CN: January 4, 2023

Looking back, 2022 was an eventful year. As we flip the calendar to 2023 here in St. Louis County, we at the Community News thought it would be a good time to look back at what transpired over the past 12 months. We have collected the highlights and remember all of the difference-makers in our community in 2022.

JANUARY

Michael Wren doesn’t need to wish upon a star to make his dreams come true, he’s hard at work turning them into reality.

The 14-year-old Florissant resident is already an established entrepreneur and author, and for these efforts Wren was selected to the Disney Dreamers Academy, an exclusive educational mentorship program created and hosted by Walt Disney World Resort.

Only 100 high school students from around the country are chosen to participate each year. Wren is the only participant selected from the state of Missouri.

“The way I found out I was selected was when I was sent a package in the mail from Disney,” Wren said. “My reaction was honestly priceless. I was so happy and I was jumping up and down. I couldn’t believe I was one of the chosen 100.”

FEBRUARY

Project are to make structural, safety and navigational improvements along I-270, specifically the 8.6 miles from James S. McDonnell Boulevard to Bellefontaine Road. According to the I-270 North Corridor Study, conducted by the Missouri Department of Transportation over a decade ago, there were multiple challenges along the interstate. They included: limited capacity, closely-spaced interchanges, poor access for metro transit users, bicyclists and pedestrians, confusing two-way cross-over

Dreams come true

Trucking right along

The overall goals of the I-270 North

slip ramps to Dunn Road and an aging infrastructure. After the study recommendations were made on best practices to address the issues.

The project is slated to be completed in 2023, with construction, redesign and repairs taking place in phases.

“This $278 million infrastructure investment in North County is the largest single one by MoDOT in 10 years,” says Nina Thompson, communication coordinator of the I-270 North Project.

MARCH

Sewn together

troops in 2021. The harrowing scenes of crowds at airports and even people hanging off of planes as they take off were difficult to watch. Three Afghan women lived through that distressing experience and were able to make it all the way to St. Louis for a new life, thanks to St. Charles resident and local hero, Andy Bass.

Bass met Bilqis Reza and her daughters, Zahra Nazari and Fatima Nazari in a Bamyan women’s market. He’d traveled to Afghanistan to participate in a marathon.

When troops began evacuating Afghanistan and the Taliban began terrorizing the community, Zahra sent her mother and sister, Fatima to the mountains to hide in a cave.

Zahra held on to her faith and reached out to several contacts for help. She finally got a response from Bass, who simply replied, “I can help you.” Bass, able to utilize his contacts and logistical skills, coordinated to help them escape Afghanistan.

There are an estimated 25,000 vacant or abandoned homes in St. Louis. Dream Builders 4 Equity is a nonprofit that addresses the issue by employing marginalized young people ages 16-24 in concert with minority contractors to renovate houses.

The youth receive a percentage of the sales of homes they’ve helped rehab as funds for education, tools or a car. This model helps develop neglected communities and helps young people feel empowered, provides a sense of ownership and develops pride, leadership skills and scholarship.

Michael Woods, who co-founded the organization with Neal Richardson stated, “Our goal is to tackle the vacant home epidemic plaguing the St. Louis region by doing large-scale, community-led developments in neighborhoods that have been historically divested in, growing them into thriving communities where residents have the opportunity to live out their full potential.”

JULY Seeds of hope

If you’re an avid sewer or have always wanted to learn the craft, there is a dedicated space for that in St. Louis County that opened in March. SEW Hope Community Sewing Room is a new center for the public to come together to learn, teach and share the art of sewing.

Kaci Starr Long, who along with her husband, Al Long, opened the organization under Jacob’s Ladder Ministries, a faithbased nonprofit organization. Starr Long, a third-generation seamstress, began sewing as a hobby but then turned it into a business when she couldn’t find work after leaving her political career.

“I began to sew for others and stumbled across the City Sewing Room located in south St. Louis,” Starr Long says. “It was at City Sewing Room that I developed a relationship with the owner, Anne Stirnemann and said, ‘Hey, you know something like this would be great in North County.’”

APRIL

A journey of hope

Millions of Americans have seen footage of Afghans attempting to escape their country after the removal of American

MAY

A winning tradition

North County resident Raven Williams has been athletic her whole life, but only began playing organized sports in high school. She didn’t continue the activity in college and after graduating realized she missed it. Williams asked a friend of hers if he knew of any women’s sports teams in the area.

“He linked me to a flag football coach, and there I met Robyn Morrow, a retired veteran player, who told me about SLAM,” Williams said.

SLAM is a female tackle football team based in St. Louis that is part of the Women’s Football Alliance. After over two years off the field, they had their first game April 30.

The team played its first game in 2003 and since then has won four national championships.

JUNE

Building confidence

One St. Louis organization, Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, is working to address food insecurity and offer the community learning opportunities to sustain healthier lifestyles.

The nonprofit began the Seeds of Hope Farm, located in the Spanish Lake area, in 2012 to help residents get access to healthy and affordable produce through an income-tiered model. The organization also supports community garden groups and hosts free cooking and gardening classes. The project works to address issues of food insecurity from a holistic perspective.

“The farm has a strategy to increase food security and self-sufficiency skills over the long-term,” said, Jake Smith, the farm’s manager. “Seeds of Hope Farm works to help participants feel more empowered and confident in cooking healthy meals and growing some of their own produce either at home or in a community garden. As costs of living continue to rise, cooking and gardening help people have more control over their health and pocketbooks.”

AUGUST

North County goes wild

enough to tackle the waterfalls and wind tunnels that had been created over the years. So, for the first four years, it wasn’t as much about staying underground as it was about just trying to save the building.”

OCTOBER

Transforming transit

If an African safari has been on your bucket list but you haven’t been able to make it to the continent, you’re in luck. Because in a few years, the safari will come to you.

The St. Louis Zoo North County Campus is working on an expansion called the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park that will include four different safari experiences along with a host of other attractions.

“We are excited to share these WildCare Park updates,” said Dwight Scott, Dana Brown President & CEO, Saint Louis Zoo. “Our team has been extremely busy and we look forward to sharing more updates on WildCare Park as we move forward.”

SEPTEMBER

A skating sanctuary

Many public transit stations in St. Louis likely fade into the background as commuters make their way from one point to the next. The Citizens for Modern Transit, the region’s transit advocacy organization, believe that should change and have been partnered with AARP for ten years to improve the experience on St. Louis public transit including the “Transit Stop Transformation Project”, which helps make MetroLink and MetroBus transit centers livelier and more inviting.

The fourth “Transit Stop Transformation Project” was unveiled in October at the North Hanley Transit Center featuring displays of commuters, structures to provide shade, added seating and interactive elements. Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit believes creating more inviting transit spaces is an essential piece of improving the public transportation experience, and thought the North Hanley location was a great spot to continue the project.

nificant role in managing diabetes as access to affordable healthcare, medication and healthy foods can be challenging for low-income individuals.

A new partnership between the St. Louis nonprofit, Food Outreach and Mercy Hospital, one of the 25 largest U.S. health systems, has been created to launch an initiative that will assist eligible patients of the hospital with Type II diabetes who are experiencing food insecurity by providing medically-tailored meals.

“A nutrient-rich diet is the cornerstone to maintaining optimal health and managing illness. Medically-tailored meals based on the diagnostic needs of our patients with uncontrolled Type II diabetes will help improve their overall well-being,” said Dr. Gretchen Shull, medical director for Diabetes Care across Mercy. “By taking a proactive approach in working with Food Outreach, an organization with a proven track record of providing medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling for individuals with chronic illness, we are working to keep our patients healthier and out of the hospital.”

DECEMBER

Finding ‘A New Home’

Saint Louis Crisis Nursery receives $44,800 grant from Bayer Fund

The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery received a grant for $44,800 from Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S., which will be used for the Crisis Nursery’s Food and Nutrition Program.

DiAnne Mueller, CEO of the Crisis Nursery, explained, “With the help of this Bayer Fund grant, we will be able to help many families and children who are experiencing food insecurity. We are so fortunate to have the Bayer Fund support the Crisis Nursery and our families.”

Sk8 Liborius hopes there will continue to be no separation between church and skate. Once an underground space for skateboarders, BMX riders, quad skaters, artists and musicians, Sk8 Liborius became more well-known space for niche athletes and creatives. But now, after a decade of maintaining a unique community, Sk8 Liborius has come to a close, at least temporarily. Co-owners, Dave Blum and Joss Hay, are fundraising to reopen and symbolically widen its doors to officially welcome the public.

The skate park has been housed in the St. Liborius church, in the former Catholic parish of St. Liborius, (from which the organization derived its name) in a historic district that has been deemed a St. Louis landmark. Blum has stated that “underserved, urban youth are the congregation now.”

“The space spent many years unmaintained by the Catholic community before it eventually was deconsecrated in 1992,” said Hay. “It was finally given to people brave

“Transit stops are synonymous with gray space, and when we arrived at this site, it certainly wasn’t the exception,” Cella said. “Yet today, transit riders are welcomed to a colorful, inviting, interactive and vibrant space full of energy.”

NOVEMBER

Good food, good health

After the success of his first documentary, “America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill” about the St. Louis Italian-American neighborhood, filmmaker Joseph Puelo, was looking for a new idea. He remembered the many people who would come up to him in his neighborhood in St. Charles, and suggest doing a documentary on the migration of Bosnian people to St. Louis.

St. Louis has the largest population of Bosnian people outside of Europe. A population of over 70,000 Bosnian people has developed in St. Louis since 1993 when many began relocating to the region to due to an ethnic war in their country and the former Yugoslavia.

Puelo realized how significant the subject is and began chronicling the experience in his second documentary, “A New Home,” which currently streams on Amazon Prime.

With the grant from Bayer Fund, the Nursery’s Food and Nutrition Program will provide 43,300 meals and snacks for more than 3,600 children at Crisis Nurseries throughout the greater St. Louis Region. This grant will additionally allow the Crisis Nursery Family Empowerment Centers to supply 2,400 emergency food bags to low-income, food-insecure families.

In 2021, Bayer Fund awarded more than $13.1 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in Food and Nutrition, STEM Education and Health & Wellness. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $75 million.

Diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death across the country and in Missouri. Socioeconomic factors play a sig-

“After meeting with many people in the Bosnian community and hearing their stories,” Puelo said, “I began to understand how I could shape the film and became incredibly excited at the opportunity.”

To learn more about the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, visit CrisisNurseryKIds.org

To learn more about Bayer Fund, visit https:// www.fund.bayer.us.

This year, I remembered Still In This Together:

This year, I remembered.

I haven’t always, and it bothered me when the anniversary came and went without being acknowledged. It bothered me even more when I “sort of” remembered, but had to ask the only other person who would know for sure, and would have to admit that I’d forgotten yet again whether the 10th or 11th of November was the anniversary of our first date.

John tends to be a bit smug about the fact that he is better at remembering precise information and my brain tends to be a bit more creative and “flighty.” His word. But very appropriate.

I don’t know why I remembered it this year, but it may have had something to do with the fact that I was working on filling out next year’s calendar (more about that next week), and was on the November page admiring the accompanying picture.

Nov. 10. Yep, I was sure of it. Started doing the inevitable subtraction that scares the life out of me when it proves just how long it’s been since different things have happened. The math/numbers play is supposed to be good to keep your brain young, and I’m needing every bit of help I can get these days to keep any part of me young.

Fifty- five years. No, I must have made a mistake. I subtracted the number wrong and my brain wasn’t in focus. The next time, I actually used a pencil and paper.

Still 55. Same answer with the calculator function on my phone, once I remembered how to get to it.

How could the memories of the endless phone calls I made to John’s house and the endless times his mother had to field those calls, be so clear after 55 years? I simply wanted to ask if he would go with me to the high school’s “switch dance,” where the girls invited boys, created elaborate, huge, silly, judged corsages for them to wear, and treated them to pizza after the evening in the gym was over.

There were no cell phones or answering machines 55 years ago, and each nail-biting, nerve-wracking, breath-holding time I called the Bahr house phone number, I vowed it would be the last time. I’d just find a fourth possible suitor for the evening. (I’d had two rejections already). But I really didn’t want to go through all that again, and my ever-patient, instigator-of-a-friend Lynda, had sworn if I didn’t try to call him just once more, she was going to call and ask him to the dance herself. And so, I scrunched myself into the phone booth at the bowling alley that fateful Friday night and listened to the phone ring one more time. And John answered.

Fifty-five years. And how different everything would have been if it had been a half hour later and he had been at work.

I wouldn’t have gone to Thom McAn and bought a new brown and gold houndstooth-patterned wool dress and a pair of brown shoes to match, or added a tiny glass vial of perfume at the register to help bolster my nerves.

Sometimes my mind works all too well and remembers all the details: the worry that I’d made a mistake in even asking John, the concern that I really didn’t know enough about him to put together a corsage featuring his favorite things (I stuck pretty much with little plastic soccer balls and cars fastened onto a fabric-covered

By Vicki Bahr

Styrofoam circle with ribbons attached to it) and the absolute certainty that I would step on his feet repeatedly while we were dancing or be struck mute when the time came for pleasant conversation.

But, of course, that didn’t happen, and those things never really mattered to begin with. Because, somehow or other, there was a grand plan in place 55 years ago that we would have a good time at the switch dance, even though I couldn’t figure exactly where my hands were supposed to go when I saw other couples holding hands or girls daringly and possessively tucking their hands into their dates’ back pants pockets.

John would call me the next day, not for what I suspected was a “thank you date” to even out his polite need to match my one date request, but because he really had a good time and wanted to get to know me better.

We would date, and stay together, with a lot of outside help and stars being aligned, through a naval deployment and endless letter writing, to marry four and a half years later.

We have now stayed together for over 50 years, raised four children, and have been blessed with nine outstandingly wonderful grandchildren. And every November, when I have to question John whether our first date was the 10th or 11th, he will give me that grin that melts me and whisper, “What do you think?”

But this year, I remembered!!

Vicki Bahr is an inveterate word lover and story sharer, a published author in magazine, newspaper and blog forms. As a mom of four, grandma of nine, and wife of one for 50 years, she finds that inspiration and wonder are everywhere.

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

Florissant introduces a new Economic Development website

The city of Florissant has unveiled its new Economic Development website, which is currently live and ready to be viewed.

This new Economic Development website for the city is to showcase and market all the great things Florissant has to offer to the business community and ev-

erything that makes the city such a great place to live, work and play.

The web design was the creation of the office of Economic Development, the Media/IT Department and the company ThinkMents.

The website link is www.chooseflorissant.com.

EVENTS

Feb. 18: Black light bingo Soroptimist of Greater St. Louis will host their Annual Black Light Bingo at JFK Center in Florissant. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.soroptimiststlouis.com.

RECURRING EVENTS

ker Raoad which is the first house on Uthe Lane. We sing four-part harmony a capella (without accompaniment). We sing some traditional songs, as well as show tunes and more contemporary music. We do perform for the public at various functions. Persons interested can come right on in or for more information call Al at 314-993-6134.

Mondays: Korean War Veterans Association meeting

If you had military service in Korea between Sept. 3, 1945 and the present you are cordially invited to a meeting of Chapter 4, North County Korean War Veterans Association. Meetings take place at the VFW Post 4105 at 410 St. Francois in Florissant on the second Monday of the month, starting at 7 p.m. For more information contact Walter Kaiser at 314-9212132. For a limited period the Chapter will pay for one (1) year membership for new members.

Mondays-Thursdays:

Volunteers needed Community Action Agency of St. Louis County is in need of volunteers to stock shelves, sort food shipments and pack bags for Food Pantry Clients Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Two to four hour shifts are available. If you are interested, please contact Cheryl Piece at 314-446-4440 or cpiece@caastlc.org for additional information.

Tuesdays: Bingo Florissant Elks Bingo takes place at 16400 New Halls Ferry every Tuesday. Doors open at 4 p.m., bingo starts at 6 p.m. No outside food or drinks allowed per St. Louis County. Food and drinks

available for purchase. Maximum 150 players. Must wear mask to enter. Social distancing followed.

Tuesdays: A cappella singers

The Gentlemen of Sound are looking for men who like to sing or want to learn. They practice Tuesdays at Lady of the Pillar school at 401 S. Lindbergh from 7 – 9 p.m. They try to do public events monthly. Always looking for new members. Come by or call Kirk at 314-954-7920 .

Tuesdays: Chair Zumba

from 2:15 – 3 p.m. at The Bridge At Florissant at 1101 Garden Plaza Dr. (Parker @ Arlington). For more information call 314-831-0988.

Tuesdays: Celebrate Recovery

Celebrate Recovery Tuesday meetings take place at 6 p.m. with a Saturday Bible Study at 9 a.m. at LifePoint Church at 424 Graham Rd. in Florissant. For more information visit www.lifepointministries.church/celebrate-recovery or call (men) Steve D. at 636-634-6582 or (women) Denise W. at 530-417-6151.

Weekdays:

Food pantry volunteers needed

The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry is in need of ongoing adult volunteers to sort food, stock shelves and shop with clients. Two-tofour hour shifts are available, Monday-Friday 8:45 a.m.3:45 p.m. To learn more or to join this fun group, contact Chelsey Banaskavich at 314513-1674 or cbanaskavich@ jfcs-stl.org.

Mondays: Choral Arts Group meetings

Choral Arts Group practices every Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Connection Christian Church at 1332 Feise Rd. in O’Fallon. Auditions not required. Ages high school and older are invited to join. There will be spring and fall public concerts. For more information call Marty at 636-579-9227, or email concertartsa@gmail.com.

Mondays: City council meetings

City of Pine Lawn holds regular city council meetings at city hall at 6250 Steve Marre Ave. in Pine Lawn on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. The meetings are open to the public.

Mondays: Workshop meetings

City of Pine Lawn holds regular workshop meetings at city hall at 6250 Steve Marre Ave. in Pine Lawn on the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. The meetings are open to the public.

Mondays: A cappella singers

All men who like to sing are invited to come sing with us, The Men of Harmony. We practice every Monday night at 7 p.m. at 5500 Par-

Chair Zumba every Tuesday

CROSSWORD answers from page F-4 SUDOKU answers from page F-1

Colder, shorter days call for a little comfort. Cozying up with a hearty meal on brisk winter evenings can help fight off the chill while savoring favorite flavors alongside the ones you love.

When your family needs a warm-up on those frosty days, put sweetpotatoes at the center of mealtime (with an added kick) in this Jalapeno Sweetpotato Chowder. Loaded with the flavors of winter comfort, it’s a filling meal that makes enough for a crowd so no one goes hungry.

Ingredients:

2 large sweetpotatoes, baked

1 small onion, 1/4-inch diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Directions:

1 1/2 cups whole corn kernels

2 teaspoons minced jalapenos

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

chopped scallions, for garnish

Peel baked sweetpotatoes; discard skin and puree.

In soup pot, saute onion in butter until softened. Add pureed sweetpotato and stock, as desired. Bring to boil, reducing liquid slightly.

Add chicken, corn, jalapenos, heavy cream and salt. Simmer 10 minutes. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped scallions.

Movie:

By Steve Bryan

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.

In 1945, Ruth Handler, who co-founded toy manufacturer Mattel with her husband, created the Barbie doll. Named after Handler’s daughter Barbara, Mattel sponsored the popular “Mickey Mouse Club” and introduced children to this new toy. Eleven inches tall with beautiful blonde hair, Barbie was a sensation and soon Ken, Barbie’s boyfriend, arrived. Over the years, best friend Midge and little sister Skipper were added to the line. Through the years, Barbie became skilled in various vocations, not the least of which were Olympic athlete, doctor and pilot.

Scheduled for a July 21, 2023, release, director Greta Gerwig’s live-action “Barbie” film will explore the glamorous life of Barbie (Margot Robbie) and her boyfriend Ken (Ryan Gosling). This won’t be the first time that a popular children’s toy became the basis of a feature film, however. Prolific director Michael Bay directed five films in the “Transformers” franchise that documented the battles between the robotic Autobots and the Decepticons. Directed by Steven Caple, Jr., “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the latest film, is scheduled to arrive in the-

aters in 2023.

In 1993, actors Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo played Mario and Luigi, two adventurous plumbers and brothers, in “Super Mario Bros.” Based on the popular Nintendo game, Mario and Luigi discovered a parallel world where intelligent dinosaurs ruled and planned to conquer the world. The Mario brothers also rescued Princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis), who had been held prisoner by the dinosaurs. Over the years, the “Super Mario Bros.” film built up a fan following and in 2023, Chris Pratt will be Mario’s voice in the adapted version.

In 1964, the Hasbro toy company released G.I. Joe, a poseable, military-themed action figure that could be accessorized with outfits and weapons that were available for purchase. In 2009, Paramount Pictures re-

leased “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” the first film for the Hasbro toy’s film franchise. The “Joe” team included such characters as Snake Eyes, Breaker and Scarlett who were all under the command of General Hawk.” “G.I.

Joe: Retaliation” was released in 2013 and, in 2021, “Snake Eyes,” a film about a mysterious member of the team, arrived in theaters.

On the messier side of things, 1987’s “The Garbage Pail Kids” parodied the popular “Cabbage Patch Kids” dolls. After a boy named Dodger (Mackenzie Astin) was bullied by other children, a group called the Garbage Pail Kids escaped from their trash can and saved him. Suffice it to say, this film was nominated for “Worst New Star,” “Worst Original Song” and “Worst Visual Effects” by various film voting sites. For a time, however, there was interest in rebooting the smelly franchise, but those plans went straight into the garbage.

Cartoons have been a popular medium for decades and, in the right hands, can become great motion pictures. Ant-Man, for instance, starred in three Marvel films and remained a solid character. It seems like the film possibilities are quite plentiful.

Barbie, G.I. Joe, other toys that starred in motion pictures

Moore on Life: Don’t let it snow!

Well, the weather outside has been frightful, and Mother Nature has been so spiteful, but since I’ve got places to go, it’s gonna snow, gonna blow, gonna…bomb cyclone. (That doesn’t rhyme, but at this point I can’t be bothered with trivial jingles.)

What kind of crazy weather have we been hit with and at the worst time? I’ve got Christmas presents to exchange before her temper tantrum kicks in again.

First, I selected the wrong color of boots for one kid; brown instead of black. Of course, every size and color has been picked over since October. I’ll be lucky to snag a size 16, extra wide in purple. Spray paint may be the only option at this point.

Then I got the wrong size of jeans for another relative. He’s lost a considerable amount of weight (that information would have been helpful before the time of purchase). Anyway, these things are gonna slip right off him like skin from a boiled chicken.

Again, the inventory has been depleted. Suspenders might be the only solution, but do they still even make those outdated things? Note to self: stop off at the antique shop.

Then the final thing; I bought a lovely jacket for a hard-to-buy-for relative (I won’t give out “her name” here, but let’s just say it rhymes with “brother-in-law”.)

Anywho, when delivering her gift, guess who was wearing the same identical thing I bought? Yup, the same exact, perfect gift that I shopped all over town for. And to top it off, guess who claims she doesn’t

Your little one’s on-the-go adventures mark a huge milestone for his or her development and your family. Before you allow your baby to trek freely from room to room, get your home ready for a child on the move with these safety steps and precautions:

Prepare before the birth

First-time parents are likely to embark upon a new life filled with late nights, sleep deprivation and a world of stresses they’ve never experienced or considered. Prepare your home before the baby is born to avoid the panic of waiting until the last minute.

Tour like your tot

The first step toward ensuring your home is ready for a mobile child is to see the world from the same level. Take a crawling tour around your home to see things that may be in the way or discover hazardous items that are within easy reach. Use all of your senses to assess any potential dangers.

Latch it up

Protect your little one from sharp objects and heavy items by installing child protection latches on all cabinets and drawers. For an added layer of protection, keep any sharp objects and harmful chemicals in high places only adults can reach.

By Cindy Moore CROSSWORD: VACATION DESTINATIONS

have the closet space to keep two matching jackets?

Humph! And just why not? What if she gets cat hair on the collar or spills a bottle of ketchup on the sleeve and there’s no time to remove it? Bada bing bada boom, there’s another backup replacement hanging on the rack--problem solved.

My reasoning went over like a boiled chicken skin sandwich—not well.

So I’m off, but the weather doesn’t show signs of stopping. Ugh, the power is out and the lights have gone way down low while my patience is slowly dying. I give up and I know I am done trying.

Now I know, now I know, now I know! Next year… gift cards!

Hey, that doesn’t rhyme! (See above.)

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.

Evaluate leaning objects

Bookshelves, bedside tables and the items placed on them, such as television sets and other large appliances, can be a threat to the safety of a small child trying to pull him or herself up and balance on two feet. Ensure these items are properly secured or keep them put away unless in use to avoid them being pulled on top of your child.

Other safety measures

To properly prepare your home for a mobile child, don’t forget to take steps such as:

• Covering electrical outlets with safety plugs

• Placing safety gates at the top and bottom of staircases

• Installing fireplace screens

• Adding foam padding to sharp furniture corners and edges

• Placing a soft cover over the bathtub waterspout

• Removing blinds with looped cords or installing safety tassels and cord stops

• Stocking your first aid kit

• Putting non-slip pads under rugs

Find more tips to child-proof your home at eLivingtoday.com.