The Independent News

Between now and April 25th you can see dozens of animatronic dinosaurs on the parking lot of the Hollywood Amphitheater. We drove through JurassicQuest this evening.

A BOOMER’S JOURNAL........ Let Me Be Your Servant, Too A few months ago, I was cleaning out my top drawer, something that was sorely needed. I found a small prayerbook, published in 1952, that had the Catholic prayers in both English and Latin. I know it came from my mom, who was a world-class saver. After she died and we were going through her ‘stuff’ in her apartment, I swear the closet was 30x30 there was so much to find. I am not as bad, but have been known to save a f...Continue reading

New ‘Inclusive Playground’ To be Built at Manion Park Date Changed to March 17 Because of Weather ... ** UPDATED With bitter cold weather that is forecasted for next week the decision has been made to re-schedule the groundbreaking and check presentation ceremony to Thursday, March 18th at 2:00 p.m. the location will remain the same at Manion Park located at 170 Manion Park Drive. After many years of planning, Mayor Tim Lowery, members of Accessible Play, Inc. and Unlimited Play, Inc announced a ground breaking and check presentation ceremony for the Angie’s Inclusive Playground on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. at Manion Park, 170 Manion Park Drive. In October of 2008, a small group of Florissant residents led by Gary Behlmann came together to form Accessible Play, Inc., a non-profit corporation with an interest in building an inclusive playground in Florissant. In 2011, Florissant passed an ordinance to allow Accessible Play, Inc. the use of Manion Park as the site that would be known as Angie’s Playground. In 2017, the city began applying for a St. Louis County Municipal Park grant to begin the process of turning Manion Park into a park that could accommodate an Inclusive Playground. Thus in 2018, a new enlarged parking area and water retention work was completed. In 2019, a new larger accessible restroom and seating areas were added. The city is now entering the construction phase of the playground with an anticipated completion date sometime in late June of 2021. This Inclusive Playground will be for all children in Florissant and in North County; a first of its kind in the area. It will be specially designed to remove physical and social barriers so all children, with or without disabilities and/or critical illnesses, can play side by side with their peers and families. Unlimited Play, Inc. is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that helps to plan, design, and build fully accessible playgrounds. Unlimited Play playgrounds allow all children- regardless of their abilities to play together. For more information and if you want to help and make a monetary donation or donate any goods or services such as concrete, fencing, shrubs, etc. visit their website at www.unlimitedplay.org. Due to the mandates that were issued by the St. Louis County Executive, masks will be required and social distancing guidelines enforced. The ceremony will be on Facebook live and all of the city’s social media outlets.

Ferguson-Florissant Schools to Return To In-Person Learning March 24 By Nichole Richardson...Continue reading

COVID-19 Vaccinations in North County Are Slowly Underway; County DPH Ready By Pat Lindsey...Continue reading

Hazelwood District List Dates For All Grades (K-12) to be Back in the Classroom The Hazelwood School District on Feb. 3 announced new updates on school reopening for all grades.... Some students across all grade levels will return to in-person school five days a week. Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students will start March 29 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will start April 6-9. Middle and high school students will start April 12-16. Families have the option of continuing to participate in virtual school five days a week. Hybrid options will not be offered Mitigation techniques recommended by the Centers for Disease Control have been implemented across the district. Everyone in HSD buildings will be encouraged to practice and preach the key elements of the district’s Help Hazelwood Get Healthy public health campaign (Mask, Wash, Distance). For campaign details go to: https://www.hazelwoodschools.org/Page/8696 As the district’s public health campaign evolves, COVID-19 vaccine education will be a major focus. See more

A Boomer's Journal: Sometimes it All Comes Down to Prayer Remember the song by Jackie De Shannon from 1965, "What the World Needs Now?" The answer to that was "love, sweet love." Here is a slight alternative, which is every bit in line with that sentiment. I’d say that, today, now, in the face of a world health crisis and a presidential election with world-wide consequences the likes of which this country has never seen: ‘What the World Needs Now, Is Prayer Sweet Prayer. ...Continue reading

Council Hears Plans For Domino’s, Take 5 Oil Change, Café NoCo Restaurant By Carol Arnett...Continue reading

Are 0-3 Trinity, 3-0 Lutheran North Upper-Class Postseason Ready? By Jim Wieners Nine weeks of Missouri High School Football are over but 0-3 Trinity Catholic and 3-0 Lutheran North played only one-third of the season thanks to St. Louis County Health Guidelines that did not allow Football games until Oct. 7, even though Lutheran North defied Guidelines and played Oct. 3. ...Continue reading

Hazelwood School District Also Will Continue Virtual Classes until Jan. 8 The Hazelwood School District Board of Education voted Monday for all students to continue attending school 100% virtually through the end of the first semester (Jan. 8, 2021). The COVID-19 metrics in the primary zip codes Hazelwood School District serves will continue to play a major role in the Board’s decisions. North County’s other largest school district, Ferguson-Florissant had previousl...y announced all virtual classes will continue in the district at least until the next semester in January. The Hazelwood School District board also approved in-person testing for special education services and some additional assessments for specialized programming. The board approved a slow reemergence of in-person high school athletics/activities. A more detailed update about in-person high school athletics/activities will be shared as soon as possible. See more

Commentary: Vote ‘No’ on GOP’s Supported Constitutional Amendment That Would Redistrict Missouri Legislative Districts By Tom Schneider...Continue reading

Old Town Couple Received a Late Summer Scare; Find Graves in Backyard By Nichole Richardson...Continue reading

Dining Divas Discover Another Perfect Patio at Favazzas, But Wonder about Winter Dining By Lisa Kampeter...Continue reading

A Boomer’s Journal: Awesomeness of the Tenth Month By Tom Anselm ... And so, October comes. Wait, WHAT!? October? Are you even kidding me? How could that be, and what happened to September? (Parenthetically, what also happened to March through August, in COVID speak. But move on we must.) It really is okay with me, th is being October. Chances are real good that them there pesky bugs like gnats and mosquitos and yellow jackets are heading indoors. Oppressive heat mostly a thing of the past. And soccer is in full swing across the fruited plains. Ah, soccer, my first love and clearly favorite sport of all time. And with grandkids playing high school and club and CYC, I am once again Vagabond Grandpa, attending as many as my little old heart desires. It is almost such that I can point the Rogue in a direction and like a trusted steed, I will arrive at yet another field. Wandering the sidelines under the cerulean blue sky, inhaling the tasty-crisp air and marveling at the exploits of kin whose skills far outshine those of this old kicker at a similar age. As good as this all is, October still becomes the season of endings. Foliage adjusting its pallet from vibrant greens to a cacophony of colors followed by the reluctant but inevitable dropping. Those leaves, once generously providing shade and clean air, now becoming underfoot-crunch, giving once again as they turn nutrient to the soil. Grasses browning at last, finally at rest after the relentless rush of summer growth. The sun itself seems to be following a lazy path in its sojourn from one horizon to another, the light in later day taking on an almost eerie haze-glow. All part of the earth’s plan, preparing for the next phase. However, this year’s October is leaving me wondering, and not without some trepidation. Today, the earth and its inhabitants continue to roil into yet another phase of the pandemic. Some answers have come, but it seems that each day there are more questions. I am resolved to head into this Fall with appreciation of what beauty and joy it can bring. Still being cautious, but positive as well in the face of the unknown. But then, isn’t each day a foray into the unknown, after all? So, these next two weeks I’ll be planting some trees, I will. A very good time of the year for that. Feeding and seeding that old lawn, so badly in need of care. Sitting by our new fire pit on the deck. Enjoying the purple-pink sunsets. And breathing. Just breathing. Oh, October. If you are anything like your brothers previous, you will be gone before we know it. Gotta getcha while the gettin’s good.

Crime Causation Has Many Reasons; Keeping Students in School is the Top Priority By Rance Thomas...Continue reading

Florissant to Make City Budget Changes Chase Bank Wants New Building at 54th Street Grill Location By Carol Arnett...Continue reading

Westbound I-270 at Washington-Elizabeth To Close Oct. 15-17 For Beams to be Placed Motorists who regularly use I-270 in North St. Louis County should be aware that the Missouri Department of Transportation will close all eastbound I-270 lanes at Washington/Elizabeth nightly beginning Thursday, Oct. 15 for three days. In addition, westbound I-270 traffic will be reduced to a single lane with 15-20-minute intermittent closures. The nightly closures are scheduled to ta...ke place Thursday, Oct. 15 through Saturday, Oct. 17 from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. Motorists can use Pershall Road as a detour route. The closures will allow workers to set beams (girders) in place that will support the bridge deck. Drivers are encouraged to visit the I-270 North Project website at: www.i270north.org to learn more about planned detours and details of the project, including a project overview and graphic displays of planned construction. Travelers can also contact MoDOT’s customer service center at 1-314-275-1500 or the I-270 North Project Team at: [email protected] MoDOT also closed the intersection of Dunn Rd. and Washington St. at 6 a.m. on Monday, Oct 12 for three weeks. The closure will allow the removal of the existing intersection pavement and rebuilding the intersection with new pavement to connect to the new Washington St./Elizabeth Ave. bridge over I-270. New Florissant Rd. will serve as the primary detour route for travelers accessing Washington St. All detours will be marked. . See more

Lutheran North Football Starts Short Season 2-0; Trinity 0-1 By Jim Wieners...Continue reading

Chase Bank Coming to 54th Street Grill Site By Carol Arnett... The Florissant City Council met remotely Monday for the council meeting once again and held one public hearing and approved several bills. The public hearing was about a request for a new banking facility for Chase Bank at 2895 N. Hwy 67. This is the site of the 54th Street Grill near the intersection of Lindbergh and New Halls Ferry Road. The existing building will be torn down. Bruce LaSurs is the architect on the project. He spoke to the council about the bank. This is a new prototype design, LaSurs said, with new contemporary finishes and appearance. It has 3465 square feet, 33 parking spaces, and a drive-up ATM facility. He added that the project had met all the city ordinance requirements. At the public hearing, he was asking for a variance to the masonry ordinance and parking requirements. He said the variance to the masonry ordinance was to make the building similar in appearance to other Chase Bank buildings The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval for the project. Councilman Paul Manganelli said that he had driven by the Kirkwood location of Chase Bank, which was built in a similar style, and he thought it looked great. No one spoke in opposition to the project and the council held a first reading on the bill that would approve it. In other action, the council: Passed a bill authorizing a Tunnel Car Wash at 3180 N. Hwy. 67. Passed a bill authorizing a special use permit for the expansion of a convenience store with liquor for property at 1763-1765 N. New Florissant Road. This is the convenience store in the same center as Meyer’s Café. Passed a bill authorizing an amendment to city code that will allow state licenses barber and cosmetology schools as a permitted use in B zoning districts. Passed a bill authorizing a transfer of a special use permit from Hertz Corporation to Travers Auto Plaza for an auto sales and rental business at 1285 N. Hwy. 67 Passed a resolution endorsing the St. Louis Audubon Society’s Bring Conservation Home Program. Passed a bill requesting that St. Louis County distribute $47 million of Cares Act funds on a per capita basis to the municipalities within the county and authorizes the mayor to accept Cares Act funding. City Parks to Close Earlier The council also passed a bill that allows for changes in city park hours. Police Chief Timothy Fagan said that some of the parks that are open late have had problems. Mayor Timothy Lowery said that most other parks in the county are open dawn to dusk. He said he didn’t want to close the parks too early because of walkers who enjoy them, so he suggested 8 p.m. as the closing time. The parks will also stay open one-half hour after the last scheduled game or event in the park. Also-Ferdinand the Duck is back at St. Ferdinand Park!