All Hands On Deck- Volunteer Event and Provider Fair
96.3 R&B for The Lou welcomes All Hands On Deck- Volunteer Event and Provider Fair on May 20th at Benton Park!
GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING MAY 2ND, 2023
General Assembly Meeting April 4th
BPNA GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING
APRIL 4TH 2023 AT 7PM-8PM
WELCOME
New Member Introductions: 8 first time neighbors.
Guest Speaker
Doris. Electric vehicle charging stations. Looking to get electric charges installed in the neighborhood. Will follow up with more information next month.
Abbreviated Crime Report
Officer Jazmon is not in attendance today.
13 reported incidents. 10 larcenies, 2 vehicle theft, 1 residential garage burglary.
Yemenja Brazil Restaurant
Provided information about the restaurant. Prepping for Brazil Day street festival. Food, music, workshops for children, Ju-jitsu (self defense lessons). Showcases Brazilian culture in the community.
ALDERMAN’S REPORT
Dan Guenther
Last meeting officially. Yellow signs going up in the neighborhood with a QR code. The 14th of this month, Counter Public art installation (wind chimes). Ran out of Luminary on Cherokee St. Kick off on Friday is at the new soccer stadium. On the 15th from 10am -11am an artist doing an installation in Benton Park. Musical installation starts at 10am with a wind chime that will be in the neighborhood for a while. Any park issues then contact Dan.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
PARKS COMMITTEE:
*See Dan Guenther section
SAFETY COMMITTEE:
Establishing the Block Captain Program, fundraising, and researching the best option for technology based security (AwareNet, or Flock Safety).
EVENTS COMMITTEE:
First concert The Mighty Pines Sunday May 21st. Lineup being finalized. Excited about the summer. From 4-7pm.
BUILDING REVIEW COMMITTEE:
N/A
GARDEN/CAVE COMMITTEE:
Bill Kranz
Cave mill project, ready to take a robot down into the caves. Going to explore the cave chamber. Trying to stream it live. The back part of the garden they grow 6 varieties of grapes, and hops. Signifying the importance of the neighborhood.
DOG PARK COMMITTEE:
N/A
QUESTIONS
01. Event at Epiphany. Amanda. The church are starting a community dinner program. They had a Wednesday breakfast and it was weekly. So they are doing a monthly dinner. They want to have it before the meetings here, and they are using donations from growers in the area. Starts at 5:30-6PM. It would be quarterly. The breakfast was open to all, although they were offered to homelesss. There will be a donation basket for those that are inclined. First planning meeting is next week on Wednesday.
02. The previously mentioned Tommy Gund event that were looking for T-Shirts ended up exceeding their goal of 100 shirts.
03. The church is still working on air quality initiatives. They are meeting in 2 weeks here Tuesday April 18th. They are investigating the facilities in Sauget. Sign ups during the meeting.
04. Larry Isom NIS
Contact for all city services. Call 622-4800 number. Stray dog, stray cat, derelict vehicle, building code violations. Larry Isom direct line 314-657-1376. They are working on A.I. to help with the CSB phone calls.
General Assembly Meeting April 4th, 2023
General Assembly Meeting April 4th
BPNA GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING
APRIL 4TH 2023 AT 7PM-8PM
WELCOME
New Member Introductions: 8 first time neighbors.
Guest Speaker
Doris. Electric vehicle charging stations. Looking to get electric charges installed in the neighborhood. Will follow up with more information next month.
Abbreviated Crime Report
Officer Jazmon is not in attendance today.
13 reported incidents. 10 larcenies, 2 vehicle theft, 1 residential garage burglary.
Yemenja Brazil Restaurant
Provided information about the restaurant. Prepping for Brazil Day street festival. Food, music, workshops for children, Ju-jitsu (self defense lessons). Showcases Brazilian culture in the community.
ALDERMAN’S REPORT
Dan Guenther
Last meeting officially. Yellow signs going up in the neighborhood with a QR code. The 14th of this month, Counter Public art installation (wind chimes). Ran out of Luminary on Cherokee St. Kick off on Friday is at the new soccer stadium. On the 15th from 10am -11am an artist doing an installation in Benton Park. Musical installation starts at 10am with a wind chime that will be in the neighborhood for a while. Any park issues then contact Dan.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
PARKS COMMITTEE:
*See Dan Guenther section
SAFETY COMMITTEE:
Establishing the Block Captain Program, fundraising, and researching the best option for technology based security (AwareNet, or Flock Safety).
EVENTS COMMITTEE:
First concert The Mighty Pines Sunday May 21st. Lineup being finalized. Excited about the summer. From 4-7pm.
BUILDING REVIEW COMMITTEE:
N/A
GARDEN/CAVE COMMITTEE:
Bill Kranz
Cave mill project, ready to take a robot down into the caves. Going to explore the cave chamber. Trying to stream it live. The back part of the garden they grow 6 varieties of grapes, and hops. Signifying the importance of the neighborhood.
DOG PARK COMMITTEE:
N/A
QUESTIONS
01. Event at Epiphany. Amanda. The church are starting a community dinner program. They had a Wednesday breakfast and it was weekly. So they are doing a monthly dinner. They want to have it before the meetings here, and they are using donations from growers in the area. Starts at 5:30-6PM. It would be quarterly. The breakfast was open to all, although they were offered to homelesss. There will be a donation basket for those that are inclined. First planning meeting is next week on Wednesday.
02. The previously mentioned Tommy Gund event that were looking for T-Shirts ended up exceeding their goal of 100 shirts.
03. The church is still working on air quality initiatives. They are meeting in 2 weeks here Tuesday April 18th. They are investigating the facilities in Sauget. Sign ups during the meeting.
04. Larry Isom NIS
Contact for all city services. Call 622-4800 number. Stray dog, stray cat, derelict vehicle, building code violations. Larry Isom direct line 314-657-1376. They are working on A.I. to help with the CSB phone calls.
March 7th, 2023 General Meeting Agenda Minutes
MARCH 7TH NEIGHBORHOOD GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING
Welcome
Courtney Armistead - First meeting as president. Added times to keep it punctual.
Police Report - Officer Jazmon - Now reporting 28 days increment. 9 reported incidents. Bringing crime down -50%. YTD 32 reported incidents between January and now. We are breaking even. 3 larcenies from motor vehicles. We encourage everyone to keep their cars empty. 3 stolen autos in the 2900 block of Lemp, Two other vehicles still missing. 2 burglaries. 2900 block of Missouri. Second burglary was a squatter. 1 assault on the 2100 block of Wyoming. One of the males was shot and taken to the hospital.
Questions for Officer Jazmon:
01. What time did Wyoming shooting occur.
Answer: 6pm.
02. Abandoned vehicles question. Not really a question, but going over VIN number protocol.
03. Cars running red lights. Over a dozen incidents. Officer Jazmon says there is no way to track or report it. Third district captain is trying to ramp up presence, and training on using radar guns. Traffic units are trained on radar, but most are not. Reach out to Cara Spencer about traffic calming measures.
04. Officer Jazmon is hopeful that the state takes over the police departments.
Follow up: Ask Dan G. about the state taking over control of the police department.
05. Is there a patrol plan of action? Officer Jazmon says patrols are happening in busier areas.
06. 911 complaint. Short staffed issues.
Officer Jazmon contact: 314-444-2595
Treasures Report - Ryan unable to attend.
Larry Isom - Neighborhood Improvement Specialist (BP BPW, McKinley Heights, Gate District, Soulard). Anything from animal control to zoning. Call the CSB for all city services. Call on pot
holes street lights, vacant buildings, trash, bulk items, dumping, etc. Last 30 days, there are 106 calls for city services. Nuisance properties, anything dealing with city services.
Sidenote: to adhere to proper time restraints please email questions
Committee Reports -
Parks - Dan couldn’t make it tonight. Working with the elections today.
Events Committee - Brittany Nelson, we are still working on the summer concert series lineup. May through Oct. First show is May 21st. Mighty Pines is the first band. Lead singer was on The Voice last night. Tunes on Tap is set for October 14th from 12p-4p. Always looking for volunteers.
Building Review - N/A
Garden/Cave - Bill Kranz accepting signups for working space in the garden. We are trying to reopen the cave 55 feet down. Hope to start construction in October of this year. 1960 Provenchere Place. It’s the king of caves. Videos available on google search “English Caves”.
Safety Committee - First meeting was February 23rd, and the next meeting is on March 30th at 7pm. Location TBD. Plan set in motion for collecting list of cameras for safety database. As well as pushing out information to the residents for increased safety protocols. There is an active push for Block Captains. Email safety@bentonpark.org to get involved.
Open floor Questions:
Flower Garden by Indiana - The woman who took care of it, is no longer available. Looking for a volunteer for that garden. Melissa Bean(?) is the contact and she has posted on Next-door. It’s a shade and a sun garden.
Vote on April 4th for Prop C, to redo the charter for St. Louis city. Dan and Cara asked Don to announce. The first step is voting yes for them to have it. Literature available.
Is the dog park accepting new members? Yes.
Is there a protocol for cleaning the park for things like water fowl, and cleaning the water, and some of the smaller tasks.
Accepting questions.
February 7th, 2023 — Annual Neighborhood Meeting
This is our annual members meeting where we elect our officers. Come to the meeting and VOTE!!
January 3rd, 2023 General Meeting Agenda Minutes
Cat Logan Smith
Treasurer for church
New Cahokia mounds organic farm: church will serve as drop-off spot
They’ll send out an email requesting volunteers soon
Will hold an organizing meeting February re air pollution
Sign-up sheet at check-in table
They hold free hot breakfasts at the church every Wednesday @ 8:00 am
Come meet your neighbors!
They’re also taking volunteers for cooks
Officer Jasmine
Community liaison
jdgarret@slmpd.org 314-444-5995
Will present crime statistics for last 30 days at each meeting
PD staffing shortages continue
There are dedicated traffic patrols in Impalas, targeting to highway accidents and high risk areas
Cara Spencer
Running for new 8th ward alderman this spring: including Cherokee Street, Benton Park, Layfette Square, Soulard
Formerly 7th, 9th, and 20th
Dan Guenther
Current Alderman of 9th ward until April
Forming subgroups to target rules specific to certain wards to ensure smooth transition to new 14 ward structure
There are currently 16 committees, some of which will be consolidated
Please join zoom meetings next 5 Thursdays @ 11:00 to voice concerns, questions, ideas
Can view past meetings on website/YouTube
Board bill 44: finalized and being voted upon in February
Goal is to reform city charter (last updated 1949) which dictates how city government operates
It will be included in April ballot
FYI: new neighborhood improvement specialist larry.isol@stlouis-mo.gov 314-657-6316
Barb was reassigned to a different ward
Air quality
Viola incinerator runs in sausay IL overnight likely cause of smell
Investigating options with coordinated city, state, and federal agencies to mitigate poor air quality
Dumpsters
Still experiencing staffing shortage
Same staff also responsible for plowing snow and salt distribution
Recycling Dumpsters
Supervisors are monitoring dumpsters and if they appear to include trash (i.e. are contaminated), they are consolidating with other trash headed to the landfill
To ensure your recycling goes to recycling, drop it at the fire house receptacles
City employees responsible for recycling processes are also short staffed
Parks
Planted 800 daffodils this fall which we’ll see in the spring
Coordination with MSD continues to fix fountains
Bill Kranz
Garden: thanks for all your hard work wrapping up the gardening season
Cave: currently exploring remotely
Plans to submit a budget for human entry in February (10ft x 30ft hole dug via drone)
Installing spiral staircase
Panel speaking series highlighting English Cave project and other caves in the areas
Monday 1/16/23 @ 7pm Spine Bookstore
Dog Park
Seeking volunteers to help maintain dog park and operations
Volunteers get a free membership!
January 3rd, 2023
Our monthly neighborhood meeting will be held in person at Epiphany United Church of Christ located at 2911 McNair. It is open to all and…
Meeting Minutes will appear here after the meeting!
Benton Park Holiday Party
Come celebrate the holidays with us at the annual Benton Park Holiday Party. Sunday December 11th, immediately after the Santa Parade. Food and beverage will be available for purchase from Burger 809 (until 8p) and Bluewood Brewing. Santa will be there to take pictures with you. As well as a free drink ticket when you renew your membership.
3rd Annual Neighborhood Sidewalk Santa Sighting
Join us for our 3rd Annual Neighborhood Sidewalk Santa Sighting Parade on Sunday December 11th. We'll start at Bluewood Brewing (1821 Cherokee St.) Santa Kevin Nolan and his elves will jingle their way through the streets of Benton Park. Grab a cup of nog and join your neighbors outside to wave a hello and get a glimpse of the big man himself.
Santa will visit every street in Benton Park, starting south of the park. The plan is to complete the route in 1.5 hours (between 6:15 and 7:45). For specifics and a better idea of timing, follow along on the Santa Tracker (we’ll share the GPS link on Sunday evening on social media).
We will finish back at Bluewood and Santa will stick around for a little bit for some pictures by the fireplace!! Excellent Christmas card photo op! Bring your cameras!
If you're not interested in the parade, join neighbors at Bluewood Brewing for our Annual Holiday Party! 6:30-9pm. If you join or renew your membership, your first drink is on us!
November 1, 2022 - Neighborhood Meeting
Our monthly neighborhood meeting will be held in person at Epiphany United Church of Christ located at 2911 McNair. It is open to all and…
Meeting Minutes will appear here after the meeting!
Benton Park's Halloween Parade and Trunk or Treat (10am-Noon)
Join us for our annual Halloween Parade and Trunk or Treat! Get your trunks and golf carts decorated and come support the youngest members of our neighborhood! We'll have a costume contest as well as golf cart and car decoration contest! Do your best! We can't wait to see you. We'll meet at Benton Park Cafe and St. Louis Fire Department will have a fire truck leading our parade and they will be handing out candy at the trunk or treat, feel free to take pictures!! Email events@bentonpark.org to register
BPNA Summer Concert Series - Sunday October 23rd (4p-7p)
Join us for the October Benton Park Summer Concert Series featuring The Homewreckers and Beth Bombara. Sunday, October 23rd, 4-7pm. Cafe Piazza will be selling pizza and drinks but you can always BYOB, grab your supplies from Joel's Benton Park BP! We'll have BPNA merch for sale as well, come get your gear!
Tunes on Tap 2022
Tunes on Tap is Benton Park’s Musical House Tour. Explore neighbors homes & gardens with a self guided tour featuring bands & local beer!
October 4, 2022 - Neighborhood Meeting
Our monthly neighborhood meeting will be held in person at Epiphany United Church of Christ located at 2911 McNair. It is open to all and…
Meeting Minutes will appear here after the meeting!
BPNA Summer Concert Series - Sunday September 18th (4p-7p)
Join us for the September Benton Park Summer Concert Series featuring Alligator Wine. Sunday, September 18, 4-7pm. Cafe Piazza will be selling pizza and drinks but you can always BYOB, grab your supplies from Joel's Benton Park BP! We'll have BPNA merch for sale as well, come get your gear!
Brazilian Day Fest STL 2022
Brazilian Day is a street fest with live Brazilian Bands , dance lessons, food truck caipirinhas, children’s activities, soccer workshop, capoeira workshop.
September 6, 2022 - Neighborhood Meeting
Our monthly neighborhood meeting will be held in person at Epiphany United Church of Christ located at 2911 McNair. It is open to all and…
Meeting Minutes will appear here after the meeting!
2022 Gateway Cup USA Cycling Pro Road To
Benton Park will again be the backdrop of one of the most exciting events in area amateur and professional sports all year. The Benton Park Neighborhood Association has the answer to your questions about what’s happening and how you can help out!
June 7, 2022 - Neighborhood Meeting
Our monthly neighborhood meeting will be held in person at Epiphany United Church of Christ located at 2911 McNair. It is open to all and…
Meeting Minutes will appear here after the meeting!