July 13, 2011
Vol 13 No 28
January 28, 2015
Bringing life to ice Recipes
Show Off Your Sweet Side
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Around Town
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Feature Section
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Business
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Band selected to perform
Healthy Living
Photo by Ray Rockwell Terrence Hamner works on a sculpture in his studio in St. Louis. Hamner will be one of the ice carvers competing at Fete de Glace in downtown St. Charles on Saturday Jan. 31.
Professional ice carvers fight for bragging rights at Fete de Glace By Brett Auten Terrence Hamner has the date circled in red every year on his calendar. On Saturday, Jan. 31 the Fete de Glace (The Festival of Ice) will mark its 17th year in historic Downtown St. Charles. Each and every year, a large crowd gathers between the 100 and 200 blocks of North Main Street to watch professional ice carvers bring their art to life in a friendly competition. With the help of chain saws, power grinders, sanders, chisels and hand saws, carvers like Hamner draw “oohs” and “ahhs” aplenty with their amazing work. “The Fete de Glace is the bragging rights,” Hamner said. “It’s an honor just to be invited. It is the first and biggest competition in Missouri. This is the crown jewel for ice carvers.” For competitors like Hamner, the chance to show off your skills in front of an appreciative crowd makes it all worth while. “You want to do the best you can and push the limit of the ice,” Hamner said. “This isn’t something I’m hired to do.
It’s something I want to do and I want to see the crowd love it.” Hamner got into ice carving during his many-year stint as a chef. In the late 1970s, he picked up the technique from a Swiss chef while working at a restaurant in downtown St. Louis. Hamner ended up bouncing around many fourand-five-star kitchens in the St. Louis area. “Being a gourmet chef gave me a lot of opportunities to do carvings,” Hamner said. After segueing from the kitchen to actually working for an ice carving company, a severe neck injury put Hamner on the shelf for a few years. Once healthy and rejuvenated he had a plan. “I decided I was going to hoc everything and start my own ice carving company,” Hamner said. “I had to put in a pattern room and dropped a 12-foot-by-20-foot freezer next to my house. I would work inside the freezer. I never did it before but knew it could work.” Fast forward nearly 10 years and
Hamner and his company, Ice Cuisine, is one of the busiest ice carving companies in the Show-Me state. Hamner focuses his ice art on precision and grandeur. See ICE on page 2
Battlegrounds names new partners
“American Sniper” photo courtesy of Warner Bros
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Around Town Vol. 17 No. 4
In This Issue... 2 Around Town
SSM to host education and screening day and more.
5 Feature Section Healthy Living 7 Business 1st Financial celebrates first year of new program and more. 8 School Francis Howell presents new play and more. 9 Movie
Bradley Cooper shines in tense “American Sniper.”
10 Sports and Learn & Play
Local with sports Gary B. Also, discover a new book with this week’s Novel Ideas.
11 Recipes
Stackable Ombre Heart Cookies and Scalloped Heart Cookies.
12 What’s Happening 14 Classifieds 16 Over the Fence
Joe Morice brings his unique views to the Community News.
January 28, 2015 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com
ICE from Cover
Some of his previous works includes, the Rally Squirrels, which won him first place at Fete de Glace in 2012. Another popular one was his “Eye of the Tiger”, in which he had a tiger balancing on a ball. That entire sculpture stood 9.5 feet. For this year, Hamner is working on a 9-foot canine titled, “Dog Trick.” Team competition at Fete de Glace (twoperson teams using five block of ice each)
takes place in the morning from 9:30 a.m. until noon. The afternoon portion picks up at 1 p.m., and runs until 3:30 p.m. with the individual competition (each artist competes using a single block of ice). This artistic competition has a unique component in that both the team and individual contests will be judged by the crowd. Ballots may be picked up at the information booth located at the center of
the festival. Adults and children vote for their favorite sculptures and the People’s Choice Awards are given out at 4 p.m. “My patterns are all about the height and the sexiness,” Hamner said. “Ice is a live medium. I want to excite people about ice. I go for as much height as possible and push it as much as possible. I want to push the limit of the ice as far as I can and then walk away and leave it for the people.”
Register now for Mission: Clean Stream 2015 and GM Earth Day Everyone can make a difference when it comes improving our environment. GM Earth Day is the place to learn how. Mission: Clean Stream is an easy way to do it. April 11 is when it all happens. GM Earth Day: Come early to the festival at the GM plant in Wentzville, at 1500 E Rte A, if you want to see the mission clean stream workers off. Explore work by local artisans. Learn how to get connected to, and preserve nature with activities like making upcycled crafts, exploring a model stream and seeing how pollution moves into our rivers and streams. Also on hand will be vendors, and organizations that can help you or your family make a real difference in the world. There will also be plenty of hands-on activities with a particular emphasis on keeping very young children occupied while their older sib-
lings are out on the creek. Be on hand to greet the returning workers, see unique trash they find and hear their stories of a day well spent cleaning up our streams and a job well done. The Stream Trash ART (START) project, created by project director Ralph Rollins, will be bigger and better than ever. You can watch artists use recycled materials and salvaged metal pulled from the streams to create new works of eco-art. Additionally there will be opportunities for everyone to contribute to the art being produced. Look for local works to be on display in your community throughout February and March. Mission: Clean Stream: Volunteers from St. Charles County and the communities of Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, Lake St. Louis, O’Fallon, St. Charles, St. Peters and Wentzville join with Greenway Net-
work to remove trash from local streams and lakes. Mission: Clean Stream started as a joint effort to pick up litter from publicly accessible creek areas. Today, Mission: Clean Stream has evolved into a challenge, or charge, for thousands to do some serious damage to the amount of trash in waterways across the county in just two hours. Families, organizations and individuals can participate by calling the nearest community to register: Dardenne Prairie 636-561-1718 Meet at City Hall Cottleville 636-498-6565 x203 Meet at City Hall Wentzville 636-332-9236 Meet at GM Plant Gate 3 Lake St. Louis 636-695-4221 Meet at Jefferson Point O’Fallon 636-379-5408 Meet at Westhoff Park St. Charles 636-949-3237 Meet at Lewis & Clark Boathouse 9636 St Peters www.stpetersmo.net Meet at Rec Plex South lot
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Cora Island 636-498-0772 (GN on-line registration) Meet at Cora Island Parking Area
Riverlands 636-498-0772 (GN on-line registration) Meet at Riverlands West Alton Storm Drain Marking 636-498-0772 http:// greenwaynetwork.org Meet at GM Plant, Gate 3 The day will start at 8:30 a.m. with registration at one of the eight rendezvous locations listed above. Everyone is asked to dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes or boots and bring gloves – trash is messy! Transportation is not provided. Breakfast snacks will be served depending upon location. Register early—space is limited. Participants registering by April 1 will receive a free T-shirt. In case of dangerous weather or high water, the event will be rescheduled for April 25. All participants are encouraged to go to the Earth Day Festivities at GM for lunch. This community-wide event is sponsored by the cities above, Greenway Network, Inc, GM Wentzville, Pat Jones, Missouri Stream Team, Great Rivers Greenway and Wal-Mart. Financial donations to this worthwhile project are also appreciated for supplies and to defray the cost of tire disposal. Contributions can be made through Greenway Network at http://greenwaynetwork. org, greenwaynetwork@gmail. com or by calling (636) 498-0772. Register now and we’ll see you at the creek! For vendor information contact greenwaynetwork@ gmail.com.
www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • January 28, 2015
Crisis Nursery granted $572,916 from Community and Children’s Resource Board The Community and Children’s Resource Board (CCRB) generously awarded Crisis Nursery a $572,916 grant to provide crisis care and community and family follow-up in St. Charles County. “We are excited about our continued partnership with the Crisis Nursery and that we were able to expand respite services in St. Charles County,” said CCRB Executive Director Bruce Sowatsky. “The Nursery plays a vital role in the prevention of child abuse in our community, taking in children who are at risk and helping parents address the stress they face and learn additional coping strategies.” Crisis Nursery is an independent not-for-profit offering 24-hour, short-term care for children, birth through age 12, keeping them safe when their families are experiencing a crisis, such as homelessness, overwhelming parental stress, domestic violence, and illness. St. Charles County is home to three Nurseries: Crisis Nursery St. Charles, sponsored by SSM St. Joseph Health Center; and Crisis Nursery West and Crisis Nursery Wentzville, sponsored by The Commu-
nity and Children’s Resource Board. “We are very grateful for CCRB’s support of our child abuse prevention programs,” explained Crisis Nursery CEO DiAnne Mueller. “These funds will allow us to help many parents in the most critical time of need.” Sowatsky explained: “We know that if a family reaches out to the Crisis Nursery that there is a 99% chance that abuse and neglect will be prevented and that the family will stay intact. They are a key partner and reason why St. Charles County remains as the highest ranked county in the State of Missouri for raising children by Missouri Kids Count.” The Community and Children’s Resource Board is the administrator for the Community Children’s Service Fund, a fund created when St. Charles County passed a 1/8-cent sales tax measure in November 2004. The funds are dedicated for services to St. Charles County children and youth, and is awarded to local agencies to provide services that address the growing unmet mental health needs of our community youth.
Around Town
MO Rides offers coordinated transportation for those in need MO Rides is a new and emerging concept in the state of Missouri for managing personal mobility through coordinated transportation for seniors, persons with disabilities, those who are living on low incomes, and the general public. MO Rides serves Franklin, Lincoln, Montgomery, St. Charles and Warren Counties. MO Rides works with existing transportation providers to coordinate affordable rides for people with transportation challenges. MO Rides can especially benefit senior citizens, individuals with disabilities and those with lowto-moderate incomes. MO Rides website features transportation providers throughout the region, and the Mobility Coordinator can counsel individuals in how to better
Photo courtesy MO Rides MO Rides serves Franklin, Lincoln, Montgomery, St. Charles and Warren Counties.
manage their mobility, access transportation providers, and discover how they can get where they want to go! MO Rides is managed by mobility coordinator Deana Tucker Dothage at ddothage@boonslick. org or call 636-359-4656. Visit www.morides.org for more information.
SSM is hosting an education and screening day Heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women. There are nearly twice as many women in the United States who die from heart disease and stroke than from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer. To help educate women about their number one health risk, the SSM Heart Institute is hosting “Her Heart: Every Beat Counts,” an education and screening day on Feb. 6 at The Heart of St. Charles Banquet Center located at 1410 South Fifth St. in St. Charles. This free
program runs from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and includes lunch. The program features SSM Heart Institute speakers Ali Ziaee, MD, Lori Effland, ANRP-CNP, and David Theodoro, MD. They will address how a woman’s heart health is different than that of a man’s, what women need to know about heart surgery, and how to prevent and manage congestive heart failure. There also will be “Heart-Smart” stations, screenings and gifts. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions follow-
ing each presentation and visit informational booths on topics ranging from diabetes and nutrition to chest pain and cardiac catheterization. Blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol and glucose screenings will be offered from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. There is a $10 fee for the fasting cholesterol and glucose screening and appointments are required. Registration for the event is required. To register and schedule a screening time, call 1-866-SSM-DOCS (1-866-7763627) or visit ssmhealth.com/ heart.
Start a lifesaving habit by giving blood The American Red Cross encourages eligible blood donors to start a lifesaving habit by becoming a regular blood donor this year, starting with National Blood Donor Month in January. January is a challenging time for blood donations. Inclement weather can result in blood drive cancellations, and cold and flu season may cause some donors to be unable to make or keep blood donation appointments. Donors of all blood types are needed, especially those with O negative, A negative and B negative. Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be transfused to patients with any blood type. Types A and B negative can be transfused to
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Rh positive or negative patients. To learn more about donating blood and to schedule an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Upcoming blood donation opportunities: Saint Charles County Saint Charles 1/30/2015: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Spencer Rd Library Community Commons, 427 Spencer Road Saint Peters 1/28/2015: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., St Charles Community College Student Center, 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
www.stygar.com
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Around Town
January 28, 2015 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com
Cornerstone UMC and Rizzo’s Restaurant team up Every Tuesday in February and March Rizzo’s Restaurant in O’Fallon will donate 10 percent of your lunch and dinner food bill to Cornerstone United Methodist Church’s Imagine No Malaria mission. Unlike many other diseases that are awaiting a cure, malaria was eliminated in the U.S. in the 1950s. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, malaria continues to kill a person every 60 seconds. But there is hope. Imagine No Malaria is part of a global partnership and together with our partners, our generation can beat malaria once and for all. Imagine No Malaria is an extraordinary ministry of the
people of the United Methodist Church, putting our faith into action to end preventable deaths by malaria in Africa. You can join in the fight against malaria by having lunch or dinner every Tuesday in February and March at Rizzo’s Restaurant in O’Fallon which is located at 104 Triad West Drive. According to Mabel Dighton, missions chair at Cornerstone UMC, “Every 60 seconds a child in Africa dies of malaria and we want to help stop that from happening. Your generosity is making a difference as the death rate is now almost half of what it was in 2006, but we need to help more, we need to lower that number more.”
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Winning the War on Wellness With Coletta Hakenewerth, Certified Wellness Coach
We need to adopt habits that fit with our current lifestyle. Diets don’t do that! Diets are temporary. A diet changes what’s going into the mouth at the moment but it doesn’t impact anything that is already in the body. It also doesn’t change your relationship to food or how food is viewed. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free; this detox works. On the medical side of my business, we have worked with cardiac patients, oncology patients, diabetic, pre-diabetic and thyroid patients. My program is safe for all ages and including nursing mothers, overweight teens and active military personnel. The detox can last any length of time and it’s completely flexible. Its efficacy and results will determine how long you want to do it. If you just want to lose ten pounds, then you
may only want to detox for 2 weeks. I offer a 30-day money back guarantee. It takes 21 to 23 days to create a habit and I want to see if this is a good fit for the client. The 30-day time frame lets us determine if the program is working for the individual client. The program is not one-size-fits-all, it’s different for everyone. Though many clients come to me to lose weight, weight loss is not the only focus. If you are looking for more energy and better sleep, it’s a different protocol than for someone needing to drop 10 pounds before a wedding. I can empower you to think differently about your health, and inspire and motivate you on your journey. I encourage you to contact me and get back on the road to wellness! Call 636-357-8389 or email at coletta333@ gmail.com. You have nothing to lose…except maybe those extra pounds!
www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • January 28, 2015
The Death of Dieting
If you want to permanently and significantly lose weight, dieting may not be the answer. It has been shown that 97 percent of people that began a diet ended up gaining the weight back, and many people gain back more weight than when they started. The problem with dieting is that it is about deprivation, will power and guilt. And that can only be maintained for a short amount of time before we enviably go back to our old patterns, with a resulting weight gain. Another problem with dieting is that success is based on the scale—if you lose weight, you’re happy, and if you don’t, you want to quit. This creates a yo-yo effect because you are doing something that is not maintainable, which leads to frustration and low self-esteem. What determines weight gain and your ability to lose weight is your metabolism—and your metabolism is controlled by your hormones. Fluctuations
Around Town
By Dr. Jason Rhodes DC BCIM
in your hormones can have a severe impact on your weight-loss goals. There are hundreds of hormones in the body that perform various functions, but six hormones are directly linked to fat burning and three are linked to fat storing. What you do on a daily basis either activates fat-storing hormones or fat-burning hormones: the types of foods you eat, the type of exercise you perform and even the way you deal with stress. The key is to activate your fat-burning hormones to work for you and to decrease the amount of times you activate your fat-storing hormones. What we have also found is that there are four main culprits that suppress fat-burning hormones: adrenal fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, liver toxicity and blood sugar imbalances. Call 314-983-9355 for more information to attend one of our upcoming free seminars on Feb. 10 or Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. and start this new year off right!
Start small to maintain New Year’s resolutions Has your resolution already gone bust? Check out a few tips the O’Fallon Family YMCA recommends to help you get back on track and make your New Year’s resolutions stick in 2015: 1. Start small. Set attainable goals. If your goal is to exercise more frequently, don’t schedule seven days a week at the gym right out of the gate. Let a routine become natural and divide your goals in “checkpoints” you can more easily accomplish. For example, start with three days a week of exercise and work up to four days. 2. Take it one step at a time. For your fitness resolution to be successful you don’t have to change everything all at once. Work to change one behavior at a time – whether it is eating a healthier diet, creating a better work-life balance or increasing activity level. 3. Establish a little competition. Find a workout
buddy that will take a class with you or hold you accountable to meet them for a workout. It’s harder to quit when someone else is counting on you. And with the Y’s Share the Y program it makes it easier for you to encourage a friend to join too! 4. Make time! You must be intentional and schedule your workouts. You have to make improving your health a priority. Sometimes you just need to stop running from place to place and say, “I’m doing this to make my life better. Everyone else can wait – this is my time!” The Y is so much more than a gym. Whether you’re looking to become more fit, have more fun, find more family time, or make more connections in your community, the Y has more of what you want. They offer programs for people of all abilities. Visit www.ymcastlouis.org or call 636-3790092 to find out more.
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Around Town
January 28, 2015 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com
Morning Star Church launches a 50-minute Saturday service Home Sweet Home In order to better serve their community, Morning Star Church is adding a second Saturday evening service titled StreamLine. The new service times, beginning the weekend of Feb. 21, are Saturdays at 4:30 and 6 p.m. and Sundays at 9:15 and 11:15 a.m. StreamLine will be a 50-minute worship service at 6 p.m. that will feature the same contemporary music and culturally relevant message ... just streamlined. In addition, children’s ministry will be available for children from birth through fifth grade.
www.seniorshelpingseniors.com/stcharles
There’s nothing like returning home after being away for an extended period of time to appreciate its familiarities. After being gone many days, I was eager to return to my own bathroom, to my own mattress with its personalized lumps formed by my personalized lumpy body and especially to my own refrigerator which I could access anytime the whim caught me. The whim caught me as I entered the door. I was famished because the three-course meal of water, ice and a napkin served by my flight was not holding me over. I headed towards the fridge where I knew it would be well-stocked with tasty treats; perhaps a meaty sandwich, a salad with a variety of fresh veggies or certainly a cold barbequed chicken thigh that could stay my hunger with a quick zap of the microwave. Instead, I opened it to a wasteland of decomposing loneliness. Tiny tumbleweeds rolled across its shelves. In the whistling void of emptiness I
By Cindy Moore detected the lonesome howl of a coyote--a very thin, undernourished coyote. I opened the vegetable crisper to find a large raisin only to realize that it was an emaciated potato. It rolled around and landed atop a withered lettuce leaf. A check of the drawer above produced no better results. It yielded a fancy cheese given to us several Christmases ago. It was a pricey one which we had been saving for a special occasion…starvation seemed to fall under that category. I tossed it back after reading its “best-if-used-by-May-2009” label. “Where the heck is all the food?” I asked my husband. “What do you mean? There’s still plenty here,” he said shaking a box of cereal and pointing to a lonely half gallon of milk. “I’m good for another week.” “You mean to tell me you’ve been living on cereal for the entire time I’ve been gone?” “Don’t be absurd. I finished up the bread and peanut butter yesterday.”
“ I t d i d n’t dawn on you to go to the store and buy supplies? What if the power went out?” “Since when do you cook peanut butter sandwiches or Frosted Flakes? I’m covered.” My husband…the master chef. He might have eaten better while I was gone if he had only known the oven wasn’t just a bulky rack to hang dish towels on. 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.
Operation Round Up helps stock food pantry shelves
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During the final two months of the year, Cuivre River Electric Community Trust volunteers who put Operation Round Up funds to work in their communities directed more than $12,000 to help local food pantries serve hungry families in need. The Immaculate Conception Church Dardenne Prairie Conference of the St. Vincent DePaul (SVDP) Society and the St. Patrick’s Wentzville Conference of the SVDP Society each received $3,000 from Operation Round Up to help stock pantry shelves. An additional $6,000 was awarded to aid the following community food pantries as the year drew to a close: Calvary Chapel of Troy, Agape Ministry of Warrenton, Hope Center of Pike County, Holy Rosary SVDP of Warrenton, Caring and Sharing Food Pantry of Wentzville, and the Elsberry Ministerial Alliance. According to Gene Goertz of St. Patrick’s SVDP, Operation Round Up funds will help supply St. Patrick’s SVDP pantry for nearly three months. Food drives have been sufficient in the past, but this year - for the first time - the basement where canned goods are
stored emptied months ahead of schedule while the needs of the poor continued to increase. The group primarily provides food for the poor in the Wentzville area and served more than 6,000 people in the first 9 months of the year. The Dardenne Prairie SVDP assisted more than 10,000 people during a similar period, and witnessed a 30% increase over previous years in the request for food, according to Frank P. Jakse. The group serves families in need within a geographic area that encompasses portions of O’Fallon, Lake Saint Louis, Wentzville and Dardenne Prairie communities. Operation Round Up funds are provided by Cuivre River members who “round up” their utility payments each month and donate from 1¢ to 99¢ to the non-profit Cuivre River Electric Community Trust. One hundred percent of the funds are put to work in local communities to address unmet needs in these targeted areas: youth, health, education, home weatherization, community and emergency services. Trust volunteers meet monthly to review grant requests, due the last day of each month.
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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • January 28, 2015
Advertiser Profile: Bella Montessori Preschool focuses on social, emotional and academic development By Sara Hardin
Bella Montessori Preschool offers a unique educational experience for younger children that focuses on social and emotional development alongside academics. “We’re a Montessori school that accepts ages 6 weeks up to 6 years,” says Leslie McGhee, Director and co-owner of Montessori Preschool. “Our vision is to create a school where children, staff, and parents grow in their ability to learn and problem-solve in a supportive environment guided by Montessori philosophy that creates happy, independent, confident, personally rePhoto courtesy Bella Montessori Preschool Bella Montessori Preschool offers a unique educational experience sponsible and peaceful children.” younger children that focuses on social and emotional developMcGhee explained how the Montessori phi- for ment alongside academics. losophy helps children develop fundamental “In a Montessori classroom the ages are skills by catering to their individual learning mixed, so in our preschool classroom it’s ages styles and learning from peer mentors. “We prepare the environment for them every 2-6, and we do that so that our older children day so that it’s ready when they walk in. We do can learn how to be role models and peer helpa lot of individual lessons and small group les- ers. And then our younger children are getting a sons. It’s not everybody doing the same thing lot of observation done with the older children at the same time. We definitely follow their on some material that may be more challenging individual learning styles as well, and we also that they may be more interested in working on. focus on social and emotional growth; it’s not The mixed age group really helps the younger just the academics. It’s important to be able to children and the older children,” McGee said. Bella Montessori Preschool is located at 203 know how to solve a conflict with your words, or to help a friend if they need help,” McGee Church Street in O’Fallon. For more information, go to www.bellamontessoripreschool.com. said.
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1st Financial Federal Credit Union celebrates first year of new program 1st Financial Federal Credit Union started the Helping People 1st Grant program to make a positive impact in the St. Louis area. This program was created to support nonprofit organizations that provide community assistance with an emphasis in education, housing, financial literacy, or job training. “The commitment our employees show to work for their communities touches my heart, said Carol Minges, Chief Executive Officer of 1st Financial Federal Credit Union. “We have a team of people that volunteer not because they have to serve. They volunteer because they have a calling to serve. Seeing their dedication to selflessly help others is another reminder for me about why it is so great to work for a credit union.”
Beginning in February, branch employees picked a new 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization to serve each month. The employees were encouraged to schedule paid volunteer time during work hours and held fundraising activities to support the charity. At the end of the month, the nonprofit received a $500 contribution from 1st Financial as well as any additional donations earned from fundraising within the branches. In 2014, 1st Financial employees worked over 462 hours of paid volunteer time scrubbing out storerooms, sorting canned goods, cleaning up gardens, and building part of a house. Over the course of the year this program presented $15,624.65 to charitable organizations within the St. Louis area.
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The Battlegrounds teams up with two new partners The Battlegrounds, St. Louis’ largest permanent mud run obstacle course, recently teamed up with two new partners for its upcoming May 2 race. Fleet Feet Race Productions, which will be the race’s new timing partner, will provide a wrist band timing chip for more accuracy and convenience. The company will post live results online and on-site via large television monitors. Runner communication also will be handled by Fleet Feet Race Productions through texts to notify participants of their personalized racing results. The company is based in St. Louis, Mo. Gameface Media, the world’s leading provider of free amateur sports photography, will handle all race photos. Runners will be given a race bib that will link the bib’s number to free photos to see, share and print. The company is based in Boston, Mass. The Battlegrounds offers a 5k/3.2-mile or a fivemile mud run where participants will experience the demands of more than 30 military-themed obstacles for those who want to test their physical and mental abilities. The Battlegrounds is located at 950 State Highway 00 in Wright City next to Cedar Lake Cellars winery and event venue.
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Submitted photo A competitor slogs through the mud during an event at The Battlegrounds.
The Battlegrounds is teaming up with three nonprofit organizations: The BackStoppers, Barrel Aid, and Operation Food Search. Proceeds will benefit The BackStoppers, a non-profit organization founded in 1959 to support the families of fallen heroes in the greater St. Louis region. Barrel Aid will collect and donate racer’s shoes to their non-profit partner Mission-Haiti.org, which supplies clean shoes, fresh water, food and schooling for more than 1,600 unserved children in Southern Haiti. Operation Food Search, which is the largest distributor of free food in the bi-state area, will hold a canned food drive.
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School
January 28, 2015 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com
New Primrose School of O’Fallon at WingHaven hosts grand opening event
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Aspiring to make a difference in the lives of St. Louis-area children and their families, and to mark the official entrance of Primrose Schools into Missouri, Primrose Schools Franchise Owner Lori Ruppert will host a grand opening event for local families to celebrate the new Primrose School of O’Fallon at WingHaven on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The celebration will include school tours, face painting, balloon sculpting, caricature art by artist Share Faerber and an appearance by Primrose Friend, Percy the Rooster. A ceremonial ribbon cutting will take place at 10:15 a.m. City of O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy and the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce also will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 2 to celebrate the school’s opening.
Primrose School of O’Fallon at WingHaven, located at 7778 Winghaven Blvd., officially opened its doors to students on Jan. 12 and is the first and only Primrose School in the state of Missouri. Adding approximately 40 jobs and $2.3 million in project costs to the community, the 13,500 squarefoot school is poised to serve more than 180 local children and families.
Photo courtesy Wentzville School District The Timberland High School Symphonic Band has been chosen to perform at the 77th Annual Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) State Music Conference.
Timberland Symphonic Band selected to perform at State Music Educators Conference The Timberland High School Symphonic Band has been chosen to perform at the 77th Annual Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) State Music Conference on Jan. 29 at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri. Over 160 ensembles from across the state submitted recordings last spring, and Timberland is one of only six high school bands selected to perform. “This is the highest honor a high school band can receive in the state,” said Timberland Band Director Courtney Straine. “The Timberland High School Symphonic Band is honored to be making its first appearance at the MMEA Conference.”
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The symphonic band was formed following auditions during the 2012-13 school year due to the growth of the Timberland band program. This marks the first time in school history that an ensemble has been invited to perform at the MMEA Conference. “The time and effort our students and directors put into their music yield fantastic results,” said Timberland Principal Nathan Hoven. “This opportunity to showcase their talents is a great honor and makes us all very proud.” The band learned of their selection before school started in August and they have been preparing since then for their performance.
Francis Howell HS Limelight Theatre presents ‘Book of Days’ Francis Howell High School’s award-winning Limelight Theatre is proud to present their winter production of PulitzerPrize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson’s “Book of Days” – Feb. 5 through Feb. 7at the Francis Howell High School Auditorium, located at 7001 Highway 94 in St. Charles. “Book of Days” is an alternately comic, tragic, and poignant murder mystery that examines
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the fascinating characters that populate Dublin, Missouri, a small town in the heartland dominated by a cheese plant, a fundamentalist church, and a community theater. Wilson constructs this town literally out of thin, theatrical air. The play itself is fascinating in its ability to make these people seem utterly real, by finding a balance between comic human observations and deep character
drama. In the end, we see a town walking the thin line between example of American propriety and ticking time bomb, ready to explode. Performances of “Book of Days” take place at 7 p.m. each night, Feb. 5-7 - doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $5 per person, and are available at the door. For more information, please contact Charles Mueller at charles.mueller@fhsdschools.org
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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • January 28, 2015
Movie
“American Sniper”
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By Steve Bryan - Rated: R
Cooper gives Oscar-worthy performance in tense, riveting “American Sniper Actor Bradley Cooper has come a long way from his 2001 debut in the cult hit As Kyle’s wife Taya, Sienna Miller is so good that it’s a “Wet Hot American Summer.” For the third year in a row, Cooper turned in a per- wonder she didn’t get an Oscar nod. Showing how the formance worthy of an Oscar nominacouple first met tion. His portrayal of Navy SEAL Chris at a bar, Miller and Kyle this year, though, could be the one Cooper are charmthat finally gives him the gold. ing and funny. Their Cooper is amazing playing the man good-natured banter is who became America’s deadliest sniper. just a sampling of the incredDirector Clint Eastwood delves deeply ibly well-written dialogue in into Kyle’s background, showing the this piece. lasting influence of his old school faDuring the battle sequences, Eastther on his career choices. Inspired by wood takes his unflinching camera into attacks on American embassies, Kyle physically and emotionally tight spaces. found his calling and joined the Navy. “American Sniper” does not glorify killAlways a fine actor, Clint Eastwood ing, but it shows how necessary a sniper also is a powerful force behind the is to his comrades. The most harrowing camera. He takes the audience into the scenes show Kyle determining if he has a tight, uncomfortable spaces in which hostile combatant or a civilian in his gun military snipers have to work. Based sight. on Kyle’s memoir of the same name, Competition is fierce this year amongst this is nothing less than a riveting film the Academy Award nominees, but Bradand a worthy Best Picture nominee. ley Cooper’s stunning performance puts In his best performance thus far, him at the head of the pack. There’s a fair Bradley Cooper disappears into the amount of controversy surround the bulk character of Chris Kyle. The story of “American Sniper,” but no one can disshows Kyle as being somewhat aimless pute that Cooper and Eastwood are exbefore joining the U.S. Navy. Cooper ceptional at what they do. embodies the sniper’s desire to be, in “American Sniper,” rated R for strong his father’s words, a sheepdog instead and disturbing war violence and language of a wolf or a sheep. throughout, including some sexual referCooper plays the character from the ences, currently is playing in theaters. good ol’ boy days to his troubles readBorn and raised in South St. Louis, Steve justing to civilian life. In some scenes, Bryan is now based in Anaheim, California, and the actor shows Kyle staring at a blank has been allowed access to movie and televiTV screen while sounds of battle echo sion sets to see actors and directors at work. in his head. These are exceptionally Though his writing has taken him far from St. Louis, Steve is, at heart, still the same widepowerful moments thanks to Cooper’s eyed kid who spent countless hours watching complex performance. “American Sniper” photo courtesy of Warner Bros classic movies at neighborhood theaters.
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January 28, 2015 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com
Sports Guns ‘N Hoses boxing this Friday Grey Eagle Anheuser Busch Distributor is a major part of the annual fundraiser for fallen police, fire and emergency medical personnel in and around the St.
Louis area. It will be held this Friday Jan. 30 at the Scottrade Center. There will be 15 three-round bouts of boxing and included are mixed martial arts matches pitting male and female contestants from the group. A very large crowd of enthusiastic fans is expected with good weather on the way. Attend the event by going to www.TicketMaster.com * Great fundraising event
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Family Arena has motorcycles on ice this Saturday The Family Arena will hold an event that is unique and is one of the most exciting and fastest sports. The Professional Motorcycle Racing Tour XIIR will pack the facility for a one night stop in St. Charles. The bikes can reach speeds of 60 mph in under three seconds as they circle the course on the ice. Special motorcycle tires are used that have over 2,000 metal studs. But the most exciting point is that they have no brakes. Check out the Family Arena’s website to get all the details of the event on Jan. 31. * Loud and exciting History made in basketball at Lindenwood On a night when Garrett Reeg became the 10th Lindenwood Lion in school history to score 1,000 career points, the Lions continued their roll beating the Southwest Baptist Bearcats 73-66 Thursday night in Bolivar, Mo. Cory Arentsen led the way for Lindenwood with 21 points. Darris Smith chipped in with 18
and Reeg scored seven to go along with five rebounds. The win was the Lions eighth straight win and seventh straight conference win. Lindenwood is now 12-6 overall and 7-2 in the MIAA. The Lions will welcome Central Missouri to the Hyland Arena on Saturday afternoon. * Thanks to Lindenwood’s Tyler Scheller-Sports Information Graduate Assistant Faith and football for the Attack The St. Louis Attack is the professional indoor football team that will start their season in late March. Their first home games will be on April 4 and 11 at their home field of the Family Arena. One of the major players on the roster is Bernard Quinn a prototypical football player standing 6’3” and weighing in at 290 pounds. With 16 years of playing football experience, it is not his only passion. “My biggest influences in my life are God, my mom, my grandfather, my kids and playing along side by brothers – on and off the field,” he said. A native of St. Louis, Quinn graduated from Pattonville High School before attending Southeast Missouri State University. Off the field, Quinn runs the ‘Sole to Soul Foundation,’ that lists its vision as “For every person to have his/her basic needs met.” He continues explaining his mission, “Impacting and changing lives, through servicing the needs of the less fortunate in our communities, cities and beyond; on the basis of faith, love, loyalty, and stewardship.” It’s football, though, that keeps his athletic motor running. “The thrill of the chase is what I love the most,” he said. “I love dismantling quarterbacks and running backs and I take pride in knowing the man in front of me is not going to block me.” For more information on the Attack football team, go to www.STLAttack.com * He has someone BIG on his side 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.
Intriguing New Novel Predicted to Be This Year’s “Gone Girl”
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.
See solution on page 13
Sometimes you need a “guilty read,” fiction you know isn’t literary but definitely entertains. “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins is a psychologically gripping debut that delivers. Three women — Rachel, Anna and Megan — narrate the book, their stories alternately keeping you on the edge of your seat. Rachel Watson is a pathetic, lonely alcoholic who rides back and forth on a commuter train from her rented room in Oxfordshire to a pretend job in London. She lost her job because of her drinking, but continues the charade of being employed to fool her roommate, who is growing ever more impatient with her drinking. Using alcohol as a balm for her problems has made a mess of Rachel’s life, contributed to her husband Tom leaving her for Anna. The couple lives in the home Rachel shared with Tom — a Victorian by the tracks that Rachel passes on her commute, torturing herself as she fixates on Tom, Anna and their new baby. Rachel creates an imaginary life for another couple she sees who live four doors down from her former home, painting scenes in a brain ladled by alcohol and heartbreak. Rachel dreams up a perfect marriage for gorgeous Megan and Scott, a relationship that appears loving, but one that crumbles in her mind when she sees Megan in the arms of another man. Megan used to own an art gallery but also served as a nanny for Anna and Tom’s baby, a stint that was short lived. Watchdog Rachel is aware of all this because of her vantage point on the train, where she lives vicariously through the people she sees. When Megan mysteriously disappears, Rachel, who seems at times on the brink of madness, is determined to help find her. She does, after all, have information the authorities would find helpful, as would Scott, a husband awash with grief. As Rachel becomes more deeply obsessed with the crime, she takes risks that put her in danger, all the while her alcoholism spirals out of control. “Girl on a Train” sucks you in, but the conclusion is implausible. The book’s strength is its portrait of Rachel, a complicated character readers won’t know whether to trust or not. If it’s pure escapism you seek, this mystery delivers. Reprinted with permission. Missourian Publishing Company. Copyright 2015.
www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • January 28, 2015
Recipe:
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Show off your sweet side this Valentine’s Day
Treat family, friends and co-workers to something they will all love this Valentine’s Day by making easy and impressive cookies. Start with your favorite rollout cookie recipe or simply dress up store-bought ones by adding some simple details with icing.
Here are three ways to leave them smitten with sweets this Valentine’s Day: • Desserts with dimension. Triple your treats by stacking three decorated cookies in different sizes together and attach them with icing.
• Complement with color. A simple piping technique looks stunning when piped in different colors on your cookies. • Get to gifting. Wrap your finished treats in a Valentine’s Day treat bag or box.
Stackable Ombre Heart Cookies
Scalloped Heart Cookies
Each stacked cookie serves 1
Each cookie serves 1
Ingredients: Favorite roll-out cookie recipe Royal icing Rose Icing Color Heart Micro Mini Icing Decorations Directions: Prepare and roll out cookie dough following recipe directions. Use 3 smallest cutters from 4-piece heart nesting cookie cutter set to cut out shapes. Bake and cool cookies.
Divide royal icing into three equal portions, and tint 3 shades of rose. Thin a portion of each shade following recipe directions. Use tip 3 and full-strength tinted icing to outline cookies. Use thinned tinted icing in cut decorating bag to fill in cookies; gently tap to smooth icing. Let dry overnight. Use icing to attach cookies, stacking largest to smallest; place icing decoration on top.
Ingredients: Favorite roll-out cookie recipe Ready-To-Use White Creamy Decorator Icing Icing Colors: Burgundy, Red-Red and Christmas Red
Divide icing into four equal portions. Tint one of each portion light burgundy, dark burgundy and combination of red-red/Christmas red. Reserve last portion white.
Directions: Prepare and roll out dough following recipe directions. Use largest cutter from the 4-piece heart nesting cookie cutter set to cut out shape. Bake and cool cookies.
Starting from top edge of heart, use tip 102 and icing in dark burgundy, light burgundy, red and white to pipe V-shaped groups of two petals, one piped from left and one from right, to create row of petals in alternating colors. Repeat with second row between petals in first row. Continue to repeat pattern until cookies are covered.
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What’s Happening
January 28, 2015 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com
Send your event to editor@mycnews.com and we'll print it! EVENTS Jan 28: Eagle Watching Tour From 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. for a cost of $50 this Dardenne Prairie seniors event is a trip to view our winter visitors, the beautiful bald eagle. We will travel by Mid American coaches with a morning stop at the Audubon Center in West Alton, MO for a short program and river viewing. We will then travel along the Great River Road to Pere Marquette State Park for a family-style chicken lunch. Depending on time, we may stop at a few eagle viewing spots along the way where you may enjoy from the comfort of the bus or step off if you wish. Bus pick-up and dropoff will take place at the Dardenne Prairie Shop N’ Save. To register for this event, please call the parks office at 636-755-5308. Jan. 29: Webster University open information night Event runs from 5:30-7 p.m. at the WingHaven Campus Location in the Midwest Bank Centre at 2299 Technology Drive, Suite 300 in O’Fallon. Undergraduate and graduate classes meet one night a week. Application fees will be waived for those who attend. Please RSVP – webster.edu/winghaven or 636-561-2400. Jan. 31: Book signing Local author, R. Dean Chrisco will be signing copies of his two recently published books “Where Did My Country Go?” and “Taking My Country Back” from 10 a.m. - noon at 6 North Café at 10 Cliff View Drive in Wentzville. For more information call 636-8568066 or visit www.6northcafe.com. Feb. 4: Movie screening The St. Charles County German Heritage Club will be showing the documentary “Utopia - Revisiting a German State in America” at 7 pm at the Stegton Regency Ban-
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quet Center (1450 Wall Street) in St. Charles. This event is free and the public is invited. This film shares the story of the thousands of the German emigrants that settled in St. Charles and the surrounding counties. Feb. 5: Adult flag-football league registration This recreational league for players ages 18 and up will begin on Feb. 15 with registration ending 10 days before the league begins or when the league is full. Your team will compete weekly on an athletic field next to Rec-Plex South on Sundays between noon and 5 p.m. Each team must have at least six players and can have as many as 15 players. The cost is $415 per team. This is a team sign-up only program. Individuals looking for a spot on a team may email mdaigle@ stpetersmo.net with your name, address, day and evening phone numbers, age, and football background. Learn more or register your team at www.stpetersmo.net/ rec-connect or call 636-939-2386, ext. 1400. Feb. 6: Registrations due Registration for the Lake Saint Louis Father Daughter Sweetheart Dance is now open! Baseball/softball registration will begin Jan. 2. Call 636-561-4620 for visit www.lakesaintlouis.com for more information. Feb. 6: Trivia night The Child Center, Inc. & Champ Assistance Dogs will host Super Hero Trivia Night. Doors open at 6 p.m. and trivia begins at 7 p.m. at the Professional Firefighters of Eastern Missouri Banquet Center in St. Peters. The night will include beer, soda, trivia, games, auction items, and raising money for two great causes. For payment and more information go to http:// thechildcenter.com/events/trivia-
night/ or call Danielle at 636-3320899. Feb. 7: Father-daughter dance St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre is providing a wonderful opportunity for dads and other father figures of all ages to treat your little girls, ages 5 to 13, to a wonderful evening of music and dancing. The dance will take place from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Centre located at one St. Peters Centre Blvd. in St. Peters adjacent to St. Peters City Hall. Snacks will be served, and a professional photographer will be selling picture packages at the event. Tickets for the dance are $13 per person. The professional photos will be sold separately. Advance registration is required. Register in person at the Rec-Plex, online using RecConnect, or call 636-939-2386, ext. 1400. When registering online, print out your receipt and bring it with you for admission to the dance. Feb. 7: Polar Plunge Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the plunge is at 12 p.m. at the Lake St. Louis Community Association Clubhouse. The Post Plunge Party and Awards will immediately follow on site at the Community Association Clubhouse. The Polar Plunge is sponsored by the O’Fallon and Lake St. Louis Police Departments with 100 percent of the proceeds supporting Special Olympics Missouri.
Nightshift Bar & Grill at 3979 Mexico Road in St. Peters. Receive $500 in additional chips with paid admission before Feb. 4 Register now at www.stchuxderbychix. com, no PayPal account required. Visit our website www.stchuxderbychix.com for more information. Feb. 7: Comedy night Comedians Pete Lee and Tracey Ashley will headline St. Charles Community College’s Comedy Night. Doors open at 7 p.m. in the theater of the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building on the SCC campus in Cottleville. The show is rated R. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for SCC students with a valid ID. Purchase tickets online at stchastickets.com or through the SCC box office at 636-922-8050. For more information, including information about group rates, contact Mandi Smith, SCC student activities coordinator, at 636-922-8469 or asmith@stchas. edu. Feb. 7: Book signing Authors/photographers Sheree and Russell Nielsen will be signing copies of their new book, “Folly Beach Dances” from 10 a.m. - noon at 6 North Café at 10 Cliff View Drive in Wentzville. For more information call 636-8568066 or visit www.6northcafe.com.
Feb. 7: Trivia night The Kiwanis Club of West St. Charles County is holding a team trivia night at the Carpenter’s Union Hall at 755 Parr Road in Wentzville, Missouri. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and trivia begins at 7 p.m. Call Erica Fiore at 636-3275858 or Tim Hooton at 636-6954733 or for more information.
Feb. 8: Chicken and dumpling dinner St. John’s United Church of Christ, located 2.5 miles west of New Melle off Hwy. D on St. Johannes Ln., will be hosting its annual Chicken & Dumpling Dinner from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Dinner will be served buffet style in the church’s fellowship hall. Carry-outs are also available. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 6-11). The public is cordially invited. For more information call 636-828-5221.
Feb. 7: Poker fundraiser St. Charles’ only Women’s Flat Track Derby League, St. Chux Derby Chix (SCDC) will host its 3rd Annual Poker Fundraiser at
Feb. 12: Valentine’s trip This trip, sponsored by St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre will visit McArthur’s Bakery where you will be able to purchase special bakery
goods. Next on the tour will be a visit to St. Louis County’s oldest brick house built in 1808 by Thomas Sappington for his bride, Mary Ann Kincaid. Lunch will be at the Sappington Barn Tearoom and Restaurant. After lunch, the trip goes to Walter Knoll’s Wholesale Floral Company on LaSalle Street in St. Louis. Finally the trip will come to the Crown Candy Kitchen. The cost of this tour is $76 per person and includes transportation, lunch, admissions, gratuities, and guide. For more information or to register for this tour, call ext. 1624 at 636-397-6903 or go online to www.stpetersmo.net/ rec-connect. Feb. 13: Wentzville Parks & Recreation Job Fair From 2 – 6 p.m. at Progress Park in Wentzville, applications will be accepted for temporary summer positions for lifeguards, concessionaires, day camp counselors, recreation aides and umpires. Applicants should be prepared to be interviewed and age 16 or older by May 1, 2015. No early appointments will be provided. For more information, call the Parks & Recreation Office at 636-332-9236. Feb. 13: Dinner concert The St. Charles County Youth Choir will host “Romance is in the Air” Dinner and Concert at Calvary Mid-Rivers Christian Church. Tickets are $30 for adults; $20 for children. Call Debbie at 636-2790067 for information or reservations. Feb. 14: Valentine’s Dinner at Innsbrook Make your honey happy by reserving your place at Innsbrook’s Valentine’s Day Dinner (men are required to wear a jacket) at Innsbrook Aspen Center located at Aspen Circle Dr. in Innsbrook at 6 p.m. Overnight packages are also available. See more details at http://www.innsbrook-resort. com/vacations/valentines-day. Call 636-928-3366 ext. 0 for more information and reservations.
www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • January 28, 2015 Feb. 15: Fried chicken dinner The Lincoln County Council on Aging (LCCOA), located at 1380 Boone St. in Troy, will be hosting an all-you-can-eat fried chicken dinner from 12 - 4 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12 (children under 6 are free). All you can eat in house, or call ahead for car-side to-go service. To call ahead or for more information call 636-528-7000. Feb. 15-16: Musical auditions Wentzville Christian Church announces auditions for “Meet Me in St. Louis” on Feb. 15 from 1 – 5 p.m., and Feb. 16 from 6 – 9 p.m. Those auditioning should come prepared to sing 20-30 measures of a Broadway-style song. An accompanist will be provided. Please bring your own sheet music in the correct key. Actors will also be asked to learn and perform a short dance. Additional information can be found at wentzvillecc.org. Wentzville Christian Church is located at 1507 Highway Z in Wentzville. If you have any questions please call Tammy at 636-219-3238. Feb. 16: Deadline to apply for “Arts & Craft” festival Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles County invites artists and homebrewers to participate in their first annual “Arts & Craft” festival, a fundraising event on April 18 at 308 Civic Park Drive in O’Fallon, filled with food trucks, a beer garden, and live music by Butch Wax and the Hollywoods. Applications are available online at http://www. stcharlesrestore.org/arts--craft. html or at the Habitat St. Charles ReStore located at 186 Mid Rivers Center, St. Peters, MO, 63376. For more information, contact Andrea Hughes at andrea@habitatstcharles.org Feb. 19: Nutrition Series Are you setting your body up for weight gain and not loss? Learn simple tips to avoid these traps. This one-hour seminar will help you understand the basics of sound nutrition and how macronutrients work to fuel the body. Class begins at 6:30 p.m. and is $8 for Wentzville residents and $10 for nonresidents. Please call Progress Park Recreation Center at 636-332-9236 for more information. Feb. 21: Adult Painting Class Red Hat Ladies! This is for you! Join Calise Thompson for this three-hour painting class. You will leave with a painting of a one-of-akind hat! This class is scheduled for 9 a.m. Cost is $25 for Wentzville residents and $30 for nonresidents. Registration is required. Please call Progress Park at 636-332-9236 to sign-up. Feb. 21: Trivia night 7th Annual Progress South Elementary Trivia Night, doors open at 6:30 p.m. at O’Fallon Elks Lodge. Cash and prizes awarded. More info at www.psepto.org. Feb. 21: Book signing Local author James K. Lehman will be signing copies of his new book, “Maneuvering Your Career” from 10 a.m. - noon at 6 North Café at 10 Cliff View Drive in Wentzville. For more information call 636-856-8066 or visit www.6northcafe.com.
Feb 21-22: Snowball tournament “Snowball” tournament will get you back into the swing of things before the season begins. This tournament will follow USSSA rules and all bats must be USSSA approved. The tournament will be held at Progress Park. Cost is $160 per team. All team members must be 16+. You may register by calling 636-332-9236. Feb. 22: Youth soccer registration deadline This six-week soccer league is offered for children of all abilities. Children will be placed on co-ed teams based on age. Children ages 3 – 10 are welcome. Participants will receive uniform, socks, soccer ball and an award at the end of the season. Game times vary each week beginning no earlier than 9 a.m. Games will begin March 21. Please register by calling 636-3329236. Feb. 27: Trivia night The St. Charles Community College Employee Sponsored Program will host its annual trivia night to raise funds for scholarships, campus enhancements and employee support initiatives. Doors open at 6 p.m. and trivia starts at 7 p.m. The event will be held in the Daniel J. Conoyer Social Sciences Building Auditorium on the St. Charles Community College campus at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville. Cost is $25 per person or $200 per table. For more information contact Peggy Schnardthorst at 636-922-8278, pschnardthorst@stchas.edu, or visit stchas. edu/trivia. Feb. 28: Dinner auction St. Theodore Church’s 27th Annual Dinner Auction is dubbed “A Night at the Races.” Viewing of items begins at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. For more information please call Jamie Hammond at 636-332-0494 or email jhammond205@gmail.com. March 5: Kindergarten registration Fort Zumwalt School District kindergarten registration for the 2015-2016 school year takes place from 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. at the following schools: Fort Zumwalt Dardenne, Emge, Hawthorn, J. L. Mudd, Mid Rivers, Mount Hope, Ostmann, Pheasant Point, Progress South, Rock Creek, St. Peters, Twin Chimneys and Westhoff Elementary Schools. Registrations is for children who will be 5 years of age on or before July 31, 2015. March 7: Book signing Thistle and Clover invites you to come meet Frank Muhm, author of “Passage to 2838.” Frank will read from his book and sign copies from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Thistle and Clover is located at 407 South Main Street, in Saint Charles.
March 12: Educational seminar “Understanding Memory Loss” offered by Lutheran Senior Services starts at 10 a.m. The event is free and will be held at Dardenne Prairie City Hall. Coffee and muffins will be served. For more information, or to sign up, please contact Melissa at the parks office at 636755-5308. March 26: Educational seminar “Pizza and Preplanning” offered by Baue Funeral Home starts at 10 a.m. The event is free and will be held at Dardenne Prairie City Hall. Pizza and drinks will be served. For more information, or to sign up, please contact Melissa at the parks office at 636-755-5308. March 28: The Bunny Run 5k & Cottontail Fun Run Put on your speed enhancing bunny ears and tie up your laces as you race around beautiful Rotary Park after the Easter Eggstravaganza! In addition to the Bunny Run 5k, we will have the Cottontail One Mile Fun Run/ Walk. Registration starts at 3 p.m. and the race starts at 4 p.m. Cost is $35 per entrant if you sign up early and $45 on the day of the race. For more information please visit wentzvillemo.org or call Progress Park office at 636332-9236. April 7: Community forum A panel of professionals will respond to questions about transportation needs and options in Franklin, Lincoln, Montgomery, St. Charles and Warren Counties from 6 – 8 p.m. at Pitman Recep-
What’s Happening
tion Center at 1543 Wentzville Parkway in Wentzville. Please RSVP to Deana Tucker Dothage at ddothage@boonslick.org or by phone 636-359-4656. Visit www.morides.org for more information. Space is limited - reservations requested.
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the first Monday of each month (second Monday in September due to Labor Day ) unless otherwise specified. No meetings are held in June, July, or December. Meetings are held in the Community Council Building (2nd floor of the Spencer Branch Library) from 6:30 - 9 p.m. For more information contact Beverly Kaskadden (President) at 636-561-6947.
April 9: Nutrition Series In this one-hour seminar you will determine your percentage of body fat, estimate your individual daily caloric needs and develop a program to help you meet your goals. Class begins at 6:30 p.m. and is $8 for Wentzville residents and $10 for nonresidents. Please call Progress Park Recreation Center at 636-332-9236 for more information.
2nd Monday: Winghaven Civil War Round Table 6:30pm, Midwest BankCentre board room, 2299 Technology Dr. O’Fallon. For more informaiton call Mike at 314.276.5018. 4th Monday: American Legion Post 388 Meets 6:30 pm at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 8945 Vets. Mem. Pkwy. 636.219.0553.
May 9: Craft fair Holy Cross Lutheran Church Mother’s Day Craft & Vendor Fair located at 8945 Veterans Memorial Pkwy. O’Fallon runs from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Looking for crafters and vendors. Booths $45 – tables free. For information or application, call Laura Hoffman 636-240-8442.
Every Monday: St. Peters Rotary Club Noon at St. Peters City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Blvd. www.stpetersrotary.org. Every Monday: Seasoned Eye Carvers Meeting 9am to noon at the St. Charles Senior Citizens Center, 1455 Fairgrounds Rd. in St. Charles. For more information, visit www.stcharlesareawoodcarvers.com.
Ongoing Events 1st Monday: Gardeners of St. Charles County Monthly Meeting 6:30pm. Location varies. 314.304.7480.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Fitness First Exercise Classes 9:30-10:30am, American Legion Hall, 504 Luetkenhaus Blvd., Wentzville. 314.369.6521.
1st Monday: St.Charles County Council of the Blind (SCCCB) meetings Business meetings are held on
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NOVENA PRAYER TO ST. JUDE
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.
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.
Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days, then publish. Your prayers will be answered. It has never been known to fail.
Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days, then publish. Your prayers will be answered. It has never been known to fail.
Thank you, St. Jude
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C.M.
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Our publications use a combination of online subscription, direct mail, home delivery, and voluntary circulation methods. Voluntary refers to a circulation method where readers “voluntarily” choose to pick up a publication to read. This method is powerful because locations are carefully chosen and newsstands are monitored for 100% pick up. Community News has developed a network of over 650 convenient locations including every major supermarket chain. Our voluntary method is powerful for three reasons: 1 QUALITY READERS A voluntary reader is an interested reader, actively outside of the home, in stores, seeking out information about the community 2 TOTAL UTILITY 100% pick up assures no wasted papers. Every paper reaches an interested reader, yielding a full value for the entire print run. 3 EXPANDING SET Every print run reaches a unique group of readers, because the majority of voluntary readers are occasional readers. Over time, these unique groups add up to a readership size about three times greater than the print run.
FOUR GREAT PUBLICATIONS Huneke Publications, Inc. offers four publications: two weekly newspapers and two news magazines, each covering a unique market segment within St. Louis County and St. Charles County. As a member of the Missouri Press Association, all of our publications feature verified circulation and an earned credibility among our peers.
r 14, 2007 Novembe 46 Vol. 86 No.
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Annual The 16th Fair Women’s , Fit will be Fun us! and Fabulo
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July 11, 2007
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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 County resident Friendship stages, broods can upload s have the of mosquitoes greatest prevention method Day is Aufingertips. a two-mintoes are mainly Proper maintens right at their gust 5 and - propert of the ance ute video pest y is the first variety, and the first to of the in light of emerge in the are step toward 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 , a blood meal to prevent women any pools or to lay .....................3 water that may to www.ra puddles of r story............. eggs. last place high Cove County mosqui ten days or longer. diance ribtheir eggs directly ....................6 to v a l u e control officer ider.... McCauley lists on the water bons.com. 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 contest www.ra contest rules, School . . Up Chamb .Gary . . . .Baute. Your visit dianceribbons. er. . . . . . ...... Life.” Women ts with ..... Religion 5 com.
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Movie Talk
Spor ..... ........ Cheese . . 16 7 . . . . ... ........ 6 ...... St. Peters........... 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
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2011 May/June
COMMUNITY NEWS
COMMUNITY NEWS - St. Charles County
OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
CROSSROADS MAGAZINE
addresses in its service area, plus online subscribers. It is a
Wentzville and Lake St. Louis areas. It is direct mailed with
commerce news plus articles on the economy, technology, human resources, and marketing.
plus online subscribers.
First published in 1921, Community News is the longest published weekly newspaper in the St. Louis metropolitan area and has established a large audience of loyal readers. Community News circulates across a broad geographic region with newstands, home throw and online subscription.
Published weekly with a powerful circulation combination of newsstands, home throw, and online subscription. The St. Charles County edition features countywide coverage including the cities of: St. Charles, St. Peters, Cottleville, Weldon Spring, O’Fallon, Dardenne Prairie, Lake St. Louis, and Wentzville, plus Troy.
This monthly lifestyle magazine covers the’N fast-growing Published bi-monthly, Our Town is direct mailed to all business Our FREE publications are available in over 500 convenient locations, including every Dierbergs, Schnucks and Shop Save. -
Vol 9 No 28
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 from doors to the the outindoors, they carriers of are sometim dangerous es d isea 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 ers escalatin animal 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
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Shelly A. Schneid
FIT!FUN!
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Follow the se tips to kee p your family and pets safe from mosquitoes . Mosquito Sea son By
IN THIS ISSUE
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January 28, 2015 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com
Over the Fence
Joe Morice A Car Nut’s Harangue I’ve always been a car nut. It means I like driving them providing it’s not rush hour. Anyone who says they don’t mind driving in rush hour should run for Congress. Liars and loonies do well there. However, in spite of being a car nut, I’m becoming ambivalent towards the new, state-of-the-art cars sporting dashboards crammed with everything from touch screens that look like televisions to bells and whistles that would scare an airline pilot. It’s bad enough when I can’t find my old Mustang’s owners manual. I keep forgetting I put it in the trunk because the glove compartment is full of more important things like sunglasses, combs, moldy Snickers bars, headache pills and a .357 Magnum in case of alligator attacks. Perhaps I’ll trade it for a rear-mounted machine gun for tailgater attacks. Kidding of course, but that aside; the car manufacturers that tried so hard to make them safe are now resorting to making them idiot proof. For example; they have gadgets that tell drivers if they’re too close to the cars in front of them, behind them and for all I know, on both sides. All this time I thought non-skid braking systems that made them stop five times faster than tailgating semis were state-of-the-art. Evidently,
this is passé. I’m guessing today’s drivers need warnings because they’re too busy blabbering or texting on cell phones or perhaps too occupied with ordering take-out on their touch screens. I’ve always thought driving safely meant keeping one’s eyes on the road. Silly me. Another gadget lets cars parallel park themselves. Touch a button and the car glides into a space as if it was on rails. I watched a driver using this gadget to parallel park an SUV. For her, it didn’t work no matter how much she hammered on the steering wheel and cursed. Considering the space was about two feet shorter than her SUV, I wondered if manufacturers should add a voice that says, “Hey dummy, it won’t fit!” I won’t mention experimental self-driving cars except to say: no wonder space aliens won’t land here, insanity scares them. I admit I like the cameras in the rear to show something behind me that I can’t see like small children, dogs, tailgaters, demented shoppers and sneaky carjackers. They also stop us from backing too close to solid objects. I assume it includes backing out of the garage before you open the door. The Detroit auto show extravaganza has all the new vehicles and they’re explained in detail by talking
heads on what passes for television news events these days. Mostly, they lost me. Only a few opened the hoods or even mentioned the horsepower. A beautiful new Audi street-legal race car had electric motordriven front wheels. The horsepower, top speed and other drive train features weren’t mentioned. Instead, they explained the new gadgets on the dashboard that reminded me of a space shuttle. Oh well. I can’t afford the new 435 horsepower Mustang GT in case I need a getaway car for robbing a bank. In fact, I would need to rob a bank to afford one. There’s also an even the more expensive Shelby Mustang with well over 600 HP. Wings were optional as were rocket insurance and burial plots. Oh well. I guess I’ll stick with my faithful ten-yearold Mustang with the tiny V8. At least it sounds like a car instead of a leaf blower. I can even shift the gears myself. Besides, if I bought a car with TV in the dash, I’d probably shoot it. 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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