F A L L 2 0 0 9

BOARD

Barbara Absher. . . . . . . .PresidentJoan Briccetti. . . . . Vice PresidentAlysha Black. . . . . . . . . . SecretaryDavid Seifert. . . . . . . . . Treasurer

Bob Byrne Fran Fanara Karen Goering Bob Herleth Steven Kidwell John Maxwell Judy Miniace Joel Pesapane Rob Rebman Alderman Lewis Reed (ex officio)Chris Shearman Curtis Skouby (ex officio)George Thornburgh (emeritus)Alderman Kacie Starr Triplett (ex officio)David Visintainer Richard Wachel Rob Wagstaff

C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N

Water Tower and ParkPreservation SocietyP.O. Box 2156St. Louis, MO 63158314.552.9000

info@watertowerfoundation.org

www.watertowerfoundation.org

The concrete walls are curing, the precast “caps” are being fitted into place and the spray fountain is ready for testing. I am excited to tell you that the rebuilding of the Large Pond at Reservoir Park is almost complete, and it’s beautiful! Let me add that the rebuilt pond is not just a beautiful enhancement to an already spectacular St. Louis landmark, it’s a wonderful testament to public-private partnership. When we began searching for a way to rebuild the crumbling, weed-filled pond five years ago, the City of St. Louis made clear that it couldn’t afford the cost of a major renovation. Likewise, our Water Tower and Park Preservation Society (WTPPS) had nowhere near the resources to accomplish such a task. But, we began looking.

About two years ago $100,000 in grant money, which had been allocated to the Compton Hill Reservoir Square neighborhood from then-6th Ward Alderman Lewis Reed, was redirected by Ald. Triplett and the neighborhood to the pond project, and we were on our way! Since that time, we have channeled as much of our income as possible from WTPPS memberships, from tower tour admission fees, 4th of July raffles and other efforts into our “pond fund.” We’ve also welcomed significant contributions from generous friends and neighbors. Just this year, for example, we’ve received $500 from the Saum Apartments, $2,000 from Emerson Process Management’s Charitable Assistance Fund and $5,000 from the Grand South Grand House Tour Committee. Added to many gifts from prior years, the WTPPS provided $59,000 of the $159,000 of the project’s overall cost In addition to direct financial support there have been many in-kind donations received that have helped to move the pond project forward. Our board members have given generously of their own time and expertise, as well. The St. Louis City Water Division helped by demolishing the existing pond, removing the old fill, and providing the rings for the water lilies. And the Board of Public Service prepared the pond design and managed the entire construction project. The results of this great public-private partnership will be evident when you come to our two-day Grand Opening celebration Oct. 3 and 4. (See separate story on Page 2) When you see what’s been accomplished, you’ll be charmed, I’m sure. And I hope you’ll also be very proud. Thanks to your efforts, and those of many others, a place of beauty and refreshment that our predecessors first created on Compton Hill more than 110 years ago has been wonderfully restored! Of course we are a long way from being finished with our work in the park. Many other projects still have yet to come, so we look forward to your continued support.

Midwinter Tower Tour Expands Students’ Concept of St. Louis Growth

A specially arranged Water Tower tour in mid-January provided a group of college students from St. Charles County with a new and expanded concept of how the City of St. Louis came to develop the way it did. The tour, on Sunday, Jan. 14, was arranged at the request of Kristine Smith, a resident of the Shaw Neighborhood and an assistant professor of history at Lindenwood University in St. Charles. Smith, who first came to St. Louis to work at the Missouri History Museum, has been on the Lindenwood history faculty for six years. She said that she put together a brief course for the school’s “January term,” a three-week interim period between semesters. “January term” courses, she explained, are intended more as hands-on experiences rather than formal academic study. Her 10 students—all in their late teens and all residents of St. Charles County—knew very little of the City of St. Louis. “In fact, the only places any of them had visited were the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium,” Smith noted. To demonstrate key elements of the culture and heritage of the City of St. Louis, Smith took the collegians to Campbell House, the Scott Joplin House, Downtown Public Library, Soulard Market, Anheuser-Busch Brewery and Union Station. The Compton Hill Water Tower, she said, was deliberately scheduled as the final venue for the course. At noon on Sunday, Jan. 14, Smith and her 10 collegians were greeted at the Tower by Board Member John Maxwell. All 10 made the climb to the top, “with only a few grumbling about the steps,” she noted. The photos and engineering drawings on the interior walls impressed the young people and distracted them from the rigors of the staircase, she added. Although very cold, the weather was clear, and she was able to point out to them many physical features of the city. “It allowed them to get a direct grasp of Chouteau’s Pond and the Mill in relationship to downtown and the physical growth of the city. The view from the Tower provided a broad overview of the city, and in that respect I think the Tower is much better than the Arch for understanding St. Louis.” The group also paused briefly to view “Naked Truth,” but the wind and bitter cold really limited their attention span, she noted. She also impressed upon them the rarity of the Tower. “As a landmark, it’s remarkable nationally, and worth admiring simply because of that,” she said. Afterward, several students admitted that the experiences surprised them. They were uninterested and skeptical at first about the whole thing, but later remarked that “it really was pretty cool to actually be there.” The reaction of the students, and her own experience with them at the Tower, was very satisfying, Smith concluded. “I’m very pleased at the way it turned out, and am definitely planning to do it again with another class.”

Pond Dedication Events Oct. 3 & 4 A double-header of dedication events celebrating the restoration of the Large Pond in Reservoir Park will take place Saturday October 3rd and Sunday October 4th. A number of City of St. Louis officials, including Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and 6th Ward Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett, will join Water Tower and Park Preservation Society members and neighborhood residents at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Inaugural events will include turning on the 36-foot wide spray fountain in the center of the reconstructed pond. Refreshments will be available to attendees. At 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, a “Duck Race” will help mark this milestone in the park’s history. Rubber ducks will be sold to visitors, and then placed in the water. Prizes will be given to the winner and runner up. The Water Tower will be open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. And there will also be free shuttle bus service, provided by AmerenUE, to and from the Historic Shaw Art Fair, which is also taking place that same weekend.

Construction Details Construction of the Large Pond began July 20, just days after signing of a contract between the City of St. Louis and R.V. Wagner Const. Co., the lowest of four bidders. First the existing vegetation and debris was scraped away; by late July a new clay base had been spread and the fountain base, including electrical control lines, were in place. The concrete foundation was poured in early August, and the perimeter retaining wall was poured in early September. Precast “caps” were installed in the final days of September. In a move to reduce costs; contractor agreed to forego doing the sodding and reseeding of the areas adjoining the Pond, and WTPPS said its members would do the work of raking and seeding, saving close to $10,000. An unexpected enhancement was the addition of several round precast concrete “planting rings,” contributed by the City Water Div. Further, Water Commissioner Curtis Skouby contributed, from his own private garden collection, water lilies to bloom in the rings.

Foundation of the TowerKaren & Lawrence GoeringJohn Maxwell & Kit JenkinsRuth & Burchard Neel JrRichard Poeling & Robert Rebman

Mary Anne & Joe SedeyChris & Dana Shearman

Mark Stiffler

Compton Heights Neighborhood Betterment Association

Sponsors of Reservoir ParkJanice & Bill ForsythDorothy HeagneyJudith Miniace

Paul Richter & Christina Kinner-RichterDavid & Janice Seifert

Keith & Elizabeth Wolkoff

Susan AhlDavid & Elizabeth AndersonRobert & Linda BallardLisa & Terry BastAlan & Elaine BennettAlysha Black & Nick MooreKaren Bode BaxterBeverly BuchheitAaron & Jennifer ButlerLinda CampbellKen & Jan ChapmanCarter & Cathy DunkinEleven Eleven MississippiKathleen & Allan FischerFleur-De-Lys MansionDavid & Agnes GarinoLeigh GaskillLen Green & Ana CoelhoLawrence HarmsDiane Hurwitz

Barbara & Frank AbsherRobert & Sharon AndersohnCheryl AsaR. L. Blanke, Jr.Robert Bousman & Ernest RohayJoan Briccetti & Kathy GremingerLeo Brown Jesuit CommunityE. Wardell BucknerBob & Sue ButlerBob ByrnePamela CoffinSteven Crouch & Richard PriceDavid & Diane DayShelley DonahoFran & Norma Fanara

Benefactors of Reservoir Park

Patrons of Reservoir Park

Chris Finley & Daron SmithArthur A. Foiles

Hannele Haapala, David, Aaron & John Juedemann

Clarence & Janet HarmonBob & Joyce Herleth

Jacki HuberKaren & Harold Karabell

Jeanne T. KeirleJohn Mueller

Richard & Rosemarie NelsonAlan Newman & Wendy Saul

Patrick O’LearyJim & Janet Orling

Ken Ortmann

Richard & Mina OvertonLew & Elisabeth Perry

David & Nancy PoelingJon Ritter & Hannah Krigman

David RoyceJames E & Michele Sherman

Guy SlayPatricia Tailon-Miller & Raymond

MillerLaureen K. Taner

George & Maryjo ThornburghRichard Wachel & Stephen Lopez

Doris E. WolffElizabeth Zorumski

Jay JoernRick Kacenski & Gerry Rauch

Robert & Jane KeelDavid Kennebeck

Thomas LangeM.I.S. Corporation

Gayle & Jim MaloneJoy Martin

Chuck MillerDebbie Monterrey

Anne & Patrick MooreDavid & Jill Nissen

Phyllis & Gerald NolanTyler Olsen & Christopher Brenner

Patricia W. O’NealKevin Palubiak & Walter Edwards

Gary Reed & Sandra ChristieLewis ReedJoyce ReeseJay Reiter

Bill RintzSharon & Donald Roberts

Jim RonkJohn Russell & Darryl Redhage

Norah Ryan & Arthur GravesRichard Santos & Tracy Jo Pasieka

Shaw Place AssociationRobert & Jeanette St. Vrain

Janet & Don StanfordJim Timmerberg

Elaine & Alexandre TodorovBoard of Commissioners Of Tower

Grove ParkMary Lou Vehige & Jan Eudaley

Linda VereginDavid Visintainer

Rob WagstaffAaron Young

Suzanne & Ted Zorn

Fedora AmisJames & Mary ArthurMary & William BalmerDhurval & Surabhi BarbhayaKarl BeckmannElise BenderDonald BergmannRuth & Bruce BrooksRobert BruceDavid & Lisa BuchholdCharles & Marlene Buescher, Jr. Diann BurkeMarjorie CobbSue CobbEdward K CookMary Diane CummingsPamela DanklefMichael DaviesLouise DrescherDr. Harry T. & Virginia DuffyJ. Thomas DunnFailoni Consultants Real EstatePatricia FeldmannPat GalanosRoger GardnerCharles & Margaret GarvinBetty Ann GilbertLee Anna GoodGeorgiana & Christopher GrantSusie Gudermuth & Tim HaysValerie & Andy HahnEsley HamiltonDorothea Hebebrand

Friends of Reservoir ParkNick HeisnerDerek HerbertJim & Mari HeslopBill HibdonCharles & Jo Ann HoehnWarren & Sharon HoffmannNellie HohnsenDavid HutchinsonTerence & Dawn KellyGeorge KerwinMark KessingerMary Jane KirtzBarbara LarsonDaniel L. LayneMelinda LigonRay Marklin PhotographyJohn & Geraldine MayMatthew & Brigid McCauleyBJ McCullenArthur L McWilliamsBazel & Sandra MeekMarlowe J MeyersJim MilesHoward & Penny MillerJoe Anne MillerKaren MillerJeff & Julie MuddBuck NeeleyJames NicholsonWayne & Kathleen NolandGen Obata & Rebecca StithSteve & Bobbie OhmerBetty Jane Okenfuss

Joel & Teri PesapaneKatrina PfeifferNicholas & Kathryn PisoniRobert PozziRachel Presley & Mickey SmithCraig & Betsy RebholzThomas W. RichFredric RissoverRoyal & David RobbinsMary & Roy RuckdeschelCatherine SchumannWilliam & Constance SchwarzeMargaret SheppardSheri ShermanAnita SiegmundKris & Jeff SmithIlissa StaadkerKevin SteincrossGail A StephensGregory StevensonLisa StillmanElizabeth StudtRobert StuppNancy SuelflowCarol & Mark SwansonTyrone ThompsonMary TimmerbergPam VaccaroMolly Walsh & Kevin FarrellMichael WestRobert WheelerAlexander Young

Corporate Sponsors

Tip Top Fireworks Party

The WTPPS raised $730 from the raffle to watch the fireworks from the top of the Tower. Not only were the guests able to see the Fair St. Louis fireworks, but they were treated to a 360 degree of fireworks from around the region, including the Hill. Jack Stelzer won the raffle, but could not attend so he had eight friends enjoy the view on July 3rd.

John Maxwell, who hosts Water Tower openings and has been to the top numerous times, said it was the most incredible fireworks he has ever seen. “All around you could see the Fair St. Louis fireworks but even locals shooting off fireworks.” Make sure you get your name in the raffle for next year.

Keeping It Clean and Thriving

It takes serious care and attention to keep the Reservoir Park garden areas neat, attractive and blooming. Accordingly, on Sunday, May 31, four members of WTPPS got down and dirty in the Grand / Shaw garden bed to clear out the dead growth and prepare for new. Pictured from left are: Dave Seifert, John Maxwell, Tina Kinney and, at rear, Joel Pesapane. Another team of members showed up Aug. 16 to work on the Russell Blvd. beds adjoining the drive-in entryway. Many thanks, folks, for keeping things looking great! If you want to help, please email us at info@watertowerfoundation.org or call us at 314-552-9000.

PLANET Beautifies the Park

Local members of PLANET, The Professional Landcare Network, planted a number of plants on the East side of the park at the intersection of

Geyer and Compton Hill on Wednesday April 22nd. The national organization sponsors the day of service all across the country. Teri Pesapane, President of Growing Green, which sponsored the event said, “We are always delighted to have the opportunity to plant flowers. Aren’t we lucky! It is an added bonus to participate nationally and have local impact.”

The purpose of the event is to give members of the lawn and landscape industry an opportunity to plan, organize, and carry-out “green” projects that benefit their own communities. They feel that healthy and beautiful green spaces are a vital part of our parks, schools, and public spaces. The PLANET Day of Service united lawn and landscape companies across the country and highlighted the key role they play as stewards of the nation’s green spaces. Our hats off to the local volunteers from Growing Green: Lynn Ott, Teri Pesapane, Susan Esker, Joel Pesapane, and Joe Liebmann.

Join Today – Be Part of The Restoration Effort

Membership categories range from $25 and up.

The Compton Hill Water Tower is one of only seven 19th Century water towers in the entire United States (three of them are in St. Louis). It became a National Historic Site in 1972. Go to www.watertowerfoundation.org to become a member.

Tower Openings

Tower Openings will continue to be the first Saturday of each Month April through November. Touring hours each Saturday are 12 Noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children age 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under. Members of the Water Tower and Park Preservation Society are free. So invite a friend, neighbor or family member and show them the best view of St. Louis. Then you can walk them around the new pond!

2009

October 3rd & 4th (10 am to 5 pm) Shaw Art Fair WeekendNovember 7

2010

Mission

The central purpose and role of the Water Tower & Park Preservation Society is defi ned as:

TO RESTORE, PRESERVE AND PROMOTE THE COMPTON HILL WATER TOWER

AND ITS IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS AND TO FACILITATE COLLABORATIVE

RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.

The Water Tower & Park Preservation Society Inc.Post Offi ce Box 2156St. Louis, MO 63158

April 3rd May 1stJune 5th July 3rd

August 7th September 4thOctober 2nd

November 6th

Mission

The central purpose and role of the Water Tower & Park Preservation Society is defi ned as:

TO RESTORE, PRESERVE AND PROMOTE THE COMPTON HILL WATER TOWER

AND ITS IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS AND TO FACILITATE COLLABORATIVE

RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.

The Water Tower & Park Preservation Society Inc.Post Offi ce Box 2156St. Louis, MO 63158