Compiled
by Lauri Johnson
SIGMA-ALDRICH GIFT WILL ENHANCE SCIENCE
AND MATH EDUCATION AT UMSL
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, a producer of biochemical and organic
chemical products, has contributed $150,000 to the college of
education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis to support
the establishment of a math and science center.
Located in Marillac Hall on UMSL’s South Campus, the Science
and Math Education Central will feature a science laboratory,
updated computers with Internet access, a library with resources
for science learning, a mathematics education lab, a rooftop
observatory for astronomy and a mobile science outreach van.
Sigma-Aldrich’s gift will also allow the college to expand its
online course offerings, provide specialized workshops and increase
creative curriculum.
“Because of the company’s generous contribution, we will prepare
more teachers who specialize in math and science education.
We will improve student achievement in math and science, and
we will increase the number of teachers who use technology-enhanced
math and science curricula, along with innovative, tested methods,
to teach,” states Charles Schmitz, dean of the college.
The College of Education at UMSL is the largest preparer of
educators in the state of Missouri. Headquartered in St. Louis
Sigma-Aldrich produces biochemical and organic chemical products
used in research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development
and chemical manufacturing. The company operates in 35 countries
and has 7,300 employees worldwide.
MISSOURI BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER EARNS
HIGH MARKS IN NATIONAL HEALTHCARE RATINGS
Missouri Baptist Medical Center has been ranked in the top five
percent of nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals for overall clinical
excellence, according to The Fifth Annual HealthGrades Hospital
Quality and Clinical Excellence Study by HealthGrades, an independent
healthcare ratings organization. The hospital is one of just
four hospitals in Missouri to earn this achievement two years
in a row.
Missouri Baptist Medical Center has earned HealthGrades’ 2007
Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™. Patients
admitted to a hospital receiving this award are on average 28
percent less likely to face in-hospital mortality and five percent
less likely to suffer from a major in-hospital complication,
according to the study.
HealthGrades estimates that if all patients were treated at
“Distinguished Hospitals,” a total of 158,264 lives could have
been saved and 12,410 post-operative complications could have
been avoided from 2003 through 2005, the three years evaluated
in the study.
The medical center is also ranked among the top five hospitals
in Missouri for overall critical care services and among the
top five percent of hospitals in the nation for overall cardiac
services.
RCGA WEBSITE CAPTURES TOP INTERNATIONAL
AWARD IN WEBSITE COMPETITION
The RCGA’s website, www.gotostlouis.org,
has won the international 2006 WebAward for Outstanding Achievement
in Website Development in the non-profit category, presented
by the national Web Marketing Association, based in Boston.
Some 1,200 nominations for best website were submitted from
interactive agencies and website marketing departments in more
than 33 countries from around the world; RCGA website designer
Fleishman-Hillard entered the site into this international competition.
The Web Marketing Association judged the RCGA website on seven
criteria: design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity,
navigation, and ease of use. The judges represent various relevant
disciplines and are top experts in their fields, including the
media, advertising, site design, content providers, and webmasters.
The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set
a high standard for Internet marketing and development of the
best websites on the World Wide Web.
Congratulations to Fleishman-Hillard Senior Vice President and
Partner Mike Sabatino and his colleagues at F-H, as well as
RCGA Webmaster Yu-Yuan “Doc” Lei.
NEW 420,000 SQ. FT. DISTRIBUTION CENTER
UNDERWAY IN NORTH ST. LOUIS
Design and construction firm Clayco has started construction
on a $12 million, 420,000-square-foot speculative warehouse
in downtown St. Louis, making it one of the largest new distribution
facilities in the City in years.
Construction of the North Broadway Distribution Center, located
at 6500 Prescott Ave., requires the demolition of three buildings
over several weeks. Clayco and Forum Studio Inc. are design-building
the speculative warehouse using conventional tilt-up concrete
over structural steel. Balke Brown Associates is the owner/developer
of the project.
International Food Products Corp. already has pre-leased 120,000
square feet of the facility, which is scheduled for completion
in October 2007.
FOCUS ST. LOUIS CELEBRATES COMMUNITY
SUCCESS STORIES AT THE "WHAT'S RIGHT WITH THE REGION!"
AWARDS CELEBRATION
On Thursday, May 10, FOCUS St. Louis will honor 20 organizations,
individuals, and initiatives that have made a profound difference
in the St. Louis region. The tenth annual “What’s Right With
The Region!” awards program is a regional celebration to be
held at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Nominations were accepted
from throughout the region and honorees were then selected by
a volunteer committee.
Another highlight of the evening will be the presentation of
the prestigious board-designated FOCUS St. Louis Leadership
Award to Margaret Bush Wilson, a lifelong advocate for racial
equity and a champion of equal housing access.
FOCUS St. Louis, in partnership with KMOV-TV, KMOX-AM, and the
St. Louis Post-Dispatch will recognize the following
honorees:
Creating Quality Educational Opportunities
College Bound
MySci™ – hands on science for elementary students
Pfizer Inc. – St. Louis Laboratories
Webster University
Demonstrating Innovative Solutions
CHADS Coalition for Mental Health
Ranken Jordan
RideFinders
Spencer’s Fund
Fostering Regional Cooperation
Citizens for Missouri’s Children
Robert K. Massie, DDS
Old North St. Louis Restoration Group
St. Clair Special Emergency Services Association
Improving Racial Equality and Social Justice
James H. Buford
Clayco Doorways – an Interfaith AIDS Residence Program
Sherwood Forest Camp
Promoting Stronger Communities
Diane Berry
Life Skills
Missouri Foundation for Health
The Wellness Community
Co-chairs of this event are Daniel Getman of Pfizer and Steve
Mizell of Monsanto. Lead sponsors are Anheuser-Busch Companies,
Edward Jones, Pfizer Global Research and Development – St. Louis
Laboratories, and Monsanto Company. Underwriters are AT&T, National
City, and Paradigm New Media Group. Further details and online
reservations are available at www.focus-stl.org/wrwr.
FOCUS St. Louis is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating
a thriving, cooperative region by engaging citizens to participate
in active leadership roles and to influence positive community
change.
FAIR SAINT LOUIS AND LIVE ON THE LEVEE
BRING FREE MUSIC TO ST. LOUIS THIS SUMMER
Fair Saint Louis and LIVE on the Levee have announced the
entertainment line-up for the fair and summer concert series
in 2007.
Fair Saint Louis kicks off
on Tuesday, July 3, from 6 to 10 p.m. with live music
from Plain White Tees, Lifehouse and the Goo-Goo Dolls on the
Budweiser main stage. The evening closes with the US Bank/Enterprise
Rent-A-Car Fireworks display.
On Wednesday, July 4, the activities start at 10 a.m.
with the 130th Annual VP Parade, followed by fun and music in
the AmerenUE/Schnucks Family Fun Village. At 1 p.m., Radio Disney
act Everlife will perform on the main stage. At 8 p.m., Cyndi
Lauper will perform on the main stage followed by more fireworks.
The party continues on July 6-7 when LIVE
on the Levee hosts the first of five consecutive
weekends of free music under the Arch. Grounds will be open
from 6 to 10 p.m. each night for the AmerenUE/Schnucks Family
Fun Village, live music and fireworks.
Entertainment line-up for LIVE on the Levee:
July 6 Los Lonely Boys (world music)
July 7 Emmylou Harris (country)
July 13 G Love and Special Sauce (jam band)
July 14 Bruce Hornsby (adult contemporary)
July 20 Ani DiFranco (folk rock)
July 21 Pete Yorn (indie rock)
July 27 Steel Pulse (reggae)
July 28 Musiq Soulchild (urban/neo-soul)
August 3 Robert Randolph and the Family Band (urban jam
band)
August 4 TBD
To learn more about Fair Saint Louis and LIVE on the Levee,
please visit www.celebratestlouis.org.
GILDED AGE AND KOMAN PROPERTIES PLAN
NEW RETAIL, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR LAFAYETTE SQUARE
Two developers plan to infuse new life into the historic Lafayette
Square area in downtown St. Louis by building an $80 million
retail and residential complex. Real estate developer Gilded
Age and retail developer Koman Properties are working jointly
to create the first large-scale mixed-use retail development
near Lafayette Square in the last 100 years, according to a
statement from the firms.
The project, called Georgian Square, will be located on a 12-acre
site on Lafayette Avenue immediately south of the former City
Hospital, which was converted to the Georgian Condominiums by
Gilded Age. The development will feature four commercial office
buildings with residential units and a high-end lifestyle retail
complex that will house national retailers, restaurants and
a coffee purveyor. City Market, a new concept specialty grocery
store, will make its St. Louis debut as part of the development.
“The retail and shopping venues at Georgian Square will be geared
to the everyday needs and demands of the increasingly affluent
residents of the Lafayette Square and Soulard neighborhoods
who have discerning tastes,” according to Jim Koman, president
of Koman Properties.
Gilded Age was created by founding partners Trace Shaughnessy
and Chris Goodson specifically to restore and revitalize the
grandeur of the Lafayette Square area.
MIDAMERICA AIRPORT HOSTS FIRST INTERNATIONAL
AIR CARGO SHIPMENT
On April 2, a DC-10 flown by Centurion Airlines landed at MidAmerica
St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill., carrying 144,000 pounds
of corn seed for Monsanto Corporation. Originating in Panama,
the flight was the first to carry international air cargo to
MidAmerica since the airport’s rebirth as a major hub for international
air cargo. The shipment was the first of nine scheduled to arrive
that same week.
“This is a big step for us. Centurion Airlines selecting MidAmerica
clearly indicates the market demand we are aiming to capture
is there,” stated Mark Kern, board chairman of St. Clair County,
which owns and operates the airport. “MidAmerica’s recent designation
as Port 4581 by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency
in January completed our required authorizations to host the
international air cargo business.”
While the Panamanian air cargo operations were the first international
cargo flights at MidAmerica, St. Clair County has signed a memorandum
of agreement with Batam Industrial Development Authority in
Indonesia to create an “air bridge” between Southeast Asia and
the Midwestern United States. Evergreen Airlines and Cardig
International are in discussions to provide the airlift for
that bridge.
Located on 3,600 acres of land in Mascoutah, Ill., MidAmerica’s
air cargo terminal is designated as part of Foreign Trade Zone
31, which is operated by the Tri-City Regional Port District
in Granite City, Ill.
CABELA'S FIRST MISSOURI STORE TO ATTRACT
TWO MILLION CUSTOMERS TO ST. LOUIS MILLS STORE
Cabela's, a national outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor
gear, opened it newest retail store at the St. Louis Mills in
Hazelwood on April 12—marking the company's debut in Missouri.
Cabela's officials project that over two million people will
visit the Hazelwood store during its first full year of operations,
and half of them will drive over 100 miles to shop there, making
it one of the top tourist attractions in the State. The 130,000-square-foot
Cabela's Hazelwood, with some 300 employees, expects to post
at least $400 in sales per square foot, or $52 million in sales,
this year alone. Much more than a retail store, Cabela's features
fascinating educational and entertainment attractions.
RCGA President and CEO Dick Fleming emceed at the grand opening
ceremonies, which featured Cabela's President and CEO Dennis
Highby; Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr; Missouri State Representative
Clint Zweifel (D-Hazelwood); St. Louis Mills General Manager
David Reed; Cabela's Senior Vice President of Retail Operations
Mike Callahan; Cabela's Hazelwood Store Manager Matt Martini;
former football Cardinal tight end and NFL Hall of Fame member
Jackie Smith; and Kayne Robinson, former president, now executive
director of operations for the NRA.
McKENDREE COLLEGE TRANSITIONS TO McKENDREE
UNIVERSITY
As McKendree College celebrates the 179th anniversary of its
founding in 1828, President James M. Dennis has announced plans
for the college to change its name to McKendree University starting
with the 2007-08 academic year.
“Changing our name to McKendree University is not a revolutionary
change. It is an evolution, and in an important sense a return
to our heritage,” states Dennis. “With the growth of program
offerings, new facilities and enrollment, we have evolved into
a university, and now our name will reflect that.”
Based upon the Harvard University model, McKendree University
will be comprised of McKendree College, a school of business,
a school of health professions and a school of education. McKendree
expects to unveil its university logo in July.
