March 20th, 2014 Edition

Celebrating St. Louis

SLPS plan could bring in nonprofit operators

Kelvin

Adams

By Tim Lloyd Of St. Louis Public Radio

St.

proposes four-tier school system

Special Administrative Board (SAB).

schools that struggle the most academically. It would also give greater flexibility to those schools with the greatest academic success, according to a draft proposal he presented to the district’s

Incumbent Mavis Thompson faces Ald. Boyd

By Rebecca Rivas Of the St. Louis American

In the August 5 primary election for the Democratic nomination, St. Louis City License Collector Mavis T. Thompson will face challenger Alderman Jeffrey L. Boyd to retain the seat that she’s held for just over 100 days. Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Thompson, a lawyer, as license collector on Oct. 11, after Michael McMillian stepped down to head the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

In what might be a controversial provision in the plan, the district could seek nonprofit operators to take over the schools in the lowest tier if improvements aren’t made during the coming school year. Adams said a

Advocate for families in need

Gloria Taylor is Lifetime Achiever in Caring for the Community

By Rebecca Rivas

n “I’m trying to focus resources on the greatest need students, that’s it.” – Kelvin Adams

truly a blessing. I truly thank God for everything they are doing for my family, my husband and my daughter who survived.”

For 25 years, Taylor and her team have been helping families such as Towns’ to get back on their feet during hard times. Located in the Central West End, the center

Health coverage: March 31 deadline approaches for insurance purchases

Theresa Whitley undergoes the health insurance enrollment process with navigator Randen Click at the James H. Buford Outreach Center of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Enrollment activity is increasing for local community organizations that are working to get as many persons signed up as possible before the March 31 deadline for health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services said five million have already signed up nationwide for private health coverage in the federal and state marketplaces. In Missouri, it is reported that 85 percent

See HEALTH, A6

– Ryan Barker

See MAVIS, A6 n “We are currently at 75,000 Missourians who have signed up for coverage through the marketplace.”

Radio One St. Louis (a.k.a. Hot 104.1 FM and Old School 95.5) invited the entire city out to Art Hill to be involved in a self-portrait

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Photo by Wiley Price

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

Gloria Taylor

Is Apollo close to a plea deal?

RadarOnline.com is reporting that “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Apollo Nida is close to reaching a plea deal with the government just two months after his arrest for identity theft, bank fraud, and conspiracy

Nida — RHOA star Phaedra Parks’ husband — was arrested on January 24, and on February 14, the court granted a motion to continue the pre-trial proceedings until March 25. Since that time, his attorneys “and counsel for the government have been engaged in discussions…” newly filed court documents obtained by Radar Online reveal

Nida will be able to come to a deal with the government.

Chris Brown on lockdown?

According to TMZ, Chris Brown is being held in solitary confinement at the L.A. County jail for 23 hours a day and only allowed one shower every two days. Brown will remain behind bars until the conclusion of his Washington D.C. assault case, scheduled to begin April 23. If convicted, Brown could be transferred to prison for violating his probation – which stems from his assault on 2009.

Brown was arrested on Friday after he was dismissed from a Malibu facility where he was receiving treatment for anger management, substance abuse and issues related to bipolar disorder.

“They are still in the process of investigating additional facts and negotiating a resolution,” the documents explain, and “have made substantial progress toward a resolution of this case.”

As such, the court agreed to yet another extension, up until April 25, in the hopes that

Superior Court Judge James R. Brandlin said rehab officials reported to him that Brown said during a group session, “I am good at using guns and knives.”

The facility cited three other violations of its rules, claiming Brown refused to take a drug test, made a statement that alarmed

rehab officials, and was seen touching the elbow of a female client.

Beyoncé shuns Kim K.’s media spectacle wedding

Beyoncé reportedly told friends she doesn’t want to attend Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s much-hyped wedding because she thinks it’s extremely tacky that the nuptials are going to be filmed for E!’s “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.”

A source told RadarOnline that she Jay Z and his best friend, Kanye, that “under no circumstances will she be a part of any filming on the wedding day if it’s for Kim’s reality show.”

not to want to.”

The insider said the only reason the pop diva, 32, will attend the I Do’s in Paris on May 24 is because West “considers them family.”

“Make no mistake, the only reason Beyoncé is going to the wedding is because Jay is best friend’s with Kanye,” the source said.

“Jay and Beyoncé’s wedding was shrouded in secrecy and extreme lengths were made to make sure their wedding was an intimate affair for friends and family, only,”

The source said. “This will be the complete opposite.

She thinks it’s just tacky.

Beyoncé’s motto has always been ‘less is more.’ But clearly when it comes to Kim, more means more. She knows she’ll have to go to the wedding, but really does

Invisible victims in Floyd’s Team Money beat-down

Last week Floyd Mayweather was accused of arranging a brutal beat-down on two employees suspected of stealing jewelry.

The Las Vegas police department claims no victims have come forward.

An LVPD spokesperson told Jocks and Stiletto Jills:

“We’ve had a variety of reports that have come out stating this event occurred. We have not had a victim come forward and make a report like what is being alleged. So if this event occurred, it’s something where the victim has not come forward to the police to make an official complaint. There is no criminal complaint on file so there is no reason to go and contact Mr. Mayweather.”

Sources: RadarOnline, TMZ, Twitter.com, Jocks and Stiletto Jills

Beyoncé

STL Village listens to diverse elders

Grand launch for aging at home group is April 12 at History Museum

American staff

The group STL Village recently held a discussion with St. Louis elders to explore ways to bridge what’s known as the “Delmar Divide,” referencing longstanding racial and socioeconomic differences north and south of Delmar in St. Louis neighborhoods.

The event, held Saturday, March 1 at Better Family Life, honored local African-American elders and was moderated by Charlotte Ottley, board chair at BFL. For 45 years, panelist John Saunders has worked for the preservation of historic architecture in The Ville and The Greater Ville neighborhoods. He spoke to the audience about the erosion of African-American unity.

“We need to be contiguous where we live and work,” he said. Saunders stressed the need for cross-cultural activities, employment opportunities and self-sufficiency. He said St. Louis communities need anchor projects that are a mixture of housing and commercial.

Panelist Jesse C. Swanigan moved to St. Louis 64 years ago from a small town in Southern Illinois. He discussed how racism and discrimination have changed over the years.

STL Village is part of a nationwide movement to enhance the quality of life for persons age 50 and older,

Moving forward

By Orv Kimbrough For The St. Louis American

Twenty years ago, the Church of England ordained the first female priest. Apple released the first Macintosh computer to use the new PowerPC Microprocessor. Whoopi Goldberg was both the first woman to solo host and the first AfricanAmerican female to host the Academy Awards. That year, Steven Spielberg’s Holocaust drama, Schindler’s List, won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

empowering them to age in place in their homes and remain actively engaged in their neighborhoods and communities.

STL Village is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life of people

“A Village is a plan not a place,” organizer stated. “A Village provides a network of services to members in their homes, as well as opportunities for social and cultural engagement. Trained volunteers and trusted, discount providers are keys to the plan.”

n “Our core value is diversity.”

- Ronald Smith, a board member of STL Village

age 50 and older who want to continue living at home and staying active. When it opens in June 2014, STL Village will be the first example in Greater St. Louis of the national Village movement.

Locally, there is a strong emphasis on diversity in the formation of STL Village.

“Our guiding principle is to unify our St. Louis community and celebrate its cultural, economic, racial and social

diversity,” said Ronald Smith, a board member of STL Village. “Our core value is diversity.” Smith also said the organization is seeking new members who live “within our diverse footprint” bounded by Vandeventer, Page, Big Bend and Clayton Avenue. He said the organization is also seeking volunteers of all ages, both within and outside its service area.

STL Village will hold its grand launch at 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 12 in the Lee Auditorium and AT&T Foundation Multipurpose Room at the Missouri History Museum. For more information about STL Village, go to www. stlvillage.org. For information about the national Village movement, the Village to Village Network, visit www. vtvnetwork.org.

Meanwhile, race relations in the U.S. were strained in popular and intellectual circles, perpetuated by the O.J. Simpson trial and the polarizing best seller, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life. Tensions across the nation were high, and still the country moved forward, innovating and evolving toward our world as we know it today. I think our capacity for change and innovation falls on a spectrum. There are the few trailblazers on one end with the ability to see around the bend and lead toward tomorrow. And, there are those on the other end, reluctant to embrace new ideas and content to preserve the status quo at any cost. Albert Einstein said, “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

Our world has changed since 1994, and with it, so have the conversations globally, locally and regionally. In St. Louis, we are moving toward greater

collaboration and strategic partnerships in our region at most levels of local government. Our collective commitment to regionalism appears stronger than ever, evidenced by the recently formed St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. Corporate leaders, led by Civic Progress, the Regional Business Council and the Regional Chamber, are steeped in discussion on how to attract talent, grow business, seed innovation and promote diversity in the region. We, in the nonprofit sector, are taking a fresh look at the world and assessing our relevance against a changing marketplace. Academic and healthcare institutions are reimagining how they deliver services and embracing performance-based funding models. Human service organizations are developing evidence-based models for helping more people achieve a basic level of support and move toward self-sufficiency. Led by a new generation of volunteer leadership, many organizations are executing innovative revenue strategies to support their work. A mentor shared with me recently that the world will move on with or without us. Those who are on the front end of innovation have historically possessed the gift of composure but rarely patience. We each have something to contribute to the world. Thank you for doing your part. Orv Kimbrough serves as president and CEO for United Way of Greater St. Louis.

John Saunders answered questions from the audience during an event at Better Family Life Cultural Center organized by STL Village to honor the accomplishments of four trailblazing St. Louis seniors. At left is moderator Charlotte Ottley, chairman of the board of Better Family Life. Photo by Wiley Price

Orv Kimbrough

Editorial /CommEntary

Anita Hill: ‘Speaking truth to power’

It’s been more than 22 years since an all-white, all-male Senate Judiciary Committee heard Anita Hill – then a 35-year-old University of Oklahoma law professor – recount graphic experiences of sexual harassment at the hands of her former boss and then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.

The new documentary “Anita: Speaking Truth to Power,” which opened on Friday, reminds us of this shameful moment in American politics.

Chaired by then-Sen. Joseph Biden, the committee members attempted to demean and ridicule Anita Hill by forcing her to repeat Thomas’ most embarrassing, graphic insults over and over again. Despite her compelling testimony, the Senate confirmed Thomas 52 to 48, the narrowest margin for a Supreme Court nominee in a century. Denying her claim, Thomas called the allegations a “high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves.”

minorities to “pre-clear” any changes in their voting procedures. His recent comments to a group of Florida college students and faculty only reinforce the anger and disappointment towards Thomas in the African-American community. He spoke to them about being the only black student in an all-white Catholic school in Savannah, Georgia and “rarely did the issue of race come up.”

At the time, the committee’s Democrats mistakenly felt they could not broach the subject of an African-American Supreme Court nominee sexually harassing an employee while leading the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. When the esteemed African-American Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall retired, President George H.W. Bush cynically nominated Thomas, an undistinguished jurist, as his replacement as the sole African American on the court. The two men could not have been more different. A liberal jurist, Marshall was widely praised for his civil rights work before taking the bench. On the other hand, Thomas was a self-proclaimed civil rights activist with liberal views during his college years. Yet subsequently, including his time on the Supreme Court, he has purposely distanced himself from the unique concerns of his people. Moreover, he has become a darling for the right and is known for aligning himself even to the right of his fellow conservatives on the court, standing reliably with the more extreme views of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Thomas has opposed decisions in favor of affirmative action, such as the 2003 University of Michigan’s law school ruling. Last year, he sided with the conservative majority to strike down a key section of the landmark Voting Rights Act, stripping the Justice Department of a powerful tool against voter discrimination. Now the department cannot require states with a past history of voter discrimination against

“My sadness is that we are probably today more race and differenceconscious than I was in the 1960s when I went to school,” said the 65-year-old judge, born and raised in rural Georgia.

Throughout his political career, he has repeatedly claimed that race is something to be overcome by individual initiative – through hard work and not collective action.

The argument that African Americans automatically resent any black Republican is simply not true.

The black Republicans who are most accepted in the African-American community are those who demonstrate a commitment to uplifting the community. Thomas is loathed by many in the African-American community because he has never been supportive of civil rights. Instead he has spent most of his professional career attacking the civil-rights measures that have benefitted him personally. His latest support of the reactionary decision about voting rights in Shelby County v. Holder sets back voting rights and helps ensure his shameful legacy. That legacy has led to Thomas being rightly called “someone so consumed with ambivalence and loathing towards his own community that he pushed himself further and further away from it until his own identity became invisible.”

And though his obsequious stance on racial issues continues to hinder our community’s progress, Thomas manages to stay out of the public light for the most part. Being quiet on the bench throughout his career, Thomas has managed to go unnoticed by most Americans. He rarely speaks during arguments or asks questions, and he declines interviews.

We applaud Oscar-winning director Freida Mock for putting Thomas and his nefarious entry into the Supreme Court back into the spotlight. We hope the documentary not only reminds us of Thomas’ highly dubious attacks on Anita Hill – who sadly has never received justice – but that it also brings a more critical eye to Thomas’ continuous judicial tampering and attacks on laws aimed at achieving greater equality of opportunity in this country.

CIA is out of line

We now have even more proof that our burgeoning intelligence agencies, which were given unprecedented latitude to wage war against terrorists, are dangerously out of control.

Not that further evidence was needed: Months of stunning revelations about the National Security Agency’s massive domestic surveillance, thanks to fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden, should have been more than enough. But this week, one of the intelligence community’s staunchest defenders in Congress took to the Senate floor to announce that even she has had it up to here

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who heads the Senate intelligence committee, trained her fury on the CIA, which has waged a five-year campaign of bureaucratic guerrilla warfare to keep the committee from doing a crucial job: fully investigating the torture, secret detention and other appalling excesses committed under President George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Feinstein accused the CIA of improperly searching computers that intelligence committee staff members were using to review CIA documents about “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as waterboarding – in plain language, torture.

“The CIA just went and searched the committee’s computers,” Feinstein said.

“I have grave concerns that the CIA’s search may

well have violated the separation-of-powers principle embodied in the United States Constitution.” She said she believed the agency might also have violated the Fourth Amendment, a federal law and a presidential executive order. In our democracy, we have a right to know what our government is doing in our name. Agencies whose mandate is to operate in the shadows, such as the CIA and the NSA, obviously cannot announce or even acknowledge most of their actions. The only way we can be assured that the spooks are not running amok is through civilian oversight by the president and members of Congress.

President Obama, to his credit, took immediate measures at the beginning of his first term to outlaw torture, secret overseas detention and other outrageous practices sanctioned by Bush and Cheney. But Obama showed no enthusiasm for a comprehensive public accounting of past excesses.

Feinstein’s committee properly decided that the torture and harsh detention had been egregious enough to warrant “an expansive and full review.” The CIA had already destroyed the only video recordings of its waterboarding sessions, but there were “literally millions of pages” of cables, emails, memos and other documents that the committee wanted to examine, Feinstein said.

Obama’s first CIA director, Leon Panetta, insisted that the committee’s staff examine the documents – after they had been redacted – at a secure location in Virginia. Feinstein alleges that the CIA improperly searched the committee’s computers at this secure site.

Turner, Normandy and a lynching

The Post-Dispatch should be applauded for slapping the hands of the “suburban bullies” in their actions against their neighbors Normandy and Riverview Gardens (“Stop the Milk Money Shakedown,” 2/11/14) during the on-going Turner mess.

“The Claytons, the Ladues, the Parkways and the Rockwoods,” indeed, did empty the pockets of Riverview Gardens and Normandy.

And less than a month later, the State of Missouri recompenses Normandy School District for the injustice by the tune of $5 million. The feel-good gesture sounds like a boatload of money but turns out to be mere change. – milk money change.

But the metaphors are wrong. Normandy and Riverview Gardens got lynched. And the blood money seeks to silence unrest.

The charge of bullying is a safe scolding for those with more power. Certainly, in our supposed post-racial environment, choosing classist finger-pointing seems more polite.

The residents, students and

educators from the majorityAfrican American school districts who have been bullied, however, have longer memories than do some op-ed writers.

The racial violence of the American past evokes a harsher epithet for the offending suburban school districts.

Especially when the actions entail choking the life out of under-resourced bodies.

Lynching is what they called it in the American South. Of the not-so-distant past. And Missouri, through a tumultuous turn after the Turner case, has

n Normandy and Riverview Gardens got lynched. And the blood money seeks to silence unrest.

allowed the lynching to occur.

Some readers may have seen Steve McQueen’s 2013 movie “12 Years a Slave.” For many of the movie’s viewers, a singular scene stands out: Solomon Northrup’s lynching. The scene lasted so long –with Northrup’s toes barely touching the ground – that most of the movie’s viewers had to avert their eyes. Those who kept their gaze on the screen were presented with the director’s brilliance – the

Letters to the editor

Support civilian review

As many St. Louis citizens know, we have gained local control of our police department. What some may not know is we still have no effective and transparent control of our police department’s misconduct and violence, issues that persists in communities of color in our city.

Files on those computers, she charges, have mysteriously disappeared.

The CIA’s current director, John Brennan, flatly denied that the agency did anything improper. In an earlier letter to Feinstein, he alleged that it was the committee’s investigators who acted improperly by somehow obtaining a file that the agency never intended to surrender – a kind of detailed index, intended for internal CIA use, highlighting documents that cast the agency in a particularly bad light.

A committee of the U.S. Senate, working on your behalf and mine, has been trying for five years to perform its duty of civilian oversight of the intelligence agencies. Despite the CIA’s best efforts, the committee has put together a 6,000- page draft report – but the CIA is fighting its release tooth and nail. The top-secret document that the CIA seems most determined to hide is not some dossier on al-Qaeda, but an index of the agency’s own excesses and failures.

Look at how the CIA’s role has expanded to include what most of us would consider military operations, including flying and firing armed drones. Look at the breathtaking revelations about the NSA’s collection of phone call data. Look at how the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, in a series of secret rulings, has stretched the Fourth Amendment and the Patriot Act beyond all recognition.

We should want the CIA to be capable of ruthlessness when necessary. We should want the NSA to be overly ambitious rather than overly modest. But then it is our duty, as custodians of this democracy, to haul the spooks back into line when they go too far.

Efforts are underway (again) to pass a bill through the Board of Aldermen that will do just that. Under the continued leadership of Alderman Terry Kennedy and the strategic organizing of the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression, we are hoping this bill will get the community support it needs to pass.

Through the new Office of Civilian Oversight, the public can bring complaints directly to a body that will do an independent investigation and issue their findings for resolution. A yearly report will also be released to the public documenting any patterns of abuse and suggested policy changes.

We are asking the community to show up when the bill is introduced at the Board of Aldermen to show our solidarity; bring personal stories to the debate; and encourage your organization to become an endorser of our campaign by visiting us on Facebook at Real Local Control and Effective Civilian Review.

Janey Archey, St. Louis

Dr. Richards will be missed

Just wanted to thank you for the article on the passing of Dr. Frank O. Richards. I remember Dr. Richards because I was a patient of his when his offices were in the Mound City Medical Building on N. Kingshighway and Natural Bridge in the mid-1980s. I had a particularly unusual medical problem when I went to see him in spring of 1982. He recommended I have surgery to correct the problem, and he performed the operation when he was on staff at St. Luke’s Hospital.

He was not only the most skilled black surgeon in Missouri, but also was a very warm and caring person. If I had known then what I know

camera zooming back to reveal the everyday activities of the plantation with individuals acting as if Northrup was not enduring the unimaginable. Or could the others on the plantation not see the lynching? Perhaps they were recognizing the routine, everydayness of the lynching.

Could that be the case with St. Louis metropolitan residents? Might we have noticed but become too numb to the lynching spectacle? And, then, after months of hand-wringing and fingerpointing about the apparently possible (but unconstitutional) bankruptcy of Normandy School District, a $5 million check parachutes into the district to keep students in their schools for the remainder of the current school year. How convenient and heart-warming this action sounds.

However, understanding the original action against Normandy as a lynching, the money comes stained with the stench of slavery. The students, families and educators of Normandy receive the benefit of a few months of open doors. How nice of the state. A few gold coins for the inhuman act of lynching.

Matthew D. Davis is an associate professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Missouri-St Louis.

now about him, I would have recommended many more of my family members to him for surgical care. I believe I’m still here today because of his great skills as a surgeon. He will be greatly missed, not only by the many doctors he trained, but also by many patients he helped. May God bless and keep his family in good health.

Paul Flemming, Via email

Hosting exchange students

Recently, U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry issued a communication to exceptional schools in the U.S. that support public diplomacy efforts by hosting high school exchange students sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. AFS has just learned that Clayton High School, Mary Institute and Country Day School, and Parkway South High School received this commendation from Secretary Kerry, and we want to express how proud we are to work in educational partnership with these outstanding schools and their visionary leaders.

Nearly 30 years ago, I was welcomed into a U.S. high school as an exchange student from Argentina. The experiences I had while living with a host family, attending school and becoming a member of a community are what led me to an international career and eventually to become president of AFS-USA.

I cannot think of anything more important than creating opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds to understand one another better. By opening their doors to host exchange students, these schools are providing all students with opportunities to increase their global awareness and cultural understanding.

Jorge Castro President, AFS-USA

Interference from politicians

Last week, the Missouri House took up and approved four different bills that include a total of six policies hostile to women’s health.

Restrictions that delay access to medical care will force

abortion later in pregnancy, putting women’s health at risk, Personal medical decisions should be left to a woman, her family, her faith, and her doctor – without interference from politicians.

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Guest Columnist Matthew D. Davis

Ryann Summerford Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri

Commentary

Anita Hill

2014 Ultimate

St. Louis Tourist Contest

Registration is now being accepted for the 2014 Ultimate St. Louis Tourist Contest, a competition sponsored by the St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation inviting contestants to write about their ultimate area tourism experience. Contestants must visit at least three St. Louis area attractions then write about their journeys in 500 words or less. Participants can also share their St. Louis experiences through photos and videos. A cash prize of $500 each will be awarded to one winner in five categories: Grades three and four; grades five and six; grades seven and eight; grades nine and 10; and grades 11 and 12. Register at http://explorestlouis. com/ultimatetourist and submit your entry there when the contest kicks off in May.

Zoo starts half-day preschool program

Applications are now being accepted for the Saint Louis Zoo’s new half-day preschool program, which begins in September 2014. The fee-based school will integrate science and animal themes across the curriculum for children ages 3-5, with a maximum of 18 students per class and a student-teacher ratio of one teacher for every six students. Applications are due by March 30. Located in the newly built Monsanto Education Gallery in the Zoo’s The Living World building, the preschool will operate September to May, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. each school day. Tuition is $600 per month for children ages 3-4, who will attend on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and $900 per month for children ages 4-5, who will attend on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. The Zoo offers sliding scale tuition rates. Tuition discounts will range from 30 to 80 percent of full tuition based on need. For more information and the preschool application, visit www. stlzoo.org/preschool or call 314-6464544.

Elementary students tour college

Students from Duchesne Elementary School recently visited St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley to tour the campus and explore possible career pathways. Among other activities, the students toured KCFV-FM, the student radio station, where they learned about audio production and had an opportunity to do voice-tracking and actually broadcast.

Forum on gun violence

A forum on gun violence as a public health problem affecting children will be held 8:30 a.m. until noon Wednesday, April 9 at the JC Penney Conference Center at the University of MissouriSt. Louis. Sponsored by Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice, in partnership with Vision for Children at Risk, the event is free and open to the public.

Keynote speaker will be James A. Mercy, a consultant in the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

The forum also will include David M. Jaffe, M.D., medical director of emergency services at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.; Lt. Janice Bockstruck, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; Tiffany Anderson, superintendent of the Jennings School District; and Saaid Khojasteh, M.D., medical director of Behavioral Medicine, SSM Health Care.

James Clark, vice president at Better Family Life and coordinator of the Put Down The Pistol campaign, will conduct a conversation with family members who have lost children to gun violence. Register on-line at safesound.eventbrite.com. For more information, visit www. womensvoicesraised.org.

Shout out to SLPS parents

By Rachel Seward

St. Louis American

For The

As deputy superintendent of Institutional Advancement for Saint Louis Public Schools, I’m really excited about changing the conversation about our schools.

Our department handles external affairs for the district: development, volunteerism, corporate and nonprofit relationships, and marketing and public relations. I know that the district still has a lot of work to do. But, the reality is, there are great things happening in our schools and classrooms every day.

Rachel Seward

We know that by getting those good stories out, we’ll attract more families, students and great educators, and academics will improve. And the cycle will continue. One tool we are using to shift the perception of the district is a campaign of short films. We’ve contracted with an incredibly talented and passionate producer named Ryan Hanlon. He’s also a proud SLPS parent – his children attend Wilkinson Early Childhood Center – and the love he has for St. Louis and the district shows in his work. Our first film, “SLPS Parents” is now available online at www.slpsstories.org. Please take a couple of minutes to watch “SLPS Parents” and see with your own eyes why parents of more than 27,000 children choose SLPS. Then, share the film with your family and friends via Twitter and Facebook.

“SLPS Parents” is the first of five short films scheduled for this school year. Our next film will be released at the end of March and will provide St. Louis with an up-close look at our expanding preschool program. Changing a narrative takes time. And a lot of work. And a lot of support. We need an army of champions for the district and for the best possible education for our children. Thank you for supporting SLPS.

Rachel Seward is deputy superintendent of Institutional Advancement for St. Louis Public Schools.

MAVIS

Continued from A1

Since her appointment, Thompson said she’s “hit the ground running.”

Within her first few weeks, Thompson, also a registered nurse, set up a series of briefings on the Affordable Care Act and its impact on small businesses. She has attended more than 30 community events and meetings to explain the business license process.

n “I love public service. I love the challenge of the office.”

– Mavis Thompson

“I love public service,” she said. “I love the challenge of

HEALTH

Continued from A1

of persons who have enrolled qualify for federal subsidies to reduce their monthly payment. At the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ James H. Buford Outreach Center, many persons have come to enroll for health coverage. Some wind up being referred to sign up with the Gateway to Better Health program.

the office. Most of what we do here is governed by city ordinances or state statues. I am blessed to be an attorney to be able to interpret those rules when implementing policies and procedures. We’re providing good government. And also as a nurse administrator, policies are important to me.” She said her top priorities are retaining and attracting businesses. She plans to do that by streamlining the license process, she said. Her staff is currently reviewing a backlog of applications for business licenses to determine the reason for their “pending”

Gateway is a temporary, federally funded health program administered through the state for uninsured adults in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. It was designed to bridge the gap in health care until they can enroll in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Last fall, the government extended funding through the end of 2014.

Thus far, Missouri lawmakers have refused to expand Medicaid coverage to persons under 138 percent of

status. She is also working to bring rogue businesses into compliance with the city’s license requirement, she said. She developed a business closure policy to close shops that fail to comply. And, she established a joint task force with the Collector of Revenue, police department and city’s building division to help get these businesses back on track and under compliance.

Thompson said she is applying that same level of scrutiny to her own office and working to improve customer service.

the poverty level. Kofi Ansa, division operating officer at the Urban League, said the lack of Medicaid expansion in Missouri and the federal dollars that go with it, makes the cost of monthly premiums a struggle for many families with small incomes.

“I didn’t decide on anything; I can’t afford it,” said Theresa White of St. Louis. “$300 a month – I can’t do that. So I’m going to try Gateway to Better Health.”

The BJK People’s Health

Thompson still lives in the same house she grew up in near Grand Boulevard and St. Louis Avenue. Her upbringing was based in a strong spiritual foundation, she said.

“My parents called it the ‘home house’ because they wanted everyone to know they always have a place to come home to,” Thompson said. She currently lives with and serves as the primary caregiver for her uncle, 88, who suffered from a stroke.

After graduating with her nursing degree from the University of Missouri, she

Center in St. Louis, reports

having a mix of persons who actually enroll through the marketplace or Gateway.

“Yes, [I] tried to enroll,” said Yodit Mekonen. The cost of daycare, other household expenses (which are not items in the enrollment process) and a fluctuating income did not produce the premium subsidy she may have anticipated.

What is needed to enroll

Already having an email address speeds up the process.

moved to Washington D.C., where she served as head nurse and director of nursing for various hospitals. After 10 years in D.C., she decided to go to law school, earning her degree from the University of Missouri. She worked as an assistant attorney general when Nixon was Missouri attorney general and focused on Medicaid fraud.

“That was a great melding of my nursing and law degrees,” she said. “With Medicaid fraud, there were a lot of medical terms and knowledge that you have to know.”

Thompson was elected circuit clerk in the 1990s, first after being appointed by then Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr. She was defeated in the 1998

However, whether you enroll online, via telephone or in-person at an enrollment site, it is required that you answer questions about income of everyone in the household, dependents, any current health plans (and policy numbers) for individual family members, and W2s for proof of income.

Healthcare.gov considers household income is your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) (joint MAGI if you are married), plus the MAGI of any dependents who make enough money to have to file a tax return.

MAGI includes your adjusted gross income plus any tax-exempt Social Security benefits (except for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is not counted), tax-exempt interest, and tax-exempt foreign income.

Enrollees do not have to figure out your household income or MAGI by themselves when filling out a health insurance application. It will be calculated with the income information you include on the application.

“We are currently at 75,000 Missourians who have signed up for coverage through the marketplace,” said Ryan Barker, vice president of health policy for the Missouri Foundation for Health. “Thirtytwo percent of enrollees are below the age of 35.”

Barker was a participant in a panel discussion on the Affordable Care Act on March 12 at the University of Missouri St. Louis.

The audience included students, faculty, staff and the public. The law’s impact on the health workforce was of particular interest to student nurse practitioners in the audience. One of the industry’s current challenges is its shrinking (and aging) workforce and the need

election by fellow Democrat Mariano Favazza. Thompson is a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government program at Harvard University. She is currently on state’s Division of Employment Security Appeals Tribunal and has served as president on the nonprofit National Bar Association’s Board of Governors. She also has worked as a private practice attorney, a prosecuting attorney for Berkeley, Mo., and as the Wellston city attorney.

“Being a named commodity within the neighborhoods, I still keep those relationships that I have been built throughout the years,” she said.

for more health care providers to serve more people with better care.

“As part of fixing the whole system, we have to figure out a way to get more health care providers into the mix to take care of all of these new insured patients,” said Lynne Nowak, MD, discussion moderator and medical director at Express Scripts. “Just because someone has an insurance card doesn’t mean they are going to be able to get in to see someone to take care of them.”

Sue Kendig, a clinical associate professor of nursing at UMSL, explained to audience members the advanced training and skills of physician assistants and nurse practitioners will be vital to taking up the slack in areas of high need, such as rural areas.

Deadline exceptions Persons experiencing major life-change events, such as the birth of a child or marriage; or lose health coverage due to job loss, divorce or death of a spouse, can sign up afterward. Otherwise, after March 31, if you have health coverage and want to try a different or more affordable health insurance plan in the marketplace, you will have to wait until the next open enrollment period, currently slated for November 15, 2014 to February 15, 2015. Depending on their status, certain immigrants can sign up for health coverage. More information can be found at https:// www.healthcare.gov/immigration-status-and-the-marketplace/.

To find a schedule of enrollment events in your area, visit CoverMissouri.org.

To see if you may qualify for a subsidy, visit http://kff. org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/.

Mavis Thompson

TAYLOR

Continued from A1

serves about 200 families a year through various services and educational programs. For Taylor, their mission is far beyond a simple handout. She said there is little her team won’t do to make sure these families succeed.

On Friday, April 25, Taylor will receive the 2014 Lifetime Achiever in Caring for the Community at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon at the Frontenac Hilton.

Taylor believes that the center reflects the community culture she grew up in. “I grew up back in the 40s, before desegregation,” she said. “It was always neighbors helping neighbors. The neighborhood took care of each other; it was part of my culture.”

As one of ten siblings, Taylor said her grandmother would dispatch the children throughout the neighborhood to lend a hand to various families. They took good care of their clothes because they knew they’d be handing them down to other children in the neighborhood. Her childhood home is close by to where she opened the center. In fact, the playground on the corner is where she used to play as a child.

SLPS

Continued from A1

request for proposal is already prepared and could be released as soon as next week. An outside operator would have the authority to hire staff and set curriculum. However, it could be months before the SAB considers an outside operator for final approval. No school could be taken over by an outside operator before the 2015-16 school year. Adams gave no indication that he’s concerned about

Her roots in the community played a major part in starting this program, she said. In 1988, Taylor and the late Betty J. Lee, a respected journalist and civil rights activist, founded the organization together. At the time, both women worked for Dr. Marguerite Ross Barnett, then chancellor of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Taylor had read a report about poverty among female-headed black families in the City of St. Louis. Shocked by the statistics, the two women decided to start center with the idea that the people in need would one day be in a position to give back to others.

They purchased an old school building for $1 from the city and completed renovated it with more than $800,000 in monetary contributions and in-kind donations. The center, at 3963 West Belle Place, houses a library, a computer lab, a music laboratory, a clothing boutique, a food pantry, and a warehouse of donated furniture, appliances and various household items. The center’s families don’t simply walk in, however. They are either referred by community partners or nominated through the St. Louis American newspaper readers. All are recommended by the public with the final selection by a panel.

“Gloria’s work and dedication exemplifies the best

potential criticism to this part of the plan.

“We’re not talking about it happening forever,” Adams said. “We’re talking about for a limited amount of time, a focused, limited amount of time. It might be three years, it might be five years, but the intent is that it remains a district school and all of the resources are district resources.”

Adams also said the district would look to contract with a university to bring in additional teacher training around literacy instruction at schools with the lowest level of academic per-

traditions of communal caring and sharing in the AfricanAmerican community,” said Donald M. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of the St. Louis American

About 20 years ago, Patrice Johnson, now a board member for the organization, found herself in a tough spot. She had just gotten out of a rocky relationship, just moved from Texas and was trying to study at Forest Park Community College. She had two children and a third on the way. One of her instructors recommended her to the center, where they provided food and school supplies and diapers for her new baby. Most importantly she found important mentors such as Taylor, who she calls her “second mom.”

“It’s very beneficial to know there is an organization that is there, like a backbone, when you have nowhere else to go,” she said. “They helped me to make the right decisions when all was chaotic. You can be very emotional, and making decisions based on your emotions might not lead you to the best ones. It makes a world of difference to have that support.”

Johnson went on to earn two master’s degrees in education – one from Fontbonne and another from Lindenwood – as well as a doctorate in education administration from an online program. She is currently a

formance.

“I’m trying to focus resources on the greatest need students, that’s it,” Adams said. “I’m trying to focus resources on the places that based on the data need the greatest support.”

President of the SAB, Rick Sullivan, asked Adams during his presentation whether he was at a point where he could say there are no excuses for why the district can’t achieve the goals laid out in the plan.

“I think the answer is yes,” Adams said. “I think that is exactly what we are trying to compensate for by providing additional resources in the plac-

business educator for the St. Louis Public Schools.

As a way to give back, Johnson became a regular tutor and mentor for the center.

She has been a board member for two years. Johnson said she still hears Taylor’s voice “ringing in her ear” when she

es that we need to have them.”

Under the four-tier system, the lowest-performing schools – on a tier called “Superintendent Zone” – would receive the greatest level of support from the central office’s staff. Putting these procedures in place would cost the district $6.4 million and 18 district schools fall under this category, with a combined student body of 6,276 students this school year.

The second tier is dubbed “Focus” schools, and 16 schools fall under the category. According to the draft proposal, the district would cover the

goes to make a decision. She is proud and grateful that Taylor has been that strong mentor for many women throughout the St. Louis community.

“She is an outstanding person, and she a woman of character,” Johnson said.

Tickets for the 14th Annual Salute

costs for the plan by reallocating existing funds. The next tier of “Cluster” schools – 19 in total – would receive flexibility as to how they reach the overarching goals listed in the draft proposal. These schools will continue to receive support from central office staff, or “cluster” teams, made up of an associate superintendent and curriculum specialists in math, communication arts, science, art and music or social studies.

The best academic performing schools, called “Autonomous,” will be given the greatest level of flexibil-

ity in meeting their goals. Fourteen schools qualify for this category, being schools that meet accreditation standards set by the state and have a principal with a minimum of three years of experience as a principal in the district. The district will ask for public comments on the plan at two upcoming meetings: 6-8 p.m., Thurs., March 27, 2014 at Vashon High School, and 10 a.m.-noon, Sat., March 29 at Central VPA High School. Edited for length and reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org

Makayla Morgan 3, a pre-school student at Patrick Henry Elementary School enjoys the St. Patricks Day parade in downtown St. Louis Saturday afternoon.

Photo by Wiley Price

Gloria Jean Robinson

Gloria Jean Robinson transitioned from this life to her heavenly home on March 5, 2014 after a brief hospital stay. She was born September 7, 1941, the only child of Clarence Boyce and Josie Mae Love. Born and raised in the City of St. Louis, Missouri, Mrs. Robinson attended Banneker Grade School and graduated from Vashon High School in 1959. She married Sam Robinson, Jr. on January 27, 1941 and their union produced four children, Sam III, Gregory, Kenneth and Kimberly.

Gloria had a long career in the telecommunications industry, working for Southwestern Bell, AT&T and Missouri Baptist Hospital for over 30 years. She served the healthcare industry at Visiting Nurses Association and Healthlink before retiring in December 2006. She grew up in Washington Tabernacle and attended Mount Zion Missionary Baptist and the Rock Church of St. Louis as an adult. She was actively engaged in numerous ministries. She was extremely active in her home community of Des Peres. She supported the March of Dimes, Missouri Baptist Hospital, and also worked on political campaigns. Gloria enjoyed life, her family and friends; she was very loving and loyal. She enjoyed traveling, musical theater, gardening, entertaining and reading. Her nine grandchildren were her absolute pride and joy. Memorials are preferred to the Rock Church of St. Louis, or a charity for cancer of one’s choice.

Jerry Cotton

Feb 11, 1951— Feb 22, 2014

Jerry Cotton, Major, U.S. Army Retired, of San Antonio, Texas, passed away peacefully at age 63, February 22, 2014. He was born in East Saint Louis, IL and was raised in St. Louis, MO, attended St. Mark’s Catholic Church and graduated with the Class of 1968 from Soldan High School. In 1973, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from the University of Missouri. He received a Masters of Arts Degree in Health Services Administration from Webster University, St. Louis, MO. In 1973, Jerry was commissioned in the Army as a Second Lieutenant. He served with distinction for over 31 years, twenty years in the active Army and 11years in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard Administrator He completed the Army Medical Patient Administration Course at Ft. Sam Houston followed by duty at Ft. Bragg, NC and Washington, D.C. In 1980, he was sent overseas to West Germany for duty during the Cold War with the 8th Infantry “Pathfinder”, 4th Infantry “Ivy” and 5th General Hospital. As Chief of Medical Services, he was assigned to 5th Army at Ft. Sam Houston. Jerry was also sent to Riyadh and Saudi Arabia as a Civilian Medical Planner to the army of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For a period of two decades, Jerry taught students in Panama, Puerto Rico, and TX. His Army military decorations included three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal and four awards

of the Army Achievement Medal. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserve. He and his wife (Dilia) attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Selma, TX. In lieu of sending flowers, the family suggests contributions are made in his memory to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Website www.stjude.org. To post condolences, please log on www.missionparks.com/ obituary.

In Memory of Deacon James Jacox

Nov 22, 1944—March 13, 2004

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, mentor and friend.

Although you have been gone 10 years from us, your spirit will live deep within our hearts. Sadly missed by: wife, Carrie Lucille Jacox; son, Patrick Lynn Jacox; daughter, Tangie Roberts; family and friends

Michelle Annette Washington

Michelle Annette Washington was born on October 5, 1962. She was the only child born to the union of John and Barbara (Wilson) Washington. Her father preceded her in death. The nickname “Bush” was given to Michelle by her Aunt Jeri and was used throughout the family. Michelle’s upbringing was based on a Christian foundation. At an early age, she accepted Christ as her personal savior and became a member of First Baptist Church, where she remained a faithful member until her death. She was active in many capacities, and in later years founded the First Baptist

Food Pantry and Nursery and was a member of the Hospitality Committee.

Michelle received her formal education in the St. Louis Public School System and graduated from Laboure Catholic High School in 1980. She furthered her education at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, earning a degree in Hospitality, Travel and Tourism in 2007.

Michelle’s father was an entrepreneur and gave his daughter her start in the workforce as the manager of J&M Sales. Michelle continued her career working for the US Postal Service, City Jail, Aramark and Comtree. Michelle volunteered for many organizations and took pride in serving at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Crisis Nursery and as a founding member of Women on the Move, Inc.

Michelle was a mother of two beautiful children; DeVon born in 1993 and Aviana born in 2002. Her children were the joy of her life. Michelle had a special bond with her mother, Barbara, and they were more than mother and daughter— they were actually each other’s best friend.

While at home warm in her own bed, the Lord called Michelle to come home on February 10, 2014 saying, “My good and faithful servant, job well done.” Michelle leaves to cherish her loving memories: her children, DeVon (Chelsea Davis) and Aviana; mother, Barbara; brother, Randy (Frances) Reed; special aunt, Jeri; godmother, Vanita Chambers; Granny Hops; a host of nieces, uncles, cousins, friends and her friends until the end, Irene (Bird) Roberts and Sharron Rivers; the entire Peoples-Ellis family and the First Baptist Church family.

Would-be ESL fraudster busted

Four years ago I introduced you to Frederick Scott, a fasttalking 25-year-old so-called “financial guru” who had captured the attention of East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. as well as the ESL City Council.

Back then, Scott promised to infuse $30 million into the city’s general fund in exchange for being hired as ESL’s “fiscal manager,” all for the measly sum of $300,000 per year, over three years, for a grand total of $900,000.

Scott also claimed to be the head of ACI Capital Group, LLC, an investment banking and advisory firm with $3.7 billion in assets. Ebony Magazine named Scott to their “Top 30 under 30” list, an honor that Scott made known at every opportunity.

At the time I described him as a cross between the slick-talking Mr. Haney of “Green Acres” TV fame and Ponzi scheme investment fraudster Bernie Madoff, after I discovered that Scott’s credentials were suspect at best.

But that didn’t stop ESL leaders, who voted to give Scott exclusive acquisition and development rights for the ESL riverfront.

Fortunately, the deal with ESL soon ended after Scott failed to move on the riverfront development as promised.

However, that didn’t stop Frederick Scott and his predatory wheeling and dealing. So he took his show on the road.

More specifically, federal prosecutors in New York have received guilty pleas (from Scott) on charges of forgery and wire fraud after he admittedly bilked multiple investors out of approximately one million dollars. Scott’s undoing was a potential investor who became suspicious and reported him to the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Why, then, didn’t Mayor Parks not do a better job of vetting Scott and exposing his scheme four years ago?

Parks was recently quoted on this subject in a Riverfront Times article: “I think that it was clear Mr. Scott wanted to be able to get his hands on some money. But I’m not gonna say he was trying to defraud.”

Today, Scott is behind bars in New York, facing 20 years in federal prison for what is known as an “affinity fraud,” in which people are conned by someone who appears to be one of their own. Bernie Madoff famously ripped off Jewish investors and Scott allegedly ripped off AfricanAmerican investors.

I’ve often questioned Mayor Parks’ judgment, but I think that his reluctance to admit the obvious – that he and his city were nearly bamboozled – speaks volumes about his utter desperation and willingness to believe anything and anyone who promises to magically turn things around.

As for Frederick Scott, perhaps his penchant for wheeling and dealing and the finer things in life will allow him to negotiate a comfortable existence at Club Fed.

Email: jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com; Twitter@ JamesTIngram.

Gloria J. Robinson

Jerry Cotton

James Jacox

Michelle Washington

James Ingram

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

Planting the Seeds for Success!

SAINT LOUIS SCIENCE CENTER

We specialize in making science fun!

Investigate and explore over 700 interactive exhibits and take in a film on one of the world’s largest domed screens in our OMNIMAX® Theater. Come, play and exercise your brain! General admission is always free. slsc.org/nie3

Take advantage of the many teacher programs we offer at the Zoo to supplement your students’ classroom experience. The Zoo Outreach Program offers instructors who can bring live animals to YOUR classroom. We offer a variety of teacher kits you can check out, and we offer other resources (videos, books, etc.) FREE for you from our library. We even designed a cool poster you can hang in the classroom!

Exercise

Nutrition Challenge:

When shopping, it takes a pretty good “Food Detective” to know what is really good for you; don’t just read the front of food product packaging. Food companies are quite clever when thinking

INGREDIENTS:

March 20, 2014, 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.

Spring brings many wonderful things: flowers, warmer weather, fun late-night outdoor play… but it also brings storms! Remember to use caution when storms are predicted. When a storm hits, follow these safety procedures.

Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! presented by Terminix® is a multisensory experience that immerses you into the world of bugs. Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis and his bug friends will lead you through freestanding and interactive habitats in a hands-on, fun way!

Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! presented by Terminix® is a multisensory experience that immerses you into the world of bugs. Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis and his bug friends will lead you through freestanding and interactive habitats in a hands-on, fun way!

Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! presented by Terminix® is a multisensory experience that immerses you into the world of bugs. Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis and his bug friends will lead you through freestanding and interactive habitats in a hands-on, fun way!

slsc.org/hbanie1

slsc.org/hbanie2

slsc.org/hbanie4

PRESENT: Healthy Kids is a weekly series that focuses on nutrition, exercise, safety and more.

Healthy Kids Kids

of creative ways to make you believe that something is healthy.

Just because a product says, “Healthy, Organic, Natural” or even “Good For You!” doesn’t mean that it is a healthy choice.

As we’ve discussed in previous

weeks, always read the labels to see if the food product really is a smart food for you to eat.

As a class, discuss some of the ways to read a label. What are some of the things to look for in an ingredient list? How can you know if a food really is healthy? Hint: Refer to previous Healthy Kids pages for ideas.

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

increase your heart rate 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.

Krista Simmons Nurse Practitioner, Specialty - Anesthesia

Where do you work? I work at Barnes Jewish Hospital.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Hazelwood East High School and received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Management and Information Systems from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. I then went on to Lutheran School of Nursing for my nursing diploma and finally received my master’s degree from St. Louis University School of Nursing.

What does a nurse practitioner do? My job is to make sure people are in the best health so that they can safely be put to sleep and wake up after surgery. This includes listening to heart and lung sounds with my stethoscope and reviewing images of different body parts with an anesthesiologist (doctor that puts you to sleep during surgery).

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

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

> Watch the local news for storm predictions and updates.

Why did you choose this career? I chose nursing because I enjoy educating and helping people improve their health. I also like that nurses can work in many specialties and locations including clinics, hospitals, or even travel and see the world!

> Have a family plan for where to go if you hear a tornado warning or siren. If you have a basement, that is usually the best place to be!

> Stay away from windows.

> Do not stand under a tree in a storm. Trees can attract lightening.

> Never, ever play in flooding water, ditches or storm drains. As a class, discuss other ways to stay safe in a storm.

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

Fitness Challenge: Go to http://www.stlamerican. com/newspaper_in_education/ and download our Weekly Fitness Challenge Journal page. Keep track of your positive daily health choices and earn rewards!

What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part of the job is developing a treatment plan for medical conditions so that patients can do well during and after surgery. I also enjoy learning new information from the knowledgeable doctors and my peers in the department.

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Hamilton Elementary School 3rd grade teacher

Shaina Niederschulte helps with a STEM lesson using the newspaper with students Jadyn Person, Kayla Stith, Latasia Smith, Eternity Reed. The school is in the St. Louis Public School District. Photo: Wiley Price / St. Louis American

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN-AMERICAN INVENTOR: Lyda A. Newman

Lyda Newman was born in Ohio in 1885. She was the daughter of a steelworker and a housewife. In the late 1890s, she moved to New York to live with her family. Bothered by inefficient hairbrush

SCIENCE CORNER Anatomy of Human Hair!

Hair. We straighten it, we curl it, we color it, and we manipulate it into many styles. Have you ever wondered about the composition of hair? Hair is made of a protein called keratin. Hair has two structures: the follicle which is in the skin, and the shaft which is visible above the scalp.

The hair follicle is a tunnel-like portion of the epidermis (outer layer of skin) that extends down into the dermis (skin). The follicle is surrounded by both an inner and outer sheath for protection. The follicle has several layers that all have separate functions. At the base of the follicle is the papilla, which contains tiny blood vessels that nourish the cells. The living part of the hair is the very bottom part surrounding the papilla, called the bulb. The cells of the bulb divide every 23 to 72 hours. Many people are curious about how fast hair can grow. Although hair growth rates vary from person to person, the average rate is one-half inch per month. There are three

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

Many hair care products advertised claim to strengthen hair. Have you ever wondered about the strength of hair? In this experiment, you will test the strength of hair using pennies. You can compare the strength of various hair colors and textures, as well.

Materials Needed:

A Stack of Books • A Pencil • Tape • A Handful of Pennies • A Strand of Hair

Procedure:

rates of hair growth: active growth, maturation, and rest. Every hair on your head goes through the growth cycle, but not at the same time. It is estimated that 15% of your hair follicles are resting, which can cause shedding and hair loss. Hair growth is affected by hormones, stress, consumption of protein, and medications.

Although some people may tease that their hair is turning gray due to stress, the actual cause is a loss of melanin. Hair color is created by pigment cells producing melanin in the hair follicle. With aging, pigment cells die, and hair turns gray.

Did you know that nutrition affects hair growth?

Read More About Healthy Hair Here: http://www. bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-eat-healthy-hair.

Learning Standards: I can read a nonfiction article for main idea and supporting details.

How Strong is a Strand of Hair?

so that the pencil is sticking out and the hair is hanging down.

e Tape one penny onto the strand of hair and see if the hair can hold it.

r Continue taping on additional pennies until the strand breaks.

Note: A penny weighs 2.5 grams.

Extension: You can compare these results with wet hair vs. dry hair, straight hair vs. curly hair, various hair colors, etc.

designs, she created a new design and applied for a patent. On November 15, 1898, at the age of 14, she received patent #614,335 for a new style of hairbrush. At that time, she was the youngest African American woman to have a patent granted. Newman’s hairbrush had evenly spaced rows of slanted, synthetic bristles. Prior to this, hairbrush bristles were made of animal hair, which had difficulty going through tangled hair. The new hairbrush design had open slots to guide dirt and debris from the scalp into a compartment. This compartment opened so that the debris could be dumped out. When using this hairbrush, there was better ventilation of the hair and scalp. With this new style of hairbrush, Newman improved both efficiency and hygiene. Newman’s brush was durable, easy to make, and easy to keep clean.

Not only did Newman make contributions with her patent, she also was a women’s rights activist. In 1915, stories of Newman’s work for suffrage appeared in newspapers. She organized an AfricanAmerican branch of the Woman Suffrage Party to help women gain the right to vote.

Unfortunately, there are not many records of Newman’s life and there are a lot of unanswered questions about her biography. Discussion: Conduct your own research to see what else you can find about Lyda Newman’s life. What do you think is her most significant contribution to our lives today?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the field of science, math, and technology.

q Securely tape one end of the strand of hair onto the pencil.

w Place the pencil into the center of the stack of books

Use your math skills to solve these word problems about hair.

In a city, 40% of the population has brown hair, 25% has brown eyes and 15% have both brown hair and eyes. A person is chosen at random.

q If they have brown hair, what is the probability that they also have brown eyes? ______

w If they have brown eyes, what is the probability of them not having brown hair? _________

e What is the probability of them having neither brown hair nor brown eyes? _________

r In Zeke’s class, 3/8 of the students have brown hair. Of

Did you know

Analyze: How strong was the hair? How many pennies could it hold? How many grams?

Learning Standards: I can follow a process to complete an experiment. I can analyze results.

the students with brown hair, 1/2 have brown eyes. What fraction of the students in Zeke’s class have both brown hair and brown eyes? Simplify your answer and write it as a proper fraction or as a whole or mixed number. _______ t Helen has 2 inches of hair cut off each time she goes to the hair salon. If h equals the length of hair before she cuts it and c equals the length of hair after she cuts it, which equation would you use to find the length of Helen’s hair after she visit the hair salon?

a. h = 2 - c b. c = 2 - h c. c = h - 2 d. h = c – 2

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem. I can use ratios and statistics to analyze a word problem.

Use the newspaper to complete these activities to sharpen your skills for the MAP test.

Activity One —

Letter to the Editor:

Imagine you are the main character in the novel you are currently reading. As the character, place a classified ad, write a letter to the editor and write a news story. All should reflect the character’s point of view.

Activity Two — You’re the Reporter: Write a news story on some event happening at your school or in your community. Remember a news story should always address Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. You should attempt to give both sides of the story. Do not include your own opinion. Use a front page news story as a guide. Write a feature story about your favorite subject in school. Use descriptive words, and give examples of what you like/dislike. Use a feature from today’s paper as a prompt.

Learning Standards: I can write for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: nie@stlamerican.com.

Drawing for Newman’s Patent Application

Members of the African-American Branch of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.

www.stlamerican.com

Intern interviews intern

St. Louis American interns Tyler Gilyard and Nell Whittaker interviewed each other in the newspaper’s editorial conference room.

Tyler Gilyard from STL and Nell Whittaker from UK find common ground

The American invited two interns to interview each other and write profiles. Tyler Gilyard, 18, attends Soldan International Studies High School in St. Louis, while Nell Whittaker, 19, is traveling in America before returning to the UK to study at the University of Cambridge. American and English, city and country, black and white, they both think ignorance is the enemy and want to experience “everything” before finding a career that involves writing.

Tyler Gilyard: ‘I want to taste everything’

By Nell Whittaker

For The St. Louis American

Tyler Gilyard has been writing a book in her head since she was in the 8th grade. For her, reading has always been a way to escape. She says that when she was a child reading “pulled me from reality.”

Writing, where Gilyard realized that she could create a reality of her own, followed closely behind.

Reading and writing fiction proved to be a gateway to journalism. The idea of influencing people through writing has evolved into a

keen interest in the media.

Gilyard describes herself as “ambitious,” and this is evident in her reasons for wanting to be a journalist.

“I want to get a taste of everything,” she said. “I want to have my own magazine – something like Ebony, a magazine for African Americans – and then a TV channel.”

The eldest of three girls, Gilyard, 18, lives with her parents and siblings in St. Louis. She often chauffeurs her younger sisters, and she helps out at home. “We fight, and then we crack each other up,” she said of her family.

She is laidback, but fiercely passionate about social change. When asked what makes her angry, she replied, “Ignorance.” It is ignorance, she said, that causes the social divisions that slash through America “and the rest of the world.” People “feed off only what they think is true,” she said.

She believes that journalism’s most important job is to educate even those who don’t want to learn.

“Ignorance turns to hatred,” she said.

Gilyard spent her freshman and sophomore years at Metro Academic and Classical High School, which prioritizes academics. She was unhappy there, and so she transferred to Soldan International Studies High School, which promotes the development of the whole person rather than just their grades. While she was more comfortable at Soldan, she still felt dissatisfied. “I felt like I was going through the

motions,” she said. “I would go to school, pick up my sisters, go home.” It was starting work as intern at The St Louis American this semester that changed the way she sees herself and convinced her that journalism is the route for her. “I was super emotional and aimless,” she said. “Now I feel in control. I am doing what I want to be doing.” In August she plans to attend the University of Illinois to pursue a degree in journalism.

“My cousin went to college, graduated, and now she’s a social worker. She doesn’t have lots of money, but she is happy,” Gilyard said. “What I want from life is to be content with where I am.” And: “I want to make my mark.”

Nell Whittaker:

‘I

want to see everything’

By Tyler Gilyard

The St. Louis American

For

Meeting Nell Whitaker was quite the experience. It’s not every day that I get the opportunity to meet and interview someone from the UK who shares the same interests as myself. As I talked to her, I picked up that she is adventurous, very curious and spontaneous. I personally do not know too many 19-year-olds who would travel overseas, away from their family.

Whittaker was given the chance to leave the UK and travel to America before attending college at the University of Cambridge. Her No. 1 goal was to be able to see everything that she could.

Whittaker has an intense love for writing. She said it serves as an escape from her reality.

“It’s like being somewhere else for a while,” she said. “It’s the best way that I know of to communicate my ideas with others.”

She grew up on an organic farm in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in England, but attended boarding school in Wales, a few hours by train away from home. “I didn’t visit home too often because of the distance,” she said. She believes that being in boarding school away from her family served as a trial run for traveling the distance to come to America alone.

Next she will study literature at Cambridge and see where that takes her. “I just want to see everything,” she said. As for a future career, she said, “I know that it’ll be something involving writing.”

She says that she hopes to publish a book after graduating.

Last week, she interned for The St. Louis American. She was invited first to intern at the Washington Missourian and her sponsor there, Chris Stuckenschneider, a family friend, connected with The American through the Missouri Press Association so Whittaker could also come to St. Louis.

“I like interning,” she said. “It’s really cool to meet different people. Everyone is really nice.”

She said most people in her hometown followed the routine of going to school, graduating, getting a job, getting married and having kids. Whittaker does not want to follow that routine.

“I worked as a waitress back home. While working there, I learned that it’s a big difference between having a job and a career,” she said. “I want a career and I want to work to enjoy working.”

At home she lives with her mother, stepfather, two siblings and three dogs, two spaniels and a Scottish deerhound, her favorite.

When asked what is the biggest problem in society, she said, “It would have to be ignorance. Most times powerful people use the ignorance that others have to manipulate them.”

When asked what is the biggest goal she hopes to accomplish, she smiled. “I want to see everything,” she said. “I hate the idea of being in one spot.”

Photo by Wiley Price

Business

Keeping a health center alive

Angela Clabon steers Myrtle Hilliard through crisis time in health care

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

If Angela Clabon would have had her way, she would have retired at age 62 as chief financial officer of Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers following many years of service. After all, she loves finance. That is not what happened. The funding mechanism for Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) moved from bulk dollars to per-visit payments, putting its three centers in the red – $2.8 million worth. At the beginning of last year, the health center had to lay off 25 workers.

n “Insuring at least 10 or 15 percent of our patient mix helped up survive.”

– Angela Clabon, CEO of Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers

Then longtime Myrtle Hilliard CEO Archie Griffin died unexpectedly in February 2013. Clabon went from CFO to co-CEO during the transition.

Myrtle Hilliard cut supplies by 30 percent. They spruced and painted locations instead of renovating. Myrtle Hilliard began offering urgent care at its main location to fill in a gap after another provider closed its doors.

Yet, in one year’s time, Myrtle Hilliard was turned around from operating in the red to operating in the black. Those 25 laid-off employees were called back to work. Employees received raises. And in December 2013, Clabon was appointed chief executive officer.

Angela Clabon is CEO of Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, which operates on a $20 million annual budget, of which about $2.5 million is federal dollars. The rest is earned revenue.

With 50 percent of its clientele being walk-in patients, Myrtle Hilliard is still working through a financial recovery plan. Its most successful strategies were getting its patients to come in more often for care and to enroll for health coverage.

“We were seeing our patients

probably twice a year, and we transitioned from twice a year to three to four times a year,” Clabon said. “And our uninsured patients, we enrolled in Gateway and we enrolled in Medicaid, so we spent a lot of effort getting our uninsured

a

First black nurse returns to Children’s Hospital

Jane Ervin: ‘I’m thrilled to see the progress here’

By John Twombly Of BJC HealthCare

Jane Ervin’s first day as the first African-American nurse at St. Louis Children’s Hospital came in 1958. She returned Feb. 18, 2014, to share her experiences with hospital staff.

Her grandson, Marcus Creighton, a local financial adviser, contacted hospital leadership to arrange the visit after recently learning of her distinction. Hospital staff were invited to a special presentation in her honor held in the hospital board room.

“People in this situation need to be honored while they’re alive,” Creighton said. “I thought it would be great for her to share her story during Black History

Month and give today’s nurses some perspective of what it was like back then. It’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been.”

Ervin worked at the hospital for five years before working as an assistant for a local pediatrician. She spoke of the hardships faced in the days of segregation. Rampant discrimination in society at the time led to a lack of respect and common decency toward those of color. The hospital reflected the society it served in this regard. In addition, Jane said nurses were expected to remain stoic – unmoved emotionally even if their patient died. When that happened to a baby she cared See NURSE, B2

patients enrolled in some type of insurance plan.”

She said while Myrtle Hilliard’s patient numbers stayed the same, the payment mix made all the difference.

“We still have the same number of

Retired officer supports students

Joe N. Ballard and wife donate $250K for scholarships at UM S&T

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St.

Louis American

Joe N. Ballard

Engineering careers are expected to grow by 11 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Now more than ever, it’s important to ensure that young African Americans have an opportunity to compete for those jobs, said Joe N. Ballard, founder, president and CEO of the Marylandbased The Ravens Group Inc. Ballard and his wife, Tessie, recently contributed more than $250,000 in scholarships for African-American students pursuing engineering degrees at the Missouri University of Science and Technology at Rolla. A retired

Jackie JoynerKersee will be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) for her outstanding contributions to sport and philanthropy. She will be honored on April 4 at the Renaissance Grand Hotel during the AAHPERD Convention & Expo. She is founding director of the Jackie-Joyner-Kersee Foundation and serves as spokesperson for the St. Louis Public Schools’ AIM for Fitness Project.

Richard J. Mark was named one of the 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine. Marks is president and CEO of Ameren Illinois.

“The 2014 Top 100 issue features the highest caliber of executive leadership in America’s corporations,” said L.P. Green II, publisher of Savoy Magazine Mark is leading the utility’s five-year, $3.5 billion initiative to build a “next generation” energy delivery system in central and southern Illinois.

Jacqueline Thompson has been promoted to assistant professor of Acting and Directing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis for the 2014-2015 school year. Recent performance credits include Mustard Seed Theatre’s production of “Gee’s Bend ” (2014), the Black Rep’s production of “Insidious” (2012) and “The Orphan of Chao,” which debuted at the 2011 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C. Phillip Boyd was appointed the new assistant superintendent for support services and innovation for the Jennings School District. He joins Superintendent Tiffany Anderson in researching and replicating innovative practices in urban education, will lead the student services division and will be instrumental in expanding community partnerships. He previously has served as assistant superintendent, chief administrative officer and attorney.

Katrina Brown has been hired as a therapist by Kids In The Middle to handle its growing client base. The agency helps children and families transition to a new way of life before, during and after separation and divorce. She joins the agency’s treatment team that provides group and individual counseling for children and their parents. In 2013, the agency served 373 families including 450 children and 458 parents, 826 children in its school program.

Toyin Oduwole was given the International Diamond Society award by Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. This distinguished membership is awarded to the top eight percent of all sales associates and representatives worldwide in the Coldwell Banker system. With $6.8 million in business closed for 2013, Oduwole was also named as a Coldwell Banker Premier Group Top Producer.

Jackie JoynerKersee

See CLABON,

Photo by Wiley Price

Richard J. Mark

Jacqueline Thompson

Phillip Boyd

Katrina Brown

Toyin Oduwole

Jane Ervin; her daughter Jacquelyn Creighton; her sister Thelma Johnson; Dr. Ericka Hayes,

Washington University pediatric infectious diseases physician at Children’s Hospital; and Ervin’s grandson Marcus Creighton. Dr. Hayes was a recipient of Washington University’s Ervin academic scholarship, named after Ervin’s late husband, John Ervin.

Photo courtesy BJC

Don’t forfeit past tax refunds

By Jason Alderman

Does this sound familiar?

A few years back your yearly earnings were pretty low so you figured you wouldn’t owe any income tax. Thus, when April 15 rolled around the following year you didn’t bother filing a tax return, knowing you wouldn’t be penalized.

Big mistake.

Even if your income fell below the threshold at which you’d owe anything, chances are taxes were deducted from your paycheck throughout the year. (Check your year-end W-2 form.) If so, you probably left a sizeable tax refund on the table.

And you wouldn’t be alone. The IRS estimates that each year close to a million people don’t bother filing federal tax returns, thereby forfeiting around $1 billion in refunds they were due – refunds that average several hundred dollars apiece.

Here’s the good news: The IRS generally gives you a three-year window to go back and file a past year’s tax return if you want to claim an unpaid refund. For example, to collect a refund for 2010 you have until April 15, 2014, to file a 2010 return. After that, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.

Business Briefs

African-American

workers still have highest jobless rate

The nation’s nonfarm businesses added 175,000 new jobs in February, but it did not improve the jobless rate for AfricanAmerican men age 20 and older. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for this worker group was 12.9 percent last month compared to 12.0 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported. The labor-participation rate for black men 20-years-old and older improved slightly to 66.6 percent in February compared to 66.2 percent in January.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for AfricanAmerican women was 9.9 percent in February, down from 10.4 in January. Black women’s labor-participation rate actually dropped to 58.0 percent in February from 58.2 percent in January, BLS reported.

The overall seasonally adjusted jobless rate for African Americans last month was 12.0 percent compared to 12.1 percent in January. Still, among major worker groups, except for teenagers 16 to 19 years old, African-American workers have the highest jobless rate.

Treasurer’s Office tests

Smartphone apps for parking meters

The City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office is trying out two smartphone applications as part of its parking meter technology field tests in downtown and the Central West End. The applications are Parkmobile, which works at the 10th Street and Euclid and Laclede test locations, and Passport Parking, which works at the Broadway and Pine and Euclid and Maryland test locations. Both Parkmobile and Passport Parking are available for iPhone and Android and can be downloaded from your phone’s app store by searching for Parkmobile or Passport Parking.

You can order prior year tax forms at www.irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800829-3676). If you’re missing any supplementary paperwork (e.g., W-2 or 1099 forms), you’ll need to request copies from your employer, bank or other payer. If that doesn’t work, file IRS Form 4506-T to request a free transcript showing information from these year-end documents. Keep in mind that if you file to collect a refund on your 2010 taxes but have not also filed tax returns for 2011 and 2012, the IRS may hold onto the refund until you file those subsequent returns. Also, past refunds will be applied to any amounts you still owe to the IRS or your state tax agency, and may be used to offset unpaid child support or past-due federal debts, such as student loans.

n The IRS generally gives you a three-year window to go back and file a past year’s tax return if you want to claim an unpaid refund.

Another good reason to consider going back and filing a previous year’s tax return: the Earned Income Tax Credit

(EITC). Chances are, if the reason you didn’t file a return was because you didn’t earn enough to owe taxes, you may have been eligible for the EITC, a “refundable” tax credit for low- to moderate income working taxpayers. (“Refundable” means that if you owe less in tax than your eligible credit, you not only pay no tax but also get a refund for the difference.)

As an example, for tax year 2010, a married couple filing jointly with three or more qualifying children whose

adjusted gross income was less than $48,263 were eligible for an EITC of up to $5,666. To find out how EITC works and whether you qualify, consult IRS.gov.

For the rest of us, April 15 looms as the deadline for filing our 2013 taxes. At the very least you should request a filing extension by then; otherwise the penalty on any taxes you owe increases dramatically.

Typically you’ll have to pay an additional 5 percent of taxes owed for each full or partial month you’re late, plus interest, up to a maximum penalty of 25 percent. However, if you file your return or request an extension on time, the penalty drops tenfold to 0.5 percent per month, plus interest.

Bottom line: If you skipped filing a tax return in the last three years, go back and crunch the numbers – you may be pleasantly surprised by a hefty refund.

Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To participate in a free, online Financial Literacy and Education Summit on April 2, 2014, go to www. practicalmoneyskills.com/ summit2014.

“We encourage drivers to download the smartphone apps, try them out and let us know what they think by either taking a survey on our website or by reaching out to us via Twitter or Facebook at STL Treasurer,” said Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones. That survey and additional information on the parking technology field tests can be found at http://www.stlouis-mo. gov/government/departments/treasurer/.

YMCA President Gary Schlansker announces retirement

YMCA of Greater St. Louis President and CEO Gary Schlansker announced he will retire effective December 31 after 39 years of service to the Y. He was hired as the Greater St. Louis president and CEO in 2003. Prior to that, he held various positions with the Ys in Kewanee, Ill., Peoria, Ill., Evansville, Ind., Nashville, Tenn. and Greenville, S.C. Schlansker most recently directed the combination of the YMCA of Greater St. Louis and the YMCA of Southwest Illinois into one association. Pending regulatory approvals, the newly named Gateway Region YMCA will include 23 branches, with more than 200,000 members, serving nearly 730,000 youth and adults. The current Boards of Directors for both associations are involved in the search for Schlansker’s successor.

MOKAN to host minority business symposium

MOKAN will host “Bridging Rhetoric to Reality,” a minority business symposium, Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9 at the Union Station Hotel in downtown St. Louis. The symposium will provide small minority business owners with education, insight, networking opportunities and support via workshops in the following areas: Access To Capital, New Business Growth Opportunities, Latest Trends in Business Development, Business Marketing Tips to Win & Keep Clients. Register at www.mokansymposium.com or call 314-454-9675.

Continued from B1

for, she adjourned to a closet to cry.

Fortunately, times have changed. Today, people of any race, ethnicity or religion can work at the hospital. The emotional needs of staff are important, too.

Peggy Gordin, vice president and the hospital’s chief nurse executive, explained that nursing staff are researching compassion fatigue, which results from the continuing stress of meeting the sometimes overwhelming needs of patients and families. This research is being done to advance the hospital’s efforts in providing support for staff. Staff enjoyed the presentation so much that many of them asked for the honoree’s autograph afterward. A co-worker of Ervin’s in 1958 still works at the hospital and attended the presentation. Velma Hunt works part-time as a patient and family liaison in the Emergency Unit. She has 57 years of service. “I’m thrilled to see the progress here,” Ervin said after the presentation. “It was different then, and now the integration I see is beautiful. I feel grateful to see how things have changed. As for this presentation, I’ve never been so honored in my life.”

Ervin’s husband is the late John Ervin, a distinguished educator and administrator who was the first African-American dean at Washington University.

After her time at Children’s Hospital, Jane Ervin earned a bachelor’s degree at Lindenwood University.

n “I got power, I got natural power. It’s all-natural Alabama power. I’m blessed. My power is crazy. [The right hand] is like a missile.”

– Deontay Wilder after a stunning first round KO of Malik Scott

Sports

The holy season is here

~ See page B5 ~

Cardinal Ritter takes state Team wins seventh championship

Cardinal Ritter College Prep won its seventh state championship in boys basketball last weekend in Columbia. The

defeated Kansas City Barstow 57-48 in the Class 3 state championship game played last Saturday

finished the season with a 26-5 record.

By Earl Austin Jr. Of the St. Louis

American Cardinal Ritter College Prep won its seventh state championship in boys basketball last weekend in Columbia.

The Lions defeated Kansas City Barstow 57-48 in a spirited Class 3 state championship game played last Saturday at the Mizzou Arena. Cardinal Ritter finished the season with a 26-5 record. With just three minutes left in the game, the score was tied at 45-45 and everything was hanging in the balance. Down the stretch, the Lions’ defense took over as they outscored Barstow 12-3 to take home the state championship. It was Ritter’s state championship No. 4 for head coach Marvin Neals, who suffered a stroke during the summer but was able to return to the bench for the 2014 season to oversee another state championship run. This season’s championship was keyed by speed, quickness and outstanding defense.

“I have always said our defense is the key to our success,” Neals said. “We have to play good defense, and we have to work together.”

Senior guard Sean Clancey enjoyed a tremendous weekend in Columbia in carrying the offensive load. The 6’3” Clancey had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead Ritter in the state finals. Junior forward Jah Kobe Womack came off the bench to score 11 points while senior forward Charles Jones added eight points. Clancey was simply unbelievable in the Lions’ 74-55 victory over Strafford in the semifinals last Thursday. He erupted for a season high 39 points while grabbing 12 rebounds.

“This is the best feeling in the world right now,” Clancey said. “To know that when we come back into the school, 10, 20 years from now, that we’ll be seeing our names on the wall with all of the other state champions. It’s a great feeling.”

The Lions also got big efforts from junior point guard Jahmourie Robinson and defensive stalwarts

Final Four

n Make no bones about it, Jackson’s job won’t be easy. The Knicks franchise is drenched in the stench of failure.

The NBA’s worst-kept secret has finally been unveiled. The New York Knicks formally announced the hiring of Phil Jackson as the new team president. An esteemed ring collector, the former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers coach won an NBA record 13 championships as a player and a coach. The two titles he won in shorts were earned in Madison Square Garden as a Knicks power forward. Now Jackson has made the power move back to ‘The Garden’ in hopes of leading the fallen franchise back to the Promised Land. Despite the Zen Master’s unparalleled success, many believe the Knicks franchise has been damaged to the point of no return under current owner James Dolan. Big name signings are nothing new for Dolan, both on the court and in the front office. Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Larry Brown, Donnie Walsh and Isaiah Thomas have all come through NY and have crashed and burned. Sure, Anthony is still an NBA superstar, but his championship aspirations have fallen flat in the Big Apple. The Knicks are currently on the outside looking in for the playoffs. The only consolation of their meager 27-40 record is the fact that the East is utter garbage outside of Miami and Indiana, so the team could manage to squeak in to the 8th spot. Make no bones about it, Jackson’s job won’t be easy. The Knicks franchise is drenched in the stench of

failure. The on court play is lethargic and the salary cap situation is abysmal. The team is more than $29 million dollars over the salary cap and its biggest star is set to opt-out of his contract to test the free-agent market. Even if Anthony bolts next season, the team is committed to pay more than $50M to Amare Stoudamire, Tyson Chandler and Andres Bargnani. The cap for the entire team is around $59M. Let’s not act like cap numbers really mean anything in New York. The neighboring Brooklyn Nets are sitting more than $44M over the cap and

haven’t blushed. The Knicks are tapped into that Wall Street money. The MSG Network, populous fan base and endless advertising dollars ensure the team can spend whatever its heart desires to acquire personnel. Just look at Jackson’s contract, which is estimated to be worth 5 years and $60M. Yes, Phil Jackson makes more money than Tim Duncan, Rajon Rondo and Joakim Noah. When you can afford to drop $12M annually on a front office

By Earl Austin Jr. Of the St. Louis American

The Final Four of the Missouri Class 5 boys state tournament in Columbia this weekend will offer many interesting story lines. CBC comes to the Final Four led by head coach Justin Tatum, who helped lead the Cadets to the Class 4A state championship in 1997. Hazelwood Central comes to the Final Four for the first time in 20 years, when the Hawks finished as state runners-up. Columbia Hickman returns to the Final Four after finishing third at last year’s state tournament. The Kewpies would love to finish the job. Lee’s Summit West comes to town with a chance to pull off a rare double.

The Titans won the Class 5 state title in football this fall and would love to add a state championship in basketball to the trophy case. It all begins to unfold tonight with the state semifinals. CBC (237) will face

Incarnate Word heads to state

By Earl Austin Jr. Of the St. Louis American

The Incarnate Word Academy girls basketball dynasty will make its annual trek to Columbia in search of another state championship. The nationally-ranked Red Knights will be heavy favorites to repeat as Class 4 state champions this weekend at the Mizzou Arena. IWA (29-1) will face Marshfield (25-5) in the semifinals on Friday at 4:15 p.m. The winner will face

Earl Austin Jr.

Los Angeles Lakers were idiotic enough to hire Knicks’ castaway Mike D’Antoni over Phil Jackson in 2012. You see how well betting against the Zen Master worked for them.

Lions

at the Mizzou Arena. Cardinal Ritter

With Mike Claiborne

The holy season is here

Claiborne

n The other group is made up of those who complain about not having higher placement or not getting in at all. Simple solution here – play a better schedule.

It’s time to get out the brackets, overload the copier and start making picks again. The holy season is here and it’s called the NCAA tournament. This is the time where everyone thinks they are an expert. Warren Buffet will now give a BILLION dollars to anyone who can get all of the winning teams right and all of sudden you really are not as smart as you thought you were. What a big club this has turned out to be. TV networks spend millions to have people go on TV and give you the impression that they really have a clue. Funny thing is we never go back and check their work. Nor do we check our friends or coworkers who claim near perfection, yet their sheets are always missing. Note that I did say sheets, as many will play multiple sheets in multiple pools. How can they lose? Still, the tournament can certainly be fun but with it comes a few questions. Let’s start off by addressing some of the teams – you know the ones who are in the tournament based off reputation instead of results. They always find their way in because of their past, television appeal and fan base. I get it; the selection committee wants the big names in order to get the party started. I’m not sure if I am on board with it, but I get it. The other group is made up of those who complain about not having higher placement or not getting in at all. Simple solution here – play a better schedule and win more games. MIZZOU and its less than stellar non-conference schedule comes to mind. The Tigers will be watching the

become only the second team ever to win the NCAA Tournament and

tournament on TV. St. Louis University had the nerve to schedule Rockhurst of Kansas City. Really? Who thought that was good idea? In most cases, teams have no one to blame but themselves. Poor non-conference scheduling will do you in every time. Then there are the schools who whine and claim they cannot get schools to play them. So now you’re being confused with the Lakers of the 80’s? Let’s find out the identity of these schools and get an explanation other than a scheduling conflict. Here are some simple selections to help eliminate a few of the sad excuses we hear every year.

First off, play teams with comparable records from comparable conferences. If you are in the SEC and you finish fourth, you should be on the phone with the Big 10, Big 12 or any of the other major conferences’ fourthplace teams. If nothing else, we will at least recognize the teams. Secondly, how about playing teams that were in postseason last year? Between the NCAA and NIT tournaments, there are at least 90 teams to choose from outside your conference. Surely one of them has an open date. At least you can say it was a team that was in the tournament. Third, what is wrong with

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

executive, like Jay Z said, “Money ain’t a thang.”

The real coup in landing Jackson is that he brings instant credibility to the Knicks.

Thirteen rings ring louder than any speech, coach or player ever could. When Jackson speaks, players will shut up and listen. Anthony has already gone on the record to say he is willing to change his game if Jackson says so. LeBron James, who is also expected to become a free-agent after the season, will likely listen to the Knicks’ overtures now that Jackson is running the show. Why wouldn’t he? King James has

playing teams in your state? Recognizable? Sure. It’s also easier to travel for both the team and its fans. If you are worried about home games, you can still have them as the tougher teams you schedule on the road will help you in the end. None of these solutions are scientific, but they are all doable despite what we are told. At least it will put more people in the seats and will be one less excuse at tournament selection time. Now, for the off-the-court issues. This tournament will rake in hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions. What stands out is the fact that there is no revenue sharing for the players. They do not get one

always proclaimed his desire to become a billion-dollar athlete. There’s no better way to expand his brand than by leading a downtrodden Knicks franchise to a championship in the nation’s media capital. In Chicago, Jackson had Michael and Scottie. In L.A., it was Shaq and Kobe. In N.Y. will it be LeBron and ‘Melo?

The last remaining question is whether owner James Dolan is really willing to go somewhere and have a seat. Like the Dallas Cowboy’s Jerry Jones, Dolan has traditionally been a hands-on owner who sends people packing if they don’t do things his way. His management style is a big reason the Knicks are so awful. But I can’t imagine that a man smart enough to become a billionaire

red cent. Free education you say? How is it free when these schools parade you around the country to play and represent their institution? There’s nothing free about the scholarships here. Players earn them and then some. For some time the NCAA has had deaf ears when this subject arises, although more and more lawsuits are being filed to address these issues. At some point the NCAA will be called on being the frauds that they are when it comes to the whole scholar-athlete thing. Alongside the Olympics, this is one of the biggest farces seen in the free world.

As for the games, your guesses are as good as any-

would be dumb enough to think he knows more than the man who has championship ring for his toes! Then again, the Lakers were idiotic enough to hire Knicks’ castaway Mike D’Antoni over Jackson in 2012. You see how well betting against the Zen Master worked for them.

If Dolan stays true to his word and gives Jackson the reigns, the Knicks will finally win another NBA title in the near future. Go ahead and

WORD

making her fourth trip to the Final Four as the Red Knights’ floor general. She is averaging 13 points while shooting 47 percent from 3-point range. She is headed to Iowa State.

Senior center Gwen Adams is a strong low, post player who is averaging 10 points and four rebounds a game. Adams has signed with SIU-Edwardsville. Senior center McKenna Treece has been lost to an injury late in

RITTER

Continued from B3

one’s. Team colors, mascots, family, alumni and all the other ingredients that go into the selection are now in play. Here is a bit of advice. Look at these so-called expert predictions in the same light as our local weathercasters, who have been far off the mark this year. They are more clueless than you think when it comes to this stuff. Stay away from them. They will be wrong as they try to convince you they know what they are talking about. How you can believe any of them is a mystery to me. Do not waste your time. Have fun without them. Now for my tournament picks...

argue about the cap, character, circus atmosphere, past mistakes, players and whatever else you can think of. When it comes down to it, Phil Jackson is smarter than you. Phil Jackson is better than you. Players play. Haters hate. Winners win. For Jackson and his Knicks, it’s now just a matter of when.

Follow Ishmael Sistrunk and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk and Google+

Continued from B3 the season, but the Red Knights have kept rolling. Guard Katie Lacefield has provided excellent perimeter shooting at 38 percent from 3-point range. In the Class 5 Final Four, Eureka (26-2) will take on Lee’s Summit North (23-5) in the semifinals on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. St. Joseph’s (16-14) will face nationally-ranked Columbia Rock Bridge (25-3) in the other semifinal game. The winners will play for the state championship on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. The third-place game will be on Saturday at 11 a.m. Jeff Jones and Isaiah Williams. For Neals, the state championship is another milestone during a Hall of Fame career that has spanned five decades. He won his first state championship as an assistant coach for Vashon in 1971. A decade later, Neals guided Soldan to the Class 4A state championship in 1981. After leading Soldan to a Class 3A runner-up finish in 1990, Neals left the game for 10 years, but returned to take over the Ritter program, where he also won state championships in 2003, ‘06, ‘10.

Mike

Witchita State, after inishing the regular season undefeated, will attempt to

inish the season without a loss. Indiana was the last to do it in 1976.

Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year Jordair Jett will lead the SLU Billikens into Thursday’s NCAA Tournament second round game against either Xavier or North Carolina State in Orlando, FL.

SLU Billikens go to NCAA Tourney

By Earl Austin Jr.

Of the St. Louis American

The Saint Louis University Billikens will be participating in the NCAA Tournament for an unprecedented third consecutive year.

SLU drew a No. 5 seed and will play in the loaded Midwest Regional. The Billikens will play the winner of Tuesday night’s North Carolina State-Xavier game on Thursday night in Orlando, FL. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. The game will be televised on TNT.

FOUR

Continued from B3

(25-6) will take on Columbia Hickman (26-2) at 8:50 p.m. The winners will play for the state championship in Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The third-place game will be on Friday at 12:45 p.m. CBC comes in well-prepared for the state tournament after playing a brutal national schedule. The Cadets are led by 6’8” senior forward Jordan Barnett, who has signed with Texas. Barnett is averaging 20 points and nearly eight rebounds a game. Sophomore point guard Jordan Barnes is averaging 14 points and four assists a game. Fellow sophomore Christian Willis averages

The Billikens are one of six teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference to make it to the tournament. SLU won the Atlantic 10 regular season championship and will enter the tournament with a 26-6 record. However, the Billikens have lost four of their last five game heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Should the Billikens make it past North Carolina State or Xavier, they would advance to the third round on Saturday against either defending national champion Louisville or Manhattan.

The NCAA Tournament

11 points while senior guard Beau Bommarito averages eight points.

The Cadets will face a Lee’s Summit West team that is very athletic and talented. The Titans are led by 6’3” senior multi-sport star Monte Harrison, who is also an excellent football and baseball player. He is also one of the state’s most electric dunkers. Junior guard Jarred Dixon is also one of the state’s top underclassmen.

Hazelwood Central has been on a roll this season, having won championships at the Vianney and Meramec Tournaments. The Hawks are big and talented and have a lot of quality depth. Central is led by 6’2” senior guard Demarco Buchanan, who is averaging 14 points a game. Senior swing

also returns to St. Louis with second and third round games taking place at the Scottrade Center on Friday and Sunday. On Friday, No. 1 seed Wichita State will take on either Cal Poly or Texas Southern in the Midwest Region at 7:20 p.m. That game will be followed by Kentucky and Kansas State. The winners will meet on Sunday.

The South Region second and third round games will also be in St. Louis this weekend. Kansas, the No. 2 seed will take on Eastern Kentucky and No. 7 New Mexico will take on No. 10 Stanford.

Raynell Crossland is a versatile 6’5” performer who averages 9.3 points. Sophomore Xavier Sneed is a 6’5” athlete who can shoot from the perimeter. Inside, there is junior Marcus George and sophomore Dominique Dobbs. while sophomore Steve Holloway is one of many capable guards.

Columbia Hickman spent much of the season ranked No. 1 in the state. The Kewpies feature on of the state’s top backcourts in 6’3” junior Jimmy Whitt and 6’3” senior Chris Clark. Whitt is ranked among the top 100 players in the junior class while Clark is headed to Tennessee-Martin. Hickman defeated Hazelwood Central 71-48 in an earlier meeting on Jan. 25 in the Norm Stewart Classic at the Mizzou Arena.

Prep Athlete of the Week

Sean Clancey

Cardinal Ritter – Boys Basketball

The 6’3” senior enjoyed a big weekend in leading the Lions to the Class 3 state championship in Columbia.

Clancey scored a game-high 22 points to lead Ritter past Kansas City Barstow 57-48 in the state championship game on Saturday. He turned in a career performance in Friday’s semifinals when he scored 39 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 74-55 victory over Strafford.

Clancey finished the season averaging more than 22 points a game to lead the Lions. He also averaged more than six rebounds as Ritter finished the season with a 26-5 record.

U.S. Army lieutenant general, Ballard earned a master’s degree in engineering management from the university, formerly named the University of Missouri-Rolla.

“In the minority community, there are some very bright and deserving students, but they just don’t have the wherewithal to come to a school like S&T,” said Ballard, who is also a member of the National Society of Black Engineers – St. Louis Gateway Alumni. “S&T has done a tremendous job with outreach, and I want to do anything I can to help.”

The Missouri S&T Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for African American Recruitment and Retention quickly took advantage of Ballard’s matching offer.

“We are so fortunate for General Ballard’s initiative and example of leadership,” said LaWanda Jones, chair of the committee, “and hold great hope for the impact that this lifetime scholarship will provide.” Ballard’s company focuses on cyber security, training services, enterprise management and healthcare/ hospitality services. The Raven Group is a service-disabled veteran-owned business. Before he retired, Ballard was as the 49th chief of engineers and commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. President Bill Clinton appointed him to this prestigious position in 1996. Prior to this, Ballard was the chief of staff for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine. Before that, he was the commander of the U.S. Army Engineer Center at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., where he served as the engineer proponent for combat and combat support systems and

training.

Ballard became interested in engineering as a high school student while working a parttime job as an assistant in a television and appliance repair shop.

“I never looked back,” he said. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Ballard grew up in a loving family with five other siblings and “two of the best parents in the world,” he said. He lived in the small town of Oakdale, La. in a three-bedroom house built by his father.

“We never had everything we desired as kids, but we had

n “In the minority community, there are very deserving students, but they don’t have the wherewithal to come to a school like S&T.”

– Joe N. Ballard

enough,” he said. “The most important thing we received was love and respect for others.”

Within a two-block radius of his family home lived his grandparents, four uncles, three aunts and their families, as well as a multitude of cousins.

“It sounds somewhat idyllic, and it was,” he said. “My parents were absolutely the major positive influence in my life. My father is deceased, but my mother and I still talk weekly from wherever I am.”

He is also a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College. He went on to command the 18th Engineer Brigade in Germany, which at the time was the army’s largest and most experienced combat,

construction and topographic engineer troop unit. He also served two combat tours in Vietnam.

Ballard’s advice to young people considering military service is this: “Embrace a career of selfless service to your country. You will not get rich, monetarily, but you will be rich in experiences, challenges and accomplishments.”

Ballard’s military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (three awards), Bronze Star Medal (two awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal (four awards).

In addition to his military honors, the Council of Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the Career Communications Group recognized Ballard as the 1998 Black Engineer of the Year. He was also the 19981999 president of the Society of American Military Engineers and a member of the National Engineering Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi.

Ballard said he always has had a desire to stretch himself to the maximum.

“I learned from my father that there was little I could not do with proper preparation and determination,” he said. “Even failure is a learning experience.”

Ballard holds several of honorary degrees, including an honorary doctorate of law from Lincoln University and two honorary doctorates of engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and Southern University. When asked to cite three people who have inspired him, Ballard said, “My father, for his integrity; Mr. Jessie Anderson, who exposed me to the field of engineering; and my wife, Tessie, who taught me that you always got up after life knocked you down.”

Urban League sponsors senior forums

CLABON

Continued from B1

patients, about 28,000 a year,” Clabon said. “In the past they were 40 percent uninsured and now we are around 22-23 percent uninsured. Insuring at least 10 or 15 percent of our patient mix helped up survive.”

That is why Medicaid expansion is so important, Clabon said. It is an essential funding source for health providers who serve lowincome, uninsured and underinsured patients. Without it, urban and rural providers may have to shut down.

“You will see more closures, because the organizations that aren’t FQHCs cannot afford to continue to provide services to uninsured patients,” Clabon said. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters during a recent visit to St. Louis that Missouri is losing $5 million per day in federal funds because it has not expanded Medicaid.

“Just hearing that number is alarming,” Clabon said. “That’s only a certain portion of health care. That’s just taking care

Financial Focus

By Aaron Ezell, financial advisor

‘Spring

The days are getting longer and warmer — a sure indication of the arrival of spring. Another sign of the season may be the urge you get to do some spring cleaning. But you might not have realized that some of the same spring-cleaning techniques that can be used on your home can also apply to your investments and your overall financial strategy. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Get rid of “clutter.” As you do your spring cleaning, you may well find some clutter — a bunch of items you no longer need. As an investor, you might look at your portfolio and also find “clutter” in the form of investments that are no longer appropriate for your objectives. For example, perhaps some of them are virtual duplicates of other investments you own, thereby diminishing your potential for diversification. Or maybe some investments are now too risky for your needs. In any case, you may be better off rebalancing your portfolio.

• Get organized. As you clean your home, you

and

of that gap of patients for Missouri.”

The gap Clabon refers to describes persons with incomes between 100 and 133 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, which in 2014 is an annual income between $11,670 and $15,521 for individuals and between $23,850 and $31,721 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C.

Additionally, persons enrolled in the Gateway to Better Health Program who qualify for Medicaid receive services from a waiver extended through the end of 2014.

“They should receive Medicaid, but they don’t,” Clabon said.

Myrtle Hilliard operates on a $20 million annual budget, of which about $2.5 million is federal dollars. “The rest is earned revenue,” Clabon said.

Clabon’s career has been in health care finance administration, previously working for Grace Hill and People’s health centers and Hopewell behavioral health center. She is a product of St. Louis Public Schools, a graduate of O’Fallon Tech (now Gateway). Clabon attended the University of

Missouri – Columbia for two years before earning her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and an MBA from Webster University. Last year, Clabon graduated from the UCLA Executive Program in Health Care.

Clabon is a member of Central Baptist Church and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. She is married to James Clabon, a Mizzou and Vashon High School graduate.

The work ahead for Myrtle Hilliard includes expanding its three locations, integrating behavioral health and expanding pediatric dentistry.

“We have several contracts with Head Start programs. We send a dentist, and a hygienist and a dental assistant,” she said. “We have 12 daycares that we provide services for.”

She said the demand for this service is high. “We are looking to hire additional dentists to treat the daycare programs for preventive services,” she said.

For more information about the services of Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, call 314-367-5820 or visit www.mhdchc.org.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis recently held four forums and town hall meetings at area senior citizen apartment complexes. The forums featured financial literacy training, public safety presentations and other helpful

volunteer or donate to the Urban League, please

The evolution of African film

Wash U. movie festival showcases cinematic advances from the Diaspora

By American Staff

when Washington University’s African Film Festival returns to the campus March 28-30.

“The films are crafted with firsthand experiences in order to give a glimpse on how Africans interpret and respond to the stories/events of the continent that we only get to know about second-hand,” said Edwards.

The African Film Festival is organized by Wilmetta ToliverDiallo, assistant dean in the College of Arts & Sciences and senior

lecturer in African & African-American Studies in Arts & Sciences. This year’s festival is comprised of eight films that range from animated, fantasy to heavy hitting drama.

“I am most excited about ‘Aya of Yop City’ (Ivory Coast) and ‘Tey’ (Senegal),” Toliver-Diallo said. “They are both very different films. ‘Tey’ swept the awards [at the Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, or FESPACO] for direction,

Formal fun

Prom 2014 style guide

By Danie Rae, Style Broker

For The St. Louis American

It’s that time of the year again where the areas adolescents are buzzing around town trying to secure the perfect look for the biggest night of their lives… prom. The evening is somewhat a rite of passage for most – curfews are extended, luxury cars are driven, and the swag is to the max for one night of fun that creates lifelong memories. This prom season, we enlisted the help of Boutique Calla Lilly to showcase some of the hottest trends of the year.

Boutique Calla Lilly is the area’s premier formal wear retailer. It offers an array of high-end prom, party and cocktail dresses. Owned and operated by a daughter and mother team, Dalila Spencer, and Loretta Waheed, “Calla Lilly” has gone from being

a part-time interest to a lucrative business for the two. “We are known for our over-the-top style and personalized customer service,” said Spencer. “Our labor of love has turned into our life’s passion.”

Tips for the perfect prom look

Stay on trend

To be on trend during prom is the most important factor in finding a dress. Too often do we see those tragic, “Prom Gone Wild” pictures of girls, and guys as well, looking like they were extras in the blackbuster film, “BAPS.”

Finding an elegant, timeless, yet trendy dress is the key to prom perfection. Dresses with sweetheart necklines, and ornate but elegant bedazzling (sequins, crystals, or rhinestones) are hot this season. And opting for a cupcake dress rather than a long gown is a sure fire way to ensure that the overall look is youthful, fun, and still tasteful.

See PROM, C4

In ‘Alaskaland’, Chukwuma is caught between American friends and traditional Nigerian parents. The debut feature from Chinonye Chukwu, a Nigerianborn director who was herself raised in Fairbanks, will be one of the eight films screened as part of Washington University’s 9th Annual African Film Festival.

Talking about African-American art

By Olubukola A. Gbadegesin

“Girl with Bird” by Thelma Johnson Streat, oil on paper,

Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African American Art” Photography by Greg R. Staley. © Thelma Johnson Streat

See FIlM, C4

Hair: Ronisha Britton • MU: Keisha Reece • Styled by: Danie Rae

Photos by Lawrence Bryant • Models: Alana Preston, Destini Gregory, Taylor Anthony

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Thur., Mar. 20, Kwame Foundation presents Live Your Dream Concert Hosted by Jade Harrell of Magic 100.3/Hallelujah 1600. Performances by Brianna Elise & Trio. Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com.

Sat., Mar. 22, 9 p.m., The Ambassador presents K. Michelle. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Tues., Mar. 25, 7:30 p.m., The Sheldon presents St. Louis Jazz Orchestra. The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Jim Widner, is St. Louis’ premier big band, focusing on the music of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson and others, as well as contemporary music. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Mar. 29, 9 p.m., The Ambassador presents The R&B at its Best Tour feat. Dru Hill, J. Holiday, Johnny Gill. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

April 2 – 5, Jazz at the Bistro presents Cyrus Chestnut Trio with Russell Malone. 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Fri., April 4, 8 p.m., The Peabody Opera House presents BB King. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. peabodyoperahouse.com.

Fri., Apr. 11, 6:30 p.m., Black Alumni Council at Washington University for Dinner and a Concert with Take 6, Friday evening, April 11, 2014, 6:30 p.m., Khorassan Ballroom, Chase Park Plaza

Hotel, 212 N. Kingshighway. Tickets are $85-$125. For detailed information and/or to purchase tickets, please visit our website at: bac.wustl.edu or call the message center at (314) 935-9676. Box office for tickets – (314) 935-6543.

Fri., Apr. 18, 7 p.m., The Ambassador presents Webbie & Zed Zilla. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Fri., Apr. 18, 8 p.m., The Sheldon presents Brian Owens performing the music of Ray Charles. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Apr. 19, 8 p.m., The Sheldon presents Catherine Russell. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Apr. 19, 9:30 p.m., Jazz at the Bistro presents Poncho Sanchez and his Latin jazz band. 3536 Washington Blvd., 63101. For more information, visit www.jazzstl.org.

Apr. 19 & 22, Jazz at the Bistro presents SIUE concert jazz band featuring SIUE alumni. 3536 Washington Blvd., 63101. For more information, visit www.jazzstl. org.

local gigs

Fred Walker and his Saxy Jazz Music Show returns to Ms. Piggie’s Smokehouse on Sundays with the best in live and recorded Jazz and Gospel. 12noon - 4pm 10612 Page Ave. St. Louis, Mo. 63132 call (314) 428-7776 for information.

Saturdays, 3 p.m., The Kendrick Smith Quartet, Premier Lounge, 5969 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. For more information, call (314)385-5281 or e-mail

Calendar

crusadersforjazz@hotmail. com.

comedy

Sat., April 12, 8 p.m., The Chaifetz Arena presents St. Louis Comedy Festival. St. Louis Comedy Festival featuring Sommore, Bruce Bruce, Earthquake, Arnez J, Gary Owen, and Tony Rock. One S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena.com.

special events

Mar., 20 – 23, The Family Arena hosts Moolah Shrine Circus. 2002 Arena Pkwy., Saint Charles, 63303. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Mar. 22, 6 p.m., Grand Renaissance Hotel hosts 2nd Annual Purple Ball. Dinner, Live Auction & Lupus Leadership Awards Ceremony Cocktail Attire with a Splash of Purple Valet Parking, Lupus Leadership Awards, and Medical Advancement Award. 800 Washington Ave., 63150.

Sat., Mar. 22, 6 p.m., The Museum of Westward Expansion presents Night at the Museum. This offers visitors a unique opportunity to interact with periodcostumed characters, hear stories of the early American West and participate in hands-on activities. 200 Washington Ave., 63102. For more information, visit www. gatewayarch.com.

Sun., Mar. 23, 1 p.m., St. Louis Alumnae Chapter and St. Louis Alumnae Delta Foundation of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. presents 2nd Annual Spring Gospel, Jazz and Blues Brunch. National recording artist Joey De Francesco, jazz organist from New York, will provide entertainment. Airport

Marriott, 10700 Pear Tree Ln., 63134. For more information, call (314) 623-0113 or (636) 486-2216.

Mon., Mar. 24, 11:10 a.m., Women’s Stories of Hope. This Women’s History Month event features a presentation of stories from women who have either been to prison, had a loved one in prison or who have cared for children of prisoners or adult children who grew up with a parent in prison. Training Center, Florissant Valley Campus, St. Louis Community College, 3400 Pershall Rd., 63135.

Tues., Mar. 25, 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays at KDHX presents KDHX Sessions: 1968: When Reggae Hit the Town. Explore the pivotal year of 1968 in Jamaica, where a new music was taking over: reggae. KDHX DJs Ital-K and Michael Kuelker discuss reggae from the roots to the fruits, focusing on 1968 as a year of musical birth and cultural ferment. The Stage at KDHX, 3524 Washington Ave., 63103.

Mar. 29, 10 a.m., St. Louis Outlet Mall Hosts the 6th Annual Fairy Glam Project’s Prom Dress Giveaway, The Fairy Glam Project is currently collecting new and gently-used formal dresses for girls to go to prom. ALL juniors and seniors with a current high school ID will be admitted to pick out a dress FREE of charge. It is strongly encouraged for girls to preregister online. 6th Annual Fairy Glam Project will take place at St. Louis Outlet Mall (next door to the Gap Outlet in Neighborhood 2) located at 5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd. in Hazelwood, MO. For more information on how to participate in the Fairy Glam Project, to preregister, and for a list of Dress Drop locations, visit www.nvizion.wix.com/ fairyglamproject, or email fairyglamproject@yahoo.com.

Fri., April 4, 8 p.m., The Fox Theater presents St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. High school students compete

The Peabody Opera House presents BB King. See CONCERTS for details.

at the Fox Theatre for college scholarships and prizes and will be judged by performing arts professionals. This Broadway-style family show is FREE and open to the public. Tickets are however required. 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.foxpacf.org.

Sat., April 5, 12 noon, Grand Slam Flea Market presents Spoken Word and Soulful Jams event. Featured artist will be the amazing Ground Floor Blues Band, Jazz Saxophonist extraordinaire Readus Miller, and several of St. Louis’ own most profound Poets. Grand Slam Flea Market, 10041 Lewis & Clark Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63136 For more information please visit www. myfleamarketmall.com.

Sun., April 6, 2 p.m., Four Seasons Hotel hosts Food Outreach “A Tasteful Affair 26.” Food Outreach’s largest annual fundraiser featuring signature tastings from 40 restaurants and caterers and 100’s of unique auctions items. The Roaring 20s is the theme of this year’s event. 999 N. Second St., 63160. For more information, visit www. foodoutreach.org.

Fri., April 11, 7 a.m., Renaissance St. Louis Airport hosts Breakfast with the INN CrowdBreakfast Gala to Benefit Homeless Children. With the involvement of more than 60 interfaith congregations, Room at the Inn offers temporary, emergency shelter for women and families, up to 20 people each night. All proceeds from the breakfast will benefit the homeless of St. Louis County. 9801 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www.roomstl.org.

April 11- April 13, 30+

Promotions presents the 15th Annual STL ATL Hoops Getaway, prices include: bus transportation, drink passes, five star hotel accommodation, party passes and a ticket to the Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat. For ticket prices and more information, call Rod at (314) 779-7655; Thrill at (314) 2295267 or (314) 348-1884.

Sat., Apr. 19, 10 a.m., Forest Park hosts Kids Bunny Run. This run will cater to children ages 4-12. They will complete 4 silly themed challenges at stations along the “bunny” trail and will be awarded prizes. At the completion of the Bunny Run, a complimentary breakfast item and a beverage will be served. For the adults, there will be a Hops Run 5k.

Macklind Dr. and Union Dr., 63110. For more information and to register, visit www. hopsrunstl.com

Thurs., April 24, 7 p.m., The Family Arena hosts Family Feud Live. Complete with big laughs and big money, contestants will have an opportunity to be grouped into their new stage show “family” and compete for cash and prizes in gameplay taken directly from the Emmy award-winning TV show. 2002 Arena Parkway St. Charles, 63303. For more information, visit www.metrotix .com.

theatre

Fri., Mar. 21, 7 p.m., St Lou Fringe presents FiveFifths. An annual event showcasing St. Louis’ finest indie performers, a classic story is broken into five acts, each performed by a different artistic group. A VIP reception, after-party, and specialty cocktails complete the spirited atmosphere. Kranzberg Arts Center 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.stlfringe.com.

Fri., Mar. 21, 7 p.m., UMSL Gender Studies Program and PRIZM presents The Vagina Monologues. To benefit Doorways Interfaith AIDS Housing and Services and VDay’s One Billion Rising campaign. Millennium Student Center, UMSL, 99 University Blvd., 63106. For more information, call (314) 516-5265.

Mar. 22 – Mar. 29, The Excellence Arts & Media Academy in partnership with the Lewis & Clark Community College Minority Affairs proudly presents Harlem Shadows: Lives of the Harlem Renaissance. produced and directed by Jacob Henderson. Lewis and Clark Community College at the ATC room on Saturday and Sunday, March 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., and Demetrious Johnson Charitable Foundation Center on Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by e-mail at EAMA.RSVP@gmail. com and online at Eventbrite.

Through Mar. 29, Washington University South Campus Theater presents Rent. A contemporary rock/ pop riff on Henri Murger’s comic French novel, Scenes de la Vie de Bohème and (to a lesser extent) the famous Puccini opera La Bohème, but now set in New York City’s East Village. 6501 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Through Mar. 30, The Fox Theater presents We Will Rock You. 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Mon., Mar. 24, 6 p.m., Subterranean Books hosts author Bill Hilmann, author of The Old Neighborhood. The story of teenager Joe Walsh, the youngest in a large, mixed-race family living in Chicago. It is both a brutal tale of growing up tough in a mean city, and a beautiful harkening to the heartbreak of youth. 6275 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For

more information, call (314) 862-6100.

Mon., Mar. 24, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Tim Townsend, author of Mission at Nuremberg. Detailed, harrowing, and emotionally charged, “Mission at Nuremberg” is an inclusive new history of the Nuremberg trials as well as a nuanced reflection on the nature of morality and sin, the price of empathy, and the limits of forgiveness. The tale of St. Louis army chaplain Henry Gerecke,399 Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731.

Tues., Mar. 25, 4 p.m., A signing and discussion for Sexual Discretion: Black Masculinity and the Politics of Passing with Jeffrey Q. McCune Jr., Olin Library – Ginkgo Reading Room, Washington University.

Wed., Mar. 26, St. Louis Public Library will host author, Wm. Stage, author of Fading Ads of St. Louis Before the billboard, there was the painted ad. Today, up to a century after they first appeared, vanishing paint on brick walls speaks to a time when commerce was much simpler and more direct. Few cities in America still have as many intriguing faded ads— ghost signs—as St. Louis. Fewer still are home to a scholar on the subject. Fading Ads of St. Louis is his tenth book. 325 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 795-2762.

Sat., Mar. 29, 12 noon, Damaged Goods: My Journey book signing release party for author and domestic violence survivor Atara Estes, Queen of Sheba, 6665 Olive Blvd University City, MO. For more information, visit www. soundthealarmoutreach.com

arts

Thurs., Mar. 27, 5 p.m., The Barnett on Washington presents The Vine and Canvas event. The event will feature a diverse collection of talented artists who will be displaying and discussing their work in a elegant Spanish mission environment. 3207 Washington Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (636) 448-1747.

Through Mar. 28, May Gallery presents Broken Roots: Illegal Immigration into the U.S. The dramatic reality of men, women and children making their way to the Mexico-US border

in search of a better life is the theme of a photographic essay by José HernándezClaire. Sverdrup Building, Webster University, 8300 Big Bend Blvd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 2467673.

Through March 29, Regional Arts Commission presents Gallery Opening: Latinicidad. RAC brings the tradition and vibrant culture of Latin American Carnaval to Saint Louis with its Latinicidad exhibition. Exhibit will run through Mar. 29. 6128 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 863-5811.

Wed., April 2, 7 p.m., Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis presents Poetry Reading: Mary Jo Bang, Devin Johnston, and Carl Phillips. 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit camstl.org.

Through April 3, An Activist Voice: The Art of Nanette Carter and Howardena Pindell. Instructional Resource Building, St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley Campus, 3400 Pershall Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 513-4861.

Through April 11, Art of Africa. Featuring over 100 pieces of beautifully crafted art and artifacts from the African continent, many made using wood indigenous to the areas of Africa in which they were created. The DeToye Student Gallery will feature the work of Liberty Middle School students. Edwardsville Art Center, 6165 Center Grove Rd., Edwardsville, IL. 62025. For more information, call (618) 655-0037.

Through April 12, 10th Street Gallery’s presentation of “Women in Textiles,” featuring 4 multi-talented women artists. Exhibit runs through April 12. 419 N. 10th Street. For more information, visit www.10thstreetgallery. com

lectures

Thur., Mar. 20, 7 p.m., From Ring Shout to Twerking: The Historical and Cultural Context of Black Female Sexuality in Dance. Educator Kartina Thompson will speak on dance as a cultural signifier that played starkly different roles in the societies of West African and Western Europe during the era of slavery. St. Louis Community College, Forest Park Campus, 5600

Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 644-9100.

Thurs., Mar. 20, 7:30 p.m., Touhill Performing Arts Center presents Michele Norris: Eavsedropping on America’s Conversation on Race. Award-winning journalist Michele Norris is one of the most recognized voices in radio. One University Dr., 63121.

Fri., Mar. 21, 12 p.m., Prostitots and Kinderwhores: Understanding and Responding to the Sexualization of Girls. This Women’s History Month event features a discussion about the trend in Western culture to sexualize girls and young women, especially through consumer products and social media. Training Center, St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley Campus, 3400 Pershall Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 513-4337.

Thur., Mar. 27, 6:30 p.m., FAFSA Frenzy. Families will be able to complete the 2014-15 FAFSA on site and obtain valuable informations. Scholarships will be drawn for students attending the events in Missouri. Winners will receive their cholarships upon receipt of enrollment verification for the 2014 fall semester at a Missouri postsecondary institution. St. Louis Community College, Wildwood Campus, 2645 Generations Dr., 63040. For more information, call Katie Martin at (636) 422-2000.

Tues., Mar. 25, 7 p.m.,

Abundant Life Fellowship Church hosts Most Powerful Voices Gospel Concert & Health Fair with special guest gospel legend Yolanda Adams. For more information, see HEALTH.

Lindenwood University Speaker Series presents Adam Steltzner. Steltzner, lead engineer at NASA for the Mars rover, Curiosity, will be speaking on, “How Curiosity Changed My Life.” This event is free and open to the public. Bezemes Family Theater, Lindenwood University, 2300 Clay St., 63301. For more information, call (636) 9494823.

Wed., Mar. 26, 11 a.m., The Strange Career of Annie Lee Moss: Rethinking Race, Gender and McCarthyism Educator Andrea Friedman will discuss the life of this African-American widow who worked as a clerk for the U.S. Army in the 1950s. She was accused by Sen. Joe McCarthy of being a Communist and threatening national security. St. Louis Community College, Forest Park Campus, 5600 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 644-9100.

Thur., Mar. 27, 5 p.m., American Slavery & Schools: Northern Opposition to Black Education, featuring

Craig Steven Wilder, Professor of History and Department Chair at MIT and the awardwinning author of Ebony & Ivory: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities (2013A reception will follow the talk and copies of Ebony & Ivory will be available for purchase. Boileau Hall, Saint Louis University, 38 N. Vandeventer Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 977-8621.

health

Thurs., Mar. 20, 3 p.m., Affordable Care Act Options and Enrollment. SBM has a Missouri grant-funded charter to educate small business owners on their options with the Affordable Care Act. ACA has two marketplaces relevant to small businesses: the Small Health Options Program (SHOP) and Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace. Paula Hughes, Certified Application Counselor with SBM, will present a two-part seminar on the Affordable Care Act. The first part (from 3-4 pm) will cover Options for Business Owners and employees of companies without companysponsored insurance. The second part (from 4-5 pm) will offer attendees assistance in enrolling from certified application counselors. IT Enterprises, 4633 World Pkwy Cir., 63134.

Thurs., April 3, 1 p.m., Kirkwood Community Center hosts Better Choices, Better Health® – Diabetes. This evidence-based workshop is free to any adult with type 2 diabetes. It is offered as part of a research study conducted by Stanford University and funded by the National Council on Aging. 111 S Geyer Rd., 63122. For more information, call 1-855-805-6168 or visit www.oasisnet.org.

Sat., April 5, 9 a.m., Tower Grove Park hosts Sprint for Skin Cancer 5K Run/3K Walk. Please join efforts to raise money for skin cancer research by participating.

All proceeds benefit skin cancer research at the Siteman Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. For more information about the raffle, with a grand prize valued at $1,000, and other information, visit www.spots.wustl.edu.

Sun., April 6, 7:30 a.m., Tower Grove Park hosts Race for Jane 5K Walk/Run. A 5k with a purpose, each runner will attach a story card to their race bib and run in honor of an anonymous survivor of sexual violence. 2853 S Grand Blvd., 63118. For more information, visit janedoeadvocacy. wordpress.com.

Fri., April 11, 4:30 p.m., Abundant Life Fellowship Church hosts Most Powerful Voices Gospel Concert & Health Fair. Join the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association for an evening of inspiration featuring Gospel Legend, Yolanda Adams. This event is designed to educate the African-American community about the risk factors associated with stroke. 6055 Parker Rd., 63033. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Fri., Mar. 21, 7 p.m., The Scottish Rite Cathedral presents Sounds of Praise featuring Tamela Mann. 3633 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Mar. 22, 9 a.m., St. Louis Airport Marriott Hotel hosts Independent Christian Author Book Fair. This fair has hopes to draw every Christian writer of every denomination and faith in the areas of fiction, non-fiction, self-help and children’s books. 10700 Pear Tree Ln., 63134.

Sun., Apr. 13, 11 a.m., Blessed Hope MB Church hosts a Sunday Brunch, Savoy Banquet Center. For more information, Call (314) 600-3099.

Be mindful of color

Many times people forget how much color plays into picking the perfect prom look. Long gone are the days of being “matchy matchy” with a date. Today, having more complementary colors is the way to make prom looks unforgettable instead of regretful. Nude colors are all the rage for the spring season, and that goes for prom as well. Nude can complement any prom theme as well as most types of tuxedos that dates will have. But if you happen to be like me, and enjoy a pop of color, then pastels are also big this season. As long as the color that is chosen is not worn from head to toe, the look will be a success.

Embrace the bling

“The more bling the better” is the motto I live by when it comes to dressing for any formal occasion. And prom is no exception. Incorporating the bling factor is a must when it comes to finalizing your look. But be careful to avoid a “bling overload” with accessories. Opt instead for the more ornate gowns that can be accompanied by one or two complimentary shiny pieces. For instance, if the dress is strapless, opt for either an ornate earring or a statement neck piece. If the dress has straps, it’s safe to either wear a blinged bracelet or cuff, or a cocktail ring.

Keep hair and makeup essentials in mind

Hair and makeup are just as important as the prom dress. There are so many hair and

makeup options and there are no limitations to either. Once the dress is chosen, consulting your hair and makeup professional is the best way to optimize the whole prom look. If one opts for a more fun, playful party dress instead of a more traditional gown, don’t be afraid of keeping the hair down with curls or waves. Not being afraid to rock short, cropped styles is a surefire way to be sure to stand out in the crowd of up-dos. Makeup choices should coincide with the overall look. Opting for softer tones that will still look youthful is the best way to go. The worst thing to do is to go for that “Real Housewife of Atlanta” heavy glaze when everyone

else is keeping it light and looks 17.

For more information about prom fashion, like Danie Rae, Style Broker on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ brokerofstyle

Wardrobe provided by Boutique Calla Lilly, 6195 Delmar (Loop), 314.367.6353

Hours: Mon – Fri 11-7, Sat 10 -5, Sun 12-4.

A special thanks to the Gateway Classic Sports Foundation. For more information on their upcoming activities contact www. gatewayclassic.org

to young women on the importance of independence when making life choices, especially as your peers might be doing otherwise.”

Now in its ninth year, the 2014 festival is based on the theme “coming of age” — a term that applies both to the films’ subject matter and many of the creators.

“Our festival’s development has advanced so much from its initial concept because it has been so well-received by our campus and St. Louis regional communities,” says ToliverDiallo. “We continue to enjoy bringing diverse voices together to witness magic on screen and discuss it afterwards. This helps us to grow our audience.”

The festival is sponsored by Washington University’ African and African-American Studies Program and its Film and Media Studies Program, both

in Arts & Sciences; the African Students Association; and the Brown School African Students Association, which will lead a post-show discussion each evening.

Other supporters include the Saint Louis Art Museum, which will provide thematically related crafts to attendees at the youth matinee. The Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and Saint Louis Missouri-Senegal Sister Cities will sponsor a reception

Saturday evening, following the screening of “Tey.”

In addition to creating new conversation and bucking stereotypes about Africa, the festival has given local audiences the opportunity to follow the progression of filmmaking – whether it’s on African soil or from the vantage point of African artists who chose cinema as their canvas.

“This year’s collection features filmmakers less established than those featured in previous years, but who

But be careful to avoid a “bling overload” with accessories. Opt instead for the more ornate gowns that can be accompanied by one or two complimentary shiny pieces.

have more formal training than the first generation of African filmmakers,” says Toliver-Diallo. “For this reason — and with advances in the digitization of the industry — audiences will see the continued evolution of the film industry in the vast continent and can make comparisons regionally.”

Screenings begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 28, 29 and 30. A special youth matinee will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday. On

Sunday night, “Alaskaland” director Chinonye Chukwu will introduce “Alaskaland” and host a Q&A immediately afterwards. All events are free and open to the public and take place in Brown Hall, Room 100, on the university’s Danforth Campus. For more information, visit: wupa.wustl.edu/africanfilm, email Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo at toliver-diallo@wustl.edu or call (314) 935-7879.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Art Museum Welcomes Director of Spelman College Museum of Fine Art

The Saint Louis Art Museum is excited to have the opportunity to highlight two art icons: Dr. Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, noted art historian, curator, writer, and museum director; and Charles White, mid-20th century master artist. In 1943, the Art Museum received, Card Players, the painting by Charles White, as a part of a gift from the Federal Works Administration. Dr. Brownlee, a Charles White scholar, authored the highly acclaimed book titled Charles White as part of the David C. Driskell Center Series of African American Art, V. 1, published by Pomegranate Communication in 2002. In recognition of the great contributions of both Dr. Brownlee and White, the Art Museum invites you to join us on Thursday, March 27 at 6:30 pm to welcome Dr. Brownlee as she discusses the life and artistry of Charles White in her lecture, The Life and Art of Charles White.

Dr. Brownlee, director of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art is an alumna of Spelman College and earned her Ph.D. in Art History from Duke University. She is widely recognized for her leadership, ambitious vision, and the impactful exhibition agenda that she has established at Spelman College. In 2011 she spearheaded 15 x 15 - an initiative to acquire 15 works of art in celebration of the Museum’s 15th anniversary.

The Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, dedicated in 1996, is located in the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Academic Center. The Center was built in honor of the wife of Dr. William H. Cosby, the world-renowned television and movie star, art collector and humanitarian. The Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Center also houses the Women’s Research and Resource Center, archives, a media center, classrooms and academic departmental offices.

Brownlee is the recipient of numerous academic, professional, and scholarly awards including a MacArthur Curatorial Fellowship in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Art Institute of Chicago (1998 - 2000), a Future Women Leadership Award from Art Table (2005), and the President’s Award from the Women’s Caucus for Art (2005). In 2010 she was awarded the inaugural Nexus Award from the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center and in 2013 she was the recipient of the prestigious David C. Driskell Prize.

Dr. Andrea Barwell-Brownlee

graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and later returned there to teach in 1939. A notable career as a painter and graphic artists took him from Chicago to New York, before settling in California. His work is recognized for its poetic style and depiction of the culture, life, and history of African Americans.

The Life and Art of Charles White

Thursday, March 27 at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Free • Cocktail reception in Gallery 337 at 6:30 pm Lecture at 7:00

Charles White (1918 – 1979) grew up in Chicago, Illinois, during the Great Depression; his art embodies the dignified yet sometimes dark spirit of Americans during that time. White

The boldly hued painting, Card Players, is on view in the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Gallery 337. Using characteristic figures of epic proportions, the artist elevates gamblers in a private social club to heroic stature through the boldness of the contours that define them.

We encourage you to attend the lecture, The Life and Art of Charles White, on Thursday, March 27 at the Saint Louis Art Museum. This free public program will begin with a cocktail reception and opportunity to see Card Players in Gallery 337 at 6:30 pm and the lecture will begin promptly at 7:00 pm in the Education Space, followed by a book signing. For more information and to rsvp please email Kimberly.jacobs@slam.org or call 314 655 5373.

in European decorative titled “Ornamental Blackness: The Black Body in European Art.”

Continued from C1 n This is the most comprehensive show of AfricanAmerican art and artists in St. Louis in the past decade, and it is not to be missed.

St. Louis on Tuesday, March 25. Adrienne Childs is an art historian and independent scholar at the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of Visual Arts at the University of Maryland, College Park. She has been awarded fellowships from the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University and the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute at Williams College. She recently co-edited a volume titled “The Black Body in European Visual Art of the Long Nineteenth Century: Spectacles of Blackness” and contributed to “Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit” and “Image of the Black in Western Art.” Childs is currently working on a project examining the presence of the black body

During her visit to St. Louis on March 25, Childs will give two free public lectures. At 11 a.m., she will give a Gallery Talk about

the show at the Saint Louis University Museum of Art. In this intimate venue, Childs will speak about her curatorial process, the details and history of the featured artwork, and

the enduring importance of this collection. This talk will be a unique opportunity to get background about how the artwork and the exhibit came together. At 7 p.m. Childs will give a lecture titled “Form, Culture and Memory: The Dynamics of African American Art in the Thompson Collection” in MacDermott Grand Hall at the Missouri History Museum. In this evening talk, Dr. Childs will speak about the work and importance of black women in the collection. This talk complements the Missouri History Museum’s ongoing programming around Women’s History Month. “Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African American Art” at the Saint Louis University Museum of Art (3663 Lindell Blvd.) is open Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 314-977-

Queen of Lane

Reunions

All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Beaumont Class of 1968 46th Reunion Family Picnic will be Saturday, June 7, 2014. Meetings to plan the picnic will be the 4th Saturday of February 22, March 22 and April 26, 2014 at 2 p.m. at STL County Library 7606 Natural Bridge.

For more information email bhsco1968@att.net or call 314 869-8312.

Sumner High School Classes of 1954 will celebrate its 60 year class reunion August 15-16, 2014 at the Sheraton Westport, Plaza Tower, 900 Westport Plaza. Contact Audrey Poindexter (314) 383-7174; ajpoin@att.net or Marlene May (314) 567-9629; onelene1@att.net.

Sumner High Class of 1974 has started planning its 40th class reunion. Meetings are held the third Saturday of the month from 2-4 pm at New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church, located at 4055 Edmundson Rd., St.

~ Celebrations ~

Louis, MO 63134. For more information please contact Denise (Washington) Nicks at Sumnerclassof74@yahoo.com, 314-642-3366 or Joyce (Bush) Cruesoe at cruesoe2195@att. net, 314-484-1552.

Sumner High School Class of 1984 is planning a 30 year reunion for August 22-24, 2014. For more information please contact Priscilla (Ms. Prissy) at 314-556-3944, or Robin Allen at 314-369-9549.

Vashon High School Class of 1964 has planned their 50th reunion weekend for September 19 -20, 2014. Please call or email any changes to your address, telephone number and/or

Finalist

Pattonville High School senior Selamawit Mulugeta was named a finalist in the National Merit Achievement Scholarship Competition. The National Achievement Scholarship Program is an academic competition that recognizes outstanding black American high school students.

Birthdays

Mattie Jean Baker (left) was all smiles as she celebrated her birthday on March 18. Her children, grandchildren, family and friends join in wishing her a very happy birthday. You’re the best!

Happy 1st Birthday to Ma’ Khai Levi (below) on March 17. You mean so much to me and the whole family. You are our angel, our joy and good luck charm, my St. Patrick’s Day baby! Love Mommy (La’ Toya), Your Big Sister Ma’ Kenzie and Family

Jalen C. Williams (14) — March 14 Joseph B. Dent — March 19

e-mail to Juliette Johnson at 314-781-2233 or jj0119@ aol.com or Thelma Hall at 314-869-4609 or tabbeytt@ prodigy.net or visit Facebook page: Vashon Class of 1964, for activities and updates.

Vashon Class of 1965 is planning for the 50th Class Reunion. The planning meeting will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Walnut Park Library, 5760 West Florissant at 2 pm. Classmates are encouraged to attend. For information call Cleo Sanders Chairman (314)383-1934.

Vashon High Class of 1974 has started planning its 40th class reunion. Meetings will

be held the second Sunday of each month, 3 p.m. at the Gateway Classic Sports Foundation, 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, St. Louis, MO 63106. Classmates can provide contact information by joining the group page at Yahoo Groups - vashon74 or by email to ljbady@yahoo.com. For more information please call 314-382-0890 or 314-6405842.

Vashon Classes of ’74, ’75 and ’76 present “3 Classes Under 1 Roof” March 29, 2014, 7 pm., at the Gateway Classic, 2012 Dr. MLK Dr., BYOB, Donation $10-$15 at the door. For tickets call: 314505-3823.

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 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

Congratulations Chasidy Monique Jones, Miss Lane College Queen 2014! She is the daughter of Angela and Rev. Charles Jones Jr. of Jennings, MO. Miss Jones, a computer science major, boasts a 3.6 grade point average. She performed a musical selection, “I Love the Lord” by Whitney Houston and won best talent.

School shoe drive is good fit for local church

Plus, churches partner with doctors to push health care enrollment

American staff

Jana Elementary recently wrapped up its shoe drive for the Shoeman Waterman Project, which collects donated shoes – any kind, new or gently used – and exports the shoes to street vendors in places like Haiti, Kenya and South America. The organization then uses the funds from exporting for clean water programs in communities around the world.

The Jana drive, coordinated by the school’s Student Ambassador group, collected 394 pairs of shoes from teachers, students and their families. Christian Pennington, a fourth grade student at Jana, mentioned the shoe drive to his father. Christian’s father is the Rev. Charles Pennington, pastor at Bethel Providence Christian Church in Florissant.

“Our church routinely collects shoes and clothing as part of our outreach ministry, so when my son mentioned that the school was putting together a shoe drive, it was a natural fit,” Pennington said. “For the shoes and clothes we collect, we work with Share My Kickz. I talked to their CEO, and here we are.”

Pennington also serves on the HSD (Hazelwood School District) Heroes advisory board. HSD Heroes is a districtwide program developed to increase the adult presence in Hazelwood schools through volunteer service.

The combined donation from the Bethel Providence Christian Church and Share My Kickz amounted to 300 pairs of shoes, giving Jana’s Student Ambassadors 694 pairs of shoes to donate.

“This was an unexpected collaboration on this shoe drive, and it turned out great,” said Karla Holland, school social worker and advisor for the Student Ambassadors. “Thank you to Pastor

Pennington and his congregation and to Share My Kickz. We really appreciate their support.”

“This project demonstrates just what students are capable of when we give them the opportunity, support and guidance,” said Sheilah Fitzgerald, Jana principal.

“An activity like this helps students build character, leadership skills and a sense of responsibility – all important traits to becoming successful adults. We’re so proud of them!”

Share My Kickz is a non-profit organization that collects shoes for residents at domestic violence shelters.

Rhonika Jones is the group’s CEO and founder.

“We are a non-profit organization that collects shoes for residents at domestic violence shelters,” Jones explained. “We are happy to help Jana students with such an important project.”

Churches partner with doctors

The National Medical Association (NMA), the nation’s largest organization of African-American physicians representing over 37,000 doctors, is partnering with Enroll America and African-American

religious denominations to help educate minority communities about the Affordable Care Act and increase public awareness of the opportunity for African Americans to have health insurance coverage. Twentyone percent or 1 in 5 African Americans under the age of 65 do not have health insurance coverage.

A recent survey by Enroll America showed that 68 percent of uninsured African Americans are unaware that financial help is available to help pay for the new health insurance options.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, six in 10 uninsured African Americans may qualify either for tax credits to purchase coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace or for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

NMA physicians will support Enroll America’s Faith Initiative beyond the first open enrollment deadline of March 31 and continue throughout the remainder of this year into 2015, helping to educate, inform, and provide screenings for the uninsured.

For more information about the NMA, visit http://www.nmanet.org/. To browse coverage options, and purchase your plan online, visit www.healthcare.gov.

I was recently supported by friends as I humbly spoke to the male members of a local church at a prayer breakfast and was reminded of how much I was impacted by Mark 2:5. The parable of the paralytic struck me in a way that has never left my consciousness.

If you remember, Jesus gave us all a candid perspective on how we should select our friends.

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, Son, your sins are forgiven.’” The operative words here are “their faith.” At this particular time, all those sermons about choosing your friends wisely became crystal clear.

Can you imagine the strength and power behind individuals who believe in you so strongly, who love the Lord so much, that He heals you because of them? If there was ever a place in the Bible that should make you realize that people who love God and you can make a difference in your life, this is it. For all you praying mothers out there, here’s proof that God through Christ is indeed listening.

I don’t have to remind some of you about the grief we’ve put those who love us through. Putting us in the hands of the Lord (through prayer) was their only alternative because, as the old folks used to say, our heads

were so hard that not only did we bruise ourselves, we also made their hearts bleed. I’m here today because the Lord entertained the pleas of others on my behalf. I was too dumb, too young and too spiritually immature to do so for myself. Mark 2:5 lets us know that the people you associate with, the people you hang out with, the family you’re born into can save you from you, even if you don’t believe they can. You see the friends of the paralytic might have given up on him, but they wouldn’t give up on God. These are the kind of folk you should want in your life. In the midst of your personal storms, you’re infinitely better off if you’ve got some of God’s storm troopers in your entourage. You need a few folk who will break down a few walls and ignore a few rules in the name of God for you. Don’t try to go it alone. You can start your journey by yourself, but you will surely need God-based help to finish it. Take inventory of your closest friends and relatives. Which would you want pleading your case

James A. Washington

The Rev. Charles Pennington, Rhonika Jones, Karla Holland and students in the Jana Elementary School Student Ambassador Club stand with the more than 300 pairs of donated shoes for their Shoeman Waterman Project.

Special School District honors educators

Plus, how the Small Business Development Center can help your business

American staff

Eight members of the Hazelwood School District staff were honored Thursday, March 5 by the Special School District for their work and commitment to special education. The honorees were recognized during the 2014 Special School District Salutes Banquet.

The Special Ambassador Award, the highest recognition given by SSD for extraordinary commitment to the students and/or staff of SSD, was awarded to Grayling Tobias, superintendent; Julia Burke, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services; Jeff Hoese, Hazelwood West High School; and Aaron Jackson, Hazelwood West High School.

The Key to the Classroom Award, which recognizes the achievements of teachers using innovate approaches to student learning, was awarded to Erin Wilson, Hazelwood West High School.

The SSD Building Block Award, which honors paraprofessionals who assist the lives of SSD students, was awarded to Cindy Fry, Garrett Elementary, and Charles Harris, Hazelwood West High School.

The SSD Lasting Impression Award, which recognizes individuals who make a difference in students’ lives both in and out of the classroom, was awarded to Matthew Moellering, Hazelwood West High School.

Small Business Development Center supports ‘Happy Up’

Co-owners Shawnta’ Ray and Rick Harmon are living examples of entrepreneurs who can toughen up when life throws them a steep challenge. They also know how to “Happy Up,” which is why – eight years ago – they incorporated their toy store business under that moniker.

The duo’s successful business, which currently includes storefronts in Glen Carbon, Ill. and Clayton, Mo., are solidly operational due to their own tenacity, extremely loyal customers and the support of the Small Business Development Center.

Ray, who worked for 10 years as a sales clerk and later as manager for the company’s previous owner, bought what was then known as Once Upon a Toy (Edwardsville) and LagoonaMagoo Toys (in O’Fallon, Ill. and St. Louis). The Small Business Administration (SBA) provided Happy Up with a guaranteed loan on their business.

In 2008 the recession hit, adversely affecting the nation’s small business community and especially independent toy retailers. After three years of anemic sales - combined with months of careful consideration - the pair made the difficult decision to close two locations and consolidate operations.

“The recession hit us hard,” said Ray. “We regrouped in Edwardsville

and opened our Clayton storefront in June 2012.”

All of these critical business decisions were not the only thing Ray had on her mind. “I was nine months pregnant at the time,” she added.

The birth of their healthy new baby was a burst of sunshine for the couple, right before having to face their biggest storm. Upon returning from an annual toy vendors’ expo

n Ray and Harmon were introduced to Justine Petersen – the region’s SBA-designated microlender – and secured a small loan to help finance holiday inventory.

in New York City, Ray and Harmon were notified by their local bank that it was calling their loan on the Edwardsville store building – despite the fact that the owners had kept pace with their loan commitment.

“We were blindsided,” she said. “We shared this news with the community, never imagining what would happen next.”

What happened next was that Ray’s smartphone began ringing with scores of long-time customers and fellow business owners in Illinois and Missouri who wanted to help keep the toy store’s doors from

closing. Hundreds of families came into the toy store and pleaded for it to remain open, according to Ray.

“It was incredible,” Ray remembered. “My phone began exploding with calls from generous people who appreciated not only our stores but also our community outreach.” The owners regularly host no-cost game nights at schools and retirement homes across the greater St. Louis region.

“In three days, about 1,000 people had collectively raised $80,000 through an online crowdfunding site,” Ray added. “Although we were initially reluctant to accept it, we ultimately decided it was okay and very necessary to continue keeping our business and our stores operating.

“The show of support, combined with the loyalty of our employees, was overwhelming to us. Concerned business leaders, long-time customers and kids with piggy banks full of coins reached out. It was truly amazing.”

The community’s generosity gave this small, independent retailer a glimmer of hope but did not get them completely out of the storm. Suppliers had become aware of their situation and many of them demanded upfront cash payments. The building’s owner sent notice of a rent increase. This is when the Small Business Development Center stepped in with an offer of help.

Metro East SBDC Director Patrick McKeehan helped analyze

the business’ financial situation and strategize how to use the community’s contribution. He connected Ray and Harmon with an experienced real estate professional to review the lease for a new retail space in Glen Carbon. SBDC staff explored low-cost marketing options and alternative financing to improve Happy Up’s cash position. Ray and Harmon were introduced to Justine Petersen – the region’s SBA-designated microlender – and secured a small loan to help finance holiday inventory.

“We’re grateful to Patrick for sharing their expertise with us,” Ray said. “The SBDC and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provided us with marketing expertise and options for accessing additional operating capital.”

In June 2013, what had been known as Once Upon a Toy moved to a brand-new space in Edwardsville Crossing, changing the name of its storefront there (and in Clayton) to Happy Up. The bright, sun-filled 4,000-square-foot space is attractively stocked with a wide selection of wooden toys, games for kids and adults, classic jigsaw puzzles, science experiment kits such as Build a Catapult, a Geyser Tube that launches soda with a single roll of Mentos and much more.

“We’re positioned as a go-to store for creative, quality birthday gifts for as little as $10, and that includes free giftwrap,” said Ray.

“The Rody Horse (a hippity hop ride-on horse made of brightly colored, super-strong vinyl) is our best seller.”

Patrons will no doubt be attracted to the Glen Carbon location’s 14-foot rubber chicken replica, suspended in mid-air over a neon-green sofa in the store’s play area. Both are cherished holdovers from the Once Upon A Toy days and now constant reminders of the joy in being “Happy Up.”

The Metro East SBDC assists start-up ventures and existing businesses headquartered in the Metro East region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. It is a service to the community supported by the SBA.

To learn how the SBDC can help your small business, contact the Metro East SBDC at 618-650-2929 or sbdcedw@gmail.com.

Eight members of the Hazelwood School District staff were honored by the Special School District at the 2014 Special School District Salutes Banquet.

Snap of the

314 Day grand slam. The folks at Radio One St. Louis did the doggone thing last Friday with their photo tribute to 314 Day at the top of Art Hill. I found it hee-larious to the see the utter shock and confusion on the faces of the folks who were casually coming by to check out the latest exhibit at the Saint Louis Art Museum only to be met by a sea of the city’s more soulful element on their way in. But it was all good as the faithful Hot 104.1 FM listeners came through to kick it and pose – and that bi-polar St. Louis weather behaved itself and gave us a glorious sunny day. The reports on the turnout have ranged from 20,000 to 500 and I’m the worst person at giving crowd estimates – except for knowing whether or not it was a win…and the 314 Day 2014 was exactly that. Staci Static was on the air and plenty of the Hot team was on deck… like Mz Janee, Sinamin, and Boogie D. Local celebs like Jibbs and Lil St. Louis (who needs to calm down) and the rib snacks from the Rib Shack also helped hold Art Hill down as the backdrop for a banging block party in honor of our city. I can’t wait to see what they come up with for 2015.

D’Bess wine, D’Worse name. Since the folks were already in the spirit of showing St. Louis love, plenty of the people who posed for Radio One St. Louis’ STL selfie moseyed on down to Randall’s to support the latest liquor venture of St. Lunatic brothers Kyjuan and Murphy Lee. They unveiled their D’Bess wine and it’s delicious if I do say so myself. I liked Freaky Moscato too. I’ve decided that based on the taste that they’ve mastered the art of making good wine, but they can’t pick names for them to save their lives. And wine seems like it would be so easy to name. I know about five words of French, but I’m fluent at making words sound French – which is really all you need for a good name. For example: U Cite’ Saint Louis (pronounced U-ci-tey-San-Louie)…doesn’t that sound delicious. Yep, it’s fake French for U. City St. Louis (I know it’s obvious, but I felt like I had to pat myself on the back). Or if they wanted to be more urban with it – since they obviously do- let’s go with Corte Norde Rachee’. I know. It sounds like it will burst with flavor in your mouth, right? So peep the translation. Corte Norde actually is French…for North Side. And rachee’ is fake French for ratchet. Anyway, I said all of that to say that their wine is absolutely fantastic…they just need a name to do it justice.

A 314 capacity crowd at the Coliseum. I feel like I’m being utterly redundant by once again mentioning that the Coliseum was packed out with folks – but hey, this time it was for 314 Day and “Basketball Wives” star Brittish and her boo thang were in the building so it makes it completely different, right? I didn’t think so either, but I tried it. I felt like it was of note to mention that the club was probably as packed as I’ve EVER seen it. Haggard hip-hop and hilarious interludes. Even as I walked in expecting the worst from the rappers on the bill of the Comedy and Old School HipHop House Party, I still would have left the Fox thinking “are you serious” had Rickey Smiley not had me laughing all the way out the door. I’m going to leave Big Bank Hank alone because he’s clearly sick, but he knew good and well that he was the ONLY original member of the Sugar Hill Gang! My memory may be fading, but I don’t know how in the world they thought they would convince anybody that light skinned dude with the cornrow extensions was Master G. Help. Big Daddy Kane was the only one who was salvageable. And I’m gonna let y’all in on a little secret. Salt N Pepa is not pleased with me for the last thing I wrote about their lackluster performance in Partyline. Somebody needs to tell them to go ahead and stay mad –because that mess Saturday night was the P.I.T.S. I didn’t even recognize Pepa at first. I thought maybe she was off with Spinderella doing her own Salt N Pepa and the person on stage with Salt was the love child of Tamar Braxton and Lil Kim (circa 2008) or a female impersonator who performs under the name Mr. Pepa. Pep was giving her best Mrs. Carter World tour attempt at working the stage, flinging her weave and what not. Meanwhile Salt – who looked fantastic aside from the shogun ponytail – reminded me of a lady who refused to put her heart into it during a Zumba class I took at the downtown YMCA. The lady might have been me. Anyway, their set was a bust from start to finish. The best part of their offering was when the elderly casket sharp man decided he was gonna get up there and seduce Pepa, but Rickey had to come and help him because he had fallen and couldn’t get up. Rickey Smiley was the saving grace of the show (DJ Kut deserves a nod for warming the folks up. Shout out to Cedric The Entertainer for stopping through too!). And when he followed up Salt’s testimony/ Stomp performance with his impersonation of a solo by the oldest of church mothers, I cackled so hard that I’m sure somebody had to dig my Extra Sugar Free Classic Bubble out of their favorite club wig.

NFL at EXO. I see all it takes is a first round home team NFL star to restore a club to its glory! When I tell you the folks were lined up (well, maybe just piled in…but still) to see St. Louis Rams star Tayvon Austin rep for team Pisces at EXO, know that it was the truth. The groupies were lined up in six inch heels and 17 inch Malaysian Remy quick weave sew-ins to get in his line of sight. I had a good time watching it all go down too! I don’t know if the heels were too high, or the hair was too big, but I never did see Mr. Austin with my own eyes. I still had a great time though and want to thank the Close To Famous folks for teaming up with EXO to pull the evening together.

Sanchez, Jibbs and DJ were just a few of the folks who came out to show STL love @ Radio One’s 314 Day celebration and live broadcast Friday afternoon @ Art Hill

Bridgette, Zetravia, and Niecy repped for St. Louis during the 314 Day Party Friday night @ The Coliseum

Temeka and b-day girl Tifani ushered in another year with a bang thanks to the 314 Day edition of The Goods Friday night @ Soho

Brittish Williams of Basketball Wives LA fame and her fiancé Lorenzo Gordon made their way to the Coliseum on Friday for 314 Day

Comedian and radio personality Rickey Smiley was overjoyed when his “big brother in the comedy game” Cedric the Entertainer stopped by the Fox for Smiley’s Comedy and Old School Hip-Hop House Party Saturday night

Briana, b-day girl Tierra, and Keesha were in celebration mode Saturday night @ EXO

St. Louis reppers like Murphy Lee, Young Dip, Tatum, Triky,City Spud, Kyjuan and Topher were deep in the building for the 314 Day edition of The Goods Friday night @ Soho

Rustic Goat owner David pulled away from work for a second to snap a photo with birthday boy Daryel Oliver Saturday night

Cameron, Al, Kevin, Jameisha and Comedian Jovan Bibbs had some family fun times Friday night @ The Rustic Goat

Ms V and Theresa were looking extra fresh in vintage Salt N Pepa ensembles @ Rickey Smiley’s Comedy and Old School Hip Hop House Party Saturday night @ The Fox Theater

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

The deadline is approaching!

By Denise Hooks Anderson, M.D. Medical Accuracy Editor

Several years ago a former babysitter for my children called to inform me that her teen daughter was complaining about abdominal pain. Mrs. Walker, for anonymity purposes, was concerned and wanted my opinion on what to do next. She and her family did not have health insurance and received most of their care from a local Federally Qualified Health Center. The husband had an engineering background but his employment included only contract work where insurance was not an option or was too expensive for a family of five. Prior to this situation, this family had no major medical expenses and was able to reasonably afford acute care and pediatric well care.

I explained to the mother that I really needed to examine her daughter and invited them to my home to do so. Once they arrived, I noticed immediately that their daughter did not look well. She was pale, moved slowly and deliberately across the room, and she felt warm. My examination revealed that she had right lower quadrant pain and to all medical providers this was indicative of acute appendicitis until proven otherwise.

I now had the unpleasant task of explaining to this hard working American family that their daughter needed an emergency room visit, a CT scan of her abdomen, blood work, possible surgery and hospitalization. If this were indeed an inflamed appendix and it ruptured, this could potentially kill her. I recall feeling nauseated as I explained what was happening that day. As a parent, I could not imagine being placed in such a predicament, wondering in my mind how I was going to afford such care. The concern in the parent’s eyes brought tears to mine.

Denise Hooks Anderson, M.D.

Of course, the parents asked me approximately how much I thought this would cost and I replied thousands of dollars. Hospital stays are astronomical! Everything is overpriced. For this particular case, you also have to factor in the imaging costs, the fee for the doctor who read the x-ray, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, the cost of the operating room, medicines given including Tylenol and a host of other costs.

After the parents recovered from their sticker shock, they simply said they would cross that bridge once at the hospital. A visit to one of the local children’s hospital confirmed that Mrs. Walker’s daughter had acute appendicitis and needed emergency surgery. The teen’s hospital course was unremarkable and she recovered without complications. In addition, the family was able to work out a payment plan and survived this near bankruptcy catastrophe.

In 2013, an estimated 2 million people filed bankruptcy due to medical debt. Approximately 25 million people refuse to fill medications, forego doctor’s visits, or miss doses of medications because of financial hardship. Families have to juggle food, meds, needed preventative tests, and living expenses every month.

After experiencing stories like this on a regular basis, I find it hard to understand some of our society members who continue to believe that basic access to health insurance is not our collective responsibility. Believe it or not, everyone pays for the uninsured, including you. Hospitals have to recoup their losses somehow and insured patrons constitute the shortfall.

The aforementioned example was an emergency and could not be avoided. But what about the thousands of patients that utilize the emergency rooms for

non-urgent matters like upper respiratory infections or ear infections simply because they lack a primary care provider? Having an emergency room physician treat a minor illness is analogous to using an AK-47 to kill a gnat! It is beyond impractical and a waste of needed resources.

We now have the opportunity to provide our citizens with affordable health care, but the process has been laden with attempts to repeal the law, computer inefficiencies, states who refused to expand Medicaid and tremendous amounts of false information being fed to the public to dissuade sign up.

The technical issues have improved and there are countless forums around the country explaining the process and its benefits. Many health facilities also have workers who will assist patients in signing up and using the website. Please do not allow a lack of understanding to prevent you or your loved ones from getting health insurance.

Open enrollment for the health insurance marketplace ends March 31st. Visit www.healthcare.gov to get started or if you lack access to a computer call 1-800-318-2596 for personal assistance. Remember, if you do not have health insurance in 2014, you may be penalized.

Yours in Service, Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Assistant Professor SLUCare Family Medicine yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

Your Health Matters

A bi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American March 20, 2014

Your Health Matters provides up-to-date information, from an African-American perspective, about one of the most important subjects in evryone’s life – their personal health.

Donald M. Suggs, President and Publisher

Kevin Jones, Senior Vice President, COO

Dina M. Suggs, Senior Vice President

Chris King, Editorial Director

Denise Hooks Anderson, M.D., Medical Accuracy Editor

Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter

Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach

Onye Hollomon, Barb Sills, Pamela Simmons, Sales

Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager

Angelita Jackson, Cover Design

Wiley Price, Photojournalist

Ignoring high blood pressure as a teen led to kidney failure

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

Lauren A. Hickman has a fulfilling schedule as an associate minister and administrative assistant to the senior pastor at West Side Missionary Baptist Church, after receiving a new kidney in May 2013.

Preceding the transplant was 11 years of dialysis for End Stage Renal Disease, due to kidney failure that was the result of uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Hickman said he first learned he had hypertension as a teenager, but was not prescribed medication until he was in his 20s.

“I believe that mostly because of my age and me not taking my health seriously, I didn’t understand the ramifications of me not taking my blood pressure medication,” Hickman said.

Once he was prescribed medication, Hickman explained, “At that time, they really tried to stress to me that it’s really important that you take this medicine. ‘If you don’t take your medicine it can lead to kidney failure.’”

When he heard that, Hickman said he straightened up and flew right for a little bit, but fell back into not taking his medicine as prescribed.

“Foolishness,” is how he now describes his not wanting to be proactive in his health, although at the time he was not really feeling very good or bad – just “blah,” frequent fatigue, but something he couldn’t pinpoint.

“In the back of my head I kind of knew what it was,” he said.

We all realize there is never a convenient time to get sick. Hickman was across the country in Rand, West Virginia, chaperoning a youth mission trip, when the uncontrolled HBP caught up with him.

“That was July 18, 2002. Honestly, I wasn’t feeling good when I left and in the back of my head, I hadn’t been taking my medication. And on the third day of that trip, I just told them I needed to go to the hospital, something is going on,” Hickman said.

What was actually going on – his kidneys were shutting down. Hickman was taken to a hospital in Charleston, West Virginia.

“One of the first thing they did was to test my creatinine levels and when they did that, they knew immediately I was in End Stage Renal Failure and I was receiving my first dialysis treatment, probably three hours later,” he said.

by Wiley Price

Lauren A. Hickman has a fulfilling schedule as an associate minister and administrative assistant to the senior pastor at West Side Missionary Baptist Church, after receiving a new kidney in May 2013.

Creatinine is a chemical waste product of creatine, a chemical produced in the body to supply energy to the muscles. Creatinine is removed from the body through the kidneys. When the kidneys are not functioning properly, creatinine levels in the bloodstream elevate because they it is not being eliminated through urine.

Hickman spent 14 days in the hospital, the first nine in the intensive care unit.

“During that hospital stay, a lot of what went through my mind was, why

didn’t I take my health seriously than I had in times before,” he said. “If I had I wouldn’t have found myself in the condition that I was in.”

Regret was quickly replaced by faith and encouragement from loved ones and friends.

Another chaperone on the trip stayed with him in West Virginia until he could travel back to St. Louis, where his dialysis center was already selected, contacted and treatment set up before arriving home.

For many years, the three days-per-

week of dialysis were doing the job, but eventually, time away from family and friends was taking too big of a chunk out of his quality of life.

“These six hours, three days-a-week that I am spending, there are other things I could do with that time,” Hickman said. When traveling to see family, friends or to attend an event, at some point Hickman knew he always had to stop at some point to dialysis treatment.

After his kidney transplant last year

See KIDNEY, page 4

Photo

World Health Org advises cutting sugar intake in half

The World Health Organization recently released new draft guidelines that reduce the recommended free sugar intake from less than 10 percent to half of that, five percent of total energy intake consumed. The update comes after WHO analyzed all published scientific studies on sugar consumption, weight gain and tooth decay.

“The suggested limits on intake of sugars in the draft guideline apply to all monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar) that are added to food by the manufacturer, the cook or the consumer, as well as sugars that are naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates,” the new proposal states.

The currently recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Daily Values for adults and children age 4 and older is 300 grams of total carbohydrates. At 5 grams per teaspoon, that’s 60 teaspoons a day. That’s the sugar you spoon, sprinkle, eat, taste and don’t taste; see and don’t see.

Public comments will be taken through by WHO through the end of the month before making its final recommendations. For more information, visit http://www. who.int/nutrition/sugars_public_consultation/en/.

KIDNEY

Continued from page 3 and a problem-free recovery, attributed in part to plenty of family support, Hickman’s lifestyle is that of a healthy transplant recipient.

“I do have a medicine regime that I will be on for the rest of my life. There are anti-rejection drugs that I take daily and then part of my medication routine is for blood pressure, but I’ve probably never been on such a low dosage before,” Hickman said.

“Now that I have a healthy functioning kidney, when I left the hospital they told me there were three things that I would never be able to eat, and those three things are grapefruit, pomegranate and star fruit.

I don’t eat that stuff anyway.”

They would go against his anti-rejection drugs.

Find out more about organ and tissue donation from Mid America Transplant Services at https://www.mts-stl.org.

HealtHy Recipe

Linguine with Artichokes and Lemon

Ingredients:

Serves 3 (6 oz per serving)

9 oz. – Linguine noodles

8 oz. – Artichoke hearts, quartered, drained

Three-quarter cup – Low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup – Onions or scallions, thinly sliced

One-fourth cup – Heavy cream

1 tablespoon – Olive oil

Two lemons – (cut into wedges)

1 teaspoon – Lemon peel or zest

One-half teaspoon – Rosemary (chopped fresh, if possible)

3 teaspoons – Parsley, chopped

Preparation:

• In a medium sauce pan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add linguine noodles and stir occasionally until slightly tender. (approx. 7-8 minutes).

• Artichoke sauce: While noodles are boiling, add oil to a medium frying pan on medium to high heat. Stir in onions and rosemary until softened (approx. 1-2 minutes). Add artichokes, broth, cream, and lemon zest and stir until boiling for 1-2 minutes.

• Drain linguine and return to pan. Add sauce to pan, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix linguine with artichoke sauce.

• Serve into dishes and top with lemon wedges to be squeezed over pasta for lemon freshness.

Nutrition Information: (per serving)

Calories: 421 (135 calories from fat)

Total Fats: 15g (Monounsaturated: 5.9g, Polyunsaturated: 1.0g; Saturated: 6.3g; Trans Fat: 0)

Cholesterol: 77mg

Carbohydrates: 66g

Sugar: 5g

Dietary Fiber: 13g

Protein: 14g

Potassium: 451mg

Sodium: 118mg

Established in 1988, Food Outreach is a volunteer-based organization focused on providing nutritious meals and nutrition counseling at no cost to low-income men, women, and children living with Cancer or HIV/AIDS. In 2013, we provided 508,681 meals to more than 2,000 people ages 6 to 91 residing in 174 Missouri and Illinois zip codes.

HealtH Briefs

Free charity dental clinic at Chaifetz seeks volunteers

Missouri Mission of Mercy (MOMOM) is looking for volunteers in advance of its large-scale charity dental clinic, to be held at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Friday and Saturday, May 2-3, 2014.

Missouri Dental Association (MDA) and MDA Foundation are hosting the event, which will provide free dental care to underserved people of all ages. Up to 2,000 patients are expected at the on those dates. This marks the third Mission of Mercy event in Missouri and there is a great need for volunteers to make it a success.

“A variety of healthcare providers from across the state, including dentists, hygienists, assistants, lab technicians, physicians, nurses and many non-dental community volunteers are needed to donate their services to hundreds of underserved patients in the area,” said Dr. Stuart Waite, 2014 MOMOM co-chair. “More than 1,000 volunteers made each of the past the MOMOM events in Springfield and Cape Girardeau a success, collectively providing dental care to more than 3,600 patients. We’re issuing that same call.”

MOMOM, supported by the Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Foundation, also seeks non-dental community volunteers.

“There are opportunities for volunteers as patient escorts, translators, food service, site set-up and tear-down, clean-up, equipment loading and unloading, park-

ing and security,” said Waite. “It really is a full-scale event.”

Since its inception, MOM events

have provided care to more than 135,000 patients and provided nearly $76 million in free services nationwide.

org.

Link discovered between acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer

SLU researchers suggest link between illnesses may help doctors

In a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Saint Louis University researchers have found a link between acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and pancreatic cancer, a finding which may eventually lead to some pancreatic cancers being detected earlier.

Principle investigator Banke Agarwal, M.D., associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at Saint Louis University, said the study builds on earlier research suggesting a connection between the two illnesses.

“Our study demonstrates that there is a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with acute pancreatitis than commonly believed,” Agarwal said.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the U.S. It is usually diagnosed at an

advanced stage because it has few early warning signs and no established screening method.

Only 4 percent of those who have pancreatic cancer survive five or more years after diagnosis. This low survival rate is in large part due to the advanced stage when most pancreatic cancer is diagnosed. Surgical removal is the only chance to cure pancreatic cancer, but surgery is not an option in cases where the cancer has spread. At diagnosis, fewer than 20 percent of cases of pancreatic cancer are still localized enough to be removed surgically.

Prior to this study there was some evidence of a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer in patients who are diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. What was unknown, however, was the rate that acute pancreatitis precedes a diagnosis of pancreatic

find cancer earlier

cancer and the time between these two diagnoses.

Using the electronic health records of patients from the Veterans Health Administration between 1998 and 2007, researchers were able to determine the likelihood that a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer follows a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, how often pancreatic cancer is preceded by acute pancreatitis, and the time between an initial episode of acute pancreatitis and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In addition, researchers identified patient characteristics most associated with a greater pancreatic cancer risk.

The study shows that in patients older than 40 with an episode of acute pancreatitis, 1.5 percent were eventually diagnosed with pancreatic cancer compared to 0.13 percent of patients without a prior episode of acute pancreatitis. In addition,

12.1 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer had an episode of acute pancreatitis prior to the diagnosis of their cancer. Age also was found to significantly impact the risk of pancreatic cancer, with patients older than 70 having almost four times the risk of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer compared to patients between the ages of 41 and 50.

In addition, of all the cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed after an episode of acute pancreatitis, 55 percent were diagnosed three to 24 months after the episode of pancreatitis.

In light of the late stage when pancreatic cancer is typically diagnosed, the study’s authors suggest that patients over the age of 40 with acute pancreatitis should be evaluated for pancreatic cancer with esophageal ultrasound.

Volunteers must register online from now through mid-April at www.momom.

A real treasure

Treasure Long (in front, wearing name tag) waits for her balloon creation at the JDRF T1D and Me Retreat. Treasure is 9 years old and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was only 23-months old.

Sat. Mar. 22, 6p.m. – 10 p.m., Lupus Foundation’s Purple Ball, Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel Majestic Ballroom, 800 Washington Ave. For more information, visit lfaheartland.org.

Tues. Mar. 25, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., Diabetes Alert Day, Christian Hospital Diabetes Institute, Physicians Office Bldg. 1 #101 N. Registration is required by calling call 314-747-WELL (9355) or 1-877747-WELL (9355).

Tues., Mar. 25, 1 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Diabetes Alert Day, Christian Hospital Main Lobby, 11133 Dunn Rd. Registration is required by calling call 314-747-WELL (9355) or 1-877747-WELL (9355).

Fri. Mar. 28, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Health Insurance Literacy: Identifying Awareness & Promoting Healthy Communities, J.C. Penney Conference Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis North Campus. Fee $10 until March 14, when it increases to $20. For more information, call 314-516-6590 or register online at http://bit.ly/1mHO1Vz.

Sat. Apr. 5, 6:30 p.m. – 11 p.m., Christian Hospital Auxiliary Golden Charity Ball, Norwood Hills Country Club, One Norwood Hills Country Club Drive, St. Louis, 63121. RSVP

Calendar

by March 21. Cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, live auction and dancing with the Ralph Butler Band. For more information, contact the Auxiliary office at 314-653-5634, Sheryl McClary at 314653-5193 or via email at SMcClary@bjc. org.

Sun. Apr. 6, 2:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., A Tasteful Affair, Food Outreach’s 26th Annual Food & Auction Extravaganza, The Ballroom at The Four Seasons Hotel, 999 North 2nd Street, St. Louis. Guests will enjoy signature tastings from 50 of their favorite restaurants and caterers; proceeds benefit persons living with cancer and HIV?AIDS in the greater St. Louis area. For tickets or more, visit www.foodoutreach.org or call 314-6523663 Ext. 122.

Sat & Sun. Apr. 5 & 6, Go! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend, Half marathon, marathon, marathon relay, 5K run/walk, Mature Mile, Go! St. Louis Read, Right & Run marathon and Children’s Fun Run. For more information, visit gostlouis.org.

Sat. Apr. 12, 6 p.m., 24th Annual Orchid AAFAir, by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter at Four Seasons St. Louis. Cocktail reception and silent auction at 6 p.m. with dinner and live auction at 7:30 p.m. For more information,

visit aafastl.org/orchid.

Sat. Apr. 26, 8:30 a.m., NKF St. Louis Kidney 3K Walk, Saint Louis University, Laclede Park. Registration at 8:30; walk starts at 10. Event includes live bands, clowns, face painting, kid’s tent, photo booth and a healthy living tent. For more information, call 314-9612828 or visit www.kidneywalk.org.

Sat., Apr. 26, 8 a.m., St. Louis March for Babies, Upper Muny Parking Lot in Forest Park. Registration at 8 a.m. and walk begins at 9 a.m. For more information, call 314-513-9990 or visit www.marchforbabies.org.

Sat. May 3, 4 p.m., St. Louis Walk to End Lupus, Carondelet Park. For more information, call 314-644-2222 or visit www.lfaheartland.org.

Sat., May 10, 4 p.m. Metro East March for Babies, GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill.,2301 Grizzlie Bear Blvd. Registration at 4p.m. and event begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 314-513-9990 or email MO633@marchofdimes.com.

Sundays, 10 a.m. – Alcoholics Anonymous Group 109 meets in the 11th floor conference room at Christian Hospital, 11133 Dunn Road at I-270/ Hwy. 367. This is an open meeting for

alcoholics, drug addicts and their family and friends.

Mondays, 7 p.m. – “Tobacco Free for Life” support group – free weekly meetings at St. Peters Mo. City Hall. Supported by SSM Cancer Care; RSVP initial participation to 636-947-5304.

Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. – Alcohol and Drug Informational meeting, Christian Hospital, Professional Office Building 2, Suite 401. For information, call 314-839-3171.

Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. –STEPS Schizophrenia Support Group This nationally recognized program provides education and support for those with schizophrenia. Group is facilitated by an experienced STEPS nurse. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

First Thursdays, 10 a.m. – Family Support Group by NAMI St. Louis, The Alliance on Mental Illness at Transfiguration Lutheran Church, 1807 Biddle Street. No registration needed; no cost. For more information, call 314962-4670.

Free psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations are confidential at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. Call 314-839-3171.

Photo by Dave Myers

Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment climbs to 5 million

Enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace continued to rise in February to a five-month total of 4.2 million and a mid-March figure at 5 million. The number of young adults selecting insurance plans continues to climb as well. Based on enrollment patterns in other health care programs, it is expected that more people will sign up as we get closer to the March 31 deadline.

“Now, during this final month of open enrollment our message to the American people is this: you still have time to get covered, but you’ll want to sign up today – the deadline is March 31st,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Key findings from the report released March 11 include:

More than 4.2 million (4,242,300) people selected Marketplace plans from Oct. 1, 2013, through Mar. 1, 2014,

including 1.6 million in the State Based Marketplaces and 2.6 million in the Federally-facilitated Marketplace. About 943,000 people enrolled in the Health Insurance Marketplace plans in the February reporting period, which concluded March 1, 2014.

Of the more than 4.2 million:

• 55 percent are female and 45 percent are male;

• 31 percent are age 34 and under;

• 25 percent are between the ages of 18 and 34;

eligible to receive Financial Assistance (up one point).

Today’s report details state-by-state information where available. In some states, only partial datasets were available.

n The 18- 34 age range make up 38 percent of Missourians insured through the Marketplace.

• 63 percent selected a Silver plan (up one percentage point over the prior reporting period), while 18 percent selected a Bronze plan (down one point); and

• 83 percent selected a plan and are

The report features cumulative data for the five-month reporting period because some people apply, shop, and select a plan across monthly reporting periods. Enrollment is measured as those who selected a plan.

An addendum to the report, released by the HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning or Evaluation, tallied enrollment figures by state.In Missouri, 74,469 individuals selected health plans; 56 percent were female and 44 percent were male. The

Silver plan was the most popular selection at 62 percent, Bronze, 19 percent, Gold at 17 percent and Catastrophic at 2 percent and no selections of the Platinum plan.

The 18- 34 age range make up 38 percent of Missourians insured through the Marketplace, followed by ages 55-64 at 31 percent; ages 45-54 at 22 percent; ages 35-44 at 16% and 4 percent under age 18. Persons age 65 and over, 0 percent.

Eighty five percent of Missourians who selected health plans are receiving some financial assistance with 15 percent not receiving assistance.

To read the report visit: http:// aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2014/ MarketPlaceEnrollment/Mar2014/ ib_2014mar_enrollment.pdf

Are there additional options for kidney dialysis treatments? HealtHy Q & a

The answer comes from Pablo Dayer, MD, a board certified nephrologist, specializing in kidney disease and hypertension at Medical Specialists of St. Luke’s Hospital. He is the medical director of NxStage Kidney Care St. Louis.

Twenty-six million American adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Millions more are at risk. Many people do not realize that they have weak or failing kidneys. Early detection and treatment can help slow or prevent the progression of CKD. If kidney disease does progress to the point where dialysis is required, there are many treatment options available. Working with patients closely on a customized plan that suits their individual needs can make a difference. Most patients want more control over their care. Knowing they have real treatment options can alleviate the stress of a CKD diagnosis. Patients ask, “Why can’t I have more control?” “Why is my only choice three-times-a-week in-center dialysis?”

At NxStage Kidney Care of St. Louis, we have tried to address these concerns by offering a range of flexible treatment options in a warm and comfortable atmosphere. Our clinical team takes the time to listen to both patients and their care partners to make sure they get the attention and educational information they deserve.

Most of the nearly 400,000 patients on dialysis make a tri-weekly trip to their nearest dialysis center in order to have their blood cleansed and fluid removed, a treatment that typically takes approximately three to four hours. These treatments often wear patients out and it can take hours for patients to recover. Dialyzing more frequently than three times a week, however, for those patients deemed medically appropriate for such therapy by their physicians, provides patients with an option that may allow them to enjoy a better quality of life. If a patient chooses more frequent therapy, the treatment time will be shorter, the recovery time could be as little as 30 minutes and the patient may experience quality of life benefits such as more energy, improved appetite, and better sleep. From a clinical perspective, patients on more frequent dialysis (as compared to the traditional three-timesa-week dialysis) may be able to decrease their need for blood pressure medicine, reduce the stress on the heart and live longer.

We support the patients’ right – in consultation with their physician – to choose the medically appropriate option that best fits their needs.

For patients who choose home dialysis (either peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis), we will train them and their care partners to help ensure a successful transition to home. We also offer and provide respite dialysis care, which allows home patients to come to the cen-

ter periodically to dialyze if they feel the need to give themselves and/or their care partners a break from the responsibility of home hemodialysis. For patients who choose to dialyze in our center, we will work with them to customize their treatment times to fit their schedule. We offer patient-focused service and find that the key to a happy, healthier patient is not only making sure that the patient ends up with the dialysis therapy that best suits

the patient’s needs, but supporting the patient with a committed team of specialists – including experienced dieticians to share expert advice on healthy eating, compassionate social workers to help with the stresses that accompany dialysis and devoted nurses to provide a high level of personalized nursing attention. For more information, visit www. nxstagekidneycare.com.

Behavioral

Christian Hospital offers free and confidential psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

Christian Hospital Key Program offers support and education to patients with chronic mental illness to prevent increased severity of symptoms and to reduce the need for inpatient re-hospitalization. Call confidentially to 314-8393171 or 1-800-447-4301.

Crime Victim Advocacy Center provides no cost support for persons affected by criminal acts. Email peggy@supportvictims.org, visit or call the 24-hour hotline 314-OK-BE-MAD (652-3673) or visit www.supportvictims.org.

Bike helmet safety

The St. Louis County Health Department provides free bicycle helmets to St. Louis County residents between ages 1 and 17 by appointment only. Proof of residency is required. For the location nearest you, visit www. tinyurl.freebikehelmets.

HealtH ResouRces

Breast Cancer Gateway to Hope offers no-charge medical and reconstructive treatment for uninsured breast cancer patients in Missouri. Contact 314-569-1113.

Dental

Free Dental Hygiene Clinic - No charge dental exams, x-rays, cleanings and other dental services for children and adults provided by dental students at Missouri College. Patients needing more extensive dental work (fillings, crowns, etc.) will be referred to local dentists. For information, call 314-768-7899.

Diabetes

SSM St. Mary’s Health Center provides free, Diabetes Support Group sessions the second Tuesday of every month from 6 – 7 p.m. to address health management issues. It’s located at Meeting Room 1 on the second floor, 6420 Clayton Rd. in St. Louis. To register, call toll free 866-SSM-DOCS (866-7763627).

Health Partnerships

The Center for Community Health and Partnerships: Building Bridges for Healthy Communities works to develop and support beneficial community-ac-

ademic partnerships to address the health needs of the St. Louis. For more information, email publichealth@wustl. edu; phone 314-747-9212 or visit publichealth.wustl.edu.

Information

Missouri 2-1-1 offers referral and information on a wide range of social service and helpful resources. Call 2-1-1.

Medical

Boys & Girls Clubs Dental & Vision Clinic at Herbert Hoover Club, 2901 N. Grand, St. Louis. Open year-round for members at no additional fee by appointment only. Teeth cleaning, braces, x-rays, root canals, some extractions; vision mobile unit, comprehensive exam and glasses, if required. Make an appointment by calling 314-355-8122.

Salam Free Saturday Clinic, 10 a.m. –2 p.m. at the Isom Community Center at Lane Tabernacle CME Church, 916 N. Newstead, St. Louis, Mo. for those who are uninsured. For more information, call 314-533-0534.

Nutrition

Food Outreach provides food, meals and nutritional education/ counseling to

eligible persons living with HIV/AIDS or cancer in St. Louis. For more information, call 314-652-3663 or visit www. foodoutreach.org.

St. Louis Milk Depot - SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital is a breast milk depot for the Indiana Mother’s Milk Bank. Milk Depot staff will store and ship your milk to IMMB. For more information, call (314) 242-5912.

Prostate Cancer

The Cancer Center of The Empowerment Network at 6000 W. Florissant in St. Louis provides information on prostate and other types of cancer, and services and support. For more information, call 314-385-0998.

Prescription Cost Help

Schnucks Pharmacies – now offers certain prescription prenatal vitamins for free and offers no-cost generic prescription antibiotics at select locations.

Wal-Mart Pharmacies – offer select prescriptions for $4 or less for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply. View the complete list at www.walmart.com/ pharmacy.