Ferguson Observer

Mike Palmer, by Sherry Loesch

My name is Sherry Loesch. Many of you already know me, but for those who do not, I own 811 South Florissant Road, where I own and operate Ferguson Style and Spa. I am a 50 year resident of Ferguson and my business has been in operation for 30 years.

My salon has served as a hub for community connections, ideas, concerns and celebrations since 1992. My daughters and I realize the extensive benefits of living, working, and learning in a diverse community for all racial and ethic groups, and have built a thriving business based on those beliefs.

I, like so many residents and fellow business owners, are deeply concerned about the direction of our Town and frustrated with the lack of progress we are seeing. My job entails much more than making people look better and feel better about themselves. My job is about connection and building relationships with all kinds of folks and I talk to everyone that enters, whether they are my client or someone else’s. I listen a lot. People are worried about so many issues in our community, such as the lack of police presence on our streets and neighborhoods, the sound of gunfire that can be heard daily, the condition of our commercial buildings along Florissant Road that we all have to drive past to get anywhere. People express concerns about the number of abandoned homes in their neighborhoods or homes with multiple code violations where nothing is being done to correct them. What can we do as residents and business owners to reverse this scenario which seems to worsen with every passing year?

The first and foremost action we need to take is to elect individuals that have the ability to not just talk about getting things done but actually possessing the focus, determination and knowledge to change the trajectory of our ailing community. On April 5th we have an election, and in that election we will be voting for some propositions regarding the entire St Louis County, but more importantly, we will be voting for City Council members that will be strategic in guiding our city Government. The responsibilities of a City Council member is to propose, pass and ratify laws and ordinances as well as manage budgets. As you can imagine, the right City Council members could make or break a City like Ferguson. It is extremely important that we elect individuals that are the most viable candidates for our cause. These individuals need to be capable of deep commitment and passion and possess a vision for the future, as well as be able to advocate for each and every one of us. I live and own a thriving business in Ward 3 and I am asking for your vote to elect Mike Palmer to our City Council on April 5th.

What you need to know about Mike Palmer: To start with, Mike was born and raised in Ferguson and attended Ferguson-Florissant public schools, and graduated from McCluer High school. After that he attended Florissant Valley Community College and earned 10, yes 10 associates degrees in various subjects. At a very young age he made a decision to remain in Ferguson and began his long journey of residential rehabilitation. To date he is responsible for rehabbing over 160 residential properties, which consequently has had an enormous impact on our real estate values overall. He is responsible for rehabbing or renovating 9 commercial buildings on South Florissant Road and adjacent streets. He currently has over 25 commercial tenants and is responsible for attracting 20 of those businesses to Ferguson as well as 5 existing businesses that were currently doing business in less than ideal properties. Mike has literally changed the landscape of our business district as well as our neighborhoods.

Every day I watch his crew descend upon this town like worker bees maintaining and improving everything in their path. However his passion extends beyond his own investments. His crew has improved the aesthetics of our parks, cutting grass and cleaning up trash on the weekends to help our understaffed Public Works department. He and a group of volunteers took on the renovation of our very dilapidated train caboose next to the library. The list goes on and on.

My point here is that Mike Palmer is heavily invested in this community on many levels. It’s his home and his life. Everything he touches turns into something better than it was. His journey has been focused on this community, its residents and businesses for his entire adult life. Mike is also concerned and frustrated with the direction or lack of direction we are currently experiencing in our local government. He is focused, determined, possesses limitless resources, boundless knowledge and has a vision for Ferguson’s future that goes beyond his own financial interests, and if elected to Council on April 5th, will undoubtedly change our direction and begin to repair and heal our broken city.

Every once in a while communities are fortunate enough to have a “Mike Palmer”, so please join me on Tuesday, April 5th to cast your very important and necessary ballot in our local election.

If you are in need of transportation in order to cast your vote or would like further information
you can call 314-514-5431.

Sincerely,
Sherry Loesch

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