Historical February–March 2008 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
A Centennial Planning Committee has been meeting and recruiting additional talent to create and implement some exciting activities which have been scheduled for 2008. Katie Kurtz, Historic District Review Committee Chairperson, and Andy Cross, Beautification Committee Chairman, are the designated cochairs of the Centennial Planning Committee, with help from many others in the community. Andy Cross will be officially announcing the brand-new Centennial logo in the “Friends of Skinker-DeBaliviere” fundraising campaign, now underway. Andy’s original artwork features our Forest Park “neighbor”, the statue of St. Louis. Contributors of $100 receive a free box of notecards featuring the new logo; the notecards will also be available for sale, as will other Centennial mementos, still to be selected. Venita Lake and Arline Webb are co-chairs for the house tour, which will be held on May 11, Mother’s Day, as were the past house tours, Arline is investigating sources for items like window stickers, magnets, t-shirts, and more. Rachel Boxdorfer, Dan Hudspeth, Jon Parker, and Darcell Braylock are also working on plans for the big day. Cindy Ormsby and Karleen Hoerr are the link for the Kingsbury Party, to be held on October 4. Marj Weir and Jo Ann Vatcha are working with the Missouri Historical Society on the publication of neighborhood history, including an oral history DVD.
In addition, Lana Stein is scheduling interviews of longtime residents and prominent neighbors, and King Schoenfeld will help gather old photos and home movies of the neighborhood throughout its history, for inclusion in the reprinted history, the DVD, and THE TIMES throughout the centennial year (and beyond). For The Big Celebration on October 11, all hands will be needed to make this a very special event.
The committee hopes to include many former residents in this “homecoming”, and Rachelle L’Ecuyer is helping plan special recognition for current residents who also grew up in the neighborhood. New neighbors are also very important to the celebration! Recently recruited volunteers include Jon Dahl and Mary Powell, with many more to come!
In addition, Washington University and our great churches St. Rochs, Grace Methodist, and New Cote Brilliante will be participating. Loretta Lloyd has volunteered to create an email list, and Tom Urbom will be putting our new logo and calendar of events on the SDCC website. THE TIMES OF SKINKER-DEBALIVIERE will be contributing articles throughout the year covering neighborhood history and to commemorate the events that are being planned for this banner year.
If you would like to be involved with the centennial celebrations, contact Katie Kurtz at 727-6377 knkurtz@swbell.net, or Andy Cross at 721-6060, mccross@swbell. net.
To help with the House Tour, contact Venita Lake at vlake@ mindspring.com.
If you have photos or old home movies, contact King Schoenfeld at basileus@swbell.net.
To be added to the email distribution list, send your email address to: llloyd53@sbcglobal.net.
If you are interested in participating in a small group “oral history” meeting, contact Jo Ann Vatcha at jvatcha@gmail.com or Marj Weir at weir.marj@charter.net. For individual interview ideas, Lana Stein may be contacted at lstein@umsl.edu.
In our next issue, a full list of events and volunteers will be included. For updates, you may also visit the Skinker-DeBaliviere website, www.stlouis.missouri.org/ skinkerdebaliviere/centennial. 2008 SKINKER-DEBALIVIERE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD CENTENNIAL CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY 11, 2008 …………………………. HOUSE TOUR JUNE 7, 2008………………………….10TH ANNUAL BREAKFAST GARDEN TOUR OCTOBER 4, 2008 ………………….KINGSBURY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION PARTY OCTOBER 11, 2008………………….CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AT FOUR CORNERS CHECK THE CENTENNIAL LOGO ON THE SKINKER-DEBALIVIERE WEBSITE. FOR UP TO DATE PLANNING INFORMATION AND TO VOLUNTEER GO TO: www.stlouis.missouri.org/skinkerdebaliviere/centennial
Original photograph caption
This vintage poster highlights the real estate activity preceding the homebuilding that really got started in 1908. For more information on the upcoming Centennial of Skinker-De Baliviere, go to page 5. Original historical poster reproduced in issue; original creator not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2008.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2008_02.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 5; PDF page(s) 1, 5.
