CrossRoads: Dec. 28. 2011

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JANUARY spotlight

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2012 contents

Graduate America Priority 1

by Shelly A. Schneider

lifestyle

6

Cave Under the Pressure

by Shelly A. Schneider

14

Phonophobia

by Joe Morice

entertainment

9

food

16

VOL 8 | NO 1

Oscar Watch 2012

by Steve Bryan

Guilt Free Ways to Satisfy Cravings courtesy of Family Features

photo op Published monthly with direct mail circulation to Wentzville and Lake Saint Louis, plus newsstands in Troy.

Publisher Editor Photographer Movie Critic Creative Design

Community News Shelly Schneider Ray Rockwell Steve Bryan Donna M. Huneke

For advertising information, please contact us at:

Community News 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr. O’Fallon, MO 63366 Ph: 636.379.1775 Fx: 636.379.1632

www.mycnews.com

Copyright 2012 Huneke Publications, Inc. No part of the publication may be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher.

Crossroads is a trademark of Huneke Publications, Inc. Any published use of Crossroads implying affiliation is strictly prohibited.

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Wentzville Christmas Walk photos by Ray Rockwell

around town

5

Legacy of Martin Luther King

7

RAFT Your Home

by Pierre J. Moeser

10

Community Calendar

11

Safe Shoveling Tips

12

Wentzville Chamber News

15

Wentzville Teachers of the Year

17

Discover Nature with Eagle Days

18

LSLDP Chamber News

19

Winter Car Care

by Roger Meissen

JANUARY 2012 CROSSROADS

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SPOTLIGHT

Graduate America Priority 1 By the year 2018, 63 percent of all jobs in America will absolutely require some level of post-high school education. The problem is that today only 40 percent of Americans have reached at least two years of post-high school education (associate degree, technical degree, military training or higher). The goal of Graduate America Priority 1, a local nonprofit group, is to help Americans attain that post-secondary education.

Graduate America Priority 1 (GAP1) had its genesis in November 2006 when Ed Watkins, Harlan Pals and Tom Hughes convened approximately 200 leaders to assess the extent to which volunteerism impacts local communities. Wentzville Mayor Paul Lambi partnered with Watkins, and in January 2007 more than 100 area leaders gathered in Wentzville to commission this country’s first community-wide survey to determine the economic value of volunteerism in the four counties of St. Charles, Franklin, Lincoln and Warren. The results were presented to then Governor Matt Blunt and Purpose Driven Life author Rick Warren at a press conference.

Warren referred to this initiative as a “model for the rest of America.”

Lambi pointed to a report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century. The report, released in February 2011, examined the reasons for the country’s failure to prepare many young adults.

The report “…contends that our national strategy for education and youth development has been too narrowly focused on an academic, classroom-based approach. It is now clear that this strategy has produced only incremental gains in achievement and attainment, even as many other nations are leapfrogging the United States.”

The Harvard report stated that while more than 60 percent of the jobs in America will require post-secondary education, only a third of the 47 million jobs created will require a four-year degree.

“Almost as many jobs – some 30 percent – will only require an associate’s degree or a post-secondary occupational credential,” the report summary stated. “Given these realities, we need to broaden the range of high-quality pathways that we offer young adults. This would include far more emphasis on career counseling and highquality career education, as well as apprenticeship programs and community colleges as viable routes to well-paying jobs.”

The report also asked the nation’s employers to expand their role in supporting the pathways system, and to provide more opportunities for young adults to participate in work-based learning and actual jobs related to their programs of study. Finally, the Pathways to Prosperity report contended there needs to be a new social compact between society and the young people of our nation.

“The compact’s central goal would be that by the time they reach their mid-20s, every young adult will be equipped with the education and experience he or she needs to lead a successful life as an adult. Achieving this goal would require far bigger contributions 4

CROSSROADS JANUARY 2012

BY SHELLY A. SCHNEIDER

from the nation’s employers and governments.”

GAP 1 is on board with the Pathways to Prosperity report, and is on track to train 500 volunteer coaches in St. Charles and Warren counties by June 30, 2012.

“The government has poured billions of dollars into the problem for many years,” Lambi said. “Our educational attainment as a country has remained in the 38th to 40th percentile over the past three decades. The top-down method is not working.

“We realized that we became great by working at a community level,” Lambi continued. “The U.S. was filled with immigrants. The colonists were largely uneducated in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

The communities, as soon as they could, hired school teachers and preachers (many times one in the same). You weren’t a civilized community unless you could teach the children how to read, write and do math. That was a grass-roots campaign, and we continued to grow that way for about 100 years or more.”

The GI Bill following World War II reeducated more people than anything in the country’s history. The race for space and the Cold War also furthered educational attainment.

“Other countries realized that education made America great,” Lambi said. “They caught up and 14 of the industrialized countries surpassed the United States. They are 55 to 60 percent realized educational attainment, while we are at 40 percent.”

How do you solve this problem? At least five U.S. Presidents and the Department of Education have stated that in order to reach the 60th percentile by 2020, we need to graduate 8 million more degrees. That means 800,000 new people each year (not just high school students). That attainment may be achieved by Americans who have some college, but no degree.

“Any community can do this,” Lambi said. “What is my share of 800,000 in Wentzville, Mo.? We know there are 309 million people in America. If I divide that into 30,000 Wentzville residents, that gives me a proportion of what my population represents as a whole. Multiply that by 800,000 and I have the task of mentoring 72 people a year. All of a sudden the problem becomes solvable.”

The model built by GAP1 exists in three parts. First, the student must understand what he or she is trying to attain (answering questions like, “Who am I? What do I want to be?”). Lambi said GAP1 has a 30-minute course on occupational literacy.

“We teach our volunteer coaches how to administer occupational exercises to help people determined if they are left or right brained,” he said. “Then we teach the volunteers a 30-minute course on how to build the financial resources needed to go to school. Finally, we offer a 30-minute course on how colleges function as businesses.”

These volunteers, once trained, commit to training two young adults. In 2011 GAP1 trained approximately 150 volunteers, and Lambi said the organization is on track to train 500 volunteers by the end of June 2012. continued on pg 10

AROUND TOWN

Wentzville Celebrates Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King “Dr. King’s life taught us how to not just dream things can be better, but how to take positive steps to make those dreams a reality,” Lambi said. “It’s a lesson we should never lose sight of.”

The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served immediately following the event. Barbara Love, who has worked with Lambi on past Martin Luther King Day celebrations, is again one of the coordinators for this event.

Individuals who want more information about the event are encouraged to call either Mayor Paul Lambi’s office at 636.327.5101 or Barbara Love at 314.591.8468.

On Monday, January 16, 2012, Wentzville area residents will come together to honor the life and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. The 2012 program, Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On Not a Day Off, begins at 7 p.m. at Wentzville Holt High School, located at 600 Campus Drive in Wentzville. This special, community-wide celebration will feature keynote speaker William Jenkins and a performance by the Rhema Dance Ministry.

Wentzville Mayor Paul Lambi is assisting with the promotion and planning of the event. Lambi said he feels it is important everyone in the community takes time to reflect on the legacy Dr. King left our country.

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JANUARY 2012 CROSSROADS 5

LIFESTYLE

Cave Under the Pressure

BY SHELLY A. SCHNEIDER

Happy New Year Resolutions! Did you make them? Have you already fallen off that proverbial wagon? I bet you at least gave the resolution thing some thought, especially after all that candy, turkey, mashed potatoes, ham, more mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, etc.

Well I did it. Fell into the trap, under the spell, one of the sheep, a great big (gasp!) follower.

I’ve always prided myself on being an independent person. A leader, a free thinker if you will. But after being bombarded by fitness center commercials and store displays greeting me each and every day with boxes and boxes of weight loss products, who can resist?

Once again I’ve decided to hunker down, get serious, eat better, exercise more and lose weight.

O.K. Let’s call it what it really is. I’ve crumbled under the pressure that is the New Year.

I headed to the grocery store Monday morning, determined to bypass the Little Debbie aisle and head straight for the produce section. I picked out some yummy looking Grannysmith apples and some ruby red grapefruit. Then I began to wonder why healthy food wasn’t more readily accessible. By the time I peel the grapefruit I’ve got a headache and need drugs, not food. But this time my desire to fit into a size 10 pair of jeans would prevail over the ease of digging into a bag of chips.

The salad fixings were next. At least the lettuce was pre-washed and cut. You can’t quit the junk food cold turkey, so I put some sugar-free chocolate pudding in the cart.

I was almost done. A trip down the frozen food aisle (what can I say, the Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers commercials got to

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6 CROSSROADS JANUARY 2012

me), and I’d be home free. Then I saw it. I slowed the cart down and strolled past the display.

“Nah, that’s just not me,” I muttered to myself. I walked toward the checkout lane. Then the television images began to fill my head. The skinny women in bathing suits skipping across the sandy beach. “I lost five pounds in five days!” they sang. (If anything these women needed to gain five pounds.) I looked down at my jeans and remembered how it took a good minute to 90 seconds to put them on earlier that morning. (They were fresh out of the dryer, but that excuse was getting a little old.)

The last time I weighed this much I was nine months pregnant with my first child.

Ughh! I headed back to the display. I picked up the can of the milk chocolate-flavored drink.

“I could drink one of these in the morning,” I thought to myself. Then have a frozen dinner for lunch and a salad for dinner, with the fruit in between meals. “I could do that,” I said under my breath.

So I picked up a six-pack of the stuff, and with the nervousness of a husband buying feminine products for his wife, quickly threw it in the cart. What would the grocery clerk think? She’d probably smile to herself and think the same thing I was thinking as I watched the people eagerly hit the weights just one week before. But unlike me, she kept her thoughts to herself. Now there’s a New Year’s Resolution I should really take to heart…think before I speak!

So, to all the New Year’s resolutioners, I formally and sincerely apologize. I’d raise my glass of milk chocolate-flavored diet drink, but I threw out the six-pack after one sip. Turns out for the same calories, I can eat a bowl of oatmeal and not wince as it goes down. Cheers!

AROUND TOWN

RAFT Your Home

By Pierre J. Moeser Are you tired of tripping over suitcases, piling laundry on the guest beds, and catching mugs as they tumble from the overloaded cupboard? It could be that your home has become a repository for life’s odds and ends rather than a rest haven for your soul. Excess stuff blocks your view, shrinks your living space, and generally distracts from your enjoyment of your home. So how does one keep the clutter from taking over?

The key is truly de-clutter. Get rid of the things that don’t belong in your home in the first place.

We have all made the mistakes of keeping clothes with holes (“it’ll be a work shirt,”) chipped plates, and other things that should have already been donated or thrown out.

Do you need a technique for reclaiming your home? Use the R-AF-T system to float away all the clutter. RAFT stands for Redirect, Act, File, Trash.

To avoid feeling overwhelmed, start with just one room, or just one closet in one room. You’ll do better if you set an achievable goal.

Start by removing everything that isn’t nailed down. Now, pick up one removed object at a time and act on it based on its classification into one of four categories designated by the letters R-A-F-T. R is for Redirect. Anything you cannot or do not use and is in good condition needs to be redirected. Return what you have borrowed.

Give the rest to someone who can use it or donate it to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Society, etc. Hint: if you haven’t worn that “extra” sweater in two years, it needs to go.

A is for Act. Beware of making this a project pile. Be realistic. If you find pictures you want to hang on the wall, do it now. A stamp collection that you spend time with and still enjoy can be put away for later (see next paragraph).

You may come across projects that once held your interest, but no longer seem like something you would do (i.e. a birdhouse kit). This does not belong in the Act pile. Act on the projects you can do now.

F is for file. This is the source of most clutter. It includes filing away operating manuals, tax receipts, and other important papers; and it also refers to everything that has not

been redirected, acted upon, or thrown out. Here you need to be brutal. Don’t keep what you don’t need. Four beds don’t require 20 sets of bedding.

Keeping things “just in case” only make sense if it is realistic. Keeping an eight-track player is not realistic. Don’t make it a project to transfer poor quality songs. Don’t donate outdated things.

T is for Trash. Many things simply can’t be redirected or acted upon. However, these rediscovered objects do not always need a home. Try to visualize a garbage truck parked outside your home. Your family, friends, and the Salvation Army can’t use old magazines, worn out clothes, rusted nails, etc. Do the planet a favor and recycle what you can. The rest belongs in the garbage truck.

When you finish RAFTing the first area, your home will look and feel larger. Enjoy your reclaimed space and plan for your next time and area to RAFT.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Oscar Watch 2012:

Glenn Close and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are Two to Watch

BY STEVE BRYAN

Although 2011 saw the end of the “Harry Potter” franchise and the beginning of the end for “The Twilight Saga,” this past year has not been filled with big, event films and movies destined to become classics. Still, a few films and performances have managed to rise above the rest of the pack, making themselves front-runners for an Academy Award nomination.

Glenn Close turns in a strong performance in “Albert Nobbs,” the story of a woman living life as a man in 19th Century Ireland. Close, who has been a champion of this story for years, is excellent here, but she’s eclipsed by Janet McTeer’s performance as Nobbs’ very sympathetic friend. Now playing the film festival circuit, “Albert Nobbs” is scheduled for a limited theatrical run in January.

Brad Pitt has earned some Oscar buzz for his performance in “Moneyball,” a sports drama that’s based on real-life events. Pitt plays Billy Beane, a failed baseball player who became part of the Oakland A’s management staff. Beane popularized the idea that a baseball team could become championship material by fielding those players who can produce the most runs.

An underappreciated film, “The Devil’s Double” contains a brilliant dual performance by Dominic Cooper as Uday Hussein and his official “bullet catcher” Latif Yahia. Based on Yahia’s memoir, it shows how Hussein transformed the soldier into his body double through training and cosmetic surgery. By inserting or removing a mouthpiece, Cooper makes each character distinct

and deserves Academy Award consideration for his efforts.

“Win Win,” a quiet little sports film, was one of the sleeper hits of 2011. Paul Giamatti plays Mike Flaherty, an attorney who moonlights as the coach of a mediocre wrestling squad. Flaherty finds himself in an ethical dilemma when he agrees to become the paid caretaker of Leo (Burt Young), one of his clients. Leo also happens to have a grandson (Alex Shaffer) who is one of the top young wrestlers in the country.

In “The Help,” a somewhat controversial movie, Octavia Spencer is outstanding as Minny Jackson, a maid working in Mississippi during the early days of the Civil Rights movement. An outspoken wife and mother, Minny helps a budding journalist write an expose about maids and their employers. The book’s release eventually turns the entire town upside-down and prompts some social change.

Further establishing himself as an actor to watch, Joseph Gordon-Levitt takes the lead role in “50/50,” the story of a young man who receives a devastating cancer diagnosis. Gordon-Levitt plays Adam Lerner, a twenty-something radio producer who has to deal with chemotherapy and a girlfriend who can’t handle the situation. Gordon-Levitt’s nuanced performance here should put him on the short list of Best Actor nominees.

Nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards will be announced on January 24 at 7:30 a.m. CST.

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AROUND TOWN

JANUARY 2012 CrossRoads Magazine

COMMUNITY CALENDAR January

Youth Sports Winter Basketball Registration Registration at the Tri-County Family YMCA continues through January 9. Practice begins the week of January 23 and the season begins February 4. These are noncompetitive leagues where children learn character values and the fundamentals of the sport through league play and practice. For children in kindergarten through 8th grade. For more information call Matt Thompson at 636.332.5574 or visit www. ymcasttlouis.org/tricounty.

January

Double Header COED Softball Leagues Register now. Swing into spring and join the Lake Saint Louis softball league. This “Open League” will be a 6-week (12 game) regular season, plus a single elimination playoff format. Games will be played on Sunday evenings at Founders Park begin-

January 2

2012 Youth Baseball/Softball Registration For boys and girls, ages 5 to 15.

Please view the parks and recreation section of our website for age specific league details and registration information. www.lakesaintlouis.com

January 5

BJC Home Care Services Caregiver Class 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the BJC St. Peters Hospital campus in the Siteman Center conference room. Learn what caregiver classes will offer, including dietary ideas and simple mechanics for safely moving patients. For more information, please call 314.575.3983.

January 28

“That’s an important number,” he said. “I need 35 coaches in Wentzville and I need them to talk to two people a year, and we’re there. Our program is measurable. In St. Charles and Warren Counties we know we need 1,000 degrees per year. With 500 coaches, we’ve reached that. Once they’ve helped one person, you can’t stop them. They want to share this information with them all of the time. We have one or two coaches working with seven people. It’s not a matter of hours and hours of drudgery and helping kids with their homework. It’s being an advocate.”

In addition, GAP1 aims to honor the dedication and dignity of vocational work. Lambi said many people go through and attain a four-year degree with no idea how to turn that into a job.

“We’re directing people to technical degrees, and there are 600,000 residents with no access to that type of education,” he said.

“We’re working very hard to bring vocational technical campus to CROSSROADS JANUARY 2012

E-mail: cnews@centurytel.net Fax: 636.379.1632 Mail: 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr. O’Fallon, MO 63366

ning this April. For more information please visit www.lakesaintlouis.com

Graduate America Priority 1

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To see your organization’s event listed here, please contact us.

Strong Community Trivia Night Doors open at 6 p.m. and trivia begins at 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Pezold Banquet and Meeting Center. Cost is $160 per table of eight and includes beer. Heads or tails, dead or alive, 50/50 drawings and raffles are a part of this fun evening. Cash bar available. Bring your own snacks. Register online at www.ymcastlouis.org/ofallon, or call the O’Fallon Family YMCA at 636.379.0092.

February 10

Father & Daughter Sweetheart Dance Held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Come and enjoy a night full of fun, excitement and dancing, complete with dinner and sundae bar, music provided by a live DJ, and a complementary photograph. This event is designed for dads with daughters 3 to 10 years old. For more information please visit www.lakesaintlouis.com

continued from page 4

St. Charles County. We have a great community college and private school, but there is nothing here if you wanted to pursue a Masters’ degree in engineering. St. Louis University Park College is interested in opening a satellite here, and we may be talking with Missouri S & T, too.”

In conjunction with training the coaches, Lambi said GAP 1 is interviewing 500 employers between now and the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2012.

“We’re asking them what skills are missing and what curriculum they would like to see that isn’t available in our community right now,” he said. “That may help develop an employer-driven curriculum.”

Want to help? Need help? For more information about GAP1, please visit www.gap1.org.

AROUND TOWN

Safe Shoveling Tips With Jack Frost nipping at our toes, keep in mind that outdoor activities can be risky. Snow shoveling, for example, can be especially dangerous. Exercise experts say shoveling heavy snow requires as much energy as running 9 miles per hour! In addition, breathing cold air and being exposed to the cold all make the heart work harder.

If you are over 45, sedentary, smoke, have elevated blood pressure, are overweight, and/or have a heart condition, play it safe and get someone else to do the shoveling.

Experts warn that snow shoveling is not the exercise to use to start getting in shape.

To prevent injury: • Don’t shovel snow after smoking or eating a heavy meal — these activities put an extra load on our cardiovascular system.

• Dress in layers so clothing can be peeled off as the body becomes warm. Overheating puts extra strain on the heart.

• Wear a scarf over nose and mouth to avoid breathing cold air.

duce strain on the heart and back.

• Use a shovel with a small scoop and keep loads light and small.

• Stay hydrated! You are sweating more than you realize. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids before and after shoveling to replenish the fluids lost in the process.

• Wear a hat to retain body heat.

• Pace yourself by taking frequent rest breaks.

• Shovel safely by bending legs slightly at the knee, letting thigh muscles do most of the pushing and lifting work — this will re-

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JANUARY 2012 CROSSROADS 11

AROUND TOWN

WENTZVILLE - Chamber News

BY TONY MATHEWS

2012 Wentzville Chamber Award Winners The Wentzville Chamber of Commerce is extremely proud to recognize the following outstanding individuals and businesses as our 2012 Wentzville Chamber Award winners. Congratulations to our Business of the Year, Thieman’s Carpet Company owned and operated by Tony Thieman; Wentzville Chamber Volunteer of the Year, Shannon Beene with the Community News; You Made it Happen Award for enhancing our community to Friends of the Wentzville Parks and the City of Wentzville Parks and Recreation for Project Parks; and the Above and Beyond Award for exceptional customer services to Wheel Sports Bicycle Shop & Skateboards, owned and

operated by Steve and Kimberley Padilla.

The awards will be bestowed on our winners at the Wentzville Chamber Celebration Ball to be held on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at Bear Creek Golf Club from 6:30 to 11:00 p.m. The Celebration Ball is open to the public and will include the awards ceremony, dinner, dancing, prizes, and more.

Tickets to the Blizzard Ball are $40, which includes the ceremony, dinner, an open bar and entertainment. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Wentzville Chamber of Commerce at 636.327.6914.

Wentzville Chamber Launches New Logo Over time every business and organization evolves to reflect the changes taking place in their community. The Wentzville Commerce was incorporated in 1984 as a group of dedicated businesses who saw a need to serve and connect fellow businesses in the area. Over time the Wentzville Chamber of Commerce has adopted new logos to reflect the community and businesses we serve. It is with a progressive vision for the future that the Wentzville Chamber of Commerce takes the next step as a business organization and launches our new Wentzville Chamber Logo on January 1, 2012.

The chamber is excited about this change as we usher in a new era of business growth and strength by placing importance on chamber membership, working with local community organizations and strengthening the Wentzville business community. In the coming weeks the chamber will be launching new additions to our website, www.wentzvillechamber.com and placing new “Shop Wentzville Chamber First” decals at local businesses.

For more information about our local business members please visit our website, www.wentzvillechamber.com, call us at 636.327.6914, or visit us at 113 E. Pearce Blvd.,

Wentzville Chamber Hosts Two Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies The Wentzville Chamber of Commerce hosted two ribbon cutting ceremonies for local businesses and organizations recently. The businesses and organizations that held ribbon cutting were City of Wentzville Parks and Recreation for Memorial Park and Lesa’s Home Décor and Antiques.

City of Wentzville Parks and Recreation made great improvements to Wentzville’s Memorial Park. They added new playground equipment, park benches, a swing set and more! Memorial Park is located at 1419 Kathleen Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385.

Lesa’s Home Décor and Antiques is a wonderful store filled with furniture, pictures, home accessories and more. With items added

Lesa’s Home Décor and Antiques

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CROSSROADS JANUARY 2012

daily you will certainly discover something for your home. Lesa’s is located at 407 E. Pearce Blvd., Wentzville, MO 63385. For more information please call, 636.327.0066.

To see pictures and find out more information about these ribbon cuttings please visit www.wentzvillechamber.com and click on the Wentzville Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page.

Representatives of each business, the Wentzville Chamber of Commerce and the City of Wentzville helped cut the ceremonial ribbons. For more information please contact the Wentzville Chamber of Commerce at 636.327-.914 or visit us online at www. wentzvillechamber.com.

Photos courtesy Wentzville Chamber of Commerce

Wentzville’s Memorial Park

Photo Op PHOTOS BY RAY ROCKWELL

Wentzville Christmas Walk Photographer Ray Rockwell was on hand for the annual Christmas Walk through Rotary Park.

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JANUARY 2012 CROSSROADS

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LIFESTYLES

Phonaphobia I’ve mentioned more than once that I dislike telephones. It’s not that I’m against the device; I’m against the invasion of privacy having one often creates. Of course, there are other factors as well; one of which is phone companies that often rank up there with auto warranty companies undergoing fraud investigations.

Imagine the public furor that would develop if a two-year contract was required to have utilities connected to your home or business such as gas and electric with gobbledygook fine print additions to run the bills up. I have one friend that quit signing cell phone service contracts and buys throwaway cell phones instead.

I have to admit, after being a father of three daughters and a working manager of a repair shop, I got pretty tired of ringing telephones.

At home, my daughters could no more resist answering the infernal device than the Lab could resist foraging in the neighbor’s trash. If we forbade them phone use to punish them for bad behavior, they almost suffered bug-eyed convulsions when they weren’t allowed to answer it.

I’ve never seen a female teenager that could resist answering a telephone for more than 20 seconds, but I’m sure there are some who can. I just never met any.

To be fair, I’ve met

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some older male versions that can’t resist, either. One in particular must use enough minutes on his cell phone to receive thank you letters from the telephone company. If he isn’t jabbering on it, he’s texting somebody. My late father’s bookie didn’t use the phone as much as he does. Bless his soul; he passed on to that great betting parlor in the sky. Probably died of microwaves turning his cerebral cortex into oatmeal.

Since Facebook became a big deal, many started using it as a means of communication…between phone calls, I assume. While I’m not a big fan of Facebook, I sometimes use it to stay in touch with various friends and enemies. I soon regretted it and found myself blocking some friends who evidently don’t have a life. Several must have a laptop next to everything they do 24/7. The whole world was privy to everything from what their dog did on the rug to various grocery shopping or bathroom cleaning tasks. Thankfully, they didn’t include what they were doing in the shower with their significant others, but it might have been more interesting. But then, watching grass grow is more interesting.

Why would somebody describe their boring daily routines for public perusal? I don’t get it.

Back to telephones. A young man texting on a cell phone caused a major accident involving his pickup truck, two school buses and a semi truck. There were injuries and deaths, including his own. The federal authorities are now considering national laws against cell phone use while driving. One wonders how much telephone company lobbyists will pay to get that one tabled.

I admit I’m more autonomous than most, and it causes some folks to believe I’m avoiding them at times because I dislike telephones. I understand their concern but I can’t help it. I was raised in the country when phones were heavy wooden wall-mounted instruments with hand cranks and later replaced by black dial telephones. Kids usually weren’t allowed to use them. They had to talk face-to-face with their friends while their mothers chattered on our party line. They were often threatened by fathers trying to call their bosses.

I didn’t hear of anyone getting shot. I suppose that was good but I wouldn‘t bet on it.

AROUND TOWN

Wentzville School District Announces “Teachers of the Year” Jessica Karll, a third grade teacher at Discovery Ridge Elementary, has been selected as the Wentzville School District Teacher of the Year for 2012.

Candidates are judged on the respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues. Selection is also based on their ability to inspire and educate students of all backgrounds and abilities.

“I feel very blessed to work in a district that’s so dedicated to kids,” Karll said. “It makes me proud to know that I’m doing what’s best for students each and every day. I have the resources and the great people behind me here, because I couldn’t do it alone.”

Karll has taught in the district for four years, and helped open Discovery Ridge. She serves as the school’s Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) chair, and her classroom has been selected as a model for district professional development. In 2011 Karll’s students and the Discovery Ridge third-grade team achieved MAP scores in both Math and Communication Arts that were among the top scores in St. Charles and St. Louis counties. She co-chairs the school’s CharacterPlus character education efforts and serves on the District Communication Arts Committee.

“Jessica is one of those individuals who was born to be a teacher,” said Discovery Ridge Principal Laura Bates. “Her joy and infectious commitment to progress bring out the best in our students and Flooring_march2011_b:Layout 1 2/8/11 4:11 PM Page 1 staff.”

As the winner of the District Teacher of the Year, Karll is now eligible to compete in the Missouri Teacher of the Year program, which is conducted annually by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in conjunction with the National Teacher of the Year program.

During the District Teacher of the Year process, each school in the District also selected their Teacher of the Year: Holt High - Constance Hallemeier Timberland High - Matthew Smith Frontier Middle - Shannon Griesenauer South Middle - Beverly McMahon Wentzville Middle - Mark Clampitt Boone Trail Elementary - Kelly Raney Crossroads Elementary - Jill Williams Discovery Ridge Elementary - Jessica Karll Duello Elementary - Malerie Roberts Green Tree Elementary - Stephanie Airoldi Heritage Primary - Amy Rose Heritage Intermediate - Heidi Prouhet Lakeview Elementary - Amy Prebianca Peine Ridge Elementary - Cindy Owens Prairie View Elementary - Angela Donley Quail Ridge Early Childhood - Shara Cooper

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(636) 462-6326 FAX (636) 528-7252 • www.TroyFlooringCenter.com JANUARY 2012 CROSSROADS 15

FOOD

Delicious, Guilt-Free Ways to Satisfy Winter Cravings (Family Features) When cold weather hits, so do comfort-food cravings. And although comfort foods like cookies and quesadillas taste great, they’re not so great for your waistline.

To help you satisfy your cravings without winter weight gain, here are some tasty tips from “Hungry Girl” Lisa Lillien’s new book, Hungry Girl Supermarket Survival: Aisle by Aisle, HG-Style!

• Check out the seasonal options of tea bags that pop up during the holidays, such as candy cane or sugar cookie. You’ll get sweet satisfaction without all the calories.

• Dunk-a-fruit. Grab some orange segments and dip them in a sugar-free vanilla pudding snack cup. Or, plunge some apple slices into no-sugar-added caramel pudding.

• Portion-controlled cheeses are ideal for protein-packed snacking on the go. Mini Babybel® Light cheeses come in a protective red wax that makes them perfect for tossing into your purse to fuel your various shopping excursions.

• It’s easy to overdo it when pouring dressing straight from the bottle onto your salad. And those calories add up fast if you double or triple the serving size. So portion out a serving first, and consider using the dip-don’t-pour method to make it go further.

• To make the most of a single serving of brown rice, stir in tons of diced veggies, fresh or thawed from frozen. Peas, carrots, bean sprouts, broccoli, coleslaw, shredded cabbage and finely chopped cauliflower are all great for this. Another tip? Don’t make rice your main course.

Fill your plate with lean protein and veggies and then enjoy a serving of fluffy rice on the side.

• For a spreadable, meltable, super-creamy and deliciously mild snack, try The Laughing Cow® Light Cheese Wedges, each with 35 calories and 1.5 to 2 grams of fat. They can be spread on apple or pear slices or even used in a gooey-good quesadilla recipe.

For more tasty ideas to keep you satisfied, visit www.thelaughingcow.com and www.hungry-girl.com.

Hungry Girl’s Hey Mambo! Veggie Italiano Quesadilla Makes 1 serving INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup canned cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 large low carb/high fiber tortilla with about 110 calories 1 wedge The Laughing Cow® Light Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil cheese 1/4 cup sliced zucchini 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 piece Mini Babybel® Light cheese, chopped Optional toppings: low-fat marinara sauce, fat-free sour cream Place beans in blender or food processor with 1 tablespoon water; blend until mostly smooth. (Or place beans in bowl with 1 tablespoon water and mash with fork.) Add Italian seasoning and mix well.

Lay tortilla flat; spread half of the upward-facing side with bean mixture. Spread cheese wedge on other half; set aside.

Bring skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on stove. Add veggies and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer veggies to side of tortilla spread with cheese wedge.

Top veggies evenly with chopped cheese. Fold bean-covered side of tortilla over other side and press gently to seal, forming quesadilla.

Remove skillet from heat, re-spray with nonstick spray, and return to medium-high heat. Place quesadilla in skillet; cook for about 2 minutes per side, until outside is toasty and inside is hot.

Cut into triangles and, if you like, top or serve with marinara sauce or sour cream.

Per Serving (entire quesadilla): 295 calories, 8g fat, 858mg sodium, 44.5g carbs, 11g fiber, 5g sugars, 18.5g protein 16 CROSSROADS JANUARY 2012

15

AROUND TOWN

Discover Nature with Eagle Days MDC offers events at locations around the state along with other viewing opportunities.

Missouri’s winter eagle watching is spectacular as large numbers of our national symbol congregate along Missouri rivers, lakes and wetlands. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages people to discover nature through the following Eagle Days events, which include live eagle programs, exhibits, activities, videos, guides with spotting scopes and refreshments: • Old Chain of Rock Bridge, St. Louis south of I-270 off Riverview Drive, on January 14-15 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 314.877.1309.

• Lock & Dam 24 and Apple Shed Theater with driving tour at Ted Shanks Conservation Area, Clarksville, on January 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and January 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call 660.785.2420.

Can’t make Eagle Days? View eagles in the wild at numerous locations throughout the state including: • Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area off Route K southwest of Columbia • Lock & Dam 24 in Clarksville • Lock & Dam 25 east of Winfield • Old Chain of Rocks Bridge south of I-270 off of Riverview Drive in St. Louis • Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary east of West Alton Dress for the weather and don’t forget cameras and binoculars.

For an MDC brochure on Eagle Days, visit www.mdc.mo.gov and search “Eagle Days.”

16

Photos by Ray Rockwell

JANUARY 2012 CROSSROADS 17

AROUND TOWN

LAKE SAINT LOUIS - DARDENNE PRAIRIE

BY GENA BREYNE Chamber News Welcome New Members The Lake Saint Louis Dardenne Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to present our newest members. These new members join the more than 200 local businesses that are proud to be known as members of the LSLDP Area Chamber. To find more information on any of our members please visit www.lsldpchamber.com.

John Lutgen Consulting John Lutgen Wentzville, MO 63385

Missouri Wine and Gifts James Watkins 2167 West Terra Lane O’Fallon, MO 63366 636.639.9808 www.missouriwineandgift.com

True Health Chiropractic Brandon Jackson 1258 Bryan Road O’Fallon, MO 63366 636.614.4111 www.staytruechiro.com

Verified Service Reports Mark Wanstreet 167 Lamp and Lantern Village #161 Chesterfield, MO 63017 314.808.3245 www.VerifiedServiceReports.com

Ribbon Cuttings: The Lake Saint Louis Dardenne Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate the members who have held recent ribbon cuttings. Representatives of the businesses and the LSLDP Chamber of Commerce helped cut the ceremonial ribbons. For more information on the Lake Saint Louis Dardenne Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce please contact us at 636.755.5335 or visit us online at www. lsldpchamber.com Jorens Family Agency – Farmer’s Insurance Gary Weber – Edward Jones Susan Jorens 2032 Hanley Road, Suite 223 2032 Hanley Road, Suite 230 Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368 Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368 636.695.2691 636.755.5330 www.farmersagent.com/sjorens

Jorens Family Agency - Farmer’s Insurance

Gary Weber - Edward Jones Photos courtesy of Lake Saint Louis/Dardenne Prairie Chamber

18 CROSSROADS JANUARY 2012

AROUND TOWN

Winter car care can keep your vehicle running through the cold

By Roger Meissen Winter can wear on cars and trucks, but a little preparation will keep vehicles running well throughout its coldest days.

A simple checklist starts with the battery. A cold car battery can’t deliver as much current. If your car has an aging battery, you might want to see if it will be up to the job by having it load tested.

“A load tester, available at auto parts stores, may be a worthwhile purchase for checking sealed, maintenance-free batteries,” said Bob Schultheis, University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist. “Many auto parts stores will test batteries for free or for a nominal charge.”

Corrosion can build up on the battery terminals and will make the vehicle hard to start. Remove the battery cables and clean any white or green corrosion from the terminals, cable ends and battery top using a paste of baking soda and water. Rinse with water and dry the battery surface. Scrape away oxide buildup on the electrical connections using a wire brush or knife. Reattach the cables and spread a thin film of grease on the connections to slow future corrosion.

Motorists often overlook antifreeze maintenance until the radiator freezes up or the car overheats. Experts recommend flushing engine coolant every two years and replacing any radiator hoses and engine drive belts that are more than 4 years old to avoid sudden failures. Check the owner’s manual for the proper antifreeze and refill the radiator with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water to restore engine protection to minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tires can also cause problems as temperatures drop. For every 10-degree drop in temperature, tires lose about a pound per square inch of air pressure.

If you last refilled tires when temperatures were above 90 degrees, at nearfreezing temperatures your tires will be running at least 5 psi low, causing tire wear and reduced gas mileage.

“For the best ride, inflate to the pressures recommended in the vehicle owner’s manual or on the driver’s door frame,” advised Schultheis. “Better gas mileage is possible at higher pressures, but do not inflate beyond the maximum pressure printed on the tire sidewall.”

During periods of cold weather, change the engine oil and filter according to the “severe service” maintenance schedule in the vehicle owner’s manual. “Use a multigrade oil such as SAE 10W-30 or 5W-20 to give easier winter starting. The owner’s manual will give the recommended SAE grade and API service classification number,” Schultheis said.

Don’t forget windshield wipers. Check the washer nozzles for plugging and aim. Replace weatherworn blades more than a year old. Scrub your windshield clean of grit and grime before running new blades to avoid damaging them. Replenish washer fluid with a solution that gives freeze protection.

If a car or truck continues to be a challenge to start, it’s probably time for a tune-up. Check or replace air, fuel and smog filters.

Clean and re-gap spark plugs. Vacuum-check the engine and finetune any electronic carburetion or fuel injection controls.

www.kristalcleanco.com JANUARY 2012 CROSSROADS 19

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