March 10th, 2016 Edition

Bill stumps for Hillary in Bridgeton

By Chris King Of The

his presidential candidate of choice has not been seen as the economic populist seeking the Democratic nomination.

He described Hillary Clinton as a pragmatic fighter for workers’ rights who, if elected, will work to make corporations pay their fair share of taxes and to invest in their communities, rather than shareholders.

He described the anxiety of voters in 2016 in terms of the economy that was ruined by

financial speculators in the mortgage-backed security bubble that resulted in the crash of 2007, which he described in downhome terms. Before the crash, Clinton said, “All the growth was in home building, consumer spending and finance. And if you let all that money and finance percolate to the top with

STL offers free land to entice NGA Mayor, comptroller, aldermanic president, aldermen all agree on offer

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

The City St. Louis will give the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency free land if agency officials agree to build its new $1.7 billion NGA West facility in North St. Louis, according to an announcement from city and state leaders Monday, March 7 at St. Louis City Hall. Comptroller Darlene Green said the process of fighting for the NGA West site has been a united effort across the city and the state.

“I’m right with the mayor, the president of the Board of Aldermen and all of the aldermen

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, Mayor Francis G. Slay, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, Gov. Jay Nixon and Comptroller Darlene Green listened to Otis Williams, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corporation, discuss the city’s offer to the NGA for its North St. Louis site at City Hall on Monday, March 7.

Getting out the vote

Clinton campaign volunteers knock doors for March 15 presidential primary

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.

“You’ve got to have a good knock,” said Boyle, a 24-year-old African-American mother who is about to finish up her master’s degree in international relations at Webster University. Boyle has never considered voting for Clinton’s strongest competitor for the Democratic nomination, U.S.. Senator Bernie Sanders, she said, and having a woman leading our country “can help a lot of women abroad and nationally.”

On Sunday, March 6, Boyle volunteered to knock on doors for Clinton in the neighborhood near Goodfellow and Delmar boulevards in North

St. Louis American

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Just hours before polls closed in the Michigan presidential primary, former U.S. President Bill Clinton campaigned for Hillary Clinton, his wife, at District 9 Machinists Hall in Bridgeton on Tuesday, March 8.

Tishaura O. Jones

Building bridges through art

Cultural anthropologist awarded as Arts Collaborator by Arts and Education Council

By Ron Austin University of Missouri-St. Louis

Jackie Lewis-Harris has used her artistic and cultural studies expertise to carve out safe spaces for the youth of Ferguson.

Over the last year, the University of Missouri–St. Louis associate professor of anthropology has worked with the Ferguson Youth Initiative to develop a suite of programs that positively impact the community.

First, Lewis-Harris secured a $20,000 grant from the St. Peter’s United Church of Christ trust and a $50,000 grant from Community Action Agency of St. Louis County to develop the FYI Backbay DropIn & Drop-By program. At this location, kids ages 11 to 21 can meet up under the supervision of Catholic Relief Services counselors and relax. Tutoring and art therapy sessions are also available.

“There wasn’t a place in Ferguson where kids and teenagers could hang out, so I helped the Ferguson Youth Initiative write up a grant for the Drop-In program,” she said. “On Thursday, Friday and Saturday kids can come by and socialize in positive ways. We have computers, art supplies, books and video games to keep them engaged.”

Lewis-Harris’ next step was to invite several diverse and talented St. Louis artists to visit

the recreation center and offer demonstrations to the kids.

“There are a lot of good artists living in St. Louis and coming out of Ferguson. People just don’t know,” she said. “I’ve roped St. Louis Poet Laureate Michael Castro into doing a reading. The Community Artists for Peace will come and workshop with the kids. And of the artists who have presented so far, Dr. Dan The Pancake Man was the most popular. He drew portraits with pancake batter and served them. Some of the kids were so impressed, they didn’t even want to eat the pancakes and ruin his work.”

Converting a firetruck bay into a performance area was the final touch to make the arts and recreation center a hub of expression and creativity. On the first Friday of every month, this stage hosts the Open Arts program where anyone age 11 to 21 can perform in an open-

mic format.

“Mainly, young people get up and do their rap or recite their poetry,” said LewisHarris. “Sometimes they sing or dance. Once, an 11-year-old was playing Jimi Hendrix. I was in the basement when I heard him, and I was like ‘Who is that?’ So I went to the stage and checked him out. The guitar was almost as big as him! But he had it propped up, and he was wailing.”

Throughout an expansive career, Lewis-Harris has served as a Peace Corps volunteer, an art historian and a museum curator while traveling and experiencing the cultures of destinations such as Liberia and Papua New Guinea

“Professor Lewis-Harris teaches the lessons that enhance our understanding of cultures both similar and different from our own,” said Sheilah ClarkeEkong, associate professor of Anthropology. “She looks

deeply at issues of social justice and is able to see where and how all art forms inform this dialogue.”

For her varied projects and contributions to the community, the Arts and Education Council honored Lewis-Harris with its Arts Collaborator award at the 2016 St. Louis Arts Awards on January 25.

She has already begun planning for her next project, an exhibit of murals created in the wake of the Ferguson demonstrations. The exhibit will feature photographs, videos and first-hand accounts of artists who participated in designing and painting the murals.

“The solutions to problems we face have to be holistic,” said Lewis-Harris. “You can’t have just statistics or just the money. You have to understand what members of the community feel and think. If done from the heart, art can build bridges.”

We must not forget

History has shown that a people who survived slavery, bigotry and prejudices for centuries and emerged into a creative, artistic and resourceful ethnic group must be exceptional. We think we can overcome almost anything. We fight racism, bigotry and job discrimination on a daily basis.

History is a powerful companion, and too much of ours has been lost, stolen and ignored. A nation deceived about its past can be easily manipulated today. Those who write the history books mold the thinking and set the agenda of future generations. Modern “education” has only made the problem worse. Textbooks not only contain many lies and errors, but they also ignore extensive parts of the past. More space is given to pop heroes such as Elvis Presley than to the true heroes of our nation, such as Crispus Attucks.

It has been said that he who controls the past controls the future, and our view of history shapes the way we view the present. Significance is determined by those who write it, and it is their personal choice in deciding what about the past is important. Historians tend to tell stories which reflect their values of the society in which they live.

Media images over the years have made some if not most black people ashamed of their African ancestry. Incorrect media portrayals shape perceptions and the way in which people act toward one another. Depicting Tarzan and Jungle Jim as rulers of the African continent and the native people as savages does not show how people of color fit into the fabric of the world. The portrayal of black people as aggressive or criminals is understandable considering the endless stops, searches and abusive behavior by some police officers. Certainly not the majority, but a small minority of racist officers often act on their biases with impunity. While African Americans and other racial minorities have made gains toward equality, there is a history in this country of black men and women being falsely accused of crimes they did not commit and it is rooted in racism. The U.S. Department of Justice recently substantiated this abuse.

And describing all young African Americans as hip-hop and gangsta rappers to our African counterparts does not help Africans receive a true picture of blacks in America. The media shapes its audience’s definition of what it is to be black or what it is to be African instead of equally representing all sides. We must not forget our heroes and heroines. How often do you hear the names or reports on Absalom Jones, Richard Allen, Ira Aldridge, Ambrose Caliver, Charles Hamilton Houston, Elmer Simms Campbell, Mae Jemison, Albert J. Cassell, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, Alice Dunnigan, Osceola, Osman, Tom Molineux, John Jones, James Varick, Edmonia Lewis, Elizabeth Greenfield, Frances E.W. Harper, Henry O. Flipper, or John Mercer Langston?

We must not forget, and we must research and learn of those persons that are new to you. You must.

Please watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday night at 10 p.m. and Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. on KNLC-TV Ch. 24. I can be reached by fax at (314) 837-3369 or e-mail at: berhay@swbell.net. Or on Twitter @berhay.

Bernie Hayes

Photos by August Jennewein

Jackie Lewis-Harris, an associate professor of Anthropology at UMSL, has curated a collection of murals created in response to the Ferguson demonstrations. The Arts and Education Council gave her its Arts Collaborator award at the 2016 St. Louis Arts Awards on January 25.

Editorial /CommEntary

The American endorses Hillary Clinton

If Americans selected their president on the same basis they choose candidates for most important jobs, based on tangibles such as competence and experience, then there would be no controversy surrounding the 2016 presidential election. Only one candidate on the ballot has served in the U.S. Senate and as a member of the U.S. president’s cabinet. Only one candidate has negotiated complex bipartisan legislation in the Congress as well as sensitive international agreements with potentially belligerent foreign nations. Only one candidate has gone through two terms in the White House as the president’s closest and most trusted advisor. Hillary Clinton is, by objective and tangible measures, undoubtedly one of the most competent and experienced individuals who ever sought a irst term as U.S. president. Without hesitation she has our endorsement, as well as the endorsement of nearly every AfricanAmerican elected oficial in the state of Missouri and countless black clergy and civic leaders. But, in fact, we do not select our presidents based on their competence and experience. We speak from experience. Hillary Clinton also was the most competent and experienced candidate in the 2008 presidential election, but we endorsed Barack Obama in the Democratic primary and, of course, he won the nomination and the general election. Like a majority of Americans, we were energized by Obama’s message of change and overwhelmed by his brilliance as a thinker and his eloquence as a public speaker. We were motivated, too, by the innovative ways he engaged new Americans and brought so many new people, especially so many African Americans, into our partisan political process for the irst time. Needless to say, we also could not resist helping to elect our nation’s irst black head of state.

In 2016, Americans are weighing their presidential options in the face of a bitterly divided federal government – owing mostly to the Republican Party’s racially tinged opposition to anything Obama proposes – and an economy in a changing world whose recovery continues to leave so many Americans burdened with debt and either out of work or working harder than ever with stagnant wages. It is a fearful and corrosive time in our public life, and Americans are reacting in spectacular ways. The Republican Party seems poised to nominate the openly racist, xenophobic and belligerent Donald Trump to lead our country and command the world’s most powerful military, a prospect we would have considered the purview of reality TV, rather than reality, six months ago. And so many Democrats are motivated by Bernie Sanders’ economic populism that an independent socialist (who also happens to be Jewish) continues to challenge Hillary Clinton, most recently delivering a startling upset in the Michigan primary (she had a 17-point lead in most polls leading to the election) – another development that was unthinkable half a year ago.

While our personal feelings about the unequal distribution of wealth and the unhealthy concentration of largely unbridled power in banks, corporations and the super-wealthy are very closely aligned with Sanders’ thinking, we do not believe in the ultimate viability of his candidacy or the practical fulillment of his most compelling policy positions. It would be exciting to see Sanders elected as governor of a liberal state and push his positions in an environment where he is likely to ind a sympathetic legislature. However, even if a majority of Americans were to elect him over a Republican rival – which we ind much more doubtful than Clinton’s chances in the general election – a Republican-dominated Congress, as well as many Democrats, would stonewall and scorn him and his efforts, perhaps even more than they have obstructed and ridiculed Obama.

While we believe any of the Republican contenders, and especially Trump, could force a drastically worse future on this country, we do not believe the Democrats have the power or leverage to effect a major redistribution of wealth, opportunity and inluence as Sanders promises to do. In 2016, we think the only positive change that is possible is incremental change, and to effect that we need a supremely competent and experienced inside player who knows our government and economy intimately. There is only one such candidate on the ballot, and it is African Americans who will elect her. Clinton’s timely and critical success in Nevada and South Carolina (after a sound defeat in New Hampshire), followed by victories in the deep and upper South, came from the loyalty – by huge margins – of black voters. After her shocking upset loss in Michigan on Tuesday, she needs to win in Missouri and Illinois. That means she will need a strong showing from black voters to win these two important Midwest states. We strongly endorse and encourage you to vote for HILLARY CLINTON FOR U.S. PRESIDENT on Tuesday, March 15.

Commentary

Trump’s dance with bigotry

By Eugene Robinson Washington Post

Donald Trump plays on racial fears and animosities in an ugly, deliberate and dangerous way. This dance with bigotry goes far beyond his temporary amnesia about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan.

Trump speaks as if he considers whiteness the norm and sees people of color as somehow alien and suspect. He is the only major American political figure in many decades to display such an antediluvian worldview so openly. Trump doesn’t tweet dog whistles, he blasts foghorns.

He brags about getting along famously with “the blacks” and “the Hispanics.” How long has it been since anyone in public life used such casually exclusionary language? There are about 40 million African Americans and more than 55 million Hispanic Americans, all of them reduced, by Trump’s use of the definite article, to sidekick status.

Trump’s entire platform, such as it is, can be reduced to “us vs. them.” The overwhelmingly white, largely blue-collar crowds that fill his gargantuan rallies are buffeted by harsh economic realities and have good reason to be anxious about the future. Trump doesn’t give them solutions, he gives them scapegoats.

Recall that he kicked off his campaign for president last year with an outrageous libel against undocumented migrants from Mexico: “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

In truth, immigrants are significantly less likely to commit crimes of any kind

– including rape – than nativeborn Americans. But facts don’t matter when Trump chooses to point a finger of blame. He even makes the preposterous and wholly unfounded charge that the government of Mexico is deliberately sending criminals, including sexual predators, into the United States.

Guest Columnist Eugene Robinson

To justify the “big, beautiful wall” he claims he will build along the border, Trump uses a resonant phrase: “We either have a country, or we don’t.” Together with his campaign slogan – “Make America Great Again” – those words require a bit of unpacking. The clear implication is that “we” once had a “great” country – but if all those Latinos are permitted to swarm in, “we” won’t have our country at all. Never mind that the border is more secure than it has been in decades and illegal crossings have slowed to a trickle. Trump’s goal is to create the impression that “they” are besieging “us” and that he will put an end to it.

I recall something he said last September, in an interview with Bill O’Reilly of Fox News, and has since repeated: “I was in Paris recently, and Paris doesn’t look like Paris anymore.”

What could Trump be talking about? The Eiffel Tower hasn’t changed. Nor have the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre or the lovely Place des Vosges. But a visitor does share the boulevards with more

By Kimberly M. Cella Guest columnist

The Missouri Public Transit Association believes now is the time to make the case for transit funding in Missouri. The facts show investment in transit increases access to jobs, education and health care; creates development opportunities; and provides reinvestment in disadvantaged areas of the state. However, Missouri’s record for funding transit is dismal.

Missouri ranks 44th in public transportation funding among the 50 states, spending a mere 9 cents per capita on public transportation funding. Yet people in literally every county in Missouri rely on public transportation for access to medical care, school, jobs and other essential services.

Our state is one of just a few that has public transportation in every county - whether via an OATS or Southeast Missouri Transit Service bus, Metro Transit, The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, or one of the many other providers operating in Missouri. Collectively, they employ thousands of individuals across the state in both urban and rural communities.

But last year, Missouri public transportation providers received little more than $500,000 for transit operations from the state. That’s $500,000 split among 34 different transit providers. Consequently, when it comes time to apply for federal matching grants, Missouri communities have nothing to offer as a match.

That’s rather short-sighted, considering that according to the American Public Transit Association, for every dollar invested in transit projects there is a $4 return for the state. The positive impact of investment in

n Missouri public transportation providers received little more than $500,000 for transit operations from the state. That’s $500,000 split among 34 different transit providers.

our transit system can be seen statewide, with the opening of the Kansas City Streetcar on May 6, the Loop Trolley in St. Louis under construction, and OATS celebrating 45 years of service in our rural and urban communities.

Letters to the editor

‘Wanted’ and ‘Suspected’

ArchCity Defenders is suing the St. Louis County P.D. in federal court, according to recent news reports. There are multiple plaintiffs, so the suit may become class action. It’s alleged that County cops violated the constitutional rights of citizens by issuing “wanted” orders on “suspects,” rather than seeking lawful arrest warrants from judges.

dark-skinned people, mostly the sons and daughters of immigrants from former French colonies. Trump never spells this out, but I’ve only heard him use the line in discussions about immigration.

There’s a history to consider.

In 1989, Trump took out a full-page ad in four major New York newspapers to demand the return of the death penalty after five young black and Hispanic men were accused of raping and brutalizing a Central Park jogger. The men were convicted and sent to prison –but later exonerated by DNA evidence and released. Trump wrote an op-ed arguing the city should not compensate the men for their years of unjust imprisonment because, even if they did not commit the rape, they “do not exactly have the pasts of angels.”

Trump still cannot bring himself to acknowledge that President Obama was born in the United States. A poll in September showed that two-thirds of Trump’s supporters believe Obama is a Muslim; Trump does nothing whatsoever to disabuse them of that false notion.

Several recent polls have shown that a majority of Republicans support his idea of temporarily banning all foreign Muslims from entering the country. It would be impossible to implement such a policy – just as it would be impossible to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants. But activating populist anger against Muslims and Latinos seems to be what Trump is after.

There are just two possibilities: Either Trump is a bigot or he pretends to be one for political gain. Pick your poison.

The lawsuit alleges that this quasi-legal police tool (Wanted) was often used to gain dominance and compliance of targeted suspects. Those arrested on a “wanted” were often subjected to hours of incarceration, inconvenience and monetary expense but not often charged with a crime.

In the 1960s and before, St. Louis cops often used the prefix “Suspect” to hold citizens for twenty hours. Cops rarely applied for warrants subsequent to these arrests. For example: “Suspect Prostitution” was the primary police tool used to remove prostitutes from the Gaslight Square Stroll area. But constitutional issues arose because of police abuse of the law, which resulted in the elimination of the “Suspect” charge. It seems that County cops have abused the “Wanted” law enforcement tool just as St. Louis cops of yesteryear abused the charge of “Suspect (insert violation).” So it is likely –given the highly-charged civil rights environment today – that “Wanted” is destined to be eliminated as a legal premise to hold an alleged offender.

Michael K. Broughton Green Park MO

Kudos to Kenya

I want to share my thanks and appreciation for two of Kenya Vaughn’s stories. I worked with her on stories about Metro Theater Company’s “And In This Corner - Cassius Clay” and Dance St. Louis’ “New Dance Horizons IV.” She did a fabulous job, conducting interviews and writing thorough, detailed and

So why bring this up now? Over and over again, we hear from legislators at the state Capitol that they don’t hear from their constituents that transit is important. We can change that. There is a new long-term federal transportation bill in place, the FAST Act. It contains funding for transithowever, that funding comes with a required 50:50 match, another reason to ill the state funding hole.

You can help. Contact your state senator or representative, Governor Nixon and MoDOT director Patrick McKenna and let them know it is imperative they support a long-term strategy for funding transit and total transportation. Join the Missouri Public Transit Association in Jefferson City on March 16 for Transportation Day. The economic future of the State of Missouri is in the hands of our elected oficials. We must remind them that funding for public transit is critical if our individual communities, and our state overall, are to expand and grow.

Kimberly Cella is executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit, and recently also became executive director of the Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA). MPTA provides a uniied voice for public and specialized transportation providers in Missouri and works toward elevating the status of public transit as a national priority

enthusiastic stories about these two productions that depict and/or honor African-American legends.

I know you know she does a fantastic job, but I did want to pass along my words of support and appreciation for all of her efforts. And it’s not just from me, but also from the organizations I work with. Many, many thanks for Kenya’s excellent work and the great arts coverage and support by The St. Louis American.

Sarah Thompson Via email

‘Gray tsunami’ not a bad thing

Numerous mass media sources have discussed the global phenomenon of the “gray tsunami” or the rapid increase in the number of older adults. Does this have to be a negative thing? I tend to view this as

an opportunity for younger generations to get involved. Not only will there be wide open career choices in this field, this is also a wakeup call to the younger generation about what we can do to successfully age. Whatever we can do to get involved with the older adults in our society is going to benefit us. What I have learned as a gerontology student is that adult engagement in community, political and volunteer-based activities can extend your quality of life significantly. Volunteerism is such a gift for the rest of society; there are numerous ways older adults can get involved and have a positive influence on the younger generations. This will help decrease the amount of stereotyping and inaccurate information that often is shared regarding the older adults in our world.

Natalie Halverson St. Louis

Guest Columnist

Kimberly M. Cella

Hillary Clinton

New science lab at North Side

Madison Martin and Terrion Jones, students at North Side Community School, a charter school located at 3033 N. Euclid Ave., work in the school’s new science lab. The Monsanto Fund contributed $20,000 toward the lab. At the February 22 dedication, an educator from the Monsanto K-12 STEM Outreach Program led a hands-on science activity in which the students used household materials to extract DNA from strawberries.

Saint Louis Zoo needs frogwatchers

The Saint Louis Zoo is seeking citizen scientists to monitor frogs and toads from their backyards, parks, fields, creeks or just about anywhere. The information gathered can ultimately lead to devising ways to stop amphibian decline.

You’ll be asked to make a commitment to monitor a site of your choosing for at least three minutes twice a week throughout the frogs’ breeding season, which ranges from about February to August after being trained in how to distinguish the calls of the 10 most common frog and toad species around the St. Louis area.

Training is offered 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, March 11 at Living World Building, Saint Louis Zoo; 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 29 in the Carriage House at Shaw Nature Reserve; 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, April 8 in the Carriage House at Shaw; 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at the Visitor Center at Broemmelsiek Park; and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12 in the Carriage House at Shaw.

For more information, to hear some frog calls and to register online, visit stlzoo.org/frogwatch or aza.org/frogwatch. Contact Michael Dawson at dawson@stlzoo.org or (314) 646-4551 with any questions.

SLPS prepared me for Mizzou

By Brianna Farrell Guest columnist

At first, attending college just 123 miles away from home seemed like living in a different world. In high school, teachers and counselors fondly reminisce about their years in college to ease our concerns and excite us about our futures, but I learned it is something you must experience to actually understand.

Even with the major differences from high school to college, such as eight-hour days and personally knowing your teacher versus threehour days and large impersonal lecture halls, I began to sense a level of comfort and belonging. The workload is different in college compared to high school, but the adjustment turned out to be painless.

As I reflected back on my transition from Cleveland NJROTC to Mizzou, I realized how much my education at Saint Louis Public Schools prepared me for college and life on my own. I was fortunate to be academically challenged in classes and professionally developed through the Junior Naval Academy curriculum.

Attending an SLPS high school – with a fullyintegrated ROTC academy – transformed me into a disciplined scholar. My senior year, I held the rank of company commander. In this role, I was in charge of making many decisions regarding the 11th grade students. It was empowering to be trusted and respected enough to make important decisions regarding a group of my peers. The experience prepared me for future leadership roles.

I made sure to take advantage of AP classes in high school because I knew the classes would challenge and prepare me for post-secondary rigor. I attribute the demanding work load in AP courses for my swift transition in college. Instead of selecting easy electives classes to boost my grade point average, I tackled harder courses, so by the time I arrived in college I would be ready.

I am in the second semester of my freshman year at Mizzou, and my grades have been strong. I attribute my successful start to my guidance counselor at Cleveland NJROTC. She drilled in my head that it would not be easy, but with focus and dedication I could be successful. She made sure that I recognized that I would have to pay attention to details, work hard, and remain accountable for my own actions. She also provided me with a list of information about college resources for tutors, study groups and other contacts that would help me.

My high school teachers often reminded me about many things that my professors would not allow. I remember an instance where my counselor gave me a scholarship application, and I kept procrastinating. A few days before the scholarship was due, my counselor sat me in her office and made sure I completed the application in front of her. She then lectured me on the importance of making deadlines and prioritizing. I learned that if I managed my time I could avoid stress. When I first arrived on campus, I mismanaged my time. You could call it an adaption period. Understanding and learning how to manage my time in high school ultimately helped me once I arrived in college.

If I had to give any advice to other high school students on ways to prepare for college, I would tell them the transition from high school to any college will never be easy, but they’ll get the hang of it fairly soon as long as they remember the lessons they have learned.

Brianna Farrell

Photo by Chris Paton

Continued from A1

St. Louis. In that neighborhood, she found that security systems are often the only way to reach residents. The first house she approached belonged to George Roberts, a middle-aged African-American man who actually had a doorbell, not a security buzzer.

“Do you know who you will be supporting in the upcoming election?” she asked him. He told her that he and most of his friends will be voting for Clinton.

“Bernie has some really good points, and if they could combine them that would be great,” Roberts said. “But I

SLPS

Continued from A1 competitive salaries to teachers and staff. Charlene Jones, Proposition

think that Hillary can take us further.”

Boyle said she agreed. “I think that Bernie is coming from more of an idealistic mindset, which is good,” she told Roberts, “but I think Hillary has the experience that will take us a lot further.”

Roberts said, “I think that we’ll get to that stage that Bernie is coming from, but it’s not going to happen in this election. Society is not ready for that yet.”

On March 5 and 6, about 200 volunteers knocked on doors in the St. Louis region for Clinton’s campaign, with the assistance of five paid organizers, in an effort to get people to vote in Missouri’s presidential preference primary on Tuesday, March 15.

1 campaign manager, laid out campaign strategy to a crowded room of district staff and supporters, campaign volunteers and media. She said the campaign will send three mailings – two to all registered voters in the city

Boyle is normally a field organizer, who instructs teams how to canvass and interact with people in neighborhoods. But she also enjoys getting out and talking to people as well, she said. “It’s going to be really important for people of color to

and a third to 92,000 frequent voters. She said the campaign has opened a 20-phone phone bank and a speaker’s bureau, with speakers already visiting neighborhood, ward and business meetings. The campaign plans 11 days of

Eddy Robinson told Hillary Clinton campaign volunteer Trisha Boyle that Clinton has his vote on March 15.

Photo by Wiley Price

get out and vote,” she said. Out of her family, she said she is the lone political junkie. Her sister is studying psychology at University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL), one brother owns a barber shop and another brother serves in the military. She

radio ads, as well as print advertisements in “all of the neighborhood newspapers,” she said, but not the PostDispatch

She said the Saturday before the election, April 2, campaign staff and volunteers will pass out sample ballots endorsing the proposition.

The Sunday before the election, April 3, campaign staff and volunteers will address church congregations and then gather for a rally at Vashon High School.

Rallies also are planned for businesses, labor groups, those who speak English as a second language, senior citizens, neighborhood groups and parents, and clergy.

She said that the campaign will staff 91 poll workers on election day, as well as work the phone bank and have vans cruising the city with loudspeakers blaring a “get out and vote” message.

The campaign’s challenges were evident at the rally, however, where two speakers gave the wrong date for the April 5 election before being corrected, and a third speaker gave the wrong name for the proposition before correcting herself.

started canvassing in 2008 for President Obama.

“I wasn’t even old enough to vote, but I was able to get out and volunteer,” she said.

Boyle is working on her second master’s degree. She completed the first in health care administration from UMSL at 22. When asked why she believes Clinton will benefit the African-American community, she pointed to education.

“She has a policy called the New Compact College,” she said, “and I think it’s going to help a lot of people have better access to higher education. It’s going to make community college free and four-year college debt free.”

At the next house, Boyle met Joanne Parker, a white

The April 5 municipal election is sandwiched in between the March 15 presidential preference election and the August 2 primary. There are five initiatives on the April 5 ballot, all of which call for voters to approve taxes or a bond issue – including Proposition E, which asks votes to reauthorize the 1 percent city earnings tax, which provides

n “It’s important we don’t kid ourselves. If we lack the intestinal fortitude to invest in these kids, we are a failed city.”

– 11th Ward Alderman Thomas Villa

the city with nearly one-third of its revenue.

woman who said she is voting for Sanders.

“He doesn’t associate himself with the Wall Street, big business establishment like Hillary does,” Parker said. “But she is our second choice.” The third house was occupied by a middle-aged white man who said he was still undecided. Then she knocked on the door of Eddie Brown, who said he is voting for Clinton.

“She’s pretty much in line with what President Obama is trying to do,” Brown said. “Although a lot of people don’t like Obama, I like him. Plus, her husband is President Bill Clinton, so she probably won’t waste any time because she knows where a lot of the dead bodies are buried.”

Several of the campaign’s public supporters spoke at the event, including honorary campaign co-chairs Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones and 11th Ward Alderman Thomas Villa. Both stressed the value of funding the district’s early childhood education programs, as Proposition 1 would do.

“Every dollar you spend on early education, you get $7 in return,” Tishaura Jones said. “As treasurer I know something about investments, and you can’t get that kind of return on the stock market.” Villa spoke in the most dire terms.

“It’s important we don’t kid ourselves,” Villa said. “If we lack the intestinal fortitude to invest in these kids, we are a failed city.”

Charlene Jones listed other supporters of the campaign. Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, is serving as campaign treasurer. She said Comptroller Darlene Green supports the initiative, as do elected officials or ward groups from 22 of the city’s 28 wards. 6th Ward Alderwoman Christine Ingrassia attended the rally in support, as did License Collector Mavis Thompson. District Superintendent Kelvin Adams also spoke at the rally. “We are incredibly committed,” he said, “in seeing that all the children in the district get the resources they need to succeed.”

BILL

no good investments down below, they start gambling with it – and then you have what happened to us.”

Without mentioning Bernie Sanders by name, he presented Hillary as more populist than Sanders on one of his key campaign issues, free state college tuition. Clinton argued that college should not be free to all (Sanders’ plan) but rather those who can afford to pay college tuition should pay it. The goal, he said, is for everyone to graduate from college debt-free, not to attend college free of charge.

He presented Hillary Clinton’s vast experience in government – which Sanders’ supporters often use against her, branding her a sold-out insider – as an enormous pragmatic benefit, given the reality that a newly elected Democrat president will likely face a Congress with Republican majorities in both houses. He told detailed stories about how Hillary Clinton worked with a series of

NGA

Continued from A1

Continued from A1 by saying, ‘Yes, we are giving our site for free,’” Green said. The original price tag for the North city land was $14 million – at least that’s what officials told the Board of Aldermen when they voted last year to mortgage two city buildings in exchange for the $13 million to buy and assemble properties within the 99-acre North city site. Almost all of the 551 parcels are under contract, except for 44 that are cued up to go through the eminent domain process, according to the city.

However, the idea to offer the land for free – as their stiffest competitor in Illinois has promised – was “always in the back of our minds,”

difficult Republican legislators – Tom DeLay, Lindsey Graham, John McCain – to pass effective legislation that benefits a range of constituent groups, from children in foster care to veterans of foreign wars.

He also used her extensive foreign policy experience, as a former secretary of state who negotiated major deals with Iran and Russia, to illustrate the importance of electing her, rather than one of the inexperienced Republicans seeking the presidency.

“We need to be as safe as we can in a world that is pretty whacky,” Clinton said. “We can’t elect somebody who hasn’t got a clue.”

He also reminded the capacity crowd at District 9 Machinists Hall in Bridgeton of the importance of electing a Democratic president, given the president’s power to appoint U.S. Supreme Court justices, citing a litany of Supreme Court rulings where a conservative majority delivered what he considered unfavorable decisions.

He gave a brilliant populist analysis of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United that political contributions should

said Otis Williams, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC).

“In a $1.7 billion project, $14 million is like round off,” he said.

The NGA’s current facility sits in Soulard near the Anheuser-Busch InBev Brewery. NGA leaders are currently reviewing proposals of four sites for the facility’s relocation – including two in south St. Louis County and one in Illinois. They are expected to name their desired site on April 1.

The Illinois site in St. Clair County near Scott Air Force Base is perceived to be St. Louis city’s biggest challenger. On March 4, Illinois officials announced that the state would provide $116 million in infrastructure improvements, such as road and utility

“How you spend your money is part of free speech now,” Bill Clinton said at District 9 Machinists Hall in Bridgeton on Tuesday, March 8. “So now a billionaire and a minimum-wage worker have equal freedom to spend their money on politics.”

be unlimited as protected free speech.

“So how you spend your money is part of free speech now,” Clinton said. “So now

upgrades. Williams said the city’s decision to drop the land cost was not a response to Illinois’ recent announcement. He also said the city has always proposed that the state would help it provide $131 million in infrastructure improvements.

“We addressed that issue up front,” Williams said. “Our legislators – both city and state – have already passed ordinances that will allow for this to occur. I’m not sure where the State of Illinois with their financial problems will find their funds.”

If SLDC can successfully retain NGA West, the state, through the Department of Economic Development, has agreed to make available up to $95 million in Tax Incremental Financing and approximately $36 million in Brownfield Tax Credits. The state’s commitment – in addition

a billionaire and a minimumwage worker have equal freedom to spend their money on politics.” Again reclaiming populism

to a $1.5 million annual contribution for up to 30 years by the city – will cover site acquisition, site preparation, utility and road improvements and providing the land at no cost.

Williams said they did not want the federal government’s decision to come down to the price for land.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, who also spoke at the press conference, said that he told NGA Director Robert Cardillo that St. Louis city will be able to double the federal goals for minority participation on the construction site.

“He said this makes a difference,” Blunt said, “and why wouldn’t it make a difference when you are trying to do the right thing with an investment? We haven’t heard anything like that from the other side of the river.”

for his candidate, he said, “That’s a political decision designed to rig the game. There is enough game-rigging already.”

St. Louis’ inclusion plan states that nearly 40 percent of all labor hours on the $1.7 billion construction will go to minorities, according to a February 9 letter to Blunt from Jeff Aboussie, executive secretary-treasurer of the Building and Construction Trades Council of St. Louis (AFL-CIO). The project would create 425 construction jobs and 250 “immediate indirect jobs” connected to the construction.

NGA West, which pays an average salary of $83,000, employs more than 3,000 people, and two-thirds of those employees live in Missouri. All of those employees pay a city earnings tax. The city would lose $2.3 million in earnings tax revenue if those jobs left the city. Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay said that this would be a devastating loss to the

Speaking to a union crowd, even 15 miles from Ferguson, Clinton gave scant attention to Black Lives Matter issues. He said Hillary Clinton supports prison reform, without acknowledging that his own policies as president were complicit in spurring mass incarceration.

And he said, “We need police reform – and we need police,” presenting a rosy picture of communities that absorbed police-involved shootings without unrest because they have effective community resolution models in place with their police departments.

He was introduced by an African-American elected official, St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green, one of the leaders of the Clinton campaign in Missouri. Before joking that Bill Clinton has a future as a “house husband – a White House husband,” Green tried to rouse the crowd to action.

“We need Hillary to protect our rights, protect our jobs, protect our voting rights,” Green said. “We need to get to work to help Hillary to win.” Missouri’s presidential preference primary is Tuesday, March 15.

city.

“They owe us one after the debacle of Pruitt-Igoe,” said Clay, speaking of the failed federal housing project that has left a hole in North St. Louis. The city’s proposed site for NGA West borders the former Pruitt-Igoe.

North St. Louis is the only site under consideration that has received a Promise Zone designation, which gives it preferential consideration for federal resources. Clay said that he has spoken with President Barack Obama about the importance of honoring this designation in North St. Louis. Obama created the Promise Zone program in 2014, but the federal government has a policy dating back to the Carter administration giving a government preference for putting facilities in challenged urban areas.

Photo by Wiley Price

Sanders invites three Ferguson activists to speak with him

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) may be losing out to Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton with minority voters, but three Ferguson activists he invited to speak at a local rally on Friday, March 4 say they’re definitely “feeling the Bern.”

Bruce Franks, the founder of 28 to Life, an organization that focuses on youth empowerment and police relations with communities, talked about losing his brother to gun violence at the packed rally inside Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s basketball stadium.

Square Village. Cori Bush, another activistturned politician, spoke at the rally about being tear-gassed in Ferguson and the importance of standing against social injustice.

“For some reason, round hips and my dark skin says that I must make less money than my counterparts, and I don’t understand that,” said the single mother, ordained pastor and nurse, who is running as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.

“In 1991, my brother, Christopher Harris, was 9 years old when he was killed. He was used as a human shield,” said Franks, 31, before announcing his run for Missouri state representative in the 78th District.

“Senator Sanders knows that the root cause of violence is lack of jobs, education, and resources,” Franks said. Franks told The Huffington Post that he wanted to run as state representative because he recognized the need for changes from the Legislature.

“We’ve been out here in the fight since day one,” Franks said, gesturing to his fellow activists. “I’ll continue to fight. I’ll continue to be an activist, but I figured the next road for solution was changing things from the inside. The problem is too many people up top that don’t directly represent the community, so it’s that time.”

Franks filed against incumbent state Rep. Penny Hubbard, a black Democrat from the Hubbard political family based out of Carr

The other Democratic candidates for U.S. Senator are Jason Kander of Columbia, who has already won a statewide race for secretary of state, the seat he now holds, and Chief Wana Dubie (given name Joseph Bickell). Bush said she wants to “eradicate the school-to-prison pipeline” and that her platform echoes much of Sanders.”

Alisha Sonnier, the president of Tribe X, a grassroots activist organization born out of the Ferguson protests, compared Clinton to an old pair of shoes that are loved, but can give calluses, as she urged voters at the rally to canvass for Sanders.

Sonnier currently volunteers with the Sanders campaign, canvassing in North St. Louis.

“A lot of times people don’t go to those kinds of communities that are majorityblack and low-income and engage them in the political process,” she said.

After winning four Super Tuesday states, Sanders’ campaign is making an effort to reach more black voters in delegate-rich states. Clinton won seven states on Super Tuesday and carried an advance lead with nonwhite voters.

“I never thought that someone would invite me –

legal prerogative; ordering a deputy city clerk to write a $5,000 check for fees associated with Senate Bill 5 without council approval; contracting with Tony Weaver and trying to pay him without council approval; issuing an executive order accusing two council members, Rodney and Carol Epps, of insurance fraud and forming a committee to investigate them without council approval; suspending the city clerk without investigation or notice; illegally accessing and copying personnel records; and attempting to hire a permit clerk without going through city protocol.

Jeffrey L. Boyd (22nd Ward), Chris Carter (27th Ward), Cara Spencer (20th Ward), Christine Ingrassia (6th Ward) and Megan E. Green (15th Ward).

someone who’s well-known for shutting things down and for being involved in Ferguson,” Sonnier, 20, told HuffPost after her speech in front of thousands of cheering Sanders supporters. “But to me, it’s a step toward the right direction.”

Bush said that it was significant that Sanders had three African Americans speak before he came up. “All three of us were Ferguson activists,” she said. “That said a lot more to me because it’s the new civil rights movement.”

Black Lives Matter activists have interrupted several presidential candidate campaign events, including one for Sanders, and a protester interrupted Clinton during a private fundraising party last week.

“Can I talk and maybe you can listen?” Clinton said to her, before the activist was escorted out.

The Missouri and Illinois presidential primary election is on Tuesday, March 15.

Ferguson backpedals on Feds

Ferguson officials are reconsidering their previous decision to reject a deal with the federal government that would have helped curb abusive police and court practices in the city, a vote which swiftly led to a civil rights lawsuit from the Department of Justice

(DOJ). Community members have expressed concern and staged protests at recent public meetings over the city rejecting the consent decree.

Mayor James Knowles III said Ferguson was reconsidering the consent decree after the DOJ assured them that the decree does not require that Ferguson raise salaries, one of the reasons Ferguson officials said that decree was cost-prohibitive. “We are going to be moving forward together on the cost issue,” Knowles said.

Knowles said he is “very confident” that the council will pass the decree and “put this lawsuit behind us.” Knowles said, “Our hope is to be able to enshrine these reforms.”

Jennings narrows impeachment charges

In a closed session on Tuesday, March 8, the Jennings City Council voted to drop most of its charges against Mayor Yolonda Fountain Henderson and focus on only seven charges, according to Councilman Rodney Epps Henderson’s attorney had asked that all charges be dropped after two grueling impeachment hearings.

The remaining charges include: Henderson filing suit against the city and many city officials for doing what the council contends is their

Epps said the council will set a new hearing date to continue the impeachment process on the seven remaining charges.

Aldermen call for hearings on racial equity

On Friday, March 4, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen passed a resolution calling for one of its committees to “hold hearings to discuss the merits and possible development of a racial equity lens, approach, structure and/or process” for the board and city government in general, as Resolution 207 states.

The resolution was introduced by aldermanic President Lewis E. Reed and Aldermen Terry Kennedy (18th Ward), Dionne Flowers (2nd Ward), Freeman Bosley Sr. (3rd Ward), Samuel L. Moore (4th Ward), Tamika Hubbard (5th Ward), Marlene E. Davis (19th Ward), Antonio D. French (21th Ward),

“The resolution was written and filed by members of the St. Louis African American Aldermanic Caucus and had broad-based aldermanic support,” Kennedy said. “It was passed without opposition.” The resolution calls for the hearings to be held by the board’s Engrossment, Rules, Resolutions and Credentials Committee, which Davis chairs. The other committee members are Kennedy, Ingrassia and Aldermen Joseph D. Roddy, Joseph Vaccaro and Joseph Vollmer

“The concept of a ‘racial equity lens’ was put forth by the Ferguson Commission in their report entitled ‘Forward Through Ferguson: A Path Toward Racial Equity,’” Kennedy noted.

That report “confirms that racial disparities exist in numerous municipalities throughout the St. Louis area and that these disparities are at the core of many of the area’s social, economic, political and educational challenges,” according to the resolution. The committee is charged with reporting its “findings and/ or recommendations” by June 24. Among the possibilities mentioned in the resolution, beyond the hearings and report, are the creation of a Racial Equity and Social Justice board committee or administrative office, or the assignment of racial equity duties to an existing board committee or city office.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt / UPI

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) campaigned for U.S. president on Friday, March 4 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s basketball stadium.

Hillary Clinton speaking at Christ the King United Church of Christ in Florissant on Tuesday, June 23. Rev. Traci Blackmon, pastor of the church, said the community meeting with Clinton was meant to discuss the impacts of racism. Blackmon is among Clinton’s black clergy supporters in her campaign for U.S. president.

Black clergy endorse Hillary Clinton

Traci Blackmon, Sammie Jones, Earl Nance, Tommie Pierson, B.T. Rice among supporters

American staff

A day after a wide array of Missouri’s elected leaders announced their endorsement, African-American religious leaders from across the state signaled their support of Hillary Clinton for president on Thursday, March 3.

The list of supporters includes: Bishop Larry Aiken, Reverend L. Henderson Bell, Reverend Traci Blackmon, Reverend Charles Brown Sr., Reverend Jimmie Brown, Reverend Duane Burch, Reverend Daniel Childs, Reverend Emanuel Cleaver II, Reverend Theodore Foster Sr., Reverend Robert Franklin, Reverend Lee Goodman, Reverend Wallace Hartsfield

Ferguson selects four finalists for police chief

The City of Ferguson is down to four final four candidates for its next chief of police.

The candidates are Mark Becker, chief of police for East Chicago, Indiana; Brenda Jones, former chief of police for the City of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Frank McCall Jr., chief of police for Berkeley, Missouri; and Delrish L. Moss, supervisor of Miami Police Department’s Public Information/Community Relations Section Becker is the only candidate who is not African-American.

The City of Ferguson’s Human Resources Department conducted the search to fill the vacancy left by interim Chief Andre Anderson, who submitted his resignation effective December 2, 2015. It receiving 54 applications from candidates across the United States.

Former Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson at the Ferguson City Council meeting on February 9. His permanent successor will be announced by April.

Sr., Bishop Willie Holloway, Reverend Wallace Hartsfield Sr., Bishop Donald Hawkins, Reverend Sammie Jones, Bishop Courtney Allen Jones, Reverend Brian W. Mann, Reverend Sam Moore, Reverend John Modest Miles, Reverend Earl Nance, Reverend Keith Pendleton, Reverend Tommie Pierson, Reverend Kenneth Ray, Reverend B.T. Rice, Bishop Alphonso Scott, Bishop Lee Scott, Reverend E.G. Shields,

n “We have to fight and work against tough odds to make progress on important issues – and Hillary Clinton has done that her whole life.”

– Reverend Theodore Foster

Reverend C Jessel Strong, Reverend James Terrance, Reverend Everett Thomas, Bishop James Tindall, Bishop Mark Tolbert and Reverend Anthony Witherspoon.

“Hillary Clinton has been fighting for justice her whole life – and we need a fighter like that in the White House,” said Reverend John “Modest” Miles of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City.

“We can’t afford to pick someone who will erase the gains we’ve made in the last eight years. She’ll protect the gains we’ve made and ensure we continue to make progress on issues important to the African American community.”

“We have to fight and work against tough odds to make progress on important issues – and Hillary Clinton has done that her whole life,” said Reverend Theodore Foster of Eastern Star Baptist Church in St Louis. “President Obama’s legacy of action and change has been strong, and we need somebody who can continue it.”

Catholic Charities moving to new location

The offices of Catholic Charities – Archdiocese of St. Louis will soon move into the former chancery building of the Archdiocese of St. Louis next to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis at 4445 Lindell Blvd. The mid-century modern building, affectionately known as the “Round House,” will provide Catholic Charities with much needed space for staff, meeting and training rooms. The “Round House” was designed by architect Charles P. Guariglia as the main

chancery building for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Since its completion in 1961, the building has continually housed archdiocesan ministries and offices, most recently the Catholic Education Office. To make room for Catholic Charities, Catholic Education offices will be moved to the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. The “Round House” has been vacated by the Catholic Education Office. Catholic Charities will move in later this

summer, but a final date has not been set.

Organized as a federation of eight agencies, Catholic Charities assists 124,000 people annually in the 11 counties of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Catholic Charities seeks to break the cycle of poverty, abuse and neglect, empower people to make positive, permanent changes and support them to lead self-sufficient, dignified lives.

City Manager De’Carlon Seewood, Assistant Manager Matt Unrein and Human Resources Manager Patrick Young narrowed the applications to 16, based on law enforcement experience, community engagement and professional accomplishments. A 15-page questionnaire was sent to the final 16 candidates,

and six candidates were chosen based on their responses.

Those six candidates were invited to interview in Ferguson with Ferguson residents, City Council members, and law enforcement executives and criminal justice experts. The panels narrowed the candidate pool to these four, who were then interviewed by Ferguson department supervisors, members of the department and a group of Ferguson residents.

City Manager De’Carlon Seewood will decide which candidate will move to the final phase, which includes an extensive background check from the search firm Baker Eubanks. The new chief will be announced by April.

Veterans town hall forum on March 22

Veterans, service-members, National Guard, Reservist and family members are invited to participate in a town hall meeting scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 at Bellefontaine City Hall, 9641 Bellefontaine Rd. The town hall will serve as

an open forum for all service members and a listening session for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) leadership.

The VA will hold a concurrent resource fair and will have individuals on site to answer questions about health care eligibility, applying for benefits, information on mental health services, burial benefits and more. No registration is required and the event is free to attend. Free refreshment will be provided.

Photo by Carolina Hidalgo / St. Louis Public Radio

Photo by Wiley Price

People’s to build youth health clinic

It is expected to take about a year, and when it is complete, a $6 million child and adolescent health complex will spring up

Facility designed to address urban youth’s behavioral health needs

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

n “Our children don’t have to get trapped in the pipeline of violence, suspensions, prison and premature death. For their sake and for ours, we have to change that.

– Cong. Wm. Lacy Clay

It is expected to take about a year, and when it is complete, a $6 million child and adolescent health complex will spring up as part of Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers on Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis. The center will be constructed east of the Social Security Administration Center on property owned by the health center at 5647 Delmar Blvd. The official groundbreaking took place on February 29. While the official name has not been decided upon by the People’s board, they do know whose name will be included –Congress Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri. He is responsible for securing $3 million in federal funding for the facility. Clay described the facility as a new community asset that will break that toxic cycle of stress, depression, aggression and violence – saving lives, strengthening families and breaking the silence about mental health issues.

“The long-term impact of undiagnosed and untreated mental illness destroys lives and damages families. It can deprive young people of the positive future they were born to build. It can render parents unable to provide their children with the stable home life and nurturing environment that they deserve. It can leave our seniors

alone, withdrawn, confused and left to wither away by themselves. But it doesn’t have to be this way,” Clay told the audience who attended the program following the groundbreaking.

“Our children don’t have to get trapped in the pipeline of violence, suspensions, prison and premature death. For their sake and for ours, we have to change that.

“If we can treat at-risk kids early by bringing the best primary care and mental health professionals together in an integrated care

setting, we can help them now, instead of waiting to see the tragic results on the evening news.” The City of St. Louis invested $3 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for the project. “It’s a much-needed resource for families in crisis to be able to receive high-quality treatment for their children. Good integrated

Your Health Matters is provided in partnership with

For the most part, the days of medical practices resembling that of the fictitious character, Dr. Marcus Welby, are long gone. Few current medical graduates choose to launch independent practices and established providers are opting to join large hospital-based practices. The bottom line: healthcare has changed. Electronic health records and pay for performance compensation are partly to blame for these changes. In addition, providers are often being forced to see more patients in less time to balance the dwindling compensation from Medicare and private insurers. With this in mind, our guest columnist, Dr. Kenneth Poole does an excellent job explaining why it seems so difficult these days to find a good doctor.

The dificulty in inding and keeping a good doctor

By Kenneth G. Poole, Jr., M.D.

U.S. healthcare is in a phase of extreme complexity. Birthed as a result of skyrocketing healthcare costs, reimbursement (payment) reform is the driving force behind the wave of changes taking place. While healthcare services in this country continue to be paid for primarily in a fee-for-service manner – the more one does the more one gets paid –both government-based insurance (Medicare) and commercial insurance companies alike are gradually implementing variations in the way they reimburse healthcare providers for medical services. Examples include quality and outcome-related bonuses; performance-based payment modifiers; shared cost savings agreements, such as the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs); population-specific pre-payments; and financial penalties for non-compliance. Small, independent medical practices are finding themselves unable to comply with the myriad of new payer regulations and requirements due to the lack of manpower, resources, and time. However, even large healthcare systems are not immune to the challenges that come along with reimbursement reform, particularly on the primary care side, and being equipped for the years ahead is a proving to be difficult for all. In order to maintain favorable profits, both small medical practices and large healthcare systems are navigating this current by choosing one of three common pathways:

Option 1 – play the game. It is not surprising that only large integrated delivery systems (or healthcare networks/systems) and practice associations that possess robust, integrated electronic medical records and massive administrative forces are best able to comply with new, changing regulations and its considerable subsequent overhead costs. This is essentially why you have seen long-time community physicians become traditional employees of large healthcare networks. All over the country, hospitals are merging; what equates to healthcare system “franchises” are popping up in office parks and strip malls; and large healthcare systems are amongst the largest employers in metropolitan areas.

Option 2 – charge an administrative fee for all patients. Uncommon at the moment, this is something that may become popular in

as part of Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers on Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis.

Denise HooksAnderson, MD

Photo by Wiley Price

Kenneth G. Poole, M.D.

Lewis Reed, president, St. Louis City Board of Aldermen; Dwayne Butler, CEO of Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers; Amanda Luckett Murphy, founder/CEO Emeritus, Amanda Luckett Murphy Hopewell Center; and Michael Kennedy Sr. , chairman and CEO, KAI Design and Build.

Cannabis oil proposal gets hearing in Jefferson City

A state senator from St. Louis presented a bill to a committee in Jefferson City that would expand the number of medical conditions that can legally be treated with cannabis oil in Missouri.

Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, presented Senate Bill 822 to the Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Health Committee regarding Cannabidiol (CBD) oil on Thursday, February 25.

“This legislation can help thousands of people across our state who battle against the symptoms of their illnesses daily,” Sen. Keaveny said. “I am hopeful this legislation will make its way to the governor’s desk.” CBD oil is extracted from the cannabis or marijuana plant. It is not the chemical substance in marijuana known as THC, which causes users to get high or intoxicated.

n Senate Bill 822 would allow people with cancer, HIV, AIDS and other diseases, to have access to CBD oil. The oil must be recommended by a neurologist or a physician.

Senate Bill 822 would allow people with cancer, HIV, AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord damage, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies, Huntington’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, or certain specified symptoms or complications associated with the conditions listed above, to have access to CBD oil. The oil must be recommended by a neurologist or a physician. The Department of Health and Senior Services would establish a public registry of physicians and neurologists who recommend hemp extract for their patient’s use.

“Missouri has the potential to expand an industry that will create hundreds of jobs. CBD oil has been shown to reduce nausea and vomiting, suppress seizure activity, and combat inflammatory disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, tumor and cancer cells, and anxiety and depression disorders,” Keaveny said. “Research has shown that CBD inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells, and has found that CBD can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases, nausea, bowl disorders and diabetes.”

For more information, visit Sen. Keaveny’s official Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/keaveny.

CBD oil is extracted from the cannabis or marijuana plant. It is not the chemical

marijuana known as THC, which causes users to get high or intoxicated.

New estimates of lifetime risk of HIV/AIDS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released estimates that show if current HIV diagnoses rates persist, approximately 1 in 2 black gay and bisexual men and 1 in 4 Latino gay and bisexual men in the United

VA to hold town hall in

Bellefontaine Neighbors

In a first for North St. Louis County, the Veterans Administration is holding a town hall meeting Tuesday, March 22 at 5 p.m. at Bellefontaine Neighbors City Hall.

States will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime. CDC analyses presented at the 2016 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston show:

• Gay and bisexual men

Veterans, National Guard, reservists and family members are invited to participate in the open forum. The City Hall is located at 9641 Bellefontaine Rd., 63137.

The VA said it is a listening session for its leadership, with the goal of ensuring veterans, their families and beneficiaries can have their concerns addressed by senior VA officials.

The meeting is open to the public and no registration is required. Concurrently, the VA will hold a resource fair, with individuals on site to answer questions about health care eligibility, applying for benefits, mental health services, burial benefits and more.

DOCTOR

Continued from A10

the coming years, particularly amongst reputable, high-performing healthcare systems with strong name recognition.

continue to be most affected by the HIV epidemic in the U.S.; at current rates, 1 in 6 men who have sex with men (MSM) will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime, including 1 in 2 black MSM, 1 in 4 Latino MSM, and 1 in 11 white MSM.

• African Americans are by far the most affected racial or ethnic group, with a lifetime HIV risk of 1 in 20 for men (compared to 1 in 132 for whites) and 1 in 48 for women (compared to 1 in 880 for whites).

• People who inject drugs are at much higher lifetime risk than the general population, and women who inject drugs have a higher risk than men (1 in 23 compared with 1 in 36).

• People living in the South are much more likely to be diagnosed with HIV over the course of their lifetime than other Americans, with the highest risk in Washington, DC (1 in 13), Maryland (1 in 49), Georgia (1 in 51), Florida (1 in 54), and Louisiana (1 in 56).

Option 3 – work outside of the system. This is the basis of concierge medicine and other subscription-based practice models. Under such models, physicians accept a small select set of patients, who pay up to several thousand dollars annually for more individualized attention; improved physician

access; and nontraditional, yet popular, health services such as health coaches, fitness assessments, nutrition consultations, chef demonstrations, spa-like amenities, and office bells and whistles. Concierge and subscription-based practices yield high praise from its physicians, who consider themselves free

of bureaucracy, and from consumers with considerable disposable income, but this model is obviously not for everyone.

Over the last several years, the St. Louis market has seen a lot of shifting, moving, and musical chair playing amongst physicians, making it difficult

CLINIC

Continued from A10

primary and behavioral healthcare will give them a better chance of being successful in school and life,” said St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.

The facility was designed by Kennedy Associates Inc. Contractors include Hankins Construction Company for the building and Raineri Construction for parking.

The child and adolescent health building, dubbed Project Hope, will house three floors to accommodate 20,000 square feet of clinical and counseling support programming.

Dwayne Butler, president and CEO of PHC, said the new facility is part of a strategic plan to further develop communities and improve access to healthcare services.

“Children and adolescents behavioral health and primary care issues are at a crisis point in urban underserved communities. Too often, families recognize their children have behavioral health issues, but are unable to find help or unwilling to access help due to stigma,” Butler said.

“All too often, these children grow up to lead unproductive lives. It’s time we bring this issue to the forefront of our communities overall health discussion and treat behavioral health with the dignity and respect our community deserves.”

For 43 years, PHC has providing primary health services to some of the most vulnerable communities in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

PHC said the project will help create an environment that promotes active living and personal involvement in reducing neighborhood decline, describing it as a model on how to creatively leverage community resources. For more information, visit phchopeforkids.com.

for patients to find and stick with a preferred provider. This unfortunately is a trend being experienced all over the country as physicians look to find their place in a new, fluid system. I hope that some stability is in sight as physicians chose which way to best weather the storm. And, hopefully, you can

understand why it is difficult to find and keep a good doctor.

Kenneth G Poole, Jr, MD, MBA is a senior associate consultant at Mayo Clinic Arizona in the Division of Community Internal Medicine. He previously practiced internal medicine in St. Louis.

substance in

Photo by Wiley Price

Amanda Luckett Murphy, founder/CEO Emeritus, Amanda Luckett Murphy Hopewell Center; Ida G. Woolfolk, Betty Jean Kerr Peoples Health Centers board member, state Rep. Karla May (D) St. Louis; Lewis Reed, president, St. Louis City Board of Aldermen; St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay; David Steward, chairman and co-founder, World Wide Technology, Inc. and The Steward Family Foundation; U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D), Missouri; state Rep. Joshua Peters (D) St. Louis, board member, Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers and People’s Community Action Corporation.

Daylight Savings Time

Diversity

Nutrition Challenge:

Your body uses calcium to build strong bones. By the time you hit the age of 20, your bones have usually completed their growing.

So it is during your school years that you need to give your body the most calcium. Drinking soda not only reduces the amount of calcium you consume, it also affects how your body absorbs the calcium you do get.

Daylight Savings starts 3/13/16

This weekend we’ll all turn our clocks forward an hour, resulting in more daylight in the evenings. Use that extra hour to increase your outdoor playtime. As it stays lighter later and later, you can take advantage of this extra time to get plenty of exercise.

What is diversity? As a class, discuss what you think it means. Is it the differences in how we look or act? Is it the differences in where we live, work or go to school?

Healthy Kids Kids

calcium include:

> Milk – 8 oz. (300 mg)

> American Cheese – 2 oz. (300 mg)

> Cottage Cheese – 4 oz. (70 mg)

Look for “calcium-fortified” foods and beverages to boost your calcium intake.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that kids between the ages of 9 and 18 years should eat and drink at least 1,300 milligrams of calcium each day. Some great sources of

Here’s a fun way to do just that. Pay attention to what time the street lights come on tonight. Now each night after that see how much later they come on. Make it a goal to add that much time to your outdoor active play.

With the warmer weather and increased daylight, there’s no excuse to not get in at least 30 minutes

FYI— If you choose lowerfat skim milk, it has the same calcium as whole milk!

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

of exercise every day. Why not try for a goal of 60 minutes at least 4 days per week? You’ll look and feel better!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, HPE 5, NH 1

Mexi-Pizza

Healthcare Careers

Faye Williams, Registered Nurse

Where do you work? I work at Christian Hospital.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Madison Senior High School in Madison, Illinois. I also graduated from DePaul Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis as a registered nurse and I’m continuing my education at Maryville University.

What does a registered nurse do? I work very closely with doctors to take care of patients before and after surgery. I do blood and heart tests, take patients’ blood pressures, and teach patients about their medicine and how to stay healthy. I also put bandages on people when they have surgery and teach their family how to change those bandages.

Why did you choose this career? I love learning about the body and how it works. I wanted to be a nurse because there are so many different kinds of nurses and I enjoy helping people get and stay well, and it helps me to live a healthy life also.

Break into small groups and create two lists: what everyone in the group has in common and what are the differences.

Is it bad to be different? What are some advantages to being around people that are different than you?

Learning Standards: HPE 2, NH 2, NH 4

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I really love educating my patients on how to keep themselves healthy, and I have to do that in many different ways. When I can tell that I have given someone a better way to think and they make changes in their lifestyle, I feel I have made a difference in that person’s life. I am very fulfilled when I have been a part of preventing disease or helping someone better manage their illness.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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.

Elementary School 4th grade teacher

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

African-American MD & Former US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin

SCIENCE CORNER

Healthy Habits

Your health has three main categories: physical (body), mental (mind), and spirit (social/emotional). It is important to have healthy habits in all three categories because all of the categories work together. For example, if your physical health is poor, it can affect your mental health or your social/emotional health. Strive to be healthy in all areas.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

To be physically healthy, it’s important to eat healthy foods for energy—fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, and whole grains. It’s also important to drink plenty of water. Your heart and muscles need daily exercise. Strive to get a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Ideally, you should get 60 minutes. Your body also needs rest and relaxation and a good night’s sleep. Be sure you sleep for 8-10 hours per night.

Have you ever wondered how much fat is in the food you eat? In this experiment, you will get to see the fat first hand.

Materials Needed:

• Brown Paper Grocery Bags (cut into small squares)

• Different Foods to Test (Ex: french fries, potato chips, a baked potato, peanuts, peanut butter, an apple, a banana, a hot dog, and butter)

• Scissors

Procedure:

q Make a prediction—which foods do you think will be the fattiest? Rank them from most fatty to least fatty.

w Rub each piece of food onto a separate paper bag square. Count to twenty while you rub so that you test each food for the same amount of time. Be sure to label the

MATH CONNECTION

Apply your critical thinking skills to solve these problems.

z At a birthday party, you were told you could have .6, 60%, 3/5, or 6% of the candy from the piñata. Which 3 will give you the same size portion? ________

Fatty Foods Food

x 4/7 of the birthday cake was eaten at your party. The next day, your brother ate 1/2 of the leftover cake. You get to have all the cake that remains. How much cake is left? ________

For your mental health, you need to have strategies to help you cope with stress. Some might include yoga, art, music, talking to friends, etc. Social/emotional health is important, too. You need to have positive friends who support you and encourage you. Positive self-talk is important, too. Can you think of three kind things to say to yourself?

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details. I can make text to self -connections.

squares so you remember which food you rubbed on each one.

e Now you have to leave them overnight. The next day you’ll see which foods have the most fat. The foods that leave the greasiest spots are the fattiest food.

r Which foods had the most fat? Which had the least? Were you surprised by the results?

Learning Standards: I can follow a sequential set of directions to complete an experiment. I can make predictions, and analyze results. I can make text to world connections.

c You are making homemade ice cream for 8 people. The recipe calls for 2¼ cups of cream for every 2 people. How much cream will you need ________

v There is ½ of a quiche in the refrigerator. For breakfast, you eat 1/3 of it. How much quiche is remaining________

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

Regina Benjamin was born on October 26, 1956, in Alabama. She was raised by her mother and grandmother. In 1979, she graduated from Xavier University in Lousiana with a BS in Chemistry. She served as an intern with the CIA and attended Morehouse School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama in 1984, and her MBA from Tulane University. Benjamin is also the recipient of 22 honorary degrees. Because Benjamin received help from the government to pay for her medical school, she had to work in a community that needed physicians. In 1990, she started the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic on the Golf Coast. She treated patients who had not been able to afford health care due to lack of insurance or money. She allowed patients to pay whatever they could afford, in whatever form they could. Sometimes, patients volunteered their services to pay for medical treatments. This clinic was rebuilt many times, due to Hurricane George, Hurricane Katrina, and a fire. In 1995, Benjamin became the first African-American woman and the first physician under the age of 40 to be on the American Medical Association’s board of trustees. In 2002, she became the first African-American woman to become president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama. In 2009, she became the US Surgeon General, nominated by President Barack Obama. As surgeon general, she stated that individuals should strive to be healthy, instead of simply waiting to treat a sickness. She promoted eating healthy foods, including MyPlate and exercising, as well. In May 2013, the Reader’s Digest ranked her as one of the “100 Most Trusted People in America.” She resigned in 2013. Benjamin was featured in many magazines, including Time, People, Reader’s Digest, and Clarity. She received many awards and honors, including: Time magazine’s “Nation’s 50 Future Leaders Age 40 and Under,” ABC World News Tonight’s “Person of the Week,” and CBS This Morning’s “Woman of the Year.” She was the United States recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights in 1998, and in 2000, she won the National Caring Award, inspired by Mother Teresa. She was awarded the MacArthur Genius Award Fellowship and was the recipient of the Chairman’s Award during the worldwide broadcast of the 42nd NAACP Image Awards.

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

MAP CORNER

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

Activity One —

Functions of the Newspaper: Different parts of the body control different functions—your lungs control your breathing, your heart controls the blood flow, etc. The newspaper has various sections that also have unique functions. Look through the newspaper. What sections does it include? What type of information can you find in each section?

Activity Two —

Food for Thought: —Look through the newspaper to find examples of food choices. Divide them into three categories: Green light foods (these are foods you are encouraged to eat often), yellow light foods (they are ok in small quantities), and red light foods (only to be consumed in small quantities on rare occasions).

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can make text to text and text to self connections.

Lucas Crossing

Michael Frueh, shows students Deborah Rollen, Addison Williams, Jeremiona Penny, and Dana Sanchez-Salvador how to use the newspaper to find biographical information as a STEM lesson.

Lucas Crossing Elementary is in the Normancy Schools Collaborative.

Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American

WEEK 27

The bi-state area’s Heatupstlouis.org, an all-volunteer, utility assistance, education and advocacy charity announced that as of today (Monday), its largest annual Missouri and Illinois fundraiser has broken another all-time record.

The Hardee’s Rise ‘N Shine For Heat Valentine Weekend fundraiser obtained slightly more than $300,000 from the generosity of the public who dropped off donations to 625 volunteers, serving as greeters at area Hardee’s restaurants on Friday, February 12, 2016. This fundraising effort obtained slightly more than 7% versus the 2015 campaign where 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the Hardee’s Egg Biscuit and Sausage ‘N Egg biscuit products, collection canisters and special grants went to the regional charity to help qualiied seniors, disabled and low-income people with their high winter heating bills and to help them to avoid unsafe methods of heating, avoiding deadly house ires. Monies collected in speciic MO/IL counties will remain there to help qualiied needy residents through the heatupstlouis.org social service network.

“We are just overjoyed with the generosity of the public, Hardee’s, the ‘caring’ St. Louis media, and the volunteers for helping to keep their neighbors safe and warm,” said Melanie DiLeo, Chairwoman, and Rev. Earl E. Nance, Jr., chair emeritus of the Board of Directors, Heatupstlouis.org. “Without neighbors helping neighbors, we could experience more health and safety issues, as being without a heating source continues to be very dangerous, as witnessed this winter.”

“Our media partners played a pivotal role in helping us raised much needed funds, with their public service and weather messaging, as well as their live coverage with on-air talents, at various Hardee’s throughout the St. Louis region,” said Rev. Nance. The 17th Annual Hardee’s Rise and Shine for Heat is being scheduled for Friday, February 10, 2017, as a “Have a Heart, Heat A Home,” pre-Valentine fundraiser.

If anyone wishes to make a larger tax-deductible donation, they may do so by logging onto www.heatupstlouis.org or sending a check or money order to HEAT-UP ST. Louis c/o UMB BANK, P.O. Box 868, St. Louis, MO 63188. Heatupstlouis.org is taking requests from qualiied seniors, disabled and low-income households by logging onto www.heatupstlouis.org or by calling the automated hotline at 314-241-7668. The public shouldn’t let the forthcoming warm winter weather fool them. All it takes are a series of cold snaps to hike up one’s utility bills.

ONE SMALL CHANGE is an ongoing series that challenges us to take very small steps toward being more environmentally-friendly. If we all participate then ONE SMALL CHANGE can make a big difference! participate, then ONE SMALL CHANGE can make a big difference!

GIFT WRAP BETTER!

We have a huge problem with gift wrapping: we do it too much! Every time we buy a gift, we remove it from the plastic bag the store provided us when we purchased the item (and throw that bag away) only to then put it in a new bag bought specifically for this gift. Many times, especially if wrapped in paper, the gift’s packaging gets thrown away and only served to look pretty for a few minutes of celebratory shredding. Think of all the waste involved in this process. In the U.S. alone, the trash we generate from gift-wrap and shopping bags totals 4 million tons. Also, half of the paper America consumes is used to wrap and decorate products. One small change we can make immediately is finding creative ways to wrap our gifts. Newspaper, paper grocery bags, etc. can easily replace the expensive bags and wrapping found at stores. Your gift will be sure to stand out too!

Business

MARCH 10 – 16, 2016

St. Louis Job Corps has hundreds of openings

Department of Labor program pays eligible students to learn a variety of trades

By Chris King

Of The St. Louis American

“We’re supposed to have 520 students in here, but we have just half of that,” said Redford Salmon, director of the St. Louis Job Corps Center. “I don’t want this to be a secret. We have a great opportunity here to train the future employees of America.”

The St. Louis Job Corps Center is a program of the U.S. Department of Labor operated by an independent contractor, Adams and Associates, an employee-owned company based in Reno, Nevada that employs Salmon and the rest of the center’s 200 full-time staff.

n “I don’t want this to be a secret. We have a great opportunity here to train the future employees of America.” – Redford Salmon

The program is free –in fact, it pays students a stipend – for youths aged 16 to 24 who are eligible based on financial circumstances. Financial criteria include income, size of family, and whether the student is claimed as a dependent or claims any dependents. Salmon encouraged any youth who is interested to call recruiter Jonathan Johnson at 314-679-0300 for an admissions interview to see if they are eligible.

The St. Louis Job Corps Center – one of 125 around the nation – offers training in a range of professional fields. Every few years, the Department of Labor evaluates the local economy and its economic needs and helps to coordinate local training “in job fields that pay well enough for a person to live on,” according to Jeffrey Taylor, business community liaison for St. Louis Job Corps.

“Our students here are looking for opportunity, for vocational training,” Salmon said. “We focus on employability and necessary job skills.” Currently, the St. Louis center provides training in the following fields: bricklayer, building and apartment maintenance/facilities maintenance, carpentry, cement mason, certified

Vanessa Keith was named general counsel to the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club. The club serves thousands of youths throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, offering structured recreational activities and education enrichment. She is an officer at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. She formerly served on the club’s Board of Directors.

Richard Mark was named one of Savoy magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America. He is president of Ameren Illinois. The list recognizes AfricanAmerican leaders who have made a positive impact in corporate America and have made a difference in the communities where they live and work.

Sheena R. Hamilton was elected to the United Way of Greater St. Louis’ Board of Directors. She is an attorney at Dowd Bennett LLP. The board meets

teachers come from labor unions, it also can offer a path into the apprentice programs that many African Americans often claim are difficult for them to access.

“Our bricklaying, painting, plastering and carpentry students can go into pre-apprentice programs,” Taylor said. “Nothing is guaranteed, but we have connections to employers and many of our instructors come from unions.” Taylor produces an in-house newsletter, the St. Louis JC Standard. The February 5 edition shows students from the center shadowing apprentice carpenters on a Tarlton Construction job, as well as members from the Local United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry Local 562 visiting the center to recruit welding students. It also reports on plastering student Chancellor Stuby landing a job with J.D.R Construction making $12.42 an hour as a member of Plasterers’ Local 3.

hosted by the Pulitzer Arts Foundation and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University. PXSTL is a design-build commission for a temporary structure that will transform a vacant lot into the site of community-based programs and events. He submitted with Amanda Williams.

Vanessa Keith

Sheena R. Hamilton

Kevin B. McKinney

Amanda Williams

Richard Mark

Andres L. Hernandez

Shameika Wills and Tyler Parker received instruction in office administration from LaTunya Cropper (far left) at the St. Louis Job Corps Center on North Goodfellow Avenue on February 18.

Photo by Wiley Price

James Thornton worked on a ceiling as part of his training in building construction technology at the St. Louis Job Corps Center on North Goodfellow Avenue on February 18.

Photo by Wiley Price

Personal Finance

Local courts reward unsubstantiated claims to debt collectors

By Charlene Crowell

Despite consensus by economists that the economic recovery is well underway, many of America’s working poor, under-employed and unemployed people continue to struggle financially. Adding insult to injury, these financially vulnerable households face debt collectors who harass and sue them on incomplete and/or inaccurate information. In many cases, consumers are harassed for bills they do not owe by firms they have never heard of.

The financial strain on families is compounded by court judgments that favor debt collectors without first determining the validity of the claims.

The growth of this seemingly irrational system is the focus of recent research.

Both the Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global nongovernmental human rights organization and co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, and the Alliance for a Just Society, a national network of racial, social and economic justice organizations, recently released reports chronicling this disturbing financial trend.

Rubber Stamp Justice, the title of the HRW report, is so-named because judges often act as “little more than a rubber stamp” in debt collection claims brought into local courts. Researchers found that courts routinely award default judgments, without the consumer present, in an alarmingly large number of cases -- as many as tens of thousands a year.

For example, Encore Capital Group, the largest debt collector in the country, has often filed between 245,000 and 470,000 new lawsuits in a single year, HRW found. Additionally in 2014, Encore and one of its closest competitors, Portfolio Recovery Associates, together collected more than $1 billion through hundreds of thousands of lawsuits.

“When debt [collector] lawsuits result in unjust and financially disastrous outcomes for poor families, the courts’ own failures and shortcomings are often directly responsible,” states the HRW report. “Fundamental problems with debt [collector] lawsuits often come to light only after the companies have already won judgments they were never entitled to, in courts that never asked them to present any meaningful evidence in support of their claims.”

HRW also notes how several states have created “judgeless courtrooms” where charged consumers are often forced to participate in unsupervised discussions with debt buyers and their attorneys. Although intended to provide an open forum for compromise, many consumers wind up forfeiting their rights for a future court hearing.

To remedy this untenable situation, HRW advocates legislation to limit the interest rates added to debts after the original creditor, often a credit card company, sells old debt to a debt collector.

“Federal law can and

should recognize that debt [collectors] are not in the same position as original creditors –they are seeking to appreciate an investment in bad debt, not to recoup money they have lent under agreed-upon contractual terms,” states the HRW report.

Similarly, the Alliance for Justice’s report, Unfair, Deceptive & Abusive: Debt Collectors Profit from Aggressive Tactics, ranks specific consumer concerns, notes the related regulatory role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and offers recommendations

n In many cases, consumers are harassed for bills they do not owe by firms they have never heard of.

for both rulemaking and legislative action.

“Consumer complaints filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) suggest that unfair, deceptive and abusive tactics are prevalent in the debt collection industry,” states the Alliance report.

In 2014, 130,000 consumer debt collection lawsuits were filed in just one countyCook County, Illinois. A year earlier in 2013, the Alliance report states that one debt collector, PRA Group, Inc., simultaneously pursued 1.5 million individual accounts.

Top consumer debt collection concerns filed with the CFPB between November 2013 and August 2015 were:

• Demands to pay a debt the affected consumer(s) believes is not owed;

• Frequent or repeated calls about the same alleged debt; and

• Failure to provide documentation to verify the debt.

Business Brief

Enacted in 1978, the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) was designed to eliminate abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices. It applies only to the collection of debt incurred by a consumer for personal, family, or household purposes. This consumer-oriented federal law calls for debt collectors to provide consumers with certain basic information such as the amount of the debt and the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed.

Less well-known, however is the law’s requirement that debt collectors must give consumers a 30-day notice to dispute the debt before it is assumed as valid. Additional information on FDCPA is available on the Federal Trade Commission web, and on CFPB’s web These two agencies also share enforcement duties for this law.

The Alliance for a Just Society offers several statelevel recommendations; but has just one for Congress: “close loopholes in existing law that leave consumers vulnerable to unfair, deceptive or abusive debt collection activities.” Among the multiple CFPB rulemaking recommendations, the advocacy group supports penalties that are “sufficient to act as a meaningful deterrent against future violations” and a halt to abusive practices related to medical debt.

“These recent reports affirm the urgent need for state and federal courts, legislators and regulators to address these abusive practices,” said Lisa Stifler, a senior policy counsel who leads the Center for Responsible Lending’s work on debt collection. “When people are being wrongly pursued for debts they do not owe, it is time for action and reforms.”

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@ responsiblelending.org.

Clay hosts forum with Export-Import Bank chairman

n “Champions take lumps all the time.”

– LeBron James to UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor on his loss to Nate Diaz

Whitfield headed to Final Four

The Whitfield Warriors are headed to the Final Four of the Class 3 tournament this weekend in Columbia and went through quite a journey to get there. Whitfield (25-5) will take on Father Tolton in the semifinals on Thursday afternoon at 3:20 p.m. at the Mizzou Arena. The winner will face either Barstow or Mountain Grove for the state championship on Saturday at 12:50 p.m. The third place game will be held on Friday at 12:45 p.m. The road to the Final Four was quite an interesting one for Whitfield to say the least. After winning the District 4 championship, the Warriors were slated to take on Park Hills Central in the sectionals last Wednesday night. On the day of the game, it was learned that three of Park Hills Central’s top players would be suspended for the game along with its head coach. Whitfield went on to take a 63-48 victory. In the quarterfinals, Whitfield defeated Caruthersville 67-63 in one of the most bizarre endings in the history of the state tournament. Last Saturday’s game took place at Jefferson College in Hillsboro. With the Warriors clinging to a one-point lead in the final minute of play, the lights suddenly went out in the gym. The game was delayed for 45

Several basketball players from the St. Louis metro area have been making a big impact at the collegiate level this season. Here is a look at some of those former area standouts.

Napheesa Collier Former Incarnate Word Academy All-American girls player Napheesa Collier was selected to the American Athletic Conference AllFreshman Team after a very productive first season at national powerhouse Connecticut.

The 6’1” Collier is averaging 6.6 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the field and 92 percent from the free throw line while averaging 18 minutes a game. She is also among the team leaders with 52 steals. UConn continued its undefeated season by winning the AAC Tournament championship on Monday night.

Josh Robinson. Former St. Mary’s High star Josh Robinson was a big standout for Austin Peay in its charge to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title and the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Robinson averaged 18 points as the Governors won four games in four days to win the OVC title. He scored 25 points in a 98-97 victory over No. 1 seed Belmont in the semifinals and 17 points in the championship game victory over Tennessee-Martin.

Austin Peay’s team also had St. Louis natives Stephen Harris (Webster Groves) and Zach Glotta (Fort Zumwalt North).

Rashad Lindsey. Former McCluer North standout Rashad Lindsey led Moberly Area Community College to the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 16 championship and a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchison, KS. Lindsey scored 24 points in Moberly’s victory

Manning, Megatron sail off into sunset

Calvin Johnson and Peyton Manning may have just finished what the Los Angeles Rams started. It’s no secret that when the Rams bolted back out west, a significant portion of my NFL interest departed with the team. Now, two of my favorite NFL players have decided to call it quits and it’s very likely that my love affair with the most popular sport in America has come to an permanent end. Manning and Johnson were both remarkable, all-time great talents who helped redefine the game. When it comes to raw numbers, Manning’s resume is unmatched. Manning holds the records for passing yards in both a season (5,477 in 2013) and career. He also set the standards for touchdown passes in a season (55 in 2013) and career. A few other

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

feathers in his cap include most wins (200), most comeback wins (45), most 300+ yard games (93), most 4000-yard seasons (14), most games with a perfect passer rating (5) and a host of others. Manning’s brilliance in terms of dissecting defenses and directing his offense was unmatched. In the game of throws, King Manning conquered the iron throne twice in his illustrious career. First, he led the Indianapolis Colts to the title in 2007 (the same year Johnson was drafted). Then, the Broncos vaunted defense led him to the title this past season as Manning played the roles of greatest game manager to ever live. Unfortunately for Johnson, his individual excellence never translated to team success. Like Barry Sanders, Johnson

Photo by WIley Price

Mizzou

Following Michigan’s lead, the University of Illinois has found a former NFL head coach to take the helm of its struggling football program.

Lovie Smith has been named head coach of the Fighting Illini, and he hopes to find immediate success in Champaign, Illinois, just as Jim Harbaugh has done in Ann Arbor.

Illini Athletic Director Josh Whitman, a former Washington University AD who was in the position just two years, posted two photos on Twitter with Smith and himself at Memorial Stadium.

SportS EyE

You gotta love Illini’s rush to hire Lovie Smith

seasons – but it opened the door for Illinois, and Whitman acted swiftly.

If the NFL comes knocking at his door, Smith said he would not answer.

“I’m not going anywhere. This is the start of my third quarter of my career.

“I am extremely excited to be named head coach of the Fighting Illini,” Smith said in a statement released Monday.

Later at a press conference on the Illini campus, Smith said, “I understand where our football program is right now. There is a reason why a change was made. I embrace that challenge.”

He promised that Illinois would play “an exciting brand of football,” which is interesting because he is a defensive-minded coach whose offenses have not been flashy.

Smith is a former defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams and served as head coach for the Chicago Bears from 2004-12, leading the team to the 2006 Super Bowl.

He was named head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014, and many NFL pundits have been heavily critical of Tampa’s decision to release Smith after just two

This is where I want to finish up my football career,” Smith said.

“So I don’t know what better commitment I can show to everyone that we’re going to be here and we’re going to be here for the long haul than that.”

On Saturday, his first official day on the job as athletic director, Whitman fired coach Bill Cubit. Cubit had taken over for Tim Beckman, who was dismissed just prior to the season’s start amid allegations of mistreatment of players.

Cubit had the interim title removed in November and received a two-year contract extension from Mike Thomas, the previous AD whom Whitman replaced.

Don’t feel sorry for either. Cubit will receive $985,000 as part of a buyout, and the Illini owe Thomas $2.5 million for the remainder of his contract, which ran through 2019.

Smith agreed to a six-year deal worth $2 million in 2016 and 2017, $3 million in 2018, $4 million in 2019 and $5 million for 2020 and 2021.

The Bucs owed him $5 million for both 2016 and 2017, but will now pay him $3 million and $2 million, respectively, for those years.

But money is not what is driving Smith. “I immediately seized on the opportunity to make a

difference in the lives of the young men who are part of the program today and in the future,” he said.

Smith left college coaching for the NFL after the 1995 season when he was a defensive backs coach with Ohio State. He also coached at Tulsa, Wisconsin, Arizona State, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Dynamic duel

The duel between guards

Wes Washpun of Northern Iowa and Evansville’s D.J. Balentine was worthy of the national TV audience that viewed on CBS and highlighted another outstanding Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

Washpun’s last-second shot bounced high off the rim and fell through the hoop to give his Panthers a 56-54 victory over the Purple Aces in the championship game. He finished the game with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

While Washpun found ways

to penetrate opposing defenses throughout the season and tournament, it came down to his clutch jumper to seal the victory.

“That’s what (the defense) allowed me to take so that’s what I had to take. Not a better feeling in the world,” he said following the game.

Balentine, who was trying to lead Evansville to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999, put in 20 points with a dizzying array of twisting layups and jump shots. He added four rebounds and three assists, and was named to the all-tournament team. His reverse layup tied the game at 54-54 before Washpun’s jumper sent him crashing to the floor in disbelief and tears.

Ronnie Suggs shines

Bradley University is the nation’s youngest major-college basketball squad with nine freshmen suiting up for games.

Frosh guard Ronnie Suggs of Washington, Missouri, poured in 20 points with 15 rebounds in Bradley’s 74-66 loss in the MVC quarterfinals.

While the Braves closed at 5-27, the team and Suggs’ futures are quite bright. Suggs averaged 8.5 points per game, four rebounds and 1.3 assists per game and claimed a starting guard position during the season. Last year, he played for Vermont Academy, a college preparatory school in Saxtons River, Vermont. He averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals and led his school to the conference championship game for the first time in its history. He had led Washington High School to district championships as a sophomore and junior and was named to the Class 5 All-State team both seasons. He is the son of Ron and Cassandra Suggs, who were both at the Scottrade Center cheering while clad in Bradley gear.

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. His Twitter handle is @ aareid1.

With Alvin Reid

Alvin Reid

Lovie Smith with Illini Athletic Director Josh Whitman

CLUTCH

Continued from B3 easier to jam at the line and generally slower out of breaks) or turned into tight ends. Johnson proved that big-bodied receivers could be a nightmare for opposing defenses. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has seemingly made a career out of tossing up the pigskin and allowing Johnson to do his magic. He was like the NFL’s version of an unstoppable alley-oop.

It’s a shame that Manning and Johnson never got the opportunity to play together (unless you count my fantasy team, where they led me to numerous championships). Look at the numbers Thomas, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne put up with Manning at the helm. Think of what he could’ve done with Johnson, the most physically talented receiver since the GOAT, Jerry Rice

Both players are lucky to be walking away from the game. Their bodies have taken an incredible toll. Many thought Manning’s career was over after he missed the entire 2011

INSIDE

Continued from B3

over State Fair in the Region 16 championship game. He added 19 points in the Greyhounds’ victory over Sauk Valley (ILL) to clinch Moberly’s spot in the national tournament.

PREP

Continued from B3 minutes while everyone stood around in darkness. With the entire college campus in the dark, the game was moved to nearby Hillsboro High School for the exciting finish. And exciting it was. Whitfield trailed by three points near the end of regulation when senior guard Bryce Berry swished a 40-footer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. Whitfield went on to win the game in the extra session to clinch its spot in the Final Four for the fourth time. The Warriors won the Class 2A state championship in 2000, finished third in 2008 and second in 2009. The Warriors are led by 6’4” sophomore guard Torrence Watson, who is averaging 18 points a game. The talented Watson has already received scholarship offers from Division I schools such as Missouri, Saint Louis U. and Kansas State.

Watson gets plenty of support, much of which comes from the 6’0” Berry and fellow senior DeVaughn Rucker, a 6’5” forward. Berry is averaging 14 points a game and has been on a late-season surge with some big scoring games. Rucker is a versatile forward who plays every position on the floor. Senior Chadd Montgomery is a 6’0” guard who specializes in 3-point shooting.

The Warriors also have some young talent on the squad in sophomore guard Will Matthews, a powerful 6-footer who can score in the lane. Freshman forwards Cyrus Alexander and Luther Taylor are future standouts while junior Jordan Crouch and sophomore Amichee Ramsey provide backcourt depth.

Timberland makes history

Wentzville Timberland made history by winning their first ever district championship in boys’ basketball. The T-Wolves defeated host Troy 54-45 for the Class 5, District 3 championship. Senior forward Andrew Voss had 17 points, eight rebounds and six blocks to lead Timberland. The Wolves have been led all season by the 6’7” Voss and fellow seniors Enrique Tankins and Jahwan Sims.

season. Manning went through several neck and spinal fusion surgeries that jeopardized his career. Yes, the guy whose head the entire defense is trying to separate from his body had surgery on his neck and spine and came back to play. Manning already had a Super

Bowl under his belt at the time and could’ve easily bought a house in Hawaii, ordered some Mai Tais and called it a career. But he was too busy chasing all-time greatness. For Johnson, the freak of nature eventually had to deal with the ramifications of being that big,

Trae Anderson. Former Hazelwood Central standout Trae Anderson was named to the All Ohio Valley Conference First Team. The 6’4” Anderson averaged a team-high 15 points a game in his senior season at Eastern Illinois. Anderson was an AllOVC Second Team pick as a junior and was also a member of the All-Newcomer Team as well.

Rayshawn Simmons Former Webster Groves standout Rayshawn Simmons is having an excellent senior season at Central Michigan. The 6’4” Simmons is averaging 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists as the Chippewas head into the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Overtime thriller

Arguably the most exciting district championship game last week was the Class 5, District 5 girls’ showdown between Parkway North and

Hazelwood Central. North pulled out a 68-67 overtime thriller to repeat as district champions. Sophomore guard Amaya Stovall scored 21 points to lead the Vikings, including the game-winner in the closing

that fast and that good. All the first downs and touchdowns the fearless receiver caught coming over the middle took their toll on Johnson. In recent years, he has suffered numerous back, ankle and knee injuries and still managed to routinely grind his way past 1000 yards nearly

STL at Columbia College

Columbia College (MO) won the American Midwest Conference championship for the fourth time in five years. The Cougars defeated William Woods 77-74 in the championship game last weekend in Columbia to qualify for the National Association of Intercollegiate

seconds. Senior forward Mya Johnson added 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Vikings were able to offset a spectacular performance by Central’s Kelsie Williams, who scored 35 points in the losing cause.

St. Louis American Prep Athletes of the Week

Lezoghia Member-Meneh

Lutheran South – Boys Basketball

The 6’3” senior guard led the Lancers to the Class 4, District 3 championship at Hillsboro last week.

Meneh scored 43 points and grabbed eight rebounds in South’s 81-63 victory over Festus in the semifinals. In the championship, he had 31 points, eight rebounds and three steals in a 87-75 victory over host Hillsboro.

For the season, Meneh is averaging 19.8 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 53 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range and 74 percent from the free throw line. Lutheran South (21-6) met Parkway West in the Class 4 sectional playoffs on Wednesday night.

Dominique Loyd

Kirkwood – Boys Basketball

The 6’2” senior guard averaged 26.5 points in last week’s Class 5, District 8 tournament in his final games as a Pioneer. Loyd scored 18 points in a 74-59 victory over Parkway South in the semifinals. In the championship game against CBC, Loyd scored 35 points in the Pioneers’ 85-73 loss. Loyd made six 3-pointers against CBC. Loyd also made six 3-pointers while scoring 25 points in a victory over Parkway North on Kirkwood’s Senior Night.

For the season, Loyd averaged 17 points, three rebounds and two assists a game while shooting 48 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.

In 2012, Megatron set the record for receiving yards in a season with 1964. That season he also had 122 catches and averaged nearly 123 receiving yards per game.

every season. I have a feeling that if the Lions were Super Bowl contenders, Johnson would continue to play through the pain. But after a 7-9 finish, there was no reason for Johnson to hang around. Sure, he would’ve made a ton of money to return.

Athletics (NAIA) national tournament. There has always been a strong St. Louis flavor at Columbia and this season is no different.

Senior guard Chantiel “To Pep” Stanciel (McCluer) had 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals in the championship game. A four-year starter, Stanciel is now the winningest player in the history of the

However, it seems that more dismal new comes out every week about concussions and CTE, it just wasn’t worth the risk. When it comes to the Hall of Fame, Manning is a shoe-in to be elected the first year he’s eligible. He re-wrote the record books and Tom Brady is the only person who can catch him in many categories. For Johnson, he’ll have a tougher road ahead. The Hall of Fame committee already hates wide receivers and Johnson retiring after just nine seasons means his career numbers won’t compare to many of the guys caught up in the WR traffic jam. He currently sits only 27th in career receiving yards. I think he’ll eventually get in on the merits that he was the best of his time, but it’ll probably take a while. With Manning and Johnson off the field, cornerbacks and defensive coordinators can breathe a sigh of relief. Two of the best are walking away from the game with no regrets, except maybe that they didn’t get to play together.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

Columbia program, having played in 121 victories in his career. Former McCluer High forward Malik Ray had 12 points and seven rebounds in the finals. Forward Nathan Biggs (Parkway Central) had eight points while guard Preston Whitfield (Fort Zumwalt South) had six points.

JOB CORPS

continued from page B1

Chasan Lenard, who entered the program when he was 24 but is now 25, is training in painting with hopes of becoming a union painter. He offered the highest possible praise for Michael Anderson, the union painter who is training him: “it’s unexplainable, unimaginable, amazing, terrific training, a unique blend of teaching, understanding and patience.”

‘A second chance’

Salmon said that Job Corps has the reputation of being a training program for dropouts that is “unfair,” but several students interviewed were, indeed, dropouts – including Job Corps dropouts giving the program a second chance. This is true of Lenard. “This is my second time around,” he said. “I came back because I felt like I wasn’t done. When I first came in, I didn’t know anything at all. This is a second chance.”

Salmon said that 45 percent of Job Corps students enter the program with a high school diploma, and some have taken some college courses. Job Corps requires that they complete their high school education as part of their training. “They can’t get a job without it,” Taylor said.

James Thornton, 19, is another Job Corps dropout giving the program a second chance. Actually, he is a Job Corps kickout – he was kicked out of Job Corps in Milwaukee two years ago. He has been studying building construction technology at the St. Louis center for the past few months. “I have goals and dreams in life,” Thornton said. “I am trying to be somewhere in life. That’s why I came back to Job Corps.” Unlike Lenard, who lives at home just a few blocks from the Job Corps center on North Goodfellow Avenue, Thornton lives on campus. Taylor said the St. Louis center has 293 students, and 227 of them live in the dorms. (The dorms were designed for 440 residential students.) They are divided by gender and sleep four to a room, with four residents sharing a shower. There is a cafeteria and facilities for recreation and medical care, with no charge for onsite medical services. In a new program, a barber visits the center regularly, and haircuts are required. The center also has a Student Government Association; its current president is Wyatt Newbill, who is studying building construction technology. The January 29 edition of the St. Louis JC Standard shows Newbill greeting John Scates

from U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s St. Louis District Office when Scates visited the center.

The St. Louis Job Corps dorms are run with much more discipline than the typical college campus housing. There is a 9:30 p.m. curfew Sunday through Thursday, followed by an accountability group meeting, with lights out between 10:30-11 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, curfew is moved back to 10:30 p.m. with lights out at midnight.

“They can also fill out a weekend pass to leave for the weekend, similar to the military,” Taylor said. Also similar to the military, a guard stands watch at the gate, and students must pass through security and a metal detector

when returning to the center.

Thornton finds the group residential setting to be part of the growth experience at St. Louis Job Corps.

“It’s great to be around talented people every day,” he said. “We’re like a family. We bond and talk to each other when we’re down.”

‘A significant tragedy’

Tragically, that was not Matthew Anderson’s St. Louis Job Corps experience. He was shot and killed in his St. Louis Job Corps dorm last April 22. One of his roommates, Matthew Carlock, was charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action. Carlock awaits trial on May 16.

“We had a significant tragedy at this center,” said Salmon, who was not here then.

At that time, the St. Louis center was operated by MINACT, which has the most Job Corps contracts nationwide. Adams and Associates took over operation of the St. Louis center on October 1, and Salmon, 38, was brought here from a Job Corps site in Atterbury, Indiana.

“Safety was a major concern,” Salmon said. “I was coming from a larger facility where I provided a safe environment.” The Atterbury site sprawls over 100 acres; the St. Louis site is only 15 acres. Salmon said, “I had the opportunity to revamp and

change the dynamic of this program.”

Tyler Parker, 23, had been studying at the center for two weeks when she spoke to The American. The environment she discovered at the center was anything but dangerous or violent.

“I like the discipline,” she said. “It’s nice to see a bunch of black students come together and be positive. I get a lot of inspiration here.” Parker lives off-campus in South St. Louis; Job Corps provides a bus pass for her transportation. She is still going through the “career prep period, where you figure out where you’re at and they teach you the rules.” She is finding the atmosphere at the center just as important as the education. “Everybody here is really positive,” she said. “I plan to use every little bit they give me.”

The February 5 edition of the St. Louis JC Standard provides a list of 10 interpersonal tips, which is the sort of thing Salmon also tells students to their face.

“Be an active listener,” one tip urges. “Listening shows you intend to both hear and recognize another’s perspective. Use your own words to repeat what they said. By doing this, they know you’ve processed their ideas. Colleagues will feel more connected to you knowing that you listen to them.” Like her fellow students interviewed by The American Parker is not looking for her first job. Thornton started delivering newspapers before school at age 12. Lenard works in maintenance at Wal-Mart when he is not training at Job Corps.

“I already had jobs, but I felt like I wasn’t progressing,” Parker said. “I felt like I worked hard, but didn’t get promoted. I want some credentials. I don’t just want to work, I want to be noticed.”

New Job Corps program classes begin weekly. For recruitment call 314-679-0300 or visit http://stlouis.jobcorps. gov.

Chasan Lenard is studying painting at the St. Louis Job Corps Center with the intention of becoming a union painter. The center has teachers from trade unions that often recruit students for pre-apprentice programs.

Photo by Wiley Price

Freedom by any means necessary

‘Underground’ remasters the telling of America’s darkest hour

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

With WGN’s “Underground” slavery’s harsh realities are presented in a way to cater to contemporary television consumers. The result is the makings of a masterpiece.

History is remixed into a suspense thriller thanks to the 10 show series created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski. The result is anything but the stereotypical slave drama. The smart writing and crisp directing of the first four episodes

Connection of two cities

Chicago artists Williams and Hernandez win PXSTL commission

By American staff

When the duo of Amanda Williams and Andres L. Hernandez presented among the three finalists competing for the PXSTL designbuild commission, they instantly set themselves apart.

As they displayed imagery from their projects on the South Side of Chicago, the resemblance to North St. Louis was striking.

Through teamwork in their hometown, Williams and Hernandez have managed to reimagine vacant, dilapidated neighborhoods through public art events that

facilitated community building and engagement.

They themselves noticed the parallels between the two regions –and proclaimed with confidence that they would be ready, willing and able to create similar experiences in St. Louis selected.

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University, who organize PXSTL, took notice.

Last week the pair was named as winners of the competition for the 2015–17 iteration of PXSTL, a design-build commission for

a temporary structure that will transform a vacant lot into the site of community-based programs and events.

Launched in 2013, PXSTL –the name is an acronym for the Pulitzer, Sam Fox School and St.

Louis – explores the ways in which small-scale, creative interventions might serve as meaningful catalysts for urban transformation. The first project, designed by Freecell

Youngest Wayans returns family comedy legacy to the stage

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St.

Louis American

With his nearly sold-out run at the new Helium Comedy Club this past weekend, Marlon Wayans proved that his venture into standup is more than just a celebrity side hustle.

“I’ve been doing this for five years,” Wayans said before he bid the crowd farewell. “And in these five years –every time I step on this stage – I’ve never had a bad night.”

The

“So, if you have a

or something you’ve ever been afraid of doing,” he said, “I say [expletive] fear.”

Five years into a comedy career is equivalent to about 90 days in most other professions. Even the alleged overnight sensations hone their craft

Marlon Wayans enjoyed a nearly sold-out run at the new Helium Comedy Club at the Galleria this past weekend. His niece Chaunte Wayans opened.

Amanda WilliamsAndres L. Hernandez.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

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.

concerts

Fri., Mar. 11, 8 p.m., IP54

Bar & Grill presents KC & JoJo. 2543 N. Grand Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 535-4444 or visit www.facebook.com/ip54stl. com.

Mar. 20, 8 p.m. The Pageant welcomes Bone Thugs and Harmony Celebrating 20th Year of “Tha Crossroads.” 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com.

Mar. 23, 8 p.m., The Pageant welcomes Tank. 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com.

Sat., Mar. 26, The Ambassador welcomes Denise LaSalle and Theodis Easley. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Mar. 26, 9 p.m., Voce presents An Evening of Smooth Jazz with Jazz Saxophonist Jeanette Harris 212 S. Tucker Blvd., 63102. For more information, visit www.janetteharrisband.com.

Sat., Mar. 26, 10 p.m.,

Sofrito: A Night of AfroLatin Beats with The DJ JMo. Lucha, 522 N. Grand Blvd., 63103.

Sun., Mar. 27, 8 p.m., RockHouse Entertainment & Good Fellas Ent. present Rick Ross. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com.

Fri., Apr. 8, Mo Investment Ent presents Monica and Chante Moore Live, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Apr. 19, 8 p.m. The Pageant welcomes Lupe Fiasco. 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For

more information, visit www. thepageant.com.

special events

Sat., Mar. 12, 10 a.m., Collier Brothers Auto Body Co. Inc. 70th Anniversary Celebration. Featuring a car show, anniversary presentations and light refreshments. 4561 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-8679 or visit www. collierbrothersautobody.com

Sat., Mar. 12, 2 p.m., St. Louis Pan Afrikan Movement presents Safety & Survival Tactics Workshop. The Situations in Michigan, Ohio, and Louisiana made us realize how quickly a major disaster could just as easily happen to us right here in St. Louis. The topics of our scheduled guests include: identity theft and legal protection information, self defense demonstrations, CPR demonstrations and class registrations, CCW class registrations, and a Stranger Danger kid’s mini workshop. Sabayet, Inc., 4000 Mafittt Ave., 63113. For more information, call (314) 3378627 or (615) 600-9209.

Sat., Mar. 12, 5:30 p.m., Community Living, Inc. presents its 16th Annual Legacy Ball. They will recognize the many positive contributions made by two local leaders whose dedicated efforts are beneiting individuals with disabilities across St. Charles County. Proceeds beneit individuals and their families that are served by Community Living. St. Charles Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Plaza, St. Charles, MO 63303. For more information, visit www.legacyball2016. eventbrite.com

Sat., Mar. 12, 8 p.m., The Upsilon Omega Chapter

Calendar

Centene Center for Arts and Education hosts poet, author and activist Cheeraz Gormon. See LITERARY for details.

Featured Event

Tues., Mar. 15, 7 p.m., I Rise: Women’s History

Month Tribute to Women Poets. St. Louis poet DuEwa Frazier hosts a special tribute to women poets, including Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Rita Dove, and others. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.

(See LITERARY)

of Omega Psi Phi present their annual Mardi Gras MasQUErade Affair Dance Fundraiser: Black Power. Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Blvd., 63120. For more information, call (314) 443.3121 or (314) 600.6651.

Mon., Mar. 14, 7 p.m. (5 p.m. reception), Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’98th Annual Dinner Meeting. This year’s theme is “Roadmap to Equality: Empowering Communities, Changing Lives” with keynote address provided by Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. Marriott Grand Hotel, 800 Washington Ave.. 63101. For more information, visit www. ulstl.org or call (314) 6153668.

Through March 15, St. Louis Celebrity Seniors, Inc. St. Louis Celebrity Seniors, Inc. is accepting nominations to for its “Helping Hand” award. The award will honor three individuals and/or organizations that have made a significant impact in the St. Louis metropolitan community by its organizing or financial contributions in one of the “Helping Hand” categories: Reducing Street Violence, Promoting Teen Excellence, and Service in Health Care. Winners will be honored at the

Jazz/Blues Brunch and Silent Auction on April 30, 2016. Nominations can be submitted to: St. Louis Celebrity Seniors, Inc., Attn: Humanitarian Award, P.O. Box 4113, 9810 Halls Ferry Rd., St. Louis, MO 63136 or email: Lmsd8@ sbcglobal.net. Entries close Tuesday, March 15 at 5 p.m. For more information, call (314) 283-8821.

Thur., Mar. 17, 5:30 p.m., #Ferguson Neighborhood Policing Steering Committee Meeting. Tell #Ferguson what policing SHOULD look like. Ferguson residency NOT required to attend. First Baptist Church, 333 N. Florissant Rd., 63135. To register, visit https://form.jotform. com/60626731391152.

Fri., Mar. 18, 9 p.m., Do the Spike Thing with DJ Nappy Needles. A Party Celebrating The Music of Spike Lee’s Classic Films including School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo Better Blues, and more. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ artbybiko.

Sat., Mar. 19, 6 p.m., North Side Community School and Kingsway East

Conservation Association

Benefit Jazz Concert. The concert features local jazz great Danita Mumphard, who aside from performing regularly at locations around St. Louis, also often performs with the legendary jazz group, Trio Tres Bien. Proceeds will help support both organizations. Ticket price for the concert includes light appetizers and beverages. For more information, visit www. northsidecommunityschool.org

Sun., Mar. 20, 3 p.m., Elon’s Fashion Closet and Curvalicious Fitness Fashion present the Fierce and Fit Spring Fashion Show. Come see beautiful models of ALL body types rock it out on the runway in hot women’s apparel and fitness fashion. There will be a variety of vendors in the building, light dishes, desserts, and wine will also be available for guests. Royal Vagabond House, 4315 Westminster Pl., 63108. For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/fierceand-fit-spring-fashion-showtickets-20970960708.

The St. Louis Senior Olympics. The regional competition for athletes aged 50 and older, is actively seeking applications for athletes to participate in more than 90 individual and team events over Memorial Day Weekend, May 26 – 31, 2016. From basketball to bocce; soccer, softball and shuffleboard; to tap dancing, tennis and track – the Senior Olympics engage more than 1,100 athletes and hundreds of volunteers at more than a dozen different venues across the St. Louis area. The events are open to everyone. Athletes must be at least 50 years old, but there is no maximum age. For more information, visit www.stlouisseniorolympics. org.

comedy

Sat., March 12, 8 p.m., The Comedy Getdown starring Cedric ‘The Entertainer’, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley, George Lopez and Charlie Murphy, Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Mar. 17 – 20, Helium Comedy Club presents Aries Spears. As a principal cast member on Fox’s hit sketch comedy show “MADtv,” Aries Spears brought a fresh,

hip style to the already-edgy program from the third through the tenth season. Aries also boasts a number of uproarious impersonations on the show that include James Brown, Shaquille O’neal, Al Pacino, and Eddie Murphy. 1155 Saint Louis Galleria, 63117. For more information, visit www. st-louis.heliumcomedy.com.

Sat., Mar. 19, 7 p.m., JC Supper Club presents Comedian Jason Jenkins & Friends. For our March show we have St. Louis King of Comedy, Jovan Bibbs. 9053 Riverview Dr., 63137. For more information, call (314) 299-2146 or (314) 598-1978. Sat., Apr. 16, The Festival of Laughs starring Mike Epps and Rickey Smiley and featuring Earthquake, Tony Rock and Coco Brown. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Sat., Mar. 12, 7 p.m., Centene Center for Arts and Education hosts poet Cheeraz Gormon to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the release of In the Midst of Loving & apexart International Fellowship Fundraiser. Also featuring Syrhea Conway, Maurice “Mo E” Egeston, Sunyatta McDermott, Grover Stewart, Jr., Eric “Snoopy” Tyler, Duane “Jingo” Williams, and Mat Wilson. 3547 Olive St., 63103. For more information, visit www. cheerazgormon.com.

Tues., Mar. 15, 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents I Rise: Women’s History Month Tribute to Women Poets. St. Louis poet DuEwa Frazier hosts a special tribute to women poets, including Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Rita Dove, and others. Frazier and other poets will perform a selection of poetry with live musical accompaniment by David A.N. Jackson and guest musicians. Join the performers for an informal reception prior to the performance. Poets include Darlene Roy, Zaire Imani, Pacia Elaine, and more. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

Fri., Apr. 8, 7 p.m., Maryville Talks Books hosts author Krista Tippett, author

of Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living. Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, visit www.left-bank.com.

theatre

March 16 – April 10, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd—it’s what every baseball player dreams of. In 1947, Jackie Robinson had broken baseball’s color barrier, while Satchel Paige and his Negro League All-Stars were barnstorming against their white counterparts in the Majors. It was baseball by day and jazz by night as the impassioned and devoted players tried to find their place in a country on the verge of change. 130 Edgar Rd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 968-4925 or visit www. repstl.org.

Saturdays, Mar. 12 – Apr. 30, Teens Make History presents Where Did You Go to High School? In a series of short scenes, the TMH Players recount some of their own experiences with the famous “St. Louis question” and demonstrate how high school experiences are so much more than a stereotype. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 7464599 or visit www.mohistory. org.

Saturdays Mar. 12 – 26, 2 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents From Darkness Cometh the Light Linda Kennedy stars as Lucy Delaney, an African American woman who won her freedom in a lawsuit just prior to Dred Scott’s and who lived and worked in St. Louis for the rest of her life. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.

Mar. 16 – 17, The Resale Shop, a charitable project of NCJW-St. Louis Section, will hold its first ever Recycled Art Sale. There will be a VIP Preview night on Wednesday, March 16th from 5:00-8:00 pm. The cost is $18 and you can enjoy wine and cheese and get early access to view and purchase featured art by well-known and local artists. Tickets can be purchased at www.ncjwstl.org/events/ event/recycled-art-sale/ or at the door. The art sale will be open to the public on Thursday, March 17th from 10:00 am–7:00 pm. All proceeds from the Recycled Art Sale will go to fund NCJW’s projects and programs that benefit women, children and families. For more information, please contact Stacy Kress, NCJW Marketing Manager at (314) 993-5181 or skress@ncjwstl.org.

Sat., Mar. 19, 10:30 a.m., St. Louis Art Museum presents If It Wasn’t for the Women: Women of Color, Behind and Through the Lens. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For tickets, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Through March 19, Pulitzer Arts Foundation hosts Kota: Digital Excavations in African Art. The exhibition examines a new digital database created by Belgian computer engineer and independent researcher Frederic Cloth to study and reveal the hidden histories of Kota reliquaries. Featuring nearly ifty of these guardian igures, visitors will go through a visual process to detect groupings and similarities between the sculptures that will enhance understanding of their origins, creation, and function—information that has largely been considered lost. 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.pulitzerarts.org.

The Pageant welcomes Bone Thugs and Harmony Celebrating 20th Year of “Tha Crossroads.” For more information, see CONCERTS.

lectures/ workshops

Mar. 11, 11:30 a.m., The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis will hold its annual women leaders lunch, Table for Four. In its history, St. Louis area women leaders, the Table for Four committee and sponsors have raised over $270,000 to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis mission and the young women aided by its programs. Proceeds from this event support activities and experiences designed to help girls develop healthy lifestyles, positive self-esteem and make good decisions. Over 200 guests are expected to attend. Khalia Collier, Owner and General Manager of The St. Louis Surge will provide the keynote address. The Chase Park Plaza. For more information, visit www.bgcstl. org.

Mon., Mar. 14, 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Serving at Ground Zero. 5700 Lindell Blvd.,

63108. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.

Sat., Mar. 19, 9:30 a.m., Woman’s Place will offer a free workshop, Building Boundaries, Learn how one’s boundaries are shaped and ways to set personal boundaries of your choosing. 8300 Morganford Road in Affton. All women are welcome. Pre-registration is required. Call 314-645-4848 to reserve your place.

Tues., Mar. 22, 6:40 p.m., SLU Great Issues Committee presents Kareem AbdulJabar. He will be speaking about his NBA career, his time as the U.S. Cultural Ambassador, and a variety of other topics. 20 N. Grand Blvd., 63103.

health

Mar. 15, 2 p.m., Free Family Caregiver Training, This training opportunity provides tools to use when caring for a parent or loved one in multiple settings. Topics include, monitoring and handling

medications, incontinence care, home safety, proper body mechanics to protect yourself against injury, Alzheimer’s disease / dementia awareness, handling caregiver stress. This class is taught by a Seniors Home Care registered nurse. Seating is limited for this free community service, call 314962-2666.

spiritual

Sat., Mar. 12, 7 p.m., Wisdom Over Hustle LLC. Presents: Lyrical Bliss This event will be hosted by W.O.H. Music Artist ‘Scooda’ and showcase local Christian Hip Hop Artists such as: Pierre Lott, YoSoyWitness, Lil Thee, Brandon Austin, STLien, Third L and Shooz, Memorial Tabernacle Christian Life Center 1350 S. Lafayette. For more information, visit www. wohmusic.com

Mar. 23 – 25, 6 p.m., EMFJ Jurisdictional Men’s Conference featuring prayer, workshops and worship Services , Nazareth Temple

COGIC, 3300 Marshall, St. Louis, MO 63114. For more information contact Elder Kenneth Williams, EMFJ Men’s Conference Coordinator via email: minkwilliams@yahoo.com or Call (314) 541-0342.

May 20, Healing & Mending Ministry presents their 7th Annual Fresh Anointing Women’s Retreat. Guest Speakers: Pastor Jackie Allen, Minister Jeanne Vogt & Dr. Laurette Pickett. Deposit is due of $50.00 ASAP. Contact: Pastor McCoy-Email: healingm2@gmail.com http:// www.healmending.org

Through Mar. 31, 9 a.m., AARP Tax Assistance Eligible Seniors may call the AARP tax help line and schedule an appointment for free tax preparation assistance. St. Louis Public Library, Buder Branch, 4401 Hampton Ave., 63109. For more information or to register, call (314) 525-1660.

Through Apr. 11, University of Missouri St. Louis hosts Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. St. Louis Public Library, Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-4120 or visit www.slpl.org.

Through Apr. 11, 12 p.m., AARP Tax Help. St. Louis Public Library, Kingshighway Branch, 2260 S. Vandeventer Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 5251660.

Through Apr. 15, 10 a.m., AARP Tax Aide. We will provide free tax preparation assistance throughout this tax season by appointment only. St. Louis Public Library, Julia Davis Branch, 4415 Natural Bridge Ave., 63115. For more information or to register, call (314) 525-1660.

airs Wednesday nights on WGN at 9 p.m. CST.

Continued from C1

will make the viewer feel like they knew less than they did when originally tuning in – and that’s a good thing.

Produced by Grammy, Golden Globe and Oscar Winning singer/songwriter John Legend – “Underground” has the potential to inch Legend a trophy closer towards the ultraelite EGOT (Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar and Tony Award winners) stratosphere.

The road to freedom is equally complex and fleeting for the group of slaves led into the idea of escaping their Georgia cotton plantation.

A brief, accidental (or is it?) brush with freedom lights a fire under Noah to exact his own emancipation – by any means necessary. He knows that he can’t do it alone, but he seeks to compel the others to contemplate a life beyond chains – more for themselves than just the logistics of his escape.

“Underground” seems designed to captivate an audience that has become accustomed to non-stop stimulation and triggers a connection between themselves and the tragic narrative of their ancestors.

The opening scene that

n The ensemble cast takes the story and raises the bar of “Underground” with breathtaking performances.

features Noah on the run Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” blasts throughout the course of his harrowing attempt at evading captivity.

The haunting, epic struggle of “12 Years a Slave” is not a part of the “Underground” story.

When they are introduced to viewers, this group will

not tolerate their bondage another 7 days – though their loosely coordinated escape plot is kicked into overdrive by a series of unforeseen circumstances.

The show also takes the familiar tale of the white person’s saving grace as the catalyst of liberation is turned on its head– though it may seem that way at first.

A wolf in savior’s clothing becomes one of the first ironies presented in “Underground,” letting the audience know early on that they can expect the unexpected.

But even with the hint that the audience will be left guessing from start to finish, most of the twists and turns are too clever to become formulaic or predictable.

The ensemble cast takes the story and raises the bar of “Underground” with breathtaking performances.

Although typically seen in supporting roles, Aldis Hodge flexes his leading man muscles to the max as Noah. Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Rosalee, the delicate house slave who is thrust in his path, is the perfect counterpart as they go back and forth with a dance of strength, vulnerability and loyalty that expands to the entire ensemble.

Alano Miller’s Cato, the enslaved overseer is a standout among the core group of performers and manages to elicit the raw emotion necessary to convey the impossible plight of slavery from his fellow cast.

There was a particular exchange between Noah and Rosalee that perfectly sums up “Underground.”

There is a scene where she is aiding Noah and she sees that he has tattooed over the many lashes he acquired during his bondage.

“I thought, ‘why would he do that… [why would he] put pain on top pain?” Rosalee asked. “I get it now – it’s about not letting the white folks define your story…right?” It’s about [taking the pain and] making it your own.” Underground airs Wednesday nights on WGN at 9 p.m. CST. For more information, visit www.wgn. com

WAYANS

Continued from C1

for at least a decade – at home and on the road – before hitting it big.

And while Wayans is an infant in the game, he proved to St. Louis audiences that he inherited some of the same comedic instincts and natural talent to succeed as a standup performer that paved his way in Hollywood, following his older brothers.

The Wayans name has been tied to television and film franchises for two generations.

Keenen Ivory Wayans used standup to pioneer contemporary urban comedy and satire, though Damon Wayans’ scathing wit and offcolor style made him the bigger star on stage.

Keenen created a path to stardom for not only his siblings, but future superstars like Jamie Foxx and Jim Carey, through the groundbreaking Fox network sketch comedy show “In Living Color.”

Marlon got his start on that show as well.

He and his slightly older brother Shawn would later create a separate spotlight

Continued from C1

Architecture of Brooklyn, was completed in summer 2014. The final design of this year’s PXSTL will be realized in spring 2017, and programming will take place during that summer.

The selection panel, comprised of representatives from the Pulitzer and the Sam Fox School, based its decision on strength and creativity of past work, innovation of approach and potential to invite public engagement.

“We are thrilled that they will bring their experience working in cities marked by vacancy – along with an approach that is at once deeply thoughtful, bold and practical – to the St. Louis community,” said Pulitzer Arts Foundation Director Cara Starke. Williams, an architect, and Hernandez, an educator, artist and designer, will be charged with turning a blighted pocket in Grand Center into a bright spot. Their work – together and separately – proves that they’re up for the challenge.

For nearly two decades, Williams has focused on combining art and architecture to promote thriving cities.

A graduate of Cornell University’s architecture school, the Chicago-based Williams creates projects that center on color, race and space. Her “Color(ed) Theory” series shrouds the exterior of soon-to-be-demolished houses

through their “Wayans Brothers” television show and movies like “Don’t Be A Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood” and “White Chicks.”

Marlon became a star in his own right through comic relief as a co-star and by creating parody films. Standup comedy was the final frontier.

Much like his comedic acting style, Marlon is willing to use every inch of his body

n Marlon said that Donald Trump’s Ku Klux Klan hood is the root of his hair troubles and that Bernie Sanders bore a striking resemblance to the boss on “The Simpsons.”

and all of his energy to get a laugh onstage. He’s a bit manic and much more physical than his brothers are onstage, but observation played a role in his 70-minute set as well.

Marlon peppered in more current events than the standard

urban comedy format – which typically extracts humor from race, relationships and family – but somewhat stuck to the script. He told the audience that Bill Cosby’s current scandal has cost him everything – including the moles on his face.

Though he kept it light, Marlon spent a hot second on politics. He said that Donald Trump’s Ku Klux Klan hood is the root of his hair troubles and that Bernie Sanders bore a striking resemblance to the boss on “The Simpsons.”

He only referred to his family to shut down the longstanding rumors about his older brother Shawn’s sexuality and to point out that his niece Chaunte Wayans actually is the gay member of their family. Through his niece, the comedy legacy stretches into another generation. Chaunte served as Marlon’s opening act and couldn’t have been more different than her uncle, but was equally funny. She barely cracked a smile and never raised her voice as she focused on her experiences as a lesbian and coming from “the poor half” of the Wayans family, but her wit, perfect timing and casual delivery style were especially well received.

with vivid, culturally derived colors. Williams has exhibited and lectured throughout the United States. She is an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Hernandez works with youth and adults to interpret, critique and re-imagine their physical, social and cultural environments. A co-founder of Revival Arts Collective – a network of citizen activists committed to using arts and culture as a catalyst for community redevelopment in Chicago – he earned his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Cornell University and a master’s degree in art education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he is associate professor and chairs the Department of Art Education. Hernandez holds a concurrent faculty position in the Graduate Studies in Art & Design Education programs at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

The Pulitzer and the Sam Fox School will work to expand community engagement through the design of both

the PXSTL structure and the programs that it houses. The Pulitzer will meet with various members of the St. Louis community to solicit their ideas, and the two organizations will encourage public feedback.

This year, Williams and Hernandez will teach an architecture studio as visiting faculty in the Sam Fox School’s Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, where students will play a role in developing the winning concept, including aspects of its design, implementation and community engagement.

“Through each of their professional practices, they combine the roles of artist, architect, art educator and social activist,” said Carmon Colangelo, dean of the Sam Fox School and the E. Desmond Lee Professor for Collaboration in the Arts.

“I am confident that they will bring the same dynamic dialogue to this project, activating the space and spurring inclusive conversation about art and design in the public realm.”

ART

Underground

Honorary Doctorate

Thelma Mothershed Wair will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at its May 2016 commencement. The SIUE alumna attended Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., as one of the Little Rock Nine and has spent her life championing diversity efforts.

Reunions

Beaumont Alumni Class 1968 will have its 48-year class reunion will be June 11-12, 2016. Meetings for the reunion will be at Florissant Valley Library Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., S. Florissant, MO 63031, 4th Saturdays of the month. For more information call 314-

869-8312.

Beaumont High School Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for July 22-24, 2016. Please send your contact information (address and phone number) to Gladys Smith at beaumont1971alumni@aol. com.

Beaumont High Class of 1984 can stay updated via our Facebook page “Beaumont Class of 1984”. We meet the last Friday of every month. Contact Rochelle Williams at rochellewilliams001@yahoo. com.

Soldan High Class of 1966 has planned its 50-year

Celebrations

Birthdays

Happy 13th Birthday to Jalen and Jayson Reid on March 11! We love you, boys! Love, Mom, Dad and your brothers, Michael, Jeffrey and Jamal Reid

Happy 100th Birthday to Mrs. Vesta Owens on March 10. You are loved! This message is from your family, friends and neighbors.

Happy 20th Birthday to my favorite daughter, BreAnna Liggins, on March 16, and Happy 60th Birthday to my husband, Al Liggins, on March 19. Love, Francine Liggins

reunion for September 9-10, 2016 at Christian Hospital Atrium, 1111 Dunn Road St. Louis, Mo 63136. For more information, please contact: Meredith Wayne Farrow, 314.521-8540, Robert Collins, 908.313-5002 or Marilyn Edwards Simpson, 341.837-7746. Facebook, soldan class of 1966 or email: stlsoldan1966@yahoo. com.

Soldan Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for: June 17-19, 2016 at the Ameristar Casino Resort & Spa, One Ameristar Boulevard, St. Charles, Mo 63301.

Soldan Class of 1976

Vesta Owens

reunion will be held June 10-12, 2016. For more information, email soldanclassof1976@yahoo. com or Facebook: Soldan High School Class of 1976.

Sumner High School Class of 1966 is planning their 50th Class Reunion. Please contact Ella Scott at 314-436-1696, Els2188@sbcglobal.net with your name, address and email or join the Sumner Class of 1966 Facebook Group page.

University City High School Class of 1976 is planning its Fabulous 40th year class reunion for June 24-25, 2016. We need your contact information. Please email your information to: weareuc76@

gmail.com or call the UCHS Class of 76 voicemail at 314301-9597.

University City Class of 1981 35th reunion will be August 5-7, 2016. Please send your contact information to Denise Weatherford -Bell at msdenise38@yahoo.com.

Vashon January and June Classes of 1966 will celebrate our 50 year reunion October 7-9, 2016 at the Hollywood Casino. Contact Marilyn Stuckey, Chairperson, 314-438-8338, email: masystucup@att.net or Janice Holland, Co-Chairperson, 314-727-1695, email: jholland1695@att.net for more information.

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, graduation, 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

Al Liggins

Jalen and Jayson Reid

BreAnna Liggins

Swag Snap of the week

Nightlites Casey and Crystal were on hand as comedic actor-turnedstandup comedian Marlon Wayans came through to host Celebrity Saturdays at HG following his third straight set at the all-new Helium Comedy Club.

Taking the laughs from screen to standup. This past weekend St. Louis got its first taste of Marlon Wayans as a standup comedian. In full disclosure, I was quietly expecting his routine to be as underwhelming as those celebrity alleged DJs who pimp their daytime hustle for an opportunity to plug their iPod Nano into a club speaker system for check collection purposes. I was dead wrong. Although he’s clearly a new jack, he was not bad. I cackled much more than I expected – and y’all seemed amused as well because all but two of his weekend of performances at the all new Helium Club were sold out. His niece Chaunte Wayans was funny too. I think I laughed the hardest at her when she got the announcer all the way together for messing up her last name – and pointed out that it was the same as the headliner. I must admit, it confused the mess out of me when she was introduced as Chaunte Winans. I was like “is this a gospel comedy show? Is that CeCe’s real name? Is she going to lift us up in song so we can be forgiven for laughing at Marlon’s disgracefulness later?” Chaunte was definitely not a Winans – and both she and Marlon lived up to their family’s name as far as the funny goes. Gallery walkin’. After laughing with the grown folks I kicked it with the cool kids thanks to the First Friday Gallery Walk along 14th Street in Old North St. Louis. It was a cool set. The spoken word element at Urb Arts was so packed I had to look in like I do when I used to window shop at the Coach store. I ran into some of my faves too – including Kira Van Niel and my style crush Gabby. He was snatched from topped to bottom as usual, and was giving me everything with his Cookie Lyon inspired ensemble. The usual suspects were out as well… like Jacqueline Craig, Brock Seals, Brooklyn Kingsboro, MK Stallings and the whole gang. Singing in the dark. Saturday evening I headed over to Harris-Stowe to see local singer Joaquin Musick’s live show. Turns out I didn’t see much of anything. It was the first of many performances that had me thinking that these R&B singers are hiding from somebody, which I’ll get more into a bit later. Honestly with him it was purely a technical issue. He sang his face off for that show even though I couldn’t see well enough to tell you if he actually did. I’ve said this before, but Joaquin gives me a thugged out Ruben Studdard by the way he croons those cuss words. And when he got into Blackstreet’s “Before I Let You Go” I got my life. Just when I thought I couldn’t be more impressed with the local talent he invited Trunesia Combs on stage to perform the most recent of the KeKe Wyatt and Avant duets. If both microphones had been working so they could sing together they would have put the original to shame. It was still fire with them passing the mic back and forth – and when Joaquin disappeared to get technical help Tru sang the stage down to the studs. I had a good time and Joaquin is clearly one to watch out for because he had the Emerson Performance Center at capacity.

Two for one Celebrity Saturdays. Marlon wasn’t just winning folks over with his comedy either. Because his third show at Helium went long, he didn’t show up to play celebrity host at HG’s Celebrity Saturdays until the party was more than half over. But he stepped to the microphone with the sincerest of apologies. Then he almost took me to quiet stalker territory when bought everybody in the whole club a free drink and posed for pictures with every single soul who asked – even made drinks for the folks in line. I just might suffer through a Redbox rental of “50 Shades of Black” after that one. Just as everybody was getting situated, trap Rugrats Rae Sremmurd popped up out of nowhere and started the turn up all over again. Can somebody tell me who that analog warrior with the disposable camera standing in the pit of club photographers trying to get their celeb snap quota? I mean really…to have the confidence to stand up with a cardboard camera in this age of smartphones, digital cameras, video cameras, iPads and mp3s…He needs to be shouted out by name!

Tuning in to what’s next. Hot 104.1 FM had up-and-coming singer Ro James at the O Bar Monday night for a special listening session and it was a cute little event featuring a select group of contest winners. I was thrilled I stopped through. I ran into some of my favorite Radio One St. Louis fam and I got a chance to hear what’s next on the R&B scene. I liked the music too. I just don’t understand why Mr. James would come through for a meet and greet looking like he’s hiding from somebody. Seriously, he was dressed like he was in Witness Protection or an FBI informant. I figured maybe he knew he wouldn’t sound good live, so he dressed like that so no one would recognize him, but his voice was fantastic. Oh well, be listening for Ro James - He sounded good so actually quite good I was thrilled I stop thru.

Singing in the Dark Take Two: The Bryson Tiller Edition. Speaking of singers and hiding, I watched Bryson Tiller put on a whole show Tuesday night and I promise you could not pay me to pick him out in a lineup. I’ve heard of shadow dancing but Shadow singing? Where they do that at? Obviously The Pageant…I guess I shouldn’t be complaining considering how that pop singer Sia performs with her back to the crowd. Anyway, the sold-out crowd who came to see him didn’t mind though so can I really be mad? He did his thing despite the smoke and mirrors silhouette secret identity action. And the little opening group They (heir name, not mine) had the tweens downstairs officially on turn up. To top it off, the after party at Lux had the club going up on a Tuesday. Is that still in style to say? No? Oh well, it’s applicable, because the club was looking quite nice. How could it not be with Sean “Diddy” Combs’ top lieutenant Kenny Burns and Bryson Tiller were on the bill.

Bree Johnson, Lola Hayes, Sydney Alyssa, and Jaylon peeped the art as they prepared to hear some deep poetry Friday @ Urb Arts

Shania B., Ayana, and Jamila Kesi caught good vibes and words during the spoken word segment of the First Friday Gallery Walk @ Urb Arts

Danielle, Breezy B, Miiyaya and Kayla @ Style Code Saturday @ Mood

Chanel, Miki, Stephanie and Jaylon soaked in the creative atmosphere of 14th Street @ The First Friday Gallery Walk

Swae Lee off Rae Sremmurd surprised Niddy by stopping through HG for Celebrity Saturdays

Jenni Lovette and Jamila were swagged out in all black for Style Code Saturdays @ Mood

Brittany and Alexia were in the building for Celebrity Saturdays @ HG

Jai and BJ Nebrida mingled amongst the artists and art lovers @ First Friday Gallery Walk

Tiffany and Bre kicked it @ The OBar for Surge Sundays

Erica and Ebony ended their weekend on a high note @ The OBar for Surge Sundays

Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott

SUMMER CAMPS Your 2016 Guide to

Boys & Girls Clubs summer camps full of fun

The summer camp season is here and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) will be offering day camp at a St. Louis City and County location near you. The camps offer youth ages 6-18 a fun and dynamic experience that sparks creativity, engagement, and exploration through learning activities mixed with tons of fun, swimming, teen and STEM programs as well as field trips.

Summer camp start dates and times vary by location, registration is now open!

n New this year to three of the clubs is the Music Studio Songwriting Residency program.

New this year to three of the clubs (Herbert Hoover Club in north St. Louis City, Southeast Middle School Club in Hazelwood, and Ferguson Middle School Club) is the Music Studio Songwriting Residency program, a new collaboration with Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Alonzo Lee and his team, Project L.A.M.

The program includes the creation and construction of a song, as well as music production and recording of songs. Step by step, students will be immersed into the process of taking an initial idea to the completion of a song, recording, music production and video production. Each six week session will culminate with the completion of two recorded songs and creation of a music video.

The summer camp season is here and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) will be offering day camp at a St. Louis City and County location near you. The camps offer youth ages 6-18 a fun and dynamic experience that sparks creativity, engagement, and exploration through learning activities.

Students will have the opportunity to work with soundboards and additional music production equipment, receiving hands-on experience in the entire music creation process. Through the Music Studio Songwriting Residency, youth will learn the various

skills and professions that support the musical production process. For nearly 50 years, BGCSTL has been providing after-school, teen, sports and summer programs to youth in the St. Louis City and County areas while also providing a

safe place for them to learn and grow. The clubs serve St. Louis youth at six locations (Adams Park Club, Ferguson Middle School Club, Herbert Hoover Club, O’Fallon Park Club, Hazelwood Southeast Middle School Club and Twillman Elementary School

Club) and within several other schools (including Normandy High School and Roosevelt High School) and through our Mentor St. Louis Program. We are also a proud member of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis actively looks for those interested in volunteering, mentoring, enrolling their children, donating or supporting an event. For more information or to donate, call 314-335-8000 or visit www.bgcstl.org.

Kougar Kamps at Rosati-Kain

Believe. Achieve. Do. These three words express the spirit and ideals behind everything Rosati-Kain High School offers to young women throughout the St. Louis area. Kougar Kamps are no exception.

The R-K summer camp program offers girls an opportunity to broaden an interest, develop a talent and meet new friends. Kougar Kamps are designed for the ultimate summer experience! These camps are meant to be fun and inspiring, but also to engage your daughter in a new sport or activity.

Whether your child is attending Basketball Camp, Culinary Camp, Soccer Camp, etc., all camps teach girls a new set of skills that can be brought with them long after they head home. Your child may begin to discover new things about herself, like a new love for robotics after taking the new Tech Camp. Getting young girls out of their comfort zone pushes them to try new things they may have otherwise overlooked elsewhere. The experienced and fun coaches and directors are paired up with current R-K students

Aim High St. Louis

Website: http://www. aimhighstl.org Phone: (314) 432-9500

Address: 755 South Price Road Saint Louis, MO 63124

Aim High is a four-year, tuition-free, academic and personal support program for middle school students. The Aim High summer session is an intensive, five-week, academic and cultural enrichment program. Monthly meetings on Saturday mornings during the school year support the summer program. Students participate for four years, enabling them to take full advantage of a comprehensive curriculum that positively impacts their long-term futures. Aim High seeks 5th-grade ‘B/C’ students who are motivated to achieve and ... have good attendance, qualify for free/reduced lunch (preferred), would be first generation college students (preferred), and are recommended by their current elementary school.

Summer 2016- John Burroughs School

Aim High St. Louis is a five-week summer learning program that provides academic, cultural, and personal enrichment for middle school students. Aim High is tuition-free and is currently admitting 5th- and 6th-grade students. AIM HIGH ... IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU!

Ages: 11-14

Dates: 6/17/2016- 7/22/2016 Cost: FREE Session Address: JOHN BURROUGHS SCHOOL

755 SOUTH PRICE ROAD

Blueprint for summer Camp listings

SAINT LOUIS, MO 63124

Summer 2016- Saint Louis Priory School

Aim High St. Louis is a tuition-free, five-week summer learning program, currently admitting 5th- and 6th-grade students. Aim High ... It all comes back to YOU!

Ages: 11-14 Dates: 6/17/2016- 7/22/2016 Cost: FREE Session Address: Saint Louis Priory School 500 S MASON RD SAINT LOUIS, MO 63141

Summer 2016- Villa Duchesne

Aim High St. Louis is a tuition-free, five-week summer learning program, currently admitting 5th- and 6th-grade students. Aim High ... It all comes back to YOU!

Ages: 11-14 Dates: 6/17/2016- 7/22/2016 Cost: FREE Session Address: Villa Duchesne 801 S SPOEDE RD SAINT LOUIS, MO 63131

Artscope Summer Camp 2016 Website: http://www. artscopestl.org/creativeprograms/summercamp/ Phone:314-865-0060 Address: P.O. Box 63128

St. Louis, MO 63163

Artscope offers 10 sessions of week-long summer camp programming in beautiful Tower Grove Park. Each week features a different theme from music to public art to nature and lots more with a focus on upcycled materials and eco-

friendly creativity.

Printastic This week Artscope’s kiddos will be amateur printmakers - stamping, monoprinting, alternative techniques and a DIY flare! No surface will be safe!

Ages: 5-12

Dates: 6/20/2016- 6/24/2016 Cost: $165

Session Address: Tower Grove Park - South Gate Cottage Arsenal Street Entrance 4255 Arsenal St St.

Louis, MO 63116

Planes, Trains, and… Rickshaws?

This week campers will think about and imagine how kiddos just like them all over the world get where they go while drawing, sculpting, painting or assembling their favorite modes of transport along the way.

Ages: 5-12

Dates: 6/6/2016- 6/10/2016 Cost: $165

Session Address: Tower Grove Park - South Gate Cottage Arsenal Street Entrance 4255 Arsenal St St. Louis, MO 63116

Bobby McCormack’s

number.

Ages: 5-15 Dates: 6/13/2016- 8/5/2016 Cost: $225 Session Address: 2901 N. Grand Avenue St. Louis, MO 63107

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis - Ferguson Middle School Summer Camp Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis offers a structured environment exploring programs in our five core areas: Character & Leadership Development, Education & Career Development, Health & Life

Skills, The Arts, and Sports, Fitness & Recreation. 314-9537795 MEMBERSHIP FEES: As a state licensed child care provider we are able to offer a number of fee payments options: 1. Sliding Fee Scale

2. State DSS Child Care Payments. Please call us for our provider/DVN number.

Ages: 5-15 Dates: 6/13/2016- 8/5/2016 Cost: $225 Session Address: 701 January Avenue St. Louis, MO 63135

Camp Concordia Website: http://www. concordiaturners.org/index. php/special-activities/campconcordia Phone: (314) 3529388 Address: 6432 Gravois Avenue St. Louis, MO 63116

Camp Concordia is a weekly summer camp for children ages 6 and up. It is based on the fundamentals of Concordiat Turners “Sound Mind in a Sound Body”. The camp includes gymnastics, trampoline, tumbling, swimming, and crafts as well as the introduction to many different sports.

Week 1 – June 6-10

Camp Concordia is a weekly summer camp for children ages 6 and up. It is based on the fundamentals of Concordiat Turners “Sound Mind in a Sound Body”. The camp includes gymnastics, trampoline, tumbling, swimming, and crafts as well as the introduction to many different sports. 7:30 - 9:00

Early Drop Off (extra $5 a day per child) 9:00 - 4:00 Core Plan 4:00 - 5:30 After Care (extra $5 a day per child) $150 / Week per Child - Non-member $125 / Week per Child – Members $90 / Week per Child 1/2 day (9 am - Noon) Payment Plan: 1/2 down at registration.

Balance due prior to June 6th

Ages: 6-18 Dates: 6/6/20166/10/2016 Cost: $150

Session Address: Camp Concordia 6432 Gravois Ave St. Louis, MO 63116

Camp F.R.E.S.H

Website: http://www. fontbonne.edu/academics/ undergraduate/departments/ family-and-consumerscience/camp-fresh/ Phone: 314.719.8083

Address: 6800 Wydown Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63105

Led by Fontbonne’s Family and Consumer Sciences faculty, kids will roll up their sleeves and whip up healthy cuisine with international flavor in our state-of-the-art kitchens. They’ll learn about teamwork and the benefits of physical activity through participation in each continent’s popular sports, games and dances. They’ll discover how music, art and nature can enhance their own physical and emotional wellbeing, just as it does for kids all over the world. Weekly fieldtrips are designed to relate to the “Continent of the Week.”

Africa An interactive, hands-on journey toward better health through activities emphasizing nutrition, wellness, physical exercise, and creativity.

Ages: 8-12 Dates: 6/6/20166/10/2016 Cost: $175

Session Address: Fontbonne University, Department of Family & Consumer Sciences 6800 Wydown Blvd. Anheuser Busch Hall Room 109 St. Louis, MO 63105

South America

An interactive, hands-on journey toward better health through activities emphasizing nutrition, wellness, physical exercise, and creativity.

Ages: 8-12 Dates:

for students 8 years old and up. Simulated space missions, SCUBA diving, and lunar colonies are just of few of the exciting program activities.

Young Astronaut Training Camp - Session 2 Young astronauts will participate in a variety of astronaut training and astronomy activities. After completing their training, they will go on a mission to the International Space Station. In addition, they will make and take home many “out-ofthis-world” projects, such as rockets, space food, and their very own spacesuit!

Ages: 8-10

Dates: 6/13/2016- 6/17/2016 Cost: $210

Session Address:

Challenger Learning CenterSt. Louis 205 Brotherton Lane Ferguson, MO 63135

Advanced Rocketeering

Kids who love designing, building, and launching rockets will get a “blast” out of this camp. Young rocket scientists will spend the week using specialty software to design, build, and launch their own rockets. They will also build their very own electronic launch systems and platforms.

Ages: 10-18 Dates: 6/13/2016- 6/17/2016 Cost:

$275

Session Address:

Challenger Learning CenterSt. Louis 205 Brotherton Lane Ferguson, MO 63135

7/25/2016- 7/29/2016 Cost: $175

Session Address:

Fontbonne University, Department of Family & Consumer Sciences 6800 Wydown Blvd. Anheuser Busch Hall Room 109 St. Louis, MO 63105

Challenger Learning Center St. Louis Website: http://www. clcstlouis.org/our-programs/ summer-camps Phone:(314) 521-6205

Address: 205 Brotherton Lane Ferguson, MO 63135

The Challenger Learning Center St. Louis offers a variety of summer experiences

Aquatic Robotics Camp

In this unique and popular camp, participants will experience what it would be like to train as a real NASA astronaut. Activities will include Make a splash this summer! Using devices such as soldering irons, rotary drills and lots of perseverance, participants will learn basic robotics and build their own custom SeaPerch underwater rover/ROV. They will then learn the basics of SCUBA and participate in a specially designed human/robot hybrid “weightless” mission.

Ages: 12-18 Dates: 7/18/2016- 7/22/2016 Cost:

$350

Session Address: Challenger Learning CenterSt. Louis 205 Brotherton Lane Ferguson, MO 63135

Chess Club and Scholastic Center Website: http://www. saintlouischessclub.org

Phone:314.361.2437

Address: 4657 Maryland Ave. St. Louis, MO 63108

Summer 2016 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) offers three separate week-long camp sessions, each of them led by professional Grandmasters and certified staff members.

Session 1

Instruction offers a solid, basic foundation, emphasizing the fundamental sills needed to begin a lifetime of learning in chess, including: Proper piece and board set-up, Algebraic Notations (Chess Language) and Basic Principles of play. Grandmaster then provide expert instruction building on these skills, covering more advance ideas, including: Tactics, Strategy, MiddleGame Planning and Endgame Technique.

Ages: 6-18 Dates: 6/20/2016- 6/24/2016 Cost: $225

Session Address: Chess Club and Scholastic Center 4657 Maryland Ave. St. Louis, MO 63108

Circus Harmony Website: http://www. circusharmony.org Phone:314463-7676

Address: Circus Harmony at City Museum 701 N. 15th St.St. Louis, MO 63103 Circus Performance Camps for ages 7-16, students learn actual circus arts including: trapeze, juggling, wire-walking & more!

Circus Harmony Performance Camp, Session 1

This is the camp where your child actually gets to be a circus star! Campers will learn all basic circus arts including acrobatics, juggling, wire walking, trapeze and

The Challenger Learning Center St. Louis offers a variety of summer experiences for students 8 years old and up.

much more. During the second week, campers will present a full show, in costume, to the general public at City Museum! Great for all levels from beginner to advanced. Let your child run away and join this circus where they can still be home in time for dinner.

Dates:

Ages: 7-16

6/13/2016- 6/24/2016 Cost:

$450

Session Address: City Museum 701 N. 15th, 3rd Floor St. Louis, MO 63103

City of Hazelwood Parks and Recreation

Website: https://apm. activecommunities.com/ hazelwoodmoparksandrec/ home Phone:314-731-0980

Address: 1186 Teson Road Hazelwood, MO 63042

Hazelwood Summer Day Camp allows your child to participate in activities such as arts and crafts, games, swimming, field trips, sports. Campers must wear tennis shoes. A hot lunch is served daily.

Hazelwood Summer Day Camp

This classis summer day camp will keep you kids busy with fun activities and field trips.

Ages: 6-11 Dates: 5/31/2016- 7/22/2016 Cost: $475 Session Address: City of Hazelwood Parks and Recreation - Howdershell Park 6820 Howdershell Rd. Hazelwood, MO 63042

Cartooning & Animation Camp

This class teaches cartooning and animation techniques plus methods involving humorous illustrations, comic strip and comic book design.

Dates:

Ages: 8-17

7/18/2016- 7/22/2016 Cost: $70 Session Address: City of Hazelwood Parks and Recreation 1186 Teson Road Hazelwood, MO 63042

Basic Fundamental Drawing & Design Camp Professional cartoonist Eugene Ruble will teach you this beginning course in creative drawing with an in-depth study into essential fundamentals of basic sketching and drawing

Ages: 8-17

Dates: 5/31/2016- 6/3/2016 Cost: $55

Session Address: City of Hazelwood Parks and Recreation 1186 Teson Road Hazelwood, MO 63042

Climb So iLL Summer Camp

Website: http://www. climbsoill.com/summer-camps/ Phone:314-621-1700

Address: 1419 Carroll Street St. Louis, MO 63104

Indoor rock climbing camp for kids 7 - 11. Learn about the sport of climbing by playing games and challenging yourself!

Climbing Camp Week 1 (AM Session)

Climb So iLL’s Summer Camps teach young people about the sport of indoor rock climbing through interactive skill-based lessons, climbing related games, and supervised free-climbing time. Visit our website to enroll!

Ages: 7-11

Dates: 6/6/20166/10/2016 Cost: $169 Session Address: Climb So iLL 1419 Carroll Street St. Louis, MO 63104

Climbing Camp Week 10 (PM Session)

Climb So iLL’s Summer Camps teach young people about the sport of indoor rock climbing through interactive skill-based lessons, climbing related games, and supervised free-climbing time. Visit our website to enroll!

Ages: 7-11 Dates: 8/8/20168/12/2016 Cost: $169

Session Address: Climb So iLL 1419 Carroll Street St. Louis, MO 63104

COCA - Summer Arts Camps Website: http://www. cocastl.org Phone:314-7256555

Address: 524 Trinity Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130

COCA Summer Arts Camps for ages 3 to 18 feature a multitude of options for exploring theatre, dance, music, visual arts, culinary arts and more.

Filmmakers Lights, Camera, Action!

Let’s make a film - you only have one week! In collaboration with the St. Louis PBS station, The Nine Network’s NineLAB Digital Storytelling Program, you and your fellow campers must complete the making of a short film in less than 30 hours.

Ages: 11-13 Dates: 6/20/2016- 6/24/2016 Cost: $310

Session Address: Nine Network of Public Media 3655 Olive St. St. Louis, MO 63108

Glassworks 2 Campers will experience all three of the glass working processes offered at Third Degree Glass.

Ages: 10-14 Dates: 6/6/2016- 6/10/2016 Cost: $360

Session Address: Third Degree Glass Factory 5200 Delmar Blvd St. Louis, MO 63108

Fundamentals of Hip-Hop

Beginning through intermediate level dancers will learn high-energy group choreography using hiphop dance elements such as breakdancing and pop locking. Also, explore the element of freestyle, create a hip-hop “crew” name and design a t-shirt for a final performance for family and friends.

Ages: 8-10 Dates: 6/6/20166/10/2016 Cost: $135

Session Address: COCA

524 Trinity Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130

May the Force Be With You

Young space travelers will explore the elements of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, then create their own characters, aliens, creatures and stories through art, movement and drama.

Ages: 4-5 Dates: 6/6/20166/10/2016 Cost: $135

Session Address: COCA 524 Trinity Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130

Fashion Design Learn about the fashion design process by design conceptualization and creating specific ideas for garments.

Ages: 8-10 Dates: 6/6/20166/10/2016 Cost: $155

Session Address: COCA 524 Trinity Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130

Youth Musical: Shrek Jr. Kids and teens ages 11-14 are invited to audition for COCA’s Youth Musical Shrek Jr. Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, Shrek Jr. is an irreverently fun show for the whole family. Campers cast in this production will

Circus Performance Camps for ages 7-16, students learn actual circus arts including: trapeze, juggling, wire-walking & more!

spend three weeks (during the COCA camp day) rehearsing for Shrek Jr., then perform this show complete with set, lights and costumes on June 24-25. Participation is competitive and by audition only. Auditions are May 13 and 14. Students cast are asked to pay a participation fee of $525. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify.

Ages: 11-14 Dates: 6/6/2016- 6/24/2016 Cost: $525 Session Address: COCA 524 Trinity Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130

Ballet and Contemporary Intensive with Hedwig Dances This dance intensive will

(www.hedwigdances.com).

Dates:

Ages: 14-18

6/6/2016- 6/17/2016 Cost:

$480

Session Address: Washington University 1 Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO 63130

Grillin’ and Chillin’ Nothing says “summer” like cooking on a grill. In this camp, you will create a variety of recipes on the grill - from traditional kebabs and foil packet grilling to grilling fruit, bread and other surprising ingredients.

Ages: 11-13 Dates: 6/13/2016- 6/17/2016 Cost: $165 Session Address: COCA 524 Trinity Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130 Harry Pottery Goblet of fire, cauldron, potions bottle and wand

focus on the traditional ballet curriculum, including technique classes, pointe, variations, men’s classes and partnering,

as well as contemporary modern dance with artist instructors from Hedwig Dances from Chicago, IL

$260

Session Address: COCA 524 Trinity Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130

Camp Concordia Website: http://www. concordiaturners.org/index. php/special-activities/campconcordia Phone: (314) 3529388

Address: 6432 Gravois Avenue St. Louis, MO 63116

Camp Concordia is a weekly summer camp for children ages 6 and up. It is based on the fundamentals of Concordiat Turners “Sound Mind in a Sound Body”. The camp includes gymnastics, trampoline, tumbling, swimming, and crafts as well as the introduction to many different sports.

Week 1 - June 6-10

Camp Concordia is a weekly summer camp for children ages 6 and up. It is based on the fundamentals of Concordiat Turners “Sound Mind in a Sound Body”. The camp includes gymnastics, trampoline, tumbling, swimming, and crafts as well as the introduction to many different sports.

Ages: 6-18

Dates: 6/6/20166/10/2016 Cost: $150

Session Address: Camp Concordia 6432 Gravois Ave St. Louis, MO 63116

Contemporary Arts Museum Summer Camps Website: http://www. camstl.org/camp/ Phone: 314535-4660

Address: 3750 Washington Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108

Wide variety of camps and programs for pre-teens and teens. Discover new ways of making art or curate your own exhibition!

Stop-Motion Animation Young artists produce a video short in this camp that immerses them in stopmotion animation practices and techniques. $125 NonMembers, $85 for Family MembersPrice includes supply fee.Check the website for discounts if enrolling in multiple camps.

Ages: 9-13 Dates: 7/25/2016- 7/29/2016 Cost: $125

Session Address: 3750 Washington Blvd St. Louis, MO 63108

Teen Museum Studies An intensive career-training program, Teen Museum Studies offers a select group of high school students the opportunity to learn from Contemporary Art Museum staff members in all departments and to organize and curate an exhibition from start to finish. This program is free of charge. Lunch and supplies provided. Apply at camstl.org/teenmuseumstudies

Ages: 14-18 Dates: 6/16/2016- 7/22/2016 Cost: FREE

Session Address:

Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis 3750 Washington Blvd. Saint Louis, MO 63108

Craft Alliance Summer Art Camps Website: http://www. craftalliance.org Phone:314725-1177 x325 Address: 6640 Delmar Blvd St. Louis, MO 63103

Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design offers the Staenberg Summer Camps for ages 4-18, June 6-August 12.

Camp 2 - Wet and Wild Textiles

Anything goes in this fun art camp – anything that involves water and fabric! From tie dyed scarves and T-shirts to fabric printing - learn how creative you can be with watery materials and cloth. Each day is a new activity so dress for mess and be ready to have a good time!

Ages: 7-9

Dates: 6/13/20166/17/2016 Cost: $155

Session Address: Craft Alliance - Delmar Studios 6640 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63130

Camp 2 - Fire Power Harness the power of fire in our metals studio. Use molten

and

metal casting techniques including cuttlebone, water, and broom straw to create small objects from copper and brass. Get ready to “fire up” the torch and fabricate small sculptures and jewelry.

Ages: 10-14 Dates: 6/13/2016- 6/17/2016 Cost: $164

Session Address: Craft Alliance - Delmar Studios 6640 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63130

Camp 3 - Computer Art Scan photographs, combine and manipulate layers of images, and incorporate text to make original prints. Explore the world of digital art and Photoshop tricks as you experiment with color,

Get ready to “fire up” the torch and fabricate small sculptures and jewelry at Cradt Alliance Summer Arts Camps.

learn about, and become pals with some of camp’s favorite animals! Meals change daily and include cereal, Mac and Cheese, Ramen, bread, PB&J, and a variety of juices at EVERY meal!

Ages: 7-17

Dates: 6/19/2016- 6/25/2016 Cost: $975

Session Address: Cub Creek Science Camp 16 Rolla, Missouri 65401

Dave Simon’s Rock School Summer Camp

Website: http:// dsrockschool.com/summercamp/ Phone:314.692.7625

Address: 1305 Baur Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63132

Dave Simon’s Rock School Summer Camp allows students to build their skill set in private lessons as they work toward placement in one of the school’s four crock band programs.

Session 6 This 9a-2:30p daily program places campers into rock bands where they re instructed by a music professional. All bands record a CD and perform an end-of-session concert in the school’s concert venue. Campers receive lessons on their primary instrument as well as every instrument in the band. Our unparalleled 6:1 camper:instructor ratio ensures each child a qulaity learning experience.

Ages: 7-18

Dates: 7/18/2016- 7/29/2016 Cost: $605

Session Address: Dave Simon’s Rock School Summer Camp 1305 Baur Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63132

Dellwood Dragons Website: https:// www.facebook.com/ dragondrumcorps Phone:573301-0105

Address: 108 Fleurie Drive Florissant, MO 63031

Many camps offer numerous outdoor activites such as swimming.

DeBaliviere Ave St. Louis, MO 63112

ECO Academy ECO-nomics + ECO-logy Do you like to make money? Are you concerned about the environment? Become an entrepreneur as you create your own environmentally conscious company! Identify your “numbers” people and get them on the spreadsheets, cash flow and stock distributions. Ascertain the artistic folks; create your product line and marketing materials. Single out the sales stars and get that new product sold. Can you produce your product and the packaging for it in an environmentally friendly way? What are the best distribution methods? Scientific inquiry, advertising art, decision-making skills, financial and mathematical interests - we need YOU!

Ages: 9-14 Dates: 6/13/2016- 6/24/2016 Cost: $460

Session Address: Crossroads College Preparatory School 500 DeBaliviere Ave St. Louis, MO 63112

Ages: 10-18 Dates: 3/5/2016- 10/1/2016 Cost: FREE Session Address: Dellwood Recreation Center 10266 W. Florissant Dellwood, MO 63136

Essential Playzone Website: http://www. essentialplayzone.com Phone:314-830-3836, 314-4430451

Address: 640 N. Highway 67 Florissant, MO 63031 Florissant, MO 63031 Math & Reading Boot Camp for children in grades 3rd-8th focusing on the basics of math and reading!

Dellwood Dragons teaches youth music and marching fundamentals and to functions as a FEEDER program for High School band programs. Drum & Bugle Corps PYC provides instruction and performance in a drum line (percussion), horn line (brass only), color guard (flags) and dance (modern & jazz styles). Check our Facebook page for our practice and performance schedule at https://www.facebook.com/ dragondrumcorps.

Superhero Reading Boot Camp Week 1

A great reading camp for kids in grades 3rd-8th to help beef up their writing skills

Ages: 8-14 Dates: 6/6/20166/10/2016 Cost: $60

Session Address: Essential Playzone Tutoring Center 640 N. Highway 67 Florissant, MO 63031

Hollywood Math Boot Camp Week 5

A great math camp for kids in grades 3rd- 8th to help beef up their word problem skills.

Ages: 8-14 Dates: 7/5/20167/8/2016 Cost: $60

Session Address: Essential Playzone Tutoring Center 640 N. Highway 67 Florissant, MO 63031

Gifted Resource Council Summer Academies Website: http://www.

giftedresourcecouncil.org/ sumacad.htm Phone:314-9625920

Address: Crossroads College Preparatory School 500 DeBaliviere Ave St. Louis, MO 63112

Gifted Resource Council’s Summer Academies offer 2-week academic day camps with exciting hand-on, mindson activities exploring a variety of topics including math, ecology, economics, space science, ancient and American history.

Math, Marvels & More! Light: High Probability of Dazzling Fun! Bend, bounce and break light! We’ll shed light on what happens when your eyes and brain turn everything you see upside down and then right-side up! Experiment with a chemical reaction that creates light. Create your own kaleidoscope

and design a laser maze to explore reflecting light. Hone your critical thinking skills with logic puzzles. Manipulate everyday materials to discover the possibilities of chance results. Collect, organize and analyze data from racing frogs to playing PIG. Let our math adventures show you where “almost” is often close enough! Explore color and patterns with an enchanted garden. Add your own brilliant bug creations and lighten up the landscape in a dramatic skit! How do your bugs change colors in the sun? Design a shadow city silhouette. Ignite your creativity with a scientific gleam and sparkling fun!

Ages: 6-9 Dates: 6/13/2016- 6/24/2016 Cost: $460

Session Address:

Crossroads College Preparatory School 500

Academy Americana - St. Louis World’s Fair to Rosie the Riveter: 1904-1944 St. Louis World’s Fair to Rosie the Riveter: 1904-1944 From fairy floss and Ferris wheels, to suffragettes and Hooverville... we’ll forge a path from the World’s Fair to Rosie the Riveter. Dramatize a day at the 1904 fair in St. Louis and feast on the new treats of the time, like ice cream cones and iced tea. Explore music sensations, including our own Scott Joplin, jazz and big bands. Then create a banner for a march by suffragettes. Will you head west to escape the Dust Bowl? Create your own hobo language. Stake a claim and build a shack in Hooverville. Cross-stitch a decorative lid for the jar of peaches you’ll can. Will you make a meatless meal for dinner using your World War II rations?

Ages: 7-9 Dates: 7/11/20167/22/2016 Cost: $460

Session Address: Crossroads College Preparatory School 500 DeBaliviere Ave St. Louis, MO 63112