TCB > May 2007

We got word late tonight of the passing of St. Louis playwright/musician/director Christopher Jackson: city types will remember him as the creative force behind "Gaslight Square: The Musical" and "Trolley to DeBaliviere," among other works celebrating our town and its past. No details were available immediately about his death, but plans for a memorial at the Missouri History Museum are being made.

UPDATE, 5/28:
Obituary from the Post-Dispatch can be found here.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Sat., May 26, 2007 at 12:34 AM
Link & Discuss (6 comments) | People

Great friend of St. Louis city (and also friend of TheCommonspace and me and Brian, personally) Marti Frumhoff passed away unexpectedly last night.

We worked with Marti on many projects over our years in St. Louis, from one iteration of the Big Big Tour (one of her many city-boosting brainchildren) to Southtown redevelopment to countless Metropolis initiatives back in the day. Her passion for the city and its possibilities was unlimited, and she constantly urged those around her to do more and bigger things. She will be greatly missed.

Arch City Chronicle reports a memorial service will be held Friday afternoon, May 18, at 1 p.m. at Central Reform Congregation.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Thu., May 17, 2007 at 10:58 AM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | People

Marti Frumhoff passed away last night at the age of 50. Reportedly, she had a heart attack at home.

The city of St. Louis had no truer friend than Marti. She was a Realtor and a photographer. Among the projects and organizations she was deeply involved with were the Rehabbers Club (founder), ReVitalize St. Louis (founder), Main Street St. Louis (founder), Friedens Haus publishing club (founder), Metropolis St. Louis (board member), and the Save the Century effort (litigant).

From what I've heard, services will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Central Reform Congregation.

Posted by Brian Marston on Thu., May 17, 2007 at 10:12 AM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | People

Sigh. Some folks are just willfully ignorant: the NY Times carries a piece about the vast development that's poured in (as the '93 floodwaters receded) to the various floodplains surrounding St. Louis. But guess what? Nobody thinks it'll happen to them.

"Yet as the rush of water that caused the Missouri River to overflow its banks and submerge dozens of towns last week rolled toward St. Louis on Monday, attention was turned to a metropolitan region that since 1993 has seen runaway residential and commercial development in the rivers’ flood paths."

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Tue., May 15, 2007 at 11:24 AM
Link & Discuss (1 comment) | STL in the News

3140 Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the first green, urban houses from EcoUrban Homes, should come on the market this month for around $200,000. EcoUrban Homes is the first company in Missouri to make LEED-certified, prefabricated, infill homes. The company is building in the Tower Grove East and Benton Park West neighborhoods. Its Solstice model is designed to be 80% more energy efficient than a conventional residence of similar size. For more information, contact Jay Swoboda at jay@ecourbanhomes.com or 314-231-0400 ext. 4. You may recognize that name from the curiously punctuated Whats Up Magazine.

Update: There's an article in today's Post-Dispatch about EcoUrban Homes.

Posted by Brian Marston on Sun., May 13, 2007 at 9:31 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | Business District

Another reminder of why having David Robertson around is good for the Lou: he keeps us on the national radar. Robertson was the conductor of the evening (presiding over the Juilliard Orchestra) at the recent "Good Night Alice" gala, retiring the Alice Tully Hall for 18 months of renovations. NYT has the write-up here.

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Thu., May 3, 2007 at 2:32 PM
Link & Discuss (0 comments) | People

And in a recent experiment seeking solidarity with Oregon food-stamp recipients who live on an average of $21/week in groceries, Gov. Theodore Kulongoski was reminded of those lean days of his childhood.

"The governor, a former labor lawyer, state insurance commissioner, state attorney general and member of the Oregon Supreme Court, noted more than once during his week on the low-cost diet that he grew up an orphan in a Catholic boys home in St. Louis. He said Friday that he had learned to clean his plate no matter what was on it."

Posted by Amanda Doyle on Wed., May 2, 2007 at 11:24 AM
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