November 30th, 2017 Edition

Retired U.S. Army lieutenant general follows his son to World Wide Technology

Community gives input for Jamestown’s future

By Sandra Jordan Of The

n “People have a lot of interest in this and want to see something productive happen with the property.”

–St. Louis County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray

Bumpers said – “maybe a movie theatre, similar to what they have at St. Charles.”

“That’s it – pretty much what she said,” her friend said, as another lady

nodded in agreement. For those not inclined to visit the Galleria or to head west, they shop via

Black principals lead Blue Ribbon Schools

Trina Petty-Rice and Deandre Thomas get national recognition

By Tavia Gilchrist

and progress in closing achievement gaps among students.

Mark Twain Elementary in the Brentwood School District and Mallinckrodt Academy of Gifted Instruction in St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) were among eight Missouri schools to receive the award. Nationwide 242 schools received the Blue Ribbon distinction this year. The principals at Mark Twain and Mallinckrodt

Mark Twain Elementary School Principal Trina PettyRice with 5th grader Madden Mhite-Chnarr and 2nd grader Khai Erby-Carr in the school’s library.

By Harry Colbert Jr. Of

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Young girls waved from the Girl Scouts float during the Christmas in St. Louis Parade in St. Louis on Thursday, November 23.

Girl Scouts on parade

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Valerie Castile

Meghan Markle retires from acting for royal life

Meghan Markle has retired from acting now she is engaged to Prince Harry and she is ready to begin a “new chapter” in her life.

On Monday, the 36-yearold American star and the British royal announced they are getting married and will tie the knot in spring 2018.

Meghan is now going to put all her focus on to her charitable work alongside her husband-tobe, and she’s excited to start this new challenge.

“I think what’s been so exciting [transitioning] out of my career and into, as you said, the causes I can focus even more energy on, very early out of the gate, [is that you] have a

voice that people listen to, a lot of responsibility,” Markle told the BBC.

She has already served as a UN Ambassador and previously studied international relations.

Markle recently finished shooting her final scenes for “Suits.”

“I see it is a new change, a new chapter,” Markle told the BBC.

“I’ve been working on my show seven years, we were so fortunate to have that longevity, and I feel like I checked that box and am very proud of the work I’ve done there.”

“Princess and I, we’re expecting. I’m nervous, excited ... it finally happened. My first one,” Ray J said. “It was special, because we was trying for awhile,” Ray J said. “It’s not as easy as people think. Some people go on tour and get everybody pregnant. But for me, it was love – and we took our time.”

[expletive].”

But having survived his near-death experience, the music star claims he now has a completely different perspective on his life and his career.

“I thought about Michael Jackson,” Timbaland said. “I didn’t want to be old and taking these pills.”

Ray J and Princess Love are expecting and his wife, Princess Love, are expecting their first child together.

“It’s such a blessing from God to be able to carry our child,” Princess Love said in a caption of an Instagram photo of her baby bump. “We kept this to ourselves until after the first trimester because it’s bad luck to announce too early. But we’re so proud to share this journey with you guys. Thank you for all of the love and prayers.”

Ray J also spoke of his delight during his appearance on ‘The Real’, revealing the couple have been trying to have a baby for some time.

OxyContin overdose nearly killed Timbaland Super producer Timbaland recently revealed to Rolling Stone that he came dangerously close to losing his life three years ago after overdosing on OxyContin, which he became addicted to.

“All I can tell you is that there was a light,” Timbaland said. “I woke up trying to catch my breath, like I was underwater.”

Timbaland started taking painkillers over a decade ago because of nerve issues, which he explained stemmed from a gunshot wound he suffered during his teens.

But the chart-topping star developed an addiction to the potentially dangerous painkillers.

“Music is a gift and curse. Once you’re not popping, it plays with your mind,” Timbaland told Rolling Stone. “The pills helped block out the noise –I’d just sleep all day. I remember Jay-Z told me one time, ‘Don’t do no more interviews’ - because I was saying crazy

Otunga awarded temporary custody, J-Hud drops protection order

Sources told TMZ.com that Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga have reached a temporary custody agreement which gives him primary custody of 8-year-old David Jr. Hudson is currently in London shooting “The Voice UK,” and she’s committed to significant travel to Los Angeles to do “The Voice.”

According to TMZ.com, Otunga said he has said he’s been his son’s primary caregiver since birth because of Hudson’s travel schedule. They are said to both acknowledge that he will again become the primary custodial parent, at least until a formal custody agreement is worked out. Hudson also voluntarily dropped her order of protection, which prohibited David from having contact with their son or her.

Sources: BBC.com, Instagram.com, Rolling Stone, TMZ.com

Meghan Markle

Timbaland

From Ervin Scholars to Rhodes Scholars

‘Sharing this experience is an amazing blessing’

By Diane Toroian Keaggy and Liam Otten Of Washington University

Washington University in St. Louis seniors Camille Borders and Jasmine Brown have been selected as Rhodes Scholars.

One of the most world’s most prestigious academic honors, the scholarship provides an opportunity to earn an advanced degree at Oxford University. Borders and Brown were among 32 students selected from across the nation on November 18.

Borders and Brown are Ervin Scholars, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and good friends.

“It’s been amazing to go through this process with someone who has been such a good friend and such an inspiration,” Brown said. “I can’t believe we are going to do this together. Sharing this experience is an amazing blessing.”

“I have known Jasmine since freshman year,” Borders said. “As Ervin Scholars, we have grown together. Also, as members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., we have developed a lifeline sisterhood sustained by service and scholarship.”

Brown and Borders represent the 28th and 29th Rhodes Scholars selected from Washington University over the years. The last time two

students associated with the university were selected was in 2006 when Leana Wen, a student at the Washington University School of Medicine, and Aaron Mertz, 22, a 2006 alumnus, were named scholars. Brown, 21, is majoring in biology and intends to earn a PhD in neuroscience at Oxford University while continuing her efforts to fight implicit bias against minority students in academia and the lab. She hails from Hillsborough, N.J. Borders, 21, is majoring in history and plans to pursue a master of philosophy degree in social and economic history, studying the global slave trade and the factors that led to its eventual demise. She was raised in Cincinnati.

“This is one of the highest honors our students can receive,” Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said, “and I could not be more pleased that the Rhodes Scholar selection committee has recognized their many gifts and accomplishments with this prestigious award.”

Brown has distinguished herself as a researcher who effortlessly segues from one vexing medical challenge to another. Currently, she is a research assistant at the Washington University School of Medicine, where she is working to uncover the molecular pathways that West Nile and Zika viruses travel to

She decided to start the group Minority Association of Rising Scientists (MARS) to support underrepresented students and to educate faculty members about implicit bias.

She has been working with the National Science Foundation to expand the program across the nation.

“If we want to advance science, we need people from different backgrounds who think in different ways,” Brown said.

MARS is inspired, in part, by Brown’s experience as both a Rodriguez and an Ervin scholar at Washington University.

“The nurture and support I got from those programs is something I want MARS to provide to minority scientists,” Brown said. “Those programs, as well as the professors I’ve connected with at WashU, made me realize I am not disempowered and that I could extend that network of support to other people.”

creative.

infect the brain.

Previously, she studied lung cancer at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, tested the antitussive effects of specific drugs at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and analyzed the long-term neurological effects of cocaine and other stimulants on the adolescent brain at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She also is a participant in the MARC U-STAR program, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“What I love about science is that it gives me the tools to generate answers and to improve human health,” Brown said. “It’s a fun process for me, but also a satisfying one because I can make an impact.”

James B. Skeath, professor of genetics at the School of Medicine, said Brown is a good scientist who is smart, hardworking, curious and

“In her talks, Jasmine sets up the logic and rationale of her work beautifully and then clearly articulates her data, what it means, why it’s significant and what to do next,” Skeath said. “This ability to make the complex simple, to break down complicated biological processes and problems into easily digestible and understandable points, only manifests itself in top students.”

Brown has learned some tough lessons in the lab as well.

When a researcher hesitated to let Brown into her lab, Brown realized she was the sole black scientist in the building.

“Unfortunately, I soon learned that many other students of color have had similar encounters, leading many to experience imposter syndrome, questioning if they truly belong in the research community,” Brown wrote in her Rhodes application.

Brown also has served as a member of Synapse, which prepares high school students for the Brain Bee; a candidate for Mx. WashU, which raises money for City Faces; and a participant in Black Anthology and the African Student Association Fashion Show.

Borders, who is also a Stamps Scholar, arrived at Washington University in August 2014, shortly after the shooting death of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson. She quickly became active in campus and community protests and active in creating the group Washington University Students in Solidarity to facilitate race-relations dialogues and institutional change on campus.

A defining moment occurred that fall, when Borders and many others “were teargassed while peacefully protesting in front of the Ferguson Police Department,” Borders remembered. “As I ran in a foggy haze, among the cacophony of sirens and screams, my breath jagged and eyes watering, I decided my life would be dedicated to

promoting racial equality.”

Amidst these tumultuous events, Borders discovered a scholarly home in her history classes, which helped her to explore the roots of contemporary unrest. “Organically, my activism grew intertwined with my interest in academia and research,” she said. “My love for knowledge and intellectualism is inherently tangled with my desire for equality.”

The following year, Borders was selected as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and served as research assistant for the oral history project “Documenting Ferguson.” In 2016, she researched the Trans-Atlantic slave trade at the University of Bristol as part of the Fulbright Summer Institute, and, in 2017, she spent six months at the University of Ghana, studying history and creative writing.

She currently is working on her senior honors thesis, “The Possibility of Desire: Sexual Choice within U.S. Colored Troops Widows’ Pensions,” which explores how, after the Civil War, newly freed black women navigated issues of citizenship and intimacy.

“Mimi is an intellectual force of nature,” said her adviser, Iver Bernstein, professor of history and director of American culture studies.

“She combines interpretive originality with laser-like attention to both the particulars of everyday life and to the big questions of American political history: What does it mean to have a self, to be a citizen, to be free?”

Jeffrey Q. McCune Jr., associate professor of women, gender and sexuality studies, called Borders “a born scholar of the best kind.”

“She is rigorous, ambitious, creative, intelligent — a focused, independent thinker of great humility and integrity,” McCune said. “Her work connects theory and history in a mature and masterful way.” To learn more about the Rhodes Scholarship, visit rhodesscholar.org.

Photo by Joe Angeles/Washington University

Jasmine Brown and Camille Borders, both seniors at Washington University and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., have been selected as Rhodes Scholars.

Editorial /CommEntary

New coalition against Greitens is a good sign

There is not much to celebrate in Missouri politics these days, with a rash, know-nothing Republican governor and veritably sociopathic United States president undermining and dismantling our state and federal governments. What might begin to turn things around would be new, surprising, unexpected coalitions committed to preserving the protections of our state and federal constitutions. In Missouri, such a coalition may be forming around the resistance to Governor Eric Greitens’ brazen attempts to undermine the State Board of Education and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

At stake is Greitens’ manipulation of appointments to the State Board of Education in an attempt to form a new majority that will vote to oust Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven. A new attempt may be made as soon as Friday, December 1, when the board meets next, but thus far, Greitens has failed, he has failed publicly, and he has failed badly. Most recently, he failed at the November 21 state board meeting in Jefferson City where –despite Greitens having packed the board with five new members, in moves that violated the state constitution – he still failed to create the new majority. He was stymied by resistance from all over the state, including conservative areas that supported his candidacy. “Leading up to the meeting,” writes Mike Jones, a member of the state board (and of our editorial board), “the board received over 1,400 emails from every corner of Missouri. The emails were from parents and teachers, both active and retired, from superintendents in districts large and small, from school board members, both rural and urban. Social media was alive with criticism of the governor’s ill advised, ham-handed attempt to undermine Missouri public education.”

In most of the school districts around the state – that is, school districts in rural areas – their constituents have no interest in charter schools. They want as many resources as they can get for their underfunded public schools, and they see the “competition” that ideologues want as harmful to their schools – to their children. The governor obviously overlooked this solid political

interest to push the agenda of rich right-wing ideologues (think Betsy DeVos and her clown car of billionaires) who want charter schools everywhere.

The misses keep coming for this clueless governor, and the political fall-out deepens. He has been sued both by a board member he appointed, then abruptly removed – from Joplin, which should be a Greitens base – and by a schoolteacher from Springfield, another expected Greitens base.

Tim Sumners, the board member that Greitens appointed and then dumped, is represented by James Layton, Missouri’s former solicitor general, who knows just a little more about Missouri law than this upstart governor with no previous political experience. Layton told St. Louis Public Radio that state board members may only be removed for wrongdoing and their removal requires a hearing. Sumners was accused of no wrongdoing and dismissed without a hearing. Sumners also is seeking a temporary restraining order to block his replacement, Jennifer Edwards, from sitting on the board.

St. Louis Public Radio also reported that Laurie Sullivan, a teacher from Springfield, filed a suit claiming that Greitens’ manipulation of state board appointments violated Missouri’s Sunshine Law.

Over the last few months, Greitens has made a number of changes to the board’s membership while the Missouri Senate was out of session, in an attempt to fire and replace Vandeven before the Senate can properly vet his board appointments, as required by the Missouri Constitution.

Mike Jones writes that Vandeven “has brought the Missouri educational community into an effectively functioning coalition committed to successfully educating all children.” It’s that coalition, we believe, that intimidates Greitens and that he is attempting to undermine and destroy. We commend advocates for public education from all over the state – including from out-state areas that unfortunately elect mistakes like Greitens and Trump – for standing up to this abuse of government power.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Republican attack on unions is short on facts

By State Rep. Joshua Peters

For The St. Louis American

My compliments to state Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) on his well-written commentary (“Unions ignore long history of excluding minorities from jobs,” Nov. 13) designed to intentionally distort the reality of unions and their support of minorities. His commentary, while skillfully written, is factually, and intentionally, incorrect.

I was troubled by the fact that the bulk of his anti-union, anti-worker screed was based on reports from the 1930’s, 1959, and “a century ago.”

The only current reference to unions and their involvement with African Americans was an AFL-CIO report in 2016 that clearly said the Labor Movement can, will, and has done better when it comes to inclusion. I credit the AFL-CIO for their candor and honesty, something Dogan should try to emulate.

Dogan should read the latest report on 2016 data from the U.S. Department of Labor:

“Among major race and ethnicity groups, black workers continued to have a higher union membership rate in 2016 (13.0 percent) than workers who were white (10.5 percent), Asian (9.0 percent), or Hispanic (8.8 percent).”

Let’s review a few facts about St. Louis’ labor unions and their extensive minority support and inclusion efforts.

FACT: The so-called “rightto-work” law that Dogan praises and voted for (a law that will hurt not only African Americans, but all workers by forcing lower wages, less safe workplaces, etc.), was created in 1936 as a moneymaking venture by a man who did it specifically to keep blacks out of unions. Look up Vance Muse and the Christian American Association and be shocked at what you are supporting.

FACT: The St. Louis Building Trades have for years

worked diligently to recruit minorities and women. In 2013, the St. Louis Building Trades Council and its member unions, along with the St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters District Council, created the BUD program (Building Union Diversity), which has successfully graduated 87 percent of its 127 participants and placed 86 percent of them in union apprenticeship programs working with unionized businesses and contractors.

Painters District Council 58, in coordination with the Workers Education Society, created an Advanced Skills Workforce Center that to-date has graduated 80-plus African Americans into union painting jobs with union wages and benefits.

The Carpenters District Council’s Joint Apprenticeship Program has partnered with the Urban League’s Save Our sons program to provide insight into careers for economically disadvantaged African-American men.

Guest Columnist Rep. Joshua Peters

FACT: Representatives of the labor community serve on numerous committees and various social justice and workers’ rights groups, including the Archdiocese’s Peace and Justice Commission and Missouri Jobs with Justice.

FACT: The labor movement has worked hand-in-hand with the Missouri NAACP in support of the fight for a higher minimum wage (which Dogan voted against), opposition to Missouri’s discriminatory Senate Bill 43, which makes it harder to prove workplace and housing discrimination, and working to prevent the ongoing voter suppression efforts of the Missouri legislature.

FACT: Some unions are founding members of the Regional Union Construction

The people defeated Greitens on education

By Mike Jones Of The St. Louis American

Every now and then the people prevail over power and privilege. That’s what happened at the November 21 State Board of Education meeting in Jefferson City. The meeting was called for the purpose of terminating Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven and, despite Governor Eric Greitens having packed the State Board of Education with five new members to do his political bidding, they failed. There was no basis for terminating Commissioner Vandeven. Her tenure at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, first as the deputy commissioner and, since 2015, as the commissioner, has been extraordinary. She has brought the Missouri educational community into an effectively functioning coalition committed to successfully educating all children.

To understand why the governor failed in his attempt to hijack public education, you have to review what happened the week prior to the meeting. Over that week the people made themselves heard.

Leading up to the meeting, the board received over 1,400 emails from every corner of Missouri. The emails were from parents and teachers, both active and retired, from superintendents in districts large and small, from school board members, both rural and urban. Social media was alive with criticism of the governor’s ill advised, hamhanded attempt to undermine Missouri public education. The legislative leaders on education in the Missouri General

Center that focuses on helping minority- and womenowned construction companies develop business skills to grow and thrive by developing a separate advisory board with a construction law attorney, a construction accounting CPA, a bonding knowledge expert, and a construction executive. Since its founding in 2007, 30 disadvantaged construction firms have taken advantage of this assistance at no cost. These companies are on track to collectively generate in excess of $40 million in revenue and $2 million profits in 2017.

FACT: Unions ensure that their contracts with companies have strong anti-discrimination language.

Dogan’s comments were relevant 30 years ago, but today they are misleading and false, part of a planned narrative to discredit unions ahead of next year’s public vote to defeat Missouri’s misleading “right-to-work (for less)” law. The sole intent of this law is to weaken the labor movement’s ability to fight for workers’ rights to fair pay, safe work places, health care and a reasonable retirement in order to enhance the bottom line of wealthy business owners.

Dogan decries the disparity of financial contributions to minority candidates without referencing any facts (which would prove him wrong) or disclosing that he received $50,000 from David Humphreys, the CEO of Joplinbased TAMKO Building Products, who is spending millions of dollars to force “rightto-work” on Missouri workers, and whose donation to Dogan on December 7, 2016, as well as contributions to numerous other legislators, directly preceded the February 3, 2017 passage of “right-to-work” by the Missouri Legislature.

Joshua Peters (D-St. Louis) represents the 76th District in the Missouri House of Representatives and is the Greater St. Louis Labor Council’s outreach coordinator.

Assembly made their support for Commissioner Vandeven and the Missouri Constitution perfectly clear.

And this is what’s important: There was a clear consensus around the public’s opposition to the governor’s coup and the need to protect what the Missouri Constitution establishes as the governance principles for K-12 public education.

official you must respect the non-statutory behavioral limits that make up the practice of democracy.

The right side prevailed on November 21. So now what?

Some will argue that we have to get past this moment and find a way to all work together, basically to normalize what happened. I think that would be the wrong thing to do for public education and would have tragic consequences for our democracy.

The Missouri Constitution creates an eight-member nonpartisan board – one from each congressional district, and with no more than four from a single political party, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate – to govern public education.

Democratic societies are governed by laws, but they depend upon norms and values. Fundamental to a democracy is a respect for and commitment to the governance structure defined by its constitution. That means that people chosen to govern in a democracy must have a commitment to the rule of law and to the norms that support the practice of democratic selfgovernance.

In a democracy, the fundamental qualification of fitness for public office is not ideology but character. This is because two essential qualities are integrity and restraint. Integrity means you can be trusted as steward of our common welfare when we are not there to watch. Restraint is required because as a public

Letters to the editor

It is time to act

The November 16 edition of The St. Louis American juxtaposed two articles – one on reducing infant mortality, and another on climate change and air pollution.

These two issues are indeed linked. Medical research shows air pollution not only causes asthma, but also increases infant mortality.

St. Louis has a high rate of infant mortality. Our community must move away from dirty coal to generate electricity. While President Trump is abandoning the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan, we can still act to protect our children and our air.

Local communities and businesses can demand that Ameren retire its outdated coal plants and embrace clean energy. Voters can thank Senator McCaskill for standing up to Trump by refusing to cut the EPA budget and by voting against the climatechange deniers that Trump is nominating to key posts.

If our community is really serious about our children’s health, it is time to act. The science is clear.

John Hickey, director Sierra Club, Missouri Chapter

Price paid for not participating

Jamala Rogers in her “line in the sand” article didn’t mention an important point concerning the Proposition P (Prop P) election that raised the city’s sales tax to provide money primarily for police services. She began by noting that Prop P passed with 60 percent of the vote. Thus, it seems that an overwhelming majority of city residents were in favor of the police issue. But only 21 percent of registered voters turned-out for

the election. Do the math: 60 percent of 21 is 12.6 percent, and that equates to this: only 12 of every one hundred registered voters imposed their will on the entire population of the city.

Over the years, The St. Louis American has emphasized the need for voters, black voters in particular, to turn-out on election day and vote for candidates and propositions that benefit them. The miserably low number of voters who participated in the Prop P election should be a clarion wake-up call. Politics in St. Louis is a sport. You must participate to win. And there is a price to be paid for not participating.

The governor is a man with no fixed political principles who is driven by arrogance and ambition. Because of his belief in his superior intellect and his inexperience, he’s clearly too smart to learn anything from this. You need look no further than the emotional, rather incoherent screed he released after the state board meeting. The boiling frog is a parable describing a frog being slowly boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water, which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.

If you support public education and the Missouri Constitution, you need to sleep with one eye open and be mindful of the temperature in the pot, because this ain’t over.

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

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Needed: collaborative policing

While it is important that the federal government investigates the systemic violation of civil rights by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the city of St. Louis should proactively engage with the community now to develop a collaborative policing model that protects constitutional rights and promotes public safety.

Tony Rothert, legal director ACLU of Missouri

McNair Girls on the Run

Run is a 10-week physical activity-based youth development program for girls in third through eighth grade. The 5k race serves as the celebratory culmination of the program.

Winter Reading Club begins Dec. 1

St. Louis County Library’s annual Winter Reading Club kicks off December 1 and runs through February 28, 2018. Those who complete the reading challenges will be entered into a prize raffle. All ages are invited to participate. Last year over 58,000 people participated. Winter Reading Club offers two categories: ages 0–11 and 12–adult. Those in the younger category will be encouraged to read for five hours; those in the older group will be asked to read four books to complete the club. Those who complete the reading challenges will be entered into a prize raffle. All open branches will choose three raffle winners in each age group. Raffle prizes for the kids include: board games, gift cards and Magic House memberships. The older age group can enter a raffle for a Kindle Fire or gift cards.

Registration begins December 1; simply stop by any open St. Louis County Library branch to sign-up. For more information, call 314-994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org/winter-reading-club.

New fund for domestic violence victims

Noting that more than one-third – nearly 4,500 annually – of its cases involve domestic violence, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has established the Holly Yoakum Client Assistance Fund, which will provide financial assistance to victims of domestic violence.

Holly Yoakum, who passed away unexpectedly earlier this year, was the managing attorney of LSEM’s Lasting Solutions Family Law Program. The fund was created in response to the needs Yoakum recognized in the hundreds of clients experiencing domestic violence that she represented in her eight years with LSEM.

The fund, created through grant funding from the William T. Kemper Foundation, is managed by the Saint Louis Community Foundation. Contributions may be made by calling 800-444-0514 or online at lsem.org.

Community groups have a right to negotiate community benefits

By Megan Betts For The St. Louis American

Over the last several months, the neighbors of Tower Grove South worked to establish a private Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) negotiated between community residents and stakeholders, and a small developer implementing a housing project in the neighborhood’s Morganford business district.

For St. Louis, this is new territory. No other agreement of this nature, privately negotiated between community members and a developer and including direct legal accountability to the neighborhood, had been completed.

Unfortunately, on Wednesday, November 7, the Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee of the Board of Alderman made sure that residents’ voices would be silenced, by refusing to pass 15th Ward Alderwoman Megan Green’s Board Bill 101 requesting tax abatement for the proposed development. The reason given by the committee chair and members: the CBA.

For hours, the committee grilled Alderwoman Green about the legitimacy of this CBA, making accusations of a conflict of interest, stating that community residents are unqualified to negotiate over development in their community, and making statements that similar processes would halt development in the city. This is despite the fact that the only thing actually holding up the development was the committee’s refusal to send the bill to the full Board of Aldermen. While community benefits agreements would certainly change the development landscape, their main effect would be creating a culture where development includes considerations for racial equity in its processes, goals, and neighborhood impact.

In the case of the Morganford CBA, the community came together through a coordinated engagement process designed to identify the neighborhood’s concerns surrounding the development. They used this opportunity to respond to a clear need for affordable housing, resulting in a $60,000 commitment from the developer for a neighborhood nonprofit to provide long-term affordable housing in a neighborhood that has seen escalating housing costs.

Despite the alderpersons’ accusations, this privately negotiated agreement has nothing to do with the cited state conflict of interest law. There was no demand of money to the alderperson or quid pro quo of a donation to any private group when beginning the process. Elected officials often require developers to meet with the community and consider their needs. The only real difference between this and the business-as-usual practice is that the community did the negotiating. CBAs are in use in numerous states with similar laws and none have found them to be illegal.

Equitable St. Louis is a coalition of community, civil rights, and labor organizations seeking to empower residents to drive racially equitable development in the St. Louis region through the use of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs). We believe that these agreements must meet three core principles: They must be community-based and negotiated, legally binding, and enforceable by the community.

The Morganford CBA, though not perfect in its process and implementation, meets these basic tenants. Again, this was a first, but it will certainly not be the last time that local communities demand accountability from developers.

At the following HUDZ committee meeting, the same alderpersons reiterated their desire to add language to all redevelopment bills that would prevent projects with CBAs from receiving any tax incentives, until they say otherwise. The Board of Aldermen has no power to limit the right of contract in situations where neither party is breaking the law. The city is not a party to this CBA, therefore there was no reason for the HUDZ committee to review it. Aldermanic committees have never opposed alderperson-negotiated deals that pay for items on their ward capital fund to-dolists, nor have committees given an equal level of review and scrutiny to all of a development’s other contractual obligations.

Preempting the negotiation of CBAs is not the way to build a more equitable St. Louis. Stopping CBAs from being negotiated, in the absence of a city-wide ordinance, is an irresponsible and inflammatory reaction to communities demanding equity and greater accountability.

Megan Betts is a member of Northside Neighbors United, a coalition member of Equitable STL, and community organizer from the St. Louis Place neighborhood.

Megan Betts

Students at McNair Elementary, in the Hazelwood School District, enjoyed warm weather for their Girls on the Run 5K race on Nov. 18 in downtown St. Louis. Girls on the

the internet.

“Right now, most of it is online,” one resident and shop owner said.

“I am more of a T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s girl,” another chimed in.

“I am too – and we have only a Marshall’s and not a T.J. Maxx. They took it away.”

The St. Louis County Port Authority, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and St. Louis County held an open house at the Detrick Building at Christian Hospital to present a visual overview of the Jamestown Mall site and surrounding area, including community demographics, tasks the Port Authority wants developers to perform, and to seek public input on the next steps.

Many are looking for some type of mixed-use development – higher-end retail, senior housing, a decent hotel, entertainment and recreational activities. Some want manufacturing to bring in jobs to take the strain off the existing tax base. Others just want to see something, almost anything other than letting the site continue to deteriorate.

Sheila Sweeney, CEO of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, said this is a first step to finding out what the community wants.

“Hopefully also developers will realize that the process is really starting and to bring all of that together so that we can take the next steps to get this mall redeveloped,” Sweeney said. “We don’t have any preconceived notions as to what will happen.” However, she did say she does not think it will become solely a retail site. “Malls are not the future,” Sweeney said.

Many attendees completed blue sheets of paper to

prioritize what they thought was most important to the site and to add additional comments beyond what options were listed on the comment form.

“I knew we would have a lot of people here because they have a lot of interest in this and want to see something happen,” St. Louis County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray said. “They don’t want to just see it torn down. They want to see something productive happen with the property.”

She said her constituents have been speaking to her about what they would like Jamestown to become.

“They want to see something unique to the area – they don’t want the same

n “There are no concrete decisions made on what actually is going to happen to this mall, so we are still kind of up in the air.”

– Kelvin Baucom

department stores or Dollar Stores, things like that. They want something more highend – not extremely high-end, like a [Nordstom] Rack, stores like that.” Walton Gray said.

“They’d like to see stores that are boutiques – a little area like they have across from the Galleria would be nice.” She said they also want some nice restaurants and a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe’s. Sweeney said in the next

couple of weeks, the Port Authority will finalize the purchase of the final parcel at Jamestown and will own the entire site outright. Kelvin Baucom, owner of Baucom’s Precious Memories Services, who operates out of a small outer building site on Old Jamestown Road, plans to purchase it and an adjacent building on two acres from the Port Authority so he can stay on site.

CASTILE

Continued from A1

Philando Castile – will endure far beyond the 32 years he existed on this plane.

Since the July 6, 2016 killing of Philando Castile by then-St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, and the June 16 manslaughter acquittal of Yanez, Valerie Castile has been hard at work evaluating the nickname she gave her son.

“I always called him ‘King.’ He was always a king to me,” Castile told Insight News. “I was 26-years-old when I got pregnant with King, and before that, doctors told me I couldn’t have kids. So, to have him here on Earth, he was delivered to me by God.”

He was taken away in a hail of bullets. The world witnessed his last breaths, captured by Diamond Reynolds.

“I have to give credit to Diamond. She was supposed to be there to show the world how wicked this system can be,” said Valerie Castile.

He and several people who came to the open house said they were expecting something different than what was actually presented at the open house.

“What I am seeing is basically a walk-through, people kind of getting knowledge and information on what is available,” Baucom said. “There are no concrete decisions made on what actually is going to happen to this mall, so we are still kind of up in the air.” Baucom said he would like to see a mixed-use development with restaurants, hotels, a community center and maybe some senior housing.

William Budde with the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership talks with residents about the possible uses for the old Jamestown Mall site during a town hall in the Detrick Building at Christian Hospital on Monday, November 27.

Others want the perception of North St. Louis County to change along with the site.

Reynolds, Philando Castile’s girlfriend, livestreamed to Facebook the immediate aftermath of his being shot.

“That video saved that girl’s life and her baby’s life,” said Valerie Castile. “I tell you it did. He (Yanez) stuck his gun in that car and shot with no regard for human life.”

Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter were both passengers of Philando Castile that fateful night when he was pulled over in Falcon Heights, just steps from the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, supposedly for a broken taillight and because his “wide set nose” resembled a description of a suspect. It was the 53rd time he was pulled over by police.

“All the time he was getting pulled over, I was the one getting infuriated,” his mother said. “He was always calm. He was the one like, ‘Mom, it will be OK.’ I can only imagine when he got pulled over (by Yanez) that he was like, ‘Hey, this is the routine. I give them my ID and I go about my way.’”

This time, he didn’t get

“It starts with the school system,” Bumpers said. “It needs to start with our neighborhoods”

With a request for proposals going out to developers by the end of the year, Sweeney said it may be early- to mid-spring before proposals are in for review.

“I think we ought to be able to make a decision within the year, and we ought to be able to turn dirt a year from now,” Sweeney said.

Residents, business owners and interested parties can make their preferences known and can keep up with action regarding the Jamestown site by visiting www.stlouisco.com/ jamestown.

to go about his way. Yanez unloaded seven shots into the car, killing Philando Castile after Castile volunteered to Yanez that he was legally in possession of a firearm. According to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler, there are five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. During the Insight News interview, Valerie Castile floated between three of them. She is well aware that her son was taken from her, thus she has moved past denial. Not once did she allude to any instance of bargaining. Anger? Absolutely. Depression? Tears trickled down Valerie Castile’s cheeks at multiple times as we spoke. Acceptance? That is a tricky one.

How does one truly accept the loss of a child? Yes, she has accepted that her days will continue on with the memories of her son, but does not accept not hearing his voice, not seeing his smile, not feeling his touch. And how does one accept the fact that the person responsible for the death of a beloved son was not brought to justice?

“That trial was a sham. It was pitiful,” said Valerie Castile. “When that jury came back not-guilty, I was victimized again that day. That trial was an illusion. It was strictly for show.”

Now Valerie Castile is working every day to exalt the legacy of Philando Castile, a beloved figure in the St. Paul Public Schools. She formed the Philando Castile Relief Foundation to help other victims of gun violence and to help others in need.

The Philando Feed Fund also was established and has raised more than $80,000 to assist with providing meals to underprivileged students. As a food services worker for the district, Philando Castile would buy food for students who otherwise would have gone hungry.

Valerie Castile says she has a duty to work on her son’s behalf.

“Life is a journey, and everybody is here for a reason. We all have a destiny,” she said. “We all witnessed Philando’s destiny.”

Harry Colbert Jr., a native of St. Louis, is managing editor of Insight News in Minneapolis. Republished with permission of Insight News.

Photo by Wiley Price

SCHOOLS

point to similar formulas for their success: engaged parents, great teachers and strategies that focus on the individual needs and unlimited potential of each student.

“My philosophy is to treat every child as your own,” said Trina Petty-Rice, a 30-year teaching veteran and principal of Mark Twain. “I come to work every day with a purpose in mind – I am here to educate each and every child.”

This year’s award is Mark Twain’s second Blue Ribbon; the elementary school also received the honor in 2009, before Petty-Rice’s tenure.

Now in her fifth year at the school, she attributes its success to her committed staff of classroom teachers, assistants and specialists who “drill down to the needs of students,” she said, intervening early and often when students need more help.

At Mallinckrodt, students follow a certified gifted curriculum that teaches students one grade level ahead; so, for example, first graders follow a second-grade plan of study. Students must score in the 90th percentile on assessment tests to gain admission to the school, in addition to winning a SLPS lottery program.

Beyond the test scores, Principal Deandre Thomas points to another reason behind the school’s success – a partnership between parents and teachers to support student achievement.

“We have fantastic teachers who dedicate themselves to students and supportive parents who work with their children to support them academically,” he said.

POVERTY

Continued from A1

Continued from A1 Hardship. We provide resources and hope to all who come through our doors. We look to the community to help address those needs. Can we count on you today for your support? Send donations to: CWAH, 3963 West Belle Pl., St. Louis, MO 63108. Or call 314-289-7523 or donate online at www.cwah.org

Case 1: Single mother of one son, unemployed, has low-income housing after experiencing homelessness for more than a year. She has been chronically homeless since 15 years old, living from house to house. Her mother was murdered when she was 8 years old. She is trying hard to turn her life around. Her wish list includes food, clothing, coat, boots, gift cards. Mom is a size 12. Her son is 6 years old, wears husky 18, 14 shirt, size 3 shoe. Action figures and educational toys also requested.

Case 2: Single mother of three. She was crying at the time of our initial visit and has nothing. She needs clothing and school uniforms for her daughter (age 8, wears 8 pants, 7 shirt, 12 shoe) and son (age 9, wears 9 pants, 8 shirt 2 shoe). Also need dryer, basketball hoop and hand games for children.

Case 3: Single mother of two boys, ages 2 and 9, with a baby due in April. She recently lost her job due to a layoff. The lease is up on her apartment, and the landlord is not renewing. She is now looking for housing and needs her utilities paid up. Her younger son wears 2t pants and shirts, and size 7 shoes. He loves trolls, dinosaurs and trains, educational toys and books. The older boy wears pants size 10, shirt 8 and shoe 11 He likes Marvel Comics and Ninja Turtles.

Case 4: A widowed mother of has been unemployed for some time and receiving disability benefits from her deceased husband. Her apartment is very small and in disarray. She is making progress and has begun making better choices. She recently was awarded employment payments and is working hard to turn things around. Her daughter, 6, wants a black doll with clothing, games and

It would be easy to chalk up the success of Mallinckrodt and Mark Twain to luck and privilege; one school is a gifted academy, the other is in Brentwood, a middle-class suburb with a median income of nearly $73,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

But demographics tell a different story. Diversity is one of the schools’ strengths: of Mallinckrodt’s 300 students in grades pre-K through 5th, 60 percent are white, 30 percent are black and 10 percent comprise other racial groups. The typical classroom ratio is one teacher for 21 students.

across the region, serving in administrative roles in Hazelwood, Pattonville and Normandy. He taught 4th and 5th grade in the Lindbergh School District for 11 years.

n “We have fantastic teachers who dedicate themselves to students and supportive parents who work with their children to support them academically.”

– Deandre Thomas

Thomas’ leadership is another part of Mallinckrodt’s formula for success. In his third year as principal, he has successfully integrated science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and projectbased learning modules into lesson plans.

So, when hurricanes ravaged Texas and Florida last month, his students studied the storms’ destructive path of wind, rain and tornadoes as part of their science and math instruction.

A St. Louis native, Thomas has worked at several districts

books. She wears size 7/8. Her daughter 8 months wears clothes sized for ages 12-18 months. The family needs toiletries, household items, boots, cots, a refrigerator and a microwave.

Case 5: A mother of two children, ages 8 and 4, is a student at St. Louis Community College seeking a degree in nursing. She is currently dealing with many issues that may interfere with her ability to continue her education. She has to spend a lot of time at her son’s school to make sure he is receiving services she requested. She needs personal and household items. The boy, 8, wears size 11/12 slim pants, 14 shirts. The girl, age 4, wears

A 20-minute drive away in Brentwood, Mark Twain’s success has a similar template. Racial and income diversity are part of the mix: 56 percent of students are white, 21 percent are African-American, 11 percent Asian-American, five percent Hispanic and 7 percent identify with two or more races. The average class size is 15 students. Ten percent of students speak English as a second language and 30 percent receive free and reduced lunch.

Mark Twain’s principal, Petty-Rice, taught in Tampa, Florida, for six years and has spent the bulk of her career in teaching and administrative roles in the Ladue School District. She’s also been an adjunct technology professor at Fontbonne University. In 2014 she was recognized as an Exemplary New Principal by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals.

Her school’s Blue Ribbon status was no accident, said Brentwood School Superintendent Brian Lane. On a recent visit to Mark Twain, Lane said it was powerful to watch as Rice sat with teachers and looked at the scores of every single student.

“They broke down each test to see where remediation was needed or enrichment and plans to offer individualized instruction,” he said. “It’s not an accident, but a really relentless pursuit for improvement and dogged determination that every student is going to succeed at Mark Twain.”

size 6/7 slim pants, 6 shirts and boots, and loves to read. Educational toys are requested.

Case 6: A mother of four has been homeless since 2015 due to domestic violence. She lived in shelter until they recently found her housing. She has obtained employment and a new vehicle and is on the path to a new beginning. She need household items and clothing. Mom wears 14/16. Her son, 9, wears 14/16 pants and shirts, shoe size 9. Her son, 7, wears 10/12 pants and shirts, and size 7 shoe. Her son, age 5, wears size 7/8 pants and 8 shirt, and size 1 shoe. She also needs twin and full-size beds.

Case 7: A single parent

Student juggler

of seven children, five of them still in the home, receives disability for obesity, depression, an enlarged heart and hypertension. The children are extremely bright and have the stamina to excel. She need funds for car repairs, headphones, weights, inline skates, football, educational books, belts, and athletic socks.

Malik Leeks 13, a student of Circus Harmony, practiced his juggling during a break in rehearsal for their upcoming show on Tuesday, November 28. Circus Harmony (www.circusharmony.org) recently received a $10,000 grant from Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group for using “social circus as a method of intervention with youth in difficulty.”

Photo by Wiley Price

Saint Louis Art Museum Shines Light on Local Artists with Film Screening and Panel Discussion

By Sherri Williams, Educator, Adult Learning

The Saint Louis Art Museum will present the New Media Series: Local Urbanism, a celebration of the vibrant art scene in St. Louis. The program will feature films create by local artists Kat Simone Reynolds, Jun Bae, and William Morris. The three filmmakers are all concerned with the urban landscape of St. Louis, using it as a backdrop for further social, political, and art-historical discussion. The screening will be accompanied by a panel discussion with the artists. New Media Series: Local Urbanism takes place Friday, December 1 at 7 pm in the Museum’s Farrell Auditorium. Support for this event is provided by the Ken and Nancy Kranzberg Fund. The program is free but advanced reserved tickets are recommended.

Kat Simone Reynolds, based in St. Louis, creates conceptual portrait and architectural photography. Her recent work is made to be literal, authentic, and emotional. Kat draws inspiration from Black glamour, the Black athlete, and most recently, the church. She has exhibited work at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts, and the Luminary. Reynolds received the 2017 St. Louis Visionary Award for Emerging Artist and has spoken at the Contemporary Art Museum of Saint Louis, and the Saint Louis Art Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for their Gallery Sessions, where she also performed.

Jun Bae is a Tokyo-born Korean multimedia artist. While studying architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, he developed his first feature-length documentary, Bob’s Tour— Understanding What We See, and a short film, Exodus (2016), in response to the unrest in Ferguson. Exodus, which focuses on the issues of eminent domain and housing inequality, received the Vital Perspective Award from Cinema St. Louis. Bae is currently pursuing an MFA in documentary film and video at Stanford University. William Morris is a St. Louis-based video artist with roots in the city’s north side. He has worked in the medium of film for 30 years. He earned a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Morris has shown work locally at Bruno David, the Regional Arts Commission, Citygarden, the St. Louis Film Festival, and Webster University’s Hunt Gallery. Internationally, his work has been screened in Paris, New York City, and Busan, South Korea. We invite you to join us this Friday, December 1 at 7 pm in the Museum’s Farrell Auditorium for a free presentation New Media Series: Local Urbanism. All events in the Farrell Auditorium, including free events, are ticketed. Tickets are subject to availability. Tickets may be reserved in person at the Museum’s Information Centers or through MetroTix at metrotix.com or by calling 314.534.1111. All tickets reserved through MetroTix incur a service charge; there is no service charge for tickets reserved at the Museum.

Save the Date

Winter Celebration at the Saint Louis Art Museum

Join us for a three-day winter extravaganza celebrating cultures from around the world.

Drop in for special performances, treats, and family art activities each day.

Friday, December 8, 5-9 pm,

Saturday, December 9, 12-5 pm

Sunday, December 10, 12-5 pm

Looking inward for ‘radical forgiveness’

By Kristie Lein For The St. Louis American

Radical Forgiveness seeks to repair brokenness in the world and in ourselves through actions big and small. Maybe by becoming a community activist. Maybe by granting yourself permission to feel.

The idea for Radical Forgiveness began about 10 years ago when Dr. Amber Johnson was teaching a course called Communication, Culture & Identity at Southern California University. Most of the students were affluent kids who never had to think much about privilege or oppression and how it affected their lives. That revelation stunned Dr. Johnson—and they knew they had to act.

“I instructed them to purchase a small canvas, paint their biases, and ask for forgiveness,” Dr. Johnson remembers.

The students presented their canvases, adhered them to a large board, then wrote positive affirmations between each one: Why love is important. Why forgiveness is important. How change starts from within. It was a transformative exercise, and it helped the students begin their journey down the path of creating a better world.

When Dr. Johnson began teaching at Saint Louis University in 2015, the professor again encountered systems of injustice. It sparked the idea to take Radical Forgiveness out into communities and effect change beyond the classroom. The result was the Justice Fleet. It’s a network of four mobile museums—including Radical Forgiveness—that crisscross the country and promote healing.

Dr. Johnson describes Radical Forgiveness as “the profound notion that we don’t have to live with fear, pain, hostility, or injustice. That we have control over the way we perceive, understand, act, and react in our world. Radical Forgiveness is a fluid and deliberate process that allows us to repair the tears, rips, and gaping wounds that impede us from being better versions of ourselves and bettering our world.”

The Missouri History Museum will host Dr. Johnson for a free presentation on Radical Forgiveness on Tuesday, December 12, at 7 p.m.

“Considering what is taking place locally and throughout our nation, we thought now would be the best time to explore the concept of Radical Forgiveness. To help change this world, we need to be empowered and equipped with the proper tools,” says Shakia Gullette, the museum’s manager of local history initiatives.

Dr. Johnson outlines five pathways to Radical Forgiveness: understand, feel, heal, recall, and let go. Letting go isn’t always the hardest step; the struggle all depends on the individual.

“It’s a fluid process, and everyone’s process looks completely different,” Dr. Johnson says. “Acknowledging is the hardest for people who have suppressed something for so long to avoid the trauma.”

The emotional side is the most difficult piece for Dr. Johnson: “I don’t like emotion in public, so for me, that’s much harder than letting go,” she said. “I can let it go, but I don’t want you to see me letting it go.”

Though each person will take a different route to arrive at radical forgiveness, Dr. Johnson says two characteristics are essential for the journey: “Grace and compassion, period.”

That’s because we’re born into a system that teaches us how to treat one another. “As we

work toward becoming better humans, we have to unlearn years of negative behaviors. If we can recognize that, that’s part of social justice,” Dr. Johnson says. “It’s a long, complex journey. We all start somewhere.”

Dr. Johnson says missteps are a part of it. “We’re going to get it wrong from time to time,” she said.

Dr. Johnson is constantly evolving, learning more about underserved people and groups who are in need of compassion and care, ever widening their circle to include more people in the fight for equality across all groups.

“Once you are aware of how social injustice impacts specific people, specific communities, specific institutions, it’s really hard to sit and do nothing,” she said.

That’s exactly the kind of passion Gullette hopes to stir during the event.

“Utilizing the work of Dr. Johnson, we hope that this program will inspire people to look inward and assess how forgiveness, reflection, empathy, and understanding can help heal trauma and fatigue,” she says. “We hope people will learn that self-care is not just about outward appearance, but how we care for ourselves holistically.”

At its core, that’s what Radical Forgiveness is. “It’s a gift you give to yourself,” says Dr. Johnson.

Dr. Johnson is an assistant professor of communication and social justice at Saint Louis University who will discuss Radical Forgiveness at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12, in the Missouri History Museum’s AT&T Foundation Multipurpose Room on the Museum’s lower level. The event is free and open to the public.

The Missouri History Museum will host Dr. Amber Johnson for a free presentation on Radical Forgiveness on Tuesday, December 12, at 7 p.m.

Kat ReynoldsJun BaeWilliam Morris

Krewson pays back Conway, Tishaura hatchet man, with assessor post

If there was anyone in St. Louis government deserving of a hook-up from St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson after her election, it was Steve Conway, longtime 8th Ward alderman (and son of the city’s 41st mayor, James Conway). Conway’s vehement opposition to Krewson’s closest mayoral challenger, Tishaura O. Jones, was worth every bit of the 888 votes by which Krewson bested Jones. So textbook political payback was in effect when on Monday, November 27 Krewson appointed Conway city assessor, with a salary of $125,000, nearly four-times what Conway was earning as alderman (he also was CFO for Imo’s Pizza, a position he resigned, along with his aldermanic seat, to take his new job). And this is a gift that Krewson will keep giving – in taxpayer dollars – to Conway for as long as he is alive, given that his city pension will be calibrated according to his salary at the time he retires. Conway was something of a capo in the smear campaign against Jones that lasted for

most of the mayoral campaign that she still almost won. When KMOV reporter Lauren Trager did the first story on Jones’ travel expenses in her current position as city treasurer – a story followed by many other local media – Conway was one of her main sources for venom (along with Alderman Joe Vaccaro, who must be wondering when his back gets scratched and his wallet gets fattened by Krewson). Trager included multiple quotes from Conway and Vaccaro saying they were “outraged” at Jones’ spending. Trager and her sources neglected to mention, as The American reported, that the Board of Aldermen approves the Treasurer Office’s Parking Division’s travel budget every year. In June 2016, the aldermen –including Conway and Vaccaro – unanimously approved a $20,000 travel line item for the 2017 fiscal year, which is for the entire department. And those numbers have been the same or similar since Jones was in office.

Conway faked his outrage for the camera – and helped

elect his mayor of choice, who now has paid him back handsomely.

This was not a one-off attack on Jones from Conway; far from it. He and Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, a black spoiler in the mayoral race, led the effort at the Board of Alderman to undermine many of Jones’ progressive initiatives as treasurer and to wrest control of her department’s budget away

IIN LOVING MEMORY OF

Adrienne Glore

t’s little wonder that Adrienne Glore spent most of her life in academia.

She began practicing as a child. “When everyone else was playing, she was reading,” said her sister Lynne Lyman.

“She read anything that was in the form of a book.” Her studiousness eventually propelled her to the position of associate dean of students at Washington University.

During a tenure that spanned more than three decades, Ms. Glore helped the school grow and evolve into its current world-class status. Her career spanned various capacities and departments within the Division of Student Affairs, later known as Campus Life. She worked on a host of university projects, as well as served in a supervisory capacity for such departments as Student Educational Services and Disabled Student Services. She conceived and developed a publication for and about African-American students called DIMENSION Black Students at Washington University, which served as a comprehensive overview and resource to assist with acclimation to campus life. In the early years, she felt there was “something missing” from the students’ experience. That “something,” she decided, was a commitment to more than personal success. She introduced students to causes greater than themselves through programs like the Washington University Leadership Seminar program, which she helped develop, where Washington University students mentored in local high schools.

“They have embraced community service within and beyond campus,” she once said modestly, but proudly, of the successful program. Ms. Glore took students to the community and brought the community to the school through diverse events like Cultural Celebration Week. In 2009, she received Washington University’s Rosa L. Parks Award for her own dedicated service to the community. Ms. Glore died Wednesday, November 22, 2017, of complications related to vascular dementia

at Sunrise on Clayton in Richmond Heights, Mo. She was 75. Services will be Sunday, December 3, at Graham Chapel on the Washington University campus. In 1987, Ms. Glore’s recruitment and retention efforts added another dimension when she took on leadership duties with the newly established John B. Ervin Scholars Program. The academic scholarship was established in honor of John B. Ervin, a renowned educator and scholar who was the first African-American dean at Washington University. Ms. Glore was instrumental in helping to ensure the scholars had the “Ervin Experience,” in which they were nurtured intellectually, personally, socially, and culturally during their time at the university. She helped guide the Ervin program through a delicate and controversial transition. The scholarship was originally reserved for African-Americans. In 2005, the program was opened to all students who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to diversity, leadership and service. With her usual equanimity, Ms. Glore said there was more than one way to achieve diversity.

“The responsibility rests with us all,” she told the school paper at the time, noting that Washington University is a campus that “can and does discuss difficult issues.” Despite a decidedly middle-class upbringing, like all blacks born and raised during the Jim Crow era, Ms. Glore was familiar with difficult circumstances. It did not dampen her spirits. “She was kinder because of things our family experienced,” her sister Janet shared. “It taught her to be more open and loving to people.” Ms. Glore remained involved in the Ervin program even after her retirement in 2008. “My mother had a universal acceptance for humanity,” said Gabrielle Glore, Ms. Glore’s daughter.

She was also intent upon improving it. Ms. Glore happily carried on the family tradition of “force feeding” culture, creating life “experiences.” Her first protégés were her younger sister Lynne and Lynne’s friends. Her daughter Gabrielle was next. “I went kicking and screaming to the Art Museum,” Gabrielle laughed, “but now my appreciation of the arts manifests itself in my work and board service.” Ms. Glore willingly consumed

Steve Conway, who represented St. Louis’ 8th Ward for 27 years, resigned on Monday, November 27 to become the city assessor, effective immediately.

from her.

Nor was it a one-off collaboration between Conway and Krewson. He introduced the half-cent sales tax increase for new public safety spending that Krewson championed as mayor and that gave her one of her few victories in her first months of mayor – a victory they shared publicly with the St. Louis Police Officers Association and its notorious business agent, Jeff “Fergustan” Roorda Progressives won’t miss Conway on the Board of Aldermen, where he served for 27 years, and taxpayers may accept the extra pension burden for Conway’s twilight years in exchange for his being able to do less damage as assessor (a position for which he is, as a lawyer and an accountant, professionally qualified, at least).

Scanning recent Political EYE columns for evidence of Conway, we see him voting no on Board Bill 203, which added pregnancy and reproductive health decisions (such as birth control, in vitro fertilization, and abortion) to the list of protected classes from discrimination in employment and housing in the City of St. Louis. The ordinance helps ensure that women can make their own reproductive health decisions, without fear of losing their jobs or being denied housing because of private, non-work related decisions. This includes the ability to determine whether, when, and how to raise a family. Conway opposed it, along with his

all the culture she could and shared it generously. Her turn in the bridge club rotation was eagerly anticipated because of her exceptional cooking. But she didn’t need company to prepare an exotic meal. She was as likely to prepare lamb chops on Wednesday night as others were to fix meatloaf. Good food demanded good music and Ms. Glore, a jazz aficionado, complied. She shared the likes of John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Al Jarreau and Michael Franks with those around her. “Her life was steeped in gentility,” said her sister Janet, “and those who were privy to her quick wit were often caught by surprise.” Among those who enjoyed her many talents and largesse were St. Louis Girl Friends, The Links Incorporated, Jack & Jill of America and the boards of the St. Louis Art Museum Friends, the St. Louis Chapter of UNICEF, and the Junior League of St. Louis. Adrienne Lyman Glore was born October 4, 1942, in Houston, Tex., the middle child of Hughes Joseph Lyman, M.D., and Jamesanna Carr Lyman. She graduated from Cushing Academy, a college preparatory school in Massachusetts. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Speech and Hearing Pathology from Howard University, and did additional coursework in speech pathology at the University of Houston. In 1968, she married Edward Byron Glore Jr. and moved with him to his hometown of St. Louis. They later divorced. Before joining the Washington University staff, Ms. Glore was a speech therapist in Houston and subsequently in the St. Louis City public schools. Ms. Glore’s survivors include her daughter, Gabrielle Glore of Brooklyn, N.Y., and two sisters, Janet Johnson of Gaithersburg, Md. and Lynne Lyman of Houston, TX.

fellow diminutive conservative Vaccaro and eight others –including then-Alderwoman Dionne Flowers, who was since appointed by Krewson to be city registrar. (Krewson, then an alderwoman, approved of the measure.) This means St. Louis’ first woman mayor promoted to better citywide positions two of her former aldermanic colleagues who took anti-feminist positions on this bill. Only in St. Louis. Conway was also on the aldermanic team that battled for taxpayer funds to underwrite St. Louis’ most recent bid to lure yet another NFL franchise to the city, helping vote the measure out of committee. With him gone, more progressive bills may make their way out of committee, including the Scottrade funding repeal and the bill to stop prosecuting marijuana offenses in the city. Conway chaired the Ways and Means committee, which handles the city’s budget.

It is ironic, however, that Conway, one of the biggest abusers of the tax-abatement system as an alderman, who has helped to drain the city of tax reserves, now gets the gig to assess taxes in the city. He replaced someone named Freddie Dunlap, who must have been the least-known citywide official.

Rice vs. Fehler for nomination

that Conway sponsored. The Democratic Central Committee in the city may choose Fehler over Rice for its nomination, but voting trends indicate that Rice will be more popular in the ward than the more conservative Fehler. If she doesn’t get the Democratic nomination, surely she will run against Fehler when the seat comes before the voters.

Finally, the Ferguson protest movement might want to celebrate, just a little. James Knowles may still be mayor of Ferguson, Bob McCulloch may still be St. Louis County prosecutor, and St. Louis may have elected a more pro-police mayor than their candidate, but the alderman who frowned at and insulted the Shaw neighborhood protests over the police killing of VonDerrit Myers Jr. no longer holds the office from which he sneered at them. What’s depressing is to realize that’s the first time someone the movement opposed left elected office –and he did so for a much betterpaying position, right after helping the new mayor who appointed him get the police some more money.

Real ID: good and bad news

Good news: This week the Department of Homeland Security granted Missouri an extension to implement REAL-ID compliant driver licenses. The extension means Missourians will be able to use their current forms of identification to fly domestically and enter federal facilities until October 10 of next year. Bad news: the Republicandominated Legislature in Jefferson City can’t seem to pass the legislation needed to make these extensions no longer needed and make it possible for their constituents to use their IDs to get on an airplane. If they keep up their work on IDs, Missouri Republicans will make it harder and harder for people in this state to fly in an airplane – or cast a ballot.

Show-Me and Team TIF

A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, December 3, in Graham Memorial Chapel at Washington University. Her ashes will be spread off the Isle of Capri, one of her most cherished destinations among her travels. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions to the John B. Ervin Endowed Scholarship. Make checks payable to Washington University, Memo: Ervin Scholars–Adrienne Glore, and mail to Washington University, Campus Box 1082, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Mo., 63130.

Both Democratic committeepeople in the ward – Annie Rice and Paul Fehler – want to take Conway’s seat. Fehler, Conway’s handpicked heir, started campaigning over the holiday weekend. He is the status quo candidate, but the 8th Ward is not a status quo ward anymore and Conway has been losing his relevance in the ward for years. He won his most recent reelection bid in 2015 over Kevin McKinney (an African American transplant to St. Louis) by less than 100 votes. He was Krewson’s boy in the most recent mayoral primary, but Jones beat Krewson in his ward by more than 500 votes.

The 8th Ward was even one of the city’s four wards to vote against Proposition P, the regressive sales-tax increase to pay police and firefighters more

The conservative ShowMe Institute has published a new report showing that tax-increment financing (TIF) is often used to incentivize development that would have happened, anyway, but now happens with less tax yield to the city. Overall, the authors of the study, T. William Lester and A. Rachid El-Khattabi found that economic activity in TIF areas is “not discernibly greater than the levels where TIF projects were not designated.” It’s interesting to see the Show-Me Institute line up on the same side of the ball with the uber-progressive Team TIF. The difference is that Team TIF wants fewer, more equitable TIF deals, whereas Show-Me Institute wants, more or less, to put an end to taxes.

Roberta Clara “Penny” Bradley

Applying knowledge to develop medicine

Dr. Gabrile Mbalaviele’s research focus is on inflammation at his lab at Washington University School of Medicine.

WUSTL scientist studies inflammation to fight disease

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

Seven years ago, some former Pfizer scientists in St. Louis created Confluence Life Sciences to discover new drugs targeting inflammatory and immunological disorders and cancer. The team came up with a unique compound that was encouraging and caught the attention of some companies. In August, the founders sold Confluence Life Sciences for $100 million to Aclaris Therapeutics, located outside of Philadelphia.

n “I’m using my experience with drug discovery and my experience in industry to do translational research – finding how our knowledge can be applied to develop drugs.” – Gabrile Mbalaviele

One of those founders, Gabrile Mbalaviele, continues his work in St. Louis around bone inflammation at his laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine. Mbalaviele,

By Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Of The St. Louis American

You’ve seen it. It gets circulated multiple times across emails and Facebook and discussed in the local barbershops. What is “it,” you ask? Topics ranging from vaccines, natural treatments of common ailments, and how to cure certain diseases are the subjects of urban medical legends that are often inaccurate – and sometimes outright dangerous.

My absolute favorite urban medical legend:

“I felt fine, so I stopped taking my blood pressure medicine.”

Although headaches and vision changes can be signs of elevated pressures, their absence is not evidence of normal blood pressure. That is why hypertension is known as “the silent killer.” Many times patients are being evaluated for an entirely different concern when they learn that they also have high blood pressure.

n My absolute favorite urban legend: “I felt fine, so I stopped taking my blood pressure medicine.”

Hypertension is a microvascular disease. It can affect the small vessels in the back of the eye, the kidneys, the heart, and the brain. The damage can be slow and methodical, resulting in permanent damage like heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.

Dialysis centers are overcrowded with people who felt like a million bucks for years until their hypertension reached its critical level of harm, causing the kidneys to fail.

My second favorite urban medical legend: “Doc, I don’t get flu shots because my buddy told me that if I get the shot, it will give me the flu.”

For the record, the influenza vaccine is

Unity Hospice celebrates 25 years

By Jenna Matzer For The St. Louis American

See ANDERSON, A13 2017 is also the 50th anniversary of the hospice movement

Unity Hospice recently celebrated its 25th anniversary of serving patients and families in the Midwest.

Twenty-five years ago, Michael Klein, now president & CEO of Unity Hospice, was a successful young lawyer who sought purpose and service in his work. He wanted to come home each night with the knowledge that he made a positive impact on the world. In November of 1992, Unity Hospice began at the kitchen table of his home in Skokie, Illinois. At this table, he drafted plans to create a hospice that serves the under-served – a hospice, based on federal and state regulations, that doesn’t deny care for anyone based on whether or not they have a payer source. “I want to thank our patients and families for

See HOSPICE, A13

Unity Hospice, based in Skokie, Illinois, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. There are two regional locations, in the City of St. Louis just south of Forest Park and in Collinsville, Illinois.

Denise HooksAnderson, MD

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

MEDICINE

Continued from A12

John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, said inflammation is involved in many diseases and that inflammation in the body is both useful and harmful.

“Inflammation is important for the organisms of the body to defend against microbes and against pathogens, and it’s also important for tissue repair and tissue healing after injury,” Mbalaviele said.

“It’s a very, very important process. When it is out of a control is when there are instances of response that is

HOSPICE

Continued from A12

the opportunity to serve them over the last 25 years, and to the team members that have made this dream possible,” Klein said. “I’m extremely fortunate to work alongside the individuals that make such a difference in the lives of those who are in need of our care. It’s a true honor. I look forward to the next 25 years and then some.”

Today, Unity Hospice serves patients in Illinois, Indiana and Missouri; there are two regional

ANDERSON

bad for the organism.”

Mbalaviele said the best defenses against the harmful type of inflammation are the same actions for a healthier lifestyle – nutritious diet, regular exercise: “what we do and what we eat.”

Mbalaviele previously worked on inflammation for pharmaceutical maker Pfizer for 10 years in St. Louis. At Washington University, the work Mbalaviele is doing now is the same work he started –inflammation and how it leads to bone loss. He said it takes time and that progress is made incrementally.

“Hopefully, with time our research will lead to a development of a drug to

locations, in the City of St. Louis just south of Forest Park and in Collinsville, Illinois. Unity Hospice’s Chicagoland offices have been named a top workplace by The Chicago Tribune for three consecutive years, with special recognition in employee appreciation and meaningfulness in the workplace.

Family-owned and -operated, Unity Hospice offers patients many benefits in addition to the hospice basics required by regulation. One of those benefits is their ownership of equipment and warehouses, rather than contracting with third-party

Continued from A12 from mild to severe and can cause death. Young children, the elderly, and persons who are immunocompromised are at high risk of complications from influenza.

not a live vaccine. Therefore, it cannot “give you the flu.” Common side effects from the injection are mild fever, nausea, soreness at the site of the injection, and mild muscle aches.

Influenza viruses are highly contagious and cause influenza illness (flu). Symptoms range

My third and last urban medical legend is one that you would think only applies to teenagers, but I’m amazed at how many adults fall prey to this one: “I don’t understand how I caught this STD. We only had sex one time.” These are real conversations,

Dr. Drake receives Black Alumni Award from Baylor U.

Bettina Drake, PhD, MPH, associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine, was honored with the 2017 Baylor University Distinguished Black Alumni Award. Dr. Drake accepted her award at a celebration dinner on November 17 in Waco, Texas. She attended Baylor University during her undergraduate studies. Dr. Drake’s research has focused on identifying preventive strategies to reduce health disparities in cancer and other chronic disease outcomes. In addition, she co-leads the Prostate Cancer Community Partnership, a community partnership

We

By Briauna West For The St. Louis American

circumvent, to treat bone loss,” he said. “I’m using my experience with drug discovery and my experience in industry to do translational research –finding how our knowledge can be applied to develop drugs.”

Mbalaviele plans to remain in St. Louis and at WUSTL for his work.

“We really enjoy and like very much what I do here at WashU, and Washington University is a great institution and a great institution to work,” he said.

“I had opportunity to be somewhere else but decided to stay here in St. Louis. I think that St. Louis is a great place to be.”

Bettina Drake, PhD, MPH

of Siteman Cancer Center’s Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparitie (PECaD), which seeks to reduce prostate cancer disparities in the region. She is most interested in how her community-based work informs and strengthens her epidemiology findings. Information gained from community-based studies informs both study design and recruitment strategies. In turn, the results of the cancer prevention work can be disseminated in collaboration with community partners. Dr. Drake also teaches Intermediate Clinical Epidemiology in the Master of Population Health Sciences degree program.

n Dr. Drake’s research has focused on identifying preventive strategies to reduce health disparities in cancer and other chronic disease outcomes.

need alternatives to opioids

There’s no question that substance abuse is threatening to an individual’s health. In 2014, Missouri had 11,717 deaths related to alcohol, drugs, and smoking.

According to the U.S. Department of Health, six out of 10 deaths in the United States are related to the use of narcotics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that sales of narcotics to treat pain has increased over the years and doctors are prescribing them at increasingly higher levels. Though these drugs are prescribed more frequently, patients’ reports of pain haven’t supported the increase of prescribed medications.

n “Every year, nearly 1.4 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospices in this country.”

– Edo Banach, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

vendors, allowing for quick medical equipment delivery.

Another benefit is that Unity Hospice comes to you, wherever it is you call home – a private home, a nursing home or other care facility. Additionally, all Unity staff undergo rigorous training in

and people actually believe this nonsense. I’ve also delivered many babies who were born from this “only one time” method, which doesn’t protect you from pregnancy any more than from STDs. Semen is released prior to ejaculation. Therefore, infections and those potent little sperm can enter the vagina and travel up into the uterus before complete ejaculation. The most reliable protection from infections and pregnancy is the use

the Unity Hospice Professional Standards.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the hospice movement. The first modern hospice, called St. Christopher’s Hospice, was established in 1967. St. Christopher’s Hospice was

of condoms or abstinence.

In 2015, the rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis reached an all-time high. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), syphilis rose by 19 percent and gonorrhea rose by almost 13 percent in 2015. These sexually transmitted diseases can be cured by antibiotics, but can potentially cause complications, such as fertility difficulties. Now that information is at our fingertips 24 hours per day,

Briauna West

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reported that the U.S. accounts for almost 100 percent of the world’s hydrocodone prescriptions and 81 percent of oxycodone prescriptions. With easier access to prescription pain medications, there’s a potential increase to abuse them, with drugs like “lean,” using prescription-strength cough syrup, becoming more popular.

Is there a better way to treat pain and reduce the opioid epidemic? I believe there is.

One of the causes of drug dependency is the neglect of alternative methods utilized for treating pain. Acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation,

founded on the ideals of Dr. Cicely Saunders and Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who both recognized an unmet need for end-of-life care.

This initial approach to care, along with advances in palliative care and the introduction of holistic support, has led to the development of hospice care as we know it today. Modern hospice and palliative care programs provide pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support, and spiritual care to patients and their families when a cure is not possible.

“Every year, nearly 1.4 million people living with a

it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to distinguish between fact and fiction. As a result, it is imperative that we as consumers know where to look for trusted information.

I often send my patients to the websites of the CDC (cdc. gov) or the American Academy of Family Physicians (aafp. org). These sites possess a wealth of knowledge regarding a wide range of topics and the most current health recommendations. These sites are also far

n One of the causes of drug dependency is the neglect of alternative methods utilized for treating pain.

meditation, exercise, supplements, music therapy, among other alternative therapies, are grossly underused to treat pain. If opioids weren’t the first and only option for managing pain, and if alternative methods were used instead, there could potentially be not only a decrease in the opioid epidemic but also an overall improvement in health.

Briauna Cole is a registered nurse in St. Louis.

life-limiting illness receive care from hospices in this country,” said Edo Banach, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “These highlytrained professionals ensure that patients and families find dignity, respect, and love during life’s most difficult journey.”

For more information about hospice and palliative care, contact Unity Hospice at 888949-1188.

Jenna Matzer is Communications manager at Unity Hospice.

more reliable than some stranger you met at the hair stylist. So instead of believing the latest hype, I encourage you to fact check the information against credible resources.

Don’t be the next urban legend victim!

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., is an assistant professor at SLUCare Family Medicine and the medical accuracy editor of The St. Louis American. Email her at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com.

Gabrile Mbalaviele, Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases in the John T. Milliken Department of Medicine, said inflammation is involved in many diseases and that inflammation in the body is both useful and harmful.

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

Don't Skip Breakfast!

Healthy Kids Healthy Kids

If we divide the word, “breakfast” into two words we have BREAK & FAST. To “fast” means to go for a long period of time without eating. By the time morning comes, most of us haven’t eaten for sometimes ten hours or more! Our body needs a nutritious, healthy breakfast to start the new day. Kids who eat a healthy breakfast are better able to focus at school, tend to eat better (healthier) throughout the day and will have

Nature’s Colors

Helping Others

more energy. Try including whole grains, fruits and proteins into your breakfast for a nice healthy start to your day!

Try This:

Make your own healthy granola bars or small baggies of trail mix. Many recipes can be found online and having them ready-to-go will make mornings easier!

Earl Nicholson, Executive Chef

Careers

Exercise Challenge:

Now that the weather isn’t so hot, and before it gets really cold outside, take a nature walk around your neighborhood. See how many different kinds of trees you see,

Let’s think of some ways to spread holiday cheer to others this year!

> Bake healthy holiday snacks and deliver them to someone who serves the community and has to work on Christmas day (police, firemen, nurses, doctors, etc.)

> How about a coat collection at school? Many families cannot afford new winter coats this season.

and how many different color leaves. Walk briskly enough to get your heart rate up, but bring a notebook to document your findings. Why is it important to increase your heart rate?

Try walking this same route every few days to observe the change in the leaves. How

> Make some holiday decorations or cards that could be donated to a local nursing home.

> Collect canned goods for local families to have plenty of food over the holidays.

> What are some other things you could do to make a difference in the lives of others this holiday season?

Learning Standards: HPE 2, NH 2, NH 8

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

many different colors do you see? Did you find any trees whose leaves weren’t turning or any that have already lost all of its leaves?

Learning Standards:

Grinch Kabobs

2 Bananas, sliced Toothpicks

Directions: Slice the top off of the strawberries and assemble as shown. Chill and serve.

Where do you work? I am the executive chef at Morrison Health Care.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from East St. Louis Sr. High School and then earned a Hospitality and Culinary Management Degree from the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a Culinary Arts Degree from Le Cordon Bleu in St. Charles, Missouri.

What does an executive chef do? Daily I am tasked with finding and providing the freshest and healthiest options available. Once I have located these ingredients, I then have to find ways to make all these healthy options taste great.

Why did you choose this career? I was forced into the work field at a young age due to having my first child. I did not have a lot of skills. The only thing I knew was what my grandmother taught me, and that was how to cook. I decided to pursue that career path and it has worked out great.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

One of my favorite parts of the job is offering patients and guests healthy options to eat that will positively impact their day by providing things like energy and focus. I also like to see people enjoying my food as well as the food displays I create.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

Louis Zoo is a wonderful

and students of all levels and abilities. We offer a variety of programs, tours and learning opportunities. Visit stlzoo.org/education for a complete

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Ms. McAdams and Students, Premier Charter School

Premier Charter School

8th grade teacher Carly McAdams works with students Noor Al Bhadli, Caldra Williford, Ali Jabbar and Xamdi Abdullahi on how to search for certain types of news stories using the newspaper. Photo: Wiley Price / St. Louis American

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

SCIENCE CORNER

What Does An Environmental Scientist Do?

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN AMERICAN SOCIOLOGIST, EDUCATOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST:

Robert Doyle Bullard

Robert Doyle Bullard was born on December 21, 1946, in Elba, Alabama. He grew up in a segregated community with his four siblings. After high school, Bullard went to the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University and graduated in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in history and government and a minor in sociology. In 1972, he earned his master’s degree in sociology from Clark Atlanta University. Bullard completed his doctorate degree in sociology at Iowa State University, and earned a degree in 1976.

An environmental scientist uses their knowledge of science to protect nature. They work to find a balance between human needs and the needs of organisms in their environment. Their goal is to preserve nature for future generations.

Some environmental scientists conduct research. They may study how processes or chemicals affect the environment, or they may study endangered animals. Environmental scientists develop and enforce policies (rules) to protect the environment, and are often employed by government agencies. Also, environmental scientists work

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

When many large thunderstorms come together over ocean water, they begin to swirl. This swirling motion is called a vortex. When this vortex becomes powerful enough, it is called a hurricane. You can use plastic soda bottles to create your own replica of a hurricane.

Materials Needed:

Water • Clock or Timer • Empty 2 Liter

Soda Bottle • Pitcher • Food Coloring

Procedure:

q Fill the soda bottle to the top with water.

w Without squeezing the sides of the bottle, time how long it takes to empty all of the water. You might want to repeat this several times to validate your time.

MATH CONNECTION

Solve these word problems about hurricanes.

q The diameter of a hurricane is 275 miles. The eye of the hurricane has a diameter of 32 miles. Find the area of the hurricane around the eye of the hurricane.

w The diameter of a hurricane is 300 miles. What is the circumference? What is the area?

as consultants and give advice to companies. For example, they can tell architects how their buildings will affect the environment.

If you are interested in becoming an environmental scientist, read and learn all you can about plants, animals, and protecting the environment. For more information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/students/.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text to learn about careers in science.

Hurricane in a Bottle!

e Fill the bottle to the top with water just as you did before. This time swirl the water by moving the bottle in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion while the water is pouring out to create a vortex. Predict how creating a vortex will affect the time it takes to empty the bottle.

r Now add food coloring to the water and swirl/pour again. The food coloring will create a colored vortex.

Analyze: Were your predictions correct? What created the vortex in the soda bottle? How is this similar to the creation of a hurricane?

Learning Standards: I can make predictions and analyze my answer. I can follow directions to complete an experiment.

Problems with Hurricanes!

e There are 2,157 homes in a town preparing for a hurricane. The townspeople were told to store water in preparation for a hurricane. If each home had to store 15 gallons of water, how many total gallons of water would the town have to store?

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

Bullard married an attorney and they moved to Houston, Texas, where he taught at Texas Southern University. Bullard helped his wife collect data for the trial Bean v. Southwestern Waste Corporation, which was a federal court case involving the placement of garbage facilities in Houston neighborhoods that had mostly black citizens. This was the first federal lawsuit that charged environmental discrimination. This case gave Bullard a passion for environmental science.

After leaving Texas, Bullard taught at universities in Tennessee and California before returning to Clark Atlanta University. It was here that Bullard was able to conduct research, teach, and serve in community outreach programs that combined his love of sociology and environmental science.

Bullard has been called the “Father of Environmental Justice.” In 1994, he encouraged President Clinton to sign Executive Order 12898, which called for environmental justice in the United States. Bullard has written over fifteen books and has delivered many presentations. In 2007, he received the William Foote Whyte Distinguished Career Award. The following year, he was named one of Newsweek’s thirteen “Environmental Leaders of the Century.”

Questions:

q Dr. Bullard became interested in environmental justice after his wife introduced him to the topic. Why do you think he took a strong interest in this topic?

w What do you think an environmental scientist does?

e Would you like to be an environmental scientist? Why or why not?

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction biographies to gain information about a person who has made contributions in the field of science.

MAP PREP

Use the newspaper to complete these activities:

Activity One: Can I quote you on that?

When quoting their interviewees, reporters must think of interesting ways of saying, “said.” Use quotes in your newspaper to see how reporters quote their subjects. Make a list of at least 10 different ways that were used. Share your results with your classmates.

Activity Two: Students will choose a person featured in a news story to evaluate for character traits. Students will describe the featured person in a character chart. They will draw an outline of the person, write the person’s name in the head, write an inference about the personality in the body, and details that support the inference in the arms and legs.

Learning Standards: I can use a newspaper to locate information. I can make inferences and support them with specific details.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Photo by Howard Sochurek/LIFE

Future pharmacist

Foundation scholarship helps Jason Sims pursue his educational dream

By Sophie Hurwitz

For The St. Louis American

Jason Sims, a graduate of Hazelwood Central High School, was recently awarded a St. Louis American Foundation Scholarship for $2,500 and a laptop. He’s finishing his first semester of seven years at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, where he is pursuing his Bachelor of Science and eventually Doctorate of Pharmacy.

“You know, college isn’t cheap, and every bit helps!” he said of the scholarship.

He has been throwing himself into the college experience with everything he’s got, joining the Black Students’ Alliance and Jazz Club. “I want to get involved in track and basketball, too” he added.

Sims’ decision to go to school to become a pharmacist was deliberate and communityfocused.

“In high school, I did pretty good with all my science classes, which were physics, chemistry and biology,” he said. “At first I wanted to be an aerospace engineer, but that required more math, and I’m more of a science person. I remember a long time ago I’d said I wanted to be a pharmacist, so I said, maybe I should pursue that again.” And now, he thinks he’ll stick with pharmacy. His participation in the BESt summer pharmacy program over the summer helped lead him down that path.

“It gave me an insight into the college life and the life of a pharmacist, so it was good to have that exposure,” he said. “I hope to get into the pharmacy field, maybe either as a community pharmacist or

a veterinary pharmacist, and just stay there for a while until I work myself up in the ranks to an administrative position.”

But for now, he’s adjusting

n “I know for sure that I want to be able to give back to the community.”

– Jason Sims

to his freshman year of college. “School, overall, has been an interesting experience,” he said. “It’s really different from high school. I’m in a new environment, new people,

Jason Sims is a freshman at St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Sims was recently a St. Louis American Foundation Scholarship.

What can be done to stop the killing?

By Ivan Lee For The St. Louis American

In some cities they watch the leaves turn from summer to autumn. In some cities they count additions to the skyline every year or the number of new companies that have located there. In St. Louis we keep our eyes on the body count.

On what seems like a daily basis, longtime FOX 2 News reporter Elliott Davis has been adding to the St. Louis body count asking just when we’ll hit the 188 murders we hit last year. Some seemed to be excited about outdoing the carnage of 2016. This reflects a time-honored St. Louis tradition of “if you can’t be known for anything good then be good at being bad.”

new places. You’ve got to get acquainted with a bunch of new people that you aren’t familiar with. You have to adjust to the different workload. It’s all about adapting.”

His workload, this semester, involves “chemistry, biology, a writing class, foundations of learning, concert band, applied calculus.” Next semester, he’ll also have introduction to healthcare and is “excited for that.”

Sims hopes to take what he learns and give back to those who have helped him.

“I know for sure that I want to be able to give back to the community, because to get that far, it wasn’t an effort by a single person,” he said. “It took a lot of people.”

We hit 188 murders on Thanksgiving, a day when families were gathering at dinner tables throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area to eat pie, watch football, and spend time with their loved ones. My family was no different. However, as my family members gathered for food, they were greeted with tragic news.

Shelbyon Polk, better known as Lil’ Chubb, was shot and murdered on Thanksgiving morning on the West Side. He was our beloved family member and my nephew.

A smart young man with a curious mind and a gentle soul, he loved football and he loved learning, constantly asking me for educational video recommendations on YouTube.

The murder of Lil’ Chubb came just over two years after his father, Shelby Polk, was murdered leaving a bar on South Broadway. That murder affected him deeply. A oncepromising football player at Kirkwood High School and in

the Junior Football League, Lil’ Chubb began struggling with depression and going through periods of erratic behavior, leaving the whole family concerned.

My sister Sunni Joy was very close to her oldest child, who took on a mentorship role to his four younger siblings, but the scars ran deep. No matter how he got there, what betrayal or callousness led to his murder, we’ve lost a promising young man we loved.

When we see a number like 188 murders in a year, we should know that each murder has a legacy. Each life lost to murder affects thousands of lives. Some families never get back on track. Others are taken places in life they never dreamed of being.

I am writing this now from Dallas. I’m in Dallas to be near my youngest daughter. She is here because her grandmother, a New York native, moved here as a result of her husband being tragically murdered.

Murder has shaped my life and the life of those around me.

Collectively this has changed the entire culture, mentality, and even housing patterns of the region, just as living in a nation where mass shootings are the norm has permanently altered our national psyche. Please, do not callously dismiss each new murder that comes across your screen as a statistic. Do not greet the news with cynicism, snark, or racism. Greet the news with the recognition that every human life has dignity and the loss of every life leaves a trail of victims and mourners. Then ask yourself, and ask your families and neighbors: What can be done to stop this madness? How do we approach the violent-crime issue in a systematic matter, bringing in elected officials, law enforcement, faith leaders, community activists, and youth, and then go about doing the work of saving lives? I ask for your prayers for my family and for our city. You may reach Ivan Lee at uileestl@gmail.com.

Ivan Lee (Right) and his nephew Shelbyon Polk, better known as Lil’ Chubb.

Like son, like father

Robert “Bob” Ferrell, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, followed the advice of his son, also an Army veteran, Michael Ferrell, to join him to work for World Wide Technology, Inc. “He followed me into the military,” Bob Ferrell said, “and now I followed him into WWT.”

Retired U.S. Army lieutenant general follows his son to World Wide Technology

By Jessica Karins

in the

in

2017 from his position as the army’s chief information officer. While deciding what he could do to make a difference in the private sector, Bob Ferrell got some advice from another WWT employee – his son, Michael Ferrell. Michael Ferrell was a third-generation

n “It was the best decision I’ve made, except for asking my wife to marry me.”

– Robert “Bob” Ferrell, on joining World Wide Technology, Inc.

serviceman; Bob Ferrell’s father, Howard Ferrell, spent 23 year in the Signal Corps, the communications and information systems arm of the U.S. military. Six of Howard Ferrell’s seven children served in the military. Michael

enlisted in the same branch as his grandfather. He served for six years, including a deployment to Afghanistan, before switching to the private sector.

When his father asked Michael whether he should consider working for Michael’s employer, Michael wrote his father a note about what a positive experience working at the company had been.

“It turned into a three-page letter,” Bob Ferrell said.

Ferrell was spending the summer after retiring from the military trying to decide what his next step would be. He didn’t want to just relax.

See FERRELL, B8

Award comes with $200K grant, leadership development, access to capital

American staff

n “Organizations like MathewsDickey are key to addressing critical community needs and strengthening the economic health of St. Louis.”

– Michael Lawrence, Bank of America

Bank of America selected Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club as a 2017 Neighborhood Builder, 1 of 62 organizations named nationwide. The bank recognized the North St. Louis institution for its work to ensure youth are engaged in activities that promote a healthy lifestyle, which in turn, contributes to economic and social progress. Through Neighborhood Builders, the bank provides nonprofits with a combination of $200,000 in flexible funding, leadership development (for the executive director and a developing leader in the organization), a network of peer organizations across the U.S., and the opportunity to access capital in order to expand their impact.

See NORMANDY, B2

Rev. Cedric Portis Sr. was elected to serve as president of the Joint Executive Governing Board of the Normandy Schools Collaborative. He has served as senior pastor of Third Presbyterian Church in St. Louis since 2003 and is an adjunct professor of Ethics, Critical Thinking and Organizational Leadership for the University of West Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Normandy High School.

Dr. Valinda Allen earned the 2017 Patient Service Excellence Award from Alton Memorial Hospital. She is medical director of the hospital’s Wound Care Center. The award recognizes a greater commitment to patients, consistently exceeding expectations in care of patients and families, and a greater commitment in understanding and responding to the physical, emotional and intellectual needs of patients.

Rodney D. Edwards was recently promoted from Emergency Medical Services dispatcher to Fire Equipment dispatcher at the St. Louis Fire Department. Even more impactful than his recent promotion, the department noted, is the journey he took getting here. Edwards was homeless, living in an abandoned building, when he started studying for his EMT license in 2009.

Keelah Washington was honored by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois with its Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award for her leadership, service and overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities. She is a senior English major with a concentration in secondary English language arts at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She was chosen through a university-wide nomination procedure.

Larry Davis Jr. joined the staff of FOCUS St. Louis as executive assistant/ administrative manager. He previously served as training coordinator for the St. Louis County Board of Elections, training more than 4,000 election judges to work in local, state and federal elections. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Saint Louis University.

Danielle Smith was appointed to the Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board. She is a Professional Development and Legal Recruiting manager at Thompson Coburn LLP. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of MissouriColumbia and a juris doctorate from the

Rev. Cedric Portis Sr.

Rodney D. Edwards

Danielle Smith

Larry Davis Jr.

Dr. Valinda Allen

Keelah Washington

Michael Lawrence, St. Louis Market president, Bank of America; Wendell Covington, president and CEO, Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club; and Sheleia Phillips, the club’s Health & Outcomes coordinator.

Seasonal hiring presents opportunities for job seekers

Better Business Bureau

With leagues of shoppers on the horizon, retailers and shippers are planning to hire more than seasonal employees this holiday season to accommodate service demands. The National Retail Federation expects retailers could add as many as 550,000 seasonal positions this year.

Better Business Bureau advises job seekers to polish up their resumes, research potential employers and apply right away.

Major retailers like Walmart and Macy’s and shipping companies like UPS and amazon are all planning to hire seasonal workers this year. Earlier this year, Target and Amazon announced a plan to hire more than 100,000 workers for the holiday season. In addition to seasonal positions, retail indirectly creates many jobs throughout the holiday season for workers in transportation, manufacturing and fulfillment.

“Seasonal work can be a great opportunity for job seekers,” said Michelle Corey, BBB president and CEO.

“While holiday jobs are usually temporary, many retailers may go on to hire some holiday workers permanently.”

BBB offers the following advice for job hunters this holiday season:

Do your homework. Research any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at bbb. org or by calling 888-9963887.

Turn down a job if there are fees. If the employer requires fees for training, background checks or drug tests, it may be a scam. These costs are normally the responsibility of the employer.

Be flexible. Full-time employees usually have first choice on

Start your job search earlier rather than later. Retail, shipping, restaurants and catering companies are common sources of seasonal employment. This is the time for job hunters to determine which job suits them best, identify companies they’d like to work for and then begin submitting applications and resumes.

n If the employer requires fees for training, background checks or drug tests, it may be a scam. These costs are normally the responsibility of the employer.

Work where you shop. Try to identify seasonal employment opportunities at businesses where you shop. You will already be familiar with the company and its products, and discounts available to employees can

mean significant savings when shopping for gifts. Discounts can range from 20 to 40 percent for seasonal

employees.

Put your best foot forward. Even if you are

NORMANDY

continued from page B1

The leadership development will be devoted to Wendell Covington, president and CEO of Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club, and Sheleia Phillips, the club’s Health & Outcomes coordinator.

“Through the grant and leadership development training provided by this award, our organization can provide greater support to our programs and positively impact more youth by stimulating their pursuit of knowledge, attainment of a healthier life and the skills for greatness,” Wendell Covington said.

Mathews-Dickey’s mission is to produce physically active, well-educated and hopeful youth. The agency works to identify gaps in predominately minority school districts in St. Louis, many of which have eliminated or substantially reduced athletic and arts programming, and targets these districts to promote youth and community-development

just picking up applications at stores in the mall, dress neatly and be prepared for an interview. This includes being familiar with the company’s brand and products. Retail job hunters need to focus on impressing potential employers with their customer service skills because they may be dealing with stressed-out shoppers, long check-out lines and holiday returns.

activities. It uses athletics and team building as its foundation to target the pervasive academic achievement gap to reengage students into the educational process.

The funds will help the organization realize its capacity-building priorities, including the formation of collective impact alliances with fellow non-profits, scaling up to engage more St. Louis youth and leveraging data to implement more impactful, replicable programs.

Specifically, the club aims to formally develop Community Action Network partnerships focused on Scholarship, Athleticism and Character, double its membership from 3,000 to 6,000 over the next three years, and formalize its model for replication and implementation through guidebooks, program management and curriculum.

Be wary of work-from-home and secret shopper positions. If the job posting is for a wellknown brand, check the real company’s job page to see if the position is posted there. Look online. If the job comes up in other cities with the exact same post, it could be a scam. Check potential employers at bbb.org. Check potential employers at bbb.org.

Use your resources. To report a suspected job scam or learn more about the latest scams trending in your area, go to bbb.org/scamtracker.

“Organizations like Mathews-Dickey are key to addressing critical community needs and strengthening the economic health of St. Louis,” said Michael Lawrence, St. Louis Market president, Bank of America.

“Neighborhood Builders is just one example of how we deploy capital in communities and build partnerships in order to advance economic and social progress – specifically, helping our youth realize their full potential – as part of our approach to responsible growth.”

Since 2004, through Neighborhood Builders, Bank of America has helped nonprofits in St. Louis scale and improve services and programs serving the community. These partnerships are part of the broader program, through which the bank has invested $220 million in nearly 1,000 nonprofits and nearly 2,000 nonprofit leaders across 45 U.S. communities. The awardees are selected by a local market selection committee with representation by local community leaders from diverse sectors.

Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club is located at 4245 North Kingshighway Blvd. For more information, call (314) 382-5952 or visit http:// mathews-dickey.com/.

Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon 18th Annual

Gloria Carter-Hicks receives the 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year award from the RBC’s Kathy Osborn.

Nearly 450 guests attended the sold out 18th annual Salute to Excellence in BusinessAwards & Networking Luncheon on November 17 at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis. World Wide Technology and the Steward Family Foundation served as the lead sponsors for the event, which was co-presented by the St. Louis American Foundation, St. Louis Regional Chamber and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Gloria Carter-Hicks of Hicks-Carter-Hicks was honored as the 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year. Melva Pete of SAK Construction received the 2017 Corporate Executive of the Year award and Halbert Sullivan of Fathers’Support Center received the 2017 Non-Profit Executive of the Year award. Three individuals received Excellence in Business Performance awards—Monica M. Campbell of Enterprise Bank & Trust, Patricia Strong Hodges of Wells FargoAdvisors and Christopher Pickett of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale. This year’s recipient of the Corporate Diversity Award was Lewis Rice. KMOX’s Carol Daniel served as emcee of the 18th annual luncheon.

Photos By Maurice Meredith

2017 Excellence in Business Performance Awardees Monica Campbell, Patricia Hodges and Christopher Pickett, and emcee Carol Daniel

Byron Caskey and Rasheen Coleman Rev. Aileen Wynne, 2017 Corporate Executive of the Year Melva Pete and Horace Pete

Non-Profit Executive of the Year Halbert Sullivan and emcee Carol Daniel

Carol Daniel presents the 2017 Corporate Diversity Award to Bridget Hoy and Ron Norwood, representing Lewis Rice. Jami Boyles and Top 25 Awardee Cory Elliott

Juanita Logan from Lead Sponsor World Wide Technology

Rodney Crim, Kathy Osborn, Michael Holmes, Erica Henderson, Amber Simpson and Dr. Steven Player

Nya Jorif, Nicole Adewale, Abe Adewale, Lawanda Jones, Top row: Romona Tumblin Rucker, David Mizell, Scott Tate, Darseem Bahban, Steven Alsbury and Faress Hraib

Karen Gee and Shara Bradley

Jim Watson, James Pinkston and Franklin Shelton Christopher Hicks and Aaron Van Groningen

One of the tables of Platinum Sponsor SAK Construction

Jennifer Drake Fontroy, Elizabeth George and City Treasurer Tishaura Jones

Maureen Brinkley, 2017 Entrepreneur of the Year Gloria Carter-Hicks and Christina McGee

Holiday season in full swing

Join in on the festivities

The tree of lights has returned to Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis and that can only mean one thing. The holiday season is now in full swing. Join in on the festivities. There’s so many ways to experience the magic of the holidays at home. We’ve got all you need to make your spirit bright from train rides to lighting displays, entertainment, shopping and more.

Across the area, lighting displays will help you to get into the holiday spirit. The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows Annual Way of Lights Christmas Display (Nov. 17-Dec. 31) takes visitors on a biblical journey with a mile-and-a-half drive of over one million lights.

For over 30 years, Winter Wonderland at Tilles Park (Nov. 22-Dec. 30, closed Christmas Eve) has been one of the most popular lighting displays in the area, celebrating the joyous season with various holiday scenes.

You’re invited to walk through the worldrenowned Saint Louis Zoo and take in a wonderland of spectacular lights at U.S. Bank Wild Lights (Nov. 24-26, 29, Dec. 1-3, 6-10, 13-23, 26-30). At the Garden Glow lighting exhibit (Nov. 18- Jan. 1, closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) at the Missouri Botanical Garden, visitors will be surrounded by a spectacle of unique light installations as lights will adorn some of the Garden’s most iconic locations. Even more lights will be on display at other locations, including the fabulous Anheuser-Busch Brewery Lights (Nov. 16-Jan. 1) and Six Flags St. Louis’ becomes a magical winter wonderland featuring thousands of colorful lights and thrilling rides as Holiday in the Park begins on select days Nov. 18-Jan.1.

The delightful entertainment continues as attractions around town put on a show for the whole family. Fantasia will kick off the month of December with her Christmas After Midnight tour (Dec.1) at the Peabody Opera House followed by A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage (Dec. 15). The Harlem Globetrotters (Dec. 9) will shoot hoops at the Scottrade Center and Sesame Street Live: Let’s Party! (Dec. 10) will fill the Chaifetz Arena with song and dance. A Christmas Carol (Dec. 14-17) and Moscow Ballet’s Great Nutcracker (Dec. 23) will take center stage at the Fabulous Fox Theater.

A special showcase of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite (Dec. 19-21) will be performed by the Jazz St. Louis Big Band at Jazz at the Bistro. The Polar Express Train Ride will depart from St. Louis Union Station during the most wonderful time of year (Nov. 24-Dec. 30). As the month ends, the annual Kwanzaa:

U.S. Bank Wild Lights returns to the Saint Louis Zoo Nov. 24-26, 29, Dec. 1-3, 6-10, 13-23, 26-30.

Festival of First Fruits returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden (Dec. 27) with African culture, performance and traditions. This time of year you’ll find a gift for everyone on your list. Don’t forget to shop local and strengthen communities. Celebrate Small Business Saturday on Nov. 25 by visiting the boutiques and specialty shops in our many neighborhoods, including The Loop, Florissant, Central West End, St. Charles, Maplewood and others. From the home furnishings at IKEA St. Louis, to the luxurious Plaza Frontenac to Chesterfield’s St. Louis Premium Outlets® and Taubman Prestige Outlets, St. Louis offers yet another great shopping experience for residents and visitors to our city. You’ll also find unique gifts within our many attractions and museums such as the Missouri Botanical Garden, Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis or Saint Louis Art Museum

Make the most of the holiday season and make memories to cherish with your family for years to come. For more events and information for having a wonderful Christmas time in St. Louis, we hope you’ll visit www.explorestlouis. com

n “If I wasn’t a basketball player, what kind of man would they look at me as?”

— Kevin Durant

Sports

Standouts shine in prep and collegiate basketball

Former Incarnate Word Academy

All-American Napheesa Collier is off to an excellent start to her junior season at the University of Connecticut.

Collier is currently averaging 14.4 points a game on a well-balanced UConn machine that is currently 5-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country. Collier is also averaging a team high 7.6 rebounds and three steals a game, which is also tops on the team. She is shooting 49 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free throw line.

Collier was a threetime state champion and a McDonald’s All-American during her stellar high school career at Incarnate Word. As a freshman, she was a top reserve on the Huskies’ march to a NCAA national championship.

Shawn Roundtree shines at Central Michigan

Former Edwardsville High basketball standout Shawn Roundtree has been putting in some work during the early part of the season at Central Michigan. The 6’0” Roundtree led the Chippewas to the championship of the Great Alaska Shootout last week and earned the Most Valuable Player honors in the process.

Roundtree scored a team-high 16 points with six assists in Central Michigan’s 75-72 victory over CalState Bakersfield in the championship game. For the season, Roundtree is averaging 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range.

Stars take the Borgia Turkey title

McCluer North started its prep bas-

Going into the season, it seemed as if the point guard position would be one of the Missouri Tigers strengths going into the season. The Tigers saw the return of junior Terrence Phillips who was the starter for the 2016-17 campaign and senior Jordan Geist. Neither player is considered elite, but the upperclassmen are experienced, which is often needed with young teams such as the Tigers. The Mizzou backcourt also featured two talented freshmen in Blake Harris and C.J. Roberts. On paper, it seemed to be the perfect blend of young talent and experience. In reality, finding steady play from the point guard position has proven to be a challenge for Cuonzo Martin First off, Martin decided to redshirt Roberts, as he likely would’ve seen limited minutes off the bench. Good

decision, coach. However, I must admit that I became slightly worried when Martin began using graduate transfer Kassius Robertson at the one. Robertson is a fine player, but the sharpshooter is clearly better suited at the two-guard spot. Robertson’s kicking off the season as the starting point guard showed that Martin was not fully confident with his other options. Phillips, who was second on the team in minutes last season with 28.3 per game, is currently only averaging 11.7 minutes per game. Geist is averaging 19.6 minutes and has seemingly been Martin’s most-trusted point guard of late. However, Geist suffered a terrible meltdown in the second half versus West Virginia. In a tumultuous 70 second stretch, Geist was seriously shaken and turned the ball over twice and racked up three fouls, including a tech. Despite starting the game,

Earl Austin Jr.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Napheesa Collier is

machine that is currently 5-0

ranked No. 1 in the country.

Photo by Wiley Price

Mizzou’s Kassius Robertson and Jordan Geists have both seen minutes at the point guard position for the Tigers. However, freshman Blake Harris (not pictured) is probably the Tigers’ best answer to lead the team.

Photo by Kayla Wolf / Columbia Missourian

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Alexander triumphs in return to ring, winning fight with opioid addiction

Devon Alexander’s long road back from a 25-month absence from the ring ended with a dominant unanimous decision over Walter Castillo last week in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Boxing Insider’s B.A. Cass said Alexander, a former twobelt champion, “put on a beautiful performance.”

“By the sixth round, the only hope Castillo had was to make the fight into a brawl. But Alexander found his distance, and Castillo started swinging – swinging wildly and missing. Alexander’s confidence was on supreme display,” wrote Cass.

“He was clearly the superior fighter. He threw punches at different angles, stifling the less dynamic Castillo.”

Thurman was ringside and said during the fight Alexander looked “calm and confident.” Alexander is also winning a more vital fight over addiction to opioid pain killers.

Before the fight, he told the Post-Dispatch, “I want to win for people going through the same thing as me.”

“I want to be a spokesperson for them. A lot of them think they can’t stop it, they can’t get well, they can’t reverse what’s going on. I want to be living witness you can. I think you have to have something to look forward to. I have a career to look forward to, I have my family, the two most important things in my life. It helped me.”

FORBES boxing writer Josh Katzowitz said the win “puts Alexander in probably the bottom half of the top-10 of the welterweight division.” Alexander, who gave his return to the ring a “C-,” said he’s ready to battle Keith Thurman or any fighter from the top of the welterweight division.

“What does (Thurman) have that I don’t have?” Alexander told FS1, which televised the fight. “My skills, I’ve got power, and I’ve got speed. I’ll fight anybody – Keith Thurman, Errol Spence.” Katzowitz says he would favor Thurman and Spence over Alexander today.

“But give him a couple more fights against an opponent like Castillo, and if he impresses like he did tonight, it’s possible Alexander could make himself back into one of the best 147-pounders in the world.”

Giancarlo Stanton a Cardinal?

Maybe it is not as far-fetched as it sounds.

Stanton’s representatives reportedly have notified the teams that he would waive the no-trade clause in his contract. Jon Morosi told MLB Network on Monday that the Los Angeles Dodgers are Stanton’s first choice, followed by the San Francisco Giants “and other West Coast teams.”

No team that is pursuing a trade with the Miami Marlins has been ruled out – including the St. Louis Cardinals. Morosi said St. Louis “is trying diligently to find a way to make that trade work with the Marlins.”

“They have worked on numerous iterations of this deal. If Stanton is convinced it’s not going to work in LA or it’s not going to work in San Francisco, and then it’s stay in Miami … or go to St. Louis; maybe in that situation the Cardinals would have a chance.

That’s probably a week to 10 days away.”

Morosi said the “huge question is, how willing is (Stanton) to go to St. Louis?”

Write on time for baseball

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend will be here soon, signaling the start of baseball season. Huh?

The St. Louis Cardinals hold the Winter Warm-up Weekend over the same days as the King Weekend and it is the unofficial start of a long, long season. Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Lou Brock are confirmed guests for the St. Louis Baseball Writers dinner on Sunday, Jan. 14 at the Union Station Hotel. Cardinal greats will be honored as part of all-decade teams, including 1990s stand-out Ray

Lankford Lankford will again be on the ballot for enshrinement on the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. He’s the most-deserving of any retired Cardinal who has not been honored.

Almost a year has passed since I reminded you that Lankford hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases five times (1992, 1995 –1998). He is the only Cardinal to accomplish the feat multiple times.

He finished his career in the Cardinal Top 10 in home runs (third with 228), stolen bases (fifth with 250), runs scored (eighth with 928), runs batted in (eighth with 829), and walks (fourth with 780).

Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan recently went public with an impassioned plea to Baseball Hall of Fame voters, some of which will be at the dinner, to not enshrine players who used steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. He would not be pleased that the writers will present the Lou Brock Award to Miami Marlins outfielder Dee Gordon, the National League stolen base leader with 60 stolen bases in 2017. Gordon, who said he “did not knowingly” use a banned substance, was suspended 80 games in 2016 for PED use. The previous year he hit .333, led the NL in stolen bases and won a Gold Glove. That batting average was 61 points above his career high. In large part because of that stellar, PED-fueled campaign, he signed a five-year, $50-million deal with the Marlins. The Brock Award goes to the NL

Alvin A. Reid was honored as the 2017 “Best Sports Columnist – Weeklies” in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. He is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook, is a weekly contributor to “The Charlie Tuna Show” on KFNS and can also be heard on Frank Cusumano’s “The Press Box.” His Twitter handle is #aareid1.

St. Mary’s wins the Alton Tip-Off Classic

The St. Mary’s Dragons won the championship of the Alton Tip-Off Classic for the second consecutive year. The Dragons were 4-0 for the tournament, which included a 75-67 victory over host Alton in the championship game last Saturday night. The team members include (in alphabetical order), Donavanne Austin, Antonio Burks, Yuri Collins, Michael Danser, Gus Dattoli, Lavell Harris, Darius Houston, Dominic Mitchell, Cole Miller, Donovan Parker, Sofora Rasas, Yahuza Rasas, and Clifford Teague. St. Mary’s is coached by Bryan Turner.

Alvin A. Reid

Devon Alexander’s long road back from a 25-month absence from the ring ended with a dominant unanimous decision over Walter Castillo last week in St. Petersburg, Florida.

With Earl Austin Jr.

Boys prep basketball players to watch in 2018

Here is a look at a dozen basketball players to watch for the 2017-18 season.

Deandre Campbell 6’0” (Parkway Central): A fouryear starter who averaged 21 points a game in leading the Colts to a Final Four appearance in Class 4.

Kale Catchings 6’6” (Wentzville Liberty): Harvard recruit who transferred from CBC for his senior season. He averaged 16 points a game as a junior.

Yuri Collins 5’11” (St. Mary’s): Excellent point guard who has the school record for assists after only two seasons. He led Dragons to a Class 4 district championship.

Carte’are Gordon 6’8” (Webster Groves): A dominant big man who averaged 19 points and eight rebounds for the Class 5 state champions. He is a Saint Louis U. signee.

Terrance Hargrove 6’6”

CLUTCH

Continued from B5

es out of the way. The Tigers rely on so many freshmen that inconsistency is going to be a constant issue with this team. The more meaningful minutes that Harris plays now, the more ready he will be once conference (and postseason) play begins.

Sometimes less is more. Whether it’s Harris or someone else, the Tigers must see one of the point guards step up and definitely claim the starting PG position.

Social media overreactions

If Isaac Newton was alive today, his famous Third Law might read as “For every action, there’s a social media overreaction.” Case-in-point, two NBA superstars dealt with horrible social media reactions to incidents that weren’t really a big deal.

First, Steph Curry received heavy criticism for a video that circulated around the Twittersphere. After a recent game, Curry re-emerged from the tunnel where a cute little kid begged the superstar for an autograph. The All-Star guard was seemingly oblivious to the kid’s request and he looked around the stands and never stopped to sign the kid’s jersey or even acknowledge the

PREP

Continued from B5

ketball season in grand fashion by winning the championship of the St. Francis Borgia Turkey Tournament. The Stars defeated host Borgia 62-42 in the semifinals, then defeated Pacific 59-52 in the championship game. Junior guard Atavian Butler was selected the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Butler scored a team-high 18 points in the championship game victory over Pacific.

Metro League girls succeeding in collegiate ranks

A pair of former girls’ basketball standouts from the Metro League have been doing quite well at the collegiate level. Former Lutheran North standout Shug Dickson is currently the top player at Tulsa University as a sophomore while former MICDS standout Rachel Thompson is doing an excellent job as a sophomore at Colgate University. The 5’9” Dickson is currently averaging a team-high 16.2 points and five rebounds a game while shooting 88 percent from the free throw line. She has surpassed the 20-point mark in games against

(East St. Louis): A versatile swing player who returns as one of the top players in the Metro East area. He has several Division I offers.

Jericole Hellems 6’7”

(Chaminade): North Carolina State signee who averaged 21 points a game in leading the Red Devils to a Final Four berth in the Class 5 state tournament.

E.J. Liddell 6’7” (Belleville West): The top returning player in the metro east area. He is a dominant player on both ends who led the Maroons to a Class 4A regional championship.

Mario McKinney 6’1” (Vashon): An exciting open court player who will become the leader at Vashon after being the super sub for back-to-back Class 4 state championship teams.

Courtney Ramey 6’4”

(Webster Groves): Five-star point guard who is expected to return from his injury in

January. He averaged 19 points and eight rebounds to lead the Statesmen to the Class 5 state championship.

Jamarr Williams 6’7”

(Northwest Academy): A pure rebounding force, Williams averaged a double-double in leading the Hornets to the school’s first ever state championship.

Shaun Williams 6’3”

(Hazelwood Central): He is a Kansas State signee who averaged 18 points a game in leading the Hawks to the 17-victory season.

Torrence Watson 6’5” (Whitfield): He is a Mizzou recruit who averaged 28 points a game in leading the Warriors to a runner-up finish in the Class 3 state tournament.

Teams to Watch in 2018

Webster Groves: The Statesmen won the Class 5 state championship with a 29-2 record. Standout guard

repeated greetings. People rushed to deride Curry for shading the young Warriors fan. However, it’s impossible for NBA superstars to stop to sign autographs for every fan who screams out their name. Furthermore, in the video, the child appeared to receive autographs and/or photos with several other Warriors such as Klay Thompson, Shaun Livingston JaVale McGee and David West That’s already more sports stars than I met up close during my entire youth.

In an ill-advised response to the angry fans, Ayesha Curry (Steph’s wife) tweeted out an

American and Detroit. As a freshman, Dickson averaged eight points and 3.5 rebounds. Dickson was a former St. Louis American Fab Five Player of the Year as a senior at Lutheran North.

The 5’9” Thompson has

explanation.

“So tired of seeing this,” she wrote. “He was looking for a family member in a crowd of 100 people which you can’t see on the other side of the camera…”

“He would never purposefully ignore a squirrel let alone a precious little boy. Demeaning someone to get your followers up much,” she added.

Trolls are going to troll. Ayesha Curry should have let the salty people have their say and moved on. Expecting athletes to sign every autograph isn’t just unrealistic, it’s impossible.

emerged as one of the top young players in the Patriot League. As a freshman, she averaged 10 points and led Colgate in assists, steals and field goal percentage in earning Patriot League All-Rookie honors. Through six games this

PreP athlete of the Week

Kaleb Eleby

Pattonville – Football

The senior quarterback finished his career with a stellar performance in the Pirates’ narrow 36-35 loss to Staley in the Class 5 state championship game. The 6’2” 205-pound Eleby completed 29 of 44 passes for 410 yards and five touchdowns. His touchdown passes were 53, 5, 3, 51 and 20 yards. His 20-yard TD pass to Charles Shelton with 55

Courtney Ramey is expected to be back in January as he recovers from a wrist injury. SLU recruit Carte’are Gordon is the dominant big man in the area.

Belleville West: The Maroons are led by 6’7” junior forward E.J. Liddell who dominates at both ends of the court.

Guard Malachi Smith is a Belleville East transfer who has signed with Wright State.

Vashon: The back-to-back Class 4 state champions are a young and athletic team led by 6’1” junior Mario McKinney, who will be one of the area’s leading scorers this season.

Chaminade: The Red Devils are led by 6’7” North Carolina State signee Jericole Hellems, who averaged 21 points in leading CCP to the Final Four of the Class 5 state tournament.

St. Mary’s: The Dragons return their top seven players from last year’s 24-5 district championship team, including

The next NBA superstar to go under the social media gauntlet was LeBron James Against the Miami Heat, James was ejected from a game for the first time in his career. Both James and Kane Fitzgerald the referee that gave him the boot, immediately faced massive blowback on social media.

“It was a culmination of a couple different acts,” Fitzgerald said. “Immediately after the no-call, he turned and threw an air punch directly at me, and then he aggressively charged at me, and then he used vulgarity in my ear a few times.”

The predictable, “Aren’t you supposed to be a good role model?” people came for James’ neck after his night ended early. James’ supporters weren’t pleased. Many fans blamed Fitzgerald for an overreaction and claimed he wanted a piece of the spotlight. Nonsense.

The ejection was valid. James overreacted to a non-call (one that in my opinion was a good non-call), cursed at the ref and was sent packing. He was wrong in the situation. He faced the consequences.

It’s OK. The sky isn’t falling. The building isn’t burning. LeBron James let his competiveness get the best of him in one instance. He has played in the NBA for 15 years and this is the first time it’s happened. He’ll be OK.

leading scorers Antonio Burks, Yahuza Rasas and excellent point guard Yuri Collins.

Whitfield: The Warriors were the Class 3 state runners-up a year ago. They return their top player in Missouri signee Torrence Watson, who averaged 28 points a game last season.

Northwest Academy: The Hornets made history by winning the Class Class 3 state championship, the first for the school. They return stellar 6’7” senior rebounder Jamarr Williams and potent guards Wilshon Warren and Rayonte Childs.

CBC: The Cadets are primed for another strong season with good young talent such as 6’6” junior forward Josh Wallace and 6’3” sophomore guard Caleb Love.

East St. Louis: The Flyers return one of the top juniors in the area in 6’6” Terrance Hargrove, who will now team

with 6’9” senior Vashon transfer Joe Reece.

Hazelwood Central: The Hawks return a senior laden team led by 6’3” Kansas State signee Shaun Williams and 6’4” athletic forward Cameron Williams.

Parkway Central: The Colts return all of their key players from last year’s Class 4 Final Four team, led by 6’0” senior guard Deandre Campbell.

Cardinal Ritter: The Lions return several key players from last year’s district championship team, including the talented backcourt pair of junior Malek Davis and senior Jared Phillips.

Confluence Academy: A talented team that has a chance to break through this season behind the dynamic pair of 6’7” senior forward Leon Perry and 5’10” senior guard Brandon Frederick.

the st. louis americaN college athletes of the Week

Martavian Payne

Lindenwood-Belleville – Men’s Basketball

The former Madison Prep star is currently the leading scorer in the nation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) ranks among Division I schools. The 6’3” Payne is currently averaging 27 points a game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free

throw line. In his last three games, Payne has been averaging 34 points game. Payne had 38 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a victory over Crowley’s Ridge. He followed up with 25 points and eight rebounds against Williams Baptist and 39 points and seven rebounds against Free-Hardeman.

Gabby Walker

Lindenwood University – Women’s Basketball

season, Thompson is averaging 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the field. She led MICDS to back-to-back Class 4 state championship game appearances in 2015 and 2016.

He’s not a monster. He’s not a bad role model. He’s just seconds gave the Pirates a 35-28 lead before Staley rallied to win with a last second TD and two-point conversion. For the season, Eleby finished with 184 completions for 2,831 yards and 27 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. A fouryear starter at Pattonville, Eleby is headed to Western Michigan next season to start his collegiate football career.

The former St. Charles High standout has enjoyed an early start to the season for the 4-0 Lions. The 6’0” sophomore forward had 23 points and 11 rebounds in a victory over IllinoisSpringfield. Walker also had 24 points and 10 rebounds on 11 of 15 shoot-

ing from the field in a victory over Fontbonne. For the season, Walker is currently averaging 17 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 64 percent from the field. She was a four-year varsity standout at St. Charles High, where she earned AllState honors.

LeBron James was ejected for the first time in more than 1,000 career NBA games.

FERRELL

continued from page B1

His wife, Monique Ferrell, didn’t want him to, either.

She is a civilian employee at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., working in sexual assault prevention.

“When we went through that summer and she was going to work and I was saying home, she said, ‘This is not going to work,’” Ferrell said.

So Ferrell started looking for a second career.

“I really wanted to work with an industry partner, because it intrigued me, similar to how the Army did, because it provides a service to a very good partner,” Ferrell said. “Whether it’s the military community or the corporate community, it provides a service that allows them to achieve success.”

Ferrell sent out many job applications and interviewed with several companies, but had not yet decided on his next career. Then he remembered a conversation with WWT co-founder and chairman David Steward, whom he knew through the BEYA STEM Conference, which named Steward the 2012 Black Engineer of the Year. Steward had told Ferrell that if he needed advice on what to do after leaving the military, he should give Steward a call. Ferrell sent Steward a list of the companies he was considering working for, hoping Steward could help make the decision. A few days later, Steward called with his advice.

“He said, ‘Hey, Bob, I saw your list. Did you ever think about World Wide Technologies?’” Ferrell recalled.

That’s when Ferrell started talking to his son about the company.

Michael Ferrell had also recently left the Army when he began working for WWT. He told his father that the culture, leadership and mission of the company would make it a good fit and encouraged him to take the job.

“WWT has a figurative ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality, in the sense that a welcoming and jovially social work environment promotes a comfortably lateral leadership chain when expressing opinions, new ideas, or just naturally socializing throughout the day,” Michael Ferrell wrote to his father.

n “I’m treated as a valued contributing member of a professionally social environment, rather than just being a technical production agent paid to produce deliverables by deadlines.”

– Michael Ferrell, on WWT

“But that environment is only possible because the underlying expectation of each individual is you come in every day being the absolute best you can be. I feel that I’m treated as a valued contributing member of a professionally social environment, rather than just being a technical production agent paid to produce deliverables by deadlines.”

Bob Ferrell said his son was absolutely right.

“It was the best decision I’ve made, except for asking my wife to marry me,” Ferrell said.

Ferrell now works at WWT’s office at Reston, Virginia.

Webster University’s hosted a Cyber Explorers Camp in partnership with MasterCard and the Walker School of Business and Technology at the home campus in Webster Groves on Saturday, October 21. Math/Computer Science Department faculty member and Webster Cybersecurity program lead Paul Frazier led the event. President Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble and Simone Cummings, the dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology, welcomed 24 aspiring young leaders. The event was organized by Quen Agnew, director of Corporate Relations. “Many students are not exposed to the areas of cybersecurity and computer science,” said Agnew.

“By teaming up with MasterCard for this event, Webster will provide a pathway to share this knowledge with young girls, potentially inspiring them to see future career opportunities within this field.”

Pictured are the camp participants, organizers, and President Stroble, along with Webster’s mascot, the Gorlok

that I plan to retire from.’”

There are new challenges for the career military man.

“In the military, you don’t have to think about what you wear,” Ferrell said. “You get up and there’s a uniform, and it doesn’t change throughout that whole 38 years. The first challenge I faced was figuring out what to put on the next day.”

“It’s really about treating people with dignity and respect, providing them the opportunity to grow, to learn, to lead, and to provide solutions for the customer,” Ferrell said.

“Everybody I talked to –regardless of their position, the secretaries, the office people –every one of them said, ‘I love WWT. This is the organization

Also, a private company is always considering how it can grow and expand. This is something Ferrell has been able to help with; coming from the other side of military contracts, he can help WWT identify gaps in their service and ways to expand. WWT recently secured a contract to help the Department of Defense improve its cybersecurity. Ferrell said that with his experience, he plans to help the company development “next-generation” strategies to meet the needs of future customers in the changing cybersecurity field. Ferrell said WWT is providing important solutions, and he’s grateful for his son’s good judgment. “He followed me into the military,” Ferrell said, “and now I followed him into WWT.”

Jessica Karins is an editorial intern for the St. Louis American from Webster University.

East Boogie state of mind in Havana

By James T. Ingram Columnist

I have cruised into many ports throughout the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, but none are as scenic and breathtaking as the approach to Havana, Cuba.

As fellow cruisers excitedly gathered on the upper deck of the Carnival Paradise, we were simply awestruck as the sun burned away the clouds and revealed the Havana coastline, one that most Americans have been denied for over a half century.

Slowly we made our approach to the port, gliding past the 400-plus-year-old El Morrow Castle and fort and were greeted next, by the magnificent Carrara Marble El Cristo de la Habana (Havana’s statue of Christ).

Finally, the picturesque Malecon seaway and boardwalk, along with the iconic 1950s-era cars and the beautiful, but worn, Spanish colonial buildings came into full view, as Havana locals welcomed us with big waves and honking of car horns. I watched as elderly Cuban passengers cried in realization that they had finally returned home after decades of an American embargo and diplomatic bickering. We quickly disembarked and were screened by beautiful Cuban customs officials, the

TRAVEL, C4

Local entertainment and sports management firm leads effort to aid Texas hurricane victims

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Abe Givins of Starpower Sports Marketing & Entertainment Management had a bird’s eye view of the devastation of Hurricane Harvey thanks to his client, former NBA star and Port Arthur, Texas native Steven Jackson.

His business partner Tony “T-Luv” Davis, Latoya Franklin and Tate Brown of MAB Environmental Construction Inc. and Dawntanya “DT” Smith of Iwear Activewear were discussing the obstacles faced by hurricane survivors when they decided to act.

“DT was like, ‘Okay, how can we help?’” Givins said. “And it just kind of went from there. A bunch of area black businesses came together, people showed up and made it happen.” What happened was a group of St. Louis-based businesses got to work to give back.

C4

Living It

Soul savage

Grammy Award nominated R&B veteran Tank relied mostly on selections from his latest album ‘Savage’ when he returned to the Pageant for Savage X The Soul Tour Tuesday night. The tour also featured soul songstress Leela James.

Taylor Made goes viral

Lopez gives boost to Cardinal Ritter, Lindenwood grad’s bling business

By Kenya Vaughn Of The

St. Louis American

“Every time she was spotted with the cup it’s just been crazy,” Teneka Moore said. “A lot of people who follow me on social media started to tag me on the pictures on Instagram and Facebook. But after E! News and TMZ, it has been back to back craziness.” In July of 2016 Teneka Moore posted a picture of herself posing with the latest Taylor Made creation – a Starbucks cup incrusted from top to bottom in rhinestone – on Facebook. Two weeks ago, Moore became an internet sensation when a Swarovski crystal version was seen in the hands of super celebrity Jennifer Lopez.

Celebrity manicurist Elle Gerstein was responsible for Taylor Made getting in the hands of J-Lo. Gerstein, who has also worked with Jada Pinkett Smith and Emma Stone, reached out to Moore on her Taylor Made Instagram account to inquire about getting the Starbucks cup made for a friend/client. Gerstein mentioned J. Lo.

“I was like, ‘is she talking about the real J-Lo? Or is it a J-lo impersonator?” Moore laughed. “Little ol’ me from St. Louis, I was not ready for it.” She also wasn’t quite ready for the explosion in demand that would happen either, but she’s doing her best to keep up. Moore even has a few more high-profile celebrity orders to ship out – though she said she can’t disclose the names.

“The support I’ve been getting is overwhelming. I’m so grateful for it.” Moore said. “This is what I love to do.” Taylor Made started as a hobby for Moore that grew into a lucrative side hustle five years ago. When her daughter Taylor was an infant, the Cardinal Ritter and Lindenwood University graduate added bling to a pacifier for pizazz on the baby’s three-month pictures. She fell in love with the process and started blinging other baby items for her daughter. Moore soon graduated

Teneka Moore of Taylor Made holding

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

of donations to Hurricane

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

holiday haps

Fri., Dec. 1, 6:30 p.m., National Sales Network Annual Holiday Party & Toy Drive. We will be donating toys to 100 Neediest Families. The Cheshire St. Louis, 6300 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Fri., Dec. 1, 8 p.m., Peabody Opera House presents Fantasia. She will be performing songs from her holiday album Christmas After Midnight. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www.peabodyoperahouse. com.

Sat., Dec. 2, 7 p.m., The Ambassador presents A Motown Christmas with The Dramatics feat. Willie Ford. With special guest The Motown Revue. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Dec. 2 – 3, The Community Gospel Choir of St. Louis presents A Gospel Christmas. With special guests the Legend Singers on December 2 and the Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Men’s Choir on December 3. Kirkwood Baptist Church, 211 N Woodlawn Ave., 63122. For more information, call (314) 3294242.

Wed., Dec. 6, 6 p.m., Urban League Guild of Metropolitan St. Louis Annual Christmas Party with a Purpose. Food, drinks, entertainment, and more to raise money for St. Louis’ 100 Neediest Families. A child’s toy to donate are welcomed. Omega Center., 3900 Goodfellow Blvd., 63120. For more information, call (314) 303-8724.

Fri., Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m., Black Funders of St. Louis First Annual Holiday Social. Celebrate the holidays while

collecting toys to benefit the families of the Sickle Cell Association. DK Annex, 2727 S. Jefferson, Ste. 207 & 209, 63118. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Fri., Dec. 8, 6 p.m., Artists First presents Deck the Walls (With Art and Love) Live music, food, and most importantly art. Kappa Community Center, 500 North Vandeventer Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www. artistsfirststl.org.

Dec. 8 & 9, Unity Theatre Ensemble returns to the stage with an encore of its original gospel musical, Make a Joyful Noise, Ivory Theatre, 7622 Michigan Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri.

Dec. 7 – 17, An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas feat. Evan Tyrone Martin Playhouse at Westport Plaza, 635 West Port Plaza Dr., 63146. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Fri., Dec. 8, 7 p.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall presents the Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Salsa Navidad 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Sat., Dec. 9, 9 a.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Alumnae Chapter presents Breakfast with Santa. Pancake breakfast, photos with Santa, toys, and more. Innovative Concept Academy, 1927 Cass Ave., 63107. For more information, visit www.DST-SLA.org.

Sat., Dec. 9, 8 p.m., 5th Annual Holiday Toy Drive. Music by DJ Chanda with special guest BJ the DJ. Bring a new, unwrapped toy. Mac’s Banquet Room, 315 Belle St., Alton, IL. 62002.

Sun., Dec. 10, 4:45 p.m., The Worship Arts Ministry presents A Spotless Rose, Hope for the World: Worship for Lessons & Carols

Kenya

recommends

The story of Christ’s birth through Scripture, music, and congregational song. Grace United Methodist Church, 6199 Waterman Blvd., 63113. For more information, visit www.graceumc-stl.org.

Sun., Dec. 10, 7 p.m., Gospel According to Jazz Christmas Concert. Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 5553 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www. friendlytemple.org.

Thur., Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m., Gospel Christmas: A Soulful Celebration with Dianne Reeves. Reeves joins the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and IN UNISON Chorus. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.slso. org.

Fri., Dec. 15, 6:30 p.m., Peabody Opera House presents A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage. Join the Peanuts gang in the journey to uncover the true meaning of Christmas. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. peabodyoperahouse.com.

Sat., Dec. 16, 2 p.m., Joyful Noize! Rockn’ The

Holidayz – A Rock n’ Roll Holiday Show. This is also a comic book release party. Proceeds benefit Metro Theater Company. Grandel, 3610 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Dec. 16 – 17, Better Family Life Membership Association presents the 34th Annual Kwanzaa Holiday Expo. A shopping experience to purchase unique items and support many local businesses mostly Black-owned. 5415 Page Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Sat., Dec. 23, 3 & 7 p.m., Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. The Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103.

Dec. 26 – 28, 7:30 p.m., Peabody Opera House presents ELF the Musical The hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole.

concerts

Sat., Dec. 2, 7 p.m., The

Ambassador presents A Motown Christmas with The Dramatics feat. Willie Ford. With special guest The Motown Revue. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m., STL Free Jazz Collective & Douglas R. Ewart. 14th Street Artist Community, 2701 N. 14th St., 63107. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Sun., Dec. 3, 8 p.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Damien Escobar: The Heart and Soul Tour 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Sun., Dec. 3, 7 p.m., St. Louis Symphony presents An Evening with Leslie Odom Jr. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.slso. org.

Sat., Dec. 9, 8 p.m., RobinSound Productions presents Too Short Live in Concert. Mystic Grille, 11836 W. Florissant Ave., 63033. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Dec. 13 – 16, Jazz St. Louis presents Take 6. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.tickets.jazzstl.org.

Sat., Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m., Chaifetz Arena presents Xscape: The Great Xscape Tour. With Monica and Tamar Braxton. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena. com.

special events

Thur., Nov. 30, 6 p.m., Urban League Young Professional Membership Orientation. 3701 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit nowulypmembership. eventbrite.com.

Fri., Dec. 1, 10 a.m., Taxpayer Advocate ProblemSolving Day. The Taxpayer Advocate Service will be available to assist taxpayers in-person with guidance, direction on next steps, and case-building ideas. St. Louis City Hall, 1200 Market St., 63103. For more information,

call (314) 339-1835.

Thur., Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m., The St. Louis Area Foodbank’s Young Professionals Board invite you to Friends of the Foodbank Volunteer Night 70 Corporate Woods Dr., 63044. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sat., Dec. 9, 2 & 7 p.m., Scottrade Center presents The Original Harlem Globetrotters. 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. scottradecenter.com.

Sun., Dec. 10, 5 p.m., Simply Beautiful Fashion Show. O’Fallon Park Rec Complex, 4343 W. Florissant Ave., 63115. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Dec. 1 – 2, 7:30 & 10 p.m., Helium Comedy Club presents Ron Funches. 1151 St. Louis Galleria St., 63117. For more information, visit www.heliumcomedy.com.

Fri., Dec. 8, 7 p.m., Improv Shop hosts a Night of Comedy. Proceeds benefit United 4 Children. 3960 Chouteau Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. united4children.org.

Thur., Nov. 30, 5 p.m., Celebrating Dick Gregory: Part II. The second part of our tribute focuses on A Lifetime of Activism and Comedy with a screening of

Vaughn

Gospel Christmas: A Soulful Celebration with Dianne Reeves. For more information, see CONCERTS.

Through Nov. 30, The Griot Museum of Black History presents Black Women Speak. We invite AfricanAmerican women to present works that interpret issues faced by African-American women. 2505 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, visit www.thegriotmuseum. com.

Sat., Dec. 1, 6 p.m., Zuka Arts Guild presents In Formation: A Spectrum of Sculpture. Featuring works by Gundia Locke-Clay, Joseph LaMarque, Bill Murphy, Janet Riehl, and Solomon Thurman. 14th Street Community Artist Gallery, 2701 N. 14th St., 63107. For more information, call (217) 370-6876.

Through December 31, Mickalene Thomas: Mentors, Muses, and Celebrities, The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd. St. Louis, 63108. For more information, visit http://camstl. org/ or call (314) 535-4660.

lectures and workshops

Thur., Nov. 30, 7 p.m., St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute presents Understanding Race, Social Class, and Justice. The intersection of these three categories will be explored, both in psychotherapy and in daily life. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Rd., 63132. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Fri., Dec. 1, 10 a.m., Taxpayer Advocate ProblemSolving Day. The Taxpayer Advocate Service will be available to assist taxpayers in-person with guidance, direction on next steps, and case-building ideas. St. Louis City Hall, 1200 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 339-1835.

Sun., Dec. 3, 2:30 p.m., Talk + Action Workshops.

“FaciliTrainers” from NCCJ St. Louis will lead an education workshop, with discussion on issues of employment equity. Missouri History Museum.

Mon., Dec. 4, 3 p.m., Scam Prevention Presentation. Learn how to spot a potential fraud encounter, what to do if you or a loved one is targeted, and ways to protect yourself. Creve Coeur Assisted

Kenya Vaughn recommends

Living & Memory Care, 693 Decker Ln., 63141. For more information, call (314) 9974512.

Tues., Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m., Midwest Innocent Project invites you to Speaking Justice in STL. Learn about the challenges of innocence work, hear recent success stories and discuss building a greater presence in the area. Herbie’s, 8100 Maryland Ave., 63105. For more information, visit www.themip.org/stl.

Wed., Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m., SLU Graduate Business Information Sessions. John Cook School of Business, 3674 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. gradbiz.slu.edu.

Sun., Dec. 10, 3 p.m., Human Rights Day 2017. A special panel discussion on the condition of human rights in our contemporary society. Missouri History Museum.

theatre

Nov. 30 – Dec. 3, St. Louis University Theatre presents The Merchant of Venice. Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr., 63103. For

more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Dec. 7 – 10, Ignite Theatre Company presents Seussical The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing Whos. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Dec. 10, 1 p.m., Civic Arts Company presents Race A one-act play based on Studs Terkel’s Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

Through Dec. 10, The Fox Theatre presents The King and I. The story of the unconventional relationship that develops between the King of Siam and a British schoolteacher. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. fabulousfox.com.

health

Fri., Dec. 1, 3 p.m., World AIDS Day 2017. Remember

those who have lost their battle with HIV/AIDS and recognize individuals who exemplify dedication to the HIV/AIDS community. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.

Sat., Dec. 2, 10 a.m., Sarah Allen Women’s Missionary Society is sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive, Christ Our Redeemer AME Church, 13820 Old Jamestown Rd. Black Jack, MO. Call 314-3688952 to make an appointment.

Sat., Dec. 9, 10 a.m., Free Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment Event. Meet with a health insurance Navigator to help find the health

insurance plan that fits your needs and budget. Holiday Inn, 313 Salem Pl., Fairview Heights, IL. 62208. For more information, visit www.sihf. org/open-enrollment.

Sat., Dec. 9, 11 a.m., Double Dutch ShowcaseHealthy Schools Healthy Communities. Wohl Rec Center, 1515 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63113. For more information, call (314) 2860539 or email HSHC@bjc.org.

spiritual

Fri., Dec. 3, 6 p.m., Healing Woman Ministries presents Ladies Night at the Bistro Ladies, come together for

an evening of comedy, live entertainment, food and more. University City Library Auditorium, 6701 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 5905673.

Sat., Dec. 9, 6:20 p.m., A.K.A The Collective’s Christian Christmas Concert. The group will perform original hits from their debut CD entitle “Christ-A-Must: Vol. 1”. St. Louis Mills Mall (Entrance #3), 5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd., 63042. For more information, visit www. ChristAMust.com.

Sun., Dec. 10, 4:45 p.m., The Worship Arts Ministry presents A Spotless Rose, Hope for the World: Worship for Lessons & Carols. The story of Christ’s birth through Scripture, music, and congregational song. Grace United Methodist Church, 6199 Waterman Blvd., 63113. For more information, visit www. graceumc-stl.org.

Thur., Dec. 7, 6 p.m., The Color Purple Film Screening. Register at the screening to win tickets to the stage play. Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. guestlist.co/events.

Fri., Dec. 8, 6 p.m., Citylights Urban Project presents Black Nativity Film Screening. New City Fellowship Worship, 1483 82nd Blvd., 63132. For more information, email clemmon@ncfstl.org

Mon., Dec. 11, 6 p.m., Whose Streets? Film Screening. The activists and leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement provide an unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising. Brown Hall, Washington University, 1 Brookings Dr., 63130. For more information, visit www. library.wustl.edu/event.

Jazz St. Louis presents Take 6. See CONCERTS for details.

Continued from C1

women uniformed, surprisingly, in mini-skirts, fishnet hose and heels, making American TSA attire appear drab by comparison.

Next we exchanged American dollars for Cuban currency and we were off, via a modern Chinese-made air-conditioned bus, on a fourhour whirlwind, governmentapproved “people –to-people” excursion to many of the legendary Havana must-see destinations. We visited a local art gallery, a community project run by Havana artists, the iron mural of Che Guevara at the Plaza de la Revolucion, and a store to purchase hand-rolled cigars, rum and coffee.

Then, as we drove along the Malecon we quickly ducked into a tunnel which transported us to the majestic Christ statue for a quick and up-close visit before returning to the ship to freshen up.

When night fell, a group of us (one was fluent in Spanish) returned to enjoy Havana’s nightlife in their ‘hood, which it definitely was.

I felt very comfortable for, contrary to images of famous Cubans like “Ricky Ricardo”(Desi Arnaz), singer Gloria Estefan, actor Andy Garcia and even Fidel Castro, one quickly discovers that Havana is very black – as in about two-thirds black. After all, the Spanish did bring Africans there to work the sugar cane plantations during the slave trade.

It was also extremely safe, with policia (cops) walking beats throughout the tourist areas as well as in the ‘hood.

So we fearlessly club-hopped listening to wonderful local salsa artists, ultimately landing in a lounge frequented by locals and sampling Mojitos, Cuba Libres and Cristal, their local beer. I was even able to engage three local Cubans (probably in their early twenties) in a political discussion, which ran the gamut from communism and socialism to Barack Obama and

The People of Cuba are survivors, just as ESL residents survive, despite poverty and minimal city services and have always been creative at working the system or hustling to offset the lack economic opportunities.

Donald Trump. Not surprisingly, because of Cuba’s excellent educational system (thanks to Castro), these young adults were very bright and have a better understanding of American and international politics than many Americans of their age.

My Cuban brothers and sisters embraced, kissed and warmly welcomed us so sincerely that I almost felt as if I were back home among friends.

In fact, Havana put me in an East Boogie state of mind for a number of reasons. First, the Afro-Cuban rhythms pouring from the clubs and bars into the streets were reminiscent of the days in which East St. Louis was party central of the St. Louis area and Cubans seem to have dancing in their DNA, as couples danced sensually to salsa, rumba, timba and other Latin grooves just as East Boogie earned its reputation. Conversely, despite their party spirit, Cubans have a spirit of resilience that is apparent. Despite meager socialist government rations and an average wage of $15/month ($40/ month max for professionals), most Cubans are very creative at supplementing their income through providing goods and services to themselves and tourists, as well as gardening, tutor-

ing, etc.

They are survivors, just as ESL residents survive, despite poverty and minimal city services and have always been creative at working the system or hustling to offset the lack economic opportunities.

Cuba was supposed to fall with the collapse of Communism, just as East Boogie was supposed to fold when white flight and businesses made their exodus. Both have survived, though barely.

The solution to Cuba’s plight is the redevelopment of its oceanfront property and the continued infusion of American trade and tourist dollars. In like manner, East Boogie must develop its riverfront and attract industry, jobs and economic opportunities, which will provide jobs for its residents and move them from the welfare rolls to the payrolls of employers.

While I was there, the U.S. Embassy looked like a ghost town, due to Trump’s withdrawal of American diplomats. I suspect that more restrictions are to follow. So, if you plan to visit Cuba, I advise you to go soon. It may be your last chance.

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

Back with the Black Rep

By Mama Lisa For The St. Louis American

On Saturday, November 4, the warmest of familiar feelings rushed over me. I was back on stage dancing for Ron Himes after 30 years. This year’s Black Rep Gala donned honors to what I consider to be elders’ night. Complete with Woodie Awards to celebrity performers and a choir, the concert rendition of “Crossin’ Over” took on new meaning as the prose mastery of Broadway veteran Andre DeSheilds called me to the stage for the opening solo. Ron invited me to revamp my work this past season with the cast to revive the African village that I created and choreographed 10 years ago. To my surprise, Ron welcomed me to join the performance for the gala. The fun of dancing two additional numbers with Charis Railey and Autumn McNichols brought me a feeling of sheer pleasure, since I am twice their ages. All seemed right with the karma of the evening because, after the show, lots of women in my age group, our fifties, expressed great pride and a desire to dance to the drums of Africa, too. And why not?! Classes will be forming soon. So thanks, Ron for yet one more memorable night

HELP

Continued from C1

Among them were: Our Kings and Queens Home Health LLC, Beyond Sweet, Larry Hughes Basketball Academy, True Love Healthcare Services, Nationwide Trucking LLC, Honey Bear HomeDaycare, American Quality In-Home Health Services and Lovely Nails.

“It was overwhelming,” Givins said. “It felt so good to know that we did something like this – and that other people see that we can come together and do something. It was just like, ‘it needs to be done.’ And it felt great to see it.”

They sent an 18-wheeler truck with a 53-foot trailer filled to the brim with life essentials that made its way to Port Arthur in September on their behalf.

“The truck had pampers, water, baby products, clothes, blankets, pillows, car seats, backpacks filled with school supplies, can goods, dry goods, hygiene products,” Givins said. “Any and everything that the people might need.”

The residents needed it

TAYLOR

Continued from C1

to giving her creations as baby shower gifts.

The demand grew and grew and so did her love for the process – which includes creating intricate designs and coloring on a variety of different items that include shoes, champagne bottles and license plate liners.

“I just get in my zone,” Moore said. “It’s almost like therapy for me.” The side hustle became a business. Her daughter Taylor was the appropriate namesake.

all. The truck was delivered to gym of Steven Jackson Academy – a school that grew out of response to Hurricane Rita’s impact on Port Arthur.

Whatever couldn’t fit in the gym went to the Hurricane Relief Center, a place where Port Arthur residents get their daily needs met through donations.

As the truck from St. Louis was on the long haul to Texas, Givins and a few others flew to Port Arthur.

“A camp of 2,000 people was living in tents,” Givins said. “In 18-wheeler trailers they had bathrooms and kitchens set up. It was almost like a refugee camp situation.”

Outsiders were made to stay outside the barricades of the camps.

“If you didn’t live there, they didn’t want the people just going in and looking around,” said Givins. “They wanted the people to feel as much at home and protected as they could.”

He did get a chance to see the Hurricane Relief Center activities taking place at the Port Arthur Pier. “People would drive up and they would ask, “What do you need?” and they would fill their car with goods,” Givins said.

Moore said she devotes 50-60 hours a week to Taylor Made in addition to working full time in the human resources field and parenting Taylor, who is now 5 years old.

“People ask me, ‘when do you sleep?’ and I tell them, ‘I don’t,’” Moore said. “But seriously, the passion that you have and the work that you put it, it’s no choice but to start paying off and stuff manifesting.”

Moore’s first order of business is getting to the back orders, but after that, she is immediately looking forward to growing the Taylor Made brand. Her new website is under construction and she is

He’s glad that thanks to the donations he will have a hand in helping residents of Port Arthur thrive despite their current circumstances.

“I come from Carr Square Village and Pine Lawn,” Givins said. “Places where if there was something going on in the community, we uplifted each other,” Givins said. “I feel like the older generation inspired me. So, I was trying to inspire the younger generation.”

Through this interstate act of kindness, Givins hopes that he and the group of businesses and individuals who made the truck of donations possible will inspire the younger generation just like the neighbors who joined forces to lend a helping hand as he was growing up.

“Through this I hope they see that it’s not always about financial gain,” Givins said. “It’s also about helping people – and you can use your platform for things that can make change.

“You never know the kind of connection that can come out of a few people’s idea to make a difference. With action behind an idea you can make a world of impact.”

excited about what the future holds.

“It’s about having something that you are passionate about and going for it,” Moore said.

“Keep working. Hard work pays off. If you stay consistent in that thing, it won’t have a choice but to flourish. Find that thing that you are naturally good at, it and chase after it.

“You don’t know where your gifts and talents can take you. This whole journey has just been awesome.” Taylor Made Bling Embellishments can be found on Instagram @taylormadebling1.

Photo by Kay Gage Mama Lisa and Ron Himes

inside of your vision. It really felt good to be back at the Black Rep.

Celebrations

Student Honors

Congratulations

Michaelmonique Mayo

Michaelmonique,

Reunions

Beaumont Class of 1968 will celebrate its 50-year reunion June 8-10,2018. Yes, Class ‘68 will begin Milestone celebration 6th month on 8th day. Our 2018 meetings in preparation will be held at STL County library located

7606 Natural Bridge at 1:00 p.m.. Dates are (Saturdays) January 13, February 17, March 17, April 21, May 19 and June 2. For more information call (314) 8698312 or email bhsco1968@ att.net. Pass the word and lets celebrate!

Beaumont High Class of 1973 is planning its 45th reunion for next year! Please check the Beaumont Facebook page for scheduled meetings and conference calls. Any questions, contact: Rita at 314-241-5419.

Beaumont High Class of 1978 will celebrate its

40-year reunion in 2018. For further information, please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-799-5296, madeshe@sbcglobal.net.

Homer G. Phillips and St. Louis Municipal School of Nursing is planning an all class reunion in June 2018. Please send your name, address and telephone number to: Homer G. Phillips Nurses Alumni, Inc., P.O. Box 8033 St. Louis, Missouri 63156.

McKinley Class of 1978 will celebrate its 40-year reunion July 27-29, 2018 at the Embassy Suites-Airport. For more information please

Birthdays

Pearlie Mae McCoy Green celebrated her 90th Birthday on November 19 at Catering To You. She was surrounded by her Kennerly Temple Church of God in Christ members, children, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, great-greatgrandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and friends.

Happy Birthday to James Crawford on December 3, with love from your family!

contact Barbara Lindsey, Barbara_Lindsey@icloud.com or Marvin Woods, mwoods@ projectcontrolsgroup.com , (314) 647-0707.

Northwest High School Class of 1978 is planning its 40-year reunion for next year. PLEASE reach out to our classmates, tell them get ready for this. If you have any questions please contact Sly at (314) 397-0311 or email us at northwestbluedevils@78gmail. com. Check us out on Facebook Northwest High School-Class of 1978.

Sumner Class of 1976 Annual Christmas Party

Saturday, December 23, 2017, 7 pm at DEJAVU II Cafe, 2805 Target Dr. 2 for 1 drink specials (5:307:30pm), free parking, No cover charge but $5 (40-Yr Class Reunion Attendees & Guest) or $10 for all others for the Catered Food. Limited Reserved Seating AVAILABLE until 10pm. (Doors open 5pm/closes 1am) For more info, call B. Louis at 314.385.9843.

University City Class of 1978 will hold its 40th reunion May 25-27, 2018. For more information please email ucityhs1978@gmail. com

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on

availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to:

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

Swag Snap of the Week

The Thanksgiving turn up was real. Just when I decided that I was going to count the holiday kickin’ it experiences a bust, y’all decided to make Thanksgiving weekend more lit than Halloween and last New Year’s Eve put together. So much so that there are a few spots that didn’t make the run down because I simply didn’t have space. Yes, I could have included an item with this space I just wasted, but I thought the fact that Thanksgiving 2K17 was full of crunkberry sauce (It’s corny. Laugh anyway.) was noteworthy.

Savage soul indeed. My weekend started on Tuesday night (yes, Tuesday) when singer Tank made his semi-annual stop through St. Louis at The Pageant for the Savage X The Soul Tour. This time he brought Leela James along. While I’ve never been a fan of her voice or her music, I can’t take away from how hard she works for her audience. But let me get right into the savagery that headliner Tank pulled off on stage. The show was great. He sang more upbeat stuff than usual. He de-bloused as usual. But when he demanded the ladies drop tips on the stage for him to take his shirt off again –only to not do it, I was surprised at how well behaved the ladies remained in the wake of their disappointment. And he kept the money too, saying he had already been nekkid for “like eight songs.” And to the woman who thought she encouraged Tank to get topless by exposing her whole bosom … you and your 38G cups should be ashamed! Espionage with a taste of trap. When I made my way to Dos Salas for the Espionage Trap Gala, I thought, “Is Ono handing out doorbuster TV deals up in this club?” Seriously, it was looking like Best Buy’s Black Friday line. I was shocked to see Ono outside of his usual Euro cut suit uniform and was serving up King Mansa Musa realness (Google him) in his traditional African attire. Everybody and their mama was up in there – literally. One time for Yung Ro, his mama and his daddy slaying up in VIP. The tone was set, and the folks were clearly in the mood to kick it for this extended weekend.

In the Mood for Thanksgiving. Speaking of Mood, the young and quietly savage crowd didn’t let the “itis” from Thanksgiving day keep them from packing that club out to capacity that night. It was the most crowded I have ever seen Mood … like ever, ever. Nobody else could fit in the upstairs or the downstairs – and I was baking like I was holding on to a turkey in a rotisserie, but the youngins’ weren’t the least bit bothered by the heat.

Fur, fashion and Hush Niddy’s streak of keeping it stylish continued when he took his Hush party to the Four Seasons and added a fur fashion show to the mix. Now they started the show when I was on my countdown to cut out to the next spot, but I’m glad they started in the nick of time, because it was everything I’ve come to expect from a runway experience coordinated by Jacqueline Craig … life more abundantly. It would have been nice to see some outfits that could be worn outside matched up with the fur, but I get that it was seductively themed. Y’all know y’all love y’all some Farrar Twins, don’t you? I do to. It’s what it is. And the crowd was bringing as much swag as what was on the runway. If I were forced to pick a favorite look, I think I would go with bald beauty Pierre McCleary. Something about that Fur trimmed trench, pencil skirt and killer pumps spoke to my spirit. It was close though, because as usual, I got plenty of life from Leah Easley. Her puffy panda sleeves made me wish I had the nerve to pull that off.

Mya at Shisha. Apparently, Shisha is going to celebrate their 1-year anniversary up through 2018 – and as long as the folks keep packing things out, who can be mad. R&B vixen Mya was the second celebrity guest in a row to stop through the spot to kick it at the club. She wasn’t as thick as before she went vegan, but she still had enough curves to drive the boys wild. It was one of many wins that took place in the clubs over the weekend.

KeKe Avant reunited. My full day of hurry up and wait concluded with KeKe Wyatt and Avant taking their sweet time to the stage at the Chaminade High School auditorium. It’s a bit out of the way, but I really liked how the space worked as a concert venue. I didn’t know what to expect from KeKe because the show was stalling, and she had just delivered her 9th baby (that’s right, NINE babies). To my shock and delight, she came straight from the maternity ward slaying the game in a red velvet cat suit. You better bounce back with no delay! And she had the nerve to drop it low with just about every high note. KeKe keeps a lot going on in her life, but vocally she is one of the baddest in the game. And when she featured Jesse Prather on two songs, I thought to myself, “Avant better bring it, or she’ll be out in these streets with a new duet partner.” Avant isn’t known for being a stellar vocalist, but I will say that he knows his lane very well and puts on a solid show every time. I don’t know if he was suffering through some sort of injury or just out of shape but he was clearly in pain Sunday night. He powered through though. The duet portion was quite cute. The one and only Angela Winbush seemed to think so too when they covered her song. But I must admit I didn’t get as much life as I got from Keke and Jesse. A Bad Boy Holiday. I’ve been in my feelings since the ESSENCE Festival before last when I couldn’t rap along to the O.G. Queen Bee’s verse in “All About the Benjamins,” because Lil Kim wasn’t a part of the Bad Boy Reunion finale. But I will have the chance to do so at The Pageant Saturday night (December 2) when Kim and Mase take the stage for a sidebar reunion of sorts that will also feature St. Louis’ own Tiffany Foxx. I don’t know what the show will hold, but I’m certain it would behoove y’all to come through.

Bo and Lex made sure they were in the building for the Espionage Trap Gala @ Dos Salas Wednesday night

Musician Dante Wolf and Fashion Artist Rage Ross were excited to see singer Bloom take the stage Friday @SLAM Underground

Leather and Fur was the HUSH theme @ The Four Seasons Friday and Jarett, Dylan and Brandon made sure they were stepping in style

It was like a family reunion as friends Ken, Daryl, Mariah, Kayla & Taylor linked up @ The Four Seasons for the HUSH party Friday

Demetrius and Jabriel enjoyed a refreshing evening of smooth jazz and live art @ Magnify Gallery Friday

Dee Dee and EL were thankful the second floor of MOOD was open as they kicked backed Thanksgiving night

Cool kids Bradd and Courtney partied with BFree for Black Friday @ Ballpark

Tandra of Tendresse and Sage and Dr. Hubbard of Kemeticare snagged a short break during Black Owned Black Friday @2720

Spiritual Mama and Asia were out for girl’s night and chatted it up during FriendFest @2720 Saturday

Mo Spoon drop in Shi Sha and snagged a Shot with Grammy Award winning singer Mya as the club continued their month long 1-year anniversary celebration Friday night.

Photos by V. Lang

Akeira and Nakia were ready for the That 90’s Jam @RKDE Saturday

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

the 2018-19 School Year. The successful candidate will be a practicing Christian with an understanding of Jesuit education, hold a degree in education/counseling, has experience in assessment practices, instructional leadership, curriculum and professional development. Loyola Academy is a Jesuit middle school established in 1999. Its mission is to serve academically capable young men who can succeed in college preparatory high schools, but might not reach their potential due to socio-economic factors. Loyola Academy educates approximately 60 students academically, socially, and spiritually through a comprehensive curriculum, small class sizes, an extended day and year. Applicants should send a letter of interest, educational philosophy, resume, transcripts, and references, before January 2, 2018 to: Dr. H. Eric Clark, President Loyola Academy 3851 Washington Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108 OR: eclark@loyolaacademy.org

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Controller

The Housing Authority of St. Louis County (HASLC) has an opportunity for a Controller position. The HASLC is a quasi-governmental agency that is responsible for administering the Section 8 voucher program in St. Louis County. No governmental or non-profit experience is required.

The controller is responsible for maintaining the general ledger and its subsidiary ledgers. Additional responsibilities include oversight of payroll, grant accounting and reporting to external agencies.

This is a great opportunity for someone with a CPA and an accounting degree from an accredited institution.

Minimum requirements: Bachelor’s degree in accounting from an accredited institution, four or more years of experience

Desired requirements: Certified Public Account certificate. Equal opportunity employer, section 3 compliance Send Resume to: job@haslc.com or Controller

Attn: Human Resources PO Box 23886 St. Louis, MO 63121

All resumes/applications must be received by 5:00 PM, December 15, 2017

Great Rivers Greenway is soliciting the following work:

Request for Bids: Pedestrian Board-

and Patrol, due December 14

Request for Proposals: Print Broker-

Services, due December 21 Request for Proposals: Production Graphic Design Services, due December 21 Request for Qualifications: Real Estate Acquisition and Relocation Services, due December 21

Request for Qualifications: Executive Search Firm, due December 18

All full RFQs, RFPs and bids can be found at www.GreatRiversGreenway.org/ jobs

Great Rivers Greenway reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. EOE

A small not-for-profit is seeking application for the position of Chief Operating Officer to open January 1, 2018. The candidate must possess a comprehensive understanding of notfor-profit organizational functions and systems that include planning, administration, resource development and marketing. The position assist the CEO in the effective management of the agency. Candidates who have a least five years of demonstrated effectiveness in a nonprofit setting will be considered. An undergraduate degree is required, with an advanced degree such as MBA or Masters in Nonprofit Management highly desirable. Recent retirees can also apply. Send resume and salary requirement to P.O.Box 23247, St. Louis, Mo. 63156

“JANITORIAL”

Full & Part-Time positions. Background check.Steady work history preferred. Apply at 314 N. Jefferson at Olive. M - F, 9A to 5P. Must have two forms of I.D.

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FILING

The School District of Jennings encourages qualified persons interested in a po- sition on the Board of Education to file as a candidate in the April 3, 2018 election. Interested persons may file at the superintendent’s office, located at 2559 Dorwood Drive. For more information you can contact the district at 314-653-8000. Filing will begin on December 12, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. and continue during the district’s regular business hours, which are Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the only exception of the first and last day of filing with business hours ending at 5:00 p.m. Filing will not occur on any days the district offices are closed for holidays, breaks or inclement weather. The district will be closed the following holidays and breaks: December 21, 2017-January 2, 2018 and January 15, 2018. Inclement weather closings will be listed on the district website and local new stations when applicable. Candidate filing will end on January 16, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. There are two positions available with three-year terms. These positions are currently held by Mr. Reggie Hall and Ms. Rose Mary Johnson.

Subcontractor bids are due by 12:30 p.m.

December 21,

You may email bids to jmorrow@kciconstruction.com or send a fax to 573-346-9739. Please call if you have any questions: 314-200-6496.

EMPLOYMENT MANAGER

The Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking applications for an Employment Manager in its Central Office Human Resources Division.

This position coordinates, supervises, leads statewide projects, and provides guidance to district human resources managers and supervisors on the department’s employment activities related to discipline, employee performance, performance management, recruiting, criminal background checks, employment eligibility, return to work issues, FMLA, ADA, EAP, employment policies and procedures, and the employment application system.

Successful candidates will possess a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources/ Personnel Management or Business. Six years of experience in human resources is required.

To view the entire job description, and apply on-line, please visit our website, www.modot.org/jobs. The application deadline is December 12, 2017

EEO/AA

DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS

The University of Missouri Office for Civil Rights & Title IX invites applications for Director of Investigations. This position oversees our response to reported violations of MU antidiscrimination policies. http://hrs.missouri.edu/find-ajob/staff/index.php, enter job ID 24621.

The St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) is seeking proposals from qualified Real Estate Developers or Consulting Firms to conduct a feasibility study for Clinton Peabody, a 358 unit, multi-family apartment complex owned by SLHA. Pre-existing construction plans for the development are available for use. The desired outcome is to determine the most viable approach for redevelopment whether it be through rehabilitation or redevelopment. SLHA contemplates the selected firm to assemble a team of professionals to conduct a physical needs assessment of the current housing, a market assessment of the development and surrounding neighborhoods and provide capital expenditure plan/construction estimated cost and projected capital funds for the proposed revitalization/ redevelopment strategies. Clinton Peabody is located south of downtown St. Louis between 14th St. on the east and Grattan on the west, bordered by Chouteau and Park Ave.

Solicitation documents will be available at no charge beginning Monday, 11/27/17 at 2:00 p.m. from the SLHA Development Department, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106.

A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on Wednesday, 12/6/17, at 3:00 p.m. (Local Time), at the SLHA Central Office. SLHA will answer questions and/or provide clarifications as they relate to the requirements of the proposal.

Please direct all inquiries regarding this solicitation to Fran Bruce, (314) 286-4365; Email fbruce@slha.org.

The SLHA will receive proposals until 3:00 p.m. (local time) Friday, 12/22/17.

All offerors must comply with MBE/WBE and Section 3 requirements. The SLHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Cheryl A. Lovell Executive Director

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation has a project which is seeking proposal, Netrality Properties at 900 Walnut Street and 210 North Tucker Boulevard.

Netrality Properties at 900 Walnut Street and 210 N. Tucker Boulevard in St. Louis is one project across two locations. The project consists of some site work, first floor lobby renovations, and third and fifth floor MMR/Colocation data center improvements. Bids for this project should be broken out per location and are due on December 11, 2017 at 2:00 pm. For any questions or if you would like additional detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Paric Corporation at 636-561-9500 or bids@paric.com.

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

Plans and specifications will be available to view at Paric’s Main office at 77 Westport Plaza, Suite 250, St. Louis, MO 63146.

This project must adhere to the City of St. Louis Mayor’s Executive Order #28 as amended by Executive Order #47 requiring the following:

25% MBE business participation 5% WBE business participation

LETTING #8653

CONCRETE & BRICK REMOVAL/ REPLACEMENT AND COMPLETE SIDEWALK INSTALLATION, SP-106

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 December 19, 2017, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications 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 mandatory pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on November 28, 2017, at 10:00 A.M., Room 305, City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103.

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

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “No-

tice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The City of St. Louis, Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Communicable Disease is requesting proposals from local organizations, community agencies, universities, local governmental entities and other interested parties eligible to receive funds to provide the following services: HIV Prevention Services (Risk Reduction Activities)

Interested parties are encouraged to respond to the solicitation for proposal beginning Friday, November 17, 2017. An Request for Proposal (RFP) packet may be obtained from Franda Thomas, Health Services Manager I, 1520 Market Avenue, Room 4027, by either calling 314-657-1461 or via email ThomasF@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.

A mandatory Bidder’s Pre-Application conference will take place on Thursday, November 30, 2017 at the address referenced above at 3:00 PM. The deadline for submitting proposals is 5:00 PM, Friday, December 15, 2017 at the address referenced above.

Notice To Small (SBE), Disadvantaged (DBE), Minority (MBE), Women’s (WBE), Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVOB) & Veteran Owned (VOB) Businesses Advertisement River City Construction, L.L.C., 6640 American Setter Drive, Ashland, Missouri 65010, (573) 657-7380 (Phone) (573) 657-7381 (Fax) Is Seeking Qualified Small, Disadvantaged, Minority, Women’s, Service Disabled Veteran Owned & Veteran Owned Businesses For The University of Missouri Memorial Student Union - –Maintenance Repairs and Second Floor Renovation to North Wing; Life Safety Upgrades to North, South, and AP Green Chapel, Columbia, Missouri for subcontracting opportunities in the following areas: site work, excavation, selective demolition, paving, landscape, fencing, concrete, masonry, metals, rough carpentry, roofing, doors, glazing, painting, drywall, flooring, specialties, furnishings, equipment, conveying equipment, fire suppression, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, communications, electronic security and utilities. All interested and qualified SBE, DBE, WBE, SDVOB, AND VOB businesses should contact, in writing, (certified letter, return receipt requested) Justin Beaty to discuss the subcontracting opportunities. All negotiations must be completed prior to the bid opening date of 12/21/2017 @ 1:30 PM. Proposals will be evaluated in order on the basis of low responsive bid received. CERTIFICATION OF DBE/WBE/MBE/SDVOB/VOB STATUS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH BID. BID DOCUMENTS MAY BE OBTAINED BY:

1) Email your company name, contact name and phone number, as well as the project you are interested in to bid@rccllc.com

2) You will then receive an email invitation for that project with a link to our SmartBidNet system.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The 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 the following service(s): Referral for Health Care and Support Services, Planning Council Support Services. Interested parties are encouraged to respond to the solicitation for proposal beginning Friday, October 27, 2017. An RFP packet may be obtained from Phillip Johnson, Secretary I, DOH, 1520 Market Avenue, Room 40027, 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 notified of any changes or amendments to the RFPs. The deadline for submitting proposals is 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at the address referenced above.

NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

2017 – 11:00 a.m. Days Inn 3805 S. Baltimore St. Kirksville, MO 63501 *MEETING LOCATION HAS CHANGED* Thursday, November 30, 2017 – 6:00 p.m.

LOCATION: PREVIOUS LOCATION: St. Louis Marriott Missouri Housing Development Commission 800 Washington Avenue 505 7th St, 20th Floor, Suite 2000 St. Louis, MO 63101 St. Louis, MO 64131 (Directly across from US Bank Garage on Washington)

Thursday, November 30, 2017 – 6:00 p.m. Holiday Inn Poplar Bluff 2781 N. Westwood Blvd. Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

Friday, December 1, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.

Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center 2601 S. Providence Rd. Columbia, MO 65203

*MEETING LOCATION HAS CHANGED* Friday, December 1, 2017 – 6:00 p.m.

CURRENT LOCATION: PREVIOUS LOCATION: La Rue Baltimore Missouri Housing Development Commission 918 Baltimore Avenue 920 Main, Suite 1400 Kansas City, MO 64105 Kansas City, MO 64105 (Directly across from the 10 Main Center Garage on Baltimore)

All persons within the state of Missouri having an interest in the subject matter of the hearing will be given an opportunity to be heard on the date and place specified. MHDC recommends that all of those appearing in person provide written transcripts of their comments. Those unable to appear may send their written comments to the Missouri Housing Development Commission, 920 Main Street, Suite 1400, Kansas City, MO 64105. Written comments will be accepted through December 4, 2017. For a copy of the proposed plan, please see our web site at www.mhdc.com or request it from our office by calling Gus Metz at (816) 759-6878.

If you wish to attend this meeting and require special aid or services under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please notify Lynn Sigler at (816) 759-6822 at least three (3) working days prior to the meeting.

Kip Stetzler Executive Director Missouri Housing Development Commission

for Sewer Replacement, H i g g i n s v i l l e Habilitation Center, Higginsville, MO, Project No. M1610-02 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30PM, 12/14/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

for Abate and Replace Piping, various, Moberly Correctional Center, Moberly, Missouri, Project No. C1601-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 12/28/2017 For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

Date of First Publication: 11/30/1725/13

City of St. Louis: Community Development Administration (CDA) Planning & Urban Design Agency (PDA) 1520 Market Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103 314-657-3700 / 314-589-6000 (TTY)

These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of St. Louis (“The City.”)

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or after 12/16/17, the City will submit a request to the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the release of the City’s Federal HOME Program funds under Title 1 of the Community Development Act of 1974, PL93-383, as amended, 42 U.S.C.-5301 et seq., as amended, to undertake the following projects:

Project Title: Chippewa Park Phase I

Purpose: Rehabilitation of 16 vacant, historic and highly visible buildings into affordable rental apartments and approximately 10,000 square feet of commercial space along 2800 to 3100 Chippewa Street.

Location: 3427 & 3640 California; 2800-12, 3032-34 & 3100 Chippewa; 3016 Gasconade; 2849 & 2853-55 Keokuk; 2727 & 3022 Miami; 4100 Minnesota; 3939, 3945 & 3945-R Nebraska; 2720 Potomac; & 3700 Texas, St. Louis, Missouri 63118

Estimated Cost: Total development cost of this project will be up to an estimated $12,690,694.00, with $650,000.00 of funding coming from St. Louis City’s Year 2016 Federal HOME Program funds.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

The City has determined that these projects will have no significant impact on the human environment. Certain conditions will apply to this project. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional information for this project is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at the City PDA, at the above address, where the ERR is available for review and may be examined or copied weekdays, 8 A.M. to 4 P.M.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to Mark G. Jefferies, Environmental Review Officer, PDA, at the address listed above. All comments received by 12/15/17 will be considered by the City of St. Louis prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which notice they are addressing.

RELEASE OF FUNDS

The City certifies to HUD that, Lyda Krewson, in her capacity as Mayor, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City to use the City’s above-referenced HUD program funds.

OBJECTION TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City’s certification for a period of 15 days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City; b) the City has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; c) the grant recipient has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of the release of funds by HUD; or d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58.76) and shall be addressed to Ms. Dee Ann Ducote, Community Planning & Development Director, HUD, 1222 Spruce Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103 (314)

Lyda Krewson, Mayor Certifying Officer

operations.

To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM CT on Thursday, December 14, 2017. Proposals should be sent by e-mail to hbean@stlpartnership.com, or to Midwest Cargo Hub Commission, c/o: St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, ATTN: Howl Bean II, 7733 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 2200, St. Louis, Missouri 63105. DBE, MBE, and WBE firms are encouraged to bid.

The Request for Proposals may be obtained from the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s web site at www.stlpartnership.com. MCHC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive informalities therein. Any questions should be directed to Howl Bean at (314) 615-7663 or hbean@stlpartnership.com. St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Altman-Charter Co., requests subcontractor/supplier proposals for the construction of Meramec Place Apartments. This is the renovation of five existing apartment buildings consisting of 42 units with the addition of a community center and laundry room in basement areas. Proposals are due at the office of Altman-Charter Co., 315 Consort Dr., St. Louis, MO 63011 on or before Tues., December 19, 2017 at 3:00 PM (CT). Qualified Minority, Section 3, and Women owned businesses are encouraged to submit proposals. Plans can be viewed at SIBA, FW Dodge, Construct Connect, MOKAN, Cross Rhodes Reprographics, and the Altman-Charter plan room in St. Louis. Bidders should contact Mr. James Geerling with any questions or to submit a proposal at jamesg@altman-charter.com. Our telephone # is (636) 207-8670, and our fax # is (636) 207-8671.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for Butler Hill Road ARS Infrastructure, St. Louis County Project No.AR-1467, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m on December 13, 2017

Plans and specifications will be available on November 20, 2017 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

CITY OF ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Solicitation For Bids (SFB) for Terminal Cleaning Services Bids Wanted

Bid documents may be obtained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 426-8184. This SFB may also be obtained

NOTICE FOR CANDIDACY FILING

THE VILLAGE OF HANLEY HILLS

CANDIDACY FILING IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017 AT 8:00 A.M. AND WILL BE CLOSED ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018 AT 5:00 P.M.

PLEASE SEE THE CITY CLERK FOR ANY INFORMATION REGARDING ELECTION CANDIDACY.

Election Day: April 3, 2018

Candidacy Information can be obtained from: The Village of Hanley Hills 7713 Utica Drive St. Louis, MO 63133

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The 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 the following service(s): (Part A) Housing Services, Benefits Administrator, Fiscal Intermediary (IL), Fiscal Monitoring Services, Food Bank and Home Delivered Meals, Health Education and Risk Reduction Services, Medical Case Management, Mental Health Services, Psychosocial Support, Other Professional Services, Referral for Health Care and Support Services (MAI) Early Intervention Services, Housing Services, Medical Nutrition Therapy, (HOPWA) Housing Services

Interested parties are encouraged to respond to the solicitation for proposal beginning Friday, November 17, 2017. An RFP packet may be obtained from Phillip Johnson, 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 notified of any changes or amendments to the RFPs. The deadline for submitting proposals is 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

BIDS

The Fire District reserves the right to reject any and all Bids, to waive informalities therein to determine the lowest and best bid, and to approve the Bond. The prevailing wage law is in effect on this project. No Bid may be withdrawn for a period of Sixty (60) days subsequent to the specified time for receipt of Bids.

A Bid Bond or Certified Check made payable to the Owner, in the amount of 5% of the Base Bid shall accompany the Bid Packages as a guarantee that the bidder, if awarded the Contract, will furnish a satisfactory Performance and Payment Bond; execute the Contract; and proceed with the work. Upon failure to do so, he shall forfeit the deposit or amount of the Bid Bond as liquidated damages, and no mistakes or errors on the part of the Bidder shall excuse the Bidder or entitle him to a return of the deposit or Bid Bond.

If a Bid Bond or Certified Check is not attached to the bid at the time of the opening, the bid will not be read or considered for the project.

Bidders must be in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Fair Employment Practices Commission.

The Construction Manager for this project is S. M. Wilson & Co. and the Project Manager is Mr. Steve Platt, (314/645-9595 phone, steve.platt@smwilson.com email or 314/645-1700 fax.) or the Estimator Mr. Mike O’Sullivan(phone (314)645-9595, fax (314) 645-1700 or email mike.osullivan@smwilson.com or 314/645-1700

American staff

NCCU presents awards for racial harmony and justice

Under the direction of Barbara K. Thomas and Rance Thomas, the North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice (NCCU) celebrated its 13th annual NCCU Awards Dinner on October 8.

This year’s award recipients were: Community Service Award – Florissant Valley Kiwanis; North Star District, Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America; North County Incorporated Regional Development and Association.

Outstanding Leadership Awards –Thomas F. George, chancellor and professor at the University of Missouri- St. Louis; Rick Stevens, president of Christian Hospital. Outstanding Education Award – Kimberly G. McKenzie, director of Communications and Marketing for the Hazelwood School District.

President’s Award – St. Norbert Catholic Church and School.

Senator Gina M. Walsh served as the keynote speaker. NCCU consists of 25 churches of various denominations and nondenominations working to promote racial understanding and justice.

Faith message on health care

Dear senators: We, the more than 3,000 undersigned faith leaders representing Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Buddhist traditions, believe that healthcare is an essential human right. We believe that individuals and families should not have to worry about the future of their healthcare coverage and whether or not it will be ripped away.

It was a tremendous relief that Congress was working in an open, bipartisan way to improve our healthcare system. But now, we are outraged that Congress would abandon these efforts for another partisan attempt that would take healthcare away from millions of our people. For the sake of our people, please oppose the Graham-Cassidy proposal and support the reauthorization of the vital Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) program. The Graham-Cassidy proposal would cause millions to lose health coverage, and people experiencing vulnerability, sickness,

and poverty would be hit the hardest. Over the next decade, Affordable Care Act funding would be eliminated, Medicaid would be gutted, and critical protections, such as for people with preexisting conditions, could be eliminated in certain states. Graham-Cassidy would end Medicaid as we know it by instituting a per capita cap and shifting billions of dollars onto states.

The result would be nothing short of reducing access to quality healthcare, raising premiums, and eliminating protections for millions of Americans. In 2027 alone, Graham-Cassidy would cut federal health care spending by $299 billion. More than 37 million children would be affected by cuts to Medicaid.

Graham-Cassidy not only threatens the health coverage of millions of children through cuts to Medicaid, but it also delays bipartisan congressional action to extend funding for programs like CHIP. Since its creation in 1997, the uninsured rate of lowand middle-class children has decreased from 14 percent to just 5 percent. Without reauthorization, CHIP funding expired at the end of September, and the nearly 9 million children on CHIP may begin to receive termination notices.

We also urge you to protect funding for DSH, which supports safety-net hospitals

that provide health services to people without insurance. Without this funding, many hospitals will face difficult decisions to cut services or close entirely. In rural areas especially, lower-income Americans will face a crisis.

The $43 billion in proposed funding cuts over the next eight years will cause job loss, a decrease in the quality and number of services hospitals provide, and create lifethreatening gaps in healthcare service for many Americans.

To allow Graham-Cassidy to pass the Senate – and to allow the CHIP and DSH programs to lapse – is to allow the health of America’s most vulnerable people to face unnecessary and immoral obstacles. Jobs will be lost, local economies will be harmed, and access to healthcare will become a challenge for many. Therefore, we deplore this proposed legislation and these potential funding cuts and pray that you will work with your colleagues in Congress to prevent any disruption of healthcare for Americans.

As faith leaders, it is our duty to care for and minister to people in our communities. As senators, you have a similar duty to care for your constituents. Please focus on bipartisanship rather than political posturing, oppose Graham-Cassidy, and renew CHIP and DSH funding.

Your destiny is not destruction

Maybe some of us could at least make the devil sweat just a little bit while he tries to manipulate our life’s circumstances.

A life grounded in spiritual purpose, imbued with integrity and anchored in faith instantly becomes a target for satanic bullets. Hopefully, if not consistently, we should be trying to make Satan’s work harder by appealing to the Lord every day to allow us to do His Will instead of our own. Satan is coming for anyone who tries to hear and respond to God’s Word. “Some people are like seed along the path where the Word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the Word sown in them.” Mark 4:15.

If we know this, then what are we doing to arm ourselves against the inevitable onslaught of the evil one? “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of the light.” Corinthians 11:14.

As a believer, you have a neon sign that shines brightly in all the kingdoms of this world and the next. It identifies you and alerts everyone around you about your soul’s true mission, which is to honor God. And, for the record, Satan cannot stand the thought that your love for God supersedes his ability to wreck your world. I’m told that at one time he, too, loved God dearly. He came, however, to love himself more. Now if the devil has his way, he wants us to love ourselves and our things, our addictions more than we love God. And then, like Lucifer, try to get your light to shine brighter on you. Just know if that ever happens, feel for that toll booth token, because you’ve just bought your ticket straight to hell.

“For as I have often told you before and now (I) say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their God is their stomach and their glory is their shame. But our citizenship is in heaven…” Philippians 3:1820.

I can only hope, sincerely hope, that you recognize the next trial or temptation headed your way is but a speck on a windshield, a splattered piece of nothing standing in your way on your way to the Promised Land. Any other consideration would be a mistake and an insult to God.

His highway is free. It doesn’t cost you anything to get on it. As a matter of fact, just stay on the service road and you’re sure to find your way. James can be reached at jaws@dallasweekly.com

Columnist James Washington

North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice (NCCU) celebrated its 13th annual NCCU Awards Dinner on October 8.