January 31st, 2013 edition

Reed spars with Slay on crime

Mayoral candidates debate while Matthews wisecracks

By Jo Mannies Of The Beacon

“The first thing we have to do is admit we have a problem.”

– Lewis Reed on crime in St.Louis

On the key issues, the three Democrats competing for St. Louis mayor generally share the same views. Crime is too high. Public schools need to be improved. Homelessness shouldbe addressed as a regional issue. The vacant property in North St. Louis needs to be redeveloped. The differences among St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay, Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed and former Alderman Jimmie Matthews appear to center on how best to tackle such problems – and

See MAYOR, A6

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Rev. Robert C. Scott is youngest to lead area’s second-oldest Baptist church

By Sandra Jordan Of The St.Louis American

“Your zip code is a stronger predictor of your health than your genetic code,” said David R. Williams, a professor of public health at the Harvard School of Public Health and professor of African and AfricanAmerican studies and of sociology at Harvard University. Williams visited St. Louis on MLK Day to deliver the annual MLK lecture for the Office of Diversity Programs at Washington University School of Medicine, organized by Will Ross, M.D., associate dean for diversity at the medical school. “Socioeconomic status is one of the most powerful predictors of variations of health

MLK lecturer at Wash U School of Medicine addresses socioeconomics See WILLIAMS, A7

By Rebecca S.Rivas

Photo

Wiley Price

Rajon Rondo

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Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed listens as Mayor Francis G.Slay speaks Tuesday night at a mayoral candidate forum held at the St.Louis Public Library’s Central Library.In the middle is former Alderman Jimmie Matthews.

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St.Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson took office on January 1 and will oversee the department

1 of an interview with St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson

See DOTSON, A7

Photo by Wiley Price

Is Beyoncé a Super Bowl diva?

Several media outlets are reporting that Beyoncé’s backstage rider that has a laundry list of demands that not only caters for the star herself, but also for her one-year-old daughter Blue Ivy and her husband Jay-Z.

“She’s by far one of the most difficult celebrities we’ve ever dealt with,” a source told The Daily Star. “The list is as long as my arm. She may be a superstar, but this day is about football not her.”

But representatives from The NFL told TMZ that nothing could be further from the truth.

“The reports are pure pulp fiction – and working with Beyoncé has been nothing short of a pleasure,” an NFL spokesperson told TMZ. Beyoncé and her team have been great to work with throughout this process. We have enjoyed her creativity, vision and spirit in putting on a great show that is truly a Super Bowl performance.

Rihanna explains why she took Breezy back

In the latest edition of Rolling Stone Magazine, Rihanna opens up on the revelation that led her to reconcile with Chris Brown.

“I decided it was more important for me to be happy,” she tells the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone. “I wasn’t going to let anybody’s opinion get in the way of that. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s my mistake. After being tormented for so many years, being angry and dark, I’d rather just live my truth and take the backlash. I can handle it.”

Rihanna also told Rolling Stone that Brown was as horrified by his actions back in 2009 as the public.

“He doesn’t have the luxury of [expletive] up again,” she says. “That’s just not an option. I can’t say that nothing else will ever go wrong. But I’m pretty solid in the knowing that he’s disgusted by that. And I wouldn’t have gone this far if I ever thought that was a possibility.”

Michael Houston admits to turning Whitney on to drugs

Monday night on Oprah’s Next Chapter with Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston’s brother Michael admitted it

was he – not Bobby Brown – who introduced Whitney to drugs.

During their conversation, Oprah gets Michael to admit he introduced Whitney to cocaine in the late 80s, long before she met Bobby Brown.

“We did everything together, so once I was into [cocaine] she was too,” Michael said. “I have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

He also discussed the grief, depression and guilt that have plagued him since his sister’s passing last February.

“It’s like I’m living, but I’m not alive,” Michael said.

Frank Ocean interested in pressing charges after Chris Brown brawl

After an altercation said to involve R&B singers Chris Brown Frank Ocean at a Los Angeles recording studio, LA County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Stevie Whitmore confirms Frank Ocean is ‘desirous of prosecution.’

An excerpt from the police report reads as follows:

‘’West Hollywood Station deputies are investigating allegations that Chris Brown assaulted an unnamed victim. Deputies

responded to a call of six males fighting at the 7200 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood. ‘Upon their arrival, deputies talked to witnesses who stated that Chris Brown and the victim were involved in an altercation over a parking space. The altercation allegedly led to Chris Brown punching the victim.”

Rick Ross hires nonstop security after drive-by

According to several sources rapper Rick Ross is taking serious precautions after he crashed his Rolls Royce into a building following a drive-by shooting.

TMZ says Ross, who is yet to break his silence on the matter, has hired 24-hour armed personal security for his protection. He was previously using armed bodyguards for public events, but has now decided he wants security around the clock.

Sources say that the Maybach Music Group leader received threats for some time, but that he didn’t pay them any mind until the reported attempt on his life.

Sources: TMZ.com, Allhiphop.com, The Daily Star, Instagram, Hiphopdx.com

Beyoncé

Women in the military: combat pays

According to the latest polls, I’m in the minority of folks who aren’t jumping up and down about women serving in the military. I was somber after last week’s announcement by outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that formally lifted a 1994 ban on women serving in combat by 2016. Women having equal opportunity to die in U.S. endless wars is not my idea for a big celebration –especially when one out of three women soldiers are sexually assaulted.

My long-held view on the military is that it is hypocritical for citizens who don’t have full civil and human rights to be required to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It appears that the push to lift the long-standing ban against women in combat has come from the inside, from women themselves. Apparently getting combat experience opens up promotions to higher service grades. In short, women must be willing to kill (literally) for more rank, higher salaries and bigger pensions.

Women, like African Americans, have been in U.S. wars since the beginning. You may remember that Crispus Attucks, a black seaman, was the first person to be killed in the Boston Massacre in 1770. In 1775, a group of Groton, MA women put on their husbands’ clothing and defended the Nashua River Bridge with

muskets and pitchforks. Both blacks and women have been fighting for this country ever since – although not exactly with open arms by military leadership.

I’m pretty sure that gays have proudly served as long as blacks and women; we just don’t have the historical documentation to back it up.

This isn’t where the commonalities between the two groups end. Both were driven to prove their loyalty to the flag. But over time, serving in the military came to be a rung in the ladder of economic mobility.

The GI B bill of 1944 provided a range of benefits for World War II vets including low-cost mortgages, lowinterest loans to start a business or farm, cash payments of tuition, and living expenses to attend college, high school or vocational education. Vets were able to buy a house and to get a

college degree or training that got them a good-paying job ensuring a solid place in the middle class.

According to the Pentagon, last year the suicide rate among the nation’s active-duty military personnel surpassed the number of troops being killed in battle. In addition to the skyrocketing suicide rates, post-traumatic stress and neurological effects are epidemic. The state of their menthol health puts veterans at risk of being homeless.

I wonder how the military will market their new and improved program to women. A female soldier is more likely to be attacked by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. This horrifying fact, coupled with the new policy that forces women to take on aggressive, macho behavior in order to be promoted, tells me that the military is still no righteous career path for women.

SLPS super meets with Gov. on early education

Kelvin Adams, superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools, recently met with Missouri Education Commissioner Chris L. Nicastro, Gov. Jay Nixon and James Caccamo, chair of the Coordinating Board for Early Childhood Education, regarding early education. Nixon has been calling for an increased investment in preschool education programs throughout the state, including new resources for pre-K programs and for early childhood education initiatives such as Missouri’s Early Head Start program. “Study after study confirms what parents and educators already know – that the first five years of a child’s development have an impact that lasts a lifetime,” Nixon said.

Four candidates for SLCC trustee

Four candidates will vie for one seat on the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees in the April 2 election. Candidates for the Subdistrict 3 seat include Samuel Henderson, an attorney with Greensfelder, Hemker and Gale P.C.; Robert M. Johns, an information technology contractor with AT&T U-verse; Joan H. McGivney, former Southwestern Bell Corp. employee who was elected in April 2012 to serve the remainder of the unexpired term of Joan Ordinachev; and Allison

Stenger, an attorney with Klar, Izsak and Stenger LLC.

Subdistrict 3 includes southern and southwest portions of St. Louis City and the MaplewoodRichmond Heights, Affton, Bayless, Brentwood, Kirkwood and Webster Groves school districts. The STLCC Board of Trustees is a six-member board that represents the four subdistricts of the college service area. Subdistricts 1 and 4 are the two large subdistricts, each represented by two trustees. Subdistricts 2 and 3 are smaller, each

responsible for determining the policies of the college within the legal framework established by statutes of the state of Missouri. The board makes all final decisions concerning employment, termination of services, expenditure of funds, contracts, establishment of new programs, student fees, tax levies and construction of facilities.

Regular board meetings are scheduled each month and are open to the public. The winner will serve a full six-year term.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Samuel Henderson

Jamala Rogers

Editorial /CommEntary

Governor Nixon rightly presses for early education

We do not often take special notice of official pronouncements and are less often impressed by them, but this year term-limited Gov. Jay Nixon’s State of the State Address was anxiously awaited and turned out to be impressive in both tone and substance. Nixon – one of the most politically calculating and skillful operators in the business – was addressing the state for the first time since being re-elected to his final term. We give credence to the widespread rumor that Nixon has national political ambitions, and for him to be able to realize those ambitions he needs to pivot and make a dramatic impact in his final term as governor. This speech needed to set the stage for a new political direction in his final term, and on many issues it did just that.

We were impressed by the bold, positive tone of his message. Nixon pointed out that Missouri employers added more than 40,000 new jobs last year and that Missouri exports hit record levels in 2010, topping the $14 billion mark with double-digit growth in 2011. This, of course, is speaking a language even a Republican would have to applaud. This was pure statecraft, given the bitterly partisan Republican supermajority in the Legislature that is expected to oppose almost everything Nixon hopes to achieve, but it was artful positioning from a skillful leader. As we have previously noted, we also are impressed by Nixon’s apparently unequivocal commitment to Medicaid expansion in Missouri, which he reaffirmed to a packed House gallery in his address. “Strengthening Medicaid will strengthen our economy,” Nixon said. “And a stronger Medicaid system will make health care available to 300,000 of our friends and neighbors.” Nixon also made it clear that he wants significant ethics reform and is willing to pursue ballot initiatives if necessary.

But what most impressed us was the urgency with which Nixon pushed for greater investment in early childhood education. His proposed budget calls for an $150 million increase in state funding for education, including $17 million more for early childhood education and $100 million more for K-12 classrooms.

“The first official business of my second term was to meet with leaders in preschool education,” Nixon said.

“The clear consensus: early childhood education is a smart investment, with a big return.” His proposed $17 million increase in early childhood education would more than double funding for the Missouri Preschool Program and put more money into programs like Early Head Start. Missouri is lagging in this critical area of funding education during our children’s most formative years.

According to 2011 data from the National Institute of Early Childhood Education Research, Missouri ranked 32nd out of the 50 states in state spending on early childhood education. Missouri has since made cuts to Head Start and the Missouri Preschool Program, while several states started

Commentary

investing more heavily in early childhood just this past year, so we expect this ranking –already below the midpoint of all states – to drop further. This is unacceptable, potentially tragic, and Nixon is exactly right to ring the alarm bell.

Quality early childhood, elementary, secondary and higher education are investments that help create the necessary foundation for economic growth in a state economy that is shifting from a manufacturing base to knowledge base. Nixon signaled that he is moving away from years of cuts to investing in Missouri’s peoples and its institutions. Quality public services – including education, health care and infrastructure – are important to the quality of life for families. When these can’t be found in Missouri, people will take themselves and their families elsewhere. “We now have a unique opportunity to build a better future for our children. We must seize it,” Nixon said. “And nothing will have a greater impact on our children’s future than the commitment we make now to their education.” We strongly agree, and we encourage everyone in the state to support the governor in pursuing this all-important goal.

Stop being the party of stupid

Republicans shouldn’t worry that President Obama is trying to destroy the GOP. Why would he bother? The party’s leaders are doing a pretty good job of it themselves. As they try to understand why the party lost an election it was confident of winning and why it keeps losing budget showdowns in Congress, Republican grandees are asking the wrong questions. Predictably, they are coming up with the wrong answers. They focus on flawed tactics and ineffectual “messaging” rather than confront the essential problem: voters don’t much care for the policies the GOP espouses. In post-debacle speeches and interviews, Republicans are sounding paranoid and delusional. House Speaker John Boehner said in a speech to the Ripon Society that the Obama administration is trying to “annihilate the Republican Party.”

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the party’s fiscal guru and failed vice presidential candidate, claimed Sunday on Meet the Press that Obama seeks “political conquest” of the GOP. In five of the last six presidential elections, Democrats have won the popular vote. Republicans have done well at the state level, and through redistricting have made their majority in the U.S. House difficult to dislodge.

But it’s not possible to lead the country from the speaker’s chair, as Boehner can attest. To have a chance at effecting transformative change, you have to win the White House.

And to win the White House, you have to convince voters that the policies you seek to enact are the right ones. This is what the GOP doesn’t seem to understand.

“We’ve got to stop being the stupid party,” Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, one of the GOP’s brightest young stars, said in a much-anticipated speech at the party’s winter meeting last week. “We’ve got to stop insulting the intelligence of voters.”

But Jindal also warned that the party should not “moderate, equivocate or otherwise change our principles” on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, “government growth” and “higher taxes.”

On abortion, there is an uneasy consensus that the procedure should be legal but uncommon; the GOP wants to make abortion illegal, and the party’s loudest voices do not even favor exceptions for incest or rape. On gay marriage, public opinion is shifting dramatically toward acceptance; the Republican Party is adamantly opposed. On the size of government, Americans philosophically favor “small” – but, as a practical matter, demand services and programs that can only be delivered by “big.” And on taxes, voters agreed with Obama that the wealthy should pay a bit more.

“We must reject the notion that demography is destiny, the

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Let’s discuss local control

Rarely does a city have the opportunity to start at the beginning in designing its police department’s structural relationship with its citizens. After the passage of Prop A, St. Louis is in that historic position. The city should thoughtfully put in place ar21st century police department that is responsive to leaders and average citizens, independent of undue political influence, and able to interact efficiently with all parts of city government.

Creating such a department requires a delicate balancing act. It involves a constellation of structures in dynamic tension with one another. Unfortunately, there has not yet been a citywide conversation to hammer out consensus on the many questions involved.

The Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression has completed a study of cities around the country, determining “best practices.: We recommend abandoning the police board model and having a single Chief, so that the buck stops there. We need a professional running a professional department. Too often the Commissioners acted

like amateurs. The desired civilian control was never a reality. And a five-member Board leaves no one person responsible when something goes wrong.

Police should become a separate department in city government. The current city Charter puts police as a division inside the Department of Public Safety. Here the police again have a nonprofessional appointee as their boss. If instead the Chief sits on the Board of Public Service as a Department head, he can better coordinate with Streets, Parks, and the other departments with which police must interact.

The Chief should report directly to the mayor. As a citywide elected official, the mayor should ideally represent all the interests of the city. Citizens should have one person democratically accountable for law enforcement actions.

The Chief should be insulated from excessive political pressure. Therefore, the Chief should have a five year contract that does not run concurrently with the mayor’s term of office, and he should be subject to dismissal only with cause.

The Board of Alderpersons should also exert some check on the mayor’s power. It is crucial that a Chief of Police have full buy-in from the entire city. Therefore, mayoral appointment of the Chief must have two-thirds approval by the Board of Alderpersons.

The Chief needs shielding from the Governor as well. Remove the current Charter provision that grants the Governor the ability to fire the

Letters to the editor

Stan the gentleman

Stan Musial was a national treasure that St Louis was happy to share. No one was more deserving of the love and respect that all of us had for the man, our man, Stan the Man, Stan the gentleman. We all send our sympathy to the entire Musial family. There will never be another one like him. Heaven is now home to the perfect swing, the ready smile and some darn fine harmonica tunes.

commentary “Hot enough for you?” Robinson points out that we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing our use of coal, oil and other carbonbased energy sources. That is the only way to avoid catastrophic climate disruption, including deadly heat waves, droughts and superstorms.

Chief at will. These reforms for focused responsibility and professionalism need to be balanced by strong structures for citizen input. The vehicle should be a Civilian Review Board We recommend a board that would have subpoena power, independent financing, and the ability to conduct joint investigations with Internal Affairs. It would make recommendations regarding individual cases and policy.

Many questions remain.:

How, do the Chief and Internal Affairs now derive the ability to investigate and discipline, since state statute gives the civil service commission “exclusive authority” over police discipline?

How do procedural safeguards granted to police officers in their union contract interact with the powers of the civil service commission?

Since Prop A eliminates both the Marshal’s office and the airport police, how and where should these agencies be re-created?

Reaching consensus on these matters will be an involved process. Changes would be complex, requiring amendments to city ordinance, city Charte, and state statute. There is no gain in rushing. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to devise a model for the rest of the country that shows how modern police governance should be done.

Jamala Rogers and Zaki Baruti ARE Co-Chairpersons of the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression.

pathetic and simplistic notion that skin pigmentation dictates voter behavior,” Jindal said. These are noble and stirring words. But the GOP is insane if it does not at least ask why 93 percent of African Americans, 71 percent of Latinos and 73 percent of Asian Americans voted for Obama.

If minority voters continue to favor the Democratic Party to this extent, then demography will indeed be destiny. It would be simplistic to attribute the disparity to the fact that Obama is the first black president, or the fact that Republicans have been perceived as so unsympathetic on issues concerning immigration. If they want to attract minority support, Republicans will have to take into account what these voters believe on a range of issues.

I have to wonder if the GOP is even getting the tactics-and-messaging part right. Michael Steele (now an MSNBC colleague of mine) served as party chairman when Republicans won a sweeping victory in 2010; he was promptly fired. Reince Priebus presided over the 2012 disaster; last week, he was rewarded with a new term as chairman.

But no matter who’s in charge, the GOP will have a tough time winning national elections until it has a better understanding of the nation. If Boehner is worried about being shoved “into the dustbin of history,” what he and other Republicans need to do is put down the broom.

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

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill Washington, D.C.

Editor’s note: In 2010, McCaskill led a bi-state Congressional delegation in encouraging President Obama to consider Musial for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an honor he received on February 15, 2011

Not open and honest government

There is no reason that a public hearing of the Elections Committee of the Missouri House of Representatives should be held at 6:45 a.m. It is not open and honest government, and it creates an unnecessary hardship for Missourians interested in testifying on the legislation or just listening to the hearing. Hearings should always be held at easily accessible times for Missourians, especially when dealing with legislation as controversial and complicated as these proposals. The committee should change the timing of this hearing to allow Missourians to more easily be a part of the legislative process.

Secretary of State Jason Kander Jefferson City

Cutting back on coal

Thanks for running Eugene Robinson’s excellent

Sierra Club members agree with Mr. Robinson 100 percent – it is time to take bold action to reduce our dependence on coal. This is especially true in the St. Louis area, with its four coal plants.

The NAACP recently released a report titled “Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People” that examines the disparate impact that coal-fired plants have on communities of color. I encourage readers to view this report online, and then to join with the Sierra Club and the NAACP to address this problem.

John Hickey, Chapter Director Missouri Sierra Club St. Louis

Rodney McAllister and Lewis Reed

Politics are personal and local. Two years after the horrific death of Rodney McAllister, I asked Mayor Slay if he remembered the name. His response was “Sounds familiar.” Ten years after Rodney McAllister’s death, I asked Lewis Reed if he remembered the name. Lewis promptly said, “That was the boy who was EATEN by wild dogs.”

When one of our own, a child, neglected by his drugaddicted mother, is killed in such a savage manner, we all need to remember his name and take action to prevent another gruesome untimely death of a child. We erected a statue in honor of Rodney McAllister in Ivory Perry Park where Rodney died. Mayor Slay had a memory lapse; Lewis Reed did not.

I want a mayor who remembers when tragedy befalls a vulnerable child, not a politician who says,

“Sounds familiar.” RIP Rodney McAllister. Lewis Reed has my vote.

Teri Powers, St. Louis

Guest Columnist Jamala Rogers Guest Columnist Zaki Baruti

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon delivers the State of the State address in the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on January 28 while Speaker of the House Tim Jones and Lt. Governor Peter Kinder listen. Photo: UPI/Bill Greenblatt

Girls of ‘Elegance’

Martin Mathews and Barbara Washington of Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club were surrounded with young members of the club at its recent Sheer Elegance fashion show held at the Chase.

Future of Clayton essay contest

The members of the Clayton Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council are sponsoring an essay competition for Clayton school students to present predictions about Clayton’s future as part of the city’s 100th anniversary of incorporation. The winning entries will be included in a time capsule to be opened in 50 years. Through essay, visual art or video, students are asked to answer the question: What do you think Clayton will be like in 100 years? Because of a donation from Commerce Bank, one student from each grade level will win $100.

Entries will be accepted January 15 through March 15. For details, visit tinyurl.com/clayton2013co ntest

Support group forfamilies of incarcerated

Family and friends of incarcerated men and women and other interested people are invited to meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. January 26 at St. Louis County Library, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis. The Missouri Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) meeting will include discussion on 85 percent mandatory minimum sentencing. Call 314-994-3300 for directions. Former prisoners are welcome.

Donate shoes at County Library

Through February 28, all 20 St. Louis County Library branches will be accepting shoes for Shoeman Water Projects, a local non-profit that helps communities around the world by providing clean water to developing countries. Any type of shoe will be accepted, provided they do not have holes in them. Shoes should be tied, rubber-banded, or bagged together. The shoes collected and funds from exporting the shoes to places like Kenya, Haiti and South America for resale will help buy well-drilling rigs and water purification systems. Visit Shoeman Water Projects to learn more about the organization at www.shoemanwater.org.

Trio Foundation funds vets program

The Veterans Business Resource Center (VBRC) launched a new program called “Hero to Home.” It helps returning Missouri military personnel either start a new business, rebuild accompany they had before they left for service, and/or find employment due to their job being eliminated while being deployed. Participating in the program will be free.

“Hero to Home” is made possible by an initial grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. Additional funding provided by The Trio Foundation will provide the needed resources to focus on 20 women Veterans to move through the program. For additional information, visit www.vetbiz.com.

Sisters for Slay? Really?

By Liz Brown For The St.Louis American

The joke I told on my show went something like this.

Slay is so desperate for a hook to get into the AfricanAmerican community he’s gonna try and make up some fake black-sounding group and then he’s going to use that group to act like he has support in the community. Maybe Slay’s gonna create something as ridiculous-sounding as “Sisters for Slay.”

Then I said, “No, Francis Slay can’t possibly be that transparently desperate.” I was wrong.

One week later, newly minted committeewoman Shameem Hubbard could barely contain her excitement to 140 characters. “It’s no secret” she tweeted. “I’m a Sister for Slay.”

While I understand the excitement of losing your “elected official endorsement virginity,” grown folks still have to have a discussion about the wisdom of this new committeewoman’s choice of giving it up so easily. The hairdresser from the 26th Ward was not the only political newbie using social media to give big love to Brother Slay.

There were excited utterances bursting off the Facebook pages of the recently sworn-in state Senator Jamilah Nasheed. She used her Facebook page as her own Highway 70 shutdown mega phone. How did Nasheed go from, “Hey, ho, Francis Slay has got to go!” to “I gave $10,000 to Francis Slay’s re-election campaign”?

Sadly, it’s no real mystery. Political money makes for predictable bedfellows. Being the People’s Senator doesn’t get you the same attention, favor, power and money as being Senator “Cash and Carry.”

On the same day Shameem Hubbard tweeted her endorsement of Slay, her husband, the ethically flexible Rodney Hubbard, got a paid gig as a lobbyist for Paul McKee Jr.’s North Side Regeneration LLC. McKee has given over $40,000 to Slay. And as The St. Louis American reported, Nasheed recently received $25,000 from Rex Sinquefield. And a few days later, according to Nasheed’s post, Slay received a $10,000 donation from Nasheed.

Nasheed would argue that she has a plan and that her illogical, manic endorsement of Slay is part of that plan. She would also tell you she was able to devise this master plan because she has cracked the political Da Vinci Code and has politics all figured out. No, she hasn’t. And neither has the committeewoman from the 26th Ward.

Senator Cash and Carry has figured what so many other political disappointments have figured out – it is easier and more profitable to govern on behalf of the biggest checkbooks rather than on behalf of those who have none.

And the Slay-struck wife of Rodney Hubbard is telling us with her first political endorsement, that no matter how you came by the last name “Hubbard,” the political results are the same. The Lizz Brown Show can be heard 6-9 a.m. weekday mornings at wgnu920am.com. Email: Lizz@thisislizzbrown.com.

Liz Brown

Photo by Maurice Meredith

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whether improvements have been made during Slay’s 12year tenure.

That was the political portrait painted during Tuesday night’s forum before an overflow crowd at the St. Louis Public Library’s Central Library.

The St. Louis League of Women Voters, which moderated the event, estimated that at least 450 people packed the auditorium and spewed over into two other rooms set up with closed-circuit TVs.

Slay, who is seeking an unprecedented fourth term, portrayed himself as a mayor who has worked hard to make a difference. “I’m asking you to remember where we were 12 years ago,’’he said, citing improvements in downtown St. Louis and elsewhere.

Slay cited the limited powers that the City Charter gives a St. Louis mayor. “Moral authority and persuasion are the mayor’s most important powers,’’he said, adding that he believed he offered the right temperament and “attention to detail’” neededfor the job.

Reed, who has been aldermanic president since 2007, declared that “I know we can do better. ... St. Louis’best days are in front of us, but we have to begin a new path.” Reed complained that the city has lost population and major corporations, and that Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is “a shell of what it once was.” Matthews, who last served as an alderman in the 1980s, said that he could provide “a breath of fresh air.” His rivals,

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Rev. Ralph Jackson. Rev. Scott left the position of presiding pastor at Union

he contended, had failed to deliver.

Matthews at times took on the role of comedy relief. He caught the audience’s attention when he took aim at Reed, saying that he’d offered up “an excellent speech, but with no substance.”

Among the forum’s key topics, only crime touched off a true debate.

Slay cited the decline in the city’s crime rate over the past six years and praised the efforts of his administration and the city’s police. Reed accused Slay of trying to take credit for a national trend and contended that city police are demoralized by a lack of resources.

Slay replied that police spending has gone up $53 million during his tenure, but that most of the additional money has had to go to the police pension system, which he said needed to be retooled if the city was going to be able to put more police on the streets.

Reed interrupted Slay a couple times to dispute his explanations, but was told by the moderator to refrain from doing so. Reed said afterward that his interruptions were prompted by his passion on the issue, and he cited the shooting death of a brother in the 1980s.

“The first thing we have to do is admit we have a problem,” Reed said, adding that he didn’t feel safe on city streets.

Matthews told the crowd that most of the assailants were teenage youths and that more programs were needed to dissuade them from crime.

Other topics discussed: Public schools – The candidates agreed on the importance of strong public schools and of good after-school programs. Slay praised the expansion of

Baptist Church, near Lexington, N.C., to come to St. Louis. His youth – he was 29 at the time – stirred up doubts about his leadership potential within the congregation. He quickly answered those doubts.

charter schools and the performance of private and parochial schools. Reed warned that nearby suburban schools were attracting the best city students, while Matthews said the cure was to “make our schools so great that folks can’t stay away.”

Homelessness– Reed and Slay agreed that the homelessness was a regional issue, with Slay observing that about half of the people using the city’s homeless shelters were actually from other parts of the region where there were few or no shelters. Matthews suggest-

“We have seen him blossom and grow in his capacity as pastor,” said James Johnson, chairman of the deacon ministry at Central Baptist. “We’ve climbed some heights we’ve never climbed before.” Among those “heights” is

ed that City Hall and some St. Louis schools be used to house the homeless during cold spells.

North Side Redevelopment– Slay said he supported the redevelopment efforts of Paul McKee Jr., who has amassed large tracts of vacant land on the North Side. Reed was concerned that McKee won’t complete his projects, leaving the city on the hook. Matthews disparaged McKee and contended the city would do better if it split the land up into “40 acres and a

the church’s steady membership growth under Rev. Scott. Central Baptist is now one of the fastest-growing churches in St. Louis with nearly 2,000 members on its rolls.

Central Baptist is the area’s second-oldest African-

Deltas prepare for Centennial

Centennial Chair and Past President of the St.Louis Alumnae Chapter,Shirley A. Brown,Torch Committee Co-Chair, Ida Goodwin Woolfolk,Torch Committee Chair,Kim Banks,President SLA Chapter (top center) and Torch Committee Members prepare for upcoming Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Centennial Celebrations.

mule,” a reference to the Civil War promise to freed slaves.

City-County Merger –Reed said the city should become part of St. Louis County only if the two are “equal partners.” He contended that some in the county were wary because the city was largely made up of Democrats. Slay said the best option was for the city to enter the county “as another municipality,” a move that would curb redundant government costs for both parties, he said. The

American Baptist church, founded in 1846 by both slaves and free individuals. The oldest Baptist church in the area is First African Baptist Church, now First Baptist Church, founded in 1827. On March 22, Central Baptist will celebrate its 167th anniversary.

Harriet Scott – wife of Dred Scott, a slave who petitioned for his family’s freedom in a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court and helped to spark the Civil War – was a member of Central Baptist. Former Central Baptist pastor Reverend Dr. Thomas Elliott Huntley was a classmate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Morehouse College.

One of Rev. Scott’s own mentors is Rev. Dr. Wyatt T. Walker, who was Dr. King’s chief of staff with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Rev. Scott said his mentors are often have a “social-justice consciousness” which greatly influenced his preaching style.

“You can’t reach out to people and talk about Jesus without trying to do something to change their social condition,” Rev. Scott said.

In June 2008, he was a coordinator and spokesperson for ACall To Oneness, which united more than 20,000 AfricanAmerican men in the region. The non-violent march in North St. Louis –organized by Rev. Dr. Freddy J. Clark, pastor of Shalom Church (City of Peace) – sought to end black-on-black violence.

city’s attractions sought by the county, he added, included the airport and the Gateway Arch. Matthews said he opposes any merger. Green Party candidate James McNeely declined to participate, and there is no Republican contender, so the forum featured only the three Democrats competing in the March 5 primary. Voters must register by February 6 to be eligible to vote on March 5. Call the election board at 6224336. Reprinted with permission from stlbeacon.org.

Central Baptist Church

Address: 2842 Washington Blvd.

Denomination: Baptist Established: 1846

Lead Pastor: Rev. Robert C. Scott

First Lady: Pier Charisse Scott Congregation: 2,000 members

Ministries: Worship; Leadership, Development, Support & Care, Adult Life, Children/Youth, Outreach Website: www.cbcstl.org/site/

“You can’t reach out to people and talk about Jesus without trying to do something to change their social condition.”

– Rev.Robert Scott

Over the years, Rev. Scott has been tested by unfortunate circumstances that proved to be blessings in disguise. For example, a storm one Palm Sunday stripped the church of its roof, causing major flooding. “It was literally raining in the sanctuary and educational building,” he said.

He had met with church leaders about two years prior to unveil his Six Step Vision, a plan detailing extensive remodeling to make the church “more relevant in the 21st century.”

“Everything that we had outlined, as far as that vision, was brought to pass because of the storm,” he said.

Through renovations, the sound system was upgraded, TVscreens were added and multiple cameras are now used for live-recording purposes. The sanctuary seats more people, and a new gym floor was placed inside the educational facility. The total cost of renovations was $2.5 million. Rev. Scott describes his congregation as “inter-generational” and tailors his preaching to appeal to a diverse audience. He also employs the help of a children’s and youth minister. “I allow them when I’m preaching to send tweets and Facebook messages,” he said. Among his accomplishments, he is a silver lifetime member of the NAACP. His sermon “AVoice, AVision and An Adventure” was published in Sound the Trumpet Again: Sermons for Empowering African American Men. He serve as co-chair for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), St. Louis region (Church Division). He graduated from Jackson State University with a BAin Political Science, Duke University Divinity School with a Master of Divinity and United Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry. Rev. Scott and his wife, Pier Charisse Scott, have one child, Charis Jordyn Scott, who is 3 (“going on 20,” he jokes).

“He’s a wonderful young minister,” said Johnson, chairman of the deacon ministry, said of Rev. Scott. “And all I can see for him is up.” Worshippers are invited to attend servicesevery Sunday at 7:45 a.m. or 11 a.m. at Central Baptist located at 2842 Washington Blvd. 314.533.0747

from one society to another,” Williams said, citing an index of variations of health by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “It is more powerful than genetics, exposure to carcinogens or even cigarette smoking.”

Yet Williams said health outcomes in this country are seldom reported by socioeconomic status.

“Socioeconomic status literally patterns exposures to the opportunities to be healthy from the cradle to the grave,” Williams said.

“It determines the quality of employment opportunities and the quality of jobs and how hazardous those jobs are. It determines the neighborhood in which you live and the quality of housing. It determines your ability to provide for your family and determines the quality of life.”

Race plays a factor, because African Americans and Hispanics with higher educational attainment on average have lower incomes, purchasing power and live in areas where goods cost more and services are of poorer quality than whites. All of this affects health outcomes, he said. Williams noted that U.S.born Hispanics have the same overall health profile as African Americans. When new immigrants arrive in the U.S., they have a healthier state and unfortunately get “Americanized” with this country’s poorer health habits and outcomes.

“What we find in national health data is that immigrants of all racial ethnic groups have better health than their native-

DOTSON

Continued from A1 process, it became evident that they didn’t understand that pensions weren’t part of the conversation. Before I was appointed to this position, I was the director of operations for the city. And I’ve assured them that in that role, I didn’t have one conversation with the mayor, his chief of staff, the budget director, the comptroller – not one person – about taking control of their pensions. So they need to take that off the table.

The other one is political interference. The way the ballot initiative was written, there would be no political interference. I wanted to deal with the internal piece of it first. Then the external piece is – we are working on what that assimilation of the police department and the city government looks like now. For example, we have two purchasing systems. What can we combine?

We’ve had one chance in the last 150 years to reinvent the place, and that’s how we

born counterparts,” Williams said. “The bad news is, with increasing length of stay and generational status, the health of immigrants declines. There is something about the American way of life that is

are approaching it now. I told all of our commanders that everything is on the table. If they’ve ever thought, “If I were in charge, I’d want to change this.” Well, now is your time.

In November, we had the senior staff from the police department sit down with their counterparts in city government, along with the mayor and Chief Isom, and start the dialogue. We have the follow-up to that within the next week to sit down and to hear the first blush at plans on how we are going to assimilate the two into each other. I suspect we’ll have some action steps within the next 30 to 60 days.

The American: What action steps?

Chief Dotson: We are mandated at the number of police districts we have: nine. That has been in place since before I was born. The police districts over the last 30 years have changed in demographics, in crime patterns, in population, so we are going to redraw the district boundaries, trying to keep neigh-

dangerous to your health.”

Williams is a national health policy developer and has served on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Committee on Vital and Health

borhoods intact, and then distribute officers as equally and equitably as we can to focus on crime.

Our method of hot-spot policing is paying dividends. We’re going to put officers into the areas that are the most challenged and have the biggest problems. Sometimes we’ll go block by block. And not only in the neighborhoods that are having the problems, but also the time of day that they are having the problems.

Statistics and seven Institutes of Medicine committees. He serves on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Health Disparities Committee and was a key collaborator on the award-win-

a model of civilian review that I think is fair to the community and fair to the officers. There is a model I really like.

“We’ve had one chance in the last 150 years to reinvent the place, and that’s how we are approaching it now.”

– Police Chief Sam Dotson

The American: Civilian review – what does that mean to you when you say you support it?

Chief Dotson: The citizens of St. Louis give the police department $173 million a year. They entrust us with their safety and their tax dollars. I believe they have the right to know that their police department is doing a good job. I looked around the country for

Once internal affairs is notified of a complaint, they conduct an investigation to find out: Are there facts to back up the complaint? Then once the investigation is done, that investigation is then handed to a civilian review board to see if the investigation was thorough.

Then the civilian review board has two options. They can either say “yes” it is a thorough investigation, and then it goes back to the chief for the handling of discipline. Or if they have additional questions, it goes back to the Internal Affairs office.

It’s much like what we do with the Circuit Attorney’s Office now. If we present a case to the Circuit Attorney’s Office and they have additional questions, they give us a

ning PBS series Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?

National data show that education helps, though a staggering racial disparity exists on many health outcomes even

supplemental work request and we give them a supplemental report.

One of the concerns the officers have is that civilian review will be used to try them in the court of public opinion. We ask our police officers to do dangerous jobs and make split-second life decisions all the time. I think we have to have a process that is fair to them as well and doesn’t try them in the court of public opinion.

The American: Mayor Francis Slay wrote a letter to the Board of Aldermen after he vetoed a bill to establish a civilian review board (BB 69) in 2006. He stated, “BB #69 authorizes the CRB to hold hearings, issue subpoenas, compel testimony, compel the production of documents, review confidential records, review police policies, and compile data – none of which is authorized.” Will you include any of these authorities in civilian review?

Chief Dotson: The officers are most concerned about being compelled to tes-

factoring in higher education.

“For African Americans, as mothers’education increases from less than 12 years of education to a college degree or more, infant mortality declines,” Williams said.

“But this group of black women still have an infant mortality rate that is almost three times higher than women of other racial groups. And strikingly, African-American women with a college degree or more education have a higher rate of infant mortality than white, Latino and Asian women who have not graduated from high school.”

We can reduce health disparities, Williams said, by providing high quality care to all patients. That means treating people equally as individuals. He said addressing unconscious discrimination caused by negative stereotypes will help health care professionals improve patient care.

“Let me remind you this is not just about race,” Williams said. “If you hold negative stereotypes about gay people, about fat people, about old people – as long as you hold negative stereotypes, you will treat that person differently.”

Williams said we can build a healthier America, but it will take much more than health reform.

“Health care system reform is critical but insufficient to improve America’s health. Social factors – education, housing, transportation, environment – have decisive impacts,” Williams said.

“Health professionals need to work with other sectors to bring resources together for a concerted focus to modify the way and how we live, learn, work and play.”

tify in the court of public opinion in front of a civilian review board, which would be subject to open record laws. The process we talked about would be one that protects those officers’rights. The other thing we have to be cognizant of is: how do you compel a police officer to make a statement? Internally, we have the ability to do that as a condition of their employment. Does that condition of employment extend to a civilian review board?

I have been on the record since day one saying I support civilian review. I just came from a meeting with the Black Caucus and Aldermen Terry Kennedy to talk about what we can to do institute a civilian review as well as instill confidence in the community and the officers that it is a fair process.

Part two of the interview, touching on the mayoral race’s impact on his position and the extent of Dotson’s knowledge of the towing scam (that sent a police officer and police department vendor to prison) will be continued next week.

Dr.Will Ross,associate dean for diversity at Washington University School of Medicine,listens as David R.Williams delivers the 2013 MLK lecture for the Office of Diversity Programs.

Photo by Wiley Price

$4.2M grant for young child wellness

Will target 63106 and 63107 ZIP codes in North St. Louis

American staff

Efforts to promote the wellbeing of St. Louis children will receive a big boost through a five-year, $4.2 million Project LAUNCH grant awarded to the Missouri Department of Mental Health and a consortium of St. Louis child-serving agencies. The goal of Project LAUNCH, a program of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA), is to improve wellness among children ages birth to 8 across a range of social, emotional, behavioral, physical and cognitive factors. LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health) works with families, community members and state agencies to help children reach specific milestones leading to a healthier, happier life. “Healthy growth in each of these areas

builds the foundation for children to thrive in school and life,” said Patsy Carter with the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

“Project LAUNCH will provide major benefits to children in the city of St. Louis,” Mayor Francis G. Slay

said. “By preparing children to succeed in school, we lay the groundwork for a future generation of successful adults and productive members of the community. This in turn will make St. Louis a better place to live, work and do business.” The St. Louis Regional Early

Celebrating the kickoff of Project LAUNCH at Grace Hill Water Tower Hub were Richard Patton, executive director of Vision for Children at Risk; Patsy Carter with the Missouri Department of Mental Health; Sue Stepleton who will serve as Project LAUNCH Local Child Wellness Council chair; Mattie Moore with the office of U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill; and St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay.

Childhood Council (RECC), a two-year-old coalition of more than 100 local agencies promoting early childhood development, will function as the federally designated Local Young Child Wellness Council for the project. Sue Stepleton of the Brown School of Social

Work at Washington University will chair the Council. Members of the Local Child Wellness Council include early childhood, mental health and home-visitation service agencies. Vision for Children at Risk, a nonprofit agency dedicated to promoting child well-being across the St. Louis region, will house St. Louis Project LAUNCH. Project LAUNCH activities will target the 63106 and 63107 ZIP codes in North St. Louis, and will include screening and assessment, integration of behavioral health into primary care settings, mental health consultation in early care and education, enhanced home visitation services, and family strengthening and parent skills training. To learn more, visit http:// projectlaunch.promoteprevent. org/.

The pain of Paul Payne

It’s ironic – and painful – to see someone with the last name “Payne” squirming in his seat after taking a blow to the ribs as an innocent bystander in a political fistfight.

At the last Board of E&A meeting, Mayor Francis G. Slay and Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed – Slay’s strongest mayoral challenger on the March 5 ballot – went head to head on who should negotiate city labor contracts with union leaders. Previously it had been the director of personnel. In 2010, Slay’s henchman Stephen Gregali (then an alderman, now a senior Slay staffer) got passed an ordinance making that negotiator a mayoral appointee (subject to E&A approval). And this year, Slay wanted his man Eddie Roth, formerly the director of public safety and now director of operations. Reed said that it gets too political when the negotiator answers directly to the Mayor’s Office, and the past two years have been proof of that. He said it started with Gregali –formerly the alderman who led the mayor’s bill, now the mayor’s special assistant. (You need a score card to track the Slay administration, as the same names get moved around on the board a lot.)

Reed accused Gregali of introducing an illegal incentive regarding pay in a labor contract to get all parties to finally compromise and agree. All the while, Gregali knew that the contract had a severability clause would allow the contract to remain intact once the illegal, deal-making segment was discovered. Slay responded that this was an error that was corrected.

Reed argued that the board should reinstate the negotiator as Director of Personnel Richard Frank, who knows the city’s personnel issues inside and out and is the obvious choice for the job.

The Board of E&A – Slay, Reed and Comptroller Darlene Green – then voted on Slay’s motion to appoint Roth, and Green abstained, locking the vote. Rather than join Reed in opposing Slay, Green offered a compromise. She suggested that Paul Payne, the city’s budget director, be the negotiator, since he is the one who answers to the Board of E&A directly anyway. Payne sunk in his seat, then finally whispered something to Reed’s chief of staff, Tom Shepard, sitting next to him. Shepard relayed the message to Reed, and Reed spoke up for Payne, saying that it takes all Payne’s time to prepare the city’s budget. Negotiating contracts would take place right in the middle of his busiest part of budget season – now. Payne didn’t think he could do both things well. Then Payne spoke up for himself, saying the same thing.

Reed said that Payne spoke gracefully to two people who could vote him out of his position, and they should respect his perspective. They took a vote regardless. Both Green and Slay voted to appoint Payne as the negotiator. Reed voted against it. Payne tried not to shift his facial expression too obviously as the elbow cut in. It’s going to be a challenging and painful budget season for Payne.

Mother Hubbard teams with birther

The woman who gave birth to state rep turned lobbyist Rodney Hubbard and Rodney’s sister turned alderman Tameka Hubbard – state Rep. Penny Hubbard – has joined forces with Missouri’s most prominent birther.

State House Speaker Tim Jones – who held onto the GOP’s xenophobic and counter-factual challenge to President Barack Obama’s citizenship as long and hard as anyone – came to mother Hubbard’s rescue after she was cast out by what is putatively her own party, the Missouri Democratic Party. Democratic Leader Jacob

Hummel dumped Hubbard from her committees – Urban Issues, Corrections and Small Business – after she did the speaker’s bidding by casting the deciding vote in favor of a Republican plan to add an “emergency clause” to a bill requiring a special election to fill a possible vacant Lieutenant Governor’s seat if Peter Kinder leaves office mid-term.

Mother Hubbard’s birther buddy responded by creating new standing committees on which Hubbard will serve and naming her chairman of the Urban Issues committee, with the pledge to push legislation through the new standing committees created for Hubbard, as is the speaker’s prerogative.

This is part of a venerable Republican ploy to co-create and/or co-opt opportunistic black legislators who defy their party and its policies in exchange for a little something something, like a better office and your own special committees. Many would say now state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed is herself a graduate of this same basic program.

Transplant challenges Hubbard

Speaking of Alderman Tameka Hubbard, she has a challenger on the March 5 primary ballot, Michelle Hutchings-Medina Hutchings-Medina could not be more different from the incumbent if she tried.

Whereas Hubbard is a local product of North City’s most entrenched political family, HutchingsMedina is a transplant to St. Louis who lives downtown. The EYE thinks St. Louis is heading for the kind of vibrancy where fortified 20th century ward politics will not dictate the winners of every

municipal primary. Are we there yet? We may find out on March 5. And we will hear more about Hutchings-Medina and her campaign soon.

Reed shows brother love

Malcolm X always told the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that King should thank him for making the reverend and his movement acceptable. In sharp contrast to the uncompromising critique of white people and their actions that Malcolm made his mantra, Dr. King looked like someone the white leadership could deal with, and they did.

Lewis Reed should thank Francis Slay for making him a more dramatically black candidate than he has been previously. Slay’s re-election campaign has been advertising in the black press and hiring black folks to knock on doors in majority-black neighborhoods, and partly as a result Reed – himself a transplant to St. Louis who lives on the near South Side –is rushing to shore up his black base. Reed set up office space with F.I.R.E. and, as the above photo makes clear, shared brotherhood with the brothers at the local Muhammad Mosque.

Reed also did a meet and greet with the Universal African Peoples Organization at Legacy Bookstore & Cafe.

Zaki Baruti of UAPO – a leader of the Recall Slay campaign from the fire fight over Fire Chief Sherman George – reports that Reed “was greeted with a standing ovation with chants of Reed for Mayor – Reed for Mayor –Reed for Mayor.” St. Louis civil rights icon Percy Green encouraged the audience to become part of his “Boo Crew” and boo Slay whenever he appears in our community. Keith Antone, the special public relations project manager for the Reed campaign, also worked the crowd. Former state Senator Robin Wright Jones

introduced Reed. “Sharing a story of personal tragedy in the loss of a brother to gun violence, Reed spoke about creating an economic revival for St. Louis to reduce crime, promote a better public school system and ending the racial divisiveness fostered by the current Slay administration,” Baruti reported Completing the program was Akbar Muhammad, the International Representative to the Nation of Islam. Akbar reminded people of the many positive benefits to the black community when Harold Washington was elected Mayor of Chicago. He encouraged everyone to get their family and friends to the polls to vote and elect Lewis Reed for Mayor on Tuesday, March 5.

Mo Dems re-elect leadership

Following a successful campaign cycle where Democrats won five of six statewide races, the Missouri Democratic Party State Committee unanimously re-elected Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders as Chairman. The committee, which voted Jan. 26, also re-elected St. Louis City Comptroller Darlene Green to Vice-Chair and Airick West to Treasurer.

Archie resigns from board

Last week Gov. Jay Nixon accepted the resignation of State Board of Education President Stan Archie, of Kansas City, who submitted his resignation after news broke that Archie, who is a pastor, was the subject of a sexual harassment suit filed by his former assistant at Christian Fellowship Baptist Church. Archie, who denied the allegations, was appointed to the State Board of Education in 2006.

Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, who is running for mayor on the March 5 ballot, recently celebrated the 19th Annual Saviour’s Day at Muhammad Mosque #28.

Photo by Cartan X Mosley

Michelle HutchingsMedina

Carla Lynette Neal

January 16, 1956— January 14, 2011

We love you and we miss you so much. Words can’t explain the pain! From, Your loved ones

Oliver J. Northern

Oliver J. Northern was born July 19, 1967 to Marvin and Christine Northern in St. Louis, MO. Oliver was educated in St. Louis Public Schools, graduating from Health Career Magnetic School in 1986. He confessed his faith in Christ during his teenage years. He attended Williams Temple C.O.G.I.C. and continued practicing his Christian faith until his death.

Oliver served his country by enlisting in the U.S. Army from 1987-1996. He reenlisted in 2006 and retired a year later due to his failing health. Oliver received many medals of accomplishment, such as National Defense, Bronze Star and many more. He was united in Holy Matrimony to Patricia Slaughter.

Oliver was employed as a driver with the Greyhound bus line and MDR Freightliner.

Oliver departed this life on Wednesday, December 26, 2012. He leaves to cherish his memories: his daughter, Briana Northern and family and friends.

D.B. Amon

On January 24, 2013 in the quiet still of the evening Saint Louis lost one of its last civil rights activists, D.B. Amon. After a long bout with pancreatic cancer, D.B. Amon breathed his last breath at Jefferson Barracks Hospital in South Saint Louis county. Amon was active in

many civil liberties projects, including St. Louis’ infamous imminent domain case which is considered by many as the Paul McKee scandal.

SLPS awards Preschool Teacher of the Year

Amon’s accomplishments include: serving his country with distinction as a marine in Vietnam, volunteering with the Black Repertory Theatre as a member of the Board, and working as campaign manager for Ivory Perry’s aldermanic campaign. Though he worked with many important figures and worked with countless attorneys as well as judges to fight for justice, equality, and liberty for the people of our city, his most precious legacy is his family. He is survived by children who loved their dad very much; two (2) sons, Dorian Fields and Jarrod McDaniel, a daughter, Helen K. Amon Bailey as well as four (4) brothers (Charles, Roderick, Marvin, and Kelvyn), and a host of nieces and other family members. His father, Charles Bell and mother, Mattie Bell preceded him in death. Amon was cremated at Saint Louis Crematorium. A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 2 from 5-9 pm at Bixby’s Restaurant inside the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. The family requests that attendees wear party attire as this will be a celebration of Amon’s life. For more information please visit www.amonliveson.com Click on the comments tab to share sentiments with the family.

Hattie EstellaMitchell-Jackson

Mrs. Jackson made her transition to be with the Lord, her Savior, January 24, 2013, after a lengthy illness. She was the loving wife of the late Moses Jackson. She was also a mother, sister and aunt. All services: Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 at Peace Tabernacle Church, 3514 Oregon, St. Louis, MO 63118. Visitation: 10-10:55 am, Funeral service: 11 am. All arrangements are under the care of: Radford Funeral Home, Inc., 1710 N Grand

Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106, (314) 535-0005.

Isaiah Henry Harris III

The sun rose October 02, 1956 and set on January 09, 2013 for Isaiah Henry Harris III. Ike, as he was known to many, passed away peacefully at his home in Bowling Green, Kentucky with his loving wife by his side. Isaiah was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. He attended Vashon High School until joining the United States Marine Corps in August 1974. He began working for General Motors in MO and transferred to the GM Corvette Plant from which he retired in 2000. He developed a love for fishing and gardening. Ike was an avid St. Louis sports fan. He loved hanging out with family and friends while listening to the Blues. Ike was known in the NA community as Big Poppa. He sponsored and mentored many in the program. Ike was a member of Lively Stone Church - South in Bowling Green, and was baptized in Jesus’ name in August 2012.

Sheryl Davenport, Executive Director of SLPS Early Childhood Education, proudly congratulates Linda Smith, the 2012 Adelaide M. Schlafly Preschool Teacher of the Year.

Isaiah was the son of the late Isaiah Harris and is survived by his mother Earline (Melvin) Gray of St. Louis MO. He was preceded in death by his brothers Ernest, Michael, and Marvin.

Isaiah leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife of 28 years Reatha Harris of Bowling Green, KY; children SSGT Dometria (LJ) Johnson of Azores, Portugal, Jasmine Grundy of Milwaukee, WI; SPC Isaiah Harris IV of Atlanta, GA and O’Leatha Harris of Bowling Green, KY; grandchild, A’Niya; brothers Charles Sr., Keith, Kenneth (Darlene) Harris Sr. and Melvin Gray Jr. of St. Louis, MO and Marlon (Shunte) Gray of Alexandria, VA; sisters Sheila Harris and Jacqueline (Barry) Curtis of St. Louis, MO; Sister-in-law Mary McAdoo, and Brothersin-law Cledis (Stacey) and Ralph Duncan, six nieces, 15 nephews, and a host of relatives and friends.

Attention St. Louis American Readers

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

Linda Smith of Dewey International Studies Elementary School

American staff

The St. Louis Public School District has presented Linda Smith, a preschool teacher at Dewey International Studies Elementary School, with the Adelaide M. Schlafly Preschool Teacher of the Year Award.

An educator with the district since 2007, Smith stood out from her peers for creating a classroom community that fosters learning in a fun and engaging environment

by involving parents and empowering students to become leaders within the class.

“Forming a partnership with parents is key to their child’s success in school,” said Smith, who serves as the school’s home visit coordinator for the HomeWorks! program, which encourages teachers to make two home visits a year to talk with students and their parents. She also sends home a newsletter, a student report, a list of classroom activities, and homework focusing on reading, mathematics, and fine motor practice each week to keep parents informed and involved. She holds high expectations for her students and encourages them to assume a leadership role in her class community by letting them decide the class rules. “This year our rules are: Be here at school and play; play with somebody nicely; show you know something; listen to the teacher; give hugs and high-fives; help each other; and share,” she said.

As the year progresses, she expands leadership roles by letting students take on individual tasks as daily “class helpers.” As a result, students are taught responsibility by taking care of their personal needs, solving conflicts on their own, and asking for help when needed.

“Ms. Smith is an excellent preschool teacher, a valued member of the Dewey school community, and a person who genuinely cares about students’ learning,” said Jeanine Zitta, principal of Dewey International Studies Elementary School, who nominated Smith for the award. Smith was honored with an awards reception at the Carondelet Historical Society and presented with a $1,000 award from the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation. In addition, she received a trophy, a plaque, and a $500 award for classroom supplies and/ or professional development through the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund.

Death penalty: drain on taxpayers

Open letter to Missouri state legislators

By Zenobia Thompson and Hedy (Edna) Harden

For The St. Louis American

In the December 16, 2012 Op Ed section of the Boulder Daily Camera, Stan Garnett, the elected District Attorney in Colorado’s 20th Judicial District, offered his views regarding the practicality of the death penalty to the Colorado legislature, which is considering a bill to repeal the death penalty.

Mr. Garrett is not an opponent of capital punishment. He describes himself as neither morally nor philosophically opposed to the death penalty. He leaves no doubt that his office will uphold the ultimate punishment as long as it is the law of

Colorado.

And yet, Garnett mentioned practical problems with the death penalty, such as the time involved and the arbitrariness of who gets the death penalty, as well as the daunting problem of cost. In Colorado, prosecuting a death case through a verdict in the trial court can cost the prosecution well over $1 million.

Other states tell similar stories. Maryland prosecutors revealed recently that a single death penalty trial costs almost $2 million more than a nondeath penalty trial. When retrials and appeals are added, Maryland taxpayers spent $37.2 million dollars each for the five executions carried out by the state.

The State of Kansas found that death penalty cases cost 70 percent more than murder trials that did not seek the death penalty.

Across the length and breadth of this country, state budgets have been cut severely. Unfortunately, further cuts

are imminent. In our State of Missouri, the budget is strained to provide Medicaid services to poor citizens. Education cuts are causing many of our children to suffer. More and more states are questioning the cost of the death penalty vs. alternatives such as life without parole. Missouri state Senator Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis City, has pre-filed Senate Bill 61 which would require the state auditor to study the costs of administering the death penalty. We urge state lawmakers to support this bill. It makes sense that our representatives in Jefferson City, the stewards of our taxpayer dollars, investigate the cost of executions in Missouri. In these times of economic hardship and deep budget cuts, is the death penalty something that Missouri taxpayers can afford?

Zenobia Thompson is from Northwoods and Hedy (Edna) Harden is from University City.

Carla Neal

Oliver J. Northern

D.B. Amon

Isiah Harris III

Mrs. Williams

5th Grade Class

Laclede Elementary School

Students Kavon Lacy, Dwyronsha Upchurch, Lynne Harvey, and Carl Bierce perform a STEM experiment that

it.

SCIENCE CORNER

Who Wants To Know About Air Pollution?

Rufus Stokes was very concerned about air pollution. You may be wondering what air pollution is and why it is important. The Earth is protected by a blanket of air called the atmosphere. Air pollution damages the atmosphere and is caused by gases, dust particles, and fumes. Common sources of pollution include fossil fuels (burned in cars and trucks) and chemicals used in households, farming, and manufacturing. Dust and pollen are common air pollutants. When pollutants enter the air, they weaken the atmosphere.

Air pollution has been linked to many types of illness. Asthma, as well as other respiratory (breathing) functions, is affected by pollution. Heart disease can also be worsened with pollution. Memory loss has also been linked to air pollution.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

In this experiment, you will see what is in the air you breathe.

Materials Needed:

Wax Paper • Petroleum Jelly • Hole Punch

Process:

q Day One: Cut pieces of wax paper into the shape of a large circle. Use the hole punch to create a hole in the tops of the circles, spread a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the circles, and use the string or masking tape to hang them securely outside. Choose a variety of places: near the road, near the house or school, in a tree, etc. These are your air detectors.

Air

The government has created rules for companies to be responsible and limit air pollution. There are three important things you can do to help. 1. Limit the number of cars on the road by encouraging your family to carpool, use public transportation, walk, or ride. 2. Use energy wisely. 3. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Want to Know More About Pollution? Check out: http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/air-pollution/what-isair-pollution.html

And http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/airquality.html

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text to gain background information about pollution. I can use this knowledge to make educated choices and decisions.

Build An Air Detector!

w Day Two: The next day, you will collect your air detectors and observe them with the magnifying glass. What differences are there between air detectors hung in a place where cars travel and those hung in a park or backyard? Are some of the particles from plants and trees?

Think About It: What is in the air you breathe each day? After completing this experiment, do you think air pollution is a problem?

CLEAN AIR PIONEER Rufus Stokes

Rufus Stokes was born in Alabama in 1924. At the age of 18, Stokes enlisted in the U.S. Army and attended a technical school studying auto mechanics. In 1945, Stokes left the Army and moved to Kansas City where he worked as an auto mechanic. Two years later, Stokes and his wife moved to Illinois where Stokes worked as a pipe and sheet metal worker.

Between 1947 and 1949, Stokes worked as an orderly at Chicago Veterans Administration Hospital. After spending a great deal of time with the tuberculosis patients, (tuberculosis is a disease caused by a bacteria that attacks the lungs), Stokes became interested in the negative effects of air pollution.

When Stokes left the hospital, he went to work for an incinerator manufacturing company and learned about the process of combustion. He left the company and began work on his own designs. Stokes created an air purification device that would reduce the amount of air pollutants from furnaces and power plant smokestacks. This change benefited the health of both people and animals. Because of his contributions to science, Rufus Stokes was granted a doctor of science degree from Heed University in Hollywood, Florida, in 1982.

of pollutants. This number is known as the air quality index. Study the following chart.

Use the Chart to Answer the Following Questions:

q If the Air Quality Index (AQI) is 86, what is the quality of air? _________________

w If the quality of air is “unhealthy” for the day, what is the range of the Air Quality Index? ____________________

e If the AQI is 108, what is the quality of air?

r If the quality of air is “very unhealthy,” what is the range for the air quality index (AQI)? _____________

Learning Standards: I can interpret charts and graphs to answer questions and analyze data.

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to create an experiment. I can analyze the results. 4

more dangerous chemicals we breathe into our lungs.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography to find a main idea and supporting details.

MAP CORNER

Use your newspaper to complete the following activities.

In ads and articles find products that may be harmful to our air. Place each product in one of these categories: lawn care products, household products, packaging, car care items, other. Identify an environmentally healthy alternative for each, if alternatives are available.

You have been asked to serve on the nominating committee for an Environmental Awareness Hall of Fame Award. Find newspaper stories about people or companies contributing to environmental clean up. Write a paragraph for each, explaining why this company or individual deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Learning Standards: I can identify and categorize information. I can write for a variety of purposes, using specific details to support my main idea.

Photo by Wiley Price

BUSINESS

Boeing hosts Women in Engineering Conference

Six junior and senior girls from Pattonville High School recently attended a Women in Engineering Conference at Boeing. The field trip, led by Susan Mathis (who teachers math, aerospace engineering and digital electronics), was designed to educate and encourage female students interested in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) career.

The field trip was designed to educate and encourage female students interested in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) career.

While at the conference, students had the opportunity to fly an F/A-18 flight simulator; see an autonomous Jeep Cherokee and “drive” the Jeep with a controller and laptop; complete a hands-on engineering activity; and

‘Inclusion is the end point’

New Goldfarb dean seeks to increase minorities in nursing profession

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St.Louis American

meet with current Boeing engineers and Missouri University of Science and Technology college students about career experiences. Students were also given a hands-on robot activity to make and take home.

Shown, from left, around an F/A-18 flight simulator: Lauren Robinson, Christine Gardner, Asia Divine, teacher Susan Mathis, Anjali Fernandes (at the controls), Kelsi Hughes and Paige Bateman

MBE’SFRONT LINEOFDEFENSE

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Michael T. Holmes has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of INROADS, Inc., the nation’s largest non-profit source of salaried corporate internships. Most recently, he served as Director of Global Talent Acquisition for Terex Corporation. From 1985 to 2001, he served INROADS as Executive Vice President, National Accounts Manager and Managing Director of Fairfield-Westchester Counties.

Darcella Jones was appointed to City Academy’s Board of Trustees. She is a Bank Examiner for Federal Deposits Insurance Corporation. City Academy, located in North St. Louis, is the only private, independent elementary school in the city providing substantial financial assistance to 100 percent of its student body. “City Academy has benefited tremendously from the wisdom and insights of our board members,” said school President and Co-Founder Don Danforth.

Reynaldo Anderson was selected to be an opening speaker for the 2013 Black History Month Series Kickoff Program at the Missouri History Museum on February 1, from noon-5 p.m. Anderson, an assistant professor of Arts and Sciences at Harris-Stowe State University, will discuss Afrofuturism. Hisresearch interests are in African American Studies, Critical Theory, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Edward Jones,WWTamong ‘100 Best to Work forin 2013’

Edward Jonesranks No. 8 on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in 2013,” its 14th time on the list. Among other St. Louis-based companies, World Wide Technology placed 24th Scottrade placed 53rd andBuild-A-Bear Workshop placed 78th. The rankings are based on employee surveys conducted by theGreat Place to Work Institute.

“I want to create an academic culture here that really fosters inclusion.”

Michael R. Bleich was officially installed as dean of the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College during a ceremony at the school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 21 – somewhat befitting of a leader who wants to recruit more minorities into nursing. He said the school’s students are “usually between 10 and 15 percent” AfricanAmerican.

– Michael R.Bleich, dean of the Goldfarb School of Nursing

“Compared to most nursing schools, especially in the upper division, we’ve done really pretty well,” Bleich said. “I am not satisfied with that. I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think that 30 to 40 percent of our students could represent some minority initiative.”

Bleich added there is also a huge need to recruit Hispanic nurses into the field, because of changing demographics.

Bleich said Goldfarb is also trying to recruit a more diverse faculty.

See BLEICH, B2

Millions in minority contracts are in the hands of

By Adolphus Pruitt For The St.Louis American

one compliance officer

Tucked beneath St. Louis-Lambert

International Airport is the front line of defense for Minority and Women Business Enterprises, the city’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Office.

While this office and its employees are well protected, the same does not apply to fraud prevention for the most important aspect of the City’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, Contract Compliance. This office has sole responsibility to ensure that minority and women business enterprises get their fair share of the redevelopment and public works projects in the city of St. Louis, which was $3.5 billion over the past 10 years. With goals of 25 percent for minority business enterprises (MBE) and 5 percent for women business enterprises (WBE), the past 10 years either represented an infusion of over $1 billion for their businesses – or a loss if the goals were not met.

ducting reviews, documenting problems with vendors, and monitoring all contractors for compliance with M/WBE goals, including expenditures for emergency authorization projects. The heart of any participation program is the effectiveness of its monitoring and compliance activities.

Adolphus Pruitt

Ageneral or prime contractor is required to submit to the Contract Compliance Officer a list of subcontractors and/or suppliers intended for usage on the project. The Contract Compliance Officer reviews the list and conducts an analysis to ensure compliance and prevent vendors from trying to game the system (commit fraud).

After the Compliance Officer’s review, an approval or disapproval is granted, and in some cases

The DBE Office has one Contract Compliance Officer to ensure proper and legal execution of the goals associated with those projects required to meet the city’s goals.

The DBE Office has one Contract Compliance Officer to ensure proper and legal execution of the goals associated with those projects required to meet the city’s goals. The Contract Compliance Officer acts as the city’s participation czar, con-

“Exclusions” of certain contracts or subcontracts may occur in order for a project to proceed. If a contract is “excluded” and the Compliance Officer suspects fraud, the officer has the right to refer the matter to the Mayor’s Office or the City Attorney for further action. According to the DBE office they have never referred any matter associated with “Exclusions” to the Mayor’s Office nor the City Attorney for further action. The DBE

MO State Univ. raises $167M in ‘OurPromise’campaign

Missouri State University surpassed its goal of $125 million in its Our Promise campaign by attaining a grand total of $167,000,783 in gifts and commitments. The campaign was co-chaired by Tom Strong and Ramona McQueary. The Missouri State University Foundation received 16 gifts greater than $1 million, and a total of 73,270 donors gave to the campaign.“We are humbled by the outpouring of support, which is so crucial today,” said Missouri State President Clifton M. Smart III.

U.S. Bank pledges $150K to Support Dogs, Inc.

U.S. Bank has made a pledge to contribute $150,000 to Support Dogs, Inc., a St. Louis-based non-profit organization that provides service dogs to individuals with physical and psychiatric disabilities. Its most recent program, Psychiatric Service Dogs, provides dogs to support individuals, including military veterans, with post traumatic stress disorder. Joseph Imbs, president of U.S. Bank in St. Louis. “This is one way that U.S. Bank can say ‘thank you’ to military veterans.” U.S. Bank also has launched a military-specific recruiting website, http://proudtoserve.usbank.com.

First online national Certificate in International Trade

The University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) Office of International Studies and Programs, in partnership with World Trade Center St. Louis, now offers the first online national Chancellor’s Certificate in International Trade. The program begins March 4, 2013 with the first of six, two-week modules.The certificate offers a practical curriculum for executives, managers and employees who conduct business or plan to work in international markets. For more information, visit www.internationaltradecertificate.com or call 314-615-8141.

Michael T. Holmes

Darcella Jones

Reynaldo Anderson

By Jason Alderman

With investments, diversifying is key

Ever wonder why Mom and Pop stores sell wildly unrelated products side by side, like umbrellas and sunglasses, or Halloween candy and screwdrivers? Customers probably would never buy these items on the same shopping trip, right?

That’s exactly the point. By diversifying their product offerings, vendors reduce the risk of losing sales on any given day, since people don’t usually buy umbrellas on sunny days or sunglasses when it rains. The same diversification principle also applies in the investment world, where it’s referred to as asset allocation. By spreading your assets across different investment

classes (stock mutual funds, bonds, money market securities, real estate, cash, etc.), if one category tanks temporarily you may be at least partially protected by others. You must weigh several factors when determining how best to allocate your assets: Risk tolerance. This refers to your appetite for risking the loss of some or all of your original investment in exchange for greater potential rewards. Although higher-risk investments (like stocks) are potentially more profitable over the long haul, they’re also at greater risk for short-term losses. Ask yourself, would you lose sleep investing in funds that might lose money or fluctuate wildly in value for several years; or will you comfortably risk temporary losses

PERSONAL FINANCE

in exchange for potentially greater returns?

Time horizon. This is the expected length of time you’ll be investing for a particular financial goal. If you are decades away from retirement, you may be comfortable with riskier, more volatile investments. But if your retirement looms, or you’ll soon need to tap college savings, you might not want to risk sudden downturns that could gut your balance in the short term.

Diversification within risk categories is also important. From a diversification standpoint it’s not prudent to invest in only a few stocks. That’s why mutual funds are so popu-

BLEICH

Continued from D1

“It’s a fact that students feel more comfortable when they have role models who have a similar cultural background, who look like them, who they can relate to,” he said. “Diversity is not the end point; inclusion is the end point.”

It’s just about recruiting someone, he explained. It’s about capturing their essence and letting them be who they are.

“I want to create an academic culture here that really fosters inclusion,” Bleich said. “I want students here to have an eclectic group of scholars who are at their fingertips who can role-model and mentor for them.”

He is impressed with the existing faculty even as he intends to diversify it.

“This is a mid-career and younger faculty, and I find them to be very vibrant in terms of wanting to create

lar: They pool money from many investors and buy a broad spectrum of securities. Thus, if one company in the fund does poorly, the overall impact on your account is lessened.

Many people don’t have the expertise – or time – to build a diversified investment portfolio with the proper asset mix. That’s why most 401(k) plans and brokerages offer portfolios with varying risk profiles, from extremely conservative (e.g., mostly treasury bills or money market funds) to very aggressive (stock in smaller businesses or in developing countries).

Typically, each portfolio is

change within the community at large and in serving their careers,” Bleich said.

Bleich notes with interest some less-than-impressive statistics about health disparities in the state and how nurses could play a role in addressing the issue.

“Missouri right now is ranked 46th or 47th in terms of health disparities and conditions that could be managed,” Bleich said.

comprised of various investments that combined reach the appropriate risk level. For example, one moderately conservative portfolio offered by Schwab consists of 50 percent interest-bearing bond funds, 40 percent stocks and 10 percent cash equivalents. Usually, the more aggressive the portfolio, the higher percentage of stocks it contains (i.e., higher risk/higher reward). Another possibility is the so-called “targeted maturity” or lifecycle funds offered by many 401(k) plans and brokerages. With these, you choose the fund closest to your planned retirement date and the fund manager picks an appropriate investment mixture. As retirement approaches the fund is continually “rebalanced” to become more con-

to school here, they are learning not only about the individual; we teach them now to study family and family role. We teach them about environmental factors in the community. Nursing is about understanding the interrelationship of the individual to the family, to the community.”

“And within that bottom rung, we have the most restrictive scope of practice laws that prohibit nurse practitioners from doing work that in other states they are allowed to do. We need to lobby in Jefferson City.”

Once a person has a disease and is being treated for it, Bleich said, the goal as nurses is to keep it from progressing. That complements medicine practiced by physicians, he said.

“And we focus on not only the individual. We also are trained and there is also science around the family and the community,” he said.

“So when people are going

PRUITT

Continued from D1

Office has a policy in which a first offense triggers a warn-

Among his goals is ensuring that Goldfarb presents opportunities for its graduates in all of the areas where nursing is practiced.

“When you look for where you are going to find a nurse, the public forgets that we are in clinics, the school system, the public health system, the correctional system, the military, acute care, ambulatory care, physician’s offices,” he said. “We virtually practice where people live.”

Before coming to St. Louis, Bleich spent four years as a professor of nursing, dean and vice provost for interprofessional education and development at Oregon Health and Science University School of Nursing in Portland. He has previously served as nursing school professor of nursing at the University of

ing; a repeat offense would trigger further action.

In a meeting with the Director for the DBE Office, when asked why they have never referred a matter to the Mayor’s Office or the City

servative. Although convenient, this one-size-fits-all approach may not suit your individual needs; for example, you may want to invest more – or less – aggressively, or may not like some of the funds included. These may seem like complicated concepts, but the Security and Exchange Commission’s publication, “Beginner’s Guide to Asset Allocation, Diversification and Rebalancing,” does a good job explaining them (www.sec.gov).

Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Practical Money.

Kansas in Kansas City, Kansas and vice president of patient care services at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Bleich is a Wisconsin native and he earned his doctorate in human resource development from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, a master of public health from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and a bachelor of science in nursing from Milton College in Milton, Wisconsin. Bleich became a registered nurse in 1976 in Racine, Wisconsin.

Bleich says the profession needs more male nurses. A National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses in 2000 revealed than men represented only 6 percent of the RN workforce.

“To meet the needs in the future, we have to be more gender diverse,” Bleich said. Bleich looks forward to having a platform to discuss opportunities for his school and profession

“This particular job gives me an opportunity to speak about issues around nursing, nursing education, social justice, those kinds of things,” Bleich said. “I like my platform right now.”

Attorney, they responded, “Because we have not had a repeat offense.” However, the office’s screening process for a repeat offense relies solely on the Compliance Officer’s memory of the “Exclusions” in previous project. The Director of the DBE Office stated that the Compliance Officer knows all the players from years of experience in processing project files and knows which vendors have tried to game the system. According to the DBE Office, from June 2011 to June 2012 (in one year) the total number of project files is approximately 240. Thus to put the Compliance Officer’s memory to test, the DBE Office estimated that it would take the Compliance Officer one week per file to research all the “Exclusions” and approximately three years to complete the task.

Vendors are required to get approval from the Compliance Officer to proceed, thus the officer’s memory or lack thereof becomes a very valuable commodity – a commodity that was worth over $1 billion in potential business for the M/WBE community. There are at least 2,400 project files covering the past 10 years, coupled with the fact that it would take a decade or longer to review them to see if the Compliance Officer has had a lapse in memory. Now that’s what I would call job security for the Compliance Officer – and a windfall for those seeking to game the system.

Pruitt is president of the St. Louis city branch of the NAACP.

Michael R. Bleich

– Kobe Bryant, on his new role as the Lakers’facilitator

Hazelwood West’s Fred Forest (2) attempts a shot over the Riverview Gardens Rams defense during their 75-60 loss to the Rams.

BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

With Earl Austin,Jr.

Tourney time

Prep hoops getting hot

By Earl Austin Jr.

Of the St.Louis American

The week in high school basketball will be highlighted with several big events and tournaments.

The Webster Winter Challenge Girls Basketball Tournament features features a high-powered field. Nationally-ranked Incarnate Word Academy headlines the field, which includes defending Missouri Class 5 state champion Columbia Rock Bridge and perennial Class 5 state contender St. Joseph’s Academy.

Some of the top players to watch in the tournament include 6’2” sophomore Napheesa Collier of Incarnate

Word, who leads the St. Louis metro area in scoring, as well as junior point guard Nakiah Bell. St. Joseph’s is led by 6’3” senior Sydney Stipanovich and 5’11 senior Erin Nelson. Rock Bridge features standout sophomore Sophie Cunningham. The tournament resumes on Friday with semifinal action at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturday’s schedule includes the seventh place game at noon, consolation championship at 1:30 p.m., third-place game at 3 p.m. and the championship game at 4:30 p.m.

Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout

The Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout will be held today at the Scottrade Center. The event features six boys games and one girls games with teams represented from all over Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.

The schedule for the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout is as follows: Lindbergh vs. Vianney, 10 a.m. MICDS vs. SLUH, 11:30 a.m. Nashville (Ill.) vs. Quincy Notre Dame (Ill) girls, 2:30 p.m.

IN THE CLUTCH With Ishmael H.Sistrunk

The cringe on Paul Pierce’s face said it all. When Pierce learned, on camera, that Boston Celtics All-Star Rajon Rondo was diagnosed with a torn ACLand would miss the remainder of the season, he grimaced as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest. You could instantly see the thorough pain and disappointment as he uttered the perfect three words to describe the thoughts of Celtics Nation. Oh my God!

Let’s be honest, the Celtics had no chance at hanging up another championship banner before Rondo went down. With Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the twilight years of their storied NBAcareers, the Celts simply don’t have enough juice to compete at the highest level for a

Session with the legends

~ See ‘Claib’s Call’ page B4 ~

The Parkway North girls won their third tournament championship and enter the week with a 17-1 record.

DeSmet vs. Kansas City Rockhurst, 2:30 p.m. Duchesne vs. Peoria Notre Dame, 5 p.m. Alton Marquette vs. Roxana, 6:30 p.m.

See HOOPS, B5

Rondo out, Rose in Celtics’and Bulls’seasons hang on injuries

Now that Rondo is confined to sidelines, suits and surgery, the big question is whether Celtics executives will decide to blow up the team.

sustained period. Sure, there will be nights when Pierce and Garnett turn back the clock for a game like they did Sunday night when they defeated the reigning champion Miami Heat 10098 in overtime. The superstar seasoned vets are both still very good players. They just don’t have the energy or consistency to make it through the grind of a full NBAseason and the rough and tumble playoffs. Even with two future Hall of

Maurice Scott,Jr.

Cahokia product shines at Senior Bowl

All-SWAC left tackle Terron Armstead set to graduate from UAPB

Cahokia High School football coach Antwyne Golliday is all smiles these days. One of his own, Terron Armstead is making his path toward a career in the National Football League. Golliday has received several inquires from several NFLteams about Armstead’s days at Cahokia High. The afternoon I spoke with coach, the Green Bay Packers had sent him some information that morning.

“I’m so proud of Terron,” Golliday said. “He has done an excellent job both competing on the field and in the classroom.” I spoke with Terron after his stellar performance this past Saturday at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL.

“It’s been a fun time the past few weeks. First in the East West Shriner game and the next weekend the Senior Bowl,” he said. “I’m just trying to play well, accept the excellent coaches and what I’ve learned during the process to get better and better.”

The three-time All-SWAC left tackle was coached at the University of Arkansas Pine–Bluff by former Washington Redskins linebacker

When Paul Pierce learned,on camera,that Boston Celtics All-Star Rajon Rondo,left,was diagnosed with a torn ACL and would miss the remainder of the season,he grimaced as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Earl Austin,Jr.

Maurice Scott,Jr.

Photo by Wiley Price

CLAIB’S CALL

With Mike Claiborne

Session with the legends

Claibs and Matheny listen as Gibson, Shannon and Brock let it rip

As we all know, the Cardinals are steeped in tradition. From the 11 World Series championships (second only to the New York Yankees) to the countless Hall of Famers who have worn the birds on the bat logo, the Cardinals have a lot to talk about. With the history that follows such an organization come the stories. Enter the session. Last Saturday night a session took place. There was a Meet the Cardinals program at the Sheldon. It featured Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Lou Brock, Cardinal legend and now broadcaster Mike Shannon, and current Cardinal manager Mike Matheny. They would be on stage and share with a sold-out audience their experiences as a Cardinal. It went on for about two hours, but the real fun took place two hours before that in the Green Room. These gentlemen sat in their elegant attire with a couple of security people, Dick Zitzman (who handles many of their public appearances), and me. While I have been part of these sacred moments before where the stories are real and in many cases colorful, this one was special as manager Matheny had never been in an environment like this and did not know what to expect.

For the participants, they are guarded about who is in the room, as the potential of embellishment and getting the story wrong or embarrassing someone is on their minds. So they seldom have a moment like this, which made this night special as they knew who the players were before they started to talk, and talk they did.

Brock, Gibson and Shannon have known each other for over 50 years. They played with each other for the Cardinals in the glory decade of the sixties. They won, they won a lot and more importantly they had fun doing it. Even at age 77 Gibson still looks as elegant and intimidating as he did when he was in uniform. When you look at his stats, you just shake your head when it comes to him – truly great. Last season there were just 14 complete games pitched in the National League ... 14! In the career of Bob Gibson, he had a total of 255 complete games. In the record-setting season of 1968, when he set the earned run average record of 1.12, he had 34 complete games.

Although he has mellowed, Bob Gibson has the wit and sense of humor of Bill Cosby. He has a great memory about the great years he pitched, and

don’t let him tell you otherwise. He has after all these years acknowledged the fact that everyone he hit was hit for a reason and none of those pitches ever got away by mistake. When it came to protecting his teammates, no one knew the role better than Bob Gibson.

Mike Shannon tells the story that one night the Cardinals were playing in San Diego and the Padres thought it was a good idea to throw at Cardinal batters. Bad idea, because Gibson was pitching that night.

“When it was our turn to go to the field, Bob comes out of the dugout on his way to the mound and was met at the third base line by home plate umpire Lee Wyer, who said to Gibson, ‘Bob, if you start throwing at guys, it will cost you $50,’” Shannon says. Shannon, who was playing third base that night, overheard Gibson say without breaking stride, “Well, get ready, I have a lot of bleeping fifties I am about to spend.” Gibson went on to plunk the first two batters. The third hitter tried to make a deal before stepping into the batter’s box by saying

he had $50 not to get hit. At this point, Matheny is nearly in tears, as is the rest of the room, and Gibson leans back in his chair and says, “Damn right, and we won the game, too.” As for Shannon, Gibson was always in awe of two things: how well he hit against Dodger legend Sandy Koufax and the fact that Shannon predicted there would be a man walking on the moon some day. “After hearing him say that, I paid closer attention to what he said from that day on,” Gibson says of Shannon. He also makes a pointed

note that there were few teammates who were about the team and would back it up in any way the situation called for. To this day, Shannon and Gibson are the closest living teammates from that era.

“Brothers” would be selling the description short on how close they are.

Then there was Lou Brock, the catalyst for the Cardinals offense of that era. Brock still holds the team stolen base record with 938, second alltime to Ricky Henderson. Brock stole 118 bases at the age of 35. The stolen base leaders from both the National and American leagues combined did not add up to 118 this past season. Shannon always talks about how tough of a player Brock was, as he played the last six weeks of one season with a broken shoulder.

The stories went on and on in that room, as Matheny continued to absorb what was being said with great reverence. Nights of this ilk are not guaranteed. The history, knowledge and style of these three – Brock being the youngest at age 73 – will be hard to match, as they have a 50-year head start on the rest of the world.

I have had the privilege and honor to attend a session featuring these gentlemen, and for that I am grateful. These guys have gone through a lot in their baseball careers. They also went through a lot during the sixties off the field, and yet they learned how to get along, respect each other, win and most important love each other to this day. We should all be thankful for their being part of what is known as Cardinal Nation

Mike Claiborne

Lou Brock,left,Julian Javier,center,and Bob Gibson celebrate after winning the 1967 World Series.

Lady Bombers win MLK tourney

The St.Louis Lady Bombers Girls 5th grade Select team won the 9th Annual Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.Memorial Basketball Tournament.The Lady Bombers went 4-0 on their way to the Championship game at Mathews-Dickey Boys Club.Bottom row:Tierra Daniels,Jurni Reedus,Courtney Williams.Top row:Coach Tiras Cunningham,Azaria Hulbert,Faith Bland,Kennedy Johnson,Alaysia Cancer,Olivia Clines and Coach Donnell Bland.

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

Famers on board, it’s clear that Rondo was actually the key cog on the team. With Rondo in the fold, they stood an outside chance of serving as a spoiler to one of the Eastern Conference contenders. Now that Rondo is confined to sidelines, suits and surgery, the big question is whether Celtics executives will decide to blow up the team by dealing Pierce and/or Garnett before the trading deadline. If they do, don’t expect them to get much in return for the aging stars. Expiring contracts and mediocre draft picks would likely be the result of any deal unless ownership Lucky the Leprechaun can work his magic for team execs.

HOOPS

Continued from B3

CBC vs. Lexington Henry Clay, 8 p.m.

Public-Private Shootout

On Saturday, the American Heart Association PublicPrivate Shootout will be held at Maryville University. The four-game event features public schools playing against private schools. The schedule is as follows: Ladue vs. Whitfield, noon Duchesne vs. Maplewood, 1:30 p.m. Webster Groves vs. SLUH, 3 p.m. Hazelwood Central vs. CBC, 4:30 p.m.

HOOPS

Continued from B3

Monte Coleman. Out of high school, Armstead was recruited by several NCAADivision I schools. However, it was Coleman who only would allow Terron to participate in track and field and play football. So, Armstead said no to the big boys and signed with Coleman and UAPB, which is also Golliday’s alma mater. Golliday is still considered one of the greatest lineman to play at Pine Bluff. Not only was Terron a dominating offensive lineman at UAPB, he was an eight-time SWAC champ in track and field while participating in the shot put.

During his senior year at Cahokia, Armstead capped off

Rose to return soon

While Rondo’s ACLinjury dashed the meager hopes of those in Boston, in Chicago fans are on the waiting with baited breath for the return of their superstar, Derrick Rose. The former MVPtore his ACL last April and has endured the long road to recovery. Although the Bulls are being mum on anticipated return date, all signs point to the point guard’s return coming after the All-Star break. Rose has been practicing with the team on a limited basis for weeks, with doctors gradually giving him the OK to participate in more drills and types of contact. He’s yet to participate in a full practice but it should just be a matter of time, presuming he faces no setbacks.

Many fans presume that

Chaminade on rampage

Chaminade College Prep enjoyed quite a productive week with three impressive victories in four days. The Red Devils edged Lutheran North 56-54 on a jumper by freshman Jayson Tatum at the buzzer. Chaminade then defeated top small-school Maplewood 63-58. The week ended on a high note last Friday as the Red Devils upended Metro Catholic Conference rival CBC 75-68. CBC had won two earlier meetings with Chaminade this season. After a 3-6 start, the Red Devils have won 10 of their last 11 games.

Flyers win 10 straight

The East St. Louis Flyers have also been hot during the

his senior year on a recordsetting state championship track team with a toss of 62 feet 3 inches in the shot put.

When asked about the last two weeks. The humble 6’6” tackle stated that his visits to local Shriner hospitals and visiting the sick kids were the highlights of his two weeks.

“Sure, the games were important for me and my future, but visiting those kids was a great experience for me, and I’m sure they enjoyed us the players as well,” he said. “It was very humbling”. I had the opportunity to coach Terron when I was an assistant coach on Golliday’s staff, and I’m not surprised one bit by the success this young man has had and will have on Sunday in the near future.

The Industrial Technology major – that’s right, IT! – will

Rose will be a different player coming off such a serious surgery. However, the unfathomable success of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who fell just nine yards short of breaking the NFL’s all-time rushing record after tearing an ACL, has some thinking that the improbable is possible.

While it’s certain that it will take Rose some time to get comfortable making cuts on his surgically repaired knees, regain his explosiveness to the rim and blazing speed, it’s possible those things could occur this season. If they do, the Bulls will return to contender status. Without their star player, the team currently sits third in the East thanks to the strong two-way play of Joakim Noah and Luol Deng.

Forward Carlos Boozer has also stepped up big this sea-

past month. After a 4-6 start, the Flyers have won 10 consecutive games to enter the week with a 14-6 record. Senior guard Deshawn Munson has been a triple-double machine as of late while 6’4” senior Johnny McCray has been a force in the low post. East Side will host Belleville East on Friday night. Belleville East has solid control of the conference after its 72-61 victory over Edwardsville last Friday night.

Parkway North girls win third tourney

The Parkway North girls won their third tournament championship of the season after defeating Hazelwood Central 57-52 in the finals of the Parkway Central. Atlantis Sutton led a balanced Viking

graduate this summer from UAPB.

“Yes, sir, coach, I’m going to finish school, no matter where I get drafted,” he said.

Terron is currently working on his game for the upcoming NFLScouting Combine next month in Indianapolis.

His parents and family should be proud of his accomplishments at UAPB. The future looks bright for him regardless of his NFLfuture. Like many, I’m sure Terron wants to make it out and play in the NFL. I ask him what round he thinks he might go. The humble Armstead said, “I’m just blessed to be on this situation to possibly get drafted. I’ll just hope and pray for an opportunity.”

The 2012 SWAC Champion tackle just might get his wish! Congrats, Terron Armstead!

T

Prep Athletes of the Week

Alexis Robinson

Hazelwood West – Girls Basketball

The 6’0” senior forward enjoyed a big week in leading the Wildcats to three consecutive victories. Robinson averaged 13.3 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks to lead the Wildcats to victories over McCluer, Francis Howell Central and Riverview Gardens.

Robinson had 15 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks and five steals in a 60-32 victory over McCluer. She had 15 points and 16 rebounds in a 5845 victory over Howell Central and 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in a 55-24 win over Riverview.

For the season, Robinson is averaging 13.9 points, 13.7 rebounds and two blocks per game. She is second in the St. Louis area in rebounding. As a junior, Robinson led the area in rebounding at 15.5 per game.

Stephanie Anderson

Whitfield – Girls Basketball

son. Without Rose there to dominate the ball, the Bulls have become one of the better passing teams in the NBA. As always, coach Tom Thibodeau continues to coordinate one of the top defenses in the league. It will take work and time to assimilate Rose back into the offense. But considering the severity of his injury, the team will take a gradual approach, which should help the process. Instead of throwing Rose back into the lineup with an expectation to drop 25 per night, they’ll likely work him into the lineup slowly with limited minutes and responsibilities while he makes sure his knee is ready.

With half a season to get back in shape and ingrained into the offense, Rose should begin peaking right around playoff time. If he does, the Bulls will be a problem.

attack with 15 points. She was followed by Amber Alexander with 12 points, Naomi Bryant with 12 points and Alesia Sutton with 10 points. The Vikings enter the week with a 17-1 record.

The 5’10” senior forward led the Warriors to the championship game of the Queen of Hearts Tournament at Villa Duchesne last week. Anderson had 21 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and three steals in the Warriors’49-39 victory over Villa Duchesne in the first round. She followed up with 26 points, seven rebounds, five steals and two blocks in a 4937 victory over Kirkwood in the semifinals. Anderson had

Mortgage settlement raises concerns

‘May allow banks to skirt what they owe and sweep abuses under the rug’

By Charlene Crowell Center for Responsible Lending

Two key federal regulators claim a negotiated agreement with 10 mortgage servicing firms would help more than 3.8 million consumers who were wrongfully foreclosed during 2009 and 2010.

Brokered by the Federal Reserve and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), mortgage servicing firms agreed to jointly pay foreclosed consumers $3.3 billion, and allot another $5.2 billion for loan modifications and other services.

Yet as news of the settlement spread, a range of opinions emerged. From a prominent Capitol Hill legislator to consumer advocates, varying views spoke about the harm wrought by wrongful foreclosures and how far $3.3 billion split amount nearly 4 million consumers would really go. According to Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, “I do not know what the rush was to make this settlement without answering key questions, and although I look forward to obtaining information about how this deal may assist homeowners, I have serious concerns that this settlement may allow banks to skirt what they owe and sweep past abuses under the rug without determining the full harm borrowers have suffered.”

Speaking for the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), Paul Leonard said, “We are deeply concerned that therebe adequate safeguards in the settlement to ensure that borrow-

ers and communities hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis will receive their fair share of both the cash payments and mortgage relief that will keep as many people as possible in their homes and out of foreclosure.”

Debby Goldberg with the National Fair Housing Alliance was even more direct.

“Communities of color were particularly hard hit by abusive mortgage practices,” she said. “In order for the public to have any confidence in the fairness of this settlement, the OCC and the Federal Reserve must ensure that borrowers in these communities have equal access to the help it provides.”

Even if public debate of this development continues, how much financial loss America’s homeowners and communities have already suffered has been researched and revealed the facts of who has lost homes, wealth, and quality of life.

CRL’s most recent research, The State of Lending in America and is Impact on U.S. Households, (http://www. responsiblelending.org/stateof-lending/) updated earlier foreclosure research, finding that the nation has a still-troubled housing market. CRLalso developed a new state-by-state analysis of foreclosures and lost wealth.

According to the report, since February 2012, 11 percent of African-American borrowers and 14 percent of

Latino borrowers have already lost their homes to foreclosures. By comparison and during the same years, foreclosure rates for non-Hispanic whites amounted to six percent and among Asian-American borrowers, eight percent.

Even worse, AfricanAmerican and Latino borrowers were respectively 2.8 and 2.3 times as likely to have received a mortgage loan with a prepayment penalty.

Across the country, over half (52 percent) of the lost wealth resulting from living in close proximity to foreclosures was borne by minority census tract homeowners. In the District of Columbia and seven states —California, Florida, Illinois, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey and New York –an even greater share of lost wealth occurred in minority communities.

Additionally, AfricanAmericans remain at a higher imminent risk of more foreclosures in Florida, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Illinois.

As the nation prepares for the 2013 observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the martyred leader’s historic call for economic justice has yet to be fulfilled.

More information about the National Mortgage Settlement is available on the Attorney General’s website at ago.mo.gov and the national settlement website at www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com.

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

Elijah Cummings

‘Good Hair’ redefined

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

“Black women especially have a unique situation because kinky, coiled, highly textured hair is not seen as desirable in our society,” said Nikki Walton, aka Curly Nikki. “We have to change what we’ve been trying to mold ourselves to because we are fighting nature – and it’s a losing battle.”

It’s a war of tresses Curly Nikki knows all too well – one that she hopes to shed light on with the

release of her book Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair written with Ernessa T. Carter.

“All we are trying to achieve is healthy hair. We are not anti-relaxer, we are not anti-straight hair or antiweave – there is none of

How-to’s and turnoffs from Hope Lynn

By Danie Rae • Style Broker

Oftentimes hairstylists get the bad rap. They usually are stereotyped as being everything opposite of what a stylist is supposed to be. They might look “wore out” from working 12-hour days, or exhausted from always catering to everybody else’s needs and heads before their own.

I don’t know about others, but when I go to a person for any type of service, especially for grooming purposes, I expect them to look bomb, and have strong personal style. If they look a mess, it tells me that they don’t take pride in their appearance, and being that they’re in the industry of beauty, it leads me to think that they aren’t professional.

But I’m here to tell you, honey, Hope Lynn is here to dispel all pre-conceived notions that you might have had about a hairdresser. She has been transforming tragic tresses for 13 years plus, and has done it with style and grace. Some affectionately call her “Hope the Hair Pope,” because she can work a hair miracle out of mayhem.

Black & Single

Can’t

we all just get along?

By Kenya Vaughn Of The

“My

has four kids – two teens and two tweens – and is currently dating a man she really likes who is on the verge of shutting things all the way down because, according to her, the children make it impossible for them to spend time as a couple. And his becoming a part of their family time is not an option.

“They just shut down whenever I try to get us all doing stuff together,” she said. “And then when I try to spend time with him, they accuse me of putting him before them.”

The kids don’t like him – but he doesn’t like them either. And if that isn’t complicated enough, his two kids don’t like her kids.

The couple doesn’t live together, but he spends a lot of time at her house and because she wants him to be open to the idea of moving in – and there is much more space at her place – she allows him to bring his children over to her house. That NEVER ends well.

“His daughters love me, but my kids don’t even try to make it work,” she said. “And they resent our relationship even more when I point that out.”

n She allows him to bring his children over to her house. That NEVER ends well.

Kids make everything more complicated. Whatever you are doing in life – a job, going back to school, traveling, a hobby – if you have children, you will have to make arrangements as far as they are concerned. Why would a relationship be any different?

She is not having a single taste of my rationale.

“They are good kids, but when I try to introduce someone into my life, they are not open to it at all,” she said. “They even cut up on me too.”

She told me that he will be the third boyfriend that her kids have run off. And she feels like in her current boo she has a good man who would be willing to come together and create a strong family unit.

“I even heard him telling one of his girls that he can’t stand my kids,” she said.

Well, it’s official. But that does nothing to change the family dynamic as it currently stands.

She says that she has tried it all, from family meetings to full-fledged bribery, but those babies are not budging.

“They say that he’s always trying to boss them around and that they flat out don’t like him,” she said. “He is more strict than me and their fathers, but he doesn’t treat them any differently than

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black history activities

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

Sat., Feb. 2, 1 p.m., St. Louis County Library presents African American Author & Artists Expo. Florissant Valley Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., 63031. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

Wed., Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents The Powerbroker, the film chronicles the experiences of civil rights leader Whitney Young, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599.

Thur., Feb. 7, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books Downtown hosts author Vida “Sister” Goldman Prince, author of That’s the Way it Was. These thirteen oral histories describe the daily struggle that pervasive racism in twentieth century demanded, but also share the tradition of self-respect that the African American community of St. Louis sought to build on its own terms. 321 N. Tenth St., 63101. For more information, call (314) 4363049.

Sun., Feb. 10, 1 p.m., 45th

Annual African American Arts Festival, “At the Crossroads: AStudy of Freedom and Equality”, Sun, Feb, 10, 2013, 1-6PM, St. Louis Community College Forest Park, 5600 Oakland, St. Louis, MO 63110. Call Angela Archibald at 314.265.1500 for more info.

concerts

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

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

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

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

local gigs

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

Fri., Feb. 15, 7 p.m., St. Louis Count Library presents House of Jazz. The sounds of jazz will ring through the air as local jazz band Soul Café Jazz

CALENDAR

Group performs a diverse and rich collection of music. Florissant Valley Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., 63031. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

special events

Fri., Feb. 1, 11 a.m., Missouri History Museum presents Black History Month Kickoff. Events include Miles Davis Tribute feat. The Lamar Harris Trio, History of the Black Student Movement, Afrofuturism: Race, Art, and Politics in the Age of Digital Reproduction, and more. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 7464599.

Fri., Feb. 1, 6 p.m., Friends of Kids with Cancer hosts Annual Trivia Night. CBC High School, 1850 De La Salle Dr., 63141. For more information, call (314) 275-7440.

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

719-1433.

Sat., Feb. 2, 8 p.m., ResponderRescue presents 2013 King’s Ball. Black tie (optional) Mardi Gras ball with a silent auction, open bar, entertainment, and more. All proceeds benefit Responder Rescue, an organization that provides assistance to area first responders. Ameristar Casino, 1260 S. Main St., 63301. For more information, call (314) 627-0700.

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

Mon., Feb. 4, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library presents Rhythm and Folklore of Africa. Experience a unique combination ofstorytelling, drumming and dance starring Kenya Ajanaku. 3455 McKelvey Rd., 63044. For more information, call (314) 291-7570.

Tues., Feb. 5, 11 a.m., St. Louis CareerFair. Come and meet with dozens of employers hiring in the local area. Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport, 1973 Craigshire Rd., 63146. For more information, call (702) 818-8896. To register, visit www.nationalcareerfairs.com

Neighborhood Ministry. Chase Park Plaza, 232 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 251-1800.

Feb. 8 – 10, Dramatic License Productions presents AValentine Cabaret, Chesterfield Mall, 63017. For more information, call (636) 220-7012.

Sat., Feb. 9, 10:30 p.m., Ivy League Entertainment presents Masq and Beads II Mardi Gras Bash. The Rustic Goat, 2617 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 403-2208.

Sat., Feb. 9, 6 p.m., Missouri Botanical Garden presents Valentine’s Evening. Celebrate romance with great food, live music, and dancing at the lovely Garden. 4344 Shaw Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 5775100.

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

Feb. 9 – 10, Chaifetz Arena presents Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best Live Tour Ever. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call 9314) 977-5000 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Feb. 9, 9 a.m., Kingdom House presents a Pancake Breakfast, proceeds benefit “Cotillion With a Twist,” Kingdom House, 1321 S. 11th St., 63104. For more information, call (314) 241-8319.

Sat., Feb. 9, 6 p.m., H. McGee AlexanderLodge #3 Presents : Love Land, Polish Heritage Center, 1413 20th Street St. Louis MO 63103. Light Hor’D’oeuvres, Live Performance by the Melvin Turnage Band. For Information Contact Andrew 314-4950088

Sat., Feb. 9, 6 p.m., Mercy Health Foundation St. Louis presents 9th Annual Monte Carlo Mardi Gras Masquerade. Proceeds from the event will benefit Mercy’s JFK Clinic and Mercy

Sat., Feb. 9, 2 p.m., St. Louis Chapterof the Montford Point Marine Association, Inc. will be hosting its annual Chosen Few Banquet & Awards Ceremony with guest speaker The Honorable William Lacy Clay Jr., AirportMarriott Hotel.

Sat., Feb. 9, 8 p.m., Champagne and Stilettos Ladies Night Out, K.I.S.S. Fitness Studio Café and Spa, 2318 N. US HWY67, 63033. For more information, call (314) 837-8136.

Sat., Feb. 9, 8 p.m., Soldan Class of 1973 presents PreValentine Dance. James J. Eagan Center, 1 Civic Center Dr., 63033. For more information, call (314) 520-9916 or visit www.soldanclassof73.com.

Wed., Feb. 13,

New Jack Swing Valentine Jam featuring Dru Hill,Tony! Toni! Tone!,Guy,SWV, and Al B Sure.See CONCERTS for more information.

in which to discover new ways of experiencing the Pulitzer’s current exhibition, The Progress of Love.The program will bring together visual art, music, poetry, and food. CAM will present activities that complement their exhibition, Jeremy Deller: Joy in People. The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 754-1589.

comedy

Feb. 14 – Feb. 15, 7 p.m., The Peabody Opera House welcomes Katt Williams, Tickets may be purchased at the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at 800-7453000 or online at ticketmaster.com

literary

Thur., Jan. 31, 7 p.m., All on the Same Page Bookstore hosts author Dr. Leana Wen author of When Doctors Don’t Listen. Using real-life stories of cookbook-diagnoses-gonebad, this book illustrates how active patient participation can prevent these mistakes. 11052 Olive Blvd., 63141. For more information, call (314) 5674144.

Sat., Feb. 2, 10 a.m., 6 North Café hosts author Terrance Frazier, author of The Hustle Growing up in the gritty streets of St. Louis, Terrance has either been through, or seen practically everything. The only thing the game gave him was heartache, pain, misery, and a ten-year federal prison sentence. 14438 Clayton Rd., 63011. For more information, call (636) 527-0400.

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

Fri., Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books and St. Louis Community CollegeMeramec presents Alan S. Blinder, author of After the Music Stopped. With bracing clarity, Blinder shows how the U.S. financial system, which had grown far too complex for its own good, experienced a perfect storm beginning in 2007. St. Louis Community College-Meramec, 11333 Big Bend Rd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 9847500.

arts

Thur., Jan. 31, 7 p.m., The PulitzerFoundation forthe Arts presents An Artist Talk with Zina Saro-Wiwa. Aconversation with the artist and local African Studies scholars will follow. 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 754-1589.

Fri., Feb. 1, 6 p.m., St. Louis Art Museum presents Gallery Talk: St. Louis Art Collector J. LionbergerDavis. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 7210072.

theatre

Jan. 31 – Feb. 10, Missouri History Museum presents Dolly’s Girls: Rivers of Women. Produced and directed by NAACPImage Award winner Lyah Beth LeFlore, this poignant, humorous, and powerful play explores family, love, woman-to-woman experiences, race, and religion, driven by soul-stirring gospel, jazz, and blues, based on the works of poet and performing artist Shirley Bradley LeFlore. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 361-9017 or visit www.mohistory.org

Feb. 1 – 2, Black Anthology presents Metro. Written, directed, and performed by current Washington University students. Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For

more information, call (314) 935-6543.

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

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

lectures

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

Sat., Feb. 2, 10 a.m., St. Louis County Library MidCounty Branch presents World Class Speaking Workshop. Join 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking, Ed Tate, and certified World Class speaking coach, Manley Feinberg, for a powerful and interactive workshop. 7821 Maryland Ave., 63105.

Sat., Feb. 2, 12:30 p.m., World Martial Arts Academy

presents Free Women’s Self Defense. Women will learn the basics of self-defense and also conflict avoidance. Please Register. 4345 Telegraph Rd., 63129. For more information or to register, call (314) 8929000.

Mon., Feb. 4, 7 p.m.,

University of Missouri St. Louis presents Soledad O’Brien. Ms. O’Brien will discuss her diverse experiences as a journalist as well as her passion for giving back to the community during. Millennium Student Center, UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-5291.

Tues., Feb. 5, 11 a.m., St. Louis CareerFair. Come and meet with dozens of employers hiring in the local area. Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport, 1973 Craigshire Rd., 63146. For more information,

call (702) 818-8896. To register, visit www.nationalcareerfairs.com

Sat., Feb. 2, 11 a.m., Greater St. Louis Dental Society presents DinosaurDoings. Visit with Sam the Smilosaurus, Tooth Fairy, Magical Dragon, Dr. Ted E. Bear and Delta Dental Panda Bear. St. Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 569-0444.

Sat., Feb. 2, 4 p.m., Know the 10 Signs program, which reviews the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Grace Church, 2695 Creve Coeur Mill Road, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. Preregistration is required. Register online at www.alz.org/stl, or call 800.272.3900.

Tues., Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m., Barnes-Jewish Hospital will host the open house, “Caring forYourHands, Wrist and Elbows,” Andre’s West, 211 South Old Highway 141, 63026. The event is free but registration is required. For more information or to register call 314-TOP-DOCS (8673627) or toll-free 866-8673627. For directions, please visit www.ortho.wustl.edu/andres

Wed., Feb. 6, 6 p.m., St. Anthony’s hosts Heartsaver AED CPR Class. Learn skills for responding to breathing & cardiac emergencies, a heart attack, & choking, Hyland Education and Training Center, 10020 Kennerly Rd., 63128. For more information, call (314) 268-4669.

Sun., Feb. 10, 9 a.m., Run for the Chocolate 5K. Get your heart healthy for Valentines Day and Run for the Chocolate. There will also be a 1-mile Walk for the Chocolate. Lumiere Place Casino & Hotels, 999 N. Second St., 63160. For more information, call (314) 862-1188.

Jokes and Jazz Productions Presents a Pre-Valenties Special Evening with national recording artist Chrisette Michele.See CONCERTS for details.

Hope Lynn: As long as my hair is BOMB, and my face is BEAT (make up on for those who aren’t hip to the lingo), I am good to go! I like to keep it simple, comfortable and sleek.

She has been a reflection of her clientele, and has gained respect in the beauty industry nationwide. And having an international clientele, doesn’t come to those that can just “press and curl,” you have to also LOOK like you know “what you doing,” and Hope does a pretty good job!

Danie Rae: Describe your personal style?

Hope Lynn: I live for being classic. I’ll throw on a tailored blazer, a good pump, and a staple bag. I like for my hair to make a statement. Whether it be a high bun or precision cut, I always like it to be simple but bold.

Danie Rae: What’s your “steez,” like when you’re looking like money, smelling good, hair popped, etc.?

Danie Rae: Every girl has a fetish for some type of accessory, what’s yours?

Hope Lynn: I’m such the tomboy girlie girl, if that makes sense? An earring and an eyelash are my guilty pleasures, girl.

Danie Rae: So, where do you go to get your goods?

Hope Lynn: I shop everywhere – from online, thrift stores, my Gram’s closet… I love a variety of retailers from high end to hand me downs

Danie Rae: Why is it so important for a hairstylist to be stylish?

Hope Lynn: It’s the nature of the business. You gotta

exactly that.

Continued from C1

and damaged, and her spirit followed suit.

“I had never washed my own hair, I had never styled my own hair, so it was really difficult,” Walton said.

“I jumped online with the user name Curly Nikki and was researching like crazy. I would share what I found. I was synthesizing the information I found and sharing it in a fun way so that the members of those forums came to anticipate and respect my opinion and my product reviews, and they suggested that I start my own site.”

Four years ago, she did

“I was very fearful at first because I didn’t think anyone would care to read what I was doing with my hair all the time,” Walton said.

Her site, curlynikki.com, has grown into a full-fledged community for natural hair

– the largest of its kind on the web – and an invaluable resource for those looking to attain and maintain the kinks, coils, waves and curls that make black hair beautiful.

“I never saw it as a business venture, it was just to help people,” Walton said.

“I don’t have any professional training in hair care, but I’m proud to be able to provide a platform for women to come together to educate and inspire each other. ” A book was the next step

stay current. My clients come to me not only for their hair care needs, but they also want my feedback on what looks best on their body type, and what compliments their face shape. If I didn’t know how to put myself together, I’m sure they wouldn’t look to me for advice.

Danie Rae: So what are your biggest HAIR pet peeves or pet peeves in general?

Hope Lynn: NUMBER ONE PET PEEVE is a bad weave or a weave that has been left up too long! You’re giving weaves a bad name, by having it look a mess. If you pay $50 for a weave, expect it to look like $50. By leaving your weave up too long you’re actually doing more damage to your hair! Hair is fragile, and it needs to be cared for.

Danie Rae: What else gets under your skin?

Hope Lynn: Overall, I can’t stand to see a head looking a

“I wanted to create some kind of companion piece, so that the information would be presented in a linear way and in a narrative that’s fun and easy to read and that could be a quick reference guide for newbies and natural hair veterans,” Walton said. Mission accomplished.

With the help of Carter – also a St. Louis native – Walton used the village approach with testimonies, tips, tutorials, confessionals and hair success stories.

“Hopefully the book will help you from the beginning of your journey and caring for your hair and your children’s hair,” Walton said.

But for her it’s about more than just rocking a twist out or the puffy glorious ringlets that have made Curly Nikki

mess! Especially when it’s so easy to make yourself at least look pulled together even if you’re not!

Danie Rae: What turns you on or off about the opposite sex?

Hope Lynn: I don’t want to come off like I’m all about the material, BUT a dude with bad shoes and a fake leather jacket are a huge turnoff! You only get a pass if you work in construction, but when you’re about to step out, fellas, please rotate out the boots for the hard bottoms.

Danie Rae: Word, to the dudes in dusty shoes. So, do you have any last words of style wisdom for the readers?

Hope Lynn: Just be the best you and wear it with confidence. That’s all it’s about, being confident. Simple.

famous.

“Our hair is very wrapped up in our self-image – all women. And for black women it is more difficult because our hair is not seen as beautiful,” Walton said.

“We have to reclaim that. This is not just about hair – it transcends hair as the aesthetic, and it goes to helping women find their genuine self-esteem that is not fleeting and fluctuating with the state of their edges.”

Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair” is available online and retail outlets nationwide. For more information on Curly Nikki, visit www.curlynikki. com.

LOVE

Continued from C1

and healing from Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Hunstville, Philadelphia, Delaware, New York, LA, Atlanta and St. Louis.

It opened in the atrium of the Missouri History Museum on Saturday, January 19.

“I was out in the community with a group of students and we were walking around the school area and we came across a monument, and we passed it,” Ingrum said.

“As we passed it, one of the students said, ‘Ms. Ingrum, are we passing this?’ And I said, ‘We just passed someone’s life without recognizing it, without knowing that somebody’s mourning and grieving.’ But I didn’t think of it like that initially.”

She stopped to document the memorial. “That’s how we started doing this,” she said. From there she traveled from New York to L.A., from Detroit to Atlanta.

“In my travels, I found that the commonality among these memorials was an open expression of love. And they were embellished with wonderful comments on the person,” she said.

She found regional variations.

“In New York, they did the flowers, the candles and

SINGLE

Continued from C1

he does his daughters.” She says she has asked him to lighten up, but he says they need more structure.

Now while I know absolutely nothing about being a mother trying to maintain a relationship when the kids and the man don’t mix – I all but have a PhD in being the child where the man and children don’t feature each other in the slightest.

the teddy bears,” she said. “In L.A., they use a lot of flowers and candles, and they make them permanent monuments. In Memphis they have a lot of flowers but the flowers may spell out words – they use a lot of words and posters and concepts like that.”

Here at home she finds a personal touch. “St. Louis does put in more objects that connect to the person who passed away,” she said. “They make it personal. It’s really a personal connection.”

While she handed out cards and asked around for monuments as she traveled, she also said, “God led me.” When she found a monument, she would also often find a guide to help her understand it. “There were people who would explain to me what had happened,” she said. “Sometimes it was family members, sometimes it was neighbors. “ She came to understand the roles these monuments play in the community.

“When you have a shrine or a monument and a community sees it, others want to attach themselves,” she said. “They can openly express how they feel about the death, and they know that other people are feeling the same way, so it helps with the healing. It helps with people moving from one point to the other.”

Edited and reprinted with permission from stlbeacon.org.

And based on my experience, I will say this: what you don’t want to do is create a wedge between yourself and your children. For one, he can leave any time he wants to – or you may decide that he’s not the man of your dreams after all. Your children are yours forever.

Please feel free to hit me up at kvaughn@stlamerican.com for any thoughts you may have so I can provide her with some clear solutions – other than the therapy (with her and her children) that I suggested.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Hope Lynn

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission

Surprise your valentine

Have a seductive stay vacation in St. Louis

Add sparkle to your Valentine’s Day celebration this February by whisking your love to St. Louis for a surprisingly romantic getaway. Love is in bloom in St. Louis at the Annual Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden through March 31. On fragrant display are more than 800 lush orchids from the Garden’s collection – one of the world’s finest. No need for a “loves me, loves me not” petal count to capture the romance of this exotic and gorgeous setting.

Amp up the animal magnetism between you and your foxiest friend with a special gift from the Saint Louis Zoo. Adopt one of the Zoo’s resident critters for your animal-loving love and receive a cuddly, 12-inch fennec fox plush toy suitable for hugging. This gift will set off sparks all year as proceeds help care for the Zoo’s furry residents. Just heartbeats away from the Zoo, the Saint Louis Science Center presents the Imax film “Born to Be Wild,” a giant-screen love story about the bond between humans and animals.

Give your love the sun, moon and stars at the Science Center’s Planetarium sky show on February 9. After the Romance Across the Universe presentation, sit tight to hold hands with your star sweetheart during a classic sci-fi flick. Extend your stellar date by booking a special Valentine’s package at the Moonrise Hotel, a luxurious and trend-setting boutique hotel with an out-of-this-world vibe. Choose from the “Love Shack” or “Peace, Love and Breakfast” romance packages.

You may never want to leave your room, but, if you do, the Moonrise sits in the heart of The Loop, one of St. Louis’ most vibrant, universally appealing neighborhoods. Explore The Loop’s one-of-a-kind shops, smorgasbord of dining options, live music venues, refurbished 1920s-era movie theatre. The star-studded St. Louis Walk of Fame and the colorful Loop Planetary Walk add additional sparkle to the neighborhood atmosphere.

Hit a home run for the baseball fan in your life with a night or two at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark. Indulge in their love of the game during the day by crossing the street for a tour of Busch Stadium, home of the legendary St. Louis Cardinals. At night, take in the bird’s-eye-view of the ballpark, the Gateway Arch and the glittering lights of St. Louis from 360, the hotel’s sexy nightspot that was named by Frommer’s as one of the “Top Ten New Hotel Rooftop Bars in the World.”

Ask for the Hilton Romance Package for a sweet deal.

A British invasion of sorts is conquering hearts in St. Louis. Write your own love

story with a stay at The Cheshire. The newly restored hotel’s Tudor architecture and Imperial interiors deliver a Downton Abbeyallure to a romantic holiday. Ask for the hotel’s Royal Valentine package or choose one of the British literary character-themed suites such as the ‘60s contemporary-styled James Bond suite, the romantic Romeo & Juliet and the exotic Passage to India with its Far East flair.

Saint Louis Ballet brings the heartbreaking affair of Romeo and Juliet to life through dance and the haunting music of Prokofiev. The pas de deux take place February 8 through 10 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. For a romantic yarn with a happier outcome, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis delivers this clever Valentine: a stage adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility.” Jane Austen’s Regency-era romance follows the Dashwood sisters’ rocky road to true love through March 3. The venerable Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis sets the scene for a lovely stay. For a taste of refined romance, indulge in Afternoon Tea, a weekend tradition in the hotel’s ambiancefilled Lobby Lounge. Service includes oh-socivilized tea sandwiches, scones, pastries and the all-important “cuppa.”

The art of love is evident all over St. Louis during February. The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts embraces “The Progress of Love” exhibition showcasing works depicting lost love. Discover the romantic stories behind select works at the Saint Louis Art Museum during the lively, free Gallery Talk: Love in the Galleries program on February 14 and 15. Personal displays of affection for art are required at Laumeier Sculpture Park’s LOVEmeier winter gathering on Saturday evening, February 9. The family-oriented event includes hands-on art activities, park tours and a dramatic illumination of sculptures in the collection that reference affection Find your Valentine love song or dance in St. Louis this year. On February 15, jazzy couples can snuggle at The Sheldon Concert Hall while international jazz diva Denise Thimes and guitar icon Bucky Pizzarelli musically state, “Be My Valentine.” Love notes also fill the air at the Sheldon on February 12 during the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis’ annual Valentine’s salute to amour with dreamy works of Chopin, Debussy, Brahms and Schumann being played to perfection.

The fire and passion of authentic Flamenco dancing heats things up when the St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society presents “Valentines a la Flamenca” on February 16. Prior to the performance, an authentic Spanish tapas and paella dinner will be served at the Sheldon Concert Hall Ballroom. Stay after the show to dance the night away to a Latin beat.

Love what you’ve read? Then log onto www.explorestlouis.com for a complete calendar events and activities.

Slaves, Moors, and Kings

African presence in Ancient, Islamic, Asian and European collections

Art museums throughout the world are keepers of cultural history. What and who is included in those stories is largely influenced by who is telling the story. Several renowned scholars and artists have been invited to present new and stimulating research that chronicles the inclusion and exclusion of people of color in works of art.

Over my nearly 15 years at the Saint Louis Art Museum, the question that I most often get is: Where is the art by African Americans? The Art Museum has more than 300 works of art by African-American artists, but like other encyclopedic museums, people of color are represented in other art collections as well.

On February 1 at 7 p.m., join us for an examination of African presence in Ancient, Islamic, Asian, and early European collections.

Dr. Ruth Iyob, Associate Professor and Research Fellow in the Center for International Studies, University of Missouri–St. Louis will discuss the systematic exclusion of persons of African descent in art history. She asserts that historical, political, and economic roles of blacks have been largely replaced by stereotypical images of the servant and the exotic other. Dr. Iyob will address the role of museums and other cultural institutions as “Memory Prisons” – places that ignore the lives of the many Africans who shaped the AfroMediterranean world.

12:30 p.m. for a conversation on the migration of many African Americans from Mississippi to St. Louis.

1625–1672), Bust of a Black

1660s.

Freida L. Wheaton, J.D., museum commissioner and private gallery owner, will welcome three visionaries: Sadé Turnipseed, Tullia Brown Hamilton, Ph.D., and John Rozelle. Sadé Turnipseed, founder of Khafre, Inc and cultural arts advocate, will share her vision to erect a monument in honor of cotton pickers of America. Dr. Tullia Brown Hamilton will discuss her recent Up from Canaan: The African American Journey from Mound Bayou to St. Louis, and visual artist John Rozelle will present his body of work inspired by America’s Preceding the Saturday morning panel presentation at the Saint Louis Art Museum, we invite you join us on Friday, February 15 at 7 p.m. at 14th Street Artists Community Gallery located at 2701 North 14th Street. Join us for the opening exhibition, A Song from the Fields, featuring local St. Louis artists inspired by Southern culture. Arrive early for refreshments and blues music. For more information and a full listing of community programs and collaborations at the Saint Louis Art Museum, please email renee.franklin@ slam.org; call 314-6555437 or visit www.slam.org.

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

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

Continuing to write the history of America from the African-American perspective, join us for a half-day panel discussion on February 16 at 9 a.m. to

Meet at Information Desk in Sculpture Hall Root & Migration: Celebrating Art and History of the Mississippi Delta FREE Email bearden@slam.org or call 314-655-5444 to reserve your space

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

Melchior Barthel (German,

Man,

Love is in bloom in St. Louis at the Annual Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden through March 31.

Anniversary

that he would be her husband one day. They have two daughters and one granddaughter.

All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Join the Northwest High Alumni class of 1971, August 2-5, 2013 on the largest Caribbean Parade in North America. Single Room, $614; Double Room, $465; Triple

Room, $402. Departure: 12:30 am Friday 8/2/13, Return: Monday.8/5/13. Trip includes 4 days/3 nights hotel accommodations, round trip motor coach travel, Caribana Parade, shopping, night life, festivities, day tour of Niagara Falls (Canadian side). Balance due in full byJune 20, 2013. For more information contact: Diane at 314-498-6886, Vernida at 314-369-8489or woodsvernida@yahho.com, or Jeanette 314-398-0383.

Northwest High School Class of 1973, planning is underway for the 40th reunion of the Class of 1973! The reunion is

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Birthdays

Aspecial Happy Birthday to Miss Camryn Jackson (left) turning 8 years old on Jan. 29 (posing with little sister Ravyn Spain, right). She’s the apple of her Granny’s eye!

Love, Your Granny, R. Diane Irving

Happy 15th Birthday to Cornelius Tucker on Jan. 31. Love you much!

From, Granny

Happy 13th Birthday to Malik Foreman on Jan. 31. You have made it to your teen years!

Love, Your Dad, Stephen

Morris Carson — January 31

Susan Lovett — February 1

Nelson Lovett — February 1

Tucker

Master’s degree

Monroe Douglass, Jr., affectionately known to family and friends as

“Money”, recently received his Master of Arts in Information Technology Management from Webster University. He is an Application Software Engineer at Centene Corporation, and also one of the assistant varsity basketball coaches at his high school alma mater, Chaminade Preparatory. Your family is so proud of your accomplishments.

planned for July 19-21, 2013. Send your contact information including email address, phone and mailing address to northwesths1973@gmail.comto ensure you receive all reunion updates. Information has also been posted on Classmates.com and Facebook Group: Northwest High School 1973.If you have questions feel free to call Cornelia Clark Stephens at 314-580-1114.

O’Fallon Tech Class of 1968 45-year reunion planned for June 7-8, 2013. 1969 grads are invited too! If interested send contact info via email to ofallontech68@gmail.com

Riverview Gardens High School Class of 1993 20-year class reunion, Saturday, July 27, 2013 at Joe Buck’s downtown. Please go to http://rghs93.classquest.com to add your contact info. St. Nicholas Grade School Reunion May 3-5, 2013. Alumni/Associates Contact 314-353-2027 or vwharp@yahoo.com.

SumnerAlumni Association celebrates African American History with emphasis on some “First” in distinctive positions atits 10th Annual Round-Up Sunday, February 24, 2013, 1-4 p.m. at Sumner

High School.Also, we will honor alumni that have served as Civil Servants of all levels of government, as well as first responders.AReception will be held in the gym from 1-1:45 p.m. with displays, souvenir items, photographer, and more. New and renewal of alumni memberships acceptedin the foyer.Program starts at2 p.m. in the auditorium.For more info, contactP. Mason at 314.556.3944, J. Vanderford at 314.454.0029 or email:sumnersince1875@yahoo.com. Vendors are welcome($50 in advance); contact B. Louis at 314.385.9843.

FREE OF CHARGE

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

Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to:

St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 4242 Lindell Ave St. Louis, MO 63108

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

Gloria and Roy Robinson celebrated 47 years of marriage on Jan. 29. Roy loves Gloria as he did 54 years ago when he moved next door to her. Gloria told all of the girls in the neighborhood

Camryn Jackson,left, Ravyn Spain,right

Cornelius

Malik Foreman

Religion

Bethesda Temple Bible Institute has new board chair

Portia M. Simpson succeeds Elder Joe Louis Middleton

American staff

Rachel A. Webb, Director of the Bethesda Temple Bible Institute (BTBI), recently appointed a new chairman of the Board of Directors to succeed Elder Joe Louis Middleton, who was elected pastor of the City of Life Christian Church. The new chairman is Portia M. Simpson, a recent graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary.

Under the leadership of the new chairman, an Advisory Board has been established. The Advisory Board will provide fresh ideas and approaches on program issues and play a central role in helping to move the school forward in the years to come.

BTBI instructors hold advanced degrees and the Institute provides Bible-based courses with an emphasis on spiritual development, practical application and high academic standards for those who are seeking personal enrichment or preparation for ministry.

BTBI was founded by Bishop James A. Johnson in 1987 and holds classes in the educational wing of the Bethesda Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith, which he pastors. The church is located at 5401 Bishop J. A. Johnson

Lane in Normandy, MO.

For a listing of Spring 2013 courses, email BTBISTL@ yahoo.com or call 314-3822606.

Dedication for New Catholic Church

“Holy God, we praise thy name” is an old familiar hymn, and it was the theme of St. Catherine of Siena American National Catholic Church’s inaugural Mass of Dedication in their new church on Saturday, January 19. The church is a member of the American National Catholic Church, an independent Catholic community of churches seeking to continue the unfilled vision of Vatican II. St. Catherine of Siena ANCC is located in the historic Danforth Chapel at 826 Union Blvd.

“We could not be more excited about this dedication,” member and Board President Connie Butler said. “God has been very good to us, and we want to take this opportunity first and foremost to give thanks for God’s blessing and to also thank all who have been so supportive of this new beginning for our parish.”

Founded in 2011, St. Catherine

Seated:RachelA.Webb,DirectorofBTBI;PortiaSimpson, Board Chairman; Juana J. Johnson, Member of BTBI Executive Board. Members of the Advisory Committee, standing: Jennifer Webb, Wilfred McMullen, Elder Joe L. Middleton, Patricia Slaughter and Janie Redd. Back row: Patricia Williams, Patricia Simmons, Mary Morganfield, Mildred Pettiford and Elder Julian Johnson.

of Siena ANCC began as a small gathering of Catholics seeking an alternative to the larger institutional church.

Since its founding, the parish has now grown into a vibrant and lively Catholic church with a multitude of ministries and outreach activities.

“Over the past years, we have been meeting in rented worship space from local area churches,” explained Fr. Phillip Lichtenwalter, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena ANCC.

“Yet, we have grown to a point where sharing space wasn’t ideal and the parish needed its own church.”

The Spirit led the parish to Pilgrim Congregational United Church of God where they discovered the historic Danforth Chapel. The chapel was originally built in 1939 by Mr. William Danforth, founder of Ralston-Purina. He intended it to be used as a house of worship for all seeking a retreat from the stress of daily living. The chapel with its gothic architecture, precious stained

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” -Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

glass windows, extensive wood and stone work, offers a peaceful and prayerful house of worship for all. This sacred space, the chapel is ideal for sacred concerts, weddings and weekly worship.

Anyone who might be searching for a truly viable and credible alternative to Roman Catholicism as well as those who are merely interested in seeing this historic space are welcome to visit.

For more information, call 314-329-8207 or visit www. SaintCatherineSTL.org.

Bosman Twins church concert

The Bosman Twins will play Second Presbyterian Church, 4501 Westminster Place in the Central West End, 4 p.m. Sunday, February 3. Free and open to the public. Visit www. secondchurch.net or call 314367-0367.

How are those New Year’s resolutions coming along? In the aforementioned verse, Jesus essentially says that if you just follow Him, then He will take care of the rest. He will handle the bills, the job, the children, the relationships, and everything else. When Christ said, “all these things,” that is EXACTLY what He meant! You don’t have to get everything under control in your life. That’s God’s job and He is more than qualified. The only resolution you need to make is to put God first.

God will manage your time better than you can. One of the major issues Christians face is making time for Jesus. We know that we should make time, but actually doing that can be so difficult. With jobs, school, meetings, family, and so much more we’re always looking for what to cut. Too often we end up giving God our leftovers. We pray when we can and read a verse sometimes. Make time for the One who made time. No matter what else you have going on, spend substantial time with

Christ every day. God will give you direction in ALL of your issues. He will show you what to say in that meeting. He will help you balance your class schedule. He will give you comfort and ease throughout your day. He will give you EVERYTHING you need. We were created to put God first in everything. Before sin, man had it all. Adam and Eve lived in paradise. All of their needs and wants were fulfilled. They were happy and peaceful with God and God alone.

Sin took that focus off of God and broke that perfect relationship with God. Adam and Eve tried to handle their own needs, ignored God, and failed. When we ignore God we fail. As we know, Jesus came to give us another chance at success in life. Accepting Christ is what gives us eternal life, but following Him is what makes us truly successful in this life. We were made to live under God’s complete direction and protection. He leads we follow. He is to be at the center of all we do. Make a resolution this year to fulfill your created purpose. Follow God’s direction. See HCAnarrowWAY.com.

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

Rev. H.C. Armstrong

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

Café Soul blended the best of throwback hip-hop with their special Fusion edition. Rap pioneer Kurtis Blow helped birthday girl Angela Brown and Nichol Stevenson bring some of the STL’s brightest stars to the Paragon Theater Saturday night.

Hip-hop legend goes (Café) soul. So Café Soul settled into its newest digs at the Paragon Saturday night and the folks seemed to be quite pleased. The venue looked exactly as I expected as a concert venue (which is a good thing). Hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow was the headliner for their new Fusion series. He really worked up a sweat in his corduroy sweat suit serving up what could best be described as a history of hip hop as he ran through songs from the 1970s all the way up until the day before yesterday. And I must say that he has really aged gracefully, he’s only a Stoney Jackson Jheri Curl away from looking exactly how he did back in the beginning of hip-hop. The ambience was on point with all the way grown folks relished in the rare occurrence of having an evening that catered to their tastes – and the younger folks soaked in the retro that Kurtis Blow brought to the stage. There were the freakum dresses frolicking through the general admission while scattered groups of promiscuous “Alfre Woodards” perched up in the VIP booths. It was the perfect blend of seasoned and saucy – I’m not quite sure what that means, but I think you get the drift. I also caught life from the brunette Neil Patrick Harris that has obviously been studying “Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo” for the sake of its signature poppin’ and lockin’ moves. And I would be downright lousy if I didn’t give a shout out to Angela Brown, Café soul co-founder and certified BOSS within in the ENTIRE entertainment industry! No After Nites for me. While I had a ball at the Paragon, my evening started out as the absolute pits after I attempted to show one of my favorite couples some love by stopping through BJ The DJ and Gina’s birthday bash at the club formerly known as Studio Blu. I was planning to once again share with you how BJ (with his lovely wife Gina by his side) helps the folks have a good time and show plenty of love to all of the people in the place, but the tragic club employees were having NONE OF THAT. According to a woman with the worst sew-in I’ve seen since the “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” video, I am not classy enough to come into the club. Help. Yet, I predict she was doing the infamous “weave pat” with one hand and collecting the little cover money with the other. And she said I couldn’t come in after the other guys at the front door said I was good to go… again, help. I try to explain that I’m a guest of BJ and Gina and was asked to cover the party in the paper, but she proceeded to shoot a salty look/ signal at security. After a labored attempt, he gets up from his seat and looks me up and down with one of those “you better get out, before I throw you out,” swags. I figured it wasn’t worth coming in to PROMOTE THEIR ESTABLISHMENT IN PRINT so I said goodbye to the plus-sized tavern and went on about hitting up the rest of my activities – which I was welcomed with opened arms, by the way. I hate to say NEVER but chances are the only way I will be anywhere near the After Nites is if I need to make a run to the Family Dollar (their next door neighbors). That being said, Happy birthday BJ The DJ, Gina and Stephen. I don’t hold y’all in any way responsible for what went down and wish I could have kicked with you.

Clownin’ with Jovan. After being riled up by the employees of After Nites, one of my favorite STL comics gave me just the cackle I needed to get my mind back right when I rolled through his Class Klowns comedy show at Plush. Jovan Bibbs teamed up with FreeTime and together they made funny magic with a show that featured locals Terrell Tate, Brandon “Hot Sauce” Glover, Bibbs and nationally known funny man K Dubb (Bad Boys of Comedy, BET’s Comic View, Jamie Foxx’s Laffapolooza and so on…and so forth). He had me cracking all the way up when he start talking about how 90s new school R&B had the old school beat by a landslide. And when he said Lenny Williams crying at the end of his depressing slow jam had nothing on H-Town crying in THE BEGINNING of their, I all but fell out. I couldn’t decide if I was laughing harder at him quietly accusing that man’s soulful yodel of being a howl, or the idea of them crying in the beginning of “…body rocking, knocking the boots…” It gave me almost as much life as Seven’s tuxedo. His life sized Sammy Davis Jr. swag was everything to me! For those who may have forgotten, Jovan holds it down every Wednesday night at Lola too.

Super Smooth Glitz and Glamour. So the folks at Super Smooth Promotions are getting glamorous as they celebrate their two year anniversary with R&B singer Case Saturday night at Coliseum (2619 Washington). I might just have to recycle my salute evening gown for this one, because you know how they do!The party starts at 9 p.m. Black Lyrics. For those twelve of you who haven’t heard, Got Lyrics is back in full effect and one of my favorite wordsmiths in the WORLD is taking center stage for the Black Love Edition on February 7 (that’s next Thursday). How could they miss with Corey Black on the mic, Mocha Latte as host and DJ Reminisce on the ones and twos?!?! I’m thinking I might use my cell phone to steal some scenes from the show to create a sequel to “Love Jones.” If all goes well, look for my feature film debut “Adoration Johnson” to hit BET’s Blackbuster night or the Centric network in early 2014. Even if my filmmaking debut falls to pieces, you still need to come out and be a part of black love and poetry at The InSpot. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Erica and Bell bring in the weekend @ The Office Friday night

Young Dip kicked his b-day celebration off with his boy Drew, Mo Spoon and the MPAC crew for the Eye Candy Party’s Bikers and Babes Edition Friday night @ The Loft

Charles and Selina soak in the atmosphere @ Soho Friday night

Erika and Kim check out the Office Friday night

B-day girl CoCo Chanel and her friend Tiana decided that Café Soul would be the perfect place to celebrate Saturday night @ The Paragon

Corey Black and Seven join the Fellas of Freetime and the Class Clownz comedians following the show Saturday night @ Plush

Jay, Mariah (a.k.a. Ms. Winter Eye Candy) and Jasmine party hard Friday night at MPAC’s Eye Candy Party Friday night @ The Loft

Kerry of Hella Fly Promotions and Taleia chill out Friday night @ Relax and Breathe @ EXO

Beauties Tany B with Mz Steph were super stylish for their Birthday Suit Party Saturday night @ EXO

Hot 104.1 FM’s first ladies Staci Static and Janee in The Midday strike a pose with Roc Nation’s rising star Bridget Kelly for Hot 104.1’s Who’s Next series Wednesday night @ The Loft

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

careercenter

Access and excellence at UMSL

By Ryan Heinz University of Missouri –St.Louis

The University of Missouri–St. Louis raised about $20 million in private scholarship funds over the course of its seven-year Gateway for Greatness Campaign. What does that mean for UMSLstudents?

“Access and excellence,” UMSLChancellor Tom George answers. “Because of (scholarship donors), more students have access to a quality education that leads to excellence in their careers and lives.” Those scholarships also mean something for the donors whose gifts created them. Their contributions are an investment in young, talented students who will someday strengthen the St. Louis-area work force.

Briona Perry:Opportunity Scholars Program

Briona Perry graduated from Francis Howell North High School in St. Peters, Mo., with a 4.2 GPA, numerous honors and a lengthy list of extracurricular activities. She was destined to receive a major scholarship that would likely determine her college choice, and that could have meant her moving far away, possibly never to return to the St. Louis work force.

That didn’t happen. Instead, she chose UMSLthanks to a program that was created to retain students just like her: the region’s best and brightest.

“I would not have been able to afford college without the Opportunity Scholars Program,” Perry says. “I plan to pursue a pharmacy degree, which requires eight years of school. This scholarship took the weight off of four years and will allow me to go into graduate school relatively debt free.” The Opportunity Scholars Program began in 2011 through a partnership with UMSLand Emerson, which contributed $1.65 million in funding and internships.

AT&T, Energizer and David and Thelma Steward of World Wide Technology provided additional support.

The program enhances the quality and diversity of the region’s future leaders in science, technology, engineering, math and related fields.

Participants are top St. Louis-area high school students who are under-represented or the first in their family to enroll in college. They receive an all-inclusive four-year scholarship and residential package, as well as one-on-one academic, career and life-skills coaching. They also gain access to internships through UMSL’s corporate partners.

“It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Perry says.

She was among the Opportunity Scholars Program’s first cohort, which began in fall 2011. She learned about the program through her participation in the UMSL Bridge Program for precollegiate students.

Now a sophomore in the Pierre Laclede Honors College and a biochemistry major, Perry’s grown fond of UMSL. She’s quickly made new friends, including a trio with whom she now shares a suite in Oak Hall.

“The faculty is great, the staff is great, the students are great, and I just feel welcomed,” says Perry, 19, who is involved in several campus organizations and works as a part-time Walgreens pharmacy technician.

Aself-described “family person,” Perry says she looks forward to someday starting a career in the same area as her St. Charles, Mo.-based family.

“The community can look forward to me someday being their pharmacist,” she says.

John-Mark Scott: Enterprise Opportunity DriverScholarship

John-Mark Scott’s grandfather, Lance Hellwig, is a proud UMSLalumnus, who graduated in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.

“He actually had classes in the church across the street from Benton Hall,” Scott says. “He remembers [Benton] being built. He always wanted me to go here.” Scott told Hellwig he would consider UMSL. But the 18year-old from Florissant, Mo., says he wanted to leave his options open. He looked at several St. Louis-area universities, but he says his grandfather’s alma mater stood out.

“This just felt right,” Scott says.

So his mind was already made up when he applied for, and ultimately received, the Enterprise Opportunity Drivers Scholarship. It pays $5,000 annually for his tuition, room and board and includes internship opportunities.

“It was overwhelming,” Scott says of earning the scholarship.

He’s among the first group of students to benefit from the

newly established scholarship. It was created through a $1.5 million gift from the Enterprise Holdings Foundation to the College of Business Administrationat UMSL. The Enterprise Opportunity Driver Scholarship also includes stipends for UMSLjuniors and seniors who mentor the scholarship recipients.

Scott had only completed his first three weeks at UMSL when he met to discuss his scholarship, but he says his experience here has already exceeded his expectations.

He’s particularly fond of his three courses in the Pierre Laclede Honors College.

“There’s a lot of interesting information jam-packed into them,” Scott says. “They always said your professors would know your name and they do. It’s a friendly relationship.”

He says he also enjoys no longer sharing a room with two of his brothers. He now lives at Oak Hall, where he has his own room in a suite with three roommates he quickly befriended.

As for his major choice, he drew on inspiration from an accounting class he took at Hazelwood Central High School in St. Louis County. Something in that class struck a chord with Scott. Now he has aspirations of someday being a chief financial officer

Briona Perry,a sophomore biochemistry major at UMSL, aspires to become a pharmacist.The ambitious Opportunity Scholars Program participant works multiple part-time jobs, including one as a pharmacy technician at a Walgreens near campus.

the YMCA. She also returned to school, completing an associate’s degree at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley.

Tinker was drawn to UMSL for the strong reputation of the psychology program and degree value.

“I feel I get way more for my education at UMSLthan some individuals I know who go to private school or more expensive schools,” Tinker says. “I don’t think I’m getting anything less by not paying more.”

As a member ofPsi Chi, the international honors society for psychology students, she heard about the Meehan Scholarship.

The scholarship is named for Eugene Meehan, who taught political science for 20plus years at UMSL. He died in 2002, and Alice, his wife, died in 2010. Their estate funds one of the university’s largest privately funded scholarships, which annually awards $5,000 to juniors and seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences.

for a St. Louis-based company.

“I like to dream big,” Scott says.

Erin Tinker: Eugene J. Meehan Scholarship

Erin Tinker took an unconventional path to an undergraduate scholarship. The 29-yearold, a senior majoring in psychology at UMSL, earned a Eugene J. Meehan Scholarship about a decade after starting college.

After graduating from Bourbon (Mo.) High School, Tinker enrolled atSt. Louis Community College at Meramecand pursued a theater degree. Before finishing, a fitness club offered her an operations manager job with an office.

“I took the office,” Tinker says. She worked in business management for seven years before being laid off in 2008. That thrust her into a turbulent job market, pitting the degreeless Tinker against MBArecipients. It was time for a change.

“I made an assessment of my skills and desires and came to the conclusion that I should be doing something in the community working with children,” Tinker says.

She worked a series of parttime jobs and eventually landed a director’s position with

“Scholarships are important to students because it gives them recognition for their hard work,” Tinker says. “It’s also been important for me because it’s allowed me to expand my opportunities at the university and not worry how I’m going to pay for my education.” The Meehan Scholarship means Tinker will graduate with little to no debt from UMSL. It also meant she didn’t have to work, which allowed her to volunteer at Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louisat UMSL. That led to a paying part-time job at CASGSL, which includes research and networking opportunities.

Tinker also volunteers weekly by reading to preschoolers throughReady Readers, a program she discovered in a UMSLEnglish class that emphasizes servicelearning. She’s since developed a curriculum for including Ready Readers volunteering in more classes, which she intends to pitch to psychology faculty members.

After graduating in May, she plans to seek work at an agency and later pursue a master’s degree in psychology at UMSL.

This story was originally published in the fall 2012 issue ofUMSLMagazine.

Photo by August Jennewein