CNSTC: February 22, 2023

The fabric of history

St. Charles County quilter has her work celebrated as she continues to pass down the skills of a generational art form

By Brett Auten

One of the county’s finest heritage artists will display her wares in an upcoming art show.

Heritage arts includes the practical skills passed down from proceeding generations that were developed to provide basic family needs, such as apparel, home furnishings, or decorations; and, Georganna Krumlinde has a passion for, and a deep knowledge on, quilting.

“Quilting was something your mother would pass on to you, before public education,” Krumlinde said. “(Heritage art) is

considered anything that kept the household going.”

She has been selected to be in the “Quilters of St. Charles County” show located at the Missouri Quilt Museum. Two of her quilts, and one of her students’, are being delivered this Friday and will be on view for around eight weeks. The Missouri Quilt Museum, located at 300 East Bird Street in Hamilton, Missouri features nearly 30,000 square feet of indoor space, and located on an entire city block, with a goal to create the largest, most interactive, quilt museum in the United States.

She began quilting before she reached

double digits in age. Krumlinde was born and grew up in Iowa before coming to Missouri in the mid-1980s. She currently lives south of Wentzville and has now created over 300 quilts.

“Every quilter will agree, it’s a disease.” Krumlinde said. “We grew up very poor and I was given the scraps from the other family members who quilted. My first quilt was made up of two-inch scraps. It was a chance to be creative.”

A librarian for over 20 years, Krumlinde has quilted with the ladies at St. Patrick

See ‘HISTORY’ page 2

Weather

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Youth Tour program celebrating 60 years. Pg. 3

Boys and Girls Clubs names 2023 Junior Youth of the Year for St. Charles County. Pg. 4

Submitted photo

Georganna Krumlinde displays some of her quilts that will be featured at the upcoming Quilters of St. Charles County show located at the Missouri Quilt Museum, 300 East Bird Street in Hamilton.

Comedy showcase featuring comedians based in St. Louis and St. Charles County returns. Pg.3

Around Town

‘HISTORY’ from cover

Church, St. Gianna Church in Wentzville and with Quilts of Valor.

Whether quilting is considered an art or not has been a debate for some time The famed Whitney Museum of American Art in 1971 called into question the assumed position of quilts primarily as functional crafts. Effie Galletly, an artist specializing in the landscape of the highlands and islands of Scotland, wrote in The Guardian that, “Quilt-making is as much of an art form as painting.”

For Krumlinde, it is all about inspiring the next wave of quilters and quilt making. She is motivated to teach the next generation. In previous times, a girl was expected to have made 12 quilts before she was married, with the 13th being given as present on her wedding day. She recently finished a session that consisted of a group of eight-year-olds.

“Whatever it takes to get people to appreciate it,” Krumlinde said. “When they see (the quilt) in person, they know how much work goes into it. A lady I made one

for recently said, ‘you know, it’s on my bed and I think about you every day.’ When you hear those types of things, it makes you feel good.”

Like most quilters, she usually has multiple projects going at once. She currently has 10 in progress now and there appears to be no slowing down.

“A lot of people in my family live to be 100, so as long as my fingers still work, I am going to keep doing it. And as long as young girls want to learn, I will keep teaching.”

St. Charles County Highway Department launches public snow route progress map

When winter weather strikes, St. Charles County residents and travelers can access snow removal information about roads maintained by the St. Charles County Highway Department in real time. The department has launched a new snow route progress map now available online to the public.

“We implemented Global Positioning System (GPS) on our plow trucks to help with managing our snow removal operations, which also enables the public to track our progress,” says John Lyons, County Engineer. “We hope this helps the public make safe decisions about timing and alternate routes when they need to travel during win-

ter precipitation.”

The map, available at sccmo.org/SnowRouteMap, shows roads the County Highway Department is responsible for maintaining and is color coded to indicate when the road was last serviced: within zero-tosix hours appears in green, six-to-12 hours in yellow and 12 or more hours in red.

The St. Charles County Highway Department plows approximately 1,400 lane miles of unincorporated county roads and another 400 lane miles of roads for the cities of Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, Flint Hill, Foristell, Josephville, Portage Des Sioux, St. Paul, Weldon Spring and West Alton. Crews

work day and night in 12-hour shifts, as necessary, to clear the roads, but with current staffing shortages, it may take longer to clear streets during larger snow and ice events than to what residents are accustomed.

“This map will assist us in answering questions from residents about roads they want to travel,” Lyons says. “Rather than trying to reach someone in the Highway Department, and especially after office hours, they can find this real time information online.”

For more information, email highway@ sccmo.org or call 636-949-7305.

Submitted photos

Georganna Krumlinde displays some of her quilts that will be featured at the upcoming Quilters of St. Charles County show located at the Missouri Quilt Museum, 300 East Bird Street in Hamilton.

Youth Tour program celebrating 60 years in 2023

Students from across Missouri, including those from the Cuivre River Electric Cooperative service area, will be descending on Washington, D.C. once again this summer as part of the Missouri Youth Tour program.

2023 marks the 60th year Missouri electric cooperatives has participated in the program, of which CREC has sent over 200 delegates to our nation’s capital since that time.

This summer, CREC will sponsor and send six delegates who will be among dozens from Missouri and hundreds from across the nation to spend a week in the nation’s capital. The Youth Tour trip is planned for June 12-18.

The seven-day tour provides an action-filled week for high school students, offering them opportunities to learn firsthand what it is like to be involved in politics, leadership positions, community service and today’s pressing issues.

Among the highlights is touring famous monuments, the Smithsonian Institution’s museums and Arlington National Cemetery. Delegates will also have an opportunity to visit with legislators from their congressional districts.

“The Youth Tour is the highlight of the summer for many students and we’re proud to send our best and brightest to our nation’s capital to participate,” said Chris Massman, vice president of member services for the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives.

The local Youth Tour program consists of an essay contest open only to high school juniors who live and attend school in CREC’s general service area, or who have CREC service to their homes. The 2023 essay theme is “My Favorite Cooperative Principle.” Entry forms are available at local high schools or online at cuivre.com. The deadline to enter is March 10.

Entries remain anonymous during preliminary judging by CREC staff. The 12 top-scoring essays are selected as finalists and will attend the final competition scheduled for April 5.

The top six finalists will be selected as Youth Tour delegates and earn the trip to D.C. The other six finalists will receive $500 scholarships. CREC fully funds the Youth Tour program. There is no cost to students or families.

Teachers who support the Youth Tour program and submit at least 10 student entries receive a $50

Timberland student selected to Missouri All-State Orchestra

Timberland High School junior Kaya McNurlen was selected to the first violin section of the 2023 Missouri All-State Orchestra. This is the third consecutive year that Kaya has been selected to this prestigious ensemble.

All-State orchestra auditions recently concluded and students from across Missouri auditioned for the Missouri All-State Orchestra.

“I have always loved playing in full orchestras, so I am very much looking forward to making beautiful music with wonderful musicians,” said McNurlen. “I’d like to thank my teacher, Kirby Kay, for her guidance and support throughout the last six years.”

Kaya rehearsed and performed

with the 2023 Orchestra ensemble that included over 90 musicians. They performed at the Annual Missouri Music Educators Association Conference, Jan.

25-28 at Tan-Tar-A Resort. The orchestra was under the direction of Dr. Kevin Noe, Director of Orchestras at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Comedy showcase featuring comedians based in St. Louis and St. Charles County returns

On April 13 at 7:30 p.m., the comedy showcase This Is Casually Happening will be back at The St. Charles Funny Bone. The evening will consist of comedians based in the St. Louis and St. Charles County.

Opening the show will be Mollie Amburgey, the host of The Casually Mollie Podcast. Her podcast in-

cludes interviews with comedians, musicians, and a variety of entertainers from Missouri, as well as from around the country.

Amburgey has curated a lineup of women who are heavy hitters in the St. Louis Comedy scene: Funny Bone St. Louis regular Angela Smith Winfrey, Winner of the 2020 Funniest Person in St. Louis

classroom grant from CREC.

For more information on the Youth Tour program, contact Tim Schmidt at 636-695-4837 or tschmidt@ cuivre.com.

Competition Precious J, Winner of Comedian of the Year Mary Jayne, host of The Comedy Jam Purdy Bee, and newcomer Ellie Kirchhoefer, who regularly hosts and performs locally.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by visiting https://www. stlouisfunnybone.com/streets-ofsaint-charles.

Photo courtesy Wentzville School District

Boys and Girls Clubs names 2023 Junior Youth of the Year for St. Charles County

After 12 weeks of workshops, practice, and unit level competitions, Aubryana S., Brielle F., Maliyah R., and Radia J. competed at the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County Organization Level Junior Youth of the Year Competition on Jan. 14. All the young ladies did an incredible job sharing their unique club stories and representing their individual club units through essays, speeches, and interviews with judges from the community.

Five volunteer judges were tasked with making the difficult decision of choosing the 2023 Junior Youth of the Year. The judges included Baylie Fowler of Lindenwood University, Matt Grove of Bank of Franklin County, Janssen Longenecker of Mission Financial, Katie Page of Ready Set Train, and Mark Prouhet of Forvis & Board President of Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County (BGCSTC). After thoughtful deliberation, the judges named Radia J. as the 2023 Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County Junior Youth of the Year.

Radia, and the 11 Junior Youth

of the Year participants, were recognized at the first annual Great Futures Lunch. Volunteers, board members, community stakeholders, elected officials, and parents attended the event to celebrate these club members, as well as hear a State of the Club presentation from Chief Executive Officer, Karen Englert.

“The Great Futures Lunch demonstrated our commitment to building great futures for our club kids through leadership development and community engagement. We were honored to have so many community stakeholders join us for the luncheon and celebration,” shared Englert.

Radia, age 12, is a member of the O’Fallon Unit and attends Fort Zumwalt School District. She is a caring and motivated young lady with a heart for service. Radia enjoys participating in the yearbook club at school and volleyball. Radia J. and Aubryana S. attended BGCSTC’s 58th Annual Gala on Feb. 11 to share their club experience with over 500 community stakeholders.

In April, Radia and the BGCSTC team will travel to Jefferson City to compete for the statewide title of Junior Youth of the Year and participate in a legislative day of advocacy.

Locally sponsored by FORVIS and nationally sponsored by Toyota, Kohls, and Mondelez International, the Junior Youth of the Year program provides opportunities for local youth to gain essential career skills and increase their confidence. Club youth become motivated to seek opportunities for leadership and to act as responsible citizens and change agents.

The Drip Factor, Simply Bella Aesthetics and Simply Wurth It celebrate grand opening with ribbon cutting

The Drip Factor, Simply Bella Aesthetics and Simply Wurth It opened its new location at 21 Meadows Circle Drive Suite 324 in Lake St. Louis. To commemorate the opening, the company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 31.

Members of the Cottleville Weldon-Spring Chamber of Commerce, members of Little Black Book and other community leaders were in attendance.

“After serving our communities separately, we have united as one, all woman-owned team under one roof at the Meadows at Lake Saint Louis. We are excited to offer new client specials for all services booked during our grand opening, “said owner Michelle Wallweber. “For the last year, each of us has been driven and determined to grow our individual businesses through love and service to others. With safety, quality, artistry, and integrity always at the forefront, we have reached the next level. Although we will continue

to maintain our separate business identities, we have come together under one roof to offer you Medical Aesthetics, Medical Weight Loss, and Medical Cellular Health through IV Therapy. This allows us to each continue to grow in our own circle of genius as experts in our industries so that we can give you the attention and service you deserve. Our uniqueness is personal connection. We will never sacri-

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fice quality service for quantity. As expert medical providers, our priority is providing information and education to develop a wellness plan that fits you.”

For more information on The Drip Factory, Simply Bella Aesthetics, and Simply Wurth It, follow them at www.dripfactor.net, www.simplybellaaesthetics.com and www.simplywurthit.com.

Submitted photo

Pictured (from left) are Mark Prouhet, Forvis and Board President of BGCSTC; Radia J., 2023 Junior Youth of the Year for BGCSTC; Karen Englert, CEO of BGCSTC.

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

Feb. 18: Dance

St. Charles Dance Club is hosting their monthly dance at Dardenne Prairie Hall at 2199 Post Road in O’Fallon. Dance to the band Trilogy. Free dance lessons from 6:15 to 7 p.m. Bring your own snacks. For details email dinamaria1@outlook.com.

March 11: Trivia night

Saint Charles Daughters of the American Revolution and Fernando de Leyba Sons of the American Revolution are hosting a trivia night at St. Peter’s Catholic Church Parish Center at 221 First Capitol Drive in St. Charles. Doors open at 6 p.m. The event starts at 7 p.m. A table of eight is $160. Contact Jan Radcliff at 314-578-4242 or Bernadette Hall at bhall63376@gmail. com to reserve your table or for more information.

March 11: Trivia night

You’re invited to reserve a table at the first-ever Tricks & Flicks Trivia Night at the Foundry Art Centre at 520 N. Main Center. Tables of eight are available for $160, and all proceeds go to support the Friends of the St. Charles Animal Shelter. Doors open at 6 p.m., and trivia will begin at 7 p.m. Beer, soda, and water are included, and a cash bar will be available. Guests are welcome to bring their own snacks and food. Register your group and reserve your table at bit.ly/tricksandflicks.

March 18: Quilt social

A quilt social hosted by the quilters from Immaculate Conception Parish of Dardenne Prairie will be held in ICD parish hall which is located on the lower level of the church. Doors open at 10 a.m. and bingo starts at noon. Lunch and homemade desserts will be available for purchase. All over the age of 16 are welcome.

March 25: Trivia night

Hop on over to the Pezold Banquet Center at 5701 Highway N in Cottleville to support United Services for Children at their annual trivia night. Teams of eight are $200 per table. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the action starts at 7 p.m. This is a 21 and older event. Register at www.usfctrivia.org.

May 24: Theater auditions

Registration is open now for auditions for St. John UCC summer show for Performing Arts Camp, “Matilda the Musical Jr!” for grades sixthrough-12. Call Anna DiVesta at 636-946-0961 or visit stjohnucc.org/PAC-audition.

March 25: Shred event

Shred Day at Sunrise Church takes place at 7116 Twin Chimneys Blvd. in O’Fallon from 9 a.m. to noon. The event supports Food For Hope and more. Bring documents to shred and non-perishable items for the food pantry. For a suggested list of food donations, please visit sunrisefamily.org/foodforhope.

March 30: Elder care support group

The first Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First Partnering With Your Parents Support Group meets at Sunrise Church at 7116 Twin Chimneys Blvd. in O’Fallon at 6:30 p.m. Practical tools and wisdom to help honor your aging parents. Sign up at sunrisefamily.org/events.

March 31: Fundraiser gala

Resonating Hope’s Starry Night Spring Gala is at 7 p.m. at Water’s Edge Banquet Center at 200 Salt Lick Road – St. Peters Golf Course. Enjoy a date night or evening with your friends with a formal three course catered dinner, dessert, dancing with live music by The Magnifikats, silent auction and raffles. Proceeds go to support arts and education for St. Louis’ inner-city kids. Tickets are $45/person or $425 for a table of 10. Tickets online at ResonatingHope. org or Eventbrite.com.

March 31: Fish fries

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Fish

Fry takes place at 2 Seton Court in St. Charles from 4-7 p.m. every Friday in Lent, except Good Friday. Dine-in or carry-out orders only. Order online at MKT.com/seasfishfry. Adult plates are $13. Child plates are $6.

ONGOING EVENTS

Mondays: Optimist Club meetings

The Wentzville/Lake St. Louis Optimist Club meets on the

second and fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Wentzville IHOP, 10 Layla Lane, Wentzville, MO.. For more information contact Ed Jurotich at 314-560-1868.

Mondays: Take off Pounds Sensibly TOPS meet every Monday at Holy Cross Lutheran Church at 8945 Veterans Memorial Hwy in O’Fallon. Meetings at 9:30 a.m. with weigh in beginning at 8:30 a.m. For more information please call Leogene Weber. 636-399-3124.

Mondays: Parent support group

Because I Love You, (BILY), Gateway parent support group meets every Monday at 7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church at 801 First Capitol Dr. in St. Charles. For information and directions, please contact the helpline at 314-993-7550 or email gateway_parent_help@yahoo. com. BILY is a program of self-help for parents of troubled children (all ages). We are not professionals, but parents helping each other. The meetings are free to attend.

Mondays: NAMI St. Louis Connection Recovery Support Group

If you have mental health concerns and need support, please come on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Friedens United Church of Christ at 1703 Old Highway 94 South in St. Charles.

Mondays: Alcoholics Anonymous

If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, we can help. Call Alcoholics Anonymous at 636970-0013.

Mondays: Kiwanis Club meeting Cottleville-Weldon Spring Kiwanis Club meets the first Monday of the month at noon at Bandana’s at 3446 Pheasant Meadows Dr. in O’Fallon. Contact Mary Vaughan at 314-581-0497 or Karen Grant at 773-914-4900 for more information.

Mondays: Seasoned eye carvers meeting

Meetings are held from 9 to 11 a.m. at the St. Charles Senior Citizens Center at 1455 Fairgrounds (near the Bass Pro Shop). Visitors are always welcome. For more information visit http://www. stcharlesareawoodcarvers. com/ or contact Charles Sapp at cwsapp@charter.net.

Mondays: St. Peters Rotary Club Noon at St. Peters City Hall,

One

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: Fitness First Exercise Class 9:30-10:30 a.m., American

SUDOKU answers from page F-1

Legion Hall, 504 Luetkenhaus Blvd., Wentzville. 314-3696521.

CROSSWORD answers from page F-4

St. Peters Centre Blvd. www.stpetersrotary.org.

Sports you see with Gary B . . .

Baseball Hoots sign local talent

The O’Fallon Hoots, proud members of the Prospect League, play their home games at CarSheild Field in O’Fallon.

Recently, the team announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Barrett Lohman for the 2023 summer season. Lohman comes to O’Fallon as a freshman from the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP).

The 6-foot-2, right-handed hurler attended Fort Zumwalt North High School in O’Fallon where he both pitched and played first base for the Panthers. His senior year, Lohman had a .321 AVG, .462 SLG, 25 hits, and 21 RBI in 78 at-bats.

The O’Fallon-native played for the club team, the Midland Bandits, before committing to UHSP. The true freshman joins the Eutectics for their inaugural season, where he made his spring debut on the mound against the Fontbonne Griffins this past weekend.

*Playing for the home town fans

UMSL provides outfielder to the Hoots

The signing of outfielder Braedon Stoakes for the 2023 summer season was recently inked. Stoakes comes to O’Fallon as a redshirt sophomore from the University of Missouri-St.Louis (UMSL).

The 6-foot-1, right-handed hitter attended Grand Ledge High School in Grand Ledge, Michigan, where he earned Player of the Year for the Comets baseball team his senior year.

Stoakes was the number three recruit among outfielders and the number 12 overall recruit in the 2019 high school rankings in the state of Michigan. The

Michigan-native played two years at Gateway Community College in Arizona, where he had a career .322 AVG, .436 SLG, 65 hits, 73 runs, and 78 stolen bases in 202 at bats and 81 games played for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Geckos. Braedon is now on the 2023 roster for the UMSL Tritons, where he has had a strong spring debut. In his first four games played for the Tritons, Stoakes has batted for a .429 AVG, .500 SLG, and a .438 OBP.

Manager Ryan Bailey will lead the team for the 2023 campaign with David Schmoll once again as the General Manager.

*Another player added to the mix

UMSL heading to postseason

The season’s first set of NCAA Division II Regional Rankings came out on Wednesday, with the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) men’s basketball team listed among those receiving postseason consideration. The Tritons are one of 10 Midwest Region teams on the initial list.

Selection Sunday comes on March 5, when the 64team NCAA DII Championship Field – eight from each region – will be announced on www.NCAA. com

The Tritons are looking to make their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four seasons and fifth overall.

The team ended the season 15-7 in-region and 17-7 overall D-II record.

*Exciting times

Gary Baute, aka Gary B, a St. Louis native, maybe educated in business but he lives and breathes sports. As a fan and an athlete, Gary is all sports all the time. He hosted a radio sports program on KFNS, emceed the River City Rascals’ inaugural season and broadcasted for several indoor football teams since 1999.

Recipe: Create family memories with a grape-infused meal

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray (optional)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/4 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 large garlic cloves, minced

4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed and visible fat trimmed

2 medium onions, sliced 1/3-inch thick

3 carrots, peeled and cut in 2-by-1/2inch sticks

2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut in 2-by-1/2-

freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 1/4 cups red grapes

Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner with Grapes, Carrots and Parsnips Servings: 4

Heat oven to 400 F with rack in center. Line shallow baking sheet (10-by-15 inches or 11-by-17 inches) with parchment paper or foil. If using foil, spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir oil, cumin, turmeric, salt and garlic. Add chicken, turning to coat, then transfer smooth side up to baking sheet. Add onions, carrots and parsnips to bowl and toss in remaining spiced oil then distribute around chicken on baking sheet. Season with freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Roast chicken and vegetables 25 minutes. Sprinkle grapes over vegetables and roast about 5 minutes until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with tip of small, sharp knife.

Note: For softer roasted grapes, add to pan earlier.

Nutritional information per serving: 410 calories; 31 g protein; 34 g carbohydrates; 17 g fat (37% calories from fat); 3.5 g saturated fat (8% calories from saturated fat); 155 mg cholesterol; 470 mg sodium; 6 g fiber.

VisitGrapesfromCalifornia.comtofindmoresweetrecipesfitforfamilygatherings.

Want your 15 minutes of fame? You could be on a court show

Movie:

By Steve Bryan

Born and raised in South St. Louis, Steve Bryan is now based in Anaheim, California, and has been allowed access to movie and television sets to see actors and directors at work. Though his writing has taken him far from St. Louis, Steve is, at heart, still the same wide-eyed kid who spent countless hours watching classic movies at neighborhood theaters.

My proudest grade school moment was presenting my science fair project on KSD Channel 5 (now KSDK). I think my younger self would be suitably impressed, however, to learn I auditioned to become a litigant on “We the People with Judge Lauren Lake.” Allen Media Group founder Byron Allen, who had been part of the reality TV series “Real People,” revived the court show with Lake in mind. Gloria Allred was the original “We the People” star, but only one season made it on the air.

“We the People” falls into the category of “Dramatized Court Shows” where real people play the roles of plaintiff or defendant. Landing a role on this show for me was a fluke: I saw an online popup ad from the “Standing Room Only Audience & Casting Company” that encouraged regular people to audition. I filled out an online form with basic information (Name, Phone Number, Age, etc.) and received an invitation to speak to producers on a Zoom call.

Within one week, the producers scheduled me for a taping. My character was Andy Butler, an older man, grandfather and tutor. He was a tenant in the home owned by Rachel Pierce and her husband. Andy was a good renter until he downloaded a

virus that infected all the computers in the house. He obviously was not computer literate and waited until the following morning to tell his landlords what happened. In the court case, Ms. Pierce was suing Andy for $540 because the malware cost her two days of work.

If you are planning an extended trip to the greater Los Angeles area, you may want to try out for a show. Before the Zoom call audition, I remembered some jobhunting advice and dressed “like I was going to Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house.”

When speaking to producers, it’s best to be yourself and let your personality shine through. I tried to be friendly, cordial and even cracked a few jokes while on the call.

I didn’t get confirmation for the taping until a week later. On the phone, the producers offered wardrobe tips and asked me to bring a second set of clothing.

When it comes to filming TV shows, there’s a lot of sitting and waiting. After I left the makeup chair, the woman playing landlord Rachel sat next to me. When she and I went to our green room, we created backstories for our characters and did improvisations before we went into the studio. We even worked our real-life families into the storyline. I mentioned my nieces, Abigail and Gracie, while standing before Judge Lake. The green rooms weren’t glamorous, but they helped refine our improv.

Overall, I spent five hours preparing for my 15 minutes of fame. A few weeks later, I received a check for five hours of work at $20 per hour minus taxes. If you ever wanted to be a star – or at least a courtroom star – and will be in Los Angeles for more than two weeks, give it a try. The producers are always looking for litigants and audience members for reaction shots. The Standing Room Only production company website can be reached at (https://www. standingroomonly.tv)

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.

Photo courtesy Bigstock

Moore on Life: Egg-spensive date

Showingyour sweetheart how much you love them is a little different this year. February used to be the month for flowers and a fancy dinner to express how much you cared, but times have changed.

My husband announced his Valentine’s plan for the evening. He said it in a deeply passionate way:

“Hey, let’s get out of here. I’m so hungry I could eat your mother’s burnt meat loaf without even plastering it in ketchup.”

“You know that means we’ll miss out on leftovers and watching an episode of Dateline,” I said.

“Exactly, we’ll save the leftovers for tomorrow night, but make sure you record Dateline because I wouldn’t want to miss out on any new ways to commit homicide.”

That certainly put the old romantic spark back into our love life. I guess I wouldn’t have to worry about hiding the anti-freeze and meat cleaver for tonight; he definitely was not in the murdering mood.

I then donned my fanciest sweats – the ones without the mustard stain in front – and piled into the car.

I was all a-jitter.

“This will be fun. Where are we going?”

“Now just don’t you worry your sweet little head. I’ve got it all figured out and spared no expense. Money is no object when it comes to my Valentine.”

Soon we arrived at the restaurant. I was a little hesitant because it looked like a basic breakfast bar to me.

We were seated on some cheap vinyl seats in a booth. A waitress smacked her gum as she tossed us some

By Cindy Moore CROSSWORD: US PRESIDENTS

plastic-coated menus that were covered more in fingerprints than menu items.

“Umm, is this a joke?” I asked.

“No joke, only the best for my honeybunch.” He pointed to the scrambled egg delight entitled, Valentine’s Special: $29.99 and told the waitress, “Two please.”

I stared at him slack-jawed.

“Pretty impressed, aren’t ya?”

After finishing our expensive meal, he said, “And that’s not all.”

“Oh nice. He at least remembered a dozen roses,” I thought as he pulled something out from under the table.

They were white instead of red and a dozen all right, but they came in a carton.

The man truly spared no expense.

Cindy Moore is the mother of three superlative kids, servant of two self-indulgent felines and wife to one nifty husband. Her ficticious occupation? Archeological Humorist: someone who unearths absurdity and hilarity in strange and unusual places including public restrooms, the lint filter, and church meetings. Most recently, she excavated a find in her neighbor’s bird feeder.

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

LIFESTYLE: How to help children build a growth mindset

Anew year is a perfect time to consider the habits you want to keep and the ones you’d like to develop. One resolution to consider is helping your children develop a growth mindset this year.

“We know one of the greatest boosts to parents’ confidence over the past year came from knowing their children’s whole selves are being nurtured, and we want to see that trend continue,” said Carter Peters from KinderCare Learning Center’s education team. “A growth mindset helps children try new things despite fear of failure. It’s the kind of thinking that allows inventors and creative thinkers to get excited about trying something new and ensures they have the cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills to work through hurdles.”

Adults can often easily spot when children are engaged in creative thinking and prideful of their work, but that confidence may be lost as failures turn into insecurities. By nurturing a growth mindset and showing children they can learn and develop new skills in any area, it better sets them up for long-term success.

Consider these three tips to help children build a growth mindset:

Praise effort: It’s easy to fall into the habit of praising successes. However, praising effort encourages children to try new things without the fear of failing. It also teaches children personal growth and achievement are possible, even if their overall effort wasn’t a success.

“Young children often get excited to try something new,” Peters said. “By praising effort and showing children they’ll still be loved and valued despite the out-

come, you can reframe how they approach challenges and teach them that difficult doesn’t mean impossible.”

Encourage the process: People often withhold praise until there’s a result, which leads children to hurriedly scribble a picture to hold up for a “good job” instead of taking time to focus on their efforts. When children know adults will encourage them during the process, instead of only upon the achievement, they’re more likely to try new things or master a new skill. For example, try providing encouragement such as, “I can see you’re focused on drawing that tree. It looks so lifelike because you’re putting so much thought into what you’re doing.” Once their project is finished, continue the encouragement by hanging up their artwork or school projects in a prominent place.

Model a growth mindset: You can model a growth mindset for children by narrating your actions when you are facing a challenge: “I am having a difficult time putting this shelf together, but it’s OK. I’ll take a break then read the instructions again.” Remove negative words from your vocabulary, such as “I can’t” or “I’m stupid.” Even when you are joking, children may not be able to tell the difference. You can also ask your children to join you in problem-solving. Take time to hear their ideas and try them even if you think they won’t work. This not only supports the development of their growth mindset, but the quality time and encouragement reinforces their sense of self-worth and builds confidence.

For more tips to help children develop a growth mindset, visit kindercare.com.

ACROSS

1. Biased perspective

6. Male sibs

10. Monday Night Football audience

14. Tapiridae representative

15. Rock opera version of “La Bohème”

16. Object of worship

17. Opposite of alpha

18. ____ Spumante

19. Novice

20. *Unanimously elected President

22. Gusto

23. Eggy drink

24. Jig music, pl.

26. Stashed in a hold

30. Penniless

32. Wood turning device

33. Toll payment, e.g.

34. Not slouching

38. Like nay-sayers

39. Of many years

40. Malaria symptom

41. Instagram post

43. River, in Spanish

44. Bell-bottoms bottom

45. Dodge

47. Unexpected

48. The Cat in the Hat’s headgear (2 words)

51. Campbell’s container

52. International Civil Aviation Organization

53. *President Hayes’ first name

60. “Through” in a text?

61. Pelvic bones

62. Plural of #54 Down

63. Andrew Sean Greer’s 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner

64. Reverse action

65. Mother-of-pearl

66. *Lake off Ohio, the state known as “the Mother of Presidents”

67. Baseball’s “The Say Hey Kid”

68. Navigate

DOWN

1. *Present tense of #26 Across

2. Tibetan priest

3. “Singes” in “La Planète des singes”

4. Nearly

5. Apprentice

6. Name on apple cider vinegar bottle

7. R in R&R

8. Cognizant of

9. “Sophie’s Choice” protagonist

10. *F in JFK

11. Bye, to Emmanuel Macron

12. Relating to Scandinavia

13. Casino bandits

21. Sign of assent

25. *Civil Rights Act of 1957 signer

26. Dueler’s blow

27. Hyperbolic tangent

28. Football great Graham

29. *Executive Mansion, colloquially (2 words)

30. Misrepresent

31. Make over

33. *One of four presidents to have never been elected

35. “Goodness gracious!”

36. “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” band, The ____

37. High school student, usually

42. Spermatozoa counterparts

44. Not marathons, pl. (2 words)

46. Central court in domus

47. Certain frat house letters 48. Ownership document 49. Autumn color

50. Zoroaster follower

51. Pandemonium

54. Elbow-wrist connection

55. Not a slob

56. Like certain Stanley 57. A third of thrice

58. Steak choice

59. Whitetail, e.g.