The Lede, Pt. 1: A Captivating Look at 10 St. Louisans

“We went on the Old North House Tour and knew we wanted this house. It’s the same floor plan as the one down the street but just a little less finished. My wife, Kausta, grew up on the 2200 block of St. Louis Avenue and has good memories — like running through the sprinklers in the park and walking to Crown Candy. They’re constantly building this neighborhood up, and we want to be a part of it.” — Damon Moore, spotted in the Old North neighborhood, May 2.

“Look us up, we’re called the Biking Movement.” — Marquis, tearing through puddles on Morgan Ford Road, May 8.

“I feel privileged since both of my parents went to college. My dad has a master’s in philosophy and religion, and he always told me to question everything. Now I find myself facing the fact that even though I have a master’s degree and was privileged enough to study, I still qualify for welfare. I’m an adjunct teacher, and I have to tell my students that I can’t meet with them other than during the two office hours because of my other jobs. It’s a trend that when professors retire, instead of replacing them with another professor, universities hire a couple adjuncts instead. When I marched for Show Me $15, I heard too many stories of how people can’t get ahead with what society gives them. I was honored that they counted the adjuncts as part of their struggle.” — Hillary Birdsong, spotted at Saint Louis University, May 10.

“We have an opportunity to teach kids the truth about things at an early age. Teaching Native American history from a place of dishonesty to foster patriotism leaves it up to them to figure out the truth. I think it’s better to take pride in who we are as a nation based on what this land was in the beginning.... Instead of thinking this country is as perfect as it can get, it would be better if kids felt that it takes effort to make the country a better place. It starts on a local level. That’s what this swap meet is all about — the mentality bleeds out into the country.” — Aaron Wood, spotted at St. Louis Swap Meet at Lemp Brewery, May 24.

“All I have to do is go into a decent bar with one of these and I won’t walk out with it. I made this one with bull horn, and that’s a squashed cockroach. He was drinking my beer.” — Mike Fix, spotted at Saint Louis Swap Meet, May 31.

“St. Louis was one of the top masonry cities in the country. But now you see all these buildings going down, especially in north St. Louis. They’re knocking them down to sell the bricks out of the city. I did some tuckpointing on a brand-new house way out in west county and I said, ‘These bricks really look old.’ These were million-dollar homes, and they told me they got the bricks from north St. Louis. Why can’t we keep these bricks and design new homes in St. Louis with them? My goal is to start a redevelopment school for urban youth. I want to train them how to do this so they can rebuild their communities where their grandparents lived. We’ll create jobs and opportunities out the ying-yang. My sons were my first students, and sometimes when they’re not working their other jobs or studying for college, they come out and help me.” –Leizac, spotted in Fox Park, June 7.

“The pool re-opening is an opportunity to get to know my neighbors. How often do we get to mingle like this? I wish there was a pool party every weekend. And there’s no better way to get a suntan. I used to be a camp counselor, and it reminded me of those days that I miss. Kids are so outgoing that the smallest suggestion of a game gets everyone together. I was taken aback when a girl said, ‘I wish you were my mom.’ I never had that connection before. My first thought was, ‘But I’m not old enough!’” –Amber Muschelli, spotted at Marquette Pool Party in Dutchtown, June 13.

“I needed somewhere to put my energy after exiting the music industry, and the garden provided solace. I had no intentions at first. I just wanted to grow food. But being able to feed hundreds of people at the pop-ups we had with my chef friend, Robin Wheeler, was my biggest pride and joy. That was the inspiration behind Sprouthood. There would be no startup without this garden first. The app sprouted as an answer to a problem: How to give neighborhood gardeners a coordination tool — how to make it easier to see who’s growing what around you, and to create an organic trading platform. Now that the app is seeded, it’s time to watch it grow.” – Ryan Albritton, spotted in his Dogtown garden for Sprouthood’s launch party, June 14.

“My yoga teacher taught me to focus on exploration rather than attainment. So, the work I create gains a freedom away from cognitive thought and becomes more expressive. If you’re always worried about technique, you will beat yourself up and have a sharp attitude towards your work, and it rubs off on the people you meet. It’s a mindfulness practice.” –Rebekah Jarchow, spotted in Maplewood, June 23.

“I had an idea of what the skatepark was and walked around picking up items that represented that preconception, but also expanded on it. There’s the ‘cool kid’ red sunglasses and a burnt tallboy beer can, but I also found an unexpected wooden Easter bunny. The items tell the story for the skate park: There’s paintbrushes, a football, condom box, cigarette wrappers, corn holder, a rodent skull, skateboard stickers…it’s the trash of a bunch of free children. You can imagine the story behind the broken skateboard — perhaps a kid was doing a trick, landed poorly, and it broke, then threw it in the woods in frustration. The little girl was watching me work and was enthralled with the objects. She saw them as treasure and became a treasure hunter herself. She ended up contributing four items to the group. I left all the stuff there, organized neatly, in hopes that people will see it, imagine a story and memorialize the skate park.” — Bryan Payne, spotted at Kingshighway Skate Park, July 4.