More Videos From MetroLink’s Cross County Inagural Run

On Tuesday August 22, 2006 myself and others were treated to a “sneak a peak” ride on the new alignment of St. Louis’ MetroLink light rail system (see prior post w/video). The grand ribbon cutting is today at 11am at the Forest Park Station. Dignitaries will perform a progressive ribbon cutting at each station as they make their way to the end at Shrewsbury where LinkFest will be taking place.

Larry Salci, Metro’s CEO, narrates as we leave Shrewsbury, cross over I-44 and head into the Sunnen station in Maplewood. Salci shows his funny side by saying this new section was, “a bit more expensive.” Try, substantially more expensive. He explains how Phase 1 (original) and Phase 2 (St. Clair Illinois) used mostly abandoned right of way and existing tunnels. Salci compares our new underground stations to those of Washington D.C.’s Metro system.

McDonald’s, South Grand and Hummers

Apparently McDonald’s is now giving away toy Hummers in their Happy Meals:

This month McDonald’s is giving away toy Hummers — 42 million of them, in eight models and colors — with every Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal. That’s right: The fast-food chain that helped make our kids the fattest on Earth is now selling future car buyers on the fun of driving a supersized, smog-spewing, gas-guzzling SUV originally built for the military. Use the Ronald McHummer Sign-O-Matic™ to tell us what you think of this misguided marriage of two icons of American excess.

So this great site, Ronald McHummer, has a fun way to make your own McDonald’s sign. I thought I’d help them announce the new McDonald’s on South Grand that Pyramid Construction and Ald. Jennifer Florida lobbied so hard to move across the street to a site that once contained a large department store. Progress, St. Louis style.

– Steve

‘Mr. Smith’ Extended in St. Louis, Additional Cities Booked

The documentary of the summer, Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? has been extended again through the end of August at Landmark’s Tivoli on Delmar in The Loop, a good five weeks. I saw it opening night on July 27th but I plan to go back before this run ends — I’m sure I missed some good parts with the quick pace of the documentary.

Producer & personal friend Mike Kime informs me interest in the film is expanding greatly and as a result a number of showings are scheduled in a number of cities (plus talks on another dozen or so):

Washington, DC – E Street Cinema; September 22 – 29

Palm Desert, California – Cinemas Palme d’Ore; September 29 – October 5

Concord, NH October 13

Hot Springs, Arkansas – Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival; Oct 20-29

Columbia, Missouri – Ragtag Cinema; October 22 & 23

Cambridge, Massachusetts – Kendall Square Cinema; November 3 – 9

Tulsa, Oklahoma at CircleCine; Nov.14 and 15

And for the teachers:

We are going to do a special program for schools and will hold a free showing for teachers in the next few weeks. If there are any teachers who want to attend, they can contact us.

– Steve

Come for the Pesto, Stay for the Documentary

September 16th is a very interesting sounding event, Pesto Feast! There are few things that I like better than a nice plate of fresh pesto but what interests me about the event is the documentary film, Ivory Perry: Pioneer in the Struggle Against Lead Poisoning.

Civil rights activist Ivory Perry grabbed S.t Louis headlines in the 1960s for his daring acts of civil disobediance, such as lying down in the street to stop traffic for the cause. He was shocked to discover that lead poisoning was ruining childrens’ health. By starting a movement to eradicate this silent killer, he was one of the first to call for environmental justice.

All the details are on the image at right. If you click on the image you’ll be taken to the event website which has even more information on the pesto and Mr. Perry.

– Steve

Place Matters: Metropolitics for the Twenty-First Century

I recently purchased Place Matters: Metropolitics for the Twenty-First Century from the Saint Louis University bookstore as it is a required text for one of my Fall courses in Urban Planning. The book is authored by three Professors; Peter Dreier from Occidental College in LA, John Mollenkopf from City University in New York and our own Todd Swanstrom from St. Louis University. Dr. Swanstrom just happens to be teaching my course which starts on Tuesday.

Yesterday I started thumbing through the book, as I do with any new read, but the first paragraph in the preface section really struck me:

This book grew out of our frustration with the stalemated debate about the condition of cities and our conviction that we can move beyond it. In Place Matters, we argue that because the problems presently facing America’s cities are largely political in origin, their solution also lies in politics. We focus on how public policies and the organization of our political institutions have fostered the growth of economic segregation in metropolitan America, which in turn damages both equal opportunity and economic competitiveness. We favor moving toward forming and delivering urban policy at a broader regional context. Such steps, we believe, are a critical ingredient for transforming all politics of urban policy and broadening the coalition in support of progressive urban policies.

One part is worth repeating;

“…problems presently facing America’s cities are largely political in origin, their solution also lies in politics.”

Interesting. I can certainly agree off hand that many problems I see facing St. Louis are “political in origin.” These include outdated zoning, racial and social segregation, and inadequate mass transit. However, the politicians still claim “the market” or “reality” as reasons for not changing their old ways of doing business. I look forward to reading and discussing concepts from this book and the long list of other reading materials in class this Fall. And as you might expect, I’ll frequently post on the various assignments and topics.

– Steve