"THEY ALL LAUGHED WHEN I SAID I WOULD MOVE TO SAINT LOUIS"

I moved to St. Louise in 2007 to be near my son and grandchildren. At the time, friends and family questioned my decision. There was a sense the Midwest would hold little interest for me. Since I came, I have been impressed by the revitalization of this City and its many advantages,some of them reported in the news recently.

Empty nesters, young energetic people, businesses, national corporations along with high-tech firms are resettling the once forgotten and abandoned downtown areas. Gardens are sprouting in neighborhoods and parks between office buildings. The St. Louis Orchestra is among the nation's finest and one of a few operating in the black. Jazz still reigns supreme in small bars and in larger venues. The St. Louis Art Museum has an impressive collection and is building a new addition. It and the St. Louis Zoo and Science Museum still do not charge an admission fee. The City's large German, Italian, and Bosnian populations are found in ethnic neighborhoods where new and old restaurants are having a colorful resurgence.

Least I sound like a Commercial for the Chamber of Commerce, our community issues are no less nor more than communities elsewhere. We have less than worthy laws being supported by State and County elected officials. We still support candidates who advocate carrying concealed weapons in public places. We carry guns proudly, defiantly, openly even after the most heinous of crimes. Environmentally, existing standards and regulations for water, air pollution and land use are less than well enforced. Lead Poisoning is still a problem as is educational opportunity for all ages. We share budgetary issues with the rest of the country and are as illogical and emotional about our sports, politics, and health care as are others.

Saint Louis is home to national and international celebrities who are loved and loathed. We get our news through technology, gossip and one of the country's oldest newspapers. Our scandals and corruption give evidence to our similarity with other cities. Yet, we are blessed with institutions of higher learning and men and women working to improve and renew our future.

The history of this City, once larger than Chicago, Illinois, reminds me that people once stopped here on their way to seeking fortunes in the West. Others came and stayed to develop this place on the Mississippi. Now, many are coming once again for new opportunity and for the promise of this City's reawakening.

Like the song says, "Who is laughing now?"