JANJANJANJAN----FEB 2006FEB 2006FEB 2006FEB 2006

President’s Message

Well, another year has begun and we have several great projects on our agenda. First, I would like to welcome the new Board Members: Warren Hoffmann-Beautification, Melinda Ligon-Safety and Security, Tom Buckley-Neighborhood Relations, and Caroline Battles-Real Estate and New Neighbor. The remaining Board Members and their positions are as follows: Rick Constance-Neighborhood Standards, Pam Coffin-Neighborhood Relations, Sharon Roberts-Treasurer/Membership, Frank Kriegel-Vice President/Historian, Kitty Swanger-Publications, Richard Gaines-Fund Raising, Scott Jackson-Secretary, and yours truly-President. All of our names, positions and contact information are listed in this newsletter and we will be listed in the Buzz Book later this year. Now down to some business. I love this neighborhood and like to believe I am contributing to the overall betterment of the area. Many, if not all of you, believe the same way. But in order to be a great neighborhood we need everyone’s involvement. There are many ways and levels to be in-volved with the neighborhood. You can help rake the leaves at the Grand Point, cook brats for the picnic, hide eggs for Easter, or speak highly of the area. But there is one thing everyone needs to do, and that is to become a member of the Association. Yes, the dues have increased to $100 for the annual membership and $750 for the lifetime membership, but it’s all for a good cause and tax deductible at that. We should have respect for our neighborhood and participate in the Association. Typically, we have about a 50% participation in the Association. Wouldn’t it be better for the community and all of us if we joined the Association? The sum will be greater than the parts! Everyone should participate to continue to make Compton Heights the envy of all of St. Louis. So, with that said, I have a challenge. I would like to see a minimum of 80% membership in 2006. Show the neighborhood that you do indeed respect and love the area. Complete the membership form to-day and join. It will only improve your surroundings and make it a more enjoyable place to live. Thank you and I hope to see everyone on the 2006 membership list.

Lindsay D. Barth

Compton

Heights Neighborhood Betterment Association, Inc.

P O Box 2104; Saint Louis MO 63158-2104

Lindsay Barth, President & Fundraising 3120 Hawthorne 314/773-4757 (Home) 314-550-1597 (Cell) DrLBarth@aol.com Frank Kriegel, Vice President & Historian 3427 Longfellow 314/762-9534 (Home) 314/352-0505 (Office) cwefrank@aol.com Scott Jackson, Secretary 3101 Hawthorne 664-1959 (Home) 314-265-4911 (Cell) 314-491-8949 (Pager) scott-jackson@swbell.net Sharon Roberts, Treasurer & Mem-bership 3125 Hawthorne 314/664-8667 (Home) finrob@sbcglobal.net Melinda Ligon, Safety & Security 3080 Hawthorne 314/772-4697 (Home) meligon@sbcglobal.net Caroline Battles, Real Estate & New Neighbor 3153 Allen 314/773-2326 (Home) carolinebatt@sbcglobal.net

Warren Hoffmann, Beautification 2915 Accomac 314/772-9079 (Home) whoffmann@metalexchangecorp.com Tom Buckley, Neighborhood Relations 3506 Hawthorne 314/776-8067 (Home) tbuckley@buckleylawllc.com Pam Coffin, Neighborhood Relations 2904 Accomac 314/773-4286 (Home) 314/588-2528 (Office) 314/520-2806 (Cell) pamela.coffin@mercer.com pxc2904@yahoo.com Richard Gaines, Fundraising 3439 Longfellow 314/771-5550 (Home) 314/444-1969 (Office) gainesr@danielandhenry.com Rick Constance, Neighborhood Standards 3247 Longfellow 314/772-8630 (Home) 314/231-5055 (Office) 314/497-6372 (Cell) rconst@swbell.net Kitty Swanger, Publications 3522 Hawthorne 314/776-7764 (Home) Kittyswanger211@earthlink.net

Compton Heights Neighborhood Betterment Association Board of Directors - 2006

Meet the New Board Members! At the December 2005 Membership meeting, the following four residents were elected to three-year terms on the Board of Di-rectors: Caroline Battles, 3153 Allen. Caroline works on community and government affairs for the Mis-souri Foundation for Health and is a lifelong resident of the City of St. Louis. She and husband Braeden moved to CH a little more than two years ago when friends already residing in CH steered them to their home on Allen. Caroline loves Compton Heights and looks forward to con-tributing to the continued success of the neighborhood. Tom Buckley, 3506 Hawthorne. Tom is an attorney specializing in insurance defense. and prac-tices with the downtown office of Buckley & Buckley, LLC. He is a lifelong St. Louis resident and received both his Bachelors and law degrees from St. Louis University. Tom’s father, sister and two brothers are also attorneys. Tom and his wife, Jo Ann, have resided in CH for eight years. They are the parents of three sons, John (7), Stephen (5), and Mark (1). The three boys will welcome a new sibling in the Spring! Melinda Ligon, 3080 Hawthorne. Melinda has lived in CH since 1983, but this is the first time she will serve on the Board. Melinda is a physician, board certified in emergency medicine. She was employed most recently in the ER of the Christian Hospitals in north St. Louis County, but is currently taking a sabbatical. Melinda lives with her Irish wolfhound, Barney! Warren Hoffmann, 2915 Accomac. Warren is the business manager for the Metal Exchange Corporation located in the Westport area. He and wife Sharon have lived in CH for more than 14 years, after having lived in five other states and overseas before they settled here. The Hoff-mann home has been on many house tours over those years and will be featured in the upcoming 2006 Grand South Grand tour; a favorite of tour-goers will certainly be the Elvis bathroom!

Dana and Chris Shearman, 3524 Hawthorne, have been spending mega-hours on Washington Ave-

nue these past several months. And what could they possibly be doing there, you ask? Well, they’re mak-

ing their own gelato at their newly-opened business - GelateriaGelateriaGelateriaGelateria - located at 1327 Washington. In addition

to gelato, they also serve soups, sandwiches and beverages - plain and fancy. The grand opening was in

December. The Gelateria is open 7 days a week, but Dana and Chris report that

they are taking their vitamins regularly and are able to withstand this rigorous

schedule!

Their shop is only a few doors away from Kenary Park, the gift and floral shop owned by two other CH

residents, Kenny Shortal and Gary Hutchinson. In one trip to Washington Avenue, you can stop by both

businesses! (In case you are interested, I can personally recommend the blueberry gelato! ED)

Gelato Anyone?

IT’S A BOY! Peggy Koch, 3555 Longfellow, is a first-time grand-mother! Daughter Jesse Koch and husband

Jason Brink are the parents of John Ed-mund Brink, who made his debut on No-vember 12, 2005. Named for three of the most important men in her life, Jesse chose the name “John” to honor her dad, the late John Koch, “Edmund” to honor her maternal grandfather, and “Brink” so all will know that he is definitely a son of husband Jason! Jack, as he will hereafter be known, weighed in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces, a “lightweight”, according to Peggy. Jesse tipped the scales 2 pounds heavier when she was born! Jesse, Jason and Jack make their home in another fine St. Louis neighborhood—Clifton Heights.

Congratulations to all!

Spring

Blitz Cleanup in Compton Heights will take place on Saturday, April 8. Details will be provided in the next newsletter for Operation Brightside's annual campaign to clean up city neighborhoods.

This is an ideal opportunity to clean up your yard and alley, or clean out the garage, basement or attic! It’s never too early to start organizing the cleaning of those indoor areas . . . . If you would like to assist in this endeavor, call me! Operation Brightside is a not-for-profit public-private partnership working toward a cleaner, more attractive environment for the St. Louis community.

Warren Hoffmann, Beautification

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Happy New Year...Here’s to a New You!

Take Action Personal is proud to present:

The Pilates Method for the Year 2006!

Fresh from South Florida, Victoria Bennett is fully certified in the Pilates Method by Core Dynamics. Victoria brings with her seven years of Pilates training and teaching and holds a Masters Degree in Health Education and Wellness Pro-motion.

Join us for our NEW PILATESPILATESPILATESPILATES MAT CLASS

Experience this outstanding exercise program designed to improve flexibility and strength without adding bulk while enhancing your physical and mental well-being! Classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30-pm. The Six week Ses-sion will run Monday February 6th through Wednesday March 15th. Join us for one of our fun and challenging mat classes! The teacher will take you step-by-step through the Pilates exercise movements and work with you to help you reach your individual fitness goals. Class space is limited. Call Victoria at 776-1910 ext. 107 to sign-up.

Sign-up now for Sculpt and Stretch Classes:

Sculpt and Stretch is a one-hour class that features strength training exercises and new age power yoga & stretching. This class provides and excellent total body workout! The strength portion increases your lean body mass and strengthens every major muscle, while the stretch portion helps lengthen your muscles, im-prove balance and teaches you yoga breathing and relaxation techniques. This class truly provides the best of both strength and stretching benefits! Class are held on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and on Thursdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at 2266 S. Compton Ave. Classes are conducted in 6 week sessions and cost $48.00 for one time per week or $96.00 for two times per week for the six week session. Come join your friends and neighbors and get fit for spring! Winter Ses-

sion will run from Tuesday, January 3rd through Thursday, February 16th,

2006. You may sign-up for one or both days, but for more results two days per week is recommended. The Spring I Session will follow, running February 21st

through March 30th, 2006.

[Paid Advertisement]

NNNNeighborhood Association Columneighborhood Association Columneighborhood Association Columneighborhood Association Column Jeanette Mott OxfordJeanette Mott OxfordJeanette Mott OxfordJeanette Mott Oxford

MO House of Representatives (District 59) MO House of Representatives (District 59) MO House of Representatives (District 59) MO House of Representatives (District 59)

Capitol: 201 West Capitol Avenue Jefferson City, MO 65101-6806 573-751-4567l; jeanette.oxford@house.mo.gov Home: 2910 Lemp Ave. St. Louis, MO 63118-1716 314-772-0301; jmo4rep@juno.com

For Immediate Release January 22, 2006

2006 Legislative Session Offers Challenges and Opportunities;

And Here’s an Opportunity for Free Tax Help

The 2006 Legislative Session got underway on January 4, and Gov. Blunt announced his priorities for this year in his Jan. 19 State of the State address. Some of the major issues that we will face this year include: reforming eminent domain and tax incremental financing statutes; healthcare issues; and state budget items (funding for elementary, secondary, and higher education; long-overdue and much-needed raises for state employees; etc.) I would like to offer a few needed corrections to the State of the State Address. 1) The governor did not inherit a $1.1 billion deficit. By Missouri Constitution, the budget must be balanced each year. 2) 53,000 Medicaid cases that were closed were termed “fighting fraud” in the speech, but these were really simple closings comparable to previous years. Clients come and go from the Medicaid rolls constantly as employment and health situations change. I am disappointed that this would be called fraud as people in poverty already face immense prejudice. And 3) Unfortunately the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics does not back up the claim that Missouri’s economy is on the upswing. We have the ninth worst unemployment rate in the nation, and in September Missouri lost more jobs than every other state except hurricane devastated Mississippi and Louisiana. My focus again this year is to support public policy that will lift workers out of poverty, provide a compassionate safety net, protect consumers, promote clean and accountable government, and guar-antee excellence in education for all children. For a complete list of bills that I have sponsored or co-sponsored, please search the Web at: http://www.house.mo.gov/bills061/spon/spn059.htm Finally, please be aware that the St. Louis Tax Assistance Program offers FREE ELECTRONIC IN-COME TAX RETURN PREPARATION and tax information for fami-lies with incomes under $35,000. This service is for income tax returns only, not Circuit Breaker. Locations will be open every Saturday from January 29th thru March 5th from 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM. Locations in St. Louis City are: Catholic Family Services, 2647 Ohio and St. Patrick Partnership Center, 800 N. Tucker. Please call 314-621-1996 for more information on locations and what items to bring. For more information about FREE Circuit Breaker processing, please call the AARP at 314-918-7563 for their times and locations.

New Feature! Restaurant Review!

We have a new restaurant on the block: PESTALOZZI PLACE. The restaurant occu-pies a rehabbed storefront on the corner of Pestalozzi & Virginia, and is rapidly becoming a favorite neighborhood hangout. Based on our sampling from the moderately priced, American style menu we think the owners, experienced chefs, Dave Lawrence and Steve Graef, have created a successful eatery.

For our first visit, we recruited Paul and Patty Midden of 3435 Hawthorne as assistant restaurant reviewers. From the main menu we ordered the Pacific grilled salmon, pork tenderloin medallions and a stuffed pork chop. The pork tenderloin medallions were rolled in toasted fennel seeds which gave the dish a spicy zip. The Keta Pa-cific salmon came with a creamy horseradish sauce. Paul proclaimed it was the best salmon he’d ever eaten. The stuffed pork chop was superb, filled with Andouille sausage, spinach and Fontina cheese. This dish was served with a wine sauce. Bob, who is on a diet, elected to try the pear salad prepared with dried cherries, sugared pecans and Fontina cheese. The cherry balsamic vinegar dressing was exceptional. Made with a reduction of tart cherries, it had a wonderful flavor and consistency. All restaurant reviews require a dessert course and, having dieted for 45 minutes, Bob suggested compliance with this dictum. The vote in favor was unanimous. Desserts included a chocolate volcano, pumpkin cheese cake and a fudge brownie with a mocha drizzle. There is also an apple crisp, which, if you are on a diet we suggest combin-ing with a scoop of ice cream. Many restaurants outsource dessert preparation, but not so at Pestalozzi Place. We commend them for their efforts, all of which are delicious. On our second visit we were accompanied by our neighbors at 2914 Allen, Darrell and Jeanna Jackson. Darrell ordered the Kansas City strip, which came topped with a concoction of Swiss chard, pine nuts and chevre. It was superb. After sampling this dish you will think twice about throwing a steak on the backyard grill. The main entrees were uniformly well prepared and flavorful. If there is any fault to be found, it is located in the “starters and small plates” menu section. Several of the items, including the savory crepes, lacked flavor and were a bit disappointing. This was not true, however, for the soups, including the roasted tomato, which will make you forget Campbell’s. The wine list is modestly priced and contains some pleasant surprises. For those folks who would not be seen in public ordering a glass of Merlot, take a daring leap and order a glass of Jewell Merlot, which has nice tannins and a strong finish. On our second visit, we ordered a bottle of Segura Viudas Tepranillo, which promised an aro-matic sensation of blackberry, black current and bilberry. How can you resist the aromatic sensation of bilberry? At $25.50 this was about the most expensive wine of the list and it provided a nice complement to our meals. There was, however, some argument about exactly which aromatic sensation corresponded to bilberry. Prices at Pestalozzi Place are moderate with entrees from $7.50 to $10.50. The food is good and owners Dave Lawrence and Steve Graef are doing an outstanding job. Try it, you’ll like it!

Bob and Sue Butler 3408 Longfellow

Care to join us and participate in a restaurant review? Call us at 776-0617

Check Out the New CH Website! The new Compton Heights website has been published. The address is:

www.chnba.org The site is a work in progress. Pictures of every home in the neighborhood have been posted, but we are looking for information on every home in the neighborhood. Please send me any details you may have and I'll publish home histories under each picture. To date, Accomac homes are the only pictures for which I have completed histories. The site will soon be linked to the Compton Heights website hosted by the City. We have a lot more to come, so visit the site often for neighborhood events and updates. If you find in-correct information, please forward details of the error to me and I'll make corrections. Thanks to everyone who has helped enhance the website. Check it out and see the photo of your home!

Scott Jackson

Horsts Receive Margaret Calhoun Award Al and Marilyn Horst, 2919 Milton, received the Margaret Haase Calhoun Award at the December Membership meeting in recognition of their long history of contribu-tions to the neighborhood. Al is a former member of the CH Board of Directors, and Marilyn has been our representative to the Grand South Grand House & Garden Tour committee for many, many years. The couple has opened its own home for numerous tours, a gesture which has benefited CH as well as the larger neighborhood commu-nity. President Lindsay Barth presented them with a commemorative plaque. And, if you would like to volunteer on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23 as a tour guide in one of the homes on the Grand South Grand tour, call Marilyn at 773-9033. She would be delighted to hear from you, I’m sure!

Congratulations, Al & Marilyn!

www.chnba.orgwww.chnba.orgwww.chnba.orgwww.chnba.orgwww.chnba.org

www.chnba.orgwww.chnba.orgwww.chnba.orgwww.chnba.orgwww.chnba.org

Compton Heights Band to Celebrate 30th Year Anniversary! It’s difficult to believe, but in 2006, the Compton Heights Concert Band will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of its founding! Since its 1976 appearance in the CH neighborhood’s Easter parade, the Band has come a long way, and now features year-round rehearsals, a tandem 6-week Summer series, “Sunday Serenades” & “Musical Mondays”, the annual Powell Hall holiday concert, the annual Memorial Day concert, and several private and public performances each year. CH resident and former CHNBA President Jon Schroeder, 3007 Haw-thorne, and I have come a long way, too! As “originals”, we are proud to be part of this progress and happy to be still playing in the Band! In anticipation of this banner year, we are making special plans to mark this unusual achievement. For one, our exciting “Sunday Serenades” & “Musical Mondays” series will feature some of the best artists who have appeared with us in the past, as well as one or two superb new guests. The debut at Powell Hall of the 30-piece Herald Trumpet ensemble is only the beginning of what we hope will be many other important appearances for this exciting group. With funding, we hope to create a model youth trumpet skills development program which will provide training and instruction in the playing of the regular B-flat trumpet and in the Herald Trumpet. The ap-pearances will provide the youth ensemble members an opportunity for visible public acclaim for their hard work, and a reward for developing their trumpet skills. We also have several major projects we have worked on for more than five years, which will be announced later in 2006. They include an unprecedented capital campaign and a Saint Louis leg-islative effort. If successful, they will ensure the future financial stability of the Band and result in quantum leaps for the organization. Stay tuned (as they say) for these exciting an-nouncements!

Harry Swanger, Exec. Director & President 3522 Hawthorne

Thanks to Departing Board Members . . . .

As we welcome our four new Board members, we bid farewell to four previous Board members, all of whom served their neighborhood well. Betty Lindsley is the past Treasurer and chair of the Membership Committee, who was described by another Board member as a “woman who wears many hats . . and wears them all well!” Betty served more than two years on the Board. Jeanna Jackson is the former chair of the New Neighbor Welcome and Real Estate Com-mittees. She and husband Darrell hosted the 2005 “Welcome” at their home this past Fall. Bill Brush, Jr. is the former chair of the Safety & Security Committee, a position for which he was imminently qualified! He is now participating on the fundraising sub-committee. Jim Orling filled a year’s vacancy as the chair of the Beautification Committee and spent many, many hours on both the irrigation and historic lighting projects . . . and, to boot, gave up his Wednesday night choir practice! Seemed longer than a year, didn’t it, Jim????

Thanks . . . to Tricia Smith, 2944 Milton, for keeping us informed about the good work and “needs” of Stray Rescue. She continues her request for clean blankets to help with a Blanket Drive for the Manchester shelter. If you have a clean blanket or old comforter in good condition that is just taking up space in your closets, please drop them off on Tricia’s front porch. She will make certain they get to the right place. “The dogs live for comfy beds and we aim to please,” says Tricia! And to all of YOU who are courteous enough to keep your furry friends on leashes when you stroll through the neighborhood. And also to those of YOU who remember to clean up after your pets on those strolls. Getting ready for that stroll? Take your pet, the leash, and a plastic bag. We’ll be glad you did!

DDDDo You Yahoo?o You Yahoo?o You Yahoo?o You Yahoo?

Want to Join the Compton Heights Group Email Group?

Alyson Robinson, 3405 Hawthorne Boulevard, and Steve Crouch, 2902 Milton, are the Moderators for the Compton Heights group email list. If you would like to be added to this group and receive emails of neighbor-hood interest, please email the fol-lowing information to Alyson at aly-sonrobinson@earthlink.net:

• Your Name(s) • CH Street Address • Email address

Only Compton Heights residents and “Friends of Compton Heights" are on the neighborhood Yahoo list. If you change your e-mail address, you also need to notify Alyson or Steve to maintain your status within the group.

Thanks!

NEWS FLASH!

Marian Middle School of St. Louis recently announced its pending purchase of the school and parish center at the former Holy Family Parish complex located in the Tower Grove Park area. Marian Middle School is a Catholic middle school open to economically disadvan-taged adolescent girls of all religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, that fosters the spiri-tual, academic, social, moral, emotional and physical develop-ment of each student. Marian Middle School is holding a town hall meeting on Thursday, February 23rd, at 7:00 p.m. in the former Holy Family Parish Center for area residents interested in finding out more about the middle school, and its amazing mission, and its plans for the complex. Call Maureen Herman, Director, for more information - (314) 351-7674.

It’s Buzz Book Time Again! Every year, we make every attempt to update and correct the directory of Compton Heights residents—commonly referred to as the BUZZ BOOK. The updated BUZZ BOOK includes every resident and is delivered annually to Members as a benefit of their Membership. This is a handy reference to any resident who may need to contact other residents for any reason. As always, though, we need your help to correct any past errors and to include information about new residents. Please complete the form below (print clearly, please!) and mail or hand-deliver no later than Wednesday, March 1 to:

Kitty Swanger, Publications 3522 Hawthorne St. Louis, MO 63104

Please check all appropriate boxes for your household:

□Same as Last Year □New Neighbor □Correction

ADDRESS: _______________________________ HOME PHONE: _______________ ( ) Check here if you DO NOT want your phone number published in the Buzz Book. Complete Names of Adult Members of Household: ________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Complete Names and ages of Minors in Household: ________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ( ) Check here if you DO NOT want children’s names published in the Buzz Book. Preferred E-Mail Address(es): ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

*** Feel free to e-mail pertinent info to me at: kittyswanger211@earthlink.net

MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE DUE! Well, we hope you won’t have to break your bank to pay your 2006 Membership dues, because many of us believe that sup-porting the Association financially reflects your commitment to the neighborhood. We are now a 501(c)(3)tax exempt organi-zation which means we are demonstrating a commitment to the community at large, and some times it takes money to do that. Besides, 501(c)(3) means our dues are tax deductible! Less of your money goes farther to help! In case you missed all the news about dues, you should know that Members at the De-cember 2004 meeting brought a motion before to raise the annual dues from $45 to $100, and Lifetime Membership dues from $500 to $750. Sufficient Member signatures were obtained, and the motion was brought to the June 2005 meeting for a vote. The vote to raise the dues was close to being unanimous. Annual dues for “Friends” of Compton Heights are also $100. As you may know, the Compton Heights Neighborhood Betterment Association organizes, and in many instances, financially supports, many of the events in the neighborhood - Easter, Oktoberfest, National Night Out, Halloween Trick-or-Treating and Hayrides. Your dues supports these events as well as newsletters such as this, the annual Buzz Book, the new CH website and Membership meetings. Long-term projects that will be enabled by the dues increase include historic lighting and the beautification of the Russell “Triangle”. To those of you who have already paid your 2006 dues, thank you! To those who have yet to do so, please complete the form below and mail or hand-deliver with your check to:

Sharon Roberts, Treasurer 3125 Hawthorne St. Louis, MO 63104

—————————————————————Cut Here and Return———————————–—————————————

Name: ________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________

Check below all that apply:

□CH Resident ($100) □ First Time Member

□Friend of Compton Heights ($100) □ Renewal of 2005 □Lifetime Membership ($750)

Make checks payable to “Compton Heights Neighborhood Betterment Association”

OR “CHNBA”

THANK YOU!

HHHHISTORIAN REPORTISTORIAN REPORTISTORIAN REPORTISTORIAN REPORT

Readers will be happy to know that the lofty elevation of our neighborhood, topographically speaking, has rendered it relatively simple to ascertain the common ownership to 1812 of the lawns we now mow. The village of St. Louis was established in 1764. Settlers were provided with three lots of land: a small lot inside the tiny fortified village where the Arch now stands, a narrow but enor-mous rectangular lot measuring 192.5 feet wide by almost 1.5 miles long in the nearby country-side to be used for agricultural purposes and a small lot just outside the walls of the village for the storage of grain and the like. See Danisi, The Commonfields of St. Louis and Residences, www.nps.gov/jeff/LewisClark2/Circa 1804/CommonFields/common fields 1.htm. The agricultural lots granted to the French settlers were situated in four or so areas in the present city, presumably chosen for fertility, water supply and ease of agriculture. Across Grand from us in the Shaw neighborhood was the largest set of owned fields, the Prairie des Noyers. Benton Park/McKinley Heights was the site of another set of allocated fields, the Pe-tite Prairie. The space in the middle, i.e. us, nothing. Regrading in the late nineteenth century makes it difficult to realize that Reservoir Park is some 200 feet higher than the Mississippi River and that Grand Boulevard is essentially a paved ridge road. Compton Heights formed a portion of what was called something like the Commune, carried into English by the later American surveyors as the St. Louis Commons. It was a an amorphous, ownerless tract used by all the villagers in common for the purposes of cutting fire-wood, grazing and hunting game. See Danisi, supra. Your chain of title, in this absence of individual owners via French land grant, therefore begins, after the indigenous peoples, with Louis XV, the penultimate Bourbon King of France, but sadly does not include his paramour, Madame du Pompadour whose bust came with our last house. Then comes that lisping Hapsburg King of Spain Carlos III to whom Louis XV transferred Up-per Louisiana in 1770. Then in the 1790's Napoleon invades Spain and gets as a spoil your lot and the rest of Upper Louisiana. Title then passes to the United States in 1803 at Thomas Jeffer-son's congressionally unauthorized Louisiana Purchase. These are things to ponder as you mow your lawn. Next issue, relevant in the wake of the devastation of the Gulf Coast by last year's hurricanes, attention will be turned to the disposition of our neighborhood by its new owner, the federal government, after the Louisiana Purchase. By means of land grants, significant portions of Compton Heights and its neighborhood were granted to the victims of the New Madrid earthquake of 1812, and much confusion ensued.

Frank Kriegel, Vice President and Historian

They Had a Ball!

The Veiled Prophet Ball was held on December 22, 2005 at

the Adam's Mark Hotel. Claire Sherman, 3146 Hawthorne,

was one of 66 young woman to participate. Her escort was

Dr. Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Parents Michele and Jim danced the night away, too, and

didn't get home until 4:00 AM!

In addition to the annual VP Parade and Ball, the Veiled

Prophet Organization has begun a Community Initiative. The

mission of this initiative is to involve the many resources of

the VP organization in projects that will provide a permanent

benefit to the St. Louis community. These have included

construction of several playgrounds and Habitat for Human-

ity houses.

Claire and her dad worked on a house this past summer in the Hillsdale neighborhood. I

guess working on old houses paid off. Claire is a sophomore at DePaul University in Chi-

cago. She is majoring in Political Science with a minor in French. She hopes to study

abroad in France or Belgium next year.

Claire Sherman and escort Peter Raven at the Veiled Prophet Ball

Old Postcard Collection!

Jim Orling, 3446 Hawthorne, provided many old postcards from his personal col-lection that will eventually be accessible at the CH website. The postcard shown here is a photo of the Grand Avenue entrance pillars, and reflects a date from 1908. The description is “Entrance to Hawthorne and Longfellow Place, St. Louis, Mo.” For some unknown reason, Jim has been able to find many postcards of local in-terest during his travels to the family home in Ohio. Thanks for sharing, Jim!

2006 DUES FORM ON REVERSE SIDE!!!!!!

Please complete form, enclose your check (payable to “CHNBA”) for your tax-deductible Association dues, and deliver to:

Sharon Roberts, Treasurer 3125 Hawthorne St. Louis, MO 63104 664-8667

Thanks!

BUZZ BOOK FORM ON REVERSE SIDE!!!!!!

Please complete the form on the reverse side (print clearly, please!) and mail or hand-deliver no later than Wednesday, March 1 to:

Kitty Swanger, Publications 3522 Hawthorne St. Louis, MO 63104 776-7764