walker says the move would save the city about $1 million annually. The city already has received proposals from Abbott EMS and Gateway ambulance companies, despite the firefighters union’s insistence that it would affect the quality of services that citizens receive. Walker begs to differ, saying there would be no reduction in the quality of services through outsourcing, although he acknowledges it might impact jobs and staffing levels at the fire department. (Not to diss the private providers, but we’ll see, right?)
[sunset hills]
A vintage postcard of the overpass carrying Route 66 over Highway 67 (Watson Road and Lindbergh Boulevard, respectively) could serve as a blueprint for aesthetic changes at the interchange. One of the projects under consideration by the Sunset Hills Special Projects Committee is a facelift at the bridge that includes wider sidewalks, ornate light standards, granite accents and more elaborate landscaping. Committee members say it would enhance pedestrian access to the shopping district on both sides of Lindbergh Boulevard. In any case, MoDOT would have to approve any changes the city recommends before construction begins. About a quarter-mile south of where Interstate 44 crosses Lindbergh, the interchange probably would remain a diamond, although when first built in 1931, it was the first cloverleaf west of the Mississippi. Hey, it could happen. Just look at how beautiful the updated Highway 40/I-64 bridges are since the corridor was re-engineered in 2008. Sure, they benefited from a federal transportation department outlay as well as MoDOT money, but what the heck?
[tt trivia]
Where is Stacy Park Reservoir in relation to the Olivette Municipal Building?
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Photo: Sunset Hills