ST LOUIS: THE PROBLEM LOOKING YOU RIGHT IN THE EYE, BEGGING FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Summer is almost here.  That three months of promise you work for the rest of the year.

“After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”--- L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

If you are an urban or inner-ring suburban kid, especially if you are African-American, there is almost nothing for you to do constructively with your peers.

Instead of listing the tens and possibly hundreds of links about the Delmar Loop's summer youth "problem", check your search engines for "delmar loop curfew"  or "problems with kids in delmar loop", etc.  (Lupe's previous post on this: http://delmarloop.blogspot.com/2010/06/loop-curfew-in-black-white.html  Also, this post about the "Delmar Divide", on the economic inequalities between north and south St. Louis. )

The one thing the city and counties have never seriously considered is opening an under-age club.  It gets lip service during the summer and then evaporates when school starts again.

The smart, powerful businessmen and civic leaders and politicians can't work something out?

Go ask the kids what they want! What do they want to do? What would they pay for and how much can they pay?  What is a good location?

Check out this great opinion piece by the awesome students of University City High School: http://www.utimesonline.com/opinions/2013/12/16/local-teens-struggle-to-keep-out-of-trouble/

Maybe a weekend teen club at the riverfront?  Maybe some rich developer could donate the space or some sort of grant could be worked out?  How much is the city spending to deal with the situation?  Take that money and build something constructive!

Make it very cheap to enter. As cheap as possible, and definitely less than $5.

The police are already sending a big chunk of District 7 to patrol the Delmar Metrolink, maybe they could staff security at the club?  To enter could be like entering a government building, with a metal search.  That should take care of any seriously violent confrontations that everyone seems so scared about.

Sell kid food (burgers, hot dogs, churros, canned drinks).  Every Friday and Saturday night is contest night.  Anyone can enter, and the audience votes by ballot.  Rap and Rhyme Contest, Beauty Contest, Dance Contest, Singers and Musicians, Hair and Fashion Shows, etc.  Ask the kids!  Ask them for ideas!  What categories?  What themes?

Prizes could be free entrance, or free food and drink.  Or even cash, once the club started making money.  There could be a community cable channel coverage, and teens could submit video's and photos to a youtube channel.

Decorations could be done by mural painters and youth artists.

The St. Louis Central Library has the great new "Creative Pods", perhaps during the week they could devote some time to training kids on how to record their songs and edit their youtube films, etc?

People like Nelly and Murphy Lee and Tef-Poe could host or perhaps co-judge with the audience ballots on performances.

Kids could work the clean-up and either be paid, or perhaps some sort of free entry, free food and drink tickets for cleaning up.

The local media could promote and cover the winners regularly.

Our youth deserve better.  They are our future.  Let's give them a chance to shine.

R.I.P. 'GENTLEMAN' JOHN, HEART AND SOUL OF THE LOOP

“All I ever really wanted to be was a nice person,” he [John Thompson] said. “I believe in the old adage that what you aspire to be is what you are. I'm going to have them carry me out of here on my shield, just like an old warrior."

The heart and soul of the Loop neighbourhood has passed away.  John Thompson, who worked at the Tivoli for 35 years, died on February 12, 2014.

If you were lucky enough to know John than you know that the outpouring of love and praise for him is not exaggerated or undeserved.  He was a genuinely warm and kind person, very intelligent, interesting AND interested-- in everything!-- and a true Loopie.

We were lucky to have him with us for 74 years.  Even as unique as the many stores and businesses that have had Loop addresses over the years, a person like John is what really makes a community a neighbourhood. 

“He was the kindest person I’ve ever known,” said Tivoli Theatre manager, Tom Anson. It was a widely echoed sentiment.

He managed to spread joy without a computer or answering machine. “We bought him one (of the latter) – twice,” his brother laughed, “but if your birthday or anniversary was coming up, you got a card from John. He had a manual calendar and every year he’d sit down and fill it in for the New Year. There’s a card shop somewhere in St. Louis that may go out of business.”

Both the quote from John and from Tom Anson are from this article:
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/john-thompson-legendary-tivoli-theatre-ticket-taker-dies-74

The memorial is at St. Roch's on Waterman, February 22 at 10 AM.  

You can read more about John in these links:

http://business.highbeam.com/435553/article-1G1-97011148/ticket

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/obituaries/john-thomson-dies-at-longtime-doorman-at-the-tivoli-was/article_c5693151-c5bc-5459-bf38-e5357adf8b24.html

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/bestof/2000/award/best-movie-theater-30519/

http://www.umsl.edu/studentlife/current/974/features1.html

Please comment or email if you have any other links on John to share.