Edge 12-20-2018

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 3

December 20, 2018 2

Cover story: Edison’s Entertainment Complex

6

Trusty Chords record shop open in Edwardsville

7

Food for Thought ... with Vicki Bennington

8

The Back Bar opens

9-10

People at the Party

12

Blanket project

13

Movie review: ‘Boy Erased’

15

What to hear ... Music

18

What to do ... Events

19

Hannah Gadsby may change stand-up game

20

Smashing Pumpkins music review

22

Top TV moments of 2018

25

What to discover ... Arts

ON THE COVER:

Edwardsville-based Nevco employee Tessa Amsden, 23, filling her plate with selections from Edison’s Entertainment Complex’s “Little Italy” catered buffet at the complex at 2477 S. State Route 157, in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Photo by Jill Moon | The Edge

Who to contact THE EDGE PUBLISHER • Denise VonderHaar..............dvonderhaar@edwpub.net THE EDGE ADVERTISING DIRECTOR • Carole Fredeking ............carole.fredeking@hearst.com THE EDGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Jill Moon ..................................... jill.moon@hearst.com THE EDGE EVENT COORDINATOR/GRAPHICS • Rachel Shaffer ....................rachel.shaffer@hearst.com THE EDGE CONTRIBUTORS • Vicki Bennington............... vbennington@sbcglobal.net • Keith Brake ............................keithbrake76@gmail.com

4 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

Edison’s From Page 2 Edison’s Entertainment Complex as its 2018’s Best Family Entertainment in Southern Illinois, and Edison’s was voted Best New Family Entertainment Center in North America in 2012, the same year Edison’s opened.

A small group of regional investors, led

by McSparin and Terry Rujawitz, saw the need for a family entertainment destination in the Metro East, conceiving and opening Edison’s Entertainment Complex at 2477 S. State Route 157. And, why Edison’s, you might ask.

The Edison’s name was selected in a

brainstorming session held at the McSparin Edwardsville home, with McSparin’s wife, Mindy, suggesting the name.

“It seemed to fit, as many were saying that this was a great idea,” Matt McSparin explained when he sat down at Edison’s with The Edge. “The universal symbol of an idea is the light bulb, thus the Edison’s connection. To this day, we talk about geniuslevel fun, electric atmosphere, patent and inventive birthday parties and many other Edison’s related references.”

The family fun center’s Powerhouse Room boasts a mural of Thomas Edison’s life and times.

“You will also note many of his famous quotes are illustrated on the walls around our building and restaurant,” McSparin said. “It’s enjoyable to me to see smiles on

the faces of the families; and, employees feel like family and part of a family-owned business.”

The McSparins’ children all have worked at Edison’s. Their daughter Maren, a senior at Edwardsville High School, is an Edison’s party conductor and on the EHS bowling team, which utilizes Edison’s as its host facility for practice and tournaments; son Mitch, a drummer, studies music production at Lewis and Clark Community College and also manages Edison’s on Friday and Sunday nights; and, son Maverick now attends the University of Mississippi, simply and better known as Ole Miss.

And, while Edison’s is big on fun, it doesn’t skimp when it comes to food. Its fullservice restaurant and bar rivals any around, with in-house smoked meats and creative cuisine, such as its Dynamo Nachos, with candied jalapenos, seasoned sour cream, queso, cheddar, guacamole, ghost chili and smoked shredded chicken or pulled pork.

This to-die-for dish definitely lives up to its name.

Edison’s once again held its all-ages, opento-the-public “Kids Club” Breakfast with Santa, last weekend, with a spread of pancakes, scrambled eggs, meats and beverages, plus photos with Santa and a life-size, giant

Jill Moon | The Edge Edison’s Entertainment Complex’s Records Room, decorated with rock-and-roll memorabilia, is a 40-seat, closed-door space with a private bar, shuffleboard table and a patio, available for party rental.

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Jill Moon | The Edge Edison’s Entertainment’s massive, but tastefully arranged, complex has several settings to choose from for small, intimate occasions or large corporate affairs, including Edison’s lounge or dining room, to left, which both seat 100 guests.

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 5 arcade cards, for just $49.95.

The list of Winter Specials Entertainment Deals is vast and not to be missed. Check those out and more at edisonfun.com.

Reach Jill Moon at 618-208-6448 and Twitter @ jill_moon.

Jill Moon | The Edge Edison’s Entertainment Complex is arranged for comfort and discriminating tastes, with skirted linen tables in party rooms designed for the adult eye. One of Edison’s big challenges is overcoming, ‘Oh, it’s a kid’s place,’ but the scope of Edison’s catering services and its in-house Eats-n-Drinks restaurant menu rivals any around.

LEFT: Edwardsville-based Nevco employees Dan Nettleton, 27, of Shiloh, Illinois, and Jennifer Beasley, 35, of Troy, Illinois, enjoying the company’s holiday party at Edison’s Entertainment Complex, for the second year in a row, in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Jill Moon | The Edge snow globe. Each year, about 300 people attend the breakfast, yet nothing feels overly crowded at Edison’s, arranged for comfort and discriminating tastes.

“It’s a neat day,” McSparin said about the “Kids Club” event. “Our fit and finish is designed around comfort, for the adult eye.

“One of our big challenges is overcoming ‘Oh, it’s a kid’s place,’ but guests come for the first time, who might say they won’t play laser tag, but do and really end up having a good time.

And, I’ll put our food up against anyone. The scope of our menu rivals anyone.”

McSparin seamlessly directs traffic, helps employees, refills soda cups and welcomes guests without breaking a sweat.

“You have to be able to spin multiple plates,” said McSparin, who’s had extensive experience doing so prior to opening Edison’s.

He previously had his own event planning company and, before that, he worked in the sports marketing world for the St. Louis Cardinals and for the Chicago White Sox. McSparin still has his finger, sort of, in sports, through Edison’s, which offers outside catering services. Last summer, Edison’s provided catering before a St. Louis Cardinals ball game for 8,000 people in St. Louis.

“From small to large, we can handle the event,” McSparin said.

Edison’s prices are right, too.

Its Winter Specials are spectacular for every day of the week with a $5 Mondays Menu featuring a beef nacho platter, cheeseburger basket (including fries!) and pitchers of Coors Light — all just $5 each; Tuesdays feature $2 street tacos and $2 chips and salsa; Wednesdays offer an $8.95 pizza & wings buffet available from 5 to 9 p.m., with salad bar, garlic cheese bread, appetizer, pasta and dessert, add a soft drink for just $1 — kids eat free, to boot (one kids meal per paid adult, dine-in only, for kids age 9 and younger); continuing the yummy deals, Thursdays present 50 cent wings from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., while supplies last, and drink specials all day at the bar; and, Sundays again gives another chance to indulge on the pizza & wings buffet, with Coors Light pitchers for $5.

Recently added specials include Fridays black cherry wood-smoked 12 ounce prime rib, from 4 to 9 p.m., for $17.95, with sides and Edison’s signature salad; and, available Monday through Wednesday, Edison’s offers its Family Food & Fun Deal, which includes a select menu for a dinner for four, plus $40 in

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Bringing vinyl back

6 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

Carol Arnett | The Edge Trusty Chords Record Shop owners Colin Anderson, left, and Scott Brunkhorst stand behind the counter of their new retail store, located at 1514 Troy Road, suite C, situated in Edwardsville’s Montclaire Shopping Center’s breezeway. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Trusty Chords Record Shop open in Edwardsville

By Carol Arnett carnett.edwi@gmail.com

EDWARDSVILLE — Once again, after several years, vinyl is back in Edwardsville with the opening of Trusty Chords Record Shop this fall.

Trusty Chords’ main offerings include vinyl records, as well as CDs, T-shirts, posters, toys, books and turntables.

“I think the store fits in with the culture of Edwardsville,” said Trusty Chords’ Colin

Anderson, who, along with Scott Brunkhorst, owns the retail store, located at 1514 Troy Road, suite C, situated in Edwardsville’s Montclaire Shopping Center’s breezeway.

Trusty Chords, which held its grand opening last month, also buys, sells and trades goods.

Anderson and Brunkhorst acquired the store’s initial stock in different ways, buying used records online and in person.

“We met a guy who owned several record stores in small towns in the Midwest,” Anderson recalled. “We got a lot from a store he was closing.”

The record store owners, both audio engineers, met about four years ago, while working at a previous job.

“I wanted to be in charge of my success or failure. I was in a job where I wasn’t,” Anderson noted.

And, Brunkhorst met two of his life goals with Trusty Chords’ opening.

“Since I was a kid, I had two dreams: to do live sound and to open a record store,” he said.

Anderson and Brunkhorst received help, while planning to open Trusty Chords, from the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. They met SBDC Small Business Specialist Marti Guntren, who provided referrals in financing, marketing and networking, for no-cost counseling services.

Guntren was also able to coach, review the pair’s business plan and more.

“Colin and Scott are great clients,” Guntren said. “They had solid ideas on what they wanted to do, how they wanted to do it and they were strategic in planning. Their vision was clear, and they were receptive to questions and suggestions. With their positive attitude and teamwork, I am sure they will be successful.”

Anderson is grateful to Guntren and for the

overall SBDC experience. He credits the SBDC for steadily supplying information and support throughout the business start-up process.

“I don’t think we would have known where to start without them,” Anderson said.

Trusty Chords is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East assists start-up ventures, such as Trusty Chords, as well as existing businesses headquartered in the nine-county region of Madison, St. Clair, Calhoun, Jersey, Bond, Clinton, Washington, Monroe and Randolph.

The SBDC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and SIUE, as a service to Illinois small businesses. Contact the Illinois SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE at (618) 650-2929 for more information.

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 7

Food for Thought … with Vicki Bennington Unique and filling

Breakfast is a meal that I sort of forget about. On any given day, I usually don’t eat it. I usually don’t break my fast until mid-day.

Maybe that’s what makes going out to eat early in the morning seem so special.

A longtime friend of mine loves to go out for breakfast.

He can’t skip that meal (which many people can’t) and, consequently, he’s become quite the connoisseur of breakfast fare — especially in Edwardsville and nearby surroundings. The offerings are quite extensive, Bennington with many places, small and large, chains and those individually owned.

One privately held establishment, which has been around for more than a decade — though it is doubled in size since the early days — is Artisan 222 Bakery & Café, on Main Street.

I met my friend early one Saturday morning and, when I asked for his recommendations, without missing a beat he said, “The baked oatmeal.”

So, oatmeal it was — after I had my first cup of coffee and a freshly baked, melt-inyour-mouth croissant, that is.

The pastry was so soft, so buttery, I didn’t add a thing — nothin’ but croissant. The coffee definitely stood on its own, too. I had the 16-ounce Americano (black), which was just the right amount to kickstart the day, and the rich flavor satisfied the desire for “really good” coffee that I’m always looking for. It’s just not that easy to find. But, I will look no more. And since one woman’s good coffee might not translate to everyone’s idea of the best cup of Joe, Artisan 222 Bakery has a long list of choices, so everyone can find the perfect flavor. Signature blends, such as the 222 Artisan French roast, Black Dog (moka java), breakfast blend, iced coffee, cappuccino, latte, or espresso are just a few of the choices.

Food-wise, the baked oatmeal just happened to be my friend’s pick, and it was definitely not your mother’s oatmeal —

Cup of Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries

Bowl of Baked Oatmeal

Fresh croissant and 16-ounce cup of Americano coffee not that I didn’t love my mom’s traditional oatmeal, I did — but this was oatmeal of a different color.

It has a heartier texture, which doesn’t normally come to mind when you think of oatmeal. For me, the cup portion, with blueberries on top, was plenty (especially on top of the croissant), but those with heartier appetites were gobbling up bowlfuls.

Biscuits & gravy, baguettes & gravy, bacon, burritos and parfaits are also items that are listed on the website as part of the “Weekend Breakfast” but, rumour has it, it’s available most any day.

There’s plenty of space to sit and chat, read the newspaper or catch up on your emails before heading out for work; for those who have more time on their hands, relax and read a book, while sipping on a second cup of your morning brew.

If you don’t like to go out for breakfast, you can still sample Artisan 222 Bakery’s eats — for lunch or even dinner (they’re open until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). Homemade soups; signature sandwiches; house or spinach salad; fresh, warm breads (think rye, challah or remember those croissants); and, vegan, chicken, or create-your-own pizza from a long list

of toppings.

You can still have a cup of that great coffee — or maybe you’d prefer a beer.

From Founder’s PC Pilsner to its Breakfast Stout; Alton, Illinois’ Old Bakery Beer Co.’s Citrus Wheat or Porter; or, Schlafly’s White Lager, to name a few. The selections of brew are wide, too. Crane Lake wines are also available.

Desserts galore will ensure that you don’t leave hungry, when you can choose from selections such as a fruit danish or piece of pie, bread pudding or flourless chocolate torte — I’ll have to go back to try that one.

Visit 222artisanbakery.com about Artisan 222 Bakery & Café, located at 222 N. Main St., in Edwardsville, Illinois.

In this column, Bennington shares her love of food and all that involves, from special dishes at local and regional restaurants to new trends and fads, and things to try at home.

Contact her at vbennington@sbcglobal.net

8 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

The Back Bar opens in former Laurie’s Place

‘It looks like a brand new place’

By Charles Bolinger charles.bolinger@hearstil.com EDWARDSVILLE — A new bar, where Laurie’s Place formerly operated, is open for business.

The Back Bar, 228 N. Main St., in Edwardsville — unlike Laurie’s Place that occupied the entire space at the address — is made up of the rear half of the building’s space and the back patio. Source Juicery, currently located at 220 N. Main St., is expected to move into the front of the building’s space.

The Back Bar owner Marion Gilson, by opening the business, made her dream a reality. She hosted a soft opening earlier this month for about 70 friends, volunteers and neighboring business owners who have assisted her in the endeavor. Shortly thereafter, she held The Back Bar’s grand opening. The Back Bar opens at 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; and, 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

“It looks like a brand new place,” Gilson said. “I gave the place a facelift, I painted, I stained the bar and put my own personal stamp on the place.”

The bar boasts a walk-in cooler in its basement for cases of beer; and, for the glycol-cooled draft beer delivery system, which allows beer to flow for long runs, with a maximum length of 500 feet, to a 10-tapper dispensing station behind the bar on the main level. Connecting multiple beer dispensing stations in a single system makes a glycol-cooled system highly functional and cost efficient.

“It looks amazing,” she said of the multi-tapper unit.

Besides a variety of beer, there will be trendy shots and specialty drinks available.

Gilson views The Back Bar’s opening as redemption for the past two

years. Since 2016, Gilson lost her mother and lost the job from which she expected to retire. The combination put a big dent in Gilson’s spirits, as her mother was her sounding board and confidante when it came to Gilson trying to open her own business. Gilson believes her mother has motivated her through all life’s ups and downs over the past two years, she explained.

Gilson noted that she initially hoped to retain most of Laurie’s Place’s staff, but due to building and inspection delays, that didn’t work out, and she will have an all-new staff.

“It was meant to be this way,” she said. “We turned a very bad situation into a very positive one.”

While some of her friends and neighbors donated food for the soft opening, Gilson said she has no immediate plans to serve food. Later, she might opt for an oven, she noted.

Laurie’s Place closed last New Year’s Day after 21 years at the location. Laurie Chavez, the owner, announced her plans to retire via social media. Gilson said Chavez came to her home on Dec. 14, 2017, to inform her about the closing.

“I called Randy Gori (Gori Julian & Associates) the next day to find out how I could move into Laurie’s space, so we wouldn’t have to close this old building,” Gilson said.

Gilson offered high praise for Gori and his assistant, Krissy Howard.

“She was great at following through, being efficient and sympathetic,” Gilson said.

She included kind words for volunteers who helped her throughout the process of opening The Back Bar. “Some of the customers, who helped me on their own time, expected nothing in return,” Gilson noted.

“The support in this community is just overwhelming.

Brittany Johnson | The Edge The Back Bar owner Marion Gilson stands with her grandson, Zach, at the business’ soft opening earlier this month. The Back Bar, located at 228 N. Main St., where Laurie’s Place formerly operated, opens at 2 p.m.

Monday through Friday; and, 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Gilson’s mother, pictured in the photo frame, died two years ago, and Gilson believes she has continuously motivated her through all the ups and downs of opening a business, Gilson said.

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 11

GUIDE to LOCAL HOUSES of WORSHIP and CHURCH DIRECTORY

MOUNT JOY MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH OF EDWARDSVILLE

327 Olive Olive Street Street •• Edw, Edw, IL IL 327 656-0845 656-0845 Steve Jackson, Jackson, Pastor Pastor Steve Sunday School: School: 9:30 9:30 a.m. a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship: Worship: 10:45 10:45 a.m. a.m.

Morning Wed. Early Early Morning Morning Prayer: Prayer: 5:00 5:00 a.m. a.m.

Wed. Wed. Bible Bible Study: Study: 7:00 7:00 p.m. p.m.

Wed.

www.mtjoymbc.org www.mtjoymbc.org

131 N. N. Main Main St., St., Glen Glen Carbon, Carbon, IL IL 131 288-5700 Dr. Penelope H. Barber 288-5700 Dr. Penelope H. Barber 310 South South Main, Main, Edwardsville Edwardsville 310 656-7498 656-7498

SundayMorning MorningWorship Worship--8:15 8:15&&10:45a.m.

10:45a.m.

Sunday SundaySchool School--9:30 9:30a.m. a.m.

Sunday

Traditional Worship: Worship: 9:00 9:00 a.m. a.m.

Traditional Contemporary Worship: Worship: 10:30 10:30 a.m. a.m.

Contemporary Sunday School: School: 10:30 10:30 a.m. a.m.

Sunday Youth: 5:30 5:30 p.m. p.m.

Youth: Dr. James James Brooks, Brooks, Lead Lead Minister Minister Dr. Rev. Jeff Jeff Wrigley, Wrigley, Assoc Assoc Minister Minister Rev.

Mid-Week -- Every EveryWednesday Wednesday evening evening -Mid-Week Youth Bible Bible Study Study -- 6-7:30 6-7:30 p.m. p.m.

Youth AdultClasses Classes&& Adult PrayerShawl ShawlMinistry Ministry--6:30-7:30 6:30-7:30p.m. p.m.

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ST. PAUL PAUL UNITED UNITED CHURCH CHURCH ST. OF OF CHRIST CHRIST

1 District District Drive, Drive, Edwardsville Edwardsville

3277 3277 Bluff Bluff Rd. Rd. Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL IL 656-1500 656-1500

(Liberty (Liberty Middle Middle School) School)

Rev. Rev. Diane Diane C. C. Grohmann Grohmann

Bible Bible Studies, Studies, Family, Family, Youth Youth & & College College Ministries Ministries 9:30 9:30 a.m. a.m.Worship Worship // 11:15 11:15 a.m. a.m. Sunday Sunday School School

Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m.

Rev. Rev. Aaron Aaron Myers, Myers, Pastor Pastor

Phone: Phone: 618-307-6590 618-307-6590 www.providencepres.net www.providencepres.net Presbyterian Presbyterian Church Church in in America America

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NEW BETHEL BETHEL NEW UNITED METHODIST METHODIST UNITED

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ST. BONIFACE BONIFACE ST. CATHOLIC CATHOLIC CHURCH CHURCH

110 110N. N.Buchanan Buchanan Edwardsville Edwardsville 656-6450 656-6450 Very Very Reverend Reverend Jeffrey Jeffrey Goeckner Goeckner

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Thurs. -- 66 pm pm Saturday Saturday -- 3:30-4:00 3:30-4:00 pm pm Saturday Saturday Vigil Vigil Mass Mass -- 4:15 4:15 pm pm Sunday Sunday Mass Mass -8:15 8:15 am, am, 10:15 10:15 am, am, 5:15 5:15 pm pm Spanish Spanish Mass Mass -- 12:15 12:15 pm pm Daily Daily Mass Mass Schedule Schedule -- Mon., Mon., 5:45 5:45 pm pm Tues., Tues., Thurs., Thurs., Fri. Fri. -- 8:00 8:00 am am Wed., Wed., & & Thurs.

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“O SON SON OF OF SPIRIT! SPIRIT! “O The best best beloved beloved ofof all all things things inin My My sight sight The Justice;turn turn not not away away therefrom therefrom ifif thou thou isis Justice; desirest Me, Me,and and neglect neglect itit not not that that II may may desirest confide inin thee. thee.Verily Verily justice justice isis My My gift gift toto confide thee and and the the sign sign ofof My My loving loving kindness.” kindness.” thee Baha’u’llah ~~ Baha’u’llah

407 Edwardsville Edwardsville Rd. Rd. (Rt. (Rt. 162) 162) 407 Troy, IL IL 62294 62294 Troy, 667-6241 667-6241 Andy Adams, Adams, Pastor Pastor Andy SundayWorship: Worship: Sunday a.m., 99 a.m., a.m., 10:15 10:15 a.m. a.m. && 10:45 10:45 a.m. a.m.

88 a.m., The Bahá’is of Edwardsville warmly Wednesday Evening EveningYouth Youth Services Services MOUNT JOY The Bahá’is of Edwardsville warmly Wednesday welcome and and invite invite you you toto investigate investigate the the welcome New Life Life Student Student Ministry Ministry MISSIONARY BAPTIST New teachings ofof the the Bahá’i Bahá’i Faith.

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EDWARDSVILLE

For more more information information call For call 310 South Main, Edwardsvil 327 Olive Street • Edw, IL 656-0845 (618) 656-4142 656-4142 or or email: email: 656-7498 (618) Traditional Worship: 9:00 a.m Bahai.Edwardsville@sbcglobal.net Bahai.Edwardsville@sbcglobal.net Steve Jackson, Pastor Contemporary Worship: 10:30 P.O. P.O. Box Box 545 545 Sunday School: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

903 Second Street 903 N. N. Second Street Morning Worship: 10:45 a.m. Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL IL 62025 62025 Youth: 5:30 p.m.

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Edwardville, IL62025 62025Wed.Wed. www.bahai.us www.bahai.usRev. Jeff Wrigley, Assoc Minis Edwardville, IL Bible Study: 7:00 p.m.

EDEN CHURCH EDEN CHURCH 656-4330 656-4330 656-4330

JohnRoberts, Roberts, Senior Pastor John SeniorPastor Pastor

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Sunday Worship: Sunday Worship: Worship: Traditional Traditional Service 8:00 AM Traditional Service8:00 8:00AM AM Sunday Sunday School 9:15 AM Sunday School9:15 9:15AM AM Contemporary Contemporary Service Service Contemporary Service--10:30 10:30AM AM AM EDEN EDEN

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ST. PAUL UNITED CHURCH St. Mary’s Parish

1802 Madison Avenue OF CHRIST 3277 Bluff Rd. Edwardsville, IL 62025 Edwardsville, IL 1 District Drive, (618) 656-4857 EDEN 656-1500 CHURCH CHURCH CHURCH Edwardsville Weekend Masses: Rev. Diane C. Grohman (Liberty Middle School) www.edenchurch-edw.org www.edenchurch-edw.org www.edenchurch-edw.org Rev. Aaron Myers, PastorSaturdays 5:00 pm Sundays 8:00 am & 10:30 am Sunday Worship Bible Studies, Family, Youth & College MinistriesConfessions Saturday 3:30 to 4:30 pm 10:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m. Worship / 11:15 a.m. Sunday School Daily Mass: Our Facility is Handicap Accessib Phone: 618-307-6590 Tuesday 6:30 pm, Wed-Fri 8:00 am www.providencepres.net www.stpauledw.org www.stmaryedw.org Presbyterian Church in America 1802 Madison Avenue, 1802 Madison Avenue, email: office@stmaryedw.org Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL IL 62025 62025 St. Mary’s School (618) 656-1230 (618) (618) 656-4857 656-4857 Weekend Masses: Weekend Masses:

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12 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

Blanket project spreads ‘warmth’ to kids Edwardsville resident generates support for foster care agencies

By Julia Biggs jbiggs.edwi@gmail.com TROY, Illinois — Two years ago, Edwardsville resident and former Edwardsville District 7 teacher Erin Heitman made it her goal to make 250 fleece blankets for the children in a local foster care agency. She set out to do the same this year.

To buy needed materials, Heitman appealed to friends and family through a Facebook fundraiser for monetary donations earlier this month. She received more than $1,000 in donations. By mid-month, donations were approaching $1,500. Heitman then used the money to purchase mounds of fabric and, with the help of Troy’s Silver Creek Elementary School fourth-graders, the group had a morning of making blankets at the school.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think this project would grow so much,” Heitman said. “Along the way, I’ve been blessed to meet so many generous and amazing people, both young and old. It’s been quite the humbling experience, to say the least.”

Using the donations given by friends and family, Heitman purchased fabric for the blanket-making party, when fourth-graders and also teachers Brooke Blasingame, Jaime Cox, Jason Maclin, Rachael Kunkel and Christine Wallace made it happen.

“Also, many of the teachers in my building have donated to help, and Kristi Hampton, a parent from last year, is also doing this project with her first-grade class at Marine Elementary,” Heitman said. “And, Amy Ellis, our art teacher, has helped teach some of the students how to make big bows to wrap the presents.”

Additionally, Troy’s Silver Creek Elementary School Resource Officer Mike Raymond, of the Troy Police Department, invited Troy police officers to help with the blanket making party, and 10 blanket sets were given to teacher friends from the Edwardsville School District who volunteered to make them.

The completed blankets will be distributed before Christmas to foster children in the school district first, then to Caritas Family Solutions for its foster children and to Foster Closet in Troy.

When Heitman posted her plan on Facebook last year, she had an outpouring of help from friends, co-workers, and family.

Ahead of Christmas, she was able to complete and deliver 265 blankets — an extra 15 for the disabled, cared for by a local agency.

For The Edge Edwardsville resident and former District 7 teacher Erin Heitman’s van full of fabric.

Heitman recalled. “I know, obviously at Christmas, it’s great to donate toys and clothes, but I wanted to give them something they wouldn’t grow out of, something that they could always have with them for comfort and to just feel safe.”

Heitman noted that when their two children came into the care of her and her husband, she had made both children blankets.

“They still have them and absolutely love For The Edge them,” Heitman said. “My daughter kind of Silver Creek Elementary fourth-graders, in Troy, Illinois, carry in fleece fabric in preparation helped me come up with the idea for blanfor a morning blanket-making party. Edwardsville resident and former District 7 teacher Erin kets. I asked her what she loves so much Heitman recently made it her goal to make fleece blankets for children in a local foster care that she would like to take everywhere and agency. she said, ‘The blanket you made me.’”

That began the annual blanket-making endeavor at Christmastime.

“Life can sometimes get in the way, but this Christmas, wouldn’t it be great to put a smile on a child’s face?” Heitman wrote on her Facebook fundraising page. “A child who has been through more than you or I could ever imagine. A child who may not get a chance at having a forever family. A child who could be sitting across from you at a restaurant. A foster child is just like any other child out there. They just want to be loved, feel safe and protected. I want to give them something that they can have to help For The Edge For The Edge them feel safe and warm.

Silver Creek Elementary fourth-graders and Silver Creek Elementary fourth-graders carry “My family is a ‘forever family’ because School Resource Officer Mike Raymond in the fleece fabric and organize it for a fleece of foster care. My children were never conprepare for their fleece blanket making- blanket-making party. sidered foster children to my husband and morning in Troy, Illinois.

I. The day they walked in our home, they became our children,” Heitman continued. needed per blanket.

While she made and delivered the fleece Heitman’s idea to provide blankets to fos- “My hope is to continue making fleece blankets for foster children for many years to blankets last Christmas, with help from her ter children actually came from her daughfourth-grade students at Silver Creek Eleter, who Heitman and her husband fostered come.”

Anyone interested in making a blanket mentary, this year Heitman thought she’d before adopting. or making a monetary donation can contact reach out on Facebook again to see if others “I wanted to do something big for the would be interested in donating, to help off- foster children out there in Southern Illinois, Heitman at tyingforcomfortandjoy@yahoo. set the cost of the approximate $20 in fleece and I kind of wracked my brain for awhile,” com.

14 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

Apple strikes deal to produce new ‘Peanuts’ content

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the “Peanuts” crew will have a new home on Apple’s streaming service.

Apple has struck a deal with DHX Media to produce new “Peanuts” content. The global children’s content and brands company will develop and produce original programs for Apple including new series, specials and shorts based on the beloved characters.

“Peanuts” was created by Charles M. Schulz in 1950.

DHX will produce original short-form STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) content that will be exclusive to Apple, including astronaut Snoopy.

Peanuts Worldwide and NASA recently signed a Space Act Agreement, designed to inspire a passion for space exploration and STEM among the next generation of students.

Erased From Page 13

In this Feb. 12, 2000, file photo, cartoonist Charles M. Schulz displays a sketch of his beloved character “Snoopy” in his office in Santa Rosa, Calif.

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imminent horizon (“Vice,” “The Favourite,” hopefully “Mary Poppins Returns”) or the best ones from the calendar pages already behind us (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” currently ranks highest on my list), but my year-end wrap is still a month away.

Turns out, I did find a flick to catch that was just as tough to watch as “Schindler’s List” and for a vastly different reason. “Boy Erased” is heavy and it hits right at what is most personal to every single person: Am I happy being “me”? Be ready for that.

Based on the memoir by Garrard Conley, “Boy Erased” is about a young man being thrust in gay conversion therapy by his Baptist parents. Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) is a sweet young man, who suspects that his awakening sexuality is somewhat different. But, by this time, at the end of senior year in high school, he’s in a serious relationship with his cheerleader girlfriend.

Shortly thereafter, coming to terms with his attraction to other men is stymied by an assault in his college dorm room by the first boy with whom he’s comfortable enough to share that part of himself. It gets worse from there. After the assault, Jared comes home to stay with his parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe) and they, shall we say, aren’t quite as nurturing as one might objectively hope.

Jared shares enough details of what happened to him only to drive his pastor father to seek a more severe route to address what’s “wrong” with his son. He’s quick to enlist Jared into a church-sponsored program that uses tough love/extreme emotional abuse to try to make young people think that their feelings are really sins and that loving same-sex partners will only lead to the inevitability of rape, AIDS and eternal damnation. This mostly comes from the blowhard leader of the cultish program (played by writer-director Joel Edgerton with ’90s hair and ’50s rhetoric).

I was appalled, and think that in the present day more members of our society would be, too. Hard as it is, though, from a subject matter standpoint, “Boy Erased” features some fantastic camera work, full of odd, backward angles and dark dissolves that create a haunting mood. It also starts to tap into the unconditional love that parents feel for their children, but it doesn’t go far enough to undo the damage it establishes during most of the movie’s running time — and that’s the real shame.

“Boy Erased” runs 115 minutes and is rated R for sexual content, including an assault, some language and brief drug use. I give this film two stars out of four.

Turns out, I did find a flick to catch that was just as tough to watch as “Schindler’s List” and for a vastly different reason. “Boy Erased” is heavy and it hits right at what is most personal to every single person: Am I happy being “me”? Be ready for that.

— Robert Grubaugh, Contributing columnist

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 15

What to hear … music Thursday, Dec. 20

• Open Mic Night, Germania Brew Haus, Alton, Illinois, 6 p.m.

• El Monstero: The Definitive Pink Floyd Experience, The Pageant, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• DJ Matt, The Back Bar, Edwardsville, Illinois, 9 p.m.

• Corey Evitts, Stagger Inn Again, Edwardsville, Illinois, 10 p.m.

• A Gospel Christmas with TAKE 6, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis, 7:30 p.m.

• Jennifer Thompson and Harvest Drive, Porter’s Steakhouse, Collinsville, Illinois, 6:30 p.m.

• Scott and Mechelle, Lascelles, Granite City, Illinois, 6 p.m.

• Jack Spann & Jon Rosen, Venice Café, St. Louis, 7 p.m.

• SING! An Irish Christmas, Concordia Lutheran Church, Kirkwood, Missouri, 7:30 p.m.

• Trish’s Thursday Night Special Presents: Tom Weiland Live, Sky Music Lounge, Ballwin, Missouri, 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 21

• Mercy Holiday Celebration, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis, 2 p.m., runs through Dec. 23rd.

• El Monstero — a Tribute To Pink Floyd, The Pageant, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• Rough Shop Holiday Extravaganza, The Wildey Theatre, Edwardsville, Illinois, 7 p.m.

• Tribute - Frank Sinatra Christmas Concert, The Abbey Espresso Bar & Café, Belleville, Illinois, 7:30 p.m.

• KaPow, The Back Bar, Edwardsville, Illinois, 9 p.m.

• Elephante, The Crown Room at Ballpark Village, St. Louis, 9 p.m.

• Flip the Frog, Bakers & Hale, Godfrey, Illinois, 7 p.m.

• Falling Fences Holiday Concerts, John D. McGurk’s, St. Louis, 9 p.m.

• A Christmas Sheryl: A Tribute - the Music of Sheryl Crow, Off Broadway Music Venue, St. Louis, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 22

• El Monstero — a Tribute To Pink Floyd, The Pageant, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• Dr. Zhivegas Plays The Music Of Prince, Delmar Hall, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• BandTogether Holiday Concert, The 560 Music Center, University City, Missouri, 8 p.m.

• Opera Edwardsville Presents “Christmas at The Wildey,” The Wildey Theatre, Edwardsville, Illinois, 7:30 p.m.

• The Goose Miller Band with Spillie Nel-

Monday, Dec. 24

• Motown on Mondays Christmas Eve - Free Show, Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• The Comedy Shipwreck Open Mic, The Heavy Anchor, St. Louis, 10 p.m.

• Keeping’ it Reel, John D. McGurk’s, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• Karaoke Mondays, Livery Company, St. Louis, 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 25

• Christmas Night with Jake’s Leg, BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups, St. Louis, 10 p.m.

• Live Music Poetry & Comedy, WordUp, St. Louis, 7 p.m.

Keith Brake Photography / Keith Brake • Annie and the Fur Trappers Duo and Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman and guitarist Friends, Yaquis on Cherokee, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Billy Corgan on stage during a recent performance at St. Louis’ Stifel Theatre. son Unplugged, The Back Room at Bottle and Barrel, Alton, Illinois, 8 p.m.

• Masterminds, The Back Bar, Edwardsville, Illinois, 9 p.m.

• Brandon Dull, Stagger Inn Again, Edwardsville, Illinois, 5 p.m.

• Soul Reunion, The Beale on Broadway, St. Louis, 10:30 p.m.

• Marty Acoustic, Edgewild, Edwardsville, Illinois, 8 p.m.

• Gaslight Christmas Sessions, Old Rock House, St. Louis, 7 p.m.

• Blackwater Acoustic “Christmas Party,” The Pump House Bar & Grill, Wood River, Illinois, 5 p.m.

• Live Music, The Old Bakery Beer Co., Alton, Illinois, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 23

• Mercy Holiday Celebration, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis, 2 p.m.

• El Monstero — a Tribute To Pink Floyd, The Pageant, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• A Very Clownvis Christmas, Blueberry Hill Duck Room, University City, Missouri, 8 p.m.

• The St. Louis Blues and Soul Revue, Off Broadway Music Venue, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• Brunchin’ with Knez Jakovac Trio, Dark Room at The Grandel, St. Louis, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• Falling Fences Holiday Concerts, John D. McGurk’s, St. Louis, 9 p.m.

• Social Remedy, Fast Eddie’s Bon Air, Alton, Illinois, 7 p.m.

• The BIG BAD BLUES Christmas Party, National Blues Museum, St. Louis, 4 - 7 p.m.

• Traditional Celtic Session, Tigin Irish Pub & Restaurant, St. Louis, 4 - 6:30 p.m.

• Live music with “Even Steven,” Blarney Stone Sports Bar and Grill, Oakville, Missouri, 6 p.m.

• Tuesday Open Mic Night, 1860 Saloon & Hardshell Café, St. Louis, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 26 • Schlafly Beer’s 27th anniversary with the Red-Headed Strangers, Schlafly Tap Room, St. Louis, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

• Voodoo Prince, Broadway Oyster Bar, St. Louis, 9:30 p.m.

• Sorry, Scout with Fluorescent & Pirate Signal, Off Broadway Music Venue, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• Kyle Yardley & The Rhythm Renegades, BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, St. Louis, 7 p.m.

• Reggae Band: Smokin Lion, Club Viva, St. Louis, 9 p.m.

• The Matching Shoe, Scarlett’s Wine Bar, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

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On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 17

Rough Shop Holiday Extravaganza to Play at Wildey

The Edge EDWARDSVILLE — The Edwardsville Parks Department is pleased to announce the next act in the 20182019 Winter Concert Series with the 15th annual Rough Shop Holiday Extravaganza on Friday, Dec. 21.

The Rough Shop Holiday Extravaganzas has been going strong for more than a decade in St. Louis and was taken on the road for the first time last year, making an appearance on the east side of the river. The Wildey Theatre welcomes back Rough Shop’s five-member band along with their ever-growing assortment of friends as they play a mixture of holiday classics, obscurities, and originals. The stage will be decked out in light-up, nostalgic holiday yard decorations and a few ugly sweaters are sure to show up in the theater.

“This is the holiday show for people who love to get into the spirit but prefer a little more variety,” said Assistant Director Katie Grable. “Last year we enjoyed Tom Petty’s ‘Christmas All Over Again,’ Al Green’s ‘Purple Snowflakes,’ and when you’d least expected it, they broke out into a traditional wassailing song.”

All shows take place on Friday nights with food starting at 5:45 p.m. and music starting at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Guests will gather in spaces on the second and third floors of the theatre before making their way to theatre seating for the show.

There are two ticket options for the show: $9 plus processing fees for the show only or $14 plus processing fees for the concert and pre-reception featuring heavy appetizers. Tickets for all of the shows in the Winter Concert Series are available online at wildeytheatre.com or by calling 618-307-1750 or at the Wildey Theatre Ticket Office located at 252 N. Main St. For more information about this series, contact Katie Grable at the Edwardsville Parks Department at 618-692-7538.

Kwanzaa Celebration In The Loop at STL Artworks 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 29 Join the students from the Bertha Knox Gilkey Pamoja Prep Academy, as they bring people together as a community to celebrate Kwanzaa with live music, dancing, art exhibits and more.

The mission of St. Louis ArtWorks, 5959 Delmar Blvd., in St. Louis, is to broaden educational and career opportunities for youth in the St. Louis region through apprenticeships in the arts and through community collaborations. The organization’s goal is to create positive educational opportunities through art for youth through paid apprenticeships.

Call 314-899-9734 or email info@stlartworks.org for more information.

Six Flags St. Louis Holiday In The Park open through Jan. 1

David Blanchette | For The Edge

Marge Propes, left, of Godfrey, Illinois, Nancy Johnson, center, and Diane Enloe, right, both of Alton, Illinois, wrap holiday gifts last week at Alton Square Mall. The three are members of the Alton Community Service League, a nonprofit women’s group, focused on volunteerism, that has offered its annual gift wrapping services every day, continuing through 5:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The service is located on the upper level of the mall immediately above Santa Claus’ station. Proceeds from the annual gift-wrapping services, which started in 1978, go toward beautification and charitable projects.

The Edge EUREKA, Missouri — Holiday in the Park is back for select days now through Jan. 1 at Six Flags St. Louis.

It’s the most magical time of the year, filled with enchanting experiences, that will help create those special family fun outings again and again. Six Flags’ breathtaking winter wonderland features a variety of delightful and interactive activities to help capture the holiday spirit.

From visiting with Santa to taking a ride down the park’s snow hill, the holiday attractions are singularly Six Flags and only available during Holiday in the Park. Some activities may require an additional fee.

Six Flags St. Louis’ Tinsel Town is a beautiful stroll throughout the park featuring a dazzling display of massive 3-D stars, a 20-foot star tree and 1,000 feet of garland wrapping as far as the eye can see. Don’t forget to grab some hot chocolate for the walk.

Visitors can get their photo taken with Six Flags’ “Holiday Starlet,” who can be found at the park all season long.

Santa’s Village allows visitors the make their way through 75 dazzling trees and a photo opportunity in front of a 16-foot Christmas card. While walking through Merry Little Christmas, make sure to gaze upon the the largest lighted tree in the park, “Big Green,” while inhaling the sensational aroma of pine needles from the freshly cut Christmas trees.

Big Green stands at a whopping 90 feet tall with more than 20,000 lights.

Other Holiday in the Park attractions include the Star of Wonder, featuring a display of cascading lights; Christmas Courtyard; S’Mores Galore; Kringle’s Kottage; Cut Tree Trail, featuring 350 illuminated trees; Candy Cane Forest, where 6-foot candy canes adorn each light post among trees glimmering in red and white lights; Winter Wonderland, where an ornament tree stands 20 feet tall, atop a snowy mound adorned with penguins, and Six Flags’ Snow Princess strolls around; petting zoo and camel rides; Fudgery; and, more, including entertaining holiday shows, fun food and, of course, Six Flags’ famous thrill rides.

At Santa’s House, guests interact with Santa and his elves and get pictures taken with Santa. Be sure to RSVP for the visit with Santa at the North Pole General Store. Santa will only be here through Sunday, Dec. 23.

The North Pole General Store carries tons of holiday provisions, including ornaments and “ugly” Christmas sweaters, as well as Holiday in the Park souvenirs.

Alton Community Service League Takes Hassle Out of Christmas Wrapping The Edge ALTON — You can still get last minute gifts wrapped by Alton Community Service League, hosting its gift wrapping event through Christmas Eve at Alton Square Mall, in Alton, Illinois.

The gift wrapping takes place on the first floor, next to the escalators, at the mall. The Community Service League will wrap gifts from any store for a reasonable charge that aids local agencies and charities.

Hours are as follows: • Dec. 20-22 — 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

• Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 — 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Six Flags Holiday In The Park Looney Tunes characters

18 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

What to do ‌ events Friday, Dec. 21

• U.S. BANK Wild Lights, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., runs through Dec. 30 • Brewery Lights, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, St. Louis, 5 - 10 p.m., runs through Dec. 30 • Winter Wonderland, Tilles Park, Ladue Missouri, 5:30 - 9:30 p.m., runs through Dec. 30 • Garden Glow, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, 5 - 10 p.m., runs through Jan. 1 • Science Illuminated, Saint Louis Science Center, St. Louis, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., runs through Dec. 30 • Eat Drink & Be Ugly Party, Refinery Bar & Grill, Wood River, Illinois, 8 p.m.

• Drunken Reindeer Ball, Edwardsville Moose Lodge, Edwardsville, Illinois, 7:30 p.m. • The Jolly Trolley, Llywelyn’s Pub, St. Louis, 6 p.m., runs through Dec. 28 • Intimate Paranormal Investigation with Donna Nunnally, It’s Raining Zen, Alton, Illinois, 8 p.m. • Ugly Christmas Sweater Weekend at Holiday in the Park, Six Flags, Eureka, Missouri, 2 - 8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 22

• Illini Mizzou Braggin’ Rights, Enterprise Center, St. Louis, 7 p.m. • Hope Rescues Christmas Bake Sale, Petco, Edwardsville, Illinois, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

• Wundermarket, Das Bevo, St. Louis, 12 - 8 p.m., runs through Dec. 23 • Window Walk, Central West End, St. Louis, 1 - 5 p.m. • Owl Prowls: Harry Potter Night, World Bird Sanctuary, Valley Park, Missouri, 7 p.m. • Ugly Christmas Sweater Weekend at Holiday in the Park, Six Flags, Eureka, Missouri, 2 - 8 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 23

• Reindeer at the Toy Store, Happy Up Inc., Edwardsville, Illinois, 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Wundermarket, Das Bevo, St. Louis, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. • Free Sunday Brewery Tours, Schlafly

Bottleworks, Maplewood, Missouri, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. • Ugly Christmas Sweater Weekend at Holiday in the Park, Six Flags, Eureka, Missouri, 2 - 8 p.m. • Supper with Santa, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, Chesterfield, Missouri, 5:30 7:30 p.m. • Winterfest Ice Rink - Character Sundays, Kiener Plaza, St. Louis, 12 - 2 p.m. • Gingerbread House Workshop, Eckert’s Country Store & Farms, Belleville, Illinois, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Santa Claus is Coming - Brunch, Highflyers Grille, East Alton, Illinois, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. • Xtreme Bar Bingo, Skeeters Pub, Staunton, Illinois, 6:30 p.m.

Russian parliament runs rap song contest amid crackdown

By Nataliya Vasilyeva Associated Press MOSCOW — The Russian parliament last Thursday announced a rap song competition amid a crackdown on contemporary music

that evoked Soviet-era censorship of the arts.

A dozen rappers have had their shows cancelled recently after warnings from officials who claim that their music promotes the wrong values. At least three musicians have been detained.

In a symbolic gesture of reconciliation, the State Duma announced it would run a competition for the best rap song — but it has to be on the subject of travel in Russia. The winner, according to lawmaker Mikhail Degtyarev, will win a trip around Russian cities.

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“We want to give a platform for open discussion and highlight the opportunities as well as drawbacks of this or that town,� he said. “If, for example, there is a bad road near a tourist attraction, there should be a video about it.�

Rap has emerged as one of the most popular music genres among Russia’s youth — and a target for Russia authorities — thanks to its frank portrayal of daily realities and scathing criticism of the government.

Last month, a rapper known as Husky, whose videos have garnered more than 6 million views on YouTube, was arrested for staging an impromptu performance after his show was shut down in the southern city of Krasnodar.

A court sentenced Husky to 12 days in jail on charges of hooliganism, but he was released four days later — hours before a solidarity concert in Moscow by popular hip hop artists protesting his detention.

The electronic duo IC3PEAK had six out of their 11 gigs cancelled in recent weeks, and on Dec. 1 they were briefly detained in a Siberian city.

Eager not to alienate young people, top Russian officials in recent days took steps to distance themselves from the arrests and show cancellations.

The State Duma last week hosted a round table with some of Russia’s most popular pop acts, and the presidential ombudsman for human rights said on Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin had asked her to investigate why the gigs are being shut down.

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 19

2018 BREAKTHROUGH

Hannah Gadsby may change stand-up game

By Mike Cidoni Lennox AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES — Hannah Gadsby says she knows it’s meant as a compliment to be chosen as one of the year’s Breakthrough Entertainers by The Associated Press. But, as with many things, the Australian stand-up comic and actress sees the honor from a variety of perspectives.

“Like, what happens after ‘breakthrough’?”

Gadsby asked. “Like, I could be a one-hit wonder or I go on to being a deserved star?”

She notes: “I think I was doing really well before all this craziness around ‘Nanette.’”

“Nanette” is the 40-year-old Gadsby’s latest stage show, which debuted in 2017, and enjoyed critical and commercial successes during its runs throughout Australia, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in New York and Montreal.

But it wasn’t until late June that the “craziness” began. That’s when Netflix released a filmed version of the show, and Gadsby went from known Down Under to global phenomenon.

Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby poses Dec. 10 for a portrait in Los Angeles. Gadsby was named as one of eight Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year by the Associated Press.

Many critics were blown away by the way Gadsby seamlessly segued from hilarity to humanity - quickly getting deep and dark about some harrowing experiences as a lesbian and as a woman.

And while “Nanette” was written before the start of the #MeToo movement, Gadsby apparently felt it coming. In “Nanette,” she takes direct aim at straight white males and sexual abuse.

What Gadsby didn’t expect was that so many would get her. Since 2006, she’d made a name, and a living, as a stand-up comic and actress in Australia and New Zealand. And while she started building a primarily gay international following in 2015, she’s never experienced what happened after “Nanette” — everything from rave reviews in The New York Times to fan letters from India.

In fact, Gadsby said she expected just the opposite: that her candor in “Nanette” would divide, not conquer, audiences.

“What the magical thing was, what I realized, was, ‘Oh, a lot of people are thinking this.’ And what I thought was making me a

marginalized figure — you know, sort of a niche human — actually, by being completely truthful about it, has given me the unexpected realization that I’m not at all.”

In “Nanette,” Gadsby says she’s giving up stand-up comedy. But, with the success of the stand-up special, she’s now reconsidered that, noting future shows will be something closer to performance art.

Just about the only thing that’s certain: Gadsby won’t be going Hollywood, at least for now. She said that world “would require a substantial erosion of independent thought.”

So, what is next?

“Oh, the phone has been ringing,” she said, with a grin. “But I’m slow. I’m a slow person.

So, I need to make my decisions slowly. They say that ‘slow and steady wins the race.’ But I’m more like the tortoise, but with the hare’s game plan. So, I’m moving as slowly as a tortoise, but napping like the hare.”

For more on the AP’s 2018 Breakthrough Entertainers honorees, visit: https://apnews.com/tag/ APBreakthroughEntertainers

20 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

Smashing Pumpkins

By Keith Brake Contributing columnist For The Edge It’s December in St. Louis and that means the 105.7 Point HoHo Shows are in full swing.

Chicago rockers the Smashing Pumpkins kicked off the holiday show series on the first Saturday of the month at St. Louis’ Stifel The-

atre. The Pumpkins turned in a performance that will not be forgotten any time soon. The group is touring in support of its latest album, “Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past.

No Future. No Sun,” and St. Louis was lucky enough to be one of the tour’s selected cities.

Frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan is known to be somewhat eccentric and his stage attire for this show was no different. His ensemble included a blood-red coat combined

Smashing Pumpkins on stage at the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis.

with a gold “dress.” The crowd in the soldout venue welcomed Corgan and company to the stage by thunderous applause and set the show off and rolling — all eyes affixed to that coat and dress.

Corgan’s personal performance shined as brightly as the clothes he chose to wear, vocally he was as good as I have ever heard him — clear, strong and passionate. Corgan’s guitar skills are something that I feel most people are

Photos: Keith Brake Photography/Keith Brake | For The Edge Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan on stage during a recent performance at St. Louis’ Stifel Theatre.

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 21 unaware of, unless you have witnessed a live performance at some point. He is known for his voice, but his guitar prowess is nothing to overlook, adding a great deal to the overall, live Pumpkins experience.

The Smashing Pumpkins have a special way about their music, that when played live, it seems to draw you in like a moth to a flame. The video boards behind the band, at

times, show very deep and intimate feelings from Corgan, while at other times produce an entrancing visual wonderland of color and shape, which seems to meld perfectly with every note and lyric.

The show overall was nothing short of incredible, with powerful moments of fans singing back at Corgan, throwing “horns in the air” and exuding palpable energy. Those

in attendance were fully immersed in the evening’s performance.

Stand out moments for this show were many, including performances of “Today,” “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” “1979” and, of course, “Cherub Rock.” This is not to say the other selections were lacking in any way.

As a matter of fact, this show was solid from start to finish, as any I have seen in quite some

time.

My overall take from this show is that the Smashing Pumpkins are not slowing down, but rather getting better as they go and, from what I heard of the new material from the new album, they certainly still have what it takes to continue being what they have always been — a gloriously talented rocking good time.

Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan on stage during a recent performance at St. Louis’ Stifel Theatre.

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22 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

Top TV moments: ‘Roseanne,’ Oprah’s speech, message funerals

By Lynn Elber AP Television Writer LOS ANGELES — It was a remarkably dramatic year on television, with much of it unscripted.

While prime-series including “This Is Us” and “Atlanta” reached notable emotional and provocative highs, TV impressively fulfilled its role as witness to gripping real-life events.

We had the chance to see it all unfold: today’s barbed politics in unlikely settings; a woman essentially saying MeToo to U.S. senators; the suitably extravagant goodbye to an American queen.

Here are some of the moments with staying power: OPRAH’S SPEECH Winfrey’s rousing call for social justice in the name of the MeToo movement drew wild cheers in the ballroom at the Golden Globes in January and reverberated across the land.

Pundits and Oprah-whisperers proclaimed it a first step toward a presidential run, and #oprah2020 trended. It’s would be a true Hollywood script: an entertainment mogul challenges a reality-show host for the Oval Office.

Oprah said no way; the chatter continues.

JACK’S SACRIFICE

The time-shifting series revealed in season one that Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) was destined to die young, leaving a grieving widow, his unmoored children and viewers tortured by the mystery of what did him in. In episodes airing in January and February, we learned it was a faulty slow-cooker and Jack’s boundless sense of duty. America’s tears flowed even as we turned a fearful eye toward our kitchen appliances.

THE RISE AND FALL OF “ROSEANNE” Three decades after it ended, the comedy about the blue-collar Conner family and its brassy matriarch returned in March as a success for ABC and Roseanne Barr. The revival hit the sweet — or sour — spot of politics and culture today, with a polarizing star whose character mirrored her backing for President Donald Trump. The magic evaporated in May after Barr’s racist slam of Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. ABC called her tweet “abhorrent” and canceled the series.

“ATLANTA” IN WHITE Donald Glover, whose reimagination of the TV comedy challenges viewers, tested them with a truly unsettling character, Teddy Perkins, depicted in mask-like whiteface (an uncredited performance by Glover, though it remains a mystery who made Teddy’s cameo

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Adam Rose/ABC via AP Roseanne Barr, left, and Laurie Metcalf appear in a scene from the comedy series “Roseanne.” appearance at the Emmys). Was the episode in April a riff on the sad life of a Michael Jackson-like celebrity? A slap at the insulting blackface used by white entertainers past?

We’re still mulling.

GADSBY’S REVOLUTION The Australian standup was little known in America when her Netflix special “Hannah Gadsby: Nanette” arrived in June, dissecting culture and the very artform she practices.

She was heralded as a major new voice and her work was labeled “transformative” and “game changing,” the kind of awe and admiration granted to enduring comedy greats such as Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Dave Chappelle.

ARETHA’S FAREWELL The Queen of Soul’s memorial was one for the ages, with preachers, Motown and gospel legends and political and religious leaders offering speeches and songs in praise of Franklin’s life, artistry and activism on behalf of African-Americans and women.

Stevie Wonder sang, and so did Smokey Robinson and Chaka Khan and Shirley Caesar and Gladys Knight and Ariana Grande and ... plenty of others, since the service ran eight hours. Franklin’s voice was stilled, but her spirit resonated.

COLIN KAEPERNICK’S STAND In his “Just Do It” TV spot for Nike that marked the campaign’s 30th anniversary in September, the sidelined-by-kneeling NFL quarterback somberly challenged viewers to “believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” Some responded with anger, cutting or burning Nike gear and calling for boycotts. President Donald Trump slammed the company’s move, while LeBron

James defended it, saying he stands for those who believe in change.

A SUPREME BATTLE In schools, at work, in coffee shops, Americans watched on phones, laptops and any available screen as U.S. Supreme Court appointee Brett Kavanaugh and sexual-misconduct accuser Christine Blasey Ford made their emotional cases in September to a Senate committee. The hearing reinforced the extraordinary power of TV to present an event as it unfolds, allowing us to judge it for ourselves before it’s filtered and packaged for consumption and “Saturday Night Live” satire.

BLACKOUT FOR KELLY Megyn Kelly argued the case for dressing up in Halloween blackface, telling her morning show viewers it was OK when she was a kid if it was an impersonation. The backlash was immediate, with critics accusing Kelly of ignoring the ugly history of white entertainers applying blackface to demean AfricanAmericans. The former Fox News Channel host offered a tearful on-air apology, but NBC fired her in October from the 9 a.m. “Today” slot after just a year.

DEATH AND POLITICS Funeral services were for mourning and messages. At Sen. John McCain’s September memorial, daughter Meghan issued a sharp rebuke to his nemesis President Donald Trump, who was left off the invitation list.

“The America of John McCain has no need to be made great again because America was always great,” she said. President George H.W. Bush’s memorial in December was kinder and gentler and Trump attended, but he was the first sitting president in 45 years not asked to eulogize a predecessor.

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What to discover … arts Thursday, Dec. 20

• T.J. Miller, Helium Comedy Club, St. Louis, 8 p.m., runs through Dec. 22 • “A Christmas Story,” Repertory Theatre, St. Louis, 8 p.m., runs through Dec. 23 • White Christmas Sing-A-Long, Das Bevo, St. Louis, 7 p.m.

• Dinner with Santa, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, 5 p.m.

• Drink for a Cause Night, The Old Bakery Beer Co., Alton, Illinois, 4 - 9 p.m.

• “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” sponsored by TheBANK of Edwardsville, The Wildey Theatre, Edwardsville, Illinois, 6 p.m.

• WOOD Exhibition, Jacoby Arts Center, Alton, Illinois, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., runs through Dec. 22 • Vegmas 2018: A Compassionate Christmas, Third Degree Glass Factory, St. Louis, 6 p.m.

• It Must Be A Dream: A Cabaret with Amy Kinsella, The Monocle, St. Louis, 8 p.m.

• Wine + Design: Evergreen Porch Pots, Maypop Coffee & Garden Shop, Webster Groves, Missouri, 6 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 21

• Styxmas, Dayspring Center for the Arts, Maryland Heights, Missouri, 6:30 p.m.

• Winter Solstice Celebration - Restorative Yoga with Drumming, Studio Gaia, Edwardsville, Illinois , 6 p.m.

• Metamorphosis, Gateway Flex, St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.

• Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure, The Grandel, St. Louis, 7 p.m.

• Holiday Express, Third Friday Open House, St. Louis, 6 p.m.

• Brunch with the Coco, La Patisserie, Florissant, Missouri, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., runs through Dec. 30 • Soviet Era Christmas Animations, Flood Plain, St. Louis, 7 - 9:30 p.m.

• Winter Solstice Restorative Practice with Yoga Nidra, Blue Sky Yoga, St. Louis, 6:30 8:30 p.m.

• Next Generation Theatre It’s a Wonderful Life, Florissant Civic Center Theatre, Florissant, Missouri, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 22

• Solstice Restorative Yoga & Sound Immersion with Jen Jones, Studio Gaia, Edwardsville, Illinois, 1 p.m.

• Moonlight Hike, The Nature Institute, Godfrey, Illinois, 7 p.m.

• Holiday Snowman Pallet/Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, Painting with a Twist, Edwardsville, Illinois, 7 p.m.

• Next Generation Theatre It’s a Wonderful Life, Florissant Civic Center Theatre, Florissant, Missouri, 7:30 p.m.

• Coloring for Grown-Ups, Edwardsville Public Library, Edwardsville, Illinois, 2 - 4 p.m.

• Leading Ladies: Taste of Sofrito, Gateway

Review: LP, diminutive singer with big voice, lays it out

By Scott Stroud Associated Press LP, “Heart to Mouth” (BMG/Vagrant) There’s a reference to shape-shifting tucked into the lyrics of “When I’m Over You,” the second song on LP’s new album, “Heart to Mouth,” and it didn’t get there by accident.

Over the course of a dozen new songs, the diminutive singer works in enough different styles to draw comparisons to some of the world’s greats — and yet she doesn’t sound quite like any of them.

It works because LP is an enormous tal-

ent. Her heart-baring vulnerability makes this a rock-solid follow-up to the widelypraised “Lost on You” — and arrives in time to earn best-of consideration for 2018.

On “Dreamcatcher,” close your eyes and hear Stevie Nicks. On “Girls Go Wild,” the playfully bouncing bass line echoes early Madonna, but with better singing. And the show-stopping heartbreak ballad, “Recovery,” suggests Adele at her pour-it-on best.

The shape-shifting doesn’t end there.

Other cuts call to mind everything from the power-anthem R&B vibe of Beyonce to the smoldering vibrato of Grace Slick,

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 25

Flex, St. Louis, 5 - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 23

• The Art of Asana, Southtown Yoga, St. Louis, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

• Next Generation Theatre It’s a Wonderful Life, Florissant Civic Center Theatre, Florissant, Missouri, 2 p.m.

• Project Pet - Paint Your Pet Party, Pinot’s Palette, Webster Groves, Missouri, 3 - 6 p.m.

• Mark Sweeney, Funny Bone, St Louis, 7:30 p.m.

• Intro To Yoga + Meditation Series, Shanti Yoga, Maplewood, Missouri, 9 a.m.

• Mindful Movement, Blue Sky Yoga, St. Louis, 11 a.m.

• Beginner Yoga Series, The Studio, Staunton, Illinois, 9 a.m.

Monday, Dec. 24

• Vegan Christmas Dinner, Coffee with Christ, Belleville, Illinois, 3 - 6 p.m.

• Christmas Eve Candlelight Service & Kids Nativity, Net Community Church, Staunton, Illinois, 6 p.m.

• Christmas Carols, Candlelight & Hot Cocoa, Cornerstone Church, Bethalto, Illinois, 5 p.m.

• YPD LollapaJEWza, Westport Social, Maryland Heights, Missouri, 9 p.m.

• Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols, Brown Street Baptist Church, Alton, Illinois, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 25

• Re/Constructing Identity, Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries, St. Louis, 12 - 8 p.m., runs through Jan. 23 • Growing Up: International Vertical Gardens, Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries, St. Louis, 12 - 8 p.m., runs through Jan. 19 • The Immigrants: Works by Master Photographers, Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries, St. Louis, 12 - 8 p.m., runs through Jan. 12 • Community Holiday Dinner, Pride St. Louis, St. Louis, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

• Xtreme Bar Bingo, The Wild Turkey, Worden, Illinois, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 26

• Yoga + Kittens, Animal Protective Association of Missouri (APA), Brentwood, Missouri, 6:30 p.m.

• Geeks Who Drink Trivia, The Sliced Pint, St. Louis, 7:30 p.m.

• Yoga for Strength, Energy Yoga & Fitness, Highland, Illinois, 6 p.m.

• Trivia Night, Wellspent Brewing Co., St. Louis, 7 p.m.

• Deschutes Brewery Beer School, BeerSauce Shop, St. Peters, Missouri, 7:30 p.m.

• Family Night with Fredbird, Cardinals Nation, St. Louis, 5 p.m.

• Tenacious Trivia, The Old Bakery Beer Co., Alton, Illinois, 7 p.m.

the commanding Jefferson Airplane singer.

LP really is that good.

“Heart to Mouth” succeeds because she sings with such uncloaked passion and urgency. Her big voice conveys the same don’t-care-what-you-think confidence as the album’s cover photo, in which the singer slouches in an orange chair against an orange background, wearing an orange polyester suit that doesn’t entirely cover the sailing ship tattooed across her chest.

Sure, she may not care what you think. But she has put it all out there this time.

26 • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • On the Edge of the Weekend

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Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP Scenes from the WWI documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old,” directed by Peter Jackson.

Jackson drew on all the technical know-how of his big-budget spectacles to turn hundreds of hours of footage from the Western Front and audio of surviving soldiers into a seamless, unobstructed portrait of the war as seen from the British trenches. Jackson altered frame rates, colorized and turned 3-D the footage, even employing lip readers to capture dialogue.

On the Edge of the Weekend • Thursday, December 20, 2018 • 27

With blockbuster effects, Peter Jackson brings WWI to life

By Jake Coyle AP Film Writer NEW YORK — Peter Jackson has used digital wizardry to conjure J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth and King Kong’s 1930s New York, but he has now — in perhaps his most acclaimed film — employed all his technical powers to bring to life the Western Front of the first World War. Jackson’s “They Shall Not Grow Old” is the 57-year-old filmmaker’s first documentary. Commissioned by Britain’s Imperial War Museum to coincide with the centenary of the Armistice, Jackson assembled the film from more than 100 hours of footage from the front and 600 hours of audio interviews conducted in the 1960s with surviving British soldiers.

In the course of the five-year project, Jackson restored the heavily damaged, grainy footage, colorized it, stabilized the frame rates (many were only 13 frames per second, and could vary based upon how fast the cameraman was cranking) and transferred the film into 3-D. Along with adding battle sound effects, he even employed expert lip readers to recreate the unheard dialogue.

With the kind of technology usually employed on a big-budget spectacle, the fog of time lifted from the footage, revealing the soldiers anew.

“The people on the film became human beings again. Their humanity jumps out at you,” Jackson said in an interview. “Their faces and the subtle way they move and their expressions, you just realize you’re seeing you’re seeing these people for the first time in 100 years.”

“They Shall Not Grow Old,” which takes its name from the Laurence Binyon poem “For the Fallen,” has already played in the U.K., where it earned Jackson the best reviews of his career. “The effect is electrifying,” wrote the Guardian. “The faces are unforgettable.”

Fathom Events will screen the film in 500 theaters nationwide on Monday and again on Dec. 27 before a more traditional release from Warner Bros. beginning Jan. 11.

For Jackson, it’s the culmination of a passion project, one undertaken in part as a tribute to the New Zealand filmmaker’s grandfather, who fought in the war. The first three years of the project, edited at Jackson’s postproduction facility, Park Road Post, weren’t spent cutting anything together but sifting through the material and cleaning it up.

“We were just listening, listening, listening, making notes and finding what this film was going to be,” he says.

Startled by the clearness of the restoration, Jackson opted to impress as little as possible on the film. The only narration is that of the

This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows a scene from the WWI documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old.” soldiers recounting their experiences; even dates and locations of battles have been withheld to capture the view of the war from those in the trenches. “They only saw what was right in front of their eyes,” says Jackson.

The recollections of the British soldiers are surprisingly pragmatic and straightforward, lacking any sense of regret or self-pity. “They didn’t want that and they didn’t expect that,” says Jackson. “I don’t think they would really approve of the way we think of the first World War now.”

But the director is also quick to point out that the 120 men interviewed don’t reflect a universal story of the war. These are survivors, many of whom went on to have families and productive lives, looking back decades later. “If we had interviews from the millions of soldiers that were killed, they would tell a different story,” says Jackson.

Clarity has always been elusive in WWI, a war with puzzling beginnings and staggering loss of life that nevertheless became overshadowed in the popular imagination

by World War II. But the simple, unclouded lucidity of “They Shall Not Grow Old” offers a small window into the Great War. Jackson hopes it inspires young people to learn about WWI and archivists around the world to make similar restorations of historical film.

It’s also the first worthwhile 3-D film in some time. Jackson, who was at the forefront of the reintroduction of 3-D, still believes it

has value despite its cratered popularity.

“People are only losing interest in it because of the quality of the projection, to be honest with you,” he says, predicting that that will change with the advent of laser projection. “Everything that people don’t like about 3-D — and I agree with them, that feeling like you have sunglasses on while watching a film — that all goes away with laser projection.”

So “There Shall Not Grow Old” is, in some

ways, a characteristically Jackson film, with the notable exception that he wasn’t there to shoot any of it. Not that he minded.

“I don’t actually like being on set, particularly. I always regard that as being an arduous chore,” he says. “So in a way I was quite happy to skip over the shooting part of it. The boys on the Western Front a hundred years ago did all the hard work filming it, and I was able to go straight to the part I like the most.”

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HAUL ALMOST

C.S. LAWN CARE & SERVICES

ANYTHING/ EVERYTHING Remove Unwanted Debris From Basement Garage, Attic; Wherever!

VeRy ReAsonABle Retired Deputy Sheriff

692-0182

Home Improvement HOME IMPROVEMENTS Great rates, friendly attitudes, free est. Specializing in decks, siding, additions, baths, kitchens, flooring, tile work. No job too big or small.

(618)466-8578

CLIFF’S AFFORDABLE HOME REMODELING 39 Years Experience

Framing, Drywall/Tape/Paint Flooring Kitchen Cabinets/Countertops Siding/Soffit/Facia/Gutters Doors/Windows Powerwashing -Decks/Stairs Fire & Flood Restoration

ALL JOBS WELCOME

618

335 3330

Landscaping

Landscaping PRESTIGE LANDSCAPING & POWER WASHING

We Haul Anything

Owner: Scott Pritchard

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(618)520-4120

Leaf Removal Specialist

•Fall Leaf Removal •Retaining Walls •Landscape Removal/ Installation •Powerwashing (House, Fence & Decks) •Staining (Fences & Decks) •Bush Trimming •Seeding/Sodding •Driveway Rocking •Paver Patios / Sidewalks

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Lawn Care Specialist • Gutter Cleaning • Lawn Maintenance • Power Washing • Leaf Removal • Tree Trimming • Bush Trimming • Brush Removal • Insured Reasonable Rates FREE ESTIMATES

Owner On Every Job •Uniformed Employees •Fully Insured •Free Estimates

618-250-5025

KS Lg.wn & Lanascape Fall is Here, Keep the Leaves Clear!

LeafDisposal Removal ••Leaf • Yard Clean Up • Yard& Clean-up Disposal& Brush Removal • Leaf Curb Side • LeafPick Curb UpSide Pick Up

Commercial & Residential Instued & Licensed

Call for a FREE estimate!

618-531-0126

Painting & Wallpaper

JIM'S PAINTING & POWER WASHING Interior & Exterior 25 Years Experience •$100 off 3 or more Rooms

Huge Winter Discounts 40% Off Paint

We Paint, Stain, & Power Wash Houses, Mobile Homes, Fences, Decks, Garage, Pole Barns, Everything!

We'll make it look new again!

•Senior Discounts •Free Estimates •Fully Insured & Licensed

618-606-4693

Painting & Wallpaper

BRAVE

PAINTING Qu a Wo lity rk

• Wallpaper • Specialty Painting • Inside or Outside Work • Power Washing • Deck Refinishing

Call 444-0293 PAINTING

Interior/Exterior

Remodeling & Repairs

DECKS/FENCES Stain/Paint Powerwashing

• No job too small • Insured • Local • Will beat ALL competitors Written bids

DAN GRAY 656-8806 910-7874

Get the most

B A N G

for your buck...

Classifieds that work

Plumbing

ADVER TISE!

Roofing & Siding

NOLAN'S CONTRACTING

All exterior remodeling. Free estimates. No Money Down!

Lifetime Warranty, Licensed, Bonded, & Insured.

(618)910-2514 (618)377-6344

December 20, 2018 On the Edge of the Weekend 31

WEEKEND PROJECTS

HOME IMPROVEMENT Roofing • Siding Soffit • Fascia FREE ESTIMATES

Licensed, Insured & Bonded

(618)520-9473

RYAN CONSTRUCTION & ROOFING • Roofing • Gutters • Siding • Room Additions •Basement Remodel •Sun Porches Locally Established 1985 Storm Damage/ Insurance Claims Welcomed.

FREE ESTIMATES

(618)792-1300

618-208-0525 618-208-0545 ROB'S ROOFING All types of Roofing/Repairs.

For quick reliable service.

Free Estimates (618)259-0457 or (618)540-9604

Licensed, Insured & Bonded.

RYAN CONSTRUCTION & ROOFING • Roofing • Gutters • Room Additions •Basement Remodel •Siding •Sun Porches Locally Established 1985 Storm Damage/ Insurance Claims Welcomed.

FREE ESTIMATES

• Fully Insured •Free Fire Wood & Wood Chips •Free Estimates •Master Card, Visa, & Discover Accepted • A+ Rated With Better Business Bureau www.allantreeservice.com

(618)254-7507

Tree Service

Tree Service

DEX’S

Don's Tree Service •Tree Removal

TREE SERVICE •Fully Insured •83’ Backyard Crawler-Fits through 3’ gate •Tree Trimming •Tree Removal •Stump Removal •Storm Clean-up •Bush Trimming •Crane Service

•Topping / Trimming •Brush Clean Up Fully Insured • Free Estimates 28 Years Experience

618-462-8243 Tree Service

Free Estimates www.dexstreeservice.com

FREEDOM TREE SERVICE Fully Insured • Free Estimates Reasonable Rates Quality Workmanship 30 Years Experience Contact Chad (618) 520-7168

618-977-5037

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Lenhardt Tree & Lawn Service

WINTER SPECIALS SPRING SPECIALS

(618)792-1300

• Licensed! Free Estimates!

• Senior Discounts!

• 20 Years Experience!

• Workman’s Comp & Liability Insurance!

• Bucket Truck!

• Stump Removal!

618-463-0455

Licensed, Insured & Bonded

Tree Service

Read more Read the Newspaper

Mu

y

Free Estimates Licensed • Bonded Liability & Workers Comp Insurance

Tree Service

Tree Service Bills Tree Service Big Tree Specialist Stump Removal Shrub Trimming

We do it all for less!

We are the best!

We will beat anyone’s prices!

(618)535-1773 (800)668-2556 billstreetrimming.com

Tree Service ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

STEVE GODFREY STUMP REMOVAL

---------- 4 Machines Available ----------------- Full Time 7 Days A Week --------

Call (618)466-4711 Text (618)910-1372

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

rphy ’s

RIVERBEND

OUTDOOR SERVICES

• Tree Trimming • Tree Removal • Bucket Truck • Stump Removal • Fully Insured • Free Estimates • Driveway Rock • Skid Loader Service

E BEST PRIC ED! GUARANTE

CALL/TEXT/E-MAIL Riverbendoutdoor.com

407 - TREE

80628541

DON FORBES

Roofing & Siding

Core

Roofing & Siding