CN: Nov. 7. 2012

November 7, 2012 Vol. 91 No. 45

The Alzheimer’s Association annual Care and Conquer Conference on Thursday, Nov. 15.

Food for Thought

By Colleen Ryan

IN this Issue

What if you forgot how to use a fork, knife or spoon? What if you didn’t recognize food? What if you couldn’t remember the last time you ate or what the sensation of feeling hungry meant?

Would you be mad, get upset or just stop eating?

“We frequently receive calls from family members who are concerned about their loved one (with dementia) and their ability to eat like they once could,” said Linda Desmet, Family Services coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association St. Louis Chapter. “People often think that Alzheimer’s disease only effects memory, but it causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior.

These problems are severe enough to interfere with daily life, including meal time.”

Today, more than 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and someone develops the disease every 68 seconds.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the only cause of death among the top ten with no way to prevent it, cure it or slow its progression.

Desmet said that many people who call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline are worried their loved one is not hungry at meal times and could be losing weight. Volunteers who serve on the 24/7 Helpline explain to callers that there could be a number of reasons why a loved one may not be interested in eating; they may no longer recognize the food that is placed in front of them, they may not know how to use utensils anymore, dementia can change taste buds making foods taste different or not as good. Depending on what stage of Alzheimer’s a person is experiencing, they may be embarrassed to admit they are not sure how to use utensils or they may not be able to find the words to explain Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

Photo courtesy of the Alzheimer’s Association

how they are feeling.

Meal time can not only difficult for the person with the disease, but also the caregiver. Due to the disease effecting behavior, sometimes dinning becomes a daily battle.

“In most cases, it is possible to help yur loved one (with dementia) dine with dignity and create an enjoyable experience for everyone,” said Maggie Murphy-White, education coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association St. Louis Chapter. “If your loved one becomes easily agitated trying to figure out how to use utensils, then just serve finger foods.

This will help reduce agitation. You may also need to remind your loved one how to eat. Eat with them and show them how to drink or what to do with their food. That way they can try to mimic what you are doing.”

Also, as the disease progresses, a loved one may need additional assistance with basic things, like swallowing. MurphyWhite suggested rubbing their throat to trigger the swallowing reflex.

Families can learn about additional meal time tips and tricks from Jeff Goldone, administrator of dining services Learn & Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Pet Apdoption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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at Lutheran Senior Services, at the Alzheimer’s Association annual Care & Conquer Conference on Thursday, November 15, 2012, at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center in Chesterfield, Mo. This full-day event will pro-

vide support, education and the latest information and resources for people with dementia and people providing care to loved ones in all stages of the disease.

See FOOD FOR THOUGHT page 3

Movie Talk

See Movie page 9

“‘Wreck-It Ralph” - Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Joe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Shelly Schneider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15

E-Mail: cnews@centurytel.net

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Around Town

November 7, 2012 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Veterans Helping Veterans With Veterans’ Day fast approaching, veterans may not realize how much they could mean to a fellow veteran. BJC Hospice has a need for veterans’ help as a volunteer to a hospice patient who is also a veteran.

Volunteers are an important part of hospice care.

They visit at the home or the nursing home where the hospice patient lives and provide a bright spot in the patient’s day, merely by listening and sharing conversation. No physical care is expected and complete training is provided by BJC Hospice.

Reasons that veterans make great volunteers for veterans are many. As veterans, you have a common culture - a common language and experience - that can provide an easy bonding experience. This camaraderie has been seen to be helpful for both the volunteer and the patient. In connecting with someone with military service, these volunteers assist with life review and understanding. The assistance, though, goes beyond reminiscing about life stories.

Some volunteers may have the opportunity to edu-

cate and assist the hospice patient in receiving veteran benefits. There have been some that have been able to get lost medals replaced. Some have arranged for special pinning ceremonies or other recognition events for these fellow veterans.

You have a special quality for volunteering if you are a veteran. Please consider volunteering for BJC Hospice.

To find out more about helping, please contact Eileen Spinner, volunteer services coordinator at 314.273.0762 or email her at etr7873@bjc.org.

Electronics Waste Recycling Drive at St. Louis Outlet Mall Allied Waste/ Republic Services, in partnership with the City of Hazelwood’s Green Committee and the Hazelwood School District, is hosting an Electronics Waste Recycling Drive on Saturday, November 17, in the St. Louis Outlet Mall, (formerly St. Louis Mills), parking lot in front of the Ice Zone. Collection hours are from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Local residents are encouraged to get plugged into the

national celebration of American recycling by bringing their unwanted electronics to this event. Certified electronic waste recycler, DCal, will be on site to collect all e-waste. There is no charge to drop-off items.

This coincides with Keep America Beautiful’s America Recycle Day, which is held annually on November 15, to celebrate the benefits of recycling while providing an educational platform that helps raise awareness about the value of reducing, reusing, and recycling – every day – all throughout the year. Not only is recycling important to the nation’s economy, but also to the Earth’s environmental well-being.

Anything with a power cord or battery will be accepted. This includes the following: computers; monitors; printers; TVs; VCR/DVD players; stereos/boom boxes; MP3 players; cellular phones; small kitchenware like toasters, blenders, food processors and microwaves; major appliances like refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, and dishwashers; air conditioners; humidifiers; electric shavers; and toys just to name a few.

Although this is not a city-sponsored event, members of the Hazelwood Green Committee strongly urge residents to take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of electronic items that are sitting at home collecting dust because they don’t work anymore or they are outdated equipment.

“This is a perfect time to clean house right before the holidays so you can have more room to entertain family and friends, decorate the house and put up new electronics received as holiday gifts,” said Ron Darling, chairman of Hazelwood’s Green Committee.

For the past two years, Allied has partnered with the city of Hazelwood on two major “Recycling Day” events at St. Louis Outlet Mall as part of its annual Commu-

nity Clean-Up Campaign. In 2011, the event collected 79.5 tons of recyclable materials dropped off by 616 vehicles. Since the city approved a new contract with Allied last year and Allied distributed free 95-gallon recycling containers to all one- and two-family residences, the amount of recyclables collected each month has steadily grown and remains strong.

“Our goal is to position Hazelwood at the forefront of today’s green initiative with an effective sustainability program that includes diverting bulky recyclable items away from landfills,” Darling said. “In addition to saving landfill space, the processing of recyclable items creates local jobs, contributes to a growing economic industry, and valuable metals and other materials are able to be reused.”

To strengthen its recycling education efforts, Hazelwood’s Green Committee has joined the St. Louis County Health Department in promoting a “Recycling Becomes Me” campaign, designed to show people how recycling can become part of their everyday lives.

Hazelwood received $9,838 as part of a grant received through this partnership with St. Louis County. In cooperation with the city’s management staff, the Green Committee is providing guidance on how to use these funds to produce educational materials and to conduct a recycling participation study.

Here are some interesting fun facts provided by the “Recycling Becomes Me” campaign on why recycling is good for the environment and our metropolitan region: • If residents recycle just 5 percent more paper than in 2010, St. Louis County could fill Busch Stadium more than 12 times with all the trees that would be saved.

• In 2010, the amount of recyclables collected curbside in St. Louis County equaled more than double the weight of the Gateway Arch.

• In 2010, St. Louis County recycled enough to save 30,158 dump trucks worth of materials going to a landfill.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News • November 7, 2012

Around Town

3

Warners’ Warm-Up

FOOD FOR THOUGHT from cover

Twelve years after its inception and more than 135,000 coats later, the Warners’ Warm-up Coat Drive has become a dependable resource for impoverished men, women and children in the bi-state.

The Kurt Warner First Things First Foundation and Operation Food Search are once again teaming up with Metropolitan Police Departments in Missouri and Illinois for the 12th Annual Warners’ Warm-Up Winter Coat Drive. From November 1 – 14, 2012, Florissant residents and businesses are encouraged to donate new and gently-used winter coats. Please bring the coats to the Florissant Police Department, 1700 North Hwy. 67, Florissant, Mo. 63033.

Operation Food Search will ensure the coats get to those who need them most! For more information on Warners’ Warm-Up visit www.kurtwarner.org.

The conference features interactive breakout sessions, world-renowned specialists, a question-and-answer session with dementia experts, dinner, and many opportunities to connect with others battling the Alzheimer’s epidemic. Participants will be entertained with an interactive, multi-sensory performance by Metro Theater Company that weaves together a tapestry of music, movement, visual art and poetry. The evening keynote presentation will feature Marc Agronin, M.D., a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Medical School, is a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist and the Director of Mental Health and Clinical Research at the Miami Jewish Health Systems, home to Florida’s largest nursing home.

As people with dementia and caregivers age, their perspective on growing older is too often focused on the downside of the aging process. However, this is only one side of the coin. Agronin, author of “How We Age: A Doctor’s Journey into the Heart of Growing Old,” will provide a spellbinding look at what aging means today—how our bodies and brains age, the very way we look at aging, and what current research tells us about growing old with dementia. These strengths include a broader perspective on experience and decision-making, the potential for greater emotional maturity and enhanced creativity, and the ability to reflect on life and make positive changes that were inaccessible when younger.

Put together, these new forces open a doorway of growth and possibility as we age.

“Many memories are made around a dinner table, and that shouldn’t have to stop once your loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease,” Murphy-White said. “You should be able to continue to spend time with each other, family and friends at such an important place in your home.”

By spending time together at meal times, your loved one can still experience the atmosphere in which you made these great memories. By changing eating habits, behaviors or only eating finger foods, you can still continue the memories in a new way.

If you are interested in attending the Care & Conquer Conference, have questions regarding dementia, or need support, visit www.alz.org/stl or call 800.272.3900. The conference will be held from 1 – 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 at the DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center 16625 Swingley Ridge Road Chesterfield, MO 63017.

City of Florissant’s Thanksgiving Holiday Special: A Christmas Carol The city of Florissant’s Thanksgiving Holiday Special will bring to life on stage a musical interpretation of Charles Dickens’ classic story “A Christmas Carol” from TheatreworksUSA, New York.

Christmas makes Ebenezer Scrooge grumble “Bah, Humbug!” To him, the holiday is simply a waste of a work day. He refuses to celebrate with family and shows no generosity towards those less fortunate and needy. We find Scrooge alone on Christmas Eve, but not for long. He is visited by his former business partner, the long deceased Jacob Marley, who is forever burdened with chains in the afterlife for having been so hard-hearted while alive. Marley warns Scrooge that he will suffer the same fate unless he changes his ways, telling him of three sprits that will visit Scrooge that very night – the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet-to-Come. These ghostly visitors cause Scrooge to reconsider his outlook on life, warming his cold heart. Grateful for a “second chance,” Scrooge vows to help his fellow man.

“A Christmas Carol” captures both the humorous and touching moments of the classic story with witty dialogue and fresh new songs, conveying Dickens’ original message that the holiday season should be a “kind, forgiving, charitable time,” a sentiment which still rings true today.

Performances at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre, Parker Road at Waterford Drive, are on Sunday November 18, Friday November 23 and Saturday November 24. Admission is $5.25 to all. Call 314.921.5678 or visit www.florissantmo.com to make reservations or for more information.

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4

Around Town

November 7, 2012 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Fences Comes to the Florissant Civic Center Theatre Hawthorne Players will present August Wilson’s Pulitizer Prize-winning play, “Fences” at 8 p.m. on November 9, and 10, and at 2 p.m. on November 11 in the Florissant Civic Center Theatre, Parker Road and Waterford Drive.

Tickets are $16 for adults, and $14 for students and seniors, and may be reserved by calling the box office at 314.921.5678. The November 10 performance will be interpreted for the hearing impaired.

As in all of Wilson’s Pittsburgh plays, “Fences” explores the evolving African-American experience and examines family interactions and responsibilities against a backdrop of changing race relations.

Wilson’s central character, Troy Maxson, the grandson of a slave and the son of a sharecropper, has moved north in search of a better life, only to find an environment still fencing him in. A great baseball player in his youth, Troy learned to play within a prison fence.

Veteran performer Archie Coleman portrays Maxson.

When the play opens in the fall of 1957, Maxson is a middle-aged, illiterate garbage collector, tinged with the heroic and poetic. He is struggling with being treated fairly in the work place, his sense of self-worth, and his responsibilities for his family, who are all dealing with their own limitations.

Director Nancy Crouse has assembled a cast of allstar performers who find themselves deeply touched

by Wilson’s powerful words.

“I’m always discovering something new every time we rehearse,” said Gabe Pfifer, who plays Troy’s son Cory. “There is always another nuance or dramatic subtext. I am certain everyone is going to be able to connect to these characters on some level, even if their own situations, conflicts and heritage may differ. Wilson has a way of weaving in universal ideas that really hit home.”

Eleven-year old Breché DaValt, who alternates with Alanna Fenner in the role of Troy’s daughter Raynell,

said, “I really like my character. She makes me think about life, death and the importance of family. I believe everyone will love this play.”

Kimberly Kidd, who portrays Troy’s wife, Rose, has returned to St. Louis after a successful theatrical career in Las Vegas.

“I am so thrilled to be part of this production!”

Kidd said. “I am looking forward to performing in my hometown again, with family and childhood friends in attendance!”

Director Crouse said, “I am so pleased that Hawthorne Players are bringing this fine play and cast to Florissant. It gives each of us the chance to look backward and forward over society’s fences and to glimpse the universal heights of our shared humanity. It’s been a joy to be a part of the process.”

More information about the production may be found at www.hawthorneplayers.com.

Opinions Needed from Hazelwood Residents for Master Plan Meeting on Nov. 15 The Hazelwood Parks and Recreation Division is inviting all residents, especially those living in Ward 6, to attend the first of two Musick Park Master Plan meetings, scheduled on Thursday, November 15. This event will be held at Civic Center East, 8969 Dunn Road, starting at 7:30 p.m.

“Hazelwood residents have a unique opportunity to provide their feedback on what they want added, changed or enhanced at Musick Park to make it a more enjoyable experience,” said Doug Littlefield, Hazelwood Parks and Recreation Division superintendent. “This master plan is being funded through a planning grant Hazelwood acquired through the Municipal Park Grant Commission of St. Louis County. Architects will be there to guide residents through a process of collecting ideas that will be incorporated into a preliminary master plan to be refined later at a second meeting. Public input is essential to the success of this process.”

In 2007, the City of Hazelwood revitalized Musick Park, located near the intersection of Hanley Road and Latty Avenue, by providing new amenities that added fun and excitement to people’s leisure-time activities. One of the improvements was a lighted sprayground which brought a much missed water feature to the park since the closing of Musick Pool in 1999. Other improvements included the following: a fully ramped play structure; a new pavilion; a fitness cluster; and a climbing rock. This project was made

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possible through the acquisition of a Municipal Park Grant in the amount of $364,000.

Hazelwood contributed another $100,000 towards financing the installation of these upgrades.

“We had strong public support from the very beginning in making improvements to Musick Park,” Littlefield said. “And, the benefits of this initial master plan project have been felt well beyond the boundaries of the park property by residents and visiting guests. We now have an opportunity to make it better with another master plan project.

This gives local residents a chance to voice their opinions and make a difference in their community.”

The city of Hazelwood recently made a major investment to Musick Park by adding enhancements to the lighted sprayground. Upgrades were made to all facets of the spray pad including the mechanical equipment, pipes underneath, spray heads, and fencing. Also, a 24/7 automated Chemtrol system was installed to regulate the chlorine and PH levels in order to ensure proper chemical balance and sanitation.

Another feature added to the Musick Park sprayground is the use of multi-colored lighting that is UL listed for interactive play.

“Hazelwood’s sprayground is among the first in the metropolitan region to use this type of lighting, which makes it safe for children to play in the water while the lights are on,” Littlefield said.

The colors used at night include green, blue, red, yellow and purple.

They continually dissolve from one color to the next every few seconds.

Hazelwood reopened the Musick Park sprayground this year on May 12 with a grand celebration that was well attended by the public.

This lighted sprayground provides day and night-time fun for kids of all ages from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. Hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is programmed to provide users with 30-minute intervals of crisp, refreshing water to play in once the “on” switch has been activated.

Hazelwood residents with questions about the Musick Park Master Plan meeting on November 15 are encouraged to call the Parks and Recreation Office at 314. 731.0980.

A fun play structure was one of many amenities added to Musick Park as part of Hazelwood’s revitalization efforts in 2007, which included the development of a master plan and the acquisition of a Municipal Park Grant in the amount of $364,000. The city of Hazelwood is seeking public input for another Musick Park master plan at a meeting at 7:30 p.m. on November 15 at Civic Center East.

www.mycnews.com • Community News • November 7, 2012

Business

5

St. Louis Mills Becomes St. Louis Outlet Mall North County Resident Named The Woodmont Company, a full-service commercial real estate company, is proud to announce the company’s involvement in managing and leasing the St. Louis Outlet Mall, formerly known as St. Louis Mills, a 1.2 million square foot family shopping and entertainment destination, which opened in 2003.

St. Louis Outlet Mall is a local and regional shopping and entertainment destination featuring Missouri’s only Cabela’s, Old Navy Outlet, Nike Factory Store, Banana Republic Outlet, Gap Outlet, Tommy Hilfiger Outlet, and Bed, Bath and Beyond, to name a few. The St. Louis Outlet Mall also offers a complete family shopping experience with The Children’s Place Outlet, Gymboree Outlet, Justice Outlet, and Crazy 8. On the entertainment side, St. Louis Outlet Mall boasts the region’s largest Skate Park, the region’s only NASCAR Speedpark, and the St. Louis Ice Zone, the official practice facility of the St. Louis Blues, as well as great restaurants such as Tony Roma’s, Johnny Rockets, and Chevy’s Fresh Mex. The

Outlet Mall will also welcome a Ross Dress for Less in early 2013.

“The new name more properly showcases the property’s merchandising makeup,” said Frederick J. Meno, president and CEO-Asset Services of The Woodmont Company. “St. Louis Outlet Mall is so much more than a shopping center – we have a mix of exclusive entertainment, brand-name manufacturer’s outlets, family value and traditional mall retailers all located within one enclosed venue.”

The St. Louis Outlet Mall is already modifying the signage throughout the property to identify the property’s new name. This holiday season advertising through various media will also reflect the new name.

“The St. Louis Outlet Mall is a major shopping destination for local and regional residents as well as being a major shopping destination for tourists visiting St. Louis,” Meno said. “The Woodmont Company is excited to be involved with this very prestigious property.”

Manager of New Ashley Furniture HomeStore Colleen Sheahan, a Hazelwood native and long-time Ferguson resident, has been appointed manager of the new Ashley Furniture HomeStore, 2409 North Lindbergh Boulevard, which opened Monday, Nov. 5.

Sheahan, who has been with the company for more than 10 years, previously managed the Ashley Furniture HomeStore in Edwardsville, and before that was a team manager at the company’s O’Fallon, Mo. store. She also worked at Phillips Furniture, which owns six St. Louisarea Ashley Furniture HomeStores.

Sheahan will manage the new 38,000 square foot Ashley Furniture HomeStore in Florissant, the anchor store in a newly redeveloped retail shopping district the formerly was a Value City department store. Ashley Furniture HomeStore also is adding 40 full- and part-time jobs as a result of the new store opening.

The new Florissant Ashley Furniture HomeStore’s hours will be 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday, and noon - 5 p.m. on Sunday.

SBA’s Growth Capital Program Sets Record For Third Year in a Row The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) debenture program provided a record $2.95 billion to small businesses in fiscal year 2012, a 14 percent increase over last year’s $2.59 billion and an 85 percent increase over 2010, also a record year.

“Over the past three years SBA has transformed the SBIC program to ensure small businesses have greater access to SBIC funds,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “These record-setting numbers are proof that our efforts to streamline and simplify the process have made it possible to get capital into the hands of small businesses more quickly. When an SBIC invests in a small business, it can scale up and create jobs.”

High-growth small businesses continue to face difficulties in accessing patient, long-term capital to grow and create jobs. Since 1958, the SBIC program has helped fill these gaps and has invested approximately $63 billion in more than 110,000 small businesses in the United States.

The FY 2012 volume is the highest single-year volume in the 54-year history of SBA’s SBIC debenture program. Increased volume in the program is due in part to a number of improvements that contributed to an increased number of new SBIC licenses and reduced license processing times.

The SBIC program was created in 1958 to stimulate the growth of America’s small businesses by supplementing the long-term debt and private-equity capital available to them. SBA’s SBIC FY 2012 results included the following: • Record High Financing to Small Businesses: Total financings to small businesses by SBA’s SBIC debenture program grew to a 54-year record high of $2.95 billion in FY 2012 – 14 percent more than in FY 2011.

• Record High SBA Capital Commitment to SBIC

Funds: SBA capital commitments to debenture funds broke another record, increasing to $1.92 billion in FY 2012, up from $1.82 billion in FY 2011.

• Record High Private Capital Attracted to SBIC Program: The SBIC debenture program has attracted more initial private sector capital in FY 2012 than in any year in the history of the program – approximately $1 billion compared to $840 million in FY 2011, the previous high. The average debenture SBIC has raised more than twice the private capital than the average debenture fund of a decade ago.

• More Licensed Debenture SBICs and Faster Processing Times: Thirty new debenture and unleveraged SBIC licenses were issued in FY 2012, exceeding last year’s total of 22 by 36 percent. Additionally, SBIC license processing time improved to just 5.4 months in FY 2012, down from 14.6 months in 2009.

SBICs are privately-owned and managed investment firms that are licensed and regulated by SBA. SBICs use a combination of funds raised from private sources and money raised through the use of SBA guarantees to make equity and mezzanine capital investments in small businesses. There are 301 SBICs with more than $18 billion in capital under management.

As part of the President’s Startup America initiative, the SBA leveraged the SBIC program to launch two initiatives with up to $1 billion in leveraged commitments each for impact investments and early stage investments. These commitments are available to SBICs targeting early-stage firms or businesses located in targeted economic areas or industries. To date, SBA has

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licensed two impact SBIC funds under its Impact Initiative, while another five have an impact focus in their investment strategies. SBA also has issued a call for Early Stage SBICs under the Early Stage SBIC Initiative, and has issued “green light” letters to six potential applicants.

For more information about the SBA’s Investment Division, SBIC program, Impact Investment Initiative and Early Stage Innovation Fund, go to www.sba.gov/ INV. The website offers much useful information including segments for: SBIC Applicants, SBIC Licensees, Private Partners & LPs, and Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners. The site also includes useful SBIC forms, up-to-date news and reports.

6

School

November 7, 2012 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Huskies Celebrate Homecoming with Fanfare The Ritenour community had much to celebrate during Homecoming weekend on Friday, Oct. 5 and Saturday Oct. 6, 2012.

The weekend kicked off with the Ritenour Hall of Fame gala on Friday at the Auditorium at Ritenour High School to honor four 2012 inductees: Suzanne (Black) Cunningham, Mike Schneider, Mike Stewart and Clay Zigler.

On Saturday, cool temperatures and fall colors ushered in the 37 floats and per-

Bridgeway, Willow Brook Participate in Safety Day Fourth-graders from Bridgeway and Willow Brook elementary schools recently took part in safety training through the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day. Held at Willow Brook, the program was a full-day event designed for students to learn safety and health lessons that they can use every day while at home and school, or even camping or on a farm or ranch.

Students visited a variety of activity stations, where they learned about safety topics ranging from Internet, roadway, chemical, food and camping. To kick off the event, the students participated in a presentation by inspirational speaker John O’Leary, who at the age of nine accidently lit a can of gasoline on fire, causing his family home to burn and him to be burned on 100 percent of his body.

Given less than a one percent chance to survive, O’Leary beat the odds and has since graduated from college, started a business and is married with children.

More than 60 volunteers from sponsor Bunge North America, an agribusiness and food-processing corporation, were on hand to assist the Bridgeway and Willow Brook students during Safety Day. Several other companies co-sponsored Progressive Agriculture Safety Day, including Monsanto, John Deere, Toyota, Aramark, Crop Production Services and Vivola Express. Pattonville’s schoolbusiness partnership office worked with the schools, Bunge and its co-sponsors to arrange the day.

To see a photo gallery of Safety Day, go to events.psdr3.org.

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forming groups along the Orange Brick Road with a theme from "The Wizard of Oz" in the annual Homecoming Parade as hundreds of fans showed their Husky pride along the parade route. Following the parade, fans filled the stadium to watch the Huskies pounce on the Pattonville Pirates with a score of 33-7. On Saturday evening, hundreds of high school students attended the Homecoming Dance and crowned Mark Chandley and Jacquelyn Malone as king and queen, respectively.

Ferguson-Florissant School District Seeks Public Input on 2013-2014 Budget The Ferguson-Florissant School District is seeking public input on its 2013-2014 budget. The district is asking parents and community members to serve on its Budget Task Force and to complete a budget priority survey on the district’s website at www.fergflor.org. Both initiatives are aimed at the goal of submitting a balanced budget to the Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education in June 2013.

Ferguson-Florissant’s ad hoc advisory Budget Task Force was formed to help provide stakeholder input on the development of the 2013-2014 budget. The group meets bimonthly through January to examine spending and collaborate on solutions to address the district’s needs.

The survey on the district’s website asks the public for their opinions on spending priorities. The results of this survey will be used, along with other information, to assist in developing spending priority guidelines for the district’s 2013-14 budget. The community input will also be used to determine what programs may be expanded in the future if additional funding becomes available.

Those interested in joining the Ferguson-Florissant Budget Task Force may contact the district’s finance office at 314.506.9019. The budget priority survey is available online at www.fergflor.org.

Junior from Pattonville Studying in Germany this Year Sadie Dasovich, a junior from Pattonville High School, is spending her entire school year in Germany as an exchange student through the U.S. State Department-sponsored Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program.

Dasovich was one of 200 students nationwide and one of only four in the St. Louis area to receive the competitive CongressBundestag Youth Sadie Dasovich, center, a junior from Pattonville, is shown at the Government House (Rathaus) in Hamburg, Exchange Program Germany along with other Congress-Bundestag scholarship winners.

Scholarship, which is jointly funded by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag (Germany’s congress). The program is overseen in the U.S. by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In order to earn the scholarship, Dasovich had to complete a scholarship application, pass a two-hour face-to-face interview and coordinate with personnel in Germany.

Dasovich’s scholarship is all inclusive, covering every expense, including round-trip air fare to and from Germany, a one-month cultural training and intensive language training. Dasovich flew to Germany in July and will return in early summer 2013. She currently attends a German high school, where all classes are in German, and lives with a host family in Jena, Germany.

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program is for motivated high school students who want to fully immerse themselves in German culture by living with a host family and attending a local high school. For more information on the program, go online at www.usagermanyscholarship.org.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News • November 7, 2012

Pattonville Athletic and Activities Foundation Hosts Annual Trivia Night Join Master of Ceremonies Rich Gould, sports director for KPLR Channel 11, and show off your trivia knowledge at the Pattonville Athletic and Activities Foundation’s (P2AF) annual Trivia Night on Friday, Nov. 30. Tables placing first and second will be awarded prizes for their team knowledge, and additional items will be up for grabs in the silent auction, 50/50 raffle and other activities.

The event takes place at Bridgeton Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with trivia from 7 - 10 p.m. Beverages and snacks will be provided, but attendees are also welcome to bring their own food and drinks. A table of eight costs $160. All proceeds benefit the P2AF. To register online, visit www.p2af.com. Questions regarding trivia night can also be submitted online through the P2AF website by clicking on the “Contact Us” tab.

HSD Partners with Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers Hazelwood School District is proud to announce the school-based, clinic partnership with Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers Achieving Student Potential by Reducing Health Disparities (ASPIRE) program. The clinic is located at Hazelwood East Middle School and is available to all HSD students. The clinic is open from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Fridays.

“The mission of this partnership is to promote the well-being and development of Hazelwood students with particular attention to the unmet healthcare needs of those lacking access to basic health care,” said Crystal Nelson, Hazelwood director of health services. “We are thrilled with the services that we’re able to offer through the school-based clinic. As the program grows, more services will be added in the future.”

The clinic is currently offering the following confidential services to Hazelwood students: immunizations with physical exams and dental health services.

This program is open to all HSD students whose parent/guardian has signed a Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers Aspire permission/ consent form, regardless of income or health care coverage. People’s Health Centers Aspire may bill any third party’s insurance for any or all related services provided. However, families will not be billed for services.

For additional information, to obtain a consent form or to schedule an appointment, contact your child’s school nurse.

Hazelwood East Middle School is located at 1865 Dunn Road, St. Louis, MO 63138.

Scouts Complete Eagle Projects Zach Lambros, left, and James Hanten

School

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Pride & Promise Foundation Awards $5,515 for Special Learning Projects The Ritenour Pride & Promise Foundation awarded in October a total of $5,515 in grants to four special student learning projects. Recipients of this year’s awards are from Hoech and Ritenour middle schools and the School for Early Childhood Education.

Ritenour School Board Sets 2012 Tax Rate The Ritenour Board of Education set the district’s new tax rates on Sept. 20, 2012. The rates remained virtually unchanged from last year. The residential rate decreased by 1-cent, while the personal property tax rate stayed the same per $100 of assessed valuation. The commercial tax rate saw a 2-cent gain per $100 of assessed valuation.

PHS Hosts 17th Annual Wheelchair Basketball Benefit on Nov. 8 Pattonville High School staff members take on the St. Louis Junior Rolling Rams during the 17th annual benefit wheelchair basketball game. The friendly competition takes place from 6 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8 in the Pattonville High School gymnasium, 2497 Creve Coeur Mill Road in Maryland Heights.

Halftime festivities will feature dance and cheerleading performances by Pattonville High School staff members, cheerleaders, drill team and twirlers as well as the Junior Pirates cheer and drill teams. The evening will also include raffles, a silent auction and an appearance by St. Louis Cardinals’ mascot, Fredbird.

This family-friendly event is sponsored by the Pattonville High School Peer Assistance and Leadership (PALs) classes. Admission is $4. No passes may be used. All proceeds benefit the St. Louis Junior Rolling Rams. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 314.213.8051.

Tyler Banko

Cosmetology oNe ProGraM CHoICe tHat CaN Get You CLoSer to Your GoaLS. CaLL uS to LearN More. 866-200-1898

www.vatterott.edu www.vatterott.edu other Program Fields:

Three Pattonville High School students recently completed Eagle Scout projects. Tyler Banko completed his Eagle Scout project at Parkwood Elementary, his former elementary school. For his project, Banko installed two long metal benches, one in the school’s front playground and the other by the softball field in the back of the school. James Hanten was recently awarded his Eagle Scout rank. For his Eagle Scout project, he constructed two catch doors for bird enclosures at the World Bird Sanctuary. Zach Lambros completed his Eagle Scout project this summer. Lambros’ Eagle Scout project was painting a map of the United States on the playground of his previous elementary school, Rose Acres Elementary.

Eagle Scout is the highest advancement rank in the Boy Scout designation and is achieved after progressing through various other ranks, earning 21 merit badges, serving six months in a troop leadership role, taking part in a Scoutmaster conference and successfully completing an Eagle Scout board of review.

TM

3550 west Clay St. | St. Charles, Mo 63301

6732

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electrical HvaC Medical Billing & Coding Computer technology Business Management Medical assisting and More!

For more information about this program, including graduation and employment rates, tuition and fees, and median debt of students who have completed the program, please visit www.vatterott.edu/programs.asp.

www.imunique.com www.stcharlesconventioncenter.com

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Learn & Play

SUDOKU:

November 7, 2012 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

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.

Youngest Pick: “Black Dog” A black cat crossing your path is bad enough, but imagine, if you will, a dark pooch on the loose in your neck of the woods. That’s the setup for “Black Dog,” by Levi Pinfold, a fantastical story with equally clever illustrations.

It’s a snowy, gray night when Mr. Hope sees a strange black dog about the size of a tiger outside. What’s a dad to do? Call the police, of course, who advise with a laugh, “Don’t go outside.”

Mrs. Hope spots the mongrel next. Shocked she drops her teacup. The dog has grown to the size of an elephant, a phenomenon that continues as each of the Hope children catch a glimpse of the beast.

Only Small Hope has been spared the scene. To her family’s surprise she marches outside. Rather than being afraid she tackles the hairy problem head on. With a song on her lips, and a zip in her step, the plucky tyke reduces the situation to manageable size. Sometimes courage comes in small packages.

Community News is proud to offer our readers “Book Buzz.” This column will feature great books for children in three categories: Youngest Pick: early childhood to the first or second grade, Middle Pick: elementary school children, and Oldest Pick: middle school children. Enjoy!

Reprinted with permission, Missourian Publishing Company. Copyright 2012.

Special Days in the Month of November See solution on page 13

Joke of the week: Thanks for the harmonica you gave me for Christmas,” Little Johnny said to his Grandfather. “It’s the best Christmas present I ever got.”

“That’s great,” said his Grandfather, “do you know how to play it?”

“Oh, I don’t play it,” Little Johnny said. “My mom gives me a dollar a day not to play it during the day and my dad gives me five dollars a week not to play it at night.”

November 1 All Saint’s Day November 2 All Soul’s Day November 2 Deviled Egg Day November 3 Book Lovers Day November 3 Housewife’s Day November 3 Sandwich Day November 4 King Tut Day November 5 Gunpowder Day November 6 Saxophone Day November 7 Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day November 8 Cook Something Bold Day November 9 Chaos Never Dies Day November 10 Forget-Me-Not Day November 10 USMC Day November 11

Veteran’s Day November 12 Chicken Soup for the Soul Day November 13 National Indian Pudding Day November 13 World Kindness Day November 13 Young Readers Day November 14 Operating Room Nurse Day November 15 Clean Your Refrigerator Day November 15 America Recycles Day November 15 National Philanthropy Day November 16 Button Day November 17 Homemade Bread Day November 17 National Adoption Day November 17 Take A Hike Day November 17 World Peace Day November 18 Occult Day November 19

Have a Bad Day Day November 20 Beautiful Day November 20 Universal Children’s Day November 21 World Hello Day November 22 Go For a Ride Day November 22 Thanksgiving November 23 Black Friday November 23 Eat a Cranberry Day November 23 National Cashew Day November 25 National Parfait Day November 26 Shopping Reminder Day November 27 Pins and Needles Day November 28 Red Planet Day November 29 Square Dance Day November 30 Stay At Home Because You Are Well Day

This Weeks Shelter: PALS - Pets Alone Sanctuary 4287 Hwy 47, West Hawk Point, MO 63349 • 636-338-1818 • www.Pal-Pets.com If you’ve adopted a new family member that you saw in Community News, send us a picture of you and your new pal. Also include a brief story about your pet’s background and how they’re doing now. We’d love to share your happy story with other readers!

Community News, 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr., O’Fallon, MO 63366 or cnews@ centurytel.net.

The U.S. Humane Society estimates 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year, and 3 to 4 million are euthanized. Please do your part to control overpopulation and to limit the number of unwanted animals. SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS!

www.mycnews.com • Community News • November 7, 2012

Movie

“Wreck-It Ralph”

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

At the beginning of “Wreck-It Ralph,” an iconic image of Mickey Mouse appears on screen, but it has been digitized to look like a videogame character. That image is pretty telling because it shows that director Rich Moore and his animators have a deep appreciation for both classic games and cartoon characters.

John C. Reilly delivers a winning vocal performance here as the title character, a computerized bad buy that has been smashing buildings for 30 years. After watching Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer), the good guy in his game, win countless medals, Ralph tries his hand at being a hero. It’s hard for the big guy to be taken seriously in his new role, though.

Ralph even belongs to a support group for videogame villains that meets inside an old Pac-Man machine. His friends encourage him to embrace who he is, but Ralph wants the adoration and glory that all heroes receive.

Incredibly clever, “Wreck-It Ralph” pays homage to those quartergobbling machines from the 1980’s. Ralph’s game is a nod of the animator’s cap to Donkey Kong, a monster arcade hit 30 years ago.

Other characters, most notably Q*Bert and Pac-Man, even play a big part in the storyline. There are plenty of other videogame references and a plot device that involves Mentos mints and Diet Coke.

Jane Lynch from “Glee” delivers a dead-on vocal performance as Sergeant Calhoun from the modern war game “Hero’s Duty.”

Calhoun is haunted by the memory of a lost love that was killed during their wedding ceremony. Lynch is so good here that she could easily make a fine living supplying her voice to real videogames.

www.historicstcharles.com

Etc.

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By Steve Bryan - Rated: PG Sarah Silverman also takes the cake--literally-as Vanellope von Schweetz, a would-be racer in a popular game called “Sugar Rush.” Ralph wanders into Vanellope’s game and the two become unlikely friends. The animated girl is a glitch, though, and she’s not allowed to race her homemade car.

Director Moore crafted a videogame universe in “Wreck-It Ralph” that is as intriguing as it is dangerous. Characters can be resurrected countless times, but if they die while game-hopping, they are gone forever. If a game breaks and is subsequently unplugged, all the characters are rendered homeless and must seek refuge in the train station that connects various machines.

The freshest and funniest animated feature to hit theaters in a long time, “Wreck-It Ralph” is the ideal movie for the whole family. Parents will no doubt remember the classic game characters while their children can easily identify with Ralph and Vanellope. This one definitely is a winner.

“Wreck-It Ralph,” rated PG for some rude humor and mild action/violence, currently is playing in theaters.

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Etc.

November 7, 2012 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Sports

Gary Baute Guns ‘N Hoses Getting Ready for Action ***Wednesday November 21 At Scottrade Center Budweiser Guns ‘N Hoses features three-round boxing matches between area Police Officers and Firefighters to raise money for The BackStoppers, the organization that provides immediate financial aid and long-term financial and other support to the families of Police Officers and Firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty.

Grey Eagle Distributors and Budweiser have been title sponsors of Guns ‘N Hoses since the event began in 1987. The first event only raised a few thousand dollars but from that low-key start, Budweiser Guns ‘N Hoses has grown into one of the premier fund-raisers in the St. Louis area, drawing near-capacity crowds while raising more than $3.2 million for The BackStoppers. It is held in the Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis on Thanksgiving Eve. (picture and info from their website) To purchase tickets, go to http://www.stlgunsandhoses.com/Tickets.html. ~~~Great event for great people Football Finishes Season with a “Road Trip to Truman” for Lindenwood ***Impressive Year in the MIAA The Lindenwood football team is slated to finish up its season on November 10 at Truman State University. The Lions have earned a 6-3 overall record and 5-3 record in the MIAA through the first nine games of the season.

The November 10 game will include a “Road Trip to Truman” event, encouraging Lion fans to travel to the away game and enjoy a tailgate put on by LU alumni and boosters. The Road Trip to Truman is set to leave the Hyland Parking Lot at 8 a.m. with tailgating set to start at 11:30 a.m. in Kirksville, Mo. The Lions look to finish the already successful football season on a high note. One of the highlights of the year so far has been running back Denodus O’Bryant. He leads the team in rushing with 96.4 yards per game and eight touchdowns. His 88yard scamper against Washburn on Oct. 20 broke the school’s all-time rushing yards record. He will look to add to his record against Truman.

As of November 1 the Truman Bulldogs have earned an overall record of 4-5 and a 3-5 record in the MIAA. ~~~Thanks to David Jackson, Sports Information-Graduate Assistant of Lindenwood

London Trip not Kind to Rams ***Rams 7 – New England Patriots 45 The St. Louis Rams take to the 2012 football season as the youngest team out of the 32 in the National Football League (NFL).

Perhaps the pomp and circumstance of the international game was a bit much for the Rams squad to handle. They started the game in nice fashion by scoring a touch down on their first possession and had the lead in the game for the first half of the first quarter. That’s where it ended. The Patriots scored 45-points in a row to dominate the rest of the game.

A few highlights: - WR Chris Givens caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from QB Sam Bradford on the first drive of the game. Marks Givens’ second touchdown of his career.

- Givens’ 50-yard touchdown reception gives him five consecutive games with a 50-plus yard reception, an NFL rookie record for most consecutive games with a 50-plus yard reception.

- Givens finished the day with three receptions for 63 yards and returned two kickoffs for 48 yards, including a long of 26 yards.

- QB Sam Bradford completed 23-of-31 passes for 205 yards, including a long of 50 yards.

- RB Steven Jackson totaled 55 yards from scrimmage (23 rushing, 22 receiving).

- RB Daryl Richardson rushed seven times for 53 yards, a 7.6-yard average, including a 20 yard long.

- P Jonny Hekker punted four times for 195 yards, a 48.8-yard average and 44.8yard net.

- According to press box statistics, LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar led the team in tackles with nine solo tackles.

- LB Josh Hull made his first start of his career.

Information from Ram’s postgame notes.

NEXT HOME GAMES: November 18 - Sunday: against New York Jets at Noon (time could change) December 2 - Sunday: against San Francisco 49ers at Noon (time could change) December 16 - Sunday: against Minnesota Vikings at Noon (time could change) LAST HOME GAME Check the website www.StLouisRams.com for all the information. ~~~Get back to the USA as fast as you can

“Over the Fence”

Joe Morice

Editorial

It Boggles the Mind If you draw a line straight across a block-long graph and then mark one inch of it at the end, it’s a good comparison of how long our civilization has been on Earth; one inch worth.

Staggering, right? Try this: If we fit that one inch of time into the entire universe, it might compare to an atomic particle among all the uncountable numbers in all of Earth’s solar system.

It boggles the mind.

Given all this mind-boggle, I can’t understand what makes us underestimate the kazillion-to-one odds against the delicate unimaginable process that took place to create our planet and its subsequent civilization.

It’s said that five million, million (whatever that is) atoms can fit on the head of a pin. The number that makes up the human body would most likely consist of too many zeros to fit on this page. Yet all those ka-zillions of atoms came together to become a functional, incredibly complicated machine called a human being and in fact, billions of them. They can walk, talk, think and do just about anything including building extremely complicated machines to help them survive and advance society...or destroy it.

Oddly, in the last 100 years or so, our society has advanced far more than the previous hundreds of centuries since man stood upright and sheltered in caves in fear of the night. Even odder, human beings are pound for pound, the weakest of all Earth’s creatures yet they are perhaps the most mentally advanced and successful because they have the ability to reason. I said perhaps because I once watched a

www.rhf.org

Jerry Springer TV show for a few minutes.

Human beings share many of the instincts of animals, including the herd instinct, survival instinct and so on. But we’ve been gifted with the ability to reason that would overcome the base instincts of animals that would kill each other to control their groups or kill other groups of the same species to steal their food or territories. Of course, admittedly, some of our species doesn’t always overcome those base instincts as proven by Middle East terrorists.

There is another incredibly large number to consider; many scientists who study such things agree the odds against all of the aforementioned happening become greater as they advance their understanding of the process. It might compare to the odds against finding a needle in a haystack the size of Jupiter. The events that brought all this about are so complex and inconceivable, perhaps there really was a supreme being to bring it about...or as some of my more skeptical acquaintances believe, aliens from a different world made it all happen. Who knows? Perhaps Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock cruised by in the Starship Enterprise and seeded our planet.

Yet this is the fun of it! It’s not knowing and searching for the truth with open minds. When I see a person or a group of people proclaiming their concept of life is the end all, be all of existence, I feel sorry for them. They’ve closed their minds to the great wonders of our world and often live in fear and intolerance of those who haven’t. By asking no questions and refusing their own curiosity, they’re missing all the fun.

A small child who totters across a meadow and discovers a butterfly landing on a wildflower looks on in round-eyed curiosity.

Our existence relies on open-minded curiosity and the ability to learn…and we’ve only just begun.

“Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.” -Linus Pauling

www.mycnews.com • Community News • November 7, 2012

Editorial

Etc.

11

Shelly Schneider

Save those receipts!

I purchased a brand new pair of cross-training shoes a few months back, but kept them in the closet until my old pair really gave out (kind of like men do with underwear and socks), but a little voice called out one afternoon from my over-stuffed closet.

“Take me to the YMCA!” the shoes beckoned from beyond the wooden doors. “Take me!”

“What the heck,” I thought to myself as I threw the shoes into the gym bag.

I arrived at the Y 20 minutes earlier than my normal 1 p.m. aerobics class. It must’ve been my pride. But life always seems to know when to knock you down a notch or two when you’re feeling particularly proud.

I sat myself on the floor (I really have to stop doing that. It gets harder and harder to get up off the floor by myself!), and with a song in my heart unzipped my gym bag and pulled out my new shoes with more than a little flair.

It took a couple of seconds for me to realize exactly what had happened. I was dumbfounded! How could this be?

I’ve always known that I have two left feet, but two right shoes? My bubble was burst, and in front of my step aerobics class.

Oh, the shame! The humiliation! The laughing!

I promptly returned to the place of purchase with my shoes in a garbage bag (don’t laugh, it was clean). But I

Recipe:

had not only thrown out the receipt, I’d watched happily as the recycling truck took the new shoebox out as well.

The sales people were very gracious, and helped me scour the clearance table for another pair. I was beginning to think they weren’t going to believe my painful story, when one sales lady found a box with two left shoes.

I was in luck!

So, at 3:30 this afternoon I drove back to the YMCA. The shoes went back on and triumphantly I stepped onto the treadmill. I started walking faster than I had in a long time. It was the new shoes, I just knew it. They put an extra spring in my step and sent my spirit soaring.

They gave me a really bad pinching feeling in my toes! Augbbbh! I had to get off the treadmill after just three-quarters of a mile.

Pride is a foolish thing. Imagine, me thinking I could get away with a shoe a half-size smaller than I usually wear.

My spirit broken, my self-esteem now totally shot, and my feet in real pain, I sat down (on the floor again!

Will I ever learn?), and gingerly removed the shoes and placed them back in my bag.

As I zipped the bag up those shoes called to me again, but with a much different tone than they had

called with this morning. They were mocking me.

“You thought you could reverse your shoe size, hmm?” my shoes sneered. “Just because you drop a couple of pounds and an inch or two, doesn’t mean your feet will shrink, too.”

Humiliated, but not defeated, I slipped on my sandals (flat, kind of like flip-flops with brown leather, and of course, less than 20 bucks) and finished my workout.

I don’t want the fitness experts going berserk here, all I did was grab a mat and worked on toning the outer and inner thighs, no weight lifting in sandals or anything.

Before dinner, I took my shoes back to the store for a second time. I put my hair in a ponytail and a frown on my face. With my head hung low, I asked to exchange the shoes for a size 10.

Thank goodness for sweet, accommodating sales¬people. The clerk cheerfully exchanged the shoes, and I promptly checked them out to make sure my two left feet would have a right and a left shoe that fit.

Whew! After a day like that, I pretty much talked myself into a dessert that was completely void of nutrition. It’s days like these I thank heaven for Twinkies.

Thanksgiving Day Dishes (Family Features) Turkey and stuffing are Thanksgiving Day must-haves, but not everyone makes them the same way. When it comes to stuffing, where you live might make a difference in how you make it.

Corn Bread Stuffing Ingredients: - 1 cup butter (2 sticks) - 1 cup onion, chopped - 1 cup celery, chopped - 1 1/2 to 2 cups liquid or broth* - 1 box Mrs. Cubbison’s Seasoned Corn Bread Stuffing Directions: Oven Casserole Directions: Prep Time: 10 min. • Cook Time: 45 min.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat, sauté vegetables until translucent.

2. Combine stuffing mix; stir in liquid* gradually and blend lightly.

Place stuffing in greased casserole dish, cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover last 15 minutes for crisper top.

Top-of-Stove Directions: Prep Time: 10 min. • Cook Time: 10 min.

1. In large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat, sauté vegetables until translucent.

2. Stir in liquid* gradually and bring to a boil over high heat.

Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 3 minutes.

3. Turn off heat, add dressing mix and blend lightly.

Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve. *Use more liquid for moister stuffing, less for drier.

Cranberry Sausage Classic Dressing Servings: 10 • Prep Time: 30 min. • Cook Time: 50 min.

Ingredients: - 1 1/2 pounds pork sausage, crumbled - 1/4 cup butter, unsalted - 1 cup celery, chopped - 1 cup onion, chopped - 2 teaspoons garlic cloves, chopped - 2 - 6-ounce packages of Mrs. Cubbison’s Classic Seasoned Dressing - 1 cup walnuts - 1 cup cranberries, dried sweet - 1 each Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, chopped 1/2-inch - 1 tablespoon sage, fresh, chopped - 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.

3. Stir in butter, celery, onion and garlic; sauté until translucent.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine dressing, prepared sausage and vegetable mixture, walnuts, cranberries, apple, sage and chicken broth.

5. Transfer mixture to medium buttered baking dish.

Bake covered in preheated oven 30 minutes; uncover

and bake additional 20 minutes until lightly browned.

According to a new survey by Mrs. Cubbison’s Kitchen in Los Angeles, celery and onions top the ingredients list, then regional differences come into play: • People in the Northeast and West are more likely to add carrots and sausage.

• 70 percent of people in the South and 60 percent of people in the Northeast said they like to cook stuffing in a casserole dish.

• 58 percent of people in the West and 45 percent of people in the Midwest said they prefer to cook it in the bird.

While traditional Thanksgiving dishes are preferred in most regions, about one in five families say they now consider special diets when preparing their menu including gluten-free, vegetarian, diabetic and kosher options: • Gluten-free and vegetarian choices are popular in the West.

• The South and Midwest offer items for those who are diabetic.

• The Northeast and South offer lactose-free and kosher dishes.

The survey also found that when asked which Thanksgiving dishes are handed down from previous family generations, “stuffing” was by far the most important. But the term for this dish differed depending on locale – Southerners refer to the dish as “dressing,” while people in the East, Midwest and West say “stuffing.”

No matter where you live, you can ensure big flavor at your holiday table when you use family-favorite recipes like these. Get more Thanksgiving recipes at www.thanksgivingtips.com.

www.paynefamilyhomes.com

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What’s Happening

Church Nov. 16: Fish Fry & Musical Coffeehouse St. Andrew UMC (near Lindbergh & Old Halls Ferry) is combining its famous Fish Fry with the Musical Coffeehouse for the whole family to enjoy. The Fish Fry will go from 4:30-7 p.m. with “iwiTness” providing some dinner music during the last part of the fish fry. Then we will adjourn to the Worship Center to hear The Answer & Daphne Rice-Bruce with desserts/coffees/teas in between those two groups. Babysitting will be provided. Call 837-4233 or go onto www.saintandrewumc.net for info. Hope to see you all there!

Dec. 1: Basement & Tailgate Sale At Northside Christian Church, 9635 Hwy. 367 (Lewis & Clark Blvd.), St. Louis, MO. Church basement sale, Tailgate sale to sell your own treasures. LOTS of New items have arrived. Basement/Tailgate is 8 a.m. - Noon. $10 for a double parking spot to sell your own treasures. Call: 314868-5722, to reserve your tailgate spot.

First and Third Fridays: Fish Fry 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at Bellefontaine United Methodist Church, 10600

November 7, 2012 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Bellefontaine Road, St. Louis, Mo. 63137. Single entrée $7, double entre $9. Kids under 6 are free.

Info: 314.867.0800.

Saturdays: ESL Classes 10 – 11:30 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Chapel, 11100 Old Halls Ferry Road, St. Louis. Free. All are welcome. Info: 314.849.6949.

Events Nov. 10: Trivia Night 7 p.m. at the St. Ann Parish Center, 7530 Natural Bridge. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd 6th annual trivia night to benefit the Maria Droste Residence. $20 per person.

Maximum of 10 players per table.

Includes beer, wine, soda and snacks. Reservations by contacting Pat Williams at 314.381.0120 or ptw0518@yahoo.com, or Jim Paunicka at 314.385.7552 or jimpaunicka@hotmail.com.

Nov. 28:UMSL Master of Science in Nursing Informational Meeting 6 – 7:30 p.m. at St. Charles Community College, Room 205 in the Student Center. Meet program coordinators, faculty and academic advisors. Info: 636.936.8675.

Calling All St. Augustine’s Class-

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mates Planning is underway for an All School Reunion. If you attended St. Augustine’s School located at Herbert & Lismore streets in the city of St. Louis we want to hear from you. Please contact a member of the planning committee: Sandy Tricamo (‘66) 314.791.7714; Leo Neuner (‘65) 972.951.4853; Don Becker (‘68) 636.399.0088; Tom Hartnett (‘66) 314.623.9950. You can also register on Facebook as you reminisce viewing the old parish pictures which have been posted. Search for: St. Augustine Catholic School - St. Louis Mo. Bridgeton Trails Library Branch Programs 3455 McKelvey Rd., St. Louis, MO 63044. Info: 314.994.3300. Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

9 months to 2 yrs. Room 1(Lap Time); Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

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

Inviting All Florissant Senior Citizens To Join One Of The Bingo Clubs With The City Of Florissant!!

Please contact the Florissant Senior Office for more information at 839-7604.

• Monday Club: Meets every Monday for Bingo from 11:302:30 on the lower level of the James J. Eagan Center. Bring a sandwich - coffee and tea are available. Interesting day trips to St. Louis Area locations are also scheduled.

• Florissant Older Adult Club: Meets the second Tuesday of each month from 11-1:30 on the lower level of the James J. Eagan Center.

Bring your lunch! Bingo, Trips, Speakers and special events are planned.

Business Spotlight A place to find out a little more about your local businesses! www.Welsch-heatcool.com

• Wednesday Club: Meets every Wednesday for Bingo from 11:30-2:30 on the lower level of the James J. Eagan Center. Bring a sandwich-coffee and tea available.

Interesting day trips to St. Louis Area locations are also available.

Every Sunday Now-Oct.: Free Tours at Old Ferdinand Shrine 1-4 p.m. Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, #1 Rue St. Francois, Florissant, is offering free tours every Sunday during the months of August, September and October. For info. contact: Vicki Wittman, email vicray01@aol.com or phone: 314.921.7582 Last Saturday of Each Month: Writers Workshop 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Looking for new Authors and Songwriters.

Come join us and let us help you with your dream. We have Authors, Songwriters, Playwrites, Teachers and more. Meet at the Baden Liberary 8448 Church Rd. For more info call 314.388.2400.

314.993.5421.

3rd Saturday: Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support Group 9 a.m. at Delmar Gardens North, 4401 Parker Rd., Florissant, MO 63033. Contact Kathy Gallyoun at 314.355.1516 or call the Helpline at 800.272.3900 for info.

Last Saturday: Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support Group 10:30 a.m. at Mother of Good Counsel Home, 6825 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, MO 63121.

Contact Doris Schmitt at 314.383.4765 or call the Helpline at 800.272.3900 for info.

Last Tuesday: Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support Group 1 p.m. Missouri Veterans Home, 10600 Lewis & Clark, St. Louis, MO 63136. Contact Buffy Huffman at 314.340.6389 or call the Helpline at 800.272.3900 for info.

Health Dec. 6: Caregiver Classes If you are someone’s caregiver or will be a caregiver in the near future, come to this caregiver class, free to the public. 10:30-11:30 a.m., Siteman Cancer Center conference room at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital campus. Learn more about legal documents and relations, qualifications for assistance and deductions from an elder law attorney.

Every Sunday: Support Group for Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse 6:30 – 8 p.m. at 7401 Delmar Ave. in University City. Info:

Christian Hospital To register call 314.747.9355 Dec. 4 & 19: American Red Cross Blood Drive Christian Hospital is teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a Blood Drive open to the general public. Stop by to roll up your sleeve and give blood to help save lives. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments have priority.

Free.

• Location: Christian Hospital Detrick Building Atrium, 11133 Dunn Rd. 63136 Registration: www.redcrossblood. org and use the sponsor code: christianhospital: or contact Sandy Barnes at slm9123@bjc.org Dates: Dec. 4, 19 Time: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Location: Northwest HealthCare Community Room, 1225 Graham Rd. 63031 Registration: www.redcrossblood. org and use the sponsor code: northwesthealthcare; or contact Mindy McLain at mlm7458@bjc. org Date: Dec. 19 Time: 12-4 p.m.

www.mycnews.com • Community News • November 7, 2012 Dec. 6: A Really ‘Bazaar’ Christmas in The Village 1-3:30 pm. Join us at this holiday bazaar with items and services for purchase from a variety of vendors and enjoy a warm atmosphere, delicious holiday treats and shimmering decorations.

Bring a friend or make a new one. Location: Village North Retirement Community, 11160 Village North Dr., 63136 (just west of Christian Hospital off Dunn Rd.). Cost: Free. Registration is required by calling 314-747-WELL (9355).

Discover the rewards of volunteering! If you’re looking for a rewarding way to spend your time, volunteering at Christian Hospital is an ideal match. Volunteer positions are available in many different areas. You’ll meet a variety of interesting people while making a difference in our community. Applications are available at www.chrisitianhospital.org in the Volunteer Office, located off the hospital’s main lobby. For more information, call the Christian Hospital volunteer office at 314653-5032.

Call 1.866.SSM.DOCS to register or for more information.

Dec. 8: The Basics: Memory Loss, Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease 10 a.m. - noon. Christian Hospital Mental Health Services is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association to provide this informative program on detection, cause and risk factors, stages of the disease, treatment and much more. Location: Christian Hospital Atrium, 11133 Dunn Rd. 63136. Cost: Free. Registration is required by calling 314-747-WELL (9355).

SSM DePaul Healthy Happenings

Free Mammogram Screenings SSM Health Care offers free mammogram screenings to women who have no health insurance, by appointment only. Must meet qualifications. Appointments are available at SSM St. Joseph Health Center, 300 First Capitol Drive in St. Charles, SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, 100 Medical Plaza in Lake Saint Louis, SSM St. Joseph Medical Park, 1475 Kisker Road in St. Peters, and SSM St. Joseph Health Center-Wentzville, 500 Medical Drive in Wentzville. For more information, call 636.947.5617.

Dec. 19: Healthy Holiday Tips 9-10 a.m. Now is the perfect time to invest in your health and take control of your food choices.

Learn how the food choices you make today can affect your health and wellbeing for life. Join us and learn tips and suggestions on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the holidays. Location: Jamestown Mall Food Court. Cost: Free.

Call 314-747-WELL (9355) to register.

Volunteers needed at Christian Hospital Christian Hospital is calling out for volunteers that can do a significant amount of walking to run errands within the hospital.

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Every Mon. and Tues. in Oct.: HMR Program Orientation Mondays: 6 – 7 p.m. Tuesdays: Noon – 1 p.m. At 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.

Ongoing 8-week sessions: Smoking Cessation Classes SSM DePaul Health Center SSM DePaul, partnering with St. Louis County’s tobacco-free initiative called “Let’s Face It,” is offering free smoking cessation classes to the public. The 8-week course assists participants in determining their readiness to quit smoking and provide the tools necessary to increase their success rate in becoming smoke free. Space is limited for these on-going classes.

SSM DePaul Wellness Center Tired of getting locked into longterm memberships that you never use? Join the DePaul Wellness Center and receive a personalized program for your specific needs.

Classes available on strength training, nutrition and smoking cessation. Call 314.344.6177 for more details.

SSM St. Joseph Hospital Healthy Happenings

Speaker’s Bureau Our SSM speakers are available for organizations, clubs, community and church groups. Our health professionals will speak up to one hour free of charge. A variety of health care topics can be presented to your group or organization. Call 636.949.7159 for more information.

What’s Happening

Ongoing Support Groups Every Wednesday: Weekly Cancer Survivor’s Support Group 3-4:30 p.m. Join other survivors to discuss dealing emotionally with treatments; managing anxiety and depression; sexuality; finding strength and hope; family and financial pressures; and more. Cost: Free. In the H.W. Koenig Medical Building at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West. Register: Call 636.755.3034.

Every Monday: Tobacco Free for Life Support Group 7–8 p.m. Designed for those who want to quit smoking, as well as those who have successfully quit.

Discover more information about how to quit, or find reassurance and support. Cost: Free. At St. Peters City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Blvd., 63376. Register: Call 636-947-5304.

12 Step Support Group for Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Meets in 4 locations in the metro St Louis area. Can email for further information: metrostlouissia@gmail.com.

• Every Sunday: 6:30-8 p.m.

7401 Delmar Ave. in University City; lower level of Holy Communion Episcopal Church; contact 314.993.5421.

• 1st and 3rd Monday: 9:30-11 a.m.

500 Medical Dr in Wentzville; doctors dining room of St Joseph Hospital; contact 636.561.1407.

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• 1st and 3rd Tuesday: 12:30-2 p.m.

320 N. Forsyth Blvd in Clayton; lower level in Samuel United Church of Christ; contact 314.968.3477.

• 2nd and 4th Tuesday: 6:30-8 p.m.

2 Progress Point Parkway in O’Fallon, MO; 4th floor conference room of Progress West Hospital; contact 636.561.1407.

Every Wednesday: 7:30 - 9 p.m.

Naranon 7:30 – 9 p.m. New Choices Nar-Anon Family Group at Zion Lutheran Church, 12075 Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights, Mo 63043. Info: email MoreInformation@att.net or visit www.Nar-Anon.org.

Thursdays: 6:30 - 8 p.m. Grief Share Support Group At Ferguson Church of the Nazarene, 1309 N. Elizabeth Ave., Ferguson, Mo. 63135. Support group for those who have lost a loved one. Info: Lee Cedra at leecedra@sbcglobal.net.

Answers from page 8

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November 7, 2012 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

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Public Hearing

Send Resume to:

Publisher Community News 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr. O’Fallon, MO 63366 No phone calls please.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News • November 7, 2012

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FYI

November 7, 2012 • Community News • www.mycnews.com

Operation Christmas Child While many North County families are busy with holiday activities, a group of local volunteers is focused on filling empty shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes of encouragement for needy kids overseas. North County families are participating in the world’s largest Christmas project. In 2012, Operation Christmas Child expects to reach a milestone—collecting and delivering shoe boxes to more than 100 million children since 1993.

This year-round project of Samaritan’s Purse is coming to its peak, as local businesses, churches and schools prepare to collect gift-filled shoe boxes during National Collection Week, November 12-19. Volunteers may drop off their shoe box gifts at one of 14 sites in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Local collection sites include: • Parker Road Baptist Church, 2675 Parker Rd., Florissant, Mo. 63303. Coordinator: James McCaughan.

Phone: 314.831.6671.

• Fee Fee Baptist Church, 11330 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044. Coordinator: Linda Bramstedt. Phone: 314.739.1525.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, uses whatever means necessary to reach

suffering children around the world with these gifts of hope, including sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels and dog sleds. Tracking technology also allows donors to “follow” their box to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out the destination country, use the Follow Your Box donation form found at www.samaritanspurse. org/occ.

How to get involved: • Prepare – Enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts for needy children worldwide.

• Pack – Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items and a letter of encouragement. Stepby-step shoe box packing instructions are available at

www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

• Process – Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at the collection sites in St. Louis as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 636.300.3190 or visit www. samaritanspurse.org/occ. National Collection Week for gift-filled shoe boxes is November 12-19; however, shoe box gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone, N.C.

The Water Coolers

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The Florissant Fine Arts Council is proud to present a musical comedy that’s been called “one of the hottest tickets in town” by E! Entertainment TV. “The Water Coolers” is an award-winning musical comedy. It is a funny, smart, authentic take on work and life full of original songs, sketch comedy and pop parodies. “The Water Coolers” is a laugh-out-loud show about the things we share around the water coolers of America every day - life, work, kids, husbands, wives, travel, technology - and trying to balance it all. A unique relationship of comedy writers, directors and business people from around the country worked together, knowing that people love to hear stories about experiences familiar to them. The famous theme song from Cheers said it best, “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.” “The Water Coolers” takes that concept, adds hilarious comedy, original music and parodies of familiar songs, and uses NYCcomics and singers to celebrate the crazy, funny, maddening and yet somehow universally comforting insanity of every day life.

The play has found enthusiastic and devoted audiences across the country in the mainstream entertainment world since its Off Broadway run in 2002.

See “The Water Coolers” at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre, at Parker Road and Waterford Drive. Tickets are $27 for adults and $25 for seniors and students. There is still time to purchase selections of the Applause/Applause series for a savings of 20 percent off the full ticket price for the seven productions that are yet to play.

For information, call 314.921.5678 or visit www.florissantfinearts.com .

The Florissant Fine Arts Council presents the Applause/Applause Series with the financial support of the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council (a state agency) and the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis.

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