By Robert Joiner
The day Sha Fields was diagnosed with breast cancer in
2007, her fiancé came along to offer moral support, and he has been by her side since then. She says she used to wonder how to repay his years of unconditional support. The chance came last year, when her husband, Cliff, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The Siteman Center for Advanced Medicine at Washington University had no data on how unusual it is for both a husband Husband and wife
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
On the same day that the Ferguson-Florissant school board announced its intention to move towards terminating Superintendent Art McCoy Jr., district administrators also sent out an email to school principals announcing that the district will require all students who transferred from Normandy and Riverview Gardens schools to reapply to the district.
Reapplication is not standard procedure for the statewide Student Transfer Program, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). “Our assumption would be that the student intends to return unless they notify the district otherwise,” said DESE’s spokesperson Sarah Potter. “Therefore, there would be no need to reapply.”
According to the Dec. 19 email sent to principals, the district is in the process of mailing parents of Normandy and Riverview students an “Intent to Return” application, which they must return or mail to the Admissions Office directly by
By Rebecca Rivas Of The
By Bridjes O’Neil
Of The St. Louis American
Stacy Crawford, a single mother of three, had reached her breaking point emotionally when she hastily dialed the St. Louis Crisis Nursery’s 24-hour crisis helpline.
“I was scared and overwhelmed,” Crawford
n “We’re
– DiAnne L. Mueller,
JONES, A6
NeNe unleashes on Phaedra and Cynthia
On the latest episode of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” NeNe Leakes reduced Cynthia Bailey to tears for allowing her 13-year-old daughter Noelle to date. Leakes later used her Bravo blog to unleash on co-star Phaedra Parks Cynthia for any questions or concerns they expressed regarding her parenting skills.
An excerpt from the blog reads as follows: Kenya and Porsha have no clue about parenting so let’s just let them stay in their room and do their fake hug and cry.
As Phaedra said, “I have had problems with my son”…now, now Phaedra, you are entitled to your opinion but the facts remain, you don’t know anything about my children. Have you
ever met Bryson? If so, it couldn’t have been but once. Remember you have two young boys to raise! Let’s pray they don’t do six years in prison! You know the apple don’t fall far from the tree
I talk to Cynthia almost every day, in fact several times a day. Cynthia is very clear on where I stand about teenage dating (13 to be exact!). This was not Cynthia’s first time hearing me say that. In fact I have said it many times to her. Cynthia also said she would rather be picking up Arthur than picking up a grand baby! Were you trying to throw shade Cynthia? Well it didn’t work because I would rather my 13 year old pick up a book than the telephone to plan their next date! ”
Steve Harvey’s ex claims he’s a bigamist
Fresh on the heels of being jailed for reportedly violating a gag order, Steve Harvey’s ex-wife Mary is reportedly making heated claims against the television and radio star.
“Steve Harvey owes me $50 million, and I want him arrested for
violating my civil rights!” 53-year-old
Mary reportedly told The National Enquirer.
“I want him charged with a constitutional rights violation, falsifying documents, perjury, contempt of court, embezzlement, extortion and collusion. For what he’s done to me, I want to see Steve Harvey behind bars.” Harvey, 56, tied the knot with Mary, his second wife, in 1996. The couple’s son Wynton was born in 1997. They divorced in November 2005, citing “irreconcilable differences,” but Mary claims Harvey was a serial womanizer whose adultery drove her to a mental breakdown. Mary also insists Harvey cheated on her with his current wife Marjorie. He wed Marjorie in June 2007, and Mary claims that makes Harvey a bigamist.
“The judge said our divorce would be contingent upon the division of community assets, but that never happened,” she reportedly told The Enquirer.
Dwyane Wade has a side baby
Back in June there were rumors Dwyane Wade had gotten a well-known Miami groupie pregnant. Entertainment Tonight confirmed the rumors by announcing the birth of his new son.
NBA star Dwyane Wade recently spent time with his new baby boy fathered with a woman while on a break with now-fiancée Gabrielle Union, a source close to the couple told ET
Wade, 31, and Union, 41, who were officially engaged last week, were said to have worked through the issue privately as a couple, and Union was reportedly aware of the child before their engagement.
Wade has known the mother of his youngest son “for many years.” The source says the long-time couple, who have been dating since 2009, are still very much committed to spending their lives together and are said to be aiming for a September wedding.
Robin Roberts comes out
“Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts put rumors about her sexuality to rest after expressing gratitude for her “long-time girlfriend” Sunday night on Facebook. Roberts mentioned her girlfriend in a Facebook post that featured a picture of Roberts three months after her bone marrow transplant. An excerpt read as follows: At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude.
I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health.
I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life. I am grateful for my entire family, my longtime girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together.
Sources: ET.com, National Enquirer, Bravo. com, Facebook.com
Christine Bluett and Shona Lamond recognized by district
American staff
St. Louis Public Schools has presented the Preschool Teacher of the Year awards to two passionate educators who set the district’s youngest students on a path of lifelong learning and educational enrichment.
Christine Bluett, a preschool teacher at Columbia Elementary School, has been recognized as the St. Louis Public School District’s 7th Annual Adelaide M. Schlafly Preschool Teacher of the Year for using her excitement and enthusiasm as tools to motivate her students to learn.
Bluett “embodies what a teacher should be,” said Cynthia Jowers, a teacher assistant at Columbia Elementary. “She teaches them about respect and caring for each other. Getting this award will honor all that she has done thus far as a teacher and will let her know how much she is appreciated.”
Shona Lamond, a special education preschool teacher at Stix Early Childhood Center, has been recognized as the St. Louis Public School District’s Dr. Sheryl H. Davenport Special Education Preschool Teacher of the Year for the caring, inclusive environment she creates for her students.
“I am pleased to recommend Ms. Lamond, as I consider her one of the finest special education teachers with
Bluett, a
was
whom I have worked,” said Stix ECC Principal Diane Dymond. “There are three characteristics that stick out in regards to Ms. Lamond: diligent, compassionate and a problem solver. She works to find solutions in all situations involving students, staff or parents.”
To earn the Preschool Teacher of the Year awards, nominees must explain their teaching philosophy and approach to teaching; provide
of two recipients of the 7th
examples of classroom lesson plans; and be recommended by an administrator and a professional colleague.
The 2013 Preschool Teachers of the Year were honored with an awards reception, a $1,000 award from the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation, a trophy, a plaque, and a $500 award for related education materials through the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund.
Events at Herbert Hoover, Flo Valley, Hazelwood
American staff
ARAMARK and Kwame Building Group employee volunteers will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service on January 15 by hosting a Samaritan’s Feet “Shoes of Hope” event for children who attend the Hebert Hoover Boys and Girls Club.
More than 50 employee and community volunteers will distribute 300 pairs of new athletic shoes. College students from Washington University and St. Louis University and youth from local churches will join the ARAMARK and Kwame volunteers.
ARAMARK and Kwame raised funds to support Samaritan’s Feet, a non-profit organization that collects and distributes shoes for needy people in targeted areas throughout the U.S. and internationally.
St. Louis Community
College-Florissant Valley will host its annual celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19, in the Terry M. Fischer Theater on campus, 3400 Pershall Road. The theme is “50 Years: Working Together to Celebrate the Legacy.”
Terrence Freeman will serve as keynote speaker. Freeman is a professor in engineering science and has been with the college since 1982. He was an adviser to the president for seven years on multicultural affairs, coordinated Project Chart to encourage underrepresented students to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, and is an adviser for the National Society of Black Engineers. He helped develop the minority engineering transfer program and has hosted nine students from South and Central America.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education recently named Freeman the 2013 Missouri Professor of the Year.
ARAMARK and Kwame Building Group distributed shoes to St. Louis children on the 2013 Martin Luther King Day of Service as well.
The event will feature the winners of the annual North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice (NCCU) Oratorical Contest, readings from STLCC students, musical performances from the Third Presbyterian Church Choir and an interpretative dance piece by Shawntelle Fisher. Admission is free and seating will be on a firstcome, first-served basis. Special accommodations are available for persons with disabilities by calling 314513-4551.
The City of Hazelwood’s Community Enrichment Commission will host its 12th Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Sunday, January 19, at Civic Center East. Starting time is 7 p.m. The program will feature Judge David Vincent III, Dr. Charles Gooden of the Missouri State Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration Committee, Mayor Matthew Robinson of Hazelwood, and 2013 Miss Hazelwood Paige Frye. Entertainment will be provided by the St. Ann Catholic Church Choir and the Liturgical Dancers of Antioch Baptist.
Community journalism, as we understand and practice the form, always involves the consideration of community morale and wellbeing. Specifically in the black press, we report to and for a community that hears bad news about itself most places it turns. We consider it part of our responsibility to balance this, on average, negative coverage in the mainstream media with positive news about our community. That is why so many of our pages are full of routine good news that would fall beneath the notice of many media: scholarships, awards, promotions, donations, reunions, inspirational messages, celebrations, and so on.
We are feeling this responsibility even more keenly as we publish our first edition in this New Year. And while our community can expect, as always, a steady stream of routine good news in our pages in 2014, we also would like to offer some hope for our community (and region) by setting our sights more broadly at the big picture, in terms of the major stories our peers in mainstream media do tend to report.
Gov. Jay Nixon is meeting with the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus this month for the first time since he was elected governor. These are the elected representatives of the Democratic Party’s most dependable voting bloc. We hope this sets a new tone for Nixon, who too often has dismissed our community and its concerns, in his final term.
on February 9; the total value of the project along its three-mile link, including highway interchanges, is $700 million. CityArchRiver 2015 has started to move forward.
The Central West End is on the rise. BJC HealthCare has undertaken a $1 billion expansion and renovation, CORTEX II has current projects with a combined value of $186 million, new residential high rises are going up, a new independent-living senior community has been formed, a Whole Foods has broken ground and IKEA is on the way.
Two mainstays of our community, the United Way of Greater St. Louis and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, have new, young African-American leaders in Orvin Kimbrough and Michael McMillan. We feel the interests of many of our neediest citizens are in strong, caring hands.
The African-American majority on the city’s chief fiscal body, aldermanic President Lewis Reed and Comptroller Darlene Green, shows fresh signs of working together for the betterment of this community. Reed and Green need to work together to address better the inequalities in this city.
Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones is setting a new, high standard for professionalism and transparency as a citywide elected official. While a new parking system is difficult to get excited about, we recognize genuine intelligence, dedication and leadership skill when we see it in action and expect great things from her.
Police Chief Sam Dotson is showing a willingness to advocate for fairness for the African-American community, even if it means challenging his own police officers when it is warranted, that we have not seen before from his predecessors. St. Louis could do far worse for its first police chief under local control than Chief Dotson.
The city is busy with new construction and economic development, and much of it will impact our community. Paul McKee Jr.’s Northside redevelopment is likely to finally get underway in 2014. The new $229 million bridge across the Mississippi River will open
Mayor Francis G. Slay has not done enough to enhance our estimation of his overall leadership, and County Executive Charlie A. Dooley has taken a beating in the mainstream media after some poor decisions by his staff and appointees. But they have fostered a new era of collaboration by launching the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, and Slay and Dooley are showing real courage in publicly discussing the possibility of even greater cooperation between the city and the county. However, our community must fight to have its say in how this new, much-needed cooperation evolves.
Slay and Dooley also have joined regional business leaders in launching a new initiative to spur economic growth in St. Louis by welcoming more immigrants to the region, an effort we heartily embrace.
Looking in our own shop, we expect to grow our Newspaper In Education program (the largest in the state, named No. 1 in the country by the National Newspaper Association in its first year) and upgrade our video production capacity (which won literally every single award in our class in this year’s Missouri Press competition) in 2014. We also have invested in a new newsroom in west downtown that offers the physical atmosphere of professionalism that our small, dedicated staff has always brought to the work we do.
We recognize that with the mainstream media’s frequently overwhelming emphasis on the negative and trivial, it can be difficult to recognize that many good and important things are happening around us. We will be here to remind you in 2014, every Thursday on the newsstands and in our e-edition, and every minute of the day on stlamerican.com. We wish you a very prosperous and Happy New Year!
By Eric E. Vickers Guest Columnist
In 1888, two decades after the Civil War, Dr. Edward Wilmont Blyden, a West Indian who had migrated to Liberia, authored a book that may today be the blueprint for black Americans to progress: Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race Blyden, a Christian, after studying Islam – which was called Mohammedanism by Europeans – observed two centuries ago, “Two great religious systems are exerting their inluence in Africa – Christianity and Mohammedanism. These systems have many things in common.
Christians speak of Abraham as ‘the Father of the Faithful,’ and ‘the pattern of believers,’ and Mohammedanism professes to be a revival of the Abrahamic faith and worship. The Koran admits the Divine authority of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.”
Blyden, regarded as the “father of Pan-Africanism,” predicted that the recently freed slaves would return to the Motherland, and he envisioned their encounter with Africa’s Muslims.
“Christians and Mohammedans will meet face to face, as they have never confronted each other before,” he wrote.
“And it is an advantage that the Negro Christian who is thus
brought into a religious rivalry should be of that class which brings nothing to the conlict but an unwavering belief in the truth of Christianity; for he will confront the Mohammedans whose unreasoning adherence to their faith has not been inluenced by the disease of European casuistry.”
Blyden believed that this confrontation would create a combination that would propel the progress of Africa.
“The new comer from the West will infuse spiritual life into the formalism of the Muslims, a vital and spontaneous activity into the mechanical regularity of their worship,” he wrote, “while the Muslims by their disciplined intellect and respect for order, will confront the pretentions of ignorant and unlettered religious guides, and rebuke the wild impulses of religious fervor, the indifference to learning, the license (mistaken for liberty) imported for the house of bondage.”
Blyden felt this progress would occur because he had observed the role Islam had played in shaping Africa.
“Mohammedanism in Africa counts in its ranks the most energetic and enterprising tribes. It claims as adherents the only people who have any form of civil polity or bond of social organization. It has built and occupies the largest cities in the heart of the continent,” he wrote.
“Its laws regulate the most powerful kingdoms – Futah, Masina, Hausa, Bornou, Waday, Darfur, Kordofan, Senaar, &c. It produces and controls the most valuable commerce be-
The Republican Party, which should have the wind at its back, enters 2014 in disarray bordering on open warfare.
President Obama and the Democrats have had, let’s face it, a bumpy few months. The debut of the Affordable Care Act was not quite the hair-pulling, garmentrending, world-historical disaster that some critics claim, but it was – and remains –messy enough to buff the shine on the GOP’s badly tarnished brand.
A CNN poll released Thursday found that 49 percent of those surveyed said they would prefer to be represented by a Republican in Congress, while 44 percent favored a Democrat. That’s not much of a margin, but it’s a big change from two months ago when 50 percent preferred a Democrat and just 42 percent preferred a Republican.
Those numbers suggest that the GOP is back in the game. Voters appear willing to listen to what the party has to say. If only the GOP had a message. There is one proposition on which the party’s warring factions agree: “We don’t like Obama’s Affordable Care Act.” But there is a lack of consensus, to put it mildly, on how this visceral dislike of a president and his signature policy initiative should translate into concrete political action. For Republicans – to invert
a classic George W. Bush bon mot – Obamacare has somehow become a divider, not a uniter. In a year when the GOP may have a legitimate chance of capturing the Senate, several primary contests appear likely to devolve into bloody battles over Obama’s health care reforms – not whether to oppose them, but how.
In Georgia, one of the leading candidates to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss is U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston. He has voted repeatedly – and fruitlessly – with his House Republican colleagues to defund the Affordable Care Act. But when he suggested last month that to “just step back and let this thing fall to pieces on its own” was not “the responsible thing to do,” opponents quickly attacked Kingston as some kind of quisling who was waving a flag of surrender. In fact, Kingston was simply acknowledging reality. Obamacare is the law. Memories of the program’s incompetent launch will fade. Republicans are going to have to decide whether to collaborate in making the Affordable Care Act work better – or risk being seen as working against the nation’s best interests.
On a range of issues, this is the party’s essential dilemma. Ideologues want to continue the practice of massive, uncompromising resistance to anything Obama tries to accomplish. Pragmatists want the GOP to demonstrate that it can be reasonable and trustworthy, on the theory that voters want their government to function well and won’t put
Addressing disparities
tween Africa and Foreign countries; it is daily gaining converts from the ranks of Paganism; and it commands respect among all Africans wherever it is known, even where the people have not submitted to the sway of the Koran.”
He pointed out the unity that Islam brought to Africa.
“The Koran is, in its measure, an important educator. It exerts among primitive people a wonderful inluence. It has furnished to the adherents of its teachings in Africa a ground of union which has contributed vastly to their progress,” he wrote.
“Hausas, Foulahs, Mandingoes, Soosoos, Akus, can all read the same books and mingle in worship together, and there is to all one common authority and ultimate umpirage. They are united by a common religious sentiment … Not only the sentiments, but the language, the words of the sacred book are held in the greatest reverence and esteem … even where the ideas are not fully understood, the words seem to possess for them a nameless beauty and music, a subtle and indeinable charm, incomprehensible to those acquainted only with European languages.”
Although Blyden’s prediction of black Christian Americans returning to Africa to work with African Muslims never occurred, there was never a greater period of progress in this land for black Americans than when they were led by a Christian named Martin Luther King Jr. and a Muslim named Malcolm X.
We are ecstatic that the Obama administration has been able to continue the progress it has made in addressing this issue of disparities and injustices in drug related sentencing and offenses. The Fair Sentencing Act signed into in 2011 sought to address the vast disparities in sentencing that has disproportionately harmed racial and ethnic minority citizens. It is our hope that the administration and the Congress will continue to work to correct these disparities in our criminal justice system.
Hilary Shelton, NAACP Washington, D.C.
Strictly political
The Boeing bill passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the House and Senate, and I support that effort completely. But there is no reason to tie that bill to Missouri Housing Development Commission projects, which are crucial to low-income families and seniors in Missouri. This was strictly a political move by the governor to quell potential opposition.
If you’re a developer, you already have resources invested in these projects. For developers and lenders, time is money, and by delaying the funding contractors are in limbo while construction jobs are lost. This is not how business should be conducted by the State of Missouri.
Lt. Governor Peter Kinder Jefferson City
Substandard sentencing policies
I am pleased that President Obama is commuting the prison terms of eight people convicted on federal crack cocaine charges. Each of these men and women served more than 15 years in prison and six were sentenced to life in prison under mandatory minimum sentencing laws
a bunch of anti-government extremists in charge of running it. Keep in mind that despite the findings of that CNN poll, other surveys show the GOP still has a ton of work to do.
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., took a giant step for pragmatism by negotiating a budget deal with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. – and the ideological wing of the party freaked out. House Speaker John Boehner, as rock-ribbed a Main Street conservative as you’ll ever meet, is routinely attacked on far-right websites as some kind of squishy moderate.
After cynically taking advantage of the huge jolt of energy provided by tea party activists, the Republican establishment is finding that these true believers don’t necessarily listen when they’re told to go sit in a corner and shut up. The no-compromises GOP base is fertile fundraising territory for potential future presidential candidates, such as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and for pressure groups such as Heritage Action and the Club for Growth. So these provocateurs can be counted on to keep far-right anger and resentment at a rolling boil. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is expected to spend up to $50 million to ensure that the Republican Party chooses no extremist “loser candidates” for Senate races. As Scott Reed, the chamber’s chief political strategist, told The Wall Street Journal: “That will be our mantra: No fools on our ticket.” Wanna bet?
I have worked over the last two decades to bring about awareness and educate communities about mandatory minimums and sentencing disparities. Mandatory minimum sentences have not reduced drug use and have contributed to exploding prison populations throughout the United States. I have partnered with advocacy organizations and worked alongside courageous advocates such as Professor Charles Ogletree and Kemba Smith, who was sentenced to serve a mandatory minimum before she was commuted under the Clinton administration.
This past September, I reintroduced the Major Drug Trafficking Prosecution Act (H.R. 3088) to re-focus scarce federal resources to prosecute major drug kingpins and give courts and judges the authority to use greater discretion to make individualized determinations rather than being held to a stringent sentencing requirement prescribed by Congress. In August, Attorney General Holder announced that he would instruct federal prosecutors to forgo the pursuit of mandatory minimum sentences in certain cases involving low-level, nonviolent drug offenders.
I look forward to continue working with the administration and my colleagues in Congress to renew the call to action and fight for the full repeal of these substandard sentencing policies.
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters Los Angeles, CA
It’s New Year’s resolution time and while many people pledge to lose weight or stop smoking, there is one resolution that can be just as life-changing – attain a more rewarding career.
While changing careers may appear to be daunting, there is a very accessible path – acquiring additional education. One option to consider is attending a career-focused school that can quickly train you in the
The St. Louis Public Library Foundation hosted 600-plus Library supporters at downtown’s Central Library November 23 for its 2013 fall fundraiser, Stranger Than Fiction: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road. A total of $258,500 was raised to support literacy programs at the St. Louis Public Library. Co-chairs for the event were Marcia Niedringhaus, Deborah Patterson and Laura Shaughnessy.
Currently the St. Louis Public Library Foundation is working to expand its donor base and also complete the $20 million Central To Your World capital campaign to support the $70 million restoration and revitalization of downtown’s Central Library. For information or to donate, visit: http://slplfoundation. org/support/central-librarycampaign/
Secretary of State Jason Kander has provided a new online tool that allows Missourians to fill out a voter registration form online at www.sos.mo.gov/votemissouri.
It allows eligible Missourians to fill out their voter registration form for the first time or change their registration address. Once the voter completes and signs the form on a computer, tablet or smartphone, Kander’s office will print and mail the form to the voter’s local election authority.
The local election authority will then carry out its normal procedures, reviewing each registration form for completeness and validity, before notifying applicants of their registration status.
East St. Louis School District 189 will host the first Key Communicator Network meeting of the New Year at 6 p.m., Monday, January 27 in the Board Room at the East St. Louis School District 189 Board of Education building, 1005 State St. Please submit any topics that you would like to have addressed to Kimberly Roberson at kimberly.roberson@estl189.com.
Through this network, the district intends to share information, gain and collect feedback on program needs, and keep in touch with community concerns.
Agenda items for the meeting include a district update. Dinner will be provided.
The next Key Communicator Network meeting will be held on April 9.
The Environmental Protection Agency awarded $29,623 to Trailnet as part of EPA’s competitive Environmental Justice Small Grant program.
Trailnet’s Neighborhood Greenways St. Louis project will encourage residents in the City of St. Louis to prevent and reduce pollution, help with watershed management, and reduce rates of obesity and asthma by advocating for safe and inviting spaces for walking and biking.
Targeted neighborhoods include The Ville, Greater Ville, Jeff Vander Lou, and Carr Square just north of downtown; Forest Park Southeast in mid-city; and Dutchtown in South St. Louis.
For more information about EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants program, visit http:// www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html.
By Chief Justice Mary R. Russell Guest Columnist
When I practiced law, many people asked me about my favorite kind of case. The answer was easy – adoptions. Part of my job was to make sure a proposed adoption would serve the child’s best interests. I always asked the “parents to be” why they wanted to adopt a particular child, and their answers always brought tears to my eyes: “Because I love her,” or “I always dreamed of having a child like him.”
Mary R. Russell
Adoptions have a special place in Missouri courts. These cases bring joy to many of those involved, the culmination of a process through which children and adults build families for themselves. And for the judges involved in these cases, the opportunity to bring families together through adoptions is just as rewarding.
Some adoptions are private, others are agency placements, and others involve stepparent adoptions. Regardless of the type, state law requires courts to be involved in the adoption process as birth certificates, names and the legal relationship between the adopting parent and the adoptee all are changed.
n For the judges involved in these cases, the opportunity to bring families together through adoptions is just as rewarding.
The new parent assumes financial responsibility for the child, and the child, in the eyes of the law, gains the same rights as any naturally born child of that parent. Each also is able to inherit from the other. Missouri courts finalized more than 2,500 adoptions in 2013, which is a cause for celebration. In fact, trial courts in several Missouri counties held special ceremonies for national adoption day. Such events – often involving children leaving the foster care system for “forever” homes – celebrate the joy of new families and the positive experiences of children who found permanent homes through the adoption process.
As we celebrate this holiday season, let us celebrate the role our courts have in the adoption process. Perhaps the greatest gift for a family is a new child, and the greatest gift for a child is a new family. The judges in our state are honored to be a part of bringing families together. Chief Justice Mary R. Russell presides over the Missouri Supreme Court.
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On Saturday, Jan. 11, Jones will talk about how others can get involved at the TEDx Gateway Arch Conference being held at the Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
TEDx are local, selforganized events that receive some guidance from the main TED conference, which started in California 26 years ago and is devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Jones will join 16 other TEDx speakers, as well as some interactive experiences and entertainment, on Jan. 11.
“If we make a concerted effort to strengthen people, we then strengthen cities and nations,” Jones said.
One of Jones’ aspirations in coming to St. Louis was to revive the work of settlement houses.
Grace Hill has a long heritage as a settlement, which historically was a method for serving the poor in urban areas by living among them. One of the best-known settlement houses is Hull House in Chicago, founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Starr.
“Essentially,” he said, “our mission work is to make sure that even the kids who grew up like me in the housing projects” have an opportunity to succeed. Grace Hill has two faces – the health center and the
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settlement house. Together they have a vital impact on the socio-economic sustainability of the St. Louis region, Jones said.
“Our services allow families to participate in society almost at a $40,000 level,” Jones said.
Take the employers who hire people at $9 an hour. If a person makes $9 an hour and has one child in child care, and that person brought home
n “Our services allow families to participate in society.”
– Rod Jones, Grace Hill Settlement House
$20,000 that year, $12,000 would have gone to child care – if Grace Hill didn’t provide affordable child care.
Another $12,000 would have gone to a health care plan, he said, if Grace Hill didn’t provide affordable health care. And $8,000 would have gone to a decent place to live, if Grace Hill didn’t provide affordable housing.
“We mitigate the things that prevent people from participating successfully in work, which helps employers to reduce the number of missed days from work, which helps us to prevent the number of children that drop out and ultimately become criminals and incarcerated,” Jones said.
“In communities that are really provincial, people believe that as long as my community is okay, there’s no harm, no foul,” Jones said. “I hate to say it, but that’s not going to happen.”
Sweet Potato Talk
Also speaking at the Tedx conference on Jan. 11 is Sylvester Brown Jr., who initiated the Sweet Potato Project to address youth employment and sustainability in North St. Louis neighborhoods. Using urban farming, the program is designed to teach youth about productive ways to generate income, such as planting sweet potatoes on vacant lots and making and merchandizing sweet potato products. Recently, the Sweet Potato Project partnered with Saint Louis University in this effort. Brown said he asks the youth in his program “to imagine whole blocks where food is grown in North St. Louis, processed and turned into products that can be used locally and sold regionally or nationally.”
“We help to create and support a secondary workforce that allows us to make St. Louis attractive for employers.” Jones intends to use his TEDx talk to remind St. Louis how inter-connected it is, and that includes the region’s poor.
Tickets for the conference are $40 and $75; purchase through metrotix. com. Visit www. tedxgatewayarch.org for more information.
by Wiley Price
Rayshunda Childs, a dancer with the East St. Louis Performance Ensemble, danced her way into the hearts of a standing-room-only crowd at the St. Louis Art Museum on Sunday afternoon. The event was the annual St. Louis Art Museum Kwanzaa Celebration that is held in collaboration with the St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Several principals were disappointed in the district’s
Monday, Feb. 3. Parents cannot send the application back with students. District administrators did not return The St. Louis American’s calls about these mailings.
move to make the transfer process more difficult for students and parents, according to district sources. They believe it’s a disruption that takes away from focusing on the kids’ immediate needs, sources said.
On Nov. 6, six of the seven school board members voted to place McCoy on administrative leave because of “differences in focus and philosophy between the board and the superintendent.” Paul Schroeder was the only board member who voted against placing McCoy on leave.
At the time, district sources said that part of the board majority’s differences with McCoy stem from the school transfer issue.
Board members have said publicly that they will honor the state law and take in transfer students coming from the unaccredited Normandy and Riverview Gardens school districts. However, transportation for these students has been a contested issue between McCoy and the board.
In August, board members expressed concerns about spending tax money on transportation for the transfer students. On Sept. 13, McCoy held a fundraising campaign on KMOX radio, asking the community to support students who need transportation.
McCoy was quickly able to raise $22,000 in private funds and secure a deal with a bus company to help transfer 80 students.
In total, 430 students from unaccredited districts chose to enroll in the district; most
n “Our assumption would be that the student intends to return unless they notify the district otherwise.”
– DESE’s spokesperson Sarah Potter
were able to provide their own transportation. According to the Dec. 19 public statement from board President Paul Morris, the board voted 6-1 to issue a “notice of charges” to McCoy, which states the reasons the board is considering his termination. McCoy will receive a full hearing, which will most likely be held in
closed session. No date has been set for the hearing.
School board elections
Three of the board members – Morris, Vice President Chris Martinez and Secretary Robert Chabot – are up for reelection in 2014. At the past board meetings, supporters of McCoy have been urging community members to register to vote and get involved in the upcoming April 8 school board election. The filing for school board candidates opened on Dec. 17 and closes at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21. Those interested in running for the school board may pick up a “declaration of candidacy” at the District’s Administration Center at 1005 Waterford Drive. School district offices will be closed through Jan. 6. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, at least 24 years old, resident taxpayers of the school district and residents of Missouri for at least one year.
Continued from A1
and wife to have cancer, but Sha says she is hearing that the experience is becoming more common.
The Fields were in the limelight over the holidays during a Christmas program sponsored by the Breakfast Club, which offers various services for breast cancer survivors.
“No matter how hard we try, everyone doesn’t always overcome breast cancer,” Breakfast Club founder Sherrill Jackson said at the event. “So this is a celebration of life, a celebration of what we’ve been able to do for one another and for our community to make a difference.”
for people facing cancer and financial issues as well.”
Cliff recalled being stunned when sitting in the doctor’s office with his wife-to-be and hearing that she was suffering from breast cancer. “I knew I had to step up to the plate and support her,” he said, “do anything that she wanted me to do for her.”
Sha butted in, saying Cliff “bathed me, dressed me, made sure I got my medications.”
n “We respect each other and, no matter what, we made a commitment to see this to the end.”
– Sha Fields
Sha, 43, is a school administrator, and Cliff, 49, is an engineer. They live in Black Jack. They tried to “keep things light” during their Breakfast Club remarks, Sha said.
“We wanted to provide a little bit of education, but offer inspiration as well during the holiday season,” Sha said. “We wanted it to be a blessing
Continued from A1
With one phone call, Crawford received crisis counseling and resource referrals. She even enrolled her children in the Crisis Nursery’s S.O.S. (Stopping Overwhelming Stress) for Kids program.
He said he was equally shocked last year when told that a routine test for prostate cancer had been positive. He says he was thankful that his wife was there for moral support, just as he had been for her years earlier. She encouraged him to get out of bed and walk following the surgery, as the doctor had ordered.
“He looked a little discouraged,” she said, “but he got up right away and his healing process started with that.”
They celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in August.
“During that celebration, we hosted a co-survivors’ anniversary party,” she said. “I cooked up a bunch of food, and we all really had a good time.”
S.O.S. provides 24-hour care – including health and wellness care – by trained staff and volunteers for children, age birth through 12, whose families are facing a crisis situation. Parents admit their children on a voluntary basis and receive services free of charge.
Crawford’s children (she prefers not to name them) stayed at Crisis Nursery for two weeks. She had never been separated from her children before and was initially wary about leaving them in the care of strangers. She was soon reassured that her children were in a safe and nurturing environment.
“I would call up there, and they didn’t want to come to the phone,” she said of her children. “I heard them in the background, playing and having fun.”
According to Crisis Nursery’s 2012 Annual Impact Report, 6,134 parents called the agency for help during
Thoughts of celebration all but vanished the day she was diagnosed, Sha said. A big wedding became less important, because her focus shifted to paying bills in the face of a catastrophic illness.
By coincidence, Fox radio 90.5 was sponsoring a promotional campaign at the time of her illness, prompting Sha to write
a crisis that year; 57 percent admitted their child to care; and 43 percent resolved the crisis through counseling and referrals.
DiAnne L. Mueller, CEO of Crisis Nursery, said many families the agency serves do not have anyone they can turn to in their times of need.
“Many families we work with have been cut off from their family origin. They don’t know their neighbors; they’re not connected to a religious community. And they really are just alone,” Mueller said.
“We’re dealing with loving, kind, compassionate, caring parents who just happen to live in extreme poverty and don’t have the resources they need.”
a letter about her ordeal.
“I wrote how he’d been a great supporter for me,” she said of Cliff. “I poured my heart out in that letter because he did mean a lot to me.”
Fox rewarded the couple by covering the cost of a wedding coordinator and paying the cost of the entire wedding, from the tux and dress to the
Crisis Nursery’s mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect. Child abuse and neglect transcend all socioeconomic boundaries, but the primary risk factors are poverty, low educational attainment, and inability to endure stress, Mueller said. Crisis Nursery has purposely expanded into high-risk communities, she said. Mueller, also a mother of three, is driven by her love and belief that all children deserve to have a safe and happy childhood. She has served Crisis Nursery since 1994. Under her direction, the agency has grown from two locations to five Crisis Nursery facilities and seven outreach centers and
photography and cake. A relative in her family covered the cost of a honeymoon in Florida.
Sha concedes that coping with a serious illness doesn’t mean couples don’t have fights.
“We don’t always agree on everything,” she said. “We don’t have a perfect storybook
a regional administrative office, for a total of 13 locations.
life. But we respect each other and, no matter what, we made a commitment to see this to the end.”
Edited for length and reprinted with permission from The Beacon and St. Louis Public Radio, news. stlpublicradio.org.
Crawford said she may have taken a different road had she not received services from Crisis Nursery. She is finishing her associate’s degree in nursing at the William J. Harrison Education Center, part of St. Louis Community College, and is working toward becoming a first-time homebuyer. She remains a staunch advocate of the agency and continues to be involved by serving on the Crisis Nursery Parent Advisory Board. “I don’t think I would be where I’m at now,” she said. “And right now, I’m in a good place.”
If you or someone you know is facing a crisis, call the Crisis Nursery’s 24-hour helpline at 314-768-3201 or visit www. crisisnurserykids.org.
I’m a proud graduate of East St. Louis Senior High School and have mostly fond memories of my days at “East Side High.”
But even my worst memories of my alma mater pale by comparison to the horrific incident which reportedly occurred just a couple of weeks ago. East St. Louis police are investigating the alleged rape of a 16-year-old special needs girl at East Side.
According to ESL Police Chief Michael Floore, the assault occurred while students were in transition between classes.
Based upon video surveillance, he said, one young man appears to have held a closet door shut while another youth reportedly raped the girl.
surveillance, because in this culture of anti-snitching, who knows if anyone would have supported this young woman’s account of events? Reportedly, no one had the decency or civility to help her after the alleged rape.
Secondly, what of the barbaric and cowardly mindset of two young men who would prey upon an innocent, mentally challenged young lady and force themselves upon her?
The situation came to the attention of authorities after the girl told her mother who, in turn, reported the incident to school officials.
Subsequently, an ESL police officer, serving as a resource office at the high school, reviewed video footage and determined that a criminal investigation was warranted.
As a result, two teens have been arrested and charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault: Samuel Young, 18, as well as an unidentified 16-yearold juvenile.
Jennifer Wren, the alleged victim’s aunt, alleges that her niece was forced into a closet, raped and emerged from the closet in tears, only to be met with laughter by a hallway full of students as she attempted to adjust her clothing.
Wren described her niece as being mentally and emotionally traumatized and in need of home-schooling because she is too devastated to return to the school.
First, thank God for video
And why was there was no supervision within earshot of the alleged assault or a hall monitor patrolling the hallways to prevent such an occurrence?
Someone needs to look at the movie Lean on Me and get some pointers on “hall monitoring 101” from Joe Clark. Then there’s the cruelness and insensitivity of the students who allegedly found this violation of a fellow student’s humanity to be funny. They are almost as culpable as the alleged rapist in allowing themselves to be so detached from human suffering that they would offer no assistance to a fellow student in distress.
If guilty, what lessons will these young men learn about respecting women and a woman’s right not to be violated?
As for East St. Louis Senior High, it has had breach-ofsecurity issues in the past, resulting in brawls and other altercations. Now we have an alleged rape. Something tells me that true security enhancements in East St. Louis schools will never occur until some parents “lawyer-up” and take their pursuit of justice from the school house to the court house.
Email: jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com; Twitter@ JamesIngram.
Yusef Lateef
(The Associated Press)
Grammy-winning musician and composer Yusef Lateef, one of the first to incorporate world music into traditional jazz, has died. He was 93.
Lateef died December 23 at his home in Shutesbury in western Massachusetts, according to the Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst.
Lateef, a tenor saxophonist known for his impressive technique, also became a top flutist. He was a jazz soloist on the oboe and played bassoon. He introduced different types of flutes and other woodwind instruments from many countries into his music and is credited with playing world music before it was officially named.
“I believe that all humans have knowledge,” he said in a 2009 interview for the National Endowment for the Arts. “Each culture has some knowledge. That’s why I studied with Saj Dev, an Indian flute player. That’s why I studied Stockhausen’s music. The pygmies’ music of the rain forest is very rich music. So the knowledge is out there. And I also believe one should seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. With that kind of inquisitiveness, one discovers things that were unknown before.”
As a composer, he created works for performers ranging from soloists to bands to choirs. His longer pieces have been played by symphony orchestras throughout the United States and in Germany. In 1987, he won a Grammy Award for his new age recording “Yusef Lateef’s Little Symphony,” on which he played all of the instruments. In 2010, he was named an NEA Jazz Master, the nation’s highest jazz honor. Lateef had an international following and toured extensively in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Africa. His last tour was during the summer.
He held a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s degree in music education from the Manhattan School of Music, and from 1987 to 2002, he was a professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, from which he was awarded a doctorate in education. He created his own music theory called “Autophysiopsychic Music,” which he described in the NEA interview as “music from one’s physical, mental and spiritual self, and also from the heart.”
Born William Emanuel Huddleston in Chattanooga, Tenn., in 1920, Lateef moved with his family to Detroit five years later. He became acquainted with many top musicians who were part of Detroit’s active music scene and by age 18 he was touring professionally with swing bands led by Lucky Millinder, Roy Eldridge, Hot Lips Page and Ernie Fields. In 1949, he was invited to perform with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, which was playing be-bop. He took the name Yusef Lateef after becoming a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and twice made the pilgrimage to Mecca. He became a fixture on the Detroit jazz scene in
the 1950s leading his own quintet. In 1960, he moved to New York and joined Charles Mingus’ band. Lateef would go on to perform with some of jazz’s best talent, including Cannonball Adderley, Donald Byrd and Miles Davis. Lateef first began recording under his own name in 1956 for Savoy Records, and made more than 100 recordings as a leader for such labels as Prestige, Impulse, Atlantic and his own YAL. His most enduring early recordings included such songs as “Love Theme from Spartacus” and “Morning.”
In the 1980s, he taught at a university in Nigeria, where he did research into the Fulani flute. Lateef formed his own label, YAL Records, in 1992, which released an extended suite, “The World at Peace,” co-composed with percussionist Adam Rudolph. He also wrote a four-movement work for quintet and orchestra, “The African American Epic Suite,” which was commissioned and performed by the WDR Orchestra in Germany in 1993. He is survived by his wife, Ayesha Lateef; son, Yusef Lateef; granddaughter and great-grandchildren.
Jeanette Euell Clark
Jeanette Euell Clark passed away at the age of 89 after a brief illness at Barnes Hospital on Wednesday, December 18, 2013. She was born on January 20, 1924 in St. Louis Missouri to the late Daniel Webster Euell and Beatrice Woods Euell. She was the third of five children.
She attended Marshall Elementary and Sumner High and subsequently competed two years at Florissant Valley Junior College. She was attracted into a modeling career at Lance of Hollywood while working as an interior designer. She later worked as a licensed practical nurse. She was married to Richard Bradford. From that union was born her precious son, Michael Bradford. She loved being a mother and always made sure that her son was a priority in her life. They both preceded her in death. She later found love in C.C. Clark whom she married and co-owned the popular Jeanette’s Laooga Lounge. He also preceded her in death. Jeanette was a creative and spirited woman who lived life fully. She was blessed with a sense of humor and a gift for telling stories which kept all who knew her entertained for hours on end. All who knew her knew that she never met a stranger. Jeanette was a “second mom” to her nieces and nephews. She leaves to cherish her memory, her sister, Bertha Euell Nelson, and a host of nieces and nephews who knew her as the “fabulous Aunt Jeanette.”
It’s time to propose New Year’s resolutions that elected and appointed officials need to make for themselves.
President Barack Obama: I resolve to build upon the crack clemency pardons that I issued and make addressing racial disparities in public policy and social outcomes a main part of the legacy of my second term.
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill: I resolve to stay “feisty” in addressing women’s issues and issues that impact working people in the U.S. Senate.
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt: I resolve to help my party find something approaching an old-fashioned chamber-of-commerce rightcenter position – at least accepting the reality of fiscally prudent issues like expanding Medicaid.
Gov. Jay Nixon: I resolve to continue offering an open door for meetings with the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus – as I am about to do this month for the first time ever
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder: I resolve to cut down on that toxic Tea.
Missouri Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro: I resolve to consider the political fall-out of helping paid enemies of public
education finesse the language for their ballot initiatives.
Attorney General Chris Koster: I resolve to meet with the Legislative Black Caucus –prior to my run for governor, and then often afterwards if I win.
Secretary of State Jason Kander: I resolve to continue trying to make it easier for people in Missouri to register to vote and for registered voters to actually vote.
County Executive Charlie A. Dooley: I resolve to start asking better questions of John Temporiti when he suggests someone (for example, one of his former employers) for a hot-potato political appointment.
U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay: I resolve to use my office to call greater attention to the need to clean up the Superfund Site at West Lake Landfill.
Mayor Francis G. Slay: I resolve to keep Rex Sinquefield from running the City of St. Louis.
City Operations Director Eddie Roth: I resolve to start
worrying about the fact that the city whose operations I direct has a record of arresting and incarcerating the wrong people, leaving actual criminals at large.
City Police Chief Sam Dotson: I resolve to continue to balance the community’s concerns for its police force with the legitimate concerns of my officers.
Aldermanic President Lewis Reed: I resolve to continue to work with Comptroller Green to stop allowing the mayor to ignore the requisite balance of powers set forth in the City Charter.
Comptroller Darlene Green: Ditto re President Reed.
Treasurer Tishaura O.
Jones: I resolve to continue fulfilling my campaign promises to uproot corruption and sloth from this office and to modernize its operations with transparency and accountability.
License Collector Mavis Thompson: I resolve to consolidate community support and encourage black citywide political hopefuls to run against entitled citywide officials who are not representing black concerns.
State Senator Maria ChappelleNadal: I resolve to take a closer look at that glass ceiling for AfricanAmerican women in Missouri politics.
State Senator Jamilah Nasheed: I resolve to limit my
collaborations with Missouri Republicans to those causes that are in the legitimate best interests of my community without regard to personal aggrandizement.
State Rep. Michael Butler: I resolve to keep on keeping it real in the Missouri Legislature while I prepare for a political office where I can do more good for my community.
Alderman Antonio French: I resolve to keep providing the fact-based loyal opposition to Slay on the Board of Aldermen and to continue pushing for development in my ward and North St. Louis generally – no matter what I one day do with that MBA degree from Wash U.
Ferguson-Florissant school board majority: We resolve to educate, willingly and with equal consideration, every child entitled to enroll in this district who wants to enroll in it, regardless of race or zip code.
By Jo Mannies Financier
Rex
Sinquefield, Missouri’s largest political donor, has given $750,000 to jumpstart the initiative petition drive for a ballot measure to end teacher tenure.
According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, the money was donated on Christmas Eve to “Teachgreat.org,” the campaign committee set up to oversee the effort. The “Teachgreat.org” initiative would limit teacher contracts to no more than three years. It also requires “teachers to be dismissed, retained, demoted, promoted, and paid primarily using quantifiable student performance data as part of the evaluation system,” according to the summary on the group’s website.
The initiative also mandates that teachers be allowed to engage in collective bargaining for pay, benefits and working conditions, in an apparent move to appeal to teacher groups. So far, such organizations have been wary of the proposed constitutional amendment. Sinquefield gave $100,000 to Teachgreat.org this summer.
This latest contribution sharply increases Sinquefield’s total 2013 donations to various Missouri causes and candidates to more than $2.5 million, according to the Ethics Commission’s tally. Reprinted with permission from The Beacon and St. Louis Public Radio, news. stlpublicradio.org.
American staff
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education have named Terrence Freeman at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley the 2013 Missouri Professor of the Year.
This year, a state Professor of the Year was recognized in 36 states. Freeman was selected from more than 350 top professors in the United States.
“This is an incredible and humbling honor,” Freeman said. Freeman is a professor in engineering science and has been with the college since 1982. He was an adviser to the president for seven years on multicultural affairs, coordinated Project Chart to encourage underrepresented
students to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, and is an adviser for the National Society of Black Engineers. He helped develop the minority engineering transfer program and has hosted nine students from South and Central America. He is also an in-demand motivational speaker, author and third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
“Awards like this are never won in isolation. This particular award reflects the opportunities, relationships and support that I have had through the years at St. Louis Community College,” Freeman said.
“It is the culmination of the love of education that was instilled by my parents, Calvin and LaVerne, and reinforced throughout my life in school and through community
Nelson Mandela has made his final transition. His is a larger-than-life image, and so it stands to reason that his life and legacy will be subject to the utmost scrutiny. Mandela was a man, with self-admitted strengths and flaws. He was not the “platitudinous cardboard character” that esteemed journalist Bob Herbert alluded to in his critique of the mainstream media’s whitewashing of the Mandela legacy. Some would have us believe that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a mere dreamer.
Every January and April, we get bombarded with selected excerpts from his famous “I
Have a Dream” speech that downplay King’s critique of the political and economic system that negatively impacted the poor, especially black folks. Dr. King publicly stated his opposition to many U.S. policies like the Vietnam War, the death penalty, poverty and other economic inequities. And he tirelessly worked for new, more humane policies. Before the U.S. embraced Mandela as a hero of peace, it had placed him and his organization, the African National Congress, on its terrorists list. The CIA gave Mandela’s location to the apartheid regime for his capture
mentors. It is the critical reason that those of us who have been so blessed have a responsibility to encourage, mentor and support today’s youth on their journey to success. We never know where our influence ends
and ultimate conviction for treason. Let’s not forget how long the U.S. was cozy with the brutal and racist South African government whose apartheid laws were patterned off our domestic apartheid laws, aka Jim Crow. President Ronald Reagan went to the mat opposing sanctions against South Africa, including having his veto overridden by Congress.
Mandela’s rise to become the first black president of his country was remarkable; he moved the country to a place of healing and reconciliation. Some critics point out that although the most public face of apartheid was erased, the status quo of white rule was largely maintained. An example of this was the Mandela-Rhodes Foundation in Cape Town, where the
unless we choose not to try.”
“Terry is a true representative of the faculty we have at St. Louis Community College – dedicated and in tune with the success of our students,” said Marcia Pfeiffer,
Minerals-Energy Complex and key financial institutions were given priority in the decision-making, as had been the case for the prior 150 years.
Cecil Rhodes was an English settler who made his fortune by exploiting the diamond industry in Southern Africa. The British took the land and named the colony Rhodesia. The native people eventually fought to get it back and renamed it Zimbabwe.
The question is: Why would you associate your good name with a colonialist thief? President Jacob Zuma was soundly booed at Mandela’s memorial; the contempt of the people could not be contained, even for such a solemn occasion.
Terry Freeman, left, was named the 2013 Missouri Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He is pictured with Zora Mulligan, executive director of the Missouri Community College Association.
president of the STLCCFlorissant Valley campus. “This award is a testament to his hard work within the campus community and for students in the St. Louis region.” CASE and the Carnegie
The ANC-led government has been facing violent labor unrest and protests over persisting poverty, crime and unemployment.
The government has definitely departed from the vision laid out in the 1955 Freedom Charter which came directly from the people. It should’ve been a red flag that while much of the Charter was embedded in the new constitution of 1994, the redistribution of land and the nationalization of the country’s industries were noticeably absent.
The ANC is losing popularity and facing charges of corruption. It has definitely deviated from the non-racial, non-sexist, non-exploitive society that Mandela talked about in the early years of his presidency. Critics of the current social and economic situation lay it at the feet of President Mandela and the foundation he failed to lay down that would sever all white colonial ties to power.
I’m not saying he is free
Foundation have been partners in offering the U.S. Professors of the Year awards program since 1981. Additional support for the program is received from Phi Beta Kappa, which sponsors an evening congressional reception, the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education and other higher education associations. CASE assembled two preliminary panels of judges to select finalists. The Carnegie Foundation then convened the third and final panel, which selected four national winners. CASE and Carnegie select state winners from top entries resulting from the judging process. Freeman was selected from faculty members nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country.
of all responsibility, but one person does not truly run a government. Mandela was one man with one voice, one vote.
The South African people’s struggle for freedom and a true democracy continues. Like us in the U.S., they now know that elections are no silver bullets even when they sweep popular figures into power. Elections must be part of a broader, strategic movement that continues to educate and organize the people. We must challenge the revisionism of Madiba’s legacy. This doesn’t mean being uncritical of Mandela or the ANC, it means being informed and objective. Our tasks are to keep Mandela from being made into a platitudinous cardboard character and to continue to support the just struggles of the South African people.
JANUARY 2 – 8, 2014
‘To advance the aligned and shared goal of greater economic inclusion’
By Chris King Of The St. Louis American
Michelle Janine Howard has been nominated by President Barack Obama for appointment to the rank of admiral and assignment as vice chief of naval operations. From May 2004 to September 2005, Howard was the commander of Amphibious Squadron Seven. This appointment will make Howard the first female four-star Admiral. On March 12, 1999, Howard became the first African-American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy.
Reagan, president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber
James Webb, president and CEO of the St. Louis Minority Business Council
service that will support the growth of minority-owned businesses in the St. Louis region with focused executive training, contracting assistance and increased access to capital.”
Finally, they “will collaborate to insure that economic inclusion is a cornerstone of our united effort to make the bi-state
St. Louis region a top 10 U.S. region for prosperity.”
“Growing business opportunities with MBEs in the St. Louis region is more than just the right thing to do, it is an economic imperative for the communities that we live in and serve,” said Dennis W. Weisenborn, vice president of Ameren and chairman of the board for the St. Louis Minority Business Council.
“Partnering with the Regional Chamber and committed leaders such as Joe Reagan will provide opportunities for local MBEs vital to our community to expand networks, build
See ALLIANCE, B6
president and CEO
Center, visits with
a senior at
recent opening of the new MasterCard Innovation and Technology
Science Resource Center. MasterCard funded the lab, which will be accessible to the 250 teens
the Saint Louis Science Center’s Youth Exploring Science (YES) program. In addition, the lab is open to community partners so that they may conduct technology trainings or seminars for their clients.
“Having a lab that offers them access to technology means that students can have the opportunity to use technology to foster their own innovative thinking and develop both creative and critical thinking skills that are a must for the workforce of the future,” said Amanda Gioia, senior business leader, Worldwide Communications at MasterCard. MasterCard funds tech lab for students
On December 19, the St. Louis Regional Chamber and the St. Louis Minority Business Council signed a Memorandum of Agreement to formalize a closer working relationship. They agreed to “enter into a formal strategic alliance to advance the aligned and shared goal of achieving greater economic inclusion in the bi-state region,” according to the agreement. Further, they “will conduct a second-phase review of their operations to identify and achieve the greatest level of operational and financial efficiencies that can be achieved through areas of formal integration, including, but not limited to, education, development, and advocacy.” They also “will identify and implement forwardthinking strategies to better serve minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in a 21st century economy, including collaborating to launch a new business accelerator With
Randy Harvey Sr. has been named one of Thirteen Hospitality Super Heroes in the St. Louis region by St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, which honors front-line workers who best exemplify the region’s commitment to great service. He is a groundskeepers, Lumiere Place Casino & Hotels. Nominations were solicited from management of hospitality industry companies and judged by a panel of customer service experts.
Curtis Jethro has been named one of Thirteen Hospitality Super Heroes in the St. Louis region by St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, which honors front-line workers who best exemplify the region’s commitment to great service. He is a groundskeepers, Lumiere Place Casino & Hotels. Nominations were solicited from management of hospitality industry companies and judged by a panel of customer service experts.
Nia Ray has been named the new director of the Division of Employment Security in the Missouri Department of Economic Development by Gov. Jay Nixon. Most recently, she was director of the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. She is a past executive director of the State Workforce Investment Board and serves on the Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation Council and Missouri Rehabilitation Council for the Blind.
Treasurer announces parking tech RFP winners
St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones has selected the companies for the second phase of an RFP for parking meter management and processing: Xerox, Duncan Solutions, Aparc Systems, and a joint proposal submitted by T2 Systems, Inc., Republic Parking System and Digital Payment Technologies.
The goal of the RFP, issued in October, is to provide St. Louis with a cost-effective on-street parking system that allows people to use cash, credit cards and mobile phones to pay.
The selected vendors will perform a six-month on-street parking field test evaluation of their equipment before a final selection is made. The field test sites will be in Downtown and the Central West End.
Missouri increased minimum wage on New Year’s Day
On January 1, Missouri’s minimum wage was increased by 15 cents to $7.50 per hour, benefiting an estimated 104,000 low-wage workers in the state. The minimum wage for tipped workers in Missouri was increased by 12 cents to $3.75 per hour.
Be aware of your Social Security privileges. Remember that Social Security is exempt from most garnishments or attachments. Wage income
and demand answers, especially when closing on a mortgage. Avoid title trouble Do not sign an automobile contract without seeing a title first. Remember: A car purchase can only be completed by transferring the title and delivering it to the buyer. Seek coverage. Review the coverage amounts and beneficiary designations on life insurance policies to ensure coverage is adequate and that your intended beneficiaries are correct.
Missouri’s minimum wage increase means an extra $312 per year in wages for minimum-wage workers in the state, and the increased consumer spending generated by the minimum wage hike will boost economic growth by $11 million, according to an analysis of Census data by the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute.
Missouri’s minimum wage increase is the result of a state ballot initiative approved by a 3 to 1 margin by voters in 2006 that provides for annual rate adjustments to keep pace with the rising cost of living.
By Jason Alderman
Full disclosure: I’ve always been somewhat skeptical of timeshares. I understand the appeal of having a guaranteed vacation home in an area you love and being able to swap your unit for a place halfway around the world.
But I worry that many buyers don’t consider all associated costs and mistakenly think timeshares are sound inancial investments that will appreciate in value. In fact, sellers rarely make a proit – some only get pennies on the dollar. Plus, the waters are illed with sharks eager to rip off people desperately trying to unload unwanted timeshares. Before you buy a timeshare, understand how they work,
challenges you may face when trying to resell and scams to avoid:
Timeshares are usually either:
• “Deeded,” where you own a share of the property, usually for a particular unit for a speciied time period – typically one or two weeks a year. Depending on your contract, you either own it for life, for a speciied number of years, or until you sell it.
• “Right-to-use,” where a developer owns the resort and each unit is divided into “intervals” – either by the week or for a certain number of points. You purchase the right to use an interval for X number of years but don’t own any real property. Many allow you to use your points to stay at an
afiliated resort (swapping).
The price for buying a new timeshare can vary widely, depending on the area and amenities offered. A typical one-week share might cost $10,000 to $25,000 – or many times that for a posh unit in Aspen or Kauai.
Plus, you’ll be responsible for various other expenses:
• Annual fees for maintenance, utilities and property taxes.
• Assessments for major repairs or improvements.
• Fees to swap your share for someone else’s or sell it.
• Don’t forget travel costs to and from the property each
year. The Federal Trade Commission (www.consumer.ftc. gov) offers many helpful tips, including:
• Compare the costs of buying and maintaining a timeshare with renting a similar property. Perhaps rent a unit irst to make sure you like the complex.
• Evaluate the resort’s location and quality by visiting and talking to current owners about their experience.
• Check for complaints about the seller, developer and management company with the state Attorney General’s Ofice (www.naag.org) and the Better
Business Bureau (www.bbb. org).
• Make sure all sales agent promises are contained in the contract.
• Don’t act on impulse or be swayed by high-pressure sales tactics. If possible, ask a lawyer or real estate professional to review the contract before signing.
• Like new cars, new timeshares quickly depreciate, so consider buying one used.
A few cautions when selling a timeshare:
• If you’re going through a reselling agency, don’t pay more than a nominal upfront fee for appraisal, advertising, etc. Look for companies that take their cut after the sale.
• Before setting your price, ind out what comparable prop-
erties (at similar time periods) sell for so you don’t overprice.
• Watch out for scams, such as: an agency cold calls you and claims it has buyers waiting in the wings; or someone claims you’re entitled to a settlement from an FTC lawsuit brought against a scammer.
• If you didn’t pay cash, you’ll probably have to pay off your loan before selling.
• Beware of offers to accept your timeshare as a tax deduction for a fee – often thousands of dollars. The IRS only allows you to deduct “fair market value,” which is probably signiicantly less than you paid for it. Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www. twitter.com/ PracticalMoney.
By Michelle Singletary Washington Post
During a recent workshop with seniors at my church, a debate broke out concerning Medicare Part D. That’s the program that helps pay for prescription drugs. Medicare offers the coverage to all enrollees, and if you elect to get the coverage, you pay a monthly premium.
If you do not sign up for Part D when you’re first eligible for Medicare Part A and/or Part B, and you didn’t have prescription drug coverage that met Medicare’s minimum standard, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you eventually decide to join the plan. Some of the seniors, concerned about facing that penalty, said they had enrolled in Part D even though they already had drug coverage as part of another plan, some with
their former employers. “I’m not going to pay a penalty,” one woman argued, with several others agreeing with her. But another senior tried to tell her that she wouldn’t face a penalty if she later needed Part D. He was right: You don’t incur a late penalty if you opt out of buying Plan D because you already have creditable prescription coverage, or if you participate in the government program called Extra Help. This is a Medicare program that assists people with limited incomes and financial resources to pay for their prescriptions. The key word here is “creditable,” which means that your plan’s coverage is expected to pay on average as
much as the standard Medicare prescription drug coverage. If you have drug coverage from an employer, union or other group health plan, you should get a notice every year letting you know whether or not your drug coverage is creditable.
“Keep that letter in a safe spot,” said Nicole Duritz, AARP’s vice president for health, education and outreach. “It can be difficult to get a copy of the letter if the business that was covering you closes down.”
The bottom line is if you have creditable prescription coverage, you don’t need to double up on coverage by signing up for a Plan D out of fear you’ll get hit with a penalty, Duritz said. The late enrollment penalty
is calculated by figuring 1 percent for every full month that you were eligible but went without Plan D and didn’t have other creditable coverage.
n If you have creditable prescription coverage, you don’t need to double up on coverage by signing up for a Plan D out of fear you’ll get hit with a penalty.
That total percentage is then multiplied by what’s called the “national base beneficiary premium,” which for 2014 is $32.42. The resulting amount is rounded to the nearest 10 cents and added to your monthly premium. Medicare.gov gives an example of how the penalty is imposed. Let’s say you didn’t join a prescription drug plan when you became eligible by June 2011. You didn’t
Continued from B1
have any other creditable prescription coverage. You decide to join a plan this year during the open enrollment, which runs until Dec. 7. Your coverage would then begin on Jan. 1. Your penalty in 2014 is 30 percent (1 percent for each of the 30 months between July 2011 and December 2013) of $32.42 (the national base beneficiary premium for 2014), which is $9.73. The penalty is rounded to $9.70, which you’ll pay along with your premium each month. The late enrollment penalty is added to your monthly Part D premium for as long as you have Medicare prescription drug coverage.
You may decide not sign up because you aren’t taking medication. Although you save now, weigh that against a future penalty and whether you can afford it.
Let’s say you lose your creditable prescription coverage and want to enroll in Plan D. Don’t panic, but you do have
an educated
Do business with a longstanding company, not one oozing red ink. It will improve your chances that any consumer warranties will be honored.
to act fast. You have a small window to sign up. Be sure you don’t have a break in creditable coverage for 63 days or more.
That’s because when you join a Medicare drug plan, the plan will review Medicare’s systems to see you had a break in creditable coverage. If there is a break, the plan will send you a notice asking for proof of prior prescription drug coverage. This is an important form and should be returned by the deadline date because it’s your opportunity to let the plan know about prior coverage that might not be in Medicare’s systems. If you have concerns about Part D, go online to www. Medicare.gov or call (800) 633-4227. You can also talk to a counselor in your state who can help you get the answers you need through the State Health Insurance Counseling Assistance Program (SHIP). Call (800) 633-4227 to find the number of the SHIP in your state.
Missouri provides legal assistance to low income persons. If you are interested in interviewing a Legal Services of Eastern Missouri attorney on this topic or other subjects, visit www. lsem.org.
n “It’s a harsh business.”
– Vikings safety Harrison Smith, on the firing of head coach Leslie Frazier
With Earl Austin Jr.
Here’s a little recap from some of last week’s holiday tournament action.
n Incarnate Word is now headed to Florida to participate in a national tournament.
Nationally-ranked Incarnate Word Academy rolled to the championship of the Visitation Christmas Tournament last week. The Red Knights defeated Hazelwood Central 88-44 for the championship.
Junior standout Napheesa Collier led IWA with 27 points while senior point guard Nakiah Bell added 20 points. Collier was voted the Most Valuable Player in the tournament. Incarnate Word is now headed to Florida to participate in a national tournament against some of the country’s best girls’ teams. Good luck to them.
Edwardsville wins Carbondale Edwardsville High won the championship of the Carbondale Holiday Tournament. The Tigers defeated host Carbondale 59-51 to win the Large School Division title. Senior Darius Crochrell scored 20 points to lead Edwardsville. The Tigers went on to defeat Small School Division champion Madison 65-48 to win the overall title. Forward Armon Fletcher had 23 points and 19 rebounds to lead Edwardsville. Guard Shawn Roundtree added 19 points and nine assists. Edwardsville is now 12-0.
CBC heads west
CBC ventured west to California to play in the Max Preps Holiday Classic. As of press time, the Cadets were 2-1. They lost to a powerful Long Beach Poly team in their opening game. The Cadets rebounded to defeat Los Osos (CA) and Catallina Foothills, which was the No. 4 ranked team in Arizona.
Chaminade wins own
Sophomore sensation Jayson Tatum led Chaminade to the championship of its own
Riverview Gardens played the third place game against the Eagles of Brentwood in the Cardinal Ritter Girls Holiday Tournament. The Eagles defeated the Lady Rams 33-61 on Saturday afternoon.
MICDS semifinals tonight
holiday tournament. The Red Devils defeated Bayless 75-54 in the championship game. The 6’8” Tatum scored a game-high 27 points to lead Chaminade. Tatum averaged 25 points in Chaminade’s three victories last week.
he ClutCh
With Ishmael H. Sistrunk
The semifinals of the MICDS Holiday
See PREP, B5
With Palmer Alexander
Rams loss sets draft expectations
As the regular season has come to a close, the St. Louis Rams finished the season 7-9.
As expected, the Rams came out fighting in the last game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks. However, the Seahawks won the fight on the scoreboard. It was almost a carbon copy of last year’s finale in Seattle when the Rams were hit with 14 penalties for 98 yards. In this year’s final game, Jeff Fisher’s team accumulated 12 penalties for 87 yards.
How could I forget the ejection of Kendall Langford? I really love the fact that the Rams are tough and will be damned if they get pushed around. But, at some point they are going to have to channel this inner fire that gets them seeing yellow flags thrown in their direction frequently. This is an area in need of stark improvement if the Rams ever wish to become a serious playoff contender. Despite the Rams’ failing again to reach that elusive .500 mark, you saw a lot of encouraging signs for the future this season. Rookies Alec Ogletree and Zac Stacy had great rookie seasons and were key contributors. Another young player, Tim Barnes, did a solid job playing center with Scott Wells out with an injury.
n At least the draft clock has started ticking.
Trumaine Johnson, Rodney McLeod, and TJ McDonald were all better than expected in the secondary, while Janoris Jenkins had a rough season and didn’t perform close to the level he did last season. Robert Quinn only got one sack against Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Quinn finished the season with 19 sacks. He has become, not just the face of the defense, but in many ways the face of the Rams. Kellen Clemens and his Tasmanian devil quarterback adventures were entertaining and maddening to watch at the same time. I never gave the Rams chance to win another game with Sam Bradford injured. But, give Clemens credit. He battled. But when he put the ball in the air, you never knew what to expect: a pass completion, interception or football hitting the beer vendor. I didn’t realize how much Sam Bradford would be missed.
The day wasn’t a total loss for the Rams. They will now have the second overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. So even though
See RAMS, B4
Ishmael H. Sistrunk
As NBA Commissioner David Stern prepares to retire in February, maybe his last big hurrah should be to make the NBA more like soccer. No I’m not talking about making players dribble with their feet or allowing players to head butt the ball (although players on several Eastern Conference teams are doing many of those things voluntarily), but rather mimicking soccer’s system of promotion and relegation. Maybe then, the quality of play in the Leastern Conference would rise above the pathetic level where it currently sits.
Sure, I realize that LeBron James and the two-time defending champion Miami Heat are from the East. However, besides the Heat and the Indiana Pacers, the quality of basketball in the East is as bad as Ola Ray’s Michael Jackson tribute. As Charles Barkley would say, it’s “turrble, just turrble.” As it stands today, the
n If the playoffs started today, Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats would make the playoffs. No wonder it’s so cold outside – hell is freezing over.
Eastern Conference has a total of three teams above .500, the Heat, Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks. Even the Hawks are a pretty average team who would have a tough time making the playoffs in the West. Just think about it: If the playoffs started today, Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats would make the playoffs. No wonder it’s so cold outside –hell is freezing over. In the European Premier League (soccer), the bottom three teams in the league are automatically demoted into a lesser league for the following season. In the lower league, the top two teams are automatically promoted into the Premier League. The third spot is determined
The Pattonville High School drill teams took honors at the Yvonne Cole Lindbergh Invitational Dance Team Competition on Dec. 7. The varsity drill team placed first in hip-hop and fourth in pom and won the Outstanding Showmanship Award. The junior varsity drill team placed second in hip-hop and third in pom and won the Most Memorable Routine Award. The Lindbergh Invitational is an annual regional dance team competition. Teams compete in up to three of six available categories: pom-pon, kick, dance, hip hop, mix and prop. Katie Funderburk is the varsity coach, and Julie Crites and Shannon Hicks are junior varsity assistants.
Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the “you have to be kidding me” with these St. Louis Rams.
Let’s start with the good.
The Rams won seven games, making for 14 wins in the last two seasons. That’s far cry from the two previous regimes that made the Rams the laughingstock of the NFL.
To win seven games this season with a backup quarterback under center for nine of those games means that this team never quit.
Quitting is what they do in Washington, Cleveland, Detroit and Houston. (When you are really short on talent, like Jacksonville, Cleveland and the New York Jets, you get a pass.)
Zac Stacey did a nice job running the ball, after the Rams realized they were short in the position.
long, the receivers dropped too many passes. I know they used a backup quarterback most of the season, but at some point he should know the playbook. Or maybe the playbook has little imagination.
Before you start in on Sam Bradford, he is still the best option this team has. Unless you want to start over again, and with who?
How about stopping the run? On some Sundays, it didn’t happen. The linebackers made plays six and seven yards downfield ... too late. Add the antics of Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who got suspended for testing positive at the start of the season.
Remember, some ran out of Rams Park during training camp saying that the running game was going to be good with the new super-secret offense.
The receivers were better than in years past, giving some hope that they may turn the corner soon. Both the punter and kicker were way above average with Johnny Hekker going to the Pro Bowl as a punter. As for the defense, they showed up most days. There was this obsession to lead the league in sacks, and the Rams were good in that department. It also shows you that sacks can be overrated, as the Rams posted over 50 sacks this year, yet only have seven wins to show for it. In the linebacker corps, Alec Ogletree was the most pleasant surprise. He was largely good on and off the field.
Now for the bad.
While the Rams did not quit, they were one of the most undisciplined teams in the league, with one bad penalty after another.
Everyone was pulling for Stacey to rush for 1,000 yards. If my math serves correctly, that is about 62.5 yards a game. Unless you have a quarterback who is throwing for at least 4,000 yards to go along with that paltry 1,000 yards in running, you have an average offense.
Can anyone explain what the Rams were trying to do on offense? The Tavon Austin razzle-dazzle was nice, but you can’t trick teams every Sunday in the NFL and expect to win. This offense showed little imagination on most Sundays. Even when the Rams did show some imagination in the passing game by attempting to go
The secondary led the league in bigtime talking. They also led the league in not backing any of it up. Throw in a mess of pass interference penalties and there is work to do – plenty of it.
As for the “are you kidding me?” aspect, this coaching staff is better than what they have shown so far. I give them credit in coaching up guys who are just barely in the league, but on some Sundays the team did not look prepared. That can’t happen in the NFL. This team was undisciplined on too many Sundays. Too many penalties, too many blown assignments and too much showboating when you have not done a thing. At some point coaching has to step in and right these wrongs. Tough love is almost a lost art, yet it is needed now. The Rams are still short on talent in several areas. This is a team that has few stars, and nearly everyone could be replaced if someone better could be found. It is time for the front office to look harder to create more competition for jobs. The off-season should be productive. The Rams have the second pick in the draft, and they should promptly trade it down to acquire more picks unless there is a Rookie of the Year candidate in the second slot. I shall remind you of Jason Smith, the last guy taken in the second spot. He is now on a milk carton, as his whereabouts are known by very few.
A record of 7-9 does not have a good ring to it, especially when you got waxed in the final game of the year. For those Rams who want to talk about how they will not forget what happened in Seattle, I will remind you that these are the same guys who have been getting it handed to them in the final game of the season for years. Less talk and more action next season would be a good way to start.
By Earl Austin Jr.
Of The St. Louis American
Another successful highå school football season is in the books in the St. Louis metro area. Before we put the equipment away for good, it is time to announce our 2013 St. Louis “All-American” Football Teams. As always, there are teams in the Large School and Small School divisions.
Large Schools
Offense
QB- Mike Glass, Jr. (Hazelwood Central)
RB- Markel Smith, Sr (Vianney)
RB- Kendall Morris, Sr. (Francis Howell Central)
RB- Kevin Batt, Jr. Hazelwood Central)
WR- Jeff Thomas, Fr. (East St. Louis)
WR- Cameron Hilton, Jr. (Webster Groves)
WR- Darius Crochrell, Sr. (Edwardsville)
OL- Roderick Johnson, Sr. (Hazelwood Central)
OL- Brian Wallace, Sr. (CBC)
OL- Cortez Spencer, Sr. (East St. Louis)
OL- Luther Wright, Sr. (East St. Louis)
OL- Tonnie White, Jr. (Hazelwood Central)
Continued from B3 through a playoff. So even when teams are rebuilding or mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, they still have something to play for – a spot in the big leagues. Think about it. The NBA already has the D-league as a place to develop young talent or rehab ailing stars before their return. What if the top teams in the D-league had a shot to make it to the “real” NBA – not just a player, but the entire team? It would instantly make the D-League relevant. For the NBA teams, it would surely light a fire under awful teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks and the grossly and habitually underachieving New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. How quickly would the disastrous Jason Kidd experiment come to an end with the Nets if Mikhail
KR- Jimmy Jones, Sr. (Hazelwood East)
AP- Devin Alexander, Sr. (Ritenour)
Ath- Raymond Wingo, Sr. (SLUH)
Defense
DL- Dewayne Hendrix, Sr. (O’Fallon)
DL- Jonathan Bonner, Sr. (Parkway Central)
DL- Terry Beckner, Jr. (East St. Louis)
DL- Adewale Adeoye, Sr. (Ritenour)
DL- Armon Watts, Sr. (CBC)
LB- Tori Millander, Sr. (Belleville West)
LB- Kyron Watson, Sr. (East St. Louis)
LB- Bri’on Sanders, Sr. (Webster Groves)
DB- Craig James, Sr. (Edwardsville)
DB- Greg Taylor, Sr. (East St. Louis)
DB- Treevon Prater, Sr. (East St. Louis)
DB- Roderick Campbell, Soph. (Chaminade)
P- Evan Scales, Sr. (Lafayette)
AP – Brian Hill, Sr. (Belleville West)
Ath- Khalen Saunders, Sr. (Parkway Central) UT- Dedrick Cromartie
Prokhorov knew all his $100plus million bought him was a coach ticket to the JV league? How quickly would ESPN explode if the big city Knicks were on the verge of relegation? It wouldn’t just work for the East, though. Take a gander out West, folks would be fighting in the streets if the hallowed Los Angeles Lakers might be playing next season’s games in the Compton Baptist Church’s rec center instead of the Staples Center. Even though the NBA makes an effort to discourage tanking through its draft lottery system, it’s not enough. The Boston Celtics waived goodbye to all its able-bodied star players in the off-season to go into full rebuilding mode. Ironically, because the East is so bad, they could still end up in the playoffs with a paltry, sub-.500 record. In fact, it’s very likely that several playoff teams in the East will have sub-.500 records. The move may sound
St. LouiS AmericAn
RB- Markel Smith, Sr. (Vianney)
(DeSmet)
Offensive Player of the Year: Markel Smith (Vianney)
Defensive Player of the Year: Jonathan Bonner (Parkway Central)
Freshman of the Year: Jeff Thomas (East St. Louis)
Lineman of the Year: Roderick Johnson (Hazelwood Central)
Small Schools
QB- Justin Baker, Jr. (Lutheran North)
RB- John Moten, Jr. (John
drastic, but it’s exactly what the NBA needs in order to regain the passion and excitement it held in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I’m not trying to be a scrooge or sound like an old fogey wishing for the return of the good old days. The NBA is exciting and still has plenty of star power. However, in the East especially, many of the games aren’t worth watching.
Whether it’s the high number of injuries by star players or just the lethargic level of play compared to the uber-competitive West, there’s no point in watching the Heat and Pacers massacre the meager opposition or in watching two teams battle with virtually no chance at doing anything worthwhile in the postseason.
People often lament the huge guaranteed contracts that NBA players receive. Let’s watch them earn it. All contracts can stay guaranteed – as long as the player’s team is not relegated. Then we’d see teams fighting and scrapping
Belleville Althoff – Boys Basketball
The standout freshman led the Crusaders to a 3-1 record and a runner-up finish at the Schnucks Collinsville Holiday Tournament.
The 6’3” Goodwin averaged 22 points and eight rebounds in Althoff’s four games, including 27 points and six rebounds against Lincoln (Ill) in the championship game. He had 19 points and eight rebounds in a 63-53 victory over East St. Louis in the semifinals. Goodwin had 21 points and nine rebounds in a 73-53 victory over Urbana in the quarterfinals and 21 points and eight rebounds against Triad in a first-round victory.
For the season, Goodwin is averaging 21 points and five rebounds a game. He is one of the top freshmen in the state of Illinois.
Hazelwood Central – Girls Basketball
The talented sophomore forward led the Hawks to a 3-1 finish and a runner-up finish at the Visitation Christmas Tournament last week.
Jordan had 19 points and nine rebounds in the Hawks’ loss to nationally-ranked Incarnate Word in the championship game. She had 16 points and 13 rebounds in the Hawks’ 61-42 victory over St. Joseph’s in the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, Jordan had 17 points and 13 rebounds in the Hawks’ 56-43 victory over Notre Dame. She added 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 44-37 victory over Blue Springs. Jordan averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds for the tournament. For the season, Jordan is averaging 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds a game.
Burroughs)
RB- Marquis Stewart, Jr. (Miller Career Academy)
RB- Shawn Conway, Sr. (McCluer South-Berkeley)
WR- Isaiah Holman, Sr. (Lutheran North)
WR- Ryan Stokes, Jr. (McCluer South-Berkeley)
WR- Keenan Young, Soph (Althoff)
OL- Brett Morrow, Sr. (Ladue)
OL- Demon Taylor, Sr. (Soldan)
OL- Patrick Stepherson, Jr. (Lutheran North)
OL- Jearroyd Blanchard, Sr. (McCluer South-Berkeley)
OL- DeJon Stewart, Soph. (Lutheran North)
AP- Dontrelle Busby, Sr. (Carnahan)
Ath- Alim Muhammad, Sr. (MICDS)
P/K- Trevor Bain, Sr. (John Burroughs)
Defense
DL- Renell Wren, Sr. (Lutheran North)
DL- Demetrius Fisher, Sr. (Cardinal Ritter)
DL- RaSheen Bolden, Jr.. (Miller Career Academy)
DL- Justin Creighton, Sr. (Westminster Christian)
until the final buzzer. We’d see coaches who care, regardless of the standings. We’d see players on teams at the bottom of the standings diving for loose balls, fighting through picks and putting it all on the line, even if they can’t make the playoffs.
LB- Aaron Medina, Jr. (Althoff)
LB- Frank Davis, Sr. (Christian-O’Fallon)
LB- Manuel Cole, Sr. (McCluer South-Berkeley)
LB- Tre Moore, Jr. (John Burroughs)
LB- Chavez Hines, Sr. (Carnahan)
DB- Deantrelle Prince, Sr. (Christian-O’Fallon)
DB- Justice Bratcher, Sr. (Brentwood)
DB- Travis Riley, Jr., (Miller Career Academy)
DB- Brandon Bryant, Sr. (McCluer South-Berkeley)
KR- Travis Riley, Jr. (Miller Career Academy)
AP- Deantrelle Prince, Sr. (Christian-O’Fallon)
Ath- Andre Crump, Sr. (McCluer South-Berkeley)
Offensive Player of the Year: Isaiah Holman (Lutheran North)
Defensive Player of Year: Demetrius Fisher (Cardinal Ritter)
Lineman of the Year: Brett Morrow (Ladue)
Continued from B3
Tournament will be played tonight. In the first game, No. 1 seed Duchesne will play No. 5 seed SLUH at 6 p.m. The other semifinal game will pit No. 2 Ladue against No. 3 St. Charles at 7:45 p.m. The winners will play for the championship on Friday night at 6 p.m. In today’s girls semifinals, host MICDS will play Parkway Central at 3 p.m., followed by Oakville vs. Westminster at 4:30 p.m. The championship game will be played on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Lavender averages 30
Senior guard Deion Lavender scored 32 points to lead Alton-Marquette to a 55-4 victory over Waterloo in the championship game of the Columbia-Freeburg Tournament. The 6’3” Lavender averaged 30 points a game in the tournament. (You can follow more of Earl’s holiday tournament recaps on his basketball website, www.earlaustinjr.com and on twitter @earlaustinjr.)
Continued from B3 the Rams season may be over, in reality it has just begun. At least the draft clock has started ticking. Happy New Year. Be safe! For more Rams Roundup, tune into www.stlamerican/ youtubevideo.
We already pluck the talented players from European squads. Now it’s time to steal one of the rules that keeps soccer as the most popular sport in the world (even though it’s treated like a red-headed stepchild here in America). Whether it’s Stern’s final act, or incoming commissioner Adam Silver’s first, it’s time for the NBA to take a Eurostep into history.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk and on Google+
Elson Williams, community affairs liaison for Major Brands, presents a check to Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis President and CEO Michael McMillan at a fundraising event for the Whitney M. Young Jr. Foundation at the Sheldon Concert Hall recently.
relationships in all sectors and grow minority business inclusion.”
Reagan, president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, said the partnership furthers the chamber’s commitment to minority inclusion previously stated in its One Plan.
“In our One Plan, economic inclusion is a priority for creating a better future for our region,” Reagan said. “It is important for our organization to help MBEs take part in economic opportunity and develop as business enterprises and future employers. We see this as a key relationship in pursuing economic inclusion in our region.”
The St. Louis Minority Business Council recently returned to its previous name after briefly rebranding as the St. Louis Minority Supplier Diversity Council, part of an alliance with a national supplier diversity council that has since been abandoned. James B. Webb remains its president and CEO.
Webb said that while the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council has a national focus, the St. Louis Regional Chamber shares a regional focus with the organization he directs. As the new agreement states, the council “is an economic development organization leading a strategy to achieve greater economic inclusion in the bi-state St. Louis region.” The council’s economic inclusion strategy, again according to the agreement, “includes advocating, certifying, developing, marketing and promoting the use of minority-owned businesses; assisting minority owned-businesses in obtaining access to capital; and creating an inclusive business climate for minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive.”
The council most recently has been working with the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, which was awarded a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to operate the MBDA Business Center in St. Louis. “St. Louis was awarded a MBDA grant in the amount
of $900,000 in large part because of the growing business investment in St. Louis,” Weisenborn said, “and the strong commitment of St. Louis community leaders toward economic inclusion in our region.”
“MBDA is committed to the continued success of all minority-owned firms, who strengthen the economy and create American jobs,” said David A. Hinson, MBDA national director. “These new centers will expand the number of front-line business experts we have providing resources to minority-owned businesses to help grow economies in more cities across the U.S.”
The organizations will receive MBDA funds over a three-year period, effective September 1, 2013.
The agreement between the council and the chamber states this $900,000 grant will be used “to launch a business accelerator service that will support the growth of minority-owned businesses in the St. Louis region with focused executive training, contracting assistance, and increased access to capital.”
By Roger M. Macon, AAMS
By Kenya Vaughn
Keyon Harrold’s horn becomes passport to the world
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
“I grew up on Carson Road, so you could look and see the sign that said, ‘Welcome to Kinloch,’” said Keyon Harrold. “Thinking about where I’m from and where I’ve been blessed to be over the years, it has been so amazing” The trumpeter, songwriter, arranger and producer had just landed from Thailand following the Asian leg of Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour show by Cirque du Soleil and was gearing up to take the stage with Maxwell at ESSENCE Music
See KEYON, C4
By Kenya Vaughn Of The
St. Louis American
For the past several years I’ve presented some variation of a “New Year, New You” feature for the first or second week in January.
The intention was to touch upon the most popular of the New Year’s resolutions with practical advice and simple steps for sticking to one’s goals.
R&B Diva Faith Evans finally made her way back to St. Louis on Saturday for ‘The Holiday Jam’ at Chaifetz Arena. While Kem was the designated headliner, Evans and her breathtaking tone managed to leave a lasting impression on the audience as she covered her catalogue of hits that now span nearly twenty years. Photo by Lawrence Bryant
n “Don’t make perfection the enemy of progress.” Doesn’t that quietly make you want to shout?
The last couple of years, the column has become me speaking with life coach Rebeccah Bennett (mainly because she’s so awesome). She would share nuggets of wisdom and life lessons and encourage people to take the baby steps that lead to leaps and bounds towards achieving personal goals. For the 2014 edition, I decided to go big for “New Year, New You.” But where would the focus lie? Everybody wants to lose weight, so maybe it should focus on practical “no-excuse” solutions for carving out time to get fit. Natural hair is the new black, so perhaps a naturalista stylist/guru should walk interested parties into transitioning. Perhaps a financial advisor should help readers get a grip on their savings for 2014. Or maybe a life coach (probably Rebeccah) should impart a word to nudge someone in the direction of a new career or starting their own business.
I researched. I reached out to experts. I pondered. I labored. After all of the preparation came the frustration. I couldn’t decide what would be the best route. After agonizing over what to do, I threw my hands up and said, “Maybe next
musical performances by Dirty Mugs and En Vogue
There were many familiar and new faces enjoying the music, food, gourmet desserts and top-shelf drinks. The lines at the photo booths were constant, but everyone was enjoying the party pictures.
Just to name a few of the guests I ran into: Gabrielle and Tony Davis Sr. David and Pamela Reese, James and Robin Walker Tiara and Terrence Curry, Rayna Meyers, Barbara Meyers, Ashaki Meyers Ashley Donahue, Scott Rosenblum, Esq. Les Bond Jr. (Attucks), Pete Lamothe Dre Broussard, Arielle Vivian, Randi Christine Farin Marie Loren Siobhan, Danielle Irving, Dana Sims (ICM Talent Partners-LA), Brandra Ringo (Universal Motown-LA) and Tavon Sampson (Warner Bros.-LA), Chalena Mack and Louis Schello, the multitalented St. Lunatics including Kijuan, Murph and City Spud, Kenny Powell (Platinum Sports), Morgan McKenzie (Washington, DC), Kenya Vaughn (St. Louis American), Tammie Holland (KMJM), Cameron Davis, Titus Davis and Nicole Woodie (St. Louis Rams).
Attorneys Jerryl Christmas Inez Ross, Shevon Harris, Hope Whitehead and the Honorable Joan K. Miller hosted their annual office Christmas party on December 20. The decorative
lawyers’ suite was the perfect location for the pre-Christmas celebration catered by De Palm Tree’s Easton Roamer and Pappy’s Bar-B-Que Lots of guests were on hand for this annual holiday soiree. including the Honorable Ronnie White, The Honorable Don McCullin, The Honorable Mavis Thompson, Jackie Christmas, Attorney Larry Deskins
Attorney Richard Banks Attorney Pete Woods, Andrea Jackson-Jennings (director of Human Services St. Louis County), Gregory Smith, Dr. Charlie Quigless Billy Topps
Attorney Rufus Tate, Steve Chalmers, Marco Thompson and Attorney Jack Simon Don’t miss the St. Louis
Black Rep’s production of “The Meeting,” running January 8 – 26 at the Black Rep’s new home. The emotional story tells of a fictional meeting between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. Please call The Black Rep box office for tickets (314-534-3807). All performances will be held in the Emerson Performance Center at Harris-Stowe State University.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom was time well spent. This film opened Christmas day and chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela. Powerful! Happy New Year! Dana Grace: dgrandolph@ live.com.
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year.” After much agony about being completely overwhelmed by this epic “New Year, New You” for 2014, abandoning the whole idea seemed like the only sensible option.
Sound familiar?
I don’t know about anyone else, but this whole process mirrored my annual New Year’s resolutions shenanigans.
I make the goals and set aside time to do the work to accomplish them. All of the prep work is encouraging, even fun, as the visualization of basking in the triumph of tackling items on the resolution list takes place.
But somewhere between the planning and the doing, there is a major disconnect. Ambitious intentions quickly fizzle because the goal is too
broad – or too narrow. When we don’t see the results we’ve predicted and presented on our vision board, we throw in the towel and call it a year.
After a week of note-sifting and head-scratching, my New Year’s resolution column fell victim to the same fate that my actual New Year’s resolutions have suffered for the past 25 years.
I was so discouraged that I went back and read some key points from previous conversations with Rebeccah Bennett – as I do from time to time – to encourage and inspire myself. Something she said last year stuck with me and made me follow through with the feature, though as a personal failure column.
“Don’t make perfection the enemy of progress.”
Doesn’t that quietly make you want to shout?
How many times has our self-improvement fallen victim to the pressure of our expectations?
“Don’t make perfection the
enemy of progress.” It made me think of a friend who sat out spin class because she put her workout bag together in the dark and her T-shirt didn’t match her yoga pants. It took a whole year, but Rebeccah’s single sentence hit home in a way that has me ready to take on 2014 with a renewed sense of purpose. I didn’t spend the past week drafting up unreasonable selfcontracts rooted in ridiculous expectations with the common theme of deprivation and sacrifice. Instead, I told myself the truth. This year, I will be honest with myself as I work towards self-improvement. Ambitious goals are wonderful. But nothing will guarantee reaching your goal like actively working towards realistic life changes, one step at a time – and refusing to retreat when the path gets cluttered.
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It was one of the GAP Band’s biggest markets, and St. Louis supported us a lot more than the other markets. This city was there for me all the time, so as long as y’all will have me, I’m going to keep coming back.”
And on January 18, he will return to his home away from home at the Fox Theatre.
A lot has happened since he tore the stage down at the Fox last year. He released his first gospel album.
“It’s easy for me to be inspirational with everything that I’ve been through,” Wilson said. “There’s definitely a testimony in that. And I had to do one for the Man upstairs. I had to let the people know He exists and He’s been blessing me.”
“I Believe” earned him a Grammy nomination a few weeks ago. He is now the recipient of not one, not two, but four lifetime achievement honors – including the BET and Soul Train Awards.
“It’s a bittersweet, because when everybody starts handing you lifetime achievement awards it sort of means that they are ready for you to sit down,” Wilson said. “You’ve done a lifetime, now go somewhere and sit down.”
But anybody who knows “Uncle Charlie” knows that’s not happening – especially after seeing him take the stage in the middle of his own tribute and bring the house down on BET.
“I still feel like I have so much to sing,” Wilson
n “Every night I go on stage, I act like it’s going to be my last performance – so I try to give the show of my life every time I come out on that stage.”
- Charlie Wilson
said. “I picked back up and started where I left off, when everything was high and mighty from the GAP band and then the train wreck happened.” The train wreck was incited by drugs. In the wreckage, he
was proclaiming his comeback at a crack house when he heard himself on the radio.
He vowed recovery, claimed deliverance from substance abuse and reintroduced himself to the music scene nearly 10 years ago with “Charlie, Last Name Wilson” and captured the undivided attention of urban music.
“I just refueled and got back on that thang,” Wilson said. “I can relate to the younger audience because I didn’t finish relating to them the first time.”
That youthful spirit appears tenfold onstage during his performances.
“Every night I go on stage, I act like it’s going to be my last performance – so I try to give the show of my life every time I come out on that stage,” he said.
“Some of my friends in this business – eight- and nine-time Grammy winners – say, ‘Man, why you work so hard onstage? You’re gonna fool around pass out and have a stroke.’”
He promises fans they will see so for themselves when he returns “home” in a couple of weeks.
“I’m probably going to go down on that stage one of these times, but it’s going to be for the people – and it’s as simple as that,” Wilson said.
“When people come to a Charlie Wilson show, I want them to leave saying, ‘I’ve never seen anybody work so hard’ – and to see that I did it from the bottom of my heart.”
Charlie Wilson returns to the Fox Theatre on Saturday, January 18 at 8 p.m. For tickets or more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.
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Festival.
“I’ve been seeing the world on this tour doing Michael Jackson’s music, and I’m working with the people who wrote and produced the stuff,” he said. “There’s nothing like it. I’ve just been so blessed, and there’s no way I could take any of it for granted.”
Harrold is not a man of many words. He only gets chatty when expressing gratitude for the opportunity to make a living as a musician and to his family for laying his musical foundation.
He started as a member of his grandfather’s bugle corps at the tender age of six. Just under 30 years later, his resume is a jaw-dropper. He’s a member of Maxwell’s famed horn section. He has either played, produced or arranged for the likes of Beyoncé, Jay Z, Erykah Badu, Gregory Porter, Anthony Hamilton, David Sanborn, Fred Hammond, Janet Jackson, 50 Cent and the Count Basie Orchestra.
“By the time I was in the
10th grade, I pretty much knew exactly what I wanted to do,” he said. “I thought I would be doing more jazz.”
He’s a product of the hiphop generation, but he brings jazz with him to every genre he touches – from grimy rap to gospel.
“I was doing the drum and bugle corps stuff, and jazz was the next level to learn the horn,” Harrold said.
He studied the music of Miles Davis and Duke Ellington, taping it from the radio.
“Yes, that was back when you had to tape stuff from the radio,” he said.
The McCluer alum went to New York to study at and graduate from the famed Mannes College The New School of Music. In New York, he became a protégé of Wynton Marsalis. The rapper Common gave Harrold his first professional gig, and he has become one of the most sought-after musicians, working in many genres.
But jazz is where he lives.
“Jazz is an adventure, because you don’t know what’s going to come out,” Harrold said. “All you know is you have a set, and in this amount of time you’re going to have a beginning, middle
and an end. You have these parameters and those chords, but everything else is up to your imagination and I love that.”
He gives his St. Louis roots credit for his musical range.
“St. Louis is so soulful,” Harrold said. “It’s a total mix of the East, the West, the South and the North. So we get the outlook of everybody mashed into one.”
As he puts the finishing touches on his second album, Harrold reflects on his journey from North County bugle boy to a man of music with an international reputation for musical excellence.
“I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing in life – whether that’s playing a horn or arranging music for Maxwell or making music or producing music for 50 Cent,” Harrold said.
“I’ve been able to be a world citizen. To be able to see the world, but not forget where I come from – it’s just so amazing. Even if I was never paid, I would still be doing it. It’s not the kind of thing that I could separate from. Music is me.” For more information on Keyon Harrold, visit www. keyonharrold.net.
By Melanie Adams
Shades of Yale performs AfricanAmerican music
January 5
Happy New Year from the Missouri History Museum.
We have an exciting year of exhibits and programs designed to engage, educate, and entertain the community while exploring the diversity of St. Louis history.
To kick off the year, this weekend we have a returning program and a new program fresh from the East Coast. For the past few years, the History Museum has been happy to partner with the African American History and Genealogy Society under the leadership of Charles Brown. Each month this organization provides workshops, lectures and documentaries that assist people working on their family histories. On January 4, the society brings back the documentary Banished, a film about towns that forced African Americans to leave or face certain death.
The documentary tells the story of three such towns, focusing on Pierce City, Missouri. The Missouri story follows a man as he tries to remove the remains of his grandfather buried in the local cemetery before the
banishment. This documentary serves as a great reminder about the untold stories of African-American survival and persistence against a society that was working for our demise.
If you are looking for something a little lighter and with some music, the museum hosts the Shades of Yale musical group the following afternoon, January 5. The Shades of Yale is comprised of diverse members of Yale University who are on a musical tour of the country during their winter break. This coed a capella group focuses on African-American music, particularly R&B, gospel, jazz and traditional music. The group contacted the museum a few months ago because one of its members is from the St. Louis region and wanted to make sure they performed in his hometown. The museum welcomes these types of partnerships and encourages the community to come out and support this group of young people visiting St. Louis.
As you prepare to attend one or both of these programs, please keep in mind that The 1968 Exhibit closes on Sunday, January 5 so there are only a few days left to see this great traveling exhibit. If you have procrastinated since October thinking you had all the time in the world to visit the exhibit, the final days are here.
Take the time this weekend to visit the exhibit and experience the events of 1968 and learn why it was a year to remember. After 1968 closes, we will be quickly preparing the gallery to open 250 in 250, an exhibit commemorating the 250th anniversary of St. Louis. Looking ahead to MLK weekend, please mark your calendars now for the museum’s annual program, I May Not Get There with You: A Multimedia MLK Commemoration on Sunday, January 19th at 6pm.
Banished Saturday, January 4 1:00pm AT&T Foundation Multipurpose Room FREE
Shades of Yale Sunday, January 5 3:00pm MacDermott Grand Hall FREE
The 1968 Exhibit Closes Sunday, January 5th For ticket information check out mohistory.org
I May Not Get There with You: A Multimedia MLK Commemoration Sunday, January 19 6:00pm Des Lee Auditorium FREE
The Saint Louis Art Museum invites you to join us for our free annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther Freedom Celebration on Saturday, January 18 at 8:30 am in our recently reopened The Farrell Auditorium. This year’s Sunrise program will celebrate Dr. King’s dream for educational, economic, and social equality. For the past three years, while the Saint Louis Art Museum underwent a major expansion, our Dr. King program was held in the galleries. To celebrate its return to the Museum auditorium, the Museum is pleased to welcome back several esteemed presenters for encore musical, theatrical, visual-arts and spoken-word performances.
Mr. Wayne C. Harvey, Counselor at Law and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Epsilon Lambda Chapter member will provide the keynote address as he relects on the life and legacy of Dr. King. The Young Artists for Justice and Peace will present a performance titled, “We Carry the Dream” an excerpt from Hope in the Hood – A 40 Corners Production. This talented youth theatrical group is under the direction of Marsha Cann, artistic director and actress, poet, story-teller, and educator. Visual artist, Tony Artz is sure to delight everyone as he honors Dr. King with an original visual arts performance.
No commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be complete without the rich inspirational music which was an integral part of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Just Friends, members from more than a half dozen St. Louis area churches led by musical director Harry Moppins, will perform interfaith gospel and spiritual music.
The celebration also will include award winning New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church Chancel Choir under the direction of musical minister Anita Watkins- Stevens.
Free Presentation by Simeon Wright at 6 PM Beneit Jazz Concert at 7:30 PM with an appearance by Denise Thimes ($15 in advance, $20 at the door) Friday, January 17, 2014
For more information or to purchase tickets go to chaminade-stl.org and click on the Martin Luther King, Jr. banner
Proceeds beneit Chaminade’s St. Jude/St. Joseph Scholarship for minority students
Special thanks to our event sponsor Millennium Financial Group
The fun-loving ladies of the St. Louis Chapter of CARATS, Incorporated recently celebrated their BlackOut Bash3 at The Heights in Richmond Heights. CARATS, Incorporated is a national organization whose 15-chapter membership is comprised of more than 350 distinguished and accomplished women. Its mission is to promote civic, educational, and social involvement in local communities.
Andre L. Gray — December 29
Eva Maria Gatewood — December 30
Precious Nicole Dent (17) — January 1
All reunion announcements can be viewed online!
Congrats go out to “The Future Football” 12 unlimited team on their 2013 JFL Super Bowl win! “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” Luke 11:23
- Head Coach Cory Patterson, Asst. Coaches, Jeff, Boone, Will, Riley, Terry, and Doug
Keith Anthony St. John II celebrated his 24th birthday on Thursday, December 12, 2013 and received his Master of Science in Sports Administration from Delaware State University on December 14. He is one of the newest members of the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Keith’s first day at work will be January 3. I love you so much my son, my eagle, and I will continue to pray for God to continue showering you with blessings. Momma Eagle
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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
Beaumont High Class of 1964 has started planning for its 50 year class reunion. We are currently looking for participants to help with the planning. Please provide your contact information to: beaumont64alumni@gmail. com.Send your ideas as well as the best time for meetings.
Beaumont High Class of 1968 is invited to plan and organize the June 2014 46th Class Reunion Family Picnic, Jan. 25, 2014 3- 5 p.m. at Cookies n Popcorn Factory 8149 Delmar. For more information email bhsco1968@att.net or call 869-8312.
Beaumont High Class of 1969 reunion planning committee meeting is set for Sat, Jan. 25, 2014 from noon—3 pm at the Vagabond House, 4315 Westminister Pl. Contact info: LaDonne at 314 277-5095 or beaumontclassof1969@yahoo. com.
Beaumont High Class of 1984 is looking for participants to begin planning its 30 year class reunion. Please provide your contact information to: beaumont_1984@yahoo.com.
Sumner High Class Of 1974 has started planning its 40th class reunion. Meetings are held each third Saturday of the month from 2-4 pm at New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church, 4055 Edmundson Rd. 63134. Please contact Marsha D. Roberts-Moore at sumnerclassof1974@ yahoo.com, 314-367-3159 or Joyce Bush-Cruesoe at cruesoe2195@att.net, 314484-1552.
Sumner High Class of 1969 has started planning its 45th class reunion. Please email shsclassof69@yahoo.com for more information or call Leonard at 314-413-3104 or Meredith at 314-306-2349.
Sumner High Class of 1979 is looking for classmates to participate in activities leading up to its 35th Class Reunion, June 20-22, 2014 in Lake Ozarks, MO. Please forward contact information to sumner1979@ymail.com or call Sara at 314-482-1558. Various activities are planned. Sumner High Class of 1984 are planning their 30 year reunion for August 22-24, 2014. For more information
please contact Priscilla (Ms. Prissy) at 314-556-3944, or Robin Allen at 314-369-9549.
St. Louis Community College has created a districtwide Alumni Association, and needs your help identifying the 1.5 million STLCC alumni. An alum is anyone who has completed at least one course at STLCC. Alumni are encouraged to visit the website: www. stlcc.edu/foundation/, to become members or update information. For more information, contact Ashley Budde, coordinator of alumni relations, at abudde6@stlcc. edu, or 314-539-5145.
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
American staff
The Ecumenical Leadership Council and the Citizens’ Task Force met on Friday December 20, at Calvary M. B. Church located at 2822 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., to discuss a strategy to repeal the decision by the Ferguson Florissant School Board to move towards termination of Art McCoy Jr. as the superintendent. The two organizations agreed to support a slate of three candidates for the three board seats that will be contested on April 8. The meeting resulting in selecting Val Bush as one of the candidates. Two more candidates will be selected on or after the next meeting of the organizations, which will be held on January 6 at Shalom Church (City of Peace).
Attending the meeting were Dr. Lawrence M. Wooten, president of the Ecumenical Leadership Council, and Council members Rev. and State Rep. Tommie L. Pierson, Rev. Douglas M. Parham, Rev. Carlton Caldwell, Bishop James Stewart, Bishop Larry Jones and Rev. Wilbert Goatley, who served as the host. The Task Force members present included Alfred Long Sr., Dr. Arthelda Busch, Judy Shaw and Casandra Butler. Former Ferguson Florissant School Board member and current member of the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees Doris Graham was also in attendance.
Graham said, “Finally, African Americans were using the tools of empowerment to protect and advocate for their interests, instead of being driven by the decisions of others.”
Pierson agreed with Graham and added, “The Ecumenical
The Legend Singers held their “Soulful Sounds of the Season” Christmas concert at the Pilgrim Congregational Church, 826 Union Blvd., under the direction of Doris Jones-Wilson. Photo by Wiley Price
Leadership Council, which I have been a member of since their beginning, and the Citizens’ Task Force are setting a goal to benefit not just the African-American community, but one that will support the children of all races that attend the Ferguson-Florissant School District.”
The Ecumenical Leadership Council is an organization of African American churches including the leadership of several Christian denominations. Its mission statement is focused on political and economic empowerment for the AfricanAmerican community. Collectively, the Council represents over 90 churches throughout the St. Louis area. The Citizens’ Task Force was developed in response
to the actions of the all-white Ferguson-Florissant school board against McCoy, who is an African American.
Both organization also agreed to vigorously support Redditt Hudson for a seat on the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees.
Newstead mourns First Lady
Mary Jean Cox Pearson, beloved First Lady of the Newstead Avenue Baptist Church, went into the presence of the Lord on Friday, November 15, 2013, at Barnes Jewish Hospital, with her family at her side.
In addition to being First Lady, she was known for
I recently heard a phrase a minister friend of mine used to say all the time. He even wrote it in a book so I wouldn’t forget it. We usually get into this kind of a conversation because I’m confused about something and seek his biblical awareness.
He constantly tells me to remember that a “setback is more often than not a setup for a comeback.” He says God presents you with what you think are setbacks, so He can set you up for a spiritual comeback.
For those of us who profess a faith based upon the life, death and eternal life of Jesus Christ, even in the most dire of circumstances, God is ever present.
her lovely soprano voice and was one of the lead soloists in the music ministry. She taught in the Sunday School and Vacation Bible School ministries and was a member of the Mother and Deaconess Board, Women’s Missionary Union and the Minister’s Wives Group of the Antioch District.
In addition to her husband of 43 years, Pastor Richard L. Pearson Sr., and children, Yolanda (Buford) Hawthorne and Richard (Alicia) Jr., she is survived by eight grandchildren, three brothers and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie and Lizzie Cox, four brothers and three sisters.
It’s a useful key to our salvation, if we’ll only use it. When we are surprised, or tricked, or easily enticed back into our own ways of handling this physical world and we fail miserably, it can be tough to acknowledge our failure as so-called followers of Christ. The result can make us shy away from what Christ has promised us.
Do you remember what would happen to you if you got caught doing something as a child you had no business doing? You knew what would happen if Mama,
Big Mama or Madear found out about it. If the truth be told, we also knew how much it would hurt them. They had imprinted us with a moral compass that gave us character and pointed us in the right direction when everyone else was going the wrong way. The “I’m sorry” that was due them was also sincere and understood, as such, for ourselves. We knew that we knew we were wrong even at a young age. We knew better, and it hurt to admit that to those who loved us and to ourselves.
For the Christian who makes the sincere effort and still falls short, the reality can be overwhelming and therefore seem impossible to do. You’ve still got to admit to God and yourself that you screwed up. Just like those who loved you, God never deserts you. Just like them, He never gives up on you. When we understand this, then we know through it all, there’s only one place to take your sins, even the ones we committed yesterday or this morning, even the ones we want to hide from. Coming to Him with this only validates who He is and who we are to Him. It’s an eternal love thing.
American staff
St. Louis Public Schools has presented the 2013 Gertrude Faust Potthoff Kindergarten Teacher of the Year Award to an experienced educator who encourages her students to explore, try new things and learn from their mistakes.
To earn the Kindergarten Teacher of the Year Award, nominees must explain their teaching philosophy and approach to teaching; be recommended by an administrator and a professional colleague; and complete an interview process.
n Applications will be accepted online only at usajobs. gov, keyword: 357481100, through midnight, Friday, Jan. 24
Kimberly Davis, a teacher at Mann Elementary School, has been recognized as the St. Louis Public School District’s 2013 Kindergarten Teacher of the Year for her approach to teaching, in which she focuses on the whole child –from life skills and academics to addressing basic needs like warm clothing and adequate food, which can keep a child from being able to focus in the classroom.
“Ms. Davis works hard to ensure the needs of her children are met on both an academic and personal level by pursuing relationships with parents and finding out more about each child,” says Nicole L. Conaway, principal at Mann Elementary School.
“She consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty, by waiting at school to ensure all children are picked up, and even driving to meet a child at his bus when he accidentally got on the wrong one.” Davis has been teaching since 2004. She started her career with St. Louis Public Schools, moved out of state, and rejoined SLPS in 2011. During this school year, she has taken on added responsibilities, serving as the coordinator for Mann’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and as the
plaque and a $500 award for related education materials through the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund. Willis J. Potthoff, in collaboration with friends and family, created this special award in honor of his wife, Trudy. Trudy Potthoff played a significant role in the restoration of the Susan E. Blow Kindergarten Museum, the site of the first continuous public school kindergarten in the United States. It was founded in 1873 by Miss Susan E. Blow as part of the St. Louis Public School District.
Library of Congress paid internships
Now in its 10th year, the Library of Congress’ Junior Fellows Summer Internship Program once again is offering special 10-week paid fellowships to college students.
For a stipend of $3,000, the 2014 class of Junior Fellows will work full-time with Library specialists and curators from May 27 through Aug. 1, to inventory, describe and explore collection holdings and to assist with digital-preservation outreach activities throughout the Library.
The focus of the program is on increasing access to collections and awareness of the Library’s digitalpreservation programs by making them better-known and available to Members of Congress, scholars, researchers, students, teachers and the general public.
The fellows will be exposed to a broad spectrum of library work: copyright deposits, digital preservation, reference, access standards and information management. From 15th-century German woodcuts and Civil War battlefield maps to Abraham Lincoln’s life mask and a braille copy of the book “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” published in 2003, rare and unique treasures were processed by the 2013 Junior Fellows, who were given access to a wide variety of collections housed in the Library of Congress.
The program is made possible through the generosity of the late Mrs. Jefferson Patterson and the James Madison Council, the Library’s private-sector advisory group.
In addition to the stipend (paid in bi-weekly segments), fellows will be eligible to take part in programs offered at the Library. Applications will be accepted online only at usajobs.gov, keyword: 357481100, through midnight, Friday, Jan. 24
For more details about the program and information on how to apply, visit www.loc. gov/hr/jrfellows/. Questions about the program may be sent to interns2014@loc.gov
The Library of Congress is an equal-opportunity employer. Women, minorities and persons with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.
Devoted “Faithful” Mz Janee of Hot 104.1 spent her birthday chopping it up with original R&B Diva Faith Evans backstage after Faith put it down on stage for her segment of the Holiday Jam Friday night at
The resurrection of Eye Candy. Just when I had already set my parties of the year in stone, LooseCannon Slim, Liquid Assets and Mo Spoon had to take 2013 out with a bang for their Eye Candy: The Rebirth last Friday. I’m gonna go ahead and say if it wasn’t the most packed I’ve ever seen the Coliseum, it’s at least in the top three. And I can’t give Karruche any credit for it either, because
I know folks don’t necessarily know or care about Rihanna’s former sister wife. Plus, she seemed like she didn’t want to be bothered – but the gag for her had to be that the feeling was apparently mutual as folks proved that they were there for the party, not to get a glimpse of Breezy’s arm candy. It was to the gills and beyond up in there and I know Mo, Slim and Phil had to be pleased with how things panned out for them joining forces. And if the triumphant return of the Eye Candy party wasn’t wonderful enough, the Rustic Goat had the grown folks grooving with a live band next door. So you know what that means…y’all can drop your kids off at the Eye Candy Party and chill at the Rustic Goat if you don’t trust your barely legal tear the club up offspring with your car! Ain’t no party like an AKA party. I made my way to the AKA’s end of the year party and the thing that I love about the black Greek parties – AKA in particular – is that folks from all age groups gather together and get it in as they see fit. The same could be said as the pretty girls and a few golden girls came together to close out 2K13. You had your seasoned sorors sipping and snacking in the back while the spryer ones made their way to the front for stroll sessions. And it appeared to be a blast being had by all at The Machinist Hall – which was packed as all get out. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t offer a suggestion though. If y’all want to throw your parties in that part of town, you might want to try renting out the Target to give the folks more elbow room. Just kidding but not really R&B flavored holiday jam. Well, it was anything but jammed but the folks seemed to catch a groove or two so we’ll stick with the title they gave the show. I’m obsessed with Faith and I can tolerate Kem, so I was expecting to get every bit of life from Friday night’s show at The Chaifetz. But there was some kind of Grinch who stole the Groove feeling around those parts for the show that had me a bit saddened. I think they were trying to be good sports about it, but the talent was either irritated or exhausted. Comedian Damon Williams hosted the show, and he actually gave me more comedy life than I’ve had all year – and was essentially the highlight of the show for me…just by how downright disgraceful he was. He talked about the venue being empty, clowned Faith’s forehead, gave the stage managers the blues for not giving him proper signals and pointed out the stall tactics with everything inside of him – and that didn’t include one sip of his NSFP (not safe for Partyline) act. After Seven was up first, and I don’t know if they had worked a double shift of delivering Christmas gifts for UPS before the show, but the young one was sipping on a 5 Hour Energy on stage in front of everybody by the second song. Help. Kevon Edmonds still has my heart though, because his high tenor voice is everything. And just when I was getting over how sluggish things kicked off, the other one had me singing “Nights Like This I Wish Microphones Wouldn’t Fall” after his motor skills refused to cooperate when he tried to incorporate the mic stand in his choreography. I had been waiting for years and years to see Faith Evans sing her face off in the STL. She was cool, but it was nothing compared to what she’s capable of. After I saw her spraying her throat with somethin’ I surmised she was sick. Then I was blown away, by how great she still sounded. Based on how she said she didn’t want to get her music cut off and kept reminding folks that even though she’s not the headliner, she had a lot of hits, but something tells me there was some backstage tension going on. But nobody could be mad with how she put it down when it was all said and done. Kem was cool too, but there was something about the energy or the emptiness that had me feeling like his heart wasn’t all the way in it.
The best of the mess. Speaking of lists, I promised y’all that I would remind you of the foolishness that went down on the nightlife/entertainment side of things. In hindsight, 2013 was pretty mild. But there were definitely some noteworthy shenanigans. Let me go ahead and refresh your memory.
Worst After party: The Fake Drake Edition. I truly labored about it when it was fresh, so I don’t feel the need to do too much except to say that the janky promoter swag reared its head in the most shady of ways when the folks delivered an Academy Award worthy performance of “Best Ensemble Performance” by a group who knew good and doggone well Drake had already caught the next flight out and wanted no parts of their fugasi after party.
Worst concert. Actually, a collage of throwback performers provided some shaky baky shows over the course of the year. Alexander O’Neal was the hands down worst when he left Sherelle hanging and showed up at The Ambassador when he felt like it and was like “so I can’t do any of my hits?” Help. The show is over. But it didn’t stop him from hunching his way through the crowd and forgetting the words to “Fake.” Christopher Williams was pretty bad, but I think that had more to do with some sort of chest congestion/sinus infection combo than anything else. But he looked so good that I forgave him. Michel’le sinus situation isn’t infected, but when she talks it sure sounds like it - which is why I think she quietly gave me the blues when she came to the Coliseum. Chico DeBarge wasn’t terrible…unless you came to see El DeBarge and weren’t told otherwise. If that’s the case he’s clearly the pits.
Worst Comedy. While most everyone I saw over the year was on repeat as far as their material – especially Chris Tucker – Earthquake’s contribution to the Jokes and Jazz confusion was the low of 2013. I mean…do really you have to let the audience know that they were standing up in their stilettoes for hours because you wouldn’t perform without your money and the promoters were
That’s downright messy.
Do you recall how you felt when you purchased your first new car? Each time you walked toward it in the parking lot, the excitement and awe-inspired sensation that tickled your skin never seemed to lessen in intensity. You adored that car: the new car smell, the pristine seats, the shiny tires, and you loved how sharp you looked in it!
However, you soon learned that beloved vehicle came with many maintenance recommendations that must be met within a timely manner. The car needed regular oil changes, tire rotations, battery checks, occasional hose and belt changes, and routine auto body detail. Keeping the car in tip-top condition required hard work, dedication, and sacrificial contributions of your monetary resources.
upon this past year with its successes and failures, I hope you are considering ways to make 2014 bigger, better, and healthier. How can you achieve those goals? Where do you start? Who can assist you?
In comparison, the human body can similarly be explained. There are a host of recommendations that each infant, child, teen, adult, or senior need to prevent various diseases. Many of our leading health organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control, and the United States Preventative Task Force formulate the guidelines that physicians across the country follow. As each of you reflect
Denise HooksAnderson M.D.
First Step: Make an appointment to see your primary care provider. If you do not have one, please seek recommendations from your insurance company, family or friends. Doctors should be more than just “onenight stands.” If your doctor has to introduce herself to you each rare time you visit, then obviously you have not been to the office enough. Adults should at least have a physical once a year. This physical should include a blood pressure check, weight, and BMI (body mass index) calculation. Depending upon your other health co-morbidities, a lipid panel, blood sugar, and/or a complete metabolic profile should be obtained.
Second Step : Become current with recommendations for your age group such as getting screening tests and immunizations. If you are a woman and at least 40 years of age, get a mammogram. This digital image of your breast can be done
A bi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American
Your Health Matters provides up-to-date information, from an African-American perspective, about one of the most important subjects in evryone’s life – their personal health.
Donald M. Suggs, President and Publisher
Kevin Jones, Senior Vice President, COO
Dina M. Suggs, Senior Vice President
Chris King, Editorial Director
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Medical Accuracy Editor
Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter
Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach
Onye Ijei, Barb Sills, Pamela Simmons, Sales
Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager
Angelita Jackson, Cover Design
Wiley Price, Photojournalist
at any hospital or imaging center and usually does not require a referral from your doctor if you have private insurance. You simply need to call the scheduling center and make an appointment. Detecting a breast mass when it is small can potentially save your life. If the current trajectory of breast cancer disease in African American women is to change, early detection is the key.
All adults starting at age 50 need a screening colonoscopy, an endoscopic view of the colon. This procedure is not painful but does involve a fairly thorough colon preparation a day before. A flexible camera is inserted into the rectum, and advanced through the entire large intestine searching for any abnormalities, such as polyps or inflammation. If a polyp is identified, it is removed and sent to pathology to determine if cancer is present. The majority of people whose colon cancer is found early will be alive five years later and will go on to live a normal life.
Third Step: Commit to a four to fiveday-a-week schedule of exercise. Many of the local facilities are having special promotions where there is a $0 joining fee. Consider eliminating that daily run to Starbuck’s for the Caramel Frappuccino, you would then have the money for a gym membership and you would decrease your daily calorie intake. That’s a win/ win situation! Invest in yourself this year and hire a personal trainer. If you have never consistently worked out before, you need a professional to teach you the prop-
er exercises and techniques for maximum results. You would not consider bungee jumping without receiving appropriate guidance, so why do you think exercising is any different?
Final Step: Stop poisoning your body. Make 2014 the year of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and water. Purify your body the natural way. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars allowing someone to flush water through you to be cleansed. Allow your body to do it naturally by eating close to nature. If it came from the ground, a vine or a tree, it is probably good for you. Eliminate excessive sugar, processed and fried foods, and those nasty cancer- causing cigarettes. You can’t even imagine how good your body will feel after that.
These are only a few suggestions to get you started on the right track. Please see your doctor so that a specific plan can be designed for you. Each of you are unique in that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and there is no one size fits all.
Lastly, I want to hear from you this year. Share your success stories. Start a health revolution at your job or place of worship. We here at The St. Louis American want to hear about it. A rising tide lifts all ships! Have a blessed and healthy New Year!
Yours in Service, Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Assistant Professor SLUCare Family Medicine yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com
By Sandra Jordan
Of The St. Louis American
It was a 2012 New Year’s resolution –to lose weight.
Sound familiar?
Viron Washington of St. Louis actually stuck to his resolution and dropped the pounds, 110 and counting.
Washington, a medical assistant in Radiation/Oncology at Siteman Cancer Center said it was a result of a culmination of issues.
“I had started playing basketball with some friends at work and I could barely make it up and down the court and then, two, I didn’t like the way I looked in general. I didn’t like the way my clothes fit … and I didn’t like being tired and sluggish all the time,” he said.
A little prompting from his physician helped Washington put his obesity in perspective.
“I was never diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes or anything along those lines,” Washington said. “He told me that if I didn’t lose any weight, I would be leaning towards that.”
He was motivated to change his previously non-existent workout habits.
As a BJC staffer, Washington has access to an employee gymnasium. He began taking advantage of this benefit by going to straight to the gym after work. Washington’s routine includes taking classes there five to six days a week; cycling, spinning, cardio, weight training. Of course, it was a gradual build up to be able to do that much physical activity.
“The first month, that was the hardest month because … being so out of shape and overweight, that five minutes into working out, I was already dead tired,” he described. “The hard part was building up the tolerance.”
Five minutes on the treadmill one day, increased to six minutes the next day and progressed until he was able to work out for longer periods. Early workouts were only 20-30 minutes in length.
“Now I can stay and put in 45 minutes or an hour and get actually get a good workout in, because I could do it,” he said. Washington said he lost 25 pounds in the first month.
My girlfriend said, ‘Oh I am starting to see it in your face,’” Washington said. You notice it in your clothes, I didn’t notice it too much, but the people around me, they could see it.”
He began to see it too, after a few months. Periodically, Washington said he has to change his exercise routine to
break through weight plateaus. Moreover, with exercise classes, his workouts may last as long as two or three hours each day.
Losing weight and increased physical stamina allowed Washington to push himself physically in ways he never imag-
ined; as a participant in two 5K runs last year: Go! St. Louis Marathon held last April and the Glow Run 5K Run/Walk held last September.
“It’s something I never thought in a million years I would want or enjoy
Viron Washington of St. Louis exercises five to six days a week at the employee gym at BJC. This, along with changing his diet to healthier selections has resulted in a 100-pound weight loss.
doing,” Washington added.
As the experts will tell you, regular exercise, coupled with dietary changes, produces greater weight loss results.
See POUNDS, Page 6
As little as 20 minutes of moderate exercise three times per week during pregnancy enhances the newborn child’s brain development, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children’s hospital. This head-start could have an impact on the child’s entire life. “Our research indicates that exercise during pregnancy enhances the newborn child’s brain development,” explained Professor Dave Ellemberg, who led the study. “We hope these results will guide public health interventions and research on brain plasticity. Most of all, we are optimistic that this will encourage women to change their health habits, given that the simple act of exercising during
pregnancy could make a difference for their child’s future.” Ellemberg and his colleagues presented their findings at the Neuroscience 2013 congress in San Diego.
The researchers reminded that being sedentary increases the risks of suffering complications during pregnancy and being active can ease post-partum recovery, make pregnancy more comfortable and reduce the risk of obesity in the children.
To verify this, starting at the beginning of their second trimester, women were randomly assigned to an exercise group or a sedentary group. Women in the exercise group had to perform at least 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise
three times per week at a moderate intensity, which should lead to at least a slight shortness of breath. Women in the sedentary group did not exercise. Researchers measured electrical brain activity of the newborns between the ages of 8 to 12
days old when the child was asleep.
“Our results show that the babies born from the mothers who were physically active have a more mature cerebral activation, suggesting that their brains developed more rapidly,” they noted.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found that widely used treatments for type 2 diabetes have different effects on the hearts of men and women, even as the drugs control blood sugar equally well in both sexes.
The commonly prescribed diabetes drug metformin had positive effects on heart function in women but not in men, who experienced a shift in metabolism thought to increase the risk of heart failure.
“We saw dramatic sex differences in how the heart responds to the different therapies,” said senior author Robert J. Gropler, MD, professor of radiology. “Our study suggests that we need to better define which therapies are optimal for women with diabetes and which ones are optimal for men.”
In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas continues to make insulin, but the body can’t use it effectively to move glucose out of the blood and into the tissues. And for reasons that are not entirely clear, patients with diabetes are at higher risk for heart failure.
“It is imperative that we gain understanding of diabetes medications and their impact on the heart in order to design optimal treatment regimens for patients,” said Janet B. McGill, MD, professor of medicine and a study co-author who sees patients at BarnesJewish Hospital. “This study is a step in that direction.”
The study appeared in the December issue of the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
Finger pricks may soon be a thing of the past for diabetics. Researchers at Western New England University have created a breathalyzer that may help control blood sugar by measuring the amount of acetone in the breath.
“Breathalyzers are a growing field of study because of their potential to have a significant positive impact on patients’ qual ity of life and compliance with diabetes monitoring,” said Ronny Priefer, profes sor of medical chemistry at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass. “What makes our technology different is that it
only accounts for acetone and doesn’t react with other components in the breath.”
The device, which is about the size of a book, uses nanometer-thick films consisting of two polymers that react with acetone. This crosslinks the polymers and alters the physiochemical nature of the film, which provides a quantification of the acetone and, therefore, bloodglucose levels.
Priefer will perform controlled testing with patients in late 2014-early 2015, comparing readings from the breathalyzer, finger pricking and actual glucose levels from drawn blood.
By Harvard Medical News
Past a certain age; it must be maintained – both in mind and body, according to Harvard researchers.
It seems obvious that general physical fitness and targeted exercises can improve balance and prevent falls. Staying mentally active to maintain cognitive fitness also plays a big role as well.
A sharp mind helps you to think – and stay – on your feet.
“We need careful planning of our movements, decision making, reaction time, and attention,” said Brad Manor, Ph.D., an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Mobility and Falls Program, Hebrew SeniorLife of Boston. “Staying mentally active is very important to avoiding falls.
“Balance is a complex system,” Manor said. “Especially as we get older, cognition becomes a big part of it.” Keeping the mind fit keeps us mentally sharp and helps us to navigate the ever-shifting obstacle course of the world.
Manor and his fellow researchers are studying the balance benefits of tai chi, a form of exercise that involves moving
gently through a series of poses. Tai chi improves balance because it works both the mind and body. “Tai chi involves planned movements,” Manor explained.
“It emphasizes being aware of the movements and how they feel.” Classes in tai chi and a related exercise system, qigong, are widely available. You could also perform daily “standing balance” exercises. These include repeated moves that involve standing on one leg while gently lifting the other.
Maintaining mental fitness, remaining physically active, and practicing tai chi, qigong, yoga, or some other mind-body exercise can help you keep your balance and avoid stumbling. But if you do lose your balance, recovering requires muscle power. Power is the ability to exert force quickly – the kind of conditioning an experienced ballroom dancer uses to “push off” during quick steps and turns. Rapid, forceful exercises like hopping and side-stepping help to build power. For beginners, classes or trainers are valuable to learn how to exercise for power safely.
For more information, visit http://bit. ly/18ENrw3.
Join the thousands of families who have donated their baby’ cord blood to the First Giftsm Donation Program. Be assured that donation is safe, painless, easy and FREE.
Cord bloodis the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after your baby is born.It is rich in stem cells similar to those found in bone marrow. However, this life-saving resource will be thrown away unless you donate it.
Decide to donate. You can help save the lives of people with any one of more than 70 life-threatening diseases. Thousands of people are alive today because caring mothers like you have donated their baby’s cord blood.
Find out how easy it is to save a life. Call 314-268-2787 or888-453-2673. Decide now to make your baby’s firstgift the gift of life to another.
www.slcbb.org/donatecordblood.htm
By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American
Resolutions to be healthier in 2014 could include increased awareness about medications, according to St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s Amy Tiemeier, Pharm.D., BCPS associate professor of pharmacy. She suggested five easy steps toward a healthier New Year.
1. Know exactly what goes into your body.
“Start by writing down every prescription medication, over-the-counter medication, herbal supplement, vitamin, energy drink, or enhanced water you have in a week,” Tiemeier said. “The length of the list may surprise you.”
Additionally, Tiemeier said pharmacists look at each patient’s medications as well as their medical conditions to see if they are on meds they shouldn’t or don’t need. “Patients can look at their package inserts (the information they receive with their medications) to see what some of the most serious interactions are. However, those inserts are very hard to read and interpret correctly. It is best to have a pharmacist review all of the medications, supplements, etc. to see if there are any conflicts.
2. Talk to a pharmacist about your current health and health goals in 2014
Take the list of medications and supplements you created to your pharmacist. “As medication experts, pharmacists are trained at spotting potential interactions that could be causing you problems,” Tiemeier said. “Your pharmacist may be able to work with your physician to reduce the number of medications you take.”
3. Clean out the bathroom medicine cabinet.
“It’s hot and humid in there, which can reduce the effectiveness of medications,” Tiemeier said. “A good rule of thumb to follow is that if you don’t remember the last time you
Even if you don’t have insomnia, getting enough sleep will provide you with more energy, which helps you to remain active and make healthier decisions.
used it, it’s probably time to have it replaced. Also, use this time to find another spot for pain relievers, antacids, or any other “as needed” medications. Although that’s where you traditionally find the medicine cabinet, the bathroom is not always conducive for storing medications.
“The warmth and humidity is not the best environment for the medicines,” Tiemeier said. “Thus, they should be moved to a storage place that is dry, cool and out of the reach of children and pets.”
4. Do not flush the medication down the toilet or sink.
Dispose of it properly by looking for a medication disposal program in your city. More and more cities now have permanent drop-off sites located in police and sheriff’s department stations.
“I suggest they put them on the top shelf of a closet or in a locked drawer where they cannot be reached by children or pets,” Tiemeier said. “I also recommend that they be kept away from other medicines that are currently being used to decrease the chance of accidentally taking the medication that has been set aside for disposal.”
POUNDS continued from page 3
“I
pretty much cut out all the negative things that contribute to weight gain.”
5. Get enough sleep. “Insomnia is a common side effect of some medications, and it may be made even worse if you’re taking multiple prescriptions,” Tiemeier said. Even if you don’t have insomnia, getting enough sleep will provide you with more energy, which helps you to remain active and make healthier decisions.
“Overall, be reasonable with your goals and only make one change at a time,” Tiemeier said. “It takes time to break an old habit and start a new one. Talk to your family and friends about being a support system to encourage positive change.”
Tiemeier also suggests helping an older relative accomplish these same goals. According to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, individuals ages 65 to 69 take about 14 prescriptions every year. That number jumps to 18 prescriptions a year for those 80 to 84 years old. “It is incredibly important for older adults to have all of their medications reviewed by their pharmacist on an annual basis,” Tiemeier said. “Reviews are also a good idea after any significant changes in health such as a hospitalization or major changes in medications.”
- Viron Washington
“I changed my diet radically, I cut out the fried foods … the sweets, the sodas, the beers; stuff I enjoyed,” Washington said. “I pretty much cut out all the negative things that contribute to weight gain.”
Easier said than done, but it can be done. For Washington, he said the hardest to give up was fried foods, Chinese foods and sweet drinks. Admittedly, he endured his share of setbacks. Washington said he would gain a few pounds and lose them again.
Furthermore, an employee weight loss challenge just did not work out that well for him. With the goal of losing the weight of a pumpkin in the six weeks before Thanksgiving, Washington first had to unload the “pumpkin” he gained over the summer.
“I had gained 15 pounds from June to October but I lost 21 pounds during that six weeks,” he said. “It’s really easy to go back to the other way. Real easy.”
His Body Mass Index has improved from morbid obesity, and although his current weight of 254 pounds is categorized as obese for his height of 6’2”, he is not worried so much about BMIs.
“Ideally, I’d like to lose another 20-25 pounds,” Washington said. “I think I would be a weight that is comfortable weight for me.”
To find your normal weight range using the BMI calculator, visit http://1.usa.gov/1aHAVvu.
name: Melanie Gowdy
Position/WHere: Outreach & Enrollment Specialist for the Connecting Kids to Coverage program at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc.
Career HigHligHts: Becoming a Community Building Partnership Fellow was an amazing opportunity to work with St. Louis communities to address the negative consequences of social and economic policies.
aWards: Community Building Fellowship, University of Missouri-St. Louis
eduCation: Truman State University, Bachelor of Arts in History minor - Justice Systems & Political Science
University of Missouri-St. Louis, Master’s in Social Work and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management & Leadership
Personal: My family attends Unity Chapel Church under the leadership of Bishop Ronald Irving, Sr. where my father, Rev. James Patty, serves as Assistant Pastor.
I am a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. “Greater Service, Greater Progress.”
st. louis ConneCtion: I was born and raised in St. Louis and attended Hazelwood East High School.
Journey to suCCess: I attribute much of my success to knowing what my strengths and abilities are and finding opportunities where I could be of positive use. My goal is to leave a legacy of service. This has led me to a variety of settings and experiences, but I really love the diversity in the field of service. There is no shortage of causes of which to be a part and I think that makes me a very fluid and flexible servant. But whether I find myself helping a developing nonprofit, working in a community, advocating for workers’ rights, or helping children and families access health care coverage I am strengthened and propelled forward knowing that as a servant of the people, I am giving a voice to a need that might not otherwise be heard.
I believe that I have been more persistent than ambitious. Ambition sets you on the road to your goal, but persistence sustains you during those times when success is not clearly seen or defined. My path has not always been clear and I have had to make my own path a few times. I am grateful for those experiences, because they created opportunities for me to actively shape and determine my success.
You can’t eliminate the challenges, but you can try to mitigate the negative impacts they leave behind. What helped me to do this was to look at challenges as opportunities to learn about myself. How do I respond under pressure and conflict? Better yet, how do I want to respond under pressure and conflict? What coping skills, tools, and supports do I need to nurture? How can I develop my character from the lessons learned?
As an Outreach & Enrollment Specialist in the Connecting Kids to Coverage program, we help families of uninsured children apply for no-cost or low cost health care coverage through Medicaid, CHIP, or the Health Insurance Marketplace. From a parent’s standpoint, I can relate to wanting to make sure that your child has everything they need to grow up healthy and strong. Access to health care can make the difference in so many outcomes for children. Connecting Kids to Coverage is a valuable resource to families, schools, and organizations that serve youth and families.
I absolutely believe in the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. We all can fall victim to those messages from society or elsewhere that tell us we can’t do something because of who we are, how we look, or what we do or don’t have. I have fallen victim to those same deceptions. It took an intentional, unconditional, and unwaivering appreciation and acceptance of myself to help me see that I was not created in inferiority, but was fearfully and wonderfully made. There was an impact waiting to be made that only I could make. I am extremely grateful to several mentors, Dr. Margaret Sherrden, Patti Rosenthal, and Nikki Weinstein who helped me come to that realization. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that I connected with all of these individuals through the Social Work program at UMSL. I gained so much academically, professionally, and personally through that program. Every class gave me something that I was able to apply in my life. I felt like I was earning the degree for my own personal use! But what an awesome tribute to UMSL’s Social Work staff and program to have such a deep and meaningful impact on its students. Earn a degree, change your life.
I believe that being so open to learn and being impacted by the course work was a major factor in my professional and personal success.
Flu vaccination prevented an estimated 6.6 million influenza-associated illnesses, 3.2 million medically attended illnesses, and 79,000 hospitalizations during the 2012-2013 flu season, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). CDC also reported recently that despite the benefits of flu vaccination, only 40% of Americans 6 months and older had reported getting a flu vaccine this season as of early November 2013. This is similar to flu vaccination coverage last season at the same time.
Other online coverage reports indicated that vaccination among pregnant women (41%) and health care providers (63%) is about the same as it was this time last year.
“We are happy that annual flu vac-
cination is becoming a habit for many people, but there is still much room for improvement,” said CDC’s Anne Schuchat, MD. “The bottom-line is that influenza can cause a tremendous amount of illness and can be severe. Even when our flu vaccines are not as effective as we want them to be, they can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and flu-related hospitalizations and deaths.”
The report estimates that last season there were a total of 31.8 million influenza-associated illnesses, 14.4 medically attended illnesses, and 381,000 hospitalizations in the United States.
Children aged 6 months through four years and persons aged 65 and older, who are among those most vulnerable to influenza, accounted for an estimated 69% of prevented hospitalizations.
CDC often cites flu as being respon-
sible for 200,000 hospitalizations each season.
“Most of estimated hospitalizations last season were in people 65 and older. This shows how hard a severe H3N2 season can hit this vulnerable group,” Dr. Frieden said. “There were also 169
deaths among children reported to CDC, the highest number in a non-pandemic season since this type of reporting began in 2004.”
Three influenza deaths among children have been reported to CDC so far this season.
Most smokers will make a New Year’s Resolution to quit in 2014. If this is your year to quit, the American Lung Association (ALA) offers five tips to help you along the way:
1. Learn from past experiences. Most smokers have tried to quit in the past and sometimes people get discouraged thinking about previous attempts. Those experiences were necessary steps on the road to future success. Think about what helped you during those tries and what you’ll do differently in your next quit attempt.
smoke may even join you!
3. Medication can help, if you know what to do. The seven FDA-approved medications (like nicotine patches or gum) really do help smokers quit. Most folks don’t use them correctly so be sure to follow the directions!
4. It’s never too late to quit. While it’s best to quit smoking as early as possible, quitting smoking at any age will enhance the length and quality of your life.
Reprinted with Permission By Consumer
Reports Health
2. You don’t have to quit alone. Telling friends that you’re trying to quit and enlisting their support will help ease the process. Expert help is available from the American Lung Association and other groups. Friends who also
5. Every smoker can quit. The ALA said each person needs to find the right combination of techniques that will for them, and above all, they need to keep trying.
For more information, visit the ALA/ WellPoint site, www.quitterinyou.org.
A: Consumer Reports recently tested 316 samples of raw chicken breasts from Perdue, Pilgrim’s, Sanderson Farms, Tyson, and other brands, and found potentially harmful bacteria in almost all of them. Does that mean you should swear off chicken? “No, but it does mean that you need to handle chicken—all chicken, all the time—with caution, starting in the grocery store and ending with storing your leftovers,” said Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., toxicologist and executive director of the Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center Unfortunately, a Consumer Reports recent survey of 1,005 U.S adults suggests that many people don’t do all that they should to prevent contamination when handling chicken. See below for tips on what to do, in the store and at home.
Consider going organic
Look for chickens labeled “organic” or “raised without antibiotics.” They may cost more, but there are benefits. They’re slightly less likely to have antibiotic-resistant bacteria, our tests found, and you’re supporting farmers who raise their chickens without antibiotics—a step that could help ensure that the drugs will continue to be effective in treating infections in people.
Ignore “Natural” chick-
ens
Don’t be misled by other claims, especially “natural.” More than half of the people in our survey thought that meant chickens were raised without antibiotics. It doesn’t. It’s best to just ignore that term.
Put your bird in plastic
One in three people surveyed did not take that basic step. But it’s important because juices from the package can drip onto other foods, spreading bacteria.
Keep kids out of the cart
One study found that 13 percent of kids younger than age 3 may have been exposed to raw meat or poultry packages while riding in a grocery cart.
Keep it cold
If you’re not going to cook poultry it within a few days, freeze it. And refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours.
Don’t rinse your bird
The force of the water
spreads bacteria around your kitchen. But almost three out of four respondents to our survey said they did it.
Use a meat thermometer
Make sure your chicken reaches 165° F, the recommended internal temperature for killing harmful bacteria. Only 30 percent of the people we surveyed said they use a meat thermometer.
Use designated cutting boards
More than half of respondents said they had one cutting board for raw meat and another for cooked. But you might want a third for produce. And make sure you clean all boards with hot soapy water or in the dishwasher. Also clean counters and sponges if they touch raw chicken.
Wash your hands
And make sure you do it (using hot, soapy water) every time you touch chicken.
For more information, visit www.consumerreports.org or www.greenchoices.org.
Christian Hospital offers free and confidential psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. For more information, call 314-839-3171.
Christian Hospital Key Program offers support and education to patients with chronic mental illness to prevent increased severity of symptoms and to reduce the need for inpatient re-hospitalization. Call confidentially to 314-839-3171 or 1-800-447-4301.
Crime Victim Advocacy Center provides no cost support for persons affected by criminal acts. Email peggy@ supportvictims.org, visit or call the 24-hour hotline 314-OK-BE-MAD (6523673) or visit www.supportvictims.org.
The St. Louis County Health Department provides free bicycle helmets to St. Louis County residents between ages 1 and 17 by appointment only. Proof of residency is required. For the location nearest you, visit www.tinyurl.freebikehelmets.
Gateway to Hope offers no-charge medical and reconstructive treatment for uninsured breast cancer patients in Missouri. Contact 314-569-1113.
Free Dental Hygiene Clinic - No charge dental exams, x-rays, cleanings and other dental services for children and adults provided by dental students at Missouri College. Patients needing more extensive dental work (fillings, crowns, etc.) will be referred to local dentists. For information, call 314-768-7899.
SSM St. Mary’s Health Center provides free, Diabetes Support Group sessions the second Tuesday of every month from 6 – 7 p.m. to address health management issues. It’s located at Meeting Room 1 on the second floor, 6420 Clayton Rd. in St. Louis. To register, call toll free
866-SSM-DOCS (866-776-3627).
The Center for Community Health and Partnerships: Building Bridges for Healthy Communities works to develop and support beneficial community-academic partnerships to address the health needs of the St. Louis. For more information, email publichealth@wustl.edu; phone 314-747-9212 or visit publichealth. wustl.edu.
Missouri 2-1-1 offers referral and information on a wide range of social service and helpful resources. Call 2-1-1.
Boys & Girls Clubs Dental & Vision Clinic at Herbert Hoover Club, 2901 N. Grand, St. Louis. Open year-round for members at no additional fee by appointment only. Teeth cleaning, braces, x-rays, root canals, some extractions; vision mobile unit, comprehensive exam and glasses, if required. Make an appointment by calling 314-355-8122.
Salam Free Saturday Clinic, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Isom Community Center at Lane Tabernacle CME Church, 916 N.
Newstead, St. Louis, Mo. for those who are uninsured. For more information, call 314-533-0534.
Food Outreach provides food, meals and nutritional education/ counseling to eligible persons living with HIV/AIDS or cancer in St. Louis. For more information, call 314-652-3663 or visit www. foodoutreach.org.
St. Louis Milk Depot - SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital is a breast milk depot for the Indiana Mother’s Milk Bank. Milk Depot staff will store and ship your milk to IMMB. For more information, call (314) 242-5912.
The Cancer Center of The Empowerment Network at 6000 W. Florissant in St. Louis provides information on prostate and other types of cancer, and services and support. For more information, call 314-385-0998.
Schnucks Pharmacies – now offers certain prescription prenatal vitamins for free and offers no-cost generic prescription antibiotics at select locations.
Wal-Mart Pharmacies – offer select prescriptions for $4 or less for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply. View the complete list at www.walmart.com/ pharmacy.
Free lung function screening - Christian Hospital Breathing Center at Northwest HealthCare, 1225 Graham Rd. For more information, call 314-953-6040.
Free flu shots for patients being treated for an illness or injury at Downtown Urgent Care (314-436-9300), North City Urgent Care (314-932-1213), Creve Coeur Urgent Care (314-548-6550) and Eureka Urgent Care (636-549-2100).
Sexual Health
St. Louis County Health Department offers free, confidential testing, counseling and treatment at the North Central Community Health Center, 4000 Jennings Station Road, St. Louis, MO 63121. For more information, call 314679-7800.
The SPOT offers private, reproductive, mental and behavioral health services at no charge to youth ages 13-24, Monday – Friday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. at 4169 Laclede Ave. For more information, call 314-5350413 or visit http://thespot.wustl.edu.
STI testing and treatment at North City Urgent Care and Downtown Urgent Care. For more information, call 314-436-9300.
Sun. Jan. 5, 10 a.m., Resolution Run/Walk 5K at Wellbridge Athletic Club Clayton to benefit Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis; 7620 Forsyth Blvd. Indoor after-party; $25 registration or $35 after Dec. 28. For more information, call 314-746-1500, onestoprace. com or bgcstl.org.
Sat. Jan. 18, 6 pm – 11 pm, 2014 Ranken Jordan Crystal Ball, The Ritz-Carlton, 100 Ritz Carlton Drive, St. Louis MO 63105. For more information, call 314-872-6414.
Wed., Jan. 18, Creve Coeur Park 6K, Tremayne Shelter, Winter Park Series , 13236 Streetcar Drive, Maryland Heights, Mo. Entry fee $20, $30 Jan.17-18); $10 Race-Day-Only entry fee for ages $19 and under (no t-shirt). For more information, visit onestoprace.com.
Sat. Jan. 25, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., St. Luke’s Hospital Girl Talk, Institute for Health Education, North Medical Office Bldg. Level 2, 232 South Woods Mill Rd. Chesterfield, Mo., 63017; a free event for mothers and daughters age 11 and older. Breakout sessions on a healthy body, healthy skin, and kindness; a special performance and a healthy snack. Register by calling 314542-4848.
Thurs., Jan. 30, St. Louis Walk to End Lupus Now Launch Party, The Heights Community Center, 8001 Dale Ave. Richmond Heights, Mo. Free event but registration is required by calling 314-644-2222 or emailing brich@lfaheartland.org.
Sat. Feb. 1, 2014, 9 a.m., Carondelet Park 4 Mile,
Winter Park Series, Rec Plex, 930 Holly Hills Ave. St. Louis, $20 entry fee, $30 Jan.31-Feb. 1. $10 Race-DayOnly fee for ages $19 and under (no t-shirt). For more information, visit www.onestoprace.com.
Sat. Feb. 8, 2014, 8:30 a.m. – 12 Noon, Christian Hospital’s Annual Heart Fair, Detrick Building Atrium, 11133 Dunn Road, St. Louis, 63136. Free screenings for cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure; stress & heart disease information, refreshments; lecture 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. For more information, call 314-747-WELL (314-747-9355).
Fri. Feb. 28, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., 7th Annual AfricanAmerican Nurses’ History Conference, “Health Disparities that are Bridging the Gap,” by the College of Nursing at University of Missouri – St. Louis, J.C. Penney Auditorium. Health screenings available for weight/height/BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, HIV/ AIDS, mental health, glucose, mammograms and prostate. Registration is $40. For more information, call 314516-5655 or visit pcs.umsl.edu/aanhc.
Sat. March 22, 6p.m. – 10 p.m., Lupus Foundation The Purple Ball, Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel Majestic Ballroom, 800 Washington Ave. For more
information, visit lfaheartland.org.
Sundays, 10 a.m. – Alcoholics Anonymous Group 109 meets in the 11th floor conference room at Christian Hospital, 11133 Dunn Road at I-270/Hwy. 367. This is an open meeting for alcoholics, drug addicts and their family and friends.
Mondays, 7 p.m. – “Tobacco Free for Life” support group – free weekly meetings at St. Peters Mo. City Hall. Supported by SSM Cancer Care; RSVP initial participation to 636-947-5304.
Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. – Alcohol and Drug Informational meeting, Christian Hospital, Professional Office Building 2, Suite 401. For information, call 314839-3171.
Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – STEPS Schizophrenia Support Group
This nationally recognized program provides education and support for those with schizophrenia. Group is facilitated by an experienced STEPS nurse. For more information, call 314-839-3171.
First Thursdays, 10 a.m. – Family Support Group by NAMI St. Louis, The Alliance on Mental Illness at Transfiguration Lutheran Church, 1807 Biddle Street. No registration needed; no cost. For more information, call 314-962-4670.
Free psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations are confidential at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. Call 314-839-3171.
