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Call Publishing, Thursday, April 3, 2014 - Page 4A

By Mike Anthony

Lindbergh Schools votersshould approve bond issue

Lindbergh Schools voters will con-sider Proposition G, a $34 million bond issue, when they go to the polls Tuesday.

The Call urges voters to approve the measure, as we believe it’s necessary to address the district’s aggressive enrollment growth. Without the pas-sage of Prop G, we believe the aca-demic success Lindbergh has enjoyed — being ranked No. 1 in academic achievement in the state for four con-secutive years — will be jeopardized.

As proposed, Prop G — for Growth — would increase the district’s debt-service tax rate by 21 cents, to 68.3 cents per $100 of assessed valua-tion from 47.3 cents. A four-sev-enths majority — 57.14 percent — is required for passage of the measure.

If approved, proceeds from the bond issue would fund the construction of a 650-student elementary school on the nearly 10-acre Dressel School site at 10255 Musick Road.

District officials also propose to use $3 million of the bond proceeds to fund some critical needs at Lindbergh High School, including doubling the size of the cafeteria, creating two science classrooms from existing classrooms, converting a record-stor-age room into two new classrooms, modernizing the library and replac-ing the wood floor and bleachers in Gymnasium 3.

With a turnover in housing stock and the district’s academic success, Lindbergh’s enrollment surge is re-lentless. From 2007-2008 to 2012-2013, the district’s residential enroll-ment increased by 569 students.

Of the district’s five elementary schools, four currently exceed their capacity. From 2013 to 2018, district officials project residential enroll-ment will increase by 464 students, not including an estimated 120 addi-tional students from new subdivi-sions being constructed.

The District Growth Committee, which was comprised of parents, community members and staff, stud-ied the issue at length and recom-mended the construction of a sixth elementary school on the Dressel site.

The Board of Education and Super-intendent Jim Simpson agree with the committee’s recommendation.

Currently, the district has enough students to fill a sixth elementary school. As it stands, even if Prop G is approved, the new elementary school would not open until the 2017-2018 school year.

Given all the facts, we believe Prop G is the only logical solution to ad-dress Lindbergh’s growth, and urge voters to approve it next Tuesday.

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To the editor:Over the years, I have helped with the

campaigns of many of Crestwood’s elected officials, some more than once.

The standard I use to help decide whether to support those who run for a second time is simple: Once elected, how do their votes reflect the principles and campaign promises on which they sold themselves as candidates? There are only two people I helped who, once elected, failed to meet this standard: Roy Robinson and Gregg Roby.

It came as little surprise to me then when I discovered that, as of this writing, Roy Robinson is one of Gregg Roby’s biggest campaign contributors. But what is more troubling is that during the mayoral debate,

Mr. Roby, who claims to support com-plete transparency in government, had two opportunities to fully disclose the names of his campaign contributors, and refused to do so. Is this blatant lack of transparency and political doublespeak a preview of what we can expect if he becomes mayor?

When we cast our votes for mayor on April 8, Crestwood voters will be filling a leadership position with a three-year term.

It is a job that requires far more effort, skill and commitment than simply punch-ing a clock at City Hall. We need to be confident that the person who occupies the mayor’s seat is guided by firmly held convictions which inform his decisions, regardless of political consequence.

Mayor Schlink is battle-tested and well-pre-pared for future challenges. He has respond-ed to criticism with composure and honesty, led the city with dignity while overseeing contentious redevelopment discussions, and continues to actively work day and night on our behalf on multiple fronts, helping to secure Crestwood’s future. Mayor Schlink is a principled public servant, not a politician.

The choice is clear: The most qualified candidate for mayor of Crestwood is Jeff Schlink, and I hope you will join me in voting for Mr. Schlink on April 8.

Martha DuchildCrestwood

Editor’s note: Mrs. Duchild’s husband, Paul, serves as a Ward 3 alderman.

Choice is clear: Schlink most-qualified candidate to lead Crestwood

To the editor:After attending the recent Crestwood mayoral candidate forum,

I was so taken back with Mayor Jeff Schlink’s repeated claims of providing leadership during his term that I felt compelled to write this letter.

In the past three years, our city has regressed, primarily because there has been no vision, no plan and certainly no leadership. Lead-ership requires taking a stand and making controversial or unpopu-lar decisions when needed. Yet on critical votes, the mayor refused to cast a tie-breaker. I can appreciate his reluctance in delicate mat-ters, but the job requires him to act in just these types of situations.

Three years ago, he asked for our votes and we, the residents of Crestwood, complied. It seems reasonable that we should expect the same from him when called upon. He can try to justify his inaction any way he wishes, but the fact remains that he failed to fulfill one of the fundamental obligations of the job, leadership.

Leadership also requires consensus-building, yet Crestwood con-

tinues to suffer from a board that will not work together. The mayor bears the responsibility to work with all members of the board.

Not long ago, one alderman admonished Mr. Schlink for his poor communication. We cannot expect to have consensus with-out open communication and, clearly, this has been an ongoing problem with this administration.

Leaders build teams that utilize the strengths of every team mem-ber, all focused on a common goal. Make no mistake, we all make up the team in Crestwood. However, under Mr. Schlink’s leader-ship the board is split, citizens are discouraged, business owners are frustrated and employee morale has never been lower. Ours is a team in disarray.

Mr. Schlink believes he has had some accomplishments in the last three years, but to claim that he has exhibited leadership is, frankly, an insult.

Tom BremehrCrestwood

Crestwood regressing because of lack of leadership, resident says

Newspaper makes endorsements for contested election racesVoters will make some critical choices

next Tuesday when they go to the polls to elect members of the Lindbergh and Mehlville boards of education.

Sunset Hills voters also will have a choice, as Mayor Bill Nolan and two al-dermen are being challenged by write-in candidates, and a former alderman is chal-lenging Aldermen Rich Gau in Ward 1.

Four seats — three three-year seats and one two-year seat — are up for election in Lindbergh.

Five candidates — Cori Akins, board Vice President Don Bee, board member Vicki Lorenz Englund, Al Faulstich and board President Kathleen Kienstra — are seeking three three-year seats on the board.

Three candidates — Christopher Clegg,

Daniel Sampson and Gary Ujka — are seeking the two-year seat on the board.

For the three three-year seats, we believe voters have an easy decision since Bee, Englund and Kienstra have a proven track record of excellent service to students and the community and have exercised sound fiscal stewardship during their time on the board. We urge voters to re-elect the three.

For the two-year seat, we believe voters have a more difficult decision, as both Ujka and Sampson would make excellent board members. But given Ujka’s longtime expe-rience as an educator, we believe he should be elected to the board next Tuesday.

With Superintendent Eric Knost’s selec-tion as the new superintendent of the Rockwood School District, effective July 1, what the Mehlville Board of Education needs is experienced board members.

Five candidates — current board Secre-tary Rich Franz, former board member Venki Palamand and newcomers Randy L. Howard, Jean Pretto and Samantha Stormer — are seeking three seats. All five should be applauded for their desire to serve the community.

This newspaper endorsed Palamand last year when he ran unsuccesfully for a third term, writing, “We’d be hard-pressed to think of a bigger advocate for students and teachers than Palamand.”

(See CONTESTED, Page 6A)

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• ContestedWrite-in candidate challengesNolan in city’s mayoral race(Continued from Opinions, Page 4A)

Ironically, we also noted last year that he did not receive the endorsement of the Mehlville National Education Association, or MNEA. What a difference a year makes, as the fi ckle MNEA has endorsed Palamand this year. We believe Palamand has been unwavering in his commitment to students, teachers and the district, and once again, the Call endorses Palamand.

While Franz has been a lightning rod for criticism — some of it deserved and some of it inaccurate, in our opinion — because of his outspoken views, we believe voters should examine his record during his three years on the board. Franz has voted for nearly every major forward-motion initia-tive — tuition-free, full-day kindergarten, the district’s fi rst-ever auditorium, the new tennis-court complex and increased class offerings, to name a few — yet some use broad brushstrokes in an attempt to paint him as anti-public education.

Hardly. Unlike some current board mem-bers who are ready to rubber stamp what-ever the administration or teachers desire, Franz has challenged the administration’s recommendations, on occasion. We believe Franz’s service merits him a second term and urge voters to re-elect him.

The three remaining candidates have individual strengths and weaknesses and each would serve the district well, but we believe Stormer with her fi nancial acumen is the best qualifi ed and should be elected.

A business development manager for the largest non-emergency medical transporta-tion company in the state, Stormer’s job responsibilities include writing requests for proposals for multi-million-dollar ac-counts on a daily basis.

In Sunset Hills, write-in candidate Mark Furrer is challenging Mayor Bill Nolan.

Furrer is opposed to a QuikTrip proposed for the east commuter lot at Kennerly and Weber Hill roads, owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation. Furrer is earnest and articulate, but we believe Nolan’s experience as an alderman and his two terms as mayor make him the best-qualifi ed candidate for the job.

In Ward 1, Gau is being challenged by for-mer Ward 1 Alderman Douglas McGuire.

While either candidate would serve the city well, we believe Gau’s exceptional service the past two years merits him a second term.

In addition, write-in candidates Donald Placke Jr. and Donna Ernst are challenging Ward 2 Alderman Tom Musich and Ward 4 Art Havener, respectively. Given their track records, the Call endorses Musich and Havener for re-election.

Prop G right solution for enrollment growthTo the editor:As parents of elementary school-aged

children, we could not think of a better way to provide continued excellence in educa-tion than to be a part of and fully support Lindbergh Schools’ Proposition G bond issue that is on the April 8 ballot.

We are chairing this campaign because we believe building a new elementary school is the right solution for the rapidly increasing student enrollment occurring within the district — what a wonderful problem to have.

Young families with small children con-tinue to move into our community — they see and hear about Crestwood being ranked one of the Best Places to Live; local municipalities like Sunset Hills, Fenton and Green Park offer great homes in qual-ity neighborhoods. Young families also want what Lindbergh Schools provides: outstanding student achievement in all phases of a child’s learning, beginning at Lindbergh’s Early Child Education facility and continuing up to the national award-winning Lindbergh High School.

Time and again when we volunteer at our children’s schools — Long and Concord elementaries — we are stopped by parents who tell us that they are so happy that Lindbergh offers a safe, learning-enriched environment for their sons and daughters.

So you can see why we offered our com-mitment to a needed, worthwhile proposition — we want what is best for Lindbergh kids and the community. We have been com-pletely satisfi ed with Lindbergh’s successes in all forms of academic and social merits.

Lindbergh Schools has exceeded expec-tations in our children’s educational expe-rience. We want that to continue for them, their classmates and for the future genera-tions of Lindbergh students.

That is why it is so important to vote “yes” for Prop G on April 8. Please encour-age fellow parents, neighbors and grand-parents to give their community’s children the resources they need today in order to be the pioneers of tomorrow.

Jennifer AbercrombieDave Reinhardt

Yes for Prop G committee co-chairs

Board incumbents will keep Lindbergh strongTo the editor:Lindbergh Schools is No. 1 in education

in our state.One reason is the stewardship of board

members Kathleen Kienstra, Donald Bee and Vicki Lorenz Englund. These incum-bents are also fi scal hawks, as evidenced by the recent announcement that the board saved taxpayers over $3.5 million through a bond refunding. What more can you expect from these candidates? They bal-ance the interests of the students and the taxpayers and do so with great success.

Then we have Cori Akins and Al Faul-stich. I recently attended a Crestwood PTO meeting where the candidates could speak.

Mr. Faulstich did not appear, which speaks volumes. Ms. Akins did speak. When asked if she supported Prop G she stated she “would do what the taxpayers told her to do,” and then said she “had not made up her mind.”

We need strong leaders, not ones who re-fuse to state their real agenda, that being to vote against Prop G.

(See STRONG, Page 10A)

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• Current Sunset Hills Ward 1 Alderman Rich Gau is being challenged in Tuesday’s election by former Ward 1 Alderman Douglas McGuire. For profi les of the two candidates, visit www.callnewspapers.com. The story also will include information about write-in candidates for three offi ces, including mayor.• The Memories Car Club’s car cruises that start Friday.

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Call Publishing, Thursday, September 25, 2014 - Page 4A

By Mike Anthony

Military career impressive,transparency not so much

Crestwood City Administrator Mark Sime’s father-in-law is very proud of Sime’s military service.

And he should be. Sime, a retired Air Force colonel, has a distinguished mil-itary record. Sime’s father-in-law, Jim Furlong, outlined specifics of Sime’s 26 years of military service during the Aug. 12 Board of Aldermen meeting and called him “a true hero.”

“... I can go on and on and on about (Sime’s military service), and I find it outrageous that his ethics, his char-acter and his honesty are in question here ...,” Furlong said.

Sime’s military career is extreme-ly impressive. Much less impres-sive, however, was the fact that the vast majority of those attending the Aug. 12 meeting were unaware of Furlong’s relationship to Sime. In a breach of protocol, no one — not Mayor Gregg Roby nor acting City Clerk Helen Ingold — stopped to ask Furlong for his address. Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen speakers asked to stop their remarks until they identi-fy themselves and provide an address before being allowed to continue.

We were curious about Furlong’s address and submitted a public-records request to the city for it.

“The city does not have that infor-mation,” Ingold responded.

The lack of an address also raised a few eyebrows among some of the city’s aldermen, particularly when they received draft minutes of the Aug. 12 meeting, which contained no address for Furlong. At the Sept. 9 meeting, Ward 3 Alderman Paul Duchild raised the issue, but noted the address had since been supplied.

However, the address was not a residence, but a veterinary hospi-tal in Chesterfield. Curious about how Sime came to know Furlong’s address, the Call asked him about the fact that the speaker’s address was a veterinary hospital.

“I contacted him, and that’s the ad-dress that he gave me,” Sime said.

Asked if Furlong is his father-in-law, Sime answered after a long pause, “Uh, yes.”

When asked if he thought it odd that his father-in-law addressed the board, Sime said, “... I would have to ask: Why would it be odd?”

Ironically, the issue of Sime being a veteran was raised at the Aug. 12 meeting by former Ward 4 Alderman Deborah Beezley, who spoke just before Furlong. If we didn’t know bet-ter, one might believe the whole thing was choreographed with Beezley pro-viding the setup by saying, “... I think, Mr. Sime, you’re a vet ... and I think

(See SERVICE, Page 5A)
















No discrimination against gays at Cor Jesu, former teacher writesTo the editor:I cannot believe all the inaccuracies in Gloria Lloyd’s recent

article about Cor Jesu Academy.It seems obvious to me that she has no clue about Cor Jesu or

the Catholic religion. I taught at Cor Jesu Academy, my daughter is a graduate and my granddaughter currently attends Cor Jesu.

Olivia Reichert was a physical education teacher and a graduate of Cor Jesu, as you stated. Christina Gambaro was a coach, but she was not a full-time teacher as Ms. Lloyd led readers to believe.

Ms. Gambaro substituted for a social studies teacher once.I was at Cor Jesu on Friday, Sept. 5, and saw the individuals

on Gravois with their signs. In her failure to tell the whole story, Ms. Lloyd neglected to mention that while a handful of protesters were lined up on Gravois Road that morning, Cor Jesu’s gym was filled with students, parents, friends and supporters celebrating the beginning of the school year with a beautiful Mass of the Holy Spirit.

Many people who were honking their horns that morning were honking in support of the school, not the individuals on the street outside. Ms. Lloyd failed to report that there was also a woman outside with a sign supporting Cor Jesu.

She quoted Marek Bozek, who identified himself as a Catholic

priest. However, Bozek was excommunicated from the Catholic Church and his church, St. Stanislaus, is no longer a Catholic Church.

I did not see anyone else among the protestors with a Roman collar like Bozek was wearing, so it was inaccurate of Ms. Lloyd to use the plural “priests” in her article.

When I worked at Cor Jesu, I was with gay teachers and taught gay students. No gay person has been discriminated against at Cor Jesu. Students are repeatedly told by faculty and staff that they are loved for who they are.

Olivia Reichert and Christina Gambaro were let go because they violated their contracts and they knew it. They, along with others who do not understand the standards that Catholic teachers must abide by, are trying to harm Cor Jesu because Cor Jesu did what it had to do.

CJA all the way.Ceal Parchomski

ConcordEditor’s note: Gloria Lloyd reports she saw more than one

Catholic priest attending the Sept. 5 rally and did not see a sign in favor of the school. St. Stanislaus is an independent Catholic Church not affiliated with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Aldermen accept panel’s recommendationto OK consultant for Comprehensive Plan(Continued from Page 1A)and Crestwood and currently has two sets of names on the plaque, Hoffmann noted: Mayor Mark Furrer of Sunset Hills and Mayor Gregg Roby of Crestwood, with former Mayor Jeff Schlink listed under Roby but no one listed under Furrer.

Schlink and Nolan worked on the dog park project together, but were defeated for re-election in April by Roby and Furrer, respectively.

Asked why Crestwood listed its former mayor but Sunset Hills did not, Parks and Recreation Director Gerald Brown said at the Sept. 9 meeting, “I can just basically say that I was directed to put what was up there.”

The boulder has the space for the name, and the cost of the request will be minimal, Brown added.

In other matters, aldermen:• Unanimously agreed to accept the recommendation of the

Planning and Zoning Commission to select Houseal Lavigne of Chicago as the consultant for the city’s new Comprehensive Plan and negotiate on the scope and cost of the plan.

One of the problems with the current Comprehensive Plan is that

many of the suggestions were not implemented, City Engineer and Public Works Director Bryson Baker said, noting that Houseal Lavigne is “very good at implementation.” The other options were PGAV and Streiler & Associates.

• Unanimously agreed to renew the city’s deer bow-hunting ordinance for another season, which is currently underway until January. The new legislation adds more regulations than last year’s and passed 8-0, with several residents speaking in support of it at the meeting.

• Approved Furrer’s appointment of frequent bow-hunting ordi-nance critic Sandra Jo Ankney to the city’s Deer Committee.

The board approved the appointment 6-2, with Ward 1 Alderman Richard Gau and Ward 3 Alderman Kurt Krueger opposed. City Collector Michael Sawicki, who serves as chairman of the Deer Committee, told the board that he does not support the appoint-ment, saying, “I feel the committee is fine as it is.”

• Unanimously agreed to accept a 15-acre donation of vacant land from a resident who wanted to donate property in memory of his late wife and allowed the city to select the location.

Brown said the city chose this property because it is the last parcel available along the Meramec River in Sunset Hills, and the city hopes to eventually use it as part of a three-mile trail from Tapawingo to Minnie Ha Ha Park.

• Plaque

In contest of mayors, Sunset Hills wins over Toronto, letter writer saysTo the editor:After reading the article regarding Mayor

Mark Furrer’s past actions while in control of a motor vehicle, I had to read it a second time just to make sure I got it right.

I have to admit that I am not the bright-

est bulb in the box, but I was able to glean enough information to make me feel proud as punch to have such an outgoing and debonair official leading the great city of Sunset Hills. Also in today’s daily news-paper, I happened to read another article

about Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto.If there was a contest to see which city

is the bigger laughing stock, Sunset Hills would win, hands down.

Jim KohnenConcord

Call Publishing, Thursday, September 25, 2014 - Page 5A

Some question contributionsmade by McBride to Stenger(Continued from Page 1A)“pure ice” in the winter, when “it’s like the Keystone Kops out there” with cars sliding and colliding.

With hundreds of Ferguson protesters packed into the council meeting, the con-cerns of the south county neighbors who want to keep their neighborhood the way it is were mostly well-received by the protesters, who were also directing their comments that night to Stenger.

The neighbors hoped to duplicate their success at stopping a subdivision at the same site a decade ago, when former Coun-cilman John Campisi, R-south county, led the council to unanimously vote down a proposal for 105 houses. Stenger defeated Campisi for the seat in 2008 and has taken a different tactic toward potential develop-ments than Campisi, who would typically oppose rezoning if nearby residents did not want it.

McBride’s Jeannie Aumiller said at the July 21 Planning Commission public hear-ing on the project that the new proposal is smaller: a 65-unit subdivision of attached duplexes, triplexes and four-plexes that will span 13.5 acres on either side of Suson Hills Drive, with an average lot size of 0.12 acre.

No traffi c study has been conducted for the new development. Responding to con-cerns that the traffi c from this subdivision and a 25-home subdivision being built by Pinnacle less than a mile away near Wells Road could overwhelm the traffi c capacity of Suson Hills Drive, McBride attorney John King dismissed those concerns and said traffi c is a good thing to have.

“Traffi c? We have traffi c everywhere. I come out of my subdivision on Laclede Station Road to traffi c,” King said. “If we didn’t have traffi c, we’d all be sorely upset because we wouldn’t have places to go to work.”

The organizer of the subdivision oppo-sition, 38-year South Hills resident Geri Baum, told the Call that when she talked with McBride CEO John Eilermann Jr. while the bill was still on hold at the coun-cil, he told her that the property’s closing date was set for the next week, which would mean that the council would have had to grant approval two weeks in a row.

“He said, ‘We close next week.’ I said, ‘The county hasn’t even voted on it yet.’ He said, ‘It’s going to happen,’ and I thought that was curious that he would know with certainty that this zoning was going to go through — and we hadn’t even voted yet,” Baum said.

Some of the neighbors noted to the coun-cil that Stenger has received signifi cant campaign contributions from McBride, King and other developers whose projects Stenger later voted to approve.

“I really thought at one time — falsely — that Steve Stenger represented the people that voted him into offi ce,” Baum said, noting her yard had a Stenger sign before the Aug. 5 primary. “And now I feel that he represents McBride and (J.H.) Berra and not the interests of the people.”

Campaign-fi nance records show that Stenger has raised more than $2 million in his bid for county executive. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the Suson Hills project 6-0 on Aug. 4. In August alone, Stenger received $17,500 from McBride, which is the largest union home-builder in the nation.

This summer, Stenger also received at least $20,000 in donations from subsidiar-ies of J.H. Berra, which often develops properties with McBride and currently has a proposal for a 43-unit subdivision on Brittinger Road pending at the council.

Stenger told the Call that he has never based a zoning decision on whether a company has donated money to one of his campaigns and that he analyzes each proj-ect individually for its merits.

“In my last report, I think I may have had in excess of 300 separate contributions from companies and individuals. These contributions have extended over years, years and years. I mean, it’s what we do in public life. You have to run for election, and people make contributions,” he said. “I think what you’ll fi nd is the individuals that she mentioned and the companies that she mentioned have been giving to me for years, quite literally since I fi rst began.

“Not for some type of political favor, but because they believe in me. And they believe in good government.”

Veteran real-estate attorney King, who represents McBride and Berra, has donated to both Stenger and County Executive Charlie Dooley in the past. His wife, Gloria, donated $1,000 to Stenger Aug. 26, listing the address of King’s Clayton law fi rm, Lathrop & Gage.

Overall, Stenger receives heavy fi nancial support from fellow lawyers, unions and development interests, including $10,000 donated Aug. 28 from a political-action committee for homebuilders.

Campaign-fi nance records of Stenger’s opponent in November’s election, Rep. Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood, show Stream has raised $465,000 and did not receive anything approaching the level of fi nancial support from homebuilders and developers that Stenger did.

• Concerns

• ServiceSime’s father-in-law outragedover criticism of administrator(Continued from Opinions, Page 4A)we are proud — I should think we should be proud that we have hired vets in our community. I’m saddened tonight by the way we treat people ...”

That’s ludicrous. Certainly no one in public service would stage such an elabo-rate setup just to defend himself or herself

against criticism. Equally ludicrous, how-ever, is that somehow Sime merits a free pass from criticism on how he is perform-ing his duties as city administrator because of his past military service.

Perhaps President Theodore Roosevelt put it best: “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is mor-ally treasonable to the American public.”

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Call Publishing, Thursday, June 5, 2014 - Page 4A

By Mike Anthony

Crestwood’s new mayoroff to disappointing start

Disappointing. That’s how we’d characterize Gregg Roby’s perfor-mance so far as Crestwood mayor.

Roby, a former one-term Ward 3 alderman, was elected mayor April 8 and took the oath of office April 22.

Roby kicked off his mayoral cam-paign last summer, addressing the Board of Aldermen on numerous occasions and contending he had the answers to solve the city’s problems.

For example, Roby suggested last November that aldermen could take action to rescind their pay and the mayor’s pay, saying it would send a message to city employees that elected officials also are participating in cutbacks. That same month, Roby cited the city’s low tax rate and won-dered why the board had not placed some type of measure before voters to bolster the city’s financial situation.

However, we’ve seen very little leadership from Roby since he assumed office. What happened to all those ideas he had?

Contrast that to former Mayor Roy Robinson, who contributed to Roby’s campaign.

Within a month of taking office in 2005, Robinson reinstalled a mayor-only parking sign at City Hall, asked every member of every city board and commission to resign and proposed placing a 15-cent tax-rate increase before voters that aldermen rejected.

While Robinson’s ideas weren’t necessarily good ones, at least he hit the ground running upon taking office.

The night he was sworn in as mayor, Roby said, “We all realize that we’re not all going to agree on every single issue, but we hope as individuals we can come together and work for the betterment of Crestwood.”

Yet at last week’s board meeting, he recommended a divisive appoint-ment to the Economic Development Commission — Anne Milford.

Milford’s primary qualifications for the commission would seem to be the fact that she contributed $100 to Roby’s mayoral campaign and man-ages a Facebook page, Let’s Grow Crestwood, that helped promote Roby’s candidacy.

Cronyism apparently is one lesson Roby did learn from Robinson’s ten-ure as mayor.

Milford’s selection was so divisive that aldermen deadlocked 4-4, and Roby cast his first tie-breaking vote as mayor to approve her appointment.

Roby made many promises during his mayoral campaign that he would provide the leadership he contended the city was lacking. We believe it’s disappointing that he has yet to fulfill any of them.
















The Call encourages readers to submit letters to newspaper’s editorWe encourage readers to write us.Letters of 200 words or less are preferred.Because of space considerations, however, the shorter your let-

ter to the editor, the better the chances are that it will be published.Each letter must be signed and include the author’s telephone

number and address for verification purposes. The newspaper will not publish nor disclose the author’s telephone number and address. We also require that readers mark their letters “written exclusively for the Call.”

Please remember we will not publish more than one letter from the same author during any 30-day period. Letters to the editor can be emailed to [email protected].

In addition, letters can be submitted on-line by visiting the news-paper’s website at www.callnewspapers.com.

If you haven’t seen your letter published, perhaps you did not include your name or telephone number for verification purposes. If you have questions about the status of your letter, please call Executive Editor Mike Anthony at (314) 843-0102.

To the editor:The recent ill-considered decision to

move the Tesson Ferry Branch County Library, which was based upon question-able logic, is neither in the best interest of the citizens who utilize the library’s many services or the community as a whole.

I understand the need to have a building that is safe for patrons, but the discussion sur-rounding the library was less than forthcom-ing. Taxpayers are ill-served when not given the opportunity to express their concerns about potentially expensive public projects.

The need for open and honest discussion among library officials and the citizens

who will be affected by the move is critical for a well-functioning civil society. The selection of a new building was rash and done without due consideration to the impact its location would have on those who use the library the most.

Any time such a large expenditure of tax-payer funds to improve our communities is going to occur, the officials who will make the decision must come to the citizens in an earnest and forthright manner. This was clearly not done in the case of the Tesson Ferry Branch County Library.

Library officials were not timely with in-formation and failed to respond to inqui-

ries by citizens for that information in a manner that would have allowed for a real discussion. These actions demonstrate the unnecessary speed at which the decision to move the library was made.

It is my hope that library officials take a step back and re-evaluate their recent decisions and any further decisions so that citizens can receive the proper hearing they deserve.

Mike LearaConcord

Editor’s note: Mr. Leara, a Republican, represents the 96th District in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Decision to move Tesson Ferry Library ‘ill-considered,’ Leara says

Superintendent bids farewell to Mehlville School DistrictBy ERIC D. KNOST

After 12 very enjoyable years, I find my days in the Mehlville School District coming to a close.

Soon, the new challenge I have accepted will bring my departure from the schools, students, colleagues and friends who have been a major part of my life for many years.

I wouldn’t trade my time in Mehlville for anything. I remain proud of so many people and accomplishments, but I’m mostly honored to have been part of the true grit that defines how we go about our business on a daily basis. It’s about unity, and it’s about those who accept the charge.

I could easily list accomplishments, but I prefer to elevate peo-ple. I’ve been blessed to work alongside so many dedicated, hard-working individuals, and I am absolutely honored to have served as your superintendent, deputy superintendent and principal.

We all know change is inevitable and it provides a constant force in our lives. Change should not be viewed as something bad, but instead, a new beginning. I’ve been afforded the chance to be a part of many new beginnings in my years with this district and I’ve been pleased with the journey.

I’ve poured my heart and soul into my time here, and it has always been my intent to make a real difference in the lives of oth-ers. I’m convinced we have established a foundation of unity that offers a very bright and promising future for Mehlville Schools.

I truly do hope I’m leaving the district a little better than when I arrived over a de-cade ago. I am thankful for the numerous relationships established while valuing envi-ronments where kids and adults are made to feel extraordinary. I remain humbled by all of the support I’ve felt during my stay here in Mehlville.

Thank you to everyone who has gone out of their way to reminisce about the roads we’ve traveled or to simply offer a kind word. Let’s stay connected and committed in

one of the most important missions of all, the mission of helping kids thrive in the world.

So long, good friends, and thanks for the wonderful memories.Eric D. Knost will step down as superintendent of the Mehlville

School District June 30 to become superintendent of the Rockwood School District July 1.

Eric Knost

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