On December 16th, Tuesday, at 6pm at 8136 Groby Road the School Board is having an open meeting to vote on accepting the recommendations of the Community Engagement meetings. The recommendation is to close both Delmar Harvard and Nathaniel Hawthorne, re-do Flynn & Jackson Park, the high and middle schools, and build new schools to replace Pershing and Barbara C. Jordan.
Details of the community engagement meetings can be seen at
http://www.ucityschools.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/Front%20Page%7C%20Destination%20UCity
If you cannot attend, and wish to have your voice heard, you can email all of the School Board members at once by sending an email to their secretary Ms. Tatum at ctatum@u-city.k12.mo.us with the the subject line "for all Board members". Letters can be written to
All Board Members
School District of University City
8136 Groby Road
University City, MO 63130
The Superintendent, Ms. Joylynn Wilson is eager to hear from you, her email is jwilson@u-city.k12.mo.us and letters can reach her at the above address also.
The Delmar Harvard community would appreciate any support.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
pipes, gumballs and leaves
Freezing pipes
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to turn of your outdoor hose faucets from inside your house (if applicable). A neighbor has already had a pipe rupture due to freezing.
Gumballs
As a courtesy, please sweep up gumballs from your sidewalk.
Leaf Pick-up
U. City has not scheduled any further leaf sweeping, so please do not rake leaves into the street and expect them to be picked-up. In fact, have them piled in the streets only increases the chance of backing up the storm sewers. Yard waste stickers are NOT required on yard waste bags in the months of November and December, so please back them up and put them out on Sunday nights.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to turn of your outdoor hose faucets from inside your house (if applicable). A neighbor has already had a pipe rupture due to freezing.
Gumballs
As a courtesy, please sweep up gumballs from your sidewalk.
Leaf Pick-up
U. City has not scheduled any further leaf sweeping, so please do not rake leaves into the street and expect them to be picked-up. In fact, have them piled in the streets only increases the chance of backing up the storm sewers. Yard waste stickers are NOT required on yard waste bags in the months of November and December, so please back them up and put them out on Sunday nights.
Neighborhood Watch Recap
Neighborhood Watch
Attendance was very good at last weeks meeting. Captain Jackson from U. City Police Department had informational packets for us and was willing to answer/address all concerns and questions and discussed the following basics (some are common sense ideas but could use a refresher):
From the captain, we live in a very safe neighborhood. We should not be scared to walk around at night, Should pay attention to the surroundings, not talking on the phone.
She felt that our neighborhood was dark, said that everyone should keep their porch lights on at night--thieves hate lights. If out of town, lights/radio/television should be on timers and paper and mail should be picked up. Thought it is a good idea to invest in motion detection lighting, and home security systems, said that they have become a lot cheaper. All possessions should be locked up. Don't leave Ipods/laptops in cars as it is easy to break a window and get into them. She also said we can request that the police keep an extra eye on our homes while we are out of town.
The Captain also wanted us to close off the Harvard/Dartmouth entrance to the neighborhood, only creates problems from outsiders. She mentioned that the Chief also thought it was the best thing to do. [The Trustees are closing off this entrance until further notice].
She said to call the police anytime you see something suspicious, especially solicitors, do not feel guilty about that, it is the only way the police can do their job.
The Captain said that she was really impressed by the turn out. We should start a neighborhood watch program, several people offered to be street captains. We should make sure that we get to know all of our neighbors and help watch their houses.
As far as safety on the street, she recommended carrying police type mace or pepper spray.
Her street advice was to continue walking but to be more aware of our surroundings and not to carry valuable items. She especially said to not be walking and talking on the phone... that makes you vulnerable. Also she asked that we really pay attention to details of what we see as we walk.... notice and memorize license plates and faces, height, clothing, details of people we see.
The one thing she emphasized over and over is for us to be proactive in keeping an eye on our neighborhood and calling the police whenever anything looks suspicious. A couple of people admitted to feeling guilty if they did and there was nothing to worry about. She said getting us to overcome that fear is a major hurdle for her. When the police do come and question someone on the street who we wondered about, that sends out two messages, 1). that we are on the watch and 2). that person gets into their files in their Field Investigative Report( FIR). If someone is innocent, the FIR is basically not looked at again. But if there is a repeat call about someone and the police see a previous FIR, then they know to be watchful of that person... or at least investigate further.
On an aside, she referred to our neighborhood repeatedly as Circle City.... that's what the Police Dept call us. I 'm thinking we should now name the lot Circle City Park.
One person asked the Captain what she thought of private security patrols. She said that a lot of people consider them a joke. That Parkview had one at one time and they had to purchase a car for the service. But the service could not hold anyone.... they had to call the police dept., just like we would have to. They did issue the private service a police radio so they could be in contact. She did not believe that Parkview has it anymore. Her final comment was "I honestly don't think it is to the point where you need to hire a private security service."
She did not seem to think there was a trend for our neighborhood for increased crime..... but I think what she meant by that was that everyone was experiencing it. She did say that once word it out that we are proactive, those committing the crimes move on to a different neighborhood (not really very comforting to me). She said that since the subdivision west of us started there’s in the past several weeks, they haven't had any calls.
There was agreement in starting our Neighborhood Watch Program beginning immediately. We took volunteers to be block captains and every block is now covered by at least one. Betsy Grant offered to be the coordinator who will be the contact person with the police dept. until someone else steps forward.
Captain Jackson offered to personally do a security check of any home that requests one. Her email is cjackson@ucitymo.org and her phone number is 314-505-8654. She also recommends that the Block Captains attend the monthly neighborhood watch meetings that she holds at the Community Center once a month or so. She said that in doing so, we'll learn from the other groups around the city about what has worked for them.
Jeff Klohr mentioned that getting to know your neighbors would make a big difference in looking out for each other. I think our community socials take on even greater importance as we all approach this new concern.
Mike Glickert was there and he recommended that we all log onto the city website and read their weekly update to learn what is new in the city. He answered a few questions regarding the possible new curfew and the possibility of closing DH.
The following people have volunteered to be block captains for the start of the program:
Harvard -George Tseng
Cornell - Amanda Slavin
Radcliffe - Eileen Pfeiffer
Trinity - Mark Rowley
Princeton - Margaret Rosielle
Amherst - Rachel Slaughter
Yale - Myra Vandersall
Dartmouth - Shari LeKane-Yentumi
Columbia - Prabhakar Rao
Delmar - Mary Rudder
They will be getting together sometime this month to plan how the neighborhood watch will be structured and/or function.
Please contact Betsy Grant for questions about the Neighborhood Watch Program, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu.
Attendance was very good at last weeks meeting. Captain Jackson from U. City Police Department had informational packets for us and was willing to answer/address all concerns and questions and discussed the following basics (some are common sense ideas but could use a refresher):
From the captain, we live in a very safe neighborhood. We should not be scared to walk around at night, Should pay attention to the surroundings, not talking on the phone.
She felt that our neighborhood was dark, said that everyone should keep their porch lights on at night--thieves hate lights. If out of town, lights/radio/television should be on timers and paper and mail should be picked up. Thought it is a good idea to invest in motion detection lighting, and home security systems, said that they have become a lot cheaper. All possessions should be locked up. Don't leave Ipods/laptops in cars as it is easy to break a window and get into them. She also said we can request that the police keep an extra eye on our homes while we are out of town.
The Captain also wanted us to close off the Harvard/Dartmouth entrance to the neighborhood, only creates problems from outsiders. She mentioned that the Chief also thought it was the best thing to do. [The Trustees are closing off this entrance until further notice].
She said to call the police anytime you see something suspicious, especially solicitors, do not feel guilty about that, it is the only way the police can do their job.
The Captain said that she was really impressed by the turn out. We should start a neighborhood watch program, several people offered to be street captains. We should make sure that we get to know all of our neighbors and help watch their houses.
As far as safety on the street, she recommended carrying police type mace or pepper spray.
Her street advice was to continue walking but to be more aware of our surroundings and not to carry valuable items. She especially said to not be walking and talking on the phone... that makes you vulnerable. Also she asked that we really pay attention to details of what we see as we walk.... notice and memorize license plates and faces, height, clothing, details of people we see.
The one thing she emphasized over and over is for us to be proactive in keeping an eye on our neighborhood and calling the police whenever anything looks suspicious. A couple of people admitted to feeling guilty if they did and there was nothing to worry about. She said getting us to overcome that fear is a major hurdle for her. When the police do come and question someone on the street who we wondered about, that sends out two messages, 1). that we are on the watch and 2). that person gets into their files in their Field Investigative Report( FIR). If someone is innocent, the FIR is basically not looked at again. But if there is a repeat call about someone and the police see a previous FIR, then they know to be watchful of that person... or at least investigate further.
On an aside, she referred to our neighborhood repeatedly as Circle City.... that's what the Police Dept call us. I 'm thinking we should now name the lot Circle City Park.
One person asked the Captain what she thought of private security patrols. She said that a lot of people consider them a joke. That Parkview had one at one time and they had to purchase a car for the service. But the service could not hold anyone.... they had to call the police dept., just like we would have to. They did issue the private service a police radio so they could be in contact. She did not believe that Parkview has it anymore. Her final comment was "I honestly don't think it is to the point where you need to hire a private security service."
She did not seem to think there was a trend for our neighborhood for increased crime..... but I think what she meant by that was that everyone was experiencing it. She did say that once word it out that we are proactive, those committing the crimes move on to a different neighborhood (not really very comforting to me). She said that since the subdivision west of us started there’s in the past several weeks, they haven't had any calls.
There was agreement in starting our Neighborhood Watch Program beginning immediately. We took volunteers to be block captains and every block is now covered by at least one. Betsy Grant offered to be the coordinator who will be the contact person with the police dept. until someone else steps forward.
Captain Jackson offered to personally do a security check of any home that requests one. Her email is cjackson@ucitymo.org and her phone number is 314-505-8654. She also recommends that the Block Captains attend the monthly neighborhood watch meetings that she holds at the Community Center once a month or so. She said that in doing so, we'll learn from the other groups around the city about what has worked for them.
Jeff Klohr mentioned that getting to know your neighbors would make a big difference in looking out for each other. I think our community socials take on even greater importance as we all approach this new concern.
Mike Glickert was there and he recommended that we all log onto the city website and read their weekly update to learn what is new in the city. He answered a few questions regarding the possible new curfew and the possibility of closing DH.
The following people have volunteered to be block captains for the start of the program:
Harvard -George Tseng
Cornell - Amanda Slavin
Radcliffe - Eileen Pfeiffer
Trinity - Mark Rowley
Princeton - Margaret Rosielle
Amherst - Rachel Slaughter
Yale - Myra Vandersall
Dartmouth - Shari LeKane-Yentumi
Columbia - Prabhakar Rao
Delmar - Mary Rudder
They will be getting together sometime this month to plan how the neighborhood watch will be structured and/or function.
Please contact Betsy Grant for questions about the Neighborhood Watch Program, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu.
How to control ice on new conrete
Our new concrete is very easily damaged this first year. Please do not use salt or chemicals to melt the snow and ice. Use sand or dry lawn or garden fertilizer, if you need to. Thank you for doing this. We will see significant concrete failure if we use the wrong products.
Judy Baernstein
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sgt. King donations
As you surely have already heard of Sergeant Michael King who was
killed on October 31. We value our close friends at the police and
fire department and are very fortunate to have such great neighbors in
them. That said, we are collecting donations in Sgt. King's honor. All
donations will go to Backstoppers. This is an organization that helps
the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our safety.
Please deliver any donations or cards to Priya Sudarsanam (6947
Amherst, 863-6710) Checks should be made payable to Backstoppers, Inc.
She will make the donation to the police department. Thank you for
your support and help.
killed on October 31. We value our close friends at the police and
fire department and are very fortunate to have such great neighbors in
them. That said, we are collecting donations in Sgt. King's honor. All
donations will go to Backstoppers. This is an organization that helps
the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our safety.
Please deliver any donations or cards to Priya Sudarsanam (6947
Amherst, 863-6710) Checks should be made payable to Backstoppers, Inc.
She will make the donation to the police department. Thank you for
your support and help.
Priya will collect donations till 5 pm this Friday, Nov 21, after
which I will take it over to the Police department. Also, she would
also be grateful if people could inform their neighbors who don't get
neighborhood emails who might be interested in making a donation. I
have collected several donations which I am sure will be greatly
appreciated by the Backstoppers organization.
Construction Memo #2 plus assessment and crime news
Sidewalks and Aprons: We would like you to take a look at the driveway aprons at the end of Harvard, near the bridge. They were poured about Nov. 3 and have changed color considerably, as they have aged, as expected. In the planning stages of this project, color of the sidewalks and aprons was the most discussed aspect we heard about. It has proved to be the most difficult to achieve. We have been advised that the exposed aggregate we had talked about was labor intensive and therefore, expensive and not as strong as regular concrete. We have selected a regular concrete with a color added which is brown/tan-ish. When we looked at the 942 colors which currently exist in the neighborhood, we tried to get a warm, yet non-descript color, which is not glaring like some of the concretes of recent years. We will encourage people to use this color formula, which will be available from the trustees, in future pouring, whenever homeowners have to repair damaged sidewalks for utility purposes or for construction. The new style is much lower, wider and has an edge designed to minimize damage to curb and tire when a driver does drive up on it.
Curbs and Gutters: We would like to explain to you what we are aiming for on the drainage issues.
On Harvard, Trinity, and at the junction of Cornell with Trinity (6910 Cornell) we have put in new curbs and gutters in concrete. We will be leaving the street surface concrete, as far as the new gutters extend. (See the subdivision to the west of us. They do all their gutters like this.) The engineers tell us that concrete stays firm and in place over time, whereas the asphalt bends and buckles, with packing down and heat heaving. This leads to the dips and hills which have caused the major puddling in the past. This should keep the water flowing down the incline on these streets.
On Dartmouth, we have milled out and replaced asphalt in a smoother way. We did not replace the gutters with concrete because the street has almost no slope and the expenditure of that large amount of money was not going to reliably get us results. We are still tweaking this. We hope to achieve some improvement on Dartmouth, but the flatness of the street poses long term problems.
Street Repair: On Princeton, we dug out and re-asphalted a section of the street which had deteriorated, due to a very large tree root. Concerning Lake Princeton, near #11 and #12 Princeton, the problem is the MSD drain pipe which goes from the drain at the high south side of the street, underground, to join the drain on the low north side (near #14). This drain is only 8” in diameter, which is exceptionally small for such a pipe. It gets clogged regularly. When it is clear, it works. Our plan should be for each of us to call MSD (768-6260) every time it clogs and ask for them to clear it. This is especially important for those of you who live on Princeton. The more calls, the more likely to get it cleared. Some generation, MSD should replace it with one large enough to stay open.
Lights: Did you notice that the Trinity/Cornell light is on, for the first time in probably three years? Don’t ask why it took so long. Just ask how much we love AmerenUE.
On the other hand, our construction crews have discovered that the subdivision seemed to have been wired by Beelzebub or some electrician with a wicked sense of humor. The wires were not where they were marked and were where they were not marked. To call them jerry-rigged would be several grades above their status. As a consequence, the sidewalk removal has caused some outages. Due to diligence on the part of TraMar Construction, especially Scott Wetmore, our field supervisor, AmerenUE has done much replacement work. As of this writing, all streetlights are on, as are the ornamentals except for the missing soldier at Yale/Dartmouth/Radcliffe. Wish us luck.
Work Scope:
We have found that the number of driveway approaches we need to replace is up 13% and the number of sidewalk slabs is up 30% from our original calculations 22 months ago. Part of this is just due to the passage of time. We have also seen that the last summer, with 30 inches of rain, has caused our trees to grow at a phenomenal rate, which has increased their root size, and broken and lifted our sidewalks even more. Our work scope has thus increased greatly.
We have also been advised by several contractors/engineers/city employees that the micro surfacing which was planned for parts of two streets (Cornell between Yale and Radcliffe and for Radcliffe from Cornell to just past the vacant lot) is not really a pressing need and could safely be put off a couple of years. This is $18,000 in the budget.
Our evolving philosophy has been to get all the asphalt and concrete work done right now, while we have the capable crews in here. We know we will not be able to get small contractors to give us such fine service in the near future. But, the budget…
Budget: We are over budget but have a plan. We had $30,000 in savings in the Trustee’s budget from years ago and we have added another $30,000 in the last 2-3 years to this nest egg, by frugal spending. We think this is the time to spend it to complete this project with the addition concrete work necessary. We are planning to spend as much as necessary of this $60,000 to supplement the NID budget. If we delay the micro surfacing, we think we can do everything else we planned on, by using the NID budget plus our nest egg. We are hoping it will not take all of the nest egg. With what is left over, plus what we can save in the next few years, we are confident that we will be able to afford to do the micro surfacing in the next 2-3 years.
Assessment: In light of the above, we will continue the $0.25 increase per frontage foot in this year’s assessment, taking it to $3.75. Please remember that an increase of 25 cents only yields the budget $5000 (and only costs a 50 ft lot $12.50). Our total assessment this year will be $77,032. If you wish to see the budgets for the last five years which were circulated at the annual meeting, contact Judy. Most of the private subdivisions around us have assessments of $5-$6 per frontage foot.
Crime: On Tuesday, November 11 at 7:30 PM at the intersection of Trinity and Amherst, one of our newer residents was robbed at gunpoint by two young men (16-20 y.o.). The resident’s phone and money were taken and the youths ran away toward Delmar. The police stopped some suspects, but the victim could not identify anyone. We extend our sympathy to him. If anyone knows anything useful, call the police.
There have also been multiple car break-ins and thefts. We must remain careful, calm and vigilant. Lock up your doors! The University Heights Association announces the following:
While the neighborhood had plans to begin the Neighborhood Watch program well before Tuesday's incident, it is now apparent that it is a necessity. One thing we can do is to be alert and watch for suspicious activity. To help us learn to be watchful we are organizing a neighborhood watch program. Captain Carol Jackson of the U. City Police Dept. will meet with us on Wednesday, December 3, from 6 to 8 at the U. City Library large meeting room, 2nd floor. All are welcome and encouraged to come. We would like to have every street represented. Questions or comments? Call Betsy, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu
New gate: In addition to closing off the gravel part of the old footpath between the subdivision and Vernon, we trustees are installing a gate in the white plastic fence which goes into the shopping center at Vernon and Kingsland and putting a “Private, No Trespassing” sign on it. We will have a combination push button lock on it. We are still considering whether or not to lock it. If we lock it, to whom and how do we give the combination to our residents? Will they share the combination with their friends? Do we like their friends? We want to proceed with actions which slow the traffic of undesirable persons, but do not really like the idea of permanently locking this access. This is a very delicate balance, for which we have no hard facts, only a wide variety of perceptions. Please help us draw this line thoughtfully.
Thank you for listening to our musings. We appreciate your assistance in managing these things.
Curbs and Gutters: We would like to explain to you what we are aiming for on the drainage issues.
On Harvard, Trinity, and at the junction of Cornell with Trinity (6910 Cornell) we have put in new curbs and gutters in concrete. We will be leaving the street surface concrete, as far as the new gutters extend. (See the subdivision to the west of us. They do all their gutters like this.) The engineers tell us that concrete stays firm and in place over time, whereas the asphalt bends and buckles, with packing down and heat heaving. This leads to the dips and hills which have caused the major puddling in the past. This should keep the water flowing down the incline on these streets.
On Dartmouth, we have milled out and replaced asphalt in a smoother way. We did not replace the gutters with concrete because the street has almost no slope and the expenditure of that large amount of money was not going to reliably get us results. We are still tweaking this. We hope to achieve some improvement on Dartmouth, but the flatness of the street poses long term problems.
Street Repair: On Princeton, we dug out and re-asphalted a section of the street which had deteriorated, due to a very large tree root. Concerning Lake Princeton, near #11 and #12 Princeton, the problem is the MSD drain pipe which goes from the drain at the high south side of the street, underground, to join the drain on the low north side (near #14). This drain is only 8” in diameter, which is exceptionally small for such a pipe. It gets clogged regularly. When it is clear, it works. Our plan should be for each of us to call MSD (768-6260) every time it clogs and ask for them to clear it. This is especially important for those of you who live on Princeton. The more calls, the more likely to get it cleared. Some generation, MSD should replace it with one large enough to stay open.
Lights: Did you notice that the Trinity/Cornell light is on, for the first time in probably three years? Don’t ask why it took so long. Just ask how much we love AmerenUE.
On the other hand, our construction crews have discovered that the subdivision seemed to have been wired by Beelzebub or some electrician with a wicked sense of humor. The wires were not where they were marked and were where they were not marked. To call them jerry-rigged would be several grades above their status. As a consequence, the sidewalk removal has caused some outages. Due to diligence on the part of TraMar Construction, especially Scott Wetmore, our field supervisor, AmerenUE has done much replacement work. As of this writing, all streetlights are on, as are the ornamentals except for the missing soldier at Yale/Dartmouth/Radcliffe. Wish us luck.
Work Scope:
We have found that the number of driveway approaches we need to replace is up 13% and the number of sidewalk slabs is up 30% from our original calculations 22 months ago. Part of this is just due to the passage of time. We have also seen that the last summer, with 30 inches of rain, has caused our trees to grow at a phenomenal rate, which has increased their root size, and broken and lifted our sidewalks even more. Our work scope has thus increased greatly.
We have also been advised by several contractors/engineers/city employees that the micro surfacing which was planned for parts of two streets (Cornell between Yale and Radcliffe and for Radcliffe from Cornell to just past the vacant lot) is not really a pressing need and could safely be put off a couple of years. This is $18,000 in the budget.
Our evolving philosophy has been to get all the asphalt and concrete work done right now, while we have the capable crews in here. We know we will not be able to get small contractors to give us such fine service in the near future. But, the budget…
Budget: We are over budget but have a plan. We had $30,000 in savings in the Trustee’s budget from years ago and we have added another $30,000 in the last 2-3 years to this nest egg, by frugal spending. We think this is the time to spend it to complete this project with the addition concrete work necessary. We are planning to spend as much as necessary of this $60,000 to supplement the NID budget. If we delay the micro surfacing, we think we can do everything else we planned on, by using the NID budget plus our nest egg. We are hoping it will not take all of the nest egg. With what is left over, plus what we can save in the next few years, we are confident that we will be able to afford to do the micro surfacing in the next 2-3 years.
Assessment: In light of the above, we will continue the $0.25 increase per frontage foot in this year’s assessment, taking it to $3.75. Please remember that an increase of 25 cents only yields the budget $5000 (and only costs a 50 ft lot $12.50). Our total assessment this year will be $77,032. If you wish to see the budgets for the last five years which were circulated at the annual meeting, contact Judy. Most of the private subdivisions around us have assessments of $5-$6 per frontage foot.
Crime: On Tuesday, November 11 at 7:30 PM at the intersection of Trinity and Amherst, one of our newer residents was robbed at gunpoint by two young men (16-20 y.o.). The resident’s phone and money were taken and the youths ran away toward Delmar. The police stopped some suspects, but the victim could not identify anyone. We extend our sympathy to him. If anyone knows anything useful, call the police.
There have also been multiple car break-ins and thefts. We must remain careful, calm and vigilant. Lock up your doors! The University Heights Association announces the following:
While the neighborhood had plans to begin the Neighborhood Watch program well before Tuesday's incident, it is now apparent that it is a necessity. One thing we can do is to be alert and watch for suspicious activity. To help us learn to be watchful we are organizing a neighborhood watch program. Captain Carol Jackson of the U. City Police Dept. will meet with us on Wednesday, December 3, from 6 to 8 at the U. City Library large meeting room, 2nd floor. All are welcome and encouraged to come. We would like to have every street represented. Questions or comments? Call Betsy, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu
New gate: In addition to closing off the gravel part of the old footpath between the subdivision and Vernon, we trustees are installing a gate in the white plastic fence which goes into the shopping center at Vernon and Kingsland and putting a “Private, No Trespassing” sign on it. We will have a combination push button lock on it. We are still considering whether or not to lock it. If we lock it, to whom and how do we give the combination to our residents? Will they share the combination with their friends? Do we like their friends? We want to proceed with actions which slow the traffic of undesirable persons, but do not really like the idea of permanently locking this access. This is a very delicate balance, for which we have no hard facts, only a wide variety of perceptions. Please help us draw this line thoughtfully.
Thank you for listening to our musings. We appreciate your assistance in managing these things.
Luminaria & Progressive Dinner: December 14
The annual neighborhood Luminaria display will be Sunday, December 14, 2008, at dusk. Sales of the Luminaria lights will be on Saturday, December 13, 2008, from 10 am until 4 pm and Sunday December 14, 2008, from 10 am until 2 pm. The sales booth will be in Central Park (the vacant lot at Radcliffe and Columbia). Stop by to chat and purchase your Luminaria lights (candles, bags and sand). The proceeds go to the University Heights Neighborhood Association. In the evening stroll the neighborhood to see the combined effect of hundreds of candle lanterns. In conjunction with Luminaria 2008, we are excited to once again coordinate the University Heights Progressive Dinner Party on Sunday, Dec. 14. EVERYONE is invited and you do not have to host to attend! Here’s how it works: 5:30 - 6:30: Hors d’oeuvres 6:45 - 7:45: Soup/salad 8:00 - 9:00: Adults end up at one BIG house for dessert (sleepy time for children) You will go to three different homes in the neighborhood and bring a dish and beverage to one of your host’s homes. At each home you will meet different neighbors. The walks between homes become magical with the Luminaria lights dancing at your feet. This is one of the highlights of our social -4-gatherings for the year. We encourage you to invite any new neighbors to join you. Your reservations are needed as early as possible and we are not able to take any after December 7. You will receive all your assignments in a confirmation letter or e-mail that arrives a few days before the event. We have several hosts who have offered their homes but could use a few more. Please call Eileen Pheiffer at 725-7067 or Margaret Rosielle at 725-5936 or e-mail them at epheiffer@sbcglobal.net or rosielle@sbcglobal.net to volunteer your home or to RSVP. We are looking forward to another great neighborhood event!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Neighborhood Watch Meeting - Rescheduled
Wednesday, December 3
6pm-8pm
U. City Library, large meeting room, 2nd floor.While the neighborhood had plans to begin the neighborhood Watch program well before Tuesday's incident, it is now apparent that it is a necessity. One thing we can do is to be alert and watch for suspicious activity. To help us learn to be watchful we are organizing a neighborhood watch program. Captain Carol Jackson of the U. City
Police Dept. will meet with us on Wednesday, December 3, from 6 to 8 at the U. City Library. All are welcome and encouraged to come. We would like to have every street represented. Questions or comments?
Call Betsy, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu.
6pm-8pm
U. City Library, large meeting room, 2nd floor.While the neighborhood had plans to begin the neighborhood Watch program well before Tuesday's incident, it is now apparent that it is a necessity. One thing we can do is to be alert and watch for suspicious activity. To help us learn to be watchful we are organizing a neighborhood watch program. Captain Carol Jackson of the U. City
Police Dept. will meet with us on Wednesday, December 3, from 6 to 8 at the U. City Library. All are welcome and encouraged to come. We would like to have every street represented. Questions or comments?
Call Betsy, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu.
Crime Report
On Tuesday, November 11 at 7:30 PM at the intersection of Trinity and Amherst, one of our newer residents was robbed at gunpoint by two young men (16-20 y.o.). The resident's phone and money were taken and the youths ran away toward Delmar. The police stopped some suspects, but the victim could not identify anyone. We extend our sympathy to him. If anyone knows anything useful, call the police.
There has also been an unlocked car stolen on Harvard and recovered a short distance away.
We must remain careful, calm and vigilant. The UHA is rescheduling the start of the "Neighborhood Watch Program", sponsored by the police department. Please join us at the Library from 6-8 PM on a date to be announced in early in December. We will try to see what we can do to help ourselves and to aid the police department.
Your trustees
There has also been an unlocked car stolen on Harvard and recovered a short distance away.
We must remain careful, calm and vigilant. The UHA is rescheduling the start of the "Neighborhood Watch Program", sponsored by the police department. Please join us at the Library from 6-8 PM on a date to be announced in early in December. We will try to see what we can do to help ourselves and to aid the police department.
Your trustees
Monday, November 10, 2008
Neighborhood Watch meeting Canceled! - To be rescheduled
The U. City Police Department had to cancel tonight's Neighborhood Watch meeting. We will keep you posted on the rescheduled date.
You can also check www.fencetalk.org for up to date news and notes.
You can also check www.fencetalk.org for up to date news and notes.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Neighborhood Watch, Neighborhood Loss, and more.
Neighborhood Watch Meeting
November 10, 6-8pm, 6928 Amherst
We have all heard about crime in our city and in our neighborhood. One thing we can do is to be alert and watch for suspicious activity. To help us learn to be watchful we are organizing a neighborhood watch program. Captain Carol
Jackson of the U. City Police Dept. will meet with us on Monday, November 10, from 6 to 8 at the LaVesser/Johnston home, 6928 Amherst. All are welcome and encouraged to come. We would like to have every street represented. Questions or comments? Call Betsy, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu.
Neighborhood Loss
As you surely have already heard of Sergeant Michael King who was killed on October 31. We value our close friends at the police and fire department and are very fortunate to have such great neighbors in them. That said, we are collecting donations in Sgt. King's honor. All donations will go to Backstoppers. This is an organization that helps the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our safety.
Please deliver any donations or cards to Priya Sudarsanam (6947 Amherst, 863-6710) Checks should be made payable to Backstoppers, Inc. She will make the donation to the police department.
Thank you for your support and help.
Neighborhood Association Meeting
Tuesday, November 11: 7pm at 17 Princeton
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Neighborhood Watch meeting November 10, 6-8pm
We have all heard about crime in our city and in our neighborhood. One thing
we can do is to be alert and watch for suspicious activity. To help us learn
to be watchful we are organizing a neighborhood watch program. Captain Carol
Jackson of the U. City Police Dept. will meet with us on Monday, November 10,
from 6 to 8 at the LaVesser/Johnston home, 6928 Amherst. All are welcome and
encouraged to come. We would like to have every street represented. Questions
or comments? Call Betsy, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu.
we can do is to be alert and watch for suspicious activity. To help us learn
to be watchful we are organizing a neighborhood watch program. Captain Carol
Jackson of the U. City Police Dept. will meet with us on Monday, November 10,
from 6 to 8 at the LaVesser/Johnston home, 6928 Amherst. All are welcome and
encouraged to come. We would like to have every street represented. Questions
or comments? Call Betsy, 726-5452, evenings or betsy@wubios.wustl.edu.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Sidewalk and Street Work to Begin: What you need to know and do:
Sidewalk and Street Work to Begin: What you need to know and do:
The Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) will commence work on or near 10/27/08. You should have received a notice from TraMar Contracting, Inc. explaining their role. The job superintendent is Mr. Scott Wetmore and he will be on site every day. There are a few things we would like to remind you about.
If you have a neighbor who does not do e-mail, would you print off this memo and give it to them? There will also be a pile of them on Judy's porch, 793 Yale and on Morty's porch, 739 Harvard for anyone to pick up it they need to.
The contractor estimates 70 work days for this project, excluding bad weather and holidays. We have requested priority for the street drainage problems. If the weather closes in on us, we will defer some of the sidewalks until spring. We are still hoping that we will complete this this season. The good news is that we do not get the bill from the city until everything is completed, so it looks like that will be at least the first of the year, if not later. But set aside your money because it will come due.
Please obey the signs and keep off the ripped up sidewalks. They are dangerous to walk on. Cars will have to be off certain streets at times and you will not have access to your driveways for at least a week sometimes. We hope not to, but we will tow if the parking signs are not obeyed and the project is held up. Please allow the employees to do their work. They have a tight schedule and do not have time to discuss the history of your sidewalk. If you have any questions or problems, call a trustee.
In order to replace the sidewalks, the crews will remove the offending slabs (marked with white and pink Xs) and build forms in which they will pour the new concrete. This will entail having approximately 2" of room surrounding the slab available for the forms. If you have a retaining wall, stone wall, railroad ties which are resting on the slab, we may have to remove them, but can probably work around items abutting the slab. The crews will do their best to not dig up too much of the walls and gardens, but you might expect some damage. If you could trim the foliage back where it is over the sidewalk, it would be a help, and you might be happier with your own trim style than theirs.
The utility companies have marked most of the utility locations. Please mark your sprinkler heads with a stake or some device to help them find them.
The slabs to be replaced will be done first, followed by patching small breaks. It has been difficult getting the concrete color correct and we have reached an accord with the contractor to make the mix with Meramec gravel, which is a brownish hue. The initial pour will be whiter/grayer than we wished, but it will weather down to an acceptable color as the gravel is exposed. The curbs and gutters will be standard gray construction concrete.
As you have noticed, it is not apparent why some perfectly good slabs are marked to be removed. Sometimes we need to do several good slabs to get the grade inched up to some high slab. We have tended to leave the high slab at the base of trees because lowering it would mean cutting up the roots too much. In some instances we have removed a run of perfectly good slabs because they were causing water to stand on other slabs. We are attempting to tilt all the new slabs toward the streets to prevent standing water. In some cases, we are going to shave off some of the soil on the tree lawn, because it is preventing water from running off the sidewalks into the street. These treelawns have grown taller that the sidewalks in many cases, due to mulch, accumulated lawn clippings and the rich dog droppings over the years. We will not shave these near tree roots.
The Missing Lampost at Yale/Dartmouth/Radcliffe: MSD has removed it and repaired the sewer. They are going to pay for us to hire TraMar Contracting to repour the base with a pipe course in the middle for the new wires. After that is installed, a company will bore under the street and install the wire which runs from the base to the nearby streetlight. Then AmerenUE will come and lift off the light pole to allow the wiring to be connected to the power within the light pole, with the aid of our electrician. At this point the beautiful lamppost will be reinstalled and relit. Whew! Glad we are not paying for this.
And in case you forgot your trustees, call us at the following numbers if there is any problem. Thanks.
If you have a neighbor who does not do e-mail, would you print off this memo and give it to them? There will also be a pile of them on Judy's porch, 793 Yale and on Morty's porch, 739 Harvard for anyone to pick up it they need to.
The contractor estimates 70 work days for this project, excluding bad weather and holidays. We have requested priority for the street drainage problems. If the weather closes in on us, we will defer some of the sidewalks until spring. We are still hoping that we will complete this this season. The good news is that we do not get the bill from the city until everything is completed, so it looks like that will be at least the first of the year, if not later. But set aside your money because it will come due.
Please obey the signs and keep off the ripped up sidewalks. They are dangerous to walk on. Cars will have to be off certain streets at times and you will not have access to your driveways for at least a week sometimes. We hope not to, but we will tow if the parking signs are not obeyed and the project is held up. Please allow the employees to do their work. They have a tight schedule and do not have time to discuss the history of your sidewalk. If you have any questions or problems, call a trustee.
In order to replace the sidewalks, the crews will remove the offending slabs (marked with white and pink Xs) and build forms in which they will pour the new concrete. This will entail having approximately 2" of room surrounding the slab available for the forms. If you have a retaining wall, stone wall, railroad ties which are resting on the slab, we may have to remove them, but can probably work around items abutting the slab. The crews will do their best to not dig up too much of the walls and gardens, but you might expect some damage. If you could trim the foliage back where it is over the sidewalk, it would be a help, and you might be happier with your own trim style than theirs.
The utility companies have marked most of the utility locations. Please mark your sprinkler heads with a stake or some device to help them find them.
The slabs to be replaced will be done first, followed by patching small breaks. It has been difficult getting the concrete color correct and we have reached an accord with the contractor to make the mix with Meramec gravel, which is a brownish hue. The initial pour will be whiter/grayer than we wished, but it will weather down to an acceptable color as the gravel is exposed. The curbs and gutters will be standard gray construction concrete.
As you have noticed, it is not apparent why some perfectly good slabs are marked to be removed. Sometimes we need to do several good slabs to get the grade inched up to some high slab. We have tended to leave the high slab at the base of trees because lowering it would mean cutting up the roots too much. In some instances we have removed a run of perfectly good slabs because they were causing water to stand on other slabs. We are attempting to tilt all the new slabs toward the streets to prevent standing water. In some cases, we are going to shave off some of the soil on the tree lawn, because it is preventing water from running off the sidewalks into the street. These treelawns have grown taller that the sidewalks in many cases, due to mulch, accumulated lawn clippings and the rich dog droppings over the years. We will not shave these near tree roots.
The Missing Lampost at Yale/Dartmouth/Radcliffe: MSD has removed it and repaired the sewer. They are going to pay for us to hire TraMar Contracting to repour the base with a pipe course in the middle for the new wires. After that is installed, a company will bore under the street and install the wire which runs from the base to the nearby streetlight. Then AmerenUE will come and lift off the light pole to allow the wiring to be connected to the power within the light pole, with the aid of our electrician. At this point the beautiful lamppost will be reinstalled and relit. Whew! Glad we are not paying for this.
And in case you forgot your trustees, call us at the following numbers if there is any problem. Thanks.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
From the Trustees: Construction Starts
From the Trustees:
Ready to Go - Neighborhood Improvement District - NID
We are signing a contract Monday for the street
improvements, the replacement of some driveway approaches
(AKA aprons), and the replacement of selected sidewalk slabs
with TraMar Contracting, Inc. of St. Charles. We hope to
start work right away, maybe even by the time you receive
this.
We will be marking with spray paint the sidewalk slabs and
driveway aprons scheduled for replacement. Because there
have been significant number of new cracks since we first
reviewed them, we are concerned about our increased costs.
Until we have a good count of the damaged slabs, we will be
spray painting the ones we consider mandatory in one color
and spray painting the ones we will do if we have enough
money in another color. We assume that you will be able to
tell which is which when you look at a few. A number of you
want your sidewalk aprons widened to conform to your
driveways. We will do this if your apron is on the schedule
to be replaced. Please contact a trustee if your apron
needs widening. If you have any problems with the slabs and
aprons as marked, please e-mail (preferred) or call us
pronto.
Communications, again
We will communicate the construction details, like street
closing days, by several methods. We will use the old
standby method of signs at the two entrances but signs can
only hold so much information. We encourage you to join the
Fence Talk on line at www.fencetalk.org. We will use this
media to distribute more detailed information about the
project. By giving Fence Talk your e-mail address, we can
communicate these things to you directly. We trustees, the
Fence Talk publishers, and the University Heights
Association pledge to keep the e-mailings to a minimum and
to not circulate your address.
Driveway repair, again
Many of you wanted to possibly do concrete or asphalt work
on your driveways and patios with the same company we are
using, while they have their equipment in the neighborhood,
which may result in a good price. You need to know that
although we trustees have chosen these vendors and think
they will do good work for the subdivision, your agreements
with them are strictly your business and we do not wish to
be part of it. We think that this work may begin very soon,
so do not delay or you will miss the boat (or concrete
truck). Please make sure you have received other bids so
you will be able to make an informed choice when you get
these bids. Now that all the disclaimers have been posted,
we are pleased to announce that TraMar Construction, Inc, in
the person of Patrick A. Terrio, 636-255-0808,
pterrio@tramarcontracting.com will be handling your private
asphalt and concrete work. Call him only about your
personal work. If there are any problems
during subdivision construction, call a trustee.
Joyce Daughaday
Morton Hyman
Judy Baernstein
baernstein@sbcglobal.net
314-725-8530 home
314-422-2708 cell
October Fest / Movie Night / U. City Symphony
OCTOBERFEST
The plan is to have Octoberfest on the next two Fridays, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, from 6 to 8 pm. There will be a grill and a table. It will be BYOB and grillables. If we can swing it, we can have movie night on the 24th.
U. CITY SYMPHONY
There is a U. City Symphony concert this Sunday, Oct. 19th at COCA @ 3pm. There is at least one Heights resident in the symphony.
The plan is to have Octoberfest on the next two Fridays, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, from 6 to 8 pm. There will be a grill and a table. It will be BYOB and grillables. If we can swing it, we can have movie night on the 24th.
U. CITY SYMPHONY
There is a U. City Symphony concert this Sunday, Oct. 19th at COCA @ 3pm. There is at least one Heights resident in the symphony.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Movie Night and more!
Friday Night Movie Night
6:30ish @ the Vacant Lot
Featuring the movie CARS.
Saturday
The St. Louis Packard Club will be displaying their cars at the Vacant Lot Saturday
11am-3pm
This is an open car show with 20+ antique Packards and Cadillacs. There will be a potluck if you would like to join in the festivities, otherwise just come and check out the cool old cars.
6:30ish @ the Vacant Lot
Featuring the movie CARS.
Saturday
The St. Louis Packard Club will be displaying their cars at the Vacant Lot Saturday
11am-3pm
This is an open car show with 20+ antique Packards and Cadillacs. There will be a potluck if you would like to join in the festivities, otherwise just come and check out the cool old cars.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Big Trash Day and more...
Big Trash Day
The week of September 8th.
U. City's bulky item collection allows residents to dispose of large furniture and appliances not accepted during regularly scheduled collections. Items made of ferrous metals, such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, are collected through the bulky item collections scheduled quarterly in all neighborhoods. The metals are then recycled.
City Council Meeting
Monday at 6:30pm, 4th floor, at City Hall.
Correction from the time given of 7:30pm
Neighborhood Picnic
Sunday, September 14th, evening at Lewis Park
Pot luck- bring your grub to share! More details to come in paper edition of Fencetalk
Crime Update
There have only been a few instances of crimes in the neighborhood this summer, but it is a good time to remind you to keep your eyes open, and act smart. Don't leave valuables exposed in your car and lock them. If you see something suspicious, please call the police at 911 immediately.
The week of September 8th.
U. City's bulky item collection allows residents to dispose of large furniture and appliances not accepted during regularly scheduled collections. Items made of ferrous metals, such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, are collected through the bulky item collections scheduled quarterly in all neighborhoods. The metals are then recycled.
City Council Meeting
Monday at 6:30pm, 4th floor, at City Hall.
Correction from the time given of 7:30pm
Neighborhood Picnic
Sunday, September 14th, evening at Lewis Park
Pot luck- bring your grub to share! More details to come in paper edition of Fencetalk
Crime Update
There have only been a few instances of crimes in the neighborhood this summer, but it is a good time to remind you to keep your eyes open, and act smart. Don't leave valuables exposed in your car and lock them. If you see something suspicious, please call the police at 911 immediately.
Monday, June 09, 2008
University City Summer Band
The University City Summer Band invites you to the Tuesday night
concerts in the Market in the Loop plaza on Delmar on Tuesday nights
from June 24 through July 29. The concerts are at 7:00PM and go on
for a little over an hour. Some seating in provided but lawn chairs
are suggested. These concerts are free and fun for all ages. For
more information, call Suzanne Schoomer at 862-8246.
concerts in the Market in the Loop plaza on Delmar on Tuesday nights
from June 24 through July 29. The concerts are at 7:00PM and go on
for a little over an hour. Some seating in provided but lawn chairs
are suggested. These concerts are free and fun for all ages. For
more information, call Suzanne Schoomer at 862-8246.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Summer Kickball season starts
Summer has started, the kids are out of school, and kickball season is here!
Thursday Kickball starts today, June 5th at 6pm in the Vacant Lot in
the center of the neighborhood.
This is ALL AGES. There will be hot dogs grilling.
If you have any questions, please contact Celina McGinnis, 863-0795.
Thursday Kickball starts today, June 5th at 6pm in the Vacant Lot in
the center of the neighborhood.
This is ALL AGES. There will be hot dogs grilling.
If you have any questions, please contact Celina McGinnis, 863-0795.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
U. Heights Neighbor performs at Jazz at the Bistro - June 18th
Come to Jazz at the Bistro on June 18th at 7:30 to hear our wonderful
U. Heights neighbor jazz pianist, Peter Martin and his trio. This
concert will benefit Healing the Children. Acclaimed pianist Peter
Martin has toured and recorded with artists such as Wynton Marsalis,
Dianne Reeves, Chris Botti, Roy Hargrove, and Joshua Redman. Peter
appeared in George Clooney's 2005 film, "Good Night and Good Luck," as
well as being featured on the Grammy winning soundtrack. Peter grew up
in The Heights and returned to the Heights as a homeowner after
Kattrina. Peter, his wife, Kelly and children Rachel and Daniel live
on Harvard. Come one come all! For ticket information call
314.781.0244.
U. Heights neighbor jazz pianist, Peter Martin and his trio. This
concert will benefit Healing the Children. Acclaimed pianist Peter
Martin has toured and recorded with artists such as Wynton Marsalis,
Dianne Reeves, Chris Botti, Roy Hargrove, and Joshua Redman. Peter
appeared in George Clooney's 2005 film, "Good Night and Good Luck," as
well as being featured on the Grammy winning soundtrack. Peter grew up
in The Heights and returned to the Heights as a homeowner after
Kattrina. Peter, his wife, Kelly and children Rachel and Daniel live
on Harvard. Come one come all! For ticket information call
314.781.0244.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Neighborhood Garage Sale - June 14th
Get your junk and bring it outside! It's a neighborhood wide
garage/driveway sale! Saturday, June 14th, the time will be posted as
soon as determined but surely early morning to mid afternoon. There
will be ads in the paper announcing it, so getting the people here
shouldn't be too hard. Getting them to take your stuff is another
story! Price ahead of time and prepare for early birds.
garage/driveway sale! Saturday, June 14th, the time will be posted as
soon as determined but surely early morning to mid afternoon. There
will be ads in the paper announcing it, so getting the people here
shouldn't be too hard. Getting them to take your stuff is another
story! Price ahead of time and prepare for early birds.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Big Trash Day
Big trash day is April 14-18. It appears to be different this year in
that they have not assigned an exact day of the week, so just have
your stuff out the eve of the 13th.
that they have not assigned an exact day of the week, so just have
your stuff out the eve of the 13th.
Heights Annual Meeting
Annual Meeting: Food, Fun and Facts
Wednesday, April 9, 6:00pm
U. City Library
Wednesday, April 9, 6:00pm
U. City Library
Think the University heights Association annual meeting is all
business? Not at all!
The annual meeting is not only a chance to learn more about the
workings of the neighborhood but an opportunity to ask questions,
visit with neighbors and enjoy snacks and refreshments.
Of course, we elect UHA board members and hear from our trustees.
Refreshments: 6:00pm
Meeting: 7:00pm
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