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>> Good time of year to call our friends for your spring checkup.

>> Okay, Joe, if you guys don't mind, we're in the middle of a broadcast.

Okay, Joe.

In Lake St.

Louis, the police are warning parents that they're buying for their kids ebikes that can go in excess of 28 miles per hour, which is against the local regulations.

You've ridden your bike all over this great country of ours.

What do you know about this?

Well, you know, I mean, first of all, I have to say, and I'm going to try to put it aside, I have an inherent bias against ebikes because when I'm out pedaling my non-ebike and I'm going up a hill and someone on one of those little ebikes kind of comes by you and they give you that smug smile like, "Pardon me," and they go, "Ramps >> and it makes but but what the problem here is is not those type of ebikes.

There's several classifications of what we used to call minibikes or scooters and people are taking those on bike trails and on roads and they're up to 20 25 miles an hour and you're seeing young kids on these and people think oh it's an ebike but some of them aren't for people under 16 and you got to have helmets and and cops can't tell just by looking at it how much horsepower is in it.

So the idea of trying to get a handle on what kind of bike is appropriate for a 13 or 14year-old an ebike to be on as opposed to what is basically a mini motorcycle that'll do 30 something miles an hour downhill.

>> I got ebikes uh in the reed future so we can go up those hills.

I'm sorry but have an ebike?

>> No, we will probably get one in get for each of us in the future.

Uh but the thing is is that like you were saying not and then not only are they not really ebikes but they don't make a lot of noise.

So when you're just like on your regular bite or you know people walking you know like suddenly and it's like wow that was a big wasp or I almost died right and so that that need be monitored or maybe you just have to outlaw them on on bike trail.

>> Let me ask you this.

I use ebikes when I'm on vacation.

And I don't own one, but if you're a parent, should you really be buying your kid an ebike when we need so much exercise?

>> Charlie, people be buying the kids guns.

>> We need exercise.

My point is get them a regular bike, a Schwin or a track or >> I would we going to do parenting in the 21st century?

That's kind of what I'm saying.

>> And we could How long are we going to go?

>> We could teach the kids again to put like cards, playing cards in the spokes with the clothes pins.

I'm sure they'd love that.

That would be really popular.

You're so You are so last century, Charlie.

You are so last.

I'm sorry.

I'm just trying to, you know, >> make sure that they 70% of the kids are obese.

I hear about it, but that just isn't going to that the whole ebike argument based on what parents buy their kids, >> you could say.

Yeah, that >> All right, Wendy, we have a we have a new superintendent or do we for the St.

Louis public schools?

She's Myra Barry.

She was the interim superintendent.

And uh what do you think?

I feel and I I hope somebody will flag the tape because I feel really really really good about her.

She is an educator for starters.

She started off in middle school.

The uh you know teaching what fourth grade or something and not middle school that would have been elementary school.

But she started off as a >> they were murdering people.

I >> I owe you Wendy.

I don't >> I love you.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

The ICE Robocop disrupted her classroom.

>> She can dish it out.

She can take it.

>> Yes.

Yeah.

can absolutely take it.

But no, she started out as a teacher.

Then she went into administration where she had a hand in in like, you know, bringing teachers along.

She is not one of these corporate, you will not see her at the chop house using the district credit card unless she's probably treating a table full of students who have exemplified, you know, academic success.

I think that we have literally found Cinderella here and I hope that everybody will give her a chance to do what she thinks to get settled.

But but the the the whole national search thing has only given us the Kesha Scarlet and on and on.

I let's just give this woman a chance to do what she does.

>> I'm going to give her a chance, but I will say that she has been with the SLPS for a long time and and SLPS has been underachieving for a long time.

I hope that there were some other candidates considered whether it was national or whether it was not.

I hope other people were seriously considered and she was the best of them not just a choice that they settled on.

>> Well, I think the pendulum swings back and forth and we had the national search and we got you say Dr.

Stewart and uh her friend Millisent >> Borade Scarlet >> Scarlet Keys Scarlet >> Scarlet Stewart >> Stewart SC we the national search didn't work >> and so now the pendulum goes let's get somebody who we think is reliable >> agreed >> so I think it's a good thing >> yeah I >> I can't argue with anything that's been said and the proof will be in the pudding I mean when someone says this is going to be a good superintendent have no idea but ask us in two years how they're doing and then maybe you'll have some idea and then if a change needs to be made, have the courage to make that change.

But the idea that they gave it a chance to someone who's been in the system for a while, I'm on Wendy's side in that I think I have more faith in the sitting school board now than I did than the previous one.

I will say that so they hired her.

>> Alvin, what's going on?

Senco Deayo was canceled this year.

That's the Cherokee uh uh annual event and it's very was very popular but it joins a long list of other traditions that are being cancelled.

The fireworks in St.

Louis County, the Evolution Festival in Forest Park, the Annie Malone parade, >> Cityfest in Collinsville, not to mention Wingfest and Nickfest, and uh the St.

Patrick's Day parade is also kind of on the bubble right now.

According to organizers, they don't know if they're going to be able to get the money for next year.

What do you think?

Well, I think on the third weekend of September, Green Tree Festival will be going on to >> Oh, good.

But no, I think each individual festival or parade might have its own issues.

You know, obviously budget is concerned.

I wonder about leadership of some other ones.

I wonder if, you know, um apparently for the uh Festival on Cherokee, they weren't getting as many vendors.

I think ICE is playing a role in that.

Not not in general, but just individual vendors.

They have less.

Why would you have less?

Because obviously it's growing in popularity.

So you seems like you would be getting more vendors.

So everyone is different.

But it's sad.

St.

Louis needs to are look are we going to be the festival place?

Are we going to be the party place?

Then we got to all come together.

Maybe make one gigantic budget that maybe you know regional arts commission is not in charge of.

Uh but um you know just so we can put these things on.

>> Joe, I forgot.

Q in the Lou.

There's another one that went by the wayside too.

I'm uh I don't know how to solve the problem if the people don't want to continue their festival.

I mean the Cinco de Mayo folks are saying the problem was is they got too big and we don't have the money for it >> for the security, >> right?

So, you know, the crowds we became we we were plagued by our popularity.

I mean, so I guess that at least leaves a hope that after a year or two hiatus, they'll be able to come back and and, you know, have the have all the uh >> do a shame that in 2026, we need so much security whenever we have any kind of street.

>> But you do.

I mean, but I get that.

I mean, but you do.

And that's a cost and that is a overwhelming factor.

I mean, I'm sure >> people are worried about their safety.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I got it.

>> And most of, you know, when you think of the families that attend these festivals, you know, they used to think nothing of letting their little kids kind of run around.

You wouldn't do that anymore.

You just wouldn't.

>> Does anyone think that maybe uh the presence of ice and issues involving >> that I just think it it it it limited the number of vendors.

It it I think the number of vendors would would be growing still on the Cherokee Street event.

And I think that's I can't say for anything else, but I think that might really impact the vendors.

I also worry that once something goes away, everybody says it's just taking a hiatus.

I always worry that if it goes away, it never comes back.

Um uh the German festival.

Yeah.

And that was a lot of fun.

>> Buckets of beer.

>> Buckets of beer.

Dancing.

>> 1.5.

>> Passive public drunkenness fights.

Yeah.

>> Yeah.

That was That was pre- Uber, pre-desated driver when everybody would say, "I'm fine.

I'm fine."

>> Yeah.

I'm fine.

>> Cinco de Mayo lives on in in restaurants and >> Oh, yeah.

What's a great place in the Grove?

>> Lay.

Okay.

That's where I'll be.

Cio best Cayo ever.

My daughter and I went to Cinco de Mayo at Chicago White Sox game on a Sunday.

It was fantastic.

And the Cardinals, if you play on May 5th, throw down because it was fun.

Let me tell you, >> I bet they did not leave the downtown area.

>> On that note, thank you very much for joining us.

It's not as fun as Donnie Bash, of course.

We hope to see you at Donnie Bash on the 16th, our big fundraiser.

It's a lot of fun and it's a great cause.

Nine PBS.

See you next week.