January 24th, 2013 edition

‘We are made for this moment’

North City recreation centeropens – finally

By Rebecca S.Rivas

Of The St.Louis American

The $18-million O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex finally opened its doors in North City on January 21. Hundreds of residents and community leaders flooded in to tour the 76,000square-foot center on Saturday. Families were excited to see the indoor and outdoor pools, both with two-story waterslides. The double gymnasium has 12 basketball hoops, volleyball nets and an elevated running and walking track. The YMCAof Greater St. Louis will operate the center, and the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry will oversee it. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis will provide youth and teen programs.

“It was a day of people standing together and being proud,” said Alderman

See CENTER, A7

“There were battles fought along the way,but what’s important now is people have a place to improve their health and be safe,” Alderman Antonio French said at the opening of the O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex on Saturday.

By Eugene Robinson Washington Post

“My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together.”

– President Barack Obama

about the

long, bitter, unfinished struggle with issues of race, as was the case four years ago, but because it said so little about the subject. Reflect for a moment: Ablack man stood on the Capitol steps and took the oath of office as president of the United States. For the second

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of The St.Louis American

Veolia toured the city’s Water Division only three months after Sinquefield’s Show-Me Institute released a report urging the city to privatize its water utility.

The City of St. Louis has the finest-tasting tap water in the country, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In water-quality studies among large cities, St. Louis has long been in the

2013 class of Young Leaderawardees chosen

event set for Feb. 21

Photo by Wiley Price

President Barack Obama takes the ceremonial oath of office administered by Chief Justice John Roberts during the 57th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony at the United States Capitol on Monday,January 21,2013.President Obama was sworn in for his second term of office.

Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post

Shawty Lo baby-mamas may make it to the small screen

Oxygen caved under the pressure of the public and scrapped the show altogether after a protest petition garnered tens of thousands of signatures.

But rapper Shawty Lo told TMZ that other networks are extremely interested in picking up the show –especially after all of the controversy

The Oxygen network pulled the plug before a single episode was aired, but the rapper says his reality show

“All My Babies Mamas” could be getting a new home.

The show was to chronicle the complicated relationships and family dynamics of his 11 children by 10 women.

Shawty says, “I take pride in having been actively present in all my children’s lives — and I understand my family doesn’t represent

the typical American family, but it’s my family and it works for us.”

Lupe’s inauguration fiasco

Rapper Lupe Fiasco was removed from the stage during an Inauguration celebration concert for talking reckless about President Obama.

The rapper had been repeating politically charged lyrics for an unusually long time when event officials forced him to stop, according to various attendees.

“So Lupe played one anti-war song for 30 min and said he didn’t vote for Obama and eventually was told to move on to the next song,” Josh Rogin, a reporter at Foreign Policy, tweeted from the bash hosted by StartUp RockOn. “Lupe refused to move to the next song so a team of security guards came on stage and told him to go.”

Video of the incident posted online shows Lupe rapping part of the song

“Words I Never Said” before he’s asked to stop.

“Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist,” he says. “Gaza Strip was getting bombed, Obama didn’t say [expletive]. That’s why I ain’t vote for him, next one either.”

Tiger game for Elin’s $200M kiss and make up proposal?

Tigers Woods is attempting to win his ex-wife Elin Nordegren back with a $200 million deal, according to the National Enquirer.

The shamed golfer, 37, is desperate to win his ex-wife back, according to the magazine and has offered the hefty pre-nup deal.

Elin, 33, who won a $110 million divorce settlement from the sportsman, is believed to have told him she will consider the proposal - but only if he includes a $350 million anticheating clause into the wedding contract.

A source told the Enquirer the deal was worth more than half of Tiger’s $600 million fortune, adding Elin feels it’s enough to keep him from straying.

“‘Tiger didn’t even balk at the demand,” The source told The Enquirer that even though his accountants think he’s crazy.

Did Bey sing live, or did she not?

On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Marine Band told news outlets that Beyoncé had lip synced at President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Master Sgt. Kristin duBois said the band was notified at the last minute that Beyoncé would use a prerecorded voice track. But by late afternoon, the Marine

Corps backed off that statement.

Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf said that because there was no opportunity for Beyoncé to rehearse with the Marine Band, it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill advised.

“Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter’s vocal performance,” Wolf’s statement continued, “no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded.”

Former employee says Simmons family ripped off his Pastry profits

According to reports Rasheed Young is planning to sue Reverend Run and Russell Simmons because he hasn’t seen a penny from their very successful Pastry sneaker venture. He believes Russell Simmons and Reverend Run are siphoning off cash to a company that he is not affiliated with. Rasheed claims Pastry, fronted by Run’s daughters Angela and Vanessa Simmons, earned tens of millions of dollars – even though he hasn’t received a dime. Russell Simmons told TMZ that the allegations were simply untrue.

State of justice in America

By Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. For Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

With the death of Trayvon Martin nearly a year ago, many wondered whether there could be any justice in America. The indictment of George Zimmerman and the subsequent focus on the shooting death of Trayvon Martin has set the legal process to take its course in the near future.

In looking at the overall state of race and justice in America, clearly a lot of progress has been made. On November 4, 2008, the United States elected its first AfricanAmerican President Barack Obama, who is just beginning his second term. Clearly, the job of equality and justice is not the job of one man. But, since his election, President Obama has taken a number of steps that make the state of race and justice a positive one.

If we simply look at the Supreme Court, which decides much of our legal issues that impact us greatly, the President has had the opportunity to appoint two people. And on both occasions he appointed women, including a woman of color.

When we look at the United States Circuit Courts, which are one step away from the United States Supreme Court, President Obama has appointed the first African-American for Mississippi to the Fifth Circuit, an African-American with Haitian connections to the Second Circuit, the first

woman in Massachusetts to the First Circuit, and an AfricanAmerican woman to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. This only begins to show the diversity and quality of his appointments.

More importantly, the President – in his first term – persuaded Congress to support a $787 billion stimulus package, has had healthcare approved, and prevailed in the Supreme Court on protection of rights of immigrants. These successes reveal the commitment to the state of justice, equality, and progress in our country.

Despite the progress of the past four years, there is still much work to be done. We still have a problem in terms of employment, housing, and an increasing negative reflection on the African-American presence in the criminal justice system. While many of these issues are influenced by local and state legislation, they are still troubling when you see the African-American unemployment rates in double digits, housing foreclosures increasing, and the state of

equality in our criminal justice system leaves all of us at peril.

The good news, of course, is that under the leadership of Attorney General Eric Holder, the first African-American Attorney General, the disparity between powder cocaine and crack cocaine has been reduced from 100 to 1 to 18 to 1. This is a step in the right direction. But leveling the playing field to a 1 to 1 ratio is still necessary. And we hope will be accomplished in the coming years.

President Obama has made clear his views on the kinds of justices he wants for the courts, what kinds of tax cuts he wants, as well as his views on a woman’s right to choose, immigration, and now, stricter gun laws. Voters carefully assessed and made their decision for themselves and for their children and grandchildren for generations to come.

Charles Ogletree Jr. is the Jesse Climenko Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and executive director and founder, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice.

Foundation awards Academic Achievers

“The students comment that they want to be the next academic achiever. The parental involvement has been extraordinary,” Carla Cunigan, Principal at Dunbar Elementary School, says of the St. Louis Community Empowerment Foundation’s Academic Achievers program. Academic Achievers recently were recognized for outstanding grades, attendance and good behavior. On the back row: George Robnett, St. Louis Community Empowerment Foundation (STLCEF) Executive Director; Principal Cunigan; Dawn Fuller, Director of Business and Community Relations from Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay’s Office; Michael McMillan, STLCEF Chairman of the Board.

Kander starts new programs, policies

Sec of State outreaches to businesses, election officials

American staff

In his first day in office, Secretary of State Jason Kander implemented three programs to provide improved service to Missourians, all at no cost to taxpayers. Kander launched the Business Outreach Office to connect Missourians who start businesses with organizations in their area. The office, which utilizes staff already in place in the Business

Services Division, will also help aspiring business owners navigate the requirements necessary to do business in Missouri. It can be reached at (573) 522-1338. Kander announced that he will assemble a commission made up of local election officials, other elected officeholders, business leaders, and additional stakeholders who will advise him on the most efficient, fair and secure way to allow

Jason Kander

eligible Missourians to cast a ballot before Election Day. Missouri is currently one of only 15 states that do not have any form of no-excuse absentee or early voting.

Finally, Kander instituted a new ethics policy for his staff. Secretary of State staff will be prohibited from taking gifts from lobbyists and will also take an ethics training course to ensure they understand Missouri’s ethics laws before starting work.

Charles J. Ogletree, Jr.

Editorial /CommEntary

Expanded Medicaid brings economic benefits

We hope the Republican leadership in the Missouri Legislature pays close heed to letters sent to them last week by Joe Reagan, president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA). “We have come to the conclusion,” Reagan writes, “that the prudent course is to request your support for expansion of Medicaid in Missouri under the federal Affordable Care Act” (ACA).

If the Legislature decides to maximize Medicaid coverage, Reagan points out, that would result in the leveraging of an estimated $8.2 billion in federal funds between 2014 and 2020. Whatever ideological qualms Missouri Republicans might have about the federal debt burden, he notes, the return of such a large amount of federal funding to Missouri is important, because Missouri employers and workers have contributed a substantialamount of that funding with their own taxes. The federal government is going to spend these Missouri tax dollars somewhere; it is up to the Legislature to make sure they are spent in Missouri. As a business advocacy organization, the RCGA also is concerned that “failure to expand Missouri’s Medicaid program could result in potential liability on the part of Missouri employers for increased taxes imposed by the ACA,as well as further cost shifting of health care premiums paid by Missouri employers to cover the cost of providing health care to the uninsured.” Any federal tax dollars that Missouri Republicans refuse, in other words, will be paid in part by Missouri employers. The proposed Medicaid expansion that would cover an additional 220,000 lowincome Missourians would also produce signiicant economic development beneits, including the creation of some 24,000 jobs, according to a recent study by the

Missouri Hospital Association and the Missouri Foundation for Health. “The program expansion is also estimated to increase labor income in the state by nearly $7 billion and generate $856 million in additional state and local taxes from 2014 to 2020,” Reagan notes. The RCGA makes a compelling business case. However, this group that represents business interests is addressing the ideological right wing of the Republican Party, which now controls the state Legislature. These doctrinaire ideologues have spent so much political capital bashing President Obama and his landmark health care reform that it is now dificult for them to walk back from their tough talk and swallow the basic common sense that the state should beneit from $8.2 billion in federal funds that was paid into the federal government by Missouri taxpayers.

Conservative Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has said that she plans to push for expansion of the state’s Medicaid program under the ACA and that she will fund it by raising taxes in hospitals despite the philosophical and economic concerns from members of her own party. She has found support in Arizona from hospital executives and the Chamber of Commerce, a perennial opponent of raising

Commentary

taxes. We suspect that increasingly large numbers of Hispanic voters, whom Republicans have estranged with their stern immigration policies, put fear in the heart of the Arizona governor. Unfortunately, the Missouri Democratic Party has not developed the political muscle to bend Republicans, even though voters tend to elect more Democrats statewide than Republicans and thus – presumably – favor Democratic policy stands. Importantly, Gov. Jay Nixon has announced his support of Medicaid expansion and intention to work hard for it in Missouri.

The RCGA gets it, and we hope that Missouri Republicans begin to follow suit. We can’t run this state with ideological inlexibility. Republicans can not continue to foster elective politics that reward ideological rigidity at the expense of the public good. With the RCGA, we urge Missouri Republicans “to support leveraging the available federal funds to expand Missouri’s Medicaid program to help reduce the uninsured population, prevent further cost-shifting, create jobs and improve the health of our workforce.” The economic beneits go beyond providing better health care for more Missourians – and they trump ideology.

A matter of life and death

Don’t listen to those who say President Obama’s bold plan to reduce gun violence -- including an assault weapons ban – has no chance in Congress. I seem to recall that health care reform was deemed impossible, too. Until it happened. I also recall that the health care fight cost Democrats dearly in the 2010 midterm election. But the White House seems to have learned valuable lessons from that experience, including the need to be vivid and insistent in driving home the need for change. Hence the decision to have children on stage and in the audience as Obama announced his proposals.

It was a heart-rending reminder of why we’re talking about gun control: the unspeakable massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school last month. The gun lobby and its allies in Congress immediately charged that by using children in this way, Obama was not playing fair. Those critics would have a point – if this were a game. As the people of Newtown know, this is no game. It’s a matter of life and death.

Roughly 30,000 Americans will die by gunshot this year. About two-thirds will be suicides; almost all the rest will be victims of homicide. If guns could be kept out of the hands of people who are dangerously unstable or inclined to commit crimes, and if the weapons themselves were better suited for sport or self-defense than

for killing sprees, lives would be saved.

How many lives? We would have a better estimate if Congress had not effectively prohibited federally funded research on the subject and if presidents hadn’t acquiesced in the ban. One of the executive actions Obama announced was an order that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “conduct or sponsor research into the causes of gun violence and the ways to prevent it.”

Don’t listen to those who say Obama should have begun more modestly, perhaps with the centerpiece being universal background checks for gun purchases. Obama was right to go big. He was right to ask Congress not only for universal background checks but also for a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines – measures that the powerful National Rifle Association abhors.

As a tactical matter, Obama’s decision has already been vindicated. NRA President David Keene told CBS This Morning that “as a general proposition, the NRA has been very supportive of doing background checks.” That’s false; Keene’s organization has fought tooth and nail against efforts by various states to toughen background checks. But Keene appeared to be signaling that the NRA is resigned to some concessions. This is a big deal, since an estimated 40 percent of gun purchases are not made through licensed dealers, which would subject the buyer to a background check, but rather as “private” transactions, including at gun shows. Does anyone think Keene would indicate a willingness to talk about the subject if background

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Why I am running for alderman

As a native St. Louisan, I have witnessed a tremendous amount of decline in my lifetime. Nearly 30,000 people have left the city in the past 10 years and over 300,000 since 1970. I have lived through some of our city’s most violent years, only for my wife and I to face the same fear and concern for our son that my parents had for my brother and I. Our challenges are neither new nor unique, but they remain.

An alderman is one of only 31 people who create laws and allocate resources in the city. No other body exists to do so. The Board of Aldermen is as strong or weak as the people we send. The position of alderman is also a bully pulpit for our successes and setbacks. It is time to have elections about issues and for people seeking office to address them. We cannot become a great city until we elect candidates who are willing to create this dynamic.

My candidacy for alderman is not about a family legacy or a political dynasty, it is about St. Louis. My parents, former state Senator Robin WrightJones and Mike Jones, have

represented and fought for the people as well as influenced policy for over 40 years to the benefit of many. As a result, I recognize and understand the difference individuals can make in their community through the political process.

A great city is not racially divided. While there are signs of change our politics and history speaks for itself. We cannot move forward until we address this issue honestly, once and for all.

Great cities do not have partially accredited schools; however, there are positive signs of change. I am an advocate of public education with grave concerns about education reformers. Quite frankly, I would rather “reformers” focus on improving charter schools to deliver what was promised to our community, instead of continually criticizing and demonizing the school district and its teachers. Our image as a city, as well as property values, are directly tied to the performance of St. Louis Public Schools.

A great city is not annually associated with “most dangerous” or “most violent” cities list. This has been the case since the late 1980s. It will take a collective effort politically, socially and spiritually, to break the cycle. The answer cannot be “stop and frisk” or vigilante justice.

Letters to the editor

Truth and Bob Archibald

Congratulations for the first truthful story on Robert Archibald and the Missouri History Museum that has been printed. You appear to understand the facts and have an appreciation for the accomplishments of a visionary like Robert Archibald. He was definitely a motivator.

Shame on Mayor Slay and the City of St. Louis. The city and all the cultural institutions have been damaged, and it continues.

Karla Hahn, St. Louis

checks were all Obama is demanding?

And in terms of substance, it would be absurd to talk about gun control – excuse me, the preferred euphemism is “reducing gun violence” –without talking about guns.

Guns don’t have rights; citizens do. The right to “keep and bear arms” does not preclude restricting military-style, automatic or semi-automatic rifles and handguns of the kind used in mass killings. Even Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, in the case that struck down the District of Columbia’s handgun ban, recognized that government has the right to restrict ownership of “dangerous and unusual” weapons. Assault weapons fall into that category.

It is disingenuous for the NRA and its allies to argue that the term “assault weapon” is imprecise. Just because there’s not presently a universally accepted definition doesn’t mean that one can’t be crafted. True hunters don’t go after deer with AR-15 knockoffs and 30-round magazines.

Newtown forced gun control onto the national agenda, and there is no way that we can pretend the horror never happened. Doing nothing and waiting for the next senseless slaughter is not an option.

So don’t listen to those who say Obama should have taken a minimalist approach. Polls indicate the public largely agrees with his proposals. If reasonable people are willing to speak with as loud a voice as the NRA’s, Congress will pay attention.

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

I applaud Obama

I applaud President Obama’s legislative proposals and strong executive orders to directly respond to the epidemic of gun violence in this country. Like most responsible gun owners, I support the 2nd Amendment, and I also support common sense measures to make our nation safer.

For many years, I have supported a renewal of the assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazine clips, universal background checks for all gun purchases and ending on-line sales of firearms and ammunition. We also need to provide communities with more help to increase mental health services and to improve school security.

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay St. Louis

Needed: highly effective educators

Schools like KIPP have proven that if you have the right staff, curriculum, and programs you can close the achievement gap by increasing a student’s time in school. My only concern is that if we add time to the school year without also ensuring a transparent school accountability system and transforming how educators are evaluated, hired and retained, we will still fall short of the academic gains Missouri’s students deserve. We think the Governor’s proposal is a good first step, and should be combined with a proposal to ensure every school has highly effective educators. If parents are going to be asked to give more of their child’s

Some will mistake my concerns and observations as negativity and pessimism; on the contrary, it is an honest assessment of where we are today. It is time for a candid discussion about the issues and challenges we face. his will not happen unless we admit they exist and work together –black, white, north, and south –towards change and progress. In August, I ran successfully for committeeman of the 6th Ward on a simple platform: hold the Missouri Democratic Party accountable to the deficits in the General Assembly, addressing Republican money and influence in Democratic primaries, and improving outreach and performance. I ran because I am committed to Democratic principles and values, as well as concerned about local Democratic representation.

I am running for alderman of the 6th Ward because I have that same commitment. Our ward has prospered, but it cannot be better than the city and I believe we have the pieces in place to be a great city. However, it will take honesty, commitment, and leadership to put them together. This race is not about the past it is about our future and what we want it to be. On Tuesday March 5, I ask for your vote and support so we can begin the journey to greatness together.

time to schools, they should be able to feel confident that the school’s educators are going to effectively deliver the education their students deserve.

Kate Casas, State Policy Director, Children’s Education Council of Missouri

Police in schools

School safety is absolutely our highest priority. It’s important to note that police in schools do not necessarily increase safety, nor do they catch early indicators of mental health needs, identify root and underlying causes of violence, or use the resources of law enforcement in an effective way. Instead of addressing infrequent, serious threats to safety, police in schools often respond to minor student misbehavior by handcuffing, arresting and criminalizing the young people they were intended to protect.

Judith Browne Dianis, Co-Director Advancement Project, Washington, D.C.

Two of our own

Two of our own St. Louis Midshipmen – Hannah Hayes and Anthony D. Mayes – are in the United States Naval Academy Gospel Choir that performed in St. Louis over the Martin Luther King Weekend. Anthony is my son, and he is a 2012 graduated from Metro Academic and Classical High School. He is a member of the Trinity Mt. Carmel Church (Pastor Charles M. Roach) and a member of a faith-based Music Ministry Christian Choir, The St. Louis New Generation Choir (founded by Dacobi “Tweety” Howard).

Mrs. Tangela Stovall St. Louis

‘Validity of the public debt’

Some say President Obama has the option to use the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling in case Congress fails to do so. They are wrong. Obama doesn’t have an option to raise the debt ceiling, he has a responsibility to do so. The Constitution says, “The validity of the public

debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.” Obama is therefore REQUIRED to raise the debt ceiling if Congress doesn’t. It’s not an option. It’s something he has to do under the Constitution.

Marc Perkel, Gilroy, CA.

Guest Columnist Damon Jones

Columnist

Eugene Robinson

Hospital ‘adopts’ families

During the holiday season,Touchette Regional Hospital held its annual Holiday Family Adoption Program.Staff from the hospital and Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation donated new clothes,toys,and food to families selected from the East St.Louis and surrounding communities who suffered a recent hardship.The presents and food were delivered to the homes of each family in time for the holiday.

Sorors host STEM event

The Zeta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. will present its annual recognition of Dr. George Washington Carver on Saturday, January 26 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis, 2901 N. Grand Ave. This year’s program will feature successful members of the community who are currently employed in S.T.E.M.-related positions.

This is an informative opportunity for students to learn about education requirements and how they relate to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (S.T.E.M.). Formal presentations followed by the opportunity for students to speak one-on-one with the presenters, and receive written information, are the highlights of the program.

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Demetris (Dee) Butler at (314)560-2530.

Jan. 25 deadline formini-grants

The St. Louis Mental Health Board is offering $500 mini-grants to organizations with established youth programs funded by the Community Children’s Services Fund. Ayouth group may apply for two age-based grants, one for teens and another for younger ages The deadline is January 25.

The grant requires that youth be fully involved in the planning and implementation of community service projects. The implementation must occur between March-July 2011. This culminates with the Youth Showcase on August 10 featuring projects of the youth agencies. Faith-based, school-based and neighborhood-based youth organizations are invited to apply. Application packages are available at the board office, 4144 Lindell Blvd., Suite 300 or online at www.stlmb.com For more information, contact Sue Culli or Jamala Rogers at 314-535-6964, ext. 11 or visit the website at www.stlmhb.com.

Teach them to behave

By Gwen Williams For The St.Louis American

One of the most critical and potentially destructive problems impacting the stability of our nation today is the overall failure of many of our public education institutions.

We have made numerous ingenious discoveries in medicine to include the artificial heart valve that prolongs life. We have successfully designed the space shuttle that travels supersonic speeds to land our scientists on the moon. We created computers that have revolutionized the entire world, yet we are unable to teach our nation’s poor children how to read, write and master basic skills.

The problem originates in the home with the parents and other caretakers. Extended hours in an academy staffed with highly qualified teachers may facilitate a child’s learning, but the foundation for any child’s success is directly related to the nurturing, or lack thereof, at home. We need leaders willing to discuss this matter openly and honestly. Many fear speaking the truth may be considered offensive and may fear losing their support base. Some deliberately avoid proposing real solutions in the interest of preserving the status quo of their own organizations. There are public servants who avoid the issue for fear of being labeled insensitive or, worse, racist.

Individual parenting behavior is directly impacted by one’s social, economic and physical environment. This should not be accepted as an excuse for failing to address the issue, but serves as a target for all available resources and effective intervention strategies.

Leaders must explain to every parent the consequences their children face if they are not taught good behavior, self-discipline, respect for other people, and individual responsibility and accountability. Every parent or primary caretaker must understand their role is critical and indispensable. They are the ones who will lay – or fail to lay –the foundation necessary for their child’s success.

Every school should have a mandatory requirement for all parents, as a condition of enrollment, to participate in an orientation that clearly explains the educational process, the value of an education, the expectations of each student, the grading or evaluation system, and the school’s code of conduct. Parents can also discuss their special concerns or potential problems.

Individual behavior is the master of our fate, regardless of our profession, and governs our interactions with every other human being. Our own behavior inevitably dictates our success or failure in life. Good nurturing may be supplemented by others, but it originates in the home with our parents and other caretakers. It should foster positive behavior that results in positive interactions with other people, and these positive interactions often lead to the kind of opportunities that create the pathways for success.

Gwen Williams

OBAMA

Continued from A1

Leading up to Monday’s pageant of democracy, commentary focused on prospects for Obama’s second term. Would there be more gridlock and paralysis? Would Obama adopt a more conciliatory tone toward the Republican leadership in the House, or would he press the advantage he won at the polls? Would he make good on his promise of an allout effort to pass new gun control laws, even at the risk of making some fellow Democrats politically vulnerable? How would he approach immigration, entitlements, economic growth, the long-term debt?

“My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together,” Obama thundered, in a speech built on themes of collective action and responsibility.

Reaction to the address took remarkably little notice of the fact that Obama is an African American. That seems to be old news.

Not for me, though. Not for a black man who grew up in the segregated South, who attended a rally (my mother tells me) at which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke, who lived through the defeat of Jim Crow and the triumph of the Civil Rights Movement.

For my two sons, this is history – unfinished history, to be sure, but distant enough that they learned it from books. Their children, in turn, will grow up in a world in which one of the central tenets of American exceptionalism –that anyone can be president –is demonstrably true.

On Monday morning, before the inauguration, Obama took his family to worship at St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House. Television images of the president, his wife Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, entering and then leaving the church, were charming but

King-size celebration

unexceptional – and almost made me cry.

I have always believed that those quotidian pictures of family life are one of the most important legacies of the Obama presidency. For most people, visual information is uniquely powerful. What we see has more impact than what

we hear. Pictures of an African-American family enveloped by Secret Service protection, ferried down Pennsylvania Avenue in armored limousines, returning at night to sleep in the grand residence of the nation’s head of state – these images show us something new about what

is possible, something new about ourselves.

I was always taught that the first black person to fill any job or role previously reserved for whites should expect to be held to a higher standard. Surely Obama has noticed this, too. You’d think that steering the economy away from the abyss, passing landmark health care reform, guaranteeing women equal pay for equal work, ending our nation’s shameful experiment with torture and ordering the raid that

LEADERS

Continued from A1

Lakesha M. Butler, Pharm.D Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Pharmacist Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy

Darius M. Chapman Manager, Manufacturing Department Office of the License Collector, City of St. Louis

Lathon G. Ferguson Midwest Regional Manager INROADS, Inc.

Shay Gillespie

Supplier Diversity Manager World Wide Technology, Inc.

Charlisha Greene Manager, Supply Chain Management The Boeing Company

Jimmie D. Howlett

Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager UMB Bank

Justin M. Johnson

Financial Services Professional New York Life

Reggie Jones Club Director

killed Osama bin Laden – for starters – would add up to a pretty impressive first-term resume.

Voters clearly thought so, but a lot of my fellow pundits seem not to have noticed. Instead, they demand to know why Obama has not somehow charmed Republicans – who announced, you will recall, that their principal aim was making him a one-term president – into meek submission, I suppose through some combination of glad-handing

Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis—Herbert Hoover Alderman, City of Dellwood

Courtney Z. McCall

Assistant Vice President Communications, Marketing, Alumni Affairs & Development Harris-Stowe State University

Jason Q. Purnell, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor Brown School, Washington University

William R. Ray, Jr. Special Assistant to the County Executive Office of the St. Louis County Executive

Rochelle Smith Vice President-Operations Provident Inc.

Keithen Stallings Talent Advisor Monsanto Company

Genesis Steele Campus Coordinator/Interim Director, African American Male Initiative St. Louis Community College

Kimberly Stemley Chief Financial Officer Rx Outreach Inc.

and perhaps hypnosis. The truth is that it will take many years to fully assess the Obama presidency. The verdict will depend on what he accomplishes in his second term and how his initiatives pan out in the coming decades. On health care and the long-term debt, in particular, my hunch is that Obama is taking a much longer view than his critics realize. But here we are, talking about legacy, not race. Which is simply amazing.

Nicole J. Taylor Global Training Manager Anheuser-Busch InBev

Pamela M. Weston Senior Manager Corporate Giving Express Scripts, Inc.

Dozens of Young Leader nominations were received, representing varied professionals in the private, public and non-profit sectors from throughout the region, for the 2013 event. Acommittee of their peers (African-American professionals under age 40) selected the 20 awardees.

The recognition event will be held from 5:30-7:30pm and will include complimentary beer and wine, hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Partner sponsors for the Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception are Ameren Missouri, Edward Jones, Missouri State University, Regional Business Council, and St. Louis Community College.

Emerson is once again the lead sponsor of the Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception. Tickets are $25 each and can be reserved by calling 314-533-8000, emailing kdaniel@stlamerican.com, or visiting stlamerican.com.

Hundreds braved sub-freezing weather during the 43rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr.march in downtown St.Louis Monday morning.

Photo by Wiley Price

Continued from A1

More than 50 people from environmental and social-justice groups protested a contract with Veolia at the Jan. 16 Board of Estimate and Apportionment meeting, where the mayor, Board of Alderman president and comptroller were prepared to vote on the contract.

Protesters said Veolia Water, a French firm and the largest private water services provider in the world, has left a smudge on other cities and also operates under questionable environmental standards.

Anticipating the protests, the Board of E&Aremoved the contract from the Jan. 16 agenda and did not discuss it. The contract aims to “improve business practices,” according to the city’s request for proposals.

Protesters first came out in numbers at the Dec. 17 board meeting, where the contract was placed on the agenda just one day prior to the meeting. There, aldermanic President Lewis Reed questioned Veolia’s track record, and Comptroller Darlene Green followed Reed by requesting an investigation into the citizens’allegations.

Reed said he’s been working closely with the citizens to represent their concerns at the Board of E&Aand will continue to do so.

CENTER

Continued from A1

Antonio French, of Ward 21 where the project is located.

“There were battles we fought along the way, but those are in the past. What’s important now is that people will have a place to improve their health and be safe.”

French was speaking about a political battle last summer to secure discounted membership fees for residents. French pushed for $25 annual youth memberships for city residents under 18 years. The YMCA offers discounts of up to 90

However, Mayor Francis G. Slay stood firmly behind the company, citing that the city had a good relationship working with a subsidiary company of Veolia Energy North America, Trigen-St. Louis Energy Company, which operates an underground steam loop that provides heat to downtown residents.

Veolia Water’s controversy is not new to St. Louis. In September 2010, Veolia toured the city’s Water Division facilities –only three months after Rex Sinquefield’s Show-Me Institute released a May 2010 report urging the city to privatize its water utility.

Sinquefield is a huge contributor to Slay’s mayoral campaign. However, at the time the mayor said it was nothing more than a visit. Slay said he has no plans to push for selling the city’s water services to a private company.

The Riverfront Times reported the news about the Veolia consulting contract in November, after talking with employees who feared the loss of their jobs. Though the contract is just to consult for the city, opponents –including the Missouri Coalition for the Environment and the St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee – said it was just a step towards an end goal of selling the city’s water services to Veolia.

“The extensive information

percent for low-income city residents. Other memberships range in price from $33 to $44 per month for adults.

The event’s speakers included Mayor Francis G. Slay, Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed, President of the Aldermanic Black Caucus Terry Kennedy and state Senator Jamilah Nasheed.

“It is a landmark facility in that it’s state of the art, right here in North City,” Kennedy said.

Inside the center, a plaque displays all the names of the African-American Aldermanic Caucus who pushed to get the facility built and to make sure

about this company’s record across the country and around the world makes it clear that St. Louis should not be doing business with it,”

Kathleen Logan Smith, executive director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, said in a letter to board members.

Veolia has come up against several lawsuits, almost all ending in settlements where the company claims no wrongdoing.

In November 2012, Veolia Environmental Services and its subsidiaries agreed to pay $15 million in a class-action lawsuit for overcharging its customers in multiple states over a period of nearly 10 years.

The nonprofit San Francisco Baykeeper sued Veolia twice, in two different California cities, for allegedly releasing millions of gallons of partially-treated wastewater into San Francisco Bay.

In 2004, the city of Angleton, Texas, terminated its wastewater treatment and street cleaning contract with Veolia, claiming that the company failed to provide sufficient staff and overcharged the city for maintenance and administrative work.

“St. Louis tax dollars and water payments should not go toward supporting environmental destruction, unfair labor practices, corruption and human rights abuses,” the St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee said in a statement.

a workforce inclusion ordinance passed before its construction.

“We wanted to make sure people that looked like us were working to build it,” Kennedy said.

by

The project employed 33 percent minority workers – about 98 percent of whom were AfricanAmerican.

The project employed 33 percent minority workers – about 98 percent of whom were African-American.

Although many said it couldn’t be done, the project exceeded the city’s 25 percent minority workforce goal, said Zachary Hamilton, vice presi-

dent of Kwame Building Group Inc., who was the construction manager for the center. Aside from workforce, 40 percent of the project’s contractors and subcontractors were minorities, and eight percent were women, which exceeded the city’s goal of 25 percent minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) and 5 percent women-owned business enterprises (WBEs).

At several points in the process S.M. Wilson, the general contractor, asked for addi-

tional money – $2.174 million – to achieve the minority participation goals.

In a Feb. 9, 2012 letter, S.M. Wilson VPFred Jaeckle stated that achieving these minority participation goals “has been difficult and our company has experienced the tremendous hardship in finding minority firms to meet the rigid requirements established by the St. Louis City Ordinance 68412 and S.M. Wilson’s agreement with the City of St. Louis.”

The City of St. Louis awarded $1,173,888 to S.M. Wilson because of their “hardship” in achieving the minority goal. However, Comptroller

Darlene Green said she would not approve any further requests from the contractor. Had the city paid S.M. Wilson everything the company asked, the project’s total contract value would have been about $19.6 million.

According to city records, Kwame advised the city not pay any additional charges.

“The facility came out under budget, and we met the goals we set out to achieve,” said Tony Thompson, Kwame’s CEO and chairman of the board. “You did not have to pay a premium to have that level of minority participation. The city did a good job of holding their feet to the fire.”

Photo

Wiley Price

Ron O’Neal of St.Louis walks the route towards Powell Symphony Hall during the 43rd Annual Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.march in downtown on Monday morning.

Celebrating peace

ESL schools celebrate Honor Roll

Administrators at East St. Louis 9th Grade Center and East St. Louis Senior High School recently honored their top academic performers for the first quarter of the school year with awards ceremonies.

At the 9th Grade Center, 44 students made the honor roll, with the top 10 students earning a grade point average (GPA) of 3.7 or better. For their outstanding academic achievement, students received a certificate and enjoyed an ice cream social in the cafeteria.

At East St. Louis High School, a total of 257 students among the 10th, 11th and 12thgrades made the honor roll. Students received a certificate and pizza during their awards ceremony.

At both schools, students who identified as “Most Improved” also received a certificate. In all, 301 total students made the honor roll for the first quarter.

“This academic ceremony is a part of many School Improvement Grant initiatives designed to promote our talented students,” said East Side Principal Anthony Smith. “These students are our future, and we must continue our efforts as a school and a district to lay a foundation for their academic success.”

AT

YOU’VE GOT FRIENDS IN THE BUSINESS

Is your minority or woman-owned business ready for the inside track to success in the retail industry? We’re looking for stars like you!

Macy’s is in the business of fashion and is committed to aggressively pursuing business opportunities with innovative minority and woman-owned retail vendors.

The Workshop at Macy’s is designed to help retail entrepreneurs and designers that are poised to succeed on a larger scale, but need additional tools on retail business practices to build and sustain growth in the industry. The Workshop at Macy’s is now accepting applications for our Spring 2O13 Program.

For more information, including interviews with past participants, application requirements and deadlines, visit macysinc.com/workshop.

Wells Fargo funds book giveaway

Riverview Gardens appoints superintendent

Beckwith: ‘Scott Spurgeon has the skill set necessary’

American staff

The Special Administrative Board for Riverview Gardens School District appointed Scott D. Spurgeon as the new superintendent of schools. Spurgeon, who will assume the position on July 1, brings 18 years of administrative experience to the district and will make re-accreditation his number one priority.

“My goal is to improve

student performance and build capacity in the organization and workforce,” Spurgeon said.

Scott Spurgeon

He has served as superintendent of the Belleville Township High School District 201, interim superintendent and associate superintendent for Curriculum and School Leadership in the Rockwood School District, and assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for the Northwest R-1 School District.

He is leaving a position as independent educational consultant for the International Center for Leadership in Education.

“The position will require hard work and dedication and we believe Dr. Spurgeon has the skill set necessary to get the job done,” said Lynn Beckwith Jr., Special Administrative Board chair.

Contract terms for Spurgeon include a base salary of $170,000 a year for three years. Beckwith said Spurgeon was offered a competitive contract commensurate with the duties and responsibilities as well as the expectations of the board and community.

Banging on the Internet

Local United Way partners with

American staff

Thousands of local children ages birth-5 now have the opportunity to have a brand new book delivered right to their home each month for free. Thanks to a $350,000/ five-year commitment from Wells Fargo Advisors, the children at 19 United Wayfunded childcare agencies will be eligible to participate in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Those agencies serve approximately 2,400 children between birth and age five who will be eligible to receive free books from the Imagination Library. Additionally, The Regional

Business Council’s Young Professionals Network will sponsor 100 children in the program.

Good reading skills directly correlate with how well children do in school and

n “It’s hard to imagine a better way to lay the groundwork for a brighter tomorrow than by putting books into the hands of young children.”

– Danny Ludeman CEO of Wells

Fargo Advisors

later in life. Having access to books at home is critical for a young child’s development. Nationally, nearly two-thirds of low-income children have no books at home. The

Imagination Library changes this.

On January 18, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launched within the 19 childcare agencies across the region. Since its inception in 1996, 950 communities have implemented the Imagination Library, involving 496,000 children who have received nearly 5.5 million books.

“It’s hard to imagine a better way to lay the groundwork for a brighter tomorrow than by putting books into the hands of the young children now,” said Danny Ludeman, president and CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors.

“This extraordinary program underscores our long-standing support for the United Way and education, and demonstrates the depth and effectiveness of the agencies that help and nurture the children who will one day hold our community’s future in their hands.”

Scholar: gangs use social media to trade insults, threats

American staff

Gangs now occupy two spaces: the streets and the Internet.

A new University of Michigan study reports that, in addition to carrying guns, gang members have armed themselves with social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to incite dares, trade insults or make threats that may result in homicide or other crimes.

Researchers have described this new interaction as “Internet banging.” They examine several factors, including the role of hip-hop music in this phenomenon and

urban masculinity’s influence on social media behavior.

Desmond Patton, assistant professor of social work, said it’s unclear if Internet banging only involves males or one ethnic group.

However, gangrelated violence disseminated over social media appears to be a maledominated behavior that is shaped by fewer employment opportunities for minorities.

Youth gang members are similar to their non-gang peers regarding online behavior in terms of feeling more positive about themselves using the Internet compared with the real world. The groups differ in using the Internet for posturing.

“Many gang members, usually those who are new, are interested in making a name for themselves which leads to bragging about acts of violence or crimes that they may not have committed,” Patton said.

Using the Internet allows gang members to promote their affiliation and share

information about rival gangs.

The researchers also examined hip-hop music, which they characterize as the rebellious, assertive voice of urban youth, males in particular. Patton said it’s this identity, along with unemployment and poor educational opportunities, that fuels the behavior of some African-American men.

“In social media, the hip-hop identity has found the optimal playground to perpetuate and replicate itself because of its public nature,” he said. In addition, male gang members who use the Internet can express their masculinity and be recognized in a public forum.

“It gives them a place to seek public love and recognition of their manhood, a reinforcement of self they receive in few other places,” Patton said.

The study’s other authors were researchers Robert Eschmann and Dirk Butler of the University of Chicago. The findings appear in the current issue of Computers in Human Behavior: http://www. sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S0747563212003779.

Reception at 5:30 p.m. Dinner & Program 6:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

The RCGA’s Annual Dinner and Meeting will include an overview of this year’s accomplishments and a look forward to what promises to be an eventful 2013. A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Right Arm of St. Louis Award, the RCGA’s most prestigious honor, presented annually to a person or personswhohavemadeoutstandingciviccontributionstotheSt.Louisregion.The recipient of our 2012 Right Arm of St. Louis Award will be revealed at the RCGA Annual Meeting and Dinner on January 30.

For more information, please contact Mary Barbeau at the St. Louis RCGA, (314) 444-1103 or mbarbeau@stlrcga.org.

Rachel Seward, St. Louis civic relationship manager with Wells Fargo Advisors, addresses people from the 19 United Way-funded childcare agencies, United Way of Greater St. Louis and other partners about the importance of Imagination Library and their new partnership.

Desmond Patton

MLK, Lewis Reed and Francis Slay

Martin Luther King Jr. had the power to unite black and white Americans – just not in the city of St. Louis during a contested mayoral campaign. As reported in The Beacon, incumbent Mayor Francis G. Slay and his most serious challenger on the March 5 ballot, aldermanic President Lewis Reed, did not celebrate the MLK holiday in an integrated fashion. Or, at least, not together. Reed, who of course is black, was grand marshal for the MLK parade and spoke at the kickoff event at the Old Courthouse. The mayor was not in his audience or in that parade. Slay, who of course is white, appeared at the Monsanto Family YMCA’s commemorative breakfast and in some MLK Day of Service events. Slay appears to have been ducking another good booing. Veteran activist Percy Green II is reviving his Slay Boo Birds or Boo Krew, who interrupted Slay’s recent appearance at a North City neighborhood meeting with boos. More famously, a much larger and more diverse group than Percy’s Boo Birds booed Slay into silence on MLK Day 2008, in the heat of the firestorm over Fire Chief Sherman George Percy’s Boo Birds predate the Reed for Mayor campaign by several years, and they are not paid campaign operatives. Reed’s new campaign manager Glenn Burleigh points out that Reed’s campaign could not afford them if it wanted them.

But Slay’s campaign manager Richard Callow is trying to make hay of the fact that Percy gave some Boo Bird coaching on Saturday at a public event hosted by the Reed campaign.

“If you are planning to invite Mr. Reed to a speaking

event over the next six weeks, you might consider adding some extra chairs for his ‘Boo Krew,’” Callow told The Beacon. But that is nonsense. The Slay Boo Birds are targeting Slay events, not Reed events.

Callow also calls Burleigh an “agitator/campaign manager,” as if the Boo Bird thing is his calculated strategy, though everyone who knows anything about the matter knows this is a long-term Percy Green strategy that neither Reed nor Burleigh could stop if they wanted to. In fact, the best way to get Percy to continue doing something he believes in is to tell him to stop doing that.

French blasts Post on Slay

The Post-Dispatch, for its part, continues as the Slay campaign newspaper of record. The Post’s report on the long-delayed opening of the O’Fallon Park Recreation in North St. Louis quotes Slay’s chief of staff Jeff Rainford saying that the North City center “is something the mayor has been working on for more than a decade.”

Alderman Antonio French objected in a blistering email to Post editors and reporters: “How dare your paper give the credit for this center to Slay, with no mention of AfricanAmerican leadership, who has had to force every concession out of this administration for over 10 years.”

The EYE would have to admit French has them there. French also objects to his being characterized as “a consultant to Aldermanic President Lewis Reed’s campaign to unseat Slay in the Democratic mayoral primary in March.”

Deltas treat kids at Innovative Concept

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Alumnae Chapter, recently hosted its 5th Annual Breakfast with Santa at the Innovative Concept Academy, where 465 youngsters spoke with Santa and received a family photograph. Children and parents were treated to a pancake breakfast, and the children were given books and toys that were donated by members. Also, due to the generous donations of the members, the sorority was able to give out 40 bicycles. Judge Jimmie Edwards and Aldermanic President Lewis Reed came out to support the event. Robinette Lance was Chair of the event, and Kim Banks is Chapter President.

“AGAIN with this,” French blasted to the Post. “I DO NOT CURRENTLY WORK FOR LEWIS REED, as noted in this week’s St. Louis American. I have done work for him in the past. As I have also done work for several vocal Slay supporters in the past (including state Senator Jamilah Nasheed, Rodney Hubbard, and others). The Post-Dispatch and ONLY the Post-Dispatch keeps including this (nonsense) to fit into your own false narrative about why we had this fight.”

The fight, that is, over a pay fee for the new facility that enables maximum use by lowincome residents.

“Except for an incumbent Present Barack Obama, your paper hasn’t endorsed an African-American candidate in years,” French blasted them. “And your articles keep showing that an African American who bucks the local establishment can’t get a fair shake in your paper. The Post now has as awful a relationship with the city’s African-American population as Francis Slay does. The African-American community represents a majority in this city and deserves better treatment from both the Post and the Mayor’s Office.”

Reed’s wife quits Slay job

Here is one casualty, other than the truth, of the 2013 mayoral campaign – the employment of Reed’s wife, Mary Entrup, as a provisional municipal judge for the City of St. Louis. She resigned from her Slay-appointed post on January 8.

The American raised the issue of Reed’s wife serving as a Slay appointee when he first filed for aldermanic president against incumbent Jim Shrewsbury. The current mayoral campaign makes this difficult to remember, but Reed was at first seen as a Slay ally (some went so far as to claim Slay puppet) against Shrewsbury, who had opposed Slay on many issues. At the time, Sherman George – now a strong Reed advocate –thought he would have been better protected as fire chief by Shrewsbury, and subsequent events certainly confirmed his judgment, as Reed rolled over where Shrewsbury had stood up.

As we printed back then, these municipal judgeships don’t pay well enough for someone to sell his political soul over his wife having one, and The American’s reporting in that aldermanic president

campaign did much to get the toxic Slay ally shadow off of Reed.

In July 2012, Slay dramatically reduced the city housing court, where Entrup served, from the original five days per week to four hours per week. Entrup said she didn’t believe it was a coincidence that her work schedule was drastically reduced just when her husband’s campaign against Slay was beginning. She said, “It doesn’t seem credible that a major metropolitan community would reduce housing code enforcement to a mere four hours per week as a way to save money when the court was generating money for the city.”

Wessels’ witch hunt continues

The witch hunt continues at the Missouri History Museum, even though the head witch is dead. That is, even though President Bob Archibald has resigned.

Gloria Wessels addressed a committee hearing at the Board of Aldermen and actually said that people might expect their work to be done now that Archibald had resigned – in effect, admitting that she had led a campaign to oust him. Now Wessels and Charles

Valier, both Slay appointees to the Zoo-Museum District board, addressed a committee hearing chaired by Alderman Joe Roddy but dominated by Alderman Tom Villa. Valier and Villa served together in the state Legislature back in the day, and they did a fair amount of nostalgia-tripping on the public time and dime. Wessels and Valier made it clear that they want more blood. Wessels read a number of venomous, anonymous quotes from purported museum staff. As Alderman Antonio French noted, this was all hearsay and should be considered inadmissible. Wessels now is sending queries for gripes from museum staff on ZMD letterhead, though without board sanction.

Ironically, Wessels and Valier hounded Archibald for enjoying the benefits of a contract he negotiated – and his approval of an overpriced piece of land – while acting within the institution’s current governance structure, while these would-be reformers are moving well beyond the established boundaries of their own roles.

This looks like it will only get uglier if Wessels and Valier continue to be encouraged in their efforts by the PostDispatch and others.

Former Fire Chief Sherman George poses with Lewis Reed at the new office on North Taylor that the Reed for Mayor campaign now shares with the Firefighters Institute for Racial Equality. Photo by Maurice Meredith

Report: city fails at spending transparency

MoPIRG compares

St. Louis to other major U.S. cities

American staff

The city of St. Louis received a failing grade for spending transparency, according to a new report released Wednesday by the MoPIRG Foundation. The report reviews Saint Louis’ progress toward comprehensive, one-stop, oneclick budget accountability and accessibility.

“St. Louis scored very low in our study because it provides very little additional information beyond what is provided in the city’s standard budget documents,” said Alec Sprague, ield organizer for MoPIRG. “The city lacks checkbook-level city spending information.”

The report, “Transparency in City Spending: Rating the Availability of Online Government Data in America’s Largest Cities,” reviews and grades the nation’s 30 largest cities on how effectively they allow the public to track budgets, contracting, subsidies, grants and requests for services.

MoPIRG suggests that the city provide “checkbooklevel” spending data that is searchable by department, keyword and vendor and downloadable for analysis

Obituaries

Steven Charleston

Steven Charleston, born August 12, 1956, passed away at the age of 56, on January 11, 2013. Beloved husband of Loretta Charleston. Much loved brother of Vernon H. Charleston, Lavonne A. Johnson, and Valerie D. Hamilton.

In Memoriam

Karen Patricia Robinson

September 3, 1964— January 5, 2011

Texas, her dog “Snow” and other family and friends.

Cynthia Anne Mitchell

Sunrise: Jan. 28, 1962

Sunset: Jan. 14, 2013

“Walk by FAITH, and not by sight.”

Cynthia Anne Mitchell, 50, transitioned to glory on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013. She is survived by one son, Ian; one daughter, Dyana; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Margaret Jean Clash-Goldberg

MoPIRG suggests that the city provide “checkbooklevel” spending data that is searchable by city department, keyword and vendor and is downloadable for data analysis. It also recommends that the city should, also, post historical expenditure data from previous iscal years and provide tax subsidy information that lists the beneits speciic companies receive from the city’s tax credits, exemptions, abatements and other tax subsidies.

The report found that 17 of America’s 30 most populous cities provide online databases

The “F” grade nonetheless recognizes that St. Louis provides basic budget documents online and has a service request center that allows residents to notify city oficials of issues that need ixing.

of government expenditures with “checkbook-level” detail. Three cities received “A” grades: New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. Four cities received failing grades, indicating that they offer little or no spending data online: Atlanta, Detroit, Sacramento and Cleveland.

Kansas City received a “C.”

“I hear from many Saint Louis residents that they are expecting a higher level of technology integrated into the services that the city provides,” said Scott Ogilvie, alderman for the 24th Ward. “We have tremendous potential for improvement in many of these areas.”

The “Transparency in City Spending” report can

Remembering and celebrating you. We Love and Miss You Dearly. Although it’s been two short years our hearts are still heavy.

Psalm 100:5 “His Mercy Endureth Forever”

Karen Robinson, an only child of Elizabeth Brandon Robinson and Lawrence Robinson (father preceded her in death in 2009) of St. Louis, Missouri. Karen, mother of her only child Leslie Erin Ramey of Hampton University, in Hampton, Virginia. Karen was employed as a Real Estate Coordinator for Washington University of St. Louis, Missouri until her health failed. She held a great passion for shopping, loved traveling and lowers. Her favorite lowers were the calla lily and gladiola. She was well known for her “Big Beautiful” contagious smile and laugh, her classy style and interior design lair.

“You lost the war with cancer, but you won the battle of HOPE, not ever did you give up, a Fighter to the bitter end.”

You are sorely missed by your mother Liz, daughter Leslie, aunt Wanda Brandon of St. Louis, cousin (Alicia) Darlene Brown-Cousins of Arlington,

Margaret (affectionately known to most as “Jean”), the beloved daughter of the late Cornelious Dancy (Bennett) and Johnnie Richardson Senior, was born January 6, 1951 in Crawfordsville, AR.

Jean accepted a belief in Christ at an early age at the Bethel AME Methodist Church in Lansing, AR. In 1953, Jean’s family relocated to St. Louis, MO and resided on Cates Avenue and joined fellowship with Old Landmark COGIC, under the leadership of the late Elder Willie T. Williams. Jean attended St. Engelbert School and later graduated from Beaumont High school in 1968. In 1970, Jean united in Holy Matrimony to Lonnie Devon Clash Senior and to this union two children were born; a daughter, Desiree Denise and a son, Lonnie Devon Junior. She started her career in the health care industry working at Delmar Gardens (formerly Chesterield Manors), Parkside Towers and in the in-home nursing ield. Jean’s true passion was caring for people. She

didn’t serve to live but lived to serve. She remarried on February 1, 2002 to Elvertis Goldberg. She leaves to cherish: her devoted and loving husband, Elvertis Goldberg; her caring son, Lonnie Devon Clash Jr.; precious daughter, Desiree Denise Clash (Rodney Winston); stepchildren, Gerald Goldberg (Sarah), Patricia Goldberg and Elvertis Goldberg Jr.; very precious grandchildren, the Winston and Clash family, Kashana (Cedrick), Michael, Raeven, Cary and D’marco and great-grandchildren, Dajashanae’, Layla Thomas, Sakori and Sakiia Johnson. She also leaves to cherish: her sisters, Vernice Bell (J.C.), Emma Bennett and Ruby Bradley, Carloss Guess (Arthur) and Frankie Richardson; brothers, Cornell Richardson (Tanya), Henry (Evelyn) Bennett, Carl Lee Richardson (Debra), Doneal Bennett (Brenda), Patrick Bohanon (Katherine); two sisters-in-law, Bobbie Applebee and Deloris Butler. She will be truly missed by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and her very special devoted friends, Betty Jones, Lori Bell, Jodie Waldman, Beryl Berrny and Brenda Wolfe and many other relatives and friends. She also leaves her loving pet dogs, Toby, Teddy and Zoe.

In Loving Memory of Terrell Perish McIntyre

Sunrise: January 18, 1967

Sunset: October 10, 2005

Terrell, you are missed by your loving family and friend, Marvin. We want to say Happy Birthday January 18.

Terrell McIntyre

From: Your mother Barbara McIntyre; brothers Ernest and Stephan McIntyre; sons Dvondry and Terrell; daughters Alecia and Kayla; aunts Carolyn and Paula; uncle Kendall and all your cousins and family members. We will always remember you in our hearts and love you forever.

Cynthia Mitchell

Steven Charleston

Karen Robinson

Margaret ClashGoldberg

Students

SCIENCE CORNER

Who Wants To Be A

Have you ever seen a train float above the tracks? One of the latest advances in transportation is the development of the Magnetic Levitated (MagLev) train. MagLev trains are lifted with a magnetic force, known as magnetic levitation. Ordinary trains move forward by the rolling of the train wheels on the railway. This creates friction. By using magnetic force, MagLev trains levitate (float in the air) above the track without the need of any extra support. Because this removes all the friction between the train and the track, trains are able to travel at a faster speed.

MagLev Engineer?

Shanghai had the world’s first commercial magnetic levitation train in operation. The Shanghai’s magnetic levitation train operates between the Pudong international Airport and the financial center in Lujiazui. More countries are using the MagLev trains today.

To Learn More About MagLev Trains: go to http:// science.howstuffworks.com/transport/ engines-equipment/maglev-train.htm

Learning Target: i can read a nonfiction article to gain background information about transportation.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

How to Invent the Perfect Boat!

inventors use their minds to think creatively to solve a problem. Most people can easily identify problems; inventors create solutions. A lot of this process involves taking risks, making observations, trial and error. in this experiment, you will be an inventor. Your task is to build a boat that can float and support 25 pennies for at least 10 seconds—without leaking, sinking, or tipping over.

Materials Needed:

10” Piece of Plastic Wrap

10 Plastic Straws

Four Plastic Cups

24” of Duct Tape

To Test the Effectiveness of the Boat:

25 Pennies • Tub of Water

With your group, brainstorm a way to use the materials to create a boat that will support the weight of the pennies. Listen to all members of the group.

Construct your design and test its effectiveness. Evaluate how well your design worked. What changes need to be made?

r revise your design.

t Present your final design to the class. As you listen to the other groups present, think about how their designs compare to yours. Can you use any of their ideas to improve your boat?

Learning Standards: i can use the problem solving method to create and test a design. i can evaluate the effectiveness of my solution.

MATH CONNECTION

The goal of transportation is to travel, to move, to get somewhere. Math can let you calculate distance and time. Try your hand at solving these transportation problems.

Questions:

q if you are driving 60 miles per hour and you travel 2 hours, how many miles did you travel?

___________________ miles.

Elijah McCoy was born in Canada in 1843. His parents were slaves that used the Underground railroad to escape from Kentucky and travel to Canada. After McCoy’s father was given several acres of land for enlisting in the British forces, McCoy moved to Detroit, Michigan, when he was 3, to live with his family. He had 11 brothers and sisters.

When McCoy was 15, he was an apprentice for a mechanical engineer in Scotland. He returned to Michigan, hoping to find a job with his new skills. instead, he found a job working for the Michigan Central railroad. He was responsible for fueling the steam engine and applying oil to the moving parts of the train so they would work effectively. This process is called lubrication.

Trains had to stop often for this process to avoid overheating. Because of his apprenticeship, McCoy was able to find a new method where trains could receive this process without having to stop.

long would it take to reach your friend’s house?

______________ minutes.

r Your favorite restaurant is 15 miles from your house. it took you 30 minutes to get there. How many miles per hour were you traveling? ____________________ miles per hour.

Learning Standards: i can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve transportation problems.

Editor My Local Newspaper I wish to tell you about my family’s New Years resolution to use public transportation as much as possible. We are saving $50 a month by using the bus, the metro, and even our bicycles. Mrs. Kilgore’s 3rd Grade Class Academy of Environmental Science & Math

w if you are traveling 65 miles per hour and you travel 3.5 hours, how many miles did you travel? _________________ miles.

e Your friend lives 25 miles away. if your parents drive 50 miles per hour, how

DID YOU KNOW?

On July 12, 1872, McCoy received his first patent for his improvement in lubricators for steam engines. Like many inventors, McCoy continued to work on his design and make improvements. Other railroads began using McCoy’s designs and he was promoted to instructor at Michigan Central railroad. He later became a consultant to the railroad industry.

in 1920, McCoy opened his own company, the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company. if you’ve heard the expression “i want the real McCoy,” it means you are looking for the real thing, not an imitation. Learning Standard: i can read nonfiction text to gain background information.

MAP CORNER

An author’s purpose is their reason for writing. When you write, you are the author. Therefore, you need to consider your purpose. Why are you writing? When you write to persuade, your audience will find you to be convincing if you have evidence (facts, statistics) to back your opinion. You can also engage your audience with a personal story and use emotion to appeal.

Your task is to write a letter to the editor of your newspaper. Your goal is to convince the readers to use public transportation or carpooling in an effort to impact the environment. Before you write, look through the newspaper for examples of persuasive writing: underline the facts and circle the opinions in the writing. Use the internet to find facts for your letter. The American Public Transportation Association www.apta.com has statistics you use for your letter.

Learning Standards: i can identify author’s purpose and use appropriate techniques in my writing.

AfriCAN AMEriCAN STEAM ENgiNEEr Elijah McCoy

Japan’snew maglevhasspeedsupto 311mph!

Photo by Wiley Price

“This is what we play for.We play for this moment.”

– San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis,after his team’s NFC Championship Game victory in Atlanta to advance to the Super Bowl

INSIDE SPORTS

With Earl Austin Jr.

Eagles fly higher

Beal, McLemore, Jones take hoop game to next level

It was just a few years ago during the summer of 2010 when the St. Louis Eagles Basketball Club fielded one of the most dominant 17U teams in the country.

The Eagles’team finished the season with a 51-6 record and played in three tournament championship games and actually got to play on nationally television twice during the summer. They were a fun group to watch. The kept the STLin the national spotlight for an entire summer. The three top players on that successful team were Bradley Beal of Chaminade College Prep, Ben McLemore of Wellston and

Roosevelt Jones of O’Fallon (Ill.) High. When you turn on the television and set what these three young men are doing these days, it is quite easy to see why that Eagles 17U team was so dominant during the Summer of 2010. All three of these young men have gone on to enjoy immense success at the next level; and in Beal’s case, the next, next level. After achieving McDonald’s AllAmerican and National Player of the Year status at Chaminade, Beal went on to enjoy an excellent freshman year at Florida. He helped lead the Gators to the Elite Eight of the

NCAATournament before declaring for the NBADraft. Beal was the No. 3 pick by the Washington Wizards and he appears well on his way to making the NBA’s All-Rookie Team. After some early growing pains, Beal is starting to hit his stride. He was named the NBARookie of the Month in December after leading all rookies in scoring and assists during the month. Entering this week, Beal is averaging 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He has started to ascend to the role of primary scoring in recent games as well

IN THE CLUTCH With Ishmael H.Sistrunk

McLemore’s exploits are regularly chronicled on ESPN’s Top Play of the Day as he is one of the most explosive dunkers in the collegiate ranks.

as the Wizards’go-to scorer. He hit the game-winner jumper on Jan. 7 in a 101-99 victory over the Oklahoma Wizards. In a doubleovertime loss to the New Jersey

Lakers excel in blame game

On the court, not so much

After the Lakers reached the halfway point with a paltry 17-24 record, everyone is searching for someone new to blame.

mere five games into the season after Lakers Nation blamed him for the team’s poor performance. But after the team reached the halfway point with a paltry 17-24 record, everyone is searching for someone new to blame. Of course many critics will continue pointing the blame at the coaching. The team is too talented, on paper, to sit just four games out of last place.

Brown entered L.A. with a .663 lifetime winning percentage and got canned despite posting a .591 mark (including a playoff appearance) in

his lockout-shortened season and limited 2012 duties. In D’Antoni, the team hired a coach with a .534 winning percentage and faithful fans are calling for his head after a meager .387 start for the purple and gold, despite numerous injuries and general disarray.

D’Antoni should not be absolved from his share of the blame for the team’s disastrous start, but he’s an average coach getting below-average results. Welcome to shrug city. Real hoop heads knew D’Antoni wasn’t the right fit. The Lakers’

Edwardsville faces Belleville East and Cahokia this weekend

There will be some prime-time action taking place in the Metro East this weekend with both games involving the top-ranked Edwardsville Tigers. On Friday night, Edwardsville (161) will visit Belleville East (17-2) in a big Southwestern Conference showdown. Edwardsville suffered its only loss at the hands of Belleville East earlier this season. Both teams are coming off winning tournament championships last weekend. Belleville East won its own MidWinter Classic with a 76-68 victory over previously undefeated Madison Prep. Edwardsville blew through the competition to win the Salem Tournament in Southern Illinois. It was Edwardsville’s third tourna-

Jerseyville Tournament last week.

Some of the area’s top talent will be on display in those two games as Edwardsville features the 6’5” senior duo of Garret Covington and Tre Harris; Belleville East is led by 6’7”

Many people blame the Lakers’ troubles on Pau Gasol,who was recently demoted to the bench by D’Antoni.Others blame Dwight Howard,who has suffered from back issues which have taken away the explosiveness that allowed him to average over 20 points per game in several seasons.

Garret Covington

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Earl Austin Jr.

The three top players on the St.Louis Eagles Basketball Club’s summer 2012 team – Roosevelt Jones of O’Fallon (Ill.) High (left),Ben McLemore of Wellston (center) and Bradley Beal of Chaminade College Prep – have all gone on to excel at the next level.

Apiece of St. Louis died this weekend. While some would look at Stan Musial as a very good baseball player, “great” would better describe him as a player and person.

Stan Musial holds many if not most Cardinal records when it comes to a hitter, and for 50 years few have come close to his accomplishments. Yes it was 50 years ago this season, and Stan is still The Man. He is the first name that comes out of many mouths when the question arises of who is the greatest Cardinal of them all. The odd thing about that is many who say that never saw him play. For Musial, the numbers don’t lie. Musial had a total of 3,630 hits in his Major League career. Musial had 1,815 hits at home and 1,815 hits on the road. I could give you stat after stat that would make your head spin with awe. This year, American League MVPand triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera had a total of 98 strikeouts in an incredible season. In his entire career, the most strikeouts Musial ever had in a season was 46. Yes, 46. In one season that saw Musial have 700 at bats, The Man only struck out 18 times. Today we have some that can do that in a week.

With Mike Claiborne

R.I.P., Stan The Man

name came up. Different era? Perhaps, but after 50 years of retirement he kept an impeccable image intact to the day he died.

Musial was always considered one of the nicest people in sports. Former Cardinal Joe McGrane recently said that “Stan Musial has signed more free autographs than anyone in the entire world.” Had he ever charged for every time he signed, the national debt could have been resolved in a week.

As for Musial’s politics, they were simple. During the integration of baseball, Musial wanted to play with and against the best players, with color not being a detractor. When some Cardinal players wanted to stage a boycott instead of play against the likes of Jackie Robinson, Musial elected not to participate. Kind of hard to have a boycott when the team’s best player says he wanted no part of it. Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Henry Aaron have said Musial was helpful to them upon on their arrival to the majors. Musial’s embrace of black players made the road a little easier considering the status he had at the time.

Stan Musial was one of the last superstars who had no stain, nor whisper, when his

All Musial wanted to do was play, and play he did. Musial was proud of the fact that in his 22-year career he played for only one team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Managing partner Bill Dewitt Jr. was asked how would he pay Stan

if he was in his prime. Dewitt replied, “I would give him the checkbook and have him fill in the number because I knew he would be fair.” That is what Stan Musial was all about, and that is why Cardinal Nation is what it is because they only admire the real players who handle themselves on and off the field in the Cardinal way –or, should I say, the Musial way.

Not For Long

Former NFLhead coach

Jerry Glanville once said the NFLreally stood for Not For Long if you do not get the job done when it came to coaching in the league. I guess that means double for coaches of color in the NFL. With eight vacancies, no coaches of color were hired in the NFLand yet the league is made of 74 percent of minority players. Comedian Chris Rock asked the right question recently in a tweet. Rock noted that former Philadelphia Eagle coach Andy Reid was fired after winning just four games this season. His team was in shambles in every element. Lovie Smith won 10 games, finished one game from mak-

ing the playoffs and can’t get a job?

The media is playing along nicely. On the local front, where have you read, heard or saw anyone talk about this matter? NO ONE can ask what’s up here? On the national front, I wonder where the big mouths in the morning are on this one?

Has there been a published list of minority candidates who were interviewed by these teams in search of a coach?

The league issued a statement that they are concerned and will expand the hiring criteria to general mangers. Gee, thanks.

The most insulting element

here is the way Ray Horton, former defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, was handled. Horton was interviewed twice for the job before it was handed over to Bruce Arians. After they told him thanks but no thanks to the head job, they had the nerve to offer him another coordinator position. Horton was so upset he demanded his release from his contract. It did not take long for the Cleveland Browns to hire him as their defensive coordinator.

The lip service on several matters within this league is embarrassing. This one should not go away.

Mike Claiborne

Musial’s embrace of black players made the road a little easier considering the status he had at the time.

Stan Musial poses with boxing promoter Butch Lewis (left),Joe Frazier,Michael Spinks and the Finger Twins.

Photo by Maurice Meredith

F.O.R.C.E. debuts with tourney title

The Saint Louis F.O.R.C.E.sixth-grade girls basketball team made a successful debut in winning the All Net Tournament.The F.O.R.C.E.is a spinoff of the St.Louis Eagles Basketball Club.F.O.R.C.E.stands for:Fearlessness, Optimism,Relentlessness,Confidence and Excellence.The co-founders are Lathon and Chalana Ferguson,Marvin Hay and Rich Gray,who is the founder of the Eagles and president of the St.Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation.The team members are Kourtney Hay,Cailyn Stacker,Lucy Bloomstran,Caitlyn Anderson,Imani Vails, Yani Curry,Marshi Baird,Rickie Woltman,Tajah Walker,Olivia Proctor,Madison Fuller,Alayna Daniels,Zoey Little, Samantha Eaker,Raevyn Ferguson and Kennedy Fortner.For more information,visit www.stlforceathleticz.org

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senior Malcolm Hill, Jr. and 6’3” junior Darreon Reddick while Cahokia features 6’2” senior Keenan Minor, 6’7” junior Darius Austin and 6’6” senior Vincent Jackson.

Girl Tigers win big

The Edwardsville girls enjoyed a big week as it defeated two of the top contenders for the Missouri Class 5 state championship. The Tigers defeated St. Joseph’s Academy 61-52 last Tuesday night, then followed up with a

INSIDE

Continued from B3

Nets on Jan. 4, Beal hit a stepback 3-pointer as time expired to send the game into overtime. He is starting to score 20 points on a more regular basis.

The 6’5” McLemore appears destined to join Beal in The Association next season as he enjoys a tremendous freshman season with the Kansas Jayhawks. McLemore quickly established himself as one of college basketball brightest young stars with his great athleticism, smooth jump shot and flair for the dramatic. All have been on display as McLemore has emerged as one of the top pro prospects in the college game. He is already projected as a Top 5 pick in the next draft.

70-58 road victory at defending Class 5 state champion Columbia Rock Bridge on Friday night. The Tigers are currently 20-0. They were the Illinois Class 4Astate runnersup in 2012.

Single-game scoring record

Francis Howell North senior guard Kyle Lemons entered the school’s record books last week with a 40-point performance in the Knights’65-55 victory over Fort Zumwalt West. Lemons broke the single-game scoring record, which was previously held by former Howell North standout and SLU Billiken Chris Sloan. The 6’3”

McLemore’s exploits are regularly chronicled on ESPN Sportscenter’s Top Play of the Day as he is one of the most explosive dunkers in the collegiate ranks. He is also the Jayhawks’leading scorer at 16.4 points a game. He also averages 5.4 rebounds, two assists while shooting 50 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3-point range and 88 percent from the free-throw line. McLemore enjoyed a tremendous game two weeks ago against Iowa State when he scored a season-high 33 points in an overtime victory over the Cyclones. McLemore provided the dramatics when he banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force the overtime period.

Beal and McLemore garnered many headlines on that team, but the unheralded Jones was equally important to the

Lemons has been back for six games after suffering a shoulder injury at the beginning of the season.

On point in Pattonville

Former Jennings High and Mizzou standout Kelly Thames is doing an excellent job as the second-year head coach at Pattonville. The Pirates are currently 11-3 after their 66-61 victory over McCluer North last Friday. The Pirates have a very nice backcourt in senior Darren Davidson and junior Eddie Longmeyer. Davidson averages 18 points a game while Longmeyer averages 10.6 points. Sophomore Jacob Knox (6’5”) is an emerging

team’s success with his versatility and toughness. That is what Jones is bringing to Butler’s 17-2 team that is ranked No. 13 in the country with wins over North Carolina, Indiana, Gonzaga and Marquette.

The 6’5” Jones plays virtually every position for the Bulldogs; and he does it all well. He is currently averaging 10.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He leads the team in rebounding and assists.

Jones also provided one of the most dramatic plays of the college season last weekend with his steal and running jumper at the buzzer that gave the Bulldogs a heart-stopping 64-63 victory over Gonzaga. Jones finished the game with 20 points as he sent the Hinkle Field House crowd into a frenzy with his last-second heroics.

young post player.

On tap this weekend CBC will visit Chaminade in a Metro Catholic Conference showdown on Friday at 7 p.m.; Webster Groves will put its 81-game winning streak in the Suburban South Conference on the line when its host Rockwood Summit on Friday at 7 p.m.; John Burroughs will visit Westminster n Friday at 7 p.m. The championship of the Ameritime Tournament will be held on Friday night at Missouri Baptist U. at 8:30 p.m. Hazelwood Central and DeSmet entered the tournament as the top two seeds.

Jones also came up big in Butler’s 88-86 overtime victory over then No. 1 Indiana on Dec. 15 in Indianapolis. Jones finished the game with 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. He was selected the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week after his performance against Indiana. Beal, McLemore and Jones are just a few examples of the many players from the STL who are getting it done at the next level.

(You can follow Earl Austin Jr.’s daily basketball reports on his website, www.earlaustinjr., which celebrates the past, present and future of St. Louis basketball. You can also follow him on twitter.com/earl austinjr.)

starting five consisted of four players over 31 years old and a relatively young center with an achy back. That’s not exactly the type of fit built to mesh with his uptempo system. Of course many people, myself included, figured that the overwhelming talent would still propel the team to the playoffs. Still, choosing D’Antoni over Phil Jackson and his double-digit rings will hunt the franchise for ages. Instead of proving how smart they were by hiring the so-so guy with the exciting offense, the Lakers front office is eating a healthy slice of humble pie.

Afew people will attempt to blame Kobe Bryant for the team’s woes. While the Black Mamba is blaming old age, some are pointing the finger at him for his streaky shooting, locker-room mood swings and gunner mentality. For the record, Bryant has been all those things throughout his entire career and still helped lead the Lakers to five NBA titles.

Others may blame Pau Gasol, who is on his annual trip to the trading block once

again. Gasol, who was recently demoted to the bench by D’Antoni, is the most disrespected big man of his generation. Never before has a guy dropped 18 and 10 with such regularity only to find himself with a “For Sale” sign pinned to his back every single season.

Gasol is seemingly an ideal fit for the D’Antoni system, a long, rangy F/C who can run the floor and make mid-range jumpers with consistency. Yet he’s on the block once again, while Dwight Howard deserves far more scrutiny than Gasol.

Howard came to L.A. with dreams of taking over as the team’s alpha dog once Bryant exited stage left. However, Howard’s back issues have taken away the explosiveness that allowed him to average over 20 points per game in several seasons despite an awful array of low post moves. The healthy, Orlando Magic version of Howard simply overpowered and jumped over his defenders for easy buckets. His back ailments have taken away that ability and his lack of footwork and touch are leaving him exposed on the offensive end.

But it would be too much like right for Howard to recognize his weaknesses commit

himself to improving his post game. Instead he’s started back to his Diva Dwight ways and is complaining in the media about not getting enough opportunities. That could have been the reason D’Antoni pushed Gasol to the bench – to placate Howard and give him more touches.

Don’t expect Bryant to stay silent with Howard’s whining beginning to reach the public ear. That means the team’s poor record is about to be the least of its concerns. As D’Antoni, Bryant, Howard and Gasol scurry to deflect the blame, the collateral damage could get ugly.

Even Steve Nash got into the media action after he called the team lazy following an embarrassing loss to the Toronto Raptors, who are just a half-step above the D-league. Metta World Peace is due to bite someone’s neck within the next few weeks.

Who needs reality TVwhen the league’s most-popular team has so much unscripted and unbelievable drama taking place in prime time for all to see? I’m sure Brown is watching from home, popcorn in one hand, texts from the Zen Master in the other, giving thanks that his appearance in this season’s mess was only a cameo.

CLAY

Continued from B1

greatly impact the economic health of our nation and the world.Our focus will be growing jobs, expanding international trade, keeping interest rates low and restoring economic security for working families.”

With Clay, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, and U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, as members, the St. Louis region will have considerable clout on the House Financial Services Committee. Another Missourian, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, DKansas City is also on the panel.

In addition to those four lawmakers, a native St. Louisan, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters of California, is the full committee’s ranking Democrat. The chairman is conservative U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, RTex.

Clay’s main subcommittee will have major oversight responsibilities over the Federal Reserve, the Import-Export Bank, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.Clay also serves on the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.

As Republicans, Wagner and Luetkemeyer tend to have different priorities than Clay on many of the committee’s issues.

For example, Wagner said last month that her goals included taking a hard look at the Dodd-Frank law, other Wall Street reforms and the Consumer Protection Act “before they do greater damage to our already fragile economy.”

The St. Louis region is home to several major investment firms, 145 regional and local banks, and several venture capital firms. Wagner said more than 84,000 people in the region work at such firms, which have a total payroll of about $4.6 billion.

“This powerful network of investment firms, the growing strength of venture capital firms and the 145 different local, regional and national banks make the St. Louis area key in the financial services industry,” Wagner said.

Edited slightly and reprinted with permission from stlbeacon.org.

Council awards BJC, ABNA, others

American staff

Efforts to promote diversity in the construction industry were recognized by the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers recently during its annual awards event.

The Organization of the Year was presented to BJC HealthCare for employing proactive efforts to use minority and woman owned businesses (MWBE) and to promote the employment of women and minorities in the work force.

Among BJC initiatives, they work with general contractors to establish stretch goals for MWBE participation and for work force participation. This includes encouraging larger contractors to partner with smaller contractors, breaking projects into smaller parts which smaller firms can successfully bid for, hosting information sessions on qualification requirements, working with MWBE firms to identify issues and to provide technical assistance, and establishing quick pay.

BJC’s success with achieving MWBE participation was demonstrated in the recent completion on the Barnes Jewish Center for Outpatient Health, which had a 100 percent MWBE project management team.

The owner-construction management team set a goal of hiring 1 minority apprentice for every $5 million in work activities and exceeded the goal of 11 by hiring 13 apprentices. During the project, two apprentices became fully tenured journeyman and another 10 went on to work on other construction projects. At project completion, minority labor hours were 18 percent and women labor hours totaled 21 percent.

ABNAEngineering was recognized as the outstanding Minority Women Business Enterprise.

Founded in 1994 by the husband and wife team of Abe and Nicole Adewale, both civil engineering graduates of the Georgia Institute of Technology, the firm has 65 employees with offices in St. Louis, Southern Illinois and Chicago. The work force is made up of 21 percent females and 44 percent of people of color from around the world.

ABNAprovides engineering, surveying and construction for transportation infrastructure, waste water systems and other civil facilities, as well as for industrial, educational, health care and commercial projects. Major projects have included the I64 design-build, the Lindbergh tunnel beneath Lambert airport, Monsanto’s parking garages and

BJC’s Center for Proton Therapy and the Center for Outpatient Health.

The Diversity Champion award was presented to Michael Kennedy of KAI Design & Build and to Marie Yancey of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

Kennedy is President of KAI Design & Build, headquartered in St. Louis, which performs architecture, engineering and program management/construction management services nationwide. Kennedy took on a project to interview construction and city leaders to get their perspectives and used his own funds to distribute a professionally produced video. He chairs the Associated General Contractors Diversity Committee.

At the Airport’s Disadvantaged Business Office, Yancey partnered with the Minority Contractors Initiative and Cross Rhodes Reprographics to focus on accessing opportunities from the private sector. As a team, they identified the coding required by the private sector to successfully bid on architectural and design projects. She began a training program to educate and empower disadvantage businesses to bid work under the appropriate codes at no cost to them.

CEO

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consistent with our values, but we have not yet reviewed or interviewed any candidates.

We will be seeking applicants for the next few weeks, and then will begin talking with the most promising potential candidates early in the spring. Based on inquiries to date, we anticipate having many outstanding individuals to consider for this position.

We want to emphasize that this is a wide-open, wide-ranging search process. We welcome and expect very good candidates for this position to come from many different avenues – other social service organizations, business, community activism, government, education, other Urban League affiliates, nonprofits or foundations.

We have no preconceptions about our new leader, except that he or she needs to share our values and possess strong leadership skills to further strengthen the Urban League’s position as a leading advocate for and service provider to African-Americans and others in the St. Louis region.

For 28 years the Urban League has been blessed with the commitment and skill of a truly remarkable leader. The St. Louis community and this agency deserve a new leader who is just as remarkable who can lead not just the Urban League but the St. Louis community to a new level of progress, economic advancement, and inclusion in the years to come.

We will leave no stone unturned as we seek another true gem to lead the St. Louis Urban League. We hope that the community will help us by encouraging outstanding individuals with the right leadership and administrative skills to put their hats in the ring for this position. If you are a stellar candidate, I urge you to contact Joe Wiley at Quest Management Consultants (314) 453-999 or www.questmc.com.

Debra Denham is chair of the Board of Directors and chair of the CEO Search Committee for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Michael Kennedy of KAI Design & Build,Marie Yancey of Lambert-St.Louis International Airport and

Nicole Adewale of ABNA Engineering were among those awarded by St.Louis Council of Construction Consumers for diversity advocacy.

St. Louis Smart Set members enjoyed a Brazilian Brunch and Samba dancing lessons at the popular Coco Louco Restaurant Bar and Grill on Sunday, January 13. The Samba dance lessons and demonstration were presented by Sergio Correia and Company. Smart Setters had a grand time with lots of fun and laughter. The Brazilian brunch offering was delicious.

A few seen samba dancing with Sergio after brunch included Victor and Delores Roberts Paula Knight James and Donna Knight, Richard and Johnetta Clements Bettye and Jonathan Reed, Alison Nash, Lauren Ming, Dave and Joyce Price, Mary Olivia Polk Luther Rollins, Mary A. Polk Bernadette Officer Kathy Surratt-States, Jeralyn Williams

James, Dianne Williams Powell, Ivie Clay Sugar Smith

Gail and Wendell Allmon Angela Brown Don McCullin Lynn Kennedy, Robin Smith Patel Snookie Robinson, Homer Nash, Roselyn Kirkland, Georgia Rusan and Lisl Williams Watkins

“Just Ten” is a social club, a group of ladies who have been together for more than 20 years. This lively troop celebrated the upcoming New Year at the lovely North County home of Edythe Granberry. Clam chowder soup, chitterlings and many yummy dishes kept the members happy and hearty. The Just Ten club mission is Fun and Friendship. What a novel idea. Just Ten members are Earciel Canaan, Doris Reece, Betty Griffin, Alberniece Fagan, Mrynae Miller, Shelia Word, Johni Ola Spencer, Rosalyn England-Henry, Edythe Granberry and Marilyn (Snookie) Hicks. According to Potpourri correspondent Gwen Key, Marilyn Hicks is President but is soon to be impeached.

St. Louisans should be proud to boast that we probably lead the pack in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations across the country. So many to choose from and this year the celebrations began on January

Check out this week’s PARTYLINE Page C8

By Kenya Vaughn Of The ST. Louis American

“Outside the music, Murph is just a cool brother and we were already working on a mix tape together,” rapper Keem said. “And so when I told him I was trying to do an event for my birthday, he told me he had his live band and said, ‘Why not do it together?’”

So on Sunday night that’s exactly what they will do. Murphy Lee and Keem (formerly Hakeem Tha Dream) will take the stage with a live band

and hip-hop that is so St. Louis for an event Keem is calling “Pimerica Live.”

“People can expect an exciting performance from two of the premiere artists from the town,” Keem said.

“And it’s my birthday, so I definitely want to put on for me and people and rep St. Louis the right way. Us coming together, I just feel like it’s a good move to show our unity and bringing good music to the city.” For more than a decade – both as

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“Don’t limit yourself,” said Sharon Denise Julien, executive director of R.O.S.E. “God is trying to bless you, but you have to be willing to take your trash and turn it into treasure.”

And with her St. Louis debut, Julien used her God-given gift for fashion to prove herself true.

the only remnants of recognition as the models ripped the runway in Julien’s designs.

Julien had accomplished with multi-colored Hefty bags, paper mache and faux fur what some designers couldn’t pull off with the highest end of professional fabrics. She made garbage bags look good! Blinged out, grommets, a-lines, jumpsuits and cocktail dresses were displayed as the audience exploded with delight and awe.

The familiar sound of rattling garbage bags echoed from backstage as the organizers tried with all of their might to strategically place the audience that overflowed into the foyer. But the noise and glossy texture were

The theme of the show is a metaphor of what she does at home in California through her organization. Through a 10-week program for at-risk young women,

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Making a name for yourself in St. Louis as an independent producing director is anything but easy. Doing so as an immigrant from Kenya with no institutional affiliation of any kind makes it even harder. But Martin Sophia keeps pushing himself, posing new challenges. In his new show It Wasn’t I! (which plays January 25-27 at The Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd.), Sophia set himself the challenge of directing a

Julien teaches them how to make a blessing out of their mess and the fashion show is the culmination. The show has traveled to New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Birmingham before making its St. Louis debut thanks in part to the financial literacy and accounting organization Scattered Seeds.

But it was apparent as she introduced herself that the purpose of the evening’s festivities were much more about faith than fashion. Hallelujahs echoed from the audience

thriller for the first time.

“The challenge is when you to capture the audience’s attention and give them something to think about during and after a show. That is a challenge I readily accepted,” Sophia said. “This is actually my first thriller I have directed. This time around I will not be on stage much, since I wanted to really concentrate on directing and also be part of the operating the sound and music for the play.”

See THEATRE, C4

that squeezed into one of the Sheraton Clayton’s ballrooms. Faith and community leaders sat next to fashionistas, both equally eager to see what the evening would bring.

Unlike the typical runway show, a testimony would start the festivities for the “We Walk By Faith” fashion experience.

Julien spoke of the tragic turn of events that left her disabled at 18. A car accident following a successful

Gail Allmon, Mary O. Polk, MD., Jeralyn Williams James and Judge Kathy Surratt-States at Coco Louco Brazil

Photo by Wendell Allmon

Dana G. Randolph

Director and cast of It Wasn’t I!. Back row: Martin Sophia, Tom Ayers. Front row: Sarah Hirshfield, Kathleen Moody, Howie Hirshfield.

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Jan. 26, 8 p.m. doors, Café Soul presents Fusion starring Kurtis Blow, TheParagon, 1911 Locust. For more information, call (314) 504-7405.

Fri., Feb. 8, 7 & 10 p.m., AsacrGroup presents PreValentine’s Day Exclusive feat. Eddie Levert. Special guests Ray, Goodman & Brown. Starlight Room, 8350 N. Broadway, 63147. For more information, call (314) 4564826 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Feb. 9, 11 a.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Kim Massie. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900.

Wed. Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m. & 9:15 p.m., Jokes and Jazz Productions Presents a PreValenties Special Evening with national recording artist Chrisette Michele, Comedian Special K of the Rickey Smiley Show and other special guests. Lumiere Hotel, 999 N. 2nd Street. For more info: 314289-8180.

Fri., Feb. 15, 8 p.m., New Jack Swing Valentine Jam featuring Dru Hill, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Guy, SWV, and Al B Sure, Chaifetz Arena. Tickets available at MetroTix.com, by phone at 314-534-1111 and at the Chaifetz Arena Box Office.

local gigs

Fri., Jan. 25th and Jan., 26, 7:30pm & 9:30pm., Jazz St. Louis Presents LamarHarris w/ trumpeterDawn Weber& The Chris McBride’s QuatuorDe Force, Jazz at The Bistro, 3536 Washington Boulevard, Saint Louis MO, 63103. Tickets available at all Metrotix Outlets 314-534-1111 or Jazz St. Louis 314-2894030.

Tue., Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m., Jazz St. Louis presents Robin Eubanks with Dave Holland Quintet. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 531-1012 or visit www.jazzstl.org.

Sat., Feb. 2, 4 p.m., The Friends of Scott Joplin and Trinity Episcopal Church present Bryan Wright. Aconcert of ragtime and early jazz (stride) piano, also including novelty works and Mr. Wright’s own compositions. Trinity Episcopal Church, 600 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 852-4735.

special events

Thur., Jan. 24, 6 p.m., Hazelwood Festival of Nations. Hazelwood students from five continents celebrate diversity. Students from 17 nations will feature booths for guests to sample food, participate in games, and view cultural artifacts from their respective countries. Hazelwood West High School, 1 Wildcat Lane, 63042. For more information, call (314) 953-7231.

Jan. 24 – 27, Peabody Opera House presents Sesame Street Live – Can’t Stop Singing 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 499-7600.

Jan. 24 – 27, St. Louis Auto Dealers Association presents St. Louis Auto Show. America’s Center and Edward Jones Dome, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, call (314) 822-0333.

Fri., Jan. 25, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library presents Black History Month Kick-Off. Miss Robbie Montgomery owns three soul food restaurants in St. Louis and is the star of the top rated

CALENDAR

television program, “Welcome to Sweetie Pies.” St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh, 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

Jan. 25 – 26, University of Missouri St. Louis presents Moulin Rouge The Ballet. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 534-6622.

Jan. 25 – 27, 11th Annual St. Louis Food and Wine Experience. Guests will be thrilled by the many options presented over the weekend. The VIPReserve Room is an oasis of wine for experienced and novice connoisseurs that cannot be missed. The Chase Park Plaza Hotel, 212 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 968-4925.

Jan 26 – 27, Circus Harmony presents Capriccio: ALively Vaudevilliam Performance. City Museum, 701 N. 15th St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 436-7676.

Sun., Jan. 27, 3 p.m., St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church presents Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration/Essay Contest. Reading of winning essays and award presentations, with special guest Bonita

Cornute of Channel 2 News. 1118 North Grand Blvd., 63106. For more information, call (314) 382-9545.

Mon., Jan. 28, 6 p.m., “King, Montgomery To Memphis,” St. Louis Public Library presents a documentary screening that traces the life of Dr. King with newsreel and television footage. Julia Davis Branch Library, 4415 Natural Bridge Avenue.

Tues., Jan. 29, 7 p.m., 7th Ward Independent Democrats host State of the Union Watch Party. Arcelia’s Mexican, 1928 S. 11th St., 63104. For more information, call (314) 436-5311.

Sat., Feb. 2, 8 a.m., The RitzCarlton presents Cooking Class forValentine’s Day. The event is a day of hands-on instruction and preparation of cuddly cuisine specifically designed for Valentine’s Day. Reservations required. 100 Carondelet Plaza, 63105. For more information, call (314) 719-1433.

Sat., Feb. 2, 8 p.m., ResponderRescue presents 2013 King’s Ball. Black tie (optional) Mardi Gras ball with a silent auction, open bar, entertainment, and more. All proceeds benefit Responder Rescue, an organization that provides assistance to area first responders. Ameristar Casino,

call (314) 830-3550. Wed., Jan. 30, 7 p.m., Friends of the University City Public Library hosts an evening with authorTerry BakerMulligan who will read from herbook, Sugar Hill: Where the sun rose over Harlem: Amemoir. Ms. Mulligan was born and raised on Sugar Hill in Harlem. She lives in St. Louis and in May 2012 won an Independent Publishers Award for adult multicultural nonfiction for her memoir. For further information: Patrick Wall, 727-3150, pjwall@ucpl.lib.mo.us.

Wed., Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books CWE hosts author Carl Rollyson, author of American Isis: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath. 399 Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731.

1260 S. Main St., 63301. For more information, call (314) 627-0700.

Sat., Feb. 2, 9 p.m., Super Smooth presents Rising Icons Glitz & GlamourAffair. The Coliseum Music Lounge, 2619 Washington Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 456-6662 or (314) 368-7647.

Fri., Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m., MidCounty Family YMCA hosts Daddy DaughterDance. Dads bring your daughters, ages 2-12, out for the date of the year. 1900 Urban Dr., 63144. For more information, call (314) 963-8689.

literary

Sat., Jan. 26, 10 a.m. & 1 p.m., Kirkwood Kumon Centerand Reading Habitat presents Forthe Love of Books: AReading Adventure forChildren and Parents. A Storybook Adventure that explores stories through dramatic play, games, & a makeand-take craft. 134 West Madison Ave., 63122. For more information, call (314) 835-1316.

Sat., Jan. 26, 6 p.m., Barnes and Noble hosts author Steve Goreham author of The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Climate Change. The first book on climate change that is fun to read. The Shops at Cross Keys, 13995 New Halls Ferry Rd., 63033. For more information,

Fri., Jan. 25, 6 p.m., Memories of the Future Gallery Opening. This exhibition highlights the powerful artwork of a mother and daughter pair and explores the symbiotic relationship between artistic creation and the healing process. Free and open to the public through March 3, 2013. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Fri., Jan. 25, 5 p.m., Webster University Annual Photography Faculty Exhibition Opening Reception. Featuring the work of twenty-three Webster University faculty members, from the campuses in Cha’Am (Thailand), Geneva, Leiden, London, St. Louis and Vienna. The exhibit will go to February 22. The May Gallery, Webster University, 8300 Big Bend Blvd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 246-7673. Fri., Jan. 25, 6 p.m., Gateway Gallery presents Room with a View. Exhibit will feature paintings and images of views from the home of resident artist Deborah A. Williams, who lives among the fields and farms of Millstadt, IL. 21 N. Bemiston Ave., 63105. For more information, call (314) 402-1959.

Thur., Jan. 31, 7 p.m., The PulitzerFoundation forthe Arts presents An Artist Talk with Zina Saro-Wiwa. The artist will discuss her work on view at the Pulitzer along with other projects and video works. Aconversation with the

Asacr Group presents Pre-Valentine’s Day Exclusive feat.Eddie LeVert.See CONCERTS for details.

artist and local African Studies scholars will follow. 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 754-1589.

Fri., Jan. 25, 6 p.m., St. Louis Art Museum hosts Gallery Talk: Mid-Century American Painting and Graphic Culture. Join us in the galleries for a lively and informative discussion with DB Dowd, Professor of Communication Design, Washington University in St. Louis. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 721-0072.

theatre

Through Jan 27, Metro TheaterCompany presents Jackie and Me. An exciting play that illuminates Jackie Robinson’s courage and dignity in the face of cruel racial prejudice, Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, call (314) 935-6543.

Through Feb. 3, The Black Repertory Theatre presents The Piano Lesson. In Depression-era Pittsburgh a family strives to hold on to its history. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, 63108. For more information, call (314) 534-1834 or visit www.metrotix.com

Jan. 30 – 31, 9:30 a.m., Theatre IV presents I Have a Dream. The phenomenal impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is chronicled in this compelling dramatization of the life and times of one of the most charismatic leaders of the “American Century.” Florissant Civic Center Theatre, One James J. Eagan Dr., 63033. For more information, call (800) 275-5005.

Feb. 1 – 2, Black Anthology presents Metro. Written, directed, and performed by current Washington University students. Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, call (314) 935-6543.

Feb. 1 – 3, COCAFamily Theatre Series presents Guess How Much I Love You and I Love my Little Storybook. An eager little bunny lies on the grass, opens his book and –within moments – the story comes alive in fascinating detail. For ages 3+. COCA, 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 725-6555.

Through Feb. 3, The Black Repertory Theatre presents

The Piano Lesson. In Depression-era Pittsburgh a family strives to hold on to its history. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, 63108. For more information, call (314) 534-1834 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Fri., Feb. 8, 8 p.m., COCA presents Continuing the Legacy. This show uses dance as a vehicle to take audience members through black history – from slavery to the jazz era, through the civil rights movement, to modern times. Performers include members of COCAdance. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 725-6555.

Feb. 8 – 10, St. Louis Ballet presents Romeo & Juliet There will also be a pre-performance opening night gala at 6:00pm on February 8th in the Touhill lobby. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5164949 or email becky@stlouisballet.org.

lectures

Thur., Jan. 24, 5:30 p.m., CareerManagement: Investing in St. Louis Young Professionals. Apanel of experienced HR professionals and Executive hiring managers discusses how area companies are creating the opportunity to keep diverse talent from fleeing the marketplace. Wells Fargo Advisors, One N. Jefferson Ave., 63103.

Sat., Jan. 26, 9 a.m., Community Workshop on Early Learning & Parent Involvement. Parents and caregivers of infants, toddlers and preschoolers are invited to learn ways to promote school readiness at home, hear best practices on supporting their children’s development, and garner need-to-know information about early learning initiatives in Missouri. RSVP Required. Breakfast and Child Care Provided. Youth & Family Center, 818 Cass Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 383-1733.

Jan. 16, 9 a.m. Davis Associates, CPApresents a Church Accounting & Clergy Tax Seminar, The Heights, 8001 Dale Avenue, Richmond Heights, Missouri 63117. Registration and continental breakfast begins at 8:45 a.m. For more information, call (314) 653-0008 or visit www.DavisAssociatesCPA.co m

Sat., Jan. 26, 9:15 p.m.,

Understanding Financial Statements. Understanding a company’s financial performance makes it possible to make strategic adjustments in order to improve cash flow and impact profits. SCORE Kirkwood Office, 333 S. Kirkwood Rd., 63122. For more information or to register, call (314) 539-6600 or visit www.stlouis.score.org.

Sat., Jan. 26, 4 p.m., Dr. Richard King lectures on “Is Melanin AKey To Freedom?” Pajoma, 3935 Enright Ave. Call 618-9778191 or 314-877-9252 for information.

Sat., Jan. 26, 10 a.m., St. Louis Public Libraries hosts Free ACTPractice Exam. Students Must Pre-Register and are required to bring two (2) sharpened #2 Pencils and a Calculator. Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-4120.

Sat., Jan. 26, 10 a.m., Southern Mission Baptist Church hosts Income Taxes Prepared forFree. Income taxes prepared for free by IRS employees and volunteers. Saturdays only through April 13. Call to leave your name and number and someone will call to let you know what date and time is available. 8171 Wesley Ave., 63140. For more information, call (314) 521-

Sat., Jan. 26, 11 a.m., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Zeta Sigma Chapter presents Dr. George Washington Carver’s Vision forthe future: S.T.E.M. This year’s program will feature successful members of the community who are currently in S.T.E.M. related positions. Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club, 2901 N. Grand Blvd., 63107. For more information, call (314) 560-2530.

Thur., Jan. 31, 5 p.m., University of Missouri St. Louis presents Glen S. Fukushima. Aglobal trade scholar, Mr. Fukushima will speak on “Resetting U.S. Policy in Asia: Implications for Japan. Millennium Student Center, UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4346.

health

Fri., Jan. 25, 8 a.m., SSM St. Joseph Health Center presents Healthy Heart Screening. Full heart health screening that includes: total Cholesterol, HDL& LDLcholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure, BMI and body fat percentage. Screenings are $20. 300 1st Capitol Dr., 63302. For more information and to register, call 1-(866) 776-3627.

Sat., Jan. 26, Superfood Sample Fest and Healthy Living Expo, featuring more than 15 sample stations with over 40 items to sample. With recipes, demonstrations and coupons you’ll find out how easy and delicious it is to include superfoods in your diet. Schnucks Des Peres, 12332 Manchester Rd., 63131.

For more information, call (314) 965-3094.

Wed., Jan. 30, 3 p.m., SSM Rehabilitation Hospital One-YearAnniversary & Community Blood Pressure Screenings. Open house with free blood pressure screenings, along with information on “The Stroke Survivors Network.” DePaul Hospital Campus,12380 DePaul Dr., 63044. For more information, call (314) 348-3421.

Sat., Feb. 2, 11 a.m., GreaterSt. Louis Dental Society presents Dinosaur Doings. Visit with Sam the Smilosaurus, Tooth Fairy, Magical Dragon, Dr. Ted E. Bear and Delta Dental Panda Bear. For the kids, bring us your OLD toothbrush and receive a NEW LIGHT-UPtoothbrush! St. Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 569-0444.

Sat., Jan. 26, 10 a.m., Medinah Temple #39 & Medinah Court #15 present 21st Annual Unity Prayer Breakfast. Norman K. Probstein Golf Course, 6141 Lagoon Dr., 63112. For more information, call (314) 583-4961.

Fri., Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m., Cedric Shannon Rives presents Superbowl Gospel Fest 2013. Featuring Oscar Williams Jr, Gateway Restoration Choir, and more. Gateway Area Bible Fellowship, 85 Water St., East St. Louis, IL, 62206. For more information, call (314) 252-8864.

Feb. 3, 5:30 p.m., The Beloved Community Church is presenting Superbowl Sunday, 3115 Park, Saint Louis, MO 63104. For more information call (314) 771-7703

Jazz St.Louis presents Lamar Harris w/ trumpeter Dawn Weber & Chris

McBride’s Quatuor De Force.See LOCAL GIGS for more information.

‘Uncle Charlie’ in STL

R&B icon Charlie Wilson made no secret of his love for St. Louis when he returned to town as the headliner for Majic 100.3’s Inauguration Jam Saturday night at the Fox Theatre with special guest Mint Condition. He brought the house down as soon as he arrived on stage by way of his ‘funk train’ and fans stayed on their feet while he performed hits that ranged from Gap Band classics to his more recent tunes like “Charlie, Last Name Wilson” and “There Goes My Baby.”

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

POTPOURRI

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11in the Wool Ballroom/ Busch Student Center at St. Louis University. The well attended program featured President and CEO/Trumpet Awards Foundation, Xernona Clayton Father Donald Highberger, Rev. E.G. Shields St. Louis’ Honorable Michael McMillan Rabbi Susan Talve and D.C. Cooper Entertainment was provided by the St. Alphonsus Rock Church Choir and Sylvester Lee

St. Louis University’s Office of Admissions would like to remind incoming freshman of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship. The application deadline is February1. Please contact St. Louis University‘s admissions office for additional information.

There are three chapters of Links, Inc. in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Gateway Chapter of the Links Inc. recently celebrated an evening of Glitz and Glamour in the well-appointed RitzCarlton ballroom. Chapter President Joann HamiltonParks praised Cheryl Jones and committee for a job well done. Cheryl’s committee included Gloria Reno, Florence Gillespie, Rose Coleman, Bonnie Gipson, Karen Douglas and Mary Attyberry Polk.

The evening was a celebration honoring the chapter’s charter members. The chapter was organized 26 years ago by Lillian Adams Parks Lillian introduced charter

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young brothers put on, and it’s no hate in his blood.”

And it’s going to be nothing but STL love when the two take the stage. Keem promises “two premiere artists from the crib who are keeping it honest and solid with the music and keeping it genuine and working hard and bringing a live band.”

Keem was grateful when “Thick Wit It” caught fire, but he wants the world to know that he’s more than just a club rapper.

“I’m blessed to have that record and appreciate the support I got for that record, so I’m never going to dismiss it,”

THEATRE

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It Wasn’t I! tells the story of Maggie, a flight attendant who lives in an isolated house. She has invited several of her friends to celebrate her birthday: Ann, another flight attendant, engaged to Steve; Jenny, a neighbor who is later joined by her husband Peter; and Terry, a pilot and Maggie’s latest lover – or is he? Lastly, Martin comes in unannounced, saying he has a painting for Maggie. The

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first year of college left her with physical challenges, but she reminded the crowd that through faith she has been able to rise above the circumstances of her injuries.

“I’m here in St. Louis to encourage you,” Julien said.

“Whatever option the devil is trying to get you to accept that doesn’t give you a promising future, just reject it and say, ‘No deal.’”

She spoke being led to create her unique “fashion ministry.”

“God said to me, ‘Here’s what the deal is, you are going to make outfits out of trash bags. You are going to go into these cities and do these shows for free,’” Julien said.

She said God continued, “‘All you have to do is tell them what I’ve done for you.

members Frances Gooden, Johnetta Haley, Judy WoodsWilliams, Belma Givens, Ruth Lewis, Gloria Patterson, Joyce Humphries, Rosalee Johnson and PC Gwen Key Mary A. Polk was given special recognition. The charter members were treated with special accolades. Kay Royster and Cheryl Cole Young, presidents of the St. Louis and the Archway Link’s chapters were introduced. The Plush Band provided the dancing music.

Other chapter members in attendance included Valerie Bell, Frances (Cookie) Whitfield, Kim Smith, Adrianne Bracy, Stacey Edwards, Cleo Figgures, Tavis Taylor, Velma Stewart and Cheryl Polk. Pink and Blue or Pink or

Keem said. “But a lot of people did think I was just one record and a lot of the judging was based on ‘oh, you another St. Louis rapper with one record.’”

With his latest mix tape Made in America and his PiMo Entertainment label, Keem hopes to showcase his growth and depth as an artist.

“People want to hear me talk about my real life, and I’m giving them that more and more,” Keem said. “I love everybody that supported ‘Thick Wit It’ and that’s all love, but I know it’s bigger than that.”

He wants his next success wave to be built on the buzz of a solid body of work –something he feels is essential for keeping STL on the hip-hop map.

“Not just going for a radio

only problem is that Maggie is nowhere to be found. Her guests become increasingly uneasy, and tensions start to develop between them. “As the story enfolds, the celebrations take a sinister turn,” Sophia said, “and we learn the guests are a mixture of innocent and strange and ... dangerous.”

After the challenge of rehearsing and staging the production comes an even more formidable challenge in St. Louis, a city with more live theater than live theater supporters: drawing a crowd to watch it.

“The challenge still remains in St Louis of

And after you tell them what

I’ve done for you, just tell them you would like to pray for them because somebody prayed for you.’”

And so she did.

“Where God gives vision, he gives provision,” Julien said.

“I can give you money, but

n “God said to me, ‘Here’s what the deal is, you are going to make outits out of trash bags.’”

– Sharon Denise Julien

money won’t last. I can give you an entertaining evening, but entertaining evenings won’t last. The greatest gift that God has given us is to pray for one another.” With an “amen,” the fashion

Blue attire is required for the upcoming fund-raising event to be hosted by Alyson Singfield and Darryl Moore on February 15. The party will be held at Friends “A Meeting Place” and a percentage of the proceeds will go to a college student who has a parent living with or has survived cancer. Music, hors d’oeuvres, prizes and surprises will highlight the evening.

This is sure to be a good oldfashioned old-school party so email mwj925@yahoo.com to support this worthy cause. Congratulations to President Barack Obama, our 57th President! Happy Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday week, Contact Dana Grace at dgrandolph@live.com.

spin or a club spin, but getting to the meat and potatoes of what an artist is truly supposed to be,” Keem said.

“That’s what it’s going to take – and not being complacent with just getting a little love here and that’s the end of it. It’s a big world that we have to try and get our music to.” In the meantime he wants to use Sunday night to get the city excited about what he and Murph have to offer.

“We’re trying to give St. Louis something that is not too common here,” Keem said. “He’s keeping him and I’m keeping it me.” Pimerica Live starring Keem and Murphy Lee will take place on Sun., Jan. 27, 7 p.m. at The Loft, 3112 Olive. For more info, visit www.pimerica.net.

getting an audience, but I still continue to push on,” Sophia said. “Everyone can dream. I say as long as you are dreaming, dream big that someday all the hard work and effort will pay off. The inner satisfaction is there.”

The play is written by British author Brian Cook, though Sophia adapted it for the American stage.

Show times are 7 p.m. Friday, January 25, and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, January 26 and Sunday, January 27. Tickets are $15 advance, $20 at the door. For tickets, call 314-757-4527 or visit http://martinsentertainment.

commenced – and it was a sight to behold. Colors, textures, accessories, coupled with unique lines and structure, made the bags all but unrecognizable as they elegantly paid tribute to current style trends and classic looks, ranging from the little black dress to colorful jumpers that pay tribute to the 1980s “anything goes” style of fashion that’s currently all the rage. But the showcase of trashturned-fashion was bigger than just paying homage to hot styles. By showcasing designs stitched together by garbage bags, the women were actually adorned in potential – and the notion that with faith all things are possible.

“God has given us all something to do,” Julien said. “And as I look at this trash bag fashion show, I am amazed at what God has blessed me to do with a common trash bag.”

Victor and Delores Roberts at Coco Louco Brazil

Photo by Wendell Allmon

What’s so funny about slavery?

Tarantino’s ‘Django’ disappoints –and enrages

By Deborah Allen

For The St. Louis American

Slavery is anything but humorous. In watching Django Unchained, I grimaced and recoiled at the unchallenged display of frivolity and buffoonery.

I’m sorry to say that I was greatly disappointed in Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Don Johnson and the film’s writer and director, Quentin Tarantino. This film pushed race relations in this country back another 50 years. The trailer looked as if it were going to be a non-fiction version of the horror of slavery. But following the plot, I was left with unrealized characters, blatant disrespect of history, spaghetti western-style killings, and raw sadness toward people who should know the roots of the country they live in better.

Let me assure you, there will never be such a joking display of Jewish-American history. Never. Further, there will never be such an ugly disrespect of Bosnian History or Islamic History.

I wanted to find a moment when the utter dread of black

people at the hands of white slave owners in the antebellum South would ring true. There were a few: the black men fighting to the death on the living room floor like animals; the runaway slave who did not want to fight anymore and was torn to shreds by dogs; the evacuation of Keri Washington’s character, Broomhilda, from a slave box, naked, frightened and horrified. After two-plus hours of cinema magic, millions of dollars, excess overkill of the dead, and far too many laugh scenes, I could have puked. How dare anyone think it is okay to laugh at slavery?

How dare anyone think that gun tricks and horse dancing is a true portrait of what my ancestors’ survived in the face of slavery? How dare Hollywood diminish slavery and its victims to the level of a joke?

Black people should ask themselves why slavery is

Authors @ Your Library

so easily sold to the funniest bidder.

If you decide to view Django, remember that millions of slaves died only because they were black and therefore treated as commerce and property, not human. Please don’t let the fact that we are better off today lull you into a false sense of security. Voting rights were an issue in 2012, remember?

Some would say this is only a movie. I doubt there will ever be mainstream cinematic attempts to mock, belittle or erase Sandy Hook, Columbine, Aurora, Portland or Virginia Tech. White actors no longer have to don blackface to belittle or demean slavery or the offspring of slaves. Hollywood has found the formula for my brothers and sisters to selfdestruct.

Deborah Allen is a professor at Lindenwood University and St. Louis Community College.

Treasures of Africa and the Diaspora

As we begin the New Year, I am reminded of the Sankofa. Visually and symbolically, Sankofa is expressed as a mythic bird that flies forward while looking backward with an egg (symbolizing the future) in its mouth. Derived from King Adinkera of the Akan people of West Africa, Sankofa teaches that “in order to understand our present and ensure our future, we must know our past.” As many schools and cultural institutions prepare for Black History Month, the Saint Louis Art Museum kicked off its celebration of African and African American art and culture last week with its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Freedom Celebration and programs and events designed to educate, enlighten and excite visitors of all ages continues throughout the year.

three visionaries: Sadé Turnipseed, Tullia Brown Hamilton Ph.D., and John Rozelle. Sadé Turnipseed, founder of Khafre, Inc and cultural arts advocate, will share her vision to erect a monument in honor of cotton pickers of America. Dr. Tullia Brown Hamilton will discuss her recent book, Up from Canaan: The African American Journey from Mound Bayou to St. Louis, and visual artist John Rozelle will present his body of work inspired by America’s South.

Join us on Friday, February 1at 7:00 pm for a stimulating conversation with Dr. Ruth Iyob who will take Museum visitors on a riveting journey back through time as she examines the African Diaspora eastward. Dr. Iyob, Associate Professor and Research Fellow in the Center for International Studies, University of Missouri – St. Louis, will discuss the systematic exclusion of persons of African descent in art history. She asserts that historical, political, and economic roles of Blacks have been largely replaced by stereotypical images of the servant and the exotic other. Dr. Iyob will address the role of Museums and other cultural institutions as “Memory Prisons”—places that ignore the lives of the many Africans who shaped the Afro-Mediterranean world.

Each Sunday throughout the year the Art Museum offers free Family Sunday programs from 1 to 4 pm. With monthly themes sure to inspire artistic learning and fun, we invite the whole family to join us in February to take a trip across the African continent. Come and discover treasures from the Kingdom of Benin, ceremonial objects from Sierra Leone and Cameroon, and fabulous costumes from Nigeria. For more information and a full listing of community programs at the Saint Louis Art Museum, please email renee.franklin@slam. org; call 314-655-5437 or visit www.slam.org.

Slaves, Moors, and Kings: Images of Blackness in European Art

Friday, Feb 1, 7:00 – 8:00 pm –Lecture and Discussion FREE

J. Rixey Ruffin

February 2 • 10 a.m. • Buder 4401 Hampton Ave. 63109 • $ ‡

J. Rixey Ruffin discusses and signs his new book, A Paradise of Reason: William Bentley and Enlightenment Christianity in the Early Republic.

Books available for purchase courtesy of the author.

$ ‡

Professor Iyob specializes in the study of conflict-resolution, postcolonial citizenship, and Diaspora politics and economies of the regions straddling the Afro-Mediterranean and Horn of Africa. Dr. Iyob has authored several books and received international recognition for her books on Sudan and Eritrea.

Susan McBride

February 13 • 7 p.m. • Central Auditorium 1301 Olive St. 63103 • $ ‡

Books available for purchase courtesy of Subterranean Books.

Melanie Benjamin discusses and signs her new book, The Aviator’s Wife. Books available for purchase courtesy of Left Bank Books. Charles Wheelan

February 21 • 7 p.m. • Central Auditorium 1301 Olive St. 63103 • $ ‡

Charles Wheelan discusses and signs

Carol A. Daniel

February 27 • 7 p.m. • Central Auditorium 1301 Olive St. 63103 • $ ‡

Carol A. Daniel discusses and signs her new book, All I Ever Wanted: Relationships, Marriage, Family.

Books available for purchase courtesy of Left Bank Books.

History Month Keynote Address. A book signing follows. The event is FREE. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis.

Books available for purchase courtesy of Amber Books.

Susan McBride discusses and signs her new book, The Truth about Love and Lightning.

Continuing to learn from our past, the Art Museum will host a half-day panel discussion on February 16 on a subject that is familiar to many who migrated from Mississippi to St. Louis. Freida L. Wheaton, J.D. Museum commissioner and private gallery owner, will welcome

Root & Migration: Celebrating Art and History of the Mississippi Delta Saturday, Feb 16, 9:00 am – 12:30 – Lecture and Discussion FREE Email bearden@slam.org or call 314-655-5444 to reserve your space

For more information and a complete listing of programs at the Saint Louis Art Museum, please visit www.slam.org.

Ruth Iyob, Ph. D.

Deborah Allen

New grad!

Congratulations to Alana M. Flowers who recently completed her B.Ain Communications at the University of Missouri. Alana completed her undergrad career with a 3.5 GPAand a recipient of the Department of Communication Curators Scholarship. She was also the President of MizFITs: Mizzou Families Involved Together, as her threeyear-old daughter accompanied her during her undergrad years at Mizzou. We were so proud to see you and Addyson walk across that stage!

Reunions

All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Jennings High School Class of 1973, Planning is in progress for the 40th reunion to be held next summer. For more information see the Facebook Group: Jennings

High School Class of 72 73 and 74, and the Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group /jenningsclassof73/. Email: jenningsclassof1973@yahoo.c om to update your contact information to ensure you will receive all reunion updates.

Jennings Class of 1983 alumni, we are in the process of planning our 30th class reunion. We are looking for the Warriors ‘83. Facebook: Jennings High School Class of 1983, 30th Reunion. For more information contact Yolonda FountainHenderson (La La) at 314-868-2761 or Carmen Ford Keaton at 314-363-5172.

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Birthdays

Happy 10th Birthday Darius T. Humbles on Jan. 28! You are the most intelligent, loving, caring and grandson ever. We love you so much and thank God for blessing us with the most precious gift of all….You!

Happy 65th Birthday on Jan. 22to my awesome mommy Andrea Ihekoronye. Thank you for inspiring me to be a better person everyday! You are amazing and I pray that the Lord blesses you with many more years here with me on this earth! Love you!

A’isha

Happy 42nd Birthday

Alderwoman Marla Smith on January 24. You Go Girl! 35 pounds look good off you!

Happy Birthday to Tyrone L. Jones III, who will celebrate his 4th birthday on Jan. 27. We love you!

Daddy Tyrone Jr., Granny Carolyn, Grandpa Tyrone Sr. & Auntie Tyeysha

Nehemiah Hagens III (5)— January 25

Leon and Deon Adkins (19)— January 27

SumnerHigh School Class of 1963 is seeking all classmates for its 50th Class Reunion June 14 - 16, 2013 at Sheraton Westport Chalet, 900 Westport Plaza. You may contact any of the following classmates: Jacqueline Vanderford @ 314.265.9541 email: jvanderford63@att.net, John Abram @ 314.276.0741 email: AbramJD50@aol.com, Camillia Banks email: camibanks@gmail.com, or Terri Cobb @ 314.868.0233.

Vashon High School, Class of 1978 will be celebrating its 35th year reunion July 19-21, 2013. Please contact Zaro

McPherson (314) 285-3350, or Vareda Madison at (314) 3815250 or geddyupgang@yahoo.com. Please leave name and number.

West Side M. B. Church youth during the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s, a special reunion is being planned “just for you”. The reunion will be heldApril 26- April 28, 2013. We are currently in the process of updating our contact information. Please call Jacqueline (Perry) Williams at 314-368-3128: email jw611@sbcglobal.net or e-mail Barbara (Wiley) Spears at bjwspears@yahoo.comwith your current name, address,

phone contact, and e-mail address. Also indicate if you are interested in participating in this great event! If you have the contact information for others that may have moved away from West Side or out of the St. Louis area, please provide us with that as well.

Normandy High School Class of 1983 alumni, we would like to start planning our 30th class reunion. For more information, contact Normandy83vikings@ gmail.com or Facebook: Normandy Vikings Class of 1983.

FREE OF CHARGE

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

Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 4242 Lindell Ave St. Louis, MO 63108

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

Darius T.Humbles Andrea Ihekoronye

Tyrone L.Jones III

Marla Smith

Religion

COGIC gives $50K to churches hurt by Sandy

FRONT: Pastor Thomas Michael, Sr. (New Redeemed Pentecostal Temple COGIC, Atlantic City, NJ); Pastor Buddy Williams (Gethsemane COGIC, Inwood, NY); Pastor James Pelt (Highway COGIC, Far Rockaway, NY); Dr. Sylvia Green-Testamark (Community COGIC, Arvene, NY); Pastor Mark Beavers (Harvest on the Atlantic-Soul Stirring COGIC, Island Park, NY); Pastor Bennie Moorer (Bethlehem COGIC, Rockaway Beach, NY). REAR (L-R): Pastor Simeon Harris (Living Proof COGIC, Bayshore, NY); Superintendent James Pullings, Jr. (Disaster Relief Coordinator); Bishop Frank O. White (General Board Member); Bishop Frank Anthone White (Financial Secretary, COGIC); Pastor John E. Kitchen, Sr. (Mt. Zion COGIC, Atlantic City, NJ)

Plus, Lecture for Congregational Health on Jan 26

American staff

The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) has given $50,000 to COGIC churches damaged by Sandy. The churches that will receive these funds are:

• Community COGICArverne, NY

• Harvest On The Atlantic COGIC- Island Park, NY

• Far Rockaway COGICFar Rockaway, NY

• Gethsemane COGICInwood, NY

• Highway COGIC- Far Rockaway, NY

• Bethlehem COGICRockaway Beach, NY

• Living Proof COGIC-

Bayshore, NY

• New Redeemed Pentecostal Temple COGICAtlantic City, NJ

• Mt. Zion COGICAtlantic City, NJ.

The damage includes ocean water entering church buildings, destroying roofing, flooring and electronic equipment. Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. says, “The damage to our churches in the Northeast corridor was particularly severe in New York and New Jersey. We understand the need thus, COGIC is committed to providing assistance to our churches with this $50,000 donation.”

Bishop Blake further states, “In the aftermath of the hurricane some COGIC churches have been displaced by the damage to their buildings. These funds will go a long way in helping to get our churches back on

their feet. The money will be dispersed immediately so that construction and repairs can begin as soon as possible.”

In October 2012 Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. The storm became the largest and costliest Atlantic hurricane on record.

The Church of God in Christ is the fifth largest Protestant religious denomination in the United States, the largest Pentecostal church in the country and the second largest Pentecostal organization in the world with an estimated membership of nearly 6.5 million members.

Lecture for Congregational Health

The 2nd Annual Des Peres Legacy Lecture Series for

Congregational Health will be held at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand in St. Louis, on Saturday, January 26, from 1-3 p.m.

The purpose of the Des Peres Legacy Lecture Series is to focus on the challenges faced by urban churches as they attempt to live out their mission in the 21st century. Speakers for the event will be Dr. Bill Wilson, director of the Center for Congregational Health in Winston Salem, North Carolina; Dr. Sam Jones, pastor of Mount Zion Christian Complex in St. Louis; and Rev. James Terrance, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church of Kansas City and doctor of ministry student at Central Baptist Theological Seminary.

Speakers will give presentations focused on the theme of congregational health, including the challenges and opportunities presently faced by churches. Following the presentations, there will be a question and answer session. A reception will follow.

The lecture series is made possible through gifts left by the Des Peres Baptist Church, which upon its dissolution after long and effective ministry in St. Louis, invested its assets in future church leaders through Central Baptist Theological Seminary, located in the Kansas City metro area, and Third Baptist Church of St. Louis. Additional funding was provided by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri.

The 2nd Annual Des Peres Legacy Lecture Series for Congregational Health will be held at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand on Saturday, Jan 26, from 1-3 p.m. For further info, contact Terrell Carter at 314-533-7340 or terrell. carter@cbts.edu.

The concept of freedom has been rattling around in my brain lately. I am focusing on the freedom afforded all of us who claim salvation through Christ. There is something quite liberating when you know or realize that you have been “set free.”

Have you ever thought about what that really means? However you want to describe it, the revelation of Jesus as Lord and Savior removes a lot of barriers and obstacles and, yes, burdens, that we as human beings place upon ourselves.

That’s why I believe as people initially come to Christ, they are overcome by a fresh perspective about life.

Message

It’s an enlightened one, one filled with less pressure. I think that’s why folk cry in church when it happens.

“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1. What are you a slave to?

In a very real sense, addictions are withstood, hurt feelings are healed, guilt is removed and insecurities conquered when Jesus enters the picture. Whatever you have been enslaved by, you become freed from. Fears are conquered. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we all have fears.

I know I do. It can be the fear of being alone, of being without, of being humiliated, ostracized or even the fear of dying. The knowledge of Christ cancels those fears. You are released from them. That’s what I believe people mean when they say set free. I have been set free from fear, anger, greed, selfishness, self doubt and even self-hatred. These things have hopefully been replaced with honesty and integrity, hope and truth, confidence, self-worth, the promise of everlasting life and, yeah I know, above all love. One of the hardest things to understand in this life, and then act upon, is this love yourself thing. God even commands us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Without Christ in your life, I believe that concept of self love can sometimes be distorted and in many cases become perverted. Love with humility is an awesome thing. When love is set free within you, life takes on a whole new meaning. You no longer have to live in the shadows of pretense; rather, you can now live in the light of truth. I can be who I really am and so can you. Freedom is my gift from God paid for by Jesus Christ. May God bless and bless and keep you. I

The American is accepting Inspirational Messages from the community. Send your column (no more than 400 words) as a Word document and pasted text to cking@stlamerican. com and attach a photo of yourself as a jpeg ile. Please be patient; we will run columns in the order received.

James A. Washington

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

A fine hour (or three) for R&B. I can’t say enough that I’ll never get tired of Charlie Wilson’s annual visits to the STL – and obviously neither will he. He stopped through the Fox as a part of Majic 100.3’s Inauguration Celebration and this go-round he brought the underrated soul band Mint Condition along for the ride. Mint Condition threw all the way down, even though Stokely was doing the absolute most vocally as usual on more than one occasion. No scat, run, held note, microphone hand choreography or “boom kack” was spared! I hate to say so, but by the time he got to “Nothing Left to Say” he sounded like Kim Wayans singing “When the Saints Go Marching In” in “I’m Gonna Git U Sucka.” But the rest of the show – aside from the bass player’s pirouettes – was so good that I forgave them for that.

The man of the hour and his dime-piece dancers marched in on the funk train and Uncle Charlie seemed a bit wore out by the second song. Only a few minutes after he changed into his next electric bedazzled formal suit he announced that he had just had back surgery. His announcement made me even angrier at Trey Songz. Boy, how you gonna let an 85 year old man who may have had a full body cast on underneath his costume out do you on stage?

But anyway, back to Uncle Charlie. It was equal parts The Gap Band and Zapp Tribute with a slice of new school Charlie (last name) Wilson on the side and I loved every minute of it…well, until they went too long with the audience interaction…only to pay the folks with dust when it came time for an encore. I think that was the first time I have ever seen somebody lead the audience to believe they were on their way back to the stage only to leave the crowd completely hanging. But he still left his heart and pieces of his plaster cast on the stage, even if we have to wait until next year for our encore. Capricorn country. The Loft was turned all the way up as they celebrated team Capricorn and eagerly awaited special almost celebrity guest Draya (of “Basketball Wives” fame) to show up and take it to another level. But the folks were getting it in at least an hour before she was even expected to show up. I must give a special shout out to the brother in the action figure sized motorcycle jacket who would have been hyped up to see Rollo from “Sanford and Son!” Anyone towards the DJ booth saw him, yes…the one with the intentionally mix matched gloves…and the Mardi Gras beads.

The woman of hour arrived with about as little fanfare as I’ve EVER SEEN for an entrance of a celebrity guest. I mean for the first ten minutes Draya was giving the opposite of life. There was somebody filming, so I had decided that maybe she was shooting a pilot for her own reality show entitled “The Bored and The Beautiful.” But anyway, she finally took things up a notch and gave a marginally enthused shout out on the mic and punched five minutes later. I’m convinced the party would have been a hit with or without her, because the folks were turned up before she arrived and continued after she left.

Kicking it AKA Style. As I knew they would, The AKAs had the Greeks turned up ALL NIGHT long with their 105th Birthday Celebration at The Omega Center on Saturday night. I knew when I saw sorority and fraternity plates of all types illegally parked at the Rally’s and Joe’s Clothes that it was the place to be and I was absolutely right. When I tell you those pretty girls were in the building! And those sequined tees were about that life – leave it to the AKAs to get custom made outfits for their party! I caught life. But y’all came to hear about the party, didn’t you? They got it in on that dance floor! I haven’t seen so many strolls performed on a dance floor since I made my way down to the Bayou Classic in the last millennium. The Kappas, The Alphas, The Ques and the lovely hostesses strutted the heat index up to about 105 degrees. I really did enjoy seeing folks of all ages rep their fraternities and sororities at the same time. Speaking of all ages, I found out a few of the AKAs I had assumed were in their late thirties were in their early fifties. Help! I know the older you get, the younger everyone else seems, but they clearly don’t make 50-plus like they used to! These ladies – and gentlemen –on the scene have taken aging gracefully to a whole new level. I mean, my big granny was already a full-time moo-moo wearer by the time she started her fifties, and here these ladies were with their pinkies in the air strutting right alongside the neophytes and looking good doing it...you could barely tell one from the other!

A classy black affair. Shift 58 had the young, black and fabulous scene dressed in all black like the Omen (copyright Lil Kim) as their intimate set full of the STL’s most influential young people took over Takaya (Downtown’s sexy new sushi spot). Good to know that people with real Red Bottoms do exist and there was not a quick weave to be seen! Most of them probably don’t want to be mentioned by name, but Boone, Jamila, Tobi and Mario had the vibe on swank and sexy! And I must admit that DJ Who just might be my new swirl crush. What? He has a grungy thing going on that quietly gives me life.

Big Ups to Wild Bill! I just wanted to take the time to shout out Wild Bill Young. He’s been doing big things – especially this past week. He signed a deal with TMG Records of Tate Music Group & Publishings and opened for the legendary Chuck Berry. As a country singer he’s not necessarily my beat, but I had to make sure I shouted him out.

Joe Edwards, Keith Clinton, attorney Daniel Brown and Gary Hester were on hand as Wild Bill Young signed a deal with TMG Records Wednesday @ Blueberry Hill

DJ Arty J stole a minute from putting it down @ his Mashup Party to pose with cousin Terrell Saturday night @ The Coliseum

Mayoral candidate Lewis Reed showed love for the AKAs Saturday night at their 105th birthday bash @ The Omega Center

Leslie, Nicole, Keshia, and Stephanie took time to unwind Friday night @ Soho

Chloe, Michelle and Lashonda listened to DJ Reminisce tear it up on the ones and twos Friday night @ Lola

Hasina of Imported Designs and Steve Lacy of Christopher Stephens Salon stopped through the Paragon Theater Saturday night

The Loft was star studded Friday night as the club teamed up with 3Way Promotions to bring Draya from ‘Basketball Wives,’ her friends Mercedeh Allen and Marcus Blassingame of Black Men’s Magazine

B-day girl Denise brought in the big 4-0 with Tunica Friday night @ Soho

Lisa West and her WestOne girls made showed their support for the 100 Black Men Saturday night @ The Paragon Theater

Travis and Brandi were among the tastemakers that toasted it up at Shift 58’s Signature Sunday night @ Takaya

Majic 100.3 and Charlie Wilson teamed up to celebrate the inauguration with soul. The legendary crooner and team that keeps listeners tuning in were met with praise and applause Saturday night at The Fox Theatre at the inauguration jam starring Wilson, with special guest Mint Condition.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

careercenter

State Fairoffering summerjobs forstudents

by March 1

American staff

College students interested in gaining work experience in the fields of marketing, public relations, journalism and agricultural communication have until March 1 to apply for summer internship positions with the Missouri State Fair.

Up to three interns will be hired for temporary, full-time employment within the Fair’s marketing office this summer.

According to Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe, the positions are paid and offer some limited benefits.An additional internship is being offered by the Youth in Agriculture (YIA) Committee for management of the annual Sale of Champions event.The person hired for this position will work Aug. 5-18.

“The candidates selected for these opportunities will engage

in a variety of marketing and communication-related experiences from press release writing to special event planning,” Wolfe said. Application forms for the positions are available by sending an e-mail to Tammie.Nichols@mda.mo.gov

. Acompleted application, cover letter, resume and list of references must be submitted to the Fair by March 1. Some seasonal employment in other departments may also become available during the summer in preparation for the annual Fair, Wolfe said, with

several hundred more jobs being offered for the 11-day event in August.Employment information will be posted online at www.mostatefair.com early this summer. The 111th Missouri State Fair will be held in Sedalia Aug. 8-18.

The 111th Missouri State Fair will be held in Sedalia Aug. 8-18.College students interested in gaining work experience in the fields of marketing, public relations, journalism and agricultural communication have until March 1 to apply for summer internship positions.

“The candidates selected for these opportunities will engage in a variety of marketing and communication-related experiences.”

– Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe

seeking an undergraduate degree and either be enrolled or plan to enroll at an accredited school (two or four-year university or technical school) in the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan area.

Janice Mosby Scholarships due March 1

For the third year in a row, the St. Louis Community CU Foundation has launched the Janice Mosby Scholarship opportunity. This year, the Foundation is partnering with TIAA-CREF to award $2,500 scholarships to two eligible adult students in spring 2013.

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must be first time or reentry students ages 23 or older with aspirations to attend college full or part-time and are trying to move forward with their lives. Proof of enrollment is required.Applicants must be

Recognizing the critical role education plays in the creation of fiscally responsible citizens, the St. Louis Community CU Foundationcreated the scholarship fund in 2011 to honor the legacy of the late Janice Mosby. Ms. Mosby was a teacher and principal in the St. Louis Public Schools for more than 30 years. With a kind heart and gentle spirit, she dedicated her life to helping students in the community develop to their fullest potential.Ms. Mosby served on the St. Louis Community Credit Union’s Board of Directors for 40 years and as a Board member of the Credit Union’s Foundation.

The deadline for all applications is Friday, March 1. For additional eligibility information and to access the application, visit http://www.slccufoundation.org.

Since its inception, the Foundation has presented five scholarship awards to students in the St. Louis community.

Photo:Missouri State Fair