Archive for the News Category

Rodney Fickas

A lot of rumors are floating around concerning what is happening at the Ferguson Brewery. I hope we can dispel any wild rumors you have heard and try to let everyone know what is happening.

I sat down with Rodney Fickas the owner of soulcraft. He and his wife Julie are in the process of purchasing the Ferguson Brewing Company.

Rumor: The brew house is closing: True. The business name will be gone, but the building will be going through some renovations and re-branding to the Good News Brewing Company

Rumor: Everyone working at the Ferguson Brewing company will lose their jobs. False, Rodney assured me that he wants to keep the familiar faces. He is hopeful that the good people who have been working there will come work for him. However, those logistics still need to be worked out.

Rumor: Food options are going away. True/False, Rodney said he will be keeping some items but also adding wood fired pizza. He intends to have a full lunch and dinner menu. He is planning on installing the pizza oven out in the open where it becomes part of the experience going to the Good News Brewing Company.

Good News Brewing Company is an established brewery that started in Alton, Illinois. There are currently six locations around the area. Alton Il, St. Charles Mo, O’fallon, Mo, Defiance Mo, Wildwood Mo, and Augusta Mo. Rodney is hoping to bring a sense of community to this location and hopes to make this a destination for Ferguson residents as well as those who live elsewhere.

Personally, I was overjoyed when I heard the brewery would not be shuttering its doors. There will be a few months down time while renovations are made. Rodney explained that he still is working on the purchase of the building. If everything goes right, he will take ownership as the new year comes in. With all the work that needs to be done he is hoping to open sometime around the beginning of March.

Rodney is from Springfield Illinois and his wife Julie is from Waterloo. They are relatively new residents having moved here five years ago. He and his wife are visionaries and are hoping to help re-vitalize Ferguson. They already have SoulCraft for mentoring people on woodworking and I think we all agree that the Brewery is pretty much a staple here as it is a gathering place. And that is his vision: create a destination where people want to gather.

As Ferguson goes through this transition, I pray we will continue to support our local businesses.

Papa Deau

As editor, like most people, I rely on my phone and MacBook to keep me in contact with the world.

Everything was working fine until about two weeks ago when my emails abruptly stopped coming through. I tried logging on the server but to no avail. Oh ,what to do?

I had changed internet providers to cut costs. However, that meant my old email and my access to the server would be terminated.

I have used my old address for over 20 years. So this is a little more than an annoyance. It is how I get articles from our contributors, how my friends and family contact me. It is how I send files for perusal before sending to the printer. This was not good.

My phone is synced to my MacBook for emails/texts, but then nothing. As each day passed my frustration increased.

I apologize for mis-communication. Because of this, I have missed some emails which means I have missed some items that were to go into this paper. For that, I am truly sorry. NOT my bad, The term is “Sorry, it was my fault.”

Please use my new gmail account. garynadeau2@gmail.com.

I still need to figure out how to re-sync my gmail account to my phone. I can only check my email on my MacBook. I guess I’ll have to call the apple store and see if they can help me re-sync. Anyone out there have any expertise on this subject? I would appreciate any help I can get.

Enough about my whoas, no one wants to listen to a whiner and a complainer.

It has been so dry I have not had start my lawn mowers to cut my grass for almost a month. As I am piecing this issue together it has actually started to rain today. Looks like it is supposed to rain all week or a chance of rain so I guess my lawn will remain uncut until it drys out enough.

We need this rain as with the fall now upon us it is time for cool weather, football, and evening bonfires. I can’t wait.

I pray everyone continues to receive the emails they want or need, your phone stays charged, and you get to enjoy a nice evening bonfire.

Be good, stay safe, and spread the love God wants us to share.

Peace, Papa Deau

I want to give a big shout-out thank you to the Ferguson city residents that have graciously contributed to the Ferguson Neighborhood News. It is because of people like you that we can go to press each month. But more than that, it shows me that our community is very much alive and, from the comments I have read, this paper is serving a purpose. I promise that we will never divulge your names and addresses. Anyone that donates remains anonymous.

We strive to keep a positive spin on what is happening around the globe and if I fail to keep that positive vibe, please give me a swift kick. It is very easy to go negative in the world we live in. Especially with the instant feedback we get daily in the form of Facebook, twitter, nextdoor, instagram, you name the app and there are more negative comments than positive. I try to limit my comments as I scroll through the barrage of articles that are not so positive in nature.

I will admit that I finally got on Facebook. I had my daughter-in-law set me up so I can watch my grandsons hockey games when I cannot attend. To that end, I now have two friends: her and one of my fishing buddies.

I want to thank the volunteers from the Forestwood neighborhood association for their cleanup of the Forestwood area. Great job! Photos are on page 6.

I am happy to see the Garden Studio Cafe opened in June. It was formerly the Corner Coffee House. See the article on page 9.

As someone who dabbles in wood projects, I was pleased to hear about SoulCraft which opened it’s doors in 2021. See the article on page 15.

Ferguson is not just a city. It is a community. A community of wonderful caring people. Seek out these treasures of our community and let me know what you think.

Other than that, It’s just too hot to do anything but sit on a block of ice.

Papa Deau

Photos courtesy of Tim Larson. 

Please enjoy some photos from our 2025 Ferguson Twilight Run held in downtown Ferguson on May 17!

Ferguson Twilight Run presents awards to top finishers of the 5K and 10K, as well as the top three finishers in age groups. Soulcraft, a woodshop in Ferguson, created the awards for 16th annual Ferguson Twilight Run.

On your mark! Runners of all ages line up at the start line of the one-mile race at the 16th annual Ferguson Twilight Run.

Runners move at their own pace under the railroad pass at Ferguson Ave and Elizabeth Ave. during the 16th annual Ferguson Twilight Run, Saturday, May 17.

Ferguson, MO – In celebration of the 16th annual Ferguson Twilight Run, here are 16 reasons to #RunwithFerguson on Saturday, May 17.

1. Ferguson Twilight Run is an ORIGINAL! It’s the first evening race hosted in North St. Louis County.
2. You can RUN and WALK with hundreds of your closest friends.
3. THREE DISTANCES – one mile, 5K & 10K – to challenge your endurance.
4. Colorful RACE T-shirts. Very cool.
5. Oh-so-shiny-FINISHER MEDALS.
6. Bananas, granola bars and high fives! Oh my!
7. The BEST NEIGHBORHOOD CHEER STATIONS and water stations.
8. A post-race party with FOUR deejays!
9. AWARDS for age-group winners. So. Many. Awards.
10. Ferguson Twilight Run GIVES BACK! The Donnie White, Sr. Memorial Beneficiary Award has given $129,850 to nonprofits in NoCo since 2010.
11. SUPER SPONSORS! Ferguson Twilight Run sponsors give generously to promote healthful and active living.
12. Professional timing and certified routes by BIG RIVER RUNNING COMPANY, a St. Louis leader in the running community.
13. LOCAL VENDORS in the finish area to support your health and wellness.
14. Flag-raising by the FERGUSON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
15. Safety and security from the FERGUSON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
16. VOLUNTEERS! Ferguson Twilight Run is successful because of dedicated volunteers who give their time, talent and energy to make the race a reality.

Race Details

Register online at fergtwilightrun.com. You can sign up as an individual, create a team, join an existing team, or be a virtual participant.

• The race starts and finishes at Plaza at 501, located at the intersection of Florissant Road and Suburban Avenue.
• Race festivities are 4:30-9:30 p.m. including music and vendor booths
• Race start times: One mile at 5 p.m., 10K at 5:45 p.m., 5K at 6 p.m.
• Registered participants receive a T-shirt and finisher medal
• Awards ceremony at 8 p.m.; Age-group winners will receive awards
• Baby joggers/strollers and service dogs are welcome on the course; pets must stay at home.
• Want more details? Follow Ferguson Twilight Run on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube for course routes, street closures, packet pick up, registration, announcements, volunteer opportunities and more.

CONTACTS

Dwayne T. James, 314-325-2197 racedirector@fergtwilightrun.com

Nez Savala, 816-678-9071 miss_tv@yahoo.com

By Dr. Larry A. Brown

Many people often make one good deed, or a few, and then do nothing else. They often refer to those previously done good deeds and take plenty of credit for the good that they have done. This is ok and it can make one feel good, but It is always needed and if we don’t do it, then, who will do what we have an opportunity to do?

Often, we have a tendency to dwell in the past and live on our past accomplishments. There is a requirement, however, for us to perform good things for as long as we can. There is always a need.

No matter what our present status is, as long as we can do something good, the world will benefit and we, personally, will feel good and have more to talk about and reflect on in the future.

It becomes most unfortunate when a person reaches the end of life and few can recall anything that the individual did in the past, that was good, Then it is too late to add a good deed to the resume.

Wouldn’t you wish for people to have something good to say about you? We must remember that people often forget the good deed or often take a good deed for granted.

It is important to remember that TIME can also play a part. There are always new generations of people that have needs, and they are not likely to be aware of the good thing you did in previous times.

It must become an attitude and a way of life, so that we don’t have to recall the past because we are still doing good things currently.

That is why we are asking you to think about and say what you have done lately. If you can’t identify anything. then it is time to resume your efforts and if it was a long time ago, it may be time to get about the business at
hand. You won’t be sorry!

Also, it may inspire others to do something. The world can certainly use more people doing good deeds now, more than ever before.

It is a good thing to perform introspection, a look at how we are doing, from time to time.

We can become so busy that we forget to put things on our list of things to do. We may have good intentions but never get around to doing anything. That is why we must ask the question, “ What have you done, lately?

“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.”

The above sentence was something students in “typing” class had to learn when touch typing – which is a lost art. Oh, everyone still uses a keyboard or screen to enter text but learning to navigate the standard manual typewriter was a daunting task. There was no delete key or caps lock so when a mistake was made it was either start over or use white out and hope it doesn’t make a bigger mess.

But I’m not here to talk about typing, I am speaking of freedom of speech.

If you want to voice your concerns about the direction of Ferguson, there will be several opportunities to do so with candidates for Ferguson City Council this month sponsored by PROUD.

I encourage any resident that has concerns to please attend these forums at the Ferguson Library.

Oh, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” This one uses all the letters in our alphabet. A great exercise. Let’s not be the lazy dog – but the quick brown fox.

Have something to say? Be a positive voice for Ferguson.

Papa Deau