Saint Louis University President Lawrence Biondi and Missouri History Museum President Robert Archibald are both under fire for unrelated reasons.
Archibald
Archibald:
The museum’s purchase of the Delmar land, which was owned by former Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr., has drawn fire for weeks. The Zoo-Museum District board report also lambasts the compensation of the History Museum’s president, Robert Archibald, saying his newest contract should be withdrawn and his perks and vacation days re-evaluated. (stltoday.com)
Archibald, head of the museum since 1988, had signed a new three-year contract in July. The board of trustees at that time also agreed to pay him for 410 unused vacation days, due as a lump sum when he retired. Archibald used to receive eight weeks of vacation. He now is entitled to four weeks, but also gets six weeks for “historical researching and writing.” (stltoday.com)
Biondi
Biondi:
The St. Louis University Faculty Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly against the leadership of the school’s president, the Rev. Lawrence Biondi.
The Senate room erupted in applause and cheers when the 51-4 no-confidence vote was announced, following nearly two hours of debate. (stltoday.com)
The Student Government Association at St. Louis University joined the push to oust the university’s president late Wednesday.
The student group by a 38-0 vote passed a “no confidence” measure against the leadership of the school’s president, the Rev. Lawrence Biondi, and the school’s vice president of academic affairs, Manoj Patankar. There was one abstention.
The vote came at the end of a six-hour meeting, student leaders who attended the meeting said. (stltoday.com)
Both men have their supporters and detractors. Will they persevere despite criticism? The poll question this week asks if they should resign, the poll is in the right sidebar.
Blogs are now mainstream information sources and St. Louis is fortunate to have blogs on nearly every topic imaginable. Hopefully UrbanReviewSTL.com is among your top St. Louis blogs but even if it isn’t I’m curious where you do your reading of blogs. Is it at work? Home? School? Mobile?
Vote in the weekly poll in the right sidebar, smartphone users switch to the full layout to vote. My guess is most read at work but we will see. results will be presented on Wednesday October 31st.
It’s now been six months since I sold my car. Once before I didn’t have a car (2007) but I had a 49cc Honda scooter, so I got around pretty well on my own schedule. Now I have a power wheelchair and a bus pass, not as convenient.
ABOVE: The 30-day pass is different than the monthly pass in that it can span into two months, just depends on start date.
Don’t get me wrong, I love public transit (bus & rail) but I also love cars. I have numerous books on European cars, auto magazines from the early 1970s, etc. I read articles on the Motor Trend iPhone app daily. I’m a car guy without a car!
What I’ve noticed over these last six months is I think differently about time than I ever have since I got my driver’s license nearly 30 years ago (gulp). Just a couple of years ago I would compare how long a trip would take me on the bus to how long it would take me to drive. It doesn’t take long to get most places driving in the St. Louis region and the car was always faster, much faster just a few more miles away. A week ago I visited friends living near Loughborhough and Hampton and it took an hour to get there from downtown. Yes, an hour!
But that’s my new normal, surprisingly so it didn’t seem long. A trip to the Target at Hampton & Chippewa takes 40-45 minutes just on the bus, plus additional time getting to the stop and back home. Same for my doctor’s office, also on Hampton.
I’ve learned to make productive use of my time, often taking pics out the bus window, returning emails, making notes, keeping up on Facebook, etc. I feel I’m just as productive as with a car, I just schedule things differently. Granted, I’m single and on disability so I’m not dropping kids off at school before going to work. I’m not trying to convince you to give up your vehicle, just note that.
In July I went on an 8-day vacation that included Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Oklahoma City. Amtrak got me to my destinations and Greyhound got me home, I was able to see so much more on the trip because I wasn’t driving.
I’ve gotten a couple of rides with friends these last six months but I’ve not had to get a taxi to get somewhere, as I thought I’d have to.
Once you don’t have a car for a while your view of time and mobility changes.
The November presidential election is still more than four weeks away but already the March 2013 primary race for St. Louis mayor has begun.
ABOVE: Three-term Mayor Francis Slay (left) and Aldermanic President Lewis Reed (right) are the two known Democratic candidates for mayor in the March 2013 primary — so far.
On Wednesday Aldermanic President Lewis Reed announced what many had long suspected — he’s running for mayor against three-term incumbent Francis Slay.
Only one St. Louis mayor has ever run for a fourth 4-year term, that was Raymond Tucker.
In March 1965, during his bid for an unprecedented fourth term as mayor, Tucker lost to Alfonso J. Cervantes in the Democratic primary. (Wikipedia)
If Slay wins reelection next year it’ll be one for the record books. The two times Slay has been reelected (2005 & 2009) he had weak challengers, so 2013 will be different.
For the poll this week I want to know your thoughts on this competitive race. The poll is in the right sidebar, mobile users switch to the desktop layout.
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