Issuu

December 18, 2013

July 13, 2011

Vol 13 No 28

Happy Holidays

Recipe

Upside-Down Apple Cake

Around Town

Teddy Bears for Salvation Army

Christmas fireworks in O’Fallon’s Celebration of Lights photo by Barry Gaston

Enjoy these holiday community events All over St. Charles County, your neighbors are celebrating the holidays together. Join in the fun at one of these Christmas-themed events. Happy holidays to all our readers from the staff of Community News. A Christmas Comedy December 22 – Doors open at 5:30, Dinner at 6 pm The Grand Opera House – 311 N. Main Street Again, for your pleasure, The Grand Opera House Banquet Center is bringing Dinner Theater back to Main Street in Saint Charles,. Come see this beautiful 1880s establishment. For reservations and information, please visit www. ohbanquets.com. Christmas Eve Service at Main Street Church December 24 at 6pm Main Street Chapel at 116 N. Main Street Main Street Church invites you to round out your family’s Christmas tradition by attending our Christmas Eve service. For more information, please call 636.395.0115, email hello@churchonmain.com, or visit www.churchonmain. com. Christmas Trains and Treasures Now thru December 24, Wednesday thru Friday from Noon - 3pm, Saturday and Sunday from Noon - 5 pm Frenchtown Heritage Museum at 1121

Listing courtesy Christmas Traditions

N. Second Street A festive train display including a Victorian winter scene and various other themes. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children (ages 3 to 12 years). For more information, please call 636.724.2106. Christmas with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. of the 5th Dimension December 20 at 8pm, December 21 at 2pm Lindenwood’s J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts at 2300 West Clay For complete details and tickets, please call the Box Office at 636.949.4433, or visit www.lindenwoodcenter.com or www.telecharge.com. Lunch with Santa December 21 at Noon - 2 pm Tony’s on Main at 132 N. Main Street Have lunch at Tony’s and take your own picture with Santa. For more information, please call 636.940.1960 or visit www.tonysonmain.com. Miss Aimee B’s Annual Christmas Dinners December 18 and 20 with 5:30 and 7:30pm seatings Miss Aimee B’s Tea Room – 837 First Capitol Drive Shop and dine in this 1865 Victorian National Register Home. Reservations required. For more information, please call 636.946.4202 or visit www.missaimeeb.com.

O’Fallon’s Celebration of Lights Now thru December 30 (closed on December 10 and 25) – Sunday and Tuesday thru Thursday – 6 - 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 6 - 10 pm Fort Zumwalt Park – 1000 Jessup Drive, O’Fallon Cruise through a park transformed into a winter wonderland by a million twinkling lights and holiday scenes, with surprises around every corner. Prices: $9/ car, $15/commercial van, $1/person or $25/minimum on tour buses. For specialty rides or more information, visit www. ofallon.mo.us/col or call 636.379.5614.

School

Biomedical Teacher of the Year

Sports

Mascot Game

Frozen photo courtesy of Disney

Movie

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Around Town

December 18, 2013 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

Vol. 15 No. 51

In This Issue... 2

Around Town New Year’s Eve at Rec-Plex and more good news and events

Lincoln County Life EMT classes

Business O’Fallon Chamber awards and more business news

School Francis Howell wins and more school news

Movie About Frozen, Steve Bryan writes, “This charming film feels as if the Disney folks tried too hard to create a by-the-numbers hit.”

Sports and Learn & Play Local sport authority Gary B fills you in on the weekend’s sporting events.

Recipes A Modern Spin on a Holiday Classic

What’s Happening the only events calendar you need to stay entertained all week long

Classifieds

Over the Fence Joe Morice is to Community News readers what Wilson was to Tim Taylor: enjoy a fresh perspective from our in-house blue-collar philosopher.

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/mycnews

FREE Online Subscription

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Candidate Filing O’Fallon’s April 2014 Municipal Election The first day of filing Declarations of Candidacy for the City of O’Fallon’s April 8, 2014 election opened on Tuesday, December 17 at the O’Fallon Municipal Centre (City Hall), 100 North Main Street, O’Fallon. Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted at the West City Hall entrance on the first day of filing, only, from 8am – 5pm. After that date, filing will be held in the City Clerk’s office on the third floor of City Hall. Filing will continue until 5pm on Tuesday, January 21. The April 8, 2014, election is being held to elect one City Council representative from each of O’Fallon’s five wards to serve three year terms,

and one member to fill an open seat and represent Ward 5 for a two-year term. Candidates will appear on the April 8, 2014, ballot in the order in which each filed. Each candidate must file in person, and a $25 fee must accompany each Declaration of Candidacy filed with the City Clerk. Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted until 5pm on Tuesday, January 21, 2014. For more information regarding the Declaration of Candidacy, contact O’Fallon’s City Clerk, Pam Clement, at 636.379.5555 or pclement@ ofallon.mo.us.

Beware Mail Offers for Deed Copies St. Charles County Recorder of Deeds Barbara J. Hall urges county residents to be wary of private offers to provide copies of public records. Recently, several property owners in St. Charles County received letters from companies offering an official, certified copy of their deed for $83.00. These companies obtain the certified copies from the Recorder’s Office for a nominal fee and then

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charge the homeowner a fee that is significantly more than obtaining certified copies of deeds directly from the Recorder’s Office. Since most property deeds are only one or two pages long, the cost for directly obtaining certified copies from the Recorder’s Office will usually cost less than $5.00 - fees are $2 for the first page, $1 for each additional page, plus $1 for certification. Hall said that most property owners received their original property deed when their property was purchased, but if they no longer have the original they may contact the Recorder of Deeds office to purchase a certified copy of it for their records. “I am concerned about companies deceitfully trying to take advantage of our citizens. If anyone receives one of these letters, I would urge them to ignore it and contact my office directly for this service,” added Hall. For information or to obtain a copy of your property deed, visit the St. Charles County Recorder’s Office in the St. Charles County Administration Building at 201 N. Second St, Suite 338, St. Charles, or call 636.949.7509.

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • December 18, 2013

Around Town

Your Child Can Explore the Rec-Plex All Night Long at the New Year’s Eve Lock-in It’s a New Year! Time sure does fly … especially when you’re having fun at the St. Peters Rec-Plex. Kids can ring in the New Year at the Rec-Plex’s New Year’s Eve Lock-in and enjoy swimming, diving, ice skating, basketball, fun games and more. The chaperoned event for kids ages 8-13 begins at 7pm on Monday, December 31, 2013, and goes all night long until 7am on New Year’s Day. Games will include broomball on the ice, basketball shooting contests and New Year’s Eve Lock-in photo courtesy of the St. Peter’s Rec Plex more. The Rec-Plex swimming pools include a waterslide, current channel, water will be subject to a late charge of $15 per child. play features and diving boards. The Lock-in will No registrations will be taken at the door. Kids be fully staffed, including lifeguards in the pool must be picked up from the Rec-Plex by 7am on area. Everyone will ring in the New Year with a January 1 to avoid a late pickup fee. midnight balloon drop. Kids can bring pillows Parental authorization forms also must be and sleeping bags to sleep during the event. completed and submitted to the Rec-Plex to enAdvance registration is required. For Rec-Plex ter kids into the New Year’s Eve Lock-in. members, the event is FREE to GOLD PLUS Learn more at www.stpetersmo.net. Parental aumembers and just $25 for Rec-Plex annual mem- thorization forms are also available on the website. bers. For non-members, the fee is $50 for St. Peters residents and $60 for the general public. The New Year’s Eve Lock-in is one of Invites you and your family to many Rec-Plex classes and projoin ours in celebrating Christ’s birth! grams that are FREE to Rec-Plex GOLD PLUS members. The Finish Line café will have food and drink for purchase during the event. To register, call 636.939.2FUN, ext. 1400, or come to the RecPlex, 5200 Mexico Rd., before December 31. On December 31, late registrations will be accepted until 7400 South Outer 364 - West of Hwy K at Winghaven/Bryan • 636.561.4347 • www.dpc4u.org www.dpc4u.org 1pm, if space is available, and

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Vatterott College in St. Charles collected 3,562 items for the O.A.S.I.S. Food Pantry. The Electrical program won an intraschool competition by collecting over 1,100 items. The O.A.S.I.S Pantry has been serving the St. Charles community for the past 21 years. The pantry serves approximately 600 families a month including single parent households, working families, those with disabilities and those living on a fixed income. O.A.S.I.S is run by volunteers from a group of churches throughout St. Charles County and will help any needy resident of St. Charles.

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Around Town

December 18, 2013 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

St. Peters to Prune Trees in Right-of-Way St. Peters residents in the City’s Ward 3 may notice workers out in front of their homes between December and March pruning trees in the right-of-way for vehicle and pedestrian clearance as well as clearance from signs and lights. Residents may recall a Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) Grant the City received last year to conduct a tree inventory from the Missouri Department of Conservation. This pruning work was generated from results of the tree inventory conducted earlier this year as part of the TRIM Grant.

Christmas to the Missouri Veterans Home

On December 1, members of Unity Church of Light—that quaint-looking church nestled in the center of a St. Charles subdivision—welcomed the Advent season by bringing teddy bears with them to church. These traditional symbols of love and comfort for children received blessings from Reverend Le Remington as the entire congregation held the bears throughout the service to infuse them with love. Reverend Le delivered the teddy bears with cards bearing messages of love and comfort tied around their necks with red yarn to the Salvation Army where Captain Laura Key welcomed them with open arms.“

Members of the Caroline Close Stuart Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) delivered Christmas gifts to the Missouri Veterans Home located at 10600 Lewis Clark Blvd, St Louis, MO. The Veterans Home will pass out the gifts during their regular Christmas Party for the Veterans.

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The Veterans home at this location is just one of the seven homes operated in the state of Missouri. To be eligible for admission to a Missouri Veterans Home (RSMo Chapter 42), a Veteran during his or her lifetime must have lived in Missouri for 180 days, meet the criteria for Veteran status established by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and require institutional health care services. Members of the Chapter collected diabetic socks, note pads, pens, diabetic candy and gum, books, magazines as well as personal care items under the leadership of the DAR Service for Veterans Committee and Chairman, Marion Waters. With nearly 200 residents at this location, each veteran received a wrapped gift box along with a Christmas card signed by the Chapter members. Valued at over $1,500, the Chapter also regularly supports many other Veterans projects throughout the year. For more information about the DAR contact Regent, Karen Wisner at 314.772.9486. You may also find information about the local DAR chapter on the web at www.mssdar.org/ccstuart.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • December 18, 2013

St. Louis Green 2013 Holiday Light Recycling Drive St. Louis Green, in partnership with Walmart, is once again working to collect unwanted holiday lights. With over 300 collection sites, the partnership hopes to continue building off of last year’s success. According to St. Louis Green founder, Craig Jung, “Our goal this year is 136,000 pounds of lights diverted from local landfills.” Once collected, the lights will be recycled and sent back to manufacturers to be used in new products. A portion of the drive proceeds will go to Operation Food Search, a St. Louis area food bank. The 2013 drive will be returning to Springfield, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, and the Metro East area of Illinois and this year expanding to Branson. The collection sites, including over 75 participating Walmart locations, can be found at www.stlouisgreen.com. Lights can be dropped off at the Walmart locations through December 29, and all other locations through January 12. Last year, the drive received two statewide awards. The Missouri Recycling Association honored both St. Louis Green and Walmart with its Outstanding Collection Program award. In addition, the Missouri Waste Control Coalition gave the retailer and non-profit organization its Outstanding Achievement award for Environmental Stewardship.

Around Town

Quilt Stitches Together a Young Life with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Diagnosed with T1D (type 1 diabetes) at the age of three, Lake St. Louis native Grant Starnes is now 11 and participates every year in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. His Walk team - Grant Me This – designs a new t-shirt every year. Proud maternal grandmother Jackie Toth took nine shirts from past Walks and made a beautiful quilt for Grant and his parents, Diana and Chris. What the family really wants this holiday season is a cure for Grant and millions of people who suffer from T1D. For diabetes education, motivation and inspiration, please contact JDRF Greater Missouri and Southern Illinois Chapter at 314.729.1846 or www.stl.jdrf.org.

Pictured L to R: Proudly showing off the Grant-inspired quilt are Jackie Toth and Diana Starnes.

Espino’s is Now Open In O’Fallon! Join us for Fresh Mexican Food in O’Fallon for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Our Gift Cards make great stocking Our private label stuffers! Maestro Dobel Tequila makes a great gift! 840 Bryan Road near Hwy 70 Open 7 days a week www.espinosmexicanbargrill.com 636-272-9001 espinosmexicanbargrill.com

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Around Town

December 18, 2013 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

Spring EMT Class Forming Now Lincoln County Ambulance District’s (LCAD) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) School is now accepting students for their yearly EMT class. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians recognizes LCAD as an accredited school that produces highly trained basic life support EMTs. This course also prepares students for the next step in becoming a paramedic. The program begins in January and meets each week on Monday and Thursday from 6-10pm and runs approximately five months. Some Saturday classes will be necessary. The class produces exceptionally competent life saving EMT’s ready to work in the field and is filling up quickly. For more information, please call Chief Medical Officer Linda Freymuth at 636.528.8489 or use the contact page online at www.lcad.net.

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Business O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce Honors Outstanding Businesses and Business Leaders The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize some of the outstanding businesses and leaders in our community. For several months, chamber members were asked to submit nominations for the awardees. A panel of members bestowed the awards at the December 17 Awards luncheon of the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce to be held at the Christy Banquet Center. The Sue Proost O’Fallon Chamber Person of the Year is awarded to an O’Fallon Chamber member who has given back to the O’Fallon Community and the Chamber of Commerce through their leadership, dedication and volunteerism. Cindy Elking, owner of Quintessential Catering, was honored with this prestigious award. Community News will be honored as the 2013 Small Business of the Year. Community News has a long standing relationship with the O’Fallon community and the Chamber of Commerce. Community News staff members are known as huge supporters of local businesses and non-profits, volunteering their time and talent to support the business community and community as a whole.

Krey Distributing will be honored as the O’Fallon Chamber Business of the Year. Krey was nominated for their long term support of the Chamber and the community including their financial support of BackStoppers and their Waves of Honor program. The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize Firestone as the 2013 Large Business of the Year. They are involved with over 100 local non-profit organizations, offering free and discounted products and service to benefit the organizations. The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize the St. Charles CityCounty Library District as its Community Servant of the Year. The library district, one of the great gems of our community, continues to provide resources for all areas of our community serving nonprofits in their Non-Profit Center, businesses in their Business Management Center, and of course, residents. Being honored as the Ambassador of the Year is Greg Kinder. As the first line of contact with the membership of the O’Fallon Chamber the Ambassadors strengthen the membership and programming of the Chamber allowing members a welcoming atmosphere to build relationships and their business. For more information, please contact the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce, 636.240.1818.

This Month’s Shelter: Stray Rescue of St. Louis 2320 Pine Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 • 314.771.6121 • www.StrayRescue.org If you’ve adopted a new family member that you saw in Community News, send us a picture of you and your new pal. Also include a brief story about your pet’s background and how they’re doing now. We’d love to share your happy story with other readers! Community News, 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr., O’Fallon, MO 63366 or editor@ mycnews.com.

The U.S. Humane Society estimates 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year, and 3 to 4 million are euthanized. Please do your part to control overpopulation and to limit the number of unwanted animals. SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS!

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • December 18, 2013

Business

MTM Honored for Growth and Success with Business Spotlight Award MTM, based in Lake Saint Louis has been honored with the Business Spotlight Award from the Economic Development Roundtable of St. Charles County for the company’s continued growth and success as an innovative healthcare and transportation management company partnering with clients in 28 states and the District of Columbia. Founded in 1995 by Peg and Lynn Griswold as Medical Transportation Management, MTM was born out of the need for centralized management of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services. Helping the disabled, elderly, and other transportation disadvantaged populations with their transit needs is the core of their operations. The company’s clients include state and county governments, Medicaid and Medicare managed care organizations (MCO), thirdparty administrators, and health care providers. A privately-held Woman-owned Business Enterprise (WBE) with eight call centers and offices across the country, MTM has more than 1,200 employees and will realize $185 million of revenue in 2013.

“MTM is a testament to what local entrepreneurs can achieve when they provide a high-quality, cost-effective service that meets a critical need,” said Lake Saint Louis Assistant City Administrator Eric Sterman. “We are proud to have MTM as one of the largest and fastest growing companies headquartered along the Interstate 64 high tech corridor in Lake Saint Louis.” Each month a different company in St. Charles County is selected for the Business Spotlight Award by the Economic Development Roundtable (EDR) based on criteria such as entrepreneurial success, job growth, economic impact, and civic involvement. The EDR is a standing committee of the Economic Development Center (EDC) of St. Charles County with the local cities, St. Charles County Government, and the St. Charles County Department of Workforce Development. For more information about MTM, please visit mtm-inc.net or call 636.561.5686. For more information about the EDC’s Economic Development Roundtable, call 636.441.6880 or visit edcscc.com.

Client Services Adding 300 New Jobs Client Services Incorporated, one of the largest employers in St. Charles County, is launching a hiring initiative to add 300 fulltime account representatives and 100+ parttime positions over the next six (6) months. Founded in 1987, CSI is a locally-owned, multi-faceted call center with clients in the financial services, healthcare, customer care, and utilities industries. CSI’s President Ron Langford said “This is exciting news for our company. The positions we are hiring for will include a competitive salary with production bonus opportunities, and benefits.” Executive Vice President Scott Lindley added, “Having just celebrated Veterans Day, the timing of this announcement couldn’t be better. We want to reiterate CSI’s support of our troops and veterans, and openly encourage those with past military service experience to apply.” CSI offers paid training, benefits, competitive hourly rates with bonus production opportunities, and is conveniently located off of I-70 in St. Charles County. The company has set up a recruiting hotline at 855.713.

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JOBS for potential applicants wishing to learn more. Individuals can also apply online at www. clientservices.com.

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School

December 18, 2013 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

Timberland’s Meghan Aydelott Named Outstanding Biomedical Teacher of the Year Timberland High School science teacher Meghan Aydelott has received the Missouri Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Outstanding Biomedical Teacher Award for 2013. Aydelott was selected for the award based on her dedication to implementing, growing and improving Wentzville’s Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program since its inception in 2011. Aydelott organized the first WSD Biomedical Career Fair in April of 2013 and hundreds of students had the opportunity to attend sessions conducted by area biomedical professionals. Aydelott also founded a chapter of the Health Occupations Student Association (HOSA) at Timberland

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High School last fall. HOSA’s two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. During the chapter’s first year, more than a dozen students qualified to compete at the HOSA Nationals, with several students finishing in the top ten in their respective categories. Earlier this year Holt and Timberland became the first high schools in St. Charles County to receive national certification for their BMS Program. PLTW offers a hands-on curriculum in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) that allows students to apply what they are learning in math and science class to real life science and technology projects. BMS students explore the concepts of human medicine and are introduced to topics such as physiology, genetics, microbiology and public health, and BMS helps to prepare them for careers

in medical and health-related fields. Certification of the BMS Program provides students who pass the end of course assessment with the opportunity to apply for college credit or receive college-level recognition at more than 40 PLTW affiliate universities across the country.

Francis Howell Receives Eighth Meritorious Budget Award For the eighth consecutive year, the Francis Howell School District has won the Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International. The award is conferred only to school systems that have met or exceeded the Meritorious Budget Award criteria. No other organization or award program is specifically designed to enhance school budgeting and honor a school system for

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a job well done. The award was for the 2013-2014 budget, prepared by Kevin Supple, Chief Financial Officer, with assistance from Cindy Reilmann, Director of Finance and the finance department staff. The 2013-2014 budget includes over 400 pages and contains not only the official budget, but also background and summary materials. The budget material is presented via narratives, charts, and graphs to aid in understanding. All material is prepared and released with the preliminary budget to ensure that both the Board of Education and the public have complete information as they discuss and make crucial decisions on programming and staffing for the coming year. The final document is adjusted and revised to reflect any changes made in the preliminary budget. Virtually hundreds of hours go into the final document. The ASBO reviewers noted that Francis Howell illustrated a great use of charts and graphs throughout the document and did an excellent job of informing the reader on the District’s current and projected financial status. The document was described as user-friendly for the average taxpayer with data presented in different formats to meet the needs of varied users. The Meritorious Budget Awards Program was designed by ASBO International and school business management professionals to enable school business administration to achieve excellence in budget presentation. The program helps school systems build a solid foundation in the skills of developing, analyzing, and presenting a budget. The Association of School Business Officials International, founded in 1910, is the highest standards of school business management practices, professional growth, and the effective use of educational resources. The District’s budget can be found by visiting the Finance Department’s web page at fhsd. sharpschool.net/departments/ finance/budget/.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • December 18, 2013

Movie

“Frozen”

By Steve Bryan - Rated: PG

After a long animation dry mind those great tunes from past Disney hits. spell, the Walt Disney Studios Jonathan Groff also brings some warm romantic mostruck cinematic gold in 1989 with The Little Mermaid. ments to the story as the voice of Kristoff, a good-heartThe Disney folks took Hans Christian Andersen’s classic ed ice salesman. Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven acfairy tale, added songs and a singing crab and the result company Anna into the frozen wilderness to find her was magical. That musical adventure started a new Dis- missing sister. Sparks fly between them, but Anna stays ney cartoon dynasty that continued for years. focused on finding her sibling. Frozen, Walt Disney’s latest animated offering, conThe jury is still out, though, on Olaf (voice of Josh tains the same elements that made Little Mermaid and Gad), the funny snowman who appears in most Frozen Beauty and the Beast such instant classics: memorable advertisements. Olaf is an interesting character, but his songs, engaging characters, and witty dialogue. Yet, this presence in the story feels a little forced. Olaf is funny, charming film feels as if the Disney folks tried too hard but not as memorable as one would have hoped. to create a by-the-numbers hit. Frozen is a good animated film that falls far short of Still, a movie studio cannot go completely wrong with Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel providing the voices of two royal sisters. Menzel plays Elsa, the eldest daughter and the next person in line for the throne of Arendelle. Elsa also possesses the ability to freeze things, but she doesn’t have perfect control of her powers. After a frigid near-tragedy involving her sister Anna (Bell), Elsa’s parents encourage her to hide those abilities from the world. Unfortunately, when it comes time for her to take the throne, she puts Arendelle into a deep freeze. Elsa flees the kingdom and heads off to find her destiny. Frozen is worth the price of admission simply for the songs www.ofallonmoderndentistry.com performed by Menzel and Bell. These tunes are beautifully executed and help move the story along. Menzel stops the show, though, with “Let It Go,” Elsa’s personal declaration of independence. It’s a song that will bring to

great. Still, it is not a bad Disney effort and one that contains decent life lessons for the kids. Frozen, rated PG for some action and mild rude humor, curently is playing in theaters. 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 wideeyed kid who spent countless hours watching classic movies at neighborhood theaters.

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December 18, 2013 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

Sports

Gary Baute Ambush Have Special Halftime Game The St. Louis Ambush professional indoor soccer team play in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) with their home field at the Family Arena. The team has won two of the five games played this season. On Sunday December 29 at home against the Syracuse Silver Knights, the club will feature a mascot game at halftime of their regulation game. Among the mascots already signed to participate are Ambush’s own Bushwhacker, Fredbird from the St. Louis Cardinals, Ram-

SUDOKU:

page from the St. Louis Rams, Louie from the St. Louis Blues, Shiver from the St. Charles Chill, as well as mascots from local colleges and many more. Mascot games have been previously presented by other Major Indoor Soccer League teams. These contests typically feature chaotic fun, surprises and excellent entertainment for the fans. Go to www.StLouisAmbush. com for all the details. *Always a fun time

Santa and Mrs. Claus to Attend Chill Game Tonight: Wednesday The St. Charles Chill is playing in their inaugural year in the Central Hockey League with home games at the Family Arena. The Chill with a Fill in the blank squares in the grid, making record of 6-13-4 will host the Quad City Malsure that every row, column and 3-by-3 box lards and will have special guests at the game. includes all the digits 1 through 9. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be on the concourse available to listen to wishes from young and young at heart. Go to www.StCharlesChill.com for all the details. *Make your list River City Rascals Organization Picks Up Hardware The River City Rascals were awarded by Community Living, Inc. as their Organization of the Year recently at their annual Athlete’s Sports Banquet at Old Hickory Golf Club in St. Peters. The award is given to one organization each year that has supported and positively affected the clients Community Living serves. *155 days until opening day

Rams Knock Off First-Place Team With no chance for playoff hopes, the St. Louis football Rams took the field in front of their hometown fans and dominated the league leading New Orleans Saints with a 27-16 victory. The team scored the majority of their points in the first half starting with a 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kellen Clemens to tight end Cory Harkey four minutes into the game. Clemens connected with tight end Lance Kendricks with a 4-yard pass, and after both touchdowns place kicker Greg Zuerlein converted the extra points making the score 14-0 ending the first quarter. Both teams traded field goals early in the second quarter with Zuerlein nailing a 31-yarder. With four minutes left in the half running back Zac Stacy rambled 40-yards and with the extra point both teams went to the locker room with the Rams leading 24-3. Stacy ended the game with 133-yards rushing with a high probability of attaining a 1000 yards for the year as a rookie. Two interceptions by the Rams and an onside kick kept the momentum entirely on their side to this point. The home team ended their scoring for the evening with a 35-yard field goal by Zuerlein ending the third quarter. *Next Sunday is the last home game 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 season, and co-hosted SportsRadioSTL.com, among many other activities. Currently he broadcasts a radio show on 590 ‘The Man’ and 1380 ‘The Woman.’

Oldest Pick:

See solution on page 13

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Community News is proud to offer our readers “Book Buzz.” This column will feature great books for children in three categories: Youngest Pick: early childhood to the first or second grade, Middle Pick: elementary school children, and Oldest Pick: middle school children. Enjoy!

“The Real Boy”

Wizardry and magic collide in The Real Boy, a fantasy by Anne Ursu, with more plot twists than a black cat’s tail. Caleb is “the only true magician” in the kingdom of Aletheia. Oscar, an orphan boy is his helper, a rung lower on the ladder than Wolf, a cruel boy who abuses Oscar while serving as Caleb’s apprentice. Whenever Caleb’s back is turned, Wolf belittles Oscar, who’s a bit slow in regard to social graces, but is brilliant at concocting potions from plants he gathers. There’s a great demand for these mixtures — the “shining people, who live within the city walls of Asteri, come to Caleb’s shop seeking the tinctures, cures for all that ails. Once magic flourished in Aletheia, back when the wizards walked, but they’ve since died; their feet planted firmly in the soil they were transformed into wizard trees. Now the “shining people” depend on Caleb, until the day the earth under Oscar’s feet is shaken, when greed prevails and magic is threatened. The responsibility for saving the kingdom falls to Oscar, a bumbling boy, and his friend, Callie. Their escapades lay bare ancient secrets in a book with drawings by Erin McGuire that’s chock-full of excitement, and lessons learned.

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www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • December 18, 2013

Recipes:

A Modern Spin on Holiday Classics

Traditional goodies always add a touch of sweetness to the holidays. Updates to some of your favorite holiday classics help keep family traditions alive while incorporating creative and on-trend ingredients. Everyone knows fruitcakes have long been a holiday tradition, and new and improved versions of this timeless treat are making a festive comeback, causing many holiday guests to go back for seconds.

A modern take on a Christmastime classic, this luscious two-layer upside-down apple cake, studded with whiskey-soaked fruits and filled with sweetened mascarpone, will be the belle of any holiday ball. To learn about all of Betty Crocker’s Red Hot Holiday Trends, for information on Betty’s Holiday Helpline and for more great recipes, visit www.BettyCrocker.com/redhot.

Upside-Down Apple Cake with Whiskey-Soaked Fruit Prep Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes • Start to Finish: 4 Hours • Yield: 16 servings Ingredients: For Fruit Cake 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots 2 teaspoons grated orange peel 3 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon 3 red apples, unpeeled, quartered, cored, very thinly (1/4 inch) sliced 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix 1 cup water 3/4 cup slivered almonds, finely ground 1/3 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger For Toppings 1/4 cup apple jelly 2 ounces (from 8-ounce container) mascarpone cheese, softened 1/2 cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon sugar Fresh cranberries and orange slices, if desired

Grind the slivered almonds in small food processor, or very finely chop with knife. Garnish with toasted, sliced almonds, if desired. Tips Make it ahead and save some time! Prepare the dried fruit the night before, or bake the cake layers, and whip up (and refrigerate) the topping a day early. Put the cake together the day you serve it for best results. This layered cake can also be made as two single layer cakes for smaller gatherings. Skip the stacking of the layers and place a single cake layer, apple side up, on a cake stand. Top the cake with a dollop of the sweet cream topping, and garnish with cranberries and orange slices.

Directions: In medium bowl, mix dried cranberries, apricots, orange peel and bourbon. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or overnight. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously grease bottom and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans with shortening. Line bottom of each pan with cooking parchment paper. Grease parchment paper with shortening. Line bottom and side of each pan with overlapping apple slices, cutting slices as necessary to line side of each pan.

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In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, ground almonds, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in soaked dried fruit and ginger. Gently pour into pans over apple slices. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately turn pans upside down to release cakes onto cooling racks.

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In small microwavable bowl, microwave apple jelly uncovered on High 15 to 30 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until hot. Brush over apples on top and side of each cake to make shiny. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, whipping cream and sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. On serving plate, place one cake, apple side up. Top with whipped cream mixture. Gently place remaining cake layer on top of cream, apple side up. Garnish with fresh cranberries and orange slices. Cut into slices with serrated knife. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cake.

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What’s Happening

December 18, 2013 • Community News - St. Charles County • www.mycnews.com

Send your event to editor@mycnews.com and we'll print it! EVENTS Now: Looking for Crisis Nursery Holiday Angels For the 2013 Holiday Hearts Campaign. Join our effort and grant holiday wish list items to deserving children and families in need. Supporters may choose to sponsor a family or purchase items off of the Crisis Nursery Holiday Wish List. www.crisisnurserykids.org, 314.292.5770. December 19: Act Two Theatre Performance 7pm at 1 St. Peters Centre Blvd., St. Peters. Featuring family favorites from Forever Plaid and 9 to 5: The Musical. $5. info@act2theater.com. December 20: The Ambassadors of Lake Saint Louis Bringing Christmas Cheer

10:45-11:45am at Lake Saint Louis City Hall. December 20: The Ambassadors of Lake Saint Louis Bringing Christmas Cheer 12-2pm at Lake Saint Louis Schnucks. December 21: Deck The Paws Adoption Event 10am - 5pm at St. Charles County Pet Adoption Center, 4850 Mid Rivers Mall Drive, St. Peters. Door prizes, raffles and goody bags for the first 50 adopters. Info: 636.949.PETS (7387). January 6: Registration for Lake Saint Louis Youth Baseball and Softball league www.lakesaintlouis.com; click on Parks and Recreation, Youth Baseball/Softball or call 636.561.4620. $73/Resident, $94/Non-resident. $10

Ongoing Events

Embroiderer’s Guild of America 7pm at the Ladue Chapel. Info: www. showmestitchers.com.

1st Monday: Gardeners of St. Charles County Monthly Meeting 6:30pm. Location varies. 314.304.7480.

4th Tuesday: O’Fallon Garden Club. 6:30pm at Sunrise Methodist Church, 7116 Twin Chimney Blvd. Info: Barb at 636.978.5930.

Every Wednesday: Active Older Adults Game Day at the O’Fallon Family YMCA 10am Free. Bring a favorite snack to share. Anybody welcome.

4th Monday: American Legion Post 388 Meets 6:30 pm at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 8945 Vets. Mem. Pkwy. 636.219.0553.

Every Tuesday: Kiwanis Club of St. Charles Noon - 1 pm at the Columns Banquet Center in St. Charles.

Every Wednesday: Crossroads Cribbage Club 10am Meets at 1380 Boone St., Troy, MO 63379. 636.528.8379.

Every Tuesday: Quilting Guild at the O’Fallon Family YMCA 1-4pm Free. Quilt for local charities. No sewing experience required.

Every Wednesday: Men’s Golf League 5pm, tee off at 5:30 pm at Heritage of Hawk Ridge. www.lakesaintlouis. com, under the parks and recreation section.

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Every Monday: St. Peters Rotary Club Noon at St. Peters City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Blvd. www.stpetersrotary.org. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Fitness First Exercise Classes 9:30-10:30am, American Legion Hall, 504 Luetkenhaus Blvd., Wentzville. 314.369.6521. 1st Tuesday: Fleur de Lis Garden Society 6:30pm at the Kisker Road Library, 1000 Kisker Road. Info: Jeanne at 314.605.8563. 2nd Tuesday: Show-me Stitchers

Every Tuesday: Toastmasters Meeting 7 pm at the Renaud Spirit Center, 2650 Tri Sports Circle, O’Fallon. Info: 636.379.2505. Every Tuesday & Thursday: Tai Chi at the St. Charles County Family YMCA 8-9am & 10:15-11:15am. No experience necessary. 636-928-1928. Tuesdays & Thursdays: Get Fit Exercise Classes 9-10am and 5:30-6:30pm at Immacu-

late Heart of Mary Church Hall, New Melle. 314.369.6521.

Every Wednesday: Charity Bingo 6:45pm VFW Post 5077 sponsors, at VFW Hall, 8500 Veterans Mem. Pkwy., O’Fallon. 636.272.1945 or www.vfwpost5077.org. 1st & 3rd Wednesday: St. Charles Area Wood Carvers 7pm at Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project, 7295 Hwy. 94 South, St. Charles. Visitors welcome! Every Thursday: Kiwanis Club of St. Peters 6:30am at IHOP (3851 Veteran’s Memorial Pkwy St. Peters). 636.328.4941. Every Thursday: Kiwanis Club of O’Fallon 11:45am Meets at JJ’s Restaurant in O’Fallon. Info: www.ofkiwanis.com.

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Every Thursday: O’Fallon Rotary Club Lunch Noon at The Holy Cross Lutheran Church (8945 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, across from Fort Zumwalt Park). Visitors welcome. 636.980.1777. Every Thursday: Yoga at The St. Charles County Family YMCA 7-7:55pm Any level. Info: 636.928.1928. 2nd & 4th Thursday: Alexander Chapter 242/Eastern Star St. Charles Masonic Lodge, 2051 Collier Corporate Parkway, St. Charles. 636.577.0056. Every Friday: Moms Play Group 10am at LSL Community Association, 100 Cognac Ct., Lake Saint Louis, MO 63367. 314.479.0306, andreacrislip@gmail.com or www.lslmothersclub.com.

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Every Friday: VFW Fish Fry 3-8pm VFW Post 2866. 66 VFW Lane. Call Bill Sams, 636.724.9612. Every Saturday: Chess 8-11am or later in the food court at Mid Rivers Mall in St. Peters. Every Saturday: Veterans Learn guitar for FREE 9:30am in Historic St. Charles. Info: Bill Dennis at 314.479.5750. Every Saturday: Peaceful Puppy Mill Protest 11am - 12:30pm at Petland, 6131 Ronald Reagan Drive, Lake St. Louis. banmo.puppymills@yahoo.com. Every Saturday: Charity Bingo 6:30pm, doors open at 4pm. Wentzville Community Club (500 West Main, Wentzville 63385). www.wentzvillefleamarket.org, www.facebook. com/wentzville-community-club.

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1st & 3rd Saturday: St. Peters Square Dance Club Dances 6:30pm. 1st United Methodist Church, 801 First Capital Dr. www. squaredancestcharles.com.

www.mycnews.com • Community News - St. Charles County • December 18, 2013 2nd Sunday: Moscow Mills Lions Breakfast 7am - noon, September - April. Moscow Community Center, Hwy C. $7/ adult, $4/child, under 6 free. www.eclubhouse.org/sites/moscowmills. 2nd Sunday: The Wheelers and Dealers Square Dance 7pm. Blanchette Park, 1900 W Randolph St. www.squaredancestcharles. com. CHURCH

abetes Prevention Program. Contact Joyce Hoth at 314-436-1177. Crisis Nursery Committed to preventing child abuse and neglect, the Crisis Nursery provides short-term, safe havens to children, birth through age 12, whose families are faced with an emergency or crisis. 24-hour helpline: 314.768.3201. Or 636.947.0600, www.crisisnurserykids.org Support Groups

Northside Church of Christ Free Correspondence Bible Course: Call for more information, 636.293.5030.

Daily: 12 Step Recovery Club 204 G West Pittman, O’Fallon. Info: Mike at 636.240.1722 or www.212club.org.

Operation Backpack: United Methodist Church, Wentzville Food to at-risk children over the weekend. 636.327.6377

Every Monday: BILY (Because I Love You) Parent Support Group 7:30pm at First United Methodist Church, 801 First Capitol Dr., St. Charles. For parents only. Free. Focus on teens/young adults who act out. Help Line 314.993.7550.

Every Tuesday: Ministry To Men: Men’s Introductory Bible Discussion Groups 7am at United Methodist Church, 725 N. Wall St., Wentzville. Groups are interdenominational and beginners as well as “old timers” are welcome. 636.698.5598 or 636.625.3447. 3rd Tuesday: Luncheon for Seniors 11am - 2pm at Transfiguration Episcopal Church, 1860 Lake St. Louis Blvd., 636.561.8951

1st & 3rd Mondays: Sharing Losses Through Bereavement 1-2:30pm. at SSM Home Care & Hospice, 1187 Corporate Lake Drive. Registration: 314.776.3627. Every Mon.: Tobacco Free for Life

Want to Quit Smoking? For support, call Ellen, register nurse at SSM St. Joseph Hospital, 636.947.5304. 1st Mon.: Better Breathers Club Those w/chronic lung disease. St. Joseph Health Cntr., 300 1st Capitol Dr., St. Charles. Free lunch. 636.947.5684. 3rd Monday: Walking for WellnessSTOP HEROIN Life After Loss Support Group 7-8:30pm at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, Medical Office Building, 6 Jungermann Circle, Ste. 212, St. Peters. Discuss loss of your loved one and heal. 314.630.9222 or geevigna@ charter.net. 12 Step Support Group for Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Meets in 4 locations in the metro St Louis area. metrostlouissia@gmail. com. • 1st and 3rd Monday: 9:30-11am 500 Medical Dr in Wentzville; doctors dining room of St Joseph Hospital; contact 636.561.0389. • 2nd and 4th Tuesday: 6:30-8pm 2 Progress Point Parkway in O’Fallon, MO; 4th floor conference room of Progress West Hospital; contact 636.561.0389.

What’s Happening

1st Tuesday: Parkinson’s Support Group 1-2pm at the Community Commons in Spencer Road Library. Info: Alicia Wildhaber at 636.926.3722. 4th Tues: Diabetes Support Group 6:30-7:30pm At HW Koenig Med Bldg, St Joseph Hosp. West. 636.625.5447 Every Wednesday: Co-Dependents (CODA) Anonymous Meeting 8pm, 2800 Elm St., St. Charles. Separate brick house behind church complex. Contact Julie at 636.397.8676. This meeting is for women only. 1st Wed: Missouri/Illinois Multiple Myeloma Support Group 10-11am at St. Joseph Medical Park: Education Room, 1475 Kisker Road, St. Charles. RSVP is appreciated at 636.447.9006 or hoss4twa@sbcglobal.net. 3rd Wed. 6:30–8 pm KidsCan! Siteman Cancer Center, BarnesJewish St. Peters Hosp., 150 Entrance Way, St. Peters. Support children 4–12 w/parent/significant caregiver w/cancer.

1st Thursday: Nurses & Company Parkinson’s Support Group 1-2pm at Twin Oaks at Heritage Pointe (228 Savannah Terrace, Wentzville) for those with Parkinson’s and their caregivers. Questions: Alicia Wildhaber with Nurses & Company at 636.926.3722. 1st Thurs: Conquer 6:30–7:30pm. Support Group for adults w/cancer. Siteman Cancer Cntr, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hosp., 150 Entrance Way, St. Peters. 636.916.9920. 2nd Thurs: Support Group for Alzheimer’s 4pm. Delmar Gardens, 7068 S. Outer 364, O’Fallon. Call: Jennifer Krpan, Ralph Covinsky 636.240.6100. 4th Thurs: Breast Cancer Support Group 6:30–8pm. Siteman Cancer Cntr, Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hosp., 150 Entrance Way. 636.928.WELL (9355) or 800.392.0936. www.siteman.bjsph. org.

2nd Wednesday: Noon Luncheon Shiloh United Methodist Church, 1515 Hwy T, Foristell, 636.673.2144. HEALTH Cancer Survivor Fitness Program Free for all cancer patients and survivors. A 12-week program with trained instructors to help participants regain energy and improve stamina. St. Charles County Family YMCA, 636-928-1928. Diabetes Self Management Training (DSMT) Available with a doctor’s order. 636.949.9600 or Patty Shelton at 636.947.5573.

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Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) A nutritional diagnostic therapy and counseling service held at SSM St. Joseph Health Center. Available with a doctor’s order only. Registration: 636.949.9600 Info: 636.947.5163. Free Mammogram Screenings SSM Health Care offers free mammogram screenings to women who have no health insurance. Appointments are available at SSM St. Joseph Health Center, 300 First Capitol Drive in St. Charles and SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, 100 Medical Plaza in Lake Saint Louis. Info: Karen at 636.947.5617. Diabetes Prevention Program Helping those at high risk for type 2 diabetes adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles to reduce chances of developing the disease. Held at participating YMCA’s throughout the St. Louis and St. Charles areas. This program is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-led National DiSudoku Solutions from page 10

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December 2013• •Community CommunityNews News- St. • Charles www.mycnews.com 18,18, 2013 County • www.mycnews.com 1414December

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NOVENA PRAYER TO ST. JUDE May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pray for us. St. Jude, Worker of Miracles, Pray for us. St. Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, Pray for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days, then publish. Your prayers will be answered. It has never been known to fail. Thank you, St. Jude. R.H.

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Over the Fence

Joe Morice

Santa and the Chimney Mystery When I was a kid, I decided to sneak up on the roof to check out the chimney. I was agile enough to climb out on a tree limb to the roof and dumb enough to think I was Tarzan. I peered down the sooty chimn e y and saw how small it was. There was no way Santa could fit in it much less slide down and pop out of the furnace. Christmas Eve found me sneaking around in the night to see if he could pick door locks. Was Santa a fake? I became even more suspicious during a visit to the big city. I saw Santa ringing a bell next to a hanging pot with money in it. He was swigging from a flat bottle of amber liquid when he thought nobody was watching. He pulled his beard down while he tippled.

After telling my father of my suspicions, he admitted Santa Claus wasn’t real but warned me not to tell my sister. The secret lasted almost a whole day before I whispered there was no such thing as Santa Claus to my younger sister. She ran crying to Mom and told her. I was punished by being made to eat broccoli for a week. As an afterthought, Mom made me apologize. I told my sister I was sorry she was a dumb snitch. Following that came a second week of broccoli abuse. There were no child abuse authorities in those days, so I told the sheriff. He was a big man renowned for arresting barroom brawlers in spite of their objections. I howled, “My mean old parents are making me eat yucky broccoli because I told my dumb sister there was no such thing as Santa Claus. Please arrest them and put them in jail.” He growled, “Shut up and go away kid, or I’ll tell Santa what you said.” “Uh oh,” I thought. “He thinks Santa is real. Anyway, he might tell my parents and they would introduce me to a whole new definition of abuse.” After that, I wasn’t sure about Santa Claus for several years. Was he actually real? Could he slide down skinny chimneys even though he was fat? Could reindeer fly? No way but I finally decided to write him…just in case.

Dear Santa, I want a red Ferrari for Christmas but if it won’t fit in your sled, I’ll settle for a sub-machine gun. You won’t have to pick door locks or slide down chimneys. I’ll just leave the garage door open. Meanwhile, my snitchy-sister deserves a lump of coal in her stocking. If you don’t have any, you can substitute a small bomb inside a ball of frozen broccoli. Sincerely yours, Ferrari Joe P.S. Don’t try using our chimney. It’s only big enough for squirrels to suffocate in. Sadly, I didn’t get a Ferrari or a sub machine gun but then, my sister didn’t get a broccoli bomb either. However, on Christmas morning that year, I got a new Red Ryder bb gun just like the one in the movie A Christmas Story. My Mom even said “you’ll shoot your eye out” just like Ralphie’s Mom. I never understood why she thought I would turn it around and shoot my eye out until I grew up. Later, I saw that movie. A bb ricocheted and broke Ralphie’s glasses. He blamed it on a falling icicle. I had a ricochet that broke a garage window. I blamed it on my sister. Merry Christmas to all and to all an overlarge chimney, broccoli-bombs and snitch comeuppance. Joe Morice is Community News’s blue-collar philosopher. He was born and raised in Missouri and spent most of his childhood on a farm and adulthood operating big machines. He has no formal training as a writer, unless 60 years of writing about any and everything counts. The opinions expressed in this column are Joe Morice’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.