St. Louis Metro Community News and Information

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Spotlight on St. Louis Area Neighborhood Activities - Updated April 14, 2010

Vantage Credit Union President and CEO, Hubert Hoosman, Jr., presented a check for $10,000 to Diane Buhr, Executive Director of the Special Education Foundation (SEF), and Linda Fahrenkrog, Vice President of the SEF. Photo courtesy Vantage Credit Union

Vantage Credit Union Presents $10,000 To Special Education Foundation For Scholarships
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 14, 2010 - Vantage Credit Union President and CEO, Hubert Hoosman, Jr., presented a check for $10,000 to Diane Buhr, Executive Director of the Special Education Foundation (SEF), and Linda Fahrenkrog, Vice President of the SEF. The funds were presented at the credit union's main office in Bridgeton.

SEF scholarship funds are awarded to students with disabilities who plan on obtaining a higher education. The SEF has been awarding scholarships to deserving students entering post-secondary education since 1988.

"We're proud to support the Special Education Foundation in any way we can," said Hubert Hoosman, Jr., President and CEO of Vantage Credit Union. "For years Vantage has been serving educators in a variety of ways including sponsoring scholarships and offering free financial education presentations."

Vantage Credit Union is a progressive, full-service financial institution with over $628 million in assets and more than 111,500 member-owners. The credit union's sixteen locations serve the City of St. Louis and 19 counties in eastern Missouri, and Madison and St. Clair Counties in Illinois.

It's Not too Late to Turn in Your Census Form

Beginning April 12, residents can call the Census Bureau's telephone questionnaire assistance line at 866-872-6868 for help. They can also visit the 2010.census.gov web site to find a site in their area to pick up a form.

It's Not too Late to Fill Out and Turn in Your 2010 Census Form
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 12, 2010 - The Missouri Statewide Complete Count Committee wants residents to know that it is not too late to participate in the 2010 Census.

In a release, Kelvin L. Simmons, Commissioner of the Office of Administration and the chairman of the Complete Count Committee, said "We want anyone who hasn't yet filled out their form to complete it and send it in now. We also know that there are some residents who did not receive a form. Beginning April 12, those people can call the telephone questionnaire assistance line at 866-872-6868 for help. They can also visit the 2010.census.gov web site to find a site in their area to pick one up."

According to the Take 10 Map on the U.S. Census Bureau's Web site, Missourians continued to respond at a rate slightly above the national average. On April 12, the map showed Missouri with a 68 percent response rate. The national average on that day was 65 percent.

Census data is used to determine the distribution of federal funding as well as the number of Congressional seats that states receive. It is estimated that Missouri receives $1,327 per year for every person counted. Further, Missouri will retain or lose its ninth Congressional seat by counting or missing less than one percent of the population.

For more information, call the Census Bureau's telephone questionnaire assistance center at 866-872-6868 or visit http://2010.census.gov to find a Questionnaire Assistance Center in their area.

Discover the City During 'Open Streets'
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 11, 2010 - The City of St. Louis and Boeing are proud to announce the first-ever Open Streets event on Saturday, May 1, 2010, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The streets will turn into a fun, free, five-mile block party for cyclists, skaters, walkers, runners, and anyone who wants to come out to enjoy urban recreation in a car-free zone. See Community Events

St. Louis Cardinals to Host Green Week
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 11, 2010 - The St. Louis Cardinals are hosting, "Unplug, Drive Up and Drop off", an electronics recycling event on the site of Ballpark Village, in collaboration with the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, WITS, Waste Management and Paradowski Creative.

The public is invited to bring old electronics to the FREE Annual Downtown Unplugged event on April 28, 2010, from Noon - 6 p.m and April 29, 2010, from 7 a.m. - 2 pm.

Anyone can drop off - FOR FREE - unused or unwanted electronic equipment at trailers located in the Ballpark Village parking lot, located at Walnut Street and South Broadway. In return, the first 1,000 people to donate each day will receive a buy-one, get-one free St. Louis Cardinals ticket offer. Even if you don't work or live downtown, everyone is encouraged to recycle their old TVs, monitors, etc.

On Friday, April 30, the St. Louis Cardinals will collect unwanted athletic equipment at the Busch Stadium gates for donation to the Redbird Rookies, the flagship program of Cardinals Care.

The week will conclude with Bike to Busch on Saturday, May 1. The event, sponsored by Great Rivers Greenway, is intended to promote environmentally-friendly methods of transportation. All bikers will receive a discounted ticket and be treated to free bike parking in the Ballpark Village. For more information, see Open Streets on Community Events

Walmart Foundation Funds Meals On Wheels
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 3, 2010 - The St. Louis Area Agency on Aging (SLAAA) has been awarded $15,000 through a Walmart Foundation grant to the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA). The money will provide the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging (SLAAA) Home Delivered Meal Program with much-needed meal delivery equipment, technology equipment and software for our senior centers, which is critical to continue serving seniors in our neighborhoods.

This financial support is desperately needed as many Meals On Wheels programs across the country are struggling to survive during this economic downturn. The "Walmart Foundation Impact Grant" is intended to help the SLAAA Home Delivered Meal Program continue to meet the long term equipment needs of providing meals to our seniors in the City of St. Louis.

Last year, many Meals On Wheels programs were forced to change or reduce their services, but the Walmart Foundation stepped in to help restore those meals. This year, the Walmart Foundation is spending more than $2 million nationwide to make sure Meals On Wheels programs have the equipment they need to maintain their operations into the future.

"Seniors have been hit especially hard in this economy and we feel a responsibility to help," said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation. "We're proud to support Meals on Wheels programs across the U.S. who work on the front lines of ending senior hunger."

"Thanks to the Walmart Foundation Impact Grant, we now have better tools to keep feeding seniors for years to come," said David Sykora, Executive Director of the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging. "This grant will help us provide quality meals to many of our clients in need and will truly make a difference for the seniors of St. Louis."

Operation Brightside Plans "Extreme Alley Makeover"
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), March 28, 2010 - As a part of Operation Brightside's (OBS) Annual Project Blitz for the City of St. Louis, OBS is teaming up with Places for People (PfP) to clean up the overgrown and debris-filled alley behind PfP's newly purchased property at 5235 Page, St. Louis, Missouri.

On April 24, 2010 over 100 volunteers will come together from AmeriCorps, Metropolis, the Academy/ Sherman Park Neighborhood Association, PfP and OBS at 9:00 a.m. to bag debris and yard waste, cut back brush and "makeover" the alley. See Community Events

Foreclosure-Relief Business Finally Shut Down
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), March 24, 2010 - The operators of a foreclosure-relief business will no longer be allowed to do business in Missouri or other states, thanks to a court settlement with Missouri, California and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). US Foreclosure Relief Corp., George Escalante, Cesar Lopez and Adrian Pomery are permanently banned from selling mortgage loan modification or foreclosure relief services.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed suit against the business and its former operators last April, saying the business took money from consumers without providing any help to them. The settlement also provides that the settling defendants release all claims to more than $1 million previously frozen by the court; this money will be available for consumer restitution.

"In Missouri we take a zero tolerance stance against foreclosure relief and mortgage modification companies that do nothing but make false promises to consumers," Koster said. "We will continue to investigate these companies and use all means available to stop them from cheating Missouri consumers."

Koster said consumers need to watch out for companies that charge up-front fees before providing any service. In most instances, US Foreclosure Relief charged homeowners a fee of $1,850 for its services, along with a processing fee of $500. The company demanded payment upfront, in violation of Missouri law. Missouri law is clear that companies may not charge or collect payment until the foreclosure consultant service is performed.

Missouri's Second Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), March 24, 2010 - The Show-Me Green Sales Tax Holiday runs from April 19 - 25, 2010. People who purchase new ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances in Missouri during the holiday will save at least 4.225 percent off the purchase. The reduced price represents the elimination of the state's sales tax from the purchase.

Some purchases will be exempt not just from the state sales tax, but also city, county and special district sales taxes. Eight counties, 51 cities and 12 special districts have opted to participate in the holiday. The director stressed, however, that citizens should take the time before next month's holiday to look for what is best for their needs.

In a release, Alana M. Barragán-Scott, director of the Missouri Department of Revenue, said "No matter where people shop, they will save at least 4.225 percent, and that's a significant savings. However, people also need to know what kind of appliance is best suited for their home and what other potential savings are available. Some manufacturers offer rebates on purchases of ENERGY STAR® appliances, and local appliance retailers sometimes offer special deals during the week of the tax holiday."

ENERGY STAR®-labeled appliances that qualify for the sales tax exemption are: Clothes washers, Refrigerators, Freezers, Dishwashers, Water heaters, Furnaces, Air conditioners, Heat pumps.

Participating cities are: Airport Drive, Arnold, Aurora, Belton, Bethany, Bowling Green, Brookfield, Butler, Cottleville, Desloge, Dexter, Fenton, Fredericktown, Fulton, Gladstone, Hannibal, Hazelwood, Hermann, Hillsboro, Ironton, Jackson, Kahoka, Kirksville, Lee's Summit, Lexington, Macon, Maryville, Memphis, Oak Grove, Osceola, Park Hills, Perryville, Platte City, Potosi, Raymore, Republic, Richmond, Rock Hill, Rock Port, Rolla, Salem, Salisbury, St. Elizabeth, Ste. Genevieve, Sunset Hills, Tarkio, Town & Country, Union, Warrensburg, Washington and Willow Springs.

Participating districts are: Antioch Center Community Improvement District (CID) (Kansas City), Belton Town Centre Transportation Development District (TDD), Central Jackson (County) Fire Protection District, Columbia Mall TDD, Douglas Square TDD (Lee's Summit), Douglas Station TDD (Lee's Summit), Hawthorne Development TDD (Warrensburg), Raintree Lake Village TDD (Lee's Summit), Richardson Crossing CID (Arnold), Strother Interchange TDD (Lee's Summit), Town Plaza CID (Cape Girardeau) and U.S. Highway 65 & Truman Dam Access Road TDD (Warsaw).

The program is tentatively scheduled to begin April 19. For more information on this program, go to http://www.dnr.mo.gov/transform/energizemissourirebate.htm.

Archived St. Louis Community News and Information:

Hibernian Parade Puts Spotlight on St. Louis' Irish American Community

Aldermen to Hold Final Public Hearing for Input on Potential Elimination of Earnings Tax

St. Louis City Announces New Procedure to Protect Unattended Property, Keep Parks Clean

Hardee's 10th Annual Rise and Shine for Heat Raises More Than $85,000

Life Skills Receives $20,000 Grant from Verizon

Gateway to College National Network Expands Programs

41st St. Louis Observation Honors Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

City of St. Louis and County Donors Give Big Boost to Heat-Up St. Louis

Anheuser-Busch Employees Donate $225,000 to Three Local Charities

St. Louis Receives Award for Municipal Excellence from the National League of Cities

H1N1 Flu Vaccine Now Available to Everyone

AmerenUE Launches '$100 for 100' Program in Missouri

"Hope Is Moving In" Program Opens at Clay Elementary School

AmerenUE Helps Police See Crime from a Different Point of View

Carondelet Park Rec Plex Opens with Parade and Ribbon Cutting

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