April 21st. 2011 edition

Missouri legislators cut unemployment benefits

Gov.Jay Nixon signed a new law that cuts Missouri unemployment benefits for future recipients from 26 to 20 weeks.

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STLCC selects next chancellor

Myrtle

By Rebecca S.Rivas

Of the St.Louis American

Myrtle E.B. Dorsey, Ph.D., steps into her new office as chancellor of St. Louis Community College on June 16, the Board of Trustees announced last week.

Dorsey will succeed Zelema Harris, Ph.D. who became chancellor

Top prep sprinters converge in Kansas

Michael Hester will lead a strong cast of sprinters from Missouri to Lawrence,Kansas this weekend to compete in the Kansas Relays.

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Eating and living

a better, healthy way

Dietary choices and healthier living tips for the young and old alike.Plus, health calendar events,a new recipe and more.

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NBA Playoffs will answer many questions

Will

or

in 2007 and is retiring on June 30.

E.B. Dorsey, Ph.D., to take her post in June See DORSEY, A7

St. Louis Community College has four campuses –Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec and Wildwood – and hosts about 90,000 students each year, including those participating in continuing education and

Myrtle E.B. Dorsey,Ph.D.

workforce programs. However, students working towards credit hours tallied up to 29,128 last fall. The college has a $164.5 million annual operating budget. Dorsey beat out two other finalists, including Marcia Pfeiffer, Ph.D., president of the Florissant Valley campus

since 2002, and Thomas Klincar, president of John Wood Community College (Quincy, Ill.) since 2008. “We are fortunate to have attracted an educational leader of Dr. Dorsey’s stature,” said Denise Chachere, board chair. “She comes to us with an abundance of senior administrative level experience, having served as chancellor of Baton Rouge Community College for the past nine years.”

Stepping into a new life

Haitian boy regaining use of leg through Shriners Hospital docs

By Sandra Jordan Of The St.Louis American

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of The St.Louis

– Isaac Butler,MBA,PharmD

“Right now, we are trying to get the upper two parts of the bone to fuse, so we put three screws in there and some bone graft.” – Dr.J.Eric Gordon

Jean Patrickson, the Haitian boy brought to St. Louis to save his leg that was severely injured in last year’s earthquake, oftentimes moves faster than most people do with two healthy legs. You last saw him in The American in March, 2010, in a wheelchair after undergoing a fibular osteotomy. The surgery started a process to move a piece of bone from his fibula (skinny lower leg bone) to replace the part of his tibia (shinbone) that was shattered in last year’s earthquake in Haiti. Doctors in Haiti had removed it prior to Jean coming to the U.S. and he could not stand or move unassisted and faced amputation. Over the past year, physicians and staff at St. Louis Shriners’Hospital for Children have helped Patrickson recuperate and rebuild bone and strength in his leg. Although much of his leg is reconstructed, Dr. J. Eric Gordon, an orthopedic surgeon operated on Jean’s leg again last month.

“Right now, we are trying to get the upper two parts of the bone to fuse, so we put three screws in there and some bone graft,” Gordon says. “Up around close the knee did not fuse up in there as we had hoped to and we had done one procedure earlier to try to kind of get that area in there to fuse and heal and now that really hasn’t laid down that much bone in there.” Gordon said the bone has fused at the ankle, and his foot is in good position, allowing Jean to walk.

“We are looking forward to hopefully getting the fixator off sometime in See HAITIAN, A7

Photo by Wiley Price

Jean Patrickson gets walks and climbs steps as part

Chicago’s Derrick Rose

Diddy catches case following alleged bodyguard beat down

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been hit with a lawsuit by a man who claims the rapper/mogul’s bodyguards beat him up.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution Jabari Tilgham filed the lawsuit in DeKalb County Court on Friday (April 15th).

Defendants in the lawsuit are Sean Combs, his company Bad Boy Entertainment and four unidentified bodyguards.

Tilgham, 30, claims he was working as a photographer at Club Mansion after the BET Awards.

After the event, Diddy co-host ed a party at Club Mansion along with Rick Ross

The lawsuit claims Tilgham was one of 12 photographers who were allowed inside of the club to take pictures.

For unknown reasons, Diddy’s bodyguards are accused of singling out Tilgham and beating him,

an account of which has been confirmed by a security guard working for Club Mansion.

Tyler Perry snaps on Spike Lee

Tyler Perry went off on Spike Lee and other people who may be critical of his “Madea” films when asked about it yet again during a press conference for his new film “Madea’s Big Happy Family.”

“I’m so sick of hearing about damn Spike Lee,” Perry told reporters Tuesday in Beverly Hills. “Spike can go straight to hell! You can print that.

I am sick of him talking about me, I am sick of him saying, ‘this is a coon, this is a buffoon.’

I am sick of him talking about black people going to see movies. This is what he said: ‘you vote by what you see,’ as if black people don’t know what they want to see.

“I am sick of him – he talked about , he talked about Oprah, he talked about me, he talked about Clint Eastwood Spike needs to shut the hell up!”

Gucci Mane denies guilt in battery charges

A lawyer for Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane has denied

accusations that he pushed a woman out of his Hummer as it was moving, resulting in a misdemeanor charge. Yesterday (April 19th), Gucci, born Radric Davis, was formerly charged with battery, reckless conduct and disorderly conduct. The rapper, who is still incarcerated, plans to plead not guilty, according to his lawyer Ashutosh Joshi Prosecutors accused Gucci of showing a “willful disregard for a woman’s personal safety” when they formally charged the 31-year-old rapper. Gucci is accused of pushing a 36-year-old woman out of his Hummer on January 28th, after the woman allegedly refused a proposition from the rapper, to visit a local hotel.

Gloria James hit with $15K suit for slap

According to Valet Rockefeller Sorel, LeBron James’ mother Gloria James caused him loss of enjoyment of life and she should pay for it.

James slapped Sorel in the face last week and was subsequently arrested. In a new lawsuit Sorel accuses her of assault and battery and demands damages for pain, emotional distress, humiliation, mental anguish, and loss of capacity for enjoyment of life.

Sorel also wants to be compensated for medi-

Steve Harvey intern accused of $10K snatch and grab

Atlanta police are waiting on an intern for Steve Harvey to make good on a promise to return $10,000 in cash he allegedly swiped from the radio personality’s Atlanta office – despite insisting that he didn’t steal it.

According to a police report cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a surveillance video shows 22-year-old Kyle Reynolds of Clark Atlanta University entering Harvey’s office earlier this month , even though he wasn’t authorized to be in there.

Reynolds told one of Harvey’s associates he just wanted to get a Coke, but the video shows him leaving the room without a soda in hand. The missing cash had been delivered just prior to the theft by a bank employee, the report states. Questioned by his supervisor and Harvey, the intern claimed innocence. He later sent the supervisor a text message stating, “I am

Spike Lee

Missouri legislators cut unemployment beneits

By Jo Mannies For the

St. Louis

Beacon

On April 13, Gov. Jay Nixon signed a new law that cuts Missouri unemployment beneits for future recipients to 20 weeks, from the 26-week maximum in place for decades.

The state is the second in the nation to make the beneit cut after Michigan, and the irst to put it into effect.

A Missouri Department of Labor spokeswoman said the reduction “will not have an impact on the eligibility to receive future federal beneits.”

But the federal Department of Labor said in a statement on April 14 that the state’s beneit cut means that the affected unemployed workers will qualify for fewer weeks of additional federal help. The federal unemployment beneits are based on the worker’s former wages and the extent of their state beneit, which is doled out irst, the department said.

“The unemployment compensation program is a federalstate partnership,” the federal agency said. “If state law provides that the maximum number of weeks an individual may receive (state) beneits is less than 26 weeks, the individual will receive fewer weeks” of additional federal aid.

And although nationally the overall jobless rate dipped from 8.9 percent to 8.8 percent in March, the African-American rate rose to 15.5 percent from 15.3 percent, said Congressional Black Caucus chairman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri).

Missouri’s beneit cut was part of a deal brokered by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry so the state could receive more than $105 million in extended federal beneits. During Wednesday’s billsigning, Nixon said he was concerned about the future state beneit cut, but agreed to it in order to get the $105 million and restore extended federal beneits for about 10,000 currently unemployed Missouri workers who lost them earlier this month. The money had been blocked by a ilibuster in the state Senate conducted by several state conservative Republicans who wanted to reject the money in order to make a statement about federal overspending.

As part of a deal to end the ilibuster, the chamber successfully lobbied to insert in the same bill the provision that cuts state unemployment beneits for future recipients from 26 weeks to 20 weeks. The chamber says the reduction will save $124 million a year in unemployment insurance taxes levied on Missouri businesses.

Missouri, like Michigan, has a Republican-controlled legislature. Michigan also has a Republican governor who sought the cut, although Michigan’s unemployment rate is above 10 percent. In fact, a spokeswoman for Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, is quoted in the Hufington Post as saying that Senate leaders got interested in the 20-week limit after reading a New York Times story on Michigan’s decision.

Florida’s Republicancontrolled legislature also is considering a beneit reduction, although its unemployment rate is in the double-digits.

In a statement, the Missouri chamber said the beneit change eases “some of the burden of the growing debt of Missouri’s insolvent unemployment insurance trust fund.”

The chamber added that the beneits cut “was key in gaining support and passage of the bill in the Missouri Senate and House.”

The chamber said the reduction “was made possible by the much-publicized ilibuster” by four state senators, including Republicans Jim Lembke of Lemay and Brian Nieves of Washington, who opposed the state’s acceptance of the $105 million in federal funds and wanted to take a public stand against government spending.

However, a spokeswoman for the Missouri AFL-CIO said that cutting unemployment beneits to 20 weeks “permanently damaged a vital component of

the safety net in the process.... putting future workers at a disadvantage in order to pacify the four senators” who led the

Gov. Jay Nixon

ilibuster.

State labor oficials said that anyone laid off in Missouri after Sunday would be affected

by the cut in beneits. Michigan’s beneit cut doesn’t go into effect until 2012. The $105 million in federal unemployment money will extend current federal unemployment beneits for people already unemployed from 79 to 99

weeks. The federal extensions have kicked in after unemployed people have maxed out their state beneits.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver said Republicans have not offered solutions to the unemployment problem. To the contrary, he believes their determination to slash the federal budget will only exacerbate the problem, particularly for African Americans and other groups struggling to recover during a feeble economy.

“They are cutting funding to critical programs that directly affect and beneit our country’s most vulnerable communities, which in turn will cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. It is clear that we are on the path to full recovery, but I am fearful that reckless spending cuts will severely undermine and prevent recovery for every American community,” Cleaver said. Edited with permission by www.stlbeacon.org.

EDITORIAL /COMMENTARY

Reed offers positive city redistricting

This is the season for drawing redistricting maps based on the 2010 Census at the city, state and federal levels. Most of the talk in the media has been about the dispute between House Republicans and their GOP counterparts in the Senate that has left the inal outcome of Congressional redistricting uncertain. Continued uncertainty about the outcome threatens the Republican-dominated Legislature’s ability to even get the bill to Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk. If it gets to him, he might veto their agreement. A gubernatorial veto would require a veto override vote to avoid the likelihood of sending the map to court for a decision, and the clock is ticking. In the city of St. Louis, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed has been emphatic about his intention to avoid the chaos and rancor of a decade ago when the process was orchestrated to undermine or wipe out targeted aldermen. In sharp contrast, Reed said in a recent television report, “We’ve asked each alderman to work closely with the chairperson and myself so that we have a minimum impact on neighborhoods.”

Fresh off his resounding re-election victory earlier this month with more than 80 percent of the vote, Reed has already made it clear that, not withstanding some population loss in the city, there will still be the same number of majority African-American wards. He understands that the process to determine ward boundaries can set a needed tone of collaboration and fairness that are essential to enable the city of St. Louis to best deal with its challenges and opportunities.

The city’s population is still almost half of African Americans and the retention of 12 majority African-American wards is fair and prudent. Therefore it is encouraging to have Aldermanic President Reed, a member of the city’s powerful three-member Board of Estimate and Apportionment, willing to provide constructive leadership and speak to the imperative of social and political cohesion to make possible more optimal economic growth—growth that is essential to providing a better future for all of the people of the city.

The Way I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Are Charter Schools the answer?

By Joyce McRath, vice president of Normandy School District Board of Education and Dr. Stanton Lawrence superintendent

Like many in the St. Louis area, the Normandy School District was taken quite by surprise two weeks ago to hear of House Bill 473, a bill that had been stealthily introduced and was being considered by the Missouri House of Representatives. Introduced by State Representative Tishaura Jones of the 63rd District, this bill, among other things, proposes to extend charter schools to school districts that are provisionally accredited. Prior to this point, such campuses have been limited to the St. Louis and Kansas City school districts. Based on the outcomes experienced in those examples, is there any evidence that would lead us to believe that charter schools are the best solutions for struggling school districts?

Let us take a look at the hard facts surrounding these schools. What leaps out irst is the dismal track records related to the academic performance of charter schools. Currently, charter school campuses unfortunately are not performing as well as provisionally accredited school districts. With the exception of a couple of Kansas City charter campuses which use “selective admissions criteria” (they accept only the best and brightest students), other charter campuses have underperformed in certain areas or performed at

equal. Another issue that has to trigger some level of concern is the communities in which charter schools are being proposed. If they are indeed a universal ix for addressing the education problems of parents whose choices are severely restricted because of circumstances related to poverty, one would think that they might also provide solutions in other communities that are more privileged. Instead, charter schools are cunningly marketed as “private schools for free” to parents whose limited knowledge of their true purpose sadly misguides them into selecting the campuses as the best options for their children. These parents regrettably are never provided insight into issues such as inferior teacher certiication standards, poor academic performance, the lack of proper iscal oversight, and myriad other issues that have historically plagued charter schools. Stated differently, the parents who opt for charter schools often make an unwise choice for their children, given the dubious track record of such campuses. Often, these campuses are not required to measure up to the same stringent guidelines that are in place for traditional public schools. The Normandy School District has had to come to terms with its own set of issues related to poor performance over the past few years. The manner in which we legitimately addressed such challenges was to, irst of all, acknowledge their existence. Next, the district crafted a plan of strategic action that took into account all areas of deiciency along with the measures that were required to shore them up.

Nearly a year ago, our district enacted this bold and courageous plan to put the wheels in motion for a more reined school district with a transformed culture. All district staff members who were not in classroom teaching positions were required to reapply for

The Way I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Take him seriously

It’s time to take Donald Trump seriously as a presidential candidate.

Three, two, one ... OK, time’s up.

their jobs. Teachers who were identiied as underperforming were informed that they would be expected to meet newly established, more elevated levels of rigor in their classrooms, and in most instances our teachers rose to that soaring level of performance.

We looked nationwide to seek and acquire more focused and effective campus leadership for eight of our eleven campuses. Lastly and most importantly, the Board of Education approved a strategic plan that enumerated lofty goals that are presently being pursued to turn around performance in a school district that admittedly has struggled for some time. And, in the midst of all of this movement, our district absorbed the Wellston School District in what we believe was a smooth and seamless transition.

We do not expect anyone to accept the claims of instructional progress as “gospel.”

We have the data which clearly indicate that academic traction has inally been gained, and we expect the momentum to be especially signiicant next year. While we are pleased with this directional shift, we also recognize that the establishment of charter schools in our district would immediately destabilize our efforts. As in most places, these campuses would siphon off many of our youngsters and would decimate our school district academically as well as iscally. But we will go one step further in our argument for public schools and against charters: we do not believe that they are the answer for any provisionally accredited school district. Until we see solid evidence to suggest that the failed experiment of charter schools has itself turned around, or until they are considered for all communities (instead of only poor or heavily African American communities), we need to keep the line drawn in the sand regarding their expansion.

Unbelievably, the waxenhaired real estate tycoon is at the front of the pack of contenders who are racing, or thinking about racing, for the Republican nomination. This isn’t merely improbable. It is literally unbelievable, as if a trout were reported to be leading the Tour de France.

if he wins primaries and caucuses? What if ... It’s all too absurd to contemplate. For the record, though, it should be noted that not all of Trump’s headline-grabbing bombast is funny. A lot of it is ridiculous and untrue. Much of the rest is offensive and objectionable.

The consensus is that Trump is not really running -- that this is just another of his over-the-top publicity stunts. In the unlikely event that he goes through with a semiserious candidacy, the political establishment seems to believe, he’ll never win the nomination.

These skeptics scoff when it’s pointed out that stranger things have happened. Name one, they say.

That’s hard to do. Still, if this is all a big joke, I’m having trouble laughing. For one thing, the likely Republican ield is so timid that nobody seems to want to step out there -- and so lackluster that Trump’s pizzazz could prove overpowering. No, I don’t believe that Trump is seriously running for president. But what if he continues this charade past the point of no return? What if he pulls away from Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and the others? What

Begin with his adoption of the “birther” line of attack against President Obama. Questioning the president’s birthplace obviously began as a ploy to grab attention -- and it worked -- but then swelled into a central theme of Trump’s “candidacy” as he gained traction among the conspiracy theorists who actually believe such nonsense.

For the record, Trump now gives credence to a theory that requires a massive coverup, spanning nearly ive decades, that includes not just Obama and his family but also oficials of the state of Hawaii -- and the cooperation of long-ago clerks and perhaps editors at Honolulu newspapers who printed a “fake” birth announcement in 1961 and waited patiently, all these years, for that baby boy to become president of the United States.

But that’s just for starters. Imagine, if you dare, what the foreign policy of a President Trump would be like.

Trump is in favor of lower gas prices, he told CNN’s Candy Crowley on Sunday. The way to achieve this goal, he said, is simply to tell the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to lower oil prices. When Crowley tried to point

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Amen to Young leaders Amen to your “Young leaders to improve the future” editorial.

Black history in America month was established by Carter G. Woodson, 1875 – 1950. He wrote The Mis-Education of the Negro. It includes the saying that “old men talk of what they have done, young men talk of what they are doing, and fools of what they expect to do.” St. Francis of Assissi prayed that he would be foolish enough to make a difference … Woodson continues: “If we can inally succeed in translating the idea of leadership into that of service, we may soon ind it possible to lift the Negro to a higher level. Under leadership we have come into the ghetto; by service within the ranks we may work our way out of it. Under leadership we have been constrained to do the bidding of others; by service we may work out a program in the light of our own circumstances. Under leadership we have become poverty stricken; by service we may teach the masses how to earn a living honestly. Under leadership we have been made to despise our own possibilities and to develop into parasites; by service we may prove suficient unto the task of self-development and contribute our part to modern culture.”

Yes we will again despite counter-attacks from naysayers. I am Polish, Slavic; but “slave” and “slav” are the same word. Joseph Kuciejczyk

Ugly rumor

I am dismayed and deeply disappointed in the Political EYE column in which you printed an ugly rumor of one our very own, state Senator Marie Chappelle-Nadal. Even though you stated it was a “rumor” and that it could hurt her politically, you still printed. it. What I don’t understand is how what you said and printed about Senator Chappelle-Nadal is any different from the teabaggers, birthers, and Donald Trump who claim President Obama is not a citizen? I know why they do it, but what’s your excuse? Because you disagree with her stance on an ISSUE? And trust me, I’m not

out that OPEC doesn’t necessarily do what U.S. oficials want, Trump was undeterred. “Brain power” is all that’s required, he said. “We are not a respected nation anymore. The world is laughing at us. ... Let me tell you, it’ll go down if you say it properly.”

What about Libya? “Either I’d go in and take the oil or I don’t go in at all,” Trump said. When Crowley reacted with disbelief at what she’d just heard, Trump doubled down.

“Absolutely, I’d take the oil, I’d give them plenty so they can live very happily. I would take the oil. You know, in the old days when you have a war and you win, that nation’s yours.”

Moving right along, how does Trump see one of the central strands of American history, the issue of race? He believes he should get support from African-Americans, he said in a radio interview last week, but is unsettled by “frightening” polls that show the vast majority of black voters favoring Obama. “I have a great relationship with the blacks,” Trump said. “I’ve always had a great relationship with the blacks.” Yes, he said “the blacks.” Twice.

Trump hasn’t been a particularly loyal Republican over the years. What he’s been, consistently, is a headline-grabber extraordinaire. If he now has decided to take himself seriously, I’m afraid we’re going to have to follow suit.

Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@ washpost.com.

All letters

comparing the President and the Senator, but your action is questionable. Why attack her personally? Shame on you!

Carol McClain Via email

Editor’s note: The column explained itself: “The EYE does not vouch for these rumors, but rather reports on them as a warning to a bright, but erratic, young elected oficial, who would do well to stop causing problems for herself.”

Show Me

balderdash

Feeling lummoxed about Missouri politics? Fed-up with two-headed politicians babbling diametrically opposed messages from both of their mouths at the same time? Angry that elected oficials invalidate the will of the people by legislatively undoing propositions (i.e., Prop B) approved by a majority of voters?

Well, you’re not alone. And the political idiocy just keeps coming!

“I’m not trying to be devious … I misunderstood what I was doing.” No, that isn’t a lame excuse from a 16 year old. It’s a very lame excuse from state Rep. Ellen Brandom (Republican from Sikeston) as to why she sponsored a bill to outlaw “roll your own cigar” blunt wraps as drug paraphernalia. Her bill was written by a registered lobbyist for the cigar industry. She submitted it verbatim. Brandom claims the lobbyist is a friend; that she didn’t know he was a lobbyist. Elliott Davis of Fox News did a “You Paid For It” story on a $4,000 purchase of gold lapel pins for Missouri lawmakers. It was a purchase championed by state Rep. Mike McGhee, an Odessa Republican. McGhee defended the purchase of the gratuitous, political trinkets as being necessary for the visual identiication of legislative members. Balderdash!

Yes, moral standards and professional ethics are lacking in Missouri politics. You didn’t know that your “friend” is a registered lobbyist? You take food and medical assistance from single parents and children while spending $4,000 for lapel pins! You denounce the major-

ity vote in an open election and try to restore puppy mills in Missouri! Shameful, Show

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Joyce McRath

Dr. Stanton Lawrence

Harris-Stowe State University’s Vice President’s Academic Honors Program is an annual celebration honoring Harris-Stowe State University students who have earned a 3.5 grade point average or higher.Students who earn between a 3.0 and 3.49 grade point average received honorable mentions.In all,HSSU honored more than 500 students in 2011.“Many of our students juggle multiple obligations,such as employment and family commitments,in addition to their higher-education studies,”said Dr.Dwyane Smith,vice president for academic affairs.“Yet they consistently excel in the classroom.”

City, County NAACP co-host Freedom Dinner

With the theme “Affirming America’s Promise,” St. Louis City NAACPPresident Adolphus Pruitt and St. Louis County NAACP President Esther Haywood have agreed to jointly host this year’s Annual Freedom Fund Dinner.

“For the first time ever, we are combining our efforts to advance the civil rights agenda and to mobilize the St. Louis region, ” said Haywood.

“This joint effort will provide an opportunity for both city and county communities of color to link strategies that ensure a sustainable future for the NAACPby coordinating efforts across the St. Louis region, ” said Pruitt.

The joint Freedom Fund Dinner will be held on Friday, June 10, at the Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis. Ronald J. Kruszewski, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Stifel Financial Corp, is chair of the Freedom Fund Campaign. AT&TMissouri President John Sondag and Attorney Elaine Harris Spearman are dinner co-chairs.

Shirley Sherrod will speak and receive the NAACPLifetime Achievement Award. Several prominent local business and community leaders will receive the Commitment to St. Louis Award: Carol and George H. Walker III and Honorable Betty Thompson and her sons Tony (Kwame Building Group President) and the late Tyrone Thompson

Bill Clay marks 25 years forscholarship

Former U.S. Congressman William L. “Bill” Clay will return to St. Louis as part of an event celebrating 25 years for his namesake William L. Clay Scholarship and Research Fund, which he founded in order to provide scholarships to students living in Missouri’s First Congressional District.

The scholarship fund has granted financial assistance to more than 200 St. Louis-area seniors in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at more than 50 colleges nationwide. Each year, the WLCSRF awards scholarships to students who show great academic potential but lack the financial means to pay for tuition on their own. More than two-thirds of Clay Scholars are located in St. Louis.

The general public is invited to join with Clay, board members, alumni and current scholars at the WLCSRF 25th Anniversary Dinner and Silent Auction. The event will be held Saturday, May 14 at The Ambassador at 9800 Halls Ferry Road. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the event are $25 each and can be purchased by contacting clayscholarship@gmail.com. There will be a cash bar available. This is an “after-five” dress event.

For more information, including application and donation information, please visit www.wlcsrf.org.

Cancercan be skin deep

By Esther J.Cepeda Washington Post

Did you know that Latinos, blacks and other dark-skinned people are as susceptible to skin cancer as those who are light skinned – and even likelier to die from it? If you did, then you’re smarter than I am, because I learned the hard way. And though it’s only been three years since a specialist surgically removed several suspicious-looking moles from my skin, I had to be reminded the hard way, too.

About a month ago, I noticed some odd changes on my long-forgotten scars and experienced the kind of dread that comes from knowing what I’d say when the doctor asked if I’d slathered myself with sunblock every single time I’d been out in the sun. I hadn’t.

My health insurance plan dictated I had to go to my family doctor first and, despite my medical history, he halfheartedly investigated my concern and quickly declared me “fine.”

This anecdote pretty much describes why skin cancer is so prevalent. Generally, we know we should protect our skin from the sun, but it’s difficult to remember 100 percent of the time.

For Hispanics and other minorities, it’s common to grow up believing the myth that their dark skin – inherited from ancestors reared in native lands where summer-like sunshine is a year-round companion – is a natural defense against sun-related skin diseases.

General practitioners are simply not trained to discern the endless variations of perfectly normal freckles, moles, beauty marks, scars and otherwise harmless growths from the ones that are potentially life-threatening.

And lastly, low-income, minority and female patients are the least likely patients to question a doctor’s diagnosis, volunteer additional information to nudge a medical professional to heed a concern, or ask for follow-up.

According to Dr. Roopal Kundu, director of the Ethnic Skin Center at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, a 2009 study found that Caucasians were 156 times more likely than blacks and 35 times more likely than Hispanics to be diagnosed with melanoma – but both Hispanics and blacks had significantly more advanced melanoma than white patients.

“Though all people are at risk of developing skin cancer, ethnic minorities are two or three times as likely to die from melanoma as Caucasians of the same age and sex,” Kundu told me. “They’re the least likely to even perceive the risk of skin cancer.”

Regardless of your race, ethnicity, gender or age, skin cancer is not to be ignored or dismissed as a potential threat. It is the most common of all cancers – about half of all cases – and spreading.

The good news is that skin cancer is the most preventable of all cancers. Kundu says to coat yourself with sunblock, check your skin regularly to become familiar with your particular skin patterns, and vigilantly look for changes. And take it from me: don’t be shy about making your doctor pay attention to your skin concerns.

Esther Cepeda’s email address is estherjcepeda@washpost.com.

Harris-Stowe honors roll

BESt

Continued from A1 but she also became comfortable with the school itself, she said. When she graduated high school, she enrolled in the St. Louis College of Pharmacy because she felt confident she could complete the program.

“I was ready for the challenge because if I went through two summers of all this strenuous work, then I thought I was ready,” she said, “and I am.” Launched in 2008, the BESt

Institute’s goal is to educate, train and prepare multicultural students for a career in pharmacy, said Isaac Butler, MBA, PharmD, the co-founder and co-director of BESt and director of program integrity at Express Scripts Inc. On Friday, April 29, the BESt Institute will receive the Health Care Advocacy Organization of the Year Award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 11th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. Areception will be held from 11 a.m. to noon, and the

awards program will follow from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The “BESt” acronym stands for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Express Scripts and St. Louis School of Pharmacy. The leaders at the heart of the program are Butler, Steven Player, MBA, PharmD, inpatient pharmacy manager of diversity and recruitment at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Freddie Wills, director of diversity at the college.

“I think the most exciting part of the program is the success we are having today,” Butler said. “One hundred percent of our students have gone on to four-year colleges and universities.”

About 90 percent of those are choosing careers in health care and 70 percent have chosen careers in pharmacy.

“Now these are all very gifted and bright students; however pharmacy is not the most promoted health care profession,” he said.

In its first year, the BESt Institute hosted 30 students. Last year it enrolled 64 students, and now offers three program levels starting with high school freshman. The institute was the brainchild of Player, co-founder and codirector. When Player began designing the program, he knew that it would only be successful with the right partners, he said. Express Scripts and STLCOPwere natural choices, and Butler and Wills helped him execute the plan.

“Once we started developing what a potential pipeline would look like, it became clear that we needed to align ourselves with corporate partners that had the same vision and samecommitment of corporate responsibility to the community we serve,” Player said.

Both Butler and Player are products of such programs themselves.

by

A jewel of a class

“My path to becoming a pharmacist and a heath professional is very similar to the students who we have in the program,” Butler said.

Butler grew in St. Louis city and attended public schools.

“I lacked a certain level of exposure and certain level of belief until I got involved in other programs like INROADS and Upward Bound. When I think about the mission of BESt, hopefully we are hoping students become what they truly want to become.”

Wills, an East St. Louis native, was an athlete in high school and college, who obtained scholarships.

Knowing the challenges of finding his own way first hand, he has developed several programs to engage the youth into health-care career paths, who

would normally not have exposure to such fields.

“The biggest thing that we are offering to the students is to get a real life experience of what it is like to be a college student,” Wills said. “We basically engulf them into our culture here at the college. We do not treat them as if they are high school students while they’re here.”

Johnson said what she most enjoyed was getting that inside view of what pharmacy was like.

“We got to visit Barnes Jewish and see what Dr. Player did and went to Express Scripts and saw what they were all about,” she said.

And because she was taking

Calculus and English classes in the summer, she sailed through her high school classes with ease. “I didn’t know what I was getting into – no one did,” she said. “But I met so many wonderful people and other students who were going through this with me.”

Tickets for the 11th annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon are $75 each for VIP/Corporate seats and $50 each for General seating. Tables of 10 are available in each price category. For more information and to order tickets, visit stlamerican.com or call 314533-8000.

Photo

Wiley Price

Ralph Bunch Middle School seventh graders Shanice Wallace 14,and Whitney Alexander 12,work on a bracelet in a jewelry making class.The class is one of many offered by the St.Louis Public Schools.

DORSEY

Continued from A1

Dorsey became the first female chancellor at Baton Rouge Community College. She helped the school grow its student population to 8,300 and played a key role in establishing numerous programs, Chachere said.

“Her background in student affairs indicates she will be student-centered which is a great quality for our next CEO,” said Trustee Libby Fitzgerald.

Prior to Dorsey’s 2002 appointment as chancellor in Baton Rouge, Dorsey held several student affairs positions.

In 1996, she became vice president of student affairs and institutional advancement at the Georgia Perimeter College, a multi-campus system with about 20,000 students.

Before that, she served as vice-president of student affairs for five years at the Baltimore City Community College. And in 1981, she began working at Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland, where she held positions of director of special services and associate dean of students.

She made a switch from student affairs to overseeing full operations in 2000, when she became the executive vice president at the Technical and Community College in Cincinnati.

Trustee Joann Ordinachev said, “I am very excited about our current student initiatives, and I believe Dr. Dorsey will continue them and even improve them.”

HAITIAN

Continued from A1

the next couple of months,” the doctor said.

The fixator is the brace that is adjusted several times a day to move the excised bone to its new location.

Jean, who spoke little English a year ago, now speaks it quite well.

He is known to be quite the jokester at home, school and

Formed on Jan. 29, the search committee included Board of Trustee members, faculty, students and constituents within the greater college district.

Trustee-Elect Hattie Jackson was also included in the decision, after she won the April 5 election over incumbent and current board chair Denise R. Chachere. Jackson is not yet sworn in.

Jaskson said Dorsey had a big vision for her campus, leading to building partnerships to create new programs.

“The word ‘community’in community college gives special meaning to the role of the college,” Jackson said. “She gets that.Her knowledge of community college and the ease with which she communicated her views was impressive.”

The search committee, led by Board Vice Chair Melissa Hattman, considered three finalists.

Each candidate visited the campus for two days to meet with stakeholders. Candidates engaged in open forums with students, professional and classified staff, faculty, college administrators, and members of the St. Louis community as well as a group meeting with the senior administration leadership team.

The committee then put together a detailed picture of “how each candidate could excel as the next chancellor.”

This year will serve as president of the National American Associationof Community and Junior Colleges, an organization of 1,200 two-year colleges.

Trustee Craig Larson said, “The choice of Dr. Dorsey became clear to me when I realized her style was to build capacity using teams and her expertise showed an ability to relate us to the community.”

around the hospital. “Ooh, good shot – I dunked,” Patrickson says while admiring photos taken during his physical therapy session. “You’re not supposed to be styling – you’re supposed to be doing physical therapy,” laughs Becky McFarland, a physical therapist at Shriners. Playing basketball shifts weight back and forth from one leg to the other – strengthening his limbs.

If a preteen can have a swagger for the camera while

Post office tribute

having a brace on his leg in physical therapy, Jean Patrickson makes it happen. With fixator in place, Patrickson gets enjoys activities that many St. Louis children and adults enjoy. This winter, for the first time, Jean went sledding in the snow down Northmore Hill with other children. His experience posted on You Tube, to the tune of the Disney song, “Hakuna Matata,” the Swahili phrase meaning “there are no worries.”

Patrickson seemed eager to complete his work as a patient so he could get back to the day’s business of being a student.

“School is great,” Patrickson says.

Science is his favorite subject, but this day, other subjects were on the agenda.

“I’m going to study social studies, writing, reading and other stuff.”

When questioned about

a doctor.”

future career choices, Patrickson said, in Caribbean style, “No problem – I think I want to be

Billie Wilson,the wife of the late Earl Wilson Jr.,and Postmaster Nancy Fryrear unveil the plaque that will officially name the post office at 111 N.6th Street after the founder of the Gateway Classic Foundation.

Photo by Wiley Price

Childish taunts by Daileys

As the American reported previously, voters elected Bridget Quinlisk-Dailey Derek Mays and Clarence Young as the next board directors for the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District.

Young will not serve his term because right before the election, former board member Robert Lee resumed his position on the board after a long-awaited court decision (more about this below). Here’s what you may not have heard. At about 4:30 a.m. on April 6 (the morning after the election), a white Suburban drove away from Mayor of Normandy Patrick Green’s house, according to what Green told the police. Left on his porch were Bridget Quinlisk-Dailey’s and Clarence Young’s campaign signs with a note on a Shop ‘n Save paper bag written in permanent marker: “Look Out, M___ F___!”

The trespassers were not seen. But let’s look at the evidence.

According to a police report, when Green was canvassing with board candidates Don Morice and Bertha Myers on March 21, 2011, board member Quinlisk-Dailey’s husband, Brian Dailey, allegedly drove up in a red car and stopped on

Florissant Road. He started screaming insults and threats at Green, witnesses stated. And sitting in the passenger seat was his teenage son, Seamus, who was echoing the yells, the report stated, and mimicking his father’s outrageous behavior. According to police reports, on Dec. 15, 2010 Green was leaving city hall with Country Club Hills Mayor David Powell, Sr. As they were talking by Green’s car, Dailey allegedly came up about three feet to them and started staring with an angry look.

When asked about the police reports, Quinlisk-Dailey said in an email that it was just politics. “It seems Mayor Green is suffering from a little bit of ‘sour grapes’ over the April 5th election,” she wrote. If it was her husband who left the sign and if the police reports are valid, just imagine what dinner conversation is like at the Dailey house when they ask each other what they did that day.

Since Quinlisk-Dailey has been on the board, she has harnessed the anger of certain community members and encourages this crowd’s disruptive and hostile behavior, which has now alienated many community members who don’t want to be verbally attacked by this group when they come to the meeting. Sadly, Quinlisk-Dailey won because her opposition – as it so often happens – did not work together. While Green was supporting Morice for the seat, City of Northwoods oficials were supporting LaTonya Henderson, who lost 1,305 to QuinliskDailey’s 1,398 votes. Morice captured 629 votes. Quinlisk-Dailey did say, “I fully intend to continue to work

very hard for the next six years to bring the best ire and EMS serivice to the residents of this community.”

Is Bob Lee double dipping?

Facts: Robert Lee was duly elected as a board member on April 6, 2009. He accepted a position from the St. Louis County government on June 15, 2009. Kirk McCarley, the St. Louis County’s director of personnel conirmed this in a June 30, 2009 letter to the ire board. State statute prohibits state employees from serving on ire boards (Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 321, Section 15.)

This year, St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Goldman ruled that the former board members Robert Edwards and Joe Washington did not take the proper steps to “remove” (though the statute actually says “vacate”) Lee from the board, Goldman wrote. The judge said Lee should resume his seat on the board, which he is currently doing. The court ruling did not address whether or not Lee was a state employee and whether or not he is violating the law by serving on the board. Goldman told district attorneys that they needed to ile a separate action seeking the answer to this question. They did that, according to district attorney Anthony Gray It gets legally jumbled from here. But basically the Missouri Court of Appeals approved Lee’s motion to dismiss that case because the board members did not formally vote for Gray to ile the action – even though the board members never vote on what their attorney will or will not do. Well, now Lee is on the board, and he is obviously not going to vote to ile a lawsuit against himself. And Mays is focused on the budget.

“Considering the precarious nature of our inancial position which at this time remains perilously close to a budget deicit for the calendar year, I am not inclined to spend more district money on legal fees for this matter at this time,” Mays said. That leaves it up to St. Louis

County Prosecuting Attorney

Robert McCulloch to ensure that a state employee is not “double-dipping” by serving on a ire board. McCulloch did not return the American’s email.

A new ire chief

Remember the man that was dead opposed to Missouri’s irst female African-American ire chief Angelia Elgin? Rumors had it that Quinten Randolph wanted to be ire chief and hence supported a “letter of no conidence” against Elgin in March 2010, despite her extensive qualiications. Last year, he denied the rumor. Last week, the new board elected Randolph as the new ire chief.

Where was Farwell?

The EYE would like to revisit some of the questions surrounding the death of Scherese Bishop, a 37-year-old part-time EMT at the district, who died on March 11, 2011. Bishop fainted and went into cardiac arrest while she was attempting to revive a man who himself had gone into cardiac arrest at the Sav-A-Lot in North Oaks Plaza Shopping Center of North St. Louis County. The district’s second ambulance was on another call, so a Northeast ire truck responded. Three paramedic/ireighters were left to work on two patients – both not breathing – in one ambulance.

Community leaders questioned several of the Northeast team’s decisions regarding Bishop’s care at following board meetings. Probably the most signiicant but least talked about question was: why did the district’s medical oficer Kenneth Farwell, also battalion chief, leave his post an hour early that day?

Farwell was assigned to the same ambulance as Bishop, sources said. He would have responded to the Sav-A-Lot call. But when he left, he told Mike Hampton, who recently earned his paramedic license, to take over his spot. That decision also

took Hampton off a ire truck, leaving only two ire ighter/ paramedics – Greg Wood and Airest Wilson – on the truck.

Mays said the board could not comment on “particulars” of the incident because it still under investigation.

In an April 30, 2010 letter from former ire Chief Angelia Elgin to the staff, she states in all caps, “At no time should any ire truck of the ire district be staffed with two personnel.” The minimum stafing on the ire trucks is three, she wrote, and, “Deviation of this policy will NOT be tolerated.”

Northeast also has written procedures stating that in cases of emergency, Northeast personnel are to use the third ambulance, a back-up ambulance, rather than a ire truck to answer the call, according to former board member Rhea Willis. Mays said he could not comment on whether these policies are still in place because a full review of all policies and procedures is in progress.

On March 3, Northeast’s back-up ambulance was sitting at the ire house, not stocked or ready, Farwell said. So the medical team responded in the ire pumper, which could not transport Bishop to the hospital. Farwell explained that the irehouse garage door was broken, and the ambulance had been sitting outside for the three weeks prior to the incident.

Even if it had been ready, Farwell said the third ambulance would not have made a difference in Bishop’s care – even though it was parked less than a mile away from the plaza.

On that day, North Central County Fire Alarm dispatched a Gateway ambulance to assist the Northeast teams, but Wood canceled that unit and requested an ambulance from University City Fire Department (four miles from the plaza), rather than letting the dispatch station locate the closest ambulance available. Farwell said that it is standard procedure for the district to request an UCity ambulance.

“It is not uncommon to call for UCity because we know their exact location and how far they are from us,” Farwell said.

“At that time the decision was made to go with UCity due to the fact that they were closer than the other locations were believed to be.”

However, University City Fire Chief Don Miner said that UCity only assists Northeast on rare occasions, and it is more common for Northeast to call other closer districts for mutual aid. “We are a busy district as well, and we receive more mutual aid than we give,” Miner said.

Farwell said the UCity ambulance arrived before the medical team had stabilized Bishop. Cardiac arrest patients require an average of 15 minutes for stabilization, he said. Miner could not conirm whether or not his department’s ambulance arrived before Bishop was stabilized.

This is not Farwell’s irst lub. In May 2010, Elgin wrote a letter to the board warning them of all things that could go wrong under Farwell’s leadership – and did go wrong in the recent Sav-A-Lot incident, Willis said. Elgin had grave concerns about his appointment as medical oficer because he was known for leaving work for other oficers to complete and not performing his duties competently. The district’s medical director, David Tan, an emergency physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, suspended Farwell of his quality assurance/quality improvement duties for 30 days because he did not manage a critical patient according to Cardiac Life Support Guidelines during a life threatening condition, Willis said. Tan also considered removing him from that position due to his continued lack of effort and concern in completing the QA/QI evaluations.

“These things bring in questions and concerns over all about operations,” Willis said. “The public should be aware of these problems, the outcome and the impact that they will have on their community and lives.”

In next week’s EYE, we will explore the costs and revenues of the district’s EMS system.

Bridget QuinliskDailey

Patrick Green

Grace Hill inducts ive women into Wall of Fame

Special to the

American

The Grace Hill Women’s Business Center hosted friends and supporters at a ceremony on March 24, 2011 to honor ive women business owners and induct them into the Wall of Fame. Since 1999, the Women’s Business Center has been honoring women entrepreneurs who have participated in the center’s programs and services for their success in business.

The 2011 Wall of Fame Awardees are: Melanie Austin of Sukuru 2, Mary Lawrence Hayes of Diamond Catering, Angela Henry of Sentiment Signature Reality Booklet, Dr. Tracy Reed of Total Comfort Footcare, and Tameka Stigers of Locs of Glory. This group of successful entrepreneurs joins a prestigious group of 55 other

women also honored throughout the years.

In her acceptance speech, Angela Henry spoke of the lessons she learned while participating in the center’s program and the signiicance of the recognition.

“Being inducted into the Wall of Fame has given me motivation to do more, want more, and to give more,” Henry said.

“Sentiment Signature Reality Booklet LLC was no more than an idea when I irst met the staff of Grace Hill. They challenged, questioned and taught me to think outside the box, until there was no longer a box.”

Tessa Greenspan, former owner and CEO of Sappington Farmers Market was the keynote speaker at the 12th annual event held at Friends – A meeting Place. Each honoree was

also presented with a proclamation from the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen, sponsored by Ward 3 Alderwoman April Ford-Grifin.

The Grace Hill Women’s Business Center assists small businesses and helps to develop new businesses within the community. The center partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the United Way of Greater St. Louis to provide micro-business development and classes for aspiring women entrepreneurs.

Grace Hill Settlement House works in partnership with neighbors and stakeholders to identify the social and economic challenges in North and South St. Louis, and establish families and communities that are strong and self-sustaining.

Saint Louis University to test new tuberculosis vaccine

Scientists at Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development will conduct a clinical trial of an investigational vaccine for tuberculosis, the world’s second deadliest infectious disease.

The vaccine, which is called AERAS-422, is a modernized version of the current Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) TB vaccine, which was eveloped nearly 90 years ago. The BCG vaccine is not considered very effective in preventing pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults, which now is the population with the highest rates of TB.

With an estimated 1.8 million deaths and nearly 9.3 million new cases of tuberculosis di-

agnosed in 2007, inding a safe and effective vaccine is a global priority, said Daniel Hoft, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher at SLU’s Center for Vaccine Development and director of infectious diseases, allergy and immunology at Saint Louis University. “The TB vaccine ield has made tremendous progress over the past 10 years,” Hoft said. “Not only is the start of the clinical trial of AERAS-422 another important benchmark in the search for more effective TB vaccines, it is also an opportunity to learn more about cellular immunity, which is less understood but crucially important in developing TB vaccines.”

The live recombinant inves-

RGSD student Fine Arts Showcase April 30

Riverview Gardens’ students in theater, dance, music and art will show off their talent from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 at Westview Middle School, 1950 Nemnich Rd. This event is free and open to the public. Throughout the event, families and guests can enjoy a gallery of artwork from students

K-12 as well as hands-on music and art activity stations and information booths. The booths are sponsored by the Arts & Education Council, Bread and Roses After School Program, Jazz Saint Louis, RGSD Parent Advisory Council, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and School Music USA.

tigational vaccine that SLU will study is designed to interrupt TB at all stages of infection and protect against all forms of TB. The research is funded by Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, a non-proit research organization supported primarily by private foundations and government aid agencies. Saint Louis University is the only institution conducting the Phase 1 clinical trial.

Other institutions collaborating on the initiative are Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford; South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative at the University of Cape Town; and Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University.

Roderick Jones (President and CEO of Grace Hill Settlement House); Melanie Austin (Sukuru 2); Angela Henry (Sentiment Signature Reality Booklet LLC); Dr. Tracy Reed (Total Comfort Footcare); Tameka Stigers (Locs of Glory); Mary Lawrence Hayes (Diamond Catering); Johanna Wharton (Executive Vice President of Grace Hill Settlement House)

Barnes-Jewish ranks in top 10 for organ transplants in 2010

Data released Monday, April 18 by the United Network for Organ sharing ranks the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Transplant Center as the 10th largest solid organ transplant center in the United States by volume in 2010. This marks the irst time the Barnes-Jewish transplant program was ranked in the top 10, and it represents the largest number of transplants performed at the hospital in one year. Washington University transplant surgeons performed 412 solid organ transplants overall at BarnesJewish Hospital in 2010, compared to 358 transplants in 2009 (ranked 15th largest center in the U.S. in 2009).

The largest increase in a single category was in kidney transplant with 216, putting Barnes-Jewish at 9th, up from 184 transplants No. 16 in the country in 2009.

Gene Ridoli, director of the Barnes-Jewish Transplant Center, says living donor transplants are responsible for much of the increase.

“These options allow patients who may have otherwise waited years for an organ from a deceased donor to get transplants,” Ridoli says.

Barnes-Jewish moved up in ranking for liver transplants to 14th in 2010 from 23rd in 2009; for pancreas transplants – 19th from 24th in 2009; and in heart transplants – 17th in 2010 from 22nd in 2009.

The lung transplant program, Barnes-Jewish’s highest ranked program, dropped just one spot between 2009 and 2010 from the ifth largest to the sixth largest.

“What makes us unique here at Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital is that we have strong programs across all organs,” Ridoli says. “We have a remarkable depth of talent and resources here, not only for the transplant procedure itself, but in caring for patients both before and after surgery.”

Donald F. Irby Sr.

A Wonderful Transition from Mortality to Immortality on April 4th, 2011. A founding member of the Zips Social Club. A retired letter carrier of 37 years. Leaving to cherish his wonderful memory are: his beloved and devoted wife Barbara StinsonIrby; stepdaughter Samille Brette Stinson; son-in-law Dwight Johnson, Jr.; and protective companions Skunkie and Gabby.

Emma Moten

Emma Lee Robertson was born on July 4, 1942 to Bernice and Walter Edward Robertson in Brownsville, Tennessee. She was the only child born to this union.

Emma met her beloved husband, John Moten, Jr. while in high school and was married on May 26, 1963. From this union of nearly 48 years, three children were born, John III, Jared and Alicia.

She attended St. Louis Public Schools and graduated from

Hadley Technical High School. She attended Fontbonne University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon completion of her studies, Emma pursued her passion of family and education as a special education teacher for the Webster Groves School District, a substitute teacher for the St. Louis Public Schools, as well as an instructor in the Head Start program. She had a positive impact on thousands of children and families across the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Emma professed a hope in Christ at an early age. She was a long-time member of Wayman AME Church, and she stood strong in her faith in God. She was involved with the Wayman AME Church Young People’s Department program. Emma was a past member of the Urban League Guild of Metropolitan St. Louis. She was known for her affable, pleasant and gentle demeanor. She was very outspoken regarding the things she was passionate about—family, fashion, travel and education. She spearheaded the creation of the John and Emma Moten Scholarship at Saint Louis University that provides educational fund-

ing for college students. There was nothing that Emma desired that God did not grant. She was a devoted and supportive wife and an outstanding mother. Emma was preceded in death by her father, Walter Edward Robertson. She leaves to celebrate her life; her husband, John; her mother, Bernice Johnson Belvy; three children, John III (Valorie) of Fairield, CT, Jared of Sand Diego, CA and Alicia (Antonio) Mosley of Oklahoma City, OK; eight grandchildren, Elizabeth, Chenoa, Brittany, Jared, Aaron, Brandon, John IV and Jordyn; as well as a host of relatives and friends.

Andre Jacques Sims

Andre Jacques Sims (Andre) was born Nov. 10, 1990 in St. Louis, Missouri to Willie Ann Jackson Sims (Debbie) and Harold Andre Sims (Coonie). He was educated in the University City School District and graduated from Jennings High School. Andre excelled in art and loved playing the snare drum in the high school drumline. He enjoyed watching all sports with his pops and was competitive in basketball. He developed beats and creatively wrote many songs. Throughout the community, Andre was

known as “Camera Man Mego” because of his love for photography.

Andre was a lover of his family and friends. He affectionately called his mother “Queen” and his father “Pops”. He was a mentor and inspiration to younger children and he went the extra mile to help others.

Andre Sims

Andre confessed a hope in Christ and was baptized at Trinity Mt. Carmel under the leadership of Pastor Charles Roach in 1997. As a youth, he often attended church with his grandmother (Evangelist Joyce Sims). It was his personal testimony that he was a “Soldier in God’s Army!” Andre was employed at various companies including Schnucks supermarket, where he was an asset because of his smile and willingness to help. Andre met and fell in love with his sweetheart, Porsche Boyd, and together they have a beautiful baby girl, Harmoni Auriana Sims.

Andre took his place in God’s Army on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 9:30 p.m. Andre leaves the following loved ones to keep his spirit alive: His loving and devoted parents, Harold and Debbie Sims; one daughter, Harmoni Sims; one Brother, Leon Jackson; his grandmother, Joyce Sims; six aunts, Augustine Brown (Eugene), Marie Jackson, Lorraine Wilson (Calvin), Diane Jackson, Angela Sims and Brenda Townsel (Mark); all of St. Louis; one uncle, Gregory Sims (Erica) of Atlanta, Georgia; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Everlasting and Loving Remembrance for our Beloved Sister Marzetta M. Franks

January 19, 1927— April 15, 2008

A precious one from me has gone Your voice I love is still Your place is vacant in my heart And never can be illed Heaven is touched with your love and grace I’ll see you in glory “Markie” You have won your race.

Bishop M. Franks— Brother and Family

Emma Moten

Donald Irby Sr.

ENERGY STAR® TAX HOLIDAY

Get with the program

What makes the people we elect to public ofice lagrantly disregard our expressed concerns and abandon our interests? I would submit that nine times out of ten—as I always suggest you do—follow the money. Let’s check out a few concerns on the local and state levels.

St. Louis voters have been crystal clear that they wanted their police to live in the city in which they service and that they favor local control of the police department. The residency policy that required police must live within the city limits was overturned in 2005 by the Police Board of Commissions. We don’t elect this board but the elected governor appoints them. Last November, nearly 80 percent of city voters said they favored local control of the police department. The bill to establish local control passed in the House but is mainly being ilibustered by elected oficials who don’t even live in St. Louis city. Among the black legislators, the debate disintegrated into name-calling and threats which included throwing a homophobic tag on Senator Maria Chapelle-Nadal as some kind of insult. Calling someone gay, whether it’s true or not, with the intent of denigrating them should be offensive to all progressive-minded people.

he St. Louis Police Association (STLPOA) has always tried to set themselves apart from other worker organizations; asserting themselves as some kind of protected class may back-ire on them in the long run. All city employees are required to live in the City yet they got special provision to disregard that policy. How do you think other city employees feel about that? They have broken laws, disregarded policies including their own, and have never really put forth any real effort to bridge the growing gulf of distrust between them and the neighborhoods they serve. Seeing the handwriting on the wall with the inevitability of local control passing in the near future, the SLPOA is now negotiating with the Mayor’s ofice around issues such as collective bargaining and pension changes.

With the attacks on the public sector in Wisconsin, the state tried to pull the police and ireighters out with a treat bag but the two groups stood irm in solidarity with the other unions and associations that represent workers around the state. These public safety employees have stood should to shoulder with clerical workers, teachers and other workers. They understood that it was the ole divide-and-conquer tactic but they also understood the importance of solidarity in a battle such as this. The SLPOA seems not to understand this, making it a challenge for those who support organized labor to stand with them. And since they’ve

moved out of the city, the power of police to inluence their neighbors or elected oficials has diminished. Their lobbying bucks are what’s keeping them in the game now, not people power.

Proposition B was passed by voters in the last state election; it called for signiicant reforms in the dog breeding industry. Disregarding Missouri’s infamous moniker as the Puppy Mill Capitol of the country, the industry’s lobbyists scored a victory when the legislature wiped out key elements of the law. Prop B supporters are poised to trigger a referendum on the issue; other civil libertarians are talking about iling a lawsuit about the constitutionality of the legislators efforts to blatantly ignore the will of the people. Gas and food prices are escalating; city and state budget deicits seems to automatically mean that social and educational programs get the ax. The cries for relief that we expect to get from paying all those taxes is falling on deaf ears. We just can’t afford to grease the palms of the hierarchy of oficials that we have elected whose ears are attuned to the lobbyists of industries and corporations who continue to make our lives miserable. We need to tell them to get with the program for the people who elected them, not the few bearing gifts. Meanwhile, we must organize around multi-pronged strategies to make them feel the heat of our demands.

Light the FUSE

Jamala Rogers

On Wednesday at FUSE Advertising, Michael Blake, director of African-American and minority business outreach for the White House Office of Public Engagement, spoke to St. Louis business and community leaders about the administration’s new program and policies. The forum led to a dialogue about how the administration’s programs can serve the St. Louis business community and community organizations. Visit www whitehouse.gov/africanamericans. Photo by Wiley Price

BUSINESS

Public Service commission

opens supplierdiversity inquiry

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of the St.Louis American

When attorney Robert Kenney joined the Missouri Public Service Commission, he brought with him a background of promoting inclusion and diversity in the workplace – from serving as chief of staff in Attorney General Chris Koster’s office to working in private practice.

“I became most interested in the possibility of strengthening economic development opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses as I began to realize the amount of goods and services that utilities procure,” he said, who was appointed to the commission in 2009 by Governor Jay Nixon.

On April 14, Kenney announced that the com-

mission opened a voluntary docket to gather feedback about the benefits and concerns utility companies encounter when seeking goods and services from diverse suppliers.

The commission is seeking information about a number of topics including:

• What goods and services do utilities procure from outside suppliers;

• Which utilities already have supplier diversity programs in place;

• What incentives might encourage utilities to procure goods and services from diverse suppliers;

Missouri’s commissionhas not done anything like this before regarding diversity, but it has openedvarious investigatory dockets to examine other unrelated issues.

– Robert Kenney

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Diona Worthy,owner of Feel Worthy Aesthetics,wants you to “love the skin you’re in.”Located inside the Fisher Wellness Center, Feel Worthy Aesthetics is dedicated to maintaining and improving the overall of health of your largest organ,your skin.

Feeling your worth

Pampering

By Joia Williamson Of The St.Louis American

is the business at Feel Worthy

“No matter what race, culture or creed, skin is our common experience.”

Diona Worthy, owner of Feel Worthy Aesthetics, wants you to “love the skin your in.”

Located inside the Fisher Wellness Center, Feel Worthy Aesthetics, is dedicated to maintaining and improving the overall of health of your largest organ, your skin.

– Diona Worthy,Feel Worthy Aesthetics

“Everyone wants to look good and feel good,” explained Worthy, who is in her second year of owning and operating her own business. “My goal is that whenever a client leaves my business,

Aesthetics

not only do they look and feel good, but they also have the information that they need to main their skin’s health.”

Alicensed aesthetician since 2007, Worthy treats all skin types, but gets special joy from helping African-American clients rejuvenate and restore their skin.

She explained, “Often times we feel that skin care is a luxury that we either don’t need

See WORTHY, B6

Arindam Karto chairMulticultural Society

• What barriers exist that might discourage utilities from procuring goods and services 2011 United Way of Greater St. Louis fundraising campaign

as the 2011 chair of the United Way of Greater St. Louis Multicultural Leadership Giving Society. In its third year, the Society is designed for diverse-minded individuals and people of all ethnicities who make a personal contribution of $1,000 or more annually to United Way of Greater St. Louis. It offers these individuals opportunities to meet with other key leaders in the region and prepare them for roles in serving our community.

“Chairing the Multicultural Society last year was a learning and growing experience.”

– Arindam Kar,partner,Bryan Cave

Ninoska Clarkson, IS PMO-Project Delivery Services for Edward Jones, and Charlene Johnson, business development and marketing leader for BKD, LLP, will serve as this year’s vice-chairs of the society.

In 2010, the Multicultural Leadership Giving Society raised more than $1 million dollars from more than 500 members to help one in three peo-

ple in this region.

“Chairing the Multicultural Society last year was a learning and growing experience,” said Kar. “It was also fun. I’ve been working with the Society for more than a year now, and there is such a good energy with the group, I want to help develop that energy.”

Kar’s antitrust practice encompasses antitrust litigation and counseling. Kar also has been involved in the representation of companies and individuals in federal and state antitrust investigations. In addition, his antitrust practice focuses upon providing counseling to clients with respect to mergers and acquisitions, price discrimination issues,

See KAR, B2

Jada Reese

Louis chapter). Stacey Blackmon

Stacey Blackmon has been appointed to the board of directors ofthe Central Institute for the Deaf. Blackmonis vice president, sales, for Integrated Behavioral Health, which provides behavioral healthcare products that supports health plans and commercial employer groups worldwide. ASt. Louis native, Blackmon recently relocated back home after 14 years as an executive away.

Jada Reese is a director of diversity and inclusion for Express Scripts.She

BUSINESS BRIEFS

County municipalities agree to new fiscal standards

The St. Louis County Municipal League recently voted unanimously to create the first-ever standards of city governance. The 10-point standards are:

• Complete an annual budget that includes all revenues and expenditures.

• Utilize a cash management and accounting system that includes all revenues and expenditures.

• Conduct an annual audit and work on implementing audit recommendations.

• Have and utilize a capital improvement plan to identify and prioritize capital expenditures.

• Manage risks by having proper insurance coverage.

• Provide minimum police coverage with at least two certified police officers per shift or a similar contract.

• Update and enforce codes in order to maintain reasonable standards.

• Have an up-to-date master plan, planning and zoning commission and a board of adjustment.

• Have readily available, up-to-date ordinances to ensure compliance with state law.

• Have a solid waste plan that includes weekly trash pick up and recycling as part of basic service.

Grace Hill Women’s Business Centerhonors five entrepreneurs

The Grace Hill Women’s Business Center recently recognized five women entrepreneurs for their success in business and impact on St. Louis.

Honorees were Melanie Austin of Sukuru 2, Mary Lawrence Hayes of Diamond Catering, Angela Henry of Sentiment Signature Reality Booklet, Dr. Tracy Reed of Total Comfort Footcare and Tameka Stigers of Locs of Glory.

The Grace Hill Women’s Business Center partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the United Way of Greater St. Louis to provide micro-business development and classes for aspiring women entrepreneurs.

State gets nearly $1M from feds forhealth counseling

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced the first installment of funding to the Missouri State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to help Medicare beneficiaries in Missouri, and those who care for them, by providing information and counseling about their health care choices.

The Community Leaders Assisting the Insured of Missouri (CLAIM) program, which is Missouri’s SHIPprogram, will receive $987,953, part of the nearly $46.5 million being distributed to SHIPs as part of the total $50 million that is available to SHIPs in 2011 for direct grants and support contracts. For more information on CLAIM, visit www.missouriclaim.org.

Robert Kenney

Arindam Kar

Photo by Wiley Price

Traditional individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a good way to save for retirement. If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan or would like to supplement that plan, then a traditional IRAcould work for you. Atraditional IRAis simply a tax-deferred savings account that is set up through an investment institution and has several investing options. For instance, an IRAcan include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, cash equivalents, real estate, and other investment vehicles.

One of the benefits of a traditional IRAis the potential for tax-deductible contributions. In 2011, you may be eligible to make a tax-deductible contri-

INQUIRY

Continued from B1 from

What is a traditional IRA?

bution of up to $5,000 ($6,000 if you are 50 or older). Contribution limits are indexed annually for inflation. You can contribute directly to a traditional IRAor you can transfer assets directly from another type of qualified plan, such as a SEPor a SIMPLE IRA. Rollovers may also be made from a qualified employer-sponsored plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), after you change jobs or retire.

Not everyone contributing to a traditional IRAis eligible for a tax deduction. If you are an active participant in a qualified workplace retirement plan — such as a 401(k) or a simplified employee pension plan — your IRAdeduction may be reduced or eliminated, based

work with regulated utilities;

• Are there “best practices” that can be adopted to facilitate and encourage procurement of services from diverse suppliers?

Overall, commissioners aim to highlight the issue of suppli-

By Charles Ross PERSONAL FINANCE

on your income. For example, in 2011, if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is $56,000 or less as a single filer ($90,000 or less for married couples filing jointly), you can receive the full tax deduction. On the other hand, if your AGI is more than $66,000 as a single filer ($110,000 for married couples filing jointly), you are not eligible for a tax deduction. Partial deductions are

Charles Ross

er diversity and to affirm its significance among utility companies.

“At the end of the day, we hope to do our part to maximize the economic development opportunities for traditionally disadvantaged busi-

allowed for single filers whose incomes are between $56,000 and $66,000 (or between $90,000 and $110,000 for married couples filing jointly). If you are not an active participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you are eligible for a full tax deduction.

Nondeductible contributions may necessitate some very complicated paperwork when you begin withdrawals from your account. If

ness,” he said.

The idea for opening the docket came out of discussions Kenney had withcommissioners fromCalifornia and Maryland, both of whomhave been leaders in working with their regulated entities to promote supplier diversity.

Missouri’s commissionhas not done anything like this before regarding diversity, but it has openedvarious investigatory dockets to examine otherunrelated issues, he said.

Thedocket format is the vehicle the commission uses to keep track of documents and comments related to a specific issue.

“I envision that, once we have received comments from

KAR

Continued from B1

franchising and termination of distributorships. Kar’s class action practice focuses on antitrust class action defense, including the defense of state indirect purchaser actions.

Kar’s commercial litigation experience includes the representation of individuals and corporations in breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, civil conspiracy, fraud, tort, and real estate litigation.

Kar has served on Bryan

your contributions are not tax deductible, you may be better served by another retirement plan, such as a Roth IRA. The funds in a traditional IRAaccumulate tax deferred, which means you do not have to pay taxes until you start receiving distributions in retirement, a time when you might be in a lower tax bracket. Withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income. If taken prior to age 59?, withdrawals may also be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty.

Exceptions to this early-withdrawal penalty include distributions resulting from disability, unemployment, and qualified first home expenses ($10,000 lifetime limit), as well as distributions used to pay higher-education expenses. You must begin taking annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) from a traditional IRAafter you turn 70? (starting no later than April 1 of the year after the year you reach 70?), or you will be subject to a 50% income tax penalty on the amount that should have been withdrawn. Of course, you can always withdraw more than the required minimum amount, or even withdraw the entire balance as a lump sum.

Charles Ross is host of the syndicated radio program “Your Personal Finance.” Contact him at P.O. Box 870928; Stone Mountain, Georgia 30087; or email to charles@ charlesross.com.

interested parties, we will convene workshops to discuss what we have received and discuss the next steps,” he said.

Kenney said the process is also important because the commission has an obligation toensure the safe, reliable delivery ofutility services and reasonable cost.

“We also have a duty and obligation to act in the public interest,” he said.“The public interest also includes, in my opinion, making sure that the people who pay for utility services are given a fair opportunity to compete for business opportunities with those utility providers.”

Any person or entity with an interest in this case is invited to view documents and is encouraged to submit comments or documents without counsel. This is not a contested case; therefore, intervention requests to participate are unnecessary. The public is invited to submit comments by forwarding electronic communications through the Public Service Commission’s electronic and information system (EFIS) or by mailing documents or written comments. Electronic comments can be submitted at the Commission’s website at http://www.psc.mo.gov.

Cave’s recruiting committee and has co-chaired the summer associate intern program. He has been a volunteer attorney for the Legal Advocates of Abused Women and he regularly handles pro bono immigration matters.

“Working with Arindam and this Society has been eyeopening,” said Orvin Kimbrough, senior vice president of United Way of Greater St. Louis.

“Through him we, at United Way, have been able to reach out to new people, not only as donors, but as strong volunteers who are truly passionate

about becoming involved and who want to learn and take part in how we give as a community.”

Danny Ludeman, president and CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors, serves as chair of the 2011 United Way of Greater St. Louis campaign. United Way funds nearly 200health and human service agencies located throughout a 16-county area in Missouri and Illinois.

To learn more or become a member of the 2011 Multicultural Society, contact Kimbrough at (314) 539-4249.

“What I said was ignorant and I really didn’t realize what I was saying.”

— Kobe Bryant,on the anti-gay slur to a referee which resulted in a $100,000 fine

Are the Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose ready to make a run at the title after their surprising run to the best regular-season record?

NBA Playoffs will answer many questions

Will veteran

Lakers, Celtics, Spurs hold

young guns

The opening games of the NBA Playoffs have been most entertaining. Seeing the two-time defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Western Conference best-record San Antonio Spurs lose their opening home games add a little suspense to the proceedings. The No. 1 Eastern seed Chicago Bulls and No. 3 seed Boston Celtics had to battle to the wire to escape the same fate in their opening games. Hopefully, some of these lowerseeded teams can extend those first-round series and add a little spice to the postseason. Afew scenarios for the playoffs that I will be watching.

• Can older veteran teams such

St.Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina checks out the new sign after the dedication of Yadier Molina Field in Wellston, Missouri on Tuesday. St.Louis Cardinals Care built the field from an empty lot for neighborhood children to play organized baseball.The field is the 19th field built by Cardinals Care.

to make

another title run?

off

INSIDE SPORTS

With Earl Austin Jr.

as the Lakers, Celtics and Spurs hold off the young guns and make a serious run for the title.

• Are the Miami Heat ready to live up to all the preseason hype and bring the title home in their first year?

• Are the Chicago Bulls ready to make a run at the title after their surprising run to the best regular-season record.

• Can the Oklahoma City

Thunder make a title run with basically just two players (Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) doing most of the scoring?

• Can the Atlanta Hawks sneak up on everyone in the East after two embarrassing playoff failures during the past two seasons?

Rookie of the Year – Blake Griffin (L.A. Clippers); Coach of the Year – Tom Thibodeau (Chicago Bulls); Most Improved Player –Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Sixth Man – LamarOdom (L.A. Lakers).

• Chaminade College Prep star Bradley Beal concluded his spectacular high school career by scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the Jordan Brand All-American Classic in Charlotte, N.C. last Saturday. Beal averaged 13.3 points in Earl Austin Jr.

Here are my NBApostseason awards. Most Valuable Player –Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls);

Michael Hester leads strong cast from Missouri

Many of the area’s top athletes will be headed to Lawrence, Kan. this weekend to compete in the Kansas Relays. The meet organizers are bringing in some of the world’s top performers to compete in the open divisions.

The high school divisions will feature top athletes from the state of Missouri and Kansas. The running events will begin on Friday after the opening ceremonies.

The boys from Hazelwood Central and girls from Ladue will be taking strong units to Kansas. Central’s Michael Hester and Marc Franks are scheduled to compete in the 400-meter dash. The Hawks are also taking hurdler Tyrone Williams and some very good sprint-relay teams. Ladue girls standouts Samantha Levin and Montenae Roye will also be in action. Levin will compete in the 800 and 1,600-meter runs while Roye will compete in the 400. Both will be running on the Rams’ 4x400- and 4x800meter relay teams. Other top area athletes scheduled to compete at KU are twin distance standouts Daniel and David Everett of Westminster Christian, distance standout Daniel Mazar of Rockwood Summit and girls distance standout Colleen Quigley of Nerinx Hall. McCluer’s Sherice Williams will also be in the high jump. She has already cleared 5 feet 7 inches this season.

• Some of the top performers in girls track were on display at the Henle Holmes Invitational at Parkway Central last week. Despite the bad weather conditions on Friday, there were still some top performances at the meet.

Ladue High senior standout Samantha Levin was a part of four new meet records at Henle Holmes. Levin won the 200-meter dash on Friday, but she set a meet record in the prelims on Thursday with a time of 24.9 seconds. She also won the 400 in a meet-record 55.1 seconds. Levin’s most exciting moment came in the sprint-medley relay when she turned in an explosive 53.9-second anchor leg to give the Rams the victory in a meet record time of 1:48.21. Levin finished her big meet by running a leg on the firstplace 4x400-meter relay team that set a new meet record of 3:56.6. Levin was joined on the 4x400 by Montenae Roye, Emily Warner and Shayla Arnold. Kirkwood won the team girls title with 155 points. The Pioneers used their depth and quality to score in several different events. They won the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x800-meter relays. The 4x800 team won in a time of 9:34.1, which is quite impressive for mid-April. Elizabeth Luciani finished first in the 3,200-meter run in a time of 11:55.6.

Senior Daliah Dyson of Fort Zumwalt West swept both the shot put and discus events. She won the shot put with a heave of 40 feet 2 inches and the discus with a throw of 145-2. Distance running standout Alyssa Rebecca won the 1,600 in a time of 5:09.24. In the boys competition, Bobby Norful of Maplewood won the 100 and 200. Sophomore Ezekiel Elliott won the 110-meter high hurdles. Elliott finished third in the event at last year’s Class 3 state meet as a freshman. University City’s Darion Boure won the triple jump and finished second in the long jump. Boure is the 2010 Class 3 state champion in the triple jump.

• Cahokia High standout Vernon Carter was one of the individual standouts at the Corey Siebert Invitational at Rockwood Summit. Carter swept the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Another double-winner at Summit was

With Earl Austin Jr.

Michael Hester

Yadier Molina Field

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

By Mike Claiborne

Afavorite sport and time of the year

Yes, it is that time of the year. It is that time when batteries for a remote control are as precious as $3 gas these days.

It’s that time... playoffs and baseball season all rolled into one. The question has always been posed to me. “ Mike, what is your favorite sport”?

While it is an easy question it has somewhat of a long route to get to a short answer. Those who would know me would automatically say hockey and with good reason.

As an African American, I never saw one like me when I was an aspiring player. I fought my own battles and had great times playing with and against good people and when it was all said and done I learned first hand that the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most competitive and demanding playoffs in sports.

The Stanley Cup by far is the hardest trophy to win and there is not a close second. The physical and mental demand put forth to have your name inscribed on the oldest trophy competed for in North America comes with a price of more than blood sweat and tears. It is a beast and those who survive are in a rare and limited group. For the price they pay is well worth the watching as only the strong survive. There is one problem though. This is a shabbily run league that has missed the boat on so many occasions to do the right thing. While it is an allinclusive league when it comes to its players the NHLdoes not promote the game and its players in the manner like some other sports, which is why no

While it is an allinclusive league when it comes to its players the NHL does not promote the game and its players in the manner like some other sports.

one pays attention to the most important time of the year for the league. Speaking of perhaps getting it right, I would say the NBAhas it, but here is the rub. Before one dribble is taken, you know that it will be the Lakers and about three other teams that have a real shot to win if not be in the finals. The rest of the teams seem to get that hence they fall by the way side. With that said, it is that time when the league features the best of the best in both players and coaches, not to mention the ability to broadcast the game. The NBAgets it on that front. The problem is Memphis will be Memphis any year they get into the playoffs. They will play hard but will be a player or two short. That is not the case in the NHLas an eighth-seeded team could play their way to the finals. The fact that the NBAcan be found on at least three networks also increases the league’s visibility during the playoffs. As for the NHL, let’s face it, if ESPN does not have something to do with it do you really pay that much attention to it? The NBAhas to be more competitive in the early rounds. While I am a Laker fan I would like to see some of the other teams pushed more.

As we are in the first month of the baseball season it has proven to be interesting as false hope and early panic are mainstays at this time of the year. You all know my feeling on the early part of the season so no need to rehash that. It is fun to watch the teams who really have no chance play like they do as well as seeing teams

start to jell. Did I mention that it is also that time of year when fans start to wonder who they can trade for if they are not happy with certain players or even

the manager at this time of the year. Might I remind you that we are entering just the third week of the season that runs to October. In April, everyone thinks they have a chance. One

problem or should I say five as there are May, June, July, August and September that have to be accounted for. In all there is a real reason to pay attention and follow them all with equal vigor.

Mike Claiborne

TRACK

Continued from B3

Continued from B3 Ellis Maise of Timberland, who won the 200 and 400. The best race of the day came in the 1,600 when Daniel Everett of Westminster Christian edged Daniel Mazar of Summit in a dramatic finish where both runners crossed the finish line at virtually the same time. Everett’s winning time was 4:19.08 while Mazar’s time was 4:19.13.

three postseason all-star games this spring. Beal scored 17 points in the McDonald’s AllAmerican Game in Chicago on March 30. He had eight points while playing for Team USA in the Nike Hoops Summit in Portland on April 9.

• The Southwest Illinois Jets 16U boys basketball team won the championship in the Silver Division at last weekend’s Battle for the Arch Tournament at Saint Louis University. The Jets defeated Spiece Indy Heat from Indiana

76-73 for the championship. Sophomore guard Malcolm Hill (Belleville East) averaged more than 25 points a game to lead the Jets.

• Congratulations to our town’s Myrle Mensey, who won three gold medals at the recent USAMasters Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. Competing in the 60-year old age division, Mensey won the shot put, 12pound weight throw and 20pound weight throw. Mensey set a new American record in the 12 lb. weight throw. Mensey has been doing great work with her new track club and foundation, The Throwing and Growing Track Club. One

of Mensey’s pupils, Nia Lyles, won the shot put in the girls bantam division at the recent Amateur Athletic Union National Indoor Championships in Bloomington, Ill.

• I will be appearing at the St. Louis Public Library, Walnut Park Branch (5760 West Florissant) for a presentation and book signing for, You Might Need and Jacket I and II and the PHLin the STLon Saturday, May 7 from 2-3 p.m.

(You can follow Earl Austin Jr. daily on his basketball website, www.earlaustinjr.com Earl is also on Facebook and twitter.com/earlaustinjr).

• Host school East St.

Louis took home the championship at the Al Joyner Classic, which was held last Friday at Clyde C. Jordan Stadium. Hurdler Phillip Hickman got the Flyers going with a pair of victories in the 110-meter high and 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Hickman led a Flyers’victory parade that included winners in seven individual events and three relays. Those individual winners included Deonte Hamilton (1,600), Jeremy Nicholson (triple jump), Antonio Pierce (high jump), Demarcus Green (shot put) and Joshua Gates (400). The Flyers swept all three of the sprint relays in finishing with 195 points.

National Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock gets a closer look at a statue of himself during a dedication ceremony at the Lou Brock Sports Complex on the campus of Lindenwood University on Monday.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

WORTHY

Continued from B1 or can’t afford. However, as African Americans we actually have several unique skin issues, and Feel Worthy Aesthetics addresses all of these at very reasonable rates.”

Worthy, who got her start as a makeup artist working on video and photo shoots, decided to go back to school to learn how to care for the skin as a whole. Worthy offered this advice to those who want to follow a similar path: “Even if you are good at doing makeup, I think you still need to go to school to improve your knowledge, to get a license and to become a professional.”

Worthy’s goal is to help African Americans take better care of their skin. She intends eventually to create her own

product line and to publish books that inform African Americans about skin care and health.

Services at Feel Worthy Aesthetics include facials, skin peels, massages, aromatherapy, body wraps, eyebrow and eyelash enhancement and –Worthy’s specialty – makeup. In addition to the service offered at the center, Worthy also offers wedding makeup consultations and bridal spa parties.

Feel Worthy Aesthetics also offers services specifically for men, including hair removal, executive facials and manicures as well as corrective facials for ingrown hairs and bumps caused by the use of razors.

Worthy feels that the Fisher Wellness center provides the ideal atmosphere for the services that she offers. “The Fishers have created a profes-

sional facility with a tranquil atmosphere,” Worthy said.

“The doctors on staff can advise clients on their skin care as well as their overall heath and well being. It’s a friendly and inviting atmosphere, with warm people. As she reflects on the rewards of owning her own business and providing customer service, Worthy looks towards the future with great anticipation.

“I’m better than blessed,” she said. “I want my clients to feel worthy. No matter what race, culture or creed, skin is our common experience. I want everyone that I serve to leave feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, educated and pampered.”

For more information, go to www.fisherwellnesscenter.com or call 314-837-9777.

Diona Worthy,owner of Feel Worthy Aesthetics

Photo by Wiley Price

Winfrey network series captures heart of STL soul food eatery

introduced

By Kenya Vaughn

Of the St. Louis American

“When I used to sing with Dr. John, we used to have this song called right time, wrong place,” Sweetie Pie’s owner Robbie Montgomery said as she sat in her restaurant. “Well this is the right place.” Fresh on the heels of securing approval to open another restaurant in the heart of Grand Center, Montgomery and her son Timothy Norman are destined to be stars when the

In a case of the most beautiful kind of irony, years after returning from California, the fame she chased on stage would be found in her St. Louis kitchen.

“I never would have dreamed any of this,” Montgomery said. “When my mom made me go in the house to cook I was complaining, but now I’m

St. Louis’ own Robbie Montgomery (right) and her son Tim Norman, owners of soul food staple Sweetie Pie’s, will be among the line-up of new shows to hit the Oprah Winfrey Network in the coming months.

Photo by Wiley Price

paying the rent with it. I know she’s turning over saying ‘I told you so.’’ Even Montgomery’s mother couldn’t have imagined that the family recipes that she cooked on a hotplate for the Ikettes during the days of segregation would make her a household

See SWEETIE, C4

Rockhouse: Round one

Homegrown heavy hitters aim for music industry TKO

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

When they caught each other in passing as they came in and out of Saints studio way back when, neither could have guessed they were destined to be partners.

Orlando “Pretty Boy” Watson was the veteran and Bradd Young was like the kid brother of the bunch who used the facility – so much so that he would be forced to stand by and wait for the older producers to finish before he could have his turn in the booth.

At the time, Young wasn’t even an afterthought in Watson’s universe as a record label owner and producer.

More than ten years later, the tide had indeed changed.

“I was like ‘we either gotta sign this dude or partner up because I don’t want him as competition,” Orlando Pretty Boy Watson said after hearing singer Young’s grown man talent as a producer and artist.

It was just that simple. Even before the label was formed they had hit records from the production side of things working with artists like Akon, June 5th, Kelly Rowland, Jibbs, Swizz Beatz, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Yo Gotti, Young Jeezy to name a few.

But then it became complicated, so they decided to jump in head- irst in order to ensure their music would be delivered to the masses.

“We hadn’t planned on starting a label, we were just planning to make some money on the production side and then segue into Bradd getting a record deal as a solo artist,” Watson said. “But when you are a producer for hire you don’t really control that content. Like with Tyra – we did Tyra’s entire album and they only released three singles so the rest of the material is on the shelf forever.”

The R&B singer’s singles were in heavy rotation and well received by fans, but the inished project never saw the light of day.

“That’s heartbreaking because we put a lot of time and passion into that album and it’s incredible,” Watson said.

What started as a production duo ive years ago has evolved into a full-ledged label with a team of artists (including Aloha MiSho, Young, Donnie Banxx, Mai Lee and Vega) with a spectrum of sounds that represent STL R&B and hip-hop that come together to form Rockhouse Ent.

By Kenya Vaughn

By Eugene B. Redmond

thousand pounds of bricks. In was one of the rare occasions where I was stunned into mutism. I visualized the sea of sisters begging for a hook from the ever elusive single black man with a good job, decent credit and 0-1 baby mamas who actually toss a line to us.

After yearning to redeem myself, I sent an e-mail response that read as follows:

In my opinion, the real answer is that we have thrown in the towel and cry defeat to whoever listens - while simultaneously engaging in one of two acts as we play our violins.

a) We lower our standards and date fools out of extreme thirst.

b) We whoop and holler at black men for opting out on us and become branded with the stereotype of bitter black ________ (another word that starts with a b) - and yet weep quietly to trusted girlfriends about our loneliness immediately

How to place a calendar listing

1.Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican.com OR 2.Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing

Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis.

concerts

Fri., Apr. 22, 9 p.m. doors, Ivy League Entertainment presents Eric Roberson with special guest Teresa Jenee. Hosted by Maurice G. with DJ Needles on the ones and twos. The Loft, 3112 Olive. For more information, call (314) 403-2208.

May 1, 2 p.m., Quiet Your World Piano Concert featuring composers and artists from Nashville and Seatlle as heard on ww.solopianoradio.com, 8920 Eden Avenue, Affton, MO 63123. For more information www.edenucc.org or [314]631-8930.

Fri., May 6, The 2nd Annual St. Louis SuperMusic Festival featuring Charlie Wilson, Eric Benet, Fantasia and En Vogue, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com

Sun., May 8, Ameren Missouri presents 15th Annual Denise Thimes and Friends Mothers Day Concert, Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. For more information, call (314) 773-0337. For tickets, call (314) 534-1111.

May 15, 8 p.m. Diddy Dirty Money with special guests Lloyd and Tyga, The Pageant. 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com or call (314) 7266161.

July 28, Sade with special guest John Legend, Scottrade Center. Tickets on sale April 16. For more information visit www.ticketmaster.com

local gigs

Apr. 26, 6 p.m., St. Louis Hip-Hop artist William H instore listening party, R. Sole, 6662 Delmar Blvd. Suite A, 63130. For more information, visit www.freshovereverything.com

Sat., May 7, 10 p.m. Tef Poe and Rockwell Knuckles7 release party. The Gramophone. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/tefpoe314 or www.myspace.com/rockwellknuckles.

St. Louis’own StarCity recording artist Fred Walker performs his (one man)SAXY JAZZ music show at the all new SHRIMPSHACK GRILL , Every Friday (happy hour) 3pm – 7pm, and Saturday (brunch) 10am – 2pm. 8624 Natural Bridge Rd (at Hanley) 314-426-3333.

special events

Fri., Apr. 22 & Sat., Apr. 23, ANNONYArts Presents: THE SLAUGHTER PROJECT, Founders’Theatre, COCA, 524 Trinity Avenue, University City, MO. 63130. For more

CALENDAR

information, visit www.cocastl.org.

Apr. 23, 10 a.m., Free Easter

Pictures @ Cherokee Photobooth! Pictures taken in front of an awesome chalkboard mural by local artist Ryan Frank and go home with a 4x6 Print for FREE!!! Face painters, a troubadour, and a belly dancer! 2637 Cherokee Street, St Louis MO 63118. For more information please call (314)546-0826.

Sat., Apr. 23, Absolut Vodka and the 13 Black Katz present Straight No Chaser, The Ritz Carlton.

Mon., Apr. 25, 9 p.m., “Gettin’Down(town) with Ozzie” Proceeds benefit The Bridge, a 501 (c) 3 agency that provides food and support services for residents of downtown St. Louis who are currently homeless. Special guest Ozzie Smith will be on hand for photos and autographs (for a fee). Home run derby on restaurant’s Wii. Live auction of baseball memorabilia. Reserve online at www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, call (314)4213136 and ask for Debra.

Apr. 27 – Apr. 29, Delux Fashion Week, The Metropolitan Gallery (2936 Locust).

Fri., Apr. 29 – May 1, MurderMystery Train Trip from St. Louis To Kansas City. For more information call (314) 219-4188 or visit kcmysteryweekend.eventbrite.c om.

Apr. 29 – May 1, NCJW

Warehouse Estate Sale 2011.

Over 20,000 square feet featuring an amazing selection of unique items and home furnishings. 1270 N. Price Road, Delivery Warehouse Suite B, Olivette, 63132. See photos of some of the many items posted at: www.couturieronline.com

Through April 30, The Missouri Department of Agriculture is accepting applications forits annual George Washington Carver Essay contest. For more information, e-maiil: essaycontest@mda.mo.gov

Sat., Apr. 30, 9 a.m., U City in Bloom’s Perennial Plant Sale, Heman Park Community Center located at the corner of Pennsylvania & Vernon Avenues. For additional information visit www.ucityinbloom.org lindafriedster@gmail.com, or call (314) 360-0530. All proceeds benefit the public gardens of University City.

Sat., Apr. 30, 10 a.m., National Coalition of 100 Black Women Metro St.

Louis ChapterAnnual Mother’s Day Brunch with guest speakerM. Delois Strum, NCBWNational President, Lumiere Theater. For more information, call (314) 420-9373.

Sat., April 30, 7 p.m., Dive into the Dances of India & Africa! AFusion Class for All by AddLife! Studio, featuring WashU’s North India Bhangra dance troupe & African dancer Malena Amusa, InPower Institute, 5400 Nottingham Ave., 63109. For info, call (314) 458 – 4282 or visit www.AddLifeStudio.com.

Sat., Apr. 30, 3 p.m., An Evening of Elegance 2011 Dinnerand Fashion Show with entertainment provided by Nikko Smith, The Stanley & Clayton Rice Family Center, 4145 Kennerly Ave. Call (314) 531-6443

Sun., May 1, Rockhouse Ent. Presents I’m ASurvivorAll White Party and Cancer Benefit, The Label.

Sat., May 7, 12 noon, Gamma Phi Delta Sorority Inc., Iota Chapterpresents the 29th Annual Bessie M. Cross Scholarship and Charities Fashion Show Luncheon, Holiday Inn St. Louis Airport, 4505 Woodson Rd. For more information, call (314) 389-5229.

May 14, Healing & Mending Ministry’s 1st Annual Heaven Sent” Mother’s Day Brunch/Fashion Show Westport Comfort Inn, 12031 Lackland Road, St Louis MO, 63146. For more information, call(314) 255-6181, visit www.healmending.org or email: healingm2@gmail.com

Sun., May 15, 3 p.m., Jews United forJustice presents their7th Annual HeschelKing Celebration honoring Judge Ronnie White and Judge Rick Teitelman, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Thomas C. Hullverson and Richard B. Teitelmen Center For Justice Building, 4232 Forest Park Ave.

Through May 15, Bob the Builder– Project: Build It will be on site at The Magic House, 516 S. Kirkwood Road, one mile north of Highway 44 in historic downtown Kirkwood. For more information, please call (314) 822-8900 or visit The Magic House online at www.magichouse.org

Sat., May 21, 11 a.m., Omicron Theta Omega Chapterof Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., presents Pink Pizzazz: An All White Affair featuring the Tim Cunningham Duet, Norwood Hills Country Club, One Norwood Hills Country Club Drive. For more information, call (314) 283-8213.

Fri., May 6, 8 p.m., Martin Lawrence, Scottrade Center Concert Club. For more information, visit www.livenation.com

Sat., May 7, 7 p.m. & 9 p.m., Laugh With Me Ma Comedy Weekend starring Jovan Bibbs, Marcus Combs, Matt Collins and more, Gateway Center, One Gateway Drive in Collinsville, IL. Call (618) 345-8998.

Sat., Apr. 23, 10 a.m., William Shakespeare 447th Birthday Celebration, Shakespeare Statue in Tower Grove Park,near Center Cross & Main Drive. The party will feature brief readings by Rick Dildine (Shakespeare Festival St. Louis), Ron Himes (St. Louis Black Repertory Company) and Steven Woolf (Repertory

Re-imagine and re-work your most important writing projects in this exciting and informative writing party, InPower Institute, 5400 Nottingham Ave., 63109. For info, call (314) 458 –4282 or visit www.AddLifeStudio.com Sat., May 7, 2 p.m., St. Louis American Sports Editor Earl Austin Jr. will be appearing at the St. Louis Public Library Walnut Park Branch (5760 West Florissant) for a presentation and book signing. Earl’ss publications include: The PHL in the STL: The Public High League, ASt. Louis Basketball Legacy and the DVD of the same name; You Might Need a Jacket: Hilarious Stories of Wacky Sports Parents and You Might Need a Jacket II.

The 2nd Annual St.Louis Super Music Festival featuring Charlie Wilson,Eric Benet,Fantasia and En Vogue,Chaifetz Arena.See CONCERTS for details.

May 11, 7 p.m., Author Matthew Algeo will sign and discuss his new book, The President Is a Sick Man: Where the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth, Pudd’nHead Books, 37 South Old Orchard Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119.

theatre

Apr. 21 – Apr. 23, HSSU Players present August Wilson’s Seven Guitars directed by Gregory S. Carr, Harris-Stowe State University, Emerson Performance Center. For more information, call (314) 340-5975.

Through May 15, The Black Rep presents Black Pearl Sings, The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, call (314) 534-3810 or visit www.theblackrep.org .

Sat., Apr. 23, 3pm., Renew The Best You Through Acting w/ Coco Hype at InPowerInstitute. Drama fireball Coco leads an exciting exploration of character development,dialogue,improvisation, & key communication skills we need in life and on stage. 5400 Nottingham Ave., 63109. For more info, call (314) 458 - 4282 or visit www.AddLifeStudio.com.

Apr. 21 – Apr. 23, St. Louis Community College Players present What the Butler Saw The Mildred E. Bastian Center for the Performing Arts, 5600 Oakland Ave., St. Louis.

Apr. 28 – Apr. 30, Chicago’s legendary comedy theatre The Second City brings FAIR & UNBALANCED to St. Louis, Touhill Performing Arts Center Tickets are available now at the Touhill Performing Arts Center Ticket Office; online at www.touhill.org; or by phone at 314-516-4949.

May 13 – May 14, JMJ Productions presents I Just Want to Be Loved, 5915 Minerva. For more information, call (314) 437-8937.

arts

Through April 30, UMSL Studio Art Students present Parental Advisory (Opening reception to take place from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Apr. 14), Gallery 210, Telecommunity Center at UMSL, 1 University Blvd. For

more information, visit gallery210.umsl.edu or 314516-5976.

Through April 21, Framations Art Gallery presents Those Who Dream by Night, a juried exhibit of artwork focusing on themed work. Framations Gallery, 218 North Main Street, St. Charles, MO 63301. For more information, call (636) 724-8313.

May 6 – August 1, MFA Thesis Exhibition featuring the candidates in Washington University’s Graduate School of Art, part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.

May 6 – August 1, Cosima Von Bonin Character Appreciation, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.

lectures

Thurs., Apr. 21, 5:30 p.m., The National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) Greater St. Louis Chapter presents its annual CEO Panel round table discussion. Panelists include Adrian Bracy, CEO of YWCA Metro St. Louis; Michael Holmes, President of Rx Outreach and Ron McMullen, President of Christian Hospital. The discussion topic is “ACEO’s Perspective on Talent Management in the Aftermath of the Recession” facilitated by Glenn Dalton of the RKD Group. 130 Edward Jones Blvd (near Progress Parkway and Dorsett), Maryland Heights, MO 63043. For additional information visit www.naaahrstl.org

Fri., Apr. 29, 7:30 a.m., The first-everDowntown Housing Summit, featuring guest speakers reporting on national and regional housing trends reflected in the just completed 2010 Census and the future of downtown living. For more information, visit www.downtownstl.org.

Sat., Apr. 30, 8:30 a.m., 2nd Annual St. Louis Metro Autism Forum Washington University Occupational Therapy Auditorium , 4444 Forest Park Ave. The forum starts at 9:00 a.m. and registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The forum is free and open to the public and a light breakfast is provided at no cost. For more information, contact Janice Gregory at (618) 593-5146. RSVPwith Bonnie Logsdon at (314) 286-1606.

Sat., Apr. 30, 10 a.m., The Universal African Peoples

Organization (UAPO)Last Saturday Community Forum, Legacy Bookstore & Cafe 5241 Delmar. For more information, call (314) 4549005.

Wed., May 4, 6 p.m., We Are

More Than You Think: Removing the stigma of mental illness and Promoting mental wellness in the African-American community, Missouri History Museum – in Forest Park (Corner of Lindell and DeBaliviere). For more information, call (314)482-5697 or email:jidleburg@gmail.com

Toastmasters International St. Louis presents Primary Conversations! Want to develop in Public Speaking? Visit Toastmasters Primary Conversations Club every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 6pm. Please call 314-225-9098 for more information.

health

Sat. Apr. 30, Wellness Jam

2011 at the St. Louis Gateway Classic Foundation, 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. –St. Louis. Free activities for all ages, including a children’s pavilion; free health screenings; fitness demonstration, step and line dancing; giveaways, raffles, and live performances. For more information, call 314-621-1994

Sunday, May 1, 2 p.m. –Heart & Soul 5K Race, at Creve CoeurPark. Event includes prizes, awards, health/ fitness stations; music and entertainment. Proceeds will benefit KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. Register at www.heartandsoulrun.com.

Wed. May 4, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.

–“We Are More Than What You Think,” a free community forum about mental illness in

Live Nation welcomes Martin Lawrence to the Scottrade Concert Club.For more information, see COMEDY.

the African American community at the Missouri History Museum. Continuing education credits from the Missouri Institute of Mental Health are available for no charge. For more information, contact Bryan Evans-Mental Health America @ 314-773-1399 or Justin Idleburg at 314-4825697-jidlehelps@gmail.com.

Sat. May 7, 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – “Behind the Mask” Lupus Educational Conference at Saint Louis University. Registration at 8 a.m., $10 attendance fee includes all sessions and lunch. Attendees must preregister by calling 800-9LUPUS6, email info@LFAheartland.org or go to http://tinyurl.com/lupusSTL.

May 7, 9 a.m., The Human Development Corporation of Metropolitan St. Louis (HDC), in partnership with Cardinal RitterCollege Prep High School and People’s Health Center, will be hosting a “Family Fun Wellness Fair” featuring fun, familyfriendly activities to present alternatives to their regular routines and promote healthy lifestyles. Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, 701 North Spring Ave. For more information, contact the Human Development Corporation at (314) 754-4511. Sat., May 7th, 5 p.m.,

Mothers Day Wellness Event, if you want to move to the groove of Zumba or feel long, strong, centered and calm with yoga or tighten your tummy with belly blasting? Come be a part of this movement mania. You will be rejuvenated, refreshed and relax. This event is for all women. The Inpower Institute, 5400 Nottingham Ave. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (314) 332-8487.

Sat., May 7, 4 p.m., Therapeutic Horsemanship Derby Day Soiree, Therapeutic Horsemanship, 322 Stable Lane, Wentzville, MO. For more information, visit www.thstl.org

Sat. June 18, 7 a.m. - 2nd Annual Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis’Bike Ride in Forest Park. The event has five race options: To ride, volunteer or for more information, visit www.rmhcridestl.com, 314932-4146 or e-mail lfletcher@rmhcstl.com.

Sun. June 19, Katy Trail Father’s Day Family Bike Ride, to benefit prostate cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Riders can start from a designated KATY Trailhead and ride to Defiance, Mo. Pre-registration is $10.00 ($15.00 day of ride). For more information, or to sign-up, go to www.fathersdaybikeride.com.

spiritual

Friday, April 22, 2011, 9:00 a.m., the Antioch District Women’s Auxiliary presents Good Friday Crucifixon Service, Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 2822 Dr. M.L. King Drive, St. Louis, MO, Messenger- Rev. Dr. F. Delano Benson, Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church. For more information, call (314) 2418365.

Fri., Apr. 22, 7:30 p.m., The

Bethesda Temple Voices 20th Annual Pre-Easter Concert, Bethesda Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., 5401 Bishop J.A. Johnson Lane. For more information, call (314) 3825401.

Sat., Apr. 30, 9 a.m., CHIPS Health and Wellness Center Hosts their11th Annual PrayerBreakfast with guest speaker Rev. Michael Jones, Senior Pastor, Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church,Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, 1000 North Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106. For more information, call (314) 652-9231 Ext.20.

Sat., Jun. 25, 7:30 a.m., CHIPS Health and Wellness Center11th Annual 5k Run/Walk and 1 Mile Fun Walk and Community Health Festival, CHIPS Health and Wellness Center, 2431 N. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63106. For more information, call (314) 6529231 Ext.20.

Mon., May 2 – Fri., May 6, 7:30 p.m., GreaterLeonard M.B. Church Annual Spring Revival with Evangelist Rev. Dr. Haywood A. Robinson, IIIPastor, People’s Community Baptist Church of Silver Spring, Maryland, Greater Leonard M.B. Church, 1130 Benton Street. For more information, call (314) 4215288.

Friday Night Live! Christian fun for everyone! Come enjoy Instrumental Flute, Poetry, Holy Hip Hop, FREE Food, and Games. Featured Special Guest will be CES Magmatic (http://www.cmflows.com) and Point Five (http://www.point 5online.com).

Sundays, 5 p.m., Christian Mission Church presents The Holy Ghost Miracle Healing Revival, AGreater Day Missionary Baptist Church, 1726 Anne Malone St.(corner of Anne Malone & Cote Brilliante).

The name is homage to “the house that Rock built” tribute to St. Louis’ stamp on mainstream music, thanks to the contributions of Chuck Berry. Rockhouse’s mission is to make St. Louis a musical Mecca.

“What we’re shooting for is a little lofty in these times,” Watson said. “But we want to have a company that embodies the same type of thing that Babyface and LA Reid had with LaFace Records. We want to be for St. Louis what they were for Atlanta. You just need one person to say I’m gonna do it here.”

Their goal is ambitious to say the least – and it is all but expected that haters will pull one name in particular from their bag of tricks as a reference to offer up a “been there, done that.” Watson, Young and the Rockhouse family seek to transform the game in St. Louis through the perfect blend of sound and swagger.

“There is so much talent in St. Louis that you almost have

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chants, hymns and spirituals, and brilliant sermons from belly-mouths of John Rouse and Henry Nicholson.

Polkas and Waltzes and Dunham Technique – handed down to Darryl Braddix, Ruby Streate and Theo Jamison (of the ESL Center for the Performing Arts) who handed them down to Heather Beal and Soroya Corbett.

Folksongs and blues and jazz and classical and gospel – handed down to Daisy O. Westbrook, Brother Joe Mays (“Thunder Bolt of the Midwest”), Elwood Buchanan, Miles Davis, Eugene Haynes,

to weed through it,” Young said. “What separates the artists on Rockhouse honestly is the style. This can be history with all of these great artists.” Singer Aloha MiSho actually credits Rockhouse for allowing her to step into herself as an artist and songwriter since her days as a semi-finalist on American Idol “I feel like I’m reborn and Rockhouse is definitely an extension of it,” MiSho said. “I’ve been embraced in such a way and I don’t think I could have grown this way on my own.”

Eyes on the prize

As Rockhouse grows as a label, the team seeks to find acts that are unique help them to be developed and put them on a national scale.

“The sound of Rockhouse is traditional but it’s also innovation,” Young said. “Our tag is: ‘We follow history, not trends.’ We strive to make music that will stand the test of time.

When you think about people like Quincy Jones and Babyface, their goal was to make classic music.”

“The mission is not to get Bradd and Aloha a quick deal,

Diane Bolden and Ron Carter who handed them down to Reginald Thomas, Russell Gunn and Delano Redmond. Freedom/spirit forces of struggle and resistance and advancement and institutionbuilding – handed down by John Robinson, Mary Martin, Horace Adams, Billy Jones, Ethele Scott, Homer Randolph, Elmo Bush, Taylor Jones III, Barbara Ann Teer, Jeanne Allen Faulkner and Reginald Petty. Categories/lists of those who made a way out of no way continue by several orders of magnitude, don’t they? So, converge harmonically with us, O world family, as we celebrate and reflect; lift and deflect haters and naysayers. Let East Boogie again be a confluence of globes and

take a couple of dollars and then disappear,” Watson said. “Our goal is to reestablish urban music. It’s not something that happens overnight and it’s not easy – some nights you want to throw in the towel. We keep going because number one we know that we have the talent and we have the drive to move forward.”

Survivor’s ball

Watson’s successful battle against cancer has been anything but a secret over the years. Starting at 7 p.m. next Sunday (May 1) he will be celebrating his survival and moving beyond his health issues with his “I’m A Survivor All White Party and Cancer Benefit.” Fox 2 News’ April Simpson – who faced a health struggle of her own as she underwent brain tumor surgery and treatment – will be a special guest when the party takes place at The Forest Park Golf Clubhouse (6141 LAGOON DRIVE).

For or information about Rockhouse Ent., visit www. rockhousemusic.net. For more information on the Survivors Ball, visit http://www.survivorstl.com/

galaxies …

In Swahili, the word for “purpose” is “nia,” one of the Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa, a celebration that was introduced to East St. Louis – and the world – in 1966.

Kwanzaa has a birthday this year as do all events with dates ending in a 1 or a 6. Kwanzaa turns 45, the Lincoln Senior High School Class of 1951 turns 60, the East St. Louis Senior High Class of 1976 is 35 this year. The American Civil War, for example, which began in 1861, the year of East St. Louis’ birth, is also 150 this year.

Edited from remarks made April 1, 2011 at East St. Louis’ 150th birthday party in City Hall.

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name in St. Louis. And thanks to the show, she’s on the cusp of international stardom.

“This whole thing was his dream,” Montgomery said pointing her thumb at her son Tim Norman and his fiancée Janee Wallick. “All of the time he was searching for a film crew and he just couldn’t get it together and I was like, ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’ But when it came together I was like ‘maybe it was just meant to be.’”

And so it is. Just a couple of months after finding a production company (thanks to Daraisha Crosby) and shooting a pilot, Oprah’s people came calling.

After seeing how they interact with each other, it was no surprise.

“You’ve heard of a stage mother, well I’m a stage son,” Norman said. She cut her eyes and threw her hands in the air with laughter while Wallick just shook her head and smiled.

It was as if they were sitting in Montgomery’s kitchen and not a busy restaurant in the middle of the Mangrove.

Chances are this interaction is a taste of what the millions of OWN viewers will see when the show debuts.

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after stepping down from the soapbox.

My response was based on both observations and personal reactions, but it still didn’t seem like it measured up. That question stung like a swarm of angry wasps had landed on my pinkie and went to town on it.

As it lingered, I felt the urge to seek out second opinions to either confirm or oppose my essay of an answer.

I went in with the expectation of angry black women shaking their fists at white women and the black men who love them for creating an obstacle in their quest for black love.

I encountered something altogether different which provided me with an epiphany.

I went out with the question written on an index card and presented to a few folks at my leisure.

“It seems to me like black men feel like having a white woman on your arm is the ultimate status symbol,” a sociology professor and assistant department head told me. “And

“I hope we let it people know that we’ve got it going on in St. Louis and that people need to come visit us from all over the world,” Montgomery said. “And when they come, they need to come to Sweetie Pie’s.”

“For me it’s just the dynamic that I see between them when they interact with each other and no matter how angry they get at each other, they still come back,” Wallick said. “It’s an employee, employer relationship, but at the end of the day he’s calling to see if mama made it home – and she’s asking questions about her baby. I want people to really see what a black family looks like.”

“I’m scared to death,” Montgomery said. “I want it to be good. We’re opening our lives to the camera and I don’t want to suck. We’re wondering, are we going to be funny? Are they going to like us? How long are we going to last?”

It’s the same jitters that she experienced when she opened up her first restaurant back in 1998.

She had been around the world as a singer, but medical issues forced her to bow out of her first career.

But thanks to a friendship sparked when she was working as a dialysis technician for Leon Strauss, she was able to breathe life into another personal passion. He provided initial financial support for the first

no matter what I achieve, or what goals I set for myself – I cannot work towards becoming a natural blonde with blue eyes or – at bare minimum a curly haired bi-racial beauty. And the sad thing about it is – a white woman with no goals or aspirations has a better chance at finding a good black man than I do.”

Now I wouldn’t say all of that, but if this black woman – who is her best self on paper and in the flesh, is lacking a man – I must admit that a hint of hopelessness resonates as I create my checklist of imperfections.

“That is not the truth,” said a black man with a degree and a good job – who is engaged to an undeniably black woman, by the way. “It’s just when you travel in the more upper echelon circles, white women out number black women by a landslide. So those men date the women that are on their level and available to them.”

If looks could kill, my vicious side eye would have decapitated him quicker than if I were carrying a ninja sword.

I know the statistics and achievement gaps between black women and men with respect to the disproportions of

Sweetie Pie’s, located on West Florissant in North County. At the time her beloved son was behind bars – which was part of her motivation to get the restaurant up and running.

“One of my reasons I worked so hard to open the restaurant was that I knew my some was going to come home one day and that society would be against him,” Montgomery said. “And that he would need somebody to give him an opportunity. Me being his mother, I was able to do that.” Now they’re a team at the restaurant and on television. And both hope through the show that by seeing Norman’s success that women and men will realize that not only is there is life after prison – but there is opportunity to pursue life-long passions.

“I prayed for this. It’s here and I’m just enjoying it,” Montgomery said. “My thing is trying to set an example that if you have your dreams you can reach them, but then reach back. If they push me I can pull and we help somebody else. Your dream is your dream – so get out there and do it.”

Sweetie Pie’s restaurants are located at 4270 Manchester and 9841 W. Florissant. Sweetie Pie’s will debut on

men who are uneducated and/ or incarcerated. But I didn’t ask the question for the sake of a co-sign, so I mentioned the stats and a few other points to offer debate and went about my business. It saddened me that this regular brother just assumed that black women can’t hang with the super successful circles, but he has a right to his feelings.

But the most inspiring insight to the question came from a tatted and weaved up woman who was probably as unpolished as they come.

“If he don’t want me, then I don’t want him,” she said. “As a matter of fact, let me find a white woman for you ‘cause you obviously insecure and that’s the last thing I’m lookin’ for.”

I pose the idea that preference and insecurity might not go hand in hand.

“But let a black woman be with a white man out somewhere. it’s that same black man who don’t like black women that’s got something slick to say… what is that?”

It was the second question within a matter of weeks that had me at a complete loss.

By Melanie Adams

Twilight Tuesdays are back!

Spring is finally here and that means the return of Twilight Tuesday. Each spring and fall the front steps of the History Museum comes alive with the sound of music. St. Louisans from all over the region converge on the front lawn every Tuesday to share in a common experience that has become a St. Louis tradition.

Many people ask me how Twilight Tuesdays fits into the mission of the Museum. The History Museum’s mission is not only about history, but about strengthen the bonds of community. By serving as the community’s living room each Tuesday, the museum is able to bring together people who think they have nothing in common, but after dancing next to each other to Motown Review they find out they may have more in common than they first thought. Music is a great way to create community and provide positive shared experiences.

Now to the moment that everyone has been waiting for, this spring’s Twilight Tuesday line-up. In this season’s line-up you will see some old favorites, some soon to be favorites, and the ever popular tribute.

Dr. Zhivegas • Tuesday, April 26

Groove to all of your favorite disco and club songs from the ’70s to the present!

Herman Semidey Jr. and His Nitro Latin Band Tuesday, May 3

Come early and learn basic salsa dance moves for free (5:30pm to 6:30pm in the MacDermott Grand Hall), then dance the night away with live Latin music!

Mystic Voyage —

A Stevie Wonder Tribute • Tuesday, May 10

Mystic Voyage’s repertoire cuts a wide groove through many styles of music, from big band to reggae, hip-hop to classical Motown. Enjoy this wonderful tribute to one of the masters of Motown.

Steve Davis — Memories of Elvis • Tuesday, May 17

Steve Davis delivers this electrifying concert experience, from the King’s early Sun recordings to his Las Vegas appearances.

Monya • Tuesday, May 24

With her own flair and style, this dynamic songstress offers the hits of Phyllis Hyman, the Pointer Sisters, and more.

Marquise Knox • Tuesday, May 31

Brandishing an arsenal of powerful vocal and guitar skills, blues prodigy

Marquise Knox takes command and delivers a crowd-pleasing performance!

Darryl Gerdine’s Tribute to the Twin Cities • Tuesday, June 7

Don your best purple ensemble and join us as music director Kyrnn Calvin assembles musicians from some of the top bands in St. Louis to perform music by The Time, Alexander O’Neal, Sheila E., and Prince.

Many of you are veteran Twilight Tuesday attendees and the museum thanks you for your continued support. If you are new to Twilight Tuesday, below are just a few suggestions to ensure you have a positive experience.

There are a limited number of chairs available on a first-come first serve basis

All tables should be no larger than 37in by 37in

Blankets and chairs are allowed on the lawn Open flames (including barbeques and stenos) are not allowed on museum property

Parking is located inside of the park near the Dwight Davis Tennis Center, the upper and lower Muny lots

If you chose to park on Lindell, please be sure to obey all parking regulations and do not park in alleys, in front of driveways, or in No Parking areas such as Forest Park Parkway

While we love the fact that so many people come to Twilight Tuesday, we also hope you will take the time to come inside the museum that evening or another time. As always, admission to special exhibits is free to St. Louis City and County residents on Tuesdays. So take a break before the show or during the show’s intermission to check out our new exhibits or revisit old favorites.

Dr. Zhivegas

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Honored Youth Volunteer of the Year

Michael McDaniel

Michael McDaniel was honored on March 6, 2011 for being the Youth Volunteer of the Year at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. Also, Michael is a senior at Imagine College Prep High School and will be graduating on June 3, 2011.

Reunions

Beaumont High School Class of 1965 is looking for all classmates interested in celebrating our 45-year reunion. We are in the process of planning a dinner/dance.Your contact information is needed ASAP.

Pleaseemail LaLinda Newsom Diggs at lalindadiggs@sbcglobal.net.

Beaumont High Class of

1971 has scheduled its 40-year reunion for August 5-7, 2011. E-mail your contact information to beaumont71alumni@ yahoo.com for details.

Cardinal RitterCollege Prep High School is seeking members of the classes of 1981, 1996, 2001 and 2006 for upcoming reunions. Please contact Alumi Affairs Director, Tonya Farr at 314-446-5506 or tfarr@cardinalritterprep .org for more information.

Cardinal RitterPrep. High School Class of 1986 is preparing for its 25-year reunion. We are looking for all classmates to update information and participate in monthly meetings. Please contact Mike Reynolds at (314) 5789621-mreynolds@cardinalritterprep.org or Sylvester

Congratulations Captain Fun Size

Congratulations to Aignee’ Woods, who through her hard work, dedication and passion for dance has earned her the 2011-2012 rank of Captain on the McCluer North High School Poms Starline! Aignee’was nicknamed “Ms. Fun Size” by her squad and is currently a Junior at MNHS..

Birthday Father of 15 turns 95

Alphonse McCoy, Sr. will celebrate his 95th birthday on Sunday, April 24, 2011. He is a US Navy WWII veteran and worked for Emerson Electric, Union Electric and the USPS before his retirement. Alphonse and his wife, Lillie, have been married for 69 years and are the proud parents of 15 children.

Engagement Couple planning June 2012 wedding

Dion Lewis and Shantelle Shepard are now engaged! Dion popped the question on Shantelle’s birthday— February 13. The couple met at their favorite spot, Studio Blu, and enjoyed bowling, movies and time with family. They are planning a June 2012 wedding.

Williams at (314) 629-4429sylwilliams@cardinalritterprep. org.

Central High School Class of 1971 is preparing for its 40year reunion in 2011. We are looking for all classmates of 1971. We need your contact information to complete our class directory. Please email your information to Preston Kerns or Alice Manuel Robinson at centralclassof71@yahoo.com.

Farragut-Beaumont

Neighborhood Reunion Dance and Fundraiser will be held Sat., May 21, 2011 from 8 pm to 1 am at the Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow. For more information, contact boyds@stlouiscity.com, mscatmay@sbc.com or 314-3278330.

Hadley Technical High School class of 1961 is preparing for its 50-year reunion in 2011. We are seeking contact information to complete our directory. For more information contact Ralph Johnson 314-477-2042 or William Perry 314-531-3170.

Northwest High School Class of 1971 is preparing for its 40year reunion. We are looking for all classmates interested in attending and/or to help plan the festivies. Call Jeanette at 314 398-0383, Willie at 314 378-8326 or Diane at 4986886.

O’Fallon Technical High School Class of 1981 is beginning preparations for the 30year class reunion in 2011. We are seeking classmate contact information to complete our class directory. Please email Chrystal Riley at kittstark@ aol.com for information.

Soldan High School Classes of 1966and1967 45-year reunion will be held June 1618, 2011 at the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, MO. For more information please contact: Marilyn Edwards Simpson at 314-837-7746, Meredith Wayne Farrow at 314-521-8540, email: stlsoldanhs1966@yahoo.com or Facebook: stlsoldanhs1966.

Birthdays

Kellyn J. Holliday (29) —April 21

Erica Campbell — April 22

Oletha Sills — April 25

Soldan Class of 1976 is celebrating its 35-year reunion during the weekend of June 10-12.We're looking for all alumni to participate. Contact us via e-mail:soldanclass76@yahoo.com

SumnerHigh School Class of 1992 is planning its 20-year reunion. Please contact P. Parker for further information at parkp@live.com.

SumnerClass of 1976 is celebrating its 35-year reunion August 19-21, 2001 and is seeking all classmates to attend the reunion planning meetings. Special reunion registration pricing is available through April 15, 2011. For more information about the reunion or regular registration pricing, please call B. Louis 385-9843 or S. Johnson 355-4719 or email: sumnerclassof76@yahoo.com.

SumnerClass of 1961 is preparing for its 50-year reunion, which will be held on June 3-5, 2011. If you have not received your info in the mail, please send your information to sledgesisternumber3@yahoo.com.

University City High School Class of 1991 presents its 20year reunion June 9-12, 2011. The cost is $150 per person.

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 4242 Lindell Ave St. Louis, MO 63108 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent \by mail to: Kate Daniel, 4242 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

Children 6 and older are $25; under 6 are free. Our host hotel, Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, has lodging available at $79 per night. All payments must be received by May 31, 2011. For payments & more information, please visit our website: http://www.wix.com/aeeshabell/ucityclassof1991 or contact Demetrius Stewart at Trinitywash3@sbcglobal.net or Aeesha Bell at aeeshabell@gmail.com.

RELIGION

Lyle Johnson uses the Good Book to make better bodies

By Marjorie Moore For The St. Louis American

Lyle Johnson is a personal trainer who uses Christian principles for weight loss. He is a certiied itness trainer, a workshop facilitator and owner of St. Louis-based MVP Fitness, located at 3339 N. Highway 67 Florissant.

MVP Fitness is comprehensive itness program, including personal training, sports speciic itness training, and boot camp training. Johnson holds a personal training certiication from Cooper Institute and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grambling State University. Johnson is also the author of the book, “Get Fit 4 Christ.”

He explains how individuals can lose weight by a proper diet, exercise and along with prayer and by applying knowledge from biblical scriptures. The book title alone is not geared to self-motivation; it links to scripture-based beliefs where God can be a help even in weight loss. In the scriptures it tells us how our bodies are important to God. He encourages his people to be a good steward over their bodies for His sake.

I Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Johnson adds, “If we as God’s people can live as he pleases holy and also healthy,

Fit for Christ

now wouldn’t we be all that and then some?”

The Christian trainer in his book, “Get Fit 4 Christ,” instructs his readers back to the bible to obtain biblical principles that can assist with weight lost goals. He provides the importance of goal setting. Johnson believes that having a vision is most important as the Bible scriptures indicate. Habakkuk 2:2, “And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readth it.”

According to Johnson, “You need a vision, set a goal of how much weight you would like to use. Once you have a vision, take action, lose weight, exercise and eat right, it is not a quick ix.”

Moreover, Johnson says one must place faith into action

Lyle Johnson is a personal trainer who uses Christian principles for weight loss and the author of the book, “Get Fit 4 Christ.”

odds on defeating the giant in his life, Goliath. “David is also known for greatest upset in the history of mankind by defeating the Philistine giant Goliath with a stone from his sling at which the Philistines ran away in terror and the Israelites celebrated one of the greatest victories ever.”

Spiritually, Johnson obtains his spiritual strength under the teaching of Reverend Michael Jones, the pastor of Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist church, where Johnson is a member.

Johnson is a single parent of three children, whose past consisted of drinking, parting, chasing women and gambling. Now he is saved and a changed man, who has a Christ-centered purpose.

Copies of Lyle Johnson’s book Get Fit 4 Christ is available through his website,www. mvpitness.net. Contact Johnson directly at 314-831-7505 or lyle@mvpitness.net.

with weight lost. One tool to get it with Christian principles is through prayer Johnson suggests. “To accomplish these goals you have to pray.”

Johnson directs the question, “Have you asked God for your weight loss goals in your prayers? If God answers prayer and we know he does, when why wouldn’t you pray for weight loss. You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you. He can give you strength to lose weight.”

In one chapter in his book, he explains how we must have the faith and conidence to accomplish weight loss. “The word conidence means to tie into your beliefs and to tie into your foundation of what you stand for, and whom you stand in.”

Johnson illustrates the story from the bible David and Goliath, how David over came all

Gospel scene

The Drama Ministry of Memorial Tabernacle Christian Life Center will present an urban musical drama, “Far Beyond the Clouds –The Sun Shines” at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23in the Gymnasium of Memorial Tabernacle Christian Life Center,1350 South Lafayette St. in Florissant. The event is free. Call 314-921-6825, email info@mtclifecenter.org or visit www.mtclifecenter.org/.

On Monday, April 25 at 7 p.m., Union Memorial United Methodist Church, 1141 Belt Ave., will presents RUST COLLEGE CHOIR IN CONCERT Scholarships are available. Call 314-355-0863.

What

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testiied about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised” (1 Corinthians 15:1415).

What difference does Easter make?

It’s a well known fact that from the beginning there were those who doubted. On Easter Sunday when the chief priests heard that the tomb was empty, they called the men who had been guarding the tomb and offered them money to say that the disciples of Jesus had stolen his body during the night (Matthew 28:11-15). We can call it the original Easter conspiracy. It was the irst but not the last.

who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20 NKJV). Consider how much hangs on those two little words – “But now.” The resurrection of Jesus, our coming resurrection, and the resurrection of all those who those died in faith, all of it depends on those two little words.

This is our hope, our faith, our conidence, this is the faith of our ancestors who believed then

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Corinthians 15:19). For Paul this is the ultimate argument because he means that if Christ is not raised, we are just fooling ourselves. And so, we come to the end of Paul’s “ifs.” If Christ has not been raised … Here is Paul’s answer, clear as a bell, bright as the sun, truth with no mixture of doubt: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the irstfruits of those

UMSLMS in Nursing ranked nationally

Special to The American

The University of Missouri–St. Louis’Master of Science in Nursing program is among the top 14 percent of the best graduate nursing programs in the country, according to the U.S. News & World Report. UMSLis ranked 64 out of 467 graduate nursing programs in the magazine’s 2012 edition of Best Graduate Schools that came out today.

Juliann Sebastian, dean of the College of Nursing at UMSL, said she is thrilled the MSN program is in the top 100. The college tied with 14 other schools this year, including the University of MassachusettsAmherst, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, to name a few. Rankings were based on surveys sent to accredited schools

National Trust Diversity Scholarship applications due June 1

of nursing in the United States in fall of last year.

“This is a real testament to the quality of education provided by our superb faculty, the strong support services provided by our talented staff members, and the hard work and intellectual prowess of the wonderful students with whom we are privileged to teach,” Sebastian said.

UMSL is ranked 64 out of 467 graduate nursing programs in the magazine’s 2012 edition of Best Graduate Schools that came out today.

“It is an acknowledgement of our incredible alumni and the many roles they play in the places where they practice, teach, conduct research, and provide leadership, as well as the dedicated and visionary friends who support the College of Nursing in so many ways.”

The Master of Science in Nursing degree program was established in 1993 and is part of the ongoing commitment of the College of Nursing at UMSLto provide quality education for registered nurses. Both the BSN and MSN programs at the college are fully accredited by the

Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education, the nationally recognized accrediting body for baccalaureate and higher degree programs, and the pre-licensure program is fully approved by the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

National Trust Diversity Scholarship

The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Diversity Scholarship Program is now accepting applications for the 2011 National

Traci Waller,an alumna of the University of Missouri–St.Louis’Master of Science in Nursing program.

Preservation Conference, to be held in Buffalo, New York, October 19-22. Applications must be submitted electronically by Wednesday, June 1. The Program provides financial assistance to commu-

nity leaders from diverse social, economic, racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds to attend the National Preservation Conference. Through interactive sessions, presentations, informal gatherings, and tours of the host city and surrounding areas, participants will learn the necessary tools to strengthen their commitment and effectiveness in preserving historic places and revitalizing communities. The National Trust seeks culturally diverse applicants whose attendance at the Conference will benefit their communities and whose commitment to historic preservation will be reinforced by their participation. Recipients will have an opportunity to express their perspectives during the Conference and to take advantage of National Trust programs after the Conference. For program and application information, please visit http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/training/npc/ diversity-scholarship-program/ or contact scholarship@nthp.org And don’t forget – applications must be submitted electronically by Wed., June 1.

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

Throwback soul. The tax day edition (my title, not theirs) of Café Soul was one for the record books…which seems to be the regular. Local songtress Tish Hayes deinitely proved why she was well-deservin’ of the spotlight in this month’s installment of Café Soul at The Loft. Apparently she knew she was gonna be servin’ the hotness as she hit the stage (in what seemed to be a teddy from your local Ashley Stewart rack). I’m not mad at her though, because her bark was still as big as her bite. Her set featured classic old school jam favorites that had the crowd swayin’ like they were in Harpo’s Juke Joint. Starting off with a strong rendition of Tina Turner’s “Fool In Love”, she went through other old school hits like “(I’ve Got To) Sleep With One Eye Open,” and Jones Girls classic (even though Xscape made it famous) “Who Can I Run To.” The heaviness and power of Hayes’ voice seemed to give Jennifer Hudson tease as she transitioned through each song like a pro. All I needed for her to do is squeeze in a Dreamgirls medley and I would have been it to be eulogized. Hayes’ wails had incited so much excitement that a dust mufin gentleman caller came to the stage to show his enthusiasm and pleasure. But after a failed attempt of an onstage dance, Hayes then had to physically about face his frame and show him to his seat. Such classic moments deinitely show that Café Soul has not lost its magic.

The Midnight Mystical show. To the delight of many, Lil Wayne wouldn’t be the only New Orleans rapper to showcase his fresh cell block build in the STL. No limit soldier turned Cash Money man Mystikal came to town just before I was to turn back into a pumpkin for the special kick-off edition of Hella Fly Fridays at the Broadway. I have never seen so many track suits and face tattoos in all of my life – and that was just the ladies. Me saying so is no shade on the venue or the promoters, I’m bein’ mindful that the idea of Mr. “Shake it Fast” being back on the mic for the irst time since he got is freedom was likely to bring the hibernating ratchets out to the spot. When I tell you he worked that piece of stage like it was the Scottrade, y’all better believe it. The only downside is that the aggression his early songs tend to inspire led to about three minutes of melee. But I stayed put because I knew it was just a reaction to the music. I really hope Mystikal rises to his former glory…even though I doubt he will. The Hella Fly fam is said to be doing it big there every week.

Primetime pretty boy at Posh. Since I’m already on celeb men with hot bodies, I might as well mention that Lance Gross (a.k.a. Mr. Midnight Midsection) and his abs of steel will be hittin’ up the Posh on Saturday night. Hot 104.1’s Janee will be the hostess with the mostess as fans spray on their godawful leggings and cat suits to look their best when they see if Gross is as cute in real life as he is on screen. FYI…he’s even cuter!

Delux Fashion. Next weekend, Delux Magazine will spend three days showin’ off its swagger with their inaugural fashion week. They will be poppin’ it off in style on Wednesday April 27th (and continue through the 29th). Some of St. Louis’ top boutiques are on the bill – including NV Showroom Boutique, Boutique 83, Therapy Boutique, Eve’s Apple Vintage, Ziezo, I am Boutique, Boutique Pink, and Ola Style. They will team up with many national designers to showcase this year’s Spring/Summer collections on St. Louis’ hottest runway. I’d need a whole Partyline to give a full rundown of the activities, so I’ll close with informing y’all that it’s goin’ down at the The Metropolitan Gallery (2936 Locust St. 63103) and you can get more information with respect to the full schedule at www. deluxfashionweek.com.

Rainy day do over. I’m so thrilled that instead of askin’ us to play (and lose) a round of storm chaser to get a whiff and a sip via Cars, Bars and Cigars that the folks at the Hot Foxy (a.k.a. Hot 104.1) opted for a rain delay. It was for the best. I mean how sexy could an outdoor event be if you run the risk of accidently swallowin’ a hunk of hail? Well they’ve pushed it back to Thursday (April 28th). The party starts at 6 p.m., so be ready to punch it from work so you can see some of the who’s who of the STL. It’s goin’ down at the base of Art Hill on Lagoon Drive in Forest Park.

Underground soul stars unite. One of St. Louis’ favorite soul stars, Eric Roberson, will be makin’ his return to St. Louis Friday, April 22nd at The Loft. I’m sure that the smooth grooves of Roberson will still be welcomed with the same catcalls and squeals that beseech him in every appearance. Again, I eagerly anticipate his on the spot song generation that made his last visit such a treat (remember the one about the loose stool?!). The lovely Teresa Jenee will be supplyin’ an opening set sure to lay the foundation for a soulful inger snap or two.

Battle of the big shows. May 6 is indeed a showdown thanks to two big shows coming to town on the same day. St. Louisans will have a very important decision to make. Will Live Nation’s showcase of Martin Lawrence’s return to the standup stage at Scottrade Center triumph over the St. Louis Super Music Festival to feature Charlie Wilson, Fantasia, Eric Benet, and En Vogue at the Chefeitz Arena? We shall see as both will go head to head over Mother’s Day weekend. Now the read is that it seems that the music festival will have a long row to hoe seein’ that St. Louis venues have seen 2 of the 4 acts featured fairly recently (Fantasia and Benet were just here at a New Year’s Day concert at the Fox). But promoter Daryel Oliver has added comedians Ricky Smiley and Anthony Anderson in an already crowded lineup to up the ante.

For the health of it. Please don’t pass the blame on the sometimy (yes, I said sometimy) STL weather for not getting ready for the annual Heart and Soul 5K Run/Walk. For the ive of y’all who haven’t hit up Forest Park at least two or three times, you have two good weeks to cram in some power walks to get in before May 1. If you can spend six hours in a chair for a sew-in, the least you can do is give yourself 45 minutes of brisk strides towards a healthier you....I’m just sayin’. It’s not too late to register. Visit heartandsoulrun.com for more information.

Shaki showed her sister Jimmel a good time for her visit back to the Lou Friday night @ The Loft

Derrick Martin and his lovely date Friday night @ Café Soul @ The Loft

Singers Katrina and Tiffany were fresh from the stage Friday night @ Café Soul

Sarita and Jovan got in on the groove Saturday night @ Lola

Doll face and Kandy Kisses Saturday night @ Lola

Trisha and Kim @ the kick of Hella Fly Fridays @ The Broadway

Renaud and his boys soaked in the vibe Saturday night @ LOLA

Cuddy,

Dirty South rap royalty

Ciara and Etay celebrated one year of So Sexy Sundays with Rockhouse @ The Label

Dano kicked off Hella Fly Fridays with his team and Mystikal @ The Broadway

Jessie was the belle of the ball in blue Friday night @ The Broadway

Larry and Joneice took it all the way back with Mystikal Friday night @ The Broadway

Rising STL star Kileia and her brother Robert Friday night @ Café Soul

Additional photos by Lawrence Bryant

Parents must help children make healthy decisions

By Consuelo H.Wilkins,MD

Routine tasks that require me to wait in line often leave me frustrated. I know that my overbooked schedule and underlying impatience are the main reasons for my frustration so I am working to better manage my scheduled commitments and my restlessness.

My new strategy is to avoid becoming irritated while waiting in line by trying to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. I’ll try listening to the sounds of life, whether that’s listening to the birds chirping when I’m waiting in the drive-thru at the bank or listening to the 80’s pop music that’s playing when I’m holding on the phone. More often, it is people talking when I’m in a store. Sometimes the conversations are interesting; at other times, they are annoying. Occasionally, I’m lucky and I hear something that is thought-provoking.

Recently, I was in a bookstore purchasing a children’s book for a birthday party. One of the associates seemed to be having trouble with the computer so the line was growing longer. As I waited, a

woman walked toward the information desk pushing a double-stroller. As she got closer, I noticed that the two children in the stroller appeared to be identical twins. Almost immediately, the child standing behind me in line shouted, “Mommy, I want to be a twin!”

Her matter-of-fact reply was “I’m sorry, but you can’t be twin”. I was startled when the little boy (who was probably 5 or 6 years old) suddenly started screaming, “I want to be twin! You never let me do anything fun!” Then he started running toward the door.

Consuelo H. Wilkins,M.D., Medical Accuracy Editor

When the boy ran away, I noticed that he was wearing a superman cape. I’m sure that he was confused about why he couldn’t be a twin, especially since he was already a superhero. If his parents are like many, the little boy has probably been told that he could be the President of the United States, an astronaut, a professional athlete or the person who deliv-

ers peace to the world. I started thinking about how I might have responded to a query from my kids about being a twin. I also thought about all the things I’ve told them they can accomplish. I suddenly wondered if I’d ever told them that they could be healthy. Sure we talk to them often regarding making healthy decisions, taking care of your body, having a nutritious diet, being physically active and seeing a doctor for regular check-ups. But I couldn’t recall if we have specifically told them that they can be healthy.

Is it important to tell children that they can be healthy? I think it is. If we say it, it can become a goal and it lets them know that we believe in them.

There is a significant amount of research focused on the key factors that motivate healthy behaviors. The Theory of Planned Behavior is one of the most widely accepted theories regarding the factors that influence healthy behaviors and has been used to reliably predict healthy behaviors in children and adults.

The Theory of Planned Behavior is based on 3 major factors that influence a person’s health-related behavior: 1) beliefs about the behavior, 2) beliefs about what is normal, and 3) beliefs about how much control they have over the behavior.

Each of these factors is influenced by

our social environment and culture. Behavioral beliefs are related to what we think will happen as a result of the behavior. For example, if you believe that cooking greens with meat doesn’t add excess salt, you will continue to cook them that way. Normative beliefs are related to what we believe other people think or believe about a behavior. For example, if your family and friends say that weight training will make you gain weight, you won’t do weight training if you want to lose weight. Control beliefs are related to what factors we think we can change. For example, if you think that you have a “sweet tooth”, you may believe that you cannot eat just one chocolate chip cookie.

For children, much of their belief system is based on their interactions with family. It’s important to set the right stage so that their beliefs about healthy behaviors are well developed before peer pressure becomes a greater influence. But it’s never too late to start, so tell your children or any child that you know that being healthy is important and they can be it. Better yet, be a good example and do it with them. Together, yes we can be healthy!

Consuelo H. Wilkins, M.D., is medical accuracy editor of The St. Louis American and associate professor of medicine and psychiatry, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science, at Washington University – St. Louis

YourHealth Matters

Abi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American April 21, 2011

YourHealth Matters provides up-to-date information, from an African-American perspective, about one of the most important subjects in evryone’s life – their personal health.

Donald M. Suggs, President and Publisher

Kevin Jones, Senior Vice President, COO

Dina M. Suggs, Senior Vice President

Chris King, Editorial Director

Consuelo Wilkins, MD, Medical Accuracy Editor

Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter

Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach

Sonia Dulaney, Onye Ijei, Barb Sills, Sales

Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager

Angelita Jackson, Cover Design

Wiley Price, Photojournalist

Cold chicken breast with pasta

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds grilled or roasted boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced

• 1 pound penne or bowtie pasta, cooked, drained and cooled

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning

• 2 medium roasted sweet peppers (in jar) packed in water, sliced thin

• 1 (6 ounce) package baby spinach leaves, cleaned

• Juice from one lemon

• 4 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Directions:

Put all ingredients (except chicken) into a bowl. Toss well. Top with slices of cooked chicken breast. Serve. Store remaining portion, covered in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts per Serving:

Calories: 497Calories from Fat: 162% Daily Value

Total Fat: 18g 28%

Saturated Fat: 4g18%

Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 138mg

Sodium: 184mg8%

Total Carbohydrate: 44g15%

Dietary Fiber 1g4%

Sugars 1g

Protein: 38g

Vitamin

Calcium6%

Food Outreach continues to be the only nonprofit organization in the greater St. Louis area that focuses on providing critical nutritional support to individuals with a life-threatening illness. Through prepared meals, groceries and nutrition counseling, the organization is able to enhance the quality of life of low income men, women and children living with cancer or HIV/AIDS.Food Outreach is on pace to provide 410,000+ nutritious meals to 1,500 clients residing in 137 Missouri and Illinois zip codes in 2009.For more information, call 314-652-3663 or visit www.foodoutreach.org

HEALTH BRIEFS

Exercise benefits arthritis sufferers

One of the best ways to combat the onset of arthritis as well as to control pain and improve function is through exercise, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“People who have arthritis are often scared to exercise because they think they will hurt themselves, but the condition will only get worse if people don’t get moving,” says Valerie Walkowiak, medical integration coordinator at the Loyola Center for Fitness. “The best way to start is to talk to your doctor about exercising and then work with a therapist or personal trainer to establish guidelines. Be proactive and take it one step at a time.”

Benefits of exercise for arthritis sufferers include:

• Preserving and restoring range of motion and flexibility around affected joints;

• increasing muscle strength and endurance to enhance joint stability; and

• increasing aerobic conditioning to improve psychological state and decrease risks of disease.

The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, when cartilage begins to break down leaving the joint with no cushion between bones. Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation in the joint causing it to lose shape and alignment, also affects many Americans. Though the specifics will depend on the person, all exercise programs should include stretching, muscle strengthening and low-impact aerobic exercise.

“For all arthritis suffers the most beneficial exercise will be stretching to increase range of motion around an affected joint,” says Walkowiak. “The type of stretching one should do depends on which joint is affected.”

Walkowiak suggests always listening to your body and not pushing yourself too far, which can lead to injury.

Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when starting an exercise routine: 1. Get professional advice and set guidelines before starting a program 2. Listen to your body. Pain is not a part of being fit

3. Don’t exercise during an arthritis flare-up

4. Start slow and progress as you go

5. Always warm up properly before you begin including stretching and walking for a few minutes

“If we don’t keep our bodies healthy and active we can lose function as we age. We all want to be independent and able to care for ourselves and by being proactive now we can make that a reality for a long time,” said Walkowiak.

Metabolic syndrome linked to memory loss in olderadults

Older people with larger waistlines, high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome may be at a higher risk for memory loss, according to a study published recently in the online issue of Neurology.

Metabolic syndrome was defined as having three or more of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, excess belly fat, higher than normal triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood), high blood sugar and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or “good” cholesterol. Metabolic syndrome has also been tied to increased risk of heart attack.

For the study, 7,087 people age 65 and older from three French cities were tested for metabolic syndrome. Atotal of 16 percent of the participants had metabolic syndrome. Participants were given a series of memory and cognitive function tests two and four years later. The tests included a memory test, a test of visual working memory and a test of word fluency.

Researchers found that people who had metabolic syndrome were 20 percent more likely to have cognitive decline on the memory test than those who did not have metabolic syndrome. Those with metabolic syndrome also were 13 percent more likely to have cognitive decline on the visual working memory test compared to those who did not have the syndrome. Specifically, higher triglycerides and low HDLcholesterol were linked to poorer memory scores; diabetes, but not higher fasting blood sugar, was linked to poorer visual working memory and word fluency scores.

“Our study sheds new light on how metabolic syndrome and the individual factors of the disease may affect cognitive health,” said study author Christelle Raffaitin, MD, of the French National Institute of Health Research in Bordeaux, France. “Our results suggest that management of metabolic syndrome may help slow down age-related memory loss, or delay the onset of dementia.”

Don’t shrug off tremors

Arecent nationwide survey conducted by the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) revealed 60 percent of Americans would wait to see their doctor if they were experiencing consistent regular tremors — despite the fact that most of those surveyed (81%) recognized that tremors are an early warning sign of Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Although men suffer from Parkinson’s 1.5-2 times more than females, the men surveyed were more likely to adopt a wait and see attitude (61% vs. 55%) and to be less aware of PD’s early warning signs (86% vs. 91%).

“People should get an assessment as soon as they experience symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Research shows that getting treatment early can make a difference,” says Dr. Michael Okun, national medical director for NPF.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that progresses over time and affects a person’s ability to walk, as well as their movement and coordination. The disease is a result of changes in the brain that researchers now know can be associated with both genetics and environmental toxins. More than half of Americans in the survey were not aware of the important role that environmental toxins play in developing Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s develops slowly, with only subtle symptoms early on, including:

• Tremors and shaking

• Trouble moving or walking

• Loss of facial expression

• Dizziness and fainting

• Stooping or hunched over

• Trouble sleeping

• Soft or low voice

• Small handwriting

• Loss of smell

“This survey underscores the need for more education and ongoing research to provide treatment options that slow or stop the disease,” said Joyce Oberdorf, NPF’s president and CEO. “Clearly, the first step is greater awareness.”

For more information, visit www.parkinson.org or call 1-800-4PD-INFO.

You can be olderand stronger

Progressive resistance training builds muscle, increases strength as we age

Getting older doesn’t mean giving up muscle strength.

Not only can adults fight the battle of strength and muscle loss that comes with age, but the Golden Years can be a time to get stronger, say experts at the University of Michigan Health System.

“Resistance exercise is a great way to increase lean muscle tissue and strength capacity so that people can function more readily in daily life,” says Mark Peterson, Ph.D., a research fellow in the U-M Physical Activity and Exercise Intervention Research Laboratory, in the Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Through resistance training, adults can improve their ability to stand up out of a chair walk across the floor, climb a flight of stairs — anything that requires manipulating their own body mass through a full range of motions.

Normally, adults who are sedentary beyond age 50 can expect muscle loss of up to 0.4 pounds a year.

“That only worsens as people age. But even earlier in adulthood - the 30s, 40s and 50s - you can begin to see declines if you do not engage in any strengthening activities,” Peterson says.

“Our analyses of current research show that the most important factor in somebody’s function is their strength capacity. No matter what age an individual is, they can experience significant strength improvement with progressive resistance exercise even into the eighth and ninth decades of life,” he says.

Progressive resistance training means that the amount of weight used, and the frequency and duration of training sessions is altered over time to accommodate an individual’s improvements.

Areview article by U-M researchers, published in The American Journal of Medicine shows that after an average of 18-20 weeks of progressive resistance training, an adult can add 2.42 pounds of lean muscle to their body mass and increases their overall strength by 25-30 percent.

Recommendations for those over age 50

Peterson says that anyone over age 50 should strongly consider participating in resistance exercise.

Agood way for people to start on a resistance training program, especially for people who are relatively sedentary –and after getting permission from their doctor to do so - is to use their body mass as a load for various exercises.

Exercises you can do using your own

body weight include squats, standing up out of a chair, modified push-ups, lying hip bridges, as well as non-traditional exercises that progress through a full range of motion, such as Thai Chi or Pilates and Yoga.

Transition to the gym

After getting accustomed to these activities, older adults can move on to more advanced resistance training in an exercise and fitness facility. Acertified trainer or fitness professional that has experience with special populations can help with the transition.

Peterson says you should feel comfortable asking a trainer whether they have experience working with aging

adults before you begin any fitness routine.

“Working out at age 20 is not the same as at age 70. Afitness professional who understands those differences is important for your safety. In addition, current recommendations suggest that an older individual participate in strengthening exercise two days per week,” Peterson says. “Based on the results of our studies, I would suggest that be thought of as the minimum.”

Don’t forget to progress

As resistance training progresses and weights and machines are introduced, Peterson recommends incorporating full body exercises and exercises that use

more than one joint and muscle group at a time, such as the leg press, chest press, and rows. These are safer and more effective in building muscle mass.

“You should also keep in mind the need for increased resistance and intensity of your training to continue building muscle mass and strength,” he says.

Agood fitness professional can help plan an appropriate training regimen, and make adjustments based on how you respond as you progress.

“We firmly believe based on this research that progressive resistance training should be encouraged among healthy older adults to help minimize the loss of muscle mass and strength as they age,” Peterson says.

Photo by Wiley Price

Alvin Winton gets in some exercise during a St.Louis American Healthy Happy Hour.

Dietary choices are a part of healthy aging; managing chronic illnesses

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St.Louis American

As we get older, our need for nutrition does not change, but the type and amount of food we need does, based on health needs.

Food provides the energy and nutrients needed to be healthy. Nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

Studies show that a good diet in your later years reduces your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and certain cancers. As you age, you might need less energy. But you still need just as many of

the nutrients in food. To get them, the National Institute on Aging says

• choose a colorful variety of healthy foods;

• avoid empty calories, which are foods with lots of calories but few nutrients, such as chips, cookies, soda and alcohol; and

• pick foods that are low in cholesterol and fat, especially saturated and trans fats.

Saturated fats usually come from animals and trans fat can be found by reading the labels of processed foods, margarines and shortenings. These guidelines follow recommendations by the USDA

and other health organizations.

Diabetes nutrition

Recommendations for eating right with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends appropriate portions and its list of super foods to be incorporated into your individualized meal plan. Its superfoods include beans; citrus fruit, such as grapefruit, lemons, limes and oranges; sweet potatoes; berries; tomatoes; fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids (no breading or frying, please); whole grains; nuts; fat-free

milk and yogurt. It says all of the foods have a low glycemic index and provide key nutrients typically not found in western diets, like calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E.

Eating for your heart

As for saturated fat, the American Heart Association and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommend a saturated fat level of less than seven percent of calories per day.

Photo by Wiley Price

Ruby Hicks looks over vegetables and broccoli while doing some healthy shopping at Whole Foods Market in Brentwood.

Health Q & A

Triathlete seeks right workout plan

“I aspire to be a triathlete. I’m very heavy after regaining most of my weight back after having weight-loss surgery in 2004. I try to work out 2-3 times a week but I need help getting the right eating plan for me specifically. I make poor food choices. I want to put it all together, the right food choices, exercising, and a triathlete training program for me. I’ll soon be 46 years old. I’m 5’6 and I weigh 318. Can you point me in the right direction?” – L.F

The answercomes from Dr. Michael Railey, associate professorof Family and Community Medicine at St. Louis University School of Medicine

DearL.F.

I commend you on your goal of becoming a triathlete!This is very ambitious but can be done. Remember to be patient and go slow to avoid injury or health hazards.

1. Obtain clearance from your physician to be sure that your health is good enough to begin a long-term program. This is a “must do” in order to pursue aserious goal such as yours!

2. Get (purchase) good walking/jogging shoes that are well constructed.

3. Begin walking 20-30 minutes a day ata comfortablespeed to start conditioning. Thiswill accommodate conversational talkingas you walk. As you progress, walk faster to the point where it is difficult to carry on a conversation without disturbing your breathing a bit.At that point after several weeks you may be able to begin inter-mixing short jogs with return to walking, after a minute or so. Continue this, increasing periods of jogging and less walking until you could eventually jog 15 or 20 minutes without stopping. Take 2 rest days off each week. On those days have some fun in a pool or casually ride a bike if possible and if you are not too stiff.

4. Begin training yourself to eat a 2000 to 2200 total calorie a day diet. This would support safely,a near 200 pound person and enable you to lose weightsteadily and slowly at about 1 or 2 pounds per week. At this point that is good enough.Remember don’try to go too fast.Slow weight lost tends to stay off more permanently.

5. As you begin to get better conditioned after about 3 or 4 weeks you could begin light weight lifting twice weekly to tone muscles and keep you skin tight. Ask your local YMCAor personal trainer to help you select which exercises to do. If you can afford it, a personal trainer is an excellent way to go, for this whole process.

6. Keep check on your emotions and avoid “drama” in your life if possible. Emotional issues contribute to losing will power and will make you want to eat everything in sight when you get “down”. Call or talk with a close friend or relative when and if this happens but avoid compensating with “food fest pity parties!”

7. See a physician every 2 or 3 months during this entire process and change amount and frequency of exercises and diet accordingly as you lose weight and gain confidence.

8. As you progress you will be able to add in more running, swimming, and bicycling to reach your goal. Best of Luck!

Dr. Michael Railey

Family and Community Medicine

St. Louis University School of Medicine

Fri. Apr. 29, 11 a.m. – 12 Noon, “Prostate Cancer: From Genomics to Therapy,” National DNADay Symposium, McDonnell Sciences Bldg. Erlanger Auditorium, 4565 McKinley Ave. on the Washington University Medical School campus. Guest speaker is Levi, Garraway, MD, PhD of the DanaFarber Cancer Institute. For more information, go to outreach@genome.wustl.edu or call 314286-1803.

Sat. Apr. 30, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. – Wellness Jam 2011 at the St. Louis Gateway Classic Foundation, located at 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. Free activities for all ages, including a children’s pavilion; free health screenings; fitness demonstration, step and line dancing; giveaways, raffles, and live performances. For more information, call 314-6211994.

Sun. May 1, 2 p.m. – Heart & Soul 5K Race, at Creve CoeurPark. Event includes prizes, awards, health/ fitness stations; music and entertainment. Proceeds will benefit KaBOOM!, the

CALENDAR

national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. Register at www.heartandsoulrun.com.

Wed. May 4, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. –“We Are More Than What You Think,” a free community forum about mental illness in the African American community at the Missouri History Museum. Continuing education credits from the Missouri Institute of Mental Health are available for $10. For more information, contact Bryan Evans-Mental Health America @ 314-773-1399 or Justin Idleburg at 314-482-5697jidlehelps@gmail.com.

Sat. May 7, 8 a.m., 7th Annual Community Women Against Hardship Walk-for-Life Walk-a-Thon at Tower Grove Park, (South Kingshighway Blvd. entrance from the Stone Shelter) 4256 Magnolia Ave. in St. Louis. Choose 1k, 3k or 5k non-competitive walk/run. Registration is $20 for adults, $10 for children age 12 and under. For more information, call 314-289-7523 or visit www.cwah.org.

Sat. May 7, 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. –“Behind the Mask” Lupus Educational Conference at Saint Louis University. Registration at 8 a.m., $10 attendance fee includes all sessions and lunch. Attendees must preregister by calling 800-9LUPUS6, email info@LFAheartland.org or go to http://tinyurl.com/lupusSTL.

Thurs. June 16, “Preparing OurFaith Communities forDisasters,” a faith based emergency preparedness conference at St. Louis University – DuBourg Hall – Refectory Room 157. This conference is limited to the first 150 churches, with two representatives from each church. Food and parking is provided. Registration begins May 1 – deadline is June 3. Churches can register by calling Cathy Harris at 314-977-8274.

Sat. June 18, 7 a.m. - 2nd Annual Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis’Bike Ride in Forest Park. The event has five race options: To ride, volunteer or for more information, visit www.rmhcridestl.com, 314-9324146 or e-mail lfletcher@rmhcstl.com.

Sun. June 19, Katy Trail Father’s Day Family Bike Ride, to benefit prostate cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Riders can start from a designated KATYTrailhead and ride to Defiance, Mo. Pre-registration is $10.00 ($15.00 day of ride). For more information, or to sign-up, go to www.fathersdaybikeride.com.

Sundays, 10 a.m., Alcoholics Anonymous Group 109 meets in the 11th floor conference room at Christian Hospital, 11133 Dunn Road at I270/Hwy. 367. This is an open meeting for alcoholics, drug addicts and their family and friends.

Mondays, 7 p.m., “Tobacco Free for Life” support group – free weekly meetings at St. Peters Mo. City Hall. Supported by SSM Cancer Care; RSVP initial participation to 636-947-5304.

Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Help fora drug-free life - chemical dependency information meeting. Call 314-839-3171.

Healthy Eating AfterAge 50

Healthy daily food selections for older adults from MyPyramid, the U.S.D.A. Good Guideline, include:

• Vegetables – 2 - 3 cups

• Fruits - 1 - 2 cups

• Grains 5 to 10 ounces

• Meat/Beans – 5 to 7 ounces

• Milk – 3 cups of fat-free or low fat milk.

Eating the smallest amounts suggested for each food group is about 1,600 calories per day. Eating the maximum suggested amounts has about 2,800 calories.

Source: National Institute on Aging

NUTRITION

Continued from page 6

The USDArecommends consuming less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids by replacing them with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and consuming less than 100 mg of dietary cholesterol per day.

The USDAand the heart association disagree on daily sodium intake. USDArecommends reducing daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day. Among persons who are 51 and older, and persons of any age who are African American or have hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease, USDArecommends reducing daily sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day. This means table salt and sodium content in foods.

“The American Heart Association is concerned that the USDA/HHS sodium and saturated fat guidance does not reflect the current scientific evidence or expert consensus.”

– Dr.Ralph Sacco, president of the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association recommends a daily sodium consumption of less than 1500 mg a day for all Americans – children and adults, saying new USDAdietary sodium recommendation does not go far enough to support the government’s Healthy People 2020 goals and to promote the health of the nation.

“The American Heart Association is concerned that the USDA/HHS sodium and saturated fat guidance does not reflect the current scientific evidence or expert consensus,” Dr. Ralph Sacco, president of the American Heart Association, said. “For the sodium issue, the guidance misses the fact that most Americans either have high blood pressure or are at risk of developing it during their lifetime. All of these clearly support the need for a national commitment to reduce sodium consumption to less than 1,500 mg a day for all Americans.”

There are other challenges for those who enjoy cooking – and eating, if they have restrictions due to chronic illness or allergy.

What do you do if you can’t use salt in your cooking – or if you have to limit a lot of foods like tomatoes, bananas or dairy products including eggs, milk and yogurt? For those with some chronic illnesses, it can be a matter of life or death.

Jennifer Adams, a registered dietician specializing in renal nutrition said most of her clients are age 50 and older, and their stage of chronic kidney disease determines what dietary changes are required.

The earliest stage of kidney disease has few restrictions, she said, and as the disease progresses, patients have to limit their protein intake, because it reduces the workload on the kidneys and limits a build up of the toxin urea, in the kidneys. If a person goes into total kidney failure, or End Stage Renal Disease, the opposite holds true.

“Once the patient is on dialysis and their kidneys are not working, we actually flip that recommendation and we push protein,” Adams said. “It’s important that they get more protein now in their diet because they are being dialyzed and they are losing their protein stores.”

Although loss of some kidney function is a normal part of aging, it doesn’t mean that everyone is traveling down the road to dialysis.

Build yourself a personalized food pyramid based on your age, height and weight through an interactive tool at http://tinyurl.com/myownpyramid.

Clara Scott PROFILING PEOPLE IN HEALTH

Position/Where:

Medical Social Worker- Enabling Service Dept: Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers

Education:

CareerHighlights:

BJKPHC employee for 28 years; coordinated the Meda P. Washington School Base program for eight years; patient services coordinator for 15 years; study coordinator for two National research programs, ALLHAT- ON TARGET. I have managed several departments, developed and implemented several programs through out my career.

Awards:

Outstanding Employee Award 2007, Recognition for 26 years 2009

Certification/Associations:

Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW)

National Association of Social Workers

Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor (CCDC)

National Association of Forensic Counselors

Bachelors in children and family health and a master degree in medical social work from the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL)

Personal:

Member of West End Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church

Member of the National Association of Forensic Counseling Member of NASW

St. Louis Connection:

I attended St. Louis Public Schools and graduated from Soldan High School.

Journey to success:

I was inspired by the medical team at Yeatman Union Sarah Clinic when I was a teenager. They work so hard to provide health care to the community. I grew up in the community and knew that there was a need to help the underserved population.I attended Forest Park Community College medical assistance program and later enrolled in the nursing program working hard to learn the necessary skills to make a different in the health field.

I had to complete an internship and I chose People’s Health Centers. I would talk to the nurses, doctor and our then CEO, Ms. Betty J. Kerr, about the health care needs in the community. I shared Ms. Kerr’s vision to help people obtain quality health care in the community. She would always encourage the staff to make a difference in the community and to reach for the stars and be all that we could be. She told us to be a visionary and never lose sight of our dreams. My mother would often tell me the same words. I worked several years in various departments at the clinic and with special program. I always felt I needed to learn more and later went back to school to study social work. I realized our community had social and mental health issues that impacted their health. I continued to work hard to broaden my knowledge to help the people in need, which has always been my passion.

Clara Scott

Breast

Cancer

Gateway to Hope offers no-charge medical and reconstructive treatment for uninsured breast cancer patients in Missouri. Contact 314-569-1113.

Behavorial

Christian Hospital offers free and confidential psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. The hospital has a geriatric psychiatric unit dedicated to serving the mental health needs of geriatric patients. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

Diabetes

Free, diabetes education program held at various locations by the Diabetes Network of St. Louis. Participants will be offered testing and support for diabetes control. Six sessions will cover monitoring your blood sugar, controlling complications of diabetes, taking care of your feet, living a healthy life through diet and exercise, and personal goal setting. Call Coco Bopp 314-7479533 for more information.

Dental

HEALTH RESOURCES

Free Dental Hygiene Clinic - No charge dental exams, x-rays, cleanings and other dental services for children and adults provided by dental students at Missouri College. Patients needing more extensive dental work (like fillings, crowns, etc.) will be referred to local dentists. For an appointment, call 314-768-7899.

Fitness

Jazzercise every Monday and Thursday, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. – $1 per class at Ferguson Heights Church of Christ, 1239 N. Elizabeth Ave. Ferguson, Mo., 63135. For information, call 314-521-8005.

Information

Missouri 2-1-1 offers referral and information on a wide range of social service and helpful resources. Call 2-1-1.

Medical

Salam Free Saturday Clinic, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Isom Community Center at Lane Tabernacle CME Church, 916 N. Newstead. for those who are uninsured. For information, call 314-533-0534.

St. Louis ConnectCare offers urgent care services to City of St. Louis employees without an appointment, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and most holidays. For more information, call 314-879-6300.

Nutrition

Food Outreachprovides food, meals and nutritional education/ counseling to eligible persons living with HIV/AIDS or cancer in St. Louis. For more information, call 314-652-3663 or visit www.foodoutreach.org.

Angel Food Ministries operates in hundreds of churches nationwide and offers heat and serve meals, canned and fresh food boxes at a reduced cost. Find the nearest locations by zip code at www.angelfoodministries.com.

Prescription Cost Help

Schnucks Pharmacies – now offers certain prescription prenatal vitamins for free and offers no-cost generic prescription antibiotics at select locations.

Wal-Mart Pharmacies – offer select prescriptions for $4 or less for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply. View the complete list at www.walmart.com/pharmacy.

Respiratory Health

Free lung function screening - Christian Hospital Breathing Center at Northwest HealthCare, 1225 Graham Rd. For more information, call 314-953-6040.

Sexual Health

St. Louis County Health Department offers free, confidential testing, counseling and treatment at the North Central Community Health Center, 4000 Jennings Station Road, St. Louis, MO 63121. For more information, call 314679-7800.

St. Louis Metropolitan HIV/AIDS Program offers confidential or anonymous testing for HIV/AIDS. The office is located within ConnectCare’s main building in Suite 203 at 5535 Delmar, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, call (314) 879-6468.