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SEPTEMBER spotlight
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2012 contents
Volunteers Needed for 9/11 Day of Service by Shelly A. Schneider
lifestyle
6
Sometimes Bad is Bad by Shelly A. Schneider
14
Discounts or Else by Joe Morice
entertainment
9
Home Run Showdown Now on DVD by Steve Bryan
VOL 8 | NO 9
food
16
photo op
13
Tailgating Gone Gourmet courtesy of Family Features
Rams Training Camp photos by Ray Rockwell
Published monthly with direct mail circulation to Wentzville and Lake Saint Louis, plus newsstands in Troy.
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around town
Mayor to Hold Coffee Talk Meetings 5 BIG Day
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7
Furry Friends May Enhance, Extend Human Life
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Patriot Day 5K Run/Walk United Way’s $72 Million Goal
8 10
Community Calendar
12
Western St. Charles Co. Chamber News
15
Divorced Couples’ Co-Parenting
17
Warning Signs of Home Electrical Fires Restricted Parking on S. Linn Avenue
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Curiosity + Heroin a Deadly Combination
19
Wentzville Mayor to Speak at Anti-Heroin Rally
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SEPTEMBER 2012 CROSSROADS
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SPOTLIGHT
Volunteers Needed for 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance BY SHELLY A. SCHNEIDER
United Way of Greater St. Louis is seeking more than 1,000 volunteers to participate in the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 8. United Way has planned multiple projects throughout the metro area to pay tribute to the victims and courageous heroes of the 9/11 attacks. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this day of service, including groups, families and individuals. The locations secured for this year are: • St. Charles County, Mo. − At the O’Fallon Municipal Center, volunteer tasks will focus on helping those who have served our country. Tasks include: preparing care packages for soldiers, cleaning Veterans Memorial Walk and painting the police firing range. • St. Louis County, Mo. − Volunteers will get firsthand experience in historical preservation, helping with the maintenance of the 137-year-old Greenwood Cemetery. Greenwood, located in Hillsdale, is the final resting place of numerous influential people and veterans; some graves date back to the American Civil War. Large groups are invited to organize their own individual service projects during the week leading up to the event. 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance began in 2002 by victims’ families. Their mission was to unite Americans in service, much like the country did in the wake of the attacks. In 2009, the United States Congress declared September 11 to be a national day of service and remembrance. In past years, United Way has sent thousands of volunteers out into the community on this day. Tim Lartonoix, an employee of Edward Jones, said about 25
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employees will participate in the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. “We work with United Way throughout the year,” Lartonoix said. “The firm allows every associate a paid day off for community service – Day of Caring projects – and we plan Saturday community events.” The Edward Jones employees will help in O’Fallon, Mo. with community beautification, some painting, and other projects. Lartonoix said Edward Jones is very involved with United Way. “One thing we noticed is that not everyone can give financially (to the United Way annual campaign),” he said. “Those who want to donate their time may write the number of hours they wish to donate on the pledge card.” United Way works with its agencies to come up with projects for the Edward Jones employees. “We’ve painted buildings, worked at food banks, and we’ve gone to Crisis Nursery and played with the kids,” Lartonoix said. He was involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters during college, and wanted to get involved again, once he established roots in his community. “I enjoy the Saturday morning events,” he said. “It’s a good way to start your weekend…just a couple of hours in the morning on a Saturday.” Those interested in volunteering can contact United Way at 314.539.4298 or remember@stl.unitedway.org. For additional information, please visit www.stl.unitedway.org/stlremembers. aspx.
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AROUND TOWN
Mayor Will Hold Coffee Talk Meetings at City Hall Wentzville Ward 3 Alderman Nick Guccione held monthly Coffee Talk meetings with residents to provide him an opportunity to meet them face-to-face and discuss issues and questions that concerned them. Four months after his election as mayor, Guccione has decided to resume these monthly, informal, face-to-face meetings. Coffee Talk with the Mayor meetings will be held from 12:30 – 2 p.m. on the third Sunday of every month at Wentzville’s City Hall, 310 West Pearce Boulevard. As before, Guccione plans for these meetings to be informal opportunities to meet with residents. “I learn so much from residents at these meetings,” he said. “When we are able to sit down over cups of coffee and just talk about what is going on in our city and our community at large, everyone comes out with a better understanding of how city government can and should work.”
Although residents can come to the Coffee Talk meetings with no particular questions in mind, Guccione also invites residents to e-mail or call him ahead of time with questions they might have. “There are some things that I might have to check into before I can give an answer,” he said, “and, if possible, I like to answer these questions at the meetings. If one person has a question about something, you can almost bet there are other people with the same question. Our residents are able to exchange ideas and play off of each other at these meetings—we all come away better for the experience.” Guccione also said if residents would like to host a Coffee Talk meeting in their subdivision or would like him to attend a Home Owners’ Association meeting, he would be happy to do so. Residents may email their questions or meeting requests to Mayor Guccione at mayor1@wentzvillemo.org, or call him at 636.639.0354.
The BIG Day! To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, the entire community is invited to The BIG (Believe in Girls) Day on Sept. 22 at Soldiers Memorial Park in downtown St. Louis. The day will start at 11 a.m. with a parade. The Girl Scouts want to show the community the unity they have as an organization and celebrate the landmark 100th anniversary. The parade will start at the intersection of 18th and Market St. and will continue down Market St. to Broadway. The FamFest begins at 1 p.m. The FamFest will consist of activities for the entire family, and 100 vendors, so there will be something for everyone. There will be interactive science activities provided by MySci, animal adoptions provided by the Animal Protective
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Agency, classic cars, service projects, mobile tennis courts, crafts, musical theatre activities, a climbing wall and much more. There are sure to be great activities for kids of all ages and interests. The Girl Scouts are also partnering with Disney to bring several big name talent surprises to perform at the event! Girls and their families can also register to be VIPs for $10. Benefits for being a VIP include an official 100th anniversary T-shirt, admittance to the VIP area, special Girl Scout activities, participation in the flash mob, and more surprises. To become a VIP or find out more information about the BIG Day, visit www.girlscoutsem.org and click on The BIG Day.
www.ofallonnutrition.com www.ofallonnutrition.com www.ofallonnutrition.com SEPTEMBER 2012 CROSSROADS
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LIFESTYLE
Sometimes Bad is Bad Part of my job as editor for Community News and CrossRoads is to proof the publications before they go to press. I’m putting myself in quite the delicate position by admitting that, because now when you (dear, sweet reader) find mistakes, you’ll know who to blame. But, in fact, editing is part of the editor’s job. Makes sense, right? It’s also my job to select the content that appears in each publication. I go through thousands of emails to determine what should go in, what should stay out, and what should be forwarded to the Attorney General’s office for review (kidding). One such email recently appeared in the inbox, from a candidate for Missouri State Senate. This candidate, a politician, made a commitment to “put politics aside.” Not only was the statement in the copy, it was the very first sentence! I giggled. “This person is a politician, so why would he put politics aside?” I asked out loud, to no one in particular. The word, politician, is defined in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as, “a person experienced in the art or science of government; especially: one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government.” The term was first used in 1589, 60 years after the word “politics” was first used. There’s a reason I did not major in linguistics. It’s fascinating, but there are so many aspects to this science! Same reason I didn’t become a doctor…there are so many muscles, bones, diseases, etc. (and all with really weird names that smart people use to trip young children during spelling bees!). Who knew a doctor and a linguist would have that much in common? I dug a little deeper, and found semantic change comes in all shapes and sizes. “Um, Shelly…what kind of change? Isn’t that a bad word?” No, no. Semantic change. You’re thinking “Semitic.” And no, that’s not a bad word. Semitic is defined as a subfamily of Afroasiatic lan-
BY SHELLY A. SCHNEIDER
guages that includes Akkadian, Arabic, Aramaic, Ethiopic, Hebrew, and Phoenician. Anti-Semitic, however, is a person who persecutes or discriminates against Jews. Semantic means of, pertaining to, or arising from the different meanings of words or other symbols: semantic change; semantic confusion. For example, the word awful originally meant “inspiring wonder (or fear).” Used originally as a shortening for “full of awe,” in contemporary usage the word usually has negative meaning. That is a good example of semantic change. Now let’s combine the two…just for fun! Using the older meaning of the word awful, ask yourself, would an awful politician be in such fear of the business of government that he would put politics aside? Don’t worry, it doesn’t make any sense to me, either. But now I’m beginning to understand how a politician can say one thing and get really confused when someone else questions his or her statement. While researching, I discovered that a mouse can be more than one thing, but both are nouns. I had a difficult time coming up with two forms of the same word that had opposite meanings. For example, would a doctor doctor insurance forms to get more money (noun and verb respectively)? Maybe that example is a form of auto-antonymy: change of a word’s sense and concept to the complementary opposite, e.g., bad in the slang sense of “good.” Sorry, I went off on a tangent there. But maybe you learned a little something today. I feel a little sad for the politician whose press release got me going on this whole rant. How does he feel? He must have been called to this profession, and I would sincerely hope that most who start out in the field of politics do so to create a better city, state or country. Is he conflicted when he states he’ll commit himself to putting politics aside? Hey, wait a minute! I found another great word with opposite meanings…commit! Maybe all politicians should be so committed! Ha! Confused? Me, too. In the words of Huey Lewis and the News, “sometimes bad is bad.”
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AROUND TOWN
Furry Friends May Enhance, Extend Human Life Information courtesy of MissouriFamilies.org (University of Missouri Extension) Many studies have proven that having a soft cat or a warm dog is good for the human soul. “Scientists have noticed that owning and handling animals significantly benefits health. Research has found that pets may help older adults live longer, healthier and more enjoyable lives,” said Renette Wardlow, a human development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. There are a number of explanations for exactly how pets offer health benefits. First of all, pets need walking, feeding, grooming, and encourage lots of playing and petting. All of these activities require action from owners, which in turn, benefits the cardiovascular system and helps keep joints limber and flexible. “Consistently performing this minor exercise can keep pet owners able to carry out the normal activities of daily living,” Wardlow said. Pets also aid people by providing some physical contact. Studies have shown that when people pet animals, their blood pressure, heart rate and temperature decrease. Pets are also a great source of companionship — they act as a support system for older people who do not have any family or close friends nearby. “Some studies show that people with pets are able to remain more emotionally stable during a crisis than do people without pets,” Wardlow said. Pets also work as a buffer against social isolation. For people who have trouble leaving home to see other people, pets fill the void by giving people the interaction they need. “This can help combat depression, one of the most common medical problems facing seniors today,” Wardlow said. “The responsibility of caring for an animal may also give the elderly a sense of purpose, a reason to get up in the morning.” A few additional health benefits of having a pet include a reduction in stress and anxiety, improvement of mood, promoting heart health, enhanced immune system, a www.vincesasianbistro.com more balanced life, and motivation to eat and sleep better. “Seniors with pets will be the first to tell us that pets bring happiness. Receiving a warm, fuzzy welcome first thing in the morning from a furry friend gives the best feeling in the world,” Wardlow said. SEPTEMBER 2012 CROSSROADS
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Patriot Day 5K Run/Walk The Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree, St. Patrick’s Assembly #2620 (Wentzville), is hosting a Patriot’s Day Run/Walk on Sunday, Sept. 9 at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo. The race is tentatively scheduled for 8 a.m., and the awards ceremony is tentatively scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Runners will make their way around the 9-11 Memorial near O’Fallon’s City Hall. There will also be a 1-mile fun run/walk and a quarter-mile Soldier March for the kids. After the race, there will be many booths and activities for runners and their families, including fire trucks and emergency equipment for the whole family! The Pa-
triot Day Run will remind Americans of the past, and help us respond to the growing need we have to support the men and women who serve us and make our freedom possible. Pre-registration is closed, but race-day registration is available. The quarter-mile march is $15; the one-mile walk is $20; and the 5K and 10K runs are $30. Proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project and The BackStoppers organization. The race will be timed by Big River Running in O’Fallon, Mo. For more information, please email kofcpatriotsdayrun@gmail.com
United Way of Greater St. Louis Announces $72 Million Campaign Goal United Way of Greater St. Louis’ 2012 Campaign Chair Greg Boyce has officially announced United Way of Greater St. Louis’ 2012 fundraising campaign goal of $72 million. The campaign officially begins September 4 and ends early November. Boyce is chairman and chief executive officer of Peabody Energy. “Raising $72 million through United Way will take all of us, from every walk of life, pulling together to help one another,” said Boyce. “The United Way campaign is as basic, and important, as neighbors helping neighbors.” With generous support through individual and corporate donations, United Way of Greater St. Louis is able to invest more than $1 million each week in the community to help one in three people through more than 170 local agencies it funds. Boyce added, “While the needs in the St. Louis area are great, they continue to be met by the tremendous generosity of our community. With everyone pulling together in the United Way campaign, I’m confident our giving can reach record levels and we can help more people than ever.” “When people need help, our region steps up to help them,” said Gary Dollar, CEO and president of United Way of Greater St. Louis. “Giving to United Way is a great way to do this with more than
90 cents of every dollar helping people in this community. United Way’s campaign is about helping as many people in our region as possible.” Last year, more than 200,000 people and 2,500 businesses donated to United Way, raising more than $71.02 million. Individuals can pledge a donation by calling 314.421.0700 or visiting www.stl. unitedway.org. The money raised for the local campaign will stay in the 16 Missouri and Illinois counties United Way of Greater St. Louis serves: St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles, Jefferson, Franklin, Warren, and Lincoln in Missouri; Calhoun, Green, Macoupin, Jersey, Madison, Clinton, St. Clair, Monroe and Randolph in Illinois. About United Way of Greater St. Louis United Way funds more than 170 health and human service agencies located throughout a 16-county area in Missouri and Illinois. One in three people in our community receive services that strengthen families, help the elderly, keep children healthy and safe, and build stronger neighborhoods. For more information, contact 314.421.0700 or visit www.stl.unitedway.org.
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ENTERTAINMENT
“Home Run Showdown” Now on DVD BY STEVE BRYAN
“Home Run Showdown” is now available to fans in great baseball towns like St. Louis. Oz Scott, director of this new baseball drama “Home Run Showdown,” said that making the film was, in a word, fun. “The actors were fun. We had fun and I hope that shows,” Scott said when reached by telephone. A multi-layered sports story, “Home Run Showdown” focuses on Lori (Kyle Kirk), a boy who is trying to make his father proud of him. Now living with his aunt, Lori tries out for a local baseball league, but he doesn’t make the cut. “[Lori] was a hard part to cast because, first of all, you need someone who can play baseball, which [Kirk] could. And you needed someone who could act and react and carry the emotions of the character. He is a character who has troubles,” Scott explained. The director also said he told Austin Wintory, the composer for the film, that he had to write to Lori’s strengths: “[Lori] doesn’t get who he is. You have to write [music] so that when he realizes who he is, he will be strong and powerful as opposed to writing for a ‘Woe is me, woe is me, woe is me’ character. He’s an interesting character.” The story also features sibling rivalry between Joey Deluca (Matthew Lillard) and his brother Rico (Dean Cain). After failing in the Minor Leagues, Joey drifted through life while his Major League brother became a success. “Matthew really worked with the kids. He took that responsibility of being Number One on the call sheet seriously. The kids really looked up to him. Even when he wasn’t working, he would come out and make sure the kids were okay,” Scott enthused. “I also love Dean Cain, who is win at all costs [in the film].” As for the kids, Kyle Kirk and Kaleigh Ryan, who played podcaster Felicia Lee, hail from Los Angeles. A lot of the other children, though were from the Detroit area, including Joshua Saba, who plays an earnest announcer and podcaster. “At first, the writer had written [his character] with a lisp. I said ‘No, your voice is funny enough. You don’t need to do anything, just be yourself,’” Scott explained. Through the character of Fassie, played by Emma-Lee Hess, many frustrations of youth baseball leagues come to light. Fassie wants to play baseball with the boys, but she initially is assigned to a girls’ softball team. “I wish I had done more with [Fassie]. She had the strength of the film. There was real heart there,” Scott said. “Home Run Showdown” also looks at the “mercy rule” in baseball, which strives to end a game when one team has a substantial lead over the over. In some youth leagues, parents want both teams to feel like winners instead of losers. “I played Little League. I played a lot of baseball. My kids played baseball. There was this one incident where this guy from New York was out in LA and all our kids were out there playing. He was out there yelling ‘Pitcher can’t pitch.’ He was just razzing the pitcher,” Scott explained. The parents involved in this situation got together and formed a committee and came over to the coach and told him have to be more understanding and supportive of both teams. “They were going through all this PC stuff and I am going ‘The kid is striking us out,’” Scott said, laughing. SEPTEMBER 2012 CROSSROADS
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AROUND TOWN
SEPTEMBER 2012 CrossRoads Magazine
COMMUNITY CALENDAR September 7 Movies In the Park Grab your lawn chairs and blankets and head out to Boulevard Park Amphitheater in Lake Saint Louis to enjoy a movie under the stars. September’s movie is “Happy Feet 2” (rated PG). Movies begin at dusk (approximately 8:15 - 8:30 p.m.). September 9 Hill of Thrills Soapbox Race The Hill of Thrills Soapbox Race is a community event featuring cars donated by businesses and organizations and racers randomly placed in the cars. This race isn’t fueled by gas or electronics – it’s simply gravity as the racers are competing against the clock! Racers must be between 4 feet and 5 feet tall and weigh between 55 and 120 pounds (height and weight restrictions are due to the construction of the car) and fit comfortably in the car. Maximum of 200 racers accepted, so register early! Child must be present at the time of registration, no mail in registrations accepted. The fun starts at noon on Meyer Road in front of Progress Park. The fee is $10 for residents and $13 for nonresidents. For more information please call the Wentzville Parks and Recreation Department at 636.332.9236. September 15 Youth Activity Park Late Skate Held from 4 p.m. to midnight, the Late Skate sessions are for all ages. The YAP is 10
CROSSROADS SEPTEMBER 2012
located at 7801 Hwy. N in Dardenne Prairie. During the YAP’s Late Skate sessions, participants can enjoy skating on the 33,000-square foot skate park, scaling up the 30-foot sculpted rock climbing wall, sand volleyball and basketball courts and a recreation room packed with video games. Admission is $5, and participants must be registered members of the park. For more information about the Late Skate Sessions, contact the Youth Activity Park at 636.561.4964. September 19 Helping Hands Are you looking for a way to better the community you live in? Wentzville Parks and Recreation offers a free volunteer program for kids ages 10-15. This once-amonth program will take place from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month. Parents will be responsible for transportation to and from the destination, and each child must be signed in and out. For more information please call the Wentzville Parks and Recreation Department at 636.332.9236. September 21 Fall Group Hayrides Enjoy an old-fashioned hayride with family and friends at Broemmelsiek
To see your organization’s event listed here, please contact us. E-mail: cnews@centurytel.net Fax: 636.379.1632 Mail: 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr. O’Fallon, MO 63366
Park, 1615 Schwede Rd., off Highway DD (Winghaven Blvd.) near Wentzville, weekends beginning Sept. 21 through Nov. 18. Groups of all ages are welcome to enjoy the fun of a hayride without travelling miles from home. Two tractor pulled wagons take guests on a 45-minute ride through tree-lined fields of the park. Afterwards, participants can enjoy sitting around a glowing bonfire for an hour to roast their own treats. Guests may also bring non-alcoholic beverages, but glass containers are prohibited on the wagons or at the campfire site. Advanced reservations are required by contacting the St. Charles County Parks Department at 636.949.7535 or visiting www.stccparks.org. The cost is $125 a wagon with a maximum of 20 people per wagon. Hayrides may be reserved for 6, 7, and 8 p.m. on Fridays and 5, 6, 7, and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. September 22 Fall City-wide Yard Sale Turn your trash to treasure by hosting a yard sale at your home. For $6 you can list your sale or get together with three of your neighbors and list all of your sales for $15. Each sale will receive an official City Yard Sale sign. Shoppers may purchase booklets beginning September 19 at City Hall, Progress Park or the Utility Service Center for $2. Each booklet comes with a treasure map to help you locate the bargains! The deadline to list your sale is Sunday, September 16. For more information please call the Wentzville Parks and Recreation Department at 636.332.9236.
September 22 LSL City-wide Garage Sale Gather up your old things and get them ready for the third annual City-Wide Garage Sale. Have your sale listed in the Garage Sale Guide with your address and a short list of the items you have for sale. This is a great and inexpensive way to advertise and bring notice to your yard sale. In the event of rain, each individual sale will determine whether or not to cancel; there will be no refunds for inclement weather. Garage Sale Guides will be available for purchase from 8:30 a.m. on September 19 through 5 p.m. on September 21 at Lake Saint Louis City Hall The fee is $5 to list your garage sale, and the guide is $2. The deadline to register is September 12. Anyone interested in participating should contact Parks & Recreation at 636.561.4620. September 22 Paws in the Park The 9th Annual St. Charles County Paws in the Park celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Broemmelsiek Park, 1615 Schwede Rd., off of Highway DD (Winghaven Blvd.) near Wentzville. The event will be held inside the unique off-leash dog area of the park, which features a large pond for dogs to splash around and play. Pet lovers from across the region will attend this fun, free off-leash “dog festival� packed with contests, prizes, sponsor giveaways, and K-9 and obedience
skills demonstrations. For more information call 636.949.7535 or visit www.stccparks.org. September 29 Wild in the Woods Trail Run The St. Charles County Parks Department is hosting its 11th Annual Wild in the Woods Trail Run Series, Saturday, Sept. 29, Oct. 13, and Nov. 3. Participants competing in these off-road races will experience a variety of terrain while running through each scenic St. Charles County Park. Prizes will be awarded to top men and women in their age group. The first 90 pre-registered runners receive a different giveaway at each race. Pre-registration fee is $25 before each race registration deadline. Fees increase to $35 after each race registration deadline and day of race. Registration fee for the series is $65, prior to Sept. 13 deadline. Anyone registering for the series after the registration date deadline will pay $85. For more information or to register for the Wild in the Woods Trail Run Series, visit www.stccparks.org or contact 636.949.7535.
www.historicstcharles.com SEPTEMBER 2012 CROSSROADS 11
AROUND TOWN WESTERN ST. CHARLES COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE “Serving Wentzville, Lake St. Louis, and Dardenne Prairie” BY TONY MATHEWS
Wentzville Chamber and Lake St. Louis-Dardenne Prairie Area Chambers Merge On July 23, the memberships of the Wentzville Chamber and the Lake Saint Louis Dardenne Prairie Area Chamber merged forming the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce. The chamber will serve more than 550 area businesses and organizations. 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 Western St. Charles County region. In the coming weeks the chamber will launch exciting programs and events to encourage our businesses and the community to connect. Join us at our Taste of Wentzville Autumn Festival in September, Mystery Dinner Theater in November and our 5K/10K Run in November. For more information please contact the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce at 636.327.6914 or www.westernstcharlescountychamber.com. Our main office is located at 210 South Linn Ave., Wentzville, MO 63385. The Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce has a very strong membership making a difference everyday for the businesses and communities they serve.
Taste of Wentzville Autumn Festival Mark your calendar for the Annual Taste of Wentzville Autumn Festival on Thursday, September 13, 2012. This year’s event will be held from 4 – 8 p.m. at the Wentzville Community Club Grounds “Home of the Wentzville Flea Market,” 500 West Main Street in Wentzville. Taste of Wentzville Autumn Festival features live music and a special kids’ area with a bounce house and special activities. Tickets are now available and can be purchased at the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce, 210 South Linn Ave., or online at www.westernstcharlescountychamber.com. There are three tickets levels: $30 for VIP cickets which includes: special tent seating, an open bar and doors open at 4 p.m.; $15 for Adult Tickets which includes: two drink tickets for beer, wine or soda and doors open at 5 p.m.; $6 for a Child’s Tickets ages 6 to 11 which includes: two drink tickets for soda, doors open at 5 p.m. and the special kids’ area. All tickets will include amazing food from local restaurants. More than 18 restaurants are scheduled to participate. Tickets for this event sell out fast, so please make your reservations today. For more information please contact the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce at 636.327.6914 or www.westernstcharlescountychamber.com. This event is a partnership between the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce, Wentzville Rotary Club, the Wentzville Community Club and the City of Wentzville.
Brickhouse Cardio Club Celebrates Ribbon Cutting
Photo courtesy of Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce
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The Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for Brickhouse Cardio Club in Wentzville. Brickhouse Cardio Club is an exciting fitness facility offering cardio and strength exercises including Zumba, Turbo Kick and Pilates. Brickhouse Cardio Club is located at 1459 Wentzville Parkway, Wentzville, MO 63385. (Located behind Genesis Salon, Amber Bargen Law, and Urgent Care for Kids). For more information please call, 636.639.1240, or visit them online at www.brickhousecardio.com. To see a video and find out more information about this ribbon cutting please visit www.westernstcharlescountychamber.com and click on the Chamber’s Facebook page. Representatives of Brickhouse Cardio Club, the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Wentzville helped cut the ceremonial ribbon. For more information please contact the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce at 636.327.6914 or visit us online at www.westernstcharlescountychamber.com.
Photo Op PHOTOS BY RAY ROCKWELL
Rams Training Camp Photographer Ray Rockwell was on hand for the hard- hitting Rams Training Camp
SEPTEMBER 2012 CROSSROADS
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LIFESTYLES
Discounts Or Else BY JOE MORICE
Everybody wants a discount. That’s a profound statement folks; a way of life for American shoppers of goods and services. I presume it’s why so many stores became “discount stores.” My late pappy used to growl, “They raise the prices so they can give us discounts.” How distrustful! They wouldn’t…would they? Remember the “Going out of Business” sales that lasted 20 years by stores in dwindling neighborhoods? They just didn’t mention when. I sold cars for a few years when I was young and desperate. Perhaps I should add, masochistic as well. It was during those years before Lee Iacocca took over Chrysler that I met John Q Public at his worst. Customers shopped for a new car at dealers all over the metro area for the alleged ‘best deal’…meaning ‘biggest discount.’ Subsequently, they were lied to by all of them. We called it highballing. It meant telling them a price nobody could sell it for so they would come back, sign a contract and fork over earnest money. Then began the back-and-forth-to-the-boss routine. Sometimes they would give in to reality, sometimes they wouldn’t. If they made it out the door without buying, the dealer usually couldn’t sell the car for those prices. But then, neither could anyone else. The entire system of ‘back-and-forth-to-the boss’ was invented by two real estate salesmen back in the 1950s. It was called the Hall-Dobbs method. It hinged on discount-seekers ‘putting their money where their mouth is.’ This came about because everyone wanted a discount since the dawn of retail exchange. Then came the comedy routine (if they finally bought from us or someone else). Upon arriving home with the new car and show-
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ing it off to friends and neighbors, if asked, nearly everyone would claim they bought it for well below what they actually paid. Discount fibs were a common deceit of buyers telling what they paid for goods and services. I soon learned that anyone who told the truth about how much they paid for expensive items was a rare bird, indeed. Paranoia of having someone find out what they actually paid created some uncommonly straight-faced lying. As a car salesman, one becomes cynical after discovering customers are sometimes worse liars than we were. I had a friend who often asked what I paid for cars, TVs and other expensive household items. Each time, he would tell me he could have bought it cheaper someplace else. Maybe he was right but some people who are in constant competition with everyone else often become a pain in the quitit. I once told him I paid about half of what I actually paid for an item just to hear what he would say. Sure enough, he told me he could have bought it someplace else even cheaper. When I began laughing, he looked confused. Then he changed the subject to the various flaws of my new purchase. Someone once remarked, “Friends who constantly compete with friends aren’t friends at all.” Perhaps so. Making someone look bad to make yourself look good is something one might expect of politicians, not friends. Back in those days, Chrysler Corporation cars had gone from bad to awful. We sometimes prayed that new car buyers would make it all the way to the license office before their new purchases broke down. Who could blame them for wanting discounts? It was unfortunate the top execs of manufacturers of defective goods didn’t have their huge salaries discounted. I firmly believe we need more Lee Iacoccas in the world. Nothing changes in the fast lane of discounts or else.
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Divorced Couples’ Co-Parenting Relationships Can Improve, MU Researcher Says BY JESSLYN CHEW New research conducted at the University of Missouri offers hope for divorced parents and suggests hostile relationships can improve when ex-spouses set aside their differences and focus on their children’s needs. “Most people falsely believe that, when people get divorced, they’ll continue to fight, to be hostile,” said Marilyn Coleman, Curators’ Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at MU. “We found in our study that’s not always true. Some couples get along from the very beginning, and, for about half of the women we interviewed, the couples whose relationships started badly improved over time.” Coleman and her colleague interviewed 20 women who shared physical custody of their children with ex- partners. Nearly half of the women interviewed said they had contentious relationships with their former significant others and the other half reported amicable relationships. Of the women reporting cordial relationships with their ex-spouses, a few had always gotten along; the rest of the relationships had gone from combative to cordial. “To me, it’s almost as if the parents in the bad-to-better relationships matured,” Coleman said. “Mostly, it’s because the parents began focusing on their children. The parents saw how upset their arguments made their kids, so they decided to put their differences aside and focus on what was best for the children.” The women in amicable relationships reported that their expartners were responsible parents and that money was not a source of conflict. In addition, the women said they communicated with their ex-partners frequently and in multiple ways, via text, phone and email. Cordial parents also dealt with differences in parenting styles more efficiently by communicating issues that arose. In addition, the women who had better relationships with
their former spouses did not try to limit their children’s interaction with their fathers and, instead, found ways to conveniently transition the children between two homes. “Conflict within a marriage or after a divorce is the most harmful thing parents can do for their children’s development,” Coleman said. “If kids go through their parents’ divorce, they’ve lost some access to both parents. If the parental fighting continues, the children have not only lost access, they’re still involved in the conflict—in the ugliness—and it harms the kids.” Coleman cautions that shared physical custody does not ensure cooperative, happy relationships post-divorce. Making the coparenting relationships work requires conscientious efforts from parents. “The courts tend to use a one-size-fits-all philosophy when dealing with divorces and determining custody of children, and that really doesn’t work for some parents—especially if there has been abuse or if high levels of conflict continue,” Coleman said. “We need to find out how joint-custody works for families. The goal for divorced parents should be to maintain the best co-parenting relationships possible by moving past prior relationship issues and focusing on children’s well-beings.” The study, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Divorced Mothers’ Experiences with Co-parenting,” will be published in the upcoming issue of Family Relations. Coleman’s co-author, Mindy Markham, received her doctorate at MU and now teaches at Kansas State University. The Department of Human Development and Family Studies is housed in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences.
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FOOD
Tailgating Gone Gourmet (Family Features) Transform your traditional tailgating menu into a crowd-pleasing feast that will have your game day friends thinking you’ve gone gourmet. Whether you’re rooting for the home team or away, you can serve up these savory dishes for friends around your backyard grill or with fellow fans at the field. To up your gourmet game, fire up the grill and fix this quick and easy chipotle marinated Grilled Skirt Steak. A Roasted Corn Salad embodies the fresh and zesty flavors of the season to keep you at the edge of your seat. Add lime juice to a mixture of corn, tomato, red onion, basil and avocado. Then shake in as much Tabasco brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce as your taste buds desire for a smoky finish. To find these and more recipes that will take your tailgate to the next level, visit www.TABASCO.com.
Grilled Skirt Steak with Roasted Corn Salad Makes 4 servings INGREDIENTS Skirt Steak: 1/3 cup Tabasco® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 large garlic clove, crushed 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut into 4-inch pieces Corn Salad: 4 ears corn on the cob, shucked 2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 small red onion, diced 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon Tabasco® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce 1/4 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS Prepare skirt steak: In large bowl, combine chipotle pepper sauce, cumin and garlic; add skirt steaks. Toss to mix well; cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight. Prepare corn salad: Preheat grill to medium. Grill corn about 5 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until tender-crisp. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cob. In medium bowl, combine corn, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, basil, lime juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper sauce and salt; toss to mix well. Preheat grill to high. Grill skirt steak about 5 minutes, or until of desired doneness, turning once. To serve, plate steak with corn salad. 16 CROSSROADS SEPTEMBER 2012
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Warning Signs of Home Electrical Fires Lincoln County Fire Chief Barry Nuss recently posted a list of home electrical fire warning signs. “Many home electrical fires are caused by occupants who are unaware of or ignore warning signs of a potential failure of a home electrical system, fixture or appliance,” Nuss said. First, he said to watch for frequently tripped breakers, which indicate the circuits were overloaded/overheated or an unwanted power loss such as an electrical short and arcing. Both can start fires. Second, watch for damaged wiring Internally or externally damaged wiring can result from pets, foot traffic, vacuuming and exposure to sunlight or weather. Check all exposed cords and wiring on a regular basis and inspect for damage. If damage or a short is found, discontinue use of that appliance or circuit immediately
by unplugging the appliance or turning the circuit breaker off. Third, watch for any switch or light that does not work. A switch that does not operate, even occasionally, can indicate a problem in the wiring, switch or fixture that can cause a fire. This type of problem should be immediately investigated and the affected components repaired or replaced. Finally, if you notice an electrical smell, get out and call 911. Firefighters will respond and check your home. You may not see a bit of smoke, but may be able to smell it. This generally indicates a problem that requires immediate attention. If you identify a warning sign within your home’s electrical system, turn off the circuit breaker to that portion of the system and contact a qualified and experienced electrician. For more information, call the fire district at 636.528.8567.
Restricted Parking on S. Linn Ave. to West Side Only To accommodate ongoing construction, Wentzville recently restricted traffic along S. Church Street to one way, northbound only, from the north side of the Dairy Queen entrance to West Main, and designated S. Linn Avenue as an alternate detour route. Since the detour began and the traffic volume along S. Linn has increased, city staff and residents alike have expressed concern about the safety of pedestrians and motorists, particularly in areas where traffic flow is constricted by vehicles parking on both sides of the street. To alleviate congestion and reduce traffic hazards and property damage, the city will place a 90-day “No Parking” restriction on the east side of S. Linn Ave. Wentzville’s Interim Public Works Director Douglas Lee said the 90-day restriction should cover the time
needed before S. Church Street is once again open to two-way traffic, weather permitting. The city’s public works and police departments are currently notifying the residents and business owners along S. Linn Avenue of the restriction. Once city staff has completed the notification process, the city will post signs prohibiting parking on the east side of the street and the police will begin issuing citations for violations of the parking restriction. Per the city’s code concerning “Emergency and Experimental Regulations,” the city’s police chief, in concurrence with the city’s traffic engineer, has the authority to place temporary traffic measures to cover emergency or special situations.
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Curiosity + Heroin is a Deadly Combination Information courtesy of NCADA
Being curious about things is part of human nature. However, there are some things for which curiosity simply involves too much risk. Such is the case with heroin. “Curiosity killed the cat” is an old expression based on the unfortunate reality that there are times when attempting to satisfy a curiosity will result in great harm, even tragedy. Nowhere is this truer than in the case of trying heroin, even once. The increased use of heroin in the Greater St. Louis area has grown to alarming, even epidemic proportions that has resulted in addiction and overdose deaths. Over 200 people died of overdose deaths in the St. Louis area last year alone! Heroin usage and related overdoses have become a major threat to our community. What’s most shocking to learn is that the majority of those deaths (over 53%) involved individuals between the ages of 15 and 35. Despite commonly held stereotypes, studies show that heroin use is now common in most all social and economic levels of the community. A highly addictive drug derived from the opium poppy, heroin affects the brain’s pleasure system and interferes with the body’s ability to perceive pain. The drug can be injected into veins or muscles, smoked or inhaled as a powder, or ingested.
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The signs and symptoms of heroin use include euphoria, drowsiness, respiratory depression, constricted pupils and nausea. Withdrawal symptoms include watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, a loss of appetite, tics and tremors, chills, sweating, nausea and insomnia. The high from heroin use is described as a fast-acting, intense pleasure. However, once a person begins using, they quickly develop a tolerance, meaning they need more and more to generate the same effect. Law enforcement officials attribute the increase in overdoses in part to the higher purity of the drug that is available versus the past and the higher quantity needed to generate the “high.” Heroin has become a problem of epidemic proportion in our local St. Louis area. If you think that it doesn’t affect your kids, you are dead wrong. Heroin and prescription painkillers are a threat in every county and school district in the greater St. Louis area. If they haven’t already had to yet, your kids will be faced with making a decision about whether they will be tempted to give it a try. Truly, the very best prevention available to any child is having parents who are aware of substance abuse issues, provide a good example of role modeling, establish firm boundaries of family rules and expectations, communicate openly and frequently with their children (starting in their elementary school years and continuing into high school) and are actively and consistently involved in their child’s life. Unfortunately, many young people who begin using will actually be able to function well for a time, and the warning signs may not show up until the child is well into addiction. We cannot stress enough that active, involved parenting is key. Difficult as it may be, especially in the high school years, you need to make it your business to know where your child is at all times, who they are with and what they are doing. Parents need to talk to other parents. Do not be afraid to pick up the phone to verify, coordinate and speak up with other parents if you have any concerns at all about what might be going on with your or their kids. You need to be aware - approximately half of the young people who use heroin have used prescription painkillers first! Any teen who has painkillers such as oxycontin, oxycodone or vicodin prescribed to them should be very closely monitored by a physician and parent. This cannot be stated enough. Unless absolutely necessary, it is preferable a teen be prescribed a less powerful painkiller. For anyone taking strong painkillers, there is a potential for a physical dependency to develop - this in and of itself is not necessarily addiction. With a physician’s assistance, the individual can be weaned off the drug with little or no residual impact. However, if left on such a drug or if it is strictly taken recreationally, the potential for addiction is significant. Whether you just have questions, or have a child who is in trouble, NCADA (National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse) is a place where you can turn for help. Do not hesitate to call 314.962.3456 or visit www.not-even-once.com.
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Wentzville Mayor Guccione to Speak at National Anti-Heroin Rally in St. Louis Mayor Nick Guccione will be one of the speakers at the National Anti-Heroin Rally held at the St. Louis Arch on Saturday, September 15. The rally begins at 6 p.m. with activities for families and children, and guest speakers start at 7 p.m. The St. Louis rally is one of many that will be held simultaneously in cities across the nation to call attention to the rise in heroin use among teens. Deaths from drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental deaths among teens, surpassing traffic accidents. For Guccione, teen deaths from heroin use became personal earlier this year when his18-year-old niece died of an accidental heroin overdose. With her death, Guccione’s family became another of the tens of thousands of families across the nation who ask how had this happened, and what could they have done to prevent it. The death of his niece became a catalyst for Guccione, and moved him into a more active role in warning others of this deadly epi-
demic among teens. “Today’s heroin user doesn’t fit our image of a hardcore junky shooting up in abandoned buildings,” Guccione said. “Today it’s often teens from solid, middleclass families who start using heroin at parties for a fun high, but end up hooked or even dead.” While heroin use has declined in the adult population, there’s been a dramatic spike in heroin use by teens. According to the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base website, teens and young people in their early 20s are being targeted as the next big market for heroin. The website also states that in some places, teens claim heroin costs less than a six pack of beer and is more accessible than alcohol. More information about the St. Louis rally is available on the National Anti-Heroin Rally Organizers’ Facebook page.
How the Writing Pen Got Its Name
Information from “The Want to Know Book” Whitman Publishing Co., 1929 Everyone owns some sort of pen. If you lived more than a hundred years ago, your pen would very likely have been nothing more than a sharpened feather. Perhaps you think that a feather would be a very strange thing to write with. Well, it may not be quite as good as your pen, but if you should whittle down a large stiff feather to a fine point, you would find that you could write fairly well with it. For many years people had to use feathers for pens, and because feathers were used so much, the name pen was given to them. This word pen comes from the Latin word penna, which means feather. During all the years that people used feathers for pens the great-
est problem they had with them was that they wore down so fast they needed sharpening very often. So they make little knives with small, sharp blades to carry around in their pockets, ready to sharpen their feather pens whenever they became dull. These little knives they called pen-knives, because they were used almost exclusively for sharpening pens. You may have a pen-knife as well as a pen. But your pen is not a feather, and you do not use your pen-knife for sharpening your pen. The next time you use a pen or a pen-knife, though, you will know why a pen is called a pen, and a pen-knife is called a pen-knife.
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