Nicki's Central West End Guide

Drought alert!

The extreme heat and drought conditions of the past several months have begun to take a toll on trees throughout the neighborhood, especially the newer saplings planted along Euclid Avenue from Lindell to Washington. Prompt action is required if we are preserve these valuable community assets. Property owners, shop keepers and restaurateurs can help by taking responsibility for watering nearby trees. If you have access to a hose, a long, slow deep-root watering is best. If not, multiple "drinks" over the course of each day should do the trick. Please pitch in and do your part to help maintain the beauty of the CWE in this challenging environment. And spread the word. Thank you!

Fourth of July Children's Parade 2012

Designed by Diann Cage

For the past 30 years I have thought that the only component lacking at the Fourth of July Children's Parade is more spectators. It's a heartwarming sight that shouldn't be missed. The children and parents of the neighborhood go overboard wearing patriotic outfits and decorating their bikes, strollers, skateboards--one year there was a pony--for the occasion. As you see on the poster created by CWE graphic designer Diann Cage, the parade begins at 9 a.m. at Euclid and McPherson, then heads south to Maryland and west to the Maryland Plaza fountain. A fire truck leads the parade and I understand that this year there will be music. 

The event's sponsors, the Central West End Association and Central West End Families & Friends, have added a new feature to the festivities that take place at parade's end. There will be popsicles as usual,and CWE art teacher Yvette Woods of Studio W and her band of helpers will be leading the children in two craft projects, pictured below. So by all means join the fun and don't hurry away after the parade ends.

Yvette will be teaching young participants how to make this beautiful paper hat which will be modified for boys, and for the younger children, a patriotic fish on a stick (worm, not shown) below!

More is more...especially on the Fourth of July! See you then!

Tim Burke's running Death Valley for a cause

On Monday, July 2, CWEnder Tim Burke will begin a 146-mile run through Death Valley (yes, you read that correctly), from the lowest point in the U.S.--Bad Water, California at 282 feet below sea level-- to the highest, Mt. Whitney. If Tim hadn't already named his blog about the upcoming extreme-sport adventure "1inspiredidiot.com," I may not have felt comfortable questioning his sanity when we met last month. Wondering what a well-dressed runner wears in Death Valley? Check out Tim's running gear in the photo above. With 100-plus-days in our forecast, I can't imagine running in temperatures of 115 to 120 degrees, but that's what Tim will face starting at 5 a.m. Monday...all for a good cause.

Tim, who works for Edward Jones in Chesterfield, is on the board of Southside, a 126-year-old early childhood center located at 2930 Iowa off Gravois. The pre-school is geared toward underprivileged children who are overwhelmingly from immigrant families that have recently moved to St. Louis. Currently the children are mostly Spanish-speaking, whereas 15 years ago they were eastern-European. The focus of the school is to ready the children socially, emotionally, and educationally for kindergarten. Tim who is more than passionate about the subject, said a recent study shows that every dollar spent on early childhood education gets a $16 return over time; and it leads to better jobs for the parents as their children are in school. The Board of Directors of Southside is raising funds to build a new facility at Hwy. 44 and Jefferson that will enable the school to increase enrollment by 45% from the current 97 children. The Board has raised 60% of its $3.5 million goal, which includes a donation from the United Way and private fundraising efforts.

Tim is dedicating this challenging run in Death Valley to the children at Southside. He was never a runner, in fact he ran his first marathon last year. Mental and physical barriers prevented him from being a runner, but the more he thought about what the children at Southside go through, the more they inspired him to run the toughest stretch of road in the U.S. His goal is to raise $140,000, a symbolic figure representing the 140 children who will be enrolled in the new facility. He has raised $16,000 so far. By the way, Tim is covering his own expenses for the run. 

Sandra and Tim Burke settled in the CWE a couple of years ago after spending eight years in London where Tim worked in the Edward Jones office there. Prior to that they lived in Chesterfield. The couple has two adopted sons, ages 2 (Joseph above), and three-months-old. Tim said that he and Sandra always wanted a large family, and by helping Southside they can help many children at once. I spoke to Sandra about Tim's endeavor, and while she is supporting this Death Valley Run in spirit, she doesn't wear the challenge lightly. She has been told that it's best to remain at home, where she'll be following his progress virtually.

Only 600 people have finished the 135-mile* Death Valley Run in its 25-year existence. To be official, the run must take place during July and August. The organizers take only 90 competitors a year. Everyone who competes brings his own crew. Tim had enlisted a crew of two traveling in one vehicle, though he was thinking of adding a second crew and additional car. Runners start early in the morning, rest during the hottest part of the day, and start up again after the sun goes down. Most people drop out after mile 42. Tim has gone to Death Valley to train following his virtual trainer's schedule. The California-based trainer, Scott Weber, has run Death Valley 18 times.

Donate to Southside Early Childhood Center by supporting Tim Burke's run here. You can also join the virtual crowds that will follow Tim's progress from his blog site too.

*Tim's plan is to reach Trailhead at the base of Mt. Whitney at mile 135 (the official end of the run) and keep going! He is not allowed up the mountain until July 5, so Tim has to finish the 135-mile stretch by July 4.

"Best is Show" on Maryland Plaza Tonight, Wednesday!!!!

I hope you don't depend on me too much for your neighborhood entertainment news! I had the wrong night listed for movie night on Maryland Plaza. The series starts tonight, Wednesday, with "Best in Show" showing at dusk. The Maryland Plaza crew is setting up chairs as I send this off, so head over soon and enjoy the evening. They'll be popcorn for sure!

Elevate St. Louis: The Trestle

Last Thursday evening Great Rivers Greenway threw a "street-party-meets-happy-hour" event at The Trestle, above, to introduce the public to the landmark structure. As the invitation said: "New York has the High Line, Paris has the Promenade Plantee, and soon St. Louis will have The Trestle, making us the third city in the world to incorporate an elevated historic railway into an urban destination. Of the three cities St. Louis is the only one to integrate its trestle into a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails known as 'The River Ring.' "

The event was held on a large parcel of ground under The Trestle at 10th and Madison on the Near North Side. Although this project has been in the works since the trestle was acquired by Great Rivers Greenway in 2005, many of the people I spoke to had not been aware of its existence until the invitation arrived.

The view from the top looking south toward the city is stunning. The 1.5 mile elevated railroad trestle begins at the intersection of Howard and Hadley Streets, and connects to the Branch Street Trestle and the Mississippi Riverfront Trail. In the near distance you can see signs of construction on the new bridge that will cross the Mississippi River.

There were quite a few CWEnders on the Elevate St. Louis Committee, including Mike Murray (in suit above) pictured with his wife Barbara. When I spoke to Mike about the enormity of the project, he remarked that it is going to take the whole community to make it work. The Trestle, which has some Federal funding that was used to acquire "right-of-way," is currently in design development and will not see further progress, other than painting the section spanning I-70, until additional funding is secured.

Since posting this story I have learned from Mike Murray, one of three Great Rivers Greenway Board Members from St. Louis, that some money is available to begin work on the elevated section from Branch St. to where it touches down at Howard St. Mike, who represents the central corridor, said that Great Rivers Greenway will be organizing a "Friends of The Trestle" support group soon. Visit the website for additional info.

Other Elevate St. Louis Committee Members from the CWE included gallery owner Duane Reed, above in green shirt, Jill and Dan McGuire, Lois and Vince Schoemehl, art consultant Mary McElwain, Tracy Boaz, John McCarthy, Susan Barrett, and Anne & Chris Sommers. Neighborhood sponsors of the event were Pi and Pulaski Bank.

Mayor Francis Slay (in blue shirt) was in the crowd.

 

Several food trucks provided a variety of delicious offerings for the occasion. The pizza at the Pi Truck was snapped up fast.

Lulu's Local Eatery travels with an herb garden on the roof, see above.

Seoul Taco served plate after plate of delicious tacos, and Sarah's Cupcakes, below, offered five or six varieties of scrumptious cupcakes. All of these trucks are included among those parked at BJC (on Scott west of Taylor) on different days of the week.

The last photo, showing the L. Cherrick Horseradish Co. (and the American flag, of course) is an example of why the evening was so interesting. Having a great excuse to explore an area of the city that you know nothing about is exhilarating. Thanks to Great Rivers Greenway for the amazing work they have already done in connecting the areas west and north of downtown with bike and pedestrian trails that follow the Mississippi River. And someday The Trestle will link the areas together.

Sunday, June 24

Fresh produce to your door

There is a charming new face on the local farming scene. Kristen Southworth, above, has been growing produce 80 miles south of St. Louis in Campbell Hill (near Shiloh Hill), Illinois, population 300, and she wants to share it with you. Kristen, a graduate of Burroughs who grew up in Ladue, had been visiting the Campbell Hill area (her mother's birthplace) since she was a child and, as her young life unfolded, met a guy whose family does large-scale farming there---you know how it goes.

Last year Kristen started raising chickens on six acres that surround the house in Campbell HIll. As she said, "chickens and gardens go really well together. They eat the bugs and fertilize the soil." So it was a natural that she started growing vegetables on an acre of the land that's close to the house. She sprouted vegetable seeds in a back bedroom under growlights, but quickly determined she wasn't very good at it, and has since gotten help from the Amish who populate the area. Next year Kristen is going to leave plant germination to the experts.

I first heard about Kristen from neighbor Elizabeth Barnes and have been ordering fresh-from-the-farm produce and amazing organic eggs for about a month. Though I've been chomping at the bit to spread the word, I've been reined in until Kristen had enough produce to supply more than the 25 customers she currently has. This post signals that the time has come. Kristen loves delivering to the CWE because the houses and apartment buildings are close together, but she also has customers in Clayton, Ladue, Warson Woods, and Webster Groves. 

This young entrepreneur sends out a list of available fruit and produce on Monday or Tuesday, and delivers to your door on Thursdays. This week's list included blackberries, blueberries, peaches, tomatoes, etc., and homemade blackberry jam, $5. Some of Kristen's weekly offerings may come from neighboring farmers, which is duly noted on her email. In addition to managing her own farm, string-bean-thin Kristen is also running a huge orchard that a family friend just purchased that includes 17 types of organic apples.

On Wednesdays Kristen's mother, sister, and grandpa meet at the farm to pick organic blackberries, clean the produce, and sort the orders. As soon as her younger brother finishes baseball season he will help with deliveries. Thursday is the only day of the week that Kristen gets "dressed up" to make her rounds. Her  sidekicks, Stanley, above, and Tuesday (in first picture of van) enjoy the trek to the city. Customers include Good Pie on Lindell and someone (not identified) who requested small plums, upper left, for his small-batch moonshine production.

So here's the skinny: email Kristen at shilohhillhens@gmail.com. She'll send you a list of what's available at the beginning of the week. Email your order and put a check in a cooler outside your door on Thursday mornings. I pointed to the Park Plaza, and asked, "would you deliver there?" "Of course," she said. There may not be many eggs available for the rest of the month because of the heat (the hens aren't happy)--but she has a new crop of pullets who will be laying eggs in July.

Grand scale gardening in a CWE backyard

When I ran into Judy Matthews at a recent neighborhood event, she suggested that I might want to come photograph the vegetable garden she and her husband, Wistar Holt, have created in their CWE backyard. I jumped at the chance because I have been so interested in the current gardening trend of growing vegetables wherever you can find a spot (see previous post on Anna Cardot's rooftop vegetable gardening here).

I was completely unprepared however, for the size and scope of the Matthews/Holt vegetable garden, and how beautifully it meshes with the rest of the huge backyard. The family has had a vegetable plot for about ten years. The raised beds, which are located behind a hedge bordering the driveway, are constructed of boards made from recycled plastic pots available through the Missouri Botanical Garden's pots to planks program. Before this year's planting season, landscaper Neal Moylan reworked the beds. He cleared out the old soil, replaced it, and topped it with leaf mulch. They also installed a sprinkler system.

Judy and Wistar grow enough vegetables to feed a small army, which is a necessity when their  blended family of 7 children get together.  Earlier in the season, Judy was harvesting arugula and butter lettuce, but now that it's hotter she's harvesting a wide variety of vegetables including cucumbers, yellow and red peppers, jalapenos, pablanos, zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, and beets, see below. Squash grows on racks purchased from Gardener's Supply Company, above. All of the beds are surrounded by a 2' tall section of chicken wire to keep rabbits out. Last weekend Judy installed "the Fort Knox" of screens (not pictured) over the tomato beds, to prevent squirrels from getting the goods.

Judy and Wistar worked with landscape designers, The Two Sallys (CWEnder Sally Nikolajevich and Sally Cohn,) to come up with a landscape plan for the grassy area beyond the pool. The couple knew they wanted an extensive vegetable garden, and a shady spot to sit and view the garden. The Two Sallys suggested a formal pergola  covered in roses to the east (see photos below) and a prairie garden in the middle as a transition between the two. Sally and Sally had worked with Gary Schimmelpfenig, a biologist who specializes in native Missouri landscapes, and contracted him to plant the prairie garden. Five years later the garden is a riot of color from the plants that have proliferated there. Judy says that you have to look fast as the color changes every other day. One day there is an orangey hue to the native garden, and the next, it could be purple or yellow.

There is a dining table under the rose-covered pergola, above and below, where Judy and Wistar enjoy evening meals.

Judy said that they will often remark as they are sitting under the pergola and hear the Metro Link whiz past every once in a while (they enjoy the sound, by the way), "Isn't it amazing that we are in the middle of the city and we have this beautiful view to enjoy?" Indeed it is.

A stunning hydrangea, above, thrives beside a natural swimming pool.

Judy asked if I thought I could get a photo of the baby birds in the nest next to the pool, as it was too high for them to see. Apparently I hate to say "no," because I climbed up on a chair and angled my camera to get the shot above, hoping my attempt wouldn't result in being dive-bombed by the mother bird.

Thanks to Judy and Wistar for sharing their absolutely stunning backyard. I know you have enjoyed the visit. Here is contact info for landscaper Neal Moylan, (314) 277-6095.

It's Dog Pizza on Weekends!

I did a double-take Saturday morning when I noticed a sign advertising "Dog Pizza on Weekends" next door to The Wine Press, on Olive east of Taylor. I have enjoyed watching the renovation of numerous buildings in the 4400 block of Olive over the past five years or so, including several successful condominium buildings developed by CWEnder Mark Keoshkerian, the conversion of the Eugene Field School into apartments, the current renovation of the old St. Louis Review Building on the corner of Taylor and Olive, and farther east, a building that is currently being converted into 8 apartments. Enter a new retail establishment, Bonzer Pets, a food store for pets, which opened 2 1/2 weeks ago at 4436B Olive.

A very personable CWEnder Jessica Gillette was minding the store when I stopped in. She explained that the owner, Myron Buchanan, chose the location because he loves the neighborhood and its proximity to the popular dog park in the 4500 block of Olive. He also must have researched the number of CWEnders who are dog-owners---every other person? 

Bonzer Pets makes its own dog food and treats from all natural ingredients. The sample tray above holds bites of dog pizza. In the display case there were dog cookies, two for $1.09, and crepes made from oats, whole wheat flour, and powdered yogurt. Since chocolate is a doggie "no no," carob chips are offered as one of the toppings.  There is also doggie ice cream and pudding. 

But enough about desserts. Bonzers Pets also makes a beef stew that includes white and brown rice, green beans, apples, wild fish oil, vitamins and minerals, $3.49 to $7.49 for 16 ounces. There is also a chicken stew with black beans and sweet potatoes.

For now Bonzer Pets is geared for carry-out only. Toward the end of the summer the plan is to move the store to the large vacant space at 465 N. Taylor, at the corner of Taylor and Olive, where your pet can "dine in" too. At the bottom of the printed menu there is a suggestion that you consult your Veterinarian for feeding guidelines. Soon the shop will roll out, so to speak, treats for felines too. Bonzer Pets is open 7 days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., (314) 375-6131. If your dog is craving beef stew NOW, the shop offers delivery within a 7-mile radius in 30 minutes!

Sunday, June 17