St. Louis County parks threat mobilizes public – Links Page
Updated Nov. 22
Governor Jay Nixon announced Nov. 16 that Missouri might be able to help St. Louis County with their park woes, touching off discussion in Jefferson City about the ramifications of state aid from either general revenue sources or the Department of Natural Resources dedicated state park sales tax to help the county.
The St. Louis Beacon story talks about setting a a dangerous precedent for local use of state park funds. In the first five years of the state parks and soils tax, numerous demands on the sales tax money were attempted by municipalities and counties for local parks, museums, golf courses, swimming pools and so forth. Nearly all were turned back by legal means, and the use of state park tax money strictly defined to support only statewide natural and cultural resources.
The South County Times’ editor Don Corrigan weighs in with an interview of Marty Koch and local residents at this link, posted Nov. 18.
Meanwhile, leafletting ad passing out flyers continues. Marty Koch is looking for help at Lone Elk, Suson, Al Foster Trail, Queeny and possibly Sioux Passage Park. Koch can be reached at 314-276-6268.
Updated Nov. 16:
Opponents to the proposal to shut 23 county parks, perhaps sell some of them, and fire parks personnel, had their say November 15 at a public budget hearing in the Clayton Government Center.
County Executive Charlie Dooley backed down from calling from the sale of parks, and Council Chairman Steve Stenger said he would not approve any budget which called for the closure or sale of parks. Still, $10 million must be found to save them and keep them open.
Couldn’t make it last night to the rally and special budget hearing? Comments may also be emailed to the county’s administrative director at gfrank@stlouisco.com or called in to 314-615-5440 if you could not attend. Traveler’s coverage is here.
In this era of social media, St. Louis County residents, former residents, environmental and parks advocates have taken things into their own hands. They are being heard. 
Traveler has taken an official stance: Save the Parks: Stay Fired Up!
Since the announcement Nov 1 that 23 area parks might be imperiled, with a limited number of them offered for outright sale, several online petitions and numerous Facebook pages and groups have sprung up, (probably more by the time you read this). At least two groups I am aware of are planning actual rallies.
The county parks page says these are the stats on the proposed action:
“This is what is in the proposal: 23 parks closed, 42 full-time and 91 part-time positions would be lost. 4466.76 acres, 65.79 miles of trail, 3 swimming pools, 1 community center and 16 playgrounds would be closed. We would no longer be able to care for the animals at Suson or Lone Elk, so there is the chance that they would be sold, too.”
Updated items are in bold until the next time I update this page
New Traveler Stories: Parks rally and budget hearing draws hundreds.
Gov. Nixon in discussion with St. Louis County over Parks
Gutting the Greenway
Saving the Meramec all over again
Dooley proposes selling parks to municipalities: KMOV coverage.
Koch to be on KWMU 90.7 on November 15, 11 a.m. St. Louis on the Air with Don Marsh, talking with County Executive Chief of Staff Mike Jones.
You make the budget cuts: article from Chesterfield.patch.com
Here are links to the petitions:
Change.org
Go Petition
Care2 Petition Site:
Maryland Heights Residents petition
County Executive Charlie Dooley’s “Dear Charlie” email gateway.
River Hills Traveler Opinion Poll Poll is located halfway down the right hand column. Poll has added a stronger option to say no to the closures.
Facebook Pages and Groups
St. Louis County Parks Official Site
Lone Elk County Park
Save St. Louis County Parks
Friends of St. Louis County Parks
Save Lone Elk Park
Save our St. Louis and Meramec Parks
Save Lone Elk Park in St. Louis, Mo
NEW!Sioux Passage Park Should Be Saved
Coverage of November 15 event:
Riverfront Times
STL Today
St. Louis Beacon
KMOV
KSDK
Rally to Save Our Parks (at County Gov’t Center Nov. 15)
Open Space Council Rally at County Gov’t. Center Nov. 15.
Rallies start at 4:30 p.m.
Official notice of the special budget hearing Nov. 15.
—
Koch asks for St. Louis County park flyer volunteers for Nov. 12
Flyer front – download and print.
Flyer back – download and print.
Timeline: News from Marty Koch:
Nov. 13: Wow, what a great day protesting at the parks. We gave out over 1000 flyers at Lone Elk and about 800 at Suson Park. What was really gratifying was over 20 people just showed up at Lone Elk to help. They came because they saw it on the news and wanted to help stop the madness. Most of the visitors at Suson were unaware that the barn was closing and the animals were to be disposed of. Several teachers said they would make it a civics lesson and have their kids write letters. Some teared up when they heard the animals were going away. Keep up the pressure. Our next major task is to be sure we get a huge crowd at the rally on Tuesday. Grab your friends, family, and neighbors and let’s show them we won’t stand for it.
Nov. 12: It was a great day on the protest front. We were at four of the county parks scheduled to be closed. Soccer teams at Simpson were totally unaware that they are about to lose their fields. Many of those at Suson also had no idea that the barn is closing and the animals are being sold. Be sure to watch Fox 2 as they were at LE and did a real nice piece on our efforts. I will be back at Lone Elk tomorrow, Sunday if anyone would like to join me. The folks at Suson gave out over 400 Flyers so that seems to be a good spot. If you want to work the front gate at suson tomorrow, Sunday, give me a call at 314-276-6268 and I will make arrangements to get the flyers to you. Let’s get this done.
Nov. 11: It looks like we will be protesting and handing out flyers at the following parks this Saturday from 10 am on: Lone Elk, West Tyson, Suson, and Simpson. I would really like to add Sioux Passage up north but so far no one has answered the call. I will pick up 5000 flyers tomorrow, Friday, so we should have plenty. Call me at 314-276-6268 to participate and find out how to get the flyers. Remember the rules: do not block traffic, abide by the wishes of any park staff you encounter, allow people to refuse the flyer, keep it non partisan by referring to the office title, not the individual. If the weather is good I will be back at Lone Elk on Sunday.
Links to Traveler coverage:
Updated: St. Louis County proposes closing Lone Elk, George Winter, other parks
The Story behind Lone Elk Park
Recreational History of the Lower Meramec Region
“This Park is for Sale” protest continues at Lone Elk Sunday
Koch asks for St. Louis County parks flyer volunteers for Nov. 12
Local Organizations:
St. Louis County Parks and Recreation homepage.
(Contains pages for all imperiled parks)
Direct Lone Elk Park link
Open Space Council
Meramec Greenway
MeramecGreenway.org
Twitter:
St. Louis County Parks
Opinions, Letters and Views. (please email jschaper@rhtrav.com with URL if you have an online letter or position statement we can link to. Thanks!)
St Louis Geocaching Assn. Editorial
Former Open Space Council President Tad Biggs letter.
Outside Links:
Fox 2 News link report from Sat. Nov. 12: Save our Parks
Park Closure Map
Open Space Council email with County Council meeting times and more.
George Weber’s Blog (First person history of elk at Lone Elk Park)
KSDK online story and video footage
Maryland Heights Save our St. Louis County Parks
AP Story via The Republic: St. Louis County may sell some parks
KMOV Mark Schnyder on Lone Elk Park
St. Louis Sprout editorial : Families need parks
What former parks head Wayne Kennedy thinks of this proposal. (STL Today story.)
County Council report Nov. 8 from STL Today.
St. Louis Beacon: Opposition Grows to St. Louis County Parks plan.
KPLR Ch. 11 Charles Jaco coverage: heavy on budget matters.
Preserving parks a matter of sanity. Commentary by Peter Scales
Riverfront Times Rally article
Manchester mayor sends letter, joins fight to save parks
Listen to ustreamtv online live streaming event with the St. Louis Co. budget director 6 p.m. Mon. Nov. 14. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/stlouisco#events
Lindsay Toler’s Storify of the issue.
List of Meramec River Valley Parks under threat of possible closure or sale (west to east)
Greensfelder, West Tyson, Sherman Beach-Bellerive Farm, Lone Elk, Simpson, Unger, George Winter parks.
These are seven of the 23 parks targeted.
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Thanks for taking this on. Dooley and his henchmen (primarily his COO) need to be removed from office. This is a travesty beyond compare. It is bordering on a crime. We need to vote these folks out of office. This is government mismanagement at its finest. How the will of a few individuals can hijack our wonderful parks system is beyond compare…but a few thugs in Nazi Germany hijacked a whole nation. If we don’t stand and fight, it’ll only get worse!
Thank you for what your doing. Do you have to be a resident of St. Louis county to sign the petitions, or to take part in the county council meetings? I live in Jefferson County, but have enjoyed most of these parks all my life, especially Lone Elk park. My parents took me there as a kid, I took my kids there, and hope to take my grandchildren there someday. I would be crushed if the area as a whole lost these treasures.
Steve, Traveler’s office is about a mile and a half crow flies from Lone Elk, and obviously we are on the Meramec River. I’m personally probably like yourself; I grew up in High Ridge (Jefferson County, 3 miles from St. Louis County) and now live in Pacific (on the Franklin County side of town.) However, my grandparents lived at the top of the 141 hill just up from I-44, so I spent a lot of my youth in the southwest St. Louis County parks. If you have any work connection to St. Louis County, take advantage of it when signing a petition. I don’t know of any exclusion that you *have* to live in St. Louis County. No one can keep you from driving to Clayton, however, if you are going to write a letter or email to Mr. Dooley or the County Council, I would be honest and say you are not a county resident, but emphasize the places you eat, shop or other places you do business and leave money in the county, some of which ends up in the county’s coffers. Just my personal .02. We don’t have the clout of a county resident, but do have more than someone who does not live in St. Louis metro. — Jo
Thanks for the response. I grew up in High Ridge too, what a small world. Hopefully through work, and the work of others, we can put a stop to this. Thanks again.
I think Mr. Dooley could do better without his county supplied car and driver than we can do without our parks. When I see the fat cats perks getting cut I will believe will have to cut our parks budget.
Please add the “Sioux Passage Park Should Be Saved” to your list of facebook pages. https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/234722366591071/
[...] interested, there’s also an online petition to save the county parks. And here’s a list of other links (Facebook pages, etc) where you can support the parks as [...]
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