The Community Information Guide provides the latest news, upcoming events and local city directories.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
www.slfp.com
How To Reach Us:
St. Louis Front Page
P. O. Box 1354
St. Louis, MO 63188
www.slfp.com
Voice: 314-771-0200
Fax: 314-771-0300
To submit news, contact:
editor@slfp.com
Please e-mail
advertising@slfp.com
or call 314-771-0200 for information or questions about advertising opportunities in the Community Section.
|
|
St. Louis Community Info, Thursday, June 17, 2004
Members of the Alexandria Zaharias school performed during ceremonies at the Gateway Arch for the Olympic Torch Relay in St. Louis.
|
(L. to R.) East St. Louis Mayor Carl Officer, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley jointly proclaimed June 17, 2004 as Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay Day in the St. Louis metropolitan region.
|
Former gold Medal winning Olympians Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner watched Steven Pugsley, member of the Olympic Committee, light the first Olympic Torch for St. Louis Actor Joe Torry (far right).
|
Joe Torry greeted onlookers as he carried the Olympic Torch up the stairs beneath the Gateway Arch.
|
St. Louisans gathered on Art Hill to honor former Olympians and watch the lighing of the Relay Torch Cauldron.
|
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee was greeted with a standing ovation and cheers as she carried the torch down Art Hill.
|
St. Louis Celebrates Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay
by Bob Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) June 17, 2004 - Two years ago, January 7, 2002, the Olympic torch was carried throughout the St. Louis metropolitan region as part of a 65-day tour that started in Atlanta, GA and traveled 13,500 miles through 46 states to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
On June 17, 2004, the Olympic Torch Relay Team arrived once more in St. Louis.
During a brief ceremony, at noon, on the Overlook Stage at Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay told an enthusiastic crowd that St. Louis is one of only four American cities and one of only 34 cities worldwide that are part of the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay - the first-ever global relay.
The Olympic flame, originally lit in Olympic, Greece, March 25, 2004, began its worldwide journey for the first ever Global Relay, on June 4, in Sidney, Australia. The international portion of the relay will visit 34 cities in 26 countries, spanning 35 days, with more than 3,600 torchbearers passing the Olympic flame.
In a joint proclamation, Mayor Slay, East St. Louis Mayor Carl Officer and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, stated that "the people of our region are proud to be a part of what the Olympic Torch represents: a worldwide symbol of unity, peace, hope and the magnificence of the human spirit."
Mayor Slay proudly noted that "St. Louis is the only city that also marks 2004 as the 100th anniversary of its 1904 Olympic world games, the first Olympic games ever held in this country."
At approximately 1 p.m. at the base of the steps of the Gateway Arch, the first Torch was lit and carried up the stairs by St. Louis actor Joe Torry. From there, the flame traveled through many of the community's distinctive neighborhoods and past several notable landmarks.
Hundreds of people waved flags and cheered along the Olympic Torch relay route which included downtown St. Louis, Soulard, Saint Louis University, Fairground Park, the Central West End, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, The Hill, Maplewood, Webster Groves, Rock Hill, Brentwood, Richmond Heights, Clayton and University City.
A special Forest Park Olympic Festival was held for St. Louis city children on Art Hill, from noon to 4:00 p.m. Activities included standing long jump, softball throw, frisbee toss, storytelling, shuttle relay, a Coca-Cola Family Fun Village and an awards ceremony.
The day's commemorative events drew to a close as thousands of families, friends and visitors gathered on Art Hill to honor former Olympians and take a look back at the 1904 Games. As evening fell, music by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra filled the warm summer night.
The end-of-relay celebration commemorating the centennial of St. Louis' Olympic Games featured guest appearances by Shannon Miller, a seven-time Olympic medalist in gymnastics; Bonnie Blair, a five-time Olympic gold medalist in speed skating; Sammie Henson, a graduate of Francis Howell High School who won the silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2000 Olympics; Wendy Williams, a native of Bridgeton who won the bronze medal in diving at the 1988 Olympics; Craig Virgin, a three-time Olympian in track and field from Lebanon, Ill.; and Connie Teaberry, a 1996 Olympian from Florissant, MO.
At approximately 8:45 p.m., three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee was greeted with a standing ovation and loud cheers as she made her way through the crowds to the stage at the foot of Art Hill. Surrounded on stage by all the Olympians present, she lit the Relay Torch Cauldron.
Following an exciting display of fireworks over the Grand Basic, St. Louis Sports Commission President Frank Viverito spoke with Saint Louis Front Page about the memorable event. "It's so nice to be able to share the Olympic tradition and the spirit with all of St. Louis."
"The day just exceeded our expectations," said Viverito. "We had 125 torchbearers and 35 miles of torch relay and a great event in Forest Park. We had 35 Olympians here that spanned the decades and spanned the sports and spanned America. With Jackie lighting the Cauldron, it just doesn't get any better than that," beamed Viverito.
At approximately 8:45 p.m., three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee carried the flame down Art Hill to the stage where she was surrounded by all the Olympians present for the lighting of the Relay Torch Cauldron.
|
Partnering with several civic entities, the Sports Commission took the lead in organizing the Olympic Centennial Celebration. Significant support for the project came from the City of St. Louis, St. Louis 2004, the St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, the St. Louis Fire Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Downtown St. Louis Partnership and Washington University. Local contributors include The Spark Agency, E. Desmond Lee, FastSigns of Bridgeton, KSDK-TV NewsChannel 5, Planet Do It, Premier Rentals, the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, '62 Sports Group, and Waylon Ad, Inc.
The Olympic Torch Relay Celebration is sponsored by the U.S. Olympic Committee, Central States Coca-Cola Bottling Company of St. Louis, and Samsung. Coca-Cola and Samsung are the presenting sponsors of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay.
Archived St. Louis Community Information:
 Botanical Heights Development to Create New Neighborhood
Senator Bond Hails Launch of Catch The Dream St. Louis
City Health Department Prepares For West Nile Virus Season
Ragtime Rally at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site
City Health Department Prepares For West Nile Virus Season
Travel Channel Turns Spotlight on Mathews-Dickey and "Cedric The Entertainer's St. Louis"
Award Recognizes School Principals for Community Involvement
Residents Learn How to Improve Their City Block
Surveillance Cameras Will Combat Illegal Dumping in St. Louis Neighborhoods
'Detox Your Domicile!' Programs Shed Light on Air Pollution
Infancy Weight Gain Linked to Childhood Obesity
Design of New 6th Street Ramp May Impact Local Businesses
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Celebration
The Community Information Guide is presented in conjunction with the St. Louis Front Page and Southwest Illinois News. The sites are owned and maintained by
the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com
All rights reserved world wide
© 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .
|
|
|
|
