President`s Message

COMPTON
HEIGHTS
NEIGHBORHOOD
NEWSLET TER
~
JANUARY
-
FEBRUARY
2010
INSIDE: President’s Message - page1,2 • No More Ice! - page 2 • Meet The New Board Members
- page 4,5,10 • Water Tower - Heritage Award - page 6 • Let’s Talk Trash - page 7,8 • Grand Point
Sidewalks - page 9 • Compton Kid’s Club - page 10 • Grand South Grand House Tour - page 11 •
Food For Thought - page 11.
President’s Message
we thank you for your support. If you are
not yet a member and would like me to be,
a membership application is included in our
newsletter. I encourage you to join this year
and be a part of the decision making process
of the status of the sidewalks at the Grand
Point. I would like to thank many of you
who were members of our neighborhood
association in the past as well as thos who
participated in fund-raising efforts allowing
the previous boards to carry out the many
tasks and projects we have accomplished.
Dear Neighbors,
I have been selected as President of our
Neighborhood Association again in 2010. I
am grateful that our board has selected me
and I will continue to be committed to make
our neighborhood a better place. This task
requires several hours per week. I have
learned a great deal from former presidents,
current and former board members.
The Board is currently accepting bids for
sidewalk replacement at the Grand Point,
from the City as well as private companies.
If you know of a reliable company I would
be happy to talk with a representative
for an estimate. This project will probably
need neighborhood approval (a vote by the
members of the association) if the amount
of money spent exceeds that amount
indicated in our by-laws, which are in the
buzz book.
Another source of revenue is advertising
in our newsletter.
Dawn Jungermann
is in charge of the newsletter. If you, or
someone you know would like to place an
advertisement please contact Dawn at
[email protected]. Although his board term
is complete, Tony Tharenos volunteered to
help Dawn with the newsletter, since this is
a new position for her, and it is a position,
which requires great attention to detail. I
know she will do an excellent job.
The Board is looking for your ideas,
and possibly your residence or place of
business for a fund-raiser to benefit our
neighborhood. I spoke with Chris and Dana
Shearman who live on Hawthorne about
the need for fund-raising. The Board is
in need of ideas and locations. Chris and
Dana volunteered their establishment for
a fund-raiser without hesitation. They are
the proud owners of Gelateria del Leone
located at 3197 South Grand. If you would
like a preview of what their establishment
has to offer, their website is http://www.
thegelateria.com
The Easter Parade is on Sunday April 4th,
2010. If you have a classic car, convertible,
special interest car etc. that you would like
to have in the parade we look forward to
your participation.
The Board is in the process of securing a
house for a “New Neighbor Welcome” on a
date to be determined. Watch for more on
this later this spring.
The topic of snow removal and icy
intersections was mentioned by one of the
board members. Peter Gunther of Gunther
Salt Company immediately volunteered
to donate salt. The salt was soon spread
If you are a lifetime member or a paid 2010
member of our neighborhood association
1
continues on pages 2
www.chnba.org
at intersections in our neighborhood resulting in a less
hazardous stops for motorists. I met with Peter Gunther
at Gunther Salt Company and was impressed with the
operation of his family’s business. The main building where
his office is situated was at one time a lumber company
and the oak woodwork is quite impressive. Peter gave me
a tour of the plant and I saw the many steps necessary for
salt to get from the barge to the customer. Peter is quite
knowledgeable in the technical every day operations and
the business side dealing with customers and sales of his
family’s business. If you would like additional information
on this company, their website is www.gunthersalt.com
Kay Brimmer was honored at our December Neighborhood
Dinner Meeting as the recipient of the Margaret Calhoun
Award. Kay was surprised and grateful. She knew Mrs.
Calhoun and Kay was very touched by her nomination for
the award. Kay is now the newest member of the Margaret
Calhoun award Committee for 2010!
A big thank you again to our neighbor, Dr. Lindsay Barth who
donated the use of Soulard Preservation Hall. If you missed
the December Dinner Meeting or would like information
on Soulard Preservation Hall, located at 1921 South 9th
Street, the website www.soulardpreservationhall.com
I look forward to working with you, and our neighborhood
board in 2010, and as you can see the new board members
have very impressive resumes.
Respectfully,
William Brush Jr President CHNBA
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Slip-Sliding
Away...
No More Ice!
After this last snow, Peter
Gunther, Longfellow resident,
generously donated salt to
cover the major intersections
in Compton Heights. Board
President, Bill Brush picked
up the salt and spread it at
the intersections, Thursday
morning, resulting in ice free
intersections!
Gunther Salt has donated 49
bags of salt (50# each) to the
CHNBA for use the rest of
this winter. If we have 4 more
snows we will still have some
left over to help with the first
snow next winter.
If you would like to volunteer
to salt the intersection near
you please contact the board.
COMPTON HEIGHTS
REAL ESTATE REPORT
FEBRUARY 2010
RESIDENTIAL
ACTIVE PROPERTIES 3420 Longfellow Blvd
2919 Milton Blvd
3137 Russell Blvd
Orig Price 389,900
474,900
580,000
List Price
368,900
temporarily off
580,000
MULTI-FAMILY
ACTIVE PROPERTIES Orig Price List Price
3118 Geyer Ave.
147,000
125,000
PENDING PROPERTIES Orig Price
3251 Hawthorne Blvd 299,000
CHNBA
MEMBERSHIP
2010
Membership as of 2/10
FOR SALE
List Price
249,000
By Category:
DOM
262
0
70
46
Lifetime members
(current residents)
4
Lifetime members
(non-residents)
DOM
311
38
Annual 2010 members
1
Special Membership
(Fleur-de-Lys)
Sale Price
0000000 4
84 Total Membership*
*Total membership does not include
Lifetime non-residents, special and
friend memberships.
DOM - Days on Market
Thank you to Nicholas Baur / RE/MAX Gold 314-329-7860
Percentage of households that
are current members: 48%
Possible Memberships:
Approximately 232 households
(243 lots)
Standard membership is
now $50 per year
Radon: The Health Hazard with a Simple Solution
Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that
you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home
can pose a danger to your family’s health. Radon is
the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in
America and claims about 20,000 lives annually.
Register on-line at
www.dhss.mo.gov/Radon
to receive a short-term
radon test kit. They
are available to
Missouri residents
at NO COST.
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Patron membership is
$100.00
Lifetime membership is
$1000.
This membership is
tax-deductible to the
extent provided by law.
If you would like to support
the CHNBA please send your
membership check to
3125 Hawthorne.
JOIN TODAY!
Please welcome and meet our new Compton
Heights Board Members - Jeff Hill, Greg Klass,
Peter Gunther and Dawn Jungermann
JEFF HILL
3127 Longfellow
Jeff has been married to Stacey for 3 years, and a resident of St Louis resident for 6, moving
here from in Chicago. Jeff grew up in a blue collar/farming community of 600 in Western
Illinois before attending the University of Illinois. His parents still live in this same county.
Jeff and Stacey are looking forward to the arrival of their first child this summer!
Jeff has extensive experience with remodeling of his own homes and of others. In addition
to their residence on Longfellow, the Hills currently own another property on 2300 block of
Michigan. Jeff owns and operates a residential renovation business in addition to being a
Professional Engineer for Hayward Baker Inc. At Hayward Baker he is responsible for design,
estimating and management of specialty Geotechnical projects. Jeff has a BS in Engineering
from the University of Illinois. He is licensed in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas.
Jeff enjoys working on his house, photography, gardening, travel and hiking.
Major Projects Include:
·
US Army Corp of Engineers, St. Louis District,
·
Prairie State Generating Campus
·
McGowan Walsh, Cupples Station Building
·
Baumgartner Tunnel, St. Louis, MO
·
Ameristar Casino, St Charles MO
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
GREG KLASS
2909 Accomac
Marge and I moved to Compton Heights about five years ago after spending ten years in
Chesterfield. The appeal of the neighborhood and proximity to city parks and local restaurants
attracted us to Compton Heights. We are both from Buffalo, NY and lived for seven years
in Upper Montclair, NJ where I worked for MasterCard International. I spent my last 15
years in telecommunications consulting working for WilTel Communications and Level 3
Communication prior to starting my own firm, Klass, Hill and Associates, about three years
ago. Marge is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Educator for Novartis.
We have three lovely daughters, Meg, Emily and Lizzie, all in their twenties, and in the words
of the recently elected Massachusetts senator, “available”. We often walk our Old English
Sheepdog, Max, around the neighborhood where he likes to bark at everything and everybody.
We are also involved in the community garden.
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PETER GUNTHER
3224 Longfellow
Peter grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and went to St. Louis Priory High School. His grandfather
grew up in the Shaw Neighborhood and one great Aunt that lived on Longfellow (the Woods
current residence) and another relative (the Hoerr family) who built a house on Hawthorne.
Peter first ran across the Compton Heights neighborhood when hr was 16. Driving through
the neighborhood in between tennis matches at Tower Grove Park made quite an impression
with the majestic and elegant mansions that rose behind the larger than life trees.
After high school, Peter attended the University of the Pacific and received a B.A. in English and
from there moved to Pasadena where he worked in Hollywood for a post-production company
on Santa Monica Boulevard before enrolling in a M.A. program at California Polytechnic State
University in San Luis Obispo in 1995. While at Cal Poly, he taught Freshmen Composition
and coached the men’s and the women’s tennis teams from 1996-1999. From San Luis
Obispo, after meeting Monica Lacerda at his best friend’s wedding in Oporto, Portugal, he
decided to move to London, England to be close to Monica and enroll in a Post Graduate
Certificate of Education program at the University of Surrey. After finishing at the University
of Surrey in the Spring of 2000, he married Monica (Lacerda) Gunther in September of 2000
who was working for Chase and then Barclays Stockbrokers as a Stockbroker. In the fall of
2000, Peter took a job at Wimbledon College where he taught 11-18 year old boys English &
American Literature for two years before moving to another school in West London called St.
Benedict’s which happened to be the “brother” school of his High School in St. Louis.
After four years in London, his wife and son Pedro--born in April of 2003--moved to Estoril,
Portugal just outside of Lisbon where he took a job at the Carlucci American International
School in Lisbon teaching literature and Monica took a job at Net Jets Europe where she
recruited pilots. While in Portugal, they had our second child, Gerard, in August of 2005.
After three years in Portugal, the Gunthers made the decision to move back to St. Louis
where Peter started working for our family business--Gunther Salt Company. When they
made the decision to move back to St. Louis, Peter began looking obsessively on line for
houses and found one that stood out from the rest on Longfellow Boulevard. They bought
the house in September of 2006. Because Monica has a graduate degree from the London
School of Economics, she had a particular appreciation for developing cities and with the
Renaissance that is ongoing in the City of St. Louis it seemed to be the perfect fit for our
family. After living in the house for a few months, they brought Buddy--a Labrador retriever-home from the Humane Society. In October of 2007, they had another child, Sofia, who was
born the house in Compton Heights.
The Gunthers look forward to serving the neighborhood in any way they are able and are
enjoying the opprotunity to meet so many fine people in the neighborhood.
DAWN JUNGERMANN - continues on page 10...
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Let’s talk trash!
The City’s decision in December to temporarily reduce the number of trash
pick-ups from twice a week to once a week has been difficult for many CH
households. Fortunately for me, this has not been as difficult as it might
otherwise have been because our family (4 humans, 1 dog, and 8 fish)
generates weekly only one bag of trash for the dumpster. By contrast, we
set out three bins of curbside recycling (that Earth Cycle Recycling collects) and make daily
trips to the compost bin!
I was asked at the January Board Meeting to investigate possible recycling options for our
neighborhood as a way to reduce the waste that goes into the City dumpsters. I spoke with
Jill Hamilton at the refuse division from the City of St. Louis and she was very helpful. Jill
informs me that last year’s pilot recycling program in which some CH residents participated
created only a 5% diversion rate from the City dumpsters and therefore was eliminated.
Because of current economic constraints, there is no extra money for recycling from the City
Even worse, as many of you already know, the City may permanently reduce trash pick-ups
to once a week in certain neighborhoods.
Jill suggests that we visit the city’s website http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/refuse for a
comprehensive go-to list for all of your household waste.
Here are some other tips for your household waste:
1) Recycle-Recycle-Recycle! There remain several efficient and cost-effective options.
2)You may pay for curbside recycling.
We have been very happy with www.
earthcirclerecycling.com ECR will come to your home once a week and collect all of your
recyclables. The fee is $100.00 annually. If you wish to recycle your own materials, you
may take them to any of the firehouses in the city, to the Earth Circle Recycling Center
at 1660 S. Kingshighway, or to the bins behind the Target at Hampton and Chippewa
just to name a few. The Jefferson National Parks Association has set up a recycling
program for alkaline (regular, non-rechargeable batteries). They accept them free at the
Old Courthouse Museum Shop and the Museum Store Under the Gateway Arch. They
are they only place in the St. Louis area that currently accepts regular alkaline batteries.
For more information: http://www.jnpa.com/content/302.htm. Styrofoam peanuts can
be taken to the FedEx Kinkos location on Grand for reuse. They do not accept hardmolded styrofoam, but they accept packing peanuts.
3)Compost! Another great way to reduce trash is to compost as much food waste as
possible. Remember never to compost meat, fish, and dairy products. Modest compost
bins typically cost under $100; you can build one yourself for even less. The Missouri
Botanical Garden has some information on how to get started composting in your home.
Go to www.missouribotanicalgarden.com and type in Compost in the ‘Search’ section
for helpful articles.
4)The Home Depot will collect your used CFL (compact fluorescent bulbs) for free. NEVER
PUT THESE BULBS IN THE TRASH because of their mercury content.
continues on next page
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5)WITS! This organization is located at 643 E. Holly (near Hwy 70 and N. Broadway) and
will take all of your unwanted (and broken) computer and electronic equipment. Please
note that they charge a $5.00 fee for taking computer monitors off your hands.
6)Goodwill and other charitable organizations will gladly take all of your gently used items
for resale.
I know that many of you already have incorporated reycling into your everyday routine. We
would love to hear your own experiences and recommendations.
Please let us know about them through either the newsletter or the CH yahoo group.
A Reminder: The Operation Brightside Neighborhood Blitz for Compton Heights is Saturday
April 10, 2010. See below for more information.
OPERATION BRIGHTSIDE BLITZ –
APRIL 10
It’s that time of year again. Operation Brightside will be conducting its Spring cleanup blitz in Compton Heights on Saturday, April 10. This is a great chance for all of us to get rid of those bulky trash
items that we have had stored in our basements and back yards for the past year. It’s also a great
opportunity to spruce up our neighborhood after a lengthy winter and those seemingly endless
storms.
A few of the specifics for Blitz Saturday include the following:
• Trash pick-up will begin at 10:00 a.m.
• Car batteries, used motor oil, large appliances and tires will be recycled. Please separate from
other household items such as furniture, mattresses, etc.
• Place grass, leaves and twigs in “Yard Waste Only” dumpsters.
• Branches must be bundled in lengths no longer than 3 feet and placed with bulk items for collection.
• Place all small items in trash dumpsters or roll-out carts.
• If you have a through alley: Place large items, such as appliances and furniture directly behind
your home at the alley line. (If you have dumpster directly behind your house, make sure your
bulk items are at least four feet away from the dumpster.)
• If you do not have an alley, place large items in front of your home at the curb.
The Operation Brightside Blitz weekend offers a great opportunity for all of us in Compton Heights to
get out and spruce up our neighborhood.
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Grand South Grand House Tour
Compton Heights will again be participating in the Grand South Grand
House and Garden Tour. This year the event will take place on April 17th
and 18th (Saturday and Sunday) from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
We are looking for a representative from Compton Heights to sit on the
house tour committee. We are also looking for one more Compton Heights
home to be featured on the tour.
If you know someone who’s home would be a good for the tour or would
Anne G. Moore
like to sit on the committee, please contact Anne Moore.
3526 Magnolia, Suite 200
St. Louis, MO 63118-1134
The proceeds of this year’s tour will go toward the maintenance of the
Off 314-772-6263
South Grand Streetscape and the restoration of the main fountain pond
Fax 314-664-4776
and ruins in Tower Grove Park.
Cell 314-440-6263
gamblemoore1987@ yahoo.com
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
We recently had the great pleasure of eating at two wonderful restaurants
that we strongly encourage you to visit!
La Pizza
Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill
La Pizza is well worth the drive! This
charming and intimate, family owned
pizzeria was voted best pizza by St.
Louis Magazine.
Hand Tossed, New
York Style Pizzas range in price from
$11.00 (14”) to $15.50 (18”) plus extra
for toppings. The Roberto (pepperoni,
sausage, hamburger, ham, bacon,
capicola, garlic, black olives, green
pepper, mushroom, and onion = 16” for
$24.50) is delicious—if you like meat
of course! They also serve stromboli,
calzone, salads, heroes, and Pepsi Cola!
This yummy eatery is offering Sunday
specials!
CG’s has Pasta, Entrée
selections, and Classic Neapolitan
Pizzas from $12.00 - $15.00 and each
meal is “served with your choice of
House or Caesar salad or Soup.”
The Penne Borghese (Penne pasta
prepaed in a pink cognac sauce with
onions, fresh parsley, and prosciutto)
is particularly pleasing! Families are
welcome. Enjoy!
8137 Delmar Blvd. (at Old Bonhomme)
University City, MO 63130
314.725.1230
5226 Shaw
St. Louis, MO
314.772.8898
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Compton Heights Kid’s Club
On the last Sunday of every month, we would like to invite all the children of Compton Heights
(Ages 5-12) to meet, greet and play with other children in the neighborhood at Grand Point.
Weather permitting, we will be organizing a game of kickball, soccer, kick the can, capture the
flag and other child friendly event we can think of from 3:30pm-5:00pm. At the point we will
provide water and all the equipment needed to play. We would like to get an idea of how many
children would be interested in participating and feel free to contact me at
[email protected] to let me know how many of your children would be interested in
joining us. Our first opportunity to do this will be coming up on February 28th and we
hope that we can get as many of the Compton Heights children involved as possible. Parents
are also welcome to come out to meet and greet with other parents in the neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Peter W. Gunther
Come and Play!
DAWN JUNGERMANN
2908 Accomac
Dawn and her husband Kim moved to Compton Heights in September of 2001 when their
daughter, Eva, was just turning one. When first moving to St. Louis in the 1980’s, Dawn rode
her bike through the neighborhood and imagined someday living there.
With over 26 years of design and management experience in the field of Environmental
Graphic Design, Dawn developed, designed and managed large scale wayfinding directional
systems for projects such as the DePaul University, UIC Pavilion, Metro, Washington Dulles
International Airport, Baltimore Washington International Airport, Waterfront at SeaWorld,
Superhero Land and Cartoon Village at Warner Bro’s Movie World as well as Ursa’s Café at
Washington University.
University projects include comprehensive signage and wayfinding systems for the University
of Missouri-Columbia, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, ADA signage update for
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and Southwestern Illinois College at Belleville,
standardization of signage for the dining services at Washington University, and the extensive
Donor Recognition program for Logan College of Chiropractic. Formerly the Creative Director
and Project Manager at Hellmuth Obata & Kassabaum in Washington D.C. before returning to
St. Louis, Dawn’s ability to manage and direct teams in multiple tasks produced successful
interior and exterior signage and wayfinding systems for the National Archives II, the Naval
Intelligence Center, and the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center.
Her work has been recognized the Society of Typographic Arts, AIGA and the Addys, and
published in Novum, Identity magazine, the Print Design Annuals and the Print Digital Design
and Illustration Annual.
Dawn attended Indiana University and Purdue University and graduated with a Bachelor
of Arts from Purdue University. She is a member of the Society of Environmental Graphic
Design and has served on the Board of Directors for the Historic Chatillon-Demenil Mansion,
and The Wilson School.
Her husband, Kim Jungermann, is an –architect in the Healthcare Division with The Lawrence
Group. Eva is a 3rd grader at The Wilson School. They have one dog, Donald, a cat, Nike and
a nest full of birds!
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Sidewalks at
Grand Point
The sidewalks at Grand Point, as
many have noticed, are rough to
traverse and are often covered
in mud. Because this area is the
entrance to our neighborhood,
the CHNBA has started to look
at the cause of these problems
and possible solutions.
Some of the individual sidewalk
panels are curled (this is actually
a technical term). Curling, such
as exhibited at Grand Point,
occurs when the top of the slab cures more quickly than the
remainder of the concrete. This indicates that when the
sidewalk was initially installed, it was not properly cured. More
information is available at http://www.concrete.org/Technical/
CKC/troubleshooting/articles/052.htm. This site is authored by
the American Concrete Institute, the experts of all things related
to concrete.
Some of the other panels are cracked beyond repair. This cracking
can be attributed to breaks in the concrete as a result of the
curling, or shrinkage cracks – again from improper curing.
If drainage were the sole problem, slab jacking might be an
option; however, the board does not believe it wise to spend
money slab jacking a dilapidated sidewalk. There is a total of
17 out of 55 sidewalk sections that surround the Grand Point
that are curled or cracked and would need replacing. There are
several other sections that are marginal at best. The problem is
heightened because of lack of drainage. Our property within the
point is at a high elevation; the city’s Right of Way is also higher
than the sidewalk. Therefore, the water and mud cannot drain
away. The mud and water on the sidewalk lead to a slippery
sticky mess; of course, this winter, on several occasions, this
water turned to ice. As mentioned in the president’s Message,
we are seeking quotes for repair/replacement of the sidewalks
and some general grading to improve the drainage. We are also
considering renewing the landscaping in the area and painting
the flagpole.
In the next newsletter, we hope to update the neighborhood
on the status of the bids and also look at the sidewalks along
Compton, near Geyer.
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2010
COMPTON
HEIGHTS
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
Easter Parade and
Egg Hunt
SUNDAY
APRIL 4
1:00 pm
OPERATION
BRIGHTSIDE
SATURDAY
APRIL 10
10:00 am
FUND-RAISING
EVENT
to provide ramps at
the sidewalks at the
Grand Point.
watch for more on
this event!
For contact information please refer to the Buzz Book.
CHNBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2010
BILL BRUSH JR.
President
THE GRAND ENTRANCE PILLARS
Celebrating 100 YEARS!
With their new tuckpointing, they should
be around for another 100 years!
JIM ZARUCCHI
Treasurer
GREG ZAVAGLIA
Neighborhood Standards
BILL BRUSH JR.
Safety and Security
HAROLD BLACKORBY
Neighborhood Relations
Web Master
DAWN JUNGERMANN
Membership and New Neighbor
Newsletter/Publications
JON REYCRAFT
Real Estate
Historian
PUDDY SCHWARZE
Historian
GREG KLASS
Buzz Book
JEFF HILL
Beautification
PETER GUNTHER
Fund-raising
Newsletter Notes
The newsletter is distributed to every resident in Compton Heights, local elected officials, and
area businesses.
Board members contribute articles of interest pertinent to his or her committee assignments, and
there is usually a message from the President. Also included are reports from Board members who
chair the following committees: Beautification, Fund-raising, Neighborhood Relations, Neighborhood
Standards, Safety & Security, Historian, and Real Estate. Non-Board member residents are also
encouraged to submit articles of general interest to residents. All articles are subject to editing at
the discretion of the Editor.
Businesses can advertise in the newsletter at the following rates:
Business Card - $10 (2”tall x 3.5”wide)
¼ page - $20 (5”tall x 3.5”wide)
½ page - $40 (10”tall x 3.5”wide) or (5”tall x 7.5”wide)
Full page - $80 (10”tall x 7.5”wide)
Camera-ready artwork and articles should be e-mailed to the Publications chair of CHNBA.
Next articles and artwork are due by April 22nd.
www.chnba.org
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