Brighton man helps promote curling

By Mark Ellebracht & Doug Jenkins Big Z Media

The sport of curling, which dates to the 1500s in Europe, continues to gain popularity around the world, helped along every four years by the spotlight of the Olympic games. It was an Olympic event in 1924, then returned as a demonstration event in 1932, 1988 and 1992. It was finally added as an official event again in 1998 and its popularity began to take off around the world, most notably in the United States.

Thanks to that popularity, curling clubs began popping up around the country in areas where there was never much interest in the sport.

Curling clubs were common in northern and northeastern states, especially those bordering Canada, but further south it was difficult to find clubs or even an ice rink where you could learn the game.

For a few winters before it closed due to mine subsidence, the U.S. Ice Sports Complex in Fairview Heights held “learn to curl” sessions. Other rinks in the St. Louis area and Metro East devoted most of their ice time to hockey, figure skating competitions, and public skating. Most owners didn’t want to invest in curling equipment and didn’t know much about the sport. However, there was something about curling and its popularity in the Olympics that gave momentum to a group that called itself, simply, the St. Louis Curling Club, which officially formed in 2010.

Jim Winsdale of Brighton is currently the vice president. He picked up the game in the early 1970s while stationed in Alaska with the U.S. Air Force.

The way in which the sport is played has changed a little since he started, with better equipment and better ice conditions along with different styles of throwing. But the stones, which weigh between 38 and 42 pounds, are still just that…stones.

“They are solid granite, but with some of the newer stones, manufacturers are doing what they call inserts where they will take the bottom off of a stone and put a new piece of granite on because it wears off, the stone actually does wear down.”

Winsdale says the club holds “learn to curl” events on a regular basis.

“We have a 2-hour session where we provide the equipment and we’ll put people on the ice and teach them how to throw and sweep and things like that. Then once they get the hang of it, we’ll set up a match where groups can play against each other.”

The next two sessions are at capacity, but more will be added soon. 3 stlouiscurlingclub.org

Is it a loan, or is it a gift?

DEAR DAVE: We have $15,000 in credit card debt. My husband works very hard, but only makes about $25,000 a year. We’re also living in a very old trailer right now, and I stay at home with our newborn. My dad told us he is willing to pay off our debt if we agree to get financial counseling together, and show that we are serious about doing better with our finances. What should we do? --

Harper

DEAR HARPER: I wouldn’t accept the money from your dad if it’s going to be a loan. If you really want to ruin family events, have debt to your parents. It twists you up inside. And it’ll be especially hard on your husband. No matter what anyone else says, the borrower is always slave to the lender.

If it’s going to be a gift, meaning there’s no expectation of repayment, that’s a different story. Still, I think your dad has a great idea in making the debt payoff contingent on you two going to some kind of financial counseling, and making a proactive effort to change things, get out of debt and save money—for your child’s future and for yours. I’d probably do the same thing.

It doesn’t sound like you’re being crazy with your money, but it’s tough to provide for a family on that kind of income. You and your husband need to sit down together, develop a monthly budget and a realistic five-year plan to improve his earning potential. Make it a date night. Hold hands, do something inexpensive you both enjoy, and let him know he can be anything he wants to be. Then, help him decide exactly what and where he wants to be in five years. What does he want to be making, and what feasible steps can he take educationally or in terms of job training to get there?

If you want to go to work at some point when your baby is a little older, that’s fine. I completely understand the desire to be at home with a brand new baby. But hard work alone just isn’t enough these days. You’ve got to boost your brain power and value in the marketplace, too. God bless you guys!

Be patient, find your path…and forget about student loans

DEAR DAVE: My husband and I are 30, and we are on Baby Step 2. He wants to go back to school and become a social worker. He currently makes about $20,000 a year as a teacher’s assistant, and he wants to take out student

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Shelly K. Mason • Executive Director loans to do this. He already has an associate’s degree, which wouldn’t mean four years of loans, but the idea scares me a lot. I have a good job, so how can I still support him and his desire to further his education without agreeing to go deeper into debt? -- Britney DEAR BRITNEY: So, it’s kind of a situation where you’re working the Baby Steps and he’s not. On top of this, he wants to go into debt to do social work. Does he know what social workers make these days?

This guy obviously has a heart for helping people. That’s a great thing. But I’ve got to believe there are ways to expand his options. Social work is one path, but there are probably several paths he could follow to get involved in what he loves about the idea of social work.

I’m guessing he has a passion for counseling and advocating, too. Finishing a four-year degree would put him in a position where he could potentially move into a guidance counselor role or something along those lines, considering his background. But taking out loans isn’t necessary. He just needs to be patient, and wait a little bit while you two buckle down on the Baby Steps and get out of debt. He could get a second job for a while nights or weekends, and then you’d be able to pay off your debt faster and avoid those stupid loans thanks to the cash you set aside. Plus, there are millions of dollars in scholarships out there for traditional and nontraditional students. Sometimes when people feel stuck in a job, they automatically default to the idea they need a degree. What your husband really needs right now is a clear idea and direction. Then, you determine if a degree is necessary to get there. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against social work. But I’ve talked to so many people who went six-figures into debt, only to wind up making $38,000 as a social worker for the state. That’s crazy!

You two need to sit down together, and talk all this out. Tell him why you’re worried, and point out that borrowing a bunch of money isn’t the only way—and definitely isn’t the smart way—to make this happen. If you really want to support him, Britney, you need to help him see there are steps

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Shelly K. Mason • Executive Director he can take to pursue his dream without it turning into a financial nightmare for both of you. 3

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Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation goes ‘extra mile’ for cancer patient

Mark Kelle thought he had an abscessed tooth. He was prescribed medication, but soon started having nose bleeds and was sent home from work.

Last September, Kelle ended up in the Emergency Room at Alton Memorial Hospital and had a CAT scan. That’s when he found out he didn’t have an infection -- it was a cancerous tumor in his sinuses.

“When they first told me, I didn’t say anything for about three minutes,” said the Wood River resident.

“I stared and it took me a minute or two to process, then I asked, ‘How much time do I have?’”

Kelle was connected with an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist with Washington University Physicians. He soon had a 10-hour surgery and was hospitalized for a week.

“They had to take skin grafts from my leg to rebuild the upper part of my mouth and cheek,” said Kelle. “They told me if I waited any longer to go to the ER, it would have affected my eye.”

During his recovery, Kelle lost his job and his insurance. His care team at Alton Memorial learned about his situation and encouraged him to apply for assistance from Alton Memorial Health Services Foundation’s Extra Mile Fund. The fund helps patients undergoing treatment at the hospital pay for their essentials so they can focus on treatment, healing and recovery. The Foundation awarded Kelle $800 for his rent, which kept a roof over his head.

“Mark is working with a social worker to help him apply for disability and social security, since he doesn’t meet the age requirements,” said Toni Brummett, a radiation and oncology department nurse at Alton Memorial. “This donation from the Foundation will help to bridge the gap.”

Last year, dozens of people donated to the Foundation’s first Ribbon of Strength Campaign, which benefits patients like Kelle. They purchased sections of ribbon that were laid out to form a giant purple ribbon, symbolizing support for those undergoing treatment for cancer and in memory of those who lost the battle.

“We were blown away by the incredible response from the community and pleased we have been able to help so many patients because of their donations,” said Kristen Ryrie, manager of Foundation and Development for Alton

Memorial Health Services Foundation. “We are kicking off the campaign for this year. Donations will be used to pay for patients’ utilities, mortgage or rent, car repairs and gas so they can continue to come to treatments.”

To help a cancer patient, visit altonmemorialhealthservicesfoundation.org/ribbon-of-strength and donate to the Ribbon of Strength Campaign by March 10, or contact the Foundation at 618-463-7701. 3

Prekindergarten Child Find Screenings

Community Unit School District No. 100 administers speech, vision, hearing, and developmental screenings for prekindergarten age children.

If you have a child who turned 3 or 4 years old as of September 1, 2021 that you would like screened for prekindergarten or early childhood placement for the remainder of this school year or for fall placement, please call 618-498-5561 (ext. #5) for an appointment.

618-576-2225

By Lucie Winborne

• Rapper Snoop Dogg tried to rent the country of Lichtenstein for a music video, but was rejected.

• The Vatican has its own telescope staffed by priests, and has even received awards for the pursuit of scientific research.

• Until they are large enough to sleep upright, baby owls sleep on their stomachs because their heads are too heavy.

• Actual corpses were on the set and going to be used during the filming of “Apocalypse Now.” However, the man who supplied them turned out to be a grave robber and was arrested.

• Oceans around the world contain about 20 million tons of gold in the water itself, worth hundreds of trillions of dollars at current prices.

Strange But True Help Wanted

• In 1997, Motley Crue created a soda called “Motley Brue” to help promote their new album “Generation Swine.” For additional fun, they added enough blue dye to turn the drinker’s urine green.

• Walt Disney accidentally “kidnapped” Richard Nixon by dispatching his monorail train before the Secret Service could get on.

• When added together, the numbers on a roulette wheel add up to 666.

• M&Ms were created so military soldiers could enjoy heat-resistant and easily transportable chocolate during war.

• If your arm or hand falls asleep, try rocking your head from side to side. This will release the pressure on the nerves in your neck and wake up the limb.

• In 2003, PepsiCo offered Estonia $25 million dollars to change the spelling of one of its lakes, Lake Peipsi, to Lake Pepsi, but was turned down.

• A man legally named Santa Claus was elected to the city council in North Pole, Alaska.

• In 2009 the British zombie movie “Colin,” on which writer/director Marc Price spent 18 months and a whopping $70, won an award at the renowned Cannes Film Festival.

• Further on the subject of zombies, their fans are known as zombopiles, while fear of the ghoulish creatures is known as kinemortophobia.

• Nineteen-year-old Jonathan Parker, of Fort Loudoun, Pennsylvania, was charged with burglary after stealing two diamond rings and using the computer in his victim’s house to check his Facebook profile, forgetting to log off from the site. 3