U. City Board picks finalists
Three candidates vie to be superintendent
By Rebecca Rivas
n The appointment is pending salary and benefit negotiations with the selected candidate.
The University City School Board has announced three finalists for the superintendent’s position – assistant superintendents from Normandy and Ritenour school districts and an assistant super from within University City schools. All three candidates have been participating in interviews with the school board and with interview committees since January 8. The interview committees are comprised of teachers, administrators, community stakeholders, parents and students. School Exec Connect is the firm assisting the board with the superintendent search. After the finalists have all been interviewed, the board will select one candidate to hire and will begin negotiations around the
new superintendent’s contract. No salary has been set and the appointment is pending salary and benefit negotiations with the selected candidate.
The board expects to name the new superintendent at its February
Coloring Dr. King
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Within 30 days, St. Louis clergy members and community leaders said that they can deliver 100,000 petition signatures to the White House, asking the administration to relocate its regional mapping-intelligence headquarters to North St. Louis.
They’re calling it the “We the People” petition, the group said at a press conference on January 9 held at the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence
n “This is where the development needs to occur.”
– Rev. Charles Brown, president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition
near the Anheuser-Busch InBev Brewery
Missouri NAACP
Jeff City Branch president takes over for Mary Ratliff
By Mariah Stewart Of The St. Louis American
Nimrod “Rod” T. Chapel Jr. is the new president of the Missouri NAACP, the organization announced on Saturday, January 9 – the state conference’s 14th president and first elected president in nearly 30 years. Chapel, 45, has led the NAACP’s Jefferson City Chapter for seven years. When protests and injustices were highlighted on Mizzou’s campus last fall, Chapel helped launched a hotline for students to call when instances of hate crimes or discrimination occurred.
His leadership with the NAACP dates back to his college days, when he served as president of the Oklahoma State University Chapter of the NAACP.
n “I have a heart for people who have been injured or mistreated and hope to bring that passion to the Missouri NAACP.”
– Nimrod “Rod” T. Chapel Jr.
Of The St. Louis American
On Tuesday, January 12, students at Bryan Hill Elementary School in North St. Louis worked hard on a project assigned in advance of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday.
Photo by Wiley Price
Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard, U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay and Rev. Charles Brown, president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition, announced a petition drive to keep the NGA West facility in the city of St. Louis on January 9.
Photo by Wiley Price
Did Patti get her groove back?
Insiders told “The Daily Mail” that Patti LaBelle, 71, and her drummer Eric Seats 41, have been quietly dating for over a year. LaBelle reportedly left a bad relationship and turned to Seats to help heal her broken heart.
The source claims Seats, who has toured with LaBelle for years, even left LA to move in with LaBelle in Philadelphia. Though Seats is accomplished in his own right, having toured with Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige and produced songs for Destiny’s Child and Aaliyah, her 42-year-old son/manager Zuri Edwards is said to be displeased with the union.
Farrah Abraham and Nicki Minaj trade jabs on Twitter
Over the weekend
Nicki Minaj and “Teen
Mom” reality star Farrah Abraham got into an online scuffle after Minaj bashed Abraham for mistreating her own mother as the rap star watched reruns of the show. The Twitter beef escalated to insults about Abraham’s sex tape and her grammar skills.
“You must really want attention. Talk about women with respect. It’s Sunday. Stop watching reruns and go to church,” Abraham tweeted.
“Stop dragging your mother. Learn the difference between your and you’re,” Minaj responded.
Abraham took the feud from social media to the press in an interview with Hollywood Life.
“Nicki has no room to talk about my family relationships, nor insinuate I’m a porn star,” Abraham told Hollywood Life. “For her to talk about my daughter, my mother and be disgusting and ghetto, I no longer am supportive of her or her music. I have no intentions of wasting a further word on her. Keep watching my reruns Nicki and help your bro not rape people. I want to stay away from her and her family.”
Mike Epps character killed off over cash
On the season finale of “Survivor’s Remorse,” comedian/actor Mike Epps’ character Uncle Julius is killed off in a shocking car accident.
Mike admits Julius got the axe because he asked for a raise.
“I asked for some more money and they killed me,” Epps reportedly said. “That’s usually what happens on TV shows. If you can remember ‘Good Times,’ that’s what happened.”
Jeweler files suit to collect their coins from T.I.
According to TMZ, rapper T.I.’s jewelry is not paid in full. The celebrity news and gossip site claims jewelry retailer Aydin & Co. is suing T.I. They claim to have sold him $64k worth of goods back
in 2014, but he still owes them $44k. ‘They also allege that over years of retail service T.I. has an unsettled tab to the tune of $400K. They are suing the rapper for a total of $700k.
Will Rita Ora spill Jay Z tea to escape Roc Nation?
Last month Roc Nation artist Rita Ora shocked fans with a lawsuit against her label. In the lawsuit she demands to be released from her contract because Roc Nation is spread too thin to focus on her, naming Roc Nation Sports and Tidal in her complaint The singer claims she has been orphaned by Roc Nation and has been self-funding her performances, videos and appearances.
According to the celebrity gossip blind item site Crazy Days and Nights, Ora is prepared to use secrets as leverage.
“Look for stories to start leaking about their relationship if our favorite foreign born B list singer/wannabe actress does not get the release from her contract with the company of this A+ list rapper/mogul,” the site says.
Stallone sorry for Golden Globes snub
During his thank you speech after winning the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his portrayal of Rocky Balboa in “Creed,” Sylvester Stallone neglected to thank his co-star Michael B. Jordan and the film’s director Ryan Coogler. Instead he thanked his own fictional character who he referred to as his “imaginary friend.”
According to reports Stallone ran back on stage during the commercial break to correct the oversight, but actor Samuel L. Jackson and director Ava DuVernay beat him to the punch on Twitter. Stallone responded to Jackson’s Twitter read.
Sylvester Stallone
“Samuel Jackson is upset that I foolishly forgot to mention the brilliant Ryan Coogler and MB Jordan,” Stallone tweeted. “He is right. I owe them everything.”
Janet shuts down cancer rumors, prepares for tour return
Last month, Janet Jackson postponed the Unbreakable Tour to undergo an unnamed surgical procedure.
In a message posted on Twitter Janet Jackson clears up rumors about her health and confirms the Unbreakable Tour will resume with the European leg “Believe it when you hear it from my lips. The rumors are not true. I do not have cancer,” Jackson said. “I’m recovering. My doctors have approved my concerts as scheduled in Europe, and as I promised, the postponed shows will be rescheduled.”
Sources: Twitter, TMZ. com, RadarOnline. com, The Daily Mail, Crazy Days and Nights, Hollywood Life
Farrah Abraham
Patti LaBelle
Mike Epps
WUSTL to hold discussion on Clean Power Plan
Harvard expert to discuss benefits on January 21
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
In the past three decades, the percentage of Americans with asthma has more than doubled, according to the White House, and climate change is exasperating the problem.
In Missouri, 10.8 percent of adults and 7.7 percent of children suffer from asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Climate change is no longer just about the future that we’re predicting for our children or our grandchildren,” said President Barack Obama in his speech announcing the Clean Power Plan last summer. “It’s about the reality that we’re living with every day, right now.”
In August, Obama rolled out the Clean Power Plan, which establishes the first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants. The federal government has previously set limits on soot and other toxic emissions. However, until now, existing power plants, the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States, could release as much carbon pollution as they wanted, Obama said.
The Clean Power Plan sets standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 – that’s 9 percent more ambitious than first draft of the plan.
On January 21, Washington University will host an expert who did extensive research on the health impacts of Obama’s plan. Joel Schwartz, a professor of environmental epidemiology in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, will talk about his recent study that looked at the plan’s health benefits – including saving 1,200 lives in Missouri.
President Obama rolled out his Clean Power Plan last August.
East Boogie shuffle
Just about four short months ago, Alvin Parks Jr., after losing the mayoral election back in April, returned to East St. Louis City Hall, this time as city manager, thanks to some political gamesmanship (and three votes) by the ESL City Council.
Then Parks recently was stripped of that post by a new trio of council members, only to be replaced by Edith Moore, a city employee and an experienced political operative, who will serve as interim city manager.
On deck is Ishaq Shafiq, former chief of staff and city manager during the administration of former ESL mayor Gordon Bush.
Shafiq knows this dance all too well. It’s the old East Boogie Shuffle: city manager appointed, city manager disagrees with the city council, city manager replaced. Since the inception of the city manager form of government in 1991, ESL has gone through 18 (soon to be 19) city managers, with four city managers in 2015 alone. It’s a thankless, political, unstable position. Even NFL coaches have better odds of retaining their coaching job, after a losing season, than a successful ESL city manager. And that’s being optimistic. But Parks deserved to be fired.
n The Clean Power Plan sets standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
His talk will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday, January 21 at the Danforth University Center in Room 276, on the Danforth Campus. A panel session will follow from 5-6 p.m., which will include pediatrician Nadim Kanafani and head of the Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 Mark Smith. Refreshments will be provided.
Last summer, Obama challenged institutions to incorporate climate change into public-health discussions. And this event is part of Washington University’s response, said Sara Edgar, an organizer with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign.
“It is a follow-up event to the initiative
calling for the health community to take this issue on locally,” she said. “We are hopeful this will spark an ongoing discussion.”
According to the White House, the Clean Power Plan will avoid up to 3,600 premature deaths, lead to 90,000 fewer asthma attacks in children, and prevent 300,000 missed work and school days.
Obama believes the plan will also create tens of thousands of jobs. It aims to create 30 percent more renewable energy by 2030 and save the average American family nearly $85 on their annual energy bill in 2030. It also prioritizes energy efficiency improvements in low-income communities, through a Clean Energy Incentive Program.
Extreme weather events – from more severe droughts and wildfires in the West to record heat waves – are hitting communities across the country, Obama said. In fact, 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all occurred in the first 15 years of this century – and last year was the warmest year ever.
“Now, that shouldn’t make us hopeless,” he said. “It’s not as if there’s nothing we can do about it. We can take action.”
Councilpersons Robert Eastern III, June Hamilton-Dean and Mayor Emeka-Jackson Hicks merely reversed a hire which, initially, was a slap in the face to the voters of ESL who ousted him in April. For that, they are to be commended.
Parks’ arrogance was further displayed when, after his termination, he phoned into the Bob Romanik “Grim Reaper” show( KQQZam), during which time I was an in-studio guest.
Parks had the audacity to “defy” us to name any episodes of political corruption that took place on his watch (as either mayor or city manager), to which I quickly named Walter Hill. Hill was Parks’ former deputy liquor commissioner who was convicted of extortion and lying to the feds and was recently released from federal prison.
Parks attempted to obfuscate the facts and reframe the corruption during his tenure in ESL City Hall.
So ESL has exorcised the spirit of Alvin Parks from City Hall, at least for now.
But, somehow, I suspect that the “Ghost of City Managers Past” will eventually haunt East Boogie (and probably a lot sooner than we think) given the past track record of city managers.
However, let’s hope that, in 2016, for once the will of the people will begin to prevail amid the selfish, ego-driven world of poli-tricks in East Boogie. After all, everything else has failed.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@ JamesTIngram.
Columnist
James Ingram
Editorial /CommEntary
It depends on us
On Tuesday, January 12, for the last time, our nation listened to President Barack Obama deliver a State of the Union speech. Though full of facts about the nation’s strengthened position, compared to when he took office during a major economic meltdown, it was to a large extent a statement of division, rather than union, and a challenge to the grass roots to get more engaged. His final State of the Union address was a throwback to his first campaign for the presidency, when Obama the candidate energized new voters through new media and a dollar-bydollar approach to raising funds online.
Speaking in another campaign season, albeit one where he is not a candidate, Obama’s most direct challenges concerned the broken political system itself. “Changes in our political process – in not just who gets elected, but how they get elected – that will only happen when the American people demand it,” Obama warned, wary about the mood in the country reflected by the rise of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. “It depends on you.” It depends on us.
The message was remarkably similar to what the Ferguson Commission told the St. Louis region when it released its report last September. “At the end of the day, the community and civic leaders and business leaders all across our region are going to have to keep up the pressure for the accountable bodies we identify to act,” said commission co-chair Rich McClure. “It is that pressure that will ultimately result in the action.” Only pressure from the community will result in changes to law and policy. It depends on us.
As far as the Ferguson Commission’s mandate, that became even more clear as the commission expired on December 31 without
agreeing to appoint a “core intermediary” that would push for implementation of the report’s calls to action. The commission was left with the unwelcome prospect of forming another entity, to be called “Forward Through Ferguson,” that will work with FOCUS St. Louis – the sole, but flawed, applicant for core intermediary – and grass-roots groups. The message is clear: There is no one who will do this work for us. It depends on us. “It is not easy,” Obama warned. “Our brand of democracy is hard.” We have seen that in our region’s efforts to move forward through Ferguson, when every sign of progress – the Missouri Legislature’s passage of municipal court limits, the county executive’s push for countywide police department standards – spawns a rearguard action to preserve the status quo. We are seeing a major contest of political will between the entrenched groups, who believe they are benefiting from the present condition of fragmentation and inequity, and the change agents mobilized by Ferguson.
The Ferguson experience shared something else with Obama’s final State of the Union address. Both offered a fresh, infectious spirit of civic
On Tuesday, January 12, President Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union speech.
As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues
Affirmative effort to halt gun deaths
By Cornell William Brooks Guest columnist
engagement. “I can promise that a little over a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I will be right there with you as a citizen,” Obama said, as if looking forward to the opportunity to step down from the highest seat in our government and engage with issues directly on the ground, as he once did as a young community organizer. We are reminded of the most electric days on the streets of Ferguson, when every press conference turned into a town hall forum and the youngest, least entitled citizens seized control and led the way.
“It’s a lot easier to be cynical, to accept that change is not possible, and politics is hopeless, and to believe that our voices and actions don’t matter,” Obama said. “But if we give up now, then we forsake a better future.” And that, we cannot do. “Our collective futures depends on your willingness to uphold your duties as a citizen,” Obama said. “To vote. To speak out. To stand up for others, especially the weak, especially the vulnerable, knowing that each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, stood up for us. We need every American to stay active in our public life.”
It depends on us.
As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues
Courts must stop charging for being poor
By Jacob Blanton Guest columnist
Under Missouri Supreme Court Rules, as well as state and federal law, individuals who lack the ability to pay fines and court costs cannot be sent to jail and must be provided alternative means of satisfying their debts, such as payment plans or community service. Somewhat illogically, however, St. Louis County’s alternative community service program charges such individuals a $60 administrative fee to participate - despite the individuals’ inability to pay the initial fines and costs.
When a witness presented testimony about the St. Louis County fee during a recent public hearing of the Missouri Supreme Court’s Municipal Division Work Group, Associate Circuit Court Judge Karl DeMarce, a member of the work group, wondered out loud how such a thing was possible. Charging a person for her court-ordered community service makes little sense, especially when the court’s decision is based on that person’s inability to pay her fine. Plus, the policy arguably violates state law.
State Senator Eric Schmitt’s (R- District 15) influential municipal court reform legislation, Senate Bill 5, includes several important provisions intended to improve the state’s fractured municipal court system. The newly enacted law requires that municipalities utilize alternative payment plans and community service sentencing for defendants who demonstrate an inability to pay their court fines and fees.
This is a major improvement in light of the multiple stories about people who are locked into cycles of debt and incarceration as a result of minor ordinance violations. Community service seems to be a very reasonable method of holding people accountable without placing significant strains on their livelihood.
Under SB 5, municipal courts may no longer assess court costs against indigent defendants for minor traffic violations and, according to SB 5, “the municipal court [can] only assess fines and costs as authorized by law.” The $60 administrative fee, which is arguably a court cost not explicitly authorized by law, appears to violate SB 5. Certainly, the spirit of the law suggests that no such administrative fee should be assessed against an indigent defendant who seeks to do alternative community service, precisely because she is unable to pay her fines and costs. Unfortunately, as municipalities figure out how to administer alternative community service sentences, many may look to St. Louis County’s program as a model. According to Steve Stiffelman, one of the county program’s administrators, the county collected $169,686 in administrative fees from 3,159 referrals in 2014.
Those numbers also include people on probation, so not
More than 4 million people in our country were victims of crimes involving a gun over the last 10 years. More than 30,000 people continue to die each year in the U.S. as a result of firearms - more than in any other nation. More than 20,000 of our children were killed by guns over the last decade; and, more than 20,000 Americans commit suicide with a firearm every year.
The numbers are startling and – whether by suicide, criminals, domestic violence, accident or law enforcement – each death is a senseless tragedy that rarely draws headlines, but devastates families and communities.
The NAACP supports every reasonable effort to prevent gun violence against every segment of our population: our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children, and our police officers – especially in our most populated cities and among communities of color. Eighteen in 100,000 African
Americans are likely to die by a firearm, more than twice the rate of whites.
Easy access to illegal guns on the streets of our large, urban areas is at the heart of gun violence in our communities. Additional ATF agents to enforce gun laws, more stringent background checks, and stricter licensing for gun dealers will not eliminate the devastation caused by gun violence, but is a solid, sure-footed step down the path to making our communities, our neighbors and our police safer.
Additionally, in nearly two-thirds of the cases of gun deaths, the death is by the victim’s own hand, and often
n Eighteen in 100,000 African Americans are likely to die by a firearm, more than twice the rate of whites.
with weapons legally obtained. Proposing millions more in mental health treatment and background checks that would halt purchases by people already disqualified because of mental illness would go
Letters to the editor
Stop cutting education
For the fifth consecutive year, Governor Jay Nixon and the Missouri Legislature have failed Missouri’s children. Since 2010, they have disregarded the requirements of Senate Bill 287 and shortchanged the Foundation Formula by millions. Passed in 2005, Senate Bill 287 is a K-12 funding model that when fully funded provides an adequate education for all students.
all participants were indigent. Nonetheless, for those who were indigent, the $60 fee is an unfair impediment that prohibits individuals from trying to satisfy their debts.
Schmitt pre-filed a bill that requires fines and court costs for all municipal ordinance violations, not just minor traffic violations, be included in the calculations limiting the percentage of annual revenue that can come from those sources. The bill, however, does not similarly expand the list of violations for which court costs may be assessed against indigent defendants.
If court costs for poor defendants do not make sense in the context of minor traffic violations, they shouldn’t make sense for any municipal ordinance violation. Hopefully, Schmitt, who has been a champion for sensible municipal court reform, will revise his bill accordingly. Regardless of what the legislature does this session, St. Louis County should cease charging its $60 administrative fee for indigent offenders. St. Louis city charges no such fee, and neither should the County. Further, as municipalities begin to set up their own alternative community service programs, we can only hope that they will follow the city’s lead as well as the spirit of the new law. Simply put, the courts must stop charging poor people extra simply for being poor if they hope to repair fractured community/court relations and rebuild trust in the judicial system.
Jacob Blanton is an J.D./M.S.W. candidate at Washington University in St. Louis.
The data reported by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education show that more than $442 million was taken away from Missouri K-12 students in 2015. This is a serious situation, and the Gamma Omega Chapter members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority urge you to unite with them and petition the state to uphold Senate Bill 287. Communicate with your representative today and tell them to stop cutting education. If we do not act now, Missouri will continue to lose. Financial prosperity for all of us is contingent upon an educated society. This is how we attract jobs to the state. Get a hold of your representative and make your voice heard. It is mandatory that the Foundation Formula be fully funded.
Coretta Bozeman president, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Gamma Omega Chapter St. Louis
Peripheral victims
There were hundreds of victims of gun violence in St. Louis in 2015. Some died at the hands of gun-toting citizens, while others died at the hands of police officers. But what about the peripheral victims, those adversely effected by the violent death of a loved one, close friend or business associate? What about the cops who took the life of another person? What psycho/social impact did it have on them, their family and friends? And what did police management do to tend to the psychological needs of those officers?
Case on point: Police Officer Jason Flanery, the cop who
a long way to help curb the often final, desperate action of someone suffering from mental illness.
President Obama’s executive actions are an affirmative effort to halt the deaths of our children, relatives, police officers and innocent bystanders. While the president’s actions can help, we must continue to demand sound policies that address the societal issues that often accompany and contribute to gun violence: education, poverty, homelessness and unemployment.
It is our mission and our responsibility as the nation’s oldest civil rights organization to encourage and educate every single person on the importance of the individual right to vote. It is the power of our vote that will ensure we elect individuals committed to improving policing and the criminal justice system, to eliminating education and economic inequality, and to reducing the numbers of lives lost to gun violence.
True, prompt, and courageous action from elected officials committed to saving lives rather than protecting a single industry is the only true solution – a solution that starts in the voting booth. Cornell William Brooks is president and CEO of NAACP National.
killed VonDerrit Myers Jr. during a gunfight in October 2014. Police investigators and management proclaimed the shooting to be justified. Therefore, counseling and close supervision would have been appropriate to assure Flanery’s overall wellbeing and to protect taxpayers’ investment in their law enforcement asset. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
Flanery resigned his police career in December 2015 subsequent to an on-duty “leaving the scene” auto accident in which his blood was drawn to be tested for alcohol and drugs. Was his errant behavior a result of stress from the shooting incident? Was comprehensive counseling provided?
Our society relegates hundreds of peripheral victims to the dark shadows of gun violence. Cops who take a life and do so without intent or joy live in those shadows. So do their family and friends. It’s time to stop the gun violence … all of it!
Michael K. Broughton Green Park
Thank you from attorney
Thank you for Rebecca Rivas’ follow-up and wellresearched and well-written article in The St. Louis American on KIPP School. Although other news outlets reported the story, The American is the only paper that told the story from the mom’s perspective. Great job. This is why The American is “Newspaper of the Year.” Thank you for posting my email address so that other parents can report wrongdoing. Our goal was to shine a light on the abuse and determine whether it was a bigger problem inherent in the school philosophy.
Hope E. Whitehead St. Louis
Guest Columnist Jacob Blanton
Walking the dogs
No changes yet to ID requirements to board flights
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued new information that clarifies uncertainty about new state ID requirements for passengers traveling through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and other U.S. Airports.
A January deadline was set for all states to comply with new federal ID regulations under the Real ID Act. However, in a new website post by DHS, travelers are being told “residents from ANY state are still able to use a driver’s license, or any of the various other forms of identification accepted by the Transportation Security Administration (Passport or Passport Card, Global Entry cards, U.S. military IDs, airline or airport-issued IDs, federally recognized, and tribal-issued photo IDs).”
DHS further states in its web post that it is in the process of planning how to enforce Real ID regulations at airports. However, there will not be any changes made without a minimum of a 120day notice to the traveling public. Missouri, Illinois and a few other states are still working though compliance issues related to the Real ID Act.
January 15 deadline for youth mini-grants
The St. Louis Mental Health Board (MHB) is offering $500 and $1,000 mini-grants to organizations with established youth programs. The guidelines allow a youth group to apply for two age-based grants. This means an organization or agency can get up to $1,000, one for teens and another for younger ages. The deadline for applications is January 15. The implementation of the community service projects must occur between March-July 2016.
Faith-based, school-based and neighborhood-based youth organizations are invited to apply. Mini Grant application information is available at the St. Louis Mental Health Board website at www.stlmb. com. For more eligibility information, contact Sue Culli at the St. Louis Mental Health Board office at 314 535-6964, ext. 11 or email or Jamala Rogers at minigrant_mhb@yahoo.com.
Looking back to move forward financially
By Michelle Singletary Washington Post
Any driver will tell you that the rearview mirror is vital. Looking back can help you avoid problems as you move forward. I believe the same is true for personal finance. So here’s a look back at some of the financial stories I wrote about this past year and how they can help you in 2016. Major credit-card issuers began giving consumers free access to their credit score. This piece of information is key not just to getting credit but to securing an apartment, good insurance rates, a job or even a security clearance. If you’re shopping for a credit card, look for a bank that offers this benefit.
The Obama administration abandoned a plan to take away a generous tax break for college savings. President Obama had proposed to start taxing the earnings in 529 plans. Currently, such earnings grow tax-deferred and are exempt from federal income tax if used to pay for qualified higher-education expenses. In initially defending its proposal, the administration argued that 529 plans benefit a lot of high-income families who don’t need the tax break. As I wrote, painting these accounts as a tax haven for the rich sent the wrong message about a great way for families of all income levels to save for college. You can learn more about 529 plans at savingforcollege.com
The Internal Revenue Service spent the year warning folks about telephone calls or emails from people pretending to be from the agency. The scammers typically try to pressure people into sending money for bogus tax bills. The 2016 tax season is not far away and this scam probably won’t go away. Don’t get swindled. Go to IRS.gov and search for “IRS Urges Public to Stay Alert for Scam Phone Calls.”
Thomas J. Stanley died. He, along with William D. Danko, wrote “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy.” Stanley and Danko’s research contributed so much to the field of personal finance by showing that ordinary folks can achieve extraordinary wealth. In a live online chat with my readers and me in 2010, Stanley wrote: “The social pressure from colleagues, friends to spend is enormous. Add to that the pressure from marketers, and it’s hard to believe that anyone saves money today. As many financially successful people have told me, you must constantly focus on where you’re going versus what others are spending.” Read “The Millionaire Next Door.”
An agreement was reached between the three major credit bureaus – TransUnion, Equifax and Experian – and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that could address people’s aggravation with correcting errors in their credit reports. The bureaus introduced the “National Consumer Assistance Plan,” a nationwide effort that includes a number of initiatives such as training employees to review consumers’ disputes involving fraud, identity theft or mixed-up information. The changes are slated to happen over the next three years. In the meantime, have you gotten your free credit reports this year? If not, go to annualcreditreport.com
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced that a remake of the $10 bill would include a portrait of a woman. But whose will it be? You can still suggest your choice on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram by using the hashtag #TheNew10, or by going to www.thenew10. treasury.gov.
The Labor Department beat back assaults to a proposal that could go a long way to reduce excessive fees and conflicts of interest when advisers make recommendations for retirement accounts. Currently, an investment adviser who has a “fiduciary duty” must act in the best interests of clients. Investment professionals who are not fiduciaries don’t have to adhere to this standard. Instead, the law says they only have to make sure their advice is “suitable” for the client. At stake are billions of dollars in retirement assets. It’s in your best interest to learn more about the “fiduciary rule, and you can do so at www. dol.gov/ProtectYourSavings
The Federal Reserve increased interest rates for the first time in almost 10 years. The decision means it’ll cost you more to borrow other people’s money. As you head into the new year, set a goal to reduce your debt – all of it.
Michelle Singletary
Lindsey Martin took advantage of a warm Tuesday afternoon recently to walk her dogs Champ and Rocky in Forest Park.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
U. CITY
Continued from A1
meeting. And that person will replace retiring Joylynn Wilson Pruitt at the end of this school year. The school district has about 3,000 students and is fully accredited.
The St. Louis American interviewed all three candidates about their backgrounds and leadership styles.
Candice Carter-Oliver
Since 2012, Candice Carter-Oliver has served as the chief academic officer and assistant superintendent at the Normandy School District, which has about 3,500 students. She grew up in University City and is a University City High School alumna.
“My roots in the school district are long,” she said. “Returning to the community that invested so much in me would be a great opportunity.”
Carter-Oliver became Normandy’s chief academic officer just two months before the Missouri State Board of Education voted to remove its accreditation. She stayed through the subsequent years of chaos and restructuring while several others left.
“I have a strong conviction for the education of all children,” she said. “When times get tough, I am not one to run away.”
Carter-Oliver grew up in a single-parent home with her mother, and she said she doesn’t “abandon easy” because she had such great mentors. She believes her life experience prepared her for her work at Normandy, as well as the opportunity to lead University City schools.
“Whenever there is a challenge, I’m a stick-to-it type of person,” she said. “I will look at ways to problem-solve and mitigate the challenge. My
tenure at Normandy, I wouldn’t take it away for anything in the world.”
Carter-Oliver has been a central part of the restructuring process at Normandy after the state took over the district.
Witnessing the resiliency of Normandy’s students, staff and community has been amazing, she said. They have made great strides in her time there as well, she said, with increased attendance, graduation rates and college readiness. She believes she has the knowledge and skills to continue the great things currently happening in U. City and improve on areas where the district needs to grow.
Her hope is to continue the district’s legacy of excellence –“a strong sense of community, strong arts, strong conviction of parents, strong alumni. There are a lot of great pillars,” she said.
Previously, she was an elementary school principal in Normandy and an instructional coach and teacher in Riverview Gardens School District from 2002 to 2012. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2014. She said she is honored to be a finalist, and all the
candidates have shown great work in the field. “The board cannot make a mistake,” she said. “No matter who they choose, they will have a person committed to improving their communities.”
Sharonica Hardin
Since 2012, Sharonica Hardin has served as assistant superintendent for human resources at the Ritenour School District, which has about 6,250 students.
She said working at Ritenour has given her the opportunity to work in a suburban setting, as well as with a diverse student body.
Previously, she was the chief Human Resources (HR) officer for the St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) from 2007 to 2012 and an elementary principal, instructional coach and teacher in SLPS from 1997 to 2007. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2014.
At SLPS, Hardin led the development of a peerassistance review program for teachers, called the St. Louis Plan. The goal was to support and retain their new teachers and provide development opportunities to their veterans as well. Recruiting and
retaining great talent has been one of her strengths, she said, because she understands the community and knows how to provide support in the right places.
“My strong background in HR and in instruction is a good blend,” she said.
In her current role, she works closely with all of the school leaders to make sure that their goals align with the district culture.
“You can have great systems in place, but if the culture and people’s behaviors don’t fit that system, it typical fails,” she said.
She has always believed in “leading with the head and the heart,” she said. Often her greatest teaching moments have been her failures, she said. She believes it’s important to take calculated risks and to surround herself with people who both complement and balance her, she said.
“The word I live by is ‘humility,” she said. “See how that resonates when you work with people.”
Hardin is in the process of moving into her husband’s childhood home in University City with their two children. Her husband, James Bartley, is a district alumnus, and she feels she is “keenly aware” of
the community.
As far as moving the district forward, she said that she is in the process of looking over the state’s data on the district.
“The data doesn’t tell the answer, it helps to pose more questions,” she said. “The data points are there, but I don’t want to make any assumption of what the root causes are.”
Hardin grew up in St. Louis city and participated in the desegregation program, attending Lafayette High School in the Rockwood School District. She said she is committed to the area, particularly to University City.
“I am a thoughtful leader who understands the importance of human connectedness,” she said. “I believe in education equity for all students, regardless of their zip codes.”
Chauna Williams
Chauna Williams has served as the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at University City schools since 2008.
“For the past seven years, I have had the opportunity to work with a talented group of teachers, leaders, and a community that have worked
tirelessly to move the district forward,” she said. In her tenure, she has largely focused on instructional leadership in terms of developing their principals. She instructs them on how to respond when instruction is effective and when it is ineffective, she said. In partnership with Washington University, she commissioned a study on the culture of University City High School.
“We are looking the relationship between the school culture and student outcomes and how those two things intersect,” she said.
Several years ago, she led a community engagement initiative called “Destination U. City.” More than 1,000 community members met twice a month for a year to give suggestions on the district’s finances, facilities, parents and community involvement. She led the response to those suggestions, and she has been able to implement them in her tenure, she said.
“Throughout this experience, I have learned a great deal about what matters to our students, parents and the community,” she said. “And each day, they inform every decision I make.”
She served as a principal and curriculum coordinator in University City from 2003 to 2008. Previously, she served as an instructional coordinator in SLPS and in the Houston School District from 1991 to 2003. She completed her Ed.D. at St. Louis University in 2007. She grew up in Michigan City, Indiana, which is about an hour from Chicago on Lake Michigan. She does not live in the district.
“I am passionate about the students at U. City,” she said. “It drives me every day to be better at the work I do. It’s absolutely the most important work I’ve ever done, and I’m just incredibly proud of the opportunity I’ve had to work there.”
Candice Carter-OliverSharonica HardinChauna Williams
just south of downtown.
The North City location is a 99-acre site adjacent to the old Pruitt-Igoe housing project. The other three locations vying for the federal agency’s attention are the old Chrysler plant in Fenton, the Met Life facility in South St. Louis County and an area adjacent to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
Rev. Charles Brown, president of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition, said, “It would be a blessing to have NGA on this side of town.” Brown is the pastor of Mount Airy Missionary Baptist Church, which is located at 4700 Maffitt Ave., only a couple miles away from the proposed NGA West site. He said his congregation is very concerned about North St. Louis’ deteriorating state.
“When the church moved in the area, it was fully equipped with people and children playing in the street,” he said. Now many of the houses are abandoned or torn down, he said.
Choosing any of the other three options for the NGA West headquarters would be a “nonstarter,” he said. “This is where the need is. This is where the development needs to occur.”
Choosing the North City site also would allow the City
CHAPEL
Continued from A1
“I have a heart for people who have been injured or mistreated and hope to bring that passion to the Missouri NAACP,” Chapel said.
“The world’s eyes have been turned on Missouri not once, but twice. The issues that took place right here in Ferguson and the issues that took place
of St. Louis – the region’s economic engine – to retain $2.19 million in earnings tax annually by keeping NGA’s 3,100 jobs in the city. This is easily the largest economic impact for any of the four sites spelled out in an impact assessment. Last October, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its study that analyzed the potential environmental impacts – including everything from socio-economical to biological changes – caused by the proposed construction and operation of the next NGA West at the four candidate sites.
U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay – whose 1st Congressional District is home to the North City site – said that White House is now in the deliberation phase and will announce a decision in March or April. Clay said that 100,000 signatures will get the White House’s attention.
“We as a community are united in keeping this facility in this city,” Clay said. “This is a ground-up effort, and that always captures the attention of the president.”
The North City candidate for NGA West is the only site under consideration that is named as one of the eight federal Promise Zones to help obtain federal assistance in tackling poverty, Clay said. More pointedly for NGA decision-makers, the North City site is the only candidate directly applicable to two presidential executive orders
in Columbia have spurred other folks similarly situated to ask, ‘Don’t we deserve more?’” Chapel told The American that he hopes to bring a new level of transparency and better communication to the statewide organization. “That’s so we can ensure that the people who want to be involved have an opportunity to – and that’s regardless of color or gender,” Chapel said. “I want to welcome everyone back.” Under his leadership,
that should govern their decision. Executive Order 12072, establishing national urban policy on the location of federal installations in cities, states, “Federal facilities and federal use of space in urban areas shall serve to strengthen the nation’s cities and to make them attractive places to live and work.”
At the press conference, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Kansas City) spoke about when in 2011 the federal
he said, the Missouri State Conference will “utilize technology, organize the grass roots level and build coalitions” to grow membership, start new chapters and advocate for justice. Chapel currently practices employment law at the Barnes and Associates Law Firm in Jefferson City. He also serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the Missouri Bar Association. Previously he worked in state
government moved the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regional office from Kansas City to Olathe, Kansas – leaving a hole in the urban core.
“People need to understand that in the urban core, disinvestment is disappointment,” Cleaver said. “Because the federal government of all entities should know that we cannot rebuild an urban core by subtraction.”
government as a director in the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and as an administrative hearing commissioner.
“Rod will bring a level of fiscal transparency, a level of inclusion, but most of all a level of being willing to work with others,” said John Gaskin III, National NAACP board member.
Chapel replaces Mary Ratliff as head of the Missouri NAACP. She served the state
Cleaver, who is himself a United Methodist pastor, said ministers are in tune with the thinking of the people and what’s going on in the community. Clergy members rallied to keep the EPA facility in Kansas City, but by then it was only 20 days before the expected decision date, he said.
“I think that Congressman Clay can make the case to the administration, particularly with the community strongly
conference as president for nearly 30 years.
“It’s long overdue that we have this change,” said Esther Haywood, president of the St. Louis County NAACP.
“I cried when he won the election. Everything was in such disarray. We needed to come together and get this organization back running with the right people to run it again.”
Ratliff, who continues as president of the Columbia
Singing for the King
Duane Foster, choir director at Normandy High School, led the choir through a spirited performance of “Life Every Voice and Sing” at the MLK state commission’s kick-off event on Saturday, January 9 at Harris-Stowe State University.
standing up,” Cleaver said. A hundred thousand signatures are going to get anyone’s attention, he said.
“I’ve seen a lot of politicians,” Cleaver said. “I’ve seen smart ones, less smart ones. I’ve seen large ones, I’ve seen skinny ones. I’ve never seen one that couldn’t count.”
The online petition can be found at: http://wh.gov/iwR4t. Follow this reporter on Twitter @RebeccaRivas.
Chapter, told the Columbia Tribune she wanted to step down from statewide duties following her husband’s death in May, because the job requires many trips across the state and he usually traveled with her.
“I’m still going to serve,” she told the Tribune. “I’m just trying to wind down a bit.”
This story is printed as part of a partnership between The St. Louis American and The Huffington Post.
Photo by Wiley Price
‘Black lives matter’ to Republican senator and Democrat opponent
It’s not U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s usual walk-on line, but immediately before he was announced at the MLK commission’s kick-off event on Saturday, January 9 at Harris-Stowe State University, co-emcee Courtney Z. Stewart said, “Black lives matter. Period.”
It was a startling thing to be reminded immediately before the not-black Republican senator from Springfield took to the podium. Blunt was next to offer a surprise. Those same magical words actually passed his lips before he left the stage (and, almost immediately, the event). “Black lives matter,” Blunt said – “we do need to say that.” Blunt added that it’s hard to believe we still need to say that “this long after the Civil War, but we do.” Blunt, age 66, is up for reelection in 2016, and he faces as likely Democratic nominee someone who already has won a statewide election in Missouri: Secretary of State Jason Kander, age 34. Kander came up on the MLK program shortly after Blunt. The EYE wondered on Twitter if Kander would parry with his own testimony that “black lives matter”?
Indeed, he did. And he had even prepared to say it before his future Republican opponent said it, according to John Gaskin III, NAACP National board member, who peeked at Kander’s prepared remarks to
in the body of his speech. He promised three actions that, he said, answered calls to action in the Ferguson Commission report: he would push for bodyworn police cameras; he would request that data for police department diversity (versus municipal diversity) be added to the information collected in the AG’s annual Vehicle Stops Report; and he would ask the General Assemble to legislatively “create new pathways” for more “applicants of color” to pursue police work.
verify. Kander’s declaration in support of the Black Lives Matter movement was not a non sequitur, however, as Blunt’s statement could be accused of being. Kander opened his remarks with an interesting history lesson about Walthall M. Moore Sr., the first African American elected to the Missouri Legislature in 1920. Moore was a Republican – that was still the party of Abraham Lincoln to many African Americans in 1920 – from St. Louis. Kander described how Moore used his position of power to upgrade the Lincoln Institute into Lincoln University, an excellent note to strike while speaking at an HBCU in Missouri.
Kander’s campaign manager, Abe Rakov, was following the EYE’s tweets and apparently eager to erase any points Blunt may have put on the board. Rakov tweeted to the EYE the link to a Think Progress report from December 22, 2014, less than a month after the St. Louis County grand jury decision in the Darren Wilson case. Think Progress commented on remarks that Blunt made on KMBZ in Kansas City where he placed part of the blame for two cop killings in New York City on Ferguson protestors. “You got the police out there protecting the protestors and themselves and being constantly criticized for everything they’re doing, and now that may be from that
“Black lives matter,” said both U.S. Senator Roy Blunt and his Democratic challenger, Secretary of State Jason Kander, at the MLK kick-off January 9 at Harris-Stowe State University. Photos by Wiley Price
constant criticism something may have gotten into this man’s head,” Blunt said. So black lives matter – just don’t criticize the cops? And “police out there protecting the protestors” – in Ferguson? Really? Can we roll tape on that?
The dim view that Blunt took of protestors in these December 2014 remarks is not consistent with his latter-day voicing of one of their cardinal principles, now that people are no longer in the streets (but the senator is on the campaign trail). It also doesn’t jibe with the body of his MLK kick-off speech, before he dropped the “black likes matter” tag. Blunt started his remarks by making an interesting and absolutely true point about Dr. King’s concept of being a “drum major for justice.” Blunt pointed out that a drum major is a leader of drummers, and his metaphor only makes sense in that group context. “A drum major cannot be successful unless there’s a band,” Blunt said.
Memo to the senator: those protestors in the streets with the critique of the cops, those were the drummers. That was
the band.
Koster answers calls – sort of
Another statewide elected official, Attorney General Chris Koster (who wants to be governor), also spoke from the stage at the MLK kickoff. (Term-limited Governor Jay Nixon made pre-recorded remarks via video.)
Koster, age 51, opened with what he must have known would be a mixed message for this majority-black crowd. He said he was “the state’s top law enforcement official” –typically not a huge applause line in Black St. Louis – then added he was taught criminal law by Michael Middleton, the interim president of the University of Missouri system called in after Tim Wolfe’s resignation was forced by the ConcernedStudent1950 protest movement.
That’s an amazingly balanced piece of rhetoric, positioned almost exactly to the right of center where Koster runs as a Missouri Democrat. Equally right of center was the policy position he took
Police department diversity, while crucial, is clearly one of the softest places to address police reform. Certainly, the street protestors who forced these issues onto the stage of the MLK kick-off don’t start at police diversity. They start with police accountability. Admittedly, body cameras do touch on that core issue, but Koster added some fine print of interest. He said body police camera evidence should be available to “the subject of the incident and their next of kin,” not the general public (nor, at least going by what Koster said on Saturday, the media).
Hmmm.
While we are keeping track, Koster did not say “black lives matter.”
Weak greetings for Slay, Stenger
Nor did St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay nor St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, who also spoke. Both received weak greetings from the crowd – in Stenger’s case, you could literally hear two or three pairs of hands being slapped together – and both listed things they had done and will do in the wake of Ferguson that responded to protestor demands. For Slay, it was the Civilian Oversight Board, municipal court reforms and a police body camera pilot program he vowed to fund in full. For Stenger, it was calling for the county’s first disparity study in contracting and for the first countywide standards for municipal police departments.
Status quo, nonviolence, nonexistence
The MLK faithful also heard from state Rep. Kim Gardner and U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Gardner, who is running for St. Louis circuit attorney, substituted for state Rep. Michael Butler, who was scheduled to speak but only stayed for the pre-reception. The EYE does not doubt that Butler had somewhere else he needed to be, but it’s also likely he was giving a colleague who is running for citywide office some valuable face time. The circuit attorney’s seat will be open – Jennifer Joyce is stepping down– and the fact that Missouri has only one (1) elected black prosecutor is the kind of diversity issue that does engage the Ferguson protest movement. Gardner might need to work on her slogans. She asked the crowd to repeat, “No more status quo in how we police” and then “no more status quo in how we prosecute.” (She also said a third thing that was a real tongue twister and, thankfully, she let the crowd off the hook of repeating that.)
It is true, a great many people are fed up with the status quo for how St. Louis and Missouri police and prosecute. But the candidate might keep working on her slogans in search of some things that roll off the tongue and stick in the mind a little easier than “no more status quo in how we police and prosecute.”
Clay did not speak about Ferguson, but rather President Barack Obama’s executive orders on gun control. “I am proud of my zero rating from the NRA,” Clay said. “I will not be intimidated by the gun lobby. I know the pain that comes from easy access to guns.” He also brought it back to the MLK theme with a show-closing quote from Dr. King: “It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it’s nonviolence or nonexistence.”
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Losing weight together
By Sandra Jordan
Kirkwood couple followed weight loss book by trainer Marco Borges
Of The St. Louis American
After graduation, marriage, having children and careers, Kendra and Jayson Thornton of Kirkwood Missouri got out of the habit of regular physical activity, and it showed up every time they stepped on the scales. The busy parents tried losing weight individually, but it didn’t last – sabotaged by inactivity, tempting food and lots of it.
Kendra Thornton loves the Steve Harvey Show and last fall, she decided to look at his website. She clicked through to the “Be A Guest” link, and read through a series a questions She selected the one about having an interest in couples’ weight loss.
“That sounded interesting so I went ahead and applied for it. I didn’t tell him I was applying for it,” she laughs. After all, what were the chances they would be selected?
She told her husband after the fact, although neither thought the show would call them.
“I’m glad I did do that because the next morning, the Steve Harvey Show called,” she said. They were signed up to lose weight by participating in The 22-Day Revolution, a book by trainer Marco Borges. It includes a forward by Beyoncé, who stated the plant-based eating plan helped her get into the best shape of her life. Now, so are the Thorntons. It took commitment to exercise, eating prepared organic, non-GMO, gluten free, soy free and dairy free vegan meals shipped to them for reheating, drinking water only (no juices, dairy, sodas, etc.) and no snacking.
“You eat your three meals or your protein shake,” she said. “A lot of Americans skip breakfast because we are just, go-gogo, and [Borges] was like, ‘don’t skip breakfast just start off with a protein shake.” Kendra videotaped her first meal. It was an eye-opener.
“When I first opened the meal, it was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so itty-bitty,’ because it’s the correct portion you are supposed to be eating,” she said, admitting she had been eating three-times that amount.
“The first meal was really, really small and I didn’t think that I would be able to survive the whole 22 days,” Jayson Thornton said. “but then after you get focused, you get a bit competitive and it becomes addictive to be able to step on the scale and see I lost another pound.”
“So you drink water too, while you are eating your meal, so the water actually helps fill you up too,” Kendra said. “I was completely full after the meals. It took a
little bit of training – like the first week, I felt like I was going to die, but after I shrank my stomach, there were times when we didn’t even finish the meal because we were so full.”
They received a copy of the book, and checked in with the show checked on their progress each week. Borges checked on them as well and made a surprise visit. Let’s just say that visit was not what they were expecting.
“I thought he was just going to show up and he told us to throw on some workout clothes,” Jayson said. “He put us to work.” He can laugh about it now.
“That was rough,” Kendra said.
“He had us doing like push-ups, and running back and forth on the basketball court…” he co-signed. “Making us touch the line, doing Jumping-Jacks, jump-ups,”
See THORNTONS, A11
Expert on ‘John Henryism’ is Washington Univ. MLK lecturer
By Sandra Jordan
Of The St. Louis American
An expert on the health effects of coping to social and economic adversity is this year’s guest speaker at Washington University School of Medicine’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. program. Sherman James, PhD is a social epidemiologist and a Research Professor of Epidemiology and African American Studies at Emory University. James is the originator of the John Henryism hypothesis, which asserts that repetitive, “high-effort” coping with social and economic adversity is a major contributor to the well-known excess risk for hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases experienced by poor and working class African Americans. In support of his work, James received a five-year Research Career Development Award, followed by over 20 years of continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health to support his work on John Henryism.
For MLK Day, James will speak on “The Black Image in the White Mind: Implications for Achieving Racial Equity in America,” at 4 p.m. on Monday, January 18, 4 p.m. at the Eric P. Newman Education Center, located at 320 S. Euclid Ave. James, a Distinguished Alumnus of Washington University (PhD, Psychology) retired from Duke University in 2014 as the Susan B. King Distinguished Professor of Public Policy. He also held professorships in Sociology, Community and Family Medicine, and African and African American Studies. Prior to Duke, James taught in the epidemiology departments at the University of North Carolina-
Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan. At Michigan, he was the John P. Kirscht Collegiate Professor of Public Health, the Founding Director of the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health (CRECH), Chair of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, and a Senior Research Scientist in the Survey Research Center at the Institute for Social Research. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, and has earned awards for career excellence in teaching epidemiology. He is a fellow of the American Epidemiological Society, the American College of Epidemiology, the American Heart Association, and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research. Last year, James was selected as a Mahatma Ghandi Fellow by the American Academy of Political and Social Science. The lecture is open to the public and a reception follows. RSVP to attend by calling 314-3626854 or emailing mpatterson@wustl.edu.
MD
Though I’m sure most people do not realize it, tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. Lack of awareness however exists surrounding the relationship between dental hygiene and other chronic medical illnesses. Per numerous different studies, complications from poor oral health may be associated with heart and respiratory disease, diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Patients and health providers as well need to be more cognizant of the importance of proper preventative dental care. Thanks to Dr. LaToya Wilson, general dentist for St Louis Children’s Hospital Child Health Advocacy and Outreach Department, readers will learn several key points to maximizing optimal dental health.
Your mouth, the gateway to your body
By Latoya Wilson, DMD St. Louis Children’s Hospital
Getting adults motivated to visit their local dentist is sometimes (pun intended) akin to pulling teeth. However, we should understand that oral health is essential to general health and well-being. It is important to increase oral health literacy to maintain our teeth in optimal condition. In addition, oral health literacy should be enhanced so we improve and maintain our teeth beyond the dental chair to avoid dental emergencies and potentially extensive, invasive dental procedures typically associated with daily neglect. A higher dental “IQ” also enables patients to make informed health-related decisions that will contribute to total body wellness.
To understand how the mouth can affect the body, it helps to understand oral bacteria. The bacteria feed off the foods we eat and create acid waste that literally eats away at the mineral content of our teeth causing tooth decay. These same bacteria and their byproducts create an irritating environment for our gums that surround the teeth, making them prone to gum disease, which manifests itself with bleeding and infection. Gum disease exists in more than one form. When food debris sits between the teeth and below the gum line from lack of flossing, the gums first become red, puffy and irritated, and often bleed. This reversible condition is called gingivitis. The more severe form of gum disease is called periodontitis. When we reach this stage, our gums begin to pull away from our teeth. Pockets form between our teeth and gums and deepen over time leading to bone loss. Bone loss due to periodontitis is a permanent condition. The relationship between diabetes and periodontitis may be the strongest of all the connections between the mouth and body. Inflammation that starts in the mouth seems to weaken the body’s ability to control blood sugar. Like all infections, serious gum dis-
See DOCTOR, A11
Denise HooksAnderson,
Latoya Wilson, DMD
A10
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 14 – 20, 2016
Sherman James, PhD
Kirkwood Mo. residents Kendra and Jayson Thornton won the couple’s weight loss challenge by the Steve Harvey Show.
Photo by WIley Price
Breaking the habit
Adult smoking rates among uninsured and Medicaid recipients doubles the rate for privately insured
Although the overall adult smoking rate is at a new low at 16.8 percent, there is still a lot of work to do to break the addiction among adults who are uninsured and who have lower incomes. American adults who are uninsured or on Medicaid smoke at rates more than double those for adults with private health insurance or Medicare, according to a recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) show that 27.9 percent of uninsured adults and 29.1 percent of Medicaid recipients currently smoke. By contrast, 12.9 percent of adults with private insurance and 12.5 percent of those on Medicare currently smoke.
“Smoking kills half a million Americans each year and costs more than $300 billion,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “This report shows real progress helping American smokers quit and that more progress is possible.”
The study reported that the prevalence of cigarette smoking among U.S. adults declined from 20.9 percent to 16.8 percent from 2005 to 2014, including a full percentage-point decline between 2013 and 2014 alone. The considerable drop in the overall adult smoking rate over time shows marked progress toward achieving the Healthy People 2020 goal of
reducing the cigarette smoking rate to 12 percent or lower. Another major inding was that the average number of cigarettes smoked per day among daily smokers declined from 16.7 in 2005 to 13.8 in 2014 — driven by declines in the proportion of daily smokers who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day.
At-risk populations
The study found other differences in smoking rates consistent with previous studies. In 2014, prevalence of cigarette smoking was higher among these groups:
• Males (18.8 percent vs. 14.8 percent for females)
• Adults ages 25-44 years (20.0 percent)
• Multiracial (27.9 percent) or American Indian/Alaska Natives (29.2 percent)
• People with a General Education Development certiicate (43.0 percent)
• People who live below the federal poverty level (26.3
Tobacco use is a major contributor to the three leading causes of death among African Americans – heart disease, cancer and stroke.
Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death among African Americans. The risk of developing diabetes is 30–40% higher for cigarette smokers than nonsmokers.
Source: HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
percent)
• People who live in the Midwest (20.7 percent)
• People who have a disability/limitation (21.9 percent)
• People who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual (23.9 percent)
“These indings underscore the importance of ensuring that proven strategies to prevent and reduce tobacco use reach the entire population, particularly vulnerable groups,” said Brian King, Ph.D., deputy director for research translation, CDC Ofice on Smoking and Health. “Comprehensive smoke-free laws, higher prices for tobacco products, high-impact mass media campaigns, and barrier-free access to quitting help are all important. They work to reduce the enormous health and inancial burden of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure among Americans.”
Changes in the U.S. healthcare system continue to offer opportunities to improve the use of clinical preventive ser-
vices among adults. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is increasing the number of Americans with health insurance and is expected to improve tobacco cessation coverage. Currently, neither private insurers nor state Medicaid programs consistently provide comprehensive coverage of evidence-based cessation treatments. In 2015, although all 50 state Medicaid programs covered some tobacco cessation treatments for some Medicaid enrollees, only nine states covered individual and group counseling and all seven FDA-approved cessation medications for all Medicaid enrollees. Cessation coverage is used most when smokers and health-care providers know which cessation treatments are covered. For more information about cigarette smoking and tools to quit, visit www.cdc.gov/ tobacco.
Cigarette tax, fee petition gets approval for 2016 ballot
On January 6, Secretary of State Jason Kander announced an initiative petition relating to taxes and fees on cigarettes met state standards for circulation. The official ballot title for initiative petition 2016-152 reads: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
• increase taxes on cigarettes each year through 2020, at which point this additional tax will total 60 cents per pack of 20;
DOCTOR
ease may be a factor in causing blood sugar1. A class of carbohydrates with a sweet taste, including glucose, fructose and sucrose. 2. A term used to refer to blood glucose.X to rise and may make diabetes harder to control. Not only are people with diabetes more susceptible to serious gum disease, but serious gum disease may have the potential to affect blood glucose. Poorly controlled diabetes resulting from improper diet or lack of an adequate
THORNTONS
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“Sit-ups,” Kendra reminded. “Push-ups and sit-ups” he added. Lunges,” she added.
“I thought he was going to show up and maybe give Kendra some recipes or something,” Jayson said, “I had no idea we were going to get a personal training session.”
• create a fee paid by cigarette wholesalers of 67 cents per pack of 20 on certain cigarettes; and
• deposit funds generated by these taxes and fees into a newly established Early Childhood Health and Education Trust Fund?
When cigarette tax increases are fully implemented, estimated additional revenue to state government is $263 million to $374 million annually, with limited estimated implementation costs. The revenue will
medication regimen, causes delayed healing in the mouth; therefore, a little plaque causes a lot of oral pathologic symptoms.the main sugar found in the blood and the body’s main source of energy for organ function. The inability to properly maintain blood glucose coupled with a lack of optimal oral health leaves patients with diabetes more susceptible to bacterial infection throughout the body and leaves patients with a diminishes the immune system’s ability to even fight bacteria that invade the gums. Fortunately, we can use the gum disease-diabetes relationship to our favor: managing
When working out on their own, what kept them on track was they were able to be supportive of one another while bringing out each other’s competitive side.
“She would be in the gym and would text message me how much weight she lost, then I would have to make sure I got into the gym,” Jayson said. “Knowing that we were going to be on TV, we stayed focused and when we are able to do stuff together, it is easier.
fund only programs and services allowed by the proposal. The fiscal impact to local governmental entities is unknown.
one can help bring the other under control. the amount of glucose in a given amount of blood. It is noted in milligrams in a deciliter, or mg/dL
Optimal dental care also goes hand-in-hand with cardiac health. There is a link between heart disease and poor oral health. Since hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is one of the major risk factors of heart disease, evidence is now showing that hypertension may also occur as a result of poor oral health. When we suffer from poor oral health, our teeth will accumulate tartar and plaque build up. When left untreated,
Kendra also received lots of support from Provident, where she is a CPR instructor. They sent email blasts to staff about her weight loss progress and gave her “shout outs” at staff development meetings.
“President Steve Sullivan would send me personal emails checking in with me about my weight loss,” she said. “My supervisor even would go on walks with me during our lunch breaks.”
The Thornton’s weight chal-
The petition, which would amend Article IV of the Missouri Constitution, was submitted by Edward Greim of
plaque will eventually enter blood vessels throughout the rest of the body and build up on the insides of artery walls. Since blood has to work harder to travel through arteries, the arteries sustain damage, which results in high blood pressure, restricted blood flow, and a higher risk for heart disease. Conversely, physicians assert that high blood pressure may lead to poor oral health and not the other way around, since many medications used to treat hypertension can result in dry mouth and difficulty with chewing, which inhibits the flow of saliva and spurs bacteria growth.
lenge began in October, and at the televised weigh-in, Kendra and Jayson together lost 78.6 pounds and 15.5 percent of their body weight. They won $10,000 as the top competing couple.
“A blessing,” she said. Since then, the couple has stayed within a few pounds of their winning weight. While Kendra used to cook a lot more than she needed to feed one set of parents and two small children, the process taught
Kansas City. Before any constitutional changes can be brought before Missouri voters in the November 2016 election, signatures must be obtained from registered voters equal to eight percent of the total votes cast in the 2012 governor’s election from six of the state’s eight congressional districts.
Signatures on behalf of all initiative petitions for the 2016 ballot are due to the secretary of state’s office by no later than 5 p.m. on May 8.
We can take measures to manage our overall health that will benefit our teeth and vice versa. First, we must brush with a fluoridated toothpaste. Fluoride strengthens our outer most layer of tooth enamel to prevent decay. We must also commit to consistent, thorough tooth brushing and flossing to reduce dental plaque and prevent gum disease. We must also avoid tobacco and limit alcohol. Heavy tobacco and alcohol use are also risk factors for cancers and poor organ function. We must eat wisely. The recommended five-a-day helping of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables stimulates salivary
them how much to eat and introduced the family to eating a variety of healthy selections.
“My children have tasted almost every vegetable out there,” she said. “I’m not feeding big portions – that was the big thing. I used to cook like I had a family of 20 … I would cook for a feast and we don’t need it.”
A mindset change precipitates weight loss
“There’s no miracle pill,” Kendra said.
Before circulating petitions, state law requires that groups must first have the form of their petition approved by the secretary of state and attorney general. The secretary of state then prepares a summary statement of no more than 100 words, and the state auditor prepares a fiscal impact statement, both of which are subject to the approval of the attorney general. When both statements are approved, they become the official ballot title.
flow to aid remineralization of tooth surfaces and ward off tooth decay. Finally, visit both the dentist and primary care physician regularly. Check-ups can detect early signs of oral health problems and can lead to treatments that will prevent further damage, and in some cases, reverse the problem. The medical and dental professionals can work together to develop a health care plan that contributes to thriving longevity.
LaToya Wilson, DMD General Dentist St Louis Children’s Hospital Child Health Advocacy and Outreach Department
“That’s right,” he added. Even with the training, the meals provided to them – they still had to put in the work.
“You really have to dig deep within yourself; losing weight is not easy for anybody,” Kendra said. “You still have to get out there in the gym; you still have to get out there and work out; and it’s more a mental thing than it is a physical thing.”
A Closer Look at Ingredients
Start Small!
You get home from school and you’re hungry. You grab the closest snack you can find. But do you really know what’s in the food you’re about to eat? Take a look at the Ingredients Listing found on all food labels. Two key things to remember are:
Healthy Kids Kids
Cocoa Puffers Cereal
INGREDIENTS:Whole Grain Corn,Sugar,Corn Meal,Corn Syrup,Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil,Cocoa Processed withAlkali,ColorAdded,Salt,Fructose,Natural andArtificial Flavor,Trisodium Phosphate,BHTAdded to Preserve Freshness. Vitamins and Minerals:TricalciumPhosphate,Calcium Carbonate,Zinc and Iron (mineralnutrients), Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), A BVitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B
What comes first? — Ingredients are listed by the amount of that item the food contains. In other words, if the first ingredient is sugar (or corn syrup, fructose, etc.) you know that food contains a lot of “empty” calories. This means that the food probably won’t provide many nutrients, just a lot of calories.
It is often said that the hardest part about exercising is getting started!
So, start small. For example, if you want to be able to run 5 miles, you can’t just go out and run that far on your very first try. First, start by walking farther and faster each day. When you can walk briskly for thirty minutes, slowly add in some
Monday, January 18, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Why not celebrate by not just enjoying a day off school, but deciding to use the day to make a difference for your community?
Research online and in the newspaper for events taking place on Monday
Keep it short! — You want the list to be short: not many ingredients. Generally the shorter the ingredient list the more natural the food, and healthier for you. Avoid foods that contain a lot of chemicals and preservatives in the ingredients list.
Discussion: Why aren’t there ingredients lists on fresh fruits and vegetables?
Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 2, NH 3, NH 5
running along the way.
Try walking 10 minutes and then run for three and walk for 10 again. When you can do that pretty easily, switch it to walking for five minutes and running for five. Finally, you’ll switch to walking for three, running for 10, and eventually you can run the entire 30
that reflect the ideals and causes that were so important to Dr. King. Are there any community/ neighborhood projects that would appreciate your contribution? Can you think of your own project?
Learning Standards: HPE 2, NH 5
minutes! Remember that this could take a few months to accomplish, and always ask your doctor if it’s a good idea to do the kind of exercise you’re choosing.
Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1
Orange Smoothie
Directions: Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Makes 4 servings.
Healthcare Careers
Danita Smith, Owner, Director
Where do you work? I’m the owner and director of My Blooming Health Mobile.
Where did you go to school? I graduated from Alton High School and received an Associate of Nursing from Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois.
What does an owner/director of a health mobile do? I own a mobile lab so we help people out by going to their homes and doing their blood work. They are comfortable there and they don’t waste half of their day going to a lab. Each day I get to think of new ideas to help our community improve their ability to receive health care.
Why did you choose this career? I became an entrepreneur because I had outside the box ideas for things that I wanted to do to support the people in my community. So many people struggle with taking care of their health because they don’t know how. I’m here to make staying healthy an easier task for everyone.
What is your favorite part of the job you have? I love the appreciation my patients have when I bring the lab to them. So many people cannot leave their homes due to illness. My business allows them to have the lab work done at home that they otherwise might have missed.
Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3
The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.
Did you know math is a very important skill that is used every day? Think about it. When you wake up, you look at the clock. How much time do you have left to get ready for school? Maybe you listen to music as you get ready for school. Did you know music requires math? How many beats are in a measure? Most songs have patterns (verses, chorus, bridge, etc.). Patterns are math! When your parents drive you to school, they need math. How much gas will they need for the car? If they can travel 55 miles per hour (a mathematical formula), what time will they need to leave the house to arrive on schedule?
At school, the cooks need to determine serving sizes. If 165 students will be eating ¾ cup serving of pasta, how much pasta do they need to cook? Cooking requires math—you need
Background Information:
This experiment involves problem solving and critical thinking skills. If you need three toothpicks to create a triangle, would you need 9 toothpicks to create three triangles of the same size? In this experiment, your task is to create three triangles of the same size with only seven toothpicks.
Materials Needed:
• 7 Toothpicks Per Student
Procedure:
q Make three triangles of the same size using only seven toothpicks.
w Put the toothpicks together in different ways. As you use trial and error, make observations about what
DID YOU KNOW?
to follow the recipe. Maybe you only want to make ½ the recipe, or you want to double it. You’ll need to do some calculations. After school, you probably like to unwind and relax. Do you play sports? You will track your speed in track. You may need to determine how far to throw the football (or what specific angle). How many yards is it to a first down? How would you keep score without using math? Video games require logic and critical thinking — math. Card games require statistics and probability — math. Make the most of your mathematical mind. Keep your math skills sharp and practice them every day.
Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting detail. I can make text to self and text to world connections.
works and what doesn’t work. Even if your method doesn’t work, it can give you ideas of what to try next.
Extension: Try using ten toothpicks to make six triangles of different sizes. Or, try using ten toothpicks to make twelve triangles. What other patterns can you make?
Analyze: Mathematicians and scientists use trial and error to develop theories all the time. In fact, sometimes they are wrong more often than they are right, and that’s how they learn. Don’t be afraid to try different ways to solve a problem.
Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment. I can use trial and error to develop a plan to solve a problem. I can analyze and draw conclusions.
Use the order of operations PEMDAS (parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction) to complete the following problems.
z (43 - 2) + 6 = _______
x (75 - 5) + (8 - 2) x 6 = ______ c [20 - 2 + (46 - 15) + 2] - (9 +
Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.
African-American Mathematician and Engineer
Eugene A Graham Jr.
Eugene Alexander Graham Jr. was born on March 25, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the area.
After he graduated with honors from Central High School, he volunteered as a soldier for the World War II army. He fought in Italy from 1943-1945, and he was in charge of the field radio, which was a dangerous job. Graham was wounded in action and received several honors, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Combat Infantryman Badge. Graham wrote a book called Buffalo, about his experiences in an all-black battalion that did not have the same support or resources that other troops had.
Graham received an honorary Bachelor of Arts Degree with honors from Pennsylvania Area University. In 1954, he received an Electrical Engineering degree from MIT. Next, Graham moved to Italy to study advanced mathematics. He earned a doctorate in advanced math from the University of Turin and became the first African American to earn an advanced degree in a different country than the United States. His thesis was on information theory.
Information theory is a branch of applied mathematics, electrical engineering, and computer science involving the quantification of information. Information theory was developed by Claude E. Shannon to find fundamental limits on signal processing operations such as compressing data and on reliably storing and communicating data.
From 1955 to 1957, Graham taught at the Galileo Ferraris National Institute for Advanced Studies in Engineering and Sciences. His research focused in engineering and he published many papers on electro-engineering. While in Italy, Graham married and had two sons. One of his sons, Carl Graham, is also a famous mathematician.
Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made a contribution to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
MAP CORNER
Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper.
Activity One —
Cause and Effect: three examples of cause and effect in the newspaper. For example, snow caused school to be cancelled. Snowfall is the cause, school cancellation is the effect. You can find examples in articles or pictures.
Activity Two —
Designing Your Room: Use the newspaper to find advertisements for items you would like to use to redesign your classroom. Consider ads for flooring, paint, wallpaper, furniture, electronics, etc. Create a design for your ideal classroom. Draw a sketch and calculate the cost of the advertised items that you would use.
Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper text features to locate information. I can write for a specified purpose and audience. I can determine cause and effect. I can make text to world connections.
Students in Ms. Chilton’s 5th grade class at McNair Elementary use the newspaper for a fun holiday activity as part of The St. Louis American’s NIE Program. Pictured are students Trinity Peoples and Brooklyn Huelskamp. McNair Elementary is in the Hazelwood School District. Photo provided by Ms. Chilton.
Suggs Scholar making most of opportunity
‘There are tons of chances to try new things,’ says Olivia Rivers
By Maggie Teson For The St. Louis American
As a student at McCluer High School, MU sophomore Olivia Rivers was an accomplished athlete and leader. She was elected president of the National Honor Society, served as vice president of Future Business Leaders of America and played both tennis and golf. Rivers also attended the Missouri Scholars Academy and participated in the Missouri Girls State program. Despite her achievements, she was not sure if she would be able to attend college. One detail stood in the way: the cost of tuition.
Although she was concerned about having to take out extensive loans and the possibility of working multiple jobs to pay for her education, Rivers applied to MU. While searching for sources of financial aid online, Rivers discovered the Dr. Donald M. Suggs Scholarship
“I applied for the scholarship initially thinking there was no way I was going to get it,” Rivers says. “But I decided to apply for it anyway and see what would happen.”
The Suggs Scholarship was developed to improve enrollment and retention rates of gifted undergraduate students from ethnic groups who are commonly underrepresented at universities and colleges. Named in honor of Donald M. Suggs, publisher of The St. Louis American and president
Olivia Rivers, a Suggs Scholar at Mizzou, is a marketing major, director of the student-operated television station MUTV, and also involved in business fraternity Phi Beta Lambda and the Student Center for the Public Trust.
of the St. Louis American Foundation, the scholarship offers recipients $12,500 per year. Applicants from the greater St. Louis area are given first preference.
After submitting the transcripts, test scores and essays required for consideration, Rivers was selected to receive the scholarship.
“I remember the moment I found out I got it,” Rivers says. “It was like a godsend moment. I kept thinking that I could go to school and I could stop stressing out about how I was going to pay tuition. That was a big weight off my shoulders.”
In addition to paying for her
tuition, the Suggs Scholarship provides up to $7,000 for a study abroad experience.
Although Rivers has never flown before, she is looking forward to spending a semester in the United Kingdom where she can experience the music, fashion and culture that has always interested her.
At MU, Rivers is able to immerse herself in the abundance of activities and organizations the university offers because she does not have to spend time working to pay for her education.
“There is so much you can do here, and there are so many opportunities,” Rivers says. “There’s something for everyone, and there are tons of chances to try new things you haven’t tried before.”
Rivers spends much of her time at the studentoperated television station MUTV, where she serves as a director. She also enjoys promoting the station and working to attract viewers.
Although she is a marketing major, Rivers has always had a passion for journalism and envisions conducting and managing promotions for a television news station after she graduates.
“It’s really interesting how marketing and advertising can shape behavioral patterns and how it affects everyone every single day,” Rivers says.
Rivers is also involved in business fraternity Phi Beta Lambda and the Student Center for the Public Trust, which is an organization dedicated to promoting ethical thinking and leadership in the workplace.
“It’s just so great that I can really focus on my classes and getting involved rather than having to work multiple jobs,” Rivers says. “These organizations are helping to prepare me for my future.”
Business
In Your Business
Keeping the faith at Rx Outreach
Darryl Munden takes over from founder Michael Holmes – with the same mission:
‘Honoring god By serving otHers’
By Chris
Rx Outreach by the numbers
“One thing we fight is that people think it’s too good to be true,” Darryl Munden, the new president of Rx Outreach, said of the company. Michael Holmes, founder and chairman of Rx Outreach, brought Munden with him from Express Scripts when he negotiated with the Express Scripts board and CEO George Paz to spin off the non-profit organization in 2010. Rx Outreach started as a patient assistance program at Express Scripts, a $93.9 billion Fortune 100 company based in St. Louis County. Now it is a stand-alone company that provides 280 often steeply discounted, mostly generic medications (in more than 680 strengths) to qualifying lowincome patients in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Rx Outreach is eligible for individuals and families who earn up to 300 percent of the poverty line (see sidebar).
In 2014, according to Rx Outreach’s annual report, it filled 383,013 prescriptions for 82,791 people, saving them $78.7 million compared to retail costs. Since its founding in 2010, according to Rx Outreach, it saved 210,000 people $320 million for 1.7 million prescriptions.
One major problem, Munden discovered, is that many of the people who most need Rx Outreach’s services find it difficult to trust a company promising them the same medications for much less money than they are accustomed to paying (or not being able to afford to pay). Many drugs can be purchased for $20 for a 180day supply. Of many examples, Munden recalled a couple from North Carolina. They had lost their health insurance. They earned low income as missionaries and were finding it “cost-prohibitive,” he said, to continue with medications prescribed for their chronic conditions. Researching their options, the couple called a friend who sold veterinarian drugs. He knew about Rx Outreach and suggested they look into its services.
Every single medication that
n “It’s a travesty that more people don’t know about us.”
– Darryl Munden, president of Rx Outreach
“We read everything – were amazed – but still there has to be a catch,” the couple wrote to Rx Outreach. (Their names were redacted, out of respect for their privacy, in the copy of the letter provided to The American.) When they got their new prescription, they mailed it to Rx Outreach with a check – “and waited for the catch,” they
wrote. What they could not have imagined was that Holmes conceived of the company while praying. Munden only agreed to follow Holmes to the start-up after praying on his offer. And every single medication that goes out the door from Rx Outreach comes topped with a cap that reads, under the company brand, “Honoring God by serving others.” The couple wrote, “Praise God we received a package from you with my medicines. I cried with joy” – still suspecting their check would be cashed, with no medication provided – “and when I opened it, it was absolutely beautiful:
People On The Move
Hadiyah-Nicole Green received a $1.1 million grant from the Veterans Administration HBCU-Research Scientist Training Program to work on a patent-pending technology to target, image and treat cancer. A St. Louis native, she is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at Tuskegee University. She is the principal investigator for the grant and will collaborate with the Birmingham VA Medical Center and VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Services.
Christopher A. Pickett was named chief diversity officer at St. Louis-based law firm Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale. He will lead the firm’s efforts to foster an increasingly diverse and inclusive workplace and to recruit and retain diverse talent. He is an officer in the firm’s litigation practice, leader of the securities and financial services industry group and co-leader of the trade secrets/restrictive covenants group.
Chalana M. Scales-Ferguson was elected to the Board of Directors of YWCA Metro St. Louis. She is an associate at Lashley & Baer, P.C. YWCA provides Head Start/Early Head Start, housing for women in need, crisis intervention and counseling for victims of sexual assault, economic empowerment for single mothers, leadership and business training for teens, and diversity training and awareness.
Robert Lawrence Salter was appointed to the faculty of the Washington University at St Louis. He will be teaching Strategic Planning and Management in Healthcare. He is also CEO of Higher Education Market Strategies, an education consulting firm. He holds an MHA from St. Louis University and previously taught healthcare management courses at Lindenwood and Harris-Stowe universities.
Sister Antona Ebo was named an Ageless Remarkable St. Louisan by the St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors System. As one of the famous Sisters of Selma, Sr. Ebo traveled along with five other Catholic sisters as part of the St. Louis delegation to Selma, Alabama, on March 10, 1965. She continues to travel the country spreading her message of love, compassion and respect for others.
Michael McMillan was elected to the Board of Directors of The Concordance Academy of Leadership. He is president & CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan. St. Louis In partnership with the Concordance Institute for Advancing Social Justice, the academy is a public, private and academic initiative focused on lowering incarceration rates in the country. On the move? Congratulations! Send your professional news and a color headshot to cking@stlamerican.com
HadiyahNicole Green
Chalana M. ScalesFerguson
Robert Lawrence Salter
Sister Antona Ebo
Christopher A. Pickett
Michael McMillan
King Of The St. Louis American
U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill was given a tour of Rx Outreach in Maryland Heights on July 31 by Darryl Munden, now president of the company, and Michael Holmes, its founder and chairman.
Photo by Wiley Price
goes out the door from Rx Outreach comes topped with a cap that reads, under the company brand, “Honoring God by serving others.”
Photo by Chris King
By Secretary of State Jason Kander Guest columnist
Every day, I hear stories about hard-working Missourians who have lost money to scam artists— sometimes their entire life savings. Sadly, the stories I hear tend to have alltoo-common themes: the Missourians were deceived by a salesperson who wasn’t registered to sell investments in Missouri, were pressured into hurrying a transaction for “the next big thing,” or entrusted their passwords to a scammer. Almost half of the victims are seniors.
My office works tirelessly to stop fraud and help make victims whole. It’s important to remember there are simple things you can do to protect your hard-earned savings from financial fraud. Calling my office’s Investor Protection Hotline at (800) 721-7996 or visiting www. MissouriSafeSavings.com before turning over your hard-earned money is an important step in protecting it. Our office can verify whether the investment product or the person selling it is registered to do so. When it comes to protecting your life’s savings, no amount of caution is too much. To help identify red flags for potential scams, my office has compiled a short list of the most common types of fraud:
FAITH
continued from page B1
Rx Outreach, honoring God by serving others.”
Robots serving others
Personal Finance
Protect yourself from fraud
Potentially troublesome
Unregistered products/ unlicensed salespeople: The offer of securities by an individual without a securities license should be a red alert for investors. Con artists also try
Rx Outreach’s services led this missionary couple to praise God (and the company itself), but a very sophisticated in-house supply system was responsible for delivering those medications with the faithbased pill-bottle top. That top was screwed on by a robot, not a loving pair of human hands. The highestvolume medications at Rx
to bypass state requirements to pitch unregistered investments with a promise of “limited or no risk” and high returns.
Third Parties Managing
Outreach go from storage dispenser to pill bottle to heat-sealed shipping package without a human being doing anything other than (methodically and repeatedly) checking that the automated process resulted in no errors.
The production line in the Rx Outreach facility in Maryland Heights even has a station that weighs each package and calculates the most cost-effective shipper, based on weight and destination, and assigns each parcel to the most efficient carrier that can get it there within five business days.
Efficiency – including critical efficiencies of scale – help to explain how Rx Outreach can fill prescriptions for qualified patients at comparatively low prices.
Online Discount Brokerage Accounts: Missourians should be aware of offers to set up or “manage” online brokerage accounts by individuals claiming to be investment
Munden said the company receives about 5,000 requests for service per week, from all over the country and a variety of sources: individuals, clinics, physicians, social service agencies. They also come in a variety of forms: automated entries from a voice-prompted phone system, e-prescriptions and emails, as well as phone calls, faxes and paper mail that require data entry.
Pharmacists – four staff and five “per diem” – are stationed throughout the office and production facility, available to field questions at any production point from any of its 60 employees.
In 2014, according to Rx Outreach’s annual report, it filled 383,013 prescriptions for 82,791 people, saving them $78.7 million compared to
professionals. Do not share your user name or password with anyone.
Investment Fads: Emerging investment opportunities such as digital currency, crowdfunding, oil and gas, or natural resource mining may sound appealing, but typically require an extremely high level of specific knowledge to be profitable.
Promissory Notes: In an environment of low interest rates, the promise of highinterest-bearing promissory notes may be tempting to investors, especially seniors and others living on a fixed income. Promissory notes generally are used by companies to raise capital. Legitimate promissory notes are marketed almost exclusively to corporate investors with the resources to research thoroughly the companies issuing the notes and to determine whether the issuers have the capacity to pay the promised interest and principal. Most promissory notes must be registered as securities with the SEC and the states in which they are sold. Investors should be cautious about offers of promissory notes with a duration of nine months or less, which in some
circumstances do not require registration. Short-term notes that appear to be exempt from securities registration have been the source of most – but not all – of the fraudulent activity involving promissory notes.
Real Estate Investments: Potentially troublesome real estate-related investments include non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), timeshare resales, and brokered mortgage notes. These types of products often carry higher risk. For example, non-traded REITs are sold
n Call my office’s Investor Protection Hotline at (800) 721-7996 or visit www.MissouriSafe Savings.com before turning over your hardearned money.
Ponzi Schemes: The premise is simple: pay early investors with money raised from later investors. The only people certain to make money are the promoters who set the Ponzi in motion.
Jason Kander is Missouri secretary of state. Visit www.sos.mo.gov to learn more about the Office of the Missouri Secretary of State.
retail costs. Since its founding in 2010, according to Rx Outreach, it saved 220,000 people $360 million for 1.7 million prescriptions.
Munden may be the new president, but he is not new to operations. Interestingly, he was new to Express Scripts when Holmes lured him away, but he brought his developing system knowledge with him and now clearly knows every detail of the production process.
As someone who spent 19 years at Anheuser-Busch as an operations executive, including a stint in packaging, Munden has a professional appreciation for an automated production line that can put the right pill in the right bottle, photograph it and then heat-seal it in the right package routed through the most efficient mail carrier. But
he is also capable of a childlike wonder at the process.
“Remember when you were a little boy and you marched your Army figures around?” Munden asked a male visitor.
“It’s like that when you see all those vials traipsing on the conveyor.” Munden had to ask his visitor to imagine the pill bottles being moved along the conveyor because it was a Thursday (January 7). At present, the production line only runs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and not even for all of those days. That means two things. For one, the company has room to grow without expanding or moving. “Even maxing out days of the week and shifts in See MUNDEN, B6
“Without a doubt, I definitely take the blame, without a doubt. Just had too many missed opportunities.”
– Adrian Peterson, after the Minnesota Vikings’ heartbreaking 10-9 loss to Seattle
oTeBook
Hoops for the dreamer
Rams leaving shows St. Louis should stop burying head in sand
~ See ‘Sports Eye’ page B4 ~
Next Monday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is a day of celebration and remembrance for all of us. It is also a great day of basketball with several MLK events going on around the area. St. Louis University High will be hosting an excellent MLK Classic featuring six top teams. The opening game will be Pattonville vs. St. Mary’s at 1 p.m. The game will be a rematch of the third place game of the MICDS Tournament, which St. Mary’s won at the buzzer in overtime. In Game 2, Vashon will take on CBC at 2:30 p.m. in a game featuring two of the area’s top programs. The finale at 4 p.m. will feature host SLUH against Hazelwood Central in another battle of top area teams. Hazelwood Central defeated SLUH in the MLK Classic last year.
MLK Girls at North Tech If you are a fan of girls’ basketball, North Tech High in Florissant will be the place to be on Sunday and Monday for the St. Louis MLK Classic. This event features schools from four different states. The first three games will be held on Sunday with Miller Career Academy vs. Chicago Kenwood in the first game at 1:30 p.m. Hazelwood Central will face South Miami (FL) at 3 p.m. with North Tech taking on Chicago North Lawndale finishing up Day 1 at 4:30 p.m. On Monday, Bethalto Civic Memorial (IL) will face Huntsville Lee (AL) in the first game at 10 a.m. Kirkwood will face South Miami at 11:30 a.m.; North Tech vs. Kenwood Academy at 1 p.m.; Incarnate Word vs. Bolingbrook (Ill) at 2:30 p.m.; St. Charles vs. North Lawndale at 4 p.m. and Cahokia vs. Lift for Life at 5:30 p.m.
Last week when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell commented saying Oakland, St. Louis and San Diego plans were considered not viable, it set off many who’ve been following this stadium cluster of madness the past year. Fans in St. Louis were particularly perturbed at the comments made by the NFL commissioner, because it was barely 48 hours removed from the disparaging remarks made by St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke, as he made his case on why the Rams need to move back to Los Angeles.
If you are reading between the lines you can obviously see which direction the commissioner is leaning. It’s definitely not toward St. Louis. That’s why it’s a good thing Goodell has no say in this relocation melodrama. People forget Stan Kroenke pays him. He had to say all three projects weren’t viable. But, it was so obvious he was talking mainly about St. Louis. St. Louis was the only group to actually present a plan to help keep its team in the current market. A real plan of action to get something accomplished. The STL Task Force has done its due diligence in keeping in contact with the Goodell and was always cautious about how receptive the NFL was to the STL plan for a stadium. It’s abundantly clear that neither the inept commissioner of the NFL, nor the owner of the Rams, expected this type of fight by the task force to help keep the team in St. Louis. All types of obstacles where thrown in the road for the task
Who said the SEC was overrated? The Alabama Crimson Tide are the 2016 National Champions. The team’s 45-40 victory over the then-No. 1 Clemson Tigers allowed ‘Bama to claim its fourth national title in the past seven seasons. For the SEC, the league has now watched its teams win eight of the past 10 national championships. Despite a down season and an offseason coaching change for the Mizzou Tigers, the dominance shown by the Alabama and the SEC should help to make the Tigers’ recovery a quick one. Getting back to the big game, while this was far from the most-dominant ‘Bama team we’ve seen, the victory might have been the most-exciting. When it counted most, Quarterback Jake Coker, who was benched briefly earlier in the season, turned into Tom Brady. Tight end O.J. Howard, who amassed just 394 yards during the entire season, channeled his inner Rob
Gronkowski and set a national championship record by racking up 208 yards receiving along with 2 TDs. Heisman Trophy winning running back Derrick Henry rushed for 158 yards. However, it was two key plays on special teams that propelled this Crimson Tide team to a special victory. Coach Nick Saban’s gutsy fourth quarter onside kick call will be talked about for ages. It was only gutsy because it worked. Had it failed, he would’ve been called foolish and a bunch of other names that cannot be printed in this family newspaper. I suppose with four national titles on his resume, Saban could afford to gamble. He hit the jackpot. A little later in the quarter, special teams paid off again when Kenyan Drake rumbled 95 yards down the field, diving into the end zone for the score. Both plays left the Clemson Tigers stunned. The tremendous team and its terrific quarterback, Deshaun Watson, rallied back again and again. Ishmael H. Sistrunk
With Ishmael H. Sistrunk
Earl Austin Jr.
SLUH’s Brandon McKissic drives against Hazelwood Central’s Dominique Dobbs at last year’s MLK Basketball Classic at SLUH. The two teams will meet again as SLUH host the MLK Classic next Monday.
Photo by Wilma Slaughter
SportS EyE
With Alvin Reid
Rams leaving shows St. Louis should stop burying head in sand
By the time you read this the NFL might have approved relocation of the St. Louis Rams to Inglewood, California.
Multi-billionaire owner Stan Kroenke could have gotten his way after letting the region – in particular the city of St. Louis – know what he thinks of them.
The lesson that again is being painfully learned for this region is to stop being reactive and start being more proactive. Heads were buried in the sand while Kroenke had his mind on L.A.
This following was published on April 16, 2010 at Globe-Democrat.com:
“Whichever of the K-men (Shahid Khan or Stan Kroenke) end up owning the Rams, there will be an ultimatum: either build a new stadium or kiss the team goodbye.”
importantly – the situation seriously.
Alvin Reid
The overwhelming majority of political and civic leaders ignored Kroenke’s silence after buying the team, which to me sounded like a rattlesnake tail.
Instead of seeking negotiation, the city and CVC immediately rejected the Rams’ $750 million Jones Dome upgrade proposal, calling it unrealistic.
When the Rams won in arbitration, as expected, there was more tough talk directed at Kroenke and the franchise.
n The overwhelming majority of political and civic leaders ignored Kroenke’s silence after buying the team, which to me sounded like a rattlesnake tail.
The column discussed the unrealistic goal of keeping the Edward Jones Dome as a “toptier” stadium and possible relocation sites, namely Los Angeles. I was the author, and I’m far from clairvoyant. I realized six years ago that the region needed to get serious about keeping the Rams in St. Louis. Few people listened. I got labeled a “Chicken Little,” and my on-air colleagues at 101 ESPN never took me or – more
Our leading sports columnist and commentators told us it was not a big deal when Kroenke purchased the Inglewood property in January 2014. We were reminded that he was a real estate magnate and that it was nothing more than a real estate deal. Then came the announcement in January 2015 that Kroenke planned on building a $2 billion stadium and entertainment district. Finally, there was some action. Knee-jerk, out-ofcontrol and too-late action. That was fall of 2014 and the new stadium plan was announced a few months later. Voters were bypassed,
have their way the
a history of malicious business dealings and who has publicly
to
St. Louis County somehow weaseled out of paying for any of it and Gov. Jay Nixon promised state dollars without a vote of its people or legislators. Had St. Louis been serious
six years ago, I doubt we’d be about to lose the franchise. By the way, should Kroenke not be granted his right to relocate it would be impossible for the team to remain here. There was method in the madness of his ripping the region in such a scorched earth way.
My, Oh, my
The St. Louis Cardinals were reportedly close to signing Korean reliever Seung-Hwan Oh. The right-hander is 33, had 41 saves last year and 357 during his career. I guess you have to applaud the diversitychallenged Cardinals for going the international route to land Oh.
It is perplexing, though, that the team has such trouble finding and keeping a black player on the 25-man roster.
Upton still available
The Cardinals still need more offense regardless of what you hear from the front office.
RAMS
Continued from B3
force, whether it was by the Rams owner or elected officials throughout the state of Missouri. And in under a year’s time the task force managed to put a plan together under these circumstances. If St. Louis was so bad,
Outfielder Justin Upton is searching for a long-term deal in the neighborhood of six years for $120. That’s less than what the Redbirds reportedly offered Jayson Heyward, who left for Chicago and the Cubs’ eight-year $184 million deal.
Upton hit .251 with 26 home runs, 81 RBI and 19 stolen bases with the San Diego Padres and could certainly help the Cardinals if they choose to pursue him.
Not much love in Tampa
Lovie Smith, the Rams defensive coordinator during the team’s St. Louis hey-day, surprisingly found himself out of a job last week when the Tampa Bay Bucs fired him.
Bucs’ GM Jason Licht said it was one of the toughest decisions of his career but that he and fans had been patient enough. Really? While his two-year record in Tampa was 10-24, he took the team from 2-12 to 6-10. You get fired for winning three times as many games as you did the year
then why did Kroenke cut the legs off Shahid Khan in 2010? Khan, who presently has net worth of $4.4 billion, went on to purchase the Jacksonville Jaguars.
fans who have supported
before. The NFL has one less black head coach, and as of Monday zero had been hired to fill current openings.
Moving on without Marvin The Cincinnati Bengals were saying Monday that another black head coach will not be relieved of his duties. Reports were that head coach Marvin Lewis will not be fired after his team’s latest playoff meltdown. The Pittsburgh Steelers, led by black coach Mike Tomlin, prevailed 18-16 in a Wild Card showdown, after two personal fouls (right or wrong) put them in field goal position.
The loss dropped Lewis to 0-7 in the playoffs. Jeff Fisher is 0-0 as Rams’ coach in the postseason. I know which coach I’d rather have in charge of my team.
Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on KETC channel 9’s mostpopular show “Donnybrook,” and is also a radio commentator and author.
Speaking of Khan, many Rams fans in St. Louis are wishing he was the team owner today. How is that for irony? The same people calling Stan Kroenke every four to eight letter word, are more than likely the same people that freaked out about Khan because of his name and skin tone. That’s a perfect example of Islamaphobia. Khan loved St. Louis and wanted to connect with community. Now you look at what he’s trying to do in Jacksonville and can only wonder what if? Kroenke was scheming the entire time to move to Los Angeles. In a story written in the L.A. Times a year ago, Kroenke has donated money to the city’s mayor and two Inglewood city councilman –$118,500 since 2006. During four campaigns, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. received $90,000.
It’s unfortunate that after the passing of Georgia Frontiere, the Rams never had ownership that actually cared for the community and the region. The fans have done more than their part, supporting a losing team with no real place to tailgate and no playoffs. St. Louis deserves better than this.
For more Rams Roundup, please subscribe to youtube. com/stlamericanvideo. You can also hear me M-TH 6-8 PM on The Charlie Tuna Show on 590TheFan and my weekly podcast @ NTheZoneShow with Arlington Lane II.
If St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke (left) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (right)
Rams will soon call Los Angeles home. Kroenke, who has
stated his disdain for St. Louis, would like nothing more than
crush the loyal football
his team for the past 20 years.
InsIde sports
With Earl Austin Jr.
Former Soldan star shines
Plus, Ezekiel goes out strong, Napheesa cracks starting lineup at UConn
Former Soldan High football standout Paul McRoberts has been selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game, which will be held on January 23 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
A 6’3” 197-pound wide receiver, McRoberts just concluded a stellar career at Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau. He finished his career as one of the top wide receivers in the school’s history. As a senior, McRoberts had 76 receptions for 940 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 12.4 yards per catch. His top game came against Murray State when he had eight catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns. McRoberts was selected as a First Team All Ohio Valley Conference selection.
McRoberts was also on the All-OVC First Team as a junior after catching 44 passes for 744 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished his career with a school-record 29 touchdown receptions. He also finished third on the school’s career list with 2,435 yards
CLUTCH
Continued from B3 Playoffs (CFP). For Missouri, that means more money to keep its facilities A-1 to attract recruits. The spotlight on the conference, due to its unparalleled gridiron success, will continue to help the Tigers on the recruiting trails.
receiving. McRoberts was a twosport star at Soldan in football and basketball. In addition to being an All-State football player, McRoberts was also a top basketball player for the
Potential recruits know that all eyes are watching the SEC. Kids who don’t get scholarship offers from Alabama and those who do, but don’t feel they will earn enough playing time will give a long, hard look to other teams in the conference. With the Tigers having gained a reputation as ‘D-Line U’ by sending numerous members of its defensive line (and defense in general) to the NFL, they will continue to reel in excellent recruits, even after a down year. Meanwhile, the Big 12 has faltered. Mizzou’s ex hasn’t won a national title since Texas wore the crown in 2005. However, this season, the Big
PREP
Continued from B3
Cardinal Ritter vs. McCluer North doubleheader
Cardinal Ritter and McCluer North will renew its annual MLK Day series with a double-header, which will be held at Cardinal Ritter this year. The girls game tips off at noon, followed by the boys game at 1:30 p.m. McCluer North defeated Cardinal Ritter in the championship game of the St. Francis Borgia Tournament in November.
Chaminade National Tour Continues
Chaminade College Prep
will continue its national schedule this weekend when it competes in the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo. The tournament fields some of the top prep programs in the country. It includes Oak Hill Academy (VA), Sierra Canyon (CA), Bishop Gorman (NV), Christ the King (NY) and Ranier Beach (WA). Chaminade will open play against Christ the King tonight at 9 p.m. The championship game is set for Saturday night at 8 p.m. The games annually fill up the John Q. Hammons Arena in Springfield. A bigtime event. After playing in the Bass Pro, Chaminade will head East to Springfield, MA to play national power DeMatha in the Hoop Hall Classic on Monday at 11 a.m.
Tigers, leading them to the Class 4 state championship in 2012. McRoberts has also played for SEMO’s basketball team.
12 did produce a 0-12 team in the Kansas Jayhawks. If you recall correctly, the Jayhawks whined and pouted when its top rival left for greener pastures and refused to keep the rivalry alive via non-conference scheduling. I guess the only thing that might have made those 12 Ls worse is if one had come at the hands of the boycottin’ boy of Mizzou. Back to the future, while it may be uncool to ride on another’s coattails, that’s exactly what Barry Odom and the Mizzou Tigers need
Huge success
Last weekend’s Highland Optimist Shootout was a huge success. A capacity crowd of more than 3,000 jammed the gym to watch some of nation’s top stars, who really shined on the big stage. Chaminade’s All-American Jayson Tatum had 32 points and 12 rebounds in a 66-51 victory over Althoff. Five-star recruit Michael Porter, Jr. of Father Tolton scored 31 points in a victory over Peoria Manual. Younger brother Jontay Porter had 10 points and 10 blocked shots for Tolton. Hazelwood Central’s Xavier Sneed had 21 points in the Hawks’ 60-49 victory over Springfield Lanphier.
Vianney’s Carte’are Gordon had 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Golden Griffins to a 55-42 victory over Highland.
St. Louis American Prep Athletes of the Week
Rachel Thompson
MICDS – Girls Basketball
The 5’9” senior point guard was impressive in leading the Rams to three victories last week. Thompson scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Rams past McCluer North 70-54 at the St. Joseph’s Shootout on Saturday. She also had seven points, nine assists, five rebounds and five steals in an 83-55 victory over Lutheran South last Friday. Thompson began her week with 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a 71-47 victory over Clayton. For the season, Thompson is averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.8 steals for the 8-2 Rams. Thompson recently scored the 1,000th point of her career. Thompson will attend Colgate next season on a basketball scholarship.
Geena Stephens
Parkway Central – Girls Basketball
The 5’10” junior forward is enjoying an excellent season as one of the top scorers in the St. Louis metro area. Last week, Stephens led the Colts to the championship game of the Parkway West Tournament, where they finished second. She had 36 points, seven rebounds, four assists and six steals in a 60-12 victory over Hillsboro. Stephens followed up with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven steals in a 43-24 victory over Marquette. For the season, Stephens is averaging 21.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and six steals a game for the 7-2 Colts.
Former Soldan High football standout
Paul McRoberts has been selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game, which will be held on January 23 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
season with 1,821 yards on 289 carries and 23 touchdowns. For his career, Elliott finished with 3,961 yards on 592 carries and 43 touchdowns. Of course, everyone remembers the end of Elliott’s sophomore season when he went on a torrid run to lead the Buckeyes to the national championship. Elliott has already made it known that he will be entering the upcoming National Football League Draft.
Napheesa cracks starting lineup at UConn
to do in order to rebound back into contention. Alabama (SEC West) is not on Missouri’s (SEC East) schedule in 2016, but they’re always a potential conference championship foe. On the recruiting trail, every 10th word out of Odom’s mouth should be either Alabama, SEC or national championship. For black players concerned with the racial divide on campus in Columbia (and rightfully so), they can take solace in the fact that the players and coaches at
University to a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame. Elliott rushed for 149 yards and scored a Fiesta Bowl-record four touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes to a 44-28 victory. Elliott finished his junior
Mizzou stood behind their players during the boycott. Not many coaches in the SEC would have done the same. For others, the bright ESPN lights, they unending gaze of NFL scouts and die-hard, raucous fans around the league will be enough to steer them to the SEC. With the St. Louis Rams owner trying his hardest to pry his team to the West Coast, the irony is that the team from his hometown may gain a new legion of STL football fans. Who knows, in a few years,
Former Incarnate Word Academy girls basketball star Napheesa Collier has worked her way into the starting lineup at UConn. The 6’2” Collier is currently averaging 6.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and two steals a game for the Huskies, who are 14-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country. Collier has already been named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week twice this season. One of Collier’s typical performances came in a big victory over LSU on Dec. 28 when she had seven points, 12 rebounds, six blocks and four steals. Collier was a 2015 McDonald’s All-American after leading the Red Knights to three consecutive Class 4 state championships.
maybe the Missouri Tigers will be in the position the Clemson Tigers were in Monday night. It sounds far-fetched, but Mizzou was expected to face plant in the SEC. After one down season, the team regrouped to win back-to-back SEC East titles. If it happens again, this time under Odom, the team can thank the Alabama and SEC dynasties for paving the way.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk
Ezekiel Elliott goes out strong
Former John Burroughs star Ezekiel Elliott closed out his collegiate career in grand style in leading The Ohio State
Earl Austin Jr.
MUNDEN
continued from page B2
the day, there is a tremendous amount of additional volume we can handle,” Munden said. However, it also means that not enough people and providers know about Rx Outreach. “It’s a travesty,” Munden said, “that more people don’t know about us.”
‘Make a real difference’
The toy soldiers that Munden imagines when he sees upright pill bottles marching along the Rx Outreach conveyer mask the memories of a very real soldier he also harbors. He served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm with the U.S. Army’s 24th Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia. He enlisted after graduating from Old Dominion University then completed Officer Candidate School, finally leaving the service in 1992 as a 2nd lieutenant.
He worked in communications as the division rolled from Saudi Arabia to Iraq, from August 1990 to April 1991. He commanded 50 soldiers, and they all stayed alive, but he saw enough death to last a lifetime.
“We passed a lot of elements that had been bombed out, sometimes only hours before,” Munden said. “You would see a lot of soldiers hanging out of trucks, dead.”
Having seen so much sudden, violent death, it may be therapeutic for the Desert Storm veteran to fill thousands of prescriptions intended to make people feel better and live longer. Rx Outreach fills prescriptions in 45 therapeutic categories, including medicines that treat conditions that can result from the trauma of war, such as anxiety and depression. But its highest volume lies in medicines that treat chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease.
Munden has a deep personal source for the value of
providing this service, though it dates back further than his military service.
Growing up in Hampton, Virginia, he had an especially close relationship with his grandmother, Lucille Moore. “I was her favorite,” he still remembered as a grown father of three in his fifties. “She used to do my chores for me at the kitchen sink.”
She moved in with Munden’s family when he was 15. She was suffering from congestive heart failure.
“Repeatedly, we would have to call an ambulance to the house and she would have to go to the hospital,” Munden said. “Many times I would go see her in the hospital.”
He remembered what would be her last trip to the hospital in the intricate detail reserved for our most powerful memories.
“That last time, something was different with me,” he said. “For over a week, I didn’t go.” One day his mother returned
n “I know we’re all going to die at some point, but if we can make medicine affordable, we can make a real difference in people’s lives.”
– Darryl Munden, president of Rx Outreach
from a hospital visit and said, “Look, you better go see your grandmother in the hospital today.”
“Begrudgingly,” he said, he drove to the hospital along with his brother, Eric. His grandmother had a heart attack while he was in her hospital room and died that day – “a week before my 16th birthday,” he said. She was 66. He still thinks about her passing and wonders what might have prolonged her life and improved its quality in her last years.
“My grandmother was poor,” Munden said. “She had 13 kids.” His grandfather, Fred
Moore, was a Baptist preacher with a limited income.
“It was a struggle for them to put food on the table, clothes on the back, shoes on the feet,” Munden said. “I heard many stories. She did not have a lot of time or attention for her own health. She developed chronic conditions that should have been treated much earlier – but she couldn’t afford to.”
The grandson of a pastor who had to pray on the offer to start Rx Outreach with Michael Holmes, Munden now sees a path leading from his grandmother’s hospital room to his (modest) corner office as president of a non-profit
pharmaceutical company.
Even 19 years spent making, selling, packaging and distributing beer prepared him for this role.
“I think of the other grandsons and grandmothers out there and the ability of Rx Outreach to improve their lives on a day-to-day basis and, in some cases, even save lives,” Munden said.
“I know we’re all going to die at some point, but if we can make medicine affordable, we can make a real difference in people’s lives. So my goal is to make more people and more organizations aware of who we are and what we do so we can change more peoples’ lives.”
For more information, visit www.rxoutreach.org or call 1-888-RXO-1234 (7961234).
How to access Rx Outreach
“Someone can go the doctor today, call us, enroll, get a prescription, place an order, and their medicine leave that day in the mail,” said Darryl Munden, president of Rx Outreach.
Patients qualify for Rx Outreach as long as their annual household income is:
• $35,310 or less for a single person
• $47,790 or less for a family of two
• $60,270 or less for a family of three
• $72,750 or less for a family of four
• Add $12,480 for each additional person.
Medicines available are listed at www.RxOutreach.org or you may call 1-888-7961234.
“We advise that people take our formulary list to their doctors,” Munden said. “How many things treat high cholesterol? Why not have your doctor see if you can be treated by something in our formulary so you get the most benefit from the money you spend on your prescription medication?”
Prescriptions may be written with refills available for up to one year. Rx Outreach advises that you ask your doctor about a 180-day supply with one refill or a 90-day supply with three refills. It also advises that you ask your doctor to e-prescribe your prescription. Rx Outreach is in the Surescripts network under NCPDP ID 2635855. Or, your physician may fax your prescription and application to 1-800-875-6591.
To submit the application and payment (and prescription if not sent by physician):
• By mail: Rx Outreach, P.O. Box 66536, St. Louis, MO 63166-6536
• Online at www. RxOutreach.org
• By phone at 1-888-7961234.
Photo by Chris King
Darryl Munden, president of Rx Outreach in Maryland Heights, explained its automated production line. The highest-volume medications at Rx Outreach go from storage dispenser to pill bottle to heat-sealed shipping package without a human being doing anything other than (methodically and repeatedly) checking that the automated process resulted in no errors.
Teresajenee returns with ‘Jnfr Killa’
STL native looking to make a splash on the national soul scene
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
Even with the release of her latest
EP
“Jnfr Killa” last month, it’s still hard to believe that nearly a decade has passed since St. Louis native singer/ songwriter Teresajenee made her bones on the local soul scene.
n “Jnfr Killa” finds its influence in everything from EDM to gospel music.
She first garnered buzz as a popular featured performer during Café Soul’s Lucas Schoolhouse days. She would be met with applause as soon as she made her way to the keyboard for what everyone already knew would be an impassioned performance.
A crowd favorite was “Suicide Revenge.” The transparent lyrics of the haunting ballad set her apart from majority of the talented acts.
Teresajenee had the nerve to do original material during the open mic performances that were mostly covers – mainly because the crowd would
Sketching Kota at The Pulitzer
Come draw African sculptures on Saturday, January 23
By Chris King Of The St.
Louis American
The Pulitzer Arts Foundation has an amazing show of African sculpture up, “Kota: Digital Excavations in African Art,” with very innovative, high-tech components that include database manipulation and interactive video game design. But it all began with a guy, co-curator Frederick Cloth, sketching 2,000 African sculptures by hand.
The Pulitzer’s public programming for the show emphasizes its innovative aspects, based on the fact that Cloth wrote an algorithm to sort
the sculptures by formal variables –such as shape of head, shape of eyes, shape of mouth – once he had become conscious of these various forms by sketching them all.
While it makes perfect sense to program game designers into an art show that has a high-tech bent, I suggested to the folks at The Pulitzer that they should also schedule a sketchbook event, since sketching the sculptures was the basis of Cloth’s practice. His co-curator Kristina Van Dyke is well aware of this fact. She arranged the show so his sketches
Black entertainment BOLO
Be On The Look Out in the coming weeks and months
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
From music, to movies and television, 2016 is shaping up to be yet another stellar year for AfricanAmerican entertainment making major waves within the mainstream. There’s much to look forward to in the coming weeks and months. Listed below are a few things that are top of mind on my radar.
St. Louis jazz stars and Gregory Porter at The Touhill
In three weeks mellow jazz crooner Gregory Porter will be taking the stage at the Touhill (February 6).
Porter’s live performance of “On
My Way to Harlem” on WNYC has grooved me through many a deadlines. Find it on YouTube and get your life! His mellow, pure tone opts for emphasis on pitch and clarity over vocal acrobatics. And his simplicity gives his quartet of musicians the
opportunity to pick up the slack as far as embellishment and improvisation.
Beyond an opportunity to see
a magazine called “I Am Estl” to combat the negative stereotypes. www.stlamerican.com
will give live music lovers a chance to see the current generation of St. Louis jazz. Porter’s rhythm section is comprised of St. Louis natives Emanuel Harrold (drums) and Jahmal Nichols (bass). Both are shining examples of the continuum of city’s rich musical legacy within the genre of jazz. Jazz St. Louis welcomes Gregory Porter to the Touhill Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday February 6. For more information or tickets, visit www.touhill.org or call (314) 516-4949 or 866-516-4949.
Kendrick Lamar’s impending Grammy domination
With last year’s release of “To Pimp A Butterfly,” Compton’s Kendrick Lamar widened the gap between himself and the rest of the rap game. The career-defining record is the anti-swag. It deals with taboo subjects of depression, the price of fame and other subject matter that boldly goes where few rappers have gone before within his peer group of trap stars and club banger architects. He restored rap to its roots of activism and anti-establishment for
Dead end for ‘Ride Along 2’
Stale and boring comedy sequel for cop buddy flick
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis
American
Lightning will most certainly not strike twice for the sequel that became a surprise blockbuster for the Universal Studios last winter.
“Ride Along 2” is essentially absent of laughter as comedian/actor Kevin Hart and Ice Cube pair up to take their show on the road in the follow up for the odd couple, cop buddy film hybrid. Hart’s Ben Barber character again inserts himself into the work of detective and future brother-in-law James Payton, played by Ice Cube.
For this go round they head to Miami to crack the case on a high profile case.
“Ride Along 2” is comedy by numbers – and fails to blend even to the most unsophisticated of audiences. Add beaches and the ostentatious luxury is known for and subtract the freshness of Cube and Hart sharing the screen and the film is essentially “Ride Along” all over again – with no deviation or twists whatsoever.
Despite the star power and sexy scenery, the final product of the sequel is a tragically belabored effort that delivered the essence of a lowbudget straight to DVD urban original
the 2014 winner of Best Jazz Vocal Album live in the flesh, attending the show, presented by Jazz St. Louis,
See ART, C4
See BOLO, C4
Gregory Portor
Black Panther
Kendrick Lamar
Illustration of Kota reliquary guardian figure by Frederic Cloth, courtesy Pulitzer Arts
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mlk day activities
Thur., Jan. 14, 6 p.m., St. Louis Public Library presents Reflections: Tell Me a Story. What impact has Dr. Martin Luther King’s life made on you? Experience an evening of song, poetry, dance, rap, storytelling and one-act plays celebrating his legacy. Share your story. Q & A to follow. Julia Davis Branch, 4415 Natural Bridge Ave., 63115. For more information, call 9314) 383-3021 or visit www. slpl.org.
Fri., Jan. 15, 7 p.m., Saint Louis Art Museum presents Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Celebration Join us for this free annual event commemorating the legacy of Dr. King through spoken-word and musical performances. This year’s theme is ‘A Time to Speak, A Time to Act: A Salute to Julian Bond’. We will celebrate the life of Mr. Bond, one of the most vocal and enduring voices of the Civil Rights Movement who helped start the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and served as chairman of the NAACP. East St. Louis Poet Laureate Eugene B. Redmond, will serve as the night’s keynote speaker. The evening will also feature the photography of Moneta Sleet, Jr., music from the Shalom Church Next Generation Choir, and a message from Marcus Creighton, former president of Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.
Sat., Jan. 16, 10 a.m., Missouri History Museum presents MLK Family Celebration. Before the official Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, bring your family to the Museum to learn about and celebrate the achievements of this American hero. The first 200 kids to arrive at the Museum will receive an MLK storybook to take home. Enjoy free light refreshments. Events include Hooray for MLK Storytelling – hear stories about inclusion, diversity, and the good that Martin Luther King Jr. brought to the world; Mama Lisa presents King Family Kids – revisit life in Atlanta during the 1960s from
a kid’s point of view; and peace-inspired art projects. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.
Sat., Jan. 16, 11 a.m., St. Louis Public Library presents the Sixth Annual Rhythm & Rhyme: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Keynote speaker and author Nikita Lynnette Nichols will discuss her creative writing process and read from her latest book, “The Ugly Side of Me.” Neighborhood “Rhyme Man” Stanley Pitchford and other local performers will read, sing, and recite poetry – and forever use their time creatively. Baden Branch, 8448 Church Rd., 63147. For more information, call (314) 388-2400 or visit www.slpl. org.
Sat., Jan. 16, 1 p.m., St. Louis Public Library presents Central Cinema: Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. We will be screening King: A Filmed Record Part 1 (1970). Originally shown only one night in 600 theaters across America in 1970, this documentary, which consists entirely of newsreel and primary footage, was recently made available to the public for the first time. This film has been placed on the National Film Registry for its historical significance and has been called one of the most important documentaries in American history. Central Branch, 1301 Olive St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 241-2288 or visit www. slpl.org.
Sat., Jan. 16, 7 p.m., UR2BFree hosts the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dinner. His testimony, vision, and sacrifice were motivated by his Christian principles. We invite you to celebrate his birthday, and become energized getting to work bringing Godly standards for our community and ourselves. Celebrate the true freedom, happiness, and prosperity that his faith-based ministry promised 50 years ago. Drury Inn and Suites, 11980 Olive Blvd., 63141. For more information, visit www. ur2bfree.com.
Sun., Jan. 17, 10 a.m., St. Paul AME Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Worship Service featuring Pastor Spencer Lamar Booker, Lady Gail, Scooter, Nicholas, and the St. Paul African
Calendar
The Chaifetz Arena welcomes Katt Williams. For more information, see COMEDY.
Featured Event
Mon., Jan. 18, 3 p.m., St. Louis Crisis Nursery presents Martin Luther King, Jr. Art Show: Ferguson Children’s Art. In celebration of Dr. King’s life, we will be displaying children’s artwork. Special guest at the event will be local author, Rosalyn Madden. 1928 Gravois Ave., 63049. For more information, call (314) 292-5770.
(See MLK Day Activities)
Methodist Episcopal Church family have been asked to participate in the filming of an M.L.K., Jr. Workshop the event will also serve as a celebration and the Life of Marvin Louis Booker, the brother of Pastor Booker. The filming will take place on Sunday, January 17, 2016, during the 10:00 a.m. services. Mr. Wade Gardner, Documentary Film Director, from Denver, Colorado, will be filming. St. Paul A.M.E. Church. 1260 Hamilton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, call (314) 385-8900.
Mon., Jan. 18, 9 a.m., Let Freedom Ring: A Daylong Community Reading of Dr. King’s Speeches, Sermons and Writings. This will be our sixth annual daylong community reading of Dr. King’s writings and speeches – from the very pulpit where he preached in 1963 – so his own words can re-enter our consciousness and continue to form us today. You can come and just listen or take part in the reading – at any time you can come to the front, approach whomever is reading and indicate you wish to take over. There will be someone ready to take over for you when you wish to stop. Come for a few minutes or a few hours. Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.
as well as talented musicians and performers. A program for children ages 5 to 11 will run concurrently in the lobby. Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949 or visit www.touhill.org.
Mon., Jan. 18, 3 p.m., St. Louis Crisis Nursery presents Martin Luther King, Jr. Art Show: Ferguson Children’s Art. In celebration of Dr. King’s life, we will be displaying children’s artwork. Special guest at the event will be local author, Rosalyn Madden. 1928 Gravois Ave., 63049. For more information, call (314) 292-5770.
concerts
Fri., Jan. 15, The Marquee welcomes Wale, 1900 Locust.
Sat., Feb. 6, 8 p.m., Jazz St. Louis welcomes Gregory Porter, The Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL. For more information visit www.touhill.org.
Sun., Feb. 7, 2 p.m., Friends of Scott Joplin presents Pianist Jeff Barnhart in Concert. Legendary pianist Jeff Barnhart brings his own interpretations of great Stride, Blues and Ragtime tunes back to the city where it all began. Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, 2658 Delmar, 63103. For more information, call (314) 629-4510 or visit www.friendsofscottjoplin.org.
History Month Celebration with Larnelle Harris. Join us as we commemorate the legacy of African-American art, music, culture and community. 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 533-2500 or visit www. stlsymphony.org.
Sat., Feb. 13, 7 p.m., St. Louis Music Festival starring Fantasia, Joe and Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena.com
Feb. 28, 8 p.m., Gary Clark Jr. - The Story of Sonny Boy Slim Tour, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com, www.ticketmaster.com or call (314) 726-6161.
local gigs
Sat., Feb. 6, 3 p.m., Education 4 All presents Mid-Day Mini Jazz Concert & Fundraiser feat. Ron Wilkinson. 20 S. Sarah St., 63108. For more information, call (314) 397-8757
Jan. 20 – 23, Jazz at the Bistro presents Warren Wolf & Wolfpack. 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 571-6000 or visit www.jazzstl. org.
special events
Thur., Jan. 14, 9 a.m., HireLive presents the 2016 St. Louis Sales Hiring Event. This is your opportunity to interview face to face with 15+ Fortune 500 and Industry Leading companies seeking talented, experienced and enthusiastic sales, retail and management candidates. Job opportunities include sales managers, retail management, human resources, account executives, and more. Doubletree Westport Hotel, 1973 Craigshire Rd., 63146. For more information, visit www.hirelive.com.
Fri., Jan. 15, 5 p.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. St. Louis Metropolitan Chapters present A Legacy of Sisterhood and Service 2016 Reactivation Event Fleur de Lilies, 1031 Lynch St., 63118. For more information or to RSVP, email akastlreactivation@gmail.com.
Mon., Jan. 18, 10 a.m., The University of Missouri St. Louis presents Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance 2016. This event will feature engaging speakers, call (314) 727-8000 or visit www.visittheloop.com.
Fri., Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m., St. Louis Symphony presents Lift Every Voice: Black
Jan. 15 – 16, The Delmar Loop presents The 2016 Loop Ice Carnival. The event kicks off with the Snow Ball at the Moonrise Hotel. Saturday, January 16th enjoy 50+ Ice Sculptures, $1,000 in Ice Cubes Give Away, PuttPutt Pub Crawl, Human Dog Sled Races, Frozen Turkey Bowling, Ice Demonstrations, Stilt Walkers, Fire Performers, and much more. Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information,
Sat., Jan. 16, 8 p.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Omicron Eta Omega Chapter presents the 108th House Party: Pink Platinum Edition. Featuring DJ Quinn. Bring a coat or sweater to donate and be entered for a chance to win a 32-inch flat screen TV. Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Blvd., 63120. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Sun., Jan. 17, 8 p.m., Proud 2 Be Ambitious 2016 Fashion Show. Enjoy the latest designs of Ambition Clothing and other great designers. Siam, 4121 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Thur., Jan. 21, 6:30 p.m., Don’t Shoot Coalition St. Louis presents South Side Body Cam Townhall. St. Louis already has a pilot body cam program in operation. Will these cameras be used to hold police accountable or to spy on us? Help sort through the complicated policy choices to keep cams in check. South City Church, 2109 S. Spring Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. dontshootstl.org.
Sat., Jan. 23, 10 a.m., Relationship Church presents St. Louis Community Baby Shower. We are accepting donations of new and gently used baby clothes and items as well as formula and diapers. We will be giving these items away to low-income mothers in the community. This is a free event. The Gateway Foundation Building, 2012 Martin Luther King Dr., 63106. For more information or to volunteer, call (314) 5175056.
Tues. Jan 26, 7:30 p.m., G Arts Foundation presents a live cast recording of TLT Productions presentation of VOICES: Sounds of America. A musical montage inspired, produced and written by the youth of St. Louis! Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. Tickets available at metrotix.com. For more info visit 4thegarts.org.
Fri., January 29, 7 p.m., Jack Daniel’s Honey Art, Beats & Lyrics , NEO on Locust (2801 Locust St.)
Sun., Jan. 31, 6:30 p.m., Lyrical Therapy and Model Ja’Ve present Xpressions Introducing a fashion meets spoken word runway show. Third Degree Glass Factory, 5200 Delmar Blvd., 63108. Sat., Feb. 6, 7 p.m., William G. Harris Funeral Directors present Mardi Gras Bash feat. Dirty Muggs. The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 302-3630 or visit www. mcgeegents.eventbrite.com.
Sun., Feb. 21, 6 p.m., Community Women Against Hardship Black History Month Beneit Concert featuring Bethany Pickens, The Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz. 3536 Washington, St. Louis, MO 63103. Tickets available via the Jazz St. Louis Box Ofice, by calling (314) 571-6000 or online by visiting www.jazzstl. org comedy
Sat., Jan. 16, 9 p.m., Jermaine Fowler, Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd. For more information, call (314) 7270880.
Jan. 28 – 31, Helium Comedy Club presents Arnez J. 1155 St. Louis Galleria, 63117. For more information, visit www. st-louis.heliumcomedy.com.
Sat., Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., The Lumiere Casino welcomes George Wallace, Lumiere Live. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.
Fri., Feb. 26, Chaifetz Arena welcomes Katt Williams. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com
literary
Thur., Jan. 14, 5:30 p.m., Chronicle: Ferguson Photo Book Launch. This crowd sourced photo book presents firsthand perspectives for educational reflection. T-Rex, 911 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Tues., Feb. 2, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts authors John Wright, Sr., John Wright, Jr. and Curtis Wright, Sr., authors of African American St. Louis 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www. left-bank.com.
Thur., Feb. 4, 7 p.m., Maplewood Public Library hosts authors John and Sylvia Wright, authors of Extraordinary Black Missourians 7550 Lohmeyer Ave., 63143. For more information, call (314) 781-2174 or visit www. maplewood.lib.mo.us.
Tues., Feb. 9, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author Chinelo Okparanta, author of Under the Udala Trees Inspired by her mother’s stories of war and Nigeria’s folktale traditions, “Under the Udala Trees” is Chinelo Okparanta’s debut novel about the dangers of living and loving openly. Ijeoma is 11 when civil war breaks in Nigeria. Sent away to safety, she falls in love with another displaced girl from a different religious background. When their love is discovered, Ijeoma learns that she will have to hide this part of herself. Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl. org.
theatre
Jan. 15 – 17, St. Louis Family Theatre Series presents Charlotte’s Web. Wilbur the pig has a problem: how to avoid winding up as pork chops! The little grey spider Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman— she will create a “miracle.” Spinning the words “SOME PIG” in her web, Charlotte weaves a solution, which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig, but also ensures his place on the farm forever. Florissant Civic Center Theater, 1 James J Eagan Dr., 63033. For more information, call (314) 921-5678 or visit www. florissantmo.com.
Jan. 22 – 24, Peabody Opera House presents Sesame Street Live: Make a New Friend 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 499-7600 or visit www. peabodyoperahouse.com.
Through Jan. 31, The Black Rep presents Sunset Baby. Kenyatta Shakur is alone. His wife has died, and now this former Black
Revolutionary and political prisoner is desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Edison Theatre, Washington University, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 534-3807 or visit www. theblackrep.com.
Feb. 12 – 28, Metro Theatre Company presents And in This Corner…Cassius Clay. Based on the early life of Muhammad Ali in Jim Crow Louisville, the play tells the story of a young man who believes his potential is unlimited despite the segregation and racism he is surrounded by. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 9327414 or visit www.metroplays. org.
arts
Jan. 14 – Mar. 13, COCA presents Carl Richards: Money. Visualized. Carl Richards, author and creator of the weekly “Sketch Guy” column in the New York Times, makes complex financial concepts easy to understand through his elegantly simple sketches. His drawings explore the distance between what we should do, and what we actually do. This interactive installation invites visitors to create sketches, notes, and diagrams charting their own goals and realities. There will be an opening on Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 7256555 or visit www.cocastl.org.
Sat., Jan. 16, 6 p.m., Rosie Brown Lily Black. This is a community event and art show celebrating women of color. Organized by and featuring over 20 local artists, we are sharing stories, artwork, poetry, music and love, all centered on the idea: What does it mean to YOU to be a woman of color? The Ink Gallery STL, 2903 S. Jefferson Ave., 63118. For more information, email madison. lorraine@gmail.com.
Tues., Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m., Almost Picasso Paint and Sip Studio presents Jazz with a Twist, The New Art Experience. Have you heard of Painting with a Twist? We are putting our own twist to this amazing event by adding live music brought to you by Vinnis Bryant. Be entertained by the smooth sounds of his saxophone, while learning to paint by some of the most qualified instructors available. You are guaranteed to leave
with a painting that looks great. Beverages and food will be provided along with a free CD copy of Vinnis’ new EP, “The Vinnis Bryant Experience.” 18 Church St., 63135. For more information, call (314) 560-2991 or visit www.almostpicasso.com.
Through March 2016, PulitzerArts Foundation hosts Kota: Digital Excavations in African Art The exhibition examines a new digital database created by Belgian computer engineer and independent researcher Frederic Cloth to study and reveal the hidden histories of Kota reliquaries. 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. pulitzerarts.org.
lectures/ workshops
Sat., Jan. 16, 9:30 a.m., Woman’s Place will offer a free workshop on SELFCOMPASSION, Learn ways to love and be gentle with yourself in this creative, interactive workshop, finding more energy and stability in the process! 8300 Morganford Road in Affton. All women are welcome. Pre-registration is required. Call 314-645-4848 to reserve your place. Visit www. womansplacestl.org for more information.
Tues., Jan. 19, 8 p.m., Maryville University presents the St. Louis Speaker Series feat. Ambassador Dennis Ross. Ross has played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process as the point man for Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
With a specialty in Soviet and Middle East policy, he has served as a diplomat under four U.S. Presidents. Ross has authored several books and is now a Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Powell Symphony Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1700 or visit www.stlouisspeakerseries.org.
Jan. 22-23, Coach Kim Burke’s 2nd Annual Personal Growth Series, This is a two-day growth experience to get unstuck and intentionally achieve your goals in 2016. Location: 4631 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Friday’s session starts at 6PM. Enroll today at http:// www.qkiment.com/2016personal-growth-series/.
Sat., Jan. 30, 9 a.m., Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis presents Financial Planning Day 2016. Your current financial situation does not matter. Don’t miss out on this free, private consultation with an expert on a wide variety of personal finance issues including budgeting, debt management, estate planning, and more. There will also be a series of informative financial workshops presented during lunch beginning at
noon. 8960 Jennings Station Rd., 63136. For more information or to RSVP, call (314) 506-5337 or visit www. ulstl.com.
Sat., Feb. 6, 9 a.m., The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis presents FAFSA Completion Clinic. We are continuing our series of free financial aid workshops for students and their families to understand how to navigate applying for financial aid. The clinic will offer individualized, one-on-one, 30-minute appointments to help with FAFSA completion. 8215 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, call (314) 7257990 or visit www.sfstl.org.
health
Tues., Jan. 19, 2 p.m., Seniors Home Care presents Free Family Caregiver Training. Whether you are a seasoned caregiver or planning care for a family member, spouse or friend, this free class will teach you topics including monitoring & handling medications, incontinence care, home safety, dementia awareness, and more. This class is taught by a registered nurse. 504 Marshall Ave.,
63119. For more information or to register, call (314) 9622666.
Sat., Feb. 6, 6 p.m., Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital presents Heart & Soul Join us for a night out to celebrate Heart Month benefiting the children and families served by the Dorothy and Larry Dallas Heart Center. This heartfilled evening will feature an unforgettable dueling piano performance, an auction, culinary delights by Executive Chef Nick Miller, and more. Bissinger’s, 1600 N. Broadway, 63102. For more information, call (314) 6786639 or visit www.glennon. org/heartandsoul.
spiritual
Sat., Jan. 16, 11 a.m., The Revival Church presents A Servant’s Heart Women’s Luncheon. We are kicking off the New Year with more love for one another. Come out for a time of food, fellowship, and a powerful word on serving one another. Our guest speaker will be Rev. Patricia Moore, President and Founder of Guarded Heart Bible College. 8390 Latty Ave., 63042. For more information, call (314) 266-9245 or visit www. revivestlouis.com.
Jan. 29 – 30, Victory Christian Outreach Church presents Couples Ministry Marriage Conference: New Year, New Me, New Us. All married or engaged couples, and singles contemplating marriage are welcome. Friday evening we will have guest speakers including Apostle Cledell and Pastor Miki King. Featuring musical guest Ev. Daphne Rice. Saturday will be a celebration of marriage, which includes dinner and music by Saxophonist Rod Tate and Leandra Haynes and much, much more. 7091 Olive Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 7262009 or visit www.victorystl.
The St. Louis War Room presents Film Screening of War Room. See FILM for details.
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millennials to sink their teeth into, and it paid off in a major way.
President Obama proclaimed that “How Much A Dollar Cost” was his favorite song of 2015.
Thanks to “To Pimp A Butterfly,” Lamar leads this year’s Grammy nomination with 11 nods. The awards are as unpredictable as the industry itself, but “To Pimp a Butterfly” could be to Lamar what “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” was to Hill or “SpeakerBoxx/The Love Below” was for Outkast. The 58th Annual Grammy Awards air Sunday, February 15 at 7 p.m. on CBS.
John Legend goes ‘Underground’ Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter John Legend has been slaying soundtrack features since “Hitch.” And he proved with his Academy Award acceptance speech for “Glory” that he’s well versed in black history and the systemically racist institutions that have been imposed on African Americans since the days of slavery. It’s going to be beyond interesting to see him transition into television as a producer in the drama series “Underground.” The show stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell and focuses on a group making the brave and dangerous journey to freedom by way of a daring 600-mile escape from a Georgia Plantation. Underground premieres Wednesday, March 9 on WGN network.
Nate Parker’s take on Nat Turner
A collective gasp of awe could be heard among the connoisseurs of black cinema
John Legend transitions into television as a producer in the drama series “Underground,” which premieres Wednesday, March 9 on WGN network.
when out of nowhere actor/ writer/director Nate Parker unleashed the trailer for “The Birth of a Nation.” The Nat Turner biopic - which Parker wrote, directed and starred in - conjured up an element of delightful surprise for film that was almost comparable to when Beyoncé became the darling of black Twitter in the middle of the night with her self-titled album on the tail end of 2013. Parker puts an avant-garde spin on the slave rebellion leader that shook the slaveowning South to its core in in 1831.
“The Birth of a Nation” also stars Aunjanue Ellis, Gabrielle Union, Aja Naomi King and Penelope Ann Miller. The film will make its world premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival later this month – the festival created by film icon Robert Redford runs January 21-31 in Park City, Utah.
“[Parker] creates a very singular piece of history that most people don’t know about and doesn’t shy away from the complicated nature of that,” Sundance’s director John Cooper told Entertainment Weekly. “I
think it’s going to be one of the real conversation pieces of the festival.”
After its Sundance run, “The Birth Of A Nation” will probably hit theatres in late fall or early winter of 2016.
Save the date for ‘Black Panther’
Marvel’s release of “Black Panther” is still quite a ways off – two years to be exact. But with the news last week that “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station” director Ryan Coogler will helm the film, the anticipation is real and right now. The action hero film will feature a primarily black cast with Chadwick Boseman in the title role. Aside from a black action hero film being marketed to the masses, the buzz of “Black Panther” is especially exciting because the combination of Coogler in the director’s chair and the Marvel brand backing the film will almost certainly mean that Boseman will rise above his most recent fate of having a brilliant performance (“Get On Up”) failed by a bad movie.
MUSIC
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typically get bored with music they weren’t familiar with.
“I’m not supposed to die, when I was born to win … and I will live again,” she would croon with the full attention of the audience. “You’re not supposed to die. You were born to win. And you will live again.”
From Café Soul she became a popular opening act for progressive soul shows. Headliner Solange Knowles became an instant fan for Teresajenee’s featured performance at Webster University’s “Rock Your Roots” spring concert in 2009 thanks to her upbeat, houseinspired song “Don’t Break My Heart.”
Solange watched intently from the side of the outdoor stage, bouncing with the same intensity as Teresajenee’s group of passionate fans that would
follow her from venue to venue. She eventually left St. Louis for New York, but not before independently releasing an EP and two full-length albums in 2009 and 2012.
After a nearly four-year hiatus, Teresajenee returned with “Jnfr Killa” EP – the four song prologue to her next full length project “Lavender: the Love Album,” which will be released in spring of 2016. Her growth as a recording artist is apparent from the very beginning of “Jnfr Killa.” Less breathy and more controlled, her second soprano voice is far more refined and less pitchy than on her previous recordings. Musically, she further liberates herself from the confines of the tempos and chord progressions of traditional soul and R&B.
“Jnfr Killa” finds its influence in everything from EDM to gospel music. She spreads her creative wings in the project that can be described as a cross between Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu.
Like Monae, Teresajenee
defiantly rejects the norms of traditional R&B and soul. She takes a page from Badu’s “Worldwide Underground” EP with selections that can carry on for more than seven minutes and transition from one genre to the next within the same song. Even with just a handful of selections, the EP stretches for nearly 30 minutes. Like most traditional artists, Teresajenee has her work cut out for her because she’s releasing music at a time when appropriated soul (a la Sam Smith and Adele) is all the rage. While listening to “Jnfr Killa,” one can’t help but wish she hadn’t been schoolaged during the height of the Progressive Soul movement. With the support and grooming of a major label creative team, she most certainly would have carved a place for herself on the national scene.
“JNFR KILLA” is available on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. For more information on Teresajenee, visit https:// teresajenee.bandcamp.com/.
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are the first thing you see as you enter the exhibition, and the (incredibly beautiful) catalogue for “Kota” features Cloth’s drawings, rather than photographs of the sculptures. Kristin Fleischmann Brewer, director of Public Projects for The Pulitzer, liked my suggestion so much she added a sketchbook event to their public programming for the show – and drafted me to lead the outing.
I wanted to include the gamers in residence, Rampant Interactive, in the sketchbook event. I thought it would be interesting to see them in the gallery sketching the sculptures that they have been modeling
RIDE
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of straight-man Ice Cube like concrete.
His routine of portraying himself on camera has grown stale.
The predictable physical comedy that mostly capitalizes on his small stature is now a familiar formula that Hart brings to his films with little to no deviation. With no element of surprise, Cube’s hands are tied with respect to his role as the hardnosed straight man. Without any clever or fresh cues to respond to, Cube’s performance is doomed from the start thanks to lack of wit, punch lines and marginal charm.
It all began with a guy, co-curator Frederick Cloth, sketching 2,000 African sculptures by hand.
and programming around. They will be moving backwards from database to sketchbook,
The two have great chemistry, but there is not enough substance with “Ride Along 2” for the duo to capitalize on it.
Hart is still one of the hardest working men in show business. But his film persona must evolve from comedian sans the routine if he is to achieve any sort of staying power.
If he continues down the path of rehashing himself for every film, Hart will most certainly fizzle and fade into obscurity – or the even more doomed fate of full-time box office flop machine.
The comedy twosome becomes a trio with the addition of Ken Jeong – most famous for his role as Mr. Chow in the “Hangover” films – but more is less in this case. As A.J., a computer hacker who ironically blazes through Miami as ladies’
following Frederick Cloth’s journey in reverse. Rampant had a 3D Modeling Tutorial scheduled at The Pulitzer at 1 pm on Saturday, January 23, so we decided to piggyback on that event. Immediately after the tutorial at 2 p.m., the sketchbook event will start. The sketching will evolve into a happy hour at The Pulitzer which will conclude at 5 p.m.
Bring your sketchbook and pencil – no ink pens!
“Sketching Kota at The Pulitzer” will be held 2-5 p.m. Saturday, January 23 (which includes a happy hour) at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington Ave. “Kota: Digital Excavations in African Art” runs through March 19. Admission is free. For more information, visit http:// pulitzerarts.org.
man and party animal, Jeong feels more like the third wheel in a film that never finds its rhythm with respect to funny.
Tika Sumpter reprises her role as Barber’s fiancée Angela. And Olivia Munn is inserted to pair off with James for the sake of romantic tension that, much like the potential for the film, never materializes. A series of cameos from Tyrese Gibson, Sherri Shepherd and T.I. contribute little more than their celebrity to the film. The only worthwhile element in in the sequel is Benjamin Bratt’s performance as Pope.
“Ride Along 2” was definitely not worth the trip and an extreme restoration is absolutely mandatory if the franchise is to be revisited.
“Ride Along2” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, January 15. The film is rated PG-13.
Celebrations
Celebrating New Year’s
The Roberts family home in Nassau, Bahamas was the setting for Michael and Jeanne Roberts’ 10th Annual Eve of New Year’s Eve Soirée. VIP guests included The Honorable Perry Christie (Prime Minister of the Bahamas); Montel Williams; Erik Estrada; Hall of Fame Speaker Dr. Willie Jolley, Dee Taylor-Jolley and their son Willie Jolley Jr.; U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters and her husband, the former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Stanley Williams; Willie Gary, Esq., his son and daughterin-law, Taylor and Sekou Gary; the Roberts’ son-in-law, a highly sought after Hollywood producer, director and playwright Je’Caryous Johnson, his wife Meaghan Roberts Johnson and baby Je’Caryous Jr. Other immediate family members in attendance included Jay and Jeanne Johnson, their children Jay Jr. and baby Jeanne IV; Michael Roberts Jr., his wife Stephanie, their children Valentina and baby Gisella; and Fallon Roberts.
Reunions
Beaumont Class of 1967 will have another 50th reunion planning meeting on February 6, 2016 from 2-4:30 p.m. at Florissant Valley Library branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., Florissant, MO 63031.
Beaumont Alumni Class 1968 will have its 48-year class
reunion will be June 11-12, 2016. Meetings for the reunion will be at Florissant Valley Library Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., S. Florissant, MO 63031, 4th Saturdays of the month. Schedule : Nov. 28, 2015, 2-5 p.m.; Jan. 23, 2016, 1-4 p.m.; Feb. 27, 2016, 1- 4 p.m. For more information call 314-869-8312.
Beaumont High School Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for July 22-24, 2016.Please send your contact information (address and phone number) to Gladys Smith at beaumont1971alumni@aol. com.
Beaumont High Class of
1984 can stay updated via our Facebook page “Beaumont Class of 1984”. We meet the last Friday of every month. Contact Rochelle Williams at rochellewilliams001@yahoo. com.
Soldan High Class of 1965 presents: “On the Road Again” to Washington, DC. Cost: $479 per-person, double occupancy, 6-Days and 5-Nights, Thurs. June2- Tues. June 7, 2016. First payment due now $75 each person. For more information and reservations contact: Corinne Stuckes (636)-294-4373, Brenda Yancey (314)-830-1334 or Isaiah Hair, Jr. (314)-387-7592 email: cstukes@charter.net.
Centenarian
Congratulations to Edward Underwood who celebrated his 100th birthday on January 9. God bless you, from the church members of Cote Brilliante.
Golden Anniversary
Alphonse McCoy Jr. and Mae Alice McCoy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 21. Congratulations on this milestone Golden Anniversary!
Soldan Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for: June 17-19, 2016 at the Ameristar Casino Resort & Spa, One Ameristar Boulevard, St. Charles, Mo 63301.
Soldan Class of 1976 reunion will be held June 10-12, 2016. For more information, email soldanclassof1976@yahoo. com or Facebook: Soldan High School Class of 1976.
University City High Class of 1976 is planning its Fabulous 40th year class reunion for June 24-25, 2016. We need your contact information. Please email your information to: weareuc76@gmail.com or call the UCHS Class of 76 voicemail at 314-301-9597.
University City Class of 1981 will have its 35-year reunion will be August 5-7, 2016. Please send your contact information to Denise Weatherford -Bell at msdenise38@yahoo.com.
Vashon January and June Classes of 1966 will celebrate our 50 year reunion October 7-9, 2016 at the Hollywood Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. Contact Marilyn Stuckey, Chairperson, 314-438-8338, email: masystucup@att.net or Janice Holland, Co-Chairperson, 314-727-1695, email: jholland1695@att.net for more information.
Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE
Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103
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
Liberation Christian Church installs two pastors Promises, promises
Reverend Dietra Wise Baker and Jeffrey Q. McCune Jr. installed on Sunday
American staff
At 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 10, Liberation Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) installed two pastors, Reverend Dietra Wise Baker and Jeffrey Q. McCune Jr. at First Presbyterian Church of St. Louis, 7200 Delmar Blvd.
Pastor Baker is an activist-scholar and founder of Liberation Christian Church (Liberation), while also a chaplain and program development manager at Episcopal City Mission. She is a native of Nyack, New York Pastor McCune is a professor of Gender Studies and African-American Studies at Washington University. He is also an activist-scholar and author, who is a native of Chicago.
Together, Pastors Baker and McCune bring almost three decades of preaching and teaching experience, with radical commitments to Black Liberation Theology and justice for all. This dynamic partnership promises to produce a diverse set of spiritual experiences within the St. Louis community which are bound to push against the “traditional church.”
Pastor Baker founded Liberation Christian Church in April 2009, the beginning of what she calls a “liberation movement.” Rather than “anything goes,” the principle idea is the church exists to help people become more free, rather than more oppressed. She has long been in the trenches of doing work and advocacy for incarcerated youth, while McCune has been active in the fight for women and LGBT equality, as well as combatting HIV criminalization.
Both Baker and McCune are active in the Ferguson Movement and are communityinvolved servants, who believe that salvation is necessary for individuals and institutions.
In a statement, they said Liberation is called to focus on the “full liberation of the
people,” which means that the church must address these critical foci: school to prison pipeline, anti-black police brutality and community violence, economic inequality, HIV/AIDS, and race/gender/sexuality
discrimination.
They said Liberation and its pastors are adamant that “we can’t attend to whole issues if we do not attend to the whole person. Thus, the congregation at Liberation looks like the world: black, white, Latino, straight, queer, same-gender loving, younger and older, middle-class, poor, educated by
institutions and communities. Liberation commits itself to liberating lives and communities.”
As we enter the New Year, Liberation Christian Church’s pastors challenge churches locally and nationally to be more inclusive in the work of Christ, to open their doors and theologies to progressive work and ministry.
This pairing, a straight-identified black woman who preaches with a gay-identified black man who also preaches with fire, is an example of what can happen when we liberate ourselves to only focus on doing Christ’s work, rather than the crippling chains of prejudice and bias, they said. With this dynamic duo of pastoral care and prophetic preaching, as well as innovative and creative congregation, Liberation is poised to make great change within the St. Louis metropolitan community, with its unique and powerful mission and vision. For more information on Liberation Christian Church, visit www.liberationcc. org/. The church worships noon Sundays at First Presbyterian Church of St. Louis, 7200 Delmar Blvd.
God made a covenant with His people. Today, that means you and me. In essence, He made us a promise. It’s the one Jesus came to fulfill. Jesus’ new covenant, as a matter of fact, replaces the old one. It appears the foundation of spiritual belief is wrapped up in a simple promise.
To Noah, “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you green plants, I now give you everything.” Genesis 9:3.
To Abraham, “As for me, this is my covenant with you … you will be the father of nations … I will make nations of you and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for generations to come, to be your God and the God of the descendants after you … I will be their God.” Genesis 17:2-8.
To Moses, “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant then out of all nations, you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…..” Exodus 19:5.
From Jesus to the disciples, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood…for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:25-26.
Remember this is God talking about His promise to us. Have you made any promises to Him lately? Have you kept them? Are you a covenant breaker or a covenant keeper?
This covenant thing had a powerful beginning. A promise is downright godly. It has to be. The first one came from God to us through Adam and Eve. It kind of gets all caught up in words and the power of words and the understanding of words; God’s words, your words and more words. They have incredible power, if we could always understand them in the context of covenant. We are accountable for our words and thereby our actions. My obligation then is to emulate God almighty in a manner befitting His divine order. “So shall my word be that goes forth out of your mouth…” Isaiah 55:11. This covenant is a wondrous thing because God keeps His word. The more we understand this, the more scripture opens up and reveals the true nature of God. If I am made in his image, honesty should be the stuff of which my promises are made.
Truth is the essence of life and faith in God’s word and is unshakeable. Hopefully, others can demonstrate their faith through their words. You can accomplish a lot with the right words at the right time. It’s all about that truth thing. It does set you free.
Columnist James Washington
POLICE OFFICER
Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on February 9, 2016 then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Questions or information related to this request should be directed to: Ben Grossman, Operations Manager bgrossman@grgstl.org
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis SewerDistrict (District) will receivesealed bids for Deer Creek (Brazeau properties) Demolition under Letting No. 11731-013.2 at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Tuesday,February 16, 2016, at a place designated.
Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: DEMOLITION – St. Louis County Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1710 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
INVITATION FOR EQUIPMENTBIDS
REQUESTFOR BIDS
Contegra Construction Company, LLC, 22 Gateway Commerce Center Drive W, Suite 110, Edwardsville, IL62025, O-618-931-3500, F-618-931-3535 will be submitting bids on the Metropolitan St. Louis SewerDistrict (MSD) project: ColdwaterSanitary Relief Section B, C&DWet Weather Storage Facility Tank C-11726-015.1,
SEALED BIDS for Parapet and Roof Replacemen t, Harry S Truman StateOffice Building Jefferson City, Missouri, Project No. O1303-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30PM, 2/11/2016. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to http://www oa.mo.gov/fmdc/ dc/list.htm SEALED
BIDS
for DEMOLISH M AS O N R Y SMOKE STACK, BOON VI LLE CORRECTIONAL
CEN TE R , BOONVILLE, MO, Project No. C1509-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL1:30 PM, February 4, 2016. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
Email your ads to vmedina@stlamerican.com
SEALED BIDS for Cooling Tower Replacement, St. Lo u i s Ps y c h i a t r i c , Rehabilitation Center St. Lo u i s , Missouri, Project No. M1614-01 will be received byFMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30PM, 2/11/2016.For specific project information and ordering plans, go to http:// www.oa.mo. gov/fmdc/dc/ list.htm
INVITATION TOBID
Missouri.
NOTICE TO MBE BUSINESSES
Plocher Construction Company, Inc. 2808 Thole-Plocher Road Highland, IL62249
PH: (618) 654-9408 Fax: (618) 654-6454 bids@plocherco.com is seeking MBE (African American and Hispanic American) businesses for the MSD Coldwater Sanitary Relief Section B, C & D Wet Weather Storage Facility Tank C for Union Subcontracting &
or Andrew Wirz in writing or via email to discuss the subcontracting and supply opportunities. All quotes are requested to be received one day prior to the bid opening date of February 5th, 2016. All proposals will be reviewed for the lowest, responsive, and responsible quote. MSD will have a Pre-Bid Conference at the District Headquarters with a Site Visit following the meeting, Wednesday January 20, 2016 @ 10am at 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, MO in Room 215. Plocher Construction will hold its own Prebid meeting on January 21, 2016 at 9:00am at Plocher’s office: 2808 Thole-Plocher Rd, Highland, IL. Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.”
REQUEST FOR BIDS
Sealed bids will be received by the St. Louis County Port Authority (“PORT”), 7733 Forsyth Blvd; Suite 2300 Clayton, MO. 63105, until 3:00 P.M. (prevailing central time) on Thursday February 4, 2016 and will thereafter be publicly opened and read aloud. Apre-bid meeting will be held at 9:00 A.M. on Wednesday January 20, 2016 at 315 Lemay Ferry Road, Lemay, MO, 63125 and bidders are encouraged to attend. The Lemay Streetscape Project consists of removal of existing sidewalks and curbs and replacement with new concrete sidewalks and curbs, permeable pavers, bioswales, signage, landscaping, architectural features, street lighting and property restoration.
The project will be funded in whole or in part by a Community Development Block Grant under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. All applicable federal regulations shall be in full force and effect. Attention of Bidders is particularly called to the requirement as to conditions of employment to be observed and minimum wage rates to be paid under the Contract, Section 3-DBE, Segregated Facility, Section 109, and E.O 11246. MBE and WBE Bidders are encouraged to bid. Bid packages will be available after 10:00 a.m. on January 13, 2016. The packages may be purchased from Cross Rhodes Reprographics, 1712 Macklind Ave, St Louis, MO 63110, 314-678-0087 office, 314-678-0176 fax, or may be reviewed at no cost on the internet at the electronic plan room of Cross Rhodes Reprographics: http://www.x-rhodesplanroom.com/public.php All addenda
Both sealed bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the Facilities Department at 7469 Mintert Ind. Dr. Ferguson, MO 63135. Bid specs must be obtained online at http://new.fergflor.k12.mo.us/facilities-rfq
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (SLEDP) is seeking proposals from qualified firms for assist defense-dependent manufacturers in the St. Louis Region transition toward becoming diversified, gloabally competitive, advanced manufacturers. Overall, the provider will be an expert in performing defense manufacturing analysis with recommendations centered on industry transformation best practices. Proposals are due 3:00 p.m. on February 29, 2016 at SLEDP’s offices at 7733 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 2300, St. Louis, MO 63105 attention Brian Lane. The complete RFPpackage may be obtained online from SLEDP’s website www.stlpartnership.com or by contacting Brian Lane at 314-615-7663 or blane@stlpartnership.com
services,
structural
carpentry
INVITATION TOBID
for the
and
and
masonry
dampproofing and waterproofing, membrane roofing, flashing and sheet metal, roof hatches, joint protection, metal doors and frames, painting work, toilet accessories, equipment, conveying equipment, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, earthwork, aggregates for earthwork, dewatering, asphalt paving, fences and gates, planting, manholes and structures, cranes and hoists, and water and wastewater equipment. Please reference project manual for complete specification sections.
The Owner has established a MBE (African American and Hispanic American) goal of 30% utilization for building construction contracts in the amount of $50,000 or more. The Owner’s MBE goal is at least 30% of the total contract price.
MSD will have a non-mandatory prebid meeting, with a site visit following, at 10:00 a.m. on January 20, 2016 at 2350 Market St., St. Louis
SEALED BIDS for Foundation & Waterproofing Package, Capitol Building, Jefferson City, Missouri, Project No. O1426-01 will be received byFMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM , 2/18/2016. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to http://www.oa. mo.gov/fmdc/ dc/list.htm
REQUESTFOR BIDS
Celebrity Swag Snap of the Week
Hollywood producer, director and playwright Je’Caryous Johnson and his lovely wife Meghan Roberts-Johnson were among the Roberts clan to their new year off island style at Michael and Jeanne Roberts’ 10th Annual Eve of New Year’s Eve Soirée in The Bahamas. VIP guests included The Honorable Perry Christie (Prime Minister of the Bahamas); Montel Williams; Erik
STL snacks go viral. I must give a shout out to Fox 2’s Kevin Steincross – who I live for both on air and in real life. By now most of you have seen his segment-turned-internet sensation where he shares some signature STL eats with “Ride Along 2” stars Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. So you know the result is an exchange that was everything one could hope for with their reactions to tasting Imo’s pizza, toasted ravioli and Ted Drewe’s frozen custard. The segment has gone viral and by now probably has upwards of five million views.
The gag is that a little birdie told me that Kevin Hart’s review of STL signature snacks and guilty pleasures was like night and day when compared to his performed reactions when the cameras weren’t on during a different interview. I heard he was quite smug and his review went something like “I didn’t like it. The pizza and the ravioli were cold…and I’m a health nut so I don’t like that kind of stuff anyway…the end.” So you can just imagine my delight when he hammed it up for Fox 2 and channeled his inner James Wright Chanel (the glorious, singing robust shape that sent Patti LaBelle’s pie sales through the roof) as he got his first taste of Provel cheese. And he gave it a 12 on a scale of 1-10. The fantastic footage all up and through Facebook and YouTube that will certainly have folks from all over on the prowl for Imo’s and Ted Drewe’s.
The Rams have left the building. I wish I could say I was surprised. I wish I could also say that I’m not as disappointed as I am. But either way it doesn’t matter, because The St. Louis Rams, who we’ve loved, liked and been unbothered by of late are no longer with us after a 20 plus year stay. Stan Kroenke and his synthetic side swept bangs took his Rams to the City of Angels, but not before reading St. Louis for filth on the way out the door. I was glad Mayor Slay clapped back, but I’m still feeling a kind of way about how Kroenke did us –even though I’m not surprised about that either. Oh and I would be out of pocket if I didn’t point out that his whole situation gave birth to (in my opinion, of course) what has to be in the running for best headline ever written by the RFT. Too bad it’s in no, way, shape or form safe for Partyline, so I can’t repeat it. But anyway, back to my raw emotional Rams moment. When the whispers of them heading west first popped off, I had convinced myself that I wouldn’t feel one way or the other if they didn’t stay. I was wrong. I must admit I’m quietly in my feelings about it – which is strange for me. I’ll always remember the Rams for their “Greatest Show on Turf” days, Kurt Warner’s miraculous rise to NFL stardom and some of the players who were among my favorites when we met off of the field, Steven Jackson, Orlando Pace, Fahkir Brown and Quincy Butler in particular.
Creativity and kicking it combo. I guess the joke was on me for expecting “turntup” to be the theme of 2016 based on the New Year’s Eve weekend festivities being better than they’ve been in the past few years. Because last week was so slow motion I started to assume that all the folks who usually stay in these streets had opted for voluntary flood evacuation. I did manage to muster up some life from the scene, but please know I had to put in more work than when I used to try to bother eating pomegranates. My first stop was with the creative kids at their monthly gallery gathering that is a blend of the best of First Friday and a swagged out arts walk at the 14th Street Gallery. Jacqueline Craig wowed me from the get with her Blaq Séance fashion productions, so I’m beyond thrilled that she is listening to her creative calling and leaning into her inner visual artistry. I’m eager to see where this path leads her.
One cold night. I was happy to see that Triky and the Close To Famous crew had a nice crowd for their quarterly One Cool Night set this past Saturday. This season it went down at the HG and I was glad to see it was essentially unaffected by the underwhelming weekend. DJ AJ and hype man extraordinaire T. Marley had the booth on lock and it was a decent sized crowd that braved the bone chilling cold. I was thrilled to see Roland of Black Pearl come out of his self-imposed witness protection and kick it with his son Yung Ro. I haven’t seen him out in some years. While it made me feel old that Yung Ro is now grown enough that father and son could bond by poppin’ bottles if they wanted to, but it was really good to see (daddy) Ro in the place to be like the good old days.
Style Code staying power. I made my way to Mood for their weekly Style Code Saturdays gathering. As per usual it was quite cute and had the ______________ (insert new slang for young, black and fabulous) crowd on lock. Boone and the Mood crew have really stayed consistent with keeping it cute and having a nice sized, steady flow of folks stepping up in there rockin’ the latest trends in “good clothes.”
Wale on the Marquee. The last time Wale was the special guest at a club it was for Hot 104.1’s Super Jam official after party at City a few years back. While the club is no longer with us, I will never forget how I almost suffered a heat stroke due to the body heat from all of those folks crammed up in there. Hopefully he will have a repeat reaction when he becomes the latest celeb to take the stage at the Marquee on Friday night (Jan. 15). I know, I know… he was in a different place as far as his star power goes, but I’m still expecting to be impressed.
Tippy, Cash, and Stevie set their weekend off @ HG for Fetish Friday
It was all about swag as Debbie, Linda, Joslynn, Alexis and Adeyinka stepped into Mood for Style Code Saturdays
Doe, SP, and KT kicked it Friday @ Mood
Athena and Bonnie came out to Fetish Friday @ HG
The Black Pearl family was deep in the building as Costa Ro and Yung Ro joined Triky of Close To Famous Saturday @ One Cool Night
Jerrica and Porchiaq spent their Saturday night @ HG
Lovely promo models Kim and DJ Jewel were reppin’ Jack Daniel’s @ HG for Fetish Friday
Michelle and Angel came out to the Marquee Saturday night for Element Saturdays
Akila, Kareema and Anna @ Mood Friday
Alicia, Sieda and Nama showed love to the Close To Famous crew by stopping through One Cool Night Saturday @ HG
Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott