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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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(L - R) Francis G. Slay, Mayor, City of St. Louis, Charlie Dooley, St. Louis County Executive, and Jay Nixon, Governor of the State of Missouri proudly hold their personalized St. Louis Cardinals team shirts at the unveiling of plans for the "All-Star Summer" during a press conference at Busch Stadium. (Far left) William DeWitt, III, President, St. Louis Cardinals, (next to Gov Nixon) Ozzie Smith, 15-time National League All-Star and MLB All-Star FanFest spokesperson, Albert Pujols, Seven-time National League All-Star and MLB All-Star FanFest spokesperson, and (far right) William DeWitt, Jr., Chairman & CEO, St. Louis Cardinals
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MLB Plans All-Star Summer In St. Louis
by Bob Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 22, 2009 - The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is expected to put more than $60 million dollars into the St. Louis economy. That's the message delivered by state and local officals today at Busch Stadium.
The Game will be played on July 14 at Busch Stadium, which is the 80th Midsummer Classic between the All-Stars of the American League and the National League.
"We are going to use this summer to jump start the economy in St. Louis," stated Governor Jay Nixon at a press conference at Busch Stadium, site of the All-Star Baseball Game.
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In an interview following the press conference, Governor Jay Nixon outlined the potential for the major tourist event which has been expanded into several days of activities, from Friday, July 10 through Tuesday, July 14.
"We've all committed a tourism budget to highlight this great event in Missouri," stated Governor Nixon. "We need to give this a couple of opportunities. First of all, there will be more hotel nights, more restaurant time, and more business to the great things here in St. Louis like the Art Museum and the Zoo," stated the Governor enthusiastically.
"But equally important, it's an opportunity for folks here to highlight businesses and the life sciences we have with the Danforth Plant Center and the Science Center. We think getting tourists here is going to help businesses in the long run. We are going to use this summer to jump start the economy in St. Louis."
Nixon added that providing opportunities for people to come early and stay late was the key to getting businesses to invest dollars, expand hours and provided additional training for employees.
The event is also expected to generate funds for community projects in St. Louis and around the country. Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals will donate nearly $5 million through MLB Charities and Cardinals Care from Gatorade All-Star Workout Day, to be held on Monday, July 13.
In an interview, St. Louis Cardinals Chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt, Jr. stated that "We have a partnership with Major League Baseball. We're creating the Leagacy Fund, which is a $2 million dollar fund to help the City of St. Louis, and provide funds to build the Herbert Hoover Ballpark and to renovate the Mathew-Dickey Ball-Field," stated DeWitt.
DeWitt added that scholarship funds will be provided for needy youth through the Redbird Rookies Saigh Scholars Endowment. Additional money will provide funds for the Healthy Kids Express, St. Louis Children's Hospital's mobile van program.
St. Louis will also benefit from a national campaign, "All-Stars Among Us", announced today by Major League Baseball and PEOPLE magazine. A total of 30 everyday All-Stars will attend and be honored at the 2009 MLB All-Star Game and one will be featured in PEOPLE. Fans can log on to www.PeopleAllStars.com from April 22 through May 22 to nominate themselves as well as community "All-Star" they know.
And the excitement continues to build with the official start of All-Star Balloting for the 80th All-Star Game. More than 20 million Walt Disney Pictures G-FORCE All-Star ballots will be distributed at the 30 Major League ballparks.
Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films has also teamed up with MLB for the unprecedented G-Force Grand Slam Sweepstakes. If a grand slam is hit during the All-Star Game on July 14, the first million people who have entered on Disney.com will win a free ticket to see "G-Force" on its opening day, July 14.
Despite Doom and Gloom, St. Louis Envisions Economic Recovery Through ARRA Funds
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 19, 2009 - Gov. Jay Nixon and the governors of seven other Midwestern states have joined in support of high-speed passenger rail projects to link cities in their region, with Chicago as the hub. The governors, along with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, have sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking him to support plans that have been in place for several years for key rail corridors between cities in their states, including St. Louis to Chicago.
The governors are seeking funding for the projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which specifically mandates funding for improving and deploying high-speed rail systems in the United States. The letter presents the case that the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, first conceived by Missouri and eight other states in the mid-1990s, has done the needed studies and preliminary work for projects that would provide increased mobility for travelers and promote regional and economic development goals.
"I believe Missouri and the other states in our region present a compelling and united case to the Obama Administration to fund these projects," Gov. Nixon said. "Our states have been working on this rail initiative for more than a decade, and we will aggressively compete for these Recovery Act funds specifically designated for high-speed rail projects."
The Phase I corridors would include Chicago-St. Louis, Chicago-Milwaukee-Madison and Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac. High-speed trains between those cities initially would travel at 110 miles per hour. Gov. Nixon noted that Illinois already has completed an environmental impact statement for the Chicago-St. Louis corridor. The letter states that with ARRA funds, projects in these corridors can be completed between 2012 and 2014. Preliminary engineering estimates indicate that the Phase I projects will require approximately $3.4 billion for track and operating equipment.
After initial phase projects would be completed, the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative calls for developing service along other routes, including St. Louis to Kansas City.
In addition to Mayor Daley, Gov. Nixon was joined in signing the letter to Secretary LaHood by Governors Pat Quinn of Illinois, Mitch Daniels of Indiana, Chet Culver of Iowa, Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Ted Strickland of Ohio, and Jim Doyle of Wisconsin.
Earlier this year, Gov. Nixon appointed Frank Steeves as a representative from Missouri to the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission (MIPRC). Steeves is general counsel for Emerson Electric Co., based in St. Louis.
The commission brings together state leaders from across the region to advocate for passenger rail improvements. Formed by compact agreement in 2000, the MIPRC's current members are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Vice President Biden, Gov. Nixon Launch Next-Generation Jobs Team
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 19, 2009 - Across Missouri, high school and college students are getting ready for summer. But under a program announced Friday by Vice President Joe Biden and Gov. Jay Nixon, thousands of these young Missourians will spend summer learning the skills they'll need for the careers of tomorrow, not sitting on the couch at home.
Vice President Biden and Gov. Nixon visited the Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club in St. Louis to meet with a group of local students about their educational and career plans and launch the Missouri Next-Generation Jobs Team, a summer employment program that will prepare young Missourians to compete for and excel in the high-tech, high-paying careers of the 21st century.
The Next-Generation Jobs Team will help match approximately 3,000 Missouri youth, ages 16 to 24, with summer internships and work experiences at cutting-edge employers across the state. Mentors with the Missouri Department of Economic Development's local Workforce Investment Boards will help youth identify career fields of interest and place young people with appropriate employers in the area. The young Missourians will then spend the summer gaining on-the-job training and work experience, along with continued guidance and support from professional career counselors. Wages for the young workers will be funded by the U.S. Department of Labor through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
"To transform our economy for the future, it's vital that we prepare the next generation of American workers to take on the jobs and professions of the 21st century," Vice President Biden said. "That's why President Obama and I were so committed to supporting job-training programs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We commend Gov. Nixon and the state of Missouri for investing these one-time recovery funds into an innovative program that will help train young Missourians for careers in high-tech, high-growth industries. This is exactly the type of program the Recovery Act was designed to support, and we look forward to seeing a thorough report on its success later this year."
"To create new jobs and turn this economy around, we must ensure that Missouri has highly trained, highly skilled workers who are ready to compete for the careers of tomorrow," Gov. Nixon said. "Our Next-Generation Jobs Team will help young Missourians identify emerging careers in high-growth, high-tech industries, and they'll spend a summer gaining experience that will give them a leg up on the competition. At the same time, we'll help Missouri employers develop a pool of talent here in our state to meet their needs for educated and qualified workers. I encourage young Missourians and employers alike to take advantage of this opportunity to build the workforce that will lead our economy into the future."
Young Missourians and employers can apply to become part of the program by visiting the state home page, www.mo.gov, and clicking on the Next-Generation Jobs Team graphic. There is no fee to apply for or participate in the program. Applications from students and businesses will be forwarded to local Workforce Investment Boards, where counselors will connect youth and potential employers.
Already, next-generation employers from across Missouri are lining up to be a part of this program, including Analytical Bio-Chemistry (ABC) Laboratories, a cutting-edge manufacturer of human and animal pharmaceuticals in Columbia; Burns & McDonnell, a leading sustainable design and engineering firm in Kansas City; Watts Radiant, a thermal energy company in Springfield; BJC Health System in St. Louis, one of the largest health care providers in the state; and utility companies and electrical cooperatives across the state. Additionally, industry and trade groups, including the Missouri Hospital Association and the Missouri Biotechnology Association, are working closely with the Division of Workforce Development to recruit employers for the program.
Vice President Biden and Gov. Nixon encouraged young Missourians and potential employers to submit their applications as soon as possible by visiting www.mo.gov and clicking through to the Next-Generation Jobs Team Web site.
"Summer's almost here, and we're ready to get this program up and running," Gov. Nixon said. "Young Missourians should move quickly to take advantage of this opportunity to jumpstart their careers."
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