St. Louis Beacon - Uneasy Street: Maplewood

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Uneasy Street: Maplewood

Maplewood hopes an investment in schools will add to the city's increasing appeal

By Elia Powers, Beacon staff
Posted 10:11 am Fri., 7.24.09
Much like the city of Maplewood, the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District has turned itself around -- thanks in part to a hands-on superintendent and a determined board. While the district acknowledges there's still room for improvements, some say young people are now moving into the area because of a growing trust in the schools.

Intersections: Maplewood

By Sam Washburn, Special to the Beacon
Posted 5:35 am Wed., 7.22.09
"Intersections," from illustrator Sam Washburn, is a new monthly series in the Beacon. Each month, Sam will present an image of a neighborhood or an activity that is special to St. Louis. In his drawings, Sam hopes to distill a community's personality and character -- and make us smile in recognition. This month's "Intersection" is Maplewood, an inner suburb that blends a working-class heritage with a hip sensibility.

Focus on art feeds Maplewood's recent growth

By Elia Powers, Beacon staff

Posted 9:00 am Wed., 7.15.09

If you're looking for a neighborhood that's on the verge of a turnaround, find where the artists are setting up shop. Maplewood has proven that adage. The host of events such "Let Them Eat Art" and "Art Outside," Maplewood is also home to a growing number of art galleries and architectural firms.

Tune town: Maplewood's music scene marches to all kinds of beats

By Terry Perkins, Special to the Beacon

Posted 8:08 am Fri., 7.10.09

From folk music to dueling pianos to children's theater, downtown Maplewood -- especially the blocks around the intersection of Manchester Road and Sutton Boulevard -- provides an array of entertainment options. In fact, Maplewood compares quite favorably with any of the better-known entertainment districts, such as the Loop or the Central West End. (Photo from freefoto.com )

Maplewood works to keep a happy ending to its rags-to-riches story

By Elia Powers, Beacon staff
Posted 5:52 am Wed., 7.8.09
The inner suburb of Maplewood has had its share of ups and downs. For a while, though, it's been on a roll. Its revitalized downtown is the home to hip restaurants and boutiques while the Maplewood Commons, with its Wal-Mart, is a sales-tax engine. But can the town weather the economic downturn, without losing its momentum?

Editors' Picks

Nation
- Romney wins Nevada caucuses: The former Massachusetts governor tightened his claim to dominant front-runner status in what had been a turbulent Republican presidential race. | Washington Post
- Eight sailors discharged from the Navy after a hazing incident: They allegedly assaulted and choked a sailor as part of a rite to initiate the sailor into a new department. | AP
- Supreme Court throws out Texas redistricting map drawn by judges: Minority groups complained they were denied sufficient voting power by Republican lawmakers who sought to maximize GOP electoral gains. | AP
- After opposition grows, Senate delays vote on online piracy: Talks are expected to continue between the warring sides — Hollywood and content providers are on one side and Silicon Valley and the tech community on the other. | Politico
Region
- Sen. Kirk's condition upgraded to good as he continues recovery from stroke: The Illinois Republican watched the Super Bowl Sunday as he continues to visit with family and friends. | NilesPatch.com
- Opponents of Express Scripts-Medco merger, including big grocery chains, make their case to FTC: The agency is weighing whether it has enough evidence to stop the $29 billiion deal. | Reuters
- Kinloch's new city manager is parolee: Eric Mason left prison a year ago after serving time for writing bad checks. | STLtoday
- Joplin leaders endorse long-term recovery plan: It outlines projects that can be undertaken from housing to economic development affected by the catastrophic May 22 tornado. | Joplin Globe
World
- Prolonged stalemate between Fatah and Hamas ends: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will head a joint government that will prepare for new elections. | Washington Post
- Winner of 2010 Tour de France found guilty of doping, stripped of title: The Court of Arbitration for Sport also suspended Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador for two years. | LA Times
- U.S. closes embassy in Syria: As violence intensified, it pulled all diplomats and U.S. staff out of the country. | Washington Post
- Deadly cold snap cripples Europe: It has claimed nearly 300 lives, bringing air travel chaos to London and dumping snow as far south as Rome and even North Africa. | ABC
Econ.
- Home sales rise in December to their highest level since last January: Historically low mortgage rates and a pickup in employment may be giving Americans the confidence to purchase homes that have fallen in value. | Bloomberg
- New claims for jobless aid fall by 52,000, more than expected, to lowest level since April 2008: Another report showed the cost of living was little changed in December for a second month as stores cut prices to boost holiday sales. | Bloomberg
- Industrial output rises in December on strong manufacturing: Production increased 0.4 percent last month after falling 0.3 percent in November. | Reuters
- Wholesale prices drop unexpectedly in December: The producer price index fell 0.1 percent, the second decrease in the past three months. | Bloomberg
Edu.
- Nixon says Missouri universities should not make up lost state funding with big tuition hikes: He said they should try to keep increases at no more than annual cost of living. | AP/Springfield News-Leader
- Students in St. Joseph want to make jumping jacks the official state exercise of Missouri: They pressed a state representative to introduce the bill, saying it honors a Missouri war hero, John J. Pershing, reportedly, the inventor of the jumping jack. KBIA/KWMU
- Rockwood puts $43 million school bond issue on April ballot: Recent controversies in the district had derailed earlier plans to seek more financial support. | STLtoday
- Washington U. tuition rises 3.8 percent to $42,500 for next school year: Housing will also increase about 3.9 percent and meal plans by 2.7 percent. | Student Life

Topics

Survival jobs: A temporary strategy is becoming the new normal

"Survival jobs" are a thread to hold onto as the underemployed wait for the economy to recover. This story is part of a larger look at class in the region, our series Class: The Great Divide

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Voices

'Real' TV from Snooki to Mitt

M.W. Guzy fears his daughters' affection for trash TV might have been genetically inherited, as he finds himself drawn to the anybody-but-Mitt show, playing on a loop on cable "news' channels.
Letter from Honduras: Family in December

Miguel Dulick recounts a trans-Honduras tour that, again, reminded him of the power and joy of keeping siblings and parents connected.
A speech business leaders won't give

Ken Schechtman says that publicly traded business will not -- perhaps cannot -- put doing the right thing ahead of legally maximizing profits.

Beacon Roundtable

Roundtable for Feb. 2 - Missouri Primary, redistricting, a Komen controversy and fighting crime with moneyball

In this week's Beacon Roundtable, Dick Weiss, Jason Rosenbaum, Jo Mannies, Robert Joiner and Dale Singer sit down to talk about the Missouri primary and redistricting, the controversy around…
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Beacon Blog

We apologize for the inconvenience

Editor Margaret Wolf Freivogel says the problems that froze the Beacon's site in the past are being fixed: Thank you for your patience.
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On chess

Women's world champion cruises in Gibraltar

Ben Finegold checks out the women's play at the Tradewise Gilbraltar Chess Congress, particularly the chess played by 17-year-old Hou Yifan of China.

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