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October 31, 2025

Time Change: Don’t forget it’s time change weekend!

Online Permits: Residents and contractors can now fill out and pay for permits on the Bel-Nor website. Rental property owners can also pay for inspections and annual fees through the portal.

Ground-breaking: From Dr. Sam Page: Exciting progress is happening. Last week, STL County celebrated the groundbreaking for University Crossing at the North Hanley Metrolink Station- $a $20 million mixed-use development that will bring 60 new mixed-income home and a new Employment Connection office to the area.

Food Drive: St. Louis County has launched a drive to collect baby formula, diapers, and wipes to support families losing SNAP benefits due to the ongoing government shutdown.

The initiative, announced by County Executive Sam Page, aims to assist the more than 47,000 families in St. Louis County who rely on SNAP benefits each month. These families are facing increased hardship as the shutdown continues.

Donations for the drive can be dropped off at any St. Louis County library branch or any of the county’s three health centers.

Neighborhood Preservation: The leaves, acorns, and sweetgum balls are falling. Acorns and sweetgum balls can be a hazard to walkers so spend extra attention to walkways and sidewalks. Keep leaves in your yard picked up, when leaves collect in storm drains this can cause trouble for homeowners, stormwater systems, and water quality. Leaves, acorns, and sweetgum balls can block water flow. Decaying leaves in the water system can cause water quality issues.

Neighborhood Safety: Stay safe tonight! Here are some tips from the National Safety Council:

Tips for trick-or-treaters:

Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags or carry glow sticks.
A responsible adult should accompany young children
If older children are going alone, plan and review an acceptable route
Agree on a specific time children should return home
Teach your children never to enter a stranger's home or car
Instruct children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with their friends
Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home, and take care to avoid any food allergies.

Tips for drivers:

Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs
Enter and exit driveways carefully
At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing
Discourage new, inexperienced drivers from driving on Halloween
Drive slow and stay alert.

Meetings & Reminders

Nov 1: Bel-Nor Street Dance 4-8 pm at Clearview Park

Nov 2: Clocks fall back one hour

Nov 15: Bel-Nor Day of Service: Tree planting at Horatio & Woodview from 10 am to noon

Nov 17: Monthly Board of Alderpersons meeting at 7:30 pm at City Hall

Nov 26 & 27: Bel-Nor City Hall will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday

October 17, 2025

Halloween Decorating Contest: Think your house is the spookiest on the block? Enter the Halloween Decorating Contest! There will also be a prize for Best Street, so gather your neighbors and encourage them to decorate! Register by October 18th by emailing mayor@cityofbelnor.org with your address. Deck out your house by Saturday, October 25th because voting will open Sunday, October 26th to all residents at cityofbelnor.org. Final day to vote will be on Halloween night, October 31st. Winners will be announced at the Street Dance on November 1st.

Halloween Fun at St. Vincent Park: Grab your costumes and join us for a spooktacular afternoon of family-friendly fun at St. Vincent Park. The celebration takes place on Saturday, October 25, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the St. Vincent Park Picnic Shelter (7335 St. Charles Rock Rd, St. Louis, MO 63133). Enjoy free candy and sweet treats, cozy hot chocolate, live DJ entertainment, and a Trunk-or-Treat with local community partners. It’s the perfect way to celebrate Halloween with family, friends, and neighbors! More information can be found on St. Louis County Parks’ Facebook page.

Cool Cities STL Pop-Up Series: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 10 AM - 12 PM. Beyond Housing Headquarters: 6506 Wright Way, Pine Lawn, MO 63121

Jean Ponzi from EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Garden will connect the dots of how trees and plants can help with stormwater runoff and biodiversity. She will share her passion on plants as a BEAUTIFUL climate solution!

Joe Oelke, Director of Forestry and Community Conservation , and Jack McDonnell, Program Manager for Beyond Housing's Forestry and Community Conservation Department will share their triumphs and road bumps when managing native plants and urban canopy.

Bel-Nor Tree Planting Day: Please join us on November 15th from 10 am - noon at Horatio and Woodview to help plant trees. Grab some donuts & coffee, meet neighbors, and plant trees & shrubs. Many hands make light work.

Mobile Food Market: Whole Foods and Operation Food Search will be in the area to provide a free mobile food market. They will be at the Skate King parking lot (6120 Natural Bridge Rd) on October 21 from 11 am - 2 pm.

Roof Permits: If you are planning to install new roof on your house (or undertaking any construction work), please remember that Bel-Nor requires a roof permit. This permit also requires 2 inspections during and after completion. Please plan accordingly. Permits can be filled out at City Hall or on the website. Payment must be made before a permit will be issued.

BOA Meeting: The Board of Alderpersons met on Monday, October 13, 2025 for their monthly meeting. The following items were on the agenda:

Passed: An amendment to the curfew ordinance changed the definition of a juvenile to under the age of 18.

Passed: Bel-Nor public safety grant. Bel-Nor is offering $50 to offset the cost of doorbell cameras and motion-detection lights. Details on the grant, along with the application form can be found on the Bel-Nor website.

All-Star: Napheesa Collier of Incarnate Word Academy and currently playing for the Minnesota Lynx was unanimously elected to the 2025 All-WNBA First Team. Congratulations to our Red Knight!

Neighborhood Preservation: If you have a young tree in your yard, keep watering! With the unseasonably warm weather and the lack of rain, these young trees need our help. Trees need lots of water in their first three year to establish their root system.

Neighborhood Safety: The days are getting shorter, consider wearing reflective clothing when out walking at twilight, sunrise, or in the dark, cross at corners, stay alert, and be aware of cars backing out of driveways.

Meetings & Reminders

Oct 18: Register your house and/or street for the Halloween Decorating contest

Oct 22: Tree Board meeting at 6:30 pm at Unity Lutheran Church

Oct 26: Voting opens for the Halloween Decorating contest on BN website

Nov 1: Bel-Nor Street Dance 4-8 pm at Clearview Park

Nov 2: Time change weekend

Nov 15: Bel-Nor Day of Service: Tree planting at Horatio & Woodview from 10 am to noon

Nov 17: Monthly Board of Alderpersons meeting at 7:30 pm at City Hall

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

October 3, 2025

Street Tree Planting: Bring a shovel, grab a donut and plant a tree at the first of two fall street tree planting days on Saturday, October 11th from 10 am - noon. Meet at the intersection of Audrain and Delavan for coffee and donuts with neighbors and a short planting demonstration. Tools and materials will be available to borrow, but - if you can - bring work gloves to wear and a shovel to share. All ages, abilities and experience levels are welcome.

Can’t make it? Bel-Nor’s Thanksgiving Day of Service will include a second round of street tree planting in mid November. Date TBA.

Community Conservation Days October 9-12th: Join your neighbors and lend a hand for a community cleanup, honeysuckle hack, and tree planting across the Normandy schools footprint. Three days of cleanups across multiple municipalities and a free family fishing event/ BBQ on October 12th in Bel Ridge! Sign-up here: https://our241.com/events/ccd/

Family Fishing & BBQ on Oct 12th: Join Beyond Housing for a fun day of fishing. This is a free event and no experience required. Loaner poles will be available. Gutknecht Arrowhead Park, 3112 Wheaton Ave, Bel-Ridge from 10 am- 1pm.

Oct 13: Please note that the monthly Board of Aldermen meeting will be held on Monday, October 13, 2025 at 7:30 pm to ensure a quorum. The agenda will be posted at city hall and the website.

Halloween House Decorating Contest: Think your house is the spookiest on the block? Enter the Halloween Decorating Contest! Register by October 18th by emailing mayor@cityofbelnor.org with your address. Deck out your house by Saturday, October 26th because voting will open Sunday, October 27th to all residents at cityofbelnor.org. Final day to vote will be on Halloween night, October 31st. Winners will be revealed at the Street Dance on November 1st.

Halloween Street Decorating Contest: Gather your ghoulish neighbors and compete for best Halloween street. Register by October 18th by emailing mayor@cityofbelnor.org with a starting address. Have your street complete by Saturday, October 26th because voting will open Sunday, October 27th to all residents at cityofbelnor.org. Final day to vote will be on Halloween night, October 31st. Winners will be revealed at the Street Dance on November 1st. May the eeriest street win!

The Beautification and Events Committee is happy to announce that the Street Dance is coming back to Bel-Nor! Join us November 1st at Clearview Park from 4-8pm. Residents are encouraged to bring drinks and chairs.

Pin Oak Update: We reported earlier in the year that arborists noted that the pin oaks in the city were declining more rapidly that anticipated. The arborists sent samples for testing and Bacterial Leaf Scorch (BLS) has been detected in the trees.

What does this mean? It is one more stressor contributing to the oak decline in our area. This is infects trees only, not animals or humans.

What can we do? There are strategies to help though we can’t eliminate these stressors. The arborists will be taking these actions for trees in the city, but we advise the same for oaks on residential property.

Pruning

Restrict pruning of pin oaks March–October, only when necessary to reduce critical risk.
Conduct less critical pruning in the dormant season (November–February).
Require contractors to sanitize tools.
The arborists will pay careful attention to how they prioritize what to prune and remove annually.

Planting & Long-Term Planning

Avoid planting species highly susceptible to BLS, particularly trees in the red oak family (pin oak, northern red oak, black oak) and sweet gum. Plant a diversity of trees.
If you have oaks on your property, now is the time to plant a new tree to maintain your shade and canopy long-term.

Tree Care

Mulch and water existing pin oaks when possible to maintain vigor.
Only fertilize trees after conducting a soil test. Follow the recommendations from that test.

Streaming the Library: The St. Louis County Library offers a variety of ways to stream movies, TV, music, ebooks, and audio books. Kanopy, Libby, and Hoopla are just some of the options at your fingertips. Check out the library website for more information. https://www.slcl.org/books-emedia-more/emedia

RECA Information: St. Louis County Library has created a webpage with links to resources to help obtain the necessary documentation to submit a Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) application, including property ownership records, census records, death certificates, voting records, civil/criminal records, year books and more. Additionally, the Library is partnering with St. Louis County, Just Moms STL and the office of Senator Josh Hawley to provide informational sessions relating to RECA.

People Not Politicians: From Dr. Sam Page: While judges and lawyers contest the new redistricting map in court, the grassroots organization People Not Politicians Missouri is leading a statewide referendum effort to challenge the map. The group argues that the redistricting, which was approved mid-decade, violates the Missouri Constitution and undermines the will of the voters.Elsa Rainey, a spokesperson for People Not Politicians, emphasized the group's commitment to ensuring that "Missouri voters — not politicians — will have the final say." The organization is actively collecting signatures to place the issue on the ballot, allowing voters to decide whether the new map should stand.To learn more about the referendum effort, visit People Not Politicians Missouri.

Board Meeting Updates: The Board held a public hearing and a special session on Wednesday, September 24th. The following items were on the agendas:

Public Hearing: The tax rate for 2025 was passed. This rate is established by commercial, residential, and personal property in the city, along with other factors. For more information on assessments and revenue, please see the public hearing agenda posted on the Bel-Nor website.

Special Session: An ordinance was passed to authorize a contract for a new boiler for city hall. The current boiler has been discontinued and a parts are no longer available.

Neighborhood Preservation: Keep watering! Especially, young trees and new landscaping. The weather is turning, but these young plants continue to need water to establish their root system. Start considering planting trees now to maintain your shade if you have oaks.

Neighborhood Safety: Lock your cars, take away the opportunity for someone to rummage through your car.

Meetings & Reminders

Oct 11: Fall Street Tree Planting 10 am - noon. Meet at Audrain and Delavan

Oct 13: Monthly Board meeting will be on the SECOND Monday of the month at 7:30 pm at City Hall

Nov 1: Bel-Nor Street Dance, 4-8 pm, Clearview Park

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!