1

EX ALDERMAN NEWSLETTER 347 AND CHESTERFIELD UNAPPROVED 292

September 16, 2018

DEER REPORT:

Town and Country: Deer killing themselves by running into vehicles was remarkably

low for August in Town and Country. There were only three, with one being in a

subdivision (Mason Valley). This is down from 7 in 2017. The other two were on Ballas

Road which in the past has not been a big spot for deer death by vehicles.

# for 2018 Date Time Location

August

33 V 12 2325 2100 Block of Ballas

34 S 14 2039 2100 Block of Ballas

35 S 31 0834 1700 Block of Mason Knoll

Here are the Year to Date Town and Country Stats:

2018 Town and Country Deer Vs Vehicle report

August 2018 35

Ballas Road 3 Ward 1

I-64 at I-270 2 Ward 1

I-64 at or near Mason Road 3 Wards 2 or 3

I-64 at or near Hwy 141 1 Ward 4

I-270 4 Ward 1

2

Des Peres Road 1 Ward 1

Municipal Center Drive 1 Ward 1

Clayton Road (Mason to Bopp) 2 Wards 1 & 2

Westmoor Place 1 Ward 2

Mason Road south of Clayton Road 2 Ward 2

Mason Valley Subdivisions 1 Ward 2

Mason Road North of I-64 2 Ward 4

South Outer Forty 2 Wards 1, 2 & 4

North Outer Forty 2 Wards 1, 2 & 4

Hwy 141 5 Wards 3 & 4

Ladue Road 1 Ward 4

Woods Mill Road 2 Wards 3 & 4

Chesterfield: There were a total of 12 deer incidents in Chesterfield for August. Nine

were the result of vehicle vs deer incidents. One was a deer impaled on a backyard

fence, one was injured and then dispatched by the police and another found dead in a

residential yard.

Friday 0615 2640 Valley Yes NO Deer impaled

08/03/18 Clarkson Valley on fence

Saturday 1119 Chesterfield Pkwy Yes No Deer injured on

08/04/18 east of Elbridge Payne Yes No side of road

Monday 0743 Highcroft and Yes No Deer injured on

08/06/18 Schoettler side of road

Saturday 2115 Chesterfield Airport Rd No Yes Deer ran into

08/18/18 at Long Road side of car

Sunday 1432 14591 Ladue Road Yes No Injured deer in

08/19/18 yard of house

Wednesday 0834 14047 Camberra Ct Yes No Deer injured by

08/22/18 dog in yard

3

2018 Chesterfield Deer v Vehicles beginning on May 20 through Aug.

31

34 total

I-64 4

Baxter Road 1

Chesterfield Airport Rd 1

Chesterfield Parkway 1

Clarkson 5

Clayton Rd 4

Georgetown 1

Highcroft 1

Ladue Rd 2

Olive Blvd 4

Schoettler 2

White Rd 1

Wildhorse Creek 6

Woodsmill Road 1

TOWN AND COUTRY ARRESTS : Two or three times a year we file a Sunshine

Request and obtain a list of arrests from Town and Country Police so we can track the

outcome of cases and then often years later obtain a copy of the police report to share

information with our readers Here are arrests 30 days prior to Labor Day 2018:

4

5

BOARD OF ALDERMEN MEETING HAD FIREWORKS AND TRIED TO PUMP YOU

UP.

WARD- TWO ALDERWOMEN WANT FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OTHERS WANT

TO SPEND MORE FOR A FANTASTIC FOUTAIN AND BROOK: The Work Session

before the Monday September 10th Aldermanic meeting featured Parks Director Anne

Nixon talking about the change orders on the Town Square Project that resulted another

$210,000 in budget reserves being spent on an out of control construction project.

I was amused that Anne Nixon was giving the presentation since throughout the three-

plus years of the Town Square-plans city officials repeated and repeated how the Town

Square was not a Park.

Brinkman Development, the contractor doing the project along with building the

commercial building, with a restaurant and shops, owned by Brinkman, wants to have

stronger pumps for the “babbling brook” feature that elected officials wanted and a

fountain. The pump changes alone would cost $67,784 more!

6

Brinkman came up with the original plan and now wants to change it, citing that it turns

out stronger and more expensive pumps were needed.

Parks Director Anne Nixon giving a lecture on property

that is not a park. Nixon was saying the pumps originally planned would be overloaded

and subject to failure.

Here is how things went early on in the pre-meeting work session:

Ald. Tiffany Frautschi: Are you saying the design was flawed?

Nixon: I would not say it was flawed.

Frautschi: If we have to change it, it seems to be flawed.

Ald. Skip Mange: I would not make that conclusion.

Ald. Matt Reuter: What is the life expectancy of a fountain pump?

Nixon: You can burn out a pump in a year.

Reuter: What’s the difference?

Nixon: It is twice the size. You should get 5-to-7 years.

Ald. Lindsey Butler: The pump we have approved has a three-year warranty, meaning

we could replace it every year. Our Parks Director is now acting as an expert on

pumps. When we had experts in Mr. Stock (George Stock & Associations engineering)

7

and then Mr. Brinkman, they presented this with these pumps. We and Mr. Brinkman

hired an engineer to design it.

Ald. Lindsey Butler

Dir. Of City Services Craig Wilde (a licensed engineer): The pump is just not for the

brook. It is for the fountain where water is shot up in the air. The pump experts are the

people who make the pumps and sell the pumps.

The City’s Director of Services Craig “Grizzly” Wilde.

8

Wilde talked about how the smaller pump would be submerged in the stormwater

retention basin that Wilde kept calling “a lake.”

Butler: Was this mis-engineered since day 1?

Brinkman Project Manager Mike Greaving: Yes.

Butler: So a year has gone by where we could have addressed this?

Greaving: It has been six months. (Actually it has been nine months)

Ald. Lynn Wright: I agree totally with the direction we are going tonight (spending the

additional $67,000.)

Mange: It will be a few extra dollars. I don’t have a problem with it. (Apparently Mange

considers $67,000 a “few”.)

Ald. Jon Benigas: I’m going with making this a Triple-A facility. (I don’t think he means

turning it over to the Auto Club.) But something went wrong along the way. I want an

answer of what went wrong and when did it go wrong.

Ald. Fred “Tax Cheater” Meyland-Smith: As we continue this project we discovered a

better mousetrap. (Much like Fred considers claiming to be an Illinois resident and

registered his SUV to property he owns in Illinois so he doesn’t have to pay city and

state sales tax or County Personal Property is apparently a “better mousetrap.”)

Benigas: I don’t think it is a better mousetrap. Why didn’t we know about this a year

ago?

City Administrator Bob Shelton: I don’t recommend getting the small fountain and

pumps. If you don’t like it you will have to pay to replace it and get what you want.

ON TO THE OFFICIAL MEETING: Lindsey Butler made a motion to exclude the

additional money ($67,784) for the water feature when the aldermanic meeting began.

Benigas: I understand the motion, but we want the fountain and brook to be fantastic. I

think this (original bill) should be passed.

Wright: It takes time to find out what is best.

9

Frautschi: Out developer (Brinkman) said $250,000 was enough when we approved

this project. Residents should not have to come back to every Board of Aldermen

meeting to be sure we don’t go back on our word.

Ald. Tiffany Frautschi

Butler: I have maxed out on what I will spend on this project. (By our spending

numbers this project that was originally going to cost $5.6-million has broken the

$9,000,000 mark.)

Frautschi: There are $12,000 in “Fee Changes.” Brinkman said this would work.

Ald. Sue Allen: I think you can upgrade with some changes later. I say fiscal

responsibility. (She would then vote against the amendment to delete the $67,784 for

the new pump and voted for the original bill.)

Frautschi: Is our contract flawed? I would assume we never intended to suck up mud

and spit it back on us. If it is a design flaw, someone should be responsible for the

$67,000 to upgrade it.

Meyland-Smith: Every expert we hired recommends this upgrade. I don’t have

patience to play pin the tail on the donkey to blame someone.

The amendment to exclude the $67,784 for different pumps failed on a 5-3 vote with

Butler, Frautschi and Reuther voting for it.

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES There was one deletion from the $167,186 cost overrun

bill. During the planning for the Town Square fire places and fire pits were eliminated.

On a nice fall or spring evening the neighbors who live very close to the Town Square

have every right not to have their bedrooms or entire house smell like a campfire from

10

smoke from a fire pit. Somehow Brinkman put a fire pit back on the drawing board. The

$750 addition was quickly removed by an 8-0 vote.

The two other expenses were approved but not on 8-0 votes. Brinkman wanted to

change a large patio area in front of pavilions and the entry way from asphalt to

concrete and change building materials for docks and decks from “treated lumber” to

composite wood.

Tiffany Frautschi: These are things we should have considered when we agreed to

the contract.

The vote for a $43,745 increase was approved on a 6-2 vote with Frautschi and Butler

voting NO.

BRINKMAN INCREASES FIRE RISK OF MAIN TOWN SQUARE BUILDING: We

discussed this in an earlier newsletter. Wood shake shingles are the most dangerous

roofing shingles you can use, due to fire. Wood shake shingles are outlawed in parts of

the United States including California and even in parts of Missouri and Kansas due to

fire issues of fires started by lightning and fireworks.

Even treated “fire resistant” wood shake shingles are more dangerous than other

roofing. After five years summer sunlight and winter conditions degrade the fire

retardant chemicals on the shingles. How do I know this stuff? I was a fire and arson

investigator for 10 years. I even wrote an article on this issue for Firehouse Magazine

after a fire chief called me requesting national exposure on the issue.

SO what kind of roof is Brinkman putting on the town square building? Wood shake

shingles of course. He stated he thought the wood shake shingles would give the

building an “old-thyme” look.

11

The Wood Shake and Shingle Roof Hazard - University of Nevada ... https://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/nr/other/fs9426.pdf

1.

2.

by EG Smith - Cited by 4 - Related articles It is important to note that the installation ofa fire resistant roof and removal of adjacent flammable vegetation does not make a house invulnerable to wildfire. ... Spray-on or brush-on treatments of fireretardant chemical to wood shake and shingle roofs have limited longevity.

12

THE FIREWORKS: If you remember the Berra Family had a 4th of July fireworks show

last July that caused outrage among neighbors to the north. The Berra fireworks

display lasted 45 minutes and rained debris and hot ash onto neighbors’ lawns and

roofs. Several were outside protecting their property with garden hoses.

Legislation was written to prohibit fireworks from being shot off in residential areas.

The Berra family houses that are just for immediate members of the Berra family

located on Terra Bella Drive which includes a horse riding arena and pasture.

They wanted a fireworks show and money was no object. They got a permit and then

put on a 45 minute show without notifying the subdivisions to the north.

There would be a $100 fee for a permit. No fireworks showed could launch fireworks

from property zone residential or suburban estate. In other word from where there are

private residents. ($100 fee later changed to $150)

Changes to the bill include that all residents were to be notified whose property is 300

feet from the property line of where the fireworks display was being held.

There was a discussion about who would notify the neighboring homeowners. Tiffany

Frautschi felt the company hired to shoot the fireworks should do the notifications.

“I think any company coming in to do fireworks are best to describe the event and

answer questions. I don’t think we need to burden staff with additional work,” said

Frautschi.

13

Jon Benigas: “I think the city should do the notification.”

Skip Mange: “The City sends out notices on all of these things (zoning issues mainly).”

Lynn Wright: “The City should do it. It is the right thing to do. Dogs are affected,

people and military retirees are affected.”

Jon Benigas: “If we are concerned about that it (notifications) it should be 2000 feet

from the property line.”

City Administrator Bob Shelton: “We would request the fee to be $150 for a permit

instead of $100 due to the additional staff time and expenses.”

The bill was amended to include the 300 feet from property line, regardless how far that

is from the launch area, for notifications and the fee increase.

Now what kind of jerks would have a 45-minute fireworks display that sent flaming

debris onto neighbors’ property? It would be these folks:

Renee Berra

WHY IS THIS GUY MAYOR? On Monday night 09/10 Mayor Jon Dalton recused

himself on five different agenda items. They were the two Change Orders by Brinkman

Construction on Dalton’s Town Square Project totaling over $200,000. There has been

over $1-million dollars of cost over runs after the Board of Aldermen signed a contract

and construction began last December. Dalton negotiated the purchase of the land

without the Board’s knowledge, then presented it and asked for $2,250,000 to buy the

property that no one else wanted. He then step away from the cost over runs by

recusing himself claiming at one time his law firm (Armstrong-Teasdale) represented

Brinkman in a matter.

Two more matters involved a rezoning request for the building on the southeast corner

of Clayton Road and Ballas Road and the special use permit for a bridal shop.

14

The final one involved signage variance for the Lutheran retirement center and nursing

home.

MAYBE HE IS CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOODSTOCK: Town

and Country City Attorney and named partner in the firm of Curtis, Heinz, Garrett and

O’Keefe, Steve Garrett, who is over 65 has his ponytail the longest I can remember

seeing it.

Now 2017 2016

2013 2013

15

After last Monday’s Aldermanic meeting I asked Garrett if he was now celebrating the

50th anniversary of Woodstock or if he was just trying to get his ponytail down to his

waste. He then told me how a strand of hair die every 3-years. It was just like a lawyer;

he didn’t answer the question.

HERE TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW: An original 2-story house in the 12900 block

of Thornhill Drive dating back 58 years was gone in 2-hours. The house was originally

built by and for developer Don Breckenridge. Thornhill Estates in Town and Country

was Breckenridge’s first development project. He later went into hotels and convention

centers. Breckenridge died in 2005 of cancer at the age of 72.

THE ORIGINAL TOWN AND COUNTRY SCHNUCKS STORE:

16

ANOTHER ONE ABOUT TO BITE THE DUST: The front yard of this house is where

you would see “Defeat Dalton” signs when Mayor-Lobbyist, Stealer of Widow’s

Business by Eminent Domain for a Night Club District That Never Got Built, Jon Dalton

ran for reelection. Dalton and disgraced former Missouri Speaker of the House John

Diehl used her yard for campaign signs until Dalton kicked her off the Police

Commission under pressure for her inappropriate comments then things and signs

changed.

GOOD TO SEE: A Town & Country police officer doing speed enforcement on Mason

Road near the entrance to Queeny Park. Over a four-year period from 2008 to 2012 I

checked the location of speeding citations and the section of Mason Road from Clayton

17

Road to the south City Limits had an average of five citations a year. This is a

dangerous road with blind curves. I have always believed part of the problem has been

the police department’s reluctance to write speeding tickets to wealthy residences in

their Mercedes Benz and BMWs.

TWO YEARS AND TWO MONTHS PAIR OF DRUNK DRAG RACERS ON

LINDBERGH BLVD. IN FRONENAC REFUSE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY IN

KILLING CRESTWOOD GRANDMOTHER: It was on July 8, 2016 just after dusk,

around 9 o’clock; Haven Sooter, 39 and now 41, was drag racing in his BMW down S.

Lindbergh Blvd. He was drag racing a guy in a Ford Mustang. That guy was Clayton

personal injury attorney Scott A. Bailey.

According to accident reconstruction experts both cars were being driven in excess of

110 MPH in a 40 MPH zone. After they crested a blind hill at Chaminade Prep, they left

the Creve Coeur city limits and entered the City of Frontenac there was Kay Koutroubis,

a 72-year-old grandmother from Crestwood, driving a 2004 Toyota. She was returning

home after dropping off a wedding present. Bailey and Sooter refuse to man-up and

throw themselves on the mercy of the court for killing a 72-year-old grandmother. They

have delayed this case 26 months now and it looks like they are just getting started.

Lawyer Scott Bailey Haven Sooter mug shot after Nov Indictment Victim Kay Koutrobis

18

Haven has a lengthy record including an out of state DWI conviction in Los Angeles in

2002 and a DWI conviction after a 2001 arrest in St. Charles. He also has numerous

moving violations that were reduced by local city prosecutors to non-moving violations.

Two months prior to the killing of Mrs. Kaoutrobis Sooter was arrested by a Missouri

Highway Patrol Trooper at the St. Charles casino for refusing to leave after becoming

intoxicated and disruptive. This is from the court files.

Now two years and two months after killing Mrs. Koutrobis , Sooter and Haven are still

out on bond. Bailey refused to take a breath test. But a later blood test showed his level

to be .18%.

Bailey was indicted and charged with two felonies, 1) Involuntary Manslaughter 1s Degree

Involving a Death with a BAC level of .18% and simply Involuntary Manslaughter.

Bailey renewed his law license in 2018 but his Clayton law firm is “permanently closed”

according to this website.

Bailey’s eyes the night of his arrest

19

Bailey is represented by DWI lawyer Travis Noble. There have been 54 entries made

on the case file. The case is next before Judge Kristina Kerr on September 24, 2018.

Bailey’s bond remains at $200,000 and his passport remains surrender. However the

requirement that he wear an alcohol detection bracelet on his ankle has been dropped.

Bailey is contesting his drivers’ license suspension for refusing to take a breath test.

That case has also been languishing for 26 months.

Two years and a month after refusing to take the breath test Bailey’s attorney asked the

hearing officer for an extension. Apparently 25 months wasn’t long enough for Travis

Noble to get the case in order or they are hoping the Frontenac police officer handling

the case drops dead.

Haven Sooter pled guilty to his drunken escapade at the casino in St. Charles County

Court on 11/13/17 and was made to spend 30-days shock jail time, but then placed on a

SIS probation term that will wipe the event from court files after two years if he

successfully completes probation.

He was indicted for 1) Murder Second Degree Vehicle-Intoxicated and Felony

Persistent Drunk Driving in the Drunken Drag Racing case.

Haven currently has a well-known drunk driver, Scott Rosenblum, representing him.

Rosenblum was charged with DWI after crossing the center line on McKnight Road and

crashing into the pickup truck of a sober driver. The Brentwood, Missouri prosecutor

recused himself and Chesterfield City Prosecutor Tim “never convict a lawyer or a

person represented by a lawyer of the most serious charge” Engelmeyer was assigned

as a replacement. Engelmeyer amended Rosenblum’s DWI to Careless Driving.

There are 85 entries on the case file involving Sooter. This includes Judge Kerr

refusing to reduce the $250,000 cash bond on Sooter.

Here is our staff attorney’s review on the court files and it appears as if the delay will

continue as Sooter gets mental health examinations:

“Reading through the docket, it appears there was a search warrant at one time,

because a letter from the prosecutor to Noble indicates he is sending reports,

search warrant, etc. So, maybe there was a search warrant for his blood. But

that’s just a guess on my part. I don’t know why the prosecutor would charge it

that way unless he had proof of the level of intoxication.

20

It also looks like at one point, Sooter was going to plead and testify for the State,

because the prosecutor endorsed him as a witness. When Rosenblum indicated

he was going to take Sooter’s deposition, the prosecutor withdrew Sooter as a

witness.

Now, Rosenblum has asked for a psych evaluation of Sooter, indicating he’s crazy

as a loon. The judge had to go along with Rosenblum’s request, so it’s going to be

a long time before Sooter is prosecuted. And, if he comes back crazy, then all

bets are off. I’ll bet he doesn’t come back crazy, or if he is, medication will get

him back to a prosecutable state.“

After reading our lawyer’s case review, I have to ask: Does this guy look crazy to you?

Sooter

Attorney Bailey’s mug shot after November indictment

Here is Sooter’s attorney’s $160,000 Bentley sports car after drunk Scott Rosneblum

drove it across the center line on McKnight Road hitting a sober driver head on and

injuring him.

21

Rosenblum’s Bentley, no longer worth $160,000 after he drove home to Ladue drunk

from the Ritz-Carlotn in Clayton.

Rosenblum

PRINCIPIA FOOTBALL PLAYER HAD SODOMY CONVICTION OVERTURNED BY

SUPREME COURT. This incident and the adverse press for Principia won’t go away.

Maverick Holmsley was one of five Principia Varsity football players who dragged a

number of eighth graders attending a football camp out of bed and shoved objects up

22

their anuses. The other four all pled guilty to reduced felony and misdemeanor charges

of assault and avoided having the label of “Sex Offender” and be on the Missouri Sex

Offender Registry.

Holmsley want ed to go to trial and there he was convicted of Sodomy. However one

juror wanted to speak out and change her vote after the court accepted their verdict. It

was not allowed.

The Supreme Court ruled that the judge in the case, Kristine Kerr while sustaining a

defense objection failed to tell the jury to disregard what was said.

Holmsley

The Holmsley family spent some money on the trial and appeal. The Margulis law firm

defended him at trial and Scott Rosenblum represented him in appeal.

There is no word from Bob McCullough’s office if the lame duck prosecutor will refile a

felony charge or a misdemeanor assault charge or forget about it.

Ricardo Loma who pled guilty to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to 10 days in

jail as shock time, violated his probation and ended up doing six months.

Loma

23

UNAPPROVED CHESTERFIELD NEWSLETTER 292

WAL MART SHOPLIFTER CONVICTED OF FELONY RESISTING ARREST AND

SENTENCED TO ONE-YEAR JAIL: Lindsay Rothermich, 34, of St. Charles along with

a male companion were maybe doing some Christmas shopping or simply stealing

enough to sell and buy drugs on December 18, 2016 at the Chesterfield Wal Mart.

Upon exiting the store they encountered Chesterfield Police officers waiting for them.

Officer Dammrich attempted to arrest Rothermich who ran across the parking lot. Once

caught she violently resisted arrest. This should have turned the stealing into a robbery,

but County Prosecutor Bob McCullough’s office stopped issuing robbery charges on

fighting shoplifters long ago. However Rothermich was charged with Felony Resisting

Arrest. It must have been quite a tussle judging from the black eye on Rothermich in her

mug shot.

Rothermich is a return customer in Chesterfield. She was arrested for Felony

Shoplifting on 02/15/15, later convicted and had that probation revoked.

The Chesterfield PD would not provide a copy of the police report under the Sunshine

Law as the shoplifting was pending in Chesterfield Municipal Court. It is likely to be a

while getting the report as the male co-defendant’s charges have to be closed and

because Rothermich cannot make it to Municipal Court as she is serving a year in the

County Jail on this case and several others.

Lindsay Rothermich

24

This is from her Circuit Court file concerning the Chesterfield case:

25

Here is Rothermich’s record that we could locate:

11/25/11 DWI PG 45-days jail O’Fallon PD

02/15/15 Felony Stealing Probation revoked 5/18/18 1-Year Jail Chesterfield PD

02/16/15 Felony Possession of Controlled Sub Prob revoked Maryland Hts PD

04/17/15 Driving While Revoked PG 2-days jail MO Hwy Patrol

07/07/16 Criminal Charges reduced to “Littering” $235 fine Florissant PD

12/18/16 Felony Resisting Arrest 5/18/18 PG 1-year jail Chesterfield PD

Stealing pending in Municipal Court

01/18/17 Stealing (Shoplifting Home Depot) PG Overland PD

02/21/17 Stealing (St. Louis Mills Center) pending Hazelwood PD

BOMB THREAT IN CHESTERFIELD VALLEY: Friday September 7, 2018 at 2 PM the

Chesterfield Police responded to a bomb threat and evacuated a building at 633 Spirit

Drive after a bomb threat was received by the Missouri Higher Education Loan

Authority. Somebody didn’t get their loan?

At 3:18 an All-Clear was given.

26

SHE’S A PERFECT FIT: This thief on video stealing from Victoria’s Secret at

Chesterfield Mall might tie for the award of least likely shopper at Victoria’s Secret.

Senora Hackney was arrested stealing at Victoria’s Secret in 2016. Neither of the

people resembled anyone you would see shopping at Victoria’s Secret. Staff should

have been all over them.

27

Here are some of the comments on the Chesterfield Police Facebook site:

Now this is more like it: Here are the three most recent arrests for stealing at

Victoria’s Secret. Ages 19-24

28

Nyra Harris looks like she could fit in some

Victoria’s Secret apparel.

CHESTERFIELD POLICE BLOTTER:

29

30

31

32

33

ONE MOTORIZED WHEEL CHAIR TO ASSIST GETTING UP RAMP TO CITY HALL:

This involved a split vote after a unanimous vote in the Finance and Administration

Committee with two councilmen changing their votes. The debate was whether to have

an electric wheelchair/scooter available for people who park in the handicap parking

spaces on the west side of City Hall to navigate the steep ramp.

City Administrator Mike Geisel recommended two wheelchairs be available so if one

breaks another would be available. Geisel wanted $5,000 for two at a price of $2,000 a

chair and $1,000 for maintenance needs and buying an electric charger. The

Committee voted 4-0 to test this one motorized wheelchair at a cost of $2,500. The 4-0

vote included Tom DeCampi and Ben Keathley.

Moving ahead from August 27 to Wednesday September 5, the motorized wheelchair

was now before the full City Council.

Here are some of the comments:

Mayor Bob Nation: This will increase our liability.

Barb McGuinness: It is a pro-activity.

Mary Ann Mastorakos: I’m supporting this. I think there is a need. How will the city

promote it? (On the city website and through neighborhood associations.)

At about every other meeting Dan Hurt say something stupid trying to make a joke. He

is beginning to remind me of Trump. The President needs to stop tweeting and Dan

34

Hurt needs to stop forcing jokes, especially if he is considering running for mayor again.

Here is what he said:

Hurt: We don’t expect the police chief to use it. (Police Chief Ray Johnson is 80-

years-old and doesn’t show it and if fact appears to be in great shape and walks city

trails daily. To Hurt: Don’t make fun of 80-year-olds. You are not that far away. Plus

the Police Chief lives in Chesterfield. Why piss of a voter?)

Hurt McGuinness Nation

McGuinness: Make it available to voters on election days.

Nation: When word gets out that we have this scooter then we will have requests to get

six of them.

(It was originally decided to have the scooter available on nights of City Council and

Planning Commission meetings. Several times it was said it would not be available on

Municipal Court nights, inferring the unsavory people at court might damage it, go joy

riding or steal it.)

THE VOTE:

Yes 5 l No 3

Hurt DeCampi

Flachsbart Keathley

Moore Ohley

McGuiness

Mastorakos

SCHOOL BUS STOP SIGN RUNNER MATTHEW MCCLOSKEY REGISTERED SEX

OFFENDER WITH SUSPENDED DRIVERS’ LICENSE: The Parkway School District

35

did not waste any time of releasing video of a grey car driving around cars stopped for a

school bus loading children and across the front yard of a home on Bitterfield Drive in

Ballwin, damaging a garden and yard sod. The school bus was going to Henry

Elementary School which is attended by kids from Ballwin, Manchester, Chesterfield, a

small section of Town and Country and unincorporated St. Louis County.

The video was on all four St. Louis TV stations with local news. The car’s driver and

owner was identified as Matthew McCloskey, 52, of Overland, MO. However, KTVI

reporter Andy Banker reported McCloskey has recently been living in Ballwin.

McCloskey Record that we could find”

36

09/13/18 Leave Scene of Acc, Drive While Suspended, Ballwin PD

Fail to Stop for School Bus Stop Sign

07/06/18 Improper Lane Use, Following Too Closely, No Ins Bel Ridge PD

03/17/18 No Ins pending St. John PD

03/31/17 Fail to Register as a Sex Offender St. Louis CO PD

Pled Guilty 09/06/18 4 years prison but immediately placed on

5 years probation by Judge Nancy McLaughlin

12/08/16 Driving While Suspended Pending Ballwin PD

09/27/16 Driving While Suspended & No Ins pending Overland PD

10/26/15 Driving While Suspended and No Ins pending St. John PD

10/26/15 Possession of Marijuna St. John PD

04/19/03 Distribute or Produce Controlled Substance St. Louis CO PD

Pled Guilty 5/21/04 sentenced to 5-years prison with

120 days shock sentence in prison then probation for

5-years. He did only 30 days of the 120 day shock sentence.

04/30/92 Driving While Revoke PG 2-Days Jail St. Louis CO PD

01/30/89 Harassment 3/22/90 Pled Guilt 90-days jail St. Louis CO

04/30/88 Attempted Armed Robbery and Rape St. Louis CO

Trial by Jury. 11/30/88 Found Guilty

Sentenced to 6 months jail for Robbery and placed

on 5-year Probation Term for Rape

07/05/85 Felony Manufacturing Drugs $500 fine St. Louis CO

MONARCH ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF BACK TO HURRICANE AREAS: Monarch Ast.

Fire Chief Les Crews returned to St. Louis on August 28 after spending close to two

weeks in Hawaii as a supervisor of rescue operations in connection with the hurricane

that damaged the Big Island of Hawaii. Last year he was sent to Texas and Puerto Rico

following hurricanes.

On Friday September 14 Chief Crews left town again to stage with FEMA response

teams on the East Coast at about the same time Hurricane Florence comes ashore.

What is amazing is that the Union backed Monarch Fire Board fired the entire command

staff including Crews in 2011 after a jury verdict of discrimination and harassment that

centered on one fire district battalion chiefs, Fred Goodson (who later committed

suicide). However the firing of the entire command staff and replacing them with Fire

Union members seemed to be over the top.

When Jane Cunningham, who ran on a pro-citizen anti-union platform, pledging to hold

down out of control payroll spending, was elected in 2013, she and Director Robin

37

Harris rehired some of the command staff that was fired, including Les Crews and

current chief Cary Spiegel.

This goes to show the problems with politics in public safety. Crews is so well

respected that every time there is a major disaster he is attached to the Federal

Emergency Management Administration to lead part of the rescue operations.

CARTOONS:

Blast from the past: We ran this one on May 8, 2017

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46