We lost a friend and an excellent Police officer yesterday.

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of retired Officer John Cottom, DSN 151, Officer Cottom passed after suffering a debilitating stroke. During his service to Crestwood he served in many capacities as a Police officer, the last being our traffic officer.

My heartfelt condolences to his family, and may they know that he is with the Lord.

Tom Ford

NO. 3062

CRESTWOOD BOARD VOTES 7-0 TO SEAT NEW ALDERMAN.

From the Call: http://www.callnewspapers.com/Articles-Impact-News-i-2014-04-23-272350.112112-Crestwood-board-votes-70-to-OK-Vincent-as-alderman.html

I know this is "old news" but I am writing about the ability of the Board to come together when things are right, as this appointment was.

There have been so many comments about a "split Board" that will NEVER be able to get anything done that I thought this is well worth the band width to bring to your attention.

I won't take up your time by evaluating each of the decisions made by each of the Board members, so suffice it to say that when an item comes before them that makes sense, is good for the community, and is viable, their together.

Now, we have a new Mayor, a new Alderman, and possibly a new owner of the old Mall. I think the timing is excellent for a plan to change the Mall that will work for the long hall to be brought forth, evaluated, and IF THE COMMUNITY THINKS A TIF IS WORKABLE voted on by this Board.

I am against any TIF giveaway's for the sake of developing anything (they hurt the School system) but I am willing to listen as I was before. My problem with the last one was that it was a non viable plan that was doomed to failure. and everyone should have known it.

This time out, please forget the emotion, forget the campaign promises that won't take place anyway and let's ALL get behind a project (if it's viable) that will fill that lot with something more than 10 1/4 % tax rate and an "up scale bowling ally."

Congratulations to ALL the Board members for your new found ability to work as a team for Crestwood!


Tom Ford

NO. 3061

New rules for this Blog that WILL be followed if you expect to post here!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it has long been my rule that if you're going to post disparaging remarks, accusations, and or comment's about a person on this Blog that YOU sign your real name.

Regrettably we have had instances where some have tried to break that simple rule to post what they think will further their agenda without signing their names. The vast majority of those posts have been deleted by me as soon as I saw them, and some have been left on to illustrate the imbecility of the poster.

Effective with this thread I am advising ALL who post here that in order for a poster to make ANY accusations, negative remarks, or personal attacks they WILL have to sign their names period, or they will be removed at once (this includes any and all public officials, here or elsewhere.)

You are fully aware that in order to have a newspaper print your letter you must include your name and address, and the same goes for radio and TV, so were going to do it here as well.

You will note that I as well as several others sign every post we put on here, however I must now require you to do the same thing if you wish to attack anyone else in or out of office (anonymous remarks about City affairs will still be allowed as long as the poster does not mention any names.) I shouldn't allow it, but I will as long as a poster follows the rules.

I expect that you would require nothing less if you were the one on the receiving end of some of the things I have had to remove, and well you should. I can and will find the name and address of anyone who posts these malicious remarks for all the rest of you to see and despise as well.

This has happened recently and I did work with the offended party (who decided not to go public with the name, but he well could have, and in my opinion should have!)To those who have done this I say you're obviously a person who knows no shame, and I really wonder how your family can live with such a craven coward in their midst!

For the rest of us who do enjoy posting here, I thank you for your time and comment's as we have seen some new and exciting ideas emerge from your posts (they have been passed on to City Hall for the Board's consideration.)

Please enjoy posting here and by all means please continue to feed you ideas for the betterment of our town via this Blog as I really do believe the City fathers read and take under advisement many of the great ideas and comment's we have seen here over the years.

To those who can't. won't follow the rules, I bid you farewell, we and the City will not miss you as cowardice has never, nor will it ever be a virtue, and Crestwood is too good a place for you to hide in your self serving shadows!

Tom Ford

NO. 3060

Crestwood Courts auction site on line

http://www.crestwoodcourt.com/

Well, now the movie folks! At last look the bid was 1 million with several hours to go.


Tom Ford

NO. 3059

Happy Easter to all, may you ALL enjoy the.day, and mayThe Lord shower his blessings on you and yours.

Tom Ford

NO. 3058

Public Works Director resigned today, search for replacement probably will start after new Mayor takes office on 4/22/14.

I have been informe that the Director of Public Works has resigned. I believe we will have more information on the search for his replacement after Mayor Roby takes office.

Tom Ford

No. 3057

Sears is dying, what does that say about Americas shopping habits, and what can we do to keep the retailers we have?

http://www.salon.com/2014/04/13/sears_is_dying
_what_the_ubiquitous
_store%E2%80%99s_death_says_about_america/

I received this from a reader and thought I would put it up here for your remarks as well as your insight.

Best Buy seems to be following the same business model as Sears, and we all know that the Best Buy store has been the subject of comments during the election's.

What, if anything can a town like Crestwood possibly do to change the consumer mindset in America today?

Yes we have a new mayor, a Mayor who said he can be at City Hall when and if needed, but can even that change the reality of the 21st. century? As you know shoppers have been buying on line for some time now. Gasoline is now $3.50 a gallon and people are not just going to a store just to look as much as they once did, now it's all about price.

So what can Mayor Roby do to keep Best Buy if they decide to close their Crestwood location, and what can WE do to help him.

What do you think ?


Tom Ford

NO. 3056

The elections are finally over, now what will WE do for Crestwood?

"@12:44

Strive to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. It would be good to see some working together in Crestwood for a change."

1:55 PM, April 09, 2014

This is from the thread below, and it, more than anything else I have heard since yesterday sums up where we need to be in the coming days, weeks and months. We all fought for our candidate, and what we believed was the correct course for Crestwood, as well we should have.

But now the votes are counted, and we have a new mayor who we must all rally behind to insure our fair community can prosper in the future. How we do that is up to each of us, but one thing is for sure and that is Mayor Roby must have the support of us ALL to succeed, and when he succeeds, we ALL prosper.

I am not saying that that every day will be the romance of a life time, no, not by a long shot, but if there is a spot where he want's and needs help, and you can, please offer your expertise.

To Mayor elect Greg Roby, I say welcome aboard, and to out going Mayor Jeff Schlink, I say thank you for a job well done !

May the Good Lord bless and keep them both, and may our community go forward in the knowledge that, In the words of President Ronald Reagan, "Our best day's are yet to come !"


Tom Ford

NO. 3055

Well after all that has been said and done, tomorrow is the day, election day!

res,

we have all waxed eloquently in support of the candidate we felt would do the best job for our community, Crestwood.

Tomorrow night at 7:00 PM the polls will close and we will have cast our votes and will be waiting feverously for the results. Will it be Mayor Schlink, or will it be the challenger, Mr. Roby, tomorrow will tell.

I am not going to tell you who to vote for, but I will be at the poll's backing my choice as I should be. In the annals of Crestwood history this is not the most highly contested race, nor is it the most contentious, it's two men who have put their name and fortune in the ring, both with the best of intentions I am sure.

I ask that ALL of us go to the polls tomorrow, cast your ballot, do what you can to insure that our sacred right to vote is up held yet again. Did you see the news yesterday where the Afghani people went to the poll's to vote for a President? If you did, you know that they were threatened with death, their homes ruined, their families murdered by a bunch of punks, and yet they went!

Tomorrow we may see a bit of rain, it may be cool, but no one will shoot at you or disrespect you in the line to vote, so I ask, can we do any less than our fellow human beings in Kabul? Go to the poll's, vote, and if you need transportation call me at 341-2307. I will make sure you get there and back home safely, and no I won't discuss anything but the weather.

May the good Lord bless our two candidates, provide us with fair weather, and a safe trip to and from our polling place's, and may he grant our community, Crestwood continued prosperity.


Tom Ford

NO. 3054

Election day, April 8, 2014, wlll you be there to vote?

A lot of discussion has been put forth on this site about who is more qualified to lead Crestwood for the next three years, and to that end I would like to put a couple of facts on the table for your consideration.

Education: Mayor Jeff Schlink, Masters degree in computer technology and business from Webster U.

opponent, Greg Roby: BA degree in criminal justice, Tarkio College



Work background: Mayor Schlink, Management at Edward Jones.

Greg Roby: St. Louis County Police officer, salesman for construction products.


Service to Crestwood: Both were Alderman, both have served on many boards as well.


Family: Both are married with children.


I am sure there is a lot more we could say about both men, but in light of the fact that both seem to be equally tenacious in their willingness to serve Crestwood.
I think I will stop there. So what is the difference that all voters must weigh come Tuesday?

Well on one hand we have a proven entity in Mayor Schlink, a person who has the education and management skills needed to do the job in the community today. His challenger has no prior experience in the day to day management of a business or a community. Yes, he could learn the job while he is in the position, but do we really have time to do that?

On his Facebook page he admits he (were he Mayor) could have done nothing to stop Gordman's from leaving, and truth be known, it's that way with ALL retail stores no matter who is the Mayor.

The Mall is the catch phrase most often seen here so let's take a close look at that. We have to face the fact that the Mall has been dying for some time, and WE, our Alderman or Mayor could do nothing to stop it (ask some of the former mayors.)

It was bought at a fire sale price by a Chicago firm who WOULD NOT NEGOATE with us but rather gave us one proposal (bad at that,) and then refused to move off it one way or the other. Several planning firms were involved one way or the other, but none were hired as a final vote by an Alderman closed the door on any further votes. The Chicago developer and his partner then pulled out, and it will be on the auction block later this month (as was Northwest Plaza.)

Now as I look at it, no amount of tax subsidies, begging or calls by sitting Alderman could have changed the outcome as they had no tenants lined up for a space that would tack on 10 1/4 % tax to everything sold there. They (potential tenants) knew as did I that people vote with their feet, they would have come once, found out how outrageous the tax was and gone somewhere else the next outing. Result for the space, FAILURE, and then what?

Looking at every angle I can I see but one person in this race that can (and will) serve me, my family, and Crestwood the best over the next three years, and that is our Mayor, Jeff Schlink.


Tom Ford

NO. 3053