Category: Local News

Pacific’s Royal Theater got its start in the infancy of the moving picture industry. In 1913 St. Louis Street was a din of activity. Shoppers visiting 50 or more stores, where they could find every daily need, were treated to a cacophony of train whistles and the horns of automobiles that more and more residents were buying.  Adding to the hubbub Lorenz Leber and Henry Hirth bought a hand-cranked movie projector and a few dozen folding chairs and began showing … Continue reading “Pacific’s Royal Theater / Reminder of 1920s Art Deco Movie Palaces / Star of Downtown Pacific History”

Pacific got more than donations to help restore a historic church at the First Baptist Church (FBC) of Gray Summit Gospel Sing last Sunday. Six area churches, of black and white congregations, gathered in song to help a group of Pacific citizens restore Historic First Baptist Church of Pacific that was severely damaged by flood water in 2016. The August 15 music festival was the second Gospel Sing that FBC hosted to benefit the Pacific church restoration project. Music has … Continue reading “Pacific Hailed for Community Spirit in Music Festival to Benefit Historic First Baptist Church Restoration”

If you’re one of the Pacific residents who got yourself in the movies in 2006 when Hollywood came here to film a little family flick called Saving Shiloh, you might want to come to the Tri-County Senior Center on Friday evening to see yourself on the big screen – back when you were younger and looking for your big break. Saving Shiloh is the second movie in the Senior Center’s monthly Movie Night, recently launched as fundraising activity for the … Continue reading “Saving Shiloh: Movie Filmed in Pacific to be Shown at the Senior Center Friday Evening August 20”

Aldermen are set to approve the hiring of former mayor Steve Myers as city economic development director at a salary of $70,000 at Tuesday evening’s board meeting. Pacific City Attorney Bob Jones declined a request to provide a written explanation to this blog of why Myers accepting immediate employment with the city is not in violation of state statute 105.454. The decline to explain to Pacific citizens came in an Aug. 11, telephone conversation between the attorney and me (Pauline … Continue reading “Aldermen to Approve Myers New Job Tuesday / City Attorney Won’t Say in Writing Why He Thinks It’s Legal”

The company that picks up waste and recyclables in Pacific says it is experiencing trouble in keeping drivers and obtaining parts to keep all its trucks in safe operating condition. The company says COVID is the cause of both delays. In a letter to Pacific officials, Tony Lamantia, municipal representative with the city’s waste hauler, Waste Connections, said the firm is tackling a range of challenges to keep up with pick-ups. The biggest issue the firm faces is having enough … Continue reading “Company Says Shortage of Drivers and Truck Parts Are the Reason for Delays in Picking Up Trash / Asks for Patience”

Catawissa resident Bob Carter chuckles at the idea that he might be preserving his 1940 Chevrolet business coupe as a prototype of hotrods, and drag racing.  The coupes were mass produced in 1932 and would give birth to hotrodding and become an icon of American pop culture. Classic Auto Trader magazine notes that the 1940 Chevrolet body has been a favorite choice of Hot Rodders since the 1950s. After World War II, small military airports throughout the country were rarely … Continue reading “Owner of 59 Years Tackles Restoration of Classic 1940 Chevrolet Business Coupe – Icon of American Pop Culture – Hotrods and Drag Racers”

Joy Bryant, veteran St. Louis area gospel music performer brings a big voice to a music festival in Gray Summit this coming Sunday The music celebration, set for 3:00 p.m. Aug. 15 at First Baptist Church at Gray Summit, 2705 Highway 100, is titled a Gospel Sing.  There is no charge to attend but donations will be accepted. The event is to benefit the Historic First Baptist Church in Pacific restoration project. This is the second Gospel Sing that First … Continue reading “Joy Bryant to Sing in Gospel Music Celebration in Gray Summit This Sunday”

On July 30, we posted a report that the contractor who excavated Pacific’s hillside without a permit was ordered to go to prison for acts committed far from Pacific. We said at the end of our article that we could not confirm that he actually showed up at the prison. It turns out that was a wise disclaimer. The wily contractor avoided serving any time behind bars after all. And he did it legally. In 2017, Chad Neal, operating Orchid … Continue reading “Hillside Developer Avoids Prison After All”

State Statute 105.454 Says an elected official shall not take a paying job with a city where he was an officer for one year after leaving office. Pacific residents question how former mayor Steve Myers can take a paying job with the City of Pacific overseeing certain departments immediately after leaving office when state law says he has to wait a year.  The City of Pacific announced Myers retirement as mayor and his accepting the position of Director of Economic … Continue reading “Residents Question Mayor Steve Myers Accepting Paying Job with City Immediately on Leaving Office / City Attorney Has No Concerns”