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I opInIon I 3noVEMBER 3, 2010WEST nEWSMAGAZInE

Classic songs from years past are sometimes referred to as golden oldies. There are political fallacies that have been around for a long time as well. These might be called brass oldies. It certainly takes a lot of brass to keep repeating fallacies that were refuted long ago.

One of these brass oldies is a phrase that has been a perennial favorite of the left, tax cuts for the rich. How long ago was this refuted? More than 80 years ago, the tax cuts for the rich argument was refuted, both in theory and in practice, by Andrew Mellon, who was Secretary of the Treasury in the 1920s.

When Mellon took office, there was a large national debt, the economy was stag-nating, and tax rates were high, though the tax revenues were still not enough to cover government expenditures. What was Mellons prescription for getting out of this mess? A series of major cuts in the tax rates!

Then as now, there were people who failed to make the distinction between tax rates and tax revenues.

Mellon said, It seems difficult for some to understand that high rates of taxation do not necessarily mean large revenue for the Government, and that more revenue may often be obtained by lower rates.

How can that be? Because taxpayers change their behavior according to what the tax rates are. When one of the Rock-efellers died, Mellon discovered that his estate included $44 million in tax-exempt bonds, compared to $7 million in Standard Oil securities, even though Standard Oil was the source of the Rockefeller fortune.

For the country as a whole, the amount of money tied up in tax-exempt securities was estimated to be three times as large as the federal governments expenditures and more than half as large as the national debt.

In short, huge amounts of money were not being invested in productive capac-ity, such as factories or power plants, but was instead being made available for local political boondoggles, because this money was put into tax-exempt state and local bonds.

When tax rates are reduced, investors have incentives to take their money out of tax shelters and put it into the private economy, creating higher returns for them-selves and more production in the economy.

Andrew Mellon understood this then, even though many in politics and the media seem not to understand it now.

Mellon was able to persuade Congress to lower the tax rates by large amounts. The percentage by which tax rates were lowered was greater at the lower income levels, but the total amount of money saved by taxpayers was of course greater on the part of people with higher incomes, who were paying much higher tax rates on those incomes.

Between 1921 and 1929, tax rates in the top brackets were cut from 73 percent to 24 percent. In other words, these were what the left likes to call tax cuts for the rich.

What happened to federal revenues from income taxes over this same span of time? Income tax revenues rose by more than 30 percent. What happened to the economy? Jobs increased, output rose, the unemploy-ment rate fell and incomes rose. Because economic activity increased, the govern-ment received more income tax revenues. In short, these were tax cuts for the econ-omy, even if the left likes to call them tax cuts for the rich.

This was not the only time that things like this happened, nor was Andrew Mellon the only one who advocated tax rate cuts in order to increase tax revenues. John Maynard Keynes pointed out in 1933 that lowering the tax rates can increase tax revenues, if the tax rates are so high as to discourage economic activity.

President John F. Kennedy made the same argument in the 1960s and tax rev-enues increased after the tax rates were cut during his administration. The same thing happened under Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. And it happened again under George W. Bush, whose tax rate cuts are scheduled to expire next January.

The rich actually paid more total taxes, and a higher percentage of all taxes, after the Bush tax rate cuts, because their incomes were rising with the rising economy.

Do the people who keep repeating the catch phrase, tax cuts for the rich not know this? Or are they depending on your not knowing it?

T H O M A S S O W E L L

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4 I OPINION I NOVEMBER 3, 2010WEST NEWSMAGAZINE

l e t t e r s t o t h e e d i t o r

Spelling it out for the school districts

to the editor:No spelling tests in school? Oh, what a

slippery slope we are going down. Do kids need time in school to memorize? I thought that was called homework. What about cursive, math and history? What about phasing out schools and heaven forbid, teachers? Will we let computers become the intelligence of the human race? So many questions; maybe the answers are on a computer. Computers are amazing and incredibly useful in daily life no question about that. However, dont let your com-puter become more intelligent than you. It is only a tool. Oh yes, be sure you dont name your computer HAL.

Marsha HummelBallwin

to the editor:Response to Steamed about spelling:I must agree with Patsy about not teach-

ing spelling in Parkway and Rockwood School Districts as being very disturbing.

This is my scenario on the issue; no pun intended!

Eye here Parkway & Rockwood have lost theyre since. Eye guess if my darter and sun have red there assignments in time for tomorrows class they will have the no how to participate in class.

Now, I ran spell check on the previous sentence and there are no grammar mis-takes.

The real issue here is the pure lunacy in allowing or relying on a computer to do your thinking. You know, there was a song when I was younger that went something like this: In the year 2525 if man is still alive, if woman can survive; then it goes on you wont need your eyes, arms or legs, wont need your brain to think; some machine is doing that for you. It ends:

Now mans reign is through.I wont be around in 2525, maybe not

in 2025, as the song kind of gives away my age. I therefore will not see the good ole USA become a Third World education level. We have been heading there for some time; this should speed up the process.

In conclusion: Parents, read to your children, color with them, challenge their brains, turn off the iPods, iPads, Game Boys and stop typing with your thumbs on a 4-inch screen that will make you blind before your time!

Mike HortonChesterfield

to the editor:How in the world can the Parkway and

Rockwood School Sistems decide that it is not necessary any longer to teach spell-ing?

When most of us were growing up spell-ing was the basis of hour English classes along with the proper use of Language and writing an essay or otheer functions of grammer. If a student cannot spell properly and has no access to the computer with spell check, then how can she or he com-pete in a very competitive world.

As a former High School English Teacher, I am appalled when I see so many misspelled words or incorrect use of gram-mar. Why wouldnt our teachers want their students to have the best foundation pos-sible before leaving their classroom?

I sincerely hope that these two districts will reconsider this most egregious mis-take.

Pat BurtonChesterfield

Road wearyto the editor:

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that Chesterfield Parkway was going to be shut down over the weekend. I thought, Wow, they must be doing some work.

To my surprise, there was a community fair. Seemed to be a pretty nice deal, too.

My question comes to city officials. How can you justify pumping thousands of dol-lars into decorative lights, grass, flowers, trees, bushes and sprinkler systems for the median?

Dont get me wrong. I want the com-munity to look nice, but should it be at the expense of two flat tires and a missing exhaust? After the winter of 2009-2010, I assumed that there would be an effort to repair the road, but to my frustration, we are entering 2010-2011 winter and without a remedy.

I hope there is something on the agenda for 2011 because I do not know if my tires can take any more abuse.

William MaguireChesterfield

Parkway taxing and spending

to the editor:A few weeks ago I read that the Parkway

School District was going to install an arti-ficial surface on the football fields of the

high schools. I believe the cost was close to $1 million for each field.

In my way of thinking, this is a very frivolous expenditure, totally unnecessary. I told several people that I wondered how long before Parkway cried poor.

It didnt take long. Today I read in the West Newsmagazine that the Parkway School District officials have decided that they need more money so they are raising our tax rate. They say they need it for the day-to-day operations of the district. I say why is so much money being wasted resur-facing perfectly good athletic fields when the main reason youre in business is sup-posedly needing money.

It is not funny that when citizens are short of money they cut back on spending, but when a government organization decides it needs more money, they immediately look to the taxpayers for relief. Citizens have to make do with less, but not the government. Disgusting.

Claude KurtzManchester

Labadie landfillto the editor:

Concerning the Sept. 29, 2010, article, Landfill looks likely in Labadie, I strongly object to that characterization. There are many more hurdles Ameren must over-come before the landfill happens.

Planning and Zoning issued a recom-mendation only. The county commission-ers will decide after two public hearings how to handle the rezoning request before them. Ameren has not even submitted an application yet to the county nor made it through the Missouri DNR regulatory pro-cess.

There is a long way to go and I hope the West Newsmagazine will continue their coverage of this important issue. It is West Countys drinking water that is at stake. Amerens dry landfill will be in a very wet place, a flood plain, potentially expos-ing groundwater and the Missouri River to heavy metal contamination.

The Labadie Environmental Group has been working hard to communicate with folks well beyond Labadies borders about the importance of this issue. See www.leomo.info to learn and get involved. Sign the petition. Come to the upcoming hear-ings. The landfill issue is far from over!

Amy BonsallLabadie Environmental Organization

Common sense cyclingto the editor:

West County cyclists, this is your wake-up call. The St. Charles County Council recently lobbed a warning shot across our collective bows with the vote on the proposal to limit cyclists access to certain roads. It is time to do our part to keep all roads accessible and to create a coopera-tive environment with drivers.

While I am keenly aware of the small minority of aggressive, rude and danger-ous drivers on the roads, there are also some equally rude and dangerous cyclists as well who, ironically, are often the more seasoned cyclists who should know better. I have encountered cyclists riding two (abreast) when there is vehicular traffic trying to pass, blowing through stop signs, and riding on narrow, high-traffic roads that should be avoided completely. This sort of behavior only creates an atmosphere of animosity toward the cycling community by those who dont appreciate or com-pletely understand the sport of cycling and ends up leading to actions like those taken by the councilman in St. Charles.

We need to use common sense and behave courteously in order to keep the peace. When traffic is approaching from behind, move into a single file formation and wave the driver by when you see that traffic is clear ahead; stop for red lights and slow as much as possible for stop signs (I know clipping in and out is a hassle), paying close attention to other drivers; and make every effort to avoid high-volume roads with little or no shoulder, like Manchester Road or Old State Road. Also, avoid being caught up in confrontation with those driv-ers who feel the need to use foul language and hand signals when they are delayed for their important meeting at the Hillbilly Club by 10 or 20 seconds.

Short of this type of behavior and we will all be relegated to crowded bike trails and gravel paths.

Carl SchroederWildwood

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Thank God its Wednesday

Question of the week:

Are you glad the election is over?Answer the question: [email protected]

Its finally over. The last vote is cast. Thank God its Wednesday.

At the time of this writing, we do not even know a single election result that all hap-pened well after our press time. We assume the GOP made sweeping gains in both the House and the Senate. But really, whatever we are just so glad it is done.

We cannot wait to see what shenanigans Jack has planned to sell more Jack In The Box hamburgers. It has to be better than watching Roy Blunt and Robin Carnahan annihilate each other over and over and over again. Maybe that little E-Trade baby has some new capers up his sleeve. As a matter of fact, we are prob-ably going to go home tonight and DVR just the commercials not ending in My name is blah-blah-blah, and I approve this message.

If Congress wonders why the American people have such a low opinion of them, per-haps they should look at the tactics they are using to win the offices in the first place.

Certainly politics has always been a dirty business. Mudslinging is as old as any elected office. Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas famously exaggerated one anothers extrem-ism in their historical 1858 debates. But it still seems worse now. It seems more personal,

more tawdry, more disingenuous. Perhaps it is just the times. Why spend

money on these ads instead of spending money securing our borders or creating jobs or fixing our schools? Why be hateful at a time when hate is so rampant in our culture? Why focus on problems when solutions are in such short supply?

Mario Cuomo once famously said that we campaign in poetry, but when were elected were forced to govern in prose. If this elec-tion campaign was our poetry, we are fearful of what the prose is going to look like.

No matter which side of the aisle on which one falls, it is easy fairly obvious that this country needs healing. We are a country of huge ideas and huge personalities, huge possi-bilities and huge capabilities. Yet we are frac-tured, like a jet plane with a dented wing. The engine is a go, the landing gear is a go, the jets are at full thrust but we are grounded by a ding on the side of the plane.

This country has forgotten how to disagree. We have forgotten that our political opponents are the loyal opposition instead of the ene-mies. This country isnt perfect, but it is the best in the world. We just need to fix that dent in the wing.

Quotable:

Were gonna punish our enemies. -President Barack Obama, talking about the Republicans

What a moment!

Missouri Tiger fans take to the field as the last second ticks away for a win over Oklahoma, 36-27 at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri on October 23, 2010.

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8 I OPINION I NOVEMBER 3, 2010WEST NEWSMAGAZINE NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

Writers

West Newsmagazine is published 35 times per year by West Media Inc. It is direct-mailed to more than 67,000 households in West St. Louis County. Products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by West Newsmagazine and views expressed in editorial copy are not necessarily those of West Newsmagazine. No part of West Newsmagazine may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from West Newsmagazine. All letters addressed to West Newsmagazine or its editor are assumed to be intended for publication and are subject to editing for content and length. West Newsmagazine reserves the right to refuse any advertisement or editorial submission. Copyright 2010.

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Please sendComments, Letters and Press Releases to:

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The American Red Cross and St. Louis Rams will hold a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tues., Nov. 16 at The Pointe at Ballwin Commons. To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org. For additional information on the event, call 227-8950.

Eye on crimeThe Ballwin Police Department recently

received reports of thefts from vehicles that occurred in the city.

A theft from a vehicle in a driveway on the 200 block of Sunset reportedly occurred on the night of Oct. 14. The victim stated that someone entered his unlocked vehicle and took numerous items, including credit cards and $200 in cash.

Police said another theft from a vehicle was reported on Oct. 19 in the 200 block of Carina Court. The victim stated that during the overnight hours, a person or persons unknown entered his unlocked vehicle, which was parked in a driveway. A GPS unit, purse and numerous cosmetic prod-ucts with a combined value of more than $1,000 were taken.

CHESTERFIELD

America Recycles Day

In an effort to promote energy conser-vation and recycling, the Chesterfield Citizens Committee for the Environment will be hosting an event to celebrate Ches-terfield/Missouri/America Recycles Day. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 13 on the parking lot of the Parks Administration & Maintenance Facility, located at 17891 North Outer 40.

Free, confidential document shredding will be offered by Cintas (five box limit), and free electronics recycling will be pro-vided by WITS. Home Depot will be col-lecting light bulbs of all kinds and plastic planting pots. Remains, Inc. will be col-lecting old clothes, linens and shoes, and Allied Waste will be collecting all single stream recycling (paper, plastics, glass, etc.).

The Chesterfield Police Department in partnership with the Chesterfield Alliance for Positive Youth will be hosting a free medication take-back program as well and will be accepting all expired over-the-counter and prescription drugs for legal and appropriate disposal.

For more information, call 537-4000 or visit chesterfield.mo.us.

ELLISVILLE

Honoring veteransThe city of Ellisville at 10 a.m. on

Thurs., Nov. 11 will hold a Veterans Day ceremony at the Ellisville Parks and Recre-ation Administration Building, 225 Kiefer Creek Road. The public is invited to attend. Call 227-9660.

Police collect drugsArea residents are encouraged to take

advantage of a prescription drug take back program from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 6 at the Ellisville Police Department. Pre-scription and over-the-counter medications will be accepted.

For more information, visit ellisville.mo.us.

EUREKA

Smoke Detector Day The Eureka Fire Protection District on

Sat., Nov. 6 will be visiting an area of its fire district to check smoke detectors. Fire-fighters and team members will be going door to door on Eureka Road and Autumn Way and asking homeowners if their smoke detectors are working. Firefighters will ask to come in and check and inspect the smoke detectors. If a new battery is needed, one will be installed. If the home does not have a working smoke detector, a new one will be installed for free.

Nov. 6 is the 22nd annual Smoke Detector Day held in the Eureka Fire Protection Dis-trict. To date, the district has visited nearly 2,200 homes, installed 396 smoke alarms and distributed 792 batteries.

The event is held twice each year to coincide with Daylight Saving Time, as everyone is encouraged to change their smoke alarm batteries when changing their clocks.

Batteries can be obtained for smoke detectors at any of the Eureka Fire Protec-tion District fire stations.

TWIN OAKS

Condo fireAn afternoon fire on Oct. 23 caused

damage to three units in a five-unit con-dominium building on Autumn Leaf Drive in Twin Oaks. No injuries were sustained in the blaze, and firefighters were able to rescue three dogs and three cats.

That is what we call a good day, Valley Park Fire District Chief Charles Wilken said.

Three Valley Park fire trucks responded to the scene along with several other local fire departments, including Fenton, West County and Metro West.

The fire started on a deck in a middle unit, raced up the outside of the building and got back inside via the roof. It worked its way into the units on either side of the middle unit, causing heavy smoke and water damage to the center of building.

According to Wilken, the three units at

10 I NOVEMBER 3, 2010WEST NEWSMAGAZINE

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The Eureka Fire Protection Dis-trict recently received a donation of pet oxygen masks to carry on its fire trucks.

Eureka residents Phil and Karen Kerker purchased and donated the masks, which will be carried on fire trucks from all three of the fire dis-tricts stations.

Eureka fire officials said the masks will be used at fire scenes where a pet may be overcome by smoke.

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I NEWS I 11NOVEMBER 3, 2010WEST NEWSMAGAZINENEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

press time are uninhabitable and residents are staying with friends or family mem-bers.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

WILDWOOD

Great Streets moves forwardWildwood city officials at the Oct. 25

city council meeting approved a resolu-tion to authorize into the memorandum of understanding between the communities of Manchester, Winchester, Ballwin, and Ellisville regarding the Great Streets Ini-tiative for the Manchester Road corridor.

The cities, along with the West County Chamber of Commerce and other organi-zations, for the past two years have been working closely together to restore Man-chester Roads prominence in the St. Louis metropolitan region with the improvement of safety, traffic function, and appearance to work toward a better environment for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, businesses and other users along the road.

The future for the memorandum of under-standing includes creating a board of direc-tors, hiring an executive director, seeking improvements to lighting, transit, storm water management, parks, trails, roadways and other infrastructure, and committing to future funding efforts to support the 20- to 30-year plan.

The city council is ready to move for-ward with the implementation of the plan-ning and design study within the specific parameters of improving the corridor for all users, while maintaining the unique character of each community.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY

Cycling input wantedAs Great Rivers Greenway continues to

seek public input on the development of

consistent and contiguous on-road bicycle facilities throughout the region, its next open house is being held on the Internet. To augment insight received at its public open houses earlier this month, Great Rivers Greenway is encouraging those who were unable to attend to take advantage of the Virtual Open House at stlbikeplan.com through Monday, Nov. 15.

Those visiting the Web site can gain access to the same informational stations featured at the public open house events. They can take advantage of the sites inter-active elements, which allow users to cast their votes on bike route preferences, take the Master Plan User Survey and add com-ments and tags to the interactive map. They can also view examples of national trends in the design of bicycle facilities; gain insight on the complete street design philosophy; and learn more about Great Rivers Greenway and how bicycling facili-ties help to connect communities, support alternative modes of transportation and benefit public health and the economic viability of the region.

We are fortunate to have a strong part-nership with local governments, transpor-tation agencies and bicycling advocates willing to work together to create an acces-sible regional bicycle network, Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway said. But were creating this plan to serve the individual residents and families in our region, so we want to make sure were hearing their views and opinions too.

Input from the public will aid Great Rivers Greenway and transportation plan-ners in deciding how to connect the many existing community bicycle plans and facilities, identifying gaps in key routes and facilities, prioritizing projects and providing design recommendations for the next 20 years.

For more information, contact Great Rivers Greenway at (314) 436-7009.

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By DIANE PLATTNERTwo of St. Louis largest Reform Jewish congregations

are considering a collaboration or potential merger.The Boards of Trustees of Congregation Temple Israel,

in Creve Coeur, and United Hebrew Congregation, in Ches-terfield, have authorized formal discussions to explore the advantages of collaboration or a potential merger. If the merger proceeds, it would result in a single synagogue of more than 2,000 households.

Founded in 1837 near Forest Park, United Hebrew Con-gregation in 1989 moved to its current location at 13788 Conway Road in Chesterfield and now has more than 1,200 member families. Founded in 1886 in the city of St. Louis, Temple Israel since 1962 has been at its current location at Spoede and Ladue Roads in Creve Coeur and now has more than 1,000 member families.

Both congregations have informed their members of the discussions and will hold open meetings to discuss various aspects of the proposed merger, officials said.

Temple Israel President David Weinstein and United Hebrew President Edward Becker said they have been thinking about collaboration after a Jewish Federation community forum last spring encouraged local Jewish organizations to take a proactive role in exploring new strategies and bold actions to sustain a thriving and vibrant Jewish community for future generations.

We took this charge seriously, and through our infor-mal discussions realized that this is the perfect time to bring together the best that each congregation has to offer in order to provide more comprehensive services to the community, Becker and Weinstein said in a joint press release.

The charge comes amid a declining St. Louis area Jewish population because of low Jewish birthrates, fewer Jewish immigrants, flattening conversions to Judaism and burgeoning effects of non-marriage, late marriage and intermarriage, according to Reinventing American Juda-ism, Reform Judaism, by Jonathan Sarna, 2009.

The merger wont address the issue, but will confront it with a more efficient operation, Becker said.

In addition, Becker said the long-term financial trends are not in the congregations favor. While both organiza-tions are financially strong in terms of endowments, the merger would allow them to be proactive while they are strong, he said.

UH and TI want to lead and not to follow, Becker said.

Becker and Weinstein said also that both congregations are in various stages of rabbinic transition and strategic planning. United Hebrew Senior Rabbi Howard Kaplan-sky plans to retire in July. Rabbi Amy Feder is the new senior rabbi at Temple Israel.

These transitions give us a unique opportunity to join forces and chart a new path together, they said. Indi-vidually, we have many complementary strengths and resources. Together, we can provide an unparalleled con-gregational experience for our members and for the greater community.

The congregation presidents said they believe a merger will strengthen the best qualities of each congregation and create a dynamic synagogue that can offer a:

Highly talented rabbinic, cantorial and professional staff.

Variety of worship options. Multitude of educational and programming opportuni-

ties.

Solid financial foundation to ensure long-term vitality.They plan next to assemble a facilities committee to

evaluate the needs of a potential combined congregation and review the demographics of both congregations.

The Jewish community continues to be dispersed throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, Becker said. While there was once a clear westward move, what we are seeing now is a move back to the central corridor.

If the Boards of Trustees at United Hebrew and Temple Israel recommend a merger at the conclusion of the formal talks, both congregations will vote on a final approval.

If a merger is approved, I would like to see progress by the fall of 2011, Becker said.


United Hebrew President Edward M. Becker

Temple Israel President David L. Weinstein

Prominent Jewish congregations consider merger

By TED DIXON JRLike thousands of other municipali-

ties, the city of Ellisville is facing eco-nomic challenges. For that reason, city officials plan to hold nine town hall meetings to discuss budget challenges. At a work session before the Oct. 20 city council meeting, Ellisville Mayor Matt Pirrello made the announcement about the meetings. Nine are planned in all.

Pirrello said the budget is getting tight and the city may have to make some tough decisions for future spending, such as sus-pending or eliminating some city services.

Among the topics of discussion that Pirrello mentioned is the proposed Walmart at the intersection of Manchester and Clarkson Roads and whether is would be a viable option for the city.

Everything is on the table, Pirrello said. The purpose of these meetings is to pool our creativity.

Pirrello said he is preparing a letter to the citys residents outlining the issue at hand. He cited a decreased revenue stream due to the failed economy.

The city still is in the black, Pirrello said, but it has to make sound financial decisions. He said public input will be greatly needed

during the meetings. Among the city services that may be

affected are brush and leaf pickup, which may be cut; snow removal, which may be suspended or reduced; the tree program, which may be suspended or eliminated; street replacement, which may be sus-pended or eliminated; and city concerts, which may be eliminated. A reduction of city staff also is a possibility.

These are topics for the public to dis-cuss, Pirrello said. It does not seem dire. It is common sense, not a scare tactic. This is not a do-or-die; this is something we want feedback on.

Meetings tentatively are scheduled to be held on the following dates at the Ellisville Park Administration Building in Bluebird Park:

Ellisville to discuss tough decisions regarding budget concerns

Sat, Nov. 6, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Thurs., Nov 11, 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Sat, Nov. 20, 4 p.m- 7 p.m. Mon, Nov. 22, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Tues, Nov. 30, 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. Sat, Dec. 4, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. Wed, Dec. 8, 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Sat, Dec. 18, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. Tues, Dec. 28, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.Dates are subject to change.

United Hebrew Congregation.

14 I NEWS I

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NOVEMBER 3, 2010WEST NEWSMAGAZINE NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

By SARAH WILSONThe Wildwood City Council is proceed-

ing on to the design development phase for a new city hall and police facility after approving at the Oct. 25 city council meet-ing a resolution to accept the proposed schematic design, recommended by the City Hall Steering Committee.

Wildwood City Administrator Dan Dubruiel said the site on which the city is looking at building the new facility is on Main Street, catty-corner to the Wildwood Town Center Hotel and next to the new movie theater.

We did an analysis, and ever since the city was incorporated, we have leased space for city office purposes, city hall and for police precinct purposes, Dubruiel said. Right now, were leasing current space and were leasing facilities police are occupying. The total cost of that is well in excess of $330,000 a year. So by constructing a new building, we have cal-culated well actually save money over time, as far as our building occupancy is concerned.

The city council accepted the recom-mendations and services of a team of Wildwood resident architects known as The Wildwood Collaborative to develop

the design and cost projection.Prior to the resolution, the city council

had enacted legislation, placing a propo-sition on the April 6 municipal election ballot seeking voter authorization to con-struct, furnish and equip a new city hall and police facility.

The total cost of the plan, which is in the long-term best interest and is the most cost-effective solution for the city, is not to exceed $8 million, with no new taxes required to fund the project, according to city officials.

We intend to stay well within that budget restriction, Dubruiel said.

Upon completion of the design devel-opment phase, the committee and project architects will return to city council for approval of the plans prior to proceeding to the next phase, the Construction Docu-ment phase, of the architectural planning process.

Completion of the project is expected to occur in the fall of 2012, and the city will be going out for construction bids early next spring.

Were hoping in the end, Wildwood will at least have its own city hall, a focal point for civic life in the community for years to come, Dubruiel said.

Wildwood City Hall and police facility moves forward

Wildwood City Hall and police facility.

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By BRIAN MCDOWELLBallwin resident Lewis Greenberg, 66,

the former art teacher who is best known for the controversial collection of lawn art that surrounds his home in the Whis-pering Oakwood subdivision, on Oct. 21 began serving his 20-day sentence at the St. Louis County Jail. That is according to Greenbergs longtime friend, Ralph Pfrem-mer, the owner of the Lone Wolf Coffee Company, where Greenberg is a regular.

Pfremmer said that on Oct. 29 he visited Greenberg, who was staying in the jails infirmary. According to Pfremmer, Green-

berg is due to be released on Nov. 5. Greenberg was charged last May with

failing to comply with a judges order to alter or remove some allegedly dangerous pieces of art from his yard. The legal battles with Ballwin and with other residents in the neighborhood over Greenbergs eccen-tric art, which is said to be in remembrance of victims of the Holocaust, have been raging for more than three years. Ballwin City Planner Tom Aiken said he was not aware that Greenberg was in jail, and, at press time, City Prosecutor Keith Cheung could not be reached for comment.

Ballwin lawn artist jailed


By BRIAN MCDOWELLDavid Kirkpatrick, noteworthy chroni-

cler of the Facebook phenomenon and author of the best-selling The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That is Connecting the World, on Nov. 24 will speak at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Chesterfield.

Kirkpatrick will speak at the Connect to the Future Excellence in Community Development Awards Banquet hosted by Progress 64 West, a local partnership of citizens, business and civic leaders who work to create and maintain sustainable communities and a high-quality standard of life in St. Louis and St. Charles Coun-ties. The journalist will sign books at 10:30 a.m., and the program about how Facebook has changed the world including its impact on political races worldwide will begin at noon.

Kirkpatrick spent the last 20 years covering technol-ogy for Fortune Maga-zine, and in that capacity, has appeared on many TV news channels. He has cov-ered how the Internet and technology industries have changed our culture.

I never would have guessed that the Internet would have the impact it does, Kirkpatrick said in an interview with West Newsmaga-zine. We are all caught in it. The degree to which we are all so dependent on technol-ogy is surprising to me.

According to Kirkpatrick, Facebook is not just something your kids use to meet their friends at the mall but has changed business, government, politics, the media and our privacy.

His interest in Facebook began in 2006 when he met Mark Zuckerberg, the Har-vard student who started the site. Before the meeting, Kirkpatrick said, he figured the social network then accessible exclu-sively to college students would be a flash-in-the-pan fad.

But Kirkpatrick was impressed with Zuckerberg.

I was struck by the scope of his think-ing, Kirkpatrick said. He was only 22 years old at the time, but Facebook had 9 million users then, which seemed like a lot to me. His thinking was very ambitious, big picture and long-term.

Kirkpatrick was struck also by the fact

-that Zuckerberg apparently was motivated by the desire for social change, not money. (Zuckerberg has received offers of more than $1 billion from corporations trying to acquire Facebook and turned them all down. He continues to run the company.)

After the meeting, Kirkpatrick wrote a magazine article, Why Facebook Mat-

ters, and paid attention as Facebook grew in popu-larity faster than any Web site in history. At the end of 2007, Facebook had 50,000,000 users; currently, it has about half a billion in 76 languages.

According to Kirkpatrick, Facebooks main advantage over other social networks is that it is a true technology company that continues to evolve.

Zuckerberg has always gone to great lengths to overestimate how many

servers he would need for Facebook to work, so the site has very rarely gone down or been unavailable, which is highly unusual for a Web operation of that size, Kirkpatrick said, noting also that Facebook has downplayed advertising.

MySpace has so many ads on it, it looks like Times Square, Kirkpatrick said, but Facebook tends to be more subtle.

Kirkpatricks book is about the tremen-dous growth of Facebook, and much of it was based on eight formal interviews with Zuckerberg and time the two spent together socially.

I got to know him pretty well, Kirk-patrick said. He is one of the most fasci-nating and impactful people on the planet and certainly the most important figure of his generation. I just lucked into being his biographer.

Kirkpatrick said he thinks that he got the access to Zuckerberg because of the early, complimentary article he wrote about

Facebook founders biographer to visit Chesterfield

David Kirkpatrick, author of the best-selling The Facebook Effect, will visit Chesterfield on Nov 24.

See FACEBOOK, page 18

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sleep, But Were Too Tired to AskOscar Schwartz, MD, Medical Director of the Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital Sleep Disorder/EEG Center

Whether youre suffering from sleep apnea, insomnia, night terrors, sleep eating or sleep walking, our sleep specialist will discuss several disorders and explain treatment options that will help you sleep well tonight for a more refreshed tomorrow.

November 3 from 6:30 8 p.m. Jewish Community CenterStaenberg Family ComplexArts & Education Building2 Millstone Campus DriveCreve Coeur, MO 63146

Living WellHealth & Wellness events sponsored by Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital

Preventive Health: How to Keep You and Your Family Healthy Mojdeh Zahedi, MD, Board-Certified Family Physician, Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital

If you are among the growing number of people who are looking for information on chronic disease prevention, join Dr. Mojdeh Zahedi, a physician who cares for the entire family, as she discusses measures you can take to help prevent disease or injury and maintain health.

November 10 from 6:30 8 p.m. Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center16625 Swingley Ridge RoadChesterfield, MO 63017

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16 I NEWS I

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The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter on Oct. 26 presented Life-saver Awards to 10 people, including five who took action in West County, for preparing themselves for training and then reaching out to save a life.

Kari Johnsonbaugh, Joe Ryan, Craig Prindle, Ryan Bader and Dr. David Lot-soff during a Red Cross ceremony were honored for heroic acts performed ear-lier this year.

In April, John Martin was working out at the Jewish Community Centers Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur and suddenly collapsed on the indoor track.

Johnsonbaugh, the JCCs front desk attendant, alerted the fitness staff, who rushed to Martins aid. Ryan, a per-sonal trainer, Fitness Manager Prindle and Fitness Program Coordinator Bader assessed the mans condition and deter-mined he was not breathing and needed

CPR. Together, they administered to Martin several rounds of rescue breaths and chest compressions and then used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to help restore his heart rhythm.

When paramedics arrived, JCC member Lotsoff noticed the commotion and offered to help. Lotsoff continued CPR until Martin was transferred to an

ambulance.Martin survived the cardiac arrest and

credited the JCC employees and Lotsoff for saving his life.

Five additional individuals received Lifesaver Awards at the ceremony. Since its inception in 1984, the Red Cross Lifesaver program has honored more than 400 people from the St. Louis area.

From left: Cindy Erickson, of the American Red Cross; Dr. David Lotsoff; Kari Johnsonbaugh; John Martin; Craig Prindle; Ryan Bader; Jeff Bont, of AAA; and Joe Ryan.

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By SARAH WILSONObtaining patient medical records just

got easier at least for some patients.SSM Medical Groups is the first health

care organization in Missouri, and the sixth in the country, to offer its patients secure mobile access to Epic-based medi-cal records with an iPhone application. The SSM MyChart app has been designed for patients of mobile devices from Apple, including the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

SSM MyChart patients are able to quickly access their medical records, send private messages to their physicians or care providers, see upcoming appointments, receive instant lab results and more.

SSMs MyChart offers true mobility, instant access and optimized convenience, Dr. Thomas Hanley, medical director of informatics for SSM Medical Groups, said. Patients are not required to be in front of a traditional desktop or laptop to access SSM MyChartA mom at her kids soccer game can send a message to her doctor or check on a medication conveniently, right from her phone.

According to Jayceen Ensrude, project manager for clinical quality with SSM Medical Groups, patients can send ques-tions at any point in the day if the office is closed for the evening, rather than having to wait until the office is open to call.

This is a powerful tool for communica-tion with our patients related to their care, Ensrude said. Putting health information in their hands helps them take a more active role in their health care. It is a much easier process and also quicker.

She said the new app also helps to improve accuracy within patient informa-tion.

It reduces errors because patients are able to see medications exactly as they were ordered so they can request a refill and send it back to the provider, Ensrude said. It also improves accuracy of our records, because patients are able to view whats in the record, and if they see any inaccuracies with allergies or medications, theyre able to communicate that back to their physician.

The SSM MyChart app is free, but so far, it is only available from Apple.

Ensrude said they have had a large amount of requests for the app for people with a Blackberry, Droid or other mobile device, which is a possibility in the future.

In the meantime, anyone with access to a computer and Internet can utilize MyChart online. Without a previously setup account, patients must ask their physician for an activation code before getting started.

The new app is not meant to be used for medical emergencies. While patients can

send doctors questions at any time, doc-tors are not available 24 hours a day to answer patient questions. So if a patient needs immediate assistance, they should call 911, urgent care or their physicians office directly.

As of West Newsmagazine press time, Ensrude said 200 users have downloaded the app and more than 11,000 patients use the online version, with a number of SSM Medical Groups doctors having 20 to 30 percent of their patients using MyChart.

So far, weve had a really great response, Ensrude said. Patients really like having access to their health information. The interest is definitely there.

She said it is especially helpful for par-ents to have access to their childs vaccina-tion records.

As this continues to grow in popularity, we are thinking of ways we can expand and make it a big deal in the St. Louis area, Ensrude said.

SSM Medical Groups now offers an application that allows patients to access their medical records from an Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

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By TED DIXON JR.Now that St. Louis County voters passed

a measure that prohibits smoking in public places, Creve Coeur is considering an ordi-nance that would be even more restrictive.

In November 2009, voters passed by 65 percent the St. Louis County regulations, which will take effect on Jan. 2, 2011. The bill did provide exemptions, which include casino floors, small bars, private bars and long-term care facilities.

Creve Coeur City Administrator Mark Perkins said municipalities are able to make more restrictive regulations, and the proposed legislation in Creve Coeur would do just that.

At the Oct. 25 regular city council meet-ing, Creve Coeur Councilmember Beth Kistner (ward 3) said the proposed bill differs from the one that the county will impose. If the Creve Coeur ordinance is passed, it will not place exemptions on casi-nos, small bars, private clubs and assisted living facilities.

I think there is a lot to be said for a level-playing field, Kistner said.

Kistner, who championed the bill, said she felt very strongly about the issue and its purpose was to protect the health of citi-zens.

I want to make very clear that this is not a legislation on morality. Its a health issue, she said.

Kistner responded to fellow Creve Coeur Councilmember Jeanne Rhoades (ward 4) comments that she had a hard time legislating morality. Although Rhoades wholeheartedly supports protecting the public from a second-hand smoke, she had concerns with some of the language of the proposed ordinance.

I think you end up penalizing private

clubs; they might have a different environ-ment, Rhoades said. I dont think its appropriate.

In attendance was former Ballwin Alder-man Charles Gatton, who was instrumental in getting a smoking ban passed in his city. He said he was looking forward to Creve Coeur joining Clayton, Brentwood and Kirkwood as local cities that have adopted smoking regulations.

Creve Coeur Councilmember Robert Haddenhorst (ward 3) made an impassioned plea to get it done.

We have to send a strong message to Jef-ferson City, Haddenhorst said.

Haddenhorst favored a statewide smok-ing ban, and by Creve Coeur approving its own ban, he said, it would be a strong state-ment.

Ultimately, we have to take a stand, he said. We are living in a very backward state.

The council voted to defer the vote on this matter until Nov. 8. If passed, it will prohibit people from smoking in a public place or meeting. Also, no person would be allowed to smoke on any sidewalk, drive-way or other open area within 15 feet of the entry to any place of employment, public place or public meeting, provided the pro-hibition does not apply within any outside dining area where smoking is permitted by the proprietor.

The reason for the 15 feet is so that people that dont smoke and want to enter an establishment dont have to walk through a cloud of smoke to enter, Kistner said.

Kistner said it would be up to the busi-ness/establishment to enforce the ordinance. If issues arise that the owner would not be able to handle, then they would need to contact the Creve Coeur Police.

Creve Coeur debates more restrictive smoking ban

Facebook and his good reputation as a technology journalist.

Of all the journalists out there, I took his company seriously, he said.

Asked if Zuckerberg had read his book and given him any feedback, Kirkpatrick replied, He doesnt like to do that type of thing. I think that would make him too self-conscious.

Kirkpatrick said the recent movie, The Social Network, was not based on his book.

It didnt portray Zuckerberg as I know him, he said. The guy in the movie is much shallower, cockier and angrier than Zuckerberg is. And in the movie, they have him creating Facebook after he broke up with some girl, which is completely untrue

and ridiculous.Kirkpatrick said he expects that Face-

books influence will continue to grow as the company becomes the Internets infra-structure.

He worries about the people feeling overwhelmed at the sheer amount of infor-mation available minute to minute and speculated about what would happen to the U.S. if a terrorist attack shut down its elec-tronic grid.

We would be plunged overnight into a pre-industrial age, Kirkpatrick said. All of our systems would fail, and chaos would immediately be caused overnight.

For information on Kirkpatricks Prog-ress 64 West visit, call (314) 997-3390 or e-mail [email protected]. Tickets are $50.

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I NEWS I 19

By TED DIXON JR.The city of Creve Coeur is consid-

ering an ordinance that would allow the placement of moving signs in the form of a billboard within the city. The citys code prohibits certain signs, including most forms of moving signs and changeable copy signs.

Billboard company CBS Outdoor, Inc. requested that changeable copy signs in the form of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) billboards be exempted from those provi-sions. LED billboards feature a sign face that incorporates light-emitting diodes that allow multiple, separate message copies which are static for a minimum duration of 8 seconds, with one message copy at a time to be changed remotely.

A public hearing on the matter was held at the Oct. 25 city council meeting.

Arindam Kar, an attorney representing CBS Outdoor Inc., said the company is looking at a billboard along I-270 at Olive Blvd. He said the company would like to replace the existing billboard at that site with the LED type.

Kar told the council that LED billboards are used in 40 states and 400 cities across the nation. He said that safety is not an issue with them.

They can also be easily be used for com-munity service or public service announce-ments, Kar said.

Several Creve Coeur city officials were unenthused about the proposal.

Im not sure this is compatible with the character of Creve Coeur, Creve Coeur City Councilmember Jeanne Rhoades (ward 4) said.

Rhoades said many drivers already become distracted while driving due to talking and texting on cellular phones.

I am struggling to see how this would be a benefit to Creve Coeur, Rhoades said.

Creve Coeur Councilmember Laura Bryant (ward 4) mentioned a billboard on

eastbound I-70 in Bridgeton near Lambert St. Louis International Airport and said it is incredibly bright and is unattractive.

It looks like it belongs in Las Vegas, Bryant said. And in Las Vegas, it looks great. This isnt Las Vegas.

Creve Coeur Director of Community Development Paul Langdon said that in September, the Creve Coeur Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3-2 in favor of the billboard. He said four positive votes are needed for a positive recommendation, and technically, the Commission gave a negative recommendation.

Langdon said that aesthetics, safety and character are the aspects on which the city should focus when considering the pro-posal.

A vote on the matter is expected at the Nov. 8 meeting.

NOVEMBER 3, 2010WEST NEWSMAGAZINENEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM

Creve Coeur considers LED billboards

Creve Coeur is considering allowing the use of digital billboards similar to this.

Photo courtesy CBS Outdoor Inc.

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St. Louis County on Oct. 20 launched Heffies Help Line, a free resource for area pet owners and pet advocates. The line was named in honor of a 2-year-old pit bull that before being rescued spent most of his life tied to a chain outdoors, in violation of local tethering laws.

Callers to the help line, which is avail-able on a 24/7 basis, can report animal abuse cases, which officials said would be investigated within 48 hours. Callers are not required to identify themselves to get help for any animal that is illegally teth-ered or that is suffering from another form of abuse.

The help line also provides information on low-cost spay/neuter programs and other animal welfare resources, including recorded information on pet adoption, lost and found, animal ordinances and volun-teering. Information will be mailed to those who do not have computer access.

The service is part of an expansion of Animal Care and Control Services that includes opening a new facility next

summer that will double St. Louis Countys space for cats and dogs and will provide added space for vector control offices.

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley described the new animal care and adoption center as a state-of-the-art facil-ity and said it will offer the best possible treatment for the animals in its care.

Heffies Help Line was established in partnership with several animal welfare organizations, including the Animal Pro-tective Association (APA); the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO); Operation Stop Pet Overpopulation Today (SPOT); Dogs Deserve Better; Benefiting Animals Through Responsibility and Compassion (BARC); and Metro Animal.

Collaboration with other animal welfare ambassadors will be the key to the help lines success as it allows us to reach out to more residents and offer more assistance, Health Department Director Dr. Dolores J. Gunn said.

To reach Heffies Help Line, call (314) 615-1777.

County launches animal help line

By BRIAN MCDOWELLKristin Dougherty, an Ellisville business-

man accused of being part of a human traf-ficking ring, was found guilty by a grand jury after a four-day trial in the federal courthouse in Kansas City, Mo.

Dougherty, 50, on Oct. 28 was convicted on three counts of racketeering, conspiracy and wire fraud. Prosecutors and agents from Immigration and Customs Enforce-ment alleged that the ring, consisting mostly of Uzbeki nationals, was involved with illegally bringing European immi-grants into the U.S. to work at extremely low wages at hotels in Branson and other locales. Allegedly, the immigrants wages were withheld from them, and they were forced to live in small apartments and hotel

rooms in deplorable conditions.Doughertys local labor lending services

firm, Anchor Building Services, was found to be a supplier of labor for those illegal activities.

According to media accounts, Dough-ertys co-defendant, Abrorkhodja Askark-hodjaev, late last month fainted in a courtroom while pleading guilty of being a participant in the ring. As part of a deal that would give him a 10-year prison sen-tence, Askarkhodjaev testified against Dougherty.

Multiple other co-defendants have pleaded guilty also to the charges. Dough-erty was the last to stand trial of the 12 arrested for participation in the human trafficking ring.

Ellisville man convicted of human trafficking

By SARAH WILSONBallwin Alderman Frank Schmer (ward

2) on Oct. 26 announced his resignation from the Ballwin Board of Aldermen.

First, I am proud to have my residence and business in the city of Ballwin, Schmer said in a written statement regarding his resignation. Fundamentally, I believed that there would be a greater cohesiveness and level of integrity and trust between the board of aldermen and the city of Ballwin administration. The role of the board and its purpose is just different than I had envi-

sioned. I apologize to the residents and business owners for the disconnect between the two sides and sincerely wish the best to the remaining board members.

At press time, there is no word on Schmers replace-ment.

Ballwin alderman resigns

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By BETSY ZATKULAKAs Ballwin Days approaches its 34th year,

festival co-chairs Pat McDermott and Tim Vincent have plans to change the festival beginning in 2011, based on a continual assessment of previous festivals.

The changes, according to McDermott, include moving the date of the festival to the weekend following Memorial Day (June 3, 4 and 5); changing the festival hours; scheduling fireworks for one night only; canceling the traditional opening and closing ceremonies or replacing them with a single ceremony; putting the parade on hiatus for two years; moving the Ballwin Days Run to Saturday; and including arts and crafts booths one day only, or perhaps two days, rather than three.

The co-chairs are looking at the pos-sibility of placing arts and crafts, and other activities, throughout the park, in an effort to attract and increase family participation.

A reason cited for putting the Ballwin Days parade on hiatus for 2011 and 2012 is that there are plans for reconstruction of Kehrs Mill Road in 2012.

The Ballwin Days Committee, and the city, also are considering moving the location of the main stage that currently sits up on Kehrs Mill Road, McDermott said.

Were trying to come up with a viable option that allows us to find a place where the main stagehas a direct effect on the food vendors, the beverage vendors, and the ride vendors, he said. Any-

thing we move will have a direct effect on everybody, so we have to evaluate the best location to put the main stage. If we move the main stage and we move the food vendors, then we have to move arts and crafts.

For Sunday, the Ballwin Days Com-mittee plans to partner with Lone Wolf Company and other sponsors to do a bike event, such a bike ramble, McDermott said.

Another focus for the committee is finding ways to increase community involvement and entertainment.

Because we wont have the parade, we want to find something we can do to bring in the local bandsso the entertainment aspect at Ballwin Days will probably increase next year, McDermott said.

McDermott said that for himself and Vincent, who have volunteered their ser-vices as Ballwin Days festival co-chairs for 10 years, staying on budget has always been a top priority.

Our goal is to break even, and we have been very successful at coming close, he said.

The co-chairs have reviewed the past and are now eager to move forward with future festival plans.

We have to constantly evaluate whats working and whats not working, McDermott said. Its important that we get a pulse on whats going on with Ball-win Days. We want to blend 34 years of experience with a practical approach for a family-friendly event that meets the expectations of the entire community.

Changes planned for Ballwin Days

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By DIANE PLATTNERRockwood School District officials have

added to their list of high-tech options a new online school menu.

Rockwoods Food and Nutrition Depart-ment has teamed up with Schoolmenu.com to provide Rockwood patrons with online menus. The district pays no fees to be included in Schoolmenu.com, which cus-tomizes menus for each school and allows parents and students to access information about nutrition, fitness and health.

Its all about improving our commu-nication with our parents and students, Carmen Fisher, director of Child Nutrition Services, noted. Schoolmenu.com and our online payment system, NutriKids, are helpful tools to make the school menu pro-cess easier for parents and students.

Schoolmenu.com enables visitors to view each days school menu, including entrees, sides and beverages. It also includes meal pricing and provides a meal payment link.

With more than 30 percent of American children now overweight, Schoolmenu.com can be a useful informational resource for parents and students. It features a team of experts who regularly provide content on topics, such as nutrition, health, obesity, anorexia, bulimia, fitness, exercise and lifestyle.

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