North City Farmers Market

This weekend, we took a trip to the Old North Farmers Market to have a chat with Julia, the coordinator for the market. It struck me how excited people were about the farmers market. There were people of all sorts there who seemed really happy that there was fresh produce in their neighborhood. And that, I think is a really special thing. We all deserve to have fresh food available to us, no matter where we live or who we are but somehow, St. Louis thinks it's okay for a large swath of the city to get by on fast food. Even though this famers market is tiny when compared to Soulard's or Maplewood's farmers markets, it seems to me to be the most genuine and effective. Not only is the food grower-produced (meaning that the person selling you that food has a meaningful relationship with what they're selling you), but it provides food to a part of the city that is drastically underserved by the major grocery stores and food providers.

Living in a city requires a certain level of interdependence that is vital for the functioning of the city's fabric as a whole. It seems that this city is very much intent on effecitively cutting out one segment of the population in terms of the reciprocation they need in order to be healthy enough to contribute to the city's wellbeing. But the North City Farmers Market represents a very important challenge to that thinking. It is helping to literally sow the seeds of tomorrow in the fallow earth of today.

For that reason, I appreciate this market a lot. It's a no brainer and it's about time.

Hugz,

Antonio

Built and Building

Jackson Park and Tyvek in Old North

Weekend Commute Memories

One of the best repeated memories I have from my childhood is this: on Saturdays when my mom was working, sometimes she would let us kids come up to her workplace and hang around. My brother and I would hop onto the train, walk a bit to her work, and she would give us stuff to play with (paper clips? minesweeper? markers galore?) before she gave us money to go eat somewhere. We would always think about it for a little bit then end up going to a nearby Moss Burger. Tea would happen, office supplies would be further messed with (usually color-coordinated), then we'd take the train home.
My mom always talked about the wisteria trellis pergola that was near the train station that bloomed during the spring months.

It's really devastating for me to think that some people that ride the Metrolink have memories of scenes from the Metro, everyday going back and forth to and from work, that might not be perpetuated. This is a romanticized perspective on trains and public transit, but I think this kind of thought process underlies all appreciation of small things in life.

Crown Candy

Last night, the Dependent Study kids took a trip up to Old North St. Louis to have a conversation with Claire Wolff of the Urban Studio and Mikey Naucus of... lots of stuff. A synopsis/video of that inspiring conversation will be posted within the next few days as we figure out Final Cut Pro and get some intracurricular work finished up.

For now, I'll leave you with some pictures from our trip to Crown Candy immediately following the meeting with Claire and Mikey. We were trying to kill some time waiting for the bus, so we got a malt. I was SO down to try the 5 Malts in Half an Hour Crown Candy Challenge, but I was dissuaded by my colleagues. Regardless of that fact, Crown Candy was a great and yummy experience! It had been my first time both to Old North St. Louis and Crown Candy, but boy was it enjoyable. I felt there was a sense of progress there I have only dreamt of in other parts of St. Louis. There seems to be a sense of community there, a community that cares about not only where it's been, but where it might be headed. I think that sort of concern is what makes it a special place. And its people like Claire and Mikey and Phil Valko who are going to help take Old North St. Louis into an interesting direction.

Here are some silly pictures we took at Crown Candy. Until I can figure out my camera, we'll have to live with blurry pictures. I think DJ was in the bathroom or something when we took these pictures?
Hugz,

Antonio

Smell the Summer

One thing I've been working with for almost a year is the WashU garden, the Burning Kumquat. We grow vegetables and sell them at the North City Farmers' Market (during the summer) and on the WashU campus. We don't use chemicals, we have work day every week, and we plan events and talk to people. I like to talk about this a lot.
So if anyone's around, you should come rub our tomato plants and smell your hands. Then you should rub the gourd leaves, too. Walk past the herb bed with the basil forest, the thyme machine, and the fennel trap; enjoy their massive attack on your olfactory system. And if you, like most of us that work at the garden, have never seen an okra plant, hide under the enormous (if you're short) okra canopy. Beware of spiky squash vines. Let the beans twirl up the corn and nourish the soil that its roots cluth onto. Inhale the aubergine with your eyes.

Public Hearings

Metro is having a series of 15 community meetings over the next few weeks to gauge public opinion on the upcoming service changes. Here is a list of when they're happening. The Dependent Study kids will definitely attend at least some of these meetings, maybe even all of them. Stay tuned.

Metro Public Hearings

Hear about the future of MetroBus, MetroLink, and Metro Call-A-Ride, and voice your opinion about potential service cuts.

9/3/2008 — 12:00 - 5:00 pm Eric P. Neuman Center at Washington University Medical Center 320 S. Euclid Ave St. Louis, MO 63110 Metro Access: Central West End MetroLink Station Location Map

9/8/2008 — 2:00 - 6:00 pm Kirkwood Presbyterian Church 100 E. Adams Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122 Metro Access: 49 Lindbergh, 56 Kirkwood Location Map

9/9/2008 — 4:00 - 7:00 pm Florissant Valley Community College 3400 Pershall Rd. St. Louis, MO 63135 Metro Access: 27 North County Shuttle, 74 Florissant Location Map

9/10/2008 — 3:00 - 6:30 pm Daniel Boone Branch, St. Louis County Library 300 Clarkson Rd Ellisville, MO 63011 Metro Access: Clayton Road Connector Location Map

9/11/2008 — 2:00 - 6:00 pm Tesson Ferry Branch, St. Louis County Library 9920 Lin-Ferry Dr. St. Louis, MO 63123 Metro Access: 46 Tesson Ferry, 49 Lindbergh Location Map

9/12/2008 — 2:00 - 5:45 pm Carpenter Branch, St. Louis Public Library 3309 S. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63118 Metro Access: 70 Grand Location Map

9/15/2008 — 2:00 - 6:30 pm Busch Student Center, St. Louis University 20 N. Grand Blvd St. Louis, MO 63103 Metro Access: 70 Grand, 13 Union Location Map

9/16/2008 — 1:00 - 5:00 pm Mid-County Branch, St. Louis County Library 7821 Maryland Ave. Clayton, MO 63105 Metro Access: Clayton MetroLink Station, 47 Hanley Location Map

9/17/2008 — 2:00 - 6:00 pm Julia Davis Branch, St. Louis Public Library 4415 Natural Bridge Ave. St. Louis, MO 63115 Metro Access: 4 Natural Bridge Location Map

9/18/2008 — 3:30-6:30 PM Tomorrow’s Charter School, Emerson Park Development Corp. 1405 State St. East St. Louis, IL 62205 Metro Access: Emerson Park MetroLink Station Location Map

9/20/2008 — 11:00 am - 2:00 pm Millennium Center, Student Government Chamber, UMSL One University Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63121 Metro Access: UMSL North MetroLink Station Location Map

9/23/2008 — 10:00 am - 1:00 pm City of St. Louis City Hall, Room 208 1200 Market St St. Louis, MO 63103 Metro Access: Civic Center MetroLink Station Location Map

9/24/2008 — 3:00 - 6:30 pm Southwestern Illinois College 2500 Carlyle Ave Belleville, IL 62221 Metro Access: College MetroLink Station Location Map

9/25/2008 — 3:00 - 6:30 pm Lodge at Des Peres 1050 Des Peres Rd. Des Peres, MO 63131 Metro Access: 57 Manchester Location Map

9/29/2008 — 5:00 - 7:30 pm Metro Headquarters, 6th Floor Boardroom 707 North First Street St. Louis, MO 63102 Metro Access: Arch-Laclede’s Landing MetroLink Station Location Map

MetroFuss

This will hopefully be the first of many posts on this important topic.

We recently learned that the St. Louis Metro is suffering from some serious budget shortfalls (they're some $45 million dollars in debt) and will soon begin cutting service across the city. These budget shortfalls are, according to the metro website, a result of "long-term erosion of ... funding sources," including the phasing out of subsidies from the state of Missouri, as well as the costs associated with the Metrolink extension to Shrewsbury. All this, in spite of increased ridership across the region.
As you can see from the yummy pie chart above, exactly 2/3 of Metro's operating budget goes to "Compensation & Benefits." According the Metro, that includes the over 2000 people employed through the city's public trans system. I think this is pretty interesting; Metro's biggest cost is people, not buses. Which makes perfect sense, when you think about it: buses and trains are big, one-time expenses, followed by periodic "services" and touch ups whereas bus and train operators require salaries on an annual basis, in perpetuity.

Some facts from the Metro site :

Fewer Transit Options

If additional funding is not made available, Metro must operate a significantly reduced level of service across all modes. The reduced Metro system may include:

• Increased passenger fares
• Overcrowding on already busy routes
• No Metro service outside of Interstate 270
• No service after 8 p.m.
• Eliminations or reductions of some MetroBus routes
• Service hours and frequency on remaining routes reduced 25-75%
• No special event MetroLink service
• Elimination of Call-A-Ride trips that begin or end outside the reduced service area and operating hours

What this Means for the Region

35% of jobs in St. Louis City and County now served by transit would lose all transit access

50% of St. Louis County residents would have service eliminated

41% of St. Louis City residents would lose at least half their service

MetroBus Service Reductions

Up to 28 of the 60 existing MetroBus routes may be eliminated, including all service outside Interstate 270. In a second phase of reductions, all express bus routes would be eliminated, as would all night service. Some remaining MetroBus routes would be consolidated in efforts to retain some level of service in neighborhoods. The changes to service would take place in two phases, Spring 2009 and Summer 2010. To view the potential changes for each phase, follow the links below.

And for the MetroLink:

MetroLink Service Reductions

MetroLink frequency would be decreased at all times -

• Trains would run every 15 minutes during the peak rush hour on all Branches, rather than every 10 minutes.
• No service after 8 p.m.
• Non-rush hour service would operate every 20 minutes rather than every 15 minutes.
• MetroLink trains would shuttle between the Shrewsbury I-44 and Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Stations during non-rush hours (trains currently operate from Shrewsbury to Emerson Park in Illinois).
• Extra trains would not be available for Blues, Cardinals and Rams games, and special events like Fair St. Louis and Race for the Cure.

So essentially, Metro's service would be decimated and they will have to lay off a sizable portion of their workforce. Metro really is on the move.

-Antonio