October 16th, 2014 Edition

AmericAn

Cornel West, clergy arrested in Ferguson

‘We’re here because we love the young folk,’ he tells Ferguson police

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of The St. Louis American

Moral Monday – the final day in the Weekend of Resistance, also known as Ferguson October – began with an act of civil disobedience led by local and national faith leaders of diverse backgrounds.

Participants first gathered at the Wellspring Church, 33 S Florissant Rd., before marching to the Ferguson Police Department.

Denise Lieberman, an attorney with the Advancement Project and co-chair of the Don’t Shoot Coalition, addressed clergy and protestors inside the small church. Lieberman told the group that their direct action was modeled after

North Carolina’s “Moral Monday” movement. The clergy-led movement, which includes a broad base of citizens, developed as a result of people’s discontent with the actions of their government.

“It’s multi-racial and multi-class,” Lieberman said. “It’s black and white. Rich and poor. Young and old. Gay and straight.”

She brought greetings from the Rev. William J. Barber II, head of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and organizer of the “Moral Monday” movement, who was unable to attend the protest.

“He encourages us to protest today

For an act of civil disobedience, Dr. Cornel West was arrested at the Ferguson Police Department at 12:20 p.m. Monday, October 13. A group of 13 individuals, mostly clergy, were charged with third-degree assault of a law enforcement officer and disturbing the peace.

VonDerrit Myers Jr.’s family responds to police version of fatal shooting

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

VonDerrit Myers Jr. could make anyone laugh, and he was wise for his 18 years, his father, VonDerrit Myers Sr., said in an interview with The St. Louis American “I called him an ‘old man’ because he had the knowledge of an older person,” VonDerrit Sr. said. “He always drew the attention of older people. He was very intelligent, and he loved to read. He’d

of

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

About 100 youth stormed St. Louis City Hall demanding to speak with Mayor Francis Slay about implementing a civilian review board and body cameras for police on Monday, October 13. They also demanded that there be an independent review for all “police shootings,” and that the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department refrain from participating in federal programs that offer police agencies military equipment for free or at a discount. The protesters held up three white 30-foot banners with bold black letters that stated, “We are the people. We have the power;” “Be accountable or be gone” and “Which side are you on.” Young activist Kennard Williams yelled from

read anything.” In January, VonDerrit Jr. would have graduated from Gateway STEM High School, but on October 8, an off-duty St. Louis police officer shot and killed him in the Shaw neighborhood, where he lived with his grandmother.

“I always told him that I wanted to see him become a family man and see what it would be like watching myself all over again,” VonDerritt Sr. said.

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“People have been saying that this generation is dead and useless – and that they weren’t about anything. But I never gave up on them,” said legendary St. Louis activist Percy Green II. “Certain things come along and they trigger one’s consciousness – and this is what we get.” Even though he was far from the front as more than 3,000 marched down Market Street on Saturday morning as part of what is now known as Ferguson October, Green was hard to miss.

As the sea of people marched towards Kiener Plaza, he gleamed like a proud father, nodding with approval as protestors chanted, showcasing a permanent grin.

“I knew that it was just a matter of time before something like this would occur, because history has dictated that for us,” Green said. “It’s just like we know rain comes from a cloud – it doesn’t come from a clear blue sky – but every cloud doesn’t bring rain. Sooner or later, the

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

VonDerrit Myers Sr. and Syreeta Myers, the parents of VonDerrit Myers Jr., mourned their son at a vigil in the Shaw neighborhood of South St. Louis on Sunday, October 12.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Photo by Wiley Price

E! outs Kylie and Tyga’s couple status

The controversial relationship between 24-year-old rapper Tyga and 17 year-old Kylie Jenner was confirmed over the weekend by none other than E! – the network that airs more than one reality show tied to the Kardashian/Jenner brand.

“While an insider says they’re just friends, another source tells E! News that things have taken a romantic turn between the two,” E! said. “Tyga and Kylie Jenner have been seeing each other for a few months now. What he likes most about her is that she is a very loyal friend first and foremost and easy to be around. He gets along with her family very well.”

Phaedra opens up about Apollo with Ellen

Ellen DeGeneres, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Phaedra Parks says she had no clue that her estranged husband, Apollo Nida had been engaging in illegal activities until the moment he contacted her for help after he was in police custody.

“I didn’t have any idea this was going on until he called me and said ‘Hey, I’ve been arrested,” Parks said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in an interview that aired Wednesday. While she acknowledged that Nida was on parole from a previous conviction when the couple, who married in 2009, first met, she says she was ready to accept his past.

“Well, to be honest, he had been to prison,” Parks said. “But he was a changed person, so the person I married, I thought he had changed.”

She confirmed that the couple is divorcing and that she will be raising their two boys alone while Nida serves an eight-year federal sentence for fraud.

“It is extremely hard,” Parks said. “My heart aches for my two sons. They are the heart and soul of who I am. That’s the best thing we ever did together – we have

anything to diminish his character in public. We’ve had some times when he’s done things that weren’t so cool, weren’t so nice.”

Nida has alleged that Parks cheated on him with a man supposedly named “Chocolate.” Parks claims the story was fabricated to discredit her.

“I think it’s totally absurd to think I cheated,” she said. “They’re saying I had an affair with a man from Africa named Chocolate. Everybody knows that I do love a Snickers bar every once in a while, but it’s definitely not a man from Africa that I’ve ever had an affair

Restraining order granted against Keyshia

L.A. condo last month. Mercadel, who was one of several people inside the condo when Cole showed up, claims to be suffering neck and back pain and possible permanent damage to one of her fingers as a result of the attack.

She was granted a restraining order against Cole, requiring the singer to stay 100 yards away from her and prohibits any contact.

Ray J’s puppy love problems

Princess Love made it clear she and Ray J were through as a couple. But according to TMZ, things turned nasty after Princess tried to leave with Ray J’s dog.

Cole

Last month Keyshia Cole was arrested after being accused of attacking a suspected love rival she found inside her boyfriend, Cash Money CEO Birdman’s, condo at 5am.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, alleged victim Sabrina Mercadel accuses Cole of punching her in the face repeatedly, pulling her hair, scratching her face and throwing objects at her after gaining access to Birdman’s West

“According to our sources, when the ‘Love & Hip Hop’ stars called it quits, Ray offered to leave while Princess packed her belongings,” TMZ said. “But we’re told when she started to pack up Boogotti’s things, Ray J went off. Our sources say the two went at it over the threepound Maltese puppy, to the point where Ray J’s security had to step in. We’re told Ray J’s security guard eventually got hold of Boogotti and the dog is with Ray J now… but our sources also say Ray J knows this won’t be the end of the battle.”

Sources: TMZ.com, E! Online and People.com

Bob McCulloch’s grand jury charade

County Prosecutor shows how to not get an indictment

By Jerryl T. Christmas For The St. Louis American

As a former prosecutor and grand jury attorney, it’s difficult for me to watch the theatrics of this prosecution play out. Bob McCulloch wants the media to believe that the way he’s presenting the Ferguson shooting case to the grand jury is normal procedure. Not so. In reality, he’s prolonging a charade when it’s obvious that he simply doesn’t want to charge Darren Wilson. Here’s how it works in the real world: A person is arrested. The police take the case to the prosecutor’s office. The prosecutor’s office talks with the officer and any witnesses available. The prosecutor determines the proper charges. The case is charged by information and set for preliminary hearing or grand jury review. Probable cause has to be determined by a neutral party before the case can move forward to trial.

In a preliminary, hearing the prosecutor presents their evidence in open court, the defense has an opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses and the judge determines if

there is probable cause to move forward. In the grand jury, the prosecutor presents evidence to the grand jury. The grand jurors decide if “probable cause” exists. Grand jury proceedings are secret and closed to the public; grand jurors are not allowed to discuss any of the evidence they hear outside of the grand jury. The prosecutor has full discretion in determining what evidence the grand jury will hear, and there is no duty to present defenses or crossexamination of witnesses. If nine of the 12 grand jurors vote for an indictment, the case moves forward to trial. Normally, the prosecutor’s office gets a homicide indictment done in the grand jury in one day – maybe two, if a witness is not available or there’s a scheduling problem with a detective. Usually, grand jurors serve

for four months at a time, and there are generally three grand juries a year. Grand jurors are chosen by the presiding judge from the regular jury poll of registered voters. The grand jury is supposed to be impartial but, trust me, the grand jury only hears from the prosecutor and the witnesses they call. The grand jury can question witnesses, but are guided by the prosecutor assigned to them.

Now, remember this is just a “probable cause” hearing; jurors are not trying to determine guilt or innocence. They just have to determine if there was “probable cause” to move on to trial. In short, jurors must ask themselves: “Do we have the right person; are they charged correctly; and is there enough evidence to move forward?”

The standing joke is that prosecutors can get a grand jury “to indict a ham sandwich.” It’s

More than 3,000 people marched peacefully in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, October 11 as part of Ferguson October’s Weekend of Resistance. The movement – which calls, among other things, for justice in police-involved shootings – ironically passed by a court building where criminal cases are tried.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

a stretch, but probably over 95 percent of the cases presented in the grand jury end with an indictment. If a case doesn’t get indicted, more than likely, the prosecutor didn’t think there was sufficient evidence to move forward.

Even if the grand jury decides not to indict on the prosecutor’s case, it could be presented again or sent to another grand jury. In other words, if McCulloch’s office really wanted to prosecute Officer Wilson, he would already be charged based on the information his office already has and it would be sent to the grand jury for confirmation.

McCulloch’s decision to present every piece of evidence to the grand jury is a delay tactic, which in my experience overwhelms the grand jury and usually ends up with a vote not to indict. Keep in mind, this is just a “probable

cause” hearing - the grand jury is not determining “guilt or innocence,” which happens at the actual trial. The grand jury doesn’t really need every piece of evidence to determine “probable cause.” Defendants rarely testify before the grand jury. His/her testimony is not necessary to determine probable cause. How the defendant testifies could be a deterrent for the prosecutor trying to convince a grand jury to indict. As a defense lawyer, I’ve never been asked to have a client testify. I’d be uncomfortable with my client testifying before the grand jury because I can’t be present to hear the testimony. I’d want my client in and out of the grand jury process as quickly as possible.

Reportedly, Mr. Wilson testified for four hours. I can’t imagine putting my client in front of the grand jury for

four hours, unless of course I was confident of how the prosecutor was going to handle my client in front of the grand jury. Prior to testifying before the grand jury, Officer Wilson had opportunity to hear witness statements and conform his account of what happen based on the evidence that was reported.

Let’s not discount the psychological edge the prosecutor’s office has over the current grand jury if they really don’t want an indictment. This is a “holdover” grand jury, which means they are staying past their normal four-month term to hear this case. By now, this grand jury is very familiar with this prosecutor’s office and the way it presents cases. I’m certain they’ve formed a trust with the attorney that presents cases before them. They are accustomed to hearing police testimony and have probably even heard from Ferguson police officers before and have already formed an opinion on the reliability of their testimonies.

This holdover grand jury has developed a close relationship with the prosecutor’s office and also understands that this case has been presented differently than previous cases. They realize that the office normally gives them a charge to indict on, and never before have they been told to figure it out themselves.

Unlike what McCulloch would have us believe, prosecutors do not simply tell grand juries to “figure out the charges yourselves.” His office brings the grand jury enough evidence to charge or not. Prosecutors persuade grand juries to pursue their desired route. I have not seen the evidence in this case and, unfortunately, Mike Brown is not alive to give his account of the day he was killed. He can’t sway the jurors’ decision.

Jerryl T. Christmas

Editorial /CommEntary

Peaceful protest expands, faces new challenges

This much should now be beyond dispute: this is a nonviolent protest movement.

Ferguson October drew some 7,000 people to the St. Louis region – after issuing a national call for activists working on police reform and social justice – and even after a weekend of daring direct actions, it’s clear that violence was never on the protest agenda. Although riot chasers and arsonists were attracted by the chaos immediately following the police killing of Michael Brown Jr. and came to town, or crossed town, to join the protests, they never got any real opportunity to distract or defame the peaceful protest leadership this weekend.

That’s mostly attributable to the sheer masses of diverse, peaceful protestors, compared to the violence-bent opportunists, who were forced to the margins. We also credit diligent internal policing and (whether or not the protestors will appreciate our citing this factor) some effective police intelligence work. Police did don riot gear at times, overreact at times, violate civil rights at times; but they also made a sincere and successful effort to police the protest movement, rather than try to destroy it. Some rules of engagement were accepted, in many instances, between police and protestors, a new sign of grudging reciprocal respect.

The complexity and daring of the successful direct actions plotted and executed –peacefully – by protest leaders showed everyone paying attention that this is a serious operation. And it’s not going away. The most vocal (and photogenic) protest leaders have a deep organization behind them, both peers and elders, local and national and international. While the message is strident – the people are angry, because justice has not been served –the intelligence is subtle and complex. One civic admirer of Ferguson October said these young movement leaders should be running major organizations a few years from now. She was not flattering them or trying to be hip, she was expressing her profound admiration and respect. We wholeheartedly agree.

Nevertheless, the message is being lost on the vast majority of St. Louis. To be blunt, the white people who are not deeply and passionately committed personally to any black people in our region don’t get what the fuss is all about. They are either

not aware or not concerned about widespread patterns and practices of police harassment of black people, especially young black people, and young black men in particular, which is another reflection of our enduring racial inequities and segregation.

That’s not to deny the deeply diverse character of the Ferguson protest movement; from day one, some white women and men stood up at the Ferguson Police Department demanding answers alongside their black neighbors. The Weekend of Resistance was especially diverse. In fact, veteran local black protestors knew that the presence of large numbers of white protestors this weekend made the police more measured in their response, because they have seen area police go easier on white protestors from the beginning. But this diverse protest movement is misunderstood by the wider mainstream community. In St. Louis, many black people and their allies feel like they are at the epicenter of a national movement of historic importance, whereas most white residents consider the whole thing an aggravating nuisance that only reinforces their support of the police and uneasiness around young black people.

Also, the protest movement is now more fully regional, following the community response to the St. Louis police killing of VonDerrit Myers Jr. in the Shaw neighborhood of South St. Louis. This incident was different from the police killing of Michael Brown, in that police claim Myers was armed and fired first. Court records show that Myers was

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

under house arrest for a gun charge, and images of him posing with handguns have appeared. Protestors see this as blaming the victim after his death, though it lends some credibility to the police story and could pose a problem in holding together a unified protest movement, now that Ferguson protestors have embraced the Shaw shooting.

“Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!” has nothing to do with a shootout – if one in fact occurred yet. Police credibility with the protest movement is so low it’s difficult to imagine any physical evidence other than a livestream that will convince them that Myers wielded a loaded firearm and not the turkey sandwich we have all seen him order at the corner market just before he was killed. It does not help the police’s argument that they have started to produce selected pieces of evidence through the police officers’ union, in a closely guarded media event hosted by Jeff Roorda, whose credibility with the protest movement is – deservedly –less than zero. Roorda and union president Joe Steiger also made claims that struck protestors as outrageously disrespectful, such as Steiger’s claim that his only regret about the shooting was that the officer put himself at risk by hesitating to fire.

And so, a peaceful protest movement matures and expands and becomes more complex, as we all wait for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch to tell us what the grand jury has decided in the matter of Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. MidNovember is so near, and yet so far, away.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

‘These are unprecedented times’

By Fred P. Pestello Of Saint Louis University

Dear students, faculty, staff and parents,

Guest Columnist Fred P. Pestello

These are unprecedented times for the St. Louis community, and Sunday and this morning, they arrived on our doorstep, as a protest was staged on our campus. We as a SLU community have responded peacefully and have kept the protests from escalating in any way. Please know that at all times, the safety of our students has been our top priority – and continues to be.

As many of you know by now, hundreds of protestors marched to our campus early this morning protesting police brutality and other social injustices, and held a rally and sit-in around the clock tower.

The march started in the Shaw

neighborhood and proceeded up Grand Avenue to the Frost Campus. The university had no prior knowledge that this action would take place. Once on campus, the protestors were peaceful and did not cause any injuries or damage. In consultation with St. Louis Police and our Department of Public Safety, it was our decision to not escalate the situation with any confrontation, especially since the protest was non-violent. While the protestors were sometimes loud, they were respectful of the students they met. At the same time, we ensured that all of our residence halls were secure and that DPS was carefully monitoring the scene. As of 6 a.m., approximately 25 protestors remain on campus in tents just north of the clock tower. We remain steadfastly committed to ensuring the safety of all of our students and campus to the very best of our ability. To that end, our response has been nonconfrontational and consistent with our mission.

While I know that having middle-of-the-night protests

As

I See It - A Forum for

Community Issues

Justice and unrest in STL County

Guest Columnist Jamala Rogers

There has been some muffled talk that there will not be an indictment and thereby Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson will not be held accountable for the shooting death of Mike Brown, an unarmed black teen. The community’s righteous demand for an indictment of Darren Wilson has not diminished one iota. In fact, the outcry has only gotten stronger for an indictment of the officer who fatally killed Mike Brown, a black teen in Ferguson, Missouri. The demand has reverberated nationally.

One of the most popular chants during the past Weekend of Resistance went like this: “Indict! Convict! Send that killer cop to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!”

The refrain was embraced by thousands of concerned citizens in St. Louis and from around the country, who participated in a myriad of marches, rallies, acts of civil disobedience and teach-ins. The diversity of the people was both

powerful and inspiring. Many races and ethnicities, ages, political persuasions, faiths and unaffiliateds, labor, elected officials, entrepreneurs – all raising their voices as one for real justice.

We demand and expect an indictment of Darren Wilson; the community should not soften its expectations based upon past actions by prosecutors.

Jerryl Christmas, local attorney and one-time candidate for St. Louis prosecuting attorney, eloquently lays out the charade by the St. Louis County prosecutor. Christmas exposes the playbook for “how to not get an indictment” in a recent St. Louis American commentary. And yes, it’s obvious to anyone paying attention to the legal theatrics of Prosecutor Bob McCulloch that he doesn’t want to charge Darren Wilson and has cowardly passed his responsibility onto the grand jury.

Behind the scenes, government officials are reaching out to individuals and groups who they feel may have some influence in their communities should they need embedded voices to quell any unrest. Like McCulloch, these officials are hiding their

Letters to the editor

Applauding the governor

I applaud the governor for his release of $500,000 for math and science tutoring funds for St. Louis. The governor needs to make sure that funds are going to the most vital of all programs. However, this small percentage of funding will have a major impact on Missouri’s economy, both current and future.

I have seen the need for this program since my earliest days in the Capitol. I have no doubt that these funds will assist many local young people in furthering their education, and perhaps even lead to higher enrollment numbers for Missouri’s colleges and universities

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed St. Louis

Witnesses to non-violence

Helicopters flew over my house in the Shaw neighborhood. We saw an armored vehicle, tear gas and police in riot gear brought out in response to a mostly peaceful protest.

is unexpected and can be disturbing, I applaud the actions of everyone on campus – especially our students – for handling this situation with great grace and compassion.

After consultation with Provost Dr. Ellen Harshman, we have agreed that classes will go on as scheduled today, but we will leave it to individual faculty members to make any adjustments to their class schedules for today.

Earlier last night, more than 1,800 people came to our arena to hear clergy and young activists speak about the difficult issues that have led to these protests. At that event as well, the attendees were peaceful.

There is certainly the possibility that protests –some near our campus – may continue. We expect these also to be peaceful, but we will handle any of them with the care of our students foremost in our actions. Let us all pray for better days ahead.

Fred P. Pestello is president of Saint Louis University

I thought about my wife, my house, my vehicles, but I walked with the protesters last night because I feel there is an infection in this city that must be acknowledged. We caution the area’s law enforcement officials to err on the side of caution and use less – not more – intimidating military hardware. The use of this equipment often seems to backfire and inflame the outrage of citizens who are, for the most part, protesting peacefully.

However, we must acknowledge that during much of the night on Wednesday and Thursday, the St Louis Police Department did protect the protesters’ ability to express their opinion. Also, protesters only hurt themselves when they let their anger spill over and destroy property and hurt others.

We need to stress that for us, as people of faith, the end is not in doubt. This gives us hope to participate in this struggle. We have certainty that God is moving through these protesters. Our question for our congregations and our community is: Are you going to stand on the side of justice or are you going to stand on the side of oppression?

complicity with a justice system that is – as the chant says – guilty as hell. Their time would be better spent transforming a broken system into one that’s fair and just, regardless of who the victim or victimizer is; they should not be wasting time with intermediaries who didn’t create the problems we now must confront. No individual or organization, no matter how high their position or how deep their ties in their communities, can guarantee peace in the streets should Darren Wilson not be indicted. As St. Louis blogger Bgyrl for Life reminds us, “We’re sitting on a ticking time bomb, on borrowed time ... about to go nuclear.” The only people who can make this right are the ones who have built and maintained this unjust system rooted in racism and class oppression. The governor, mayors, prosecutors, police, courts, legislators and their functionaries must all be held accountable for a system that allows an unarmed, black youth to be shot multiple times –twice in the head – and

Visit my

at jamalarogers.com.

All letters are edited for length and style.

What is being revealed is tension about the systems of racism and injustice. The faith community in St. Louis should respect and support the raising of these issues, just as we did in the ‘60s. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter from the Birmingham jail reminds us, the oppressor does not give up power unless the oppressed demand it.

The role of clergy is to de-escalate without shutting down young protesters. We deplore violence whether by aggressive protesters or by aggressive police. The role of clergy and other faith leaders is to be witnesses to non-violence. Our witness speaks out of our strong faith.

Rev. David Gerth executive director Metropolitan Congregations United St. Louis

Peace, violence and protests

Given the recent attention, both locally and nationally, that has been focused on the appropriate use of force by police, St. Louis residents expect and will receive a thorough and open investigation regarding Tuesday’s fatal shooting of an allegedly armed suspect by an off-duty city police officer.

The spontaneous protests by neighborhood residents following the shooting, which occurred in my district, were initially peaceful. It was only after the arrival of more militant demonstrators from other communities that the protests took a violent turn. I commend the restraint shown by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in handling the protests and extend my thoughts and prayers to the family of the young man.

I wholeheartedly support the right of citizens to peacefully express their views and demand accountability. But violent responses aren’t appropriate and cannot be tolerated.

State Rep. Mike Colona St. Louis Declaration of Ferguson

The first part of our Declaration of Independence, listing grievances against King George by the rebelling

colonists, includes the following: “Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us” and “Protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States.” Sounds like Ferguson.

Linda Kranen Carlsbad, CA

MARCH

clouds will bring rain. And this is the rain.”

The seeds he planted a generation before as an activist sprout through the young people who continue to take to the streets in the wake of the death of Michael Brown’s death on August 9.

On this day all walks of life – including the AFL-CIO, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), affiliate unions and constituency groups, and travelers from all over the nation – joined them for the “Justice For All” march.

“We think that it’s a beautiful thing for all of us to come together to fight for justice for Michael Brown – but also for economic justice,” said Lew Moye, president of CBTU’s St. Louis chapter. “One of the main problems that we have in Ferguson and in other parts of North County is the lack of jobs. And this incident has shined a light on that. And the other thing that we have out there is the lack of blacks in government, and that shined a light on that as well.”

SHOOTING

Continued from A1

“But unfortunately I feel like I was stripped from that. He was stripped from that.”

VonDerrit Sr. said he believes his son was unarmed when he was chased down by the offduty officer, whose name has not been revealed. The officer, a 32-year-old white male with six years on the force, fired 17 shots at his son. At around 7:30 p.m. on October 8, VonDerrit Jr. and two friends had just come out of a store on the corner of Shaw Boulevard and Klemm Street, where they purchased some food, his father said. They were

More than 3,000 protestors marched in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, October 11 as part of what is now known as Ferguson October.

Like Green, Moye was in the shadows watching as a proud elder who laid the foundation for young people leading a movement for justice in the name of black casualties of what many referred to as “police terror.”

“The more we get out here in the streets and demonstrate and put a focus on it, the more we will be able to do to turn this situation around,” Moye said. They were two of dozens of civic leaders and activists

walking east on Shaw, eating their snacks, when they saw a man dressed in all black – not in a police uniform – come out of a gangway with his weapon pointed at the young men, he said.

VonDerrit Jr.’s friends said the man never identified himself as a police officer.

“These kids were scared, so they ran,” he said. According to his father, VonDerrit Jr. and the officer got into a physical altercation, and then the youth turned to run and was shot by the police officer.

The family believes that the police’s statements have been inconsistent, and the Department of Justice should open an independent

who respectfully let the young people have their moment in the forefront of a movement that started in the streets of Canfield Green Apartments.

Many were out the night before, both in Ferguson and in South City. They relied on the familiar chants as they made their way down the march route.

“Hands Up, Don’t Shoot,” and “This is what democracy looks like,” “Hey hey, ho ho, these killer cops have got to

investigation in the case.

St. Louis City Circuit

Attorney Jennifer Joyce has co-designated the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and review the case.

However, the family’s attorney Jermaine Wooten said that federal investigators would only review the police department’s investigation, rather than open an independent investigation.

On Tuesday, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department released lab results from a lab at the Missouri State Highway Patrol that showed Myers had “gunshot residue” on his hands, pants and shirt. The police stated that the residue “could be from being in the environment of a discharged weapon or

go” were among the most popular, as was the call and response, “What do we want … Justice,” “When do we want it … Now.” Their voices were strained and hoarse by the time they approached the podium for the rally that followed the march. But the energy and fervency were still strong.

“We know that police brutality is a generational problem,” Tef Poe said. “My father combatted it, I’m combatting it, and I’m here today to make sure that my kids don’t have to go through the same thing.”

He promised not to be moved.

“This is not a fly-by-night moment. This is not a madefor-TV revolution,” Poe said. “This is real people standing up to a real problem saying, ‘We ain’t taking it no more.’ We’re fighting for our lives.”

Ordained by blood

“It’s essential for us that you recognize that this moment cannot end here,” said Montague Simmons, president of the Organization for Black Struggle. “Your participation was consecrated

coming in contact with an object with gunshot residue on it.”

Attorney Jerryl Christmas said that evidence is not conclusive. “He was shot numerous times,” Christmas said. “There’s going to be gunshot residue.”

However, Jeff Roorda, business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers Association, said that the test validated the story of the police officer.

The officer was working a second job as a GCI Security officer for the Flora Street neighborhood. The officer said he saw three young AfricanAmerican men in the 4100 block of Shaw Boulevard, which is three blocks away from the street the officer was hired to patrol.

When the officer then did a u-turn, the males ran from the area, according to the police department’s statement. The officer followed the men through several streets, got out of his car and followed one of the males through a gangway.

After Myers and the officer got into a “physical altercation,” Myers allegedly ran up a hill and then turned and fired three rounds toward the officer.

by blood sacrifice that goes back generations. Police terror began before slavery ended. They didn’t value black lives then, and they don’t value black lives now.”

Guests came from around the nation – and the world – to speak in solidarity. Chicago, New York, Ohio, Miami and even Palestine were represented in the list of speakers who gave the briefest of remarks.

“Palestinians and Palestinian allies have traveled from all over the country to be here with you today in solidarity, because we realize that none of us is free until all of us are free,” said Suhad Hatib.

Also among the panel of young speakers was Marshawn McCarrell of the Ohio Student Association. They have been protesting in the name of John Crawford, the young man who was killed by police in a Beaver Creek, Ohio Wal-Mart while holding a toy gun four days before Michael Brown was shot down in Canfield.

“We’re happy to report that we recently shut down the Beaver Creek police station,” McCarrell said.

“We won’t find justice until we can fundamentally shift the relationship between law enforcement and our

to police.

Roorda said that the police found pictures of Myers on social media displaying a weapon of the same make and caliber that was fired at the officer and recovered at the scene.

According to the police report, the 9mm gun that Myers allegedly used was reported stolen on September 26, 2014.

The make of the gun that police now report finding differs from the one that St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson initially mentioned after the incident occurred. Dotson had said they found a Ruger 9mm, and now they report finding a 9mm Smith & Wesson, like the one in Myers’ photo.

Upon recovery of the gun, the investigation revealed that the gun had malfunctioned and had jammed after firing at least three rounds, according to police. Allegedly Myers continued to point the gun toward the officer and pull the trigger, and the officer continued to fire shots at him, police said.

communities.”

As people stood talking about lives lost at the hands of law enforcement, attention was drawn to the Kiener Plaza fountains that ran red to celebrate the St. Louis Cardinals’ reaching the playoffs.

“Those red fountains are freaking me out, because I’m thinking specifically of the blood that was shed by those who were auctioned on those steps,” Simmons said. The Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis was previously the site of slave auctions.

Simmons then connected the death of Brown in the Canfield Green Apartments to the deaths of two young black men killed by St. Louis police since August 9: Kajieme Powell in North St. Louis and VanDerrit Myers Jr. in South St. Louis.

“I’m thinking about the blood that soaked into the ground in Canfield,” Simmons said. “I’m thinking about the blood that was soaked into the ground in North City. I’m thinking about the blood that was soaked into the ground in South city this past week.”

He urged them to let the blood – both symbolic and actual – be a catalyst for action.

Milk Jug Ghosts

Spooky Halloween Candles are super-fun and easy to make. First, find an empty and clean jar. Tear strips of brightly colored tissue paper. Make sure you tear enough to cover the jar. Now cover the outside of the jar in glue. Use a butter knife to spread evenly. Before the glue dries, start layering tissue paper on top of it until the jar is covered with paper. Now you can work on the design while that dries. Will it be a spooky face or a haunted scene? Draw the design onto black construction paper. A pencil works well because it’ll show against the black paper. Cut out your design and glue it to your jar the way you’d like it to look. With the help of a parent, add a candle to the jar and watch it glow at night! HALLOWEEN

“Fearing for his safety,” the officer returned fire, according

Milk Jug Ghosts make a really fun addition to the stairs or walkway leading up to your front door. They also look awesome glowing at night. Simply take a clean and empty gallon of milk and cut a fistsized hole in the back by the handle. With a permanent marker or black paint, draw spooky or silly faces on the opposite side. Utilizing the hole you’ve created in the back, place a tealight candle inside the jug. Be sure it’s in the center and not near the plastic walls. You should also ask a parent for help when lighting the candle. Now repeat these steps to other milk jugs and create a haunted landscape for Trick-or-Treaters to walk through.

Halloween Tin Can-dles Spooky Halloween Candles

Collect as many tin cans as possible and remove the paper labels from the outside. After you’ve gathered some tin cans, figure out a message you’d like Trick-or-Treaters to read when they come on Halloween. “HAPPY HALLOWEEN” is great but will take a lot of work and requires 14 cans and candles. Something short like “BOO” works well. Draw each letter on your tin can with a permanent marker. Next, fill each can with water and put them in the freezer overnight. The next day, carefully use a hammer and a nail to poke holes along the letter you drew onto your tin can. The ice inside prevents the can from becoming dented. When finished, empty out the ice and dry the can completely. With the help of a parent, add a candle to each can and line them up on Halloween night.

Roorda also told the press about another shooting case involving Myers when he was a juvenile but certified as an adult. Myers was not found guilty in that case. Wooten said that Myers had never been

convicted of a crime, and he did not understand why the police union would bring up a case where Myers was found innocent. Myers was also slated to go to trial in a November for a case where he allegedly ran from police, after being a passenger in a vehicle involved in a high-speed chase early in the morning of June 27 on South Grand Boulevard. Myers allegedly exited the vehicle and ran, throwing his Hi-Point 380 caliber semi-automatic pistol from his person into a sewage drain. Wooten said he had planned on pleading not guilty. Myers’ death inspired a candlelight vigil and several protests during the Ferguson October weekend of civildisobedience actions to bring awareness to police brutality. Ferguson October leaders said that the police chose to collude the Weekend of Resistance with “the character assassination of a teenager who was killed by a law enforcement officer.” VonDerrit Jr.’s mother, Syreeta Myers, said, “I just want the truth to come out. I just think it’s unfair that they can go and put out bits and pieces of information to change the people’s minds, instead of really trying to get to the truth.”

Photo by Wiley Price

CITY HALL

Continued from A1

the first floor, “Mayor Slay, we know you’re up there.” Instead he got his chief of staff Jeff Rainford, who brought Williams to Slay’s office to hear his demands. Rainford told the media that Slay was out of the office because he was undergoing a medical procedure, but that he was fine.

Williams gave Rainford the

demands and said he wanted at least one of them implemented today. When Rainford said it wasn’t possible, the youth said they would stay there all night.

One young man was arrested moments after the youth entered City Hall. He was holding a banner from the steps going up to the second floor. While the police handcuffed him, the youth yelled, “You’re arresting me for holding a banner?” When he refused to let go of the banner, the police used force to bring his arm

WEST

Continued from A1

and to make this a movement – and not a moment,” she said of Barber.

They marched and sang hymns while carrying wooden white crosses marked with the names of those who have lost their lives to police violence or as the result of racial profiling: Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, John Crawford, Renisha Mcbride and Michael Brown.

West and other clergy came to Ferguson to support protestors’ call for justice in the shooting death of Brown, an unarmed teen, who was fatally shot by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson on August 9.

around.

A city official later told The American the protestor was trying to hang the banner from an old light fixture in a way that was unsafe. Others who put up banners safely were not bothered, the official said, but this young man persisted after police told him he was about to damage the light fixture.

Protesters left at about 5:30 p.m. and said they would be back later to meet with Slay.

“We want them to know that there are some older generations, brothers and sisters of all colors, who are willing to put their bodies on the line – so that justice can move down like water and righteousness a mighty stream,” West said, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It rained heavily that day. Police tape that typically separated police from protestors rested in a puddle on the parking lot at the Ferguson Police Department. Clergy and protestors stood within arm’s length of police – face-to-face.

“I want to hug you, not hate you,” said Sister Dragonfly, a deaconess with Rev. Billy and

The Stop Shopping Choir, a radical activist choir based in New York, before embracing a Ferguson police officer. It was one of several pivotal and emotionally-charged moments that afternoon.

“We’re here because we love the young folk,” West told police before his arrest.

Local clergy leaders who confronted the police included the Rev. Traci Blackmon, Rabbi Susan Talve the Rev. Starsky Wilson, though they did not continue the act of civil disobedience to the point of arrest.

n At the police line, clergy prayed and challenged the police to atone for the deaths of the unarmed black men killed by their brothers.

The clergy sought to meet with Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson and, when stopped, asked police if they were being denied access to a public building. At the police line, clergy prayed and challenged the police to atone for the deaths of the unarmed black men killed by their brothers.

When the clergy advanced, police started making arrests,

charging them with thirddegree assault of a law enforcement officer and disturbing the peace. St. Louis County Police self-reported a total of 13 arrested with the clergy group at 12:20 p.m., though not all were clergy, and a total of 49 arrests, on various charges, throughout the protest.

Clergy arrested included West, former St. Louisan Rev. Osagyefo Sekou of the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plains, local African Methodist Episcopal Pastor Renita Lamkin, Pastor Jamal H. Bryant from Baltimore and Pastor Michael McBride, director of PICO National Network’s Live Free Campaign.

Their peaceful protest was a part of a series of direct actions taking place across the St. Louis region on Monday. West gave the keynote address on Sunday for Mass Meeting: An Interfaith Service at Saint Louis University’s Chaifetz Arena, then participated in a direct action when protestors peacefully occupied SLU’s main Frost Campus in Midtown St. Louis. With his arrest, West made good on a promise declared before the audience of about 3,500 at the Chaifetz Arena.

“I didn’t come to come here to give a speech, I came to go to jail,” West told the crowd, who erupted with applause. Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil. E-mail this reporter: boneil@ stlamerican.com.

Ferguson October protestors brought their messages to St. Louis City Hall on Monday in the form of large, bold banners. Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Elizabeth is helping Tim engineer his future.

When Tim met his mentor Elizabeth, an AT&T plant engineer, he wasn’t sure where he was headed after high school. With Elizabeth’s help, he’s not only pursuing a career in engineering, but he became the first in his family to go to college. We’re dedicated to helping students like Tim thrive. That’s why AT&T is supporting the AVID Center’s work in St. Louis Public Schools with $300,000 to prepare students for college and career. The AT&T Aspire Initiative. Helping students and communities across America. Learn more at att.com/aspire.

Tim M. AT&T Intern

Elizabeth P. AT&T Employee and Mentor

Canfield hosts vigil for Michael Brown

Lost Voices leads memorial during Weekend of Resistance

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of The St. Louis American

A group of people once again gathered around a memorial for Michael Brown at the Canfield Green Apartments in Ferguson on Saturday. The latenight vigil, organized by Lost Voices, was one of a series of events that took place during a Weekend of Resistance also known as Ferguson October.

That group later included Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, and other members of Brown’s family. It has been more than two months since Brown, an unarmed black teen, was fatally shot by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, and calls for the officer’s arrest continued at the vigil.

A family member spoke on behalf of McSpadden and the Brown family, thanking the community for their support.

“It was a travesty,” he said. “We all know that it was a travesty. I appreciate each of you for being out here tonight and we want to say, ‘We love y’all back.’”

“We got your back, Lesley,” a woman shouted out in response.

Using a bullhorn, a member of Lost Voices led the group in prayer around Brown’s rebuilt memorial that had been destroyed by fire.

“He’s gone, but never forgotten. Know that,” the young man said of Brown. “We appreciate you bringing us all together. Father, we ask that you keep us strong. Keep us uplifted.”

In an act of solidarity, Sarah Wellington and Laurie Arbeiter distributed free black T-shirts with uplifting messages in

bold white print to residents.

“Toward Liberation,” “End Racism” and “Unarmed Civilian” were some of the phrases.

Wellington and Arbeiter set up shop in a parking lot near the memorial on Canfield Drive. T-shirts in various sizes for men, women and children were folded inside bags on the ground next to her Toyota Prius with New York license plates. Wellington and Arbeiter, of Brooklyn, New York, had arrived Wednesday evening. The Unarmed Civilian T-shirt, perhaps the most popular T-shirt residents requested, was designed in 2011.

“Through the creative use of language in public spaces, we hope to engage many people in dialogue about important and

current social justice issues,” Wellington said. “After Mike Brown was killed, many people when we wore it would begin to engage in dialogue about racism and police violence.”

That dialogue inspired the Unarmed Civilian Project, which is a part of an artist activist collective called We Will Not Be Silent. A Kickstarter campaign was launched to bring over 500 T-shirts to Ferguson. The project was successfully funded on September 28, exceeding the initial Kickstarter goal of $5,500. They raised $7,867.

“In the end, we were able to raise enough to bring a little over 750 shirts,” Wellington said. “Good thing we didn’t

Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, joined a protest at Ferguson Police Department on Saturday after a vigil for her son in Canfield Green Apartments.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

How to heal our community

An effective remedy for the Ferguson crisis

By Percy Green II

For The St. Louis American

Besides killer cop Darren Wilson of Ferguson being charged for the murder of unarmed Michael Brown on Saturday, August 9, the following are community healing recommendations:

• That the City of Ferguson announce that it will immediately start to hire police officers from within its city boundaries.

• That all new police candidates and former police officers from other municipalities must move into the City of Ferguson within six months.

• That all law enforcement officers including current police officers and police officials take a human rights psychological mental test to determine judgment fitness prior to receiving police certification and that such test be mandatory and conducted annually while on active duty.

Police departments are the only state agencies that are granted the authority to take a life and protected by what is called Qualified Immunity. Therefore, this authority should be taken seriously and given only to people who can demonstrate consistent good judgments. )

Had the first remedy been in place and enforced when Ferguson was a predominantly white community (1980), then the existing problem of only three blacks on the police

force with a population of 68 percent African Americans would not exist.

If remedy two was a current policy and enforced, then Darren Wilson, the killer cop now on Ferguson’s police force, would not likely have been hired.

Additionally, if the third remedy were in place, Wilson and other officers who may have a conscious or unconscious hate for AfricanAmerican males, would be disqualified as police officers until they effectively resolve their racial hostility.

It has been a long standing practice that white male law enforcement officials have been killing Africa-American males during and after slavery without consequences.

a predominantly white community would respond if a black law enforcement officer would kill an unarmed young white male in the manner that Michael Brown was gunned down. Black police officers don’t seem to have an appetite or a history of killing young white males.

The practice still prevails. This is an outright abuse of authority to say the least.

If by chance a white law enforcement officer is ever charged with murder for killing an unarmed black male, an all-white jury will set him free. But such a situation is unlikely to happen due to Missouri’s Qualified Immunity practice which gives police officers a license to kill anyway. It would certainly be interesting to see how

However, all law enforcement agencies kill black males with impunity and they use the following standard fabricated justifications: the subject reached in his pocket or belt area and the officer feared for his life and shot and killed the subject; the subject tried to take the officer’s gun and was shot and killed; the subject came after the officer with a knife and was shot and killed; the subject tried to run the officer down with his auto and was shot and killed; the officer heard gun fire and returned fire and killed the subject; and, the subject was ordered to drop the sharp object but instead he advanced and was shot and killed.

As many trumped-up charges and killings that are done by white police officers, no wonder African Americans do not trust and are afraid of them. Moreover, it is common knowledge in black

communities that white police officers will outright lie and make false charges on them. They are also known to carry a throw-away gun that is placed at the scene after a police shoot and kill an alleged black felon.

There needs to be a public verification system via an effective Civilian Review Board in place that can verify all police accusations and reports. Police have too many avenues to lie and cover-up their misdeeds, which lead them to think they are above the law because of their license to kill. Law enforcement officers are service providers like other workers. They should identify with the working-class and be more supportive of organized labor and civil and human rights groups. Instead, police officers work against their own interest by being hired bullies in the community with guns to protect the interest of the white power structure.

Racism in the City of Ferguson is no different than that which exists in the City of St. Louis. There are glaring similarities especially among their decision makers and how decisions are made.

Ferguson has a 67 percent majority African-American population in a smaller community, whereas the City of St. Louis has 49.2 percent majority African-American population, whites are at 43.9 percent according to the 2010 U. S. Census Bureau.

It’s a known fact that one racist institution will come to the rescue of another racist institution. This is evident by an unfair employment white controlled St. Louis police department who perpetrates daily hostilities on black St. Louisans. Just as Ferguson’s Mayor James W. Knowles III has been maintaining his racial discriminatory grip on Ferguson, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay has been doing the same.

Introducing... Ameren Missouri’s New Energy Statement

Our customers wanted more information.

Arriving in mailboxes soon, Ameren Missouri customers will be receiving new easy-to-read monthly energy statements. Thanks to the feedback from our customers, we’re rolling out a better way for our customers to understand their energy use. Instead of a postcard, they will receive a full-page statement with information that can help them make better energy decisions.

Designed & tested by customers, for customers.

Visit AmerenMissouri.com/statement for more features of your new statement.

Anna Lee Woodard

On October 6, 2014, Almighty God accepted into His Kingdom the life of Anna Lee Woodard.

Anna was born on February 1, 1921, in Greenville, SC.

In 1948, shortly after moving to St. Louis, MO, she met and married McCren Everett Woodard. Anna was blessed with three children: Maxine Ellen Williams, Earl McCren Woodard and James Edward Hutchinson.

Anna was a devout Catholic, a faith she joyfully shared with her family and friends throughout her life. She was a member of Holy Ghost Church in the 1950s and after the family moved further North in the 1970s, she joined the parish family of Holly Rosary, which merged with St. Engelbert and is now St. Elizabeth Mother of John the Baptist Church, where she was an active member until her illness.

Anna worked in an administrative capacity with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department for 15 years and retired in 1983. Following her retirement she served as a volunteer with the Wesley House Community Center in North St. Louis as well as St. Elizabeth Mother of John the Baptist Church.

Anna was preceded in death by parents, James and Carrie Todd, sons Earl McCren Woodard and James Edward Hutchinson, grand-daughter Megan Elizabeth Hutchinson, and sister Lena Schumate. She leaves to cherish her memory a daughter, Maxine Ellen Williams and grand-daughter Sinett Marquita Williams. She also leaves to mourn, her loving cousin, Ruby Nelson in Chicago, IL, nieces, nephews, and close friends. The family of Mrs. Anna Woodard would like to thank each and every one of you for your sympathy, love and support during this time. We are especially grateful

for the efforts of Crossroads Hospice, Royal Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation (formally Parkside Towers), Father Steve along with our parish family.

Robin Gerald “Jerry” Poindexter

March 29, 1958October 8, 2014

Jerry, as he was known by family and friends, received his education at Northwest High School in the St. Louis Public School System. He was a devoted family man who cherished his family, especially his grandchildren. His wonderful smile and fun-loving personality brought laughter and happiness to everyone around him.

Jerry departed this life on October 8, 2014. He will be remembered for his kindness, sense of humor, skating and that “smile”. No words can express the sorrow we feel, knowing we will not see your smile again. You brought joy to all that you touched. We will miss you Service: Saturday, October 18, 2014, 11 a.m., Randall and Sons Funeral Home 4600 Natural Bridge Ave, Saint Louis, Missouri 63115. Afterglow I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.

I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done. I’d like to leave an echo of whispering softly down the ways; Of happy times and laughing times and bright sunny days. I’d like the tears of those who grieve to dry before the sun; Of happy memories that I leave when my life is done.

AmerenMissouri.com

Robin Poindexter

Percy Green II

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

raise more, because we couldn’t fit them all in this car that we drove here from Brooklyn.”

She said the whole world is watching and inspired by Ferguson. A helicopter circling above beamed a spotlight at protesters. The sounds of its blades beating against the wind, at times, overpowered protesters’ chants.

n “We appreciate you bringing us all together.”

– Lost Voices to Michael Brown

McSpadden led protesters on a march from the Canfield Green Apartments to the Ferguson Police Department, where a protester scrawled the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on a piece of white cardboard that read, “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”

That night, the mood was festive at the Ferguson Police Department, drawing sharp criticism from some. A tribute song to Brown blared from speakers; and at one point, protesters looked

up and pointed at the sky in remembrance of Brown. Then there were 4 ½ minutes of silence in which protesters sat on the ground in at the feet of police.

A protester (who preferred not to be named) waved Black Nationalist and Palestinian flags. His face was partially hidden. He wore a Hands Up, Don’t Shoot T-shirt and a button with Marcus Garvey’s image on it.

“It’s the same struggle,” he said of the flags. “We’re fighting the same war. We’re all dying out here.”

Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil.

E-mail this reporter: boneil@ stlamerican.com.

Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of Missouri

To be submitted to the qualified voters of the State of Missouri at the General Election to be held on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2014.

CONSTITUTIONAL

AMENDMENT NO. 2

[Proposed by the 97th General Assembly (First Regular Session) SCS HJR No. 16]

OFFICIAL BALLOT TITLE:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended so that it will be permissible to allow relevant evidence of prior criminal acts to be admissible in prosecutions for crimes of a sexual nature involving a victim under eighteen years of age?

If more resources are needed to defend increased prosecutions additional costs to governmental entities could be at least $1.4 million annually, otherwise the fiscal impact is expected to be limited.

Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri an amendment to article I of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting one new section relating to admissibility of evidence.

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein:

That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2014, or at a special election to be called by the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or rejection, the following amendment to article I of the Constitution of the state of Missouri:

Section A. Article I, Constitution of Missouri, is amended by adding one new section, to be known as section 18(c), to read as follows:

Section 18(c). Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 17 and 18(a) of this article to the contrary, in prosecutions for crimes of a sexual nature involving a victim under eighteen years of age, relevant evidence of prior criminal acts, whether charged or uncharged, is admissible for the purpose of corroborating the victim’s testimony or demonstrating the defendant’s propensity to commit the crime with which he or she is presently charged. The court may exclude relevant evidence of prior criminal acts if the probative value of the evidence is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.

Section B. The official ballot title for section A of this act shall read as follows:

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended so that it will be permissible to allow relevant evidence of prior criminal acts to be admissible in prosecutions for crimes of a sexual nature involving a victim under eighteen years of age?”

EXPLANATION—Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.

STATE OF MISSOURI

Secretary of State

I, Jason Kander, Secretary of State of the State of Missouri, hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true and complete copy of Constitutional Amendment No. 2, to be submitted to the qualified voters of the State of Missouri at the General Election to be held on the fourth day of November, 2014.

In TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and affix the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, done at the City of Jefferson, this 25th day of August 2014.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 3

[Proposed by Initiative Petition]

OFFICIAL BALLOT TITLE:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

require teachers to be evaluated by a standards based performance evaluation system for which each local school district must receive state approval to continue receiving state and local funding; require teachers to be dismissed, retained, demoted, promoted and paid primarily using quantifiable student performance data as part of the evaluation system; require teachers to enter into contracts of three years or fewer with public school districts; and prohibit teachers from organizing or collectively bargaining regarding the design and implementation of the teacher evaluation system?

Decisions by school districts regarding provisions allowed or required by this proposal and their implementation will influence the potential costs or savings impacting each district. Significant potential costs may be incurred by the state and/or the districts if new/additional evaluation instruments must be developed to satisfy the proposal’s performance evaluation requirements.

Be it resolved by the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended:

Article IX is amended by adopting six new sections to be known as Article IX, Sections 3(d), 3(e), 3(f), 3(g), 3(h), and 3(i), to read as follows:

Section 3(d). All certificated staff shall be at will employees unless a contract is entered into between a school district and certificated staff (1) prior to the effective date of this section; or (2) pursuant to the provisions of section 3(e), 3(f), and 3(h) of this article. “Certificated staff,” as used in this article, shall mean employees of a school district who hold a valid certificate to teach in the State of Missouri.

Section 3(e). No school district receiving any state funding or local tax revenue funding shall enter into new contracts having a term or duration in excess of three years with certificated staff.

Section 3(f). Effective beginning July 1, 2015, and notwithstanding any provisions of this constitution, any school district receiving any state funding or local tax revenue shall develop and implement a standards based performance evaluation system approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The majority of such evaluation system shall be based upon quantifiable student performance data as measured by objective criteria and such evaluation system shall be used in (1) retaining, promoting, demoting, dismissing, removing, discharging and setting compensation for certificated staff; (2) modifying or terminating any contracts with certificated staff; and (3) placing on leave of absence any certificated staff because of a decrease in pupil enrollment, school district reorganization or the financial condition of the school district.

Section 3(g). Nothing in section 3(f) shall prevent a school district from demoting, removing, discharging, or terminating a contract with certificated staff for one or more of the following causes: (1) physical or mental condition unfitting him to instruct or associate with children; (2) immoral conduct; (3) incompetency, inefficiency or insubordination in line of duty; (4) willful or persistent violation of, or failure to obey, state laws or regulations; (5) excessive or unreasonable absence from performance of duties; or (6) conviction of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.

Section 3(h). In any suit to challenge a school district’s decision regarding retention, promotion, demotion, dismissal, removal, discharge, modification or termination of contracts, or setting compensation of certificated staff, except for decisions made for any of the causes

fore the fourth Wednesday prior to the day of the election;

(2) No qualified voter shall be required to state any reason, excuse, or explanation for casting a ballot under this section;

listed in Section 3(g) of this Article, the person bringing such suit must establish that the school district failed to properly utilize the standards based performance evaluation system as referenced in Section 3(f) of this Article.

Section 3(i). Certificated staff shall retain the right to organize and to bargain collectively as provided in article I, section 29 of this Constitution, except with respect to the design and implementation of the performance based evaluation system established in this article, and as otherwise referenced in this article.

EXPLANATION—Matter enclosed in brackets [thus] in the above initiative petition is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in underline type in the above initiative petition is proposed language.

STATE OF MISSOURI

Secretary of State

I, Jason Kander, Secretary of State of the State of Missouri, hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true and complete copy of Constitutional Amendment No. 3, to be submitted to the qualified voters of the State of Missouri at the General Election to be held on the fourth day of November, 2014. In TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and affix the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, done at the City of Jefferson, this 25th day of August 2014.

CONSTITUTIONAL

AMENDMENT NO. 6

[Proposed by the 97th General Assembly (Second Regular Session) SS SCS HCS HJR No. 90]

OFFICIAL BALLOT TITLE:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to permit voting in person or by mail for a period of six business days prior to and including the Wednesday before the election day in general elections, but only if the legislature and the governor appropriate and disburse funds to pay for the increased costs of such voting?

State governmental entities estimated startup costs of about $2 million and costs to reimburse local election authorities of at least $100,000 per election. Local election authorities estimated higher reimbursable costs per election. Those costs will depend on the compensation, staffing, and, planning decisions of election authorities with the total costs being unknown.

Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri an amendment to article VIII of the Constitution of Missouri, by adding thereto one new section relating to early voting.

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein:

That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2014, or at a special election to be called by the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or rejection, the following amendment to article VIII of the Constitution of the state of Missouri: Section A. Article VIII, Constitution of Missouri, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 11, to read as follows: Section 11. 1. Qualified voters of the state shall be entitled to vote in person or by mail in advance of the day of the general election, but only under the following subdivisions:

(1) Qualified voters casting ballots under this section shall have been registered to vote, unless otherwise provided by law, on or be-

(3) Ballots shall be cast in person or by mail only during the six business days, not to include Saturday or Sunday, immediately prior to and including the last Wednesday prior to the election day. In-person ballots shall be cast at the local election authority during its regular business hours;

(4) Each local election authority shall appoint at least one election judge from each major political party to serve at the site of the local election authority. Procedures for appointing judges, casting ballots, and tabulating ballots shall be the same as provided by general election laws.

2. No local election authority or other public official shall, in advance of the day of the election, disclose the identity of any qualified voter who, in advance of the day of the election, has cast or has not cast a ballot, unless the qualified voter has authorized the disclosure. A qualified voter’s authorization must be in writing, signed by the qualified voter, dated, and delivered to the secretary of state no later than the sixth Wednesday prior to the day of the election. An authorization is effective only for one general election.

3. If any local election authority is required by any provision of law or of this constitution to produce, in advance of the day of the election, a list of qualified voters who have already cast ballots, such list shall designate those qualified voters who have not filed a valid written authorization under subsection 2 of this section by using a random designation that does not identify those qualified voters or provide residential or other personal information from which their identities might be determined. If any such list is required to be delivered promptly after a request, the list shall be deemed to have been promptly delivered if it is delivered no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before the election day. In addition to the restrictions in this section on the provision of identifying information, any such list shall include only qualified voter information authorized to be disclosed pursuant to general election laws.

4. The secretary of state and local election authorities shall provide qualified voters mail-in ballots under this section only by mail, and only upon the written, signed, and dated request of a qualified voter. Such request shall be valid for only one general election. No qualified voter shall receive more than one mail-in ballot.

5. No local election authority or other public office shall conduct any activity or incur any expense for the purpose of allowing voting in person or by mail in advance of the general election day unless a state appropriation is made and disbursed to pay the local election authority or other public office for the increased cost or expense of the activity.

6. The provisions of this section shall be self-executing. Any law that conflicts with this section shall not be valid or enforceable. If any provision of this section is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or unconstitutionally enacted, the remaining provisions of this section shall be and remain valid. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to repeal or invalidate section 7 of article VIII of this constitution or to repeal or invalidate general laws permitting certain qualified voters to cast absentee ballots. This section shall not be repealed or invalidated by constitutional amendment, in whole or in part, unless the text of the amending provision expressly references this section or the parts thereof that are to be repealed, and no part of this section shall be repealed by implication.

Section B. Pursuant to chapter 116 and other applicable constitutional provisions and laws of the this state allowing the general assembly to adopt ballot language for the submission of this joint resolution to the voters of this state, the official summary statement of this resolution shall be as follows: “Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to permit voting in person or by mail for a period of six business days prior to and including the Wednesday before the election day in all general elections?”

EXPLANATION—Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the

above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.

STATE OF MISSOURI

Secretary of State

I, Jason Kander, Secretary of State of the State of Missouri, hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true and complete copy of Constitutional Amendment No. 6, to be submitted to the qualified voters of the State of Missouri at the General Election to be held on the fourth day of November, 2014.

In TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and affix the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, done at the City of Jefferson, this 25th day of August 2014.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 10

[Proposed by the 97th General Assembly (Second Regular Session) HJR No. 72]

OFFICIAL BALLOT TITLE:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to require the governor to pay the public debt, to prohibit the governor from relying on revenue from legislation not yet passed when proposing a budget, and to provide a legislative check on the governor’s decisions to restrict funding for education and other state services?

State governmental entities expect no direct costs or savings. Local governmental entities expect an unknown fiscal impact.

Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri an amendment repealing sections 24 and 27 of article IV of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting two new sections in lieu thereof relating to the governor’s budgetary authority.

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein:

That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2014, or at a special election to be called by the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or rejection, the following amendment to article IV of the Constitution of the state of Missouri:

Section A. Sections 24 and 27, article IV, Constitution of Missouri, are repealed and two new sections adopted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 24 and 27, to read as follows:

Section 24. The governor shall, within thirty days after it convenes in each regular session, submit to the general assembly a budget for the ensuing appropriation period, containing the estimated available revenues of the state and a complete and itemized plan of proposed expenditures of the state and all its agencies[, together with his recommendations of any laws necessary to provide revenues sufficient to meet the expenditures]. The governor shall not determine estimated available revenues of the state using any projection of new revenues to be created from proposed legislation that has not been passed into law by the general assembly. Estimates of any unspent fund balances, without regard to actual or estimated revenues but accounting for all existing appropriations, that will constitute a surplus during the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year or years for which the governor is recommending a budget, may be included in the estimated revenue available for expenditure during the fiscal year or years for which the governor is recommending a budget. As used in this section, new revenues shall not include existing provisions of law subject to expiration during the ensuing appropriation period. Section 27. 1. The governor may control the rate at which any appropriation is expended during the period of the appropriation by allotment [or other means,] and may reduce the expenditures of the state or any

of its agencies below their appropriations whenever the actual revenues are less than the revenue estimates upon which the appropriations were based. The governor shall not reduce any appropriation for the payment of principal and interest on the public debt.

2. The governor shall notify the general assembly by proclamation whenever the rate at which any appropriation shall be expended is not equal quarterly allotments, the sum of which shall be equal to the amount of the appropriation. Any rate of expenditure for any appropriation which is not equal quarterly allotments shall stand reconsidered in the chamber in which the bill that contained the appropriation originated. Such reconsideration shall be in the manner that a bill is reconsidered under article III, section 32. Either the general assembly that receives the proclamation or the next general assembly may reconsider the rate of expenditure. If the general assembly successfully reconsiders the rate of expenditure for the appropriation in question, the rate shall be assumed to be equal quarterly allotments. Such reconsideration may be at any time the general assembly is in session including sessions pursuant to article III, sections 20, 20(b), and 32 and article IV, section 9. Either the general assembly that receives the proclamation or the next general assembly may reconsider such allotment allocation change. Such reconsideration may be at any time the general assembly is in session including sessions pursuant to article III, sections 20, 20(b), and 32 and article IV, section 9. 3. The governor shall notify the general assembly by proclamation when the governor reduces one or more items or portions of items of appropriation of money as a result of actual revenues being less than the revenue estimates upon which the appropriations were based. Each item or portions of items of appropriation of money shall stand reconsidered in the chamber in which the bill that contained the appropriation originated. Such reconsideration shall be in the manner that a bill is reconsidered under article III, section 32. Either the general assembly that receives the proclamation or the next general assembly may reconsider such reduction. Such reconsideration may be at any time the general assembly is in session including sessions pursuant to article III, sections 20, 20(b), and 32 and article IV, section 9. Section B. Pursuant to Chapter 116, RSMo, and other applicable constitutional provisions and laws of this state allowing the General Assembly to adopt ballot language for the submission of a joint resolution to the voters of this state, the official ballot title of the amendment proposed in Section A shall be as follows:

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to require the governor to pay the public debt, to prohibit the governor from relying on revenue from legislation not yet passed when proposing a budget, and to provide a legislative check on the governor’s decisions to restrict funding for education and other state services?”

EXPLANATION—Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.

STATE OF MISSOURI

Secretary of State I, Jason Kander, Secretary of State of the State of Missouri, hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true and complete copy of Constitutional Amendment No. 10, to be submitted to the qualified voters of the State of Missouri at the General Election to be held on the fourth day of November, 2014.

In TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and affix the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, done at the City of Jefferson, this 25th day of August 2014.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Another killing, vigil, protest

Police shooting turns South

St. Louis into new protest front

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of The St. Louis American

A candlelight vigil was held the night of Thursday, October 9 for 18-year-old Vonderrit D. Myers Jr. in the 4100 block of Shaw in south St. Louis’ Shaw neighborhood. Family, friends and community members built a small memorial of candles, teddy bears and balloons around a tree near the location where Myers died. Two young men consoled each other in the

gangway where his body lay only hours before.

Myers is the latest to die in yet another officer-involved shooting –nearly two months after Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, was killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. Since Brown’s death, this is the second officerinvolved shooting for the St. Louis Police Department. St. Louis Police shot and killed Kajieme Powell, who was armed with a knife, on August 19.

According to the police press release, Myers was shot 17 times by an off-duty, uniformed St. Louis city police officer on the night of October 8 after allegedly firing at least three rounds at the officer following a physical altercation.

“Three projectiles were recovered going toward the officer, down the hill, with ballistic evidence, a bullet in a vehicle, located behind the officer,” according to police.

Myers’ family said the youth was unarmed and carrying only a sandwich. Surveillance video

was released showing him buying a sandwich at a market near where he was killed shortly before the shooting.

According to court records, Myers was under house arrest and wearing an ankle bracelet after posting bond for possession of a firearm in June when he was a passenger in a vehicle stopped after a highspeed chase.

The officer was working secondary for a private security company patrolling the Shaw neighborhood when he came upon Myers and two other males during a “pedestrian check.” Per department policy, the officer has been placed on administrative leave. St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce has co-designated the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and review the case.

Many of those who attended Thursday’s vigil were Ferguson protesters. After arriving at the vigil, Alexis Templeton led a diverse group of protesters that included clergy on a march

See SHAW, A15

A candlelight vigil was held the night of Thursday, October 9 for VonDerrit Myers Jr. in the 4100 block of Shaw in South St. Louis’ Shaw neighborhood. Family, friends and community members built a small memorial of candles, teddy bears and balloons around a tree near the location where the youth died. Photo by Lawrence Bryant

SHAW

Continued from A13

down Shaw to Grand.

They chanted to the beat of drums, “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! These killer cops have got to go!”

A police helicopter circled and shined a spotlight on protesters as they blocked traffic on Grand at Shaw.

They chanted, “No justice, No peace! No racist police!”

Protesters next moved north on Grand, blocking traffic near Lafayette and Saint Louis University Hospital before marching south again toward Flora Place.

They yelled, “Shut the street down!” Police partially shut down a long stretch of Grand Boulevard beginning at Interstate 44 to Gravois Avenue, and it remained that way until well after midnight when rain brought protests to a halt.

On Flora, a protester threw bricks through a resident’s window. A woman in a

housecoat and a man, upon inspecting the damage, shooed press off their property. Farther down the street, a group of white male protesters burned an American flag, and firefighters responded to the scene at Flora and Thurman.

Protesters seemed less organized as they marched from street to street, rousing the curiosity (and agitation) of residents who observed the late-night procession from front porches, balconies and dimlighted windows.

Activist Ricardo Adams flew to St. Louis from Rochester, New York Thursday afternoon after hearing of the latest officer-involved shooting incident. He first came to the area in August as a protester for Michael Brown and felt obligated to return. He wore a button with Brown’s image on it.

“This [expletive] is ridiculous,” Adams said. “We’ve got to get some justice out here.”

After making their way down S. Grand, protesters convened at Arsenal where a stand-off with police in riot

gear ensued. According to St. Louis City Police Chief Sam Dotson, police in riot gear were dispersed when protesters surrounded a police car.

KMOX reporter Michael Calhoun captured video of protesters throwing a brick at a police vehicle. One St. Louis Police Officer was hit in the arm with a brick.

According to police, two St. Louis police vehicles were damaged along with the Medicine Shoppe located at S. Grand Boulevard and Juniata Street. A masked young man was seen throwing a large rock that shattered the pharmacy’s glass door and then running away west on Juniata Street.

There were multiple reports (and video footage, captured by activist Deray McKesson) of police pepper-spraying protesters and journalists. There were a total of eight arrests during Thursday’s protests for marijuana possession, unlawful assembly and property damage. Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil.

E-mail this reporter: boneil@ stlamerican.com.

St. Louis police tried to contain crowds of protestors in South St. Louis on Thursday, October 9 when a vigil for slain teen VonDerrit Myers Jr. led to protests in the streets.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Healthy Kids Kids

Halloween Tricks?

Turn Chores into Fun Exercise

Nutrition Challenge: Halloween is almost here and anytime you have an event that focuses on food (especially sweets) it’s always better to plan ahead. Be sure to eat a filling, healthy dinner before you go out trickor-treating; you’ll be less likely to eat candy along the way.

Here are a couple of tips that might help prevent

Here’s a crazy idea. Why not turn those chores into exercise?

Play your favorite music, put on headphones and “Clean to the Beat!” Cleaning your room can be almost fun, set to music. Bending over, stretching, reaching and picking-up are

Today we’re going to talk about what to do if you do get caught in a fire. It helps to have a plan!

> It’s important that you have a family meeting to prepare for such an emergency. Decide ahead of time which doors/ windows would be the safest ways to escape from different parts of your home.

> Also, decide on a “Meeting Spot” in your yard so that you

a big bowl full of leftover treats at your house after all of the kids are done knocking on your door.

Why not hand out little “gifts” instead of candy? Many stores offer bags of pencils, spider rings, tattoos, etc. that you could buy — and are often actually cheaper than candy!

Consider purchasing candy that really isn’t your favorite. This makes those extras much less tempting to you.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 3, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

all excellent ways to increase your flexibility. Why not sweep, mop, vacuum or rake with music, a smile and a quick pace. As long as

you’re careful to still complete the job well, you can add some physical activity, get your heart rate up, burn some calories and have the satisfaction of combining chores, exercise and fun!

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

Healthy Snacks

all know when the whole family is safe.

> And remember — if you have a fire, call 911 from a neighbor’s home. Don’t stay in your house to make the call.

> And once you are out, don’t go back in for any reason until you’re told by the fire fighters that it’s safe.

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

Ham-n-Apple Rollers

Ingredients: 1 ripe apple, 8 slices of ham, 8 small wedges of cheddar cheese

Directions: Slice* the apple into 8 small wedges. Remove the core and seeds. Lay a piece of cheese on each apple wedge and wrap with a slice of ham (or any kind of lean deli meat). Enjoy!

*Please ask for an adult’s help with slicing.

Dr. Brandon Blue, Internal Medicine Doctor

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

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. I then received a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University and a medical degree from Meharry Medical College.

What does an internal medicine doctor do? The best thing about my job is that I see sick people and help make them better. Sometimes I use cool machines that can look deep inside of you with X-ray vision, just like Superman. I help people with their medications and I teach them about eating healthy and exercising, and help them to feel great.

Why did you choose this career? The school where I learned to be a doctor, Meharry Medical College, taught me the importance of taking care of people, no matter where they’re from or their health condition.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? The BEST part is being a detective. I use my mind every day to figure out why people are sick and I also try to help make them smile and laugh during treatments.

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

Investigate

play exercise your brain! General admission is always slsc.org/nie5

Big Adventure: My Bug

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

slsc.org/hbanie1

slsc.org/hbanie2

of bugs. Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis and his bug friends will lead you through freestanding and interactive habitats in a hands-on, fun way!

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

Lexington Elementary School Academic Instructional Coach Lana Turner-Wilson teaches third grade students

Cassie Gillespie and Raymond Brown how to write testable questions from the

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN AMERICAN METEOROLOGIST: E. Don Sarreals

SCIENCE CORNER

Meteorology Is All About the Atmosphere !

Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere and is used for weather forecasting. But did you know that meteorology is more than looking at weather maps? It involves some pretty advanced scientific and mathematical concepts. Meteorologists study physics, chemistry, algebra, calculus and computer science. In addition to having an analytical mind, meteorologists must have strong communication skills to speak and write effectively. They study wind velocity, temperature, humidity

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

Background Information:

In this experiment, you will see condensation in action.

Materials Needed:

• Large, Wide-Mouth Container (such as a mayonnaise jar) • Hot Water

• Ice Cubes • Small Plate (to hold ice cubes) • Index Card

Process:

q Pour two inches of very hot tap water into the glass container and cover with the plate. Allow water to sit for a few minutes.

MATH CONNECTION

Meteorologists use a lot of math. They analyze temperature and patterns. They measure precipitation. They compare trends in the weather. All of these skills are skills that you can practice now.

Temperature:

If it is 64 degrees at 7 a.m. and is 25 degrees below

DID YOU KNOW?

and air pressure using satellites, weather balloons, radars, sensors and weather stations. Many industries, such as agriculture, shipping, forestry, fishing and transportation depend on accurate weather forecasts. More than just the weather forecast, meteorologists have an impact on such topics as air transportation, global warming, pollution control, ozone depletion, droughts, forestry, and agriculture.

To Learn More About Becoming A Meteorologist, Visit: http://www. weatherwizkids.com/career-becomingmeteorologist.htm.

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

w Place ice cubes on the plate.

e Watch what happens.

r Analyze—how does this relate to weather? How does this compare to what happens when warm air rises and meets colder temperatures high in the atmosphere?

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can analyze the results.

On September 22, 1931, E. Don Sarreals was born in Winston Salem, North Carolina. While he was young, Sarreals’ family moved to New York, where he graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1949. Six years later, he earned a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from City College of New York.

Three years after that, he earned his master’s degree in meteorology from New York University.

Sarreals first served in the US Army before becoming a meteorologist. Sarreals became a weather radar supervisor in the National Weather Service (NWS) New York Forecast Office, in 1961. In 1976, he accepted a job with the National Broadcasting Corporation in Washington, D.C., then worked for the NWS Headquarters from 1976 to 1980. Sarreals served as president and consultant of Storm Finders, Inc. and developed NOAA Weather Radio, which was the nation’s first government funded radio system. In 1984, he was chosen to be chairman of the Working Group for Doppler Radar Meteorological Observation.

Sarreals wrote the Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 1: National Weather Radio Operations. He was selected to be in the Who’s Who Among Black Americans and received the Ward Medal for excellence in meteorology. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Meteorological Society.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, and/or mathematics.

the predicted high, what temperature has been predicted? ________

The high temperatures recorded for the week were 76, 58, 82, 77, 58, 63, and 74. What is the average high temperature? ________ What was the difference from the lowest and the highest of the high temperatures?

If the temperature is dropping three degrees each hour, how many degrees will the temperature drop in 6 hours?

Precipitation: Last week we got 4.5 inches of snow. Six-tenths of an inch melted before

than any other continent.

another storm added 6.3 inches. Since then we have lost 3.2 inches to melting or evaporation. How may inches of snow are left on the ground? ________

Darrell read that an average snowfall of 10 inches yields 1 inch of water when melted. If there was 4.1 inches of snowfall, what was the actual amount of water that fell during the storm? Round your answer to the nearest tenth. ________ inches

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

inches of rain per hour. The fastest wind speed ever recorded was 231 miles per hour on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, on April 12, 1934.

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete these activities to sharpen your critical thinking skills.

Activity One —

Tone: Choose a news story to evaluate. What is the tone of the author’s writing? Lighthearted? Hopeful? Discouraged? Highlight words that create that tone. Rewrite the story changing those words. How does word choice change the tone?

Activity Two — Pollution

Problem: Find a news story about a problem created by pollution. Analyze the problem. Could it be prevented? Can it be eliminated? What factors created the problem?

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can analyze problem and solution, word choice and tone.

Photo by Wiley Price/ St. Louis American

Protestors hang banners on overpasses

Messages: ‘Hands up don’t shoot,’ ‘Arrest Darren Wilson,’ ‘Black youth are targeted’

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

At 4 a.m. on Saturday, a group of about 20 local residents gathered in a North St. Louis house. Some were already ragged from consecutive sleepless nights of protesting and preparing for actions planned for the Weekend of Resistance, also called Ferguson October. Yet the group – equal parts black and white, women and men – were still joking and revved up. Expecting to draw up 10,000 out of towners, the weekend was packed with events to demand justice for Michael Brown, the unarmed teen who was shot and killed by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.

However, this group’s task was not on the main agenda. They were about to hang more than 40 banners from overpasses on five major highways – Interstates 70, 170, 64, 44 and 55.

“Everyone mark the number for legal services on your arm,” one woman yelled out, adding that everyone should try not to get arrested. Hanging signs from a highway overpass is a misdemeanor offense.

The banners read, “Racism lives here,” “Hands up don’t shoot,” “Arrest Darren Wilson,” “Black youth are

targeted” and other messages.

The group broke up into five groups, and each was handed a map of overpasses they

to hit. It was clear that most of them had never done

However, soon after the groups were finished hanging them at 6 a.m., the police had already started taking them down.

The spray-painted banners were created with the help of about five children, ages 9 to 14, who live in North St. Louis. About 15 people helped make the signs, but an almost completely different group went out and hung them. The 4 a.m. crew included a white mother with her two teenage children. And many of the people in the group did not know each other before the Ferguson protests began, he said.

“We did this to bring folks into the movement, but that’s not the end,” said the group leader. “Protest is a tactic, but self-reliance is the solution. What we really need to do is look inward and invest our time and efforts into the community, pulling resources together into the community and collective.”

The movement needs longterm strategy, he said. For example, he said this year the Organization for Black Struggle started a campaign called “Renew 22” to knock on doors and encourage people to get involved in the 22nd Ward, located in North St. Louis. However, the plan was all put on hold after the shooting of Mike Brown. In the streets, a lot of young people are angry and looking for some way to express it, he said.

“They are not looking into the future,” he said. “They want Darren Wilson indicted, but that’s not winning the war. There’s a million more Darren Wilsons out there, who continue to be protected by system. It takes the entire community to get involved for any real change.”

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster spoke of a school to law enforcement pipeline that would incorporate mentoring opportunities for youth, particularly minority youth.

Diversifying the police business

MO Attorney General Chris Koster convenes roundtable after Ferguson

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of The St. Louis American

Missouri Attorney General

Chris Koster’s roundtable on representative policing delved into the challenges of low minority participation in the state’s urban law enforcement agencies.

“We are all familiar with the challenge that the Ferguson Police Department has seen in this regard,” Koster said.

The Ferguson Police Department – comprised of three black police officers out of 53 – does not reflect the majority-black community it serves.

Koster said low minority participation in law enforcement is a widespread problem throughout the state. That problem has added to breakdowns in communication and trust between law enforcement and the community. He said he hopes to put “attention and resources” on this problem.

Koster sought advice from an esteemed panel of community leaders in government, law enforcement and education on how the city can best move forward. Of the panelists, several have been on the frontlines in Ferguson. They included: St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, St. Louis City

Police Chief Sam Dotson, Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, 21st Ward Alderman Antonio French and 14th District Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal. “I’m trying to synthesize good thoughts to take back to the governor in Jefferson City and policy makers at the state Capitol,” Koster said.

The forum was held Wednesday, October 1 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and was the first of two public sessions. It was planned in the weeks following the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer

‘Active listener’ turns great ideas into reality Vincent Bennett of McCormack Baron

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Vincent Bennett manages all the development for McCormack Baron Salazar – a company that has revitalized urban communities in 40 cities and 23 states for a total development investment of $3 billion. His position as chief operating officer means lots of supervising designs and contracts, but his most essential skill

n On November 14, Bennett will receive the 2014 Corporate Executive of the Year Award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 15th Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon.

community. We bring folks into the company who believe in the importance of the urban environment and diversity of the communities we work in.” On November 14, Bennett will receive the 2014 Corporate Executive of the Year Award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 15th Annual Salute to Excellence in

Salazar

Bennett to the firm in 1993. Before then, he managed economic and commercial development in Pittsburgh for the non-profit group Homewood/ Brushton Revitalization. He met his partners through his work in Pittsburgh. “I never thought I would work for a for-profit company,” he said, “but there seemed to be interesting synergies in terms of the type of

Mark A. Styles Jr. was appointed deputy probate commissioner of the Jackson County Circuit Court. Circuit Judge Kathleen A. Forsyth appointed Styles to a four year term. Styles, who is a senior associate attorney with the Hardwick Law Firm, is knowledgeable about the Probate Division, having been appointed by the Court on many occasions to represent the interests of various parties to probate cases.

Charlotte VM Ottley received East St. Louis NAACP Branch President’s Award. Ottley served as the Executive Producer of the event for the past six years. The award was presented by Branch President Stanley W. Franklin at the 60th Anniversary Freedom Fund Awards Banquet. The theme was Game Changers: All in for Justice and Equality. Ottley is a native of East St. Louis.

Jarell D. Davis graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas as an Air Force Airman. Davis is the son of Alice L. Thomas and grandson of Charline L. Wright of Cahokia, Ill. He is a 2014 graduate of Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Phyllis A. Chase was to named to the State Lottery Commission by Gov. Nixon. She is director of the Charter School Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She was superintendent of Columbia Public Schools from 2003 to 2008, chief of staff of Springfield Public Schools from 2000 to 2003, and acting superintendent of the Kansas City, Missouri School District from 1998 to 2000.

William R. Ray Jr. was recently recognized by NCI (North County Inc.) as one of its “30 Leaders in their 30s” for 2014. He is Special Assistant to the County Executive. He earned his BA in Government & Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. Ray also was one of the St Louis American Foundations’ 2013 Young Leaders awardees.

Tuajuanda C. Jordan was presented with the Torchbearer Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter. Jordan is president of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The coalition honors women who have distinguished themselves in the areas of health, education, economic development, cultural arts, or social and political action.

Charlotte VM Ottley

Jarell D. Davis

Phyllis A. Chase

William R. Ray Jr.

Tuajuanda C. Jordan

Mark A. Styles Jr.

Vincent Bennett

Photo by Maurice Meredith

Black consumers still left behind in recovering mortgage market

By Charlene Crowell

When it comes to assessing the nation’s housing industry, one key measure that all housing industry stakeholders take note of is the annual Home Mortgage Disclosure Act report, commonly referred to as HMDA. Nationwide, mortgage lenders are required to report a wealth of data on mortgage applications, originations and denials. These public data also include the racial composition of these key metrics.

For communities of color, it is particularly notable that the HMDA report quantifies by race and ethnicity mortgage lending and denials for both private loans, also referred to as ‘conventional’ loans and government-sponsored mortgages sometimes referred to as ‘non-conventional’ loans.

For 2013, the most up-todate report, the data clearly reveals that while conventional mortgage originations rose slightly from 2012 to 2013, nationwide Black consumers received only 2.3 percent or 36,903 loans. In 2012, the same data point was even smaller, with only 26,500 such loans.

To add some context to this low number of private, conventional mortgages, consider that the Chicago suburb of Calumet City with a

population of 37,240 is larger than the number of loans made to the nation’s Black homebuyers last year.

Similarly, in refinance mortgage lending, Black borrowers received only 191,004 – only 4.4 percent of more than 4.3 million last year. This comparatively low level of lending continues a trend that began following the nation’s housing crisis.

Instead of gaining access to private sector mortgage lending, the vast majority of loans made to Black consumers came through government-backed programs such as VA and FHA. These programs comprise a smaller share of the overall market in 2013 compared to 2012. In 2013, Black homebuyers utilized these loans at a rate of 70.6 percent, followed by Latino purchases at 62.8 percent, while White borrowers participated at a rate of 35.3 percent.

“This enduring trend of underserving key segments of the population is deeply disturbing,” said Nikitra Bailey executive vice

president of the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL).

“As the slow housing recovery demonstrates, there is a market imperative to ensure that African-Americans, Latinos, and middle class families have access to mortgages in both the public and private sectors of the market. The market cannot fully recover without them.”

Other consumer advocates expressed similar concerns.

“Certainly people of color right now don’t feel like the mortgage market is a place they’re wanted,” said Julia Gordon, director of housing finance and policy at the Center for American Progress to Bloomberg News. “They’ve heard the coded speech about certain groups not being ready for homeownership.”

Today, some housing industry stakeholders argue that low levels of lending to Black consumers and other low-wealth consumers is due to increased consumer protections now required in mortgage lending.

However, the new protections represent a muchneeded, common sense

approach. They are designed to protect borrowers from facing a repeat of the abuses that caused the recent foreclosure crisis. These new standards, enacted earlier this year, also require lenders to determine a borrower’s ability to repay their mortgage, eliminate loan steering and crack down on broker kickbacks in mortgage lending.

Actual lending experiences have proven that if lenders use responsible underwriting standards, many low-to-moderate income borrowers, regardless of race, have become successful homeowners with affordable home loan payments at fixed rates. These borrowers also gain the financial benefit of building wealth through homeownership.

For example, the Community Advantage home loan program offered by Self-Help, CRL’s parent organization, provides home loans with fair terms and reasonable rates. As a nonprofit, community financial development institution, SelfHelp served these borrowers who were then able to succeed in their loans and build wealth -- even during the Great Recession.

America’s families of modest means may be short on financial assets; but there is nothing short about their hopes for their American Dreams. Our nation is big enough and broad enough to preserve these dreams for this and future generations.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.

BENNETT

Continued from B1

At the firm, Bennett specializes in public housing transformations (HOPE VI) and large-scale neighborhood master redevelopment efforts. The company’s total HOPE VI Development Investment is $1.6 billion , resulting in 8,378 HOPE VI homes.

One of those projects was the North Sarah II redevelopment – 103 new apartments and 6,400 square feet of retail. The site is north of Delmar Boulevard – a street that is historically known for marking the divide in wealthy and impoverished neighborhoods in St. Louis’ central corridor. The redevelopment hoped to narrow the income gap and racial segregation of the “Delmar Divide.” The project had its grand opening in July.

Before the project got off the ground, Bennett said it took about a year of meeting with neighborhood leaders and residents to “mesh the financial realities with the vision.” And in that process, there was much constructive debate and “good healthy dialogue.”

n Bennett is on the Board of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and a commissioner of the St. Louis Metropolitan Taxi Commission.

“The residents input helped bring shape to the product,” he said. “We couldn’t do it without sitting at the table and being very active listeners. We bring our experiences from across the country.”

In all the projects, he said specifically avoid a “wholesale replacement,” a strategy of buying out old residents that many developers use.

The firm tries to create neighborhoods of opportunity with new and old families of different incomes.

“There is tremendous investment in green infrastructure,” he said, including storm water management, bio soils and community gardens. They also partner with the local nonprofit Urban Strategies to come up with a “human capital plan,” which includes mapping out schools and health clinics.

“The brick and mortar are just a piece of it,” he said. “We want to know how can families be successful in the redeveloped environment? We put a lot of attention to green space, safety and security. If we come into a city, we are technicians. But we want the fabric of development to reflect the community itself.”

Bennett is on the Board of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and a commissioner of the St. Louis Metropolitan Taxi Commission. He received bachelor degrees in economics and psychology from the University of California in Santa Cruz and a master’s degree in management and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University.

Although honored by the award, he made sure to recognize his team for their efforts.

“I don’t normally accept individual awards because I’m a strong believer in the team and the collective,” he said. “It’s not about me. It’s about everybody who has touched and felt and put fingerprints on something.”

The 15th Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon will be held Friday, November 14, 2014 at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, networking reception at 11 a.m., luncheon program at noon. Tickets are $100 for VIP/ Preferred seating, $75 for general admission. Call 314-5338000 or visit www.stlamerican.com for more information or to purchase tickets.

Charlene Crowell

“He’s one of the best, man, arguably the best. I definitely had to bring my “A” Game.”

– Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, on his matchup with cornerback Richard Sherman of Seattle

Sports

In the Clutch

With Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Cardinals Nation on the wrong side of history

Birds compete in fourth straight NLCS amidst Ferguson October protests

By Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Of The St. Louis American

The St. Louis Cardinals organization is competing in its fourth straight NLCS, and a chance to return to the World Series for a second consecutive season. Inside Busch Stadium, the best baseball fans in America (as we love to boast) scream, high-five and rally around every pitch. Black fans and white fans cheer side-by-side. Jackie Robinson’s retired No. 42 is displayed prominently in front of the stadium scoreboard. Yet a segment of Cardinals fans are providing painful reminders of darker days in Cardinals history. In 1947, when Robinson broke the color barrier as the first black player in the major

leagues, the Cardinals landed on the wrong side of history. Players Enos Slaughter and Terry Moore were reportedly so disgusted with the idea of a black man playing in the majors that they attempted to organize a team boycott against the Brooklyn Dodgers. It took the threat of an immediate lifetime ban from Commissioner Ford Frick to keep Slaughter, Moore and other like-minded individuals across the league from boycotting Robinson’s blackness. Unfortunately it didn’t stop Slaughter from intentionally spiking Robinson or save him from years of taunting, discrimination and racist remarks by opposing players and fans. Outside Busch Stadium, peaceful protesters continue to cry out for justice for the killing of unarmed teenager Mike Brown at the hands of Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson. Protesters at Ballpark Village have been met with some of the same vitriol and bitterness Robinson surely faced back in the day. Apparently, for a segment of Cardinal Nation, doing things the ‘Cardinal way’ has gone retro.

video during the NLDS showing white Cardinals fans channeling their innerEnos and proving the next professional team in our city should be called the St. Louis Segregation. Classy Cards fans yelled things such as: “Let’s Go Darren [Wilson],” “Africa! Africa!,” and “We’re the ones who gave all y’all the freedoms that you have!” Over and over Cardinals fans respond angrily to peaceful protesters, suggesting that they do not belong here. The piercing prejudice and irony to those remarks fall upon deaf ears. They claim protests should not disrupt America’s pastime, but wear jerseys altered to read “I am Darren Wilson.”

It’s not just Cardinals fans who are disgusted by those demanding justice for Brown, Kajieme Powell, Vonderrit Myers and others during sacred sports and entertainment events. The staggering amount of vicious, blatantly racist comments left on The St. Louis American’s video of the protest

One

game

By Earl Austin Jr. Of The St. Louis American

The high school football season is approaching its climax stage as the regular season concludes this weekend in the state of Missouri. Teams have one final chance to improve upon its seeding for the upcoming district playoffs, which will begin the following weekend on October 24-25. Several teams are still trying to complete undefeated regular seasons, which is so small accomplishment. Those teams include CBC, Hazelwood Central, Kirkwood, Francis Howell, Ladue, Miller Career Academy, Affton, Borgia and Brentwood.

All-American Calen Standout running back Calen Taylor of CBC has been selected to participate in the BlueGrey All-American Bowl, which will be held on December 14 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The All-Star game will feature top senior players from across the country. Taylor was selected as one of the 90 to play in the game. The 5’7” 160-pound Taylor is one of the many offensive stars for the Cadets, who are currently 8-0 heading into the final week of the regular season. Taylor has rushed for 530 yards and scored 12 touchdowns while averaging seven yards a carry.

Four in a row

Vianney is riding a four-game winning streak heading into its regular season finale against Fort Zumwalt South. One of the big reasons for the Golden Griffins’ surge is the emergence of freshman Tionne Harris at quarterback. Harris moved from running back to quarterback due to an injury when Vianney was 1-3. The Golden Griffins have lost since Harris has become a starter. For the season, Harris has rushed for 679 yards and five touchdowns. He has also

Argus Streaming News captured a 25-minute

When will these college football players learn that they have no friends who are out of uniform? Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston cannot get out of his own way these days. If it is not for the alleged sexual assault in 2012 (no charges have been filed to date) or the new accusation of him signing memorabilia for a profit, Winston is guilty of getting bad advice. Before you go down the path of the “he is just 21 years old” speech, let me remind you that he and everyone else around him

allegedly signed memorabilia for profit as well. This comes from the “real stupid” file, as he certainly knew better. If he said he didn’t, then a bigger problem may exist on the true competence of the nation’s leading rusher. Throw in the fact that a memorabilia company was involved in moving some of the goods, and

Gurley has little to fall back on. Gurley has no excuse as it was wrong according to the NCAA. The rule may be flawed, but until the rule is changed what else can be done? Pardon me, but wasn’t former Heisman Trophy

Ferguson October protestors greeted St. Louis Cardinals fans at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, October 11 when the Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to earn a fourth consecutive trip to the National League Championship Series.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

See CLAIBS, B5

See CLUTCH, B5

Earl Austin Jr

Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston

With Earl Austin Jr.

accounted four touchdowns in the Rebels’ 56-18 victory over Cardinal Ritter.

and five touchdowns. He has also passed for 721 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Shout outs

Amonte Mason of Kirkwood caught six passes for 125 yards and a touchdown in the Pioneers’ 41-19 at Pattonville.

Drew Lauer of St. Charles West rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns in the Warriors’ 49-31 victory over Festus. Lauer also caught three passes for 68 yards and had an interception on defense.

Jaylen James of Miller Career Academy rushed for 154 yards and passed for 157 yards in the Phoenix’ 41-6 victory over Gateway STEM.

Andrew Rund of Priory rushed for 138 yards and passed for 240 yards and

Demonte Morris of McCluer North passed for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the Stars’ 46-0 victory over McCluer.

Top Games of the Week

Ladue will try to complete an undefeated regular season when it pays a visit to a surging St. Charles West on Friday night. The Rams are currently 8-0 and in second place in the Class 5, District 2 standings. St. Charles West is on a six-game winning streak after dropping its first two games. West is led by senior standout tailback Drew Lauer.

Miller Career Academy will be seeking its second consecutive undefeated regular season when they visit top 10 ranked Class 5 Jackson on Friday night. It should be the biggest test of the season for the Phoenix before they

begin the Class 4 district playoffs.

Undefeated Kirkwood will close its season against 6-2 SLUH in a big nonconference game on Friday night. Unbeaten CBC will head to the middle of the state on Friday night to take on Columbia Rock Bridge.

Other Games of Note

McCluer North at Lafayette, Friday, 7 p.m.

Westminster at Borgia, Friday, 7 p.m.

Fort Zumwalt North at Timberland, Friday, 7 p.m.

Clayton at Festus, Friday, 7 p.m.

Belleville East at O’Fallon, Saturday, 1 p.m.

East St. Louis at Belleville West, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Soldan at Roosevelt, Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

From the East Side

1979 Flyers state championship team honored

Football is king in East St. Louis, a.k.a. ‘The

City of Champions’

By Maurice Scott, Jr.

For The American

The history started in 1925, and 89 years later, most, if not all are trying to keep the tradition going.

On a damp, soggy homecoming night last Friday at historic Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium, I couldn’t help but reflect on that history. That is especially true for those years since 1975 when the East St. Louis High football program became really special.

Sure, most people over the age of 65 like to brag about the Fred Cameron days from 1951-1971 when the Flyers posted an impressive record of 107-28-8. Those were indeed some great teams with some great players, but they would have been beaten soundly – like a pair of Sylvester “Sunshine “ Lee drums – by the Cornelius Perry teams and the Bob Shannon teams that followed them.

Last Friday night, the 1979 Illinois Class 5A State championship team was honored prior to Flyers’ game against Alton. The great Bob Shannon was in attendance, albeit keeping a low profile as usual when he returns home.

Plenty people often ask,

“Does Coach Shannon ever come around?” I always reply, “Sure, he does. He still helps out often when asked too.”

The 1979 team defeated Burbank St. Lawrence 20-14 for the state title at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. At that time, 5A was the largest classification in the state of Illinois. It was truly a great team. They had 16 players who went on to play college football. Some even made it all the way to the National Football League. They included: Victor Scott (Colorado/ Dallas Cowboys), Kerry Glenn (Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, N. Y. Jets/ Minnesota Vikings), Daryl Dixon (Michigan State), Avin Jones (Tennessee), Jarvis Hall (Arkansas), Dennis Edwards (Indiana), Vincent Allen (Wisconsin/ Illinois State), Walter “Too Tall” Jackson (Southern Illinois), William “BT” Thomas (Southern Illinois), Condolla Jackson (Illinois State). Other great players on that team included team caption Roosevelt Golliday, who recently retired as a colonel in the United States Air Force, and Avery Bryd, who was once featured on the cover of Black Enterprise magazine.

Former players Garry Joshway, Louis Lockett, Dennis Doublin, Dennis Johnson, Everett Fields, Everett Holemon, Alphonso Baity, Dwight Holley all were in attendance.

Bob Shannon’s East St. Louis High Flyers teams finished with a record of 193-32 in 20 seasons. During that span, the Flyers won three consecutive state titles from 1983-85 and enjoyed a 44-game winning streak. In addition, East St. Louis also won the mythical National Championship in ‘85 and ’89.

Photo by Wiley Price

This sort of head-knocking tradition started in my opinion in 1971 under Cornelius Perry, who posted a record of 37-133 during his six seasons at the helm. During the 1974-75 season, Perry’s Flyers finished 12-1, with its only loss coming in a dramatic 19-13 OT loss to Harold Samorian Northbrook (Glenbrook North) in the state championship game. Perry’s team consisted of some of the greatest Flyers ever. Among the best were quarterback Maurice Tolson, Stanley Braggs, Cleveland Crosby (Cleveland Browns), Eugene Bryd (Michigan State/ Atlanta Falcons), and a guy that coach Perry and his staff recruited from the “CHESS TEAM” to play only one year of high school football. His name was Kellen Winslow, who became a future Hall of Famer. It was after the 1975-76 season that the great Bob Shannon took the keys to the Cadillac. His first season he started 5-4, but after that Shannon’s teams won six State titles and had two runner-up finishes. His 1979 crew was his first state championship team. Shannon’s teams finished with a record of 193-32 in 20 seasons. During that span, the Flyers won three consecutive state titles from 1983-85 and enjoyed a 44-game winning streak. In addition, East St. Louis also won the mythical National Championship in ‘85 and ‘89. My friend Terry Hill took the helm for five years, guiding the Flyers to three playoff appearances. Now, Darren Sunkett is at the helm of the Cadillac. In his 13 seasons, he has compiled a record of 11334 with one state championship in 2008-09. With an overall record of 742-184-36, East St. Louis is still among the top programs in the country.

The senior running back amassed more than 300 yards of total offense in leading the Phoenix to a 41-6 victory over Gateway STEM last Friday night. The 5’10” 195-pound Stewart rushed for 171 yards on 14 carries and scored two touchdowns on runs of 64 and 36 yards. He also had three receptions for 133 yards and one TD on a 46-yarder. For the season, Stewart has 1,793 yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns. He has rushed for 1,339 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding 16 receptions for 454 yards and two more touchdowns. As a junior, Stewart rushed for 1,863 yards and 18 touchdowns in leading Miller Career Academy to the Class 4 state quarterfinals. Stewart’s offensive exploits have helped carry the Phoenix to an 8-0 record heading into Friday night’s regular-season finale at Jackson.

I just hope will don’t let our tradition go down the drain like Lincoln High School, Parsons Field and others gifts forgotten. But hats off to the organization that made me and others celebrate the tradition – a tradition some just don’t understand.

With Maurice Scott

The Ladue Rams will take an 8-0 regular season record to St. Charles West on Friday night. Photo by Wiley Price

Maurice Scott

Red October means green for STL

Sports brings cash win for St. Louis area

By Comptroller Darlene Green

winner Johnny Manziel accused of the same thing last year, and he later just sat out a half of a game. Welcome to the double standard rule.

When Will They Learn?

Part lll

Did the NFL just fleece the players again?

Word now comes that the former players who were involved in the concussion law suit will cave and take what is considered to be one of the worst deals in the history of this planet and perhaps Mars and Saturn. In the initial deal they would pay out about $765 million to players who have endured a variety of health issues surrounding concussions from their playing careers. Legal scholars, accountants and even the presiding judge in the case have expressed whether this amount would be enough to cover players from the past and future claims. Most seem to think that $2 billion would be closer to fair. The NFL has indicated that they were more than willing to drag this thing out for some time in the court room in hopes of getting the player to take a bad deal. It appears that that tactic is working, as many former players have indicated through legal counsel that they would take the deal. I guess some could not wait. They may regret this one forever once they see how little it really covers. What is it about NFL players past, present and perhaps future? No matter who is in charge, they take one bad deal after another.

is more lucrative to him these days, and I get it. There is a lot of money in California these days, and he wants more of it. That does not bode well for St. Louis, so why keep supporting it? When will you learn?

When Will they Learn?

Part IV

What a great night it was for St. Louis to honor the lone Super Bowl Championship team in St. Louis. The Greatest Show on Turf team was honored on Monday night at the Rams game. That will be the last time we ever see these players together in St. Louis again. St. Louis has given up on the Rams because Rams owner Stan Kroenke has given up on St. Louis. The rumors continue to swirl that this is it for the Rams in St. Louis, as their lease is up. Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff has been very non committal this week on the Rams’ future after this season. He did not even deny reports on the Rams leaving. They are done in St. Louis, and that is OK by me. For too long St. Louis has bent over backwards to accommodate an organization that has left its fans in the dark for too many years, on and off the field. From bizarre ownership upon their arrival to the current regime that does not even return phone calls from people who would like to talk about a deal, St. Louis sports fans deserve better than what Rams ownership has provided recently.

What would you do as an individual to keep the team here? Buy more tickets? They could sell out every game this year and it would not make a difference, as Kroenke does not want to be here. Los Angeles

When Will They Learn?

PartV

While I know that Mississippi State is now a topfive ranked team in the country, how can anyone be nationally ranked before October, considering all the one-sided butt kicking handed out by the so-called power conferences in non-conference games played in the early part of the season? Some schools in that time may never leave their own state. Yes there are some teams that cannot deal with prosperity and they get beat, which is another reason why rankings should not take place until the second week of October. At least then the so-called voters will have an idea of who has the potential to be good, other that what they were told took place in spring ball. The new ranking system will be interesting, as the playoffs will be decided on how the schools are ranked. I like it as it is a first step perhaps of taking the vote out of the incompetent hands that hold some votes now. Some of the current voters should be ashamed of themselves but we see this in all sorts of sports, be it Hall of Fame voting, Most Valuable Player or Cy Young voting – a variety of other non-athletic issues help decide sports awards and rankings. The rankings as we know them have to go.

For The St. Louis American Red and blue may be divided when it comes to politics, but when it comes to St. Louis sports, red and blue are coming together nicely in downtown St. Louis. We love Red October in St. Louis. Our employees at City Hall are all abuzz with World Series wishes and proudly wearing red, and blue. We love a red and blue

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has made me truly question my faith in humanity. The fact that the organizer initially tried to protest at a Cardinals game, only to be met with mocking chants of “Hands up, Don’t Loot” by angry fans, doesn’t help. Also, stories about the protest banners hung in support of Brown at the St. Louis Rams Monday Night Football game are littered with disparaging comments about protesters and black Americans. In their view, protests should be only held outside, away from the public, down barrel from militarized police weapons. It’s sad that the sports world has been largely silent on the

October in St. Louis. After all, this is a huge sports town. Besides the Cardinals, our St. Louis Blues opened their season at home and the St. Louis Cardinals showed their support for the St. Louis Blues’ season home opener, via Twitter. Thousands of fans proudly showing off their Blue Note jerseys Thursday evening made the trek over to Scottrade Center. And on Monday, the St. Louis Rams were in prime time when they hosted the San Francisco 49ers at the Edward Jones Dome. The Cardinals played Games 1 and 2 of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants at home this weekend. Those games played here translate into additional tax dollars for our city. So, the longer the Cardinals play in the postseason, the better. The two NLDS games that were played in St. Louis brought in an estimated $500,000 in tax revenue. Now that we’ve reached the NLCS, ticket prices are higher than the NLDS games. When the Cardinals go all the way to the World Series

issue. Aside from a hands-up display by the Washington Redskins secondary, active athletes and sports organizations have generally avoided the discussion. Surely there is prodding from execs, agents and PR-specialists not to remain silent considering the polarizing nature of the issue. They don’t want players to tarnish their brand, marketability or earning potential.

Yet all it takes is a look back to 1947 when Dodgers GM Branch Rickey took upon the scorn of the Cardinals and nearly the entire major leagues by taking a stand. His decision wasn’t popular outside of blacks and progressive whites, yet it was extremely important and a catalyst of cultural change in America.

The Cardinals organization has a chance to make amends for its past failures by coming out in support for justice.

it means even more, in terms of tax revenue for our city. Here’s how it all adds up: two NLDS home games, four NLCS home games and three World Series home games could bring in nearly $4 million in taxes for our city. In March, Forbes valued the Cardinals’ worth at $820 million. They also called St. Louis “the best baseball city in the major leagues.” Reasons including attendance, television viewership and the teams’ performance are what earned St. Louis that distinction. This season’s NLDS games reached record numbers in attendance.

We love Red October in St. Louis. With World Series wishes we proudly wear red, and blue. Our last trip to the World Series was in 2013, but we lost to the Boston Red Sox. The last time we won the World Series championship was

The team can and should publically repudiate the idiot fans that spew racist remarks at protesters while decked out head-to-toe in Cardinals merchandise. A no-tolerance policy regarding racist comments should also be instituted at Busch Stadium and at Ballpark Village. Sadly, I don’t believe Redbirds management will take those steps. Here’s hoping that somewhere in the MLB, NBA, NFL or NHL, the next Branch Rickey and/or Ford Frick exist. Like Jackie Robinson and integration in baseball, our calls for justice and fairness at the hands of law enforcement officials are not going away. To Cardinals players, executives and fans: which side are you on?

Follow Ishmael and In the Clench on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk and on Google+

Darlene Green

Word now comes that the former players who were involved in the concussion law suit will cave and take less money.

Panelists were given three minutes each and were encouraged to speak off-topic.

Continued from B1

Darren Wilson. Koster said conversations about race can be “challenging” and “messy,” but are necessary.

“It is much better to have the conversation and risk the messiness than not to have the conversation,” he said.

Regarding representative policing, Koster spoke of a school to law enforcement pipeline that would incorporate mentoring opportunities for youth, particularly minority youth. He said his office is ready to launch a “Big Brothers, Big Sisters” of law enforcement, “using the ‘Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ idea in the high schools to encourage people to go through the community college programs.”

There are 20 two-year community colleges throughout the state with law enforcement curriculums. Other topics he said he hoped to address before the next general assembly included licensing police departments and Missouri’s use of force statute.

State Senator Jamilah Nasheed of the 5th District took a back-end approach. Nasheed addressed law enforcement’s lack of community engagement, stating that people needed to see law enforcement out on the street. She said the city has a “massive problem” with gang activity and that the gang task force unit needed to be restored.

“If we want to solve the problem with crime, than we have to look at how we ‘embrace’ those gang members,” she said.

She said education is another key to reducing crime.

“Those individuals wreaking havoc on our communities, nine times out of ten, have dropped out of the system,” she said. “We have to do a better job of education our young folk.”

She also said a lack of job opportunities breed poverty and is a direct correlation to crime.

Both County Executive Charlie Dooley and Senator ChappelleNadal spoke about the importance of bridging gaps, a

Financial Focus

By Andre Nelson

process Chappelle-Nadal said could take years.

Dooley said America is a divided country and that the focus should be on race relations throughout the country, not just the St. Louis metropolitan area. He said African-American young men in this country are under attack. He said it is about training, sensitivity, respect and teaching black men how to respond to policing.

Chappelle-Nadal said it is not a black issue, but rather an institutional issue that has allowed officers to intimidate and harass people. She said a lot of healing has to take place.

“I will be a partner,” she said, “but not when my constituents are hog-tied and not when the Muslim groups that are out protesting are punched in the face repeatedly.”

Koster’s second roundtable on representative policing will took place on October 14 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil.

E-mail this reporter: boneil@ stlamerican.com.

• Overreacting to “scary” headlines — The financial markets like stability, not uncertainty. So the next time you see some news about domestic political squabbles or unsettling geopolitical events, such as conflicts in foreign lands, don’t be

State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal said Ferguson is not a black issue, but rather an institutional issue that has allowed officers to intimidate and harass people.

Photo by Maurice Meredith

Rap and a revolution

Talib Kweli: ‘All

lives matter, but we the ones who have to stand’

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

“I’m not here looking for followers, I’m looking for new leaders,” conscious rapper

Talib Kweli proclaimed in a freestyle as a capacity crowd crammed into Fubar, 3108 Locust St. in St. Louis, on the afternoon of Sunday, October 12.

He was the main attraction for a full day of hip-hop to feed the souls of those who gathered in the area to demonstrate for Ferguson October over the weekend entitled “Hip-Hop and Resistance” but also known as Hip-hop 4 Change.

Kweli’s play on words posed direct opposition to both the current hip-hop industry climate and social media culture. And in doing so, he praised the young people of Ferguson who got the world’s attention in the wake of Michael Brown’s death and sparked a national movement.

“Do not get discouraged. Stay focused,”

Kweli told the crowd in between his set. “That’s why we wanted to do this concert – to make sure y’all stayed focused, to make sure that y’all connect with artists and people who connect with y’all, and to let you know that we love y’all and support y’all.”

Kweli has been a visible presence in Ferguson since the protest began and has been lending his celebrity to speak on behalf of the protesters and working with local groups – including The Organization for Black Struggle.

“Black lives matter,” he said, inciting the audience to follow suit with chanting. “All lives matter, but we the ones who have to stand up and say some [expletive].”

As people stood along Locust St. hoping to

n Turn up, don’t turn down. We do ‘dis for Mike Brown!

- The Lost Voices

be able to poke their heads in, Kweli hit the stage early on in the lineup.

The five-hour free show was a mix of local and national talent rooted in revolution and liberation for people of color.

Jasiri X, Dead Prez, Rebel Diaz – a collective of black and Latino MCs, were among the nationally renowned talent to hit the stage.

Local artists included Rockwell Knuckles, Scripz N Screwz, Aloha Mi-Sho, T-Dubb-O, spoken word artist Cheeraz Gormon and Tef Poe.

The Lost Voices – a protest group that grew on the ground in Canfield in the wake of Michael Brown’s death – kicked off the show.

“Turn up, don’t turn down. We do ‘dis for Mike Brown,” the group chanted as they bounced around in their signature yellow and blue LV gear.

There was no talk of stale and recurring bling narrative – no rappers bragging on wealth they’ve yet to attain, bling they haven’t finished paying for and “bedding” bad “chicks.”

Thoughts on immigration, police brutality, revolution and the current state of hip-hop

Coffin of mirrors for Michael Brown

‘A family is in mourning, and a community is grieving’

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“This memorial has put up to remember Mike Brown and all the people who have been killed because of police violence and racism,” said Elizabeth Vega. “This is a sacred space and beyond the yelling, we want people to get quiet and centered about what this is really about – a family is in mourning and a community is grieving.”

About a 150 protestors listened intently as Vega handed out candles and gave instructions for the walk from West Florissant Avenue – near “ground zero” – to Ferguson Police Department on Friday night.

“It is a silent march,” Vega said. “We want people to be solemn and silent because that has its own power.”

On the damp and cold evening, these protestors had gathered from around the nation as part of the “Week of Resistance” also known as “Ferguson October.”

This march was more of a funeral procession, as a mirrored casket emerged from a vehicle and young men (two black and two white) dressed in black slacks, black ties and white shirts carried an altar created in Michael See COFFIN, C4

American Travels to Berlin: Part two

death spray painted by James Shields (Creative Shields) at Güterbahnhof Pankow station in Germany.

Michael Brown-inspired protest art within German grafiti scene

By Aviana Brown

For The St. Louis American Visiting Berlin, Germany, I met up with a friend and fellow Howard University alumus, James Shields. James, who goes by the name Creative Shields, is an artist from Oakland, California. His work, up until now, consisted of mainly painting on canvass and graphic design. We irst managed to link up during my trip back in Amsterdam. I served as muse for his irst attempt at freestyling some raw street art. With a few spray cans he nabbed for cheap at an outdoor market, we went down to what artists call the Hall of Fame at FlevoPark.

A little after dawn, James completed his irst piece – a beautifully igured black woman perched atop of clouds, her hair blowing in the wind. He explained that he felt compelled to create positive images of black women to counteract so many negative images prevalent in today’s

Pallbearers placed the casket in front of the station and stood it up so the police officer’s reflections bounced from the mirrors.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

“What do you want to be when you grow up? ALIVE.” Street art relecting on Michael Brown’s

Photo courtesy of James Shields.

Talib Kweli and Tef Poe headlined “Hip-Hop and Resistance” on Sunday, October 12 at Fubar, 3108 Locust St. in St. Louis, as part of Ferguson October’s Weekend of Resistance. Photos 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

Sun., Oct. 19, 8 p.m., The Pageant presents Jason Derulo. 6161 Delmar Blvd., St Louis, MO, 63112. For more information, call (314) 7266161 or visit www.thepageant. com.

Thur., Oct. 23, 7 p.m., The Mildred Thimes Foundation presents 10th Annual Cancer Benefit Concert feat. Denise Thimes. Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 773-0337.

Sat., Oct. 18, 8 p.m., Tamar Braxton, The Ambassador. 9800 Halls Ferry. For tickets visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

Sat., Oct. 25, 7 p.m., Live Entertainment presents Bootsy Collins with special guest Shock G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump). The Concert will feature a full band complete with horn section—with many members of the original Rubber Band. Concert-goers can expect to hear hits from Bootsy’s Rubber Band, as well as favorites from his days in Parliament/ Funkadelic. The Ambassador,

9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 869-9090 or visit www. liveentertainmentworld.com/ shows.

Sat., Nov. 1, 7 p.m., Lumiere Place and Casino presents Avant. 999 N. Second St., 63160. For more information, call (314) 881-7777 or visit www.lumiereplace.com.

Nov. 10 – 11, The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Wine, Women, and Song. Featuring St. Louis Women’s HOPE Chorale; harpist Megan Stout; horns Roger Kaza and Thomas Jöstlein. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www. grandcenter.org.

local gigs

Sat., Oct. 18, 5 p.m., The Friends of Scott Joplin and The Scott Joplin House State Historic Site present Tom Brier in a Concert of Piano Ragtime. Tom Brier plays at festivals and concerts all over the U.S., has released seven CDs, and has written well over 150 ragtime compositions. 2658 Delmar Blvd., 63103. For

more information, call (314) 852-4735.

Fri., Nov. 7, 8 p.m., PureHeart Management, KlassHouse Music and Pennyworth Enterprises present: The Last Men Standing: Bring Back the R&B. Rollyn K. Moore and Justin M Hoskin feat. The Band of Brothers are setting the fall on fire. The music on this night will undoubtedly take you back to the time when the music was real. These men are bringing the heartbeat of R&B back and you’d definitely want to be in the building when they do. Voce, 212 S. Tucker, 63102. For more information, call (314) 443-3172.

special events

Sat., Oct. 18, 9 a.m., The Professional Organization of Women Scholarship Breakfast in honor of Frankie Muse Freeman. This scholarship breakfast is to support non-traditional, female students who are interested in improving their lives by pursing their educational goals. We will award four non-traditional female undergraduate students with a scholarship. Crowne Plaza Hotel, 7750 Carondelet Ave., 63105. For more information, call (314) 963-5287 or visit www.powincstl.org.

Sat., Oct. 18, 7 p.m. (6 p.m. doors) Ritneour Co-Care Trivia night, Net proceeds to support families in need in the Ritenour School District, Wild Acres Park, 2500 Ashby, Overland, MO 63114. For more information, please

Live Entertainment presents Bootsy Collins with special guest Shock G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump). For more information, see CONCERTS.

contact Marti at 314-423-2519 or Ginger at 314-429-1066 .

Sat., Oct. 18, 8 p.m., All-N-1 Entertainment and Mike B present 2nd Annual Where Are They Now Old School Reunion Party. Old School Reunion Party for the retired & current workers of Ford, GM, Chrysler, Bi State, Electrical workers, Postal Service Workers, Boeing-McDonnell Douglas, Union Paciic, St Louis City & County workers, Fed Ex, UPS and the general public. Its time to come out and celebrate and have fun like we used too with music from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and today’s music hosted by the Real J.R. This will be a B.Y.O.B Affair, food will be sold. Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, call (314) 690-3660 or visit www. allin1entertainment.com.

Tues., Oct. 21, 6 p.m., Christian Hospital Foundation Legacy Leaders 2014 Recognition Dinner. This event is held to celebrate our community by honoring those who make a difference. As a member of our community, we invite you and your organization to join us. The foundation will be presenting three awards during our event. Paul F. Detrick Atrium, Christian Hospital, 11133 Dunn Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 653-4410 or email jayme. brown@bjc.org.

Oct. 22 – 23, 5 p.m., We Believe, Inc. presents LaRhonda’s Way: Healing Through Laughter & Song. This event will be two nights of domestic violence awareness. Event will include breakout sessions/support meetings, a comedy show,

and concert. Comedians include Eric Moore, Le’Andria Johnson (Thursday only), Reggie Reg, and Gerald Wilson. Wednesday location: Power of Change, Christian Center, 2348 Jerome Ave., Cahokia, IL. 62206. Thursday location: Greater Grace Church, 3690 Pershall Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 808-1125.

Sat., Oct. 25, 10 a.m., St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store hosts Community Appreciation Day. We have always been and will continue to be a part of the Dellwood/ Ferguson community. Come out for good food, giveaways, and more. 10052 W. Florissant Ave., 63136. For more information, call (314) 8816045.

Sat., Oct. 25, 7 p.m. doors, Kut-Nup Productions presents An Old School Blast featuring Sync or Swim R&B tribute hosted by Sevvy Sev, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd. For more information, call (314) 8699090.

Sun., Oct. 26, 1 p.m., Diversity Gallery & Natural Beauty Luxe Present “Super Soul Sunday” Be Your “Natural” Self A Day of Empowerment, Friends A Meeting Place, 716 N. Compton (at Delmar). For more information and vendor inquiries, email diversitygallery@gmail.com.

Sun., Oct. 26, 3 p.m., Never Play Music right next to the Zoo. The STL Symphony and Saint Louis Zoo join forces showing audiences just how musical animals can be as they perform works based on John Lithgow’s popular children’s book. 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 533-2500 or visit www.stlsymphony.org.

Sun., Oct. 26, 4 p.m., All-N-1 Entertainment presents 2nd Annual I Am Exquisite Red Carpet Fashion Show. Join us for fun & excitement as our kid and adult models rip the runway with special guest performances by the Tiara Twins. Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, call (314) 690-3660 or visit www. iamexquisite.eventbrite.com.

Sun., Oct. 26, 3 p.m., Never Play Music right next to the Zoo. The STL Symphony and Saint Louis Zoo join forces showing audiences just how musical animals can be as they perform works based on John

Lithgow’s popular children’s book. 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 533-2500 or visit www.stlsymphony.org.

Sun., Oct. 26, 4 p.m., All-N-1 Entertainment presents 2nd Annual I Am Exquisite Red Carpet Fashion Show. Join us for fun & excitement as our kid and adult models rip the runway with special guest performances by the Tiara Twins. Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, call (314) 690-3660 or visit www. iamexquisite.eventbrite.com.

Thur., Oct. 30, 6 p.m., ESG Modeling Agency presents Community Halloween Runway Show. Enjoy an evening of Halloween with a Christian based modeling agency like never before. This is a family friendly community event that will include a trunk or treat and a small runway production exhibiting the latest Halloween fashions. Also, assist us as we help a Ferguson Middle school raise money towards their 2014-2015 field trips. The trunk or treat is free of charge and open to the public. Third Degree Glass Factory, 5200 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, email esgst.louis@yahoo.com or visit www. esgwalkortreat. eventbrite.com.

Fri., Oct. 31, 7 p.m., Mystic Salon presents All Hallows’ Eve Masquerade Ball. Come out for a glittering masquerade ball to celebrate the changing of the season with a night of mystery, music, dancing, ire, magic, delicious food, festive cocktails and fantastic entertainment. Enjoy appetizers, gourmet food, luscious desserts as well as an open bar. Exciting door prizes, party favors & a unique photo booth, you won’t want to miss a moment of this magical evening. Wear your most mysterious cocktail masquerade attire. Must be 21 to attend and tickets must be purchased prior to event. Third Degree Glass Factory, 5200 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 3674527.

Fri., Oct. 31, 8 p.m., Fright Night Halloween Party at Ballpark Village. Downtown’s favorite entertainment district joins forces with Johnnie Brock’s Dungeon for its irst annual Halloween bash, including: DJ Mike Justis at Fox Sports Midwest Live, Halloween costume contest with $5,000 in prizes, free

outdoor party on Busch II Inield with live band and midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. 601 Clark St., 63102. For more information, visit www. stlballparkvillage.com.

Through Oct. 31, The Butterfly House presents Owls and Orchids. We will expand our collection of Owl Butterflies from 100 to over 1,000 creatures – more than ten times the normal number. The conservatory will be decorated with over 100 colorful, blooming orchids. Faust Park, 15193 Olive Blvd., 63017. For more information, call (636) 530-0076 or visit www.butterflyhouse.org.

comedy

Sat., Oct. 25, 8 p.m., World Wide Technologies, Inc. presents An Evening with Cedric the Entertainer and Friends. Inaugural event beneiting the Rosetta Boyce Kyles Women’s Pavilion at SSM St. Mary’s Health Center. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. cedricandfriends.org.

Thurs., Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, The Pageant welcomes Dave Chappelle, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Sat., Oct. 25, 8 p.m., River City Casino presents Last Comic Standing Tour. NBC’s laughfest “Last Comic Standing” returns for a sixth season with host Bill Bellamy. This season, the Emmy-nominated series joins Thursday’s comedy night line-up, and a parade of NBC comedy stars from past and present hit shows also will participate for the first time ever serving as talent scouts in lively audition shows that will air as the first five episodes.777 River City Casino Blvd., 63125.

Fri., Nov. 7, 8 p.m., Chaifetz Arena presents Mike Epps. One S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena.com.

literary

Wed., Oct. 22, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts FergusonReads Reading Group: Rose of the Warrior Cop. The book shows how politicians’ ill-considered policies and relentless declarations of war against vague enemies like crime,

drugs, and terror have blurred the distinction between cop and soldier. This fascinating, frightening narrative shows how over a generation, a creeping battleield mentality has isolated and alienated American police oficers and put them on a collision course with the values of a free society. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com.

theatre

Sat., Oct. 18, 1 p.m. & 7 p.m., Prince of Peace Church presents A Raisin in the Sun. One of the first and most famous plays in the history of American Theater that explores the agonies of the Black community. The title of the play was taken from a poem entitled Harlem by Langston Hughes. 9350 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, call (314) 669-2419 or email marketingministry@ princeofpeacembc.org.

Oct. 21 – Nov. 2, The Fox presents Dirty Dancing the Musical. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1678 or visit www.fabulousfox.com.

Oct. 24 – 26, Alfresco Production Presents Little Shop of Horrors. 2041 Delmar Ave., 62040. For more information, visit alfrescoproductions.org.

Oct. 24 – 26, Variety Children’s Theatre presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Bringing together an all-star collection of talent along with a live orchestra, dazzling

sets, and stunning costumes, this will be an unforgettable experience for the entire family. Featuring professional performers with a children’s ensemble comprised of children of all ability levels. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, visit www.touhill. org.

Oct. 25 – Nov. 18, The Missouri History Museum presents Esther. For free black women like Esther, the world changed enormously with the Louisiana Purchase. Hear her story. 5700 Lindell Blvd., Forest Park 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

Nov. 6 – 23, Boo Cat Club presents Stairs to the Roof. A rarely produced gem by Tennessee Wiliams that is at once a comedy and a love story with a touch of early science iction. 812 N. Union Blvd., 63108. For ticket information, visit http://www. brownpapertickets.com/ event/760846.

arts

Oct. 17 – Oct. 18, The Alliance of Black Art Galleries present, The “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” exhibit, the exhibition will take place in more than a dozen galleries — and one entire city. For more information, e-mail: allianceofblackartgalleries@ gmail.com.

lectures

Thur., Oct. 16, 1 p.m., St.

information, call 314-513-4337 or 314-984-7689

Thurs., Oct. 23, 7 p.m., Free Home Buyer’s Seminar. For more information, visit stlhomebuyingseminar.com or call Lisa at 314-446-7538.

health

Fri., Oct. 17, 8 a.m., Touchette Regional Hospital hosts Mammothon Breast Cancer Screening. The Touchette Regional Hospital Mammothon ensures any woman, regardless of her ability to pay or her insurance status, can receive a mammogram at no cost. Mammograms are offered on a irst come, irst served basis. 5900 Bond Ave. in Centreville, Ill., 62207. For more information, call (618) 332-6130.

Louis Small Business and Technology Development Center and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri present The Legal Clinic. Come for a oneon-one 30-minute session with a business attorney at no cost. Legal Clinic is held twice a month on Thursday from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. An appointment is necessary, no walk-ins. SLATE – Missouri Career Center, 1520 Market St., 63103. For more information or to make an appointment, call (314) 657-3547 or email toddti@missouri.edu.

Thurs., Oct. 23, 11 & 7 p.m., Author and educator Victor Rios will be the featured lecturer at two presentations at St. Louis Community College campuses. Rios will discuss “Standing up for Justice: Personal and Community Transformation in the Struggle Against Hyper Policing” at 11 a.m. in the Student Center Multipurpose Room at STLCC-Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Road. At Meramec, Rios will present “Punitive Social Control, the Youth Control Complex, and Restorative Justice” at 7 p.m. in the Meramec Theatre on campus, 11333 Big Bend Road in Kirkwood. For more

Fri., Oct. 17, Myrtle Hiliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, Inc. invites you to their Serving the Underserved 2014 Annual Luncheon Meeting. Chase Park Plaza, 232 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-5820.

Oct. 18 – 19, The Quinn Family Foundation presents Rungevity Rock ‘n’Roll St. Louis Marathon and ½ Marathon. The event now includes two days of running in the new Running Festival. With distances from a 5K to full marathon, anyone can participate. Anyone can register to run the race following these age guidelines: You must be at least 18 years old to participate in the Marathon, 12 years old to participate in the Half Marathon or 2-Person Half Marathon Relay. For more information, visit runrocknroll. competitor.com.

Sun., Nov. 2, 2 p.m., Delta Dental Health Theatre presents The Great Candy Exchange. Area children, families and school groups are invited to turn in their unopened, Halloween candy in exchange for chances to win

prizes that encourage healthy habits. All collected candy will be sent to our troops overseas. Kids are encouraged to come in their Halloween costumes, as there will be a costume contest. Vetta Soccerdome, 220 East Ave., 63119. For more information, call (314) 2417391 or visit www.ddhtslt.org.

Sat., Oct. 18 – Sun., Oct. 19, The Lane Tabernacle CME “Celebration Weekend” welcoming new pastor Rev. Richard McDuffie. “Celebration Weekend” begins Saturday, October 18th with a family fellowship picnic at St. Ferdinand Park, 25 St. Ferdinand in Florissant, Mo. from 10:00-5:00p.m. Continues on Sunday Oct., 19 at 10 a.m. for a special message from Rev. McDuffie and 3 p.m. for a welcome celebration and meet and greet. For more information please call 314533-0534.

Fri., Oct. 24, 7 p.m., The Rhema Church presents The Pastor’s Ball in honor of Norman E. Owens. A black, red, and white tie affair to celebrate a lifetime of sharing and caring. 2233 Cass Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 436-4567.

Fri., Oct. 24, 8 p.m., The Peace & Love Tour. Featuring gospel stars Mary Mary, Kierra Sheard and Isaac Carree, Chaifetz Arena. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000, Ticketmaster outlets, and at the Chaifetz Arena Box Office.

Sat., Oct. 25, 8 p.m., Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir The company is made up of 15 singers and 4 traditional Senegalese drummers, hailing from the heart of Dakar’s most working-class neighborhood. Cathedral Basilica, 4431 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-7662 or visit www. cathedralconcerts.org/events.

World Wide Technologies, Inc. presents An Evening with Cedric the Entertainer and Friends featuring Jill Scott. See COMEDY for details.

History Museum opens new Louisiana Purchase exhibit

The Missouri History Museum is proud to open its newest exhibit, The Louisiana Purchase, on Saturday, October 25th at 10am. This exhibit brings together all ten of the documents associated with the Louisiana Purchase and helps weave a story of life in St. Louis both before and after the purchase. I had an opportunity to speak with the content expert for the exhibit, Adam Kloppe about this once in a lifetime exhibit.

Many people think of the Louisiana Purchase as a singular document. Can you talk about why it is much more than that?

The Louisiana Purchase is often called one of the five most important documents in American history, and it deserves that important recognition. But the story of the Louisiana Purchase is so much bigger than the story of just one document. There is a whole series of documents that reverberate out from the Treaty of Cession and two conventions signed by the United States and France on April 30th, 1803, all of which affected real people’s lives. When word of the Purchase reached the United States, the issues surrounding the Louisiana Purchase had to be debated in Congress, and President Jefferson had to sign proclamations authorizing how the United States would pay for Louisiana and an Act that gave him the authority to take possession of the territory.

There were obviously people already living in the territory when it was purchased. Can you talk about how their lives changed with the purchase?

The lives of the many people living in the Louisiana Territory before 1803 changed profoundly with the Louisiana Purchase. Native peoples, for example, saw their lives change completely. The American government was much more aggressive in terms of laying claim to native people’s lands than either the Spanish or French had ever been. Over the next century, native peoples throughout Louisiana would be forced into signing one-sided treaties and, in many cases, removed from their lands—experiences which we can directly tie back to the Louisiana Purchase.

French and Spanish women living in Louisiana also saw their lives change a lot following the Louisiana Purchase. Americans had much different laws about who could inherit and own property than the Spanish and French did, and, as a result, women in St. Louis, and particularly free women of color, saw their property rights eroded by the incoming Americans. We can see this very clearly in the story of Esther, a free woman of color who owned a lot of property in pre-Purchase St. Louis. After the Purchase, due to changes in the laws and scheming by a local man, she lost much of her property. When she died in 1833, she still hadn’t been able to claim all the property that had once been rightfully hers.

By Melanie Adams

As the content lead of the exhibit, what is the one thing you want people to take away from their experience in the exhibit?

What I really hope people take away from this exhibit is just how profoundly the Louisiana Purchase changed St. Louis and the United States. The story of the Louisiana Purchase is so much more profound than the two or three little paragraphs most of us read about it in our history textbooks. In 1802, 1803, and 1804, no one knew exactly how the events unfolding around them would play out. Americans, for example, feared for the stability of their nation. Before the Louisiana Purchase, they feared that the western parts of the country might break away from the union to solidify their access to New Orleans for trade. After the Purchase, Americans feared that the nation might be too large to defend or hold together, or that the incorporation of so many French colonists into the country—people who spoke a different language and practiced different religions—might cause divisions that would ultimately bring about the dissolution of the nation.

The Louisiana Purchase: Making St. Louis, Remaking America

Presented by Edward Jones, Emerson, William T. Kemper Foundation with additional support provided by Wells Fargo Advisors Opens Saturday, October 25th at 10am FREE

The Big Bargain or Buyer’s Remorse? Making Sense of the Louisiana Purchase

Saturday, October 25th, 1pm Lee Auditorium, FREE

Join us on opening day as Dr. Peter Kastor, Washington University, explores the causes and implications of the most remarkable land deal in American history.

Map of the Louisana Purchase

were shared with the audience through words and music.

“Hip-hop is not your salvation, hip-hop is a tool –it’s a vehicle – and you get out of it what you put into it,” Kweli said. “If you don’t like the hip-hop that’s out right now, change what the [expletive] you’re listening to.” Rebel Diaz chose to hip the crowd to the experiences of Hispanics who head to America for a better life, only to be met with barriers and racial bias.

“I remember my mom coming into our room all happy with ID cards that said ‘resident alien,” RodStarz, a native of Chile, said. “As a 12-year-old, that [expletive]

ART

Continued from C1

media. Therein lied James’s mission, illuminating our true beauty.

Berlin, one of the world’s most popular hubs for grafiti and street art, would go on to serve Creative Shields again as a natural canvass. There, he continued his quest to depict the black female form along the underpassings of local grafiti spots like Mauer Park and abandoned factory buildings. However, as news spread of the riots in Ferguson due to the killing of unarmed Michael Brown, Shields insisted on a radical shift in his work. He started throwing up images of black kids adorned with crowns accompanied by a range of quotes like “America, stop killin black kids!” “Don’t go, they’ll shoot you too!” and “What do you want to be when you grow up? ALIVE,” in efforts to raise awareness of what he sees as systematic terrorism targeting black males in America by police.

can mess you up. I remember trying to scratch my face to get through to the green skin. But I found hip-hop and, just like we do in hip-hop, I decided to recreate the terminology and say, ‘My people are out of this world.’”

They went on to perform

“No Human is Illegal.” Jasiri X of Pittsburgh gave all praise to Tef Poe – while slamming his more popular hip-hop contemporaries for not actively engaging with the Ferguson movement.

“I remember hearing Tef say, ‘You have these rappers making songs about this fantasy revolution,’” Jasiri X said. “But there’s a real revolution going on right here, and where are they?” Jasiri X, who works with Harry Belafonte’s Dream Defenders, said he was eager to be a part of the movement after seeing it on television

To get a little more background on the art and largescale pieces throughout Berlin, I decided to go on a local arts tour given by Alternative Arts Berlin. Led by a fellow art enthusiast named Rob, we set out on a two-hour trek around the city to explore some of Berlin’s most famous grafiti and street artists who have helped to give the city such world recognition. Splashed on the sides of everyday buildings, bridges, highway underpassings and train stations, we saw some of the greats, from the internationally famous 7UP crew, United-Kingdom based Banksy and Italian artists Blu and Alice Pasquini. While street art is a fairly modern genre, it is an outgrowth of grafiti, an art form born from the economically disadvantage and oppressed youth in New York City during the 1970s, which came to fulill the need to possess power and control over their environment. Street art embodies personal emotion and often draws awareness to social issues, as opposed to grafiti which takes on the sole purpose of obtain-

and through social media.

So was his fellow Dream Defender member and “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams.

“Thank you for hosting a revolution. You all have been working long and hard, and we support you in this,” Williams told the crowd.

“I want you to figure out a way to stay balanced and make self-care a part of your regimen – and also keep in mind our tactics and our strategies. We need to be real [expletive] clear about what they need to do and what we expect. Let’s nail down our strategy on paper, as well as in the streets, because we can’t do one without the other.”

Tef Poe closed the show without addressing the audience about the happenings in Ferguson. His actions on the street for the past two months speak for themselves.

ing fame by tagging of a name or street name. Rob gives cred to 1980s New York superstar Jean Michel Basquiat as a pioneer for the art form. The AfricanAmerican artist was famous for his inventive paintings that infused African art with modern forms and typically married text and abstract imagery on canvass.

The tour ended with a workshop in which everyone was able to create their own piece of street art in a studio using spray paint, canvass and stencils. We were asked to pick a stencil that personally inspired our creativity. Of the few black heroes and heroines sprinkled in the bunch of famous celebs, I decided upon the late Tupac Shakur. He was someone whose radically expressive music and persona was to me, similar to street art.

I would never have imagined that I would come to Berlin and experience such rich education on the idea of African pride, Ancient Egyptian history and street art. There are some lessons I learned, that transcend borders.

COFFIN

Continued from C1

Brown’s honor.

Michael Brown was eulogized through song and poetry. Vega, a performance artist known as Basmin and a young man named Darius Simpson spoke and sang.

“The time has come, and we are here to make a change. It starts with you and me,” Basmin said, before commencing into an original song.

“What’s wrong is no longer right,” Basmin sang. “We can heal with love and light. We are all the same, cultural differences shouldn’t make us estranged.”

Simpson recited a spoken word piece that paid tribute to some of the more sensationalized untimely deaths of black men – starting with Emmitt Till nearly 70 years ago, and ending with Michael Brown.

With the exception of Till, all of the lives lost included in his piece died at the hands of law enforcement.

“Emmitt Till was not a victim, he was a magician,” Simpson said. “He changed the course of the Civil Rights Movement with a snap … of his neck.”

Simpson went on to weave together the tragic deaths of Sean Bell, Oscar Grant Jr., Amadu Diallo, Victor Steen and most recently VonDerrit Myers Jr.

“August 5, 214, Beaver Creek, Ohio – a toy soldier by the name of John Crawford was relieved from duty in the action figure section of Wal-Mart,” Simpson said. “He was not a victim, he was a war hero.”

He spoke the names, dates and locations of young black men whose lives had come to an end due to police violence –prior to and since the death of Michael Brown on August 9 in Ferguson.

“I apologize if I have trouble pledging allegiance to a flag that is determined to leave our black bodies dangling at the altar,” Simpson said. “With liberty and justice for all.”

Taking advantage of the crowd’s undivided attention, Lost Voices member Brandy Shields thanked the crowd of mostly white non-residents for coming to honor the life of Michael Brown.

“You could have spent your weekend out partying, at home or doing anything, but you came to stand with us,” Shields said. “I know y’all came from all over, and we appreciate that and we thank you. I’ve been out here every night, and I’m glad that you came too.”

As the somber protesters paid tribute to Michael Brown and conjured up the spirit of Civil Rights Movement era with songs like “We Shall Overcome,” and prepared for the death march down W. Florissant to the Ferguson Police Department, there was a totally different energy at their destination.

Hundreds gathered and were revved up for justice’s sake.

The only poetry heard was Chuck D of Public Enemy, as “Fight the Power” blasted through the speakers of a portable sound system.

“Racist cops, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” a young woman yelled through

a bullhorn.

The energy of the crowd was electric. “[expletive] the police,” some of the crowd chanted, as they listened to a mixtape of selections from popular rap music that expressed as much.

A banner that read “Stolen Lives” included the names of African Americans who had died at the hand of law enforcement was in the mix of protest signs. It would take four people to hold and stretch it out so that all the names were visible.

In the midst of the gathering, word came that the funeral procession protestors were coming towards the police station. A vast majority of the crowd headed to meet them halfway.

Pallbearers placed the casket in front of the station and stood it up so the police officer’s reflections bounced from the mirrors. They let it sit momentarily before carrying it off to their vehicle.

“No Justice, no peace,” was one of the many chants underway as the young men silently headed towards their makeshift hearse.

DECEMBER 18

Thursday aT 7:30pm

Kevin mcBeth, conductor

Oleta adams, vocalist

st. Louis symphony IN uNIsON® Chorus

Oleta adams joins the sTL symphony and IN uNIsON® Chorus led by director Kevin mcBeth for a night of soul-stirring Gospel music to celebrate the most joyous of seasons.

Youth protested on South Grand Boulevard on Friday, October 10 after the Ferguson movement spread to the city of St. Louis following the St. Louis police fatal shooting of VonDerrit Myers Jr. on October 8.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Birthdays

turns 3 on October 18.

Reunions

Beaumont Class of 1968 meets on Oct. 25 and Nov. 22, 2- 5 p.m. at St Louis County Library, 7606 Natural Bridge, to organize and plan the 47th Class Reunion. For more information email bhsco1968@att. net or call (314) 869-8312.

Beaumont High School Class of 1970 is looking for team

Celebrations

Happy Birthday to Kamechia May who is celebrating her 34th birthday on Oct. 11. May God continue to bless you sis!

Chasity

Brooks

Sheilah M. Hamilton celebrates her birthday on October 17. Sheilah Marie, may everything that makes you happy be yours today, tomorrow and always. Mama, C.J., Moyne, Stephen and family

Happy 15th birthday to our beautiful daughter Oksanna Muhammad on Oct. 10. She’s a freshman at Hazelwood E. High where she’s a JV cheerleader, is on the Symphonic Marching Band and participates in Junior Achievement. Have a beautiful day! Love: Mom, Dad Sheldon and Amirah

Happy 43rd Birthday to Eva Mosley on Oct. 15! Eva celebrated in style with her husband Tony and friends at a concert by the The PC Band at The Rustic Goat on Oct. 11.

members to plan its’ 45th year reunion. Lets’ avoid the rush, plans are underway to celebrate starting with you. Interested? Please email Beatrice Palmer (Vanzant-Smith) at bvanzantsmith@yahoo.com or bsmithrealtor@att.net.

Beaumont High School Class of 1984 can stay updated via our Facebook page “Beaumont Class of 1984” for class information. The class meets the last Friday of every month. Contact Rochelle Williams at rochellewilliams001@yahoo. com.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri District 3 would like to invite you to an Alumni Event. We are looking for anyone who worked in or was a member of

Girl Scouts in St. Louis City. If you would like to participate, please contact Essie Harrison at essie.harrison@att.net or call (314) 400-4602 with your name, address, phone number, and email address.

Soldan Class of 1975 (40th ) reunion planning committee will be hosting a fun illed evening of activities, and music. Friday, October 24th, 5pm-til, Legacy Cafe & Books, 5249 Delmar/Union, Contact AnnieSue Preston 314 606- 5618 or email SOLDANCLASS1975@ gmail.com for additional information.

Sumner High School Class of 1965 is planning a 50th year reunion for June 12-14. 2015. Please join us via Facebook:

Class of ‘65 Sumner High School St. Louis, MO. You may provide your contact info and/or attend our next planning meetings on Monday, September 8 & 22, 2014 Lower Level Ronald L. Jones Funeral Chapel at 7:00 p.m. 2161 E. Fair Ave. Luther Maufas, chairperson (314) 541-4556.

St. Louis Community College has created a districtwide Alumni Association, and needs your help identifying the 1.5 million STLCC alumni. An alum is anyone who has completed at least one course at STLCC. Alumni are encouraged to visit the website: www. stlcc.edu/foundation/, to

become members or update information. For more information, contact Ashley Budde, coordinator of alumni relations, at abudde6@stlcc. edu, or 314-539-5145.

Sumner High School Class of 1965 is planning its 50th Reunion on the second and fourth Mondays at 7 p.m. at the Lower Level of Ronald L. Jones Funeral Chapel. For updates and/or to leave your contact info--visit our Facebook group Sumner Class of ‘65.

Sumner High Class of 1975 has started planning its 40th reunion. Please provide contact information to sumnerclassof75@gmail.com or C. Jackson 314-477-6785 for more information.

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

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us!

However, notices may also be sent by mail to:

Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

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

Thomas J. Butler

Happy Birthday, son! Love: Dad, Mom, Tim and Uncle George

Kamechia May

Oksanna Muhammad

Eva Mosley

Sheilah M. Hamilton

‘Arrest him now,’ pastor preaches

Rev. Carlton Lee calls for Ferguson police officer’s arrest

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of the St. Louis American

The Rev. Carlton Lee, chapter president of the National Action Network’s Ferguson, MO chapter, the family of Michael Brown and their attorney Anthony Gray have again called for the immediate arrest of Darren Wilson.

The Ferguson police officer is still on paid administrative leave and his exact whereabouts are unknown – more than two months after Wilson fatally shot Brown, an unarmed teen, on August 9.

“Our question is Mr. McCulloch, Gov. Nixon and all of those others why have there not been an arrest made 57 days later,” Lee asked at a press conference at the Flood Christian Church, 7413 W. Florissant Ave.

Lee serves as senior pastor at the Flood Christian Church and the press conference followed his aptly entitled “Arrest Him Now” sermon. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch has refused to recuse himself from the case. Last month, McCulloch told The St. Louis American that Gov. Jay Nixon could have legally removed him from the case under the state of emergency, but that the governor failed to act. The community has expressed concern about McCulloch’s ability to fairly prosecute the

Do not be anxious

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”Matthew 6:27.

I don’t know about you but I often have a lot of trouble with this, even with my belief and understanding contained in this scripture.

One of the hardest things for me to accept is the fact that worry is not supposed to have any place in God’s kingdom of believers.

People have tried to tell me that not only is worry unchristian, but on some levels, it’s actually a sin.

case.

“What we’re asking for is that you guys by-pass this grand jury fiasco and Mr. McCulloch you charge him with murder,” Lee said of Wilson.

“manly thing” and turn himself in. The small congregation gathered inside the storefront church clapped in agreement.

n The small congregation gathered inside the storefront church clapped in agreement.

Turning toward Michael Brown Sr., Lee said one can see the anguish on the father’s face and that the Brown family want justice to be served. Michael Brown Sr. was joined by his wife, Calvina, and declined to make any comments. Michael Brown Sr. wore an “Arrest him now!” T-shirt with Wilson’s image on it. Lee pleaded directly to Wilson to do the

“Right now!” they chimed in. Gray began his remarks with a disclaimer stating that the group is not anti-police, but rather “pro-police.”

“We’re against this police officer,” Gray said. Gray said they continue to seek a fair and transparent process – and that the Brown family has obtained everything but that. He said the standard is probable cause and that the question is simple.

Gray said, “When Michael Brown Jr. turned around and put his hands in the air, as a universal sign of surrender [and] after that he was shot, is that a crime? I don’t think nobody disagrees with me that that would be a crime.”

He referenced the recent case of the white state trooper in South Carolina who was arrested and subsequently fired for shooting an unarmed black motorist with his hands in the air. Gray said this is not about whether or not Wilson is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the grand jury process.

“All we’re trying to determine is whether or not there’s probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed and that Darren Wilson is the person that committed it,” Gray said.

Follow this reporter: @ BridjesONeil. E-mail this reporter: boneil@stlamerican. com.

For me, it seems that I cannot help but worry about things which I literally have no control over and I know it. Whether it’s family, or friends, or health or finances, relationships, my tendency is, you guessed it, to worry; as if worrying alone will somehow change the circumstances or perhaps improve the situation.

Because this is a learning process, I’m doing my best to be a good student of Matthew 6:27.

As such, I realize that the answer to not worrying has already been shown to me.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be given you as well.” Matthew 6:33. Now the next line, I believe says it all. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I need to focus on this because life constantly gives us all pop quizzes to test our belief in this truth. It really is a faith thing. Rather than worry, we should rely on the truth of Jesus Christ. That

simple truth is these issues, yours and mine, have already been dealt with via Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. As such I should feel free not to fret.

Again as a student, I can relate to the problem and intellectually understand the answer. But while this is understood on that level, life’s pop quizzes still cause me undue and unnecessary anxiety. Our text teaches us to accept through faith that worry is useless. Our teacher lets us know I have the answer and I should understand and internalize that. I also know I cannot take Him with me at test time. But through study I can recall the right answers when life wants to throw those inevitable quizzes.

“Do not be anxious about anything. But by everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6. If I can just remember to do this and then let go, I’ll know that I know that I know. My prayer is that it will become habit forming and that’s a habit we should all try and develop. You see I know I’m a hands-on kind of student. Don’t tell me show me. By virtue of this biblical demonstration, reinforced by repetition, I think I’m getting it. At least I hope I am. If I could just quit trying to figure my way out of things on my own; quit blocking my own blessings so to speak. That is life’s recipe for failure. Let God factor into all of my decision making and follow what is then revealed. T

The Rev. Carlton Lee, chapter president of the National Action Network’s Ferguson, MO chapter, hosted the attorney, family and supporters of Michael Brown at the Flood Christian Church, 7413 W. Florissant Ave., for a recent press conference.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

James A. Washington

REVENUE COLLECTOR

REQUESTFOR PROPOSALS

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

SEALED BIDS

The City of Webster Groves is accepting sealed bids for the purchase of one (1)

Sealed bids for the Baxter Road Infrastructure Project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1408, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor Clayton, Missouri 63105,until 2:00 p.m. on October22, 2014.

Plans and specifications will be available on September 29, 2014 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800. DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENTAND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

such preference,

arehereby informed

basis.”

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

“Raptivists” Tef Poe and Talib Kweli were in the building at Fubar for the “Hip-Hop 4 Change” show that featured a full day of thought provoking hip-hop as part of the Ferguson October schedule of events. Tef has emerged as a leader from early on in the protests that have put a spotlight on the St. Louis area since August.

A hi-five for Ferguson October. Partyline has played host to Ferguson coverage on more than one occasion. And while I would encompass the whole section this time, I would be out of pocket if I didn’t recognize the masses who came through our city to protest for the Week of Resistance also known as “Ferguson October.” They showed up and showed all the way out…do you hear me!!!! Thousands came through our city to support the movement and our reporters are still running on fumes from covering the four days of action-packed demonstrations that had folks from Frontenac to South City and everywhere in between. I’m tired just thinking about it and I feel like it’s only right that I give the demonstrators their just due for coming our way in the name of justice. I also want to give a shout out to the locals and guests to our area who have been on the ground from day one – plenty of whom represent a generation folks assumed lacked substance. They used the same social tools that sometimes contribute to disgracefulness to shed light on a movement still going strong two months after the fact. Oh, and while I’m on the topic of Ferguson, I urge y’all to check out St. Louis Public Radio’s piece on Ladue Middle School teacher Vincent Flewellen that details how he used the unrest as a “teachable moment” about racism and moving beyond it. Hip-hop and a heartthrob. I’m not quite done with Ferguson October yet. My line of work could have me biased, but I must say that the “HipHop and Resistance” concert was the highlight of Ferguson October for me (well, aside from seeing Cornel West make good on his promise to go to jail in support of the young people). It lasted too long and the trend of putting the headliner on first should stop, but other than that I had a fantastic time. For those of you arrived only to find out Talib had come and gone, you have to admit that you still got life from somebody over the course of that epic show. I’ve been so used to going to these rap shows with petty and disgraceful subject matter that I forgot what it felt like to be empowered by hip-hop. Talib was everything, so was Dead Prez, Jasiri X and our own raptivist Tef Poe and the others. And Needles should be world-renowned at this point already – but the way he was able to spin off the cuff with Talib Kweli gave him even more street cred as one of the greatest DJs in the STL. I got an unexpected treat beyond my wildest imagination when I basked in the indescribable male beauty of Dream Defenders activist and “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams. He’s currently number one on my “celebrity hottie list” just for what’s on the outside…but he has the nerve to have substance too. It should be against the law to be smart, a social activist and sexy as all get out. Was it wrong of me to think raunchy thoughts in the midst of a revolution? Oh well and too bad, because it absolutely happened! Before you start judging, realize that TV does Jesse and his pretty eyes no justice. And he had nerve to be tall too. What? Y’all know Hollywood is full of bite-sized heartthrobs. Anyway, I think he got wind of my unclean desires because he avoided me like the Ebola virus for the rest of the show. In hindsight and all fairness, perhaps “obsessed” was a poor word choice to use when I introduced myself.

Ballers at Envy. For Envy to be a “boutique club” they have sure had some heavy hitters up in that spot in the few months that it’s been open. And Friday night was no different. They had past and present NFL stars in there almost rubbing shoulder blades in the VIP for the “Greatest Show on Turf” party Friday night. Orlando Pace and Roland Williams – two of my favorite former Rams – are just a sample of the folks who came through and had Niddy’s reputation growing on the nightlife scene. I’m thinking that Envy will outgrow its current location that was too small to start with sooner than later.

Jack’N For Beats’ second Soho stop. Jack Daniel’s Jack’N for Beats promotional hip-hop contest made its way back to Soho this weekend and it was a cute little party surrounding the visit too on Saturday night. I saw plenty of regulars who just came to kick it, but there was also a nice little mix of hip-hop hopefuls trying to get in the booth to drop “a hot 16” and hopefully win five racks in the process. For those of you two or three folks still in the dark (though you shouldn’t be since it’s been in town for almost a month) Jack’N For Beats is a multi-city promotion by Jack Daniel’s that is giving rappers a chance to come up on $5K by spitting 16 bars over a group of pre-selected beats in their mobile studio. This was the first year for the completion in STL – and it has been well received since making it’s rounds throughout the city since September. Finalists will have the opportunity to compete for the STL crown early next month. Yes, you still have a small window. Visit http://www.jacknforbeats.com/ city/stlouis to see where it stops next.

Shan Keith’s next showing. I all but hit the floor when I learned one of my favorite local designers is bringing his latest styles to the catwalk next weekend (Oct. 26 to be exact) at Plush, 3224 Locust. I could be wrong, but I think this is Shan Keith’s first big show since “Project Runway/ Under The Gunn”…or whatever the TV show was called last season. I’m willing to bet that this show will be glorious.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. and you can call (314) 397-4755 for more info.

Elevate STL Barber and Beauty organizers Brittanie Skye and Baron Griffin with celebrity hair stylist Angela Christine from the hit show “LA Hair”

Raphael Umbrella of The Umbrella Group and Local rapper RC made sure everything was going smooth @ The Rustic Goat for The Umbrella Group’s Annual Hazelwood Day Party Saturday

Torri and Val set their weekend off @ Element Saturdays @ The Marquee

Local rapper Bo Dean, Enigma, and Jaydee came out to support Hip-Hop 4 Justice Sunday @ Fubar.

Jordan, Gene, Prince EA, and Nato Caliph were among the collective of progressive hip-hop represented Sunday afternoon @ Fubar for HipHop 4 Change

Kourtney and Andrew took time to unwind @ The Rustic Goat Saturday night

These lovely ladies were in the building with NFL ballers for the Greatest Show on Turf Friday night @ Envy

Danielle and Drea came out to see some of the squad from the historic 1999 Rams Friday night @ The Greatest Show on Turf Party @ Envy

Tonya and Eric enjoy good music @ The Rustic Goat for The Annual Hazelwood Day Party Saturday

Retired NFL stars Orlando Pace and Roland Williams were just a few of the VIPs in the building @ Envy for their Greatest Show on turf event

Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott

The month of pink ribbons

Over the years, the face of breast cancer has appeared in various forms throughout this medical odyssey, of which I have been allowed to experience firsthand. My earliest exposure occurred in medical school at the University of Iowa on my surgery rotation. A woman in her 60’s, probably a farmer’s wife, although memory fades me at this point, presented to the surgeon with one of the most horrific looking cancers I had ever seen. Her left breast did not even resemble a breast anymore. It was hard for me to differentiate the breast from her chest wall because the cancer had eaten way so much of her tissue. What was glaring before my eyes was just a large clump of macerated exposed flesh.

Forgive me for my gruesome description, but that is the harsh reality of a parasitic condition that is allowed to progress to such a degree. Having seen that at an early stage of my career, helped shaped my fervent passion for educating women on the importance of early detection and prevention. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I dedicate this column to all of the families who have been affected by breast cancer including my own.

Cancer that begins in the tissue of the breast is breast cancer. The most com-

mon type, ductal carcinoma, begins in the lining of the tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple. Lobular carcinoma originates in the milk glands. Breast cancer can occur in both male and females, but is rarely found in men. For women in the United States, breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer. In 2011, over 220,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and over 40,000 of those women died.

The consensus from most health organizations except the USPSTF, the United States Preventive Service Task Force, is to begin yearly mammograms in women starting at age 40. The USPSTF recommends breast cancer screening starting at age 50. Mammograms are x-rays of the breast tissue and can detect very tiny abnormalities. Contrary to common belief, mammograms are well-tolerated as compared to other types of exams and involve some minor compression of the breast. The technician performing the x-ray tries to compress the breast tissue enough so that masses are easily visible.

Prior to my first mammogram, female patients in my practice had convinced me that the pain from a mammogram was like having your breast slammed in between steel beams. However, I found that description to be far from the truth. The entire procedure takes less than 10 minutes and compared to the pain of metastatic breast cancer, I would choose the mammogram any day. Though mammography has been the standard of care for some time, many women continue to delay their routine screenings. In 2010, only a third of women over the age of 40 had a mammogram in the last two years. The rates of mammography were even poorer if the woman lacked health insurance, with only 32 percent of uninsured women receiving a mammogram in that same year. Several barriers to screening mammograms exist, such as low income, lack of access to care, lack of a primary care physician, lack of a provider-driven recommendation, lack of awareness regarding breast cancer risks and screening techniques, and cultural/ language differences. These barriers may help explain why disparities in breast cancer exist for African American women. The incidence of breast cancer is lower in African American women

but the death rate is higher. Research has also shown that African American women are more likely to present with more advanced breast cancer and are often delayed in receiving the type of care that is needed once the cancer is diagnosed.

But what about prevention? Is it possible to prevent breast cancer?

Maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables and not smoking are all ways to improve the likelihood of not having breast cancer. And it is not too late to start these life-saving habits. In addition, be proactive. Don’t delay yearly mammograms. Throughout the year, several of the local hospitals provide mammography vans across the city. There are even programs that will assist you financially and emotionally if you are diagnosed with breast cancer.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it symbolizes more than just walks and wearing pink ribbons and t-shirts. This month represents survival and unbridled energy toward improving the statistics of breast cancer. It is about saving lives!

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

Your Health Matters

A bi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American October 16, 2014

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

Donald M. Suggs, President and Publisher

Kevin Jones, Senior Vice President, COO

Dina M. Suggs, Senior Vice President

Chris King, Editorial Director

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

Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter

Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach

Onye Hollomon, Barb Sills, Pamela Simmons, Sales

Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager

Angelita Jackson, Cover Design

Wiley Price, Photojournalist

Denise Hooks Anderson, M.D.

Tondaleia Davis of Florissant, Missouri is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

by

Breast self-exams save lives

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

The painful lump Tondaleia Davis found in her breast was out of the ordinary. She did not do self-exams and had never had a mammogram.

“I went to People’s clinic because I did not have any insurance at the time,” Davis said.” They gave me a referral to go to Northwest HealthCare to get my mammogram done.”

There, patient navigator Patricia Polk arranged a mammogram, paid for by

n The Breakfast Club provides support and services for breast cancer survivors residing in North St. Louis City and County. For more information, call 314-972-8883 or visit www.breakfastclub-stl.org.

Susan G. Komen St. Louis, an ultrasound and a biopsy the following week. She also helped Davis to get on Medicaid.

On April 29 of this year, Davis got the answer no one wants to hear.

“I was sad at first, but then I had to

come out of that. I didn’t want to get into that depression-mode,” she said. “I had the’ what-ifs’ because I do have children, but after that, I started fighting from that day on.”

That fight includes staying good spir-

its, being around positive people and supportive family and friends.

Fortunately, the cancerous lump presented early, at stage 1.

Davis added, “They originally thought I was at stage 3 because of the size of the tumor, but once I had my surgery, my tumor had actually shrank, and they put me down at stage 1.”

In May, Davis opted for a double mastectomy because genetic testing revealed she had the BRCA1 gene muta-

See EXAMS, page 6

Photo

Wiley Price

HealtH Briefs

Eight ways to prevent breast cancer

Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reminds every one of eight ways to lower breast cancer risk. Although each one may not apply to every woman, together the steps can have a big impact.

1. Keep weight in check - maintaining a healthy weight is an important goal for everyone. Being overweight can increase the risk of many different cancers, including breast cancer, especially after menopause.

2. Be physically active - Exercise is as close to a silver bullet for good health as there is, and women who are physically active for at least 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer. Regular exercise is also one of the best ways to help keep weight in check.

3. Avoid too much alcohol - Even moderate amounts increase the risk of breast cancer. In general, if you drink no more than one drink a day (for women), the overall health benefits of drinking outweigh the risks. However, if you don’t drink, don’t feel that you need to start.

4. Breastfeed, if possible - Breastfeeding for a total of one year or more (combined for all children) lowers the risk of breast cancer. It also has great health benefits for the child.

5. Avoid birth control pills, particularly after age 35 or if you smoke. The younger a woman is, the lower the risks. While women are taking birth control pills, they have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. The risk of stroke and heart attack also is increased while on the pill – particularly if a woman smokes. However, long-term use also can have important benefits, like lowering the risk of ovarian cancer, colon cancer and uterine cancer – not to mention unwanted pregnancy. If you’re very concerned about breast cancer, avoiding birth control pills is one option to lower risk.

6. Avoid postmenopausal hormones - Postmenopausal hormones should not be taken long-term to prevent chronic diseases, like osteoporosis and heart disease. Studies show they have a mixed effect on health, increasing the risk of some diseases and lowering the risk of others, and both estrogen-only hormones and estrogen-plus-progestin hormones increase the risk of breast cancer. If women do take postmenopausal hormones, it should be for the shortest time possible. The best person to talk to about the risks and benefits of postmenopausal hormones is your doctor.

7. Find out your family history - Women with a strong family history of cancer can take special steps to protect themselves, so it’s important for women to know their family history. You may be at high risk of breast cancer if you have a mother or sister who developed breast or ovarian cancer (especially at an early age) or if you have multiple family members (including males) who developed breast, ovarian or prostate cancer. A doctor or genetic counselor can help you understand your family history of the disease.

8. Tamoxifen and raloxifene for women at high risk - Although not commonly thought of as a “healthy behavior,” taking the prescription drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene can significantly lower the risk of breast cancer in woman at high risk of the disease. Approved by the FDA for breast cancer prevention, these powerful drugs can have side effects, so they aren’t right for everyone. If you think you’re at high risk, talk to your doctor to see if tamoxifen or raloxifene may be right for you.

Christian Hospital Emergency Medical Services named National Provider of the Year

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) and EMS World have named Christian Hospital Emergency Medical Services (CH EMS) recipient of the 2014 National EMS Service Provider of the Year. CH EMS team members will be presented the award and honored at the NAEMT General Membership Meeting and Awards Presentation on Nov. 10, in Nashville, Tenn., and the following morning at EMS World Expo’s opening ceremony.

CH EMS is being recognized for its advances in EMS education and training; innovations in pre-hospital care and protocol development implemented; medical community involvement; EMS system/program upgrades implemented; worker safety and well-being programs implemented; injury- and illness-prevention projects implemented; and public-education project sponsorship programs.

n “It was a great surprise to win this award. Our goal was to be the best EMS agency in the nation.”

– Chris Cebollero, CH EMS chief

“It was a great surprise to win this award,” says Chris Cebollero, CH EMS chief. “Our goal was to be the best EMS agency in the nation. This award is great confirmation for the department that has set their sights on delivering outstanding patient care, being leaders in our community and role models for our career field.”

CH EMS operates the largest hospital-based ambulance service in the state and the second largest ambulance service in the St. Louis metropolitan area as it provides primary 911 emergency services to north St. Louis County fire districts and communities – serving more than 250,000 people and responding to approximately 46,000 requests for service annually. Its fleet consists of 20 advanced life support ambulances and two command/triage vehicles; and is staffed by 80 full-time first responders and 25 on-call responders, and eight full-time dispatchers.

CH EMS has advanced hospital-based mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) in the community as part of its CHAP (Community Health Access Program), decreasing emergency department admission of non-emergent patients by 11 percent, and assisting patients to find primary care physicians. In addition, CH EMS focuses public education efforts on teaching children about 911 and emergency situations through its “No Panic Please!” program. CH EMS also enhanced its lifesaving care to the community last year by partnering with Youth In Need with each CH ambulance designated a mobile “Safe Place” for those in crisis.

HealtH Briefs

Deaconess awards $500,000 to local children’s hospitals for kidney dialysis equipment

Deaconess Foundation, as part of its 125th Anniversary, awarded special multiyear grants totaling $500,000 to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and St. Louis Children’s Hospital to fund the purchase of kidney dialysis equipment and allow for greater access to care for children.

In 1997, Deaconess received a bequest from Miss Elsa Marie Weiss, a former Deaconess Sister, as Deaconess was transitioning from a health system to a grant making foundation. The purpose of the gift was to support dialysis treatment and enhance patients’ quality of life. The funds from this estate gift will make up the grants to the children’s hospitals.

“We are pleased to invest in these regional leaders in advancing the health of children who are both nationally ranked in multiple areas of specialty including the nephrology departments these dollars will support,” said Reverend Starsky Wilson, president and CEO. “The grants allow us to advance access to highly specialized care for children and remind us of our faith heritage as they pay tribute to our late Deaconess Sister, Elsa Marie Weiss, who gave nearly fifty years of her life to healing ministries at Deaconess.”

Both hospitals extoled the generosity of Deaconess Foundation, for gifts that will increase access to children’s kidney care.

“Having the ability to use this hemodialysis equipment through our daily work will enable us to continue to remain at the forefront of world class pediatric medical care,” said Sandy Koller, executive director of Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation.

Janice Bailey, vice president of St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation, said,“This incredibly generous gift will help our nationally ranked pediatric nephrology team continue to provide treatment programs geared specifically to promote understanding, interaction, and independence for both children and families.”

SIUE School of Nursing partners with SSM Health Care on online degree

SSM Health Care nurses will soon be able to advance their education in the comfort of their own homes, thanks to a new partnership with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

The SIUE School of Nursing will offer an online, accelerated RN to BS in nursing degree to all SSM Health Care nurses beginning January 2015. The online program – comprised entirely of SSM nurses from Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma – is the first of its kind for the health system. SSM Health Care chief nurse executives selected the SIUE School of Nursing over 38 other higher education institutions in the U.S.

“We are excited to work with SSM Health Care to offer an online, accelerated RN to BS in nursing degree,” said Dr. Roberta Harrison, assistant dean for undergraduate and alternative programs and associate professor of nursing at SIUE. “This is a great opportunity to combine a world-class health care system with our progressive and innovative nursing program to impact health care in a positive way.”

Dr. Laura Bernaix, interim dean of the SIUE School of Nursing, said the program was designed for nurses working in the industry.

“Our new program offers the working RN a contemporary, easily accessible and affordable format for obtaining their baccalaureate degree in nursing,” said Bernaix. “Unique to its design is the technical and instructional support that is available to meet the individual needs of each student.”

Amber Wood, system director of clinical education for SSM Health Care, said, “We are excited to partner with SIUE’s high-quality School of Nursing to offer this opportunity to help our nurses advance their education and grow even stronger in their profession.”

For more information, visit http://www.siue.edu/corporate/ssm.

EXAMS

Continued from page 3

tion, which the National Cancer Institute says increases the risk of breast, ovarian and other cancers. In addition, breast cancer has taken a toll on her family, claiming the lives of her mother and aunt with additional breast cancer diagnoses in two cousins as well.

Dr. Christopher Menendez performed the surgery at Christian Hospital and Davis had reconstructive surgery the same day, performed by Dr. Donald Buck.

“My recovery has actually been great,” she said, “although I did have some days when I had a little bit of pain, but it was not bad at all.”

Currently, Davis is undergoing chemotherapy treatments through Dr.

n 75 percent of net funds raised by Susan G. Komen St. Louis remain in its 17-county service area in Missouri and Illinois to fund breast health and breast cancer screening and related programs. The other 25 percent goes toward global breast cancer research.

Timothy Rearden. She is only 35 years old, much younger than the recommended age of 40 to begin mammograms for breast cancer screening. For women at higher risk for breast cancer may need to screen at younger ages, as early as age 25, depending on genetic factors, health history and doctor’s advice. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends biennial screening mammography for women ages 50 to-74 years.

The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast exams every three years for women in their 20s and 30s and

every year for women ages 40 and older.

Fatigue and nausea are the side effects Davis has experienced with chemotherapy, along with hair loss, which began after her second chemo treatment.

Davis is looking forward to Thanksgiving. By then, her chemo treatments will be over. However, she has further steps in mind to protect her health.

“Because I came out [BRCA] positive, it puts me at a higher risk for ovarian cancer, so once I’m done with this chemo, I have to discuss getting my ovaries removed, because I will be at a 40 percent chance of getting ovarian cancer.”

Davis’ three children have been understandably concerned about their mother.

“They were very afraid at first, when they think of cancer, they automatically think of death,” Davis said. “But once I had my surgery and they saw how well I was doing afterwards, they have calmed down a lot.”

Davis said when her daughter is old enough, she will have genetic testing and Davis will speak to her about the importance of life-saving self-breast exams. That is a message that applies to all. Checking breasts regularly, allows you know what normal is for you, making it much easier to identify anything out of the ordinary.

Davis said, “My suggestion would be for them to make sure that they go and get checked faithfully, because it is better to know than not to know and to find out – we can save many, many lives.”

ealtHy Q & a

Handwashing

most effective against enterovirus D68

This year’s outbreak of the enterovirus D68 started in the Midwest and has spread all the way to the east coast. Answers to two basic questions about the virus comes from H. James Wedner, M.D., FACP, FAAAAI, the Dr. Phillip and Arleen Korenblat Professor of Medicine, chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology and director, The Asthma and Allergy Center of Washington University. Dr. Korenblat is also the president, of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter Board of Directors.

1) What are the symptoms of the Enterovirus D68 and why/how is it particularly challenging for kids with asthma?

The symptoms of the EV-D68 virus are similar to the “flu,” fever and occasionally chills, feeling tired and a bit achy and a runny nose and cough. There is no way that a parent can tell if their child has EV-D68 or influenza or just a “cold.” For most children this virus is not a problem; however, for children with asthma, a parent has to be vigilant, and if the child shows increased asthma symptoms, a trip to the pediatrician (and if necessary) the emergency room may be warranted.

2) How can a child with asthma protect themselves from getting the virus?

EV-D68 is an “enterovirus” and the transmission is from hand-to-mouth. It is unlike the flu or a “cold,” which is spread by droplets when sneezing or coughing. For this reason the most effective way to prevent EV-D68 is hand washing. Children and adults should be encouraged to make sure that they do proper hand washing particularly after using the bathroom and after being in contact with other children. This does not mean that healthy children should refrain from going to school for fear of contacting the virus. As always, a child with a fever should not go to school until the fever has subsided and they are free of an elevated temperature for about 24 hours.

Sat., Oct. 18, 8 a.m. – Noon, Free Flu Shots, SSM St. Clare Health Center Conference Center, Garden Level of the hospital, 1015 Bowles Ave., Fenton, Mo. 63026. Vaccines will be administered by injection only for ages three years and older. Participants must not be pregnant to receive the vaccine.

Sat. Oct 18 &– 11:30 a.m., Head and Neck Cancer Screening, Siteman Cancer Center, 11th Floor, Center for Advanced Medicine, 4921 Parkview Place, St. Louis, 63110. For ages 16 and older. Registration is required by calling 314-747-7222 or 800-600-3606.

Sun. Oct. 19, 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Siteman Cancer Center South County, 5225 Midamerica Plaza, St. Louis, 63129. For ages 16 and older. Registration is required by calling 314747-7222 or 800-600-3606.

Sun., Oct. 19, 6th annual Spare Nothing for the Cure for Komen St. Louis, Brunswick Zone Chesterfield and Brunswick Zone XL in St. Peters Missouri. Register at http://goo.gl/7q7cco

Tues. Oct. 21, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., “A Night with the Girls,” SSM St. Mary’s Health Center, on the sixth floor gym. An evening of wine, hors d’oeuvres, chair massages, paraffin dips and the answers to personal medical questions from breast surgeon and cardiologist. The event is free – reserve your space by calling 1-866-SSM-DOCS (776-3627).

Tues., Oct. 21, 6 p.m., Christian Hospital Foundation Legacy Leaders 2014 Recognition Dinner, Paul F. Detrick Atrium at Christian Hospital. For more information, call 314-6534410 or email jayme.brown@bjc.org

Wed. Oct. 22, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., WorryFree Advocacy Training by the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Alliance for Justice. For more information, call Akeiisa Coleman at 314-345-5567, email acoleman@mffh. org or register at http://goo.gl/UeG1cE

Wed. Oct. 22, 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m., “Health Disparities – How They Impact Costs in the New Healthcare Environment and What You Can Do,” Eric P. Newman Education Center, Washington University, 320 S. Euclid Avenue, St Louis, MO 63110. HBA and NAHSE members cost is $45 until October 17 and $55 afterward. Nonmember cost is $60 until October 17 and $70 afterwardRegister by calling 314913-7623 or register online at http://goo. gl/DQRQzA.

Sat., Oct. 25, 8

Shots, SSM St. Joseph Medical Park Main Lobby, 1475 Kisker Rd., St. Charles, Mo. 63304. Vaccines will be administered by injection only for ages three years and older. Participants must not be pregnant to receive the vaccine.

Sat., Nov. 15, 6 p.m., AAFA 10th Annual Trivia Night at JCC Chesterfield, 16801 Baxter Rd, Chesterfield, Missouri. For more information, call 314-645-2422 or visit aafastl.org/trivia.

Tues., Nov. 18, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., SSM Mental Health Symposium at SSM St. Mary’s Health Center , 6420 Clayton Road, Richmond Heights, Mo. Local and national expertise include keynote speaker Susan Dreyfus, president and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cost of registration is $25 and CEUs will be provided by Saint Louis University and are payable the day of the event. For more information, contact Heather Rich at hrich@providentstl.org. To register, go to www.providentstl.org

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

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

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

Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – STEPS Schizophrenia Support Group

This nationally recognized program provides education and support for those with schizophrenia. Group is facilitated by an experienced STEPS nurse. For more information, call 314839-3171.

First Thursdays, 10 a.m. – Family Support Group by NAMI St. Louis, The Alliance on Mental Illness at Transfiguration Lutheran Church, 1807 Biddle Street. No registration needed; no cost. For more information, call 314-962-4670.

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

HealtH ResouRces

Asthma

Free asthma and allergy clinic by Saint Louis University students at the HRC, every other Wednesday afternoon 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. by appointment with SLU physician Dr. Raymond Slavin. The clinic offers allergy skin tests, pulmonary function tests and asthma and allergy education. It is located in the Victor Roberts Building, 1408 N. Kingshighway, between Martin Luther King Drive and Page Blvd. For more information, call 314-720-1522.

Behavioral

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

Christian Hospital Key Program offers support and education to patients with chronic mental illness to prevent increased severity of symptoms and to reduce the need for inpatient re-hospitalization. Call confidentially to 314-839-3171 or 1-800447-4301.

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

Bike helmet safety

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

Breast Cancer

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

Dental

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

Diabetes CHIPS Diabetes Support Group is open to anyone and meets on Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. For more information, call 314-652-9231.

SSM St. Mary’s Health Center provides free, Diabetes Support Group sessions the second Tuesday of every month from 6 – 7 p.m. to address health management issues. It’s located at Meeting Room 1 on

the second floor, 6420 Clayton Rd. in St. Louis. To register, call toll free 866-SSMDOCS (866-776-3627).

Fresh Food Coop

Community Helpings Coop sells fresh fruits, vegetables and other foods at wholesale prices in locations throughout the St. Louis area and Metro-East. For more information, visit www.communityhelpingscoop.com.

Health Partnerships

The Center for Community Health and Partnerships: Building Bridges for Healthy Communities works to develop and support beneficial community-academic partnerships to address the health needs of the St. Louis. For more information, email publichealth@wustl.edu; phone 314-747-9212 or visit publichealth.wustl. edu.

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

Lupus

A Lupus Support Group in North St. Louis County meets the third Thursday of the month from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Community Room #1 at Northwest Health Care, 1225 Graham Rd. in Hazelwood. RSVP to the Lupus Foundation of America at 314-644-2222 or email info@ lfaheartland.org.

Medical

CHIPS Health & Wellness Center offers no cost medical, dental, psychiatric, chiropractic health care for uninsured children and adults by appointment only. $25 annual fee requested. For more information, call 314-652-9231 or visit www.chipsstl. org.

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

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

Nutrition

Food Outreach provides food, meals and nutritional education/ counseling to eligible persons living with HIV/AIDS or cancer in St. Louis. For more information, call 314-652-3663 or visit www.foodoutreach.org.

Patricia Polk

Position/Where:

Outreach Coordinator/ Patient Navigator at Christian Hospital and Northwest Healthcare

Career Highlights:

Manager for a restaurant chain for 11 years in Central Arkansas in the mid80s- early 90’s, where I won many awards.

I moved to St Louis in the early 90’s where I worked for a nursing agency.

In the mid-90s, I worked for the State of Missouri as a caseworker. During this time, I became the liaison between Barnes-Jewish Hospital Breast Health Center and the State of Missouri Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Medicaid.

In April of 2006, I came to work for Siteman Cancer Center Breast Health Center as an Outreach Coordinator/ Patient Navigator, where I helped to increase the number of uninsured, underinsured and underserved women to get breast cancer screenings.

In January 2009, I came to work for Christian Hospital to help implement their Protecting and Healing Women Program. This was the same as Siteman, but I was helping also with cervical cancer screenings as well. I continue to be at this position today.

I am currently a member of the Christian Hospital Tumor Board, Christian Hospital Cancer Committee and a part of their community service committee. Christian Hospital is also a proud Susan G Komen St Louis Grantee and the Show Me Healthy Women Grantee.

Awards:

In 2008, I won the prestigious St Louis American Excellence in Healthcare Award.

In 2014, Komen St Louis named Christian Hospital and Northwest Healthcare the Community Partner of the Year.

Education:

Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Arkansas in Public Health Education

Personal:

Married for 20 years to Bobby Polk

Two sons, Patrick and Garland

My family is a member of Greater Leonard Missionary Baptist Church.

St. Louis Connection:

I grew up in the Delta region of Arkansas. My future husband Bobby Polk, brought me to St Louis.

Your journey to success:

I come from a very poor background as far as money and resources, but very rich as an abundance of love. We did not have insurance and no money to pay for modern medicine. We survived on home remedies, which some are still being used today. I believe in part because of this, my mother died at the young age of 56. She was like so many women I see today who are always taking care of the family, but not themselves. My promise to my mother in August 1977 was that I would go to college and graduate. I did not know it would lead me to a major in public health. When I first started college, it was not my intention to major in healthcare. God had another plan. The very next month, in September 1977, my mom died. I knew I must honor my promise to my mother. I also knew I had to work hard to make sure I received grants and scholarships to go to college and keep them. I also knew I had to get a job where I worked from 30 to 40 hours every week and took full time classes. I graduated college with no debt. In December 1982, I was the first four-year college graduate in my family. I kept my promise to my mother.

I am here at this place and this moment, where God has placed me to do what he wants me to do. I want women to be given the opportunity to have more time with their families than my family had with our mother.

Screenings save lives.

Grilled Fish

(Tilapia) Tacos

16 portions

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Tilapia (6 fillets)

16 Corn tortillas (6” in diameter)

One-half cup Shredded iceberg lettuce

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 cup Pico de Gallo sauce

1 tsp Chili powder

2 tbsp Lime juice

One-half cup Ground cumin

Preparation:

• Marinade: In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and garlic.

• Place uncooked tilapia in a large dish and pour marinade over fish, cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.

• Pre-heat gas grill to medium heat. (or if you use the oven, set the broiler on high).

• Remove fish from marinade and grill or broil until flaky (a few minutes on each side). Once fish is cooked through, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into chunks. Season lightly with salt, pepper and fresh lime juice.

• Warm tortillas in microwave (or on the grill). Serve tortillas with tilapia, lettuce, and fresh pico de gallo sauce.

Nutrition Information: (per portion)

Calories: 147 (45 calories from fat)

Total Fats: 5g (Monounsaturated: 3.0g, Polyunsaturated: 1.0g; Saturated:1.0g; Trans Fat: 0)

Cholesterol: 3mg

Carbohydrates: 13g

Sugar: 1g

Dietary Fiber: 2g

Protein: 13g

Sodium: 118mg

Schnucks charging $9 for four breast cancer medications

As part of the Schnuck’s Pharmacies new Women’s Wellness initiative, four different oral breast cancer medications (Letrozole, Megestrol, Anastrozole and Tamoxifen) will be available for only $9 with a valid prescription.

According to Schnucks Vice President of Pharmacy Mike Juergensmeyer, Schnucks is taking its cutting-edge, free generic antibiotic and prenatal programs one step further. Schnucks is now the first pharmacy to target the breast cancer category for discount.

“Our pharmacy buyers worked hard to be able to bring these medications to our customers at the lowest prices pos-

sible,” Juergensmeyer said. “Schnucks pharmacists are critical members of each patient’s healthcare team. Offering significant discounts on four highly-prescribed prescription drugs, allows us to make an even greater difference in the lives of women battling breast cancer.”

“Schnucks has been a valued corporate partner for Komen St. Louis, helping to advance the Komen promise of saving lives and ending breast cancer forever,” Helen Chesnut, executive director of Susan G. Komen St. Louis, said. “We appreciate Schnucks’ commitment to women’s health.”

Schnucks President and CEO Todd

Schnuck said, “The more we speak to our teams about nourishing people’s lives, the more we find ways to make a difference. We all know of women battling breast cancer; they are our wives, sisters, mothers, daughters and friends. It’s important that each of them understands she is not in the fight alone. We are excited about what this new discount program will mean for women’s health.”

Juergensmeyer said selected $9 medicines are breast cancer specific (although sometimes used on other cancers) and approved by most insurance plans. The new low price of the drugs will extend the time it takes for the patient to hit the

point in their insurance coverage where they pay out of pocket.

The following are now offered at all Schnucks Pharmacies at the following strengths and counts: Letrozole 2.5mg – 30ct., Megestrol 40mg – 60ct., Anastrozole 1mg – 30ct., Tamoxifen 10mg – 60ct and Tamoxifen 20mg – 30ct.

Other money-saving programs at Schnucks Pharmacies include free generic oral antibiotics; free prescription prenatal vitamins; $2 oral diabetes medications; and $4 for 30-day and $10 for 90-day generic prescriptions

More information, visit www. schnucks.com/pharmacy