Mingle at the Mills Charity Races

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Fun for charity at the NASCAR Speedpark in the St. Louis Mills

Yesterday the cities served by the Northwest County Chamber of Commerce came together for the 4th Annual Mingle at the Mills, a fun charity event put on by the Chamber at the NASCAR Speedpark (St. Louis Mills Mall). This event raised money for the Chamber's scholarship fund as well as the favorite charities of the winners of several races.

The races began with the Chiefs of Police Race. Unfortunately, Chief Herron of Overland was not in attendance. Standing in for Chief Herron was Andy Hale, a 3 1/2 year officer with the Florissant Police Department.

Officer Andy Hale - Florissant P.D. standing in for Chief Herron

Chief Bob Schrader of St. Ann managed to steal the show even before the race started thanks to his helmet choice.

Chief Bob Schrader of St. Ann

The race ended with victory for Chief Tony Umbertino of Charlack followed by an officer standing in for Chief Bob Dowling of Woodson Terrace, Chief Bob Dowling of Edmundson and Cheif Carl Wolf of Hazelwood. Besides coming in first, Chief Wolf was at the NASCAR SpeedPark all day organizing the setup for the event and even putting tables and chairs out himself.

Chief Umbertino of Charlack wins!

After the Chief's race there was a series of races for the Northwest County Chamber, several challenge races anyone in attendance could sign up for, a race between several OBA members (that I'm happy to say I survived) and more. Besides races there was music, bumper boats, a mini-golf challenge, and more.

Also in attendance was Miss Missouri Lindsay Casmaer. Besides visiting with those in attendance and presenting the awards at the finale, Miss Missouri also won her heat in the challenges and made a great showing in the challenge champions race.

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Miss Missouri Lindsay Casmaer tears up the track

The finale of the evening was the Mayor's Cup Challenge. The participating Mayors earned the placement at the start based on who sold the most tickets for charity. Woodson Terrace Mayor Lawerence "Butch" Besmer won the pole position for his stand in driver with an astonishing 5,179 tickets sold. Next was Hazelwood with 2,265, Florissant with 1719, and our own Mayor Mike Schneider of Overland with 1,313.

While Overland didn't have the most ticket sales, it certainly appeared that we had the most boosters in attendance last night. Many were easy to spot due to their matching blue shirts though there were a number of Overland residents in attendance with their own sense of fashion (or lack of one in my case).

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.........The Mayor's Cup Race..................Mayor Schneider's Race Fans

Though the limited lighting for this late evening event made it difficult to take pictures we did manage a few good shots of Mayor Schneider in action. The Mayor started the race moving quickly towards the lead. However, the pack soon started shifting around wildly resulting in Mayor Schneider going into the wall. After a minute or two under the caution flag Mayor Schneider was back in the race and managed to work his way back to 3rd place before the end. Mayor T.R. Carr of Hazelwood took the Checkered flag, earning his second win of the Mayor's Cup.

Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr wins again this year.

Though we had a difficult time with the lighting, we did manage a few shots of Overland Mayor Mike Schneider putting up a good fight in the race. Please note, if you click on most of the pictures in this article you will see them at full size.

All was well at the start of the race


But soon cars were scrambling, bumping and Mayor Schneider was in the wall


Back in the race our Mayor worked his way through the pack

Held back only by the limits of the Go-Kart's engine


Tearing up the turns


To finish the race in 3rd place

The race was a lot of fun and all the Mayor's (or their stand-ins) gave it their all. This race raised a lot of money for the Northwest County Chamber of Commerce's Scholarship fund and was a lot of fun to watch. Having raced earlier in the day (and finishing somewhere slightly better than last) I can say that these go-karts are a lot of fun, but racing them isn't easy.

If you missed this event this year make sure to mark your 2008 calendar for the 5th annual Mingle at the Mills next year as this event is a lot of fun with the added bonus of all the activities to be explored at the NASCAR Speedpark.

Mingle at the Mills

The Family 500 Track
NASCAR Speedway
at the St. Louis Mills

Today (Friday Sept 28th) is the day for the 4th annual Mingle at the Mills, Charity Benefit Race put on by the Northwest County Chamber of Commerce and NASCAR SpeedPark. The event will open at 4:00PM and end at approximately 10:00 PM after the North County Mayor's race which is scheduled to start at 9:00 PM. This event is being held at the NASCAR SpeedPark which is located at the St. Louis Mills, next to Chevy's Restaurant and entrance 4 (map, also see picture below) at the north east corner of the Mall grounds.


In addition to the Mayors' race and a host of others. The first race of the evening is between 10 Chief of Police including our own Chief Herron of Overland. Also, Overland Business Association members will be participating in a race of thier own scheduled to start at 7:00PM. At last count the OBA has 8 racers listed for this event (including myself).

There will be a host of races held at the NASCAR Speedway's Family 500 Track. Half the entrance fees raised for each race will go to the winners favorite charity as well as live music by Terry Beck and a variety of door prizes. For more information on this event or the NASCAR Speedway you can call (314) 227-5600 or visit NASCARSpeedpark.com.

NASCAR SpeedTrack St. Louis offers five exciting tracks, the NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway Simulators, kid-sized rides, a rock climbing wall, lazer tag arena, state-of-the-art arcade, a children's indoor playground, bumper boats, officially licensed NASCAR merchandise, the Pit Stop Grille, private parties, meeting rooms and more. If you haven't been there yet this would be a great time to check it out, and support OBA members and our Mayor in their races. So come on out and join the fun. I hope to see you there.

Council Meeting 09-24-2007

The Overland City Council met for a regularly scheduled Council meeting at the Overland Community Center on September 24th, 2007. There were approximately 200 people in attendance. Though the City attempted to improve the sound by repositioning speakers, the echo and sound quality issues continued. The Council breezed through the minutes with only one minor correction requested by Councilman Owensby. They also passed the bills without issue.

At this meeting the Council voted unanimously to approve the Mayor's appointment of Les Dills to the vacant seat in Ward 4, giving the City of Overland a full Council for the first time since April 2006. Several on the Council commended the Mayor for working with them to open the appointments process to the public by allowing interested residents to speak to the Council as well as answer questions. All agreed that ultimately, such appointments are chosen by the Mayor, with the Council filling the role of advisers with the ultimate responsibility to approve or disapprove such appointments. In my opinion, this vote was a sign of how our new Council can and will work together in the future.

Les Dills
New Councilperson - Ward 4
(click to enlarge)

There was a proposal from the City's financial director presented by the City Clerk asking for direction from the Council on whether or not to purchase $500,000.00 in Certificates of Deposit (CDs) to improve the interest the City would earn on the money. Most on the Council expressed concerns about tying up that much money. Ultimately the Council decided to reduce the amount and terms of the CDs to $200,000.00 for 1 year.

During the City attorney's report there were a host of Ordinances passed unanimously to enter into contracts with suppliers and secondary suppliers of road materials, concrete and fuel. There was a resolution passed that expressed the intent to seek park grants from St. Louis County. Councilperson Conlon mentioned that the resolution did not mention any specific grants or projects to which the Mayor responded that the issue was on the agenda for next week's Council Workshop meeting so the Council could consider the various options and decide what the best approach would be.

At first it seemed odd to hear that acting Public Works Director Chuck Boone did not have a report for the Council as he had just returned from vacation. Last weekend was Autumn in the Park, an event that requires much work from City employees, especially Public Works, as well as coordinating efforts with the OBA, the Overland Lions assistance with electric, etc. However, Autumn in the Park was originally planned for next weekend and was moved up to fit the Calvary's schedule. It's likely that Mr. Boone had committed to his vacation plans long before that change. Since the event went off without issue it seems that the folks at Public Works know how to get things done, even when the Acting Public Works Director isn't available.

The Chief's report focused mostly on the recent news of attempted Child Abductions in our area. Ritenour School District put out information on this issue earlier that day (which you can see here). Fox 2 News did a report on this issue earlier the same day as well which can be seen here and included this map of the suspected abduction attempts:

Suspected Abduction attempts in Overland
over past 2 months (source: Fox2 News St. Louis)
(click to enlarge)

The Chief added that though there were 2 attempted abductions this past weekend there was an additional one since last July. We are happy to report that in each incident, the children responded by running away and yelling as they were taught to do. The Chief pointed out several safety tips, including the availability of Child I.D. kits (thanks to a donation from Alberici) that are available to residents, free of charge, at the Overland Police Department (more information available here). Additionally, parents and grandparents should review the following links provided by the Ritenour School District:

• MissingKids.com Abduction Safety Tips
• FBI Child Abduction Tips
• KidSave.com Adbuction Safety Tips

Parents should also consider visiting the National Crime Prevention Council's McGruff.org where children can learn about a host of safety issues related to them while playing games, reading stories, and more. They can even join the McGruff Club with their parent's permission.

During the Mayor's report he thanked the Council for approving his appointment and mentioned how he and Councilperson O'Connell had not seen a full eight member Council until now. We were given the opportunity to take a picture of the Mayor and the new, full City Council after the meeting:

City of Overland's 1st full Council since April 2006
(click to enlarge)

The Mayor spoke of a recent meeting he had with the St. Louis County Economic Development Council to discuss options and ideas for Overland's future. One issue he raised at that meeting was whether or not our city master plan, originally drafted in 2001, should be completely re-written. They recommended a full review and update rather than a complete re-write of the plan. To that end, the Mayor stated that he had asked Mark Giroux (currently a member of Overland's Planning and Zoning Commission) to form and chair a citizens committee to review the plan and recommend changes. The Mayor left the naming of committee members to Mark Giroux but said citizens should contact Mr. Giroux if they are interested in sitting on this committee. If you would like to contact Mr. Giroux about this committee, contact City Hall at (314) 428-4321 so that they can pass your information along.

Overall the meeting went well though it was difficult to follow at times due to sound system issues. The following is a video of this meeting in its entirety. I did what I could to clean up the sound. However, without the ability to directly connect to the sound system (as Charter does), our video is subject to the same sound issues faced by the audience.

If you are viewing this content through a news-reader
you might not be able to see the video below.

City Council Meeting
September 24th, 2007
(59 minutes, 9 seconds)

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Two Possible Attempted Abductions

The following is posted as a service to the community. The original information appeared in an Email alert from Ritenour School District:

________________________________________________________

Ritenour Informed of Two Possible
Child Abductions Over the Weekend

Sept. 24, 2007 - This afternoon the Overland Police Chief notified the Ritenour School District about two possible child abductions that occurred over the weekend. Both children are safe. In both cases, the children did the right thing by running away from the cars and telling adults what happened. A letter with more information will be sent home with Ritenour students on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

This message is not sent to alarm parents and guardians, but to make to make you aware of the situation and ask for your help to keep our children safe in the community.

Here is the information provided by the police about the two incidents:

• On Saturday, Sept. 22, a child reported she was approached by a white male driving a gray GMC mini-van with a black stripe. According to the police, the last two letters on the license plate are XK.
• On Friday, Sept. 21 a white male driving a small two-door red pickup truck with an extended cab approached another child.

Overland Police are asking parents to report any suspicious activities by calling (314) 428-1221.

For more information and tips on how to keep your child safe, visit the following Web sites:

• MissingKids.com Abduction Safety Tips
• FBI Child Abduction Tips
• KidSave.com Adbuction Safety Tips

www.ritenour.k12.mo.us

____________________________________________________

Parents and Grandparents, please take a moment to review the above links as a refresher. Also, please contact the Overland Police Department at: (314) 428-1221 if you have any information regarding these incidents.

Autumn in the Park 2007

Autumn in the Park
at Norman Myers Park (map)

This weekend is Autumn in the Park. The City of Overland and the Overland Business Association with the help of too many local organizations and businesses to list have really put together a fun time for us this year. I was there today (Saturday Sept 22nd) and there was so much to do I didn't get to it all. If you missed it on Saturday with everything else going on in town you still have a change to enjoy it on Sunday from Noon until 5:00 PM.

Sunday's Schedule is:

10:00 AM - 5:00 PM: St. Louis Volleyball, Inc. Tournament (East Field)
Noon: Opening Ceremony with Mayor and Calvary
12:30 PM - 4:30PM: Kids Crafts and Activities (Kids area)
1:00 PM: Griffin and the Gargoyles Band (on stage)
1:00 PM: Carriage Ride (West Entrance (limited availability))
2:00 PM: Washers Tournament (Near Stage (No entry Fee))
3:00 PM: Carriage Ride (West Entrance (limited availability))
4:00 PM: Carriage Ride (West Entrance (limited availability))
5:00 PM: Event Closes

Thought it was not on the schedule I have, I'm under the impression that the Calvary will be doing another demonstration on Sunday as well. You don't want to miss Colonel Terry Crowder and the Division Cavalry Brigade if you can help it. Take a look for yourself:

Precision drills

Period Firearms demonstrations

And hair-raising exchanges
are just some of what you'll see from them.

There was a vintage baseball game (no gloves for one thing) between the St. Louis Perfectos Baseball Club and the OBA. You can probably imagine who won though the great people of the OBA put forth a valiant effort with the added bonus of Mayor Schneider as Catcher:

I'd be running scared if I was the ball

Gregg Wesche of Overland Hardware pitches for the home team

Mayor Schneider as our catcher

There was so much to do and see. If you can make it tomorrow be sure to bring your kids or grandkids by the Home Depot Kids Workshop where you can do a project together and get one to do at home.

There are a host of vendors and interesting people there. We can't get to them all this evening due to limited time but these interesting fellows sure are worth a visit:

Dulcimer Player

Blacksmith - and a true recycler

And of Course Overland's very own
true Cowboy Martin Bergin

And don't miss out on the wonderful carriage tours of Overland.


Finally, remember, this is your last change to get that wonderful Overland Historical Society Apple Butter. Don't miss out this year!


So get out there on Sunday, from Noon to 5:00 PM and enjoy. If you see me there, feel free to come up and say hello.

September 17th Council Workshop Meeting

The Overland City Council meet for a Workshop meeting in the Council Chambers on Monday, September 17th. There was a great public turn out at this meeting of at least 70 people. The meeting had a long list of issues to be covered including the vacancy on the Council in Ward 4, the rat issue, repairs to the roof of the old Seminary building at Wild Acres and more. Though the Council wasn't able to get through the entire list of items they managed to address more than most people thought they would get to in one meeting.

The following is the video of that meeting in it's entirety:

If you are viewing this content through a news-reader
you might not be able to see the video below.



September 17th Overland
City Council Workshop
( 2 hours, 22 minutes )

As we've discussed before the acoustics in the Council Chamber are not very conducive to video taping without the sound system (which is currently at the Community Center for Council meetings). However, We were able to amplify the audio significantly this time. There's some background noise as a result, but you should be able to hear all but the most soft spoken comments from the Council.

Time has not been on our side lately but we hope to get a more detailed article about this meeting added here before the end of the week. For now we wanted to get the video online so those who were not able to attend could see the meeting for themselves.

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September 11th, 2007

On this date in 2001, three planes taken over by foreign terrorists were purposefully crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Additionally another plane hijacked (by terrorists whom it's believed were planning to hit Washington D.C. as well) crashed in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers, having heard of the other attacks via their cell phones, took matters into their own hands and stopped the terrorists, sacrificing themselves in the process. 2,996 people were lost on this day. It was and is the worst attack of it's kind in history.

Last year I wrote about this from a personal prospective. The impact of September 11th on myself and my family has not changed, nor has my beliefs of what we could do on this date in the future. As a result I am reprinting that article below and I welcome any comments our readers would like to share.

Originally posted on September 11th, 2006:

Having grown up in New Jersey, 45 minutes or so for New York City by train, September 11th 2001 hit me hard. That is not to say that people that lived elsewhere were not as negatively impacted by this tragedy or worse then I was. However, the experiences of most that live in Overland might be a bit different then mine.

The Town I grew up in lost 36 people (if memory serves) to September 11th, 2001. Forever burned in my mind are not just the events that lead up the fall of the towers (it so happened I had been off that morning and watched the entire event live on the news). My memories include the pain I could hear in my parents voices when we talked. From the house I grew up in (where they still lived at the time) you could see the smoke rising, and it continued to do so for a long time. The shock of the event changed everyone on some level. Most of my friends and family became different people in some ways. This event sent ripples of change through our nation as a whole.

In the late 1990s I took the women who later became my wife to meet my parents for the first time and we visited New York City while we were there. We experienced the observation deck of the World Trade Center together, it was a first for both of us (I never did the "tourist things" when I visited New York as a young man). We can never revisit that event outside of our minds now. I have been back to New Jersey 3 times since then, and I have avoided ground zero each time. I do not want those who attacked us on that day to replace my memories of events in the square or my wife's first visit to NYC with the vision of the aftermath. When they finally build a building there I will be there, along with my wife and my daughter. We will visit whatever observation deck they create, as well as the memorial that will surly be a part of the site.

I will let the triumph of a new, tall building rising up in the place of the towers take the place of my older good memories, but nothing else.

We should NEVER forget what happened that day. Prior to 9/11 we did not take treats against us very seriously. We know now that we can no longer afford to think like that. However, this sort of thinking is not limited to our country. We need to take all threats seriously as individuals and families as well.

September 11th, 2001 should have taught our country many lessons. Whether it has or not is perhaps debatable. It should have taught us all something about personal preparedness as well. However, based on what many experienced in the recent electrical outage here in Overland, perhaps we need a refresher.

September 11th was a tragedy beyond measure, and one that will be burned into the minds of everyone who was alive at that time, forever. The horrors of 9/11 are unquestionable. However, what comes from it might be. I would rather be able to say that 9/11 helped save lives in the long run.

Below I have included a handful of links to information to help us all plan for disasters, be they acts of terror or acts of God. If we are all prepared to care for ourselves to some degree, we help strengthen our country and our community, making us a "harder target" in the face of any disaster or emergency. Take a look at some of the information and suggestions on the following sites. it is my hope that they will help everyone plan and prepare to keep our families safe in the event of potential future disasters I hope we never see:

• FEMA's Disaster Information
• FEMA's "Are you Ready?" Guide
• Ready America's Family Plan recommendations
• American Red Cross's Recommendations
• GSA's Family Disaster Kit Recommendations
• NOAA's Story Ready Program
• The American Heart Association on CPR

I hope this information is useful for everyone. Never Forget what happened on September 11th, 2001. Most importantly, learn from it, as well as other disasters that have struck our nation and community. Please take a few moments with the links above and learn about the various disasters that can effect us, and the ways you can better to protect yourself and your family. Knowledge is power but preparation is survival.

What better time to consider ways to better protect your family then on the anniversary of a national tragedy like 9/11? Maybe it should be a holiday, a day when Americans checks on their disaster supplies and takes time to learn about new ways to protect their families.

Overland City Council Meeting September 10th, 2007

The Overland City Council met at the Community Center for a regularly scheduled meeting on September 10th, 2007.

During resident comments we were reminded that the Mayor will be participating in the Mayor's Challenge Cup Race During the 4th Annual "Mingle at the Mills" event on September 28th, 2007 from (entire event: 4:00PM until 10:00 PM). "Mingle at the Mills" is a NASCAR Speedpark and Northwest Chamber of Commerce family friendly, outdoor event that includes a host of charity races, fun activities, music, contests and more. The Mayor's Cup is one of the charity races where the Mayor's of Overland, Woodson Terrace, St. John, St. Ann, Vinita Park, Charlack, Edmundson, Bridgeton, Florissant and Hazelwood all participate. All of the Mayor's have tickets to sell for the race. The number sold determines each Mayor's starting position and a portion of the money raised goes to the Northwest Chamber's High School Scholarship Fund. If you would like to support Mayor Schneider as well as the scholarship fund, City Hall may still have $1.00 tickets you can purchase. Please contact Overland City Hall at 428-4321 to check if any are left before you head over there.

As Mike Oakes pointed out during resident comments, there are still some sound system problems at the meeting. We tried repositioning the camera in an effort to get clearer audio but, as you can hear for yourself (further down) it is still a problem. Hopefully, the Council will find a solution to this issue before the next Council meeting at the center.

At this meeting a representative of Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) made a presentation covering a 3.7 billion dollar capital improvements program to eliminate as many of the sewage overflows in our area as possible.. I had the opportunity to speak to him briefly at the meeting and hope to have more detailed information on this in the near future.

At this meeting, Mayor Schneider named Councilperson O'Connell (Ward 2) to replace him as the Council representative on the Overland Planning and Zoning Commission. The Mayor also offered Les Dills as an appointment to fill his vacant seat in Ward 4. This lead to an lengthy discussion where several on the Council asked that the appointment be tabled and that it be added to Monday, September 17th's Workshop meeting agenda so that members could have an opportunity to talk to Mr. Dills. A motion was made to table, but that motion failed 3-3 with Councilpersons May, Cumanale, and Conlon voting to table, Councilpersons O'Connell, Owensby and Jones opposing, and Councilperson Keller abstaining.

Discussion continued with Councilperson Jones expressing concerns about not wanting to see an extended vacancy on the Council as we saw last year with Ward 3. Councilperson May made an excellent point that the Council (including Councilpersons O'Connell and Schneider) opposed appointments made by former Mayor Purzner last year because they were not given an opportunity to speak to the appointees about their experience, views and goals. Councilperson May made it clear that it would be hypocritical at best for the Council to have opposed Mayor Purzner only to face a similar lack of Council involvement now and not handle the issue in the same manor. Mayor Schneider seemed to agree with this point and discussed the issue with the Council further, ultimately deciding to hold off on the appointment until the September 24th meeting to allow the Council, as well as interested residents of Ward 4 to consider the appointment at the September 17th Workshop.

I appreciate Mayor Schneider's handling of this situation. Whether you agree with him on all issues or not it is clear that he is a definite improvement over our recent past. We have now had two Council meetings without egregious violations of State statutes, shouting matches, inaction, etc. That is already 100% better than the previous administration. Now if some in the audience would follow the Mayor's lead when it comes to civility and listening to other points of view that would really be progress.

Normal business was also handled professionally at this meeting (yet more improvement). A few new business licenses were approved, bids for slurry seal, asphalt and concrete were reviewed, an ordinance to enter into a contract to purchase 1000 tons of road salt from Chesterfield for the winter passed and even the bills were approved unanimously without issue.

Below is the video of the meeting in it's entirety. There continues to be sound problems at the Community Center. Moving the camera appears to have helped to a degree but the issue is far from resolved:

If you are viewing this content through a news-reader
you might not be able to see the video below.


September 10th Overland
City Council Meeting
( 1 hour, 43 minutes )

The Public Works report became rather interesting when acting Director Chuck Boone apologized for not being able to acomplish as much as he had hoped to because of all the catchup work his department is doing due to the inaction of the previous administration. One such project was sidewalk work on Poe Ave. in Ward 4. Councilperson Conlon asked about this, expressing concern because this has apparently been an ongoing issue for 3-4 years and it involves handicapped access issues. Councilpersons Conlon (Ward 2) and O'Connell (Ward 2) suggested that Public Works consider contracting some of the work, like this particular project, to help the department catch up. Mr. Boone expressed concern about the increased costs of using a contractor and further explained that this sidewalk project is difficult and would require extensive engineering and surveying. While I can understand the likelihood of projects being more expensive due to using outside firms, when it comes to this sidewalk project, to the best of my knowledge Overland Public Works employees no engineers or surveyors so the most difficult part of that project would have to be contracted out regardless.

Other suggestions were made on how to address the workload. Councilperson O'Connell's suggestion that Public Works put out some "RFPs" (Requests for Proposals) as a way of getting an idea of how much contracting some of the workload would cost. Councilperson Conlon asked if Saturday overtime for the Public Works employees was a possibility to help with this as well.

Councilperson Conlon asked about the progress with the boarded up buildings at Woodson and Midland. Mr. Boone explained that the process had been started and they still needed an extensive title search, to check for leans on the property, build a case with photos and other evidence, and seek a condemnation hearing. While I understand the difficulty of such an undertaking (as several years ago a similar process dragged on for years on Spencer Ave), I am confused by this answer. Mr. Boone stated at a meeting months ago that prior to his "unscheduled vacation" under Mayor Puzner he had met with the owners, be in the building along with St. Louis County inspectors and others and that the process to resolve this issue was well underway. I'm surprised that all of this evidence was not gathered at that time. I wish Mr. Boone would commit to some sort of time table on resolving this issue as Woodson and Midland are major thoroughfares though Overland and the deplorable condition of this particular property really makes our community look bad in my opinion.

Later in the meeting Councilperson O'Connell asked if Public Works had moved forward with hiring a grant writer. Mr. Boone stated one was hired. Councilperson Conlon asked how the department would be determine priorities with grants and which ones they would apply for. I would suggest that you view the meeting video below to see if you can decipher the answers. Personally I found it odd that the Council was asking a department head how this would be handled rather than directing how they wanted it handled.

The Chief reminded the public about the upcoming Overland Police Community Golf tournament on September 21st. He pointed out that the money raised went toward the City D.A.R.E. program. The Chief also mentioned that the BBQ dinner at the Golf course will be catered by Miss Piggies Smoke House (located at 11612 Page Ave.) and will cost $15.00 a person. You can attend the BBQ without participating in the Golf tournament so if the only drivers you know are in on the end of cordless drills (I know I always though a pitching wedge was the white thing on the mound in baseball) you can still come out and support D.A.R.E. and have a good time in the process.

The Chief also reported that the Overland Police had received a $31,512.00 grant to be applied to several local law enforcement responsibilities including sobriety checkpoints, speed enforcement, general DWI enforcement, etc. The Chief also informed us that the department's DWI enforcement numbers for this year (73 arrests so far) had already exceeded last years total of 70. Nice work OPD!

Overall the meeting went well, Council members, as well as the majority of the people in attendance were civil and once again city business was acomplished. There were some bumps and kinks and we still have much room for improvement, but things in Overland are definitely looking better than before.

A word of warning:. Considering the number of issues that were already planned for the September 17th, Workshop meeting, including the recently proposed pension changes, and the number of issues, including the filling the vacant Ward 4 seat have were added to it at this meeting, that workshop could be a record breaker in length. If your planning on attending, you might want to pack some water, a few snacks and a blanket. I will attempt to record this workshop but without a functional sound system in the Council Chambers its has been all but impossible to record meeting in that room so far. Considering the length, my external microphone can't last though it all so if you want to be sure to see it for yourself, I suggest you attend.

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Active Amber Alert for St. Louis County

Monday evening (September 10th) a man was shot and killed in a car-jacking in North St. Louis County. It is believed that his 10 month old child was in the safety seat in the back of the vehicle at the time.

There is currently a Amber Alert for Ivory Roach, the victim's 10 year old daughter. She has brown hair, brown eyes, is approximately 2 foot tall and weighs approximately 20 pounds. She was last scene on Monday evening at approximately 10:30 PM. Other information available is that she is bi-racial and "appears more white than black".

The father was driving a 2007 Blue Lincoln Navigator with 20 inch rims. The Missouri license plate number is:

7AS61R

For reference here is a picture of a 2007 Lincoln navigator:

St. Louis County police are looking for a suspect described as a black male, bald with a small goatee or beard, medium build and height wearing white t-shirt. This suspect is thought to be in possession of the Lincoln navigator which was last seem driving towards Lucas and Hunt Road on Burrwood in North County.

This suspect may still have Ivory Roach so please keep an eye out for this vehicle on your commute this morning.

If you have any information that can assist the authorities on this matter please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at:

(314) 889-2341

UPDATE: (7:15 AM) The morning news is reporting that the Navigator was found at Barnes Jewish Hospital with the child inside, apparently unharmed. No word on the status of the suspect.

If you have any information that could assist St. Louis County Police with this case PLEASE don't hesitate to contact them at the number above.