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Opinion

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Should Rush Limbaugh Be in the Hall of Famous Missourians?

Rush Limbaugh was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians this week. An honor well deserved? Or a mistake on the part of Missouri lawmakers?

Rush Limbaugh, the controversial conservative commentator, was enshrined into the Hall of Famous Missourians this week, sparking controversy across the state and country on whether Limbaugh should be worth of such an honor. Limbaugh's name now sits amongst such famous Missourians as Mark Twain, Dred Scott, Jack Buck and Stan Musial. According to the St. Louis Beacon, Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice of the ceremony. From the Beacon: Tilley’s decision to honor Limbaugh, a Cape Girardeau native, has sparked opposition from Democrats and progressives because of Limbaugh’s often strong words when he talks about people with whom he disagrees. Limbaugh’s bust will be placed in the Capitol’s Hall …

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Do You Think Farmers' Markets Are 'Fresher'?

Local farmers’ market vendors say that the fruits and veggies they grow are superior to grocery store produce for many reasons.

Do you buy the freshest produce possible? According to many area farmers, the fruits and vegetables you buy at the grocery store may not be as fresh as you think. With farmers' markets open now (or about to open) around the St. Louis area, including Wentzville, Lake Saint Louis, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, Clayton, Ellisville, Wildwood, Arnold and elsewhere, we wanted to talk a little about what "fresh" means to you. Tim Hess, owner of Silent Oaks farm and a vendor at several area farmers’ markets, told Patch that most of the produce sold in local grocery stores comes from Calfornia or Florida, areas where many farms are staffed by migrant workers. “It’s a long trail and at the end of the trail you’ll find that migrant Mexican workers do …

Ed Norman

1:28 pm on Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The two greatest deterrents to lo locally grown produce and fruits are... 1. Convenience - everyone wants to have their needs met close to home, easily accessible and inexpensive 2. Instant Gratification - "I want it NOW, even though it is not in season I want it and should be able to have it!" Gone are the days of waiting for the peaches and tomatoes to ripen in the backyard! I personally would …   more ›

Are You Proud of a Graduate or Graduate To Be? Boast About Them on 'Patch' For Free

Whether you've got a preschool grad, a college grad or somewhere in between, brag about the feat right here on Creve Coeur Patch.

It's that time again. No, not wedding season. Well it is, but we're talking about graduation season. Parkway North kicks off the high school diploma season Tuesday night as far as Creve Coeur area schools are concerned. Somewhere, Pomp and Circumstance is playing, and someone is struggling to keep that mortarboard in place. Graduation season is a time when family comes together to honor those that have worked so hard to move on to the next chapter in life. Whether it's your preschooler moving on to kindergarten, a high schooler heading to college, your college senior heading out into the real world, or your grandmother getting her G.ED., you can brag about it for FREE on Creve Coeur Patch First, make sure you are a registered user of your …

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Editor's Notebook

Is Creve Coeur Going To The Birds?

A few thoughts on geese around our fair city.

As I was driving around Creve Coeur Friday afternoon, I stopped by to see how construction was doing at La Bonne Bouchee. The french bakery is opening additional space next door to the current location on the east side of the city and we've been told that a May opening was possible.  I found workers doing their thing outside, and as I parked the car, I saw this fellow in a prime parking space. Maybe it was filling in for the crew foreman or a parking lot meter maid. Who knows? The bird looked comfortable right where it was. In case you haven't heard, not far from that location, another goose found himself in a flock full of trouble earlier this week, as chronicled by Patch blogger Dorene Olson. The goose's misadventures were also shown …

Scott Simon

10:35 am on Saturday, May 12, 2012

The geese in the parking lot are about to give birth to chicklets. The male is guarding in the lot for protection.   more ›

Friday, May 11, 2012

Opinion: Ladue 'Takes Issue' With US News Methodology

The school district is irked that it did not appear in the magazine's rankings of the nation's best schools.

US News and World Report released their "best high schools" in the nation ranking this week. We did not make the list due to the methodology used. Clearly, we take issue with the methodology and have expressed this to US News. However, as you will see from the attached information, we will not "fall victim" to the flaw in the methodology going forward, making any kind of correction unlikely. The Ladue School District has always considered ACT results to be a fair criteria for judging our success, as the vast majority of our students take the test, and it specifically measures college preparedness in a way that is considered acceptable to a broad number of institutions - specifically colleges and universities. As you will note in the …

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CreveCoeurDad

11:15 am on Monday, May 14, 2012

Ladue proper, probably not, but Ladue School District, yes. We've already got reports from realtors in the relocation business about families definitively saying they don't want Ladue Schools because some online websites are ranking the high school as one of the worst in the state due to flawed methodology. Is it vital LSD make some Top 10 list? Not really, the schools are what they are, …   more ›

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Letter From The Principal: Do You Have A Positive Attitude?

Parkway Northeast Principal Dr. Kim Brandon talks about a survey you can take until May 18.

Do you have a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)? Members of Zero Conflict, the Northeast Middle School FOR (Friends of Rachel) club, are learning about the power of having a positive mental attitude (PMA). The following is a definition from www.RachelsChallenge.com for Positive Mental Attitude: “A positive mental attitude (PMA) is the act of choosing to see and do the good and right thing whenever possible. To have PMA is to look beyond circumstances, see the best path in life, and have the courage and commitment to choose this path. To have PMA is to see the best in people and to live in the world as someone committed to changing things for the better.” The students will be asked to write their own definition for what a Positive Mental …

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Share Memories of Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things Are'

Sendak has died at age 83. Tell us your memories of reading his books—especially "Where the Wild Things Are."

My two children are well above the age when they'd sit still for their mother and father reading a book to them. It won't be that many years before they have their own children. They'll be doing the reading. And I have no doubt that Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" will be among the books they crack open and recite. On Tuesday, we learned that the author of perhaps one of the most famous children's books of all time had died at the age of 83. The New York Times' report said the author had died from complications after a recent stroke. Writers have lauded Sendak's worth, but in particular his ability to craft children's stories out of what might have been considered "untraditional" — monsters "roaring their terrible roars" and "…

Gabrielle

1:44 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012

Loved to use this story in my KG classroom over the years; the children loved the idea of monsters who were manageable and fun:-) We also loved "Chicken Soup With Rice" and "Pierre." I remember I had the books AND the recordings to go with--we'd sing and sing!   more ›

Friday, April 27, 2012

Four Months In: Monarch's New Fire Chief Brings Fresh Style

Tom Vineyard talks new attitude, transparency in a message to the Monarch community.

Dear Citizens: I would like to start my first message to you, the community, with a note of gratitude for allowing me to serve you as Chief of the Monarch Fire Protection District. I officially took over the helm on January 2 and am very excited about providing a new direction for the future. I have more than 23 years of experience in fire and EMS operations. I have the experience, qualifications and expertise to lead this fire protection district as it begins a new era in delivering fire protection and emergency medical services to all of our citizens. I can assure you that my primary responsibility is to ensure that you, the citizens of the Monarch Fire Protection District, receive the highest level of fire and emergency response service…

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Letter From The Principal: From Rachel's Challenge to Zero Conflict

Dr. Kim Brandon's latest letter to the community.

On Tuesday, after Rachel's Challenge, you will see posters for Zero Conflict going up around Northeast Middle School. The idea for Zero Conflict originated with Joey Goldman and Meghan Mudd (both 8th grade students) as part of their goal to address the issue of bullying at Northeast Middle School. (Click on this link to view the Zero Conflict contract that Joey and Meghan created.) As a follow-up to Rachel's Challenge, we are encouraged to continue the positive chain reaction with our own FOR (Friends of Rachel) club.  Zero Conflict is Northeast's FOR club.  If your child is interested in becoming a part of this, encourage your child to speak with a grade level counselor or watch the announcements for opportunities to attend meetings. …

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Letter From The Principal: Changing The Language, Changing The Conversation At Parkway North

Principal Jenny Marquart shares her latest message with the Parkway North High School community.

Dear North High Families, One of the most interesting parts of being an adult in a school filled with teens is overhearing conversations in the hall. I can learn about the latest slang, fashion and relationships in a five minute passing period. I also often hear students having more serious conversations regarding their classes, teachers, parents and classmates. The other day in the lunch line, I overheard two students making plans to sit outside in the Peace Garden to eat lunch. I was delighted to hear students making a reference to that area of our school because it helped me see that over time, the vocabulary of the students has changed to call it “Peace Garden” rather than simply “courtyard.” To others this might not seem like such a …

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