April 25th, 2013 edition

Annie Malone turns 125

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of The St.Louis American

“Our main goal is to try to prevent abuse and neglect and impact youth homelessness.”

– Annie Malone CEO Darryl L.Wise

Kids count

Clay Elementary School kindergarten students Devyon Hill-Lomax,Jalen McGhee,Krissandra Riggins and Byron Tate spent a rainy Tuesday afternoon learning how to count under the guidance of teacher Amy Johnson.

Prostate cancercontroversy

To screen for PSA– or not to screen?

Hall

For the St.Louis American

Controversy and confusion regarding screening for prostate cancer have accelerated since the latest proposal from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force was issued, recommending that healthy men, high-risk individuals (including African Americans and men with a family history) not receive PSAscreening for

prostate cancer. The task force concluded that there was little evidence establishing that PSAscreening reduced mortality and that there are quality of life issues associated with treatment.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin malignancy diagnosed in men yearly, with

approximately 238,500 diagnosed in 2013. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, preceded only by lung cancer with 29,700 deaths in 2010. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and one in 36 will die of it.

five African American men will be diagnosed and one out of 20 will die from the disease.

PSA screening

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening has been in routine use since the late 1980s and is responsible for the increased diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. PSAis an enzyme secreted by benign and Lannis Hall, MD MPH

African-American men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer and the highest mortality rate of any ethnic group. One in

By Freeman Bosley Jr.

Awards event pushes

“Immigration is key to our growth in terms of population and prosperity.”

– County Executive Charlie A.Dooley

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Former Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr.

Shemar kisses and tells on Toni and Halle

In a recent interview with BET, actor Shemar Moore talks about his relationships with Halle Berry and Toni Braxton. He calls Halle a “necessary experience” and Toni a “fun ride.”

“[Toni Braxton] was my first Hollywood relationship. I was a baby, I did not know [expletive]. I had just graduated from college, I had no money and I was on ‘Young and the Restless.’ She called my agent when she was shooting a video in Miami, and it just went from there. I was like the little kid who found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was a wild ride with Toni. She would never sing for me, though. That always bothered me.

but because we were so similar in so many ways. She was bi-racial; she was kind of going through the same things I was in Hollywood. Toni was a fun ride, but Halle was a necessary experience. It made me much stronger as a man, and knowing the caliber of woman I want in the future.”

Sheree’

livid with

“[Halle Berry] was the first woman to really knock my socks off. I fell hard for Halle. A lot of people now know we dated, but we had to keep it hush-hush at the time because she was fresh off her divorce from David Justice. I was smitten not just because of who she was,

‘Iyanla Fix My Life’

Much like what rapper DMX claims to have experienced on his taping of the show, Sheree’ Whitfield says she feels that she was wooed under false pretenses and slammed on the show “Iyanla Fix My Life.”

She reportedly agreed to be on the show based on the understanding that Iyanla Vanzant would be addressing and helping her and her ex-husband Bob Whitfield, deal with co-parenting issues; unfortunately during the shoot, it was clear that what she was told would be the focus of the show was not.

“Since leaving the Housewives, I’ve been at a different place in my life, a place of healing and self-empowerment, so when Bob reached out to me about doing this show on co-parenting I was excited because I thought we were both on the same page and equally wanted to work towards

mending our relationship so that we could more effectively co-parent,” Sheree’ Whitfield said. “And even more importantly I thought it was an opportunity to inspire single parents in our situation. However, once shooting began, I felt misled because the line of questioning was centered more on accusations of my shortcomings as a wife versus how we can begin to resolve our issues.”

Juanita

Bynum bonded out of jail

Prophetess Juanita Bynum been released on bond after being arrested in Texas.

According to Obnoxious TV, Bynum was arrested moments before taking the podium at a conference in Dallas last Thursday.

The next day Ms. Bynum appeared in court to face promoter Al Washington and explain why she continued to ignore a $125,000 civil judgment regarding their failed production of a play based on her famous sermon, “No More Sheets.”

Apparently Mr. Washington paid Ms. Bynum a $125,000 advance but she never produced a script.

Bynum has been ordered to produce financial records for Mr. Washington and repay the $125,000 or face re-arrest. She was released on $500 bond.

Tameka ready to crank up a second custody battle?

A source told Globe Magazine that Usher’s new job as judge on “The Voice” has opened the door for Tameka Raymond to renew their long, nasty custody battle that handed him responsibility for their two sons. “With all Usher has going on between recording music, acting jobs and now, sitting in a judge’s chair on The Voice, his ex doesn’t see how he has time to really be a present father to their sons,” says the source. Foster requested a retrial last fall, but it was denied by a judge.

Sources: BET.com, Globe Magazine, The National Enquirer, Obnoxious TV

St. Louis Links feed the hungry

The St. Louis Chapter of The Links, Inc., in partnership with Stop Hunger Now, recently packaged 10,123 dehydrated high protein and highly nutritious meals in three hours at the Creve Coeur Government Gymnasium.

This service project, organized to feed hungry children across the globe, was led by the candidates of the St. Louis Links as a requirement for membership in the organization.

Incoming members of the

St. Louis Chapter of the Links, Inc. include Adrienne Davis, Vice Provost and William M. Van Cleve Professor of Law at Washington University; Judy Draper, St. Louis County Associate Judge; Patricia Jones, retired Reading Coordinator of St. Louis Public Schools; and Karen McMurray, CEO of Visiting Angels, St. Louis. Stop Hunger Now is an international hunger relief organization that coordinates the distribution of food and other life-saving aid around the world.

The St. Louis Chapter of the Links, Inc. is the third oldest chapter of the Links, Inc. and the first established west of the Mississippi River. The Links, Inc. is an international, not-forprofit corporation, established in 1946. Its 276 chapters located in 41 states have as members 12,000 professional women of color who contribute more than 500,000 documented hours of community service annually.

Preventing child abuse

Advice from Crisis Nursery

By DiAnne Mueller For The St. Louis American

Balancing life’s stressors is not always easy for a mother or father, especially when there is a lack of basic resources to keep their family healthy, strong and safe. In times of uncertainty, overwhelming stress triggers some parents to unfairly and harshly react toward their very special and fragile children.

Parenting is not easy, and it does not have to be done alone. During the month of April (and throughout the year), Crisis Nursery and millions of other child advocates rally together to increase awareness of child abuse and neglect prevention services. This is our moment to recognize that we all play a critical role in promoting and developing the social

and emotional well-being of vulnerable children and their families.

Abuse is not an easy topic to discuss, but we must yell loudly: NOT ANOTHER CHILD! In Missouri alone, approximately 249 children per day suffer physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect at the hands of a parent, guardian or caregiver.

Children are our future. We must protect their safety and well-being by offering child abuse and neglect prevention services that address the social, financial, emotional and health concerns of at-risk parents who, without access to a crisis nursery, will make an unconscionable mistake, changing their lives forever.

Following are few simple ways each of us can help prevent child abuse and neglect in our own families, courtesy of Prevent Child Abuse America: Be a nurturing parent.

Children need to know that they are special and loved. Educate yourself about a child’s development process so you can have reasonable expectations about what your child can and cannot do. Help a friend, neighbor or

Each year Crisis Nursery cares for more than 7,000 children, birth through age 12, in five nurseries and seven outreach centers.

relative. Someone you know may be struggling with his or her parenting responsibilities. Offer a helping hand. If your baby cries. It can be frustrating to hear your baby cry, especially when nothing you do seems to work. Learn what to do if your baby won’t stop crying. But, NEVER shake a baby! Report suspected abuse or neglect. Keeping children safe is the responsibility of every adult in our community. If you have any reason to believe a child has been or may be harmed, call the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery. Each year Crisis Nursery cares for more than 7,000 children, birth through age 12, in five nurseries and seven outreach centers throughout St. Louis city and county, St. Charles counties, Illinois and the surrounding region. If you know a parent in crisis who needs immediate care for their children, encourage them to contact Crisis Nursery’s 24-hour helplines at: (314) 768-3201 or (636) 947-0600. DiAnne Mueller is CEO of Crisis Nursery.

Judge Judy Draper and her fellow incoming members of the The St. Louis Chapter of The Links, Inc. mix food packets to be sent to Africa. Photo by Maurice Meredith

Editorial /CommEntary

Wash U makes leap in diversity

Quiet as it’s kept, Washington University has a major success story to tell about its inclusion of African Americans at all levels –student, faculty and administration. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education’s definitive “Ranking America’s Leading Universities on Their Success in Integrating African Americans” for 2013 places Washington University 4th out of all elite U.S. universities – and most improved of all, with “progress unmatched by any other university” in its survey. While we are puzzled why Chancellor Mark Wrighton and his staff are not sharing this impressive story themselves – local mainstream media would likely report this news, if provided a senior source at the university – we commend them for much-needed progress in an area of crucial concern to the future of the university and this region, which benefits in so many ways from the university.

“The university is a consistent performer across the board on most of our standard measures of African-American diversity,” reports the Journal. The university did not rank near the bottom in any of the 13 categories measured, and it placed first in two of the most important areas: graduation rate and percentage of tenured faculty. Some 84 percent of all black students at Washington University go on to graduate. That’s only two percentage points below the rate for white students, the lowest disparity among all elite U.S. universities. And blacks make up what the Journal describes as “a very high 3.1 percent” of tenured faculty, up dramatically from 1.2 percent only five years ago.

These two metrics reflect both long-term and short-term efforts for which former and current administrators deserve to be praised. The late Dean Jim McLeod, more than anyone, is responsible for the success of AfricanAmerican students at Washington University; his signature is all over that high graduation rate. The dramatic upsurge in black faculty is largely the credit of Vice Provost Adrienne Davis, who coordinates diversity efforts across the university. Davis has worked closely with the deans at the university’s seven schools to devise and implement innovative strategies for faculty recruitment and retention. There is a tight bottleneck for African Americans in higher education, and once an elite black academic gets through the bottleneck onto the job market with the right credentials there can be dramatic competition for their talents. Davis and her deans have been creative and resourceful in attracting high-potential black faculty to the campus across all disciplines. Davis said senior administrators are “collectively thrilled” to achieve this success, and we too are excited at the prospect of introducing these new African-American faculty members (and administrators) to our readers in the coming months.

Brookings Hall on the Danforth Campus of Washington University. Joe Angeles/WUSTL Photos

Though rightly using quantative data to make its rankings, the Journal makes a qualitative note that Washington University had better heed.

“Clearly there are other factors that go into the overall racial climate at a given university which cannot be measured by the standard indices of institutional racial integration,” the Journal notes. “These include attitudes of faculty toward black students, patterns of residential segregation on campus, attitudes of white students toward racial minorities and, particularly, the seriousness and frequency of campus incidents of racial animosity or violence.” The recent racist fraternity prank on campus remains unanswered and unpunished. Much of the good, hard work the university has done on diversity will be undone if such incidents are not handled sensitively but authoritatively. Talking about this incident will not be enough. The AfricanAmerican community, on campus and off, rightly expects sanctions against the perpetrators who made a joke out of making black students feel uncomfortable and unwelcome on their own campus.

Some Missouri success stories

When we celebrated the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. recently, I thought of success stories here in Missouri.

Stories like those beginning in 1920 with the election of Republican state Rep. Walthall Moore and continuing through the 1960s with state Sen. Theodore McNeal, state Rep. DeVerne Calloway, state Rep. Leon Jordan and state Rep. Harold Holiday Sr.; through the 1970s with state Rep. Orchid Jordan and state Sen. Gwen Giles; and into the 1980s with state Sen. Lee Vertis Swinton – men and women who, across generations, cast their votes as Missouri’s first black legislators.

I also thought about Lloyd Gaines and Lucile Bluford, both of whom sought in the 1930s to become students at the University of Missouri. Their struggles helped lead to opportunities. In just the past decade, the university’s enrollment of African Americans alone has increased by more than 80 percent, and now nearly 20 percent of the university’s freshmen are minorities.

We in the judiciary are doing what we can to create more opportunities for people in Missouri to gain access to our courts. Thanks largely to grant funding, we are providing interpreters as needed in all criminal, family, domestic and

juvenile cases.

The courts continue to try to make it easier and more affordable for people to file cases. The Supreme Court, all three districts of the court of appeals, and the circuit courts in Callaway and St. Charles counties are up and running in the Missouri eFiling System, and an additional 25 county circuit courts plan to join the system. Although Judge Ray Price Jr. left the court last summer, his legacy remains. Thanks largely to his commitment to being “smart,” and not just “tough,” about the way we deal with those in the criminal justice system, we now have treatment court divisions serving all but two of our 45 judicial circuits. With a graduation rate exceeding 50 percent, Missouri now has more than 12,000 graduates who successfully have completed treatment court programs. Nearly 600 drug-free babies have been born to treatment court participants.

One drug court graduate, Josh Palmer of Malden, was featured in a nationwide methprevention media campaign sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Josh’s first encounter with meth at 17 spiraled into a full-blown addiction that eventually cost him his job, his house and the trust of his family. Through the drug court program in Dunklin County, Josh was able to beat his addiction and turn his life around. He now lives with his wife and children and works as a substance abuse counselor for youth in Hayti.

Missouri’s treatment courts are celebrating their 20th

Legislature must support teachers

A young child catches the bus to school early in the morning. Upon arriving, she enjoys breakfast and greetings from friends in the school’s cafeteria. A bell rings, and she then joins the lines of hundreds of other children to head to class. After she places her book bag in the proper place and takes her seat, her attention – and future – then turns to one of the most important people in her life, a teacher.

Teachers are the most important piece of our education system. Charter schools, parochial schools, private schools, public schools and all the organizations that represent them know that good teachers make

good students, not the other way around. Every school day teachers are expected to assist the future adult population of our country. What is our country doing to assist them?

Past efforts of the legislators in Missouri would have you believe that ending teacher tenure is the answer to improving teacher quality. This year, Missouri House Bill 631 attempted to alter teacher tenure practices by tying it to a controversial program evaluation method.

It sounds great, sounds like a good “reform,” but it is actually a bad idea. So bad that the idea was struck down by a vote of 102-55. Some folks in Jefferson City are trying to figure out if that vote was the lowest “yes” votes ever by a majority party. That would make removing tenure from teachers the worst idea ever as well.

There are good ideas out

Letters to the editor

Strengthening Medicaid

Bringing these federal dollars back Missouri will create thousands of good jobs and give hundreds of thousands of working Missourians access to basic health care, including mental health services. The decision we make on Medicaid has real implications for public safety as well, and the support of these law enforcement groups demonstrates that. Strengthening Medicaid will strengthen public safety by giving individuals with severe mental illness access to earlier, more effective treatment.

Gov. Jay Nixon Jefferson City

Protecting the public

We’ve seen the tragic consequences of individuals with serious mental illness not getting the treatment they need, and becoming a danger to themselves or others as a result.

anniversary this year. One of the reasons we have drug courts in Missouri is because of the leadership of Albert Riederer –a former court of appeals judge and three-term Jackson County prosecutor – who died Dec. 27 after a courageous battle with cancer. While he was prosecutor, Albert spearheaded the effort to fund a drug court in Kansas City that was just the second in the country.

This model of providing treatment to certain nonviolent criminal offenders has moved beyond just drug courts. In 2010, state legislation made Missouri one of the first states in the nation to establish DWI courts. And we now have three regional treatment courts serving the unique needs of our military veterans. One success story is Kennedy, who served in the U.S. Army in the 1980s and who, a decade later, fell into drug and alcohol abuse, leading to multiple arrests. Kennedy graduated from the St. Louis veterans treatment court this past September and now coordinates a computer clinic to help others in that program. The treatment court was his key to freedom from addiction and crime.

I know all of us on the Court firmly believe in our state’s motto – carved into the dais in this beautiful chamber – “Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law.”

Edited from his State of the Judiciary address delivered Jan. 23 during a joint session of the General Assembly in Jefferson City.

Teitelman is chief justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri.

The members of the Missouri FOP are on the front lines protecting the public everyday and we support Medicaid expansion because it will make law enforcement more effective and our communities safer.

Det. Sgt. Kevin Ahlbrand president, Missouri Fraternal Order of Police

Reducing the cost shift

Few Missourians realize the high cost they pay for caring for the state’s uninsured and underinsured. Medicaid reform provides an opportunity to reduce the cost shift to insured Missourians. It will lead to lower costs for businesses that provide health care benefits and more money in individuals’ wallets.

Herb B. Kuhn, president and CEO, Missouri Hospital Association

Protect Missouri employers

We urge lawmakers to protect Missouri employers by passing responsible Medicaid expansion legislation and bring Missouri’s hard-earned federal tax dollars back to our state.

Dan Mehan, president and CEO, Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Do the right thing

Changing Medicaid will improve the health of our citizens, create jobs, strengthen our economy, and with the expansion of mental health services reduce crime. Our city

there that improve education. All the research points to investing in professional development and early childhood education and increasing the amount of time children are in school. Local data will show that increasing teacher salaries in poorer districts will allow those districts to recruit better and more experienced teachers. These good ideas are what we should be discussing in the state capitol, not old battles that can’t be won and do nothing for students.

While bipartisanship prevailed to defeat Missouri House Bill 631, our children don’t feel any more victorious back home. Victory for our children will come when our state legislatures begin to work on the education solutions that we know will work. Hopefully, there is still time left this year, for the children currently in our classrooms whose future starts today.

is asking our legislators to do the right thing and the smart thing so that we can create a healthier, safer state.

Mayor Francis G. Slay City of St. Louis

Ensuring services are available

Our officers deal every day with people experiencing serious mental health issues, so access to inpatient treatment is a serious concern. If those individuals with mental health challenges aren’t getting the care they need, it affects the health and safety of the entire community. Ensuring that those mental health services are available, which Medicaid expansion does, will help us in protecting the public.

Police Chief Sam Dotson City of St. Louis

Huge step backward

Refusing to expand Medicaid would be a huge step backward. In the last 10 years, we have improved access to health care in our city. As a result, people are living longer, healthier lives. If the state does not pass this legislation, those improvements could be reversed.

Pamela Walker, health director City of St. Louis

Unreasonable searches and seizures

We are pleased that the Supreme Court of the United States recognizes that the natural dissipation of alcohol in the bloodstream does not qualify as an emergency justifying a forced blood draw without a warrant. Unless there is a true emergency, the police must take the time to obtain a warrant, as intended by the Fourth Amendment, which protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.

Tony Rothert, legal director American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri Abuse and neglect of children

The abuse and neglect of children not only inflicts immediate injuries, but also leaves long-term scars. Abused and neglected children are nearly three times as likely to be arrested for violent criminal behavior. Nearly two-thirds of the people in treatment for drug abuse report being abused

as children. Worst of all, many abused children grow up to abuse their own children. We can prevent child abuse and neglect. It starts with supporting strong families throughout our community. We can encourage activities that build family bonds for both our own families and others. We can reach out to families distressed by conflict or poverty.

If you see a family in distress, encourage them to get assistance. If you observe abuse, report it to the Missouri Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800392-3738.

Mike Fitzgerald and Josh Wilson, co-chairs St. Louis Family & Community Partnership

Guest Commentary

Guest Columnist Richard B. Teiltelman

Columnist Rep. Michael Butler

17th Ward Public Resource Fair

The 17th Ward

Social Service

Providers Committee will host the second annual 17th Ward Public Resource Fair on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Adams Community Center, 4317 Vista. The 17th Ward Social Service

Providers Committee aims to minimize the duplication of services for residents, foster collaboration between human service organizations and streamline access to resources.

Wild 104.9 will broadcast from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be a step team performance, live music, free yoga and hourly raffles. Everyone in the St. Louis metropolitan area is encouraged to attend. For additional information, contact Gelinda Connell at 314-2624082 or gelinda@ parkcentraldevelopment.org.

Free health care legal forms

The Missouri Bar offers a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and a Health Care Directive, in English and Spanish, at no charge to Missourians. The forms are available online at http://www.mobar.org/p ublications/dpa/ or by calling 573-635-4128.

Trial team takes third in the state

The Mock Trial team from Pattonville High School placed third in the state after competing in the state mock trial championships,held April 5 through 7.Members of Pattonville’s Mock Trial team are Cassie Chandler,Maysa Daoud,Brian Dufrenne, Anjali Fernandes,Zach Green,Denish Jaswal,Aaron Mansdoerfer,Jared Roberts, Jordyn Wilson and Yareli Urbina.James Frazier was assisted in coaching the team by volunteer attorneys Tim Boyer and Mike Schwade.

SilverHaired Legislature deadline

Filing is now open for this year’s Mid-East Area Agency on Aging Silver Haired Legislature (SHL) election to be held at MEAAA’s senior centers Thursday, May 16.

SHLis a formally elected body of citizens 60 years of age or older that promotes conscientious legislative advocacy for Missouri’s older adults. All members are volunteers who serve without pay.

Seats are open in the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson. The SHLmembers meet monthly at the Mid-East Area Agency on Aging office in Manchester and hold an annual autumn meeting in Jefferson City with Missouri’s nine other SHLdelegations to present, debate and vote on priority bills and resolutions.

After the autumn meeting, SHLmembers speak to senior groups and to legislators to build support for these priority bills. SHLpast successes include helping to pass increases in funds for home-delivered meals and in-home services.

The deadline for filing for the SHLelection is 5 p.m. May 3,2013. Contact Diane Justice/Weith at 636-207-4214 or 1-800-AGE-6060 for filing information and documentation.

What safety means in schools

By Esther J.Cepeda Washington Post

Safety in public schools has been much on the public’s mind in the post-Newtown era. The massacre has inspired calls for getting more police officers into school buildings.

At the same time, civil rights organizations are calling for the exact opposite: getting the cops out. Critics cite horrors such as the 5-year-old who was cuffed and taken down to the police station for having a temper tantrum and a 7-year-old who was interrogated for 10 hours for allegedly stealing $5.

Thankfully, schools across the country, reacting to public outrage over ridiculous zero-tolerance policies, are trying to find middle ground.

The Texas state Senate recently cleared a bill that would require schools to adopt a tiered system to address misbehavior and rules violations with in-school consequences and remediation. More serious situations would be elevated to parent and community-based programs, while serious criminal behavior would still be handled by police and end up in court.

Like most other contentious issues involving the potent mix of race, education and politics, it’s far too easy to pick a side based on outrageous headlines that don’t take into account how thorny it is to navigate drama-drenched school hallways.

Adecade before the Columbine massacre kicked ff the era of cops in schools, I attended a very diverse Chicago public high school where police were stationed, providing a constant daily presence to keep students safe. The students who worked hard and stayed out of trouble generally had no issues with the police. For those students, as well as faculty, it was a relief to have officers around on the frequent occasions when tempers flared and fights erupted in busy corridors.

Years later as a barely 5-foot-tall teacher working in high schools that served low-income, high-crime communities, I jumped into scrums of violent teenagers with some regularity. How I wished there had been police stationed in hallways to protect us.

We need a national movement to define what safety means in schools and how such a lofty goal can be achieved. We need standards for keeping schools safe and orderly without creating a situation where scores of students stand little chance of graduating from high school or avoiding jail.

“We need to have a holistic approach to securing our building from common-sense things like locking the doors, requiring buzzers to get into buildings, having hall monitors to having longterm supports in place for students to deal with the mistakes they will inevitably make in a school setting,” said Judith Browne Dianis, co-director of the Advancement Project.

Dianis’organization believes that schools, especially lowincome ones in which students lack basic supports at home, should provide more school psychologists, counselors, social workers and teachers trained in conflict resolution.

“Safety has to happen but not through the short-term fix of police in schools,” said Dianis. “They’re not educators, they’re only trained to enforce the criminal code. And often their very presence creates a hostile environment not conducive to learning.”

Esther J. Cepeda

AWARDS

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immigrants, and immigrants now comprise 4.5 percent of the region’s population, according to the Center for Regional Forecasting at Saint Louis University. Other metropolitan areas in the top 20 in population average four to five times more foreign-born residents than this region has.

The Niagara Foundation –which promotes “respect, peace, tolerance and mutual understanding among all cultures” – honored Anna Crosslin, president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis; County Executive Charlie A. Dooley; and Donald M. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American Durhan, who is new to St. Louis, said Crosslin was suggested to the nominating committee by Bosnian immigrants who said she is “so helpful” in advancing the institute’s mission of helping local immigrants learn English, adapt to American culture and secure jobs.

The data back her up.

Crosslin, who was presented the Community Service Award by former Congressman Russ Carnahan, told a diverse audience of 250 that St. Louis needs immigrants for cultural vitality and economic growth.

“The region’s relative scarcity of immigrants largely explains our poor economic growth and the St. Louis area’s fall from the 10th largest metropolitan statistical area in 1970 in the U.S. to 18th in population and 20th in economic output in 2010,” Jack Strauss, director of SLU’s

MALONE

Continued from A1

125th anniversary, as well as the founding $10,000 contribution of the agency’s namesake, Annie Turbo-Malone, a prominent African-American businesswoman and Ville resident.

“We’re looking forward to this year and hope it will be a whirlwind,” said Annie Malone CEO Darryl L. Wise, who assumed the position in December 2012. “We’re hoping we can, of course, raise a

lot of money so we can continue to provide the services to lay the foundation for another 125 years.”

He said the agency’s focus is to stabilize itself financially, create new resource streams and improve on the quality of its services and programs.

The agency operates on a $2.1 million annual budget. More than 40 percent of funding comes from public agencies, followed by around 25 percent from contributions and about 18 percent from the United Way of Greater St. Louis. Although the annual May Day Parade is synony-

Center for Regional Forecasting, concluded in a 2012 report. “Other metro areas in the top 20 averaged 40 percent faster economic growth over the past decade.”

Durhan said Dooley was awarded for his activity in engaging with “any and every ethnicity and nationality” and his leadership in attempting to attract more immigrants to St.

mous with the organization, the agency is abundantly more.

“We’re more than a parade,” Wise said. “I talk with people all the time who say, ‘I didn’t know you did that.’As we celebrate 125 years, I want people everywhere to understand that Annie Malone is alive and kicking.”

Celebration activities include:

- The stage play, The May Day Parade, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 at Sumner High School, 4248 Cottage St.

- The Annie Malone May Day Parade on Sunday, May 19 in downtown St. Louis

Louis.

Dooley, who was presented the Leadership Award by Bob Fox (founder of NewSpace Inc. and Casa de Salud), said accepting new immigrants is critical to reversing the population losses that St. Louis County and city suffered in the previous decade.

“Immigration is key to our growth in terms of population

- Homecoming Community Fair on Saturday, June 15 at Martin Luther King Drive and Sarah Street - Soiree “125” Dinner Celebration on Friday, August 23.

The social service agency serves children and families throughout St. Louis city and county through its three locations: Administrative offices and parenting education, 2612 Annie Malone Dr.; the Crisis Intervention/Respite/ Emergency and Emerson Academy, 5355 Page Blvd.; and the Transitional Living Program at 5341 Page Blvd.

and prosperity,” Dooley told a national Bloomberg TVaudience last month. “Immigrants create more jobs at a faster rate.”

Durhan said Suggs was awarded for his tireless efforts promoting the value of diversity and inclusion in The St. Louis American Suggs, who was presented the Media Award by Harris-

Annie Malone now serves more than 600 children and families in residential care and in the crisis center and 1,000 teenagers through communitybased programs. At one time, children, 6 to 18, grew up living in the agency. Long-term residential care is no longer offered; now the agency offers more shortterm, emergency residential stays ranging from 10 to 30 days.

“Today we are focusing on crisis prevention and intervention. Our main goal is to try to prevent abuse and neglect and impact youth homelessness,”

Stowe State University

President Emeritus Dr. Henry Givens Jr., also was lauded for his efforts promoting African art in St. Louis and his service on countless regional boards, commissions and task forces, always pushing inclusion of minorities and immigrants.

In a February editorial addressing critical issues in the city’s 2013 mayoral primary, Suggs quoted Joe Reagan, the president of the St. Louis Regional Chamber: “To the extent that we are able to welcome and include people from all over the world and every neighborhood in our region –if we do that, we will be a success.” Suggs added, “Exactly. What should the next mayor of St. Louis do to achieve greater inclusion of minorities and immigrants?”

This is the first year the Niagara Foundation, which was founded in Chicago in 1997, presented awards in St. Louis, which it started doing at other branches in 2006. The foundation has 22 branches in nine states. Though it was founded by Turkish Americans, there was not one mention of Turkey at the awards event.

“We are Turkish Americans, that is the reality, but our only idea is to bring people together from different backgrounds,” Durhan said. “We do not label even ourselves.”

Wise said.

“We provide crisis care services, so when parents experience those unforeseen circumstances, such as homelessness, no electricity, they can bring the children to us and we can provide a safe and secure environment while the parents address the needs they have.”

Tickets to the “May Day Parade Play” on May 1 are available. Contact: www.anniemalone.com, info@anniemalone125.com or 314-531-0120.

Dr.Henry Givens Jr.,Donald M.Suggs,Ali Durhan,Anna Crosslin,Russ Carnahan,Charlie Dooley and Bob Fox at the Niagara Foundation’s Peace and Dialogue Awards held at the Crowne Plaza St.Louis-Clayton last Thursday.

Photo by Maurice Meredith

BOSLEY

Continued from A1

with people and organizational leaders to explore the political waters. I met with a key group of people once a week for a year. We identified every neighborhood group, community organization, union, religious group and business that would allow us to present my candidacy.

We found out that we had the support, but we were short on money. Ribaudo had $1.5 million, Villa had $1 million and Roberts $400,000 on paper. We were lucky if we had $300,000, thanks to the fundraising prowess of Virvus Jones.

Working with Scott Intagliata, we spent $25,000 on a poll that showed I had high name recognition and was within striking distance. My father always told me that what you don’t have in money you can make up in people. My father was right.

The voters in this city created one of the most electric moments we have ever seen. Many thousands of people came out to vote, and I was projected the winner around 11 p.m. The crowd lost its mind. I was inaugurated at noon on April 20, 1993. I was honored and so excited.

‘So many ideas and plans’

I had so many ideas and plans, and we hit the ground running. Because our city is racially polarized, I appointed the most culturally diverse staff this city has ever seen. I always pushed the issues of racial harmony and cultural diversity. I later found out that no one was listening.

CANCER

Continued from A1 malignant prostate tissue; thus, PSAis specific for the prostate gland and not prostate cancer.

Other, benign processes can cause an elevation in the PSA. This may lead to unnecessary biopsies, which were cited by the task force as a major reason for not recommending PSAscreening.

However, most screening tools, such as screening mammography, have false positives, and there are several other tests available for physicians to determine if a PSAelevation is related to a benign or malignant process before proceeding to biopsy.

There have been five randomized controlled trials throughout North America and Europe assessing the value of PSAas a screening tool. Three of the trials were considered of poor quality.

The task force concentrated on the two remaining screening trials, the Prostate Lung Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Study (PLCO) and the European Randomized Study of Prostate Cancer (ERSPC). These two studies produced conflicting results, with the PLCO study indicating no survival advantage for men who underwent PSAscreening compared with men who underwent usual care. The major flaw of the PLCO study was that over 50 percent of men assigned to usual care had been screened by PSA. The ERSPC recruited a total of 162,243 participants throughout the 1990s in seven western European countries. Men were assigned to PSA screening at an average of once every four years or to a control group that did not receive screening. Prostate cancer death was reduced by 20 percent in men screened with PSAas compared to the unscreened men 55-69 years of age. Both of these studies indicate that thousands of men diagnosed with prostate cancer have a slow-growing disease that may not require treatment. These prostate cancers typically present with a low PSAand a small amount of slow-growing prostate cancer found at the time of biopsy.

PSAhas increased the likelihood of finding prostate cancer, and it has become imperative that health care professionals explain the importance

When I took office, the city was broke. We didn’t have $1 million in the bank. In six months we passed a 3/8 and 1/2 cent sales tax that generated an additional $38 million in revenue. When I left office, this city had over $30 million in the bank.

The tax included money for a three-year pay increase for city employees. They haven’t seen anything like it since. The tax increase included money for all the major parks. The biggest was the Forest Park Master Plan, a $100 million restoration project.

Just when I was getting underway, here comes the flood of 1993. People didn’t want to leave their homes. In order to save their lives, I had to declare an emergency. I shut off their gas and electricity and had the police order them out of their homes. Within 48 hours the flood broke the levee and ruined hundreds of homes. But no one died.

Crime and homicide were at an all-time high. I placed 200 police officers on the street and implemented a gang abatement program that cut homicide by over 50 percent.

When I first came into office, they were building the Dome and didn’t have a football team. I helped organize a group that went and got one.

We built the Northside Shopping Center on Union and Natural Bridge and paved North Kingshighway.

We created the $1.8 billion airport expansion program.

I appointed Ronnie White to be the first AfricanAmerican city counselor who went on to the Court of Appeals and later became the first African-American Missouri Supreme Court Justice.

I didn’t do everything right. I brought a nationally recognized program to St. Louis

of active surveillance in lowrisk prostate cancers. The concept of delayed treatment or no treatment is not new for oncologists. Other malignancies, such as slow-growing lymphomas, have been managed in this manner for years.

Confusing

recommendations

The conflicting results of the American and European studies and the concern for overtreatment of slow-growing prostate cancers have caused confusion for organizations attempting to provide screening recommendations.

The task force, unfortunately, recommends no screening during any man’s lifetime, regardless of prostate cancer being the second leading cause of cancer death in men and regardless of the obvious improvement in prostate cancer mortality rates in the past 20 years.

by

Remembering Dr. Bond

called Midnight Basketball. It took young people off the street and gave them opportunities for jobs and hope. It was very successful and raised a lot of money. Afew of the people that I trusted stole money from this program. Aleader must take responsibility for the actions of his people.

My administration refused to turn over cell phone records when we should have. I made a mountain out of a molehill when I shouldn’t have. But while the Bosley administration served this city for only four years, we did more good

Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) reports a five-year survival of 100 percent for men presenting with localized disease and five-year survival for 30 percent of men presenting with metastatic disease (prostate cancer that has spread to distant organs).

The Center for Prostate Disease Research has reported that the percentage of men presenting with metastatic disease in the U.S. has declined from 19.8 percent in 1989 to 3.3 percent in 1998.

than most.

Where we are now

My assessment as to where this community is right now is not too good. Twenty years ago we had leaders like state Sen. Paula Carter, state Sen. Jet Banks, Congressman Bill Clay, state Rep. Tony Ribaudo and Committeeman Francis R. Slay. They would keep their word and work to make things happen. They would insist on accountability and inclusion.

Prejudice and a lack of inclusion have resulted in a

AfricanAmerican men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer and the highest mortality rate of any ethnic group.

greater than that seen annually in breast or colorectal carcinoma. There is no debate among oncologists and urologists that prostate cancer is incurable when the disease has spread to distant organs. There is no other screening test to help identify the basic health of the prostate gland and alert health care providers to potential prostate issues.

Prostate cancer death rates continue to fall at a rate of 4.1 percent per year annually. The improvement in survival directly parallels PSAscreening and is attributable, in part, to diagnosis at an earlier stage. This decrease in mortality is

The task force raises an additional concern by including African-American men and men with family history of prostate cancer in these new recommendations. The PSAscreening studies have insignificant numbers of highrisk men to make a statistically valid assessment of the harms or benefits of screening this population.

dumbing down to where people accept this community the way it is. The black community has failed and in most cases simply refuses to assert itself in an effort to secure jobs and economic opportunity.

Unfortunately, too many black people see politics as a spectator sport. Politics is a participatory sport. You have to empty the bench and fight for your team. If only a few people show up, then we’re sure to lose.

To be a winner, we must run to controversy, not from it.

When a person is being

Thus no special analysis has been presented on the effectiveness of screening high-risk men. This is particularly alarming when AfricanAmerican men have an earlier onset of prostate cancer and a mortality rate that is 2.5 times greater than white men.

This task force just two years ago advised against mammography screenings in women age 40-49 years of age. There was a public outcry against that recommendation, stressing that mammography did indeed save lives and no woman wanted to be on the wrong side of a risk-benefit ratio.

Now we are being presented with a recommendation against screening in a man’s lifetime when there is no replacement-screening paradigm. Unfortunately, there are no early signs and symptoms for prostate cancer, so for many men there would be no fire alarm until the house is in flames.

attacked unfairly we must step up, not step back.

Afew days after I lost my bid for reelection, a young brother saw me at a service station. He said, “Bosley, man, I hate that you lost. They got you, man. They got you.” I was still healing my wounds. I just looked at him and smiled.

Then I said, “Thanks a lot, bro, but when they got me, they got you.” He stopped smiling in an effort to understand what I said. I’m sure he understands now.

Discussion with health care providers regarding the benefits and risks of screening for prostate cancer is essential. These discussions must be informed by statistics regarding the increased lethality of prostate cancer and the earlier onset of disease in AfricanAmerican men and men with family history.

Prostate cancer can progress slowly or proceed with devastating lethality. Despite the limitations in PSA screening, it is the best tool currently available. Deciding to have a PSAtest should remain an important option for every man. Knowledge is power.

Lannis Hall, MD MPH, is director of Radiation Oncology at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes St. Peters, and clinical trials leader in the Program to Eliminate Cancer Disparities at the Washington University School of Medicine.

Photo

Maurice Meredith

The late Dr.Leslie F.Bond Sr.’s widow Anita Bond,son Les Bond Jr.,daughter Candace Bond McKeever,cousin Julian Bond and Dr.Will Ross remembered him at a memorial service held Saturday at Central Baptist Church.

Community Brief

Gateway Classic offers summer camp

full as enrollment numbers have doubled since its inaugural year.

was born.

Now serving as the director and curriculum writer of Camp Classic, Houston’s hands are

“Engaging kids in learning over the summer, like Camp Classic does, is a worthwhile investment,” said Preclarus Mastery Academy teacher Laura Wissman. The camp offers Debate Team, Academic Learning

Stations, Financial Literacy, Glee Club, Performing Arts, a STEM program and weekly visits to off-site venues.

“Activities at Camp Classic are tailored to provide experiences that give youth opportunities to be involved with learning, to discover new ways of learning and have a great time while enhancing

their academic skills,” said Richard Gray, president of the Gateway Classic Foundation. Camp Classic begins on June 3 and starts at $85 per week with multiple-child discounts and state daycare funding available. For more information, call 314-621-1994.

Voter laws threaten black voters

By Cathy Cohen and Jon C. Rogowski America’s Wire Writers Group

In the United States people of color, mainly Latinos, African Americans, Asians and Native Americans, are finding that the more they demonstrate their civic responsibility by voting, the more obstacles that surface designed to weaken the power of their votes.

Since 2008, when the nation elected its first AfricanAmerican president, there have been numerous efforts in various states to impact ballot access. Legislatures in 19 states have tightened identification requirements for citizens who wish to vote. Many of these new laws require citizens to show a state-issued form of photo ID.

The New York University School of Law Brennan Center for Justice warned in 2006 that because identification documents are not distributed equally across the population, voter ID laws would significantly affect voter access for people of color – especially Latinos and African Americans – who possessed photo identification at considerably lower rates than whites. That prediction became reality last November. A study conducted immediately after the 2012 election surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,500 young people between the ages of 18 and 29 with large oversamples of blacks and Latinos. Consistent with other national reports, the study sponsored by the Black Youth Project confirmed that a high voter turnout among youth. It also determined that young people of color, especially Black youth, were asked to show identification when voting at considerably higher rates than white youth. Even in states with no identification laws, 66 percent of black youth and 55 percent of Latino youth were asked

to show ID, compared with 43 percent of white youth. When nonvoters were asked to indicate the reasons why they did not vote, Black youth were three times as likely as white youth (17 percent compared with 5 percent) to say that they did not vote because they lacked the proper identification documents.

In the aftermath of the 2012 election, also under attack is the principle of “one person, one vote” established in 1964 when the Supreme Court ruled in Reynolds v. Sims that legislative districts must contain equal numbers of citizens.

Several states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, recently considered or are considering measures to apportion their electoral votes by congressional districts in place of the winnertake-all system currently in place. These proposals are designed explicitly to reduce the electoral influence of citizens living in densely populated areas – precisely those areas more likely to contain larger proportions of people of color.

The 538 blog recently reported that President Obama would have lost twelve of Ohio’s 18 electoral votes had they been apportioned by congressional district. Not only would this have distorted the voices of Ohio’s voters writ large (Obama received more

than 100,000 votes more than Romney), but it also would have significantly weakened the influence of Ohio’s black voters. Nearly percent of 65 percent of black residents of Ohio are concentrated in the four congressional districts in which Obama won.

This tension between individuals and geography is also found in the debate surrounding the current Supreme Court case Shelby County v. Holder. At issue is Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires states with a history of racially discriminatory voting practices to receive federal clearance before changing electoral laws.

Bert Rein argued on behalf of Shelby County,

Alabama that this provision is “an inappropriate vehicle to sort out the sovereignty of individual states.” But the sovereignty of states should not be privileged over the equal protections constitutionally granted to individual citizens

Just as states like Ohio and Pennsylvania should not be allowed to weigh the votes of rural residents over votes from urban areas, neither should Alabama be excluded from provisions designed to protect Alabama citizens’ voting rights because Alabama’s sovereignty is judged to be more important than their citizens’ electoral voices.

The South is not uniquely racially discriminatory.

Schemes to apportion Electoral College votes by congressional district, for instance, have been discussed mostly by states that are not required to receive federal preclearance. But this is not an argument for striking down Section 5. Indeed, any measure that limits ballot access or dilutes some group’s electoral influence in any state ought to be opposed.

Cathy Cohen is the David and Mary Winton Green Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and Jon C. Rogowski is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Washington University.

The Boston bombing and us

It’s high time that U.S. citizens stop asking rhetorical questions and start asking pointed questions that get us to the root causes of terrorism and other forms of violence. It is equally important that we stand firm on democratic principles and not change our views and attitudes based upon who is the victim and who is the perpetrator.

Last week, what can be described as two improvised explosive devices were detonated near the finish line of the nation’s oldest marathon. The Boston Marathon became the Boston Massacre. Three people were killed, including an 8-year-old boy, more than 250 were injured and a nation was traumatized. For the first time that I can remember, an entire city was put on lockdown until the suspects were killed and captured.

“How could this happen here?” is a dead end question to the acts of violence that are happening with more frequency and with more intensity. “Why does this happen?” will at least get us to looking at root causes. Then would come the difficult part – doing something about the conditions that nurture violence.

I suggest that Americans pull ourselves from the bowels of reality TV, from the drowning waters of excessive consumerism and other distractions to pay attention to our government’s foreign policies. Civilians in other countries are paying very close attention.

The U.S. military invaded Iraq under false pretenses. According to the Costs of War Project, nearly 200,000 Iraqis have died and the country’s infrastructure was decimated. The invasion has cost U.S. taxpayers about $2 trillion. Taking care of veterans from the Iraq War and rebuilding Iraq will cost additional billions. The war invigorated Islamic radicals and created fertile ground for new recruits who experienced firsthand the death and destruction caused by the U.S. military.

In 2009 President Obama promised to close down the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay. It is still open, housing 166 men who have never been charged and therefore never had their day in court. Many of the detainees have been held at Gitmo for a decade despite Amnesty International documenting torture and abuse at the camp and a call by the United Nations to shut it down.

U.S. drones are creating havoc. Just like Newtown where innocent children were killed and maimed, U.S. drones are doing the same thing in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen. Our sensibilities about these deaths seem to be tempered by the notion that drones are justified in the pursuit of terrorists. Some experts argue that the policy is creating more terrorists than the U.S. military can ever kill.

Now that the remaining suspect in the Boston bombing has been captured, the debate is growing over whether to treat him as an American citizen or an enemy combatant. Dzhokar Tsarnaev is reportedly being interrogated now without a lawyer present on the authority of the Public Safety exemption to Miranda rights.

The military order to take the teen alive to get answers about his deadly actions is understandable. No one seemed interested in talking to Christopher Dorner about why he spiraled out of control. Dorner was the former L.A. police officer who went on a deadly rampage and was killed by SWAT. Dorner quickly fell off the news radar. Could we have learned any useful information about how he came to a place of such desperation? As the cumulative impact of violence continues to take its toll, we must demand the transparency the Obama administration promised. We must know what’s being done in our name in other countries where U.S. military and corporations are destroying the lives, culture and land of sovereign nations.

Where those acts are illegal, the American people must rise up to end them; where they are immoral, we must at least have an open and honest discussion about it. I this would go a long way toward turning off the spigot of violence.

When Samimah Houston approached the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation about offering a summer camp for children, her vision of Camp Classic improving youth academics with fun activities

Jamala Rogers

William Howard Gibson, Jr., DDS

January 26, 1938— April 17, 2013

Bill was born the only child of William Howard Gibson Sr. and Thelma Brown Gibson in Memphis, Tennessee. At age 13, Bill’s mother sent him alone, to live with her cousin Irene and Irene’s husband Eddie Hamilton in St. Louis, so that he could attend Sumner High School. After high school he matriculated to Lincoln University in Jefferson City then to Kansas State University where he earned his bachelors and master’s degrees in education. Bill went on to teach science for two years in the Kansas City Public Schools, then served two years in the US Army. Upon completing his military duties, Bill enrolled in Howard University Dental School.

In 1967, Dr. Gibson returned to St. Louis for his dental residency at Homer G. Phillips Hospital. Later he was one of the founding dentists of the Yeatman Health Center of St. Louis. Dr. Gibson enjoyed a successful dental practice at the corner of Delmar and Midland in University City, MO for more than thirty years. He retired after ten additional years, first as director of dentistry for St. Louis County Health Department and later as director of dentistry for Missouri Department of Corrections.

In Washington, DC at Howard University College of Dentistry, he reunited with an old boyhood friend Roosevelt Brown, who became his lifelong mentor, confidant and associate; along with Dr. Brown, Bill made

Obituaries

many relationships namely Drs. Edward Williams, and the late Gladstone Davis. These friendships and others were established during his matriculation at Howard University College of Dentistry. Dr. Gibson became very involved and an integral part of the National Dental Association. When serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Dental Association in 1989 he re-energized the National Dental Association Foundation, Inc. He was then elected President of the National Dental Association in 1990. As a result of his commitment to the organization he became a major supporter of the NDAF, helping to purchase, renovate and maintain the Headquarters building located in Washington, DC. The Reception Hall in this building will bear the name of Dr. William Gibson. He was elected and serving as Vice President of the NDAF.

Dr. Gibson’s last travel was when he attended the NDAF Board meeting March 2013 in Gainesville, Florida. In 1984 Dr. Gibson married Vivian Ross Mayo and became step-father to her daughter Elizabeth from a previous marriage. In 1986 his only child William Ross Gibson was born and Bill delighted in fatherhood.

For fifty years Dr. Gibson was a faithful member and supported Lane Tabernacle Church. He took his children to Sunday school every Sunday and proudly listened to every Easter and Christmas holiday speech.

Dr. Gibson recently relocated to Little Rock Arkansas to be near his extended family, lifelong friends and to do more fishing. He united with Canaan Missionary Baptist Church. He passed away in his sleep early Wednesday morning, April 17, 2013. Those who will continue to love him include: a son, William Ross Gibson of Los Angeles, CA; stepdaughter, Elizabeth Frances Mayo of Martinez, CA; first

Attention

St. Louis American Readers

As a service to the community, we list obituaries in the St. Louis American Newspaper, on a space-available basis and online at stlamerican.com. AT NO CHARGE. Please send all obituary notices to kdaniel @stlamerican.com.

cousin and childhood playmate, William Woods of Little Rock; first cousin, Jean Brown of Marion, AR; Mr. & Mrs. Eddie Hamilton of St. Louis, MO and scores of friends, family and colleagues in Arkansas, St. Louis and cities throughout the country.

Funeral services will be held for Dr. William H. Gibson on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Canaan Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock Arkansas.

In Memoriam of Annie

Mae

Brandon Ballard Robinson

March 9, 1909— March 10, 1979

Auntie: You were a kindhearted, soft spoken, gentle, independent, strong-willed woman who held it down; the epitome of strength, hard working and kept the family together. We love, miss you, and cherish your memory.

-Wanda Brandon

Nettie King

Nettie King, born on November 25, 1933 to the Snowden clan of Prescott, Arkansas, Thelma and John Snowden, she “chose March 30, 2013, of Easter Weekend to go peacefully into that long goodnight”. Most would say, she was a “handful” of equal parts missionary, a

compassionate friend, a chiefcook-andbottle washer. One of 9 brothers and sisters, Nettie was a tomboy and daddy’s girl for sure and loved nothing better than catfishin’, working the farm with her family, and playing high school basketball. At 20 she married Robert King and moved to St. Louis, Missouri to raise a family. She had two daughters, Dernitta and Charlotte, and after a divorce, motherhood was her priority.

In the 1950’s civil rights era Nettie didn’t want to be limited by the color of her skin. She was a proud member of the International Lady Garment Workers Union, making the fashions for exclusive stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Peck & Peck. She could sew almost anything. But she also had greater ambition. Penny, by penny, she saved to buy a 4-family apartment building and then to work on airplane building at McDonnell Douglas. To her it wasn’t ground-breaking men’s work; it was the glamour of air travel contrasted with “whites-only” signs at the end of her first flight.

With a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Theology from St. Louis University, Nettie, an ordained minister, purchased two former Catholic convents for her business, Love of God Fellowship, a residential care facility. She had met her calling.

Nettie was always happiest when she was busy, busy,

busy. She had a passion for plants and adopting dogs from the Humane Society. At 78 she pursued her favorite exercise - swimming at the Monsanto YMCA. Every activity was just another word for “fellowship” --to give a kind word, to feel engaged, to clap her hands and say, “Oh Glory, Oh Glory.” Nettie King leaves a rich legacy cherished by her daughters Dernitta/”Nita” Reddick; Charlotte King and husband Steven Frazier, Atlanta, Georgia; her only surviving sibling Bobby Gullie and husband Perry, Prescott Arkansas; her huge extended family, her many friends, neighbors, colleagues and the fellowship of Churches she attended throughout her life.

Leoda Wade Davis

Happy Birthday Dear Mother & Grandmother

April 20, 1913

Mother: Many years have passed since God took your hand. It seems like only yesterday. We miss you so much, but we thank God for the time given to us to call you Mother and Nana. Mother, you were a woman of God and as children growing up, we never saw you turn away from anyone that needed help. You instilled in us at an early age in Central Baptist Church the importance to love thy neighbor. We have passed these values on to our children and grandchildren. We know that one day we will see you again.

Until then, we will continue to live our lives that we know you are pleased with. We love you, The Family

In Precous Memory of Mrs. Hazel Mae Yokley Dyer

Earthly Birth: May 24, 1922 Heavenly Birth: April 16, 2005 Little Goon, It’s been eight years since God beaconed you from your earthly home to his heavenly home in transition into his divine kingdom. May the choirs and Angels come to greet you; May they speed your journey to paradise; May the Lord enfold you in his mercy and May you find eternal rest. Love, Dianna Dyer Wells, daughter

In Loving Memory of Mrs. Thelma ‘Birdie’ Yokley Calvert

Sunrise – January 7, 1924 Sunset – April 21, 2012

Dear Mama, One year has passed since you went away; Your memory and love remains in my heart night and day “God looked around his garden and saw an empty space, He then looked down upon the earth and saw your face, He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest, Gods’ garden must be beautiful, for he only selects the best.” Loving Daughter, Earlean “Leanie” Watson Hopson

Annie Mae Robinson

Nettie King

William Gibson, Jr

Leoda Davis

Five new Air Force airmen from St. Louis

The following U.S. Air Force airmen graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. They completed an intensive, eightweek program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Kathlyn

Ritenour

High School, St. Louis.

Jalisa

Darion R Brown Dominique A. Howard Anthony R. Jones Kyle A. McCollum Raymond V. Reed

SCIENCE CORNER

if you are curious about how it feels to be an astronaut, look no further than your local amusement park. You can learn about potential energy, kinetic energy, acceleration, centripetal force, gravity, inertia, g-force, and much more.

When you are riding a roller coaster, the first hill will be the tallest. This allows the roller coaster to gather potential energy. As the roller coaster soars down the hill, the potential energy is changed to kinetic energy, the energy of motion. Acceleration is the process of speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction.

When you go around a sharp turn, you feel pushed against the outside of the car. This force is centripetal force and helps keep you in your seat. in the loop-the-loop upside down design, it’s inertia that keeps you in your seat.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

in this experiment from Exploratorium, you will be creating a spinning blimp. This experiment will allow you to observe how simple changes to design can alter flight patterns. Scientists learn through trial and error to see what is effective and what isn’t. Even a “mistake” is learning—it teaches you what does not work.

Materials Needed:

Paper • Ruler • Scissors • Journal to Record

Results and Observations • Crayons and Markers (optional)

Process:

inertia is the force that presses your body to the outside of the loop as the train spins around. Although gravity is pulling you toward the earth, the acceleration force is stronger than gravity, pushing you into your seat.

g-force is a gravitational pull. right now, you are experiencing one g-force. riding a roller coaster will cause your body to experience 3 to 6 gs, which is causing your body to experience 3 to 6 times the usual gravitational pull. When gs increase, your heart beats faster. The excitement and adrenaline that people feel on the roller coaster is connected to the sudden change in g-forces.

For More Information: if you would like to learn more about roller coaster science, visit: http://www.learner.org/ interactives/parkphysics/index2.html

Learning Standards: i can read a nonfiction article for background information.

Become an Aircraft Designer

r Hold the blimp high over your head and drop it to the ground. Watch carefully and see how it spins. t Observation time. Experiment with the designs and use your journal to record how these changes affect the spinning pattern of your blimp. Suggestions to try: Make the strip longer or shorter, make the strip narrower or wider, make the tails longer or shorter, cut the ends of the tails into different shapes (rounded or pointy), try using different kinds of paper (construction paper, cardstock, printer paper, etc.)

AfriCAN AMEriCAN SPACE ENgiNEEr Aprille Ericsson

Dr. Aprille Ericsson was born in Brooklyn, New York, where she grew up and attended school until junior high.

Ericsson received a scholarship to attend Cambridge School in Massachusetts for her high school years. from there, she went to the Massachusetts institute of Technology (MiT) to earn her Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering.

Ericsson received a Master’s degree and Doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from Howard University. Her graduate studies focused on designing digital controllers for orbiting space structures. She also worked to design an instrument that will help map the moon’s surface for future explorations.

Aprille Ericsson was the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in mechanical engineering at Howard University. The website ivillage.com liss her as one of 18 women who will change the world. She currently works in the guidance, Navigation and Control, Design Analysis section at NASA goddard Space flight Center. She knew she wanted to work in this field when she first saw the United States go to the moon. When she was a junior in high school, she attended a summer program at MiT where she flew in a pilot simulator.

Ericsson encourages minorities and females to develop an interest in math, science, and engineering. She encourages them to take a lot of math and science courses and to read articles about the latest developments in those areas, attend summer programs and listen to guest speakers. furthermore, Ericsson encourages students to become involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports and clubs, to be well rounded.

Learning Standards: i can read a biography to learn about contributions in science, technology, and math.

q Cut a strip of paper 6 inches long and ½ inch wide.

w Cut halfway across the strip about ½ inch from one end. Turn the strip around and do the same thing on the other end.

e Slip the slot at one end into the slot at the other end to create a circular blimp.

CONNECTION

The following three formulas will help you answer questions about speed.

Time = Distance ÷ Speed

Speed = Distance ÷ Time

Distance = Speed x Time

q How long will it take a bicycle rider to travel 32 miles at a constant speed of 8 miles per hour? ________

w if a car travels 170 miles at a constant speed in 5 hours, at what speed was it traveling? ________

y Optional: You can use crayons or markers to color your blimp. Although this won’t affect flight pattern, you can observe the designs as your blimp spins. Reflection: With your class, discuss what worked well and what didn’t.

Learning Standards: i can follow directions to complete an experiment. i can make observations on how simple changes affect flight design and patterns.

e if a bus travels for 3 hours at 55 miles per hour, how far does it travel? ________

r A train covers a distance of 520 miles in 8 hours. if it travels at a constant speed, how fast is it traveling? ________

t if you walk at a steady speed of 4 miles per hour, how long will it take you to walk 14 miles? ________

Learning Target: i can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

Use the newspaper to complete these activities to sharpen your skills for the MAP test.

Activity One:

Circle words beginning with capital letters in the newspaper. Discuss why each word begins with a capital letter. Then, identify the words that are proper nouns. Write them in a chart labeled person, place, and thing.

Activity Two: find an interesting news story to evaluate. read the story and identify the main ideas. Number the main ideas in order of importance. Explain why you chose that order.

Activity Three: Write to inform. Choose an African American who has made contributions in the field of science, technology, or math. Write a news article about this person to inform your audience about his or her achievements.

Learning Standards: i can use the newspaper to locate proper nouns. i can identify main idea. i can write for a specific purpose (to inform) and for a specific audience.

Ericsson at work at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

International Space Station photographed from the Space Shuttle Discovery. Photo: NASA.

Ms. LambingGranger’s 3rd Grade Class Clay Elementary School

Students Myzonia Brown, Rickaya Sutton, Gregory Brown, and Takayla Cooper measure weight levels on bridges as part of their STEM project.

Photo by Wiley Price

New sheriff in the Treasurer’s Office

In recent years, by a conservative count, there have been at least three federal investigations into what might be described as continuing criminal enterprises being conducted – apparently or allegedly – within St. Louis city government.

There was the drug ring smuggling heroin and other narcotics into the city jails, first reported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri in its 2009 report Suffering in Silence, which was dismissed at the time by the Slay administration and its newspaper of record, the Post-Dispatch. The federal investigation eventually netted drug smuggling convictions of three city corrections officers. There was the towing scam with the city police and its towing vendor. The Post broke that story wide open with an investigative series that fell silent right when the getting was good. The federal investigation netted convictions of an underling copper, a former detective who managed the towing vendor and – in an offshoot – tax busts of the two owners of the towing company.

Though the Post reported that then Police Chief Joe Mokwa’s daughter was hotrodding in a vehicle that had been confiscated – in the cycle of confiscate/retitle/sell that constituted the scam –and though Mokwa testified under oath that he visited the tow yard every month “for coffee” while the scam was active, Mokwa walked. It was sufficiently incredible that Mokwa was not indicted that the U.S. Attorney made the rare move of issuing a press release where he discussed aspects of

the investigation that did not yield an indictment. Usually the feds keep their mouths shut unless and until they are bringing down the hammer.

And then there is the Treasurer’s Office during the long years of Larry Williams’ tenure. The Post sharpened their knives for Larry’s neck for decades, but like Mokwa he too left office for a retirement cozier than a federal penitentiary. As with the police scam, representatives of a corrupt vendor (in this case, parking rather than towing) got nailed, not the city official. And again like the Mokwa exoneration, the U.S. Attorney issued a press release that basically said the case was closed and Larry was off the hook. They did nail his crony Fred W. Robinson on multiple fraud charges including his submission of false time sheets in the Treasurer’s Office. The hits keep coming for criminal investigators of the Treasurer’s Office, but now the person running the office –Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones – is initiating and cooperating with the investigation, rather than being targeted by and dodging it. Four fraudsters who allegedly had been stealing money during events at lots adjacent to the Scottrade Center were arrested by city police and charged last week. Staff in the Parking Division alerted Jones of the theft, based on a discrepancy between receipts and vehicles detected by sensors on the lot. She called the cops on her staff “and they began investigating our findings,” Jones said. “Our office very much appreciates the work of the Metropolitan St. Louis

Police Department, especially

Detective Patrick Drennan and the Intelligence Unit, for a thorough and professional investigation,” Jones said in a release. “We are approaching what we find in the office systematically and working our way through it.”

Imagine that! A city official who doesn’t brush aside reports of corruption or try to cover it up, but who investigates the matter and turns it over to Johnny Law. It’s so unlike St. Louis.

Silent anniversary

April 20 marked the 20th anniversary of the inauguration of the City of St. Louis’ first African-American mayor, Freeman Bosley Jr. The American marked the anniversary by inviting Freeman to write a twopart series about his historic campaign and his tenure in office. The Post-Dispatch marked it by ... well, it didn’t recognize the anniversary in any way.

The EYE would have expected at least a dance on Freeman’s political grave, since the paper’s relentlessly critical coverage of Bosley’s administration was critical to limiting him to one term. (As Freeman acknowledges in his 1A piece in The American this week, he helped them at times, by withholding cell phone records and not acting swiftly when one of his staffers was caught stealing monies from the city’s Midnight Basketball program.)

One can only imagine what Slay’s 2013 reelection campaign would have looked like had the Post covered the scandals in the city jails and police department on Slay’s watch the way they went after Freeman Bosley’s every misstep. But the paper was too busy covering the fourth coronation of its beloved Mayor Francis G. Slay to even take notice of the historic anniversary of Bosley’s inauguration – albeit one that many people harbor mixed feelings about.

Slay’s Age of Aquarius

Of course, The American

all but ignored Slay’s fourth coronation in last week’s paper, though as an avowedly advocacy newspaper we don’t attempt to hide our agenda. Slay did proffer some commendable talking points in his inauguration speech. He fleetingly included “diversity” in his list of priorities, which is good to hear but worth watching to see what that actually will mean.

He also offered this shocker: “I promise you transparency in government ... The days of file drawers and silos of information, closely held and inaccessible, must end.” That’s particularly a shocker for The St. Louis American, which has been dodged and stonewalled by the Slay administration for many years. The EYE would find it easier to believe this statement if it were accompanied by something like, “And that is why we asked Jeff Rainford to tender his resignation,” since Slay’s chief of staff is a former journalist who plays hide and seek with public information and is very adept at toying with a journalist’s deadline to make it difficult to a report a critical story about the mayor.

But, we shall see. Slay does have a new communications staffer who has resumed distributing press releases and even included this newsroom on her distribution list. That, believe it or not, is progress.

Another choice bit from Slay’s speech: “For too long, our community has let itself be paralyzed by the tyranny of haters.” It will be interesting to see where the new love is going to come from to counteract this hate. Looking at Slay’s senior staffers – Rainford, Steve Gregali – and his allies on the

Board of Aldermen – Fred Wessels, Steve Conway – the EYE is not feeling the love. It’s difficult to picture these tired old divisive operators ushering in the inclusive Age of Aquarius dreamt of in Slay’s speech.

“We have gotten as far as we can get pulling against each other,” Slay said. “For the next four years, let’s pull together and see how much further we can get.” Thus far with the Slay administration, “pulling together” meant pulling the way they want to pull. “My way or the highway” – to be clear – is not a credible definition of “pulling together.” Here is another good one from the speech: “I look forward to working closely with [aldermanic] President Lewis Reed, as we have in so much of the past.” Of course, they spent the first three months of this year trying to tear each other’s eyes out in the mayoral primary. Reed won 10 percent more of the vote than Slay’s previous challenger, and while the EYE thinks Lewis lost his best chance to become mayor and needs to stand down, he probably thinks he has four years to position himself for a better run next time.

Slay did acknowledge that to do anything he will need the cooperation of Reed or Comptroller Darlene Green on the Board of Estimate & Apportionment and a majority at the Board of Aldermen. The loyal opposition should take its cue from the mayor’s public acknowledgement of the reality of this city’s governance structure. Slay is exactly as powerful as we let him be.

Former Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. celebrated the 20th anniversary of his historic election as the City of St. Louis’ first African-American mayor this weekend with former office and campaign staff. Photo by Maurice Meredith

BUSINESS

New chief in charge in University City

AQ&Awith Fire Chief Adam Long

By Chris King Of The St.Louis American

St. Louis American: So you are running it now. What is different about running a fire department compared to middle management and being a grunt?

Fire Chief Adam Long: I had been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the St. Louis Fire Department’s 8th District at Lambert Airport, which had a bit larger workforce, more resources and even a larger budget than I’m currently working with here in University City. The one difference is here I report direct-

“I see the need to get more African Americans involved in the fire service, no matter whether it’s the city or county.”

– Fire Chief Adam Long

ly to the city manager as opposed to reporting to the fire chief as I did in the city. The culture in the county is a bit different, in that the smaller departments don’t have the resources that the city has and mutual aid is heavily

relied on. I’ve had a couple of instances where I’ve received calls from citizens that I have to address and not pass them up the line. I literally had to hit the ground running because of the new firehouse construction, union negotiation, new communication system, and starting the hiring process for current openings.

The American: What is your role in the union bargaining in U. City? Is there a personnel director as in the city?

See LONG, B2

Mortgage holders harmed by servicers to receive checks

90 percent of $3.6M in payments to be disbursed by April 30

By Charlene Crowell Center for Responsible Lending

By Michelle Singletary Washington Post

Millions of Americans scrambled to get their taxes done and paid by April 15. The majority of filers –three out of four – get refunds. This year the refunds were pretty large, on average $3,000. But what if you didn’t hustle to file because you couldn’t pay? Or maybe you did file but couldn’t pay all that you owed? One in six taxpayers owes money, according to the IRS. Increasingly, I run into people with tax collection issues. Many are entrepreneurs. In struggling to keep their businesses running, they didn’t pay estimated taxes during the year. So they end up owing the government lots of money. Fearing the IRS will move aggressively to collect, they don’t call or respond to letters

IRS, B2

The old saying “the check is in the mail” is often considered a ruse not worth heeding. But beginning April 12, checks began going into the mail for 4.2 million mortgage borrowers who were in the foreclosure process in 2009 or 2010 and who likely experienced robosigning or other deficiencies by their mortgage servicer. Initially, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Reserve required servicers to hire consultants to do detailed reviews of borrower case files and determine specific harms that borrowers received to qualify for monetary rewards. This process ultimately became unwieldy, slow and expensive – without producing timely benefits to borrowers.

Earlier this year, the OCC and the Federal Reserve negotiated a settlement with 13 mortgage servicers. Parties agreed to pay a total of $3.6 billion in

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Richelle Simmons Clark has been appointed codirector of the Center for Community Health & Partnerships at the Institute for Public Health at Washington University. For more than 10 years she has overseen health services for St. Louis Public Schools. Previously she served as assistant director of health and hospitals for the City of St. Louis Department of Health.

Jermaine Reed was named Missouri State Director for the Young Elected Officials Network, which helps to recruit young elected leaders in the state and provides them with resources and opportunities. Reed, a Kansas City Councilman, said, “We must constantly prepare the next generation of leaders to craft and communicate meaningful policy objectives.”

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

Businesses honored forsupporting early childhood education

The Community Against Poverty Coalition will recognize Ameren MO, Energizer, McCormack Baron Salazar and PNC Bank for supporting education projects for pre-kindergarten age children at a tribute breakfast 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 1 at Ameren Headquarters.

“Supporting early childhood education will do the greatest good now and in the future for our children, our economy and our society,” said coalition Chair Renee Marver.

For more information about the breakfast or the coalition, which is convened by the Jewish Community Relations Council and theRegional Early Childhood Council, contact Gail Wechsler at 314-442-3894 or gwechsler@jcrcstl.org.

Richard Mark addresses Illinois Black Chamberat lobby day

Richard Mark, president and CEO, Ameren Illinois, addressed members and associates of the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce at their annual lobby day in Springfield recently. Mark thanked the chamber for its support of the Natural Gas Modernization, Public Safety and Jobs Act, and encouraged members to communicate with legislators about the importance of upgrading the state’s gas infrastructure.

cash payments ranging from $300 to $125,000 to all affected borrowers. More than 90 percent of the payments due borrowers are expected to be paid by the end of April. Remaining borrowers will be paid no later than mid-July. Borrower payments will be based upon the stage of foreclosure and in some cases, gravity of servicer errors. The largest payments will go to borrowers with completed and wrongful foreclosures. The vast majority of checks payable to borrowers will be for less than $1,000. The spring 2013 payments will include all but two of the servicers agreeing to the settlement. Asecond and separate announcement in the near future will address payments for the remaining ones, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. In the meantime for the other 11 servicers, a payment schedule includes eligible borrowers in any stage of foreclo-

“Our customers want reliability and predictability,” Mark said. “Formula rates are more predictable and less volatile for consumers. Greater predictability lowers long-term costs of debt and reduces interest expenses for customers.” The plan provides contracting opportunities for minority- and womenowned vendors to help Ameren Illinois build a modern gas distribution system.

$9.8M Stamping Lofts brings 56 housing units to nearNorth Side

On April 17 North River Development, Pinnacle Entertainment and the St. Louis Equity Fund hosted a Grand Opening Ceremony and tours of St. Louis Stamping Lofts, 56 new housing units for lowincome individuals on the city’s near North Side at 219 Cass Ave.

The $9.8 million project transformed the fourstory former St. Louis Stamping Company building, built in 1870 and listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, into a residential facility that also offers supportive services provided by St. Patrick Center to individuals dealing with homelessness, exoffenders and veterans.

The project was enabled by federal and state Historic and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits issued by the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

Wilson (Thomas) was a guest speaker

crisis panel at Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network Conference in New York City. She is founder

president

Looking

An Angel, Inc.

the mother of missing child Christian Ferguson. She

victims of crime shared

their high-profile cases in hopes of obtaining justice.

Richelle Simmons Clark

Photo:UPI/Bill Greenblatt

University City Fire Chief Adam Long took the oath of office from city clerk Joyce Plumm during ceremonies in University City on March 28.

Jermaine Reed

Theda Wilson

Michelle Singletary

Charlene Crowell

By Jason Alderman

Maybe you’re a college student looking to rent your first apartment; or a downsizing homeowner reentering the rental market for the first time in decades. Whatever your situation, there are many precautions you should take before renting any property. The last thing you want is to be saddled with a 12-month lease you can’t afford or to be stuck in a neighborhood you’ve come to detest.

As one who’s been there, let me share a few tips for renting a home: Before you even start looking, know how much you can afford to spend. Housing is the biggest monthly expense for most people so if you miscalculate what rent is affordable,

Before you rent, do yourhomework

your budget will suffer from the get-go. Besides rent, don’t forget such additional expenses as a security deposit, utilities, cable/satellite, Internet access, renters insurance, parking and laundry facilities and one-time move-in expenses like window treatments, appliances or rugs. Scope out the neighborhood. Determine how safe you feel walking around, especially if you’ll be parking on the street. Come back to see if the neighborhood’s character changes at night or on the weekend. Also note the proximity to parks, schools, grocery stores, public transportation and busy commuter routes.

Thoroughly inspect each potential rental:

ï Consider total useable space – sometimes a smaller

you could apply to your taxes.

from the agency. Instead, they gravitate to the voices that offer too-good-to-be true deliverance.

“If you owe $10,000 or more to the IRS, call for a free tax consultation,” the saviors say. “We can stop IRS liens, levies and wage garnishment.” Blind faith in a debt-settlement company is likely to leave you deeper in debt and still stuck with a tax bill. Many of the companies require thousands of dollars in upfront, nonrefundable fees, money

LONG

Continued from B1

Chief Long: The fire department union shop and the city have a current Memorandum of Agreement that is set to expire in June 2013. My role is difficult in that I am hired by the city to manage the day-to-day operations of the department, but try to be an advocate for the members of the department in guaranteeing that the working conditions, living conditions, equipment, etc. are favorable. I stay away from the pay and benefit issues unless asked specific questions. University City has a mayor, a city manager, and an HR director. The city manager and HR director

In recent years, several large tax-relief companies have closed after authorities accused them of deceptive practices. Roni Deutch, who called herself the “Tax Lady,” shut down her practice after California’s attorney general alleged her company swindled thousands of people by taking large upfront payments while providing little or no help in lowering clients’tax bills. The IRS offers a number of options if you owe and can’t pay. In just minutes, you can set up an online payment agreement for up to 72 months if you owe $50,000 or less in combined tax, penalties and

are responsible for the hiring and benefits that we receive. The city manager has a council that he reports to on all city business.

The American: You come out of a contentious union environment in the city. How do you perceive the contrasts between St. Louis and U. City, in terms of the issues raised by F.I.R.E.?

Chief Long: The one difference that I’ve noticed is that the majority of the firefighters in the county belong to Local 2665, both African-American and white. I think Local 2665 has a bit more influence in some of the departments, especially the ones that are fire protection districts that are governed by boards. They seem to work very had in get-

PERSONAL FINANCE

unit with a well-designed floor plan is more desirable than a larger space with a poor layout.

ï Use a tape measure to measure each room to determine whether your furniture will fit. Ensure there’s sufficient closet, cupboard and storage space.

ï Look for safety features like deadbolts and peepholes on exterior doors, well-lit corridors, stairwells and parking structures, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and bars or other security features on firstfloor windows.

ï In multi-unit buildings, note the condition of common areas – that’s a clue how atten-

tive the owner/manager is regarding upkeep.

ï Note the condition of appliances, plumbing fixtures, floors/carpeting, electrical outlets and switches, light fixtures, walls and windows. If you spot damaged or worn items, ask whether they’ll be replaced. If not, make sure they’re noted in the rental agreement.

ï Check the water pressure and hot water quality.

ï Check seals around doors, windows and vents; if leaky, they can boost utility bills.

ï Look for evidence of previous water leaks and mold.

ï Check for soundproofing, especially if there are adjoin-

You can also try to get the IRS to reduce your tax burden by asking for an “offer in compromise,” or OIC.

interest. Go to www.irs.gov and search for “Online Payment Agreement Application.” You can also request a payment agreement by filing IRS Form 9465.

“We work with people all the time to get them back in the system,” said IRS spokesman Eric Smith. “Chances are you don’t need to pay somebody. You may be able to do a lot of work on your own. When you see the

ads for people saying they can solve your tax debt for pennies on the dollar, many of those operations are not providing good service to people.” You can also try to get the IRS to reduce your tax burden by asking for an “offer in compromise,” or OIC. This allows the IRS to accept less than the full tax payment under certain circumstances. If you’re in great economic hardship, you may qualify for an OIC. But

“We just took applications for a job posting and had over 100 hundred applicants, and out of that number there were three black candidates.”

– Fire Chief Adam Long

ting members elected that will be pro-Local 2665. I’ve also noticed that some of the departments don’t reflect the demographics of the communities they serve. But I’ve not yet seen the racial issues that sometimes dominated the news in the past. I’m not saying that it doesn’t exist, I’ve just not seen here in U. City.

The American: The politics in the St. Louis Fire Department is some of the nas-

ing apartments. Once you find a suitable place, read the rental agreement carefully. Don’t hesitate to ask a lawyer or more experienced friend to review it. If not spelled out in the lease you may want to ask the landlord:

ï How much is the security deposit and what are the requirements for getting a full refund?

ï How are rent increases determined?

ï What happens after the lease term ends? Often, it’ll convert to a month-to-month rental agreement where you can leave anytime with proper notice (usually 30 days).

ï How many tenants are allowed?

ï What are building policies for things like houseguests, noise curfews, maintenance

you first have to provide detailed financial information to prove your economic situation and you have to exhaust all other payment options.

The IRS received 64,000 offers in compromise during the fiscal year that ended last September and it only approved 24,000, an acceptance rate of 38 percent. You can use the IRS’OIC pre-qualifier tool on its website to check to see if you’re eligible.

Even if you decide you still need help from a tax professional, do some homework to learn about the IRS collection process. If you have a good working knowledge of your own, you’ll get better help,

own communities under the leadership of white officers. I think that it’s a sense of entitlement that some still hold. You never really step away from it simply because I see the need to get more African Americans involved in the fire service, no matter whether it’s the city or county.

tiest stuff I’ve seen? Why? And what has it been like to step away from that?

Chief Long: It’s not just true of the St. Louis Fire Department, it’s somewhat the same nationwide to a certain degree. The fire service in America has always been dominated by whites, was almost all volunteer, and was somewhat of a fraternity that could exclude blacks. It wasn’t until the early 1920s that blacks were allowed to serve in their

The American: You saw Fire Chief Sherman George go down over fairness in testing and a promotions list that emerged from a test that he thought was inadequate. Do you have similar issues in U. City?

Chief Long: We just took applications for a job posting and had over 100 hundred applicants, and out of that number there were three black candidates. Although I can’t

and repairs, pest control, smoking, lost keys and pets?

ï Can you sublet the unit before your lease expires? And finally, be aware that many landlords check credit reports of potential tenants. Before you start looking, check your own credit report so there are no surprises. You can order one free report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus –Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. (Order through www.annualcreditreport.com; otherwise you’ll pay a small fee.)

Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To participate in a free, online Financial Literacy and Education Summit on April 17, 2013, go to www.practicalmoneyskills.com/summit2013.

Smith said. The IRS has a series of videos at IRSVideos.gov/OweTaxes that provide information on the collection process, including tips on hiring someone to represent you before the IRS. If you’re low-income, you may be able to get help through the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Program, which is run by the Taxpayer Advocate Service and provides free or low-cost assistance. During the first half of 2012, the program helped eliminate nearly $16.5 million in tax liabilities, penalties and interest. Go to www.irs.gov and search for “Contact a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.”

comment on the specifics of the testing process here, I’ve not seen the same concerns here yet.

The American: Young African Americans and their parents will read this. Some will wonder what they need to do to become a firefighter. Tell them what to do.

Chief Long: The fire service has changed tremendously in recent years. We don’t have the number of fires that we had 20 years ago due to the fact that the public is more informed when it comes to fire safety and prevention. Our largest call volume has to do with emergency medical services, which has become an intricate part of the fire service.

To make yourself more marketable, you need to be at least an EMT(Emergency Medical Tech) to work for the city fire department as a condition of employment and that training is offered at the community college level and takes about four to six months. For most departments in St. Louis County, it’s required that you be a EMT-P(Paramedic). That training is also offered at the community college level and takes about a year of classes. Both will also require that you spend some time in a hospital emergency room and do a series of ride-alongs with various departments or ambulance services. County departments also require the St. Louis County Fire Academy training, which costs around $5,000. Once I get settled here and get a few things of high importance out of the way, we will look into starting a cadet program here in hopes of attracting more African Americans to the fire service.

“I’ve been known as a selfish player for so long.I just wanted to show everybody that I can be a team guy and it’s all about team.’’

– NBA Sixth Man of the Year,J.R.Smith

Rams need wideout, safety

By Palmer L.Alexander III

Of The St.Louis American

Of the 10 picks selected by the St. Louis Rams in last year’s National Football League Draft, nine of them made the final roster. Of those nine players, eight of them got a chance to play, and what we saw were building blocks for this franchise still in search of a playoff berth.

Together, General Manager Les Snead and Head Coach Jeff Fisher started the transformation of a football team that has been soft and non-competitive into a squadron of men who are willing to fight their opponent for 60-plus minutes (ask the 49ers).

Most national pundits gave Snead and Fisher a B- grade for the draft in 2012. And that B- grade played a big factor in the Rams not resigning running back Steven Jackson. It was also the reason they chose not to resign or even overpay for wideouts Danny Amendola and Brandon Gibson. Or not signing safety Craig Dahl (Thank you, God!), Quintin Mikell and Bradley Fletcher.

Should the Rams have a repeat performance in the draft this year and these players start having an immediate impact, Fisher and Co. will have a competitive team that’s young and growing together. That was Snead’s message last summer when the Rams had the free scrimmage inside the Edward Jones Dome. Snead talked about building young and growing together as a team. So, who’s next to be added to the

See RAMS, B5

Draft wish list

Who will the Rams pick?

By Mike Claiborne Of The St.Louis American

The NFLdraft is here, and the Rams are already winners due to what they did on the field. Before you suggest I get drug tested, think about it for a minute.

Where are the Rams drafting this year? Yes, 16 and 22 in the first round. That is a far cry from the days where the pizza could not be delivered quick enough before the Rams had made a selection in the first round and we waited four hours before they drafted again. Reason being the Rams were flat out lousy

INTHE CLUTCH

With Ishmael H.Sistrunk

the season leading up to the draft.

The Rams have come a long way in a short time. Last year they were in the playoff hunt later in the season than they have been in quite some time. Many players they drafted last year could actually play and some even contributed early.

The Rams have now turned the draft into a real project as the ever popular “mock drafts” now are scrutinized even more by all. It also exposes the imposters. It has been somewhat of a

joke to hear and read the draft analyses of some. There is more poaching of information from some than there is of ivory elephant tusks in Africa. When the question is posed “who are the Rams going to draft?” I simply reply I have no idea and neither do the Rams. Too many things can happen between picks 1 and 16, like teams trading up to get a player or teams trading down to get more picks for later in the draft. I have always subscribed to the notion that if you pin your hopes on the early selections being the dif-

Knicks hang on Chandler’s neck

Ahead start on preparing for the future

Tyson Chandler isn’t the best player for the New York Knicks. That title most certainly goes to a fellow by the name of Carmelo Anthony. Chandler isn’t the most popular, most exciting or flashiest player on the team either. However, when assessing the team’s longawaited return to the position of legitimate (though certainly not favored) title contenders, all roads lead through Mr. Chandler. As a Dallas Mavericks fan for the past 15 years or so, I can recall two moments that made me question the sanity of the team’s vocal and eccentric owner, Mark Cuban. The first instance was back in 2004

when he declined to offer Steve Nash a worthy contract extension, claiming the 30year-old point guard’s best days were behind him. Of course Nash went on to win back-to-back league MVP awards in 2005 and 2006. The second instance was when Cuban passed on re-signing Chandler, whose defensive fortitude brought legitimate “D” to Dallas and helped bring the team its first championship in an upset win over LeBron James and the Miami Heat in 2011. Now in New York, Chandler finds himself in a similar situation. Though he earned his first All-Star nod this season after averaging

Chandler’s game is built on grit and grime. Each night he is expected to patrol the paint, guard the opponent’s best post player and control the boards.

10.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, the center’s star power pales in comparison to Anthony’s. While Melo’s game is silky smooth, Chandler’s game is built on grit and grime. Each night he is expected to patrol the paint, guard the opponent’s best post player and control the boards. While his blocked shot numbers don’t stand out like Serge Ibaka’s insane 3.03, Chandler is a master at altering and affecting opponents’shots. Most of his defensive efforts are thankless to the common fan, but the Knicks are grateful to have last season’s Defensive Player of the Year handling those underappreciated duties.

He represents a throwback to the days of Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley, when as Oakley eloquently put it, “[The Knicks] played hard and didn’t let anyone (expletive) on us.”

It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. In order to make a difference, Chandler will need to be a full strength. He missed 16 out of the team’s final 20 games this season due to a neck injury. His return in Game 1 versus the Boston Celtics was subpar by any standard. In 20 minutes, Chandler accumulated no points, no blocks and just five rebounds.

Luckily for the Knicks, reserve big man Kenyon Martin stepped up big time and provided plenty of defensive intensity along with his 10 points and 9 rebounds in a very Chandler-esque game. The 35-year old Martin still

ference-makers, you may as well pin your hopes on looking for another job soon.

Draft picks are precious in sports today more than ever, and NFL teams value them as if they are the nuclear missile codes. Teams spend millions of dollars on scouting players, working them out and running background checks. So much money is spent each year it’s a good thing it does not count against the cap. Teams have to get it right more than just in the first round. Because of the way the salary cap works

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Palmer L. Alexander

Tyson Chandler represents a throwback to the days of Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley.

Mike Claiborne

Tavon Austin out of the University of West Virginia could fill the void left by the loss of Danny Amendola.

Blackout in Cardinal Nation

When Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball made its annual appearance this year, a new wrinkle was added. The “Public Image Machine” known as Major League Baseball has gone beyond everyone wearing the number 42 in honor of Robinson. They have now banded together and thought it was a good idea to round up all the young black suffering souls and take them to the movies.

Yes, you guessed it ... to see the movie 42. The movie takes us back into time to see how things used to be in baseball when there were no black players and what Jackie Robinson had to endure to pave the way for other people of color. As we fast forward to today, it almost looks like 1947 as there are so few African Americans playing the game.

Better yet, name three people of color off the field who represent the Cardinals?

While Major League Baseball is trying by introducing young black kids to Robinson and the game, they are taking the wrong people to the movies. Instead, they should take a few owners, general managers and managers to the movies. They are the ones who need to be introduced to the way things used to be, as they are well on their way to duplicating history. There are some teams that have no African Americans on their roster, let alone in the front office or anywhere else.

The beloved St. Louis Cardinals would fit that description. It was reported that the Cardinals have not had an African American on the opening day roster since George Bush was president. If you look hard and long you will be hard pressed to see any African Americans within the organization who have been highlighted to the point where they are hardly known in their own community let alone the storied “Cardinal Nation.” With attendance being high for most games, perhaps the Cardinals do not care about their lack of African

Americans within the organization. The Cardinals have been unable to find an AfricanAmerican coach to work here since they fired hitting coach Hal McRae in order to make room for Mark McGwire. It would be hard to name any African-American prospects that anyone speaks highly of in the St. Louis’organization. Better yet, name three people of color off the field who represent the Cardinals? It was well discussed in the African-American community that Tony La Russa and then General Manager Walt Jocketty had few African Americans on the roster in the final years of their association with the Cardinals. Current General Manager John Mozeliak and Manager Mike Matheny have managed to find some playing time for Adron Chambers over the last couple years, and that is that. Fortunately for the Cardinals, they are not alone when it comes to this problem. It just seems to stand out more because the Cardinals are considered one of the gold standards of the game in how they run their organization. While it is a history lesson for the youth of America to see the movie 42, Major League Baseball should have bought a few more tickets to give to their own leaders. African Americans already know the story and would hope it will not be repeated. After all, it has been well documented that they can play this game when given a chance. Not sure? How about Bill White, Curt Flood, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee, for starters, in St. Louis alone?

While the Cardinals have been active with the Cardinals Care program, the question is what next? Cardinals Care serves kids throughout the area and has done a good job for the initial stage, but there should be more than one chap-

ter to this story. Today the lip service is plentiful, and yet little action is

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these days, the days of the high-priced reserve player are over. Even if a late rounder makes the team, he better be good on special teams until they figure out if he can play every down.

The Rams have extra picks this year, and they understand that they will need to acquire talent they can develop compared to paying for an over-

priced free agent. After all, if the free agent were that good wouldn’t a team cut someone else to make sure they could sign him?

The Rams still have what now seems like annual needs: a wide receiver for Sam Bradford to throw to, an offensive lineman to protect Sam Bradford, a legitimate outside linebacker and a safety. As you look at some the options, few are of the household variety when you draft at 16 and 22. Some will tell you this is not a deep draft when it comes to impact. I say who cares?

Someone will have to play this fall, and they will come from this draft pool.

In their short time in St. Louis, Les Sneed and Jeff Fisher have done a reasonably good job in building this team to the level where improvement has taken place. They also know there is a ways to go before they can be mentioned among the elites in the league. They will look at character and skill and even take a chance on an at-risk player from time to time. It will be another fun night of hope, expectation and head-scratching for the Rams and their fans..

I just hope, whoever we get, they do not hold out and they can get on the field and play because they really are good

and not just because they were drafted early. Here is to scouting and coaching a player up, two things the Rams have displayed under Fisher and Sneed. Here is a bit of advice. Before you start to evaluate the picks by the Rams, remember this: you probably thought Jason Smith was a good idea to draft and probably gave the Rams high marks. Just think if you would have given it two or three years to see how wrong you were and the previous regime was in taking him. Then again, if you were part of that operation, you would already be looking for another job in another city by now.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

taken. The whole rhetoric about not caring about a person’s color as long as they can

play has started to fall on deaf ears. More could be done and should be done. You have to

wonder if teams like the Cardinals even bother to ask how they can help fix it.

No black hands to slap in the Cardinals dugout.

Team raises money for charity

The Mathews-Dickey Hoops girls seventh grade team recently conducted a “Hoops for Hope”fundraiser to help raise money for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the Pat Summit Foundation.The team successfully raised over $1,200,which was split between the two charites to honor two former legendary women’s college basketball coaches.The team members are Micah Arps,Lamayah Clayton, Diamonique Dunn,Brooke Flowers, Marshelle Franklin,Micah Goldman, Alison Gill,Jaidah Stewart and Amaya Stovall.

Relay aces

By Earl Austin Jr.

Of The St.Louis American

The St. Louis area was well represented at last week’s KU Relays on the campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

St. Louis area contenders Hazelwood Central, Francis Howell and Eureka performed well in bringing home several top finishes.

Central’s Marcus Davis turned in a winning time of 48.74 seconds in the 400-meter dash, which is the fastest time in the state so far. Davis also Brandon Chunn, Matt Quarells and Kendall Preston to win the 4x200-meter relay in 1 minute 28.73 seconds. Chris Wright of Central also finished second in the 110-meter high hurdles and fourth in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

Hazelwood Central’s girls also took first place in the

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has enough juice in the tank to provide those types of games once in awhile, but the team is in trouble if they must rely on K-Mart on a nightly basis. The team’s only shot to build on its first Atlantic Division title in 19 years by upsetting the juggernaut Heat from South Beach is with a healthy and effective Chandler. Despite his scoring genius and star

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foundation laid by last year’s group? Who will it be? I would love for it to be wide receiver Tavon Austin. But, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I like DeAndre Hopkins out of Clemson, or if linebacker Alec Ogletree of Georgia is there you have to take him. Some mock drafts have the Rams taking Eddie Lacy, the tailback from Alabama. That would be a little surprising only because the Rams reached out to Isaiah Pead’s coaches to find out what worked best for him. It sounds like Fisher and Snead are firmly behind Pead. But, Pead better show some progress or there could be a change. Darryl Richardson already showed he can make some big plays.

The Rams most pressing needs are wideout, safety and outside linebacker in that order. I could see them drafting two at each position just mentioned.

Now, the one disadvantage the Rams have is that they pick in the middle of each round of the draft at No. 16. So unless they trade out

4x200 as Devyn Torbert, Prenecia Ponds, Marcya Spivey and Ashley Henderson turned in a winning time of 1 minute 41.96.

Eureka distance running standout Hannah Long swept both the 800- and 1,600-meter runs. She won the 800 in 2:12.81 and the 1,600 in 4:49.95. She also anchored the Wildcats to a victory in the 4x880-meter relay. Francis Howell took home first place in the 4x400-meter relay in a winning time of 4:00.90. Standout Whitney Adams anchored the Vikings to the victory. Adams also finished second in the 400-meter dash in 55.81.

Cahokia wins invitational

The Cahokia boys continued to look sharp in winning the Winston Brown Invitational at Edwardsville.

power, Anthony has only led a team past the first round in the playoffs once.

While the Celtics are old and battered, they still offer a tough challenge in the playoffs. Even though Anthony seems to playing with a chip on his shoulder this season and will surely keep the nets wet alongside Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith, scoring won’t be the key to bouncing the Celtics or making the improbable, but not impossible run at the defending champs. Defensive execution will be

I like DeAndre Hopkins out of Clemson, or if linebacker Alec Ogletree of Georgia is there you have to take him.

The Comanches won five individual events and three relays in winning the meet. Freshman jumper Ja’Mari Ward swept the long and triple jumps with winning efforts of 23 feet 2 ? and 47 feet 4 inches.

Talent in Kirkwood

The Dale Collier Invitational at Kirkwood featured some of the best individual talent in the area.

Cardinal Ritter College Prep junior standout Charles Jones won the 800 in 1:54.16 seconds. Jones is just getting back into the swing of things after battling some early injuries this season.

Junior Michael Wells of Cleveland Naval Jr. ROTC also is back after some early injuries. He won the 200-meter dash.

Junior Raymond Wingo of SLUH won the 100.

the key. It’s deeply ingrained into the DNAof the Knicks franchise. It’s where Chandler earns his keep (and his paycheck). He’s done it before and if the Knicks have any hope to make it to the Promised Land, they’ll need him to do it again. Whether he can shoulder the load will likely depend on the strength of his achy neck.

Follow Ishmael Sistrunk and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk and Google+.

Danyelle Kates of Gateway Tech had a nice day in winning the 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles..

Kirkwood’s Elisa Steele won the high jump, finished second in the 400 and ran legs on the Pioneers’first-place 4x200 and 4x400-meter relays.

Big boy meet

One of the big boys meets this week will be the Marion Freeman Clayton Invitational. The finals will be held on Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. The girls will be running at Parkway South at the Victoria Reeves Invitational on Saturday.

The senior standout was one of the top individual performers at last weekend’s Dale Collier Invitational at Kirkwood. Kates earned three medals, including two first-place finishes in the 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles. She won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.67 seconds. Her winning time in the 300s was 46.44. Kates also finished third in the long jump. As a junior, Kates earned two AllState medals at the Class 3 state track and field championships in Jefferson City. She finished third in the triple jump and fourth in the 100-meter high hurdles. She was also a district champion in the hurdles.

of that position, and most likely downward, the Rams might have to draft a round sooner than they would like. That could really be a possibility in rounds 4-7 in the draft.

And that’s where the Rams really struck gold in rounds 4-7. Chris Givens was a fourth-round pick. Greg Zuerlein was a sixthround and Darryl Richardson went in the seventh round.

Benjamin Ola.Akande,dean of the Walker School of Business & Technology,Webster University;Mikael Ohlsson,CEO of IKEA;and LuoYuding,associate dean of the Business School at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

Websternames Ikea leaderCEO of Year

Akande cites ‘people before profit leadership style’

American staff

Mikael Ohlsson, CEO of IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, was honored by Webster’s Walker School of Business and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics as the 2013 CEO of the year.

“Ohlsson was recognized for his people before profit leadership style, profound vision, and totality of commit-

“Ohlsson was recognized for his people before profit leadership style.”

– Dean Benjamin Akande

ment to sustainability,” said Dean Benjamin Akande of the Walker School of Business. Dean Luo of Shanghai

University of Finance and Economic spoke about IKEA’s continued contribution to the Chinese economy.

The CEO delivered an address to a standing room only audience of students, faculty and alumni, where he shared IKEAstrategic goal to increase the number of outlets fourfold in China, as the world’s most populous nation is set to become the company’s second largest market.

C

Credit Union welcomes new youth spokesperson

Caressa Davis is the next Young & FreeSt. Louis spokesperson for Vantage Credit Union. She was one of 28 applicants who applied for the position in January. Ten finalists made it into the final search phase based on a public vote.

As the Young & Free spokesperson, Davis will become a salaried employee of the credit union for one year. She will serve as the voice of her age group, attending events, updating social media and creating regular online videos and blog posts on financial and pop-culture topics to keep YoungFreeStLouis.com an informative hub for the 25and-under crowd in St. Louis.

Jenn Cloud, the current spokesperson, has accepted a social media position with the credit union.

“Caressa really

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sure in 2009 or 2010 with

one of the following servicers, affiliates or subsidiaries: Aurora, Bank of America, Citibank, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, MetLife Bank, PNC, Sovereign, SunTrust, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo.

For example, $125,000, the largest payment to be shared, is reserved for one of two types of completed foreclosures: military families covered by the Servicemembers Civil Rights Act (SCRA) and loans that servicers foreclosed when borrowers were not in default.

In cases where borrowers were completely foreclosed despite fulfilling all requirements during a trial loan modification plan, or if a servicer failed to convert borrowers to a perma-

Caressa Davis,2013 Young & FreeSt.Louis spokesperson

nent modification after successfully completing the trial period, a $25,000 payment will be issued. According to the schedule, additional payments will be made to borrowers experiencing one of the following errors: modification request denied’

Any borrower who believes he/she may be covered by the agreement should call toll free at 1-888-9529105 to verify their inclusion.

modification request received, but no underwriting decision reached; interest rates charged in excess of SCRAlimits; foreclosures begun while borrowers were protected by federal bankruptcy laws; servicer failure to engage borrowers in loan modification or other loss mitigation.

impressed us with her spirit and networking abilities,” said Cloud. “She has a great heart to help young people with their finances and life skills and she already has the background to do so.”

Young & Free St. Louis offers the 25-and-under crowd useful information to assist them in managing their finances. It does this through a spokesperson hired as a voice for younger members; a free checking account called Not Your Mama’s Account; and a dedicated website with content created by the spokesperson.

Vantage Credit Union is a full-service financial institution with over $700 million in assets, and more than 100,000 member-owners. The credit union’s 14 locations serve the City of St. Louis and 19 counties in eastern Missouri, and Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois.

Eligible borrowers were recently notified of their eligibility for payments under the settlement. Any borrower who believes he/she may be covered by the agreement should call toll free at 1-888-952-9105 to verify their inclusion and also update their contact information.

Payment acceptance does not remove any borrower’s right to private legal actions. The agreement explicitly denies servicers to ask borrowers to sign a waiver of any legal claims in exchange for payment.

Any borrower needing foreclosure prevention assistance is encouraged to contact the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline at 888-995-HOPE (4673), or visit www.makinghomeaffordable.gov.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

From Singapore to STL

Beyond the verge

Kenya Vaughn Of The

LaTosha Renee

Diana Ross and Berry Gordy on Broadway for the opening night of Motown the Musical.

By Chris King Of The

Local filmmaker

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Rising rap star Kendrick Lamar killed The Chaifetz Arena stage

Verge’ national

tour. Lamar stole the show that placed him in

Boston band The Bad Rabbits and DJ Steve Aoki.

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

Apr. 24 – 27, Jazz St. Louis presents The Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call314289-4030 or visit www.jazzstl.org

Wed., Apr. 24, 9 p.m., Blueberry Hills presents Chuck Berry. 6504 Delmar Blvd., 63101. For more information, call (314) 727-4444.

Thurs. Apr. 25, 8:15 p.m., Sheldon Gala featuring Grammy Award Winner Bobby McFerrin, 3648 Washington. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Apr. 27, 8:00 p.m., The Sheldon presents Dianne Reeves. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www.metrotix.com

Sat., Apr. 27, 7:30 p.m., N.E.o.Soul Sistas f/N’Dambi Theresa Payne & Tiffany Elle, hosted by Selena J, Plush, 3224 Locust. For tickets, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/369083.

Sat., Apr. 27, 8:30 p.m., Peabody Opera House presents Carlos Santana. Santana will be headlining at the Dinner with the Stars. All the money raised will go to Variety Kids. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 499-7600 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Sun., May 12, 5:30 p.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Denise Thimes. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www.metrotix.com.

May 12, 6:30 p.m., Life, Love and LaughterTourstarring

Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, LaVell Crawford, Don “DC” Curry and Angela Winbush,

Scottrade Center. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-7453000.

local gigs

Sun., May 12, 7 p.m., Just Kickin’It: ATribute to R&B Girl Groups of the 90’s. Local St. Louis singers will perform songs by groups like TLC, Blaque, 702, Destiny’s Child and EnVouge. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, 63108. For more information, call (314) 534-3810.

special events

Thur., Apr. 25, 6:30 p.m., Metropolitan Congregations

United presents Jammin’for Justice. Music by local band Mystic Voyage, playing popular favorites from Motown, 70’s, 80’s, R&B, and Funk. The evening includes a cash bar, appetizers, door prizes, raffles and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit the work of MCU. Plush Saint Louis, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 3573484.

Fri., Apr. 26, 11 a.m., Centene Corporation and Home State Health Plan present The St. Louis American Foundation’s 13th Annual Salute to Excellence in Healthcare Awards Luncheon, Frontenac Hilton. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (314) 533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com

Fri., Apr. 26, 3 p.m., Cardinal RitterPrep High School BBQ Fundraiser. We will be serving chicken wings, hamburgers, hotdogs, pork steaks and much more. 701 S. Spring Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 4465502 or visit www.cardinalritterprep.org.

Fri., Apr. 26, 6 p.m.,

CALENDAR

Centennial Wine Expo. 14

wine distributors offering 140 different wines from all over the world. Moulin Events and Meetings, 2017 Chouteau Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 621-1996.

Fri., Apr. 26, 6:30 p.m., Rainbow Village hosts 17th Annual Somewhere Overthe Rainbow. This year’s gala will honor David Farr, Chairman and CEO of Emerson, for his generous support, leadership, and advocacy for people with developmental disabilities. Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, 999 N. Second St., 63102. For more information, call (314) 567-1522 ext. 207.

Fri., Apr. 26, 7:15 p.m., Lydia’s House Night at the Ball Park. Join Lydia’s House and Purple For APurpose Young Professionals to cheer on the St. Louis Cardinals as they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Guests will receive a ticket for the Left Field Pavilion & a Lydia’s House Tshirt to wear during the game! $2 Raffles to win 4 all-inclusive Champions Club Passes, 4 seats behind Home Plate, or 4 on-field passes to pre-game batting practice! All guests entering the stadium will receive a replica 2006 World Series Ring. Busch Stadium, 700 Clarke Ave., 63102. For more information, call (314) 771-4411.

Sat., Apr. 27, 8:30 a.m., Movin4Ward Ministries presents Stroll to Heal the Soul. 1st Annual 5K walk to bring an end to the silence behind sexual violence. Come stroll with us as we encourage all survivors that “Their Voice Has ARight To Be Heard.” Creve Couer Lake Memorial Park, 2438 Creve Coeur Mill Rd., 63146. For more information, visit www.moving4wardstl.com.

Sat., Apr. 27, 6 p.m., Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Alpha Zeta ChapterBusiness Month DinnerHonoring St. Louis Business Persons,

Norwood Hills Country Club, One Norwood Hills Country Club Drive, St Louis, MO 63121.For more information, call 314-869-5665.

Sat., Apr. 27, 3 p.m. (2 p.m. doors) St. Matthews presents Dinner, Fashion and “A Show”: The Year of The Man, featuring a runway show, lavish buffet and a tribute to Whitney Houston by Cheryl Brown, The Stanley & Clayton Rice Family Center, 4145 Kennerly Ave., St. Louis, MO 63113. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (314)531-6443.

Sat., Apr. 27, 7 p.m., Pronto Fashion Show 2013. Shining the spotlight on talented new fashion designers from the region. These emerging fashion designers break barriers with a culturally diverse evening of fashion and ambiance. The Magnificent Mahler Ballroom, 4915 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 884-0548 or visit www.prontofashionshow.com.

Sat., Apr. 27, 9 p.m., SoHo Lounge One Year Anniversary Party: The Movie with special guest Tika Sumpter. 4229 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 932-5554 or visit www.sohomovie.eventbrite.co m.

Sun., Apr. 28, 9 a.m., APA Fast and the Furriest 5K Run & 1 Mile Walk. It’s the furriest race in town. 5K features RFID chip timing on a course accurately measured by Fleet Feet Sports. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Animal Protective Association of Missouri. Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 645-4610 or visit www.apamo.org

Sun., Apr. 28, 5 p.m., Missourians forAlternatives to the Death Penalty presents 4th Annual Spotlight Award

Academy athletic department. Included is 18 holes of golf, cart, nice lunch, and drinks at Forest Park golf course. There will be raffles, prizes, and challenges throughout the day. All proceeds will go to benefit our athletic department. Norman Probstein Golf Course, Forest Park, 6141 Lagoon Dr., 63112. For more information, call (314) 3710394 or (314) 973-3720.

Fri., Apr. 26, 7 p.m., Shakespeare Festival Reads presents Shakespeare’s Birthday with author Laura Bates, author of Shakespeare Saved My Life. Shakespeare professor and prison volunteer Laura Bates thought she had seen it all until she decided to teach Shakespeare in supermax solitary confinement. Left Bank Books CWE, 399 Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731.

Dinner& Silent Auction

This year the Spotlight Award goes to Bernie Hayes, author of “The Death of Black Radio”, a history of African Americans in the broadcast industry. Il Monastero, 3050 Olive St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 3225159 or visit www.madpmo.org.

Sun., Apr. 28, 7 p.m., The Paragon Theatre presents “I Did It My Way” International Fashion Show. Funds will go to support Autism Speaks. 1911 Locust St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 276-6209.

Sat., May 4, 8 p.m., Boogie Nights – Dance Party forthe Decades. 70’s attire encouraged. Cash prize for best outfit. The Legacy Books, Bar & Café, 5249 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 262-2935 or (314) 270-2812.

Wed., May 1, 4 p.m., Women Entrepreneurs of St. Louis presents “May Day” Party. Are you a female business owner in St. Louis? This event is an opportunity to network with fellow business owners, and become inspired by examples of strong female leaders. Leading up to the event, the WESTleadership “Cabinet” will share resources and advice from the world’s most prestigious military leaders to help inspire our female entrepreneurs to lead with decisive confidence and power. Llywelyn’s Pub, 17 W. Moody Ave., 63119. For more information, visit www.we-stl.com.

Thur., May 2, 5 p.m., TriLeaf Designs presents Girls Night in Networking Event. Come and enjoy some pampering, great food, wine (or sparkling grape juice) and the company of amazing business women! To get even more exposure please bring a bottle of your favorite wine, or sparkling grape juice, with you to share. 10290 Schuetz Rd., 63146. For more information, call (314) 753-5323.

Sat., May 4, 7 a.m., 1st Annual Clyde C. MillerGolf Tournament. This is an 18hole scramble charity golf tournament for the Career

Thur., May 2, 7 p.m. Left Bank Books Downtown hosts author Ed Achorn, author of The Summer of Beer and Whiskey. This book tells the story of Chris Von der Arhe (whose purchase of the St. Louis Browns had more to do with beer sales than baseball) and the first season of the American Association. 321 N. Tenth St., 63101. For more information, call (314) 4363049.

May 3 – 5, 7th Annual St. Louis Fine Print, Rare Books & PaperArts Fair. Featuring 25 local and national print and rare book dealers offering first editions and illustrated books, fine art prints, drawings, photographs and ephemera. The Fair has something to offer both experienced and new collectors. Proceeds from the fair will support the Library’s acquisition and conservation funds. J.C. Penney Building, UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121.

comedy

Through Apr. 27, Funny Bone Comedy Club presents Guy Torry. 614 Westport Plaza, 63146. For more information, call (314) 469-6692. Fri., May 3, 9 p.m., The Pageant presents Tracy Morgan: Excuse My French 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 726-6161.

Sat., May 11, 8 p.m., Queen of Comedy Sommore, alongside veteran comedians Bruce Bruce, D.L. Hughley, Tony Rock and Arnez J. star in “The Royal Comedy Tour,” Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

theatre

Fri., Apr. 26, 8 p.m., UMSL presents Alarm Will Sound: 1969. This 20-member contemporary classical ensemble presents a two-act, two-hour thematic project, featuring music, images, actors and staging to tell the compelling story of striving for utopia – new music and a new world amidst the turmoil of the late 1960s. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, 8001 Natural

Life,Love and Laughter Tour starring Keith Sweat,Johnny Gill,Don “DC”Curry and St.Louis’own LaVell Crawford,left,and Angela Winbush,right.See CONCERTS for details.

Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5164949.

Through Apr. 28, Fri. – Sun., Washington University Performing Arts Department presents In the Next Room (orthe VibratorPlay). The play concerns the early history of the vibrator, when doctors used it as a clinical device to bring women to orgasm as treatment for “hysteria.” Edison Theater, WUSTL, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 935-6543 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Through May 5, Fox Theatre presents Million Dollar Quartet. Inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n’roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. On December 4, 1956, these four young musicians were gathered together by Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’Roll” at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions of all time. ]Fabulous Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com

Apr. 25 – May 3, Grandel Theatre presents Smash/Hit! Two best friends try to just get by in their poverty-stricken community and also make it in the tumultuous world of hiphop. 3610 Grandel Square, 63108. For more information, call (314) 534-3810.

Wed., May 1, 5:30 p.m., Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center presents The May Day Parade. Remember when the May Day Parade marched down Newstead Blvd. and was the pride of the vibrant, thriving neighborhood known as “The Ville”? Set in the 1960s, this play finds Wayne Harris portraying more than a dozen characters in a celebration of the universal power of faith and family. Sumner High

School Auditorium, 4828 W. Cottage, 63113. For more information, call (314) 5310120.

May 3 – 4, DaySpring presents Seussical. Afun, fast paced show full of upbeat songs that will have you singing all the way home. Performed by DaySpring’s musical theatre students. Also join us for The Cat in the Hat Spree, Saturday before the show... crafts, snacks, characters and everything else Seuss. Tickets sold separately, call for more info. Pattonville High School Community Auditorium, 2497 Creve Coeur Mill Rd., 63043. For more information, call (314) 2918878.

arts

Apr. 25 – 26, St. Louis Art Museum presents Gallery Talk: ANew Look at the Galleries of African Art. Join us in the galleries for a lively and informative discussion with Olubukola (Bukky) Gbádégesin, Assistant Professor of Art History, Saint Louis University. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 7210072.

Apr. 26 – 27, St. Louis OutsiderArt Fair2013 Outsider art can loosely be defined as a raw expression from an individual who has had no formal art training, and is less concerned with following mainstream societal norms. The fair will include a broad array of relevant outsider art. Koken Art Factory’s Pingle Building, 2655 Victor 63104. For more information, call (314) 255-4038 or visit http://stloutsiderartfair.com.

Fri., Apr. 26, 7 p.m., St. Louis Art Museum presents Art After5 feat. Joan Soriano, Duke of Bachata. Bachata music was born in the impoverished neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic, but today is one of the Caribbean’s most popular styles of music. Joan Soriano

has played bachata professionally since he was 13 years old and is known for his melodious voice and charisma. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 7210072.

Sat., Apr. 27, 10 a.m., St. Louis Art Museum presents Exhibiting Blackness: African Americans and the American Art Museum. In her latest book, Dr. Bridget Cooks analyzes the curatorial strategies, challenges, and the critical reception of African American art in American museums. Following the lecture, Dr. Cooks will be available for a Q&Aand a book signing. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 721-0072.

lectures

Sat., Apr. 27, 9:30 a.m., YWCAof Metro St. Louis presents Return $mart Salary Negotiation Workshop Interactive workshop designed to give women the confidence and skills needed to reenter the workforce and earn fair compensation. 3820 West Pine

The Sheldon presents Dianne Reeves.See CONCERTS for more information.

Blvd., 63108. For more information or to register, call (314) 531-1115 or visit www.ywca.org/empowerment.

Sat., Apr. 27, 10 a.m., AKick Start to Being Money Smart Fair, Harris Stowe – Emerson Performance Center, 3101 Laclede Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.MoneySmartStLouis.org or www.facebook.com/MoneySm artSTL

Wed., May 1, 5:30 p.m., STLCC Information Session forCareers in Engineering and Construction. Come and learn about the construction management and engineering technology programs. Topics include academic requirements and career options, stories from current students, and getting started at STLCC. Florissant Valley Campus, 3400 Pershall Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 539-5002.

Sat., May 4, 10 a.m., First Time Home Buyers Seminar Learn the ins and outs of what it takes to find a home, get into

a home, and financing options. If you have been thinking about purchasing a home before the market fully rebounds, this is the perfect seminar for you. The Richmond Heights Center, 8001 Dale Ave., 63117.

health

Thur., Apr. 25, 6:30 p.m., SSM St. Mary’s Health Center presents ANight with the Girls. Women of all ages are invited to a fun night out where they can ask personal health questions and gain insight about women’s health while being pampered in a relaxed environment. 6420 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, call (866) 7763627.

Thur., Apr. 25, 7 p.m., West County Family YMCA presents Preventing & Treating Diabetes. 16464 Burkhardt Pl., 63017. For more information, call (314) 542-9378.

Sat., Apr. 27, 7:00 a.m., March of Dimes Missouri Chapter presents March for Babies. Plan to walk – or run for healthy babies! Register your team today. Bill DeWitt, III, president of the St. Louis Cardinals, is chair of the event. Forest Park, 63110. For more information, call (314) 5139990 or visit www.marchforbabies.org.

Sat., Apr. 27, 7:30 a.m., 13th Annual Walk with a Friend. To benefit Friends of Kids with Cancer. This event features a 1-mile walk and 5k run. The run begins at 9am and the walk begins immediately afterwards. Participants in the walk will receive a t-shirt, breakfast from First Watch, participation in games, and entertainment. Maryville Centre, 635 Maryville Centre Dr., 63141. For more information, call (314) 275-7440.

Sat., Apr. 27, 8:30 a.m., Express Scripts presents 2013 NFK Kidney Walk. Afun, inspiring community fundrais-

er that calls attention to the prevention of kidney disease and the need for organ donation. It’s also an opportunity for patients, family, friends and businesses to come together. There will be free events for kids, food, and chances to win prizes. DuBourg Hall, SLU Campus, 221 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 961-2828.

Sat., Apr. 27, 7:30 a.m., Strokes forStroke Charity Golf Tournament. An 18-hole shotgun style charity golf tournament for the ABC Brigade. Included in 18 holes of golf, cart, nice lunch, and drinks at Forest Park golf course. There will be raffles, prizes, and challenges throughout the day. All proceeds will go to benefit our foundation, which strive to provide stroke awareness, as well as help stroke survivors and their families. Norman Probstein Golf Course, Forest Park, 6141 Lagoon Dr., 63112. For more information, call (314) 761-4246.

Sat., May 4, 7:30 a.m., 2013 Metro St. Louis Heart Walk. Each year, thousands of walkers take to the streets of downtown St. Louis in support of the mission of the American Heart Association, ‘building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.’ The goal of the event is to promote walking as a part of a healthy lifestyle and raise funds to support cardiovascular research and educational programs for the St. Louis community. Busch Stadium, 700 Clark Ave., 63102. For more information, call (314) 6925628.

Sat., May 4, 9 a.m., LFAHeartland Chapter presents Fourth Annual“Behind the Mask”Lupus Educational Conference. Topics include Cognitive Dysfunction & Lupus, Cardiovascular Disease in Lupus, and more. Whelpley Auditorium, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, 4588 Parkview Place, 63110. For more information, call (314) 644-2222 or visit www.2013behindthemaskconference.eventbrite. com.

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Ringo, Universal EVP Ethiopia Habtemariam, Zeek Lewis, Rex Rideout, Phillana Williams Michelle Sachez Boyce, Vivian Johannes, former Universal CEO Doug Morris (SONY CEO) and many more. Planning a summer vacation in New York? This Broadway production promises to offer an exciting evening. Buy tickets in advance!

The St. Louis American Foundation’s 13th annual Salute to Excellence in Healthcare will be held Friday, April 26 in the Hilton Frontenac Hotel grand ballroom. Honorees will include Judy Wilson-Griffin, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Candace T. Wakefield DMD., Catrina Chambers, Ph.D. and Marsha Fisher MD. among others. Tickets are $75 each or $750 per table for VIP seating; and $50 each or $500 per table for individual seating. To order tickets, call Kate Daniel or Robin Britt at 314-533-8000 or visit www. stlamerican.com.

St. Louis members of the National Association of Guardsmen celebrated the organizations 80th anniversary in Boca Raton last weekend. The Luxe weekend

was hosted by the Florida chapter also celebrating their 45th anniversary. St. Louis attendees had a grand time at the sun-soaked Boca Club and Resort. Guests spent the weekend enjoying the resort’s popular spa, golf, swimming, 24 hour hospitality, the traditional Saturday evening black tie affair and catching up with friends from other chapters. A few St. Louisans who skipped town for a better weather weekend included Cornell and Faith Thomas, Victor and Nancy Thompson, Joe and Barbara Dorsey Nat and Sandra Murdock, Victor and Mabeline Julien, Bernard Randolph and Kathy Smith, David and Joyce Price, James and Janet Williams and Wayman and Susan Smith I ran into Virvus and Sable Jones this weekend and Sable says her hubby’s book reading at the History Museum was a success. I was sorry to have missed Virvus’ reading from his unpublished novel The Stalking Horse, St. Louis American Managing Editor Chris King reading from his new unpublished novel Big, Black & Good. T.D. El Amin read from his recently published novel, Mia Farone: Lost and Turned Out Mia Farone is available on Amazon.com.

All the rage is the latest

Brandon Victor Dixon and Valisia Lekae portray Berry Gordy and Diana Ross in Motown the Musical.

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woman.

I met Nathan last summer and immediately fell for his chocolate eyes and naturally funny and brainy personality.

Two weeks after we exchanged numbers, we both got tested for sexually transmitted diseases and our results came back negative.

Then, after a month of engaging in heated intimate relations with a condom, one day, we frolicked in the raw. Then the next day and the next.

birthday party craze in the city, a rolling Gaming Truck for birthday parties, corporate team building or just an afternoon of fun. Tony “T-Luv” and Gabrielle Davis said son Tony Davis Jr. had a blast a couple of weeks ago when the Game Truck traveled to him for his birthday celebration. TJ’s friends had a fun-filled afternoon playing laser tag Xbox 360, Wii/Wii U, and PlayStation 3. The Game Time limo style party bus is a climate-controlled custommade mobile video gaming center. TJ’s birthday limousine boasts seven 55” flat screens, 4 inside and 3 outside for 12 additional friends. Sounds like an awesome party. We asked TJ if this beat his 5th birthday party that offered guests train rides throughout his spacious backyard. He said definitely! Gabrielle (BFree Armcharms) and Tony Sr. (Starpower) told us Gametime Mobile Entertain is owned and operated by longtime friend Brian Benson. If you are looking for a one stop shop for your child’s next birthday party or a corporate team building event call Brian at 636-734-9621 or book online at www.gametimetruck. com. Have a beautiful weekend! Dana Grace: dgrandolph@ live.com; Twitter @ dgrandolph.

Six months and many talks about marriage and babies later, I tested positive for chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility.

chlamydia, a bacterial infection, is on the rise in St. Louis which sadly ranks second in the nation for the infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

“Have you had sex with anyone else during our relationship!?” I badgered Nathan.

“No,” he whispered.

“Come on! At this point, let’s keep it real. Did you sleep with someone else!?” I insisted.

“Yes,” Nathan said. “But it was during the three weeks we broke up. I did not cheat on you.”

It’s true. We called it quits over Valentine’s Day then got

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get involved in the making of his next film, Prom Date Blues which he plans to shoot here.

“Singapore will always have a special place in my heart. It was the right place for me to go and develop my craft after graduating from Morehouse,” he said.

“The people are friendly. English is one of the primary languages, so that made the transition smooth. It’s the financial hub of Asia, so there are people from all over the world doing business there.”

The first film he wrote and directed in Singapore was Love, Guns and Amy, a short Western about star-crossed lovers, which he will screen on May 4.

“The story was developed in my first year screenwriting class,” he said. “The summer before I started film school I had to make up a Shakespeare exam to get my English degree from Morehouse so Romeo and Juliet was at the front of my mind. I had just watched Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and The Ugly, so I wanted to combine a love story with a Western.”

Unlike most St. Louis filmmakers, who choose their first locations from local landmarks and the streets they

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project as well, and he was like, ‘Yo, what do you think about doing a show together?’ I was like, ‘I got you.’”

When they take the stage, audiences will hear what they’ve been up to musically thanks to JR’s new album Liberation and DeShields’ The Real Love Project

“JR could have linked up with anybody else and he seemed really excited about it when I presented the idea to him, so I respect that,” DeShields said. “It’s a mutual respect – we both admire each other’s music, each other’s style and we keep each other doing our very best.”

DeShields, a native of North Point, Miss., came to St. Louis nine years ago and says he continually embraces the challenge of meeting expectations and standards set by the artistry of the local music scene – JR, Black Spade and Theresa Payne, in particular.

“He’s a good dude, and I can’t wait for people to hear,” JR said of DeShields. “I think

back together in the most heartwrenching make-up I’ve ever had.

“Well, did you use a condom with her?” I asked.

“Yes,” Nathan said, then questioned: “Did you sleep with someone else?”

A talkative person, I fell unusually silent.

“Did you?” Nathan pushed.

“Well,” I confessed. “I did.”

Nathan lit up with shock. “I thought you were so innocent, so pure!” he yelped. “I didn’t expect you to do that!”

“No, no, no, it’s not like that,” I pleaded. But, it was like that.

During the six months Nathan and I dated, we both hooked up with other people.

Many couples have a few hiccups before going 100 percent monogamous. The problem was our carelessness that engendered a deceptive love too delusional to do follow-up testing and use condoms.

In the end, ignorance and passion was the dangerous mix that first infected our relationship.

Then another shocker: When Nathan got tested at the start of our romance, he only screened for HIV and Syphilis, not the bacterial infections gonorrhea and chlamydia, he explained (If condoms are not used consistently and appropriately, Chlamydia/gonorrhea can also be tested via urine).

A perennial long-term relationship dater, Nathan said he had no experience requesting the full battery

ride, he shot his first film in three days out in the so-called Singapore Desert, which is actually reclaimed land built up on landfills.

“My classmate and masterful cinematographer, Taofik Kolade, shot it on 16mm. I was required to screen it in black and white per our curriculum, but I really liked the idea of black and white so I kept it,” he said.

“I did all the sound design myself, and I’m very proud of the gun shot sound I created. I was really focused when I made that film and put my all into telling a complete story.”

Again, it’s a rare black filmmaker from St. Louis who makes his first films in Asia with an Asian cast and crew, but he found ways to make it homey.

“Although I was telling stories with majority Asian characters, I always found a way to use American music as the soundtrack,” he said.

“I love telling stories with universal themes so they can reach a wide audience. My love and appreciation for music enhances that ability.”

As a deseg kid, he went to Singapore no stranger in code-switching and making opportunities for himself around people from different backgrounds.

“Growing up in St. Louis, I went to school in Clayton through the VST program, which allowed me to work,

they will dig it.”

Both JR and DeShields are well known among the faithbased music community, but their new music outstretches the traditional confines of Christian music, especially through the topics of love and romantic relationships.

“I think people are going to find themselves along the way in the journey if they listen to the lyrics,” DeShields said.

“I just hope the show and the music gets people back to loving again, trusting again and believing again.”

“People say, ‘Wow, this is a different side of JR that we haven’t seen before,’” JR said.

“My first two records were intentionally geared towards the Christian audiences. I was young and new in my faith, and I really just wanted to express that view. Now that I’m older and even more mature in my faith, it has allowed me to talk more about the things I see in my life.”

It seems to be an unspoken rule that romantic relationships and love are off-limits in gospel music, so JR has erased the title that once defined his music.

“I’ve been married for seven years and I’ve broken a lot of hearts, but I also know what it’s like to be faithful to one

of tests. So that day, he got his blood drawn but did not ask for a swab to check for chlamydia, which I learned can be transmitted even when using condoms. As a result, there was a big chance Nathan entered our relationship with chlamydia. At the same time, there was equal chance that I transmitted the STD to him after cheating. What snapped me out of this ignorance was a visit to the JuiceBox Diaries, monologues about women, survival and sexuality, hosted in March at the University of Missouri –St. Louis. Outside the theater was free HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea testing. I took a rapid HIV test and gave a sample of urine for the bacterial test.

Fifteen minutes later, my HIV results came back negative. After two weeks, my chlamydia results came back positive.

I immediately went to St. Louis ConnectCare, where clinicians provided me with a free single dose of antibiotics which cleared up the infection in less than 14 days. Had it not been for JuiceBox, I would have avoided testing until who knows when. And now I realize I have to face the No. 1 responsible party: myself. It took an STD to change my behavior and, for once, understand love. For love is more than passion. Love is also knowledge, safe sex and constant testing.

study and play with kids with different backgrounds and life stories than mine.” he said. “This unique experience afforded me the opportunity to learn how to work with different types of people effectively.”

They have not forgotten him in Clayton. He said the school district has agreed to let him shoot Prom Date Blues at Clayton High School. “Prom Date Blues is a coming-of-age comedy about an awkward African-American teenage boy who goes on a quest to find his mojo with the ladies before he graduates from high school,” he said.

“It’s based on my personal experiences. The tone of this film is a mash up of Rushmore by Wes Anderson and House Party by Reginald Hudlin” (an East St. Louis native).

A donated host location will drive down his costs, but he still has a budget of $25,000 to cover meals, equipment rentals, travel and housing for out-oftown cast and crew, production design and incidentals.

“Supporters can get involved by donating money, time, meals, housing, print services, transportation or anything else they can think of,” he said. Contact Marttise Hill at marttise.hill@nyu.edu or 314435-2188 to discuss specific opportunities. He will be hosting casting calls in May.

woman,” JR said. “I don’t want to rob my audience of that. I took the title of a Christian artist off of my name because that audience wants you to sing about that only and I want to sing about whatever God puts on my heart.” A man who loves God might bring a new look to love songs.

“I hope that they learn that love is much deeper than what you hear on the radio. I want them to say, ‘Wow, I felt good hearing truth and it enlightened me, but it didn’t feel like it was preachy,’” JR said.

“It was spoken to me right where I am, and I feel good. There is beauty in love. There are also going to be some hardships, and you have to do life intentionally.”

“I’m hoping that by seeing the show and hearing the music people learn to love honestly and freely,” DeShields said. “Come hungry. Come ready to sing. Come ready to dance. Come ready to live – and come ready to love again.” JR and Kenny DeShields will perform at Plush (3224 Locust) on Thursday, May 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door and online at http:// www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/371257

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission

Sea Lion Sound at the Saint Louis Zoo

The St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation is sponsoring the Ultimate St. Louis Tourist Contest, inviting contestants to write about their ultimate area tourism experience, such as the Sea Lion Sound at the Saint Louis Zoo. Entries (online only) will be accepted from May 1 through September 2 at explorestlouis.com/ultimatetourist (website will be live beginning May 1).

St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation

Unveils “Ultimate” Contest for Youth

Beginning May 1, 2013 School-age St. Louis fans from grades 3rd through 12th can vie for sizeable prizes during the Ultimate St. Louis Tourist Contest, a competition sponsored by the St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation inviting contestants to write about their ultimate area tourism experience.

Civic Pride encourages young people throughout our region to participate in this fun, challenging and engaging contest, because it’s an exciting opportunity to chronicle St. Louis adventures through the use of creative expression.

For a chance to win a cash prize, contestants must visit at least three St. Louis area attractions then write about their journeys in 500 words or less. Participants can also share their St. Louis experiences through photos and videos.

To enter the contest and access links to St. Louis attractions, please visit explorestlouis.com/ ultimatetourist (website will be live beginning May 1). Entries (online only) will be accepted from May 1 through September 2, 2013. A cash prize of $500 each will be awarded to one winner in five categories: Grades three and four; grades five and six; grades seven and eight; grades nine and 10; and grades 11 and 12. Winners will be featured in the St. Louis CVC’s 2014 Official Visitors Guide and their adventures posted on explorestlouis.com for a full year.

Entries will be judged on its merits with the winners chosen by a selection committee comprised of St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation members, St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission commissioners, other local community leaders, and celebrities.

The main goal of the Civic Pride Foundation is to generate a culture of confidence and pride among local residents including the many young people in St. Louis. Our youth represents the future of St. Louis and the Foundation looks forward to reading their positive narratives.

About the St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation

The St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation focuses on unleashing St. Louis civic pride to create a culture of confidence among St. Louis area residents. A non-profit organization, the foundation also provides frontline hospitality and service employees with more training and teaching to enable them to become better ambassadors to the St. Louis region. For more information or to get involved, check out our facebook page at facebook.com/StLouisCivicPride or follow us on twitter at twitter.com/stlouiscivicpride.

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Birthdays

Kela and Kala Harris

had a blast at their recent star-studded Sweet Sixteen bash at EXO. Their uncle Dre Whitt, who returned home from the Washington, DC area just for the party, was among the family and friends who came through to help them celebrate.

Happy Birthday to the hair diva, Aunya Hall, on April 26. Kick it hard! We love you!

From: Your New Northside CDC Family

Reunions

Happy Sweet Sixteen to Kaylah Handley on April 20.We love you! Mom, family and friends

Committee is diligently planning our special 40-year reunion in June 2014.Contact dyj54@yahoo.com to be added to the class Facebook page to stay informed.For additional information, contact:314-4065354 or 618-580-2006.

Beaumont Class of 1968, 45year reunion, June 14-16, 2013 at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Westport. Please pass the word on to others who are out of town. Contact: Vanetta at 314869-5665 or Ruby 314-7410260.

East St. Louis SeniorHigh Class of 1974:The Steering

Tiffany & Rollie Green will celebrate 11 years of marriage on April 27, 2013. They are the owners of the award winning BlackJack Upholstery Company. Congratulations!. Anniversary

Happy4th Birthday, RyLeigh Janelle! We love you very much! Love, Mommy & PaPa

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:

Black Alumni Association will host the 23rd Anniversary Ernest A. Callow Jr. Prayer Breakfast Reunion on Saturday, April 27, 2013, 9 am at the Busch Student Center: St. Louis Room (20 N. Grand). Honoring: 2013 Distinguished Black Alumni Award recipient Katie Harper Wright, Ed.D; Guest Speaker: Tishaura Jones, City of St. Louis Treasurer. Cost: $50/person. Register online: alumni.slu.edu/prayerbreakfast13. For more info contact: 314-977-2250 or alumni@slu.edu. Proceeds benefit the Dr. Celerstine Briggs Johnson Book Fund.

SumnerHigh School Class of 1973 will have its 40th class reunion the weekend of June 7-9. If you have not received a newsletter please contact Marsha Joseph-Williams (314606-8701), Dorris SimmonsAll reunion announcements can be

Northwest High School Class of 1973, planning is underway for the 40-year reunion! The reunion is planned for July 1921, 2013. Send your email address, phone and mailing address to northwesths1973@gmail.com Information has also been posted on Classmates.com and Facebook Group: Northwest High School 1973.If you have questions feel free to call Cornelia Clark Stephens at 314 580-1114. Stay Tuned! Saint Louis University & The

SumnerAlumni Association: 6th Scholarship Luncheon, Saturday, June 1, 2013 at the Renaissance Airport Hotel, noon–4 p.m. This year’s lunch-

eon will feature a Fashion Show. $50/person. For more information, please contact Betty Louis at 314.385.9843 or bettysumner76@yahoo.com Save the dates: June 15 or June 16, The Dick Gregory Show. 25% of ticket sales SOLD by the alumni association will benefit The Sumner Alumni Association’s Scholarship Fund. Contact person: B. Louis (314) 385-9843 or email: sumneralumniassn@yahoo.com *Date, Time, VIPSeating and Door Prices to be determined later.

McGhaw (314-541-2462) or you can email your contact info to club73bulldogs@gmail.com Also, you can inbox Sid S. Shurn or Dorris on Facebook.

Vashon 1943 classes will celebrate their 70th reunion on June 21-22, 2013, at the Hilton St. Louis Airport, 10330 Natural Bridge Road. For more information, please contact Beatrice (Anderson) Bell: jaybee47@swbell.net; (314) 9185973; P.O. Box 31830, St. Louis, MO 63138; or Alonzo Bouie, (314) 385-1937.

WebsterGroves Class of 1973: 40th Reunion Celebration. Labor Day weekend. Contact Bruce Norman at 314-968-1048 or brucecnorman@charter.net.

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

Photo by Toccara Jackson

30,000 National Baptists return to St. Louis

Annual Session held June

16-21 at the America’s Center

American staff

The Reverend Dr. Sammie E. Jones, local host chairman, and Reverend Dr. George W. Waddles Sr., the president of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education have announced that the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education will be holding its 108th Annual Session the week of June 16-21 at the America’s Center in Downtown St. Louis. Jones, senior pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church Christian Complex, has stated that organizers anticipate over 30,000 messengers to attend this traveling educational institution. Visitors will study and learn Baptist doctrine, biblical studies, preaching, music and worship, effective outreach, how to minister to children, teens, young adults, men, women and seniors.

This week will include classes, seminars, choir rehearsals, health fairs, street services, outreach activities, concerts and most importantly preaching. Attendees will experience informative panel discussions and breakout sessions led by some of the country’s most dynamic pastors, Christian educators and ministry leaders. Each day the 30,000-plus Baptist faithful will

be in study, prayer, and worship from morning to midnight.

Some highlights:

Saturday, June 15, 6 p.m. Saint Louis Youth Choir Musical (New Sunny Mount Baptist Church). The Youth of Saint Louis & Metro East Illinois under the direction of the Minister Christopher Watkins.

Sunday, June 16 - 7 p.m.: Opening Worship Service (Hilton Ballpark). The Official Opening of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel at the Ball Park. The Reverend Dr. Zachery Lee, local host co-chairman and pastor of the Mount Paran Baptist Church (East St. Louis), is the guest speaker.

Monday, June 17 - 7 p.m.: Congress Musical (America’s Center). A 1000 local voice choir comprised of Baptist from Saint Louis & Metro East Illinois under the direction of Dr. Anita Watkins-Stevens, Minister of Music at the New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church (St. Louis).

Tuesday, June 18 - 2 pm: Dean’s Address (America’s Center). Dr. Elliott Cuff, dean of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education, will present his

Reverend Dr. George W. Waddles Sr. (left) is president of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education. Reverend Dr. Sammie E. Jones (right) is the local host chairman.

platform for the year, as well as deliver an inspiring sermon.

Wednesday, June 19 - 6 p.m.: President’s Banquet (America’s Center). Roland Martin, a nationally awardwinning and multifaceted journalist will be the Keynote Speaker at the President’s Banquet. This event is a designed to raise funds for National Baptist Congress Scholarships.

Thursday, June 20 - 2 p.m.: Congress President’s Address (America’s Center). Dr. George W. Waddles, Sr., President of the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education will share the state of our Christian Educational thrust, as a denomination, through an inspiring sermon.

Friday June 21 - 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. - Children’s Rally & Youth Rally (America’s Center): The Congress concludes on a high note as over 2,000 children and teens will lead the National Baptist Congress in Worship through song, poetry, drama, mime, stepping and dance. Founded in 1886, the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. (Convention) is

the nation’s oldest and largest African American religious convention with an estimated membership of 7.5 million. The National President, Reverend Dr. Julius R. Scruggs has led the organization since 2009.

The National Baptist Congress of Christian Education (Congress) serves as the primary training arm of the Convention and was constituted to fulfill Objective #3 of Article III of the Constitution of the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.: “To encourage and support Christian Education.”

The Local Host Committee is led by Dr. Sammie E. Jones (senior pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church Christian Complex) as well as co-chairs Dr. Jimmy Brown (pastor of the St Luke Missionary Baptist Church-St. Louis) and Dr. Zachary Lee (pastor of the Mount Paran Missionary Baptist Church –East Saint Louis). These local Baptist leaders are working with the Convention Visitors Commission and local churches on both sides of the Mississippi to host this event.

A few days ago my coworker mentioned the theme of her church’s Resurrection play. She said it was written by the pastor’s son and its objective was to uncover the similarities between Judas, Peter and each of us. I was immediately intrigued. As much as we would hate to admit it, we are either one or the other. Yeah, you. You are either Judas or Peter. Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus for 30 shekels of silver, or Peter, the one who declared his undying love for Jesus and soon after denied Him, not once, not twice, but three times.

Hard pill to swallow huh?

In most cases, knowing what we should do we did the complete opposite. So we all are either Judas or Peter.

The descriptions of the men above are hard to read and even harder to liken ourselves to, but the reality is we are either Judas or Peter.

I remember being in highschool and being so ashamed to admit to my friends how often I went to church (which felt like every day!). I would often claim I had “something else to do” when they invited me places, knowing if I told them I was going to church again they’d consider me whack.

Whether it’s being ashamed to bow your head at a restaurant or telling a blatant lie, we have all sinned and denied God in some way.

The difference between these two characters was their response to sin. One (Judas) was illed with guilt and shame, so much so that he decided to take the law in his own hands and kill himself. The other (Peter) was also illed with guilt and shame, but left the law in the hands of Jesus, repented and realigned himself with the purpose of God. We have all fallen short, but deciding to move forward is what empowers us. I choose to be Peter. No, I am not what I should be, but I refuse to allow the devil to trick my mind into believing I have nothing to offer.

The death of Jesus gives us all the opportunity to acquire righteousness through His perfection. We are given the choice then to receive His grace or to reject it. The argument is not whether we have sinned, but whether we will receive His forgiveness and grace.

The power of the cross allows us all to be Peter. Which one do you choose to be?

Supplementary

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Financial Focus

By Courtney Bond

savings vehicles available: the IRA. This means you’ve got a greater opportunity to put more money away for your “golden years.” Effective Jan. 1, you can now put in up to $5,500 (up from $5,000 in 2012) to a traditional or Roth IRA when you make your 2013 contribution. And if you’re 50 or older, you can put in an additional $1,000 above the new contribution limit. Over time, the extra sums from the higher contribution limits can add up. Consider this example: If you put in $5,000 per year to an IRA for 30 years, and you earned a hypothetical 7% per year, you’d wind up with slightly over $505,000. But if you contributed $5,500 per year for those same 30 years, and earned that same 7% per year, you’d accumulate almost $556,000 — about $51,000 more than with the lower contribution limit.

Keep in mind that if you have invested the above amounts in a traditional, tax-deferred IRA, you’ll be taxed on your withdrawals

at your ordinary income tax rate. With a Roth IRA, your contributions are made with after-tax funds, but your withdrawals have the potential to be taxfree — provided you’ve had your account at least five years and don’t start taking withdrawals until you’re 59½. (Not everyone is eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA, as income limits apply.)

If you have an IRA, you already know its advantages. If you aren’t investing in an IRA, you should be aware of these key benefits:

• Tax-deferred growth — A traditional IRA can provide tax-deferred growth while a Roth IRA can potentially grow tax-free, provided you meet the conditions described above. To get a sense of just how valuable these tax advantages are, consider this example: If you put in $5,500 per year (the new IRA maximum) for 30 years to a hypothetical investment that earned 7% a year, but on which you paid taxes every year (at the 25% tax bracket), you’d end up with slightly more than $401,000 — about $155,000 less than what you’d accumulate in an IRA. As mentioned above, you will eventually have to pay taxes on your traditional IRA withdrawals, but by the time you do, you might be in a lower tax bracket.

Furthermore, depending on your income level, some of your contributions to a traditional IRA may be tax-deductible. (Roth IRA contributions are not deductible.)

• Variety of investment options — You can invest your funds within your IRA in many types of investments — stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs), U.S. Treasury securities and so on. In fact, within your IRA, you can create a mix of investments that are suitable for your risk tolerance, time horizon and long-term goals. Of course, investing always carries some risks, including loss of principal — but the risk of not investing may be greater, in terms of not having enough assets for retirement. Here’s one more point to keep in mind: The earlier in the year you “max out” on your IRA contributions, the more time you’ll give your account to potentially grow. By reaching the new, higher contribution limits, and by fully funding your IRA as early in each year as possible, you can help yourself take full advantage of this powerful retirement savings tool.

For further information contact Courtney Bond at (314)731-8188 or 1-800-EDJONES.

Sarah R. Stephens

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

Kendrick and the crowd killed it. I’m willing to forgive Kendrick Lamar for that horrific lining on his medium hi-top fade because of the way he put it down Wednesday night at the Chaifetz Arena. He was there as a part of The Verge College tour that came through the Lou by way of SLU. I knew from the vibe of the crowd that it was going to be an evening to remember. I was the only black person in my whole section and seeing the folks in action made me remember why I love the general pops so. Once they decide they are going to have a good time, nothing can keep them from it. Had it been an urban show, that reg-u-lar opening act band would have put the crowd on mute. But those students were encouraging them – applauding talking about “way to power through bro…” as the lead singer shredded my ears with his vocals. And when the DJ played “The Harlem Shake” during intermission…girl…bye. The minute that Spanish and techno beat dropped my neighbors looked like they had become temporarily possessed with that “it’s about to go down” face and commenced to crowd surfing, cat calling and shoulder shrugging like I’ve never seen before! I know y’all came to hear about Kendrick Lamar, but y’all know how he gets down. And he did NOT disappoint as he ripped the stage like a legend – sans the house full of hype men and vocal track assistance that his lyrically-challenged peers rely on. And I haven’t been so thrilled with my seat neighbors knowing every word of every song since my soul mate Tim Ezell tore the club up from his section at that throwback hip-hop review a few years back.

A comedy competition tragedy. The first round of the 2nd Annual Comedy Competition Friday night at the Ambassador was said to be full of promise and potential. Because I got there late I will have to take the folks word for it. But that second round reeked of utter struggle. I mean I couldn’t rub together a cackle. I won’t go too hard on the contestants for two reasons. The first one being that it takes a lot of nerve to stand before the absolute toughest comedy crowd in the world. The second, I know from attempting to jog on the treadmill how long and painful five minutes can be when you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. The only name I will point out is that heelarious St. Louis Slym for giving me the only taste of comedy life of the night – and it was delicious. When he told the folks they should go back to clocking in he took tough love to a whole new level. But my ultimate life of the night didn’t come from Slym; it came from the judges – who UNANIMOUSLY decided that there should be NO WINNER. Help! But the graceful and fine as all get out Maurice G. crowned a winner anyway – after he apologized to the crowd for any trauma that the second half may have caused and offered FREE tickets to his next show for their troubles. Friday’s contest made me appreciate my daddy’s decision of keeping it real with me about my dreams of becoming a gymnast at the tender age of eight – mainly because I was 5’9, wearing “Just My Size” bras and busting out of Husky boy jeans by the dozen.

The City and a ‘Bad Girl.’ After stopping through the City on Saturday night I stand completely corrected about my comments last week regarding “Bad Girls Club” cast members’ inability to draw a crowd like their disgraceful reality TV counterparts. It was from the window to the wall up in that place for whatever her name was. J. Spain and ‘nem said that the City goes hard every Saturday night for the more soulful of folks who come to kick it, and after the other night I believe them. I couldn’t even identify the celebrity guest girl in a Reality vixen usual suspect line-up, but nobody seemed to mind as they attempted to catch a glimpse of her curves and turn ALL THE WAY UP in VIP.

EXO and the vixen. Since I’m already talking about the power of the sexpot, I might as well mention that Blatina store-bought bombshell Rosa Acosta had EXO looking like its glory days of 2008. It was indeed a who’s who – including StarPower’s Shaki and T-Luv (and his beautiful wife Gabby) in addition to the King Magazine Queen hostess with the most. Rosa was showcasing all of her curves in a heart shaped peek-a-boo freakum dress. She was cute enough, but I have to say that her surgical enhancements looked like they had been done by a suspicious character in one of those motels on the north side that charge by the minute. I guess implants have become the new hair weave….just plop ‘em in any old kind of way and go on about your business. Fellas, does it really not matter that they look like they were made in a lab, as long as they are attached? Anyway, I don’t want y’all to think that I’m hating. But Rosa’s visit and the crowd that came through was indeed a good look for EXO, even if she was trumped by Luscious Louis – who had to beat the brothers off her FROM THE MOMENT SHE STEPPED IN THE BUILDING.

Super Jam late breaking news. The first announcement has been made. The bad news is y’all will have to hold off a couple more months to sizzle in the sun alongside Hot 104.1 FM for Super Jam 2013. The good news is the Weezy/Tip/2 Chainz line-up makes it worth the wait. The GREAT news is if you stay away from those sloppy ribs y’all can recycle your 4th of July outfits for Super Jam because it’s not going down until August 11. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (Fri. Apr. 26) and they promise to reveal more acts in the coming weeks and offer giveaways on air, on-line and through social media. So y’all need to stay tuned in and logged on to stay up on the Super Back-to-School

Jam scoop.

Ted and Sassy of VH1 Network’s Black Ink probably got a taste of STL when they rolled through The Rib Shack Friday night and chopped it up with Mike Cash, Jackie of The Rib Shack, Diamond and Shaun

B-day girl Shannon and Gabby of BFree Arm Charms came through the see the sights of L.A. Nights Satuday night @ The Coliseum

Natural beauties Keena and Sarita showed up to celebrate the Fly Girlz with The Vaporz Friday night @ Lola

Kappas Larry Blue, Michael Stewart and Ezra Sillas in good company with Alandrea Stewart and Nicole Plair as the Nupes took over the Rustic Goat Saturday night with their Chocolate Dip Affair

DJ Jo Prima repped for the Fly Girls as DJ Reminisce rocked the crowd by keeping the tables blazing with the hottest females in hip-hop Friday night @ The Vaporz @ Lola

J. Spain, Joy, Bell, Hollywood and Lucky with Paula Hellens of Bad girls Club 10 and an a capacity @ Certified Saturdays @ The City

Lovely Latina model/actress Rosa Acosta had the club on lean when she came to STL to celebrate her b-day and Cee from LouFlicks couldn’t help but oblige a photo op Saturday night @ EXO

Hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar was flanked by fans during a special Hot 104.1 FM meet and greet Wednesday afternoon @ The Loft

Former Rams star Steven Jackson was given a farewell dinner with guests that included Jerry Patterson and Rickey Whittington of Plaza Motors Daryl Richardson of The Rams Tuesday night @ Bristol’s

Sisters Brittany, b-day girl Jimmel and Shaki celebrated at Hella Fly’s Relax and Breath Friday night @ EXO

Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King and Valerie Simpson were just a few of the iconic guests that came to celebrate St. Louis native Dr. Maya Angelou at her special star-studded 85th birthday celebration two weeks ago in Winston-Salem, NC. The evening, aptly titled ‘Journey of Maya’ was hosted by the one and only Winfrey, the evening featured performances and tributes by some of the biggest names in entertainment and popular culture. Local guests included East St. Louis poet laureate Eugene B. Redmond and St. Louisan Alice Windom. Photo by E. Redmond

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

American staff

Grant will give 50 students a college experience

Plus, NABAscholarships and understanding financial aid

Fifty St. Louis public high school students will get a chance to live the life of a college student for a week this summer thanks to a program run by the Higher Education Consortium of Metropolitan St. Louis. A$10,000 grant from the Express Scripts Foundation for HEC’s Trio Educational Opportunity Support Project was announced Tuesday by Thomas George, chancellor of the University of Missouri–St. Louis and chairman of the HEC board of directors.

“The Express Scripts Foundation, as one of its core tenets, supports education of underserved youth to prepare them for success, particularly in science and healthcare,” said Susan Stith, senior director, diversity at Express Scripts. “We are proud to support the Higher Education Consortium as it helps deserving students gain important personal and professional growth opportunities.”

The grant will allow the students to take classes and live on the Harris-Stowe State University campus in St. Louis for a week this summer. Selected participants also will participate in a weeklong college tour. The students will be chosen from the Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search students from Metro, Gateway, Beaumont, Clyde C. Miller, Cleveland Jr. ROTC, Soldan, Vashon and Central Visual and Performing Arts high schools.

“We are excited about being able to provide our first-generation, low-income participants in these programs this amazing opportunity,” said Katherine Bailey, executive director of HECEducational Opportunity Programs. “We are especially grateful for the financial assistance received from the Express Scripts Foundation and are honored that Express Scripts recognizes the value in our mission and supports our service to the community.” The Higher Education

Consortium of Metropolitan St. Louis is run by a board of directors made up of leaders from the region’s colleges and universities and the Cooperating School Districts of St. Louis. Each year, HEC’s Educational Opportunity Programs serves more than 8,000 participants in programs such as TRIO Educational Opportunities, Educational Talent Search, and Upward Bound.

NABA scholarship luncheon May 17

The St. Louis Metropolitan Chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) will present its 32nd Annual Scholarship Luncheon. This Scholarship Luncheon is designed to help high school and college students majoring in (or planning to major in) Accounting, Finance or Business afford higher education and celebrates the hard work and scholastic achieve-

ments of the St. Louis youth. Our 32nd Annual Scholarship Luncheon will be held on Friday May 17 at 1 p.m. at the Airport Renaissance Hotel. Tickets are on sale for $50 and can be purchased online (http://nabastl.org/students/scholarships) and 50 percent of ticket sales will go towards future scholarships.

“The annual scholarship program is geared towards supporting the betterment and college goals of students for a successful future” says Brittani Lee, President and Contracts Analyst at The Boeing Company. “NABAhas a long history of assisting students in the funding of college and following students through their accounting/business careers, and we hope to continue this legacy.” Since its inception, NABA - St. Louis has provided approximately $300,000 in scholarship funds to deserving students. Through the generous contributions of individuals, groups, and organizations that share NABA’s desire to break through the economic barrier minorities often experience, NABAoffers scholarships on a local level. For more information please visit http://naba-stl.org or send an email to mooremb77@aol.com.

Understanding college financial aid award letters

The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis will host workshops to assist the public in understanding college financial aid award letters

“Are you wondering how to read and compare financial aid award letters?” ask organizers. “Confused by the jargon? We can help read confusing letters, compare financial aid packages, and determine next steps. We want to support debt avoidance and college affordability.”

Workshops will be held at the Foundation, 8215 Clayton Road across from the Galleria Mall, on the following days:7 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 11. The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, a nonprofit organization founded in 1920, is based upon the conviction that an educated citizenry is essential to a democracy. More than 10,000 students have been awarded more than $58 million in interest-free loans and $3.8 million in grants by the Foundation since 1920. If you have additional questions or would like to RSVPfor any of the above workshops, please contact the Foundation at 314-725-7990 or email info@sfstl.org.

Thomas George,chancellor of the University of Missouri–St. Louis and chairman of the board of directors of the Higher Education Consortium of Metropolitan St.Louis (HEC);Katherine Bailey,executive director of HECEducational Opportunity Programs;Dwayne Smith,vice president for academic affairs,Harris-Stowe State University.

Photo by August Jennewein, UMSL