Meeting Hightlights: Richmond Heights Council Gets Restaurant Updates

It happened during a meeting Monday night.

The Richmond Heights City Council met Monday night to hear updates on two new restaurants at the Saint Louis Galleria, among other issues. The following is a look at the discussion in reverse chronological order. 7:43 P.M.: The council is voting to move into closed session. 7:42 P.M.: The council has approved conditional use permits for Black Finn Restaurant and Vida Mexican Kitchen y Cantina, both restaurants planned at the Saint Louis Galleria. 7:40 P.M.: Earlier in the evening, District 2 Councilman Jim Thomson said there will be no District 2 meeting in May. There will be a June 11 cookout planned at A.B. Green Athletic Complex. 7:38 P.M.: District 2 Councilman Mike Jones has recognized Chief Rick Vilcek of the city's police department…

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Get Out

Weekend Events Include Tennis Season Kick-Off in Shaw Park, Family Wise Event at Grace Church and More

Here's a look at five events happening this weekend in and around Clayton and Richmond Heights.

You've probably seen our two Clayton-Richmond Heights Patch planners, designed to help plan family friendly and grown-up weekend plans. Starting today, we're combining the two to provide one-stop shopping for finding activities that appeal to kids and adults. Look for this new "Get Out" planner at 6 a.m. Thursdays. Each will feature at least five fun events, destinations and activities in or around Clayton and Richmond Heights. Sometimes we'll add a bonus item that may be a bit further afield because there are times when a great event is worth the drive! FAMILY WISE When/Where: 7:30 p.m. Friday in the gym of Grace Church Why Go: Families are invited to Grace Church for a night of interactive fun with music, drama and dance. Messages about …

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MRH Eighth-Graders Learn About Marine Ecology and History in Alabama Trip

The Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School students will return Thursday.

Dozens of St. Louis area eighth-graders have been exploring marine life and history along the Gulf Coast as part of a capstone trip. "We're just having a really good time out here," said Tresten Pinnell, an eighth-grader at Maplewood Richmond Heights Middle School. He said the most interesting thing he had done as of early Tuesday afternoon was going out to sea in a research vessel to learn how Hurricane Katrina transformed the region. Also memorable: Tracking through "really stinky, deep mud" on a visit to a salt marsh. Megan Hanak, another eighth-grader, agreed that the most interesting thing she had seen so far was the boat ride, noting that many people don't get to do something like that. She said she is hoping to learn more about …

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PatchCast

Daily PatchCast: Artist's Photography on Display at St. Peters Venue, Ward 4 Seat in Florissant Contested for First Time in Years and More

A roundup of St. Louis news headlines for Tuesday.

Here are the top stories from Patch sites in your area:

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Whiz Kid

Whiz Kid: Maplewood Richmond Heights Students' Successes Celebrated

The district honored student achievement in third through 12th grades during a ceremony at the high school.

Parents, students and teachers cheered loudly from the stands, the Blue Devil Big Band performed Queen's "We Are the Champions" and multicolored stringers flew from the rafters during a ceremony at the Maplewood Richmond Heights High School gymnasium March 11. The school wasn't holding a pep rally or hosting a basketball game. Instead, students in third through 12th grades were honored for academic success on standardized test scores during the 2011 Academic Achievement Celebration. The school district aims to create an atmosphere comparable to an athletic event. It's part of the district's effort to evoke a spirit of academic excellence, district spokesman Tom Wickersham said. The MRH school district participates in an academic conference…

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Show Me the Future

Legislative Action Appears Logical Recourse to Enrollment Questions Posed by Turner v. Clayton

The case—involving the transfer of students from unaccredited St. Louis school districts to districts such as that of Clayton—has been sent back to the lower courts to allow both sides to flesh out the full argument

The School District of Clayton today serves about 2,500 students. But a Missouri Supreme Court ruling would force the district to potentially accept well more than 30,000 kids. In July, the Missouri Supreme Court released its decision in Jane Turner v. School District of Clayton, requiring all Missouri school districts that are accredited to accept students from adjacent unaccredited school districts and send the tuition bills to the unaccredited district. Oh, and by the way: The accredited school districts cannot limit enrollment of transfer students from the unaccredited school districts. For Clayton, this amounts to allowing children living within the area served by St. Louis Public Schools to enroll in Clayton schools with little to no…

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Candace Jarrett

11:10 am on Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Elad, this is a very well-written piece. I think this is a topic that makes a lot of people nervous. Both sides have very valid points and as the parent of a young child, I would not want my my child's school to be overcrowded especially since I pay taxes to keep it a great competitive school. At the same time I feel for these children that need the same access to good education. I cover the …   more ›

PatchCast

Daily PatchCast: Students Demonstrate Over Ladue Schools Layoffs, Incoming MRH School Board Member Dies and More

A roundup of St. Louis news headlines for Monday.

Here are the top stories from Patch sites in your area:

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Whiz Kid

Whiz Kid: Captain Students Perform at Black History Night

These three youngsters were among those who honored Black History Month in late February in Clayton.

Whiz Kids' Name(s) and Ages: Neleh Hopper, 2; Tavin Matiszik, 4; and Michaela Wells, 3. Whiz Kids' School/Church/Community Center: Captain Elementary School Whiz Kids' Accomplishment: The three were among the Captain Elementary students who participated Feb. 24 in Black History Night. Whiz Kids' Key to Awesomeness: Neleh, Tavin and Michaela worked together to share the story of William Kamkwamba, a Malawi resident who built a windmill to provide energy to his family's house and has since invested in other community projects. Black History Night is an annual celebration at the school. "As part of the program, students made their own kente cloth to hang around their shoulders and a communal cloth to pass from storyteller to storyteller, …

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Maplewood Richmond Heights Blasts Carnahan, Advances to District Title Game

Ten players scored as MRH routed Carnahan, 79-38, on Wednesday. The Blue Devils play Cardinal Ritter on Friday for the district championship.

It’s no secret what drives and fuels the Maplewood Richmond Heights boys basketball team: Everything starts and ends on the defensive side of the ball. The second-seeded Blue Devils smothered Carnahan from the opening tip-off until the final buzzer sounded, forcing 27 turnovers, as MRH rolled to a 79-38 victory in the Class 3, District 5 semifinals Wednesday night. Next up for MRH (16-11) is top-seeded Cardinal Ritter (21-5), which cruised past Metro St. Louis by a similar margin of 79-37 following the Blue Devils’ win. “That’s part of our offense,” MRH head coach Corey Frazier said of his ball-hawking, full-court pressure. “I mean, we’re clicking a little bit. We’re getting better every game. “I want to make sure the kids get their rest …

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Richmond Heights Officials Talk Storm Damage; Other St. Louis Communities Experience Problems

The storm came through St. Louis late Sunday night.

A Richmond Heights City Council member said he's thankful that people were safe during a powerful storm that rolled through St. Louis on Sunday night. We've "got to be thankful that nobody was injured," District 2 Councilman Jim Thomson said. He said he hadn't received feedback about the storm from his constituents as of early Monday afternoon. His neighborhood, located south of Highway 40, had downed trash cans and limbs but didn't appear to have received the brunt of the storm. The western portion of Richmond Heights, which borders Brentwood, appears to have escaped the worst of the storm with "just a few branches here and there," District 4 Councilwoman Connie Williams said. "Overall, we were real fortunate," Williams said. She hadn't …

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