Hometown Matters

  By Pauline Masson –  I think we should declare Benton Kelley Day in Pacific. After seven years the flood damaged Historic First Baptist Church on South First Street is elevated above the flood plain and completely restored. Pardon my language but Mr. Kelley is going to be mad as  He^^ about this. He would not want  to see any inclination that he thought he did this large community project by himself. He did not do it by himself. But … Continue reading “Benton Kelley: Every Man Should Have His Day”

By Pauline Masson –  Ninety-nine years ago German scientists and engineering experts came to Pacific to test the silica sand deposits here. It is unclear how they first heard of this place. A year earlier, in 1925 the Hardstone Brick and Tile Company of Missouri, headquartered in St. Louis, bought land on East Osage that included a large outcropping of silica sand, with plans to build a brick factory here. But it appears they did not yet know what they … Continue reading “1926 Discovery that Pacific Silica Sand was 98 Percent Pure Was a High Point in History”

By Pauline Masson –  Among milestones in Pacific’s emergence as a progressive city was the city’s role in an early 1900s  program to prepare young Colored men and women to teach elementary school to Colored children. We use the word Colored to represent Blacks in this article because of the vast body of news coverage on the teacher training program that – at that time – was the common description of African American people. When the Emancipation Proclamation freed more … Continue reading “The Progressive 1900 National Program That Placed Pacific at the Front of Educating Black Teachers”

By Pauline Masson –  Josephine “Josie” Oberfeld was working in the food industry in her family’s eatery at South First and Orleans streets at age fourteen. She actually started food preparation there when she was ten but couldn’t be hired as an employee because of child labor laws. Eugene and Joann Hoffman opened Hoffmans walk-up/carryout restaurant in 1965.  They had five children: Josie, Amelia, Clay, Steve and Tony, who spent much of their childhood in the take-out restaurant.  Joann, the … Continue reading “Child Cook who Morphed Into a Computer Geek Returns to Her Roots to Manage the Senior Center”

By Pauline Masson – Aldermen voted 3 to 2 on May 20 to set the range of starting pay for a new city administrator at $120,000 to $150,000. The city had previously advertised the salary range from $90,000 to $120,000. Aldermen James Cleeve, Tyler Hoven and Karla Stewart voted for the higher pay. Debbie Kelley and Scott Lesh voted no. Rafael Madrigal was absent. The city has been without a city administrator since May 2 when interim administrator Harold Selby … Continue reading “BOA Vote to Increase New City Administrator Pay Squeaks By with 3-2 Vote – Up to $150,000 “

By Pauline Masson –  Sometimes things are as famous as the people who treasure them. St. Patrick’s Old Rock Church in Catawissa is known regionally for its annual August homecoming picnic, and, at the Catholic Archdiocese in St Louis, for its legendary blending of Catholic and Protestant followers. But to a group of musicians across a wide swath of the country, a national treasure is housed in this remote former church – now a community landmark – its 1890 J … Continue reading “Rare Hand Pumped J G Pfeffer Organ at St. Patrick’s Old Rock Church / A National Treasure”

By Pauline Masson –  In July 2023, following the resignation of former city administrator Steve Roth, I published a post that said that Mayor Heather Filley wanted to involve the business community in the search for a new city administrator. I asked the question, does that stack the odds against citizens? I ask the same question again now. At that time, in an email to aldermen, Mayor Filley said she wanted to add representatives of the Chamber of Commerce to … Continue reading “City Makes Chamber of Commerce a Partner in City Administrator Search / No Lay People Included”

______________________________________________________________________________ Bt Pauline Masson –  Newly elected alderman Tyler Hoven was not present at the May 6 board of aldermen meeting (BOA) meeting as incumbents who were re-elected, Debbie Kelley and Rafael Madrigal – and newly elected police chief James Klingler – were sworn in. City attorney Bob Jones said Mr. Hoven could come in to city hall, take the oath of office any time and sign the printed oath establishing himself as an aldermen. Aldermen Assignments  Scott Lesh, incumbent … Continue reading “Here’s What Was Discussed at the May 6, BOA Meeting / And What Wasn’t”

By Pauline Masson –  As it meanders along the eastern boundary of Pacific the Meramec River is no more than 150 feet wide when not flooded. It might as well be the Amazon sweeping through a dense jungle for how hard it is to get to the river bank at Pacific on foot. But the Park Board says it may be time to rethink that. Speaking at its April 14 meeting, Pacific Park Board members aired renewed interest in developing … Continue reading “Park Board Discusses River Access from Liberty Field / A Steve Myers Dream Revisited”

By Pauline Masson –  Some local families say Hometown Matters did not tell the whole story when we reported last week about the storm debris pushed into clumps and left along the Orr Street fence line and throughout the City Cemetery. One callers said they were shocked and deeply alarmed at two deposits of raw earth atop two graves that they say have been there for at least two months. They said the storm debris could be described as an … Continue reading “Families Say City Cemetery Has More Eyesores Than Downed Storm Debris”