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A letter from Superintendent Creg Williamsappeared in today's Oakville-Mehlville Journal. In the letter, titled "Which is worth more -- a building or 600 students?," Williams said he did not recommend closing Cleveland NJROTC High School -- just to move the students.
"This discussion is not about closing schools," wrote Williams. "It is about students who must sit in an environment that is not conducive to learning, and in classrooms that put their health at risk."
For just about everyone else, the debate is about SLPS moving to close Cleveland High -- without a clear plan for what to do with its students, or the building.
Williams just recommended moving Cleveland's students at the school board's May 2 administrative meeting (just three weeks before the last day of class), asking them to vote on the recommendation just seven days later. It is not likely that students would have been moved out of the building before the end of the school year.
Even now, four weeks later, questions still remain about where Williams plans to move the 600-plus students and what will be done with the NJROTC program. And the superintendent has offered no plan at all for what to do with the building.
Some have suggested that Williams, who openly supported the unsuccessful re-election campaigns of Darnetta Clinkscale and James Buford, has planned for some time to close Cleveland but held off bringing the proposal to the old board during the heated school board campaign.
A new group has been formed to begin organizing to keep the "old castle" alive. The Alliance to Save Cleveland High will meet tomorrow, June 1, at the Dutchtown office, 4204 Virginia Ave., to form a steering committee and "come together as a community to act now in unity, with one goal: save Cleveland High School!"
The Alliance will also be holding a press conference on Monday, June 5, to mark the official launch of the organization. That event will be in front of Cleveland High School at 10:00 a.m.
At last night's Tilles Park Neighborhood Association candidate forum, Stacey Williams, a south St. Louis City resident, asked the 4th District State Senate candidates about the issue of crime.
"There are parts of this city that I know that even St. Louis policemen wouldn't dare be going in to," said Williams. "Good question, good question," someone in the audience shouted.
Derio Gambaro touted his support by the Fraternal Order of Police (the white police officers' union) as proof of his support for law and order issues. Jeff Smith said he didn't get the police endorsement because he opposed allowing cops to move out of the city.
Amber Boykins said that as a state rep, she has worked with Chief Joe Mokwa and Mayor Francis Slay on getting more officers patrolling those high-crime areas that Williams was probably talking about.
Three of the five people running for the open 4th District State Senate seat showed up Tuesday night at the Tilles Park Neighborhood Association candidate forum. State Rep. Amber Boykins, former State Rep. Derio Gambaro, and former Congressional candidate Jeff Smith answered questions from southside residents and moderator Jo Mannies, of the Post-Dispatch.
Most of the meeting was pretty tame, with candidates fielding questions on subjects such as education funding and how they would deal with a Republican majority in Jefferson City. But the first jab of the night was thrown by Smith on a question about Social Security funding -- an area which a state senator has almost no input on. Smith said Derio Gambaro has supported privatizing Social Security in the past, a charge that Gambaro strongly denied.
Candidates Kenny Jones and Yaphett El-Amin did not attend. Jones sent a representative. El-Amin told PUB DEF that she did not attend because the forum's organizers told her she could not be on the panel because the proper forms were not returned in time, something she said is not true.
Check later for a video of the candidates addressing the issue of crime.
The Tilles Park Neighborhood Association will be hosting its candidate forum tonight. The Post-Dispatch's senior political reporter, Jo Mannies, will serve as moderator.
The event starts at 7 p.m. and will be at the St. Louis Police Officers Association Hall, 3710 Hampton. It is open to the public.
In a letter to its members, the president and the executive board of the St. Louis City teachers union called the 2005-06 school year one of the most frustrating, demanding, and exhausting that the teachers, paraprofessionals and secretarial/clerical employees have ever had to endure.
"The disrespect and disregard for the rights of the employees has proven unbearable," said the letter.
Mary Armstrong, the union chief, said that Superintendent Creg Williams addressed her members at their May 2005 meeting and asked them to give him one year to make a difference and to show his willingness to work with Local 420. "The last thing I want to do is pick a fight with the union," she recalled him saying.
"That year is finally over!" wrote Armstrong. She said Williams was invited to address the union again this year and "clarify some of the District's questionable actions." Williams declined.
In addition to the concerns about teacher rehirings after the announced reconstitution and restructuring of 13 city schools, the teachers union is also upset about recent shorts in pay.
"We have just been officially informed on Friday, May 26th, that due to another payroll mistake, 10-month employees' last payroll check will be for only 5 days!" wrote Armstrong.
The union has called an emergency meeting of its full membership for Sunday, June 4. A review of the 2005-06 school year will be followed by a question and answer session open to all members. The time and place will be announced later on the union's website and on postcards mailed to members.
Other school-related meetings coming up:
School Board Administrative Meeting, June 6, at 7:00 p.m., 801 N. 11th Street, Room 108.
School Board Regular Meeting Monthly Meeting, June 13, Carr Lane School Auditorium , 7:00 p.m.
Stay up with the latest on the city's public schools at www.stlschools.org
Despite the extreme heat, thousands of people came out today for the 3rd Annual Bosnian Festival in south St. Louis' Bevo neighborhood. See more exclusive PUB DEF photos of the families, rides and festivities at today's event at www.pubdefweekly.com/photos/bosnianfest.
At a press conference this morning, 1st Ward Committeeman Talibdin El-Amin said he will be staying in his 57th District State Representative race until the end.
"After having conversations with my family, friends, and many people in the community, I am convinced more than ever today that I will not waiver in my pursuit to become the next state representative in the 57th District," said El-Amin with his wife, Yaphett El-Amin (the current representative of the district), by his side.
Some wondered if El-Amin would withdraw from the race after reports in The Evening Whirl and on KSDK Channel 5 earlier this week called him a "deadbeat dad." El-Amin once again said these allegations are false. He told the room of supporters and just two members of the media that these were "trivial matters disguised as news."
Meanwhile, someone identifying themself as Antonnia Washington, El-Amin's "baby's mama," posted a lengthy comment to one of our earlier stories on this subject. "I don't know how Mr. El-Amin could even begin to think that Yaphett takes better care of my children that I do," she wrote.
"I have never taken a hit at the way she raises her children and I feel that I should be given that same respect because I am a good, hard-working mother. The St. Louis Family Court thought so too, that is why they are with me," the person wrote.
Editor's Note: Unless something big happens, this will be our last story on this subject.
State rep candidate Talibdin El-Amin calls the charges that he is a "deadbeat dad" ridiculous. But he said that these recent allegations have taken a toll on him, his wife, and his children.
El-Amin, the 1st Ward Committeeman and husband to State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin, told PUB DEF that he has been involved in every stage of his children's emotional, mental, physical, and educational development. He said allegations to the contrary by the mother of his two eldest children are the result of a personal vendetta.
"Never have I had to be 'forced' to tend to my fatherly responsibilities," said El-Amin. He said it was him who in 1996 initiated child support payments which were taken directly from his paycheck.
El-Amin said he has records that show that he has paid more than $88,000 in child support from 1997 to May 2006. "I am on record for providing over $80,000 in child support, this in spite of being denied my right to see my children per our custody agreement."
He said that there have been short periods when he was unable to make his payments: after surgery in 1996, after he donated a kidney to his father in 2000, and after being laid-off from his job at General Motors in 2000.
"In the fall of 2005, I initiated custody proceedings, seeking greater involvement than previously afforded," said El-Amin. He said the court rolled his missed payments into a new monthly payment amount, which he has been current on ever since.
"More troubling than the accusation of being an absentee father, is the attack on my wife, whose love, and nurturing of the children outside of our marriage, has transcended the atypical stereotype of a detached stepmother," El-Amin wrote in an email to PUB DEF.
"Her involvement in school events, planning of activities and trips, and overall development has often times superseded that of the biological mother, Ms. Washington," he said.
The character of El-Amin's "baby's mama" was something that sources in his campaign wanted to talk a great deal about. They provided documents which they say show that she has gambled $107,054.56 at a local riverboat casino between January 2004 to May 2005.
Sources tell PUB DEF that, maybe as soon as tomorrow, El-Amin is considering dropping out of the race to prevent possible further damage to his children caused by the "dirty politics" of the past week.
They point to the fact that an employee of Sheriff Jim Murphy, who has endorsed State Rep. Amber Boykins in her campaign against Yaphett El-Amin for State Senate, coincidentally showed up at their campaign office at the same time as a KSDK cameraman and reporter Mike Owens, who is married to Ald. Lyda Krewson, who has ties to Luther Boykins, Amber's father.
"This whole thing stinks to high heaven," said the insider. "It would be a shame to allow this kind of personal character assassination."
Several people told PUB DEF the real story here is that KSDK allows Mike Owens to do political stories. Imagine if Jo Mannies of the Post-Dispatch was Francis Slay's sister. Or if Jake Wagman was Jim Shrewsbury's son. Imagine if people working for the mayor were allowed to lobby for firms with city contracts -- oh, wait.
File this in the WTF folder. Mayor Francis Slay's website staff sent out an email yesterday with a picture of the mayor's face on the body of Leonardo Da Vinci's famous "Mona Lisa" painting.
The email talks about Dan Brown's book (and Tom Hank's movie), "The Da Vinci Code."
"Not since Salman Rushdie’s much more readable – and much less widely read -- 'The Satanic Verses' has a work of fiction attracted so many strong opinions," wrote Slay.
It's not clear what the mayor (or his advisor and web czar Richard Callow) were thinking with this, but we think someone should remind the folks over at MayorSlay.com that Photoshop can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
The Third Annual Bosnian Festival will take place this Sunday, May 28, from 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the corner of Gravois Ave. and Morganford Rd. in the Bevo neighborhood.
The Organization for Black Struggle will host the "Best Candidate Forum" on Sunday, June 11, for the five candidates running for the open 4th District State Senate seat.
The event will be from 4 - 6 p.m. at the Rowan Community Center, 1401 Rowan Ave. Organizers say all of the candidates have been invited to attend.
The candidates are State Reps. Yaphett El-Amin and Amber Boykins, former Congressional candidate Jeff Smith, former Alderman Kenny Jones, and former State Rep. Derio Gambaro.
The PUB DEF Videos page has been updated with exclusive videos from Tuesday's special school board meeting and our interview yesterday with the president of the teachers' union.
BTW, we've passed 30,000 visits for the month -- already our busiest month ever! Email us today to advertise your business, campaign or event on PUB DEF Weekly.
Senator Kit Bond will be in St. Louis on Monday, June 5, to discuss the latest round of Republican tax cuts passed by Congress.
At a location "to be determined" later, Bond plans to make his case for how these tax cuts will help build a stronger Missouri by spurring economic growth and creating more jobs.
"This economy continues to grow and create jobs. Job growth remains strong and more Americans are going to work each day," said Bond in a recent press release.
"In the last three years, nearly 5.3 million jobs have been created. These gains are not by luck or accident. We are seeing the result of tax cuts enacted by Congress that allow families to keep more of what they earn," he said.
The St. Louis appearance wraps up a statewide tour by the senior U.S. senator. He will also be in Joplin, Springfield, Cape Girardeau, St. Joseph, Columbia, Kirksville, and Hannibal over the next two weeks.
VIDEO: Union Prez says SLPS sending "mixed messages" about rehirings
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Thursday, May 25, 2006 at 7:09 PM
As we reported on our STLSchools.org site yesterday, hundreds of teachers and staff at 13 city schools were given termination letters this week. They were offered the chance to reapply for their positions, but the president of the teachers' union says that the district is not being clear on what the criteria will be used to rehire employees.
Mary Armstrong told PUB DEF that the teachers have been told that they will be rehired based upon "certification and seniority." But Superintendent Creg Williams told the Post-Dispatch that seriority would not be taken into account.
We tried for two days to get a comment from SLPS spokesmen Tony Sanders and Johnny Little, but neither provided one.
BONUS: See a second video from our interview with Mary Armstrong at www.stlschools.org, home of the St. Louis Schools Watch.
Channel 5 reporter Mike Owens hasn't been able to find a scandal in the mayor's office in years (not since the infamous "Midnight Basketball" brouhaha from the Bosley Administration), but he has no problem following leads from The Evening Whirl to dirt on northside politicos.
Owens, who is married to 28th Ward Alderman Lyda Krewson, reported yesterday that Talibdin El-Amin, husband to State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin and a candidate to replace her, took out a bank loan for the couple's political activities while he owed thousands to his baby's mama.
Click here to read Owen's story and watch the video report. Warning: You will wince.
Several people who addressed the St. Louis Board of Education last night at a special meeting in the auditorium of Cleveland High School asked why the public was told about the meeting less than 24 hours before.
Alderman Ken Ortmann (9th Ward) told the board, "I don't know whose idea it was... If there was a week's notice, you wouldn't be able to park around here."
After the meeting, we asked Board President Veronica O'Brien whose idea it was. She said it was not her decision, but rather a "collective decision." She would not elaborate.
See more videos and keep up with the latest news on St. Louis Public Schools at our sister site, www.stlschools.org.
VIDEO: "It's not worth my health," Cleveland student tells the Board
By Antonio D. French
The most moving speech as last night's special school board meeting came from an 11th grade student at Cleveland NJROTC High School.
"This run-down building is my home," said Beulah Foehner. She said she and her fellow Cleveland cadets breathe the mold in the 93-year-old building everyday. "This is all we have. This is all we are reduced to."
She said she would like to be able to walk across Cleveland's auditorium stage next year at her graduation -- but not at the risk of her health.
As a senior officer at the Naval ROTC program, she said she hears everyday from the students in her charge that their chests hurt or they have trouble performing basic military positions.
"We are all you have left," Beulah told the school board. The self-confidence and self-discipline taught at the school make Cleveland students a valuable asset to the City's public school district.
VIDEO: Public, Aldermen address school board on Cleveland High closing
By Antonio D. French
Several dozen parents, students and community leaders arrived at Cleveland High School last night on less than 24 hours notice to let their opinions be known about the fate of the "Old Castle."
Five southside aldermen were spotted in the audience (Dorothy Kirner, Fred Wessels, Ken Ortmann, Jennifer Florida, and Craig Schmid). Three addressed Superintendent Creg Williams and the three school board members present at the meeting; Veronica O'Brien, Peter Downs and Donna Jones.
Alderman Schmid (20th Ward), a Cleveland alumnus, told the school board that they had a "golden opportunity" to show that there is a new way of doing business in the City's public schools.
Alderman Ortmann (9th Ward) said the district needs to develop a plan for what to do with all of its older buildings. He also criticized the board for calling the special board meeting just 24 hours before.
"I don't know whose idea it was," said Ortmann. "If there was a week's notice, you wouldn't be able to park around here."
Ortmann said he would have never supported building Mel Carnahan Middle School, which used to be a part of Creg Schmid's old 10th Ward. He said that the old Grant School was boarded up by SLPS, left to become a home for pigeons. "We have to come up with a maintenance program that saves these schools," he said.
"Five years from now, we'll be sitting at Roosevelt (High School) and going through the same thing -- or Meramec, or Shepard School," said Ortmann.
The controversy in the town of Black Jack involving the local government denying a couple an occupancy permit because they are unmarried and don't fit the town's definition of "family" has made the top of the Drudge Report.
With barely 24 hours notice, the St. Louis Public Schools has called two special board meetings for Tuesday evening.
The first meeting will be held at its Administration Building, 801 N. 11th Street, at 5:00 p.m. This meeting will be closed to the public to discuss legal and personnel issues.
The second meeting will be held at Cleveland NJROTC High School, 4325 Louisiana Avenue, at 7:30 p.m. There will be some time allowed for public comments and then the board is expected to take some action on the issue of closing Cleveland.
UPDATE: Up to three board members may be out of town, making it unlikely that the Board will vote to close Cleveland tonight. Considering the short notice, sources tell PUB DEF the purpose of this meeting may be to get the public comment portion "out of the way."
Back in April, we announced that political consultant Lou Hamilton -- who has recently drawn criticism for his dual roles as aide to Mayor Francis Slay and hired lobbyist for Barnes Hospital -- was the winner of our "Name That Politico!" contest. We promised to give Lou a "special prize."
"What do you get the man that has everything?" we asked.
Well, we had something in mind. And after some time in the PUB DEF archives room, we have it.
Back in 2002, as people were fighting against Slay and developer Steve Stogel's evil plan to tear to down the 102–year-old historical landmark Century Building, a series of posters appeared downtown.
One of those posters featured a headshot of Stogel surrounded by parking garage after parking garage. "Welcome to Stogel's vision for St. Louis," it read.
Such a collector's item is a rare jewel for a political junkie. And it is our pleasure to present this "special prize" to Mr. Lou Hamilton.
In next week's issue of Newsweek, Congressman Lacy Clay responds to serious security flaws found in the Diebold voting machines used by the St. Louis Board of Elections.
According to Newsweek'sSteven Levy, digital security experts say:
It requires only a few minutes of pre-election access to a Diebold machine to open the machine and insert a PC card that, if it contained malicious code, could reprogram the machine to give control to the violator. The machine could go dead on Election Day or throw votes to the wrong candidate.
Worse, it's even possible for such ballot-tampering software to trick authorized technicians into thinking that everything is working fine, an illusion you couldn't pull off with pre-electronic systems.
"If Diebold had set out to build a system as insecure as they possibly could, this would be it," says Avi Rubin, a Johns Hopkins University computer-science professor and elections-security expert.
Clay told Newsweek, "It gives me a bit of alarm that the voting systems are subject to tampering and errors."
Click here to read the Newsweek article. Related Stories:
The president of the St. Louis City school board would neither confirm or deny tonight that a special meeting was being planned for Tuesday.
School board president Veronica O'Brien called PUB DEF to inquire about our sources for an earlier story about a meeting being planned for this week to discuss, and possibly vote on, the question of closing Cleveland High School.
"Where did you get your information?" she repeatedly asked. When we twice tried to confirm with her the meeting plans, she yelled "This is how this will work; you will listen to me." We then hung up the phone.
Shortly afterwards, O'Brien sent an email to two other board members, the board's attorney, and PUB DEF.
"I am asking your assistance in informing [Antonio French] that he is not privy to confidential information nor do I owe him any special privileges regarding the content of board communication," she wrote.
"It appears Mr. French is determine [sic] to find fault in my leadership and thus I wish him well," she said. "One thing for sure is that under my leadership you will always know where I am coming from."
If the school board does plan to have a meeting on Tuesday, state law requires that public notice be given sometime tomorrow. With the heat being received by the board president, and two to three board members possibly unable to make the meeting, it is likely that it may not happen on Tuesday.
An exchange between Ald. Lyda Krewson and Ivy Neyland-Pinkston, deputy comptroller, at yesterday's meeting of the Forest Park Lease Review Committee highlighted tensions between Comptroller Darlene Green's Office and the office of Mayor Francis Slay.
The committee is made up of five people selected by Slay to "independently" review the financial terms of the proposed lease, a duty usually reserved for the Comptroller.
Alderman Fred Wessels questioned Jim Garavaglia, the city asset manager from the Comptroller's Office, about why another appraisal wasn't done sooner.
Krewson also asked Garavaglia why some of the Comptroller's concerns were not addressed earlier.
Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. said his focus was on minority participation in future construction projects related to the Barnes lease and the longterm plans the hospital may have for that area.
Committee member Tom Reeves, president of Pulaski Bank and former head of Downtown Now, questioned whether the lease amount shouldn't be discounted since that land is currently under lease by Barnes for several more decades and the city can't get any more revenure from the land other than from Barnes.
Alderman Bosley said the longer the committee "fools with" this lease agreement, the more public scrutiny will come. "It's like stirring mess," said Bosley. "If it crusts over it don't stink so bad. But the more your turn it, the worse it's gone stink."
After the meeting, one committee member was overheard saying, "He (Garavaglia) fucked up. That's why he was so nervous."
After voting to table a motion to close Cleveland High School to allow time for public input, three members of the board appear ready to force a vote on the matter while some board members are out of town.
School Board President Veronica O'Brien has called a special board meeting for Tuesday, May 23, for the purpose of calling a vote on the question of closing Cleveland. Sources tell PUB DEF that board members Bill Purdy and Flint Fowler are out of town (Purdy is in Florida, not sure where Fowler is) and will not likely make the special meeting.
If O'Brien joins board members Ron Jackson and Bob Archibald, newly elected members Peter Downs and Donna Jones can only watch as the district breaks another promise with the public.
Less than two weeks ago, O'Brien voted with Purdy, Downs, Jones, and Fowler to allow more time for public debate. Before the vote, Purdy proposed at least one public meeting be held at the high school and that the public be allowed to tour the building to see for themselves the physical challenges facing the 93-year-old building.
No public meeting has been held and no public tours have been given.
Developing...
[Editor's note: Props to Steve Patterson of Urban Review St. Louis for having this story first.]
VIDEO: Aide outlines Green's objections to Barnes-Forest Park deal
By Antonio D. French
PUB DEF EXCLUSIVE
Jim Garavaglia, from Comptroller Darlene Green's office, explained to the Forest Park Lease Review Committee today the Comptroller's issues with the current proposal to amend Barnes Hospital's lease of a portion of Forest Park.
He said that three things led to the Comptroller's objections to the Planning Commission moving forward with the proposed lease renegotiation two weeks ago:
(1) The appraisal being considered was outdated, (2) the hospital has not made known its plans for the land, and (3) an agreement has not yet been reached on whether the playgrounds and tennis courts currently on the 9 acres of park land will be relocated at Barnes' expense -- and where to?
Garavaglia also outlined the history of the Comptroller's Office's involvement with this deal, which dated back to September 2004.
Committee Chair Lyda Krewson, along with Ald. Fred Wessels, questioned why Green (who was not at the hearing) or her staff did not seek the answers to these questions earlier.
Ald. Steve Conway, who is also an accountant, questioned Garavaglia about the new appraisal figure which he presented to the committee today. Conway suggested that some of the figures used to reach the new number may be exaggerated.
Check back for more videos from the meeting later...
Sources tell the Watch that officials from St. Louis Public Schools met with representatives from St. Louis University on Thursday to try to find a solution to the overcrowding problem that has resulted from Superintendent Creg Williams' controversial move to again increase the size of the freshman class at Metro High School.
Dr. Williams decided to admit 130 freshmen into Metro for the 2006-2007 school year, instead of the normal 75 students, raising enrollment to 380 total students. The school's enrollment had already been expanded this year by 25 students, to nearly 300.
For months, Dr. Williams has claimed the school could hold over 500 students. But the Watch has learned that two weeks ago, in a meeting with the executive board of the schools Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), Williams admitted that the original building plans and later facility assessments show the building has the capacity to house only 250-275 students.
"We have a problem," sources say Williams told the PTO board. He said the school does not have room for all the students who have been assigned there next year.
Williams asked the parents for help to solve the problem. He suggested that if they could just get through the next year, he could reduce freshmen enrollment to only 50 students in each of the following years to relieve the overcrowding.
One parent suggested that administrators contact nearby SLU to see if the district could teach some courses in University classrooms next year to relieve the overcrowding at Metro.
Administrators followed up on the parent suggestion and on Thursday a SLPS contingent that included Clive Coleman, the official in charge of public high school in St. Louis, met with SLU representatives, including Vice President for Community Relations Julius Hunter.
Keep up with what's going on with St. Louis City's public schools at PUB DEF's sister site, STLSchools.org.
Not sure what the bigger story is: that some Vashon High School students are possibly being graduated just to make room and help boost the district's numbers, or that The Riverfront Times published a relevant and important story?
Mayor Francis Slay sent out an email to city employees today touting the "renaissance" and continued population growth which was featured in a USA Todaystory last week.
"As I have said many times, St. Louis would not be improving if it weren't for the thousands of dedicated City employees who work hard every day to deliver a high quality product to our customers," wrote Slay in a copy of the email obtained by PUB DEF.
Then the mayor dropped the other shoe.
"That's why it pains me that we will not be funding pay raises for the fiscal year that begins in July," he said.
Slay said he has asked the City's Operations Manager, Ron Smith, to develop a plan that will provide a pay raise for all employees no later than July of 2007.
Employees received a 2% increase last year, but many say that the higher cost of the health care plan picked by the city has eaten that increase and more.
"It is my hope that the combination of tightening our belts this year and a growth in revenue will provide the resources necessary to meet my goal," said Slay.
The mayor commented on a recent story by Jim Merkel of the Southside Journal reporting significant pay increases for some managers. "You may not agree with what we have done. But, I want to give you straight talk," said Slay.
"It has been alleged that the Deputy Director of the Community Development Administration (CDA) got a pay raise. That is not true," he said. "We haven't had a Deputy Director at CDA for a year-and-a-half. By keeping that position vacant and asking the Acting Director [John Rataj] to do both jobs, we are actually saving $88,322."
According to Merkel, Rataj received an 18% pay increase, from $82,345 to $96,876.
Gene Stubblefield, the Correctional Center Superintendent, got a 10% salary increase, from $89,310 to $98,252. Slay said that Stubblefield is actually serving in two capacities, serving also as acting Commissioner of Corrections. "Gene is being paid more because he has more responsibility," said Slay. He said by not filling the Commissioner position, the City is actually saving $111,308 per year.
Slay said Director of Human Resources Rick Frank did receive a pay raise last September, but will not get another one next year. "Rick is very pro-employee and has been pushing hard to fairly compensate all City employees," he said.
Frank's pushing was successful for at least one person in his department. He got a 10% pay increase, from $92,742 to $102,024.
In a letter sent out today, Mayor Francis Slay said the city's three pension funds face large unfunded liabilities which will contribute to a lack of pay raises for most city employees.
Slay said he has formed a task force to explore ways to provide long-term security to city employees "within the City's ability to support future costs."
At the first meeting of the Forest Park Lease Review Committee on Wednesday, two committee members leveled some pointed criticisms at Comptroller Darlene Green.
Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr. (3rd Ward) said Green "has really gotten personal in this matter and has some opinions that are not based upon all of the information that should be available."
The Comptroller has said that she would like to see an up-to-date appraisal of 12 acres of park land before the city moves forward with renegotiating a lease agreement with Barnes Hospital that would last until almost the next century.
Alderman Fred Wessels (13th Ward) questioned Gary Bess, the director of the Parks Department, about the Comptroller's involvement when negotiations of this deal began. Bess said that Jim Garavaglia, from Green's office, was involved in the discussions. He said that Green's office even selected the firm which conducted the last appraisal.
Garavaglia told the City Planning Commission two weeks ago that the year-old appraisal was out of date. He also said that Green felt that details of Barnes' plans for the land are still unknown.
"Their intentions are unclear, unspoken and should be revealed to both the City and the community," he said.
The Forest Park Lease Review Committee is made up of five members selected by Mayor Francis Slay to review, as Ald. Steve Conway put it, whether the city is getting a fair price for the land, "not whether or not it's a good deal."
Members are Wessels, Bosley, Conway, Chairperson Lyda Krewson, and Tom Reeves, former head of Downtown Now and the new president of Pulaski Bank. They are scheduled to meet again on Friday.
Drivers and pedestrians traveling down Washington Avenue this afternoon saw something that -- well, you don't see everyday in St. Louis.
Three ladies, not wearing very much clothing, walked up and down the busy downtown street passing out flyers advertising the city's only weekly burlesque show.
They were kind enough to pose for a few photos for PUB DEF.
The St. Louis Area Hotel Association sponsored their 3rd Annual Hotel Games today in Kiener Plaza. Dozens of employees of Marriott, Embassy Suites, Radison, Millennium Hotels, and the Sheraton Clayton Plaza competed in games such as toss-the-olive-in-the-martini-glass and toilet roll basketball in the downtown green space.
The St Louis County Democratic Central Committee will hold its 25th Annual Thomas Jefferson Days Celebration this weekend, May 19-20.
St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and Prosecutor Bob McCulloch are sponsoring a cocktail party on Friday at 5:00. Chairman John Bowman, Vice Chair Connie Johnson, and other members of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus will be welcoming guests Friday and Saturday night in their hospitality room, Suite 815.
The fundraising and networking event will be at the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport at Page and I-270. Click here to download a PDF of the schedule of events.
Superintendent Creg Williams has prepared a list of repairs and upgrades he says are needed to bring Cleveland High School up to the level of the school district's modern high schools.
Alderwoman Dorothy Kirner has sent Williams a letter asking him to prioritize the 33 recommended repairs and itemize the cost estimates. While some of the repairs are urgent, she said, others could be put off without interfering with the use of the school. Those may include the running track, motorizing the bleachers, and replacing the auditorium seats with upholstered seats.
Kirner said that she and the Cleveland Alumni Association can begin raising money to pay for the repairs if they have a prioritized list of expenses and a three to five year plan for repairing and reopening the building.
Williams estimated that it will cost $22 million to complete all the repairs on his list, with the new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system accounting for $10 million of that. Of the remaining $12 million, he said that $7 million is really for "modernizing" the facility, which includes such elements as the running track and new auditorium seating.
Williams has said it may not be worth saving the school because it would cost only $20 million to build a new facility the equal to a repaired and modernized Cleveland. But the new Clyde Miller Academy cost $30 million to build, without a football field or running track. Vashon cost $44 million to build, also without a football field or track.
See the full list of repairs and upgrades at our sister site, www.stlschools.org, home of the St. Louis Schools Watch.
Steve Patterson is reporting that someone tried to take out his Urban Review website yesterday with a denial of service attack. Patterson, who is a frequent critic of several local politicians and developers, has been one of the vocal supporters of the ongoing attempt to recall Ald. Jennifer Florida (15th Ward). He recently got into an email debate with Ald. Stephen Gregali (14th Ward) on the subject.
Karla May is kicking off her campaign for 57th District State Rep. with a fundraiser at Maggie O'Brien's restaurant and pub next week.
May, the daughter of City Register and former 1st Ward Alderman Parrie L. May, is seeking the State House seat being vacated by State Rep. Yaphett El-Amin as she looks to move to the State Senate. Karla ran against El-Amin for 1st Ward Committeewoman in 2000.
The two other candidates running in the August primary election are 26th Ward Committeeman Joe Palm and 1st Ward Committeeman Talibdin El-Amin (Yaphett's husband).
May's fundraiser is on Friday, May 26, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Maggie O'Brien's is at 2000 Market Street downtown.
In Case You Missed It... Conflicts of Interest Still Infest Slay's Office
By Antonio D. French
Jake Wagmanwrote a story in Friday's Post-Dispatch shedding a little light on some of the conflicts of interest that infest the Barnes-Forest Park deal.
Much of Jake's story focused on lobbyist Lou Hamilton, who works for both Mayor Francis Slay and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Hamilton has also made loans to at least one of the aldermen Slay selected to "independently" examine the deal. From Jake's article:
Recently, Barnes-Jewish officials hired Hamilton to lobby for them on the Forest Park deal. That Hamilton wears so many hats in the deal - employee of the mayor, friend to aldermen, lobbyist for the hospital - is a window into the sometimes close-knit world of city politics.
This kind of playing both sides has become the modus operandi of several employees of the mayor.
Readers might recall a story we published back in February about the ongoing conflict of interest that exists with the personal and business relationship of two other Slay appointees: Deputy Mayor Barb Geisman and hired gun (who's been firing blanks after losing three campaigns in a row for his boss) Richard Callow.
Very similar to this situation, Callow was lobbying for the St. Louis Cardinals (along with Hamilton) when the team's owners were trying to get as much public money as possible to build a new stadium. At the same time, his "partner," Geisman, as deputy mayor, was presumably trying to get the best deal for taxpayers (although you couldn't much tell that from the horrible deal that Slay first supported before being slapped down by the state).
Callow continues to work for Slay's political campaign, ghostwriting for Slay on his blog and leading the Mayor's political fights like last month's school board election and charter reform.
PUB DEF readers may also recognize the name of Lou Hamilton. He was the winner of our "Name that Politico!" contest last month. Still haven't gotten that "prize" to him yet. Related stories:
The Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) will be holding its annual African Liberation Day/Malcolm X Celebration on Sunday, May 22, from 4-6:00 pm at the Rowan Community Center, 1401 Rowan Avenue.
Organizers say the theme of this year's event is "Bush Policies in Africa: Compassion or Hypocrisy."
The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call (314) 367-5959.
McCaskill headed to Washington to discuss her Military Bill of Rights
By Antonio D. French
Filed
Monday, May 15, 2006 at 3:59 PM
Claire McCaskill is going to Washington -- and she's bringing her family with her.
McCaskill, along with her two sisters, Lisa and Anne, and her mother, Betty Anne, will visit Washington on Friday, May 19, to discuss her plan to take better care of America's troops and their families.
A spokesperson for the Democrat, who is expected to be the party's challenger to Sen. Jim Talent after the August primary, said she plans to meet with local veterans, servicemen, and community members to discuss her proposed Military Bill of Rights.
Peter Harkness, publisher and editor of Governing Magazine, will be the featured speaker at the annual meeting of the Downtown St. Louis Partnership on Tuesday, June 27.
The event will be in the America's Ballroom at America's Center downtown. Tickets are selling from $75 for non-members to as much as $5,000 for some 8-seat tables.
Picked up a copy of USA Today yesterday while on the road. The issue featured a story on St. Louis City and its "comeback" marked by a 4,000-person population increase since 2000.
It also featured photos and quotes from new City residents Brad Fratello and his dog Sebastian, who live in a downtown loft; and Eric Vickers, one of those 4,000 new city residents who moved from U-City to South City.
Deb Peterson and Steve Patterson are reporting that a documentary about Jeff Smith's unsuccessful 2004 campaign for Congress has been selected as one of the docs at a Washington D.C. film festival.
Smith narrowly lost to then-State Rep. Russ Carnahan in 2004. He is currently one of five candidates running for an open state senate seat.
"Can Mr. Smith get to Washington Anymore?" is directed by Frank Popper and will be seen at the Silverdocs Festival in Washington D.C. June 13-18.
Jo Mannies to moderate Tilles Park forum for Auditor, Senate candidates
By Antonio D. French
The Tilles Park Neighborhood Association will be hosting a candidate forum on Tuesday, May 30. Jo Mannies, of the Post-Dispatch, will serve as moderator.
The forum is for candidates in August State Auditor and 4th District State Senate races. Organizers say the following candidates have already RSVPed: State Auditor candidates Jack Jackson (R-Wildwood), Charles W. Baum (L-University City), and John W. Loudon (R-Chesterfield). And state senate candidates Jeff Smith, Derio Gambaro, Kenneth Jones, and Amber Boykins.
We are told that Auditor candidate Mark Wright (R-Springfield) sent word he will not be able to participate. Organizers say that despite repeated follow-up attempts, all other candidates did not respond.
The event starts at 7 p.m. and will be at the St. Louis Police Officers Association Hall, 3710 Hampton. It is open to the public.
The Tilles Park Neighborhood is located in the southwest part of the City and is bordered by Southampton, St. Louis Hills, Lindenwood, Clifton Heights, Southwest Garden, and Kingshighway Hills neighborhoods. Most of the Tilles Park Neighborhood is located in the 23rd Ward but there are some households in the 10th and 24th wards.
Former Congressman and former head of the NAACP Kweisi Mfume will be in St. Louis tonight to help kick off a campaign to raise the minimum wage.
Mfume, who is engaged in a tough campaign to be the next U.S. Senator from Maryland, will be at Lane Tabernacle CME Church, 910 North Newstead Ave., Thursday at 7:45 p.m.
People behind a controversial plan to recall Ald. Jennifer Florida met yesterday to strategize, inform the public, and gather some signatures on their petition.
What makes this effort any more controversial than any other recall attempt? Primarily the fact that the push to drive Florida out appears to be coming from forces outside of her ward.
Douglas Duckworth, one of the organizers of the recall attempt, said that the reasons why Florida should be ousted transcend the boundaries of her ward.
"If we do not unite citywide and help neighborhoods in need, especially ones where the voters are working-class with little time for activism, then the political machine will never be stopped, and reform will not take place," said Duckworth, who does not live in Florida's ward.
The central rallying point for the recall effort is a controversial McDonald's drive-thru restaurant development on South Grand Ave.
Fifteenth Ward residents and their supporters from other parts of the city have protested the plan, calling it a poor use of land and tax credits. Even a neighboring alderman, Craig Schmid (20th Ward), has broken with the practice of "aldermanic courtesy" and spoken against the project. But Florida has stood by the project saying it is vital to the revitalization of that area.
In City Hall last week, Florida told PUB DEF that the plans for the McDonald's are sensitive to the neighboring homeowners. She also said that the McDonald's plan was the best that had been offered for that area. "(Those opposing the development) haven't offered an alternative," she said.
But Duckworth says that Florida isn't listening to the people that are opposing the plan, which was proposed by Pyramid Development. "Florida is in the pocket of Pyramid, which explains why she is not listening to her citizens," he said. He points to campaign contributions made in 2004 as proof.
He and others met yesterday at St. Matthew's Church (which is not located in the 15th Ward) to address a meeting of the Gravois Park Neighborhood Association. They announced the recall effort and said that they had a list of 15th Ward registered voters.
Duckworth estimated that approximately 1,400 signatures would be needed to get the recall question on the ballot. He said they collected about five signatures at yesterday's meeting.
In a phone interview today, Florida told PUB DEF that she was "hurt" and "upset" by the news of the recall effort. She said she believes she has worked hard for the residents of her ward. She is shocked that people would attempt a recall over this one issue.
"I wish they would just look at my total record and the good that I've done for my area," she said. "I haven't done everything right, but I've tried my best."
Florida said that when she sponsored a bill last year asking voters to amend the City Charter to change how recalls were done, she never thought it would apply to her.
"I thought I could get away with it because it's something that happens primarily on the north side," she said. "I didn't think it was something that would affect me."
She said that there are many areas of town that would fight to have a new McDonald's built in their neighborhood, not fight against the person bringing it to them. She said the real benefit to the corner of S. Grand and Gravois is the new senior living center that moving the McDonald's across the street will make way for.
Florida said the real issue in that neighborhood is crime and bringing new residents and development will help ease that.
You can read more about the McDonald's controversy at www.NoDriveThru.com, which leads to a thread of postings on the issue by blogger Steve Patterson.
The St. Louis Board of Education voted last night to table a proposal to close Cleveland High School to allow time for more public debate. They also requested that Superintendent Creg Williams provide more details on what problems are facing the building and exactly where the students will be moved next year.
Dozens of people showed up to Carr Lane Middle School to defend the "Old Castle" -- parents, aldermen, and white-haired alumni who could remember better days for the Dutchtown landmark.
"The torch has passed to you," Ald. Craig Schmid (20th Ward), a Cleveland alumnus, told the Board. "Future generations will benefit, or not, from the fiduciary decisions that you make."
Schmid toured the building Monday along with Ald. Dorothy Kirner (25th Ward), in whose ward the school resides, and three school board members. While conceding that he is not an engineer, he said that the damage he saw appeared to be the result of years of neglect.
"I know enough to say that anyone that tells you that this school should be closed before a detailed assessment is done, is wrong," he said.
Kirner also addressed the Board. "I cannot have that school closed. It's too dear to me," she said.
She said that the community and the alumni are ready and willing to help. They just need to be told what the needs of the building are and how much needs to be raised.
Public comments came near the begining of the meeting. The decision on Cleveland came near the end of the three-hour session.
Board member Bill Purdy said that he felt that the board needed more information before they could make an informed decision. He said that the public also needed more time to ponder the options.
Purdy proposed at least one public meeting be held at the high school and that the public be allowed to tour the building to see for themselves the physical challenges facing the 93-year-old building.
Board member Peter Downs seconded Purdy's motion to table the decision until next month's meeting. The vote was 5-1. Only Ron Jackson voted against tabling the motion. Bob Archibald left the meeting before the vote.
The St. Louis Board of Education tonight voted to table a proposal to close Cleveland High School to allow time for more public debate. They also requested that Superintendent Creg Williams provide more details on what problems are facing the building and exactly where the students will be moved next year.
The vote was 5-1. Board member Ron Jackson voted against tabling the motion and board member Bob Archibald left the meeting before the vote.
Should the story of Grover Cleveland High School end with "...and the school district forever closed the doors of Cleveland in 2006 after nearly two decades of neglect," it would be a sad tale indeed.
Tomorrow the St. Louis Board of Education is scheduled to vote on a recommendation by Superintendent Creg Williams to close the high school at the end of the school year. It would be the 17th school closed by the district in just three years (the 5th south of Delmar).
I accompanied three school board members and two aldermen on a tour of the building today. The terrible physical condition of some parts of the building was obvious. Less obvious were the causes of Cleveland's current state.
The building was built in 1913. It was designed by renowned architect William B. Ittner. It is known by some as the "Old Castle" because of its two distinguished towers. The school was renovated sometime around 1979. In the 27 years since, dozens of school board members, numerous superintendents, and principal-after-principal have allowed the school to slowly slide into an embarassing state of disrepair.
Few people make mistakes in St. Louis Public Schools. For practically every problem you could point to, there is a past superintendent, school board majority or administrator to blame.
But the public doesn't view the schools in the same way as people in district. We see St. Louis Public Schools as a neglectful neighbor that has for years mistreated its children and let its grass grow wild.
Every now and then it comes over to tell us how good it is at all the things it does poorly. Doesn't it know that we've lived here for years? We know this guy. Even if he doesn't really know himself.
Dr. Williams is the fifth superintendent in just three years. He is not from St. Louis and this is his first time heading a school district. So he may not be fully aware of the reasons the general public may not believe him when he promises not to do what the district has done 16 times in the last three years.
At an administrative meeting of the school board last week, Williams publicly agreed with the assessment of Ald. Dorothy Kirner (25th Ward) and board member Bill Purdy, that taking the students out of Cleveland and simply turning off the lights and locking the doors would be a horrible mistake.
"I'm not saying close it, board it up," said Williams. "I think that would be devastating to that community."
He's right. But that reason didn't stop the district from doing it many, many times before.
None of the damage our group saw today at Cleveland resulted from simply old age. Every thing we saw was done by someone's action or inaction.
Whether it was a drainage problem caused by lack of regular gutter maintenance, or moisture in the walls caused by architectural or construction miscalculations when extentions were added to the building, or peeling paint inside the buildings that could easily be scraped and repainted, or racial slurs and curse words allowed to remain on lockers -- every one of those things could and should have been addressed as soon as it was noticed.
By the superintendent's estimates (which I would be interested to see where it came from), it would take $15 million to repair Cleveland High.
So now what? The district (and the community) require a plan that identifies (1) what to do with the students and (2) what to do with with the building.
Does a decision on either need to be made tomorrow? No.
Dr. Williams should learn from the mistakes of his predecessors. To announce out of the blue that a historic school, a landmark, should close forever. And one week later, move to close it before the public has had a chance to give its input is a mistake.
The conditions of the school are very bad. Students and parents deserve much more. But classes are over in about two weeks and the students won't be in the building again for three months. There is time for public deliberation.
The superintendent should provide the public and the Board with some basic facts:
1. What exactly is wrong with the building? It makes sense that an assessment of the building would be made available to the Board (Perhaps the same one that gave Williams his $15 million figure). That assessment should give a detailed rundown of the structural, environmental and architectural problems of the building.
2. How much would it cost to make the top floors of the building fully functional? Cleveland was built to hold 1,100 students. After starting off with 800 students at the begining of the school year, there are now only 600 kids in the building. It seems that "half capacity" could fit in half the building. The worst of the problems are on the subterranean levels (the basement and the cellar which for some reason houses the computer servers).
3. Now how much would it cost to repair the lower levels? This is where the real cost has to be. Fixing the problem of rain collecting around the building and seeping into the walls is going to cost. But how much, and can that work be done over the summer or during the school year while classes are going on in the upper levels?
4. If the students must be moved for the 2006-2007 school year, where? Is Madison School, where the superintendent suggested last week, really the best place to move 600-800 students? First, will they all fit? Second, what about the ROTC program? There are rumors of it being moved to McKinley Classical Jr. Academy. If that's true, what happens to the successful academic program at McKinley?
5. What to do with the building if the students are moved? Without a large investment, Cleveland may no longer be able to serve as a high school. What else can the building be used for? One of the other things on the agenda at tomorrow's meeting is a $325,000 request to build out offices and cubicles on the second and third floors of the district's administrative building located at 801 N. 11th Street. Would it be cheaper and a better use of district resources to invest that money instead in converting several upper floor classrooms at Cleveland into administrative office space?
There are more questions than answers right now about this move and the superintendent should provide as many answers as possible to the Board and the public -- before a final decision is made.
Cleveland High School was allowed to deteriorate over the last two decades. So too has the trust between SLPS and the public. It was even further damaged by the manner in which decisions like this were made by the last school board majority. This Board, like the superintendent, should also learn from its predecessors.
School Board Members, Aldermen Tour Cleveland on Eve of Important Vote
By Antonio D. French
Three members of the St. Louis school board and two city aldermen took it upon themselves to tour Cleveland NJROTC High School on the eve of a vote on whether to close the 93-year-old school.
Superintendent Creg Williams, who has proposed closing Cleveland and moving its students to Madison Elementary, took several representatives of the media on a tour of Cleveland last week. He did not, however, invite all the members of the board of education or the alderman representing the ward in which Cleveland is located.
A day before the board is scheduled to vote on Williams' request, board members Bill Purdy, Peter Downs and Donna Jones went to the high school to see for themselves the state of the "Old Castle."
The board members were joined by Aldermen Dorothy Kirner (25th Ward) and Craig Schmid (20th Ward). Schmid graduated from Cleveland in 1977. Kirner, whose ward the school is in, said she would like to see Cleveland remain open -- or at the very least, not abandoned and left to further decay.
Click here to see more photos of Cleveland and of today's tour.
Bond, Slay join HUD Secratary to praise city's lead paint efforts
By Antonio D. French
Senator Kit Bond (R-MO), Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Children’s Health Forum (CHF) Founder and Chairman Dr. Benjamin Hooks, and CHF Co-Chair and former Congressman and Vice Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp joined Mayor Francis Slay and Lead Safe St. Louis for a press conference today on the city's efforts to fight lead poisoning in children.
Sec. Jackson praised the success of Sen. Bond in earmarking federal funds for lead programs for St. Louis. He said when it comes to fighting lead poisoning in children, "no one has been more forceful than Senator Bond."
In a time when many people are talking about limiting the power of government officials, Jackson said Bond has used his power in this area to benefit the effort to fight lead poisoning. "I'm sure glad Senator Bond has seniority and Missouri doesn't have term limits," said Jackson.
But some people say much more needs to be done. "Notwithstanding the funds we have gotten, we need more," said Kathleen Logan Smith from Health and Enviromental Justice St. Louis. Her organization has been putting pressure on the city to target the financial resources to the areas most vulnerable to the effects of lead.
"We need more accountability for the funds that we do have." She said many of the communities that need the funds the most are not getting them. "We've been asking the city for data and outcome measures for years."
She said that Lead Safe St. Louis, the city's lead fighting unit, have not been very cooperative. "They tell a great story, but when we ask them for the evidence to prove it, that's when we encounter blocks."
Today's event was at 3624 Arsenal Street at a house across the street from Tower Grove Park, in the 15th Ward. Also in attendance was Ald. Jennifer Florida, Anheuser-Busch Executive Wayman Smith; political consultant Tim Person; and Harold Brown, assistant to Sen. Pat Dougherty.
For just about everyone else, the debate is about SLPS moving to close Cleveland High -- without a clear plan for what to do with its students, or the building.
