BOA Meeting December 14th

This past week the Board of Aldermen held their weekly meeting, presided by Lewis Reed, President of the Board of Aldermen.

The Board of Aldermen session was lead in prayer by Rev. John Watson, asst. pastor of Maple Temple Church of God in Christ, which is located in the 26th ward. 

 Rev. Watson asked for a moment of silence in pray for the family of Mrs Florence Wessels andFirefighter Jeffrey Hudson.

New Legislation

There was one  bill introduced and read for the first time at this past week’s Board of  Aldermen meeting.   For a complete listing of all the new legislation along with the complete agenda  of the meeting please click on this link: http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/aldermen/aldermanic-legislative-session.cfm

Special Recognition 

The Board of Aldermen from time to time stop in their deliberations to recognize citizens or groups for their outstanding contributions to the betterment, of not only the City of St. Louis, but of the entire region.

Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Schicker of the Missouri National Guard was deployed in March to Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province, on far-eastern edge of Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan. The mission was to teach agricultural skills as one of 55 members of the Missouri National Guard’s Agribusiness Development Team VI.

 Team VI officially was listed as a non-combat unit, but in the mountains of Afghanistan, such listings are subject to instant change. On April 15, a suicide bomber blew a hole through the wall of the team’s operating compound, opening the way for a swarm of grenade-throwing Taliban terrorists who quickly killed an Afghan soldier and wounded several members of Team VI, including Sgt. 1st Class Schicker.

 The men of Team VI fought off assaults on the west and south walls of the compound, holding their position until reinforcements arrived. For that action, the Army awarded 23 guardsmen (including Sgt. 1st Class Schicker) the Combat Action Badge and 15 (again including Sgt. 1st Class Schicker) the Purple Heart. Two guardsmen were recommended for the Bronze Star with Valor; three were awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, two the Army Combat Medical Badge, and five (including Sgt. 1st Class Schicker) the Combat Commendation Medal with Valor.

 Sgt. 1st Class Schicker’s new medals will not be lonely dangling from his chest. He has twice been awarded the Bronze Star. Twice before he was awarded an Army commendation medal, and once before the Purple Heart. He began his army career in 1978, and took his first combat tour in 2005, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 This second visit to Afghanistan will be Sgt. 1st Class Schicker’s last. He was knocked unconscious and nearly killed by the grenade that wounded him in the Jalalabad action, and still carries shrapnel in his right leg from the explosion. As a 52-year-old grandfather, his combat career is over. His current assignment is Jefferson Barracks.

Seeing that no further business before the Board of Aldermen, President Lewis Reed adjourned the Board of Aldermen meeting until Friday January 11, 2013 at 10:00.

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Posted by Harry Kennedy on 2:52 PM. Filed under Feature Story, Government, Legislative Update. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.