Jan-March 2015
www.stpetersmo.net
What’s YOUR
2015 Resolution?
InsIde:
Recycle • shop st. Peters • Get Active & Fit • school Resource Officers • 2014 in Review
2015: Resolve to Recycle
Can you believe it’s already 2015? The holidays are in
the past and it’s time to start implementing those New
Year’s resolutions! Why not resolve to recycle more in
the upcoming year?
St. Peters residents and businesses that use Recycle City generated
36,267 tons of trash last year, but only recycled 6,415 tons (17.69%) of
their waste. That’s a lot of missed opportunities to help our environment.
Picture this: 1,813 semi trucks in a line from St. Peters to Foristell. That’s
how many truckloads of trash were generated by St. Peters residents and
businesses and brought to the landfill.
Now imagine this: 321 semi trucks. That’s how many trucks it would
take to contain all of the material that St. Peters residents and businesses
recycled.
According to greenwaste.com, 75 percent of solid waste is recyclable.
Using this number, if St. Peters residents and businesses recycled every
recyclable item instead of throwing it in the trash, we would have only 534
trucks bringing trash to the landfill and we would have 1,600 truckloads of
recyclables. That would be a tremendous benefit to the environment and
just imagine how much the City would save on landfill tipping fees, passing
that savings onto you.
Now realistically, if every resident in St. Peters recycled just an additional
half-pound per week, we would send 36 semi trailers less to the landfill.
For example, each of the following is approximately a half-pound:
•5 milk jugs
•16 beverage bottles or aluminum cans
•Sunday newspaper
•9 tin cans
•4 cereal boxes
By taking a few seconds when disposing of a recyclable item and placing
it in a blue bag instead of the trash, you are helping to keep down the
amount you pay for trash collection. The City not only avoids landfill
disposal fees for this material, but also earns revenue from the sale of
these recyclables. By selling your recyclable items, we are able to keep
your trash disposal rates the lowest in St. Charles County. See the diagram
on this page.
Recycling in St. Peters is easy. To use the blue bags, just separate your
recyclables into two bags:
•Paper, junk mail and cardboard can go in one blue bag,
•Containers such as cans, bottles and plastic containers with a recycle
symbol on them (no #6’s, please) can go in another blue bag.
2
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
When the blue bag is full, simply double-tie it shut and toss it in with your
regular trash. When your roll of blue bags gets low, you can get a new roll
at City Hall, the Rec-Plex or Recycle City, or simply tie an empty blue bag
onto your trash cart handle and when we pick up your trash, we will leave
you a new roll of blue bags.
Alternately, residents residing in multi-family units can check with your
complex office for additional blue bags.
If your trash cart is full or you don’t want to wait until trash day, bring
your recyclables to Recycle City, located at 131 Ecology Drive. A convenient
recyclables drop-off area is open 365 days of the year. The facility has
containers located in front of the building clearly marked for each type of
recyclable. From paper and plastic to motor oil and cooking oil, Recycle
City accepts a wide range of items for recycling. Visit
www.stpetersmo.net/recyclables-drop-off-center.aspx for a complete list of
items accepted at Recycle City.
Continued on page 18
did you know that st. Peters has the lowest rates
for water/sewer and trash collection in the County?
Chances are you chose the City of
St. Peters as your home because it’s an
affordable place to raise a family that offers
top-notch amenities and services. It’s a clean
and well-maintained community with a great
quality of life that has been nationally
recognized as one of the top 100 Best
Places to Live by Money® Magazine several
times. A lot goes on behind the scenes to
keep St. Peters a safe community with a
great quality of life, but who pays for all of
this?
Currently, 40% of the City’s general fund is
derived from sales tax dollars. When you
shop in St. Peters, you’re helping to ensure
that the place you live remains the
community you fell in love with when you
moved here. The truth is that sales tax
dollars help support the services that make
our community a great place to live.
The City of St. Peters maintains 547 lane
miles of streets for your transportation
needs, to include everything from filling in
potholes to replacing slabs of concrete that
have fallen into disrepair. When snow falls,
those 547 lane miles are plowed to keep
your commute safe.
We are privileged in St. Peters to employ
some of the finest police officers in the area
who work in partnership with our residents,
City government and other local law
enforcement agencies to improve the
quality of life in our City. The St. Peters
Police Department provides quality public
service based on high ethical and
professional standards. The department
encourages interaction with the public
through Neighborhood Watch, Citizen Police
Academies, Community Emergency
Response Team, National Night Out against
crime, the School Resource Officer program
(see page 7) and other programs.
The police are just some of the folks
employed by St. Peters who work to keep
you safe. Health Department staff members
investigate nuisances such as mosquito
problems, illegal dumping of material,
sewage smell, and noise or odor problems.
They also inspect the food service
establishments in the City such as
restaurants, schools, etc., to keep you safe.
A few years ago, voters approved
Proposition P to help fund storm water and
parks projects. A portion of the funds from
this half-cent sales tax are being spent on
critical storm water projects related to
flooding, erosion, pollution and meeting
federal guidelines.
Some of the funds received from the
half-cent Proposition P sales tax are spent
on improvements to our parks. St. Peters
has the most extensive park system of any
City in St. Charles County with 25 parks
totaling 1,283 acres and over 20 miles of
paved trails winding through the City. You
have the luxury of walking or riding your
bike on the beautiful trails, camping just a
few miles from home at 370 Lakeside
Park, dropping a line in the lake, or maybe
even trying your luck on our 18-hole
municipal golf course. Several athletic
fields and courts offer places for children
and adults to play baseball, soccer,
football and tennis.
The City of St. Peters, its residents, and
its businesses depend on each other for
mutual success. As a resident of
St. Peters, you are fortunate that you don't
have to travel far for just about anything
you need to purchase.
Just remember: When you purchase
items at retailers located in St. Peters, the
City’s portion of the sales tax dollars you
spend will come back to you by keeping
your City a clean, safe and fun place to
live. Please resolve to Shop
St. Peters in 2015—for you and your
community.
2015: Resolve to shop Local
My Hometown 3
that there are family fitness
classes and a caring Tot Drop at
the Rec-Plex to help channel Will’s
energy in a positive way.
St. Peters Family
Loves Staying
Active at Rec-Plex
When Eric and Chrissy Vorst were
looking for a new home a few years
ago, they remember being
impressed by all the amenities
offered in St. Peters, including the
trails, parks and one-of-a-kind
St. Peters Rec-Plex. They chose a
home in a St. Peters neighborhood
near the Rec-Plex, and soon bought
a GOLD PLUS membership at the
family fitness and recreation center.
For adults, the Rec-Plex has
about 8,000 square feet of fitness
space in its Weight Room and
Cardio Room. The Cardio Room
offers dozens of different
state-of-the-art exercise machines
for cross training. Chrissy says she
loves that the Rec-Plex recently
replaced 35 of its 68 cardio
machines with newer models,
some of which give her the ability
to program an all-over workout.
Eric, Chrissy, their preschooler
Lia, and their toddler Will have all
found a lot to do at the Rec-Plex,
whether it’s the fitness rooms for
Mom and Dad, classes for the kids
or fun and exercise in the pool.
While Chrissy prefers to run
outdoors on City of St. Peters trails,
both Eric and Chrissy can
appreciate the rubberized indoor
track inside the Rec-Plex. The track
gives them an option to take
cool-down walks after a workout.
“We feel fortunate to live in
St. Peters, where you have so many
nice amenities like the Rec-Plex,”
Eric says.
“I like to use all of them. I rotate
between the different machines,”
Chrissy says.
“I love it here,” Chrissy says.
Another big plus for Eric and
Chrissy is that the Rec-Plex is a
non-intimidating place to work out.
“You have people of all ages, all
sizes, all shapes and all fitness
levels, and it’s very easy to feel
really comfortable here,” Chrissy
says.
The Vorsts say that they notice
the difference in their fitness level,
mood and sleep when they work out
at the Rec-Plex.
Chrissy says, “I’m here at least
four, up to six days a week. I do
cardio every time I’m here. It does
make a difference. I feel healthier
than I have in years. Little
differences, like if I come up to a
flight of stairs, I jog up the flight of
stairs now rather than running out
of breath.”
The Vorsts are taking advantage
of some of the extra benefits that
come with their premium GOLD
PLUS family membership. They
enjoy FREE babysitting in the
Rec-Plex Tot Drop, and FREE family
fitness classes for the kids.
2015: Resolve to
Get Active
While Mom works out in the Cardio room, the
kids have a great time playing in the Tot Drop.
“The ladies in there are amazing with our kids. I
can’t say enough about them. Our kids love
them,” Chrissy says.
And, on Monday mornings, Chrissy can walk
the kids back and forth between the Tot Drop
and their classes—Mommy (or Daddy) & Me class
for both Will and Mom, and Preschoolers Can
Exercise! class for Lia.
“The instructor for those classes, she’s amazing. My children love her,”
Chrissy says.
4
Will, in particular, is very active. And, it means a lot to Eric and Chrissy
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
“People aren’t watching you.
They’re just here for fitness,
not to see-and-be-seen. You can
just focus on staying in shape,”
Eric says.
The Vorsts are very impressed
with the Rec-Plex’s Olympic-quality
Natatorium. A swimmer in high
school, Eric takes advantage of the
adult lap lanes and was excited to
have Lia and Will join swim lessons
at the Rec-Plex. And, of course, the
kids love the Leisure Pool and its
play features.
“What kid doesn’t love to have a pool?” Chrissy
said.
The Rec-Plex also has FREE group aerobics for
members, an open play gymnasium and an ice
rink with regular public ice skating sessions.
The Vorsts say they also plan to try ice skating in
the future. As GOLD PLUS members, they can
enjoy FREE ice skate rental.
Learn more about the Rec-Plex and Rec-Plex
memberships online at www.stpetersmo.net/rec-plex, or call
636-935-2386, ext. 1400. The Rec-Plex is located at 5200 Mexico Road
next door to St. Peters City Hall.
2015: Resolve to Get Fit
Rec-Plex Fitness Fest
FREE Admission • Sat., Jan. 17 • 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Rec-Plex new Year Membership special
$60 Off Rec-Plex Class for New Annual Members in Jan. 2015
… PLUS, get a FREE “Home of the Champions” dri-fit T-shirt
while supplies last!
Get a $60 coupon toward one Rec-Plex class when you purchase a new annual
membership at the St. Peters Rec-Plex during the month of January 2015! Choose
from group fitness, swimming, ice skating and more.* PLUS, buy a new Rec-Plex
membership in January and receive a FREE “Rec-Plex: Home of the Champions”
dri-fit T-shirt (while supplies last)!
Check out the Rec-Plex for FREE during Fitness Fest on Jan. 17 (see related story).
Learn more at www.stpetersmo.net/rec-plex.
*Aqua Aerobics classes are not part of this special. Coupon is good for $60 off any other group class at the
St. Peters Rec-Plex, limited to one class per new annual membership purchased during the month of January
2015. For classes costing more than $60, the remaining balance is due at time of registration. One-time use:
no balance will be carried forward, and no cash back, for classes costing less than $60. This special cannot
be combined with any other offer. Coupon must be redeemed in person at the St. Peters Rec-Plex Registration
Desk by Sept. 30, 2015. Classes depend on availability. Coupon not transferable.
NEW AT THE REC-PLEX!
• Try Pickleball! This paddle sport mixes in elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong for a fun
game almost anyone can play! Try it at the Rec-Plex open gym on Tuesday and Thursday from
9 a.m. to noon. FREE to Rec-Plex members; $4 drop-in fee for the general public.
• Walking Club for active older adults! Rack up the mileage by walking on the Rec-Plex’s indoor
rubberized track 30 minutes a day for a chance to win prizes, get healthy and have fun. FREE to
Rec-Plex members; daily admission applies to non-members.
• 35 brand new cardio machines! We’ve replaced about half of our equipment in the Cardio Room
with True brand cardio machines that have gotten some great reviews. Some of the new pieces have
wi-fi, some have Bluetooth capability and some have touch screens.
• The new 130-foot waterslide in the Leisure Pool is open to the public!
Learn more at www.stpetersmo.net/rec-plex.
Come find out why
the St. Peters
Rec-Plex is such a
great, family-friendly
environment for
people to have fun
and get fit! Try out
the facility and get a
tour from our friendly
staff. Purchase a
new annual
membership and get
a $60 coupon
toward one Rec-Plex
class and a FREE
dri-fit T-shirt while supplies last (see related story).
Enjoy these Rec-Plex activities for FREE on Saturday,
Jan. 17:
• Fitness Rooms and Indoor Track, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Volleyball, 9 a.m.-noon
• Basketball, noon-3 p.m.
• Swimming & Diving, noon-3 p.m.
• Ice Skating, 12:30-3 p.m. with FREE skate rental!
• Fitness Assessments are available from 8-10:30 a.m.
Advance registration is required. FREE to Rec-Plex
members; $25 to the general public.
Learn more at www.stpetersmo.net/rec-plex.
Check out new Classes at
Leisure Line Online!
The St. Peters Rec-Plex offers a brand new session of
classes for a wide variety of options to get you moving
during the New Year. Choose from swimming, ice
skating, hockey
skating, group
fitness,
classical
fencing, aqua
aerobics,
SCUBA, T-ball
& Coach Pitch
baseball, adult
flag football,
adult softball
leagues and more.
New fitness classes include Urban Line Dancing and
Ballet Conditioning. Family Fitness classes and half-hour
Active Older Adult classes are also available.
Learn more about Rec-Plex Classes at Leisure Line
Online: www.stpetersmo.net/leisure-line.
My Hometown 5
Rec-Plex | Home of the Champions
Rec-Plex
Figure skater
Advances to
nationals
Figure Skating National Championships, which will take place from
Jan. 17-25 in Greensboro, N.C.
She got there by first winning bronze at the 2015 Upper Great Lakes
Regional Championship in St. Paul, Minn., in October, and then gold at the
U.S. Figure Skating Midwestern Sectionals in Geneva, Ill., a Chicago
suburb, in November.
“It’s still kind of hard to believe,” says Angelina of winning gold and
making nationals. “It’s like news that you just can’t process.”
Though Angelina’s goal was to get to nationals, she says with a laugh: ”I
didn’t always think it was possible.”
Just making a trip to the USFSA sectionals is a momentous occasion in
the history of local figure skating. Angelina became the first solo figure
skater from the St. Peters Figure Skating Association (SPFSA) to make it
out of a USFSA regional event to qualify for a sectional.
The Rec-Plex is the home rink for the SPFSA. The local skating club also
qualified four other figure skaters for the regional competition: Natalie
Mispagel (13th in the Pre-Juvenile level qualifying round), Sarena Yeung
(3rd in the Pre-Juvenile level qualifying round), Natalie Bruno (2nd in the
Preliminary level qualifying round, and 6th in the final round) and Gabby
Patschull, SPFSA Associate Member (1st in the Intermediate level
qualifying round, and 11th in the final round).
(The USFSA is the organization that produces our nation’s Olympic figure
skaters, although Angelina is in the juvenile level of the USFSA, not the
senior level where athletes can qualify for international competition.)
Angelina
Huang
Christina and William Huang had their daughter,
Angelina, try a variety of sports, activities and classes
as a small child. They wanted to give her an opportunity
to find out what she liked to do.
The St. Peters Rec-Plex offered some of those activities, including
swimming and ice skating. It didn’t take long to find out that figure skating
would be Angelina’s favorite. At age 6, it was hard to get her off the
Rec-Plex ice.
“She really liked figure skating,” Christina said. “When we brought her to
the public session, she never wanted to leave. She’d stay for the whole two
hours. She’d play, play, play … .”
Angelina was a quick study at Rec-Plex Learn to Skate classes. While
some kids take a few semesters to move up a level, Angelina would
advance each semester. At age 7, she started training with a coach at the
Rec-Plex. William recalled that his daughter would fight through bruises,
skinned knees and soreness to keep skating.
“Sometimes, she can’t get up, because her core muscles are so sore,”
William says. “But, five minutes later, she’d say, ‘I want to go to the rink!’
She still wants to skate. She never stops. So, that’s why we say, OK, let’s
give her a chance” to see how far Angelina could go.
The answer to that question, so far, is to the national level of the U.S.
Figure Skating Association, a feat never done before by a solo Rec-Plex
skater.
At age 12, Angelina will compete in the juvenile level at the 2015 U.S.
6
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
Angelina’s coach, Kelsey Himmel,
knows a few things about competing
in big events. In 2001, at age 13,
Kelsey Drewel (her maiden name)
won gold at USFSA nationals and
silver at the USFSA international
championship. Kelsey grew up here,
learning to skate from age 8 to 11 at
the Rec-Plex. She then moved and
won her USFSA events out of the
University of Delaware skating club.
After high school, Kelsey moved back
here and has been coaching the past
10 years at the Rec-Plex.
Kelsey says that Angelina has a
strong work ethic and competitive
nature. She works with Angelina to
also stay mentally prepared and
mentally tough during big events.
“And, I think my background and different experiences I’ve had during my
own skating career kind of helped me out as a coach and passed that
onto her a little bit,” Kelsey said.
In the sectional competition, Angelina was up against figure skaters from
3 regions representing 22 states. That mental toughness would pay off.
“We are very proud,” William says of his daughter, “because, basically,
most girls at this level are very talented, so the competition comes down to
nerve. Who can deal with the nerve? And, I think she has a stronger will.
She really wants to win. So, she holds on to every spin, every jump, and
she did it beautifully, and she got gold.”
Angelina spends three hours per day, six days a week training as a
figure skater, whether it’s on the ice or working on conditioning off the ice
at the Rec-Plex. Her parents also take her to Chicago a few times a month
to work with another coach, mostly on her jumps.
Dance is one of Angelina’s other interests, and Dad proudly points out
that she performs dance routines at senior homes twice a month on
Saturdays as part of a Christian ministry. Angelina dances to hip hop,
Continued on page 16
How school
Resource Officers
Help Our
High school
students
Counselor. Mediator. Teacher. Protector.
Law enforcement officer.
A School Resource Officer is all of those things,
and more, to high schoolers in our community.
The City of St. Peters and two local school districts
evenly share the salary of a School Resource
Officer in each of three high schools in St. Peters:
Fort Zumwalt South, Fort Zumwalt East and
Francis Howell North.
School Resource Officer
Michael Valenti, who is assigned
to Fort Zumwalt South, says, “I
tell the kids in here it’s an open
book, it’s anything you want to
talk about. I tell them that you’re
never going to get this
opportunity to ask a policeman
anything that you want to talk
about, so take advantage of it.”
If a crime occurs on school
grounds, the School Resource
Officer investigates. Oftentimes,
this involves theft … iPods,
phones and other items usually
left unsecured. Sometimes,
School Resource Officers receive
reports of domestic violence
between boyfriends and
girlfriends. Bullying and
threatening can be an issue, as
well.
Social media is a newer
challenge for schools because
they add platforms for
harassment and threats to
continue beyond school walls.
“Now, with social media, it kind
of stimulates and extends the
bullying and harassment, which
is bad, but the good thing about that is we’re able to track it and see who’s
doing it, and it’s self-documented,” Officer Valenti says.
When alerted of issues between kids that could escalate to violence,
School Resource Officers mediate and facilitate conversations between
students to clear up any misunderstandings. Just getting the parties
together to talk with a police officer can calm tensions. “It’s a lot of
counseling, a lot of mediation, and just acting as a resource for the kids,”
Officer Brueggeman said.
School Resource Officers are police officers who are assigned full-time
to a high school while school is in session. When school is out, these
officers patrol the community the same as other police officers.
School Resource Officers provide a level of security comforting to
parents, said Dr. Bernard DuBray, superintendent of Fort Zumwalt School
District. “We’ve had School Resource Officers since the late 1990s, and it
has done a lot to change the atmosphere for the better,” Dr. DuBray said.
While having a trained, uniformed police officer in a school adds an
element of security, School Resource Officers are much more than a
sentry on alert for trouble. They get to know many of the kids while they’re
walking the halls or lunchroom, or teaching in classes about topics related
to law enforcement. Dr. DuBray says that students think of the officers as
members of the school faculty. And, oftentimes, students and parents
approach School Resource Officers with their problems, whether related to
crime, behavioral issues or other topics.
“Actually, they come talk to me a lot,” School Resource Officer Sarah
Brueggeman says of students. Officer Brueggeman is assigned to Francis
Howell North.
“A lot of times, they want advice on things that are happening at home or
happening with a boyfriend or girlfriend, something like that,” she says.
School Resource Officer Sarah Brueggeman educates students about DWIs.
Drug and alcohol use and driving while intoxicated are other recurring
issues. School Resource Officers continue to educate students about the
dangers of drugs and alcohol, whether through presentations or
one-on-one discussions. Officer Brueggeman was honored this year by The
Alliance for Consumer Education for her efforts to educate high school
Continued on page 18
My Hometown 7
JANUARY
7
Planning & Zoning, 6:30 p.m., Justice Center
9
DJ Skate, 7 p.m., Rec-Plex
8
15
20
22
Board of Aldermen, Work Session, 5 p.m.,
Meeting, 7 p.m., Justice Center
Senior Advisory Committee,
12:30 p.m., Senior Center
Parks, Recreation & Arts Advisory Board,
7 p.m., Cultural Arts Centre
Board of Aldermen, Work Session, 5 p.m.,
Meeting, 7 p.m., Justice Center
23
Pere Marquette & Eagles Tour
26
Health & Wellness Advisory
Committee, 7 p.m.,
Cultural Arts Centre
9 a.m.-4 p.m., www.stpetersmo.net
FEBRUARY
2
4
6
7
12
12
19
8
Veterans Memorial Commission,
7 p.m., Cultural Arts Centre
Planning & Zoning, 6:30 p.m., Justice Center
DJ Skate, 7 p.m., Rec-Plex
Father-Daughter Sweetheart
Dance, 6:30 p.m., Cultural Arts Centre
Valentine Tour
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., www.stpetersmo.net
Board of Aldermen, Work Session, 5 p.m.,
Meeting, 7 p.m., Justice Center
Senior Advisory Committee,
12:30 p.m., Senior Center
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
21
National Weather Spotter Class
23
Health & Wellness Advisory Committee,
7 p.m., Cultural Arts Centre
26
9 a.m.-noon, Justice Center
Board of Aldermen, Work Session, 5 p.m.,
Meeting, 7 p.m., Justice Center
MARCH
4
10
12
17
18
19
23
26
Planning & Zoning, 6:30 p.m., Justice Center
St. Peters Green Team, 5 p.m.,
HES Building, 135 Ecology Drive
Board of Aldermen, Work Session, 5 p.m.,
Meeting, 7 p.m., Justice Center
Parks, Recreation & Arts Advisory Board,
7 p.m., Cultural Arts Centre
St. Louis
Steeplechase Tour
9 a.m.-4 p.m.,
www.stpetersmo.net
Senior Advisory Comm.,
12:30 p.m., Senior Ctr.
Health & Wellness
Advisory Committee,
7 p.m., Cultural Arts Centre
Board of Aldermen,
Work Session, 5 p.m., Meeting, 7 p.m.,
Justice Center
APRIL
1
Planning & Zoning, 6:30 p.m., Justice Center
9
Board of Aldermen,
Work Session, 5 p.m., Meeting, 7 p.m.,
Justice Center
7
Municipal Election
19 Rangers
370 Lakeside
Archery Challenge
(register by April 1)
Holiday Hours
Wed., Dec. 31
City Hall
Cultural Arts Centre
Rec-Plex
Earth Centre
Solid Waste Collection
Animal Control/Pet
Adoption Center
2
3
4
5
6
Close at 5 p.m.
CLOSED
CLOSED
Mon., Jan. 19
Mon., Feb. 16
OPEN
CLOSED
CLOSED
Close at 4 p.m.
Open 1-5 p.m.1
OPEN2
OPEN
CLOSED
OPEN
OPEN4
Recycle City
1
OPEN
Thurs., Jan. 1
5
NORMAL
ON CALL
CLOSED
DELAYED6
ON CALL
OPEN4
5
NORMAL
ON CALL
CLOSED
OPEN3
OPEN4
OPEN5
NORMAL
ON CALL
The registration desk and administrative offices are closed.
Public ice skating and swimming available from 1-5 p.m.
Extended public ice skating session, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Recreational
swimming opens early to the public at noon.
Extended public ice skating session, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. Recreational
swimming opens to the public at 11 a.m.
No Earth Centre product sales. Yard waste acceptance only.
Recycle City is open for trash and yard waste disposal only from
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., but the offices are closed.
Trash collection delayed a day for the remainder of the week.
Father-daughter
sweetheart dance
February 7 • 6:30-9 p.m.
Dad, treat your little girl to a wonderful
evening of music and dancing in the ballroom
at the St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre. Snacks
will be served, and a professional
photographer will sell picture packages at the
event. This event is for Dads and father figures
of all ages and girls ages 5 to 13.
Admission costs $13 per person.
Professional photos are sold separately.
Advance registration is required. Register in
person at the Rec-Plex, online using
Rec-Connect, or call 636-939-2386,
ext. 1400. When registering online, print the
registration form and bring it with you for
admission to the dance.
Get Texts and/or Emails
When Emergencies Strike
national Weather spotter Class
Saturday, Feb. 21, 9 a.m.-noon
Here is your chance to train and volunteer under the guidance of the National Weather Service
(NWS) and provide ground-truth information through visual observation.
By attending a spotter training class given by the NWS St. Louis, you'll learn how to gather and
relay real-time observations of severe weather events such as tornadoes, damaging winds, hail,
flooding, and winter weather.
Your reports can assist NWS meteorologists in making warning decisions, and as a spotter you
will fulfill the NWS mission of protecting life, property and your local community with life-saving
information.
This free class will take place on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m.-noon at the St. Peters Justice
Center. Park across the street at Mid Rivers Mall and use the Court entrance on the north side of
the building off Suemandy Drive. Pre-registration is not required.
When emergencies such as a severe snowstorm or
natural disaster strike our area, the City of St. Peters
works to keep you updated in several different ways.
The quickest way you can receive updates is through
our free Nixle email/text message service. To sign up,
go to www.stpetersmo.net and click on the
“Emergency Notifications Sign Up” link in the
left-hand menu. Choose to receive texts, emails or
both. The service is free for the City of St. Peters
and all other users.
The City of St. Peters uses Nixle to send urgent
messages, such as information about public safety
emergencies, neighborhood crime alerts, traffic
disruptions, boil orders, and last-minute event
postponements. We do NOT use this communication
tool to announce routine information.
My Hometown 9
2014
YEAR IN REVIEW
INSPECTED:
A look back at notable
numbers, achievements
& developments
FILLED:
RECYCLED:
the tires of 270
vehicles with
fuel-saving nitrogen.
• 12.83 million pounds of material at Recycle City
• 41,083 cubic yards of yard waste & 10,654 tons of
biosolids at Earth Centre composting facility
375 sewer laterals
and 19.9 miles
of sanitary
sewers
STREET REPAIRS:
• 112,399 square yards of paved asphalt overlay
• 4,540 pounds of broken holiday
light strands
• 5,200 square yards of concrete pavement replaced
• Shredded documents of 653 “Shred
It & Forget” customers
• 163 street signs replaced
• 20 miles of pavement joint and crack sealing
• 9,000 square feet of concrete sidewalk replaced
MAJOR PROJECTS COMPLETED:
• 370 Lakeside Park Pavilion complex: 3 pavilions, 300-person
occupancy, large comfort station & 290-space parking lot.
• 25,852 tons of trash from St. Peters residents
• 1,321 tons of trash from Cottleville customers
• 10,415 tons of trash from commercial customers
• 9,094 tons of trash from walk-ins at Recycle City
• Total amount of trash: 46,682 tons (about the weight of the Titantic)
3 billion gallons
of water for
safe consumption
and safe discharge
into the
environment.
Snow removal crews
worked 13,680 hours and
spread 3,900 tons of salt,
30,000 gallons of salt
brine and
8,000 gallons of
calcium chloride
during winter storms
(2013-2014 season).
HELPED:
• 47 families repair their homes*
• 7 families buy a home*
• 3 families with emergency home repairs*
• 388 people with essential transportation
needs*
• 16 elderly or disabled families with lawn
mowing*
* Helped with Community Development Block Grants
from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban
Development*
10
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
• 16th consecutive annual Tree
City USA designation and 15th
straight Tree City USA Growth
Award from the National Arbor
Day Foundation.
PERMITTED:
• 383 new housing units for construction
worth $81.9 million (including 239
single-family homes worth $65 million)
• $18.8 million worth of construction on
commercial buildings (6 new building
permits and 21 permits for additions)
• Proposition P storm water projects at Country Creek, Country
Lake, St. Peters Villas, Henry Street sewer, Country Crossing &
Country Crossing Estates, Applewood, Enwood and Highlands.
COLLECTED:
• Certificate of
Achievement for
Excellence in Financial
Reporting and the
Distinguished Budget
Award from the
Government Finance
Officers Association.
ARTS:
• 23,937 square yards of concrete pavement replaced
• 12,352 linear feet of concrete curb and gutter replaced
TREATED:
RECOGNITION:
567 artists
exhibited 2,010
works of art in
the St. Peters
Cultural Arts
Centre.
• 2,403 Christmas trees
SNOW REMOVAL:
CITY OF ST. PETERS MISSOURI
• 370 Lakeside Park entrance improvements: Entrance sign with
LED lights, landscaping and trail connection.
• Rec-Plex Natatorium improvements: new waterslide, state-ofthe-art scoreboard, pool
filtration system and
dehumidification
system improvements.
• Rec-Plex ice rink
improvements:
improved sound
systems at rinks,
repainted North rink.
• Covenant Park
renovations: basketball
court resurfacing,
portion of pedestrian
trail replaced, parking
lot repaved.
• Senior Center and Sports Center Park parking lot improvements.
• Repaved 2,900 linear feet of asphalt golf cart paths at St. Peters
Golf Course.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION/COMING SOON:
• Dunkin’ Donuts (Mexico Rd., west of Church St.)
• Planet Fitness (Mid Rivers Mall outlot)
• Marriott Courtyard hotel (Veterans Memorial Parkway)
• CVS (planned new store at Jungermann/Mexico, southwest corner)
• O'Reilly Auto Parts (planned for Mexico Rd. near Cave Springs)
• Reckitt Benckiser expansion (Arrowhead Industrial Park)
• Progressive Balloons expansion (Industrial Park Place West )
• Michael’s Carpet expansion (Old Town)
NOTABLE OPENINGS:
• New BJC medical building (Wellness Drive)
• ABC Daycare (North St. Peters Parkway)
• Bahama Bucks (Salt Lick Road)
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT:
• Queensbrooke Village—approved to complete townhouse lots and
five more multi-family buildings for senior housing.
• Villas at Arden Forest—12 lots under construction.
• Celtic—168 apartment units in 15 buildings under construction.
• Aventura at Mid Rivers—opened with 120 multi-family units.
• Aspen Trails—Phase 1 opened with 48 senior housing units.
• Barrington Square—approved subdivision (55 single-family lots)
My Hometown 11
Saturday
Writer's
Group
"Writers
Encouraging Writers"
Do you enjoy writing? Would you
like to get tips and encouragement
from other writers and listen to a
variety of professional speakers
from within the industry? If so,
you’re invited to join other local
writers in the Saturday Writer’s
Group to network and learn about
the creative process. You will
enhance your knowledge of the
publishing business, stimulate your
imagination, improve your writing
and enjoy challenging but entertaining opportunities through writing activities,
contests and workshops.
Looking for a Place to Host a
Celebration or Meeting?
The City of St. Peters offers facility rentals for special events
and meetings. Whether a corporate meeting, wedding or other
celebration, the City offers the perfect venue with outstanding
customer service.
St. Peters
Cultural Arts Centre
1 St. Peters Centre Blvd.
at City Hall
Whatever your
occasion, the Cultural
Arts Centre has rooms
that can accommodate
small groups all the way
up to 300 people. Our
meeting/banquet rooms
are perfect for family
reunions, neighborhood
meetings, wedding
receptions and other
group events. And the
ever-changing artwork on
the gallery walls will add
a unique ambience to
your event.
Saturday Writers, a Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild, will be celebrating its
13th year in 2015. The group consists of published and unpublished writers ranging
in age from 16 to 80. Writers of many different genres, both fiction and non-fiction,
make up the 80 or so members.
The group meets the last Saturday of most months at St. Peters’ Cultural Arts
Centre. The first meeting in 2015 will be Jan. 31.
It doesn’t matter if you are just beginning to write, are in the middle of your
greatest work or are published a little or a lot, the group encourages everyone with a
love of writing to visit.
Regular meetings are just $5 for visitors. Regardless of your
writing goals, you can become a member of this nonprofit group for
$25 per year. For more information, visit www.saturdaywriters.org.
provide a worry-free solution.
We can customize your
event with banquet
seating with a dance
floor or we can set up
classroom seating with a
speaker’s podium.
Whatever you need, we
Learn more about renting St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre
rooms at www.stpetersmo.net/arts. Call ext. 1256 at either
636-278-2244 or 636-477-6600 between the hours of 7 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Art shows and Competitions
$100 or Less Art Sale Ending Soon
Don’t miss your opportunity to purchase original artwork created by local artists
at these bargain prices. The Cultural Arts Centre’s annual $100 or Less Art Show
will end on Jan. 5.
Above and Below the Rainbow All Media Art Show & Competition
Jan. 9–March 9, 2015
All artwork entered in this show must depict something found above or below
the rainbow.
Receiving will take place at the Cultural Arts Centre on Tuesday, Jan. 6, between
9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Join us for the Art Reception on Friday, Jan. 9, from 6-8 p.m.
12
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
St. Peters Golf
and Recreation
Banquet Hall
200 Salt Lick Road
Consider hosting your
wedding reception,
anniversary party or
other special event at the
banquet hall at St. Peters
Golf Course. We can accommodate your needs for up to 125
guests. Food and beverage packages are available.
A stone fireplace and vaulted ceilings lend to the ambience.
Our trained staff will work with you to personalize the banquet
hall to meet your needs.
Learn more about renting the St. Peters Golf Course banquet
hall at www.stpetersmo.net/golf. Call 636-397-2227 for more
information or to reserve the facility.
Financial assistance for programs at St. Peters’
Cultural Arts Centre has been provided by
the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
Lawn Mowing
Assistance
Available for some
st. Peters Residents
Please help us welcome the following
businesses to St. Peters.
More information can be found about
these businesses on our business
directory at www.stpetersmo.net.
Several St. Peters homeowners
who fall within certain physical
limitation and income guidelines
will be eligible to have their
lawns mowed for them up to
seven times this year under the City’s Lawn Mowing Assistance
Program. The goal of the program is to improve the livability and
appearance of homes in St. Peters.
To be eligible for the St. Peters Lawn Mowing Program, everyone
living in the home must be at least 62 years old or severely disabled.
Proof of income and/or disability is required. The maximum household
income based on 2013 federal taxes must not exceed:
$23,500 (1 person); $26,850 (2 people); $30,200 (3 people);
$33,550 (4 people).
Applications for the program will be available beginning Monday,
Feb. 9. For more information on this program or to print an application,
visit the City's website at www.stpetersmo.net. From the home page,
click on Residents and scroll down to Community Programs. Select
Lawn Mowing Assistance.
You may also request that an application be mailed to you by calling
636-279-8279 and follow the prompts for Lawn Mowing Assistance.
When calling, be sure to spell your name and street address and leave
a contact phone number. Completed applications must be returned
on or before 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20.
The City received Community Development Block Grant funds for this
program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Funds will be disbursed based on lowest income first.
st. Peters Home Improvement Loan
Program Applications Are still Available
The program provides
funding for low-income
homeowners with home
rehabilitation projects such
as new windows, furnace
and air conditioners, roof
replacement, driveway
replacement or repair and
more. Eligible applicants
can receive up to $5,000
through a no-interest, 5-year
forgivable loan.
Find more information
online at
www.stpetersmo.net. From
the home page, click on
Residents and scroll down
to Community Programs.
Select Home Help. You can
also call 636-279-8279 and select option 2 to request a Home
Improvement Loan Program application.
Capital Candy • 636-278-1810
FX Legal Services Company, LLC
636-887-5297
Revenue Cycle Management Missouri
636-486-2661
Nails Boutique • 636-936-0220
Synergy Medical Inc. • 636-928-2800
Rubber Duck Pond • 314-623-5723
Star Marketing LLC • 636-541-5538
Cross Roads Trading Post • 636-486-5295
White Label Cabinets, Inc. • 636-400-5006
UFC Gym • 636-447-8811
MHM Prevention Agency LLC
636-970-2000
Los Cabos • 636-477-6072
Omega T.M.C. LLC • 314-226-5208
Elitte Transportation LLC • 314-223-1018
Genesis Landscape Management
636-675-8223
Marine Solutions • 636-466-0962
Calley's LLC • 314-750-3421
Edward D. Jones & Co., LP • 636-278-1264
A Better U • 314-641-9367
St. Charles Home Improvements
636-851-9675
ATS Communication Network Corp.
636-387-0462
Resolutions For People • 636-238-3222
Creative Celtics • 636-293-4721
Nu-Teck Construction, LLC • 314-302-9502
Fas Automotive LLC • 314-280-8471
Bliss Day Spa & Salon • 636-928-4786
Ken's Tattoo Alley • 636-278-3003
Honey Do's Solutions, LLC • 337-342-8087
Metro PCS • 314-333-9927
Calvert's Express Auto Service, LLC
636-724-5995
Mohr Creations Custom Jewelers
636-278-8022
Geneice Carr • 636-278-7722
St. Peters Community Pharmacy
636-244-5385
Pak-N-Parties, LLC • 636-387-7001
st. Peters Business Recognition Program
The City of St. Peters began a Business Recognition Program this
year to recognize those businesses serving St. Peters for over 25 years.
Learn more about these businesses online at www.stpetersmo.net
(under the Businesses pull-down menu). Following is a list of
businesses recognized during the past few months.
Cave Springs Auto Service Center
1986
S/Kay Pools 1987
Firestone Complete Auto Care 1986
Mandarin Garden, Inc. 1987
Nutrition Stop Health Food
Market 1986
Harvester Cleaners 1986
Jiffy Lube 1987
Woodbridge Corporation 1987
Aldi's, Inc. 1987
Dillard's Department Store 1987
Foot Locker 1987
General Nutrition Center 1987
The Sherwin Williams Company 1987
AutoZone 1987
Hannoush Jewelers 1987
Lane Bryant 1987
Regis Salon 1987
Payless Shoe Source 1987
Savvi Formal Wear 1987
Zales Jewelers 1987
The Wet Seal 1987
Domino’s Pizza 1987
Things Remembered 1987
Limited Stores, LLC 1987
My Hometown 13
MESSAGES FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
The comments contained in this section reflect only the writers’ opinions.
Options for
Active Older Adults
Anyone can benefit from an active
lifestyle, and as we enter 2015,
there’s no better time than now to
turn our focus to our health and
wellness.
Mayor
Len Pagano
[email protected]
636-278-2244, ext. 1233
636-477-6600, ext. 1233
Fax 636-926-2047
Aldermen, Ward 1
Dave Thomas
[email protected]
636-248-5290
John “Rocky” Reitmeyer
[email protected]
636-485-5710
Aldermen, Ward 2
Board President Judy Bateman
[email protected]
636-485-5759
Jerry Hollingsworth
[email protected]
636-262-0999
Aldermen, Ward 3
Terri Violet
[email protected]
636-734-1883
Aldermen, Ward 4
Don Aytes
[email protected]
636-441-9937
Patrick Barclay
[email protected]
636-795-8255
I think it’s important to realize
that
fitness is for everyone, no
Len Pagano
matter how old you are.
Mayor
Sometimes, people may think as
they get older, it’s best to take it easy to avoid
injuries—maybe just sit back and avoid activity as much
as possible. The truth is the opposite. If you have
permission from your doctor, it’s so important for older
adults to exercise regularly in order to avoid falls and
injuries as well as problems such as heart disease,
diabetes, colon cancer and high blood pressure. In fact,
fitness experts say that older adults should do moderate
activity for at least 30 minutes a day on five or more days
a week.
I’m proud to say that our St. Peters Rec-Plex is
providing a number of new programs to help older adults
get moving and reach the minimum activity of
30 minutes/5 days a week.
Last year, the Rec-Plex became a Healthways
Silversneakers® Fitness location. This means that your
Medicare supplemental may already cover your
membership at the Rec-Plex. Check
www.silversneakers.com or contact the Rec-Plex at
636-939-2386 to learn if you qualify for a free basic
membership, which includes access to the facility’s
fitness equipment, rubberized indoor track, adult swim
lap lanes, steam & sauna, and more. Members can also
take advantage of our Personal Trainer on Duty and Body
Basics class for beginners to learn how to use the
Rec-Plex fitness equipment—free of charge.
If you don’t qualify for Silversneakers, please be aware
that Rec-Plex memberships are discounted for all of our
active older adults ages 55 and up, and we have even
lower rates for ages 62-plus.
In recent months, the Rec-Plex added new Active Older
Adult fitness classes to our lineup of group aerobics
classes FREE to Rec-Plex members. These are 30-minute
classes, offered in the morning Monday through
Thursday, taught specifically for active older adults. Fees
apply for non-members. We’re getting great feedback
from class members who say they feel better, stronger
and more active because of these new Active Older Adult
classes.
14
The Rec-Plex also added a Walking Club for active
older adults and a fun new sport called pickleball that’s
great for just about anybody. Both of those activities are
FREE to Rec-Plex members. Admission fees apply to
non-members. These types of activities have really been
welcome additions that offer older adults a chance to get
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
out of the house and get fit together in a social setting.
It’s wonderful knowing that more and more older
adults are getting active at the Rec-Plex. Our staff
continues to look for new ways to benefit our active older
adults, so please check the website at
www.stpetersmo.net/rec-plex to learn about all that the
Rec-Plex has to offer.
My wife, Joyce, and I wish you a healthy and happy
2015 and beyond. Buono Capo D’Anno (Happy New
Year)!
Recognizing Longevity
Judy Bateman
Board President
We are fortunate to have so many
wonderful businesses that have
decided, like you, to find a home in
St. Peters. The City of St. Peters and
its businesses depend on each
other for mutual success. Our
businesses bring jobs for our
residents and provide tax revenue
to run our City.
We began in May to recognize
businesses that have been a part
of St. Peters for over 25 years. The first business
recognized under the new St. Peters Business
Recognition Program was Schneider’s True Value
Hardware. Schneider’s has been serving St. Peters
customers since 1890. That’s right, this family-owned
business located in Old Town St. Peters has been around
for nearly 125 years!
Also recognized were Elmer’s Old Town Tavern that
opened up the same year of the famous St. Louis World’s
Fair some 110 years ago. The Farmers Co-Op Elevator
opened in 1916 and St. Peters Garage, in 1920.
We have recognized over 70 businesses the past
several months, all in business in St. Peters for at least
25 years. That represents a lot of stability in our business
community.
There is a reason these businesses have stayed the
course in St. Peters. It’s a great community in which to do
business and to raise a family.
Thank you for supporting St. Peters businesses
whenever you can.
Another Year
Don Aytes
Ward 4
We have just finished another
fiscal year the end of September
and your City is in good shape. This
happened before and I retired for
five years before coming back. That
isn’t going to happen this time. The
Mayor keeps talking about keeping
this board, saying he would like to
keep this board together as they
work so well together. Four of us
will be coming up for re-election in
Continued on next page
t
April. There will be a lot of big decisions to make
the next couple of years. Thank you for letting
me represent you. I have really enjoyed it.
Pavement
Management
When the skies let loose
with the fluffy white flakes
of snow, our street crews
work intensively to
maintain and repair our
roads in an effort to control
pavement failure caused
Rocky Reitmeyer by the extreme changes in
Ward 1
temperatures. They do
their best keeping up with potholes that occur,
especially this time of year with the fluctuating
temperatures.
When spring weather allows, the street crews
will be out in force repairing and replacing
pavement. Some residents have questioned
how the determination is made as to where and
when repairs or replacement of pavement is
made.
The City uses a guideline we call the
“Pavement Management Program” that is
designed to provide well maintained, high-quality
streets and sidewalks in our City at the lowest
reasonable cost. A computer database contains
maintenance records of every street in the City
including the current pavement condition.
Planned levels of maintenance are carefully
matched with available funds to achieve the
best possible level of service across the City.
That is a big task since we have over 500 lane
miles of streets.
I am told that properly installed concrete
pavement has a life span of about 25 years and
that the average useful life of properly installed
asphalt pavement is 17 years. You will see the
Streets Department crews in your
neighborhoods periodically sealing cracks and
performing miscellaneous spot repairs to extend
the life of the pavement.
Older streets in the City were constructed
directly on a compacted soil sub-grade. Since
1998, all new pavement placed in the City of
St. Peters has been constructed on four-inch
thick aggregate rock base providing a harder,
more stable base, which helps to extend the life
of the pavement.
If you see a pothole in need of repair, be sure
to report it. Call me and leave a message and I
will take care of it for you, or you can report it
directly to the City’s Citizen Action Center at
636-477-6600 or 636-278-2244, ext. 1225.
Our crews will work to get the pothole filled right
away.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday
and all of us at City Hall are working for a great
and prosperous New Year. Let’s also keep our
servicemen and women in our prayers and wish
them the strength and courage to bring us back
the freedoms we look forward to each day. If you
see one of them in uniform, please stop and
shake their hand and say “Thank You.” It means
a lot to them.
Please remember that as your alderman, my
door is always open. Contact me with any
concern you might have. I am proud to be your
alderman and value your comments. My phone
number is 636-485-5710. My e-mail address is
[email protected].
Planning for
Our Budget
Terri Violet
Ward 3
On Oct. 1, we started
another fiscal year in
St. Peters, and I’m happy
to report that once again
the City of St. Peters put
together a balanced
budget.
Just as important as
balancing this year’s
budget, your City leaders are already thinking
about how we will serve you, our residents, in
budgets for years in advance. That’s because we
use the budget process as a way to plan how we
will build and maintain our community.
In fact, each budget begins with a look at a
five-year plan called the Capital Improvement
Plan, or CIP, that outlines major capital projects
that cost over $50,000. Through the CIP, we
take a broad look at our community’s priorities
and set a long-term view of how we plan to meet
our needs. Then, we use the Capital
Improvement Plan as a type of blueprint when
we put together each annual City budget.
At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Mayor,
Aldermen and City administration get together
and look at all of the projects in the CIP, and if
something changes in the needs of our
community, funding levels, or other factors such
as technology or the economy, we can adjust our
priorities in this five-year plan. This flexibility in
our budgeting process makes it easier for your
elected officials to be good stewards of your tax
dollars and user fees, and to make smart
choices down the road for the entire community.
For example, if you see a storm water basin
retrofit project in your subdivision or a
neighboring subdivision, know that it was first
planned in our CIP. Storm water basin retrofits
are newer types of capital projects that the City
started when voters approved Proposition P a
few years ago to help fund storm water
management and parks improvements. We
identified 100 storm water projects in our
community costing nearly $120 million in order
to fix storm water issues as well as meet federal
guidelines for water quality.
With so many projects, you can’t fix all of them
at once. You need to prioritize. Working through
the Capital Improvement Plan, we chose to
address failing neighborhood storm water
basins first when we began to receive funding
through the new Prop P sales tax. We chose a
number of basins that serve subdivisions with
homeowners associations who could partner
with the City on these projects so we could
immediately begin to serve as many residents
as possible.
Right now, we’re in various stages of
construction on a number of storm water basin
retrofit projects that benefit a lot of people,
whether they live in the same subdivision or in a
subdivision downstream from the project. And,
of course, we continue to plan more storm water
management projects for the years to come.
This type of orderly planning helps the City of
St. Peters deliver excellent service to our
residents day after day, year after year, for a
great community today and for the future.
St. Peters is a great place to live, work and
play—and that’s not an accident. It’s part of the
plan.
To see the City of St. Peters’ budget, all you
have to do is go to our website,
www.stpetersmo.net, and enter “City Budget” in
the search bar. You can view annual City
budgets for the past several years.
As we move into 2015, my resolution is to
continue representing the 34 subdivisions and
the 12,000 residents of Ward 3. Always
remember that if I can ever do anything for you
or your family, please don’t hesitate to call or
email me. I am here to help! Your concern is my
concern!
Our Achievement!
A brief overview of the
executive branch in the City
of St. Peters consists of the
following; the “elected
governmental body
consists of a Mayor and
Board of Aldermen made
up of two aldermen from
each of the City’s four
Dave Thomas
wards. The Board
Ward 1
considers and enacts
ordinances and resolutions, levies municipal
taxes, approves zoning changes and record
plats, determines the budget and a five-year plan
of recommended capital improvements, and sets
policy for the City.” In addition to these
responsibilities, as a member of the City council
it is also my responsibility to work with other
board members in approving appointments of
administrative personnel and members of City
boards, conducting the City’s intergovernmental
Continued on next page
t
My Hometown 15
SNOW SHOVELING
While shoveling snow can be good exercise, it can also be dangerous for
optimistic shovelers who take on more than they can handle. The National
Safety Council offers the following tips to help you get a handle on safe
shoveling:
• Individuals over the age of 40, or those who are relatively inactive,
should be especially careful.
• If you have a history of heart trouble, do not shovel without a doctor's
permission.
• Do not shovel after eating or while smoking.
• Take it slow! Shoveling (like lifting weights) can raise your heart rate and
blood pressure dramatically; so pace yourself. Be sure to stretch out and
warm up before taking on the task.
• Shovel only fresh snow. Freshly fallen, powdery snow is easier to shovel
than the wet, packed-down variety.
• Push the snow as you shovel. It's easier on your back than lifting the
snow out of the way.
• Don't pick up too much at once. Use a small shovel, or fill only
one-fourth or one-half of a large one.
• Lift with your legs
bent, not your
back. Keep your
back straight. By
bending and
"sitting" into the
movement, you'll
keep your spine
upright and less stressed. Your shoulders, torso and thighs can do the
work for you.
• Do not work to the point of exhaustion. If you run out of breath, take a
break. If you feel tightness in your chest, stop immediately.
• Dress warmly. Remember that extremities, such as the nose, ears,
hands and feet, need extra attention during winter's cold. Wear a
turtleneck sweater, cap, scarf, face protection, mittens, wool socks and
waterproof boots.
Information and recommendations are compiled by the National Safety Council from sources
believed to be reliable. The National Safety Council makes no guarantee as to and assumes no
responsibility for the correctness, sufficiency or completeness of such information or
recommendations. Other or additional safety measures may be required under particular
circumstances.
Home of the Champions continued -
nationals is rare for the entire St. Louis area, not
just the Rec-Plex. “Angelina’s one of the only
skaters from our area to achieve this. It’s not
only awesome for our club, but also for the
St. Louis area. She’s one of the first figure
skaters from our area, individually, to go to
nationals in a long time,” Kelsey said.
ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary. On the ice,
Angelina says, “I like soft and flowy music. I
think I’m best at that.”
Kelsey says that figure skaters Angelina’s age
usually are either technically sound or artistically
adept, but Angelina has both qualities. “She’s a
well-rounded skater,” Kelsey says. “I think the
judges always love watching her skate. She’s
gotten so many compliments all year about how
great she does with her program.”
William and Christina say that Kelsey gets the
credit for choreographing a great skating
program for Angelina. In one competition, the
judge was the President of the U.S. Figure
Elected Officials comments continued -
affairs, protecting the welfare of the City and its
residents, and providing community leadership.
When performing official duties, it is my
responsibility to resolve issues and act as a
liaison between the City and the general public
and keep the future economic development of
the City of St. Peters in the forefront. I take my
responsibilities as Alderman very seriously. And
of course, I greatly enjoy my time talking with and
listening to all of you with regard to your desires
and concerns for our City. We live in a wonderful
town.
During my 7½ years as Ward 1 Alderman, I
have navigated the controversial one-way roads
proposal with the state, City personnel, and
residents. I initiated the development of the
16
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
Angelina with Mom and Dad
Skating, Samuel Auxier. William says that Auxier
told Angelina after the competition that “this is
one of the best programs he had ever seen for a
juvenile girl.”
Kelsey says that Angelina’s advancement to
Health and Wellness Committee, am responsible
for driving several road improvement projects,
and have been integral with the growth of our
trail systems and parks, including the continued
development of 370 Lakeside Park. I have
responded to many concerns and issues in
subdivisions, and with individual residents
including attending your organized subdivision
meetings and National Night Out events.
Serving as an elected official is not an easy
position to have in any community. Not everyone
agrees with you—serving as a public servant is
much like being a parent, there are many
demands made, oftentimes all at once, at all
hours of the day. There are times when decisions
are made and they may not be the ones that
everyone may approve of, but they are made in
the best interest of the residents and our overall
Angelina says it’s pretty cool to think that
she’s the first solo figure skater to represent the
St. Peters Figure Skating Association at the
USFSA nationals. She’s happy to have the
Rec-Plex for figure skating. “I think there are
nice facilities here, and everyone’s really nice to
me. And, I think I have a good home rink,”
Angelina says.
City. I am very proud of the decisions that I have
made and continue to make as our City moves
forward in a challenging and yet growing
economy. Business growth is very important with
the need for continued job development, with the
right businesses at the top of my focus.
I have always tried to maintain a non-partisan
perspective with every resident and decision
presented before the board. If the information
presented to me makes sense economically, and
is fair to all parties involved, I make every effort
to show my support of the issue. It has been a
tremendous opportunity to serve as Ward 1
Alderman for the City of St. Peters. I have grown
tremendously as an individual and as a citizen of
this great City. It will be my pleasure to serve you
for another term; St. Peters is truly OUR
“My Hometown!”
If you are cold, they
are cold. Bring your
pets inside.
Get a Tree
When You Help
Save
One!
Did you know that you would
have to cut down 80 trees to equal the
amount of recycling that was done
during the City’s last Shred It and
Forget It event?
The St. Peters Parks Board will be
handing out tree seedlings this year at
the Shred It and Forget It Event on
May 2. Get your unneeded documents
ready and bring them to the City’s
Shred It and Forget It event to be safely
destroyed. Watch for details in the next
issue of My Hometown or your
UpFront eNews.
Save paper, save trees,
save the planet!
2014 ReCYCLInG COnTesT WInneRs
Congratulations to the following residents who were winners in the
2014 Recycling Contest:
$50 Monthly Winners: Carl Turner, Deville Court; Mark Lubiewski,
Holly Springs Trail; Rick Reimer, Gloria Lane; Theresa Meyer, Kelly Leaf
Drive; Cynthia Guelker, Timberidge; Sharmila Yekkala, Siena Drive;
Dena Haeffner, N. Hillview Drive ; and Julie Burr, Southgate Drive.
$100 Grand Prize Winners: Heather Ashley, Jessie Marie Lane; Vicki
Bass, Orion Way; Lavina Gowen, Rachels Trail; and Donald Shehane,
Gray Owl Garth Court.
Yard Waste Collection suspended
January 12-February 25
The last curbside yard waste pickup of the
season is scheduled for Jan. 12 for Monday yard
waste customers and Jan. 14 for Wednesday yard
waste customers. Earth Centre will continue to
accept yard waste during this period from
7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Resident
Privilege Cards are required in order to drop off
items at Earth Centre.
Yard waste pickup will resume on March 2 and March 4.
Residents having special yard waste needs during the suspended
weeks should call 636-970-1456 to make special pick-up arrangements.
Don’t leave your pets
outside when the
temperatures drop.
Just because our pets have
fur does not mean they are
necessarily protected from
the cold.
Adequate shelter and water is always required for pets that spend
time outdoors. This is not only humane, it’s the law!
City Ordinance #2169
HOT ASH DISPOSAL Home Fire Prevention
Unfortunately, the ambience of a roaring fire
can quickly turn to disaster if you don’t give the
ashes enough time to cool before placing them in
the trash. Ashes that have not had time to cool can
ignite in the trash and cause a house fire. Even if
ashes do not cause a fire in your trash cart, they
can ignite a fire in the trash truck.
When emptying the ashes from your fireplace, place the ashes in a metal container
and store them outside away from the house while the ashes cool. Fire officials
recommend that the ashes cool for at least a week before placing them in your trash
cart. Even after a week, experts recommend that you stir the ashes to verify there are
no glowing coals before throwing them in the trash.
sPTV st. Peters TeleVision
ST. PETERS' GOVERNMENT-ACCESS CHANNEL
Find out what’s going on in your
hometown with SPTV, your local
information channel. Watch for our LIVE
weather and news updates featuring a
view of westbound & eastbound I-70
traffic every day during a.m. and p.m.
rush hour.
The Board of Aldermen work sessions
air live on the second and fourth Thursday of most months at 5 p.m. with
the business meeting beginning at 7 p.m. The Planning and Zoning
Commission meetings will air live on the first Wednesday of each month
at 6:30 p.m. Replays of both meetings air throughout the month.
With all the great events planned here in our City, keep watching SPTV
for information about our free concerts, our beautiful parks and trails
system, special announcements about Sunset Fridays and Celebrate
St. Peters 2015 and much, much more. Our newsmagazine show called
UpFront St. Peters is designed to keep you up-to-date on everything
St. Peters.
UpFront St. Peters airs several times a week on SPTV, or you can check
it out on-demand at sptvnow.net. A new episode of UpFront St. Peters
starts airing Tuesdays at 4:15 p.m.
Watch SPTV live or “on demand” at home or on your mobile device at
sptvnow.net, or live on AT&T U-verse Channel 99 and Charter
Communications Cable channel 992. A complete program schedule and
program descriptions can be found online at sptvnow.net.
My Hometown 17
School Resource Officer continued -
students about the dangers of inhalant abuse. Huffing any type of gas can
cause a high, but it can also cause serious health problems and even death.
When students hear about issues like drugs from police officers, they get
real-life examples of the types of things that can happen. Officer
Brueggeman shares how she narrowly escaped injury once when a driver
blacked out while huffing a can of duster normally used to clean keyboards.
“It made him pass out, and he launched over an embankment and almost
landed on me and another officer,” she says.
Like any type of school counselor, School Resource Officers see a lot of
the same students in their office throughout the year. Officer Valenti
describes his job this way: “It’s like going to a call and never leaving.
Because, it’s always the same people that we’re dealing with.”
He says that School Resource Officers work with parents and guardians,
and try to coordinate with the school and social services, so that they don’t
lose kids in trouble. “The ultimate goal is for these kids to become good,
productive citizens and to graduate,” Officer Valenti says.
Officer Brueggeman refers to a high school as its “own little city,” because
“the things that happen outside the school are going to be the same kinds
of things that happen inside the school.”
She believes that the School Resource Officer program improves the
image of police among young people. “The big thing, I think, is that it helps
School Resource Officers build
that rapport with kids, so they
just have a better opinion of
police officers,” Officer
Brueggeman said.
School Resource Officers’
biggest satisfaction comes
from helping kids. Officer
Valenti especially enjoys
hearing from former students
who are doing well after
graduation. “It’s rewarding to
see them go through life,
basically, and when they come
back, you get letters and cards
saying, hey, what a good job
you did, thank you for being
there for me. That’s pretty
cool,” he said.
‘YOUR BANK’ PHONE CALL SCAM
The St. Peters Police
Department has heard
recent reports that
people in the area have
received unsolicited
calls from “your” bank
stating your account
has been compromised.
The caller then asks for
your account number.
There are numerous
scams that make their
rounds, most of which revolve around randomly calling individuals, pretending to
be with an official group (banks, credit card companies, gas companies,
sweepstakes, Medicare, etc.), and asking for personal information. It may start
off simply enough by having you verify your home address/phone
number/name, but the caller will then attempt to get more personal information
such as credit card numbers, bank account information and social security
numbers, and/or convince you to wire money to them.
Here is a simple rule of thumb for any of these scams: IF THEY CONTACT
YOU, DO NOT TRUST THEM. If you follow this adage, you will be able to
prevent a majority of scams that prey on our residents.
If your bank, credit card company or utilities company calls and they are
asking you for any information, advise the person on the other line you will call
them back on the number listed on your last bill. Do not be swayed by individuals
adding a sense of urgency to your phone call, as it is generally an attempt to get
you to stay on the phone and provide the personal information without time to
think about it.
Please share this information with the senior citizens in your life, as they tend
to be the preferred victims of these scams.
School Resource Officer Michael Valenti
Learn more about how to avoid scams at www.stpetersmo.net/scams.aspx.
Or, call the Police Department at 636-278-2222.
Resolve to Recycle continued -
sign Up for UpFront emails
My Hometown Newsmagazine is
delivered to St. Peters homes and
businesses about five times a year.
Stay informed between mailings with
monthly email updates delivered right
to your email account.
To sign up, go online to
www.stpetersmo.net/GetUpFront.
18
My Hometown stpetersmo.net
The City also provides convenient cardboard drop-off areas
throughout the City.
Remember, every item we recycle saves resources and energy,
reduces the amount of waste in our landfills, and supplies raw
materials to create new products.
Given the ease of recycling in St. Peters and the countless benefits,
we hope that you will resolve to recycle more in 2015 and challenge
your family and neighbors to recycle more as well. Together, we can
help boost St. Peters’ recycling rate and be on the way to helping the
environment and our wallets!
MY HOMETOWN Magazine
Published periodically by the City of St. Peters, MO,
and mailed to St. Peters homes and businesses.
636-477-6600 (AT&T) • 636-278-2244 (CenturyLink) www.stpetersmo.net
The City of St. Peters does not discriminate in its employment practices or in admission
to its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age,
national origin, disability or veteran status. AA/EOE
PROP
Progress As Promised
Did you know that an important transformation is underway in
St. Peters? One project at a time, we’re greatly changing the way that our
community manages our storm water system.
In 2014, the City of St. Peters completed storm water improvement
projects at Country Creek, Country Lake, St. Peters Villas, Henry Street
sewer, Country Crossing/Country Crossing Estates, Applewood, Enwood
and Highlands. A project at Turnberry Bluff/Turnberry Gardens also was
completed in late 2013.
And, construction is underway at Canyon Creek, McClay Valley, Pegasus
Farm, Willott Square, Ohmes Farm and Crescent Hills/Springwood.
These storm water projects are all made possible by Proposition P, a
four-tenths of a cent sales tax increase passed by voters in 2012. Many of
these projects either retrofit storm water basins or restore stream
channels with native plantings and other natural methods to improve
water quality.
In each project, the design is going away from outdated methods, such
as manicured grass and concrete channels that move storm water as
quickly as possible through storm water basins and streams. Instead,
we’re building natural storm water systems with native habitat that slow
down storm water, spread it out and soak it into the ground. This way,
everybody who lives downstream benefits from these storm water
improvements.
The City of St. Peters completed a number of Proposition P projects in 2014.
Several storm water basin retrofit projects were constructed, including projects
seen here from the top at Applewood, Country Creek and Enwood.
The pavilion complex at 370 Lakeside Park (photos at bottom left) also was
built in 2014 thanks to Prop P funds.
Once constructed, the work is not done. These storm water systems
must be maintained. As each project is completed, the City of St. Peters’
professional staff will oversee them to make sure they do what they’re
intended to do—filter and remove pollutants, reduce erosion and reduce
neighborhood flooding.
After Prop P passed, City staff met with neighborhood associations to
discuss project design and agreements for easements that allow the City
to complete and maintain storm water projects. The process has moved
smoothly, leading to some healthy new storm water systems, approved by
homeowners associations and appreciated by both people as well as
ducks, fish and some other wildlife.
Part of the Proposition P sales tax
also pays for parks improvements.
The 370 Lakeside Park pavilion
complex east of the park’s marina is
one significant park project recently
completed thanks to Prop P. The
facility, with three pavilions and a 300-person occupancy, will be available
for rent in 2015. The project also included a large comfort station and
new asphalt parking lot with about 290 spaces. Another Prop P project is
the 370 Lakeside Park archery range, which opened in 2014 and
received more than 3,000 visits in its first year.
Learn more about St. Peters’ Prop P projects online at
www.stpetersmo.net.
My Hometown 19
City of St. Peters
P.O. Box 9
St. Peters, MO 63376
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
St. Peters, MO
Permit No. 22
www.stpetersmo.net
st. Peters
Summer Camps
Registration Begins March 23
Rec-Plex Activities Camp • Rec-Plex sports Camps • Art experience Camps
Parents, your kids can stay active at the Rec-Plex and creative at the Cultural Arts Centre this summer!
Swim, skate, play and explore at Rec-Plex Activities Camps! You can also choose from several Sports Camps: Soccer, Flag Football,
Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball, Rink Rats Hockey and Figure Skating. • St. Peters Rec-Plex, 5200 Mexico Rd., 636-477-6600
Fuel your child’s mind and give them the satisfaction of completing the creative process at Art Experience Camps!
Cultural Arts Centre, 1 St. Peters Centre Blvd., 636-397-6903, ext. 1624
Register for all St. Peters Summer Camps IN PERSON ONLY at the St. Peters Rec-Plex. • www.stpetersmo.net/camps