July 5th, 2018 Edition

Expanded Gateway Arch Park and Museum, opens

YourSTLCourts system consolidates court information

Online system covers 75 percent of St. Louis area by population

By Sophie Hurwitz and Rebecca Rivas

For The St. Louis American

Navigating the court system in St. Louis’s disjointed landscape – a metropolitan area with 90 municipalities and 10 unincorporated census-designated areas – can be difficult for residents. Several groups have launched initiatives to help residents out.

The local nonprofits Rise Community Development and CivTech St. Louis recently piloted the YourSTLCourts system, which was designed to help consolidate court information and make it easier for people who get traffic tickets to know where and when to go to court and what they’re being charged with.

n “We want to be able to give people the chance to see what their traffic ticket information is, regardless of where they live, and have one place to go online to do it.”

– John Cruz

“We want to be able to give people the chance to see what their traffic ticket information is, regardless of where they live, and have one place to go online to do it,” said John Cruz, data management coordinator of Rise Community Development. The way the municipalities are set up, Cruz added, means “a lot of different court systems,” and also means that it’s often difficult for people to get the information they need before going to court. By putting all the necessary information into one online portal, the nonprofit hopes to help people be more prepared for court, Cruz said, so they don’t end up in jail over a minor traffic infraction. Among other things, the program includes an FAQ page detailing what people should wear to court, and what to expect at their court date, as well as a text message notification system to inform participants of upcoming court dates. Last year, the YourSTLCourts program was a success when it was piloted in unincorporated St. Louis County. This year, it’s expanded to include dozens of municipalities, and cover 75

See COURT, A6

‘Completely transformed’

Kacie Starr Long recovers from scandal to begin a new church with a new husband

n “We had no idea of how God had called us to minister to the children of the community.”

– Kacie Starr Long

Long sees CityReach as filling a niche that has been left empty by the church community.

“People are like, ‘Oh, you started another church, there are tons of churches in St. Louis. But our mission is different, because we are going after those that are not likely churchgoers,” said Kacie.

Don’t wait to register to vote

Must register by July 11 to be able to vote in August 7 primary

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

If you aren’t registered to vote yet, then hopefully you’re among those people who shine under pressure of a deadline. The last day to register to vote for the August 7 primary is Wednesday, July 11. Thanks to technology, this process does not require you to put a stamp on an envelope or even walk into a building (although those are both still valid ways to make it happen.) With a mobile device or tablet, Missouri residents can complete an online voter registration form and sign with their finger.

site, especially if they live out of state. When freshmen start arriving in the fall, the Institute will be ready to get them registered using tablets, said Tom Danforth, with the Gephardt Institute.

n “We want to make it as easy for students as possible.”

– Tom Danforth

Turbovote.org is one website that walks people through the process and answers questions that people might have. The local Gephardt Institute office, located on Washington University’s campus, recommends that students use this web-

“We want to make it as easy for students as possible,” Danforth said.

Since students are transient, they are often hard to pin down to register to vote – much like the homeless population. Cathy Daniels, better known as Mama Cat, has been working with her group, the Potbangerz, to not only feed the unhoused population but also to register them to vote.

“If they don’t have an address, then they can’t vote,” Daniels said.

Some homeless individuals are staying at Biddle House and can use that address. Others have family in town and can use the family’s address, she said.

See VOTE, A6

Looking out from the newly renovated Gateway Arch Museum, hundreds of people gathered July 3 at the foot of the Gateway Arch to be a part of the event.

By Sophie Hurwitz For The St. Louis American

Kacie Starr Long – formerly St. Louis Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett – and her husband, Alfred Long, planted their new church, CityReach Church in Florissant, last September. Kacie

Kacie Starr Long – formerly St. Louis Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett – and her husband, Alfred Long, planted their new church, CityReach Church in Florissant, last September.

Photo by Wiley Price

Blake Strode

See LONG, A7

Andrea Kelly accuses R. Kelly of being an abusive husband

After years of silence, R. Kelly’s ex-wife, Andrea Kelly, has come forward with accusations that she was in an abusive marriage with the singer.

In an interview on syndicated TV One daytime talk show “Sister Circle,” Andrea Kelly spoke to co-host Syleena Johnson about her decision to leave the marriage. After sharing that she had first considered suicide, Kelly said that God directed her to her laptop and led her to research domestic violence.

“But I said, ‘I’m not that girl, the missing teeth and broken bones girl,’” Kelly told Johnson. “But on the domestic violence website there was a questionnaire where it listed 17 questions for domestic abuse survivors. Of the 17 questions, Robert had done 15 of those things to me.”

In an appearance on “Inside Edition,” Andrea Kelly goes into more detail.

“He’s definitely a monster,” Andrea told the entertainment news program. “I spent 10 years being married, but I don’t know what it’s like to be a wife.”

Andrea also said that R. Kelly hog tied her in bed one night, went to sleep and left her that way for the entire night.

“What was supposed to be my big, beautiful mansion ended up being my prison,” Andrea Kelly told “Inside Edition.”

She said was compelled to speak out after several other women came forward with claims that they were held against their will.

Tessa Thompson clarifies Janelle Monae relationship remarks

In a recent interview with U.K. Fashion Magazine Porter, actress Tessa Thompson eluded to a romantic relationship with singer Janelle Monae

“Janelle and I love each other deeply. We’re so close, we vibrate on the same frequency. If people want to speculate about what we are, it doesn’t bother me. It’s tricky, because Janelle and I are just really private people and we’re both trying to navigate how you reconcile wanting to have that privacy and space, and also wanting to use your platform and influence. That was something I was conscientious of in terms of this declaration around Janelle and myself. I want everyone else to have that freedom and support that I have from my loved ones [about being bisexual]. But so many people don’t. So, do I have a responsibility to talk about that? Do

I have a responsibility to say in a public space that this is my person” Thompson took to Twitter over the weekend to say that her words were taken out of context and do not confirm that she is romantically linked to Monae.

“Sometimes we cheer so loudly at someone speaking their truth, that we miss what they say. (Here’s looking at you media journalism) (sic),” Thompson tweeted along with a link to the Porter Magazine Article. “I didn’t say I was in a relationship. But I said lots of other things. All below. One thing I missed — Pride Has No End.”

Lee Daniels promises to repay Damon Dash $2M

Tessa Thompson

Damon Dash posted a video of himself confronting filmmaker for owing him $2 million on Instagram. The post has since been deleted, but in it Daniels is seen seemingly in agreement that he owes Dash the money.

In an interview with Rock Rants, Daniels said that he has plans to pay the money back – but insisted that the money was an investment and not a loan. Daniels said Dash invested in his filmmaking career when no one else would, but that the $2 million investment was used on a

film that didn’t make any money.

Daniels promised to give Dash back his cash because he believes he never would have reached his level of success without Damon’s early support.

In an interview with TMZ.com, Dash says that he initially invested $2 million with Daniels and was able to recoup the funds. Afterwards, Dash said Daniels approached him and asked for $2 million to go towards the production of “Shadowboxer,” for which he was never repaid.

Joe Jackson laid to rest

Joe Jackson, the family patriarch best known for handling the careers of his kids after he helped launched The Jackson 5, was reportedly honored in a private ceremony at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. On Monday afternoon, his services were held in the same cemetery where his late son, Michael Jackson, was laid to rest. The ceremony was attended by Joe’s wife Katherine, his children – including daughter Janet Jackson – and his grandchildren.

According to TMZ, a public service is expected to be held over the next coming days.

The retired talent manager tragically passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada following a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was 89.

Sources: Porter Magazine, TMZ.com, Sister Circle, Twitter.com, Instagram.com

MusicMaker helps youth find their voice in songwriting

Springboard to Learning builds ‘soft skills’ through creative work

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

Trenton Hall, a fourth-grader at Earl Nance Sr. Elementary School, walked onstage wearing a white suit with a silky blue shirt and tie at the Sheldon Concert Hall on May 22. Many historical figures, such as B.B. King and Albert Einstein, stood on that same stage, Hall learned that night.

need MusicMaker to write your own songs. The spirit or ethos of MusicMaker is that we are all artists.”

This year, Pagano and two other MusicMaker teaching artists worked in eight schools, where they facilitated the writing of dozens of songs. The artists selected their favorite songs to be featured at the MusicMaker Culmination.

“I felt nervous because a lot of good people have been here,” Hall said, eyes beaming behind his black-rimmed glasses.

“But I felt honored to be here.”

Hall and several of his classmates wrote a song about earning money, called “Got to Work,” and it was featured at the annual MusicMaker Culmination, held in partnership with the Sheldon.

Hall thought it was fun to write and record the song as part of MusicMaker, one of more than 150 programs offered through the local nonprofit Springboard to Learning.

Mark Pagano, a teaching artist and the creator of the MusicMaker program, worked with Hall’s group during a 10-week artist residency to create the song.

“I have done this program with kindergartners up to 18-year-old seniors in high school,” Pagano said. “What I always say at the end of the program is that you don’t really

The participating schools were Kennard Elementary, Humboldt Academy, Ford Elementary, Nance Elementary, Fanning Middle, Washington Montessori, Kehrs Mill Elementary and St. Cecilia Catholic School.

For Pagano, his experience working with third graders at Washington Montessori this semester stood out to him.

Much of his time with the class was a bit chaotic, which is not unusual, he said.

“Throughout the creative process, there is a chaotic time and you don’t know how it’s going to turn out,” Pagano said. “But that last day when you’re recording them, you see them rise to the occasion.”

Out of this process was born one of his favorite songs, called “Gotta Be Brave.”

“The lyrics are, ‘You got to be brave. You got to stand up for yourself. Learn how to engage. Courage is good from your health,’” he said. “It was kind of a simple idea, but there was a lot of heart behind it. To me, putting it in the context of

songwriting activity.

“We wanted to focus on making this a song that would pay tribute to her life,” Pagano said. “I thought what they came up with was really moving. It seemed to be therapeutic in processing what happened. That’s one example of the power of music to tell stories in a way that really no other medium can and to honor a life. It was a real honor to be a part of that project.”

Springboard has been bringing these kinds of experiences to students in mostly economically challenged schools for more than 50 years. Its programs reach more than 50,000 students every year. At the Sheldon culmination, Springboard Executive Director Cathy Hartmann said MusicMaker is an example of the kind of experiences Springboard aims to provide.

“We hope that our programming is inspiring, that it connects to realworld experiences, and that is develops what we call ‘soft skills,’ which are communication, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration,” Hartmann said. And she spoke directly to all the students bouncing up and down in the plush theater seats.

the time we’re going through – it’s a time to be brave and be bold and speak your truth.”

In this past semester, in particular, he saw various examples of that boldness in the youth – and he nurtured it.

“I find the youth voice to be particularly important at this point in time,” he said.

Pagano created MusicMaker in 2014 because as a musician and songwriter, he’s found

music to be something that has always brought joy and focus to his life, he said.

“As an educator, I’ve also become interested with the way music can be used to communicate ideas and can be used as a learning tool,” Pagano said. “These are things that I wanted to explore and offer to young people.”

Last year, Pagano taught a class of juniors at Northwest

High School, which has a focus on criminal justice. After the second class, he received an email from the teacher that one of their classmates had been the victim of gun violence in the surrounding North St. Louis neighborhood. The teacher asked if there was a way to speak to the tragedy and issue of gun violence through the program. In response, Pagano led the class in a group

“When I think about the fact that you’re going to be on this stage tonight – the same place that some incredible people throughout history have stood,” Hartmann said. “We know what you’ll experience tonight is something that will be very memorable.”

For more information on Springboard to Learning, visit http://www.springboardstl.org, email info@springboardstl.org or call 314) 768-9670.

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Teaching artist Alyssa Rey congratulates DeAndre Epps, a fourth-grader at Ford Elementary School, on his group’s song about multiplication being selected to be part of the MusicMaker Culmination show at the Sheldon Concert on May 22.

Editorial /CommEntary

Second Congressional District

The Second Congressional District was intentionally redrawn by the Republican legislature in 2010 to take voting power away from Democrats in St. Louis County and shift it towards Republicans in this area of the St. Louis region. The new lines were thought so unfavorable to Democrats in 2012 that Russ Carnahan opted instead to challenge Congressman Lacy Clay in the First Congressional District, a move we criticized at the time. That is why it is all the more impressive that a progressive upstart like Cort VanOstran is now mounting a vigorous challenge to win the seat from three-term Republican incumbent Ann Wagner.

VanOstran is a perfect Democratic foil to the archconservative Wagner, who votes with President Trump a whopping 98% of the time. His platform focuses on protecting and strengthening the Affordable Care Act, investing in public education, and bringing jobs back to the St. Louis region. He is a powerful advocate for criminal justice reform and has committed to taking major steps to tackle gun violence.

Although VanOstran is a political newcomer, it has not stopped him from assembling an impressive coalition of support. VanOstran is supported by many names our readers know well and respect, including former State Senator Rita Heard Days, Former County Executive Charlie Dooley, County Assessor Jake Zimmerman, State Senator Jill Schupp, and State Representatives Stacey Newman and Tracy McCreery, all powerful, progressive voices. He has earned the endorsements of NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Teamsters, the United Autoworkers, the Young Democrats, and End Citizens United, a national organization dedicated to taking corporate money out of politics.

VanOstran has made a district once thought unwinnable by a seasoned politician like Carnahan into a flippable district in 2018. He has already raised more money than any prior Democratic nominee has in the entire election cycle and more than doubled the combined efforts of his Democratic opponents. He has even outraised his incumbent opponent in two consecutive quarters, all while rejecting corporate PAC money and relying largely on small individual donations. In February, the Cook Political Report shifted the race towards Democrats after citing VanOstran’s fundraising success, and just this past month President Obama’s Organizing for Action group included VanOstran’s race among the 27 Congressional districts on its November “hit list.”

VanOstran is no stranger to fighting against the odds. He was raised in rural Missouri by a single mother after his father died when he was just eight years old. Despite those challenging circumstances, VanOstran went to Harvard University on a scholarship from the Elks Club before returning to law school here, becoming a successful attorney and working under the tutelage of several prominent local judges. Then, two years ago, VanOstran lost his mother to a battle with breast cancer. At the time, she was insured by an Affordable Care Act plan. It was the loss of his mother and President Trump’s efforts to slash the very health care plan his mother depended on that steeled his determination to protect the voters of his district from further attacks on the Affordable Care Act.

While most of VanOstran’s primary opponents share his progressive vision, VanOstran is the only one who has demonstrated the earnestness, confidence and power to turn that vision into a reality. VanOstran has already opened two campaign offices in the district and recruited dozens of volunteers who work daily to deliver his good-government message to voters. His Facebook page boasts a weekly schedule of events where he meets with the voters of the Second Congressional District, a subtle jab at his Republican opponent who has never held a town hall in her district. While his Democratic opponents have made the obligatory appearances at public events, VanOstran has steadily outworked and out-organized his opponents to put his district back in play for the first time since it was redrawn. As VanOstran’s yard signs begin to pop up all around the District this week, we believe that his infectious enthusiasm, tireless work ethic, and firm commitment to show up in all the places his Republican opponent hasn’t will carry him to a groundbreaking victory in November.

At a time when many feel powerless to challenge the injustices being carried out by President Trump, who NY Times columnist Charles Blow rightly calls a “lying, bullying, womanizing autocrat-idolizer,” VanOstran’s race presents an opportunity for voters in our region to help shift the balance of power in Washington and provide a powerful check on the Republicans’ regressive policies. It is an opportunity we cannot let go to waste. The era of Trump shows that elections have consequences and not voting has consequences. We strongly endorse Cort VanOstran for Congress in the Second Congressional District.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Your judicial system – by design

The reaction to the recent resignation of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is being treated like a defining moment in American history. While I don’t think it rises to that level, I do think Vice President Joe Biden’s description of the signing of the Affordable Care Act would apply. That being said, we should not let this moment pass without taking note.

An informed reaction to the Kennedy retirement and the political consequences of a right wing Trump appointment must take into consideration two factors. First, what is the American judicial system designed to really do? And, what has been the historical record of the Supreme Court in particular over the last 100-plus years?

All systems are designed to get the results they seek to achieve. There are no regularly reoccurring, unintended consequences. Mass incarceration of black and brown men is not a breakdown in the justice system; it is the justice system working as intended.

The American judicial system’s primary goal is to provide a legal rationale and judicial support for an economic and political order that maintains the privileged status of rich white men. In fact, most appellate court decisions are about creating or protecting some special (that means private) interest.

There is an insidious mythology about America that keeps marginalized communities (and unless you are included among America’s white oligarchs, you are marginalized) on the economic and political precipice. That widely accepted myth is that the American judicial system is fair, and American courts, particularly the U.S. Supreme Court, administer justice impartially. Nothing,

and I do mean nothing, could further from the truth. As Richard Pryor said, when you go to court, what you will find largely is not justice, but “just us.”

Before we become apoplectic about the Supreme Court losing its status as a paragon of judicial virtue, let us do a cursory examination the Court’s record.

If you were born after WWII, you think of the Supreme Court as Brown v. Board, Miranda v. Arizona, Roe v. Wade, Shelley v. Kramer, Loving v. Virginia or Obergefell v. Hodges. All these decisions brought some relief to communities of marginalized individuals. However, if you examine the historical record, these are just individual points of light illuminating an otherwise rather dark history. Let us review some (but by no means all) of the darkest moments of this court’s history. Number one on every worse decision list is Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857); this ruling requires no further explanation.

In no particular order, a few of the rest; Buck v. Bell (1927) ruled forced sterilization constitutional; Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918) ruled Congress could not ban child labor in interstate commerce; the Civil Rights Cases (1883) struck down the Civil Rights Act of 1875. Moreover, who can forget Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Korematsu v. US (1944), as America at its racist worst?

You could argue that the post WWII Warren and Burger Courts were historical exceptions and this, which is about to be Trump court, is really just

a regression to the mean – that this might be the first time we will live with a reactionary, retrograde Supreme Court. However, the truth is that this is the kind of Supreme Court that has dominated much of America’s history. If all of this is true, what explains some historical progress? In a word – politics. Anything you do not control is a weapon to be used against you. Courts are a function of who controls government and, who controls government is a function of politics. A judge, any judge, is just a lawyer who knows a politician. There is no inherent virtue in the American political system. Left to its own devices, it does not produce public policy that is moral or designed to enhance the common good. Like all systems, it responds to who is in control.

We are confronted with this situation because we became inattentive and lazy about political control. Trump Republicanism (and there is no other kind) will be an expensive and painful lesson, but unfortunately a necessary one. The laws that govern the physical universe also govern the political universe. Newton’s third law of motion states for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Every act of oppression has always been met with resistance, and over time, the resistance can prevail. Next week: What political resistance should look like in 2018.

Mike Jones is a former senior staffer in St. Louis city and county government and current member of the Missouri State Board of Education and The St. Louis American editorial board. In 2016, he was awarded Best Serious Columnist for all of the state’s large weeklies by the Missouri Press

Do we let opportunity pass us by?

to lead the battle.

Let me get this straight.

President Trump and his associates treat politics like a backalley knife fight, but his critics are supposed to pretend it’s a garden party? I don’t think so.

Those who see the Trump administration as an abomination have many things to spend their time worrying about -- most urgently, turning out a massive anti-Trump vote in the November election that gives Democrats control of one or both houses of Congress. Whether the resistance behaves less than graciously to Trump and his accomplices -- including his water-carriers in Congress -- is far down the list. I’m not advocating rudeness for rudeness’s sake or a blanket policy of denying Trump aides their supper, as happened recently to press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. But folks, get a grip. Stop all the hyperventilation and self-flagellation about how the Red Hen incident, and any further instances of incivility, could doom prospects for a “blue wave” in November and perhaps even re-elect Trump in 2020. Banish any thought of turning the other cheek in the coming fight over Justice Anthony Kennedy’s replacement on the Supreme Court. Don’t get mired in paralysis by analysis.

This sort of thing is just what Trump wants, go the anguished wails. He’ll use it to fire up his supporters and inspire them to turn out in November Well, of course he will. Trump was inevitably going to seize -- or concoct -- some pretext to try to inflame the Make America Great Again crowd. He has sky-high approval among Republicans, but polls have consistently shown that

Democrats have more enthusiasm for voting in the midterms -- and Trump’s approval among Democrats and independents is historically low. Stirring up passion that brings out the base in big numbers is the president’s only play. And that’s something he happens to be good at.

Trump is already out there holding rallies, whipping crowds into a frenzy of victimhood. Two years later, he’s still railing against Hillary Clinton and calling for her to be locked up. Two years later, true believers still chant and cheer.

The assumption must be that Trump’s most loyal followers will indeed vote in November. Democrats need to understand that walking on eggshells -being unfailingly nice, declining to call out racism masquerading as economic anxiety, never uttering the word “impeachment” -- isn’t going to make the people at those rallies like them.

What Democrats need to do is boost their normally anemic midterm turnout, and that means channeling the anti-Trump fervor we’ve seen in massive nationwide demonstrations against racism and in favor of women’s rights, sensible gun control and compassionate immigration policy. Millions of voters are ready and willing to fight for an inclusive, forward-looking vision of America. Democrats have to show they are ready and willing

That is why there must be no meek acquiescence to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s plan to quickly confirm Kennedy’s replacement. It doesn’t take a very long memory to recall how McConnell, using power in a way that would have made Machiavelli proud, robbed Barack Obama of a Supreme Court appointment that was rightfully his. Democrats should be every bit as unyielding toward Trump, taking full advantage of the Senate’s arcane rules to delay and obstruct.

Unless Trump nominates some total nut case who is unacceptable to some GOP senators, Democrats almost surely will lose this battle. But they must wage it nonetheless, if only to demonstrate that they can be as resolute and uncompromising as Republicans consistently are.

Ultimately, whether before or after the election, Trump will get to nominate the next justice -- and he or she is likely to be more reliably conservative than Kennedy. The way to mitigate and ultimately undo that damage is to win elections.

The Republican Party is a mess, riven by ideological divisions and in thrall to an ignorant and erratic president whose only priority is feeding his gluttonous ego. But the GOP has been single-minded and brutally effective in the acquisition, wielding and maintenance of political power, both at the national and state levels.

The remedy is not for progressives to choose their words oh-so-carefully and hope no one takes offense. It is to be loud and clear -- and tough as nails -- in fighting back.

University City has a unique opportunity with the Olive-170 development, an opportunity which will bring new life and revenue to St. Louis County’s most diverse suburb.

A lot of incorrect information has been floating through the media.

Ninety-five percent of the homeowners in the development area have signed the option to sell their homes to the developer Novus. Jeffrey Plaza at 170 and Woodson, where many small businesses are located, has been purchased by Novus. We want the homeowners and businesses to stay in University City. Our City council is working hard to make this happen and has included incentives and assistance.

Some of the people opposed are actually real estate investors hoping to keep the 3rd Ward and at an artificially low value for their financial gain. Others are holding onto long-standing animosity that certainly benefits no one.

Revenue is flat in University City, and our needs are beyond our resources. We want and need this development.

Bobette Patton University City

Not counting immigrants hurts Missouri

The ACLU of Missouri stands in strong opposition to HJR 100, which shrinks Missouri’s political power, costs Missouri money it does not have and unjustly takes aim at Missouri’s taxpayers.

HJR100 excludes resident populations from consideration when we draw electoral districts, choosing to only count

those who are U.S. citizens.

HJR 100 is a direct attempt to undermine the representation of Missouri’s cities but also has significant ramifications for the state as a whole. In the last census, Missouri lost a congressional seat because our population shrank.

Missouri has a population of 6,113,532 and an immigrant population of roughly 242,761 individuals. In 2015, immigrants accounted for 14.5 percent of business owners in Kansas City and 6.5 percent of business owners in the St. Louis metropolitan area. If we fail to count all of those who live in our state, we will continue to lose representation and power at the federal level.

Missouri’s count of its citizens will show fewer people than if we count all those who call Missouri home. Simply put, this means we will get fewer federal resources and fewer advocates for the same number of people living in Missouri. We all need resources provided by federal funds based on our population, such as those designated for road improvements and emergency responders.

If immigrants move away from our state, Missouri loses. Now, 141,797 immigrant workers comprise 4.7 percent of Missouri’s labor force. They work in healthcare, in manufacturing, and in education to make Missouri prosper. Immigrant-led households in Missouri paid $1.3 billion in federal taxes and $517.8 million in state and local taxes in 2014. While most states gained immigrants from 2010-2014, Missouri lost thousands. We must not erase the existence of our neighbors, friends and family.

Sara Baker, Legislative and Policy director ACLU of Missouri

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Rep. Waters takes stand for Fair Housing at HUD

By Charlene Crowell

When Dr. Ben Carson was named Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), many housing and civil rights advocates wondered how a world-renowned neurosurgeon would direct the future of housing in America. By his own admission, he arrived at HUD with no governmental experience or active interest in housing’s history either.

Despite those professional shortcomings, Secretary Carson swiftly began a series of actions that triggered broad and sustained criticism from civil rights and housing policy advocates. On Secretary Carson’s watch, HUD proposed billion-dollar budget reductions, increased rental fees for public housing tenants, removed explicit language on fair housing from the agency’s mission statement, and halted efforts that require local communities receiving HUD funds to address fair housing needs.

In sum, Secretary Carson has acted like a man on a mission with no time to spare.

This past January, Carson also announced a suspension of a key rule known as Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). The rule that

Fun with flying

Whitney Singleton and Kyleigh Johnson each assembled a model plane during the St. Louis American’s Science Camp at Little Creek Nature Area in Florissant on June 19. Boeing plane designer Garrett Williams spoke to the students and shared the toy planes.

went into effect in July 2015 required any state, locality, or public housing authority receiving HUD funds to have a plan and timeline that incorporates community concerns to actively address fair housing issues in their locales.

Although civil rights and consumer protection advocates have brought legal challenges to reverse the suspension of AFFH and other misdeeds, the wheels of justice continue their characteristically slow and deliberate pace.

But California Congresswoman Maxine Waters recently stepped up to file legislation designed to cure many of the regressive ills pushed by Secretary Carson. On June 26, she introduced a bill entitled, Restoring Fair Housing Protections Eliminated by HUD Act of 2018 (H.R. 6220).

“The Department of Housing and Urban Development is supposed to create strong communities; expand access to affordable housing; and enforce fair housing rights,” said Congresswoman Waters.

“Unfortunately since becoming Secretary, Ben Carson has taken numerous steps to eliminate fair housing protections for the most vulnerable families

in this country.”

The following day, June 27, the House Financial Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, convened a hearing with Secretary Carson.

“Over the last 20 years, the HUD budget has doubled, whereas the family budget, which pays for it, has increased by less than double digits,” said Rep. Hensarling. “In fact, HUD’s budget has grown faster than almost every other federal budget function, including social security, education, and national defense. HUD resources have not been the challenge, HUD’s focus and success has been.”

Charlene Crowell

Speaking next as the Committee’s Ranking Member, Congresswoman Waters offered a completely opposite perspective on HUD and Secretary Carson. In her remarks, Rep. Waters underscored that her new legislation was intended to revoke key actions by Secretary Carson and return them to HUD’s fair housing agenda. Those actions included restoring Fair Housing language to the

agency’s mission statement, with the specific inclusion of text stating “inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination;” HUD’s AFFH rule as soon as practically possible following the bill’s enactment; HUD’s Local Government Assessment Tool that helps state and local jurisdictions to comply with the AFFH rule within 30 days of enactment; and a requirement that the HUD Secretary report to Congress a Secretary-directed review of fair housing complaints that involve an online platform.

Additionally, the Secretary’s report to Congress would include an analysis of trends and risks related to discrimination, steps to address such discrimination, and the status of complaints filed.

The legislation also includes a requirement that owners and operators of HUD-funded homeless shelters to post a notice informing clients of their rights under an agency rule regarding gender identity. This rule affects any grantee receiving funding through the agency’s Community Planning and

Development program.

Before yielding back the balance of her time, the Ranking Member added, “Congress should not stand by while the agency charged with ensuring fair housing turns its back on its mission and takes actions that roll back critical protections that ensure that all Americans have fair access to housing.”

For his part, Secretary Carson noted that each year, HUD receives an estimated 8,000 fair housing complaints. In speaking to the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, he also added, “HUD and our fair housing partners continue to enforce the letter and [sic] spirit of this landmark law.”

Early reactions to Secretary Carson’s comments reflect how his words and his actions diverge.

“Fifty years ago, Congress empowered HUD to dismantle legalized discrimination in housing to create opportunity for all as where you live is a factor in so many of life’s outcomes, including education and healthcare”, noted Nikitra Bailey, an EVP with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). “Rep. Waters’ new bill requires HUD to remain steadfast in

its responsibility to foster inclusive communities free of discrimination so that all Americans have the ability to thrive.

And Bailey is not alone. Beyond CRL, H.R. 6220 is also supported by several civil rights and housing advocates that include the National Fair Housing Alliance, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (also known as LISC), NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, National Housing Law Project, PolicyLink, and other organizations. The bill has been referred to two House Committees, Judiciary and Financial Services. Time will tell whether in the year marking the golden anniversary of the Fair Housing Act if other Members of Congress will stand up for fair housing too.

Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s Deputy Communications Director. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

Free online Family Summer Volunteer Guide

United Way of Greater St. Louis launched its free Family Summer Volunteer Guide, an online tool with dozens of volunteer possibilities for children, youth, families and individuals.

All of the opportunities listed are through reputable non-profit agencies throughout the St. Louis region. There are a wide array of opportunities that users can narrow down through location, age and keyword to find the one that best fits their passion. Current example opportunities include preparing and serving hot meals to cancer patients, assisting with crafts and activities at a camp for children with disabilities, and creating personal hygiene kits for children and families in need.

The guide can be found at www.stlvolunteer.org.

Photo by Wiley Price

“We are out there every Thursday,” feeding the homeless, she said. “We express the importance of voting, to let them know your vote is the difference of staying out here.”

Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis NAACP, has been working to ensure that their frequent voter base has what they needed to cast a vote at the polls.

“We know they are going to step up to the polls,” Pruitt said. “We had a big push to make sure they had their credentials and in some cases helped deal with the state in order to get their paperwork done.”

Missouri’s new photo voter ID law (HB 1631) effective June 1, 2017, requires that voters show one of three kinds of IDs at the polls: a Missouriissued driver or non-driver license, a U.S. passport or military ID. If they don’t provide those at the polls, they could provide a secondary form of ID, such as a paycheck or bank statement or sign a statement confirming their identity. Registered voters without IDs may cast provisional ballots.

Voters shouldn’t wait until the last minute to try and get these credentials, Pruitt said,

COURTS

Continued from A1 percent of the St. Louis area by population. That wasn’t easy, though; since many courts run on different software systems, Rise and CivTech had to negotiate with each court system individually.

“We work with the judges and courts in the local municipalities to understand what it is that we’re doing, and why it’s a good thing to be a part of,” Cruz said. “And then we talk to their software

because sometimes it can take a while.

The Missouri Secretary of State’s office can provide free photo IDs by going to https:// s1.sos.mo.gov/voteridhelp. So

vendors, and talk about what we need to do in order to access the data that they have for the court records and the court cases and bring it into our portal.”

This year, CivTech and Rise partnered with REJIS (Regional Justice Information Service), which is a government commission that provides criminal justice information management services to many area municipalities.

With the addition of the municipalities served by REJIS, YourSTLCourts now serves 30 municipalities, or about 75 percent of the

far, 1,044 Missourians have received a non-driver license at no cost for voting purposes, according to a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State. They have assisted 855 people, either

population of the St. Louis area, including the city of St. Louis. And they hope to make it to 100 percent soon; the next two municipalities to be added to the YourSTLCourts system are Maryland Heights and Ferguson.

“Technology is the logical answer to a number of today’s challenges,” Cruz said. “Technology solved problems. While not a complete solution in the world of criminal or social justice reform, it is a step in the right direction.”

Learn more about which municipalities are currently partnering with YourSTLCourts

through our hotline, or email.

As of July 4, there are 4,118,638 registered voters in Missouri.

The last day to register to vote for the November 6 elec-

at www.civtechstl.com/ystlcp.

Pro Se STL

On June 28, the nonprofit law firm ArchCity Defenders launched Pro Se STL, in the form of two hand-size guides that people can easily fit into a purse or car console and that includes information on navigating the local court system.

The guides walk residents through the legal process –starting from a police encounter all the way to an appearance in court. The advice is meant to be practical, said Black Strode,

tion is October 10.

For more information, visit https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/register. If a voter needs assistance to

executive director of ArchCity Defenders.

People who are most likely to be targeted by police, courts and jails have the least resources to defend and advocate for themselves, he said. More than 90 percent of people in municipal court are forced to appear and defend themselves with limited resources.

“This leads to people pleading guilty to crimes that stem from their poverty, agreeing to pay fines and fees they cannot afford, and often ending up in jail,” Strode said.

“Historically, municipalities

A Clean Sweep

St. Louisans, Better Family Life and the Regional Business Council went to the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood on June 30 as part of its summer-long Clean Sweep effort to revitalize St. Louis neighborhoods. Volunteer activities included demolishing 35 abandoned buildings, taking down 40 overgrown or dead trees, mowing and seeding/sodding lots, removing hazardous materials, and conducting minor repairs to occupied homes.

obtain an ID to vote or has questions, calls may be made to the ShowIt2Vote Hotline at 866-868-3245, or email showit2vote@sos.mo.gov.

in St. Louis have generated millions of dollars through racial profiling, revenue based policing, and excessive court fines and fees.”

The group is now distributing about 1,500 copies of the guides, which are also available online.

Pro Se STL guides are intended to be widely and publicly accessible to everyone; distributed for free in public spaces, and available for download and print via www.proSeSTL.org. To contact, email ProSeSTL@ archcitydefenders.org

Photo by Wiley Price

LONG

Continued from A1

“So what does that look like? It looks like having a church full of people that traditionally have never stepped foot in a church, or haven’t stepped foot in a church in many, many years. So they might be really unfamiliar with the basic doctrines of Christianity.”

Long has come a long way since 10 years ago. In 2007, the then-26-year-old was elected as the city’s youngestever alderman. In November 2012 she left politics, then in 2014 it was revealed that she had been using campaign funds to pay for personal purchases and expenses.

“It started off really kind of innocuous, that I’d take a little bit of money from here, to use it for here, and I’ll put it back. It just really snowballed,”

Kacie said.

“And so I found myself kind of like, ‘Oh my God, what do I do?’ If I admit what I have done, I’m going to be in trouble, I’m going to go to prison. And the Lord said, ‘If you admit what you have done, I will be with you.’ And I am not in prison!”

“It’s kind of funny,” Kacie said, “how God used that incident to bring me to my husband.” And since, she said, her life has been “completely transformed.”

The transformation was from servant of self to servant of Christ.

“Ten years ago, it was all about me, and now, it’s all about Jesus,” Kacie said. “Probably around 2011, 2012 is really when I began to grow closer with the Lord. Internally, I really felt God shifting me from politics to Him.”

She heard God telling her that her life was about to change.

n “I remember having a talk with the Lord, and God was like, ‘Either you’re going to be for Me, or you’re going to try to please people. Which one is it?’”

– Kacie Starr Long

She was charged a $22,000 restitution fee by the city, the last of which she paid last fall.

“God is true to his word,” Kacie said. “I lost my job, I lost a lot of things, but the Lord has been with me, and I think that it’s been helpful to be able to relate to people and to tell my story of admitting what I’ve done and growing and learning from that and trying to help make the world better.”

And “the scandal,” as she called it, had a silver lining. Kacie’s future husband, Alfred Long, first noticed her through the news coverage of her political activities and eventual resignation.

“I knew God forgave her, and even then I could feel her heart,” Alfred said. “I didn’t know we were going to get married, but I felt her heart. I watched her from the beginning! She didn’t know. All the highlights – the good parts and the bad.”

“One day, I was taking a nap. And the Lord was like, ‘You know what, Kacie? Right now, everything’s about you, but one day, it’s going to be all about Me.’ As a politician, you’re very driven, and everything is about you. Because you’re constantly trying to let people know what you have done, you’re constantly trying to win the approval of people so they will vote for you.” Kacie felt the tension between her two lives then – one life as an ambitious politician, and another as someone who felt drawn to the church.

“This was right when Twitter came out, when it became really big with politicians. I remember creating two separate accounts,” Kacie said. “I had one account that was just for church people so that I could really be myself, and then I had another one that was for the campaign. I remember having a talk with the Lord, and God was like, ‘Either you’re going to be for Me, or you’re going to try to please people. Which one is it?’ So that was kind of the beginning.”

Now, she is co-pastoring a church with her husband, and her life is transformed. Running the church, she said, is “great for our marriage.” And the people in the community around CityReach have been receptive to the message that the Longs are bringing – even if some of the most devoted congregants aren’t who they expected.

by Wiley Price

Master Wizard

Master of Ceremonies at the July 3 opening of the newly expanded museum at Gateway Arch National Park was St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith. The $380 million project, paid mostly by private funding, improved the St. Louis riverfront by adding 11 acres to the park around the monument and raising the riverfront 30 inches to decrease flooding. The Museum of Westward Expansion and Gateway Arch Visitors Center received a renovation and a 46,000 square-foot addition, and the “park over the highway” land bridge was constructed to connect the waterfront to the city.

“We knew that there were a lot of children in the surrounding community, but we had no idea of how God had called us to minister to the children of the community,” Kacie said. “And, you know, we were really looking at the adults, but as we were going out to do our evangelism and knocking on doors to talk to the adults, these children kept following us. They would see us praying for the adults, and they wanted to pray, you know, they wanted to learn about Jesus, they wanted to come to church.”

Now, the Longs drive a group of kids to church themselves each Sunday, using their personal cars. “We’re really praying that God’s going to give us a van,” Long said. And their congregants – children and adults – look forward to church each week.

This winter, they thought there would be a snowstorm one Sunday, so they cancelled services. “Some of the kids called to see if we were going to church,” Kacie said. “Some of the adults texted us sad faces that we weren’t going to have service. They want to go to a place that is accepting, and we are seeing that there is a hunger for the Lord.”

The couple’s next goal is to establish transition homes, called Hope Homes, to help

people get off the streets.

This is a problem Alfred is passionate about, because he went through a similar transitional housing program while he was recovering from heroin and alcohol addiction.

“I was in Teen Challenge, a Christian drug program where you go for a year,” he said. “It’s almost like going to Bible school. You always have someone there to nurture you as you come off the streets, and you have the opportunity to get

away from your environment and to be nurtured in the word of God.”

In this, just as in founding CityReach, the Longs hope to do something no one is doing yet in St. Louis. “We found there’s a lot of programs that provide physical things,” Alfred said, “But the spiritual component is missing. But I found that that’s the only thing that could help me.”

Photo

Kenneth Gregory becomes Deputy Chief, St. Louis

County Police

St. Louis County Colonel Jon Belmar, chief of Police, announced the promotion of Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Gregory to the rank of deputy chief on Friday, June 29.

Deputy Chief Kenneth Gregory joined the Department in 1979. He served as a police officer in the North County Precinct, West County Precinct, and Municipal Services Unit. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and served in the North County Precinct and Tactical Operations Unit. When promoted to Lieutenant, he served in the West County and North County Precincts.

Kenneth Gregory

He next served at the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy as a Captain. And as a Lieutenant Colonel, Deputy Chief Gregory was the Commander of the Division of Special Operations, Division of Patrol, and most recently the Division of Criminal Investigation. Gregory received his bachelor degree from University of Missouri-Columbia. During his career, Deputy Chief Gregory has received 45 awards, commendations, and letters of appreciation.

Dr. Evelyn Hinton-Cook

Enterprise supports Save Our Sons

On July 2, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis announces that it received a $2.5 million donation from the Enterprise Holdings Foundation and from the Enterprise’s owners, the Taylor family. Of that amount, $1 million will help fund the organization’s Save Our Sons program and $1.5 million will support the Centennial Campaign that marks the League’s 100th anniversary in St. Louis. “Time and time again, the Taylors and Enterprise have been there for us, and we’re most grateful to them for this generous gift and their longstanding support for the Urban League movement, both at the local and national levels,” said Michael McMillan, President and CEO of the Urban League of

Metropolitan St. Louis. “Here in St. Louis, they clearly share our commitment to expanding educational and economic development

Dismantling the DiviDe It’s time to dismantle TIFs as tool of segregation

By Molly Metzger

Special to The American

In the words of my Washington University colleague Jason Purnell, Saint Louis has been a true “innovator” when it comes to segregation. Purnell and a number of community partners recently released the report “Segregation in St. Louis: Dismantling the Divide.” The report demonstrated segregation tools did not stop with the racial zoning of the 1910s or the restrictive covenants that followed. One of today’s frontiers for innovation in segregation is the misuse of tax incentives, such as TIF and tax abatement, created to support “blighted” areas. “Blight” is a fraught term.

When most people think of blight, they think of neighborhoods with abandoned homes and storefronts: places truly in need of public and private investment.

Unfortunately, what passes for blight in the St. Louis region

includes St. Charles ($55 million in TIF for the “Streets of St. Charles”), downtown Clayton ($75 million in TIF for the Centene Corporation), and the Central West End (where the Citizen Park, One Hundred, and Whole Foods/Orion projects sum to more than $40 million in incentives).

These are just a few recent examples of the broader pattern incentive use, in which public investment flows disproportionately into the City’s central corridor and westward from there. How on earth could the truly disinvested parts of our region compete for investment, when the wealthiest corporations in our region are benefiting from tax incentives in the places that are least in need?

port for small businesses—is hampered by the loss of tax revenues to incentive abuses.

Public education, which relies overwhelmingly on property taxes, is particularly hard hit when TIF and tax abatement are misused. Reform of TIF and other tax incentives would work best at the state level, so that all municipalities on the Missouri side of our region are playing by the same set of rules.

applications online, disclosing revenue lost and gained, and recording all relevant hearings. Perhaps most importantly, reform efforts should target incentives to the areas most in need of investment. A project’s eligibility for incentives should be a function not only of the physical conditions on the site, but also the economic conditions of the surrounding area.

Moreover, our ability to invest equitably in the people of St. Louis—for instance through education, public health programs, and sup-

Unfortunately, when a piece of TIF reform legislation (HB 1236) started moving in the Missouri house last session, the City sent its lobbyist there to oppose it. Among other things, this bill would have given school districts a stronger voice in TIF decisions. Additional reforms could increase transparency to the process of allocating tax incentives. Reform measures could include posting

We have gotten skilled in this region at dropping the term “racial equity” when politically expedient. It is time to back that language up with some action on tax incentives. The growing number of St. Louisans who care about racial equity can tell the difference between empty rhetoric and tangible results.

Molly Metzger is an assistant professor in the Brown School at Washington University. She is also a member of “Team TIF,” a volunteer group working to bring transparency and a racial equity lens to tax incentives and other matters of public finance.

Guest Columnist

Molly Metzger

Sounds like the Rex Sinquefield-controlled nonprofit Grow Missouri Inc. just got the boot from handling online community outreach on the airport privatization deal –and the contract with St. Louis city hasn’t even been executed yet.

Grow Missouri, an organization funded by retired financer

Rex Sinquefield, is leading the team that is providing consulting for St. Louis city over the next 18 to 24 months on whether or not they should lease out some or all of its biggest asset – St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Grow Missouri is paying for all the consulting costs upfront, but would get all that money back if a deal is signed.

The organization launched www.fly314.com to keep the public informed on various aspects of the deal and is also active on social media. Although the contract has not been signed by all parties and executed, the mayor’s office has already been sending media inquiries to Grow Missouri as if they are the official spokesman on the deal.

Grow Missouri answers directly to the city’s Airport Advisory Working Group, which includes representatives from the offices of the mayor, comptroller and president of the Board of Aldermen – along with Alderwoman Marlene Davis, the head of the aldermanic transportation committee, and Lambert’s director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge

The city’s budget director, Paul Payne, leads the group –thank God for small mercies. Payne is an ardent advocate for informing the public and for real transparency. And he didn’t fail us at the Working Group’s first meeting on July 2. At the Monday meeting, Payne said that fly314.com needs to provide information and not “editorial.”

“We want to make sure that they’re not going, ‘Hey, what a great idea,’ or ‘This is what you want to do,’” Payne said. “I’ll give you a prime example.” Payne said he looked on the website’s “transparency portal.” There were statements and press releases posted after the members of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (E&A) – which includes Mayor

Non-transparency before takeoff

Lyda Krewson, aldermanic

President Lewis Reed and Comptroller Darlene Green – voted 2-1 to approve the contract with Grow Missouri’s team. The comptroller voted against the contract, while Krewson and Reed voted for it.

“I see the mayor’s press release,” Payne said. “I see the president’s press release. But the comptroller’s release is not on there. They can’t do that. They should have full disclosure, put it out there, and every opinion should be represented.”

Hamm-Niebruegge jumped in as well.

“To tag onto that, Friday I think there were two posts,” she said. “One was from the Missouri Chamber Dan Mehan and the other was from one of the union groups. Editorials about, ‘this is a good thing.’ It should be objective not subjective.”

Both Hamm-Niebruegge and Davis said, “I thought it wasn’t going to start until after this meeting.”

Davis saw a tweet over the weekend from Grow Missouri that she didn’t like, she said. A group of citizens is gathering signatures for a petition that calls for a public vote on airport privatization. She said the tweet made fun of the group’s name – St. Louis: Not For Sale.

“I don’t like that snark stuff,” Davis said. “Whoever it is coming from, it needs to stop.”

When Candice Cox founded the 501c3 organization K.H.A.O.S in 2009 she could only dream of what it is now becoming. The organization’s unique approach is to encourage individuals to Keep Healing And Overcoming Struggle (K.H.A.O.S), and that Mental Wellness is D.O.P.E

(Can't Help Acting Out Severely).The goal of Candice Cox and K.H.A.O.S is to assist individuals with overcoming barriers that prevent them from living out their purpose. They believe all individuals are experts regarding their own lives and often only need a little support to reach their goals. K.H.A.O.S understands the importance of meeting every individual where they are to teach

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That’s when Jim Garavaglia, representing the comptroller’s office suggested that the Working Group start its own website.

“Everything else is somebody else’s opinion,” Garavaglia said. “It’s somebody else’s tweet. If you want the official story of where the city is in any point in time, the information is available at the Airport Advisory Working Group website. To me, the example that you gave where someone discreetly edited out a press release can’t ever happen again.”

According to the contract, Grow Missouri will underwrite the cost of two staff positions dedicated to helping the Working Group. At the meeting, they suggested having one staff person manage this new website. They did not make any decisions on this matter Monday, however.

“You really get in trouble sometimes when you have your PR firms working for you,” Davis said, “and all of the sudden you wake up and you’re destroyed.”

Spencer isn’t messing around

On Friday, June 29, Alderwoman Cara Spencer (D-20th Ward) stood before the full Board of Alderman and asked them to approve a resolution that called on Attorney General Josh Hawley and the FBI to investigate the “alleged wrongdoing involving Northside Regeneration,” along with its owner, Paul McKee, and his representatives. McKee’s 1,500-acre redevelopment project in north St. Louis has received millions in development incentives.

It passed without opposition – not even from 5th Ward Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard, who has been one of McKee’s strongest supporters and who represents the ward that includes the majority of the redevelopment footprint.

“I want to get to the bottom of it,” Spencer told the American. “I’m not going to make any accusations but it certainly appears that some major wrongdoing has happened. I don’t think an internal

investigation is sufficient.”

The investigation would pursue allegations that McKee inflated property values to gain more state tax credits when he purchased buildings, as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported last week. The accusations arose during a trial in St. Louis Circuit Court on May 9, where Jim Osher was fighting the city’s acquisition via eminent domain of the former Buster Brown shoe factory at Jefferson and Cass avenues. In court, he used a 2011 sale of the property to McKee’s Northside Regeneration company for $3.75 million to demonstrate the building’s value.

But city officials from the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority argued in the trial that the property was only worth $573,000. The LCRA’s attorney claimed McKee inflated the purchase price of the property to receive additional tax credits from the state.

An attorney representing McKee’s Northside Regeneration company did not respond to the American’s request for comment about Spencer’s resolution.

Highway shutdown

There is a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in downtown St. Louis city. But that’s not where the 300 clergy, immigration activists and community members chose to hold their nonviolent action on Saturday, June 30. They went to Troy, Missouri.

“It’s out of our comfort zone,” said Rev. Darryl Gray one of the action’s organizers.

“You can drive 45 minutes to an hour from St. Louis, and you will find an active white supremacy community. That’s a Missouri reality. We are not afraid to step, figurativelyspeaking, into the lion’s den to let the lion know we will not be threatened. That was part of the message that we wanted to send.”

At about noon, the protestors held a rally at the Lincoln County Detention Center in Troy, where ICE is housing about seven or more immi-

grants. Several suspicious cars drove around the rally, trying to intimidate the group, but there were no confrontations with white supremacists, Gray said. Then about 100 protestors shut down the Highway 61 for about 45 minutes. No one was arrested (which was not the intention, as it sometimes is), and Gray even commended the Highway Patrol for giving three dispersal notices and not “overreacting.”

The action was part of the Families Belong Together national day of protest against president’s policy to forcibly separating children from their parents, as well as family detention centers. Gray, who was a leader during the protests after Jason Stockley’s not guilty verdict, said the Troy action was not spontaneous.

“We recognize Missouri is the heart of America, and what people have seen from Ferguson to Stockley is a very energized and committed activist community,” Gray said. “There are those around the country who are watching how activists in Missouri react to issues. We don’t take it lightly that people are watching. We go extra lengths to make sure that we are planning in advance, that we walk it through.”

The president has essentially declared war on people of color, Gray said. And black activists will stand alongside their brown brothers and sisters to fight against this administration’s racism, (and quite frankly, terrorism against black and brown people.) The president should actually be grateful for these activists, he said because people are angry.

“We try to make a difference through nonviolence so those who really are tired won’t seek other means,” Gray said. “We are the last line of defense in this war.”

Also on Saturday, Gray was named the chairperson of the Progressive Caucus of the Missouri Democratic Party. He said he spent 40 years with the Southern Christian Conference and has been organizing in St. Louis since 2016. Gray said, “I’m thankful for the challenge.”

at  6:30pm  at  Anew  Rooftop  as  we  present  our second  annual  “Excellence  in  Poverty  Journalism  Awards”  to  honor  reporters  committed  to writing  in-­‐depth  stories  about  race,  class,  and  poverty  in  St.  Louis.  Data  shows  that  poverty journalism  is  rare,  and  stories  providing  historical,  systemic  context  are  even  more  infrequent. The  lack  of  coverage  limits  public  awareness  and  understanding  of  the  issues  facing  the  poor and  people  of  color  in  our  community. At  this  year’s  awards  ceremony,  ArchCity  will  be  honoring  Dr.  Donald  Suggs,  Publisher  and Executive  Editor  of  the  St.  Louis  American,  with  the  Lifetime  Achievement  Award  in  Poverty Journalism.  For  more  than  three  decades,  Dr.  Suggs  has  shown  unflagging  dedication  to reporting  and  publishing  stories  that  raise  critical  awareness  of  the  overwhelming  obstacles that  poor  people  face  in  our  region.    In  an  evolving  media  landscape,  factual  reporting  on  issues impacting  the  poor  and  communities  of  color,  is  something  to  be  celebrated  and  encouraged. ArchCity  Defenders  invited  the  community  to  nominate  regional  journalists  who  published  a digital/print  or  audio/visual  piece  between  April  1,  2017  and  May  1,  2018. Winners  and  honorable  mentions  were  selected  by  a  three-­‐person  panel  and  will  be  publicly announced  at  the  event.  A  link  to  more  info  on  the  Awards  and  nomination  process  can  be found  via  the  Facebook  event.  The  Awards  are  free  and  open  to  the  public,  but  registration  is strongly  encouraged.  Click  here  to  register  via  Brown  Paper  Tickets. Thanks  to  our  co-­‐host,  Big  Brothers  Big  Sisters  of  Eastern  Missouri,  and  to  Designer  Adam Jankowski  for  creating  content  for  this  year’s  Awards.

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

The Airport Advisory Working Group held its first meeting on July 2.

Settlement at Bridgeton Landfill

Residents comment on CDC report on higher cancer incidence from Coldwater Creek

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

On June 29, owners of the Bridgeton Landfill agreed to pay $16 million to settle a 2013 state lawsuit over its handling of a smoldering underground fire that residents have for years blamed for respirator health issues and foul odors. The agreement terms approved by St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Jamison, state that Bridgeton Landfill LLC, Allied Services LLC and waste-management company Republic Services will put $12.5 million in a Community Project Fund, administered by St. Louis Community Foundation, to “prioritize projects which promote the bet-

n ATSDR recommendation: share potential exposure related to Coldwater Creek in your medical history

terment of the environment, public health and safety, and the welfare of the people in the communities near the Bridgeton Landfill.”

The owners agreed to pay $3.5 million in penalties and damages to the state, totaling a $16 million settlement. The smoldering

underground waste is near buried radioactive waste.

A few miles north, in a set of public meetings held June 27 and 28, hundreds of former and current residents who live or grew up near Coldwater Creek in Hazelwood, Berkeley and other areas in North St. Louis County, came to St. Mark United Methodist Church in Florissant to hear from the CDC what residents have been telling federal authorities for years – that people who grew up and played in the creek have higher incidences of certain types of cancers.

The report concluded that residents who

See LANDFILL, A11

MO ABLE allows people with disabilities to save without losing benefits

Hundreds of Missourians with disabilities and their families have accumulated a combined total of over $2.2 million in savings for their long-term needs through the MO ABLE program since it was launched by state Treasurer Eric Schmitt one year ago. MO ABLE empowers people with disabilities to save and invest through tax-free savings accounts without losing eligibility for federal programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The program is made possible by the Missouri Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2015 – legislation championed by Schmitt (whose son Stephen lives with several disabilities) during his time in the Missouri Senate. Missourians who contribute to MO ABLE accounts are eligible for a tax deduction of up to $8,000 or $16,000 if married and filing jointly. Earnings in MO ABLE accounts are not subject to income tax, so long as funds are spent on qualified disability expenses. Before the launch of MO ABLE, individuals with disabilities were only allowed a maximum of $2,000 in savings before losing access to certain benefits and services. Last year, Schmitt launched the MO ABLE Disability Savings Coalition,

consisting of government entities, resource centers and advocacy organizations, to raise awareness of the program. He also joined forces with Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs to call on federal lawmakers to increase the amount of money earned at a job that an individual with a disability can save and invest in an ABLE account. Those changes, known as ABLE to Work, were passed by Congress in December as part of the federal tax reform package.

An initial contribution of at least $50 is required in order to set up a MO ABLE account. Eligible individuals can sign up for an account at www.moable.com.

By Nicole Robinson

For The St. Louis American

Today I’m eagerly awaiting my birthdate. It’s not the traditional birthday celebration, but for me, it’s a bitter sweet milestone of survivorship. On August 24, I’m celebrating life. August is the month I was reborn into new hope, a second chance at living my best life after cancer.

At the age of 46, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Invasive Mammary Carcinoma, “breast cancer” as we know it. I haphazardly dismissed and ignored all the warning signs my body loudly screamed before being diagnosed. And so, it began, in March 2014, right after I had my Valentine’s Day mammogram. My then somewhat simple life was abruptly put on hold as I grappled with the big “C.”

Nicole Robinson

Like others who are given the news of cancer; I thought, “Why me, why now?” For some, the word “cancer” perpetuates fear and a death sentence, but for me, it was my new beginning. The universe has a way of revealing small pieces of your destiny through tragedy; it’s a road map that leads to purpose.

My diagnosis transformed my whole being. I found purpose and ministry through my struggles in dealing with cancer.

My journey began the night of my first chemotherapy treatment; remembering thoughts of other patients huddled in one room receiving treatment. I thought, “What could I do, how could I help?”

I was gifted with an idea to give hats to chemo patients. That night I started a Facebook page, Hatz 4 Hearts. I wanted to start a foundation with one thing in mind: giving hats to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy who were losing their hair. It was my gift of hope, but little did I know, it would become much more. It was a not only a gift to others but my therapy toward healing during my battle with fighting and surviving cancer.

n Losing your hair can be such a traumatic experience, especially for a woman whose identity is tied to her hair.

After being diagnosed, I was immediately thrust into the unknown world of cancer, which brought with it unexpected life shifts, dealing with emotions of fear and uncertainty. My new normal was scans, biopsies, surgery, chemotherapy and then radiation treatment. The real silent killer is the cost of battling the disease.

Before my diagnosis, I knew nothing about chemo because I didn’t know of anyone who had battled cancer before me. With all the horror stories swirling around chemo and the debilitating side effects, I was only concerned about losing my hair. Losing your hair can be such a traumatic experience, especially for a woman whose identity is tied to her hair.

Surviving cancer is a continual fight. You pay the ultimate price of physical and mental scars. Also, the cost of the disease can be financially debilitating. Interesting enough, no one ever speaks of the financial burden and cost associated with cancer and chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

Before being diagnosed with cancer, I was fortunate enough to have what I considered to be one of the best insurances as a federal employee. But little did I know, even having the best insurance didn’t cover my treatment. Although treatment is available to many, there are some who can’t afford treatment.

Bone cancer patient Robert Liddell and his wife, Dionne, try to locate the area where he grew up in Berkeley, Missouri and played in Coldwater Creek on maps by the Army Corps of Engineers at a public meeting at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Florissant, Missouri on June 28.

Photo by Wiley Price

A public health approach to gun violence would save lives

Reductions in deaths by tobacco and automobiles provide templates

By Daniel S. Blumenthal

For The St. Louis American

On March 14 of this year, students across the U.S. left class for 17 minutes – one minute for every person killed in the Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School massacre. It is a bit disheartening to realize that, if the students had instead chosen to stay out of class one minute for every person killed by gunfire in the U.S. during one year, they would have skipped school for nearly five months –the rest of the spring semester and a couple of months into the fall term.

Gunfire is a public health problem that accounts for an average of about 35,000 deaths a year in this country, and about twice that number of nonfatal injuries. And as a public health problem, a public health approach is the best way to attempt to reduce the casualties. A public health approach has been used in addressing other causes of death and injury and has not required that the causative instrument be outlawed or confiscated. Take, for instance, automobiles. Cars are a major source of death and disability, but we don’t ban them. By innovation, regulation, and public acceptance of that regulation, we have reduced road deaths from 9.35 per 100 million miles travelled in 1946 to 1.18 in 2016. We did this by offering, then requiring, seat belts, child safety seats, and air bags. We introduced federal safety standards and mandatory reporting of defects by carmakers. There was pushback against many of the requirements when they were first proposed, but eventually

n Gunfire is a public health problem that accounts for an average of about 35,000 deaths a year in this country, and about twice that number of non-fatal injuries.

they came to be accepted and embraced by most of the public. But motor vehicles – unlike guns – are essential to our daily lives, so perhaps a better example is tobacco. Smoking is responsible for over 400,000 deaths per year, but we do not ban tobacco. Rather, we have taken steps such as requiring warning labels on cigarette packages, raising tobacco taxes, enforcing age limits, expanding educational programs, and instituting smoke-free workplaces, restaurants, and airplanes. In so doing, we have reduced smoking rates from around 50 percent of adults in the 1950s to about 15 percent currently. If we took a public health approach, there are many things that we could do to reduce gun-related death and injury short of banning or confiscating guns. These include universal background checks (currently 22 percent of gun sales take place without one), age limits on gun purchases (at least 21 for all guns), ending immunity for firearms manufacturers (much as tobacco companies do not have immunity), and taking advantage of available technological safety measures to make safer guns.

Perhaps the most important factor in the reduction of smoking rates has been the change in public perspective and the general lack of acceptance of smoking. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was the norm to smoke almost any place and any time. Now, the few remaining smokers must often stand out on the sidewalk to light up, even in bad weather.

Similarly, a change in public perspective will be an essential

LANDFILL

Continued from A10

regularly played or lived along Coldwater creek for many years in the 1960s to 1990s, downstream from historical radioactive waste storage piles, may have an increased risk of bone or lung cancer, leukemia, or to a lesser extent, skin or breast cancer. For more recent years (2000 and onward), the ATSDR said there may be increased risk of bone or lung cancer for persons living in those areas.

Robert Liddell told the data evaluators and meeting attendees that he has had both knees and several fingers removed due to bone cancer. The Florissant resident grew up in Berkeley, Mo.

“Nobody in my family has cancer and I started getting cancer at 39 years old,” Liddell

ROBINSON

Continued from A10

It’s the unspoken truth. There are people within a specific socioeconomic status who can’t afford the cost of treatment. They are the forgotten; they are underserved.

told the American. Liddell also said he was the only one in his family that, as a child, played in Coldwater Creek.

“No medical history for him – and his doctors were like, ‘We don’t know how you ended up with this cancer,’” his wife, Dionne Liddell said. “The type of cancer that he has, the bone cancer – they said it’s a childhood cancer and he got it at 39.”

The creek and nearby grounds along it were contaminated with uranium processing residue left from the development of atomic weapons, which were improperly stored near the creek and in other locations in the St. Louis area starting in the 1940s.

Remediation has been taking place in recent years to clean up contamination found in yards and businesses along Coldwater Creek from FUSRAP, the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action

I can recall the day I was told my insurance didn’t cover one of my cancer drugs that cost $5,000. That day I took a deep breath and said, “How?” I was fortunate enough to have a credit card, but everyone doesn’t have that luxury. I stayed in graduate school during treatment and used student loans to help fund my treatment. That’s why I’m in this space. Something must

component of the struggle to reduce deaths from gun violence. The “March for Our Lives” this past March, another school walkout in April, and demonstrations outside the NRA convention in May may be the first events in this shift. But education, as with other public health problems,

Program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

At the meetings in Florissant, residents wanted to know, “Is this another Times Beach?” or “Who can we sue?”

However, representatives of the federal public health Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which is part of U.S. Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, went over its recently released draft health assessment report, “Evaluations of Community Exposures Related to Coldwater Creek,” its conclusions and recommendations.

One ATSDR recommendation is that potentially exposed residents or former residents share their potential exposure related to Coldwater Creek as part of their medical history and to consult their physicians promptly if new or unusual symptoms develop. It also recommends that the state consid-

change; cancer treatments cost, but is everyone receiving the same level of care?

As the prevalence of cancer-related diagnoses and deaths continue to be the highest amongst the AfricanAmerican community, my foundation is focused on continuing our efforts to serve others.

I refuse to be defeated.

will also be a big part of changing that perspective. For instance, more gun-related education may help expose the folly of keeping a gun in the home for protection. It is far more likely that the person to be shot will be a friend or relative rather than an intruder. Ultimately, it is this change

er updating analyses on cancer incidence, cancer mortality, and birth defects, as feasible and the ATSDR will provide technical support, upon request, to update cancer incidence or mortality studies in the area and identify public health actions needed.

They do not recommend general disease screening of past or present residents living by Coldwater Creek, because “predicted increases in the number of cancer cases from exposures are small, and no method exists to link a particular cancer with this exposure.”

ATSDR recommends that the FUSRAP program continue investigating and cleaning up Coldwater Creek sediments and floodplain soils to meet regulatory goals and recommended areas for future sampling. Those locations include places that received soil or sediment moved from the Coldwater Creek floodplain; areas where

Sometimes we must fight that negative chatter that goes on in our mind. Every day I wrestle with the thoughts of “what if?” but I serve a higher power which governs my path, who knows my beginning and my ending. With that, my fight is continual. I will fight as an advocate to change the narrative. I am that voice who will no longer be silent about

in public perspective that will facilitate the election of public officials who are willing to consider tighter regulations on gun safety and gun sales – just as it was a change in public perspective that facilitated the election of public officials who were willing to consider restrictions on tobacco use and sales.

sediment deposited by flooding of major residential tributaries to Coldwater Creek; sediment or soil remaining in basements that were directly flooded by Coldwater Creek in the past; and indoor dust in homes where yards have been cleaned up or require cleanup.

The ATSDR recommends signs to inform residents and visitors of potential exposure risks in areas around Coldwater Creek not yet investigated or cleaned up.

The draft report is open for public comment until the end of August, and ATSDR invited the public to comment on the report. The public comment process gives residents the opportunity to review the report and provide their input.

ATSDR’s responses to those comments will be included in the appendix of the final report. Comments on the report must be submitted in writing by August 31, 2018

In April, about 400 St. Louis high school students gathered in front of Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office at noon to rally against gun violence as part of a national school walkout. If students stayed out of class one minute for every person killed by gunfire in the U.S. during one year, they would skip school for nearly five months.

Daniel S. Blumenthal, MD, MPH, is immediate past president of the American College of Preventive Medicine and professor emeritus of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

the effects of cancer in all areas: mentally, physically, and financially. It’s about making small changes in your lifestyle, being present and vulnerable to tell your truth to help others regarding your breast health. I’m most proud of Hatz 4 Hearts and what it means to me; it’s my gift, my ministry, and my reminder of my beginning. If cancer doesn’t take a break, neither will I. This year focuses on community advocacy in serving underserved communities. With your help, together, we can change the narrative. For more information, visit www.hatz4hearts.org. to ATSDRRecordsCenter@ cdc.gov, or mailed to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Attn: Records Center Re: Coldwater Creek, North St. Louis County, MO; 4770 Buford Highway, NE (MS F-09), Atlanta, GA 30341. In response to the Coldwater Creek recommendations, the St. Louis County Council is drafting legislation that, if approved, will post warning signs along the creek. During regular business hours, a copy of the draft ATSDR report on Coldwater Creek is available for review at the Florissant Valley branch of the St. Louis County Library, 195 New Florissant Road, Florissant, Missouri, 63031. Alternatively, read the Coldwater Creek report online at https://tinyurl.com/coldwatercreekrecs.

Photo by Wiley Price

SLPS College and Career Center clean up the summer melt

By Ashley Jones

For The St. Louis American

Summer melt is a national phenomenon where almost 40 percent of low-income, minority students who have been admitted to college will not be enrolled come August, and it is real. Students not considering the college path, or still haven’t started their process still must ask themselves, ‘Now what?’

Now until the end of July, St. Louis Public Schools is piloting a Summer College and Career Center where students can drop in, meet one-on-one with a counselor and finalize plans for that next chapter, whether it’s college, pursuing a trade, or finding a job.

“My biggest goal is they feel confident when they leave our center,” said Director of SLPS Summer College and Career Center, Samantha Lurie. “It’s a scary transition, graduating from high school and then figuring out what’s next. So we wanted to make sure that we extended our services through the summer because we know a lot of times when you’re focused on graduating from high school you just might not have a clear mind in terms of what’s next for you.”

According to the Lumina Foundation, starting this year 59 percent of all jobs in Missouri will require some form of postsecondary education and this percentage is only expected to rise. With this statistic in mind, recent St. Louis public high school graduates are encouraged to visit the Center for college and career counseling including: deciding on the right school, making the best financial decisions, securing housing, sending

transcripts and more.

“Our mission is to make sure that students have a plan whether it is a career path or a college path and to understand what their options are and to provide all of the support necessary to make sure that they are able to choose a path and continue in that path and that they are set up for success,” Lurie said.

The center originated from a nonprofit organization St. Louis Graduates, that was located on the Delmar Loop. When it lost funding, Dr. Beth Bender, associate superintendent of College and Career Readiness, decided to take on the initiative because 50 percent of the students served at that center were SLPS graduates.

“Our students deserve to not be stressed out,” Lurie said. “They’ve worked extremely hard, and we want to make sure that they’re able to get off to college with ease. It only takes one piece of paperwork to not be filled out correctly for you to not be able to matriculate to college.”

At the center is a rotating staff of different counselors, college admissions specialist, and college advisors who work

for the district meaning all employees are already district employees familiar with doing this work.

“It’s important so that our students can have a path, can feel fulfilled, be able to support their family in the future, and really just grow and develop,” Lurie said. “We hope that everybody will take advantage, and this is something that we would love to continue to grow in the future as this is our first time having it within the SLPS building.”

They’ve had the National Guard there helping with enlistment, and can help with other branches also if the students came in asking for that. Other career preparedness services they provide are mock interviews and advice about companies that are still hiring high school graduates.

“Kind of a Band-Aid thing, whatever people need we’re trying to be there to do,” said College Admissions Specialist and Counselor for the center, Monica Nickolai.

“I think that it’s important that people know that sometimes all a young student needs is a little extra push from a concerned family member or a friend or something like that, and we would love for a concerned community member to bring a teenager that they know in with them today.”

The SLPS Summer College and Career Center is open now until July 26 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Call 314345-4580 to make an appointment or just stop in at SLPS Summer College and Career Center SLPS Central Office 801 N. 11th Street St. Louis, MO 63101.

Singularity University, T-Rex, Janus Choice, and other partners presented Conquering the Digital Divide on June 14 at T-Rex headquarters in St. Louis to kick off Singularity University’s St. Louis Chapter. The event was intended to inspire equity as our world digitally advances in order to reach underserved communities as well as widen our perception of the future.

‘Conquering the digital divide’

Singularity University’s St. Louis Chapter kicks off at T-Rex

Lt. Gen. Darryl. A. Williams is first black officer to command West Point. He became the military academy’s 60th superintendent during a ceremony Monday morning. Williams, a native of Alexandria, Virginia and a 1983 U.S. Military Academy graduate, previiously held highranking Army posts in Europe and Asia, most recently as commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command, based in Turkey.

Evelyn Woods was nominated for the 2018-2019 National LifeChanger of the Year Award. The principal of Grannemann Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District participates in gradelevel collaborative meetings and in the National SAM Innovation Project, which is a professional development process to change a principal’s focus from school management tasks to instructional leadership.

Maurice Allen joined Midland States Bank as community development mortgage consultant. He is responsible for originating FHA/VA/ USDA, conventional, jumbo, and portfolio mortgages for residential real estate purchases. He also conducts one-on-one counseling and problem solving for financial, credit, and budget issues in order to qualify clients for affordable home ownership.

By Ashley Jones

For The St. Louis American

Flying automotive vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI) assistants, and manufacturing off the planet are the future of tomorrow, according to lead technology companies such as Singularity University, T-Rex, Janus Choice, and other partners who came together on June 14 at T-Rex headquarters in St. Louis to kick off Singularity University’s St. Louis Chapter. The event, Conquering the Digital Divide, was intended to inspire equity as the world

digitally advances in order to reach underserved communities as well as widen the perception of the future.

The keynote speaker was Rob Nail, CEO and associate founder for Singularity University. He took the audience into a “rabbit hole of the future,” highlighting the major changes that will occur in less than 10 years between AI, block chain, connectivity, digital biology, energy, and the final frontier.

“If I would have told you that the phone was going to be a teacher and a doctor, and that there are tens and millions of applications free

to everyone around the world, you would have thought that I was crazy, and here we are,” Nail said.

Nail’s examples of businesses and technology that can transform the future included the technology behind solar power, Project Loon that got Puerto Rico online in two days after the hurricane, a startup company called Made in Space that does its manufacturing off the planet, and the sequencing of the human genome to help cure genetic disorders in human embryos.

See T-REX, B6

Selling St. Louis

By Ashley Jones

For the St. Louis American

Anaja “AJ” Sander recently joined the Explore St. Louis team as director of Community Engagement. In her new role, Sander serves as the primary community representative for Explore St. Louis, the region’s tourism and convention bureau, as well as the lead ambassador for the St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation. She will also guide several committees and maintain and develop key relationships with external contacts, elected officials and the community.

Anaja ‘AJ’ Sander joins Explore St. Louis as director of Community Engagement n “I’m open to anything that involves loving this community because I genuinely love this community.”

– Anaja “AJ” Sander

“I have three roles here,” Sander said. “Through the Explore role, I try to get on the community’s calendar, see what’s going on, and meet people to make sure that whatever we do on the inside of explore matches what the community needs. The additional part of that is the St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation to make sure that we’re

mobilizing leaders that are already here and the built-in residents to lift that pride up a little bit and educate them on what’s actually going on in St Louis.” They complete their mission of civic pride through a program that focuses on active tourism called the St. Louis Champions. “That program is geared towards a 20- to 40-year-old age range,” Sander said. “It is under the parent of the St. Louis civic Pride Foundation. The goal of that is to use it as a social learning route where they will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes and do some hardhat-type touring and interviews and things like that so they can actually learn and help build a feel of civic pride in St. Louis.”

Explore St. Louis is the driving force behind St. Louis’ $5 billion convention and tourism industry, the official destination marketing

See SANDER, B2

Jacqueline Meaders Booth joined the Board of Directors of The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis. She is manager of career and employment services for St. Louis Community College-Meramec. She has worked in higher education for 22 years, having held positions in student services at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Mississippi State University and University of Arkansas-Monticello.

Michael Woods published a new book of his poetry, “Dark Matter.” He previously published “I Will Never Kill a Black Man,” a book of his poetry; “Which is Best Test,” his children’s workbook; and “Voices,” a collection he edited. He is also the co-founder (with Neal Richardson) and executive director of Dream Builders 4 Equity, which supports young people with owning and rehabbing real estate located in low-income and highly distressed communities.

Sonni Fort Nolan was appointed to the Board of Directors of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. She is a partner at Husch Blackwell and brings extensive business knowledge to her role on the board. Nolan has 18 years of experience in business strategy and labor and employment litigation and her practice includes several industries, including technology,

Darryl A. Williams

Maurice Allen

Sonni Fort Nolan

Michael Woods

Evelyn Woods

Jacqueline Meaders Booth

Photo by Ashley Jones

Anaja “AJ” Sander is the new director of Community Engagement for Explore St. Louis, the region’s tourism and convention bureau.

Photo by Wiley Price

RBC enriches St. Louis start-ups with Entrepreneur Connector Initiative

By Ashley Jones

For The St. Louis American

The Regional Business Council has matched fifteen member organizations with fifteen entrepreneurs for a year of mentoring and guidance.

This year the Entrepreneur Connector Initiative has teamed up with Arch Grants, Brazen St. Louis, and Cultivation Capital to assist with identifying and hand-picking promising start-up leaders.

“The Regional Business Council is a consortium of 100 CEOs of large companies, and what we want to do is really help the entrepreneurial sector,” said President and CEO at Regional Business Council Kathy Osborn. “So what we’ve done today is brought some of our CEOs together with a group of our entrepreneurs that are matched and they are going to be working together over the

next year.”

To kickoff the second year of the program, selected participants and their mentor counterparts will gather for the Initiative’s Opening Reception at Washington University’s Knight Center on June 21, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Participating entrepreneurs benefit from direct coaching with CEOs and also from the chance to grow their professional networks among RBC’s business community.

“What we hope is to help to encourage the new entrepreneurs,” Osborn said. “Also, if there are some skills that we have that we might be able to impart, we certainly want to do that and learn more about these companies and hope to help them grow.”

The Regional Business Council, founded in 2000, is a consortium of 100 presidents and chief executive officers of

n “What we hope is to help to encourage the new entrepreneurs.”

– President and CEO at Regional Business Council Kathy

Osborn

mid- to large-sized companies in St. Louis. These companies are leaders in the region, employing over 120,000 people and generating over $65 billion in revenue annually.

The mission of the RBC is to unite and engage members to act on high-impact business, civic and philanthropic affairs for the betterment of the St. Louis region. With the Entrepreneur Connector Initiative, the RBC encourages the healthy growth of new businesses and supports the future of St. Louis’s new economy.

“Kathy and I were discussing how can the RBC help

startup communities,” said Initiative founder and CEO of its partner, Cultivation Capital, Brian Matthews. “We thought a mentorship program where we connect the larger companies to these earlier stage companies ... help them grow their business, and make business decisions by introducing them to other companies, customers, or potential employees.”

Arch Grants and Cultivation Capital both invest in the futures of St. Louis start-ups. Arch Grants offers a $50,000, highly-competitive equity-free grant and other professional support to early-stage entrepre-

neurs. “For us, the key to that is making sure the entrepreneurial community and the established business communities are not only interacting and know each other, but they are actively working to build one another, and particularly for the business community to help to build the startups and the new companies that are coming here,” said Emily Lohse-Busch, executive director at Arch Grants.

Cultivation Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in accelerator programs and establishes seed funds for start-ups, like the Spirit of St. Louis Fund 1, which they helped establish in 2017.

“It’s a very serendipitous thing,” Matthews said. “You never know when that introduction or that advice that seems so normal to a person with grey hair could change the trajectory

St. Louis needs a workforce revolution

of a company.”

The Initiative’s partners have selected a variety of start-ups, ranging from new clean-energy technologies to fashionable swimwear designers. For example, Shayba Muhammad is the designer and founder of Mahnal Jewelry. She recently won the Brazen pitch competition and was recommended for the program through the partner.

“I’m just hoping I can make some valuable connections and learn a lot and take it with me to grow and scale my business, but also everything that I learn will fall back into the makers program and offering it back to other people,” Muhammad said.

For more information on the Regional Business Council and their initiatives you can visit http://stlrbc.org, email rbcadmin@stlrbc.org, or call 314225-2100.

By Alice M. Prince For the St. Louis American

We need a workforce rev-

olution. How fitting for a revolution to be sparked inside of me in the great City of Boston as I attended this year’s U.S. Conference of Mayors. As I walked in and out of the learning sessions, I kept thinking over-and-over again, “We need a workforce revolu-

tion!” My heart pumped with fire. My hands trembled with excitement. My eyes bucked with amazement. My ears rung out … it’s time for a workforce revolution. I came back to Saint Louis, Missouri fired up and ready to spark the workforce revolution in my City. At the conference, hundreds of mayors from cities around the country convene to hear best practices, learn from one another, and gain information about other issues that impact cities on the local level. Although I am not a mayor, I work for Mayor Lyda Krewson of the City of St. Louis. My appointment to lead the workforce efforts in the City of St. Louis came on September 5, 2017. This appointment changed my life and I hope it will change the lives of people living in my City. My approach to workforce is to be intentional, aggressive, and unapologetic. My goal leaving the conference was to start a workforce revolution in my City and light

n We need a workforce revolution to change the trajectory of our community, our future, our politics, and most importantly the way we handle our most precious capital – human capital.

the fire to spark a workforce revolution in other cities across our country. The City of St. Louis, like other cities around the country, are plagued with high murder, crimes and unemployment rates. Something has to change. We need a workforce revolution to change the trajectory of our community, our future,

SANDER

continued from page B1

organization of St. Louis city and county and operator of the America’s Center Convention Complex. Sander’s new role holds a lot of responsibility when it comes to the image of St. Louis.

“With responsibility comes accountability, and I’m all ready for that,” Sander said.

“To even be a trailblazer in that there’s going to be times a decision may be made and everyone may not like that. I feel honored that Explore would consider me in this role, and I’m honored that the community so far has been ecstatic and has embraced me with open arms to do so and to help out. I’m open to learn. I’m open to accountability. I’m open to anything that involves loving this community because I genuinely love this community.”

Prior to joining Explore St. Louis, Sander served in a variety of capacities for the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, including district director and district executive.

our politics, and most importantly the way we handle our most precious capital – human capital. Saint Louis, like many other cities has had its share of systematic oppression, depression, and disenfranchisement on multiple levels. We need a workforce revolution to aggressively, intentionally and unapologetically address the issues of our communities before our existence as humans become obsolete. A workforce revolution is needed desperately. A workforce revolution will give hope to the hopeless and be the voice for the voiceless. A workforce revolution will allow communities which expe-

She also served as Youth Ministries director for the Salvation Army and was a youth minister for the South Side Christian Center.

“Back when I worked at the Salvation Army, the community that I worked with struggled quite a bit,” Sander said. “They had a lot of poverty, they had a lot of parents on drugs in some cases, and they had a lot of youth that were not interested in education at all because they had already advanced into adult situations, so they were paying more attention to taking care of their daily needs on their own than whatever they need to just be a kid and have fun.”

Sander recalls one of her most memorable times working for her previous occupation that involved St. Louis youth.

“When I went to the center that I worked for, I had to suspend one of my kids because he did some things with the fire extinguisher,” Sander said. “He was so angry, he was like, ‘I hate you, I hate you.’ While he was on suspension, his father was shot and killed. When his

rience the greatest struggles to turn their struggles into upward steps of strength, their pain into pillars of power, the hurt will become community heroes, and the most unlikely to succeed will become their neighborhood’s most valuable player. The workforce revolution will create multiple pathways to prosperity for everyone.

I established a theory called the “Cyclical Dependency Theory,” which simply demonstrates the impact of similar characteristics that possibly transferred from generation-to-generation

father was shot and killed, he came to my office and he said, ‘AJ, I need you to come to the funeral.’ And I can tell you out of any experience I have ever had, I learned that it doesn’t really matter what it looks like on the surface. It ended up being that I was the only person that he had invited. And that sticks with me in these types of roles where you never really know the impact that you have. To just be honest and make sure that you hold up truth and you are genuine with everyone that you encounter – nothing can go wrong from that.” As director of Community Engagement, her job requires meeting new people within the community. Sander encourages people to feel free to reach out to her.

“Come meet me, tell me where you are at so I can come find you,” Sander said. “Come out and get into the community.”

For more information, visit https://explorestlouis.com.

Ashley Jones is an Emma Bowen Foundation editorial intern at The St. Louis American, supported by a grant from the Democracy Fund.

Alice M. Prince

n “I’m here to stay.”

— Paul George, announcing his intention to remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder

Sports

Mozeliak calls out Dexter Fowler as Cards seem to play ‘blame the black man’

~ See ‘Sports Eye’ page B4 ~

St. Louis American Prep Athletes of the Year

By Earl Austin Jr.

Of the St. Louis American

It is time to take our final look back at the 2017-18 high school season with our annual list of St. Louis American Prep Athletes of the Year in the different sports.

Football (Offense): Hassan Haskins (Eureka) – The standout running back had a tremendous senior season as he rushed for 2,197 yards and scored 34 touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 12-1 record and a berth in the Class 6 state semifinals. He will play football at the University of Michigan in the fall.

Football (Defense): Ronnie Perkins (Lutheran North) –The All-Star defensive tackle had a big senior year with 73 solo tackles, 15 quarterback sacks and 18 tackles for losses in leading the Crusaders to a 12-1 record and a berth in the Class 2 state semifinals. He will play at Oklahoma University in the fall.

Boys Basketball: Courtney Ramey (Webster Groves) – The standout point guard led the Statesmen to their second consecutive Class 5 state championship. He was also selected Mr. Show-Me Basketball in the state of Missouri. He is headed to the University of Texas.

E.J. Liddell (Belleville West) –The standout junior forward led the Maroons to the Illinois Class 4 state championship, which was the first in the school’s history. He was also selected as Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois. He will return as one of the top 50 prospects in the United States in the Class of 2019.

Girls Basketball: Sonya Morris (Incarnate Word) – The talented point guard led the Red Knights to

California King

The fact that LeBron James exited Cleveland for Los Angeles wasn’t a complete surprise. Rumors that James coveted joining the Lakers had been swirling around the league for quite a while. After all, he owns two multi-million dollar homes in L.A. His production company, Spring Hill Entertainment, is housed in Los Angeles also. James has made it clear that he intends to be the next billion dollar athlete. To achieve that goal in a reasonable amount of time, he needs to be in Los Angeles or New York. Considering that both NY teams are hot garbage, the City of Angels was the obvious choice. What made James’ move to Hollywood surprising is that it seemed to have come without a carefully orchestrated plan. When James left for the Miami Heat in 2010, it was to play alongside All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. When he returned to the Cavaliers in

2014, it was with Kyrie Irving on board and the assurance that Cavs would deal No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love (or another AllStar, should trade talks have fallen through with Minnesota). This time around, James just decided to go. The hopes of playing alongside Paul George died when “PG-13” announced that he will re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder for four years and $137M. James reportedly sent Kevin Durant a text to try and woo the two-time NBA Finals MVP to the Lakers. I can’t imagine that Durant’s reply was anything other than . There’s still an outside chance that Magic Johnson and the Lakers could work out a trade with the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard That appears unlikely though. The relationship between Leonard and the Spurs appears to have deteriorated past the point of no return. Why would the Spurs then do Leonard a favor by sending

him to Los Angeles to form a super team that would be on the Spurs’ schedule several times per year? Multiple reports suggest that the Spurs front office has told teams that it will only deal Leonard to the Eastern Conference. That means, for now at least, James’ four-year, $145M

signing is likely the only seismic move on the horizon for the Lakers. Keep in mind, James signed a

Earl Austin Jr.

Sistrunk

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

Alvin A. Reid

With

Mozeliak calls out Dexter Fowler as Cards seem to play ‘blame the black man’

Dexter Fowler is having a disastrous season, that’s for sure. He’s hitting under .200 and has been supplanted in right field by Harrison Bader There is the possibility that he could be traded or Designated for Assignment, which would lead to him being available to any MLB team.

John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations, decided to publicly question Fowler’s effort and dedication in a podcast by, conveniently, Cardinals TV announcer Dan McLaughlin

When asked about Fowler’s struggles, Mozeliak went on full blast saying, “it’s been a frustrating year for everybody involved, and here’s a guy that wants to go out and play well.

“I think he would tell you it’s hard to do that when you’re not playing, and not playing on a consistent basis. But I’ve also had a lot of people come up to me and question his effort and his energy level. Those are things that I can’t defend.

“What I can defend is trying to create opportunities for him, but not if it’s at the expense of someone who’s out there hustling and playing hard. I think everybody needs to take a hard look in the mirror and decide what they want the next chapter to look like.” It sounds to me that Mozeliak is appealing to the Cardinal Nation base that is looking for a scapegoat, and all the better that it’s a black one. With all the problems the Cardinals’ have, beginning with manager Mike Matheny Mozeliak blasts Fowler without providing any information to back up his inflammatory comment. What people have approached him and questioned Fowler’s work ethic? Are they fans, players or management? What game or play stands out as one where Fowler was loafing? By the way, Mozeliak ripped into Fowler just as he was going on paternity leave. That took guts.

If you think I’m ranting, I’ll let Yahoo Sports columnist Liz Roscher share her thoughts with you.

“Mozeliak’s statement about Fowler is mind boggling. In response to a question about what the Cards can to do get Fowler going, Mozeliak responded by saying absolutely nothing about baseball. He didn’t talk about how Fowler has been hitting, what more he could be doing, or what the Cardinals could do to help him,” she wrote.

“He could have dug into Fowler’s stats even a little

bit and found that his batting average on balls in play is .201. That is far, far below the league average, which typically sits in the low .300 range. It means Fowler has been getting really unlucky whenever he hits a ball in play — fielders have been finding his balls and they haven’t been squeaking through for hits.

“He doesn’t explain why he’s doing this, he doesn’t cite any examples of times when Fowler hasn’t given what Mozeliak perceives to be 100 percent, he just says he can’t defend Fowler when people question his ‘effort’ and ‘energy level.’

“It’s easy to understand why Mozeliak (and the phantom fans he mentioned) would be frustrated with Fowler. He’s a high-salary player who’s having a bad season, and the Cardinals are struggling. But for Mozeliak to go on the radio and essentially say that he thinks Fowler has been struggling because he doesn’t care enough, that’s pretty galling.”

Fowler reportedly “liked” a Facebook post that included the podcast interview, signaling that he is aware of Mozeliak’s comments.

Also, for every anonymous fan or follower of the team that questions Fowler’s effort, I’m sure there are two that question how Mozeliak has managed to not only keep his job, but also get promoted last season.

On Tuesday, the PostDispatch helped Mozeliak clean up his own mess by quoting him as saying, “I would not make too much of this and really what I was trying to say is, I hear what our fan base is saying and I hope our players understand it as well. But there is a time to get this right and to win.”

The story by beat writer Derrick Goold wrote, “Mozeliak reached out personally to Fowler on Monday to explain his comments, and he said the outfielder was receptive to the explanation.”

Too little, too late.

John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations, decided to publicly question Fowler’s effort and dedication in a podcast by, conveniently, Cardinals TV announcer Dan McLaughlin.

of us expected. The Tigers are in good position but as roles change and other players emerge, they may be able to slow down the recruitment with Hargrove and hope they can still turn to him if things don’t pan out with a player like Malik Hall.” Whoops. Now it’s possible Mizzou could land neither Hargrove or Hall.

Hargrove picks SLU over Mizzou

Terrence Hargrove Jr. gave East St. Louis and SLU basketball fans something to cheer about last week – and left Missouri with disappointment. Hargrove announced that he would not transfer from East St. Louis and play for the Flyers next season. He also ended rampant speculation by giving a verbal commitment to SLU over Mizzou and several other Division 1 schools in an ongoing recruiting battle.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here (East St. Louis),” Hargrove told the Belleville News-Democrat

“Me and my teammates, we’re in the gym everyday working out, trying to get better. We had a great record this summer (24-4). I know all about the rumors about me transferring to places like Chaminade, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m happy here.”

Washington Wizard’s allstar guard Bradley Beal attended Chaminade, as did Boston Celtics rookie sensation Jayson Tatum. Hargrove is playing for the Bradley Beal Elite AAU team, which includes Belleville West senior E.J. Liddell the reigning Illinois Mr.

Basketball. They are scheduled to play in the heralded Peach Jam Tournament July 11-15 in North Augusta, South Carolina. Belleville West was also a rumored destination for Hargrove, but he’s sticking with the Flyers and is proud to be a member of Beal’s AAU team.

“It’s a great challenge for me to be able to play with Bradley Beal Elite. You become a better player by playing against great competition each day. You have to bring your ‘A’ game every time you step on the floor,” he said.

“I’m here (in the gym) and/ or the weight room every day, getting stronger.”

Maybe Sam Snelling of the Mizzou-oriented Rock M Nation unwittingly helped Hargrove make up his mind with what he wrote last week.

“With Hargrove’s move to the BBE this summer, many thought his recruiting would take off. He struggled early to find a role on a loaded team, playing behind elite 2020 recruit Moses Moody on the wing and Liddell manning the combo forward spot,” Snelling wrote.

“With those early struggles, Hargrove just hasn’t seen his stock take off the way most

The Reid roundup Schnuck’s Markets is now a sponsor of The Charlie Tuna Show, which airs from 8-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday on 590 The Fan. Beginning next week, Tuna will broadcast a series of Thursday shows from urban Schnucks locations in the city and north St. Louis County… Of the five African nations that qualified for the World Cup, none advanced to the Round of 16. Senegal tied with Japan in Group points but became the first team in tournament history to fall victim to the Fair Play tiebreaker. It had more yellow card fouls than Japan… Edwin Jackson, who played an important role in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2011 World Championship, is now pitching for his 13th Major League team. He won his first game with the Oakland A’s last Saturday, a 7-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians… Lewis Hamilton was atop the Formula 1 driver standings until his Mercedes team race analyst totally blundered last Sunday in Austria. Mercedes passed on an early pit stop, which later led to Hamilton’s car losing fuel pressure. He is now one point behind Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel… Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher was not a fan of former coach Kevin Sumlin’s office or spring practice routine. He said Sumlin’s dark office, “was like a damn nightclub,” and he ended background music during spring practices… Boston Celtics rookie Robert Williams tumbled in the draft because of concerns about his commitment. He responded by sleeping through a conference call the day following the draft. He then missed a flight last Friday and was absent from the team’s first Summer League practice, which included Jayson Tatum, who is working with the team… Somehow, the best team in the NBA ended up with one of the best free agents in the NBA. Welcome to Golden State, Boogie Cousins… This longtime Los Angeles Lakers fan doesn’t think LeBron James will bring a title to L.A. anytime soon. In fact, if the Lakers don’t add another star or topnotch talent, they might not make the playoffs next year… Kudos to Magic Johnson for showing up at James’ L.A. home the minute free agency officially began at 9:01 p.m. Saturday on the West Coast and sealing the free agency deal. Alvin A. Reid was honored as the 2017 “Best Sports Columnist – Weeklies” in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest and is a New York Times contributor. He is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook, a weekly contributor to “The Charlie Tuna Show” on KFNS and appears monthly on “The Dave Glover Show” on 97.1 Talk.” His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

InsIde sports

With Earl Austin Jr.

Hargrove commits to SLU Billikens

East St. Louis boys’ basketball standout Terrence Hargrove gave a verbal commitment to Saint Louis University over the weekend.

The 6’6” Hargrove is one of the top players in the St. Louis area in the Class of 2019. He is also one of the most explosive leapers in the state of Illinois.

Hargrove is currently ranked No. 4 in the state of Illinois by the recruiting website Prep Hoops Illinois. He was a St. Louis American “Fab Five” All-Star Second Team

CLUTCH

Continued from C5

the Western Conference. They have zero chance to challenge the Warriors for supremacy in the West, especially after GSW’s latest blockbuster signing (more on that later).

The most interesting storyline for the Lakers may be how die-hard fans of James co-exist with die-hard Lakers fans. Ever since James and Kobe Bryant jockeyed for the unofficial title of best basketball player on the planet, many Lakers fans have despised James and vice versa.

It’s hilarious to watch so-called Lakers fans publicly pondering whether they can still support the team with James on board. It is equally as comical to see fans that pledged allegiance to James in Cleveland and Miami now contemplating their NBA fandom futures just because “LBJ” joined the Lakers.

Though the cakewalks in the Eastern Conference are over, Lakers fans and King James fans should be ecstatic to see James in L.A. James’ arrival in Los Angeles means that the Lakers are immediately relevant once again. The one person who can push LaVar Ball to the background is LeBron James. That’s great news for

Continued from C5

their second consecutive Class 4 state championship. She was also selected Ms. ShowMe Basketball in the state of Missouri. Morris is headed to DePaul on a basketball scholarship.

Cross Country: Nassim Oufattole (Lafayette) – The senior standout earned AllState honors after finishing in sixth place at the Class 4 state championships, which was the best among St. Louis area runners. He was also an individual sectional champion.

Boys Soccer: Will Kelly (Priory) – The freshman forward led the Rebels to the Class 2 state championship. He scored 15 goals and had four assists on the season, including seven goals and three assists in his team’s successful run through the state tournament. He scored two goals in the state championship victory

selection after the 2018 season. “Saint Louis was my choice because they were my very first offer and they stayed by my side,” Hargrove told Scott Burgess of Prep Hoops Illinois. “They kept in contact with me and they treated me like family and that’s a school I know I’m going to play at.”

As a junior, Hargrove averaged 18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 46 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range. He led the Flyers to a 16-11

the Lakers. And the Lakers return to relevancy is great news for the NBA.

Boogie breaks free agency

While James had the internet buzzing Sunday night, it was DeMarcus Cousins who stole the show Monday. Cousins, a four-time All-Star who averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game last season for the New Orleans Pelicans, announced that he will sign with the Golden State Warriors.

Social media erupted with the news. Cousins’ addition means that the Warriors’ will field an All-Star at every single position of its starting unit. Heck, the other teams were already playing for second. The Warriors might as well trot out an All-Star team every night. So how did the Warriors land Cousins? Is it just another case of an NBA superstar deciding, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em?” Not if you believe Cousin’s side of the story. According to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, Cousins claimed that Pelicans GM Dell Demps informed Cousins that the team did not plan to re-sign him in free agency. Much of the reason was due to the fact that Cousins suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the season. The Pelicans, and several

over Lincoln College Prep.

Girls Soccer: Jada Harvey (Hazelwood Central) – The talented forward scored 27 points and had 20 assists in leading the Hawks to a district championship and berth in the Class 4 sectionals. She has committed to Southeast Missouri State.

Kendall Battle (Pattonville) – A University of Cincinnati commit, Battle scored 21 points and had 13 assists to lead the Pirates to an 18-5 record. She is one of the top offensive players in the area.

Swimming/Diving: Hunter Grannum (MICDS) – The talented diver was the Class 1 individual state champion. At the state championships, he had the third highest score in the history of the state meet.

Softball: Micah Arps (Incarnate Word) – The senior standout led the Red Knights to the Class 3 state semifinals, hitting .451 with

record, a regional championship and a berth in the Illinois Class 3A Sectional championship game. During the summer, Hargrove is playing with the Brad Beal Elite 17U in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. Brad Beal Elite will head to North Augusta, South Carolina next week to compete in the prestigious Nike Peach Jam, which is the top summer

grassroots basketball event in the country. The verbal pledge of Hargrove continues the success of Saint Louis U. head coach Travis Ford in his commitment to recruit the top players from the Saint Louis metro area. At his initial press conference when he was hired as coach, Ford spoke openly about his desire to recruit the top players in the St. Louis area.

St. Louis Cobras Elite win Threat Hoops Midwest Tuneup

In each of his three seasons at SLU, Ford has gotten a commitment from an area standout, starting with Belleville Athoff’s Jordan Goodwin from the Class of 2017. Following Goodwin to SLU was Webster Groves’ standout big Carte’are Gordon, who was one of the top area players in the Class of 2018. The commitment of Hargrove from the Class of 2019 makes it three in a row for Ford and the Billikens. As someone who has been involved with the Billiken bas-

ketball program for the past 27 years as the radio color analyst, it is wonderful to see top area players giving SLU the nod once again. The Billikens have enjoyed a lot of winning over the decades with area players being major factors in that success. Travis is building something nice over at the Chaifetz Arena, and to see some of our top area talent wanting to be a part of it really does my heart good. Get your tickets!

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cobras Elite 17U boys’ basketball team on winning the championship at the Threat Hoops Midwest Tuneup last weekend at the Center of St. Louis Sports. The Cobras Elite defeated the Illinois Phantoms in the championship game of the Varsity Division. The team members are (In alphabetical order): Kaleb Anderson (Francis Howell Central), Ricky Brooks (Pattonville), Quilon Bennett (Fort Zumwalt East), Tyrek Coleman (Francis Howell Central), Tavon Graham (Miller Career Academy), Devin Greenwell (Fort Zumwalt East), Jordan Holmes (Ritenour), Damian Winner-Johnson (Holt), Terron Robinson (Francis Howell Central), and Jaylen Shegog (Orchard Farm).

other teams across the league, were wary of spending big bucks on a big man coming off such a serious injury.

Cousins claimed his agent had not received a single formal offer from a team this

two home runs, 33 runs batted in and a team high 24 stolen bases.

Tennis: Janel Dean (Parkway North) – The senior standout was a two-time state qualifier and an individual Class 4 district champion. She also led the Vikings to their first district team championship since 2012.

Wrestling: Malik Johnson (CBC) – The standout performer concluded a stellar prep career as a four-time individual state champion. As a senior, he was 30-0 and won the state title at 126 pounds. He finished his career with a record of 14111. Johnson is headed to the University of Missouri.

Girls’ Volleyball: Brooke Flowers (Metro) – The AllPublic High League performer had 170 kills and 79 blocks to lead the Panthers to a 26-5 record and a district championship. She is headed to Saint Louis U. to play basketball.

Breyanna Howard (Miller

offseason. As teams with possible interest, and cap space, filled out their rosters, Cousins became resigned to the idea that his best move may be to sign a one-year, midlevel exception deal with a contend-

Career Academy) – The standout senior outside hitter was the Public High League Player of the Year. She was among the area’s leaders in kills with 193 and a 3.94 per set average.

Boys’ Volleyball: Auston Bonte’ (Pattonville) – The senior outside hitter averaged five kills per set to lead the St. Louis metro area. He led the Pirates to a 20-11 record and a berth in the state quarterfinals. He is headed to Lewis University.

Baseball: Dexter Swims (McCluer North) – The talented outfielder was one of the

er. He could then re-enter free agency in the 2019-20 season and land a long-term max deal once he proved that he had fully recovered from the injury.

After talking to the Warriors’ players, Cousins had

area’s top hitters with a .569 batting average. He also had one home run, 25 runs batted in and 29 stolen bases in leading the Stars to the Suburban XII North Conference championship.

Boys’ Track and Field: Brandon Miller (John Burroughs): The sophomore phenom set a new state record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute 49.55 seconds at the Class 3 state championships. He was also the state champion in the 1,600meter run.

Girls’ Track and Field: Laqwasia Stepney (Belleville

his agent call the team’s GM to see if the team was interested in using its $5.3M on the All-Star center. And the rest is history.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ishcreates.

West) – Stepney was the Illinois Class 3 state champion in the long jump with an area best of 19 feet 4 ½ inches. She also earned AllState honors after finishing second in the 300-meter low hurdles and 100-meter high hurdles.

Lacrosse: Olivia Proctor (MICDS) – The talented junior forward led the Rams to a repeat state championship. She scored a team-high 66 goals, including a combined 10 goals in the Rams’ victory in the state semifinals and state championship game.

Terrence Hargrove

T-REX

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“We see all this coming, we can actually forecast these curves, we can actually plan ahead, but we need to do so in an inclusive and productive way, which is what Singularity University is trying to do,” Nail said, “which is why we are investing so much into trying to support chapters and entrepreneurs in local environments like St. Louis. Because we know that you are going to come up with amazing ideas that are going to be important in five years, 10 years, and 50 years.”

One of Singularity’s portfolio companies, Key2Enable, presented next. Key2Enable has developed Key-X, a keyboard that enables a person with motor disabilities to access a computer or tablet to write, play games and browse the internet.

The panelist discussion at the event was moderated by Felicia Pulliam, CEO of Create Community, and included Robert Clemons,

WORKFORCE

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through a family or friend unit. Moreover, if a child’s parent is incarcerated or does not obtain a college degree, the child might be more likely to demonstrate behaviors that are not conducive to abiding by the law and not have an opportunity to attend college. A child is more likely to understand the importance of holding a job, going to college, getting into a skilled trade; if the caregiver, parent, or guardian is actively participating in a those types of activities. A workforce revolution will create a catalyst of aggressive, intentional,

chief technology officer for the City of St. Louis; Dr. J. Gavin Helton, president of clinical integration at Mercy Virtual; Dr. Odeon Serrano, founder of Open Source Environmental Security; and Carter Williams, CEO of iSelect Fund.

n “We can actually plan ahead, but we need to do so in an inclusive and productive way, which is what Singularity University is trying to do.”

– Rob Nail, CEO and associate founder

The main topic of discussion was how to include the underserved community that lacks access to modern technology in the expansion of the digital age, hence conquering the digital divide.

“Can we depend on government?” Pulliam asked. “No. We’ve tried that before; it is not working. How do we expect to have the best

unapologetic, and impactful change using a two-generational approach.

The workforce revolution needs leaders who are unafraid to answer the cries of our community using techniques that have never been used before. The mindset of policymakers, leaders, and practitioners must be open to innovative service delivery techniques. A workforce revolution is going to require workforce partners to instill hope into the community and increase service accessibility. The workforce partners will have to collaborate with grassroots organizations, integrate depression awareness and suicide prevention inside of the workforce programs, be part of the solution for opioid

brains around the table? We’re leaving something under a rock that we should kick over and pull up by the roots so that they can help us in all of the areas, because they too are suffering from all the problems.”

The City of St. Louis shared what efforts it is taking to help conquer the digital divide.

“We actually have within the last two months prototyped new ways to visualize what’s going on in the world out there leveraging 3D technology, everything from creating a three-dimensional base map of the city, starting to map vacancy in three dimensions, starting to map crime in three dimensions, and trying to understand what’s actually going on out there,” Clemons said.

“It’s not a bunch of squares and dots on a map; you’re actually able to engage the environment as if you’re standing on street level and understand the demographics of that area.”

For more information on Singularity University, visit https://su.org/, email info@ su.org, or call 1-650-200-3434.

addictions and substance abuse, and deal with social justice issues such as police brutality. Also, integrate other means of life-changing tools, such as financial literacy, home ownership, and aggressively make options available such as entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, and trades (not just college). We need a workforce revolution to save our future. We need a workforce revolution to save our humanity. I am starting in the City of St. Louis. If anyone wants to join me, follow me on twitter @alicemprince.

Alice M. Prince is executive director, Workforce, in the Office of the Mayor, City of St. Louis.

Financial Focus

By Roger M. Macon, AAMS

Where you live as retiree can affect financial

Upon

strategies

out-of-pocket health care expenses may vary in different parts of the country, so this is something else you’ll want to check out before relocating. Of course, the availability of good medical facilities may be just as important to you as health care costs.

Taxes – You may hear about people moving to a different state to lower their tax burden during retirement. A few states don’t have personal state income taxes, and many others offer favorable

Health

still likely need to purchase some type of supplemental coverage. However,

Jenifer Lewis returns to STL to celebrate ‘Mother of Black Hollywood’ memoir

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“Every time I would announce another city for this book tour, people from St. Louis would be like ‘Wait a minute now, when are you coming home?’” said stage, film and television veteran Jenifer Lewis.

In addition to sold-out venues for signings across the nation, Lewis has been riding high on the critical and commercial success of her book “The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir,” since it was released this past winter. She had originally booked the auditorium of St. Louis Public Library’s Central Branch earlier in the spring, but there were not enough seats to accommodate the overwhelming interest. Her alma mater

IN UNISON plays

Carnegie Hall

St. Louis Symphony chorus, director Kevin McBeth featured at DCINY concert

By Ashley Jones

For The St. Louis American

On Sunday, June 17, in Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall Distinguished Concerts International New York City (DCINY) extended their invitation to Kevin McBeth and the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus to participate in a performance of Mark Hayes’ Spirit Suite 1 and 2 as well as the Carnegie Hall

Webster University stepped in to provide The Loretto-Hilton as the venue and she will take the stage where she honed her chops on Saturday, July 28.

“I’m so grateful to Webster, be sure to give them the glory – and girl, I’m so excited I can’t see straight,” Lewis said. “Webster University is being so good to me. I’m going to be at The Loretto-Hilton, where I did all of my shows as a young student.”

In typical Lewis fashion, those planning to attend should expect a full-on experience as opposed to a book signing and discussion.

“We are going to have a good time – a good

See LEWIS, C4

Premiere of his newest piece, Spirit Suite 3, on the DCINY Concert Series in New York City.

The St. Louis Symphony’s IN UNISON Chorus during their annual A Gospel Christmas concert at Powell Symphony Hall in 2015.

“This particular concert was special for a lot of reasons,” conductor Kevin McBeth said. “It was structured a lot like a concert done many years ago Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman – who are two iconic black American singers who’ve performed many times at Carnegie Hall and all over the world. That concert was put together as a concert of spirituals that featured Battle and Norman with chorus and orchestra doing concert versions of spirituals. It was an iconic concert for a lot of reasons with those

IN UNISON, C4

New documentary gives insight on the tragic demise of a music icon

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

The end of Kevin MacDonald’s documentary, “Whitney” is known from the very beginning. The voice of a generation was lost with the death of Whitney Houston on February 11, 2012 (the eve of the 2012 Grammy Awards).

But with “Whitney,” which is also the title of Houston’s second studio album, MacDonald gives in-depth background on the “why” – the root of her personal troubles.

The film begins with introducing Whitney Houston as the global pop culture phenomenon that she was at the height of her fame in the 1980s, then jumps to the volatile racial climate of 1960s Newark, New Jersey in which she was born.

n “Whitney” holds very little back –especially for an authorized documentary.

“Whitney” then works from her birth back to the height of Houston’s fame and forward to her death, using popular events of the era to transition. Aside from sparing clips of the singer herself, the film is told mostly through interviews with her inner circle. Her mother Cissy Houston; her brothers, family, family friends, former husband Bobby Brown; former manager, her personal assistant, musicians and record label executives are among the featured subjects.

A strikingly beautiful child with exceptional talent as a singer, Whitney grew up alongside her brothers being shifted among family members while their mother toured the world as a one of the most sought-after background vocalists in music. The nontraditional family dynamic left additional room for destruction – and laid the foundation for demons that would come back to haunt Whitney as she grappled with life in the public eye as an entertainer.

“Whitney” holds very little back – especially for an authorized documentary. The closest insiders and family members speak candidly on camera about Whitney’s drug use, the well-founded rumors regarding

See WHITNEY, C4

Kinloch native and stage, film and television veteran Jenifer Lewis will celebrate the success of her memoir, ‘The Mother of Black Hollywood’ on stage July 28 at The Loretto-Hilton.

Photo by Wiley Price

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Thur., July 5, 8 p.m., The Ready Room presents Mobley. 4195 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

July 6 – 7, 7:30 p.m., Jazz at the Bistro presents Erika Johnson Sings the Rolling Stones. Jazz St. Louis, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. tickets.jazzstl.org.

Fri., July 6, 8:30 p.m., Black Market Media Group presents HoodRich Pablo Juan. Pop’s Concert Venue, 401 Monsanto Ave., Sauget, IL. 62201. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Mon., July 9, The Fox Theatre presents The Sistine Chapel Choir. 527 North Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. fabulousfox.com/events.

Tues., July 10, 8 p.m., The Ready Room presents Slum Village. 4195 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. ticketfly.com.

Wed., July 11, 7 p.m., The Ready Room presents The Wailers. With Boomtown United & Rota. 4195 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. thereadyroom.com.

Wed., July 11, 7 p.m., The Monocle presents Haley Heynderickx. 4510 Manchester Rd., 63110. For more information, visit www. themonoclestl.com.

Wed., July 11, 8 p.m., The Pageant presents Janelle Monae Dirty Computer Tour. 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

July 12 – July 14, Summerset

Jazz IV starring Lynne Fidmont, Truth Hurts, Howard Hewett and more, World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park. For more information, visit www.stljazzfest.com

Thur., July 12, 8 p.m., Old Rock House presents the Dirty Dozen Brass Band 1200 S. 7th St., 63104. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

July 13 – 14, Lamar Harris presents Headnotic. Jazz St. Louis, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.tickets.jazzstl.org.

Sat., July 14, 8 p.m., Rockhouse Entertainment presents Scarface & DJ Quik. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Sat., July 21, 1 p.m., Gateway Jazz Festival. Featuring performances by Boney James, Will Downing, Tim Cunningham, Alex Bugnon, and more. Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Dr., 63017. For more information, visit www. gatewayjazzfest.com.

special events

Fri., July 6, 5 p.m., The Metropolitan St. Louis Fisk University Alumni Association invites you to Fisk Fridays. Stix & Ice, 35 Florissant Oaks Shopping Center, 63031. For more information or to RSVP, email tllovelace0608@gmail.com or alabamagirl_55@charter.net.

Through July 7, Fair Saint Louis. Parade, fireworks, performances by Jason Derulo and Martina McBride, a salute to the troops, and more. Gateway Arch National Park, 11 N. 4th St., 63102. For more information, visit www.

The Guide

Kenya Vaughn recommends

fairsaintlouis.org.

Sat., July 7, 9 a.m., Fourth of July Kid Hip Hop Floor Battle Dance Competition. We will highlight the dance talent in our area from kids ages of 2 – 18. There will be prizes, vendors, and more. 5170 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., 63113. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sat., July 7, 10 a.m., Thomas Dunn Learning Center hosts a Green Festival. Join us for food and fun as you learn about living a green lifestyle from our many vendors. 3113 Gasconade St., 63118. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Sat., July 7, 11 a.m., Black Girls Party Harder Summer Block Party/Expo. Over 20 vendors, live performances, face painters, kid’s activities, food trucks, and more. 1400 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Thur., July 12, 10:30 a.m., United 4 Children 6th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser. 4-person scramble, contest and prize opportunities. Norman K. Probstein Golf Course - Forest Park, 6141 Lagoon Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www.united4children.org.

Thur., July 12, 11 a.m., GardaWorld Jobs presents

the Veterans Job Fair

Transitioning military, veterans, and their spouses can meet with recruiters from dozens of companies. Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis University, 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information or to register, visit www.events. recruitmilitary.com/events.

Thur., July 12, 11:15 a.m., A Celebration of the St. Louis Browns Annual Luncheon. Honor the St. Louis Browns and the twelve living members of the Team. Holiday Inn, 10709 Watson Rd., 63127. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

July 12 – 22, Universoul Circus. An unforgettable journey of electrifying, performances from Russia, South Africa, Cuba, Ethiopia, and more. 1111 N. Broadway, 63101. For more information, visit www.universoulcircus. com.

Mon., July 16, 9 a.m., Queen of Peace Center’s 31st Annual Golf Tournament. Norwood Hills Country Club, 1 Norwood Hills Country Club Dr., 63121. For more information, visit www.e.givesmart.com/ events/4Nq.

Wed., July 18, 10 a.m., JobNewsUSA.com presents the St. Louis Job Fair. Meet one-on-one with recruiters & hiring managers who are now

Show. Featuring comedian Anthony Session. Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria St., 63117. For more information, visit www. themadbusdriver.com/tickets.

Sat., July 7, 11 a.m., Matice Ahnjamine signs and discusses her new book The Product of my Selfishness: The Stutter and The Story Maryland Heights Community Center, 2300 McKelvey Rd., 63043. For more information, email matice.ahnjamine@ gmail.com.

Tues., July 10, 7 p.m., St. Louis Public Library hosts author Dr. Lisa Corrigan, author of Prison Power: How Prison Influenced the Movement for Black Liberation. 1301 Olive St., 63103. For more information, visit www.left-bank.com.

hiring for immediate openings. DoubleTree – Westport, 1973 Craigshire Rd., 63146. For more information, visit www. jobnewsusa.com/events.

Thur., July 26, 9 a.m., Tommy Pham Baseball ProCamp. Throughout this one-day camp, Pham and our camp coaches will offer tips and hands-on instruction. Belleville East HS, 2555 West Blvd., 62221. For more information, visit www. procamps.com/tommypham.

Thur., July 26, 6 p.m., Alive Magazine presents Smoke & Mirrors. Featuring the top BBQ spots in St. Louis, craft beer, a night market featuring local craftsman, live local music, and more. Encore, 5700 Highlands Plaza Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 446-4059.

Sat., July 28, 7 p.m., Doug E. Fresh All White Block Party. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., 63104. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Through Aug. 10, Operation Food Search’s Summer Meals Program. The mobile meal vans will serve 33 locations via three routes. A daily dose of nutrition, along with a variety of games, arts, crafts, and STEM projects. For more information, visit www. operationfoodsearch.org.

comedy

July 6 – 8, The Laugh Lounge presents J.J. Williamson. 11208 W. Florissant Ave., 63033.

Sat., July 7, 5 p.m., Laughter is Good Productions presents Darius Bradford and Friends Clean Comedy Show. Harris Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sat., July 7, 8 p.m., Commit to the Bit Comedy. Feat. Tyler Ross, Heather McLaren and Dylan Scott. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sun., July 8, 7 p.m., The Mad Bus Driver Comedy

Sun., July 15, 2 p.m., Bobby Norfolk presents Scott Joplin. A combination of storytelling, music, and a demonstration of the popular time period dance, the cakewalk. Kirkwood Public Library, 140 E. Jefferson Ave., 63122. For more information, visit www. kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.

Mon., July 16, Maryville Talks Books hosts author Rachel Devlin, author of A Girl Stands at the Door: The Generation of Young Women Who Desegregated America’s Schools. Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www. left-bank.com.

Tues., July 24, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Virvus Jones, author of Stalking Horse. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.leftbank.com.

theatre

Sat., July 7, 7 p.m., R-S Theatrics presents the 2018 FUNraiser. Silent auction, dinner, entertainment, and more. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., July 14, 7 p.m., Sense of Purpose Productions presents Lights Out! After glaucoma renders her blind, an ambitious career woman must employ her other senses to navigate through the darkness. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

July 27 – 28, COCA presents West Side Story. Edison Theatre, 6465 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, visit www.cocastl.org.

Sat., July 28, 7:30 p.m., Beyond Measure Dance Theater presents The Art of Fusion. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Through July 12, postdisciplinary artist Damon Davis presents the exhibit Darker Gods in the Garden

The Laugh Lounge presents J.J. Williamson. See COMEDY for details.

of the Low-Hanging Heavens, The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee Street. For more information, visit http://theluminaryarts.com

Through July 15, From Caricature to Celebration:

A Brief History of AfricanAmerican Dolls. Field House Museum, 634 S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, visit www.fieldhousemuseum. org.

Through August 19, Contemporary Art Museum 2018 Great Rivers Biennial Featuring artists Addoley Dzegede, Sarah Paulsen, and Jacob Stanley, Amy Sherald, and Claudia Comte. On view through August 19. 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108.

lectures and workshops

Sat., July 7, 1 p.m., Little Boy Blue and the Dangerous Streets. Dr. Bonnie Stepenoff offers a glimpse of the dark side of nineteenth and early twentieth-century St. Louis. Field House Museum, 634 S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, visit www. fieldhousemuseum.org.

Sun., July 8, 11 a.m.,

Organization for Black Struggle presents Black Jurors Matter. Learn from attorney Hope Whitehead what makes a good juror, why we need Black jurors, learn about the judicial system, and more. 1401 Rowan Ave., 63112. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Tues., July 10, 7:30 a.m., Nonprofits Discuss How to Engage Board Members for Greater Success. Vue 17, 1034 S. Brentwood Blvd., 63117. For more information, visit www.csprc.org/events.

Kenya Vaughn recommends

Gateway Jazz Festival. Featuring performances by Boney James, Will Downing, Tim Cunningham, Alex Bugnon, and more. For more information, see CONCERTS.

(4400 Parker Rd. in Florissant) and Liberty Community Worship (11221 Larrimore Rd. in Spanish Lake).

Fri., July 13, 7 p.m., How to Have a Successful, Biblical Courtship. Transformation Christian Church, 4141 Cook Ave., 63113. For more information, visit www. transformationchristianchurch. org.

July 16 – 20, 6 p.m., The Newstead Avenue Missionary Baptist Church invites you to Vacation Bible School. 4370 N. Market St., 63113. For more information, call (314) 3714436.

July 22 – 27, Church of God in Christ, Inc., Missouri Midwest Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction presents the Third Annual Holy Convocation Kennerly Temple, 4307 Kennerly Ave., 63113. For more information, call (314) 761-5148.

Fri., July 6, WHITNEY opens in theatres nationwide.

Tues., July 17, 6 p.m., The League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis hosts a Candidate Forum. Hear from candidates for State Senate District 14 and State Representative Districts 85 & 86. Beyond Housing, 6506 Wright Way, 63121. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Thur., July 19, 7 p.m., St. Charles History Talks: The US 56th Colored Infantry First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site, 200 S. Main St., 63301. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Sat., July 21, 2 p.m., Community Conversations:

Thur., July 12, 10:30 a.m., Alive and Well Communities hosts Trauma Awareness Training. John C Murphy Health Center, 6121 N. Hanley Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Electoral College. Dr. Joseph Cernik discusses the importance of the Electoral College followed by a Q & A. Kirkwood Public Library, 140 E. Jefferson Ave., 63122. For more information, visit www. kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.

Tues., July 24, 6 p.m., Women Trailblazers in Business and Nonprofits. A free panel discussion featuring female trailblazers who forged businesses and nonprofit organizations. Anheuser-Busch Hall, UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.csprc. org.

health

Tues., July 10, 8 a.m., On-Site Mammograms. The Siteman Cancer Center

mammography van is scheduling breast cancer screenings. Mid County YMCA, 1900 Urban Dr., 63144. For more information or to register, visit www.bit. ly/2BAIWsQ.

Thur., July 12, 9 a.m., Barnes Jewish Hospital hosts a Stop the Bleed Training 4353 Clayton Ave., Room 128, 63110. For more information or to register, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sat., July 14, 10:30 a.m., Transformation Church presents the 2018 Community Health Fair, FunFest and Clothing Giveaway. Bblood pressure screenings, mammograms, dental exams. 4141 Cook Ave., 63113. For more information, visit www. transformationchristianchurch. org.

Sat., July 21, 11 a.m., African Community Health Fair 2018. Progressive Emporium & Education Center, 1108 N. Sarah St., 63113. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Sat., July 21, 11a.m. Health Fair 2018, Ferguson Community Empowerment Center, 9420 West Florissant. Pre-register by calling (314) 747-9355. For more information, call (314) 4398306.

spiritual

July 10 – July 12, 7 p.m.

nightly, Three Church Summer Revival with Southern Mission Baptist Church (8171 Wesley Ave. in Kinloch), First Missionary Baptist Church of Kinloch

Sun., July 8, 2 p.m., The First Secret City Film Screening with directors Alison Carrick and C.D. Seltzer. A documentary on the resulting nuclear waste problem in St. Louis. Kirkwood Public Library, 140 E Jefferson Ave, 63122. For more information, visit www. kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org/ event.

Fri., July 13, “Sorry to Bother You” starring LaKeith Stanfield opens in theatres nationwide.

Sat. July 20, 6 p.m., Art Hill Film Series: Hidden Figures. Before the show enjoy a performance by Kim Massie, shop local designers, visit food trucks, and more. St. Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

old time with Jenifer Lewis,” she said. “It’s been wonderful doing this tour, but coming home is going to be like magic.” She’s so excited about it that the mere thought of her return compelled Lewis to spontaneously erupt into song.

“Jenny from the block, in Kinloch, is coming home … to do her thang,” Lewis belted through the phone at the top of her lungs. She promises plenty of singing – and plenty of stories.

“I’m gonna make them laugh, I’m going to make them cry and I’m going to make them sing,” Lewis said. “I’m coming home! I’ve written this memoir and it’s all about St. Louis, my upbringing here and all the love I have for home. I was shaped and molded there. This is everything coming home – it really is.”

“The Mother of Black Hollywood” details Lewis’ 40-plus years as a stage, film and television actress – including her current role on the ABC hit “black-ish.” In the book, Lewis talks candidly about the peaks and valleys of her personal and professional life – as well as speaks openly about her battles with bipolar disorder.

“I know in my soul that all anybody can do is tell their story – and this my story,” Lewis said. “This is my song, you take from it what you will. I know who I am. I am not afraid. I don’t say that I am unapologetic, but I am unafraid to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I’m in a good place.” Through appearances to promote the book, Lewis has become a media sensation. Her interviews have racked up millions of views and she has been an in-demand guest on popular television and radio shows to discuss the book and share her story.

“It’s been a wonderful ride. I’ve been to Facebook, Pixar,

megachurches, museums,” Lewis said. “The word spread that I don’t hold anything back, see. And people these days are hungry for the truth.”

Lewis never dreamt that the book would be such a success, but she poured her heart and soul into it.

“It took me two-and-a-half years to write it,” Lewis said. “And I’m not going to lie to you, the book almost killed me.”

Lewis was forced to revisit the pain of losing countless friends to AIDS, which she said happened in such quick succession that she didn’t have time to properly grieve for them. She had to relive the trauma of unknowingly living with bipolar disorder and the work of navigating through getting the help she needed to get in a healthy place mentally.

She wrote the book as a way of giving back to the next generation.

“It was my duty to do that, because I knew my story would help people,” Lewis said. “Right now, I am living a good life. I am successful, success-

ful in that through it all I have a smile on my face. And don’t roll up on me unless you’re leading with love. I’m busy trying to make folks live and laugh.

I don’t have time for anything else. We out here in these streets – and everybody knows, I don’t want nobody [expletive] with me in these streets.”

She says that St. Louis should prepare for a good time – and the unexpected – for her St. Louis visit.

“I follow my heart. Nothing has to be rehearsed. Living was the rehearsal,” Lewis said. “When I walk out there, I just tell the truth. I call it like I see it, smell it, taste it and touch it. I’m raw, I’m honest, I’m happy and I’m here.”

And she is downright over the moon at bringing the memoir rooted in her hometown back to the place where the foundation was laid.

“Y’all better show up St. Louis, because I’m coming home and I’m gonna show out,” Lewis said. “That’s how I roll. I don’t know how to do anything else.”

Jenifer Lewis in St. Louis, a hometown celebration of her memoir “The Mother of Black Hollywood,” will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 28 at the Loretto-Hilton, 130 Edgar Rd. in Webster Groves. Ticket price includes presigned copy of Jenifer’s book. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ jenifer-lewis-in-st-louis-tickets-45320687396

IN UNISON

Continued from C1

arrangements.”

The St. Louis Symphony, after just winning another Grammy Award last year, joined with other choristers to form the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, a choir of distinction.

“Automatically we are set apart by sheer musicianship, and spending time with that orchestra and working with the symphony here, one of the things that I continue to say is that I don’t know if there’s anything that the St. Louis Symphony can’t do,” McBeth said.

DCINY guest conductors, Kevin McBeth and Andy Waggoner, led the performance and served as clinicians for the residency.

“My job as a conductor is to help the singers, orchestra, and soloist understand the intentions of the composer and the intentions of the arranger,” McBeth said. “So, a good bit of my work is interpretive. What I love about being able to do that is to build kind of a musical community while we are doing

WHITNEY

Continued from C1

her sexuality and nature of the longtime friendship with Robyn Crawford. Several even collectively cosign an explosive allegation that Houston was sexually abused by cousin Dee Dee Warwick, singer and deceased sister of Dionne Warwick.

“Whitney” reminds the world of her warranted superstardom. She was already destined to be a star when Clive Davis and Arista won the record label bidding war for her, as opposed to the commonly told story that she was discovered by him. Clips of young Whitney before the whirlwind – including her first television appearance – prove that she would have been a star under just about anyone’s tutelage. Whitney could handle the fame, she seemed to be built for it – and further groomed by her mother to manage an extraordinary life. The film revealed the cost that came with the life her talent afforded her, spending much of the focus on the potholes in her journey that seemed to be her undoing. The

it. It’s a special place for me to be, and to kind of help shepherd that.”

Just this year McBeth has conducted two concerts with the orchestra, a concert with Boyz II Men and a concert with Amos Lee.

The singers spent approximately nine to10 hours in rehearsals over the five-day residency. Not all of the time was spent in rehearsals, since there’s so much history and culture to see in New York City.

There were five groups from St. Louis that participated in this concert at Carnegie. There were more than 200 singers representing the city. The other groups outside of the two that McBeth conducted participating were the choir from Concord Trinity United Methodist Church, Collinsville Corral, and the St. Louis County Community Chorus.

“My friend Andy Waggoner and three of his choruses from St. Louis also joined us so it was a special time,” McBeth said. “We had a chance to make some great music and also make some great friends. It was great to represent St. Louis in such a wonderful way, and I think it continues to help audiences understand what a great

shift began when black fans turned their backs on Houston. She was accused of abandoning her fan base with pop- and rock-driven music of her second studio album, “Whitney.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton referred to her as “Whitey Houston” and called for a boycott of her music. She was booed following a win during the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards. It was at these fateful awards that she met future husband Bobby Brown.

While in the midst of the whirlwind relationship that led to marriage and motherhood to her late daughter Bobbi Kristina, Whitney clawed her way back to the top of the world. Her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” got things started and the tipping point was her starring role of “The Bodyguard,” and singer of the record-shattering soundtrack that included her flawless cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

She was on top of the world professionally, but her personal life was in shambles in the years that followed. Her husband was chased by rumors of infidelity and repeated arrests.

musical scene we have going on here in St. Louis. I think it continues to surprise people when they know of that. To continue to foster that relationship made it really special for us.”

What many people do not know is that the St. Louis Symphony is one of the only orchestras with three resident choruses by having the symphony chorus, the IN UNISON chorus, and the holiday festival chorus.

Founded by Iris Derke and Jonathan Griffith, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) is the leading producer of dynamically charged musical excellence. With its concert experiences in renowned venues, educational programs, and its global community of artists and audiences, DCINY changes lives through the power of performance. Those interested in auditioning for St. Louis Symphony’s IN UNISON chorus are asked to visit https://www.slso.org/ or call 314-533-2500.

Ashley Jones is an Emma Bowen Foundation editorial intern at The St. Louis American, supported by a grant from the Democracy Fund.

Claims of drug abuse started to gain traction. Her friendship with Crawford ended. Her father’s company was dismissed from managing her career. She was unsuccessfully sued by his company for $100M. Her relationship with him never recovered. In 2012, she seemed to be on the road to yet another resurgence, particularly driven by the supporting role in the remake of the urban film classic, “Sparkle.” Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be.

Although explosive and engaging, the documentary “Whitney” could have benefited from Crawford’s participation, as well as more candid interviews from Bobby Brown and Cissy Houston. The film also all but absolves those record label executives – including Davis and later L.A. Reid – for pouring into the Whitney Houston the artist for the sake of music sales, but neglecting the clear and present warning signs of a tortured human.

“Whitney” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, July 6. The film is rated R with a running time of 120 minutes.

Jennifer Lewis

Celebrations

Hall of Honor

Congratulations to the 2018 Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis Alumni Hall of Honor inductees: Rolando Barry, Founding Director at MO High Steppers Drill Team; Brittany Dodson, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Morgan State University; Dr. Gralon Johnson, University Innovation Alliance (UIA) Fellow at Iowa State University; Lemont Livingston, Electrical Engineer at Hunter Engineering; and Dr. Art McCoy, Superintendent of Schools for Jennings School District.

Reunions

All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Beaumont High School Class of 1968 will celebrate its 50-year reunion June 22-24, 2018 at the Sheraton Westport Chalet, 191 Westport Plaza. For more information, please contact Vanetta Cobbs, 314869-5665 or email vanetta. cobbs@sbcglobal.net.

Beaumont High Class of 1973 will celebrate its 45-year reunion, Aug. 10-12, 2018! To register contact: Dr. Liz Franklin at,

mychoice2succeed@yahoo. com or (636)293-9553. Also, check out the BHS Facebook page.

Beaumont High Class of 1978 40th Reunion Extravaganza. Save the date: October 5-7, 2018. Call or text Marietta Shegog Shelby at 314-7995296 for further details.

Northwest Class of 1979 is planning on cruising for our 40-year reunion and would love for you to join us! Date to sail is set for July 20, 2019 and you can feel free to contact: Duane Daniels at 314-568-2057 or Howard Day at 414-698-4261 for further information. Please don’t miss the boat!

Productive Futures (19842006) is planning an allgraduate reunion in July 2018. Please send your

name, address and telephone number to: Productive Futures Graduates, PO Box 300322, St. Louis, MO 63130 or call 314440-3855.

Roosevelt High Class of 1968 50-year reunion is Saturday, July 7, 2018 at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street, 6 pm-10 pm, dinner buffet and open bar. Contact Jan Simpson for details at jsimpson@ sedeyharper.com.

St. Rose of Lima (Goodfellow & Etzel, closed 1977) will host an all-class reunion on Saturday, Sept. 8th, Jewel Center, 407 Dunn Rd. See www.strosereunion.com for details.

Sumner High School Class of 1973 will have its 45-year reunion the weekend of June 22-24, 2018. More info to follow outlining the details.

Golden Anniversary

Lee and Lillian Haywood will celebrate 50 years of marriage on July 14, 2018. They plan to celebrate the occasion with family and friends on July 21. Best wishes to the Haywoods on this special milestone!

If you did not receive a newsletter in January, please contact Marsha Joseph-Williams (314-6068701) or Dorris SimmonsMcGhaw(314-541-2462). You can also inbox Sid S. Shurn or Dorris on Facebook.

Vashon High Class of 1973 will celebrate its 45-year reunion on Saturday, August 11, 2018 in St. Louis. We’re still in the process of rounding up all of our graduates and would love for you all to contact us. Please email us at tpjgramells@ aol.com for additional information. You may also RSVP and pay by going to VashonHigh1973.myevent. com. For those not on the internet, please call Terri (Bell) Johnson 314-3132113.

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, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to:

St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103

McKinley High Class of 1978 40-year reunion will take place July 27-29, 2018 at the Embassy Suites-Airport Hotel in St. Louis. Classmates from all McKinley H.S. classes are invited. Registration is required. To register, contact Barbara Lindsey, Barbara_ Lindsey@icloud.com or Marvin Woods, mwoods@ projectcontrolsgroup.com or (314) 647-0707.

Vashon High School will celebrate its 90th anniversary October 5-7, 2018 for alumni, students and community activities to celebrate educational commitment and tradition. For additional information, go to Vashonhigh. org or contact Elvis Hopson, elvishopson@att.net, (314) 535-0243, Pearl Lake, lakep6@ aol.com, (314) 388-0743 or Cozy W. Marks, Jr., jr3810@ sbcglobal.net, (314) 383-5682.

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to:

Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

City of Pagedale is seeking an experienced full time CityAdministrator.

Annual salary $40,000.00. Send resume to City Clerk, 1420 Ferguson Pagedale, MO. 63133

& Adoptive Care Coalition has several employment opportunities. For more information, go to www.foster-adopt.org/employment.

PUBLIC SAFETY

OFFICER

Webster University has an opening for a Public Safety Officer. Please visit our website at https://webster.peopleadmin.com/ for a complete job description. No phone calls please. We are proud to be an equal opportunity affirmative action employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

POLICE OFFICER

LATERALENTRY

City ofAlton, IL

Must have been a full-time Police Officer

See website for further requirements and link to online application www.cityofaltonil.com/careers

Deadline for applications: July 31, 2018

State of MissouriDepartment of Mental Health Direct Care Openings Great Benefits! South County and St. Charles Starting at $10.83/hr. Please contact: Elaine Tomlin 636-926-1315

Elaine.tomlin@dmh.mo.gov

CODE ENFORCEMENT INSPECTOR

The City of Jennings is accepting applications for a code enforcement inspector. Duties include conducting interior and exterior inspections, writing reports, issuing citations and testifying in court. Must be familiar with ICC codes and have current valid drivers license. Three years of experience as an inspector and ICC certification preferred. Starting annual salary $32,538.00. Applications available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Ave. or at www.cityofjennings.org.

NO RESUMES ACCEPTED WITHOUT COMPLETION OF OUR APPLICATION! Completed applications may be mailed, emailed to jobs@cityofjennings.org or faxed to 314-388-3999. Applications accepted until position is filled.

ENTERPRISE PROGRAM MANAGER

Senior level professional position which contributes to the accomplishment of project/ program management practices and objectives that will achieve business goals and objectives. Works without immediate supervision and direction. Leads and mentors others within Program Management. Demonstrates advanced working knowledge and concepts of Information Technology. To apply, please visit: www.safetynational.com and click on the Careers tab.

Authority, HR Division, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106 by 5p, June 25, 2018 via website www.slha.org or email athomas@slha.org.ADrug Free Work Place/EOE.

BIDS

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking bids for improvements to Centennial Greenway: Delmar Blvd and I-170 in University City, Missouri. Check https://greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids/ and submit by 2pm July 26, 2018.

ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on August 6th, 2018 to contract with a company for: Video Production Services. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9443 RFP. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Missouri Historical Society has a position opening for a Director of Marketing and Communications. Visit www.mohistory.org

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on July 27, 2018 to contract with a company for: ROOF REPLACEMENT FOR PRAIRIE (P-150) PUMP STATION. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9441 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.6269 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on August 1st, 2018 to contract with a company for: Annual Diversity Report Services. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9456 RFP. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for Summit Road CRS Overlay, St. Louis County Project No. CR-1575, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m. on July 18, 2018.

Plans and specifications will be available on June 25, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

SEALED BIDS

for Repair Concrete F

House, Farmington Correction Center,

, Missouri, , Project No. C1812-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 8/2/2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

for Pavement Repairs, Benton /Clark Rd, Camp Crowder Tr a i n i n g S i t e , Neosho, Missouri, Project No. T182601 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 8/2/2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

FSMC Request for Proposal and Contract

St. Louis Catholic Academy is requesting bids to operate its food service program for the 2018-2019 school year. St. Louis Catholic Academy serves breakfast, lunch and snacks to approximately 140 students. Meals are served Monday thru Friday, and follows the USDA Federal School Lunch guidelines set by DESE. Interested companies may visit the school on July 19, 2018 at 12:00PM in order to view the cafeteria and ask any questions. Proposals will be due by July 20, 2018 at 12:00PM. The school’s address is 4720 Carter Ave. St. Louis, MO 63115. You may contact the principal, Sandra Morton at (314) 389-0401 or principal444@stlcatholicacademy.org

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for 2017 West County ITS Segments, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1644, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m. on July 18, 2018.

Plans and specifications will be available on June 25, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for 2017 Southwest County ITS Segments, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1646, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m. on July 18, 2018

Plans and specifications will be available on June 25, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for Lucas-Hunt Road (South) ARS Infrastructure project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1586, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m. on July 18, 2018

Plans and specifications will be available on June 25, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

CITY OF ST. LOUIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES

The City of St. Louis (City), by and through the Department of Personnel, is seeking proposals for the provision of temporary staffing services. The City plans to enter into a two-year contract for these services beginning approximately September 1, 2018, with a provision to extend the contract(s) for an additional two one year periods, upon written agreement of the parties. The contract(s) will be subject to termination by the City upon thirty (30) days written notice with or without cause and without penalty, damage or forfeiture. The temporary staffing services will be provided directly to the operating departments of the City.

Requests for proposals may be downloaded from the City of St. Louis website at: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/personnel/documents/ temporary-staffing-services-rfp.cfm

The proposals must be delivered to the Department of Personnel on or before 4:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time, July 27, 2018. Proposals may be hand delivered or mailed to: Department of Personnel, Recruitment and Examination Section, Attention: Bryan Boeckelmann, 1114 Market Street, Room 700, St. Louis, Missouri 63101-2043

NOTICE OF NUISANCE HEARING

Please take notice that pursuant to City of Berkeley Municipal Code Section 505.080 the Building Commissioner of the City of Berkeley, Missouri will hold a public hearing on July 10, 2018, at 1:00 PM, in the Berkeley City Hall, 8425 Airport Rd, Berkeley Missouri 63134, to determine whether the following structure is a public nuisance and detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of the residents of the City of Berkeley Missouri.

THE STRUCTURE DESCRIBED BELOW HAS BEEN DECLARED A DANGEROUS BUILDING:

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 8432 St. Olaf Dr, on Lot 26, Berkeley Frostwood Park, a subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 22408 Page 773 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 8550 Frost Avenue, Lot 364, Frostwood Park, Plat 10, subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 18193 Page 3435 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 8466 Bayberry Dr on Lot 220, Frostwood Plat 9, a subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 18144 Page 1804 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 8046 Aline Dr, on Block 2, Lot 6 Berkeley Orchards, a subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 07857 Page 0302 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 8055 Aline Drive, on Lot 24, Berkeley Orchards, a subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri, according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 20086 Page 4400 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 6127 Wulff, on lot 24, Berkeley Orchards Add, a subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 17700 Page 5424 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 8322 Fay, on Lot 25, Nordell Hills, a subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 17130 Page 1610 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 6013 Evergreen Ave, on Lot 13, Kinloch Park, a subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 06618 Page 0238 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 6057 Hancock, Block 22, LOT 36, Berkeley Orchards 2Nd Addition, subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 07013 Page 0023 of the St. Louis County Records.

The one story single family dwelling known and numbered as 6745 St Olaf, LOT 418, Frostwood Plat 10, subdivision in St. Louis County, Missouri according to the plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 17913 Page 624 of the St. Louis County Records.

All owners, heirs, interested parties, affected parties may be represented by counsel and shall have an opportunity to be heard. After the hearing, if the evidence supports a finding that the structure is a nuisance and detrimental to the health, safety or welfare of the residents of the City of Berkeley, the Building Commissioner and/or Hearing Officer will order the structure to be demolished and removed.

Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation to participate should contact Deanna Jones, City Clerk by phone at 314-524-3133, or email: cityclerk@ci.berkeley.mo.us in advance.

By Order of the Building Commissioner

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race,color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference,limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.” Call Angelita at 314-289-5430 to place your rental/real estate ad today!

istration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m. on July 25, 2018. Plans and specifications will be available on July 2, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Detailed Plan for Bevo Great Streets Project East-West Gateway is seeking submittals from consultants to develop a detailed plan for the Bevo Great Streets Project. A DBE goal will be set for this project. Submittals are due no later than 1:00 p.m. on August 1, 2018. Submittal details and specifications can be obtained at www.ewgateway.org or by calling 314-421-4220 ext. 263.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on August 9th, 2018 to contract with a company for: Minority Advertising Services.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9460 RFP. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

PUBLIC NOTICE – CRAN_ RKSL_PAPIN_3_3C AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to collocate antennas on a new 32-foot utility pole at 1113 Mississippi Avenue – C, St. Louis, St. Louis County, MO. Public comments regarding the potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of this publication to: Maggie Klejbuk – CBRE, 70 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, NY 10604, whiteplainsculturalresources@cbre.com or (914) 694-9600.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for North and South Road ARS Infrastructure, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1493, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m. on July 25, 2018 Plans and specifications will be available on July 2, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144,

Elders scorn Trump’s abuse of scripture

Call for nonviolent civil disobedience’

American staff

Following the signing of the Reclaiming Jesus declaration, multiracial elders from across traditions – including evangelical, mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, and AfricanAmerican churches – launched the “Suffer the Little Children” statement condemning the splitting apart of families at the United States border and the abuse of scripture to defend a morally indefensible policy.

The Trump administration is abusing scripture to justify abusing children.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, speaking for the president, quoted the apostle Paul in Romans 13 to justify this policy of cruelty against children and families.

“This is yet another misuse and violation of the Word of God to defend a morally indefensible policy. This is a line of demarcation that political power must not be allowed to cross,” the elders respond. “If Jesus is Lord, we are called to love our neighbors in every circumstance and to even love our enemies. In Matthew 22, Jesus puts loving God and loving your neighbor at the heart of everything. “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” In Matthew 25, Jesus commands us to “welcome the stranger.”

The apostle Paul, in Romans 13, does not say that cruelty is a justifiable tool or role of government. Rather, Paul says the government’s role is meant to be “God’s servant for your

of Faith During Political and Moral Crisis” on May 24 outside the White House in Washington, DC.

good”; government exists to be the protector of the good and to guard people from evil.

Romans 13:3 says, “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” In cruel contrast, the new family-destroying policies of the administration are the reverse of the proper role of government described in Romans 13.

Separating children from their parents is not mandate of current U.S. law, but rather a deliberate policy choice this administration made to use cruelty as a deterrent, and some administration officials have admitted it. we still need comprehensive, compassionate, and just immigration reform, elders are calling on Congress to pass a simple legislative act that would prohibit the administration from separating families.

Specifically, the elders call on the administration to: immediately stop separating children from their parents; ensure that no children who have already been separated from their parents are lost; and to immediately begin reuniting

families torn apart by the United States government.

The elders also call on the church to teach and preach about this moral crisis, organize candlelight prayers at the offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and at local Congressional offices, and prayerfully consider non-violent civil disobedience at appropriate places in the days ahead.

The elders commend this call in prayer and hope for the reclaiming of Jesus in our time.

Signed: Bishop Carroll A. Baltimore, President and CEO, Global Alliance Interfaith Network; Dr. Amos Brown, Chair, Social Justice Commission, National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.; Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus, Columbia Theological Seminary; Dr. Tony Campolo, Co-Founder, Red Letter Christians; Dr. Iva Carruthers, General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference; The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. James Forbes,

President and Founder, Healing of the Nations Foundation and Preaching Professor at Union Theological Seminary; Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America; Rev. Dr. Cynthia Hale, Senior Pastor, Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, GA; Rev. Dr. Richard Hamm, former General Minister and Pres. of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Faith Community Organizer and Chairman, Community Resource Network; Rev. Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita, The Wesleyan Church; Bishop Vashti McKenzie, 117th Elected and Consecrated Bishop, AME Church; Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., Co-Convener National African American Clergy Network; Dr. John Perkins, Chair Emeritus and Founding Member, Christian Community Development Assoc. and Pres. Emeritus, John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation; Senior Bishop Lawrence Reddick, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Rev. Ray Rivera, Pres. and Founder, Latino Pastoral Action Center; Fr. Richard Rohr, Founder, Center for Action and Contemplation; Dr. Ron Sider, President Emeritus, Evangelicals for Social Action; Rev. Jim Wallis, Pres. and Founder, Sojourners; Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, Director, NCC Truth and Racial Justice Initiative; Dr. Barbara WilliamsSkinner, Co-Convener, National African American Clergy Network; President, Skinner Leadership Institute; Bishop Will Willimon, Bishop, The United Methodist Church, retired, Prof. of the Practice of Ministry, Duke Divinity School.

What do you believe in?

You know, I’ve got to give it to the devil. He truly is as slick as they come. He has some power in this physical world and zilch in the eternal kingdom of heaven. Hence, he has an advantage when it comes to orchestrating the events of this world in order to accomplish two very important things to him. One is to get us to believe he doesn’t exist. Two is to show us a perspective on this world that leaves God entirely out of the equation. Now I don’t know which one is more damaging. But to think the devil doesn’t exist is extremely dangerous, and to further believe that God is not an integral part of life is spiritual suicide. As in the Parable of the Sower, we learn this reality: “Some people are like seed along the path where the Word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in them.” Mark 4:15.

This entire parable speaks to how life, its worldly seductions, its illusions about acquiring wealth and desire for personal gratification, can obscure the truth contained in the Word of God.

Can you imagine being tricked out of what rightfully belongs to you because you didn’t know it was yours in the first place? Now underscore that with the belief that the person doing the tricking is actually someone who doesn’t really exist.

Many of us, me included, spend far too much time and energy relying on the lies of Satan in a world that measures success by the weight of one’s wallet, rather than by God’s divine will. Our struggle is one where we must first be the soil made ready to produce a crop. Our challenge is to be prepared to hear the Word. The intent is to bear fruit. By bearing fruit, I mean we should spread the Word, pollinate the lives of others with the reality that evil is real and walks and talks and lives and breathes in this world today.

What do you believe in? Your world becomes defined by the answer to that simple but very important question. Belief in God necessitates a belief in the devil and fortifies and insulates you against the evil in your life winning. If you don’t believe in God, what you don’t know will be what ruins you eternally. You will never seek Him out. You therefore become vulnerable to the devil’s tricks because keeping you ignorant is and always has been the tool of this oppressor. It’s a control thing.

The one thing that insures salvation is just a little bit of knowledge based in faith. That faith, no matter how small, stands as a testament to all that God is in control and the first option should always be Him. A little bit of faith is required. Faith always gets tested. Salvation lies somewhere between what you say, what you do and what you believe in.

People pray during an interfaith vigil titled “Reclaiming the Integrity

Columnist James Washington