WEST PINE LACLEDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Minutes: 09.14.21
President Harold Karabell called the meeting to order at 7:04.
The regular order of business was suspended in order to accommodate our guest speakers.
SPECIAL GUEST, Carla Mae Streeter
Carla Mae Streeter is a professor emerita at Aquinas Institute of Theology, a graduate school of Ministry in the Dominican Tradition associated with SLU. She is Convener of Compassionate STL and chair of the CSTL Coordinating Circle. She is one of the founders of CSTL.
History: in 2007, the British author Karen Armstrong sent out an innocent email with only one question: “Why are all the world religions so violent?” She then invited 6 other interfaith leaders to discuss this question. They admitted that the basic value of all their traditions was compassion. They wrote and signed four paragraphs that they called the Charter for Compassion. https://charterforcompassion.org/charter/affirm In 2008, Karen Armstrong won the TED Prize for her wish to create a Charter for Compassion. Thousands of people contributed to the process and the Charter document was unveiled in November 2009. Since then an international charity is guiding the growth of the movement, inspiring community-based acts of compassion all over the world.
Check out CharterForCompassion.org to learn what is happening in other US cities. Then look at our local website Compassionate-STL.org. If the Charter speaks to your values go to “join Us” on the local website. Their goal is to have St. Louis join the other US cities who have endorsed the charter. To that end they need at least 500 endorsers/partners. To show your support please go to Compassionate-STL.org and click on “Join Us”.
SPECIAL GUEST, Kimberly-Ann Collins
State Representative Kimberly-Ann Collins, a Democrat, represents neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis; O’Fallon, Penrose, College Hill, The Ville, Greater Ville, Vandeventer, Lewis Place, Central West End, West Pine-Laclede, and the Grove (District 77) in the Missouri House of Representatives. She is a lifelong resident of the 77th District and was elected to her first two-year term in November 2020.
| Address: | MO House of Representatives 201 West Capitol Avenue Room 101-G Jefferson City MO 65101 |
| Phone: | 573-751-1400 |
| E-Mail: | KimberlyAnn.Collins@house.mo.gov |
Representative Collins spoke of her work on several committees, including agricultural policy, corrections and public institutions. She spoke of her efforts on prison reform and on food insecurity including an interest in creating urban farms on vacant lots and bringing full grocery stores to food deserts (see https://themissouritimes.com/freshmen-to-watch-kimberly-ann-collins/ ). She described efforts in support of the N. Newstead Development Project and of the city program that offers free CDL training as part of efforts to recruit more sanitation department truck drivers.
She communicates regularly through her newsletter and through NextDoor.
DEVELOPMENT (Tina Pihl, submitted by email)
– 41 Lindell – will be meeting with developers this week
* Office Hours (NEW)
September 20th, Monday
Central West End
4:30pm to 6:00pm
Starbucks, 4656 Maryland Avenue [Outdoor patio] – near Euclid
October 16th, Saturday
Forest Park Southeast
Time & Location TBD
November 16th, Tuesday
Botanical Heights
Time & Location TBD
17th WARD MEETING
October 16
6:30 pm-7:30 pm
Location TBD
OTHER BUSINESS:
Lorraine Simpson reminded us that October 2nd is the date for the dedication of the cul-de-sac area in memory of Ahmoy Nickolai.
Respectfully submitted,
Diana Gualdoni, Secretary