March 16th, 2017 Edition

Jones rejects Post’s ‘dose of humilty’

‘You still don’t get it,’ change candidate tells daily paper’s editorial board

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

n “I plan to keep the coalition that supported me engaged in the issues I raised during the campaign.”

– Tishaura O. Jones

Tishaura O. Jones – the St. Louis treasurer who narrowly lost the March 7 mayoral primary after months of negative and condescending reporting and editorializing by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has another message for the Post’s editorial board, which was obtained by The American Her previous rebuke of Tod Robberson, Editorial Page editor at the Post, where she explained her reasons for not meeting with the Post editorial board, accused the paper of “thinly veiled racism and preference for the status quo past.” It went viral after it was posted on stlamerican.com. More than a quarter-million people read Jones’ letter. It became the subject of at least four national news stories and attracted financial contributions to her campaign from all over the world. Here is her latest letter to Robberson, dated Tuesday, March 14, 2017.

Tishaura O. Jones writes: Your recent editorial “Some Ingredients behind Tishaura Jones’ Surprise Election Showing” contains a passage that I cannot resist highlighting: “She gained traction for standing up to the establishment by circulating a letter accusing this editorial board of racism. For those who read

False narrative of Ferguson Market footage

Protest flares over documentary that misrepresents facts of Mike Brown incident

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Key STLCC seats on April 4 ballot

By Rebecca Rivas Of The

Louis American

St. Louis Community College could be more involved in getting high school students exposed and ready for college, said several candidates who hope to be part of the college’s governing body. In the April 4 general municipal election, 12 candidates will vie for two seats on the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees. Nine candidates will be on the ballot for the Subdistrict 1 seat,

The

combats St. Louis violence

James

By Tashan Reed For The St. Louis American

St.

Photo by Wiley Price

Tishaura O. Jones addressing supporters at her election watch party on

7, when she lost the Democratic mayoral primary to Lyda Krewson by 888 votes.

Photo by Wiley Price

Kordell Stewart reportedly awarded $3.5M against Andrew Caldwell

According to The Daily Mail, former NFL star and reality television personality Kordell Stewart has scored a $3 million victory against viral video star and St. Louis native Andrew Caldwell who claimed the two had a sexual relationship.

In November of last year, a judge awarded Stewart, 44, a “default judgment” against Caldwell, who failed to turn up to the proceedings.

Then on March 10, according to documents posted on DailyMail.com, Stewart was awarded $1.5 million in general damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages as his reputation was “significantly” hurt by the claims.

The $3 million victory is less than Stewart had hoped, however. He sued Caldwell for $4.5 million last month, citing loss of earnings, emotional distress and impairment to his image.

Suspect in custody for murders of Toya Wright’s brothers

Last year, reality television personality Toya Wright’s two brothers, Joshua and Ryan “Rudy” Johnson, were shot to death inside their car in New Orleans’ 7th Ward.

According to reports, Antoine “Tweezy” Edwards, 31, was booked March 9 on two counts of seconddegree murder after several witnesses came forward. The suspect admitted to at least one person that he committed the crime and multiple eyewitnesses chose him from the police line-up. The bond was set at $500k and Edwards is due back in court May 7.

“Ms. Tran is looking to expeditiously close this matter and quite frankly be able to move on with her life and put this matter behind her as quickly as possible,” they told E! News. “We have no other comment at this time.” Blood and Trigger appeared in court today on behalf of Tran and confirmed Tran’s hearing was postponed until a later date because Brown hadn’t been officially served with paperwork yet.

E! pumps the breaks on ‘Rob & Chyna’

Chris Brown stalls Karrueche Tran’s protection order plans

Last week, news leaked that Chris Brown had been successfully avoiding being served with a restraining order from his ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran

Although there is a legal process to go through, Tran’s attorneys, Patrick Blood and Michelle Trigger, told E! News that she wants the process to end rapidly.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the once-engaged couple has called it quits, and therefore, will not be filming the second season of their E! reality show, “Rob & Chyna.” ET reached out to the cable network for comment, as it was announced in December that the series had been renewed for another season. “We are continuing to shoot with all the family members, and are covering Rob and his relationship with Chyna,” an E! spokesperson

said in a statement. The source adds that Rob Kardashian, 29, and Chyna, 28, are remaining amicable for the sake of their 3-month-old daughter, Dream. “They are doing the best they can to stay civil and to co-parent the best they can,” the source explains. “They have worked out an informal custody arrangement. They found out what works for them and they’re doing a good job at it.”

Katt Williams ordered to cough up cash in assault case

Last year, comedian Katt Williams was arrested for assaulting a pool store clerk in Gainesville, GA. This week Williams was ordered to pay Paul $86,000 in damages. He was awarded a default judgment when Williams failed to show up in court. Love claims he was recovering from brain surgery at the time of the attack.

Sources: TMZ.com, ET.com, The Daily Dish, The Daily Mail

Karruche Tran

Katt Williams

Officials launch outreach for new voter photo ID law

No changes in requirements to vote on March 7 or April 4

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

Missouri’s new voter ID law goes into effect on June 1 and will not impact St. Louis city’s primary election on March 7 or the municipal elections on April 4, state political leaders today at a press conference held at St. Louis City Hall on Monday, March 6.

In November, Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment that requires voters to present a government-issued photo ID at the election polls. Making for an odd collaboration, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. (D – St. Louis) and state Rep. Justin Alferman (R – Hermann) announced the launch of the public outreach program for the state’s new photo voter ID law, Show It 2 Vote. Franks fought adamantly against the law because he believes that it will keep many people – such as minorities, seniors, low-income or transient voters and students –away from the polls, he said. But now that voters approved it, he will fight hard to make sure residents in his district will not stay home on election day because they don’t have a government-issued ID.

“This is a great solution to a problem we don’t have,” Franks said. “But we have to move forward. It’s important that we now bridge the divide over this issue to ensure that all eligible, registered voters are able to vote. I encourage everyone to join us in the

mission of spreading the word about Missouri’s new photo voter ID requirements.” Ashcroft said that they don’t know if voter fraud is a widespread problem in Missouri because there’s never been an investigation. However, he said he supports the law and believes everyone will be able to obtain the required ID.

Alferman, the bill’s sponsor, said it will cost $1.4 million to meet the law’s requirements, which will largely go towards voter outreach. Another $200,000 will go towards giving out free non-driver IDs and paying for any fees that voters have to obtain certain documents. Alferman said he is confident that they will secure that money in the state budget, despite the governor’s proposed $146 million cuts to higher education.

When asked why he chose to champion an issue that had never been investigated or documented as a problem and that would cost the state more money when it’s lacking revenue currently, Alferman said, “Elections are of the upmost importance in our society and in our state. If even one fraudulent vote has been

cast, it casts doubt on our entire process.”

The voter photo ID law provides several ways to cast a ballot, Ashcroft said. A voter may show a government-issued photo ID such as a driver license, non-driver license, passport or military ID.

Another option is to sign a statement and show one of the following: voter registration card, ID from a Missouri university, college, vocational or technical school, a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing the voter’s name and address.

Finally, a voter without a photo ID or any of the documents listed above may cast a provisional ballot. If the voter’s signature matches the signature in the voter registry, or if the voter returns to the polling place to show appropriate photo ID, the vote will be counted.

Catherine Stenger, vice president of the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis, said she was disappointed how poorly publicized the ShowIt2Vote launching was. One of their

State Rep. Justin Alferman, state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. and Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft launched the public outreach program for the new photo voter ID law, Show It 2 Vote, at St. Louis City Hall on Monday, March 6.

members saw a tweet on Friday and decided to come, but there should have been people from churches and other voter advocacy organizations present as well. Stenger, who is responsible for voter registration, said that the new requirements have the potential of disenfranchising people.

“Hearing about some new ID, that just might sound too hard for them,” Stenger said. Because many women have changed their names, it could mean a full hunt to track down marriage documents that they don’t have on hand, Stenger said.

“For women, they might not want to go through looking through all that stuff,” Stenger said. “It is harder for some people to come up with those IDs than others. It will be hard for the homeless, women, the less-successful, the lessconfident and lower socioeconomic people.”

For more information about the law’s requirements, visit ShowIt2Vote.com. The ShowIt2Vote Help Line is available; call (866) 868-3245 for assistance.

We must overcome our losing culture in politics

By Mike Jones • Columnist

Coming out of the March 7 mayoral primary, which failed to elect an African-American change candidate, our problem is a lack of organized infrastructure in the black community.

Politics is like crime: in order to be truly profitable, they both have to be organized. The bigger and more efficient the organization, the higher the rate of return. When you’re not organized, you’re a mom and pop confectionary, which never has what you really need. My generation is a product of a time when the black community had organized infrastructure that protected and advanced its interest, i.e., when Bumpy ran Harlem.

Organization means order, discipline and hierarchy.

Entrepreneurial environments may be creative and vibrant, but they’re also chaotic and disruptive, and they produce way more losers than winners. Our core problem is our culture is producing entrepreneurial politicians with a focus on personal ambition and not politicians who are guardians of our collective interests. We need a better understanding of our condition and a major change in our cultural values.

In defense of the non-voter, some of that indifference is a subconscious reaction to the reality that the current political apparatus does not protect or advance their interests. It’s really having conversations about politics, power and values across the entire community on a regular and ongoing basis that will be the foundation of any positive change.

For me, politics is the art and science of acquiring power so you can make policy. Basically, I want to be in charge of the game. And you want to be in charge because you know what you want to change or protect. In order to master politics, you must become the political equivalent of an apex predator: You hunt everything, and nothing hunts you.

This happens in an ecosystem with other apex predators, so you’re always in competition for prey and territory. You will have to make concessions to the reality that you will not always prevail because you will not always be in the strongest position. But you must always be hunting; you must always be a political threat. The reason apex predators accommodate each other is because of the uncertainty of who will prevail in a confrontation. People are only willing to negotiate when they’re unsure of the outcome, which is the reason lawyers avoid trial if they can. Teams and organizations lose because of a lack of talent, or they have sufficient talent but a losing culture. I’m reserving judgment on whether we have the talent, but I’m unequivocally prepared to say we have a losing culture. Until we find a way to fix our locker room, we don’t have a shot at devising a winning game plan.

Mike Jones, who has held senior policy positions in St. Louis city and county government, serves on the St. Louis American editorial board and the State Board of Education.

Columnist

Mike Jones

Photo by Wiley Price

Don’t believe the black battle of the sexes narrative

The March 7 St. Louis mayoral primary election attracted an unusual amount of national attention, which we generally welcome, but there is one national narrative that needs to be modified. It has been said that black male candidates bonded together to defeat the “black girl magic” of the only female candidate, Tishaura O. Jones. Though we endorsed Jones and believe she had the best path to victory and should have been the consensus black candidate, the facts are more complex than egotistical black men thwarting “black girl magic.”

Lewis Reed ran against Mayor Francis G. Slay four years ago, and anyone plotting a run for mayor in 2017 knew they had to beat Reed and at least one white candidate. Jones knew this. Reed did not step in her way – he was in line to run before she decided to file. It’s less defensible and more regrettable that Antonio French ran to the end with the odds he knew he was facing. With Reed and Jones on the ballot with him against a consensus white candidate, Lyda Krewson, and with Krewson and Reed sewing up the status quo funding and endorsements, French needed national crowd-funding from his national visibility earned in Ferguson and sweeping progressive endorsements. When his national crowd-funding never came to fruition and all of the local progressive endorsements went to Jones, French should have seen that she could win and he could not. But his name was on the ballot for the only open mayoral seat he may see in his lifetime, he stayed in, and Krewson won by 888 votes.

As for Jeffrey Boyd, he was one of Slay’s staunchest black allies during the most racially divisive years of Slay’s rule, when Jeff Rainford ran Room 200. Boyd was handing out flyers on election day fraudulently claiming he had an endorsement from Ward 7 – where Jones was endorsed and heavily favored. We would not be surprised if Boyd turns up with a well-paying position in the Krewson administration. He and Charles Bryson would have a lot to talk about at the City Hall water cooler.

Jamilah Nasheed raised the idea of sisterly togetherness (she decided not to run and endorsed Jones) over brotherly selfishness on election night, and her support of Jones was critical – though not as complete as expected. Nasheed was in a position to help fund Jones’ campaign, and had funding come early enough to buy television advertising slots, Jones might well have won those 888 votes she needed in the end. The national crowd-funding Jones raked in after her stinging rebuke of the shameless St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board went viral – the crowd-funding French counted on, but never landed – was enough for Jones to invest in television ads, but came too late. So, though many are nursing wounds over this lost opportunity, let’s not get twisted into

some black battle of the sexes narrative. The last thing a fractured black vote needs is to be further divided down the middle along gender lines.

However, that does not mean everyone is or should be ready to link arms and sing songs together. U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is mindful of needing to unite the now-fractured urban base in St. Louis to gear up for defending her important Democratic seat in the Senate in 2018, but the senator should know that black St. Louis is not, at present, ready for “white girl magic” either. We need some time to reflect, heal, and strategize amongst ourselves. But, we do need to continue building a progressive coalition – a movement that almost unseated a status quo consensus white candidate with three ambitious and competitive black candidates (and one negligible black sellout) on the ballot with her.

This movement is driven by a new generation of leaders unburdened by the old political order. Despite pushback that included St. Louis’ daily newspaper, a huge funding disadvantage and some old-guard elected officials (Jason Kander stood with the progressives, while McCaskill refused to engage), we saw the seeds of something new being sown in this mayoral primary: a reordering of policies and practices in the city. If this new, pro-growth progressive coalition stays strong, we may look back on March 7, 2017 not as a loss, but as a catalyst for real change. For now, this much is clear: A new force in city politics has arrived that will have to be dealt with by any new mayor.

The GOP’s fiscal and moral irresponsibility

It’s time to put an end to the myth that Republicans believe in fiscal responsibility. Saving taxpayer dollars takes a back seat to the ideological imperative of blaming and shaming the poor.

Witness the GOP’s longawaited plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. House committees are moving forward on the legislation before the Congressional Budget Office has even had a chance to estimate how much the measure will cost. Why the rush?

Because if the plan doesn’t snatch away health insurance coverage from millions of people – and both President Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan swear it won’t – then it’s surely going to cost a ton.

The Republican plan would take away the ACA’s subsidies and replace them with refundable tax credits based on age, not income. This means a windfall for those who are older and well-to-do. In essence, the plan would expand government assistance to encompass many who don’t really need it – in order to avoid targeting help toward those who do.

The GOP plan would also eliminate the ACA’s penalty fee for not having health insurance, which goes into the public till – and replace it with a different penalty fee that goes to the insurance companies. Apparently Republicans have no problem committing what they once called “extortion” if the benefit goes to private companies, not the common good.

Keep in mind that Trump and GOP leaders in Congress promise that after dealing

with health care they will seek huge tax cuts, including for the wealthy. As fiscal policy, how does this make sense? It only makes sense as ideology. In today’s Republican Party, policies have to satisfy the belief that the less fortunate are poor by choice. Rarely do Republicans just come out and accuse the poor of being lazy freeloaders, but U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, came close. He suggested that “rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care.” The priciest iPhone advertised on Apple’s website costs $969. If Chaffetz will cancel the cushy health insurance plan he is provided as a member of the House, I will write him a check for that amount – and wish him the best of luck providing health care for his family.

When you ask Republicans what they’re going to cut, they mention foreign aid – which totals about $35 billion, or slightly less than 1 percent of federal spending. They threaten to eviscerate smaller agencies by cutting $6 billion here or $8 billion there – but at the same time, they applaud Trump’s pledge to increase the $600 billion defense budget by an incredible 10 percent. They’re going to end up

By Walle Amusa Guest columnist

Five African Americans and two white candidates contested in the 2017 St. Louis Democratic mayoral primary election. The five African Americans received a total of 36,031 votes and lost. One white candidate, Lyda Krewson, received 17,111 votes and won.

Prior to the election, two major white candidates dropped out of the race. A sixth African American, state Senator Jamilah Nasheed, correctly read the political tea leaves and refused to enter the race.

In December 2016, I called all five African American candidates. I invited them to meet with me to review data from my 40 years of experience in city electoral politics and jointly arrive at a consensus candidate.

Antonio French did not return my call. Lewis Reed and Jeffery Boyd agreed to meet. Virvus Jones returned my call on behalf of his daughter Tishaura O. Jones, but refused to meet, claiming his daughter would win based on his analysis. Jimmie Matthews refused to meet because he “received a message from God” that he will win the election. My meeting never happened. Better efforts by others to secure a consensus candidate also failed.

Instead of uniting around a progressive agenda and a candidate, most of these African-American candidates resorted to self-righteous castigation of the others. By so doing, they dashed the hopes of our beloved community. As the election results indicate, these candidates either underestimated the role racism

continues to play in St. Louis City or they were determined to block the election of a progressive African American. This is disheartening.

There are three lessons we must learn.

First, an election campaign is both a science and an art. The science covers the fundamentals and the persistent hard work that must not be ignored. The art covers strategy, issues, candidate selection, relentless pursuit of unity, inspirational stump speeches, wise deployment of resources, focused grassroots organizing, and selection of staff and consultants based on experience and fitness.

Candidates who ignore any of these factors merely guarantee defeat.

Third, the political, civic, labor and religious community in St. Louis is seriously divided and out of sync with an insurgent progressive movement. There are no serious leadership consultations, deliberations or planning around a coherent agenda to unite, guide and energize this community.

Opportunities for taking African Americans and this city to the next levels of empowerment and development are routinely squandered. The self-righteous declarations and lack of strategic unity reflect a very poor understanding of power, how to get it and more importantly, what to do with it. Often, ceremonial fluff has become the substitute for an exercise of substantive political or agency power. We must be clear. The convergence of bloated egos, arrogance, petty jealousies, delusional politics and racist media is toxic for our community.

The time has come for our political, civic, labor and religious leaders, agency appointees and progressive organizations to engage in a relentless pursuit of unity and to build coalitions strong enough to sustainably advance the vital interests of working families, youth, seniors and businesses in our City and State.

Walle Amusa is an organizer, trainer and speaker on Twitter @WalleAmusa.

Second, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch played a destabilizing role in this mayoral election. The Post knows that scurrilous, racist and yellow-bellied journalism is wrong. Yet it allowed some of its journalists to resurrect the discredited practices of the defunct St. Louis GlobeDemocrat and conduct a despicable smear campaign against Tishaura Jones. While major cities across the country raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour, the Post selectively ignored Alderwoman Krewson’s vigorous opposition to raising this city’s minimum wage to $13 an hour. It was unfair. Jones should be commended for running a campaign that gathered momentum and attracted thousands of progressives. In a campaign, time is the most treacherous resource. The Post accomplished its goal by forcing Jones to spend valuable time defending herself against baseless smears and innuendos.

etters to the editor

Hiring goals and tax abatement

All letters are

spending more and collecting less in tax revenue. And this is the party that claims to care about deficits and debt?

Republicans say we’re going to “save” the big entitlement programs by trimming benefits. The problem is that Medicare and Social Security serve middle-class and upper-crust taxpayers, including many who share the GOP’s punish-thepoor belief system. If you think these ACA-focused town halls are hostile, just you wait.

Among recent administrations, at least, Democratic presidents have been the relative skinflints.

Bill Clinton, you will recall, actually balanced the budget – and yes, he had help from Republicans in Congress.

Barack Obama spent heavily at first to save the economy, which was teetering on the edge of a dreadful abyss, but he ended up slashing the deficit in half and presiding over years of uninterrupted economic growth.

George W. Bush, on the other hand, fought hugely expensive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq without accounting for them in his budgets. He also convinced Congress to expand Medicare to cover prescription drugs, which was compassionate but costly.

Trump promises to be even more of a big spender. Among other things, he promises a trillion-dollar program to renew the nation’s infrastructure. Imagine the Republican howling if Obama had suggested such a thing.

The GOP will surely persist in its sanctimony about balanced budgets, but no one should pay any attention. Commentary

This week’s editorial in The American says developers that get tax abatement for city projects must hire certain number of minorities and city residents. This is incorrect according to staff at the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment. City Ordinance 69427 only applies to TIF projects, city bond projects and city public works projects. The law should be changed to include tax abatement projects.

Bobby Gissendanner St. Louis

Tragically ironic

It is tragically ironic that Missouri NAACP President Rod Chapel was silenced when attempting to testify about the discriminatory nature of the proposed legislation that guts the Missouri Human Rights Act last night.

The State House Special Committee on Litigation Reform Chair Bill Lant and bill sponsor state Rep. Warren Love actions exemplify the precise disrespectful treatment and decisiveness we are fearful these bills will empower. President Chapel was trying to use our country’s history to illustrate his point. Unfortunately Chairman Lant over-stepped his power and demonstrated the hatred driving this legislation.

Mike Louis, president Missouri AFL-CIO

Political hubris and self-interest

I was just thinking of how college basketball and football has a process where prospects that are interested in making the jump to the pros can do a draft analysis to check their status. Too bad Politicians

don’t have something in place like this where they can look at things through a similar lens. If that had been the case in the recent mayoral election in St. Louis, certain candidates would have had a real sense of their election status and have been able to make a honest and truthful assessment on their chances of winning. I am constantly amazed at how those marginalized by society, our youth and even gang members such as the Crips and Bloods, can find a way to galvanize forces in critical junctures to bring greater light to issues that affect our communities. You saw it with the Rodney King trial, how the gangs called a truce to bring peace and stability back to the community, And starting with Ferguson and pretty much

every situation since then how, our youth have led the drive for change. If only those individuals that we consider to be astute and/or intelligent could learn from our youngsters how to engage in acts of diplomacy. But no, it seems like political hubris and single-minded self-interest got in the way of certain individuals’ ability to do a proper cause/effect analysis or assessment of their campaigns. Because these individuals couldn’t figure out how to get out of their own way, we are stuck with four more years of more of the same, instead of a true change in leadership and direction for St. Louis.

Thomas Payton St. Louis

Guest Columnist Walle Amusa

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Photo by Wiley Price

Tishaura O. Jones voting soon after polls opened on election day, March 7.

Jamming for the school board

Members of the West Corridor Elementary Advanced Band, under the direction of Aaron Jackson (pictured), and members of the Central Corridor Elementary Beginning Orchestra, under the direction of Kimberly Jackson, performed several musical selections during the Hazelwood School District Board of Education meeting on March 7. In the Hazelwood School District, students can join the band or orchestra music programs beginning in the 4th grade. If district residents are interested in their child learning how to play a musical instrument, they should contact their child’s school for information on how to register for a program during the 2017-18 school year.

Volunteers needed for museum conference

The American Alliance of Museums is seeking a diverse group of volunteers to welcome attendees at the world’s largest gathering of museum professionals, which will be held in St. Louis in May.

The 2017 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo attracts leaders and decision makers from a wide range of cultural institutions, including art, history, and science museums; military and maritime museums; children’s museums; aquariums, zoos, arboretums, and botanical gardens; and historic homes and sites. For more information, visit annualmeeting.aam-us.org or follow on Twitter at #AAM2017.

Volunteers will be needed to assist with logistics at the Annual Meeting – held May 7-10 at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis – as well as assist at tours, workshops and other events at area museums.

Volunteers must live, work or study in Missouri or Illinois, commit to a four-hour shift, and attend an orientation session. Volunteers will receive one complimentary day’s registration at the conference in return for covering a four-hour volunteer shift. Those interested in volunteering should email volunteers@ aam-us.org.

FrogWatch offers free training to citizen scientists

St. Louis-area citizen scientists are needed to monitor frogs and toads from their backyards, parks, fields, creeks or just about anywhere with FrogWatch and the Saint Louis Zoo. The information gathered can ultimately lead to practical and workable ways to stop amphibian decline. You’ll be asked to make a commitment to monitor a site of your choosing for at least three minutes twice a week throughout the frogs’ breeding season, which ranges from about February to August.

Two FrogWatch trainings held this spring –6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 —in the Carriage House at Shaw Nature Reserve, and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 14 in the Forest Park Visitor Center For more information and to hear some frog calls, visit stlzoo.org/frogwatch or aza. org/frogwatch. For more information, contact Michael Dawson at dawson@stlzoo.org or (314) 646-4551.

HBCUs were pioneers, but not in ‘school choice’

By U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill For The St. Louis American

Generations of Missourians who have benefited from an education at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) may be scratching their heads this week after hearing that Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s newly confirmed Secretary of Education, called HBCUs “real pioneers when it comes to school choice.”

That stunning statement ignores the true history of HBCUs – born in the segregated Jim Crow South to provide a college education to black students who were barred from attending most other schools.

HBCUs weren’t responding to a need for “school choice.” They were responding to racism, segregation, and exclusion in higher education in America.

So to equate the founding of HBCUs –created to provide higher education for students who were legally barred from most other choices because of the color of their skin – with her vision for a vouchered education system that guts public schools, only shows Secretary DeVos’s fundamental misunderstanding of the history of racial oppression in this country.

That ignorance is just one example in a long list of reasons why Secretary DeVos is completely unfit to lead Missouri’s schools, and why I voted against her.

It’s why during the debate on her nomination, my office received more than 50,000 calls, letters, and emails from Missourians expressing their concerns about the damage her policies would do from our largest cities to our smallest rural communities.

n Secretary DeVos shows fundamental misunderstanding of the history of racial oppression in this country.

What Secretary DeVos may not know is that HBCUs have played and continue to play a key role in our country’s education system. There are more than 100 Historically Black Colleges & Universities, including two in Missouri – Harris-Stowe State University and Lincoln University.

In 1989, President George H.W. Bush said of HBCUs, “At a time when many schools barred their doors to black Americans, these colleges offered the best, and often the only, opportunity for a higher education.”

President Bush was right. These schools were the “real pioneers” in helping educate some of the best and the brightest in this country – giving black students the first true choice to get a college education.

I hope Secretary Devos will come to understand this. That in a country founded on the principles of equality and justice for all, education is the most fundamental of opportunities—and every single citizen must be afforded one.

Claire McCaskill

Photo from Hazelwood School District

Continued from A1

allegedly trying to set a St. Louis County Police cruiser on fire by trying to light a rag he had stuck in its gas tank on Sunday night.

But the footage, which was not introduced to the grand jury that reviewed the killing of Brown or released to the public, was heavily edited in the documentary where it appears, which premiered on Saturday at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.

The footage concerns a visit that Brown made to the Ferguson Market at 1:14 a.m. on the day he was killed, August 9, 2014. A surveillance camera revealed someone, identified as Brown, approach the counter and offer something to the store clerks that they smelled and placed back on the counter. Brown took soft drinks from a cooler and ordered cigarillos from over the counter, which he was served. One clerk appeared to wave him off. Brown tried to leave with his bag of drinks and cigars, but stopped. He appeared to argue with the clerks, but gave up and left without the goods, which were restocked.

so it was not shown to the grand jury, and McCulloch only released to the public the evidence that he presented to the grand jury.

Public outrage was sparked because of the apparent attempt by officials to strategically release some, but not all, of the available footage of Brown from Ferguson Market. Brown returned to the market shortly before he was killed at 12:01 p.m. the same day. Video of Brown pushing aside a store clerk and walking out with a box of cigarillos was shown to the grand jury and released to the public.

n “There is no reason to suppress criminal evidence of Michael Brown if you are trying to incriminate Michael Brown.”

– Hal Goldsmith, former federal prosecutor

St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch released the video to the press and then public on Monday, March 13 in reaction to public outrage over the edited video footage that appears in the documentary. He also debunked the idea that the footage was suppressed.

“It was inadmissible and irrelevant” to the case against Wilson, McCulloch said,

JONES

the newspaper regularly, the accusation was nonsense. But Jones was aiming for an audience less immersed in the issues and more in concepts

Notoriously, then Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson released that video, which incriminated Brown, on the same day he identified Brown’s killer, Wilson, by name – even after President Obama’s Department of Justice warned local officials that the release of the video at that time would intensify protests, as it did.

However, the two pieces of video evidence have different degrees of relevance to the case against Wilson and were therefore handled differently, McCulloch claimed. Former federal prosecutor Hal Goldsmith, now a partner at Bryan Cave, agreed.

“What happened in the store just before he was killed was relevant to Michael Brown’s mindset at the time of the shooting, and the incident went out on the police radio, so it was a matter of public record – and arguably relevant to Wilson’s mindset at the time of the shooting,” Goldsmith told The American. “Absolutely, that was admissible and relevant if the case went to trial.”

There have been varying accounts whether Wilson knew

that Brown was a robbery suspect when he shot and killed him. By most accounts, the incident between the officer and 18-year old youth started when Wilson told Brown to stop walking in the street, with jaywalking being his only suspected offense.

Goldsmith also agreed with McCulloch that the incident between Brown and store clerks at 1:14 a.m. was

not relevant to the incident between Wilson and Brown at 12:01 p.m. the same day. A failed attempt to trade something for cigarillos and soda 11 hours before the shooting, with people who were not involved in the shooting, had no relevance on the case against Wilson. Goldsmith also said it is ridiculous to claim that McCulloch suppressed

n “You still don’t get it. People’s frustration with government isn’t that it delivers services inefficiently, but that it delivers them unfairly.”

– Tishaura O. Jones

Continued from A1 of hope, inspiration and challenging the status quo.” You suggested “a dose of humility” for me. The comments that editorial drew both locally and nationally should have sobered you. Those comments and the energy they inspired made it clear that a lot of people agreed with what I said. I am grateful for their support, which almost turned an election on its head. So be warned: I plan to keep the coalition that supported me engaged in the issues I raised during the campaign. It’s a platform to make people’s lives better. We’ll move on together.

this irrelevant footage to make Brown look worse. In fact, if it was marijuana that Brown offered in exchange for the cigarillos – which the documentary states, but a prosecutor would have to prove – then McCulloch withheld from the grand jury and public footage of Brown committing a crime.

“If I am advocating for Mike Brown, I don’t want the jury or the public to see that first video,” Goldsmith said.

“If it is marijuana he is trying to barter, that’s a criminal offense. And, looking at it from a prosecutor’s perspective, there is no reason to suppress criminal evidence of Michael Brown if you are trying to incriminate Michael Brown.”

The work won’t stop. Another recent editorial in your newspaper suggested that the election of a new mayor “will present a golden opportunity to take a fresh look at the city’s governance structure.” You proposed a new website to allow people to suggest ways to save money and cut bureaucracy. That shows you still don’t get it. People’s frustration with government isn’t that it delivers services inefficiently, but that it delivers them unfairly, favoring rich neighborhoods over poor ones, donors over residents, and projects over people. The problem isn’t the number of desks at City Hall, although it would be convenient if poverty and systemic racism could be eliminated by changing a flow chart. Change is inconvenient. That’s what I confidently predict over the next four years. I invite you to join me.

St. Louis County Police detectives photographed a rag that had been stuck in the gas tank of a police cruiser during a protest outside of Ferguson Market on Sunday, March 12. The incident resulted in felony charges for “attempting to cause a catastrophe.”

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Continued from A1

The MOVE is orchestrating a two-day event that involves what Clark considers very influential members of the community: the young men and women who reside where most of the violence occurs. The goal of The MOVE is to inspire change in troubled neighborhoods and to challenge the youth to get involved in activism.

A Reflection and Re-Generation Reception will take place 6-8 p.m. March 24 at the Better Family Life (BFL) Cultural Center, located at 5415 Page Blvd. The reception will feature families mourning and reflecting on the loss of loved ones. The second event is a march beginning at 11 a.m. March 25 from Beckett Park, at North Taylor Avenue and Page Boulevard, to the BFL Cultural Center, with assembly for the march starting at 9:30 a.m. At Beckett Park, there will be a community gathering and remarks about “turning to, not on each other.” After the march, there will be a “Now is the Time for Change” community rally.

Clark said each family from St. Louis and East St. Louis, Ill. that has lost a loved one to gun violence going back to 2013 has received a personal invitation to the events via a phone call.

STLCC

Continued from A1

school districts. Miranda Avant-Elliott, a Subdistrict 1 candidate, is the supervisor of college and career readiness for St. Louis Public Schools – which was the first district to participate in STLCC’s Early College Academy pilot program that launched in fall 2016. This past semester, almost 30 SLPS students studied on the college’s campus and earned college credit hours. AvantElliott helps to facilitate the dual enrollment program and feels it’s a great way to partner with school districts.

“You have dual enrollment and dual credit programs, and both of those are ways to get students used to the academic rigors of college,” Avant-Elliott said. “The college has a lot of great things they offer, but they often go unnoticed because of advertising.”

As a board trustee, AvantElliott feels she could support the college in enhancing these partnerships. Being a public school educator for 15 years and now a college-pipeline specialist, Avant-Elliott feels she has the “knowledge and

Families who attend the events are encouraged to wear T-shirts and bring signs featuring pictures of their deceased loved ones.

Clark noted a recent push for external accountability, calling out the educational system, politicians and, most notably, police officers, but he said the focus also needs to be turned inward.

“When we talk about crime and violence, we need an internal accountability that we place on each other,” Clark said.

The MOVE particularly targets African-American men. The organizers believe that men should be challenged to address and change the culture of violence that is holding many of their loved ones and peers captive. “We’re the only ones who can heal each other,” Clark said.

Yet Clark said The MOVE is a broad coalition that cuts across the varying social and economic strata of African Americans.

“Every African-American scholar, politician and even president must be called to the issue of how we disrespect each other every day, how we rob each other every day, and how we kill each other every day,” Clark said.

“Once we start loving each other again, we will be unstoppable.”

For more information, call James Clark at (314) 381-8200 or (314) 378-4026.

Tashan Reed is an editorial intern for The

the experience” to help STLCC achieve its goals for increasing enrollment and supporting students once they are on campus.

“I am a ‘first gen,’ so I also have that understanding,” Avant-Elliott said. “I am passionate about continued education.”

Kevin Martin, a Subdistrict 1 candidate, is critical of STLCC’s current outreach efforts with its dual enrollment or dual credit programs, as well as the college’s lack of remediation initiatives in school districts.

In the fall semester, STLCC had 589 students in dual credit courses and 297 in dual enrollment, for a total of 886 students concurrently enrolled at both STLCC and local high schools. Martin, a middle school assistant principal in Hazelwood, said that number is dismal compared to the number of students participating in similar programs at University of Missouri – St. Louis. UMSL has about 5,300 high school students taking dual credit courses and 19 in dual enrollment.

“The first thing we need to do is to reach out to school districts,” Martin said. “Don’t wait for the K-12 school districts to reach out to the

college.”

Rebecca Emerson, executive director of K-12 partnerships at STLCC, said that the reason the number is so low compared to UMSL’s is that the college just started its programs in 2014.

“We are the new kids on the block, and the other programs have been around for 30 years or more,” Emerson said.

Because these programs often come at a cost to families and school districts, both Martin and AvantElliott said the college should look at the possibility of utilizing Pell grants, like Ranken Technical College does, to pay for dual credit or dual enrollment fees. Both promised to push the college in that direction.

college.

“It’s concerning,” Martin said, and he believes that the community college should be working more closely with school districts to get these students college-ready –particularly the districts that need it the most.

n “You have dual enrollment and dual credit programs, and both of those are ways to get students used to the academic rigors of college.”

– Miranda AvantElliott

Martin cited a statistic that 36 percent of all Missouri highschool graduates in 2010 who entered a public in-state college or university had to take one remedial course in basic subject areas of math, reading or English once they got to

Emerson said there is a lot of “curriculum sharing” in the local high schools, including subjects of engineering, science, criminal justice and business.

“There is a lot of collaboration,” Emerson said. “That happens all the time. That’s what we’re here for.”

Marsha Bonds, another Subdistrict 1 candidate, knows from experience that the “cookie cutter” approach doesn’t work for all the students at the college’s four campuses. For 12 years, Bonds was the former director of North County CARES at the college’s Florissant Valley campus, which was a program that tried to pair students and community members with

social services and employment opportunities. Bonds designed the program after she hosted a Welfare-to-Work summit for the college. She also secured a $2.5 million, 5-year GEAR-UP grant from the U.S. Department of Education to engage over 800 students and their families in two North St. Louis County school districts in the program.

Bonds also led workshops to help social service organizations understand poverty.

“People have a really inaccurate perception of people who are in poverty,” Bonds said. “Education is a route out of poverty. It’s not that people don’t want to take the road out, but they have so many other challenges that pull them away from the things that can potentially improve their lives.”

In her work, she helped to mitigate those challenges for those wanted to get an education, she said. She also was a faculty member at the college for several years and is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Florissant Valley campus. This experience will help her to understand the faculty’s needs and concerns, she said. She also has ideas about how to partner will school districts to get students collegeready, including leading professional development workshops where teachers and students get to interact and learn together.

“I have a heart for this,” Bonds said. “I believe that I could add something to the board.”

St. Louis American from the University of Missouri.

James Clark, vice president of community outreach for Better Family Life, organizing local pastors to address neighborhood crime in May 2015.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Bruce Franks Jr. not running for St. Louis mayor after all

It was a dizzying 12 hours. On Thursday night, state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. (D-St. Louis) announced that he would be running as a write-in candidate in the April 4 election for St. Louis mayor.

Franks, who belatedly endorsed Tishaura O. Jones for mayor in the March 7 primary election, said people weren’t ready to let the energy and movement for change that Jones built die – and many community members asked him to pick up the torch.

By a mere 888 votes, Jones, the progressive candidate, lost to Lyda Krewson, who was endorsed by the four-term incumbent Mayor Francis G. Slay. In a crowded race as the only electable white candidate, Krewson won the Democratic primary with merely 32 percent of the vote.

“About 68 percent decided that they wanted something different,” Franks said. “That’s not what we want. I owed it to all the people who came to me and asked me to run.”

But by 9 a.m. Friday morning, Franks – a political newcomer – had decided against running because, he said, he learned that it would hurt the 78th District, which he represents, and House Democrats. After making a few calls trying to secure his replacement, he was told that it’s likely that Republican Gov. Eric Greitens would choose to leave his seat open and not hold a special election. Greitens holds that power. In that event, the people of the 78th District would be without a representative for a year and a half, Franks said.

“I couldn’t have that on my conscience, even though I felt it was the right thing to do for the city to run for mayor,” Franks

said. “But how good is it for the city if I’m leaving one part of the city underrepresented? And I’d end up doing the very thing I’m fighting against.”

Immediately after the election on March 7, people were calling for Jones to run as a write-in candidate in the April 4 general election. However, by state law, a write-in candidate for the general election cannot be a candidate from the primary election.

“I just want to do the best job for everyone,” Franks said. “I’m not in it for politics. I just wanted something different for the city that represents everyone.”

A lesson for the newcomer: A collaborative effort put him in office, and almost put Jones in the mayor’s office, and maybe there should have been a greater effort to gain consensus before going public about a mayoral run.

April 4 Election

In the Tuesday, April 4 general municipal elections in St. Louis County, voters will select mayors, alderpersons council members, village trustees as well as school board members in several area school districts. Many citywide money measures require only a simple majority to pass. Here are some of the items on the ballot with the St. Louis County Board of Elections.

School board elections

School board member races are taking place in 14 school districts and six districts have money measures on the ballot in St. Louis County.

Brentwood School District voters will elect three school board directors for three-year terms. Ferguson-Florissant School District voters will elect three school board directors for threeyear terms. The candidates are Donna Paulette-Thurman, Jessica Ponder, Raychel C. Proudie, Rob Chabot, Roger Hines and Donna M. Dameron

Hazelwood School District voters will elect three school board directors for three-year terms. The candidates are Brenda C. Youngblood, Mark J. Behlmann, Margo McNeil, Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Rachel, Marcus Allen and Benton Cornell Smith Jennings School District

voters will elect three school board directors for three-year terms. The candidates are John Schlereth, Terry Wilson, Miranda Jones and Phyllis R. Anderson

Kirkwood School District voters will elect three school board directors from a field of eight candidates for three-year terms. It also has a Proposition K tax levy increase on the ballot for “ongoing operating expenses and financial stability,” which requires a simple majority to pass. It will increase the district’s operating tax levy by 46 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The ballot question states, “If this proposition is approved, the adjusted operating levy of the District is estimated to be $4.2684 for residential real property, $5.7269 for commercial real property, $2.7485 for agricultural real property and $4.9795 for personal property.”

Ladue School District

voters will elect three school board directors out of seven candidates vying for three-year terms.

Lindbergh School District voters will elect three school board directors for three-year terms and one member for an unexpired term that ends April 2018.

Mehlville School District voters will elect three school board directors for three-year terms.

Meramec Valley School District voters will elect three school board directors for three-

year terms. It has Proposition K $11.750 million school improvement bond proposal on the ballot that requires a foursevenths majority to pass. The ballot question states: “If this proposition is approved, the debt service levy of the school district is estimated to remain unchanged from the current debt service levy of $0.88 per one hundred dollars assessed valuation of real and personal property.”

Normandy Schools Collaborative has a Proposition N $23 million facilities bond issue proposal that needs a four-sevenths majority of votes to pass. The ballot question states, “If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the Normandy Schools Collaborative is estimated to remain unchanged at $1.7825 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property.”

Parkway School District has 11 candidates in the race for three school board positions with three-year terms.

Pattonville School District has a Proposition K $23 million school improvements bond measure that requires a four-sevenths majority to pass. The ballot states: “If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the Pattonville R-3 School District is estimated to remain unchanged from the current debt service levy of 49 cents ($0.49) per one hundred dollars assessed valuation of real and personal property.”

Ritenour School District voters will select three school board directors for three-year terms and two members for two unexpired terms that end April 2018.

Rockwood School District has a Proposition T $95.5 million bond proposal to fund capital improvements and the building of a new elementary school, which requires a foursevenths majority to pass. The ballot question states, “If this proposition is approved, the current adjusted debt service levy of the District is estimated to remain unchanged at sixty-eight cents ($0.68) per one hundred dollars assessed valuation of real and personal property.”

In the School District of University City, voters will select three school board directors for three-year terms. The candidates are Charlotte Tatum, Lisa Brenner, George Lenard, Diarra K. Morris and Chelsea Addison Valley Park School District has Proposition R $10 million facilities improvement measure on the ballot, which requires a four-sevenths majority to pass. The ballot question states, “If this proposition is approved, the debt service levy of the school district is estimated to remain the same at $0.941 per $100 of assessed valuation of real and personal property.”

Webster Groves School District voters will select three school board directors for three-year terms.

State Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. (center) said he first said he would run for St. Louis mayor on April 4 as a write-in candidate because supporters encouraged him. Photo by Wiley Price

PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Kids

those leftovers for lunch the next day!

When we’re lucky enough to have a chance to go out for dinner, there are a few ways to stay healthy with our food

Dining Out.

> Avoid gravies, cheese sauces and other kinds of toppings that often just add fat and calories.

Dr. Leonora Muhammad, DNP APRN AGPCNP-BC CCHP

> Ask the server how the different menu items are prepared. Fried, sautéed, and

The Smart Way!

See if the restaurant will let you “share” a meal. Many meals are two, three or more times an actual serving size.

As soon as you’ve divided your plate into the right size servings, ask your server for a to-go box. Go ahead and box up what you don’t need to eat right away. You can enjoy

First Day of Spring!

even simmered can all mean, “cooked in oil.” Instead, choose baked or grilled options.

March 20, 2017, is the first day of spring. With spring comes warmer weather and longer days (later sunset). Make it a habit to spend as much time playing outside as the weather allows.

Some fun outdoor games to play include tag, kickball, basketball, Frisbee, and bicycling. Choose activities that increase your heart rate

A BMI (Body Mass Index) is a generic way to calculate where your weight falls into categories (thin, average, overweight, obese). However, it’s a good idea to remember that a BMI may not take into consideration many things such as athleticism (how athletic you are), your bone density and other factors. Discuss your BMI with your

> Stick with water to drink. Not only will you save money, but you won’t be adding in extra calories from a sugarfilled drink.

> What are other ways to stay healthy while dining out?

Learning Standards:

and breathing. You want to have fun, but it’s also a great way to help keep your heart, lungs and body healthy.

Make a list of your favorite 10 activities to do outdoors. Compare your list with your classmates and create a chart to see what are the most popular.

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

doctor if you have any questions. The formula to calculate your BMI is 703 X weight (lbs) ÷ height (in inches/squared) or search “BMI Calculator” to find an easy fill-in chart online. If your number is high, what are some ways to lower your BMI?

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, NH 5

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

Ingredients: 1/2 Cp Vanilla Greek yogurt, 3 Tbsp Natural peanut butter, 1 Ripe banana (sliced and frozen), Splash of vanilla (optional) 6 Ice cubes

Directions: Blend all ingredients until Smooth. Makes 2 yummy smoothies!

Where do you work? I am a senior clinical education and training specialist at Corizon Health.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Bayless Sr. High School in Affton, Missouri. I earned an associate’s degree in nursing from Deaconess College of Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UMSL, a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a major in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner from Brandman University in Irvine, California.

What does a senior clinical education and training specialist do? As a Doctor of Nursing, I teach nurses, doctors, and managers how to take care of patients. I fly all around the U.S. to different correctional facilities training nurses and teaching patients how to take care of themselves. Some patients have never seen a doctor or nurse, so it’s important to teach them how to take their medications, eat healthy foods and exercise.

Why did you choose this career? In junior high school, I worked as a candy striper volunteer at Barnes Jewish Hospital and I enjoyed helping the nurses care for patients. Seeing patients feel better made me smile, and I knew I wanted to help sick patients when I grew up.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I get to meet a lot of different nurses and speak to patients around the country who need help getting healthy. Also, with having an advanced practice degree as a doctor of nursing, I can choose to teach or physically take care of patients whenever I choose.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Banana PB Smoothie

Corbin Doss with HDR Inc. talked with Daffney Moore and Cynthia Jordan with the Bank of Edwardsville as Jordan pointed to where changes will be made near her neighborhood on March 9. St. Louis County sponsored a Preliminary Design phase of the West Florissant Avenue Great Streets Project, which, if funded, will make improvements to the West Florissant corridor through Ferguson and Dellwood.

Can West Florissant be made into a ‘Great Street’?

County, Ferguson, Dellwood seek community input on street redesign project

By Rebecca Rivas

The St.

Of

Louis American West Florissant Avenue became known worldwide as “Ground Zero” for the Ferguson movement, after the police-shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. in August 2014.

Now residents and community leaders are hoping that it will become known for a different reason in the next few years. On March 9, St. Louis County held an open house for the community to provide input on plans for the West Florissant Avenue Great Streets Project –which aims to redesign the high-traffic corridor from Stein Avenue to the Norfolk Southern Railroad.

The main idea is to slow down traffic and create a more pedestrian-friendly business district.

“We are trying to get that same kind of feel

n “We are trying to get that same kind of feel that’s in the Delmar Loop and bring it here to Dellwood and Ferguson.”

– Dellwood Mayor Reggie Jones

that’s in the Delmar Loop and bring it here to Dellwood and Ferguson,” said Reggie Jones, mayor of the City of Dellwood.

The plan was in the works prior to Brown’s death, and the master plan for the $33 million project was approved in 2014.

Jones said that now, after the Ferguson unrest, “it makes it more important that we do complete this project. It’s good to have all of these

community people out here who are engaged in this process.”

The open house on Thursday evening has bustling with residents who milled around the various stations to learn more and leave their comments. Several said they liked the proposed designs but were concerned about where the money would come from.

“I like the whole project,” said Anjanee Wilkins, a Dellwood alderwoman, “but I’m concerned about the funding and the diversion of traffic, because West Florissant is a busy street. I don’t think they know how busy it is.”

West Florissant Avenue is a four-to-six lane road that runs through the cities of Jennings, Country Club Hills, Dellwood and Ferguson.

It is a highly used connection between North St. Louis and North County. It’s lined with

ESL Recruitment Fair for teachers and staff on March 25

proof of eligibility for licensure. For more information, contact the District 189 Human Resources Department at 618-646-3000 or email hr@estl189.com.

Michelle D. Tucker was selected as CEO of Epworth Children and Family Services, a $13 million nonprofit that helps children overcome severe emotional and behavioral challenges caused by abuse or neglect. She is leaving Bank of America, where she is senior vice president, enterprise business and community engagement market manager overseeing local philanthropic giving, community outreach and sponsorship strategies.

Chris Gilliam joined Carrollton Bank as vice president, residential and community development lending officer in the bank’s Clayton office. He has more than 20 years of home loan experience, most recently at Busey Bank (formerly Pulaski Bank), and teaches a firsttime homebuyer course for low- and moderate-income families through Beyond Housing.

Isaac Butler was appointed vice president of diversity and inclusion at St. Louis College of Pharmacy. He was interim vice president. He will engage in partnerships that promote learning, equity and community development; provide collaborative leadership for curriculum, training programs and initiatives on cultural competency; and foster a campus climate that respects and values diversity and inclusion.

Karen Warren was named as the associate director of administration for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. She has held multiple positions at the agency, including most recently as managing attorney for public benefits. She will oversee community engagement and outreach and supervise client intake functions. Her previous positions include legal counsel for Governor Mel Carnahan.

Jonathan Smith was named vice president for diversity and community engagement at Saint Louis University. He was chief diversity officer, a position that evolved from special assistant to the president for diversity and community engagement. He also will now lead the university’s Cross Cultural Center and the Center for Global Citizenship.

Some 4th grade students work together in Ms. Wellington’s class at Dunbar Elementary School in East St. Louis School District 189.

ImeIme Umana was elected president of the Harvard Law Review, the first black woman president in its 130 years of existence. The review

Michelle D. Tucker

Karen Warren

Jonathan Smith

Chris Gilliam

ImeIme Umana

Photo by Wiley Price

Isaac Butler

Prepare your budget for closing costs when buying a home

By Nathaniel Sillin

Imagine the frustration that would follow if you spent hours planning and narrowing in on a dream home only to find out that you can’t afford it when push comes to shove. Starting with a price range can help you make the most of your search, but you’ll need to account for closing costs to create a realistic budget.

A catch-all for the fees and services that result from the sale of a home, closing costs are generally about 2 to 5 percent of the home’s value when you’re making a purchase. In other words, you could pay about $4,000 to $10,000 on a $200,000 home.

Estimating your closing costs. Your closing costs and fees vary depending on where you’re buying, how much you put down, who helps you with the home-buying process, the

type of home you’re buying and the type of loan you’re taking out.

You can estimate the closing costs of homes you’re interested in by using one of the many closing cost calculators online. Also, ask your real estate agent to help you estimate the closing costs of homes in different neighborhoods.

A few of the fees you could encounter when closing on a home. While costs can vary and state laws dictate differences in the closing process, here are a few typical services or fees:

• Inspections. You likely want to hire an inspector to make sure the home doesn’t need any major repairs and there aren’t any wood-eating pest (such as termite) infestations. Many lenders require you get these

inspections, but even when they don’t it’s usually a good idea.

• Attorney fees. You could have to pay attorneys to help prepare and review documents for the closing.

• Survey. Some states require you to hire a surveyor to verify the size of the lot.

• Homeowners insurance. You may need to pay several months’ worth of homeowners insurance premiums up front.

• Origination fee. Mortgage lenders, banks or brokers often charge about 1 percent of your loan’s value.

• Property taxes. Several months’ worth of property tax payments could be due at the closing.

You might advertisements

for “no-closing-cost”

mortgages. While these offers can be enticing, you’ll generally pay a higher interest rate on the loan or the closing costs will be wrapped into the mortgage. It might be a good option if you’re planning on moving within the next few years. Otherwise, you’ll likely wind up paying more in interest over the lifetime of the loan than you would have on the closing costs.

Try to do your own calculations to determine if a no-cost closing makes sense based on your estimated closing costs, increase in monthly payments and how long you plan on staying in the home.

You’ll know approximately how much you have to pay before the closing. Mortgage lenders have three business days from when you submit a loan application

to give you a loan estimate.

The standardized document shows your estimated interest rate, monthly payments, taxes, insurance and closing costs.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has an interactive example of a standard loan estimate form with explanations and definitions of terms. On the second page, there’ll be a list of closing costs, including a breakdown of which services you may be able to negotiate.

You shop mortgage lenders, compare the loan estimate you receive and then continue the process with the lender that gives you the best estimated terms.

Three business days before your scheduled closing, the lender you choose must give you a five-page closing disclosure form with the finalized terms.

Carefully look over the closing disclosure and ask your

real estate agent, loan officer or attorney questions. If you don’t agree with the new terms of the deal, it’s not too late to back out. If you’re happy with the terms and the closing goes smoothly you’ll be a homeowner soon.

Bottom line: Estimating your closing costs, and budgeting accordingly, can help ensure you’re looking for homes within your price range. That’s important because you want to be able to move quickly when you find a home you love. However, don’t move so fast that you miss out on savings opportunities. Shopping mortgage lenders and service providers could help you minimize your closing costs.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www. twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

What Prince taught me about financial management

By Rodney Hare For The St. Louis American

It’s still hard to believe that Prince will have been gone for a year this April. What a talent. I attended Central High School in Minneapolis with him and remember him being reclusive, perhaps because of his musical genius. Minneapolis was on the verge of a musical revolution; it is also where I also came to know a young Terry Lewis and James “Jimmie Jam” Harris before they created Flyte Time Productions. We were all members of various bands, including our high school band. At the time, no one could have imagined the massive success Prince would attain, and of course, his immense wealth. Over the course of my wealth management career,

I’ve been fortunate to work with famous artists, including musicians and professional athletes. They all shared a similar passion that drove them to transform their talent into successful careers, but there was also something else. They were so clearly absorbed in their craft that many seemed to overlook even the most basic of wealth management concepts – almost inconceivable at their level of wealth. And so I was surprised and not surprised when I heard Prince passed away without a will. He was, in a lot of ways, financially unprepared for the end of his life, despite having millions at his disposal. However, this is not unique to him or the wealthy. Millions of Americans are financially unprepared in this same way.

There is action everyone can take now, no matter who you are, that can offer financial preparedness and ensure that your loved ones are taken care of should anything happen to you. Putting something off is never an excuse, especially in financial planning.

Have a financial plan. This doesn’t necessarily have to be sophisticated, it can be as simple as organizing yourself, from defining your goals to setting a timeline for reaching those goals. Having a plan will help you avoid financial mistakes and maximize your wealth, in addition to guiding you toward developing positive financial habits.

Rodney Hare

Have a will. Not having a will is not an omission in financial planning, but a mistake. It’s not a document most people want to think of coming into use, and yet it is absolutely essential to guiding your family in moving forward without you. Once you start, you’ll likely find you have a lot more to give than originally thought. Have an estate plan. Contrary to popular belief, this is not just for the wealthy. If there are many members of your family, if you run a small business or have investments in property and other interests, an estate plan is a way to ensure that all of these relationships are properly taken care of. For those who have complicated estates, it’s also a way to ensure there is no conflict

STREET

continued from page B1

a mix of small businesses, large stores, single-family and apartment buildings, large employers like Emerson, and community destinations like parks, churches and health clinics. The street was designed to serve motorized vehicles,

among family members for entitlements.

Consider insurance policies. Aside from health insurance, life insurance and long term care insurance are important insurance policies to think about. Life insurance certainly buys a peace of mind, while long-term care insurance may be particularly useful for those with a family history of illnesses later in life. After all, financial preparedness is about being ready before and in case anything goes wrong.

Your plans should grow with you. Your situation is constantly changing, and your planning should change with you. If you already have documents or plans in place, make sure to revisit them after major life changes and at regular intervals so that they are kept up to date.

I lost touch with Prince after high school, but followed

so it is often difficult to walk, catch the bus or bike along the roadway.

That’s a “big problem,” states the project’s website, because 20 percent of households in the project area do not own a car. And almost 15 percent of project area commuters have to travel 60 minutes or more to work or school, many due to long bus trips.

the trajectory of his career with the awe of someone who once knew him. I can only assume that he had advisors who could give him all the advice above and more, and it was unfortunate their guidance wasn’t heeded.

Disclosure: This information represents the opinion of U.S. Bank. Not intended to be a forecast of future events or guarantee of future results. U.S. Bank and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice. Each individual’s tax and financial situation is unique. Individuals should consult their tax and/or legal advisor for advice and information concerning their particular situation. U.S. Bank does not offer insurance products. Rodney Hare is senior vice president, wealth management advisor managing director, St. Louis, downtown office at U.S. Bank

In 2006, the EastWest Gateway Council of Governments launched the St. Louis Great Streets Initiative to encourage communities across the region to consider how they could make their streets more beautiful and multi-modal and produce more economic development. Other Great Streets projects have been completed on South Grand Boulevard, Page Avenue and Natural Bridge Avenue.

“We don’t want the traffic to go away,” Gardner said. “We just want it to slow down. We are hoping that once we slow that traffic down, people will be more likely to stop and support some of those businesses and thereby get more people to come back to the area.”

The current preliminary design phase, which costs $2.5 million, came from federal grants and local funding that St. Louis County and the cities of Ferguson and Dellwood secured. In order to compete for federal transportation funds, the project has to complete this first phase, which should be finished by the end of the year. The preliminary plans are only for the first three “segments” of the entire project, which is estimated at $23 million of the total.

“We want the community to feel that, when the project is done, that they are getting something that actually adds value to their community overall,” Nichalos Gardner, director of the county’s public works department. Gardner believes the project will compete “very well” for federal funding. If all goes well, construction would take place in 2019 and 2020, Gardner said.

– LaVar Ball, father of UCLA guard Lonzo Ball

Vashon tries to repeat

PreP BasketBall NoteBook

There will be plenty of big-time talent from St. Louis on hand at this weekend’s Missouri Class 4 and 5 state basketball championships in Columbia. The Vashon Wolverines will be trying to repeat as the Class 4 state champions while Parkway Central is back in the Final Four after a 12-year absence. Defending Class 5 state champion Chaminade is back in the Final Four while Webster Groves is back with a loaded team for the first time since winning the title in 2008.

Vashon (25-3) will take on Kearney (21-7) in the Class 4 state semifinals, which tips off today at 3:30 p.m. That will be followed by Parkway Central (23-8) vs. Bolivar (26-4) at 5:10 a.m. The winners will meet for the state championship on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. The thirdplace game will be held on Friday at 11 a.m.

Vashon has a big and talented team full of experience. The Wolverines are led by 5’10” senior Daniel “Peanut” Farris, 6’8” senior Levi Stockard, 6’3” senior Koray Gilbert, 6’8” junior Joseph Reece and 6’1” sophomore Mario McKinney. All are capable of big scoring nights. Kearney is led by 6’0” senior guards Connor and Dylan Ritz.

Parkway Central has enjoyed an impressive postseason run to the Final Four, led by 5’11” junior guard Deandre Campbell, who averages 22 points a game. Juniors Jake Silvestri and junior forward Arther Green have also come up big during the postseason. Bolivar is led by 6’6” senior forward Brandon Emmert and 6’0” point guard Conley Garrison. The Liberators were in the Final Four in 2015.

The Class 5 Final Four has a powerhouse quartet of teams that are all capable of winning the state championship. In the first semifinal game, Chaminade (24-5) will take on Lee’s Summit West (25-2) at 2:30 p.m. It will be followed by Webster Groves (27-2) vs. Kickapoo (25-4) at 4:15 p.m.

Chaminade has a potent offense that is averaging 85 points in the last two games. The Red Devils are led by 6’7” junior Jericole Hellems, who averages 21.8 points and 6’6” Karrington Davis, who averages 19.1 points a game. Football standout Reginald Crawford averages 15 points a game. They will face a Lee’s Summit West team that features

In the Clutch’s Final Four Predictions

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, I’m not talking about December, when jolly old St. Nicholas shimmies down chimneys to bring joy to the world by exchanging shiny new gifts for homemade cookies. I’m talking about jolly old Dick Vitale popping onto your television screen to bring joy to sports fans by bringing us Cinderella stories, PTPers and plenty of “awesome baby” moments. Yes, March Madness is here. Rather than breaking down the entire bracket, talking BPIs, strength of schedules or #5 vs #12 matchups, let’s cut straight to the chase. Who’s going to the Final Four?

EAST: DUKE BLUE

DEVILS St. Louis native Jayson Tatum is the real deal. A foot injury kept him out at the beginning of the season, but the smooth and versatile forward has proven that he can lead the Blue Devils to a championship by powering Duke to the ACC tournament championship by beating #10 Louisville, #6 North Carolina and #22 Notre Dame in consecutive games. Harry Giles is rounding into form. While he may not be dominating on the stat sheet, the man who was considered the #1 recruit in high school is getting more confident in his injured knee and will be a key player in Duke’s run to the Final Four. Grayson Allen gives the Blue Devils grit and grime needed to make a title run. Luke Kennard used Duke’s injury misfortunes to emerge as the team’s leading scorer (20.1 ppg) and most reliable performer. Duke was everybody’s preseason favorite for a reason. On paper, Duke is still the most talented team in the tourney and on the court they’re working hard to prove it. That’s a combination for

Earl Austin Jr.

With Earl Austin Jr.

St. Louis native Jayson Tatum is a good as advertised and is poised to lead the Duke Blue Devils into the Final Four.

Sistrunk

ROAD BLOCKNorthwest High Academy’s Rayonte Childs (1) and Willshon Warren (5) block Whitfield’s Cyrus Alexander (3) from scoring during Saturday’s Missouri Class 3 boys basketball championship game at Mizzou Arena.

Hornet’s

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

NCAA Tournament offers HBCUs one shining moment before nation

Before we go any farther, I didn’t pick Kansas to win the 2017 NCAA men’s basketball championship. In fact, I have the Jayhawks being shocked by Michigan State in a Round of 32 game on Sunday.

I’m a tried and true Jayhawk, but when it comes to winning NCAA bracket pools, one must never let their heart guide their head.

While the opening round games will feature known basketball powers taking on tiny schools with no real chance of winning, it offers the underdogs exposure the universities welcome –especially HBCUs.

Jerry Crawford II, associate professor of journalism at the University of Kansas, said Tuesday that Texas Southern of the Southwest Athletic Conference and North Carolina Central of the MidEastern Athletic Conference will share a stage that gives them a much-needed national audience – even if there is a blowout.

the ‘Big Dance’ does allow for great recruiting opportunities, and who knows, this year’s MEAC champion, possibly playing (Midwest Region) number 1 Kansas, would provide a match-up with legendary KU alum and Hall of Famer John McLendon’s NCCU Eagles Friday night.”

To advance to the KU showdown, NCCU must have beaten the University of California-Davis in a play-in game on Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio. The Eagles were favored by odds makers by three points. SWAC champion, Texas Southern, earned a 16 seed and will play North Carolina.

Lest you think these teams stand no chance against a basketball power, three of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history belong to HBCU schools.

While educational segregation is no longer official policy, Crawford says, “HBCUs face many challenges, including declining enrollment, financial pressures and accreditation difficulty.”

“The NCAA tournament is possibly the first time these teams will play a Power 5 conference school on a neutral floor,” Crawford said.

“Normally, HBCUs have to play these schools as what is considered a ‘pay for play’ game, at the larger school’s facility. So, from my experience, HBCU teams are happy for the opportunity to compete at the highest level.”

On March 16, 2012, Norfolk State entered its game with No. 2 seed Missouri a 21.5point underdog. Behind Kyle O’Quinn’s 26 points and 14 rebounds, the Spartans shocked the Tigers 86-84. Many a Mizzou fan will never forget that fateful late afternoon game, because it ended a season in which many pundits had picked the Tigers to reach the Final Four. ESPN lists this as the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history.

n When it comes to winning NCAA bracket pools, one must never let their heart guide their head.

There is always the chance for an upset, and the longer the HBCU stays close in a game, the larger the TV audience will become. Also, the financial windfall is precious, according to Crawford, a nationally recognized author and analyst on HBCUs, including financial challenges, the importance of journalism programs at HBCUs and accreditation challenges.

“No matter their win-loss record, no matter if they win their conference regular season and the conference tournament title, the best they can hope for is a number 15 seed,” Crawford said.

“However, the exposure in

Tiny Coppin State University pulled an upset for the ages when it toppled two-seed South Carolina 78-65 on March 14, 1997. After entering the game an 18.5-point underdog, the Eagles fell behind by seven points in the first half. Game over, right? Nah. Coppin went on a 38-18 run with about 12 minutes left in the game and won 78-65. It was the first tournament win for Coppin State and the MEAC conference.

Iowa State was a 15.5point favorite over Hampton University on March 15, 2001 and held a 10-point advantage before the Pirates climbed back into the game. The crowd in Boise, Idaho sensed an upset and Hampton’s small contingent of fans soon had thousands of other fans from other schools on their side.

Hampton hung on to win 58-57, and the on-court celebration is one that NCAA fans still remember.

My Final Four

While a lot of drama will take place over the next few days, and there will certainly be a shocker or two in the NCAA Tournament, there is not a lot of surprise in my Final Four.

Look for St. Louisan Jayson Tatum and the Duke Blue Devils to take on Arizona in one national semifinal. North Carolina will play Louisville in the other semifinal. North Carolina will avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss to Villanova in the title game by topping

Arizona in the championship game.

The best play

Two seasons ago, the Seattle Seahawks battled the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. After a hard-fought game, a crazy reception left the Seahawks just five yards from a game-winning touchdown. One running play later, the Seahawks were at the 1-yard line. Regardless of how it all got to that moment, the best play was the simplest play. Instead

of doing what was prudent, Seattle somehow decided to pass the ball. There was an interception and Seattle lost. Leading up to the Democratic Primary on March 7, one team narrowed its focus and playbook to one game plan and basically one play. The other team had several plays and formations and basically couldn’t get out of its own way. Yet, it found itself at the one yard line with plenty of time left in the game. It just had to eliminate some plays and stick with the

DeMontez McCray

one that would work.

Tishaura O. Jones was the running play that would have won. The other black candidates were the passing plays that lost the game. Sometimes, it’s as simple as that.

Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows, including Frank Cusumano’s “The Press Box” on KFNS. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

McKendree – Men’s Indoor Track and Field

The sophomore sprinter from O’Fallon (IL) earned All-American honors at last weekend’s NCAA Division II Indoor Nationals in Birmingham (AL). McCray finished second in the 200-meter dash in a time of 21.18 seconds. It was the third time that McCray has earned All-American recognition. He was seventh in the 200 at last year’s indoor national meet. He also placed in the 200 at the NCAA Outdoor Nationals as a freshman. McCray was also named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Indoor Track Athlete of the Year after winning the championship in the 200 and finishing second in the 60-meter dash.

Aliyah Reams

Missouri Baptist – Women’s Indoor Track and Field

The senior sprinter from Waukegan (IL) earned All-American honors at the NAIA National Championships in Johnson City (TN). Reams finished her stellar indoor career by finishing in sixth place in the 60-meter dash in a time of 7.78 seconds, thus earning All-American status. Reams also helped the Spartans to the team championship at the American Midwest Conference meet. She was the AMC champion in the 60-meter dash and the runner-up in the 200. thE St. LouiS AmEricAn ArEA coLLEgiAtE AthLEtES of thE WEEk

Alvin A. Reid

A jubilant coach Steve Merfeld is hoisted into the air by one of his players after the Hampton Pirates shocked the heavily favored Iowa State Cyclones in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2001 in Boise, Idaho.

Northwest Academy makes history

By Earl Austin Jr.

Of The St. Louis American

Northwest Academy made history last weekend by winning its very first state championship in boys’ basketball.

The Hornets rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat Whitfield 78-68 to win the Class 3 state championship in an all-St. Louis final at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

Northwest Academy is coached by former Vashon High standout Gerald Jones, who was the point guard of the Wolverines’ state championship team in 1986. In two consecutive games

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

college basketball, shooting nearly 52% from the field. Gonzaga doesn’t have the big-name, high-profile NBA recruits of some of the larger schools. Coach Mark Few finally has his team ready for a Final Four run though. The team has size, skill, heart and great coaching.

MIDWEST: IOWA STATE CYCLONES

The Kansas Jayhawks are the overwhelming favorite to emerge out of the Midwest region. Call it hate or nativity, but I can’t shake the feeling that the Jayhawks will get tripped up by either Tom Izzo and Michigan State or the team’s Big 12 buddies from Iowa State. With the Jayhawks out of the picture, I would pick the Oregon Ducks to escape the Midwest. However, the team lost its leading shot blocker in Chris Boucher to a torn ACL during the Pac 12 tourney. Louisville, Michigan, Creighton and Purdue are all threats if Kansas is gone, but I’ll give the nod to the hot-shooting Cyclones.

Iowa State knocked down 329 three-pointers this season and shot over 40% from downtown as a team. Among NCAA Tournament teams, Iowa State ranked 2nd to Iona in three-pointers made. Five Cyclone players made at least 40 three-pointers during the season with Nazareth MitrouLong (94) and Matt Thomas (84) leading the way. Every season, one hot shooting team is propelled much further than any expected on the shoulders of the long ball. This year, that team will be Iowa State.

SOUTH:

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

The South regional is a

Continued from B3

6’8” Bradley recruit Elijah Childs, 6’7” junior Division I prospect Christian Bishop and 6’2” junior guard Mario Goodrich. Webster Groves comes to Columbia as the No. 1 ranked team in Class 5. The Statesmen are led by 6’3” junior guard Courtney Ramey, who averages 19.6 points and 8.1 rebounds a game; and 6’8” junior forward Carte’are Gordon, who averages 19 points and eight rebounds a game. Senior guard Cam Potts has also enjoyed a big season for the Statesmen. Webster Groves will face a Kickapoo team that finished second in the state tournament a year ago. The Chiefs feature 6’8” Xavier recruit Jared Ridder and 6’2” Navy recruit Cameron Davis. In the girls’ Class 5 semifinals, Kirkwood (26-3) will face Rock Bridge (255) on Friday at 7:45 p.m. That game will be preceded by St. Joseph’s (20-8) vs. Lee’s Summit (15-13). The winner will play for the state championship on Saturday at 8 p.m. The third place game will be held on Saturday at 12:50 p.m. Kirkwood, which finished

Wins first state championship in boys’ basketball

in Columbia, Jones led the Hornets back from a nine-point deficit against Mountain Grove in the semifinals and a 12-point deficit in the championship game against a very talented Whitfield team.

Junior forward Jamarr Williams was a pillar of strength in the low post in both victories for the Hornets.

The 6’6” Williams had 24 points and 13 rebounds in the championship game against Whitfield and 24 points and 10 rebounds in the 79-72 victory over Mountain Grove in the semifinals.

Junior guard Rayonte Childs came up big in the championship game for

Northwest with 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five 3-pointers. Senior guard Ryan Warren scored all 17 of his points in the second half. The 5’7” point guard also had a gamehigh 26 points in the victory over Mountain Grove in the semifinals.

Whitfield was making its second consecutive appearance in the Final Four, where they finished fourth last season. The Warriors built a 41-29 lead over Northwest behind the play of juniors Torrence Watson and Amechi Ramsey. The 6’5”

Watson finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds while Ramsey finished with 17 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Watson had 29 points and 12 rebounds in Whitfield’s 79-70 victory over Hogan Prep in the semifinals. Ramsey added 14 points while sophomore forwards Cyrus Alexander and Luther Taylor scored 12 points each.

Whitfield’s girls joined its boys as state runners-up at the Class 3 state tournament over the weekend. The Warriors

Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk make up one of the nation’s most-lethal backcourts. The two primetime prospects should lead the Wildcats out of the treacherous South region.

nasty draw. North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA and Butler are all formidable teams with a reasonable chance of emerging. Throw in the criminally under-seeded #10 Wichita State (30-4), armed with a 12-game winning streak, and picking the South gets even scarier. If there’s one guy that knows how to navigate through treacherous waters, it’s John Calipari. In 2011 and 2014, the Wildcats drew equally imposing brackets and managed to make it to the Final Four. The Wildcats have two potential surefire lottery picks in Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox. Of its five losses, only one came to an unranked team (Tennessee). Coach Cal has made it to at least the Elite Eight in nine of the past 10 seasons, so you can already pencil the Wildcats into a fairly deep run. Last season was the exception, but I expect Calipari and the Wildcats to bounce back like Big Sean and get to the Final Four.

second in the state last year, will be led by its dynamic duo of 6’2” senior Lauryn Miller and 5’11” junior Jayla Everett. In the girls’ Class 4 Final Four, Incarnate Word Academy (26-4) will take on Carl Junction (27-2) on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Dexter (22-8) will face St. Pius X (25-3) in the other semifinal game at 6:50 p.m. The winners

GGG vs Danny Jacobs

Boxing is on a nice roll with solid matchups lately with WBC and IBF middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin squaring off with WBA champion Danny Jacobs on Saturday night on HBO PPV.

This bout will likely be the slugfest that Keith Thurman vs Danny Garcia was billed as, but didn’t quite live up to. Both Golovkin (36-0-0, 33 KO) and Jacobs (32-1-0, 29 KO) are capable boxers, but both go for the knockout at every given opportunity.

This fight is unlikely to go to the scorecards. Considering that Jacobs has been knocked out and GGG is considered one of the most-lethal punchers in the fight game, I’m rolling with Golokin to win via 9th round KO.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

will meet on Saturday for the state championship at 4:30 p.m.

The third place game will be held on Friday at 12:45 p.m. Incarnate Word is back in the Final Four after finishing fourth in the state tournament last year. The Red Knights are led by junior guard Sonya Morris, who averages 15 points a game.

n The Hornets rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to defeat Whitfield 78-68 to win the Class 3 state championship in an all-St. Louis final.

defeated Trenton 51-46 in the semifinals before being overwhelmed by defending state champion Strafford 83-36 in the state championship game. Sophomore forward Aijah Blackwell had 21 points and 13 rebounds in the victory over Trenton while Jade Moore and Nia Griffin added 11 points each.

Lutheran North brought home a third-place trophy

in its first ever appearance in the Final Four. After dropping an 80-47 decision to Strafford in the semifinals, the Crusaders came back to defeat Trenton 61-56 for third place.

Sophomore Kaylynn Hayden scored 20 points in the victory over Trenton while sophomore Jordyn White added 14 points. Sophomore forward Madison Buford scored 24 points in the loss to Strafford.

Researcher seeks info on former track champion Delores Boeckmann

By Tashan Reed For The St. Louis American

Shigeyo Murayama, Ed. D., is a researcher at the Japan Women’s College of Physical Education in Tokyo, Japan. Murayama is studying the life of Delores (Dee) Boeckmann, who was on the first women’s Olympic team in 1928.

Boeckmann was born on November 9, 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri, and passed away on April 25, 1989. She was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976.

In the 1950s, Boeckmann visited and worked in Japan as a coach for the Japanese Women’s Track and Field Team. On top of that, she taught physical education at the Japan Women’s College of Physical Education. Murayam happened to be one of her students.

June Wuest Becht, who once wrote about Boeckmann, has sadly passed away. Any information about Boeckmann’s life, or knowledge of any of her relatives or close friends, would be greatly appreciated.

Murayama can be contacted at coranto0303@gmail.com.

Webster Groves – Basketball

The 6’8” junior standout was a force in leading the Statesmen to two impressive victories in the Class 5 state playoffs last week. Gordon had 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in an 84-46 victory over Battle in the sectional playoffs at Maryville. He followed up with 27 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in a 76-57 victory over CBC in the state quarterfinals at Lindenwood.

face Springfield Kickapoo in the Class 5 state semifinals on Friday at the Mizzou Arena at 4:15 p.m.

Earl Austin Jr.

The women participating in the 800 meters final in the 1928 Olympics take off from the start line. Delores “Dee” Boeckmann didn’t qualify to be in the race. Marie Dollinger, who placed 1st in Boeckmann’s heat, only finished 7th in the finals.

Schnucks Ferguson opens March 29

– 25 more than at the Cool Valley location. The Cool Valley Schnucks will close permanently at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 and all pharmacy files from that store will transfer to the new location. In total, Schnucks operates eight stores in the North County area employing more than 900 people. Overall, Schnucks operates 100 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa and employs 14,000 people.

Edward Jones, WWT, Build-A-Bear best to work for

Three St. Louis-area businesses made the 2017 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Edward Jones ranked fifth, World Wide Technology ranked

40th, and Build-A-Bear Workshop ranked 76th. Rankings are based on employee ratings of workplace culture, including the level of trust they feel toward leaders,

the pride they take in their jobs and the camaraderie among colleagues. Google, headquartered in Mountain View, California, topped the list.

STLCC to offer skilled trades degree program

Electrical workers and carpenters will soon have the opportunity to earn associate degrees from St. Louis Community College as a result of agreements to be signed between STLCC and the St. Louis Area and Vicinity Electricians Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) and the STL-KC Carpenters Regional Council. The college will offer the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Skilled Trades Industrial Occupations

Technology Apprenticeship program, or Skilled Trades AAS program. Designed specifically for these organizations, the STLCC Skilled Trades AAS program is a joint effort to recognize apprenticeship training as postsecondary education to prepare the current and future workforce. An associate degree will be awarded to a journey-worker who successfully completes the approved U.S. Department of Labor apprentice program and 15 credit hours of general

education courses at STLCC. STLCC will offer classroomor web-based courses for the convenience of the students. Participants will pay the in-district tuition rate per credit hour for any course offered as part of the college’s general education curriculum. STLCC also will provide information on how to apply for financial aid, student loans or grants. For more information, contact Steve Long, STLCC’s associate vice chancellor for Workforce Solutions, at 314-539-5311 or slong@stlcc.edu.

Financial Focus

By Aaron Ezell

Time for some financial spring cleaning

Living It

Is the Blaxploitation era over?

Finally, after nearly two years with barely any acknowledgment or appreciation, six AfricanAmerican-themed films, and at least 10 black actors and filmmakers, are able to shout, “Say it Proud – I’m Black and I’m LOUD.” Some in Hollywood and all around the world should be shouting from the rooftops.

And we should be finished permanently, I hope, with the Blaxploitation movies, and other films that depict blacks as violent, clowns and synonymous with rudeness and stupidity. Flicks such as Boyz In the Hood, Colors, Trouble Man, Super Fly, Shaft, Coffy, The Mack, Sweet Sweetback, Dolemite, Cotton Comes to Harlem, The Spook Who Sat By The Door, Five on The Black Hand Side Three the Hard Way, Black Caesar, Five on the Black Hand Side, Cleopatra Jones and so many more too numerous to name.

The actors in those pictures boasted that they were working, but the images they left us with were devastating. Have we passed the Blaxploitation era? After the turmoil surrounding last year’s Oscars, some in the industry, especially African Americans, seem to think a true ray of hope has come to AfricanAmerican cultural production.

We have come a long way on an arduous, challenging and troublesome journey, and this transformation is testament to the movies that we see this year. An internal power assessment that was undertaken by movie industry professionals and movie goers has brought major progress to an area that previously experienced civil unrest and poor performance.

We have come a long way on an arduous, challenging and troublesome journey, and this transformation is testament to the movies that we see this year.

A bout for change

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

There’s a steep price one pays when paving the way. With “The Royale,” a heavy-hitting play that uses boxing to illustrate the burden of being the first through the door when breaking color barriers, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis concludes its studio season with a one-two punch.

The show, part of The Rep’s 50th Anniversary season, continues through March 26 at the Loretto-Hilton.

Though structured to refrain from hand-tohand contact, the agility in the dialogue exchanges between the small ensemble of players is as

thrilling to watch as a perfectly matched bout. Director Stuart Carden does a stellar job of making the moments leading up to the dramatic climax of the Marco Ramirez play feel like a riveting undercard fight. There is unyielding anticipation as the story of Jay Jackson’s ascension to the top of the sport culminates with the main event of his shot at becoming boxing’s first black heavyweight champion.

It’s just after the turn of the 20th Century and boxing champion Jay “The Sport” Jackson has gone as far as his skin color will allow him.

Genetically blessed with size and power, his See PLAY,

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

The crowd of distinguished guests was shoulder-to-shoulder, doing their best to maneuver through the exciting masses that came to take in the preview showing of #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis on the eve of its opening. Packed to the brim through a timeline that stretches just shy of two centuries, the exhibit speaks to the impressive legacy of freedom fighting woven into the fabric of the region.

Visitors will have a new level of respect for the champions of change that fought to make things better for black people in the St. Louis and the national impact of their actions. Their work began even before Missouri became a state. In 1819, concerned citizens stood at the steps

of the Old Courthouse protesting Missouri becoming a slave state. In 2014, the community rose up and demanded justice in response to the shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. at the hands of former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Their cries that they were living in a police state garnered global attention.

Curator Gwen Moore was in the planning process of the exhibit when the Ferguson unrest

began – and added another chapter to the story of the struggle. More pages as it relates to Ferguson were unfolding even as #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis opened to the public.

“I really don’t feel that I can do any sort of objective interpretation or analysis,” Moore said of Ferguson as the museum was in the final preparations to open the exhibit. “We need some distance because we are still in the heat of the moment.” Ferguson would serve as the open-ended conclusion to the comprehensive narrative of St. Louis’ fight for equal rights on a host of fronts – including employment, housing, education, abolition and anti-lynching. Images by our own

The Rep’s studio season concludes with Marco Ramirez’s ‘The Royale,’ which continues through March 26 as part of The Rep’s 50th Anniversary season.

Bernie Hayes

Rapper Gucci Mane closed out the 314 Day edition of the 4th Annual LooseCannon S.L.I.M. State of Emergency hip-hop show Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena. Migos, Fabolous, Moneybagg Yo, YNF Lucci and Meek Mill were also on the lineup for the nearly sold-out show on the unofficial March 14th – a day designated to celebrate all things STL.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

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

Sat., Mar. 18, 7 p.m. doors, Zo! + Carmen Rodgers Live in St. Louis with DJ JMO, .Zack, 3224 Locust. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Mar. 18, 8 p.m., Peabody Opera House presents Experience Hendrix 2017 Tour. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 499-7600 or visit www.peabodyoperahouse.com.

Tues., Mar. 28, 7 p.m. doors, The Victor Wooten Trio, The Old Rock House. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Apr. 4 – 5, 10 a.m., Sheldon Concert Hall presents Kim Fuller. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 5339900 or visit www.thesheldon. org.

Sun., Apr. 9, 6 p.m., The Ambassador presents Sir Charles Jones. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For mor einofrmation, call (314) 8699090 or visit www.metrotix. com.

local gigs

Sat., Mar. 25, 7 p.m.,

Hatheway Cultural Center presents Purple Masquerade: The Prince Tribute Band. 5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey, IL. 62035.

Sat., Mar. 25, 7 p.m., Coleman Hughes Project 4th Anniversary Celebration. The Jewel Event Center, 407 Dunn Rd., 63031. For more information, call (314) 4967751.

Sun., Mar. 26, 4 p.m., Carolyn Mason performs the Music of Shirley Brown. National Blues Museum, 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, call (314) 925-0016 or visit www. nationalbluesmuseum.org.

special events

Thur., Mar. 16, 6:30 p.m., Cupcakes & Conversations: Sweeten Your Relationships. An opportunity to gather, share and discuss a variety of topics on life, love and relationships. Natalie’s Cakes and More, 100 S. Florissant Rd., 63135. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Fri., Mar. 17, 6 p.m., DJDC Dance Company invites you to Hype Fashion & Art Experience. This red carpet

The Guide

Featured Event

Tues., Apr. 4, 12 p.m., Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change Film Screening. This film investigates the role Catholic nuns played in Alabama’s 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

fashion event will highlight the designers, artists, musicians and dancers from the area. RLCC Banquet Hall, 1651 Redman Ave., 63138. For more information, visit www. experiencethejadecollection. com.

Sat., Mar. 18, 9 a.m., The Justice Conference and The Salvation Army present Justice Day. A one-day event designed to promote and encourage a conversation around the key justice related issues facing our communities. New City Fellowship, 3502 Grace Ave., 63116. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Mon., Mar. 20, 9 a.m., Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Mini Job Fair. Participating companies include AAA, Dierbergs, US Bank, UPS, UMSL, and more. 8960 Jennings Station Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 506-5306.

Grand Dr., 63112. For more information, call (314) 367-7275 or visit www. forestparkforever.org.

Sat., Mar. 25, 7 p.m., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Nu Chi Chapter presents Mardi Gras 70’s Style. 4 floors, 2 DJs, and a night you will not want to miss. Thaxton Speakeasy, 1009 Olive St., 63101. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Mon., Mar. 27, 5 p.m., Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, 99th Annual Dinner Meeting. Hyatt Regency Hotel, 315 Chestnut St., 63102. For more information, call (314) 615-3668 or visit www. ulstl.com.

Fri., Mar. 31, 5 p.m., Gateway 180 presents the 8th Annual Open Your Heart for the Homeless Gala: Light Up the Night. Join us for an auction, live entertainment and art to honor the achievements of our families as they gain independence. Union Station, 1820 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. gateway180.org.

Olivette Lanes, 9520 Olive Blvd., 63132. For more information, call (314) 6849757 or visit www.ncbwstl. org.

Mar. 31 – Apr. 1, Dance St. Louis hosts Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue. A fusion of film, dance, and music, takes audiences on a live cinematic journey through modern Indian culture and society. Blanche M. Touhill Perofrming Arts Center, UMSL, 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.dancestlouis.org.

Mar. 31 – Apr. 2, The Fox Theatre presents The Illusionists – Live from Broadway. This mind blowing spectacular showcases the jaw dropping talents of seven of the most incredible Illusionists on earth. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com.

Fri., Mar. 31, 5 p.m., Gateway 180 presents the 8th Annual Open Your Heart for the Homeless Gala: Light Up the Night. Union Station, 1820 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. gateway180.org.

Sat., Apr. 1, 12 p.m., City of Overland Easter Egg Hunt. Children 1 – 10 years can collect eggs, and win prizes. Open to the public, but proof of Overland Residency is required to win the large prizes. Norman Myers Park, 8600 Midland Blvd., 63114. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Fri., Mar. 24, 8 p.m., The Pageant presents Gary Owen 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Sat., Mar. 25, 7 p.m., Comedian Jason Jenkins & Friends presents Laughs & Libations Comedy. Starring Lawrence Owens and others. JC Supper Club, 9053 Riverview Dr., 63137. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

April 8 (7 p.m. ) & April 9 (7:30 p.m.), Chris Rock: Total Blackout Tour 2017, Peabody Opera House. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Fri., Apr. 21, 8 p.m., Festival of Laughs tour with Festival of Laughs: Mike Epps,Bruce Bruce,Rickey Smiley and Felipe Esparza, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

literary

Thur., Mar. 23, 5 p.m., Under the Clock Tower: State of Forest Park Community Gathering. Park leadership will be on hand to discuss exciting improvement projects and answer questions from event attendees. Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center, 5595 Made Moguls’ 3rd Annual B.L.A.C.K. T.I.E. Charity Dinner. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 200 N. 4th St., 63102. For more information, visit www.mademoguls.org

Fri., Mar. 31, 9 p.m., The Metropolitan St. Louis Chapter of The National Coalition of 100 Black Women Cosmic Bowl Scholarship Fundraiser.

Sat., Apr. 1, 6 p.m., Dignity Period Spring Gala. We believe that change can happen through a comprehensive solution to the challenges facing girls in Ethiopia. The evening includes dinner and a performance by Denise Thimes. Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (3140 704-1501 or visit www.dignityperiod.org.

Tues., Apr. 4, 12 p.m., Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change Film Screening. This film investigates the role Catholic nuns played in Alabama’s 1965 Selmato-Montgomery marches. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

Sat., Apr. 8, 5:30 p.m., National Black Marathoners Association presents the 3rd Annual Black Distance Hall of Fame and Achievement Awards Banquet. Join us as we recognize the newest inductees into the black distance hall of fame, and raise money for our scholarship fund. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 200 N. 4th St., 63102.

Sun., Apr. 9, 5 p.m., The

Sat., Mar. 18, 3 p.m., Friends of Scott Joplin hosts author Ed Berlin, author of King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era. Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, 2658 Delmar Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. friendsofscottjoplin.org.

Tues., Mar. 21, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Traci Brimhall, author of Sophia & the Boy Who Fell Sophia lives in the Amazon and is very lonely. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 3676731 or visit www.left-bank. com.

Tues., Mar. 28, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author F. Willis Johnson, author of Holding Up Your Corner: Talking About Race in Your Community 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. art

Mar. 24 – May 14, COCA presents Harlem Renaissance: Contemporary Response. Exhibition featuring works by emerging or young artists inspired by artists associated with the Harlem Renaissance. There will be an opening reception on Mar. 24 at 6 p.m. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl. org.

The Peabody Opera House welcomes Chris Rock: Total Blackout Tour 2017. For more information, see comedy.

Mar. 31 – Apr. 2, Spring Art Fair. Featuring original pieces of jewelry, photography, sculpture, and more. Also with wine tastings raffle drawings, music, and more. Queeny Park, 550 Weidman Rd., 63011. For more information, call (314) 889-0433 or visit www. artfairatqueenypark.com.

Sat., Apr. 8, 8 p.m. Unifying Through Art with Cbabi Bayoc and Hobo Cane (Javier Mendoza), .Zack, 3224 Locust. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

lectures and workshops

Mon., Mar. 20, 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Promoting Racial Literacy in Schools. Dr. Howard C. Stevenson, University of Pennsylvania, explores how schools are places where racial conflicts often remain hidden at the expense of a healthy school climate and the well-being and achievement of students of color. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

Wed., Mar. 22, 9 a.m.,

Starting a Business: The First Steps. Topics include assessing the industry, legal and regulatory requirements, writing techniques, and more. Missouri Job Center, 715 Northwest Plaza, 63074. For more information or to register, call (314) 657-3768 or visit www.missouribusiness. net.

Wed., Mar. 22, 4:30 p.m., Portals: Conversations about the Police by the Policed. UMSL at Grand Center, 3651 Olive St., 63108. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Mar. 25 – 26, Acting Master Class. Get a one-time session with the accomplished TV and film actor, Nelsan Ellis. Learn tools for casting, auditioning and breaking into the business. Panel discussion to follow the class. 3224 Locust Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.jpek-masterclass. eventbrite.com.

Wednesdays, 7 p.m., Mar. 22 – Apr. 26, The Missouri Bar Association invites you to the Spring 2017 Mini Law School for the Public A six-week series covering various legal topics including The First Amendment, Hate Crimes, and more. St. Louis County Council Campus, 41 S. Central, 63105. For more information, call (866)

366-0270 or visit www. missourilawyershelp.org/minilaw-school.

theatre

Mar. 16 – 19, UMSL Theatre & Cinema Arts presents The Wiz. The story of Dorothy and the adventures of Oz presented through a modern lens. Touhill Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www. touhil.org.

Mar. 21 – 26, The Fox Theatre presents Motown: The Musical. The true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103.

Fri., Mar. 25 – 26, JPEK Creative Works Theatre presents A Real Life Hip Hopera. A coming of age story that exposes the attitudes of city living. There will also be a Night with The Stars hosted by actor Nelsan Ellis on Mar. 24 at 6 p.m. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more

information, (314) 533-0367 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Through March 26, The Repertory Theatre presents The Royale. Rising black prizefighter Jay “The Sport” Jackson dominates his opponents, but the harsh social realities of the early 1900s force him to fight twice as hard to earn recognition outside of the ring. 130 Edgar Rd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 9684925 or visit www.repstl. com.

Mar. 31 – Apr. 1, Dance St. Louis hosts Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue. A fusion of film, dance, and music, takes audiences on a live cinematic journey through modern Indian culture and society. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.dancestlouis.org.

Mar. 31, 8 p.m., Touhill Performing Arts Center presents MADCO Freedom. The show brings to life

Washington Universities Olin Libraries special Civil Rights collection through dance exploring a timely theme in St. Louis and the United States. UMSL. For more information, visit www.touhil.org.

Sun., Apr. 2, 7 p.m., Je’Caryous Johnson presents Married But Single Too 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 499-7600 or visit www. peabodyoperahouse.com.

Sun., Apr. 9, 8 p.m., Todrick Hall presents Straight Outta Oz. With over 20 original

songs, watch Hall’s adventures from his small town in Texas, to the big Emerald City lights of “Oz Angeles.” Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www. thesheldon.org.

health

Thur., Mar. 16, 6 p.m., Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis presents Stop the Spring Sniffles: Allergy Prevention

Workshop. An educational workshop on what causes seasonal allergies and ways to prevent them by making simple changes to your home. 935 N. Vandeventer, 63108. For more information, call (314) 6153677 or visit www.ulstl.com.

Tues., Mar. 28, 7 p.m., Free Congestive Heart Failure Training for Family Caregivers. A Registered Nurse will cover symptoms, care and medications associated with CHF. Seniors Home Care, 504 Marshall Ave., 63119. For more information or to RSVP, call (314) 962-2666 or visit www.seniorshomecare.com.

Mondays, 6:30 p.m., Yoga & Chill. A beginner-friendly, all levels (75 minute) class that spends time working through fundamental yoga postures and shapes while exploring alignment, breathing, relaxation techniques, and a good time. Modern Healer Studio, 1908 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com

spiritual

Sun., Mar. 19, 3:30 p.m., New Salem Missionary Baptist Church 89th Church Anniversary. 1905 Arlington Ave., 63112.

Mar. 22 – 24, EMFJ Jurisdictional Men’s Conference 2017. Nazareth Temple Church of God in Christ, 3300 Marshall Ave., 63114. For more information, call (314) 541-0342.

Sat., Mar. 25, 2 p.m., Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church invites you to the 13th Annual Praise Is What We Do Scholarship Concert. 4673 Labadie Ave., 63115. For more information, call (314) 3812770.

film

Thur., Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m., The Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housin

Zo! + Carmen Rodgers Live in St. Louis with DJ JMO. See CONCERTS for additional details.

BERNIE

Continued from C1

Is the movie and performing arts industry coming into race consciousness?

Are more AfricanAmerican writers, directors, producers and actors more aware of themselves? According to Metapedia, racial consciousness or racial awareness is the understanding of the uniqueness of one’s race compared to other races. In particular, a racially conscious person is aware of the physical characteristics, history, culture, traditions, and mores of his own race and how those things differ from other races.

Are the motion pictures When the Bough Breaks, Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Fences, Queen of Katwe, I Am Not Your Negro and The Birth of A Nation an illustration or paradigm of race consciousness?

The emergence of the Black Consciousness movement in the 1970s produced the Blaxploitation era. Perhaps a race consciousness movement in 2017 will bring more awareness and realization.

C.J. Jung write, “There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light,

but by making the darkness conscious.”

Fifty-two years ago, Dr. Marti Luther King Jr. said,

“Today I want to tell the city of Selma, today I want to say to the state of Alabama, today I want to say to the people of America and the nations of the world, that we are not about to turn around. We are on the move now.” Is Hollywood on the move?

Are we on the move?

Please watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday night at 10 p.m. and Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. on KNLC-TV Ch. 24. I can be reached by fax at 314-8373369, e-mail at berhay@swbell. net or on Twitter @berhay.

drive and discipline have made paltry opponents of everyone who dared to step into the ring with him. Though he’s nicknamed “The Sport” because he embodies everything that’s right with boxing, he’ll have to settle for being “the colored champion.” America is simply not ready to allow a man of color the opportunity to represent the pinnacle of the sport – even if the nation knows he’ll beat any competitor to a pulp. As he sets out to change forever the face of boxing, Jay is met by opposition on both ends. There are the whites who see blacks as second-class citizens. There are blacks weary of the pushback in the form of hate

and hysteria that they fear is certain to follow. They wonder to what extent the black community will become collateral damage as he blindly pursues his goal.

Jay’s motives were anything but selfish – and they come with immediate, irreversible consequences.

Every element of the “The Royale” leaves a lasting impression.

Ramirez blends fact with fiction in a story clearly inspired by the boxing legend Jack Johnson. It is one so authentic that only boxing historians would truly separate fact from fiction as this larger-than-life, unapologetically black man decides to lay it all on the line for what he knows he deserves – a chance at the title.

Scenic and lighting director Brian Sidney Bembridge

makes viewers a part of the production by roping in the entire studio space as opposed to just the stage. The play opens with adrenaline-boosting cadences of stomps and sounds that are a suitable substitute for pulsating fight sequences one expects when taking in a performance centered around the sport of boxing. They are featured throughout the play as interludes that sync with heartpounding moments of action and drama.

The performances are as impressive as the story and production value.

Lance Baker gives the perfect tenor to Max, the white promoter willing to put his racism aside for the sake of capitalism. The same can be said for Samuel Ray Gates’ portrayal of Jay’s ring man Wynton. Subtle and unassuming, yet wiser than he will ever be given credit for, he’s effective in serving as the moderate voice of reason to Akron Lanier Watson’s larger than life portrayal of Jay. Bernard Gilbert’s performance embodies his portrayal of Fish, young and hungry with endless potential and plenty of instinct. And while she comes in on the tail end of the one act play, Bria Walker as Jay’s sister Nina convincingly serves as the root of Jay’s inner turmoil. She presents him with the harsh realities of what’s at stake when he steps into the ring – and offers the sobering reminder that even if he wins, the community he’s fighting for could still lose everything.

The Rep’s Studio Theatre presentation of Marco Ramirez’s The Royale continues through March 26 at The Loretto-Hilton, 130 Edgar Rd, St. Louis, MO 63119. For more information, visit www.repstl. org or call (314) 968-4925.

RIGHTS

Lawrence Bryant set to video, as well as a wall that provided guests the opportunity to offer their own post-script by way of suggestions and comments is the final stop. Over the course of the journey through fighting racial injustices, the museum uses a host of disciplines and forms to tell the story – visual art, photographs, music, audio, films and even live re-enactments. The people, places and events referenced include the well-known and unsung – and it’s nearly impossible to digest it all with one visit. Most fascinating of it all is the revelation that St. Louis Civil Rights activists were pioneers and forerunners in the movement in many ways.

More than a decade before sit-ins in Greensboro sparked a national movement, members of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) had been occupying seats at Stix, Baer & Fuller, Famous-Barr and other department store lunch counters

demanding to be served.

“We had a strong civil rights infrastructure,” Moore said. “We had these seasoned, battle-scarred activists who for decades and decades had been in this fight. They were known and respected. People need to understand and give these people credit for the hard work that they did. We definitely had the leadership – and that’s going all the way back to when we had the freedom suits.”

The freedom suits were legal action taken by enslaved individuals in response to the 1807 territorial law that state “once free, always free.”

Perhaps the most famous of these was Dred Scott vs. Sandford, which went from the Old Courthouse of St. Louis to the U.S. Supreme Court.

St. Louis cases that reached the nation’s highest court – and combated systemic racism and discrimination – continued for another century.

“The Jones vs. Mayer, that was the last case that [St. Louis American co-founder and major source of inspiration for the exhibit] Judge Nathan Young talked about that really cement-

ed our reputation as a civil rights city,” Moore said. That particular landmark case involved an interracial couple who successfully sued the Alfred Mayer real estate company for claims of housing discrimination.

Moore said that Mayer actually secretly financed this case that was against him, because he wanted to sell to AfricanAmericans.

“I don’t know if it was because he believed in fairness and justice or if it was because he was a business man,” Moore said. “Maybe it was a little bit of both – but it was still extraordinary.”

Extraordinary would also be the fitting description for the exhibit that pays tribute to all of these cases, and the brave acts that give the city rightful bragging rights as a leader in the campaign for equality and justice, one that is still currently underway, thanks to Ferguson.

“Ferguson was not the beginning – it’s a continuum of our legacy,” Moore said. “We’ve never been quiet.”

Photo by Jon Gitchoff

Akron Lanier Watson and Bria Walker in a scene from The Rep’s Studio Theatre presentation of Marco Ramirez’s “The Royale.”

The Missouri History Museum Exhibit #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis continues through April 15, 2018.

Photo by Wiley Price

Reunions

Beaumont Class of 1967, if you have not received a letter or e-mail, call 314-533-6087 or Beaumontclassof67@ sbcglobal.net with your contact information. Several activities are planned for the week of June 6-11, 2017. Meet & greet on 6-9-17, banquet on 6-1017, church services 6-11-17 at Greater Mt. Carmel and

a brunch after services. Our scheduled meetings are 3-1817, 4-15-17 and 5-20-17 at the Normandy Library at 1:30 p.m.

Beaumont Alumni Class 1968 meetings in preparation for their 50th Class Reunion will be held at STL County Library, 7606 Natural Bridge, St. Louis MO, 63121 on Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. on March 25, April 22, May 20 and June 24. For more information email bhsco1968@ att.net or call 314 869-8312.

Beaumont High School Class of 1972 is celebrating 45! Calling all classmates to mark your calendar for August 11 -13 2017 and celebrate our 45th class reunion. Activities have been planned for a fun illed weekend you don’t

Celebrations

Birthday

Guess who’s turning 50 on March 22? Antonio Scaife! I just want to say congratulations to you on reaching another milestone in your life. I love you so much, sweetheart, and I thank God for giving you to me.

Pastoral Anniversary

On March 12, Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church celebrated the 12th pastoral anniversary year of its Pastor, Dr. Donald Ray McNeal and his wife, Mrs. Deborah McNeal Congratulations on a dozen years of service to this dynamic Christian ministry team!

Spelling Champ

Breeze Collins, a fifth grader from Holman Elementary recently placed third Ferguson-Florissant School District’s 2017 Spelling Bee. Breeze, along with other winners, will compete in the annual Greater St. Louis/Post-Dispatch Spelling Bee.

Yale Bound

Hazelwood Central High School senior Jordan Carey will attend Yale University in the fall of 2017, where he plans to major in computer science. Jordan was a varsity football starter all four years at Central and team captain for three years. Off the field, he is senior class president, and active volunteer and tutor and earned an outstanding GPA and test scores.

want to miss. Please direct all inquiries and registration request to Sharon Webb Steele at (314) 757-2799 or Linda Howard at (314) 397-5570. You may also use Facebook , BHS72 Reunion Committee.

Beaumont High School Class of 1977 will celebrate its 40year reunion Sept. 15–17, 2017. For further information, please contact: Karen Handley (314) 330-0129, Audrey Dixon (314) 413-9202, Lois Moore (314) 315-0474, Kelvin Ellison (314) 599-6733.

Beaumont High School, Class of 1978 will celebrate its 40-year reunion in 2018. For further information, please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-799-5296,

madeshe@sbcglobal.net.

Cleveland High School 1980-84 is planning a reunion for anyone that attended Cleveland High School during the desegregation period on August 5-6, 2017 at the Renaissance St Louis Airport Hotel. For more information, please contact Babette PerkinsAnderson 314-345-0939.

Hadley Tech Classes of 1962-1963 are having their 55th year reunion on October 13-15, 2017 at the St. Louis Airport Marriott. For more information, please contact Hellon (Merritt) Jefferson at 314-307-3681, Ora (Scott) Roberts at 314-222-3662, Wilhelmina (Gibson) Baker at 314-630-9647, Pearl (Tillman)

Holden 314-685-0466 or Virdell (Robinson) Stennis at 314-773-8177.

Soldan High School Class of 1977 celebrating its 40-year reunion on Friday June 2-4, 2017 at the Crown Plaza Hotel located at 11228 Lone Eagle Dr. in Bridgeton, MO. For further information, please contact Debbie Marshall at 314-831-8831.

Vashon High School Class of 1972 is planning our 45-year reunion for 2017. Meetings are being held every 1st Tuesday of the month at the new Vashon High School; 3032 Cass Ave., in the library. Please email your info to eufabya@sbcglobal.net, or attend the meetings.

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 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103 Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

Antonio Scaife

Donald Ray and Deborah McNeal

Breeze Collins, right

Jordan Carey

State of Emergency: 314 Day. Yes, the second half crept along and Jeezy never made it to the stage, but I know thousands of folks who still left pretty pleased … even though we all really did wanna see Jeezy. LooseCannon S.L.I.M. pulled off packing the Chaifetz out with a mystery lineup. The show ultimately included Migos, Fabolous, Moneybagg Yo, YNF Lucci, Meek Mill and Gucci Mane. At first, I was a nervous wreck when I showed up at 7 p.m. (which is the time that was printed on the ticket) and DJ Tab, the Revolt TV crew (who was there to livestream the show) and I looked like we had the whole entire arena to ourselves. Everybody and their mama thought the show started at 8 p.m., so that meant it was well into 8:30 before the Chaifetz got full, but it was deep with folks up in there. The first half of the show ran with precision. The second half did not, but I feel like S.L.I.M. is working his way to perfecting SOE. And it was great to see all of the folks reppin’ STL on 314 Day. I mean old school and new, the folks came through to show the concert some love. I was thrilled to run into Bleezy and the artist formerly known as Hakeem Tha Dream as I waited for things to get crackin’. I’m looking forward to seeing the SOE get fine-tuned, which he seems to get closer to each year. And at the end of the day, it was still a win for the city regardless of what the haters said in the Revolt comments section. S.L.I.M. also promised that he would bring Jeezy back. I will make sure y’all stay posted on that as well.

Fresh faces music skip to The Lou. Thanks to Radio One St. Louis, I was about to check out some rising stars on the national R&B scene. Hot 104.1 Who’s Next returned to the Rustic Goat with Bibi Bourelly. It was a cute little set. On Monday night, 95.5 The Lou had me stopping by Elmo’s Love Lounge to check out rising R&B singer Kevin Ross – and boy does he have a silky voice on him. While I’m talking about Radio One, let me take the moment to wish my boy A-Plus well as he makes his way to Detroit as the new midday personality and assistant programming director for their hip-hop affiliate Hot 107.5.

‘Where The Party At’ starring Jagged Edge. Who knew enough people cared enough about Jagged Edge to fill up the whole doggone Pageant? But that’s exactly what happened Saturday night. Yes, the balcony too! Either I underestimated JE’s impact on the R&B game, or Liquid Assets and Rockhouse deserve a special nod for their promotions hustle on this show. I’m going with the latter. Before I get into the show, let me tell some of ya’ll it was too soon to recycle your Charlie Wilson concert outfits. I won’t name names (though I could), but I will say I got a second dose of sequins. For the first time in all of my decades of covering concerts, I enjoyed the stall more than the stars. What? Oh, so I’m to only one who got all kinds of life from Darius Bradford and company’s time-killing tactics and could have taken or left Jagged Edge’s five lil’ songs? Come on now. I am still cackling about when they did the little birthday walk contest that turned into an elderly twerk session. The moment that got me was when the woman of a certain age was looking all confused and bewildered when the DJ dropped Rich Homie Quan. I was like “this man should know from her striped body dress that she don’t know nothin’ about no Rich Homie Quan. And then Darius read my mind – and got even more disgraceful when he said the music was too young for her and asked if the DJ had anything by the Chi-Lites on deck. I about died! She knew just what to do when she heard “Cash Money takin’ over the 99 and the 2000” and the beat to “Back Thang Up” dropped though. It was utterly and gloriously hilarious. Once the actual show got started, I got a chance to see that Bradd Young is still fine as all get out. As far as JE, they sang along to their little songs – and a few remakes – but the only thing I remember thinking after their little set was, “where’s the other one?”

Jagged Edge: The after party. My shock continued when JE had HG on lean just like they did over at the Pageant. It was so lit that I was thinking, did I have some traumatic memory loss and miss their moment of supreme relevancy, because I just don’t remember them being famous enough to pull crowds like this, 15 years after they peaked. I’m not mad though. It would also explain why the one security guard right in front of the stage was doing the absolute most, with his little extra self. I started to say “dude, calm down … it’s Jagged Edge.” Celebrity Thickness at Lifestyle Saturdays. Love and Hip-Hop’s Tahiry was the latest Thixen (thick vixen) to stop through Mood for their Lifestyle Saturdays set. In a Solid Gold Dancer-inspired outfit custom made to accommodate her killer curves, Tahiry had the club going up, do you hear me? I got there late because I devoted so much time to JE, but it was just as on lean for last call as whenever the party got all the way crackin.’

The Rome and ‘Resa show. I had no idea when I made the last-minute decision to stop through Blueberry Hill on Sunday to catch Theresa Payne and Indiana Rome, I got my life. I don’t know if I’ve said it before, but his “Cloud 9” is one of my favorite STL records of all time. But back to Sunday. And even when he forgot the words to “Pusha,” it was one of the best lyrics flubs since Ella Fitzgerald’s freestyle scatting over “Mack the Knife.” I’m serious. It was that good – and Grammy Award-winning producer Courtney Orlando rips the “Pusha” hook to shreds with his seductive vocals and, well – seductive everything. And what can I say about Theresa Payne that I haven’t already said over the years. Oh, I know. She and Rome should form a power duo like The Knuckles and they all can do doubleheader shows and do a quartet album. Y’all are welcome for the bright idea. Now all you have to do is come up with a name.

Mickey, Shawn, Monie and Mike kicked it in VIP Tuesday @ The Marquee for 314 Day

Mary and Brandy hung out with The Umbrella Group Friday night @ Mood

Bradd Young, Mai Lee and Boni stopped through to show love to Theresa Payne and Indiana Rome for their concert Sunday night @ Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room

Keshia and Michelle @ The Marquee Friday

Shea, Monica, Seven and Patrice celebrated Shea’s birthday Friday night @ Mood

D and Tiffany enjoyed representing for their city @ The State of Emergency 4 after party Tuesday night @ The Marquee

LooseCannon S.L.I.M. and rising rap star Money Bagg YO for S.L.I.M’s SOE 4 concert Tuesday night @ Chaifetz Arena

Kim and Monica partied @ The Marquee Tuesday for the 314 Day celebration.

Jerrica and Brittany showed up to celebrate 314 Day @ the Marquee Tuesday

Brandy was able to strike a pose with Love and Hip-Hop star Tahiry @ Lifestyle Saturdays @ Mood

After their sold out show at The Pageant, featured performer G The Singer and R&B group Jagged Edge were met by another packed house for the official after party Saturday night at HG.

Photos by John Scott

St. LouiS american Career Center

CDL Drivers : REGIONAL Don’t expect to little. Our drivers don’t! Not from themselves or us! Home throughout the week. Great pay w/pd beneits. 800.234.5710

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR

he Community Action Agency of St. Louis County is a community based organization committed to helping the families and communities of St. Louis County prevent the conditions of poverty for present and future generations.

We have an opportunity for a human resources director to join us in working towards the elimination of poverty by providing human resources support to our team. his position will direct and implement the planning, development and administration of all human resources functions including recruitment and selection, onboarding, compensation, training and development, records management, policy and procedures, employee relations, beneits engagement, performance management and evaluation and other areas.

Minimum Qualiications: Bachelor’s Degree in HR Management, Business Administration or related ield. Five years of progressive work experience in managing and implementing all human resources functions in a small to medium size organization. Valid driver’s license. Must pass pre-employment background investigation and drug test.

Preferred Qualiications: Master’s Degree in Human Resources or Business Administration. SPHR, PHR or other HR certiications. hree years of supervisory experience. Experience with ADP, Microsot Oice. Travel may be required.

Compensation Package--Salary commiserate with experience. Excellent beneits package including but not limited to:

Of

CAASTLC, Inc is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate in employment. Apply on line and include cover letter, resume, salary requirments. You may also submit directly to CreagerConsulting314@gmail.com

PUBLIC BENEFITS STAFF ATTORNEY

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM), a non-proit law irm that provides free civil legal assistance to people living with low income/low opportunity, seeks a Staf Attorney to work in its Public Beneits Program. For more information including how to apply, please visit our website at www.lsem.org. his position closes April 9, 2017.

GROUNDSKEEPER

Webster University has a position available for a Groundskeeper. Please apply online at http://webster.peopleadmin. com/postings/2282. No phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

STUDENT EMPLOYMENT COORDINATOR

Webster University has an opening for a Student Employment Coordinator in the Oice of Financial Aid. Please apply online at http://webster.peopleadmin. com/postings/2284. No phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Supreme Court of Missouri Job Announcement

Position Title: Executive Director - Missouri Board of Law Examiners

Deinition of Work: he Missouri Board of Law Examiners is responsible for administering the Missouri bar examination and determining the character and itness and the eligibility of all applicants seeking admission to the bar in Missouri. he executive director provides management and support for all aspects of the bar admission process, including oversight of the board’s oice, budget and staf of 10. he executive director reports to the Supreme Court of Missouri, the clerk of the Court, and the Board of Law Examiners. Extensive independent judgment is required.

Salary/Beneits: Starting salary range $88,212 to $100,620 annually depending on experience and qualiications. his position is eligible for full beneits and leave accruals provided through the Board of Law Examiners.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: Candidates should possess a master’s degree and ive years of professional management experience. A law degree may be helpful in this position.

Application: Qualiied candidates shall submit resumes and at least three professional references via e-mail to BOLEdirector@courts. mo .gov. Interested parties may refer to the judiciary web site http://www .courts .mo.gov and clicking on “Careers” in the footer for additional details.

Applications accepted until position is illed. Preference given to applications received on or before March 24, 2017.

he Supreme Court of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM) Staf Attorney

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM), a non-proit law irm that provides free legal assistance to people living with low income/low opportunity, seeks a staf attorney in its Children’s Legal Alliance program. he staf attorney will be responsible for providing representation to children and families relating to all aspects of education law. For more information visit our website at www.lsem.org. Applications are due by March 27, 2017.

STATE TRAFFIC AND HIGHWAY SAFETY ENGINEER

he Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is seeking applications for the State Traic and Highway Safety Engineer. he state traic and highway safety engineer provides direction and support for statewide traic management, traic operations, and highway safety through the development of policies, goals and guidelines; provides technical assistance and support to the districts in interpretation of policy; partners with law enforcement agencies, safety organizations, and other entities to set and champion overall goals and direction for statewide highway safety programs and services. For more information and to view the entire job description, please visit our website www.modot.org/jobs.

Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Candidates must be licensed or be prepared to achieve licensure as a Professional Engineer in the state of Missouri and have over nine years of experience in highway or transportation engineering and an understanding of best practices for traic management and traic operations; a passion for highway safety and the ability to invigorate and motivate others to action. he selected inalist must be a U.S. citizen and be or become a resident of the state of Missouri. MoDOT ofers an excellent compensation package and the selected candidate has the lexibility to work at any location within the state of Missouri.

Respond in strict conidence by submitting resume and cover letter by APRIL 10, 2017, to:

Sharon Golden, Assistant Human Resources Director MoDOT Human Resources Division P.O. Box 270, Jeferson City, MO 65102 Phone (573) 526-1047

TraicEngineer@modot.mo.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity/ Airmative Action Employer, M/F/D/V

ORGANIST seeking organist to play for Sunday Morning Services and 1 night of rehearsal everyweek. 314-642-3480

KANSAS CITY DISTRICT ENGINEER

he Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is seeking applications for the Kansas City District Engineer. his senior management level position is responsible for planning, organizing, and delivering all operations, design, and support activities in the Kansas City region with a team of approximately 660 employees. he Kansas City District Engineer leads the development and delivery of transportation programs; builds and sustains efective partnerships with city and county oicials, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Regional Planning Commissions, and other transportation constituents; represents MoDOT to leverage resources and innovation to solve transportation needs; serves as a champion, change agent, results driver, and key public relations agent on transportation issues and other major organizational issues as needed; responds to the public, legislators, community leaders, and city and county oicials on transportation needs and operations; and communicates the department’s goals and objectives to the public and district employees. For more information and to view the entire job description, please visit our website www.modot.org/jobs.

Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Candidates must be licensed or be prepared to achieve licensure as a Professional Engineer in the state of Missouri and have over nine years of experience in highway or transportation engineering, including at least ive years of supervisory experience, with knowledge and experience in delivering innovative transportation solutions. MoDOT ofers an excellent compensation package.

Respond in strict conidence by submitting resume and cover letter by APRIL 10, 2017, to:

Michaelene (Micki) Knudsen, Human Resources Director MoDOT Human Resources Division

P.O. Box 270, Jeferson City, MO 65102

Phone (573) 751-7449

Fax (573) 526-0058

KCDistrictEngineer@modot.mo.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity/ Airmative Action Employer, M/F/D/V

DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING

St. Joseph’s Academy Director of College Counseling Located in the heart of St. Louis County, St. Joseph’s Academy is an all-girls 9-12 Catholic High School educating young women, who are values-driven leaders, to make an impact on the world. Founded in 1840 by the St. Joseph Sisters of Carondelet, the School has a rich history of exemplary college prep teaching by both the Sisters and lay teachers. SJA has a solid track record of success with 99% of its students being accepted for college admissions. 100% of those who apply are accepted. he Director of College Counseling manages the operation, and, with the president and principal, sets the vision and goals for the department and how it serves each student and collaborates with teachers. he new Director will have an opportunity to take the college counseling process to the next level. he ideal candidate will have at least ive years experience working in a college admissions oice or high school college admissions program, a passionate commitment to high school student success, experience developing early college awareness programs that promote student motivation, a wide range of knowledge of colleges and universities throughout the country, their degree programs, their signature departments, inancial aid procedures and undergraduate opportunities for research and programs abroad, active participation in local state and national college admissions counseling events and professional organizations, an appreciation of Catholic education and an all-girls educational environment, and well established abilities in the skills writing, data gathering and analysis, technology, communication (written and oral), collaboration, self-motivation, and student engagement. For a list of responsibilities and information about applying visit the SJA website at sja1840.org

St. Louis Development Corporation summer internship program is open for applications. he Economic Development Data Analyst Intern full description and application process can be found online at

ADMINISTRATIVE

ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKS (STREETS AND PARKS) AND MAINTENANCE

he City of Jennings is accepting applications for an Administrative Assistance to administer the oice of the Public Works/ Street & Park Department and Maintenance Department. Duties include: Typing correspondence, maintaining records and iles, processing personnel records, assisting with budget, purchasing and contracts, preparing reports, preparing for and/or attends meetings.

Agency has immediate positions for Home health Aides and Liaison oicer. Home health Aide experience required and one year marketing experience for a Liaison Oicer. Apply at 3470 Hampton Avenue suite 103 St Louis MO 63139. Call 314-454-1219.

Minimum three years oice experience with excellent clerical, computer and customer service skills and attention to detail. Experience with municipal purchasing or public works oice administration preferred. Starting salary $24,394.50. Applications available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Ave. or at www.cityojennings.org.

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

DIRECTOR, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business seeks a Director for its Small Business Development Center. he Center Director will administer three programs within the Illinois Small Business Development Center grant (the International Trade Center and two Small Business Development Centers). For more information and required qualiications, please see: https://siue.hiretouch.com/jobdetails?jobID=5693&job=director-smallbusiness-development-center-5693

PHYSICS/MATH

INSTRUCTOR

De Smet Jesuit High School seeks highly qualiied candidates for the full-time position of physics/math instructor for the 2017–2018 school year. Successful candidates will have a master’s degree in engineering or physics and an ability to achieve student learning objectives through engineering-based design-build projects as well as through traditional classroom teaching strategies. A desire to nurture the creativity and imagination of students is a must. More information is available at https:// www.desmet.org/about/careers. Send a resumé, cover letter, and three references to Carrie Becher, Administrative Assistant to the Principal, at cbecher@desmet.org. Application materials will be accepted through April 7.

BUS DRIVERS Creative Kids Daycare is currently seeking Bus Drivers. his position requires at least a Class E License and a good driving record. Pay is negotiable. Please contact 314-361-3534

MOSERS is seeking an Assistant Beneits

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric

project: Scottrade Center Capital Improvements. he improvement plan includes but is not limited to the following projects: - Renovate Event Level Locker Rooms

- New Referee Locker Room/Oice

- NCAA Event Level Locker Rooms - New Administration Oices

- Renovate Restrooms - New Loge Seating

- New LED Ribbon Board

- New Center Hung Scoreboard

- Sound System Upgrades

- Replace Seating in Bowl

- New Hot Water Boiler(s)

- New Sports Lighting - Structural Inill of Clark Street Atrium

- Elevator and Escalator Replacement

- Renovate Concession Stands

- Trash Room Expansion

A subcontractor information session will be held on Monday, March 20, 2017 at 3:00 PM. he meeting will be at 1520 Market Street, 2nd Floor, SLDC Boardroom, St. Louis, MO 63103. Project list, schedule, sequencing, proposal due dates, upcoming jobsite walks.

his project must adhere to the City of St. Louis Mayor’s Executive Order #47 requiring the following enterprise participation: 25% MBE business and 5% WBE business participation.

his project must adhere to the City of St. Louis Ordinance 69427 requiring the following Workforce participation: 25% Minority, 5% Women workforce, 15% Apprentice workforce, and 20% City Resident workforce participation.

For any questions or if you would like to ind out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Lee Peppin at 636561-9740 or lwpeppin@paric.com. All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

Plans, Renderings, and RFP’s will be available to view at Paric’s Main oice at 77 Westport Plaza, Suite 250, St. Louis, MO 63146. PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

LETTING #8642

HYDE PARK LAKE IMPROVEMENTS

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on APRIL 4, 2017, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Speciications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on MARCH 15, 2017 11:00 A.M. at HYDE PARK Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Airmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Speciications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

Notice to Minority Business Enterprises, Women Business Enterprises, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, Service Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises, and/or Veteran Business Enterprises

TARLTON CORPORATION, 5500 West Park Ave., St. Louis MO 63110, is seeking qualiied Minority, Women, Disadvantaged, Service Disabled Veteran, and/or Veterans Business Enterprises to bid on the Lowry Hall, Repair and Upgrade Steam Tunnel project for the University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia MO for subcontracting opportunities in all work areas as deined by the contract drawings and speciications. Tarlton would appreciate subbids for the following: Selective Demolition, Friable & non-Friable Asbestos Removal; Electrical, Sediment & Erosion Control, SWPPP, Temp Traic Control, Site Clearing, Tree Protection and Trimming, Earth Moving, Asphalt Paving, Concrete Paving, Unit Paving, Utilities, Cast in Place Concrete, and Concrete Repair. Project consists of repairs and upgrades to campus steam and condensate distribution systems.

A prebid meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on March 16, 2017 in the General Services Building, Room 194A, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, followed by a walk through at the site. All interested bidders are invited to attend this meeting.

A Diversity participation goal of 10% for MBE, 3% SDVE, 10% combined WBE, DBE and Veteran Owned Business has been established for this contract.

All interested and qualiied businesses should contact Greg Sweeso at 314-633-3300 to discuss the subcontracting opportunities. All negotiations must be completed prior to 12:00 p.m. on April 3, 2017.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

LETTING #8641

FY2017 AND 2018 CITYWIDE SIDEWALK CONTRACT

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on APRIL 4, 2017, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Speciications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Airmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Speciications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Springdale I/I Reduction (Rolling Dr and Smithield Pl) under Letting No. 12209-015.1, at this oice, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, at a place designated.

Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualiied by the District’s Engineering Department for:

SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Speciications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Speciications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1710 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and speciications in order to submit a

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

he City of St. Louis, Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Communicable Disease – Grants Administration is requesting proposals from local organizations, community agencies, universities, local governmental entities and other interested parties eligible to receive federal funds to provide Childcare services

Interested parties are encouraged to respond to the solicitation for proposal beginning Secretary I, DOH, 1520 Market Avenue, Room 4027, by either calling 314-657-1556 or via email JohnsonP@stlouis-mo.gov. Interested parties may also download the RFP from the City of St. Louis website at http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/procurement.cfm. If interested parties have downloaded the proposal from the website, they must register with Mr. Johnson; in order to be notiied of any changes or amendments to the RFPs. he deadline for submitting proposals is 4:00 p.m., Monday, March 27, 2017 at the address referenced above.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Martigney I/I Reduction under Letting No. 11661-015.1, at this oice, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, at a place designated.

Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualiied by the District’s Engineering Department for:

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Paddock Creek I/I Reduction (Private) Part 2 under Letting No. 11696-015.2, at this oice, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on hursday, April 20, 2017, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualiied by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Speciications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Speciications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1710 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and speciications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Social Media Content Management System

he Missouri Lottery is accepting bids for the purpose of establishing a contract for the purchase of a social media content management system . he bid document with the speciications can be obtained by going to http://www.molottery.com/learnaboutus/bid_opportunities.shtm or by contacting Melissa Blankenship at melissa.blankenship@molottery.com or 573-751-4050.

Request for Proposal # 57817074 for

Auditing Services

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting proposals to provide auditing services. A pre-bid conference will be held at 10:00 a.m. on hursday, March 30, 2017 in the Clay Education Center (CEC) 204 Professional Development room (higher education side of building), 10 North Compton, St. Louis, MO 63103.

Interested parties may obtain a copy of the RFP by emailing a request to: morrowb@ hssu.edu, faxing a written request to HSSU, Attention: B. A. Morrow, (314) 340-3322; or by calling (314) 340-5763 and leaving the company name, address and telephone #.

Proposals will be received until 10:00 a.m. on hursday, April 13, 2017 and should be mailed or delivered in sealed envelopes clearly marked “Proposal for Auditing Services” Harris-Stowe State University, ATTN: B. A. Morrow, 3026 Laclede Avenue, Room 105, St. Louis, MO 63103. Proposals will be opened and the names read at 10:15 a.m. in CEC 204 Prof Dev room (higher ed side of building).

SEALED BIDS

he City of Webster Groves is accepting sealed bids for Sculpture Garden Lighting at Webster Groves City Hall, 4 East Lockwood, Webster Groves, MO 63119 until 10:00 A.M. Wednesday, April 5, 2017. A pre-bid meeting will be held at the project site on Wednesday, March, 29, 2017 at 10:00 AM. Bidders may obtain hard copies of bid documents at County Blue, 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, MO 63144 for the nonrefundable cost of reproduction or download electronic version of documents at www.webstergroves.org/bids. All rights reserved.

SEALED BIDS

Sealed bids for

ZASIDIQ-7001 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/30/17. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Treatment Center, St. Joseph, MO, P

read aloud at the oice of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 300 South Broadway (Room 423, Fourth Floor). Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s oice at the above address, or by calling (314) 539-5015.

MANDATORY PRE-BID MEETING: March 20, 2017, 1:00 p.m. at Forest Park heatre Building and 2:30 p.m. at the Meramec Service Building

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for Contract No. F 17 008, Paving Repairs, St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, Forest Park, HEC, Meramec, South County, Wildwood, and Corporate College until 2:00 p.m. local time March 28, 2017. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the oice of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 300 South Broadway (Room 423, Fourth Floor). Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s oice at the above address, or by calling (314) 539-5015 SEALED

BIDS

SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Speciications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Speciications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and speciications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

BID REQUEST

KCI Construction requests subcontract proposals from MBE, DBE, WBE, and SDVBE businesses for the Lowry Mall-Repair and Upgrade Steam Tunnel for MU, Columbia.

Plans and speciications are available

• To view electronically at no charge from: MU Website

• To view at our Camdenton oice

• By a Dropbox link from jwalters@ kciconstruction.com

Subcontractor bids are due by 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2017. You may email bids to jwalters@kciconstruction.com or send a fax to 573-346-9739. Please call if you have any questions: 314-200-6496.

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 631032555 until 10:00 a.m. on April 13th, 2017 to contract with a company for: Janitorial Services for Mintert Yard.

Speciications and bid forms may be ob- tained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). he bid document will be identiied as 8774 RFQ. 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.

Promotional T-Shirts

he Missouri Lottery is accepting bids for the purpose of establishing a contract for the purchase of promotional t-shirts . he bid document with the speciications can be obtained by going to http://www.molottery.com/learnaboutus/bid_opportunities.shtm or by contacting Melissa Blankenship at melissa.blankenship@ molottery.com or 573-751-4050.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropol- itan St. Louis Sewer District will receive sealed bids in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00am April 14, 2017 for Purchase of: Carbon Replacement Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com - click on “MSD At Work”, then “Bidding on Proj- ects”. he bid document will be identiied as 8852 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call (314) 768-6314 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

N o . H1605-03 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 4/13/17. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Sealed bids for B U I L D I N G IMPROVEMENTS a n d R O O F REPLACEMENT, Langsford House Youth Center, Lee’s S u m m i t , M O , Project No. H160502 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 4/13/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

Center, Boonville, Missouri, Project No. C1609-03 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 4/13/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

INVITATION TO BID

Ferguson-Florissant School District 8855 Dunn Road - Roof Restoration and/ or Replacement

Sealed bids for the above project are being requested from the Ferguson Florissant School District and will be received and publicly opened on Friday, March 31, 2017 at 11:00AM CST at the Facility Maintenance Department located at 7469 Mintert Ind. Drive, Ferguson, MO 63135. Bid specs must be obtained at: http://new.ferglor.K12.mo.us/facilities-rfq. Contact Matt Furfaro (314) 506-9184.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive sealed bids in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street until 10:00am, April 17, 2017 for Purchase of: LED Lighting Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com - click on “MSD At Work”, then “Bidding on Projects”. he bid document will be identiied as 8858 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call (314) 768-6314 to request a copy of this bid.

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

SEALED BIDS

Sealed bids for Replace Chiller, Boiler & Building A u t o m a t i o n System, Cedar Ridge State School, Nevada, Missouri, Project No. E161301 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 4/6/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

Career Center (CONTINUED)

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE

COORDINATOR

Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri is looking for a bright, resourceful and energetic Executive Administrative Coordinator to support our CEO. For more information please go to www. LFCSMO.org EOE/AA/M/F/D/V

CUSTODIANS

NEEDED

2nd and 3rd Shit

$11.50 per hour starting 22 days’ Vacation irst year Great Medical Beneits Washington University School of Medicine to apply visit https://jobs.wustl.edu/ and Search for Job Posting ID number 35144 / 35602 Washington

MAJOR PROJECT MANAGER II

St. Louis Development Corporation has an opening for a Major Project Manager. he full position description and application process can be found online at www.stlouis-mo.gov/sldc select “Careers at SLDC.” SLDC values a diverse workforce, and is an equal opportunity employer.

BIDS & NOTICES (CONTINUED)

Webster Groves School District

Is seeking proposals from Painting Contractors for the “Knight Auditorium Paint Project”. he Knight Auditorium is located at the Webster Groves High School. Request for Proposal submissions are due at the Webster Groves School District Service Center 3232 South Brentwood Blvd. Attention Mr. Robert Steuber, WGSD CPM no later than 2:00 pm on April 13th 2017. he RFP will be available online @ www.webster.k12.mo.us, (under RFP heading) March 27th, 2017. he owner reserves the right to reject any and or all proposals

PROPOSAL REQUEST

from qualiied irms to design the organizational structure to stand-up an Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center to promote Advanced Manufacturing throughout the St. Louis Region. Proposals are due 3:00 p.m. on March 24, 2017 at SLEDP’s oices at 7733 Forsyth Blvd. Suite 2300, St. Louis, MO 63105, attention Brian Lane. he complete RFP package may be obtained online from SLEDP’s website www.stlpartnership.com or by contacting Brian Lane at 314-6158162 or blane@stlpartnership.com

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for 2017 CRS Concrete Replacement Program, Area A, St. Louis County Project No.CR-1704, will be received at the Oice 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 March 29, 2017

Plans and speciications will be available on March 13, 2017 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

Request

for

Proposals

for Removal and Proper Disposal of Hazardous Electronic Material

623-49 East Holly Ave. St. Louis, Missouri, 63147

he Planned Industrial Expansion Authority (PIEA) of the City of St. Louis, Missouri is seeking proposals for the removal and proper disposal of electronic equipment from a previous electronics reuse and recycling facility. he majority of the material proposed for removal is cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and televisions.

PIEA is seeking proposals from irms registered at tier 3 or 4 on the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Voluntary Tiered Registration Program for electronic recycling, though all proposals will be considered.

he site will be available for a walk through on March 28th, 2017 at 10:00 AM.

Bids will be received until 3:00 PM on April 7th, 2017 at St. Louis Development Corporation. Attention Peter Phillips, 1520 Market Street Suite 2000, St. Louis, Missouri 63013.

he full invitation, relevant dates, and all other documents related to this opportunity may be downloaded at: https://www. stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/ sldc/brownields/649-holly-crt-rfp.cfm

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for Contract No. F 17 009, Concrete Repairs, St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec, Corporate College until 2:00 p.m. local time March 28, 2017. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the oice of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 300 South Broadway (Room 423, Fourth Floor). Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s oice at the above address, or by calling (314) 539-5015.

Advertise Your Job Opportunities, Bids, Notices, Proposals, Rentals, Homes for Sale, Auto Sales and More in the St. Louis American Call Angelita at 314-289-5430 or email ajackson@ stlamerican. com

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project:

University School of Medicine 4480 Oice Building Addition & Renovation.

he project consists of a new 40,000 sf 2 level oice building addition and the renovation of the existing 42,000 sf 2 level oice building.

A pre-bid walk-through will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 1:30 PM. he meeting will be at 4480 Clayton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 at the east entrance. Bids for this project are due on March 20, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. For any questions or would like to ind out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Evan Chiles at 636-561-9544 or emchiles@paric.com.

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

Plans and speciications will be available to view at

INVITATION TO BID

he City of Velda Village Hills invites independent certiied public accountants, licensed in Missouri, to submit proposals to perform inancial and compliance audits. he audit will cover the year ending March 31, 2017. Bids shall be submitted to the City Clerk no later than 4:30 PM on hursday April 6, 2017. Speciications may be obtained from City Hall, 3501 Avondale, Velda Village Hills, Missouri 63121 or by calling 314-2617221. he Board of Aldermen reserves the right to reject any and/or all bids.

RENT 1 Bedroom, 5780 W. Florissant, Stove, Fridge, A/C, Provided 314-504-6012

FOR SALE 1969 Dodge Charger R/T 440 Magnum with A33 Track Pack $16,500, bb0278633@ gmail.com 573-262-4710

Pastor and Mrs. Donald Ray McNeal mark anniversary

Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church celebrates 12 years of service

American staff

On Sunday, March 12, the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church celebrated the 12th year of a dynamic Christian ministry team: its Pastor Donald Ray McNeal and his wife, Mrs. Deborah McNeal.

This is the 44nd year of pastorate for McNeal, having served seven other congregations in three states. His ministry spans from rural America to collegiate ministry and urban ministry. The ministry size ranges of 27 members to 5,000-member congregation pastoral experience offers an experience level and faithfulness that the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church treasures.

One need only come to a worship experience and feel the love between officers and membership with McNeal. Frequently, more men than women come to worship.

McNeal believes the Celtic Model of Worship is new idea for him; but he has seen it work. The Celtic Model of Worship is not a confrontational, “Do you know Jesus? or “come join our church.” In the Celtic Model people dwell with the church for two years comfortably and with great hospitality. They serve and make the church their own. Their faith in Jesus Christ is paramount; and after the two-year period, only then does the church seek to ask for membership.

The Hopewell Baptist Church has seen a paradigm shift in age level and demographics. The fiscal growth and stability has been nothing short of a grace gift from God and Jesus Christ.

The Music Ministry, Drama Ministry and Praise Dance Ministry, started under Pastor McNeal, have given them national

recognition with the Verizon How Sweet the Sound Competition and the St. Louis McDonald’s Choir Celebration.

McNeal talks of the five stages of American gospel church worship from Enthronement, Congregational, Negro Spirituals, Gospel, Contemporary Gospel and Christian Opera as a signal part of the Jesus celebration as a crucified, resurrected Lord.

The church studies the scriptures and completes the Bible in three years through community Bible Study, Deacon Meditations and Laity Meditations. McNeal gives credit to J. Owens Smith of Chicago, Illinois, in teaching a solid approach to Tithing and Stewardship Training from Predator Lending and Spending. He calls the theme: “I tithe, because I don’t want to be broke.”

The fourth Sunday is casual Sunday where the church learns the parameters to 10 percent to God’s House and Christ Assembly, 10 percent to Personal Savings for Emergency Unexpected; and 80 percent Monetary Spending Limit, to avoid feeling broke. The congregation has marveled and joined the movement.

Both McNeal and Mrs. McNeal are

Pastor Donald Ray McNeal and his wife, Mrs. Deborah McNeal, celebrated their 12th year of a dynamic Christian ministry at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church on Sunday, March 12.

Trying to hear God

God uses people in the strangest ways to carry out his will. Maybe I should say He uses strange people to do so. Moses was a murderer. Paul killed a few Jesus lovers in his day. Rahab was a whore and Jacob was full of shortcomings, just to name a few. God uses the least likely of us to carry out His plan.

Most of the prophets were reluctant participants in how God’s message for His people was delivered. Most did not want anything to do with carrying the Word. We should all be mindful that the hand of the Lord is at work where He deems it will do the most good. Regardless of what we think, everyone is a candidate for greatness in the eyes of the Almighty, including you.

educators. Mrs. Deborah McNeal is a 39-year veteran mathematician at Parkway West High School. McNeal has been an adjunct professor at Eden Theological Seminary, Western Baptist Bible College and Seminary and Foundation, an arm of Central Baptist Seminary in Kansas City, Kansas meeting with Third Baptist Church in our city.

McNeal maintains a virtual satellite law office based in the State of Texas, and serves as a veteran trial lawyer in the state of Texas. He is the moderator of Antioch District Association, an avid writer and former instructor in the National Baptist Congress, teachings, “Strategies in Church Growth.”

The 14th Anniversary guests included Archbishop Steven G. Thompson and the Leonard Baptist Church; and Rev. David P. Ballenger and the Log Providence Baptist Church, Rev. Johnnie Jackson, pastor, Togetherness Baptist Church, and F. Delano R. Benson Jr. and the Antioch Baptist Church of St. Louis. Radio evangelist Mary Tillman was mistress of ceremonies with the Mass Choir and Praise Dancers doing liturgical Holy Ghost-filled repertoire.

I used to think that only the one who was called to preach had the gift of ministry. Try telling that to anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and see how quickly that misguided thinking gets refuted. Slowly, I’ve come to accept we all have a ministry according to the will of God. Neither economic status, social class nor educational attainment means anything if God says it’s you turn to do his bidding, deliver His message or simply let others see Him in and through you. You cannot refuse God when He comes knocking. Just ask Moses, Ezekiel, Isaiah, or even Jeremiah. Ask yourself, as I have lately, what are you reluctant to do in the name of God? Only you know if you’re in denial. Only you know if you’re desperately trying to get God to choose someone else. The question is how long will it take you to realize, as they all did, that sooner or later, you’re going to do what God is telling you to do?

You might want to get to that conclusion before God stops asking you to do anything and starts telling you. In my sanctified imagination, I believe God just might take no for an answer and abandons you all together.

The prospect of that gives a whole meaning to “When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sins and I will hold you accountable for his blood.” Ezekiel 3:18.

The measure of your life and mine is how we respond to God’s call and not how hard we work, even if that work benefits others. We still must obey according to what we are called to do. How do we know when God is talking to us? God will not allow himself to be confusing to you. He’s talking all the time.

The key for us is to make a conscious and deliberate effort to listen and hear him. That requires prayer and persistence. Used together, listening becomes habitual. I’m trying to hear God each and every day.

Columnist James Washington