October 11th, 2018 Edition

53K voters registered in STL

By Charles Jaco

‘This is a fight for a stronger democracy’

Mike Bost in Illinois will depend on a black-and-blue

Homegrown BLAck mALeS

Investment in black males pays off

Kelvin J. Taylor Sr.

For The St. Louis American

Part of a year-long series, presented by The American and the Brown School at Washington University, on changing the narratives and outcomes of young black males in St. Louis.

n A superior outcome awaits by investing in the diversity of perspective, ability and contributions that we bring to the region. It is in our region’s economic selfinterest to invest in black men.

While 66 percent of African-American children live in single-parent households, black students attend disproportionately underfunded schools, and black juveniles are 5 times more likely to be incarcerated than their white counterparts, we are neither predisposed nor destined for bad outcomes.

The black men in my circle are pastors, bankers, philanthropists, successful entrepreneurs, corporate officers and proud, blue collar men who love their families and this country. Many of them are college graduates, including some from Ivy League schools and military academies. We have lively debates about the merits of competing economic doctrines, politics and religion. We regularly joke about our relative failings in

See MALES, A6

By Rebecca Rivas

wave at the polls. A coalition of community organizations operating under the umbrella name of Missouri Black Votes has spent the summer trying to guarantee

that very thing, attending community picnics, street fairs, cookouts, parades, festivals, and neighborhood parties, pounding the pavement and registering voters in a powerful

display of grass-roots retail politics. Preliminary figures show they registered 27,616 voters in St. Louis and 27,445 voters in St. Louis

Taylors woo MLS to STL

Jim Kavanaugh, co-founder and CEO of World Wide Technology, and members of the Taylor family from Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced a new proposal to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to St. Louis during a press conference at Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club on October 9. Carolyn Kindle-Betz, senior VP of Enterprise Holdings and executive director of the Enterprise Holding Foundation, leads the ownership group with six other female members of the Taylor family as well as Kavanaugh. This would be the first majority female-owned MLS club. Kavanaugh and Kindle Betz are joined by Andrew C. Taylor, executive chairman of Enterprise Holdings, and Mathews-Dickey CEO Wendell Covington Jr.

Federal prosecutor works to reduce violent crime

US Atty Jeff Jensen:

‘It has to be a community effort’

ex-offenders than the national average for analogous cases at state parole offices – better by nearly a factor of 10. Jensen was determined to find creative ways to help. A little more than one year into the job, his creativity and that of his local partners have resulted in new systems of working together that are resulting in a great many more prosecutions of violent crime — more than double the number from the previous year —

U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen

See CRIME, A6

working in Jackson County, around Kansas City. “This is a statewide non-partisan push to create access for voting,” said Angela Pearson, spokesperson of Missouri Black Votes. “This is a fight for a stronger democracy and a larger number

Then-Major John Hayden, who is now St. Louis police chief, commanded the protest scene at Busch Stadium on September 29, 2017, when Police Officer William Olsten unleashed pepper spray on Amir Brandy and other Stockley verdict protestors. Brandy is one of six plaintiffs in new lawsuits alleging police brutality filed against the city.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Photo by WIley Price

Cardi B reveals why she tossed a shoe at Nicki Minaj

Last month, Cardi B flung a shoe at rap rival Nicki Minaj during the Harper’s Bazaar Fashion Week Icon party after accusing Nicki of “liking” a negative tweet about her parenting.

In an interview with W Magazine, Cardi gives details on what prompted her to attempt to throw hands – and shoes – at Minaj.

“For a while now she’s been taking a lot of shots at me. I spoke to her twice before, and we came to an understanding, but she kept it going,” Cardi told W.

“I was going to make millions off my Bruno Mars tour, and I sacrificed that to stay with my daughter. I love my daughter. I’m a good [expletive] mom. So, for somebody that don’t have a child to like that comment? So many people want to say that party wasn’t the time or the place, but I’m not going

to catch another artist in the grocery store or down the block.”

Katt Williams is free following latest arrest

Earlier this week, comedian Katt Williams was arrested in Portland, OR after he was accused of assaulting his driver over a dispute about transporting his dog. Williams pleaded not guilty to 4th degree assault charges in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Monday. He remained in custody on a fugitive warrant out of Georgia before being released on Tuesday, Oct. 9 after Hall County declined to extradite him. His next hearing is set

Bank claiming he defaulted on the mortgage for a home in Palm Beach County.

The bank accused him of failing to make the mortgage payments since July 2016. Deutsche claimed he owed $83,061.86 on the note, plus interest. He originally took out an $85,800 loan in 2007 for the property. According to The Blast, T-Pain never bothered to appear in court and the bank demanded a default judgment, which was granted on September 26. The judge ordered the singer to pay a total of $117,158.22 — $83k owed on the principal plus interest and legal fees.

com reports.”

His next hearing date is Oct. 25.

Sheriff’s deputy suing R. Kelly, seeking to dispose singer for seducing wife

Last year, A Mississippi Sheriff’s Deputy filed suit against R. Kelly for allegedly seducing his wife and giving her a venereal disease.

In the lawsuit, Hines County Sheriff deputy Kenny Bryant admits his wife told him she dated R. Kelly before they were married but assured him it was over.

The order states if T-Pain does not pay the entire $117K by October 29, then the home will be sold at a public auction.

T-Pain

home falls into foreclosure

According to The Blast, rapper/producer T-Pain has lost a Florida home to foreclosure after shrugging off a lawsuit.

The Blast reported that T-Pain, whose real name is Faheem Rashad Najm, was sued last year by Deutsche

Judge denies Mystikal’s request to reduce bail

Last year, rapper Mystikal was indicted on rape charges in Shreveport LA.

According to KSLA News 12 in Shreveport, judge decided against reducing rapper Mystikal’s $3 million bond Thursday afternoon.

“Mystikal, born Michael Lawrence Tyler, 48, of New Orleans, has spent the past year locked up at Caddo Correctional Center while awaiting trial on one count each of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping,” KSLA.

However, Bryant claims his wife secretly maintained the relationship with Kelly, slipping out of town to be with him whenever he performed near their city and even accused R. Kelly of infecting his wife with chlamydia.

Mississippi is one of the few states that allow lawsuits for alienation of affection.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Kenny Bryant is moving forward with the suit intends to depose Kelly. Bryant says the deposition will go down at his lawyer’s office and will be “continuing day to day until completed.”

Bryant is seeking damages for the ruin of his marriage, depravation of spouse, love, support, conjugal affection and emotional, psychological and financial loss.

Sources: The Blast, W Magazine, TMZ.com, KTSLA

T-Pain

Mystikal

Stefan M. Bradley speaks on ‘Upending the Ivory Tower’

Former SLU professor returns to read from his new book on Black Power in the Ivy League

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Stefan M. Bradley, a former associate professor of history and African American studies at Saint Louis University, will return to SLU on Monday, October 15 to read from and sign his new book “Upending the Ivory Tower: Civil Rights, Black Power, and the Ivy League.”

We spoke to him about the book from Los Angeles, where he now is associate professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

The St. Louis American: What prompted you to write this book?

Stefan M. Bradley: I wrote the book because I believe strongly that black change agents need to be inserted into the American narrative. Furthermore, I have taken to heart the encouragement of the scholarly role model of John Hope Franklin – Harvard alumnus and appointed leader of President Clinton’s Initiative on Race – to confront America’s past and to “see it for what it was and is.”

staff, and administrators would sacrifice their almost assured status among the American elite to challenge the exclusiveness and traditions of the eight most prized higher education institutions in the nation. Most did so because they wanted to be representatives of the Black Liberation Movement and enhance their schools with blackness.

Additionally, but no less important, I wanted to show my former and current students, who activated when they observed racial injustice in the St. Louis region and elsewhere, that they were members of the black intelligentsia that has always used their Black Student Power to create access and fight on behalf of the larger black community. We need them to always remember they owe something to the people who could never be admitted to a college or university.

As we can tell by the elections of presidents and appointments of U.S. Supreme Court justices, people who work at and graduate Ivy League institutions become key decision makers in the nation and world. I wanted to find out why black students,

The St. Louis American: Obviously, you started the book because you knew there was a story there, but what was your biggest surprise along the way of researching and telling the story?

Stefan M. Bradley: Up until the arrival of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, Ivy League officials did a great deal to successfully maintain and normalize white supremacy at the exclusive institu-

n We need students to always remember they owe something to the people who could never be admitted to a college or university.

- Stefan M. Bradley

on conditional status for a year before potentially matriculating as an official student. A white alumnus, who had worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the South, conducted a study of the Chicago street gang known as the Vice Lords. He found that the leaders and members of the gang were as intelligent as any of his classmates but did not have resources - that was a surprise to him but not me or anyone else who have seen young people navigating poverty.

The surprise to me was that Dartmouth orchestrated a pipeline that brought black Chicago gang members to an Ivy League institution in one of the whitest cities in one of the whitest states in the union. Some of the Vice Lords gained admission and graduated. The interaction of the Vice Lords learners with students from the black middle class and white students in general was fascinating. The black students, who endured poverty in Chicago and other areas, just needed a chance to achieve at the highest levels.

occurred is the arrival of Black Studies. The scholars in the those departments, centers, institutes, and programs create knowledge about and the narrative of the black experience. They have the space and resources to do so in the Ivy League, where their work is amplified. When done right, these academic units function as conduits of the black community’s concerns and as decolonizers of knowledge. Black Studies, of course, led the way for LatinX, Native American, Asian American, and Women’s and Gender Studies. Another positive addition (for the most part) is the presence of diversity initiatives on campus. Without the efforts of students who protested decades ago (and even more recently), many of the diversity administrators and officers would not exist. Those diversity offices and divisions, when not occupied by status quo maintainers and gatekeepers, have the opportunity to increase the chances of success for students of all hues and backgrounds.

tions. That shouldn’t have been surprising, but based on their geography, liberal missions, and egalitarian values, I assumed they may have done better with regard to race relations. Instead, I found that these institutions were definitely exclusive and quintessentially representative of American values regarding race and class. At these eight schools, the problem in most cases was not racial animus (although that existed) but rather racial neglect.

Again, I shouldn’t have been, but I was taken aback at the ability of a minority of a minority of young people to decolonize knowledge and space at white institutions that had existed before there was a United States of America. Black students in the twentieth century made up a miniscule

population on these campuses. Black students, who fought for increased black admissions, Black Studies, and black affinity spaces, comprised an even smaller group. Their fortitude, organizational acumen, and audacity was astonishing and admirable.

Then, I was surprised, in some ways, by what was possible at Ivy League institutions when black students and their allies pushed officials to be innovative. For instance, Ivy institutions tried to develop their own black students with various programs that placed black high schoolers in elite eastern preparatory and day schools. That did not work fast enough.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Dartmouth College established a Foundation Year program that allowed students to remediate

The St. Louis American: I know that you don’t think enough has changed for the better since then in terms of black youth having anything approaching an equal opportunity to thrive in our nation’s most elite educational spaces. But what is something that has changed, what can be done to force greater change, and who all needs to be doing it?

Stefan M. Bradley: One of the things that has changed for the better is the existence of black Ivy alumni, who have in their successful careers tried to create access for others from their community. Certainly, in the Ivy League and elsewhere, administrators now know they have to respond to the needs of black students on campus, which is positive. How the officials do so is sometimes in question, but they at least know that they have to confront the issues that students bring to them.

Another great change that

It is imperative that black professionals, faculty members, and students – at the very least – defend the advancements that were made during the decades after World War II. Creating a presence and garnering resources for black people on these elite campuses was, indeed, difficult; however, maintaining those advancements at this moment is even more onerous. That is the responsibility of those members of the black intelligentsia who are blessed enough to work and attend Ivy League institutions.

Bradley will speak at 6 p.m. Monday, October 15 in the Cook A/B Auditorium in the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business at Saint Louis University, 3674 Lindell Blvd. The talk is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase, and a book signing will follow the talk. For additional information about this event, contact Lorri Glover at lorri. glover@slu.edu.

Editorial /CommEntary

Vote Yes on Amendment 1 to help clean up MO politics

The November 6 ballot in Missouri has a number of exciting statewide initiatives that should lure progressive voters to the polls – if saving a Democratic U.S. Senate seat (held by Claire McCaskill) and keeping an amazingly diligent and competent Democratic state auditor (Nicole Galloway) on the job aren’t enough. We previously endorsed ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage (Yes on Proposition B) and to prudently legalize and regulate medical marijuana (Yes on Amendment 2 as the best of three proposals, Yes on Proposition C as a back-up, and no on Amendment 3, which would install the highest medical marijuana tax in the nation and create a private government body to administer the revenues). We also endorse an ambitious initiative to improve many problematic aspects of Missouri politics, Amendment 1. Here are the facts on what Amendment 1 will do to clean up state politics, according to St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones (who also is a former assistant minority floor leader in the Missouri Legislature): “stop big money in the Legislature by lowering campaign contribution limits; require state government to be more transparent and stop any legislative fundraising on state property; eliminate fancy lobbyist gifts; stop the revolving door of legislators becoming lobbyists with a two-year waiting period; require fair state legislative maps to protect minorities’ political power and to ensure neither party is given an unfair advantage when new maps are drawn after the census.” As Jones noted in her op-ed last week, Amendment 1 has been endorsed by the NAACP, Organization for Black Struggle (OBS), Rev. Starsky Wilson and Deaconess Foundation, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Metropolitan Congregations United, Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould and Missouri Faith Voices, Rasheen Aldridge, Missouri Jobs with Justice and the League of Women Voters. “Amendment 1 incorporates the Voting Rights Act into the Missouri Constitution so that marginalized constituents, like African Americans, will be fairly represented in the political process,” said Jamala Rogers, executive director and a founding member of OBS. Nimrod (Rod) Chapel Jr., president of the NAACP Missouri State Conference and an early proponent of Amendment 1, noted that opponents of Amendment 1 “are spewing lies to protect the broken status quo, because they know they can’t win on the merits.” Among other claims, those trying to defeat the initiative have tried to appeal to black voters – and, especially, elected officials – by saying a redistricting that made more legislative districts competitive would also make it harder for black candidates to get elected. While Chapel, Rogers, Jones and ourselves all dispute that claim, we consider it absolutely indisputable that a redistricting

process that eliminated the Republican supermajority in the Legislature would be good for all but the wealthiest and most conservative of Missourians. Certainly, it would be good for African Americans and Missouri’s largest urban areas, especially St. Louis, which drive the state’s economy while being starved of a fair share of funding by out-state Republican legislators who, selfishly and shortsightedly control budget priorities.

“We’ve been kicked out of public hearings,” Treasurer Jones wrote. “Government meetings have been held in back rooms of country clubs. The Legislature keeps its records secret, yet expects others to follow open government laws. It’s time for Amendment 1 to bring it all into the open for the people to see.” We agree. We strongly endorse a vote of YES ON AMENDMENT 1

Vote Yes on Proposition 2 in St. Louis County

While not quite as exciting as the statewide ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage, legalize and regulate marijuana, and make politics in Missouri more fair and transparent, an initiative on the November 6 ballot in St. Louis County also deserves support from voters in the county. Proposition 2 would ensure that St. Louis County parks cannot be sold or disposed of without a vote of the people and also provide county residents with a say-so over major changes in parkland usage, without raising taxes or fees. Similar laws are already in place and work well in St. Louis city and numerous municipalities in the county, including Kirkwood, University City, and Olivette.

The measure was drafted by the St. Louis County Council in collaboration with county residents, parks users, and grassroots organizations – the very stakeholders who opposed past attempts to sell or repurpose parks land without public approval. Proposition 2 was approved unanimously by the council and signed by the county executive – one of the only things they have ever agreed upon.

Proposition 2 would not rule out future development of county parks land. It simply would allow the citizens of St. Louis County to have a say in what happens to the land that we collectively own and support with our taxes. The people – not insiders, politicians, or lobbyists –would get to decide how public parks are used. It is a truism in real estate that one thing they will never make more of is ground, and any land that is publicly owned is a dear, precious asset to be protected by the people. Proposition 2 would ensure that protection. We strongly endorse a votes of YES ON PROPOSITION 2 IN ST.

to the editor

Bullying and people with disabilities

I am writing to you about my stand on two issues. The first is issue is bullying, and the second one is on minimum wage for people with disabilities.

When I was in middle school and high school I dealt with much bullying, which took a toll on me mentally. I was so self-conscious that I saw myself as a nobody because I was bullied throughout high school and middle school. I decided to go to college to become a social worker so I could help others with similar problems. My second issue is about people with disabilities making lower wages in workshops. Workshops are designed to help people with disabilities to learn work skills to get higher paying jobs. People usually do not transfer out of workshops, which isn’t fair. Usually, people in workshops do similar work that a higher paying job does so why do they have to be paid low wages. I believe workshops should be a threeyear program. They need to be connected to resources that can help them find a higher-paying job.

Ruqayyah Cherie Bailey Florissant

Black lives do matter

I watched Living St. Louis on Channel 9 about the former Highlands amusement park. I didn’t realize as a kid how African Americans were kept from attending there. But the discrimination continues merrily on.

The area that was the former St. Louis Arena is now called the Highlands. I think this is a slap in the face to any AfricanAmerican resident in the city. St. Louis Community College Forest Park is the real location of the former Highlands. To make matters worse, now the site for the dig for the Underground Railroad site on Lemp is being turned into a house instead of a museum. This is a nationally historically protected area and deserves a museum and recognition for a local young African-American teacher and his students who found evidence of an Underground Railroad house. Shame on the city for tearing down part of the original house. Whoever was the alderperson at the time should be ashamed and made to explain the discrimination tactics. Wasn’t this a federal crime?

Black lives do matter. The city needs to fix this.

Mary Horridge, St. Louis

Brett Kavanaugh and Republican white maledom

By Charles Jaco For The St. Louis American

Like most 68-year-old white males, I’m disgusted that an ideologue and perjurer accused of sexual assault is about to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

That sentence, of course is a lie. And the lie is in the first seven words. Most 68-yearold white males want Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. The respected Quinnipiac University poll shows 48 percent of Americans polled oppose Kavanaugh, while 42 percent support him. But 59 percent of white men want Kavanaugh, along with 45 percent of white women.

African Americans oppose Kavanaugh by 81 percent, while Hispanics dislike him by a 65 percent margin. In fact, the poll finds Kavanaugh is unpopular among every demographic group except white people over age 50, where the majority support him. Not co-incidentally, white people over age 50 vote in huge numbers and control the big money donations to the GOP.

The entire Kavanaugh process has been one of the most blatant examples of minority rule since apartheid fell. Kavanaugh raged in self-pity during testimony. The White House limited the FBI “investigation” into sexual assault charges. Trump mocked Kavanaugh’s accuser. Majority Leader U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell sniffed that the GOP “won’t be intimidated” by sexual assault survivors. In every case, conservative white men snarled about how they, not Prof. Christine Blasey Ford or the rule of law, were the victims.

Charlie Cook, founder of the oftenindispensable Cook Political Report, crunched the numbers and found that conservative Republican white males make up 18 percent of the American population. And yet they make up 100 percent of the GOP on the Senate Judiciary Committee, 100 percent of Republican leadership in the Senate, and 84 percent of the GOP Senate majority.

They’re determined to put a man with the judicial temperament of Bart Simpson on the bench for one simple reason. They want him as the fifth Supreme Court vote to erase every “liberal” decision of the last 60 years that has given expanded rights to blacks, Hispanics, women, gays, consumers, workers, and anyone else not part of conservative white maledom.

To that end, Kavanaugh supporters gave up on dog whistles and are now using tornado sirens.

The American Conservative Union is the oldest conservative lobbying group in the country. Its chairman, Matt Schlapp, tweeted this out during Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings: Why would Schlapp want “conservative voters” to look at the photo? Why those states? Because those are the states where the GOP wants to win Senate elections next month, including Missouri. And he wants ”conservatives” to look and blow a gasket because the photo shows white prep school Ivy League conservative Brett Kavanaugh preparing to be questioned by two African Americans (U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California) and an AsianAmerican (U.S. Sen. Mazie Horono of Hawaii).

Court decision that declared Obamacare constitutional. While he was a judge on the Washington, D.C. Circuit Court, Kavanaugh wrote three separate opinions against the Affordable Care Act.

But this new Supreme Court, now with two Trump appointees, won’t stop with making abortion illegal and taking medical insurance away from potentially millions of people. It will make it even harder for people of color, the poor, and immigrants (or even people with foreign-sounding names) to vote. On the threejudge D.C. Appeals Court, Kavanaugh wrote the opinion upholding South Carolina’s openly racist voter photo ID law in 2012. Kavanaugh went further, refusing to acknowledge that the federal government should enforce voting rights in states with a history of discrimination. That became one of the precedents that the Supreme Court used in 2013 when it gutted the Voting Rights Act.

Kavanaugh wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed in 1999 where he dismissed civil rights claims by native Hawaiian Islanders as “political correctness.” He’s written opinions against the right of an African-American State Department employee to sue for racial discrimination, did the same thing when a black FBI employee wanted to sue for racial discrimination, and again when federal workers sued over age discrimination. To Kavanaugh, black, Hispanic, and older workers deserve minimal, if any, protection against discrimination.

Kavanaugh has written opinions saying that CNN workers have no right to form a union, that federal occupational health and safety laws are “paternalistic overreach” and that the Obama-era federal consumer protection agency is unconstitutional. But perhaps his most vicious opinion is his most recent, when he wrote that an undocumented alien girl who had fled abuse in Central America and was pregnant could not have an abortion while in custody. His opinion indicates that he thinks that abortion should almost never be allowed.

Honoring Gold Star mothers and families

On Sunday, September 30, Americans across the nation observed National Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day.

The special observance dates from June 23, 1936, when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution designating the last Sunday in September as a day to recognize and honor those who have lost a son or daughter who died in the line of duty while serving in the United States armed forces.

At Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care, we make it a special point to honor America’s Veterans throughout the year. We understand what it means to lose someone dear, and the importance of finding ways to honor the memory of those who have passed and cope with their loss.

We encourage our fellow citizens to join us as we remember the sacrifices of the fallen and offer strength and moral support to their friends and loved ones.

Marcy Cox

executive director Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care, Chesterfield

The photo is a metaphor, and its message couldn’t be any clearer if Schlapp had spraypainted racial slurs across the screen: here’s another example of “those people” who want special rights and favors from the government ganging up on a virtuous white man. So get out and vote Republican, because Democrats are the party of “those people” and we need to teach them some manners.

Based on his judicial record, Kavanaugh’s their man. It’s a given that a right-wing majority Supreme Court will, sooner or later, restrict or eliminate a woman’s right to an abortion and will restrict access to contraception. But he will be able to take health care away from millions by gutting, and then reversing, the Supreme

Eliminating abortion, slashing worker’s rights, and reversing civil rights laws are music to the ears of the 18 percent of America that now controls 100 percent of the Republican Party. Max Boot, a conservative who just wrote a new book The Corrosion of Conservatism, knows exactly what happened.

“The Republican Party is now a white nationalist party with a conservative fringe,” he told Mother Jones magazine. “We need to destroy the Republican Party.”

Only if it doesn’t destroy us first.

Charles Jaco is a journalist, author, and activist. Follow him on Twitter at @ charlesjaco1.

Columnist

Charles Jaco

Photo by Shaun Booker

Taste of Africa at Harris-Stowe

Fundisha Enterprises production at Harris-Stowe State University. Mama Lisa recounted the tale of Raise, a musical folktale from Africa.

October 26 deadline for arts grants

Through October 26, the PNC Foundation is accepting applications for its PNC Arts Alive program, which awards grants of $20K and above to support visual and performing arts organizations in St. Louis. For more information and to apply, visit https://tinyurl.com/PNC-artsgrants

Little Creek Nature Area celebrates 50th anniversary

The Little Creek Nature Area, 2295 Dunn Rd. in Florissant, will host a 50-year anniversary celebration from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. The event is free and open to the public. Parking will be at McCluer High School, 1896 S. New Florissant Rd., where shuttles will transport attendees to Little Creek.

The day will include live music from Strings Attached and entertainment by Ferguson-Florissant students, guided tours of the preserve’s ADA-accessible nature trails, nature-based arts and crafts, flint knapping, finger weaving and wool dying demonstrations, interactive activities such as birdhouse making and painting, a wild bird release, and farm animal feeding.

Little Creek Nature Area is a 97-acre preserved owned and operated by the Ferguson-Florissant School District for experiential learning in science, biology, ecology and related areas of study.

Poverty rates rise for black and Hispanic infants

By Esther J. Cepeda Washington Post

This summer, President Trump’s White House declared the War on Poverty “largely over and a success.” The administration argued that few Americans are truly poor anymore – it estimated that the poverty rate was only about 3 percent – and that the economy’s upward tide would continue to lift the boats of those who remained poor.

Millions of Hispanic and black infants and toddlers would beg to disagree, if only they could. Last month, the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2017 annual report on poverty, and there’s no question that the numbers were, in the aggregate, positive. The national poverty rate declined from 14.8 percent in 2014 to 12.3 percent in 2017, marking the third successive drop. But the devil is in the details.

The same data set reveals that one in five children up to 2 years old were poor (19.9 percent) – a number almost identical to the 2016 rate. In fact, infants and toddlers represented the age group most likely to live in poverty, according to an analysis by Child Trends, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center.

Child Trends underscores the enormity of the problem by highlighting that in 2017, nearly one in three black infants and toddlers (32.7 percent) and more than one in four Hispanic infants and toddlers (27.3 percent) lived in poverty, compared with approximately one in nine (11.8 percent) white, non-Hispanic infants and toddlers.

In fact, the younger and more vulnerable the kids, the worse off they’ve become.

“While the overall percentage of infants living in poverty significantly increased between 2016 and 2017 from 17.2 percent to 20.2 percent, the largest increases were among black and Hispanic infants, for whom the poverty rate rose by 6 and 8 percentage points – 28.5 to 34.4 percent and 20.7 to 28.4 percent, respectively,” Child Trends noted on its blog.

There is also the potential for the situation to get bleaker if the economy starts cooling down. And expect that Hispanic children would be among the hardest hit if the president gets his way and sees to it that the Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and federal rental subsidies are cut.

Already, the Trump administration has moved to limit access to green cards and/or naturalization to lawfully present immigrants if they – or anyone living in their household –have ever used children’s health insurance (CHIP), “Obamacare,” SNAP or other social safetynet benefits. This is scaring off the parents of U.S.-born Hispanic children.

After news of the limits first spread in late August, health providers across the country started getting emotional phone calls from lawfully present and undocumented immigrant families pleading to be dropped from the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) federal nutrition program for pregnant women and kids, according to Politico. “Agencies in at least 18 states say they’ve seen drops of up to 20 percent in enrollment, and they attribute the change largely to fears about the immigration policy.”

The target of Trump’s most dehumanizing policies has been immigrants, specifically poor ones, even though immigrants who are living in this country unlawfully are absolutely not eligible for any public-assistance benefits. And of those who are lawfully present and eligible, working households headed by an immigrant without a high school degree use fewer welfare services than their native household counterparts.

It hardly matters. For the Trump administration, babies, toddlers and other young children are apparently expendable, disposable and unworthy of any kind of mercy if they’re Latino –regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens or refugees seeking asylum at the border.

Yet it’s not just a Hispanic issue.

There are 4.2 million black immigrants living in the U.S. as of 2016 – up from just 816,000 in 1980, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. About 85 percent of them are lawfully present, as refugees or asylees or due to Temporary Protected Status because their home countries experienced catastrophic disasters.

Even if they exist below the radar, they’re no less vulnerable to being scared away from government child benefits that their U.S.-born kids are legally entitled to.

Let’s be clear: If the War on Poverty is over, it’s being replaced by a war on black and brown children, regardless of their immigration status.

Esther J. Cepeda

Veteran thespian Gerthia Carter mimed the wisdom of the elders to James and Jamerah during a recent

and a less impressive but still significant drop in murders — down about 5 percent — in St. Louis city and county.

That 5 percent drop is not a number that has Jensen popping the “mission accomplished” champagne.

“We have got to do better than that,” he said. They are working on it from various fronts.

n

Remarkably, supervisors in Jensen’s office and that of Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner now cooperatively review every case of violent crime brought to the state to see if the feds have standing. A murder of an individual is a state crime, but a murder that involves taking the victim to an ATM involves interstate commerce and has federal standing. The same applies for gun violence connected to an interstate drug ring and gun crimes committed by felons. Gardner has been “a great partner” in this collaboration, Jensen said. He also works closely with the current St. Louis County prosecutor. Wesley Bell, who will soon have that job, is offlimits to Jensen because Bell is still a political candidate until the November 6 election.

the federal probate office, we try to pick up as many cases as we can,” Jensen said, “with the ultimate goal of reducing violent crime.”

Jensen, a federal prosecutor, unsurprisingly argues that prosecution is one essential tactic to addressing a violent crime crisis. “You can’t let people commit violent crime after violent crime without punishment,” he said. But his metric of success is reduction in violent crime, not increase in prosecution. He also uses his office to pursue violent crime deterrence and prevention, and he believes those are more promising longterm strategies than prosecution.

“There is quite a bit of complaining about the increase in federal prosecution. That message should have a deterrent factor.”

– U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen

Bishop Ward goes home

Bishop Robert James Ward was celebrated and mourned at a homegoing service at Kennerly Temple Church of God In Christ on Tuesday, October 9. The prelate of the Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction of COGIC and longtime pastor of Kennerly Temple, he was called home to be with God on Sunday, September 30 at age 88.

“Given the resources available from the federal government and the success of

MALES

“Jeff Jensen understands there is no law enforcement solution,” said James Clark of Better Family Life, one of Jensen’s core community partners. “This is a family crisis, a community crisis. It’s refreshing to see someone in that position say, ‘We need people immersed in this to lead us out.’” Jensen has started a series of public service announcements on local urban radio, using a good cop/bad cop strategy with community partners. He will have someone who lost a parent or child to violent crime recommend Better Family Life’s de-escalation centers, which were designed as immediate crisis resolution for people known by loved ones to be heading toward a

violent confrontation. Clark said they have de-escalated 54 potentially violent conflicts since 2016. And Jensen himself plays bad guy on the radio, telling potential violent criminals that he is coming for them if they strike.

Jensen has a couple of ways to monitor what the street is saying, and he is picking up chatter that suggests his message is getting out. He has received court permission to wiretap various suspected criminal conspiracies for interstate commerce (drug rings), and people awaiting trial sometimes speak candidly even when there is a standard verbal warning that their call or conversation may be monitored.

“There is quite a bit of

complaining about the increase in federal prosecution,” Jensen said. “That message should have a deterrent factor.”

The real hope, however, lies in crime prevention. Aristotle said that poverty is the father of crime and revolution and crime is disorganized revolution. Jensen has his own aphorism for that. “No factor impacts bullets more than jobs,” he said. “Jobs stop the bullets.”

Jensen has become a sponge for local programs that do workforce development for people in poverty who feel a lack of options. The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, SLATE, Demetrius Johnson Foundation and Better Family Life are among his partners.

“We need to make sure

people are gainfully employed in jobs they are proud of,” he said. “Not only does that stop crime, it starts generational change.”

He convenes regular meetings with members of such community groups, along with the Clergy Coalition, police chaplains and police leaders across all jurisdictions, where any strategy to drive down violent crime from anywhere across the gamut of prevention, deterrence, investigation, prosecution and rehabilitation will be considered.

“We talk about what we can possibly due to reduce violent crime,” Jensen said. “We have some very candid discussions. I agree that we are not going to arrest and prosecute our way out of the problem. It has to

be a community effort. That’s why I spend so much time working with groups that try to provide jobs and direct people to the de-escalation centers. But prosecution is part of the solution.”

Working directly with grassroots groups in neighborhoods that suffer from violent crime, Jensen gets more face time with the people who are suffering the most from this crisis than one would expect from a middle-aged white prosecutor commissioned by the 45th president of the United States.

“When I meet people in the community, they don’t complain about increased federal prosecutions of violent crime,” Jensen said. “They complain about violent crime.”

I am not, however, advocating an approach where black men in our region are going to be saved by our Talented Tenth. Rather, I am

Continued from A1 competitive endeavors, be they golf or basketball. We don’t ignore our failings while we absolutely embrace our triumphs, both personally and collectively.

pointing out that we are an economically and politically diverse group of independent thinkers with a proven track record of contributions to this region.

Professors Paul A. Samuelson and William D.

Nordhaus define economics as the study of how societies use scarce resources to produce valuable commodities and distribute them among different people. I have participated in discussions about the allocation of resources among black

youth where the question was posed, “Is there a point where the marginal benefit derived from investing in a particular individual/group becomes less than the marginal cost?”

My answer: all lives are worth saving. And yet this remains a touchstone question in any reimagining of St. Louis. This investment calculus about the margins is essential to all economic entities. Investment tenets include the principle that a diverse portfolio generally provides more stability and avoids risk. The presence of black men in our region and investment in them is positively accretive to our region if for no other reason than it strengthens diversity.

I offer one more analytical construct: optimization subject to a constraint. Given the steeper hill that black men must climb and recognizing that not all of these obstacles are self-imposed, the majority are optimizing their outcomes, albeit subject to these constraints. While one may look at the negative statistics commonly associated with black men and draw the conclusion that it is safer to literally and figuratively walk away, a superior outcome awaits by investing in the diversity of perspective, ability and contributions that we bring to the region. It is in our region’s economic self-interest to invest in black men.

Taking me as an example, the prologue of my life story is not unlike most black men.

I was born into a single-parent household to a teenage mom in rural Mississippi. Many in the small town of Natchez contributed to raising my three sisters and me. Yes, it did take a village to raise us. During my formative years, this ongoing investment of both time and other resources in me made a significant difference in any positive outcomes I have been able to achieve.

I have been married to Tammy for 30 years, and we

have three mostly wonderful children whose floors are much higher than either of their parents. The older two are already accomplishing tremendous things. And, yes, even with a different level of parental resources, it is still taking a village to raise them. We have lived in St. Louis for 13 years and made lifelong friends here. While we could live anywhere, we choose this region because, while not perfect, it is a great place to raise a family.

Tammy and I met recently with five 20-somethings (four college students and one recent graduate) to extend economic offers (jobs), pertinent training, networking opportunities and anything else that we can bring to the table with a desired outcome of increasing the likelihood that they will remain in the region.

I spent a significant amount of time thinking about whether to add any personal details to this narrative. I cannot recall a single instance where those details made a difference in an economic conversation because we all, independent of ethnicity, have burdens to carry. Ultimately, I chose to include these personal touches because, in my personal sample size of one, I can unequivocally offer that the investment in me paid off when measured by the increased potential of my children.

Kelvin J. Taylor, Sr. is a husband of 30 years, father of three and managing partner of Taylored Analytics.

“Homegrown Black Males” is a partnership between HomeGrown STL at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and The St. Louis American, edited by Sean Joe, Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor and associate dean at the Brown School, and Chris King, managing editor of The American, in memory of Michael Brown.

Photo by Reginald Riddle-Young

POLICE

Continued from A1

Lamar Smith in 2011.

O’Toole led the police’s response to the community’s outcry and protest over the court’s decision in the following months.

On October 2, six new lawsuits were filed on behalf of a pastor, a photojournalist in a wheelchair, and an elected official who were allegedly pepper sprayed in the face, as well as a protestor who was allegedly tazed without warning. The allegations stem from a Stockley protest at Busch Stadium on September 29, 2017.

The city told The St. Louis American it had no comment on the new suits at this time.

The lawsuits state that protestors had lawfully and peacefully entered Busch Stadium on September 29 with tickets and unfurled a giant banner as a sign of protest. They left voluntarily and then rejoined protestors who were marching outside the stadium.

At one point, police officers grabbed a white female clergy member, and Rev. Darryl Gray yelled out against the action.

“Instantly and without warning, an SLMPD officer wearing an SLMPD baseball cap violently threw Reverend Darryl Gray to the ground breaking the Reverend’s glasses,” the lawsuit states.

An officer then shot protestor Calvin Kennedy with a Taser. The lawsuit states that Officer William Olsten was taunting the protestors with obscene language, and then without warning, Olsten “pulls out a large fogger like canister of pepper spray,” the lawsuit states.

The acting scene commander Major John Hayden, who is now police chief, was standing about five feet away when Olsten sprayed the crowd, as seen in this St. Louis American photo Committeeman of the 5th Ward Rasheen Aldridge, independent photojournalists Heather De Mian and Amir Brandy, and protestor Crystal Brown were all allegedly sprayed in their faces. These individuals, along with Gray and Kennedy, filed the lawsuits on October 2.

All the lawsuits are supported by the findings in the order that U.S. Judge Catherine Perry wrote in the ACLU’s class-action lawsuit filed over the September 17 “kettling” arrests.

On November 15, 2017, Perry issued a preliminary injunction, ordering the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to immediately stop using chemical weapons on protestors. In her order, Perry stated that the ACLU is likely to succeed on their claim that the city’s police have “a custom or policy” of deploying pepper spray against citizens who record police or exercise their rights of free speech to criticize officers. Perry also found that the ACLU presented “sufficient, credible testimony and video evidence” of people being maced without warning and who were not “engaging in violent activity” or “in defiance of police commands.”

O’Toole led the chemicalweapon offense, beating and arrests of more than 120 people on September 17, 2017 in downtown St. Louis, where afterwards he boasted about the police “owning the night.”

He told the press that the “unruly crowd became a mob” after dark – a statement that a federal judge found false a couple months later in the ACLU’s class-action lawsuit against the police department.

The federal judge cited video that showed the scene was “calm” before the police began kettling the protestors to arrest them.

After the mass arrests, the police department released a statement that one officer suffered a serious injury.

“This was an egregious statement,” said attorney Javad Khazaeli, of Khazaeli Wyrsch LLC law firm. “They are trying to accuse the people arrested of beating a police officer, when in reality the officer who suffered injuries was an undercover cop who the St. Louis police department themselves beat. How can a police chief brag about owning the night and beating their own officer?”

Khazaeli Wyrsch has now filed 21 lawsuits representing

23 individuals against the city and police department. The city also faces three other lawsuits – including a former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter, filmmakers from Kansas City and the ACLU’s class-action suit – that the Khazaeli Wyrsch firm is not representing.

The current police chief and current assistant chief were leading the police actions that are at the heart of what are now 24 pending lawsuits. If these lawsuits succeed, the city could be paying millions of dollars in damages and attorney fees – especially because there will likely be more people who come forward, Khazaeli said.

“If these all went to trial,

you are looking in the millions and millions of dollars in damages and attorney fees,” Khazaeli said. “It depends on how long the city wants to drag this out.”

In November 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice and the F.B.I. announced an inquiry into whether St. Louis police violated civil rights of protestors in the kettling incident – meaning O’Toole is still under federal investigation – but no outcome has been announced.

In December 2017, O’Toole became assistant chief and Hayden was named police chief. Interestingly, in July O’Toole filed a complaint

claiming that he was discriminated against in the police chief selection process because he is white.

Earlier this year, The St. Louis American spoke to Hayden about the department’s future policies towards protests. Hayden said that he wants to work with Forward Through Ferguson to talk to protestors about “things that they thought were helpful and things that obviously weren’t,” regarding police response to protests.

“Obviously the kettling incident is something that people would refer to as something really awful,” Hayden said. “I wasn’t working that night. I’m not making any excuses for anything about that night. It’s under federal investigation. I am interested in future conversations.”

In the ACLU’s lawsuit, Judge Perry ordered a mediation process between the police and the ACLU. The deadline to come up with an agreement between the two parties passed on February 1, and now a trial has been set for October 2019.

Khazaeli said the police department’s unwillingness to come to the table with ACLU has been disheartening and was a motivation to file these lawsuits.

“I don’t think the city is taking this seriously or has shown any intention to change the way they act,” Khazaeli said. “It’s been 11 months now since a federal judge said that it was likely that they violated the constitution and ordered them into mediation. They haven’t changed any policies and have done anything to make any change.”

Khazaeli Wyrsch is also representing 15th Ward Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green in her lawsuit stemming from police actions during a protests in the Central West End the day the Stockley verdict was announced. The nonprofit ArchCity Defenders law firm is co-counsel on 12 of these lawsuits stemming from the kettling arrests

In a new lawsuit filed against the City of St. Louis and its police department, protestor Calvin Kennedy claims he was tased without warning by police during a Stockley verdict protest at Busch Stadium on September 29, 2017,

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Protestors chain themselves to

Blunt’s office to protest Kavanaugh support

Last week was rough.

“We knew going in that it was going to be emotional, and it was going to be a rough week,” said Cori Bush, a recent congressional candidate and a frontline protestor during last year’s unrest in response to the Jason Stockley verdict. “But walking through it? The not knowing what was going to happen but being hopeful...”

Bush was one of the leaders of the #OccupyThe100 movement that began on October 2. For five consecutive days, people slept in tents on the sidewalk outside of U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt’s office in Clayton – in opposition to Blunt’s approval to confirm U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh

“If people have never slept out on the streets, it’s something people should experience because it’s definitely a humbling experience,” Bush said. “We had a lot of support on the ground, but we also had racists making their points known to us.”

On October 4, three people chained themselves to Blunt’s office door at 7700 Bonhomme Ave. At about 10:30 a.m., veteran protestor Keith Rose locked himself with a U-lock around his neck and attached himself to the door. He was there for 20 minutes before police unlocked him and arrested him. Two women chained themselves to the door using a device that involved a plumbing pipe and a lock box. Police had to cut through the pipe to get to the chain, said Lt. Jerry Lohr of the St. Louis County Police Department (the friendliest cop at Ferguson protests).

The women, Maryah Padgett and Susan Clark were finally freed and arrested at about 1:45 p.m. “We want Senator Blunt to vote ‘no’ on the confirmation of Kavanaugh,” Padgett said, while she was chained to the door. “We don’t think a sexual predator should be a Supreme Court justice – or president.”

In a speech on the Senate floor last week, Blunt basically said he believed Kavanaugh over Christine Blasey Ford a university professor who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both high school students.

“I don’t think [Kavanaugh] would have said, ‘I categorically and unequivocally didn’t do this or anything like it’ regarding the specific charge if he had,’” Blunt said. That is tantamount to Blunt saying he believes that denial of a charge is proof of innocence. Kavanaugh or any other judge in the nation would strike him from a jury pool as unfit to deliberate on guilt or innocence for uttering this nonsense, yet here he was confirming someone to the nation’s highest court for a lifetime.

Senator Collins ‘ripped us’

On Friday, October 5, U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) gave a speech on the Senate floor announcing that she would vote “yes” to confirm Kavanaugh. The people at the Blunt encampment were listening to

Susan Clark, Maryah Padgett and Keith Rose (not pictured) chained themselves to U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s office door in Clayton to protest Blunt’s support of Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Blunt said on the Senate floor that Kavanaugh would not have denied charges of sexual assault if he were guilty.

the speech live.

“That ripped us,” Bush said. “That ripped us because we’re saying we’re out here fighting for survivors. Then for a woman to stand up and say out of her mouth that she met with several survivors but she still feels that this is the answer, it was a smack in the face to people who are already bleeding.”

Leading up to the Senate’s vote on October 6, the emotional toll had been high and the lack of sleep severe, Bush said.

“So when that answer came, it just all came pouring out of us,” Bush said. “That our

country says openly that we don’t care about you. Yes, that’s what that was.”

Twelve people were arrested while shutting down Hanley Road, near Blunt’s office. Most were released within a few hours. Yet for protestors who were also survivors of sexual assault, those were more hours in jail than their abusers had ever spent for their attacks, Bush said. Organizers of the actions are now exhausted and trying to pick up the pieces.

“It’s one thing to get the answer, but it’s another thing to know that tomorrow we have to live this out. What’s coming? Is there about to be a

real attack on Roe v. Wade? Is there about to be an attack on the LGBT community? What else is getting ready to happen?

What are we being set up for?

It’s terrifying, but as much as people think that what we are doing is not effective, we have to let our local community know that someone is fighting for you and you can fight for yourself. We don’t have to just sit down and take it. It’s about teaching the next generation that you can stand up. The way we make change is to start change.”

Public vote on airport privatization

Should St. Louis city residents get to vote on whether or not to privatize the St. LouisLambert International Airport, the city’s largest public asset with the best bond ratings?

On October 3, 20th Ward

Alderwoman Cara Spencer spoke at the aldermanic Transportation and Commerce Committee’s public hearing on her bill, Board Bill 93, to require a public vote if city leaders decide to privatize its airport.

Her speech was detailed with explanations on full privatization versus partial privatization, and she argued that a public vote was imperative.

In 1996, Congress established the Airport Privatization Pilot Program, she said.

“Participation in the program has been very limited, in part because major stakeholders have different, if not contradictory, objectives and interests,” she said.

Only two U.S. commercial service airports have completed the privatization process established under the program, she explained. One of those, Stewart International Airport in New York state, subsequently reverted to public ownership. Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is now the only airport with a private operator. As of last year, there are three active applicants in the APP: Hendry County Airglades Airport in Clewiston, Florida; Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York; and Lambert.

Lambert is one of the most historic airports in the U.S., she said. In 1928, St. Louis city voters approved a $2 million bond issue for the purchase of Lambert and airport improvements, including runways, taxiways, hangars and support facilities. Because of this early use of tax dollars for the construction of the airport, we are grandfathered into a revenue-sharing program whereby the city enjoys almost $7 million a year in direct revenue from Lambert, she said.

“An income that is in serious jeopardy if we privatize,” she said. “And one that is spectacularly unusual given that just 12 out of the nation’s 457 municipal airports enjoy such an arrangement.”

St. Louis could partially privatize without losing this arrangement, she said. For example, it could sign more service contracts – many U.S. airports, including Lambert, outsource non-core operations such as landscaping, bus shuttles and concessions. Airports are also able to privatize financing, operation and maintenance services. Terminal 5 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Terminal 4 at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport are examples of this, she said.

Publicly operated airports are eligible for federal grants to make major infrastructure improvements. Semi-privatized airports are eligible for these grants under certain conditions. However, fully-privatized airports receive lower federal support.

“This means we as a region would lose out on federal dollars,” Spencer said. Under full privatization, rates can rise without cap with consent of 65 percent of airlines, she said. While increasing those fees could maximize profits, it could very well decrease use of the airport.

“We are asking: should we privatize our airport? But this is the wrong question to be asking,” Spencer said. “Rather than the short-term question of ‘Can we make a quick buck for the city,’ we should be asking, ‘How can our region’s aviation assets be used to maximize the growth of the regional economy?’”

So far the process of even considering privatization has been funded by conservative billionaire Rex Sinquefield –but this wasn’t about a lack of money, she said.

“When we asked ourselves if turnstiles would be good for MetroLink stations, we found $3.6 million,” she said. “Letting Sinquefield fund the study is about letting special interests ask the questions and then answer them. And we have all seen that the process has therefore been chock-full of conflicts of interest. This is not a process to be proud of. It has lacked accountability and transparency. And, most importantly, it has lacked public involvement. The current public engagement is a heavily funded door-to-door campaign designed to hedge off concerns, rather than provide real insight into the reasons why we are even considering this option and what St. Louisans might gain from it.”

The Transportation and Commerce Committee will hold

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Environmental and preservation groups push for passage of Prop 2

Would require public vote to sell or make new use of County park

A committee representing five well known environmental and park preservation organizations – the Audubon Society of Missouri, Missouri Coalition For the Environment, Open Space Council, Sierra Club of Eastern Missouri, and the St. Louis County Parks

Foundation – have launched a campaign to promote voter passage of Proposition 2 on the November 6 ballot in St. Louis County.

Proposition 2 would ensure that any part of a St. Louis County park cannot be sold, disposed of or used in major new ways without a vote of the people. Similar laws are already in place in St. Louis city and several local municipalities. Proposition 2 does not require any type of tax or fee increase. The St. Louis County Council put Proposition 2 on the November 6 ballot last

month and has expressed bipartisan support for it.

The Yes For Our Parks! campaign plans to educate voters on the need for Proposition 2 at a series of public meetings and events.

Jon Clancy, campaign manager for Yes For Our Parks!, said that passage of Proposition 2 would not ban all development, but rather require that “the parks owners – the people – have a say in what happens in our parks.”

For more information, visit www.yesforourparks.org.

County offers satellite locations for absentee voting

Tuskegee Airman honored

Leading up to the November General Election, the St. Louis County Board of Elections will be opening three satellite voting centers – a new location in Clayton, and the South and West County locations that were used for the August Primary Election – during the final week of absentee voting. Absentee voting for the November 6 election is currently underway in Missouri. The new Clayton location will be at the Center of Clayton, 50 Gay Ave. The South County location will be at the St. Louis County Government Center – South, 4544 Lemay Ferry Rd. The West County location will be at St. Louis County Municipal Court – West Division, 82 Clarkson Wilson Center in Chesterfield. These sites will serve in conjunction with the current onsite absentee voting program located at the Board of Election’s main office, 725 Northwest Plaza in St. Ann, which opened to voters on September 25. All three satellite sites will be open Monday, October 29 through Monday, November 5. Their hours of operation will be Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Extended hours will be available on Monday, November 5 with all locations being open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Any voter who is registered in St. Louis County and who qualifies for absentee voting may vote at whichever onsite absentee voting location they choose.

Democratic Director of Elections Eric Fey also reminds voters that “due to the length of the ballot it may be helpful to bring a sample ballot or cheat sheet with information about how you want to vote with you to the polls.”

You can request an absentee ballot – and view a sample ballot – at https://www. stlouisco.com/yourgovernment/ elections.

Photo by Wiley Price

Tuskegee Airman George Henry Carper II was honored for his service to our country by retired United States Air Force Sgt. Jack Poitras, representing the Franklin County Honor Flights and the Air Force Sergeants Association, on Friday, September 21 at the Missouri Veterans Home in North County. Carper also is the retired C.E.O. of Carper Casket Company.

Four female JROTC cadets promoted to command at McCluer

Parents, family members, school administrators and fellow cadets watched with pride as four McCluer Army JROTC cadets were promoted to leadership positions during the squad’s Promotion and Assumption of Command Ceremony.

The 2018-19 Comet Cadet Batallion Chain of Command are Arkayla Page, who was promoted to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel and assumes duties as the Comet Cadet Battalion Commander (Top Cadet); Cadet Kyra Sanders, who was

www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com

n Arkayla Page was promoted to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel and assumes duties as the Comet Cadet Battalion Commander (Top Cadet).

promoted to Cadet Command Sergeant Major and assumes duties as the Comet Cadet Battalion Command Sergeant Major (Senior Enlisted Advisor

for the Corps of Cadets); Cadet Tiara Worshim, who was promoted to Cadet Major and assumes duties as the Comet Cadet Battalion Executive Officer; and Cadet Erin Stroud, who was promoted to Cadet Battalion Sergeant Major. Conducting the ceremony was Lieutenant Colonel (R) Darrell Gray, McCluer’s senior Army instructor. Parents and other family members of the cadets assisted in the ceremony by changing their uniforms’ rank insignias and shoulder marks.

Public disservice in Alorton

Were it not for corruption, scandal, greed and the recycling of political leaches, the tiny village of Alorton, Illinois would only be mentioned in the context of some obscure Illinois trivia question.

Joann Reed, the current mayor of Alorton, represents all of those negative qualities.

She recently returned to the position after being removed from office back in 2013 following a guilty plea to a felony charge of smuggling a cell phone and food to her niece at the village jail.

However, Reed took advantage of an Illinois law that allows a felony to be erased if an “independent evaluator” determines the crime to be the result of substance abuse and provided that the person completes drug treatment and probation.

of 2,000 residents, the first agenda item at the village board meeting was some new wheels for the mayor.

James Ingram

As a result, Reed completed her probation just prior to the Alorton mayoral election and won. But the only ones who are cheering are probably her political sponsors, to whom she delivers votes, in Belleville and St. Clair County.

That would be the likes of St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, Democratic godfather Bob Sprague, Belleville attorney Tom Keefe and attorney Mark Scroggins who, collectively, donated $11,500 to Reed’s campaign.

And what was her first priority as the newly elected mayor? Being the true “public serpent” that she is, she begged for a new car. That’s right, in an impoverished village

In a subsequent meeting, the village voted 4-2 to hire seven new, unbudgeted, employees. Village trustee Gwen McCallum, who opposed the hires, stated, “We don’t know what they are going to be paid. And we can’t afford them anyway.” But I do understand Mayor Reed’s sense of urgency. With the possibility of being booted out of office again because of pending felony vote fraud charges (felony vote buying and electioneering during the November 2014 general election), time is of the essence. If she is convicted, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly said that he will ask the judge to once again remove her from office. So the game of mayoral musical chairs continues in Alorton. In 2000, Mayor Callie Mobley pleaded guilty to filing false income tax returns and was sentenced to 30 months. In 2012, Mayor Randy McCallum resigned after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges stemming from his intent to distribute cocaine and lying to FBI agents. He received a 43-month sentence. Apparently Mayor Reed won’t be happy until she finally joins the rarified ranks of Alorton mayors who actually have been incarcerated.

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

Columnist

Four McCluer Army JROTC female cadets hold the battalion’s top leadership positions for the 2018-19 school year: Arkayla Page, Kyra Sanders, Tiara Worshim and Erin Stroud.

VOTERS

Continued from A1

of participants in the process.”

Since the U.S. Supreme Court eviscerated the Voting Rights Act in 2012, 17 states, including Missouri, have used the phony excuse of almost non-existent voter fraud to restrict voting rights. In Missouri’s case, it’s a voter photo ID law designed to fight something that happened once in Missouri, in 1936, voting while pretending to be someone else. The real purpose of the law, pushed by Republicans for over a decade, is to depress turnout among poor, non-white voters. (Though the law is now in effect, that law provides for people without official photo ID to vote with other evidence of their identity if they sign a statement that they are who they claim to be.)

From May through September, Missouri Black Votes fought to counter voter suppression tactics by registering new voters and making sure people who had moved updated their voter registration. There are, literally, crates of the new registration forms that the election boards of both St. Louis city and county are going through right now. If the past is any indication, some forms will be brand-new voters, many will be from voters updating a change of address, and some of the forms will be incomplete. Incomplete forms can still result in valid registrations, though. The election boards send letters to people with incomplete forms, offering them the chance to – literally –fill in the blanks and complete the registration process. St. Louisan Denise Lieberman, head of the Advancement Project’s Voter Protection

Program, is optimistic. “It looks like the people they’ve signed up are making it onto the rolls,” she said. “Missouri Black Votes is one of the best when it comes to verifying information.”

n The claims by Missouri Black Votes that they’ve registered around 87,000 mostly AfricanAmerican voters statewide could go a long way toward breaking the white conservative stranglehold on American politics.

Oddly, a good deal of mainstream coverage has not focused on the problem itself – voter suppression laws requiring activists to pound the pavement to make sure people are registered – but instead on criticizing the solution, pointing out that Missouri Black Votes is funded by the Black Progressive Action Coalition. The Black Political Action Coalition focuses on non-partisan issues, like voter registration. A similar-sounding and affiliated, but separate group, Black PAC, is a traditional political action committee. Black PAC was created last year to help defeat accused pedophile Roy Moore in Alabama. And Black PAC is funded by wealthy donors tied to the pro-Hillary Clinton Super PAC Priorities USA Action. What that means here is that wealthy Democratic donors are shoveling money into actually getting people registered to vote, rather than junkyard dog attack TV ads, which is probably the most civically engaged way of using dark money pipelines.

Right-wing ideologue Mark Steyn once bragged about how the minority of white conservatives continue to have success at the polls, saying, “The future belongs to those who show up.” That, plus voter suppression and racial gerrymandering, can work wonders. Just look at the U.S. Senate vote that finally railroaded Brett Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court. The GOP senators who voted for Kavanaugh represent only 44

Rooting for MLS in STL

percent of the U.S. population. The claims by Missouri Black Votes that they’ve registered around 87,000 mostly African-American voters statewide could go a long way toward breaking the white conservative stranglehold on American politics. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that, as of Trump’s election, there were 414,000 registered black voters in Missouri. A registration bump like this, even if less than half are new voters, creates an entirely new dynamic in a state Trump won by 19 points. Take the Senate race between Claire McCaskill and Josh Hawley. Polls show it’s dead even. And despite many black voters’ anger at McCaskill for pursuing a strategy of trying to pry loose

a few hundred votes here and there in rural Missouri and not speaking directly to African-American concerns, the choice between her and Hawley is stark. Hawley, who positions himself as a religious conservative, has praised Trump, has sued to stop insurance coverage for people with pre-existing health conditions, and has claimed that what he calls voter fraud (translation: pesky black people voting) is a threat. A surge in black registration could keep the Missouri Senate seat out of the hands of an extremist Republican. Equally important is Amendment 1 on the November 6 ballot. The so-called “Clean Missouri” amendment would take the power to draw Congressional

districts out of the hands of the Republican supermajority in the Missouri Legislature and give it to a professional state demographer, who would create clean, compact congressional districts based solely on population and not on racial gerrymandering. Passing Amendment 1 could break the Republican hammerlock on Missouri’s House seats (six out of eight) by re-drawing districts. Democrats would have a fairer chance of being elected to Congress outside of St. Louis and Kansas City. The African-American vote is vital to that.

Long-term, an increased black vote can help to launch what Yale constitutional law professor Jack Balkin calls the “New Progressive Era” in American life. Balkin has

written extensively that the 40-year run of conservative political ascendancy which he calls “the Reagan regime” is ending. The howls of white conservative rage now are the last roars of the dinosaurs. While bad times lay ahead (think of a Kavanaugh Supreme Court), Balkin writes that political mobilization by the majority, pan-ethnic, progressive America inevitably leads to a New Progressive Era. With the midterms less than a month away, we’ll see if these new voter registrations mean Missouri will join that march.

Charles Jaco is a journalist, author, and activist. Follow him on Twitter at @ charlesjaco1.

Andrew C. Taylor, executive chairman of Enterprise Holdings, leads a cheer with Lewis Reed, president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen; Michael P. McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis; and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson following a press conference announcing that a female group led by Carolyn Kindle-Betz, senior VP of Enterprise Holdings, will attempt to attract a Major League Soccer team to St. Louis on October 9.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Forging the path from injustice to justice

These are incredulous times. I’m not referring to the Kavanaugh confirmation. There’s another adjective for that and another time to talk about it. I’m talking about the jury conviction of a Chicago cop. An alderwoman filing charges against the St. Louis police.

Columnist Jamala

The St. Louis prosecutor attorney releasing her list of 28 police officers whose reputations are not credible enough to take their cases. These are worthy examples of the people’s struggle for accountability and democracy.

In a rare move, jurors convicted Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke of second-degree murder in the execution of LaQuan McDonald and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. Van Dyke was apparently trying to give the 17-year old Black kid a bullet for each year of his young life. Most of the 16 bullets hit McDonald while he was down. The jury didn’t buy Van Dyke’s familiar justification for cops shooting black folks – and the video confirmed that the cop was not in danger.

Closer to home, Alderwoman Megan Green sued the city and police department for violation of First Amendment retaliation and assault for the police attack on non-violent demonstrators after the Jason Stockley verdict. This may

elected official suing City Hall and the police. Stockley also claimed his life was in danger when he shot Anthony Lamar Smith point-blank after a car chase. Protestors experienced “kettling” and chemical attacks by police. Prosecutor Kim Gardner charged Stockley with first-degree murder but was unable to get a conviction. The important thing is that Stockley was charged.

Prosecutor Gardner made public that she had a list of 28 officers whose history of problematic warrants forced her to refuse their cases. Such as list by prosecutors is not new. What’s new is Gardner made the systemic problem a matter of public record. These scenarios point to

Senator honors Sadie Maxwell on her 90th birthday

elected officials—black and white—were aware of the super-exploitation of residents by the co-conspiracy of police departments and municipal courts. It was finally the outrage of residents, weighted down by the daily encounters with hostile cops, that pulled the covers off the insidious scheme and allowed some space for transformative changes.

Communities are demanding more inclusion, more input, more justice, more peace.

Chicago folks weren’t just aiming at Van Dyke. They pressed for the firing Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy; he’s history. They booted out Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. Mayor Rahm Emanuel will not be running for re-election. These efforts are part of oppressed communities moving towards alternative forms of policing and re-envisioning public safety.

the work of communities who are refusing to be victimized as second-class citizens. They are part of the democratic wave of grassroots organizing demanding accountability and fairness. In many cases, elected officials who are aware of the injustices have not taken the lead on getting reprieve for their constituents when it comes to police and the courts – the inescapable two-headed monster that occupies black and brown communities. In North County prior

Across the country, cities will recognize October 22 Day Against Police Brutality where these issues will be lifted up along with the many lives loss to police violence. Marbre Stahly-Butts with Law for Black Lives will be coming to St. Louis on that day to talk about the options being reviewed by communities including the eventual abolition of police departments. Meanwhile, word is that the cop who murdered Tamir Rice has been re-hired as an enforcer of the law in Ohio. The Bellair Police Chief says Timothy Loehmann “deserves a second chance.”

Two steps forward, one step back. The struggle continues.

Rogers

Sadie Maxwell, a lifelong resident of the City of St. Louis, was presented with a resolution in her honor by state Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) when she celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends on September 16. Maxwell is a retired cosmetologist and a 50-year resident of the 27th Ward. She loves traveling, enhancing her computer skills, working out at the YMCA with friends, and just enjoying life.

and a new 65,000-square-foot

City and county will update and expand America’s Center

Explore St. Louis ‘fully committed to minority

workforce and contractors’ on $175M project

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

St. Louis city and county will work together to update and expand the America’s Center Convention Complex, city and county officials announced on Wednesday, October 3. They plan to add 92,000 square feet of exhibit space, allowing the facility to host larger events. They plan to build a 65,000-square-foot ballroom and meeting area with 20,000 square feet of pre-function event space, as well as an outdoor pavilion, and to refurbish the central Washington Avenue entrance. They also will add 22,000 square feet of new support space to improve service access, build 26 new loading docks and renovate the existing 12 docks.

“I’m pleased to see our regional leaders standing together to ensure that the America’s

n “It is important that St. Louis is poised to compete with other similarly sized cities for conventions and large events.”

– St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones

Center will be a state-of-the-art destination for years to come,” U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Missouri) told The American. “Major meetings and conventions mean jobs and economic vitality that make the St. Louis region stronger.” They estimate the cost at $175 million, to be

funded by an extension of payments from the designated fund set up through the 3.5 percent hotel and motel taxes collected in St. Louis city and county. They said ordinances detailing the financing packages will be introduced shortly in both St. Louis city and county.

In a statement, Explore St. Louis said it is “fully committed to minority workforce and contractor participation” in the project, adding, “We have more than a decade-long history of establishing and working to exceed goals for both minority hiring and purchasing from minority- and women-owned St. Louis-area businesses.”

Currently the complex hosts roughly 100 events annually, with more than 600,000 attendees and 300,000 hotel room night stays,

See CENTER, A15

County Council removes apprenticeship requirement for certain contracts

By Jason Rosenbaum

St. Louis County may no longer require contractors bidding for work to have apprenticeship programs — a longstanding priority for labor unions.

The County Council voted 5-2 on October 2 for Councilwoman Colleen Wasinger’s legislation that makes a host of changes to the county’s procurement regulations. One of the big changes is that it no longer would require bidders for certain contracts to either participate or maintain apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship programs train workers to participate in certain trades — and are often associated with labor unions.

Pruitt of NAACP: ‘You have smaller contractors who can compete’ n “You have smaller contractors who can compete and who can do the work, but they don’t have an opportunity to do it, because they’re not affiliated with an apprenticeship program.”

“This bill is not in any way, shape or form saying that apprenticeship programs are bad. They’re good. They turn out wonderful workers,” said Wasinger, R-Huntleigh. “But they’re not the only way to train a worker. And that is the issue that was making it a barrier to entry — that others that didn’t have an apprenticeship program could not even bid on county work.”

– Adolphus Pruitt, NAACP

Critics of the requirements contend it makes it harder for women- and minority-owned businesses to compete for county work. That was one of the reasons why St. Louis NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt supported the

Sherita Love manages EdHub STL, which is inspired by a vision to ensure that children and youth can achieve their fullest potential. It also answers the call to action in the “Forward through Ferguson” report urging the region to look for ways to support innovation in education, giving special consideration to innovations that address systemic challenges and racial inequity. Located at Innovation Hall in the Cortex Innovation Community, EdHub STL is powered by Venture Cafe St. Louis in partnership with SkipNV.

David Vincent III received 100 percent of the votes from the 20 members of the Missouri Judicial Performance Review Committee that he meets overall judicial performance standards. He is circuit judge on Missouri’s 21st Circuit Court bench, which covers St. Louis County. Appointed to the bench in 1997 via the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan, he will stand for retention on the November 6 ballot.

MaKesha Harris Lee joined Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as its first assistant director for pre-collegiate programs. She will deliver pre-collegiate student success support, guidance and advising to students at East St. Louis and eventually other area high schools for aid in their preparation for the collegiate experience. Last year she led the implementation of a 12-month pilot pre-collegiate program with SIUE’s East St. Louis Charter High School.

Dedric Carter was selected as one of 11 2018-19 NACUBO Fellows. This is an intensive year of development for higher education professionals who aspire to be chief business officers in their next roles. He is vice chancellor for operations and technology transfer and professor of engineering practice at Washington University in St. Louis. NACUBO (the National Association of College and University Business Officers) is a membership organization representing more than 1,900 colleges and universities across the country.

Michele DeShay was elected to the Missouri Municipal League’s Board of Directors. Founded in 1934, the league serves more than 640 municipalities with training, resources and legislative advocacy for local government success. She has been mayor of Moline Acres for 10 years and previously served three terms (six years) on the Moline Acres Board of Aldermen, with one term as president of the board. She also chairs the leagues Environment, Energy and Sustainability Policy and Resolutions committees.

John Keene was awarded a 2018 MacArthur Fellowship in Fiction and Nonfiction Writing. A native of St. Louis, he is the author of the story collection “Counternarratives” (2015) and “Annotations” (1995).

and

John Keene

David Vincent III

Michele DeShay

Dedric Carter

Sherita Love

MaKesha Harris Lee

A ballroom at America’s Center hosted a lively Old School Dance Party at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2018 Salute to Excellence in Education on Saturday, September. An $175 million update and expansion of the convention center will add 92,000 square feet of exhibit space

ballroom.

Of St. Louis Public Radio

Photo by Wiley Price

Charmaine Chapman Society announces $3.9M campaign goal

African-American leadership giving initiative raised a record $3.8M for United Way in 2017

American staff

The Charmaine Chapman Leadership Society, the United Way of Greater St. Louis’ African-American leadership giving initiative and the top philanthropic program for African Americans ay any United Way in the nation, recently announced a $3.9 million campaign goal, the largest goal in the group’s 24-year history.

Dr. Richard B. “Rick” White and Anita R. White, who serve as this year’s society co-chairs, made the announcement.

“The Charmaine Chapman Society is centered around a culture of caring, a united community and a continued legacy of helping others,” said Dr. White. “United Way of Greater St. Louis touches the lives of more than 1 million people each year, and the impact of the society and its members is a critical component of this.”

The Charmaine Chapman Leadership Society is comprised of African

Americans who donate $1,000 or more annually to the United Way. With more than 850 local members, the society raised a record $3.8 million for United Way of Greater St. Louis in 2017.

n “Through the society and United Way, we have an opportunity to lead the change we all want to see in our region, now and for the generations that will follow us.”

– Anita White

“Through the society and United Way, we have an opportunity to lead the change we all want to see in our region, now and for the generations that will follow us,” Anita White said. “Rick and I are confident that once again our community will come together to provide hope, strength and a helping hand to

our neighbors in need.”

Dr. Rick White is executive medical director of health plan affairs for SSM Health Care. Anita White spent her career in IT and finance, including serving as faculty at California State University Fresno and as an adjunct assistant professor at University of Missouri-St. Louis’ School of Business.

Nearly 200 members gathered for a kickoff event at Jefferson Underground.

Guests enjoyed the music of NBC’s The Voice contestant, Tish Haynes-Keys, and her band One Band One Sound.

Last month, 2018 United Way of Greater St. Louis campaign co-chairs, Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton and Jeff Fox, CEO of the Harbour Group, announced a region-wide campaign goal of $76 million.

For more information on donating to United Way or joining the Charmaine Chapman Leadership Society, visit www.HelpingPeople.org.

Fitch gives St. Louis airport best bond ratings in a decade

This is the third bond rating review issued in the past 45 days noting improved financial and operational outlooks for STL revenue bonds. S&P Global Ratings issued a stable outlook when it affirmed its “A-“ long-term rating on August 31. Moody’s Investor Services upgraded STL’s bond

St. Louis Lambert International Airport received its best bond ratings in a decade following Fitch Ratings affirmation of nearly $300 million in outstanding City of St. Louis airport revenue bonds at “A-“ with an upgrade to positive, from stable. Fitch stated that the positive outlook reflects an expanding enplanement base, stable cash flow, and declining leverage at the airport.

rating to “A2” (from “A3”) with an outlook of stable on August 7. With the new Fitch rating, this is the first time that all three rating agencies have surpassed their ratings set in 2008.

“This latest rating from Fitch affirms the strong financial position and operations at St. Louis Lambert International Airport,” said

Comptroller Darlene Green, City of St. Louis. “I commend the airport management team for its ongoing strategy and success at reducing costs and increasing air service.”

The airport will surpass 15 million total passengers in CY2018, which has not been achieved since 2007. The airport has served 10.4 million passengers through August, a

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continued from page B1 council’s move.

“You have smaller contractors who can compete and who can do the work,” Pruitt said. “But they don’t have an opportunity to do it, because they’re being told that they’re not affiliated with an apprenticeship program.”

But backers of the apprenticeship requirement contend it leads to county work being done more efficiently and safely. And Councilman Pat Dolan, D-Richmond

growth rate of six percent over a year ago. The airport has recorded three years of monthover-month passenger growth which has leveraged its ability to reduce costs. In FY2017, STL’s cost per enplaned passenger (CPE) dropped to $11.10, down from $13.90 in FY2014. The CPE setting for FY2018 was $9.90. STL welcomed two new

Heights, said that trade unions have been striving to add more women and minorities within their ranks.

“Apprenticeship programs — union and nonunion — have done tremendous efforts in enhancing the opportunities for minorities and women to get into the trades and stay in the trades,” Dolan said. “I don’t know if that’s overlooked or just misunderstood, but it’s one of the best pathways for minorities and women to get into a good-paying career.”

Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray, D-Blackjack, disagreed with Dolan that

airlines in 2018 to join nine other major carriers. Sun Country Airlines began weekly flights to Fort Myers, Florida last week, expanding to Tampa next month. WOW air began non-stop flights to Iceland in May. Airlines at the airport operate 270 peak daily departures to 70 non-stop destinations.

unions have become more diverse — but ended up voting against Wasinger’s bill.

“I do not feel that the unions have done a good job with being inclusive and with engaging minorities. I’m just not sure that cutting out the apprenticeship program is going to help,” Gray said. The legislation now goes to St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger’s desk. A spokesman for Stenger says he’s reviewing the bill.

Follow Jason on Twitter: @ jrosenbaum. Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

Dr. Richard “Rick” White and Dr. Anita White serve as co-chairs of the Charmaine Chapman Society’s 2018 campaign. United Way President and CEO Orvin Kimbrough joined them for the kick off.

Ameren Missouri donates $2.5M to Heat-Up and Cool Down

Ameren Missouri is donating $5 million over the next three years to Heat-Up St. Louis to provide energy assistance and new programs for its limited-income customers to address immediate needs and help them keep bills lower over time. Of that, $2.5 million will be used over the next three years for crisis energy assistance to combat extreme temperatures. This Energy Outreach program from Ameren Missouri comes from corporate earnings and is not charged to customers.

Heat-Up’s summer program, Cool Down, has received more than 80,100 energy assistance inquiries from Missouri residents since May. Visit heatupstlouis.org and heatupmissouri.org for more information about immediate crisis energy assistance.

Pictured: Missouri Public Service Commissioner Scott Rupp, Heat Up St. Louis Chairman Emeritus Earl E. Nance Jr., Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Ameren Missouri President Michael Moehn, Heat-Up St. Louis board chairwoman Melanie DiLeo and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Chairman Keith Williamson.

LaunchCode offers free coding classes for military families and veterans

LaunchCode is accepting applications from St. Louisarea veterans, reservists, active service members and military families for a special cohort of LC101, its flagship 20-week computer programming course. This course is being offered to students at no cost and is funded by a generous $130,200 grant from the Berges Family

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generating $265 million of new direct economic spending, according to Johnson Consulting, and the facility supports more than 3,300 fulltime jobs. However, the city has seen a decline in bookings as rival markets improved their convention centers.

“It is important that St. Louis is poised to compete with other similarly sized cities for conventions and large events,” St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones told The American. “This project will put us back in the game.” Explore St. Louis

Foundation.

Class will be held Monday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. from November 5 to April 18, 2019 at the American Legion Post

noted recent investments in convention facilities in Indianapolis ($275 million), Nashville ($623 million), San Antonio ($325 million), Louisville ($207 million) and Columbus ($125 million), with new projects underway in Lexington ($230 million) and Oklahoma City ($288 million).

Johnson Consulting estimated that the

137 in O’Fallon, Illinois, in close proximity to Scott Air Force Base. Applications are open until October 22.

LaunchCode recently received over 1,500

improvements could drive more than 35 percent growth in bookings at the facility.

“Making sure the America’s Center remains one of the best convention centers in the nation will bring more jobs and more opportunities to the people of St. Louis, while strengthening the economy for everyone,” state Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D-St.

applications for about 440 available seats for Summer cohorts of their free courses. This special cohort of LC101 is a chance to extend a highdemand opportunity to a

Louis) told The American “Updating and expanding the America’s Center will make a smart investment in our future without taxing local residents, and I’m proud to support this job-creating project.”

The project is being branded as “AC Next Gen.”

segment of the population that can greatly benefit from it. To apply, visit www. launchcode.org.

“The America’s Center plays a critical role as an economic driver for the entire region,” stated Kathleen “Kitty” Ratcliffe, president of Explore St. Louis. “The complex is truly a window for the hundreds of thousands of event attendees who visit us and are hopefully inspired to return here for future leisure or business event purposes.”

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

was celebrated with an open house on September 21. It was built by a collaborative working to provide housing for people with behavioral health needs, relying mostly on financing from Missouri Housing Development Commission via state and federal low-income housing tax credits.

Housing for health and wellness

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

If having a safe and secure home is the basis for your life, how do unhoused men, women and their families find that starting point to get back toward productive living? Particularly individuals with behavioral health disabilities?

The Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis and Places for People grappled with that dilemma, and secured resources to provide supportive housing in locations throughout St. Louis where there had been none. Places for People provides caring, evidence-

n “We consider a place to live the foundation for recovery, for health, for getting healthier.” – Joe Yancey, Places for People

based behavioral health and medical care, programs and services to support and empower persons to recover from mental illness, substance use disorders and associated chronic conditions.

“When they come in for services, which is behavioral as well as physical health services, they’re homeless, and we consider a place to live the foundation for recovery, for health, for getting healthier,” Joe Yancey, executive director of Places for People, said. “Affordable housing is one of the greatest needs that we have, and not just for people with behavioral health, really – for people who are poor.”

The Behavioral Health Network is a collaborative group of community mental

See HOUSING, A17

Students and staff from Gateway Michael Elementary School enjoy its walking trail.

By Derek Mays For The St. Louis American

There are several important issues for all of us to consider on the upcoming November 6 ballot. Of particular importance to Missourians will be whether we decide to join 31 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing the growing, processing, selling and using of cannabis (marijuana) for medical purposes.

Missouri voters will be asked to consider three separate ballot measures that could alter the speed, timing and manner for which patients will be able to gain access to medical cannabis. I urge you to vote for the first option on the ballot, Amendment 2, as the most balanced approach for health care providers, industry participants and for the overall wellness of Missourians.

Derek Mays

The legalization of cannabis, at least for medical purposes, is inevitable. In 2017, revenues from stateregulated cannabis sales topped $8 billion and are forecast to surpass $15 billion annually by 2020. There have also been an estimated 120,000 jobs created in the U.S. as a result of this new industry. These economic benefits, including the accompanying tax revenue, will only increase.

The stigma associated with cannabis use is quickly dissipating as well, as many begin to view the plant as a legitimate means to provide relief from medical conditions such as arthritis, appetite and weight loss often accompanying cancer and HIV/AIDS treatments, severe nausea, sickle cell anemia, post-traumatic stress disorder, inflammatory bowel disease and chronic pain associated with multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy.

Polling shows that most Americans no longer believe cannabis use poses the dangers that some have suggested and that few of us buy into Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ assertion that “good people don’t smoke marijuana.”

n Amendment 2 levies a reasonable tax burden on industry participants with revenue benefitting veterans’ health care concerns.

The cannabis debate has a far-reaching and racist past. Previously dispensed by pharmacies in America, cannabis was outlawed 80 years ago through the efforts of Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. He tied cannabis use to jazz music, which he hated due to the prevalence of black musicians. Anslinger’s racist rhetoric in 1937 gained support through his statements such as “this was a drug black men used to seduce white women” and that it “promotes interracial mixing and interracial relationships.”

Then the war on drugs, which commenced in 1971 under President Richard Nixon, began (and, some would argue, continues) an allout assault on the poor and people of color as arrests and convictions related to drug possession and sales exploded. Our prison system became bloated disproportionately with those from black and brown communities, even though drug usage and distribution rates were, and remain, similar to those in white communities.

Although the number of minorities who have been incarcerated for the sale or possession of cannabis is astronomical and 3-4 times the rate of white people who have been incarcerated for similar activities, minorityowned businesses in this new industry remain less than 5 percent; some estimate as few as 1

with mental health needs and their

Photo by Chris Stalter/Places for People

Photo by Wiley Price

Mercedes Collado recognized for exceptional migrant health service

Mercedes Collado was awarded the 2018 Louis S. Garcia Community / Migrant Health Service Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). She serves as a program manager within SIHF Healthcare’s Community Programs division in East St. Louis.

Established in 1990 in honor of Louis S. Garcia, who served as president of NACHC from 19781979, this award is presented to individuals for exceptional primary healthcare management and service in the migrant/farm worker health field.

Mercedes Collado

To learn more about the NACHC, visit www.nachc.org. To learn more about SIHF Healthcare, visit www.sihf. org.

More days to get flu shots

In addition to the times cited last week, free flu vaccines by Barnes-Jewish Hospital are offered Monday, October 1; Tuesday, October 2; and Wednesday October 3 at its main floor lobby from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and at The Center for Advanced Medicine from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Please note that all Barnes-

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Peaceful Playground.

These changes were made possible by grant funding from Missouri Foundation for Health and the hard work of district leadership, school leadership, staff, and students.

“The Gateway Michael community – parents, teachers, students, staff and school leaders – has united around the importance of creating a healthy school,” said Leanne White, Healthy Schools Healthy Communities project

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percent of these businesses are owned by black entrepreneurs. This is due not only to the significant capital needed to finance business operations and license fees, but also as a result of most states having regulations that disqualify those with a prior drug-related felony conviction from participating.

Yes, you may be disqualified from legally participating today in the same activity for which you were convicted last year. Sound a bit unfair? Many would agree with you, but all three of Missouri’s ballot measures contain this disqualifying language.

We should change our

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health and substance use providers, working with hospital and governmental leaders and community members, that identifies gaps in behavioral health care, then work together to identify solutions. The network focuses on the uninsured, underinsured populations in St. Louis city and Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Louis and Warren counties. It also hosts a housing collaborative, made up of some of the same leadership, to foster a common agenda for housing support.

“We utilize Gateway Housing First as a supportive housing entity, who, not only understands the development side of things, but also the need for supportive housing,” said Wendy Orson, executive director of the Behavioral Health Network.

Gateway Housing First – a property landlord, facilitator, owner and developer – was established in 2013 to offer

Jewish Hospital sponsored clinics will offer the highdose flu vaccine. At Christian Hospital, the October 14 flu shot clinic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Atrium in the Detrick Building is the only one at Christian that offers the high-dose flu vaccine for seniors.

director for SLPS. All 19 schools in Missouri recognized as among America’s Healthiest Schools are part of the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC) initiative.

“I’m so proud of our schools and look forward to seeing more healthy changes in the years to come,” said Deidre Griffith, HSHC program director for the Missouri Foundation for Health.

Any school can join Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program at no-cost to access trainings, resources and technical assistance by visiting schools.healthiergeneration.org.

laws to allow for the growth of this industry similar to those in most other states. On November 6, we have three options for doing go.

Amendment 2 is a constitutional amendment sponsored by New Approach Missouri imposing a four percent tax with revenue generated for veteran’s health care costs.

Proposition C is a statutory amendment sponsored by Missourians for Patient Care imposing a two percent tax with revenue going to veterans’ services, drug treatment, early childhood education and public safety programs.

Amendment 3 is a constitutional amendment sponsored by Find the Cures which imposes a 15 percent tax. Resulting tax revenue for

stable housing for the disabled and most vulnerable individuals and families who live with a wide range of complex disorders and life situations and who need support to maintain housing.

“We have found that our tenants have needs that often can’t be met immediately by other service partners,” said Cynthia Duffe, executive director of Gateway Housing First. “Like, they need to be enrolled with a community mental health provider or a substance abuse provider or other social service providers to really support them effectively. So, we really have to seek funding from grant sources to support a small clinical staff that can provide bridge services until they can be enrolled in full services through another community partner and to also negotiate issues that may arise with tenants when they are struggling.”

Places for People turned over properties it owned to Gateway Housing First to operate. Places for People provides the after-hours onsite behavioral health personnel,

Amendment 3 would be used to create and support a research facility overseen by a ninemember board with the aim of finding cures and treatments for certain diseases. A 15 percent

and the Behavioral Health Network finds resources to connect individuals to supportive housing.

“We facilitate multiple community projects where we’re taking folks from the ED [emergency department], many of whom are homeless, and connecting them back to community care,” Orson said. “So we are a resource that works in conjunction with Gateway Housing to refer people, to bring providers together and to help continue to coordinate care regionally.”

Between the three organizations, doors are opening for persons living with anxiety, depression or other issues, helping them reestablish themselves as tenants who take care of themselves and their families. Places for People’s onsite staff at the supportive housing locations work primarily between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. Their work augments treatment from other people that takes place during the day and outside of the housing communities.

Yancey said having that type of enhanced supportive

tax, on top of the other tax burdens that cannabis industry participants must face, will prevent the vast majority of those interested from creating a viable business to support the

environment, particularly for persons who have not had their own place for some time, works very well to support the entire treatment process.

“It helps people feel safe in some cases, particularly people who may have had tremendous trauma experiences in their life,” Yancey said. “It helps them feel safer. There are people there that can help calm things down if thoughts or anxiety or whatever is running a little rampant for whatever reason.”

The 32-unit Nathaniel Rivers Place community, located in the 22nd Ward and named after a former state senator and representative for the area, is the first new construction project for this supportive housing collaboration.

“For Nat Rivers Place, we built from the ground-up and we relied mostly on financing from Missouri Housing Development Commission –specifically, state and federal low-income housing tax credits to build that project,” Duffe said. “It’s amazing and beautiful because we were

Leg-saver

Dr. Valinda Allen, medical director of the Alton Memorial Hospital Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center, with Bill Burton, whose right leg was saved at the center after an incision from a surgery to bypass a blocked artery in his leg and restore blood flow became infected. “They were genuinely concerned about my well-being,” Burton said. “I knew Dr. Allen truly cared about me.” For information on the center, call 618433-7066.

industry. It is clear that New Approach Missouri’s Amendment 2 is the best option. Key elements that will make Amendment 2 successful are:

• It is a constitutional amendment, which makes it more difficult than a statutory amendment to delay implementation or change the program requirements;

• It is comprehensive and based on other successful state regulatory frameworks;

• It levies a reasonable tax burden on industry participants with revenue benefitting veterans’ health care concerns;

• It provides opportunity for a balanced distribution of licenses; and

• It is endorsed by the Marijuana Policy Project,

also able to get other gapfunding sources to take it a step further and make sure there is plenty of space in the building for onsite support services, for 24-hour clinical staff and it just to be a high-quality construction product.”

Duffe said Gateway Housing First acquired its other housing communities either from other organizations that wanted to get out of housing, or bought apartment complexes for less than market value and transformed them into permanent support housing. It operates Gateway Accessible Housing apartments in South St. Louis County near Jefferson Barracks, Giles Apartments in South City, a North Spring House for men, and an historic mixed-use house for women in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

Yancey said Places for People’s role at most of these properties is to provide a community support team attached to that property.

which is led by Steve Hawkins and endeavors to change the laws that imprison people for marijuana use, and Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association.

Our neighboring states of Illinois, Arkansas and Oklahoma have all legalized medical cannabis for qualified patients. On August 28, Illinois governor Bruce Rauner signed legislation allowing medical cannabis to be used as an opioid alternative. With most American citizens now living in a state or territory which permits the use of medical cannabis, it is past time for Missourians to also benefit from the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis. Join me in voting YES on Amendment 2 on November 6.

“We all have a responsibility as healthcare providers to invest in social determinants of health, one of which is housing, because we know that, oftentimes, these social indicators impact the overall health and wellbeing of individuals,” Orson said.

“If hospitals, if communities, if all of the folks who are involved at the intersects with these individuals can help fund housing supports, then we could see reduced costs in acute care and emergency room visits, because large portions of the top ED users are often homeless.” For more information, call 314-309-3174 or visit gatewayhousingfirst.org or placesforpeople.org.

“We need so much more, and it’s not just a behavioral health thing,” Yancey said. “We have so many people – families, children – that don’t have a place, and the Section 8 waiting list is six or seven years long and has been forever.” Orson said the Behavioral Health Network is looking at housing collaborations in other states, and it plans to bring some of those ideas to this area with additional partners to fund housing support.

Planning A Healthy Menu Create an Obstacle Course

Nutrition Challenge:

Look through the food ads in today’s newspaper and plan a healthy dinner menu for your family using what you find. Consider earlier lessons regarding

Exercise Challenge:

With your parent’s help and permission, create an obstacle course or fitness trail in your own backyard. Be sure to include balance, endurance, skill and speed challenges. Activities could include standing on one foot, running around a shed, tossing a ball into a bucket,

What is peer pressure?

Peer Pressure

Anytime a friend or classmate pushes you to do something that you really don’t want to do, that is considered peer pressure. Sometimes it’s just harmless fun, like daring a friend to eat a food that s/he doesn’t really like. But if you are feeling pressure

Healthy Kids Kids

serving sizes, variety and nutrition. List all of the items for your meal and categorize by food group (dairy, protein, fruits, etc.).

Present your “meal” to your classmates. Now, as a class, determine which meal would be the most delicious… and nutritious!

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

push-ups against the side of the house and crawling under the

to do something that is dangerous, unhealthy or illegal, ask yourself, “Who is pressuring me, and why should I do something just to make that person happy?”

Always make smart choices based on what you know to be right and you’ll do better in life.

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

lowest branch of a tree. Who could do the most push-ups?

Who did all of the challenges the fastest? Consider holding a weekly competition to see who is the new winner.

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

Cheesy Broccoli

Bites

Ingredients:

2 Cps Broccoli, cooked and chopped

1 Cp Cheddar Cheese, shredded 12 Round Butter Crackers, crumbled

1 Egg

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients (except 2 crackers) well and spoon into a mini muffin tin that has been sprayed with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with remaining crumbled crackers and bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Nancy L. Williams, School Nurse Team Leader

Where do you work? I work for Saint Louis Public Schools.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from John Burroughs High School. I then earned a bachelor of science in mathematics degree from Washington University, St. Louis, and a bachelor of science in nursing degree from Saint Louis University.

What does a school nurse do? Now that the season is fall, I give breathing treatments to students that have asthma. I help students that have diabetes plan their breakfast and lunch menus and make certain that they calculate their medication dosage. Sometimes the athletes need an Ace wrap after the weekend football game, and I give first aid in the form of band aids and wraps. Why did you choose this career? I’ve always wanted to be a nurse, since I was five years old. I love helping people feel better. If I can’t help people feel better, then I love helping people seek ways to improve their health.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

My favorite part is the daily interaction with the high school students at Roosevelt. Teenagers are constantly maturing physically and emotionally. Some of them are making permanent life choices while being a student. But I also love educating them and their families in how best to manage chronic conditions.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

Our summer programs offer something for every budget, schedule and interest. From our ever-popular summer camps to programs tailored for little ones, adults and the whole family, we have the adventure for you. Mail-in and online registration options are open now!

Visit stlzoo.org/education for the complete list of summer programs and detailed registration information. Questions? Please contact the Zoo’s Education Department at (314) 646-4544, option #6.

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Woerner Elementary 3rd & 4th grade teacher Mrs. Johnson teachers science to Mohammed Alhadrawi, Justin Bajric, Ryan Fowler, and Luis Dominguez using The St. Louis American’s STEM page. Woerner Elementary is in the Saint Louis Public Schools District.

American

Teachers,

SCIENCE CORNER How Deep is The Ocean Floor?

An oceanographer is a trained scientist who studies the various physical properties and processes of oceans. The study of underwater depth is called Bathymetry. Oceanographers map the ocean floor to record great mountain ranges, valleys, and canyons. To date, only about 5% of the ocean floor has been explored and mapped in the same detail as current land maps, or even the Moon. The ocean floor is mapped in two ways. Oceanographers use satellite altimeters and echosounders mounted to the underside of research ships. Acoustic echosounders measure the depth of the ocean by sending pulses of sound and observing the time it takes to receive an echo back from the bottom. Satellite altimeters use radar to profile the shape of the sea surface, which is similar to the shape of the seafloor. Before the depth of the ocean can be measured, the mean sea level must first be established. This is done by a device

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you will learn about depth and pressure.

Materials Needed:

Paper Cup • Hole Punch • Masking Tape

• Water • Ruler

Process:

q Punch holes up the side of a paper cup.

w Cover the holes on the outside of the cup with a strip of masking tape.

e Set your cup in a sink or outdoors and pour water into it continuously.

MATH CONNECTION

Use the following formula to answer the word problems. Volume = length x width x depth

q A puddle is 7 inches long, 5 inches wide and 3 inches deep. What is the volume? ___________

w Your swimming pool is 10 ft long, 8 ft wide and 6 ft deep. What is the volume? _______________

DID YOU KNOW?

name refers to Atlas of Greek mythology. The Pacific Ocean’s name has an original meaning of “Peaceful.”

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN-AMERICAN AQUATIC BIOLOGIST, RESEARCHER, AND EDUCATOR: Carol L. Folt

called a tide gauge. After the sea level is established, the acoustic echo-sounding and satellite altimeter data can be analyzed. Many adjustments to the data have to be made when mapping the ocean floor. Factors such as air pressure, water vapor content in the atmosphere, as well as waves and the effects of tides. The processing is very difficult.

Both tide and satellite measurements use averaging to reach millimeter accuracy.

The average depth of the ocean is about 14,000 feet. The deepest part of the ocean is located beneath the Pacific Ocean in the Marianas Trench.

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

r Observe how far the water goes as it leaves each hole. (The water will force the tape loose from the holes.)

Analyze: The deeper water leaving the bottom hole goes farther because it is under more pressure. The water pressure increases with depth because the weight of the water is pushing down from the top of the cup. This is why deeper ocean water is under greater pressure than shallow water.

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete a task. I can evaluate and analyze my results.

e Your bathtub is 5 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3 ft deep. What is the volume? ____________

r You have a tank 100 feet long and 10 feet wide that holds a volume of 15,000 cubic feet of water. Find the depth of the tank.

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

The largest ocean on Earth is the Pacific Ocean, covering 30% of the Earth’s surface. The

Carol L. Folt was born in 1951. She received her bachelor’s degree in aquatic biology and her master’s degree in biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Next, Folt earned her doctorate degree in ecology from the University of California, Davis, in 1982. Her doctorate studies focused on zooplankton. In 1983, she was hired as a faculty member at Dartmouth College. Fourteen years later, she became a full time professor of biological sciences. From there, Folt was elevated to associate director of the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Research Program, which examined ways toxic metals affect the ecosystems and human populations. In 2004, she was selected to serve as Dean of the Faculty. Six years later, she was named provost of Dartmouth College.

Through her educational career, Folt has served as a mentor to a great number of students. She is also a participating member in the Dartmouth’s Women in Science Project. Although she has taken on leadership roles at the university, she still continues her research. She has received over $40 million in grants and funding for her research, focusing on aquatic food webs and animal behavior in ocean wildlife, such as the Atlantic salmon and the water flea.

She was awarded the John M. Manly Huntington Award for Teaching in 1991. She was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2010. Folt has been an active participant in many organizations, including the Ecological Society of America and American Society of Limnology and Oceanography.

Discuss: In what ways has Dr. Folt’s research impacted your life? Why is it important to study the ecosystem? What do you think an aquatic biologist does? Would you like to be an aquatic biologist? Why or why not?

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

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to sharpen your skills for the MAP test.

Activity One —

Calculate It: Use the newspaper (or search online) to find an ad for flooring. Estimate the size of your classroom in square feet and determine the cost to install new flooring. Next, determine the size of your cafeteria in square yards and calculate the cost of new flooring using the same ad.

Activity Two —

You are the reporter: Reporters are responsible for background research and interviews to develop a well-written article. Imagine you have the chance to interview any person in history (living or deceased). What questions would you ask? Complete a mock interview and the necessary research and write a news article about your historical person. Be sure to include quotes in your article.

Learning Standards:

I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem. I can complete research and write a summary.

Photo: Wiley Price / St. Louis

The Atlantic Ocean’s

Amelia Earhart became the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.

What will white women do on November 6?

By Mike Jones

Of The St. Louis American

The legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 masterpiece “Rashomon” shows how four people recount different versions of the story of a man’s murder and rape of his wife. It reveals the complexity of people and the relative nature of truth when dealing with an objective reality. I referenced Rashomon because, as a country, 300 million people just witnessed the same event but we all saw different things Before I deal with what I think we saw, let me definitively say what we didn’t see. What was not

on display was white men struggling to confirm the veracity of Dr. Christine Blasely Ford’s charges against Kavanaugh. American white men have imprisoned, lynched and mutilated thousands of black men based upon the uncorroborated assertion of a white woman. Or, if white men imagined that a random black man had assaulted a white woman, no assertion by her was needed. But I digress. As irrational as the events that unfolded during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings appeared to be, there was a rational basis for everything we witnessed. This was not a debate about the suitability of one man to sit on

the U.S. Supreme Court; this was a high-stakes battle in the war being waged by reactionary conservative forces to maintain America’s rich white male hegemony. Over 2,000 years ago, Aristotle opined that man by his nature is a social animal. The anthropological and historical record of Homo sapiens will verify Aristotle knew what he was talking about. All social animals are inherently hierarchical and undemocratic by nature. Then if we are by nature social animals, we also are by nature hierarchical and

Pathways to Success

How to recognize and avoid college scholarship scams

By The St. Louis American Staff

Average college costs have doubled in the last two decades, and this financial pressure along with new technologies makes today’s students particularly vulnerable to financial aid and scholarship scams.

“Scammers know to take advantage of those who are stressed,” said Robert C. Ballard, president and CEO of Scholarship America, the nation’s largest nonprofit scholarship and education support organization. “Fortunately, there are some ways you can avoid getting duped.”

To help you spot scams, Scholarship America offers the following insights.

Fees and Other Red Flags

Scholarship programs charging a fee to apply often look legitimate. But look at the bigger picture: if the provider is awarding $500 in scholarships and collecting fees from thousands of applicants, it’s not funding education so much as making money. Your chances of earning a scholarship are slight if not impossible – sham providers often collect fees and disappear.

Some providers claim to have a no-stringsattached grant or an incredibly low-interest loan to offer, as long as you pay a tax or “redemption” fee in advance. Others offer to match you with guaranteed scholarships – if you pay for a premium search service. Keep in mind, there’s no such thing as a “guaranteed scholarship.”

Free, comprehensive scholarship searching and matching services like Fastweb and Cappex will connect you to legitimate, competitive scholarships that don’t charge application fees.

Too Good to Be True

Be wary of the “too-good-to-be-true” scam model: an official-sounding organization tells you about an incredible opportunity, offers you a coveted spot at a scholarship seminar, or just sends you a check with a note of congratulations, using messaging designed to get your adrenaline pumping and make you act fast.

Remember, scholarship providers aren’t in the practice of sending funds out randomly; it’s likely the check will bounce, or you’ll be asked to send money back for “processing” or an “accidental” overpayment. Your safest bet? Tearing up the check and, if you have time, filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Sponsored By:

undemocratic. This creates a lot of cognitive dissonance for anyone whose enculturation and education are a function of the American social system. There’s an old political adage that says: where you stand on an issue is a function of where you sit. Our social identity defines who we are in any social unit, large or small. In America the foundations of social identity are race, gender and class; racism, capitalism and sexism provide the intellectual rationalizations. As these elements define who you are in America, they’ll also determine where you sit and will be good predictors of where you stand.

“Hegemony” derives from a Greek term that translates simply as “dominance over.”

Hegemony is the dominance of one group over others, most often by legitimating cultural norms and ideas and institutions that support the dominance. Or it can come by force. In every human social group there is

hegemony In America, rich white men are the hegemony, and because of that they have awarded themselves privileges. Privilege does not mean the best table at a five-star restaurant or frontrow tickets to “Hamilton.”

Privilege has it root in the Latin privilegium, meaning a law in favor of or against a specific person or a special right. It evolved to mean exemption or immunity from conditions everyone else is subject too.

As Orwell put it in “Animal Farm”: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Everything witnessed during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, everything during the 2016 presidential campaign and everything during the last 18 months of the Trump presidency, even the Republican reaction during the entire eight years of the Obama presidency, all have their antecedent in the fact that white men in American are, and want to stay, more equal than others.

Which brings us to November 6, the most consequential midterm election

ELECTION

Government is broken.

Some politicians would rather get into fights than get results. And critical issues like Medicare, Social Security, support for family caregivers, and prescription drug costs are all on the line. While it may seem like a classic gloom-and-doom scenario, the good news is, there’s an election coming up. And there’s one clear deciding factor that can make all the difference in the world: Missourians 50 and over.

We’re the state’s most powerful voting bloc. Way more of us show up at the polls than any other group. For this election, we need to turn out in record numbers to make sure that our voices are heard, and that the politicians work on the vital issues that really matter to us:

Medicare: To trim the rising federal budget deficit, some politicians think beneficiaries should pick up a larger share of health costs than they already pay. That could mean higher premiums, copays and cost sharing; reducing coverage; and raising the eligibility age. Medicare is critical healthcare coverage for African Americans seniors. We must vote for candidates who will protect it.

Social Security: African Americans work hard and pay

into Social Security with every paycheck. While the program remains secure today, Social Security can only pay full benefits for the next 15 years. Without modest changes to make it financially sound, benefits will be cut by about 25 percent in 2034, according to the latest Social Security Board of Trustees report. We need elected officials who will keep Social Security strong for us—and for future generations.

Family Caregiving: Every day, hardworking African American Missourians are among the more than 40 million Americans who care for older parents, spouses, children and adults with disabilities, or other loved ones. These family caregivers are the backbone of our country’s care system, yet they continue to face physical, emotional and financial challenges.

Our representatives must support caregiving families by protecting and increasing access to care at home and in the community, and through other meaningful efforts.

Prescription Drug Costs:

The average retail price of a prescription drug taken to treat a chronic condition has reached a whopping $13,000 per year. That’s about 80 percent of the average annual

in the lifetime of anyone alive today. What are white women going to do? Donald Trump is the POTUS because 52 percent of white woman participating in the 2016 election voted for him. Less than 30 days before the midterm election, how would they describe the last 18 months?

White women occupy an unusual space in the social milieu in that they’re both privileged and oppressed. Because they’re white they benefit from their intimate affiliation with white men, but because they’re women they suffer from the misogyny associated with patriarchy. November 6 is a craps game, and once again white women got the dice being faded by right-wing reactionary white men who are betting they don’t make it. If you are a person of color all you can do is place a side bet, and you can’t bet with reactionary white men. Your only bet is on white women. But betting on white women is like betting a shooter is gonna make a hard four. Though the odds are not with you, make the bet anyway.

Social Security retirement benefit. For many older African Americans in Missouri and throughout the nation, it means choosing to either put food on the table or buy medicine. The system is serving the people who make money off of it, not patients and consumers. That’s why it’s critical to elect candidates this November who are willing to stand up to the drug industry and work to make drug prices more affordable for everyone. The simple fact is, politicians will only work on our issues if we make them do it. If we don’t vote, they won’t act. Period. The time for yelling and screaming and “politics-asusual” nonsense is over. It’s time to for us to show up bigger than ever, and let our votes do the talking.

PHOTO SOURCE: http://yourblackworld.net

50-plus voters, it’s up to us.

Columnist Mike Jones

An evening of purpose & celebration An evening of purpose & celebration

31st Salute showcases dedicated educators

The sold-out 31st Anniversary Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala provided a memorable evening of elegance and inspiration, from lively receptions to outstanding varied musical entertainment and splendid dining. Nearly 1,300 attendees filled America’s Center to pay tribute to Lifetime Achiever Johnetta R. Haley and Stellar Performer P. McMillan and to honor the outstanding accomplishments of individual educators and scholarship recipients.

As the world around us increasingly presents tremendous challenges, this Salute to Excellence coverage demonstrates that St. Louisans are eager to support noteworthy achievements and good works of its own.

Stellar Performer in Education Michael McMillan

Vanessa Cooksey addresses the crowd at the VIP Reception on behalf of Wells Fargo Advisors.

PNC Bank Early Childhood Education Awardee Andrea Scott

Salute photo coverage by Wiley Price, Lois Ingrum and Maurice Meredith

Harris-Stowe State University President Dr. Dwaun Warmack and HSSU Donald M. Suggs Scholar Tatiana Smith-Porter

Elizabeth Jennings of the Missouri Lottery and the Excellence in Education Award recipients: Rhea M. Willis, Dr. Tamara D. Wells, Dr. Leslie Thomas-Washington, Raymond K. Robinson, Dorthea B. Nevils, Bernard Long Jr., Kim I. Haywood and Dr. Chauncey Granger

Lifetime Achiever in Education Johnetta Haley

Webster University President Dr. Beth Stroble with Webster Suggs Scholars Henok Moges and Jalen McBride

Wells Fargo Advisors provided laptops or iPads to scholarship recipients, presented by Vanessa Cooksey (third from left).

Maryville University President Dr. Mark Lombardi with Maryville Suggs Scholars Trinity Brooks and D’Aundre Fitzpatrick

The Bayer School of Excellence Award was presented to representatives from Moline Elementary of Riverview Gardens School District by Al Mitchell (far right).

Southeast Missouri State University President Dr. Carlos Vargas and SEMO Counselor of the Year Kurly Taylor

presented by Julio Suarez (center).

Dr. Henry Givens and Belma Givens

Clarence Bourne, Lavon Bush and Pastor Charles Norris

Virvus Jones and Cory Elliot

SEMO Counselor of the Year Kurly Taylor Jr., Kurly Taylor Sr. and Marlon Wharton

Keith Williamson and Stephanie Williams

World Wide Technology’s Robin Kelly, Erica Clark, Juanita Logan, Monica Millien, Ashley Harris and Javon Coleman

Julia and Scott Spurgeon, Superintendent of Riverview Gardens School District

Mike Jones, Kathy ConleyJones, Stacy Edwards and Judge Jimmie Edwards

The Jazz Edge Orchestra provided dinner entertainment.

Dr. Jim Spain and Mizzou Suggs Scholars Dena Lane-Bonds, Najma Omar and Emilia Asante

Stephanie Brown and Deborah Patterson

Roz and Raymond Robinson

UMSL Chancellor Tom George and UMSL Suggs Scholar Latasha Cain

Barbara Bowman and Dawn Price

Michelle Perkins presented the PNC Bank Early Childhood Education Award.

Ryan Tusek, Shannon Bagley and Peter Neidorff

Julio Suarez, Sr. Director of Community Affairs, Anheuser-Busch

Ron Wilkinson and Marsha Evans of The Jazz Edge

Earnest Bradley and Earnest Caldwell

Vito Bracy and Kelvin Carter

Lathon and Chalana Ferguson with daughters Raevyn and Jazmyn

Golden Apple Award recipients Chavon Hopgood and VaNetta Clark

Barbara Henry, Lorna Brown-Miller, Claire Hay, Linda Robinson and Alicia Singleton of St. Louis’ Finest Volunteers

Missouri Lottery’s Elizabeth Jennings and James Witherspoon

Tony Neal, Dr. Chauncey Granger and Robert Payne

Heather French, Dr. Kilinyaa Cothran, Dr. Fredrick Echols, Kani Hancock, Alechia Abioye

SEMO President Dr. Carlos Vargas and SEMO Suggs Scholar Ruby McDaniel

Gerri and Pepper Clifton with Ann Marr

Peachez and James Clark

Michael McMillan receives his portrait from photojournalist Wiley Price.

Ishmael and Ebony Sistrunk

Antonio and Vanessa Cooksey with son Drew and Beverly Foster

Ashley, Robin, Alisha and Marvin Jones

Photojournalist Wiley Price presents Johnetta Haley her portrait.

Sean Haire and Rene Crosswhite of Vatterott with Vatterott Suggs Scholar Ryan Allen

St. Louis Community College Chancellor Dr. Jeff Pittman and STLCC Suggs Scholar Tracy Bell

Emcee Sharon Stevens of HEC-TV addresses the crowd at the VIP Reception.

Goldfarb School of Nursing Dean Dr. Nancy Ridenour with Goldfarb Suggs Scholar James Wiggins

Peter Neidorff, Noemi Neidorff, Ann Marr of World Wide Technology and gala co-chair Michael Neidorff of Centene Corporation.

Keesha Strong, Vikki Peason, Karen Morrison, Kim Kerby-Bass and Andreal Hoosman

Missouri State University President Clif Smart and MSU Suggs Scholar A.J. Boyd

Fontbonne University President Dr. Mike Pressimone with Fontbonne Suggs Scholars Kendal Moore-Hughes and Maria Schoppenhorst

Eric and Sandy Moore with Vince Day

St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones (left) and Robin HerronShepherd (right) of Bubbling Brown Sugar Productions presented an eight-day cruise as the grand attendance prize.

Salute guests having a blast.

Tiffany Williams, Pleshette Fantroy, Robin Britt of the St. Louis American and daughter Kamryn Haynes with Cayce Sloan

Dr. Shawn Baker and Katherine Negron

Rev. Dr. Doris Graham and guests enjoy the J. Hawk Jazz Cabaret

A Salute guest shows off her dance moves.

Slides are always an Old School Party favorite.

DJ Kut of 95.5 The Lou kept the crowd on the dance floor at the Old School party.

Denise Thimes slayed the J. Hawk Jazz Cabaret.

Carrie Williams and Daisy Randle

Guests at the Old School Party presented by Premiere Production Choice danced the night away.

The dance floor was packed all night.

Rev. Dr. Doris Graham, Catherine and Sherman George and Faye Byrd

Ashley and Julian Harris

Morgan Taylor, sophomore at Ladue High School, performed Lift Every Voice and Sing

Michelle Perkins of PNC Bank (left) and guests.

Lorren Buck, Chris Morrow and Reagan Johnson

Darryl Jones and Michael Neidorff

Ralph Tidwell and Missouri State Rep. Steve Roberts

Brittany Ponilee, Trinity Brooks and Destinie Jones

Simon Jones and Dr. Damione Jones

Margaret Onken and Chris Koster, SVP Centene

Sharnell Sharp & Erica Driver

Bruce and Sharon McDonald

Dr. Pam Jackson and Drs. Earl and Esther Beeks

Lenora Buchanan, Andreal Hoosman and Dr. Esther Beeks

Brianna and Chris Motley

Mary and Eric Easter

Hamiet Bluiett passes at 78

Eugene B. Redmond and Hamiet Bluiett

Legendary baritone saxophonist co-founded Black Artists’ Group and World Saxophone Quartet

By Chris King and Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

Hamiet Bluiett – the legendary baritone saxophonist and co-founder of the Black Artists’ Group (BAG) and the World Saxophone Quartet

– passed away Thursday, October 4 at age 78. His health had been in decline in recent years following a stroke, which forced him to return to his hometown of Lovejoy, Illinois from New York City, where he first moved in 1969. His closest friends and collaborators, all with connections dating back to the 1960s, remembered Bluiett as a creative force with a keen ear and biting wit.

Oliver Lake – Bluiett’s fellow co-founder of BAG and the World Sax Quartet – first met him in the mid-1960s after Bluiett got out of the service and started playing baritone saxophone while a student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). He had played in a band while in the U.S. Navy after playing clarinet at barrelhouse dances in Brooklyn, Illinois during high school.

n “He was one of the most conscious people I know,” Redmond said. “And, you know, we use the spelling ‘conch/us/ nest,’ which jives with Bluiett.”

- Eugene Redmond

When Bluiett started coming around the jam sessions in St. Louis in 1966 and 1967 that would soon evolve into BAG, he had an immediate impact.

“We were searching,” Lake said. “It was exciting. He had such a unique voice on that baritone sax. He carried a lot of weight with other musicians because of his creativity and freshness.” Bluiett led the BAG big band during 1968 and 1969. The collective incorporated much more than music; it also encompassed creative work in theater, visual arts, dance, film and poetry. Bluiett began what would become a lifelong collaboration with poets.

Eugene B. Redmond – the poet laureate of East St. Louis, which neighbors Bluiett’s hometown – first met him in the mid-1960s at SIUC when Bluiett was a student there and Redmond would attend rallies. Of course, black arts movements were also caught up in black political movements.

“He was one of the most conscious people I know,” Redmond said. “And, you know, we use the spelling ‘conch/us/nest,’ which jives with Bluiett. That captures his sound and his elevated understanding of our feeling about life. Sometimes that awareness came out in angry blasts, or mournful blasts, of his horn. Sometimes it came out in spoken word.”

See BLUIETT, C4

Twenty years of ‘Miseducation’

Ms. Lauryn Hill returned to the stage for a well-executed homage in honor of her record-breaking multiplatinum solo debut “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” Friday night at Chaifetz Arena. This year marks two-decades since the record’s release instantly catapulted Hill, who had enjoyed success as a member of the rap trio The Fugees, into superstardom.

Third time was the charm for Ft. Zumwalt West grad

‘The Voice’ contestant Audri Bartholomew on joining team J-Hud

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

“All I need is one chair to turn,” Audri

Bartholomew told her father Joseph as she headed for her audition as part of the 15th season of NBC’s The Voice.

With a stellar performance and some serious manifestation, Audri finally made her way to the next level on the hit vocal talent competition series.

“Going that long without a chair turn was intense,” Audri Bartholomew told The American two days after the show aired. “I just remember thinking, ‘I just have to keep holding this note apparently until somebody hits their button, because I can’t go home without a chair

She used just about every bit of breath she had left before Jennifer Hudson turned around. Because she couldn’t see what was happening on the other side, Bartholomew didn’t know that Hudson had been contemplating hitting the buzzer from the moment she recognized the song Bartholomew was singing – “Never Enough” by “The Voice” season three contestant Loren Allred. Hudson turned around and two seconds later, Bartholomew took her bow. She described the feeling of seeing Jennifer Hudson turn around as “like hearing angels from heaven.”

See VOICE, C4

Starting ‘Fire’ at OSTL

Terence Blanchard, Karen Slack discuss creative process for upcoming opera

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Nearly a year ahead of its June 2019 world premiere, Terence Blanchard was excited to be back on location at Opera Theatre Saint Louis to workshop his second opera “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.”

“This is an opportunity not only to tell a unique story, but to do something interesting musically,” said the five-time Grammy winner and renowned film scorer. “Opera Theatre St. Louis has been so open to so many ideas. When we did ‘Champion,’ we all felt like fish out of water – everybody. I think that is what allowed us to make something so unique.”

Five years have passed since his debut opera “Champion.” Based on the life of boxer Emile Griffith, it was the inaugural commissioned work of OSTL’s New Works, Bold Voices series that was created to provide a platform for diverse storytelling within the art form. “Champion” was met with instant acclaim – and three productions

See OPERA, C4

Karen Slack

Audri Bartholomew

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Thur., Oct. 11, 7 p.m., Fubar presents SOB x RBE – 2018 Global Gangin Tour. 3108 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www.etix. com.

Fri., Oct. 12, 8 p.m., Sheldon Concert Hall presents the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. thesheldon.org.

Sat., Oct. 13, 6 p.m., Black Radio Hall of Fame presents Uvee Hayes and The Dreams and special guest. Givens Auditorium, Harris Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Oct. 13, 7 p.m., A Night of Soul-Searching featuring Mali Music. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www.ticketfly.com.

Sat., Oct. 13, 8 p.m., Sheldon Concert Hall presents Robbie Montgomery Live in Concert. With special guest Lady Re. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Sun., Oct. 14, 6 p.m., The Fox Theatre presents 4U – A Symphonic Celebration of Prince. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Fri., Oct. 19, 8 p.m., The Fox Theatre presents Gladys Knight with special guest Peabo Bryson. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. fabulousfox.com.

Sat., Oct. 20, 8 p.m., Sheldon Concert Hall presents Jon Batiste. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Tues., Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m.,

Sheldon Concert Hall presents The Legendary Melvin Turnage Band Feat. Tonya Poynter. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Wed., Oct. 24, 7 p.m., Sheldon Concert Hall and Opera Theatre Saint Louis present Julia Bullock, Soprano. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Thur., Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m., Mildred Thimes Foundation 14th Annual Benefit Concert A tribute to Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan featuring Denise Thimes. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

local gigs

Sat., Oct. 13, 9 p.m., Reggae Nites featuring Infrared Rockers, Rowan Community Center 1401 Rowan Ave. (at Ridge) 63112. For more information (314)229-7018

Sun., Oct. 14, 3 & 6 p.m., JPEK Creative Works Theatre presents Aretha & Donny “Songs for You” Musical Tribute. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

special events

Thur., Oct. 11, 5:30 p.m., The Community Action Agency of St. Louis County presents Doors of Opportunity. Enjoy entertainment and auction activities while raising funds to move people from poverty. 2709 Woodson Rd., 63114. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sat., Oct. 13, 1 p.m., 6th Annual Brew in the Lou. A showcase of St. Louis’ best beer, wine, spirits, coffee and

Kenya Vaughn recommends

good eats. Lilypond at Francis Park, 5399 Donovan, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit www.lesastl. org/home/6th-annual-brew-lou.

Sat., Oct. 13- Sun., Oct. 14, 24th annual United Black Drag Racer Association Black Sunday weekend, Gateway Motorsports Park. For more information on the UBDRA, please visithttps:// www.ubdra.org.

Sat., Oct. 13, 1 p.m., 6th Annual Brew in the Lou. A showcase of St. Louis’ best beer, wine, spirits, coffee and good eats. Lilypond at Francis Park, 5399 Donovan, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit www.lesastl. org/home/6th-annual-brew-lou.

Sun., Oct. 14, 11a.m., Sauce Magazine’s Harvest Festival. Celebrate the season at this free event with dozens of area restaurants, breweries, wineries, farmers and artisans. Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www.

facebook.com.

Mon., Oct. 15, 6 p.m., Secondary & High School Night. Speak with school representatives from 24 independent schools in the area. John Burroughs School, 755 S. Price Rd., 63124. For more information, visit www. independentschools.org/events.

Fri., Oct. 19, 4:30 p.m., Terror at Tower Grove Park. A family-friendly event featuring live music, food trucks, children’s crafts, a Halloween film and much more. 4256 Magnolia Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Fri., Oct. 19, 5 p.m., Sinita Wells Media presents Sister in Success Summit. New and emerging female entrepreneurs can gain clarity around their brand, product creation and profits. Embassy Suites, 2 Convention Center Plaza, 63033. For more information, visit www.SISsummits.com.

Sat., Oct. 20, 10 a.m., The

A Night of SoulSearching featuring Mali Music. See CONCERTS for details.

Hyde Park Neighborhood Association hosts a Housing Resource Fair for Home Owners, Home Buyers Mission St. Louis, 3108 N. Grand Blvd., 63107. For more information, visit www. hydeparkstlouis.org.

Sat., Oct. 20, 11:30 a.m., Operation Food Search’s Handbags to End Hunger. The auction will feature designer and designer-inspired handbags, gift certificates, and jewelry. Clayton Plaza Hotel, 7750 Carondelet Ave., 63105. For more information, visit www.operationfoodsearch.org.

Sat., Oct. 20, 2 p.m., The William G. Gillespie Scholarship of Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church presents the 10th Annual Taste of Jazz Scholarship Benefit. Kappa Community Center, 500 N. Vandeventer, 63108. For more information, visit www. cbpcstl.org.

Sun., Oct. 21, 1 p.m., Bride to Bride Flea Market. We provide the opportunity for

those just married to directly sell their wedding items to new brides. Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Rd., 63122. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sun., Oct. 21, 2:30 p.m., United Nations Association of St. Louis hosts the United Nations Day Celebration – Human Rights, Close to Home. The Sun Theatre, 3625 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Wed., Oct. 24, 6 p.m., The Missouri Humanities Council presents the 2018 Missouri Humanities Awards & Gala Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Thur., Oct. 25, 5:30 p.m., Christian Hospital’s 10th Annual Legacy Leaders Recognition Dinner. 1 Norwood Hills Country Club Dr., 63121. For more information, visit www. christianhospital.org.

Thur., Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m., Westminster Christian Academy Open House. Hear from school leadership, meet our faculty, and take a tour of campus. 800 Maryville Centre Rd., 63017. For more information, visit www.bit.ly/ WCA-Open-House.

Oct. 25 – 28, St. Louis Science Center’s Science Spooktacular. Enjoy live demonstrations, a spooky trail, a haunted lab, and more. 5060 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. slsc.org.

Fri., Oct. 26, 7 p.m., Ola Style Survivor Fashion Show Fellow survivors walk the runway in pink & white Ola brand designs. Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen Missouri. Hilton St. Louis Frontenac, 1335 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Fri., Oct. 26, 7 p.m., 2018 Harris-Stowe State University Outstanding Alumni Leader Under 40 Awards. The Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sat., Oct. 27, 9 a.m., Divine Daughters hosts the Daughters on the Run: 5K Walk/Run. January-Wabash Park, 501 N. Florissant Rd., 63135. For more information,

visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., Oct. 27, 10 a.m., No Tricks, All Treats Halloween Spectacular. Field House Museum, 634 S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., Oct. 27, 10 a.m., Contemporary Art Museum presents Halloween Family Day. 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.camstl.org.

Sat., Oct. 27, 10 a.m., Taste of the Middle East Festival. Musical performances, arts and crafts, vendors, and more. Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

literary

Mon., Oct. 15, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Adrianne Aron, author of Human Rights and Wrongs399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www. left-bank.com.

Sat., Nov. 3, 10 a.m., St. Louis Indie Book Fair 2018 40 authors to discuss, sell, and sign copies of their work, 7 publishers, and 100s of titles in every genre. Treffpunkt, 3453 S. Jefferson Ave., 63118. For more information, visit www. stlouisindiebookfair.org.

Sun., Nov. 4, 4 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Quincy Troupe, author of Miles & Me: Miles Davis, the Man, the Musician, and His Friendship with the Journalist and Poet, Quincy Troupe. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108.

comedy

Oct. 24, 8 p.m., Helium presents Ryan Davis. Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria Street. For more information, call (314) 7271260 or visit https://st-louis. heliumcomedy.com.

Fri., Nov. 2, 8 p.m., Nick Cannon Presents : Wild’N Out with special guest Katt Williams, Enterprise Center. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Sat., Nov. 10, 7 p.m., Comedy Night with Sarge, author of Black Boychik, Staenberg Family Complex, Edison Gymnasium. For more information, visit https://jccstl. com/arts-ideas/st-louis-jewishbook-festival/festival-eventsschedule/

theatre

Through Oct. 14, Upstream Theater presents CHEF. The story of how one woman went from being a head chef to a convicted inmate running a prison kitchen. Starring Linda Kennedy. The Kranzberg, 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Oct. 11 – 14, UMSL Theatre presents Chasing the White Rabbit. An adaptation of Alice in Wonderland with a focus on the opioid epidemic that is currently ravaging our country. Touhill Performing Arts, UMSL, 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.touhill.org.

Oct. 18 – 21, Variety Theatre presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Sing, dance and swim along as we follow Ariel’s journey to walk on land and find true love. Touhill Performing Arts, UMSL, 1 University Blvd., 63121.

Fri., Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., City/Cité St. Louis. Amala Dianor will perform his solo work “Man Rec” alongside a performance by poet Treasure Shields Redmond. Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. pulitzerarts.org.

Fri., Oct. 19, 8 p.m.,

Je’Caryous Johnson and Snoop Dogg present The Redemption of a Dogg Tour with Snoop Dogg and Tamar Braxton. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St., 63103.For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Oct. 26 – 27, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Picture Show Live Performance. Proceeds benefit PROMO. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

October 19 – February 10, Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis, Saint Louis Art Museum. One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park. For more information, call (314) 721-0072 or visit http:// www.slam.org/exhibitions/ kehinde-wiley.php

Through Oct. 27, The Griot Museum of Black History presents Civil Unrest in Review. Explore recent civil rights protest and activism in St. Louis through art. 2505

St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, visit www. thegriotmuseum.com.

Thur., Nov. 1, 6:30 p.m., For Freedoms Town Hall: The 50 State Initiative. The Initiative was begun by artists to show what democracy looks like through art and arts institutions. Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.camstl. org.

lectures and workshops

Fri., Oct. 12, 7 p.m.

Ron Stallworth, a retired black police detective who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the late ‘70s. Spike Lee’s latest film BlacKkKlansman is based on Stallworth’s autobiography. He will speak at Webster University, Grant Gymnasium on the Webster Groves Campus. The event is sponsored by Webster University Multicultural Center and International Student Affairs. For more information, visit www. webster.edu.

Sat., Oct. 13, 10 a.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Alumnae Chapter and the Social Justice Ministry of West Side Church present Remember November – Voter Education Forum. 2677 Dunn Rd.,

Sheldon Concert Hall and Opera Theatre Saint Louis present Julia Bullock. For more information, see CONCERTS.

Group. Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church Campus, Friendly Village, 5545 Wells Ave., 63112.For more information, call 314439-5799

Sat., Oct. 27, 9 a.m., Annual Community Health Fair & Fun-K. Free health screenings, giveaways and door prizes. Truelight Baptist Church, 1535 Tudor Ave., East St. Louis, IL. 62207. For more information, visit www.truelight-estl.com.

Sat., Oct. 13, 9 a.m., Christmas of Love Church Bazaar, 5300 Helen Ave. Jennings MO. 63136 Fri., Oct. 19, 6 p.m., The Soulfisher Ministries presents the 5th Annual AGAPE Gala 1 Norwood Hills Country Club, 63121. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

63136. For more information, visit www.dst-sla.org.

Tues., Oct. 16, 10 a.m., American Red Cross presents Experience the Mission. 10195 Corporate Square Dr., 63132. For more information, call (314) 281-7968.

Tues., Oct. 16, 12 p.m., Lunch and Learn on Ragtime: The St. Louis Creation that Swept the Nation. A dynamic lecture interspersed with live music. National Blues Museum, 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www. nationalbluesmuseum.org.

Thur., Nov. 1, 6:30 p.m., Excellence Overcomes All Obstacles: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Maplewood Public Library, 7550 Lohmeyer, 63143. For more information, visit www. maplewoodpubliclibrary.com.

health

Oct. 12 – 14, Williams and

Associates, Inc. presents The Forum 2018: Get on Up! Discussing HIV and other health disparities that affect the AfricanAmerican population. JC Penny Building, UMSL, 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sat., Oct. 13, 8:30 a.m., Autism Speaks Walk St. Louis. Walk and fundraise together to enhance the lives of people living with autism. Upper Muny Parking Lot, Forest Park, 63112. For more information, visit www. autismspeaks.org/site-wide/ st-louis.

Sat., Oct. 13, 9 a.m., Shalom Church City of Peace presents HealthFest 2018 Hazelwood East High School, 11300 Dunn Rd., 63138. For more information or to register, call (314) 653-2322 or email healthfest@shalomccop. org.

Sat., Oct. 20, 10 a.m., Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support

Oct. 19 – 20, Back 2 the Cross Ministries hosts the 7th Annual Women of the Cross Conference. River of Life, 518 N. 12 th St., East St. Louis, IL 62201. For more information, visit www. back2crossministries.org.

Sun., Oct. 21, 11 a.m., Truelight Baptist Church’s Family & Friends Sunday. 1535 Tudor Ave., East St. Louis, IL. 62207. For more information, visit www. truelight-estl.com/event. Sun., Oct. 28, 3:30 p.m. Clayton Missionary Baptist Church 125th Anniversary Celebration Gospel Musical featuring Evangelist Mary Tillman as mistress of ceremonies, Clayton Missionary Baptist Church, 2801 N. Union Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63115.

Oct. 12 – 13, Reel Late at the Tivoli: Halloween. 6350 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information, visit www. landmarktheatres.com.

Kenya Vaughn recommends

Terence Blanchard

Continued from C1

of the work following its OTSL run, with a Montreal production slated for next year.

The partnership with Blanchard and OTSL’s New Works, Bold Voices continues with “Fire.”

With a libretto written by famed filmmaker Kasi Lemmons, the opera is based on the memoir of the same title by New York Times columnist and popular political commentator Charles Blow. In the book, Blow bares his soul along with his experiences growing up in Gibsland, Louisiana.

“Man, I related to the story so much because he was a unique child in a world that didn’t celebrate uniqueness,” Blanchard said.

Blanchard was especially moved by Blow’s willingness to detail the sexual abuse endured as a child at the hands of a relative.

“Those are the dark secrets that exist in families that people keep secret and all of us have to suffer through and don’t know how to really cope or get help,” Blanchard said.

“By him sharing that story, it shows how much he has grown from that event. It shows his courage and hopefully will open the door for other people to heal.”

When the Blanchard and Blow met at OTSL to discuss bringing “Fire” to the stage, Blanchard could hear the music in his head. Almost as soon as Blow started sharing more insight, Blanchard’s original ideas went out the window.

“All of a sudden that sound starts to come to mind. It starts to creep into my brain,” Blanchard said. “I can smell the Louisiana foliage. I start to hear certain sounds just from listening to him.”

A native of New Orleans, Blanchard felt their Louisiana connection coming through in the music that formed on the heels of Blow’s words.

“I’m working out the vocal lines and harmonic progressions right now, but in my mind, I’m still hearing Louisiana,” Blanchard said.

“I’m still hearing blues guitar – that rhythm section. There’s one scene, it’s called, “Lord loves a sinner” and it’s a very raunchy scene in a club. I’m still hearing that sound.”

Blanchard said that the scene is all about illustration the fine line between the spiritual and the secular – and how musically those things are just about identical, but it’s the spirit behind what you are talk-

ing about that separates them.

“For that scene, we told the singers to cut loose – and the stuff that came out of that was totally amazing,” Blanchard said. “I can’t wait until I get to the point where I start orchestrating, because that’s where all of that is going to come into play.”

Karen Slack was one of those singers.

She will originate the role of Blow’s mother in ‘Fire.’ It’s a character Slack prayed for. “I said, ‘I want to do something that is written for me, that is specific to me – and I want it to be a black woman,” Slack said. “And ‘Fire’ fell right into my lap. I’m a little nervous to play someone who is living, but she is a black woman like all of us.

She is our mothers, our grandmothers and our aunts. I feel very comfortable with bringing her to life.”

Slack most recently portrayed the role of Griffith’s mother for the West Coast premiere of ‘Champion.’

“Fire” also stars St. Louis native Julia Bullock and Davone Tines. All three artists will be making her OTSL mainstage debut in the opera directed by James Robinson and conducted by William Long.

Slack particularly connected with ‘Fire’ because of its happily-ever-after ending that bucks tradition of the fairy tale

operas but is true to the black experience.

“This is a story of triumph and overcoming adversity in a real way,” Slack said. “And not this magical way or luck in the way that somebody comes and saves me. Charles saved himself. His mother saved herself.”

Blanchard said a moment from Lemmons’ libretto perfectly captures his intention of the opera.

“There’s a line where Charles’ mother told him ‘sometimes you gotta leave it in the road,’” Blanchard said. “Don’t carry this stuff around with you for the rest of your life.”

It’s a message he hopes that viewers feel after watching ‘Fire’ when it debuts on the Loretto-Hilton stage next summer.

“We all need to seek help, but at a certain point you have to make the decision to be happy – and you can tell Charles has made that leap,” Blanchard said.

“That’s one of the things we’ve been chanting in this workshop.

‘You’ve got to leave it in the road. Let it go, move on.’”

“Fire Shut Up in My Bones” will debut on June 15, 2019 at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. For more information, visit https://www.opera-stl.org/ season-and-events/productions/ fire-shut-up-in-my-bones-2019.

VOICE

Continued from C1

“I’ve auditioned for the show several times now, so it was beyond rewarding to get a chair turn,” Audri said.

It was her third time, to be exact.

“Ever since I have been performing, my parents have told me: ‘Never let ‘no’ stop you. Keep trying and something will give,’” Audri said. “I think everything happened the way that it was supposed to happen – and I ended up with the right coach.”

She is joined on “Team J-Hud” by fellow St. Louisan, 13-year-old Kennedy Holmes.

A recent graduate of Ft. Zumwalt West and a current student at Milliken University in Decatur Illinois, Audri has learned to go with the flow as she continues to hone her craft as a musical theater major. Music has been her passion since she was a small child. Growing up in Pasadena,

BLUIETT

Continued from C1

Quite often it came out in humor, as spontaneous as his improvisations on the horn.

“He was funny as hell –hilarious,” said poet Quincy Troupe, his longtime friend and frequent collaborator, who also wrote some of his liner notes. “I loved him as a person and loved his horn playing. He was always surprising. He would say anything that came to his mind. He played music that way, too. You had to be ready for him.”

The audience had to be ready for him, too. Like Charles Mingus, whose band Bluiett played in after he moved to New York (he toured Europe with Mingus and was featured on the classic album “Mingus at Carnegie Hall”), he could be demanding of his audiences.

“He would sometimes stop and lecture an audience that was not fully awake,” Redmond said. “He could be very cutting in his comments. He had that edge. Miles had it. Mingus had it.”

But Lake, who shared stages with Bluiett hundreds of time (the last time with the World Sax Quartet was in Pittsburgh in September 2016), said his wit shone through, even when he was cutting.

“He had an edgy personality, but he was very humorous, even when he went to the edge,” Lake said. “People loved him.”

Musicians, in particular, loved him for his keen ear and perceptive comments.

“Bluiett was a master teacher,” Lake said. “He was so perceptive. He could really listen. He could hear when you needed a new reed or had changed a reed. His ear was very acute. He helped a lot of

California – just a few miles from the entertainment capitol of the world – Audri seemed primed to take her career to the next level thanks to the resources available to her thanks to proximity. But her family relocated to St. Louis because of her father’s promotion as Audri entered high school.

“Moving from L.A. to St. Louis, I didn’t think that there would be a lot of opportunities to perform or a lot of theater here, but I remember being genuinely surprised in good way,” Audri said. “They have all of these outlets for creative people to perform in the city. As soon as I found out about different things, I inserted myself into as many as I could. This is my dream. This is my passion.”

In the past five years she’s received invaluable experience, thanks to the thriving performing arts community in St. Louis.

She appeared alongside Michelle Williams in the 2016 Muny production of “Aida.” And was a finalist in the 2016 St. Louis Teen Talent

musicians.”

Many of the musicians he helped were youth. He developed a concept called the Telepathic Orchestra, where he would conduct youth in big bands using hand signals to guide their improvisations. He taught local youth after he moved back to Lovejoy in 2002 to be closer to family and remained here for 10 years before returning to New York.

During his time back home, Bluiett often facilitated classes and workshops to develop the region’s next generation of jazz players. When speaking to The American about a youth orchestra he assembled in 2008 before their debut performance, he said his goal was to teach young musicians things that they can’t learn in school.

“Schools are all right,” Bluiett said. “To go to school is one thing, but you’ve got to go out and play. It’s not like the classroom.”

Much of his teaching focused on improvisation, which was at the center of his musical practice. The World Saxophone Quartet – which evolved out of an invitation for Bluiett, Lake, David Murray and Julius Hemphill to perform together in New Orleans (after

Competition presented by The Fox Foundation. Her training showed when she held her own against Grammy and Oscar winner Hudson for an impromptu duet of the song Audri had just belted.

“I had to make the most of my moment in the spotlight,” Audri said about stealing the duet at the end with a huge note. Because of their similarities, the chatter has already begun that Audri and Holmes will face off during the battle rounds, where a sing-off is held and it falls upon the celebrity coach to pick the winner.

“I think it would be a good battle,” Audri said. “We both are from St. Louis. We both have musical theater backgrounds and we both studied at Stages Performing Arts Academy – so I think that’s a good guess.”

NBC’s “The Voice” airs Monday and Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. CST. Check local listings for channels. For more information on the show, visit https://www.nbc.com/the-voice.

also backing Anthony Braxton in a recording session) – was defined by four saxophonists improvising around oftenfamiliar tunes.

“We’d play melodies, but our main thrust was improvisation,” Lake said.

“Bluiett was a master baritone saxophone player and a master improviser. He was always growing. He would keep changing; keep moving forward with the music.”

Troupe spoke to The American from Detroit, where he had plans that night to see his friend James Carter. The consensus among fans of creative jazz is that Carter now inherits Bluiett’s mantle as living master of the baritone sax.

“Blueitt was his mentor, but James couldn’t hardly talk about it yet,” Troupe said. “He really loved Bluiett.” Redmond said he keeps answering the phone, and it’s always someone who needs to talk about Bluiett and listen to stories about him.

“The reach of Bluiett’s influence, his associates, friends and admirers, is truly global,” Redmond said. Redmond broke into one of the poems he wrote about his friend. It opens with a recitation of his name, over and over again. “Hamiet … Bluiett. Hamiet … Bluiett.” It was a signature piece that Redmond performed many times.

“It’s like I’m looking for him – ‘Hamiet … Bluiett,’” Redmond said, “but I can’t find him.”

Final services for Hamiet Bluiett will take place on Friday, Oct. 12 beginning with a 9 a.m. visitation and a 10 a.m. funeral at Lovejoy Temple Church of God In Christ, 511 Canal Street in Brooklyn Illinois, 62059 . The burial will take place at 12:30 p.m. at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Hamiet Bluiett

Ms. Lauryn Hill gives fitting nod to ‘Miseducation’ milestone

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

The St. Louis leg of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s commemorative tour marking the 20th anniversary of her perennial solo debut “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” will be remembered as the train wreck that never was. There was much speculation about the show, even as fans sat in their seats Friday night at Chaifetz Arena.

A lineup change factored into the naysaying as fellow hip-hop veteran Nas was added, and later subtracted, from the show. A brief bout with the flu resulted in cancelations leading up to her St. Louis stop. But over the years, she no longer has the benefit of the doubt in St. Louis because of an epically late and bizarrely performed January 2011 show at The Pageant – despite a triumphant return the Pageant a few years later and a stellar set at LouFest 2016 that should have served as her redemption song. But her reputation of being unpredictable, unreliable and unbothered by the show time printed on the ticket have made fans rightfully suspicious of what to expect.

But with Friday night’s show, Hill is three for four with respect to St. Louis performances since she inexplicably bowed out as the simultaneous queen of hip-hop and R&B at the height of her reign.

She returned to the stage after a nearly ten-year hiatus several years ago without any new music since her MTV Unplugged EP was released in 2002 – and relies heavily on “Miseducation” for her musical offerings in concert. She draws respectable crowds, which speaks to the album’s impact. Watching Hill perform the multi-platinum, multiple Grammy Award-winning album almost in its entirety Friday night reminded everyone of the musical ingenuity of the woman responsible for the album that still resonates with hip-hop fans of all ages an entire generation since it topped the charts.

The night kicked off with hip-hop act Shabazz Places offering what felt like a rap acid trip, a lively set by African act Pantoranking and more than one spin session from DJ Reborn that got the crowd so hype that dance battles spontaneously erupted.

It was 10:15 when Hill took the stage, probably about an hour later than expected. But she clearly came out with the intention of giving the fans – who had the Chaifetz at about 45 percent of its capacity – a live showing of just about everything they loved about “Miseducation.” She is known for rearranging the record to the point where the songs are

unrecognizable for her concerts, but thankfully she stayed close to the original recordings for this 20th anniversary presentation.

Things got started with “Lost Ones” and seamlessly jumped into “Everything is Everything.” Aside from her constant micromanagement of the band that meant a flurry of hand signals and back turns that came at the expense of audience engagement, Hill was in top form.

She got off-tempo in “Superstar,” which was partly due to some sound woes. It would be one of only two hiccups of the night.

With the exception of her “Nothing Even Matters” D’Angelo duet, fans heard “Miseducation” in its entirety – and with Hill in mint condition.

She got political with footage from scenes where African-Americans lost their lives because of interaction with law enforcement, including Mike Brown and Philando Castile.

The second misfortune fans suffered during her presentation came when the lights came up near the end of her “Doo Wop (That Thing)” finale – more than likely to make curfew in spite of Hill’s tardiness. But the unfortunate, abrupt end didn’t damper the experience.

During her 70-plus minute set, she also shared her intention behind the groundbreaking work.

“I wanted to build a bridge between the generations,” Hill said. “I wanted something that the younger generation and the elders could connect with. And it became the soundtracks to the lives of so many. For that I thank you.”

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Celebrations

Birthdays

reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Beaumont Class of 1978 40th Reunion Extravaganza Save the Date: October 5-7, 2018. Call or text Marietta Shegog Shelby at 314-799-5296 for further details.

East St. Louis Sr. High

Happy Birthday to our beautiful mother, Virshelle Sims, who turns 60 on October 20. She is the mother of six and the grandmother of 26. She will celebrate this milestone with a big celebration with her husband Jerome, family and friends. We love you, Mom!

Delali Maxine Suggs Akaffu celebrated her 10th birthday on October 7. Delali is the daughter of St. Louis American Digital Department Director Dawn Suggs and granddaughter of Publisher Donald Suggs.

Class of 1968 will celebrate its 50 year reunion on Friday, October 12, 2018 at the Main Street Brewing Center, 6435 West Main Street, Belleville, IL. 62223. For more information contact Linda Ward Spencer (618) 830-8221 or laws50@aol.com.

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

O’Fallon Tech Class of 1968 Reunion will be held on Nov 2, 2018 from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Hollywood Casino Buffet, Maryland Heights, Missouri. The cost will be $18 per person which will include the buffet, taxes, and gratuities. All classes and PHL graduates are invited to attend.

Soldan Class of 1979 is planning its 40th year reunion for the weekend of August 2-3, 2019. Yearlong reunion activities will begin with a kickoff at Soldan High School Homecoming on Saturday, October 13, 2018 prior to the game at 1 p.m. For more information or to assist with reunion activities, please email

Graduate

Congratulations to Danielle Alexander of St. John, who graduated from WGU Missouri with a Master of Business Administration in IT Management. As the only online, nonprofit university endorsed by the state of Missouri, WGU Missouri provides an affordable and accessible path to college completion for working adults throughout the state. Danielle is pictured with WGU Missouri Chancellor Dr. Angie Besendorfer.

at: soldanclassof1979@gmail. com or call Barbara at 314 456-3391.

Sumner Alumni Association presents it’s Maroon & White Homecoming Week Oct. 8-13, 2018. Bowling Mon. 7-9pm at Crest Bowl ($10), Alumni Happy Hour Wed. at Dejavu II Cafe, Old School Sock Hop Fri., 6-10pm at Sumner ($5/$7), Tailgate/Block Party noon, Sumner’s Homecoming Football Game at Sumner’s Tuskegee Airmen Field at 1pm Sumner vs. Vashon. Contacts: Ms. Prissy at 314.556.3944, Michelle Elgin at 314.452.1275 or email: sumneralumniassn@yahoo. 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

2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103 Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@stlamerican.com

information to sumner1979@

Sumner Class of 1979 will hold its “Bulldogs Rock the Boat” BIG 4-0 Reunion Cruise, June 22-27, 2019. For further information, email your contact

n “You can’t flop as much as you do and still be tough.”

— Cleveland Cavalier guard J.R. Smith, referring to Boston Celtics rival Marcus Smart

Sports

PreP FooTball noTebook

With Earl Austin Jr.

Homecoming PHL matchups

Roosevelt, Career Academy meet for league title

It is going to be a big weekend of football in the Public High League.

The PHL weekend begins on Friday night with a big showdown between Roosevelt and Miller Career Academy for the league championship at Gateway STEM. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Both teams come into Friday’s contest undefeated in PHL play.

Roosevelt is one of the area’s top turnaround stories of the season. After going winless last season, the Roughriders are currently 5-2 and on the cusp of a PHL title. They have some talented offensive players in sophomore quarterback Tabraon Neal, senior wide receiver Terrell Cannamore and senior Darrius Jackson. Miller Career Academy has been a perennial PHL contender in recent years, so this is nothing new to the Phoenix. They are led by two-way standout Titus Baker, who has six touchdowns on offense and four interceptions on defense. Running back Byron Terrell also has six touchdowns while the defense is led by Dion Anderson, who leads the team in tackles with 61 and sacks with six. It is also Homecoming for Miller Career Academy.

On Saturday, Vashon will visit Sumner in the renewal of one of the longest standing rivalries in the St. Louis metro area. The two oldest African-American high schools in the area have been playing for the “Brown Jug” since 1927.

The Sumner-Vashon weekend is more of a celebration than just a football game as both schools celebrate their Homecoming weekend together. It will bring together thousands of alums from both schools from all across the country. The kickoff for Saturday’s game is sched-

In The CluTCh

Three exciting teams to watch this NBA season

McGregor and the UFC got what they deserved

NBA season is upon us! By the time the next issue of The St. Louis American hits newsstands, the League will be in full force. We’ve heard all summer about LeBron James’ excellent adventure to Los Angeles. We’ve also bantered about DeMarcus Cousins’ bouncing over to The Bay. For the most part though, the NBA’s big guns got stronger (with a notable exception being the Cleveland Cavaliers). Meanwhile, the basement dwellers bought at least a few weeks of hope courtesy of a shiny new class or rookies. Outside of the star-laden super teams, which squads in the NBA will be must-see TV this season?

Milwaukee Bucks Faithful readers will know that I’ve been on the Bucks bandwagon for a while. But this is the season where they will actually make a seri-

ous run in the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a year older and his game is a year colder. Expect the “Greek Freak” to finish Top 3 in MVP voting this season. The reason the Bucks will be so exciting this season is due to the new coach, Mike Budenholzer. The former NBA Coach of the Year (2015) went 213-197 in five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. Three of those seasons could be considered rebuilding years. Former Bucks Head Coach Jason Kidd coached like a 7-year-old playing NBA 2K. It appears that Budenholzer will let Anteto Giannis be Giannis. Khris Middleton is still the most underrated player in the league. Everybody else will let threes fly, defend and rebound.

Last season, the Bucks ranked 26th out of 30 teams in three-pointers attempted and three-point percentage. So far in the preseason, the team is

Earl Austin Jr.

C9

While the Celtics and 76ers

Dallas Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki may very well need a walker soon, but

even at 40 years old, he’s still a walking bucket when he’s one

See PREP, C9

With Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Normandy Vikings’ Joseph Washington (1) couldn’t stop Jennings Warriors’ Stacy Taylor (14) from scoring during first-quarter action Sat., Oct. 6, 2018 at Normandy. The Warriors went on to defeat the Vikings 43-14.

The high-flying Dennis Smith Jr. is one of the most exciting young players in the game. With Luka Doncic, DeAndre Jordan, Harrison Barnes and Dwight Powell, Dallas could be Lob City 2.0.

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Black player Mookie Betts is best in MLB; so why is there no fanfare?

Major League Baseball’s best player in 2018 is black. As quiet as it’s kept, it’s a fact. You would think that MLB would be trumpeting this information in promotional advertisements. You would think this black player would be part of some national marketing campaign for a major business.

Maybe it will happen after he wins the American League Most Valuable Player award –because he is going to win it. Introducing Mookie Betts Boston Red Sox right fielder. While I’m not the biggest fan of the Wins Above Replacement (WAR) statistic, it does provide a standard to rank players based on their on-field achievement. Betts was first in WAR (10.9) among American League position players AND when including pitchers, which is a rare feat. Mike Trout, who will receive firstplace MVP votes and is the darling of many MLB writers, posted a 10.2.

scored (129) with Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians, while Trout was ninth with 101.

Betts was fifth in hits (180), third in total bases (333) and tied for second in doubles with 47.

Trout tied for fourth in home runs with 39 home runs and Betts was ninth with 32. Betts tied for fifth in stolen bases with 30 and Trout was ninth with 24.

Trout had more walks and intentional walks, but Betts’ 84 extra base hits was first, and Trout did not finish in the top 10.

Betts’ team also won a staggering 108 games and ran away with the AL East title. Trout’s Angels didn’t finish above .500 at 80-82.

Betts’ offensive WAR (8.7) was second to Trout’s 9.2. However, his 1.6 defensive WAR was sixth and Trout did not finish in the Top 10. He posted an AL-best .346 batting average compared to Trout’s .312, which was fourth. Trout was first in on-base percentage with a .460 mark, but Betts was second at .438.

Betts’ slugging percentage of .640 was No. 1 with Trout third at .628. When you combine on-base percentage and slugging, Trout is first at 1.088, but Betts is second at 1.078.

Betts tied for first in runs

Jon Taylor of Sports Illustrated called Betts “a supernova.” (He is) the kind of young, personable, marketable star that MLB executives have long tried and failed to create in a lab. And his style of play is joyous and boundless, blessed as he is with quick wrists, prodigious power, excellent speed, and brilliant defensive instincts.”

My point here is to not to hate on Trout. There will be a debate over who the MVP should be in the American League and it really is no contest. It’s Betts.

Lorenzo Cain, the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder that the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t sign in free agency in 2017, grades out as the National League’s best black player.

Cain finished second (6.9) among National League posi-

Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox could be the 2018 American League MVP.

tion players, finishing behind teammate Christian Yelich (7.6). He was 10th in offensive WAR (4.9) and second in defensive WAR (2.4) Kolten Wong was third with a 2.3.

His .305 batting average ranked fifth, as did his .395 on-base percentage. Cain’s 30 stolen bases were fourth in the National League and his 129 singles was second.

More importantly, Cain helped drive the Brewers to the NL Central crown and total domination in a three-game sweep against the Colorado Rockies in a NL Division Series. They will take on the L.A. Dodgers in the National League Champions Series (NLCS) beginning Friday night.

Cain signed a five-year $80 million free-agent deal with the Brewers in January, which comes to $16 million a year.

The Cardinals traded with the Miami Marlins for Marcel Ozuna last December and paid him $9 million last season. He is arbitration-eligible this year and will most likely receive a raise.

The Marlins then dealt Yelich, who will be the NL MVP, to the Brewers in late January. Ozuna battled with a shoulder injury throughout the season and the Brewers have an outfield combination that will pester the Cardinals for years.

Dodging the naysayers

Dave Roberts, Major League Baseball’s lone black manager, has guided the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the NLCS for a third consecutive season and will face the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers.

This is the same Roberts that many fans wanted fired in May as the Dodgers struggled and tumbled to 10 games below .500. Magic Johnson and other Dodger executives had to come to his defense, even though Roberts’ team had just played in a dramatic seven-game World Series in 2017.

Roberts’ calm and steady hand helped the Dodgers over come key injuries and woeful offense during the first half of the season. Then, his team

began playing excellent baseball in September, including winning three-of-four games from the St. Louis Cardinals in Busch Stadium. That series win helped propel the Dodgers to the playoffs. The Cardinals didn’t realize it at the time, but that series was the beginning of the end of their chance of reaching the postseason.

After Monday’s 6-2 win at Atlanta closed out that NLDS series, Roberts said, “We all know that there’s a lot more work to be done.

“We have eight more wins to go.”

If he doesn’t get those eight, some fans will say the Dodgers need a new manager, regardless of Roberts’ success. Of course, his heritage has nothing to do with that, right?

Dusting off a mistake

Speaking of black managers, how ‘bout those Washington Nationals?

Dusty Baker was relieved of his duties at the close of the 2017 season because the Nationals front office decided consecutive postseason appearances was “underachievement.” Baker wanted to return as manager. The Nationals said thanks, but no thanks.

finish 8.5 games behind the NL East champion Atlanta Braves.

The Reid roundup

A shout out to the East St. Louis Flyers for going on the road and putting a scare into mighty Massillon (Ohio) High School before falling 46-40. Legendary coach Paul Brown began his coaching career at Massillon and the school has been a football power for decades. There were five lead changes in the second half. Said Flyers coach Darren Sunkett, “It was a great game,” said Sunkett, whose team falls to 5-2. “It was a slug-fest back and forth. … Willie McGee will return as a coach next year, according to the Post-Dispatch. He told Derrick Goold, “I’ve been out of the game for a while, so I had to kind of relearn some of the game situations and this and that. The opportunity to work with the guys has gone a lot better. It got better. And I like to work.” … Newly signed safety Eric Reid knelt during the national anthem before his first game as a Carolina Panther. The world didn’t end. In fact, it didn’t seem to care…

word from Jordan as of Tuesday morning as to whether he would assist them…The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs are at New England on Sunday night it what will be mustsee TV. I get a feeling a lot of folks want young Patrick Mahomes to fail in this game … After repeatedly yelling “put the N-word in the game” during a Georgia football game on Sept. 29, Adam Sasser who played first base for the Bulldogs’ baseball team, was dismissed from the team. He was referring to quarterback Justin Fields… Would Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hire a black head coach? He’ll have his chance after this season because Jason Garrett is history. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy should be interviewed.

Alvin A. Reid was honored as the 2017 “Best Sports Columnist – Weeklies” in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest and is a New York Times contributor. He is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook, a weekly contributor to “The Charlie Tuna Show” on KFNS and appears monthly on “The Dave Glover Show” on 97.1 Talk.” His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

The Nationals hired Dave Martinez to replace Baker. Mike Rizzo, GM/president of baseball operations, watched the same team that reached the playoffs in 2016 and 2017 go 82-80 and

Scott Leonard wins ‘Wally’ trophy

Scott Leonard of Glen Carbon, Illinois celebrated with family and friends after winning the final round of Pro Motorcycle eliminations during the NHRA All Access Challenge on Sunday, October 7 at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois. Leonard defeated Yan Leavit of St. Peters in the final round to collect the winner’s check and coveted NHRA “Wally” trophy.

by

CLUTCH

Continued from C7

the court. The Mavericks future no longer hinges on the future Hall of Famer though. It’s all about the youngsters.

Luka Doncic has had unparalleled hype for a European player. He was named the MVP of the Euroleague, which is the second best league in the world. So far, the 6-foot-7, 218 pound playmaker looks legit. He can shoot, handle and deliver the rock with confidence. Plus he’s surrounded by enough solid veterans in Harrison Barnes Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan, despite the hype, he shouldn’t feel pressured to be the man every night.

PREP

Continued from C7

uled for 1:30 p.m., but folks will start showing up for the festivities in the early morning hours. It should be another festive weekend in The Ville neighborhood on Saturday. Soldan High will also be celebrating its Homecoming on Saturday as it will host Lift for Life at 1 p.m. The school will also be celebrating the 40th anniversary of its 1978 team that won the Public High League championship and finished the season with a perfect 9-0 record. There will be a special ceremony at halftime to celebrate that 1978 team.

Top Individual Performers

• Jameson Williams of

If we’re talking excitement in Dallas though, it all starts with Dennis Smith Jr. The high-flying point guard open eyes last season with his explosive play and highlight reel dunks. It appears that DSJ has worked on his outside shot over the offseason. So far in the preseason, he’s knocking down three-pointers at 38.5 percent compared to just 31.3 percent last season.

It’s a small sample size, but if Smith Jr. can hover around 39-to-40 percent from deep, it’ll open up all kinds of lanes for his fantastic finishes. With all eyes on Doncic for most of the offseason, I fully expect Smith to come out motivated to prove that he’s a star in his own right. Between the dime-dropping ability of Donic and Smith, other high-flyers like Jordan, Barnes and Dwight Powell

Cardinal Ritter had nine receptions for 287 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-35 victory over Borgia.

• C.J. Boone of Parkway North had seven receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns in a victory over Lafayette.

• Daylen Shepperd of Jennings rushed for 151 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns in a victory over Normandy.

• Kalin Black of ChristianO’Fallon caught seven passes for 232 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over Duchesne.

Pick Game of the Week

Ladue (7-0) at Pattonville (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m. – A battle of two teams that participated

could help make Dallas Lob City 2.0.

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets is the epitome of a boom or bust team. Last season, Nikola Jokic had a coming out party. Much of their success (or excitement) will depend on whether the team’s star players can stay healthy. Isaiah Thomas is another year removed from his hip injury. Michael Porter Jr. is one of the league’s most-talented rookies, but it’s unknown how long it will take for him to recover from back surgery. Paul Millsap only played 38 games last season. He’s been around for a while now but is still a solid contributor when he’s on the court. Gary Harris averaged a career high 17.5 points per game last sea-

in state championship games last season, both have been enjoying successful follow-up seasons. Ladue continues to roll over opponents with its balanced offense and stout defense. The Rams are led by senior Andrew Hunt, who has rushed for 633 yards and 12 touchdowns; and running back Dale Chesson, who has 325 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. The defense is led by the talented interior linemen Moses Okpala and Jelani Davis.

Pattonville will represent the biggest challenge for the Rams to date, this season. The Pirates have won six in succession, including an impressive 42-32 victory over Kirkwood two weeks ago. Pattonville is led by senior running back Sam Sanderson, who has 19 touchdowns, and dual-threat quarterback Andre Webb, who

son. He also missed 15 games. Now he’ll get the chance to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke.

It appears though that the injury bug is the Nuggets’ biggest obstacle. But they’ll be hellacious when they’re healthy.

Conor McGregor got what he deserved

The internet erupted after Conor McGregor got choked out by Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. Immediately after the fight, a brawl erupted both inside and outside the Octagon between Nurmagomedov’s team and McGregor’s team. The fighters were included in the melee.

The whole scene was similar to the NBA’s infamous “Malice in the Palace.” However, McGregor and the UFC got

has nearly 1,300 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns. Linebacker Donovan Prott leads the Pirates defense.

On Tap this Weekend

Rockhurst (6-1) at CBC (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m. Belleville West (6-1) at Edwardsville (4-3), Friday, 7 p.m.

St. Clair (6-1) at Lutheran St. Charles (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

Lutheran North (4-3) at Farmington (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m. Borgia (6-1) at Festus (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m. Cardinal Ritter (7-0) at McCluer South-Berkeley (5-2), Saturday, 1 p.m.

St. Dominic (4-3) at MICDS (6-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.

what it deserved. All throughout the promotion of UFC 229, McGregor and his team launched bigoted attacks against Nurm Khabib and his team. McGregor routinely insulted his opponent’s country (Russia), his faith (Muslim) and even his father. McGregor even attacked a bus that Khabib was on back in April causing injuries to passengers on board and causing the fight to be delayed as McGregor resolved his legal

issues. The UFC stood by and said nothing. Even after the bout, it was rumored that McGregor’s camp hurled bigoted insult at Team Khabib. That resulted in more fists and feet flying with Team Conor on the losing end. After all that drama, it was nice to see McGregor catch a couple of fades.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ishcreates.

The junior standout will be heading to the Missouri Class 1 state golf tournament next week as a district and sectional champion.

Perry captured the championship at the Class 1, Sectional 1 tournament in Ste. Genevieve on Monday morning. She shot a 3-over-par 76 to capture individual medalist honors for the Rams.

Last Monday, Perry captured individual medalist honors at the Class 1, District 1 tournament

at Sunset Hills. She shot a 75, winning the championship by four strokes. As a sophomore, Perry finished in 20th place at the Class 2 state tournament, helping the Rams to a thirdplace finish in the team standings.

Perry and her MICDS teammates will compete in the Class 1 state tournament, which will be held on October 15-16 at the Mozingo Lake Recreational Park Course in Maryville, Mo.

Photo

John Bisci

Washington Tabernacle celebrates pastoral anniversary

Rev. Robert E. McClish II joined by Rev. Daryl Gray, Rev. Robert Houston, Rev. J. Kevin James Jr.

American staff

Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 3200 Washington Ave., invites the public to join them in celebrating the first pastoral anniversary of its pastor, Rev. Robert E. McClish II. The theme is “Celebrating Unity.”

The scriptural theme, from Matthew 7:7, is: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

The pastoral anniversary celebration begins Friday, October 12 with an Anniversary Banquet. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Daryl Gray, chairperson of the Social Justice Commission of the Missionary Baptist State Convention Missouri. The doors will open at 6 p.m., and dinner will begin at 7 p.m. in Washington Tabernacle Fellowship Hall.

The banquet will feature musical performances by the Point of View Jazz Ensemble of Riverview Gardens High School. Tickets for this event are $25 per person and can be purchased on Eventbrite at https://tinyurl.com/PastorMcClish. Business attire is

recommended. A Morning Worship will be held at the church as part of the pastoral anniversary celebration on Sunday, October 14 at 10 a.m. The guest minister will be Rev. Robert Houston, pastor of Mercy Seat Missionary Baptist Church. An Afternoon Service will be held at 3 p.m. led by guest minister Rev. J. Kevin James Jr., pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. Washington Tabernacle MB Church is located at 3200 Washington Ave. in St. Louis, For more information, call (314) 533-8763.

West Side MB Church co-host Voter’s Education Forum

The St. Louis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Social Justice Ministry of West Side Missionary Baptist Church will host “Remember November, a Voter’s Education Forum” from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the church, 2677 Dunn Rd., St. Louis, MO 63126. The forum is free and open to the public.

The forum is designed to help inform members of the community about the November 6 midterm elections, the issues on the ballot, and voters’ rights at the polls. The event will consist of a panel discussion followed by a question and answer period. Guest panelists will include Rita Heard-Days, community liaison for Missouri Housing Development Commission and former state senator; Denise Lieberman, senior attorney and co-director of the Power

and Democracy Program at the Advancement Project; Margo McNeil, Hazelwood School District board director and former state representative; and Nancy Price, secretary of the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis For more information, email dstwsremnov@gmail.com.

Friendly Temple hosts Alzheimer’s Association meeting

Alzheimer’s Association will host a meeting of its Caregiver Support Group at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church’s Friendly Village, 5545 Wells Ave., at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 20. For more information, call 314-439-5799.

The Message

Much is expected

“Blessed and highly favored.” I don’t know where this phrase comes from. But I do understand what it means and, by uttering it, some of us accept its responsibilities and yes, even its consequences.

Another way of saying this in the physical realm is: “To whom much is given, much is expected (in return).” However you look at it, there appears to be an awesome responsibility associated with the knowledge that somehow life has been good to you.

Forgive me if I simply believe that if you believe in Jesus and understand He is the source of your salvation, then you, too, are blessed and highly favored. As a matter of fact, you might as well add that with the spiritual truth, that to whom much is given, much is expected.

Along with the truth of Jesus as Lord, comes the obligation then to share that goodness. After all, eternal life, the gift of glory, the reality that I will never die, qualifies me as “to whom much is given.” It’s the “much is expected” part that I’m trying to get you to take a look at.

If you know (and accept) Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that’s a bunch right there. With that knowledge comes the responsibility, yes, even the obligation to let His light shine so brightly in you that upon seeing you, others also see Him.

That then begs the question: what have you done for Him lately? In my limited capacity to understand the Master’s plan, I think the best way to serve God is to serve my fellow man. The best thing I can do is to spread the Word of God by acknowledging my gifts and talents as God-given blessings and by using them as best I can doing what I know to be His will.

Many of us have taken tests to get a handle on our spiritual gifts. I am trying not to be one of those who wastes them. That means that regardless of status or socioeconomic circumstance, your individual plight in life or even the physical state of your well-being, if you know Jesus, you’ve got work to do letting the world know that you know that you know. It’s not really that complicated, and the model of Jesus Christ is about as clear as it gets. Spread His message of love thy neighbor as thyself along with loving God as no other and you’ll begin to see what I mean.

It’s an awesome cross to bear, but yet a necessary one. How many people do you know that upon describing you would say, first and foremost, you are a devout Christian? A practicing Christian? A struggling-real-hard-to-be-a-good Christian? That alone requires an effort.

For the record, I love the Lord. I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and, if you’ve got a minute, I’ll be happy to tell you why. You see, I’ve got a testimony, as you probably do too. But for right now, let’s start with the fact that I’ll never die because He lives. It gives me great reason to wake up every day and look forward to the day that the Lord has made.

Rev. Robert E. McClish II, pastor of Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church

Columnist

James Washington

Rita Heard-Days

CCC&C INC.

ARMED AND UNARMED SECURITY

NEEDED APPLY IN PERSON, EXPERIENCED OFFICERS

6000 W. FLORISSANT AVENUE, STL 63136 NO PHONE CALLS

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

COUNSELOR

WestEnd Clinic, Inc. has an opening for a full time, Substance Abuse Counselor. Masters Degree preferred

Qualifications a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work Counseling or Psychology must have current valid Certification as A Substance Abuse Counselor from the Missouri Substance Abuse Counselor from the Missouri Substance Abuse Certification Board

Three years of experience in out patient treatment or rehabilitation. Excellent benefits If interested please contact:

Program Director WESTEND CLINIC, INC.

5736 West Florissant

St. Louis MO 63120 Or Fax (314) 381-2747

Westendclinic45@yahoo.com Or 314 381-0560 ext. 202 Fax #(314) 381-0202

STAFFACCOUNTANT

The GatewayArch Park Foundation is seeking

Staff

Private

View

PERSONAL CARE

ATTENDANT

MedStar Home Health Services CDS a Consumer Directed Services company seeking caring individuals that would like to earn up to $11.00 per hour taking care of disabled individuals in their homes. To learn more about this opportunity contact us at (314) 782-7311 or via email at info@medstarcds.com.

AIDES For St. Louis and St. Louis County Area Call Karen at 314-298-7002

PARAMEDICS

Mehlville Fire Protection District is accepting applications for the position of CRITICAL CARE PARAMEDIC

Starting $56,294; $60,294 w/CCP-C $84,344 after 4 years

Benefits include health insurance, pension, tuition reimbursement, sick leave, attendance bonus, vacation, life & disability, holiday pay, uniform allowance, wellness benefits

LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE

WestEnd Clinic, Inc. has an opening for a full time LPN. Qualifications: Graduate from an accredited School of Practical Nursing, Preferable with one year of general nursing practice. Possession of a license to practice nursing in the State of Missouri. Good physical and mental health. Ability to make nursing judgments independently with moderate amount of direct supervision. Experience in substance abuse treatment preferred. One year of experience in out patient treatment or rehabilitation. Excellent benefits If interested please contact:

Program Director WESTEND CLINIC, INC.

5736 West Florissant St. Louis MO 63120

Westendclinic45@yahoo.com Or 314 381-0560 ext. 202 Fax #(314) 381-0202 HIRING PART-TIME

REQUIRED: EMT-P certification through the State of Missouri

PREFERRED: CCP-C or FP-C certification Applications accepted September 24 – October 31, 2018, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Headquarters, 11020 Mueller Rd. 63123. Download application packet at www.mehlvillefire.com Equal Opportunity Employer.

w/benefits. Applicants must have an Associate Degree in Fire Science, Paramedic Technology or a related field from an accredited college or university, a current Missouri State Paramedic license, Missouri Firefighter I and II certification through the St. Louis County Fire Standards Commission, a valid driver license, certification from the Missouri Department of Fire Safety for Fire Officer I and Fire Instructor, seven (7) years prior work experience as a Firefighter. The full job posting and application packet can be found at www.olivettemo.com or by contacting Human Resources at dmandle@olivettemo.com. The application deadline is Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 4:00 pm. For additional information please contact the Human Resources office at 314-9835231 or dmandle@olivettemo.com.

THE CITY OF OLIVETTE IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

LEARNING CONSULTANT

Trinity Catholic High School has an immediate opening for a full-time Learning Consultant.ABachelors Degree in Special Education, Cross-Categorical Mild/ Moderate is required, Masters preferred. Experience working with Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disturbances and Intellectual Disabilities is desired. Additionally, there is an immediate opening for a full-time math teacher, as well as a long-term substitute position for ELA/Media. Please send cover letter and resume to Kristen Shipp, Principal at kshipp@trinitycatholichigh.org.

RECRUITER

Safety National has an opening for a newly created position to join our talent acquisition team. The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years’ experience as a recruiter in the Insurance/Financial services industry with an emphasis in IT recruitment. Safety National is recognized as a Best Place to Work in Insurance by Business Insurance Magazine and as a Top Work Place in St. Louis, MO by the St. Louis Post Dispatch!

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/.

CITY OF CLAYTON, MO NOW HIRING!

FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC

$58,483-$79,231

ASSOCIATE NETWORK ENGINEER Range: $54,554-$72,285

ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST II – HR

$40,170-$56,180

For more details and to apply today, visitwww.claytonmo.gov/jobs.

CITY OF JENNINGS SPECIAL SERVICES COORDINATOR

Responsibilities include managing purchasing, inventory, safety and risk management, fleet management overseeing information technology and social media programs. Starting salary of $38,825 (GS15). Minimum Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in related fields or equivalent experience, plus two years of municipal government/ public administration of similar duties.

Applications are available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Ave., or online at www.cityofjennings.org.

NO RESUMES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY A CITY OF JENNINGS APPLICATION! Applications are accepted at Jennings City Hall or can be emailed to jobs@cityofjennings.org until Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 4:30 p.m.

LARGE CASUALTY WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ANALYST

Responsible for handling assigned claims from initial assignment to closure as well as provide assistance in various administrative functions associated with the primary WC LOB. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/.

To ensure that the daily tasks required to perform ceded and assumed reinsurance and program accounting are completed accurately and timely. Responsible for claims payment funds for Large Casualty claims and Large Primary Workers Compensation over the SIR andAGG limits. To apply, please visit: https://www. safetynational.com/careers-page/.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

City of St. Louis Department of Health Bureau of Communicable Disease Grants Administration

Starting Monday, September 24, 2018, 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 services: Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Housing to people living with HIV/AIDS in the St. Louis Transitional Grant Area and portions of Illinois.

A copy of the Request for Proposals can be obtained from Regina Smith, Contract Compliance Officer, DOH, 1520 Market Avenue, Room 4027, by either calling 314-657-1581 or via email smithre@stlouis-mo.gov.

Interested parties may also download the RFP from the City of St. Louis website at http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/govemrnentlprocurement.cfm. If interested parties who have downloaded the proposal from the website, must register with Ms. Smith in order to be notified of any changes or amendments to the RFPs. The deadline for submitting proposals is 4:00 p.m., Monday November 19, 2018, at the address referenced above.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for 2018 ITS Program –Advanced Detection, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1688, 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 11:00 a.m. on October 31, 2018.

Plans and specifications will be available on October 8, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

BID PROPOSAL

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking qualifications for the following services: video, photography, public relations, marketing and graphic design. Check https://greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids/ and submit by October 26, 2018.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR OPEN-ENDED MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING DESIGN SERVICES AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, OCTOBER 25, 2018 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website www.stl-bps.org, under On Line Plan Room-Plan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-622-3535. 25% MBE and 5% WBE participation goals.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Valcour and Burlington RR Sanitary Relief and I/I Reduction (Valcour Rd and Watson Rd) under Letting No. 12253-015.1 at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 03:00 PM on Friday, November 16, 2018, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Clayton Road (West County) ARS Resurfacing and Baxter Road (North) ARS Infrastructure projects, St. Louis County Project Nos. AR-1600 and AR-1556, 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 11:00 a.m. on October 31, 2018.

Plans and specifications will be available on October 8, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

District (District) will receive sealed bids for Spring Water 2932 Storm Main Replacement (IR) under Letting No. 12885-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Friday, November 09, 2018, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: DEEP SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Ville Angela Ln 1550 Storm Sewer (IR) under Letting No. 12780-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required

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

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for NORTH WEBSTER CC, POCAHONTAS, SOUTH BRENTWOOD I/I REDUCTION (S BRENTWOOD BLVD AND MANCHESTER) under Letting No. 12363-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Thursday, November 15, 2018, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Bellefontaine Road

ARS Infrastructure project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1558, 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 11:00 a.m. on October 24, 2018

Plans and specifications will be available on October 1, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for North Hanley Road (E) Resurfacing, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1738, 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 11:00 a.m. on October 31, 2018.

Plans and specifications will be available on October 1, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

DISTRICT

SEWER

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on November 13th, 2018 to contract with a company for: I T Service Management System & Maintenance Services.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9611 RFP. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: FLYGT SUBMERSIBLE PUMP. The District is proposing single source procurement for this equipment because VANDEVANTER ENGINEERING is the only known available source for the equipment. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com.

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

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: Primary Tank Rebuild Parts. The District is proposing single source procurement to Evoqua c/o Ressler & Associates for this equipment because Evoqua is the sole source manufacturer of the parts and Ressler & Associates is the exclusive representative in the St Louis region. Any inquiries should be sent to ameyer@stlmsd.com.

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

SEALED BIDS

for Construction Services, Central Region, Missouri, P r o j e c t N o . ZASIDIQ-9014, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, Thursday, November 1, 2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PROVIDE MEDICAL INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR ST. LOUIS HOUSING AUTHORITY EMPLOYEES

SOLICITATION NO. AD 19-01

The St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) invites proposals for Medical Insurance Benefits for SLHA employees and their eligible dependents from qualified firms that are capable of meeting the specifications. The types of medical plans to be offered include: Point of Service (POS) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO). Offerors may propose a plan for any one type of coverage or elect to submit a proposal for each plan. SLHA will also accept proposals for multiple options.

Solicitation documents will be available for pick up at SLHA, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106 on October 15, 2018. Interested firms may request a copy of the RFP by calling 314-286-4365 or e-mailing fbruce@slha.org.

A Pre-Proposal conference is scheduled for Wednesday, October 24, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. in the 1st Floor Board Room at the above mentioned address. SLHA will receive sealed proposals for this service until 3:00 p.m. (local time) on November 8, 2018.

Krista Peyton Contracting Officer

LETTING #8675

EMPLOYEE PARKING LOT FENCE AND GATES INSTALLATION AT CITY OF ST. LOUIS WATER DIVISION

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 November 6, 2018, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made. Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies). All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for 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).

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on October 23, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. at the Water Department Pipe Yard Office at 4600 McRee, St. Louis, MO 63110. Attendance to this meeting is a requirement for bidding.

LETTING NO. 8676

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENTS PHASE III, FEDERAL PROJECT NO. CMAQ 5422(620), ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

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 NOVEMBER 13, 2018, then publicly opened and read. Drawings 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.

The prime contractor must have a fully responsive contractor questionnaire on file with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission at least 7 days prior to bid opening date in order for MODOT to concur with the award of this project. Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including DBE policies).

There will be a pre-bid conference for this contract on October 30, 2018, 9:00 a.m., City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri Room 305. All bidders are encouraged to attend the pre-bid meeting. All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice 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).

The City of St. Louis hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Contractors and sub-contractors who sign a contract to work on public works project provide a 10-Hour OSHA construction safety program, or similar program approved by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to be completed by their onsite employees within sixty (60) days of beginning work on the construction project. The DBE Goal for this project is 5%

City of St. Louis

Public Hearing Notice and

Draft 2019 Annual Action Plan Available for Review and Comment

The City of St. Louis is soliciting comments on its draft 2019 Annual Action Plan, which includes annual priorities for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs. Public Hearing Notice/Public Comment Period

The Community Development Administration (CDA) will conduct a public hearing on November 8, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. at 1520 Market - Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63103. The purpose of the hearing is to solicit public comments and answer questions pertaining to the draft 2019 Annual Action Plan and Consolidated Plan Amendment. Documents Available for Review

The 2019 Annual Action Plan will be available in draft form for review by any interested citizen beginning at 12:00 p.m. CST on October 12, 2018. The plan will be available at the Central Branch of the St. Louis Public Library, located at 1301 Olive Street and on the City of St. Louis website, http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/cda/. The plan will also be available for review at CDA’s office: 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000.

Written Comments

The views of citizens, public agencies and other interested parties are encouraged and comments or questions with respect to the draft documents should be addressed to Ms. Alana Green, Executive Director, Community Development Administration, 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63103, or via email at GreenA@stlouis-mo.gov. Written comments will be accepted until 12:00 p.m. CST on November 12, 2018.

Other Information

Persons with special needs or accommodations relating to handicapped accessibility or foreign language should contact Ms. Green via email at GreenA@stlouis-mo.gov or by phone at (314)657-3835 or (314) 589-6000 (TDD). Interpreting services are available upon request for persons with hearing disabilities. Interested persons should contact the Office on the Disabled at (314)622-3686 (voice) or (314)622-3693 (TTY).

CDA is an equal opportunity agency (employer). Minority participation is encouraged.

LETTING NO. 8677

TOWER GROVE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD

ACCESS ENHANCEMENTS

NO. TAP 5670(604), ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

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 NOVEMBER 20, 2018, then publicly opened and read. Drawings 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.

The prime contractor must have a fully responsive contractor questionnaire on file with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission at least 7 days prior to bid opening date in order for MODOT to concur with the award of this project. Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including DBE policies).

There will be a pre-bid conference for this contract on November 6, 2018, 9:00 a.m., City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri Room 305. All bidders are encouraged to attend the pre-bid meeting.

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice 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).

The City of St. Louis hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Contractors and sub-contractors who sign a contract to work on public works project provide a 10-Hour OSHA construction safety program, or similar program approved by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to be completed by their on-site employees within sixty (60) days of beginning work on the construction project.

The DBE Goal for this project is 16%

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for Contract No. F 19 501, Flooring Replacement in Child Development Center, St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, until 2:00 p.m. local time, Tuesday, October 30, 2018. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the office of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 5464 Highland Park Drive (Plan Room). Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s office, at the above address or by calling (314) 644-9770.

Voluntary Pre-bid Meeting: October 19, 2018, 10:00 AM, Florissant Valley, Child Development Center

An Equal Opportunity andAffirmativeAction BID PROPOSAL

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking proposals for construction management services. Check https://greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids/ and submit by October 26, 2018.

BIDS

Ross Group Construction is hereby soliciting bids for the renovation of the existing Beaumont Building, located at 2654 Locust Street. Bidding documents may be obtained by submitting an email request to travis.magers@ withrossgroup.com and bobby.spurlock@withrossgroup.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Riverview

manager. The RFP for this position can be found on the district website www.rgsdmo.org. The reference number is #210.

INVITATION TO BID FERGUSON-FLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT PARKER ROAD AND ROBINWOOD ELEMENTARY ROOF RESTORATION

Sealed bids for the above project are being requested from the Ferguson Florissant School District and will be received and publicly opened on Monday, October 22nd, 2018 at 11:00AM CST at the Facility Maintenance Department located at 7469 Mintert Ind. Drive, Ferguson, MO 63135. Bid specs must be obtained at: http://new.fergflor.K12.mo.us/ facilities-rfq. Contact Matt Furfaro (314) 506-9184.

Much respect for Ms. Lauryn Hill. If you want to say that she should have at least been on stage by 9:30 p.m., by all means have at it. But claiming Ms. Lauryn Hill was four hours late because the doors opened at 6 p.m. is doing the absolute most. I know some of y’all still feel left out because you can’t share in the 2011 horror story – and are so pressed to have your own “Lauryn Hill come lately” Negro spiritual that you had to reach for it. But come on now ... let it be well with your soul and stop trying to make Friday night’s “Miseducation” Anniversary performance anything other than what it was – which was a really good show. No, Nas was not there. But y’all already knew he wasn’t coming. Yes, she showed up at 10:15. Yes, they turned the lights on her because went past curfew. If I had a quarter for every show that I’ve been to where the headliner started after 10 and the lights got turned on, you wouldn’t be reading this –because I would be retired on somebody’s beach living my best life. And I’m not going back-and-forth with y’all about it either. Now that I have all of that out of my system, I can go ahead and get started talking about it. It was great. Shabazz Places had folks feeling like they were on a bad trip with that psychedelic rap act but DJ Reborn turned it out. I wasn’t expecting to see a dance battle at the Lauryn Hill show. I most certainly wasn’t expecting to see them break out like wild fires. And that Pantoranking had me so turnt I was trying to remember the “Coming To America” wedding choreography. And Lauryn did the doggone thing on stage. Her outfit was part Helen Willis from “The Jeffersons” and Wilona Woods (with her as per usual Florida Evans hair game realness) from “Good Times” with a bit of Rose from “227.” The concert was not quite Loufest, but it trumped her other two recent visits to the Lou. I know y’all wanted it to be a mess so badly, but it simply wasn’t. My only notes were that I wish she could have worked things out to her satisfaction during sound check, so we wouldn’t have to suffer through the constant back turns and hand gestures interrupting the flow of the show – and that she hadn’t left “Nothing Even Matters” from the set list. Other than that, it was a solid seven that had me leaning towards an eight. STL’s second dose of Jenifer Lewis. For the second time in three months, I got every bit of my life from the one and only Jenifer Lewis. The Kinloch native and “The Mother of Black Hollywood” author stepped away from Hollywood for a hot second as the kick off speaker for Harris-Stowe’s Beyond The Books Presidential Lecture Series. Not another single soul could have got up in the Emerson Performance Center if they tried Tuesday night. I wish they would have moved it over into the Dr. Henry Givens Main Auditorium so that more folks could have had a chance to be blessed by the queen of keeping it real. I’m just sayin’… She did what she did best – which is encourage the folks by putting every bit of her business in the street for the sake of allowing her truth to help other folks learn how to make better choices. I am so thrilled that she also is working overtime to destroy the stigma surrounding mental illness by sharing her own journey. Y’all know it broke the record for most cuss words in the history of a presidential lecture, but she still was dropping that knowledge and changing lives. Was I the only one that thought she was going to have that baby and the mama tossed out when the poor thing cut up during one of her most profound moments? I can’t say I would have been mad.

Tickled by Joe Torry. I know that there used to be a bit of beef between comedian Joe Torry and the St. Louis American. And apparently AT LEAST 15 years later is too soon to ask him to take a picture for the paper. According to my most trusted source, somebody for the paper asked him to take a picture and he looked at said photographer like they asked for a sip of his gin and cranberry juice. He obliged, but reportedly didn’t seem the least bit pleased. Hopefully when he sees the picture, he’ll feel better about saying yes. He was in town for a weekend engagement at The Funny Bone and had me hollering at hello. Especially when he got to talking about how much of a disciplinarian his daddy was on him and his siblings. The thought of his brother acting up in school, going to bed at night and waking up with a fake bomb strapped to his chest, thanks to their career military man father, will have me hollering until I hit the nursing home. I stopped through Sunday night and the whole evening was funny, thanks to openers Stephon Hightower and Duke Taylor. I hadn’t seen Joe Torry in that type of intimate setting in more than a minute. I stopped through on the strength of seeing his brother Guy tear it up some months back at the same spot, and I’m so glad I did.

Crickets for King Keraun. I know King Keraun and his comedy crew were a bit discouraged by the disappointing crowd sizes when they stopped through St. Louis Friday and Saturday night. They were good sports about it though. In all fairness, folks probably figured they would do what they usually do when they want to see him – go to the internet. I’ll give it to Keraun, he fared better than some of the other internet-famous folks who have decided they want to try their hand at comedy in front of a live audience. I was wondering why he wasn’t the last performer on lineup that featured him, Jay Lee Thomas and a comedian I had never heard of that goes by D’Lai. But when D’Lai kicked his set off, I understood. When I tell you I can’t remember the last time I cackled like from a name I had never heard of – trust me. When he called the crowd “the little audience that could” because of how they kept interacting with him and low-key heckling with the audacity of a sold-out show, I all but fell out. He was the funniest unfamiliar comic I’ve seen in a minute. Last weekend’s crowd was a bit light, but I’m willing to bet Jessie Taylor’s birthday weekend will be busting at the seams with folks, thanks to his own hilariousness and special guest T.K. Kirkland.

Andrea and Jah were happy to be in the house checking out Ms. Lauryn Hill Friday night @ Chaifetz Arena

Chauncey and Jermaine showed support to Breast Cancer survivors by participating in 100.3 The Beat’s 9th annual Sista Strut Saturday morning

Funnymen Jay Lee Thomas, King Keraun and Maurice G were on deck for the second of Keraun’s two-night engagement Saturday night @ The Laugh Lounge

Wiley Price and Wiley Price IV had a hand in the wonderful surprise 40th birthday festivities Jaime Price (center) Saturday @ Brentwood Community Center

These lovely ladies set the dress code standard for the Freakum Dress Party 2 Saturday night @ Hiro Asian Kitchen

Marty and Theresa Payne accidentally coordinated their bright colors @ Chaifetz Arena celebrating 20 years of ‘Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ Friday night

Nicole and Chris were in the mix for the ‘Nothing Even Matters’ unofficial Lauryn Hill after set Friday night @ .Zack

Jessica Kaels and Melanie made their way to the Sunday Day Party Pop Up @ Siam

DreCo and DJ Kut were among the many tastemakers who came to check out Ms. Lauryn Hill Friday night @ Chaifetz Arena Monti and Kira were just a few of the naturalistas in the building eager to catch Ms. Lauryn Hill in concert Friday night @ Chaifetz Arena

STL comic Stephon Hightower posed with comedy veteran and fellow St. Louisan Joe Torry Sunday night at the St. Louis Funny Bone. Torry came home for a hilarious weekend engagement that featured Hightower and Duke Taylor as opening acts.

New legislation seeks debtfree college degrees and real career opportunities

By Charlene Crowell

For The St. Louis American

If 17 Members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce can convince their fellow lawmakers of a comprehensive approach to higher education, every student across the country could gain the chance to earn a debt-free degree and a rewarding career.

The Aim Higher Act, introduced on July 24, proposes several significant improvements to higher education:

• Improves college affordability by investing more in federal student aid, and incentivizes states to reinvest in higher education;

• Cracks down on predatory forprofit institutions that target students and veterans with expensive, low-quality programs;

• Protects and expands the Public

Service Loan Forgiveness program to make student loans simpler and easier to repay;

• Provides students the tools they need to graduate on time with a quality degree; and

• Invests in teachers and school leaders to improve training and quality of our schools.

Commenting on the legislation, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) noted, “It provides immediate and long-term relief to students and parents struggling with the cost of college. It puts a greater focus on helping students graduate on time with a quality degree that leads to a rewarding career. And it cracks down on predatory for-profit colleges that peddle expensive, low-quality degrees at the expense of students and taxpayers.”

Congressman Scott also noted that the bill modernizes financial aid, and the

As Mildred Garcia, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities recently remarked, “The Aim Higher Act’s financial aid provisions would ensure that today’s students –and generations to come – could attain the American Dream.”

importance of a quality education, whether it was at a four or two-year curriculum.

Those observations should strike a chord with the 44 million consumers with outstanding student loan debts that together total $1.5 trillion. Without serious intervention on the part of Congress, the cost of higher education will continue to climb, and with it both the number of borrowers and the nation’s collective indebtedness.

The measure also attracted support from a wide array of education stakeholders who promptly chimed in with their respective support.

“The cost of a college degree is rising at three times the rate of inflation,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “Predatory for-profit colleges continue to scam our nation’s veterans, minorities, and other student loan borrowers…The Aim Higher Act takes some important steps forward toward making higher education a more affordable, accessible reality for everyone.”

“For too long, for-profit colleges have failed to serve the educational purpose for which they were intended,” added Ashley Harrington, a policy counsel with the Center for Responsible Lending. “The combination of high costs and low graduation rates by these bad actors have resulted in unfair burdens

for student borrowers and taxpayers. This bill improves accountability for all higher education institutions and creates a sensible path to fix our broken student loan repayment system.”

In the early 1990s, when 22 percent of students were defaulting on their loans, Congress passed a package of reforms that

31 state attorneys general (AGs) urged Capitol Hill lawmakers to enact legislation that would allow federal and state governments to work in cooperation to effectively respond to the student loan crisis that at the time included a loan default rate larger than any other loan category: 11 percent.

n “This bill improves accountability for all higher education institutions and creates a sensible path to fix our broken student loan repayment system.”

– Ashley Harrington, Center for Responsible Lending

Mexico, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington State. It just seems sensible that every student borrower deserves to know, before a loan is incurred, how interest accumulates, when repayments begin, and the eligibility requirements for income-based repayments. Unfortunately, poor servicing practices have exacerbated, rather than clarified loan obligations – particularly in repayment. Another key provision of the Aim Higher Act is to efficiently and accurately report data that is more useful for students and families.

As Mildred Garcia, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities recently remarked, “The Aim Higher Act’s financial aid provisions would ensure that today’s students –and generations to come – could attain the American Dream.”

drove down defaults. Yet another surge of abuses led to additional reforms in 2008 and 2009.

Earlier this year, a diverse 86-member coalition of organizations began working on behalf of students, consumers, veterans, service members, faculty and staff, civil rights, and college access. Together, they advocated for integrity and consumer protections in higher education.

Additionally, in March of this year,

“The states have the institutional capacity, the legal framework, and the track record to protect their residents from abuses in the student loan market. The Department [Education] does not,” wrote the AGs who represented the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New

Here’s hoping Congress will take timely actions to advance the Aim Higher Act. Making higher education accessible, accountable, and financially manageable would benefit the entire country.

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

MONEY WISE OCTOBER

Consider this before applying for a reverse mortgage

Better Business Bureau

Reverse mortgages are widely advertised to seniors as a popular way to access the equity of their home. Better Business Bureau (BBB) recommends that homeowners read the ads carefully and fully understand all the costs, terms and conditions before taking out a reverse mortgage. Since reverse mortgages can be a quick source for cash, seniors should be informed before applying.

A reverse mortgage allows homeowners to convert part of the equity in a home to cash without having to sell the property. The cash may be paid to you in installments or a lump sum, so typically you don’t need to pay anything back if you live in your house.

Due to the attractiveness of these loans, senior citizens should be on guard against being charged excessive up-front fees for services that are generally available free of charge or at a very low cost through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Reverse mortgages also may come with some significant strings. Consumers should understand that because they’re deferring repayment of the reverse mortgage until they move out of their home or die, the amount they owe will grow substantially over time. Interest charges are added to the loan each day it’s held, so it’s possible the reverse mortgage

may grow to equal the value of the home. People who take out reverse mortgages also are still responsible for property taxes, insurance and maintenance costs. Some ads say that heirs can inherit the home, but remember, to keep it they must pay off the reverse mortgage loan along with possible fees and charges that can add up.

Those who need cash might consider getting a less costly home equity line of credit and check into programs that help defer or lower taxes and utility bills.

BBB advises consumers to consider the following tips before applying for a reverse mortgage:

• Know the basic requirements. To apply for a reverse mortgage, a senior must be 62 years or older and have equity in the home. The home must be the primary residence and remain in good condition. The loan process can’t be initiated until the senior receives counseling from a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage counselor.

Factors such as your age, the type of product, the value of your house and how much you owe on your house all contribute to the amount of money you may borrow.

• Consult a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) counselor. An HECM counselor will help answer questions regarding eligibility, financial implications and other alternatives.

The Fair Housing Association (FHA) does not recommend using any service charging a fee for referring a borrower to an FHA lender, as FHA provides all the information free of charge, and HECM housing counselors are available free or at a very low cost. For a list of approved counseling agencies, click here or call 800-569-4287.

• Involve heirs in the decision-making. Since a reverse mortgage affects the assets of the borrower in case of death, involving heirs will avoid future misunderstandings.

• Make sure a reverse mortgage suits

your needs. Determine whether it is practical to remain in the home for 5-10 years to make the reverse mortgage economical. Take into consideration future health care needs as well as safety and ease of use of the home.

• Consider all the costs associated with obtaining a reverse mortgage. Be prepared to pay for some of the fees involved in the processing of a reverse mortgage loan, which can include an origination fee, closing costs, a mortgage insurance premium, a servicing fee, and the interest rate.

• Understand the repayment terms. A reverse mortgage loan must be repaid in full when the owner dies or sells the home. Other conditions that affect loan repayment include failure to pay property taxes or hazard insurance, allowing the property to deteriorate, and if the borrower permanently moves, has a new primary residence, or fails to live in the home for 12 consecutive months. For a full list of reverse mortgage requirements, contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at https://tinyurl.com/y6uer4bv

To report a scam, go to the BBB Scam Tracker at https://www.bbb.org/ scamtracker/us. To find trustworthy reverse mortgage lenders, go to bbb.org.

Short-term insurance plans leave patients with high costs, less coverage

American staff

In August the U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services issued a final rule that would expand the use of “short-term, limitedduration insurance plans.” More than 25 patient and consumer groups representing millions of people with pre-existing health conditions issued the following statement:

“Our organizations, representing more than 100 million American consumers, providers, and patients, are deeply troubled by the administration’s decision to finalize a short-term, limitedduration insurance (short-term) rule. Despite serious concerns expressed by individuals and organizations across the entire spectrum of our health care system, the administration has finalized a rule that will reintroduce health insurance discrimination based on gender, health status, age, and pre-existing conditions.

“A striking 98 percent of stakeholder groups who commented, including many of our organizations, either expressed extreme concerns with the rule or outright opposed it as drafted, emphasizing

its negative impact on patients and consumers. The administration has disregarded those warnings and issued a final rule with few changes, aside from limiting renewals of short-term coverage to up to 3 years— which does nothing to resolve the fundamental problems with this policy. This rule will siphon younger and healthier individuals out of the individual market risk pool, forcing patients with preexisting health conditions to pay far higher costs for the comprehensive coverage they obtain through the insurance marketplaces. It will also expose those younger, healthier individuals to the significant risk that their health plan will fail to cover critically necessary care if they fall ill or develop a serious medical condition.

“Allowing short-term plans to proliferate offers no relief from the problems that plague our health care system, and instead will exacerbate the affordability concerns for unsubsidized individuals even as many states are implementing reinsurance programs to lower costs. We are dismayed that the administration has chosen a course of

action to further dismantle rather than stabilize the health insurance marketplace, potentially costing the millions of Americans our organizations represent their coverage or even their health. We now call upon states to stand up for the patients left behind by this rule and take action to protect patients, stabilize the marketplaces, and bring down costs for consumers.”

This statement was issued by: Adult Congenital Heart Association, Alpha-1 Foundation, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Liver Foundation, American Lung Association, Arthritis Foundation, COPD Foundation, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Epilepsy Foundation, Family Voices, Hemophilia Federation of America, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Lutheran Services in America, March of Dimes, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Health Council, National Hemophilia Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Organization for Rare Disorders; National

Patient Advocate Foundation, National Psoriasis Foundation, Susan G. Komen, United Way Worldwide. WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Woman with Heart Disease.

Topher Spiro, vice president for Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, made the following statement in response to the rule’s release:

“The American people should not be fooled: These plans are the Trump University equivalent of health insurance. This is just the latest example of President Donald Trump breaking his promise to protect people with pre-existing conditions. By proliferating the sale of junk insurance plans that exclude critical benefits and have higher out-of-pocket costs that many cannot afford, this rule will increase costs for consumers with health needs. But it’s not just consumers enrolled in these plans who could pay more—this rule will also increase premiums for middle-class families currently enrolled on the individual market. If Congress refuses to protect consumers, states must intervene to ban the sale of junk insurance.”

MONEY WISE OCTOBER 11, 2018 • 5

How we work to protect taxpayers from waste and fraud

By Nicole Galloway Missouri State Auditor

Personal bills paid with public funds… bank documents and official minutes falsified… more than $60,000 in taxpayer money missing. The plot of a TV crime drama? No, it’s what I uncovered in an audit of Coffey, a town of fewer than 200 people in northwest Missouri.

The findings of the audit were shocking, both in what took place and in how little oversight there was of city funds. It also showed the power of an audit to dig deep to reveal waste, fraud and mismanagement.

Money went missing for a period of almost two years while the city clerk was solely responsible for the financial accounting functions of the city. Meanwhile, the mayor and the board of aldermen – which included the clerk’s husband – used few, if any, safeguards to prevent and detect fraud. The city official responsible for paying all the bills quite literally had blank checks with the mayor’s signature already on them.

I’ve turned over the information from the Coffey audit to appropriate law enforcement officials to consider criminal

charges. It’s far from the first time that’s happened after an audit. When we find evidence of corruption, our audits help put public officials out of office - and sometimes behind bars. In fact, audits from my office have resulted in more than 30 criminal charges of corruption against public officials.

A recent example was in Viburnum, in Iron County, where the former city clerk pleaded guilty in June to receiving stolen property. This happened after an audit uncovered more than $100,000 in fraudulent activity. As in Coffey, my audit found a lack of oversight by the mayor and the board of aldermen allowed for the fraud to continue undetected.

activity involved taxpayer money that should have been used productively to better the lives of Missourians.

Over the past three years, state audits have identified more than $300 million in government waste, fraud and mismanagement. That included inappropriate bonus payments made to top administrators in the University of Missouri system, millions of dollars in questionable costs in social safety net programs, and $90 million in a billing scheme at a small public hospital in north Missouri. Much of the improper

Accountability and transparency in Missouri have been helped by a law passed in 2013 that empowers the State Auditor to investigate credible claims of improper activity by state and local government officials. In the five years it’s been in effect, the law has been a valuable tool to help protect taxpayers through investigations that identify waste, fraud and mismanagement. My office has used this law to aggressively investigate whistleblower complaints, whether they concern the smallest city hall in Missouri or the state Capitol.

A specialized unit of auditors, attorneys and investigators in the State Auditor’s Office reviews claims that come into the Whistleblower Hotline. Our work in protecting the tax dollars of Missourians relies in large part on the valuable information we obtain from citizens who are concerned that money is being used improperly. Individuals who would like to provide information can contact my

Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597, by email at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov, or online at auditor.mo.gov/hotline. Whistleblowers may remain anonymous, and you can be assured that I take my legal obligation to protect your identity seriously.

Even audits that don’t uncover waste or fraud result in recommendations to help local governments be more efficient and effective, a goal that most local officials are committed to achieving. It was encouraging to see representatives of more than 30 counties across Missouri participate in the County Government Day I hosted this summer, where my office provided valuable information on how to effectively and efficiently meet the needs of citizens.

I’m proud of the work we continue to accomplish. We’re hearing from citizens every day through our Whistleblower Hotline, which demonstrates to me that Missourians really do care about having the best government possible – one that is open, responsive and accountable.

Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway stands for reelection on the November 6 ballot.

Nicole Galloway

MONEY WISE

Reliance Bank offers home improvement loan program

Clayton Evans, senior vice president of Reliance Bank, presented on the bank’s GreenLight Home Improvement Loan program at the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office of Financial Empowerment on Wednesday, September 26.

Loan can be used for an addition, alteration, conversion, improvement or renovation

American staff

On Wednesday, September 26, the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office of Financial Empowerment hosted a workshop as a part of their Lunch & Learn series to introduce the Reliance Bank GreenLight Home Improvement Loan program.

Reliance Bank created the GreenLight Home Improvement Loan to provide low and moderate income (LMI) communities and homeowners a vehicle to address delayed maintenance and improvements that contribute to the deterioration of homes and communities. The loan is available in amounts of $5,000$15,000 on owner-occupied, 1-4 family residences to borrowers with incomes up to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), unless the property is located in a low-or-moderate income census tract, in which case the AMI requirement is waived.

The property must be located in the Reliance Bank Assessment Area which consist of St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County in Missouri; and Madison County, Monroe County and St. Clair County in Illinois. There are an estimated 553 census tracts in this seven county area with 180 of them designated as LMI.

property issue occurring in the City of St. Louis. Older housing stock often present a unique set of challenges for local governments. According to the 2016 American Community Survey, more than 76 percent of the city’s housing stock was built before 1939. However, many of our neighborhoods have not reached the point of no return relative to the ability to revitalize the areas impacted by the empty lots and abandoned houses.

n Many of our neighborhoods have not reached the point of no return relative to the ability to revitalize the areas impacted by the empty lots and abandoned houses.

Under the program, the loan can be used for an addition, alteration, conversion, improvement or renovation to your home. Items such as roof replacement, new windows, HVAC system, water heater, kitchen appliances, security alarms, and handicap access ramps are also eligible.

As noted in a recent report, like many aging industrial cities in the country, older housing stock is a significant contributor to the vacant and abandoned

Today, stabilization is a focus of many neighborhoods in our community. Dedicated efforts by neighborhood groups like the St. Louis Association of Community Organizations (SLACO) have been instrumental in raising the visibility of the St. Louis City housing issues. Stabilizing communities by way of concentrated rehabilitation is one of the many strategies employed around the country to address this issue. Additionally, substantial rehabilitation is a core element of many stabilization efforts. Conversely, “Do It Yourself” home improvement projects can provide early signs that a neighborhood has turned the corner relative to property value issues. The GreenLight loan is an example of a small-dollar, flexible term home-improvement program offered by lenders that homeowners can use to finance their positive contribution to the community.

Reliance Bank is recognized for its outstanding leadership in community reinvestment and is excited to work with homeowners in the revitalization of neighborhoods and communities. Please visit any of our 23 Reliance Bank locations or call (314) 569-7200 or (866) 965-5300 to discuss your home improvement needs. Reliance Bank is a member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

Photo by Jordan Wade

Beyond Housing continues college savings program for Normandy students

American staff

September was College Savings Month and more than 1,700 students in the Normandy Schools Collaborative have college savings accounts, thanks to a partnership with Beyond Housing, a holistic, community development notfor-profit organization that leads the 24:1 initiative. When students enroll in the Collaborative’s kindergarten program, they are assigned a MOST 529 college savings account to help them off-set the costs of post-secondary pursuits.

The Missouri’s 529 College Savings Plan or MOST 529, is a tuition program investment account parents, grandparents, and relatives can start for their child’s higher education. The money from the college savings account can be used for any expenses while in college room and

board, tuition (with limitations), books, computers and much more. The savings account can be used to fund any higher education institution 4-year college or university, vocational school and post graduate programs.

In addition to the program for incoming kindergartners, Normandy has partnered with Beyond Housing and the Express Scripts Foundation and several other funders to put together an additional college savings account package for Normandy High School seniors and juniors. This program is called the Viking Advantage Program and matches student savings 3:1. This means that for every $1 saved in a student’s account, Beyond Housing will provide $3. Currently, more than 320 students are enrolled in Viking Advantage matched savings accounts. To sign up for the college accounts, students

need to complete an application, which is available through the high school guidance counseling office.

“This is an amazing opportunity for Normandy students,” said Charles Pearson, Normandy Superintendent of Schools. “The Collaborative appreciates

the support of committed organizations like Express Scripts, Beyond Housing, and other generous donors. It is through partnerships like these we will continue to make strides toward our goal of full accreditation and providing a quality 21st Century education for our students.”

GreenLight Home Improvement Loan

Members of the Class of 2017 (shown here) were able to take part in the Viking Advantage college savings program. Beyond Housing will match every $1 saved with a $3 match to be used college expenses.