CN: November 30, 2022

By Wendy Todd

With the holiday season well underway, there are plenty of activities in the region to celebrate the season. One of the most pop ular attractions is the Winterfest in Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis.

The seventh annual event, presented by Bank of America and World Wide Technol ogy and produced by Gateway Arch Park Foundation in partnership with the St. Louis Blues, has become a holiday staple featuring a variety of offerings for the whole family.

Winterfest, which began on Nov. 19,

kicked off with a 5k race sponsored by local shoe company, Caleres. The second-annual race was a fundraiser for the Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s work of conservation, preservation, education and community programs as well as to benefit the National Park. There was also a Kids Fun Run race supported by Famous Footwear on the onemile loop around the Arch. Both races were produced in partnership with Big River Running.

The festival, which runs through Jan. 1, 2023, features ice skating, holiday lights, winter princesses and superheroes, s’mores

stations, heated igloos and a café serving a variety of foods by chef Juwan Rice of JR’s Gourmet catering company.

Ryan McClure, executive director of Gate way Arch Park Foundation, touts the annual event as a joyous crowd-pleaser highlighting the beauty of the park.

“As one of our signature events welcoming tens of thousands of people to Downtown St. Louis, Winterfest is part of our mission to bring not only our National Park but also its surrounding areas like Kiener Plaza to

Hazelwood School District Board of Education looks to fill vacancies

The Hazelwood School District Board of Educa tion will have three open three-year seats in the April 4, 2023 election.

The filing window opens Dec. 6 at 8 a.m. and clos

es Dec. 27 at 5 p.m. Candidates may com plete the filing process in-person at the Admin istration Building located at 15955 New Halls Ferry Road in Florissant, Dec. 6 through Dec. 16 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ha zelwood School District is closed for winter break Dec. 19 through Dec. 26. The last opportunity to file is Dec. 27 from 1 to 5 p.m.

The qualifications for the board are as follows:

• Missouri law requires a person to be a U.S. citizen

• At least 24 years of age

• A resident taxpayer of the Hazelwood School District and to have resided in the State of Missouri for one year immediately preceding the election

• Board members do not receive pay for their service

Qualified applicants who wish to file, must make an appointment to file in person during business hours at the Hazelwood School Dis trict Administration Building. To schedule an appointment to file for board candidacy, please contact Kristina Allen at 314-953-5012 or kallen2@hazelwood schools.org

The Administration Building will be official ly closed on Saturdays and Sundays. There will also be no filing on days when school build ings are closed due to holidays or inclement weather.

The names of per sons filing for the office of board director on the first day of filing will be placed into a random drawing to determine the order of placement on the ballot.

‘WONDERLAND’ from cover

life for everyone to en joy,” he said. “We are thankful for our in credible sponsors who make this beloved St. Louis winter tradition possible. We’re look ing forward to seeing St. Louis turn out for seven weeks of festive fun!”

In addition to eats and treats, festival-go ers will also have an opportunity to shop at the Winter Market on Dec. 3 and 4 that will showcase local merchants.

If parking is a con cern, the festival has arranged for dis counted parking in the Kiener Plaza East and West Garages starting at $7 for up to 12 hours.

Organizers and sponsors have been excited to create this experience in St. Louis.

“We cannot wait to see residents and visitors alike celebrating the season at Winterfest again this year,” said Mari lyn Bush, president of Bank of America

COMMUNITY VOICES:

If someone offended you

St. Louis. “We’re proud to support this incredible event once again and look forward to holiday magic returning to Downtown St. Louis.”

For more information and Winter fest’s full programming schedule, visit archpark.org/Winterfest.

What would you do if someone offended you? Would you let it slide? Would you take an action against the individual? Would you seek clarification from the person or accept the first impression you received when they said or did something that you found offensive?

In most cases, people don’t like to be of fended, especially when others are around. People tend to seek revenge or some kind of justice or retribution when they are hurt. Perhaps it is a law of nature or a natural re action. Whatever the case may be, we usu ally don’t take it lying down.

However, we sometimes rationalize whether a statement or action is intended to be offensive or whether it is offensive but not intended. Once we determine that it is intended, we usually take some kind of ac tion.

Nobody in a right mind enjoys being offended and it is perhaps safe to say that those who enjoy offending others have something wrong with them.

They may not like the individual for some reason, known or unknown, or they may not like the person because of some thing they said, did, or how they look or

act. Something about the adversary has not registered in a positive way with them.

Since all of us are different or unique, it is easy to allow oneself to develop biases or dislikes. We should, however, work at toler ating or at least understanding others who act differently, look different or talk differ ent than we do.

Depending on the severity of the offense, we may or may not take an action to strike back.

I suggest to you that this society has adopted an attitude that allows too much offensive behavior to go unchallenged or untreated.

Since the society is composed of peo ple, then people, specifically, have allowed these conditions rather than the society as we know it.

Since this condition exists because of people, then it is up to people to change or address it. This raises the question, “What do you do when someone or something of fends you?”

I suggest to you that the situation will continue to exist or will occur again if you do nothing. Plus, it will have a negative ef fect on your psyche. You won’t feel good as

long as the offense goes untreated.

Look around you and list the offenses you are experiencing. Decide how you can treat them. You will feel better even know ing that you have identified them as being undesirable and having a bad effect on you.

If you need help identifying or treat ing some of these situations, contact us at www.gracechapelministries.org or email us at gracechapeldevelopment@gmail.com. You may call 314-995-5013. Let’s see if we can make our world better.

Dr. Larry A. Brown is a retired Chairman of the Board and co-founder of Worknet, Inc., which has a national ten year contract with the Social Security Administration to find jobs for people with disabilities who are interested and qualified to enter the traditional workforce. He is also co-founder and president of Grace Chapel Ministries, former president of National Cable Training Centers, and president of Woodstock Industrial Products Group.

The opinions expressed in this column are the columnist’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.

By Dr. Larry A. Brown

FamilyForward renovating new developmental trauma center to bring hope to St. Louis

FamilyForward, a St. Louis-based nonprofit and leader in providing evidence-based solutions that ad dress developmental trauma, is nearing completion of a $6.5 million Developmental Trauma Center Campus to broaden its impact for children and families in the St. Louis region.

Trauma impacts all communities, and St. Louis is no exception. The pandemic has increased the need for innovative health and human service providers like FamilyForward. One in seven children has experienced abuse and/or neglect in the past year according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin istration. In 2021, 16,984 children in the St. Louis area were reported to the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, marking a nearly 24% increase from 2019 re ports according to the Missouri Department of Social Services.

“Trauma is broader and more common than people realize," says FamilyForward Chief Program Officer Sharon Skidmore Stern, LCSW. "It is a cascade of physi cal and emotional responses to terrible events, whether it's abuse, neglect, a natural disaster, or other intense occurrences. At FamilyForward we focus on under standing the impact of developmental trauma on kids and supporting families in their healing journey.”

The campus will be the largest center for develop mental trauma therapy services in the region, spanning 9.5 acres with two buildings totaling 41,778 square feet. The site is located at the intersection of North Lindber gh and Dorsett, making it highly accessible for fami

lies throughout the area. The Developmental Trauma Center opened in September, and the Early Childhood Center with a therapeutic preschool and other early in tervention services will open in January 2023. To help meet the growing need for services, FamilyForward is adding occupational therapy services and research and training in early 2023.

The expansive facilities will enable FamilyForward to serve 3,000 children and families with complex trauma by 2025, almost twice as many people as it served last year. There will be ample therapeutic spaces for Fam ilyForward’s team to comfortably carry out services rooted in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), a nationally recognized trauma-informed care model that focuses on shaping individualized interven tions based on a child’s history and current function ing. The Training and Research Institute will serve as a regional hub for understanding and treating childhood trauma.

The campus project will be funded through a variety of avenues. Most recently, FamilyForward was one of seven St. Louis County organizations whose propos al was chosen for ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding. The proposal could provide up to $800,000 in funds from the County. This is in addition to $1.2 mil lion from State ARPA funding, and $35,060 from the CCRB (Children’s and Community Resource Board of St. Charles County). The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Founda tion has issued a $1.25 million challenge grant when FamilyForward raises $2.55 million in private funding.

“We could not be more excited to expand our reach across the St. Louis region and impact the lives of chil dren and families in need of trauma support,” says FamilyForward Chief Executive Officer Karen Nolte. “It’s important that we have the resources available to us to address as many of these instances of trauma as possible so that we can heal and move forward as a community.”

Photo from familyforwardmo.org

Florissant mayor appoints new councilman for Ward 6

At the last city council meeting Flo rissant Mayor Tim Lowery appointed Thomas O’Donnell as councilman for Ward 6 and will represent the people of Ward 6 until the April 2023 election where O’Donnell will have the op portunity to run for Ward 6 coun cilman.

The position became vacant after Pat Mulcahy stepped down to become the city’s new Director of Economic Devel opment.

O’Donnell is a longtime resident of Old Town Florissant going back to the 1970s. He was a phar macist for over 40 years and was owner of O'Donnell Pharmacy in Florissant. That business; previously owned by his father and grandfather in Pine Lawn, came to Florissant in 1974.

The O’Donnell Pharmacy was unique in that it specialized in medical supplies and durable medical equipment.

O’Donnell has been an active pa rishioner at Sacred Heart Parish for 45

years. He has been a part of coordinat ing things like Marriage Preparation, RCIA, Archdiocesan Development Ap peal, the 150th Anniversary Celebration of Sacred Heart Parish and currently involved in planning with the "All Things New" initiative in the Archdio cese of St. Louis.

In 1993 he was named Sacred Heart Man of the Year. O’Donnell has also been a member of the Parish Athlet ic Association for 34 years involved in or

ganizing and fundraising on behalf of youth sports.

In 2006 he was awarded the North County CYC Service and Dedication Award. He retired from Pharmacy in 2017 but felt called to something else. In 2019; after a one-year apprenticeship and passing the required state boards, he became a licensed Funeral Director and serves bereaved families at Hutch ens Mortuary in Florissant.

Complimentary ‘Stay Toasty on Transit’ gloves to be distributed at select Metro Transit Centers

To help commuters stay toasty on tran sit – while also spreading a little holiday cheer – Cit izens for Modern Transit (CMT), Metro Transit, St. Clair County Transit Dis trict (SCCTD), Bureau of Transit Police, Metro Tran sit Public Safety and other partners will be hosting a public transit rider appre ciation effort on Dec. 1.

From 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. that day, those uti lizing the North Hanley, Fairview Heights, Bel leville, Central West End, Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44, Riverview and 5th & Missouri Transit Centers will receive a pair of complimentary “Stay Toasty on Tran sit”-themed, touchscreen-friendly gloves and a candy cane. Riders will also be reminded about the bene fits of taking public transit during the winter months and learn how to register for CMT’s Guaranteed Ride Home Program.

“Public transit is a great option for St. Louisans during the winter,” commented Kimberly Cella, execu tive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “Those taking MetroLink, MetroBus or Metro Call-A-Ride or SCCTD’s Flyer services can avoid having to defrost personal vehicles, drive in hazardous road conditions and dodge unexpected traffic delays – while sitting back and enjoying the ride. Plus, individuals can take ad vantage of CMT’s Guaranteed Ride Home Program.”

The Guaranteed Ride Home Pro gram is an incentive option for com muters who take public transpor tation, bike or even walk to work. It is designed to give them peace of mind knowing they can gain access to more immediate transportation options if a personal need arises.

So, if winter weather impacts tran sit use – or a personal emergency,

sickness or unscheduled overtime leaves them in a bind – commut ers can get a subsidized ride via a ride-hailing service, like Lyft or a taxicab company, or by renting a ve hicle from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Commuters simply pay upfront for the entire cost of the ride home and then submit the receipt to Citizens for Modern Transit, which reimburs es them 80% of the cost, up to $60 per ride. (Example: $45 ride-hailing ser vice ride would mean that CMT pays $36, and the registered commuter pays $9).

Commuters can utilize the pro gram up to four times per year. In dividuals must pre-register for the Guaranteed Ride Home Program.

To learn more about the “Stay Toasty on Transit” public transit rid er appreciation event or to register for the free program, visit www.cmtstl.org. Any extra gloves remaining after the event ends will be added to a selection of new winter gear items MetroLink Police Officers and Metro Transit Public Safety teams tradition ally offer transit riders in need during the winter months.

Photo courtesy city of Florissant

Pictured (from left) is Council President Joe Eagan, newly ap pointed Councilman for Ward 6 Thomas O’Donnell and Floris sant Mayor Tim Lowery.

Picture not perfect Still In This Together:

The last time I visited my primary care doctor, the receptionist said it looked like I would have been due for a new driver’s license, and asked for it so they could make a copy to keep on file.

I smiled as I reached into my wallet and the recep tionist laughed, “We all know how horrible drivers’ li cense pictures are. This is a no judgment zone.”

But I was smiling for a different reason, and I told her why.

“I finally gave up worrying about how I look on those pictures,” I told her. “This last one, I just looked at the camera and smiled. And you know what? I’m pretty okay with the picture.”

She looked up at me from behind her COVID mask and agreed with me.

I know I’m going to look older than on my last driv er’s license, my eyes are going to look more tired, and my hair just isn’t the rich brown color it was years ago. These days, thanks to my home hair-coloring kit, it’s a cross between white and sun-drenched lightest blonde. And that’s okay.

I read a quote from Italian actress Anna Magnani recently, and I actually laughed out loud: “Please don’t retouch my wrinkles. It took me so long to earn them.” That’s the attitude!

I remember all the times I tried so hard to look per fect for a picture. The right clothes, the right makeup, the right pose.

Just a few weeks ago, I was looking for my older daughter’s kindergarten picture so she could compare it to her son’s from eight years ago. She was having an emotional day, thinking about Conor beginning eighth grade and how fast the years had gone. I knew I could top her, if I could only remind her of the years that have passed so quickly since her own kindergarten. I found the album my mother had blessedly kept with all our

kids’ school pictures in order behind clear plastic. If it had been up to me, I would have been searching under the bed in the spare room through boxes of jumbled, unmarked, disorganized pictures for hours and proba bly not ever finding it.

In the front of the same album my mom had so care fully put together were a few pictures from my own school years, most prominently, my black and white college graduation photograph. I remember the day the picture was taken, and all the trouble I had gone to in order to look adult, professional, and somewhat sultry…all at the same time.

I slept with curlers in my hair the night before, and drove to campus with the huge pink plastic monstros ities still in place, only taking them out ten minutes or so before the picture would be taken, because my hair was naturally curly and wouldn’t stay smooth for longer than that.

There weren’t all the fancy curling irons and hair products that there are these days, and since this was also going to be the photo I sent to the newspaper as my engagement picture, it needed to be good.

Now, when I looked at the picture, I just laughed, be cause all I can remember is the behind-the-scenes dra ma that went into five second flash that made me look dramatic, and beautiful, and, frankly, kind of boring.

I’d rather have owned the chipped front tooth that came in fourth grade when a driver pulled in front of my mother as she was carefully driving me home from a downtown doctor’s appointment, and stopped. I had just been diagnosed with strep throat, and was miser able. My Mom always swore the man did it because she was driving too slowly, but whatever the reason, the combination of me in the front seat, no seat belts hav ing been invented as of yet, and a metal dashboard was an unfortunate one. I fell forward, hit the dashboard,

What your feet can tell you about

If you are living with pain and discomfort in your feet, legs, thighs or butt, it may be a sign of a serious health problem. Many adults in the United States are suffering and may be at risk of amputations of their toes, feet or legs as a result of an undetected disease known as peripheral artery disease (PAD).

PAD affects the blood vessels outside the heart, reduc ing blood flow to the area with the diseased blood ves sel. In the most common type of PAD, lower extremity PAD, blood flow is reduced to your legs and feet.

Learning more about PAD is important for detect ing problems and getting early treatment so you can avoid devastating complications such as amputation or even death. Learn more about PAD, including symp toms, risk factors and treatment, from the experts at the American Heart Association:

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of PAD are burning, aching, numbness, fatigue or discomfort in your leg or hip muscles while walking. The symptoms are caused by your legs not getting the blood they need. This pain usually goes away with rest and returns when you are active again.

“These symptoms can impact a person’s quality of life, making it difficult to walk and hard to do usual ac tivities at home and work,” said Amy W. Pollak, MD,

your health

American Heart Association volunteer expert serving as a leader of the national PAD Collaborative and car diovascular medicine physician at Mayo Clinic. “For some, PAD can progress to cause pain when you are resting and even amputation of your toe, foot or leg.”

Risk factors

PAD affects more than 8.5 million people in the U.S., the majority of whom are 65 years and older, accord ing to the American Heart Association. Approximately 46-68% of patients with PAD also have coronary artery disease or cerebrovascular disease.

“We see PAD more commonly in people living with diabetes, people who smoke and people with other common risk factors for heart disease, like high cho lesterol, high blood pressure and obesity,” Pollak said.

Prevention and treatment

While some causes of PAD are beyond your con trol, the best method to prevent PAD is managing risk factors by making lifestyle changes including quitting smoking, managing diabetes and high blood pressure, staying active and eating a heart-healthy diet.

Working closely with your health care professional at the first sign of PAD is an important step in achieving the best treatment outcomes and avoiding serious com plications like amputation.

Visit heart.org/PAD to learn more.

By Vicki Bahr

and part of my front tooth crumbled in my hand.

That chipped tooth became a part of me, and even though my mom offered repeatedly to have it fixed once there was a way to cosmetically repair it, a combi nation of me wanting to convince her that she wasn’t to blame, and a sort of conviction that the chipped tooth was part of my personality has kept me from fixing my smile all these years.

I’ve kept that part of my childhood, and when I smile, which I try to do even more often these days, I hope the smiles reflect my happiness and my sheer pleasure with life.

No judgment zone.

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

The opinions expressed in this column are the columnist’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News

2022 Girls in Aviation Day ignites passion for flight and more

More than 100 young women from a dozen bi-state area high schools and Girl Scout Troop 2184 learned about a variety of future careers in aviation during the Girls in Aviation Day event held at St. Louis Downtown Airport on Oct. 28.

The participants climbed into the cockpits of various aircraft for a unique vantage point and an overview of the instrumentation, and they flew planes in high-tech simulators that enabled them to safely experience the thrill of flight. Saint Louis University’s Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science hosted the event at the airport, which is located near downtown St. Louis and has been home to the nation’s oldest flight school for decades.

“This event is a great opportunity to introduce the aviation industry to young ladies,” said Stephen Magoc, MBA, Chair of Saint Louis University’s Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science (SLU). “Most know it’s a male-dominated industry, and we think it’s important to open these young ladies’ eyes to the opportunities that are out there for them. We’ve got students who come in as freshmen and tell us they went to a Girls in Aviation event and that’s where they learned about the opportunities.”

In addition to the hands-on activities, the event fea tured a career expo, where students had the opportu nity to connect with representatives from more than a dozen organizations in the aviation industry about different job opportunities and the paths leading to them. Garmin, Greater St. Louis Business Aviation As sociation, Federal Aviation Administration, Ideal Avi ation, SLU Admissions, St. Louis Downtown Airport, KSTL Air Traffic Control, St. Louis-Lambert Interna tional Airport, SLU Aviation Student Organizations, Southwestern Illinois College, Take Flight Girls, Inc., Transportation Security Administration, and the Unit ed States Army were among those investing their time to spotlight the world of opportunities in the industry.

Ideal Aviation, St. Louis Downtown Airport Fire and Rescue and SLU provided the static displays of planes and the firetruck that participants got to see up close. Garmin, Ideal Aviation, St. Louis Lambert Internation al Airport, the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation As sociation and Gateway Jets sponsored this year’s event.

Addalyn Ruesing, 15, a sophomore at Mehlville High School, was excited to visit the flight simulation room and to try something she’d never done before.

“It was pretty fun. I thought it was really realistic; like what you’d really see in a plane,” said Addalyln, who came to the event without any expectations as to what she might discover. “I’m learning all about the job op portunities and careers in aviation and hearing there or lots of opportunities for women. I’d definitely look into it now.”

Alicia Thomas brought her two children to the event – her daughter Lailah Kelly, a 14-year-old fresh man student at Cardinal Ritter High School, and her 18-month-old son Major Thomas. While both enjoyed time in the cockpit of one of the planes used by SLU’s flight instructors, Thomas said she made the trip pri marily to expose her daughter to the career opportuni ties the aviation sector holds for young women.

Amy Pries, Outreach Coordinator for SLU’s School of Science and Engineering, said that is exactly the goal of events like Girls in Aviation. She said it aimed at in troducing more young women to the fields of aviation

and aerospace, where there is currently tremendous demand for pilots, engi neers and various other positions.

“We hope to introduce young women of all backgrounds to new aspects of avi ation,” said Pries. “If they want to be a pi lot, we want to support that. If they want to do something else in the industry, we want to support that as well. The airline industry and aviation industry at large is not very diverse and it has an opportunity to continue to grow and become more eq uitable, and there is a place for everyone.”

To help bring those opportunities to life for the students, the event featured a keynote address by Kat Charnal, a flight attendant and pilot in training for Delta Airlines.

“I love to push aviation because of the fact that being a pilot, a flight attendant, an aircraft maintenance technician; they’re all skills that most companies are looking for and they don’t have a lot of trained people to hire. There’s so much value to acquir ing those skills,” Charnal said.

Her key message for participants was to never give up. “Anything you want to do, anything you set your eyes on, go for it. Don’t let the finances to stop you. Don’t al low the nay-sayers to tell you that you can’t do it. Don’t allow anything inside of you – you can sometimes be your own worst critic – stop you from pursuing your passions,” Charnal said. “I’ve had that happen to me where I questioned if I was even smart enough to be a pilot, but why was I questioning my own intelligence? I know that I’m intelligent and I know I can do whatev er I put my mind to. Don’t let anything stop you from accomplishing your goals and achieving your dreams.”

A panel discussion with current aviation students at SLU gave the students a chance to hear from oth er young women who were in the early stages of em barking on a variety of aviation industry careers. Ellie Volansky, an Aviation Management Major and Flight Science Minor, shared her words of encouragement.

“If you know in your heart it’s what you want to do and you’re passionate about it, you have to tune out the noise. At the end of the day, it’s going to pay off. Just keep pushing and surround yourself with the people and voices who do support you,” said Volansky.

St. Louis Downtown Airport Director Sandra Shore was pleased to see such a great turn out for the event.

“I could not be more excited about it, especially being a female in aviation myself,” Shore said. “The variety of jobs available is a too well-kept secret. Not everybody is a pilot; we have firefighters, airport operations, aircraft mechanics, TSA. In Illinois, alone, it’s a $96 billion in dustry and that means plenty of jobs and plenty open jobs. We don’t have the pipeline of individuals interest ed in aviation careers to fill future demand, so getting young students interested is just the seed that we plant that hopefully will change that.”

Schools in southwestern Illinois and eastern Mis souri that had students attending Girls in Aviation Day included Belleville West Township, Cahokia High School-Cahokia CUSD 187, Cardinal Ritter College Prep, Lutheran High School St. Charles County, Mad ison Senior High School, Marian Middle School, Me hlville High School, Ritenour High School, Roosevelt

High School, St. Margaret of Scotland, Sumner High School, University City High School, and Webster Groves High School.

Submitted photo

Lailah, a 14-year-old freshman student at Cardinal Ritter High School, and her 18-month-old brother Major, visited Girls in Aviation Day with their mother, who wanted to expose Lailah to the career opportunities the aviation sector holds for young women. The siblings were able to enjoy time in the cockpit of one of the planes used by SLU’s flight instructors.

What’s Happening

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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

tian Church at 1332 Feise Rd. in O’Fallon. Auditions not required. Ages high school and older are invited to join. There will be spring and fall public concerts. For more in formation call Marty at 636579-9227, or email concer tartsa@gmail.com.

Mondays: City council meetings

at 314-446-4440 or cpiece@ caastlc.org for additional in formation.

Tuesdays: Bingo

Dec.

2: Free concert

The US Air Force Band of Mid-America will present its annual “Spirit of the Sea son” holiday concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center’s Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall (1 Uni versity Blvd. in St. Louis) at 7 p.m. Admission to this holiday performance is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Please go to https://usafboma. eventbrite.com for ticket and show information. After the performance, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available to meet with young guests.

Weekdays: Food pantry volunteers needed

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

Mondays: Choral Arts Group meetings

Choral Arts Group practices every Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Connection Chris

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

Mondays: A cappella singers

All men who like to sing are invited to come sing with us, The Men of Harmony. We practice every Monday night at 7 p.m. at 5500 Parker Raoad which is the first house on Uthe Lane. We sing fourpart harmony a capella (with out 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 cor dially invited to a meeting of Chapter 4, North County Korean War Veterans Associ ation. 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 314-921-2132. For a limited period the Chapter will pay for one (1) year mem bership for new members.

Mondays-Thursdays: Vol unteers 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 avail able. If you are interested, please contact Cheryl Piece

Florissant Elks Bingo takes place at 16400 New Halls Ferry every Tuesday. Doors open at 4 p.m., bingo starts at 6 p.m. No outside food or drinks allowed per St. Louis County. Food and drinks available for purchase. Max imum 150 players. Must wear mask to enter. Social distan cing followed.

Tuesdays: A cappella singers

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

Tuesdays:

Chair Zumba

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

Tuesdays: Celebrate Re covery

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 Floris sant. For more information visit www.lifepointminis tries.church/celebrate-recov ery or call (men) Steve D. at 636-634-6582 or (women) Denise W. at 530-417-6151.

Tuesdays: Choir rehears als

The St. Louis Chordinals, a women’s a cappella chor us, rehearse every Tuesday evening from 7 - 9:30 p.m. at Beautiful Savior Luther an Church at 12397 Natural Bridge Rd. in Bridgeton (next to the Bridgeton Government Center). For more informa tion call Linda at 314-8393495 or visit stlouischordin als.org.

Tuesdays: TOPS (Take off pounds sensibly)

From 9:15 - 10:30 a.m. located at John F. Kennedy Center/ Henry Koch Ctr., Howder shell Rd. at Charbonier Rd., Florissant. For more info contact Paul McConnell, 314831-5476.

2nd Tuesday Sept.-June: Show-me 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 Lu theran Church, 14088 Clay ton Road, Chesterfield, MO. Learn needlepoint, embroid ery, cross stitch, and more.

Every 4th Tuesday of the month: Fort Bellefon taine Memorial Amer ican Legion Post 335 meeting 6:30pm, Fort Bellefontaine Memorial American Legion Post 335, at the Bellefontaine Neighbors Community Cen ter at 9669 Bellefontaine Rd. Those interested in member ship are invited to attend.

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 Bridge ton, at 12145 Bridgeton Square in Bridgeton, wel come all to Community Bingo every last Wednesday of the month at 2:30 p.m. Light refreshment will be served. Please RVSP at 314298-7444 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 con tact 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 8:00 a.m., games begin at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call 314-921-2316.

Bridgeton Trails Library Branch Programs: 3455 McKelvey Rd., St. Louis, 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.

Florissant Senior Cit izens’ Bingo Clubs: 314839-7604.

Every 1st Wednesday of the Month: Stroke Sup port Group 3-4 p.m., Center for Senior Renewal, Detrick Building 1st floor, 11133 Dunn Rd. For more information, con tact Jamie Stevens at 314653-5331.

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. in the old school at the Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, 1 Rue St. Francois, Florissant.

Thursdays: Blood pres sure check s

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

Thursdays: Women’s chorus meeting

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. Mem bers come from the entire bistate region. Call Marcia at 636-274-0723 for more infor mation or visit www.cityvoic eschorus.org.

Fridays: Fish fry

St. Ferdinand Fish Fry at 1765 Charbonier Rd. in Florissant, has resumed every Friday from 3 - 7 p.m.

Fridays: Fish fry

A fish fry takes place every Fri day 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 314660-1813.

CROSSWORD answers from page F-4

SUDOKU answers from page F-1

Sports you see with Gary B...

Ambush win first game of season at home in a nail bitter

The St. Louis Ambush opened their 2022-23 MASL season in dramatic fashion when they pulled off a 5-4 win in sudden-death overtime Friday at The Family Arena, their home stadium.

The first quarter was scoreless. The most notable event of the period was a challenge by the Ambush on a blue card that was reversed by Senior Referee Ryan Cigich after a video review.

The first goal of the contest came in the second minute of the second quarter when Am bush forward Tony Walls took a shot that came off the wall and he followed the rebound and put the ball in the net. The Ambush went on a power play at 12:02 when Comets goalkeeper Neto earned a blue card for tripping. The home team made good on the opportunity when Walls sent a pass to Duduca Carvalho, who pounded it in from the goal mouth to make it 2-0 Ambush. The Ambush got another pow er-play opportunity when Mirko Sandivari was card ed for tripping, but this time the Comets got the up per hand when Ignacio Flores scored a short-handed tally for a 2-1 score that held until halftime.

The Ambush went up 3-1 when Will Eskay got open and scored off a pass from Robert Kristo in the second

minute of the third frame. The Comets inched closer when Lucas Sousa found the back of the net in the final minute of the period to make it a 3-2 game.

The visitors tied things up in the sixth minute of the fourth quarter when Sousa scored his second of the match. St. Louis regained the lead (4-3) just over a minute later when Ado Jahic scored off a pass from Kristo. Kansas City again posted an equalizer when John Sosa got off a long shot that found its mark with un der two minutes left in the game. The clock ran out before either team scored, sending the duel into sud den-death overtime.

Just over two minutes into overtime, Jahic nailed his sec ond goal of the game, assisted by Marcel Berry, to make it a home sweet home opener for the Ambush by the final score of 5-4.

After sitting out last season recovering from an injury and subsequent surgery, Ambush goalkeeper Paulo turned in a highlight-reel performance, posting 19 saves on 23 chances, for an impressive .826 save percentage.

The Ambush will be back in action Dec. 10 when they visit the Milwaukee Wave.

The next Ambush home game is slated for Dec. 11, when the Baltimore Blast invade the Family Arena for a 4:05 p.m. match.

* Exciting time in front of the hometown fans

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 activi ties. 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.

Recipe: Celebrating big with berry punch

Holidays, gatherings and celebrations can be the best time to try new, easy, stress-free recipes. Drink and punch recipes are especially easy to throw together (even last-minute) right before the festivities begin. This way, the drinks are chilled, and the food is hot and ready.

No matter if it’s a big crowd or a night alone with a spe cial someone, this Cranber ry Raspberry Vanilla Punch is sure to be the star of the celebration with its powerful berry flavor.

The end result is tangy, tart, sweet and absolutely delicious all mixed up in one large bowl. With only five in gredients, it’s simple to make and even better to enjoy.

Pairing perfectly with sweets or chocolates, this punch packs the flavor for nearly any event, gathering or small family dinner.

Cranberry Raspberry Vanilla Punch

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Servings: 6

Movie:

By Steve Bryan

In 1983, Peter Bill ingsley charmed audiences in “A Christmas Story,” a warm and funny look at the Christmas season. He played Ralphie Parker, a boy who wanted, more than any thing else, an “Official Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.”

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.

However, his mother (Me linda Naud) refused to give her son such a dangerous con traption. Ralphie then pleaded his case at school by writing a Christmas theme about Red Ryder. Un fortunately, his stern teacher wrote “You’ll shoot your eye out” on his essay. When Christmas arrived, though, Ralphie’s “Old Man” (Darren McGavin) presented him with Red Ryder’s finest.

Ralphie’s holiday misadventures were far from over, though. Nick Schenk and Bill ingsley wrote the screen story for “A Christ mas Story Christmas,” a sequel that has grown-up Ralph returning to his childhood home in Hohman, Indiana after experienc ing a life-changing moment.

Child stars from the original film re turned for the sequel, in particular Ian Pe trella as the scene-stealing role Randy. R.D. Robb and Scott Schwartz also appeared as Schwartz and Flick, two of Ralphie’s child hood friends. Even school bully Scut Farkus

(Zack Ward) showed up in his new career as a police officer.

Between the two “Christmas Story” mov ies came a couple of sequels: “My Summer Story” (originally titled “It Runs in the Fam ily”) and “Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss.” The first film was released in 1994 with a different cast of characters. Instead of BB guns, Ralphie Parker (now played by Kier nan Culkin) wanted a perfect spinning top in order to beat Scut Farkus. Mrs. Parker fought her own battles with a movie theater owner while the “Old Man” (Charles Gro din) tried to teach Ralphie how to fish. The source material was adapted from author Jean Shepherd’s “In God We Trust: All Oth ers Pay Cash.”

“Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss” had teenaged Jerry O’Connell playing an ambi

– SUDOKU –

tious Ralphie Parker. He and his friends found summer jobs working at “Scott’s Used Furniture Palace,” but one of their tasks involved moving a large refrigerator up sev eral flights of stairs. Later in the summer, Ralphie, whose career dreams have since dis appeared, traveled with his family to the “Haven of Bliss.” Ralphie and his dad tried to have a father and son mo ment by going fishing, but a torrential rainstorm ruined their plans and left them with a leaky roof and not enough pots and pans. As for the adult Peter Billingsley, he has worked in front of the camera as well as behind the scenes. He wasn’t in the di rect-to-video “A Christmas Story 2,” but within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he played William Ginter Riva, a scientist who reported to the demanding Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges). Billingsley’s work as co-exec utive producer for “Dinner for Five” earned him an Emmy nomination and, in 2005, he helped produce the “Jumanji” spin-off “Za thura.” The actor also directed the comedy “Couples Retreat” and appeared opposite Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn in “Four Christmases.”

“A Christmas Story Christmas,” rated PG, is currently streaming on HBO Max.

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.

‘A Christmas Stiory Christmas’ photo courtesy Warner Bros.

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, have mercy on 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.

Thank you, St. Jude. R.H.

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The great day of unrestrained gluttony, or more com monly known as Thanksgiving, has come and gone.

If you’re a typical gorger, you inhaled a fourth of a turkey along with mountains of potatoes and plates of side dishes, followed by multiple cream-topped pies; all enough to choke a herd of mountain goats. Yes, you’ve consumed enough to cause the patrons at Fat ty McButterpants all-you-can-eat buffet to rise up in a standing ovation and unanimously award you the cov eted Purple Bypass Medal of Distinction.

Yay you!

What’s next?

Well if you were like 58 percent of the population, you took a nap in front of the TV and slept until the tryptophan wore off or are still sleeping until next spring, whichever comes first. Unfortunately, the other 42 percent fell into a food coma facedown into their pumpkin pie and nearly drowned in their own whipped topping.

Government officials immediately met to solve this troublesome epidemic. They quickly got down to the first order of business; a hefty pay increase to make up for shortening their holiday to come in early and do the nation’s work. To subsidize this raise, they im plemented a substantial tax increase on the offend ing dairy product. Then by a unanimous vote, they promptly moved Black Friday to Thursday to save Americans from this senseless tragedy--the loss of a perfectly good piece of pie.

The officials decided the people needed to get away from the table and the dangerous desserts and move

’Tis the season for holiday parties, travel, hosting and more. While it is a joyous time of year, the never-ending to-do lists and school being out of session can make everyone feel a little overwhelmed, children included.

Consider these five prac tical tips from the experts at KinderCare to help families manage holiday stressors.

1. Manage expectations. The commotion that often comes with the holidays can be stressful for young children. You can help alleviate worries by famil iarizing them with what’s to come. Talk to them about upcoming travel, who they’ll see at events and what to expect throughout the season. If they are cautious in their current developmental stage, let loved ones know beforehand to give them a little extra space at festivities. Parents can also begin familiarizing little ones with rel atives through photos and phone calls.

2. Empower children. It’s important for chil dren to understand they have a choice – and family members are willing to respect that choice. Parents should acknowledge their children’s body language and empower them to say “no” in uncomfortable situations. Parents can help by proactively asking questions such as, “Do you want a hug?” and if they say “no,” support them in their decision.

3. Maintain your schedule. Children thrive on consistency, and during the holidays it’s important to at

By Cindy Moore

their muscles. Thus the stores were ordered to open at noon on the day of Thanksgiving along with a decree that all flat-screens be reduced by 40% (the savings would be retrieved directly at tax time and contributed to the bureaucrats as a reward for their ingenuity).

The following exercise program and calorie loss came as a direct result of the decree:

Standing in line for six hours waiting for stores to open = 1,000 calories

Running through the store to avoid psychotic shop pers = 500 calories

Hurdling over aisles to beat the mobs = 400 calories

Kickboxing with lunatic woman over the last Barbie home tattoo kit= 1,200 calories

Arm wrestling over the latest Waffluum--a combina tion waffle maker and vacuum cleaner = 300 calories

Tug-o-war over last smashed-in big screen = 600 calories

Note: All weight loss will be taxed at year’s end and credited to the account of the officials for their annual Christmas party.

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 Humor ist: someone who unearths ab surdity and hilarity in strange and unusual places including public restrooms, the lint filter, and church meetings. Most recent ly, she excavated a find in her neighbor’s bird feeder.

least try maintaining as much of what they’re used to as pos sible, such as naps, meals and playtime.

It’s also important to note that children feed off their parents’ energy, so make sure you’re in tune with your own emotions. When over whelmed, openly discuss how you’re feeling and involve your children when taking breaks. For example, “It’s loud in here, would you like to go sit outside with me?”

4. Have fun. Make time to spread joy and inte grate activities to bond as a family, such as reading hol iday-themed books, crafting, playing games, singing or baking. Whether old traditions or new, these are mo ments your child can cherish for years to come.

5. Keep others in mind. While it’s important to set children up for success ahead of the holidays, par ents should also teach children the holiday season can look different for others. Putting a focus on experiences rather than the gifts can help them have more to dis cuss with their peers when returning to school. It’s also a good time to consider donating toys to make room for new ones or volunteering at a local charity to show children joy can be experienced through more than just gifts.

To find more tips to help manage holiday stress, or to access additional resources around social development, setting boundaries and routines, visit KinderCare.com.

CROSSWORD: Holiday Movies

Moore on Life: Gobble till you wobble

Photo courtesy Getty Images