CNSTC: November 17, 2021 by Community News

November 17, 2021

Out of the dog house

Around Town Work on McClay Road for construction of multi-use path begins. Pg. 4 Vaccinations for ages 5 - 11 begin. Pg. 5

Special Section Community Strong Spotlight. Pg. 3

School

WSD Superintendent named Missouri 2022 Superintendent of the Year. Pg. 6

Features

Submitted photos After being closed for renovations and repairs, the Saint Charles Randolph Animal Shelter hosted a grand reopening event for their new facility on Nov. 9. The city is in a partnership with Five Acres Animal Shelter, making it the first no-kill shelter in the Eastern half of Missouri.

Saint Charles Randolph Street Animal Shelter reopens after remodeling, giving four legs up to abandoned and stray animals looking for a forever home By Brett Auten Things are getting back to normal for St, Charles Animal Control Department and Five Acres Animal Shelter. Due to the need of a new HVAC system along with other ventilation problems combined with Midwest humidity, the Saint Charles Randolph Street Animal Shelter has been closed since early August. A grand reopening for their revamped facility was held on Nov. 9, which coincided with National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week that recognizes the shelters providing care that bridges the gap to adoption for mil-

lions of abandoned and stray animals. The event takes place each year during the first full week in November. With Randolph out of commission, that meant all the animals were transferred to Five Acres main location on Pralle Lane. “It was a very full house for a while,” Madeline Stroder is the Development Director at Five Acre Animal Shelter, said. But they made the most of the opportunity to build bonds and learn how the other does things. “It was nice to have the staff from both locations together,” Stroder said. “It was a chance to get to know each other and see

how things work at both locations. In 2020, the city of St. Charles became the first no-kill shelter on the Eastern half of Missouri thanks to a partnership between the City of Saint Charles Animal Control Division and Five Acres Animal Shelter. Animal Control officers for the city are still responsible for enforcing and managing city pet ordinances, permits, and investigations, and stray animals are taken to the Animal Shelter on Randolph Street until they are safely adopted out by Five Acres. The public-private partnership has allowed Five Acres to save See ‘HOUSE’ page 2

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hundreds, if not thousands, of animals’ lives. The animals at the Randolph Location have a 10-day hold before heading to Five Acres. “That is when we try to reconnect and see if the home wants the pet back,” Stroder said. Five Acres receives as significant portion of their dogs through Animal Control and that led to some changes. The City of Saint Charles Animal Submitted photos Control Department is re- After being closed for renovations and repairs, the Saint Charles Randolph Animal Shelter hosted a grand reopening event for their new sponsible for enforcing pet or- facility on Nov. 9. dinances, investigating animal abuse/neglect cases, managing “Three-to-five years ago we of stay was little more than a forever home. animal capture and/or im- had a lot of highly adoptable, week.” “There are adoptable pets at pound, and bite investigations. small dogs who were often resBut with lots of patience, Randolph all the time, not just For the staff, this means more cued from smaller shelters,” structure and TLC, now both at Pralle,” Stroder said. “And time for enrichment training Stroder said. “They were out locations are filled with ani- the staff there are eager to find and rehabilitation. the door quickly. Their length mals who are looking for their them homes.”

Published weekly since 1921. Serving St. Louis, St. Charles and Lincoln Counties. Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Mathew DeKinder Publisher Emeritus/General Manager Robert J. Huneke Production Manager Rebecca Brockmann Production Assistant Melissa Nordmann Copy Editor Donna Huneke Staﬀ Writers Brett Auten, Wendy Todd, Kayla Reyes Columnists Gary Baute, Steve Bryan, Cindy Moore Cartoonist John Hanna Social Media Lori North Classiied Advertising Brooke Tolle Display Advertising Heather Deatz, Bob Huneke, Norm Merchant, Kayla Reyes Circulation Dominion Distribution, Papers Unlimited Community News is a Registered Trademark of Huneke Publications, Inc: Neither the advertiser nor the publisher is responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints, typographical errors, etc., herein contained. Huneke Publications, Inc. reserves the right to accept or reject all news and advertising copy which in the sole judgement and discretion of the publisher/ed itor is not suitable or deemed appropriate for publication. Copyright 2019 Huneke Publications, Inc. with all rights reserved. No part of the publications may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher/editor. Publication of advertising contained herein does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Signed columns are the opinion of the writers and not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. Entire Contents Copyrighted.

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Around Town

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City of St. Peters’ employee wellness efforts recognized with Cigna Well-Being Award The city of St. Peters cares about its employees, which is reflected by a new award the city received from its health plan administrator. St. Peters earned a 2021 Cigna Well-Being Award for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and well-being of its employees

through a workplace wellness program. Called Be Well, St. Peters, the city of St. Peters’ employee wellness program encourages healthy choices and rewards healthy activities. Well-being programs and other healthy initiatives are developed from employee ideas and feedback.

636.978.7870 www.krekeler.com www.krekeler.com 2938 Hwy K @ Hwy N O’Fallon, MO

St. Peters employees also can track and share activities, participate in challenges and set health goals through an online workplace wellness platform and app. These wellness efforts support the city of St. Peters’ Employees First philosophy of building a talented, professional workforce to provide top-notch services to our residents and businesses. “The city of St. Peters is a great place to work, which is important for building a community recognized as one of

the best places to live,” Mayor Len Pagano said. “One of the reasons why St. Peters attracts and retains excellent employees is that we care about our employees. I am pleased to hear that we were recognized for our wellness program, and I am proud that we provide our employees with the tools they need for their well-being.” Caring for the wellness of city of St. Peters employees is a key to reducing health care costs and maintaining a productive workforce.

In announcing that the city of St. Peters received its Well-Being Award, Cigna said that the organization is a leader in improving employee health, and “We are honored to recognize good partners like the city of St. Peters, who share our commitment to workplace wellness. Creating a healthy work environment is a rising focus and many employers are seeing lower health care costs as a result of wellness initiatives.”

Expect work on McClay Road for construction of multi-use path The city of St. Peters, in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and St. Charles City, started the Centennial Greenway Phase 4 project on Nov. 3. The project will add a 10-foot-wide multiuse path for bikes and pedestrians along the north side of McClay Road, with a one-foot stamped concrete buffer. To allow construction, the northernmost lane of McClay Road will be closed and the center turn lane will be converted to a westbound lane. There should be two lanes of traffic maintained constantly, with minor delays possible during working hours (7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.). The project will be the fourth phase of Great Rivers Greenway’s Centennial Greenway, which is a proposed 20-mile trail system intended to connect to Creve Coeur

Image courtesy city of St. Peters

Park and the Katy Trail. The 10-foot-wide multi-use path will replace the existing sixfoot-wide sidewalk from McClay Village Drive to Hackmann Road. This is estimated to be a 120-day project. This project is eligible to receive 80 percent funding

through a Transportation Alternatives Program reimbursement grant administered through the East-West Gateway Council of Governments and MoDOT. For more information, visit www.stpetersmo.net/streets.

City of St. Peters announces holiday hours for Thanksgiving

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St. Peters City Hall, Cultural Arts Centre, Municipal Court, and Police Records Division will be closed Nov. 25-26 in observance of Thanksgiving. The St. Peters Rec-Plex is closed on Nov. 25. The Rec-Plex will be open on Nov. 26, although administrative offices will be closed. St. Peters Recycle City and Earth Centre are closed on Nov. 25. Recycle City is open for trash and yard waste disposal on Nov. 26, but Recycle City offices will be closed. Earth Cen-

tre will be open for yard waste acceptance only on Nov. 26; no Earth Centre product sales are available on the holiday. The solid waste pickup schedule in St. Peters will be delayed a day for the rest of the week. Animal Control is on call on Thanksgiving. For emergencies only, after hours or during the holiday, call Police Dispatch at 636-278-2222. For normal hours of city of St. Peters services, visit www.stpetersmo.net.

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 17, 2021

Around Town

St. Charles County Public Health to begin pediatric COVID vaccinations for ages five - 11

Photo courtesy Bigstock

The St. Charles County Department of Public Health (DPH) has begun vaccinating children ages five-through-11 with the Pfizer/ BioNTech COVID vaccine. With authorization from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) on Nov. 3, the department may vaccinate anyone ages five and older with a first or second shot of the Pfizer vaccine. “The availability of a vaccine and the willingness for individuals to protect themselves by becoming fully vaccinated have resulted in a significant decrease in the severity and spread of COVID-19 across our community,” Department of Public Health Acting Director Sara Evers says. “With more than 54% of all St. Charles County’s residents (and nearly 64% of those residents ages 12 and older) already fully vaccinated, we welcome the opportunity to extend protection to children ages five-through-11 with this new authorization. Vaccinating more individuals will further efforts to keep our families, workplaces and schools moving forward against this virus.” Vaccination appointments Individuals may receive COVID vaccinations through the DPH Immunization Clinic, located at 1650 Boone’s Lick Road in St. Charles. Appointments are required for these vaccinations and are available from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m., on Fridays. To schedule, call 636-949-1899. Additional vaccination events will be held at the Family Arena, branches of the St. Charles City-County Library District and other locations around St. Charles County. Information on times, dates and locations for these opportunities will be available at www.sccmo.org/COVIDvaccine when details are finalized. To improve efficiency, individuals should arrive within 10 minutes of their scheduled appointment and follow staff direction while at the Family Arena. For the appointment, individuals will need: • Photo identification or parent/guardian attestation. • Evidence of employment, for verification of eligibility status within specified industries. • A copy of the appointment confirmation. • Their personal COVID vaccination card or a photo copy of this card (for second, additional or booster doses).

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School

November 17, 2021 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

WSD Superintendent named Missouri 2022 Superintendent of the Year The Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) an-

nounced the selection of Dr. Curtis Cain, Superintendent of the Wentzville

holiday performance by the Choral Arts singers

Sunday, December 5, 2:00 p.m.

Connection Christian Church 1332 Feise Road, Dardenne Praire, MO

Sunday, December 12, 2:00 p.m.

Living Lord Lutheran Church 500 Cedar Circle Drive, Lake St. Louis, MO

Admission is FREE. Donations appreciated. www.concertarts.org

School District, as the 2022 Missouri Superintendent of the Year. Cain was honored during the MSBA/MASA Annual Fall Conference on Nov. 6 and will be recognized during the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Conference on Education in February 2022 for his state selection. Cain has served as Superintendent of the Wentzville School District (WSD) since 2013 and is responsible for the educational performance and wellbeing of more than 17,300 students and 2,600 staff members. Cain is the current president of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA) and serves on the Missouri Commissioner of Education Advisory Council, the Kansas/ Missouri Superintendent Leadership Forum Advisory Board, and the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Constitutional Committee, among others. In 2018, Dr. Cain completed the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Superintendent Certification Program. MASA Executive Director Doug Hayter

stated, “Dr. Cain is personable, accessible, and well-respected in Missouri by his colleagues and peers. As the leader of the fastest-growing school district in the state of Missouri, Dr. Cain has spearheaded avenues for growth in facilities, staffing, and communication. He recognizes and continues to address disparities in the achievement gap, providing leadership for learning in the Wentzville School District. The Missouri Association of School Administrators is pleased to honor Dr. Cain as the 2022 Missouri Superintendent of the Year.” In 2000, the WSD served approximately 6,000 students; today, there are well over 17,300 students in the district. The cumulative student growth experienced by the district only partially accounts for the expansion of the district profile. Challenges presented due to the achievement gap are mitigated through goals in building school improvement plans and embedded into the principal evaluation process. Cain and his educators believe in meeting the instructional needs of the most diverse generation this country has ever seen.

Cain shared, “We’ve purposefully brought diverse opinions to the table. I have a Superintendent’s Roundtable which brings PreK-12 parent representatives from each school as well as community members to the table to converse with and inform me on critical issues in our school and the greater community.” Cain also works with faith-based partners to meet student needs and collaborates with first responders on community projects. Internal communication efforts reinforce student learning through the Faculty Advisory Committee and a Student Advisory Committee, where sharing a voice is critical and encourages a safe and supportive environment for students. Adding more than 10,000 students in the last two decades also calls for a significant amount of construction. In the past 30 years, 26 ballot initiatives have been offered to voters. During Cain’s tenure, three of the four initiatives have passed. WSD has added more than 1.25 million square feet of instructional space in nine years, with another 200,000 coming by the end of June 2022. Fund-

Photo courtesy Wentzville School District The Missouri Association of School Administrators announced the selection of Dr. Curtis Cain, Superintendent of the Wentzville School District, as the 2022 Missouri Superintendent of the Year.

ing is essential in providing the staff, resources, experiences, and space needed for students to learn. The ongoing support of the WSD is based on consistent and strategic community involvement efforts. Cain previously served as the Interim Superintendent for the WSD. Before his tenure in Wentzville, he was the Associate Superintendent of Education Services at Shawnee Mission School District and the Director of Curriculum and Professional Development at Park Hill School District. Dr. Cain was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Milwaukee Public Schools. He and his wife, Tori, have two children, Kailey and Kaden.

15 Zumwalt schools make US News & World Report’s first list of best K - 8 In its first rankings of America’s schools grades K - 8, US News & World Report ranked all four Fort Zumwalt middle schools and 11 Fort Zumwalt elementary schools among the top 30 percent in the state and another three in the top 40 percent in the state. U.S. News has published state rankings for more than 47,000 public elementary schools and more than 23,000 public middle schools. State by state, U.S. News assessed schools by looking at student proficiency in math and reading as measured by state assessments. Half of the US News ranking formula was

the results, the other half was the context of socioeconomic demographics. “In other words, the top-ranked schools are high achieving ones that succeeded in educating all of their students,” the organization states on its notification website to schools. “All data for the rankings are from third-party sources, including the U.S. Department of Education.” Because two Fort Zumwalt elementary schools only serve grades K - 2, which the state does not test, those schools are ineligible for the rankings. The elementary schools earning

the right to display the US News & World Report “Best” badge are, in alphabetical order: Emge Elementary; Flint Hill Elementary; Forest Park Elementary; Hawthorn Elementary; Mid Rivers Elementary; Mount Hope Elementary; Ostmann Elementary; Pheasant Point Elementary; Progress South Elementary; Rock Creek Elementary and Twin Chimneys Elementary. Each of Fort Zumwalt’s four middle schools also earned the honor: Dr. Bernard J. DuBray Middle; Fort Zumwalt North Middle; Fort Zumwalt South Middle and Fort Zumwalt West Middle.

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 17, 2021

IT’S NOT YOU. IT’S US. Moving on has never felt so right. But with the opportunities that await in our world-class facilities and over 100 degree programs to choose from, you can’t really blame them. Don’t worry, they’ll call you.

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What’s Happening

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November 17, 2021 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

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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 Nov. 19: Holiday bazaar and luncheon

The Women in Mission of Immanuel Lutheran Church invites you to its Holiday Bazaar and Luncheon from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 632 East Hwy. N in Wentzville. The event will feature many one of a kind crafts, homemade baked goods and will raffle a beautiful handmade quilt. Tickets will be sold that day and you need not be present to win. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m You can eat in or carry out.

Dec. 5: Winterfest

Lindenwood University will host its annual Winterfest from 4:30 – 8 p.m. on the heritage side of campus. For a full list of events and more information, visit www.lindenwood.edu/ winterfest.

Dec. 5 and Dec. 12: Holiday concerts The Choral Arts Singers will be performing live holiday concerts this December on

Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. at Connection Christian Church at 1332 Feise Rd. in Dardenne Prairie, and on Dec.12 at 2 p.m. at Living Lord Lutheran Church at 500 Cedar Circle Drive in Lake St. Louis. Concerts are free, donations are appreciated. Please visit www.concertarts.org, for more concert details and a video preview.

Dec. 12: Holiday home tour

Join the Wentzville Community Historical Society for their third annual Holiday Home Tour. The tour this year will be a driving tour, and will start at the Historical Center at 310 W. Pearce Blvd. From there you’ll be able to drive and enter several decorated homes in downtown Wentzville. Afterwards, you are invited to continue the fun at Friendship Brewery Company, where you will be given a free drink ticket, and be eligible for a lovely gift basket. There will also be 50/50 raffle tickets for sale. The homes will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. (last tour starts at 6 p.m.). Tickets are $20, and

may be purchased before the event at Ellbee’s General Store, Ehll’s Western Auto as well as being available the day of the event at the Historical Center. Proceeds go to the Wentzville Historical Society. For more details visit www.wentzvillehistoricalsociety.org.

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

Take off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) meets every Monday from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Weighins begin at 8:30 a.m. We meet at Memorial Hall in Blanchette Park at 1900 Randolph St. in St. Charles. For more information contact Joyce at 636-2065306.

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 Linda Wilcox at 636-447-9056.

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 Con nection 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: Anonymous

WWW.MIDLANDSB.COM

Alcoholics

If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, we can help. Call Alcoholics Anonymous at 636-970-0013.

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • November 17 2021

What’s Happening

Sports

November 17, 2021 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

Sports you see with Gary B . . .

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Thanksgiving Eve Guns ‘N Hoses benefits fallen first responders The annual event has been in existence since 1987 benefiting the Back-Stoppers, a nonprofit organization that assists families of first responders who have died in the line of duty. Tickets for the 34th Annual Budweiser Guns ‘N Hoses event are now available! Visit www.GunsNHoses.com to become a part of this unique event or just to contribute. *The Enterprise Center will host the event on Wednesday, Nov. 24

Football team at Lindenwood still ranks high in poll Lindenwood University’s football team has won eight of their 10 games overall and is a perfect with six wins and no losses in their conference. These results keep them at No. 5 in the most recent NCAA Division II Regional Poll. The Lions are receiving 20 votes in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, and sit at No. 22 in the D2Football.com poll, as all rankings were released on Monday. The Lindenwood defense has come on strong as of late, as the Lions rank fifth in the country with 16 interceptions. A big part of disrupting the passing game has been Kai Ross with his six interceptions this year. Drew Seers was recently named GLVC Defensive Player of the Week, earning the award for the second time this season. Seers has totaled 106 tackles through 10 games, including 7.5 tackles for loss, and ranks second on the team with four interceptions. The Lions have three quarterbacks who have attempted 46 or more passes this year, but have maintained a top-20 passing efficiency as a team. Robert Giaimo is proving to be a bull at the running back position, as the freshman ranks No. 19 in yards per carry with just over six yards per clip. Lindenwood continues to spread the wealth in the passing game, as the top four re-

ceivers are averaging 481.5 yards and 3.75 touchdowns on the year. In that mix is Alex Faddoul, who made his first start at quarterback since his freshman season in 2016. *Great season so far Women’s volleyball coach nets his 200th coaching win The UMSL Tritons volleyball team officially has closed out the 2021 road trips. Tuesday evening at Lindenwood, the Tritons made sure to go out in style as they defeated the Lions, 25-22, 25-23, 25-16. With the win, the Tritons clinch the GLVC Central Division. The win pushed UMSL to 20-7 on the season and 13-3 in the GLVC. It also gave head coach Ryan Young his 200th career coaching win in Tritons red and gold. Young took a few moments to reflect on his career, the caliber of players he has coached, and those mentors who helped shape him and his career. “(200) means a lot to me. When you coach for a long time you are bound to hit some milestones. It really comes down to the quality of student-athletes I have been fortunate to coach during my time at UMSL. Including this team, I have coached a lot of talented kids and I wouldn’t have got to 200 without them,” he said.

Gary Baute, a St. Louis native, may be educated in business but he lives and breathes sports. As a fan or an athlete, Gary is all sports all the time. He hosted a radio sports program on KFNS, emceed the River City Rascals’ inaugural season, among many other activities. I am currently hosting a Health show on 97.1 FM, ‘Prime Time Health’ www.PrimeTimeSTL.com. It broadcasts Saturday nights at 8 and Sunday mornings at 9.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News • November 17, 2021

Recipe: A perfectly layered pie Crust: 3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cups pecans, crushed

– SUDOKU –

Servings: 8 Directions: Heat oven to 350 F.

Cream Cheese Layer: 12 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 4 tablespoons heavy cream Pudding Layer: 3 egg yolks 2 cups whole milk 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup cocoa powder 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make crust: In saucepan, melt butter; add flour, brown sugar and crushed pecans. Stir until combined. Press into 9 1/2-inch deep pie plate. Bake 15-20 minutes until crust begins to brown. Cool completely. To make cream cheese layer: In medium bowl, mix cream cheese until creamy. Add powdered sugar and heavy cream; mix until smooth. Spread over cooled pecan crust. Refrigerate. To make pudding layer: In medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. Add milk; whisk until combined. Set aside. In separate medium bowl, whisk sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, flour and salt until combined.

Whipped Cream Topping: 1 cup heavy whipping cream 4 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract chocolate syrup 1/2 cup chopped pecans

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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.

Arkansas Possum Pie

Ingredients:

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In saucepan over medium heat, add egg yolk mixture and flour mixture. Whisk constantly until pudding begins to thicken and bubble. Add butter and vanilla extract, stirring until butter is melted. Pour chocolate pudding in shallow bowl. Cover with plastic wrap touching pudding to keep it from forming skin. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Pour pudding over cream cheese layer. Cover pie with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. To make whipped cream topping: In stand mixer bowl, add heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pudding layer. Drizzle pie with chocolate syrup and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Find more savory recipes at Culinary.net

SEE ANSWERS ON PAGE 8/9

Movie news: apes, ghosts and spiders

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.

he holiday season is rapidly approaching, which makes this a great time to examine some movie news. I’ve narrowed my list down to three topics: apes, ghosts and spiders. Throughout its 100-year lifetime, the AMC Theater chain introduced such innovations as cupholders and stadium seating. I first encountered the handy cupholder way back in 1983 in Minnesota and saw it rapidly spread across the country. More recently, Adam Aron, chairman and CEO of AMC Entertainment Holdings, made some questionable moves, in particular pandering to a group of investors who call themselves “Apes” in a homage to the “Planet of the Apes” films and reboots. Aron’s behavior is not what I would expect from a CEO whose company could easily go bankrupt. APE investors firmly believe AMC’s stock price will move from the $30-$40 range to more than $100,000 per share, which is highly unlikely. On social media, Apes talk about big companies and hedge funds preventing AMC’s stock price from “Going to the moon.” With the company burning available cash and a slow-moving theatrical pipeline, it will take time for the chain to become profitable again. Chairman Aron feeds the frenzy by offering free popcorn to investors and plans to release AMC branded popcorn in stores. Ape share-

‘Spiderman: No Way Home’ photo courtesy Marvel Studios, ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ photo courtesy Columbia Pictures.

holders also get to answer questions during conference calls about earnings. While more patrons are walking into theaters, no true box office blockbusters emerged in 2021. That could change with the Nov. 19 release of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” a film that ties back to the original film and its 1989 sequel (the 2016 female-centric reboot is not considered part of the Ghostbusters Universe). “Ant-Man” star and People’s 2021 “Sexiest Man Alive” Paul Rudd plays Mr. Grooberson, a teacher with knowledge about the Ghostbusters. Opening close to Thanksgiving, this film could do rather well, especially with nostalgic fans. Marvel and Disney dominated the 2019 box office and they could do a repeat this year. When Spider-Man reunited with other Marvel characters in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” Tom Holland emerged as the perfect

choice to play the young hero. Holland next appeared in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” followed by “Far from Home.” Marvel fans will get an early Christmas gift when the actor returns in “No Way Home,” a film where Peter Parker’s secret identity has been revealed. He seeks the help of Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to get his life back on track. Beginning in 2002, Tobey Maguire played both the brilliant Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter ego in three films while Andrew Garfield played those same roles in two cinematic outings years later. In my opinion, Tom Holland fits the role perfectly and has great chemistry with Marissa Tomei, who plays his aunt. There are rumors, though, that Maguire and Garfield will make appearances in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” More to come on this.

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John Hanna

Crossword: THANKSGIVING

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

By Cindy Moore

Moore on Life

hings are getting pretty weird out there. For instance, I sent my husband off to do a small task for me –grocery shopping. Sounds pretty simple right? Especially since I sent along a detailed list. No sooner had he left than there he was back in the driveway. Much too soon. What could be the reason? I thought I knew. “Did you forget to go to the bathroom before you left?” I giggled. He gave me a snarky look. “Real funny. No. I couldn’t find a place to park.” “Huh? Now you’re being funny.” “Nope. Serious as your mother’s sense of humor. Let me give you a rundown: there were several parking spaces reserved for policemen; one entire row for curbside pick-up; another four slots for pharmacy call-ins and a dozen more reserved for disabilities. Then throw in the others set aside for expectant mothers, senior citizen parking, veterans, mothers with small children and special areas for people riding emotional support pack mules. That left only six spots.” “So…why didn’t you grab one of them?” “Those were for shopping carts. It seems they’d rather use the limited space to cram with empty carts instead of having cash-paying customers fill them.” “Come on,” I said. “I’ve got a plan.” We jumped in the car and drove back to the store. I dropped him off and circled around the block expecting to make at least five revolutions.

To my surprise, I spotted him on the curb after the first go-round. He waved me down. “Now what are you doing back so early? And where are the things I sent you to buy?” “Supply chain issues. Nothing on the shelves. But the manager gave me this address. Said there was plenty of merchandise there.” “Seriously? Are you telling me that we’re going to have to drive across town to another store to buy things?” “That would be nice,” he said, “but this address is for a shipping container somewhere off the Pacific coast. He also said we would need a boat, but good luck finding one. They’re on back order.”

No parking

Cindy Moore is the mother of three superlative kids, servant of two self-indulgent felines and wife to one nifty husband. Her ficticious occupation? Archeological Humorist: someone who unearths absurdity and hilarity in strange and unusual places including public restrooms, the lint filter, and church meetings. Most recently, she excavated a find in her neighbor’s bird feeder. The opinions expressed in this column are Cindy Moore’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.

ACROSS 1. “If all ____ fails...” 5. *Male Thanksgiving bird 8. Yoko’s last name 11. Indian restaurant bread 12. Carhop’s carrier 13. *”Kiss the Cook” garment 15. Homer’s “The Odyssey”, e.g. 16. *Grandpa or Grandma, often 17. Moolah or dough 18. *Pilgrim’s colony 20. Allah’s cleric 21. Arranges into categories 22. Chance’s genre 23. *”Plains, Trains and Automobiles” star 26. Woven containers 30. Kimono sash 31. Aristotle’s school 34. Part of ideal 35. Hurricane feature, pl. 37. Comedian Schumer 38. Teen worry 39. Side of a ruler 40. Left over 42. *When will the guests be here?, acr. 43. Rejuvenate 45. Expression of agreement (2 words)

14. *Kind of squash 19. Toils 22. Truck brand motto: “Guts. Glory. ____” 23. Lawn trimmer 24. Toe the line 25. Designs on lemur’s tail 26. Purchases 27. #39 Across, pl. 28. T in Ferrari TR 29. Thai restaurant chicken staple 32. Elder’s support 33. Flightless bird 36. *Thanksgiving football game host city since 1934 38. Impromptu 40. Big coffee holder 41. Choice word DOWN 44. Desert mirage 1. Compass dir. 46. Makes less tight 2. Arctic native 48. Lace loop 3. Go yachting 49. “Angela’s _____,” 4. Become enclosed in a memoir cyst 50. *Raiders vs. Cowboys, 5. Freshwater fish e.g. 6. Hop-drying kilns 51. Scandinavian war god 7. *Pumpkin pie at the first 52. Dry riverbed Thanksgiving, e.g. 53. Not final or absolute 8. Sea World’s performer 54. Exclamation of surprise, 9. “Cheers” regular archaic 10. Top seed 55. Propel your boat! 12. Like a rosebush 58. Color wheel feature 13. Spy name 47. *What Turkey Trot participants did 48. Outdoor entertainment area 50. Messy substances 52. *It makes Thanksgiving wishes come true? 55. Half of diameter, pl. 56. Flu symptom 57. Accompanies relief 59. Leaves out 60. More than a talker? 61. Isaac’s firstborn 62. Skin cyst 63. “____ my party, and I’ll cry if I want too...” 64. Confederate or Union, e.g.

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