The first day of classes in the Ferguson-Florissant School District has been postponed, following the shooting death of Michael Brown and its aftermath. Classes were scheduled to begin Thursday but the district announced late Wednesday that school will now start on Monday.
On its Facebook page, the district said the decisions was made "In order to allow additional time for the situation to stabilize and for all of our students and their families to resume normal routines ... "
This week’s events in Ferguson are also having an impact on other planned activities. Some events are canceled while others are taking on new meaning.
The city has canceled all Thursday arraignments at Ferguson Municipal Court, as well as an Aug. 19 trial. All those involved will be notified of their new court dates.
Two events connected with the University of Missouri-St. Louis have been scratched: today’s Lunch Trolley providing transportation to Ferguson restaurants, and a BallUp basketball competition scheduled for Saturday.
But this Saturday’s Ferguson Farmers Market will go on as planned, from 8 a.m. until noon. According to Farmers Market manager Marveena Miller, “We opened after the [June 2013] tornado and we’re opening this Saturday.”
Among the fruits and vegetables will be a new item organizers hope will nurture the community: T-shirts that read “I heart Ferg.”
The shirts cost $10, of which $5.50 of each sale goes to the Ferguson Youth Initiative, which provides activities and engagement for young people. Miller said 100 T-shirts are ready to go and 100 more may become available.
Ferguson officials confirmed that Monday’s mid-day Food Truck gathering is still scheduled to go on.
Follow Nancy Fowler on Twitter: @NancyFowlerSTL
