Hometown Matters

By Pauline Masson – This week the community lost a former city officials who for 87 years was the voice and the face of a community that in his view was steeped in small town roots where knowing your neighbor meant more than what other communities thought of our town. No pubic figure in my years of reporting on Pacific activities was more public than Walter Arnette – always with his wife Doris at his side. The couple attended every parade, … Continue reading “Walter Arnette – The Most Visible City Official / A Face In the Crowd at Every Pubic Event”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————- By Pauline Masson – Charleen Presley is president of a family operated glass business, a certified woman business owner, treasurer of the organization ‘Business Women of Missouri,’ a supporter of local causes and kidney donor. But she is not your typical woman executive giving interviews about breaking through the glass ceiling. Her inspiration was a successful business woman of another generation – her mother. “I am just following in her footsteps,” she said. When Charleen was growing up, the … Continue reading “What Glass Ceiling? – Glass Company CEO Says She Is Following in Her Mother’s Footsteps”

——————————————————————————————————————————————————- By Pauline Masson A crew of 14 volunteers showed up to work the Mothers Day “All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast”at the Robertsville Masonic Lodge), 1228 Adler Lane – named for George J. Adler the first worshipful master of the Lodge. By 10:00 a.m. 111 adults and four kids were gathered at tables that filled the Lodge dining area, as volunteers manned their stations in the busy kitchen. Ken Brasier grilled a continuous line of plate-filling pancakes. Brasier, a … Continue reading “Mothers Day at Robertsville Masonic Lodge”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————- May is National Pet Month – by Pauline Masson The late Mike Pigg could occasionally raise eyebrows with his outspoken advocacy for a favorite cause, but one thing about him won the hearts and minds of admirers and detractors alike. He loved pets – everybody’s pets. Mike was an advocate and animal lover who shared the pet store he and wife Jill operated for 17 years, with their daughters Samantha, Mary Beth and Jaymee, who was one month old … Continue reading “Remembering Mike Pigg / The Man Who Loved Pets (All Pets)”

By Pauline Masson Residents who attended the May 3 board of aldermen meeting were introduced to a new community service organization, the Pacific Police Officers Support Fund (PPOSF). Darin Skaggs and Beth Bowers, president and vice president of the organization, spoke to city officials about the formation of the fund. It is styled after the Eureka Police Officers Support Fund, which supports Eureka officers and their families in times of crisis or disaster. Skaggs noted that the organization also gives … Continue reading “New Community Service Group / Pacific Police Support Fund Introduced at City Board Meeting”

By Pauline Masson – The first week in May is the busiest week of the year for florists and potted flower vendors. And there is good reason: Flowers are the most popular Mothers Day gift and relatives from the proverbially ages two to 92 will be picking up flowers for Mom. In Pacific flower sellers and growers are ready. Flowers are on display at Tom Wolf Hardware, B&H Market, Orscheln Farm and Home, Engelhart Farms and St. John’s Florist, formerly … Continue reading “May 8 is Mothers Day / Think Flowers”

The new wooden institutional style sign with large gold lettering signifies that the 15-year-old Tri County Community Senior Center at 800 West Union Street has come of age. Charlie “Spitball” Darling designed and installed the wooden structure in the landscaped area facing West Union Street, after Terry Rule, senior center director recruited a group of senior center supporters to help upgrade the image of the center. Rule said the senior center is an institution in the community and it should … Continue reading “Sign of the Times / Tri-County Community Senior Center Comes of Age”

By Pauline Masson – Last week when we celebrated Earth Day on April 22, on the anniversary of the modern environmental movement that started in 1970, it occurred to me that by the time Earth Day started a handful of super growers in our area had already been cleaning the air by absorbing ozone for 50 years. Most of the huge farms that we take for granted as providers of food, flowers and places for family visits, came to this … Continue reading “Pacific Area Super Growers Predated Earth Day Movement by Fifty Years”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————- A two-year construction project, funded by Proposition 1, a no tax increase bond issue that voters approved in April 2021, is rebuilding the Meramec Valley R-III School District’s oldest and largest elementary school. Zitzman Elementary School, 255 Indian Pride Drive, opened in 1965 to house grades one through six and one Special Education class.  Over the years, the grades in the school would change as the district accommodated a growing population, but the school would forever be identified with … Continue reading “Zitzman Elementary School is Being Rebuilt / Paean to a Favorite Principal and Teacher”

——————————————————————————————————————————————————— By Pauline Masson – Following one of the most hotly contested elections in recent memory, the new government took office Tuesday, and faced a couple of challenging issues right off the bat. Heather Filley was sworn in as mayor of Pacific during the April 19 board of aldermen meeting. Also sworn in were new aldermen Rick Presley, ward one; James Cleeve, ward two and Scott Lesh, ward three. The newly elected officials joined Gregg Rahn, ward one; Jerry Eversmeyer, … Continue reading “New Administration Takes the Helm / Big Issues Right Off the Bat”