By J Kerner

The simple answer is: we all are. Whether you prefer the original St. Joseph as laid out by trapper/trader Joseph Robidoux, the shortened St. Joe, the shorter still St. Jo, or even the much maligned Joetown…, well, I guess you could say that collectively, Joe is us.

So here we are kicking off a new bi-weekly publication dedicated to all things Joe. As it says in the masthead: the people, places and events that make St. Joe cool. And damn it, it is cool!

Joe loves to have a good time. We come out in droves for any kind of festival or parade. Provide a little music and fry up some funnel cakes and we’ll be there. But before you try to define us too narrowly, it’s important to note that we also support the arts. Our symphony and community theater productions are well attended and vitally important to who we are.

Joe loves to eat. Sure we get excited when Olive Garden comes to town, but when company shows up we still take them to the Hoof and Horn. Or Jerre Anne’s. Or the D & G. Or Barbosa’s. Or…well, you get the idea.

Joe loves kids. We support our schools financially as well as emotionally. We anxiously await word on improved test scores, and cheer our heads off when local kids kick the tails of some snooty Kansas City school. We’ve got a fabulous treasure on the east side of town in Missouri Western State University, just waiting for the community to finally embrace it as we should.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to sell St. Joe as some kind of Midwestern utopia or anything. We’ve got issues like anyplace else. First and foremost, Joe has an attitude. I don’t know how it started, but for generations there has been this self-depreciating sense that “anywhere else must be better,” “the out-of-town candidate is somehow more attractive,” and, “our best and brightest have to go elsewhere to reach their potential.”

These attitudes are pervasive, and not easy to overcome, but slowly and surely, you can feel things starting to shift. Progress is messy and change is hard, but if you pay close attention, you’ll notice things happening all over town.

Who, five years ago, could have imagines the developments on the North Belt? And the South Belt, too, for that matter. Downtown is becoming a residential area again, and the Uptown Development will continue to clean up a problem area and drive people west.

The Regular Joe is here to shine a spotlight on these and other changes. We want to raise our voices in a big “Hell yes!” for quality arts and entertainment options. We intend to raise our fists in support of intelligent progress and improvements to our community. We will also be raising an editorial middle finger at the “nattering nabobs of negativity” whose pronouncements of doom and gloom attempt to cloud the vision of those who want and expect more from our town.

So come on, all you Joes out there. The train’s not flying down the track yet by any means, but it’s definitely moving. Climb aboard. There’s plenty of room and we’re saving you a seat every other Thursday.