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CN: March 18, 2015

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March 18, 2015

Showcasing North County Recipes

Hop into Spring

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Around Town

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Artists in the Marketplace

Vendors and visitors interact at the 2014 Greater North County Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase and Taste of North County. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, March 21.

Photos by Doug Garbs

The Greater North County Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase and Taste of North County set for March 21 By Sara Hardin The 27th Annual Greater North County Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase and Taste of North County will be taking place this Saturday, March 21 at the James J. Eagan Center in Florissant. The Business Showcase provides an excellent opportunity for businesses in the North County area to share information about services and products that they provide with people in the community. For no cost, attendees can visit 60 different vendor booths and interact with North County business owners. For only $5, those who attend can also take part in the Taste of North County and sample dishes from 12 different restaurants in the area. Elizabeth Wade and Dhari Pearson are the co-chairs of this year’s business showcase, and are optimistic about the opportunities that it will provide for both the event’s attendees and the businesses themselves. “Businesses in this community have a wonderful opportunity to meet members of the community and hopefully gain new business,” said Wade. “The past couple of years have been very successful for our businesses that have participated in the showcase. It’s just a great event, and it only costs businesses $95. For $95 they’re advertising to over 1,000 people of the community that are coming to the event. The showcase allows owners from a large variety of businesses to connect with members of the community. Anything

from restaurants and shops to schools, banks and accountants will be present at the showcase ready to answer questions and provide information about their services. “We have 60 venders that want to get out in the community to display their products and build relationships with the people that live around them and that are potential clients,” said Pearson. “It’s a very low cost to the businesses to get great exposure; it is a rare opportunity to get exposed to that large of a potential customer base. Many residents don’t know what kind of businesses are in their community, and it gives them an opportunity to get out and take a look at the different businesses for no cost.” There will be a number of new businesses participating in the showcase, along with restaurants that are new to the area that will be providing samples of their products in the Taste of North County, such as Sweetie Pies Kitchen and Phat Boys BBQ. With 12 different restaurants to scour and sample, the Taste comes at a great value. “We’re going to have 12 great restaurants with a variety of different foods,”

Feature Section

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Camp & School Guide

School said Wade. “It’ll fill you up for just $5” Kids are also welcome at the event, and various activities and games will be available for their entertainment. “We will have a kids’ room that is sponsored by Ferguson-Florissant School District, and there will be balloon artists, face painting, coloring books and games for the children,” explained Wade. The event will be held from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Admission for the Taste is $5 for adults and $2 for children 10-and-under. If you are looking to gain knowledge about valuable resources in your area and fill up on some delicious food at a low cost, then the showcase is the right place for you. “It is a wonderful event to attend for such a low cost,” said Wade. “It’s a great way to get information about people here in the community that would be excellent resources for whatever it is you may need.”

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Vol. 17 No. 11

In This Issue...

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Around Town STLCC to host career fair and more.

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Feature Section Camp & School Guide

8

School PHS seniors honored for accomplishments and more.

10

Business Florissant announces new CVS location and more.

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Business Showcase and Taste of North County

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Movie Cybill Shepherd stars in faith-based “Do You Believe?”

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Learn and Play Take a peek at the local author spotlight and check in with Cindy Moore.

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Sports Local sports with Gary B.

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Recipes Hop into Spring with Easter Desserts.

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What’s Happening Classifieds Over the Fence Joe Morice brings his unique views to the Community News.

March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

UMSL breaks ground on new Patient Care Center The College of Optometry at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, which began 35 years ago, had been promised new facilities almost since day one of its existence. And now it is getting one in the Patient Care Center. “This is a project that has been sometime coming,” said UMSL Chancellor Tom George. “It’s what I would call the first step of a dream. And the dream is something even larger that’s going to involve both optometry and nursing.” About 150 optometry students, faculty and alumni, and members from throughout the UMSL, nearby and legislative communities gathered at the former Ward E. Barnes Library to celebrate the groundbreaking of the $17 million, 48,000-squarefoot center. Through floor-to-high-ceiling glass, those in attendance had a climate-controlled 180-degree view of the frozen, snow-covered South Campus earth. It was the next best thing to being outside. “You’ve heard of air guitar,” said College of Optometry Dean Larry Davis, grinning. “We’re going to do air shovel.” And the 16 dignitaries did just that, playfully pantomiming a dirtless dig ceremony. The actual location of the Patient Care Center will be adjacent to the Music Building on South Campus along Natural Bridge Road. “The site that we are going to construct is the site of the old Normandy Hospital,” Da-

Photo courtesy UMSL-August Jennewein Larry Davis, dean of the College of Optometry at UMSL, speaks at the groundbreaking for the new Patient Care Center to be built on campus.

vis said. “Many of you will remember that from the past. It has come full circle. The community will have health care available there again in the not-so-distant future.” St. Louis-based ICS Construction Services will break ground on the Patient Care Center as soon as the ground thaws with an anticipated completion date of fall 2016. The center, designed by HOK, will consist of 32 eye exam and treatment lanes, nine primary health-care treatment rooms and space for lease partners from complementary health disciplines. The project is phase one of a multiphase

project that, when finished, would bring the College of Nursing and College of Optometry together under one roof. Much praise at the groundbreaking ceremony was heaped upon the College of Optometry administration for their creativity in finding funding for the project and especially the college’s students who overwhelmingly voted in favor of shouldering a student-fee increase to help pay for the center. “They recognized the need, and they stepped up,” Davis said. “And this project is really their project.”

Watson hopeful Ferguson Commission will create “blueprint of what to do” Byron Watson, a police officer at St. Louis Community College Police, hit the ground running after being appointed to Gov. Jay Nixon’s Ferguson Commission in late December. Within days he was taking part in late night conference calls, and on Jan. 10, was part of the Youth Speak Commission event held at STLCC’s Florissant Valley campus. It was there that his role on the commission became clear. “As the young people left the podium after speaking, one of the things I noticed was that they felt like they’d been heard. We have to tap into that,” Watson said. “You have to give people hope. When people lose hope, society pays.” Watson was chosen for the commission because of his background in both law enforcement and community engagement. Watson served for 27 years with the St. Lou-

is County Police Department before joining STLCC in 2008. During his 27 years with the county police, Watson served as a community relations officer and as supervisor of the Community Policing Unit. He was part of organizing and developing more than 100 Neighborhood Watch programs. He also served as the Drug Abuse Resistance Education/School Resource Supervisor. Since 2010, Watson has been assigned to STLCC’s William J. Harrison Education Center. “My work in the schools and with the community is what Gov. Nixon said impressed him the most,” Watson said. “What I bring is that I know both sides. I know how to build bridges between the community and the police. That is the perspective I bring to the commission.” Watson said Nixon told him while he was looking for an additional law enforcement

perspective on the commission, Watson’s background in education, community engagement and law enforcement made him a better choice than an active duty member of the St. Louis Country Police Department. Watson was recommended to Nixon by Kevin Ahlbrand, Ferguson Commission member and president of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police. In addition to his overall role, Watson serves on the commission subcommittee focusing on municipal courts and police. Watson believes this his day-to-day interactions with STLCC students will pay dividends for both the commission and the college. “I’m going to be a sounding board for our students,” Watson said. “They are going to feel like they have a voice in this process. It shows that we as a college have skin in the game.” The commission has been charged with delivering recommendations to Nixon by Sept. 15. While the commission members recognize that their task is challenging, they also realize that they are playing an important role in moving the St. Louis community forward in a positive way. “Change doesn’t happen overnight. Do we have all the answers? No. Are we making progress? Yes. We are uncovering some of the issues that are driving some of the anger and some of the frustration,” Watson said. “The eyes of the world are looking at St. Louis, and we can either be a blueprint for what to do, or a blueprint for what not to do. We hope this is a blueprint of what to do.”


www.mycnews.com • Community News • March 18, 2015

STLCC-Florissant Valley to host Spring Career and Networking Fair St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley will be hosting a Spring Career and Networking Fair 10 a.m.-1 p.m. March 31, in the Student Center Multipurpose Room. The campus is located at 3400 Pershall Road in Ferguson. Sponsored by Career and Employment Services (CES) at Florissant Valley, the fair gives jobseekers a chance to meet with a wide range of employers to discuss full-time, part-time, and internship positions. “The Career and Networking Fair offers a wonderful opportunity for students, alumni, and community members to meet with area employers and learn about jobs and internships,” said Michela Walsh, Florissant Valley’s manager of career and employment services. “Our last career fair had approximately 200 job seekers in at-

tendance who were able to connect with over 80 employers. More than 84 employers will be present to speak with job seekers and to establish an employment network. Job search candidates can talk with employers in a number of industries including non-profit, hospitality, customer service and healthcare. Jobseekers are required to dress professionally and should bring a supply of resumes. In addition to organizing career and job fairs, CES offers tips on conducting successful job searches and interviewing skills, assistance with writing resumes and cover letters, as well as an assortment of career preparation workshops. For more information, contact Walsh at 314513-4543.

Sherwood Forest receives inaugural award from the American Camp Association Sherwood Forest became the very first recipient of the annual Eleanor P. Eells Excellence in Research in Practice Award from the American Camp Association (ACA). Mary Rogers, Executive Director of Sherwood Forest, accepted the award at the 2015 ACA National Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Since 1976, the American Camp Association has been recognizing camps who deliver outstanding programs to youth and their families through its Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence, which SherSubmitted photo wood Forest also received in Sherwood Forest became the very first recipient of the annual Eleanor P. Eells Excellence in 2005. This year, a new award Research in Practice Award from the American Camp Association (ACA) thanks to its Book Club category was added: the Eleanor program. P. Eells Excellence in Research in Practice Award. Sherwood Forto life the experiences that the characters in the est is the inaugural recipient. book were having.” The Sherwood Forest Book Club program for Outdoor Living Skills instructors teach Book third graders is designed to help children read at Club participants activities such archery, fishing, or above grade level by inspiring a love of read- and fire-building which mirror those found in ing and writing, while also building basic literacy the Book Club books. skills. It helps to reduce the impact of learning With the help of an outside evaluator, Sherloss between school years, when academic reten- wood Forest has conducted extensive research tion is low. on the efficacy of its Book Club. They have found “In 2010, as more research about summer that participation in the Book Club results in imlearning loss became available, we wanted to find proved vocabulary, as well as improved attitudes a way to help our kids learn to love reading, so regarding both academic and recreational readwe developed the Book Club,” said Rogers. “We ing. knew we wanted the Book Club to be fun, and Rogers said, “We (often) see our kids reading we didn’t want to replicate the classroom experi- (at camp), but we wouldn’t have known the Book ence. We identified books that were focused on Club was actually effective without the research outdoor adventures, and we found ways to bring behind it.”

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Doctor to receive medal from St. Louis Society for the Blind & Visually Impaired Napoleone Ferrara, M.D., a famed molecular biologist and Distinguished Professor of Pathology at the University of California - San Diego Moores Cancer Center who pioneered new treatments for cancer and age-related macular degeneration, will be the 64th recipient of the internationally esteemed Leslie Dana Gold Medal. Dr. Ferrara will be presented with the Leslie Dana Gold Medal by the St. Louis Society for the Blind & Visually Submitted photo Impaired in ceremonies on April 25. Napoleone Ferrara, M.D. will be The Leslie Dana Gold Medal, an honor the 64th recipient of the interof global distinction, has been awarded nationally esteemed Leslie Dana by the society since 1925 to many of the Gold Medal. world’s most highly-respected scholars and clinicians for commendable service in eyesight research, ophthalmology, vision sciences and social services. Society President David Ekin, ACSW, LCSW, said, “Presentation of the Leslie Dana Gold Medal to Dr. Napoleone Ferrara will highlight his extraordinary career of achievement that includes developing treatments for cancers and development of a drug that is highly effective at preventing vision loss in intraocular neovascular disorders.”

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March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

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Reinvest North County Fund partners with the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation The Regional Business Council (RBC) and North County Incorporated (NCI) announce that the Reinvest North County Fund is partnering with the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation to provide administrative support for the fund. “The Fund has grown beyond our expectations,” said Kathy Osborn, executive director of the RBC. “Having the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation provide administrative support for the Reinvest North County Fund will allow us to focus our efforts on supporting the small businesses and schools.” The RBC, in partnership with NCI, organized the Reinvest North County Fund as an immediate business response when civil unrest began in Ferguson last summer. To date, the Fund has raised more than $600,000 to help nearly 60 small businesses, along with the Normandy Schools Collaborative, the Ferguson-Florissant School District,

the Riverview Gardens School District and the Jennings School District. Donations are still encouraged. “We at North County Inc. put our energy and enthusiasm into launching the fund to help our community” says Rebecca Zoll, president and CEO of NCI. “Now it is time for the fund to evolve and mature. The Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation is an important addition to the process. We are confident in them as a new partner; they will do a stellar job.” “We are honored to bring the focus and diligence of the Saint Louis Community Foundation to the Reinvest North County Fund,” says Amelia A.J. Bond, president and CEO of the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation. “This is a fund that resonates and serves a special need in the North County area and the Greater St. Louis region.”

Ferguson-Florissant will place no tax increase bond issue on ballot The Ferguson-Florissant School District has announced it will seek a no tax increase $31 million bond issue, Proposition I, in the upcoming April 7 election. If approved, Proposition I would fund upgrades to the district’s infrastructure including security improvements, building repairs and renovations. The bond issue would also upgrade classroom technology to help the district deliver innovative instruction and learning opportunities that prepare students for 21st century careers, including conversion of a district school into a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) Learning Center. The no-tax increase bond issue will allow the district’s tax rate to remain unchanged and will provide the funding needed for capital improvements over the next four years. “At no additional cost to taxpayers, Proposition I will continue the stabilization and improvement of the school district,” said Rob Chabot, President

of the Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education. “It will allow the district to maintain our current balanced budget and maintain the operating budget for classroom instruction while funding muchneeded improvements to our infrastructure and technology.” “If Proposition I fails, Ferguson-Florissant’s facilities and technology will not have the support they deserve to prepare our students for college and careers,” continued Chabot. “Furthermore, the district’s operating budget – the portion that pays for classroom instruction and supplies – would need to be used to pay for critical maintenance and repair needs, diverting funds for programs and services for our students.” The district’s last bond issue was approved in 2010. Projects funded by that measure will be completed in the summer of 2015. A four-sevenths majority (57.14 percent) is necessary for passage of Proposition I in the April 7 election.

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State Education Commissioner tours PHS Missouri Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven visited Pattonville for the second time in a month when she toured Pattonville High School on Feb. 23. The state’s top education official visited with some of Pattonville’s business partners who are integral to the high school’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs and Photo courtesy Pattonville School District then toured individual Commissioner Dr. Margie Vandeven visits with teachers and students working on robotics projects at classrooms, where she Pattonville High School. met students and participated in brief question were not available in many high schools in Misand answer sessions. Vandeven’s visit focused on souri. Pattonville’s biomedical, computer science and The commissioner last visited Pattonville on engineering programs. Business partners in at- Jan. 23, when she toured classrooms at Drumtendance included representatives from Ameren, mond Elementary School and learned more BJC Healthcare, Boeing, Daugherty Business So- about the school’s work with proficiency-based lutions, Lion and the U.S. Navy. learning. Since 2013, Drummond has been pilotPattonville students shared with Vandeven ex- ing proficiency-based learning as a way to help periences they’ve had which have helped them all students meet or exceed grade-level proficiengrow as individuals - experiences such as de- cy. With this program, educators implement a signing apps, building and improving robots, “learning level” structure that creates customized and working with the elderly in a nursing center. learning to help students move from where they Vandeven told students they were “really fortu- are in their learning to where they need to be in nate” for the type of opportunities they have at order to reach proficiency or higher in English Pattonville High School because such programs language arts (ELA) and math.


www.mycnews.com • Community News • March 18, 2015

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Hawthorne Players’ “The Wiz” receives 16 Arts Home Builders Association donates $11,000 to for Life Best Performance nominations On Feb. 6, Arts for life and the Theatre Recognition Guild announced the Best Performance Award Nominees for 2014 Metro-St. Louis Community Musical Theatre, and Florissant’s own Hawthorne Players received sixteen nominations for its production of “The Wiz,” winning the most nominations of any of the 42 eligible shows. Award winners will be announced on June 7 at the 16th Annual Best Performance Awards held at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade High School. “The Wiz” was nominated for Best Large Ensemble Musical Production. Other nominees are Marc Strathman: Best Music Direction; Jamell Jacobs: Best Choreography: Nancy Crouse: Best Set Design; Dominic Laury: Best Lighting Design; Jean Heckmann and Tracy Newcomb: Best Costume Design; Emara Neymour: Best Lead Actress (Dorothy); Kevin Chris Minor: Best Featured Actor (The Scarecrow); Paul Herbert Pitts: Best Featured Actor (Tin Man); Kimmie Kidd: Best Featured Actress (Aunt Em/Glinda); Renee L. Fenner: Best Photo by Jim Wolfe Comic Actress (Addaperle/Masked (From left) Emara Neymour (Dorothy), nominated as Best Lead Actress and Kimmie Priestess); John Leggett: Best Cam- Kidd, nominated as Best Featured Actress (Aunt Em and Glenda). eo Actor (The Wiz); Selena Steed: singing Actor (Soldier Messenger); and Darren Best Cameo Actress (Evililene); Rennell J. Park- R. Wilson, Sr.: Best non-singing Actor (Royal er, Sr.: Best non-singing Actor (Uncle Henry/ Gatekeeper/Head Winged Monkey). Lord High Underling); Robert Doyle: Best non-

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U.S. VETS – St. Louis

Submitted photo

On behalf of the Home Builders Charitable Foundation (HBCF), 2015 HBA President Jeff Schindler of McBride & Son Companies (left) and HBCF contributor Kim Hibbs of Hibbs Homes (right) presented an $11,000 donation to Bill Wallace, executive director of U.S. VETS – St. Louis. The donation will be used to replace windows at the U.S. VETS – St. Louis’ site. U.S. VETS is the largest provider of housing and programs for homeless and at risk veterans in the country. There are 12 U.S. VETS sites across the country. The St. Louis site also caters to homeless veterans’ families. Currently they are completely full with 26 veterans and 16 of their family members including 12 children who all live on-site. The HBA is a local trade association of more than 500 member firms representing the residential construction industry. The Home Builders Charitable Foundation, the HBA’s charitable arm, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing housing assistance to people or organizations with special shelter needs.


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March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Senior Tip: Beware the ‘Click Jackers’ Move over all you computer hackers, the “click jackers” are here, intent on becoming the crime bosses of the Internet. Hackers break into your private digital information so that they can use it for all sorts of nefarious purposes. The jackers trick you into allowing them to actually take over your computer. Here’s how they do it, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens. There you are, innocently surfing the Web or checking your email, when suddenly your eye is caught by an interesting link. It takes your fancy because you are interested in the topic the link suggests. Perhaps

it’s the latest news about your favorite movie star or a chance to win big bucks just for clicking. If you do that, you might almost hear the click jackers shouting “gotcha!”Your click enables the bad guys to use your computer to do all sorts of fraudulent business like online shopping and banking, leaving you holding the bag. So, make sure your computer security applications can detect this new type of threat. In addition, advises AMAC, don’t fall for the scam in the first place. Ignore all messages that mysteriously pop up on your favorite Web site and delete - don’t open-those odd, unexpected emails that arrive in your inbox.

STLCC-Florissant Valley alum to participate in Artists in the Marketplace Program Michael Shultis, a 2008 graduate of St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, has been selected to participate in the Bronx Museum’s Artists in the Marketplace (AIM) program. Now in its 34th year, the AIM program provides professional development opportunities to emerging artists who reside in the New York metropolitan area. The program consists of a 13-week seminar that addresses practical concerns, and cultivates networking opportunities. Every two years, AIM introduces the work of 72 artists to a greater audience via exhibition and catalogue. Participating artists are encouraged to build their networks through the program’s collaborative structure. Shultis is also a finalist for FLOW.14 in New Photo courtesy STLCC York. Ten artists will be selected to create in“Huddle Up Ladies” by Michael Shultis. stallations for the Randall Island Park using a $10,000 stipend. ticipated in the Ox-Bow SAIC Summer Program After graduating from STLCC, Shultis earned a in 2009. He continues to maintain a studio in New bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the PennsylvaYork City, and works at David Zwirner Gallery. nia Academy of the Fine Arts in 2012. He also par-

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Community college honors North County leader Dr. Rance Thomas, professor emeritus of Criminal Justice/Sociology and President of North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice, was honored with the announcement that Lewis & Clark Community College had established a Rance Thomas Scholarship for criminal justice students at the college following his speech on an update of the Ferguson situation. This honor was bestowed upon him at the Annual Minority Affairs Dinner concluding the monthly celebration of Black History Month of which he was instrumental in organizing at the college many years ago. This scholarship was established in his name due to the many organizations, people, and social justice causes in his lifetime of service – service to Lewis & Clark students, faculty, and community. Thomas graduated from St. Louis University with a Ph.D. in sociology and with a major in criminology and complex organizations in 1985 and retired from the college in 2002.

Youth In Need receives $1.5 million for Early Head Start expansion The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Youth In Need an Early Head Start Child Care Partnership and Early Head Start Expansion grant. The only recipient in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area and just one of three grants awarded in Missouri, Youth In Need will receive $1.5 million of a $500 million allocation to fund the expansion of its St. Louis City Head Start and Early Head Start program. The grant funds the addition of 120 new infant and toddler slots at nine child care partner sites in St. Louis City. “This grant will increase the quality of infant-toddler care throughout St. Louis City and County,” said Melissa Chambers, Vice President of Youth In Need’s St. Louis City Head Start and Early Head Start program. “By offering low-income families with infants and toddlers these wraparound services, we’re supporting families who are working and/or going to school. We’re strengthening the family as parents learn to become their child’s best teacher.” With this new grant, Youth In Need now will be providing Head Start and Early Head Start services to 1,364 children and their families in St. Louis City and St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren and Montgomery Counties.


www.mycnews.com • Community News • March 18, 2015

School

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Lullaby Inn Learning Center set to open new location Lullaby Inn Learning Centers are licensed through the state of Missouri to provide childcare services. The first center opened Dec. 7, 2009 and quickly reached its maximum capacity in Lake Saint Louis. The second location in Saint Ann is set to open in April of 2015. Lullaby Inn provides care to children ages 6 weeks to 12 years. They offer an exceptional program at an affordable rate, while meeting the needs of both the parents and the children. Lullaby Inn Learning Center recognizes each child as an individual that needs specialized care. We understand that the early-childhood years are the most crucial years of a child’s development. It sets the pathway for a lifetime of learning. We provide programs which are developmentally appropriate within our safe and nurturing environment. We recognize that children learn at different rates and we are dedicated to implementing a curriculum that meets the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development needs of all our children.

At Lullaby Inn Learning Center we have implemented a curriculum that weaves together art projects, music, storytelling, math games and science experiments around a monthly theme. The parents will be involved in the curriculum and will receive a parent letter monthly that will allow them to be aware of what is being taught in their child’s classroom. The goals of our curriculum are to: • Allow children to learn through hands-on experiences. • Provide children with the greatest opportunity to develop social skills. • Create a safe and nurturing environment that promotes the maximum level of learning. • Provide activities that focus on helping children develop socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually.

• Teach children about the process of learning; not the product. • Encourage independence and assist them with reaching age-appropriate milestones.

How to make the most, academically, of your child’s summer break Tammy Noel | Sylvan Learning of St. Charles County-St Peters & Wentzville Within 24 to 48 hours after learning new concepts, students often begin to forget information unless it is reinforced or applied immediately. That’s why, during summer break, even the best students forget lessons they have learned during the school year. While a break from school is great for recharging your children’s batteries, if students aren’t using the skills they acquired in the classroom, they could find themselves lagging behind once the school bell rings again. The education experts at Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, offer recommendations to inspire academic discovery when away from the classroom. Writing - To help writing skills, encourage your child to start a diary or write letters to a grandparent or friend. If you are traveling on a vacation, ask your child to keep a travel journal recording where you stayed and what you did. At the end of every day, talk through the activities with your child and help him or her with a journal. It not only improves writing skills, but also creates great family memories. Mathematics - Helping mom or dad with grocery shopping develops opportunities to use math skills, such as making change, weighing fruits and vegetables, etc. Providing assistance with cooking can also familiarize children with weights and measures, organization and planning and following a recipe. Perhaps you and your children could make a special dessert for the whole family. Help children pick a recipe, create an ingredients list and go shopping together. Reading - You can’t start too early. You can’t read too much. Reading to young children nurtures an interest in language, words and communication. For older kids, reading together can be fun and interesting. Children also learn by example. If parents are setting time aside to read, it reinforces the fun and enjoyment of reading. Local libraries offer infinite resources for children. Librarians can recommend books appropriate for your child’s reading level and interests, and many libraries offer free children’s programs and clubs.

Research – There are an abundance of sites that provide summer reading lists for children. At www.BookAdventure.com, children (grades K-8) create personalized books lists from more than 7,500 recommended titles, take quizzes on the books they’ve read at school or at home, and earn points towards prizes for their reading comprehension. The program is designed to motivate students to read more often, for longer periods of time and with greater understanding. Analysis and Logic - Many family games and puzzles are not only fun, but help children to develop and reinforce skills. A simple card game can involve mathematics, analysis and logical thinking. Be sure to select games appropriate for your child’s age level. Summer Enrichment Programs - There are many enrichment activities available for children when school is out-of-session. Sylvan Learning offers engaging programs that keep the interest and fun in learning alive through the summer and into the school year. Visit www.SylvanLearning.com for additional information. For additional educational resources for children in grades pre-K through 12, please visit www.SylvanLearning.com or call 636-441-1212 St Peters and 636-887-0885 for Wentzville Tammy Noel is the Executive Director at the 6 area Sylvan Learning Centers, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. With 30 years of experience and more than 900 centers located throughout North America, Sylvan’s proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning. Sylvan’s trained and Sylvan-certified personal instructors provide individual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan helps transform kids into inspired learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do better in everything else. Visit www.DrRickBlog.com to share your personal academic experiences and comment on academic trends. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www. SylvanLearning.com

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March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Three FSD students will be among 150 youth making the historic trek from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama Three Ferguson-Ferguson School District students will be among 150 youth from throughout the nation who will make the 54-mile historic trek from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama on March 20-25. The students – DeAnna Harper, a senior at McCluer North

High School; Emani Irving, a junior at McCluer South–Berkeley High School; and Vaughn Ross, a senior at McCluer High School – will participate in the iconic walk as members of the “Walking Classroom” in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the voting rights march. The “Walking Classroom” is sponsored by the National Park Service and is designed to provide a memorable, lifechanging experience for participants. Through discussions with the actual foot soldiers of the march, participants will learn of the strife and sacrifice that was endured to secure voting equality. The journey, which will begin in Selma on March 20 and conclude on the capitol steps in Montgomery on Wednesday, March 25, will provide participants an opportunity to reflect and share with their

peers and a broader audience the ongoing struggle for human rights, the impact of the events of 1965, and the residual influence those events have upon the nation and world today. The district received an invitation to participate in the “Walking Classroom” through its work with the National Alliance for Faith and Justice and the Pen and Pencil Initiative. Social studies teacher Michelle Grigsby will join the students on the journey. During the five days and nights of the march, participants will camp as marchers did historically, with sleeping bags and in tents. Each night participants will attend educational sessions led by guest speakers and performers. Through this immersive learning experience, the students will gain a greater appreciation for the physical and emotional toll such a trek took on marchers nearly 50 years ago and build an emotional and personal connection to history.

Walker Elementary principal and teacher shave heads for charity

www.cuw.edu/career-night

Dr. John Koeneker, Walker Elementary principal and Jason Cox, Walker Elementary Instructional Specialist had their heads shaved during their Wildcat Assembly March 6. The students raised $6559 for the American Heart Association Jump Rope for Heart. The school goal was $4000. Dr. Koeneker and Mr. Cox said they would shave their heads if the students met their goal. Photo courtesy Hazelwood School District

PHS seniors touted for accomplishments while pursuing college

www.mercy.net/UCHazelwood

Four Pattonville High School seniors were recently recognized during a school faculty meeting for their accomplishments while pursuing college admissions. Max Bodde has been accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point after being nominated by U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner (Missouri’s second district). Last year 13,827 seniors Photo Courtesy Pattonville School District applied to West Point, but only 4,120 re- Pattonville High School students were recently recognized at a faculty meeting for their accomplishments as they pursue college after graduation. Shown are, from left, Danielle Hinojosa Sada, Christian Maness, ceived nominations Arael Rauls and Max Bodde. from their congresstive Northwestern University in Evanston, Illimen and women. Of those nominations, only 1,257 were accepted. nois (north of Chicago). Northwestern typicalDanielle Hinojosa Sada applied for the ly receives more than 33,770 applications, and QuestBridge Program, an extremely competi- its early decision program accepts only about tive program that assists high school seniors 12 percent of those who apply. Arael Rauls’ Preliminary SAT (PSAT) score in matching with colleges/universities around earned her a spot to move forward in both the country. Each student must have a stellar academic record and be an active leader on the National Merit Scholarship and National their campus. Last year 12,818 students ap- Achievement program competitions. She replied to the QuestBridge program and 4,773 cently earned finalist status in both programs. received finalist status. Of those, only 440 Rauls chose the University of Texas at Dallas were matched with a university. Hinojosa Sada as her match school. As a result of her finalist was matched with Pomona College in Califor- status, she will earn over $150,000 in scholarnia and will receive a full-ride to a school that ships to attend the university of her dreams. Only three percent of African-American stucosts more than $60,000 per year. Christian Maness applied early decision to dents taking the Preliminary SAT earn Nationand received a coveted spot at the highly selec- al Achievement status.


www.mycnews.com • Community News • March 18, 2015

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Pattonville drill team places second in state

NCCS Student of the Month Ivy Sta. Maria was honored as Student of the Month at the Northwest Chamber of Commerce membership meeting on Feb. 11. Ivy is a senior and has attended North County Christian School since eighth grade. She maintains a 3.98 GPA, on the Principal’s List four years, junior class student council representative and senior class secretary. Ivy serves her church as a nursery worker and usher. She has also participated in several overseas mission trips through her church and NCCS. Ivy plans to attend either STLCC Florissant Valley or Meramec Branch to earn her associates as a Physical Therapist Assistant. Congratulations Ivy, from all your friends, family and the staff at North County Christian School.

School

Submitted photo Pictured left to right are: Garalyn Farmer-Principal, Brian GoldmanChamber President, Ivy Sta. Maria-Student of the Month and Dr. Greg Clark-Superintendent.

Cold Water Elementary named a State School of Character by Character.org Cold Water Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District was named a State School of Character by Character.org, a national advocate and leader for the character education movement and Character Plus, the Missouri affiliate of Character.org. The distinction recognizes Cold Water Elementary as a school that has demonstrated its use of character development to drive a positive impact on academics, student behavior, and Cold Water’s climate. “Cold Water has implemented components of character education into our students and staff ’s daily routines,” said Dr. Christa Warner, Cold Water Elementary Principal. “Character.org and Character Plus have created a state and national discussion on the importance of character in education. I’m pleased that Cold Water is being recognized for our efforts and I hope other schools will follow our example and participate in this program to enhance students’ lives.”

Cold Water is one of only 80 schools nationwide chosen for this honor. “This is a very prestigious honor for Cold Water Elementary students, teachers and staff,” said Dr. Grayling Tobias, Hazelwood School District superintendent. “I am so proud of their achievement. It shows our community, our state and our nation the positive impact focusing on academics, student behavior and school environment can have on student achievement.” Character.org was founded in 1993. The national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. works with schools and districts to inspire, educate and empower young people to be ethical and engaged citizens. Character Plus is a resource of Education Plus, formerly known as Cooperating School Districts in the St. Louis metro region. Cold Water Elementary moves on to the national evaluation process. In May, Character.org will announce the 2015 National Schools/Districts of Character.

Photo courtesy Pattonville School District Pattonville High School varsity drill team members are shown with their second-place state trophy after the Missouri State Dance Team Championship.

The Pattonville High School varsity drill team placed second in the Class 5A division during the Missouri State Dance Team Championships on Feb. 28 at the St. Charles Family Arena. The team placed second in the state after earning a first-place trophy for its pom routine and a second-place trophy for its hip hop routine in the 5A division. Earlier in the season, the drill team placed 12th in the nation at the National Dance Team Championships in Orlando, Florida. They competed against 52 teams in the small hip hop category. The team also finished in the Top 20 out of 72 teams in the small pom category. Members of the team are Erin Bailey, Brittany Bell, Samantha Byrne, Anise Glenn, Katie Greenwell, Maddie Hunsaker, Briana Kitchell, Katelynn Maierhoffer, Amber Maxwell, Jerica Robinson, Kyla Robinson, Chelsea Sharp, Natalie Siegel, Brianna Westmoreland and Samantha Yancey. Katie Funderburk is the head coach and Grace Burgos is assistant coach.

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Business

March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

SSM DePaul VP of Operations recognized for honor Tina Garrison, vice president of operations at DePaul Health Center, has been named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 class of 2015. In 2001, Garrison joined SSM Health Care as an intern and in her 13-year tenure, has steadily progressed through management roles within the SSM system. In 2012, at the age of 36 Garrison was named Vice President of Operations for SSM DePaul Health Center and assumed Photo courtesy SSM DePaul Health Center operational responsibility for the largest hospital in the SSM Tina Garrison Health Care St. Louis network. SSM has a formal executive mentor program and Garrison was asked to serve as an executive mentor to a newly appointed Vice President of Operations in one of their Wisconsin hospitals. She provided guidance to the new executive in areas of leadership, operations and organizational culture. Active in the community, Garrison is a member of the Northwest Chamber of Commerce and was named a North County Incorporated’s “30 in their 30s” award winner in 2013.

www.stcharlesconventioncenter.com

www.gibsonprinting.com

Florissant announces approval of new CVS location On March 9 the Florissant City Council approved the re-zoning of the property located at 696 & 698 N. Hwy 67 to allow for a new CVS Pharmacy, which will operate a 24-hour drive through pharmacy, retail and medical clinic. The new pharmacy is to be located on 1.49 acres where the former Culpeppers restaurant was located in the Florissant Meadows Shopping Center and includes 13,225 square feet 60 total parking spaces and drive-thru services.

Submitted photo

This is the second new CVS Pharmacy in the city of Florissant.

Greater North County Chamber selects Outstanding Business Person of the Year The Greater North County Chamber of Commerce recently selected John Ortwig, owner of Florissant Glass and Old Town Wedding Chapel in Old Town Florissant, as its 2015 Outstanding Business Person of the Year. Ortwig, who has been a member of the Chamber since 1987, will be recognized at the annual Outstanding Business Person of the Year and the 60th Anniversary of the Greater North County Chamber on April 17, beginning at 6 p.m. at Norwood Hills Country Club.

Ortwig started Florissant Glass in 1972 and bought Old Town Wedding Chapel in 1990. His involvement with the community began at a young age. He was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus as Chief Squire in 1958 at the age of 18. He played softball and helped with barbecues for the Elks and that is where he became knowledgeable about what the Elks do for the community. He joined the Elks in 1969. He was a trustee for 18 years, along with being the chairman of the trustees. He received the Citizens of the Year Award two times and was Elk of the Year in 2014. He has helped build floats for the Valley of the Flowers parade for the Elks, worked with DARE, and helped with the robot that was used for DARE. He ran the Hoop Shoot and is now in charge of Bingo at the Elks. He also was on the building committee when the Elks built their building in 1983

Submitted photo John Ortwig was recently selected as the Greater North County Chamber of Commerce 2015 Outstanding Business Person of the Year.

at 16400 New Halls Ferry Road. Ortwig and his wife, Lynda, have six children, 18 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The cost of the event is $60 per person, which includes dinner and a two-hour open bar. Reservation deadline is April 3. For more information, call the Chamber office at 314-831-3500 or visit www.greaternorthcountychamber.com.


Business Showcase and Taste of North County

www.greaternorthcountychamber.com

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March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Business Showcase and Taste of North County

www.JoinSelectProperties.com

www.trinitycatholichigh.org

www.villagenorthretirement.org


Business Showcase and Taste of North County

www.mycnews.com • Community News • March 18, 2015

www.ridgetopexteriorstl.com

https://twitter.com/@mycnews

www.stygar.com

www.LCCA.com

www.centurypa.com

www.commercebank.com

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Business Showcase and Taste of North County

March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

The following businesses will be featured at the Greater North County Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase, featuring a “Taste of North County” AAA Auto Club of Missouri

Ferguson-Florissant School District

Paul Cerame Auto Group

Alliance Credit Union - Jennings Branch

Firehouse Subs

Phat Boys BBQ

Florissant Police Department

Preferred Family Healthcare

American Family Insurance

Florissant Valley Kiwanis

Ridge Top Roofing & Siding Inc.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.

Fort Bellefontaine Memorial A.L. Post 335

Right Handyman Service

Golf Club of Florissant

ASA Christian Academy

Special School District

H&R Block

Baucom's Precious Memories Services

SSM DePaul Health Center

Hazelwood School District

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Helfer's Pastries & Deli Café

St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley

Select Properties

Help At Home Inc.

Care Assist In-Home Services

Hospice Advantage

St. Louis County Library - Lewis & Clark Branch

Catering To You Banquet Center

Johnny Londoff Chevrolet

Stygar Family of Funeral Service

Central Bank of St. Louis

Life Care Center of Florissant

Sugar Pines Apartments

Christian Hospital

Sweetie Pies Kitchen

City of Florissant – City

Lutheran Senior Services at Hidden Lake

Commerce Bank

Mattingly's Sports Bar & Grill

The Bridge at Florissant

Community News

Mercy Clinic-Internal Medicine Graham Road

The Lipton Group

Mississippi Valley Roofing, Inc.

Trinity Catholic High School

Mustache Mikes St. Louis Italian Ice

US Bank

Nimmons Wealth Management North County Christian School

Village North Retirement Community & Health Center

O'Charley's Restaurant

Vivi

Papa Murphy's Pizza

Wilsing Design & Desserts

APEX Financial Credt Union - Florissant Branch

www.cateringtoyou.com

Complete Auto Body & Repair Dooley's Florist & Gifts Dr. Adam Howell Eagle Springs Golf Course Emerald Star Event Cleaning Emerson Fmaily YMCA

www.alliancecu.com

Federation of Catholic Schools

Sam's Club

TGI Friday's

The Rice House

Gayla Jackson, MD As a part of your Mercy Clinic team, Dr. Jackson wants to help you do more of what you love. Whatever you need to be healthier, we’re here to help. Mercy Clinic Internal Medicine 243 Dunn Rd. Florissant, MO 63031 314-831-5000

Your life is our life’s work. mercy.net www.mercy.net

www.eaglesprings.com

www.ExploreCatholicSchools.com

www.northtechnical.org


www.mycnews.com • Community News • March 18, 2015

Movie

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By Steve Bryan

Cybill Shepherd stars in faith-based “Do You Believe?” Though she thought the script for “Do You Believe?” was very moving, actress Cybill Shepherd was a little confused when her manager first contacted her about the faith-based project. “I thought my manager was saying ‘face-based.’ But I had to do it: it was a part I have never played. I gave myself a chance as an actor to play that arc with wonderful actors and just a great script,” Shepherd said during a roundtable interview. “It was very moving. I didn’t feel it was proselytizing at all. I feel the message it is sending is very solid.” “Do You Believe?” looks at the current state of faith through a handful of characters. Shepherd said her character, Teri, is stuck up in her grief over losing her daughter. “She doesn’t believe in God. And it kind of reminds me of my mother. When her mother died, my mother said ‘I don’t believe in God. If there was a God, He wouldn’t have taken my mother then,’” the actress explained. “My mother kept saying ‘You’ve got to come see your grandmother.’ I felt that my grandmother almost was gone.” As it turns out, Shepherd’s grandmother wasn’t gone, so she went to Memphis to see her: “And she didn’t seem to hear me. But she died a week later. It’s funny how these things work out where you go ‘Wait a minute. Go see your grandma.’” When her own mother died, the actress continued, she had hospice care and the death she wanted: “She was comfortable. The hospice nurse was the one who called me. Well, my brother called me and said ‘Now come home because your mother will recognize you.’ That’s when I left the Broadway play ‘The Best Man.’” There were also times that Shepherd didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to someone important. This came up when talking about one of her favorite films: Emile Ardolino’s “Chances Are.” “That was one of my most wonderful experiences with a director. And then I called him, and I didn’t get a call back. It turned out he died of AIDS. He was that generation where you just died. They hadn’t figured out how to keep people alive,” she said. In “Do You Believe?” Shepherd’s character is married to J.D., played by Lee Majors. J.D.’s faith is much stronger than his spouse’s. “Lee Majors is a consummate professional. We had a way of talking about the scenes: we didn’t talk about them. We just figured where we are together. It didn’t take a lot of talk. It was a very wonderful experience working with him,” she said. The climactic scene of the film involves most of the cast on top of a bridge. Once again, Shepherd was grateful for her steadfast co-star.

www.byerlyrv.com

“It was very dangerous what we were doing, out on a bridge in the freezing rain. And dealing with that car on that thing. I didn’t know what a gimbal was. Thank God for Lee Majors because he’s been in a bunch of them. He was very calm,” she said. “Do You Believe?” begins its theatrical run on March 20. Born and raised in South St. Louis, Steve Bryan is now based in Anaheim, California, and has been allowed access to movie and television sets to see actors and directors at work. Though his writing has taken him far from St. Louis, Steve is, at heart, still the same wide-eyed kid who spent countless hours watching classic movies at neighborhood theaters.

“Do You Believe” photo courtesy of 10 West Studios

www.seniorshelpingseniors.com/stlouiscentral


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Learn & Play

March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

By Cindy Moore

Dressed for suck-cess Something interesting popped up on the Internet last week – no, not another wacky cat playing the piano. In case you missed it, a two-toned dress went viral. It seemed America was divided. Some people saw black and blue, while others swore it was white and gold. Science says it had to do with the way human eyes and brainwaves interpret the color of something. To me, it definitely appeared black and blue while my husband saw white and gold. The debate caused raging calamities, strife and contention— kind of like when my husband and I battle over the TV remote. I married a man who is colorchallenged so this kind of dispute happens regularly in my home. Oh, he sees colors perfectly fine; he just can’t label or combine them correctly. In his world, there are three primary colors along with brown and black and not much else. In his defense, today’s colors aren’t simply called by their given names—too blah. Instead, they must be replaced by some funky noun: red becomes raspberry, yellow turns to sunrise and blue becomes ocean. Next, a few swanky adjectives must be added to further complicate things, such as, raging radical raspberry or misty morning sunrise. Is it any wonder the poor man’s confused? Just the other day, he tried to go out in public sporting a frightening outfit purchased from the Ringling Brother’s used clothing outlet for visually-impaired clowns. “Where do you think you’re going?” I demanded “Out,” he said.

Cindy Moore is the mother of three superlative kids, servant of two self-indulgent felines and wife to one nifty husband. Her ficticious occupation? Archeological Humorist: someone who unearths absurdity and hilarity in strange and unusual places including public restrooms, the lint filter, and church meetings. Most recently, she excavated a find in her neighbor’s bird feeder. The opinions expressed in this column are Cindy Moore’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.

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“Dressed like that?” “What’s wrong with this?” “What colors are you wearing?” “Brown and green?” “Try again. That is a camel-tone plaid shirt with vibrant vintage violet stripes and flecks of mellow summer mango, which in no way coordinates with your ghastly windblown, summer-grass chinos. It violates every color code ever written into law and could get us both sentenced to a life of hard labor at the penitentiary by the fashion police.” “I’m just going to the lumber store.” “Are there people at this store?” “Possibly a cashier or two.” “Exactly…people. People with eyes and snarky opinions that will see you and think, “What kind of crazy wife is he married to who would let him dress like that? Go change.” “What should I wear?” “Something trendy. Try blue and black.”

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Local Author Spotlight: Becky Lewellen Povich In May of 2001, when Becky Lewellen Povich was in her late 40s, she discovered she could write. Since then, she’s had numerous publications, including stories in “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books, other anthologies, newspapers and magazines. Becky’s biggest dream and goal was to write and publish her memoir. It finally happened in November 2013. Hey, it only took her about 12 years! In “From Pigtails to Chin Hairs A Memoir and More” Povich takes the reader from her young Metro East childhood in the 1950’s to present day St. Peters. Each chapter is a scene from everyday life and/ or unexpected events written in the way only Povich can. She relates tales of Christmases, summertime fun, the kids next door, her fear of the dentist, plus long car rides visiting grandparents. She willingly shares the bittersweet times too, which include her parents’ divorce, a whack on her head from a falling crowbar, and her ill-fated first marriage. She also comically writes about her happy second marriage, cell phones, dishwashers and how she was born with a klutz gene.

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Learn & Play

Community Toons

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John Hanna

John Hanna is a part time, amateur cartoonist taking his first step into the world of print and online comic media. When he isn’t drawing or working at his second job, he can be seen in and around the St Charles area. If you like his work, that is good. If you don’t like it, that is good too.

Crossword Puzzle Theme: March Madness ACROSS 1. Tire pattern 6. Small lump 9. Confidence trick 13. Blood line 14. Hockey legend 15. With ample space 16. Full of vigor 17. Bearded antelope 18. Deserving of respect? 19. “Frozen” song 21. *Final Four destination 23. Bird word 24. Result of tying 25. Gastrointestinal tract 28. Type of word 30. Overthrow 35. All over again 37. Harry Potter’s mark 39. Plural of pileus 40. ____ Sorvino 41. North Pole workers 43. Precedes “pong” 44. Our mother? 46. ____-de-camp 47. *ESPN analyst and former coach Greenberg 48. As opposed to federal 50. Chronic drinkers 52. Movie theater candy 53. Do this upon a star 55. Also 57. *Do you fill this out? 61. *16, e.g. 65. Dough or cabbage 66. American Nurses Association 68. Critically 69. Early anesthetic 70. Tolstoy’s given name in Russian 71. Tsar’s edict 72. Sound of relief 73. Pilot’s deadline 74. Avatar’s creator DOWN 1. *Profile of most NCAA March stars 2. Profligate 3. At a previous time, archaic 4. V.C. Andrews’“Flowers in the _____”

5. *Host of 2015 First Four play-in games 6. Canceled 7. Mantel piece 8. *Mascot of #29 Down 9. Musical compositions for one 10. Musical finale 11. End of grace 12. Gore Vidal’s “___ Breckinridge” 15. High quality hay for cattle 20. “If it’s good for the ____, it’s good for the gander” 22. 1990s catchword 24. Puck, “that shrewd and ____ sprite” 25. *8 of these in Sweet 16 26. Uniate, alternative spelling 27. It can be firma or incognita 29. *School with most titles 31. Hearts and diamonds, e.g. 32. Applied, as in one’s trade 33. Slow, musically

34. *Elite number 36. W on a bulb 38. Do over 42. Brief fight 45. Street salesman 49. Tall tale 51. Woodlouse 54. Like old cracker 56. Japanese port 57. *What the ref did to his whistle 58. Babe 59. Advil target 60. Captain and his party 61. Mount Vesuvius output 62. Dutch cheese 63. “Or ____!” 64. Textile worker 67. *Winners’ memento See answers on page 21

www.villaatriverwood.com


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March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Sports www.facebook.com/mycnews

Well -liked Rascal player becomes coach Eric Williams’ had a six-year career in independent baseball playing outfield and drawing nearly twice as many career walks as strikeouts and owns a career .449 on-base percentage. In 2015 Williams will be in the dugout with a different title for the River City Rascals now as a hitting coach for manager Steve Brook. He has spent the last four years of his playing career patrolling the outfield for the Rascals. “I have the advantage of having played with most of our roster last year, so there is a level of familiarity already,” Williams explained. “Having built a rapport with our guys will really help get right into getting work done to get ready for the season. I’m hoping it will be a smooth transition having played with these guys last year.” “I think the advantage would be that I am familiar with a lot of the players, especially the pitchers. I am aware of their tendencies, so I can relay some knowledge that way. Also, I am familiar with the ballparks and how they play.” One of the most important responsibilities Williams will be tasked with is helping rookies transition from college to professional baseball. He believes that there are two significant challenges in the transition. “The obvious change is metal to wood (bats). Hitting with wood is a little different and sometimes takes a bit to make the adjustment.” The equipment change is not the biggest concern of Williams, though. The pitching is more talented at the high level. “Also, professional pitchers know how to pitch, not just throw. Certain swings can get by in college baseball due to the metal bat and a lot of mistakes by the pitchers, but it will become a lot more challenging when pitchers mix it up more and control both sides of the plate,” Williams comments. * Great transition St. Louis Rams trade Bradford for Foles Head coach Jeff Fisher and the Ram’s organization decided to part ways with the former highly-paid draft choice after talks with the Philadelphia Eagles were completed. Bradford goes to

the Eagles and the Rams receive their quarterback Nick Foles. How many years did Foles play for the Eagles? A) 1 B) 3 C) 5 D) 6 E) 7 How many games did Foles play in last year before he broke his collarbone? A) 2.5 B) 4.5 C) 6.5 D) 8.5 E) 10 Answer at end of article. * And the new era begins History made in the water at Lindenwood Women’s swimmer Alecia McGillivray made Lindenwood history on Wednesday evening when she captured a NCAA Division II Individual National Championship. Her victory in the 1000-yard freestyle at the National Championships was the first NCAA title for a Lindenwood athlete. “I am excited that I went out and swam a fast time, and accomplished a first place for my team,” said McGillivray. “I can’t wait for the rest of the meet and continue to prove that Lindenwood is a force to be reckoned with.” McGillivray, a sophomore from Flower Mound, Texas, was the third seed in this year’s 1000-yard freestyle race after qualifying with a time of 10:03.53. In the very first final of the 2015 national championship, McGillivray trailed early, but took the lead after 550 yards. She would never trail anyone in her heat again as she held a narrow lead for the rest of the race. * Thanks to Lindenwood’s Tyler Scheller-Sports Information Graduate Assistant ANSWER TO BROOK TRIVIA: B) 3 and D) 8.5

Tune into Your Health Plus Radio Show, Every Saturday at 8 a.m. on KSLQ 104.5 FM For more information go to www. YourHealthPlus.info. One-hundred percent natural products to help focus, reduce stress, more energy, curb your appetite, healthiest coffee, anti-aging serum and more… Gary Baute, a St. Louis native, may be educated in business but he lives and breathes sports. As a fan or an athlete, Gary is all sports all the time. He hosted a radio sports program on KFNS, emceed the River City Rascals’ inaugural season, and co-hosted SportsRadioSTL.com, among many other activities.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News • March 18, 2015

Recipe:

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Hop into Spring with Easter Desserts

From full-course brunches to simple sit-down dinners, Easter celebrations are a time to enjoy family, friends and the delicious tastes of spring. However elaborate the festivities, a rich and creamy dessert is the perfect finale to any Easter gathering.

Made from fresh milk and real cream, cream cheese is the high-quality ingredient that makes sweets stand out. These fresh dessert ideas all feature everyone’s favorite indulgence — cheesecake — along with other lively

flavors, such as coconut, lemon and blueberry. Desserts this delicious will have your guests hopping up for seconds.

Blueberry Streusel Cheesecake

Easter Mini Cheesecakes

Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 6 hours, 45 minutes | Servings: 16

Prep time: 20 minutes | Total time: 3 hours, 20 minutes | Servings: 18

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour, divided 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 cup cold butter, cut up 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup sour cream 4 eggs 2 cups fresh blueberries Directions: Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup; press remaining onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Beat cream cheese, remaining flour, remaining sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed

after each just until blended. Pour over crust. Top with berries and reserved crumb mixture. Bake 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool be-

fore removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours. Note: You can substitute cream cheese with Neufchatel cheese, or fresh blueberries with 1 (16-ounce) package frozen blueberries. Garnish with additional berries or cinnamon just before serving.

Double Lemon Cheesecake Bars Prep time: 35 minutes | Total time: 7 hours, 15 minutes | Servings: 16 Ingredients: 52 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 2 cups) 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 4 eggs, divided 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided 3 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons), divided 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 cup water Directions: Heat oven to 325°F. Line 13-by-9-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends of paper extending over sides. Mix wafer crumbs and butter until blended; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Separate 1 egg; refrigerate yolk until ready to use. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add egg white and remaining 3 whole eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on

Ingredients: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut, toasted 54 speckled malted milk eggs (about 9 ounces)

Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon over crusts.

Directions: Heat oven to 325°F.

Note: To soften cream cheese, place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 10 seconds or just until softened. Add 15 seconds for each additional package of cream cheese.

Mix graham crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter; press onto bottoms of 18 paper-lined muffin cups.

Bake 25–30 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 2 hours. Top each cheesecake with 1 tablespoon coconut; shape to resemble bird’s nest. Fill with malted milk eggs.

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low speed after each until just blended. Pour over crust. Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours. Mix cornstarch and remaining sugar in medium saucepan; gradually stir in water and remaining lemon juice until blended. Bring just to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until clear and thickened. Lightly beat reserved egg yolk in small bowl with fork until blended; stir in 2 tablespoons of hot cornstarch mixture.

saucepan; stir until blended. Cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Spoon lemon glaze over cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Use parchment handles to remove cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Note: This lemon glaze can be prepared ahead of time. Cool, then refrigerate up to 8 hours before spooning over individual slices of cheesecake. Garnish with 1/2 cup blueberries, lemon peel and fresh mint leaves.

Return to remaining cornstarch mixture in

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What’s Happening

March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Send your event to editor@mycnews.com and we'll print it! Events March 18: “A Night with the Girls” SSM DePaul Health Center is bringing the interactive format of popular health TV shows like Dr. OZ to the women of St. Louis. Women of all ages are invited to a fun night out where they can ask personal health questions and gain insight about women’s health while being pampered in a relaxed environment. Featured guests include specialists in family medicine and obstetrics & gynecology, cardiology and breast care. Event includes a spa-like experience complete with chair massages, hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting and runs from 6:30-8 p.m. at SSM DePaul Health Center May Center at 12303 DePaul Drive in St. Louis. To register or for more information, please call toll free 866-SSM-DOCS (866-776-3627). March 19: Career night Concordia University is hosting a career night at its St. Louis Center located at 10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 425 (Southwest corner of Hwy. 44 and Lindbergh Blvd.) in St. Louis at 6 p.m. for individuals who want to learn more about how they can invest in their future and expand their career opportunities. “Advance Your Career, Discover Your Calling” is the theme of this event. Speakers will discuss ways for participants to be difference makers at their companies and provide tips on finding meaningful work. Prospective students will have the opportunity to talk with CUW admission counselors to learn more about admission requirements, financial aid, program and degree options, and can tour the center. March 19: VA town hall meeting Veterans served by the VA St. Louis Health Care System and St. Louis VA Regional Office are invited to participate in a town hall meeting scheduled for 5 p.m. The town hall will serve as an open forum for veterans and a listening session for VA leadership, with the goal of ensuring veterans, their families, and beneficiaries have the opportunity to be heard, and have their concerns addressed by senior VA officials. The town hall is open to the public. The meeting will be held at the Enright Building at 3710 Enright Ave. in St. Louis – adjacent to the John Cochran VA. No registration is required and the event is free to attend.

March 20: Trivia night Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) Midwest Chapter and the St. Louis Support Group are hosting the Second Annual St. Louis Trivia Night in support of pulmonary hypertension (PH) from 6 – 11:30 p.m. at Orlando’s Banquet Center at 2050 Dorsett Village in Maryland Heights. Individual registration cost is $25 while teams of eight players are $200; Registration includes trivia, beer, wine, well-drinks, and soda. www.events.org/PHATrivia15 March 21: Coffee, Concert & Cans Event will be held at Florissant Presbyterian Church at 660 Charbonier Rd in Florissant. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Admission is three cans of food for TEAM Food Pantry. Two local bands will perform and refreshments will be served during intermission. March 22: Folk festival The 3rd Annual Folk Festival will be held at Pere Marquette Lodge and Conference Center from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and entry is free. The festival will feature stone carving and soap making demonstrations as well as kids activities such as face painting, balloon twisting, crafts and The Sadie Hawkins Day String Band is set to play. The Mary Michelle Winery will be open for wine tasting at noon and the Lodge Restaurant will be serving all day. For more information about events, Pere Marquette State Park, & Lodge visit www. pmlodge.net or call 618-786-2331. March 21: Charity dart tournament Jennings Do-Dads Charity Dart Tournament sign-up begins at 1 p.m., tournament starts at 2 p.m. at Lehmann’s Landing at 12314 Natural Bridge Road in Bridgeton. Doubles play, blind draw, double elimination with $10 pay-in per person. Cash prize to the winner. For additional information, please contact Mike Spahn at 314-378-4964 or Derek Middlekauff at 314-429-8842. The proceeds of this event will help the Jennings High School Scholarship Program. March 21: Easter egg hunt Join us for a light snack and drink with the Easter Bunny and his friends from 10 – 11 a.m. at the James J Eagan Center. Children 12 and under can enjoy a few fun activities and visit with the Easter Bunny before heading outside for an Easter egg hunt! Tickets will be

required upon entry for all children. Tickets for residents are only $1 per ticket or one canned food Item and are available at the James J. Eagan and John F. Kennedy Community Centers. Tickets must be obtained by a Florissant resident showing a valid and current resident card. Only children need a ticket. For additional information call the James J. Eagan Center at 921-4466 or the JFK Center at 921-4250. March 21: Walking event The St. Louis - Stuttgart Volksmarch Club, a local St. Louis Walking Club, will host a walking event at the Ferguson Community Center, at 1050 Smith Avenue, in Ferguson. All persons are invited to start walking anytime between 8 a.m. and noon. The event will be held rain or shine. The event is free, donations will be appreciated. There is a $ 3 fee for IVV Credit. Walks are of about three miles and six miles and offer low impact, noncompetitive, low stress, self-paced walking along a premarked route. For more information about the club and walks, activities and upcoming events please contact President Donna Dasho at 314-831-0726, email-DONAWBR@AOL.COM or visit the web site AVA.org March 21: Book signing Local author Deborah Reinhardt will be signing copies of her book “From Greif to GLORY” from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at 6 North Café at 14438 Clayton Road in Ballwin. For more information call 636-527-0400 or visit www.6northcafe. com. March 21: Taste of North County The Greater North County Chamber of Commerce and the City of Florissant will co-sponsor the 27th Anniversary of the Chamber’s Business Showcase, featuring a “Taste of North County.” from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., at the James J. Eagan Community Center in Florissant. The public is invited to attend the event to learn more about local businesses and organizations and the products and services they offer to the community. Special attractions will include health screenings and activities for children. There is no charge to attend the Business Showcase. The event will also feature a “Taste of North County,” showcasing local restaurants. An area of the community center will be roped off for this event. For a nominal fee of $5 for

adults, $2 Children 4-10 yrs, Children 3 and under are free. The chamber is seeking vendors for both the Business Showcase and the “Taste of North County.” The event is open to both chamber members and non-members. For more information on exhibitor fees, call the chamber office at 314-831-3500 or visit www.greaternorthcountychamber.com. March 21: Arts and crafts fair Sponsored by the Overland Community Center, this event will be held at the Overland Community Center located at 9225 Lackland Road in St Louis from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. This spring craft fair will feature hand-made items or items of a craft nature. A food concession will be available to customers and all vendors between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The registration deadline for all vendor applicants is March 19 and the cost for the first table, whether it is one eight-foot rectangular table or one 60” round table with twochairs, is $25. Any additional table after the purchase of the first table is $5 at table. For more information or to request an application, contact the Overland Community Center at 314-428-0490. March 22: Sausage dinner Calvary UCC on the corners of Graceland and Hartland in Sycamore Hills will host their annual sausage dinner from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The menu is pork sausage, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, sauerkraut, applesauce, bread and dessert. The cost is $10.50 for adults / $5.00 for children ages 4-10 in advance and $11.00 for adults / $5.50 for children at the door. Children 3-and-under are free. To order advance tickets contact the church office at 314-429-7464 leave your name and phone number and someone will contact you. March 26: Charity party and auction Kingdom House will host their third annual Spring Bling party and auction from 6 - 9 p.m. at Moulin in Lafayette Square. Guests will enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres while bidding on a variety of new and like-new handbags, jewelry and accessories donated by local gift shops, artisans and individuals. A live auction will showcase new designer handbags. Spring Bling tickets cost $40 in advance and $50 on the day of the event. Advance tickets are available

online at www.kingdomhouse.org; by phone at 314-260-6369; and by check, made payable to “Kingdom House” and mailed to 1321 South 11th Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63104, Attn: Jennifer Weston. March 26: Senior Easter luncheon Are you over the age of 55 and live in Overland? Celebrate the holidays with not just the family, but your fellow Overland residents in one of our famous holiday luncheons at 12:30 p.m. at the city of Overland Frank Munsch Community Center at 9225 Lackland Road in Overland. Pre-registration is required, so please contact the Overland Community Center at 314-4280490 for more information on how to sign up for this event. March 27-28: 2015 Catholic Homeschool Conference Conference will be held at Cardinal Rigali Pastoral Center at 20 Archbishop May Dr. in St. Louis. Registration for Friday only is $15 per person, and $5 per high school student. Full conference registration, for both Friday and Saturday, is $25 per person, $35 per married couple, and $10 per high school student. After March 20th, or at the door, cost is $30 per person, or $45 per married couple. Pre-registration is advised. For more info, or to register, visit www.stlouiscatholichomeschool. com, or contact Kathy Harkins at 314918-0639. March 28: Book signing Local author Chris Reimer will be signing copies of his book “Happywork” from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at 6 North Café at 14438 Clayton Road in Ballwin. For more information call 636-527-0400 or visit www.6northcafe.com. March 28: Fight for Air Climb The 2015 Fight for Air Climb is a unique fundraising event for the American Lung Association in Missouri. It’s a stair climb of the tallest building in St. Louis at Metropolitan Square; 211 North Broadway at 8 a.m. Almost ninety cents of every dollar raised goes directly to education, research and advocacy. There are four ways to participate; by starting a team, joining a team, joining as an individual or volunteering. Registration is open online at www. FightForAirClimb.org or by calling 314-645-5505.


www.mycnews.com • Community News • March 18, 2015 March 28: Razzle Dazzle Ball “Fire & Ice” Razzle Dazzle Ball, presented by Saint Louis Crisis Nursery will take place from 6 - 11 p.m. at the Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet located at191 Westport Plaza in St. Louis County.Admission is $150 per person; Call (314)292.5770 for more information or visit www.crisisnurserykids.org. Enjoy mouth-watering food and desserts, live entertainment and the presentation of the Nursery’s highest honor, the coveted H.U.G.S. & K.I.S.S.E.S. Awards. Festivities include the ultimate Champagne and Diamond Extravaganza and an exciting silent and live auction. The Razzle Dazzle Ball helps Crisis Nursery fund programs to protect children from abuse and neglect. April 18: Support Dogs Tacky Ball 2015 Event runs from 6 - 11 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront (at the Arch) located at 315 Chestnut Street. Evening includes dinner, open bar, and entertainment, live and silent auction. Cost is $150 per person. Special Hyatt reservation rates available. For more information or to make a reservation, call 314-997-2325. April 18: Legacy Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction North County Christian School (NCCS) will host their annual Legacy Dinner and Silent Auction at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The fundraising dinner will celebrate the ongoing legacy of excellence in Christian education established by the school in its 50+ year history. Dr. Glen Schultz, founder of Kingdom Education Ministries, will be the featured speaker for the event. Current families, alumni, and friends of Christian schools are encouraged to attend. Tickets are $25 per person, or $200 for a table of eight and must be purchased by April 10. Call 314-9726227 for more information or to purchase tickets. NCCS is located at 845 Dunn Rd in Florissant. April 18: Spring Trivia night Trinity Catholic High School Spring Trivia Night sponsored by the Trinity Parent Organization doors open at 6:30 p.m. and trivia begins at 7 p.m. Tables of eight - $120, beer and soda provided - players are welcome to bring in anything they wish to eat or drink. Must be 21 years of age or older to attend. For reservations e-mail Mary Pat Grumich at marypatgrumich@att.net or call 314740-2356. April 18: Trivia night In addition to trivia there will be a silent auction, games and raffles. Three beer tickets, light snacks and soda provided; no BYOB, please. Cash prize for first and second place. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., trivia begins at 6:30 p.m. at St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church at 2900 St. Catherine Street in Florissant (opposite McCluer North High School). Cost is $20 per person/$160 per table. For tickets or for more information call 314-837-7113. April 18: Walk/run fundraiser Lung Cancer Connection, Inc. will hold its 6th Annual Walk/Run at the Chesterfield Amphitheater. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The Walk/Run starts at 9:00 a.m. The cost of registration is $30 per person, $10 for kids under 10 years of age. Race day registration is $35. Individual and team participation is welcome. Awards will be given to the top three fundraisers. Enjoy clowns, face painting and other activities for the kids. April 18: Rummage sale Large indoor rummage sale will run from 7 - 11 a.m. at Florissant Presbyterian Church at 660 Charbonier Rd. in Florissant. Housewares, tools, toys, seasonal decorations, shoes, clothing and more. Parking at the rear of church. April 24: Charity gala Rainbow Village, the only local nonprofit dedicated exclusively to providing safe, affordable homes for individuals with developmental disabilities, will

host the 19th annual “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” gala at the Four Seasons Hotel. The evening features the presentation of the 2015 Tice Humanitarian Award. At the gala, guests will enjoy dinner and dancing as well as a silent and live auction. April 25: Trivia night The annual trivia night fundraiser for TEAM (The Emergency Assistance Ministry) will be held in the parish hall of Sacred Heart Catholic Church located at 751 N. Jefferson St. The trivia night is being sponsored by the Florissant License Office – Florissant Rotary Club. Entry fee is $200 per table with a maximum of eight people per team. Entry fee includes drinks, popcorn and attendance prizes. Cash prizes for first, second, and third places and best theme decorated table will be given out. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., trivia starts promptly at 7 p.m. Checks should be made payable to TEAM and mailed to TEAM Food Pantry, P.O. Box 1520, Florissant, MO 63031-1520. To register, volunteer, sponsor, or make a donation, please contact Kate Moore at TEAMFoodPantryInfo@gmail.com. April 25: Salad/bingo luncheon The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 444 is holding a salad/bingo luncheon at the Post at 17090 Old Jamestown Rd. in Florissant at noon. Cost is $12 and event consists of lunch, bingo, silent auction, raffle, 50/50 drawing and attendance prizes. Profits help support veteran projects and activities. RSVP by calling 314-868-3612. April 25: Florissant garage sale Florissant residents can haul down the clutter from their attics and treasures from their garages and organize accumulations from their barns for the 6th Annual Florissant Garage Sale which will be held at the James J Eagan Ice Rink area from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Only Florissant residents receive a space to sell. The selling of craft items will not be approved. Fill out an application and return it by April 17. Applications will be are available at the JJE and JFK Center and at www.florissantmo.com. Space is limited. The fee is $15 residents only. The Florissant Garage Sale is free to attend! For additional information call 314-921-4250 or 314-921-4466. May 2: St. Louis Strollathon The International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF), now known as Rettsyndrome.org, will host its eighth annual St. Louis Strollathon with registration starting at 9 a.m. and the walk beginning at 10 a.m. The one-mile family-friendly stroll, which will be held at Tilles Park’s Gloria Rodgers Shelter located at 9551 Litzsinger Rd. in Ladue, includes a visit from Fredbird, entertainment and food. All proceeds will benefit Rett Syndrome research. Donations are appreciated. For more information, call Strollathon chair Joyce Opinsky at 314-878-0868, email her at stlstrollathon@gmail.com, or visit the organization’s web site at www. rettsyndrome.org. May 6: Food Truck Feast Trinity Catholic’s second Food Truck Feast will take place just from 5 -8 p.m. at 1720 Redman Road in St. Louis. Six of St. Louis’ favorite food trucks will gather in the school parking lot with plenty of delicious items for you to try! A portion of the proceeds from each truck will benefit the Trinity Catholic TPO and Booster Club. All are welcome and admission is free. Tours of the school are also available before of after you eat. For more information contact Paul Manganelli at 314-972-6000. May 8: Mother and son dance Dance the night away with a little guy in your life from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Grownups (Moms, grandma, aunts, special escorts) can treat their special guests to an evening filled with fun, music, and dancing, along with cookies and punch. Formal dress is required. Tickets will be available March 30th through May 3rd, or when dance is full, whichever comes first and are $25 for residents and

$30 for nonresidents. Be sure to register early. Tickets must be purchased in advance. The event is for boys ages 12-and-under with an adult. This event will be held at the Nature Lodge at Sunset Park. For additional information call the James J. Eagan Center at 921-4466 or the JFK Center at 921-4250. May 16: Stray Dog Soiree - Toads and Tiaras A magical night of cocktails, dinner, auctions and festivities benefiting Stray Dog Theatre and youth programs. Held at Tower Grove Abbey at 2336 Tennessee Avenue in St. Louis at 6 pm. Cost is $175 per person. For more information contact 314-865-1995 or visit www. straydogtheatre.org. June 12: The Changing Landscape of Long-Term Care Conference The Changing Landscape of Long-Term Care Conference takes place at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. This all-day conference will bring together professional long-term caregivers with individuals from the community to learn dynamic strategies, innovative tools and available options. Individual registration and exhibit space is available. Contact Kristin Pendleton at VOYCE for more details at 314-9192410 or kpendleton@voycestl.org. You can also visit www.voycestl.org. June 22: Charity golf tournament Jeff Clinton Memorial Golf Classic benefitting the children of Marygrove will be held at Norwood Hills Country Club. Registration and lunch begin at 10:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 12 p.m. Dinner and auction will immediately follow tournament play. Entry fee for the four-person scramble is $1,200 for a foursome, $300 per-person and $75 for a dinner guest. For more information contact Kathryn Feldt at 314-830-6249 or kfeldt@mgstl.org. June 29: Charity golf tournament Saint Louis Crisis Nursery will host their annual charity golf tournament from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. at Norwood Hills Country Club at 1 Norwood Hills Country Club Dr. in St. Louis. The format is a fourperson scramble with shotgun start. Admission is $350 per person; teams available. For more information, call (314) 292-5770. July 1: Crafters needed Crafters Needed for the Tri-County Citizens Advisory Board to Probation and Parole Fourth Annual Christmas in August Craft Fair at Calvary Church at 3998 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters on August 29. If interested, please contact Nancy Corbin by July 1 at gpcorbin@charter.net or at 636-9160029. Recurring Events Mondays: A cappella singers Men of Harmony a cappella singers meet at Salem Evangelical Free Church at New Halls Ferry at Pohlman Road at 7 p.m. Not church affiliated. Group is always looking for new members. Call Al at 314-993-6134 for more information. Mondays: Karaoke at DeLeo’s Cafe & Deli 2782 North Hwy 67, Florissant, 8 10:30pm, 314.839.3880. Tuesdays: TOPS (Take off pounds sensibly) From 9:15 - 10:30 a.m. located at John F. Kennedy Center/Henry Koch Ctr., Howdershell Rd. at Charbonier Rd., Florissant. For more info contact Paul or Connie McConnell, 314-831-5476. Every 4th Tuesday of the month: Fort Bellefontaine Memorial American Legion Post 335 meeting 6:30pm, Fort Bellefontaine Memorial American Legion Post 335, 800 Chambers Road in Bellefontaine Neighbors. Those interested in membership are invited to attend. Every Tuesday: Bingo Evening at

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Florissant Elks Lodge #2316 Doors at 4:30pm, games begin at 6pm, Florissant Elks Lodge #2316, 16400 New Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant. For more information, call 314.921.2316. Every Wednesday: Bingo Morning at Florissant Elks Lodge #2316 Florissant Elks Lodge #2316, 16400 New Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant. Doors at 7:30am, games begin at 9:30am. For more information, call 314.921.2316. Bridgeton Trails Library Branch Programs: 3455 McKelvey Rd., St. Louis, 314.994.3300. Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. 9 months to 2 yrs. Room 1 (Lap Time); Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Ages 3–5. Room 2; Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Ages 3–5. Room 1. Florissant Senior Citizens’ Bingo Clubs: 314.839.7604. Every 1st Wednesday of the Month: Stroke Support Group 3-4pm, Center for Senior Renewal, Detrick Building 1st floor, 11133 Dunn Rd. For more information, contact Lisa Erlinger at 314.653.5331. Every Friday: Our Lady of Fatima #4429 Knights of Columbus Bingo 6:45pm, Knights of Columbus Hall, 1216 Teson Rd. in Hazelwood. For more information call 314.731.9330 Every 3rd Friday of the month: Bingo 2pm, Life Care Center of Florissant, 1201 Garden Plaza Dr. For more information, call 314.831.3752. Every Friday: The Bridge at Florissant Hot Diggity Dog Build your own hot dog. 11:30am, The Bridge at Florissant, 1101 Garden Plaza Dr. in Florissant. To RSVP, call 314.831.0988. SUDOKU answers from page 8

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Last Saturdays: Writers Workshop: 10am - 1:30pm, Baden Liberary, 8448 Church Rd., 314.388.2400 Sundays: Meat shoot Come and enjoy the meat shoots at American Legion Post 444 located on 17090 Old Jamestown Road between Sinks Rd and Lindbergh starting at noon until dusk every Sunday - rain or shine. Great meat prizes awarded. Every Sunday: Tours at Old St. Ferdinand Shrine #1 Rue St. Francois St., Florissant, 1 – 4pm, through October. Donations accepted. Docents needed. 314.921.7582, vicray01@aol.com Church Tuesdays & Thursdays: Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church GriefShare Support Group Tuesdays from 2 - 4pm and Thursday from 6:30 - 8:30pm, 11645 Benham Rd., 314.741.3737 Health Every Monday-Friday: Evening Front Desk Volunteers Needed 4-7pm, Christian Hospital, 1225 Graham Rd. in Florissant. For more information, please contact Lee Shields at 314.653.5032. Look Good…Feel Better SSM Cancer Care at DePaul Health Center, 12303 DePaul Drive. Radiation OncologyBridgeton. Attend a great makeup session sponsored by the American Cancer Society. A licensed cosmetologist teaches a session of scarf tying, shows a parade of hats, and provides each participant with a makeup kit. Light refreshments are served. Info: 314.344.6090.

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March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

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NOVENA PRAYER TO ST. JUDE May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pray for us. St. Jude, Worker of Miracles, Pray for us. St. Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, Pray for us.

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FIT!FUN! U FAB

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Missouri is home to about mosquitoes. Some live less 50 species of while others than may live several a week, months. Community Health and ment states the Environ it is only the female mosqui that “bites” and she does to so blood meal needed to lay to obtain the viable eggs. While mosqui more than drive toes usually do little the family doors to the from the outindoors, they carriers of are sometim dangerous es disea may contrac t malaria, yellowses. Humans gue, and encepha fever, denlitis; and dogs heartworm. may get Most of these the exceptio diseases, with n of canine heartwo human encephalitis and rm, have been eliminated fairly well from Health officials the entire United States. said outbrea to borne encepha ks of mosqui litis have periodic occurred in ally Missou “Canine heartwori. rm is an problem, with endemic costs to animal ers escalatin owng each warned. “Effecti year,” health officials measures includinve mosquito control g the elimina swamp areas, tion of to keep road and maintenance efforts ditches clear have done and much to control water free mosquito for disease transmission.”

!

S LOU

Schneider

o busy, e it gets to to dies, befor is the time corner. La for you. Now ovement and take a day impr se for selffun in the set a cour and to have s self-awareness n will find the answer process! Wome health, family, career, ns on at the 2007 to questio more and , image, fashion – Fun, Fit, and FabuFair at St. Women’s ay, Nov. 17, Saturd for . lous – set unity College Charles Comm rship in partne the college St. Joseph sented by ey and SSM take with JCPenn -Hospital West, will StuHealth Center a.m.-3 p.m. in the 8:30 Campus, 4601 place from on the SCC ille. dent Center in Cottlev Mall Drive the area Mid Rivers throughout reWomen from day of education, for a will gather and fun, includfood, prizes, fashion show laxation, eminars, a than 50 ing nine mini-s and more sere speaker, and keynot ts and ing produc vendors display vices. a continental seminars and exhibits and a fashion tickets include urse cial $20 VIP speaker, and full-co e in show, keynot Grappa Grill and catered by luncheon st, exhibits, the breakfa consecutive addition to For the fourththe lunchtime seminars. ey will host ages year, JCPenn with styles for all fashion show,

toes: floodwa ter and perman If you believe mosquitoes. ent water Floodwater ing problem you have a mosquito breedmosqui their eggs on damp soil where toes lay sure, please on your property, but will occur are not call the Departm flooding or, in some munity Hea ent of Comcases, above water line lth and the the in tree holes, Environme tainers, or nt. Ofartificial con- ficials will make an inspecti other small on and evaluabodies of water. tion appointment, When rain and then recomm fills these areas (ARA) and floods the possible solution. end a - National St. Charles in the larval County resident Friendship stages, broods greatest can upload s have the prevention of mosquitoes Day is Aumethod fingertips. a two-mintoes are mainly Proper maintens right at their gust 5 and - propert of the pest variety, ance of the ute video y the first to is the and are first step toward in light of emerge in the describ ing mosquito spring months prevention. All trash Many of these a recent and refuse that . mosquitoes how a close ers and may are strong flycould survey that range up to propert friend lights ten miles or more drained y should be adequately i n d i c ate s up their life graded and , to prevent a blood meal ..........3 w any o to m pools lay ........... en water that may to www.ra or puddles r story............. eggs. of last place high Cove County mosqui ten days or longer. diance ribtheir eggs directly ....................6 to control v a l u e ider.... McCauley lists on the water bons.com. officer Barry Shelly Schne several things 9 on , surface, their may do to homeowners cies in this Florissant ..........8 friendships, group do - their summekeep mosquitoes from test closes Old Olay is offering venture ruining theirTown r: breeding sites. not ..10,far11from a chance to Aug. treat themsel women Charles......... 31, ves with a trip to New Explore St. York City. in October. .................12 See MOSQUITO No Olay is hosting City . . . . ............ Town page 3 sary. For official purchase is neces........ a summer On the ......... called “Light . 414 School . . Up Your Life. contest www.radiancer contest rules, visit Chamber. .Gary . . . .Baute. . . . . . . ” .. 5 ........ ibbons.com. Women ts with Religion Spor .

‘Light Up Your invites Wom Life’ Contest en to Honor Friendships

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IN THIS ISS

a grand tic entry into al beauty basas well as automa g – a person prize drawin JCPenney. y of ket courtes emiants nine mini-s fair gives participfrom including inforcare, nars to choose e, fitness, breast exercis plastic surmation on nence, and inconti ement and urinary personal improv fitting and bra gery. Other topics include for holiday awareness “dos” “ups” and and the “spirit wardrobe, p made easy, hair, makeu

Movie Talk

........ 16 ............ . . . ... 6

St. Peters

.... Cheese . . ........ ...

7

... Better You 9 ........ It’s About .. 17 ...... 10 2139 Bryan...................... Movie Review Valley Commer cial23Dr. • O’Fallon .22, , MO 63366 eds ...................... P: 636.379.1775

Classifi topics to ercial Dr. the spirit. Valley Comm sessions (threetime frame) 2139 Bryan Seminar MO 63366 during each O’Fallon, a.m., and 1:30 choose from 636-379-1632 s a.m., 10:40 9-1775 • FX: t begin at 9:30 P: 636-37 centurytel.ne 1:15 p.m. E-Mail: cnews@ and runs until - 2007 at 11:45 a.m. 8:30 a.m. page 17 Wonderland at Christmas in the lunTAINMENT Doors open Film Group’s See ENTER feature duringigh-energy Electra in Yari and Carmen h A special a e Kattan b l l Chris lin. year wi cheon this Dan Cough by author 3 presentation FAIR page N’S See WOME

Movie . . . ........ ...... Sports . . . 12 ........ . . . . . . 14 Real Estate/A utomotive . . . . 15

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Coupon Crazy .... What’s Happen . . . . . . . . . . . 16 ing . . . . . . . . . 18 Classifieds ........ ....... 22

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2011 May/June

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24

March 18, 2015 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Over the Fence

By Joe Morice

Brand name obsessions I once sold cars during the seventies recession. I had been injured in my chosen profession and managed to get a job selling Dodges. After this experience I often remarked, “Everybody should try this for a while.” If it doesn’t make them aware of wishful thinking about automobile price markups by otherwise rational human beings, nothing will. Some folks actually believed they were marked up fifty percent by the dealer. What was even funnier was after they finally faced facts and bought a new car, they would still tell their friends they bought it for much less than they actually paid. Perhaps the strangest discovery was consumers’ tenuous fixation with brand names. While there are brands that are better than others, it really doesn’t apply to American cars as much as some folks want to believe. Yet, this phenomenon sold many Chrysler products, GM cars and Fords back in the seventies when brand name preferences often overshadowed poor quality.

Editor’s note: Joe Morice is currently recovering from illness and has taken some time off. Until his return we will run some of Joe’s favorite columns.

While I sold Dodges at one dealer, another dealer down the street sold Plymouths. Listening to a customer tell me how much he detested one and loved the other evoked major effort to keep a straight face. He had obviously never toured a Chrysler plant. If he had, he would’ve seen the same cars inching down the assembly line having Dodge or Plymouth emblems installed. Except for some minor cosmetic differences, their parts were interchangeable…or at least the ones that didn’t fall off. I once noticed a Dodge emblem on one side of a new car and a Plymouth emblem on the other. Somebody at the factory was having a little sport, apparently. In pre-Iacocca days, quality control only noticed cars that didn’t have all four wheels. After a few years of selling these dinosaurs, it soon became apparent that brand names were everything. A good friend of mine buys Fords and won’t have anything else. The Ford buyers seemed more obsessive than most, for some reason. In a shop I once ran, one of my mechanics was so fanatical about Fords; he was caught installing Ford spark plugs in Chevys. I’ve often commented on my uncle, the Buick nut. He bought Buicks all his life and fervently chattered about them. They lasted years although this may be because he seldom drove over 40 mph, if at all. Mostly, he NEW & CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED waxed it until the bugs wouldn’t stick to it. PRODUCTS UP TO 75% OFF! What I discovered was that brand-name fanatics would brag for hours about how great BUY ONE ACCESSORY, their favorite Ford, GM or Chrysler product % OFF was but keep a life-long secret of how many times they were in the shop for repairs. Valid at Direct Tools in Chesterfield, MO only through 4/15/15. Excludes gift cards, clearance, and blowout items. Cannot be I also noticed how much American car combined with any other discount or offer. While supplies last. Limit one offer per household per day. 2nd accessory must be manufacturers counted on this. It eventuof equal or lesser value than full priced accessory. ally cost them a large portion of their cusJOIN THE CONVERSATION: tomers to Japanese car manufacturers. I attribute much of this to women that had St. Louis Premium Outlets - 18521 Outlet Blvd. - Suite 525 - Chesterfield, MO 63005

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entered the working world of rush-hour traffic jams and believed American automobile brand-name preferences fell into the same category as man’s fanatical love of favorite football teams. Women wanted cars that didn’t break down and put them at the mercy of mechanics that charged them for replacing the air in their tires. Honda, Nissan, Toyota and some others capitalized on this fact. Ford, Chevy and Chrysler apparently figured ignoring it would make it go away. The Japanese won, Hirohito was avenged and the UAW fell further into denial. My new refrigerator quit after 13 months. The warranty was twelve months. After I called the repair number, a technician showed up in a van with a GE logo. My refrigerator was a Hotpoint. I didn’t buy it because it was a Hotpoint. I bought it because it was on sale. The technician told me GE owned Hotpoint. “Oh well,” I thought. “Ford bought Jaguar and Fiat bought Chrysler. GM bought…what? Better champagne for corporate jets?” This very astute technician determined within minutes that the circuit board was bad. A new one cost $160. “Yikes,” I chirped. “My old ‘fridge didn’t have a circuit board and lasted twenty years.” He obviously felt bad and told me he would try to cut me some slack on the labor. After he replaced it, he entered some information on his laptop computer and said, “You’re in luck. GE found out these circuit boards were defective and they’re replacing them at no cost.” I gratefully shook his hand and avoided asking which starving country made the defective ones. He even told me how to make my noisy dishwasher quiet again. It turns out, GE is the only remaining appliance outfit that still retains company repairmen and doesn’t farm repairs out to private contractors and to my good luck…they’re honest! It seems I now have a brand name obsession, too. Life is weird. Joe Morice is Community News’s blue-collar philosopher. He was born and raised in Missouri and spent most of his childhood on a farm and adulthood operating heavy equipment. He has no formal training as a writer, unless a lifetime of writing about any and everything counts. The opinions expressed in this column are Joe Morice’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.

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