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This column highlights community interaction, new site features and other notes from the editor.A Patch article last week about an addition to the Brentwood Promenade, which would add retail space while reducing parking drew comments about crowded parking conditions. Some unscientific research (a tape measure and a couple hours) showed that the Promenade does have some of the smallest parking spots in the area. It also has many average-sized spots. A single data-taker with a tape measure on a windy day aren't ideal conditions for accuracy. The measurements below are in inches, give or take a half. Only parking spot widths were measured. Brentwood Assistant City Administrator/Director of…
I share a table many mornings with a gentleman in the lobby of The Heights. Our paths cross when I'm finished working out and I sit down to wait for my wife to appear, and he sits down to wait for his scheduled workout. He's quiet but affable, and has a smile that invites conversation. His name is Charles Stefani, and he's first-generation in the United States – Italian of course. He's the youngest of eight siblings, and is the only one of them that survives. Thursday morning he wore a U.S. Army cap lined on one side with medals. He said he wears it for his buddies who no longer can. When I …
This came in to Sunset Hills-Crestwood Patch from reader, Jim Huber, recently: I really need to comment on this. My wife and I cross the Grant's Trail Bike Path on a regular basis on Sappington Road in our cars. It would be nice if bikes and joggers could obey the crossing lights. I've basically started to coming full stop there because of the bikes that run the cross-walk at full speed. I'm an old cyclist and I don't understand this habit. With the police station being there you would think this could be monitored and a few warnings passed out. It's a very unsafe situation. Thank You This …
I plagiarized a story in March by accident and I am sorry for the mistake. Let me explain what happened. Early that month, I received an email from a friend who works in the St. Louis media industry. The email contained several paragraphs about Maplewood's Home Wine Kitchen making and selling its own jams, sauces, etc. The author of the article was not included. I assumed it was generated from Home Wine Kitchen, and was something akin to what we'd post in our announcements or Local Voices sections. So I went to the restaurant, took my own photo of some of the products, then put it all on …
My friends, I'm excited to inform you that Doug Miner has taken over as editor of Maplewood-Brentwood Patch. He became the site's editor effective last Thursday. I've accepted a new role with Patch. As an associate regional editor in St. Louis, I'll be working closely with editors from University City, Clayton-Richmond Heights, South County and Arnold to continue bringing great local news, events and information to the different communities. And, of course, I'll still work with Doug in Maplewood-Brentwood. It's been about 16 months since you and I launched Maplewood-Brentwood Patch together. …
The April 3 election is less than a month away, and we at Patch have started scheduling interviews with each aldermanic candidate in Brentwood. We plan to replicate our elections coverage from last year, when we profiled aldermanic and school board candidates in every contested race. Our profiles of Lee Wynn and Brandon Wegge are great examples of the work we completed. We believe it's important for voters to learn as much as possible about candidates before heading to the polls on April 3, and we're thankful that most candidates have welcomed us into their homes to meet their families and …
Are you a mom or dad who has a lot of stories to share? Perhaps you have questions for other parents, or advice you've learned along the way? Maplewood-Brentwood Patch is now looking for parenting bloggers from Brentwood and/or Maplewood to share stories and photos on Patch. Your blogs could include news from your child's schools or stories about your family. Because you own and operate the blog, the content is up to you—and you can blog as little or as often as you want. Bloggers will be granted access to our Local Voices platform, where they'll interact with other parents and Patch users. …
Are you the proud parent of a new child? Know of a local student who's done something great? Or maybe you have some other exciting news to announce to the thousands of Maplewood-Brentwood Patch users who log on each month. Share your news or events with the community through our announcements, calendar or Local Voices sections. It's free and easy to use! And after you share your own news, please take a look at some of the community events and announcements posted below: It's finally fish fry season! Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church have both posted …
Are you the proud parent of a new child? Know of a local student who's done something great? Or maybe you have some other exciting news to announce to the thousands of Maplewood-Brentwood Patch users who log on each month. Share your news or events with the community through our announcements, calendar or Local Voices sections. It's free and easy to use! And after you share your own news, please take a look at some of the community events and announcements posted below: Please join me in welcoming Donna Ratkowski from Christ Church UCC of Maplewood, who posted her inaugural blog post on Patch…
Are you passionate about your faith and the church that fosters it? Yes? Great! Maplewood-Brentwood Patch is now looking for church bloggers like you to share news and photos from your church. Church bloggers will be granted access to our Local Voices platform and be able to blog about upcoming church activities, interesting stories from church members, news out of their respective schools and more! It's a great way to communicate with other Patch users about the goings-on in your church. Patch is looking for bloggers from any of the following churches: Crossroads Presbyterian Fellowship …
Our Local Voices section is a great place for community members to share their expertise, passions and stories with Patch users. Let's revisit some of my favorite posts that appeared in January. Just as I asked you to pick which news story from January was your favorite or most memorable, I'm asking you to pick your favorite blog post too. Please cast your vote in the poll and add your thoughts in the comments. And if you're interested in joining the more than 30 users who are already contributing to the Local Voices section, shoot me an email at ryan.martin@patch.com. - No. 1 — What We'll …
This year started off with a lot of big stories in the community. In January, Patch's list of most-read stories included a commercial fire at Maplewood Richmond Heights Family Dentistry, an article about a fast food chain possibly moving to downtown Maplewood and updates about a potential drug-testing program for some Brentwood students. One of the most-read stories was empowering for young people, while another was nothing short of heartbreaking. As a Patch user, which of the following five stories was most the most important or most memorable? Please cast a vote in our poll and add your …
We're Patch, and we just want to say, "good morning!" That's what the daily Patch email newsletter is all about. Every morning, as you're rising to start your day, we send you the latest local headlines, events, blogs, photos and community tidbits — right to your inbox, free of charge. All you have to do is sign up. You won't believe how easy it is. Here's why we think you'll like it. It's quick. Hey, we know you get a lot of email. That's why we made it easy to read. We're all about your community. With a quick scan, you'll find stories about your schools, the local police, new businesses …
Do you own a business in Maplewood or Brentwood? Have you seen your listing in the Maplewood-Brentwood Patch directory? We’ve compiled a comprehensive directory that includes restaurants, stores and local government offices. Each listing has some general information and pictures of the business. And if you own or manage the business, you can claim the listing. Doing so will provide a bit more administrative access to the entry our readers see when they want to learn more about your company. It allows owners and managers to add photos, include details we may have missed and provide other …
Last week, I learned that St. Louis Public Radio's local news and talk show, St. Louis on the Air, would run an hour-long segment on the role of community newspapers in the digital age. I'm (obviously) a big fan of newspapers and an even bigger fan (obviously) of local news. So I tuned in. When host Don Marsh opened the lines for callers, "David from Brentwood" had some of the nicest things to say about what we're doing on Patch. "It is, without a doubt, the best thing out there for keeping people informed," he said. "Six months ago, I didn't even know what Twitter was, and now I have it set…
The addition of our Local Voices section has been our favorite change to Maplewood-Brentwood Patch in 2011. In May, we launched the section with the goal to bring more community voices to the site. It has been a huge success. We've had 31 people add more than 100 posts to the site since May. The voices have ranged from mothers in Maplewood and Brentwood to graduating students from Brentwood. Some of your favorite local groups, like the Maplewood Chamber of Commerce, Brentwood Police Department and the Brentwood Parks and Recreation Department, have also started contributing to the site …
Take a look below at the most-read news stories of 2011. Do any of the stories surprise you? As the year comes to a close, do you have anything else to say about any of these stories? Let us know in the comments section. -- 10) Brentwood Parks Director Ousted From City (Dec. 9) The Brentwood Board of Aldermen voted to fire former parks director Michele Frankowski after she had a heated argument with city administrator Bola Akande. The board was divided 4-4 in firing Frankowski, but Mayor Pat Kelly broke the tie, electing to terminate Frankowski's employment. 9) Chris Seemayer is Still …
In the spirit of full disclosure, I want to acknowledge my personal feelings regarding access to public records. The Brentwood Board of Aldermen again faced scrutiny on Monday night for its interpretation of the Missouri Sunshine Law. The law, which is enforced by the attorney general's office, was created to guarantee the public's right to access public documents. It's nothing new in Brentwood. Residents were upset in October about the city's interpretation of the sunshine law. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Brentwood were involved in a lawsuit in August over the city's interpretation of …
A few days ago, Jeannine Beck from the Maplewood Chamber of Commerce asked me and other Maplewood business people to share messages of what we're thankful for. She compiled our responses and submitted a Local Voices post. I was inspired by the idea, so I asked some of my colleagues—the ones who make this website run smoothly each day—to share what they are thankful for, too. After finishing the turkey, please take a moment to share what you're thankful for in the comments section. Our messages are shared below. Happy Thanksgiving, Maplewood and Brentwood! -- I’m thankful for the many …
