CNSTC: September 13, 2023

Friend of the firehouse

Around Town

A St. Peters student makes regular visits to brighten the days of first responders at Central County Fire and Rescue stations

By Brett Auten

A St. Peters sophomore has become a welcome site at local fire stations.

Whenever he can find a sliver of time, Jeremy Kuhn shoehorns at least one daily visit to a local Central County Fire and Rescue station.

The 16-year-old lives in close proximity to Central County Station No. 3, where he is almost a daily fixture. He has been known, with the help of his parents, to visit

all six Central County stations in a day.

“Sometimes it’s for 10 minutes, sometimes a little bit longer, it depends on how busy his schedule is,” John Schnieder, a captain with Central County Fire and Rescue, said “He is everybody’s friend, he knows no strangers. We’re a better firehouse having him around.

After initial greetings and “clocking in,” Jeremy heads straight to the schedule board. Like a one-person human resources department, Kuhn has the names, faces,

start dates and upcoming schedule in his mental rolodex.

“He knows every employee here on sight, and their ranks, and most of our hire dates,” Schneider said. “Not only at Central County and this station, but all the stations. If there’s a shift in manpower on a particular day, he often asks why that particular employee is there that day, or many times, he already knows.”

Jeremy is diagnosed with autism. The

See ‘FRIEND’ page 2

Features

Recipe, Movie & Sudoku. Pg. F-1

CLA SSIFIEDS AND HOME & GARDEN. Pg. F-2 /F-3

Moore On Life, Lifestyle & Crossword. Pg. F-4

Newly remodeled St. Charles Walmart celebrates reopening. Pg. 3

St. Peters’ Jeremy Kuhn is pictured with some Central County Fire and Rescue firefighters. Kuhn has become a welcome fixture all of CCFR’s stations.

Assumption Catholic School awarded grant to enhance security. Pg. 4

Around Town

latest research in 2023 from the CDC shows that one in 36 children is now diagnosed with autism. This is an increase from one in 44 children two years ago.

“I love visiting the firefighters and signing in every day,” Jeremy said. “I love it when they get a call when I am visiting. I took a video of the truck leaving the firehouse. They honk at me when they drive by.”

Janet Kuhn, Jeremy’s mother, said the interest all began a few years at Saeger Middle School when some firefighters arrived for a drill and it grew from there.

“In 2021, we started to become frequent fliers,” Janet said as their visits became more than occasional.

His favorite activity is taking photos of the schedule off the data feed. Firefighters often need him to help with different tasks like checking equipment and general maintenance around the firehouse.

Kuhn is known around several of the county firehouses where he often surprises their personnel by knowing their names, even though they never met him.

“One of the firefighters, named Matt, taught him to play cornhole and told Jeremy that they were going to play until he made

one in the hole,” Janet said. “They played for probably an hour and he finally made one. I think he was more excited than Jeremy.”

Central County was organized in 1998 when the St. Peters and St. Charles Fire Protection Districts consolidated by a vote of the residents of both districts. It currently provides emergency services to approximately

90,000 residents in a 72-square-mile area. There can be grim shifts for first responders, so oftentimes Kuhn’s check-ins are a welcome relief.

“He is a great kid, he makes everybody’s day complete when he’s here, and his absences are noticeable,” Schnieder said.

County executive supports emergency bill to hire contracted 911 dispatchers

Faced with an ongoing shortage of dispatchers to take 911 emergency calls, County Executive Steve Ehlmann is supporting a plan before the St. Charles County Council to hire specially-trained contract employees to help answer emergency calls.

The emergency bill

being introduced before the council on Aug. 21 would authorize the county to contract with Moetivations, Inc., which provides certified 911 dispatchers to staff the phones to relieve the pressures of short-staffing on existing call takers.

A shortage of 911 dis-

patchers is a national trend, and the county has been working to recruit more, offering the highest starting pay of any dispatch agency in the St. Louis region.

“We will continue to try to hire more people,” Ehlmann says. “This is a stop-gap measure.”

Currently, the St.

Charles County 911 system is 10 dispatchers short of its full staff of 44 positions. Four recently hired dispatchers are currently in training.

“This is a proactive step,” Ehlmann says. “Our response times have not been affected. We’ve been able to

maintain our standards — and we want to keep it that way.”

The bill’s sponsor, Council Chair Terry Hollander, says, “It would help prevent burnout among dispatchers working overtime and maintain our staffing requirements. We try to fill these positions, but when we can’t, we overwork the people who are there.”

Under the plan, the county would be authorized to hire eight contract dispatchers at a cost of $518,398 for six months — compared to $369,544 for eight dispatchers working as regular county employees for the same period.

The proposal would also allow the contract to be extended, if needed, for two additional three-month periods.

Funding for the proposal would come from the county’s Emergency Communications Fund.

‘ FRIEND’ from cover

Submitted photos

Jeremy Kuhn, a junior at Francis Howell Central, makes one of his usual stops at a Central County Fire and Rescue station.

Newly remodeled St. Charles Walmart Supercenter celebrates grand reopening

Walmart customers in St. Charles were welcomed inside the newly transformed Supercenter at 2897 Veterans Memorial Parkway Aug. 4, as the much-anticipated project is now complete.

The store marked the occasion with a community celebration, ceremonial cutting of the ribbon by the St. Charles Regional Chamber and Denise Hardin, St. Charles Walmart’s longest tenured associate of nearly 38 years, and unveiling of a community inspired mural. The event was attended by various local St. Charles nonprofit organizations, who were recipients of $7,500 in grants.

During the grand reopening celebration, Walmart Store Manager Kendra Reshel highlighted the supercenter’s transformed departments as well as the new interactive features now available to customers, including:

• Additional grocery aisles making it easier for customers to navigate

• Expanded online grocery pickup area with added parking spaces and improved lighting

• Fully remodeled bathrooms, including modern fixtures, with the addition of a new mother’s room

• New flooring throughout the store to replace the existing tile

• New pharmacy layout with the addition of a vaccination room and privacy area to improve customer service and available in-stock pharmacy items

• New shelving and lower fixtures for improved store flow

• New vision center with a larger selection of frames

• A refreshed exterior

• State-of-the-art electronics department with new interactive displays

To reinforce Walmart’s dedication to the communities it serves, Reshel also presented grant checks to local nonprofit organizations, including:

• $2,500 to St. Charles County FIRE REHAB

• $2,500 to St. Charles Police Department

• $1,500 to St. Charles County YMCA

• $1,000 to Saints Joachim & Ann Care Service St. Charles’ Walmart transformations are a part of Walmart’s Signature Experience, which seeks to inspire customers and elevate their in-store experience. Upgrades at the St. Charles Walmart Supercenter include:

• Activated corners: Exciting displays are featured at the corners of certain departments to pull customers in and help them touch, feel and become a part of the space, allowing them to discover all that Walmart has to offer.

• Elevated departments: Transformed stores feature displays showcasing products that are out of their boxes so customers can imagine them fitting into their daily lives.

• More space to discover: Walmart has purposefully created more space for customers to explore and discover the breadth and depth of what their local store has to offer.

• Digital touchpoints: These new touchpoints located throughout the store help to communicate to customers the vast range of products and services Walmart offers online through the use of QR codes and digital screens

• For example, in Walmart’s Pets area, a customer may scan the QR code to find additional dog bed options, learn about Walmart’s pet insurance service options or have a 20-pound bag of kibble delivered to their door.

Submitted photo

Walmart customers in St. Charles were welcomed inside the newly transformed Supercenter at 2897 Veterans Memorial Parkway Aug. 4, as the much-anticipated project is now complete.

Around Town

Assumption Catholic School awarded MFA Oil Foundation grant to enhance security

Keeping students safe is a top priority for Assumption School in O’Fallon, and the MFA Oil Foundation recognizes the importance of this prime concern. The foundation recently awarded the Catholic school with a $2,000 grant to assist with the purchasing of 3M Scotchshield Safety & Security Window Film Ultra S800 and the 3M Impact Protection Profile Attachment System. The new window coverings will be an addition to the existing safety measures already in place on school campus.

“We are so grateful for the generous support of the MFA Oil Foundation,” says Dr. Patricia Hensley, Assumption School Principal. “The window coverings have been proven to reduce the breach of glass when applied to window and door panes, and this will add an extra layer of protection to our school community.”

Over the summer, MFA Oil Senior Director of Employee Engagement and Culture, Tom May, visited Assumption School to present a check to Hensley. The MFA Oil Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that are working to improve commu-

nities where MFA Oil has a significant concentration of members and employees. Since it was established in 1998, the MFA Oil Foundation has awarded more than three million dollars in grants. For more information about MFA Oil, visit www.mfaoil.com.

New principal named for Mike Clemens Center

A familiar face steps into the role of Principal this August at Fort Zumwalt School District’s Mike Clemens Center for Adaptive Learning.

Beth Sutton has served the past three school years as the school’s administrative intern and, before that, she taught at Forest Park Elementary and Twin Chimneys Elementary.

She started her career as a special education teacher at South High School. Sutton is looking forward to a “back-to-basics” approach with her team of about 20 staff who serve almost 30 students grades K - 12.

The center is a place to help students find success when the special

education services at their home school might not meet all of their needs. It allows many families to keep their students in Fort Zumwalt, rather than having to travel longer distances for the services they need.

“The staff at Clemens Center is amazing and they do great things with these students,” Sutton says. “I really want to celebrate that.”

Her hope for students this year is that they can find joy at school.

“For some, that’s been lost,” Sutton says. “I hope that we can help them be happy at school. Everything else will come if we can do that.”

She is excited about bringing the common language and the power of building strong habits to the families at the Clemens Center through The Leader in Me. Staff will be sharing more about the Seven Habits of Happy Kids as the start of school gets closer.

Sutton and her husband met as teachers at South High and raised three children in Fort Zumwalt, all of whom are in their early 20s now. When she’s not at school, family game nights are a favorite way to pass the time. She also enjoys listening to music.

“I’m an 80s girl!” she says.

Thrive Dispensary celebrates the grand opening of their new location with ribbon cutting

Thrive Dispensary opened its new location 4800 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville. To commemorate the opening, the company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 11.

Members of the Cottleville Weldon-Spring Chamber of Commerce, the mayor of Cottleville and other community leaders were in attendance.

“We are looking forward to serving the community with high quality cannabis,” says owner Rosie Naumovski.

Thrive is centered on providing customers with safe affordable access to high quality cannabis in a welcoming environment. For more information on Thrive visit www. thrive-mo.com.

Submitted photo

Assumption School Principal Dr. Patricia Hensley (left) shakes hands with Tom May, MFA Oil Senior Director of Employee Engagement and Culture, after learning about the $2,000 grant the foundation awarded to the school.

ONGOING EVENTS

Mondays: Optimist Club meetings

The Wentzville/Lake St. Louis Optimist Club meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Wentzville IHOP, 10 Layla Lane, Wentzville, MO.. For more information contact Ed Jurotich at 314-560-1868.

Mondays: Alcoholics Anonymous

If you want to drink, that’s your business. If you want to stop, we can help. Call Alcoholics Anonymous at 636970-0013.

Mondays: Take off Pounds Sensibly

TOPS meet every Monday at Holy Cross Lutheran Church at 8945 Veterans Memorial Hwy in O’Fallon. Meetings at 9:30 a.m. with weigh in beginning at 8:30 a.m. For more information please call Leogene Weber. 636-399-3124.

Mondays: NAMI St. Louis Connection Recovery Support Group

If you have mental health concerns and need support, please come on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Friedens United Church of Christ at 1703 Old Highway 94 South in St. Charles.

Mondays: Parent support group

Because I Love You, (BILY), Gateway parent support group meets every Monday at 7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church at 801 First Capitol Dr. in St. Charles. For information and directions, please contact the helpline at 314-993-7550 or email gateway_parent_help@yahoo. com. BILY is a program of self-help for parents of troubled children (all ages). We are not professionals, but parents helping each other. The meetings are free to attend.

Mondays: Kiwanis Club meeting

Cottleville-Weldon Spring Kiwanis Club meets the first Monday of the month at noon at Bandana’s at 3446 Pheasant Meadows Dr. in O’Fallon. Contact Mary Vaughan at 314-581-0497 or Karen Grant at 773-914-4900 for more information.

Mondays: Seasoned eye carvers meeting

Meetings are held from 9 to 11 a.m. at the St. Charles Senior Citizens Center at 1455 Fairgrounds (near the Bass Pro Shop). Visitors are always welcome. For more information visit http://www.

stcharlesareawoodcarvers. com/ or contact Charles Sapp at cwsapp@charter.net.

Mondays: St. Peters Rotary Club

Noon at St. Peters City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Blvd. www.stpetersrotary.org.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: Fitness First Exercise Class 9:30-10:30 a.m., American Legion Hall, 504 Luetkenhaus Blvd., Wentzville. 314-3696521.

Mondays: Choral Arts

Singers practice

Choral Arts Singers practice on Mondays, from 7-9 p.m. at Connection ChristianChurch, 1332 Feise Road in Dardenne Prairie. New singers (high school and older) are welcome. Auditions are not required. See www.concertarts. org.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: Fitness First Exercise Class 9:30-10:30 a.m., American Legion Hall, 504 Luetkenhaus Blvd., Wentzville. 314-3696521.

Mondays: St. Charles County Council of the Blind meetings

Business meetings are held on the first Monday of each month unless otherwise specified. Currently, during the COVID pandemic, meetings are held via conference call, starting at 6:45 pm. For more information, contact Beverly Kaskadden at 636-561-6947.

Mondays: American Legion Post 388 Meets Meets the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at American Legion Hall, 607 Westridge Dr., O’Fallon, 636219-0553.

Mondays: Measurement

Mondays: 10 a.m. - 12 noon at the ST. Charles Health Deparment in the Upper Level Conference room. Measurement Mondays is a family-friendly breastfeeding support group. We are open to all moms and moms-to-be who are breastfeeding or interested in breastfeeding. The group is supported by the St Charles County WIC program so there will be information about the program available at each meeting. Each meeting will be a little different than the last. There will be baby weigh-ins, introductions, games, interactive education, group conversation, and even snacks.

Mondays and Wednesdays: Tai Chi for arthritis class

Every Monday and Wednesday a Tai Chi for arthritis class, sponsored by the city of St. Charles Parks and Recreation, takes place from 9:1510 a.m. at Webster Park across from the Family Arena. This is a class that is taught nationally to manage arthritis and to prevent falls. For more information call 636-949-3372.

Tuesdays: Toastmasters Meeting

7 p.m. at the Midwest Bank Centre Board Room at 2299 Technology Blvd., O’Fallon, MO 63368. Info: 636-3792505.

Tuesdays: Cribbage Club Meets every Tuesday, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. at The Falls Golf Course Clubhouse. Relaxed, friendly play and is open to all. Call 314-954-3364 for info.

Tuesdays: Women’s AA weekly meeting

Candlelighters Women in Recovery meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Dardenne Prairie Presbyterian Church (enter at Adam Lamb pre-School, turn left) at 7400 South Outer 364 at the corner with Bryan Road.

Tuesdays: Seniors luncheon

On the third Tuesday every month a luncheon for seniors takes place from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Transfiguration Episcopal Church at 1860 Lake St. Louis Blvd. For more information call 636-561-8951. Free bingo and cards are available.

Tuesdays: Optimist Club meeting

The St. Charles Optimist Club meets Tuesdays at noon at Pio’s Restaurant. For more information contact Jack Ross at 314-287-0569 or jack-ross@ att.net.

Tuesdays: Cribbage

Looking for an evening out? Come and play cribbage Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at Rookies at 15358 Veterans Memorial Pkwy in Wentzville. Win prizes and awards with semiannual tournaments. ACC sanctioned. For more information contact Dee at 636-233-8032.

Tuesdays: Diabetes support group

A diabetes support group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month except November and December from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at 400 Medical Plaza, Suite 102 in Lake St. Louis. A new speaker each month.

Questions? Call Amanda Meyer at 636-625-5447.

Tuesdays: Kiwanis Club of St. Charles

12:05 p.m. at Ginghams Homestyle Restaurant, 1566 Country Clcub Plaza Drive, in St. Charles. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and

one community at a time. The group is looking for new members who want to better our community and help its youth. If you are interested in making a positive impact in St. Charles for generations to come, please come for lunch. For more information call 636-206-2483. You can also visit http://stcharleskiwanis. com

SUDOKU answers from page F-1

Tuesdays: NAMI St. Louis Connection Recovery Support Group

If you have mental health concerns and need support, please come on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Grace United Church of Christ at 8326 Mexico Rd. in St. Peters.

CROSSWORD answers from page F-4

Sports you see with Gary B . . .

UMSL women’s volleyball team stay undefeated

The eighth-ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team extended its winning streak to eight with a pair of wins at the Flagler Saints Classic on Saturday in St. Augustine, Florida. The Tritons (8-0) defeated Converse in straight sets in their first match of the day and then rallied for a four-set win over Missouri Southern in its final contest of the day.

UMSL rolled past Converse in its opener on Saturday morning as it hit .473 for the match with 50 kills against six errors in 93 chances.

Delaney Humm led the UMSL attack with nine of the team’s 13 kills while Arika Richardson added three and Raina Forstrom had one.

The Tritons never trailed in the second set as they raced out to an early five-point lead and closed the set on a 12-6 run to take the middle frame 25-16. Hailey Flowers had seven of the team’s 21 kills in the frame.

UMSL used a 10-4 run early in the final set to extend its lead from 8-6 to 18-10 and led by as many as 10 points before landing on the 25-16 final.

Humm had a match-high 13 kills while Flowers added 10 kills and Lexie Rang finished with seven kills. Caitlin Bishop had 31 assists and 10 digs while Kylie Adams recorded 12 digs to surpass the 1,000 digs mark for her career.

The Tritons struggled to get their offense going in the opening set of their next match against the Missouri Southern Lions as it hit only .079 in the frame with 12 kills but committed nine errors. Four of those errors were because of the Missouri Southern block. The Lions were impressive offensively hitting .379 with 12 kills against only one error in 29 swings.

UMSL led by two early in the second set but a 5-0

run from MSSU when the Tritons ran off four of the next five points to even the frame at 11.

The Lions cut UMSL’s lead to 23-20 but wouldn’t get any closer as Rang and Mya Elliott blocked Laci Ownbey to set up set point and then Benning hit one out of bounds to give the Tritons the 25-20 victory.

The swing set went back-and-forth early before UMSL pulled away thanks to a 7-2 run to build a 1610 advantage after an error by Benning. The Tritons closed the set on a 9-4 run to win the stanza 25-17 on a kill from Flowers.

UMSL never trailed in the final frame as it scored the first three points and led by as many as 10 on its way to the 25-16 victory. The Tritons hit .333 with 18 kills against five errors in 39 chances in the frame while holding the Lions to .108 attack percentage.

UMSL hit .254 over the final three sets to finish the match with an attack percentage of .211 with 56 kills against 24 errors in 152 chances. Rang had a match and career-high with 24 kills and added 15 digs. Flowers added 13 kills while Humm finished with eight kills. Bishop had 49 assists and 18 digs.

*Great start

Gary Baute, a St. Louis native, may be educated in business but he lives and breathes sports. As a fan or an athlete, Gary is all sports all the time. He hosted a radio sports program on KFNS, emceed the River City Rascals’ inaugural sea son, among many other activities. I am currently host ing a Health show on 97.1 FM, ‘Prime Time Health’ www.PrimeTimeSTL.com. It broadcasts Saturday nights at 8 and Sunday mornings at 9.

RECIPE : Boost your afternoon with energy bites

Whenyou need a quick pick-me-up during the workday to fight off the post-lunch slump, a protein-powered burst of energy may just do the trick. A perfect on-thego snack solution with no baking required, these Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Bites only take 15 minutes to prepare a batch that can last the whole week.

Packed with protein and easily made from ingredients you may already have on-hand, these quick and easy bites are perfect for storing in the fridge for when you need a delicious, healthy snack. You can also easily substitute ingredients based on what you have in the pantry or to fit your dietary preferences.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE ENERGY BITES

Prep time: 5 minutes | Servings: 8 (3 bites each)

– SUDOKU –

Movie:

By Steve Bryan

Born and raised in South St. Louis, Steve Bryan is now based in Anaheim, California, and has been allowed access to movie and television sets to see actors and directors at work. Though his writing has taken him far from St. Louis, Steve is, at heart, still the same wide-eyed kid who spent countless hours watching classic movies at neighborhood theaters.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup nut butter of choice

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or raw cacao nibs

DIRECTIONS:

In large mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, flaxseed, nut butter, syrup and chocolate chips; mix well using spoon or mixer. Using hands, roll mixture into balls, approximately 1-inch

Find more healthy snack ideas at Culinary.net.

n 2000,en Run,” a stop-motion-

ed by Nick Park and Peter Lord, the story featured chickens who lived on an egg farm run by Mrs. Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) and her husband. If one of their flock no longer laid eggs, the farmer and his wife would kill the chicken and eat it for dinner. In the upcoming 2023 sequel, “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and her friends thought they were finally safe until Mrs. Tweedy revealed her plans for a new delicacy called the “Chicken Nugget.”

“Chicken Run” was an animated adventure that, like other films, returned for a sequel.

2012’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” for instance, featured Ralph (John C. Reilly), a digital villain that terrorized characters in the game called “Fixit Felix, Jr.” Tired of playing the villain, Ralph worked to earn respect from the other digital characters. After he accidentally crashed into the “Sugar Rush” game, however, Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), one of the “Sugar Rush” racers, stole Ralph’s gaming medal to enter a race. In 2018’s “Ralph Breaks

each. Place balls on cookie sheet and chill in refrigerator until firm.

Note: Balls can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.

the Internet,” Ralph and Vanellope searched the Internet for a “Sugar Rush” replacement part so that it wouldn’t be unplugged.

Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt) was a sturdy character that always followed the rules in 2014’s “The Lego Movie.” After a wizard named Vitruvius was blinded protecting a super weapon, he believed that a character known as “The Special” would find the “Piece of Resistance” and stop the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell). In 2019’s “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part,” Chris Pratt reprised his role as Brickowski, a construction worker, Master Builder and the boyfriend of Lucy (Elizabeth Banks). The cast also included the vocal talents of Ralph Fiennes, Will

Forte and Bruce Willis. Brad Bird’s “Incredibles 2” was the sequel to the popular 2004 animated film. The original showed Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Helen Truax/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) on the day of their wedding. Before making their vows, Bob was especially busy stopping suicide attempts and getting rid of bombs. The collateral damage caused by the fighting forced Bob, Helen and their children to go into hiding and refrain from using their powers. “Incredibles 2” gave the heroes a chance to show what good they could really do.

Pete Docter’s “Monster’s Inc.” revealed what’s hiding inside the closet. John Goodman played James P. “Sulley” Sullivan, a huge “Scarer” that worked at Monsters Inc., a company harvesting the screams of children. Ironically, the monsters themselves thought children were toxic and could conceivably kill them. Sulley and his best friend Mike (Billy Crystal) also became attached to a little girl that they nicknamed “Boo.” In 2013, Dan Scanlon directed “Monsters University,” a prequel that showed how Mike and Sulley became the best of friends.

Fill in the blank squares in the grid, making sure that every row, column and 3-by-3 box includes all the digits 1 through 9.

‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’ and other animated sequels

Moore on Life: National Day of Dumb

Wejust missed National Eat Outside Day. Dang, and we ate inside too. Now we won’t be able to have a picnic for another year.

There are so many nonsense national days. That was just one cornball example. Here are a few more:

Festival of Sleep - I actually like this one, but I don’t need some government holiday telling me when I can snooze. Me and my hammock have that one figured out – any day is Festival of Sleep day.

Bean Day – This one’s a stinker; a real gas! Naw, too easy. I’ll pass on this one. Ha! Pass! See what I did there? Or didn’t do. I’ll admit to nothing.

National Fanny Pack Day – This is one to which my kids say, “What’s a fanny pack?” I say, “It’s a kind of satchel.” They say, “What the heck’s a satchel.” I say, “You know, a pocketbook, a handbag, a carryall…” Blank stares. “Oh, never mind!” This holiday must be cancelled.

Fun Day at Work – I’m convinced this holiday starts on Friday afternoon at quitting time.

National Pet Day – I told my cats about this one, thinking they’d be excited. They promptly scoffed then shredded the couch cushions in protest and muttered, “Hmph! All pets?! How dare you include us with the likes of fuzzball hamsters and drooling pooches. Count us out! We only celebrate those holidays reserved especially for us!” They wouldn’t speak to me for a week.

Talk Like a Pirate Day – All I can say to this silly celebration is, “Ugh.” No, I actually meant, “Arrr!”

Backward Day – Sense no makes!

Do a Grouch a Favor Day – Ahh, here’s one I can re-

By Cindy Moore CROSSWORD: NURSERY RHYMES

late to. “Hey Sweetie, I’m gonna take the trash out for you today. And you’re welcome, but don’t get used to it!”

National Acts of Kindness Day – Hey! I just took out the garbage! Don’t be pushing it you makers of national days!

National Bikini Day – If I pranced around in one of these they’d have to rename it, National Purge Your Stomach Day.

National Earmuff Day – These would really come in handy for the above holiday. Now place them over your eyes.

National No Holiday Day - Now you’re talking. This is a free space like for Bingo. A day just to be normal and not think about foolishness.

I invented this holiday. Thank me, thank me very much.

Cindy Moore is the mother of three superlative kids, servant of two self-indulgent felines and wife to one nifty husband. Her ficticious occupation? Archeological Humorist: someone who unearths absurdity and hilarity in strange and unusual places including public restrooms, the lint filter, and church meetings. Most recently, she excavated a find in her neighbor’s bird feeder.

The opinions expressed in this column are Cindy Moore’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.

LIFESTYLE: Steps to babyproof your home

Your little one’s on-the-go adventures mark a huge milestone for his or her development and your family. Before you allow your baby to trek freely from room to room, get your home ready for a child on the move with these safety steps and precautions:

Prepare before the birth: First-time parents are likely to embark upon a new life filled with late nights, sleep deprivation and a world of stresses they’ve never experienced or considered. Prepare your home before the baby is born to avoid the panic of waiting until the last minute.

Tour like your tot: The first step toward ensuring your home is ready for a mobile child is to see the world from the same level. Take a crawling tour around your home to see things that may be in the way or discover hazardous items that are within easy reach. Use all of your senses to assess any potential dangers.

Latch it up: Protect your little one from sharp objects and heavy items by installing child protection latches on all cabinets and drawers. For an added layer of protection, keep any sharp objects and harmful chemicals in high places only adults can reach.

Evaluate leaning objects: Bookshelves, bedside tables and the items placed on them, such as television sets and other large appliances, can be a threat to the safety of a small child trying to pull him or herself up and balance on two feet. Ensure these items are properly secured or keep them put away unless in use to avoid them being pulled on top of your child.

Other safety measures: To properly prepare your home for a mobile child, don’t forget to take steps such as:

• Covering electrical outlets with safety plugs

• Placing safety gates at the top and bottom of staircases

• Installing fireplace screens

• Adding foam padding to sharp furniture corners and edges

• Placing a soft cover over the bathtub waterspout

• Removing blinds with looped cords or installing safety tassels and cord stops

• Stocking your first aid kit

• Putting non-slip pads under rugs

Find more tips to child-proof your home at eLivingtoday.com.

ACROSS

1. Ground grain

6. *Black sheep answer: "Yes ____, three bags full."

9. Estimator's phrase (2 words)

13. Washer cycle

14. Australian bird

15. Plants and animals

16. Chipped in

17. Dashboard acronym

18. Not over

19. *Rhymes with Porgie

21. *Container in nursery rhyme and Ella

Fitzgerald's song

23. Ray shooter

24. Gloomy

25. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

28. The Wise Men

30. Type of mold

35. Civil Rights icon

37. Front of ship

39. Marilyn's real name

40. Distinctive elegance

41. Meal in a shell, pl.

43. Plant anchor

44. Strong and sharp

46. *"Three Little Kittens" cry

47. Shower with affection

48. Bungle (2 words)

50. Snow ride

52. P in mpg

53. Debilitating spray

55. *"How I wonder what you ____"

57. *Bed on the tree top

60. *____ John, or Frère Jacques

64. Formerly known as Pleasant Island

65. Commotion or fuss

67. One of journalism's Ws

68. Vinyl collectible

69. *"Tom, Tom, the Piper's ____"

70. Israel's neighbor

71. Big Bang's original matter

72. Deviled one

73. One deserving of respect?

DOWN

1. Hand grenade

2. Pick-up expression

3. On top of

4. Website visitors

5. Wrigley's Big ____ ____

6. Bone-dry

7. Elf on the Shelf, e.g.

8. Cuban dance

9. *Old MacDonald's farm sound

10. Traveled on

11. Proofreader's mark

12. Sail alternative

15. Boot that reaches halfway or more to knee

20. Unsuitable

22. Pitcher's pride

24. Bishop's jurisdiction

25. *Life is but this

26. Marcello Mastroianni's "La ____ Vita"

27. Some Romanovs

29. SI unit of mass

31. *"Here goes my ____ a trot, a trot..."

32. Sag

33. Portray emotion

34. *Jack and Jill's quest 36. Black tropical cuckoos 38. *Sheep's bagfull 42. Curse

45. Lollipop brand 49. Bud or chum

51. Snooze 54. ____ and desist 56. C2H5

57. Pay a visit

58. Bumpkin

59. Famous boxing promoter Bob

60. Smoker's water pipe

61. Group of cows

62. Great Lake

63. Back seat, e.g.

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