Some News Today

Moving Westward

Employees at the now-shuttered Western Lanes bowling alley at Gustine and Bingham in south St. Louis have told us that workers are removing its wooden lanes. These lanes will appear later this year at a new bowling alley at the St. Louis Mills Mall, located in west Bridgeton on the flood plain near the I-370 and I-270 interchange.

Needless to say, it will be awhile -- if ever -- we get to use those lanes again.

Hopefully the removal won't doom the venerable alley, the city's last remaining full-sized bowling alley until its closure at the end of January. I know that Western suffers from a discrete location, but good advertising and strategically-placed signs on nearby Gravois Boulevard could really help bring the place to people's attention if it reopens. A good remodeling wouldn't hurt, either, but I'd rather have prices low than fancy decor.

One rumor had a towing company buying the Western Lanes building and its huge parking lot, but the employees say that's not going to happen.

Bright Minds

Kudos to Rodney Burchfield, running for alderman in Ward 17, and Steve Patterson, running for Alderman in Ward 25. Both candidates are running thoutful, well-organized campaigns that are gaining ground rapidly.

Rodney has raised his profile with the launch of great new yard signs, T-shirts and a website. He's been meeting people door-to-door and at many small events, including a meeting today at La Dolce Via Bakery on Taylor Avenue. This meeting was hosted by state representatives Maria Chappelle Nadal and Rachel Storch (our representative, we're proud to report) and drew attendance from school board member Veronica O'Brien, Ward 17 Green Party Committeeman Don DeVivo and many Forest Park Southeasters. The tone was causal but the talk of issues -- eminent domain abuses, lack of affordable housing-for-purchase -- was serious.

Steve Patterson has been working his ward -- walk or drive down Grand Boulevard and see his signs, one after another -- and also spoke at a great event at Gallery Urbis Orbis downtown on Friday. That event drew together some of the city's leading urbanists and cultural movers-and-shakers and accomplished the goal of emphasizing the importance of Steve's campaign to the entire city.

Question

How exactly did Rollin Stanley get to be the head of the St. Louis Planning and Urban Design Agency?

Pevely Cares -- And So Does Bellon

The Pevely Dairy is completing tuckpointing and brick replacement on its landmark plant at Grand and Choteau. Meanwhile, Don Bellon is painstakingly rebuilding the front wall of a storefront building in the 4100 block of Manchester in Forest Park Southeast. Slowly, the Choteau/Manchester corridor rejuvenates.