CNSTC: July 5, 2023

Submitted photo

Around Town

WSD students earn fire truck rides to school for outstanding attendance. Pg. 3

New principals take over in the WSD. Pg.3

By Brett Auten

They come from all over and can be any size. Each is handled with care, delivered with respect and then nobly disposed of.

The St. Charles County Veterans Best Practices Working Group reached a milestone this Flag Day as more than 10,000 old and worn American flags have been collected over the past seven years through the group’s flag collection event and collection boxes.

“The American Flag is the symbol of our nation. It’s important to us to ensure these flags are disposed of respectfully, because that also represents the respect we have for our country,” Dennis Wiss, a Marine Corps veteran and member of the Veterans Best

Practices Working Group and also director of St. Charles County Regional Airport-Smartt Field, said. “We get a lot of ‘thank yous’ from the public because often, they are not really sure what to do.”

Flags collected on Flag Day and throughout the year are donated to the AMVETS veterans service organization in St. Peters, which holds a formal flag retirement ceremony each September.

The U.S. Flag Code calls for flags that are no longer fit for display to be retired and disposed of in a ceremonial burning. Rules on how to properly fly the flag were established in1923, when the National Flag Conference met in Washington. Its members created the Flag Code, which states that “the flag rep-

resents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.”

The American Legion passed a resolution about flag retirement ceremonies in 1937, and have been an important ritual ever since. The U.S. flag is considered such a sacred symbol that burning it in an undignified manner constitutes desecration. That’s why the ceremonies are held in a specific manner. Every year on June 14, Americans celebrate Flag Day. Not surprisingly, it’s considered the most appropriate day to hold flag disposal ceremonies, which are often held at night. During an American Legion ceremony, participants stand aligned in two parallel rows about 20

See ’SERVICE’ page 2

Recipe, Movie & Sudoku. Pg. F-1

CLA SSIFIEDS AND HOME & GARDEN. Pg. F-2 /F-3

Moore On Life, Lifestyle & Crossword. Pg. F-4

Weather

FRIDAY Partly Cloudy 85/64

SATURDAY Partly Cloudy 86/68

SUNDAY Scattered Showers 89/67

READ US ONLINE!

The St. Charles County Veterans Best Practices Working Group fosters an employment-friendly environment for veterans who continue to serve the community

Honoring service

St. Charles County employees Stacey Rafferty (left), Department of Public Health, and Crystal McMillan, Highway Department, break for a photo during the Flag Day collection event. Both are U.S. Army veterans.

‘ SERVICE’ from cover

feet apart, facing each other. A small fire burns beyond the rows of members and the flags that are no longer serviceable are presented to Legion commanders, a color guard presents the colors and a chaplain offers prayers. As the crowd salutes, the flag detail dips the retired flags into kerosene and puts them on a rack over the fire. A bugler sounds “To the Colors.”

“It’s a very heart-warming ceremony,” Wiss said.

Worn or damaged U.S. flags can be dropped off anytime at two collection box locations: the front of the St. Charles County Administration Building, 201 N. Second St. in St. Charles, or at the memorial garden in Veterans Tribute Park, 1031 Kisker Road in Weldon Spring.

The Veterans Best Practices Working Group was established in 2014 by the authority of a county ordinance.

According to Wiss, the group exists to foster an employment-friendly envi-

ronment for those who have served in the armed forces of the United States and they work to encourage businesses in the St. Charles County community to develop veteran-friendly employment practices, including St. Charles County Government, and to inform veterans seeking employment of opportunities and benefits.

They may no longer be wearing a uniform but they’re still focused on service and mission.

“We’ve all had military experience and know that it is an interesting entity to be a part of,” Wiss said. “The public’s perception of military members has changed greatly over the last 10-20 years and it makes me proud to be a part of it. It’s also fun to sit in a group where you have Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp, and Coast Guard. There’s always a little rivalry but everybody has been through the same thing and we can relate to each other.”

VETERANS HONORED WITH QUILTS OF VALOR AT ASSUMPTION CHURCH

Around 100 quilters came together to honor veterans during the Quilts of Valor – Eastern Missouri event held at the Parish Center at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish on June 28.

U.S. Marines and father and son duo, Dan Trower of St. Peters and Danny Trower of O’Fallon were presented with handmade quilts; followed by U.S. Air Force Veteran, Berry “Steve” Burt of Saint Peers; and U.S. Army Veteran Jim Genteman of Wentzville.

Quilters from 10 surrounding counties, including St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren, Pike, St. Louis, Jefferson, Gasconade, Montgomery, Franklin and Callaway, worked on 10 fullsized quilts throughout the day. Each quilt was unique, and included a hand-quilted heart, to serve as a reminder that it was created with love,

Quilts of Valor of Eastern Missouri is a nonprofit, all volunteer organization funded by donations from the community and an annual quilt raffle. Founded in 2005, the organization has given away nearly 3,500 quilts to veterans over the years.

The Assumption Quilters meet every Thursday and are always looking for new members. For more information, call the parish at 636-240-3721. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish has been serving the O’Fallon community for over 150 years.

Submitted photos

(Left) A sampling of the number of flags collected by the St. Charles County Veterans Best Practices Working Group this year. Around 2,000 were collected this year. (Right) From miniature to ones that take many members to hold, the veterans Best Practices Working Group sees it all at its annual Flag Day Collection.

New principals take over in Wentzville School District

The Wentzville School District Board of Education approved the hiring of Dr. Kimberley (Kim) Walters as the principal of Heritage Intermediate and Kelly Stratman as Discovery Ridge Elementary's principal, both effective July 1.

Walters currently serves as the assistant superintendent of academic services for Blair Oaks School District. She has also served as a special education teacher, reading coach, K-12 principal, federal programs director, and coordinator of special projects at Blair Oaks, Hale, Brookfield, and Bucklin school districts.

“I am honored for the opportunity to serve as the elementary principal at Heritage Intermediate,” said Walters. “My passion for teaching and learning fits perfectly with the climate and culture that is established and nurtured at this school. I look forward to getting to know my students, staff, and our Wentzville families.”

She holds a doctorate in educational leadership, a specialist degree in educational leadership, and a master’s in elementary administration from William Woods University; a certificate of applied behavior analysis from Pennsylvania State University; and a bachelor of science in elementary education/special education from Missouri Western State University.

Stratman has 19 years of experience in the WSD, and this is her 23rd year in education. She has served as the assistant principal of Discovery Ridge Elementary for the past seven years. Prior to that, she served six years as an assistant principal at Duello and six years as a first-grade teacher at Heritage Primary.

“I am deeply committed to the well-being and continued success of the Discovery Ridge community,”

Stratman said. “I have walked alongside the people who make this school amazing and look forward to continuing the tradition of celebrating student accomplishments.”

Stratman holds an educational specialist degree in educational administration and a master of arts from Lindenwood University, and she has a bachelor of arts in social science from Chapman University.

WSD students earn fire truck rides to school for outstanding attendance

The Wentzville School District and the Wentzville Fire Protection District (WFPD) teamed up again this year to reward elementary students who have excellent attendance and have laid the groundwork for future success.

During the last weeks of school, one lucky fifth grader from each elementary school in the WSD got a ride to school on a WFPD fire truck as a reward for their K-5 attendance and achievement.

District students selected for the distinction this year: Boone Trail – Hannah Niemeier, Crossroads – Emerson Grojean, Discovery Ridge – Morgan Barton, Duello – Abigail Schlereth, Green Tree – Charles Stevens, Heritage – Jaimey Bugh, Journey – Scarlett Zoellner, Lakeview – Cecilia White, Peine Ridge – Ellianna Weston, Prairie View – Claire Frederick, Stone Creek – Madelyn Kerr and Wabash – Emmett Weiss

“We appreciate the WFPD for continuing this tradition by rewarding our students at the end of the school year in a very special and memorable way,” said Brynne Cramer, WSD Chief Communications Officer.

Photo courtesy Wentzville School District

Photos courtesy Wentzville School District

As per 137.355 RSMo. the County Assessor, Scott Shipman, lists below the property owners whose assessed valuation on real estate property has changed for 2023. The “NOTICE OF REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT” forms were mailed but returned by the Post Office as being undeliverable.

What’s Happening

SUDOKU answers from page F-1

CROSSWORD answers from page F-4

UPCOMING EVENTS

Aug. 24-27: Orchestra auditions

St. Charles County Youth Orchestra auditions will be held on Aug. 25, 26 and 27. Students at all levels of string, wind, brass, and percussion are invited to audition. The auditions will be held at the Grace Baptist Church Fellowship Hall St. Charles. Auditions are by appointment please visit www.sccyo.org/ auditions.

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: Alcoholics Anonymous

If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, we can help. Call Alcoholics Anonymous at 636-9700013.

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 begin-

ning at 8:30 a.m. For more information please call Leogene Weber. 636-399-3124.

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: 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: 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.

RECIPE : A creamy recipe created for families

Alazy Sunday afternoon cuddled up with family, playing in the rain with your kids and tasting a perfect, sweet treat on a summer day can be some of the simplest yet best parts of life.

Recipes that can be made with clean, fresh ingredients in a matter of minutes make some of the best-tasting dishes, snacks and treats. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best route to take as opposed to confusing prep that takes too much time.

This Strawberry Mousse, which is made with families in mind, is a perfect recipe to make with your little ones or for a date night dessert. It’s great to take for an outing at the park, a neighborhood party or just to snack on throughout the week.

It’s sweet, fluffy and smooth all at the same time. Made to serve a handful of people, it only takes a few moments to complete. Moms love it and kids enjoy the taste and texture.

It’s easy, fresh and delicious. Your kids can help you combine all the ingredients and excitedly try the sweet result.

Strawberry Mousse

Servings: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup strawberries, halved

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened assorted fruit, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

In blender, puree strawberries until smooth. Set aside. In mixing bowl, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until fluffy.

In separate mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add strawberry puree to cream cheese and mix until combined. Add whipped cream and stir until combined. Serve in bowl with fruit.

Movie:

By Steve Bryan

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

In 1978, actor Christopher Reeve made his mark with

“Superman: The Movie,” a Richard Donner film that launched Reeve’s career and led to three movie sequels. His portrayal of both “Daily Planet” reporter Clark Kent and caped alter ego captured the imagination of audiences, especially in the first two films in the series.

Released in 1983, “Superman III” brought in comedian Richard Pryor as Gus Gorman, a talented computer programmer, and Robert Vaughn as Ross Webster, an industrialist who questioned Gorman’s unusually large paychecks. In “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace,” Christopher Reeve’s Superman went on a mission to prevent nuclear war.

Recently, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan landed the lead roles in “Superman: Legacy,” an upcoming film that’s under the watchful eyes of writer-director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. Corenswet’s credits included the Ryan Murphy series “The Politician” and the Netflix series “Hollywood.” Brosnahan, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for the Amazon Prime series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” will step into the Lois Lane role previously played by actresses Margot Kidder, Kate Bosworth and Amy Adams.

News of Corenswet’s and Brosnahan’s casting deserved a look back at the characters and their creators, Jerry Siegel and

Joe Shuster. Siegel and Shuster developed Superman in the 1930’s but later agreed to publish their character in a comic book. When “Action Comics #1” appeared on newsstands, it became a game-changer for readers and publishers. In the comics, Superman’s parents sent their son Kal-El in a rocket ship far away from their doomed planet. The child landed on Earth where he gained incredible powers and abilities

and also took a job as a reporter. Superman’s legacy continued to grow on the radio, in movies and also in the popular 1950’s TV series “The Adventures of Superman.”

Because the character originated in comic books, Superman also became part of animated adventures as well, in particular Hanna-Barbera’s popular “Super Friends” and “Superman: The Animated Series.” In prime time, “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” allotted screen time to the growing relationship between Clark Kent (Dean Cain) and Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher). A few years later, the “Smallville” series showed Clark (Tom Welling) testing his burgeoning powers as well as dealing with supervillains and the harmful effects of kryptonite.

In 2013, Zack Snyder directed “Man of Steel,” a film that became part of what was then called the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Henry Cavill was solid playing both the adult Clark Kent and Superman. He reprised his role in “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Justice League” and in a surprise cameo at the end of the 2022 film “Black Adam.” As of this writing, however, James Gunn and Peter Safran from DC Studios plan to launch “DC’s Universe” with “Superman: Legacy.” “Superman: Legacy” has a release date of July 11, 2025.

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.

David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan slated to star in ‘Superman: Legacy’

“Superman: Legacy” photo courtesy DC Entertainment.

John Hanna Yeggs

Moore on Life

Werecently went on an outing with our daughter and grandkids to the zoo. A full day of fun? Well…more like a full day of pain.

We started right as the gates opened and intended to pack in every single exhibit from hedgehogs to hippos and wouldn’t stop until they kicked us out at quitting time.

Of course, the beginning of the day my husband and I were full of energy and as excited as the kids.

Me: “Oh looky look. Look at the giraffes. Wow! If they get a sore throat that’s gotta cost a fortune in throat lozenges. Oh, oh, I see a lion. That’s one big kitty and I ain’t lying!”

Husband: “Hey everyone, come see the owl.”

Me: “What? Where?”

Husband: “No, they say who, who!”

We were killing it and trying to outdo each other with lame mom jokes and dad jokes.

Even the grandkids were getting into it.

Grandson pointing to one of the giant birds in a cage: “Hey Pop Pop, did you know that bird works at a construction site?”

“No way. I did not know that. Why does it work there?”

“Because it’s a crane!”

I laughed so hard I almost threw my hip out.

We continued dashing from exhibit to exhibit, but unfortunately, we didn’t pace ourselves properly and used up our batteries in the first few hours. By noon we were spent and dragging behind the group. We could only rouse enough energy to move from park bench to park bench.

“Mom Mom,” yelled my granddaughter. “Come see the baboons. One of them has a really big red bum.”

“I can’t move. My legs have locked in place. Take a picture and send it to me,” I yelled.

Finally, the zoo was closing. I grabbed my husband’s hand and told him to yank me up. He leaned on me while I held on tight to him and we

By Cindy Moore

Love hurts

staggered forward.

That evening as I was looking through the pictures of our adventure, I noticed my daughter had posted one on our family thread. It was of me and my husband looking longingly into each other’s eyes as we held hands. Still in love after all these years, she wrote.

I hated to tell her that we were holding each other up so we wouldn’t collapse and that “longing look” was a painful grimace from burning feet.

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.

CROSSWORD: INDEPENDENCE DAY

ACROSS

1. Kind of illusion

6. Perched

9. Island near Java

13. Old West pack animal

14. False statement

15. Opposite of atonal

16. Hailing from the East

17. Supply with weapons

18. "____ death do us part"

19. *Frank

21. *Popular celebratory get-together

23. Many, many years

24. Scott Hamilton's "court"

25. Gross National Product

28. Abundant

30. Bantoid language

35. Bakery unit

37. Cutlass maker

39. Two in eighteen

40. Milk's favorite cookie

41. Muslim ruler honorific

43. Hyperbolic sine

44. Iranian money, pl.

46. Nancy Sinatra's boots

47. Fill to satisfaction

48. *Certain Doodle

50. Argo's propellers

52. Feather glue

53. Give temporarily

55. Porridge grain

57. *Roman firework

60. *"The Star-Spangled Banner"

63. Opposite of neo-

64. Glass margin

66. Continental money, pl.

68. Opposite of #17 Across

69. Go for the gold

70. "Silas Marner" author

71. Mexican money

72. Not yang

73. Down and out

DOWN

1. ____ constrictor, anagram

2. Word on a door

3. Duet plus one

4. Angry

5. Large California bird

6. Smelting waste

7. Stuff of inflation

8. Adagio and allegro, e.g.

9. German city on Rhine river

10. Con

11. Not of the cloth

12. Down with a bug

15. ____ someone ____ bed

20. Satirical publication, with The

22. Calligrapher's purchase

24. *"From the ____

forest to the Gulf Stream

waters"

25. *Old ____

26. Waterwheel

27. Hymn of praise

29. *Popular decoration

31. *"Rockin' in the USA" band

32. Certain church member

33. Yiddish busybody

34. Theater guide

36. Kind of rock

38. Heroic tale

42. B on Mendeleev's table

45. "Where ____ is heard a discouraging word..."

49. Sushi restaurant staple 51. Shiny cotton 54. High-strung

56. Car rack manufacturer

57. Charlie Chaplin's prop

58. "Oh, my!"

59. Agrippina's slayer

60. "I'll second that"

61. Great Lake

62. State of mind

63. One in a litter

65. *King George ____

67. Farm structure

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