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April 19, 2017

Fighting for kids

Around Town Ferguson Twilight Run announces 2017 Donnie White, Sr. Memorial Award recipients. P.4

Community Voices By Dr. Rance Thomas. P.2

School

Hazelwood elementary students sponsor clean water project. P.9 Earnest Hart (left) works with students (from left) Maggie Stebelman, Anna Kruger and Brendon Bay in a kickboxing class at Logos School.

Photo by Nicholas Elmes

Learn & Play

World kickboxing champion teaches life lessons to at-risk youth By Nicholas Elmes Former world kickboxing champion Earnest Hart shares a lot with his students at Logos School – his time, his skills, his knowledge, his life experiences and real understanding that life is full of adversity and challenges. But Hart said there is one thing in particular that he is most proud of giving his students. “I am giving them hope and showing them that there is a different way of getting things done,” he said. “They know you don’t have to be a tough person to be good. I have given them the tools to succeed.” As a Jehovah’s Witness growing up in the projects of St. Louis, Hart knows that it takes time to learn those lessons. “The projects were a rough neighborhood,” he said. “Every time someone would chase me and beat me up, my mother would give me a scripture to tell them. I would tell them the scripture but they would still beat. She said I just was not doing it with enough conviction.” Hart eventually learned that even scripture delivered with conviction would not keep him safe as a child, so he turned to the superhero’s he saw on television. “I eventually dressed up as Batman,” he remembers. “I thought maybe they would not notice me. I saved up 25 box tops from cereal boxes and got a Batman mask. I put on an outfit I had cut out and thought I was fighting bad guys. Unfortunately, you think they will come at you one at a time like they do on TV, but the brothers were all on me at once

and would beat me up. I had a wood hanger that was a Batarang and I would throw it at them. I had a utility belt with screwdrivers and wrenches but that didn’t work. “I was about ready to give up. I knew where my dad’s guns and knives were and was this close to getting the guns out,” he said, noting that he was saved from a path that would have likely destroyed his life by another television show. “I happened to see the Green Hornet and there was a guy on it called Bruce Lee. When I saw him it was like the sun came out. It changed everything.” Hart started exploring karate schools in the Southside but did not have the money to pay for classes. “So I taught myself,” he said. “I would hand chop people and scream and holler. I had a bible and was chopping at them. I did not have a lot of technique but I was crazy and people started to leave me alone.” Eventually, Hart found an instructor who was willing to take a chance on him. “I was looking in a window at this class and the instructor looked like Charlie Manson,” said Hart. “He started coming for the door and thought about running but he asked if I wanted to come in and watch. He asked if I wanted to take classes but I told him I could not afford it. He offered to let me clean up the school for my tuition and told me that if I did not work for it I would not respect it. Within two to three weeks, he told me I was going to be great. Nobody had ever said that to me before.”

With a strong mentor, Hart quickly advanced but he soon learned that just being tough would not get him very far. “When I started competing in tournaments and winning there were a lot of guys who were into black power,” he said, explaining that winning in a karate tournament was dependent on the judges awarding points. “I never wore black. I was respectful to the judges and I would win. I let all of my talking go into the ring. I also realized that it matters how you handle yourself outside of what you do. I learned real fast that communication skills were really important and you can learn a lot if you are real with people. If I had not been able to get that skill early on I would not be here now.” Hart’s skills and attitude took him around the world, to a world championship and eventually to Hollywood where he had roles in “Batman & Robin” and “Mortal Kombat.” But Hart said that working in small group sessions at Logos School, a nonprofit school for at-risk students in Olivette, has been just a rewarding as his other accomplishments. “The martial arts opens the door for the students,” said Hart. “I always start out talking about a certain subject matter from the perspective of what is going on that day. I let them talk and I tell them what I had to deal with as a kid, letting them know I have learned that no one is perfect. We make mistakes, but you have to admit them and learn See ‘FIGHTING’ page 2

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April 19, 2017 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

Earnest Hart (left) works with students (from left) Maggie Stebelman and Anna Kruger in a kickboxing class at Logos School.

Earnest Hart (left) works with student Brendon Bay in a kickboxing class at Logos School.

Photos by Nicholas Elmes

‘FIGHTING’ from cover to deal with them before they become big mistakes. I hope to let them know that they have to have patience and let things happen, that there is going to be adversity and that just because you fall off your horse it does not mean you don’t get back on. I just want to give them what I have learned over the years.” And he is doing just that, according to the school’s students and staff. “Every kid in our school is coming to us with some type of crisis in their life, whether it be academic, behavior or therapeutic,” said Associate Head of School Lou Reuss. “We keep track of any incidents that happen here in the building, and the kids who are working with Mr. Hart, we have seen a decrease in incidents in both the classrooms and the halls.” Reuss said the program with Hart started in the fall with small groups of two to three kids working with him at a time. “We wanted to let Mr. Hart do what he does and make a

connection with the students,” Reuss said. “The beauty of it is he meets the students, and everybody, where they are.” Reuss should know – he started training with Hart himself several months before the program at the school began. “It was a way to get to know him and see what he was about and see how much of this was going to translate to our student population,” he said. “I am proud that we are opening the door for these kids to his world, his perspectives, his ability to connect and communicate and share his experiences in both a conversational way and in a physical, almost therapeutic way. “Their demeanor changes,” he added. “They can come into that class quite shy and struggling, and angry and every combination of every cocktail of every kid we deal with here and it is dynamic to watch how they change when they work with him.” “It is not like a normal class,” said junior Anna Kruger. “He makes it fun for us to learn and helps us individually. I have learned that I can stand up for myself, not just physically, but to stand for what I believe is right without being afraid.” Senior Brendon Bay agreed. “He teaches you how to deal with the real world,”

said Bay. “He is telling people what happened to him and saying I don’t want this to happen to you, but if it does happen I am going to show you how to deal with it. You get into the class and you build a relationship with your peers and they become your friends and eventually like a family member.” Tenth grader Maggie Stebelman said her experiences in Hart’s class had helped her grow in other classes as well. “My confidence has gotten better,” she said. “He has helped me be more assertive. He helps you to step out of your comfort zone. In my other classes, I have definitely been more willing to speak up and give answers. I have become a lot more comfortable around other students.” Reuss said he hopes to continue the success of the program at the school in future. “Right now the focus is working on the kids’ respect and self-esteem and everything they need to be able to leave this safe environment and be able to function in society,” he said. “There is always the potential for growth. We have talked about doing afternoon seminars, safety for college kids, a women’s self-defense program. This is something to grow and continue. As long as we can think of it, it is wide open.”

COMMUNITY VOICES

Easter season serves as a hopeful reminder during uncertain times By Dr. Rance Thomas We have once again just celebrated that time of year when we as Christians mourn and celebrate one of the two most important times of the year. Of course, for us the most important time was the birth of Jesus Christ which we celebrate in December during the Christmas season. The second most important is the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection in three days which proved that he was who he said he was, the son of God. Without his resurrection, there would be no Christianity; instead, we would simply be born, live, and die with no hope for eternal life. Therefore, life would be simply an existence for a certain period of time. As a result, the goal of many of us would be to enjoy this life as much as possible and to attempt to satisfy ourselves without regards for others or for the common good. This would be the case because death would mean the end of our existence and there would be no incentive to be concerned about others. As someone has said, we would be tempted to get what we can

while we can, because there is no tomorrow. Whereas, as Christians we believe that since we accepted Jesus as our Savior, death is only the beginning of a glorious and wonderful eternal life in the presence of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirits, Saints, and other Christians who have gone before us. Many of us are motivated by accepting God’s word as stated in the Bible that commands us to be concerned for the welfare of others, especially those with special needs. Because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we feel a need to do good works to satisfy God’s expectation of us during our lifetime. Although we don’t believe that we can be saved by good works, we do believe that is what God expects us to do. Although we will have many of the same experiences as non-Christians, we believe that God will be with us and keep us in His care during the difficult times. Even during this time in the history of our country when many of us are experiencing uncertainty about what will happen to us, our

country, and the world, we believe that God will take care of us no matter what happens. This is one of the most important advantages of being a Christian. That is, that God will always be with us and take care of us. In other words, we live with this belief and the hope that no matter how difficult things are for us, God will ultimately turn them into our best interest. It does not matter how unpleasant or difficult our circumstances might be or become. These are some of the reasons why Easter is so important to us. Happy Easter to all. Dr. Rance Thomas is Professor Emeritus of Sociology/Criminal Justice and Co-founder and President of North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice. The opinions expressed in this column are the columnist’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • April 19, 2017

Hazelwood Board of Education wins prestigious National Magna Award The National School Boards Association (NSBA) awarded the Hazelwood School District Board of Education one of its first place awards, in the 23rd Annual Magna Awards Program. Hazelwood’s board received distinction from NSBA’s flagship magazine, American School Board Journal for the Hazelwood School District’s Kids on the Move, student recognition program. The National Magna Awards recognize school districts across the country and their leaders for taking bold and innovative steps to Photo courtesy Hazelwood School improve the lives of students Representatives from the Hazelwood School Board and Superintendent Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart, were and their communities. presented the school district’s Magna Award during a ceremony on March 26 at the Colorado Conven“I speak on behalf of the tion Center during NSBA’s Spring Conference. Hazelwood School District Board of Education when I say that we are thrilled director of communications and marketing. “The to receive a prestigious Magna Award for the Dis- monthly program recognizes student achievetrict’s Kids on the Move program,” said Board ment through nominations submitted by teachers, President Cheryl Latham. “We are excited for the coaches, troop leaders, administrators, parents more than 18,000 students, and their families who and community leaders. Board members serve as we serve. By winning this award, it puts our school the host of each month’s Kids on the Move prodistrict in the national spotlight. We appreciate the gram. Board members recognize between 20 and National School Boards Association for honoring 30 students, covering eight to 10 schools across the district per month.” our student recognition program.” “Once the program is filmed, then it is added The district received one of five first place awards in the large school district category (5,000 to the school district’s website, posted on social – 20,000 students), beating out hundreds of other media and aired on the District’s Charter Cable TV Channel 988. In addition, a letter and a school districts. “Kids on the Move is a program produced copy of the DVD is mailed to the parents/guardmonthly by the Hazelwood Communications and ians of the children who were recognized,” said Marketing Department,” said Kimberly McKenzie, McKenzie.

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Ferguson Twilight Run announces 2017 Donnie White, Sr. Memorial Award recipients Since the first race in 2010, $68,000 in proceeds from the Ferguson Twilight Run have been donated to local organizations that provide the residents of Ferguson and North St. Louis County with programs and events that showcase the enjoyable, healthy and sustainable aspects of fitness activities. Proceeds from the 2017 Ferguson Twilight Run will go to the following programs: • Emerson Family YMCA Summer Camp for North County • EarthDance Youth Exploring Agriculture and Health program

• Girls on the Run Combs Elementary School team • Marygrove Recreational Therapy Program Registration for the Ferguson Twilight Run is currently $24 for the 5k and 10k, and $14 for the fun-run to be held on May 20. Current Sponsors of the Eighth Annual Ferguson Twilight Run include Christian Hospital BJC HealthCare, Negwer Materials, Emerson, Big River Running, city of Ferguson and Ferguson Brewing Company. For more information on the Ferguson Twilight Run, as well as a link to register, visit fergtwilightrun.com.

City of Hazelwood launches new Resident Emergency Contact Information Program

Photo courtesy city of Hazelwood

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In response to concerns expressed by several residents, the city of Hazelwood has developed and launched a new Resident Emergency Contact Information Program to help local police officers, paramedics and firefighters know who to contact, such as a family member, when a resident has an accident or is involved in an emergency situation. The city has created an ICE (In Case of Emergency) form that is easy to fill out by local citizens. The only information required on this ICE form is the following: resident’s name; street address; phone number and emergency contact persons and their cell phone numbers. “We wanted to make this process as simple as possible without making people answer a lot of unnecessary questions and provide personal information we don’t need,” Hazelwood Fire Chief and Program Administrator Dave Herman said. “The ICE form just requires the basics and takes less then five minutes to fill out and submit.” Emergency contacts can be the next of kin, such as a spouse, son or daughter, as well as a relative or close friend. “We’re asking residents to provide us with the cell phone numbers of their emergency contacts because most people these days carry a mobile device with them and it’s a much easier way of notifying someone in an emergency,” Herman remarked. Residents can fill out their ICE form online at the city’s website, www.hazelwoodmo.org, or use a printed version found at one of the city’s public buildings. A large button has been added to the home page of the city’s website which says, “Click here to sign-up for the Resident Emergency Con-

tact Information Program.” When people click on it, an electronic version of the ICE form appears on the screen. All they need to do is fill in the blanks and hit the submit button and they’re done. This information is then added to a database which is accessible only to city first responders with a special password. Stacks of the printed versions of the ICE forms are available for residents when they visit these city public buildings: city hall; Public Works Department; HPD Dispatch; Civic Center East; Hazelwood Community Center; and both Fire Station #1 and Fire Station #2. Residents can fill them out on the spot and submit them to city employees who will then forward them to Hazelwood’s IT Department for processing. Whenever Hazelwood police officers, paramedics or firefighters respond to an emergency and encounter residents that are either incapacitated or involved in a serious accident, they can access the city’s Emergency ICE database and find the person’s name and emergency contact information. They can immediately make a phone call and tell the emergency contact at which hospital the patient is being transported to. According to Herman, “When our paramedics and firefighters respond to an emergency 911 call and find a resident incapacitated or unable to communicate, time is of the essence. The quicker we can determine what the problem is and find out who we need to call, such as the next of kin, to notify them of the situation, the faster we can get the resident to a hospital emergency room. The city’s new Emergency ICE database will enable us to find a person’s emergency contact information within seconds.”

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • April 19, 2017

Yeggs

Around Town

John Hanna

‘Yeggs’ is a comic series about Robert and Bill, two rabbits who have opened their own egg franchise in the Midwest (St. Louis area). We follow their day to day lives, watching as they go about the hectic task of preparing for their one big day every year. Along the way they have adventures filled with fun, comic doings and pathos.

By Cindy Moore

Moore On Life

www.treesbywoody.net

Fiscal fitness

I am not the most athletic of people. Oh sure, I can bench press a fork-full of pie to my mouth without pulling a muscle or do an impressive sit-up as the alarm clock buzzes then give it a good swat as I return to my slumber. I can also do crunches along with the best of them; my finest crunches result around breakfast time with crispy strips of bacon. But that is pretty much the extent of my physical exertion. However, there is one activity I take very seriously and am quite skillful at – shopping: extreme shopping to be exact. Extreme shopping is not your standard breadand-butter-run-to-the-grocer’s type of action. No. This type of activity is a sport which requires stamina and talent. Keen math skills are required. One must be able to search out the best bargains possible. I can quickly calculate a 50-percent-off clearance priced item then toss in a 30 percent store coupon along with a freebie early bird shopper discount; this all results in the store writing me a fat check for the merchandise selected. One must also have strength and tenacity. If the last Captain Robo-Cat is on the shelf and another women has her outstretched hand reaching towards it; I must be able to duck, dive, grab, roll and run while yelling, “Snoozers are losers!” before the lady can mutter, “Hey, Jerk! What’s the big idea?!” Nimble brainpower is imperative along with instant recall abilities. I must be able to remember each of my seven grandkids’ individual sizes, sexes, style preferences, favorite colors, special allergies, and least favorite cartoon characters.

I once made the tragic mistake of buying my granddaughter Ninja Turtle underpants for her birthday. She became so traumatized she wore the same pair of Princess Sugar Sparkles underwear for the next month. An extreme shopper must also be able to sift through seven aisles of clearance racks to locate the missing bottoms to the last pair of SpiderMan pajama’s, size 4T, which are needed to reward a grandson for doing his first pootie in the potty. I then must be able to whip out my cellphone coupon without the internet shutting down as I approach the checkout counter. Afterwards, I will lift two bulging bags of goodies affixed to each arm thus further sculpting my biceps, while at the same increasing the bulk of my wallet by saving $96.78. I will receive a wad of Kohl’s Cash ensuring I return again for more cardiovascular, and all without breaking a sweat. That, my friends, is an intense workout! 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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April 19, 2017 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

Operation Food Search to celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Week

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Without volunteers, organizations would literally be unable to function. That is why April is National Volunteer Month, which recognizes the many efforts of those who graciously give their time and their support to worthy nonprofit agencies. Operation Food Search (OFS), a hunger relief organization that provides food to the area’s hungry, will honor its more than 7,000 individuals during the week of April 23 through April 29. The celebration includes a Public Volunteer Appreciation Rap ‘N Pack on April 27 where top volunteers will be recognized during an awards ceremony. The event is held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at OFS’ headquarters located at 1644 Lotsie Blvd. The cost is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. OFS volunteers have colSubmitted photo lectively donated more than 20,000 hours of their time, Operation Food Search will honor its more than 7,000 volunteers during the week of April 23 through April 29. which represents the total manpower efforts of approximately 10 full-time “Our volunteers are essential to Operation employees. The agency utilizes its team of volun- Food Search’s success,” said OFS Executive Diteers when feeding more than 200,000 individu- rector Sunny Schaefer. “Their support is invaluals on a monthly basis – one-third of which are able when it comes to helping our programs run children – through a network of 330 community both smoothly and effectively. Everyone – from partners in 31 Missouri and Illinois counties. our Board of Directors and office helpers to our Founded in 1981, Operation Food Search is food packing schools and corporations – will be a hunger relief organization that provides food thanked and applauded during this celebration.” and nutrition education. With a strategic focus To sign up for the Rap ‘N Pack, go to http:// aimed at ending childhood hunger, OFS empow- www.operationfoodsearch.org/event/volunteerers families with a range of programs and servic- appreciation-rap-n-pack/. For more informaes proven to reduce food insecurity and increase tion, call 314-726-5355 or visit http://www.Opaccess to healthy and affordable food. erationFoodSearch.org.

Weather from Nick’s Window

by Nick Palisch

Preparing for the 2017 hurricane season Planning a summer vacation to Florida or a cruise to the Caribbean this year? Well, you may be in luck as the latest hurricane season forecast from Colorado State University (CSU) is predicting a slightly below normal hurricane season. Hurricane season officially starts June 1 and ends on November 30. On average, a total of 12 named storms occur in the Atlantic and six of these become hurricanes, with two becoming major hurricanes. This year, CSU is predicting a total of 11 named storms, four hurricanes, and the potential for two of them to become major hurricanes. So why a slightly below average year? Many factors are considered when putting a long-term forecast like this in place. The first is the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean. According to CSU the Atlantic is forecast to be cooler than normal, which inhibits the growth of storms. In addition, a hint of a possible weak El Nino could also play a role in this forecast. The forecasters also look at what is going on in Africa and what could potentially favor storm development. In addition, they also look at sea level pressures, vertical wind shear levels and more to create a prediction for the upcoming season.

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Believe it or not, this long term prediction from the researchers at CSU are pretty accurate – in fact, they boast a 69 percent accuracy rate. The prediction is based on 60 years of historical data to make the hurricane prediction. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will release their hurricane forecast in May. While researchers are forecasting a slightly below normal year for the Atlantic Ocean, it does not mean that you should let your guard down if you plan to head to the beach this summer or sail away on a cruise ship. Keep in mind that Mother Nature has her own agenda and often proves us wrong when she decides to take control. Nick Palisch is a meteorologist and Missouri native who understands the weather here in our area. He currently resides in Lake Saint Louis and can be reached at nick-wx@sbcglobal.net and you can always get the most up-to-date forecast from the FirstWarn Weather page at www.facebook.com/nickswx The opinions expressed in this column are the columnist’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • April 19, 2017

Food Network’s chef Casey Shiller visits Hazelwood Southeast Middle School

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Award winning chef and twotime winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, Casey Shiller visited Hazelwood Southeast Middle School to present a fun, and flavor-filled presentation to students, on April 6. Shiller is the coordinator of the bakery and pastry arts program at St. Louis Community College, which has a nationally recognized culinary program. “Our students explored how their five senses play a major Photo courtesy Hazelwood School District role in the perception of appear- Award winning chef and two-time winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, Casey Shiller ance, flavor profiles, and tex- speaks to students at Hazelwood Southeast Middle School. tures when developing recipes and cooking techniques,” said Katie Lilliard, famShiller also shared his experience on Cup Cake ily consumer science teacher at Southeast Middle Wars, and spoke with students about careers in School. the culinary field.

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Griffith Elementary fourth grade teacher is FergusonFlorissant School District’s 2017 Teacher of the Year Tracy Smith, a fourth-grade teacher at Griffith Elementary School, was pleasantly surprised when district administrators entered her classroom with balloons and flowers. The administrators’ visit was to inform Smith that she had been selected the Ferguson-Florissant School District’s 2017 Teacher of the Year. Smith has been employed in the district for 15 years. In addition to being a classroom teacher, Photo courtesy Ferguson-Florissant School District she is a vital member of Griffith’s Tracy Smith, a fourth-grade teacher at Griffith Elementary School, has been selected the Instructional Leadership Team Ferguson-Florissant School District’s 2017 Teacher of the Year. (ILT) and a member of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) committee. Smith has also sponsored the school’s Boy Scouts, lead afterschool tutoring programs, facilitated food drives and can be seen at the beginning of the school year walking the neighborhoods surrounding Griffith, knocking on the doors of families to welcome students to the new school year. Colleagues and former students are quick to praise her efforts. “Tracy utilizes every resource provided to make sure students are supported to achieve, just as the curriculum intended,” said Maddelyne Ligon, a fourth-grade teacher at Griffith who nominated Smith for the honor. “She makes it a priority to ensure that all teachers are supported in their understanding of the curriculum which allows for not only her students to be taught thoroughly but all students.” Ligon went on to say that Smith has high expectations for her students and never accepts anything less than their best. “Ms. Smith should be teacher of the year because she cares about how we learn and how we feel,” said Daryona Anderson, a former student of Smith’s. “If there was something that I didn’t understand, Ms. Smith would sit down with me, further explain things and provide a few problems for me to solve on my own. This always helped.” Smith feels her greatest accomplishment is the ability to build a rapport that makes students feel comfortable taking risks, thinking critically, sharing their thinking with others and increasing their knowledge. “My students know that they have a teacher who genuinely cares about the people they are and who they can grow to become,” she said. “Despite the curriculum or the research-based strategies of instruction, I believe a great teacher must know how to inspire students to learn.” Smith has been inspiring learning since she was an elementary school student who requested extra worksheets from her teachers so that she could play school with her younger brother and sister. “Education helps students to develop their perspective on the world around them and pushes them to think both creatively and conceptually about many different subjects. Without education, sensory information would simply be lost, says Smith. “Education allows us to process the information we receive on a daily basis, draw conclusions, and make inferences based on what we already know. Education equips students with the knowledge and confidence to make a difference in their own lives.” Smith’s selection as the district’s teacher of the year qualifies her to be a candidate for the Missouri Teacher of the Year.

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Hazelwood educator receives Phenomenal Woman Award March is Women’s History Month. During the month, we celebrate those women who are pioneers in their field and those who are making a difference in their community. Germaine Stewart, principal at Twillman Elementary in Hazelwood School District, has been nominated to receive the Phenomenal Woman Award 2017, presented by 95.5 The Lou radio station, a Radio One station, and First Bank. “Congratulations to Germaine Stewart on being nominated, and named a Phenomenal Woman for making a difference is the St. Louis area,” said Dr. Christa Warner, HSD assistant superintendent for elementary education.

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Stewart was honored at the Phenomenal Woman Awards reception on March 30, at the Missouri Athletic Club-Downtown. “I feel honored to receive this award,” said Stewart. “There are so many women doing exceptional things in their communities, it’s an honor to be recognized as one of those women,” said Stewart.

Hazelwood teachers engage in ‘Shark Tank’ professional development The number two goal of Hazelwood School District is to enhance professional development. Educators at McCurdy Elementary came up with a fun way to conduct professional development for teachers. They engaged in a “Shark Tank” style professional development. “Shark Tank” is a reality TV series that shows aspiring entrepreneur-contestants as they make business presentations to a panel of ‘shark’ investors, who then choose whether to invest. Photo courtesy Hazelwood School District Teachers were put into groups, Susan Wells, art teacher at McCurdy Elementary in Hazelwood School District, presents handand required to present their les- made kaleidoscopes to judges during a ‘Shark Tank’ style professional development. son plans to judges, Dr. Christa “Our leadership team at McCurdy thought this Warner, assistant superintendent for elementary education, and Gayle Richardson, parent and would be a great way to allow teachers to delve into topics that they want to further explore. It PTA representative. During the presentations, teachers used photos, also provides an opportunity to collaborate with videos of students and props to enhance their pre- other teachers,” said Jason Cox, principal at McCurdy Elementary. sentations.

Hazelwood School District teacher receives grant to expose third graders to STEM

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The National Education Association (NEA) provides its members with grants to improve the academic achievement of students in public schools throughout the U.S. The number-one goal of the Hazelwood School District is to improve academic achievement. Carrie Ziolkowski, gifted education teacher at Hazelwood School District, wrote a grant to NEA for the purpose of exposing her third grade students to a lesson in science, technology, Photo courtesy Hazelwood School District engineering, and mathematics Second grade students in the Hazelwood School District gifted education program use LEGO (STEM). WeDo Kits, designed to expose students to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and Ziolkowski was awarded the mathematics. The kits were provided through a grant from the National Education Association NEA Student Achievement Student Achievement grant. grant, which proposes that teachers use the grant in a way that promotes furnish students with LEGO WeDo kits, which students’ self-directed learning, and critical re- introduces students to the world of engineering, through tinkering and exploration. flection. The LEGO WeDo kits allows students to build “We wanted to provide our students with an opportunity at the primary level, to learn valu- a small machine with a motor attached, then proable 21st century skills, including designing, gram the motor using a software downloaded to programming and engineering,” said Ziolkows- their Google Chromebooks. “While using LEGO WeDo kits, our students ki. “My students really enjoy building and constructing, so we wanted to focus the lessons on also gained valuable experience in coding, and programming that will provide a solid base for engineering.” Through the grant, Ziolkowski was able to additional STEM coursework,” said Ziolkowski.

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • April 19, 2017

Hazelwood elementary student raises money for Special Olympics

Check out our

Photo courtesy Hazelwood School District

Caden Brzoswski, third grade student at McCurdy Elementary in the Hazelwood School District, raised $200 to benefit the Special Olympics of Missouri. “My parents helped me to make a video for Facebook, asking our close friends to donate to the Special Olympics,” said Brzoswski. “We wanted everyone to know that I was doing the Polar Plunge Challenge, and how they could help out with donations.” The Special Olympics Polar Plunge challenge, where participants brave the cold water for a good cause, is a project of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. Proceeds from the Polar Plunge challenge benefits Special Olympics

School

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in Classifieds page 15

www.stlchristian.edu Missouri’s year-round program of sports training and competition for children and adults with disabilities.

Hazelwood elementary students sponsor clean water project During the months of February and March, students in the Jana Elementary Student Ambassador program organized a shoe drive to benefit the Shoeman Water Project. “Our student ambassadors look forward to this shoe drive every year,” said Karla Holland, worker, and sponsor of the student ambassador program. “Community service is a major component of the student ambassador program, because it teaches our children at an early age the importance of giving back.” Student ambassadors play an important role in leadership Photo courtesy Hazelwood School District within the school, and this project helps to instill a sense of Students at Jana Elementary sort shoes for donation to the Shoeman Water project. The Shoeman Water project helps to provide clean water to developing countries. school community,” said Holland. “The student ambassadors really enjoy the and staff collected several boxes of shoes to be Shoeman project, because it gives them the op- donated to the project. The organization then exportunity to see how local community service ports the shoes to less fortunate countries, such can make a global impact. as Haiti, Kenya and South America. This exporThe Shoeman Water Project, a nonprofit orga- tation helps to provide revenue for clean water nization located in Bridgeton, helps to provide programs in communities around the world. clean water to developing countries. Students

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www.MasterGCR.com

Several FFSD schools exceed goal in billion word reading challenge

Photo courtesy Ferguson-Florissant School District Students and staff from Duchesne Elementary School were recognized at the March FFSD Board of Education meeting for exceeding the school’s reading challenge. To date, students have collectively read over 45 million words to add to the district’s goal of one billion words read.

At the beginning of the school year, the Ferguson-Florissant School District implemented a billion word reading challenge, which encouraged students to collectively read one billion words by May 5. In addition to the district-wide challenge, each school was charged with its students reading a number of words to support the district’s efforts. During its March Board of Education meeting, the board recognized Airport, Duchesne, Vogt and Walnut Grove Elementary Schools for exceeding

their reading goals. Collectively, the schools were tasked with reading a combined goal of 49 million words and have read over 75 million words so far. “In order to create a culture of reading in our community, district librarians have been leading the charge on a billion word reading challenge,” said Adrienne Bland, assistant superintendent Area 3. “Students are encouraged to read at least an hour each day as we strive to reach our billion word goal.”

www.pathtostlcc.com

Sports

April 19, 2017 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

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Sports you see with Gary B... Rascals keep pitching staff strong The River City Rascals play professional baseball with home games at Car Shield Field in O’Fallon. The team has kept three top pitchers that hopefully will continue their leadership and stellar performance as they did in 2016. The Rascals 2016 top pitcher was Tim Koons who returns for his fourth year in O’Fallon and is currently third all-time in games started for the club. Since making his professional debut out of Oakland University in 2014, Koons has held a 2111 record with a 4.24 ERA. The right-hander set the Frontier League record in win percentage by going 11-0 in 2015. One year later in a bigger spot, such as game two of the Frontier League Championship Series, Koons pitched the best game of his career taking a perfect game into the seventh inning and a no-hitter into the eighth inning. All of this coming with no room to breathe in a 1-0 game, the Rascal finished the game with his first career complete-game shutout and struck out a career high ten. Next to Koons in the dugout are southpaws Austin Warner and Dan Ludwig returning for their second year with the Rascals. Warner was signed on June 29 of last year and became one of the most electric rookie pitchers in the league. After being used as a long reliever in July, Warner was officially placed in the starting rotation on Aug. 6 and showcased his skills by winning four consecutive games allowing just six earned runs in 23 innings. The rookie from Bellarmine University also made himself known in the Frontier League by recording a pair of eleven strikeout games against Windy City and in game one of the divisional round against the Southern Illinois Miners. Overall, Warner finished the year 5-2 with a 4.00 ERA in eight starts and 13 appearances. Added to the starting rotation towards the beginning of August was Dan Ludwig. The Naperville, Illinois native made his Rascals debut on Aug. 10 and threw 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball to record his first Rascals win, eighth overall, against the Florence Freedom. He went on to start four more games during the regular season for his new club and his final three is a stretch he wants to remember as he went 2-0 allowing just four earned runs in 23 innings including a complete game against Gateway. The Rascals start the 2017 campaign against the Normal CornBelters with a 6:35 p.m. start time on May 12. Go to www.RiverCityRascals.com for more information. * Time to break out the Rascal’s gear

Indoor Raiders drop second contest The River City Raiders are a member of the Arena Pro Football (APF) league with home games at the Family Arena. The team had a bit of a problem this past weekend as the defense allowed 12 points to the Richmond Rough Riders in the first quarter and were only able to rebound with seven. The second quarter, the Raiders put up 26 points as the offense excelled however the Rough Riders piled up 42. When the final buzzard sounded, the visiting team took a 54-39 victory back to Richmond. Your Raiders will offer free tickets for the next home game at the Family Arena against the Savannah Coastal Outlaws on April 29. Go to www.IndoorRaiders.com for more information. * Working out the kinks Billiards squad at Lindenwood on a roll Lindenwood University has over 50 sporting activities on campus and this is the first billiards article you will read. The team started off dropping two of the three previous matches but they returned to form with an 18-9 victory over Rudy’s Rackrunners April 12 at the Lindenwood Billiards Arena in Charley Town. The Lions were tied at two games early, but minimized both physical and mental errors to win four of the next five and continued pressure allowed Lindenwood to pull away for the win. Seven players went undefeated for the Lions including Dakota Knutson and Brandon Vanoverbeke, who each posted 2.5-0 marks. Landson Shuffett, Russell Carter, Brandon Jordan, Chris Robinson, and Briana Miller all went 1.5-0 on the day. Sharik Sayed also helped the cause with a 2-0.5 record. With the victory, Lindenwood improved to 9-4 overall. The Lions return to the tables April 18 for a home match against One More Shot. The opening break is set for 6 p.m. that Tuesday evening at the Lindenwood Billiards Arena. * Another great addition to the many sports Gary Baute, a St. Louis native, has hosted many radio shows from Health to Sports to Baby Boomer news. He was the EMCEE of the River City Rascals and St. Louis Swarm basketball team inaugural seasons and broadcasting for the indoor football teams over a decade. Has been writing sports since 1999 for the paper.

www.villaatriverwood.com

Forrest Keeling Nursery 800-356-2401 www.forrestkeeling.com forrestkeeling.com

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • April 19, 2017

Recipe: A colorful, crunchy salad

s days get longer and the weather gets warmer, take your meal outdoors for some tasty al fresco dining featuring a fresh and easy-to-prepare salad. With minimal ingredients and maximum flavor, this combination of radicchio, California green ripe olives, chickpeas and Parmesan is sure to find its way into your seasonal meal occasions, from at-home dinners to garden parties. Boasting vibrant purple hues, radicchio not

only looks beautiful on the plate but packs a unique and pleasing, bitter flavor that is complemented by the texture added to each bite by toasted sunflower seeds and chickpeas. Completing the salad are California Ripe Olives, which are grown by farming families across California. The California green ripe olive is similar to the black ripe olive but features a more mild and buttery flavor profile. Find more tasty recipes at calolive.org.

Learn & Play

– SUDOKU – Fill in the blank squares in the grid, making sure that every row, column and 3-by-3 box includes all the digits 1 through 9.

Radicchio Salad with Olives, Chickpeas and Parmesan Recipe courtesy of the Simply Recipes blog Prep time: 15 minutes | Resting time: 10 minutes | Serves: 4-6 Ingredients: 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1 large head radicchio (10-12 ounces) 1 can (16 ounces) California green ripe olives, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped 1 can (16 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional, to taste 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, plus additional, to taste Directions: Add sunflowers seeds to small, dry skillet. Toast over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until seeds are toasted around edges and smell fragrant.

See solution on page 13

Transfer seeds to bowl to cool. Peel away and discard a layer or two of outer radicchio leaves if they look wilted or battered. Cut head of radicchio into quarters through root. Trim away root. Cut each quarter crosswise into strips, 1- to 1 1/2-inches thick. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Add olives, chickpeas and 3/4 cup cheese to bowl with radicchio. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss gently until ingredients are evenly coated. If cheese clumps together, break apart with spatula and stir in. Let salad stand at least 10 minutes, or up to

an hour. Add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve salad on individual plates or one shared platter. Top with remaining cheese and toasted sunflower seeds.

Substitution: If radicchio is unavailable, try frisee, endive or another bitter green. Note: Salad is best served within one hour of preparation, but can be stored in airtight container in fridge for several days.

Crossword Puzzle Theme: National Parks ACROSS 1. Trattoria staple 6. *The ____ River, Voyageurs National Park 9. Mowgli’s friend Bagheera 13. Grouchy Muppet 14. Simon & Garfunkel, e.g. 15. Echo sounder 16. Doled out cards 17. Singer Yoko 18. Q in PDQ 19. *Home to Devil’s Garden 21. *Every ____-grader gets a free pass 23. Family truck? 24. *____ Royale National Park in Michigan 25. Geological Society of America 28. Reduced Instruction Set Computer 30. Make slightly wet 35. Ice crystals

37. Alice Waters’ “____ Panisse” 39. Apprehensive 40. Deborah Kerr to Yul Brynner’s King Mongkut 41. Skeleton leg part 43. Military no-show 44. Nigerian money 46. Earth’s satellite 47. First queen of Carthage 48. Broadband predecessor 50. Pot contribution 52. Sophomore’s grade 53. Breathe after a race 55. Not in good health 57. *”Into the Wild” park 60. *Oldest national park east of Mississippi 63. Capital of Vietnam 64. British mom 66. Where to steel a kiss? 68. Passion

69. “Farewell” to Birdie 70. Church topper 71. Office furniture 72. Asian capital 73. Alleviated DOWN 1. Pea container 2. On a cruise 3. Harry Potter’s mark 4. Face powder mineral, pl. 5. Head of the Round Table 6. “Without further ____,” pl. 7. *Going-to-the-____ Road in Glacier National Park 8. Hooves, alt. spelling 9. For, in France 10. Gram or pound 11. Speed of an object divided by speed of sound 12. One of Indiana Jones’ quests

15. Cry like a piglet 20. Give the boot 22. Like Methuselah 24. Watercraft with skis 25. *Canyon or Teton 26. Moses’ mountain 27. Embryo sacs 29. Door-stopping wedge 31. *Lake in Nevada desert 32. Small European gull 33. Make a canyon, e.g. 34. Leg cover 36. “Me and ___ and the Dying Girl” 38. *The Virgin River cuts through it 42. Mad hatter’s act

45. Live-in helper 49. Chum 51. Go by 54. Not in my backyard, in text 56. Parkinson’s disease drug 57. Truth alternative 58. Odds and ____ 59. Barnes & Noble reader 60. End of grace 61. Author Murdoch 62. Homesteader’s measure 63. Owned 65. Sailor’s affirmative 67. He had See answers on page 13

What’s Happening

April 19, 2017 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

Send your event to editor@mycnews.com and we'll print it! EVENTS April 19: Karaoke

Karaoke at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121.

April 19-30: Augusta Plein Air Art Festival

Early Registration and Welcome Reception at Augusta Winery, April 19 at 8 a.m.; Workshop – Sketching with Josh Been (I), April 19 at 9 a.m.; Augusta Shores Paint Out, April 20 at 6 a.m.; Daily Registration, April 20 at 8 a.m.; Montelle Winery Paint Out, April 21 at 8 a.m.; Pop-Up-Gallery – Augusta Visitor Center, April 21 at 9 a.m.; Workshop – Oil and Acrylic with

Patrick Saunders (I), April 21 at 9 a.m.; Noboleis Quick Paint, April 21 at 4:30 p.m.; Morning at the Park, April 22 at 6 a.m.; Workshop – Pastel with Michele Wells, April 22 at 9 a.m.; Best of Show Paint Out, April 22 at 12 p.m.; Dinner, Night Music, and Art, April 22 at 5:30 p.m.; Morning in Washington Paintout, April 23 at 6 a.m.; Workshop – Oil and Acrylic with Patrick Saunders (II), April 23 at 9 a.m.; Lake Creek Paintout, April 23 at 1 p.m.; Workshop – Sketching with Josh Been (II), April 24 at 9 a.m.; Private Estate Paint Out, April 24 at 10 a.m.; A Day in New Melle, April 25 at 11 a.m.; Workshop – Watercolor with Spencer Meagher, April 26 at 9 a.m.; Daniel Boone Home Paint Out, April 26 at 10 a.m.; Chandler Hill Winery Premier Artist Paint Out, April 26 at 4 p.m.; A Valley View from the Vine-

yard, April 27 at 8 a.m.; Washington “Trees” Paintout, April 27 at 3 p.m.; Frisella Sunrise Paint Out, April 28 at 6 a.m.; Workshop – Oil and Acrylic – Joan Parker & Zak Barnes, April 28 at 9 a.m.; An Afternoon in the Wine Garden, April 28 at 12 p.m.; Sunset Paint Out at Balducci Winery. April 28 at 4 p.m.; Festival in Augusta – Artist’s Choice, People’s Choice, Theme Paint, Nocturne Paint and 15 year Celebration Dance, April 29; Final Sale from Easel and Awards, April 30 at 11 a.m.; Youth Paint Out at Mount Pleasant Estates, April 30 at 1 p.m.

April 20: Blood pressure check

Free blood pressure check at Life Care Center of Florissant at 1201 Garden Plaza Dr. (off Parker Rd.). Call 314-8313752 for more information.

April 20-22: Book sale

Ferguson Library Friends, FLIERS, Spring Book Sale will be April 20 from 4 to 7:30 p.m., April 21 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and April 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Library Auditorium at 35 No. Florissant Rd. There will be extra numbers of large print books, westerns, reference, mysteries, cook books, religious, battletech, hotrod and movie and TV magazines.

April 21: Pork steak dinner

Pork steak dinner at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois, from 4 to 7 p.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121.

April 21: Bingo

www.ofallon.mo.us

Bingo takes place from 2 – 3 p.m. at Life Care Center of Florissant at 1201 Garden Plaza Dr. (off Parker Rd.) in Florissant.Call 314-831-3752 for more information.

April 21 & 23: Choir concert

Choral Arts Singers, Francis Howell North High School Concert Choir, and members of the St. Charles Symphony will perform Joseph Haydn’s “Kleine Orgelmasse mass in B/Bflat Major” and other selections on April 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church at 3866 S. Old Hwy 94 in St. Charles, and April 23 at 2 p.m. at Assumption Chapel at 403 N. Main in O’Fallon. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for children (ages six-18). For more information visit www.concertarts.org.

April 21: Food Truck Knight

The Knights of Columbus Duchesne Council #2951 and the city of Florissant will be co-sponsoring a Food Truck Knight from 5 to 9 p.m. on the lot near the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine located at 50 rue St. Francois. The trucks will serve until 8 p.m. and the band Stillwater will perform until 9 p.m. (Some trucks may serve later). The truck line up for the evening is: 2 Girls 4 Wheels, Andrews Bayou Ribs,

Angie Burger, Locoz Tacoz, Destination Desserts, Farm Truk (their owner just competed on the Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games), Seoul Taco, Kona Ice, My Big Fat Greek Truck, Russo’s Trucktoria, Sarah’s Cake Stop, Slice of the Hill, Steak Louie, STLBLT, The Southerner and Zia’s Food Truck. Proceeds will benefit local nonprofit charities including the TEAM Food Pantry. Patrons are also encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for collection barrels that will be on site.

April 22: Earth Day celebration

The Ferguson-Florissant School District’s 97-acre nature preserve, Little Creek Nature Area, will host an Earth Day celebration from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at Little Creek at 2295 Dunn Road in Florissant. Attendees will be able to participate in various activities that include witnessing a rehabilitated bird release and raptor show, hiking the nature preserve’s ADA-accessible trails, taking an Audubon Society bird-watching walk, visiting with and feeding farm animals, making a reusable bag from upcycled t-shirts and planting a tree. The event will also include a 10 a.m. presentation of the Green Ribbon School Awards to Ferguson-Florissant schools that promote sustainable practices in energy usage, gardening, recycling and waste reduction, water run-off and erosion. Earth Day at Little Creek is free and open to the public.

April 22: Free document shredding day

The Sixth Annual Florissant Resident Free Document Shredding Day will be held at St. Ferdinand Park- rear parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring your sensitive tax, bank or financial records from home to be shredded right in front of you. Cintas Document Management Company will professionally shred your information. All information will be destroyed in a manner to which it cannot be recognized or recreated. All paper will then be recycled. What to bring to be shredded: bank statements, tax records, credit card statements, invoices, anything with your name and address on it and no need to remove paper clips, binder clips or staples. You may bring up to five bags or boxes. Types of boxes include copy paper boxes, banker boxes and shoe boxes. Types of bags include shopping bags, grocery bags and trash bags. No three ring binders, hanging file folders, CDs, DVDs or hard bound books. The event is also open to the public. A special “thank you” to Meridian Waste Solutions for donating the cardboard recycle dumpsters and to Cintas Management Company for their professional shredding services.

April 22: Business expo and flea market Parkway North High will host a ven-

dor/business expo and flea market from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Commons Area of Parkway North High School. There will be free admission, ample parking, a band fundraiser, over 57 vendors and a flea market area. Event is wheel chair and stroller accessible.

April 22: Mental health first aid training

Lutheran Church of the Atonement will host Mental Health First Aid Training from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. This course uses a program manual, lecture, role-playing and simulations for offering initial help in a mental illness crisis. Trainees learn the common risk factors and warning signs of specific types of illnesses, like anxiety, depression, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and schizophrenia. Mental Health First Aid teaches participants a five-step action plan to help loved ones, colleagues, neighbors and others cope with mental health problems. A fee of $17 will cover the cost of the manual. A light breakfast and lunch will be included. Atonement Church is located at 1285 North New Florissant Road, where Parker Road and Florissant Road intersect. For more information call Joyce Pingel at 314-740-2137 or email Rev. Williams from Behavior Health Network at gharwilliams@me.com. Everyone is welcome to attend.

April 22: Trivia night

The annual trivia night fundraiser for TEAM Food Pantry 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 Rotary Club. Entry fee is $200 per table with a maximum of eight people per team. Entry fee includes beer, soda, water, popcorn and attendance prizes. Tickets may be purchased in advance or the night of the event. First come basis – only 500 tickets available. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., trivia starts promptly at 7 p.m. Checks should be made payable to TEAM Food Pantry and mailed to Pat Piotrowicz, TEAM Trivia Night, 9 Beaujolais, Florissant, MO 63031. To register, sponsor, or make a donation, please contact Pat Piotrowicz at p.piotrowicz1@yahoo.com or 314-2221362.

April 22: Gardening demonstration

Come join the Gardeners of Florissant as they welcome members from The Rose Society of Greater St. Louis for a hands-on rose pruning demo at the Florissant Civic Center Rose Garden at 1 James J Eagan Dr. in Florissant. Instructions will be given at 10 a.m. You will then be able to prune rose bushes either on your own or with the aid of a rose society member. Stay as long as you like. Learn how to prune a rose for a healthy new growing season. Randy

Lunch&Learn Preparation for Aging

Presented by Visiting Personal Care Attendants and Serenity Hope Hospice

Wednesday, April 26, 2017 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The Club in Windsor’s Independent Living FREE - Lunch will be served.

Call 636-946-4966, ext. 1130 to RSVP www.stlcompost.com

2150 W Randolph Street | St. Charles, MO 63301 | (636)946-4966

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • April 19, 2017 Bachelor of Science Horticulture degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia. What to bring: hand pruners, gloves and (optional) a bucket to collect your clippings. Contact Randy Hoffmann at 314521-6824 for more information; leave a message.

April 25: Card and game party

Annual card and game party will be held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church at 3400 St Gregory Lane in St Ann. Doors open at 11 a.m., games start at noon. The cost is $7 which includes cake and coffee or tea. Other food items will be available for purchase. Many great attendance prizes will be awarded. Also Pot of Gold and raffle prizes, including a quilt raffle. For reservations call Mary Cornwall at 314-428-3236 to reserve your table.

April 26: Karaoke

Karaoke at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121.

April 26: Wine tasting class

A wine tasting class takes place from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at 1970 Trotterway in Florissant. Taste five wines paired with toast appetizers from cheese and meat to dessert. RSVP needed and the cost is $20 per person. Contact Karen Eye at 314-550-1641 or thevinoexperience@att.net.

April 28: Chicken dinner

Chicken dinner at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois, from 4 to 7 p.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121.

April 28: Trivia night

Girlfriends for Good will hold its seventh annual trivia night to benefit Youth In Need at the Machinists’

Hall in Bridgeton at 12365 St. Charles Rock Road. Tables of eight are $200 and include beer, soda and snacks. Doors open at 6 p.m., trivia begins at 7 p.m. Sponsor a round for $50. All proceeds benefit Youth In Need. For more information, contact Cody Finan, Community Engagement Coordinator, at cfinan@youthinneed.org or 636-757-9334.

April 29: Free head and neck cancer screening

Providers from Northwest ENT Specialists will offer free head and neck cancer screening at Northwest HealthCare at 1225 Graham Rd. in Florissant for those that meet certain criteria. While head and neck cancers are not common, and there’s a misconception that smokers are the only ones at risk, it’s important to understand the early symptoms – here a few: a lump in the throat, a persistent sore throat, difficulty or pain when swallowing, hoarseness, a change in your voice, or a persistent cough, sores in the mouth or on the tongue that have not healed in more than a month. If you are over the age of 21 and are interested in being screened, please call 314-747-9355 to see if you meet the criteria. Registration is required and space is limited.

April 29: Women’s conference

Women’s conference “He Hears My Voice” takes place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Cross Keys Baptist Church at 14255 New Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant. (Across the street from K-Mart). The guest speaker will be Cheryl Skid, founder of Women With A Vision and author of Bible studies, devotionals and “Never Out Of His Sight” which is her latest book. There will be times for learning, worshiping and fellowship. Cost is $15 and should be mailed to the church office by April 23. This fee covers a continental breakfast, lunch and free child

care. If you need child care, please include the number of children and their ages when registering. For more information call 314-831-0643.

April 29: Fine arts show

The Hazelwood School District will host its third annual Fine Arts Show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hazelwood Central High School at 15875 New Halls Ferry Road in Florissant. The event is free and open to the community. The Fine Arts Show is a collective show of artwork created by HSD art students in Pre-K through 12th grade.

April 29: Luncheon/bingo fundraiser

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 444 on 17090 Old Jamestown Road in Florissantis holding a Spring Salad Luncheon/Bingo Fundraiser. The proceeds of this function helps the Auxiliary provide activities for veterans and their families. The doors open at noon. The tickets are $12. There will be chicken salad sandwiches and many types of salads. There will also be a silent auction, a 50/50 drawing, a raffle and attendance prizes for everyone. For tickets call Judy De Clue at 314-868-3612.

April 29: Fine arts show

The Hazelwood School District will host its third annual Fine Arts Show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Hazelwood Central High School at 15875 New Halls Ferry Road in Florissant. The event is free and open to the community. The Fine Arts Show is a collective show of artwork created by HSD art students in pre-K through 12th grade.

What’s Happening

nize accumulations from their barns for the Seventh Annual Florissant Garage Sale. The garage sale will be held at the James J Eagan Ice Rink area from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Each applicant will only receive one space. 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 13. Applications will be available at the JJE and JFK Center and at www.florissantmo.com. Space is limited. The fee is $20 per table. The Florissant Garage Sale is free to attend.

April 29: Walk/run fundraiser

Join Friends of Kids with Cancer as they honor and remember special cancer patients and raise money to support their Educational, Emotional, and Recreational programs that help kids with cancer…be kids with the 17th Annual Walk with a Friend 5k Run/1 Mile Walk at 635 Maryville Centre Dr. in St. Louis. Registration is from 7:30-8:30 a.m., the run starts at 9 a.m. and the walk immediately follows. Family and corporate team sponsorships available with logos on event shirts. Enjoy free First Watch breakfast and carnival style games and entertainment for the whole family. Sponsored by Vanderbilt Office Properties. Cost is for $25 individual registration, increases to $30 SUDOKU answers from page 11

after April 14. For more information visit https://www.friendsofkids.com/ walk-with-a-friend.html or to register visit https://www.friendsofkids. com/walk-registration.html.

May 2: Mercy Hospice new volunteer training

Mercy Hospice is currently seeking volunteers to offer support and comfort to patients and families in your community. Volunteers are matched with opportunities to serve according to their schedules, skills, comfort levels and geographic areas. Volunteer opportunities include: caregiver relief, companionship, bereavement support, administrative assistance, and other opportunities. The next free four week training will be Tuesdays – May 2, 9, 16, and 23, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. To register or ask any questions please contact Mercy Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, Paula Minogue, at 314-729-4415 or Paula.Minogue@ mercy.net.

May 3: Karaoke

Karaoke at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121.

CROSSWORD answers from page 11

April 29: Florissant Garage Sale

Florissant residents can haul down the clutter from their attics and treasures from their garages and orga-

www.stangelawfirm.com

www.cedarhurstliving.com

April 19, 2017 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

GARAGE SALE

HELP WANTED

NOVENA

PUBLIC NOTICE

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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April 19, 2017 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

Has the San Diego Comic-Con become too successful?

M O V I E By Steve Bryan

n April 8, agonizing screams could be heard across the country as badges for the annual San Diego Comic-Con sold out. Founded in 1970, this event originally attracted comic book fans, but over the years, it grew to include movies, television shows and other pop culture items. When the “Twilight” movies were rocking the box office, Comic-Con attracted young fans who camped out to see the franchise’s stars in person. In 2007, I visited the convention for the first time and, though crowded, it was fairly easy to navigate the San Diego Convention Center. That was, however, the last time guests could simply walk up and purchase a badge at the door. The organizers switched to online purchases the following year and sell-outs soon happened in a matter of hours. The same goes for the limited amount of hotel rooms in San Diego and surrounding areas. With thousands of other people, I sat in a virtual waiting room on April 8, hoping to score a four-day pass. As the minutes ticked by, the website kept everyone informed of the remaining inventory. The four-day passes were quickly gobbled up; even the Sunday tickets were gone in short order. I was one of the many shut out for 2017. There’s a secondary market for passes, of course, but many people get scammed by unscrupulous sellers. While still a great event, the San Diego Comic-Con has alienated its core fan base. While covering the 2008 gathering as a member of the press, a convention-goer eyed my press badge and said the big studios have ruined the event. Hollywood loves bringing trailers, celebrity guests and other goodies to San Diego because they have 150,000 eager and hungry

Photo courtesy Bigstockphoto.com

fans. Others, like my new acquaintance, think the con forgot its true comic book roots. The city of San Diego loves the revenue, of course, but Comic-Con seems to have lost its way. Long, unwieldly lines are the norm, as are overpriced food items and a massive sea of humanity. It’s impossible to get anywhere fast when attending the convention, but fortunately there are adequate restrooms throughout the complex. Walking the convention floor can be a nightmare; many times, the lines resemble a pile-up on the freeway. Yet, thousands of fans like me look forward to it each year. Pop culture encompasses a lot of things and everyone can be a part of the fun, but there was a “Twilight” backlash for a couple of years. The simple laws of physics keep getting in the way, though. Even with new hotels and extra ballroom space, the lines get bigger every year as the enjoyment fades a little more.

The organizers say they are looking for ways to include more people, but the event virtually takes over the city for a week. The San Diego Comic-Con is bursting at the seams as it is; there simply is no more room. This may be a textbook case of being too successful. It’s a safe bet that fans will continue to line up every year; however, no matter how much time and money it takes. 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.