Bridgeton was a fantastic place to grow up and continues to be a wonderful place to live. Why do I like it here? Well, there are many reasons. Here are my top 5!
4th of July
One of my favorite Bridgeton traditions is going to the 4th of July Parade. I love how we are able to pull in people from neighboring cities and have them join as well. We are able to see how incredibly diverse our community is. My wife and I have not been blessed with children yet, however, seeing how happy our friends children are seeing the floats and giant trucks is always a magical experience. Grabbing breakfast at Lehmann’s Landing before the parade and lunch at La Gloria afterwards are both fantastic add-ons to the experience as well.
We cannot forget about the evening. Attending fireworks at BMAC is a tradition I have practiced as long as I can remember. The fireworks are cool, but it is the sense of community that really brings me to this event every year. I see so many people I have known my entire life. Whether it be talking to an old neighbor, checking up with friends from elementary school, or checking in with my old Elementary school PE teacher (looking at you Mr. G), there is something special about putting a blanket on the field and just relaxing with your community.
Waste Pickup
This is a privilege that I do not think gets enough credit in Bridgeton. We have Trash, Recycling, and Yard Waste pickup weekly. Instead of paying for it every few weeks it is covered by taxes. That is incredible to me! I have friends that live around the area who are constantly complaining about their providers and how much it costs. Luckily that is something we do not need to worry about living here. We also have limb pickup which is extremely helpful after storms. With how busy life is, I am very thankful that this is all handled for me. I just need to remember to put my bin out for pickup weekly.
Parks and Rec
The Bridgeton Park Department is fantastic. We have so many parks and I thoroughly enjoy visiting them. We also have a fantastic public outdoor pool and an extremely nice indoor pool WITH A WATERSLIDE! Eight year old Stephen is super jealous of that indoor pool! The recreation center is wonderful as well. Providing an affordable place to rent a room for a party and a gym to exercise at. I might be a bit biased because I have known some them most of my life, but the staff up there are pretty cool as well.
Street Department
The Bridgeton Street Department is one of the best performing street departments in the Saint Louis area when it comes to dealing with ice and snow. I have driven up to Schnucks on the Rock Road numerous times while friends of mine living in Saint Charles are stuck at home because their roads were not cleared nearly as well. One thing I hope to do if elected is arrange a ride along with the street department during a snow storm to learn about what all goes into the job and see first hand what we can do to continually support our their work.
Pattonville School District
Going to Pattonville really shaped me into the person I am today and I am hoping to send children of my own there some day. Not only is the quality of education extremely high, but the district truly represents the community around us. Pattonville is also a district teachers WANT to work in. Getting a job there is no easy task, and because of that, you know they are able to keep and attract the best our area can offer.