respublica

Meet me in St. Louis, meet me at the Fair

St. Louis is gearing up for its biggest party of the year, Fair St. Louis.  Held each summer for three days over the 4th of July, organizers have always claimed this to be America's biggest celebration and this year marks its 25th anniversary.  The Fair's web site has an unusual banner heading, kind of like moving 3-D.   

Originally named the VP Fair, it was begun by an old, secret society of rich old men, old monied men and probably new money men who were members of St. Louis Civic Progress.  (My guess anyhow, they never liked to say who they really were.)  The parade held on Saturday is about the only event which still mentions or celebrates the Veiled Prophet.

Two years ago the city opened the Eades Bridge to pedestrians and this made life so much easier for Illinois folks to get in and out of the Fair, if they didn't mind walking.  The first year the bridge was relatively uncrowded and was a perfect place to watch the fireworks each night.  Last year the bridge became quite the place to be with food venders and many many more people using it for watching the airshow as well as fireworks.  The nice thing about this spot, for Illinoisans is how much easier it is to get home at the end of the night.  The worst thing about Fair St. Louis, if you are downtown for the fireworks is trying to get out of there when its over.  So the Eades bridge is terrific.

Here the man about the house stands in the center of the Eades bridge at the Missouri/Illinois dividing line. 

Looking up at part of the air show.

air show

Fair St. Louis will be going on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  If you don't want to traipse all over the Arch grounds, try the Eades bridge for awhile.  One bad thing, the weather is usually very very hot or very very rainy.   

Induction Day

Saw this picture this morning.  Knowing what these plebes are in for this summer sent a wave of either admiration or exhaustion over me as I studied the photo.  How young men and women get through their plebe year in all of our military academies has always been a source of wonder to me.  Maybe that's why I have always loved movies and books on this subject. 

Update! Guilty in East St. Louis

The defendents in the vote buying/vote fraud case in East St. Louis have been found guilty by a jury after 5 and 1/2 hours of deliberation. 

Jurors set aside defense claims that the government's case was flimsy because of unreliable witnesses whose testimony often contradicted each other and, at times, was recanted.

The defendants showed little resopnse when the verdicts were displayed on an overhead projector in federal court. Defendant Sheila Thomas dabbed her eyes, but the other four stared straight ahead.

Monumental verdict to say the least.  And as one juror put it after court adjourned: 

"This is a wake-up call for East St. Louis," said juror LaMont Reed Jr. of East St. Louis. "I've seen this corruption all my life."

The person with the most mixed of emotions has to be Steve Reeb, losing candidate for St. Clair county board and if the testimony given in the trial is to be believed, the largest vote buying effort was done in order to elect his opponent, Mark Kern.  Reeb had the job won on election night until the East St. Louis votes returned. 

November stories about the ESL election returns here, and here and here and here

The buck stops with the jury

The jury in the East St. Louis vote buying trial got the case after closing arguments yesterday.  They heard from 6 lawyers.  6!  One district attorney and 5 defense lawyers.  Prosecutor, assistant U.S. District Attorney, Mike Carr left the jury with this admonition: "I've given you tapes. I've given you evidence ... The buck stops right there where you are."

Given the ups and downs of this case we shall see if the double meaning of the word "buck" leads to any convictions, maybe later today.

How hot is it in the St. Louis area, part 2

So hot the leaves on this dogwood can't lift themselves up even in the early morning.  The sky is covered with a disgusting haze which obscures the normal blue.

Many Metro East cities are being asked not only to conserve water these days, but to boil any water they need to use for cooking because of low water pressure in supply tanks.  Not fun.  Here in Collinsville we seem to be among the lucky ones, having water supplied from our own wells and as yet, no announcement about conserving.  Glad we don't have Illinois American water.  Common sense should temper any desire to put out sprinklers, however.  Warm weather grasses fold up into themselves and go dormant in order to protect themselves during prolonged drought and heat.  Temperate weather and rain will bring them back in due time.  Watering is a waste at this point.  But it must be nice to be in the Chicago area with that big lake as a water supply.  Seems they are asking people to water their trees and the city is itself using fireboats and strong hoses to water the greenery along the lakefront. 

First symbol

The Supreme Court, in its ruling on the Ten Commandments yesterday, in effect said, "Take it outside."

I have been fairly ambivalent about the brouhaha over this.  Of more concern to me these days is the practice of lumping all religious symbols together.  Christian groups who are reported to be the ones most hungry to keep the tablets on display seem to have forgotten the first Commandment:  You shall have no other Gods before Me."  And I would add, no other gods behind or to the side of Me. 

Interfaith services where all religions come together to pray strike me as diluting or downright negating the importance my faith or anyone's faith.  Why would you pray along with a Muslim, a rabbi, a priest, a pastor, a Hindu, etc if you are not of that faith?  Thou shalt not have any other gods before Me. 

Everyone is this country is free to worship whatever god they choose. It also seems, in contrast, as if the country's flag has taken on sacred meaning.  It stands alone as an item of worship these days.  The problem is, what the flag represents is, thanks in part to the rulings of the Supreme Court, a dilution of laws we have always taken for granted. i.e. the eminent domain ruling.  Ironic, because our religions are also being publically melded together.  If the trend is to scatter religious symbols of all stripe on public lawns, then I would prefer to keep the symbol of mine inside our church.  Take it inside...to your own place of worship. 

Rate the teachers

Found a website from which a student can rate their teachers.  What's interesting about this site is you can also go to the schools in your city or town and see the ratings which have already been made as well as comments by students for each teacher.  Find the comments by clicking on the teacher's name.  Interesting. 

Update, thanks to commentor, Stephanie, there is also a "rate my professors" web site for college students.

Sad, sad day for Collinsville

Last night Collinsville lost one of its good guys.  Fred Dalton, recent past member of the city council, died of what appears to be pneumonia. 

I can't write enough words to describe Fred's gracious bearing and wisdom when it came to local politics.  During several decades he was not only a council member, but a former mayor and past member of the Madison County board.  His years of experience made him more caring of the people who elected him rather than less as so often happens.  The people were always first in his decision making and in his questioning of city policy. 

I was privileged to have had the honor of serving on the council with Fred Dalton and will be forever grateful for all he taught me about how to see the issues and how to treat the residents of Collinsville.  One thing he would never do is just come to meetings and sit there like a lump on a log, or say things just to hear his own voice.  He came prepared, he asked questions when he needed to, spoke his mind when necessary and even if others disagreed, they respected his opinion because it was always well thought out and based on facts. 

I will miss him so much.  The city will miss him.  Arrangements still pending. 

Monday Etiquette-please and thank you

Diane Isbell's Monday Etiquette column in the Belleville News-Democrat is back online and the MAtH (man about the house) and I are having a polite conversation about it this morning.

MAtH:  Did the paper put Dianne's column up on their web site this week?

Me:  Yes they did.  It's hard to figure out what's going on with that site, for a long time she was never on it, then for the past few weeks they put her column up, and last week she disappeared.  I even did a search for "Dianne Isbell" on the BND and "no items were found that matched your search" came up. 

MAtH:  Like she never existed.

Me:  Exactly, but they have her online today.

MAtH:  You should write and thank them.

Me:  That might be a good idea, it might encourage them to keep putting her on their web site.

MAtH:  Don't count on them responding though.  According to Dianne, "you're welcome' is another element of basic good manners that seems to have fallen through the cracks of this day and age."

Me:  Well, thank you knowing what she wrote today.

MAtH:  You're welcome and did you notice I had to read the whole column to get to this one?  I'm feeling pretty proud of myself this morning. 

Me: 

MAtH:  By the way, do we owe anybody thank you notes?

Me:  Yes we do, at least you do.

MAtH:  I do?

Me:  Why?  Did Dianne tweak your conscience this morning? 

MAtH:  She didn't, but she does now.  She started out with "thank you's" and has a letter from a couple who sent their niece $500 for her graduation from high school and she hasn't thanked them yet. 

Me:  $500!?  For graduation from high school?  That sounds like a lot of money to me.

MAtH:  That was my thought too.  This question set Dianne off royally.  "Your expression of hurt feelings is one that I hear over and over. What a shame it is that some people are so ill-mannered, self-centered and oblivious to good manners and common consideration."

Me:  Whoops. 

MAtH:  Then she tells this couple: "Yes, by all means, call your niece. If she doesn't thank you in the first minute of the conversation, express your hurt feelings. Even if she does say thank-you, express your hurt feelings. Perhaps this will bring her feet back on the ground so that she thanks others properly."

Me:  I was with her until this part.  What do they do, keep a stopwatch on the conversation?  The niece has exactly one minute to say thanks or all hell breaks loose? 

MAtH:  What intrigues me is that last bit, "Even if she does say thank you, express your hurt feelings."  They are to give her one minute to say thanks or else they let her have it.  But then Dianne suggests they tear into her even if she gets in under the time limit.

Me:  Makes you wonder doesn't it?

MAtH:  What's life really like for an etiquette expert? 

Me:  Well, I appreciate your talking about Dianne with me this morning without grumbling.

MAtH:  You're entirely welcome.  Now, I have a favor to ask.  Could you go out and buy some thank you notes?  And if you have time...

Me:  Gotta go, I have a busy schedule today, hold that thought for later. 

How hot is it in St. Louis these days?

             So hot even the sunflowers can't raise their heads to the sky.

We are sunflowers
Dawn comes,
The sun glints off the morning dew
We wake up from sleep,
Our strength anew.
We stretch our petals to the sky
To all the birds and butterflies   Poem by Josie the sunflower gardener from KTC Garden

So what season are you?  A quiz.  Right now I have to be a winter person.  Yep, just took the quiz and I am winter.