tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40831162012-01-04T10:53:02.632-06:00This is the weblog of <A HREF="http://artsci.wustl.edu/~jgfrank">Joseph Goeke Frank</A>, Saint Louis MO USAJoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.comBlogger4961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-29771483167467967282009-09-10T22:30:00.003-05:002009-09-10T22:35:42.028-05:00

So, I'm at yet another conference this week -- the Governor's Conference on Economic Development. At least it's at the Hyatt Regency so I can walk there from the office.Likewise, I attended (and technically was on a planning committee for) the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) Forum also held downtown, at America's Center about 2 1/2 weeks ago.I really can't complain that much --

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-5652225501477565532009-09-03T16:20:00.002-05:002009-09-03T17:20:19.229-05:00

Hello world!OK, so I know I've been non-blogging for too damned long.I finished my dissertation this past April and graduated from WashU on May 15.So that represents my magnum opus of commentaries on St Louis politics, which occupied most of my 'free' time over the past two years or so.Of course, I hope my future does not hold the same fate as that one other guy who was a STL native and got a PhD

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-33609770103232054832008-09-09T19:07:00.002-05:002008-09-12T17:09:34.050-05:00

Correction: Thanks be to Tom Shrout for pointing out the last transit tax election was in 1997, not 1998.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Most readers know that I'm a transit geek, despite that -- gasp! -- I've been driving to work for almost a year now.I can console myself for this treachery against transit, only because:Since June, I've been

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-30116525133279104192008-08-05T10:12:00.001-05:002008-08-05T10:13:57.810-05:00

Back in 1918 -- ninety years ago -- about half a dozen streets in St. Louis were renamed from "German" names to "American" names due to anti-German sentiments during World War I.The St. Louis Street Index compiled by the St. Louis Public Library lists these cases, and the history behind many other street names, in great detail.It's been ninety years. Why can't we change some of these names back?

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-24454333653095965752008-08-04T18:55:00.002-05:002008-08-05T12:05:13.984-05:00

EDIT 8/05/08: I totally spaced on the AG Office race. I voted for Margaret Donnelly.OK, so I admit I've been extremely busy lately, between my work duties, my home duties, and my dissertation toil, so it's been a bit difficult to keep up with the political scene.But I do feel competent -- thanks in part to the great work by the Saint Louis Beacon-- to make a few endorsements of my own:

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-39111584520320294502008-07-17T09:30:00.000-05:002008-07-17T09:33:07.067-05:00

Whatever you think about the present and future state of (re)development in downtown St. Louis, it would help if the media and the general public -- particularly suburban and ex-urban residents -- would get the approximate location right!I recall some years back there was much consternation because Mayor Bosley's staff counted the jobs at Anheuser-Busch (without the InBev part of course) as part

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-60720541430691292172008-06-26T16:30:00.000-05:002008-06-26T16:31:47.412-05:00

Today, for the first time, I was driving across the Eads Bridge and actually saw the Gateway Geyser in full operation! It must have been about 1:10 pm, since it only operates twice daily (12:00 to 12:15 pm and 1:00 to 1:15 pm).Sadly, I was not able to get close enough to take a photograph until it had already stopped running.But I did manage to drive alongside of it -- it is fenced off with signs

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-63295981402952422152008-06-23T17:10:00.000-05:002008-06-23T17:17:23.713-05:00

OK, so I checked my Yahoo! Mail this afternoon. Most of the mail I get on that account these days that is not spam, comes from one of the local railroad enthusiast email lists: [4staterailfancommunity], [stlouisrailfans], and [stlouisrailroadinfo].So, today I got a message from classmates.com. I rarely check my classmates.com account, so most of my communication from them borders on spam. And

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-11717615485315682262008-06-17T15:30:00.000-05:002008-06-17T15:39:51.399-05:00

OK, so you probably know by now that Google Street View has arrived in St Louis.Not every street is completed yet, but large swaths of South City are done, as are pockets of North City, and most of Kirkwood and Webster Groves. In other areas, only major streets and roads have been photographed and uploaded.This seems like it could be a great tool for a lot of uses:Prospective home-buyers could

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-89186081881756751132008-06-11T17:02:00.000-05:002008-06-11T17:13:06.931-05:00

I'm no Jay Leno, but this headline from the usually not especially interesting catch-all MU Info e-mail sent out weekly to all University of Missouri-Columbia faculty, staff and students was a bit troubling:Adults Who as Children were Exposed to Their Mothers Being Battered by an Intimate Partner for Research StudyIf that headline doesn't send mixed messages, I don't know what does. I will not

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-15217220212053490992008-06-03T14:35:00.000-05:002008-06-03T14:40:07.940-05:00

OK, so yesterday I posted about a town hall on the 20th ward liquor license moratorium planned for Tuesday, June 17th.And now I've realized that the new online publication the Saint Louis Beacon, started several months back by a group of former Post-Dispatch journalists, is having a big kick-off event that same night at.... The Royale.Of course, Steve Smith's The Royale is often cited by backers

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-24263145552502161332008-06-02T16:10:00.000-05:002008-06-02T16:12:23.318-05:00

Town Hall Meeting on Liquor License Moratorium20th Ward, City of St. LouisTuesday June 176:00 PMCherokee Place Business Incubator2715 Cherokee St., 63118(#93 Midtown-South County bus stops nearby, at the corner of Cherokee and Ohio)More information from Bill Byrd, Benton Park West Neighborhood Association president: You may or may not have heard about a change to the current liquor license

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-79960703131043076062008-05-05T14:30:00.000-05:002008-05-05T14:34:04.868-05:00

On March 4th, I ordered two coupons from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for $40 each towards the purchase of two digital converter boxes to pick-up broadcast signals.In case you've been living under a rock (or just don't have a TV, in which case, you wouldn't care anyway), on February 17, 2009, all the full-power broadcast channels will have to switch to

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-33500329420935281562008-04-22T15:30:00.001-05:002008-04-23T09:16:13.826-05:00

Today I stopped by SLU Pius library to quickly return a few books, as I had only put 15 cents in the parking meter on Olive in a shady spot behind what I still call the Midtown State Office Building (now the SLU School for Professional Studies). Not that many years ago (1999 I guess), part of my job as a new intern with the City was working with DFS people in that building on a public-access

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-81809879964578034242008-04-21T16:58:00.002-05:002008-04-23T09:16:42.439-05:00

OK, so I think I can now call myself a "PhD candidate" as on Friday I completed the defense of my secondary field paper, which nobody will ever read again (I hope), entitled "Politicizing Ethnicity: How Ethnic Identity Aligns with Patronage and Partisanship."Perhaps it helped that the 10:15 am aftershock from Friday's 4:30 am earthquake occurred during the middle of my defense.Now that that

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-53915531563596483712008-04-15T18:21:00.002-05:002008-04-23T09:17:01.899-05:00

I spent most of last week in Lexington, Kentucky at a professional conference held at the Radisson hotel in the downtown. (My entire profession has only about 300 members nationwide, so we're not talking about a huge event.)Unlike many cities, no interstate highways penetrate the downtown area of Lexington. However, I-64 and I-75 are just a few miles north. Lexington-Fayette County is a

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-62904660933963028952008-04-02T16:15:00.000-05:002008-04-02T16:14:51.200-05:00

We Own the Post Office!OK, I must confess, this story on NPR's Marketplace last night had me totally snowed until the very end. Hilarious.The two best quotes:From Beverly Jaworsky, "Debt-To-Purchase Ratio Assessor" for the IRS:Well, we own the Post Office and they'll do as we say.From Clinton administration Secretary of Labor Dr. Robert Reich:[I]f the government ships a toaster oven to my

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-12990858863658939682008-03-31T22:10:00.001-05:002008-03-31T22:10:22.452-05:00

Potemkin CityNote: For some reason I thought "Potemkin village" was a slur against native Americans; turns out, it dates to 18th Century Russia.Lately, I've spent a lot of my weekend time visiting model train shows and searching out places to watch real trains pass.Something that strikes me is that our railroad corridors, historically central to the development of industry, are not just

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-50890003151200915482008-03-06T10:25:00.001-06:002008-03-06T10:25:59.907-06:00

Megabus to Columbia MO!Starting March 13, 2008, the Megabus express intercity bus service route between St. Louis and Kansas City adds a stop at the newly renovated historic Wabash depot (now the hub of Columbia Transit service) in downtown Columbia, MO.This location is considerably more convenient to the Columbia College, Stephens College and University of Missouri-Columbia campuses than either

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-22297418894245570822008-02-29T15:58:00.001-06:002008-02-29T15:58:39.721-06:00

Social ButterfliesOK, so I admit I am no social butterfly. In point of fact, social situations often give me butterflies in my tummy.However, I have started to take a liking to some of the "social" networking websites.I now have a profile on Facebook, and one on LinkedIn.It's kinda neat to be able to connect with current and past colleagues, classmates, etc. and just see what it is they are

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-5641781516359276432008-01-24T17:47:00.000-06:002008-01-24T17:51:56.641-06:00

"4Give Yo-self""4Give Yo-self"That was the message scrawled across two separate buildings at Tucker and Chouteau this morning. Somebody else (more important than me, perhaps) must have noticed it, because about 8 am today there was a NestlePurina PetCare security truck parked alongside Tucker with its lights flashing.The security officer was standing on the sidewalk photographing the graffiti,

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-18398964386330341582008-01-03T16:50:00.001-06:002008-01-03T16:52:40.906-06:00

IowaOn Monday, January 24, 2000, I was in Burlington, Iowa for the caucuses. At that time, I was a lowly student intern working for free for Joyce Aboussie and her crew at the Gephardt-in-Congress committee office in Kenrick Plaza (a shopping center that has certainly taken a downward slide in eight short years).I started that day early, probably about 5 AM, holding an "Al Gore" sign while

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-10007606678098187022008-01-03T16:12:00.001-06:002008-01-03T16:12:53.313-06:00

Lookin' at '07OK, so I have been AWOL for the past month or so. What can I say... the holidays are a busy time.And for that matter, 2007 was a busy year.On February 1st, I started a new job.In March, my alderman Craig Schmid was re-elected... but my even longer-time associate, Jim Shrewsbury, was defeated during the Democratic primary on 3/6. Later that month, my mother-in-law was injured, which

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-4752551973091905912007-12-03T12:22:00.001-06:002007-12-03T12:22:15.260-06:00

3652 S Jefferson AveThe University of Missouri Digital Library now hosts a number of very cool high-resolution scanned image databases, including Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from prior to 1922.Sanborn, of course, is still in business so their more recent detailed building-level maps, heavily relied upon by the insurance industry as well as by city planners, are still quite costly to purchase.But

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-19191296023535663522007-11-27T14:20:00.001-06:002007-11-27T14:20:17.602-06:00

This Illegal Immigration ThingBack in September and October 2000, I went on "spring break" while an exchange student at the University of the Western Cape near Cape Town, South Africa.All of the group had student visas glued inside our passports. I recall having quite a long wait that July for my passport to come back to me after I mailed it off to the South African Consulate in Chicago (even

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-83761562341714465662007-11-21T11:38:00.001-06:002007-11-21T11:38:47.391-06:00

Gobble Gobble!Happy Thanksgiving everybody! While the forecast of snow might be OK, the sleet I could do without.You may ask "Where have you been?" Good question. It's been incredibly busy lately, both at work and with other stuff. Sure, I need to make time to blog... but I also need to make time to do a million other things that I'm not doing.Some of my experiences over the last month have

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-34655096492719449552007-10-17T17:10:00.000-05:002007-10-17T17:12:55.364-05:00

Fortunate RankingsHow much does it matter how many Fortune 500 companies, or other similar rankings, are located in your city? Does it matter if the number goes up or down?I have to say, the Google Maps applications on the CNNMoney website where Fortune magazine is hosted, are pretty cool.I'm not sure how to link directly to the map, but you can zoom in yourself and see just where these

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-8277373441405691182007-10-16T18:03:00.001-05:002007-10-16T18:03:20.225-05:00

Mississippi Ave PredictionWith the closure of the Jefferson Avenue viaduct causing congestion on surrounding streets at peak-hour, and drivers to take crazy, zig-zaggy detours, I suspect that within a month of the reopening of the Mississippi Ave overpass above I-44, Lafayette Square-ians will lobby for "temporary" barricades to be placed on Mississippi immediately south of Chouteau.Currently,

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-76306875882253845442007-10-15T09:17:00.000-05:002007-10-15T09:18:00.735-05:00

Stormy WaterToday is Blog Action Day, when bloggers around the world will discuss one topic -- the environment.On Friday I covered the biggest recent environmental news -- the Nobel Peace Price announcement for Al Gore and the IPCC.So today I want to cover a local issue, which ties into some recent stuff by Steve Patterson.Today's Post-Dispatch indicates that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-45616788599849722732007-10-12T09:45:00.001-05:002007-10-12T09:45:45.251-05:00

Congrats to the IPCC and Al GoreEverybody knows Al Gore, but fewer people realize that while he's the public voice of the battle against global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) does the real heavy-lifting.When I was teaching and/or TA'ing environmental politics at WashU, and especially this past spring, I/we recommended students read the IPCC's work. Some of it is

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-75471899411796186732007-10-09T17:52:00.001-05:002007-10-09T17:52:32.454-05:00

Why Now?I wonder...Who decided to close the Jefferson Avenue viaduct at the same time as the Mississippi Avenue bridge over I-44?Then again, one might just ask...Why did I choose this week to start driving to work, my ridiculously short 3.5 mile commute up Gravois/S. Tucker?Anyway, tonight because of congestion on S. Tucker, Truman Parkway, S. Jefferson, I zig-zagged home via S.

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-2154629850360594432007-10-09T16:01:00.000-05:002007-10-09T16:02:34.306-05:00

Westward ExpansionAs we await the supposedly impending doom of the New I-64 reconstruction/closure, let's consider just how many major institutions of the St. Louis community that once were located close to the Mississippi River, have relocated at least once in their history. Most have moved west, although some south and some north.Washington University was originally founded as Eliot Seminary in

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-18217101500876066982007-10-08T11:10:00.000-05:002007-10-08T11:09:58.192-05:00

The Holiday That Isn'tToday is Columbus Day, one of the most controversial and inconsistently-observed holidays in the United States.The Federal Government does observe Columbus Day. Missouri State Government offices do observe Columbus Day, as does the State of Illinois. Most banks are closed as well.However, the University of Missouri does not. Nor does St. Louis City (PDF) government, although

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-16226349091054749942007-10-05T16:40:00.001-05:002007-10-05T16:40:32.891-05:00

SchmoozeWeekThis was a big week for me in terms of networking events. Some are more interesting than others, but you just never know what kind of leads you're going to get.Monday began the week on a sombre note, with the visitation for a colleague's husband who died in a motorcycle accident in East Saint Louis.Things picked up on Tuesday with the St. Louis Business Expo at the St. Charles

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-18894808877229360862007-09-25T15:45:00.000-05:002007-09-25T15:48:21.445-05:00

Tying Together Chouteau's PondYesterday morning I drove to work, and tried to figure out some route to enter downtown from the south instead of South Tucker. I admit it wasn't really that congested at 7:30 AM, but I just wanted to try it.Of course, I ended up going all the way east to South 7th Street, because no other streets between 7th and Tucker (AKA 12th St.) connect through.Instead, we have

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-16077237467232258512007-09-19T09:58:00.000-05:002007-09-19T09:58:39.343-05:00

No Left Turn on RedThis morning I just about got creamed twice walking along Chestnut downtown by motorists (including a FedEx truck) making left turns from one one-way street to another while the traffic signal facing them was red.But in Missouri it is illegal to turn left on red from one one-way street to another. I know I'm still an inexperienced driver, but nowhere in the Missouri Revised

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-57756275469721610552007-09-17T09:51:00.001-05:002007-09-17T09:51:39.950-05:00

It Wasn't Me!From the Post-Dispatch:"A one-car accident on Interstate 55 claimed the lives of a man and woman Saturday, St. Louis police said. Another man was injured.Killed were the driver, Joseph Frank, 24, of the 7500 block of Michigan Avenue, and a 37-year-old female passenger. Both were thrown from their 2000 Ford Explorer, police said. Police have not made public the name of the woman."KSDK

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-90571354070371279852007-09-14T15:48:00.000-05:002007-09-14T15:50:48.125-05:00

Fish and Chips PlazaQuestion:Why it that when misting, the metal sculptures on the plaza across Clark Avenue from Scottrade Center smell so strongly of vinegar?I'm sure it's not harmful, but it makes me feel like I'm at a fish and chips stand somewhere in London. Or more accurately, I am the fish and chips!The official name of this plaza is Kiel Triangle Park; it opened in 1999. You may remember

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-56631632494316339942007-09-12T11:33:00.000-05:002007-09-12T11:35:27.586-05:00

Where Have I Been?I know, I haven't been on the blog for a while. I suppose I have been busy.Since I last posted, among the things I've done include:Went to Steve Wilke-Shapiro's going away party, certainly an interesting experience with a mix of wide ranging personalities from across his contacts over the years in the city;Spent a full week in Chicago attending a class on Federal Contracting

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-91828911806558290472007-08-21T09:20:00.001-05:002007-08-21T09:20:34.244-05:00

Intrastate HighwaysOver the last couple weeks, I've taken a couple short business trips within Missouri. For better or worse, those trips timing and locations required me to drive, so I rented a car from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car downtown St. Louis office inside the Hilton at the Ballpark, One South Broadway.On Friday, August 10 we went to Columbia for a meeting. In the past, I've tried both

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-38940316147181446302007-08-15T10:33:00.001-05:002007-08-15T10:33:36.577-05:00

Another Blog By Me: Government Contracting St. LouisYes, I know I've been a bit lax in my postings on this blog lately.And, so, you might ask, why would I start another one?Mainly, it's because I want to stay focused on urban development, history, transit planning, and local politics issues on this blog.But it's nice to have a place to just post some thoughts about what it is I do for a living

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-60680847389933193282007-08-13T14:08:00.001-05:002007-08-13T14:08:16.949-05:00

Why Are There So Few Cell Phone Stores in the City?Given the demise of the pay phone, cell phones are almost a necessity and very convenient as well. Except, of course, when something goes wrong. And even when they work just fine, they are expensive to keep up.If you just want a pre-paid throw-away phone and/or a recharge of minutes, there are innumerable places you can find that across the

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-89951849183029370012007-08-08T15:40:00.000-05:002007-08-08T15:41:53.651-05:00

Functional Street Furniture: Pay Phones and Mail BoxesWhile crime, schools, traffic, pollution, and the like are constant concerns in the urban environments, sometimes it's the little things that make a difference.For example, traditionally blue mail boxes and pay phones marked street corners across American cities, places where private communications happened more-or-less publicly.Some months

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-71238705625549727302007-08-03T16:00:00.001-05:002007-08-03T16:00:25.173-05:00

Downtown in 30 Minutes or Less Via MetroBusYes, I have started driving. But that does not mean I have abandoned public transit. I just recognize that one needs to adopt a multimodal lifestyle.That means, when it's convenient and feasible, to consider other options besides driving a single-occupancy vehicle. Sometimes, that's walking or bicycling, although I do rarely bicycle just because I'm very

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-13519885562769182072007-08-01T16:15:00.001-05:002007-08-01T16:15:21.249-05:00

Shifting Winds of Independent MediaSo, I've noticed some changing in the St. Louis City-based blogging and independent political publications scene in recent months:Sadly, Marti Frumhoff passed away two months ago, just as her long-awaited Main Street St. Louis initiative was getting underway.Dave Drebes' Arch City Chronicle ceases publication, and ACC blogging shifts to largely cover Missouri

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-2411218849077381272007-07-25T15:25:00.000-05:002007-07-25T15:27:05.897-05:00

Muppet Wiki!Did you know there is a Wiki devoted to the Muppets?How cool is that?I like it.OK, carry on.

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-80033497860293831012007-07-24T09:45:00.000-05:002007-07-24T09:49:31.827-05:00

What Is It About Nebraska Ave?A lot of bad news seems to come from Nebraska Ave. in South St. Louis these days.On the way home from picking up dinner last night, I saw one of those impromptu teddy-bears-tied-to-a-lamppost shrines, so I assumed a child or teenager had been murdered -- isn't it lovely that's what I automatically assume!I got home and saw the news report about a man shooting his

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-41676575741702501852007-07-23T15:53:00.001-05:002007-07-23T15:53:59.864-05:00

The Carlyle Group and YouMore accurately, this would say "The Carlyle Group and Its Tenuous Connections to St. Louis and My Family History" but that's kind of long.You know who The Carlyle Group is -- a prominent Washington DC-based private-equity firm that leverages investments in all kinds of businesses and in real estate, with principals that have included prominent politicians of various

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-50426293620160799972007-07-13T17:15:00.000-05:002007-07-13T17:16:53.377-05:00

What is a Sheltered Workshop?Have you ever looked at your tax bill and wondered "what's that 'sheltered workshop' tax all about?"Recently I've learned a little more about sheltered workshops in Missouri, and their important role in employing individuals that probably would not be able to get jobs anywhere else. They also provide a valuable service to government and industry in the form of

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-87834610721261274122007-07-03T08:30:00.001-05:002007-07-03T08:30:52.868-05:00

Transitory TripsWhile it's true I have started driving quite a lot on weekends and sometimes on evenings, I still plan on commuting to work by bus for a while. Of course, I log many times more miles in the car on outings into the suburbs and the suburban-ish parts of St. Louis City (I seem to drive that Gravois-to-Chippewa route out to Hampton Village area a lot lately!), than I do on my little

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-39967761912619191902007-06-27T15:55:00.001-05:002007-06-27T15:55:03.533-05:00

Alternate RoutesSo, yesterday I drove to and from St. Peters to give a presentation to one of our FastTrac classes.The class was held at the MU Extension St. Charles County office, which is located at 260 Brown Rd. in the part of St. Peters most people don't even realize exists -- north of I-70. Getting there, you pass along Main St. through the roughly eight-square block Old Town area, which

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-26139498721029088252007-06-20T09:45:00.000-05:002007-06-20T09:46:54.296-05:00

Murphy's LawThis morning was not even close to my worst ever, but it was still a bit frustrating.First, I woke up about 45 minutes late - 6:00 instead of 5:15. This, alone, should be no big deal.But then, I stumbled and stepped on things more than usual, and then finally after I got out of the shower, a screw came loose -- no, not from my head, but from my glasses. ;-)After struggling and

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-11338578142320796562007-06-19T11:30:00.000-05:002007-06-19T11:31:44.642-05:00

Joe Frank: Still Unsafe at Any SpeedAlmost a year ago, I got my learner's permit. Of course, those are only good for one year, and even my non-driver's license I got in 2001 was set to expire in November, after six years; and, my passport expired in March after 10 years of service, but I haven't wanted to spend the money on renewing it. So I had a pretty firm deadline to get a real grown-up

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-31854399259037492602007-06-15T09:56:00.000-05:002007-06-15T09:57:10.500-05:00

Transitional School Board: Let's Wait And SeeI really am torn on the issue of the transitional school board overseeing St. Louis Public Schools.They're meeting right now for the first time -- officially. But their taking power has been a fait accompli for a while, so something tells me this board has been in the works for a few weeks now. But given the lawsuit and everything else going on, the

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-36268188633896014082007-06-14T15:17:00.001-05:002007-06-14T15:17:41.124-05:00

MalvinasOK, so this is not St. Louis-related, but for some reason the confusing and tragically recent Falkland Islands War fascinates me.Today is Liberation Day in the Falklands, the 25th anniversary of the Argentine surrender to soft-serve ice cream co-inventor Margaret Thatcher's Royal Navy on June 14, 1982.I'm disappointed Al-Jazeera English has no coverage, as a counterpoint to the

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-49185037452222982072007-06-07T15:28:00.001-05:002007-06-07T15:28:56.773-05:00

Lots of MetroBus Changes Coming Monday June 11th!I felt kind of guilty this morning, because I gave a novice bus rider bad instructions. She got off the #11 Chippewa on Jefferson at Market, and needed to continue northward to Gateway Elementary School. I said to catch the #04 Natural Bridge at the next stop north on Jefferson, near Pine Street.Trouble is, since August 2006, the #04 Natural

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-71701017739630585962007-06-05T14:06:00.000-05:002007-06-05T14:15:46.918-05:00

Sno-Cones Downtown!I was so very excited today to discover a sno-cone stand on the street in downtown St. Louis!Sure, you'll find them (along with funnel cakes and other carnival treats) at festivals like Strassenfest.But this summer, the Women of AT&T is sponsoring a sno-cone stand provider, presumably as a fundraiser:Tuesdays now through Labor Day10 AM to 2 PM900 block of Chestnut StreetIn

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-10685790257076891812007-06-01T12:50:00.000-05:002007-06-01T12:52:16.860-05:00

The Amtrak ShuffleI've been pretty busy with work-related travel the past few weeks.I have had the chance to compare, however, two very different college towns: Columbia MO and Warrensburg MO.I spent a couple days last week in Columbia for the University of Missouri Extension Annual Conference, held in various locations on campus at UM-Columbia.Then I spent a couple days this week in Warrensburg

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-75249684994536515612007-05-17T16:07:00.000-05:002007-05-21T14:27:25.336-05:00

Losing Marti FrumhoffI must apologize, for I have been out-of-the-loop a bit recently, but I am shocked and dismayed to learn of the passing of the great St. Louis City advocate, Marti Frumhoff.More at:The CommonspaceUrban ReviewEcology of AbsencePubDefArch City Chronicle15thWardStLSTL RisingSTL StreetsThomas CroneUndercurrent STLState Rep. Mike DausLofts in the 'LouRehabbers Club Yahoo group (if

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-91219718585529557582007-05-17T15:48:00.001-05:002007-05-17T15:48:44.955-05:00

Transit NIMBYismMetro Transit recently announced a plan for re-restructuring of transit service in the Shaw, Compton Heights, and Lafayette Square (and adjacent) neighborhoods, to re-instate direct transit service between the Shaw neighborhood and downtown St. Louis, as the former #80 Shaw-Southampton route (and before that, the #99 Lafayette and #80 Southampton routes) provided until August 2006

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-52271551272482018922007-05-04T10:40:00.001-05:002007-05-04T10:40:14.672-05:00

NASA World Wind: May Be Cooler Than Google EarthRecently I downloaded NASA World Wind, an open-source, free-of-charge 3D geography tool that requires client software and runs off the Internet like Google Earth.This site compares the two.There are pluses and minuses to each one... but I just think it's cool to use a piece of software developed by NASA!Also, the NASA service includes USGS

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-42444717314696080842007-05-01T14:20:00.000-05:002007-05-01T14:23:52.157-05:00

Rambling Thru OlivetteA few weeks ago, when the weather turned warmer, I was heading from a meeting on the Monsanto campus in Creve Coeur (Speed Limit: 17!) east to the Washington University Danforth campus.Rather than wait 30 minutes for a #91 Olive bus, then still have to walk south from the bus route to campus through U City, I decided to walk the entire route.In so doing, I discovered a

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-54243983411893522492007-04-25T15:23:00.001-05:002007-04-25T15:23:31.686-05:00

Arthritis Walk on May 18: Please Contribute!Kelly and I are participating in the Arthritis Walk on Friday, May 18, 2007 in Forest Park.Here is My Donation Page.Anything you can contribute is greatly appreciated.Thanks!

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-58217874631873945942007-04-25T15:18:00.000-05:002007-04-25T15:18:13.432-05:00

Kittens!This is Rosie, about a month ago. She was a stray cat whom I picked up one day from our front yard. She was very cute, precious, affectionate... and pregnant!And these two blurry shots I took with my cameraphone are Rosie and her three new baby kittens, from yesterday. She must have given birth sometime during the day while I was at work and Kelly happened to not have gotten home

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1459412963736692912007-04-16T16:20:00.000-05:002007-04-16T16:21:43.357-05:00

Shots FiredI certainly hope it's pure coincidence, but I am certainly unsettled to realize that just as the NRA's massive convention wraps up here in St. Louis:1) Possibly as many as 30 people were gunned down today at Virginia Tech;2) Saturday morning about 5, a hard-working father of three was shot in the thigh and later died while trying to keep his car from being stolen from right in front of

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-7451716391696363132007-04-09T17:15:00.001-05:002007-04-09T17:15:57.092-05:00

So Long, Ol' Pedestrian BridgeFrom the March 26 2007 "New I-64" email update:On April 11, the pedestrian bridge over I-170 between McMorrow Avenue and Francis Avenue will be removed. All lanes of I-170 between Galleria Parkway and I-64 will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for the bridge removal. Motorists will be advised to use Brentwood Boulevard as a detour overnight.Both the closure of the

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-82217396681468668232007-04-03T08:37:00.001-05:002007-04-03T08:37:24.649-05:00

When Life Takes A TurnSo as I was preparing to return from Detroit last Wednesday night, I got a call from my wife Kelly that her mom had fallen down our basement stairs and gotten injured pretty badly.Fortunately, Kelly got to her almost immediately and called 911, although it was quite terrifying for her.Her mom should be ok in the long run, but it's going to be a long road to recovery. She

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-34444903998723362182007-04-02T17:20:00.000-05:002007-04-02T17:23:52.921-05:00

Back In Town!The past few weeks have been incredibly hectic, which has made it difficult to keep up with this outlet for my whining and carrying on.Anyway, I spent most of last week in Detroit, MI for the annual conference of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC).I was able to stay with a friend, a former colleague who now makes lots more money in the corporate world

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-42075559232171045912007-03-14T13:00:00.000-05:002007-03-14T13:05:25.322-05:00

Overpasses To Be FixedLast week, Channel 5 posted a copy of the MoDOT Request for Bids for the emergency retrofitting of numerous overpasses in the St. Louis area after the partial collapse of the sidewalk on the north side of the Delor Street bridge over I-55.But to get to the juicy part -- the actual list of bridges -- you have to scroll to page 33 and 34 of the PDF document.So here's the list

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-55979253781161614132007-03-07T15:55:00.000-06:002007-03-07T15:54:21.556-06:00

After The Election...Needless to say, I'm still shocked that Jim Shrewsbury did not win re-election.Also a little surprising, although not as significant in my day-to-day life, were the unseating of O.L. Shelton in ward 4 by Sam Moore, and the substantial margin by which Kacie Starr Triplett won in ward 6, Lewis Reed's current seat.But I was happy to see Craig Schmid win another term in my ward

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-41712890847438354792007-03-05T12:30:00.000-06:002007-03-05T12:31:05.215-06:00

They Go in ThreesIn recent weeks, St. Louis has lost three titans of local Democratic politics. As we prepare for a heated primary battle tomorrow, let us recall all three of their careers and contributions to building a better community and providing for the future we are living today.Harriett Woods passed away Thursday, 2/8/07 at the age of 79. She was the first woman elected to a statewide

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-88506485350890095872007-03-02T23:45:00.001-06:002007-03-02T23:45:20.367-06:00

The #58 MetroBus: Why MetroLink Would Not Work on I-64/US 40Very early Wednesday morning, I rode the #58 Chesterfield-Ellisville to that monstrocity of retail in the Gumbo Flats (under water only 14 years ago) known as Chesterfield Commons. It's truly fascinating (and surreal) just how many different stores, many of whom are in direct competition with one another, are located in this same

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-12445832674740307952007-02-24T22:25:00.000-06:002007-02-24T22:27:03.386-06:00

A Bridge Too Far?I am a bit perplexed by the latest rhetoric from MayorSlay.com on The New Mississippi River Bridge debate.To wit:"The decisions on the bridge’s financing and design will be made – or not made – by the states of Missouri and Illinois. The votes of the members of EWGCG really don’t matter, except to confirm an impasse... "I strongly support construction of a bridge across the

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-70096718224140748862007-02-23T12:27:00.000-06:002007-02-24T21:34:26.279-06:00

Endorsements and Predictions for March 6 ElectionWell, I've been out of the blogosphere the past few weeks because the new job certainly keeps me busy. We spent most of last week in Jefferson City for an annual conference, and I did get a chance to check in with a few of our local legislators (Jeff Smith, Rachel Storch, and of course Jeanette Mott Oxford, among others), and met a bunch of very

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-80784108829007506202007-02-05T12:05:00.001-06:002007-02-05T12:05:55.663-06:00

Northwest Plaza: Rebirth #2?Today's story by Norm Parish in the Post-Dispatch starts off as follows:"The financially ailing Northwest Plaza would receive an estimated $90 million face-lift under plans being considered by St. Ann officials."The Board of Aldermen is expected to approve a measure tonight that requests redevelopment of the plaza — the first step needed for the mall's owners to get

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-26222629360111042592007-01-31T16:19:00.000-06:002007-01-31T16:22:57.357-06:00

Musings on "The New I-64" ProjectThe impending reconstruction of U.S. Highway 40/Interstate 64 from Tower Grove to Spoede will have a dramatic impact on that "spine" of the St. Louis region.Of course, those of us who live and work in the city will feel the impacts only secondarily, since there are tons of alternative routes within the city limits. Even if you live in the Central West End, you can

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-36917448952932620182007-01-30T11:25:00.001-06:002007-01-30T11:25:21.158-06:00

Free Tax Help in FebruaryAt least two local organizations now provide free income tax services, particularly targeted at folks eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). For many low- and moderate-income working families, the EITC refund represents a large percentage of their annual income. Instead of falling victim to the "Money Now" offers from Jackson Hewitt, H&R Block, etc. that are

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-84478957046067603462007-01-29T11:02:00.001-06:002007-01-29T11:02:58.777-06:00

Six Degrees....Over the weekend I saw one of those entertainment shows featuring Kevin Bacon talking about his latest charitable venture, SixDegrees.org.I think it's a pretty clever endeavor: leveraging on the popularity of the infamous game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon to promote charitable giving via the already existing well-developed Network for Good interface.So... how many degrees between

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-83695363655743512162007-01-26T15:45:00.001-06:002007-01-26T15:45:48.252-06:00

Transit DazeLately I've taken public transit to some of the more remote places accessible by transit in the St. Louis region, logging probably several hundred miles and certainly many hours.A few Sundays ago, I took the #30 Soulard and then the #57 Manchester all the way to West County Center. The place was packed and many traffic lights in the Kirkwood area were out, after that latest ice storm

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-79253737764494077902007-01-26T14:38:00.001-06:002007-01-26T14:39:16.585-06:00

Name ChangesKeeping up with the changes in name by colleges both private and public can be tricky.Over the past decade, most of the regional state colleges in Missouri have changed names in an effort to attract more students, especially those from abroad.I just discovered that Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg has became University of Central Missouri (UCM).More (in)famously,

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1169047915051565072007-01-17T09:30:00.000-06:002007-01-17T09:31:55.510-06:00

Town v. Gown ConflictFrom today's WashU Student Life:"There is a feeling that the Washington University community is more respectful and takes more pride in the institution and in the places on campuses than the public does," said [Mike] Saxvik.Ouch.Mike Saxvik is identified in the story as WashU coordinator for student involvement and programming leadership and the Gargoyle's staff advisor.

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1168632661365273722007-01-12T14:10:00.000-06:002007-01-12T14:11:01.550-06:00

Some January AnniversariesToday is the 16th anniversary of the Congressional declaration of the first war in Iraq: Operation Desert Storm. The 1st airstrikes started five days later, January 17.Last Wednesday, January 3, marked the 5th anniversary of the passing of my dad Gary Frank, who was a Vietnam-era veteran of the US Air Force (airman 1st class).Last Thursday, January 4, was the first

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1168455157953145432007-01-10T12:52:00.000-06:002007-01-10T12:52:38.113-06:00

New Year, New DirectionsWell, a lot has happened since my last post (12-21-2006).The holiday break was crazy for me and Kelly. Highlights include:12/22: House-cleaning galore!12/23: Friend and her family over for early dinner and gift-giving.12/24: To St. Charles near Page Extension for one part of family gift-giving.12/25: To Dellwood (N. County) for main part of family gift-giving.12/27: To

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1166730142101788742006-12-21T13:42:00.000-06:002006-12-21T13:42:26.726-06:00

Supporting An Incumbent Does Not Make Me A ConservativeYou've probably noticed I'm a supporter of the re-election of Jim Shrewsbury, and of Craig Schmid. Of course I was also the website manager for Jeannette Mott Oxford's re-election campaign in November.Also I always thought Pat Dougherty was and is a great public servant. No disrepect to Jeff Smith or the other candidates in that race, but I

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1166654977468673112006-12-20T16:49:00.000-06:002006-12-20T16:49:38.410-06:00

Danger ZonesMuch political hay has been made of both denouncing and promoting the recent report by Morgan Quitno that called St. Louis the most dangerous city in the U.S., using data submitted by the Police Department to the FBI for its Uniform Crime Report.Mayor Slay, his chief of staff Jeff Rainford, and Police Chief Mokwa have made numerous statements decrying these sorts of reports, pointing

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1166569374695510412006-12-19T17:02:00.000-06:002006-12-19T17:02:54.956-06:00

Riding the #17 Oakville Bus @ Rush HourLast week I had the opportunity to ride the #17 Oakville, one of several new MetroBus routes opened in August along with Cross County MetroLink.Back when I lived in South County, the area where I lived was served by numerous routes during the weekday rush hour. The #17x Oakville Express and #140x Broadway-Barracks Express provided direct peak hour service

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1166207306566628582006-12-15T16:01:00.000-06:002006-12-15T16:01:40.973-06:00

So Long to Two Big Lots and One B. DaltonDespite the upswing in some aspects of St. Louis City retail, the Big Lots stores at 2321 McCausland @ Manchester and at 4330 S Broadway (both, I think, former Kroger stores) are closing in January 2007.So is the B. Dalton Bookseller in Hampton Village.This will leave one location of Big Lots -- the fairly new one at 4930 S. Kingshighway in part of the old

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1165858297547262422006-12-11T11:31:00.000-06:002006-12-11T11:31:37.863-06:00

Does Having TV and Film Set in a City Have Economic Impact?Lately, I've noticed we've watched a bunch of movies (some ok, some crappy) set in Chicago. And there are certainly have been a number of major and minor TV shows set there.Of course, as most savvy viewers know, lots of movies and TV shows that claim to be located in a particular place may use stock footage and/or 2nd unit footage to

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1165599445627702712006-12-08T11:37:00.000-06:002006-12-08T11:37:25.863-06:00

Names That ProfessHere's something light-hearted for a Friday.I noticed recently a contractor we hired had the last name Carpenter.And I recalled our high school librarian had the last name Reading.But would you believe there's a professor at UM-Kansas City named Dean who was, for a while anyway, Dean of Libraries there?And if you search the Missouri "Blue Book" personnel directory you can find

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1165525242132086112006-12-07T15:00:00.000-06:002006-12-07T15:00:42.656-06:00

In Memory: Susan FoulkFormer CDA housing analyst and former Dutchtown South director Susan Foulk passed away on Tuesday morning. Services will be private.I interviewed at one point with Susan for a housing assistant job at Dutchtown; later, at the City, I recall her as an exuberant, funny colleague. She retired in March 2006; as did her husband Dan, after 23 years with the city, most recently at

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1165432096673581232006-12-06T13:08:00.000-06:002006-12-06T13:08:20.820-06:00

Back Again!Hello! Well, after a busy Thanksgiving holiday and an even busier time last week when we had a catastrophic roof leak during the freezing rain/ice storm caused by faulty roofing installation, I'm going to try to get back on the blog again.Some things:1) I wholeheartedly support the reelection of my alderman, Craig Schmid. I think his opponent Galen Gondolfi is a great guy, but I don't

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1164131760432075442006-11-21T11:48:00.000-06:002006-11-21T11:56:00.746-06:00

A Well-Managed Escrow Account is A Beautiful ThingI got an email from CitiMortgage this morning notifying me that "On 11/20/2006, tax activity occurred on your mortgage escrow account."While we got our mortgage in 2003 from locally-owned Pulaski Bank, they sold it almost immediately to Principal Residential Mortgage. Then in 2004, Citigroup bought out PRMI. Ironically, that brought our loan

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1163804597766846122006-11-17T16:50:00.000-06:002006-11-17T17:03:18.363-06:00

Congratulations to OLGA Winners!Today was the annual luncheon and meeting of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments. Mayor Slay is now chairman of the EWGCOG board, so he and Les Sterman (executive director) traded off the podium.Events like this are often interesting and useful for observers of the governance process like me.Just before the luncheon, the latest edition of EWGCOG's "Where

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1163546116427642842006-11-14T17:02:00.000-06:002006-11-14T17:15:17.436-06:00

Birthday Birthday Meow!So, yeah, my life has been busy the past several weeks.Highlights include:1) Back on Oct. 29th, my wife Kelly arranged for a trip to the Museum of Transportation where I was surprised to see friends and family there for my (early) birthday party. That was the last weekend when rides were available on their miniature train (similar to the Zooline railroad) and on their very

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1162498087697239172006-11-02T14:00:00.000-06:002006-11-02T14:08:08.226-06:00

Just In Case You Were Wondering...The honorable gentleman in this ad is not me!Nor is he an immediate family member of mine.Carry on.

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1161983327179402302006-10-27T16:00:00.000-05:002006-10-27T16:08:47.506-05:00

On Our BlockI really don't understand house prices and how they are recorded.Sometimes, searching on CitiMortgage's free but login required Home Price Check service gets you very different results than what displays on either Geo St. Louis or the City Assessor's Database.For example, there's one two-family down the street from ours, that's 14-square-feet smaller than ours and has no garage. Here

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1161379604190299422006-10-20T16:26:00.000-05:002006-10-20T16:26:45.356-05:00

How I Voted on November 7, 2006Yes, there's some cognitive dissonance in that headline!More accurately, I should say I voted absentee-in-person today in the 11/07/06 General Election. It was about 1:15 PM, so there's was nobody else in the Absentee Voting office (located on the 2nd floor at 300 N. Tucker).I noticed they had cheesy little ES&S pen/paperclip promotionals for folks to fill out their

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1161190769111175902006-10-18T11:52:00.000-05:002006-10-18T11:59:30.283-05:00

Could the Future of MetroLink be on Jefferson and on River des Peres?A couple years back, East-West Gateway finished the Metro South Study, basically the study to lay groundwork for a plan for extending the now-open Cross County line southward into deep South St. Louis County. It came out with several ideas, but no final Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA).Now, the Northside-Southside Study is

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1160763370767031792006-10-13T13:10:00.000-05:002006-10-13T13:16:11.726-05:00

My New Favorite BlogBesides my own, this is my favorite blog for today, as we get close to the Halloween "candy season":Candy BlogFeaturing photos of all kinds of candies and their packaging, including an array of fair trade items.The blogger seems to be a conoisseur of dollar-store candy, and the bizarre internationality of their variety.Enjoy!

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4083116.post-1160680256222505252006-10-12T14:10:00.000-05:002006-10-12T14:10:58.356-05:00

Political EthicsI noticed MayorSlay.com has a current poll regarding politician ethics.Of course, nowhere does the poll ask about what we think of the ethics of St. Louis city politicians....In any event, the last question is curious:"Who is the worst behaved public official?"Choices are:"John AshcroftGeorge W. BushDick CheneyMark FoleyI'm sending you an angry email because you named only

Joehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14185823164539776639noreply@blogger.com1