March 9th, 2017 Edition

Krewson edges Tishaura by 888 votes

By Chris King

n “I want us to stay united and stay connected, because we are the force that’s going to hold this next administration accountable.”

– Tishaura O. Jones

the April 4 general election. With all precincts reporting, Krewson had 32.04 percent of the vote to Jones’ 30.38

surgery to remove unsightly, growing scar tissue

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

percent — 17,110 to 16,222 votes.

They each nearly doubled the respective vote totals of the other major candidates. Lewis Reed garnered 9,775 votes (18.3 percent) and Antonio French got 8,460 votes (15.8 percent). A trio of perennial candidates split about 3 percent of the vote between them.

“The status quo won,” state Senator Jamilah told her fellow supporters of Jones at the election watch party that Jones co-hosted with Megan Ellyia Green, who won her 15th Ward

Former police captain sues city

Suit alleges white officers conspired to frame black captain at crime scene

By Rebecca Rivas

when handling a burglary investigation in January 2016, and those officers corroborated their stories to make Cousins the “scapegoat” for their deeds. Cousins, a 20-year veteran who served in the police department’s Sixth District, is currently appealing his firing before the city’s Civil Service Commission. His hearing, which is closed to the public, began in January and is expected to end this month.

To date, Cousins has only been told his charges were “conduct unbecoming” and making false statements to investigators in relation to the January burglary investigation, said Cousins’ lawyer Lynette Petruska. Yet even five days into the commission’s hearing, Cousins had yet to hear about any specific wrongdoings he committed, she said.

“I still don’t know what I’m defending,” Petruska said. “When you have to play ‘guess what you are accused of,’ it’s hard to defend yourself. That’s what a city does when they are trying to cover up what they’ve done.”

The City Counselor’s Office did not respond to

The St. Louis American’s request for comment. According to the suit, Cousins had been with the police department for almost 20 years when he

talked to

who works as a youth development teacher in Saint Louis

Schools, on February 22. Perkins is undergoing surgery in New York to remove keloids from his body.

Photo by Wiley Price

Tishaura Jones was consoled by Jared Boyd, her chief of staff in the St. Louis treasurer’s office, after losing to Lyda Krewson by 888 votes in the Democratic primary for St. Louis mayor on Tuesday, March 7. Jones retains her citywide elected position of treasurer.

Ryan Cousins

Roosevelt High School freshmen Keshaun McCulley and Stacey Blair

Antony Perkins,

Public

Photo by Wiley Price

Chance the Rapper giving $1M to Chicago Public Schools

After a disappointing meeting with Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner last Friday to discuss recently announced cuts to school funding, Chance the Rapper decided to address the issue himself.

The Chicago-bred rapper, whose full name is Chancelor Bennett announced in a news conference Monday that he would be donating $1 million to the Chicago Public School system.

“As a CPS graduate, Chance has shown Chicago students not only the heights they can achieve but the generosity they can share,” school district spokesperson

Emily Bittner said in a statement. “We also appreciate his strong advocacy for Chicago schoolchildren, who suffer under the state’s discriminatory system of funding, which Gov. Rauner continues to perpetuate.”

“Today, I’m proud to announce that I am donating $1 million to CPS to support arts and enrichment programming,” Chance said in the news conference at Westcott Elementary School on the South Side of Chicago.

The announcement came just days after the three-time Grammy-awardwinning rapper brokered a half-hour meeting with the Republican governor after an exchange on Twitter.

Lawyers for Jelani Maraj claim DNA in child sex assault case is ‘coincidental’

Last year, DNA from Nicki Minaj’s 37-year-old brother Jelani Maraj was found on the pants of a 12-year-old girl who accused him of repeated sexual assault. His attorneys told celebrity news and entertainment site Bossip that the evidence is coincidental.

“When you live in the same house, your DNA is everywhere. The fact that Jelani’s DNA was found on a pair of pants is really meaningless,” attorneys for Jelani Maraj told Bossip. “...if the accuser’s contention that she was being assaulted four to five times a week by Maraj was true, there would be DNA all over the place. How do you have sex so much that there’s only a microscopic drop of DNA?”

Chris Brown dishes on annulled Soulja Boy brawl

Rapper Soulja Boy accused R&B singer Chris Brown of refusing to sign off on their celebrity boxing match because the singer was afraid.

Celebrity news and gossip site Baller Alert fueled the tension between the two when it posted a video of Soulja Boy dissing Brown on stage at one of his shows on their social media account. Brown used the Instagram post to serve up the tea regarding what he says really led him to back out.

“No need for me to disrespect this person any further,” Brown said. “He’s hyped up as well as the issue. The opportunity to embarrass him or do harm to him isn’t even funny anymore. I backed out of the public fight

because of the money/location and the fact that real promoters were spooked by gang members who wanted to profit from it. No charity and no point in going through with it. I set up a private gym and he didn’t show up. There’s nothing more to say. It’s not going to happen and we both know the truth here.”

VH1 axes T.I. & Tiny

Last week, news leaked that the next season of T.I & Tiny: The Family Hustle would focus on their crumbling marriage. People Magazine is now claiming that the popular reality show is on the chopping block.

“Sad news for T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle fans: VH1’s hit reality series’ upcoming sixth season will be its last,” People said. “The show — which has followed the lives of T.I., Tiny and their seven children in Atlanta since 2011 — is set to end in April, and will finish with its 100th episode.

Although the news comes amid the pair’s marital struggles, VH1 maintains that this season, T.I., 36, and Tiny, 41, “remain more committed than ever to the family hustle” and are “working together to figure out their new normal.”

Sources: Bossip.com, Buzzfeed.com, People. com, Baller Alert

Jelani Maraj

Chance the Rapper

Constituents urge Blunt to host Town Hall

Say it’s ‘grossly unacceptable’ that senator ignores citizens concerned with Trump policies

By American staff

Following Tuesday’s protest by St. Louis Indivisible at U.S.

Senator Roy Blunt’s Clayton office, 10 members of the group representing constituents from three congressional districts (1st, 2nd and 8th) met with District Office Director Mary Beth Wolf to air their concerns.

The group’s primary goal, reiterated throughout the discussion, is a desire to speak directly to Blunt in a Town Hall meeting within the next 90 days. Organizer Scott Wilson delivered 245 local petition signatures requesting a Town Hall meeting, “with another 115 on the way.” This adds to 9,000 Missouri signatures provided the previous day by Karisa Gilman Hernandez via a Care2 online petition.

Wolf’s response was nearly identical to part of a statement released by Blunt Communication Director Brian Hart to Cape Girardeau CBS affiliate KFVS in regards to similar calls for a Town Hall there.

“Senator Blunt is regularly available to constituents, having held more than 2,000 events in Missouri over the last six years and visiting every county in the state at least three times since running for Senate,” Wolf said. “He talks with Missourians every day, a very important part of his job that he takes very seriously.”

The group spoke at length regarding their concerns about the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which would affect 98,100 Missouri residents

Implementing MO’s new voter photo ID law

By Jay Ashcroft Missouri secretary of state

Last November, Missourians voted to pass constitutional amendment six, paving the way for common sense voter ID, by a margin of 63 percent - 37 percent. The Missouri Secretary of State’s ofice is responsible for the implementation of the new photo ID law, set to take effect June 1, 2017. Now what?

First, and most importantly, we will make certain every eligible registered voter can still request an absentee ballot or go to his or her polling place and vote on election day. Second, the Secretary of State’s ofice will begin a public information campaign about the new photo ID requirements and assist those individuals who do not have photo identiication in order to vote.

the public… such advance notice shall include, at a minimum, the use of advertisements and public service announcements in print, broadcast television, radio, cable,” and $100,000 to cover “any individual seeking documents … in order to vote may request the secretary of state to facilitate the acquisition of such documents.”

Guest Columnist Jay Ashcroft

who are currently covered by the ACA in the three represented districts alone (252,000 Missourians total). Several members shared their compelling personal stories of how such a repeal will directly affect them.

One member, Rebecca Eisele, shared her experiences in her twenties when a preexisting condition left her without insurance.

“At 20 I had my first minor procedure on my kidney. At 23 when I could no longer stay on my parent’s health insurance I was denied health insurance due to my pre-existing condition,” Eisele said.

“Within just a couple years, left without health insurance and still with kidney issues, I chose to drop out of college to get a ‘real’ job with health insurance. Even with a good, full-time work I couldn’t catch

up with all of the medical bills when I was uninsured, so at 27 I was forced to declare bankruptcy.”

Eisele is concerned that whatever program may take the place of the ACA may leave many in the same predicament if insurance companies are allowed to return to discriminatory policies regarding pre-existing conditions.

Another member, Michele Burdette Elmore, spoke about her battles with cancer and her similar concerns if she were to lose her current insurance.

Members of the group thanked Blunt for speaking out regarding the need for an “exhaustive” investigation into the ties between President Donald Trump and Russia. But they said the senator must go further by calling for a special prosecutor to

lead the investigation as Attorney General Jeff Sessions is too closely politically tied to conduct an impartial investigation.

Wilson said he and his wife Michelle formed the group according to principles contained in the “Indivisible Guide,” which was written by former congressional staffers to adapt successful Tea Party tactics for use by liberals and progressives. They have no background in political activism; he is a civil appellate lawyer, Michelle is a trauma nurse. They had 56 people at their January 29 startup meeting, and their Facebook group membership has grown to more than 1,000 since then.

Wilson said Blunt’s refusal to face his constituents “would be unacceptable at any time in our history, but it’s grossly unacceptable now.”

In order to properly fund the implementation of photo voter ID, we are working with the state legislature to appropriate $1.4 million, which is necessary to comply with the law’s requirements. These requirements were largely put in place at the request of the measure’s opponents to ensure adequate notice of the law was given to voters.

As responsible stewards of your tax dollars, we have developed a budget according to the law’s requirements. The previous administration provided a bloated budget estimate, including millions in wasteful spending, such as offering to provide free ID’s to individuals who already have one. These frivolous expenses would have cost taxpayers an additional $3.85 million.

Our budget allocates $1.3 million to comply with the law’s requirements to “provide advance notice of the personal identiication requirements… in a manner calculated to inform

On June 1, 2017, we plan to begin the public information campaign. We will work to develop public service announcements and advertising placement. We plan to run media advertisements weekly leading up to future elections and distribute posters and pamphlets to clearly articulate the new requirements. We will also notify every person that iles as a candidate for ofice, making easyto-understand information available to ensure their own supporters can satisfy the photo ID requirements. The irst elections under the new voter ID law will be August 2017.

Our ofice has and will continue to work closely with the governor, members of both the state House and Senate, other administration departments and local election authorities to ensure the successful implementation of the new photo voter ID law.

The people of Missouri have spoken and we’ve been tasked with the responsibility of implementing this common sense voter ID law. Your secretary of state’s ofice will remain steadfast in the promise of ensuring every eligible registered Missouri voter has the right opportunity to vote in every election.

Visit www.sos.mo.gov to learn more about the Ofice of the Missouri Secretary of State.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

The St. Louis Indivisible coalition protested at U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s Clayton office on Tuesday, February 21, asking to speak directly to Blunt in a Town Hall meeting within the next 90 days.

Editorial /CommEntary

We must hold the next mayor accountable

At the beginning of the St. Louis mayoral race – that, for all intents and purposes, ended on Tuesday, March 7 with the narrow Democratic primary victory of Lyda Krewson – looking at policy issues through a racial equity lens was an afterthought. Tishaura O. Jones made it center stage in her campaign, and others followed. At a mayoral forum on Jan. 29, Krewson said she wouldn’t push to have St. Louis Police Officers Association spokesman Jeff Roorda step down. By the middle of February, she was taking a strong stance against his hateful rhetoric and calling for him to be fired. Progressives, who supported Jones almost unanimously, forced that change. We believe without Jones’ boldly progressive, forward-looking campaign and the way it resonated with young and progressive voters, Krewson would never have made many of the progressive promises she made. As Jones reminded her disappointed supporters when conceding (with a tiny losing margin of 888 votes out of 55,635 cast), it’s our responsibility to make sure the next mayor, as Krewson almost certainly will be after the April 4 general election, fulfills these promises. Let’s recall some promises Krewson made at the February 22 mayoral forum that The St. Louis American helped to moderate. Forward Through Ferguson and For the Sake of All have called for “inclusionary zoning” policies that force developers to include low- and moderate-income housing within development projects that receive tax incentives. Jones said early in her campaign that she would lead this important effort and require that the city has mixed-income and affordable housing on all development projects. At the forum, Krewson said she would “absolutely” move the city towards an inclusionary zoning policy. So, for example, the $675,000 townhomes that Krewson wanted to give tax abatements to in the 28th Ward would have to figure out a way to make that project affordable for all residents – not only the wealthy – if it receives subsidy from the city.

n Most importantly, Krewson promised to do everything in her power to end Mayor Slay’s legacy of deepening the city’s racial and economic divides.

to make this happen. At the forum, Krewson promised that she would make sure that it received the full $5 million, instead of the $4 to $4.5 million it has received since 2011. We will be watching. Currently, if developers receive tax abatements or Tax Increment Financing (TIF), the city requires that developers employ a certain number of minorities, local residents and apprentices on their construction sites. However, if they don’t hit those goals, the developers currently receive no penalty. At the forum, Krewson said that she would support leveling financial penalties against developers who fail to meet the city’s minority participation requirements on projects that receive city support. “There ought to be clawback provisions for any incentive that the developer doesn’t meet the terms of the redevelopment plan, and that would include minority participation goals,” Krewson said. Like new zoning policy, this change could be made immediately through an executive order, and we will push to make sure the next mayor adheres to her affirmation with action.

When asked if the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department should help to enforce violations of federal immigration law, Krewson said, “Absolutely not.” She said it would create a lack of trust between the community and police, and as a result, people would feel even less comfortable reporting crimes. “It’s the job of the St. Louis police department to protect all of us, and that includes undocumented immigrants in our city,” Krewson said. We will hold her to that firm position.

Most importantly, Krewson promised to do everything in her power to end Mayor Slay’s legacy of deepening the city’s racial and economic divides. We believe that Krewson was almost the least likely person on the March 7 ballot to effect this change. Her campaign was orchestrated by mainstream Democrats with deep histories of fostering racial divisions to win elections – but it is she we all must hold accountable.

As

I See It - A Forum for Community Issues The artistry of the ancestors

By Stefan M. Bradley Guest columnist

Krewson said, “All neighborhoods should be mixed-income. I think it’s critical to do that.” The public must demand new zoning policies from Krewson that reflects this sentiment. Currently the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is not receiving the full $5 million that voters agreed to when they voted on a proposition to fund it in 2008. The mayor has the power

“I want us to stay united and stay connected,” Jones told supporters, “because we are the force that’s going to hold this next administration accountable. We are going to stay in contact because, you know what, change happens from the bottom up. We will not accept the status quo no matter who’s in office.” No, we will not and must not.

Can this president weather his own storms?

Wow, we went from no drama to all drama in the blink of an eye. An embattled President Trump spent the weekend raging in frustration at his inability to control events –and his administration is just in its second month

How long before Trump campaign insiders whose names have surfaced in reports about Russian contacts start lawyering up? How long before nervous political allies start backing away? How long before Republicans in Congress start putting self-interest – and, one dares to hope, the national interest – above party loyalty?

According to widespread news reports, Trump was furious that any momentum he gained from his speech to Congress was halted in its tracks by revelations about Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ meetings with the Russian ambassador. Sessions had testified in his confirmation hearing that “I didn’t have –did not have communications with the Russians,” which turned out to be what my grandmother used to call a lie. The next morning, according to The Washington Post, Trump “exploded” in anger. The day after that he “simmered with rage,” the newspaper reported, as he summoned his senior aides to chew them out. Trump was apparently irate that after he had said publicly that there was no need for Sessions to recuse himself from any investigation into the Russia connection, Sessions had gone before the television cameras to do just that.

The attorney general’s recusal was obviously a necessary and proper step, but necessity and propriety do not

seem to matter to the president. What happened is not hard to grasp: Sessions bowed to reality. But Trump won the White House by creating his own reality, built on what adviser Kellyanne Conway called “alternative facts.” He has not learned that actual facts do not just go away, even if the president tries his best to ignore or deny them.

I’d suggest that Trump reflect on this fact: The Post and other news organizations apparently had no trouble getting inside sources to dish about the president’s mood swings. While Trump fumes about leaks from the intelligence community and the entrenched federal bureaucracy, his closest aides are bending journalists’ ears. After he and others were taken to the woodshed by Trump on Friday, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus reportedly spent an hour calling reporters and trying vainly to convince them – on a not-forattribution basis, of course – that no woodshedding had taken place.

On Saturday morning, at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump fired up his Twitter account to make an unprecedented – and apparently wholly unfounded – allegation: that thenPresident Obama had ordered wiretapping of the Trump campaign. The White House press office later demanded a congressional investigation of this alleged snooping.

Black people specialize in the art of the wholly impossible. Many are celebrating Mardi Gras and the Oscar awards that artists like Viola Davis and Mahershala Ali received for their acting acumen. We should, however, also be simultaneously praising the artistry of the ancestors. Based on the brutality of their arrival, it is astonishing that black people have come so far. Black people have consistently created and envisioned freedom while confronting oppression. The enslaved ancestors conspired to live. Those who arrived in the new world created a way for existence out of no way. In New Orleans, where thousands recently flocked to revel for Mardi Gras, the ancestors forced the issue of freedom during the slave rebellion of 1811. Responding to the violence of their circumstances, they took up arms in defense of their humanity and in disregard for their own futures. The rebels suffered death and incarceration for their uprising, but they acted for freedom. Resistance and resilience are part of the cultural DNA of black artists. When the raucous revelers arrived to New Orleans this year, one can only hope that they celebrated the artistry of the ancestors who during times of enslavement produced music and dance and freedom in the Congo Square on Sundays. Hopefully the partiers recall the subjugation that the ancestors survived Mondays through Saturdays. America dearly loves the music, food, and dances black artists have created, but often forgets the

tragedy that have shrouded the art. New Orleans is the same place that the ancestor Homer Plessy sued (unsuccessfully) for his personhood when he was Jim Crowed on a streetcar in 1896. It is also the home of the courageous 6 year-old (s)hero Ruby Bridges, who invoked white rage and riots when she dared to desegregate a white elementary school. Six years after the famous but unenforced

U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Bridges’ experience single-handedly forced the city and nation to examine the worth of public education. Just as Jim Crow threatened schools then, re-segregation and privatization currently threaten education in New Orleans and other American cities.

Considering the animus black children faced in the past and now, we should recognize them for their art of survival.

We must acknowledge the freedom-riding ancestors whose goal it was to place a mirror to America 56 years ago in the same way that St. Louis’s own artists did with the reflecting glass coffin they carried during the Ferguson Uprising of 2014.

In 1961, the Freedom Riders’ final destination on their bus voyage was New Orleans, but to get there they endured the KKK, bombings and incarceration along the way. How they made it is the stuff of imagination.

Letters to the editor

A fundamental misunderstanding

A spokesman for Obama denied there was any wiretapping, as did Obama’s director of national intelligence, James Clapper, who was in a position to know. FBI Director James Comey reportedly pressed Justice Department officials to issue a statement denying the president’s unsupported claim – which Justice has so far declined to do. If Sessions’ recusal was enough to make Trump mad, imagine what a public statement refuting the president’s angry tweets would do to his blood pressure.

What if Congress grants Trump’s demand, however, and launches an investigation? Any serious inquiry would necessarily have to look into the alleged reason for the alleged wiretapping: contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russians. A congressional probe would take as its starting point the consensus of the U.S. intelligence community that the Russian government meddled in our election with the aim of boosting Trump’s prospects of victory.

Trump has put himself in a no-win position. If the Republican leadership in Congress denies his request for an investigation, he suffers an embarrassing public rebuke. If the request is granted, however, Trump sets in motion a process he will not be able to control.

It is one thing to take office determined to disrupt traditional ways of doing things. It is quite another to flail wildly at imaginary enemies, wounding oneself in the process.

Betsy DeVos’ statement concerning Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) was a painful display of a fundamental misunderstanding of the tragic history of race and education in America. To consider HBCUs as “real pioneers when it comes to school choice” is a revisionist rendering of history, at best, and a blatant disregard for the legacy of segregation and resistance in America, at worst.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities, private institutions such as Morehouse College and Spelman College, or public institutions such as Grambling University and Jackson State University, were not established because African Americans had limited “options” for an education. They were so often the only option for African Americans who were systematically denied entry to other institutions of higher learning. Following the Civil War, church denominations, mission societies and philanthropists established HBCUs in order to educate formerly enslaved African Americans.

By providing quality education to formerly enslaved African Americans, HBCUs resisted a racist education system that fought to restrict learning to wealthy families of European descent. These schools continued to serve African Americans when the flawed constitutional logic of Plessey v. Ferguson and Jim Crow segregation laws created educational apartheid in America. This long history of disenfranchisement has contributed to the current achievement gap in the United States.

Secretary DeVos’ comments are disheartening and reveal this administration’s lack of understanding concerning the history and role of HBCUs. It is incumbent upon our officials to have a comprehensive and factual grasp of our history in

Just over a decade later, two black students at Southern University in New Orleans (SUNO) died at the hands of local police officers and national guardsmen on campus. The student ancestors were protesting for black inclusion in the starkly white curriculum of the institution, better healthcare for students, and improved working conditions for the mostly black campus service staff. Their plight was quite similar to those in Missouri who are struggling for similar gains.

In 1972, to dramatize their issues, thousands of students at SUNO took over the administration building and refused to leave until their demands were met. To remove the agitators, law enforcement officials deployed teargas and grenades, leaving two young activists dead. Those who managed to continue and complete their educations at SUNO in the midst of such trauma deserve awards.

As we recognize the wonderful actors and actresses who expressed humanity on screen, let us do well to praise the actors on behalf of freedom who battle to be human – often at their own peril. They are fighting for that which they have never had: full humanity, equity, and justice. In this moment, when top politicians are restricting liberties and challenging human worth, we must reward and uplift our own actors and actresses for freedom. Their artistry depicts the beautiful struggle.

Stefan M. Bradley is associate professor of history and African American studies at Saint Louis University.

order to better serve our communities and avoid repeating the mistakes of our past. Present educational policy cannot be predicated on a fundamental misunderstanding and misreading of tragic American history.

The NAACP Baltimore, Maryland

Compromised by

dealings with Russia

It is clear to me, and countless others, that the Trump administration has been comprised by their dealings with the Russian government. I do not believe U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has the credibility nor the moral authority to serve as our country’s top law enforcement official, and I

call on him to be removed from his post immediately. My constituents and I continue to be alarmed by the Trump administration’s reluctance to be forthright about their connection to President Vladimir Putin’s regime. The American people demand and deserve unequivocal certainty about President Trump’s relationship with the Kremlin, including his financial ties and business dealings. If the president is unwilling to meet such concern with a transparent investigation conducted by a special prosecutor, I believe it would be appropriate for the House of Representatives to move forward with impeachment proceedings.

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore Milwaukee

Guest Columnist Stefan M. Bradley

‘I want to be...’

Photo opp with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum are looking for a few good local photographers, 18 or older. March 17 is the application deadline to apply to represent one or more Shakespeare plays with an original photograph. The final 38 photographs will be unveiled at “Decisive Moments: Shakespeare through a Visual Lens” at the International Photography Hall of Fame & Museum on April 19.

Entrants should submit the following to krion@sfstl.com by 5 p.m. March 17, with the email subject line “DECISIVE MOMENTS ENTRY _ LAST NAME, FIRST NAME”: Three to five original photographs, an artistic statement in 500 words or less, 250 words to discuss preliminary thoughts for their final photograph(s), including any play(s) you wish to be assigned, signed photography release form, legal name, contact phone number, and address of residence or place of employment in the St. Louis metropolitan area. For more information, visit https:// www.sfstl.com/in-the-streets/shake-38/.

Family Court Mentor Program seeks volunteers

The Family Court of St. Louis County Mentor Program gives community volunteers the opportunity to build productive relationships with juveniles (ages 12-16 years), focusing on developing self-esteem, positive attitudes, and appropriate social behaviors. A minimum commitment of only two hours per week is needed. Record and reference checks are required for all applicants. Family Court staff provide all mentors with a program orientation, in addition to ongoing training and support. Call Marlon Chambers, Mentor Specialist, at (314) 615-8447 for further information.

Global perspective on education in Hazelwood

By Brenda C. Youngblood For The St. Louis American

I am a school board member in the Hazelwood School District. I look at my position as one of leadership.

Having served as an educator for over 40 years, I believe my experience has given me an expansive view of educational initiatives. I am committed in taking bold steps toward providing students with the cognitive backpacks and toolboxes they will need to become world competitors as they interact in a global society. Effective and appropriate skills for the 21st century is not an option.

In our community, I believe we can stretch beyond existing boundaries to broaden our students’ horizons and learning perspectives. Having traveled to 38 countries on seven continents and visited many schools, I have a global perspective on education. My platform is “Locally Educated: Globally Equipped – Preparing Students to Become World Competitors.”

I support the following initiatives: to chart a new course for student progression, to transform instructional practices, to engage the Entire Community, and to confront social dominance and social justice.

During my six-year tenure on the Hazelwood Board of Education, I have been recognized by the Missouri School Board Association as having earned the Advanced Board Member Certification Award and the Masters Board Member Certification Award. I initiated a move forward in having the Hazelwood School Board recognized by the Missouri School Board Association for the School Board Governance Award.

n Having traveled to 38 countries on seven continents and visited many schools, I have a global perspective on education.

As the only school board member in the state of Missouri, I received a certificate of achievement for completing a 14-month leadership project, known as MoLEAD. The Missouri Leadership for Excellence, Achievement, and Development Program is a project of the National Institute of School Leaders Executive Development Program. As a board member, I have pushed the envelope for data gathering and accountability while focusing on African-American students and students with special needs as we plan for precision and personalization for all students.

I have pressed toward having board goals and board self-assessment as we acknowledge board growth. I have questioned the possibility of viewing discipline consequences with a growth mindset.

I will continue to pursue my own professional growth that will provide me with opportunities to stay abreast on educational issues and research. I hold five Missouri certifications: Elementary Education, Counselor Education, School Psychological Examiner, Elementary Principal and School Superintendent. However, I believe learning should be continuous.

Lastly, I would like to say that I find it an honor and privilege to serve the Hazelwood School District community.

Brenda C. Youngblood seeks re-election to the Hazelwood Board of Education for a third term on April 4.

Brenda C. Youngblood

Brooklyn Davis, a kindergarten student at Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School in the University City School District, talked about what she wants to be when she grows during a Black History Month program to celebrate the school’s namesake. Listening closely are Lauren Richardson, Sofia Clatfletter, Amiyah Hogans, Nina Miller, Zoe Luong and Cortez Sheppard.

Photo by Wiley Price

KELOIDS

Continued from A1

Perkins, who works as a youth development teacher in Saint Louis Public Schools, now has keloids on his face, neck, torso and back. Although the keloids on his left side cover his ear, his hearing is not affected. His appearance, however, is greatly affected.

“His problem is not with the kids,” said his sister, Tracey Bell. “Kids love him. It’s the adults –adults are the ones that judge.”

Still, when he meets youth for the first time – such as when he transferred from Fanning Middle School to Roosevelt High School two years ago – he has to explain his appearance.

“I explained to them what it was, and I said, ‘Don’t ask anymore.

And if anybody in the hallways asks you – tell them what it is, and tell them don’t ask no more.’”

Acceptance by young people have helped Perkins better handle the gawking and stares he receives from adults. Seeing their teacher living with scars he cannot hide also has helped Perkins’ students put their own self-esteem issues into perspective.

free surgery from the producers of a television show so he could go with the surgeon of his choice.

Perkins was featured on a TV episode of “The Doctors” last fall about his keloids. He hoped that a New York doctor he consulted with previously was going to offer to do his surgery.

A few weeks before the taping, Perkins consulted with a cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon operating out of Atlanta and New York City, Dr. Michael Jones, who has had success with removing keloids. The surgeon had previously appeared on a “Doctors” segment about a different male patient with keloids who had undergone seven surgeries.

n “Some people have things inside of them – and if I can walk around like this, then you can walk around like that and be proud of who you are.”

– Antony Perkins

“I’m just trying to get the word out, not just for keloids, but for anyone who is suffering with anything,” Perkins said. “Some people have things inside of them – and if I can walk around like this, then you can walk around like that and be proud of who you are.” But he has not given up on removing the painful scar tissue. He established a GoFundMe account to offset the expenses of surgery in New York on March 6. Perkins’ health insurance provider will not pay for the surgery, as it considers keloids a cosmetic issue. Perkins has undergone four failed surgeries locally to remove them. “As a result of the surgeries, they kept coming back bigger and bigger and bigger,” Perkins said. He turned down the offer of

Perkins said he saw a couple of people who had keloid removal surgery done by Dr. Jones during his consultation in Atlanta and was “sold.” Perkins said. “After I saw his work, I was like – that’s my man.” He prayed about it and talked with his family.

Perkins was optimistic. However, the producers of the TV program presented two different doctors from New York – one offered to perform his surgery and the other offered radiation at no charge, while another company offered to help with travel expenses.

However, Perkins felt the odds were not favorable enough for him to take the producers of “The Doctors” up on that offer.

“I did my research and called them and the chances they gave me of the keloids not returning, I was not satisfied with,” Perkins said. “I am the one that has to live with this decision. I had to tell people that everything that’s free is not good.”

Perkins has already paid for the first part of his surgery, but more funds will be needed for additional surgery, procedures and related expenses. Dr. Jones donated $2,500. Through his GoFundMe account, Perkins wants to raise at least $40,000 to have all the keloids removed.

To help fund Tony Perkin’s keloid surgery, visit his Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme. com/tonyperkinskeloids.

Antony Perkins, who works as a youth development teacher in Saint Louis Public Schools, is undergoing surgery in New York to remove keloids from his body. The ones on his face and neck started with a shaving cut.

Photo by Wiley Price

JONES

aldermanic primary, at ShiSha in the Grove.

“But I want to thank each and every one of you for understanding that we need to see change. And, unfortunately, the AfricanAmerican people had to divide their vote. You had some individuals that knew they couldn’t win who divided the vote. They knew they were not able to bring home a victory and still decided to divide the vote of the AfricanAmerican community. Hold those people accountable.”

Jones also spoke to the question of a split black vote in her remarks to supporters.

“Everyone kept saying, ‘Why don’t all the black people get together? Why don’t you have a meeting?’ Well, you know what, we did. And you know what happened at that meeting: The women decided to come together and support each other,” Jones said, referring to Nasheed’s decision to endorse Jones rather than file for mayor after Jones, Reed and French said they would run.

All told, 68 percent of voters who went to the polls cast a vote against the victor, Krewson. Only

SUIT

Continued from A1

Continued from A1 was promoted to the rank of captain in September 2015.

On the morning of January 29, 2016, the department received a call for shots fired in the Lowell Street area. Officers responded to the area but found no evidence of any shots fired. Shortly after, four police officers responded to an African-American homeowner’s call claiming his home on the 8800 block of Lowell Street was being robbed. The home, which is near North Broadway and Riverview Boulevard, had also been burglarized recently.

“Because their home had been burglarized twice within a short period of time, officers assumed that they were criminals, instead of the victims,” the lawsuit states.

So when the officers arrived at the scene, they placed the homeowner (who is not named) in handcuffs, rather than treating him like the victim of a burglary. Two more officers arrived – including Officer Brian Bianchi, who was Jason Stockley’s partner when Stockley shot and killed Anthony Lamar, an AfricanAmerican man, in December 2011, the suit states. Stockley was later charged with murder in Lamar’s death.

The officers searched the house for possible threats and declared it cleared, the lawsuit states. At that point an unnamed sergeant, who The American is told is Sgt. Michael Scego, arrived and began to search the home without a warrant or homeowner’s permission.

Scego found a gun in the home, the suit states.

The suit alleges that this gun

55,635 people voted, or 28.36 percent of registered voters. Krewson won the election that essentially determines St. Louis’ next mayor with the votes of less than 10 percent of all registered voters in the city.

Jones, who retains her citywide elected position of treasurer, vowed to continue leading a progressive movement for change in the city.

“I don’t want you to think this is the end,” she told her supporters at her election watch party, after conceding to Krewson. “I’m not sad, no, because I’m going to tell you all what we’re going to do next. What did we do through this campaign? We turned this electorate on its head. I want us to stay united and stay connected, because we are the force that’s going to hold this next administration accountable.”

In her victory speech, Krewson zeroed in on her key campaign issue: public safety.

“Neighborhood safety is job one,” she said. “Far too many families know the pain of violent crime. We’ll invest in prevention programs that work, and in more and better training and a more diverse police force.”

In his concession speech to Krewson, Reed told his supporters, “It’s going to be

search was illegal because it violated the homeowner’s 4th Amendment right as well as department policy and procedure.

“The officers performing the illegal/unconstitutional gun search are all Caucasian,” the suit states. “None have been disciplined but instead have been protected by the department.”

Prior to this incident, Scego, who is white, had been disciplined for improper searches and providing false information related to a search, the suit states, but he was still promoted to sergeant by Police Chief Sam Dotson.

A police spokeswoman said the department could not comment on the allegations against Scego or the other officers because of the pending litigation. She referred all questions to the city counselor.

The officers questioned the homeowner while he was handcuffed, asking him “guilt-seeking questions,” the suit states. They did not read the man his Miranda rights before questioning him, even though they suspected he had committed a crime, the suit states. The suit alleges that this questioning was illegal, in violation of the 5th Amendment and department procedure.

“Officers of the department regularly violate the 4th and 5th Amendment rights of African-American residents of the city because they know they will be protected (not disciplined) when they engage in such misconduct,” the suit states.

In order to cover-up their “illegal/unconstitutional acts” and prevent Cousins from discovering their misconduct, the suit alleges, the officers

so important that we work with her to begin changing our city.”

Reed retains his citywide position as president of the Board of Aldermen. With the next mayor and Comptroller Darlene Green, who easily won her primary on Tuesday, he still has one of three votes on the city’s chief fiscal body, the Board of Estimate & Apportionment.

French, who ran for mayor rather than reelection as 21st Ward alderman, told supporters as he conceded, “The campaign we ran was about a message of bringing our city together to make sure we start looking at the entire city, and I hope that is something that will continue in the next administration.”

In the Republican mayoral primary, utility executive Andrew Jones handily beat out his two competitors — one of whom, Crown Candy Kitchen owner Andy Karandzieff, had said he entered on a whim and didn’t really want to be mayor.

Krewson and Andrew Jones move on to the April 4 general election, where they’ll face at least five candidates from other parties.

This relies on reporting from Clark Randall and St. Louis Public Radio.

claimed that Cousins told them to file a false police report and not seize evidence at the scene.

“These false allegations prevented Cousins from reviewing and approving the report, which he should have done if he was the officer in charge of the scene,” the suit states.

n

The suit further claims that Lieutenant D.G., whom The American is told is Lt. David Grove, met with the officers after they returned to the department and instructed them on how to prepare the report. Grove, who is white, also spoke to officers at the scene as a group, the suit alleges, telling them what had happened at the burglarized home and “what their dilemma was.”

what happened at the scene, which were written while the officers were together, allowing them to coordinate their stories,” the suit states.

“When you have to play ‘guess what you are accused of,’ it’s hard to defend yourself. That’s what a city does when they are trying to cover up what they’ve done.”

A majority of the officers at the scene were represented by the same lawyer, who The American is told is Brian Millikan, allowing them to coordinate their stories when interviewed by the department, the suit states. In an email, Millikan said he would not be able to give a comment because he is in trial all week.

completed and signed a warrant application for the homeowner’s arrest. The arrest warrant claimed that the homeowner had been given his Miranda warnings. False statements on a warrant application are a crime, the suit states, but Grove has not been disciplined for falsifying warrant applications.

On February 1, 2016, a department detective prepared an affidavit in support of a search warrant, which was based on an interview with Grove. It stated that Grove “observed shell casings inside and outside” the burglarized home. However, Grove never went into the yard or inside the house, the suit states, which would make the affidavit a false statement.

“They described Dotson’s decision to place Cousins on forced leave as a smear campaign to ruin the reputation and career of a stellar African-American officer working to better the community,” the suit states. “They asked that Cousins be returned because he cared about the community, which stands in sharp contrast to the cavalier violation of constitutional rights by other officers working in the community.”

Cousins was fired on May 24, 2016.

–

Lynette Petruska

“This would not be the first time officers of the department, represented by a single attorney, coordinated their stories to scapegoat another officer for their misconduct based upon race,” the suit claims.

“He then instructed the officers to write memos about

The day after the incident, January 30, 2016, Grove

Dotson placed Cousins on forced leave on or about February 12, 2016, which the lawsuit claims was a political move in Dotson’s candidacy for mayor, which he later abandoned. About 1,000 letters from Sixth District residents, who are mainly AfricanAmerican, protested Dotson’s decision.

Cousins has not been charged with a crime, the suit states. Cousins filed a charge of discrimination with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights after he was discharged. The commission issued Cousins a “right to sue” letter on March 1. He filed the lawsuit on March 2.

“African-American residents aren’t secondclass citizens,” Petruska said. “They have the same constitutional rights as everyone else.”

Tishaura Jones and Megan Ellyia Green co-hosted an election watch party on Tuesday, March 7 at ShiSha in the Grove. Jones lost to Lyda Krewson by 888 votes in the Democratic primary for St. Louis mayor, but retains her citywide seat as treasurer. Green overwhelmed her opponent for 15th Ward alderwoman with 66 percent of the vote.

Photo by Wiley Price

Clarence Lang to keynote opening of ‘#1 in Civil Rights’

A Q&A with a professor of black struggle in St. Louis

Clarence Lang, a professor of African and African American studies at the University of Kansas, was born and raised in Chicago and lived in the St. Louis area during the mid- to late-1990s. An active part of the local grassroots group Organization for Black Struggle, he is the author of the book “Grassroots at the Gateway: Class Politics & Black Freedom Struggle in St. Louis, 1936–75.” He’ll give keynote lectures on Saturday, March 11, and Sunday, March 12, at 2 p.m. during the Missouri History Museum’s opening weekend for the exhibition “#1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis.” The lectures are free, and all are welcome to attend.

Missouri History Museum: Many people think of civilrights struggles for African Americans as a black-white issue, but you highlight the struggle between working- and middle-class blacks. Can you talk more about that?

Clarence Lang: As a scholar of the African-American experience, I am interested in documenting the inner lives and histories that black people have built outside of their direct encounters with white authorities and institutions. This includes not only black people’s autonomous institution building, but also their internal conflicts and differences. From this standpoint, I wanted to know more about how African Americans fought institutionalized white racism while also struggling among themselves as black people to determine how best to pursue racial equality. That is, even in moments when black people have had a rough consensus about the nature of their problems, their ideas about how to tackle those problems have not been singular or monolithic.

This focus led me to such questions as: In whose specific

Professor Clarence Lang of the University of Kansas will give keynote lectures on March 11 and 12, at 2 p.m. during the Missouri History Museum’s opening weekend for the exhibition “#1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis.”

class interests did black communities craft their political agendas and goals? Would it be in the interests of striving middle-class black professionals looking to break barriers to their own particular pathways to progress and mobility, or would it be in the interests of their black workingclass counterparts seeking more expansive, massbased opportunities and reforms?

As someone who had come of age in the late 1980s and early 1990s, well after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act, I was aware of the fact that African Americans are politically and ideologically diverse in their approaches even to common experiences of racial discrimination. I learned through my study of the movement in St. Louis that this intraracial diversity among black people has long existed.

Missouri History Museum: What makes St. Louis so unique when it comes to civil rights?

Lang: Given the peculiar history of “border South” states like Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and

Maryland in the political crisis surrounding slavery, cities like St. Louis have represented – in a single location – a merger of the nation’s regionally divergent forms of white racial control and management on the one hand, and black resistance and appeasement on the other hand.

St. Louis has exhibited forms of black protest typically associated with both the racially segregated South and the supposedly more liberal North for instance, black electoral participation and ward-level politics, accommodation to white paternalism, and disruptive protest – all at the same time. St. Louis has been, and remains, a microcosm of the varying forms of race relations found on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. It makes for a very complicated narrative about the simultaneous and often conflicting ways that African Americans have pursued their interests over time. One of the things that I hope to get at in my talk is how it may not be a coincidence that both Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland, became pivotal in the evolution of the Black Lives Matter activism that has swept both communities and university campuses since 2014.

Missouri History Museum: What do you see as St. Louis’ biggest challenges or roadblocks in the fight for equality for all people?

Lang: The political fragmentation of the region, as reflected in the existence of over 90 separate municipalities, is perhaps the biggest obstacle to social justice in the St. Louis area. This long tradition of fragmentation was at least part of the circumstances that led to the recent crisis in Ferguson, particularly in terms of the police department becoming an agent of revenue collection rather than service and protection for all residents. The challenge seems to be one of figuring out mechanisms for regional cooperation that are democratic, inclusive, and don’t rely on economically exploiting any members of the citizenry.

Homer G. Phillips Hospital: 80 years after

Historic black hospital was dedicated on February 22, 1937

By Durrie Bouscaren Of St. Louis Public Radio

In the first half of the 20th century, segregation touched virtually every part of American life. Black residents of St. Louis weren’t just barred from schools, lunch counters and drinking fountains reserved for whites. Even hospitals could refuse to admit black patients.

But the hospitals that were built to serve African-American patients hold a special place in medical history. The facilities employed and trained thousands of black doctors and nurses. In St. Louis, Homer G. Phillips Hospital quickly became a trusted household name. Wednesday, February 22 marked the 80th anniversary of its dedication ceremony on February 22, 1937.

“It was a national anchor,” said Dr. Will Ross, a nephrologist and associate dean at Washington University School of Medicine. “Homer G. was able to address this myth that you could not get a number of African-American physicians of high caliber and have high-quality, clinical care as a consequence.”

But city officials closed the hospital in 1979 — a move that sparked protests and a deep feeling of betrayal that continues to this day.

The building is now a retirement community, but when Dr. Nathaniel Murdock walks through the automatic doors of what used to be Homer G. Phillips Hospital, he remembers exactly where things used to be.

“This was the emergency room,” he said, pointing past a carpeted staircase. “On the 4th floor of the hospital was OB-GYN we had that whole corridor, from here to the end of the hospital.”

Murdock, a 79-year-old, semi-retired OB-GYN, is still recognized by his former patients. By his estimation, he delivered some 7,000 babies in the 1960s and ‘70s.

“We say OB is 90 percent boredom, and 10 percent sheer terror. Because you have to move like heck to save somebody - save two lives, sometimes,” he said.

Early in the 20th century, black residents in St. Louis had few options to seek medical care. Patients would be sent to segregated wings of white hospitals, or to an overcrowded facility called “City Hospital No. 2.”

After years of delay, St. Louis passed a bond issue and built a 728-bed hospital at 2601 Whittier St. in the Ville

neighborhood. For 42 years, the Homer G. Phillips Hospital served African-American patients in North St. Louis. It also recruited, hired and trained black doctors and nurses from all over the country.

In the Jim Crow era of legalized discrimination, being able to see a black doctor meant so much, Ross said.

“There was a sense of comfort, knowing they were in an environment where they knew someone was going to look after them,” he said. “They were not going to be treated as second-class citizens.”

Ross, who once served as the medical director at a successor hospital, the St. Louis Regional Medical Center, is now co-authoring a book on Homer G. Through his research, he’s learned how the hospital did more with fewer resources than the city-run hospital for whites. The quality of surgical and obstetric outcomes was particularly impressive, he said.

“With fewer financial resources, fewer technical resources, and physical plans that were suboptimal – with

n “There was a sense of comfort, knowing they were in an environment where they knew someone was going to look after them.”

– Dr. Will Ross

those constraints, the physical outcomes were just as good, if not better,” Ross said. “That’s what’s remarkable.”

For former employees of Homer G., some of the fondest memories are of a closeness between doctors, nurses and other staff. The hospital trained thousands of nurses in an on-site nursing school, and was one of just a few U.S. hospitals that would admit African-American doctors into residency programs. Murdock remembers meeting with the residents in his living room to help them study for exams.

“Homer G. Phillips has hero status among black hospitals in the U.S.,” said Dr. Richard Allen Williams, a cardiologist and president of the National Medical Association. “It occupies an important niche in black medical history.”

A

hospital shuttered, with little warning

But the era would not last forever. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act ended segregation in the United States. Stopping discrimination in hospitals

began under the Hill-Burton Act nearly 20 years earlier, but the law still allowed for patients to be held in separate wings.

In the 1970s, St. Louis officials decided that for financial reasons, one of the municipal hospitals would have to close. City Hospital No. 1 was more centrally located, but Homer G. had a newer building.

At the time, thenmayor James Conway told reporters that the facility was “a monument to racism, built according to the attitudes prevalent at the time. We’re trying to get away from those attitudes.”

In August of 1979, Murdock and his coworkers were brought into a room to hear the news.

“I think most people were crying and carrying on,” he said. “Because it really served this community, and it gave a lot of people jobs.”

Patients were taken from their beds and transported to other hospitals. Protests erupted. The loss still hurts for the doctors who worked here.

Dr. Mary Tillman, a pediatrician, didn’t know what happened until she tried to drive into work to see her patients.

“I was met with all the police, the dogs, the horses,” Tillman said. “I was telling the police, I’m trying to go to work, what’s going on? And he drew a nightstick on me.” Tillman, Murdock and many of their coworkers continued to practice in St. Louis for the rest of their careers. The building stayed vacant for a while, then was remodeled and reopened in 2003 as senior housing. City Hospital No. 1 would meet the same fate a few years later.

The bustling, vibrant Ville neighborhood was once the epicenter of black life in St. Louis, said Ross. It never recovered after the loss of Homer G.

“It hurts me, when I drive through there – the vacant lots, the boarded up homes, the broken windows,” Ross said. The feelings have motivated him as he and a colleague, Candace O’Connor, completed dozens of oral history interviews over the past ear. They hope to complete a manuscript by the end of next year.

When Ross closes his eyes, the memories come back.

“Children running through the streets playing games, and streetcars, and people out shopping, and doctors in their white coats running to work,” Ross said. “I can just see that image. And I go back now, and I see the injustice. That’s why I feel we have to tell this story.”

Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org. Follow

Durrie

Dr. Nathaniel Murdock, 79, visits the former Homer G. Phillips Hospital, where he delivered thousands of babies at the hospital as an OB-GYN in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Photo by Carolina Hidalgo / St. Louis Public Radio

Photo by Durrie Bouscaren / St. Louis Public Radio

Dr. Will Ross, a kidney specialist and associate dean at Washington University School of Medicine, is co-authoring a book on the legacy of Homer G. Phillips Hospital.

Cherokee Street celebrates a new aldermanic voice for inclusion

In a monumental win on Tuesday, March 7, community organizer Dan Guenther took down incumbent 9th Ward Alderman Ken Ortmann, who had held his seat since 1999. Guenther received 64 percent of the South city ward’s votes to Ortmann’s 36 percent, according to unofficial election results from the March 7 primary. Many supporters, who packed Guenther’s watch party at Yaqui’s pizzeria on Cherokee Street, felt like the community would finally be free from a leadership of institutional racism and discrimination.

Jason Deem, president of the Cherokee Station Business Association, remembers when Ortmann passed legislation – without any input from the neighborhood association – to ban barbecuing in Benton Park. The move clearly targeted the community’s low-income population, he said.

“If you have a $400,000 house in Benton Park, you

barbeque in your backyard,” Deem said. “If you live in a six-unit apartment building, you will probably want to barbeque in the park. Ken made that impossible.”

Ortmann did not return The St. Louis American’s request for comment.

Deem, also a developer who has been working to revitalize the Cherokee Street business district and surrounding area for about 10 years, said Ortmann also fought against a low-income housing project in Benton Park West that Deem tried to initiate.

“Ken told me under no circumstances will you do that in Benton Park West,” Deem said. “This type of housing is only for drug dealers and prostitutes. He only wanted owner-occupied residences. And that’s unfortunate because South City is a diverse place where we want to have everyone feel like they are welcomed in the neighborhood.

Ken didn’t do that, and Dan has a great track record for doing that.”

In his victory speech, Guenther pledged to lead by “looking at things through a racial-equity lens and making sure we are making opportunities for everyone who’s on our streets here. I look at the way things were done 150 years ago and look that at model for how we can rebuild these neighborhoods – by investing in small businesses, by investing in community, making sure transportation is available, making sure we are building a sustainable city.”

Alderwoman Cara Spencer, who represents the neighboring 20th Ward, was as excited as anyone in the room.

“We will work as a team,” she told The St. Louis American “Now we can really make the changes this community needs.”

One of the dividing lines between the 9th and 20th wards is down the most vibrant row of businesses on Cherokee Street, between South Jefferson and Gravois avenues. Ortmann represented the north side of Cherokee Street and, up until Spencer’s win two years ago, longtime alderman Craig Schmidt represented the south side.

Deem said that Ortmann and Schmidt had come up with an arbitrary list of prohibited business types, which was not based in law. Included on the list was bars, entertainment venues and tattoo shops – all which have helped to lead the revitalization of the once run-down business district.

Cherokee Street has now become a nightlife hotspot, and Deem said those bars and music venues are “a component of a diverse business district.”

“The successes that we’ve had have been despite the aldermen and their leadership,” Deem said. “We’ve got an opportunity where we can set an example for some of these other commercial districts located in underprivileged areas. With Dan and Cara working together, we’ll have that opportunity.”

In the two years that Spencer has been an alderwoman, the area has boomed now that developers know Gravois Park – an area long ridden by crime and boarded-up buildings

– is open to new projects.

Spencer said that at one point both Schmidt and Ortmann were using Housing Urban Development (HUD) funds to bid against developers who wanted to build anything other than “townhomes” or owneroccupied homes.

“There is so much development that’s about to happen on Chippewa and Potomac [streets],” Deem said. “All this has been stagnant for decades. We will see that multiple with Dan.”

Guenther will face Green Party candidate Katie Gore in the April 4 municipal election.

Other newcomers

Beating out five challengers in the 3rd Ward, Brandon Bosley will replace his father, Alderman Freeman Bosley Sr., who had held that seat since 1989. Brandon received 410 votes, or 29 percent, and community organizer Gloria Muhammad came in second. Brandon, 29, previously told the American, “Where I come from there are no elders who the youth want to follow. There are no youth who our elders believe in.” However, Brandon believes he can bridge the gap between generations, and he is passionate about preventing crime and rebuilding the city.

In the race to fill the open seat by outgoing 11th Ward Alderman Thomas Villa, Sarah Martin won with 65.5 percent of the vote against her two challengers Dee Brown and Eddie Tucker. Martin was endorsed by Mobilize Missouri and will face Green Party candidate Hannah LaChance in the April 4 election.

In the 16th Ward special election, Thomas Oldenburg beat out Michele Kratky, 1,817 to 1,438 votes, and will face Republican candidate Abigail Niebling in April.

John Muhammad Jr. will replace Alderman Antonio French in the 21st Ward, narrowly beating committeewoman Laura Keys, 807 to 774 votes. The Ferguson unrest pushed the 24-year-old to run for state representative in the 77thDistrict last fall. After losing that race, he entered the aldermanic race in the 21st Ward. He told The American previously that he is a “fighter” against injustice and corruption. He is passionate about rebuilding neighborhoods and recreating the Natural Bridge Corridor.

Pamela Boyd, the 27th Ward committeewoman for eight years, beat out community organizer Keena Carter (and

daughter of the Carter family that has dominated the ward for decades), 797 to 635 votes. Ciera Simril received 228 votes. Boyd will replace outgoing Alderman Chris Carter. Boyd is the board president of St. Louis Caring Communities and has been a dietary manager for more than 40 years. She told The American previously that she was a “pioneer” in starting the neighborhood watch and block units in her community.

The incumbents

The majority of incumbents retained their seats on Tuesday night. Alderwoman Sharon Tyus, of the 1st Ward, narrowly beat challenger Marissa Brown with 692 votes to Brown’s 631 votes. Community organizer Aziz Azim took 241 votes.

In the 5th Ward, Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard beat out a crowded race of five challengers who all wanted to see change in their community. Community organizer Megan Betts’ 346 votes came closest to Hubbard’s 610 votes. Hubbard started the night out with a strong lead in the absentee numbers, a Hubbard family campaign tactic which came under fire in the 76th District state representative and 5th Ward committeeman primary races in August.

Alderman Jack Coatar of the 7th Ward and Alderwoman Beth Murphy of the 13th Ward both ran uncontested in the Democratic primary, but both will face Green Party candidates – Quinn Parks in the 7th and Stephanie Dinges in the 13th – in the April 4 election.

As expected, Alderwoman Megan Green of the 15th Ward stomped her opponent Jennifer Florida, longtime ward alderwoman who resigned to accept Mayor Slay’s appointment to recorder of deeds, only to lose the subsequent election to the person forced to resign after admitting to nepotism. Green earned 1,755 votes to Florida’s 900 – winning with 66 percent of the vote.

Green said her win was proof that “progressive politics” can work in the city.

“We are not this conservative city that everybody makes us out to be,” Green said. “We really are a progressive-minded city.”

Longtime alderman Joe Roddy of the 17th Ward, which includes the Central West End, kept his seat, beating

Community organizer Dan Guenther beat longstanding incumbent Alderman Ken Ortmann in the 9th Ward Democratic primary election on Tuesday. He celebrates at Yaqui’s pizzeria on Cherokee Street with Alderwoman Cara Spencer of the neighboring 20th Ward and the Democratic committeemen Sara Johnson (left) and Bryan

Veteran Alderwoman Marlene Davis of the 19th Ward won by a landslide against her progressive challenger Lindsay Pattan, 907 to 387 votes.

Alderman Joe Vaccaro of the 23rd Ward and Alderman Shane Cohn of the 25th Ward both ran unopposed and have no challengers in April.

Comptroller Darlene Green also held her position, beating her challenger Alexandra Johnson with 79 percent of the vote.

Prop S wins

Along with Guenther’s win, Spencer also celebrated the passage of Proposition S, as 60 percent voted in favor. Prop S approves charging a $5,000 annual permit fee for short-term lending institutions – such as payday loan stores – to operate in St. Louis city. Spencer, who championed the proposition, said that the revenue from the fees will go towards funding an office in charge of oversight and regular inspections of the lenders. Every year 11 percent of Missourians take out a payday loan, and they pay an average of 452 percent interest on the loans, Spencer said.

“Missouri has more payday loan storefronts than McDonalds, Starbucks and Wal-Mart stores combined,” said Spencer, who is also the executive director of the advocacy nonprofit Consumers Council of Missouri.

Prop S would also require payday lenders to post onsite APR (annual percentage rate) information and provide information from the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office about alternative financial assistance and lending.

“This information is currently not clearly presented to customers who often end up paying far more than they anticipated,” Spencer said. Excess funds could be used to re-invest in low-income communities through existing programs, such as Healthy Home Repair.

The bill also would strengthen existing zoning regulations, including restricting payday lenders from operating within a mile of another payday lender, and will allow for more oversight and inspection. It also would require that lenders adhere to a “Good Neighbor Policy” that restricts signage, hours and sale of drugs and alcohol onsite.

emergency-room nurse Joe Diekemper, 1,185 to 858 votes.

Walsh (right).

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

Nutrition Challenge:

Calcium!

Healthy Kids Kids

calcium include:

> Milk – 8 oz. (300 mg)

Daylight Savings Time

Your body uses calcium to build strong bones. By the time you hit the age of 20, your bones have usually completed their growing. So it is during your school years that you need to give your body the most calcium. Drinking soda not only reduces the amount of calcium you consume, it also affects how your body absorbs the calcium you do get.

Daylight Savings starts 3/12/17

This weekend we’ll all turn our clocks forward an hour, resulting in more daylight in the evenings. Use that extra hour to increase your outdoor playtime. As it stays lighter later and later, you can take advantage of this extra time to get plenty of exercise.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that kids between the ages of 9 and 18 years should eat and drink at least 1,300 milligrams of calcium each day. Some great sources of

Here’s a fun way to do just that. Pay attention to what time the street lights come on tonight. Now each night after that see how much later they come on. Make it a goal to add that much time to your outdoor active play. With the warmer weather and increased daylight, there’s no excuse to not

Diversity

What is diversity? As a class, discuss what you think it means. Is it the differences in how we look or act? Is it the differences in where we live, work or go to school?

Break into small groups and create two lists: what everyone in the group has in common and what are the differences.

Is it bad to be different? What are some advantages to being around people that are different than you?

Learning Standards: HPE 2, NH 2, NH 4

> American Cheese – 2 oz. (300 mg)

> Cottage Cheese – 4 oz. (70 mg)

Look for “calcium-fortified” foods and beverages to boost your calcium intake.

FYI— If you choose lowerfat skim milk, it has the same calcium as whole milk!

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

get in at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. Why not try for a goal of 60 minutes at least 4 days per week? You’ll look and feel better!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, HPE 5, NH 1

Where do you work? I work at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Where did you go to school? I graduated from North Technical High School in St. Louis and I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in health care management from Missouri Baptist University.

What does a supervisor in the patient access area do? As a patient access supervisor, I oversee the day-to-day operations of the registration team in the radiology department at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. I also supervise the radiology scheduling team for St. Louis Children’s Hospital, as well as Children’s Specialty Care Center.

Why did you choose this career? I enjoy helping others and have a natural passion for children. It is fulfilling to be the first contact for most families and to help them feel at ease and supported through their journey with us at the hospital. This career is rewarding and challenging. What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part of the job is seeing patients overcoming difficulties and rising above obstacles that they may have had.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Directions:

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

Cottage Che e

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

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

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Our Lady of Guadalupe School 4th grade coordinating teacher Michelle Boehne, helps students Sydney Akers, Carlos Pinacho and Aaron Peoples work on a project using the STEM page in the newspaper. Our Lady of Guadalupe School is in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

St. Louis American

SCIENCE CORNER

The Lymphatic System

The purpose of the lymphatic system is to help your body fight infection and to keep fluids balanced. The lymphatic system is made up of lymphatic vessels that carry fluid through the body, and it also includes the spleen. The spleen is located on the left side of the body under the rib cage. The spleen helps fight infection by removing red blood cells that have become worn out. The lymphatic system removes excess fluid from body tissue and returns it to the blood. Lymph nodes remove viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The lymph nodes are small and either round or kidney shaped, and are located in the neck, armpit, and groin

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you will see how music impacts your workout routine.

Materials Needed:

• Music with varying beats and tempos • Exercise equipment, such as jump ropes, steps and hand weights • Paper • Pencil

• Stopwatch Procedure:

areas. Inside the lymph nodes are T-cells and B-cells (lymphocytes) that help the body fight infection. When you become ill, the lymph nodes and spleen often become swollen because germs collect there. When you are ill, it is important to drink a lot of fluids to help your body flush out all of the fluid that is holding the germs and infection. It is also important to rest and let your body rebuild new red blood cells.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details. I can make text-to-text and text-to-self connections.

Music Minded

w Rest 1 minute. Choose a song with a slower tempo and repeat.

e Rest 1 minute. Choose a song with a fast tempo and repeat.

r Next, repeat the process while you record your partner’s results.

SCIENCE STARS

African American Cancer Pioneer Jane Cooke Wright

Jane Cooke Wright was born in New York in 1919. Her father, Dr. Louis Wright, was one of the first African-American graduates of Harvard Medical School and she wanted to follow in his footsteps. She went to private schools before she attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. In 1942, she graduated from Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1945, she earned her medical degree from New York Medical College.

After graduating, she worked at Bellevue Hospital before working at Harlem Hospital. In 1949, she was hired as a staff physician for New York City Public Schools. Six months later, she joined her dad at Harlem Hospital’s Cancer Research Foundation. They worked together to test a new chemical that could treat cancers of the lymphatic system. In 1952, she was named head of the Cancer Research Foundation. Three years later, she took a job at New York University as a surgical research professor.

Cooke earned many awards and honors, including the Merit Award from Mademoiselle magazine, the Spirit of Achievement Award of the Women’s Division of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the Hadassah Myrtle Wreath Award. In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson chose her for the President’s Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer, and Stroke. Seven years later, she was the first woman to be elected as president of the New York Cancer Society.

q Choose a song with a medium/moderate tempo. Have a partner time you for one minute as you complete an activity: (jump rope, jumping jacks, sit ups, etc.) Record the results.

z You are comparing membership costs for local fitness clubs. Fitness First has an enrollment fee of $125 and a monthly membership fee of $40. Healthy Habits has an enrollment fee of $50, but has a monthly membership cost of $45. Which fitness club has the better offer?_________ How much will you save per year by choosing this club?_________

x Vic and Sheila decided to take a 12-mile hike at the local state park. They began their hike at 9:30 in the morning. Vic checks his watch at 10:00 a.m. and They are ¼ of the way finished. If they continue their hike at the same rate, what time will they be finished?_________

Analyze: What type of impact did music have on your exercise routine? Did you feel more energized with upbeat music? Did you feel more motivated to complete the routine?

Learning Standards: I can complete an experiment to draw conclusions and analyze results.

c Donece was in a cycling race. She averaged 20 miles per hour. If the race was 50 miles, how long did it take her to complete the race?_________

v Kelton belonged to a canoe club that had 18 canoes. They kept their canoes on trailers, each able to carry canoes 2 wide and 3 high. If they had enough trailers for all of their canoes, how many trailers did they have?_________

b Aiden began an evening walking routine. He started with 1 ½ miles per night. The next week, he added another ½ mile per day. The following week, he added another ½ mile per day. How many miles did he walk that week?_________

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

James Derham (a former slave) was the first African-American physician.

Learning Standards: I can read about a person who has contributed to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. I can make text-to-text connections.

MAP CORNER

Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper.

Activities — Persuasive Ads: Look for any ads in the newspaper that may claim cures or breakthroughs for diseases or other medical or cosmetic problems. Discuss these ads and the persuasion techniques used to encourage people to buy or try the product or service.

Design a Newspaper Ad: Design a newspaper ad for a health care agency, such as the Heart Association, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, etc.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can analyze and create advertisements. I can write for a specific purpose and audience.

Photo by Wiley Price /

Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first AfricanAmerican professionally trained nurse.

Dr. Richard Charles Drew was an African-American medical doctor and surgeon. He created the idea of a blood bank to preserve blood.

Court upholds minimum wage law

By Rachel Lippmann

Of St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis’ minimum wage can go up to $11 by 2018, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday, February 28. Its unanimous opinion ruled that a 2015 ordinance does not conflict with the state’s minimum wage of $7.65 an hour.

In 2015, both St. Louis and Kansas City made headway on increasing the minimum wage. St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay signed his city’s legislation in August of that year; a Kansas City group, disappointed with its City Council, got a measure to set the minimum wage at $15 by 2020 on last November’s ballot.

Then, the courts stepped in. St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Steven Ohmer struck down the St. Louis law hours before it was supposed to take effect. A different judge had Kansas City’s

n “Workers have been working hard and waiting for this increase for a long time, and they deserve this increase.”

– Richard von Glahn, Missouri Jobs with Justice

measure removed from the ballot. Both courts ruled that cities were blocked by the Missouri Constitution from requiring minimum wages higher than what’s set by state law.

The state Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that Kansas City’s measure must get a vote, but did not address the issue of whether it conflicted with Missouri law. The judges rejected

that argument in the February 28 opinion, ruling that cities have the right to order businesses to pay a higher minimum wage.

“Plaintiffs [a group of business interests] are incorrect that the Missouri minimum wage law is an affirmative authorization to pay no more than the state minimum wage,” Justice Laura Denvir Stith wrote. “To the contrary, it simply sets a floor below which an employee cannot be paid, stating that ‘every employer shall pay to each employee wages at the rate of [the current state minimum wage standard].’”

Slay said he was happy with the ruling.

“There is dignity and value in having a job — even more so in one that helps a worker put a roof over her head, food on the table, and save a little for a child’s future college education or an emergency medical need,” he said.

Urban League to bring national conference to St. Louis

David Steward: ‘This is an investment back into the next generation’

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

National Urban League President and CEO

Marc Morial visited St. Louis on Friday, March 3 to make two big announcements – the organization’s annual conference will be held in St. Louis in July, and the local Urban League achieved a five-star rating on the national group’s rigorous assessment.

The two title sponsors of the upcoming conference, to be held from July 26 to 29, are Centene and World Wide Technology. David Steward, co-founder and chairman of the board at World Wide Technology, said he was once a “son” of the Urban League, and now his business is valued at $9.4 billion – making it the largest African-American business in the country. Being a title sponsor of the conference and major supporter of the Urban League are important to him, he said.

Lisa White Hardwick was included on the panel of three nominees submitted to Governor Eric Greitens by the Appellate Judicial Commission to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Missouri left by the passing of Judge Richard B. Teitelman. She is a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, and holds a law degree from Harvard Law School.

Leon W. Russell is the new chairman of the 64-member National Board of Directors of the NAACP. He previously served as vice chairman of the board. The NAACP Board of Directors is responsible for guiding the organization, establishing public policies which maintain consistency and purpose for its over 2,200 branches within the United States and abroad.

Constance Gully was promoted to the position of president and CEO of the Parents as Teachers National Center. The organization’s chief financial officer and a licensed certified public accountant, she had served as interim CEO since August 2016. Prior to joining Parents as Teachers in 2014, she served as executive vice president for Business and Financial Affairs at Harris-Stowe State University.

Marcus D. Adams joined Centrue Bank’s mortgage sales team as assistant vice president/ senior Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) mortgage loan originator. He will lead the bank’s efforts in CRA mortgage loan origination, developing strategic relationships with local non-profits and community organizations, and strengthening the bank’s in-reach through his current activities with local boards.

Simone Cummings was appointed dean of Webster University’s Walker School of Business & Technology. She had been associate dean of Academic Quality Assurance for the school. She joined the Walker School in 2013 as an associate professor of management, teaching finance and statistics courses in the Master of Health Administration program.

National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial; Michael Neidorff, president of Centene and chairman of National Urban League’s Board of Trustees; David Steward, co-founder and chairman of the board at World Wide Technology; and Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, at a press conference on Friday, March 3 announcing that the Urban League’s 2017 national convention will be hosted in St. Louis.

Darryl Booker has a role in the sixth episode of the “Murder Chose Me” series airing March 22 on the Investigation Discovery (ID) channel. He also portrays Muhammad Ali on the “Mysteries at the Museum” showing airing on the Travel Channel later this

Lisa White Hardwick

Marcus D. Adams

Simone Cummings

Leon W. Russell

Darryl Booker

The Show Me 15 campaign protested for an increase in the minimum wage in November 2015.

Photo by Wiley Price

Constance Gully

By Nathaniel Sillin

Have you ever considered how lenders compare applicants? Typically, the lowest rate goes to those who have the highest likelihood of repaying the loan on time. A lot of data goes into determining that probability, including the person’s credit, income and outstanding debt.

As these factors improve, your terms on new loans might improve as well. You could also refinance debts you took on earlier in life to take advantage of the changes. As a result, you might be able to decrease your interest rate, lower your monthly payment and save a lot of money.

Refinancing, which is often done by taking out a new loan to pay off existing debt, can be surprisingly simple. In some cases, you can submit

Refinancing your debt could be a good idea if …

all the information online, and the entire process will only take a few days. However, refinancing more complex debts, such as a mortgage, can take considerably longer. While refinancing doesn’t always make sense, it’s worth considering if you’re in one of the following situations.

Interest rates dropped. Some loans’ interest rates depend on a benchmark interest rate, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). Even if your financial profile stays the same, when the benchmark rate rises or falls, your interest rate on a new loan could rise or fall as well.

You want to change the terms of your loan. Because you’re taking out a new loan to pay off existing debt, you

might have the opportunity to change the terms of the loan. For example, you could have a variable-rate student loan whose interest rate rises or falls with a benchmark. You might be able to refinance with a fixed-rate student loan and have certainty that your monthly payments won’t change in the future.

If you have a lower interest rate after refinancing and have the same amount, or less, time to repay the loan, you can save money over the lifetime of the loan.

You want to lower your monthly payments. Say you have a 30-year mortgage that you’ve been paying off for five years. If you refinance with another 30-year mortgage, you have an extra five years to pay off approximately the same amount of money. As a result,

your monthly payments could be lower, but be sure to take into consideration the fact that you will likely wind up paying more in interest.

Your loan has a cosigner. Perhaps you asked someone to cosign your auto loan to improve your chances of getting approved or getting a lower interest rate. If you’re eligible for refinancing on your own, you might be able to release your cosigner and take full responsibility for the new loan.

Proceed carefully because applying for refinancing could hurt your credit. Applying for refinancing often results in a hard inquiry, when a potential lender reviews your credit. Generally, a single hard inquiry won’t have a large negative impact on credit, but

multiple hard inquiries might.

When you’re refinancing a mortgage, auto loan or student loans you can still shop around and try to find the best rate without worrying about your credit too much. As long as the hard inquiries happen within a 14- to 45-day period (depending on the creditscoring model) the creditscoring model will consider them a single inquiry.

Consider the fees and find your break-even point before refinancing. Depending on the type of debt and the lender, there could be costs associated with refinancing debt. For example, some loans have an origination fee, either a flat fee or a percentage of the loan amount, which could be significant.

The break-even point is how long it’ll take you to

recoup the costs associated with refinancing. For example, it could cost you $3,000 to refinance your mortgage, but you’ll save $150 each month. You’ll break even after 20 months because that’s when you’ll have saved $3,000 in monthly payments. If you plan on selling the home before the break-even point, it likely doesn’t make sense to refinance. Use the same sort of calculations to weigh the pros and cons of refinancing other types of debts. When it looks like refinancing could be beneficial, shop around to try and find the terms that best fit your needs.

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

Financial advisor who learned the hard way

American staff

Ayana AndersonStringfellow was born in Detroit, Michigan. Both of her parents worked for the Ford auto plant and were transferred to St. Louis. AndersonStringfellow graduated from Hazelwood East High School and began her own work

history at the Hazelwood Ford plant.

Her mother strongly encouraged her to go to college so that she would have other options, should the Hazelwood plant close in the future.

Anderson-Stringfellow earned her undergraduate and master’s degree from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville

while working full time at the auto plant.

When the Hazelwood Ford plant announced that it would close, Anderson-Stringfellow elected to take the severance package that was offered.

“Because my degrees were in finance, I thought I understood the market,” she said. She soon realized that

“money does not come with instructions.”

Unfortunately, she learned the hard way that going to school for finance, and understanding practical application of that knowledge, are not always the same. Within 18 months, the sizeable severance package was gone. That was the moment that she focused her efforts to learn all she could about investing, so that she would not make the same mistakes ever again.

said, the instructor specifically “highlighted the importance of women being knowledgeable about their finances because statistically they are likely to outlive their spouse.”

Ayana AndersonStringfellow

AndersonStringfellow enrolled in some investment courses at St. Louis Community College –Meramec, where her first instructor was a financial advisor for Edward Jones. This instructor’s ability to make finance lessons interesting sparked a desire for her to learn more and more. In addition to understanding the importance of knowledgeable planning and investing, she

LAW

continued from page B1

The wage in St. Louis was supposed to rise over the course of three years, with the first increase in October 2015. As of January 1, it was supposed to be $10 an

Now AndersonStringfellow enjoys her career as a financial advisor for Edward Jones, knowing that she is helping others and positively impacting the future for their families through the confidence and comfort that comes with financial planning and stability. She enjoys a busy life with her husband, Jason, and their two gradeschool-aged children. In between family commitments and sports activities, AndersonStringfellow spends time sharing her knowledge and experience with the community. She volunteers for the United Way of Greater St. Louis and is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and of

hour. Slay said he will give businesses a “reasonable grace period” to adjust to that new wage.

Richard von Glahn, the policy director for Missouri Jobs with Justice, said he hopes businesses begin to comply immediately with the higher wage.

“Workers have been

the Regional Business Council Young Professionals. She volunteers for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s One Smart Cookie program, which sees financial advisors visiting Girl Scouts to train them on financial matters before their cookie sales start. She also works with area school kids to teach them about the foundations of finance. In addition to helping young people understand finance, Anderson-Stringfellow spends time educating adults. She participates in lunchtime education sessions for the National Coalition of Black Women’s St. Louis Chapter, and her career has come full circle as she works with United Auto Workers to help their members understand financial matters.

Looking back at the Hazelwood auto plant closure, she said she can’t help but think “how much better off my life would be for me and my family had I sought professional help with my finances.”

working hard and waiting for this increase for a long time, and they deserve this increase,” von Glahn said.

Bettie Douglas, an activist with Show Me $15, a group that wants to boost the minimum wage even higher, said the ruling is a sign of momentum.

“When we started our Fight for $15 an hour and union rights, nobody in Missouri gave us a chance to win,” Douglas said in a statement.

“But by standing together and going on strike, we’ve secured life-changing raises for fastfood cooks and cashiers, janitors, and home care aides across the city.”

Jane Dueker, an attorney for the businesses that challenged the law, called the decision “extremely disappointing.”

“It’s concerning that complying with state law is now a crime in the city of St. Louis,” Dueker said. The law is vague when it comes to enforcement, she added, and it was troubling that employees could sue their employers tomorrow because their wages did not go up immediately.

Ray McCarty, the president of the Associated Industries of Missouri, which participated in the lawsuit, blasted another “activist ruling.”

“Despite the liberal Supreme Court’s gross misinterpretation of state statute, money still doesn’t grow on trees,” McCarty said in a statement. “Some minimum wage employees will find themselves without jobs thanks to this misguided decision.”

Reprinted

n “I don’t think he’s doing that well right now physically.”

– Golfer Steve Stricker on his friend Tiger Woods

Large schools near Final Four

Class 4 and 5 quarterfinals games are Saturday

PreP BasketBall NoteBook

The large schools in the state of Missouri are one step away from advancing to the Final Four of the state tournament in Columbia. The winners of Wednesday night’s sectional games have advanced to the quarterfinals, which will be held on Saturday.

The Class 5 quarterfinals games involving St. Louis area teams will be held at Lindenwood University. The boys’ games will be held at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. The girls games will be held at 2:45 and 7:45 p.m.

The Class 4 quarterfinals games involving area teams will be held at Jefferson College at Hillsboro and Washington High. At Hillsboro, the boys’ game will be at noon with the girls to follow at 1:45 p.m. The boys’ game at Washington will tip off at 1 p.m. with the girls’ game to follow at 2:45 p.m.

All of the winners will advance to the Final Four of the state tournament, which will be held at The Mizzou Arena from March 16-18.

Individual district championship highlights

Here are some of the top performers from last week’s Class 4 and 5 district championship games:

*Junior guard Kyle Younge of Jennings scored 37 points to lead the Warriors to a 66-52 victory over St. Charles in the Class 4, District 7 championship game.

*Junior forward Jericole Hellems of Chaminade scored 29 points to lead the Red Devils to a 62-53 victory over SLUH in the Class 5, District 4 championship game. Chaminade trailed SLUH 44-32 after three quarters, but outscored the Jr. Bills 30-9 in the fourth quarter to win the victory.

*Senior guard Jadyn Pimentel of Parkway North had 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the Vikings’ 71-47 victory over Parkway Central in the Class 4, District 5 girls’ championship game.

*Junior guard Jayla Everett of Kirkwood scored 26 points in the Pioneers’ 71-40 victory over Parkway South in the girls’ Class 5, District 6 championship game.

*Senior guard Kortni Collins of McCluer North scored 16 points and the game winning shot in the final seconds of the Stars’ 51-49 victory over Hazelwood West in the Class 5, District 3 championship game.

Keith “One Time” Thurman now owns two titles. The defending WBA welterweight champion added Danny Garcia’s WBC strap to his title collection after a split decision victory Saturday night. During the highly-anticipated showdown, the two fighters came out throwing plenty of punches with bad intentions over the first few rounds. Then, Thurman (28-0-0, 22 KO) settled into a more measured approach, utilizing lateral movement and counter-punching to frustrate Garcia (33-1-0, 19 KO) during the early and middle rounds.

onship rounds. Still, while Garcia whiffed on his punches, Thurman often landed a few shots as he stopped to switch directions.

After Thurman was announced as the victor, a legion of fans and pundits rushed to deem the fight as “boring.”

Many accused Thurman of “running,” including Angel Garcia, Danny’s father and trainer.

Garcia was the aggressor for much of the fight, but he was unable to cut off the ring consistently. Thurman was able to stay just out of range of Garcia’s vaunted left hook for most of the fight. Sensing he had built up a lead, Thurman moved around the ring constantly during the champi-

“You cannot beat a world champion running like Thurman did,” said Angel after the fight. “It’s not that I’m a bad loser, it’s just that I’m disgusted with boxing right now.” Unfortunately for Angel, the CompuBox stats show that even though Thurman definitely moved around the ring, he also threw and landed more punches in the fight with 570 punches thrown and 147 punches landed compared to Danny Garcia’s 434 and 130 respectively.

It’s amazing to see some of

Earl Austin Jr.

With Earl Austin Jr.

“One Time” Thurman earned a split decision victory over Danny “Swift” Garcia to unify the WBA and WBC welterweight titles.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Darren Huntley (23) attempts to shoot between St. Mary’s defenders Antonio Burks (22)

Yahuza Rasas (44) during

Vashon went

Mary’s

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Mizzou eyes Martin, but keep an eye out for a guy named Keatts

Missouri is officially on the recruiting trail for a men’s basketball coach after Kim Anderson stepped down on Sunday, March 5 with two years remaining on his contract.

Several reports have the Tigers targeting California’s Cuonzo Martin, and NCAA hoops pundit Gary Parrish of cbssports.com tweeted yesterday, “Who will Missouri target? California head coach Cuonzo Martin is at/near the top of their wish list, according to multiple sources.”

Another familiar name that keeps popping up is former Saint Louis University coach Lorenzo Romar, who now directs Washington’s men’s basketball team.

A 74-58 blowout loss to resurgent USC left the Huskies at 9-21 and in ninth place in the Pac 12.

regardless of a trip to the NIT.

With Groce out, Martin becomes front-runner at Illinois.

Keep Keatts in mind

Here’s a guy that Mizzou fans probably aren’t familiar with, but he is proving his worth in a mid-major conference – Kevin Keatts at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

Romar has had some success at Washington, but hasn’t made the school a perennial threat to UCLA, Arizona or Oregon. Reports have him safe at Washington, but he simply might be searching for greener pastures.

It’s difficult to believe that Romar departed SLU 16 years ago – and that he will fail to make the NCAA tournament for the sixth straight year unless his team miraculously wins the Pac 12 Tournament.

Romar has signed the No. 1 player in the class of 2017, Michael Porter Jr., but he’s landed some big names in the past that have not led the team to success.

On Monday night, Keatts’ top-seeded Seahawks defeated No. 2-seed Charleston 78-69 to win the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title and advance to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season. Before his arrival for the 2013-14 season, UNC-Wilmington had seven sub-.500 seasons and suffered six seasons with 20 or more losses. The Seahawks have won at least a share of the regular season conference championship in each of Keatts three years and held a second-half lead over Duke in a first-round NCAA Tournament game last year.

Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports says the young, AfricanAmerican coach could be in line for the open job at North Carolina or others – like Missouri.

“His successful track record, recruiting prowess and attractive style of play (quick-strike, up-tempo) can also only boost his chances,” Eisenberg said.

n Another familiar name that keeps popping up is former Saint Louis University coach Lorenzo Romar.

Martin would owe Cal $1 million if he departs after this season. Washington would owe Romar $3.5 million in a buyout of his remaining years. According to yahoosports.com, “Romar is well-liked at Washington, which also has helped his cause.”

As far as Martin coming to Mizzou, fate dealt the Tigers a bad hand on Saturday when Illinois blew a 10-point second-half lead and lost at woeful Rutgers. The Illini went from one of the final teams “in” the tournament to “out.” Its dream of reaching the NCAA Tournament is crushed, and John Groce’s team faces a much-improved Michigan team at 11 a.m. today (March 9).

A loss probably creates a job opening at Illinois,

“Resurrecting the UNC Wilmington program has already made Keatts an attractive option for schools in search of a new coach. Winning a game or two in the NCAA tournament this month could only boost Keatts’ stock further.”

Mizzou recruit not happy

With Anderson’s ouster comes news that Mizzou’s top basketball recruit, C.J. Porter Jr., of Richland, Texas, and his family aren’t happy.

“My family and I are disheartened to learn of Coach Anderson’s resignation from the University of Missouri,”

Craig Roberts Sr. said in an email to The Kansas City Star

“Coach Anderson and his staff had gained our trust, but more importantly he had gained CJ’s trust and had committed

to nurturing and developing CJ. CJ is disappointed that Coach Anderson will not be there as he had built a great rapport with him.

“Hopefully the search for a new head coach will be smooth and executed expeditiously as we are all eager to sit down with the new coach and evaluate whether CJ. still fits into the style and vision that Mizzou basketball is headed.”

Seeing that few things in the athletic department at Missouri have gone smoothly in the past 18 months, that might be a lot to ask.

Hamilton a great play

While black coaches are at the helm of many NCAA

men’s basketball programs, there is only one in the latest AP Top 25. Leonard Hamilton of Florida State University has his Seminoles at 16th with a 24-7 record heading into the ACC Tournament in New York.

Hamilton is FSU’s alltime winningest coach with a 279-194 record (.590) over 15 seasons, is seeded second in the ACC Tournament and has wins over Duke, Notre Dame and Louisville this season.

There are four black coaches in the “Other Teams Receiving Votes” category: Ed Cooley at Providence, Mike Anderson at Arkansas, former KU star Danny Manning at Wake Forest and Keatts at UNCWilmington.

Harris has ‘dazzling’ display

Bucky Brooks of the NFL Network was impressed with former Mizzou defensive lineman Charles Harris at the NFL Scouting Combine, calling his effort “dazzling.” Harris was one of his “winners” after his 40-yard dash and skills performances.

“There’s nothing like watching a smooth, fluid athlete move around in space in an effortless manner. Harris breezed through positional drills while displaying exceptional balance, body control, and quickness,” said Brooks.

“Expect his draft stock to surge upward with teams employing 3-4/4-3 hybrid

Sean Rigmaiden

Kevin Keatts’ topseeded University of North CarolinaWilmington Seahawks defeated No. 2-seed Charleston 78-69 to win the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title and advance to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season.

schemes; they’ll covet his skills as a potential stand-up defender. Harris was one of the few prospects in DL group drills to show impressive skills as a rusher and in coverage.

“Considering how multifaceted athletes are valued on draft day, Harris’ dazzling exhibition should boost his draft prospects.”

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

St. Louis Community College – Men’s Basketball

The 6’0” sophomore guard from North Tech led the Archers to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region 16 championship last week. Rigmaiden had 22 points, four rebounds and three assists in the Archers’ 74-63 victory over Penn Valley in the championship game. He also had 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in the Archers’ 64-50 victory over North Central in the regional semifinals. For the season, Rigmaiden is averaging 16 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 48 percent from the field.

Daisy Ogede

Washington University – Women’s Track

The senior standout from Richton Park, IL was voted the Most Outstanding Performer at the University Athletic Association Indoor Meet at Brandeis. Ogede won three individual events and added a fourth championship with a relay team. She won the 55-meter dash, 55-meter hurdles and 200meter dash. She also ran a leg on the Bears’ 4x400-meter relay team that posted a time of

Alvin A. Reid

Four area teams make it to state championships

Whitfield and Northwest Academy boys, Whitfield and Lutheran North girls

By Earl Austin Jr.

Of The St. Louis American

The St. Louis area will be well-represented with four teams in this weekend’s Missouri Class 3 state championships in Columbia.

The boys’ teams of Whitfield and Northwest Academy and girls’ teams of Whitfield and Lutheran North have advanced to the Final Four of the state tournament, which begins today at the Mizzou Arena.

Whitfield (21-9) will take on Hogan Prep (23-7) in the semifinals tonight at 6:40 p.m. That game will be followed by Northwest Academy (19-10) against Mountain Grove (26-5) at 8:20 p.m. The winners will meet on Saturday for the state championship at 2:40 p.m. The third-place game will be held on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Whitfield is making a return trip to the Final Four this season after finishing fourth in

the state tournament a year ago. The Warriors have been riding the talents of 6’5” junior guard Torrence Watson throughout the season. Watson is averaging 28 points a game. He scored 29 points in the Warriors’ victory over Saxony Lutheran in the state quarterfinals.

Watson is getting plenty of support from 6’4” sophomore forwards Luther Taylor and Cyrus Alexander, who are both averaging nine points a game. Junior guard Amechi Ramsey and sophomore wing Aurelio Stucco provide perimeter scoring for the Warriors. Hogan Prep is the top smallschool team in the Kansas City area. The Rams are led by 5’8” guard Damien Daniels, who is averaging 23 points a game. Hogan Prep is small, yet extremely quick and it wants to play at a fast and furious pace.

Northwest Academy is making its first Final Four appearance in the state tournament since 1971, when

the old Northwest High was led by stars Hercle Ivy and Rueben Shelton. The Hornets are led by 5’7” senior guard Ryan Warren, who is averaging about 20 points a game. Warren is joined in the backcourt by juniors Wilshon Warren and Rayonte Childs. Up front, 6’6” junior Jamarr Williams anchors the inside play. Northwest will play a Mountain Grove team that finished third in the Class 3 state tournament a year ago.

Both Whitfield and Lutheran North are making their first appearances in the Final Four in their respective school’s history. Whitfield (24-7) will face Trenton (27-3) in the first semifinal game at noon while Lutheran North (22-8) will face defending statechampion Strafford (31-0 at 1:40 p.m. The winners will meet on Saturday for the state championship at 4:30 p.m. The third-place game will be held on Friday at 4:15 p.m. Whitfield features one of

the area’s top young players in 6’0” sophomore Aijha Blackwell, who averages 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. The Warriors also get excellent play from 5’6” freshman Jade Moore, who averages 11 points and four rebounds a game; and 5’9” sophomore Nia Griffin, who averages 10 points a game.

Lutheran North has an extremely young team with a nucleus that includes five sophomores and a freshman in its main rotation. The Crusaders are led by versatile 5’9” sophomores Madison Buford and Jordyn White, who are both averaging 11 points a game. Sophomore forward Kaylnn Hayden averages 9.2 points a game while 5’6” sophomore Raevyn Ferguson averages eight points a game. In Strafford, Lutheran North will be facing an opponent that is riding a 47-game winning streak while trying to repeat as state champions.

Continued from B3

technical side of boxing.

Pacquiao vs Khan called off

A proposed fight between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan has been called off as quickly as it came to fruition. Just two weeks ago, Pacquiao and Khan announced the pair had agreed to a fight on April 23 in the UAE. However, this week Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum announced that the bout would not take place due to a lack of funding by investment group that made the proposal. Before the bout was announced (then cancelled), Pacquiao held a Twitter poll to determine his opponent. Khan’s 48% beat out Kell Brook (24%), Terence

PREP

Continued from B3

Wentzville Liberty continues to make history

Wentzville Liberty made history a couple of weeks ago when they won the championship of the GAC Central Division, a great accomplishment for a school that has just been around for four years. Last week, Liberty continued its historical run when it defeated Fulton 64-50 to win the Class 4, District 8 championship; another first for the program. Liberty was led by 6’4” junior guard Kaleb Overall, who scored 19 points while 6’1” junior guard Jaylen Sims added 19 points.

Crawford (21%) and Jeff Horn (7%), with whom Arum had an agreement in place for Pacquiao to face in Australia.

While Khan may have a higher profile, a bout with Brook, Crawford or Thurman would be much more enticing for boxing fans. With the Khan bout off the table (for now), maybe we’ll see Pacquiao in a much more meaningful matchup. Considering how boxing goes, especially Arum, odds are Pacquiao’s next bout will be with the unknown Horn.

Woodley retains title St. Louis-native Tyron Woodley retained his UFC Welterweight Championship with a majority decision over Stephen Thompson in UFC 209. The fight was a rematch of November bout that ended in a draw. Though the second fight was nearly just as close on the scorecards, a barrage of punches in the last minute of

the fight, likely gave Woodley and edge on the scorecards.

Instead of praising the champion’s, UFC President Dana White pulled out his petty card after the fight and announced that he thought Thompson deserved the decision.

When Woodley complained about White’s comments and how he has been promoted since winning the title, White doubled-down on his criticism to TMZ.

“Tyron Woodley came out and said he was going to destroy Thompson and there would be no question he was the champ,” White said. “Well guess what? There’s [sic] questions again. Let me tell you what ... when you have a performance like you did at 209 and you get booed for five straight rounds and then people are booing so loud you can’t even do your interview, you should probably just take your lumps and move on.”

Shaquille Lacroes recognized for 1-hitter

Shaquille Lacroes of the Missouri Valley College baseball team was named the Heart Pitcher of the Week after his outing against Judson (Ill.) University on Saturday, March 4. Lacroes led the Vikings to a 5-0 victory over Judson, pitching a complete-game, one-hitter. Lacroes struck out nine total batters, and faced just two over the minimum in the game. The lone base hit in the game came in the top of the sixth inning. Lacroes (a native of Willemstad, Curacao) picked up his first win of the season, in the Judson win, and has struck out 20 batters in three outings so far in the 2017 campaign.

Archers win Region 16 Championship

Congratulations to the St. Louis Community College men’s basketball team on winning the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region 16 championship last weekend. The Archers defeated Penn Valley 74-63 in the championship game. The members of the team include (in alphabetical order): Raushaun Amos (Soldan), Courtney Barlow (Woldan), Brian Enriquez (O’Fallon, IL), Nigel Farrell (Lift for Life), Henderson Faulker (Parkway West), DaVante Harrell (Lutheran North), Alex Mujakic (Mehlville), Miles Nettles (Madison Prep), Marquis Pepper (Oakville), Sean Rigmaiden (North Tech), Todd Simms (Soldan), Andrew Smith (Penn Foster), Jarmon Williams (Lift for Life). The Archers are led by head coach Terry Collins and assistants Cary Lewis and Britt Booker.

Woodley shouldn’t bother responding to White, who has proven to be a troll time and time again. Instead, he needs to place a call to Remy Ma to

have her escort him to the ring for his next bout. Maybe then White will put some ‘respeck’ on his name. Even White doesn’t want those types of problems.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

reP AThLeTe of The Week

E.J. Liddell

Belleville West – Boys Basketball

The 6’7” forward enjoyed two brilliant performances in leading the Maroons to the Class 4A regional championship at Belleville East last week. Liddell had 43 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and six blocks in an 89-73 victory over Belleville East in the regional semifinals. He followed that up with 34 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in a 67-60 victory over East St. Louis in the regional championship game. For the season, Liddell is averaging 19.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks while shooting 56 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line in leading the Maroons to a 20-8 record.

URBAN

continued from page B1

“Thank you, Urban League,” Steward said. “This is an investment back into the next generation.”

Michael Neidorff, president and CEO of Centene and the chairman of National Urban League’s Board of Trustees, said that while the country continues to make progress since the Great Depression, the wealth gap and inequalities in income and housing have remained for African Americans.

“I personally believe there is no other organization to better bridge the gap to where we are and where we want to be,” Neidorff said.

The Urban league has also been critical in bringing together the public and private sectors, and Ferguson is a great example of this, he said. Centene built a new $35 million service center in Ferguson and now provides hundreds of jobs, internships, mentoring for students in the surrounding area, as well as an early childhood center.

Neidorff encouraged other companies to join as conference sponsors, exhibitors, part of the career fair and “help us to create a conference that is unmatched,” he said.

Morial said that “Save Our Cities” conference will have a dynamic career fair, a day for small businesses, a young professionals summit and a lineup of serious plenary discussions.

“There’s tremendous energy, there’s tremendous creativity and growth here, but there are also the depressing challenges of an urban community – the poverty, the challenges between the police and the community,” Morial said.

“Our conference celebrates all that is good while discussing and working on all the challenges that not only St. Louis faces but every major American city. Thus the title of our conference ‘Save Our Cities.’”

“Our conference celebrates all that is good while discussing and working on all the challenges that not only St. Louis faces but every major American city,” said National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial at a press conference on Friday, March 3 announcing that the Urban League’s 2017 national convention will be in St. Louis.

n “The Urban League affiliate has put a stake in the ground in Ferguson to bring a new facility, a program and a new way to address challenges.”

– Marc Morial

surrounding North County communities.

Missourians deserve in-home care

By Elinor Simmons Guest columnist

Home care workers provide valuable care for Missouri families, but it often goes unnoticed, behind closed doors. I take care of Ms. Linda, who has been in my care for five years. I prepare her food, prepare medications, help her get to doctor’s visits – everything she needs to stay happy and healthy in her own house, instead of a nursing home. I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to work with my clients one-on-one, which provides an unmatched quality of care that you don’t get in a nursing home. But right now, new proposals from Governor Eric Greitens threaten the care of Missourians like Ms. Linda. If his plan to slash home care and nursing home programs is approved by the General Assembly, more than 21,000 Missourians will lose their daily care, tens of thousands of families will be thrown into chaos, and taxpayers will pay even more in the years to come.

Home care workers provide important services to our loved ones without any type of institutional care, at nearly a quarter of the cost. The average annual cost to the state for in-home workers like me is only around $11,000 – for a nursing home, it’s often over $42,000 every year. For many, home care is the most financially responsible option, and it keeps families together as loved ones are able to eat and sleep where they want to be: in their homes.

The national conference was last held in St. Louis in 2007, when the organization gave Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama a platform to speak during the presidential primary campaign.

“Laying that foundation 10 years ago made it easy to accept this committee’s invitation to return to St. Louis,” Morial said at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ office. The national organization also felt it was important to hold the conference in a region that is facing “important challenges,” which are not unlike the 80 communities where the group has a presence, Morial said.

“I’m proud of this community,” Morial said. “The Urban League affiliate has put a stake in the ground in Ferguson to bring a new facility, a program and a new way to address the challenges that the community faces.”

Morial was referring to the new job training center that is being built at the site where the QuikTrip gas station, at 9420 W. Florissant Ave., was burned down during the Ferguson unrest. Once completed, the center will become the home for the Save Our Sons program, providing job training and placement services for African Americans and other young men residing in Ferguson and

Morial also gave Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the local Urban League, a certificate for achieving the five-star rating on the national group’s assessment. Morial called it an “intensive and intrusive evaluation” that reviews all elements of the affiliates’ operations. This is the third time the local affiliate has received the highest rating.

McMillian said that last year’s conference, which was held in Baltimore, had 21,000 attendees.

McMillan earned laughs and applause when he said, “We will not be outdone by Baltimore.”

To get involved in the 2017 Urban League conference in St. Louis, call Tom Bailey, vice president of Development for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, at 314615-3611.

n Governor Greitens’ radical plans will force hospitals and care facilities to make cuts, and cost home care workers their jobs.

Governor Greitens promised to bring good, high-paying jobs to Missouri, but his radical plans will force hospitals and care facilities to make cuts, and cost home care workers their jobs. It’s short-sighted and bad news for patients, for caregivers and for our larger economy.

We don’t have big lobby teams or deep pockets to make politicians listen to us. We’re simply trying to care for our friends, families, and neighbors so that they can live with dignity in their homes. It’s time for our legislative leaders to stand up for their constituents who can’t fight back against Jefferson City lobbyists. Together, we must stop Governor Greitens’ dramatic proposal to eliminate care for our most vulnerable neighbors and family members.

Elinor Simmons is a healthcare worker at SEIU Healthcare Missouri.

Elinor Simmons

Photo by Wiley Price

Living It

State of Emergency Four lineup remains secret

LooseCannon

S.L.I.M. promises big names, big surprises for ‘314 Day’ concert

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

He was supposed to have a big reveal of the lineup for his State of Emergency Four concert next Tuesday (March 14). But the discussion became anything but, as LooseCannon S.L.I.M., veteran promoter and producer of the popular

action, national impact

Missouri History Museum exhibit displays St. Louis’ legacy of protest

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

It was impossible not to have a sense of pride while walking with curator Gwen Moore through the exhibit hall as the Missouri History Museum was putting the finishing touches on their #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis exhibit, which opens this weekend and continues through next April. As a member of the St. Louis American team, an African-American and a native St. Louisan, being surrounded by the city’s rich history at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement was overwhelming.

The exhibit’s title was taken from a 1964 editorial written by St. Louis American co-founder Judge Nathan B. Young. He was also the inspiration behind Moore’s vision for the exhibit, which opens Saturday.

“He was one of these pioneering historians of the black experience in St. Louis,” Moore said. “It’s pretty hard to talk about civil rights in St. Louis without crediting Judge Young and his great work. Plus, he had a platform like no other because of The American. He was a voice of authority as far as civil rights and I don’t think he gets that credit.”

A banner with a quote from that particular editorial will hang at the front door. “The quote says, ‘If you want the real history of the Civil Rights Movement in this country, you will start in St. Louis,’” Moore said. “Judge Young said the first demonstration in the continent happened here in St. Louis in 1819 – when free blacks and their white allies stood on the steps of the Old Courthouse protesting the fact that Missouri was entering the union as a slave state. He said this was the first open protest related to Civil Rights on the continent.” The St. Louis region has recently been in the spotlight for unwavering protest during the Ferguson unrest. However, those who walk through the exhibit will see that Ferguson was part of a lineage of powerful protests that

State of Emergency concert discussed the show’s return to Chaifetz Arena next week.

“I just want to see if I can do it,”

LooseCannon S.L.I.M. (short for St. Louis Is Mine) said. Now in its fourth year, the hip-hop show moved from January to March 14 to show extra love and appreciation for his city. The day is better known to young people as 314 Day, an unofficial holiday shows love to all things St. Louis.

“I’m still standing on “St. Louis, trust me,” S.L.I.M. said regarding who would taking the stage at Chaifetz Arena. “Buy your tickets and show up and it’s gonna be one of the best concerts you’ve ever been to in your life.”

He wants the bragging rights of selling out a St. Louis arena without announcing the lineup or

Fresh and funny

n “Do you know how it’s gonna feel not knowing who is coming and have your favorite people walk out on stage?”

- LooseCannon S.L.I.M.,

a headliner, so he is taking a huge risk. Thanks in part to a super promotion where he offered select tickets for $3.14 for a couple of hours the day the show went on sale, he has a See EMERGENCY, C4

As per usual, “Original Queen of Comedy” Sommore was dressed to kill and had the audience dying from laughter as the hostess for the Center Stage Comedy Tour Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena. Also on the lineup of comedy veterans was St. Louis’ own Darius Bradford, John Witherspoon, Tommy Davidson and Arnez J.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

By Mark Loehrer For The St. Louis American

In St. Louis, nothing is sacred. Neighborhoods become stigmatized, neglected, leveled, and forgotten – the memories, like the residents, displaced forever. However, there is no greater injustice than the desecration and displacement of the deceased. Their story is the subject of a new multimedia exhibit, “Higher Ground: Honoring Washington Park Cemetery, Its People and Place,” running through August 26 at the Sheldon Art Galleries, 3648 Washington Blvd. The story of Washington Park Cemetery is one of frustration and frequent upheaval.

Photographer Jennifer Colton (Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University) first visited the cemetery during

‘Higher Ground’ multimedia show at Sheldon Art Galleries through August 26

the early 1990s, when the cemetery was under assault by the forces of “progress.” Airport expansion and MetroLink construction displaced many graves. Colton’s images depict the careless abuse of a sacred historical resting place. Her 50 photographs artistically detail the surviving gravesites; the story they tell is jarring.

The impact of decades of urban sprawl is visible in the photographs. A highway cuts between the cemetery in one image; in another

After scoring record ratings for the WGN Network, the John Legend produced

Books N Bros

Eleven-year-old club founder Sidney Keys III wants to help boys love reading

By Kelly Moffitt Of St. Louis Public Radio

(St. Louis Public Radio) – If you Google the terms “boys and reading,” you will find thousands of results laying out the state of the gender gap between boys and girls when it comes to reading and literacy. “The Boys Have Fallen Behind,” writes Nicholas Kristof. “Why Women Read More than Men,” says NPR. “The truth about boys and books: they read less – and skip pages,” reports The Guardian. The data doesn’t look too good either: a 2010 study from the Center for Education Policy found that boys lag multiple percentage points behind girls in reading proficiency in every single state. But that’s not stopping 11-year-old St. Louisan Sidney Keys III who, six months ago, started a reading club for boys his age to band together in their love of books. He calls it Books N Bros, and the club has an emphasis on making reading fun while lifting up African American literature and culture.

“Books N Bros is a book club for boys and we read books and African American literature because every time I go to the library at my school, there aren’t many African American literature books there,” said Keys in an

picture, a solitary chain link fence separates gravesites from a commercial development. Several headstones tumbled over, covered with weeds. Others sit just steps away from storefronts, reminding visitors to the exhibit that these unkempt surroundings reflect both the weakness of public policy, as well as neglect by Washington Park Cemetery’s caretakers.

One image stands out: a wide shot of a landscape that could easily be mistaken for an abandoned battlefield, with open graves visible like crater shells, filled with rainwater.

This graphic photograph provides a raw reminder. Such indifferent treatment would seldom be tolerated within a white cemetery. Personally, the visceral impact of this exhibit

Sidney Keys III

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

concerts

Sat., Mar. 11, 8 p.m., Sheldon Concert Hall presents Etienne Charles “Creole Soul.” A captivating journey into a myriad of styles rooted in an AfroCaribbean background that examines the musical depths of the islands, from calypso to Haitian voodoo music. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www. thesheldon.org.

Sat., Mar. 11, 8 p.m., Jagged Edge, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

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

Sun., Mar. 26, 8 p.m., The Pageant presents Kodak Black. 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

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

Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis. Sat., Mar. 11, 8 a.m., St. Luis Public Schools Spring Job Fair. Interview for full time certified teacher, social worker, counselor, and nurse positions for the upcoming school year. Registration required. For more information or to register, visit www.slps.org/jobs.

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

special events

Thur., Mar. 9, 6 p.m., Kingdom House presents the Fifth Annual Spring Bling Party & Auction. Boo Cat Club, 812 Union Blvd., 63108. For more information, call

(314) 260-6369 or visit www. kingdomhouse.org.

Thur., Mar. 9, 9 a.m., St. Louis Community College Career Fair. Speak to employers and apply for current full or part time jobs and internships. Meramec Campus, 11333 Big Bend Rd., 63122. For more information, visit www.stlcc.edu/ careerfairs.

Sat., Mar. 11, 8 a.m., St. Luis Public Schools Spring Job Fair. Interview for full time certified teacher, social worker, counselor, and nurse positions for the upcoming school year. Registration required. For more information or to register, visit www.slps. org/jobs.

Sat., Mar. 11, 9 a.m., UMSL’s VITA Program will be offering Tax Assistance. Open to the first 50 people. St. Louis Public Library, Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-4120 or visit www.slpl.org.

Sat., Mar. 11, 6 p.m., New Paradise Missionary Baptist Church invites you to Tiaras & Top Hats Father/ Daughter Dance. 7348 West Florissant Ave., 63136. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sun., Mar. 12, 2 p.m. Ujamaa Tea, Marketplace Fashion Show & Vendor Row featuring Dangerous Curves Modeling Group, Infinite Occasions, 3515 N. Lindbergh Blvd. 6307.

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

Fri., Mar. 17, 6 p.m., DJDC

Featured Event

Dance Company invites you to Hype Fashion & Art Experience. This red carpet fashion event will highlight the designers, artists, musicians and dancers from the area. RLCC Banquet Hall, 1651 Redman Ave., 63138. For more information, visit www. experiencethejadecollection. com.

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

Mon., Mar. 20, 9 a.m., Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Mini Job Fair.

Participating companies include AAA, Dierbergs, US Bank, UPS, UMSL, and more. 8960 Jennings Station Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 506-5306.

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

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

Fri., Mar. 31, 5 p.m., Gateway 180 presents the 8th Annual Open Your Heart

Webster University presents Women’s History Month Lecture with Tracee Ellis Ross. See LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS for additional details.

gateway180.org.

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

Tues., Apr. 4, 12 p.m., Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change Film Screening. This film investigates the role Catholic nuns played in Alabama’s 1965 Selmato-Montgomery marches. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. Sat., Apr. 8, 5:30 p.m., National Black Marathoners Association presents the 3rd Annual Black Distance Hall of Fame and Achievement Awards Banquet. Join us as we recognize the newest inductees into the black distance hall of fame, and raise money for our scholarship fund. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 200 N. 4th St., 63102.

for the Homeless Gala: Light Up the Night. Join us for an auction, live entertainment and art to honor the achievements of our families as they gain independence. Union Station, 1820 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. gateway180.org.

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

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

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

Sun., Apr. 9, 5 p.m., The Made Moguls’ 3rd Annual B.L.A.C.K. T.I.E. Charity Dinner. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 200 N. 4th St., 63102. For more information, visit www.mademoguls.org Sat., Apr. 1, 12 p.m., City of Overland Easter Egg Hunt. Children 1 – 10 years can collect eggs, and win prizes. Open to the public, but proof of Overland Residency is required to win the large prizes. Norman Myers Park, 8600 Midland Blvd., 63114. For more information,

more information, call (314)

994-3300 or visit www.slcl.

org.

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

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

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

lectures and workshops

Mar. 11 – 12, 2 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Black Freedom Struggle in the Gateway City. Clarence Lang, University of Kansas, will discuss the history of the fight for civil rights in St. Louis through the lens of the tensions that existed between working- and middle-class black communities. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 7464599 or visit www.mohistory. org.

Wed., Mar. 15, 5:30 p.m., YWCA Metro St. Louis presents So REEL – Juvenile Justice: How Race Impacts Youth in the Legal System Learn about what happens to minors in municipal courts, criminal courts, or the situation for youth who receive life sentences without parole. Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center, 2711 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

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

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

Mon., Mar. 27, 6 p.m., Women’s History Month Lecture with Tracee Ellis Ross. Webster University, 470 E. Lockwood Ave., 63119. For more information, call (314) 968-4925 or visit www.events. webster.edu.

Wednesdays, 7 p.m., Mar. 22 – Apr. 26, The Missouri Bar Association invites you to the Spring 2017 Mini Law School for the Public A six-week series covering various legal topics including The First Amendment, Hate Crimes, and more. St. Louis County Council Campus, 41 S. Central, 63105. For more information, call (866) 366-0270 or visit www. missourilawyershelp.org/minilaw-school.

theatre

Mar.9 – Mar 11, That Uppity Theatre Company, Vital VOICE Magazine, & Pearl Vodka present Sixth Annual Briefs: A Festival of Short LGBTQ Plays, .ZACK Performing Arts Center, 3224 Locust Street, St. Louis, MO

63103. For more information, visit http://www.metrotix.com/ events/detail/briefs

Mar. 11 – 26, The Repertory Theatre presents The Royale Rising black prizefighter Jay “The Sport” Jackson dominates his opponents, but the harsh social realities of the early 1900s force him to fight twice as hard to earn recognition outside of the ring. 130 Edgar Rd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 968-4925 or visit www.repstl. com.

Through Mar. 14, Max & Louie Productions’ presents “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” The Kranzberg Arts Center. For more information, visit http:// maxandlouie.com/

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

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

Mar. 25 – 26, JPEK Creative Works presents an Acting

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

Fri., Mar. 25 – 26, JPEK Creative Works Theatre presents A Real Life Hip Hopera. A coming of age story that exposes the attitudes of city living. There will also be a Night with The Stars hosted by actor Nelsan Ellis on Mar. 24 at 6 p.m. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, (314) 533-0367 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Mar. 31 – Apr. 1, Dance St. Louis hosts Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue. A fusion of film, dance, and music, takes audiences on a live cinematic journey through

modern Indian culture and society. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.dancestlouis.org.

Mar. 31, 8 p.m., Touhill Performing Arts Center presents MADCO Freedom. The show brings to life Washington Universities Olin Libraries special Civil Rights collection through dance exploring a timely theme in St. Louis and the United States. UMSL. For more information, visit www. touhil.org.

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

Sun., Apr. 9, 8 p.m., Todrick Hall presents

Straight Outta Oz. With over 20 original songs, watch Hall’s adventures from his small town in Texas, to the big Emerald City lights of “Oz Angeles.” Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www. thesheldon.org.

health

Thur., Mar. 16, 6 p.m., Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis presents Stop the Spring Sniffles: Allergy Prevention Workshop. An educational workshop on what causes seasonal allergies and ways to prevent them by making simple changes to your home. 935 N. Vandeventer, 63108. For more information, call (314) 615-3677 or visit www. ulstl.com.

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

Sun., Mar. 12, 8 a.m., Southern Mission Baptist Church Marriage Ministry Annual Day, 8171 Wesley Ave, Kinloch MO. For more information, call (314) 5213951.

Sun., Mar. 19, 3:30 p.m., New Salem Missionary Baptist Church 89th Church Anniversary. 1905 Arlington Ave., 63112. Mar. 22 – 24, EMFJ Jurisdictional Men’s Conference 2017. Nazareth Temple Church of God in Christ, 3300 Marshall Ave., 63114. For more information, call (314) 541-0342.

The Pageant welcoemes Gary Owen (center). For more information, see COMEDY.

Continued from C1

Chaifetz Arena in the freezing temperatures for hours in advance to take advantage of the sale on January 7. When the promotion window ended, a few thousand more stayed in line to purchase tickets anyway – probably thinking it would be worth the hype considering all the people in line before them.

“Man, I can’t even describe to you how it feels,”

S.L.I.M. said. “For people to stand outside in the cold at six o’clock in the morning off of my word … that feels good. It’s unbelievable for me – and it’s humbling, because you know how people really feel and how they support your brand and your vision.”

And he has one more deal up his sleeve that he said is special for St. Louis American readers.

“Enter the BOGO code SOE4 and they will be able to buy three and get one free,”

S.L.I.M. said. “Three plus one equals four.” He feels that the element of surprise only adds to what he is says will be an epic experience.

“Do you know how it’s gonna feel not knowing who is coming and have your favorite people walk out on stage?

That’s like Christmas,” S.L.I.M. said. “The suspense is a small price to pay for what they are going to get. I’m giving way more than y’all’s money’s worth. I feel like by doing this way I have everybody in the industry looking at St. Louis.” The industry has already taken notice. Sean “Diddy” Combs’ network Revolt TV got behind the idea and will be airing the State of Emergency Four concert.

“At 7 p.m. on the dot we are going live on TV. Anybody that’s out of town, tell them to turn on Revolt and they are going to see us,” S.L.I.M. said.

CEMETERY

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angered me as I neared the final images of Colton’s exhibit, where a colored photograph depicts a pristine hillside and a beautiful white cement transit line curving in the background – this landscape was once home to hundreds of gravesites.

“The history of Washington Park Cemetery is a microcosm of events, a complicated tangle of social justice, racial politics and imbalance of power,” Jennifer Colton said.

The exhibit is more than Colton’s striking photographs.

Oral histories created by Denise Ward Brown, professor and filmmaker at the Sam Fox School, provide a narrative voice to the experience. Brown’s videos include interviews with the current cemetery owner and with volunteers. Music from Asbury United Methodist Church weaves beautifully through the gallery, adding an extra layer of emotion to the exhibit.

Moreover, the gallery features an interesting audio-

BOOKS

Continued from C1

interview on St. Louis on the Air. “I already love to read and since we don’t get that much time to read in school, we just discuss in groups. I wanted to read a book but I also wanted to discuss it with other people.”

visual presentation by Dail Chambers, founder of the Yeyo Arts Collective. Chambers, whose grandmother is buried in Washington Park Cemetery, narrates her journey to locate her grandmother’s gravesite and to deal with the reality of the indifference and disrespect that the cemetery reflects.

Much is being discussed around the topic of displacement in St. Louis. It is a sordid and wicked history. With many projects being prepared across St. Louis on displacement, this exhibit is a fitting and powerful first chapter. For more information, visit http://www.thesheldon.org/ current-exhibits.php.

stop reading – we wanted to combat that,” Caldwell said.

Keys added, “My motivation is I already love to read but it would be awesome, even better, to read with other people. I want to keep doing it because I don’t know what will make me stop reading because I love to read.”

started a lemonade stand himself, selling chips and lemonade. As it turned out, the author who wrote “Danny Dollar” saw Keys reading his book in the viral Facebook video and he joined the book club via Skype.

He has dropped some hints. The Migos and Jeezy are apparently on the bill, based on hints revealed in a promotional video produced by Revolt, but that is all he’s giving up.

“If you’re in the car having a bad day and listening to the radio, you don’t know what

“They are going to see 10,000 people in there with St. Louis caps on. The whole world is gonna love St. Louis on 314 Day – an underground holiday that Young Dip (a former radio personality for Hot 104.1 FM) made up.”

song is gonna come on the radio and brighten up your day,”

S.L.I.M. said. “That’s what I want to do at Chaifetz Arena next week.”

State of Emergency Four will take place on Tuesday, March 14 at 7 p.m. For tickets or more information, visit www. thechaifetzarena.com or www. ticketmaster.com.

Keys’ mom, Winnie Caldwell, said she knew Sidney had always loved to read because he’d often come to her wanting to talk about books.

About six months ago, they went to visit EyeSeeMe, a bookstore in University City focusing on African American children’s literature. While there, Winnie shot a video of Sidney reading in the store and it went viral on Facebook. Some 62,000 people have viewed the video and it has been shared 1,700 times.

“He hadn’t seen [a bookstore] like that before and I certainly never had, so he was making himself comfortable on the floor, reading a book,” Caldwell said.

“When you get to a point when he is 11 years old and it was so shocking for him to relate to someone on the cover in a positive aspect rather than it be some negative urban story we see a lot. I would like to make sure he sees himself in being whatever he can be.”

After the video went viral, she and Sidney sat down to think about what he wanted to do next. A book club immediately jumped to mind.

“We specifically reach out to boys around ages 8-10 because that is statistically the age they

CIVIL

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stretches nearly 200 years.

“Not only did we have a civil rights movement, but we had a robust Civil Rights movement – and one that had a national impact,” Moore said. “A personal goal for me was to show that – and that there were important people who made a lot of sacrifices and they were pretty much lost to history.”

From the steps of the Old courthouse to the streets of Ferguson, St. Louis has had freedom fighters from the very beginning working to make the region a better place – and laying the blueprint for other regions to follow suit – and #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis gives inspiring and comprehensive insight.

Guests enter the exhibit hall with screens on either side depicting video of a live demonstration, so they will get the sense that they are stepping into a protest.

“We had a lot of reasons to protest – and we had all of these extraordinary people who fought against those things,” Moore said.

The multi-media exhibit features, photos, film and even actor portrayals to tell the story of St. Louis’ contribution to the movement. The actions – which

The club meets once a month, discussing one book the club has voted on. While their numbers are still small, the book club has grown each month. Last month, two new members joined bringing the

n The club has an emphasis on making reading fun while lifting up African American literature and culture.

group to seven to10 members each month. The group is welcoming to boys of all backgrounds and races, but the club does focus on stories with African American protagonists.

“We focus a lot on stories with an entrepreneurial backing,” Caldwell said.

“Sidney has an entrepreneurial spirit already. The first book we read in the book was called ‘Danny Dollar,’ about financial literacy about a boy who started a lemonade stand. He was able to learn not only money management skills but also entrepreneurial skills.”

During that meetup, Sidney

range from the legal actions that go as far back as the “The Freedom Suits” of the 1800s to Jones vs. Mayer Supreme Court of 1968, the direct actions from sit-ins, campaigns for desegregation to direct actions and marches are too vast to mention.

Many names we are familiar with – like Frankie Muse Freeman (who has her own wall), former Congressman Bill Clay, Margaret Bush Wilson, Norman Seay, Ivory Perry and Percy Green – have their place in the exhibit.

So do lesser known, yet equally important contributors such as Birdie Beal Anderson, T.D. McNeil and Robert Witherspoon.

Moore calls the story of the civil rights struggle in St. Louis a distinctly and uniquely American story that should be of interest to everyone.

“You had people – men and women, black and white – who had a deep and abiding faith in those democratic principles and ideals for which this nation was built upon,” Moore said. “Even in slavery, they still believed in that and fought for it – saying, ‘We need to be included in that vision for the American dream, just like everybody else, because we too are Americans.’ What’s more American than that? Some people want to ‘Jim Crow’ American history, but African American history is a part of American history.

Keys and Caldwell have also struck a deal with the Microsoft Store at the Galleria, where the book club meets. The boys discuss their books for an hour before each gets 30 minutes to play video games on a personal console at the store. A group called Serving with the Badge also donated 200 books to the book club so boys can take books home with them for their personal collection. Some of the book club favorites so far have been “Danny Dollar,” “Hidden Figures” and “Supah Dupah Kid.” In February, for Black History Month, the group read “A Song for Harlem: Scraps of Time,” by Patricia McKissack, a St. Louis-based children’s book author. For now, the book club has plans to stay boys-only, but Caldwell said there’s another book club called Nerdy Girls, which is aimed at girls between ages 6-12 and has over 75 members. Caldwell and Keys plan on partnering with Nerdy Girls in the future. Caldwell said that if there are boys who are interested in joining the club, which costs $20 per month, they can find more information on the website https://www. booksnbros.com/ or email info@booksnbros.com. Republished with permission of St. Louis Public Radio: http://news.stlpublicradio.org

And anybody who fights for freedom and justice, it benefits everybody – whites, blacks, Latinos, Asians, everybody.” Just as it began, the exhibit closes with The St. Louis American by featuring the images Lawrence Bryant captured during the Ferguson uprising.

Moore feels that the Ferguson unrest is too fresh to offer insight, but considered illustrations from the movement as a fitting conclusion to the exhibit that was commissioned before the 2014-15 protests took place.

“We have a civil rights history we can be proud of,” Moore said. “We don’t get enough credit for what we’ve done – not just what we’ve done for the city of St. Louis, but what we’ve done for the country.”

The Missouri History Museum Exhibit #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis Opens on March 11 and continues through April 15, 2018. The exhibit’s opening weekend will feature the lecture, “Black Freedom Struggle in the Gateway City” by Clarence Lang of the University of Kansas on March 11 and March 12 at 2 p.m. at The Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www. mohistory.org.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant Rappers Jeezy (above) and The Migos are expected to be among the secret lineup for LooseCannon S.L.I.M.’s State of Emergency 4 Concert Tuesday at Chaifetz Arena.

Celebrations

Reunions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Birthdays

Lillie Hall will turn 100 years old on March 11, 2017. She was blessed to be married to the late Willie Hall Sr. for 61 years. Together they traveled around the world. Lillie is one of the first African Americans to be employed with the Parkway North School District. She is a mother of three, a grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-greatgrandmother to over 50 offspring. May God continue to bless her above measure. Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Serena McKissick on March 15! With love from your sister, Jaiden McCoy.

madeshe@sbcglobal.net.

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

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

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

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

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

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

MO 63103 FREE OF

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

Lillie Hall

The proud Riverview Gardens NJROTC Unit competed with honor in the 3rd Annual SLPS Drill Competition at Vashon High School on February 25. Showcasing their excellence, the RGHS NJROTC unit earned four trophies of the five events entered: 1st Place - Color Guard (New Cadet Squad), 1st Place - Platoon Unarmed Drill (New Cadet Squad), 1st Place - Unarmed Exhibition, 3rd Place - Platoon Armed Drill.

Serena McKissick

Christian leaders take the Matthew 25 Pledge

‘I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus’

American staff

A group of Christian faith leaders from across the country have launched a new “Matthew 25 Pledge.” The pledge reads simply “I pledge to protect and defend vulnerable people in the name of Jesus” and has grown in response to rising fears among targeted, vulnerable populations including immigrants fearing deportation, people of color facing racial policing, and Muslims confronting rising Islamophobia.

Rev. Starsky D. Wilson, president of the Deaconess Foundation and pastor of Saint John’s Church, was among the first 104 key endorsers of the pledge.

People who sign the pledge will have access at www.Matthew25pledge.com to resources, including toolkits, around the three initial issues of immigration, policing, and solidarity with Muslims. These issues have become flashpoints in a growing confrontation between church and state.

Recent events serve to make the launch of this initiative particularly timely. The Trump administration is rolling out new policies to crack down on immigration. A woman in Colorado, Jeannette Vizguerra, recently entered into sanctuary in a Unitarian Church; a woman in Arizona, Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, was deported unexpectedly; on February 8, ICE agents targeted 8 men outside a hypothermia shelter run by Rising Hope United Methodist Church; and Daniel Ramirez Medina, among the first of the immigrants to obtain Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) from the government, was detained in Seattle.

The administration’s crackdown is causing a church response.

Election year racial rhetoric as well as key administration appointments to senior roles in the White House and the Department of Justice have raised serious doubts about the Trump administration’s commitment to eliminating racial bias in policing. And

news reports indicate that the administration will soon be releasing another travel ban that targets Muslim-majority countries as Muslims in America are fearing increased Islamophobia here at home.

“New political policies and practices are creating a direct conflict between church and state,” said Jim Wallis, president and founder of Sojourners. “Some of the commands from the White House are directly at odds with the commands of Christ. If the government tells churches that they can’t help, assist, harbor, or welcome immigrants and refugees, they will be putting themselves in direct conflict with Christian ministries and preventing our religious liberty to express obedience to Christ.”

“We have brothers and sisters in our churches who are performing needed jobs or running productive small businesses, caring for their citizen children and contributing to our neighborhoods who are now terrified by new immigration policies that detain and deport them with the same energy and focus as ICE would spend formerly on human traffickers or drug dealers – many without a hearing.” Said Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, Faith Rooted Organizing UnNetwork. “I know children running from life-threatening

Rev. Starsky D. Wilson, president of the Deaconess Foundation and pastor of Saint John’s Church (seen here answering a community member at an early Ferguson Commission hearing), was among the first 104 key endorsers of the Matthew 25 Pledge.

Photo by Wiley Price

violence in El Salvador that are now priority targets. Jesus is standing by them, grieving with them, seeking justice; we who are His body must follow.”

“As Christians our primary allegiance is not to partisanship or political power but to the Gospel and the Gospel calls us to speak up for the vulnerable,” said Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero, president, National Latino Evangelical Coalition. “The Matthew 25 imperative compels me to do so with civility and conviction and I can do no other.”

“The greatness of America has always been and will always be rooted in how our nation cares for the Matthew 25, “least of these” our brothers and sisters of ever race and background,” said Barbara WilliamsSkinner of National African American Clergy Network. “Our American Muslim neighbors are experiencing unprecedented amounts of hate right now, in popular and political rhetoric, in legislative moves, and in the rise in hate crimes,” said Catherine Orsborn, campaign director, Shoulder to Shoulder. “This is a time when American Christians (along with other communities) need to be standing up and showing what it means to live out the values and message of Jesus in our own contexts.”

Let me see the devil coming

Invariably as a Christian, the notion of Satan will come up and that conversation can range from soup to nuts. I am often encouraged in these sometimes crazy discussions that God’s plan is very precise and obvious to those looking for His Word. My favorite point of reference in all of this is Matthew 4: 1-11 regarding the three temptations of Jesus in the desert after 40 days of fasting. Remember when Satan offers Christ “all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor?” I was shocked at the power the devil has to tempt each and every one of us as we operate on what is essentially his turf. Now you’ve got to remember Lucifer hung out with the Lord in heaven. They were roadies for a while until he got the big head and was banished to this physical realm where we reside.

Once Jesus rebuked Satan for the third time, scripture says, “Then the devil left Him and angels came and attended Him.” So once Jesus withstood temptation, God then delivered unto Him all that Satan had offered and more. All that stuff that Satan tempted Christ with was Jesus’ birth right anyway, and it’s ours also. The devil probably knows the Bible better than we do. He understands what tempts us because he knows what pleases the Lord. Remember they once hung out together. It stands to reason that I am a much easier target than Jesus was and ruination for me won’t necessarily take the promise of all kingdoms of the world and their splendor. However, my biblically inspired common sense lets me know that I am made in the image of God and I’ll be okay if I surrender all that I have and all that I am to Him. By doing so I should be able to put myself in a position to see the devil coming. If I can just see him coming then maybe I’ll be able to withstand, for a moment in time, the perceived need to have my wants and desires satisfied by sacrificing the integrity of my soul for momentary gratification.

The key is to get on the other side of temptation by walking in the Word consciously enough to understand that just saying no to Satan is an absolute guarantee of getting all that you desire and need in this life. What must be overcome, however, is the cunning nature of the devil in his efforts to get you and me to forget, ignore or not take seriously that he is indeed the source of the temptation designed to kill you and hurt the Lord.

When in doubt, call on the name of the Lord and eventually Satan will be replaced with angels ready to attend to you. As Jesus so appropriately put it, “Seek ye first the kingdom and whatever it is that you desire, you will have more.”

Columnist James Washington

Financial Services Administrator

he Missouri Department of Transportation has a vacancy for a Financial Services Administrator in its Central Oice in Jeferson City. his position is responsible for the completion of complex inancial reporting tasks including the compilation and production of the department’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

Successful candidates will possess a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related ield, and eight years of experience demonstrating a knowledge and application of inancial laws and regulations, general accounting principles, and inancing agreements. CPA or other accounting certiication is beneicial.

We ofer an excellent beneits package. To view the entire job description, and to apply on-line, please visit www.modot. org/jobs. he deadline to apply for this position is March 16, 2017.

EEO/AA

GRADUATE SUPPORT DIRECTOR

At St. Louis Catholic Academy, a St. Louis Archdiocesan Elementary School, our goal is to grow successful children through a quality, Catholic education. Our dedicated faculty is focused on meeting each child where he or she is – and working together to move them forward. It is also our goal that all our graduates attend a selective, highly regarded, college preparatory high school, successfully graduate from high school, and continue on to post-secondary education. Consequently, our commitment to each student and family extends beyond graduation from 8th grade. he Graduate Support program begins in middle school and continues through high school, college placement and beyond.

St. Louis Catholic Academy is seeking a full-time Director to implement the Graduate Support program in our middle school. his position will be responsible for:

• At the direction of the Principal, assisting in the imple mentation of extended day and summer programming: planning courses, securing teachers and/or outside vendors, developing the schedule, assigning students, etc.;

• Monitoring and responding to student academic, conduct, and behavioral issues during the extended day and summer programming;

• Supporting students and families with the transition into high school through school selection, application, registra tion, and admissions;

• Maintaining contact with students and families throughout high school, monitoring academic progress and, in collab oration with the high school guidance staf, providing help and access to resources that will support the students’ aca demic needs;

• Ofering support with college prep and placement activities (ACT testing, prep classes, college applications, facilitating college visits, etc.);

• Tracking outcomes of the Graduate Support program (high school acceptance, high school graduation, college accep tance, etc.)

he successful applicant will possess a Bachelor’s degree, at a minimum. Experience as an educator or counselor is preferred but not required. Training will be provided. Please send cover letter and resume to Sandra Morton, Principal, at: morton@stlcatholicacademy.org

Supreme Court of Missouri Job Announcement

Position Title: Executive Director - Missouri Board of Law Examiners

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

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

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

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

Applications accepted until position is illed. Preference given to applications received on or before March 24, 2017. he Supreme Court of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

at www.lsem.org. Applications are due by March 27, 2017.

DIRECTOR, GRANT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

ARCHS, a progressive, growing non-proit agency is seeking a results-oriented, Director, Grant Management Services. Duties will include the business execution and onsite support/monitoring of grant contracts and grantee contractor reports/invoices For ARCHS’ funded ater school and youth development programs. his position will require strong skills in youth development, documentation, results reporting, assessment, evaluation and logic model development. Extensive project management experience is required. he successful candidate will possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Education or related ield (Masters a plus), excellent writing and presentation skills, competence in Microsot sotware including: Word, Excel (Power Point and Access a plus). Email letter of application, resume and salary history by March 31, 2017 to careers@stlarchs.org or Fax to HR, 314-289-5670. NO phone calls please.

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

ARCHS is seeking an Executive Administrative Assistant to provide administrative support to the CEO and Senior Staf in a well-organized and timely manner. Responsibilities Include: Act as the point of contact between the executives and internal/external clients. Receive calls, take messages and route correspondence. Handle requests and queries appropriately. Maintain CEO’s calendar, arrange meetings and appointments and provide reminders. Make travel arrangements. Take dictation and minutes and accurately enter data. Produce reports, presentations and briefs. Develop and carry out an eicient documentation and iling system. Requirements: Proven experience as an executive administrative assistant position. Full comprehension of oice management systems and procedures. Excellent knowledge of MS Oice. Exemplary planning and time management skills. Up-todate with advancements in oice equipment and applications. Ability to multitask and prioritize daily workload. High level verbal and written communications skills. Discretion and conidentiality. Email letter of application, resume and salary history by March 31, 2017 to careers@stlarchs.org or Fax to HR, 314-289-5670. NO phone calls please.

RECEPTIONIST

ARCHS, a progressive, growing non-proit agency is seeking an entry level front desk Receptionist. Duties will include: Answer incoming phone calls. Greet visitors. Distribute mail. Post mail, Copy, fax and scan documents. Prepare and distribute correspondence and memoranda. Schedule appointments. Help plan large meetings. Prepare presentation materials. Set up and maintain iles. Assist in the completion of special projects or overlow. Special projects as assigned by immediate supervisor. Position requires: A High School Diploma, At least 1-2 years of previous administrative experience and/ or experience supporting a department or individual. Good interpersonal and oral and written communication skills. Proicient in various computer skills (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Must be able to multi task and be a self-starter. Email letter of application, resume and salary history by March 31, 2017 to careers@stlarchs.org or Fax to HR, 314-289-5670. NO phone calls please.

ASSISTANT

HEAD

he College School (an independent PreK-8 school) seeks an Assistant Head of School. he position is year-round and would begin on July 1, 2017. A Masters degree in an appropriate ield and related leadership experience is preferred. For a detailed position description, visit www. thecollegeschool.org. Salary commensurate with experience. Email resume/cover letter to Ed Maggart, Head of School, attention Joyce Vest, Administrative Assistant: jvest@thecollegeschool.org. EEO

CHILD, YOUTH & FAMILY THERAPISTS

Youth In Need, a leading non-proit organization that serves children, youth and families in St. Louis and surrounding counties is seeking Child, Youth & Family herapists for our School-Based Counseling Program. We currently have two openings; one in the Hazelwood School District and another in the Ritenour School District, both located in St. Louis County! hese new openings are 10-month positions that work concurrently with the applicable school district calendar. Starting Pay is $33,000/yr-$35,000/yr based on licensure.

Responsibilities:

o Provide individual and group counseling for children & youth, as well as families on a case by case basis

o Assist in selection and assessment/it for services

o Provide necessary referrals to children, youth & their families

o Prepare case documentation and iles and compile monthly an annual statistics as required

o Act as a liaison between assigned school district and area agencies

o Participate in meetings and trainings, workshops, conferences and seminars related to children, youth & families

o Actively pursue familiarity of resources for children and youth in the St. Louis area

o Participate in community outreach

o Attend regular supervisions and maintain regular communication with supervisor

o Supervise master-level students as needed

Qualiications:

Candidates must have a minimum of a master’s degree in Social Work or Professional Counseling, LPC or LCSW preferred. Excellent communication and experience working with and counseling at-risk children, youth and families is necessary. Exemplary clinical assessment and therapeutic intervention skills required. Spanish-speaking preferred. Play herapy experience also preferred.

Youth In Need provides our full-time employees with an excellent beneits package, including 401K, vacation, sick time, paid holidays and loating holidays, tuition reimbursement, and 100% paid dental, life, and disability insurance; health insurance $30/month for full-time staf.

Youth in Need Strives to be an inclusive workplace. E.O.E.

To Apply:

Please visit our website at www.youthinneed.org and click on the position title to download your resume and complete the online application.

Youth In Need, a leading non-proit organization that serves children, youth and families in St. Louis and surrounding counties, is seeking a full time Receptionist for our administrative headquarters located in St. Charles, MO.

Responsibilities:

o Provide general clerical and reception support for the administrative oices

Qualiications:

Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Afairs & Dean of Students - 35986 he Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students (AVC/DOS) provides strategic direction for the development of a holistic approach to ensuring student health, personal development, and overall well-being, for a diverse student population. Speciically, the AVC/DOS oversees the Division of Student Afairs’ health, wellness and community standards cluster--a comprehensive portfolio that includes the following departments/oices as direct reports: the Habif Health and Wellness Center (including medical services; mental health counseling services, and wellness education and advocacy); student conduct and community standards; the relationship and sexual violence prevention (RSVP) program; the WashU Cares program (Washington University’s behavioral intervention program). As part of the health, wellness and community standards cluster, the AVC/DOS also works closely with Directors of Athletics and Recreation. he AVC/DOS serves on a variety of University committees and task forces and serves as a primary point person for the University’s response to students of concern and for Title IX issues.

Associate Director Residential Housing Operations (35940)

he ADHRO serves as a senior member of the Residential Life leadership team and is responsible for supporting the overall mission and direction for the undergraduate student housing program. Qualiications include a Master’s Degree, plus four to six years of full-time, professional experience in student housing.

Manager, Practice Development – Faculty Practice Plan – 35796

Manages projects related to development of new WUSM of-campus expansion opportunities including coordination of space planning, development of inancial pro formas and business plans, review of real estate opportunities and lease terms, facilitation of capital approvals, etc. Provides consultation to Departments for evaluations of new business opportunities such as new physician alignment strategies or practice acquisitions. Coordinates implementation of new business model to support FPP expansion into Illinois.

Scientiic Research Positions

We currently have various basic research job openings at Washington University. hese roles involve the designing of experiments, data analysis and reporting these results in order to advance scientiic knowledge and promote the development of new drug therapies or improve treatment options. For more information about research from the School of Medicine at Washington University, please check https://medicine.wustl.edu/research/ and to apply for open jobs, go to jobs.wustl. edu

Registered Medical Assistant:

Whether you are a soon graduate of an MA program or a professional RMA with years of experience, many opportunities are available in a physician’s oice setting or clinic; internal medicine, surgical, orthopedic and more. RMAs must be registered through AAMA, AMT or NHA. ABR certiications are accepted to apply for open jobs, go to jobs.wustl.edu

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Many opportunities are open and will soon be open in our clinics across Washington University School of Medicine. Duties may include; phone triage, scheduling tests, rooming patients, scheduling surgery, removing staples and more. We currently have 5 openings. Don’t miss this opportunity.

Assistant Director of Leadership and LGBTQIA Involvement, Campus Life35959 he Assistant Director of Leadership and LGBTQIA Involvement serves as a key member of the Campus Life team by supporting two major components of the Student Afairs mission: student leadership and diversity and inclusion. To support these priorities, the Assistant Director will ofer strategic inluence over the following areas: LGBTQIA Involvement and Leadership Development Programs. Responsibilities include identifying and supporting the academic, intellectual, social, cultural, recreational, educational and political needs of LGBTQIA

and

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices S

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: Scottrade Center Capital Improvements.

he improvement plan includes but is not limited to the following projects:

- Renovate Event Level Locker Rooms

- New Referee Locker Room/Oice

- NCAA Event Level Locker Rooms

- New Administration Oices

- Renovate Restrooms

- New Loge Seating

- New LED Ribbon Board - New Center Hung Scoreboard - Sound System Upgrades

- Replace Seating in Bowl - New Hot Water Boiler(s)

- New Sports Lighting

- Structural Inill of Clark Street Atrium

- Elevator and Escalator Replacement

- Renovate Concession Stands

- Trash Room Expansion

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

his project must adhere to the City of St. Louis Mayor’s Executive Order #47 requiring the following enterprise participation: 25% MBE business and 5% WBE business participation. his project must adhere to the City of St. Louis Ordinance 69427 requiring the following Workforce participation: 25% Minority, 5% Women workforce, 15% Apprentice workforce, and 20% City Resident workforce participation.

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

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

LETTING #8642

HYDE PARK LAKE IMPROVEMENTS

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

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

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

MWBE Pre-bid Meeting Notice

he SITE Improvement Association is hosting a Pre-bid meeting for Qualiied and Certiied MWBE contractors to discuss working on

Black Creek Sanitary Sewer and I/I Reduction- Part 2 Contract Letting No. 11883-015.2

A pre-bid meeting is being held on behalf of the following SITE contractor members:

Fred M. Luth & Sons 4516 McRee Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110 314/771-3892

he meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m. March 16, 2017 SITE Improvement Association 2071 Exchange Drive, St. Charles, MO 63303

he prime contractor is seeking certiied MWBE contractors for the following work listed, but not limited to:

Asphalt Pavement Clean & TV Sewer Lines

Concrete Pavement Pipe & Appurtenance Supply Ready Mix Supply

For questions regarding this pre-bid meeting, contact the SITE Improvement Association oice at 314/966-2950.

LETTING #8641

FY2017 AND 2018 CITYWIDE SIDEWALK CONTRACT

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

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

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

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on April 10th, 2017 to contract with a company for: Roof Replacement Services for the Trickling Filter Building.

Speciications and bid forms may be ob- tained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). he bid document will be identiied as 8841 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

Notice Informational Pre-Bid Meeting

Next NGA West LCRA Holdings Corporation

LCRA Holdings Corporation will be hosting an Informational Pre-Bid Meeting for an upcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) for site preparation activities at the 97-acre future location of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in North St. Louis. his Pre-Bid Meeting will cover the main components of the RFP, which will include soil remediation and excavation, grading of the site, underground storage tank removal, asbestos abatement of real property, utility removal, and demolition of Class I structures. his meeting is an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the scope and complexity of the activities and to meet other interested irms for potential partnering opportunities. he oicial RFP is anticipated to be released by March 31, 2017.

he Pre-Bid will be held:

Wednesday March 15th, 2017 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Vashon High School - Auditorium 3035 Cass Ave, St. Louis, MO 63106

BIDS

Hill and Sons Investments, (HSI), 965 Stone Castle Drive, O’Fallon, MO 63366 is seeking subcontractor bids for 5 new construction homes at 4318 Frieda, 5230 Grace and 3734, 3748 and 3750 S. Broadway and 2 gut rehabilitations at 3516 Arkansas and 6109 Michigan located in St. Louis, MO.

Scopes of work include, but are not limited to: New Construction of 5 and gut rehabilitation of 2 single family homes . Section 3, Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises are encouraged to bid.

Project plans & speciications are available by request. Please call or email Troy Hill at (314)392-8717, Trhbuild@yahoo.com.

All bids are due to HSI oice by 3/23/17, 1PM.

HSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for DELCREST SANITARY RELIEF (SKME-565) I/I REDUCTION PART 2 under Letting No. 11735-015.2, at this oice, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on hursday, April 06, 2017, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualiied by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Speciications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Speciications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1710 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and speciications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Invitation To Bid:

he Saint Louis Zoo is seeking project bid requests for resurfacing of rubber safety surface at Children’s Zoo playground. Mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on 14 March, 1PM, in Facilities Management Conference Room, Gate 5, of of Wells Drive. For more information see the Saint Louis Zoo website http://www.stlzoo.org/about/ contact/vendoropportunities

Invitation for Equipment Bids

East-West Gateway Council of Governments is seeking bids for equipment: Tactical Headsets; Gas Masks; Medical Supply Cases; Respirator Fit Testing Machines. Bids are due on March 23, 2017. Funding provided by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security & U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. MBEs / WBEs are encouraged to submit bids. Details can be obtained at www. ewgateway.org or by calling 314-4214220 ext. 208.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Donald Maggi, Inc. is accepting bids from Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for subcontracting opportunities on the Job # J5P3030 Rte 68 Phelps County, ADA and Signal Improvements West of I-44, St James MO 65559

Bid Date and Time: March 24 2017 at 11:00 am Plans and speciications are available from MODOT Website

http://www.modot.org/business/contractor_resources/bid_opening_info/OpenLetting.shtml DO6 - (1): Job J5P3030 Route 68 PHELPS County. ADA and signal improvement west of I-44 in St. James or may be inspected at our oice at 13104 South US Hwy 63, Rolla, Missouri 65401 Our telephone number is 573-364-7733, fax 573-341-5065. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

Donald Maggi, Inc.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

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

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

SEALED BIDS

Sealed bids for Taxiway Sealcoat, AASF Whiteman Air Force Base, K n o b N o s t e r, Missouri, Project No. T1702-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/23/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Sealed bids for Replace Chiller, Boiler & Building

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

SEALED BIDS

Sealed bids for Roof R e p l a

, Jefferson City, MO, Project No. N160101 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/23/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Sealed bids for

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

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 631032555 until 10:00 a.m. on April 3rd, 2017 to contract with a company for: Lawn Care Services for Coldwater Creek Treatment Plant.

Speciications and bid forms may be ob- tained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). he bid document will be identiied as 8844 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

PUBLIC NOTICE ST. LOUIS COUNTY

Availability of 2016 Drat Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report

PUBLIC HEARING Monday, March 27, 2016 5:30 p.m. St. Louis County Administration Building 41 S. Central, 5th Floor Conference Room

To All Interested Agencies, Groups and Persons: St. Louis County is the “Lead Agency” for the St. Louis HOME Consortium. he St. Louis HOME Consortium is a group of contiguous units of local government that have joined together for the purpose of receiving HOME funds and administering a HOME Program as a single grantee. he members of the St. Louis HOME Consortium include St. Louis County, the City of Florissant, the City of St. Charles, the City of O’Fallon, Jeferson County and

• North-21 Village Square Hazelwood, MO 63042 (314-615-7400)

• South-4546 Lemay Ferry Road St. Louis, MO 63129 (314-615-4000)

St. Louis County Department of Planning

• Oice of Community Development-41 S. Central Avenue 5th loor, Clayton, MO 63105 (314-615-4457)

City of St. Charles

• City Hall Community Development Oice, Ste. 303, 200 N. Second Street St. Charles, MO 63301 (636-949-3222)

City of Florissant

• Government Building - 1055 rue St. Francois, Florissant, MO 63031 (314-839-7680)

County of St. Charles

• Administrative Building, 201 N. Second St., St. Charles, MO 63301 (636-949-7900)

Jeferson County

• Jeferson County Economic Development Corporation, 5217 Highway B, Hillsboro, MO 63050 (636-797-5336)

City of O’Fallon

• City Hall, 100 N. Main Street, O’Fallon, MO 63366 (636-2402000)

St. Louis County Library System

• St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131

Comments regarding the “drat” of the St. Louis County Fiscal Year 2016 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report may be submitted in writing and directed to: Mr. Jim Holtzman, Director Oice of Community Development 41 S. Central, 5th Floor Clayton, MO 63105 Phone: (314) 615-4414 (VOICE) (314) 615-5467 (TTY) E-Mail: JHoltzman2@stlouisco.com 1-800-735-2966 (Relay Missouri TTY Callers) 1-800-735-2466 (Relay Missouri Voice Callers) Comments will be received until 5:00 p.m. on March 25, 2016 or made at the public hearing March 21, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Career Center (CONTINUED)

PHYSICS/MATH INSTRUCTOR

phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER

Webster University has an opening for a fulltime Public Safety Oicer to work on a ixed shit within the Public Safety Oice. Please apply online at http://webster.peopleadmin. com/postings/2278. No phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

SENIOR FINANCIAL REPORTING ACCOUNTANT AT SAFETY NATIONAL

Ensure accuracy of SIG/SN/SFIC/Canada STAT and GAAP accounting and reporting. Prepare analyses during the month end close process, complete tasks associated with the Company’s quarterly and annual statutory and GAAP reporting requirements. Ensure accuracy of information reported to rating agencies. Research accounting guidance when new transactions arise, or when new guidance is issued. To apply, please visit: www.safetynational. com and click on the Careers tab.

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

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

he Missouri Historical Society seeks a Communications Coordinator. Visit www. mohistory.org for position details. An Equal Opportunity Employer

BUS DRIVERS

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

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking an enthusiastic and customer service-oriented candidate to join our team as an Administrative Assistant. Check www.GreatRiversGreenway.org/jobs and submit by March 15. EOE

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for FAWN VALLEY, PIONEER PARK, WESTCHESTER I/I REDUCTION (MANCHESTER RD W. OF N. GEYER RD) under Letting No. 11996-015.1, at this oice, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Tuesday, April 11, 2017, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualiied by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Speciications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for

plans and speciications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SEALED BIDS

Sealed bids for Roof Replacement, N o r t h w e s t Regional Youth Center, Kansas City, Missouri, Project No. H160504 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/30/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: Washington University School of Medicine 4480 Oice Building Addition & Renovation.

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

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

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

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

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

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

Call Angelita at 314-289-5430 to place your rental/real estate ad today!

is available for owner/occupied and rental properties.

To ind out more or to ill out an application call 314-615-4428 or go to the program website at: www.stlouisco.com/ PropertyandRoads/CommunityDevelop-

Photos by John Scott

Swag Snap of the Week

A Center Stage Def Comedy Jam do-over. What a difference a week makes. Y’all spent all y’all tax money up already? Because aside from the woman with the bosoms of steel brassiere, the folks who bothered showing up for the Center Stage Comedy Tour dressed like they said, “look, I just clocked out and I want to hear some jokes. They’re not comin’ to see me anyway.” I can count on one hand the amount of times where I’ve gone to a comedy show and open-casketsharp wasn’t the standard required attire for a comedy show from the majority of the audience. Well, this was one of those times. At least the poor thing wearing her waist trainer on the outside of her clothes tried. Luckily for y’all, Sommore made up for the “regularness” that permeated the crowd as far as the clothes choices go. She had me on the floor when she said, “I got on church accessories, club clothes and streetwalker [edited to make safe for Partyline] shoes. Y’all don’t know whether I’m gonna praise dance or pop it [also edited to make safe for Partyline].” And if I brought a sickening fur bolero as a part of my outfit, I would have sweated my face off to make sure everybody saw it too! As usual, she had me howling, especially when she said Trump is acting out because he’s petty – and he’ll be tired of being president by the fourth of July. Let’s hope so.

Unfortunately, the laughs stopped at Sommore for me for the most part. Now I did catch plenty of cackles from Darius Bradford – who opened the show. He’s been giving me life as of late. But the other acts decided to dust off their Def Comedy Jam performances and call it a day. I take that back, I did laugh at Tommy Davidson. Even though I know his jokes were recycled, I was just so glad to see him that I chuckled anyway. John Witherspoon and Arnez J did the exact same show I saw from them the last time – and it was way too soon for a repeat. I didn’t hate the show. But it was like one of those Def Jam episodes that you tolerate, but isn’t your favorite by any stretch.

Art Walkin’ on the South Side. The cool kids were back at it with their Koken Art Factory take over for their monthly first Friday Art Walk. It wasn’t as packed or gloriously eclectic as last month, but I still lived. I really get inspired by the crew of regulars who come together to flex their creative muscles, that’s why I try to check for Jacqueline, Brooklyn and the crew as much as I possibly can.

Fair to midland Friday at Marquee. It wasn’t nearly as lethal as his ex-boo Nicki Minaj getting eaten alive by Remy Ma, but I have to say my boy Safaree took somewhat of an “L” when he stopped through the Marquee. He’s cute enough, and he’s a solid ghost writer so I just knew that there would be plenty of “Pink Friday” wannabes trying to get his attention. What I did notice that there were quite a few Dollar Tree Kardashians in the house than there typically is for a Friday night at the Marquee. When I saw them keep walking up when I was making my way there, I thought they were on their way to the Pepper Lounge. I’m guessing they were known associates of “Love and Hip Hop” vixen Ms. Nikki Baby. She was in the building, and her killer store bought curves were threatening to spill into the VIP booth next to hers. Is she from St. Louis or does she have a love interest here or something? I should probably know, but I can’t bring myself to truly bother enough to keep up with the urban reality shows other than the A-list names. What? If I was tuned in to them, I wouldn’t be able to consistently beat the streets for y’all. Anyway, the Nikki Baby/Safaree doubleheader was a little cute, but quietly underwhelming at best. In all fairness, I don’t think that a crowd will ever be able to compare to what Webbie pulled last week – although Young Dolph’s visit on March 24th just might get close.

DJ Homicide killin’ ‘em at Mood. Speaking of _______________(insert new slang for “crunk”) crowds, DJ Homicide had Mood going all the way in Friday night for Energy – which probably made Marquee seem more dead than it actually was but probably not. That makes three times in a row that I’ve gone to Mood and they’ve had all the way turnt (yes, I said turnt). It was a bunch of fresh young faces that got every bit of their life from him slaying the tables. I was like, “whose party is this?” My boy at the door was like “It’s Energy with DJ Homicide. I was like “I know he’s spinning, but do they have a celebrity coming?” He reportedly brings out the folks whenever he spins. “We do this every Friday,” dude said. I haven’t been coming through on Fridays long enough to completely co-sign that, but I did have a great time watching the folks get all the way live if I do say so myself.

SOE: 314 Day coming soon. That’s right LooseCannon S.L.I.M.’s 314 Day edition of State of Emergency is right around the corner – as in Tuesday. The only names I have to serve up are Migos and Jeezy, but he swears he’s got plenty more big guns ready to hit the stage at Chaifetz Arena. I’ll be in the building and Revolt TV will be filming, so I’m sure he’s got something solid up his sleeve.

Return of a 90s R&B boy band. Well, their grown men…but you know what I mean. Jagged Edge is coming to The Pageant on Saturday and I hope that they can match the surprisingly enjoyable offering that Ki-Ci and JoJo served up when they took the stage and carried me down a Jodeci musical memory lane last month. Am I the only one who didn’t know that they came out with a “J.E. Heartbreak 2”album? If you didn’t know there was a “J.E. Heartbreak 1,” then just keep it to yourselves. I’m sure I’ll still see you on Saturday though.

Photographer and rapper Roach and creative genius Rell showed Melissa some love @ Koken Art Factory for the First Friday Art Walk

Rianna and Taj came out to get their Energy Friday night @ MOOD

Monica got a chance mingle with rapper Safaree of “Love and Hip-Hop” Friday night @ The Marquee

Beauties Bianca, Meeana and Jackie were in the building Saturday night @ the OBar

Smitty and Mousie with Queen of Comedy Sommore after her hilarious hosting duties @ The Center Stage Comedy Tour Saturday @ Chaifetz Arena

Miss Nikki of “Love and Hip-Hop” and Mario Hunt from Empowered Strategy in VIP Friday night @ The Marquee

Rapper Real Early and Dean Wean were quite dapper Friday night @ The Marquee

Kim, Jordan and Britt kicked it @ The Marquee Saturday night

Stephanie and Brooke stepped into Element Saturdays @ The Marquee

Carla and Ebony @ Mood Friday night for Energy

Veteran comic and actor Tommy Davidson posed with comedy fan DA after making his return to St. Louis as one of the featured funny men for the Center Stage Comedy Tour Saturday night at Chaifetz Arena.

Your 2017 Guide to Summer CampS

Zoo’s summer programs open for registration

Scholarships available for families with financial need

American staff

The Saint Louis Zoo’s Education Department has classes, overnight experiences and daytime adventures for everyone in the family this summer. Camp KangaZoo. Camp KangaZoo campers can choose to attend one or two full-day camps with the themes “Ecology-Everything’s Connected” and “Extreme Animals.” Monday through Thursday, campers will play games, meet animals, enjoy sing-alongs and view dynamic Zoo exhibits. On Thursday nights, they’ll sleep at the Zoo and wake up with the birds. Camp

KangaZoo scholarships are available for families with financial need.

Younger children can hop “out of the pouch” and into the Zoo at Camp Joey. Half-day and full-day sessions are available for children who are at least 4 years old and entering kindergarten. New this year, the Zoo is offering specialty camps for kids entering grades 4-9. Topics include Zoo Careers, Junior Zoologist, Junior and Senior Marine Biologist. Teen Camp is available for youth entering grades 7-9. Overnights. Families with kids ages 5 and up can attend the Prehistoric Animals and Their Cousins or the

Registration now open for Boys & Girls Clubs Summer Camps

Nine locations in St. Louis city or county

American staff

The summer camp season is here and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) will be offering all day camp at a St. Louis city and county location near you.

BGCSTL offers one of the most affordable, comprehensive, extended, high quality summer day camp programs in the St. Louis area. Summer campers, ages 6-18, are exposed to a variety of learning and participate in educational, recreational, and social activities as well as field trips, social recreation, and cultural activities on-site and in the community.

The campers also have a fun and dynamic experience that sparks creativity, engagement, and exploration through learning activities mixed with tons of fun, swimming, teen and STEM programs. Summer camp start dates and times vary by location; registration is now open.

Camp locations: Adams Park Club, Ferguson Middle School Club, Grannemann Elementary School Club, Herbert Hoover Club, Lee Hamilton Elementary School Club, O’Fallon Park Club, Riverview Gardens Club, Hazelwood Southeast Middle School Club and BE GREAT: Graduate at Normandy High School..

For nearly 50 years, BGCSTL has been providing after school, summer, teen and sports programs for youth ages 6-18. Its mission is to inspire and enable youth to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. The clubs are open during hours that kids are most likely to need a safe place to go — after school and during summer.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis also actively looks for those interested in volunteering, mentoring, enrolling their children, donating or supporting an event. For more information or to donate, call 314-3358000 or visit www.bgcstl.org.

SIUE’s Healthcare Diversity Summer Camp recognized for inclusion

American staff

The St. Louis Regional Chamber recognized Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Healthcare Diversity Summer Camp as a finalist in the Inclusion and Talent Attraction category in its 2017 Arcus Awards program. . “The purpose of the camp is to inspire and expose minority high

students in the region to healthcare careers they may have never considered nor thought were attainable,” said Lakesha Butler, camp coordinator and School of Pharmacy clinical associate professor. SIUE’s Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy, and the SIU School of Dental Medicine (SDM) have been

Under the Sea-lion overnight programs. Summer programs. Zoo programs for young children and youth keep growing minds sharp in the lazy summer months. The Zoo offers a variety of animal topics for various ages. Kids can learn about birds, mammals and reptiles, see stingrays up close, examine dinosaur fossils, create animal habitats, sing animal songs, identify animal tracks, touch biofacts, tour the Zoo and meet the animals. For youth in grades 2-8, the Zoo

Half-day and full-day sessions at the Saint Louis Zoo’s Camp Joey are available for children who are at least 4 years old and entering kindergarten.

the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis summer camp locations are: Adams Park Club, Ferguson Middle School Club, Grannemann Elementary School Club, Herbert Hoover Club, Lee Hamilton Elementary School Club, O’Fallon Park Club, Riverview Gardens Club, Hazelwood Southeast Middle School Club and BE GREAT: Graduate at Normandy High School..

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville faculty who worked on its Healthcare Diversity Summer Camp: Lakesha Butler, camp coordinator and School of Pharmacy clinical associate professor; Cornell C. Thomas, SIU School of Dental Medicine assistant dean for Admissions and Student Services; and Jerrica Ampadu, School of Nursing assistant professor in Primary Care/Health Systems.

See ZOO, D7

Blueprint for summer

Camp listings for all interests and price ranges

Aim High St. Louis

Website: http://www.aimhighstl.org

Phone: (314) 432-9500

Address: 755 South Price Road Saint Louis, Mo 63124

Aim High St. Louis is a five-week summer learning program that provides academic, cultural, and personal enrichment for middle school students. Aim High is tuition-free and is currently admitting 5th- and 6th-grade students. 2017 Locations are John Burroughs School, Saint Louis Priory School, and Villa Duchesne.

Saint Louis Priory School

Aim High… It all comes back to YOU! Students must submit an application to be accepted into the program. Application can be downloaded from the website and must include a teacher completing the student nomination form. Applications due by middle of April.

Ages: 11 - 14 Dates: 6/15/2017 - 7/21/2017 Cost: FREE Session Address: Saint Louis Priory School 500 South Mason Road St. Louis, Mo 63141

Andrews AcademyCreve Coeur

Website: https://www. andrewsacademy.com/ Phone: 314-878-1883

Address: 888 N. Mason Road Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Andrews Academy summer camp is an all-inclusive day camp for children entering kindergarten through grade 6 in the fall. Activity packages include sports, outdoor recreation, performing arts, arts & crafts, technology, discovery of science. and Explorers (K-1).

Session 1, Week 3- Outdoor Recreation (Grades 2-3)

If your child has a passion for the outdoors and is entering grades 2-3 this package introduces them to the wonderful world of the outdoors through hiking, nature arts & crafts, biking, and much more. Exploring the woods, playing in the creek, building a fort: are all daily activities for our outdoor campers. Daily recreational swimming in our guarded pool and weekly field trips will enhance their summer experience.

Ages: 7-9 Dates: 6/19/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $317

Session Address: 888 N. Mason Road Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Artscope Summer Camp

Website: http://www. artscopestl.org/creativeprograms/summercamp/ Phone: 314-865-0060

Address: P.O. Box 63128 St. Louis, MO 63163

Artscope offers 10 sessions of week-long summer camp programming in beautiful

Tower Grove Park. Each week features a different theme from music to public art to nature and lots more with a focus on upcycled materials and eco-friendly creativity. Camp is based in our fairytale cottage at Tower Grove’s south entrance with supervised groups of campers ranging all over the park for splashy fun in the fountains, playground time, nature walks and endless hunts for 4-leaf clovers on our expansive back lawn. Artscope is your child’s creative retreat in the heart of south city.

In(ter)dependence Day

Give me liberty or give

For campers age 4 through grade 7 Day camps run from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm

Early & extended care provides coverage from 7:00 am through 6:00 pm.

me...a boat race? This week the Artscopers will be exploring Independence Day traditions from around the States and around the world - from kite flying in India to climbing a greased palm tree in Indonesia.

Ages: 5 - 12 Dates: 7/5/2017 - 7/7/2017 Cost: $165

Session Address: Tower Grove Park 4255 Arsenal St St. Louis, MO 63116

Mural Mania

So popular in 2015 that we added a second week! This week campers will have the opportunity to work with a public mural artist to help create beautiful large-scale art!

Ages: 5 - 12 Dates: 7/17/2017 - 7/21/2017 Cost: $165

Session Address: Tower Grove Park - 4255 Arsenal St St. Louis, MO 63116

Art Unleashed

Website: http://www. artunleashed.org/ Phone: 314-628-1024

Address: 13379 Olive Blvd. Chesterfield, MO 63017

As a nonprofit art organization, Art Unleashed seeks to enrich the lives of students of all ages and abilities by using the visual arts as a vehicle to cultivate creative self-expression, improve artistic abilities and enhance self-esteem in a safe and welcoming environment. Our Kaleidoscope program provides visual art classes for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and exposes students to a variety of media including watercolor, acrylics, collage and clay.

Art From Around the World

Take a trip around the globe as we explore art from around the world!

Ages: 5 - 11 Dates: 7/24/2017 - 7/28/2017 Cost: $165

Session Address: 13379 Olive Blvd. Chesterfield, MO 63017

Boy Scouts Of America

Website: https://stlbsa.org/ activities/camping/summercamps/cub-scout-summercamp/ Phone: 314-361-0600

Address: 4568 West Pine Blvd. St. Louis, MO 631082193

The Boy Scouts of America hosts many camps around the St. Louis Area for both boys (and their girl siblings!). Children will get to do a large variety of outdoor activities, make lifelong friends and develop valuable lasting skills.

Tower Grove Park Evening Camp

Any boy ages 6 to 10 (and their girl siblings!) are welcome to attend our camp program. We have many outdoor activities including: BB guns, archery, crafts, rockets, hiking, and more!

Ages: 6 - 10 Dates: 6/26/2017 - 6/29/2017 Cost: $60

Camp Lewallen Boy Scout Summer Camp All Boy Scouts ages 11 and up are welcome to attend this week-long camp opportunity and enjoy water sports, rock climbing, and many other outdoor activities! Ages: 11 - 17 Dates: 6/11/2017 - 7/15/2017 Cost: $275 Session Address: Camp Lewallen HC 1 Box 1955 Silva, MO 63964

Boys & Girls Clubs Of Greater St. Louis

Website: http://www.bgcstl.org Phone: 314-335-8000 Address: 2901 North Grand Avenue St. Louis, MO 63107

Offering camp at nine locations in St. Louis City & County! Our summer camp offers young people, ages 6-18 a fun and dynamic experience that will spark creativity, engagement, and exploration through an individualized, structured learning experience mixed with tons of fun!

Herbert Hoover Club Summer Camp

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis offers a structured environment exploring programs in our five core areas: Character &

SUMMER CAMPS ENROLLING

Adams Park Club – (6/12-8/4)

7:30 am - 5:30 pm | Ages: 6-15

314-633-7900 | 4317 Vista Ave., 63110

DVN#: 00206871

BE GREAT at Normandy High School – (6/12-8/4)*

7:30 am - 5:30 pm | Ages: 13-18

314-335-8350 | 6701 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63121 Ferguson Middle School Club – (6/12-7/28)

7:30 am - 5:30 pm | Ages: 12-14

314-335-8330 | 701 January Ave., 63135

Grannemann Elementary School Club – (6/12-7/28)

7:30 am - 5:30 pm | Ages: 6-12

314-335-8350 | 2324 Redman Rd., 63136

DVN#: 002422597

Herbert Hoover Club – (6/12-8/4)

7:30 am - 5:30 pm | Ages: 6-15

314-335-8000 | 2901 N. Grand Ave., 63107

DVN#: 002367862

Lee Hamilton Elementary School Club – (6/12-7/28)

7:30 am - 5:30 pm | Ages: 6-12

314-335-8340 | 401 Powell Ave., 63135

DVN#: 002623469

O’Fallon Park Club – (6/12-8/4)

7:30 am - 5:30 pm | Ages: 6-15

314-932-1371 | 4343 West Florissant,

Boys & Girls Clubs Of Greater St. Louis

them for life during and after High School. For rising Freshmen to Seniors in Normandy High School.

Ages: 13 - 18 Dates: 6/12/2017 - 8/4/2017 Cost: FREE Session Address: Normandy High School 6701 St. Charles Rock Road St. Louis, MO 63121

Bricks4kidz

Website: http://www. bricks4kidz.com/missourisaintlouis-kirkwood/

Phone: 314-252-2254

Address: PO Box 631 St. Louis, MO 63117

Bricks 4 Kidz provides an extraordinary experience for kids, where we learn,

we build, and we play with LEGO bricks! Bricks 4 Kidz summer camps combine the best of S.T.E.M. education with unique motorized LEGO model building for a hands-on learning experience like no other.

Motorized Machines and Remote Control Mania

Making it move is the name of the game at this exciting camp! Kids will love to see their creations in motion using LEGO® wireless remote controls. Each day, campers will use fascinating and challenging LEGO® components to create dynamic vehicles, inventions, machines and more.

Ages: 6-11 Dates: 7/24/2017 - 7/28/2017 Cost: $150

Session Address: 1050 Des Peres Rd. Des Peres, MO 63131

Camp Barnabas

Website: http://www. campbarnabas.org/ Phone: 417-708-5298

Address: 3322 S Campbell Ave. Springfield, MO 65807

Any individual with special needs, chronic illnesses, and their siblings can participate in “typical” summer activities and experience the love, joy and excitement of inclusion and acceptance.

Teas Trail Young Friends Week

Serves individuals who have an intellectual/developmental disability and or autism

Ages: 7 - 15 Dates: 6/18/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $750

Session Address: Teas Trail 901 Teas Trail 2060 Purdy, MO 65734

Barnarado Day Camp Week One

Serves individuals who have an intellectual/developmental disability and or autism and or a physical disability

Ages: 5 - 45

Dates: 6/26/2017 - 6/30/2017 Cost: $200

Session Address: Cherry Hills Community Curch 3900 Grace Blvd Highlands Ranch, CO 80126

Camp Concordia

Website: http:// concordiaturners.org

Phone: 314-352-9388

Address: 6432 Gravois Avenue St. Louis, MO 63116

Camp Concordia is a weekly summer camp for children ages 5 and up. It is based on the fundamentals of Concordia Turners “sound mind in a sound body.” The camp includes gymnastics or trampoline and tumbling every day and swimming, crafts as well as the introduction to many different sports. In 2017 there are 10 weekly sessions.

dimensional glass objects. Ages: 14 - 18 Dates: 6/12/2017 - 6/16/2017 Cost: $108

Session Address: 6640 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63130

Camp Earthways: Young Green Builders

Website: http://www. missouribotanicalgarden.org/ learn-discover.aspx

Phone:

Week 1

Camp Concordia is a weekly summer camp for children

ages 5 and up. It is based on the fundamentals of Concordia Turners “sound mind in a sound body.” The camp includes gymnastics or trampoline and tumbling every day and swimming, crafts as well as the introduction to many different sports.

Ages: 5 - 16 Dates:

6/05/2017 - 6/09/2017 Cost: $154 Non-member, $129

Member Session Address: Camp Concordia 6432 Gravois Avenue St. Louis, MO 63116

Craft Alliance Summer Art Camps

Website: http://www. craftalliance.org

Phone: 314-725-1177 x325

Address: 6640 Delmar Blvd St. Louis, MO 63103

Craft Alliance Center of Art

+ Design offers the Staenberg Summer Camps for ages 4-18, June 6-August 12.

Camp 5 - Spinning Mud

Throw forms on the potter’s wheel. Learn new skills for wedging the clay, centering, forming shapes and glazing. Students will also get to play various skill games and group activities. Projects will be fired and ready for pick-up two weeks after the last day of camp.

Ages: 10 - 14 Dates: 6/26/2017 - 6/30/2017 Cost: $155

Session Address: 6640 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63130

Camp 3 - Torch Fired Glass

In this camp, explore a variety of flameworking techniques for making small sculptures and beads from colorful glass rods. Learn to work with the torch and melt glass to create three

A Journey Through Stories of the World!

Craft Alliance Summer Art Camps

The diverse cast of characters in our homegrown Tall Tales will guide us through America’s history and landscape. We’ll hear voices from all walks of American life, write our own legends based on real events and make some traditional crafts and food dishes.

Ages: 5 - 12 Dates: 6/5/2017

- 6/9/2017 Cost: $180

Session Address: Soulard School 1110 Victor St. St. Louis, MO 63104

Week 8: Anansi and West African Animal Tales

We will learn about the wide range of West African folklore featuring crafty creatures, with Anansi the shapeshifting spider-man as our guide as we craft animal masks, study weather on the equator, and cook some traditional Ghanaian food.

Ages: 5 - 12 Dates: 8/6/2017

- 8/11/2017 Cost: $180

Session Address: Soulard School 1110 Victor St. St. Louis, MO 63104

Camp Westminster

Website: https://wcastl.org/ campwestminster/

Phone: (314) 997-2900

Address: 800 Maryville Centre Drive Town & Country, MO 63017

Sports, art, music, and lots of adventure! Camp Westminster in St. Louis offers a variety of half- and full-day summer camps for boys and girls in grades K-9 during the month of June. The staff includes dedicated and enthusiastic Westminster teachers, coaches, and athletes who help campers strengthen and sharpen their God-given skills.

Sun ‘N’ Science

Pull out your sunglasses! In this camp, we will learn all about the sun! Each day, campers will discover the capabilities of light through hands-on experiments. They

will learn about different intensities of light, how the sun helps plants grow through photosynthesis, and the ways that sunlight can provide solar energy and heat. Campers will even have the opportunity to design a solar-powered car!

Ages: 8-12 Dates: 6/27/2017 – 7/1/2017 Cost: $115

Session Address: 800 Maryville Centre Drive Town & Country, MO 63017

Challenger Learning Center - St. Louis

Website: http://www. challengerstl.org/our-programs/ summer-camps/ Phone: (314) 521-6205 Address: 205 Brotherton Lane Ferguson, MO 63135

The Challenger Learning Center St. Louis offers a variety of summer experiences for students 8 years old and up. Simulated space missions, SCUBA diving, and lunar colonies are just of few of the exciting program activities.

Inventors’

TechShop -- NEW!

Campers will learn to use drills, band saws, soldering irons, and other shop tools, and combine them with high-tech gadgetry like Arduino microprocessors and 3D printers. Then, they will take their new maker skills to the next level with two days at TechShop St. Louis, where they will learn to use advanced rapid prototyping equipment like laser cutters and vacuum formers.

Ages: 12 - 18 Dates: 6/12/2017 - 6/16/2017 Cost: $425 Session Address: Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis 205 Brotherton Lane Ferguson, MO 63135

Advanced Astronaut Training CampSession 1

In this unique and popular

camp, participants will experience what it would be like to train as a real NASA astronaut. Activities will include mental and physical challenges as well as design competitions. In addition, advanced astronauts will learn basic SCUBA diving skills that will enable them to participate in a one-day underwater spacewalk training simulation. SCUBA training and gear are included in this camp.(NOTE: SCUBA participants must be at least 10 years old and medically fit to dive. Additional forms are required to register for this camp.)

Ages: 10 - 13 Dates: 7/17/2017 - 7/21/2017 Cost: $250

Session Address: Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis 205 Brotherton Lane Ferguson, MO 63135

Chapel Of The Cross Lutheran Summer Camp

Website: http://www. chapelofthecross.org/ summercamp Phone: 314-741-3737

Summer 2017 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) offers three separate week-long camp sessions, each of them led by professional Grandmasters and certified staff members.

Session 1

Grandmaster instructors provide daily lessons, puzzles, and play to help guide students through each session.

Ages: 6 - 14 Dates: 6/5/2017

- 6/9/2017 Cost: $400

Session Address: Chess Club and Scholastic Center 4657 Maryland Ave. Saint Louis, MO 63108

City Of Hazelwood Parks And Recreation

Website: https://apm. activecommunities.com/ hazelwoodmoparksandrec/home

Phone: 314-731-0980

Address: 1186 Teson Road Hazelwood, MO 63042

City Of Manchester Parks And Recreation

Website: http://www. manchestermo.gov/ Phone:

Address: 11645 Benham Road St. Louis, MO 63136

COTC Summer Camp is an outdoor Christian camp in a day camp setting for children entering Kindergarten - Grade 8.

COTC Summer Camp - Week 1

COTC Summer Camp operates for 10 weeks of the summer from after Memorial Day through the first week of August. Parents may select individual days or weeks to attend. There is no minimum number of days or weeks required.

Ages: 5 - 13

Dates: 5/30/2017 - 6/2/2017 Cost: $116

Session Address: Chapel of the Cross Lutheran 11645 Benham Road St. Louis, MO 63136

Chess Summer Camp Website: http://www. saintlouischessclub.org

Phone: 314.361.2437

Address: 4657 Maryland Ave. St. Louis, MO 63108

Hazelwood Summer Day Camp allows your child to participate in activities such as arts and crafts, games, swimming, field trips, sports. Campers must wear tennis shoes. A hot lunch is served daily.

Hazelwood Summer Day Camp - All 8 Weeks

This classic summer day camp will keep you kids busy with fun activities and field trips.

Ages: 6 - 11 Dates: 6/5/2017

- 7/28/2017 Cost: $475

Session Address: 6820

Howdershell Rd. Hazelwood, MO 63042

A Fun To Do Art Camp

Professional cartoonist Eugene Rugle is teaching a new and challenging exploratory art camp where you 'll have an opportunity to explore a wide and diverse exposure to new and different creative art projects.

Ages: 8 - 17 Dates:

Climb So Ill Summer Camp

Challenger Learning Center St. Louis

Website: http://climbsoill.com/ summer-camps/

Phone: 314-621-1700

Address: 1419 Carroll Street

St. Louis, MO 63104

Join Climb So iLL this summer and explore your potential! The sport of indoor rock climbing provides young people with multiple paths to personal growth and development. Through active instruction, climbing-related games, and supervised climbing activities, young people will learn how to problem solve, work as part of a community, and gain confidence in their ability to reach new heights!

Climbing Camp Week 4 (PM Session)

Climb So iLL’s Summer Camps teach young people about the sport of indoor rock climbing through interactive skill-based lessons, climbing related games, and supervised free-climbing time. Visit our website to enroll!

Ages: 7 - 11 Dates: 6/27/2017 - 7/1/2017 Cost: $169

Session Address: 1419 Carroll Street St. Louis, MO 63104

Coca - Summer Arts Camps

Website: http://www. cocastl.org

Phone: 314-725-6555

Address: 524 Trinity Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63130

COCA Summer Arts Camps for ages 3 to 18 feature a multitude of options for exploring theatre, dance, music, visual arts, culinary arts and more.

Harry Pottery

Goblet of fire, cauldron, potions bottle and wand are just a few of the objects that can be created in this clay camp for lovers of all things Hogwartian. Students will learn coil, slab and other hand-building techniques to fashion their

magical works of art.

Ages: 8 - 10 Dates: 6/19/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $175

Session Address: 175 South Mason Road Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Acting for the Camera

This program is designed for actors of all skill levels who want on-camera experience. Learn skills needed to professionally audition and perform for the camera. You will learn basic terminology and technique, as well as gain practical experience by performing commercials and simple scenes under the guidance of a professional actor-instructor. All campers will leave with access to the camera work studied in the camp.

Ages: 12 - 18 Dates: 7/31/2017 - 8/4/2017 Cost: $165

Session Address: 524 Trinity Ave St. Louis, MO 63130

Cor Jesu Academy

Enrichment And Sports Camps

Website: http://www.corjesu. org/camps

Phone: 314-842-1546

Address: 10230 Gravois Road

St. Louis, MO 63123

Enrichment camps for girls in 3rd-8th grades in technology, science, fine arts, games, cooking and baking, study skills and much more! Sports camps help students hone athletic skills with instruction by CJA coaches and players.

ENRICHMENT

CAMP WEEK 1: Behind the Scenes of Media

This camp will give campers a behind-the-scenes look at media production.

Ages: 11 - 13 Dates: 6/5/2017 - 6/9/2017 Cost: $100

Session Address: 10230 Gravois Road St. Louis, MO 63123

ENRICHMENT CAMP

Week 2: Writing for the Reluctant Writer

This weeklong camp will give campers the skills necessary to help make the writing process less painful for them.

Ages: 11 - 13 Dates: 6/12/2017 - 6/16/2017 Cost: $100

Session Address: 10230 Gravois Road St. Louis, MO 63123

Crossroads Summer Camps

Website: http://www. crossroadscollegeprep.org Phone: 314-367-8085

Address: 500 DeBaliviere Ave St. Louis, MO 63112

Volleyball, STEM, art, and chess-our summer camps have something for everyone!

STEM Summer Camp

Learn about the exciting fields of energy and robotics in

our STEM camp for 6th to 11th graders.

Ages: 11 - 14 Dates:

6/19/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $250

Session Address: 500

DeBaliviere Ave. St. Louis, MO 63132

Chess Camp

Crossroads Summer Camps

Beginners and experienced players alike will have fun while improving their chess game.

Ages: 6 - 17 Dates: 6/26/2017 - 6/30/2017 Cost: $150

Session Address: 500 DeBaliviere Ave. St. Louis, MO 63132

Des Peres Parks And Recreation Summer Camps

Website: http://www. TheLodgeDesPeres.com Phone: 314-835-6150

Address: The Lodge Des Peres 1050 Des Peres RoadDes Peres, MO 63131

Des Peres Parks and Recreation offers 21 different types of camps to keep your kids active and engaged all summer long! We are centrally located at I-270 and Manchester Road for an easy commute to work!

American Girl Doll Camp

Bring your favorite American Girl doll and enjoy a summer camp filled with crafts, sewing, cooking, a tea party and a movie/pajama day.

Ages: 6 - 11 Dates: 6/19/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $149

Session Address: 1050 Des Peres Road Des Peres, MO 63131

Camp Des Peres

Are you ready for a jampacked summer full of games and laughs both indoor and outdoor at Camp Des Peres? Campers will enjoy a variety of great activities under the supervision of our trained staff. Fee includes bus transportation, special events, swimming at The Lodge,

Ranken Technical College- Adventure Academy

Endangered Wolf

Website: http://www. endangeredwolfcenter.org/takea-tour/summer-wolf-camp/#

Phone: 636-938-5900

Address: PO Box 760 Eureka, MO 63025

Adventures await your child at the Endangered Wolf Center this summer. Campers will explore the world of the wolf by visiting our amazing animals, playing fun games to learn about wolf behavior, and making crafts. Exciting hikes explore nature and some of the interesting places at the Tyson Research Center.

Summer Wolf Camp

Campers will explore the world of the wolf by visiting our amazing animals, playing fun games to learn about wolf behavior, and making crafts. Exciting hikes explore nature and some of the interesting places at the Tyson Research Center.

Ages: 6 - 12 Dates: 6/19/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $215

Session Address: 6750 Tyson Valley Rd. Eureka, MO 63025

Essential Playzone

Website: http:// essentialplayzone.com

Phone: 314-443-0451

Address: 640 N. HWY 67 St. Louis, MO 63031

Essential Playzone Tutorial Resource Ceneter for students ages Elementary (3rd-5th grade) and Middle School (6th-8th) focusing on Reading and Math supplememntal services; as well as, Academic Bootcamps.

ComprehensionDrawing Conclusions & Inference & Fraction Bonanza- Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Divide.

Essential Playzone

Math and Reading Development camp for children ages 8-14! Ages: 8 - 14 Dates: 6/12/2017 - 6/16/2017 Cost: $85

Session Address: 640 N. HWY 67 St. Louis, MO 63031

Fontbonne University

Website: https://www. fontbonne.edu/academics/ departments/mathematics-andcomputer-science-department/ cyber-warrior-camp/ Phone: 314-889-4508

Address: 6800 Wydown Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63105

Cyber Warrior Camp

Explore cyber security with the pros during this two-week camp! Meet professionals, visit security installations, and compete in scavenger hunts. Supplies are provided, and only 20 spots are available! Ages: 14 - 18 Dates: 6/12/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $25

Session Address: 6800 Wydown Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63105

Girls-in-Science

This free camp available to girls entering 7-9th grades who are interested in science. This year’s theme is “Where Urban Wildlife Meet People” For more information call 314-8891438 or email klanedegraaf@ fontbonne.edu

Ages: Girls entering 7-9th grade Dates: 06/19/201706/23/17 (Monday-Thursday only) Cost: FREE

Session Address: AnheuserBusch Hall, Fontbonne University, 6800 Wydown Blvd., Clayton, MO 63105

Fontbonne University Campf.R.E.S.H.®

Website: http://www. fontbonne.edu/academics/ undergraduate/departments/ family-and-consumer-

science/camp-fresh/ Phone: 314.719.8083

Address: 6800 Wydown Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63105

Each week-long day camp features a different continent, from Antarctica to South America, with stops along the way to learn about the unique lifestyles of kids around the globe.

Antarctica

An interactive, hands-on journey toward better health through activities emphasizing nutrition, wellness, physical exercise, and creativity.

Ages: 8 - 12 Dates: 6/12/2017 - 6/16/2017 Cost:

of topics including math, ecology, economics, space science, ancient and American history.

GRC’s Space AcademyColonizing the Cosmos: Is There Any Place Like Home?

Will you colonize another galaxy like the Star Wars’ universe or an orbiting space settlement in Star Trek style? Who will build the basics of your habitat? Send up the robots you design, of course, using LEGO® robotics! Will any local resources (minerals, liquids) be usable? What can shield your new world from the danger of cosmic rays? Design a space suit that will sustain you through travels and daily life. Where can you find materials and life-sustaining resources - on moons of planets, other bodies in our universe, or exoplanets in new solar systems? Construct and launch your own rocket to lift off on your adventure!

Ages: 7 - 11 Dates: 6/26/2017 - 7/7/2017 Cost: $475 Session Address: 6500 Wydown Blvd. Clayton, MO 63105

$175

Session Address: 6800 Wydown Blvd. Anheuser Busch Hall Room 109 St. Louis, MO 63105

Gifted Resource Council Summer Academies

Website: http://www. giftedresourcecouncil.org/ sumacad.htm Phone: 314-9625920

Address: Wydown Middle School 6500 Wydown Blvd. Clayton, MO 63105

Gifted Resource Council’s Summer Academies offer 2-week academic day camps with exciting hand-on, mindson activities exploring a variety

Girl Scouts Of Eastern Missouri Website: http://www. girlscoutsem.org Phone: 314-590-2300 Address: 2300 Ball Drive St. Louis, MO 63146

Girl Scout Camp opportunities range from a day to a few weeks for girls ages Pre-K through 12th grade. Girls learn teamwork and selfdiscovery in an encouraging environment.

Traditional One-Week Resident Camp

Girls make individualized decisions on what they want to do, creating the ultimate adventure

Ages: 6 - 17 Dates: 6/25/2017 - 6/28/2017 Cost: $405

Session Address: Camp Cedarledge 8501 Girl Scout Road Pevely, MO 63070

The Empowerment Project St. Louis-area female mentors inspire/empower girls to pursue their dreams Ages: 14 - 17 Dates: 6/23/2017 - 6/25/2017 Cost: $150

Session Address: Webster University 470 E Lockwood Avenue Webster Groves, MO 63119

Great Circle Adventure Camp

Website: http://www. greatcircle.org/ Phone: 573.775.5513

Address: 330 N. Gore Ave. St. Louis, MO 63119

Great Circle’s Adventure Camp for Youth on the Autism Spectrum is a 5-day, overnight, co-ed camp for youth ages 7-21. Ages: 7 - 21 Dates: 7/31/2017 - 8/4/2017 Cost: $890

Session Address: Meramec Adventure Learning Ranch 1203 Meramec Wilderness Steelville, MO 65565

Humane Society Of Missouri Website: http://www.hsmo.org/ education/education-classes. html Phone: 314.951.1579 Address: 1201 Macklind Ave. St.Louis, MO 63110

Cool off this summer at the Humane Society of Missouri’s camps! We’re making a splash with games, animal interactions and more! Dog training, cat enrichment, and countless pets to adore. Dive into service learning projects with other animal-loving kids who want to make a PAWsitive impact for animals, too! All camps include hands-on animal interactions and animal-related activities. Join us for a week-

Girl Scout Camps Develop Leaders Through Innovative and Unique Opportunities

Girl Scouts has a long, storied and successful history of getting girls outdoors. In addition to connecting with nature, girls build strengthened resilience, challenge themselves and experience a sense of accomplishment as they try new things and develop lifelong friends.

Each year, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri hosts a variety of camping opportunities, such as week-long overnight experiences or daytime sessions, at three camping properties, all within an hour or less driving distance of the St. Louis metro area.

As modern girls’ interests evolve and change, so does Girl Scouts’ camp offerings. While there are still plenty of fun, traditional camp activities like crafts, horseback riding and swimming, Girl Scouts is incorporating innovative and unique camps to their summer line up with older girl programs like Camp STEM Voyager and Camp Fury.

Camp STEM Voyager

For girls with an interest in science and engineering, Camp STEM Voyager, July 23-Aug. 2, provides them with an unforgettable experience.

Fifth through eleventh-grade girls build their own SeaPerch, an underwater remotely operated vehicle, and learn engineering and science concepts throughout the week. Campers bond together as they solve problems and work as a team to program their robot. Throughout the week, girls gain skills that are needed for careers in naval architecture and marine engineering.

“Girl Scout Camp is so much fun and you learn to do new things,” said Clara Bonstead, a sixth-grade Girl Scout. “I worked as a team with other girls building a robot. We learned how to solder and cut PVC pipe and discovered different waxes to waterproof our robot.”

Camp Fury

High school girls with a passion for adventure will love Girl Scouts’ hottest new camp! During Camp Fury, July 30-Aug. 4, girls experience life as a first responder and learn firefighting skills, emergency management and basic forensic science.

Camp Fury is led by top female firefighters, EMS and police officers from the St. Louis area. Girls are completely immersed in

the field, spending each day at the St. Louis Police and Fire Training Center in Wellston. This camp is the first of its kind in the Midwest.

“Girl Scouts is proud to offer Camp Fury to area girls this summer,” said Kathy Dabrowski, Director of Camping Services. “We want to connect girls to strong female role models that can help build their confidence and skills, so they can become our future leaders in these non-traditional careers.” Through these unique camps, girls take chances in a safe and supportive environment where they are encouraged to become leaders not only at camp, but also in the classroom, home and community.

Not a Girl Scout? All girls are welcome to attend Girl Scout Camp by registering to become a member at girlscoutsem.org/register. Camp scholarships are also available. For more information on Girl Scout Camps, visit girlscoutsem.org/campadventureguide or call 314.400.4600.

Girl Scouts Of Eastern Missouri

Do your kids go haywire for horses?

one-day camp is sure to inspire kids with the

of Longmeadow Rescue Ranch as they enjoy a day of fresh

friends, and fun! Ages: 6 - 14 Dates: 6/21/2017 - 6/21/2017 Cost: $60 Session Address: Humane Society of Missouri and Longmeadow Rescue Ranch 17357 Edison Ave. Chesterfield, MO 63005

Junior Achievement Of Greater St. Louis, Inc

Website: https://www. juniorachievement.org/web/ ja-gstlouis/summer-camps Phone: 636-728-0707

Address: 17339 North Outer Forty Road Chesterfield, MO 63005

Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis offers a variety of camps such as Biz Wizards, BizTown, and Young Entrepreneurs.

JA Biztown Camp

Where can you get paid twice in one day? Vote at City Hall? Speak on a live TV show, be the Mayor, or rent a cell phone for the day? At JA BizTown Camp, campers figure

business expenses, operate a business, manage savings and checking accounts, become responsible consumers, operate JA BizTown, and more! Ages: 10 - 12 Dates: 6/19/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $250

Session Address: 17339 N. Outer Forty Rd. Chesterfield, MO 63005

Kids Who K.A.R.E. Camp

Website: http://www. karecamp.com

Phone: 314-737-6025

Address: 35 Rio Vista Drive St. Louis, MO 63124

Day camp for boys and girls ages 7-14 to volunteer at area non-profits, and participate in unique service opportunities in St. Louis. Campers can earn up to 30 service hours in one week of camp.

Summer Session 5Olivette

Volunteering and service opportunities for boys and girls ages 7-13! Ages: 7 - 13 Dates:

6/19/2017 - 6/23/2017 Cost: $300

Session Address: 9473 Olive Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63132

Girls Incorporated Of St. Louis

Website: http://www. girlsincstl.org

Phone: 314-385-8088

Address: 3801 Nelson Drive St. Louis, MO 63121

The programs and services of Girls Inc. are designed to encourage girls to try new things, build their skills and knowledge and prepare them for the future in exciting and innovative ways.

Teen Extended Learning Program - Friendly PEERsuasion

In this peer-education program, girls learn healthy ways to manage stress and confront peer, media, and other pressures.

Ages: 13 - 18 Dates: 6/5/2017 - 7/28/2017 Cost: $400

Session Address: 3801

Nelson Drive St. Louis, MO 63121

Teen Extended Learning Program - College Access

Girls will be exposed to careers, several universities and colleges, and taught readiness skills necessary to apply for scholarships, internships, and or other opportunities.

Ages: 13 - 18 Dates:

6/5/2017 - 7/28/2017 Cost: $400

Session Address: 3801

Nelson Drive St. Louis, MO 63121

Extended Learning Program - Health Literacy

Girls will create tantalizing tastes with food grown in our Girls Inc. Garden. Nutritional recipes will help steer the change of eating healthier.

Ages: 5 - 12 Dates: 6/5/2017 - 7/28/2017 Cost: $500

Session Address: 3801 Nelson Drive St. Louis, MO 63121

Laumeier Sculpture Park Summer Art Camps

Website: http://www. laumeier.org

Phone: 314.615.5278

Address: 12580 Rott Road Saint Louis, Missouri 63127

Laumeier offers one-week Summer Art Camps for ages 4 to 15 in which campers learn about art and art history; explore the Park grounds and woodland trails; and find inspiration in Laumeier’s artworks for drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpting and more!

Winged, Wacky + Wild Unleash the powers of nature on your artwork!

Ages: 6 - 15 Dates: 7/10/2017 - 7/14/2017 Cost: $210

Session Address: 12580 Rott Road Saint Louis, MO 12580

Down the Rabbit Hole

ZOO

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offers Keeper-for-a-Day at the Emerson Children’s Zoo, A Day with the Rays and Advanced Day with the Rays at Stingrays at Caribbean Cove.

Engineer-for-a-Day is available for those 7 years old and up. A Junior Sea Lion Trainer program is available for ages 10 to adult.

Scouts can learn about animals and sleep under the stars while working toward fulfilling their badge requirements at the Snooze at the Zoo programs. Scout overnight programs are for Cub Scouts, Webelos, Girl Scout Brownies, Juniors and Cadettes.

SIUE

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can make a positive change for students to achieve,” said Cornell C. Thomas, assistant dean for Admissions and Student Services at SDM.

“The camp exposes students to higher education, helps them overcome obstacles, allows them to interact with others and have hands-on experiences. It also allows them to gain insight into what treating patients is really like.

Adult programs include evening safari tours, wine and cheese night prowls, painting nights, overnights and more. Registration. Early bird mail-in or drop-off registration forms must be received by March 6. Online registration begins March 7 for Zoo members and March 9 for general public. Program fees

The SIU system is a powerful institution and is involved in central and southern Illinois and the metropolitan region of St. Louis. We are making a difference that is good for all.”

“Participating in summer camp increases access to nursing and nursing opportunities for minority high school students,” Ampadu said. “By providing access to nursing, pharmacy and dental medicine, we are preparing students to live in a diverse society and to care for the most vulnerable populations.”

Girl Scouts Of Eastern Missouri