December 15th, 2016 Edition

HUD grants $29.5M for North Side

HUD Secretary Julian Castro connected with Richard

Baron, co-founder and chairman of McCormack Baron Salazar, at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church on Monday, December 12, when Castro announced a $29.5 million grant for St. Louis’ near North Side. McCormack Baron Salazar and Urban Strategies worked with the city to develop the winning grant application.

By Joseph Leahy Of St. Louis Public Radio

The Department Housing and Urban Development awarded St. Louis a $29.5 million grant on Monday, December 12 to help revive the city’s near North Side.

HUD Secretary Julian Castro gathered with state and local leaders at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, 1413 N. 20th St., to announce the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant for a neighborhood that has long struggled with poverty and neglect.

Castro said the grant will leverage other recent efforts to rebuild the area, including the Defense Department’s plan to build a $1.75 billion facility nearby for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.

“St. Louis is doing a great job at connecting the dots of economic opportunity and quality of life,”

Richard Smallwood and his vocal ensemble Vision took the St. Louis Symphony

Chorus and a sold-out

By Clarice Evans

IN

Castro said. “This North Side community is on a roll with the NGA, the Promise Zone, the Department of Justice grant and now today nearly $30 million to revitalize this community.” In 2015, areas of North St. Louis and North St. See HUD, A7

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Annalisa Melton is chief of protocol at U.S. Transport Command, headquartered at Scott Air Force base in the Metro East.

Annalisa Melton is chief of protocol at U.S. Transport Command, headquartered at Scott Air Force base in the Metro East. Since 2002, she has worked for a series of four generals, advising them on things like what gifts to prepare for visiting dignitaries from distant cultures and what nonverbal gestures might offend their guests. Though an U.S. Air Force veteran herself, she currently is a civilian employee. A 50-year-old from Ocala, Florida, Melton worked her way up in the field of protocol services, working in related fields like talent bookings (she would later need to keep track of generals’ busy calendars) and conference services (every day for an Air Force general poses the challenges of a major conference). But she was also reared mindful of protocol. She was raised by a man who will always loom larger to her than any U.S. general or foreign dignitary. Her uncle, whom she called her father, was Dr. Mack King Carter, the legendary leader of New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale. When he died in 2013 at the age of 66, he was leading one of the largest black churches in the state of Florida and was widely mourned in news obituaries. Martin Luther King Sr. – Daddy King, MLK’s powerhouse Baptist preacher father – had conducted Mack’s installation at New Mount Olive.

“I was raised among monumental people,” Milton told The St. Louis American Dr. Mack King Carter was married to Patricia Carter, a prominent educator long tied to Florida Memorial College (now university). They kept a house with strict protocols. Melton was taught how to dress properly and how to properly set a table for dinner. She grew up eating a formal

n “Choice Neighborhoods will serve as a catalyst to create critical pathways for Near North Side families, businesses and stakeholders to thrive.” – Esther Shin, Urban Strategies, Inc. gift card, gas card, Bath & Body Works. Boy, 13, needs pants 34/32, shirt 16, shoe 9 men, electronics, games, gift cards. Girl, 11, needs pants 10-12, shirt 14-16, shoe 3 kids, dolls, gift cards, DVD/Legos. Girl, 6 , needs pants 6-7, shirt 6-7, shoes 1 kids, dolls, learning games, blocks. Case I. Grandmother is raising her grandchildren after her daughter passed in 2011. She struggles with getting them to

Against Poverty Campaign See MELTON, A6

Orchestra, its

UNISON

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Robert Fehringer, U.S. Transport Command

Photo by Wiley Price

Kanye West tries to explain Donald Trump meeting

After being dragged throughout the internet for meeting with president-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday morning at Trump Tower, rapper Kanye West took to Twitter to explain his actions.

“I wanted to meet with Trump today to discuss multicultural issues,” West said. “These issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums and violence in Chicago. I feel it’s important to have a direct line of communication with our future president if we truly want change.”

West, who was hospitalized last month due to exhaustion, shocked fans in California when he abruptly ended a concert with a rant in which he proclaimed that had he voted, he would have voted for Donald Trump.

After the meeting Trump spoke to reporters with West by his side, calling the rapper a “good man” and telling journalists that they have been “friends for a long time.”

Khloe Kardashian, Lamar Odom divorce finalized

A Los Angeles judge has finalized the divorce of Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom

The reality TV star had filed for divorce on May 26 for the second time in her marriage to the former NBA player. In court documents obtained by CNN, Khloe Kardashian-Odom cited “irreconcilable differences.” She previously filed for divorce in 2013, but withdrew the petition in October when Odom was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel.

The two married on September 27, 2009, one month after meeting.

As part of the divorce agreement, their joint company Khlomar will be dissolved, according to the court documents. Both Kardashian and Odom waived spousal support. The couple had signed a prenuptial agreement in October 2009, which was honored in Friday’s settlement.

Sherri Shepherd’s ex asks for more child support coinage

Sherri Shepherd‘s ex-husband, Lamar Sally, is requesting increased child support for the couple’s 2-year-old son, Lamar Sally, Jr., according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

L.J., now 2, was conceived using Sally’s sperm and a donor egg. In November 2015, a Pennsylvania court of appeals upheld a lower court’s April decision that Shepherd’s name would remain on L.J’s birth certificate. The court ruled that she must continue paying child support for L.J., who is being raised by Sally and was born in August 2014 – after the couple broke up.

Now, Sally has filed for a modification of child support because of Shepherd’s increased earnings, according to the court documents.

Sally is requesting the increase in support fees because he believes she now makes $1.8 million more than what the order was based upon. Shepherd currently pays $4,100 per month in child support.

Sally, who works as a substitute teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District, claims he makes between $140 and $186 per day and that his son “suffers from a genetic disorder known as G6PD,” which requires that his diet be managed and he eat organic foods.

Shepherd’s ex-husband is also requesting that she his attorney’s fees and costs in the amount of $75,000.

Gladys Knight and son settle suit

Gladys Knight and her son, Shanga Hankerson, have reached a settlement in their family drama that played out in court over the “Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles” chain of eateries.

He agreed to remove her name and likeness from all locations by January, and the deal will bring an end to the legal battle.

Back in June, the Department of Revenue accused Hankerson of theft and tax evasion. Federal agents raided three Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles locations in Georgia and shut down their operations.

The officials alleged Hankerson stole more than $650,000 in sales taxes and withholding taxes owed to the state. The total with penalties and interest exceeds $1 million. Knight had no role in the business and only allowed her son to use her name. After the raid, Knight sued her son and his companies to remove her name and likeness from the chain. One December 7, a final judgment and permanent injunction was entered in the case stating the singer and her son have reached a settlement.

Knight’s son has agreed to enter into a permanent injunction prohibiting him from using his mother’s name on his restaurants or engaging in conduct that will likely cause confusion or deception to the public about the singer’s involvement in the restaurants.

Sources: CNN.com, TMZ.com, Bossip.com, People.com

Cities with dirtiest air not represented on Air Conservation Commission

No one from St. Louis city or county, or St. Charles or Franklin counties, serves

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

Although doctors warn that air pollution is causing major health risks in St. Louis, there are currently no St. Louisans on the Missouri Air Conservation Commission – the group charged with carrying out the Clean Air Act.

“St. Louis-area residents breathe the most polluted air in the whole state,” said John Hickey of the Missouri Sierra Club. “Our area should be represented on the state commission that is responsible for enforcing the Clean Air Act, but there is no one from St. Louis city or St. Louis County, or St. Charles County or Franklin County, on this commission.

The Sierra Club is urging the governor, who appoints the commissioners for four-year terms, to choose people who will “stand up for clean air,” particularly from the Kansas City or St. Louis areas. The state Senate approves the governor’s appointees, and in the past the Senate failed to give a hearing to Gov. Jay Nixon’s appointment of a St. Louis environmental lawyer. Hence, the Sierra Club is calling on the Senate to stop blocking these appointments.

The Natural Resources Defense Council in a 2015 report named St. Louis one of the “sneeziest and wheeziest” cities in the country. And that has much to do with the fact that

St. Louis has high levels of ozone smog.

Several counties in the St. Louis region have failed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality standards. The counties that are in non-compliance with the EPA’s regulations are Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis in metro St. Louis, along with Jackson in metro Kansas City. Carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired plants in these counties are a major contributor of greenhouse gases, which the EPA says is ultimately causing climate change.

The report states that carbon pollution increases temperatures and can make ragweed produce more pollen over a longer season.

“This is bad news for allergy sufferers and asthmatics, because both ragweed pollen and high levels of ozone smog can trigger asthma attacks and worsen allergic symptoms in adults and children,” the report states.

The report found that 109 million people in our country are acutely exposed to both worsening respiratory allergies and asthma associated with climate change. In Missouri alone, nearly one million people now live with asthma or chronic respiratory disease.

“Kids in St. Louis city face triple the rate of hospitalizations for asthma, compared to kids in Missouri as a whole,” Hickey said. “That is wrong.”

In St. Louis city, the childhood prevalence of asthma is double that of the state, 19.6 percent versus 10.1 percent, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Missouri Asthma Prevention and Control Program.

Asthma has a significantly higher impact on the African-American community. African Americans made up 11.9 percent of Missouri’s population in the years 2007 through 2009, but accounted for nearly 30.1 percent of all deaths due to asthma, according to the department.

Physicians with the Mound City

n The counties in metro St. Louis that are in noncompliance with the EPA’s regulations are Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis.

Medical Forum, the Missouri affiliate of the National Medical Association, said that climate change is making their patients sicker.

“We are concerned how climate change is causing us to have to provide more asthma and allergy medication to our patients at younger and younger ages,” said Huldah Blamoville, president of the forum and associate professor at the Washington University and Saint Louis University

schools of medicine. “Additionally, carbon pollution that causes climate change is linked to childhood asthma attacks, cardio vascular disease and other respiratory illnesses.”

A recent national study of AfricanAmerican physicians conducted by George Mason University and the National Medical Association – the leading voice for African-American physicians in the United States –showed that 88 percent of physicians surveyed are seeing health effects of climate change in their patients.

Aside from general health, asthma also potentially affects children’s academic outcomes, said Kelly M. Harris, a doctoral candidate in education at Washington University.

Across the country, asthma is the number one reason that children miss school. Harris completed a study, which has not yet been published, that found greater rates of asthma among children who lived closer to approximately 600 industrial facilities and higher ambient particulate matter concentration levels surrounding St. Louis. School attendance is also lower in those areas.

Mound City’s analysis suggests that the health benefits from reducing particles and smog could save 1,200 lives and prevent 310 hospitalizations in Missouri from 2020-2030 alone, Blamoville said.

The Sierra Club argues that it’s the Missouri Air Conservation Commission’s job to fix the problem.

“If you add up the deaths from asthma, stroke and heart attack – the three main ways you die from air

pollution – the death toll is equivalent to an airplane full of people crashing every year,” Hickey said. “Can you imagine if we had a plane crash every year and the commission in charge did nothing about it? People would be outraged.”

The commission consists of seven seats, but only five are currently filled – and those seats are supposed to represent labor, agriculture, industry and the general public. However, MissouriNet reported that there are some inconsistencies with how the commissioners are categorized.

Gary Pendergrass, the commission chairman, is listed as representing the “general public.” However, in his position at GEO Engineers, he works on capturing and storing carbon dioxide generated by coal-burning power plants.

Board member Jack Baker is listed as representing agriculture. He works for the Association of Missouri Electrical Cooperatives, a group representing utilities which operate at least two coal-fired power plants.

Vice chairman David Zimmermann represents labor and is employed at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 in St. Louis. However, Hickey argues that Zimmerman lives in Crystal City, which is 35 miles from the city’s center and near Festus.

“He doesn’t represent St. Louis,” Hickey said.

Mark Garnett, president of Garnett Wood Products, represents the industry. Jack Jones of Columbia also has a general public seat and was appointed by Nixon.

The Mound City Medical Forum believes that negative health effects are expected to worsen if carbon dioxide concentrations keep rising and climate change continues unchecked.

“Our state can curb this harmful carbon pollution and create goodpaying clean energy jobs by investing in energy efficiency and renewable sources of power like wind and solar,” Blamoville said. “It’s a win-win for our health and our economy.”

Patricia Schuba (right) talks to other concerned citizens after a Missouri Air Conservation Commission meeting in September 2015.

Photo be Veronique LaCapra / St. Louis Public Radio

On guns, governors, cities and mayors

State Rep. Stacy Newman (D-Richmond Heights) has been a relentless leader on addressing gun violence in the Missouri Legislature, so she had moral authority – if not political clout, as a Democrat up against a Republican governor with Republican supermajorities in both state houses – when she addressed Governor-elect Eric Greitens after his spouse (Sheena Greitens, an accomplished academic and author) was robbed at gunpoint in St. Louis’ Central West End, near their home. Newman invited the governor-elect, a military veteran who waged a pro-gun statewide campaign (as did his Democratic opponent, Chris Koster, who won the NRA’s endorsement but lost the election), to take a deeper look at crime in the St. Louis metropolitan area. She suggested that it might temper his pro-gun stance that plays so well out-state. “The easy availability of firearms in a metropolitan area is a dire issue to those who have the professional responsibility to keep populations safe and alive,” Newman advised Greitens.

Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice this week published a list of more than 230 people who have been killed by gunfire in St. Louis city and county so far this year, compiled from the Gun Violence Archive (www. gunviolencearchive.org), a resource to which Newman also directed Greitens. The youngest person killed was eight months old, and the oldest was 73 years. What we all know and what concerns us most is that most of the damage done by guns happens in urban areas like St. Louis. But, as Newman pointed out to the next governor, no zip code in the state “is immune from death and injury through careless use of firearms.” She also reminded Greitens that guns are not used to intimidate and kill people only in the streets, as happened to Sheena Greitens. The damage done with guns, Newman pointed out, “includes suicides, domestic violence incidents often killing an entire family and even little kids who have ready access to an adult’s gun and shoot themselves or someone else. In fact, Missouri was No. 1 in 2015 toddler shootings across the country.”

A powerless Democrat addressing a pro-gun governor-elect who swept to power in a landslide of victories by 2nd Amendment-worshipping Republicans, Newman presumed to delegate to Greitens some immediate legislative priorities to address gun violence, such as imposing background checks for firearm purchases and a ban of gun purchases by “domestic abusers and those on the no-fly list.” She implores Greitens to “be a hero” on these issues, but to expect a Republican leader in the current political climate to make any move against the freedom to own and fire guns – especially in Missouri, which passed a Wild West gun bill last session that was a legislative priority of the NRA – would be more in the category of improbable, courageous superhero. Newman strikes one rhetorical note in this letter that we would advise against. She namechecks Lyda Krewson as the only “gun violence survivor” mentioned by name. Tragically, years ago, Krewson lost a husband to gun violence in front of their Central West End home, not far from where the Greitens now live. Newman cites Krewson as an alderwoman, but even the Greitens (who will soon cast their votes for St. Louis mayor) know she is a mayoral candidate. In a region where more than 230 people have been killed by gunfire this year, many families in St. Louis are gun violence victims. And though

on April

more than 230 deaths by gunfire in St. Louis city and county in 2016.

everyone of any race mourns their dead with the same depth of grief, it’s a fact that a large majority of the people killed in the St. Louis region are black people with black parents, spouses and children, so let’s not construct a special gun violence victim out of mayoral candidate Lyda Krewson.

The good news, if there is any good news amid all the suffering and grief, is that every major candidate for St. Louis mayor who has announced thus far is talking about our crime crisis in more nuanced, complex terms. Krewson is calling her crime plan a “neighborhood plan,” which is about as far from a dog whistle as a candidate can get. In late November, Krewson tweeted, “We must have a city where getting a job is easier than getting a gun.” Of course, that toned-down message was two weeks after another major candidate, Tishaura Jones, was quoted in the Post-Dispatch saying, “Nine times out of 10, if someone is picking up a paycheck, they are not picking up a gun.” But then, back in August, Lewis Reed, another major mayoral candidate, told the Post, “We shouldn’t be surprised at all the shootings when investments that need to be made haven’t been made.”

If the candidates are reusing some versions of the same lines, at least the underlying idea is to prevent crime by addressing joblessness, drug trafficking and other social crises and inequities, not merely enforce the law and punish criminals. To that end, Antonio French, another major candidate for mayor, has posted a crime plan that posts ward-by-ward crime data graphed by NextSTL to spotlight what are the highest-crime neighborhoods in the greatest need of resources to address the inter-generational poverty that spawns so much crime. Whoever wins the mayoral race would benefit from looking at French’s plan. Similarly, whoever is handed the keys to City Hall Room 200 should look at Jones’ plan to close the city’s Medium Security Institution and redirect the $16 million currently spent each year to keep it running into more proactive crime-prevention measures. One thing St. Louis will need to face in the next four years of Republicans running state and federal government: We are going to need to find creative ways to prioritize and solve our own problems – and pay for it ourselves.

Charter schools need oversight, not expansion

Education.

Watch the video. Walter Scott, unarmed and slow of foot, tries to run away. Police officer Michael Slager calmly fires five rounds into Scott’s back. Later, Slager approaches Scott’s body, not to give first aid but apparently to plant evidence of a struggle that never took place.

Now tell me: How cheap is black life in these United States of America?

A jury in North Charleston, South Carolina, could not agree that Slager committed a crime, forcing the judge in the case to declare a mistrial. Prosecutors quickly announced they will try Slager again. In the optimistic view, this stunning result, or non-result, means justice deferred rather than justice denied. I’m trying to be an optimist, but at the moment it’s not easy.

Tell me: What does it take to get a police officer punished for killing an unarmed black man in cold blood?

The whole thing is on video, people. A passerby named Feidin Santana used his mobile phone to capture Scott’s final minutes. An immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Santana gave lengthy testimony at Slager’s trial.

“You ask yourself, what if there was no video? What if I wasn’t there? Would we have gotten this far in this trial?” Santana asked in an ABC News

interview after the mistrial was announced. “That’s the way justice is over here, and we have to understand it. But it’s a little bit disappointing.”

Santana’s phrase “over here” refers to the nation that fancies itself a beacon of freedom and equality.

The fatal encounter took place April 4, 2015, when Slager, who is white, pulled Scott over for having a busted brake light. African Americans and Hispanics are used to such petty, harassing traffic stops. White Americans, perhaps not so much.

Slager testified that he feared for his life; Scott, he claimed, had wrestled away his Taser and was trying to

n “You ask yourself, what if there was no video? What if I wasn’t there? Would we have gotten this far in this trial?”

use it on him. But Santana, who saw the whole thing, said there was no struggle – and the video appears to show Slager placing the Taser next to Scott’s body, as if it had been in the dead man’s possession. If he did stage the crime scene, the officer demonstrated full awareness of his own culpability. Again, I ask, what does it take?

Even if you want to believe Slager’s unsupported account of a struggle, no one can dispute the fact that Scott was

Letters to the editor

Carson is wrong for HUD

Dr. Ben Carson’s nomination to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is frightening. He may be a brain surgeon, but he is not qualified to run HUD. Donald Trump knows this. During the Republican primary, he called him a liar, pathological and even violent. Dr. Carson himself has said he is not qualified to lead a federal agency. Now, we are expected to forget these disqualifying statements by both of them and entrust Dr. Carson with overseeing HUD, which has a budget of $47 billion.

these areas to spur economic development and house the most vulnerable. This is no easy task.

The rural and urban Americans who benefit from HUD programs deserve a strong, qualified leader at the helm of this important agency. Dr. Carson is not this person. We know it, Donald Trump knows it, and yes, even Dr. Carson knows it.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters Los Angeles

Better than Trump

running away when Slager gunned him down. A heavyset 50-year-old with no weapons, running as if through molasses, is hardly a clear and present danger to society. Having a broken light on one’s car is hardly a capital offense. Yet Slager shot Scott five times. In the back.

Nearly half the population of North Charleston is black; Slager’s jury included 11 whites and just one African American. Notes from the jury to the judge, who is African-American, suggest there may have been one lone holdout who would not vote to convict Slager of murder or manslaughter. That’s how the system works, and the outcome of Slager’s next trial may be different. But still.

One miscarriage of justice, caused by one stubborn juror, would be easier to swallow if not for all the rest. Eric Garner, approached by police on Staten Island for selling loose cigarettes, was choked to death – again on video – but none of the officers involved has been charged. Tamir Rice, a 12-yearold boy, was playing with a toy gun; a police officer shot him dead within seconds of arriving on scene but faced no charges. Michael Brown Jr. was unarmed when a police officer stopped him in Ferguson, Missouri; the officer fired his weapon 12 times, killing Brown, but a grand jury failed to indict him.

No one should wonder why the Black Lives Matter movement is so relevant and necessary. It will remain so until black lives do, in fact, matter.

notwithstanding; the writer seems to have been the one smoking. I never run well against incumbents (Lacy, Lyda, Kim). No one does. I always beat the spread (run well) when there’s no incumbent – school board four times, congressional primary won in 2008, third out of eight in lieutenant governor primary in 2012. And I will this time, though winning will be challenging, I admit. I probably have no more chance than Trump did. And I’m better on the issues.

Bill Haas St. Louis

By David L. Jackson Jr. Guest columnist

On October 15, the members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) ratified a resolution adopted by the delegates of its 107th National Convention calling for a moratorium on charter school expansion and for the strengthening of oversight in governance and practice.

I wholeheartedly concur and congratulate the NAACP on its fundamental support and belief that something should be done regarding the expeditious opening of charter schools, predominately in povertystricken urban communities.

Using St. Louis as an example, there is a mountain of evidence, data and justification to slow the pace of charter schools opening in the metropolitan statistical area. This would provide the State of Missouri time to prepare legislation to improve the current accountability of charter schools. It also would allow for interventions in struggling charter schools.

By David L. Jackson Jr.

Missouri must have a clear process for closing down underperforming charter schools. The Missouri Department of Secondary and Elementary Education needs time to develop a plan for implementation of the president’s initiatives. And all local public school districts need time to research and review all opportunities for true sponsorship and partnerships with charter schools.

The previous U.S. Department of Education secretary told the U.S. Congress that 33 percent of charter schools nationally were underperforming public schools. These charter schools are exempt from federal and state mandates. There are no set accountability standards in place with these charters by the Missouri Department of Secondary and Elementary

The St. Louis Board of Alderman, especially the Aldermanic Black Caucus, should join with the NAACP and call for a moratorium on charter schools within St. Louis city. Within the past seven years, 12 charter schools – Thurgood Marshall, Yes I Can Academy, Imagine Academies, Better Learning Communities, Jamaa Learning Center, Construction Careers High School, Paideia Academy and Shearwater High – all have closed their doors, disrupting the education of over 7,000 unsuspecting households.

Charter schools are, for all intents and purposes, still a giant experiment being funded with taxpayer dollars. It is completely irresponsible to approve more charter schools when data to date show that results in charter schools are worse, not better, than in public schools.

David L. Jackson Jr. is a

president of the elected

Louis Board of Education, 2007

2015.

Millions of Americans rely on HUD assistance to help them access safe, decent and affordable housing. And they are not all in the inner cities; they are in rural and suburban areas as well. HUD provides critical investments in

I was disappointed that my candidacy for Congress last summer and my candidacy in the current mayor’s race were not mentioned in your profiles of those races. I think I have a chance to win this race, your stupid Political EYE item comparing my congressional candidacy to the statewide campaign of Chief Wanadube

Editor’s note: As Haas acknowledged when dismissing the jesting comparison to Chief Wanadube, in fact he was included in the paper’s only profile of the mayoral race to date.

Columnist

Eugene Robinson

Photo by Wiley Price

A St. Louis police officer tried to calm a grief-stricken citizen at a homicide scene in South St. Louis

14. There have been

Hazelwood hails Science Teacher of the Year

Vital Records Systems gets state audit

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway announced her office is beginning an audit of the Department of Health and Senior Services’ Vital Records Systems, which house birth, death, adoption, marriage, and divorce records. The audit will review system security and the safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized or inappropriate access to records.

“There are real security risks if this information is compromised,” Galloway said. “Having a valid birth certificate is often the first step in securing additional identifying documents, like driver licenses and passports. Even a minor lapse in security could have major implications down the road.”

Individuals with information related to the audit can contact the State Auditor’s Whistleblower Hotline at 800347-8597 or by email at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov.

Open auditions for play about police and teens

Open auditions for a new play about gun violence and police/teen interactions will be held 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, December 17 at the Studio Theater in the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Blvd. The play is “Not Another One!” by Lauron Thompson, and it will be presented by Saint Louis Story Stitchers Artists Collective on Saturday, February 25. The company is seeking youth up to age 24 with acting experience and/or hip hop ability to audition for lead roles. Youth under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian present to register prior to participation. Pre-registration for 10-minute audition slots begins by email at storystitchers@gmail.com or at the door at 9:45 a.m.

History comes alive in new national museum

By Rachel Sudduth Guest columnist

I’ve been to a lot of historic museums in my 23 years, and nothing has yet to compare to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The whole building is overwhelming. I knew the minute I saw it from Constitution Avenue, a street I remember for good times and laughs, a block my friends and I strolled during all of my college years. But this street now served a new purpose.

The museum details the beginning of slavery and the emerging global economy. “People saw Africans as things to be bought, sold, and exploited to make enormous profits,” the exhibit states. “The United States was created in this context.”

I saw the size differences between baby and adult chains. I read about the laws that were constantly changed to define who could be enslaved and what slaves could and could not do. In 1680, no black person (whether slave or free) could carry weapons, travel without a pass, or lift a hand against a white person.

My heart ached at the exhibit centered around the slave market. I’ve seen all of the “Roots” miniseries, so I’m fairly familiar with the auctions and humiliation that slaves faced. But seeing the actual documents, it was hard to believe this was a reality for millions of blacks.

I wrote them down, these human lives sold as property and dehumanized based on perceptions of race and the profit motive: “One negro boy, $5.00, eight years old,” “33, boy with two toes cut off with axe $1,250,” “Negro woman and two children, $1,200,” “a mulatto man with some disease in his neck $775.”

Upstairs, the exhibits depicted the present day, from the arrest of black Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. to the dress Michelle Obama wore in the 2008 inauguration of President Obama.

The trip to Washington, D.C. is definitely worth the visit for the purpose of knowing the history of slavery. I thought reading about it for years was enough, but it is not. Physically viewing the artifacts leaves you with a realistic connection to the past. George Santayana said it best: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Through education about our history, society can learn the horrific details, but also embrace a more positive future.

From the smiles to the tears I witnessed fall from visitors at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, I am sure after a visit you will feel a sense of hope and inspiration that wouldn’t be the same as reading a history book.

Rachel Sudduth

Jennifer Bolla, physics teacher at Hazelwood East High School, was named the Missouri High School Science Teacher of the Year. Bolla has been teaching for 26 years, 25 of those at East High. She was recognized by school board members Rick Roberts, Brenda Youngblood and Bruce Green.

MELTON

Continued from A1 family dinner every night, with no distraction from television. And she learned that those who demand high standards must abide by them.

“Mack was a solid role model for how to live a life,” Melton said. “The word he preached was the word he lived.”

Melton tells very few people about her life before the protective protocols of the Carters. Only one colleague at U.S. Transport Command knows her back story in Ocola, Lt. Commander David Coleman, and that’s because they grew up together and played together in their middleschool band. But the Carters were actually her second family. Her first family, formed by her birth mother and father, ended in tragedy. In fact, she believes it ended in homicide.

She remembers she was in eighth grade, because she was excited about going on an eighth-grade field trip with the middle-school band (she played flute and piccolo) to Disney World, when disaster struck. Melton and her younger sister, who is now named Pamela Johnson, were living with their mother, Geraldine Robinson, in a middle-class black neighborhood in Ocala. Their mother was a school teacher with a master’s in education who was in the works to become one of the first black principals in Marion County. Their father, Charles Robinson, had moved out of the family home and was living across town in a trailer.

Divorce papers had been filed.

One night their mother told the girls she was going over to talk to their father and she would be right back. But she never returned. Milton said her mother was shot in the neck and killed when she walked into Charles Robinson’s trailer.

Melton said Robinson was never charged with murder after he claimed that his estranged wife had walked accidentally into a booby trap he had set with a shotgun to protect himself against neighbors. She said Robinson only served a year for illegal possession of a firearm. She also said he killed her mother and got away with it because her prominent uncle did not want the children to endure the additional pain of their father’s murder trial.

Robinson is no longer alive to defend himself against these charges, and Dr. Carter is also no longer here to comment.

Melton was 12 when her mother was killed and her father incarcerated. She said she stayed with “a random person” for the year her only surviving parent was in jail. When Robinson was set free, Melton was compelled to live with a man who, she believed, had killed her mother.

Then Robinson moved into their family home the much younger woman he was dating.

Melton: “I went, ‘Hell, no.’”

CWAH

Continued from A1

Since 2002, Annalisa Melton has worked for a series of four generals, advising them on things like what gifts to prepare for visiting dignitaries from distant cultures and what non-verbal gestures might offend their guests.

She had to leave behind her little sister. At the raw age of 12, she said she had to make the decision to flee alone “for my mental stability.”

Into the Air Force

She ran away to Fort Lauderdale, where her uncle, the powerful pastor, presided over the largest black church in the state, and where she learned how to observe strict protocols around prominent people.

The mother she had lost had been set to blaze a trail as a black principal. Her new mother, her aunt, was a locally legendary state educator. Her new father, her uncle, was a doctor of divinity who moved with the likes of Daddy King.

So when their daughter decided to enlist in the U.S. Air Force at age 19 rather than further her education, they were stunned.

“Everybody in our family had a degree, and I had to tell my parents I didn’t want to go to college,” Melton said. “How do you think that went over? It didn’t go over well.”

She was sent to boot camp in San Antonio, Texas, where, she said, “an unconventional individual was brought into the conventional conformity thing.

I had to adjust.” She found that she liked the collective mentality of the armed services and the ready-made community of military bases. “It was a good experience,” she said.

cards. Boy, 16, needs pants 34-32 husky, shirt 16 men, Shoe 10 ½, headphones, games, DVDs gift card, hats, gloves, warm coats, boots.

Her first assignment put her on the West Coast, at Travis Air Force Base, 60 miles inland from San Francisco. She became a transporter by trade, moving military cargo and personnel around the country. She was also “young and crazy in Northern California.”

Her first overseas assignment was in Korea, where she met Maurice Melton, also in the Air Force then, now retired. They dated in Korea and married after Annalisa was transferred to Goodfellow Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas. Their union gave life to a daughter, Brittany Melton, now 29 and a nurse in New York City, but the marriage would not last.

where the first atomic bombs had been tested, before she got out of the service. After trying to be a parent through all of these deployments, she felt the need to be “a parent before anything else.”

n “So many people think they can’t make it, because of what they went through. But you can.”

– Annalisa Melton

“He is a good guy, I bear him no ill will,” Annalisa Melton said. “You marry for the wrong reasons. You think you’re in love with the right person, but at 35 they’re not the same person you looked at when you were 21.”

The U.S. Air Force would move her to Spangdahlem, Germany on special duty, working in postal services (the first of two times her daughter would live in Germany), then to Holloman Air Force Base in Almogordo, New Mexico,

Her civilian career path shifted from housing and urban development to certified travel agent, before she told her husband she was going home to her mother if he didn’t get them out of Alamogordo. Her soon-to-beex-husband left Almogordo on a remote deployment without family to Dhahran Air Base (now King Abdulaziz Air Base) in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and Melton took her daughter to Spanish Harlem to live on the second floor of a building where she had an aunt staying on the sixth floor.

Melton found work as front office manager for Admire Entertainment. She soon became a booking agent, handling the college and corporate market for Admire talent such as Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Rondell Sheridan.

She took a division of the agency with her to South Carolina, when her husband was transferred to Charleston

Air Force Base, but that, too, became too much traveling for a dedicated parent, going back and forth to New York looking for new talent and staffing booths at conferences. She landed a more settled job at the College of Charleston as director of conference services, and without knowing it she was on her way to a career in protocol – and back to the Air Force as a civilian employee.

It was divorce from an airman, ironically, that sent her back to the Air Force. Raising her daughter on one salary as a state employee was not promising, so she applied for federal government jobs online. And who should hire her but U.S. Air Forces in Europe? They liked her conference services background as relevant experience for a protocol position. So she moved her daughter back to Germany, where Brittany graduated from high school.

It was in her first protocol post at Ramstein Air Base in Germany that she learned about the importance of a stairway at an airport. She was working her visit from a congressional delegation when her first general asked her where the stairs were.

“Stairs for what?” she asked.

“For the aircraft,” the general said.

“To this day,” Melton said, “when I walk to the flight line, the first thing I look for are stairs.”

She also would serve as a protocol specialist at Los Angeles Air Force Base before landing the top protocol job at U.S. Transport Command. Protocol chief makes for a life of long days at the front line under steady, heavy pressure.

“You are always on,” she said. “You’re one of the first things people see about the command, and you need to be on point. You can’t have bad days. When you get home, you are drained.” With so many dynamics in play, so many powerful people from so many different places coming and going at such a steady pace, perfection is not an option. Things will go sideways.

“It’s never a big thing,” she said. “It’s a small thing that gets you. But you have to keep rolling. You’re dealing with people and things that change randomly, and you have to roll with the punches.” Her life, clearly, had prepared her for just such an impossible job. That lesson is not lost on her. It explains why she wanted to talk about her family tragedy for a newspaper story. She wants other people to know that you can get punched, or worse, but keep rolling and make it through.

“So many people think they can’t make it, because of what they went through,” she said. “But you can.” different schools. Grandmother, 48, needs pants 16-18 women, shirt 16 women, shoe 8 ½, gift card, bra 40D, Bath & Body Works, microwave, perfume. Grandfather, 50, needs pants 38-32, shirt 18-20 men, shoe 9 ½ men, DVD, watch. Girl, 14, needs pants 16 women, shirt 14-16, women shoe 9, perfume, bra 32 C-D, Bath & Body Works, earrings, watch, headphones, MP3 player, gift

Case J. Newly divorced mother with four children and one on the way due in December, who currently is not working, would like for her children to engage in extracurricular activities after school such as sports, music and art. She also would like to finish her degree in pre-med. Mother, 37, needs pants 12-14, shirt 14-16, shoes 10 women,

antenna for TV, DVDs, gift cards. Boy, 12, needs pants 14-16, shirt 15-16, shoe 9 ½ men, board games, electronics, PlayStation 3 games. Boy, 10, needs pants 10 kids, shirt 10 kids, shoe 4 kids, WII games, art supplies, electronics. Girl, 9, needs pants 10, shirt 10, shoe 4 kids, cotton candy maker, dolls, new curtains for room. Boy, 7, needs pants 8, shirt 8, shoe 3 kids, Nintendo 3Ds games, art supplies, bike. Family needs towels, pots, pan, blankets, bed sheets, hygiene items, cleaning supplies.

Case K. Mother of seven children with two grandchildren is looking to turn her life around. She struggles to provide for her children and wants to return to school, Mother, 39, needs pants 2x/22, shirt 2X, shoe 9, perfume gift card, nail shop, surround sound system. Boy, 16, needs pants 32-34, Shirt large, shoe 9 ½ men, Posca pins, markers, art supplies camera, watch, boots, coat, underwear. Girl, 14, needs pants 11-12 junior, shirt 9-10 medium, shoe 9 women, mp3 player, jewelry box set,

watch. Boy, 11, needs pants 16 boys, shirt XL boys, shoe 9 men, Nerf gun, game for Xbox 360, controller for 360. Girl, 9, needs pants 10 girls, shirt 10-12 girls, shoe 4 girls, dolls with doll clothes, books, electronic reading games, pants 2T, shirt 2T, shoe 6 toddler, blocks, alphabet books, infant electronics, dolls. medium pull ups. Family needs cups, silverware, plates, towels, show curtains, bed sheets (twin, queen and king).

Case L. Hardworking mother of two needs support to achieve her goals. Circumstances have left her and her family vulnerable and without support. Mother, 31, needs pants 12-14, shirt L, shoe 10, shirts, leggings, socks, jeans. Boy, 5, needs pants 7, shirt 7, shoe 1 boys, toy trains and cars, blocks, Legos, educational games, jeans, coat, hats, gloves, socks, boots. Girl, 4, needs pants 4-6, shirt 5-6, shoe 13 girls, black Barbie, jewelry, dress up clothes for doll, books, jeans, coat, socks, underwear, boots.

Photo by Robert Fehringer, U.S. Transport Command

HUD

Continued from A1 Louis County were designated as a federal Promise Zone, which gives the region a higher priority in gaining federal assistance and resources.

The most recent grant money will rehab roughly 675 units of Section 8 housing at Preservation Square and reconfigure nearby streets.

The funding will also help transform the abandoned Carr School into a new community center to be operated by the YMCA and Carr Square Tenant Management Corp. In addition, health, education and

job training services will be available to residents of Carr Square, Columbus Square, St. Louis Place and Old North.

Mayor Francis G. Slay’s administration worked with Urban Strategies and McCormack Baron Salazar to convene more than 100 meetings of local leaders, residents and stakeholders to formulate the plan for the Choice grant, according to the mayor’s office. Stakeholders included universities, community colleges, the St. Louis Public School District, charter schools, business owners, hospitals and the St. Louis Housing Authority. “Choice Neighborhoods will serve as a catalyst to create

n “Now begins the challenge of taking this compelling vision developed by the residents and the stakeholders in the community and making it a reality.”

– Vincent Bennett, McCormack Baron Salazar

critical pathways for Near North Side families, businesses and stakeholders to thrive,” said Esther Shin, incoming president of Urban Strategies, Inc.

Years ago, Urban Strategies led the application process and was the grantee for a Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant. Cities must first win

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, HUD Secretary Julian Castro, Sandra Moore of Urban Strategies, Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard, Gov. Jay Nixon and Mayor Francis G. Slay listened to Lucendia Smith, a resident Leader in the Preservation Square neighborhood at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church on Monday, December 12, when Castro announced a $29.5 million grant for St. Louis’ near North Side.

the planning grant and create a plan before they can compete for the $29.5 million initiative grant.

Sandra Moore, outgoing president at Urban Strategies, said the nearly $30 million – or $90 million after contributions from city partners – will “put products on the ground” in North

City. The city’s Near North Side Choice Neighborhood Initiative encompasses Carr and Columbus Square neighborhoods, along with portions of Old North, St. Louis Place and the new home of the Next National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) West campus.

The Choice Neighborhoods grant program began in 2010.

More than 30 cities applied for this year’s grants, but just five were chosen: St. Louis, Denver, Boston, Louisville, Kentucky and Camden, New Jersey. Combined, the grants are worth $132 million.

“Now begins the challenge of taking this compelling vision developed by the residents and the stakeholders in the community and making it a reality,” said Vincent Bennett, president of McCormack Baron Salazar. “It will feel real to all of us when the first buildings start going up on North 14th Street.” Phase I construction is expected to begin by the end of 2017.

For more information on the Near North Side Choice Neighborhood Initiative, visit http://www.nearnorthsidestl. com/. Follow Joseph Leahy on Twitter: @joemikeleahy Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

Photo by Wiley Price

Who did you vote for?

By Alonzo Nelson Guest columnist

“Mr. Nelson, who did you vote for?” I was asked this during an informal observation in class, and I quick wittingly answered, “For my freedom.”

It is not about who you vote for, but rather (if you are a person of color) that you exercised the right that your predecessors fought and died for. That you allow your opinion to fuse to others in choosing your local officials.

In another class a student said, “People make comments like, ‘Why don’t you go back where you came from?’ But we didn’t come by choice, so if they didn’t want us here, why did they bring us in the first place?”

My response was a mini history lesson on America. I briefly stated information on the following:

Trans-Atlantic slave trade: How millions of Africans were forced to the Americas.

The Civil War: the result of a completely divided country, a war between Northern perspective vs. a Southern perspective.

Emancipation Proclamation: The document signed by President Lincoln in 1864 that by law ended slavery and destroyed the economy of the South because free labor left.

The Great Migration: Ex-slaves moved north and west, which created resentment between blacks and whites and a need to keep freedmen submissive.

The KKK and Jim Crow: People and laws enforced to keep blacks fearful and inferior. We were brought here for a purpose and now we are still

finding our way after being held back for hundreds of years. I continued, “Reality is: The world is racist, very racist, but it’s a lot better than it was.” I then told them about all the things within the classroom they can do that was illegal and/or punishable by death. I mentioned things like: knowing how to read and write, going to school, whites and blacks going to the same school, sitting next to white women, walking down the hallway on the same side as their white counterparts, using the same restrooms and water fountains, holding your significant other’s hand in public, etc.

I concluded, “No president can change our current situations … only we can.” The black community has to stop playing the innocent victim to situations they create. For instance, “no snitching”

n Our votes do matter, but our actions matter more.

has to stop. When a person of authority asks questions about a situation to provide assistance and you don’t respond, assuming the position of “keeping it real,” what we say is, “Though I know the answer which could solve the issue, save future lives or prevent another crime, I’d like for you to figure it out on your own.”

We as a result devalue the situation and ourselves. So, what then resonates is that the people in need of assistance don’t want help that bad. Unfortunately, in the education arena, this is a recurring experience for me. I cannot help a student who doesn’t put forth any effort to help themselves. Many communities, particularly communities of color, have

created an ideology based in unrealistic expectations: looking for handouts and wanting to receive more without putting in more work.

What are we waiting for?

Black Lives Matter is a great initiative and has a powerful platform, but in order for groups and ideals like BLM to truly succeed, the lives of the people they are trying to fight for must truly matter to them.

We must take the first step to changing our own problems. No one will work harder than we do at preserving our lives. No one will support our economy more than we are willing to. No one is going to support our educational system more than we will.

So parents must remain active in their children’s educational career even after they learn to read and multiply.

Of the institutions of higher education, Historically Black Colleges and Universities are in the worst shape because our graduates cannot give back to level of their counterparts. Homecoming festivities are their main fundraisers.

The comparison of endowments of HBCUs to predominantly white institutions are so drastic; it’s no surprise there are so many challenges to remain open. Hbcubuzz.com reported that the top 10 HBCU endowments range from $38 million to $586 million, while the top 10 historically white college endowments range from $6 billion to $32 billion.

“Mr. Nelson, who did you vote for?”

Though many of us have, since having the right to vote, been debating rather to vote or not to vote, it is more important that we continue to explore all of our rights and exercise them all to the fullest. Our votes do matter, but our actions matter more.

Alonzo Nelson teaches math at Belleville West High School.

East St. Louis hosts Kwanzaa Expo

East St. Louis will host a Kwanzaa Expo at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 20 at Sunshine Cultural Arts Center, 630 N. 59th Str. (in the old Morrison School; enter from rear). The program will include a Kwansaba candle-lighting ritual with poets Roscoe “Ros” Crenshaw, Salim Kenyatta, Tiffany Lee, Charlois Lumpkin (Mali Newman), Darlene Roy, Jaye Willis and Eugene B. Redmond; Valarie Adams (Katherine Dunham trained actress/dancer); Malik & DeBorah Ahmed (Better Family Life); songbird Zelphia Robinson-Otis; Sunshine’s ESL Community Performance Ensemble; poet MK Stallings; and Vernon Younge (offering a “songified” medley). Admission is free. Vendors are welcome (call for fee). For information, call 618 650-3991 or email eredmon@siue.edu. (Pictured: the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club’s Soular Systems Ensemble at a rehearsal of the candlelighting ritual.)

School board filings opened December 13

Filing to run for the school board in St. Louis and every school district in St. Louis County except Normandy and Riverview Gardens open at 8 a.m. Tuesday, December 13. Declarations of Candidacy may be picked up at your local school district’s administrative office. Individuals wishing to file for candidacy for a school board must be a citizen of the United States, at least 24 years old, a resident taxpayer of the school district and a resident of the state of Missouri for at least one year.

Guest Columnist

Alonzo Nelson

The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Gamma Omega Chapter presented its 32nd Annual FASHIONETTA(SM) Scholarship Cotillion on Sunday, May 29, 2016 in the Grand Ballroom of the America’s Center with over 800 people in attendance.

Fifteen lovely young ladies were presented at the annual event: Amari Anderson, Meridian Buckner-Swain, Capri Charleston, Grace Colbert, Jaida Coleman, Taelor Duncan, Tyelor Duncan, Allison Gilmore, Ryan Hunter, Carlyncia McDowell, Rachel Middleton, Allyson Sanders, Madison Shead, Ashlee Simmons and Sydney Williams.

The escorts for this event were: Azonti Anderson, Andrew Clair, Quentin Eddings, Jr., Dominique Gatewood, Jarred Hall, Zachary Jones, Nicholas LeNoir, Roy Moore, III, Brendon Ogunnaike, Michael Patterson, Jr., DeRon Sutton, Larenz Taylor, Lawrence Taylor, II, Jeremy Townsend, Jarron Williams and Paul Williams, Jr. FASHIONETTA(SM) is a trade mark of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® and a fundraising activity for the sorority’s philanthropic endeavors. Debutantes and escorts participate in an eight month experience which includes church service, college preparation workshops, community service, entrepreneurial workshops, etiquette & fine dining experiences, healthcare, Mother – Daughter Luncheon and an overnight retreat. All of the debutantes and escorts receive a monetary award at this Scholarship Cotillion. Over $33,500 was awarded to the debutantes and escorts in scholarships.

Allyson Wilford Sanders was crowned Miss FASHIONETTA(SM) 2016, daughter of Louis and Michelle Sanders. Allyson is a 2016 graduate of Pattonville High School, will attend Kansas State University and major in Athletic Training.

First runner-up was Miss Meridian Alyse BucknerSwain, daughter of Tara Buckner and Aaron Swain. Meridian is a 2016 graduate of Kirkwood High School and will attend Spelman College and major in Economics.

Second runner-up was

Miss Madison Elizabeth Shead, daughter of Bruce and Deirdre Shead. Madison is a 2016 graduate of Kirkwood High School and will attend Tulane University and major in Neuroscience with a goal of becoming a Pediatric Neuropsychologist.

Third runner-up was Miss Carlyncia Tamia McDowell daughter of Carl and Sandra McDowell. Carlyncia is a 2016 graduate of Zumwalt East High School and will attend Spelman College and major in Computer Engineering.

Fourth runner-up was Miss Rachel Marie Middleton, daughter of Roy and Karen Middleton. Rachel is a 2016 graduate of Parkway West High School and will attend University of Missouri –Columbia Honors College.

Other awards and winners presented at this event included: BCB Entrepreneur Award – Miss Ryan Hunter, Miss Carlyncia McDowell, Miss Madison Shead and Mr. Zachary Jones Buck – Bohannan Liberal Arts 1st Award – Mr. Quentin Eddings Buck – Bohannan Liberal Arts 2nd Award – Mr. Paul Williams

Charles Sumner High Leadership Award – Mr. Dominique Gatewood, Mr. Larenz Taylor, Mr. Lawrence Taylor and Mr. Jarron Williams Ete Boule Awards – Mr.

Quentin Eddings, Mr. Jarred Hall, Mr. Zachary Jones, Mr. Michael Patterson and

Miss Fashionetta

All Participants and returning Miss Fashionetta 2016, T. Bennett with her Escort, D. White

Allyson Sanders and Paul Williams, Jr.

Traditional Debutante and Escort Waltz

Your Family Doctor

You don’t get ‘the Itis’ after vegan holiday meals My Christmas list

LaRue and Dionne Musgraves have been total vegans for four years. Their holiday feast includes vegan fried soy “chicken;” oyster mushroom gravy; vegan roast and stuffing; wild rice and cranberries; collard greens with no animal fats; vegan macaroni with vegan cheese and almond milk; corn muffins made with almond milk, ginger beer and vegan sweet potato pie. Beet sugar replaced refined sugar, and they used egg replacers and vegan butter.

By Sandra Jordan Of The St.

Louis American

Can you get your holiday festive menu plans in place without the bird, the swine or the bovine? Of course, you can, and the Musgraves family of North St. Louis County showed The American just how they do it. Courtney LaRue Musgraves was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 24. At age 33, he needed to do something different to find relief and he started cutting out animal products from his diet. It took him about six months to do it, after which his wife and daughters joined in –after he cooked them one last juicy and delicious turkey for Thanksgiving. His commitment to veganism changed his family’s appetite for good.

“We saw that he was truly committed and he had cooked this turkey for us – if he could do it we, could too because we too wanted to live longer,” his wife Dionne Musgraves said. “We stopped looking at veganism as a diet or a fad and started looking at it as a life change. It was a journey that was going to allow all of us to

be healthier and happier.” Vegan and vegetarian diets are healthier, if you are eating whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts – and if you are not loading down on animal-free sweets, cookies, French fries or processed foods and unhealthy fats. Read nutrition labels. Food choices should be planned carefully to provide enough protein vitamins and minerals the body needs. That includes vitamins B-12 and D, calcium, iron, zinc and protein. The USDA says the amount of protein you need to eat depends on your age, gender and level of physical activity. For sedentary lifestyles, it is about 46 grams of protein per day for women and 56 grams a day for men. There are different types of vegetarians. A vegan or total vegetarian diet includes only foods from plants: fruits, vegetables, beans, peas and legumes, grains, seeds and nuts. Lactovegetarian diets

include plants, cheese and dairy products. Ovo lacto or lacto ovo vegetarians add eggs to their diet. Semi-vegetarians don’t eat red meat.

Musgraves said his non-vegan friends are always surprised at how satisfying complete plant-based meals can be.

n Vegan and vegetarian diets are healthier, if you are eating whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts.

The American Heart Association says healthful benefits of a vegetarian diet include lower risks of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and even some forms of cancer. And about his arthritis pain?

LaRue Musgraves said, “I haven’t had a flare-up since I removed animal products.” That was four years ago.

“It has totally subsided,” he said. “I work out again. No aches and pains – I don’t have a popping of the joints anymore. I don’t have the swelling, the inflammation anymore. I don’t get the fevers and chills anymore.”

He also quit smoking and

started meditating.

“Our health outcomes: being released from allergies, skin issues (pimples) and joint pain,” she described. “And sleep – we rest. We used to sleep three or four hours, we now sleep a good six to seven hours.”

The body restores and refreshes itself during sleep.

“Blood pressure is low, where it should be and within range. No more ailments,” she added. “A lot of ailments that plague the black community are due to dietary habits.”

The bottom line is you don’t have to eat animals to get enough protein in your diet. The AHA says plant proteins can provide enough essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs. Additionally, soy protein is comparable to proteins of animal origin.

Find out more from the Vegetarian Resource Group at http://bit.ly/1Saznlb.

Vegetarian diet tips from the USDA can be found at http:// bit.ly/2h3VC3B.

Usually around September each year, my youngest daughter starts to prepare her Christmas list for Santa. The list begins as a single item and grows according to the various commercials she sees, which then results in the latest toy, gadget, or clothing item making the final cut. This ritual has been consistent for as long as she could write. This Christmas I thought I would also compose a list, but mine would be entitled: “All I want for healthcare!” I currently have the distinct honor of mentoring 11 first year medical students who have some interest in primary care. Spending time with them reminds me how I felt when I too was at the beginning of my career: enthusiastic, altruistic, and naive. I believed that I would use my stethoscope and my newly obtained medical knowledge to save the world one patient at a time. I also believed that I would possess the tools to be able to do my job and do it well.

However, I was unaware that certain circumstances would limit my ability to practice medicine as I deemed ethically appropriate and according to current standards of care. I was unaware of the inequities that existed within healthcare and I was definitely unaware of the frustrations that my patients would endure just to be well.

For the past several months, I have seen numerous tweens and teens with mental health conditions that warranted psychiatric care. These adolescents have struggled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, depression and anxiety. Some of these fragile patients were able to be managed by my office, but others needed more specialized care, for which I could not obtain.

n As a provider and as a family member to someone who suffers with mental illness, I want and need proper resources.

In the US, depression is on the rise in teenagers and highest among girls. Although suicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents, ages 15-19, finding a pediatric psychiatrist is essentially impossible unless the patient is acutely suicidal. And though behavioral therapy is more accessible than psychiatry, there are times when counseling alone will not be adequate. This struggle is even more pronounced if Medicaid is the insurer.

Therefore, why are we shocked at the rising suicide rates or in the mass killings on college campuses? Do we expect these conditions to magically resolve without intervention? As a provider and as a family member to someone who suffers with mental illness, I want and need proper resources. We wasted so much time this past year in political discourse that was so far from the important issues and left me wondering what kind of country is this place? I heard very little discussion about this crisis during the primaries and during the general election. Furthermore, instead of proposing agenda items for the new administration, pundits are still strategizing comeback tactics for the losing political party. Are you kidding me? Our country is hurting in more ways than one, and our focus continues to be misplaced and misguided.

All I want for Christmas is to be able to see a need and immediately address it. Until my wish is granted, I am left with doing the best that I can do with tools I presently have. So if you are interested in helping me and countless others advocate for mental health access, let’s push our legislators to use their “first 100 days” for something truly worthwhile.

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. is assistant professor at SLUCare Family Medicine. You may contact her at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • DECEMBER 15 – 21, 2016

Denise HooksAnderson, MD

Photo by Wiley Price

Studens use the ollowing quesions to incease your amiliarity with capial

Using the newspaper, follow a paticular stck. Then alculate the average prie of the stock over a eriod of time. What was the stock's change in prie over that time? Did the stock's value go up or down during this time? Suppose you bought 10 shares of that stock at the last closing pie.

1. What would its value be on the inal day?

2.Look through diferent newspapers and publiations such as a stockholder's prospectus and inancial magazines. Have them describe the diferent types of information these publications provide to inform investors.

3. Investigate brokerage charges rom diferent brokers, including online brokers.

4. Create a ictional orporation. Describe your company and create a prospectus or potential investors.

5. Create senarios such as this:

•

•

hapens to its value or prie over time?

• Let's say your grandparents bought a house in this neighborhod y years ago. If they sold the house tday, do you think they would be able to sell it for less or more than they oiginally paid? Explain your answer.

Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. 0216-03935 (98347-v1). ©2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

Planting the Seeds for Success! PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Kids

Healthcare Careers

Holiday E ating!

Nutrition Challenge:

The holidays bring parties, family time, plays, concerts and more. Many of these events also include food! Let’s review some ways to eat smart during these fun times.

> Eat a healthy snack before attending such an event — this way you won’t be tempted to overdo it.

> Remember to fill ½ of your plate with fruits/vegetables.

Follow The Leader!

> If you want to try a special treat, just keep it to a taste.

> Be sure to drink plenty of water!

> What are other ways to eat healthy during the holidays?

— BONUS — Healthy eating helps your body fight off winter colds and other sickness.

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

Choose one leader from your group of friends. Everyone should line up behind the leader and follow him or her throughout the house, yard or playground. The leader will do a variety of actions using their arms and legs: jumping,

NEVER, ever play with any kind of gun. Even if you think the gun isn’t loaded, or maybe it looks like a toy — it isn’t worth taking a chance. Immediately

skipping, clapping, etc. Do what the leader does until they change to a new action. Take turns being

tell an adult if you find a gun. And remember that many kids are killed each year by a gun that they thought was unloaded.

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5 No Guns!

the leader and creating more difficult, interesting and fun activities along the way.

Following the leader is a great way to stay active, increase your heart rate and burn calories throughout the day. Have fun!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

Kimberly Clark, RN,

Where do you work? I work at Christian Hospital.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from University City Senior High School. I then earned a diploma in nursing from Jewish Hospital School of Nursing, a bachelor’s degree in organizational management and master’s degree in healthcare administration from Ashford University. What does a patient care manager do? I am the nursing leader of a patient care unit, so I talk to patients and families every day to make sure that we are giving them excellent care. I also talk to my staff every day to make sure that they have everything that they need to give the patient the outstanding care that they deserve.

Why did you choose this career? My grandmother was my role model. She took care of people as a church nurse, and now I have the honor of taking it a step further and being an RN in her memory. What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part is connecting with a patient and letting them know that I am here for them, and that nothing else in that moment matters but them.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

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

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

Barrington Elementary School 5th grade teacher, Mr. Rodney Bouchard, works with his students using the

SCIENCE CORNER

Snow is a form of precipitation. When the temperature drops to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, water can freeze. Snow is formed when water vapors freeze into ice crystals. Most snowflakes are formed from over 200 tiny ice crystals! Snow can be light and powdery or it can be heavy and wet. Heavy snow is referred to as a snow storm. Blizzards are formed when there is snow with high wind. Sleet occurs when water droplets freeze on the way to the ground. “Thundersnow” occurs when there is thunder and lightning with the snow. This usually results in a higher snowfall.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you’ll be creating your own form of snow.

Materials Needed:

• 2 16oz. Boxes of cornstarch

• 1 Can of shaving cream

• Silver glitter • Large bowl

Process:

q Pour both 16-oz. boxes of cornstarch into a large bowl.

w Add a small amount of shaving cream into the bowl and stir gently. Repeat this process until you have added all shaving cream.

STEP ONE: Create a winter scene on a piece of construction paper. This will be placed on the floor as a target.

STEP TWO: Use a cotton ball to represent a snowball.

STEP THREE: Each student will take turns dropping the “snowball” onto the target 20 times.

STEP FOUR: Use a grid to record which target the snowball hits, or gets the closest to.

STEP FIVE: Calculate ratio. Example: 3 out of 20 throws landed on the tree.

DID YOU KNOW?

SCIENCE STARS

African American TV Meterologist Vivian Brown

As a young child, Vivian Brown was fascinated by the weather. She wondered how it could be so drastically different from day to day. As she got older, she became interested in cloud development and weather patterns.

Although snow can be a lot of fun, it can also be dangerous. Slips and falls are common, so walk with caution. Hold on to hand rails when possible. Cover any skin to protect it from the cold. Wear layers, so you can remove wet clothing. Snow reflects UV rays. Be sure to wear sunglasses or goggles.

For more information, visit: http:// easyscienceforkids.com/how-is-snow-made/. Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details. I can make textto-text and text-to-world connections.

e Continue to knead the shaving cream into the cornstarch until well blended.

r Add silver glitter into the mixture. Final product should be fluffy and similar to the consistency of freshly fallen snow.

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

Brown earned a degree in Meteorology from Jackson State University and graduated in 1986. In an interview with Ebony magazine, Brown said that college was difficult because she didn’t have many people she could identify with, and she was a minority in meteorology as an African American female. Brown worked as an intern at Georgia Tech. She decided to take a chance and contacted The Weather Channel to seek a job. The Weather Channel hired her as a forecaster, working behind the scenes. She began studying and preparing to work as an on-air personality. This presented new challenges as she had to learn how to think on her feet, as well as memorize information. Brown said the hardest part of her job at The Weather Channel was reporting on Hurricane Katrina and watching the damage via satellite. She has also hosted other shows, such as Afternoon Outlook (2003-2006), PM Edition Weekend (2006-2010), and Day Planner (2010-2013). Brown offers the following advice, “You have to follow your heart and your passion. You just have to stick with it.” She hopes to develop a scholarship or mentor program to help encourage students who are interested in science and meteorology.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. I can make text-to-text connections.

STEP SIX: Use decimals and percentages for each target. Example: 25% of the snowball throws hit the scarf. 25% = .25

STEP SEVEN: Calculate the mean, median, and mode for your snowball throws.

STEP EIGHT: Choose a graph style (line, bar, plot, pie) to display your data.

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

Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper.

Activities —

Seasonal Sales: There are many increases in sales with the holidays. Look at the advertisements in the newspaper. What items are for sale? Place all sale items into a “category” and create a graph to represent those categories.

Front Page

Verbs: On the front page of the newspaper, circle in red all forms of the verb “to be,” and in blue, all forms of the verb “to have.”

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can classify items into a category. I can identify verb forms.

St. Louis American newspaper for classroom STEM lessons.

Barrington Elementary is in the Hazelwood School District.

Photo provided by Mr. Bouchard.

Will this mayoral race help lead the way to a new St. Louis?

Everyone tasked to comment on the St. Louis mayoral election that is currently underway – and many who comment upon it for sport – have had to face up to the racial math. In a notoriously divided city with a slight plurality of black citizens, three credible black candidates have filed, but only one credible white candidate has filed. Not everyone agrees on credibility and electability – and after the electoral college victory of Donald Trump for U.S. president, no one should be too impressed with their ability to predict such things. But the EYE believes that – due to past track record, campaign cash on hand, name recognition and ability to persuade voters – Lewis Reed, Tishaura Jones and Antonio French (black candidates) and Lyda Krewson (a white candidate) should all be considered serious contenders for mayor, whereas Jeffrey Boyd, Bill Haas and Jimmie Mathews have become perennial candidates for citywide office (and, in Haas’ case, for any office) who do not warrant serious attention.

In the old St. Louis, which many have come to believe is no longer the current St. Louis, there would be no genuine contest for mayor with the current field. The vast majority of white voters would vote for

the one major white candidate, while the vast majority of black voters would split their votes three ways, with Krewson winning by 10 points easy. But this election is getting a different kind of look from observers, and not only because we all need something to say for the next three months (the primary election is March 7) other than “so-and-so wins easy.” The rainbow coalition that elected two young black protestors, Bruce Franks for state representative and Rasheen Aldridge for committeeman, over veteran black political operatives (Peggy Hubbard and Rodney Hubbard Sr.), was the latest wake-up call. Franks and Aldridge came out of both Ferguson and the Bernie Sanders movement, another force of progressive change that destabilized the old white/black political divisions that made elections easier to predict. And Forward Through Ferguson deserves credit for keeping the priorities of the Ferguson Commission at the forefront of public discourse on the current mayor’s race, where every candidate, black and white, is being asked questions about “racial equity” and giving answers that take those questions seriously. Clearly, a public demanding greater racial equity after 15

years of the same white mayor, Francis G. Slay – a mayor who came to Jesus on “racial equity” rather late in his tenure, if at all – might be expected to give the benefit of the doubt to one of the black candidates. White people might actually vote in significant numbers for a black candidate who speaks to citywide concerns. So this predicament is forcing people in St. Louis to talk about our politics in a different way, which in itself makes for a new kind of politics. Even Bill McClellan, the cantankerous Post-Dispatch columnist (whom we’ve mocked on occasion as an “Archie Bunker Democrat”), sees that something new is happening. He wrote about the mayor’s race in a recent column

that included a good look back at our racially benighted past, raising issues and memories that we are sure to see again when the campaign heats up after the holidays.

McClellan’s column starts with the premise that Tishaura Jones was the front-runner –this was McClellan’s premise, not the EYE’s – back when the white candidate field was expected to be just as divided as the black candidate field remains to date. According to the old way of thinking and doing things, McClellan reasoned, Jones’ only hope would be to entice into the race a white candidate – perhaps a white woman with a first name similar to “Lyda” and/or a last name similar to “Krewson.” But maybe, McClellan mused, times

have changed.

“Perhaps St. Louis is not as racially divided as it once was. Younger people are better about race than the generations before them,” McClellan writes. Then he takes a step back into the past with Virvus Jones, the former St. Louis comptroller, Tishaura’s father, former Political EYE contributor and a member of The St. Louis American’s editorial board who went on hiatus when his daughter filed for mayor. (The newspaper’s advocacy of Jones in her previous races for state representative and city treasurer was unqualified and never in doubt, and Virvus remained on the editorial board throughout our endorsements of her in those races and her victories.)

McClellan recalled chatting with Virvus a few years back about how their kids were less imprisoned in racial differences than their generation. “He told me that Tishaura, who had gone to school in the county under the desegregation program, had a lot of white friends,” McClellan writes. “Real friends. She is comfortable around white people, he said.”

McClellan sets the context of the conversation in the old St. Louis: “He and I were chatting with middling comfort across the great divide. I think we were at some political gathering, one of those events that fostered the fiction that there was a single Democratic Party, and not two parties, separate and not quite equal, the White Democrats and the Black Democrats.” In that world, which certainly persisted up to the most recent pre-Ferguson and pre-Bernie mayoral election, White Democrats and Black Democrats fought dirty in municipal primaries like Republicans and Democrats.

“In those days, we all knew the truth,” McClellan writes. “A candidate was guaranteed to win if she or he was the single candidate of one race while the opposition was split.” This internecine warfare certainly included the tactic of recruiting fake candidates of the opponent’s race to split their vote. “We called those faux candidates ‘stalking horses,’ McClellan writes. “Any politician worthy of office tried to recruit one.”

McClellan retells war stories from across the racial divide, including the one that spoiled the party – which very much involved Virvus Jones. McClellan writes that “the

rules suddenly changed” in 1993 when “the feds launched an investigation into a stalking horse candidate. Her name was Penny Alcott and she was put into a race for city comptroller to split the white vote. The feds claimed the black comptroller was behind it. That was Virvus Jones.”

McClellan continues with the perp walk: “Alcott pleaded guilty to being a stalking horse and got probation. An investment banker went to prison after being convicted of defrauding voters by conspiring to fund her campaign.” McClellan shrugged his shoulders, knowing the game too well to get upset about any one particular player, saying he was “sympathetic” to Virvus: “What had he done that so many others hadn’t done?” Then he adds a detail that brings us right up to 2017: “Not all journalists were as understanding. The chief investigative reporter for KSDK (Channel 5) was particularly aggressive. That was Mike Owens. He is now married to Lyda Krewson.” Owens, no longer working in broadcast journalism, would no doubt defend his work record as tough, but fair, investigating crime and malfeasance where he found it, with no racial animus or hang-ups. Many black political players who came of age in the old St. Louis and paid attention to the news would disagree, and hope that candidate Krewson’s grasp on the imperatives of “racial equity” is greater than that possessed by her husband.

Note: Mike Owens’ name is not on the March 7 ballot, and Krewson has been in public life long enough for her own record to speak for itself. However, Virvus Jones’ name is not on the ballot, either, and Tishaura Jones has been in public life long enough for her own record to speak for itself as well. Yet you can be sure that her father’s legacy – as someone who was accused of playing the stalking horse game that so many played – will come up as we get closer to game time.

Filing for the March 7 primary election closes on January 6, and the candidates who file have until January 26 to withdraw and stay off the ballot. Every conversation about this campaign is provisional until January 26. That doesn’t mean we won’t all keep talking about it.

Photo by Wiley Price

Perennial candidate Jimmie Mathews, Lewis Reed and Tishaura O. Jones were among the seven candidates who filed to run for St. Louis mayor when filing opened on Monday, November 28. To the far right is Mike Owens, former broadcast journalist and husband of another candidate, Lyda Krewson.

Business

‘Service to others can be more rewarding for the servant than for the served’

“Prior to now, for the most part, everyone was seeking to sell beer – responsibly, of course,” Bill Bradley said about his new role as vice president of community affairs for Anheuser-Busch. “Now it’s really more about serving the needs of that particular charitable organization constituency.”

A conversation with Bill Bradley, VP of community affairs for A-B

By Chris King

Of The St. Louis American

Momentous in so many ways for so many people, 2016 has been a pivotal year for Bill Bradley. January 1 of this year was his first day as vice president of community affairs for Anheuser-Busch after working 24 years at the company in a wide variety of increasingly senior and responsible positions.

Bradley grew up in North St. Louis (“basically on the corner of Marcus and Labadie,” he said) for the first nine years of his life, before his family moved to Spanish Lake. He went to high school at Hazelwood Central, then earned his associate’s degree from St. Louis Community College – Forest Park, where he also played baseball. His bat and glove were critical

n “I continued to do what I’ve always done, which is kind of keep my head down, go about my job and treat people the way I want to be treated.”

– Bill Bradley

to his transferring to Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama, where he graduated with a degree in business (with an emphasis in marketing).

He was recruited to Anheuser-Busch by Lincoln Scott, an African-American human rights professional (since retired), who exercised

Commerce

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Commerce Bank broke ground on Wednesday, December 7 on a new facility at 4402 Natural Bridge

Jason Purnell accepted the 2016 Dr. Corinne Walentik Leadership in Health Award from the Missouri Foundation for Health. He is an assistant professor at Washington University’s Brown School of Social Work and project director of For the Sake of All, a multi-disciplinary project on the health and well-being of African Americans in St. Louis.

at the Vic Tanny health club where Bradley worked shifts while he tried, and failed, to make it as a professional baseball player.

“I think, candidly, it was at a time when Anheuser-Busch, like many other corporations, were looking to expand the diversity of the pool of candidates they were looking at,” Bradley told The St. Louis American One of the first questions Scott asked him was whether he had a degree, because many of his peers working at the gym did not. Suddenly that business degree, which was not helping him get signed to a Major League Baseball club, came in handy. “I think that advanced the conversation,” Bradley said. “That was probably a qualifier.”

See BRADLEY, B2

Bank recommits to North St. Louis

Lakesha

Rev. Michael Jones

Lakesha Butler

Rodney Hare

Tiffany Jackson

Carole CaryHopson

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Commerce Bank broke ground on Wednesday, December 7 on a new facility at 4402 Natural Bridge Ave. in North St. Louis.

As you sprint toward the holidays and check off items on your gift list, Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises consumers to stay alert during the holiday season to avoid falling prey to scammers poised to pounce on careless or overburdened shoppers.

“People can be trusting this time of year, and scammers know that,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB President and CEO. “The best way to thwart scammers is to be cautious and make sure you’re working with trustworthy businesses.” Watch out for these five common scams at the mall, online or even in your email.

Online shopping scams: Everyone loves a great deal, but some websites offer electronics or luxury goods at prices that are too good to be true. Every holiday season, BBB hears from shoppers who paid for a “great deal” online, but received little or nothing in return.

BBB advice: Always look for BBB’s seal when shopping online, and click on it to confirm that it’s legitimate. If you’re shopping on sites that you’re not familiar with,

BRADLEY

continued from page B1

As Bradley the ballplayer already knew, getting a look was not the same thing as getting a job. After he submitted a resume to human resources, as directed, he went through 18 months of interviews for different job opportunities at A-B that he was not, in the end, offered.

“I just continued to do my due diligence, like you did back then – you know, persistence and follow-ups,” Bradley said. “Back then, it was thank-you letters. Then you just dealt with that disappointment of not getting offered a position.”

The time spent pulling shifts at the gym was not wasted professionally, however. “It was a great bridge for me coming from being a college athlete, being very comfortable in that environment,” Bradley said. “It taught me some interpersonal skills from a business standpoint, some selling skills that I did not previously have.”

It was after Bradley had been promoted into management at the health club that A-B called him in about yet another position

Better Business Bureau warns about holiday scams

check out their BBB Business Reviews at www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300. Confirm that the company has a physical address and telephone number. Any pages where you enter personal or financial information should have https:// at the beginning of the address or URL.

Online ads for hot toys and gadgets: When stores sell out, you may find the items online at sites like Craigslist or eBay— but for a much steeper price. Some sellers will take your money and run, leaving you without the gift or money to buy it elsewhere.

BBB advice: If you shop on Craigslist or other classified sites, look for local sellers and conduct transactions in person. Bring a friend and meet at a public location if you’re leery of meeting the seller alone. Never wire money as payment. If you’re shopping on auctions like eBay, research sellers extensively and don’t buy if the deal sounds too good to be true.

Identity theft at the mall: While you’re struggling with bags of presents, identity

– this time, as a member of the contemporary marketing team, one in a class of 40 individuals, 20 males and 20 females.

“I’m just going to go down there, and it’ll be a waste of time,” Bradley thought. Then, he thought, “It never hurts to get some practice on your interviewing skills,” and he knew that working at the gym was not a career opportunity for him.

This time, he got the job at Anheuser-Busch. Twentyfour years on the job later, he is now a vice president of the company. The American talked to him about adjusting to his new leadership role.

The American: So what exactly do you do for A-B?

Bill Bradley: I lead our team that works in our philanthropic space. I manage our foundation, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation, which is a charitable arm that’s been around since 1975. I also lead a team that focuses on community efforts centered around economic development, education, support of the military, and disaster relief. We also focus on volunteerism, primarily through our employees.

The American: What is new to you in this experience?

Bill Bradley: Coming from

thieves may see an opportunity to steal your wallet or look over your shoulder to copy your debit or credit card numbers.

BBB advice: Have a plan to keep your money and ID safe. Don’t let yourself get bogged down in purchases

the marketing space, 20 years on the beer marketing side of things, and then the last four years on what I would call the responsibility marketing piece of our business, I’m now moving in the more serviceoriented philanthropic space. Certainly, my stakeholders that I’m dealing with are much different than in my previous roles at AnheuserBusch.

In many ways, they have many objectives at the end of the day. Prior to now, for the most part, everyone was seeking to sell beer – responsibly, of course. Now it’s really more about serving the needs of that particular charitable organization constituency, so that we are seen as great community partners. But, certainly, we are seen as a resource, and the approach that our stakeholders bring to us from that standpoint is a little bit different than in my previous roles.

or lose track of your wallet. Know where your credit and debit cards are at all times and cover the keypad when entering your pin number while purchasing items or getting money from an ATM. If the merchant can process cards using an embedded chip,

n “Through volunteerism, through work with the church, Central Baptist Church, growing up, my parents exposed me to doing things for other people.”

– Bill Bradley

over from me for the previous four years. So even though our disciplines were different, I had the opportunity to see what she was doing, kind of on the periphery – and certainly participate, just as an employee, in some of the volunteer efforts that she was leading. I brought my kids out to different events, like Habitat for Humanity builds. So I had a good working knowledge prior to coming into the role. But, like most things, until you actually get into it and start peeling back the layers, you don’t really know.

The American: There must be organizations whose existence you did not know of last December that now you are dealing with or looking at their grant proposals.

One of the benefits that I’ve had moving into this role was that my predecessor, Margarita Flores, sat a few workstations

use that rather than swiping the magnetic strip. Make sure you put your card back in your wallet after each purchase.

Bogus charitable pleas: The holidays are a time of giving, and that creates an opportunity for scammers to solicit donations to line their own pockets. Beware of solicitations from charities that don’t necessarily deliver on their promises or are illequipped to carry through on their plans. Resist demands for on-the-spot donations.

BBB advice: Always research charities with BBB before you give to see if the charity meets the BBB’s 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Read detailed reports on many BBB Accredited local charities with BBB’s Accredited Charity Guide. You can also read more tips on finding trustworthy charities at our website.

Phishing emails: Phishing emails are a common way for hackers to get at your personal information or break into your computer. Around the

relief. I knew that in terms of our emergency drinking water donation program we worked through them, and of course I knew that they did blood drives at corporations like ours. But I really didn’t understand, until starting to work with them, the scope of what they did in terms of disaster preparedness – working with corporate organizations, schools and municipalities to prepare for disasters ahead of time.

The American: Did you internalize that or bring it back to headquarters?

Bill Bradley: We have been a supporters of their disaster relief program, so corporately I think we’re in good shape. Personally, however, I did think about it, and I thought, “Man, are we prepared should a tornado hit? What can we do in our own house in terms of being ready for a long-term power outage?”

The American: Did you apply for this vice president position, or were you sort of fingered for it?

Bill Bradley: As a native St. Louisan and being back here in St. Louis for the last 13 years or so, to work at the corporate headquarters I had a working knowledge of many of the charitable organizations that are in the city at large and then certainly the ones that we did business with or that we’ve contributed to.

I will say this: The American Red Cross, which is one of our long-time partners, I knew what they did topically in terms of disaster

Bill Bradley: Margarita had planned to retire for the better part of a year. The department head at the time (who has since left the company) in a casual conversation asked if I would have any interest in succeeding her. I expressed interest, and we really didn’t discuss it again for another six or eight months. I continued to do what I’ve always done, which is kind of keep my head down, go about my job and treat people the way I want to be treated.

holidays, beware of e-cards and messages purporting to be from companies like UPS, Federal Express or major retailers with links to package tracking information.

BBB advice: Don’t click on any links or open any attachments to emails until you have confirmed that they are not malicious. Some emails can infect your computer with a virus or download malware if you click a link. Email addresses that don’t match up, typos and grammatical mistakes are common red flags of a malicious phishing email. Also beware of unsolicited emails from companies with which you have no association. Make sure you have current antivirus software and that all security patches have been installed on the computer.

BBB Scam Tracker (https:// www.bbb.org/scamtracker/ stlouis) is a great place to research and report scams. For more advice on being a savvy consumer this holiday season or to find BBB Business Reviews of businesses or charities, call (314) 645-3300 or go online to www.bbb.org.

And that’s, for the most part, worked out for my professional and personal lives. When the time got closer and she was actually going to leave, then, of course, the conversations became more serious, more structured. So I would have to say I was initially approached and kind of tapped as her successor. The American: I assume it was a promotion with a salary increase. I understand that would be enough reason to want the job, but are there other reasons?

Bill Bradley: Yes, absolutely. On the professional side, you know, you want to continually be challenged. A new challenge was very interesting to me, certainly. And then, you don’t think about this when you’re going through it, but my late father, William Bradley Sr., was a St. Louis city police officer for 35 years. My mother, Amanda Bradley, was a registered nurse for the City of St. Louis. Most of that time she worked for the old Homer G. Phillips Hospital. So I grew up in a household of civil servants, really. And through volunteerism, through work with the church, Central Baptist Church, growing up, my parents exposed me to doing things for other people. So it’s really kind of a natural fit for me. It’s very comfortable for me helping others and trying to raise my children that way. Service to others can certainly be in many ways more rewarding for the servant than for the people who are being served.

n “When we elect a president who speaks in a disrespectful way a lot, I don’t know that we can use him in our household.”

– LeBron James

Midwest Showdown Shootout is Saturday

Visitation Holiday Tournament also opens Dec. 17

With Earl Austin Jr.

The Midwest Showdown Shootout is annually one of the state’s top one-day events on the basketball calendar. The event, which is presented by Terrell Ramey of Rameybasketball.com, will be held on December 17 at Webster Groves High. Ramey has put together a tremendous sixgame event which features teams from Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee. Admission for the event is $10 for the entire day.

Earl Austin Jr. PreP BasketBall NoteBook

Schedule:

Soldan vs. MICDS, 1 p.m. –The opener features a battle between two good Class 4 teams.

Soldan features a pair of talented sophomores in twin guards Jesse and James Little. MICDS has one of the area’s leading scorers in 6’5” senior Alec Spence, plus 6’5” senior Matt Roper and 6’2” junior Austin Thompson.

Cardinal Ritter vs. White’s Creek (TN), 2:30 p.m. – Cardinal Ritter is currently ranked No. 1 in the state among Class 3 schools. The Lions have been led by 6’6” senior forward Xavier Womack and the talented backcourt duo of 5’9” junior Jared Phillips and 5’10” sophomore Malek Davis. White’s

Bye Bye Bernard

51-year-old Hopkins enters the ring for the final time Saturday on HBO

Before 1910, boxing matches lasted an unlimited amount of rounds. A fight wasn’t over until one man was knocked unconscious, quit or the local police stepped in to halt the bout. The longest bout in recorded history took place in 1893 when Andy Bowen and Jack Burke battled for 111 three-minute rounds. After both fighters were too dazed and exhausted to answer the 112th bell, the referee ruled the bout a no-contest.

mous bout between Bowen and Burke. It has lasted much longer than anybody in their right mind would have expected. Unlike Bowen and Burke though, it appears that Hopkins will end his career on his terms – on his feet with his physical and mental faculties intact.

Bernard Hopkins was ringside OK, Hopkins (55-72, 32 KO) is not quite that old – yet. However, Saturday night on HBO World Championship Boxing, the soon-to-be 52-year-old fighter will face-off against 27-yearold Joe Smith Jr. in the final fight of his career.

Hopkins’ career has a lot in common with the infa-

Police almost halted Hopkins’ career before it ever started. The Philadelphia native was arrested more than 30 times as a youth and eventually spent five years in prison for armed robbery. Hopkins discovered his love for boxing behind bars and it gave him hope that he could escape the street life. Shortly after he was released from prison, Hopkins turned pro and lost his first fight via majority decision. According to Hopkins, he turned back to the streets for the next two years before

deciding that his legacy would be built in the ring and not inside the Pennsylvania penal system. Hopkins changed his habits. In addition to changing his grimy ways, he gave up eating sweets and drinking alcohol and soda. He began to get seri-

ous about his training regime and his diet. While Hopkins was never the fastest or hardest-hitting fighter, the discipline he developed outside of the ring began to show inside it. Following a loss to Roy Jones Jr. in 1993, Hopkins

defeated the Sumner Bulldogs in a 84-29 blowout Tuesday night at Miller Career Academy.

n Hopkins discovered his love for boxing behind bars and it gave him hope that he could escape the street life. Bernard Hopkins, lands a right hand against former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev in 2014. Hopkins will step into the ring for the final time this Saturday against Joe Smith Jr.

went 26 fights without a loss, including a record-setting 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses. The victory that put Hopkins on the mainstream map was his destruction of then-undefeated icon Felix “Tito” Trinidad Jr. in 2001. He knocked out the “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya three years later and became a bankable boxing star. All along, Hopkins did it his way. Inside boxing circles, the crafty ring general was known for being as difficult outside the ring as he was inside it. Hopkins routinely sued his own promoters, griped at reporters for perceived disrespect and nearly started an all-out riot after stomping on the Puerto Rican flag prior to his bout with Trinidad. In the ring, he was known to use low blows, elbows, shoulder butts or any advantage he could when the

See PREP, B5

Sistrunk

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Photo by Wiley Price

The Vashon Wolverines

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Stanford’s Shaw great fit for Rams; Dexter ready to deal in STL

It turns out that Eric Dickerson will only miss one Los Angeles Rams home game this season.

The Hall of Fame running back vowed to never attend another Rams game while Jeff Fisher was head coach, and Fisher got the axe a day after his team was embarrassed 42-14 at home by the Atlanta Falcons.

“This is the right time to make a change, as our performance has not lived up to my or our fans’ expectations. We all are focused on improving as an organization and building a team that makes Los Angeles proud,” owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement.

the Rams to hire a “proven NFL coach,” and his list of candidates includes former San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh has returned Michigan to national prominence in just two seasons, but it is being reported he has no interest in the Rams position.

Other names surfacing include New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (who also served in that role for the 2011 STL Rams before being fired), former Tampa coach and analyst Jon Gruden and Kyle Shanahan.

With a miserable 31-45-1 record at the helm of the Rams, which includes losing eight of nine games and posting a 4-9 mark this year, Fisher did not ever have a winning record for St. Louis/ L.A. Fisher’s childish feud with Dickerson brought further ridicule on to the team and fanned the flames of fan discontent, which became an inferno during last week’s blowout.

“I wasn’t trying to get Jeff Fisher fired,” Dickerson told USA TODAY. “That wasn’t my goal. Let’s get that straight off the bat.” However, Dickerson added that he “most definitely” will attend the Rams’ two remaining home games. Dickerson said he wants

The NFL’s “Rooney Rule” will compel to the Rams to interview at least one black candidate, and I hope COO Kevin Demoff calls Stanford coach David Shaw Shaw has compiled a 63-17 overall record, and is an impressive 42-12 in the Pac 12. His teams have made three Rose Bowl appearances, and the Cardinal have played in a bowl game each of his five years as head coach. Stanford will face North Carolina in the Sun Bowl on December 30. Shaw served as passing coordinator for Harbaugh at San Diego University and later became his offensive coordinator at Stanford after Harbaugh was hired there.

With Shaw as passing coordinator at San Diego in 2006, the Toreros led NCAA Division I-AA in passing offense (293.3 yards per game), total offense (494.25 yards

per game) and scoring offense (42.83 points per game) and finished 11-1.

He also served nine years as a NFL assistant coach, respectively, with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens from 1997 to 2006.

Adding more polish to his Rams’ resume is the fact that Shaw’s father, Willie Shaw was a college or NFL assistant coach 32 years. He was Rams

David Shaw has compiled a 63-17 overall record, and is an impressive 42-12 in the Pac 12. His teams have made three Rose Bowl appearances, and the Cardinal have played in a bowl game each of his five years as head coach.

one, do something.” He said players must “(Be the) best student you can be, best football player you can be, and (have) the best character that you can have.”

He fired up the Oregon crowd before a home basketball game against Alabama last weekend and his enthusiasm soon had thousands of Duck fans on their feet and cheering. Taggart had the respective recommendations of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, for whom he served as linebackers coach at San Francisco, and retired Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy.

“I certainly think he’s a good fit,” Dungy said before Taggart got the job

“Oregon is a different situation. You’re not coming in taking something from the ground floor. You need a coach that can come in and get players going and coach well. It’s a big challenge at Oregon, one that he would be successful at.

“You’re not trying to become respectable, you’re trying to win national championships -- it’s a different kind of challenge.”

defensive coordinator in 199596, the team’s first years in St. Louis. He later served as assistant head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings.

Shaw should be given serious consideration and awarded the job if he wants the yeoman’s task of fixing the Rams’ shamble of an offense, stabilizing erratic quarterback Jared Goff and building a true L.A. foundation for the dysfunctional franchise.

Soul power Fowler

The St. Louis Cardinals surprised many a pundit –including me – when free agent Dexter Fowler was signed to a five-year, $82.5 million contract.

He will play centerfield and bat leadoff – and hopefully add some effervescence to the alltoo-droll Cardinals clubhouse.

“If I got into a clubhouse, we’re going to have fun,” Fowler said during his introductory press conference at Busch Stadium on Friday.

“Even if the clubhouse is not having fun, we’re going to have fun. Win, lose or draw, let’s have fun because I believe that’s going to make us better. I feel like I can do that in a clubhouse. Either way, we’ll get the guys out of their shell if they are in the shell.”

This was the prefect attitude while playing for the Chicago Cubs and manager Joe Maddon

As I warned last week, we’ll have to see if manager Mike Matheny gets on board with Fowler’s joviality, especially when the team isn’t playing well.

General manager John Mozeliak has set the stage for Fowler, and has probably let Matheny know he should not try to curb his enthusiasm.

“(Fowler) wants to have a voice in that clubhouse. When you think about all of things we’ve talked about and tried to change, the culture of what we have going — we like what we have but now we like it better. We feel he’s only going to enhance that,” Mozeliak said during the press conference.

The Cardinals now have some soul at the top of the lineup and as a leader in the clubhouse. It has been awhile since you could say that – and nothing but good can come of it.

Oregon tags Taggart

Willie Taggart, who turned around South Florida’s floundering football program, was hired last week by the University of Oregon.

Nice job, Ducks!

In his first press conference, Taggart was asked about Oregon winning a national championship and he calmly responded “There is no reason for us not to.”

He said the first three things he will impress on his team are: “Make no excuses, blame no

As for Harbaugh’s influence, Taggart said “When you see a Willie Taggart football team, you know a lot of that came from (Jim and Baltimore Ravens head coach John) Harbaugh.”

Taggart, 40, compiled a 24–25 record at South Florida. He went just 6–18 in his first two seasons and was rumored to be fired. His Bulls won 18 games the last two years, including 10 in 2016, the best mark in school history.

Strong choice by USF

One of Taggart’s first choices for his staff at Oregon was going to be Charlie Strong, who was fired by Texas at season’s end.

Strong, however, is taking over as head coach at USF for the departed Taggart.

“Some of the best football talent in the country is right here in the (Tampa) Bay Area and throughout the state of Florida, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with the young men in the USF football program and build on the strong foundation already in place,” he said.

Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows, including Frank Cusumano’s “The Press Box” on KFNS. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

By Jill Martin and Steve Almasy CNN

(CNN) -- Lamar Jackson, a sophomore quarterback at the University of Louisville, has won the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football.

Jackson, who amassed 4,928 yards of total offense and 51 total touchdowns, is youngest player ever and the first player from Louisville to win the Heisman.

Wearing a school-color red coat with a black lapel, Jackson seemed a bit overwhelmed by winning.

“Oh my God,” he said several times.

Among those he thanked were his teammates, saying the award was for all of them.

“I can’t wait to treasure this moment with all of you,” he said. “I love you guys.” Jackson told reporters he had a speech written but thanked his fellow players,

Continued from B3

referee wasn’t looking. At age 51, the fighter once known as “The Executioner” has become much more mellow and statesmanlike in his demeanor, but it just as tough and strong-willed as ever. While other fighters have fought into their late 40s or early 50s, most have cringe worthy performances, by badly damaged fighters chasing the almighty dollar. Look no further than Jones, who at 47 continues to round the globe fighting bums. The once-untouchable Jones looks every bit of his age in the ring. He’s been knocked out against the last four decent fighters he’s faced, but has sandwiched those losses with wins against cab drivers and yoga instructors.

Hopkins continues to fight world-class opponents. Smith (22-1-0, 18 KO), his upcoming opponent, is coming off an upset KO victory over

PREP

Continued from B3 Creek is led by 6’11” center Ruot Monyong.

Whitfield vs. W.E.B.

DuBois, 4 p.m. – Whitfield features one of the state’s top junior prospects in 6’4” guard Torrence Watson, who has received offers from several major Division I programs.

CBC vs. Chicago Lawndale, 5:30 p.m. – CBC has a talented young team, but the Cadets are led by veteran 6’5” junior forward Kale Catchings and senior guards Sam Orf and Josh Nunn. Lawndale is led by 6’3” senior Carlos Hines and 6’5” senior Leonard Capels.

Webster Groves vs. Chicago Uplift, 7 p.m. – The Statesmen are led by 6’3” junior guard Courtney Ramey, who is one of the best guards in the junior class nationally. Uplift is led by sophomore guard Markese Jacobs, who has already committed to Kansas.

Vashon vs. Chicago Thornton, 8:30 p.m. – The nationally-ranked Wolverines are led by 5’10” senior Daniel Farris, 6’8” senior Kansas State signee Levi Stockard and 6’0” sophomore standout Mario McKinney. Thornton is paced by 6’2” senior guard Alonzo Verge and 6’6” junior forward Orlando Allen.

Visitation Tournament opens this weekend

The Visitation Holiday Tournament will kick-off with first-round games on Saturday. It is the top girls’ holiday tournament in the state of Missouri. Incarnate Word

Louisville’s Lamar Jackson wins Heisman Trophy

coaches and mom from his heart.

“For some reason when they called my name my chest started pumping and heart started racing real hard,” he said. Jackson is the first player in major college football history with at least 3,300 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards in a season.

He was second in the nation in points responsible per game (25.7).

“The improvement Lamar has made since coming to Louisville has been amazing,” Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. “It’s all because of his dedication and hard work.”

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson finished second in the Heisman voting, with 1,524 points. Jackson’s winning total was 2,144. He received 526 of 929 first-place votes. The other finalists were Oklahoma junior quarterback Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma senior wide receiver Dede

former light heavyweight title contender Andrzej Fonfara. Smith is no Sergey Kovalev, who soundly defeated Hopkins in his last bout in 2014, but the fellow knockout artist is a credible opponent and is currently the #2 rated fighter by the WBC. At nearly 52-years-old, most people would advise Hopkins not to fight at all. If he did, surely boxing fans would give Hopkins a pass for fighting a tomato can the last time he laced up his gloves.

That’s not Bernard Hopkins’ style.

“We as humans put limitations on ourselves,” Hopkins told reporters at his media workout. “When all is said and done, I don’t want to regret what I didn’t do.”

What Hopkins didn’t do is give up or give in. “The Alien” always managed to defy the odds, which is why he is likely to emerge as the victor against a man nearly 25 years his junior. Hopkins is just too crafty, too-wily and too-stubborn to lose in

n The Visitation Holiday Tournament is the top girls’ holiday tournament in the state of Missouri.

Academy got the No. 1 seed in this year’s loaded field, which also includes Parkway North, Kirkwood, Hazelwood Central, Webster Groves, Cor Jesu, Whitfield and many more. The first-round schedule on Saturday is as follows: Fort Zumwalt West vs. Parkway North, 10 a.m.; Whitfield vs. Visitation, 11:30 a.m.; Kirkwood vs. Francis Howell, 1 p.m.; Hazelwood Central vs. Webster Groves, 2:30 p.m.; Metro vs. Washington, 4 p.m.; Parkway South vs. Pacific, 5:30 p.m.; Ursuline vs. Cor Jesu, 7 p.m.; Incarnate Word vs. Notre Dame, 8:30 p.m.

Westbrook and Michigan junior linebacker Jabrill Peppers.

With a breakout performance in a 63-20 blowout against Florida State on September 17, Jackson became the early favorite to win the Heisman. In that game, Jackson ran for four touchdowns and threw for another one, compiling 146 yards rushing and 216 yards passing.

That followed Louisville’s two opening games -- blowout wins over Charlotte and Syracuse -- in which Jackson was responsible for 13 touchdowns.

Jackson, 19, will be back at Louisville next season as NFL rules prohibit freshmen and sophomores from being drafted.

CNN’s Dan Moriarty contributed to this report.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

his farewell fight.

Unlike other fighters, who retire and unretire like they worked at Bridgestone, there’s little chance of seeing Hopkins back in the ring, except as a promoter. Hopkins has earned all the money, the titles and most-importantly the respect that he always deserved –and then some. And he did it the only way he knows how – the hard way.

“I want the book to be written good,” Hopkins said. “The last thing you remember about a good book is not the beginning, it’s the ending. I look at this as the final icing on the cake or that exclamation point. This is it. You know this is history.”

Win, lose or draw, just like that infamous fight 123 year ago, there’s no contest to claim Hopkins as a boxing legend and future first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

The tournament will resume on December 26 with quarterfinals games. The championship game is set for Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 8 p.m.

GAC-Suburban Challenge

The GAC-Suburban Challenge is a three-day 16-game event that features schools from St. Charles County going head to head against schools from the St. Louis Suburban Conferences. This year’s event will be held at Lindenwood University in St. Charles. It will begin with three games on Thursday, four games on Friday and nine games on Saturday.

(You can also catch Earl Austin Jr. talking high school basketball on the Fox 2 Prep Zone on Friday nights at 10:12 p.m. You can also follow Earl on twitter @earlaustinjr.)

The ST

Javonte Perkins

Miller Career Academy – Boys Basketball

Hopkins

just one of Hopkins’ record 20-consecutive middleweight

The 6’7” senior forward has been one of the area’s top performers in leading the Phoenix to a 6-1 record.

Last Friday, Perkins had 21 points and 17 rebounds, including a gamewinning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Career Academy a 60-59 victory over Class 5 Rock Bridge. He also had 19 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and four steals in a 70-25 victory over Cleveland Naval Jr. ROTC. For the season, Perkins is averaging 21.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.8 steals. As a junior, he averaged 15.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.0 steals in leading the Phoenix to a 21-5 record.

Robyion Hughes

Ritenour – Boys Basketball

The 5’8” senior guard came up with a pair of big performances last week to lead the Huskies to the championship of the St. Charles West Warrior Classic. Hughes scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Huskies past Kirkwood 81-79 in the championship game. In the semifinals, Hughes had 20 points, five assists and four steals in a 66-46 victory over Lutheran North.

Hughes is currently averaging 22.5 points as the Huskies are currently 3-1. As a junior, Hughes averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 assists, 2.2 steals and made 44 3-pointers in leading the Huskies to a 15-11 record.

shocked the world in 2001 after he knocked out then-undefeated superstar Felix “Tito” Trinidad. The victory was

title defenses.

Louisville QB Lamar Jackson became the youngest Heisman Trophy winner in history. He is just the third player with 30 touchdown passes and 20 rushing touchdowns in one season.

COMMERCE

continued from page B1

ceremony on December 7.

“We’ll have private conversation areas and not as many desks. We are excited to bring a modern facility and what customers really want to this area.”

All Commerce employees will be moved across the street to the new location. The majority of the bank’s customers are AfricanAmerican and live in the surrounding area, said Loura M. Gilbert, vice president of community development at Commerce. The most popular services are basic checking and saving accounts, she said, but the bank also offers a secured credit card to help individuals establish a credit line.

Natural Bridge is lined with businesses offering check-cashing services for high fees and payday loans, which are short-term loans for small amounts at a high rate of interest. Gilbert hopes that Commerce can offer residents an alternative to these high fees.

“If they’ve gotten into payday lending, that’s a cycle of debt that’s hard to get out of,” Gilbert said. “It’s a nightmare.”

Although Commerce does

not offer much one-on-one financing counseling to help people repair their damaged credit lines, they do partner with community development corporations to get residents the assistance they need, Gilbert said. Some of those partners include Beyond Housing and Northside Community Housing Inc. Sal Martinez, executive director of Community Renewal and Development

n Natural Bridge is lined with businesses offering check-cashing services for high fees and payday loans, which are short-term loans for small amounts at a high rate of interest.

Inc., said Commerce has been a strong partner in community investment, including support for the Julia Davis Library right next door to their current location.

“They have been here for decades,” Martinez said, “This is another a demonstration of their commitment to the neighborhood.”

Plans for the existing building are yet to be determined, but bank leaders

said that Commerce continues to have conversations with the City of St. Louis, the neighboring Julia Davis library and other community leaders to determine how to put the building to best use for the neighborhood.

The new Natural Bridge branch will include the traditional transaction line, two consulting rooms to hold private conversations and meetings with a personal banker and the ability to video conference with product specialist if needed. The existing drive through and drive-up ATM will remain at the location and will be operational throughout construction as well.

The existing branch will remain in service during the remodel and construction is expected to be completed by the end of May. ISC Contracting is the general contractor and V Three Studios is the architect for the project.

Fran Fanara, senior vice president and St. Louis retail group manager, said, “Commerce Bank is recommitting to the North St. Louis neighborhood and the surrounding business district by investing in a new and improved branch so we can continue to serve the needs of our customers in this community.”

Financial Focus

By Anna Anderson-Stringfellow

By

Black art matters

‘Tis the season for praise

Richard Smallwood With Vision headline

IN UNISON’s Gospel Christmas concert

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

Powell Symphony Hall became a sanctuary last Thursday for the IN UNISON Chorus’ annual holiday concert, aptly named “A Gospel Christmas.”

And while celebrating the season was what brought the sold-out audience of all backgrounds together, praise was the order of business in the message of the music as they welcomed Richard Smallwood with Vision as this year’s celebrity headliner. Smallwood and IN UNISON performed separately and together over the course of the two-hour concert.

The praise-fest began with IN UNISON’s performance for “Praise His Holy Name!” Smallwood elicited shouts as he and his group

sang the audience into the spirit with “Total Praise.”

He knew they would and had prepared accordingly.

Collateral confusion

Will Smith’s latest film a mix-match of emotions and illfitting themes

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

music

and

n “We’re about to do a song that you’ve all heard before,” Kevin McBeth said as he introduced “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

“But I’m pretty sure you’ve never heard it done like this.”

The song, which served as the evening’s finale, wasn’t on the program. But it would be impossible to imagine that Smallwood and his ensemble of singers and musicians would be able to leave the stage without performing the 1996 contemporary gospel classic that has become a standard for church choirs around the world. “We’ve got time for one more,” Smallwood said. Before he could hint at taking requests, audience members began individually shouting “‘Total Praise,’ ‘Total Praise!’”

As the opening piano chords blended with the strings of the symphony orchestra for the song’s intro, the crowd started their own personal praise parties before Smallwood With Vision sang a single note.

And when the dozen singers began to sing the opening line of the song, the shots of “hallelujah,” “amen” and “thank you, Jesus” came close to obstructing Vision’s precise harmonies.

But the shouts soon gave way to a three-way unison that included the chorus, Smallwood With Vision and the audience. “You are the source of my strength. You are the strength of my life. I lift my hands in total praise to you,” they sang on cue – and in tune.

Hearing the song performed with the accompaniment of a full orchestra maximized its impact and illustrated the intention of Smallwood’s musical style.

He’s been a household name on the gospel music scene for more than two decades and set himself apart from the rest of the industry with a seamless blend of contemporary gospel and traditional classical music.

n Though

“What is your ‘why?’” advertising genius Howard Inlet (Will Smith ) asks a room of employees in the agency he helped build from the ground up with the signature Will Smith charm. The opening scene of “Collateral Beauty” will have the audience as ready to embark on a self-discovery mission which results in a purpose-driven life as the group hanging onto every word of their professional guru. Love, time and death are what he resolves as the motivation for all things in a motivational speech that would make Oprah Winfrey or Les Brown jealous. With this exchange, director David Frankel created a moment so compelling and authentic that it lingers with the viewer as they eagerly await what they know will be an emotional rollercoaster, but well worth the ride. Unfortunately, the film never answers the question it initially poses for the viewer. Thanks to a convoluted storyline and thoughtlessly woven themes that are overwhelmingly confusing, the “why”

“Collateral Beauty,” directed by David Frankel and starring Will Smith and Naomie Harris, opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, December 16.

brought

Asha Perez and Charli Cooksey

The St. Louis American

Acrylic and oil on canvas paintings by artist Booshra Munamu.

Richard Smallwood and his vocal ensemble Vision performed with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and its IN UNISON Chorus before a sold-out audience at the symphony’s annual Gospel Christmas concert Thursday, December 8 at Powell Hall. Photo by Wiley Price

How to place a calendar listing

1. Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican. com OR

2. Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing

Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis.

holiday haps

Thur., Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m., Family Arena presents Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular. A concert and visual experience where audiences journey into a world of high-flying adventure with amazing acrobats, aerialists, hilarious hijinks and holiday cheer, too! The show blends the spellbinding grace and daredevil athleticism of today’s greatest circus performers with the sensory majesty of the greatest holiday music of all time. The show will be performed with The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. 2002 Arena Parkway, 63033. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Through Dec. 17, Jazz St. Louis presents Tim Warfield’s All Star Jazzy Christmas. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 571-6000 or visit www. jazzstl.org.

Sat., Dec. 17, 9 a.m., The Missouri Conference Women Missionary Society Of the African Methodist Episcopal Church presents Breakfast with Santa, St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 1260 Hamilton Ave., St. Louis, MO. 63112. For more information, call (314) 385-8900.

Sat., Dec. 17, 10:30 a.m., NAACP St. Louis County Brunch presents Soulful Jazz Brunch Extravaganza. We will have a fashion show, live music by The Coleman Hughes Project, a shopping bizarre, silent auction, and more. Westport Sheraton Chalet, 191 W. Port Plaza, 63146. For more information, call (314) 477-9338.

Sat., Dec. 17, 2 p.m., Murchison Tabernacle

C.M.E. Church presents their 1st Annual Gospel Extravaganza. Come and join us for an awesome gospel talent show. Proceeds will

be going towards blessing a family in need for Christmas. 7629 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 383-4855 or visit www.thirddistrictcme.org/ stlouis.

Sat., Dec. 17, 2 p.m., Infynite Collective, LLC & STL Hosting Services present Unity in the Community: Toy Drive & Networking Event. We’re trying to bring our community together by giving back and networking with one another. There will be bounce houses & characters for the children, credit repair services, free haircuts, small business loan assistance, music, food and more. North County Recreation Center, 2577 Redman Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 696-4678.

Sat., Dec. 17, 9 p.m., Dirty Muggs Holiday House Party. Trainwreck Saloon Westport, 314 Westport Plaza, 63146. For more information, call (314) 846-9043 or visit www. dirtymuggs.com.

Dec. 17 – 18, Better Family Life presents the 33rd Annual Kwanzaa Holiday Expo. Come for great entertainment, opportunities to watch some thought provoking and entertaining films, hear engaging speakers, learn about Kwanzaa, eat some great food and take your children to a safe space where they can engage in culturally inspiring activities. 5415 Page Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. kwanzaaholidayexpo.com.

Sat., Dec. 17, 7 p.m., Central Baptist Church hosts the Gift Chronicles IV feat. Ledisi 2842 Washington Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 533-0747 or visit www.cbcstl.org.

Sun., Dec. 18, 4 p.m., Prince of Peace Church Music Ministry presents A Christmas Praise. 9350 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134.

Featured Event

Dec. 17 – 18, Better Family Life presents the 33rd Annual Kwanzaa Holiday Expo. 5415 Page Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. kwanzaaholidayexpo.com.

For more information, call (314) 669-2419 or visit www. princeofpeacechurchstl.com.

Sun., Dec. 18, 5 p.m., Kranzberg Arts Center hosts My Favorite Things feat. Adria Nicole. With special guests C. Jay Conrad, Cheeraz Gormon, Kali Assata, and Mo Egeston. 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 533-0367 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Dec. 19 – 21, Jazz St. Louis presents Ellington’s Nutcracker. Celebrate the Holidays with a special showcase of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite performed by the Jazz St. Louis Big Band. 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. Tues., Dec. 20, 7 p.m., Kwanzaa Expo, Sunshine Cultural Arts Center, 630 N. 59th Street, East St. Louis, IL, 62203 (old Morrison School: enter from rear). For information, call 618 6503991, write EBRWC at P.O. Box 6165, ESL, IL 62201, or email eredmon@siue.edu.

Wed., Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m.,

The Fox presents Hip Hop Nutcracker. A contemporary re-imagination of Tchaikovsky’s timeless music, performed by a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, DJ and violinist. Digital scenery transforms E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story of a palace of sugarplums into a romance set in 1980s Brooklyn. The dance work celebrates love, community and the magic of New Year’s Eve. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5341678 or visit www.metrotix. com.

Sat., Dec. 24, 4:30 p.m., A special Candlelight Christmas Eve Service and Caroling will be held at Union Memorial United Methodist Church, 1141 Belt Avenue, St. Louis, MO. For more information, call 314367-8314 or 314-367-8315.

Through Dec. 24, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents A Christmas Carol adapted by David H. Bell from the novella

Chaifetz Arena presents Old School Hip Hop Festival. Featuring Scarface, Big Daddy Kane, Juvenile, 8 Ball & MJG, Trick Daddy, Doug E Fresh, Slick Rick, Mystikal and Jalil & Ecstasy of Whodini. See CONCERTS for additional details.

by Charles Dickens and directed by Steven Woolf, Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, call (314) 9684925 or visit The Rep’s Online Box Office at www.repstl.org.

Fri., Dec. 30, 8 p.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omega Chapter presents the 2016 End of the Year Jam. Bring your own food and set up. Music provided by DJ Charlie Chan and DJ Tony James. Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, call (314) 2828018.

Sat., Dec. 31, 8 p.m., All-N-1 Ent & Allen Construction host a New Year’s Eve Party Mandarin Banquet Hall, 8004 Olive Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 6903660.

Sat., Dec. 31, 8 p.m., Marriott St. Louis Grand presents a 1920’s Prohibition New Year’s Eve Party. Travel back in time to an era of elegance and wickedness while you dance your way into the New Year. 800 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www.1920sNYE.com.

Sun., Jan. 1, 12 noon, Saint Louis Art Museum will host its annual Kwanzaa Celebration: Mask and Masquerade with an afternoon of artmaking, performance, and a self-guided tour and scavenger hunt. Saint Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive. Free and open to the public, but tickets are required. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

concerts

Sat., Dec. 17, 8 p.m., The Archive Music House presents Project Pat. 706 Lafayette Ave., 63104. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Dec. 29 – 30, The St. Louis Symphony presents Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time. Brought to life by the talents of four Broadway caliber singers and featuring high resolution Animated Feature Film sequences, the concert explores iconic moments, plot twists and feats of daring heroics from Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid Tangled The Lion King and many more. 718 N. Grand Blvd., 631303. For more information, call (314) 533-2500 or visit www. stlsymphony.org.

Sun., Jan. 1, 7 p.m., Chaifetz Arena presents Old School Hip Hop Festival. Featuring Scarface, Big Daddy Kane, Juvenile, 8 Ball & MJG, Trick Daddy, Doug E Fresh, Slick Rick, Mystikal, Jalil & Ecstasy of Whodini. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000 or visit www. chaifetzarena.com.

Sat., Jan. 21, R&B Legends featuring Miki Howard,

869-9090.

special events

Sat., Dec. 17, 10:30 p.m., NAACP St. Louis County Brunch presents Soulful Jazz Brunch Extravaganza. fashion show, live music by The Coleman Hughes Project, a shopping bizarre, silent auction, and more. Westport Sheraton Chalet, 191 W. Port Plaza, 63146. For more information, call (314) 4779338.

Sat., Dec. 17, 12 noon, Black Business Women will host a Black Business Festivity, It’s A Wrap, 5916 Delmar Blvd., owned by Chris Alexander. The event will include a DJ, entertainment from local talent, photo booth, and 15 black-owned business vendors selling products/services. For more information, visit www. blackbusinesswomen.co. Thur., Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m., St. Louis Workers’ Education Society presents Too Punk to Trump: A Night of Music, Community, and Activism. Musicians and speakers will engage the audience about stopping Trump and his oppressive policies from harming our communities. This will be a night of music, community, and activism. All proceeds will go to fund organizing training for young activists in Saint Louis. Special guest Bruce Franks, State Representative for the 78th District. 2929 S. Jefferson Ave., 63118. For more information, call (314) 242-5477.

Jan. 6 – 8, Scottrade Center presents the Harlem Globetrotters. 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. scottradecenter.com.

Jan. 7 – 8, America’s Center presents The Wedding Show. Your One-Stop Wedding Shopping at the Largest Wedding Planning Event in St. Louis. Over 200 wedding display booths, professional runway show, DIY bride stage, live music, transportation displays, free food samples, 100’s of drawings/prizes, fabulous vendor wedding discounts, and much more. Free parking at Ballpark Village and a free limo bus shuttle. 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, visit www.stlbrideandgroom. com.

Thur., Jan. 12, 6 p.m., St. Louis Public Library presents I Am My Brother’s Keeper: Building Brotherhood. Representatives from organizations including 100 Black Men, Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Ethics Project will discuss how their organizations contribute to building brotherhood, fostering community, encouraging creativity and pursuing dreams

Lenny Williams, Surface with special guest Tony Terry. Hosted by Lightning. The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information, call (314)

along with what changes need to be made, and how we can all assist in creating a better existence. Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-4120 or visit www. slpl.org.

Sat., Jan. 14, 11 a.m., St. Louis Public Library presents the Seventh Annual Rhythm & Rhyme: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of “Brotherhood” and unity in our communities. Join gifted neighborhood talent and other local performers as we read, sing and recite poetry together – once again forging Dr. King’s dream of “forever using time creatively… in hope to do great things.” Baden Branch, 8448 Church Rd., 63147. For more information, call (314) 388-2400 or visit www.slpl.org.

Jan. 14 & 16, Missouri History Museum presents the MLK Family Celebration Bring your family to the Museum to learn about and celebrate the achievements of American hero Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Join Mama Lisa for her King Family Kids movement workshop. This fitness workout, featuring songs and stories of inspiration from the civil rights movement, will prepare kids for a freedom walk through time. Celebrate Dr. King with a musical performance by Dre Hilton. Get creative and make peace-inspired art projects to take home. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.

Jan., 15, 2 p.m., St. Louis Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated International Awareness & Involvement presents Ujamaa Tea, Marketplace Fashion Show & Vendor Row, Infinite Occasions, 3515 N. Lindbergh Blvd. 63074. Tickets on sale now. Mail ticket quantity requests, and payments by check to: SLA-DST, PO Box 410844, St. Louis, MO 63141. Please indicate IAI Tea in

Subject line, (Please remember to indicate return address to mail tickets to. For tickets and more information, call (314) 229-5710.

Fri., Dec. 16, 8 p.m., Jovan Bibbs presents Class Klowns Comedy Show: Leaders of the New School. Featuring hilarious and Detroit’s own - Dave Jones, St.Louis’ King Of Comedy Skits - Eric Rivers and from the East Coast out of NYC by way of Conneticuit headlining, the gut bustingMarshall Brandon. Voce, 212 S. Tucker Blvd., 63102. For more information, call (314) 578-5115.

Sat., Dec. 17, 8:30 p.m., O’Fallon Out Loud Comedy Club. Andy Hamilton will host another great show. This time, Shaun Arredondo, who started the Comedy Club here over 6 years ago, will be back in town. Rendezvous Café & Wine Bar, 217 S. Main St.,

63366. For more information, call (636) 281-2233.

Sun., Dec. 18, 6 p.m., Secure Entertainment presents Soul Fool Sunday Poetry & Comedy Open Mic. All poets and comedians are welcome. Gourmet Soul Restaurant and Catering, 1620 Delmar Blvd., 63013. For more information, visit www.secure-ent.com.

Sat., Dec. 31, 7 p.m., Chaifetz Arena presents New Year’s Eve Comedy Jam feat. Corey Holcomb, J. Anthony Brown, Tony Rock and more. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000 or visit www. chaifetzarena.com.

literary

Tues., Dec. 20, 6 p.m., Secure Entertainment presents Word Up! Tribute to Zora Neale Hurston & Langston Hughes Zora Neale Hurston was an African- American novelist, short story writer, folklorist,

helps readers worry less about things that don’t really matter. 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Through February 28, St. Louis County Library’s Winter Reading Club. All ages are invited to participate. Stop by any open St. Louis County Library branch to signup. Winter Reading Club offers two categories: ages 0–11 and 12–Adult. Prizes for the kids include: sleds, movie gift cards and family memberships to The Magic House. Prizes for teens and adults include: movie gift cards, Amazon gift cards and Kindle Fires. For more information please call 314 994-3300 or visit www.slcl. org/winter-reading-club.

art

and anthropologist. Hughes’s poetry and fiction portrayed the lives of the working-class blacks in America, lives he portrayed as full of struggle, joy, laughter, and music. Open Mic starts at 8 p.m., followed by our Comedy Competition at 9:15 p.m. Legacy Books and Café, 5249 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Thur., Jan. 19, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author James Hamblin author of If Our Bodies Could Talk. In 2014, James Hamblin launched a series of videos for The Atlantic called “If Our Bodies Could Talk.” With it, the doctor-turnedjournalist established himself as a seriously entertaining authority in the field of health. Now, in illuminating and genuinely funny prose, Hamblin explores the human stories behind health questions that never seem to go away. If Our Bodies Could Talk offers clarity, examines the limits of our certainty, and ultimately

Through January 7, “Fare Well,” an exhibition of new works by Addoley Dzegede will be on display at Fort Gondo Compound for the Arts, 3151 Cherokee St, St. Louis, MO 63118.

theatre

Through December 18, The Fox presents Finding Neverland. The show follows playwright J.M. Barrie as he summons the courage to become the writer – and the man – he yearns to be. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5341678 or visit www.metrotix. com.

Sat., Jan. 7, 11:30 a.m., Missouri History Museum presents Nobody’s Boy Inspired by the Missouri History Museum’s book Nobody’s Boy, this is the real-life story of an enslaved child named George whose owner brought him to St. Louis at about the age of five. Disregarded by his white, slave-owning father and with no last name, George longs to escape the lot of

being “nobody’s boy.” 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

lectures and workshops

Thur., Jan. 5, 6:30 p.m., Maplewood Public Library presents The St. Louis Crime Story. St. Louisans are fascinated with the mafia. In this presentation, public historian Adam Kloppe, will take you on a tour of the St. Louis underworld of the past. You’ll meet notorious mobsters, learn about the street battles and hear about how law enforcement attempted to clean up St. Louis’s gangster underbelly. 7550 Lohmeyer Ave., 63143. For more information, call (314) 7812174.

Thur., Dec. 15, 10:30 a.m., SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital presents Diabetes and Depression. 6420 Clayton Ave., 63139. For more information or to register, call (866) 776-3627. Mon., Jan. 9, 2 p.m., St. Louis County Library presents Community Event: Healthcare.gov. Free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri will answer inquiries about healthcare.gov and Medicare sign-up. Divoli Branch, 4234 N. Grand Ave., 63107. For more information, call (314) 534-0313 or visit www.slpl.org.

Mondays, 6:30 p.m., Yoga & Chill. A beginner-friendly, all levels (75 minute) class that spends time working through fundamental yoga postures and shapes while exploring alignment, breathing, relaxation techniques, and a good time. Modern Healer Studio, 1908 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Jazz St. Louis presents Tim Warfield’s All Star Jazzy Christmas. For more information, see HOLIDAY HAPS.

His songs give the essence of symphonies in their own right with the chord progressions and grand scale of instrumentation, which made him and his group a perfect fit for the symphony.

It was especially clear for “Procession of the Levites and Anthem of Praise.” The sweeping scale of the tune emulates the dramatic eclipses of an opera – from the display of vocal range to the clashing of the orchestral arrangement.

Then, for the bridge of the song, Smallwood takes the audience back to church with the chord progressions and singing style.

Aside from joining in for the selections of their guests, IN UNISON performed a handful of selections on their own, including “Hallelujah” from Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, “Joy” (the Kirk Franklin composition made famous as part of “The Preacher’s Wife” Soundtrack) and a soulful rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” featuring a solo by Karen Hylton.

“We’re about to do a song that you’ve all heard before,”

IN UNISON director Kevin McBeth said as he introduced the Christmas classic. “But I’m pretty sure you’ve never heard it done like this.”

The goods on Arshad

U. City rapper seeks a spot in hip-hop for humanity’s sake

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

All it takes is seeing Arshad Goods and his band hit the stage one time to be sold on his potential as a rapper.

He has the energy and stage presence that has been the exception to the rule in hiphop since singing to backing tracks with pre-recorded vocals became the new normal.

But Goods prefers conversation over the new school’s karaoke style of performance.

“I’m really just trying to talk with people,” Goods said. “I’m not trying to get you to turn up – I’m not trying to force you to do anything. If you decide to listen, we can have some great dialogue. For me, all this is about being a human being and knowing that I have something to say. Just give me your ear, that’s all that I ask.”

The surprise comes in learning that he’s only invested a year-and-a-half into his craft and that his recently released album “Black Sunday” is his debut.

Political at its core, the album’s tracks offer insightful musings of Goods’ doubts, fears and the internal struggle that comes with staying true to one’s self in an industry that capitalizes on catchy club bangers from blinged-out rap stars.

Goods’ beats go as hard as any, but the content tackles everything from police brutality to slut shaming in a manner that’s not repulsively righteous or preachy.

He defines the music as “backtrap,” a blending of the backpack rappers and the trap stars he grew up listening to in University City.

“I like live instrumentation. I love jazz over 808s. I’m a walking conundrum,” Goods said with a big grin. “I’m not really worried about where I fit in on the scene – or if I seem different or look different. I’m just focused on giving my truth.”

It was a chance visit to the movie theater to check out “The Dark Knight Rises” that put him on the path to getting serious about his lofty ambition of pursuing a career in hip-hop full time. (We’ll get back to this.)

He already had the name for it – Arshad Goods is actually his middle name.

Rap was something he wanted to do, but before he knew it he became a master of his backup plan as opposed to his passion.

After working to attain a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a master’s from Purdue, Goods had no intention of living from beat to beat as a starving rapper in search of a big break.

“I had these degrees, and I was kind of banking on that,”

Goods said. “I was like, ‘if rap doesn’t work it’s cool’.”

Cut back to “Dark Knight Rises.” There’s a scene in the film where the title character is attempting escape from a notorious prison where only one person had been able to survive a successful attempt.

“He was like, ‘Why can’t I do this and this child did it?

I’m Batman,’” Goods said.

“And the other guy was like ‘You have to do it as the child did it – with no rope.’ That spoke volumes with me. When I left that theater, my mind was changed. It was like, ‘Succeed or die. Those are your options.’”

n Human being irst, rapper second is what he stands by and feels it has helped him ascend on the scene in such a short period of time.

The grind has been exactly that, but he’s already seeing the residuals with respect to the intrinsic rewards of waking up – or losing sleep – and doing what you love.

“I’ve passed up a lot of jobs that could have had me in a very comfortable position,” Goods said. “But with this journey, I see that you can sacrifice and struggle and still be content. It showed me what happiness is and peace is – and it has little to do with your outside surroundings.”

For him, the external success doesn’t look like superstardom – or an industry shutdown.

“I want people to listen to my music and know that I’m a human being,” Goods said. “I want people to hear what

I’m saying about being true to yourself. We are all unique, but we are all the same in that we are all different. So be you. If you give your best you, I’m gonna say 100 percent of the time you are gonna be giving something that only you can give to the universe.”

He knows he has his work cut out for him but is full of unwavering optimism as his journey unfolds.

“I hope the city really like believes in me and feels connected with me,” Goods said. “That’s something that I know I still have to prove, but I feel like as long as you hold true to you and you come from a place of love things will work out.”

Human being first, rapper second is what he stands by and feels it has helped him ascend on the scene in such a short period of time.

‘My life’s motto is “work hard and treat people right,” Goods said. “That’s what I focus on. And with that I think the universe works some things out for me.”

The traditional trappings of success aren’t a part of his happy ending in hip-hop either – with the exception of being able to pay the people that work with him what he feels they are worth.

“I want to be known as somebody who gave their truth – they didn’t sell out or change who they were to get whatever they wanted,” Goods said. “As far as the rest of the story, I couldn’t care less.” Arshad Goods album

“Black Sunday” is available for stream at: Stream https:// soundcloud.com/arshadgoods/ sets/blacksunday

His social media handles are as follows: Facebook: Arshad Goods, Instagram: Arshad_Goods, Twitter: @ Arshad_Goods and YouTube: ArshadGoods

Photo by Wiley Price

In Unison Chorus soloists Teresia Simmons and Reginald Davis performed “Joy” from the movie “The Preachers Wife” during Thursday’s annual Christmas concert at Powell Symphony Hall.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Rapper Arshad Goods ripping the stage as part of the lineup for the Mvstermind EP release at Delmar Hall in October.

piece of the Basel montage. It may be possible that the black experience has awakened us all, given the context and climate of America, but this heightened awareness enriched our journey at Art Basel. It challenged us to reflect upon the role of black art as an asset to our community – one of social and economic value.

Though traveling to the coasts are a frequent endeavor of ours, never have we experienced such a dynamic unity of so many worlds in a single setting. We kicked off the trip with a night on the sands of South Beach, enthralled by the live work of Shantell Martin, British-born mixed-race visual artist, as the backdrop of a live and intimate set performed by Kendrick Lamar. It was an opportunity to celebrate the creativity of those who we can identify with – in age, race and experiences –come to life right before our eyes.

“The location has an effect on my art,” Shantell Martin said. “The audience has an effect on my art. The space is as relevant to the art as the art is to the space.” Lamar sang Martin’s praises: “Her art has layers and, when you break my music down, it has layers. So it’s a great handin hand experience.”

The journey throughout Basel continued to unfold as we encountered and engaged with so many folks who looked like us, yet were distinguished by their individual creativity. We experienced black culture – men and women, sounds and visuals, food and clothes, dialogue and dance – that was brilliant, bold, and authentic. It was a reunion of sorts, one in which we stumbled across family whom we didn’t know

FILM

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seem to wade his way out of crippling sadness and despair. As a result, the company he founded with friends is on the edge of collapse.

The group resorts to drastic means as they conspire to force Inlet into confronting his new reality – and into the swing of facing the obstacles the agency has to grapple with because he all but checked out of life.

“Collateral Beauty” loses focus early on and never recovers because the film goes overboard with plot twists and

implications of a supernatural sidebar.

The idea is to keep the viewer on the edge of the seat and save them from the “grief to glory” cliché. Inlet understandably comes undone, but the “why” of him snapping out of it is as outlandish as it is unclear.

The intervention master plan that leads to the dramatic climax borders on senseless.

“Collateral Beauty” implies that supernatural forces have a hand in the process, but the film never finds a way to seamlessly incorporate or explain their existence. Side plots are introduced and carelessly abandoned by way

existed, but were glad we met. There are very few other places where you will you be able to support such a critical mass of black artists, both up and coming creatives and timeless icons. Our support of their work matters. Our presence, our celebration of, and our investment in their pieces as assets is necessary.

of the challenges of supporting characters without peeling back the layers or offering any substantive context.

It’s as if the minds behind “Collateral Beauty” had a grand idea to weave all of the best parts of the classic holiday films together for a new generation, but were too far along to abandon ship once they realized they bit off more than they could chew.

Though riddled with shortcomings, a handful of compelling performances give “Collateral Beauty” a certain level of charm.

Watching Will Smith unravel in his portrayal of Inlet after seeing a snapshot of himself

Their works of art are an asset to us and them.

These artists – Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kehinde Wiley, Shantell Martin, Hebru Brantley, Tomashi Jackson and names who are not yet mainstream – capture the black experience with truth of our shared pain, hope and beauty. Support of such artists validates that their creativity matters and that our stories deserve to be told in color and on canvas, justifying the sustainability of a continued platform for artistic expression.

This year, Prizm, one of the more prominent fairs at Art Basel, focused on how Africa has a broader impact on global

living his best life at the start of the film leaves a lasting impression.

Smith’s performance is only eclipsed by veteran actress Helen Mirren. She is as breathtaking onscreen as always while embodying an actress who has stumbled upon the role of a lifetime by way of Inlet’s intervention.

culture through music, visual art, and food.

“My goal when I started the art fair was to, in fact, encourage young people to (and particularly young, AfricanAmerican and African-descent collectors) to really start to consider art as a means of personal wealth management building,” said Mikhaile Solomon, founder and Director of Prizm.

“But not to collect just for the sake of that – understanding that when you do purchase art you are also adding to your own legacy. Initiatives like Prizm definitely help.”

Our purchases of their works advances their ability to sustain

And rising star Jacob Latimore seems to be grooming himself to follow a similar path as Smith with a full-time transition from music to film.

The young singer-turned-actor displays plenty of promise with his small but impactful presence. Naomie Harris gives a noteworthy performance as

as professional artists, and what we pay today may be well below what they will be worth 10-15 years from now. We left inspired by who we are, we who we are becoming, the power of our individual and collective creative genius, and the impact that our diverse canvasses can have if we are unified towards a shared vision for building social, cultural, and economic wealth. There is no need for us to play small; we must be inspired by our innate artistic power and always let art remind us of who we are – bold, brilliant, honest, and beautiful.

well with her portrayal of a mother on the other side of grief with a vested interest in leading Smith’s character to the light at the end of his tunnel of pain.

“Collateral Beauty” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, December 16. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 94 minutes.

“I Love My Body,” Silk Screen on paper, by artist Tlangi Holeni.

Charli Cooksey and Asha Perez in South Beach.

Capturing the city for the Street Department

By Angela Dietz Guest columnist

Charles Clement Holt was one of the most talented and prolific street photographers of the early 20th century. He depicted St. Louis with skills that rivaled other great urban photographers of his time, yet he remains relatively unknown. Holt’s absence from the historical record was an occupational hazard. As the official photographer for the city’s Division of Streets and Sewers, Holt was first and foremost a government worker, tasked with documenting routine urban improvements for various municipal departments. From 1900 until his death in 1925, he was there when a sewer was being constructed, or a street was being paved, or a traffic accident had just occurred. He’d dutifully complete his assignment, then widen his lens just a bit to capture scenes of urban life unfolding before him.

These images were helpful to the government, but Holt probably never imagined that his photographs would travel beyond the walls of St. Louis’ City Hall.

And for many years they didn’t. Thousands of photographs – mostly four-inch-by-five-inch glass-plate negatives – languished in the city’s archives until government employees began destroying them to make way for images made with newer photographic equipment. Thanks to the intervention of a local dentist-turnedamateur-historian named William Swekosky, a few hundred glass-plate negatives were salvaged from a dumpster in the 1940s and eventually made their way to the archives of the Missouri Historical Society.

The Missouri History Museum Press recently brought Holt’s work together for the first time in the book Capturing the City: Photographs from the Streets of St. Louis, 1900–1930. These photographs reveal the city’s dramatic transformation from a small river settlement to the fourth-largest population center in the country. Rich vignettes illustrate the hustle and bustle of everyday life, showcasing St. Louis’s burgeoning advertising and commercial culture, its children and laborers at play and at work, and its transportation growth and perils. Although the entire collection offers insights

into St. Louis during a critical time in its history, some of the most compelling images are those that are heavy with layers of meaning and use visual symbols to convey deeper truths and complicated ideas. The photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, “To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event.” Two examples in particular from Capturing the City reveal that Holt, too, had an innate understanding of the decisive moment.

One image shows two young girls looking at photographs hung on a white picket fence. Just behind the fence is a brick building with a faint advertisement painted on it: “Are you a woman? Take Cardui – the woman’s tonic.”

Better known as Wine of Cardui, the tonic was an alcohol-based elixir meant to combat so-called female ills from “derangements” to “falling of the womb.” It was sold to girls as young as 12. For a Street Department photograph it is remarkably nuanced, and the juxtaposition between the girls and the advertisement invites speculation about how 20th-century gender roles were shaped.

The second photograph is similarly compelling. The young African-American man in the foreground – standing barefoot in tattered clothes, eyes shut, a resigned look on his face – rests near a postal box that has a small illustration of Abraham Lincoln on it.

In a city that had been affected by the East St. Louis race riots just three years before and was itself becoming increasingly segregated, this is a stunning composition: Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, near someone who probably struggled for equality every day. In documenting a rental property, Holt captured so much more.

You can read more about the work of Charles Clement Holt and explore hundreds of these fascinating photographs in Capturing the City: Photographs from the Streets of St. Louis, 1900–1930. A companion exhibition featuring a selection of images from the book is on display at the Missouri History Museum through March 12, 2017. For more information, visit mohistory. org/capturingthecity.

Angela Dietz is director of Digital Initiatives at the Missouri History Museum.

Art Museum celebrates Kwanzaa: Mask and Masquerade

is a celebration of family, culture, and community. This African American holiday is designed around seven principles that promote unity, self-determination, cooperation, community, and faith. Originally created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is now celebrated by millions of people and is recognized as a significant winter holiday. On Sunday, January 1 the Saint Louis Art Museum will host its annual Kwanzaa Celebration: Mask and Masquerade with an afternoon of artmaking, performance, and a self-guided tour and scavenger hunt.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day holiday that begins on December 26. Each year, the Saint Louis Art Museum hosts one of the city’s largest Kwanzaa celebrations. The Museum-wide event incorporates the Kwanzaa principle of day and exposes visitors to a variety African and African American cultural traditions. This year, the Museum’s celebration occurs on the last day of Kwanzaa and the principle of the day is Imani, the Swahili word for faith. The afternoon’s events include a free art activity, performances in the Farrell Auditorium, and a scavenger hunt.

More than 15 years the Art Museum has presented this Kwanzaa celebration in collaboration with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter.

Beginning at noon on January 1, visitors can make their own African-inspired mask during the

distributed to the public while quantities last, one per person. The Museum’s Kwanzaa performance includes spoken word by Dr. Elaine Woodson; African dancing, drumming, and storytelling by Moja Moyo and the Nan Foule Folkdance Society, St. Louis Chapter; and presentations by members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter. The performance begins with a procession of sorority members into the auditorium accompanied by live drumming and continues with presentations that focus on the day’s theme, Mask and Masquerade. This theme is also the inspiration for the family art activity and all visitors are encouraged to tour the Museum’s African art galleries to view a few of the spectacular African masks on display.In addition to the art activity and Kwanzaa performance, a scavenger hunt is available throughout the afternoon on January 1. Each scavenger hunt clue connects an artwork to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Scavenger hunts are available in Sculpture Hall and once completed, they can be returned for an African-themed prize. For more information about the Museum’s annual Kwanzaa Celebration and other events, visit slam.org.

Sunday, January 1, noon-4 pm

FREE KWANZAA CELEBRATION

Learn the 7 Kwanzaa principles with a gallery hunt.

Make your own zawadi (gift) art activity

FREE PERFORMANCES

Free, but tickets are required. Tickets will be available at the Museum on January 1. Moja Moyo

Nan Foule Folklore Society, St. Louis Chapter

Dr. Elaine Woodson, Griot

The Farrell Auditorium • Showtime: 2 pm (Doors open at 1:30 pm)

Kwanzaa

Family Sunday program. Participants in the art activity can receive a ticket for the auditorium program. Tickets are limited and available on January 1 only. They will be

Building for rent at the corner of Cook and Vandeventer avenues, ca. 1920, by Charles Clement Holt. Courtesy of Missouri History Museum.

Awards

Celebrations

Anniversary

First Bank’s Alisha Rooks has received a Legacy Award for outstanding community service by the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. Gateway Metropolitan Section. Alisha is presently involved with several civic and charitable organizations including Junior Achievement, Ready Readers and Teach Children to Save.

Reunions

reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Beaumont High School, Class of 1978 will celebrate its 40-year reunion in 2018. For further information, please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-799-5296, madeshe@sbcglobal.net.

Sumner Class of 1959 presents its 39th annual Oldie But Goodie Dance, January 21,

2017 at the Machinist’s Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 7:30 pm—midnight. Donation: $15. Tickets available now. Contact: Hubert at 314-6808324 or Delores at 314-7915504.

Sumner Class of 1965 is planning a “70th” Birthday Cruise for October 2017. If you’re interested and want to receive more information, please contact Luther Maufas (314) 541-4556, Brenda Smith Randall (314)382-1528, or Laura Young (314) 328-3512 with name, address so the info can be mailed to you.

Sumner Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and need contact information from those classmates.

Please contact Carlotte Algee Stancil at algee1999@ yahoo.com; DonnaYoung Rycraw at donnarycraw@ aol.com or Stella Smith Hunt at stellalhunt58@sbcglobal. net, 314-381-5104 with email, address and phone number.

Sumner Class of 1976 Annual Christmas Party, Friday, December 23, 2016, 7pm at DEJAVU II Cafe, 2805 Target Dr, St. Louis, MO 63136. 2 for 1 Drink Specials (5:30 - 7:30pm), Free Parking, No Cover Charge but $10 donation for the Catered Food & Desert. Limited reserved seating available until 10pm. (Doors open 5pm/close 1am) Please RSVP with B. Louis at 314-385-9843.

Congratulations to John and Portia Simpson, who celebrated 52 years of marriage on December 12. Happy Anniversary!

Birthday

Happy Birthday to Caleb “Big Nuk” Irving, who turned eight on December 6.. Mommy, Amarion and Mia wish you the best birthday ever. Keep God first and keep making good grades. Proud of you!

Vashon High School 90th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Renaissance Hotel Airport St. Louis, October 6-7, 2017. On October 5, 2017, there will be an Alumni Day at Vashon High School. Please save the dates.

Vashon Class of 1957 is having its 60-year reunion on May 20, 2017 at the Atrium at the rear of Christian N.E. Hospital on Dunn Road. Classes 1955-1959 are welcomed. For more information, please contact Lovely (Green) Deloch at 314-867-1470, Marlene (Randall) Porter at 314653-0107, Mae (Simmons) Mahone at 314-653-0818 or Phyllis (Bolden) Washington

at 314-531-9925.

Vashon Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and is need of contact information for all interested alumni. Please contact JoAnn Alvoid at alvoidjoe8@gmail. com; Sarah (Taylor) Robinson at srobinson647@hotmail. com; or Sonya (Walker) Smith at 314.381.8221, with your address, email and phone number.

Vashon High School 90th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Renaissance Hotel Airport St. Louis, October 6-7, 2017. On October 5, 2017, there will be an Alumni Day at Vashon High School. Please save the dates.

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

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to:

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

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

Chelsea Tate of St. Louis was a winner in the 2016 Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Essay Contest. Chelsea, a student at Alabama State University, was selected for her essay on Michelle Obama and received a $3,500 scholarship prize.

R.I.P. Lexus Len. Before I get into what went down, I want to send my condolences to the family of Lexus Len as they deal with her untimely passing this past weekend. Everyone knows that she pretty much made everyone a part of her family, but I’m specifically speaking of her two lovely girls. Len was always on the scene – and worked hard to make sure that the grown folks had a good time in this city. One of my favorite memories of her was when she did her thing on stage with Sir Nose as George Clinton and P-Funk brought the house down at Ballpark Village last year. I’m sure everyone has their own memories to cherish too. She will be dearly missed. One more call for young leaders. I don’t want y’all to miss the opportunity to give the powerbroker in your circle a chance to shine, so as an early Christmas present I’m reminding y’all that you have until December 30 to nominate someone making major moves for our Salute to Young Leaders 2017 Class. We are looking for 20 under the age of 40 who are straight up game changers. Details on the requirements and an application can be found on stlamerican.com under the “Salute to Excellence” tab. For more information, you can e-mail Kate Daniel at kdaniel@stlamerican.com. The hotness of hip-hop karaoke. When I heard that the Marquee was designating Thursday night to hip-hop karaoke, I said to myself, “this could be really awesome…or really awful, either way it will be worth checking out.” Turns out I was right about the awesomeness. I got my life to the point where I’m recruiting backup dancers so that I can immediately head into rehearsal for a performance. I’m torn between Beyoncé’s “Diva” and Lil Boosie’s “Wipe Me Down.” But enough about me, let’s talk about the experience. I came in and DJ Krisstyle and Hitman Holla were holding it down on the tables and the mic. When they announced that some brave millennial was bold enough to take on Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” I was a nervous wreck. But it was actually pretty good. The whole thing was fun and Hit Man Holla was killing on cue when he had the mic in his hand. The lovely Meaghan O was also in the building as co-host, but I came through on Hitman Holla’s shift. I was quietly disappointed that there was nobody that got on the stage and made me say “girl, what are you going through?” But it was so much fun, and the crowd was so encouraging that I think you can be as terrible as you want to be and still not get roasted. I will be in the building next week for sure. The happy hour begins at 5 p.m. and the karaoke carries on from 8 p.m. – midnight.

A re-up for ‘Real Life.’ Joel P.E. King made his way back to the STL to give the folks a taste of the latest incarnation of his musical “Real Life a Hip-hopera” Friday night at the Marcelle Theatre (in Grand Center). The production has improved leaps and bounds – and I could tell the audience is eager to see the play in all of its glory when the whole thing is staged here in March. Kudos to the JPEK Creative Works team for evolving, and constantly improving to match the vision for their work.

When couture and twerk collide. Even though I wanted for my weekend to be over, I talked myself into hitting up the Suite7 Fashion Show at Mad Art Gallery. I’m so glad I did. It might be the most live fashion show I’ve ever been to. Folks were dressed to the nines (tens, elevens and twelves) –I’m talking leather, lace and faux fur…and it was packed to the gills. They were perched like the typical fashionistas at shows – nodding and giving little shoulder shrugs of approval when something hit the catwalk that they featured. But baby, when “Cash Money Records taking over the ’99 and the 2000’s” came through those speakers, everybody – young and old – had a twerk in their spirit! Suite 7 had the most lit segues between designers that I have ever seen in my whole entire life of posting up in the urban fashion shows. And then when the next designer on deck was ready for their turn on the catwalk, the crowd went right back to being dignified. It was everything! As far as my favorite look, I’m going to go with my boo Skylar Barnes and his 1 Million Years B.C. inspired fur ensemble. He just never gets it wrong.

Black Ink at Obar. I had quite the time when I slid over to the OBar for Lust Saturdays. It’s a 100.3 The Beat set, so I ran into DJ Aye Eye and evening drive time personality Osei The Dark Secret. On this night they had Ryan from “Black Ink Crew Chicago” as a special guest. I always thought he was cute on TV though not cute enough to keep me tuning in on the regular but he’s downright fine in real life. The party was live and it was a good look for St. Louis in front of Chi-Town company. A whole heap of STL tastemakers were in the house too. I would names, but y’all would be surprised how in their feelings folks get when they are accidentally left off. Graduation Celebration at HG. Phil Assets decided that the best way to celebrate his boy Phil Dolla’s college graduation was with the ultimate turn up at HG. It was quite the night too. The guest of honor and I never had a chance to cross paths. I did see a couple of NFL players and chatted it up with the Black Pearl family, who say they are making major moves on the business scene in 2017. I’ll be sure to keep y’all posted.

Jay, DJ Sir Thurl and Charee O kicked back @ Kitchen Sink Saturday night

Porea Neal, Kay Mckinney and BellahMUA slayed with their winter looks Sunday night @ the Suite 7 Fashion Show @ Mad Art Gallery

Britt, Tiffany and Lauren were in the building to check out rapper Black Youngsta Friday night @ The Marquee

Queen Mocha Latte and Steve Lacy came through @ the Kitchen Sink Saturday.

NFL player Raymond Webber, Roland, Ro, Hollywood K.O.T. and Robert were definitely a part of the Celebration Saturday @ HG

Arie, Mehgan and Tay came through for Lust Saturdays @ The OBar

Sam, Bianca and Kim Saturday night @ Mood

Erica and Patricia perched in VIP Saturday night @ Mood

Promoter Cool Aid caught a moment with Black Youngsta Friday night @ The Marquee

T Moore, Bradley and Matt Ruffin (also known as the men behind Suite7) enjoyed yet another successful fashion show

Black ink Crew Chicago star Ryan had the OBar on lean for Lust Saturdays. DELUX Magazine publisher Keith Griffin, who was celebrating his birthday, was just one of the STL tastemakers on deck.

Photos by John Scott

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

COORDINATOR I

East-West Gateway Council of Governments has an opening for a Community Engagement Coordinator I. Starting salary is $35,000 annually. Please follow the link to view post at http://www.ewgateway.com/AboutUs/ JobAds/jobads.htm An Equal Opportunity / Airmative Action Employer

COORDINATOR OF CATALOG, CURRICULUM & COMMUNICATIONS

Webster University seeks a Coordinator of Catalog, Curriculum & Communications in the Oice of Academic Afairs. Please apply online at http://webster.peopleadmin.com/postings/2070. No phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

SALES ASSOCIATE

Sales Associate at Saint Louis Art Museum. Full Time – $12.14/hr. Weekdays and weekends. Apply at www.slam.org/careers

Be part of a St. Louis legacy as our next President

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the broad-based leader will oversee iscal & staf management (team of 24), sales and marketing, policy development and strategic planning. We are looking for a charismatic leader who has a passion for history and landscape management. Learn more and apply on-line at www.csiapply.com. EOE

CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

fund raising and associated donor stewardship for the agency. Apply online: WWW.JFCSAPPLY.COM with cover letter and resume. Jewish Family & Children’s Service – St. Louis EOE M/F/D/V

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

ASST-PT-

help coordinate and implement eforts to increase audience diversity at Saint Louis Art Museum. Rqrd: 3 yrs work in diverse communities and oice settings. Apply @ slam.org/careers.

St. Louis University High is a Catholic, Jesuit, college preparatory school with an enrollment of over 1,000 male students. Founded in 1818, the school strives to serve an economically, socially and geographically diverse student population within the St. Louis metropolitan area. Academic excellence is a trademark of the school. We seek men and women of faith proicient in their ields and committed to leading students in co-curricular and pastoral ministry activities. he school expects faculty and staf to participate in spiritual formation programs, retreats, and Ignatian formation in education and spirituality.

he person hired for this position will teach all four levels of French and serve as the primary organizer and leader for our co-curricular programs in French including our developing French Student Exchange program. French teaching experience and a Master’s Degree in French Language are preferred.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please send a letter stating your personal interest in the position and a comprehensive resume to Mrs. Lori Figge (ligge@sluh.org) in the Oice of the Principal. Digital submissions are preferred. Priority will be given to submissions received before February 1, 2017. hank you for your interest in St. Louis University High School. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS

Overview: Gateway Greening is a community development organization that uses urban agriculture and food access to educate and empower people to strengthen their communities. With 230+ community and school gardens and a 2+ acre urban farm, we are using the power of growing food in St. Louis through local food, community interaction, educating all ages, and volunteerism. Summary: his postion is responsible for the performance of all communications and marketing eforts. he primary responsibility for this position is to assist all of the organization’s programs in the areas of print communications, digital communications, and consulting the design work. his is a full-time non-exempt. For full posting, visit http://www.gatewaygreening.org/about/careers/

To Apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, a list of three references, and salary requirements to mschindler@gatewaygreening.org. No phone calls please. Only selected candidates will be contacted.

FARM MANAGER

Overview: Gateway Greening is a community development organization that uses urban agriculture and food access to educate and empower people to strengthen their communities. With 230+ community and school gardens and a 2+ acre urban farm, we are using the power of growing food in St. Louis through local food, community interaction, educating all ages, and volunteerism.

Summary: he Farm Manager oversees all aspects of the Gateway Greening Urban Farm, including staf supervision, agricultural management, program oversight & development, budget & grant administration, curriculum development & implementation and direct service to program participants. his is a full-time non-exempt. For full posting, visit http://www.gatewaygreening.org/ about/careers/http://www.gatewaygreening.org/about/careers/

To Apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, a list of three references, and salary requirements to mschindler@gatewaygreening.org. No phone calls please. Only selected candidates will be contacted.

MANAGER OF VOLUNTEERS

Overview: Gateway Greening is a community development organization that uses urban agriculture and food access to educate and empower people to strengthen their communities. With 230+ community and school gardens and a 2+ acre urban farm, we are using the power of growing food in St. Louis through local food, community interaction, educating all ages, and volunteerism.

Summary: he Manager of Volunteers position directs individual and group volunteer activities and outreach eforts in all Gateway Greening programs. hey are responsible for communicating with volunteers, scheduling, logistics and follow-up. his position facilitates internships, practicum applicants and volunteer events. hey establish new individual and corporate volunteer outreach programs. his is a full-time non-exempt. For full posting, visit http://www. gatewaygreening.org/about/careers/

To Apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, a list of three references, and salary requirements to mschindler@gatewaygreening.org. No phone calls please. Only selected candidates will be contacted.

Request for Proposals for Asbestos Abatement and Removal of Household Hazardous Waste Next NGA West St. Louis, Missouri Environmental Abatement #01

LCRA Holdings Corporation is seeking sealed bid proposals for the abatement and proper disposal of asbestos containing materials and household hazardous waste. he Project site is located in North St. Louis bounded by Jeferson/Parnell Ave west to 22nd St. and Cass Ave north to the alleyway south of St. Louis Ave. and consists of multiple single-family, multi-family, and commercial structures.

he full invitation, relevant dates, and all other documents related to this opportunity may be downloaded at: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/sldc/project-connect/nga/ Click on “Employment and Procurement.”

Request for Proposals for Site Security Next NGA West St. Louis, Missouri

LCRA Holdings Corporation is seeking sealed bid proposals for security services for the Next NGA West Project Site located in North St. Louis bounded by Jeferson/ Parnell Ave west to 22nd St. and Cass Ave north to the alleyway south of St. Louis Ave.

he full invitation and all other documents related to this opportunity may be down- loaded at: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/ departments/sldc/project-connect/nga/ Click on “Employment and Procurement.”

Request for Bids for Construction Fencing Next NGA West St. Louis, Missouri

LCRA Holdings Corporation is seeking sealed bid proposals for the purchase and installation of a chain link fence of the Next NGA West Project Site located in North St. Louis bounded by Jeferson/ Parnell Ave west to 22nd St. and Cass Ave north to the alleyway south of St. Louis Ave.

he full invitation and all other documents related to this opportunity may be down- loaded at: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/ departments/sldc/project-connect/nga/ Click on “Employment and Procurement.”

CITY OF KIRKWOOD DISPATCHER

Receive & determine nature & location of emergency/non-emergency calls. Dispatch police, ire, EMS, other emergency units as needed. Irregular hours and shits. REJIS Certiication, experience w/ Global CAD, ProQA (EMD) desirable. $19.67-$24.59/ hr. doq. Apply:www.kirkwoodmo.org NLT Jan. 6, 2017 or call 314/984-6975 for a paper application. EOE

WEBSTER GROVES SCHOOL DISTRICT BRISTOL

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL 2017/2018 SCHOOL YEAR

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree, Ed.D and/or Ph.D. in school administration

• Experience as an Administrator

• Minimum 3 years teaching experience

• Meet state certiication requirements

Application Requirements:

1. Complete a WGSD application on-line at www.webster..k12.mo.us (Employment Opportunities)

2. Describe your beliefs about student learning in no more than 250 words.

3. he closing date for accepting applications is January 31, 2017.

REGISTRATION COORDINATOR

he Community Music School of Webster University is seeking a full-time Registration Coordinator. Please apply online at http://webster.peopleadmin. com/postings/2078. No phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

PUBLIC NOTICE HOUSING PROGRAM

ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF WAITING LIST

he Jeferson Franklin Community Action waiting list for the Section 8 tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher Program has been closed since May 15, 2014 for all families except those who qualiied for a local preference.

As of January 5, 2017 this waiting list will be closed to families who qualiied for a local preference as well.

Pre-applications will still be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on January 5, 2017 for families who qualify for one of the local preferences which include:

1) Families with children enrolled in and attending the Head Start Program

2) Families who have successfully completed an acceptable self-empowerment or leadership/community involvement program such as S.E.L.F. through the United Way or Step up to Leadership.

JFCAC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, familial status, disability, and ancestry.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given

SEALED BIDS

will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 12/15/2016. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Sealed

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice

Great Rivers Greenway REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Environmental Services

Submittal Due Date: December 21, 2016 at 11:00 AM Central

Standard Time

Submittal Location: he Great Rivers Greenway District 6178 Delmar Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63112 aweber@grgstl.org

Proposal details at http://greatriversgreenway.org

3:00 P.M. (local time) on January 10, 2017 at the Dept. of Purchasing, 300 So. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102-2810, and immediately thereater opened and read. Bid documents can be accessed on our website at www.stlcc.edu/purchasing. Call (314) 539-5226 for additional information. EOE/AA Employer.

SEALED BID

Normandy Schools Collaborative will be accepting sealed General/Prime Contractor Bids for their District—wide NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE consisting of replacements of their switches and network infrastructure. he entire bidders package will be available electronically on hursday December 8, 2016 through TR,i Architects, 314.395.9750x217. An optional Pre-Bid meeting will be held at 9:00 AM (CST) hursday December 16, 2016 and optional Walk-thru at 9:00 AM (CST) Monday December 19, 2016 with Bids being due on Friday January 13, 2017 at 2:00 PM (CST). To download the entire Advertisement for Bidders please contact Carey J. Edwards with TRi Architects at cedwards@triarchitects.com.

REQUEST FOR BIDS

Sealed proposals for Moline Acres Municipal Court Services will be received by the Court Administrator at 2449 Chambers Road, Moline Acres, Mo. 63136 until 4:30 p.m. December 15, 2016. For bid package, contact Libby Ferguson at (314) 868-2433 ext. 702.

ATTENTION

MBE/WBE FIRMS

KAI Design & Build is having a Pre-Bid Conference on Monday, December 19, promptly at 4 pm, at 2060 Craigshire Road, 63146, for certiied MBE/WBE subcontractors and suppliers for subcontracting opportunities for two projects: GreenLeaf Market and ZOOM Convenience Store to be located in the City of St. Louis. Opportunities include, but not limited to, site demolition and monitoring, earthwork, irrigation system, plumbing, HVAC, fencing, landscaping, CIP concrete, masonry, structural steel, carpentry, architectural woodwork, waterprooing, rooing, lashing and sheet metal, joint sealants, doors and frames, hardware, glazing, gypsum board, tile acoustical ceiling, looring, painting, signage, lockers, FP specialties, toilet and bath accessories, foodservice equipment, window treatments, and furniture. For more information, contact Adam Jones at ajones@kai-db.com or 314.754.5584.

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: SEWER LINE RAPID ASSESSMENT TOOL (SL-RAT). INFOSENSE INC. is the sole authorized manufacturer for the (SL-RAT). The District is proposing single source procurement for this equipment because INFOSENSE INC. is the only known available source. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

LAMBERT - ST. LOUIS

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT®

Solicitation For Bids (SFB) for UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY (UPS) AND ASSOCIATED BATTERY SYSTEM MAINTENANCE SERVICE Bids Wanted

Bid documents may be obtained at Lambert St. Louis International Airport - Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 426-8184. his SFB may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.lystl.com (Click on “Business Opportunities”).

Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager Request for Qualiications – 2017 Gateway Bike Plan Implementation Activities

A complete description of the submission requirements is available at http://greatriversgreenway.org/jobs-bids/. Respondents must submit qualiications to Great Rivers Greenway by 4pm on January 11, 2017. Great Rivers Greenway reserves the right to reject any and all qualiications. EOE

DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACTOR

City of Northwoods is seeking a licensed, bonded and insured “Design-Build” Contractor to repair walls, loors, ceiling tiles & lighting in the City Hall Board/Multi-Purpose Activity Rm. (1264 sq.t.) + Carpet area (336 sq.t.); Lobby (672 sq.t.); Lobby Bathrooms (180 sq.t.); & Kitchenette (130 sq.t.) at 4600 Oakridge Blvd., Northwoods Mo. 63121. Detailed Speciications can be picked up at Northwoods City Hall 8:30 am-5:00 pm (closed 1-2pm daily for lunch). Bids are Due by Fri. Dec. 30, 2016. Questions call (314) 477-4051.

CONCRETE CONTRACTOR

City of Northwoods is seeking a licensed, bonded and insured Concrete Contractor to repair City sidewalks in the 4th Ward area & selected curbs city-wide; & to bid driveway repairs/replacements w/ Northwoods residents on a contact list at City Hall. Detailed Speciications can be picked up at Northwoods City Hall, 4600 Oakridge Blvd., Northwoods Mo. 63121. 8:30 am-5:00 pm (closed 1-2pm daily for lunch). Bids are Due by Fri. Dec. 30, 2016. Questions call (314) 477-4051.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropol- itan St. Louis Sewer District will receive sealed bids in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00am January 13, 2017 for Purchase of: EMERGENCY REPAIR KITS

Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com - click on “MSD At Work”, then “Bidding on Proj- ects”. he bid document will be identiied as 8748 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call (314) 768-6314 to request a copy of this bid.

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive sealed bids in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00am January 11, 2017 for Purchase of: PUMP

Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com - click on “MSD At Work”, then “Bidding on Proj- ects”. he bid document will be identiied as 8747 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call (314) 768-6314 to request a copy of this bid.

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

WAITING LIST OPEN

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Gateway Accessible Housing II located at 6837 Olive Blvd, University City, MO 63130 in accordance with regulations outlined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and in accordance with the Gateway Accessible Housing II Tenant Selection Plan for the above project will reopen the ONE BEDROOM waiting list for all individuals

NOTICE

unincorporated St. Louis County in the State of Missouri. he work will be performed in various quantities at various sites. All prospective bidders must prequalify in the Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) category, and be certiied prior to the Bid Opening. Prequaliication forms for obtaining said certiication may be obtained from the Owner at the above mentioned address. All bidders must obtain drawings and speciications in the name of the entity submitting the bid. his project will be inanced through the Missouri State Revolving Fund, established by the sale of Missouri Water Pollution Control bonds and Federal Capitalization Grants to Missouri. Neither the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, its divisions, nor its employees will be party to the contract at any tier. Any Bidder whose irm or ailiate is listed on the GSA publication titled “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Non-Procurement Programs” is prohibited from the bidding process; bids received from a listed party will be deemed non-responsive. Refer to Instructions to Bidders B-27 for more information regarding debarment and suspension.

Nondiscrimination in Employment: Bidders on this work will be required to comply with the President’s Executive Order 11246. Requirements for bidders and contractors under this order are explained in the speciications.

Plans and Speciications are available from free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Speciications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1710 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and speciications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Fox C-6 School District, Roy Wilde Conference Center, 849 Jefco Blvd., Arnold, Missouri 63010, on Wednesday, January 18, 2017, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Harris-Stowe State University, Emerson Performance Center, 3026 Laclede, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, on hursday, January 19, 2017, beginning at 12:00 p.m. Union High School, Fine Arts Building, 1 Wildcat Drive, Union, Missouri 63084, on hursday, January 19, 2017, beginning at 6:00 p.m. O’Fallon City Hall, Multi-Purpose Room, 100 N. Main St., O’Fallon, Missouri, 63366, on Tuesday, January 24, 2017, beginning at 12:00 p.m. St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley Campus, 3344 Pershall Road, CWI Building, Rooms 134/135/136, St. Louis, Missouri 63135, on Tuesday, January 24, 2017, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Holiday Inn, St. Louis SW – Route 66, 10709 Watson Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63127, on Wednesday, January 25, 2017, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Church of the Annunciation Community Center, 705 N. Jeferson St., Kearney, Missouri 64060, on hursday, January 26, 2017, beginning at 12:00 p.m. Truman State University, Student Union Activities Room, 901 S. Franklin, Kirksville, Missouri 63501, on Monday, January 30, 2017, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Each hearing will begin with an informal question-and-answer session before testimony is taken from the public.

If you are unable to attend a live public hearing and wish to make written comments or secure additional information, you may contact: he Oice of the Public Counsel, P.O. Box 2230, Jeferson City, Missouri 65102, telephone (573) 751-4857, email opcservice@ded.mo.gov or the Missouri Public Service Commission, Post Oice Box 360 Jeferson City, Missouri 65102, telephone 1-800-392-4211,email pscinfo@psc.mo.gov.

he Commission will also conduct an evidentiary hearing at its oices in JefersonCity during the weeks of February 27, 2017 through March 14, 2017, beginning each day at 8:30 a.m.

he evidentiary hearings and local public hearings will be held in buildings that meet accessibility standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. If a customer needs additional accommodations to participate in these hearings, please call the Public Service Commission’s Hotline at 1-800-3924211 (voice) or Relay Missouri at 711 before the hearing.

Notice is hereby given that the

NEWLY REMODELED 1 BR, North City, Hrdwd Flrs, fridge, stove, Sec. System, w/d hk-up, $475/mo. 314-537-4429

Symphony presents holiday program with chorus

Plus, Florissant Police hand out ‘Summons of Joy’

American staff

The St. Louis Symphony, conducted by Steven Jarvi, and Holiday Festival Chorus, under the direction of Kevin McBeth, will present a weekend of holiday concerts at Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., Friday, December 16 to Sunday, December 18. They will perform seasonal favorites such as “Jingle Bells,” “Ave Maria” and “White Christmas,” as well as “Dance of the Tumblers” from RimskyKorsakov’s “Snow Maiden” and “South African Gloria” by William Bradley Roberts. Santa Claus will visit the decorated lobby of Powell for each concert, and families can have their picture taken with him. For tickets, visit www.stlsymphony.org, call 314-534-1700 or visit the box office at 718 N. Grand Blvd.

Summons of Joy

The second annual Summons of Joy campaign kicked off this week at the Florissant Police Department. Churches in the Florissant area donated $6,200 to this program, which gives officers with the Florissant Police Department the opportunity to give out 62 $100 Target gift cards to individuals/families that are in need this holiday season.

“This program helps the police department build positive relationships with the community that we serve,” Police Chief Timothy Lowery said. The gift cards will be handed out randomly to unsuspecting

recipients over the next three weeks. Officers who had the opportunity to hand out these Summonses of Joy last year received many different kinds of reactions including hugs, tears of joy, disbelief, and many handshakes.

“We are happy to once again team up with our local churches and help others this holiday season,” said Lowery. “I am humbled at the amount of generosity of those who donated to this program.”

Church hands our Christmas ‘toolkits’

Church on the Rock, located at 900 Birdie Hills Rd. in St. Peters, is preparing for a special Christmas celebration on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18 by handing out special Christmas toolkits to parishioners.

Parishioners recently received these free toolkits, which included a do-it-yourself ornament, stickers, gift tags, coloring pages, and more. All of these items, which reflect the church’s theme for the month of December, “God With Us,” act as invitations for parishioners and their friends, families,

neighbors, and other members of the community to attend the church’s Christmas production.

The Christmas production will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with music, dance, and a special performance from the church’s children’s choir.

“This toolkit acts as a conversation starter and as an invitation to our event,” said Pastor David Blunt of Church on the Rock. “We invite our parishioners and anyone in the St. Louis region to come celebrate the birth of Jesus with us this year during our special Christmas production.”

Founded in 1983, Church on the Rock is located in St. Peters and is dedicated to spreading God’s Word. The church has grown to a vibrant congregation of nearly 5,000 members with a vision to impact its city, the nation, and the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout both the local church and the live streaming broadcasts, Pastor Blunt challenges and inspires believers to grow to new levels in their relationships with God and their service to others.

For more information on Church on the Rock, call (636) 240-7775 or visit www.cotr. org.

with God

It is at times ironic to me that so many different churches profess a belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was crucified, died and was buried to arise again on the third day and sits at the right hand of His Father in heaven. From Catholic to Pentecostal, from Baptist to Presbyterian, from Episcopalian to Methodist, from Church of God in Christ to Lutheran, from Evangelical to just being saved, each denomination wants to set itself apart from the others based upon its doctrine being more in line with God than any of its Christian cousins. Throughout history so-called Christians have persecuted other so called Christians in the name of being more in tune with God’s Word than the denomination being persecuted. It’s just the more I read the bible the more confusing this becomes, or the more ridiculous.

As a point of reference in my own faith walk, one of the things that got in my way was the decision about which church to actually join. I was introduced to the rural Baptist traditions by my grandmother, only to be baptized Catholic as a young boy and subsequently not follow any particular religion most of my adult life. Even now I sometimes question which church I should attend only to have the Lord backslap me with the fundamental question, “How does where you go to church have anything to do with my Son’s ministry?”

Do you really believe God is paying attention to the marquee of the church you attend? When I get confused on this issue, I’m reminded to pick up a Bible and rekindle the notion faith is an internal measurement that refuses to succumb to external pressures. In this instance the external pressure is manmade and not God sent. For those who believe their religion or theology is better than someone else’s, they surely have missed the entire point of the life and times of one Jesus Christ.

My reading of scripture confirms for me that Jesus was anti-theology and pro faith. We are talking about someone who rather angrily turned over tables in the temple because He was insulted by the goings on there;. Everything Jesus stood for seems to translate into acts of faith, acts of worship, acts of love and kindness and forgiveness and acts of mercy. These acts don’t confirm for one moment that one person’s religion is better or more meaningful than the religion practiced in the church up the street or around the corner.

If Jesus was alive today, would you be Sadducees of Pharisees? Would you be Jew or Roman? Would you be a member of the Sanhedrin? Either way, if you were not carrying out the will of God the Father, you more than likely would have problems with God the Son. Your religion, your theology will be forever secondary to the will of God. Now I didn’t say this. Jesus did.

Columnist James Washington

Kevin McBeth

Kevin McBeth will direct the Holiday Festival Chorus.