Wentzville Alderperson, Take Your Pick -- Athlete, Salesman, Realtor or, Heck, A Nice Lady

The New Wentzvillian has a good working knowledge of nearly all the newly filed aldermanic candidates.  Here's the official list from city hall for the April 2014 election in the order they will appear on the ballot (with a bit of Editorial Commentary on each):


Ward 1

Gossett

FORREST GOSSETT -- New Wentzvillian has an in-person interview to share in the next couple of days about this
candidate's overall approach to governance. It appears he likes systems, delegation, staff and upper-level decision making.

Hussey

ROBERT HUSSEY  -- Has proven himself to be a VERY hard worker and anyone in this race for Ward 1 knows that he is not going to sit in his house posting TOPIX, Wentzvillian, and New Wentzvillian
comments.  We are quite sure Mr. Hussey will grant us an interview.  He sells real estate and his wife is an actress.

Webber

JAY WEBBER  -- A nicer guy the New Wentzvillian has not met.  He reminds the New Wentzvillian of the current mayor somewhat.  Chats with you as if YOU know what you are saying and has the working knowledge to interact with anyone about any and all Wentzville ongoings. He has nearly won an aldermanic race before; coming just shy of victory by some 10 or so votes.







Ward 2

Vining

PATRICK VINING  -- This guy loves math!  Uh oh, what does that mean? The New Wentzvillian doesn't purport to know, but we do know Mr. Vining better than ANY CANDIDATE running this April.  We are quite sure he will grant an interview because we only need meet up at Panera again for the umpteenth time to conduct it. Oh, and the guy was a high-level athlete in college and is now built like a brick you know what -- he really really likes exercise.  Look around, he has YouTubes!!!

MICHAEL RHOADES  --  At this point, Michael is the New Wentzvillian mystery candidate.  We literally (that's a big word with the kids these days too and means something different than 'literally' somehow) have no information about this fellow.  He is the candidate we would like to interview first. Maybe Mr. Rhoades works out (word is he is a karate guy) too and we can invite both candidates to Guns and Hoses to decide the race in a physical contest of some kind.

Rhoades

  We do like that his name reminds us of "Rhodes Scholar;" so, maybe Pat and Mike will serve as our
EDUCATED TICKET!!




Ward 3

Wright

LINDA WRIGHT -- We have not interviewed her, but have met her briefly and witnessed her interesting missives to constituents the last time she made a respectable run for alderperson. The personally written letter approach was a truly novel one.  The New Wentzvillian hopes to bring its readers an interview.

Stokes

RICK STOKES -- He's no fan of the New Wentzvillian, but we believe him to be a decent fellow although one audio recording that a New Wentzvillian reader shared with us is, well, a little odd.  We hope to play it for you and get Mr. Stokes comments.  The harborer of the recording is a bit skiddish.

FORMER JUDGE AND TEACHER DEMANDS ST. LOUIS AREA SCHOOLS REMAIN CLOSED ON FRIDAY

Starting a New Semester on a Friday Would be Pointless and Dumb.

 

ST. LOUIS, MO, January 9, 2014-- Several St. Louis area schools have remained closed all week in the wake of the "Polar Vortex" aka Snowpocalypse II, pushing back the start of a new semester. With the near-certain end of this unexpected boon for area schoolchildren looming before us tomorrow,  Michael E. Carter, a teacher, former judge, and owner of Traffic Law Counselors, has taken it upon himself to demand that area schools remain closed just one more day.

 "We all remember how exciting it was as a kid to have a snow day. Why not give them all one more? Nothing major happens on the first day back of a new semester anyway, and starting it out on a Friday would be pointless and dumb. Besides, there are still lots of neighborhoods that aren't safe for driving. Do you really want your kids walking to schools and bus stops in such treacherous conditions?"

Carter's law office, Traffic Law Counselors, handles a large number of traffic cases and has firsthand knowledge of the number of school zone speeding tickets that are handed out on a regular basis. "People speed, people drive recklessly, not to mention the dangers of letting loose all those high school aged drivers in these conditions. Let's just let them stay home. It's a win-win."

STL TNT Still Relevant -- 50000 Calls During Weather Snap 321-2522

Record Breaking cold and snowfall in the St Louis Metro area has a lot of folks holed up, but they still have a very healthy curiosity about what's outside their four comfy walls.

St Louis Time and Temperature -- which can be dialed at 321-2522 from any area code -- has received over 50,000 calls the past couple of days.

Attorney Mike Carter, who runs the service says "our free TNT service normally does see a massive call spike at daylight savings time and during super hot and super cold snaps, but I have really never seen this big of a jump in calls."

The St Louis winter storm the past couple of days is very reminiscent of the 1982 St Louis blizzard when children and some adults were off school and work for as many as 5 business days.

Most schools now in 2014 have already called off school tomorrow in addition to today.

"I think we ended up with two dumpings in 1982 -- when I was in like 3rd or 4th grade -- and the accumulation got up to like 24 total inches. We didn't get THAT much this time, but it sure seemed a lot more windy and blizzard like this time around to me. I actually made it down to Forest Park yesterday from o'Fallon MO for our must-go snow sledding. However, it was simply too cold and windy to really make a go of it once there. So, of course, we went to warm cozy great grandma's house in Hazelwood and visited for a time," said Carter

All People in the St Louis area can dial 321-2522 -- the nearly 100 year old Time and Temperature service phone number -- from their home or cell phone for free 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for the most accurate time, temperature and short weather forecast provided by the National Weather Service.

Mike Carter bought the service in 2005 after Bank of America decided the service didn't work with its marketing mix.

Yay Yay Snow Sledding At Rotary Park With Dogs

Rightfully so, Wentzville's mayor and alderpersons are flooding Facebook with warnings of the impending snow tonight. First, out of my own civic duty I guess I should share with you that they seem particularly concerned with getting your dang cars off the streets. So there you go.

However, and more importantly, what I think is most concerning is how sad I am that we (I, You, Yours, Theirs, Me) won't be able to sleigh ride through Rotary park while the Christmas lights are still burning bright. :(  I can see rounding up 11 or so Wentzville dogs (ones that haven't been outlawed by the peculiar new Wentzville dog ordinances) to pull me on my sled in and out of each of the 12 days of Christmas light display (the coolest part of all the lights, yes, even cooler than the bridge thingy). 

"Whoaaa, watch out for those doves; they can drop nastier things than that one Duck Dynasty dude. Hey, hey, hey, on Wentzville's Pitbulls, on you foamin Rot, faster you pinchin Dober; we've no time for those maids' milk; you can get a drink when I say my ride is good and over. Scccrrreeeeccchhhh!!! Holy dog poo; what's the matter scooby? Are the pipers playin dog whistles? Mush, mush, mush, get on, on, on; we're marchin to MY drum not those 12 guys over there. On, on, on, get on!! I want to see that fish constantly jumping in the pond ahead!!!!"

So . . . I say the snow coming tonight is of no concern whatsoever. Embrace it! Love it! Lay down in it (be sure and take a picture and, heck, let someone PHOTO BOMB it). Make a snow angel (a good one). Wrestle in it (it is better than a gym mat). Tinkle in it (it turns yellow and you can blame it on one of those dogs above). Grab some and shove some in your kids face while shooting a VINE VIDEO of it -- use a HASH TAG like #SnowSmack.  And, and . . .  for Pete's sake . . . Do not . . . Do not touch a shovel -- hire someone for that!!!!

No really, I actually sorta like shoveling the the one lane of our driveway directly behind my wife's garage bay -- that makes her happy-ish (she wants it all done) and, pun intended, keeps me out of the doghouse.

Oh, and as an aside; how come when you get through the light display at Rotary Park the attendants don't say, "hey, if you'd like to turn around and go again it's only $3 instead of $8"?

New Wentzvillian Seeks Information Regarding Rick Stokes and Other Wentzville Alderpersons

The New Wentzvillian will be following all of the Wentzville Alderpersons' activities on a continuing basis.  Our editor recently requested interviews with each and every one of the Wentzville Aldermen.  So far Alderpersons Kross and Shryock have met for discussions and the New Wentzvillian is very thankful.

Forest Gossett and Michael Hays have agreed to meet soon.  However, Chris Gard and Rick Stokes, so far, have ignored New Wentzvillian requests to meet.  We hope Aldermen Stokes and Gard will quickly set up appointments with our editors.

In the mean time the New Wentzvillian would like to hear from any Wentzville citizens (or others) who have information to share about Alderman Rick Stokes.  We are very keen to hear ANYTHING relative to Mr. Stokes since Alderman Stokes has recently told the New Wentzvillian that it is not allowed to communicate with him at his work email address.

The New Wentzvillian filmed Alderman Stokes at a candidate event last year; here is the video in case you do not know who he is:

Frankly, the New Wentzvillian's objective is to draw down a spotlight on each of the alderpersons in Wentzville that seem to be giving Wentzville's mayor a difficult time with his agenda.  This past year, Mayor Guccione won his election with a very convincing margin and has A LOT of political capital relative to the voters of Wentzville. 

It seems that many of the current alderpersons pushed heavily for another mayoral candidate in that election -- even collectively riding on his float during a parade -- however, their efforts evidently did not bring about their desired outcome.  Apparently this did not set well with many of them and they either consciously or subconsciously want to punish the winner of the election -- Mayor Guccione.

This is no witch hunt; rather, it is an attempt to correct what the New Wentzvillian sees as shameful inequities.  Inequities that stem from some of the aforementioned aggrieved aldermen shamelessly ascribing to the malicious and reckless musings contained in another local Wentzville blog.  A blog that cares nothing about fair and balanced journalism, and instead focuses on rumor, hatred, libel and wanton disregard for any attempt at objectivity or truth.

Please assist the New Wentzvillian in formulating fair and balanced coverage of each of Wentzville's fine alderpersons.  Please email us at carter@NewWentzvillian.com or Call us at 636-916-4040. 

We will focus on Alderman Chris Gard in the coming days.

Mayor of Wentzville Exercises Free Speech -- Open Comment

The following is an open comment regarding Wentzville citizen and blogger Larry Marshall's frivolous, malicious and misguided claim that Wentzville's mayor cannot endorse candidates during an election cycle whereby the mayor lends his name to the efforts of a political candidate:

The New Wentzvillian knows Mr. Marshall's assertions about the mayor's free speech rights are beyond non-sensical. The New Wentzvillian's Editor taught communications law for years at Mizzou -- still can -- and still teaches at University of Missouri St. Louis.

The Mayor's First Amendment Right of Free Speech cannot be abridged for the ludicrous reasons mentioned by anyone who has called question to the Alderman-Hays political flyer (pictured below) wherein Wentzville's current mayor supported him.  The mayor is not giving up military secrets, yelling fire in a theater, or any of the classic reasons that Constitutional Scholars (and Supreme Court Justices) agree rise to the level of possibly abridging Poiltical Free Speech.   

Just the same as Senator John McCain, President Obama, and city Mayors across the United States endorse candidates EVERY ELECTION CYCLE; Mayor Guccione can do the same without concern. Again, Political Speech is THE MOST PROTECTED form of speech in the United States -- Just ask the ghost of President Adams what his BIGGEST REGRET WAS:  Alien and Sedition Acts that attempted to abridge political speech.

Sore-Citizen/Bloger Larry Marshall

Constitutionally Protected Speech

The New Wentzvillian is QUITE CERTAIN THE CITY'S ATTORNEY -- PAUL ROST -- WILL SET ALL OF THOSE INVOLVED STRAIGHT VERY SOON!!!  If anything, Larry Marshall's (resident mentioned in Wentzville Patch article) blog has many instances of untrue statements that show MALICE and very likely WANTON & RECKLESS Disregard for the truth. 

As a holder of a Master of Journalism from Mizzou, the New Wentzvillian's editor would like to think muckraking is fine/tolerated in the blog world (since many many readers don't believe the B.S. in them) and should be left alone, but given that the New Wentzvillian takes a very real interest in Wentzville ongoings, we are keen to track Larry Marshall's journalistic pursuits.

Carter Seeks Second Term As Wentzville Judge

Michael "Mike" E. Carter was the first to declare candidacy for Wentzville's municipal judge.

Carter's opponent did not sign up on the first day to file for the office. This means Carter is first on the April 2, 2013 ballot. (see insert picture)

Carter only said of his opponent that he hopes Mr. Martin is "re-thinking his campaigning approach of 2011. I (carter) never bought into Martin 's type of negative campaigning, but, such is local politics I guess."

Carter says his campaign focus is on three main issues:

1) Carter's having spear-headed the cancellation of Wentzville's red-light camera program;
2) Carter ensuring Wentzville's court focuses on justice and not revenue; AND
3) Carter wants to get every Wentzville voter a copy of the U.S. Constitution. It is the foundation of every court room.