GRIFFIN March 2024

VOLUME IV | ISSUE 1 MARCH 2024 CWEA SINCE 1958 Page 13 First-Ever Griffin Crossword Puzzle Page 5 What’s going on with those old Kingshighway buildings? Page 9 Rosati-Kain Rises Again Forest Park East Waterways project nears finish line: New sustainable, scenic and visitor amenities By Abby Wojcik Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis have made significant strides in connecting Forest Park’s east waterways and completing trans- formative improvements as a part of the 1995 Forest Park Master Plan. The East Waterways Project is the largest and final phase of the non- profit’s Forever Campaign. Under this $10.5 million campaign, three of the park’s lakes were restored and improved with better access to shorelines and new visitor ameni- ties. Round Lake was reopened in November 2023 to its originally de- signed depth with a new, all-season fountain lighted at night for visual interest. This lake dates from 1876 when Forest Park opened, and the original fountain dating back to 1917 is being preserved. Construction at Bowl Lake that be- gan about a year and half ago is almost Rendering by SWT Design shows Jefferson Lake with a cascade waterfall and visitor plaza surrounded by a restored meadow. finished, with expectations to be filled with water in this spring. A new, green hexagonal education pavilion — the park’s first shoreside pavilion — sits along a recreational path. Jefferson Lake will see the biggest transformation. The popular fishing site is being enlarged, reshaped and completely re-imagined. There will be a boardwalk and picnic pavil- ion, replacing the fishing dock, and an overlook along Clayton Avenue above a beautiful, cascading water- fall feature. The changes are intend- ed to create more natural fishing op- portunities and scenic enjoyment. The final phase of the East Wa- terways Project is building an un- derground connection for water between Bowl Lake and Jefferson Lake. These two standalone lakes will recirculate water through un- derground pumps and motors that and through the waterfall itself. “It’s almost like a fish tank,” de- scribed Dave Lenczycki, director of park planning and projects at For- est Park Forever. “We’re recirculat- ing the water within the fish tank, and then also by having waterfalls and cascades, that aerates the water and that improves water quality and prevents algae. and the fish and the habitats love it. That was the full vi- sion of the master plan, to have this beautiful, linear, connected water- way system.” The additional sustainability ef- forts include rain gardens with very deliberate, Missouri-native plant- Continued on Page 15 Continued on Page 8 By Nicki Dwyer The Many Lives of The Muny’s Mike Isaacson When Mike Isaacson moved to St. Louis in 1982 to attend Saint Louis University, he never expected to stay. “I was directionless,” he said, “but I kept meeting people, finding jobs and a sense of com- munity here, especially in the CWE, where there was a sense of energy and excitement. The neighborhood has always felt like home to me. St. Louis is a fascinating city. This is a much easier place to love if you aren’t from here. I don’t know what it is — it’s ridiculous to me —but I’m tired of fighting it.” After graduating from SLU with a degree in English and journal- ism, Isaacson landed a job working on publications for McDonnell Douglas. When he learned that Jeff Fister — who also worked for McDonnell at one time — and his family had purchased the West End Word , he asked if he needed a theater critic. “Yes,” Fister replied, “but I can’t pay you.” Isaacson said, “That’s okay, I just want the the- ater tickets.” That fortuitous barter is what Isaacson credits as one of the reasons he’s where he is today, as artistic director and executive producer of The Muny. Isaacson eventually left McDon- nell Douglas to go back to his alma mater to work for university Presi- dent Father Lawrence Biondi. He continued writing theater reviews for additional papers including The Riverfront Times , St. Louis Post- Dispatch and national publications Stagebill and Playbill . The theater critic whose life has be- come immersed in the theater 24/7 is completely self-taught. “I didn’t grow up in a family who knew what any of this was,” he explained. “We moved around a lot, and the library became my home base. I was the library kid drawn to cast albums, liner notes connected to scripts, and theater re- views. I also loved music and played the flute and clarinet.” While in high school, Isaacson subscribed to Vari- ety , which he found fascinating. During his senior year, he wrote an entire scene for a play, and when the director abruptly walked off stage during rehearsals, Isaacson took over and thought, “okay, this is interesting, this is what I know how to do.” While he was at SLU, the theater department wasn’t producing mu- sicals, so a group banded together to stage their own. “I became the theater producer putting the pieces together. That was another interest- ing avenue, but I never thought it could be a living. I knew I never Abby Wojcik photo Mike Isaacson Nicki Dwyer photo Mailing Label