Library-Tax Supporters Contribute $265,000

Voters in Maryland Heights and other St. Louis County Library system cities will decide Nov. 6 whether to approve the Proposition L tax increase for construction and branch maintenance.

More than $265,000 in contributions have been made to support a committee backing the proposed St. Louis County Library tax increase appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot. Voters in Clayton will decide whether to approve or reject the measure along with other people living in the library system. More than 80 percent of contributions made to the Proposition L committee—called Citizens for Our Library and Our Community—happened between June 30 and Sept. 30. Giving and spending for that period is documented in an Oct. 1 filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The committee received $215,000 in the last three months, bringing total contributions to just over $265,000. Nearly 70 percent of expenditures made by the committee also happened in the …

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St. Louis Named 8th Most Literate U.S. City

A study from Central Connecticut State University places St. Louis in the top 10 most literate cities in the U.S.

A new study indicates book worms and bibliophiles populate St. Louis. Central Connecticut State University released a study today naming the top 10 most literatue U.S. cities. The study, according to the university's website, focused on newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment and internet resources. Here's CCSU's top ten most literate cities: We're wondering how often you read. Do you always have a book open, or is it a rare occasion to paruse the library shelves?

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Lindsay Toler

9:27 am on Friday, January 27, 2012

I usually like fiction, but I'm reading "The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade." Some amazing, never-before-told stories!   more ›

Aggregation Station

Local Scholar Awarded, City Holds Blood Drive and More

Check out this week's roundup of news and factoids from around Maryland Heights.

Welcome to "Aggregation Station"—where each Tuesday we round up the latest goings-on in Maryland Heights from media and other sources. This week, we've got a blood drive, a local resident awarded and more. What are you hearing and reading about? Please share links and news tips about Maryland Heights in our comments section.

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Viewfinder

Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors Prepare for the Last Harry Potter Movie

The Thornhill Branch of the St. Louis County Library hosted a Hogwarts-themed evening in celebration of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II."

Kids gathered for an after hours Hogwarts-themed party at the Thornhill Branch of the St. Louis County Library in celebration of the last Harry Potter movie. Refreshments, costume contests, trivia and fun ruled the night as they escaped from the Muggle world.

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Teach on Speech

Challenging Books: Maryland Heights Parents Can Register Concerns

Throughout July, Maryland Heights Patch will publish articles that relate to the freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment.

You can find Yankee Girl, by Mary Ann Rodman, in a Pattonville School District library. The novel deals with race issues and, in July 2009, the district received a complaint about the book’s inclusion. Banning books Book challenges are not uncommon in the United States. The American Library Association (ALA) reported 53 texts were challenged, restricted, removed or banned between May 2009 and May 2010. The books range from classics such as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird to comic books such as Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier. You can read the entire list here. Tim Pecoraro, Pattonville's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said library book and instructional material challenges are …

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Grab & Go Kids Planner

Fun Starts Tonight for Maryland Heights Families

Friday is the official start to the weekend, with activities in town and nearby.

Kick things off with poetry or stars and wrap up the weekend by joining the circus. Whatever you do, these activities will stimulate both body and mind -- just in time for spring. TEEN POETRY SLAM ASTRONOMY NIGHT READ ACROSS AMERICA AQUAPORT DISCOUNT DAYS MOOLAH SHRINE CIRCUS PARADE

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Eng-Hellinger Works to Make Life Better for Older Adults

The Maryland Heights Centre's social services coordinator helps establish programs that keep seniors active.

No matter how much we fight it, minute-by-minute, day-by-day and month-by-month, aging takes its toll on our lives in more ways than one. Community bonds can help fight the problems associated with growing older. Maryland Heights Centre Social Services Coordinator Joann Eng-Hellinger works to make life better for Maryland Heights' elderly. She directs residents over age 55 to life-improving, low cost and no cost services. Her battle against aging problems started more than 20 years ago, when she looked for services for he own parents. "I realized that getting information on who provides various services was very difficult," she said. "The system was very fragmented." After her experience with her parents, Eng-Hellinger went to work on a …

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