Author: paulinemasson

By Pauline Masson – After serving eleven months as Pacific police chief, Scott Melies is asking voters to re-elect him for a full four-year term. He faces the same two challengers who were on the ballot in April 2021, former police officer Andrew “Drew” Whitman and Pacific reserve officer Greg Hurst. What appeared to be a straightforward race with three candidates for police chief took an unexpected turn last week when the City of Pacific published a promotion in the … Continue reading “City Weighs In On Tuesday’s Election: Promotes Two Favorite Candidates”

By Pauline Masson – On the Saturday before the 2022 municipal election one sure winner says no matter who voters select to run the city next week Pacific can have both well-planned subdivisions and more retail stores. Good planning and good government is not all flowers and strawberries as one candidate recently said. Good planning, our newest alderman says, is a good marriage of citizen dreams and government practicality. Subdivisions that fit the neighborhood where they are built not fill … Continue reading “New Voice for Growth Says Pacific Can Have It All: Well-Planned Subdivisions and More Retail Stores”

—————————————————————————————————– —-By Pauline Masson – In its quest to add more rooftops that can help attract retail development, the City of Pacific scouted building sites for McBride Homes. They found twelve properties in the city, totaling 275 acres, that are available for residential development. The sites were illustrated with location maps and names of owners in a formal presentation to the builder. In an August 22, 2021 email from Alderman Andrew Nemeth to acting mayor Herb Adams, the aldermen, and … Continue reading “In Quest for Growth, City Scouts Building Sites for McBride Homes: Outlines in Formal Presentation”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————— By Pauline Masson – A sign urging voters to re-elect police chief Scott Melies posted in the yard of city economic development director Steve Myers is troubling to some citizens. They say the sign violates the city personnel code which prohibits employees from assisting any candidate for municipal election. Here’s what the personnel manual says: No city employee shall …. take part in any political campaign, including . . . distributing badges or literature of any kind favoring or … Continue reading “Campaign Sign in Ec Dev Director’s Yard Raises a Flap: Citizens Say It Defies Pacific Law”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Pauline Masson – When candidates from four contested races spoke at the Pacific Chamber of Commerce “Meet and Greet,” luncheon March 24, the most meaningful pitch came from a candidate who is unopposed in the race. Rick Presley will be the only name on the April 5 municipal election ballot for ward one so he is assured to be seated following voting. But what he says about serving as an alderman matches my understanding of how the election … Continue reading “Best Pitch to Voters Comes from Unopposed Contender: “Know Your Candidates””

By Pauline Masson – This Saturday, March 26, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. – or until the barbecue runs out – the Pacific Eagles will offer barbecue meals to pay for lunches for students in the MVR-III school district who, for whatever reason, cannot afford to pay. Until the Pacific Eagles Aerie 3842 go involved school lunch debt was a something of a crisis unknown to many residents. Some kids in our community were opting to go without lunch … Continue reading “Pacific At Its Finest – Eagles Barbecue Eliminates School Lunch Debt”

By Pauline Masson – Three names will be on the ballot April 5, asking for a seat on the Meramec Valley R-III School board: Thomas Kent, Tim Richardson and Louis Vondera. Only two seats are available, those of the completed terms of Richardson and Vondera. The race pits a successful restaurant owner, a first time candidate, against two incumbents – one of whom is the longest serving member of the school board in recent decades. Thomas Kent, who operates two … Continue reading “Three Candidates Vie for Two Seats on Meramec Valley R-III School Board”

By Pauline Masson – “Every mother in America wants her son to grow up to be president of the United States. But she don’t want him to go into politics,” in the process. So said the late president John F. Kennedy. This was the well-mannered Kennedy’s way of saying, politics is getting a bum rap. Politics, in the real world, is the key to our system of government. Every city, county and state in the U.S. is a political subdivision. … Continue reading “Politics Gets a Bum Rap: It’s the Key to Our Most Cherished Right – the Right to Vote”

By Pauline Masson – In a nutshell, city government should be guided by what the citizens want, says one candidate who is certain to be seated on the board of aldermen after the April 5 election. Rick Presley, the unopposed candidate for the Ward One seat is a 56-year-old businessman who says aldermen should be guided by what the citizens want and, just as important, should tell the citizens what they plan to do before they do it, and why. … Continue reading “New Ward 1 Alderman Says Listening to and Talking to Citizens is the Cornerstone of Good Government”

By Pauline Masson – If you have noticed the ultra modern structure tucked into a nook on Hwy OO just north of Interstate 44, you’re seeing a business that is new to Pacific in more ways than you might imagine. Named The Landing Hub, the bold gray and black structure is a vacation rental that’s bringing new streams of visitors to Pacific from all across the country. Although a few guests have been from the local area, most are from … Continue reading “Airbnb Brings New Streams of Visitors to Pacific”