April 4th, 2013 edition

Prop P passes

By Rebecca S.Rivas

Of The St.Louis American

About

“This is going to be a project that sets the region apart,” said St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones, who advocated for Proposition P. “It says we can all work together to move our

region forward.”

There will be work to do.

Initiative advocates estimate that

Prop Pwill create 530 construction jobs and 4,400 permanent new jobs.

“This means job creation and much-needed repairs for the Gateway Arch grounds,” Jones said.

Walter Metcalfe, board chair of the CityArchRiver 2015 Foundation, said diversity in the workforce –both in construction and operations –has always been a part of the plan-

“This is going to be a project that sets the region apart.It says we can all work together to move our region forward.”

– Treasurer Tishaura O.Jones

“We are working with the National Park Service to ensure the local labor force is fully represented in the process.”

– Walter Metcalfe,CityArchRiver 2015 Foundation

Easterhelp forteen moms

Chocolate Diamondz donates baskets at Almost Home

By

It was a gesture that came from the heart.

“Chocolate Diamondz helped to make sure our teen moms and their babies have a nice Easter.”

– Rhonda Gray,Almost Home

Two days before the Easter holiday, Dana “Dynasty” Powell, founder of the nonprofit Chocolate Diamondz, her partner Athina Felton and members of her organization distributed Easter baskets to needy children. Their mothers are temporary residents at Almost Home, 3200 St. Vincent Ave., an agency dedicated to serving homeless teenage mothers between the ages of 12-19 since 1993. Operation Easter Basket received an over-

HEALTH SALUTE

By Bridjes O’Neil Of The St.Louis American

“Pharmacists are an integral part of all of health care,” said Arthur Perry, a retired pharmacist who began his pharmaceutical career at 14. The year was 1952.

“Students, faculty and staff need to get some experience in caring for people unlike them.”

– Dr.Arthur Perry

By Rebecca S.Rivas

whelming amount of support from the community, Powell said. People donated large amounts of candy, toys, crayons and coloring books for the children.

“I am so grateful for the generosity of Chocolate Diamondz in helping to make sure our teen moms and their babies have a nice Easter,” said Rhonda Gray, executive director of Almost Home.

“Their focus of supporting women is com-

Photo by Wiley Price

Bridjes O’Neil Of The St.Louis American

Volunteers for the nonprofit Chocolate Diamondz prepare to distribute Easter baskets to needy children at Almost Home,

3200 St.Vincent Ave.,an agency dedicated to serving homeless teenage mothers between the ages of 12-19 since 1993.

Claudia claims Omarosa kicked off Tom Joyner rumors

Last week the urban entertainment blogs were buzzing with the rumor that Claudia Jordan was the cause of Tom Joyner’s from his wife of 14 years Donna Richardson.

Claudia believes those rumors were started by her Celebrity Apprentice nemesis Omarosa.

“People just want to make me out to be this whore or this home wrecker and it’s just not true,” Jordan told Power 99’s Muthaknows. “I really believe in my heart that that rumor was started by Omarosa. She was on my team in that challenge she knows I was playing for the Tom Joyner Foundation.”

Fred Hammond denies hosting talks between Deion and TD Jakes

Gospel singer Fred Hammond’s former boo accused him of playing host in the plot for Deion Sanders to stash money away from his former wife Pilar

A young lady who used to date gospel singer Fred Hammond told Cherry on Top she was in a meeting Bishop T.D. Jakes was advising Deion on how to hide his money to keep Pilar from getting it. Pilar was reportedly planning to use the testimony from the woman in question in her motion to appeal the

Under the guidelines of their current pre-nup Pilar is limited to $1 million, which she has already spent on legal

In a Twitter conversation with Obnoxious TV, Hammond denies the claims.

“I’ve been advised by counsel to only mention, Bishop TD Jakes, Deion Sanders nor Nikki Sanni have ever been in my home. EVER!” Hammond tweeted. “It’s all false bro. None of those ppl have EVER been to my house for ANY reason separately or together.”

Chris Brown talks love triangle

Although he recently admitted that he and singer Rihanna are no longer an item, Chris Brown talked about the interesting relationship dynamic with Rihanna and Karrueche Tran on Power 105 FM.

“Me being young, even with relationships in the past, I did a lot of lying, I did everything just to make sure nobody gets hurt in the process,” Brown said. “I just don’t feel it’s necessary anymore in my life. Nobody can hate me for being honest. I had to just be brutal. I’m not trying to be a player. It’s never an easy situation to tell another person that you still love another person, so that’s kinda difficult. But our friendship, me and Karrueche’s friendship, is still cool. We’re still good friends.”

Is there still catty beef between ‘Idol’ judges?

A source told entertainment news and gossip site Mouth To Ears that a certain American Idol judge just can’t get over her rivalry with one of the other judges.

“This celebrity competition judge hates her fellow host so much she can’t even function. A witness recently went to the show and watched as the judge went to great lengths to get attention at every turn. It was the judge’s

birthday, but she kept making people refer to it as her anniversary. Not only was she directly rude to fans but she wore the same color as her nemesis on PURPOSE. As the show progressed they went on a commercial break, on the break when she received a visitor she asked that a picture not be taken in the direction of the other judge to prevent her from being in the background.”

Robin Thicke splits from ‘Real Husbands’

As a source told Diary of a Hollywood Street King that singer-turned-actor Robin Thicke didn’t show up to “Real Husbands of Hollywood” set and has left the show.

Other outlets have reported that a verbal altercation between Thicke and co-star Kevin Hart ended with him leaving the set. But sources told HSK that Thicke believes the show could be ruining his brand.

“Everybody was on the set Friday, waiting. Robin didn’t call or nothing,” a source to HSK. “His camp checked in and told the BET staff, “Keep the money because Robin is not doing the show anymore.” Stephen Hill and BET are said to be furious.

Sources: Rhymes With Snitch, New York Post, TMZ.com, Diary of A Hollywood Street King, Mouth To Ears

American staff

Last week President Obama today signed proclamations establishing five new national monuments, using his authority under the Antiquities Act, which celebrate our nation’s rich history and natural heritage. The monuments are Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Ohio, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Maryland, Río Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico, the San Juan Islands National Monument in Washington and First State National Monument in Delaware.

n “These sites honor the pioneering heroes, spectacular landscapes and rich history that have shaped our extraordinary country.”

in 2006 each federal dollar invested in national parks generates at least four dollars of economic value to the public. National parks are responsible for $13.3 billion dollars of local, private-sector economic activity nationwide, supporting 267,000 private-sector jobs. Outdoor recreation alone generates $646 billion in consumer spending and 6.1 million direct jobs in the United States each year, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

– President Obama

“These sites honor the pioneering heroes, spectacular landscapes and rich history that have shaped our extraordinary country,” said President Obama. “By designating these national monuments today, we will ensure they will continue to inspire and be enjoyed by generations of Americans to come.”

According to the National Parks and Conservation Association study

The Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument will preserve the home of Col. Charles Young (1864–1922), a distinguished officer in the U.S. Army who was the third African American to graduate from West Point and the first to achieve the rank of Colonel. Young also served as one of the early Army superintendents of Sequoia and General Grant National Parks. The national headquarters of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, of which Col. Young was a member, made the property available for acquisition by the federal government for the purpose of establishing the national monument.

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument commemorates the life of the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. The new national park, located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, includes large sections of landscapes that are significant to Tubman’s early life in Dorchester County and evocative of her life as a slave and freedom fighter. The park includes

Stewart’s Canal, dug by hand by free and enslaved people between 1810 and the 1830s and where Tubman learned important outdoor skills. It also includes the home site of Jacob Jackson, a free black man who used coded letters to help Tubman communicate with family and others.

The monument will also partner with the State of Maryland’s Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State

Park Visitor Center when it opens in 2015.

Located northwest of Taos, the Río Grande del Norte National Monument contains stretches of the Río Grande Gorge and extinct volcanoes that rise from the Taos Plateau. The area is known for its spectacular landscapes and recreational opportunities – like rafting, fishing and hiking – and serves as important habitat for many birds and wildlife. The monument is also home to a dense collection of petroglyphs and extraordinary archaeological and cultural resources dating from the Archaic Period to the more recent passage of Hispanic settlers.

Home to bald eagles, orca whales, harbor seals and other rare species, the San Juan Islands National Monument is a chain of 450 islands, rocks and pinnacles. Located in Washington State’s Puget Sound, the archipelago provides an opportunity for visitors, campers, kayakers and birdwatchers to experience the natural beauty of the undeveloped, rugged landscape. A number of historic lighthouses are located on the islands, as well as cultural resources and fossils dating back 12,000 years.

The First State National Monument will tell the story of the early Dutch, Swedish, Finnish and English settlement of the colony of Delaware, as well as Delaware’s role as the first state to ratify the Constitution. The park is comprised of three historic areas related to Delaware’s rich history: the Dover Green, the New Castle Court House complex (including the courthouse, Green and Sheriff’s House), and the Woodlawn property in the Brandywine Valley.

First exercised by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to designate Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, the authority of the Antiquities Act has been used by 16 presidents since 1906 to protect unique natural and historic features in America, such as the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients.

Col. Charles Young (1864–1922) was the third African American to graduate from West Point and the first to achieve the rank of Colonel.

Editorial /CommEntary

Nixon serves public well with appointment

We were concerned when Kelvin Simmons stepped down from Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration for an opportunity in the private sector. In an administration badly lacking in diversity in leadership positions, Simmons was the African American who held the most access, trust and sway with Nixon, a white Democrat who typically rules well to the right of the political center and has not always been sensitive to our community’s concerns either as governor or Missouri attorney general before that. Simmons’ successor as Nixon’s closest and most trusted senior black official has finally emerged, and it is a familiar face, indeed one of our own: St. Louis attorney Robert Kenney, a Nixon appointee on the Missouri Public Service Commission and now Nixon’s new appointee as the commission’s chairman. Kenney is the commission’s 35th chairman and only the second African American to lead it. In fact, only Simmons preceded him, serving as chairman from 2001-2003. (There also have been two women chairs: Alberta Slavin, 1979-1981, and Sheila Lumpe, 19972001.) We applaud the governor for this appointment and are greatly encouraged by it.

Though not widely appreciated, this is an important position. The Missouri Public Service Commission is the economic and quality-ofservice regulator for all of the state’s investor-owned public utilities. These include all gas, electric, water and sewer utilities. The five-member commission also provides, to a lesser degree, a measure of regulatory oversight of telecommunications companies. It also regulates and licenses dealers and makers of manufactured housing.

impact all Missourians right where it counts: in the pocketbook. Its prime function is deciding rate cases, whereby the rates are determined that public utilities can charge. The commission makes its decision after an 11-month process that includes a thorough audit and examination of the utility’s books and records, culminating in a trial-like administrative hearing where the commissioners in effect sit as judges. These cases often involve the determination of issues worth hundreds of millions – and sometimes billions – of dollars, much of which comes directly from us as consumers. The economic stakes are high and touch virtually every household in the state. These decisions can also have significant impact on industries located in Missouri. So the decisions over which Robert Kenney now presides have significant economic development impact, both micro and macro.

The commission chairman is often described as “first among equals” because his or her vote is equal to that of the other four. Also, the chairman decides, within certain statutory limitations, the content of the weekly agenda. The chairman has the prerogative to establish the overall tone and direction of the commission with respect to certain policy considerations. The chairman also sits on other energy-related state boards/commissions, such as the state’s Oil and Gas Council.

The commission makes decisions that directly

Serving on this commissione requires multi-disciplinary knowledge of law, economics, accounting, engineering, auditing and public policy decision-making. It is very intellectually challenging and complex across all of these disciplines. A shrewd, no-nonsense attorney with extensive experience in the private and public sectors – before his appointment to this commission, he was Attorney General Chris Koster’s chief of staff – Robert Kenney is able and very qualified for this important position. We are absolutely certain he will hold the public welfare sacrosanct in the execution of his duties, and for this appointment the governor deserves thanks from all Missourians, regardless of race. But it is also especially important for African Americans to see someone from our community leading our state in such a technical field where there is no substitute for intelligence, competence and attention to detail and where African Americans are sorely underrepresented. Providing our community and especially our youth with a model for African-American technical expertise and leadership is an important affirmation of the importance of inclusion at the highest levels of our government, and for that Nixon deserves our thanks.

Commentary

‘Now is the time’ for gun control

Columnist

Eugene

Robinson

The gunman in the Newtown massacre fired 154 bullets from his Bushmaster military-style rifle in less than five minutes, killing 20 first-graders and six adults. He brought with him 10 large-capacity magazines, each holding up to 30 rounds, which allowed him to reload quickly. He also carried two semiautomatic handguns, one of which he used to take his own life.

Is this supposed to be the price of the Second Amendment? Is this the kind of America we want?

Faith-based case for Medicaid expansion

By Gov. Jay Nixon And Dr. Jim Hill

In the prophet Ezekiel’s day, the poor and needy of Jerusalem faced oppression and extortion. Ezekiel says God “looked for someone who would stand in the gap ... and found no one.” Because good people did not stand up for a more righteous Jerusalem, suffering in Jerusalem continued.

Today, the gaps that mark the injustices of our modern world are wide. The gap between a sick child and healing medicine. The gap between an injured worker and a doctor’s care. The gap between a death sentence and a lifesaving medical procedure.

As children of God, we cannot allow Missourians to suffer. Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel’s fellow prophet and contemporary, we must stand in these gaps to proclaim, “Do what is just and right...”

It is just and right to care for the sick and suffering. That’s why leaders of faith communities across the state support providing health coverage to 300,000 working Missourians through the expansion of the state’s Medicaid program.

Under the proposed expansion, low-income Missourians who can’t afford health insurance and earn less

than 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level – or $32,500 a year for a family of four –would be eligible for coverage.

Strengthening Medicaid will also bring the dollars Missourians send to Washington back to Missouri. In fact, the proposal would bring $5.7 billion to Missouri over the next three years – at no cost to the state.

Across Missouri, nonpartisan business groups, including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, are supporting this effort to strengthen Medicaid. For these leaders, it’s a business decision.

They understand that bringing the dollars Missourians send to Washington back home to protect taxpayers, create jobs, and reward work, is good for our economy.

Last fall, a study by the University of Missouri found that bringing these dollars back to Missouri to strengthen Medicaid would create 24,000 new jobs in Missouri in 2014 alone.

Recent studies have also shed light on the high costs of failing to move forward.

Hospitals currently receive payments from the federal government for treating uninsured patients. These payments will be cut back dramatically, regardless of the state’s decision on Medicaid. If Missouri turns down the federal dollars designed to compensate for those cuts by expanding coverage, hospitals will be forced to cut jobs and reduce services. At the same time families and businesses will be required to shoulder higher

Letters to the editor

Humane vs. political

premiums. The Missouri Hospital Association also estimates that passing up this opportunity to strengthen Medicaid will cost the state 9,000 jobs and increase health insurance premiums for families and businesses by more than $1 billion.

It’s clear that the only thing we cannot afford is failing to take action on Medicaid. Before us now, the only cause for inaction is words. Words like Democrat and Republican. Elections and ObamaCare. Politics and party lines. They’re just words, but in Jefferson City, they serve as excuses for leaving a gap – a gap that is the difference between life and death for thousands of our sick brothers and sisters. What is right and just is before us. It’s time for leaders from both parties to stand together on common ground for the common good and the welfare of all our citizens. And when this critical legislation reaches the General Assembly, we hope that each member opens their heart, sees their brothers and sisters in need, and answers the prophet Ezekiel’s challenge to stand in the gap to provide health coverage for 300,000 working Missourians.

Dr. Jim Hill is president of the Missouri Faith Voices board. Missouri Faith Voices includes hundreds of congregations throughout the state working through grassroots leadership to build a better quality of life for families.

All letters are edited for length and style.

fully in Missouri is the right thing to do. It’s right for our economy, adding jobs and cutting expenses on a variety of fronts. It builds families and strengthens our communities. Who could say “no” to that combination of good choices for all Missourians?

Martin Rafanan, St. Louis

Classy coaches

Search warrant documents released by Connecticut authorities suggest just how disturbed Lanza was. Among the items discovered was a newspaper article about a 2008 massacre shooting at Northern Illinois University in which six people, including the perpetrator, were killed. There were also three photographs “with images of what appears to be a deceased human covered with plastic and what appears to be blood.”

Police found books on Asperger’s syndrome, a condition related to autism from which Lanza was believed to suffer. They also found a “military-style uniform” and a number of written journals whose contents have not been disclosed. An affidavit in support of the search warrant quotes an unnamed witness who described Lanza as “a shut-in and an avid gamer who plays Call of Duty,” an extremely violent and popular video game.

You read the documents and you begin to form the impression of an extremely troubled young man. The police found NRA shooting certificates for both mother and son, bolstering reports that Nancy Lanza took her son shooting and encouraged his interest in guns. The NRA would say that the issue here is mental health, not firearms. But there are plenty of young men who play gory video games and harbor violent

I know that realists have concluded there is little chance of getting an assault weapons ban through Congress. I know that many gun-control advocates believe legislation mandating universal background checks, thought to have a reasonably good chance of being approved, can be even more valuable in preventing future Newtown-style tragedies. I know that politics is the art of the possible. But still it’s hard for me to accept that the right to “keep and bear arms” extends to the kind of arsenal that Adam Lanza – and his mother, Nancy, whom he also killed – assembled and kept in their home. Lanza was outfitted like a commando, with guns and ammo clips engineered to kill the maximum number of people in the minimum amount of time. There were other weapons in the family’s possession that would seem better suited for recreation or self-defense – the reasons why, according to the National Rifle Association, we need to arm ourselves to the teeth. But Lanza left a .22-caliber rifle at home and a 12-gauge shotgun in the car he drove to the school. He had maximum mayhem on his mind.

fantasies. How can you pick out the few who lose all distinction between fantasy and reality?

Given that guns are enshrined in the Constitution, there may have been no way to keep firearms out of the Lanza home. But if the federal ban on military-style assault weapons had not been allowed to expire, we might have seen less carnage in Newtown. Lanza probably wouldn’t have been able to get off so many shots in so little time.

Maybe just one young life would have been saved. To me, that life is worth more than being in the good graces of the NRA; to members of Congress, perhaps not.

I don’t want to downplay the significance of universal background checks. Even if they might not have had any impact on the Newtown slayings – Lanza’s mother bought the guns, and it’s unclear whether she would have been red-flagged – it is obvious that comprehensive checks would keep some guns out of the wrong hands and save lives.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pouring millions of dollars into ad campaigns pressuring Congress to stand up to the NRA. President Obama, in a White House appearance last Thursday with mothers of gun victims, noted that “right now, 90 percent of Americans support background checks. ... How often do 90 percent of Americans agree on anything?”

“Shame on us if we’ve forgotten” the Newtown tragedy, Obama said. “Now is the time to turn that heartbreak into something real.”

Amen.

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

This year Missouri has the chance to expand Medicaid coverage to cover 850,000 uninsured, ineligible Missourians. I worked as an Eligibility Specialist from 2004-2007 processing Missouri Medicaid applications and as an Eligibility Specialist Supervisor from 2007-2012 overseeing Missouri Medicaid applications. After a 40 hour or more work week, some of our applicants could barely afford food, shelter and clothing much less health care. We have had to tell a single mother with one child that because she made more than $234 a month, she was not eligible to be fully insured. The income limits for the fully insured Medicaid coverage is still based on income figures from the 1970s. Under Medicaid expansion, the Missouri Department of Social Services estimates 255,000 uninsured Missourians would enroll in the MO HealthNet Program. These hardworking Missourians are the backbone of our state and our economy. They care for our elderly, our children and earn an honest living. They deserve the security of quality health coverage they can afford without facing huge medical bills. If Missouri lawmakers make a political rather than humane decision, those 255,000 people will remain uninsured.

Melanie Gowdy, St. Louis

Homelessness and Medicaid

We need to expand Medicaid fully in Missouri. By providing access to health care to 260,000 low wage earners and lowincome persons in Missouri, we will go a long way toward making our efforts to end homelessness a reality.

The reason? Families often become homeless because of healthcare issues. Access to health care allows families to become much more stable in housing and sustains community efforts to strengthen these families for the long term. Expanding Medicaid

The Lutheran High School North Boys Basketball Team, saddened by the tragic news of the unexpected death of head coach Anthony Hall’s brother on the day the Class 3 Missouri State High School Basketball Championships began in Columbia Missouri, gathered themselves to place third in the tournament. A classy coach dug deep to fulfill the responsibility he felt to a group of young men and received heartfelt support from his assistant coaches and the dedication of the players to their coaches and each other.

As team hosts for many years, we have seen the positive impact that high school athletic programs have when the stewardship exists at the highest level, which is clearly the case within the boys’ basketball program at Lutheran High School North. We extend our congratulations to the team, the support staff with them, the cheerleaders, students, faculty, fans and entire LHSN community on their thirdplace finish. We also extend our highest respect for this accomplishment in the face of adversity and our deepest condolences to Coach Hall and his family.

Jack Cronhardt, Steve Morris

Columbia

Editor’s note: The authors were Team Hosts for Lutheran High School North at the 2013 Missouri High School Basketball Championships.

Weekly highlight

I applaud The St. Louis American on its 85th year anniversary celebration. The staff has done a wonderful job

throughout the years presenting the news and important issues to the readers. Although I live in Jefferson City, one of my weekly highlights include reading The St. Louis American Lucy Darris, Jefferson City

Guest Columnist Dr. Jim Hill

Robert Kenney, Missouri Public Service Commission chair

Gov. Jay Nixon

After-school arts and craft program

The Missouri Humanities Council has awarded a grant of $2,500 to Missouri Jobs with Justice in support of an after-school arts and craft program, the Bread & Roses initiative. The fifteen week program, entitled “Community Exploration: Family, Home & Work,” seeks to build and express,through exposure to multi-disciplinary art forms, social awareness on the topics of home, family and work. .Participants in the Bread & Roses program range in age from 12 to 15.All activities for this project will take place at the Wohl Center, 1515 N. Kingshighway. For more information, Bread & Roses Coordinator Joan Suarez can be reached at 314-422-7389.

Writers’Guild Conference contests

Writers’contests are now open for the Missouri Writers’Guild 98th Annual Spring Conference, slated to run April 26-28 at the Sheraton Westport Hotel Lakeside Chalet in Maryland Heights, Mo. The contests cover all types of writing, including books, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, poetry, and other forms. The President’s Contests are open to Missouri Writers’ Guild members only, while other contests are open to members of local writers’guilds and to anyone attending the conference. Registration information is available at www.missouriwritersguild.org.

Harris-Stowe recognized for sustainability

The Missouri Recycling Association board of directors, along with Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, recently presented members of the Harris-Stowe State University sustainability team with the MORAExcellence Award. The award recognized HSSU for its outstanding participation in the 2012 RecycleMania competition. Harris-Stowe ranked 38th in the country (out of 605) in the category of waste minimization and 113th in the overall grand champion category.

Recognized for Service to Pharmacy

Dr.Gireesh Gupchup,dean of the SIUE School of Pharmacy (left) congratulates Barry Wilson,an affiliate clinical faculty member with the SIUE School of Pharmacy.who received Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy’s Service to Pharmacy Award.Wilson has spent his career helping to provide medicine to the homeless,indigent and uninsured.Since 2002,he has been chief pharmacy officer of Family Health Care Centers in St.Louis,helping to provide more than $7 million in free medications through Patience Assistance Programs.

SLU Hospital expands emergency department

Saint Louis University Hospital began a $1.5 million emergency department expansion in February, adding additional rooms to the region’s busiest trauma center. The expansion is a 1618 week project, adding five additional rooms, a new nurses’station and workspace. Volume has climbed by more than 10,000 patients over the past decade to just over 39,000 patients in 2012, according to Helen Sandkuhl, RN, administrative director of nursing, emergency, trauma and disaster services. The hospital treats more than 2,300 trauma cases annually St. Louis-based BSALifeStructures is the architect and McGrath and Associates, Inc. is the contractor.

Be her inspiration

By Comptroller Darlene Green

For The St.Louis American

I feel motivated and proud just looking around at the progress women have made.This is what inspires me.

Get inspired. Be someone’s inspiration. As a young woman and even as a little girl, who inspired you? For many of us, it was probably the woman who first held us, showed us love and shaped us into the women we are today. Our mothers. For some, it might have been a relative. Agrandmother who stepped in or aunt or even a sister helped to mold our early ideals about ourselves and about life. These women were our first role models. Inspiration is defined as the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions of others. As women, do we still need inspiration? Should we look to our significant other, a relative, girlfriend or colleague? I don’t believe you should ever stop looking for it. I’m inspired and pleased with the progress that women have made in politics. Arecord number of women will serve in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives this year. Locally, the City of St. Louis elected its first female Treasurer, Tishaura Jones. This marks an increase in the number of women holding elected office in the City of St. Louis. The offices of the Comptroller, Treasurer, Recorder of Deeds, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Circuit Attorney are all held by women. This year, nine women will serve on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. When I first entered in to political office, the landscape looked a lot different. There weren’t as many women in politics as there are now. I feel motivated and proud just looking around at the progress we’ve made. This is what inspires me now. I also feel a sense of responsibility in helping to motivate other women, especially the leaders of tomorrow. I would like to encourage all women to lift each other up.

Whether it’s spending time mentoring a young person, volunteering at church or a women’s shelter, bringing a hot meal to someone, giving her a ride to a job interview, or even something as simple as calling a friend who’s having a hard time to cheer her up. Don’t just sit on the sidelines. After all, when you offer inspiration to someone, it comes back at you tenfold.

Darlene Green

PERRY

Continued from A1

During his time at Sun Drug Stores, he met Bernard and David Kean who two years later opened their own drugstore, Kean Drug, luring Perry away in the process. Perry was brought on as a sales clerk in 1954.

It was one year before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery Bus, the catalyst for the Montgomery Bus boycott against racial segregation. Hundreds of miles away, the racial climate in St. Louis was very much the same. Kean Drug, then located at Euclid and Laclede, was in close proximity to BarnesJewish Hospital, where black and white patients were seen in segregated quarters.

According to Perry, Kean Drug didn’t wait for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a bill designating segregated public spaces as unconstitutional. The Kean brothers proudly served all customers regardless of race because they too had been unfairly persecuted.

“These two guys, being Jewish, were aware of their being Jewish,” Perry said. “Jews were not accepted everywhere. They were not of the mind to be discriminators.” On a few occasions, some local toughs were antagonistic toward Perry in those early years at Kean Drug.

“Sometimes after work they wanted to chase me home, but I wouldn’t allow it,” he said.

At Kean Drug, Perry progressed to managerial and pharmacist positions within a 27-year time span. He said his time with the company was both educational and rewarding. One of the Kean brothers, David, speaks highly of Perry. His brother Bernard Kean is deceased.

“He’s a perfect gentleman. He’s an excellent employee, but a great friend also,”

Shooting for gun control

David Kean said of Perry. “I predicted that he would be Mayor of St. Louis, but he didn’t do that.”

In fact, Perry became the first person in his family to attend college after meeting and taking sound advice from Frank Kleffner, former president of the Central Institute for the Deaf and a Kean Drug customer.

“You’re too smart to spend all your time here; you need to go to college,” Kleffner said to Perry. Perry enrolled at Saint

Louis University, where he majored in political science while he took elective courses in science. In his junior year he was approached by Father Jansen, then a Jesuit priest at SLU, who goaded him to make a decision about his future.

Perry asked Jansen whether he thought he could support a family with a political science degree.

Jansen discouraged him. Perry transferred to the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, where he earned a B.S. in Chemistry. He graduated in

1972 as a registered pharmacist, one of only three African Americans in his class. He served on the College of Pharmacy Board of Trustees and currently serves on the school’s Diversity Committee. His goal is to move the college toward being more active in its health outreach.

“I’m trying to get the college to make sure that the college has personnel in clinics around the metro area so that students, faculty and staff get some experience in caring

for people unlike them,” Perry said.

Perry has ben active in city politics for much of his life. Currently he is president of the 28th Ward Democratic Organization. He also has served on the Confluence, 100 Black Men and Forest Park Forever boards. Perry has been an active member of the Mortar and Pestle Society for more than 10 years and was a Peoples Clinic Organizer.

Damion Morris, 22,who is paralayzed after being shot during a drive by last year,leaves an anti gun rally in downtown St.Louis on March 30. Political and religious leaders plus emergency room doctors spoke about the advantages of backround checks and outlawing large capacity ammunication clips.The rally was organized after a four-year old girl was shot in the shoulder as she stood on her porch in front of her

Perry retired from Eli Lilly & Company in 2000 after 19 years of service. “He deserves any kind of achievement award you can give him,” David Kean said. “I’m very proud to see him get this.”

Tickets for the 13th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 26 at the Frontenac Hilton are $75 each/$750 table for VIP/Corporate seating and $50 each/$500 table for Individual seating. To order tickets, call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com

St.Louis home.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

PROPP

Continued from A1

ning discussion.

“We are working with the National Park Service to ensure the local labor force is fully represented in the process,” Metcalfe said. Jones said all project work in the city, including on the Arch, would be governed by the Mayor’s Executive Order calling for 25 percent minority business enterprise inclusion and 5 percent women business enterprise inclusion.

Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway, which spearheaded the ballot initiative, said that passage of Prop Pis a victory for regional cooperation.

“The voters made a decision for the region,” Trautman said. “They said, ‘We believe in the Gateway Arch, and we believe in the parks.’”

Those that made the decision were a small part of the region’s voting population, only 12.5 percent of St. Louis city eligible voters and 15.6 percent in St. Louis County.

The tax will raise an estimated $31 million a year – or a projected $780 million by the time the tax expires in 20 years. The improvements will focus on three areas:

INSTITUTE

Continued from A1 in healthcare and to improve their mathematics, science, language arts and ACT/SAT skills.

So far, 100 percent of graduates are attending a college or university, 82 percent of them are pursuing healthcare, and 41 percent are pursuing pharmacy as a career.

The 2013 program takes place from June 10 to July 19. The deadline to complete the online application is April 12.

Students are eligible if they are: ? full-time, under-represented minority freshman (BESt I), sophomore (BESt II), or junior (BESt III) student

* First, protecting natural areas and wildlife habitat and improving parks and trails.

* Second, enhancing accessibility and security for the Gateway Arch, Mississippi Riverfront and surrounding areas.

* Third, improving existing parks in St. Louis County and city.

St. Louis city will receive $2.6 million for local park improvements. St. Louis County will receive approximately $6 million annually to improve county parks and $4 million will be awarded as grants to improve municipal parks in the county.

The remaining $18.8 million will go to the public agency Great Rivers Greenway, which will administer the Arch and trails projects.

Since 2000 when the public parks agency was created by voter approval, Great Rivers Greenways has created more than 104 miles of trails for walking, jogging and bicycle riding and protected 1,500 acres of natural areas, wildlife habitat and parks. The tax increase will greatly expand these projects.

“We are going to work in the morning,” Trautman said on election night. “We have a lot of projects to build. We have a plan for Great Rivers Greenway and for the Arch.” The sales tax is part a larger

Clayton High School graduate, completed two summers at BESt.

“It was the best decision I’ve made in my life,” she said. She said she flourished in a learning environment among

plan to fund $380 million in improvements to the Arch grounds, the riverfront and its surroundings. Prop Pfunds would allow about $90 million to be bonded immediately for the Arch project, so projects can get underway. Overall, more than $250 million in funds will be raised from private donors.

Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones said her office has been working closely with Great Rivers Greenway to address some of the changes to the Arch grounds’parking. She has been leading an effort to make sure all parking operators, both public and private, are following the same guidelines.

“Whether people park in a city or private garage, they won’t know the difference,” she said. “They will get the same level of service, no matter where they park.”

Jones was one of the 67 percent that voted in favor of the proposition, ensuring that parks and the Arch will be more accessible for her son Aden and future generations, she said.

Jones said, “I am looking forward to the changes on the Mississippi riverfront and will be glad to take my son down to the Arch and stop playing frogger across Memorial Boulevard.”

? currently attending a St. Louis/East St. Louis City or County public high school, or a St. Louis City private high school comprised of a majority multicultural student population ? achieving a cumulative GPAof 3.0 or higher based on a 4.0 scale high potential students, participating in at least one extracurricular activity or organization.

The BESt I, II, and III students could earn a cash stipend of $600, $900 and $1,200 respectively. The stipends are based upon fullparticipation in and successful completion of the BESt program.

Rebakkah Johnson, a

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pletely aligned with Almost Home’s mission to inspire teen moms to create a better life for themselves and their children.”

Before handing out the baskets, Powell shared her personal struggles with being a teenage mother. She recalled being pregnant with her first child the day she graduated from Parkway North High School. According to Powell, she was the first pregnant woman to walk across Parkway North’s stage for a diploma.

“I was on welfare, food stamps. I was staying in lowincome housing at one point,” said Powell, a single mother of four. “But I didn’t want that to be my story. I knew that there was something more to me.” Her faith gave her strength to finish school. She earned a cosmetology license from Progressive Hair Arts and took general education classes at St. Louis Community CollegeForest Park. She recently began working at Nationstar

other multicultural students, and she also became comfortable with the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. When she graduated high school, she enrolled in the college.

“I was ready for the challenge,” she said.

The “BESt” acronym stands for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Express Scripts and St. Louis School of Pharmacy. The program’s co-founders are Isaac Butler, director of retail pharmacy audit and policy at Express Scripts Inc., and Steven Player, inpatient pharmacy manager at BarnesJewish Hospital. Together they direct the program along with Kimberly Simmons, assistant VPof diversity and inclusion at the college.

Player’s and Butler’s vision was to create a pipeline pro-

Mortgage and has worked in the mortgage industry for over 10 years.

“That’s why I started Chocolate Diamondz because I wanted to help these young mothers realize that just because you have a baby doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the world,” Powell said. “You can still go out and get a job. You can still go to school and be whatever it is that you want to be.”

Britney Curry, 19, is the mother of an 8-month-old son. She says she was extremely grateful for the kind and thoughtful gesture. She says no one has ever done anything like that for her.

“It makes feel like I’m somebody now and somebody cares about me,” Curry said. “Anybody who does anything for my baby is a friend of mine.”

Her dream is to finish her GED and pursue a career in therapy to mentor boys and girls in similar situations.

Taking a cue from Powell on how to overcome any barriers she may face along the way, Curry says, “I can’t let the little stuff stop me.”

gram that would help diversify the medical workforce so it aligns better with the country’s population. By 2050, about 53 percent of the population will be minorities, up from 34.4 percent in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. With the changing face of America, there’s a strong need for underrepresented minorities entering the pharmacy profession, Player said. “Cultural diversity in pharmacy is crucial if our nation’s health care system is to ensure patient-centered, culturally competent, quality health care outcomes,” he said. Both Butler and Player are products of programs like BESt themselves.

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

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

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

For more information about BESt or to apply, visit www.bestpharmacy institute.org.

Chocolate Diamondz was founded in October 2010 to uplift women of all colors with a focus on their spiritual, emotional and physical development. The name “Chocolate Diamondz” came from actual chocolate diamonds which, Powell says, are rare and often overlooked. She hopes it will send a message of perseverance.

She utilizes social media (namely, Facebook) to engage women in positive dialogue; her Facebook page (of the same name) has more than 800 “likes.” Powell hopes to secure a building that will house a job-training center to decrease the number of teenage mothers applying for welfare.

Powell also has a special day of pampering planned for the young mothers at Almost Home in May for Mother’s Day.

For more information, email chocolate1diamondz@ yahoo.com Follow this reporter on Twitter @BridjesONeil.

St.Louis firefighters work to extinguish a stubborn one alarm fire in St.Louis on April 2.

Photo:UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Putting out the fire!

SALUTETO YOUNG LEADERS NETWORKING AWARDS RECEPTION

Last week,more than 400 attended the St.Louis American Foundation’s third annual Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception at the Chase Park Plaza.Twenty outstanding African-American professionals,under age 40,were honored at the special recognition event.These young leaders are high-performing,aspirational individuals who are already making a positive impact in our community.St.Louis-based Emerson served as the presenting sponsor of the event.

The 2013 Young Leaders Front row:Justin M.Johnson; Jimmie D.Howlett; Charlisha L. Greene;Shay Gillespie;Lathon C.Ferguson; Darius M. Chapman;Lakesha M.Butler;L.Jared Boyd;Dominique Beeks;Imani Anwisye-Mashele.

Back row:Pamela M.Weston;Nicole J.Taylor;Kimberly Stemley;Genesis Steele;Keithen Stallings;Rochelle Smith;William R. Ray,Jr.;Jason Q. Purnell;Courtney Z.McCall and Reggie Jones.

Photos by Wiley Price and Maurice Meredith – View more

Candace Dickson and Kristin Thompson

Awardee Lakesha Butler and Patrick Smith of sponsor Ameren Missouri

Awardee Pamela Weston

Dr.Henry Givens and Anita Banks

Rukjiya and awardee Reggie Jones

Awardees Lathon Ferguson and Jimmie Howlett with Shalona Ferguson

Stacey Owens Whitley and Michael Whitley Chalana Oliver

Awardee Keithen Stallings with Jasmine Davis,Mario Malone,Sean Stallings and Tamira White

Dr.Joe Worth of sponsor St.Louis Community College

Valerie Patton and awardee Rochelle Smith with Orvin Kimbrough,representing sponsor Missouri State University

Emcee Rebeccah Bennett

Awardees Charlisha Greene and Kimberly Stemley

Awardee L. Jared Boyd

Awardee Jason Purnell with Kathy Osborn from sponsor Regional Business Council

The reception was held in the Chase Park Plaza’s Starlight Room.

Larry Jones,Dr.Monica Stewart,awardee Courtney McCall and City of St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones

Gloria Taylor

Bill Luster and Lavon Williams with Marquita and Darius Chapman

Awardee Genesis Steele with Keri Munholand,Tracie Webb-Bradley and Victoria Reaves

Dr.Will Ross

2012 Awardee Kira Van Niel,Kwame Ofori and the RBC’s Katie Kaufmann

David Pettiford,Ryan Kirchner and Mark Hays

Awardee William Ray,Jr.with Anthony Perry,Ora Ray and St.Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley

Loyola Academy’s H.Eric Clark and Faith Barnes

Awardee Imani AnwisyeMashele

Awardee Shay Gillespie

Emily Pitts representing sponsor Edward Jones

Will Shepherd and 2012 awardee Nate Johnson

Robyn Hall and Josh Beeks with awardee Dominique Beeks

Obituaries

In Loving Memory of Antonio

D. Duff

February 14, 1988— April 9, 2012

I’ll always love you “Big Get ‘em.” You hold a big part of my heart! Love, Mama

Loretta Massey

Loretta Massey made her transition to the ancestral homeland on March 21, 2013 after a brief but courageous battle with uterine cancer. She requested that her remains be cremated and that there be no memorial service. We have honored those requests and ask you to join us in celebrating her life in your own special way. Loretta was a lifelong resident

of Kansas City. She was the oldest of five siblings and took her first-born status seriously; she was always there in time of our need. She attended Central High School and was a proud Mighty Blue Eagle. Her first “real” job was at Southwestern Bell Company where she started out as a telephone operator after high school and worked her way up the ladder to various managerial positions. She retired from Southwestern Bell after 28 years. At the time of her death, she worked part- time at Vatterott College as a receptionist. We have many memories from Loretta’s Book of Life that we will savor and ponder. We will remember her wry sense of humor that always kept us laughing. We appreciated the many

acts of kindness displayed during Loretta’s illnesses from friends and strangers alike. Although the family lovingly took care of Loretta at home, we are especially grateful for the compassion and professionalism of the staff at St. Luke’s East and Plaza Hospitals who walked with us on this difficult journey. The death of our daughter, sister, mother, aunt and grandmother brings us more pain when we know that early detection of her cancer would have prolonged her life. Unfortunately, the uterine cancer went undiagnosed and untreated until it was in its advanced stages. Loretta’s quality of health care was complicated by her life-long fear of doctors and hypodermic needles. We strongly urge you and your loved ones to know your family’s medical history and to get regular checkups. Life is a precious, one-time gift; cherish it and live well. Loretta is survived by her two sons, Aaron and Roger Massey; her mother, Lollie Brashears; and three sisters, Cheryl McRae, Jamala Rogers and Vanessa Massey. She leaves behind two nieces, a greatniece, six grandchildren, four

great-grandchildren along with aunts, uncles and cousins. Her father, Bennett Massey Sr. and brother, Bennett Massey Jr. preceded her in death.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to the Cancer Institute, St. Luke’s Foundation via their website or to 4225 Baltimore Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111.

Lafayette Gatewood, Jr.

Lafayette Gatewood, Jr., 72, of St. Louis, MO passed away peacefully on Friday, March 22, 2013 at St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis. Born September 24, 1940 in Memphis, TN to Lafayette and Marcell (Parham) Gatewood, he graduated from Melrose High School in Memphis (1958) and Rust College in Holly Springs, MS (1962) and worked for 30+ years as a Cartographer for the Defense Mapping Agency

Aerospace Center in St. Louis, MO.

Lafayette was the loving husband of Odessa (Mitchum) Gatewood for 16 years, who preceded him in death, and of Gloria (Burgess Ross) Gatewood for 32 years. He was the proud father of Lafayette Gatewood, III (Prentiss), Dr Marena Gatewood Brown, Sandra Gatewood Love (Wesley), Jackie Gatewood McCullough (Oscar), and Alan Gatewood, Sr. (Jackie); the caring step-father of Marcie Ross Dear and Tammy Ross; and often boasted of his 14 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother (Early B. Gatewood), and his two sisters (Dorothy Gatewood and Virginia Gatewood Stewart). He is survived by the family members mentioned above and a brother (Dr. Elton Gatewood) as well as numerous nieces, nephews, other family members, and friends.

Laverne Goodlow

Laverne Goodlow was born on March 31, 1935 to the union of Harry and Lillie Mae Hardin in St. Louis, MO. She was the youngest child of seventeen children. All preceded her in death.

She was educated in the St. Louis Public School System and worked at various jobs. In her late teens she accepted the Lord as her personal Savior and

was saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Spirit under the leadership of the late Pastor Justin Phillips. She was united in marriage to the love of her life, Elmer Lee Goodlow, Sr. on June 15, 1955. To this union was born one son, Elmer L. Goodlow, Jr. Evangelist Goodlow served as President of Pentecostal Temple Sunshine Band for 25 years. Many missionaries and preachers were birthed from this Sunshine Band. She also served as president of the Women’s Department, Sunday School teacher, choir member, and the weekly noonday prayer leader. Evangelist Goodlow served as president of the Evangelistic Department at Roseview COGIC,. Beautiful memories of her kindness and gentleness will be cherished by her family: devoted husband, Elder Elmer L. Goodlow, Sr. (Pastor of Roseview COGIC); son, Elmer L. Goodlow, Jr. (Beverly); four grandchildren; nine greatgrandchildren; two brothersin-law, three sisters-in-law, first cousins, a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends, and her church families, Roseview and Pentecostal Temple COGIC.

Antonio D. Duff

Lafayette Gatewood, Jr

Laverne Goodlow

Loretta Massey

Progress continues in Dellwood

With 54 percent of the vote, Alderman Reggie Jones defeated Alderman James Lovings in the race for mayor of Dellwood.

Jones was running on the same ticket with several aldermanic candidates, who are all supportive of Mayor Loretta Johnson’s work in city hall during her two years of office. All except one saw a victory on Tuesday night. Aldermen Richard Williamson, who was unopposed, and Linda Cunningham retained their seats. And with 65 percent of the vote, Bernice Lemonds crushed incumbent Karen Bober, one of the aldermen who protested for five months against dissolving the severely flawed and corrupt Dellwood Police Department.

It shows that Mayor Johnson, Dellwood’s first African-American mayor who experienced relentless pushback from the city’s old guard, was leading the residents in the direction they want to go in, Jones said.

“Voters said they want to continue the job that Mayor Loretta Johnson started,” Jones said, “such as changes in police department, upgrades to the recreation center and concentrating on fiscal management.”

Dawnn Tanksley, an incumbent alderwoman who was supportive of Johnson’s leadership, lost her seat to former police chief Fred Haunold. Haunold is currently suing the city for discrimination.

“It’s a unique situation because Fred has a lawsuit against the city and now he will be an alderman,” Jones

said. “He will be informed about decisions and all parts of litigation against the city.”

Tanksley lost by 15 votes. Jones said that he will work towards unifying the divides on the Board of Aldermen and throughout the city. “I know Fred, and I can work with him to move everything forward,” Jones said. “We need to make a ‘one Dellwood.’”

Jones’ opponent, James Lovings, was impeached on March 25 by the Dellwood Board of Aldermen.

Lovings told The American Tuesday night that he still plans to continue with his appeal of the impeachment. He said his defeat means “disaster” for the city, but he added, “I hope everyone the best and that we move forward.”

Diversity diminished in Ferguson

The most disheartening upset was in the Ferguson-Florissant School District school board race.

By only 122 votes, incumbent Charles Henson was defeated by Keith Brown a former district substitute teacher who was endorsed by the teachers union, FergusonFlorissant National Education Association. Henson captured 2,054 votes while Brown reeled in 2,176. No doubt the union’s shameful blindness to the board’s complete lack of diversity and experience contributed to the win. Henson was the only African-American board member, out of seven, in a school district with an 82

County Library still Missouri’s busiest

Passage of Prop L enabling improvements, expansion

American staff

In 2012 St. Louis County Library saw unprecedented growth in circulation and program attendance, producing the highest statistics the system has ever seen. It continues to be Missouri’s busiest library.

In 2012, St. Louis County Library circulated nearly 14.4 million items, more than the combined circulation of all other area libraries. Over 6.3 million visitors came to the library last year, more than all three local prosports teams and almost double the record-breaking attendance at the St. Louis Zoo.

More than 80 bestselling authors visited the library system in 2012, with attendance at these events exceeding 14,000.

Last year saw the largest summer reading program in the history of the library with more than 88,000 kids, teens and adults participating.

In January, it opened an expanded Eureka Hills Branch, nearly double the size of the previous location.

In addition, the library’s tax initiative, Prop L, passed by 58 percent in November. The modest tax increase will allow the library to move forward with improvements to aging buildings, including the construction of new branches.

The library is in the process of hiring a real estate broker.

The priority at this time is to replace the Tesson Ferry Branch, which opened in 1958, where mechanical systems are failing and the property features multiple sinkholes. Construction is not expected to begin until 2014. Following the passage of Prop L, year-round Sunday hours were implemented at four branches (Daniel Boone, Florissant Valley, Headquarters and Tesson Ferry). The library is also considering adding Sunday hours to other locations in 2014.

Additionally, hours at the system’s two smallest branches, Eureka Hills and Meramec Valley branches, were expanded to match the rest of the system.

Finally, the Summer Reading Club budget was increased, allowing the clubs to start in May instead of June, with better prizes and programs for all age groups. The library also continues to evolve by providing more electronic resources such as eMedia, which saw a 127 percent increase in usage last year. Follow the St. Louis County Library on Facebook or on Twitter @SLCL. View the Facilities Master Plan at www. slcl.org.

Reggie Jones, left, was elected Mayor of Dellwood on Tuesday to continue reforms initiated by Mayor Loretta Johnson (middle). In St. Louis, Mayor Francis G. Slay (right) was elected to his fourth term against nominal opposition.

percent African-American student population. Six are white males, and board member Leslie Hogshead, who is also white, retained her seat. Among all the members, Henson has the most experience in civic leadership in the community. And in his two terms, he championed the district’s efforts to promote inclusion among the students and staff.

Hogshead will now be the only board member with more than two years of experience in the district.

“It’s unfortunate for the district,” Henson said. “The board needs experience, and the lack of experience makes more of a challenge for Superintendent Art McCoy and to continue to move forward.”

Henson is a local business owner, who grew up in Ferguson. He has a son and daughter who have graduated from the district, and his younger son is still attending McCluer High School. As a student himself in the 1970s, Henson remembers being one of the few black students in a predominately white district. His mother, Pauline Henson grew up in Kinloch and was not able to attend school in the district because of her race.

Henson said he is concerned that McCoy may not have the support he needs to move the district forward.

“I was a part of hiring Dr. McCoy, and it is extremely important that he stay

supported,” Henson said. “I would like for the public and internal supporters to continue to allow McCoy the opportunity to really exercise his plan. I know it will be in the best interest for student learning.”

Status quo at Northeast Fire

The Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District’s Board of Directors will not change.

Board chair Derek C. Mays beat out his opponents LaTonya Henderson and Hatsephi Kushma, with 63 percent of the vote. Mays, an attorney, was originally appointed to his position in February 2010 by the St. Louis Circuit Court, one month after the court removed Robert Edwards from the board. Clearly he has gained the trust of the residents and district employees in his time as chairman.

Clarence E. Young, who took his board seat in October, held onto his position with 46 percent of the vote. His opponent, Lona Moore who was endorsed by a local association of AfricanAmerican fire chiefs, captured 25 percent. Tracy Porter, who seemed to be the least known, yet got 27 percent. What does this mean for Northeast? Well, that seems to depend mostly on Young. We know what to expect

from board director Bridget Quinlisk Dailey, who likes to keep it political and serve the union rather than the community. And we know Mays aims to diffuse political conflict and mediate among residents and district employees. There’s a video out there of Young using some outrageous language at a board meeting. So far as a board member, he’s kept himself together. Or was that an act for the election? We’ll see.

Slay wins fourth term

When someone with all of the Republican support wins the Democratic Primary, it’s no surprise that he then coasts to victory in the general election. Incumbent Mayor Francis G. Slay won an unprecedented fourth term with 82 percent of the vote against no Republican opponent and a nominal Green Party candidate. Comptroller Darlene Green also was reelected without opposition.

Rex and public schools

Once again, billionaire ideologue Rex Sinquefield has targeted Missouri Public School education.

Sinquefield is behind a ballot initiative petition that proposes to allow individuals and corporations to receive a state income tax credit when they donate to “Missouri not-for-profit elementary and secondary schools or school districts and Missouri not-forprofit foundations providing scholarships for Missouri secondary school graduates to attend Missouri not-for-profit higher education colleges and universities.”

On March 20, Secretary of State Jason Kander announced that the initiative petition met state standards for circulation. Sinquefield’s crew has until May 4, 2014 to gather enough signatures from registered voters. (That’s equal to eight percent of the total votes cast in the 2012 governor’s election

from six of the state’s eight congressional districts.) If they meet their goal, voters can expect to see the initiative on the November 2014 election ballot. The tax credits would be for 60 percent of the amount they donate, but the credit cannot exceed the donor’s state income tax liability for the year.

The initiative petition also states:

“Annual state government revenue may decrease by an estimated $236 million to $938 million. Annual state operating costs may increase by at least $200,000. Reduced state revenue could result in decreased state funding for local governments and public education entities. Public education entities could have an unknown increase in donation revenue.”

Sinquefield, with limited immediate success, has poured millions of dollars into political campaign contributions and funded anti-public education groups such as the Children’s Alliance of Missouri and the right-wing think tank The Show Me Institute. AFT St. Louis (Local 420) joins other public education supporters in alerting the public to Sinquefield’s newest attack by initiative petition to amend Missouri’s Constitution.

“We can’t stand by silently and witness Rex Sinquefield, a very rich man influence and control public education policies by spending unlimited funds to push his very radical agenda,” said Mary J. Armstrong, president of AFT St. Louis and member of the Executive Board of Missouri AFL-CIO and the Greater St. Louis Labor Council.

“His latest venture into changing public education policy is filing an initiative petition to amend Missouri’s Constitution. This would remove local school district control of the evaluation of teachers and other school employees plus would utilize test scores from mandated state controlled assessment(s) as a percentage of evaluations.”

Voices for Children honors judges

Judge Edwards and Judge Burton are ‘Community Superheroes’

American staff

On Thursday, April 18, Voices for Children will present Judge Jimmie M. Edwards and Judge Michael D. Burton with the 2013 Community Superhero Awards at its annual Be the Difference Benefit. The event will be held at

Windows On Washington (1601 Washington Ave.. A cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception starts at 6 p.m. with dinner and program following.

Judge Edwards served as Administrative Judge of the 22nd Judicial Circuit’s Family Court in the City of St. Louis from 2007 to 2012, and Judge Burton served as Administrative Judge of the 21st Judicial Circuit’s Family Court in St. Louis County from 2008 to 2012. During their tenures, both were committed to improving the way the system works for children in foster care and embraced Voices’ staff of

Judge Jimmie M. Edwards and Judge Michael D. Burton

Term limits for mayor?

When Lewis Reed, president of the city’s Board of Aldermen, announced his candidacy for St. Louis mayor, challenging incumbent Francis G. Slay who was seeking his fourth consecutive term in office, I asked, “Will the race be divisive and will the contest reflect the bitterness of some of the past struggles for control?”

Bernie Hayes

The answer was a resounding yes.

child advocacy professionals and Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers as part of the solution. Voices for Children, which recently merged with CASA of St. Louis County, advocates for abused and neglected children and youth in St. Louis by representing their best interests in court and in the community. Voices is a member of the National CASA Association and the United Way. For reservations or information, call 314-5522512, visit www.voicesstl.org/events or e-mail dasoldavini@voices-stl.org.

My question now is should St. Louis mayors be limited to two consecutive terms in office?

Before Slay, no St. Louis mayor has ever been elected to a fourth four-year term, and only one has tried. Slay becomes the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history, surpassing Henry Kiel, who served from 1913–1925.

Another question was, “Will race and ethnicity be relevant to the determination of who will occupy room 200 in City Hall?” Again, a reverberating yes. I noted the role of ethnic identity and how it frames the formulationofpoliciesrelated toeducation,employmentand housing.And I emphasized that ethnicity should not play a part in the contest, but it unquestionably did. It seemed race was the predominant and most important concern Elections are an opportunity for voters to distinguish between contenders and their vision for the office that they seek. These fundamental rights and these contests should transcend race, age and gender, but unfortunately they do not in the City of St. Louis, and not always in St. Louis, Madison, St. Clair, St. Charles or Jefferson counties. The Civil War continues.

The Missouri General Assembly established term limits for their members: four consecutive two-year terms for House members totaling eight years, and two four-year consecutive terms for Senate members, also limiting them to eight years. Office holders may be elected again to the other house, but not serve more than 16 years. Should two consecutive terms be a standard for the City of St. Louis?

Here are some quotes from Debate.org. When the website asked the question concerning politicians and term limits, here are a few of their quotes:

“I believe there should be a limit on the number of terms an individual can serve in any political office so that the government could consist of public servants rather than career politicians.

“Our current system, which allows most political offices to be held for an unlimited number of terms provided the individual receives adequate votes, allows for career politicians whose only goal is to serve their own interests. If we placed a limit on terms, it would allow a proper rotation of citizens serving in office

as true representatives of the people and reduce the ease of lobbyists to buy favors from politicians.”

Another said: “I am for term limits on elected officials, because it is important for fresh faces to get a higher chance to take office. Most incumbents have a higher chance of winning an election, compared to newcomers.”

One person argued, “Yes, there should be limits on the number of terms elected officials may serve because we don’t want or need career politicians who don’t understand the problems facing real people. It would also help reduce the influence of special interest groups because fresh faces will not be as easy to convince to vote a certain way.”

Rev. Larry Rice of the New Life Evangelistic Center has created a petition for persons to sign who want term limits for mayors and some other local officials. What about the County Executive’s office, or local municipalities? Should they face the same limitations as state elected officials? What about your local, county, state or government representatives? Do you have an opinion? Please watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday Night at 10pm and Friday Morning at 9 am and Sunday Evenings at 5:30 pm on KNLCTV Ch. 24. I can be reached by fax at (314) 837-3369 on e-mail at berhay@swbell.net

SCIENCE CORNER

Topology is a type of mathematics that covers distorted shapes. in topology, objects or shapes that are distorted or changed in shape will still have the same properties, such as volume. in the eyes of topologists, two items are the same if they can be distorted without being torn or cut.

if you have soft clay (or play dough), you can observe the theory of topology. you can twist, stretch, bend, and mold the clay to create different shapes. No matter

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

in this experiment, you will investigate topology. Topology is the theory that changing shapes of an object does not change the volume. remember, to calculate volume, you will multiply length, width, and height.

Materials Needed:

Modeling Clay • Ruler • Graph Paper

• Permanent Markers in 3 Colors

• Rolling Pin

Procedure: form the modeling clay into a square or rectangular shape. Mark the sides with the permanent markers, using different colors for length, width and height. Use the ruler to measure the length, width and height, and record the results. Use the rolling pin to flatten the shape. keep the edges square while changing the shape of the clay. Measure length, width and height

MATH CONNECTION

To calculate the area of a rectangle, you will multiply length times width. Use the formula to solve the following problems.

q if the length of a rectangle is 7 yards, and the area is 42 yards squared, what is the width?____________

w if the width of a rectangle is 8 meters, and the area is 96 meters squared, what is the length?

DID YOU KNOW?

The name of the popular search engine

‘Google’ came from a misspelling of the word ‘googol’, which is a very, very large number (the number one followed by one hundred zeros to be exact). t

AfriCAN AMEriCAN EvEryMAN—ToPoLogiST, MAThEMATiCiAN, BLACkSMiTh, AND PoET:

what size or shape you create, your clay will weigh the same. you will still have the same amount of clay. you can also use a rubber band to observe the theory of topology. you can create the figure eight with a rubber band, or create an oblong shape.

For An Introduction to Topology, Visit: http://2000clicks.com/Mathhelp/ BasicSetTopologykidsintro.aspx http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/totopology1.htm

Learning Standards: i can read nonfiction text to gain background information about a mathematical topic.

again and record. Continue flattening the shape while keeping the edges square and stopping to measure and record the length, width and height of the object. Try to get at least 10 examples. Calculate the volume of each recorded shape by multiplying the length, width and height. Compare the results. The volume should be the same for all shapes.

Evaluate: What did you observe as you changed the shape? Did the volume change or stay the same? What did this experiment teach you about topology?

Learning Standards: i can follow step-bystep directions to complete an experiment. i can analyze and record the results.

Calculate Area

e if the length of a triangle is 7 inches, and the width is 4 inches, what is the area? ________________

r if the width of a triangle is 9 feet, and the height is 6 feet, what is the area? _______________

t if the area of a rectangle is 7000 meters squared, and the width is 70 meters, what is the height? ________

y if the area of a triangle is 48 yards squared, and the length is 8 yards, what is the width? _____________

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

Trigonometry is the study of the relationship between the angles of triangles and their sides.

It wasn’t until the 16th century that most mathematical symbols were invented. Before this time math equations were written in words, making it very time consuming.

Scott Warner Williams

Scott Warner Williams was born on April 22, 1943 in Staten island, New york. his mother took him to visit Massachusetts institute of Technology when his family was on vacation in Boston when he was 12. During that visit, he told his family he would earn a Ph. D. in mathematics. he received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics form Morgan State College in 1964. he earned a Master of Science in Mathematics from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1967. While at Lehigh University, he co-founded the Black Uhuru Society with the other three minority students enrolled at the university. in 1969, Williams fulfilled his promise and earned his Ph.D in Mathematics from Lehigh University. his focus of study was topology, which is the theory that although shapes can be distorted and changed, their properties remain the same.

Williams served as a research Associate in the Department of Mathematics at Pennsylvania State University from 1968 to 1971 and was appointed an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at State University of New york (SUNy) at Buffalo, 1971 to 1985, and made a full professor in 1985.

Dr. Williams was one of two founders of Black and Third World Mathematicians, the first African American Mathematics Society, which became The National Association of Mathematicians (NAM). he has also served on the Editorial Board of the Notices of the American Mathematical Society, the Advisory Board for the Summer Conferences on Topology and Applications. Currently, he is a regular columnist and a graphics images editor with the online journal Topology Atlas and presently editor of the National Association of Mathematics. from 1972-1983, Williams worked as an Artist Blacksmith. his work has appeared in numerous art galleries and craft shows around the United States, including The Smithsonian. Williams has published poetry and short stories. in 1997, he was awarded the fatherhood and family Award of the year in Buffalo, Ny, for his work in the community.

Learning Standards: i can read a biography to learn about an African American who made contributions in the field of mathematics.

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete the following activities:

Shape Attributes

identify 2 dimensional shapes (circle, rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid, and triangle). Cut them out of the newspaper, then paste them into a chart according to their attributes. Do the same with 3 dimensional shapes (rectangular prism, cylinder, pyramid, and sphere).

Polygon Perimeters

Locate and circle 4 verbs in a news story. Use a ruler to connect the verbs like a dot-to-dot puzzle to form a polygon. Measure and label each side of your polygon with an inch ruler. Add the lengths of the sides to find the perimeter. Write the perimeter in the center of your polygon. Try it again with nouns or adjectives.

Learning Standards: i can use the newspaper to locate, describe, and create geometric shapes and properties.

First black to lead Central Command

General Lloyd Austin breaks another barrier in military

By Valerie Jarrett

On March 22, General Lloyd Austin became the first African American to lead the U.S. Central Command, which has a wide-ranging area of responsibility for 20 countries in the Middle East and southwest Asia.

“General Austin brings to this position combat experience gained on the unforgiving battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. He has commanded some of

the Army’s most storied formations, including the 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain Divisions, as well as the 18th Airborne Corps,” Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said during the change of command ceremony.

“With his calm demeanor, strategic vision, regional experience and knowledge, and proven judgment – and with the love and support of Charlene and their children – I am confident General Austin is prepared to lead this command at a time of dramatic change, challenge, and turmoil in its area of responsibility.”

In his 37-year career, General Austin has continually broken barriers for African Americans in the U.S. Army. He was also the first African American to serve in his previous position as the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. His

n “Lloyd Austin leads from where he is whether it is on the front line of a battlefield or a situation room in the Pentagon.”

– Benjamin Akande, Webster University

important time, overseeing the drawdown of U.S. forces and equipment while simultaneously helping to ensure that hard-fought security gains were preserved and that Iraqis could secure and govern themselves,” then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said in a statement last December.

General Austin introduced President Obama when he spoke to soldiers at Fort Bliss last August. In his remarks, President Obama acknowledged General Austin’s extraordinary leadership in Iraq, overseeing the withdrawal of 150,000 troops. General Austin succeeds Marine Corps General James Mattis.

Austin honed some of his management skills while taking classes at Webster University in Kansas City. He received his Master’s in Management from Webster in 1989.

historic career includes leading the 3rd Infantry Division in the opening months of the Iraq war, where he earned a Silver Star for valor. General Austin later commanded divisions in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and

commanded U.S. Forces-Iraq from September 2010 through the completion of the mission in December 2011.

“During his final deployment to Iraq, Gen. Austin led our military efforts at a particularly

“Lloyd would bring an important combination of strategic thinking, regional knowledge and proven judgment to one of the most critical posts in the department.”

“Lloyd Austin leads from where he is whether it is on the front line of a battlefield or a situation room in the Pentagon,” said Benjamin Akande, dean of the Walker School of Business at Webster University. “We are proud that this dedicated alum is able to share his expertise with so many and to make a difference in so many lives.”

Valerie Jarrett is a senior adviser to President Barack Obama and Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.

General Lloyd Austin

Photo courtesy of Rod Lamkey

BUSINESS

Fighting poverty by helping entrepreneurs

Legal Services provides pro bono help to grass-roots startups

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of The St.Louis American

Since its launch in 2011, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s Community Economic Development Program has aided a high percentage of African Americans and women. Of the program’s 120 clients, 88 percent were African Americans and over half were women, according to staff attorney Laurie Hauber. The program provides free one-onone legal representation for low-income entrepreneurs operating startup or existent businesses and non-profit organizations in underserved St. Louis communities.

“We began to notice a real need to assist organizations and entrepreneurs with legal issues.”

– Jim Guest, Legal Services of

Eastern Missouri

“We have an active volunteer lawyers program at Legal Services that pairs clients with lawyers within the community who are willing to provide pro bono assistance,” said Jim Guest, director of the Volunteer Lawyers

Program at LSEM. “We began to notice a real need to assist organizations and entrepreneurs with legal issues as they were trying to make their organizations run more effectively legally.”

The Community Economic Development Program relies on its volunteer lawyers and has partnerships with several law firms, inhouse corporate legal departments, and solo practitioners who work on a pro bono basis. It offers free business legal services tackling matters such as trade name protection, commercial leases and loans, zoning compli-

See PRO BONO, B2

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Arnold Donald

Arnold Donald has been appointed to the Bank of America Corporation Board of Directors. Donald, a St. Louis resident, is former chairman and chief executive officer of Merisant Co. and an investor and management consultant operating through his private firm, AWD Group Plc, LLC. Most recently he was president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council and of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International.He spent more than 20 years at Monsanto Co.

Stephanie Godwin-Chu has been named the Senior Director of Enrollment at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri. Godwin-Chu leads the agency’s enrollment department which schedules and conducts interviews for families and volunteers in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Jefferson County and St. Charles County. Her team’s focus is placing positive mentors in the lives of children for the purpose of building trusting and enduring relationships.

ChristopherMiller won an Outstanding Defense Witness Award at the 2013 American Mock Trial Association’s regional competition.Miller is anUrban Affairs major at Harris-Stowe State University. The other members of the HSSU Pre-Law/Mock Trial Association team were Michael Tabb, Frederick Brown, Freddie Brown, Josh Johnson, Jonathan Henderson, Jaymie Conley and Dale McClure. Johndavid Kerr is team founder and faculty advisor.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Kwame honored nationally forEngineering Excellence

Kwame Building Group, Inc. and the other members of the Tri-Gold joint venture of HDR, Jacobs and Kwame recently were honored by the ACEC/PA for their work on the Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) North Shore Connector light rail extension project. The team received a Diamond Honor Award for Engineering Excellence – Transportation.

The North Shore Connector project included a first-of-a-kind tunnel bored under the Allegheny River, cutting-edge architectural designs, innovative heavy civil construction, and achievements in art and archeology. Tri-Gold provided construction management of the 1.2-mile extension.

Construction team on BJH project has 22 percent MBE

Clock ticking to claim yourrefund

By Alma M.Scarborough For The St.Louis American

Brandeis study says policies and practicesnot personal behavior –drive disparities

By Charlene Crowell Center for Responsive Lending

As long as most of us can remember, black communities have taught and believed that a college education is the key to social and economic advancement. But according to a new research and policy brief by Brandeis University scholars, that long-held belief is only one of several factors affecting Black America’s ability to build wealth.

After Brandeis University’s Institute on Assets and Policies traced 1,700 working Americans households over 25 years, the researchers found that the wealth gap between white and black families nearly tripled, increasing from $85,000 in 1984 to $236,500 in 2009. For each dollar in income increase during these years, white wealth grew $5.19 Wealth gap triples over 25 years

See GAP, B2

Does the Internal Revenue Service have a refund check for you because you failed to file your 2009 federal tax return?

Are you due an earned income tax credit and not received it because you have not filed a tax return for 2009?

Well, may I have your attention, please?

If you haven’t filed your 2009 federal tax return, you may still have time to claim your tax refund. The IRS has $917 million in unclaimed refunds from an estimated 984,000 tax returns that people didn’t file for the 2009 tax year. The IRS estimates that half the potential refunds for 2009 are more than $500.

2.Three-yearwindow. You have three years to claim a refund. If you don’t claim your refund within three years, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury. For 2009 returns, the window closes on April 15, 2013. You must properly address, postmark and mail your return by that date. There is no penalty for filing a late return if you are due a refund.

3.Don’t miss the EITC By not filing a return, you may miss an important credit — the Earned Income Tax Credit. For 2009, the credit is worth as much as $5,657. The EITC can put extra money in the pockets of individuals and families with low and moderate incomes.

Here are some things the IRS wants you to know about unclaimed refunds:

1.Not required to file. You may not have filed a 2009 tax return because you didn’t earn enough income to have a filing requirement. If you had taxes withheld from your wages or made quarterly estimated payments, you can still file a return and claim your refund.

If you are eligible for the EITC, you must file a federal income tax return to claim the credit. This is true even if you are not otherwise required to file. Don’t get it twisted. The money that you are due for a refund or for a tax credit will not miraculously appear in your bank account or mail box. You must file a tax return to get it. If I sound repetitious, it is by design.

Alma M Scarborough: taxhitlady@sbcglobal.net; www.taxhitlady.com.

McGrath & Associates has assembled a diverse construction team for the expansion of the Pain Management Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Approximately 23 percent of the work is contracted with minority-owned businesses MBE) and 3 percent with women-owned businesses (WBE). McGrath is providing construction management services; the design team includes OWH and EDM Inc. MBE subcontractors include Miller Building Group, Deluca/BE Scaife, Mechanical Solutions and Guarantee/TD4. WBE subcontractors include Pro Insulation and Waterhout.

The project will expand the BJH Pain Management Center into a new 11,000-square-foot space on the 14th floor of the Center for Advanced Medicine. Construction began in February and will be completed in late May.

County taxpayers have until July 1 to review property values

Real property values for St. Louis County released last week by St. Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman show that the median residential property value is down 7 percent, while many properties in areas with high levels of foreclosure sales are down 12 percent or more. These values are preliminaryand can still be changed by the Assessor’s office until July 1. After the Assessor certifies the assessment roll on July 1, values can only be changed by an order of the St. Louis County Board of Equalization. Zimmerman said, “I encourage all St. Louis County taxpayers to look at their preliminary values online and let us know of any issues before Missouri law requires me to close the book on this year.” The 2013 preliminary real property values may be viewed online at http://revenue.stlouisco.com/ias. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314-6154500 (residential property owners) or 314-615-4984 (commercial property owners).

Alma M. Scarborough

Photo by Wiley Price

Jim Guest,director of the Volunteer Lawyers Programat Legal Services of Eastern Missouri,Laurie Hauber,staff attorney of Community Economic Development Program at LSEM,Jackie Lomax,owner of Cookie Lady on Wheels,LLC,and Daniel K.Glazier,executive director & general counsel at LSEM.

Stephanie Godwin-Chu

Christopher Miller

By Jason Alderman

Insurance you can probably do without

I’m a big believer in having the appropriate amount of insurance, especially when it comes to your health and personal liability. But if money is tight and you want to get the most bang for your buck, there are a few types of insurance you can probably do without –or that may duplicate coverage you already have elsewhere:

Extended warranties. When you buy a car, appliance or electronic device, the salesclerk usually will try to sell you an extended warranty. These policies often duplicate coverage already provided in the manufacturer’s warranty. Plus, many credit cards provide an additional warranty on items purchased with the card.

Smartphone insurance.

PRO BONO

Continued from B1

ance, franchising and mergers.

Jackie Lomax, owner of the startup Cookie Lady on Wheels, LLC, realized she needed help traversing the legal maze of registering and trade marking her business. She had heard about the Legal Services program at Grace Hill where she had recently completed a lengthy business development class for minorities and women at the Women’s Business Center. Client referrals for the Community Economic Development Program are often the result of strategic partnerships with organizations like Grace Hill, Hauber says. After an initial consultation

After shelling out big bucks for a smartphone, you might be tempted to buy replacement insurance. Just be aware that you’ll probably pay a hefty deductible and likely receive a refurbished phone, possibly not even the same model. My advice: Keep your old phone to reactivate in case you drop or lose the new one.

Flight accident insurance. The risk of dying in a plane crash is miniscule and already covered by regular life insurance. Also check your credit card cardholder agreement, since many cover such accidents for tickets purchased with their card.

Child life insurance. Life insurance is intended to provide economic protection for a person’s dependents, so unless your children are movie stars

to determine whether Lomax was eligible for the program’s services, Hauber referred her new client to attorneys Jane Cohen, of Jane Cohen, LLC, and Morris Turek, founder and owner of YourTrademarkAttorney.com.

“Mr. Morris met with me and told me all the different rules and regulations with having a trademark, which I didn’t really understand,” Lomax said. “He helped me understand trademarks in laymen’s terms.”

Lomax then obtained a micro-loan from Justine Petersen, a nonprofit organization specializing in working with individuals and families who have low to moderate incomes. Justine Petersen assists with credit building and financial education, homeownership preparation and reten-

PERSONAL FINANCE

supporting you, this coverage is probably unnecessary. You can better protect their future by stowing those monthly premiums in an emergency savings account or buying additional term life insurance for yourself.

Pet insurance. With veterinary treatments now rivaling human medicine (organ transplants, chemotherapy, etc.), you could easily spend a small fortune keeping Fido alive. Before buying pet insurance, however, compare plan features carefully and weigh the expense you’d pay out over your pet’s lifetime. For example, monthly premiums increase with your pet’s age, deductibles and copayments

tion, micro-enterprise lending and training. Lomax also placed herself on a waiting list for a small business incubator space, which Justine Petersen offers at both of its locations in St. Louis and East St. Louis.

“You share the kitchen with other entrepreneurs but you also have an office,” Lomax said. “And when I get this particular space, that’s when I’m able to go out into public. I have to be in a certified kitchen.”

Lomax bakes her “delicious homemade cookies” to sell to family and friends in the meantime, which is her only source of income. She is a former special education teacher who taught in the St. Louis and Normandy public school districts. Her dream is to be a wholesaler selling her cookies to stores and caterers.

It’s all about removing barriers so that people can attain the “American dream,” says Daniel K. Glazier, executive director & general counsel of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

“We help our clients survive and ultimately thrive,” Glazier said. “The opportunity to help folks be able to effectuate a dream of owning their own business or starting their own not-for-profit is a way to both empower these folks and fight poverty.”

For more information, contact Laurie Hauber at 314256-8747 or ljhauber@lsem.org.

Follow this reporter on Twitter @BridjesONeil.

are typically higher than for human coverage and there are usually predetermined per-year and per-condition caps. Plus, preexisting and hereditary conditions usually are not covered.

Rental car insurance. In most cases, the optional insurance offered by car rental agencies duplicates existing coverage you already have. However, before automatically rejecting agency coverage, ask your insurance company and credit card issuer whether you are fully covered for rental cars. Afew considerations:

ï Coverage through your auto policy often expires after 30 days or less of rent-

GAP

Continued from B1 while black wealth growth amounted to 69 cents.

“Our analysis found little evidence to support common perceptions about what underlies the ability to build wealth, including the notion that personal attributes and behavioral choices are key pieces of the equation,” Brandeis’Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) stated.

“Instead, the evidence points to policy and the configuration of both opportunities and barriers in workplaces, schools, and communities that reinforce deeply entrenched racial dynamics in how wealth is accumulated and that continue to permeate the most important spheres of everyday life.”

IASPranked the biggest drivers of America’s racial wealth gap: 1. Years of homeownership; 2. Household income; 3. Unemployment; 4. College education and 5. Inheritance/other financial support

On average, white families became homeowners eight years earlier than black families. Oftentimes

ing the car.

ï Sports cars, luxury models, SUVs and trucks are often excluded.

ï Travel outside service areas typically is forbidden –especially across foreign borders or in rough terrain.

ï If you don’t carry comprehensive and collision coverage on your own car, your insurance may not cover a rental. Also, ask whether such coverage is limited to your own car’s value, since most rentals are new.

ï Ask what happens if you violate rental agreement terms (e.g., driving recklessly or allowing unauthorized drivers).

Specified disease insurance. Some people take out supplemental health and life insurance against specific conditions such as cancer,

inheritance and other financial support favored families with pre-existing wealth. With more white families able to receive family financial assistance, make larger up-front payments for home purchases, they benefited from lowered interest rates and lending costs.

By contrast, black homeowners were more likely to have high-interest, risky mortgages even when income and credit scores were comparable to those of whites. As labor market instability tended to affect blacks more negatively than whites, accrued monetary assets became the vehicle to withstand the lack of income and eliminated many opportunities to invest to build wealth. As a result, black mortgage borrowers became more than twice as likely to lose their homes to foreclosure.

Brandeis also found that for white families, homeownership represents 39 percent of family wealth, but it’s 53 percent of black wealth. Due to historic differences in access to credit, the homeownership rate for white homeowners is also 28 percent higher than the same rate for black families.

The State of Lending in America and its Impact on U.S. Households (State of Lending, http://rspnsb.li/stateoflending) published earlier by the Center for Responsible Lending cited similar Pew data that found from 20002010, black family wealth dropped 53 percent, and Hispanic families lost 66 percent. By comparison, average white household wealth

heart disease or stroke. Before buying, make sure you have adequate major medical insurance, which already covers such conditions. And carefully review the policy for restrictions. For example, many cancer insurance policies won’t pay for outpatient care or cover skin cancer, and impose fixed-dollar limits on specific procedures.

When it comes to your budget – and your family’s security – it pays to know which insurance is essential and which you can probably skip.

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.

dropped only 16 percent.

“The paradox is that even as homeownership has been the main avenue to building wealth for African Americans, it has also increased the wealth disparity between whites and blacks,” according to the IASP report.

“Wealth in black families tends to be close to what is needed to cover emergency savings while wealth in white families is well beyond the emergency threshold and can be saved or invested more readily.”

So is a college education still a part of building wealth? The answer is still yes. But the rising costs of college and mounting student loan debts together lead to more students – both black and white – leaving school to earn a steady income before graduation.For black college graduates, 80 percent begin their careers with student debt. For white college grads, the corresponding portion with debt is 64 percent. Reflecting on these findings, Tatjana Meschede, the report’s co-author observed, “Public policies play a major role in widening the already massive racial wealth gap, and they must play a role in closing it. We should be investing in prosperity and equity. Instead we are advancing toxic inequality. AU-turn is needed.”

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

“The bone is six inches out of his leg and all he is yelling at us is ‘Win the game! Win the game!’ That is a special young man.”

– Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino,on sophomore guard Kevin Ware

INSIDE SPORTS

With Earl Austin Jr.

From Wellston to Wooden

Ben McLemore named to All-America Team

The list of postseason accolades continues to grow for former Wellston High basketball star Ben McLemore

Earl Austin,Jr.

My 50-year All-Metro Team consisted of Jo Jo White, Steve Stipanovich, LaPhonso Ellis, Larry Hughes and Bradley Beal.

The 6’5” McLemore just completed a stellar freshman season at Kansas by setting the freshman scoring record. On Monday, McLemore was named to the 10member John Wooden Award All-American Team. The 2013 Wooden Award Gala will take place on April 11-13 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. As a freshman, McLemore averaged 15.9 points, which broke the record held by former KU All-American Danny Manning. His 589 points and 87 percent free throw shooting were also new KU freshman records. Among McLemore’s other postseason awards include: United States Basketball Writers Association Freshman AllAmerica; All Big 12 Conference First Team; Lute Olson All-American Team; USBWAAll-American Second Team; Sporting News Third Team All-America.

Those are just a few of McLemore’s many accomplishments

See INSIDE, B5

NTHE CLUTCH With Ishmael H.Sistrunk

Gottlieb goes there

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Last Thursday, Doug Gottlieb made quite the fool of himself as he delivered an illtimed, awkwardly-delivered joke on the set of CBS Sports’ NCAAtournament coverage. Perched in the middle of esteemed sportscaster Greg Gumbel and former NBAplayers Greg Anthony, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, Gottlieb made a grand entrance onto the telecast.

“Cream rising to the crop, I don’t know why you guys are asking me. I’m just here to bring diversity to the set,” Gottlieb stated. “Kind of bring the white man’s perspective.” To make matters worse,

Gottlieb was a little too hey bro-ish with his hand and arm motions for my taste. He seemed as if he was trying to prove he was “down for the cause” instead of just talking basketball. Of course, the Internet went crazy. Some deemed Gottlieb a racist. Others called those upset with the comments too sensitive. We endure this back-and-forth nearly every time a sports or news personality acknowledges the race of someone else. While there’s no quick answer to the question asking when race will become irrelevant in discussion, we’re clearly not there just yet. However,

Until we completely resolve race issues in American, sometimes you just have to keep your mouth shut.

I offer a simple acknowledgement that will make life easier for everyone. There’s a double standard in sports life. Deal with it. Let’s not act, even for an instant, that when Gottlieb stepped onto the stage with Gumbel, Anthony, Smith and Barkley that he didn’t feel uncomfortable as the only white guy on the set. Gottlieb should have felt honored to share screen time with one of the best sportscasters in the biz, a Hall of Fame player and two other former pros that have made the difficult transition from on the court to on-camera seemingly seamless. Instead he felt uncomfortable. There’s no doubt Gottlieb has been exposed to our coun-

try’s culture portraying black men as dangerous. Some of that is self-inflicted, as part of the black entertainment culture embraces that dangerous image. Other images are systematic in how the mainstream media treats people of color involved in scandals or criminal charges in comparison with whites.

I’m also certain the show’s black hosts have been in a position where they felt the “white man” was out to take away their freedom or power at some point. Whether it’s an unnecessary stop by police, overenthusiastic disdain from the right for President Obama or that elevator purse clutch that 99 percent of black men have witnessed, it’s clear we are seen as threats by some The clumsy and uncomfortable way Gottlieb delivered his now infamous remarks and the consensus “oh, no he didn’t”

Boys Fab Five

St. Louis American’s best of the preps

By Earl Austin Jr. Of the

The members of the

described with one word: Versatility. These talented young men are capable of playing anywhere on the floor and they proved it by leading their respective teams to excellent seasons. For all-around brilliance, you have Malcolm Hill of Belleville East and Deshawn Munson of East St. Louis. Senior Garret Covington of Edwardsville and Keenan Minor of Cahokia can shoot it as well as anyone in the Midwest region. Meanwhile, senior Martavian Payne of Madison Prep brought all-around excellence to the court every night in leading the Bears to a state championships.

Here is a capsule look at the members of the 2013 St LouisAmerican “Fab Five” Boys All-Star Team.

Garret Covington (Edwardsville) – The 6’5” senior was one of the shooting stars for the Tigers, who finished with a 31-3 record and finished third in the Illinois Class 4A state tournament. A tremendous 3-point shooter, Covington connected on 105 treys this season. For the season, he averaged 18.3 points and eight rebounds a game to lead a very talented Edwardsville team. Covington has signed to play at Western Illinois University.

Malcolm Hill (Belleville East) –The 2013 St Louis American Player of the Year, the 6’7” Hill concluded his stellar career as the all-time leading scorer at Belleville East. Afantastic allaround player, Hill averaged 25.3 points a game. He also averaged 6.1

See FAB FIVE, B5

look from the cast merely highlighted the division on national TV. If anybody’s social radar was on vacation, Smith’s follow up comment shined a beacon on the tension: “Oh, I’m free, might I add.” On CNN, pundits debated

whether it would have even been a story had the

on

if

in

CBS Sports co-host Doug Gottlieb said he was bringing “the white man’s perspective”to a show where the other hosts are all black.

On Monday,Ben McLemore was named to the 10-member John Wooden Award All-American Team. The former Wellston High basketball star just completed a stellar freshman season at Kansas.

shoe been

the other foot. Honestly,

Barkley had made a similar comment sitting

between Bob Costas, Craig Sager, Jeff

I had a chance to visit with Mike Tyson, and I came away with the notion that he is still a fascinating person that at times has been misread and unfairly stereotyped. He is sharper than he has ever been credit for.

Tyson, who will be appearing at the Peabody on Friday in a one-man play, still has moments that he is trying to shake when it comes to his past.

“I’m just glad I did not kill anybody or get killed myself,” Tyson said.

The former heavyweight champion’s life has been on display to the world for the last 20 years, and not all of it has been pleasant. The financial, marital, abusive life of Mike Tyson is a story that made it to Broadway in this one-man play that has received positive reviews.

With Mike Claiborne

The undisputed Tyson

game, Tyson was quick with the answer: “Not at all. I have been to gyms and watched guys train but I never, ever had the notion to ever want to get near the ring again. I am at a good place in my life now with a great family for support.”

Mike Tyson took a lot from the sport of boxing and the sport extracted a great deal from him as well. As he embarks upon a new venture with his production, if you are a fan of the sport, one can only hope that Tyson will someday give back with his knowledge and understanding.

Mike Claiborne

Tyson is not your average former pro athlete. One thing that he has never gotten credit for is the knowledge that he carries. While he shies away from the fight game, there are just a handful of people on the planet who have a better knowledge of the history of the sport of boxing. Few understand the dynamics of what it takes in the ring to win. I always thought Tyson would be a great analyst for one of the boxing networks. He should write a book about the sport and its history.

Tyson still trains as if he were in the ring without the hint of even hitting a bag in anger.

“I work out everyday for a couple of hours to keep my mind and body clean. All the years of training for fights has kept me in the routine,” said the former champ. Asked if he misses the fight

For now though, it is full speed ahead with respect to the play, The Undisputed Truth. If the tour remains successful, Tyson hopes to take it to other parts of the world. After that, he hopes his wife Kiki will have other projects for him to mull over and get involved in.

For now the former champ has gone from boxing to wrestling some of the demons at times. But for the most part he is gracious, thoughtful and eloquent in his new venture and the demands that come with it. If things hold up, he could be the champ once again, only this time it will be onstage.

Paid less to practice less

While there is no blocking and tackling taking place at the moment, the NFLseason is well under way. Yes, the silly season is here.

You know, the season where players who have the so called big contracts are asked to take a pay cut and when they refuse they get cut.

Or how about the player who leaves a team because he

in a one-man play,still

cannot fit under the salary cap only to sign with another team

where they seldom play through the life of the contract because (you guessed it) his salary no longer fits under the cap.

In this era where the players were locked out during the last labor unrest and safety issues have now come up, not one of these so-called geniuses thought it was a good idea that when they got locked out to demand more guarantees like their brethren of the NBA, MLB and NHL.

Yet they feel real good about not having to practice twice a day in the summer. Yep, that is the ticket, practice less and get paid less in the end.

While you may hear about the big paydays of a few, most can only count on the guaranteed money that is included in the signing bonus and other

CLUTCH

Continued from C5

Van Gundy and Larry Bird, nobody would have cared. Everybody on set would have chuckled and laughed at silly ol’Charles.

But Barkley is a comedian of sorts, and yet still a guy who has no problems saying whatever is on his mind and chucking you through a glass window if you have something to say about it. So while it wouldn’t have been a story on the nine o’clock news, the laughter on set would have still had an uncomfortable tinge –because it’s true.

roster incentives. The average pay per year pales in comparison to the other sports and yet this sport has the shortest shelf life. a

How can this be in this day and age? The big money is paid up front to the player and the owners always bank on the notion that the player will not be around when the bigger money is due on the back end of the contract.

With such a one-sided deal in favor of the owners, why even bother signing a contract when the owners can pull the plug anytime they want? I guess it is what it is and the players, no matter what generation, just let it happen year after year.

The silly season gets even sillier when you see the amount of money that teams pay players in the off season.

Although I’ve never met him, I don’t think for an instant that he is racist.I’m not calling for his resignation, referring him to the nearest KKK office, picketing CBS or anything of the likes. Gottlieb was for an instant:uncomfortable, honest and idiotic all wrapped in one.

Gottlieb later apologized for the comment and called it a

The Dallas Cowboys made a $55 million commitment to quarterback Tony Romo who has yet to be part of a winning tradition. Romo has been part of exactly one playoff win for the Cowboys. Romo is not by himself, as receiver Mike Wallace was given a busload of money for being considered one of the fastest players in all of football who has yet to live up to the hype. It will be interesting to see how many of the players who sign big free agent deals are still on the team in the final year of the contract. For those who refuse to have their deal restructured or flat out take a pay cut, once they are cut loose because of ego, seldom do they find a better deal anywhere else. Welcome to the NFL.

bad joke. “It was not a smart thing to say,” he admitted. In the end, he was probably right. Someone in the control tower likely thought to themselves, “Hey, we need to get a white guy in there.” Gottlieb was their man.

Although I’ve never met him, I don’t think for an instant that he is racist. I’m not calling for his resignation, referring him to the nearest KKK office, picketing CBS or anything of the likes. Gottlieb was for an instant: uncomfortable, honest and idiotic all wrapped in one.

Until we completely resolve race issues in American, sometimes you just have to keep your mouth shut. Gottlieb didn’t quite get it and learned the hard way. Leave the jokes to the comedians, Sir Charles included.

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

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson,who will be appearing at the Peabody on Friday

has moments that he is trying to shake when it comes to his past

Boxing Hall of Fame fights and ceremony

Gateway Classic Sports Foundation hosts Thursday, April 18

American staff

The St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation in collaboration with Ameren and Andy’s Seasoning, will host live boxing as part of its annual Boxing Hall of Fame Ceremony on Thursday, April 18, at the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Complex, 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. Following a sold out event last year, the Foundation will recognize 13 individuals from the Boxing community including DeAndre Latimore and Bernie Miklasz, who will receive the Gary Bess Award for his outstanding contributions to the St. Louis Boxing community. Other honorees include James Hook, Joe Pound, Danny Bostic, Eric Benford, Steve Nelson, Daryl Wiggins, Ken Green, Hollie Dunaway, Jessie Finney, Gil Garcia and Tom Wheatley. The accomplishments of each new inductee will be highlighted during the induction ceremony, as they join the

Continued from B3

rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.9 blocks in leading the Lancers to a 24-4 record and the Southwestern Conference championship. Hill was also a finalist for the prestigious Mr. Basketball award in the state of Illinois. He will continue his career at the University of Illinois next season.

Keenan Minor(Cahokia) – One of the premiere shooters in the St. Louis metropolitan area, the 6’2” Minor finished his career by leading the Comanches to a school-record 33 victories and a berth in the Illinois Class 3Astate-champi-

INSIDE

Continued from B3

from the 2013 season. McLemore is also very high on the National Basketball Association Draft boards as well. He is projected to be a certain high-lottery pick should he come out early, even as high as No. 1 in some mock drafts.

50-year All-Metro Team

If you had a chance to see last Sunday’s St. Louis Post Dispatch, you saw that I participated in choosing an alltime All-Metro Basketball Team for the 50th anniversary. My 50-year All-Metro Team consisted of JoJoWhite (McKinley), Steve Stipanovich (DeSmet), LaPhonsoEllis (East St. Louis Lincoln), LarryHughes (CBC) and BradleyBeal (Chaminade).

Ladies moving up

Some former area girls basketball standouts are getting plenty of face time during the NCAAwomen’s tournament as assistant coaches. Former Ladue standout Charmin Smith is the Associate Head Coach at Cal-Berkeley, which advanced to the Final Four for the first time on Monday night.

Former Cor Jesu star Niele Ivey is a top assistant at her alma mater Notre Dame, which was seeking its third consecutive Final Four berth on Tuesday night. Both played in the Final Four as collegians and also the WNBAbefore entering the coaching ranks. It’s great to see these talented young ladies moving up in the coaching ranks.

Tatum goes home

Former CBC standout JustinTatum is returning home to become the head basketball coach at his alma mater. Tatum, 34, spent the past several seasons at Soldan High, where he turned the Tigers into a statewide power-

onship game. Minor averaged 21 points a game as a senior and made 101 3pointers. His shooting range was unlimited, plus he had an oldschool style to his game. A four-year starter for Cahokia, Minor left his mark as one of the great players in the school’s history.

DeShawn Munson (East St. Louis) – One of the most versatile players in the area, the 6’4” senior was a “tripledouble” machine for the Flyers this season. At one point, Munson had registered eight consecutive triple-doubles,

house. Tatum led the Tigers to three consecutive Final Four berths in the Class 4 state tournament, including the state championship in 2012. Tatum replaces Bob McCormack, who resigned after 17 years on the job at CBC. Tatum played for McCormack at CBC and was a prime cog in the Cadets’ Class 4Astate championship team in 1997.

Going National Chaminade College Prep freshman standout Jayson

Tatum was selected to the 2013-14 USABasketball Men’s Developmental National Team. Jayson participated in the USABasketball Developmental mini-camp in Colorado Springs in October. He was chosen as one of 23 players, who will comprise the squads for the 2013 USA16U and 2014 17U teams that will play in international competition. The 6’7” Tatum was the Player of the Year in the Metro Catholic Conference this season.

Lockhart leads

Former Chaminade standout BrandonLockhart continues

with double figures in scoring, rebounds and assists. For the season, Munson averaged 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 4.1 steals in leading East Side to a 21-8 record and a Class 3A regional championship. Munson was also an electrifying performer in the open court with his acrobatic swoops to the basket.

Martavian Payne (Madison Prep) – The solidly built 6’2” senior was the top player on a stellar Madison Prep team that finished with a 30-2 record and won the

to lead his Drury Panthers on a dream run through the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Drury advanced to Saturday’s national championship game with a 107-97 victory over defending national champion Western Washington in the semifinals. The 6’2” Lockhart had 24 points and eight assists for the Panthers. Lockhart had 15 points and seven assists in Drury’s 84-75 victory over Aiken (S.C.) in the Elite Eight in Louisville.

Little Big Man’s Camp

The “Little Big Man’s Camp” for youth football players will be held from April 8 to May 16th at Soldan High (918 Union Blvd.). The camp will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays only. It is for players between the ages of six and 13. The cost of the camp is $30 per week or $15 per day. For more information, contact SeanMorris at (314) 2679517.

(You can follow Earl Austin Jr. on Twitter @earlaustinjr or on his basketball website, www.earlaustinjr.com.)

Missouri Class 3 state championship. “Tae Tae” could score from anywhere on the court. He could post up in the lane, drive to the basket or hit the 3-pointer. On a team without much size, he played everywhere on the court. He averaged 17.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. Payne has signed at Southeast Missouri State.

First Team Garret Covington 6’5” (Sr.) Edwardsville) Malcolm Hill 6’7” (Sr.) Belleville East Keenan Minor 6’2” (Sr.)

Cahokia DeShawn Munson 6’4” (Sr.)

Financial Focus

By Courtney Bond

Not everyone gets one, but it’s always a welcome sight — a tax refund. If you receive a refund this year, how can you best put it to work?

The answer depends, to a large extent, on the size of your refund. In 2012, the average tax refund was about $3,000, according to the IRS. Let’s look at a few possibilities for how you might use this amount:

ï Help fund your IRA

In 2013, you can now put in up to $5,500 per year (up from $5,000 in 2012) to a traditional or Roth IRA. And if you’re 50 or older, you can put in an additional $1,000 per year above the new contribution limit. Consequently, your $3,000 refund could cover more than half of your maximum IRAcontributions, or slightly less than half if you’re 50 or older. And if you don’t think that $3,000 would make much of a difference, consider this: If you invested the $3,000 in an IRAthat earned a hypothetical 7 percent annual return, and you never put in another dime, you’d end up with nearly $23,000 after 30 years. And if you put in that same $3,000 per year to your IRA— well below the maximum — every

Put your tax refund to work

year for 30 years, earning that same 7 percent annual return, you’d accumulate more than $303,000. (Keep in mind that you’d eventually be taxed on your traditional IRAearnings; Roth IRAearnings grow tax-free, provided you meet certain conditions.)

ï Pay off some debts — In the last few years, Americans have done a pretty good job of lowering their individual debt loads, according to the Federal Reserve. But if you still have some outstanding loans or a credit card balance that carries a high interest rate, you might want to consider applying your tax refund to these debts. The lower your monthly debt payments, the better your cash flow — and the more money you’ll have available to invest for your future.

risk account. Your tax refund could give you a nice start to this fund.

You can now put in up to $5,500 per year (up from $5,000 in 2012) to a traditional or Roth IRA.

ï Invest in a 529 plan — If you have children (or grandchildren) whom you’d like to send to college, you may want to invest in a 529 plan. Your earnings grow taxfree, provided withdrawals are used for qualified higher education expenses. (Withdrawals for other purposes will result in taxes and possible penalties.) Contribution limits are quite high, so you can put in significant amounts each year — including a $3,000 tax refund.

ï Help build an emergency fund — Life is full of unexpected events. If you need to purchase a new furnace or pay for an expensive car repair or incur a hospital bill, will you have the money available? If you don’t, you might be forced to dip into your IRAor other investments. This move could result in taxes and fees; more importantly, it will reduce the financial resources you’re counting on to help meet your long-term goals. You can help avoid this problem by building an emergency fund containing six to 12 months’worth of living expenses, kept in a liquid, low-

As you can see, you’ve got some attractive options for using your tax refund — so consider them carefully. If you can apply more resources to your various financial goals, you may find yourself in a better position in the future.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Forfurtherinformation contact Courtney Bond at (314) 734-8188 or1-800EDJONES

Republicans resist Medicaid expansion

‘Injecting price competition’ vs. covering the working poor

ByJason Rosenbaum andJo Mannies Of The Beacon

The Missouri House has passed a new state budget without Gov. Jay Nixon’s sought-after Medicaid expansion, but that doesn’t mean Republicans are dropping the issue entirely.

The House Government Oversight and Accountability Committee was slated to vote Wednesday on HB700, a bill proposed by state Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, to change the state’s current Medicaid program dramatically.

But word already is circulating that Barnes’bill, even if it gets through the House, will have a tough time in the state Senate. Fellow Republicans and most Democrats oppose his plan. Meanwhile, Nixon is continuing to take his proMedicaid expansion tour on the road.

The federal government would pick up all the additional costs for the first three years, and cover at least 90 percent thereafter. So far, House Republicans haven’t embraced that plan, instead looking for other alternatives. Which is where Barnes’proposal fits in.

The House oversight panel conducted a hearinglast week on Barnes’bill, which would result in dropping some people – including children – currently on the rolls and then adding others.

Barnes chairs the House committee and told The Beacon that his bill constitutes “a plan to fundamentally transform Medicaid system into the most market-based system not just in the entire country, but in the entire history of the program.”

Photo:UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Barnes said, “We are attempting to inject price competition into a system that for 45 years has been sorely lacking price competition.”

Among other things, Barnes’billwould place income eligibility for the program at 100 percent of the federal poverty level. It would also reduce eligibility in other areas, including children’s health care.

The proposed poverty-line for eligibility is five times the state’s current limit (19 percent) for adult participation on Medicaid, but it’s less than the 138 percent required under the federal Affordable Care Act to receive federal money.

“The areas in which we’re reducing eligibility are populations that are going to have access to robust subsidies in a federal health-insurance exchange,” Barnes said. “So for example, a family of two making about $20,000 a year will have to pay about $34 a month for health insurance. That’s a reasonable cost for somebody to pick up.”

Joan Bray – a former Missouri senator who is now the head of the Consumers Council – said in an e-mail to supporters that Barnes’bill “would introduce a number of changes to the state’s Medicaid program but will never be implemented because the bill expands eligibility only to 100 percent of the federal poverty level.”

“You could put some of these dollars through an exchange, so folks would have a way to go on the marketplace.”

– Gov.Jay Nixon

Barnes’plan would provide state contracts to competing insurers and would give patients incentives to choose lower-costs plans.

The legislation is contingent on the federal government granting a waiver to Missouri, Barnes said. That’s important, because one of the tradeoffs of getting the enhanced federal funding is for states to raise the eligibility level to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

“Either the federal government allows red states to craft solutions that work for them or we don’t do it,” Barnes said. Joe Pierle, chief executive of the Missouri Primary Care Association – which backs the Medicaid expansion – said in a statement that Barnes’bill “is the beginning of a process to bring much-needed stability and predictability to the state’s health-care system.” Barnes’bill, he said, “begins to build the framework for a Missouri solution to leverage our federal tax dollars to expand access to affordable health coverage for the working poor.”

“Secretary Kathleen Sebelius of the Health and Human Services Department has made it clear that states will receive Medicaid reimbursement only if they provide service to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level –nothing less,” Bray said. “Without this, Missouri’s bill is meaningless.” Asked about whether any proposal would have to expand Medicaid up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, Nixon said, “138 percent is what the federal government says that it needs to have.”

“But there are lots of ways to get to 138,” Nixon said. “You could put some of these dollars through an exchange, for example, so folks would have a way to go on the marketplace. Sothe way Arkansas did itand the way some other states are doing it.” Nixon was referring to how the federal government gave the green light to Arkansas’ plan to expand health-care coverage to low-income residents through insurance exchanges.

Nixon said Barnes’bill represents “solid progress.” That doesn’t mean Nixon is totally enamored with the proposal. In early March,he told reportersthat he didn’t feel cutting children or pregnant women from the program were steps in the right direction.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, said that Barnes’bill would have a dim chance in the Missouri Senate.

Edited for length and reprinted with permission from stlbeacon.org.

Gov.Jay Nixon’s push to expand Medicaid in Missouri has been met with opposition from the Republican leadership in the Legislature,including House Speaker Tim Jones,left.

Suit and (bow) tie

Corey Black giving back to young brothers through prom

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“We want to get dappered up for prom just like the ladies want to get glammed up,” rapper and spoken word artist Corey Black said. “We want to look just as good as they do.” He was watching a segment about the Fairy Glam Project on STL TV and decided to figure out a way to help young men.

“I was sitting on my bed watching and thinking, ‘I wish they had something for the dudes,’” Black said. “I was like ‘I should do something up that does something as far as donating tuxedo rentals.”

And just like that – two weeks ago, yes, as in 14 days – Operation Bowtie was born.

Tomorrow night (Friday, April

5) Black will host a benefit concert to raise funds for this prom season and plant the seeds to follow the Fairy Glam Project, which has been giving back by way of prom for five years.

“I’m trying to go all out,” Black said. “A lot of the times these guys don’t really get rewarded the way that they should by the generation

that came before them.”

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“I love coming home – I’m always there,” said natural hair blogging sensation Nikki Walton, also known as Curly Nikki. Walton was excited about coming back to her St. Louis roots and basking with her St. Louis “curlfriends” in her new title – accomplished author.

At the time she was speaking on the eve of the release of her debut book Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair, written with Ernessa T. Carter, also from St. Louis.

This weekend she will bring home the knowledge she gained from the launch of her internationally renowned Curly

Check out this week’s PARTYLINE Page C12

For their end of the bargain, worthy young gentlemen must have a 3.0 GPA, upload their report cards to operationbowtiestl.org and explain why they deserve a hookup.

“I’m trying to get limos because a lot of them don’t have vehicles and trying to make it as memorable as possible,” Black said. “I’m talking haircuts, getting these guys some etiquette classes and gift certificates and/or vouchers to take their date out to eat.”

The feedback to his startup service organization has been humbling and inspiring. The hiphop/spoken word community has reached out. The Coliseum

SheaMoisture and Nikki Walton’s St. Louis Curlfriends Meet & Greet (ages 21 and up) will take place 6-9 p.m. Saturday, April 6 at the Coliseum (2619 Washington).

Dr. Poole’s advice for taking it off and keeping it off

By Dr. Kenneth Poole For

The St. Louis American

I have never been skinny and I am not likely to ever be thin. I am 5’10 or 5’11 (depending on who is asking) and I have an “athletic” build. I look my best when my weight is in the 190-205 pound

range. Despite technically being overweight by the BMI scale, my blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other basic labs support my height and weight. During the first several months following the completion of my medical residency, I was full of new life changes and experiences. I had just opened a new solo medical practice from scratch,

completed my internal medicine boards, was taking MBA classes two nights per week, and my wife Megan was pregnant with our first child. I had little time for regular, quality exercise. By fall of that year, I was definitely starting to see physical changes associated with weight gain. My face grew plump and fleshy. My pants were snug, and I had to get a couple of my suits loosened. The last straw was when I bumped into a former high school classmate who told me that I looked heavy. I knew it was time for me to make some serious lifestyle changes.

I knew my diet was unhealthy. I was consuming a lot of fast food and non-nutritious, high-calorie snacks and drinks between meals. I knew that simply cutting all of the

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Is our dating life a product of our environment?

This question has been weighing heavy on my mind since I listened to the love woes of a wonderful woman with credentials and passion to rule the world. Her boyfriend, however, is none of the above. I mean he started from the bottom, but obviously loved the view.

Honestly, he’s so far beneath her that I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me she suited up in an MSD hazmat outfit and rummaged him out of the gutter. The tragedy of it all is that she KNOWS IT and continues to move forward with the dysfunctional relationship.

“When I was living a fast-paced life and focused life, I dated the movers and shakers,” she said. “Now that I’m back home, I just feel like my dating life is a direct reflection of my current station.”

So even though she has traveled the world and left a flame on the three continents, she is subjecting herself to dating a functionally homeless (i.e. crashing on the couch or in the utility closet of a distant relative and/or friend of a friend), jobless man with no prospects of a profession.

More importantly than his current life station and foreseeable circumstances, he has illustrated time and time again no serious passion and is working in the opposite direction of purpose.

Her justification of making this useless man worth her time is that her access to men on her level is limited – and the basic need to forge

See SINGLE, C4

See CURLY, C4

See TIE, C4

Dr. Kenneth Poole

Corey Black

How to place a calendar listing

1.Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican.com OR

2.Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing

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

concerts

Fri., Apr. 5, 7 p.m., Lumiere Place Casino & Hotels presents Brandy. 999 N. Second St., 63102. For more information, call (314) 881-7777.

Apr. 5 – 6, 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Jazz at the Bistro welcomes and Jazz St. Louis presents Jon Faddis with Terell Stafford & Sean Jones 3536 Washington Blvd., 63101. For more information, call (314) 531-1012 or visit www.metrotix.com

Sat., Apr. 6, 8 p.m. (7 p.m.

doors) Christian Hip-Hop and Electro-Pop Concert featuring FLAME, V. ROSE, SPEC, KB, SHAI LINNE and J’SON. Includes Glow in the Dark DJ Pre-Party with SPEC, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd (63136).

Apr. 10 – Apr. 13, Jazz at the Bistro welcomes and Jazz St. Louis presents Marlena Shaw. 3536 Washington Blvd., 63101. For more information, call (314) 531-1012 or visit www.metrotix.com

Wed., Apr. 17, 7 p.m. Kendrick Lamarand Steve Aoki, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

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

local gigs

Apr. 5 – 6, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Jazz at the Bistro presents Jon Faddis. 3536 Washington Blvd., 63101. For more information, call (314) 531-1012.

Saturdays, 3 p.m., The Kendrick Smith Quartet, Premier Lounge, 5969 Dr.

Martin Luther King Drive. For more information, call (314)385-5281 or e-mail crusadersforjazz@hotmail.com

special events

Thur., Apr. 4, 11:30 a.m., Business Marketing Association presents Luncheon feat. Steve Maritz. Maritz is Chairman of the Board as well as CEO of Maritz Holdings Inc. Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel St. Louis, 7730 Bonhomme Ave., 63105. For more information, call (314) 863-0400.

Thur., Apr. 4, 6 p.m., Kingdom House hosts Spring Bling. Attendees will enjoy drinks, hor d’oeuvres and music. Asilent auction will include purses, jewelry, accessories, and more. Designer handbags will be featured during a live auction and modeled by prominent St. Louisans. SqWires Annex, 1415 S. 18th St., 63104. For more information, call (314) 492-8631 or visit www.kingdomhouse.org.

Apr. 5 – 6, MICDS & Midwest Recycling Center presents Electronics Recycling Drive. Anumber of items will be accepted at no charge, including computers, printers, keyboards, laptops, erased hard drives, cell phones, pagers, radios, scanners, speakers, VCR, DVD, fax machines, answering machines, and more. Limit 1 television per car. MICDS, 101 N. Warson Rd., 63124. For more information, call (636) 223-0150.

Sat., Apr. 6, 7 p.m., Boys & Girls Club presents Casino Night. Festivities include cocktails, appetizers, live entertainment and Casino games. The event seeks to increase volunteerism, our donor base and awareness in the community about the Club and its programs. Proceeds

CALENDAR

from the event are designated to afterschool programs at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. Lumen, 2201 Locust St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 335-8014.

Sun., Apr. 7, 12 p.m., Amazing Adventure Race & Family Activity 1M. Modeled after the show The Amazing Race this race lets kids in grades 1-12 pair up with or race against parents, grandparents, family members, friends and neighbors completing a string of up to eight fun-filled challenges over a one mile course. Qualify for Championship Race and $2,000 prize. Creve Couer Lake Memorial Park, 2438 Creve Coeur Mill Rd., 63146. For more information, visit www.greatamazingrace.com.

Sun., Apr. 7, 1 p.m., Model Call forRagdolls Rip the Runway Fashion Event. All aspiring models are invited to tryout. The Office, 5917 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 623-2859.

Sun., Apr. 7, 2 p.m., Food

Outreach presents ATasteful Affair25. Food Outreach is celebrating its 25th Anniversary and is hosting its largest annual fundraiser. Guests will enjoy tastings from 40 of their favorite restaurants and caterers and can bid on an array of unique auction items. Proceeds benefit Food Outreach clients, low-income men, women and children battling Cancer or HIV/AIDS. Four Season Hotel Grand Ballroom, 999 N. Second St., 63102. For more information, call (314) 652-3663, ext. 122.

Wed., Apr. 10, 6:30 p.m., The St. Louis Curtain Exchange presents Chocolate, Cocktails and Creativity: How to Achieve MajorSuccess. This event will feature a live auction and panel discussion with three amazing women to discusswhat it takes to be successful in the areas of career, family and social life. 8119 Maryland Ave., 63105. For more information, call 9314) 863-1112 or visit http://www.thecurtainexchange.com.

Wed., Apr. 10, 6:30 p.m., The

St. Louis Curtain Exchange presents Chocolate, Cocktails and Creativity: How to Achieve MajorSuccess. This event will feature a live auction and panel discussion with three amazing women to discusswhat it takes to be successful in the areas of career, family and social life. 8119 Maryland Ave., 63105. For more information, call 9314) 863-1112 or visit http://www.thecurtainexchange.com.

Thur., Apr. 11, 6:30 p.m., The InSpot presents My Pink Purse PamperParty. Arelaxing atmosphere to completely indulge yourself with massages, facial relaxation, wine, and more. Proceeds donated to St. Louis Cancer Survivors. 5854 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 601-3646 or visit www.survivoressentials.org.

Thur., Apr. 11, 6 p.m., Memory Care Home Solutions presents Heard it Through the Grapevine. This second annual spring event raises funds to support those caring for a loved one with memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. EdgeWild Restaurant & Winery, 550 Chesterfield Center, 63017. For more information, call (314) 645-6247 or visit www.memorycarehs.org.

Fri., Apr. 12, VLProduction Who’s Who in Entertainment Talent Showcase featuring rappers, models, singers & dancers, Tandy Community Center, 4206 W. Kennerly. Proceeds to benefit breast cancer recipient. For more information, call (314) 537-0239.

Fri., Apr. 12, 7 p.m., Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation presents 2013 St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. Judged competition showcasing the splendidly talented teens of the STL Metro area. Students will compete for college scholarships, prizes & public appearance opportunities. Fabulous Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com.

literary

Thur., Apr. 4, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author Michael MacCambridge. Award-winning sports writer Michael MacCambridge presents the

definitive biography of one of our most beloved sporting figures: Lamar Hunt, the softspoken owner of the Kansas City Chiefs whose audacious challenge to the NFLtransformed the landscape of American sports. St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

Fri., Apr. 5, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts journalist Blaine Harden. Blaine Harden presents the unbelievable story of the only known person born in a North Korean labor camp to have escaped and survived. St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

Sat., Apr. 6, 2 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author Ridley Pearson, author of Dark Passage. The Kingdom Keepers board the Disney Cruise Line for its inaugural passage through the Panama Canal. They soon uncover a startling discovery: St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

Fri., Apr. 12, 7 p.m., Maryville Talks Books presents author Elizabeth Strout author of The Burgess Boys Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped to New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his brother their whole lives, and Bob, a Legal Aid attorney, has always taken it in stride. Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Dr., 63141.

comedy

Apr. 5 – 6, The Second City presents Laughing Matters Named the country’s “Comedy Empire” by “The New York Times,” the Chicago-based improv group has a reputation for cultivating the next generation of comedic royalty with alumni including Tina Fey, Bill Murray and Steven Colbert. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949.

Sat., May 11, 8 p.m., Queen of Comedy Sommore, alongside veteran comedians

The American Heart Association presents The Most Powerful Voices Concert and Health Fair starring national recording artist Pastor Marvin Sapp.See HEALTH for details.

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

Apr. 4 – 20, TowerGrove Abbey presents Gypsy: A Musical Fable.. 2336 Tennessee Ave., 63104. For more information, call (314) 865-1995.

Fri., Apr. 5, 8 p.m., Peabody Opera House presents Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth. A rare personal look inside the life and mind of one of the most feared men ever to wear the heavyweight crown. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (800) 7453000.

Sat., Apr. 6, 7 p.m. & 8:10 p.m., Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Quick Delight 12th Night and All The World’s AStage. Emerson Performance Center, Harris-Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 531-9800, ext. 101.

Sat., Apr. 6, 7 p.m., SLU Indian Students Association presents Paheli: The MumBaby Snatchers. Through a myriad of dances, entertaining acts and a skit, the students will showcase different regions of India. Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Administration Building, Harris Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103.

Through April 13, The St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents The Whipping Man. Virginia, just after The Civil War. During Passover, a wounded Confederate Officer returns to a ruined plantation to find only two former slaves to care for him, in a test of humanity and their Jewish faith. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, 63108. For more information, call (314) 534-3807.

arts

Fri., Apr. 5, 7 p.m., St. Louis Art Museum presents African American Art in Private Collections and U.S. Museums. Dr. David Driskell will discuss his contributions to various art collections, including the Camille and Bill Cosby collection and the David C. Driskell Center in College Park, Maryland. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 6555444 or visit www.slam.org.

Apr. 5 – 7, 6 p.m., The GreaterSt. Louis Art Association presents Spring Art Fair. An appealing and fun atmosphere for everyone with live music, wine tastings, children’s activities and art raffles. Greensfelder Recreation Complex, Queeny Park, 550 Weidman Rd., 63011. For more information, visit www.artfairatqueenypark.com.

Fri., Apr. 12, 11:30 a.m., ISConnects presents The RiverBetween Us. The day begins with a free panel discussion with the artists and

curators after which you can spend the afternoon exploring Laumeier Sculpture Park on your own with a self-guided audio tour or join the curators and artists for an insider tour at 2:30. On April 13th at 5 p.m. you are invited to attend the public opening of The River Between Us and an artist’s talk and performance at Laumeier. University Center, Webster University, 175 Edgar Rd., 63119. For more information, call (609) 689-1051 or visit http://www.sculpture.org/iscon nects.

lectures

Thur., Apr. 4, 6 p.m., Lab1500 presents Will You Be Prepared forthe Job Search in 10 Years? Step out of the rat race for a bit to travel through time at warp speed analyzing employment trends and hiring practices. 1500 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 329-8755.

Thur., Apr. 4, 6 p.m., COCAbiz presents bizTHINK Networking Evening: Creative Collaboration. Participants will engage in musical improvisation as a means of learning how to actively listen, support new ideas from co-workers and get more out of brainstorming. St. Louis Zoo, One Government Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 725-6555.

Thur., Apr. 4, 7 p.m., Maplewood Public Library presents St. Louis in the Civil War. Explore the beginning of the Civil War in St. Louis. What was happening in St. Louis, the Arsenal, and Jefferson Barracks? 7550 Lohmeyer Ave., 63143. For more information, call (314) 781-2174.

Sat., Apr. 6, 9:15 a.m., SCORE presents Protecting YourIntellectual Property Topics include: what is a patent and what does it cover, what are benefits of a patent & how long does it last, what is a copyright and what does it cover, and more. SCORE Kirkwood Office, 333 S. Kirkwood Rd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 539-6600. To register, visit www.stlouis.score.org.

Sat., Apr. 6, 9:30 a.m., University City Public Library presents Babysitting Clinic. Calling guys & girls 6th grade and up. Get the training to be an expert babysitter. Learn safety tips, earn a babysitting certificate, and create advertising materials. Advance registration is required by March 31. 6701 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 727-3150.

Sat., Apr. 6, 10 a.m., Southern Mission Baptist Church hosts Income Taxes Prepared forFree. Income taxes prepared for free by IRS employees and volunteers. Saturdays only through April 13. Call to leave your name and number and someone will call to let you know what date and time is available. 8171 Wesley Ave., 63140. For more information, call (314) 5213951.

Christian Hip-Hop and Electro-Pop Concert featuring FLAME.See CONCERTS for more information.

Sat., Apr. 6, 10 a.m., St. Louis Community College presents Establishing and Running ANot-for-Profit Organization: Part I. This seminar provides an overview of the legal basics for establishing and running a nonprofit organization. It includes practical tips, useful resources including the Nonprofit, Taxexempt Corporation Workbook (2012), an e-book that presents the process of establishing a nonprofit in a step-by-step format, and more. STLCC, Meramec Campus, 11333 Big Bend Blvd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 9847777.

Sat., Apr. 6, 1 p.m., St. Louis Community College presents Establishing and Running A Not-for-Profit Organization: Part II. This seminar will explore the legal requirements of operating a nonprofit business organization, board responsibilities, business law for nonprofits and legal compliance. It will also explore newer business models for nonprofits including fiscal sponsorship, nonprofit alliances, nonprofit/for profit joint ventures and other collaborative structures. STLCC, Meramec Campus, 11333 Big Bend Blvd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 9847777.

Tue., Apr. 9, 5:30 p.m., St. Louis Community College presents A+ Program Information Session. High school graduates have an A+ opportunity to fund their college education and the chance to find out how to do it. Attendees will learn how to use A+ funding to attend STLCC, learn about STLCC career and technical education programs, and learn about transfer possibilities. Forest Park Campus, 5600 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 539-5002.

Tue., Apr. 9 & 16, St. Louis Community College presents Advertising, Marketing and PR. Explore some of the best ways to advertise, market and get public relations for your business with little or no money. Corporate College Campus, 3221 McKelvey Rd., 63044. For more information or to register, call (314) 9847777.

Wed., Apr. 10, 1 p.m.,

Sat., Apr. 6, 9 a.m., 3rd

Annual Sprint forSkin Cancer5K Run & 3K Walk Prizes will be awarded to the top male and female finishers. All participants will be invited to participate in a raffle for a cosmetic laser skin rejuvenation package worth $1,000. Tower Grove Park – Sons of Rest Pavilion, 4256 Magnolia Ave., 63110. For more information, contact skincancer@dom.wustl.edu.

Apr. 6 – 7, 13th Annual GO!

Wed., Apr. 10, 10 a.m., St. Louis College of Pharmacy is sponsoring a FREE community health fair, The event will feature: Health screenings, including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and body mass index. St. Louis College of Pharmacy Quadrangle, Parkview Place and S. Euclid Ave.(rain location: Cartwright Student Center), St. Louis MO 631101088. For more information, call 314.367.8700 1.800.2STLCOPor visit www.stlcop.edu.

Lab1500 presents Workshop: 5 Ways to Improve Your Professional Network. 1500 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 329-8755.

Thur., Apr. 11, 6 p.m.,

Lab1500 presents Workshop: Nail YourInterview, Don’t Blow It. 1500 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 329-8755

health

Fri., Apr. 5, 8 a.m., SLU CancerCenter hosts Free Head and Neck Cancer Screenings. SLUCare Doctors Office Building, 3660 Vista Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 977-4440 or (866) 977-4440.

Sat., Apr. 6, 8:30 a.m., United Services forChildren presents Exploring the Spectrum: Interventions, Diagnosis, and Best Practices forChildren with Autism. Spencer Road Library Branch, Spencer Rd., 63376. For more information, call (636) 926-2700.

St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Expo. Missouri’s largest competitive fitness event includes a marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 5K run/walk, children’s fun runs and a mature mile. The Expo is free and includes vendor booths from companies and organizations that promote fitness and healthy living. Chaifetz Arena, One S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000

Mon., Apr. 8, 11 a.m., Homers forHealth Game Ball Relay. Come kick off the second annual Homers for Health program to help kids at Cardinal Glennon get back in the game. The relay includes a stop at Cardinal Glennon to join fans, staff, past patients and families. From there, former shortstop Ozzie Smith will lead the ball into Busch Stadium with a Cardinal Glennon kid and present it just before the opening ceremonies begin. Pre-game party at Union Station. Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation, 3800 Park Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 678-6639.

Tue., Apr. 9, 7:30 a.m., The American Heart Association hosts St. Louis Workplace Wellness Symposium. Aimed at human resource and worksite wellness directors to help explore how companies can foster and encourage healthy behaviors among their employees. Ameren Missouri, 1901 Chouteau Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 692-5674.

Apr. 12, 4:30 p.m. (concert 7 p.m.), The American Heart Association presents The Most Powerful Voices Concert and Health Fair starring national recording artist PastorMarvin Sapp, Greater Grace Church located at 3690 Pershall Road in St. Louis. To learn more about the Power to End Stroke program, visit www.strokeassociation.org/power or call 1-8884STROKE.

Sat., Apr. 6, 9 a.m., Word forthe World Ministries presents APrayerBreakfast: Lord Help Me to Raise Godly Children in an Ungodly World. This prayer breakfast will have special sessions to minister to the children, teenagers, and parents/adults. Bethesda Temple Church of Alton, 512 Spring St., 62002. For more information, call (618) 433-9470.

Sun., Apr. 14, 4 p.m., Most Holy Trinity Church presents Community Gospel Choir. The choir consists of more than 50 voices singing African American spirituals and gospel music.Through their spirited interpretation of the rich tradition of AfricanAmerican Gospel music the choir works to break down racial, cultural and economic barriers in the St. Louis community through the gift of music. 3519 N. 14th St., 63107. For more information, call (314) 965-6157.

like there aren’t really people out there to look after them when they are doing the right thing.”

donated the space for his benefit show. Nappy DJ Needles volunteered to work the turntables and Kenny DeShields, Bradd Young, Sir Ervin, Thelonius Kryptonite and El Thought will be a part of the all-male entertainment.

“It’s only been two weeks since I came up the idea and it’s been guys hitting me up like volunteering to help –partly inspired by their own prom experiences,” Black said. “This one guy who offered to help was like, ‘I had to borrow my dad’s suit’ – his church suit – to wear to prom. He just put a bowtie on with it, and he said they drove him the whole night at prom because he had this regular suit on.”

He secured a special Operation Bowtie discount with Savvy Tuxedos in the Delmar Loop and is soliciting donations. He’s also looking for individuals to donate services.

“I just want them to know that there are young black males in St. Louis doing positive things,” Black said.

“It would be nice to see us get a little dapper and show that we care about our youth. There’s probably a lot of these young guys who feel

Two days until the show – and with less than three weeks until prom season kicks off – Black is beaming.

“It’s really a blessing that people are for it and supporting it,” he said. “I hope they feel like somebody took the opportunity to take care of them. I hope that they let that in and take that moment of reflection and pay it forward.”

Black ultimately wants to make the program a national platform.

“Why not Operation Bowtie Chicago, LA, New York,” Black said. “It doesn’t have to be only in St. Louis –I’m looking to just make it as big as possible.”

“Thinking back on my own prom, it made me feel like a man that night,” Black said. “It’s just one of those things that you will remember. And to know that I will actually have a part in making somebody’s night that much more special, man, that’s just wild.”

The Operation Bow Tie benefit concert will take place at 8p.m. tomorrow night (Fri., Apr. 5) at 8 p.m. at The Coliseum (2619 Washington). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www. operationbowtiestl.eventbrite. com

CURLY

Continued from C1

Nikki brand, which has now grown to include a critically acclaimed natural hair “how to” guide.

Walton and SheaMoisture will present a St. Louis Curlfriends Meet and Greet/ book signing as part of a regional tour.

“My story started in college,” Walton said. “I never had a relaxer. I grew up wearing the old school press and curl, and I wore that for about 20 years. But when I got to college at Truman State – three hours northwest of St. Louis – I didn’t have access to a black hair care stylist.”

Walton attempted to be her own beautician, which damaged her trademark tresses. As her hair became brittle and broke off, her self-esteem followed suit.

“Since I didn’t have a relaxer, my hair would shrink up,” Walton said. “I couldn’t even look in the mirror. I couldn’t wait until my beautician grabbed the blow dryer and I could feel my selfconfidence coming back with every patch she straightened.”

As Walton looked into solutions for her own personal hair crisis, she was led down a path that would change her life – and her identity. She embraced her hair’s natural texture and the world followed suit with the birth of “Curly Nikki” four years ago, along with hundreds of celebrity interviews and hundreds of

SINGLE

Continued from C1

an emotional and romantic connection trumps the idea of limiting relationships to men who are “qualified.”

And, in all fairness, she regularly implies that she is so far off the path with respect to what she planned for her life, so how could she judge or exclude men who are “a work in progress?”

Okay, girl. How low will you go?

As she plays love limbo into compromising situations that I’d dare not mention, I thought about how this phenomenon affects the emotional ecosystem of the single black female.

HEALTH

Continued from C1

bad stuff out of my diet would neither work nor last.

So, I eliminated the frequency of eating the bad stuff, but to prevent cravings, I allowed myself to eat what I wanted two days per week. I stopped buying food before and/or after my business classes and started packing a basic dinner of a sandwich (made at home), chips and a drink for class breaks.

I knew exercise would be the toughest part of my weight loss program because of my busy schedule. I solved the problem

n “Black women especially have a unique situation because kinky, coily, highly textured hair is not seen as desirable in our society – there is this stigma attached to it.”

- Nikki Walton

“I just want women to feel just as confident when they wear their natural hair as they do when they are wearing it straight,” Walton said. “Once you achieve that, I don’t care what you do with your hair.”

Walton says embracing how hair grows from the scalp is the first step.

“Black women especially have a unique situation because kinky, coily, highly textured hair is not seen as desirable in our society – there is this stigma attached to it,” Walton said.

“We have to change what we’ve been trying to mold ourselves to and it’s difficult because we are fighting nature. Our hair isn’t meant to be long and straight. When we learn to embrace the texture and work with it, that’s when we can achieve our ‘better than good hair.’”

In her opinion, doing so is essential to embracing personal beauty and value.

thousands new “curlfriends” she met through her website. The book is a condensed extension of the CurlyNikki. com experience.

“I always knew that I wanted to create some kind of companion piece,” Walton said. “Something where the information would be presented in a linear way in a narrative that’s fun and easy to read and that could be a quick reference guide.”

Her book puts healthy natural hair in the palm of women’s hands as a go-to guide, look-book and reference

I’m NOT saying that a brother on the way up is a bad thing. But there are men wallowing in the shallow end of wasted potential that are getting shine and time of day that they don’t deserve.

Here’s the truth: I’ve seen it proven time and time again that there is no greater accountability partner than your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife.

What happens when you throw out expectations out of what you feel to be sheer necessity? People are more than happy not only to underwhelm, but imply the right to erase the few boundaries and ground rules that you set for the relationship.

I know from experience that I’m right about it.

I made it possible for a man

of time by carving out intervals of 60 to 90 minutes that I could repeat each week for an effective exercise regimen. My office opens at 10 a.m. and has evening hours on Wednesdays. I found that 7 a.m. was a perfect time to exercise. On Thursday I work half days, so immediately after work I go to the gym. Saturday is my most flexible day, so Saturday mornings are perfect for my third workout of the week.

The bulk of my workout is aerobic exercise. I have a relatively full build at baseline, so weight lifting would make me look chunky and I preferred the calorie-burning, long-term cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercises.

The first thing I do in the

for all stages of the natural hair journey – from the oh-so fearful big chop to the happily ever after of finding a natural hair routine that yields results.

“There are new products always coming out and new techniques to try, and sometimes we have to get back to the basics,” Walton said. “I’m hoping through the book people can walk away with a basic hair care regimen that they can build upon.”

She wants everyone to know that she is not about bashing those who get relaxers or wear weaves.

who wouldn’t even take me out for a date because I obliged to “an unorthodox relationship that let him breathe” because of his expressed phobia of commitment. Guess what, he turned around and married someone else – and the gag is that I thought we were still in our relationship for the first three years of his marriage.

I never required him to call consistently or anything, so when he fell off, I thought we were just during our “off again” cycle.

How did I allow this to happen? Well, mainly because I felt that none of the other fish in the sea were biting, so I was more than happy to snatch up the minnows.

We are wasting energy and emotions via men and women who we’ve allowed in

gym is run four miles on the treadmill at a speed of 6.77.0, finishing in about 35 minutes. It took nearly a year to work up to that speed and distance. Core strengthening and sit-ups on an exercise ball for about 10 minutes are extremely effective. Lastly, I do approximately a half hour of strength training: pull-ups, dips, pull-ups, dumbbell shoulder press, bench press and standing squats spread over three days of the week.

“Hopefully this next generation – my daughter and her peers – won’t have these self-esteem issues that are tied to our hair,” Walton said. “What you have is great, you just have to learn it and work with it.”

SheaMoisture and Nikki Walton’s St. Louis Curlfriends Meet & Greet (ages 21 and up) will take place on Saturday, April 6 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Coliseum (2619 Washington). For more information, visit www.curlynikki.com and http://www.eventbrite.com/ event/5949311551# to RSVP.

our space at a point when we shouldn’t be bothered. We are cluttering our proverbial nets with seaweed and garbage. Doing so not only makes it impossible for the catch of the day to maneuver his way in, but that useless rubbish can poke holes and fray so the good fish can’t hold on. Regardless of how hard it gets for us single black females, wallowing among undesirables because you don’t feel worthy due to your personal or professional shortcomings is hurting us. It’s time to spend some time getting to the heart of the matter and healing so that you can live up to the demands that you would impose on your prospective mate – and not expect or accept anything less.

I gradually shed 30-plus pounds. Sizes dropped, my energy level increased, my sleep improved, my snoring decreased and my face got thinner. I also lost the fear that I would regain the weight I lost because my diet and exercise programs have permanently transformed my lifestyle. As we get older, eating better and exercising regularly are less about quick fixes and more about creating healthy habits that you can sustain over decades. I only dropped 1-3 pounds each month, but collectively, this resulted in 30 pounds over the year. Talk with your healthcare provider about the ideal weight range for you and the best way for you to get there and stay there. Good luck and healthy eating!

Kenneth Poole, MD, practices internal medicine at Mercy Clinic, ClaytonBrentwood.

SCIENCE ALL THE WAY!!

Aja Jacobs YES Alumnus

Did you know, the sloth (a mammal) moves so slowly that green algae can grow undisturbed on its fur and that butterflies taste food by standing on top of it because their taste receptors are in their feet, unlike humans who have a tongue? I didn’t know these cool facts until I was introduced to the Y.E.S. (Youth Exploring Science) Program at the Saint Louis Science Center. I was fifteen years old and full of ambition and adventure. I always had the drive to be successful. I remember while at summer camp at the age of fifteen, one of my camp counselors pulled me aside and asked me if I would like to work and if I had an interest in science. I immediately became excited and answered with a “YES!”

She said, “Exactly!” I said, “Huh?”

She then proceeded to explain about a program through the Saint Louis Science Center call the Y.E.S. Program that motivates teens in learning science and technology while gaining professional, academic, and

real world skills that build on personal success. While in the program, I did not know what to expect; however, I expected to get my first pay check ever, which was very exciting. The environment was very fun and hands-on. One thing that each group did everyday was to start out with an ice-breaker. I can remember the room being so silent a pen could drop and it would sound like a “volcano had erupted”. This activity created communication skills, interpersonal skills, friendship starters, and leadership skills. As I matriculated through the program, ACT prep was offered as well as internships and promotions which were awesome. I have found that learning in an exciting group setting helped me to appreciate science even more and opened my eyes to how creatively science forwards our minds. I feel that the Y.ES. Program is creating leaders for tomorrow.

By Melanie Adams

Swap until you drop

Swap-O-Rama-Rama at History Museum on April 13

I wear your granddad’s clothes I look incredible I’m in this big coat

From that thrift shop down the road

-Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan

From pop songs to reality shows, thrift shops are promoted as THE places to shop. The Missouri History Museum brings back its version of a thrift shop, Swap-O-RamaRama on Saturday, April 13th starting at noon. This annual event started with the George Washington Carver exhibit as a way of encouraging people to recycle and reuse their gently worn clothes. Over the past four years the event has grown to serve more than 1000 people hunting for bargains. If you have never been to Swap-O-Rama-Rama you just have to take a look at the picture to see the madness (in a good way). As an avid bargain hunter who learned to bargain hunt at Bamberger’s basement with my mother in the mid 1980’s, I love these types of events. What makes this one at the History Museum better than any basement sale, consignment sale, or thrift shop, is that the items are free. Yes, you read that right, FREE. So how can we give away free clothes?

We are not actually giving away our clothes; you are giving away your clothes. The purpose of Swap-O-RamaRama is to trade gently used clothes that you no longer wear for clothes you would wear. It is not required that you bring clothes to “shop” at Swap-O-Rama-Rama, but April is a great time to clean out your closet and give that gingham dress that looked great on the mannequin to someone that would actually wear it. We all have clothes that we bought (some with the tags still on) before realizing it may be in style, but not the style for us. From babydoll dresses to jeggings, we all have something in our closet a friend should have stopped us from buying. Now instead of tossing

it out, pack it up and bring it to Swap-O-Rama-Rama.

Once you pick out your Swap-o-Rama-Rama items, you can take them to our volunteer seamstresses who will help you transform them into your perfect outfit. The seamstresses are proficient in the lost art of sewing and can help you change the buttons, shorten the hem, or add that special touch that turns it into your new favorite item. The Museum will provide notions (sewing materials); you just bring the clothes and your creativity.

As mentioned above, the event starts at noon. This will give us enough time to set up and get everything organized before the rush of excited shoppers. Unlike a garage sale, there is no early admittance. But you’re welcome toshow up early and browse through the Museum’s exhibits until the event opens. We also ask that everyone remember this event is all in good fun and meant to be a way for people to share

clothes in a positive community environment. If someone takes a dress you had your eye on, keep looking and you will find another one you will love just as much. Because of limited space, we will not have dressing rooms so I suggest you wear clothes that allow you to try on clothes without totally undressing (ie: leggings, camis, etc).

Take the next week to clean out your closet and bring your gently worn clothes, shoes, accessories to Swap-O-RamaRama. All of the items that are have not found new homes by then end of the event will be donated to Goodwill. And you might just go home with your favorite new outfit!

Swap-O-Rama-Rama

Saturday, April 13, 2013 Noon – 5pm All Women’s, Men’s, and Children’s clothes accepted (except undergarments) Shoes and Accessories included

The Missouri History Museum brings back its version of a thrift shop, Swap-O-Rama-Rama on Saturday, April 13 starting at noon.

15th wedding anniversary

Pat and Don Seem are celebrating 15 years of marriage on April 4, 2013. Mr. and Mrs. Seem are members of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Venice, Illinois, where Rev. Larry Brown is pastor. Mr. Seem is an employee of CB&I and Mrs. Seem is a teacher, retired from Ritenour School District in St. Louis County. They are faithful readers of the American!

Birthdays: Happy 8th Birthday to Timothy Jay Butler on April 6! Love, Jerry, Tiffany and Thomas

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 314-869-5665.

Hazelwood East Class of 1993 is having its 20 year reunion June 21-23, 2013.

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Please contact Paramount Event Producers by going to www.paramounteventproducers.com and selecting “Reunion Corner” to pay your registration fee. You may also call (877) 287-0857. The fee is $87.50 per person for the entire weekend. Don’t wait to register.

Join Northwest High Alumni class of 1971, August 2-5, 2013 on the largest Caribbean Parade in North America. Single Room, $614; Double Room, $465; Triple Room, $402. Departure: 12:30 am Friday 8/2/13, Return: Monday.8/5/13. Trip includes 4 days/3 nights hotel accommodations, round trip motor coach travel, Caribana Parade, shopping, night life, festivities, day tour of Niagara Falls

Happy Birthday Steve “Keyboardwizard” Williams on April 10! May God bless you with many more to come. From your New Northside CDC family….We love you!

(Canadian side). Balance due in full byJune 20, 2013. For more information contact: Diane at 314-498-6886, Vernida at 314-369-8489or woodsvernida@yahho.com, or Jeanette 314-398-0383.

O'Fallon Class of 1983 is sponsoring an Alumni Basketball game, Saturday, April 20, 2013. The game will be held at Mattew Dickey Boys Club from 2:005:00pm. If any male classmates are interested in playing, please contact Charles Woods at (314)568-6331 or Merv Hayes at (314)713-4700 by Friday, March 15th.

SumnerClasses of January & June 1953: Let’s celebrate 60 years by having lunch together, Dutch treat, on June

Centenarian

Hazel TurnerLowery celebrated her 100th birthday on February 28! Mrs. Lowery is a terrific cook and is noted for her sweet potato pies, which she would sell in her community to support her church, St. John’s A.M.E of Kennett, MO. She also loves quilting and sewing. She attributes her longevity to having good genes, her personal relationship with God, to being industrious and her love for vanilla ice cream.

5, 2013. Send an e-mail with your intentions by April 30 to: bjpn@sbcglobal.net (Barbara Pleasant Nashville) or rlspotts@aol.com (Roslyn Townson Spotts). You will receive an e-mail informing you of time and place in midMay. Please pass the word on to classmates.

SumnerHigh School’s 1958 graduates are scheduling their 55th reunion the weekend of June 28-30, 2013.For additional information please phone 314 355-4675 or e-mail hauckrw@sbcglobal.net or call 314 921-3742 or forward an email to cjjazze2@att.net

University City High School Class of 2003 is celebrating its 10 year class reunion on July 26-27, 2013. For more infor-

Candace Moore — April 3

Ken Johnson — April 3

Eric Francis — April 4

Brenda Poppers – April 6

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

mation please email the reunion committee at Ucityclassof2003@gmail.com

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) 918-5973; P.O. Box 31830, St. Louis, MO 63138; or Alonzo Bouie, (314) 385-1937.

Vashon Class of 1973: 40th Reunion Celebration Family Picnic August 3, 2013; Reunion Weekend August 9-11, 2013, Renaissance Airport Hotel; Contact Lelia Hortonat 314502-3982 or Christine Duncan 314-521-5226.

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

Religion

Black churches target ‘Stand Your Ground’

Also, Centennial Christian Church celebrates 109th Anniversary

American staff

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African Americans, has authorized 3500 black churches in Florida to work with Representative Alan Williams to overturn the Stand Your Ground Law.

The most important living memorial for Trayvon Martin, his family, and every black youth in Florida and across the country is for the church to use its extraordinary power to overturn and kill the Stand Your Ground Law, organizers said. This law has caused great legal complications for prosecutors.

The Rev. Anthony Evans said, “From the time this incident has happened, we have vowed to bring justice for our little black boys and we will not stop until it is done by any means necessary – nonviolence.”

Florida Democratic State Rep. Alan Williams has introduced a bill in the Legislature that would do away with the Stand Your Ground defense, which law enforcement personnel and district attorneys have said makes their job harder in prosecuting shootings. Many believe the Florida Legislature won’t overturn the law, but changes have been bandied about by the Republican majority, which is a good thing.

The death of Trayvon exposed the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a shadowy, corporate-funded group that has been one of the leading forces behind stand-your-ground laws.

Once the light hit them, their involvement in other issues, such as voter ID laws, was made public.

109th Anniversary

Centennial Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a local nationally prominent and historical landmark with a rich history in St. Louis, celebrated its 109th Anniversary Sunday, March 17.

Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould of Quinn Chapel AME Church of Jefferson City, MO. provided the sermon. Dr. Gould is a native of Demopolis, Alabama. Dr. Gould was educated in St. Louis, MO and is a product of the public school system. She is an alumni of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and Columbia College St. Louis, She holds a Master of

Divinity Degree from the Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, MO and recently earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Rev. Derrick L. Perkins, Sr., is currently the young, gifted and dynamic Pastor of the historic church. Rev. Dr. Samuel W. Hylton, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus after more than 37 years or service.

Centennial is proud of its glorious past and looks forward to serving the community and Gods people in the future.

Centennial housed the city’s first interracial nursery at 4950 Fountain Ave.

Centennial is home to the Breakfast Club, Inc., a highly recognized breast cancer support group that educates the African-American community about the importance of breast examinations, advocates early detection treatment and provides support for women newly diagnosed.

Centennial provides food and clothing bi-monthly to those in need.

Centennial currently is one the sites of the JSO 21st Century Afterschool program, which provides educational enrichment, cultural enhancement and character building opportunities for children attending St. Louis Public Schools.

Centennial was the first and now proudly sponsors three safe and affordable senior citizen resident facilities (Centennial Plaza, Hylton Point I, and Hylton Point II) that address the need of caring for the nation’s most vulnerable.

Outreach, stewardship, mission, and higher education are major components of their vision to be a Lighthouse for all who seek the Lord.

Centennial has a rich legacy of supporting local and national causes and issues that impact the local and national communities. The 109th Church Anniversary Theme was “Missional Transformation: Loving, Liberating, Launching and Leading for Years to Come - Matthew 28:19-20.”

For more information, call 314-3671818 or visit www.cccstl.org.

Ever hear that saying “tell God your plans and watch him laugh”? I have to be honest, he is probably laughing at me as if I was a stand up comedienne. As a younger adult I can recall living my future out loud. I’d marry my college sweetheart, and after two years of marriage we’d have four children, with the last to be born by the time I’d turn 32 years of age.

By my accounts, I would have more money in the bank than I could count, with every bill paid at the 1st of each month, three yearly family vacations, and a summer condo in Florida. And then life happened.

dreams and desires would manifest.

Leslie T. Bradnax

I did marry my college sweetheart, but the marriage relationship did not last. I was 29 before I had my first child. There was a time when I didn’t know what a savings account looked like. I moved seven times in six years and was lucky if the monthly bills got paid at all. The last time I traveled it was to a funeral rather than a resort.

Do I believe I was delusional about life? NO.

I believe those dreams were God-given desires of my heart. However, I was delusional as to how those

You see, my plan had my life neatly packed in a box, wrapped tight, with a little red bow atop. A straight path, so to speak. I shouldn’t be surprised by any detours, delays, or deferments. God reminds us daily that His thoughts aren’t like our thoughts and His ways are not like our ways. His manifestation is perfect and His will brings about growth and most importantly glorifies His name. We as Christians are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are the world’s best evidence and proof beyond a reasonable doubt that He exists.

God’s plan as stated in Jeremiah 29:11 says: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Prosperity only comes through positioning, (setbacks and comebacks) and hope only through trials and tribulations.’” God’s P.L.A.N. should be our plan too: Pray, Learn from Life’s Lesson, Anticipate answered prayers, and Never give up.

Accepting Inspirational Messages

The American is accepting Inspirational Messages from the community. Send your column (no more than 500 words) as a Word document and pasted text to cking@stlamerican.com and attach a photo of yourself as a jpeg ile. Please be patient; we will run columns in the order received.

The Rev. Anthony Evans

American staff

When it comes to helping advance math and science learning at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School, the names of three SIUE alumni come to mind.

Matt Johnson, Barbara Lane and Johnathan Tate make up the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Department at the Charter High School. The three instructors work to help students make sense of and succeed in math and science through their teaching, as well as by utilizing the resources available through the William Frederick Graebe Sr. Learning Center, the $1 million STEM classroom at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus.

For the three instructors, the reward of working at the Charter High School is watching young minds stretch beyond what even the students themselves thought was possible.

“It’s been great watching students wanting to show that they are smart, because there’s something heartbreaking in hearing kids say they’re not,” said Johnson, who came to the East St. Louis Charter High School in 2011. Johnson graduated from SIUE in 2011 with a master’s in teaching.

Lane also weighed in with her belief and hope in the Charter High School students: “We have such good minds among them. It’s getting easier to convince them of their brilliance.” Lane has been teaching at the charter school since 2007. From SIUE, she received a master’s of business administration in 1987 and a master’s in science education/secondary education in 2008. The newest math and science teacher, Tate, is thrilled when his students are excited about learning. “My students love working in the Graebe Center,” he said. “They are so

Teachers bring STEM learning to alma mater S

Plus, Information session for A+ Program

enthralled when they are in there, that they lose track of time. Some even forget to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water.” Tate graduated from SIUE in 2012 with a bachelor’s in physics. He began teaching at the charter school in the spring of 2012.

“My students love working in the STEM Graebe Center,”

he said. They are soenthralled when they are in there that they lose track of time. Some even forget togo to the bathroomor get a drink ofwater.”

The Graebe Center has served to better facilitate learning for the students and to provide exceptional instructional aids for instructors, the three teachers agree.

“Our STEM lab is phenomenal,” Johnson said. “I’m in the lab at least once a day with various classes. There is energy to the space that is quite different than a normal classroom. It is a mixture of collegiate and professional.

“It’s incredible. There is a participation level that isn’t matched in a normal classroom,” Johnson said. “When you walk in there, students really do feel smarter.”

Abenefit for teachers is the ability to display many things and use multiple systems at once, Tate said. “Our STEM Center gives our students the opportunity to become part of the future, because technology is moving everything to an electronic source.”

While it is crucial to expose students to the latest technology, just as important, is convincing them of the value of learning, according to the SIUE alumni.

“I had a student who was going nowhere fast,” Johnson said. “Two years later, he is one of my more studious students. We all tried to keep a good environment of learning around him. One day, he stayed after school without being asked and requested help with his geometry. That’s a change in attitude, which to me means more than grades.

“Ms. Lane had noticed him two years ago,” Johnson said. “She said, ‘If we can get him going, then we’ve done something,’” he added.

Tate makes mention of a female student who started the year in Algebra II with an F grade and now the student has a B average.

“She came to understand the material,” he said. “And just as exciting, she has a confidence of the material.”

Athirst for learning, Lane said, is what she would wish for all of her students. But she doesn’t stop there, the previously retired ITprofessional, also wants to remain a student of learning. To continue sharpening her skills as a teacher, Lane said she is participating in a program to improve science teaching and student learning, led by Dr. Sadegh Khazaeli, professor of analytical chemistry at SIUE.

Johnson is looking for the “Einstein” in every student. The teacher notes one of Albert Einstein’s quotes: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

The Charter High School teachers say they don’t believe any of their students are incapable. On the contrary, Johnson added: “Gosh, if I thought a student wouldn’t grow to become better than I am, then I would have never become a teacher.”

Information session for A+ Program

St. Louis Community Colleges is hosting a special information session about the A+ program 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, in Café East of the Student Center at the Forest Park campus, 5600 Oakland Ave.

A+ high school students and their families will learn how to use A+ funding to attend STLCC, learn about STLCC career and technical education programs and learn about transfer possibilities. The state of Missouri allows qualifying graduates from designated A+ high schools the opportunity to receive free maintenance fees (in-district or out-of-district tuition and general fees) for two full academic years to a community college. The financial incentive is paid after any federal or state grant for which students are eligible is applied, excluding loans and work-study. A+ will cover any remaining maintenance fees. Register now at www.stlcc.edu/visit. Students also may RSVPwith their high school A+ coordinator. For more information, call 314-539-5002. For more information about the A+ program, visit www.stlcc.edu/aplus.

SIUE East St.Louis Charter High School teachers Barbara Lane,Johnathan Tate and Matt Johnson.

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

After twenty years in the game rap group Bone Thugs and Harmony took to the stage Thursday night at the Coliseum to celebrate their career landmark. Fans Adela and Kendra were thrilled for the chance to get up close with Bizzy Bone backstage after the group’s performance.

Tipping my bun to Bone. To commemorate 20 years in the game, rap group Bone Thugs and Harmony hit up the 314 as a part of their international or three city tour Thursday night. Because of that completely useless warm vanilla sugar hype woman in the studded brassiere, I didn’t know what to expect. I mean, she owes whoever paid her to get it crackin’ a full refund – even if it was an unpaid position. She was cute enough, but I’m telling you hearing her mumble on the mic not only had me NOT turned up, but I was quietly depressed.

But on a good note, I was struck by how diverse – both in age, gender and race – that show was. I was standing next to an empty nest soccer mom in O.G. acid washed daisy dukes and vintage (as in 1991) Payless pumps. And on the other side of me was a baby Sons of Anarchy crew. Meanwhile, folks ranging from young, black and fabulous to utterly ratchet were scattered all up and through the Coliseum Thursday night. Aloha Mi-sho, Scar LaDon, Staci Static, Mz. Janee and plenty more of the who’s who were in the house. I even saw April Simpson apparently catching life from the side of the stage. There were some “who’s threw” in the building too. For example, remember that shape in the tragic white bellbottom cat suit that I punished so viciously a few months ago…she’s back. I mean really, if you are going to get caught dead in that dingy thing once, that’s more than enough. Anyway, I know y’all want me to get on with the show, but I would put you through what I experienced as about 17 opening acts came and went. But when they brought Bone and ‘nem on stage, the folks were into it at hello! A lot has changed since 1995, but those unkempt frenchbraids have remained constant. I would love to tell you that they looked exactly the same as they did back when they were still thuggish and ruggish…but hey, they can still put on a show. I was engaged in a bitter debate on whether or not they used vocal backing, but when “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” chimed in, we couldn’t help but make peace by dropping it low to the beat. I really had a good time watching them tear it up (and Bizzy quietly zone out) – and I know I wasn’t alone! Can somebody tell me whose uncle that was waiving a single food stamp around during “1st of the Month?” I’m all for folks who bring props and signs to shows, but that was a bit much! On another note, I had completely forgotten that Bone has done songs with some of the greatest in hip-hop history. I’m talking Tupac and Biggie – not just their mentor Eazy-E. They got it in… and Jodeci needs to take note.

Shifting at the Goat. Shift 58 held it down for their first party of the Spring with a stylish soiree at the Rustic Goat Friday night. As per usual, the crowd was the perfect blend of the young, black and fabulous and the future influentials as they came out to help celebrate the launch of Smirnoff Sorbet Vodka. Most of the folks were perched as opposed to tearing the club up, but it was a nice little look and I enjoyed the scene.

Black Katz in Clayton. The 13 Black Katz were putting on at the Ritz Easter eve – as in Ritz Carlton. In my opinion the crowd was lighter than usual, but that didn’t stop the folks who came through from cutting a rug for their “Mr. Nice Guys” festivities. I actually caught life from watching the PYTs scouting for sugar daddy sponsors. It was like watching the NBA draft with first rounds, second rounds and so on as they went around trying to select the cream of the crop. “I came looking for a cougar,” a younger man said to me in passing. “Well you need to be at bingo or up in somebody’s lounge, because the only women of a certain age that are here came with their boo. Besides, the cougars are in the kitchen cooking Easter hams tonight.” But all was still well with the Katz and as per usual I caught life from how they still party and have fun instead of going out just to be seen.

Café Soul and the blues. I must say that I really dig the new ambience that has evolved since Café Soul has scooted over to Troy’s Jazz Gallery to host their monthly open mic/concert/jam session/music and mingle experience. I saw a bunch of singers that I hadn’t heard of before and bravely took to the stage to springboard their passion for song. And that band could make anyone sound good. Wildmann has made a move of his own – going from bass to lead guitar in the house band and he gave me life in a gospel quartet polyester suit as he riffed like the love child of Jimi Hendrix and Prince! By the time it was all said and done I felt like I went to five events in one. A performance of “These Last Two Dollars” had me feeling one Kool Filter King puff away from being in a lively juke joint. My beloved James (your double breasted purple blazer and exposed ankles had me “ready for love!”) and his birthday performance of an India.Arie classic echoed an earthy, emotional soul offering – and so on and so forth. Tendai was putting in work as the host, Devine Soundz was serving on the wheels of steel and I must give another dap to that doggone band. IF the microphones weren’t on fire with static it would have been a perfect musical experience!

Backspin brings down the house. The Rustic Goat is obviously what’s hot in these streets with respect to restaurant turned club, because for two nights in a row this past weekend it was _________________ (insert new slang for ‘poppin like dynamite/turned up)! After a slow night at the Eye Candy party, Mo Spoon had the spot on lock with some of my favorites from the STL nightlife/entertainment scene….himself included. Kim Trigg, Mocha Latte, Bey Hollywood (happy b-day girl), Stage, Maranda Witherspoon, Coco Hype and a whole gang of folks that I have forgotten, were in the building doing it big. I couldn’t see who was spinning, but he was putting in werk (yes, I said werk). Aside from Bone – who had the unfair advantage of bringing my heart joy by way of performing their classic “1st of the Month” – It might have been my favorite overall kicking experience from this weekend.

Teddy Bfree with Cafe Soul host Tendai and co-founder Angela Brown Saturday night @ Café Soul @ Troy’s Jazz Gallery

Andrea and Andre were amongst those letting the soul, blues and good times roll Saturday night @ Café Soul @ Troy’s Jazz Gallery

Edwin and Edward helped their sister Cerise of Rise Marketing celebrate her b-day Saturday night @ The Coliseum

Mo Spoon was eager to introduce and offer congrats to the newest Eye Candy Model, Marissa a.k.a. Miss March @ The Eye Candy Party Friday night @ The Loft Photo by Bfreestl

DJ Kut, Krazy Bone, Orlando, Roland, and Ray backstage celebrated a job well done backstage after Bone Thugs and Harmony blessed the mic to celebrate 20 years in the game Thursday night @ The Coliseum

Kim, Bae Hollywood and Stage were getting their pre-Easter party on for Bae’s b-day Saturday night @ Backspin @ The Rustic Goat

Charles Brown and Naretha Hopson were among the young movers and shakers in the house with Shift 58 Friday night @ The Rustic Goat Photo by Bfreestl

DJ Jo Prima Cornell Boone of Shift58 with Louise Thomas of Epiphany Boutique as she celebrated her b-day Friday night @ The Rustic Goat Photo by Bfreestl

Tammy and Deandre were decked out as they jammed to classic hip-hop and R&B Saturday night @ Backspin @ The Rustic Goat

Host Mocha Latte kept the crowd hype as birthday boy Mike celebrated with a bit of Backspin Saturday night @ The Rustic Goat

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Addressing minority health

By Denise Hooks Anderson,M.D. Medical Accuracy Editor

During the next several days, the popular slogan: “April showers bring May flowers” will probably cross the minds of each of us as we begin to pull out our rain boots, umbrellas, and trench coats. April is such a hopeful month because we realize that summer is just around the corner and winter has finally exited the scene for good. We began to anticipate vacations, much needed relaxation, and endless days around the pool and grill. But in addition to all of the fun activities of which April reminds us, it also should prompt us to think about maintaining optimal health for not only ourselves but our families and the community at large.

With that in mind, April is National Minority Health Month. This is the time that we address specific issues plaguing communities of color around the nation. What I would like to do this month is not only discuss health issues for which we are most familiar but to also include conditions where we lack full understanding or those issues for which we have never been exposed.

For example, I was recently speaking with a very well educated African

American mother who shared with me how uninformed she felt when her son was diagnosed with autism. She needed to know what it was, how did her son get it, and was it curable or treatable? And keep in mind that for this particular mom this was several years ago when there was probably minimal familial support.

Autism, contrary to the popularinternet legends, is not caused by immunizations. The 1998 article in Lancet that reported an association between MMR, (measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine given between 12-15 months of life) and autism was later retracted due to numerous incorrect elements of the study. As a result of that erroneous information, the country saw a sudden dramatic rise in measles cases and more families, unfortunately, were choosing not to immunize their children.

Denise Hooks Anderson,M.D.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) or a mother acquiring rubella during pregnancy are some possible risk factors. Factors associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include male gender and having one older sibling with ASD.

Asperger’s syndrome falls under the category autism spectrum disorder but these children usually have higher cognitive and language skills and they lack a significant delay in self-help skills. They do however have the characteristic impairment in social functioning. For example, a child with Asperger’s may have difficulty differentiating between polite and inappropriate dinner conversation.

Autism is usually diagnosed in childhood after parents have noticed some peculiar behavior in the child, often describing the child as “different”. Common characteristics include:

recognition of primary care giver’s voice. Autistic infants also may lack certain gestures of communication. In addition, these infants may also lack the ability to utter such sounds as “huh” or “uh oh.”

The treatment of Autism consists of three main categories: non-pharmacologic, pharmacologic, and diet. There has been some evidence to show that music therapy may improve the language skills of children with autism. Anti-psychotics are sometimes used on a short term basis to treat tantrums and aggression. Afew small trials did show some limited evidence in the improvement of autistic symptoms with a gluten and casein free diet. However, vitamin B6 plus magnesium, dimethylglycine, and chelation therapy showed no significant evidence in the treatment of ASD.

The CDC estimates that one in 88 children have been identified with an autism spectrum disorder. Boys are more affected than girls by at least five times. In addition, ASD occurs in all racial, socioeconomic, and ethnic groups.

The exact cause of autism is unknown. The cause may be a genetic disorder involving multiple genes. Conditions such as Fragile X Syndrome,

ï Delayed speech development during the first year of life

ï Normal development and then regression and loss of skills after the first year of life

ï Difficulty with peer relationships once child is school age

ï Pattern of behavior or interests is usually repetitive or stereotyped

Some parents begin to notice some signs in infancy such as delayed onset of babbling, lack of eye contact, or lack of

If you are concerned your child could have autism, you should immediately address it with the child’s primary care provider. Please visit the website of the American Academy of Family Physicians, aafp.org, for more information.

Yours in Service, Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Assistant Professor SLUCare Family Medicine yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

YourHealth Matters

Abi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American April 4, 2013

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

Donald M. Suggs, President and Publisher

Kevin Jones, Senior Vice President, COO

Dina M. Suggs, Senior Vice President

Chris King, Editorial Director

Denise Hooks Anderson, M.D., Medical Accuracy Editor

Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter

Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach

Onye Ijei, Barb Sills, Pamela Simmons, Sales

Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager

Angelita Jackson, Cover Design

Wiley Price, Photojournalist

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

Self-reported feelings of well-being — that is, overall happiness and satisfaction with life — tend to increase with age,but that a person’s overall level of wellbeing depends on when he or she was born.

Happiness increases with age, across generations

But overall level of well-being depends on when you were born

Newswise — Psychological wellbeing has been linked to many important life outcomes, including career success, relationship satisfaction and even health. But it’s not clear how feelings of wellbeing change as we age, as different studies have provided evidence for various trends over time.

Anew report published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reveals that self-reported feelings of well-being — that is, overall happiness and satisfaction with life — tend to increase with age, but that a person’s overall level of well-being depends on when he or she was born.

Angelina R. Sutin, assistant professor of medical humanities and social sciences at the Florida State University College of Medicine, conducted the study while at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of

Health (NIH), where she remains a guest researcher. She and colleagues at NIA predicted that people in the same “birth cohort” — born around the same time — may have had unique experiences that

Examination Survey (NHANES), Sutin and colleagues looked at data from several thousand people over 30 years, including more than 10,000 reports on well-being, health and other factors.

The level of well-being of cohorts born in the early part of the 20th century, particularly those who lived through the Great Depression, was substantially lower than the level of well-being of cohorts who grew up during more prosperous times.

shape the way they evaluate happiness and optimism. They hypothesized that the level of well-being a person reports would, therefore, vary according to his or her birth year.

Using two large-scale longitudinal studies, NIH’s Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) and the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition

When the researchers analyzed the data across the whole pool of participants, older adults had lower levels of well-being than younger and middleaged adults. But when Sutin and her colleagues analyzed the same data while taking birth cohort into account, a different trend appeared: Life satisfaction increased over the participants’lifetimes.

This trend remained even after factors like health, medication, sex, ethnicity and education were taken into account. So what explains the different results?

While life satisfaction increased with age for each cohort, older birth cohorts — especially people born between 1885 and 1925 — started off with lower levels of well-being in comparison to people born more recently. Looking at life satisfaction across all of the participants, regardless of when they were born, obscures the fact that each cohort actually shows the same underlying trend.

Sutin and colleagues point out that the level of well-being of cohorts born in the early part of the 20th century, particularly those who lived through the Great Depression, was substantially

See HAPPINESS, page 5

HEALTH BRIEFS

Activity in youth may reduce bone fractures in old age

Newswise — Get out there and regularly kick that soccer ball around with your kids, you may be helping them prevent a broken hip when they are older, claim researchers who presented their work recently at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Specialty Day in Chicago.

“According to our study, exercise interventions in childhood may be associated with lower fracture risks as people age, due to the increases in peak bone mass that occurs in growing children who perform regular physical activity,” said lead author, Bjorn Rosengren, MD, PhD of Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden.

Rosengren and his colleagues conducted a population-based controlled exercise intervention for six years in children age 7-9. In the intervention group 362 girls and 446 boys received 40 minutes of daily physical education at school. The control group of 780 girls and 807 boys received 60 minutes of physical education per week. Researchers registered incident fractures in all participants and followed skeletal development annually. During the time of the study there were 72 fractures in the intervention group and 143 in the control group resulting in similar fracture risks. The increase in spine bone mineral density was higher in both the boys and girls in the intervention group.

During this same time, researchers

performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of 709 former male athletes with a mean age of 69 years and 1,368 matched controls with a mean age of 70 years to determine how many had suffered fractures and rates of bone density loss.

Within the former athletes group, bone mass density dropped only minimally from +1.0 to +0.7 standard deviations compared to the control group.

“Increased activity in the younger ages helped induce higher bone mass and

Get out there and regularly kick that soccer ball around with your kids,you may be helping them prevent a broken hip when they are older

improve skeletal size in girls without increasing the fracture risk. Our study highlights yet another reason why kids need to get regular daily exercise to improve their health both now and in the future,” said Rosengren.

Early-onset baldness may be cancerlink

Newswise —Baldness was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer among African-American men, and risk for advanced prostate cancer increased with younger age and type of baldness, according to data published recently in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“We focused on African-American men because they are at high risk for developing prostate cancer and are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than other groups in the United States,” said Charnita Zeigler-Johnson, Ph.D., research assistant professor at the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “Although this is a high-risk group for poor prostate cancer outcomes, no published study had

focused on evaluating baldness as a potential risk factor in a sample of African-American men.”

Zeigler-Johnson and her colleagues identified 318 men with prostate cancer and 219 controls among participants who enrolled in the Study of Clinical Outcomes, Risk and Ethnicity (SCORE) between 1998 and 2010. All of them were African-American and had varying degrees of baldness. They obtained information on type of baldness (none, frontal and vertex) and other medical history using a questionnaire.

The researchers found that any baldness was associated with a 69 percent increased risk of prostate cancer. In particular, African-American men with frontal baldness, and not vertex baldness, were more than twice as likely to have been diagnosed with advanced prostate

cancer. This association was even stronger among men who were diagnosed when younger than 60, with a sixfold increase in high-stage prostate cancer and a fourfold increase in high-grade prostate cancer.

In addition, among younger men with prostate cancer, those with frontal baldness were more likely to have a high prostate-specific antigen level at diagnosis.

“Early-onset baldness may be a risk factor for early-onset prostate cancer in African-American men, particularly younger men,” said Zeigler-Johnson. “Pending future studies to confirm our results, there is a potential to use earlyonset baldness as a clinical indicator of increased risk for prostate cancer in some populations of men.”

Eating tips to keep teeth in top shape

Healthy eating is a key to good healthy mouth. After all, the mouth is the gateway to the body.The American Dental Association (ADA) serves up these tips for good oral health.

Watch that sugar: Common sense, right?But many people don’t know that the plaque on your teeth contain bacteria that can cause cavities. The bacteria feed on sugar, releasing acid that attacks the teeth. Sugary foods and beverages provide an all-day buffet for these cavity creators. Train your taste buds to enjoy healthy fare such as fruit and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Your teeth and your waistline will thank you.

Sip all day, risk decay: Sipping sugary beverages – even that seemingly-innocent fruit juice – over extended periods creates an environment where the teeth are constantly attacked by acid. Sipping fluoridated water is best for your teeth.If you choose soda, have it with a meal.

Get yoursaliva flowing:

Chewing increases the flow of saliva in your mouth, so if you chew sugarless gum after a meal, the increased salivary flow can help prevent cavities by neutralizing and washing away the acids that are produced when food is broken down by the bacteria in plaque on your teeth.

Eat yourVitamins: Eating calcium-rich foods such as cheese, leafy greens and almonds are good for the teeth. Protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs and fish are good sources of phosphorus. Both of these minerals can help rebuild tooth enamel and bone.

In addition to eating a balanced diet, the ADArecommends limiting between-meal snacks, brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily and visiting your dentist regularly to keep your mouth in tip top shape.

HAPPINESS

Continued from A1

lower than the level of well-being of cohorts who grew up during more prosperous times. The greater well-being of more recent cohorts could be the result of economic prosperity, increased educational opportunities and the expansion of social and public programs over the latter half of the 20th century.

These findings may have important implications for today’s younger generations, according to the researchers.

“As young adults today enter a stagnant workforce, the challenges of high unemployment may have implications for their well-being that outlast the period of joblessness. Economic turmoil may impede psychological, as well as financial, growth even decades after times get better.”

Co-authors of the study are Antonio Terracciano, associate professor of geriatrics at Florida State University College of Medicine and a guest researcher at the NIA; Yuri Milaneschi of the NIAand VU University Medical Center; and Yang An, Luigi Ferrucci and Alan B. Zonderman of the NIA.

RHC says health systems may crumble without Medicaid expansion

By Sandra Jordan Of The St.Louis American

The fight over whether Missouri will get its share of federal dollars for Medicaid Expansion affects more than the estimated 300,000 additional low income adults who would get health insurance.

Without it, there could be a detrimental effect to persons currently enrolled in Medicaid through the Gateway Medicaid Expansion enrollment pilot, which ends December 31, according to Rob Freund CEO of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission.

Medicaid Expansion would cover persons with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty guidelines – that’s $15,856.20 for an individual, $21,403.80 for a family of two and $32,499 for a family of four. It would be 100 percent paid for by federal funds for three years, then stepped downed to 90 percent federal funded through the ACA.

Missouri lawmakers have repeatedly rejected Medicaid Expansion proposals this legislative session.

The Missouri Hospital Association estimates without Medicaid expansion, it could cost Missouri more than 9,000 jobs, $1.9 billion in reduced capital investment or $1.1 billion in cost shift to the insured.

Additionally, no Medicaid expansion dollars will have a ripple effect on the hospitals that take care of persons who are uninsured and of low income. Provisions of the Affordable Care Act build upon one another; removing one affects another area of service.

presumption is that the number of uninsured will drop considerably under ACA Medicaid Expansion, and so will those payments to hospitals for uncompensated care.

No Medicaid expansion dollars will have a ripple effect on the hospitals that take care of persons who are uninsured and of low income.

Acase in point, major payment cuts to medical and psychiatric hospitals under Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments are on the horizon in 2014 under the ACA. DSH payments are federal funds given to hospitals that provide a high volume of uncompensated care to poor people and to Medicaid and Medicare patients (each program has a separate DSH payment program). The

Theoretically, without Medicaid expansion in Missouri, hospitals that currently rely heavily on DSH payments are bracing for a deep cut – although the numbers of persons needing the care will remain steady.

“The impact this time is that we lose so much money from the DSH cuts – that you will see a substantial reduction in both in jobs and access across Missouri,” Freund said.

Reduction in access may be another way of saying existing Medicaid and uninsured patients will have fewer choices for health care services.

“You have your DSH payments taken away and you’ll have health centers and hospitals shut down across the state,” Freund said.

Alzheimer’s risk gene discovered using novel imaging method

Newswise — Scientists at UCLAhave discovered a new genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease by screening people’s DNAand then using an advanced type of scan to visualize their brains’connections. The UCLAresearchers discovered a common abnormality in our genetic code that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s. To find the gene, they used a new imaging method that screens the brain’s connections — the wiring, or circuitry, that communicates information. Switching off such Alzheimer’s risk genes (nine of them have been implicated over the last 20 years) could stop the disorder in its tracks or delay its onset by many years.

The research is published in the March 4 online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“We found a change in our genetic code that boosts our risk for Alzheimer’s disease,” said the study’s senior author, Paul Thompson, a UCLAprofessor ofneurology anda member of the UCLALaboratory of Neuro Imaging. “If you have this variant in your DNA, your brain connections are weaker. As you get older, faulty brain connections increase your risk of dementia.”

Researchers screened more than a thousand people’s DNAto find the common “spelling errors” in the genetic code that might heighten their risk for the disease later in life. The studywas the first of its kind to also give each person a “connectome scan,” a special type of scan that measures water diffusion in the brain, allowing scientists to map the strength of the brain’s connections. The scan reveals the brain’s circuitry and how information is routed around the brain, in order to discover risk factors for disease. The researchers then combined these connectivity scans with the extensive genomic screening to pinpoint what causes faulty wiring in the brain.

In people whose genetic code differed in one specific gene called SPON1, weaker connections were found between brain centers controlling reasoning and emotion. The rogue gene also affects how senile plaques build up in the brain — one of the Alzheimer’s disease hallmarks.

“Much of your risk for disease is written in your DNA, so the genome is a good place to look for new drug targets,” said Thompson, who in 2009 founded a research network known as Project ENIGMAto pool brain scans and DNAfrom 26,000 people worldwide. “If we scan your brain and DNAtoday, we can discover dangerous genes that will undermine your ability to think and plan and will make you ill in the future. If we find these genes now, there is a better chance of new drugs that can switch them off before you or your family gets ill.”

While states choose whether they want to expand Medicaid, states don’t have that option in when it comes to DSH payments. Come 2014, total Medicaid DSH payments to all states will be incrementally reduced quarterly by up to $4 billion by fiscal year 2020.

Hospitals stand to lose $400-$500 million across the state if we don’t expand Medicaid,” Freund added. And he said the St. Louis area would get it first, because it is a pilot site to enroll additional Medicaid recipients through the Gateway expansion project.

Without expansion, Missouri Hospital Association estimates it would cost Missouri more than $9,000 jobs.

“We need to either expand Medicaid, extend Gateway,” Freund said, “or we’re going to lose in excess on January 1 about 20 percent of all of our funding that goes to community health centers goes away.”

He warns St. Louis will hit a wall – a hard wall.

For more information on how Missouri and Medicaid Expansion, go to stlrhc.org

African-American, caucasian women should take identical vitamin D doses

Newswise —African-American women battling vitamin D deficiencies need the same dose as Caucasian women to treat the condition, according to a recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’sJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism(JCEM).

Although women with darker skin tones tend to have lower levels of the biomarker used to measure Vitamin D levels, called 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25OHD, the study found that older African-American and Caucasian women responded in the same way when they received vitamin D supplements. Unlike many vitamins that are absorbed primarily from foods, the body’s main source of vitamin D is sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency, which is primarily caused by inadequate exposure to sunlight and very poor diet, can result in abnormalities in calcium, phosphorus and bone metabolism. Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in children or a bonesoftening condition called osteomalacia.

In a double-blind study that gave varying vitamin D doses to African-American and Caucasian women of similar body size, levels of the 25OHD biomarker were very similar. The findings suggest that vitamin D absorption and metabolism is the same in both groups. Researchers concluded that AfricanAmerican women tend to have lower levels of the biomarker 25OHD because they naturally produce less vitamin D in the skin after sunlight exposure.

The 2011 IOM daily recommendation is 400 International Units (IU) for infants under 12 months old; 600 IU for children and adults and 800 IUf or persons 70 and older.

Sleep loss often precedes Alzheimer’s diagnosis

By Washington University News

Sleep is disrupted in people who likely have early Alzheimer’s disease but do not yet have the memory loss or other cognitive problems characteristic of fullblown disease, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reported recently inJAMA Neurology

The finding confirms earlier observations by some of the same researchers. Those studies showed a link in mice between sleep loss and brain plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Early evidence tentatively suggests the connection may work in both directions: Alzheimer’s plaques disrupt sleep, and lack of sleep promotes Alzheimer’s plaques.

“This link may provide us with an easily detectable sign of Alzheimer’s pathology,” says senior author David M. Holtzman, MD, the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor and head of Washington University’s Department of Neurology. “As we start to treat people

who have markers of early Alzheimer’s, changes in sleep in response to treatments may serve as an indicator of whether the new treatments are succeeding.”

Sleep problems are common in people who have symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, but scientists recently have begun to suspect that they also may be an indicator of early disease. The new paper is among the first to connect early Alzheimer’s disease and sleep disruption in humans.

For the new study, researchers recruited 145 volunteers from the University’s Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. All of the volunteers were 45 to 75 years old and cognitively normal when they enrolled.

As a part of other research at the center, scientists already had analyzed samples of the volunteers’spinal fluids for

Cardinals’fans with Alzheimer’s reminisce together

One in eight older Americans have Alzheimer’s or related dementias, according to the 2012 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. In Missouri, there are approximately 64,000 African Americans over the age of 65.

The Alzheimer’s Association conservatively estimates that more than 8,000 African Americans have the disease.Data alsoindicates that in the US, older African Americans are probably about twice as likely to have Alzheimer’s and other dementias as older whites.

The organization sponsors classes in the area for caregivers and what to expect during the stages of the progressive disease along with several different programs for persons with early stage disease.

One particular gathering, the Cardinal Reminiscence League, is made up of Cardinal fans with early stage

Alzheimer’s and their family members to share memories about their favorite hometown team. Browns fans are welcomed as well. Activities may include a trip to Busch Stadium. This season, the League will meet on Fridays, April 20 –October 13 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the chapter office at 9370 Olive Blvd. It’s free to join but registration is required (the group fills up quickly).To register or for more information, contact Rosemary.Treece@alz.org or call 314801-0438.

markers of Alzheimer’s disease. The samples showed that 32 participants had preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, meaning they were likely to have amyloid plaques present in their brains but were not yet cognitively impaired.

Participants kept daily sleep diaries for two weeks, noting the time they went to bed and got up, the number of naps taken on the previous day, and other sleep-related information.

The researchers tracked the participants’activity levels using sensors worn on the wrist that detected the wearer’s movements.

“Most people don’t move when they’re asleep, and we developed a way to use the data we collected as a marker for whether a person was asleep or awake,” says first author Yo-El Ju, MD, assistant professor of neurology. “This let us assess sleep efficiency, which is a

measure of how much time in bed is spent asleep.”

Participants who had preclinical Alzheimer’s disease had poorer sleep efficiency (80.4 percent) than people without markers of Alzheimer’s (83.7 percent). On average, those with preclinical disease were in bed as long as other participants, but they spent less time asleep. They also napped more often.

“When we looked specifically at the worst sleepers, those with a sleep efficiency lower than 75 percent, they were more than five times more likely to have preclinical Alzheimer’s disease than good sleepers,” Ju says.

Ju and her colleagues are following up with studies in younger participants who have sleep disorders.

“We think this may help us get a better feel for the way this connection flows — does sleep loss drive Alzheimer’s, does Alzheimer’s lead to sleep loss, or is it a combination?” Ju says. “That will help us determine whether we can change the course of disease with pharmaceuticals or other treatments.”

H

EALTH Q & A

Can coffee-bean supplements really help you lose weight?

Reprinted with permission Consumer Reports Health

Q. I’ve read lately that supplements made from unroasted coffee beans can help you lose weight. Is that true?

A. We wouldn’t bet on it. Yes, some research has suggested that an extract from unroasted or “green” coffee beans may aid in weight loss for obese or overweight patients, possibly due to its chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that may play a role in how the body metabolizes, or burns, glucose and fat.

But the studies have been small and of limited quality, so it’s hard to draw meaningful conclusions from them. Moreover, unroasted coffee extract hasn’t been evaluated for efficacy or safety by the Food and Drug Administration, nor is there any guarantee of its quality.

Finally, in recent tests of eight green coffee-bean supplements by the group ConsumerLab.com, four products didn’t contain the expected amount of extract, and one had no detectable extract at all.

—Joel Keehn

Maintaining a Healthy Weight: ‘Don’t forget the milk…and fruits and veggies!’

Dr. Sanjay Maniar, resident physician, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, discusses this month’s cancer prevention topic in the 8 Ways to Stay Healthy and Prevent Cancer series.

The average shopper visits a grocery store almost 10 times per month. Whether it’s for the upcoming school bake sale, or a family reunion just around the corner, we’ve all been reminded to pick up that last-minute item from the supermarket.But, did you know that each of those trips is a new chance to prevent cancer?

People who are overweight and obese are at a higher risk of many health conditions including cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Research strongly links being overweight or obese with increased risks of: breast; colon; kidney; uterine; and esophageal cancer. In the U.S., it is estimated that obesity contributes to nearly 20% of cancer-related deaths each year.

Maintaining a healthy weight is a great way to stay healthy and prevent cancer.

Here are some tips to help guide your supermarket and dining decisions:

ï Choose foods with lower calorie content, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and soups

ï Limit foods or drinks that are high

in sugar or fat

ï Select lean cuts of meat, and reduced fat versions of dairy products such as milk and cheese

ï Integrate physical activity or movement for at least 30 minutes into your daily routine

ï Eat smaller portions and eat more slowly

Where can I find out more information?

Try our online tool to test your cancer and disease risk: http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/ American Cancer Society: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/ American Dietetic Association: www.eatright.org

The Program forthe Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD) at the Siteman CancerCenteris working to eliminate local and regional disparities in cancereducation, prevention and treatment through community outreach, research and training.

To learn more about cancer orto get involved with PECaD, call 314-747-4611, email PECaD@wudosis.wustl.edu or write to us at SCC-PECaD, Campus Box 8100, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110. Look forfuture articles in HealthMatters.

Sexual Health

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

St. Louis Metropolitan HIV/AIDS Program offers confidential or anonymous testing at St. Louis ConnectCare, Suite 203 at 5535 Delmar, St. Louis, Mo. 63112. For more information, call (314) 879-6468.

Respiratory Health

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

Prescription Cost Help

St. Louis ConnectCare Retail Pharmacy – Offers a $4 generic prescription program. Hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mon. – Fri., no weekends or holidays. Located at 5535 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis, Call 314-879-6208.

Schnucks Pharmacies – now offers cer-

HEALTH RESOURCES

tain prescription prenatal vitamins for free and offers no-cost generic prescription antibiotics at select locations.

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

Prostate Cancer

The CancerCenterof The Empowerment Network at 6000 W. Florissant in St. Louis provides information on prostate and other types of cancer, and services and support. For more information, call 314-385-0998.

Nutrition

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

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

Medical

St. Louis ConnectCare offers walk-in services Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and most holidays. For more information, call 314-879-6300.

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

Information

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

Health Partnerships

The CenterforCommunity Health and Partnerships: Building Bridges for Healthy Communities works to develop and support beneficial community-academic partnerships to address the health needs of the St. Louis. For more information, email publichealth@wustl.edu; phone 314-747-9212 or visit publichealth.wustl.edu.

Dental

Free Dental Hygiene Clinic - No charge

dental exams, x-rays, cleanings and other dental services for children and adults. Patients needing more extensive dental work (fillings, crowns, etc.) will be referred to local dentists. For information, call 314-768-7899.

Diabetes

SSM St. Mary’s Health Center provides free, Diabetes Support Group sessions the second Tuesday of every month from 6 – 7 p.m. Located in Room 1 on the second floor, 6420 Clayton Rd. in St. Louis. To register, call toll free 866-SSM-DOCS (866776-3627).

Behavioral

Christian Hospital offers free and confidential psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

Christian Hospital Key Program offers support and education to patients with chronic mental illness to prevent increased severity of symptoms and to reduce the need for inpatient re-hospitalization. Call confidentially to 314839-3171 or 1-800-447-4301.

Thurs. Apr. 4, 4 p.m., “Public Health is a Return on Investment: Saving Money and Saving Lives,” at SLU Medical Center Learning Resources Center, 3544 Caroline Mall, a lecture by Georges C. Benjamin, MD, executive director, American Public Health Association. For more information, visit publichealth.slu.edu.

Sat. Apr. 6, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., St. Louis County Health Community Celebration at 6121 N. Hanley Rd., Berkeley, Mo. Health screenings; performances by Afriky Lolo, face painting; music, displays and giveaways. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/HealthCelebration.

Tues. Apr. 9, 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., AARPDriverSafety Program, Northwest HealthCare Community Room 1, 1225 Graham Rd. Fee is $12 for AARPmembers; $14 for nonmembers (payable to AARP) the day of training. Call 314-747-WELL(9355) or 1877-747-WELL(9355) to register.

YOURHEALTH MATTERS

CALENDAR

Fri. April 12, 4:30 p.m., The Most Powerful Voices Concert and Health Fair, GreaterGrace Church, 3690 Pershall Road, Ferguson, Mo. Health screenings until 6:30 and free gospel concert at 7 p.m. by Marvin Sapp. Event sponsored by the American Heart and American Stroke associations to increase stroke awareness. For more information, call 1-888-4STROKE or visit www.strokeassociation.org/power.

Sun. Apr. 14, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Bone Marrow Registry drive for Alquinston Johnson, Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, The Bridewell Community Center, 2822 Martin Luther King Blvd. St. Louis. For more information, contact Felicia Hinton-Ramey at 314-401-2796 or the Be The Match Registry at 314-348-5650 or dmosley@nmdp.org.

April 15, 22 & 29, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Living with Alzheimer’s for Caregivers: Middle Stage, Northwest HealthCare, 1225 Graham Road,

Community Room, Alzheimer’s Association three-part series to learn helpful strategies to provide safe, effective and comfortable care.Call 314-747WELL(9355) or 1-877-747-WELL (9355) to register.

Tues. Apr. 16, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Allergies 101 by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America at Tropicana Lanes, 7960 Clayton Rd. in Richmond Heights, Mo. For more information, call 314-645-2422 and RSVPat foodallergies.eventbrite.com.

Thurs. Apr. 18, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., Bone Marrow Registry drive forAlquinston Johnson, Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, The Bridewell Community Center, 2822 Martin Luther King Blvd. St. Louis. For more information, contact Felicia Hinton-Ramey at 314-401-2796 or the Be The Match Registry at 314348-5650 or dmosley@nmdp.org.

Sat. Apr. 20, 8 a.m., Healthy Brain Workshop by Alzheimer’s Association, Fortitude Foundation, 3858 Washington Blvd. Continental breakfast and lunch provided. Registration required by April 15 at 800-272-3900 or online at www.alz.org/stl.

Wed. Apr. 25, 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. 9th Annual Hats Off to Women – HATITUDE, Christian Hospital. Learn about women and heart disease and how attitude can have a big influence on your health. Screenings until 8 p.m. and lecture begins at 6. Register by calling 314747-WELLor 1-877-747-WELL.

Wed. Apr. 25, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., “Preventing and Treating Diabetes,” West County Family YMCAby Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital, family practice physician will discuss factors that impact your risk; certified diabetes educators will share advice for managing diabetes. Register by calling 314-542-9378 or 800-392-0936 or go online at http://www.barnesjewishwestcounty.org/classes.

Sat. Apr. 27, 8:30 a.m., St. Louis Kidney Walk at Saint Louis University. Registration begins at 8:30 for noncompetitive one- or two-mile walk at 10 a.m. For more information, call 314-961-2828 or register at www.kidneywalk.org.

Sat. Apr. 27, 10 a.m., St. Louis ConnectCare Auxiliary benefit Jazz/Blues Brunch & Concert, Sheraton Westport Hotel Lakeside Chalet, 191 Westport Plaza, featuring Ed Nicholson’s Jazz & Blues All Starts, Wendy Gordon, Bob Ellison, Exclusively

Yours. Auxiliary will present Helping Hand Humanitarian Awards to three awardees. Tickets - $50 per person. For information, call 314-879-6494.

Thur. May 2, 6 p.m., John H. Gladney M.C. Diversity Awards Reception presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs SLU School of Medicine, Busch Student Center Room 300, guest speaker James H. Buford, pres./CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. RSVPby April 19 to 314-977-8730 or oma@slu.edu.

Sat. May 4, 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., 2013 American Heart Association Heart Walk, Busch Stadium, St. Louis. Gates open at 7:30; race begins at 9. Register for Barnes-Jewish Hospital Friends & Family’s Teamat http://tinyurl.com/AHAwalkBJH.

Sat. May 4, 6 p.m., JDRFDream Gala, Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch, for more information and tickets, call 314-729-1846 or visit www.jdrf.org/gala.

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

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

Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. – Alcohol and Drug Informational meeting, Christian Hospital, Professional Office Building 2, Suite 401.For information, call 314-839-3171.

Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. –STEPS Schizophrenia Support Group This nationally recognized program provides education and support for those with schizophrenia. Group is facilitated by an experienced STEPS nurse. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

First Thursdays, 10 a.m. – Family Support Group by NAMI St. Louis, The Alliance on Mental Illness at the Grace Hill Murphy-O’Fallon Health Center, 1717 Biddle St. No registration needed; no cost. For more information, call 314-962-4670.

Free psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations are confidential at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. Call 314-839-3171.