CN: January 6, 2021

January 6, 2021

A look back at 2020

Around Town Operation Food Search launches Missouri School Breakfast website. Pg. 4 Missouri Institute of Mental Health’s addiction science team receives new funding aimed at combatting overdose crisis. Pg. 5

Special Section Senior Living. Pg. 6

School University of Missouri–St. Louis extending competitive scholarship deadline for high school seniors to Feb. 1. Pg. 7 START VOTING! for Best of North County. Pg. 7 Photo by Charlotte Beard

A young protester holds a sign at the Ferguson-Florissant School District march on June 13.

Features

The Community News reviews the year that was for St. Louis County Looking back, 2020 was year none of us will ever forget. As we flip the calendar to 2021 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 2020.

JANUARY Starting off swimmingly

Union Station attraction launched with few hiccups.

Many people took to social media sharing their experiences and first impressions of the 120,000 square feet, two-story attraction.

An opening day attendee shared, “I was absolutely blown away yesterday by just how well organized things were! Everything ran so smoothly!”

Tami Brown, Executive Director of the St. Louis Aquarium, stated that following the opening day they were sold out primarily everyday up until Jan. 6 (the official day for many students returning to school from winter break). The aquarium had 61,000 visitors in the first seven days according to Brown.

On a sold-out day the St. Louis Aquarium is staffed by an average of 60 members, which includes those who dive and care for the animals, presenters, ticketers and retail workers.

FEBRUARY Over 61,000 people visited the St. Louis Aquarium in its first seven days as the new

Welcoming neighbors to St. Louis Pallottine Renewal Center in North Coun-

Recipe, Movie & Sudoku.

Pg. F-1 ty hosted Welcome Neighbor STL’s traveling Supper Club dinner, which benefited the refugee women who prepare the dinner.

Welcome Neighbor STL functions as a community group that supports immigrants and refugees as they begin a new life in St. Louis. According to the founder of Welcome Neighbor STL, Jessica Bueler, the organization closed out 2019 having completed its 99th Supper Club event with proceeds to date for refugees totaling $152,324. At the close of 2019, the dinners resulted in service to 5,349 attendees.

Based on the refugee women that Welcome See ‘2020’ page 2

Serving North & Northwest St. Louis County | FREE Online at mycnews.com | Vol. 100 No. 1 | 636-379-1775

CLASSIFIEDS AND HOME & GARDEN. Pg. F-2 /F-3 Moore On Life, Yeggs & Crossword Puzzle. Pg. F-4

Weather FRIDAY Cloudy 35/28 SATURDAY Cloudy 35/28 SUNDAY Mostly Cloudy 35/27

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Around Town

January 6, 2021 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

‘2020’ from cover Neighbor STL supports, “would-be hosts” have a variety of menu options for planning the type of Supper Club dinner they would like to have. Some of the menus are Afghanistan, African, Dubai and Lebanese. There is also an international offering.

allow us to separate the plasma from the rest of the blood components and then put that into a collection bag. We return those other components, which are the red cells and the platelets in the white cell, back to the donor’s body through that same tube and needle.”

MARCH

JUNE

Fighting coronavirus in St. Louis

On March 17, public officials across the St. Louis region and health experts displayed unity amidst their practicing social distancing as they addressed COVID-19 concerns and presented executive orders to combat the pandemic during a press conference.

Laura Kaiser, President and CEO of SSM Health opened the press conference and introduced the doctors in attendance who have served as health experts for the St. Louis region during the crisis.

“Together, these three doctors are providing real-time medical expertise to our public officials while serving in critically important roles within their own respective health systems,” stated Kaiser. “This is a public health emergency, the likes of which none of us have seen in our lifetimes. As a citizen, I thank all of the leaders that are present today for working together to coordinate this response.”

“As a medical doctor, I certainly understand how the coronavirus is impacting our community,” stated St. Louis County Executive, Sam Page during the March 17 conference. “We all are prepared; this is a serious challenge. Today I signed an executive order that requires every place of public accommodations in St. Louis County to institute social distancing measures as much as possible with our employees and the customers.

I think it’s safe to say that everyone is familiar with social distancing, but it bears repeating. Make sure you’re standing six-feet apart, avoid face-to-face contact whenever possible, hold meetings online – video conferencing or over the phone.”

APRIL Learning from afar In March 2020 teachers, students and parents had to embrace the reality of remote schooling due to COVID-19 and the need to social-distance. Though there were hopes that schools would be reopened in April, but on April 9, Governor Mike Parson announced that all Missouri public and charter school buildings will remain closed

through the remainder of the academic year.

The initial closings in March posed an unexpected interruption to the spring break for Normandy Schools Collaborative (NSC) staff. The district’s break was already set for the week of March 16 when other schools where still in session and making the transition.

Tina Clark-Scott, Assistant Superintendent of Academics and Support Services for NSC stated, “The central office and most of our administrators did not really have a spring break. We (used) our spring break (to prepare) for what we thought was going to happen. We started setting up our online learning. We developed a process.

We developed roles and responsibilities for everyone in the district and then we developed a process for teachers and for families.

Once it was announced that we would not be returning to school, we started a process for families to start getting work (completed). For the first couple of days we first had professional development for our staff. Once (training was completed) the expectation was that the teachers would start contacting their families, letting them know what was available for them.”

MAY Fighting back

Marching for change (photo on cover)

On June 13, the Ferguson-Florissant School District (FFSD) joined with the community in a march from the Plaza at 501 in Ferguson along S Florissant to the STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley High School to demonstrate its stand against racism and to support high-quality education and the Black Lives Matter movement. The demonstration concluded with an outdoor rally off the field of the STEAM Academy.

At the start of the march, organizers offered bottles of cold water to participants and went among the crowd during the march to the school to offer cold towels for relief from the heat. As attendees assembled for the rally, those who were without a face mask were offered one with an enclosed phone number to STL Jail Support Hotline (314-312-0836)—a legal resource for protesters.

Dr. Joseph Davis, FFSD Superintendent began the rally by addressing the audience with the reason for the gathering.

“The purpose of this march (was) for the Ferguson-Florissant community to show our support for the Black Lives Matter movement,” Davis stated. “We’re standing against racism at every part of our community where it often shows up against black men and women in the form of brutality – Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, the brutal killing of George Floyd, and I could go on, and on, and on.”

JULY The show must go on Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) accepted referrals for plasma donations from recovered COVID-19 patients.

It is stated that one plasma donation can help four people undergo COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP) therapy.

Not to be confused with traditional blood donations, Kirby Winn, Public Relations Manager for MVRBC explains what recovered COVID-19 patients are donating in terms of plasma.

“During the time that (a recovered person was) sick their body produced antibodies to that virus. Antibodies are carried around in our blood but specifically within the plasma component of blood and it is possible to donate only the plasma. Now we have specialized equipment at our collection centers that

COVID-19 did not stop Cinema St. Louis (CSL) from continuing its mission to support local filmmakers by showcasing their work. For the 20th year the nonprofit hosted its Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase online July 10 -19.

Artistic Director Chris Clark stated that CSL had to reinvent themselves as an See ‘2020’ page 3

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • January 6, 2021

Around Town

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‘2020’ from page 2 arts-presenting organization by moving to a virtual event instead of live theaters.

He further stated that initially it was “quite scary.”

“Usually, an exciting part of (the event) to everyone (is being) gathered in the same space to watch each other’s films and share with family and friends,” stated Clark. “Fortunately, we were able to do (a festival) already (which) we finished just a few days ago – our LGBTQ event called QFest. It worked well. (That) showcase is much bigger and there were a lot of more moving parts to think about. All the films are already loaded on the site and tickets are for sale. Everyone understood that was the only way we could do it and we have had great support so far.”

drive-through giveaways (they) hosted at locations in the city of St. Louis and Metro East since early April, giving out food and cleaning supplies to thousands of families.”

AUGUST

Though the decennial is taking place in the same year that COVID-19 struck, the United States Census Bureau has been putting in much effort to get citizens counted by Sept. 30. In 2010, citizens could only respond by completing the paper census questionnaire. In 2020, the Census Bureau has provided three options: paper, phone and internet.

St. Louis officially began its door-todoor operations Aug. 9. Ellisa Johnson, Chicago Region’s Deputy Regional Director for the Census Bureau states that as of Sept. 9, 72.8 percent of the non-response workload combined has been completed for Ferguson, Florissant and Hazelwood, which puts the area a little ahead of schedule. “(We) still have some work to do,” stated Johnson. “The workload includes households that have not self-responded as well as other case types that we use to improve the accuracy of the census. We have a quality check process that we will begin Oct. 1 to make sure (there are no) duplications, (etc.) because we do get calls from people saying, ‘I’ve got an enumerator at my door; I’ve already filled out the census form.’”

A fruitful partnership

Every summer the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis hosts its Urban Expo Back to School and Community Empowerment Festival in collaboration with the St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) at America’s Center in Downtown St. Louis. However, this summer due to COVID-19 the event was a drive through which also brought on a new partner for the event – the Assistance League of St. Louis. The event took place Aug. 1 at 1408 N Kingshighway in North St. Louis City.

Assistance League of St. Louis and the Urban League has a mutual board member that introduced the organizations to each other. Frankie Eichenberger, a member of Assistance League’s Advisory Council, is also a member of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.

“She introduced the leaders of Assistance League of St. Louis to the leaders of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis,” stated Dawn Thomas, Assistance League of St. Louis President. “Since 2019, when Urban League President and CEO Michael McMillan and Tom Bailey, Vice President of Development, visited Assistance League’s headquarters, (we have) provided clothing and other items to (the organization). In April, (we) delivered 1,500 new books for pre-kindergarten to eighth graders. The books were distributed by the Urban League at the

SEPTEMBER Stand up and be counted

On Sept. 16, BGCSTL announced that the organization had entered into a Prospective Purchaser Agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to acquire the property following the recent completion of the site cleanup.

The club will partner with Gateway PGA Reach to develop the youth golf training facility.

“When the Bellerive Country Club was awarded the PGA championship event in 2018, part of their application said that they would create an opportunity to promote golf and other leisure activities for folks in the community,” stated Dr. Flint Fowler, Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis President. “Generally, when there is a tournament some of the impact that the PGA hopes to make is on the lives and the quality of life for the people in the community where they are holding the tournament. The concept was pitched to them to create this initiative called PGA Reach where they would (provide) golf instruction and better understanding about the business of golf available to communities (that) traditionally don’t get involved (in golf) a great deal. In St. Louis that happens to be primarily African Americans and people of color.”

DECEMBER Seeking a new vision

NOVEMBER Giving back to the homeless

OCTOBER A new lease on life

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) became the new owners of the former Carter Carburetor site property located at 2805 N. Grand Boulevard in St. Louis. The site is set to be the future home of a golf training center for St. Louis youth.

the backpacks in our basement over the course of three weeks and then had our partners pick them up at various days and times.”

This year the nonprofit worked with the following partners to get the backpacks distributed to the homeless: Mission STL Volunteers, St. Louis Winter Outreach, Calvary M. B. Church, Harbor Community Church, Jefferson Rescue Mission, Places for People, Restoration House STL, Reach Church, Missouri Network for Opiate Reform and Recovery, AmeriCorps St. Louis and Youth In Need. Prior to this year, in addition to partners, volunteers would include adults, families, and teenagers. Acre shared that she kept 15 backpacks to personally hand out throughout this winter.

Homelessness has not taken a backseat to COVID-19 and neither has the efforts of the organization BACK@YOU. In St. Louis, it may have appeared most common to see distributions of backpacks filled with school supplies to children; however, since 2014 BACK@YOU has been distributing backpacks specially designed for people living on the streets.

“We just finished out distribution for 2020,” stated Kathy Acre, Founder and President. “Since we could not risk the health of our volunteers or our homeless guests, my husband and I stuffed all of

Eye Thrive has held a mission to improve the futures of pre-K through 12th grade children through eyesight since its founding in 2004 as Eye Care Charity of Mid-America (ECCOMA). The nonprofit was founded by its board president, William “Bill” Jehling who was the president of one of the largest St. Louis eye care practices, according to Kate McKearn, Executive Director of Eye Thrive.

“He definitely knew the signs of vision trouble,” stated McKearn. “When he met a boy, who said he had never had his eyes examined, Bill took him to a clinic and paid for an exam. He ended up buying the kid two pairs of glasses. The boy had never seen before…the first time he put the pair of glasses on. It was magical – the difference a pair of glasses made. So, inspired by that (experience) he created Eye Care Charity of Mid-America.”

In June 2019 ECCOMA officially became Eye Thrive. Since 2004, Eye Thrive has provided over 20,000 pairs of free eyeglasses and is operated by one fulltime and one part-time optometrist, six other full-time employees and three additional part-time employees.

“We’re able to make a really big impact within the community with the help of many volunteers who help us throughout the course of the year (with things such as) receiving donated inventory, or helping us prepare for our big fundraisers,” stated McKearn.

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Aound Town

January 6, 2021 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

Miracle holiday donations allow Crisis Nursery to help families with $260,000 in aid The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery will distribute over $260,000 to Crisis Nursery families this holiday season in the form of rent payments, utility payments, food and necessities. So far, over 900 families and nearly 2,500 children have been helped. The distribution began in mid-December and ran through Dec. 25.

“Thanks to incredibly generous people in the St. Louis area, people who believe in what the Crisis Nursery has been doing, and is able to do, we have been blessed with the chance to assist more Crisis Nursery families than ever in a time of increasing need,” said DiAnne Mueller, CEO of the Crisis Nursery. “So many families have been thrown into such desperate situations this year that requests for help far exceeded any previous year. We are very, very grateful for the help from our donor community that has

allowed us to support kids and families in this way.”

The over $260,000 is being given to families currently involved with the Crisis Nursery in the form of payments to landlords and mortgage holders to help with past-due balances, ensuring families can remain in their homes. Payments have also been made to utility companies to prevent services from being discontinued, which would endanger the children in the home. In addition, the Crisis Nursery provided credit to stores that have a presence in the neighborhoods of the people served by the Nursery, including Aldi, Target and many others.

According to Mueller, “For almost 35 years, the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery has been intimately connected with the families we serve. This year, we heard families say that what was needed most this holiday season was the gift of a warm and stable home. And

we know that Crisis Nursery families have been disproportionately affected by the impact of COVID-19.

The resulting economic hardships are truly difficult to overstate.”

The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, which celebrates its 35th birthday in 2021, knows that when stress in a household is reduced, child abuse can be prevented.

“We have been doing this a very long time,” said Molly Brown, Crisis Nursery Sr. Clinical Director, “and we know that 99 percent of the children whose families are involved with the Crisis Nursery are not abused or neglected because we focus on supporting families and reducing overwhelming stress.”

The unprecedented scope of the St. Louis Crisis Nursery’s assistance to families means that over a quarter of one million dollars is supporting thousands of St. Louis residents when they need it the most.

Operation Food Search launches Missouri School Breakfast website

www.treesbywoody.net

Pictured is Kansas City Representative Richard Brown at James Elementary last year before the pandemic.

Operation Food Search (OFS), a nonprofit hunger relief organization, recently launched its Missouri School Breakfast website that provides extensive resources and detailed reports regarding breakfast participation trends and how they affect students statewide.

The new website moschoolbreakfast.org, which was created to raise awareness regarding the importance of breakfast, provides a variety of tools for school district administration and staff.

The goal is to implement successful breakfast programs at every Missouri school that offers free and reduced-price meals. An interactive map includes statistics for 575 school districts composed of 2,198 schools.

OFS developed the site with support from the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis handled the multi-year research pro-

Submitted photo

cess that generated relevant breakfast data based upon information provided by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Findings are from 2017 through 2019, and analysis for the 2019-2020 school year will begin in August of 2021.

According to the current data, School Breakfast Program participation increased by 1.1 percent in the 2018-2019 school year compared to the previous year. Despite the increased participation, only half of all possible free or reduced-price breakfasts were served. Research shows the schools that implemented strategies such as Breakfast After the Bell were 1.9 times more likely to have high breakfast participation.

School breakfasts continue to lag in comparison to lunches served. On average, 61.7 free and reduced-price breakfasts were served for every 100 free and reduced-price lunches. Only 32.1

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • January 6, 2021

Around Town

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Missouri Institute of Mental Health’s addiction science team receives new funding aimed at combatting overdose crisis The addiction crisis continues to rage throughout the United States, including in Missouri, frustrating community health-care workers and researchers trying to gain control of the problem.

University of Missouri–St. Louis Associate Research Professor Rachel Winograd knows that frustration too well as the director of the Missouri Opioid State Targeted Response and State Opioid Response grants. Since 2017, she’s co-led efforts by the Missouri Department of Mental Health and its partners to implement an evidence-based approach to deal with the crisis. It relies on the use of medications such as buprenorphine and methadone to help people overcome addiction and naloxone to reduce the instances of overdose.

“You do see that the tide has turned in a lot of key stakeholder groups when it comes to attitudes toward medication and harm reduction,” said Winograd, who leads the addiction science team at the Missouri Institute of Mental Health. “That needs to continue and that needs to expand, and it’s going to take a long time. But attitudes are just one piece of the puzzle.”

More challenges remain, but a new round of funding is helping Winograd and her colleagues broaden the scope of their efforts and engage new partners in the fight.

Missouri is receiving $25 million in funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in each of the next two years with $2.95 million annually earmarked to go to the University of Missouri System.

That includes $2,755,589 to UMSL, much of it to be used to obtain doses of naloxone and hire the people required to deliver it to the communities where it’s most needed.

If that represents a continuation of ongoing efforts that started in 2017, the new funding is also allowing for an added focus addressing stimulant use, most notably methamphetamine and cocaine.

“These are not strictly opioid

grants anymore, which is good because most people who use opioids don’t only use opioids,” Winograd said. “This is a poly drug overdose crisis, not just an opioid overdose crisis.

“Whether it’s funding for actual treatment of stimulant use disorder through the state or prevention and awareness initiatives, more harm reduction strategies in education, we’re encompassing stimulant use disorder into our training and service efforts intentionally.”

In hopes of improving prevention, they’re partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters for the first time, both in the St. Louis metro area and in the Cape Girardeau area, to focus on youth development and mentorship with a particular focus on African American youth.

They’ve also added a partnership with local nonprofit The T, a health education and resource center located on Delmar Boulevard and focused on violence prevention, homeless outreach and COVID response. The organization is adding resources for substance use and addiction to its holistic suite of services.

Some funding will also support expansion of the Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis’ EPICC project – Engaging Patients in Care Coordination – that connects people who have recently survived an overdose to treatment and recovery resources. The project connects them to peer specialists who provide support as they begin their journey.

The project is increasing its outreach in north St. Louis and working with churches in highneed zip codes to become hubs for resources and access to care.

The hope is eventually they will host support groups there and provide access to telemedicine, so people don’t need to travel to a treatment center or have their own technology devices to get the support they need.

“I think every time we’ve worked with the Department of Mental Health to add something, it’s been to bring on a new partner closer to the ground

than we are,” Winograd said.

She and her team are working with the EPICC project to launch a pilot to study the effectiveness of telemedicine inductions on buprenorphine, which takes advantage of an ease in federal regulations in response to COVID. Previously, patients would need to make an in-person visit to receive a prescription for medication to treat substance use disorder, and that has been a barrier to beginning treatment.

Winograd knows more is needed because so much about addiction is tied to the broader societal issues.

“I still believe in the evidence-based solutions that

we’ve been proposing from the get-go,” Winograd said. “But we need those things and we need housing, we need transportation, we need food, we need health care, we need childcare.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the challenge for those trying to end the drug crisis.

It has also disrupted the drug supply and made it more volatile and unpredictable. When people can’t be sure what they’re buying and using, it can lead to greater chaos and more

death.

The pandemic also has increased the stress and feelings of anxiety that can lead people to begin using drugs, and it has created barriers for people seeking treatment, perhaps because of budgetary cuts and reduced hours at facilities where people might seek help.

“People are getting left behind, and it’s not any specific entity’s fault,” Winograd said.

“It’s just the reality of how our society is structured and our society’s response to this pandemic.”

www.MYCNEWS.com

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Senior Living

January 6, 2021 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

Age with style and grace Aging may be inevitable, but with advancement in research and technology, there are plenty of ways you can slow, or even reverse, the hands of time to stay healthy and promote longevity.

Consider these ideas from Longevity Labs+, a company dedicated to cutting-edge aging research and the makers of spermidineLIFE, a first-of-its kind, clinically studied supplement containing natural spermidine, which renews cells and can reverse the signs of aging: Protect Your Skin Not only does your skin protect vital internal organs, it’s an essential barrier to intruders like bacteria and other infection-causing microbes. The skin is also the body’s greatest tool in managing hydration levels and providing critical cues to your nervous system about things like temperature and pain.

With such a big role in your overall health and well-being, the skin often shows the first signs of aging.

Wrinkles and age spots are often indicators of a person’s true age.

However, you can reduce the visible impacts of aging on the skin with daily care. Regularly moisturizing helps keep skin supple, and diligent sunscreen application

do. That means limiting alcohol, quitting smoking and avoiding the temptation to indulge in high-fat and sugary foods.

year-around can protect your skin from damaging sun rays. Some compounds and nutrient plans can help nurture youthful skin.

It’s also important to closely monitor your skin for changes, especially changes to moles or other spots that may be signs of skin cancer, which is generally treatable when caught and managed early. In addition, collagen peptides and a spermidine-rich diet can be key in ensuring healthy skin into your later years.

Maintain Clean and Healthy Cells You may not realize it, but as each day passes, your body’s cells age, die and accumulate toxic matter, which disrupts cellular function and causes a myriad of age-related diseases such as dementia and cardiovascular disease as well as decreases immune function.

However, a compound naturally produced by the body and found in nature called spermidine can clean cells of toxic matter so they can operate with renewed youth and efficiency. Spermidine triggers a cellular renewal process called autophagy, which allows cells to shed layers of waste and regenerate instead of slowing down and dying off. As the body ages, natural levels of spermidine decline, cellular regeneration slows and signs of aging are accelerated.

Spermidine is a key to anti-aging and is believed to help reduce the onset of neurodegenerative and age-related diseases. You can boost spermidine levels by eating certain foods that are high in spermidine, like lentils, soybeans, mushrooms, aged cheese, pears, broccoli, peas and cauliflower.

However, few people eat enough spermidine-rich foods to maintain optimal levels in their later years. Taking a supplement like award-winning spermidineLIFE* can support cellular renewal and help cells stay young and healthy. The first and only clinically studied spermidine supplement in the world, it includes spermidine naturally extracted from European non-GMO wheat germ along with carefully selected vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.

Manage Physical Health As you grow older, your metabolism slows, making it easier to hold onto extra weight. Excess pounds are associated with numerous health risks, in addition to slowing you down overall. Maintain a more youthful body and mobility by consuming a well-rounded, nutritious, whole-food diet and committing to regular exercise, which can help not only banish extra calories but also keep your muscle tone strong, your balance steady and your posture straight.

Just as important as what you do to protect your health as you age is what you don’t

Support Mind Matters Worry lines aren’t just wrinkles that come with age; they can be a sign of persistent angst. From stress to lack of sleep to slips in memory, there are plenty of reasons to focus on your mental health as you advance in years.

Getting enough rest can play a big role in your physical health as well as your mental wellness. Too little sleep prevents your body from reenergizing itself fully and can affect your cognition and mood. Worry and stress can also cause you to feel your years. Information is key, and smart devices such as heart rate and sleep trackers can provide you with the necessary information to find what helps and what hurts healthy circadian rhythms and deep, regenerative sleep.

Growing forgetful as you age is also common to an extent, but memory problems can be exacerbated by stress, lack of sleep and other factors. You can also keep your mind sharp by playing games, doing puzzles, reading and maintaining an active and engaging social life with others. Even during this pandemic, phone and video calls can help engage your mental state through important social activity.

Find more ideas for navigating your later years with grace at spermidinelife.us.

Eat Away Your Age This tasty recipe features three of the top 10 spermidine-rich foods: broccoli, mushrooms and aged cheese.

It also keeps well, so you can prepare it for a casual brunch then reheat for an easy breakfast the next day.

Longevity Breakfast Bake Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour | Servings: 8

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

1 t ablespoon olive oil 1 p ound uncured, organic bacon 1 p ound sliced, organic white mushrooms 1 p ound organic broccoli

1/2 cup water 2 c ups grated aged cheddar cheese 14 organic eggs 1-2 teaspoons garlic salt fresh ground black pepper, to taste

In skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. While skillet is warming, chop bacon into small pieces. Cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to plate covered with paper towel to absorb excess grease.

Drain most grease from skillet, reserving some to saute mushrooms.

Saute mushrooms until translucent. Cut broccoli into thick, bite-sized pieces; cover and microwave 4 minutes with water to soften.

Heat oven to 350 F. Crack eggs and whisk until egg whites and yolks blend together in one consistent color. Season with garlic salt and pepper, to taste.

In bottom of baking pan or cast-iron skillet, spread broccoli and mushrooms evenly. Add crispy bacon bits and cheddar cheese. Pour eggs into pan and carefully stir until ingredients are evenly mixed.

Bake 40-45 minutes, or until top of casserole starts to brown. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • January 6, 2021

School

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University of Missouri–St. Louis extending competitive scholarship deadline There is still time for high school seniors to earn scholarships that will support their educations for the fall 2021 semester.

The University of Missouri–St. Louis is extending its competitive scholarship deadline for high school students from Jan. 4 to Feb. 1. This is the latest step the university has taken to try to ease the burden on students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to automatic scholarships, there are more than 100 competitive scholarship opportunities open to students who have applied for and gained admission to UMSL. Most are valued at $1,000 or more. Last year, undergraduate students benefited from nearly $20 million in institutional aid on top of federal and state aid.

Admitted students can fill out one application to be considered for all those scholarships at umsl.edu/go/finaid.

“We are committed to providing access to an affordable, high-quality education, and we know the impact scholarships can have in helping students reach their

goals,” said Dixie Williams, UMSL’s interim associate vice chancellor for strategic enrollment and director of admissions. “We want to ensure high school seniors can take advantage of the opportunities available at UMSL as they make their college choice.”

UMSL’s Pierre Laclede Honors College has also extended its deadline to apply for its Opportunity Scholars Program to Jan. 4.

The program covers the full cost of tuition, fees and books for up to four years, and the students chosen to be part of it live on campus in Oak Hall as part of a cohort in the Opportunity Scholars Program and receive unique opportunities for advising, mentoring and career experiences.

To be eligible, students must have applied for admission, been in the top 10 percent of their high school class and had a minimum ACT score of 26.

More information about the Opportunity Scholars Program can be found at umsl.edu/go/scholars.

These deadlines are for first-time college students.

BEST OF NORTH COUNTY

-2021-

Vote for your favorite business in these North County zip codes 63031, 63033, 63034, 63042, 63134, 63135, 63136, 63137, 63138 Weekly voting begins January 8, and ends February 28, 2021.

Winners will be listed in a special section in the Community News on March 31 along with Thank You ads from the winners.

Awards will be presented at the Chamber luncheon on March 18.

You can vote online at www.mycnews.com or you can clip this and mail to: Community News, 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr., O’Fallon, MO 63366 You can only submit one ballot per week.

Transfer students from other institutions have until April 1 to apply for competitive scholarships after they’ve been admitted to the university.

UMSL has waived all undergraduate admission application fees for spring, summer and fall applicants for 2021. The application fee waiver applies to all new undergraduate applications from both the United States and abroad.

The university also has adopted a test-optional admission policy for first-time college applicants for the fall 2021 term to support students who may not have access to standardized testing.

UMSL has continued offering a robust catalog of courses with high-quality instruction despite the pandemic. More than 60 percent of courses were fully online this semester with the remaining 40 percent beginning in a blended format and shifting to fully online for the final three weeks of the fall term.

To submit an admission application, visit www.umsl. edu/apply.

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8

What’s Happening

January 6, 2021 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

Send your event to editor@mycnews.com and we'll print it!

Take notice . . .

The events listed in this section are the latest updates as of press time, please check with individual sites for the most up to date cancellations and reschedule info.

EVENTS RECURRING EVENTS 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-to-four 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 314-513-1674 or cbanaskavich@jfcs-stl.org.

Weekdays: Tax filing program volunteers Seeking greeters, appointment sched-

ulers, and tax preparers to assist older adults in the St. Louis County Tax Filing Program. Training and mileage reimbursement is provided. For more information and to start the volunteer application process, contact the County Older Resident Programs and ask for Mike Nickel at 314-615-4021.

Mondays: TOPS meeting

Come, join and take off those extra pounds. T.O.P.S.=Take Off Pounds Sensibly has meetings on Monday nights at 7 p.m. (weigh in begins at 6:35 p.m.) 9135 Shelley Avenue, Overland, MO 63114. (Entrance is in the back on East Milton). TOPS is a very inexpensive way to lose weight. You may visit a meeting for free. Any questions please call Dan Agee at 314-540-5223.

Mondays: Choral Arts Singers practice

Choral Arts Singers resume practice on Mondays, at 7 p.m. at Transfiguration Episcopal Church, 1860 Lake St. Louis Blvd. in Lake St. Louis. New singers are welcome. Auditions are not required. See www.concertarts.org.

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 invit-

ed to come sing with us, The Men of Harmony. We practice every Monday night at 7 p.m. at 5500 Parker Road 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: 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 Charlie at 314-954-1121.

Tuesdays: Chair Zumba

Chair Zumba every Tuesday 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.

Tuesdays: Choir rehearsals

The St. Louis Chordinals, a women’s a cappella chorus, rehearse every Tuesday evening from 7 - 9:30 p.m. at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church at 12397 Natural Bridge Rd. in Bridgeton (next to the Bridgeton Government Center). For more information call Linda at 314-839-3495 or visit stlouischordinals.org.

Tuesdays: Vietnam Veterans Association meeting

Chapter 794 Vietnam Veterans Association meets on the third Tuesday of each month at VFW Post 4105 at 410 St. Francois in Florissant. Meetings start at 7 p.m. For more information contact Walter Kaiser at 314-9212132. Chapter will pay for one (1) year membership for new members.

Tuesdays: TOPS pounds sensibly)

(Take

off

From 9:15 - 10:30 a.m. located at John F. Kennedy Center/Henry Koch Ctr., Howdershell Rd. at Charbonier Rd., Florissant. For more info contact Paul McConnell, 314-831-5476.

2nd Tuesday Sept.-June: Showme Stitchers:

Show-me Stitchers is the local chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. We meet on the second Tuesday, Sept.-June at 6:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 14088 Clayton Road, Chesterfield, MO. Learn needlepoint, embroidery, cross stitch, and more.

Every 4th Tuesday of the month: Fort Bellefontaine Memorial American Legion Post 335 meeting

6:30pm, Fort Bellefontaine Memorial American Legion Post 335, at the Bellefontaine Neighbors Community Center at 9669 Bellefontaine Rd. Those interested in membership are invited to attend.

Every Tuesday: Bingo Evening at Florissant Elks Lodge #2316

Doors at 4:30 p.m., games begin at 6pm, Florissant Elks Lodge #2316, 16400 New Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant. For more information, call 314921-2316.

Wednesdays: Bingo

Bingo takes place every Wednesday at American Legion Post 338 at 9655 Midland Blvd. in Overland. Doors open at 5 p.m. For more information contact Chairman Ed Hilleman at 314-660-1813.

Wednesdays: Bingo

Life Care Center of Bridgeton, at 12145 Bridgeton Square in Bridgeton, welcome all to Community Bingo every last Wednesday of the month at 2:30 p.m. Light refreshment will be served. Please RVSP at 314-298-7444 with the month you will attend and number of people attending.

Wednesdays: TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly)

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrews United Methodist Church at 3975 N. Hwy 67 in Florissant. For more information contact Norma at 314-306-4731.

Every Wednesday: Bingo Morning at Florissant Elks Lodge #2316

Florissant Elks Lodge #2316, 16400 New Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant.

Doors at 7:30 a.m., games begin at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call 314-921-2316.

www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • January 6, 2021 Bridgeton Trails Library Branch Programs:

3455 McKelvey Rd., St. Louis, 314994-3300. Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. 9 months to 2 yrs. Room 1 (Lap Time); Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Ages 3–5. Room 2; Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Ages 3–5. Room 1.

Florissant Senior Citizens’ Bingo Clubs: 314-839-7604.

Every 1st Wednesday of the Month: Stroke Support Group

3-4 p.m., Center for Senior Renewal, Detrick Building 1st floor, 11133 Dunn Rd. For more information, contact Jamie Stevens at 314-653-5331.

Thursdays: Bingo

Community Bingo at the Bridge At Florissant, at 1101 Garden Plaza Drive (intersection of Parker and Arlington) takes place on the third Thursday of each month starts at 2 p.m. There will be snacks and prizes. For more information call 314-831-0988.

Thursdays: Quilting guild

Every third Thursday of the month the Flower Valley Quilting Guild meets at 7 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church at 123 Carson Road in Ferguson.

Thursdays: checks

Blood

pressure

Free blood pressure checks monthly at Life Care Center of Florissant at 1201 Garden Plaza Dr. (off Parker Rd.) in Florissant every third Thursday of the month. Call 831-3752 for more information.

Thursdays: meeting

Women’s

chorus

Every Thursday City Voices Chorus, a women’s chorus singing four-part a cappella harmony, meets at Church of the Good Shepherd at 1166 S. Mason Rd. in St. Louis. Members come from the entire bi-state region. Call Marcia at 636-274-0723 for more information or visit www.cityvoiceschorus.org.

Saturdays: Toastmasters meeting

Everyone is welcome to attend Toastmasters Saturdays 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Normandy United Methodist Church at 8001 Natural Bridge Road (across from UMSL). For more info call 314402-7025.

Saturdays: Free walk-in clinic

Salam Clinic at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ at 1425 Stein Road at West Florissant in Ferguson is a free walk-in clinic open Saturdays from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The clinic is jointly sponsored by the Muslim Community of St. Louis (MCSL) and St. Peter’s United Church of Christ to provide basic adult medical screening, treatment and referrals free of charge for the uninsured. For more information or if you would be interested in volunteering, please call 314-521-5694 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday or visit www.stpeterschurch.org

Saturdays: Clothing sale

On the second Saturday of each month Bethany-Peace UCC at 11952 Bellefontaine Rd. in St. Louis County hosts a clothing sale from 9 - 11 a.m.

For sale are used clothing and shoes, some household items, books and toys. Fill your bag for $1.

Saturdays: Grief support

On the fourth Saturday of each month, grief support meeting “A Way With Words Ministry” meets at 12:30 p.m. at Community Christ Fellowship, rear, at 121 Williams Blvd. in Hazelwood, 1/4 mile south of Hwy 270 off Florissant Rd. There are a variety of topics monthly. You are not alone. Come help your heart heal with others. For more information call 314-605-3949.

Every Fourth Saturday’s Writer’s Workshop 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Baden Library, at 8448 Church Rd. For more information call 314-388-2400.

Fridays: Fish fry

Sundays: Meat shoot

Every Friday: Our Lady of Fatima #4429 Knights of Columbus Bingo

Sundays: AMVETS meat shoot

A fish fry takes place every Friday at American Legion Post 338 at 9655 Midland Blvd. in Overland from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information contact Chairman Ed Hilleman at 314-660-1813.

6:45 p.m., Knights of Columbus Hall, 1216 Teson Rd. in Hazelwood. For more information call 314-731-9330.

Every 3rd Friday of the month: Bingo 2 p.m., Life Care Center of Florissant, 1201 Garden Plaza Dr. For more information, call 314-831-3752.

Saturdays: Yoga

Yoga returns to Calvary UCC at 2501 Hartland Avenue, on Saturdays from 10:30-11:30. Masks and social distancing are required in the building and participants should bring hand sanitizer with them. For further information call Angela at 314-801-8594.

Come and enjoy the meat shoots at American Legion Post 4445 located on 17090 Old Jamestown Rd. between Sinks Rd. and Lindbergh starting noon Sept. 15 thru Nov. 17; and in the spring, Feb. 2 thru March 8 rain or shine. Great meat prizes awarded.

Sundays in September through April, AMVETS Post 55, located on 8842 Natural Bridge Rd. in Bel-Ridge will be hosting meat shoots with practice beginning at 11 a.m. and rounds starting at noon. Shooters must be 18 or older and will shoot #9’s with no bull barrels or scopes and 675 minimum chokes. The shooting area is indoors and food and drink are available in the club room. For more information, contact 314-630-2671 or 314-330-7269.

Sundays: meeting

Jennings

Do-Dads

The Jennings Do-Dads hold meetings every third Sunday of the month (except June which is the second Sunday and no meeting in December) at 1

p.m. at Classics Bar & Grill at 11601 West Florissant Avenue. Those interested in membership are invited to attend. For more information visit www.jenningsdodads.org.

What’s Happening

SUDOKU answers from page F-1

CROSSWORD answers from page F-4

CHURCH Tuesdays & Thursdays: Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church GriefShare Support Group Tuesdays from 2 - 4pm and Thursday from 6:30 - 8:30pm, 11645 Benham Rd., 314-741-3737

HEALTH Every Mon. & Tues.: Healthy Meal Replacement (HMR) Program Orientation

Mondays: 6–7pm Tuesdays: Noon– 1pm SSM DePaul Wellness Center.

Attend a free orientation to learn: the Five Success Variables needed to lose weight, different diet options available and how important physical activity really is. Please call to register at 1-877-477-6954.

9

www.JewishStCharles.org

10

Sports

January 6, 2021 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com

Sports you see with Gary B...

Basketball team at Lindenwood upsets topranked UMSL team The Lindenwood University’s men’s basketball team won their fourth game in five attempts to upset No. 25 University of Missouri-St. Louis by a final of 84-72 recently. TJ Crockett led the Lions with 28 points as the University City native surpassed his 1,000th ca-

WHERE CAN YOU GET Pick up a at all 35 Dierbergs & Schnucks stores in St. Charles County and North and Northwest St. Louis County

reer point.

The Friday night showdown got off to a slow start, but Anthony Christian found his grove and got the momentum rolling and helped the Lions offense to a strong half. With just over five minutes to go in the first half, TJ Crockett hit a three pointer to give the Lions a commanding 29-18 lead. The Lions closed out the half on a high note, and held a 47-33 lead at the break.

Lindenwood did not miss a beat to start the second half, as they compiled 13 points within the first four minutes. The Lions held its largest lead at the 16:35 mark of the second half, separating the teams by 21 points. Lindenwood held a double-digit lead for the remainder of the half, and cruised to an 84-72 victory over the Tritons. Along with Crockett, four other Lions scored 10 or more points in the game. Lindenwood shot 52.8 percent from the field, and knocked down eight ? three-pointers in the upset win.

“Great win for our guys tonight,” said head coach Kyle Gerdeman. “I’m really proud of them. They competed at a high level, and knew we would have to against a great program like UMSL. I thought our depth paid off for us again as we finally got five guys in double figures, which is important to us.”

Besides Crockett, Brandon Trimble hit 15 points and Romelo Burrell drained 13. * Early and playing good

OR READ US ONLINE AT MYCNEWS.COM

Cheerleaders needed The St. Louis Bandits (www.STLouisBanditsFootball.com) will be a part of the American Arena Football league (www.

AmericanArenaLeague.com) and play at the Family Arena this spring.

Tryout applications need to be submit-

ted by Jan. 15 online and will be held at the Performing Arts studio in O’Fallon.

Go to www.StLouisFootballBandits.com for more details. * The Banshees will lead the crowd Soccer Ambush drop first game of season The St. Louis Ambush play their home games at the Family Arena in St. Charles in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL).

Recently they fell 4-1 to the Florida Tropics at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida. It was the first game of the 2021 season for both teams.

The Ambush took a 1-0 lead in the first quarter when Tony Walls was able to get a foot on a loose ball in front of the goal and put it into the net at 6:40. It would be the lone tally of the period.

Florida roared back with four unanswered goals in the second quarter to take a 4-1 lead at halftime.

The team returns to the Family Arena when they host the Kansas City Comets in the Ambush home opener on Jan. 16. The next weekend, the Ambush host the Tacoma Stars on Jan. 24. They close out the month at home with games against Florida on Jan. 29 and Jan. 31.

Go to www.STLAmbush.com to get all the updates. * Early in the season

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, among many other activities. I am currently hosting a Health show on 97.1 FM, ‘Prime Time Health’ www.

PrimeTimeSTL.com. It broadcasts Saturday nights at 8 and Sunday mornings at 9.

www.mycnews.com • Community News • January 6, 2021

Recipe:

Feature

F-1

– SUDOKU –

Add a little sweetness to any occasion

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.

Apple Cake Servings: 8-16

The cake is baked with the apples inside as the middle layer, which creates a moist, finished product. The apples are gooey, baked in a cinnamon sugar coating, making them a sweet and light complement to the perfectly baked cake.

Start by mixing the apples with cinnamon and, of course, sugar. Set the mixture aside.

Now it’s time for cake. First, mix all the dry ingredients together then mix in the wet ingredients.

The secret to this cake is creating layers that will hold up.

Pour half of the batter into a round springform pan first then add apple mixture and top it all with the rest of the cake batter.

Finally, for a little extra sweetness, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top of the cake before baking.

Ingredients: 3 cups Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and diced 3 teaspoons cinnamon 6 tablespoons, plus 2 cups, sugar, divided

3 cups flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup oil

4 e ggs, beaten 1/4 cup orange juice 1 t easpoon vanilla icing (optional)

Directions:

juice and vanilla; mix until blended.

Heat oven to 350 F.

In springform pan, pour half of batter. Add apple mixture. Pour remaining batter over apple mixture. Sprinkle remaining sugar over batter.

In medium bowl, mix apples, cinnamon and 5 tablespoons sugar until combined. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix flour, 2 cups sugar, baking powder and salt until combined. Form well in middle of mixture. Add oil, eggs, orange

Bake 40-50 minutes, or until top is golden brown and tester comes out clean and dry.

Drizzle with icing, if desired.

SEE ANSWERS ON PAGE 9

Find more recipes and sweet desserts at Culinary.net

Jamie Foxx: From ‘In Living Color’ to ‘Soul’

I

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.

n the spring of 1990, “In Living Color,” a comedy sketch show created by Keenan Ivory Wayans, debuted on the Fox Television Network. Though earlier efforts like “The Late Show” with Joan Rivers didn’t do well for Fox, Wayans’ creation fit in well with popular shows like “Married with Children” and “The Simpsons.” In 1992, “In Living Color” even broadcast a live episode that coincided with the halftime of the Super Bowl.

It was so groundbreaking, irreverent and funny that it led to more high-powered Super Bowl halftime shows, including a live performance by Michael Jackson.

“In Living Color” also was a launch pad for the rubber-faced Jim Carrey and the Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx. Currently, Foxx leads a strong vocal cast in “Soul,” a new Pixar film that was released on Disney+ on Christmas Day. Foxx plays Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher who wants something more out of life. On the day he gets his big musical break, Joe falls into a manhole and finds himself on the road to the “Great Beyond.”

After getting his start at an open mic night, Foxx created characters such as Wanda the

named Vincent (Cruise) and asks him to drive to different locations. Though Vincent claims to be in town for a real estate deal, his true motivations are more sinister and Max becomes an unwilling accomplice.

Arguably, “Ray” is the crown jewel in Jamie Foxx’s career. Released in 2004, this biopic told the story of Ray Charles Robinson, the prolific musician who Photo courtesy Walt became blind by the age of sevDisney Pictures en. Foxx’s performance covers Charles’ years as a struggling musician, problems with drugs Ugly Girl for “In Living Color.” One of his ear- and musical breakthroughs. It’s important to liest film roles was in the esoteric Robin Wil- note that while Foxx won the Best Actor Oscar liams comedy “Toys,” but years later, he stood for “Ray,” he also received a Best Supporting out in Oliver Stone’s 1999 film “Any Given Actor nomination for “Collateral” in the same Sunday.” He played “Steamin” Willie Beamen, year. a third-string quarterback who gets his chance ike Joe Gardner in “Soul,” Jamie Foxx has as a starter but soon alienates the other play- spent years honing his craft. In addition to Ray ers. Foxx, who headlined his own self-named Charles, he has played the villainous Electro in sitcom for years, showed his dramatic acting “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” and will be reabilities in this performance. prising the role in the upcoming Spider-Man After a solid turn as Drew Bundini Brown, sequel with Tom Holland. “Soul” is all about Muhammad Ali’s cornerman, in the 2001 finding your passion, something Mr. Foxx does sports biopic “Ali,” Foxx starred opposite Tom in all his performances.

Cruise in “Collateral.” The actor played Max, “Soul” is currently streaming on Disney+ a Los Angeles cab driver who picks up a man

F-2

Feature

ACTIVE BUYER

January 6, 2021 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

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

Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days, then publish. Your prayers will be answered.

It has never been known to fail.

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Feature

F-3

F-4

Feature

January 6, 2021 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Yeggs

John Hanna

CROSSWORD: INTERNATIONAL MENU

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

By Cindy Moore

Moore On Life Should we all be excited for the coming New Year? The previous one has been a major sack of suck. But to tell you the truth, I’m a tad bit nervous. Mainly, because I’ve heard a vicious rumor that 2020 might actually have been the previews for 2021.

We’ve all seen those scary trailers in the theater for a soon-to-be-released horror flick. Sure there are scary bits and pieces of the upcoming shocker, but the real terror is the full-length movie.

Will this year be the unedited version?!

For now, I’d like to see none of the following in 2021: No more mask litter. You know, it used to be a stray shoe in the middle of the road, maybe a single glove or a lone sock in the gutter. Now it’s lost masks…everywhere! I’ll run across them in the parking lots, along roads or in store aisles.

How does this happen? Are people’s ears suddenly falling off? It’s hard enough explaining how one shoe ends up abandoned. How exactly does a shoe drop off unexpectedly when a person is walking along? Do they not feel the sudden drop in temperature on their exposed toes? Puzzling.

Here’s another one. How about not panicking every time I go by the toilet paper aisle? The other day I went to pick up a couple of essentials: rocky road and butter pecan. That’s it, that’s all. I had everything else in stock at home, but my cart strangely made its way to the back of the store. Almost like it was on auto-pilot.

Ring in the new

Soon I realized the change in course--the toilet paper aisle. I took a quick glance.

The shelves appeared to be well-stocked. I breathed a sigh of relief and headed towards the checkout counter.

I wish for an over-abundance of bathroom tis-

sue in the future year.

I also wish for a new outfit. I shall toss out the morning pajamas along with the nighttime pajamas and don a new classier ensemble: a sweatshirt and adjustable drawstring sweatpants. Between the holidays and sitting dormant during quarantine, I’ve put on 19 pounds. Gives a whole new meaning to COVID19.

These are just a few simple requests. Not much else to look forward to. Hmm? What’s that you say?

The McRib is back?!

2021’s looking good!

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.

ACROSS 1. Arithmetic operation 6. Romantic getaway destination 9. “Hold on!”

13. Foolish 14. Unit of electrical resistance 15. Ann Patchett’s novel “Bel ____” 16. Parallel grooves 17. New Zealand’s bygone bird 18. Daisy-like bloom 19. *En ____, cooked and served in individual pot 21. *Raw fish 23. Like Second Testament 24. Archipelago unit 25. Fool’s Day mo.

28. “Days” in Havana 30. Just one of TV’s “American ____” 35. Russian mountain range 37. Urban haze 39. Spiral-horned African antelope 40. Aggressive remark 41. 10 percent to charity, e.g.

43. Milk choice 44. Burnt ____ 46. “Nobody ____ It Better” 47. London art museum

48. Evening party 50. Boll weevil, e.g.

52. Dianne Feinstein, abbr.

53. Windmill blade 55. “... ____ he drove out of sight” 57. *It’s battered and fried 61. *Cheese and potato dumplings 65. Loudspeaker noise 66. Sheep sound 68. Frank Wright’s middle name 69. Atones, archaic 70. Days of ____ 71. Containing fat 72. Cut the crop 73. College degrees 74. Stainless material DOWN 1. Catchall abbr.

2. Gung-ho about 3. DEA agent 4. Jimmy Hoffa’s organization 5. Position while landing 6. A few 7. *Vietnamese soup 8. Accumulate 9. Done in loads 10. Opposing prefix 11. Unit on a list 12. Torus, pl.

15. Milk protein

20. *Cocktail garnish 22. Mont Blanc, e.g.

24. Heavy hydrogen, e.g.

25. *With jus 26. First-rate 27. Browning’s “____ ben Ezra” 29. In the thick of 31. Benign lump 32. New Zealand parrots 33. Like NCAA’s eight 34. *Japanese noodle soup 36. Suggestive look 38. *Clarified butter 42. Ruhr’s industrial center 45. “The Dean Martin Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show” 49. Lobe locale 51. Ogres of the Norse 54. Bigwig in the Orient 56. Approval of the audience 57. Tow rope alternative 58. River in Bohemia 59. Comedian Rudolph 60. “Dead Poets Society” school, e.g.

61. Cowboy’s prods 62. Apple leftover 63. Jekyll’s alter ego 64. Bucolic poem 67. *____ ____ mode SEE ANSWERS ON PAGE 9