October 8 2015

Faces of Salute Six full-color pages of photographs from the 2015 Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala.

St. Louis American See D1

The

CAC Audited OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

stlamerican.com

Lewis & Clark Branch Library reopens Oct. 14 Features expanded computer room, children’s area and quiet study spaces

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American North St. Louis County public library users are about to experience libraries in a way they never have before, at least not in their neighborhoods. Gleaming new or brilliantly refurbished library branches are opening this fall and winter, starting with the Lewis & Clark Branch, located at 9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd. in Moline Acres, on Wednesday, October 14.

n “This is the crown jewel.”

– St. Louis County Library Director Kristen Sorth

The Lewis & Clark Branch is a new structure built on the same site as the old branch. It is larger than the old building – 20,000 square feet

compared to 16,000 square feet – with much more natural light and expanded facilities for children, students, computer users and public meetings.

St. Louis County Library Director Kristen Sorth said the changes were prompted by community input, including information gathered at community forums held in the old building on January 30 and February 5.

See LIBRARY, A6

Strutting for awareness

Vol. 86 No. 27 COMPLIMENTARY

City prosecutor launches felony diversion program $417K federal grant will fund innovative response to select first-time gun charges

By Kevin Flannery For The St. Louis American St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce will soon give certain individuals charged with illegal gun possession an alternative to prosecution and the n “The whole possibility of prison time: a diversionary goal is to program that combines disrupt this social services, kid’s lifestyle job training and community service and get him with supervision. away from In a city that people that suffers from persistent are not good gun violence and historical and ongoing for him.” inequality, Joyce believes the program, – St. Louis Circuit Attorney made possible by a competitive $417,512 Jennifer Joyce grant from the Department of Justice, can both reduce crime and enhance economic opportunity.

Its potential for success relies on the observation that individuals illegally carry firearms for varying reasons.

Organizers said more than 8,000 people walked in the 2015 Sista Strut in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, October 3. The goal of Sista Strut, organized by 100.3 The Beat and Hallelujah 1600, is to heighten awareness about the issues of breast cancer in women of color, as well as to provide information on community resources. This was the sixth annual event.

See GRANT, A6

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

East St. Louis teachers strike

Chief: ‘This is about accountability’

6,000 students out of school over contract dispute

By Mariah Stewart Ferguson Fellow

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American About 6,000 pre-kindergarten to 12th grade students in the East St. Louis School District 189 have been out of school since October 1, when union teachers went on strike to demand a better pay scale.

Representatives of the East St. Louis Federation of Teachers, Local 1220, said that teachers are just trying to hold onto what they have. They have endured pay freezes for the past three years, and now the latest “tentative agreement” that the district presented to teachers basically cuts the rates of their raises in half, said See STRIKE, A7

Normandy gets police accredited

Photo by Wiley Price

East St. Louis teachers walked a picket line on Thursday, October 1 after rejecting a contract offer. East St. Louis School District 189 and the East St. Louis Federation of Teachers, Local 1220, have been in collective-bargaining negotiations since last school year.

On Tuesday, October 6, Normandy Police Department held a ceremony to receive its state accreditation. “The accreditation is a way to effectively measure our policing services,” said Normandy Police Chief Frank Mininni.

The department began working on its state certification through the Missouri Police Chiefs Charitable Foundation (MPCCF) in 2010 – years before municipal police departments in St. Louis County were nationally criticized by the Department of Justice and the Police Executive Research See NORMANDY, A7

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

A2

lying.

“I don’t know the guy. I’ve never heard of him,” Stewart told the celebrity news and gossip sit. “There’s no room in my personality for that lifestyle. It’s not what I believe in. I’m a heterosexual man.”

THE STUFF THAT HAS PEOPLE TALKING Mr. ‘I’m not gay no more’ claims to have dated Kordell Stewart

Rihanna opens up about being estranged from Breezy

St. Louis native Andrew Caldwell, who In a candid interview in the most recent became an internet sensation after he claimed edition of “Vanity Fair,” Rihanna speaks to be “delivert” from homosexuality at a about the disintegrated relationship with Chris religious convention, has thrust Brown. himself back into the spotlight as an “I was very protective of him. I felt internet celebrity with claims that he that people didn’t understand him. Even dated several professional athletes after … But you know, you realize after – including “Real Housewives of a while that in that situation you’re the Atlanta” ex Kordell Stewart. enemy. You want the best for them, but “I’ve dated plenty of football if you remind them of their failures, or players,” Caldwell said. “I’ve if you remind them of bad moments in dated football players in Atlanta. I their life, or even if you say I’m willing dated Kordell Stewart…Porsha’s to put up with something, they think less husband.” of you—because they know you don’t Kordell Caldwell says that he is still deserve what they’re going to give. And “delivert” from homosexuality, but Stewart if you put up with it, maybe you are claims that he was rewarded with agreeing that you [deserve] this, and expensive gifts as rewards for his that’s when I finally had to say, ‘Uhtrysts with professional athletes when he lived oh, I was stupid thinking I was built for this.’ an alternative lifestyle.

Sometimes you just have to walk away.” Now, “I had everything that Porsha got. I had bags she says, “I don’t hate him. I will care about purses cars,” Caldwell said. “I’m in a Jaguar him until the day I die. We’re not friends, but right now. it’s not like we’re enemies. We don’t have Cordell Stewart told TMZ that Caldwell is much of a relationship now.”

NFL fiancée initiates group text with jump-offs

Wendy Williams can’t get into Lucius Lyon because of real-life drama

The gossip site Mediatakeout is claiming to have a screenshot of what appears to be a lengthy text message sent Tuesday (Oct. 6)

by Victor Cruz’s fiancée, Elaina Watley, to several women who allegedly slept with her man.

According to the screenshot, Watley basically says that the NFL star has denied their existence, and that he calls them names behind their backs.

“Hello ladies, this is Elaina Victor Cruz’s fiancée,” the message begins. “You all know about me and I seem to be the topic of conversations with Vic. I’m sure he’s told you many of things about us and how we don’t exist, but given the fact that you all meet him in hotel rooms only, we all know that’s a lie, just as he tells me you all are [expletive] and mean nothing to him.”

I figured since you all know about me, then I should introduce each one of you to each other so we can all know who we have all been [expletive] for the past several months,” the text continues. “So ladies meet one another and feel free to exchange notes.”

Wendy Williams says she is having a hard time tuning in to “Empire” because of the nonstop turmoil in Terrence Howard’s personal life.

Recapping last week’s episode of the drama on Thursday (Oct. 1) during “The Wendy Williams Show,” Williams went in on Howard while pointing out that the actor’s history of domestic abuse has become a distraction to the show, according to The Huffington Post.

“Terrence Howard, your personal life has taken over to where if by chance they took you off the show I would be happier than mad,” she said.

“I feel like between him allegedly being abusive to women in his personal life, him giving an 18-page nutty interview to Rolling Stone magazine, where he talked about all kinds of nuttiness…

It’s usurped his entire situation at ‘Empire’ and the show could do without Terrence Howard. I’m sorry. It’s the way I feel.”

Ground

FRESH GROUND

Fresh

Ground

Fresh

Ground

IN-STORE!

Sources: WendyWilliams. com, TMZ.com, VanityFair.com, Huffington Post, Meditakeout.com Wendy Williams

Ground Fresh

Ground

Daily!

Ground

PER PKG.

Gluten Free

USDA Choice Certified Angus Beef Fresh Boneless Shoulder Steaks

Just BARE Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins

Meat Masters Lean Ground Beef

Farmland Sliced Bacon

Simply Seafood Fish Fillets

Johnsonville Bratwurst Patties

14 oz. pkg.

MEAT & SEAFOOD

SALE! Pick Any 3

LOOK FOR THE ORANGE DOT

or more packages & pay only $5 ea.

ls ua er Eq ¢ P Lb

1

78

18

10 LB. BAG

Schnucks Russet Potatoes 10 lb. bag

12-16 oz. pkg.–All varieties

1

1 lb. bag–Selected varieties

19.2-24 oz. pkg.–All varieties including meatballs, Italian slices and heat and serve bratwurst or Italian links

1

* 50 FINAL

59

Eckrich Smoked Sausage

When You Buy 4 See inside for offer details.

Kraft Shredded Cheese

Limit 2 per order–13-14 oz. pkg.– All varieties–While supplies last

7-8 oz. pkg.–All varieties

Buy 1 Get 1

FREE

77

50

¢

Chex Mix

88

¢

Limit 4 per order–7-8.75 bag– All varieties including 6-8.6 oz. bag– Bugles or Gardettos

¢

Bar S Bun Length Franks

3

11-11.5 oz. bag– Selected varieties

Brooks Chili Beans

Limit 2 per order–12 oz. pkg.– While supplies last

FREE MILK

Nestlé Fun Size Candy

30.5 oz. can–Mild or hot beans or chili mix

$10

FOR

General Mills Cereals

18-22.7 oz. box–Apple Cinnamon, Multigrain or Honey Nut Cheerios or 18.4-20.9 oz. box–Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Trix, Cocoa Puffs or Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs

FREE Gallon of milk (up to $4.00) instantly when you buy 3 General Mills cereals listed.

See store for details.

Prices good October 7thru October 13, 2015 in our Metro St. Louis, MO stores only

This ad not valid at Culinaria. Some items not available in some stores.

We reserve the right to limit quantities. ©2015 Schnucks

schnucks.com

WE DOUBLE COUPONS!

Double coupons apply to only manufacturer coupons valued at 40¢ or less; limit 15 coupons. For more details, check in store.

www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com

www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com www.stlamerican.com

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

A3

State hears testimony on police training

POST Commission directed by governor to update standards after collecting evidence

hours of basic CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) every three years. According to research conducted by the Crisis Intervention Team International A small crowd of mostly law organization, CIT helps to reduce enforcement officers gathered at St. Louis Community College – Florissant arrest rates, SWAT call outs and officer injuries, as well as to improve Valley on September 24 to offer community relations. suggestions on police training to the Todd recommended that officers be Missouri Peace Officer Standards and required to spend more hours in CIT. Training (POST) Commission and “We think it’s crucial that all Missouri Department of Safety. agencies of sergeants and above The Missouri POST Commission should have [CIT] because they’re the was established by state statute in supervisors responding and dealing 1988. The commission is responsible for the curriculum for law enforcement with this,” said Todd. “It helps us deal with emotional disorders and mental officer basic training and continued illnesses. For many years, that was education. not something we addressed. We just On August 6, Gov. Jay Nixon moved along. There are citizens we directed the POST Commission and need to help.” the Department of Public Safety to Karen Aroesty, regional director update the law enforcement training for the Anti-Defamation League, standards in Missouri. The directive works with educating law enforcement included holding public meetings officers on the history around the state to of the Holocaust, hate gather input from crimes, and domestic Missourians, including Advise and international law enforcement extremism. “I really agencies, advocacy the POST don’t have a good groups and other Commission answer on how many stakeholders. hours are effective Although Missouri hours of learning,” statute prevents the Public comments Aroesty told the panel.

POST Commission on changes Aroesty, who from exceeding a needed to police also volunteered 600-hour training for the Ferguson requirement, statute officer and training Commission Citizenalso provides that a standards can be Law Enforcement political subdivision or emailed to POST@ Relations Working law enforcement agency dps.mo.gov Group, suggested that may require more incentives or rewards stringent standards for through Oct. 15. be given to officers training hours and other in exchange for requirements. completing anti-bias St. Charles County training sessions.

Police Chief David Todd said it’s “Reality is, by the end of the year, a critical time for the commission you would have officers engaging in a to take suggestions. “At the end of whole lot more than just the required the day, it’s all about protecting our number of hours,” Aroesty told the citizens. But we can’t protect our panel. “It’s something that wouldn’t citizens if we don’t train and educate become an administrative burden our officers to move forward,” Todd because it would be something officers told the panel. want to do because it makes them The current POST requirement better at their job.” for Missouri is for officers ranked It was highlighted this year in sergeant and above to complete 40

By Mariah Stewart Ferguson Fellow

Photo by Wiley Price

On August 6, Gov. Jay Nixon directed the Missouri Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission and the Missouri Department of Public Safety to update and enhance law enforcement training standards in Missouri. At right are Captain Ronald S. Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, who will chair the commission, and St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson.

Attorney General Chris Koster’s “Vehicle Stops Report” that blacks in the St. Louis region are disproportionately stopped and arrested compared to whites.

Throughout the year, many police have spoken at public forums and in news interviews to defend their policing style, saying they are unaware of race when they pull vehicles over for speeding and other traffic violations. Aroesty said there is still discrimination in that process.

“When you pull up behind the car and you run the plate, or get some sense of the car, something happens when you learn what that person’s name is that may be reflective of the race,” Aroesty said. “So, by the time you walk up to the driver, there’s a potential for bias to kick in.”

Lane Roberts, Department of Safety director, said the overall goal for the group is to recommend “meaningful and achievable” change to police training centers.

After Aroesty’s remarks, Roberts’ expressed to the room the challenge of finding a middle ground between quality and quantity in training stipulations.

“Whatever it is that we do, it’s going to be an initial step. There is going to be an evolution that will go along that will dictate both of our powers and the quality and content we provide,” said Roberts.

Officer wellness Officer wellness was a recurring topic during the forum. Craig Politte, a mental health therapist and former police officer who was once shot on duty, worked with debriefing police officers during the Ferguson unrest.

Politte said, “There’s no one I believe in this world that could handle what was happening to them on the daily basis and come out mentally healthy.”

Politte presented research to the panel stating alarming statistics about police officers.

“Seventeen of a 100,000 police officers commit suicide. That’s only second to combat veterans,” Politte told the panel. “Sixty to 70 percent of all officers’ marriages end in divorce. Domestic violence occurs in 40 percent of all police officers’ families.”

Politte most likely gathered his information from the Badge of Life program, an organization dedicated to helping police officers cope with psychological issues. Its website states the same statistics.

During recruitment, Politte said, officers go into the field with a hero complex, wanting to get the bad guy, stop the bullying and help people.

“Officers quickly find out they don’t have the respect they were wanting,” said Politte.

Politte also said there are few chances of promotion for officers and they are strained because of poor pay and the daily grind of their jobs.

Politte has created a program for first responders that outlines mental health evaluations, specialized mental training, and counseling. Politte said U.S. Representative Wm. Lacy Clay is willing to seek funding for the program.

SB5 debated The forum veered off the topic of police training when Vinita Park Mayor James McGee addressed the panel about Senate Bill Five, a new law that lowers the cap on the amount of revenue a municipality can collect from court fees and fines to 12.5 percent throughout St. Louis County and mandates a set of best practices for municipal administration.

McGee, a former police officer, expressed his dislike for the bill and concerns of it being unfair. State Representative Sharon Pace agreed with McGee and pointed out several bills on police officer training that didn’t pass this session.

“For civilians, SB5 actually has been a godsend,” responded Chelsea Merta, a municipal defense attorney for ArchCity Defenders. “It was supposed to create an undue burden on municipalities to address the abuse for decades. Many people have saw SB5 as meaningful and achievable change.”

More information about the commission and Missouri’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Program is available at http://dps. mo.gov/dir/programs/post/. Public commits can be emailed to POST@ dps.mo.gov through Oct. 15.

This story is published as part of a partnership between The St. Louis American and The Huffington Post.

Join Plenti for free and start earning points today!

Plenti is a new way to get rewards at Macy’s and lots of other places! Join for free to earn points at one place and use them at another, all with a single rewards card. See a Sales Associate or visit macys.com/plenti to sign up and get more details. Plenti points cannot be earned or used on fees and services or on some purchases, such as at certain food establishments and leased

OFF WITH YOUR % MA 2O %WOW! PASS CY 1O EXTRA SAVINGS ON SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL (EXCEPT SPECIALS & SUPER BUYS)

ASS OR P RD CA

EXTRA 2O% OFF

’S

EX TR A

departments within Macy’s stores. To be eligible to join Plenti, you must be at least 13 years of age and have a residence in the United States or its territories, or Canada. Plenti is only available in the United States and its territories. For complete terms and conditions, including a complete list of exclusions, see Sales Associate or visit macys.com/plentiinfo

TAKE A N

SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL FOR HIM, HER & KIDS EXTRA 15% OFF SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE FINE & FASHION JEWELRY, COATS, SUITS, DRESSES, INTIMATES, SWIM FOR HER; SUIT SEPARATES, SHOES & SPORTCOATS FOR HIM & HOME ITEMS EXTRA 10% OFF SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE ELECTRONICS/ELECTRICS & WATCHES MACYS.COM PROMO CODE: FALL EXCLUSIONS MAY DIFFER ON MACYS.COM Excludes: Deals of the Day, Doorbusters, Everyday Values (EDV), shoes for her, specials, super buys, cosmetics/ fragrances, men’s store electronics, floor coverings, furniture, mattresses, rugs. Also excludes: athletic apparel, shoes & accessories; Dallas Cowboys merchandise, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, Macy’s Backstage merchandise/locations, New Era, Nike on Field, previous purchases, selected licensed depts., services, special orders, special purchases. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new Macy’s account. EXTRA SAVINGS % APPLIED TO REDUCED PRICES. TEXT “CPN” TO 62297 TO GET COUPONS, SALES ALERTS & MORE! Max 3 msgs/wk. Msg & data rates may apply. By texting CPN from my mobile number, I agree to receive autodialed marketing SMS/MMS messages from Macy’s to this number. Consent is not required to make a purchase. Text STOP to 62297 to cancel. Text HELP to 62297 for help. Terms & conditions at macys.com/mobilehelp Privacy policy at macys.com/privacypolicy

VALID 10/7-10/12/2015

NOW IS THE TIME TO USE YOUR

MACY’S MONEY!

DURING OUR

COLUMBUS DAY SALE NOW-MON, OCT. 12 SAVE 3O%-75% STOREWIDE

USE YOUR MACY’S MONEY ONLINE OR IN-STORE WED, OCT. 7-SUN, OCT. 18 COMBINE THEM WITH COUPONS & SALE PRICES! EVEN ON OUR BEST BRANDS—INCLUDING COSMETICS & FRAGRANCES!

SPECIALS! LAST 3 DAYS! THURS, OCT. 8-SAT, OCT. 1O

BUY ONLINE, PICK UP IN-STORE NEED IN A HURRY? NOW YOU CAN SHOP AHEAD ON MACYS.COM AND PICK IT UP THE SAME DAY AT YOUR NEAREST MACY’S STORE. IT’S FAST, FREE AND EASY! DETAILS AT MACYS.COM/STOREPICKUP FREE SHIPPING WITH $75 PURCHASE. FREE RETURNS BY MAIL OR IN-STORE. U.S. ONLY. EXCLUSIONS APPLY: DETAILS AT MACYS.COM/FREERETURNS COLUMBUS DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 10/7-10/12/2015.

YOUR MACY’S MONEY REWARD CARD MAY NOT BE: redeemed for cash, used to purchase Macy’s gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your credit card account. If a purchase used to accumulate macy’s money is returned, Macy’s reserves the right to void the Macy’s money reward card or reduce the corresponding value. For more information, go to macys.com/macysmoney N5090093K.indd 1

9/30/15 4:25 PM

Editorial / Commentary A4

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

It will take more than more cops

prison sentences – she applied for and won a As we were going to press, St. Louis Mayor competitive federal grant to start a gun diversion Francis Slay and Police Chief Sam Dotson were program. This program, which she is just now attending a Summit on Violent Crime hosted staffing, is designed to keep vetted first-time,

by U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch in victimless gun offenders out of prison and free Washington, D.C. Slay and other local elected of the felon stigma. The city’s prosecutor will be officials were discussing “improving public adding social workers to her staff as she makes safety and building stronger communities” with rehabilitating select first-time gun offenders – heads of an impressive array of federal agencies: the Office of Justice Programs, the FBI, the Drug before they are sentenced – part of the core work of her office. “If we do our job well and it Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau works, we can have people turned around of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and and productive members of society,” Explosives. Also in attendance were Joyce told The American, “rather U.S. attorneys from participating than going to prison – which, for jurisdictions, including Richard Callahan from Eastern Missouri, young people, is finishing school and the leaders of the FBI and for criminals.”

Mind you, this is the voice of a DEA in St. Louis.

The summit was organized seasoned professional prosecutor to identify and examine – albeit one who has decided not effective violent crime reduction to run for reelection, and so is strategies, to understand free to speak her mind. This is a better the potential causes of prosecutor who makes a living recent upticks in violence in trying to put offenders in prison some jurisdictions (including St. saying there is more hope for their – and our – future if we can divert Louis), and to discuss collaborative them from prison through providing efforts to tackle violent crime. Most appropriate social services. importantly, perhaps, for n If all we do is hire Attorney General Lynch wants Slay and Dotson, Lynch also us to back up even further aims to explore potential more cops, all we will than the first-time offender Department of Justice making a plea bargain. She resources that could be used to have is more criminals wants us to focus on helping assist in local efforts to reduce to prosecute – and “children to see possibilities crime. If by “resources,” the send on to the “finishing for themselves beyond the federal host means money, cycle of criminality and then we know the mayor school” of prison. incarceration.” This requires and chief will be angling for that we provide these children federal funds to hire those and the youth they become 160 new police officers they – if they are not first killed have been calling for. A recent on the streets – with more opportunities to be federal grant paid to hire 15 of them. productive. And that requires more of those While we don’t disagree with the mayor and elusive outside “resources” – the City of St. chief when they say they need more boots on the Louis is cash-starved – and a region-wide ground to address St. Louis’ violent crime wave commitment to realigning our resources where – the city is on pace to record 200 homicides in they are most needed, which is in some of our 2015 for the first time in nearly 20 years – we poorest – and blackest – neighborhoods. It is don’t think that simply throwing cops at the imperative that we do more to build a more problem will fully address it. Dotson has told vibrant economy structured to ensure that the The American that poverty is the primary root benefits are intentionally extended to include the cause of crime, and many serious thinkers from most neglected and needy.

Aristotle on would agree. Their federal host in There isn’t any sane alternative to addressing D.C knows this to be true. “We need children the social roots of violent crime, even as we to experience schools that are places to learn investigate crimes and prosecute criminals who and to grow and not zero-tolerance institutions are deemed unfit for diversion. For if all we or pipelines into the criminal justice system,” Lynch told the NAACP at its national convention do is hire more cops, all we will have is more criminals to prosecute – and send on to the in July. “Ultimately, we need children to see “finishing school” of prison where they can hone possibilities for themselves beyond the cycle of their deadly crafts. We must heed the call that criminality and incarceration that has too often Attorney General Lynch sounded at the NAACP become a tragic and familiar fact of life.” convention: “We commit to this struggle – St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce also without equivocation or retreat – for our children, acknowledges the holistic nature of the violent who too often bear the consequences of our crime crisis. That is why – even as the mayor imperfection and for generations to come, who and police chief bemoan local judges giving will inherit the world that we design.” first-time gun offenders probation, rather than

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Inequality in the air

By Clem Smith Guest columnist Take a deep breath of air. Is it fresh?

Unfortunately, for many in our community fresh air is not a guarantee. Where you live in our city plays a big role in how healthy your environment is.

This is not just happenstance, this is by design.

As our city struggles to dismantle the systems of racism and oppression, there is one area that for too long has remained outside of the conversation – the health of the very environment in which we are living.

In my district, many people, especially children, are struggling to breathe. What more basic human right can there be but to have access to healthy breathable air?

A 2012 St. Louis Regional Health Commission study found that black children are 7.5 more likely than white children to visit the emergency room for asthma and 6.6 times as likely to be hospitalized for asthma. In parts of North St. Louis city and county, 1 in 5 children has asthma.

Accessibility of care and factors within the home contribute, as well as socioeconomic factors, but pollution is just one more burden placed on the lungs of already vulnerable kids.

At the Normandy School District, an asthma bus has to make weekly visits to the school to address the high rates of childhood asthma.

Meanwhile, new reports from the Missouri Hospital Association indicate that the pediatric asthma rates in our region are twice as high as the statewide average and emergency room visits were

higher among children living in poverty.

This is an issue of environmental justice, where certain populations – predominantly black and low-income populations – are bearing a disproportionate burden of the pollution in our community.

This pollution comes predominately from our dependence on fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, and it can be addressed – but polluters are putting big money towards maintaining the status quo.

They use the usual baseless scare tactics to fool people into thinking they are on our side. No matter what they say, we know that children in this country should not be dying due to our energy Guest Columnist consumption.

For this Clem reason, I am Smith standing up in support of the Clean Power Plan, the first ever standard set to reduce carbon emissions from coal plants, as well as a stronger smog and ozone health standard. Numerous studies show that communities of color most often bear greater health impacts from polluting sources and these impacts are being exacerbated by climate disruption. Just this year, the Surgeon General cited climate disruption to be a public health issue, largely due to the asthma impacts on burdened communities.

The Clean Power Plan presents us with an opportunity if we choose to take it. The obligation now falls to

Missouri to draft a plan to reduce emissions, build local clean energy and create jobs.

We must hold our leadership accountable for making sure that environmental and economic justice issues are at the forefront of this plan.

We must move to the cleanest sources of energy that will protect young lungs, and build a responsible transition to a clean energy economy by bringing job training and opportunities to low income areas and communities of color.

Furthermore, we must make clear that those who fight against efforts to clean up our air and water and climate are those benefiting from a corrupt system. They are working to support a system that oppresses and marginalizes vulnerable people and puts their lives at risk so that they can continue to profit. We need to name this what it is – environmental racism.

We all need to continue to push for the strongest environmental standards as possible. I am going to continue to stand for a strong smog and ozone standard to limit emissions from vehicles and coal plants, as well as a strong Clean Power Plan to address carbon emissions and transition us to cleaner sources.

Furthermore, I am going to push for Missouri to participate in the Clean Energy Incentive Program to help provide health benefits and bring energy efficiency programs to lowincome communities in our state.

Clem Smith (D-Velda Village Hills) represents District 85 in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Commentary

Stand Your Ground: a license to kill

By Marc H. Morial Guest columnist

Trayvon Martin’s unjust death at the hands of a trigger-happy, self-described neighborhood watchman continues to shock and live on in our nation’s collective consciousness. And with the release of a recent study commissioned by the American Bar Association, it may also become the impetus behind the movement to abolish or scale back Stand Your Ground protections – protections that influenced the ultimate acquittal of Trayvon’s murderer.

According to the law, which Florida became the first state to adopt in 2005, people are authorized to use deadly force in cases of self-defense without the duty to retreat in the face of any perceived threat to their life or property. As long as you can claim that you are in fear for your life at any given point, the law hands you a license to kill at will. Rather than lower homicide or crime rates, this essentially free pass to criminal behavior has only served to further endanger public safety – particularly the lives of people of color – and exploit the mistrust, animosity and racial injustice that color our daily interactions and justice at every level.

Trayvon’s murder served as the genesis of the ABA’s National Task Force on Stand Your Ground Laws. The task force has researched the impact of Stand Your Ground laws in

the 33 states that carry some variation of the law, and their discoveries should give pause to all Americans committed to fair and balanced treatment within our criminal justice system.

In a previous study by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition in collaboration with the National Urban League and VoteVets, our data showed that in the 22 states that had enacted Stand Your Ground Laws between 2005 and 2007, the justifiable homicide rate by private citizens was 53 percent higher after the Guest Columnist passage of the law. The study Marc also found Morial that in Florida alone, justifiable homicides jumped to 200 percent. A 2012 ABA report cited statistics compiled by researchers at Texas A&M that found that states with Stand Your Ground laws have more homicides than states without the statute.

When you take into consideration the history of race in this country, the disproportionate impact of the law on African Americans should come as no surprise.

The task force’s research has also found that a white shooter who uses deadly force against a black victim is 350 percent more likely to be found justified than a black shooter who kills a white victim.

Letters to the Editor

CORRECTION

Based on other official sources, The American has been reporting that if the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency moves its West Campus Headquarters to North St. Louis, NGA West could increase its current 3,100 employees in St. Louis to an estimated 4,500. A spokesperson for NGA West tells The American that the agency has no plans to expand its workforce after the move.

NGA West is mandated to build out its new location with a 25 percent expansion in size, but that is to possibly accommodate its data center in Arnold being moved to the new location or other federal intelligence agencies moving staff there. It does not reflect any anticipated increase of NGA West staff.

Pope and the CBC It was remarkable to have witnessed His Holiness Pope Francis address members of the Congressional Black Caucus and our colleagues in Congress. This moment in our nation’s history has not been about any one race, a particular religion, or any political affiliation, and instead has been about embracing true compassion for all of humanity. He called on each of us to satisfy the common needs of those who are less fortunate.

The CBC shares in many of the fundamental principles His Holiness has called upon each of us to embody. Founded in 1971 with the mission to serve the most neglected communities in our country, the CBC continues to focus on addressing the unique challenges of underserved communities here in the United States and abroad. By championing the creation of universal access to education, calling for quality and affordable healthcare while working to eliminate health disparities, combating poverty, to expanding U.S. foreign policy initiatives to contribute to the general welfare of people around the world, the CBC is undertaking the very work His Holiness has called on us all to continue.

In speaking of Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic march from Selma to Montgomery, His Holiness echoed a key

We need to do more than review these laws, we need to repeal them. Stand Your Ground has not proven itself to be a common sense law that keeps our communities safe.

According to one of the task force’s researchers, “if we are to use science and data and logic and analysis to drive sensible public policy, then there is no reliable and credible evidence to support laws that encourage stand your ground and shoot your neighbor.”

The explosive combination of Stand Your Ground laws and pre-existing racial stereotypes and tensions have worked disproportionately against communities of color, making them victims in far larger numbers and depriving them of justice in our criminal justice system.

Repealing Stand Your Ground laws would seem like common sense, but unfortunately, common sense is not so common. Just weeks ago a bill was introduced by a Florida legislator that would effectively provide more protection for people who claim self-defense, placing the burden on prosecutors to prove that the defendant was wrong to use deadly force. Stand Your Ground laws do not protect us – they hurt, divide and kill – and we must work together to enact public policy and gun laws that will ensure the safety of the American public.

Marc H. Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

All letters are edited for length and style.

principle held by the CBC; attaining full civil and political rights for all people.

As members of Congress, we have a social responsibility to protect and defend our fellow citizens and the country’s most vulnerable communities by offering a helping hand to those who are most in need. Pope Francis reminds us that we each have a role to play in protecting and safeguarding the religious and individual freedom that continue to make our country great.

U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield, chairman, Congressional Black Caucus

Abject craziness The absurd incident involving 14-year-old Irving, Texas student Ahmed Mohamed should cause Americans to pause and take a long look at what is happening in America. Sanity and leadership have eroded, particularly in education and law enforcement.

Since the September 11 incident of 2001, our

The largest weekly newspaper in Missouri 70,000 copies - CAC Audited 100% Independently owned & operated Continuously published, without interruption since 1928

Donald M. Suggs Publisher & Executive Editor Kevin Jones - Sr. Vice Pres. & COO Dina M. Suggs - Sr. Vice Pres.

Nathan B. Young (1894 -1993) - Founder N.A. Sweets (1901-1988) - Publisher Emeritus Bennie G. Rodgers - (1914 - 2000) Executive Editor Emeritus Melba Sweets (1909 - 2006) Editor Emeritus Editorial Chris King - Managing Editor Kenya Vaughn - Website Editor Earl Austin Jr. - Sports Editor Sandra Jordan - Health Reporter Rebecca S. Rivas - Senior Reporter Wiley Price - Senior Photojournalist

feckless political leaders have encouraged Americans to fear everything; in particular, people of dissimilar skin color and those who speak a different language. Ahmed has a “foreign” name and dark skin so school authorities naturally assumed that he had a bomb when he came to school with his homemade clock. It had wires, a circuit board and stuff!

It was probably a bomb … you know!

School officials called the cops. Responding police officers concurred with the bomb craziness. No explosives were present but the “device” looked like it might be a bomb, so to same face, the professional Texas educators suspended Ahmed from school for three days.

If this abject craziness keeps up, real terrorists won’t need to invade America. Sane people will leave the country in droves and America will be little more than a giant loony bin circumvented by a Trump Wall!

Michael K. Broughton, Green Park

Lawrence Bryant - Photojournalist Denise Hooks -Anderson, M.D. Health Editor Jami Ballentine-Dolby Entertainment Danie Rae - Style Editor Dana G. Randolph Contributing Editor Fred Sweets - Contributing Editor Sales / Marketing Onye Hollomon- Sr. Acct. Exec.

Barbara Sills - Sr. Acct. Exec.

Pam Simmons- Sr. Acct. Exec.

Nevida Medina - Classified Ad Mgr Angelita F. Jackson - Graphic Artist Production Mike Terhaar - Art Director Melvin Moore - Graphic Designer Administration Robin Britt - Controller Cathy Sewell - NIE Manager Ishmael Sistrunk - Web/IT/ Promotions Coordinator Kate Daniel - Exec Assistant Loistine McGhee - Acct. Assistant Mary Easter - Receptionist

2315 Pine Street, St. Louis, MO, 63103.

Phone: 314-533-8000 / Fax: 314-533-2332

A5

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

The power of a great teacher

By Tiffany Anderson Guest columnist

Local students present on school integration

Student representatives from Gateway2change (a resource of EducationPlus) attended the National Coalition on School Diversity Conference in Washington, D.C. on September 24 - 25. As a result of their work last year during the Student Summits on Race, these student leaders were asked to present at the 2015 conference entitled “21st Century School Integration: Building the Movement for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” on the campus of Howard University. The student presenters include Shahd Alyasiry and Jaylen Bledsoe (Hazelwood), Ellie Bennett and Cole Reat (Rockwood), Shawn Filer (Ferguson-Florissant) and Desiree Chrun (Ritenour). The student presentation was entitled “Gateway2change: Connecting and Empowering Students to Create Change in Metro St. Louis.”

Ferguson Library hosts workshops on running for office

The Ferguson Municipal Public Library is holding a twopart “How to Run for Local Office” workshop featuring speakers from city and state government on Thursday, October 8 and Thursday, October 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ferguson Municipal Public Library, 35 North Florissant Rd. Attendees will learn about how local government works, what part each office plays, and how to declare candidacy and run for office themselves. Speakers will include Mayor James Knowles, Ferguson-Florissant School Board members Paul Morris and Donna Thurman, state Representative

Sharon Pace, and others.

Many in the community have expressed greater interest in local government and how it functions. Last April’s election saw a higher number of candidates and more voter turnout than in recent years. The Ferguson Municipal Public Library seeks to make the community more aware of this process through this event and to open more doors for potential candidates.

For more information, call 314-521-4820.

I had the honor to receive the Stellar Performer Award at the 2015 Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala. In addition to being joined by my family and staff, my special guests included two Fairview Elementary families from Jennings with their children and my 5th grade teacher, Ms. Linda Green.

Those who are blessed with the talent and gift to teach are blessed with the power to heal, inspire and truly change lives. A heartfelt thank you is extended to Donald M. Suggs and the St. Louis American Foundation for taking time to highlight teachers as we share what is working in underserved communities and promote equitable educational opportunities.

Coincidentally, the day of the Salute on September 25 was the anniversary of the day the “Little Rock Nine” students entered Central High 58 years ago under heavily armed guard. The Jennings football players were hosted in Little Rock on Friday on September 25. These student athletes toured the school while other Jennings students celebrated equity in education at the Salute, applauding students who were being awarded scholarships to go to postsecondary schools.

Demands for greater equity in education 58 years ago still ring true today, and Salute scholarships are one amazing way that the St. Louis American Foundation is leveling Linda Green, the playing field for youth to have the left, with Tiffany opportunities they so richly deserve.

Anderson My Fairview students who accepted the award with me did so on behalf of all of the teachers like Ms. Linda Green who improved the lives of many. If Linda Green had not graced the halls of Jackson Park in University City 30 years ago when I was in 5th grade, my path and the path of many students like me would not have been the same.

This tall, joyful lady – who resembled Flo from the 1980s hit show “Mel’s Diner” – taught us to be courageous and modeled the importance of having high expectations for ourselves as she began each day with tremendous joy and a commitment to prepare us for the future.

I salute Ms. Linda Green and all like her who inspire and uplift the quiet voices in a crowd to speak up and be a positive difference in the lives of others. My work is a direct reflection of her investment in me in her 5th grade class. At the end of 5th grade at Jackson Park, I knew I would be a teacher and would inspire others to live life to the fullest, as Mrs. Green did when she entered every day with genuine joy in teaching students that they could accomplish anything.

I encourage everyone to continue to demand equity in education and locate, honor and thank the Ms. Green in life who resulted in their becoming the person they are. Let them know they made a difference. Thank you, Ms. Linda Green, you are an inspiration!

Tiffany Anderson is superintendent of the Jennings School District.

A6

LIBRARY Continued from A1

Before, she said, “there was always a wait to use a computer at this branch.” The old building had 33 computers, whereas the new facility has 57. The public also wanted quiet study rooms, which the old branch did not have; the new building has three.

One thing the Lewis & Clark Branch community wanted, she said, was a business center – and the new branch has one, a first for the system. It includes an instructional lab, where the public can learn about things like computer programs and resume building, and machines that will scan, copy and fax

GRANT

Continued from A1 “Evidence in St. Louis indicates that a significant number of individuals who are arrested and charged with illegal gun possession exhibit some characteristics that indicate they do not harbor intent to commit further criminal acts, but rather are in possession of a weapon for a reason such as personal defense, ‘style’ or peer pressure,” the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office wrote in its grant application.

“What we see is a lot of really young people carrying guns,” Joyce explained to The American. “Maybe they’re arrested carrying concealed when they’re still in high school or just turned 17.

Maybe they don’t have a troubling prior history, but

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015 documents.

The new space also has all new tables and chairs – an assortment of extremely comfortable chairs, some that swivel, others built around exercise balls – and a number of wide personal desktops where a student can sprawl out with multiple books.

The branch sits across the street from the administrative building for the Riverview Gardens School District, and Sorth said the library intends to expand its existing collaboration with the unaccredited district.

“This is the crown jewel,” Sorth said, while providing a tour of the new facility for The American.

However, a group of preservationists fought this new construction, because it

destroyed and replaced what they considered an architectural jewel. The previous building was designed by noted architect

Frederick Dunn and included stained glass windows, created by artist Robert Harmon with Emil Frei Studios, depicting

they’re carrying a gun because that’s what’s done in their social circle. There’s a lot of peer pressure to carry a gun now.”

The program is geared toward those individuals, and it promises to be the first of its kind within the United States, Philippa Barrett, the office’s director of Diversion and Special Court Programs, said.

The office will accept referrals from anyone in the pipeline – a judge, defense attorney, even staff prosecutor working a case – and Joyce is just beginning an effort to publicize the program.

The structure of the gun diversion program will almost certainly resemble the office’s general felony redirect program that launched on June 1. In that program, eligible individuals – generally those without prior convictions, though prosecutors can exercise discretion over the program’s enrollment – receive

individualized social services with an eye toward keeping them out of the criminal justice system in the future.

Barrett said they have screened about 50 candidates for the general felony redirect program, and currently have five people in the program, four others preparing to enter it and more being screened.

But unlike the general felony redirect and other criminal diversion programs, the participants in the new program will all have had a gun-related charge brought against them.

Partially for that reason, participation will be strictly limited. Plus, it will come at a cost.

As with the felony redirect program, staff within the crime strategies unit in Joyce’s office will vet all candidates to ensure that they are not part of known crime circles. If individuals clear that hurdle, the state’s

probation and parole office will conduct an in-depth inquiry into their background.

If they clear that second hurdle, individuals will be allowed to join the program, but only after they plead guilty to the gun-related charge.

After successful completion of the program – generally a yearlong process – prosecutors will support withdrawal of the guilty plea and, with a judge’s approval, dismiss the case.

The potential upside is that successful participants will have the opportunity to join the workforce and pursue a career without the albatross of a gun-related conviction following them the rest of their life. Instead, the proceeding becomes a confidential record, according to Barrett.

“If we do our job well and it works, we can have people turned around and productive members of society rather than going to prison, which

Photo courtesy St. Louis County Library

A new, expanded Lewis & Clark Branch Library includes stained glass windows, created by artist Robert Harmon with Emil Frei Studios, depicting Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and Sacajawea, that were salvaged from the old structure.

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and Sacajawea.

Those windows were preserved, cleaned and reinstalled in the new facility, designed by KAI Design & Build and constructed by SM Wilson. These magnificent windows provide a centerpiece for the new library. “Before, you couldn’t even tell Sacajawea had a baby on her back,” Sorth said.

In keeping with the Lewis & Clark theme and name, the children’s room has discoverythemed details, including the Big and Little Dipper made out of LED lights. Additional child’s seating in the form of customized canoes was still being fabricated at the time of the tour. The expanded children’s area also has a crafts center and shelving bins

designed for the ease of small children.

The project – the first non-residential construction in Moline Acres in a decade – had a budget of $6.5 million and was funded by proceeds from a 2012 tax initiative. It’s part of a multi-year, $120plus million campaign to renovate or replace 19 branches within the library district.

Five additional locations will reopen November through January. More details about the construction projects can be found at www.slcl.org/yourlibrary-renewed.

The Lewis & Clark Branch will reopen to the public 9 a.m. Wednesday, October 14.

Next up after that: a radically refurbished Jamestown Bluffs branch, to reopen the first week of November.

for young people is finishing school for criminals and coming out committed to a life of crime,” Joyce said.

Still, the politics and potential backfire of keeping armed offenders within the community are not lost on Joyce.

“It’s a very perilous thing.

For most people when they hear it, they’re like: ‘Hell, no, I would never do that,’” Joyce said. “ But we believe that we can do it in a way that protects the public and reduces gun crime.”

Barrett added that she looks forward to the data that the project will gather, in hopes that the information will help guide future best practices.

The city’s escalating level of gun violence showed that, overall, current efforts to curb or contain gun violence haven’t worked, she said.

Another reason that Joyce is optimistic about the new gun diversion program is that she hopes to make wearing a tracking device she calls “the screamer” a condition of enrollment.

Already, law enforcement monitors the location of some offenders with tracking bracelets. The screamer is a new technology that functions

like these devices, except that when offenders enter an “exclusion zone,” the device provides a warning through a two-way radio with law enforcement. If the offender does not heed the warning and exit the zone, the device emits a 95-decibel siren.

“The whole goal is to disrupt this kid’s lifestyle and get him away from people that are not good for him,” Joyce said. “Nothing like a 95-decibel siren to make him uncool to hang with on the street corner.”

But Joyce acknowledged that her personal enthusiasm for the device was not binding.

Ultimately, she will need bench approval for all major decisions.

The $417,512 grant that is supporting the program’s launch will pay for a social worker, an analyst, support staff and research consultants for two years. Joyce described the grant as highly competitive.

Scott Decker, a criminologist at Arizona State University, and Noelle Fearn at Saint Louis University will be the research consultants.

Kevin Flannery is a St. Louis American editorial intern from Washington University School of Law.

A7

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

NORMANDY Continued from A1

Forum (PERF).

According to the City of Normandy, the Normandy Police Department was the 14th in the state to accomplish certification, and there are currently 30 other Missouri police departments working toward this goal.

According to Better Together St. Louis, 75 percent of the police departments in St. Louis city and county are not accredited. There are 198 standards in the written MPCCF accreditation. Police departments have to rewrite their own stands to incorporate those of the MPCCF. Senate Bill 5 requires that all police departments in the county get

STRIKE

Continued from A1 Sharon Crockett, president of Local 1220.

However, in a September 30 letter to the community, ESL Superintendent Arthur Culver said it “would not be fiscally responsible” to do otherwise.

Dave Comerford, of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said the new pay scale is “equivalent to a career-long pay cut.”

On Monday, October 6, the union and district had their first meeting since the strike began, but Comerford said that the district offered no feedback to their counteroffer.

“The district is refusing to bargain,” he said. “They sat there and listened, but offered no input. They didn’t express concerns or ideas of how to make things work.”

Parent Tamara WilliamsCunningham said she feels heartbroken and confused, just like many other parents.

“I’m hurt more than anything because this affects our children,” she said. “A lot of people who work for

accredited.

Normandy has 31 full-time officers who also patrol five nearby municipalities. As Huffington Post reported earlier this year, that area encompasses less than three square miles, according to a report PERF did for Better Together St. Louis. That means Normandy has more than 10 officers per square mile and more than four officers per 1,000 people – much higher than the national average.

Mininni, who has served as Normandy Police chief since 2009, said the department wanted to improve before the unrest in Ferguson. “We asked: How do we distance ourselves from under-performing departments?” Mininni told The American.

HuffPost also reported PERF data that the Normandy

Police Department has an “bubble of police culture.” annual budget of $2 million “It’s not about traffic and that its municipal court was tickets, it’s not about heavyreaping $1.6 million as of a handed enforcement. It’s about few years ago. a relationship,” said Mininni.

Mininni “In the city of admitted that Normandy, we n “This is about many people go to schools, we accountability. complained teach there. We This is about about receiving go there to eat making sure excessive tickets, lunch with the and that’s when people are putting kids, we play with the department them at recess.” transparency in a looked into the Mininni police process.” state certification echoed those process. words in a recent – Normandy Police In January, phone interview Chief Frank Mininni PERF and Better with The Together St. American.

Louis organized a “If you can’t town hall on how get outside to improve police-community that bubble and learn what relations. Mininni attended the people want and how people meeting in University City. He would like to be policed, told The American then that you’re not doing a service to officers need to stop living in a the community or the police

department,” said Mininni.

“And you’re really setting up a lose-lose situation.”

Since he started police work in 1997, Mininni said the region has lacked in professional policing. “That’s the main problem in this area, is that they under-perform,” said Mininni.

The process of state certification process has taken Normandy five years to complete.

“There wasn’t a crystal ball saying that in 2015 you had to do it,” said Mininni. “I think we were ahead of the curve there.”

Patrick Green, mayor of Normandy, said he hopes that Normandy will be an example to neighboring police departments.

“If you do it and do it right, it will drop crime,” Green said

of state certification for police.

Mininni said the process reflects the public’s increased scrutiny of police work, especially in minority communities. About 70 percent of Normandy’s population of about 5,000 is black.

“People think it’s a certificate you put in the wall.

This is about accountability.

This is about making sure people are putting transparency in a police process,” Mininni told The American.

“State certification is important because it says you can’t recycle people anymore.

People need to understand there are people looking in from the outside at your own people.”

This story is published as part of a partnership between The Huffington Post and The St. Louis American.

the district don’t have their children enrolled in the district.

Their children get to get up and go to school every day. Ours don’t.”

Her son, Reyondous Estes, is a junior and a quarterback for the high school football team. Because of the strike, his games have been forfeited.

Friday’s Homecoming football game has been called off, and the Saturday dance has been rescheduled for November.

Williams-Cunningham said the seniors on the team in particular are being barred from potential opportunities.

“You have seniors who need that extra look to obtain a scholarship,” she said. “The seniors get hit harder than anyone else.”

Many parents in the district are single, she said, and the strike has been especially hard on them.

Several organizations are providing meals and activities for the students, including the Christian Activity Center, the Mary Brown Center, the Griffin Centers (DeShields, Orr Weathers, and Roosevelt Homes), SIUE Upward Bound, the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center, and the Sunshine

Cultural Arts Center. The schools are also providing meals and operating a “late start” bus schedule.

Some parents have organized a rally to support teachers, which is set for Thursday, October 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. at the district administration building, 1005 State Street in East St. Louis.

The flyer for the rally states, “Can we afford not to support our teachers? Because of them, our future can.”

District has a similar model.

In East St. Louis, the proposal is 21 steps regardless of your experience level.

The district’s previous “11-step salary schedule” contained step increases between 4 and 7 percent. It was 11 steps regardless of your experience level, and the average step increase was 5.1 percent. But the district said it could not afford this pay rate anymore.

According to the district’s website, for school years 2011 through 2015, the district’s enrollment declined by more than 1,400 students. Due to the declining enrollment and “prorated general state aid payments,” the district’s claim for state aid declined $16.5 million from 2011 to 2015. Student enrollment is expected to continue to decline.

The district had to make budget cuts, resulting in closing two schools prior to the 2012 school year and five schools prior to the 2013 school year. About 470 positions have not been hired – or 40 percent of the staff – and union and administration employees have experienced

salary freezes since 2012.

The district has regained its footing, with the help of some temporary funding sources – including isolated legislative allocations. It now was $30 million in “unrestricted fund balances,” which is less than four months of current operating expenses, the district said.

However, Comerford disputed the financial argument.

“These teachers showed their commitment to work with the district in tough financial times,” Comerford said. “They agreed contractually to pay freezes. We have seen no data to support the district’s claim that they can’t do this. And that hasn’t been their claim to us at the bargaining table.”

One of the signs that teachers carries states, “Mr. Culver, if the district is poor, why do you make $250,000 a year?”

In 2014, Culver’s salary was $234,000, according to data on the Belleville NewsDemocrat salary database of public employees.

Financials disputed East St. Louis School District 189 and Local 1220 have been in collectivebargaining negotiations since last school year. On September 29, the negotiating committees from the union and district reached a “tentative agreement.” However, the union membership voted to reject the agreement and proceed to strike on October 1.

Crockett said teachers rejected the district’s tentative agreement because it wasn’t fair. With the proposed pay scale, it would take teachers 21 steps – or about 21 years

– to get to the top of the pay scale. Previously, it only took 11 years. According to the district’s website, the starting salary for a teacher with only a bachelor’s degree is $42,700 and the maximum pay is $74,125.

“In order to retain and recruit teachers, the pay scale they presented to us did not look good for the future,” Crockett said.

According to the district’s comparisons to other school districts in the area, the teacher’s current pay scale is steep. For example, it takes teachers 25 years to get to the top of the pay scale in Cahokia Unit School District #187, and 30 years in Granite School District #9. East St. Louis teachers’ starting salaries are also several thousand dollars higher than the surrounding school districts, according to the district’s data.

However, in the St. Louis Public School District, the pay scale has a wider range. For teachers with less experience, it take about 12 steps to get to the top of the pay scale, but it takes about 24 steps for a person with 24 years of experience and a doctorate. Clayton School

Follow this reporter on Twitter @rebeccarivas.

A8

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Will Percy Green be invited to the Arch anniversary?

Percy Green at the 2004 commemoration of his July 14, 1964 direct action with Richard Daly, when they climbed a ladder 125 feet up the Gateway Arch to protest that no African-American workers or contractors were hired for the project.

Photo by Wiley Price

WEEK 7 8

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 participate, thenONE ONESMALL SMALLCHANGE CHANGEcan canmake makeaabig bigdifference! difference!

SHOWERS SHOP LOCAL NOT BATHS

The and products found your time We food all enjoy a relaxing bathinfrom household have typically travelled a long to time but it’s something we should way to reach you. That journeyofcosts a lot consider a “luxury” instead an everyday to the environment.

Consideristhe ritual.

Cleaning ourselves thebanana largest which fromat Costa Rica. indoortypically use of comes our water home, making How many27 gallons of gasofand boats and up about percent ouroil, total water trucks did it takeBut to bring fruit to to you? consumption. whenthis it comes the decision of shower versus bath the choice The yearly pollutionuse created by importing is clear.

Showers almost half as much water as a these of products 1.1 billion gallonsrequires about 36 bath. type Meanwhile, the isaverage bathtub of fuel and 1 billion metric tons of carbon The gallons of water! That’s a ton of water dioxide. saved by switching environmental to showers. costs clearly outweigh the benefits.

Recently, many cities asked to “Shop In have addition totheir yourcitizens reduced waterLocal” and thisyou’ll movement is theyour perfect consumption, be saving family strategy to on prevent some money theirimport energypollution. costs.

Not will thisdon’t One Small Change Youonly probably take many help the environment it will also cold baths or showers right? All help yourhot neighborhood’s of that water takeseconomy. energy Nearly every town a local to to heat up so by has switching farmer’s allowing youyour to showersmarket you’ll be cutting discover the freshest food fromtoo. energy-consumption in half your farmers.

So make Thisarea’s one small change addsa up. commitment to shop local, when Across a year you could save possible, and help curb the growing more than six thousand gallons pollution of water.caused by imported food and products.

THIS CHANGE CAN SAVE MILLIONS SAVES 6,000+ OF GALLONS OF GAS AND CO2.

WATER PER YEAR!

The Civil Rights Movement occurred in a relatively short period of time, over the 1950s and ‘60s. Its aim was to put an end to the centuries of persecution blacks had as slaves and under Jim Crow.

For such a short period of time, the movement achieved a great deal, putting an end to racial discrimination under the law.

Unfortunately, the movement was unable to put an end to the economic discrimination blacks faced, and as a result segregation, although not enforced by the Bernie law, is still a Hayes reality. Many chose to fight economic discrimination as well as in other areas.

Although the Gateway Arch will be commemorating its golden anniversary this month, I wonder if Percy Green will be honored at these celebratory events. I spoke with Mr. Green and he said, as of now, he has not been invited.

Much has been documented about the life and career of this civil rights and human rights icon, but so much more is not known.

In the February 17, 2011 edition of The St. Louis American, Rebecca S. Rivas told a portion of Green’s story. She wrote, “On July 14, 1964, Percy Green II did what most St. Louis residents have pondered at least once. He climbed up the side of the St.

Louis Gateway Arch.

“The Arch was still under construction in 1964, so Green and a white college student, Richard Daly, climbed up the ladder that was meant for the workers. They climbed to about 125 feet high and then stayed up there for five hours as an act of civil disobedience.

Their goal was to make the community aware that no African-American workers or contractors were hired for the Arch project. They succeeded.”

Arch 50 Fest will be

n I spoke with Mr.

Green and he said, as of now, he has not been invited.

celebrated on Saturday, October 24. Other commemorative activities will be held, including a Meet the Builders event on Wednesday, October 28, featuring the men who built the Arch in the 1960s.

Will Percy Green be invited?

Many media have acknowledged and detailed how Green left CORE (The Congress of Racial Equality) to start the Action Council to Improve Opportunities for Negroes (ACTION). Countless have recognized his acts of civil defiance and protests

against the Veiled Prophet organization and Jefferson Bank in a struggle against employment traditions that motivated other civil rights activities. He has paid a price that few can imagine or want to experience.

However, few remember the movements Green either organized or participated in against several local radio stations that discriminated against their African-American employees. He also organized and campaigned against and for the St. Louis Public Schools and some board members, either elected or appointed.

A wax figure of Percy Green’s likeness is in the Griot Museum of African American History, and a portion of his story was represented in the Call to Consciousness play “Unsung Voices of Black St. Louis.” Though his images are often in newspapers and magazines, and his lawsuit against the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation was reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, Percy Green is still relatively shunned by certain elected officials and civic organizations.

Do you think Percy Green should be included in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Gateway Arch? We will be watching.

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) 8373369 or e-mail at: berhay@ swbell.net.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

A9

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

A10

DOJ report finds County PD to be SWAT-happy

The St. Louis County Police Department lacks adequate diversity, fails to report municipal police departments that violate the U.S. Constitution, places too much emphasis on tactical skills over community policing, and is especially disconnected

from youth, according to an independent outside review.

The review by the Police Foundation, conducted on behalf of the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), found problems in the recruitment

process that hurt diversity in the agency. The first stated goal for the department in the 182-page DOJ report is to “improve recruitment, selection and hiring processes to address minority underrepresentation in the department.”

In an era where police credibility as witnesses is under unprecedented scrutiny, the report found a “pattern of light discipline in investigations involving ethical failings and untruthfulness” in the County PD’s disciplinary process.

And in an era when policeinvolved shootings lead national broadcasts, the report concluded that the County PD “does not thoroughly investigate the use of deadly force in all situations.”

COPS Director Ronald Davis told reporters on Friday that the department also needed a “much more in-depth assessment” of the racial disparities in its vehicle stop statistics. The County PD, like other police agencies in the state, annually reports to the Missouri attorney general that its officers stop black motorists and search their cars for contraband at markedly higher rates than blacks’ population density.

The Ferguson Commission placed “Youth at the Center” in its calls to action included in its report to Gov. Jay Nixon. The DOJ COPS report found many problems with the County PD’s interactions with youth. “High school students report avoiding interaction with police, moving in another direction when they see police,” the report stated – without adding that it can be a deadly decision for anyone, especially a black person, to move away from police after sighting them.

The report’s consistent emphasis on the need for better training in and emphasis on community policing should address some youth issues, but the DOJ also called for youthspecific policy and program changes. It recommended that the County PD “create a board of young adult police commissioners made up of juniors and seniors from several high schools.”

The report noted that the Jennings Detail of the County PD already is “operating a teen citizen police academy, which has been very well received by youth and families.”

However, it did not note that the Jennings City Council is opening its contract with the County PD to new bids when it expires, though police have shown major positive shifts in community engagement under the leadership of Captain Jeff Fuesting.

If Jennings dumps the County PD, presumably it would contract with another municipal police agency, rather than try to rebuild its own police department and seek accreditation and the other requirements imposed by Senate Bill 5. If so, Jennings had better be careful, according to this report.

One County cop told researchers, “There are enough bad municipal cops in the county. We need to be better.” The DOJ also reported that County cops who “previously worked in other municipalities describe policies of enforcement for purposes

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

A new report on the St. Louis County Police Department by the Police Foundation, conducted on behalf of the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, found the department too reliant on the SWAT tactics made notorious by its Ferguson protest response, such as this scene on August 11, 2014.

of revenue generation.” The County PD comes in for criticism in keeping a blue wall of silence about other municipal departments they know are doing the wrong thing. The DOJ notes that the County PD “has an obligation to report agencies they have reason to believe are committing unconstitutional police practices.”

The report finds a laundry list of other complaints with the County PD. It finds many flaws in its website that inhibit citizen engagement with the department, recommending http://www.chp. ca.gov/index. php, http://www. lapdonline. org/ and http:// www.milwaukeepolicenews. com as models to learn from.

It also restates previous findings from DOJ reports on Ferguson protest response: that the County PD’s “use of canines for crowd control is not consistent with accepted police practice” and that it’s not a good idea to post a sniper (that’s a SWAT officer in “overwatch” position) for peaceful protests. The DOJ urged the County PD to “prohibit, by policy, the use of ‘overwatch’ for crowd management and mass demonstration incidents.”

SWAT-happy Much of the report focuses on a culture in the County PD that prizes tactical skills over community policing. County blue shirts told researchers that “senior executive staff said there are two types of cops, those in SWAT and those who want to be SWAT.” This is the mentality that seemed to backfire horribly in the County PD’s initial response to Ferguson protests. The DOJ previously concluded that the police’s SWAT-heavy approach escalated the street protests, rather than calming them.

County coppers told members of the independent assessment team analyzing the County PD that those who aren’t “TAC/SWAT guys” are less likely to be promoted.

The numbers back up that bias: While just 6.8 percent of commissioned officers had experience with the SWAT team, over 25 percent of those who were promoted had TAC/ SWAT experience.

While the review found that the County PD was “particularly proficient in the area of tactical operations,” it found that it “lacks the training, leadership and culture necessary to truly engender community policing, and to build and sustain trusting relationships with the community.”

The department, the report found, “does not have policies that ensure that they always exhaust other de-escalation options before using tactical responses to disorder and protests.” Investigators found that the department placed “more value on technical and tactical proficiency than on investments in community policing such as community engagement and problem solving.”

Just the facts The report embeds a smorgasbord of facts and data, which mostly speak for themselves, though what they say can be surprising.

“Oppressive or rude behavior and excessive force” constitute a majority of citizen complaints (a four-year mean of 58.3 percent) against the County PD. Citizens who experienced County PD use of force from 2009 through 2013 were 53 percent black, 45 percent white, 0.8 percent Hispanic and 0.6 percent other race.

That means blacks experienced use of force from the County PD at more than twice their population density in St. Louis County. Disparate impact from government service, anyone?

However, cops use force at about the same percentage as their demographics on the force. Of County cops who used force from 2009 through 2013, 89 percent were white, compared to 87.1 percent of the force being white. Black officers make up 10 percent of the department and 9.3 percent of County cops who used force.

For County PD policeinvolved shootings, 2009 through 2013, 22 of the cops were white, five black, one Hispanic and one Asian. That means white County cops were 76 percent of those who shot a citizen, compared to 87.1 percent of the force.

Black County cops, forming 10 percent of the department, were involved in 17 percent of citizen shootings. The mean age of County cops who shot

a citizen in these years was 30.7 years – not the young, jittery rookie one might have expected.

Startling statistic Buried in the report is an amazing stat that seems to complicate the portrait of the County PD as gung-ho with SWAT tactics. The report revealed national data that show the County police use force at only 1/20 the national average, looking at uses of force per interaction with the public. The County PD selfreports use of force in 0.07 percent of all encounters, while the national average is 1.4 percent. If this self-reporting is accurate, it could show that the County police show comparative restraint, despite the department’s focus on SWAT – but the report does not offer that conclusion.

According to one source in County government, the DOJ rejected a previous draft of this report as going too soft on the County PD. The EYE speculates that this trashed draft report – if the County source is correct about there being one – put more weight on this startling stat about use of force.

It’s worth noting, in this regard, that Chief Jon Belmar – who seems to enjoy dialogue with the media and has been on a national speaking tour – did not do a press conference about this report. His response to a request for an interview from The American was a brief, bland statement.

The COPS review was part of a “collaborative reform” process initiated by Belmar after the death of Michael Brown Jr. and the subsequent protests. Unlike an investigation by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division - such as the probe of the Ferguson Police Department - a review

by DOJ COPS is intended to be more cooperative and less adversarial, and does not come with the threat of litigation.

Over the next 12 months, the DOJ will work with the County PD to monitor and assist in implementation of reforms.

Two monitoring reports will follow.

This column incorporates a report by Ryan J. Reilly and Mariah Stewart for The Huffington Post, as part of a partnership between The Huffington Post and The St. Louis American.

style isn't given. it's earned.

MAKE A STYLE STATEMENT THAT’S AS BOLD AS YOU ARE. IN MEN’S AND WOMEN’S UPSCALE RESALE FASHIONS FOUND ONLY AT SCHOLARSHOP.

VISIT SCHOLARSHOPSTL.ORG OR SEE STORES FOR DETAILS. CLAYTON 314-725-3456 | WEBSTER GROVES 314-961-2525

SCH-ScholarShop 2015 Print_B&W_StLouisAmerican_Oct.indd 1

10/2/15 11:53 AM

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Anyone care about educating students?

I like to think that I received a quality education from East St. Louis School District 189, at least back when that was feasible. It was certainly good enough to take me from a ghetto public school system to an James elite institution Ingram like Boston University.

So, let me say from the outset that I am a staunch advocate for ESL teachers who, at press time, were on strike after rejecting what they considered to be an unacceptable “tentative agreement” following one year of working without a contract and no pay raises for the past three years.

I’ve always maintained that if professional athletes, entertainers and politicians (most of whom contribute zero to society other than enriching and promoting themselves) can be paid lavishly then, certainly, our teachers (who are shapers and molders of our children’s futures) should be compensated well for all that they do.

I’m also proud of ESL high school students who marched on the school board offices in support of their teachers. It demonstrates a degree of consciousness and sophistication that could easily go unappreciated.

Having said all that, let’s get to the core of the issue.

A teachers’ strike in East St. Louis disrupts the education of about 6,000 students, forces athletes to forfeit games and limits opportunities for athletic and other scholarships for students.

It creates disgruntlement and hostility among teachers who will eventually return to

n It’s not about the school board or the teachers. It should always be about the students. the classroom to instruct our students.

Meanwhile, amid budget cuts, school closures, salary freezes and other belttightening measures, it does not look good for Superintendent Arthur Culver to receive an annual salary of $250,000, while issuing statements which

describe increases to teachers as “fiscally irresponsible” while his hand-picked administrators are handsomely rewarded.

And to hide behind the rhetoric of being “mindful of the district’s obligation to its residents and community stakeholders” is insulting to the intelligence ESL taxpayers.

The district’s obligation is to provide a quality education for all students.

An extended strike will only ensure that ESL schools will continue to be the laughing stock of the nation and that her students will be disregarded and considered inferior.

It’s an educational catastrophe of the highest degree and both the school district and the teachers should have been able to come to an agreement during their summer vacations versus waiting until the school year resumed.

As for the teachers’ union, they have maximum leverage to negotiate with the threat of disrupting the school year. But, while the teachers should be paid fairly, it’s not about the school board or the teachers.

It should always be about the students, their education and their future which, hopefully, will result in a brighter day for East St. Louis.

Email: jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com; Twitter@ JamesTIngram.

Community Brief

Boys & Girls Clubs hosts gala Nov. 14 The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis will host its annual gala, the Great Futures Gala, formerly known as All That Jazz, at 6 p.m. Saturday, November 14 at the Hyatt Regency at the St. Louis Arch in downtown St. Louis. The “Great Futures Gala is the largest fundraiser benefitting

the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, with close to $300,000 being raised for our community’s youth.

The gala will showcase the youth who embody the ideals of the club’s mission to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Funds from this

event are crucial to continuing programs such as Diplomas to Degrees, Mentor St. Louis, Keystone Clubs, Money Matters, and Career Launch.

Co-chairs for the event are Paul and Laura Miller and Rich and Stacey Liekweg.

For ticket information, visit www.bgcstl.org.

A11

Photo by Wiley Price

Jane and Whitney Harris St. Louis Community Service Award This award recognizes the volunteer efforts of a couple who together has, in the late Jane Harris’ words,

“contributed in an outstanding manner to the culture and welfare of the greater St. Louis community and therefore exemplifies the best qualities of service to fellow citizens.”

The award—established by the estate of Jane Harris—is administered by Washington University and will be presented to the newest recipients on or near February 14, 2016. The cash prize that accompanies the award will be distributed to St. Louis charitable organizations designated by the recipients.

Selection of the recipients will be made by a committee of leading St. Louisans.

Deadline for submission: October 30, 2015 Letters of nomination describing the couple’s volunteer involvement should be sent to the address below.

Please include your name, email address, street address and phone number, and the same information for the nominated couple.

All nominations are considered active for three years.

Mr. David T. Blasingame Executive Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development Programs Washington University in St. Louis Campus Box 1101 One Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO 63130-4899 HarrisAward@wustl.edu

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

A12

NEWSPAPER IN

Healthy Kids

EDUCATION

PRESENT:

Planting the Seeds for Success!

The weekly Healthy Kids page provides health tips on nutrition, exercise and more.

Planning A Healthy Menu

Healthcare Careers

Nutrition Challenge:

serving sizes, variety and nutrition.

List all of the items for your meal and Weekly Newspaper in Education Program categorize by food group (dairy, protein, fruits, etc.).

Cook, Food

Charles Ray Austin,

Look through the food ads in today’s newspaper and plan a healthy dinner menu for your family using what you find.

Consider earlier lessons regarding

Present your “meal” to your classmates.

Now, as a class, determine which meal would be the most delicious… and nutritious!

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

Exercise Exercise Challenge:

Create an Obstacle Course And...

Pe er P r es s u r e

With your parent’s help and permission, create an obstacle course or fitness trail in your own backyard. Be sure to include balance, endurance, skill and speed challenges. Activities could include standing on one foot, running around a shed, tossing a ball into a bucket,

What is peer pressure?

Anytime a friend or classmate pushes you to do something that you really don’t want to do, that is considered peer pressure. Sometimes it’s just harmless fun, like daring a friend to eat a food that s/he doesn’t really like. But if you are feeling pressure

push-ups against the side of the house and crawling under the

to do something that is dangerous, unhealthy or illegal, ask yourself, “Who is pressuring me, and why should I do something just to make that person happy?”

Always make smart choices based on what you know to be right and you’ll do better in life.

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

lowest branch of a tree. Who could do the most push-ups?

Who did all of the challenges the fastest? Consider holding a weekly competition to see who is the new winner.

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

Healthy Snacks BananaChocolate Bites Ingredients: 1 Banana, cut into 1 inch slices (frozen) 3.5 Oz Dark chocolate, melted 2 Oz Crushed nuts Directions: Using toothpicks, carefully dip the frozen bananas into the chocolate then roll in the crushed nuts. Put on wax-paper covered plate and put in freezer until hard.

Service Worker Where do you work? I work at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital.

Where did you go to school?

I graduated from Kirkwood High School. I then attended the Forest Park Community College Basic Fundamentals in Culinary L’Ecole program.

What does a food service worker do? I prepare all types of food, from scratch, daily and I do the “Cold Prep,” which is preparing cold products such as meat, salads and desserts. I also provide customer service through the retail area of the hospital.

Why did you choose this career? As a kid, I always enjoyed cooking with my grandmother and uncle. I liked it so much that when I was old enough to work, I started working in restaurants and soon worked my way up. I have 27 years in the food service industry.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

I enjoy preparing different foods, meeting people and creating foods that cater to special diets. I love all aspects of my job.

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

Content—Cathy Sewell • Design—Beth Sharpe

Nutrition

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

A13

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.

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

SCIENCE STARS African -American Electrical Engineer & Entrepreneur Marc Hannah

Ames VPA Elementary School 6th grade teacher, Arreanna Brown,

studies meteorites with students Chala Lee, Javery Bohannon, Ariyah Harvey, and Tyler West from an article in the newspaper. AMES VPA Elementary School is in the Saint Louis Public Schools District. Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American.

Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: nie@stlamerican.com.

SCIENCE CORNER Are 3D effects safe for your eyes?

The American Optometric Association (eye doctors) researched this topic and here is what they discovered: 3D movies, TV shows, and games are safe for children age 3 and above.

seizure, the AOA has discovered that there is only a risk for seizure if the person has photosensitive epilepsy or is taking certain medications.

3D glasses work by viewing a different image in each eye.

Some people are unable to see 3D effects if they have a “stereo deficiency.” So, thanks to 3D technology, some people have been able to detect vision issues and get them corrected.

Reusable 3D glasses can contain harmful bacteria.

Use anti-bacterial wipes as a precaution.

Time spent playing handheld games that are held close to the face should be limited, with frequent breaks, to rest the eyes.

Although there was concern that 3D movies can trigger a

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT Create an optical illusion!

Background Information:

r

Then wrap the end of the other long pipe cleaner around a short pipe cleaner, but this time, turn the arrows inward.

In this experiment, you will surprise your eyes by creating an optical illusion to see which arrow is longer.

Materials Needed:

t

Move your pipe cleaners apart...

Now you have an optical illusion!

Even though the two long pipe cleaners are the same length, one of them should look shorter than the other.

• Pipe Cleaners (2 different colors, same length) • Scissors Process:

q You will need two pipe cleaners that are the same length and color. These pipe cleaners will be the body of the arrows.

Check out these optical illusions online: http://www.

w Create the ends of your arrow by

kidsmathgamesonline.com/pictures/ illusions.html.

cutting in half two other pipe cleaners that are a different color.

e Wrap the end of one long pipe cleaner around the middle of one short pipe cleaner. Then bend the short one in half so it looks like an arrow. Do the same thing with the other end. The ends will point outward.

MATH CONNECTION

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can analyze results and draw conclusions.

Movie Math!

Answer these questions about movies.

theater sells tickets for c$9.00A movie of tickets for a play is z$3.00Theforcostadults each. Senior citizens receive a and $2.00 for children.

discount of $3.00. One evening the 350 tickets were sold and $950 was theater sold 636 tickets and took in collected. How many tickets $4974 in revenue. How many tickets of each type were were sold to senior citizens? How many sold? ______ were sold to “moviegoers” who were not senior citizens? ______ You are having

x

a movie marathon.

Each movie lasts an average of 110 minutes. You have rented 3 movies. How long will the movie marathon last? ______

DID YOU KNOW? The first 3D film for a paying audience was at Astor Theater, New York, on June 10, 1915.

that began at 6:15 p.m. bendsA movie at 8:05 p.m. How long did it last? ______ hours ______ minutes

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem. I can think critically. I can make text to world connections.

Aaron’s family is going vto see a movie at 5:50 p.m.

It is 11:20 a.m. right now.

How long do they have to wait to see the movie? ______ hours ______ minutes

Columbia Pictures was the first big studio to make the 3D movie Man in the Dark (1953).

The 3D movie with the biggest profit in its opening weekend was Alice in Wonderland (2010) which grossed $116.1 million in the US on its first 3 days of showing. The most expensive 3D movie to create was A Christmas Carol, which cost over $200 million to produce.

In the year 2009, a total of ten 3D films were made, the most number of 3D movies to be released in a single year.

Marc Hannah was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 13, 1956. He always enjoyed math and science in school.

In high school, he sparked an interest in computer technology. He attended the Illinois Institute of Technology with a scholarship where he earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

Hannah then went to Stanford University to earn his master’s Photo by Matthew Hickey courtesy of The HistoryMakers and doctorate degrees in Electrical Engineering.

In 1982, Hannah and six other people founded Silicon Graphics Incorporated (SGI). SGI computers are used to design airplanes and automobiles, as well as engineering, research, and military applications. However, a very popular use is creating special effects in television and movies.

Hannah helped created special effects in Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Aladdin, Forrest Gump, The Hunt for Red October, Beauty and the Beast, and Fields of Dreams. SGI computer graphics are also used in music videos, such as Michael Jackson’s video “Remember the Time.”

Hannah is currently chief technology officer for SongPro, which creates multimedia plug-ins for hand held video games and portable music devices. He is a director and co-founder of Strategic Urban Development Alliance (SUDA), which is an engineering, construction, real estate, and finance firm.

Hannah also serves on the board of directors for Magic Edge, which creates technology used in amusement parks.

In addition to his 15 patents, Hannah was given many awards, including the Kilby Young Innovator Award, Black Engineer of the Year Technical Contribution Award, IIT Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award, NTA Professional Achievement Award, San Francisco Black Chamber of Commerce Front Runner Award, M.E.N.T.O.R. Network Technology Award, and M.O.B.E Influencers & Innovators Award. Hannah has also been featured in Ebony magazine, Electronics magazine, Forbes, and PC Magazine.

Hannah is quoted as saying, “My job is to look ahead two to three years and see what’s coming. To see what consumers want, what they will want, and then to figure out how we can deliver that—at what price.”

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

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

Activity One — Technology in our Community: New technology continuously changes the way we do things. Use the newspaper to locate a picture of an invention that has affected or changed your life in some way. Write about how the invention has changed your life.

Activity Two — Mystery Story: Each student will cut out several pictures from the newspaper without reading the captions. Place the pictures in a bag, and without looking, pick your mystery picture from the bag. That’s your stimulus for writing.

Create a graphic organizer for the 5Ws (who, what, where, when, why) and continue the writing process.

Learning Standards: I can locate information in a newspaper. I can write for a specific purpose and audience. I can make text to self and text to world connections.

This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms, through The St. Louis American Foundation and its NIE Corporate Partners:

A14

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

‘Public nuisance’ bill defeated

Photo by Jason Rosenbaum/St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert P. McCulloch testified in support of the “public nuisance” bill at the St. Louis County Council meeting on October 6.

Charge of racism levied against proposed changes in rental licensing an “extreme legal challenge” to St. Louis County from tenants, landlords and civil rights groups.

St. Louis County Council voted down a bill (4-3) that “You can’t apply one set of would have required landlords rules to one set of people and in unincorporated St. Louis another set of rules to another County to evict tenants who set of people and call this have misdemeanors resulting America,” Ord told the council. from “public nuisances” or they “You just can’t.” would lose their licenses under Zach Schmook, deputy a new licensing system the bill director and managing attorney would create. for St. Louis Equal Housing Substitute Bill No. 1 and Opportunity Council, said (previously known as Bill 204) the bill could greatly affect would have revised chapter oppressed individuals.

825 in the “Residential Rental “It gives the county and Property and Licensing Code.” enforcement agency a lot The bill excluded apartment of discretion about where complexes and was fairly vague they’re going to enforce this in its written language. kind of stuff,” Schmook told It was proposed by Mike The American. “You know, O’Mara (D-Florissant), St. it’s not going to be in Afton, Louis County Council vice it’s going to be in Spanish chairman, who specifically Lake. We think there are a lot mentioned Glasgow Village in of disparate impacts: racial, his North County disability, domestic district as the target n “Is this bill violence. Across of the proposed the gamut, we think going to get codes. this is a bad way evenly Councilman to approach this Kevin O’Leary enforced? If it target.”

(D-Oakville), Molly Metzger, Councilwoman assistant professor doesn’t, then Hazel Erby at Washington (D-University City), it’s really going University’s Brown Councilwoman School of Social to seem like Colleen Wasinger Work, said she was you’re being (R-Town and mostly concerned Country) and about the issue of racist.”

Councilman Mark domestic violence Harder (R-Ballwin) in relation to the voted against the bill. Metzger and – Joe Ord one of her students new version of O’Mara’s bill on wrote a policy brief Tuesday night. on the overlapping Voting with of nuisance O’Mara were ordinances and council chair Pat Dolan domestic violence and the risk (D-Richmond Heights) and of eviction. Under the bill’s Sam Page (D-Creve Coeur). first draft, domestic violence was not excluded from being a For the past two council public nuisance. meetings, more than 50 people Metzger says she was have spoken against the bill “thrilled” that the bill was before the council. voted down.

Joe Ord, who owns 46 “I’m incredibly relieved,” properties in unincorporated Metzger told The American.

St. Louis County, testified “It really gave me some hope on Tuesday night, “I haven’t to see all the people who came always had the best tenants, I out and spoke against it. People like getting those tenants out. have to live somewhere. If This bill doesn’t do that.” they’ve done their time, they’ve Ord’s main concern with done their time and I think the bill was equality in people in St. Louis County are enforcement. starting to realize that.”

“I manage over 250 units.

St. Louis County Prosecutor I manage in North County, Robert P. McCulloch testified I manage in West County, I in support of O’Mara’s bill, manage in St. Charles,” Ord as St. Louis Public Radio said. reported.

“I have units that cross the “I think overall it is a spectrum, and I’m telling you good ordinance,” McCulloch that crimes happen in all those testified, “and a good step neighborhoods. Is this bill going to get evenly enforced? If toward maintaining and it doesn’t, then it’s really going improving the housing stock to seem like you’re being racist. that we have parts of the county that are growing older.”

It’s going to be a Ferguson This story is published as issue if this does not get evenly part of a partnership between enforced.”

The Huffington Post and The Ord also said he believed St. Louis American. that if passed bill would bring

By Mariah Stewart Ferguson Fellow

Business

B1

OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

People On The Move Ta-Nehisi Coates has been named a 2015 MacArthur Fellow. A journalist, a blogger and author, he will receive $625,000 over five years. His new book is “Between the World and Me.” He also has written Ta-Nehisi influential long Coates magazine articles, such as “The Case for Reparations” and “The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration.”

Tishaura O. Jones completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard Kennedy School, sponsored by the Cahn Public Service Fellowship.

Tishaura O. She is treasurer for the City of St. Jones Louis. The threeweek program provides traditional and hands-on learning approaches to help public officials meet the changing needs of their communities.

Photo by Wiley Price

Warner Baxter, CEO and chairman of Ameren Corporation, spoke Saturday morning during an employee event at Ameren headquarters in downtown St. Louis to unveil the company’s new financial support of community initiatives in accordance with the Ferguson Commission report.

Ameren commits $2.5M to Ferguson priorities

Funds go to Urban League, Wyman Center, UMSL, Child Care Aware, Community College, others

By Mariah Stewart Ferguson Fellow On Saturday, October 3, Ameren Corporation announced it will provide the St. Louis community with $2.5 million to support “signature priorities” outlined in the Ferguson Commission report, including programs for child well-being, education and job readiness.

Hundreds of Ameren employees and community leaders gathered at Ameren headquarters, 1901 Chouteau, for the company’s “diversity inclusion” festival, where the announcement was made.

“This multi-year Ameren Cares program really targets those in need, not just in St. Louis, but in North St. Louis County,” said Warner Baxter, CEO and chairman, Ameren Corporation.

The program will provide $1 million in funding for education, $500,000 for economic See AMEREN, B2

New Ameren funding $1 million for education • University of Missouri St. Louis for scholarships to underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and math and to help students transition to college ($500,000) • Wyman Center to expand it college-readiness mentorship program into the college years ($375,000) • Child Care Aware to train early childhood teachers ($100,000) Another $100,000 for education (program not yet designated). $500,000 for job training • Urban League Save Our Sons program to help black men increase their marketable skills ($250,000) • Concordance Academy of Leadership to help parolees find jobs ($150,000) • St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley for its energy industry pre-apprenticeship program ($100,000) $1 million for energy assistance • Ameren’s Dollar More Assistance Program • Heat Up St. Louis, which helps pay utility bills and provides air conditioners

Regional Chamber responds to Ferguson Commission Adds ‘economic mobility’ to macroeconomic indicators that define regional prosperity

By Joe Reagan St. Louis Regional Chamber On September 14, the Ferguson Commission released its final report, titled “Forward Through Ferguson,” which identifies the signature priorities we must consider as a community around justice, youth, opportunity and racial equity.

The commission identified over 40 “Signature Calls to Action” – changes and best practices to put us on a stronger path. The St. Louis Regional Chamber fully participated in the inclusive democracy that resulted in these Calls to Action. We contributed to the discussion, sometimes in support of ideas, other times in opposition, and always with respect for the people who expressed the ideas.

The Ferguson Commission created a robust, transparent, inclusive and respectful process. The way they went about their work is as much a best practice as any of their recommendations.

The promise of Forward Through Ferguson is

Joe Reagan

only realized by accepting the shared reality the report clearly communicates. Our region must accept its shared accountability for positive change.

Accountability is the word. We accept our accountability for embracing these Calls to Action and bringing about this new reality for St. Louis with its priorities of: Racial Equity, Justice for All, Youth at the Center and Opportunity to

Thrive.

Many of the Ferguson Commission report’s Calls to Action, especially those around education and employment, echo strategic priorities in the Regional Chamber’s own One Plan, and its vision for regional prosperity.

These include: Enhancing Collaboration Between Educational Institutions and Employers, Implementing Work-Based Learning Opportunities, Creating an Innovative Education

n “We will not be the best if we do not close the economic opportunity gaps in our community.”

– Joe Reagan

Hub, Expanding Internship and Apprenticeship Opportunities, Creating a Rating System (for diversity), Creating Individual and Family Development Accounts.

We support several policy changes called for in the report. Many of these policies are focused on state government, though not exclusively. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon convened the Ferguson Commission. Therefore, the commission’s focus was understandably on Missouri. Our focus is St. Louis – the See REAGAN, B6

Clarence Dula received a Silver Beaver Award from the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, the highest recognition a Boy Scout council awards to volunteers. A Clarence member of the Order Dula of the Arrow, Dula has been involved in Scouting for most of his life. He continues to mentor young men, offering guidance and advice.

Danielle Smith will be vice chair of Saint Louis Crisis Nursery Young Professionals Board for 2015-16.

Smith is the director of Placement at DTI and a graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia Danielle and Saint Louis Smith University School of Law. Smith has been involved with the Crisis Nursery through volunteering, serving on the YPB and supporting nursery events.

Patrick Awuah has been named a 2015 MacArthur Fellow.

An educator and entrepreneur building a new model for higher education in Ghana, Awuah, will receive $625,000 over five years. He is Patrick founder and president Awuah of Ashesi University College in Accra.

Previously he was an engineer and program manager at Microsoft.

Maria (Stallings) Page is serving a second term as president of the Alumni Association at McKendree University. A member of the board of trustees, she served previously as firstMaria vice president and (Stallings) homecoming chair.

Page She teaches creative writing and video journalism to seventh and eighth grade students in the Ladue School District.

On the move? Congratulations! Send your good professional news and a color headshot to cking@stlamerican.com

B2

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

Personal Finance

By Nathaniel Sillin A generation ago, most families didn’t think about financial fraud. Today, it can come in many forms – over the phone, through the mail and increasingly, online. It’s an equal opportunity crime that affects consumers of all ages.

For the 15th straight year, the Federal Trade Commission tapped identity theft as the number one source of consumer complaints in its 2014 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book (https:// www.ftc.gov) released in February. The agency also noted a “large increase” in so-called “imposter” scams – phone calls and emails from thieves purporting to represent the government as a way to steal data and money from unsuspecting adults.

Young people – particularly students – may be the fastestgrowing group of fraud targets.

Due to their dependence and sometimes unwitting use of computers and mobile devices, young people may be the greatest potential victims of financial fraud, according to a 2015 study (https://www. javelinstrategy.com) by Javelin Strategy & Research. More than 64 percent of respondents said they were not “very concerned” about identity fraud, but were far more likely to find out they were fraud

AMEREN Continued from B1

development opportunity and $1 million to energy assistance.

Baxter said the Ameren program aligns with a number of “signature priorities” identified by the Ferguson Commission, a task force

Building a fraud-free family

victims long after the damage occurred, such as through a call from a debt collector or a rejection letter from a lender.

Most consumers under the age of 18 shouldn’t have a credit record at all. But as digital thieves become more sophisticated and federal agencies become occasionally vulnerable to hackers, critical privacy data like Social Security numbers – which many parents obtain for their children in infancy to save or invest money or buy insurance on their behalf – could be at risk years before a child ever opens a bank account or applies for a loan.

For all of these reasons, it may be time to think about a family fraud plan. Here are some steps to consider.

• Check the accuracy of all family credit data. Parents should begin by checking their own credit reports (https:// www.annualcreditreport. com/index.action) to make sure creditor data and loan balances are accurate and no inaccuracies or unfamiliar lenders have crept into their information. Once clear, adult children can make sure senior relatives are taking similar steps. As for minors, the three major credit agencies – TransUnion, Equifax and Experian – have their own website guidelines for

appointed by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, and was developed through input from Ameren employees and other community leaders.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, HeatUp St. Louis, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis Community College, Child Care Aware, Wyman Center, United Way of

• Online, by phone and in person, be wary of collection demands or requests for Social Security numbers or other specific account data unless the identity of the caller can be verified. Fraudulent calls are called “vishing” scams, similar to “phishing” scams that involve fraudulent emails, texts and websites used to illegally collect personal data.

• Install all software security updates immediately on mobile devices and computers and ensure passwords are unique and frequently updated.

• Sign up for fraud alerts from banks, credit card issuers or investment companies to receive immediate word of unusual or potentially illegal activity on accounts.

Learn how to protect all mobile computer and handheld data. confirming and evaluating a minor’s credit data.

• Make sure mailboxes are safe from thieves and any document with an account number or identifying data is

Greater St. Louis and several other organizations helped collaborate with Ameren on the program.

Mike McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, said after the Ferguson unrest he spoke to executives from Ameren about getting involved.

Ameren helped contribute to Urban League’s Save Our Sons

destroyed before it is placed in the trash. The same goes for tax returns that are no longer needed.

• Learn how to protect all mobile computer and handheld

program, an initiative to help provide job training to young African-American males in North County.

“We have graduated five classes since we started the program and over 100 men have jobs today as a result,” said McMillan. “We will continue you to make sure that it is successful and the program is being duplicated in Urban Leagues across the country.”

Ameren also contributed to the new Urban League Empowerment center that is being built at the site of the burned down Quik Trip in Ferguson. McMillan said the Urban League’s partnership with Ameren is the “ideal one you’ll want with any company.”

“Dr. King once said the time is always right to do what is right, and Ameren does just that,” said McMillan.

Rich McClure, co-chairman of the Ferguson Commission, also spoke at Ameren on Saturday.

“Creating a better St. Louis depends on all of us,” said McClure. “It depends on collaborations between the business community and the non-profit community. It is our hope and prayer that the Ferguson Commission’s report on racial equity can guide us toward that collaboration.”

For Baxter, there he is a personal connection. He grew

data and have a plan in place in case any family member loses a smartphone, tablet or laptop/desktop computer. Tips are available online, from smartphone service providers and device manufacturers.

Bottom line: Identity thieves and other financial fraudsters watch consumer behavior closely and are equally adept at stealing money and data in person, over the phone and online.

Have a plan in place to protect the entire family.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www. twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

Photo by Wiley Price

Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, spoke Saturday morning during an employee event at Ameren headquarters in downtown St. Louis to unveil the company’s new financial support of community initiatives in accordance with the Ferguson Commission report. The Urban League’s Save Our Sons program is receiving $250,000. up in St. Louis County and graduated from UMSL, just a few miles from Ferguson

Ground Zero.

“This community has not only given me the education, but it’s given me the hope and the opportunity and the absolute great privilege to lead this great company and for that, I’ll be forever grateful,” said Baxter.

Baxter said now is the time for the business community to come together in order to make a difference in the wake of the Ferguson Commission report and its call for action to promote racial equity.

“Not just through financial support,” said Baxter, “but through volunteerism to try to help the young and those in need every day.”

As part of Ameren’s new education commitment, its employees will mentor Wyman Center students as part of a program that expands the organization’s existing services from high school to career.

Wyman Center President Dave Hilliard said that students “from circumstances where they haven’t had a lot of supports and opportunities” often get into college but then choose “majors and courses of study that really wouldn’t take them as far as they could possibly go.”

This story is published as part of a partnership between The Huffington Post and The St. Louis American.

n “I’m still A.B., but the next half, but the next half of my career I’m all about business and boxing.”

– Adrien Broner, after winning the WBA Super Lightweight title last last weekend

Sports

INSIDE

Why isn’t Ezekiel Elliott playing for Mizzou? ~ See ‘Sports Eye’ page B4 ~ B3

OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

Prep Football Notebook

Rams Roundup

Back on track

Rams give hope

With Palmer L. Alexander III

With Earl Austin Jr.

Three area powers riding four-game win streaks The football programs at Hazelwood Central, Parkway Central and Lafayette have enjoyed a strong winning tradition for many years. After three weeks of the 2015 season, there seemed to be more questions than answers as all three teams were sitting at 1-2.

One month later, all three of these proud programs seemed to have found those answers as they are now 5-2 and riding a fourEarl game winning Austin Jr. streak.

Hazelwood Central took down Suburban XII North foes McCluer, Riverview Gardens, McCluer North and Hazelwood East during its streak.

The most dramatic n Hazelwood victory Central took came last down Suburban Saturday XII North foes against their rivals McCluer, from East Riverview when the Gardens, Hawks McCluer North rallied and Hazelwood from a 20-0 East during its deficit streak. to take a 40-20 victory.

Junior running back Demontez Clark has been the catalyst of a young Hawks’ team with more than 1,000 yards rushing at 19 touchdowns, including six against See PREP, B5

Win against Pack would put them over .500

Photo by Wiley Price

McCluer Comets’ Seamus Brandam (10) picks up yardage against Hazelwood West en route to their 20-7 win over the Wildcats on Saturday.

The St. Louis Rams shut up one of their harshest critics, which is myself, in a 24-22 road win against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Rams needed that win, especially with the way this season has begun.

Rams rookie RB Todd Gurley went off with a career day thus far in his young career with 146 rushing yards including a long of 52 yards that set up a touchdown. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher stuck with Gurley, and it paid off huge. Gurley played up to the hype and wasted no time running through daylight provided by this Palmer L. young Rams offensive Alexander line.

What helped open up the running game was the Rams giving WR Tavon Austin a steady dose of touches. Austin caught 6 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns, and had 2 carries for 20 yards. He had the n QB Nick Foles is off to Cardinals’ attacking defense on its heels a great start all afternoon long stat-wise for and played big because the Rams the Rams. were limited, since You can only they traded away wonder how Chris Givens and much better Kenny Britt has a bum shoulder. his numbers The Rams’ would be if it offense has a much weren’t for the better look when drops.

Austin gets the ball more. The offense needs to revolve around him. I can see how both he and Gurley give the Rams a legit home run threat, and that’s been lacking for a very long time.

QB Nick Foles had a good day throwing with 3 touchdowns and no picks. Foles also hooked up with WR Stedman Bailey for an 18-yard touchdown – his first score of the season. Foles is off to a great start stat-wise for the Rams; he has 5 touchdowns, 1 interception, 815 See RAMS, B5

In The Clutch With Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Stephen A. feeling himself with Durant rant

“The level of sensitivity that so the fedora-wearing, cigaCharles Barkley and so many rette-smoking wordsmiths of others have alluded to, is grow- old sent in their stories via ing quite alarming.” telegraph, read the story to an How ironic is it that the editor over the telephone or prior quote, made by ESPN hacked away at an old school personality Stephen A. Smith, typewriter back in the office. fits his response right More importantly, to the tee? During his though they injected well-chronicled rant their personalities into regarding Oklahoma the story, they crafted City Thunder superstar stories in a manner that Kevin Durant, Smith ignored themselves and violated the natural focused solely on the order of the sports joursport/athlete. nalism. Smith made In today’s world, himself bigger than the sports reporters have athlete, bigger than the Ishmael H. become sports personsport and, more imporalities. We all have Sistrunk tantly, bigger than the social media accounts, story. television/video segments, Let’s get one thing clear, podcasts, radio shows, etc. sports journalism in 2015 is not Men and women who cover your father’s or grandfather’s sports have become their own brand of journalism. There was brand, regardless of the publia time when newspapers were cation or network that writes Americans’ primary source the checks. Love him or hate of news. Sports reporters and him, Smith has a big personalcolumnists were embedded ity. Both he and co-pilot Skip with teams. They traveled Bayless grace the airwaves of with them on the road, and ESPN because of their bold, chronicling every game, player boisterous, controversial and and sports-related storyline of in-your-face style of reporting. interest. Email, social media It is evident, however, that the and Dropbox did not yet exist, TV shows, commercials and

n “I don’t talk to Stephen A Smith at all.

Nobody in my family, my friends, they don’t talk to Stephen A Smith. So he’s lying.”

– Kevin Durant, to Anthony Slater of “The Oklahoman”

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith stepped over the line when he warned Kevin Durant by saying “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me.” the celebrity generated by his daily screaming matches with Bayless have Smith feeling

himself. Here’s the abbreviated version of how the beef began that sent Smith into full Meek

Mill battle rapper mode.

“In one breath I’m hearing that if Kevin Durant doesn’t

stay in Oklahoma City, L.A. is his primary objective and landing spot as opposed to South Beach or even his home of Washington, D.C.” – Stephen A. Smith, on ESPN’s First Take “I don’t talk to Stephen A Smith at all. Nobody in my family, my friends, they don’t talk to Stephen A Smith. So he’s lying.” – Kevin Durant, to Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman After Durant’s reply, Smith clearly cued up “Hit Em Up” on his iPhone and began craftSee CLUTCH, B5

B4

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

Sports Eye

Why isn’t Ezekiel Elliott playing for Mizzou?

With Alvin Reid

How U-M often misses out on area’s top black football recruits

Earlier this season, McCluer player. Missouri was not listed.

North played at Kirkwood and Soldan International Studies the game featured two of the defensive lineman Jaylen area’s top players.

Bohannan’s coach told the Pioneers running back Post-Dispatch in August that Jerod Alton led Kirkwood to a he had received a scholarship victory, and is committed to the offer from Southeast Missouri University of Missouri.

State University and that North Stars wide receiver Illinois, Northern Iowa, Harry Ballard, who was Syracuse and Wisconsin had unstoppable throughout shown interest. There the game even when was no mention of double covered, also Missouri. ran back a kickoff Roderick Campbell, for a touchdown in a four year starter at which he broke at least defensive back for six tackles. He has Chaminade and all-state committed to Kansas candidate, is headed to State.

Northwestern.

Alton said on Twitter Alvin Dirion Hutchins, in August, “Proud to one of the area’s most Reid say I will continue my talented defensive school and football linemen at Francis career at the University of Howell, committed to Bowling Mizzou.” He is being recruited Green in Ohio. as a wide receiver or defensive O’Fallon (Ill.) running back back, though, so his running Kentrail Moran is destined for back days will apparently end. the University of Illinois, and I’m still perplexed as to so is East St. Louis offensive why Mizzou does not corner lineman Trevour Simms. the market on the St. Louis Brendan Scales of area’s top African-American Lafayette plays all over the talent. When Earl Austin Jr. field on offense, and is headed published his “Top prep players to Alabama to play tight end to watch in 2015” in late for coach Nick Saban.

August, he included Jeff Thomas where several of of East St. Louis n “Stacey the seniors plan to is a junior and one Elliott (father of of the nation’s attend college and Ezekiel Elliott) top receivers. play.

Running back ESPN Recruiting admitted that Tre Bryant of Nation reports that the passion, CBC, who scored Missouri has offered the coverage 21 touchdowns last him a scholarship, and just year in the Cadets’ but so have state championship Alabama, Illinois, the overall season, has also Indiana, Michigan, following at been nabbed by Nebraska, Ohio Ohio State K-State. CBC is by State, Syracuse and blows Mizzou far the best Class Texas A&M. 6A team in the state out of the There is no and barring an upset water.” shame in losing should repeat as an area player to champions. another college, Bryant’s that’s not my point. teammate, But the emergence cornerback/receiver Lamar of running back Ezekiel Elliott Anderson, has not committed, at Ohio State University but ESPN Recruiting Nation reminds the Tigers and Mizzou has him receiving offers from fans of his recruitment and the Ball State, Bowling Green, reported reasons why he chose Kansas and Western Michigan. the Buckeyes.

Iowa and Iowa State are also In March 2013, Ari recruiting the talented two-way Wasserman of the Buckeye

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott turns up field during the No. 1 Buckeyes’ season opening win at Virginia Tech. Elliott, who played for John Burroughs School, spurned Missouri for Ohio State and is now one of the nation’s leading running backs. He rushed for 274 yards in last Saturday’s win at Indiana.

Sports Bulletin interviewed Stacey Elliott, Ezekiel’s dad.

He was reportedly not thrilled with the lack of coverage from the Columbia, Missouri, media. Meanwhile in Columbus, Elliott was already being hailed as a needed fixture on a team that would ultimately win the 2014 National Championship.

Wasserman wrote, “Mizzou lacked the same type of influence that Ohio State had. They used Elliott’s

multiple visits to Mizzou and the fact that nobody wrote about it as an example. Stacey Elliott admitted that the passion, the coverage and just the overall following at Ohio State blows Mizzou out of the water. The Elliotts still admit to being blown away by how much support there is for the program. No matter where they go, people recognize Elliott.”

The sophomore running back went to Bloomington, Indiana, last week and without

his effort and a final goal line stand the Buckeyes could have lost to the Hoosiers.

Elliott rushed for 274 yards on 23 carries in the 34-27 win that keeps the Buckeyes atop the AP Top 25. Only former Buckeye and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George rushed for more yards in a game (314 yards.)

Elliott has rushed for 729 yards on just 100 carries this season and can be counted as “one that got away from

Missouri” big time.

To land the Flyers’ Thomas and other cream-of-the-crop St. Louis area recruits it might take more commitment from the good folks down in Columbia – including those that cover the Tigers in the media.

Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on KETC channel 9’s mostpopular show “Donnybrook,” and is also a radio commentator and author.

B5

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

RAMS

St. Louis American Prep Athletes of the Week

Continued from B3 passing yards with a QB Rating 96.5, which isn’t bad. You can only wonder how much better his numbers would be if it weren’t for the drops.

The Rams’ defense piled up 4 sacks, one interception

by Janoris Jenkins and forced two fumbles, one by Rodney McLeod, the other by middle linebacker James Laurinatitis.

Their defense lost a key member in outside linebacker Alec Ogletree, who will most likely miss the rest of the season with a broken fibula.

His leg got rolled accidentally by a Rams teammate. The Rams really count on Ogletree, who has become one of the team’s most active tacklers and has a penchant for forcing fumbles.

The Rams are thin in that area. The Rams were already using SS Mark Barron in a nickel linebacker hybrid mode; I expect to see him playing more. Since arriving in St. Louis in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he’s been one of the better blitzing safeties in the league and came close several times to recording a sack.

The Rams’ next challenge is another road contest against the

PREP

Continued from B3 East last weekend.

Parkway Central turned around its season in Week 4 with a huge 27-21 victory over a talented Ladue team. The Colts then followed up with victories over Parkway West, University City and Clayton, who all have winning records.

The Colts have a talented pair of sophomore running backs in Jaden Mitchell and Eddie Ross who have combined for nearly 1,200 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns.

Junior quarterback Mitchell Goldenberg has eight touchdown passes. Senior Cooper Lohkamp has nine quarterback sacks to lead the defense. The Colts face their toughest test of the season on Friday night against undefeated Fort Zumwalt North.

Lafayette’s 1-2 start could be attributed to a tough earlyseason schedule as its losses were to Eureka and Kirkwood, who are both still undefeated.

The Lancers have defeated

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

ing his response. During the 11 minute monologue on his show, Smith actually made some good, relevant points about athletes and the media.

Unfortunately they were veiled by his boss mode ego that would’ve made Tony Montana blush.

Smith went on about his track record, his 20+ years of experience and the number of stories that he broke. While I respect Smith’s work and accomplishments, especially as a black, non-athlete at ESPN, his response should have been, “I stand by my sources.” That’s all it took. If his track record speaks for itself, what was the point of speaking on it? Should Durant jettison to Los Angeles

Leketor Member-Meneh Lutheran South – Girls Volleyball The talented junior outside hitter led the Lancers to the championship of the Lutheran South Tournament last weekend.

The 5’9” Member-Meneh recorded 12 kills, 21 digs and two blocks in the championship match as South defeated defending Class 3 state champion Jefferson City Helias.

For the season, Member-Meneh is averaging 5.47 kills per set, which is fourth in the St. Louis metro area. South is currently 20-7-1 on the season. As a sophomore, Member-Meneh led the St. Louis area in kills as she led the Lancers to a 20-9-5 record.

Demontez Clark The St. Louis Rams’ Janoris Jenkins makes a spectacular interception in the end zone during the Rams 24-22 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. high-powered Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

I’m very curious to see how the Rams come out in this game. Consistency has been the Achilles heel for the Rams for such a long time. There is no better time for a statement win for the Rams than now.

I’m really curious to see what

adjustments both the offense and the defense will have.

The Rams always play division opponents tough, yet they tend to struggle in non-conference games since Fisher has become head coach.

The Rams’ record in nonconference games is 12-19 since 2012. However, a win

against the Pack would give the Rams a 3-2 record with a chance to go 4-2 heading into a bye week.

For more Rams Roundup, please subscribe to youtube. com/stlamericanvideo. You can also hear me on my weekly podcast @NTheZone with Arlington Lane II.

n Parkway Central turned around its season in Week 4 with a huge 27-21 victory over a talented Ladue team.

suffered a broken ankle in the Rams’ victory at Parkway West last Friday night.

Edwards had rushed for 925 yards and seven touchdowns this season. As a junior, he rushed for 1,320 yards in leading the Rams to the Class 5 semifinals. Highland’s Andrew Winning suffered a torn ACL in the Bulldogs victory over Waterloo two weeks ago.

Winning had rushed for 803 yards and 18 touchdowns at the time of his injury.

n The Pioneers remained undefeated after their impressive 42-2 victory over Ritenour.

Marquette, Lindbergh, Oakville and Parkway South on its current streak. Senior Brendan Scales, an Alabama recruit has three touchdowns on offense as a tight end and seven sacks on defense as a defensive end. Running back Tanner German has rushed for 793 yards and 16 touchdowns while quarterback Trevor McMurray has thrown for 1,015 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Earl’s Pick Game of the Week

A pair of talented running backs on both sides of the river saw their senior seasons and careers come to an end in the past two weeks due to injuries.

Ladue’s Daylen Edwards

Pattonville (5-2) at Kirkwood (6-0), Friday, 7 p.m. – Another big showdown in the rugged Suburban XII South Division. The Pioneers remained undefeated after their impressive 42-2 victory over Ritenour. Quarterback Reece Goddard accounted for four touchdowns for Kirkwood. The Pioneers’ defense has allowed only 15 point in the last two games.

Pattonville is coming off a 20-7 victory over Rockwood

in free agency, or even sits at the table with them during the negotiation process, it would be a feather in his cap. He could say, “I told you so.” Instead, he said, “You don’t want to make an enemy out of me.”

Really Mr. Smith? You took it there?

With his veiled threat, Smith stepped over the line.

No, it wasn’t a physical threat, but the insinuation was that the ESPN personality could somehow dig up enough dirt to ruin Durant’s career if he so desired. Even though Smith acknowledged Durant as one of the two most-talented basketball players on the planet, he also expects us to believe that Durant needs him (or his silence) to succeed.

As a web guy, who has the great privilege of moonlighting as a sports columnist for a phenomenal publication, let

me say this. Without professional sports and athletes to opine over, I would be nothing more than a modern day Al Bundy, reminiscing about the great plays made back in my heyday. I could try writing about the reverse layup I made last playing pickup basketball, in between my trips to urgent care for a broken face and a busted eye, but I have a feeling that nobody would really care.

Regardless of how popular I get, how many awards I win or how many views my columns receive, I can never be bigger than the game.

If The American punted me down the road today, there would be another talented columnist in my spot by next week. If Smith took his talents to another station, there would be another talking head in his First Take seat by the next morning. Let’s face it, sports

Injury report

Summit. The Pirates welcomed back sophomore quarterback Kaleb Eleby, who had missed a couple of weeks with a wrist injury. Eleby has thrown for 1,213 yards and 15 touchdowns. Anthony Green has been an excellent all-purpose performer as a quarterback, receiver and running back. He has 10 touchdowns. Linebackers Jordan Wilkes and Rico Anthony lead the Pirates defense.

Another Game of Intrigue Lutheran North (3-4) at Trinity (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

– A very interesting matchup between two talented Class 2 teams. Trinity is rolling through

personalities are replaceable.

If Durant decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for greener pastures, the entire trajectory for the franchise would be altered for years. That’s power.

The rant because Durant called him a liar – that’s sensitivity.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch online at @ IshmaelSistrunk

Hazelwood Central – Football The junior running back enjoyed a huge performance in the Hawks’ 40-20 victory over rival Hazelwood East last Saturday.

The 5’8” 155-pound Clark rushed for 216 yards on 26 carries and scored six touchdowns as the Hawks rallied from a 20-0 deficit. He scored on runs of 4,9, 5, 18, 49 and 8 yards. For the season, Clark has rushed for 1,065 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Hazelwood Central (5-2) will visit Hazelwood West on Saturday at 1 p.m.

an impressive season with its talented group of freshmen and sophomores. Lutheran North’s record is deceiving because their losses have come to the likes of SLUH, John Burroughs, Westminster and Clayton. They are starting to put things together, having scored more than 100 points in their last two games.

Top Games of the Week Highland (6-0) at Triad (6-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

CBC (7-0) at Christian Brothers at Memphis, Friday, 7 p.m.

Gateway Tech (7-0) vs.

Miller Career Academy (5-2) at Sumner, Friday, 7 p.m.

SLUH (5-2) at Lafayette (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

Fort Zumwalt South (6-1) at Fort Zumwalt East (3-4), Friday, 7 p.m.

Fort Zumwalt North (7-0) at Parkway Central (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

Westminster (7-0) at Christian-O’Fallon (4-3), Friday, 7 p.m.

Ritenour (3-3) at Parkway North (5-2), Saturday, 1 p.m.

Ladue (5-2) at University City (4-3), Saturday, 1 p.m.

B6

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

Forest Park Forever announces $130M fundraising campaign

American staff

Forest Park Forever aims to raise $130 million in private funds to complete $30 million in restoration projects called for in the Forest Park Master Plan and to expand Forest Park Forever’s endowment by $100 million.

The multi-year fundraising initiative is called “Forever: The Campaign for Forest Park’s Future.”

On Friday, Forest Park Forever announced that it has raised $116.9 million in private gifts toward the organization’s $130 million goal – the most

REAGAN

continued from page B1 entire bi-state, metropolitan region. We embrace the same priorities for every one of us – the 2.8 million people who call the St. Louis metropolitan region home.

Illinois has already adopted some of these policies.

Whether the changes should occur at the state or local level, the St. Louis region must take accountability for these policies and find ways to make them reality. It can be done.

We must: • Implement a refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit (already adopted by Illinois) • Update use of force statute (already adopted by Illinois) • Expand Medicaid Eligibility (already adopted by Illinois) • Enact a state-supported funding plan for public transit • Identify priority transportation projects for the St. Louis region • Support early childhood education • Revise school accreditation system.

There is a shared accountability for additional Calls to Action. We need to

ambitious fundraising effort in the park’s history.

“At this critical juncture in the park’s history, Forest Park Forever is committed to securing the future of this beloved destination,” said Lesley S. Hoffarth, president and executive director of Forest Park Forever.

“The Forever campaign will significantly improve Forest Park for today’s visitors, while also ensuring that the park will remain beautiful and welcoming for our children and our children’s children.”

The planned restoration and improvement projects

include renewed landscapes and waterways, revitalized recreation and amenities, renovated community event spaces, and improved safety, access and circulation.

The campaign is led by Honorary Campaign Chair Jack C. Taylor and Campaign Chair John H. Ferring IV. The Forever Campaign Cabinet is comprised of Anne O’Connell Albrecht, Thomas R. Collins, Steven L. Finerty, Ann Liberman, James F. Mann, Sue McCollum and Lawrence E. Thomas.

For more information, visit theforevercampaign.org.

fully understand what these recommendations entail before we can appreciate exactly what our responsibility is. We have invited the other organizations identified by the Commission to come together and discuss the ideas and concepts, including: • Launching an employer grading system for economic mobility • Creating a 25-year managed fund (for racial equity infrastructure) • Encouraging paid time off for volunteering • Creating the Spirit of Missouri Fund.

We want the St. Louis region to be the best. We measure that by where we rank among the top 20 metropolitan areas of our nation. Our intent is for St. Louis to be a Top 10 Metro, one of the top 10 most educated communities, with a growing population, with successful employers creating jobs while they grow in the global economy.

We will not be the best if we do not close the economic opportunity gaps in our community. To underscore this fact and focus our accountability, we have added “economic

mobility” to the other seven macroeconomic performance indicators we use to define regional prosperity. We seek prosperity for people in every neighborhood throughout our entire region.

The Forward Through Ferguson report was released digitally to increase its accessibility, and as co-chair Starsky Wilson said, “you can’t forget a digital report on a shelf.” The report, according to co-chair Rich McClure, is designed to be a milestone, not an end.

We are responding. We are acting. We are communicating. We are “buckled in” and “buckled down” for the generational work ahead. Together with the vast majority of good-hearted St. Louisans, who now realize our community has much work to do, we begin with unflinching resolve and stamina to see the positive change begun become the positive reality for all of us.

The full Ferguson Commission report can be found at http:// forwardthroughferguson.org.

Joe Reagan is president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber.

Check out the latest Edition of

PARTYLINE Page C10

C1 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Cedric Gala goes on in mother’s memory

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American “Though she’s passed on, she was there for the inaugural event and it was such a special night,” said Cedric “The Entertainer” Kyles. “And I’m just so encouraged by what I know the [Rosetta Boyce Kyles] Center will mean.”

When his Cedric and Friends Gala returns to the Peabody Opera House for a second year on Saturday, October 10 – this time with special guest Patti LaBelle as the featured entertainment – the experience will be bittersweet.

Cedric’s mother Rosetta, the inspiration behind the Rosetta Boyce Kyles Women’s Pavilion to be housed at SSM Health Care, passed away this summer after a long battle with cancer.

While she didn’t get to see the

pavilion come to fruition, the silver lining is the memories her son was able to provide her from the first year of

Patti LaBelle headlines 2nd annual benefit for Rosetta Boyce Kyles Women’s Pavilion the Kyles family and SSM Health Care moving forward with the project.

Through the gala she saw the community show up to support efforts to ensure her name will be forever tied to

the organization that provided her with exceptional care through her battle with cancer.

“She had been ill even then, but we got her there,” Cedric said. “She was looking great – had her little fur on her shoulders. And then we had that special message from Lionel Richie – who is one of her favorite artists. She was just floored by that night.”

It seemed to bring Cedric joy as he talked about her being recognized and sharing her heartfelt appreciation for the whole experience.

“It was one of the special moments of her life,” Cedric said. “And she continued to talk about it and felt blessed to have shared that evening with See CEDRIC, C4

“An Evening with Cedric The Entertainer and Friends” with special guest Patti LaBelle will take place 8 p.m. Saturday, October 10 at The Peabody Opera House.

April 10, 1939 – October 2, 2015

Jazz genius and gentleman Renowned saxophonist Willie Akins passes at 76

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American “Willie was one of the kindest – and baddest – tenor sax men on the planet,” said Oliver Lake, internationally renowned composer, saxophonist, artist and founding member of the World Saxophone Quartet.

As the community remembers local jazz legend Willie Akins, who passed away Friday, October 2 from congestive heart failure at the age of 76, his talent seemed trumped only by his humanity.

“I am his biggest fan and always have been,” Sandra Akins said of her husband. “He was a genius and an icon in his field – and he was a gentleman.”

The Webster Groves native left St. Louis in the 1950s to make a name for himself as a saxophonist, but family tragedy brought Akins – a graduate of Douglass High School – back home in the late 1960s.

He spent nearly 50 years as a leader in the St. Louis jazz community as a bandleader, performer, mentor and educator, most recently at Webster University.

“He’s from St. Louis, but he could’ve played anywhere,” said Dwight Bosman of the musical duo The Bosman Twins. “He dedicated himself to the local jazz community when he came back.”

Most people remember him as a good person who paid his gift forward by immersing himself in the local scene and investing his time in the talent that followed his path.

“When I think of Willie Akins, I think of jazz royalty,” Dwight Bosman said. “He was not only a consummate musician, but one who inspired and taught.”

“There are many good musicians, but there aren’t many true artists,” said Dwayne Bosman, the other half of The Bosman Twins. “Willie was an artist.”

His sound was instantly identifiable. It was rich, clear and on point.

“He sang very well through his saxophone,” Dwayne Bosman said. “His knowledge and understanding of chord progression was remarkable, and his delivery was quite creative – and instantly identifiable. You knew Willie when you heard him.”

Akins was the natural choice for a mentor and consultant as the duo embarked on recording original music for the first time with their CD “When Lions Roar.”

Both Bosmans described Akins as the consummate professional who was as dedicated to helping other musicians to perfect their craft as he was for himself. They witnessed it

Local jazz legend Willie Akins passed away Friday, October 2 from congestive heart failure at the age of 76.

Photo Illustration

by Melvin Moore

• Only Online • ‘Black Man in a White Coat’ author visits STL County Library

See AKINS, C4

‘Only Just A Minute’ arrives in STL Historical play about MLK’s mentor visits region in response to Ferguson unrest

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

St. Louis County Library Foundation and For the Sake of All present Author Damon Tweedy to discuss his book ‘Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor’s Reflection on Race and Medicine’ next Thursday (Oct. 15) at the St. Louis County Library.

www.stlamerican.com

The stage play “Only Just A Minute” was created as a tribute the proud legacy and impact of Morehouse College by exploring the relationship between two of its most iconic representatives – alumnus Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his mentor, famed President Emeritus Dr. Benjamin E. Mays.

But the unrest in Ferguson prompted Bob Dockery, who conceived and produced the show, to see a bigger picture than when the fellow Morehouse man originally presented the play in Atlanta just two weeks before Michael Brown Jr. was killed.

“I realized that the theme of this play was very timely in light of the events in Ferguson, New York, Baltimore and all of these other places where you have injustices being done against African Americans by the police and other people,” Dockery said.

His ultimate goal is to take the production to Broadway, but in the meantime, he decided to take his show on the road to areas that were at the heart of unrest and protest. Because of Ferguson, St. Louis was the first region that came to mind.

So from October 14-17 he will present “Only Just A Minute” at the Florissant Civic Center See PLAY, C4

“Only Just a Minute,” about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. learning the principles of non-violence at Morehouse College, will play at the Florissant Civic Center from October 14-17.

Calendar

C2

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015 Mike Judy Productions presents Raheem DeVaughn & Leela James with special guest V Bozeman. See CONCERTS.

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 Sat., Oct. 10, 6 p.m., 10th Anniversary of the Distinguished Gents Concert.

For More information, call The David Peaston Foundation at 314-629-7901 or reserve tickets online at www. davidpeastonfoundation.org Sat., Oct. 10, 8 p.m., An Evening with Cedric the Entertainer and Friends feat. musical guest Patti LaBelle.

Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. ssmstmarys.org.

Sun., Oct. 11, 7 p.m. doors.

The Nu Chi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi present Jon B and Joe Torry. Ballpark Village.

Wed., Oct. 14, 7 p.m., Mike Judy Productions presents Raheem DeVaughn & Leela James with special guest V Bozeman. The Ready Room, 4195 Manchester Ave., 63110.

For more information, visit www.thereadyroom.com.

Sun., Oct. 25, Stevie Wonder: Songs in The Key of Life Performance, Scottrade Center. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Thurs., Oct. 29, Janet Jackson: Unbreakable World Tour, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

local gigs Thur., Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Soul Experience: An Evening with Brian Owens. The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Fri., Oct. 9, 8:30 p.m., AllN-1-Entertainment presents Michael Jackson Tribute Concert. Featuring Rollyn Klassy Moore and hosted by DJ Kut & DJ Sweet Tea. Rustic Goat, 2617 Washington Ave.,

63103. For more information, call (314) 371-4031.

Sat., Oct. 10, 8 p.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Peter Martin Music CD Release Concert. Pianist extraordinaire and St. Louis native Peter Martin is pleased to return for a CD release party with Greg Hutchinson on drums and Reuben Rogers on bass, with special guests Erin Bode and Brian Owens. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. thesheldon.org.

Thur., Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m., Mildred Thimes Foundation 10th Annual Benefit Concert feat. Denise Thimes with Monique Marvez. Proceeds will benefit pancreatic cancer research. The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.thesheldon.org.

Sun., Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m., Divas 123 presents An Evening of Jazz for Charity.

Proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The Signature Room, 9002 Overland Plaza, 63114. For more information, call (314) 477-1042.

Wednesdays, 6-10 p.m., Lexus Len’s “Wednesday Night Live” featuring: Cheryl Brown, Jeremiah Allen, Jeff Taylor, Gerald Warren & Amos Brewer, The Marquee, 1911 Locust.

special events Oct. 8 – 10, Rebuild the City Women’s Bootcamp.

Come out for extravagant worship and prayer sessions, powerful teaching workshops and community outreach opportunities. Ferguson Community Center, 1072 Smith Ave., 63135. For more information, call (314) 5368173.

Featured Event Thur., Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Treasure Shields Redmond, author of chop: a collection of kwansabas for fannie lou hamer. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com.

(In LITERARY)

Fri., Oct. 9, 6 p.m., 2nd Coffee House Session: Ladies Paint Night. Come out for an evening of food, laughter, freedom, and much more.

This event is free and open to the public. University City Library Auditorium, 6701 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information or to RSVP, call (314) 690-5673.

Sat., Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Omicron Theta Omega Chapter and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Upsilon Omega Chapter present H.B.C.U. Throwback T-Shirt Party. Proceeds benefit scholarships and mandated programs. Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Blvd., 63120.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (314) 441-2212 or (314) 385-4100.

Sun., Oct. 11, 3 p.m., A Cappella Africa. Come out for a classical music concert featuring flutists Wendy Hymes and Matt Allison, as well as our very own Songs of Africa Ensemble. Parkway United Church of Christ, 2841 N. Ballas Rd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 652-

6800 or visit www.africarts. org/season2015.

Sun., Oct. 11, 2 p.m., Blaq Pearls Fashion Frenzy. Come see the latest craze in designer tees exclusively for women.

Admission and parking are free. Femme Fatale Boutique, 507 N. Taylor, 63108. For more information, call (314) 5622882 or visit www.blaqpearls. com.

Sun., Oct. 11, 5:30 p.m., Sylent Heart Casino Night Fundraiser. This will be an evening of live entertainment, appetizers and gaming tables that will be fun for all participants. Friends A Meeting Place, 716 N. Compton, 63106.

For more information, call (314) 400-0451 or visit www. bridgethegaph314.org.

Wed., Oct. 14, 8 a.m., 2nd Annual Women’s Empowerment Seminar.

Learn how to market yourself in a digital age. Catering to You Banquet Center, 12775 New Halls Ferry Rd., 63033.

For more information, call (314) 831-3500 or visit www. greaternorthcountychamber. com.

Fri., Oct. 16, 9 a.m., St. Louis World Food Day 2015.

Come out for this annual foodpackaging event providing nutritious meals to hungry children and families living locally and internationally.

John Burroughs School, 755 S. Price Rd., 63124. For more information, visit www.

STLWFD.org.

Sat., Oct. 17, 1 p.m., 3rd Annual Brew in the Lou. More than 50 vendors will share their wares. Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, 63105. For more information, visit www.lesastl.org.

Fri., Oct. 23, 5:30 p.m., Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma hosts 2015 Hope and Healing Gala. St. Louis City Center Hotel, 440 S. 14th St., 63103.

For more information, call (314) 266-8216 or visit www. stlcenterforsurvivors.org.

Sat., October 24, 2015 at 6 pm. The Dr. James Whittico 100th Birthday Scholarship Gala at the St. Louis Airport Marriott. For more information, contact Dr. Jacaqui Turner @jsturner47@ msn.com.

Sat., Nov. 7, 6 p.m. 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis Black Tie Gala, Hyatt Regency At The St. Louis Arch. For more information, call (314) 367-7778 or visit www.100blackmenstl.com.

Sat., Nov. 14, 6 p.m., The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) annual gala, the Great Futures

Gala, formerly known as All That Jazz. Hyatt Regency at the St. Louis Arch in downtown St. Louis. For ticket information, visit www.bgcstl. org.

literary Thur., Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Treasure Shields Redmond, author of chop: a collection of kwansabas for fannie lou hamer. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com.

Sat., Oct. 10, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts Senator John Danforth, author of The Relevance of Religion: How Faithful People Can Change Politics. Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Sun., Oct. 11, 2:30 p.m., St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Bob Gibson will sign and discuss his book PITCH

BY PITCH: My View of One Unforgettable Game, St. Louis Budweiser Brew House, Ballpark Village. For tickets or more information, visit www.

MeetmeStLouis.org.

Tues., Oct. 13, 5 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, authors of All American Boys. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com.

Thur., Oct. 15, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author Damon Tweedy, author of Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor’s Reflections on Race and Medicine.

Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl. org.

Wed., Oct. 21, 7 p.m., Poets Read for Black Lives Matter.

399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.leftbank.com.

theatre Oct. 9 – 25, Upstream Theater presents De Kus/ The Kiss. When a lonely stand-up comic and an anxious housewife meet on a country path, they embark on a journey toward an unknown and

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015 surprising fate... where one kiss could change the entire world. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103.

For more information, call (314) 863-4999 or visit www. upstreamtheater.org.

Through October 11, COCA presents wUNDERland. Fall down the rabbit hole with this original dance production, created and choreographed by Anthony “Redd” Williams, that puts a hip-hop spin on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” Shows are Friday through Sunday.

COCA Founders’ Theatre, 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 3837685 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Oct. 15 – 18, UMSL Fine Arts and Communication Department presents Medea.

Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4100 or visit www.touhill.org.

Sat., Oct. 17, 3 p.m., Freshstart Productions presents “How Bad Do You Want It,” a benefit stage play for The Katherine Dunham Museum, The Sun Theatre, 3625 Grandel Square, St. Louis 63108. For more information, call 314.330.3442 or visit www.JLDFreshstartprod.com Sat., Oct. 17, 7 p.m., Kingdom Vision presents How Did I Get Here? This gospel stage play tells the story of a young lady who grew up in the church, but when she became successful she thought she no longer needed the church. Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan Ave., 63111. For more information, call (314) 535-0555.

arts Fri., Oct. 16, 6 p.m., Pulitzer Arts Foundation hosts Kota: Digital Excavations in African Art Opening Reception. 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. The Kota exhibition will run through March 2016. 3716

C3 at 14 area-wide Walgreens.

We accept tax-deductible donations of manual and power wheelchairs, electric hospital beds, shower chairs, canes/ crutches/walkers, grab bars, elevated toilet seats, portable commodes, lift chairs, seating cushions, back supports, folding ramps. For more information and participating locations, call (314) 567-4700 or visit www.stlhelp.org.

Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. pulitzerarts.org.

Through Dec. 13, COCA presents Daniel Burnett’s Denizen Kim. St. Louis painter, curator, and community-based artist Daniel Burnett will transform the Millstone Gallery with his large-scale wall paintings. The opening reception will be held Friday, Oct. 9, at 8:30 p.m. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 3837685 or visit www.cocastl.org.

lectures/ workshops Thur., Oct. 8, 9 a.m., University of Missouri Extension presents Selling to the Government Seminar.

10650 Gateway Blvd., 63132.

For more information, call (314) 400-7378 or visit www. missouribusiness.net.

Thur., Oct. 8 & 15, 6:30 p.m., Ferguson Municipal Public Library presents How to Run for Local Office Workshop.

35 N. Florissant Rd., 63135.

For more information, call (314) 521-4820.

Sat., Oct. 10, 1 p.m., Beautiful You: A Women’s Empowerment Movement.

Join Jerrica Patton along with other special guests as she shares her journey overcoming low self-esteem to strutting the runway in New York Fashion Week, becoming the first black hearing impaired model to do so. Barak Christian Church, 7370 N. Hanley Rd., 63042.

For more information, visit www.jerricapattonbeautifulyou. eventbrite.com.

Sat., Oct. 10, 1 p.m., Girls Lead And Make Moves (GLAMM) Informational.

DK Solutions, 2727 Jefferson Ave., 63118. For more information, call (314) 2004456 or visit www.glammgirls. weebly.com.

Sun., Oct. 11, 3 p.m., The Essential Playzone Tutorial Resource Center presents a College Planning Workshop.

Preparing for college can be hard. Figuring out whether or not to take the ACT or the SAT,

Janet Jackson: Unbreakable World Tour at Chaifetz Arena. For more information, see CONCERTS.

finding scholarships/grants, and even applying to college can be stressful. Lindsay Peters from ServiceWorksSTL will be discussing all of these topics, in an effort, to prepare young people for this journey from high school to college. 640 N. Highway 67, 63031. For more information, call (314) 830-3836 or visit www. essentialplayzone.com.

Wed., Oct. 14, 8 a.m., 2nd Annual Women’s Empowerment Seminar.

Learn how to market yourself in a digital age. Catering to You Banquet Center, 12775 New Halls Ferry Rd., 63033.

For more information, call (314) 831-3500 or visit www. greaternorthcountychamber. com.

Thur., Oct. 15, 4:30 p.m., For the Sake of All presents Community Action Forum: Investing in Quality Neighborhoods in St. Louis. City Garden Montessori School, 1618 Tower Grove Ave., 63110.

For more information, call (314) 622-1250 or visit www. forthesakeofall.org/events.

Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m., Woman’s Place will present a free workshop on THE PAIN OF BREAKING UP.

Workshop will explore the pain of a loss not recognized by others, grieving a relationship that ‘was bad for me’, and healing strategies for moving through loss.

Pre-registration is required by calling 314-645-4848.

Located at 8300 Morganford Rd. St. Louis, MO 63123.

Sat., Oct. 17, 1 p.m., St. Louis County Library presents Be Prepared: Older Adults and Winter Weather. Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131.

For more information or to register, call (314) 615-4426.

Fri., Oct. 23, 4 p.m., Accelerate St. Louis “Friday Meeting”. Network with St. Louis startups and investors, and enjoy complimentary appetizers and drinks. Drunken Fish in Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave., 63102. For more information, call (314) 3459481 or visit www.bit.ly/ SeptemberFridayMeeting.

health Sat., Oct. 10, 12:30 p.m., Zeta Charitable Foundation of St. Louis Inc., Xi Zeta Chapter and Zeta Rho Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. present a Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar. The presenter will be Dr. Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., Assistant Professor, SLUCare Family Medicine and wellknown columnist for the “Your Health Matters” section in the St. Louis American Newspaper.

Donations of New Wigs will be accepted for women who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment. This seminar is free and open to the public. No prior registration is required. Emerson Performance Center, Harris Stowe, 3101 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 355-0365.

Sat., Oct. 10, 9:00 a.m., St. Louis HELP Medical Equipment Donation Drive.

We are hosting another medical equipment donation drive

Oct. 14, 7 p.m., Care and Counseling will host a free, public lecture on moral injury’s impact on U.S. service members, “Healing Invisible Wounds: Moral Injury in War and Life”, will be made by nationally recognized expert Rev. Kristen Leslie, PhD, professor of Pastoral Theology and Care at Eden Theological Seminary The Lodge, 1050 Des Peres Road. The presentation,.

Although the lecture is free, registration is required by calling 314-878-4340 or visit www.careandcounseling.org

spiritual Fri., Oct. 9, 6 p.m., Healing Womens Ministries hosts 2nd Coffee House Session: Ladies Paint Night. Come out for an evening of food, laughter, freedom, and much more. Evangelist Cynthia Bennett will be the guest speaker and there will be a performance by Precious J. This event is free and open to the public. University City Library Auditorium, 6701 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information or to RSVP, call (314) 690-5673.

Sun., Oct. 18, 3 p.m., St. Matthew C.M.E. Church will be “Celebrating Seventy Years of God’s Faithfulness.”

Guest Speaker will be Bishop Sylvester Williams, Sr. of the Third Episcopal District. The public is invited to attend. The church is located at 312 Attuck St., Kirkwood. The host Pastor is Rev. Renee T. Johnson, for more information call (314) 965-7144.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

C4

AKINS

PLAY

Continued from C1

Continued from C1

firsthand as Akins worked with them to hone their sound during the production of “When Lions Roar.”

“He will be truly missed,” said Lake.

Eternal life through the music “On Friday I was driving and I had my iPod on and his CD just randomly came on,” Akins’ son Hassan Akins said before the group of musicians and fans who came to show their support at a tribute show held Tuesday night at The Sheldon Concert Hall.

In 1998 the Willie Akins Quartet released “Alima” (Catalyst Productions), featuring Willem von Hombracht (bass), Montez Coleman (drums) and Simon Rowe (piano) backing the leader on tenor saxophone.

“That’s the beauty of my dad,” Hassan Akins said. “We will always have him, because we will always have the music.”

Five of the seven children he and his wife share between them attended the tribute. They were visibly overwhelmed by the expressions of sympathy and love that have come in the wake of Akins’ passing.

“The outpouring has been more than we could ever imagine. To God be the glory,” Sandra Akins said.

The sadness of his death seemed to be outshined by the legacy he leaves behind and the fact that he is no longer suffering from the series of illnesses that kept him from doing what he loved most in recent months.

“Nothing happens without God’s permission, and we just want to thank everyone for their love and support,” Sandra said.

“He will be missed, but clearly won’t soon be forgotten. He spent a lifetime here playing the music that he loved, but also helping and teaching others. And because

Photo by Maurice Meredith

n “Willie was one of the kindest – and baddest – tenor sax men on the planet.”

– Oliver Lake

Willie dedicated so much time to those who came after him, he will live through the music for hundreds of years after he’s gone – forever.”

Sandra Akins said the family is planning to keep his “reach one, teach one” legacy within the local jazz

community alive by setting up a foundation in his name.

“He was just the type of person who liked to share his skills and his ideas. He was very generous about doing that,” Sandra said. “And we are going to do everything we can to keep that going.”

Willie Akins’ services

Services: Noon, Thursday, October 8, Randle and Sons Mortuary, 4600 Natural Bridge.

Repast: 4 -8 p.m. Thursday, October 8, Troy’s Jazz Gallery, 4519 Olive To make a contribution to the funeral services fund, visit https://www.gofundme.com/willie-akins/.

– five miles from Ferguson Ground Zero – under the direction of Kathryn Bentley and using local actors and actresses.

“The play speaks to the very things that we care about today,” Dockery said. “The basic theme of the show is asking the question: Can we have equality without violence?”

To get to the root of the answer, Dockery picks apart the non-violent approach to social justice of Dr. King by way of the man who taught it to him.

Mays became a mentor to Dr. King through a relationship that began when a 15-yearold Martin was sent to the president’s office after a fight with his best friend back in 1944.

“Dr. King was just a boy,” Dockery said. “Mays changed Dr. King’s views from the time that he was a very young man

CEDRIC Continued from C1 all of her family, friends and the St. Louis community.”

This year, she will be there in spirit as World Wide Technology and SSM Health Care present the 2nd Cedric and Friends Gala.

“We definitely want the city to come out,” Cedric said. “We have the amazing Pattie LaBelle this year. She’s an international treasure and legend – and you know she is going to rip it.”

The hope is that each year the event will present a new season to celebrate in memory of his mother.

“Let’s make this a fall Mother’s Day,” Cedric said.

“All the young folks who may not have Patti in rotation, make this about spending time with your mothers.”

into the King that everybody knew. That relationship was just a tremendous influence, and most people never knew about it.”

Dockery, a native of Louisville, was also a student during Mays’ storied tenure at the helm of Morehouse.

“Only Just A Minute” is named in honor of the poem that Mays wrote and recited to students, including King and Dockery, that reminded them how short a minute is, but to make every second count because decisions made in a second could impact the rest of one’s life.

“He was probably one of the greatest educators in American history, and most people don’t know anything about him,” Dockery said. “And through this play I hope they also learn about the value of education – that is something Benjamin Mays fought for all of his life.”

Through financial support from the Monsanto, Emerson, Urban League and St. Louis Cares, in conjunction with Eta Boule, students will see first-hand the importance of education and mentorship

explored in the play through matinees for a combined total of 1,000 students from the Ferguson-Florissant and Jennings school districts.

Dockery believes they will see themselves in the struggle for equality and be able to compare the Civil Rights Movement to the protests of today.

“Young people led the Civil Rights Movement in the ‘60s, and young people are leading the movement today with Black Lives Matter and all of the things you see going on in Ferguson and around the country,” Dockery said. “And they need to take away from this that a non-violent approach to solving your problems is the only reasonable way to accomplish things.”

“Only Just a Minute” will play at the Florissant Civic Center, 1 James Eagan Dr. (at Parker Road and Waterford Drive) from October 14-17.

For more information and a full schedule, visit www. onlyjustaminute.com or call 314-921-5678.

The black tie optional affair will also give families an opportunity to get in their “good clothes.”

“Come out and get dressed up. Put on your nice gear. Put on your nice cologne,” Cedric said. “This is one of those nights where it’s all right to wear your good stuff. You don’t have to save it for the pastor’s anniversary. Wash your car that day. Just making it a special evening and make it all about St. Louis and how we do.”

Cedric and his comedy cohort Jeremiah J.J. Williams will be hitting the stage as well to warm it up for LaBelle, one of the grand divas of R&B. “I also really hope that they feel like they are spending the evening with somebody that they grew up with, a homegrown – somebody they know and love – somebody that knows the city,” Cedric said. “I’ve walked those same streets, and we come to have

a really good time for a great cause.”

He’s asking for the community to show up and show out in a major way in order to expedite the efforts for the Pavilion, so SSM can achieve its goal of having the center completed by late 2016 or early 2017.

“This is a big push,” Cedric said. “We want the city to demand two shows. We want to be able to say, ‘We’re sold out, so we’re gonna have to stay over and do another one at midnight.’”

“An Evening with Cedric The Entertainer and Friends” will take place at 8 p.m. (cocktails/dinner portion begins at 5 p.m.) on Saturday, October 10 at The Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St. Tickets may be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit CedricandFriends.org or call 314-951-2290.

C5

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

Celebrations Birthdays

Anniversaries

Delali Maxine Suggs Akaffu turned 7 years old on October 7! Delali is the only grandchild of American publisher Donald M. Suggs. She lives in Los Angeles with her mother, Dawn Suggs.

Happy 50th Anniversary to Lloyd and Frances Chatters on October 7!

Pastor Michael and Lady Lillie Franks met in high school while running on the Royal Knights Summer Track Club. On October 10th, they will celebrate 28 years of marriage. They have two sons, Michael and Marc. You can visit them at New Salem M. B. Church.

Reunions All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Beaumont Class of 1970 will be celebrating their 45th Class Reunion Saturday, October 24,2015, at Catering to You.12775 New Halls Ferry Rd,63033. For more info please contact: Oneita (Meeks) Murphy: (314) 322-4205, Chuck Campbell: (314) 5204581, Toni (Brady) Hopson: beaumontclassof1970@gmail. com, or see our Facebook page.

Beaumont High School – Class of 1980 has planned its 35 year class reunion.

However all BHS Alumni are welcome to attend. Fri, Nov 13 – Sun., Nov. 15, 2015 Hotel Lumiere; Info available on www.eventbrite. com; Search on Beaumont Class of 1980. We need your home and/or email address immediately. Cutoff for reservations is Sat., Oct. 31, 2015. For more information, please contact: Terri Harris Pruitt: terrilynnhpruitt@att. net, 314-478-8923; Janice Lindsey Alphin: jmaphin1@ yahoo.com, 314-330-7881.

Call evenings only please.

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.

Hazelwood East Class of 1995 will be celebrating their 20 year class reunion on Saturday, September 26th, 2015 at Dave and Busters.

For more information, please contact kpeoples33@gmail. com Roosevelt High School Class of 1990 is hosting a “Rough Rider Alumni Reunion” and is inviting classes ‘87-‘93 to join them Saturday October 24, 2015 from 7pm -1am at the Bus Drivers Hall located at 1600 S. Broadway St. Louis, MO 63104. Tickets are $10 in adv. and $15 at the door.

For more info, contact Talisha Shelton at (314)363-1064 or on Facebook @Roosevelt class of 90.

Soldan Class of 1965 presents: “On the Road Again” to Washington, DC. Cost: $479 per-person, double occupancy, 6-Days and 5-Nights, Thurs.

June2- Tues. June 7, 2016.

First payment due now $75 each person. For more information and reservations contact: Corinne Stuckes (636)-294-4373, Brenda Yancey (314)-830-1334 or Isaiah Hair, Jr. (314)-387-7592 email: cstukes@charter.net.

Soldan Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion

Rev. J. J. and Joyce Shields celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary on October 7. They put all of their faith and trust in God that He will continue to bless them with more years to come.

for: June 17-19, 2016 at the Ameristar Casino Resort & Spa. In addition, the class will present a Harvest Dance from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 at the Barrington Downs Clubhouse, 3898 Grand National Drive, Florissant, Mo. 63034.

Tickets are $15 each and may be purchased in advance only. No tickets will be sold at the door. B.Y.O.B. Set ups available. For tickets and more information call 314385-9554 or 636-486-2621.

The Sumner Alumni Association presents it’s Maroon & White Homecoming Week Oct. 11-17, 2015. The SHS c/o 1980 kicks off Homecoming Week with a Sunday Jazz Session @ Dejavu II, Bowling Mon. at Crest Bowl, ALL Family Skate Party Tues. at Skate King, Alumni Happy Hour Wed. @ Dejavu II, Ladies Maroon & White Kick Ball & Men’s Flag Foot-Ball Game Thurs. at SHS, Alumni Dance Fri., 8 pm–1 am at the Machinist Hall; $15/$20 (Vendors $50 request appl.), Parade Sat. 10 am (Cars, floats, SUV’s, Marching Bands, etc.; request Parade Appl.), Tailgate Party noon, Sumner’s Homecoming Football Game @ Sumner’s Tuskegee Airmen Field at 1 pm Sumner vs. Vashon. For more info, contact Ms. Prissy at 314.556.3944, Michelle Elgin at 314.452.1275, Sheila Goodwin SHS 314.371.1048 (Parade) or email: sumneralumniassn@

Visit us at www.stlamerican.com

Happy “Sweet 16” Birthday to our beautiful daughter, Oksanna Safiyah, on October 10. She’s a sophomore at Hazelwood East High School where she is on symphonic marching band, Drama Club and the girls’ soccer team. She was also selected as one of the few students in the district to study her music abroad, 16 countries in ‘16.

Have a beautiful day. Love, Mom & Dad

yahoo.com.

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.

Calling all University City High alumni to participate in Homecoming Activities Saturday October 10, 2015.

Parade starts at 10 am, Football Game at 1 pm and Alumni Homecoming Dance at 7pm.

For more information contact Denise Weatherford-Bell at 314-484-6318 or msdenise38@ yahoo.com.

Calling all University City

Alumni to participate in Homecoming Activities Saturday October 10, 2015.

Parade starts at 10 am, Football Game at 1 pm and Alumni Homecoming Dance at 7pm. For more information contact Denise WeatherfordBell at 314-484-6318 or msdenise38@yahoo.com.

St. Louis Community College needs your help identifying STLCC alumni.

Alumni are encouraged to visit the website: www. stlcc.edu/foundation/, to become members or update information. For more information, contact Ashley Budde, coordinator of alumni relations, at abudde6@stlcc. edu, or 314-539-5145.

FREE OF CHARGE 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

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

Religion

C6

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Christ Community Temple celebrates 92 years Local C.O.G.I.C. church hosts festivities Oct. 9-11

Men and Women’s Conference October 8-11 in St. Charles at the Embassy Suites, 2 Convention Center Plaza. Register online at: www.nacog.com or by printed form via U.S. mail. Checks or money orders are payable to NAWCG, Attention: Registrar, P.O. Box 881511, Indianapolis IN 46208.

Eld. Miki “Anointed Merritt and inspiring speakers will be present to transform us with the Word,” Merritt said. “Distinguished musical guests will lift our spirits as they lead us in worship.

You are invited to participate in Saturday tours or shopping excursions.”

American staff Bishop William L. Harper and the members of Christ Community Temple Church of God In Christ will be celebrating the 92nd anniversary of the church, its ministry and service to the Saint Louis community. The festivities will take place October 9-11 in and around its edifice, located at 3500 Norwood in the city of St. Louis.

The weekend will include a musical service at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 9 that will center on the journey of music in the church, “from then, to now.”

Saturday, October 10 starting at 10 a.m. there will be a virtual walk through the previous locations of the church. That morning, there will also be a balloon release of 92 balloons for each year of ministry and a ceremonial tree planting, followed by a reception where various city leaders are expected to be in attendance.

The culmination will be Sunday, October 11 at 11 a.m. when family and friends of the church down through the years will be there celebrating the theme which comes from Ephesians 4:12.

“This is a time of festival, and all are encouraged to come by and celebrate the great work that continues after 92 years at Christ Community Temple!” Bishop William L. Harper said.

“I’m blessed to have served Christ Community Temple as pastor for the past 31 years, I follow in the steps and prayer of great leaders who have served this church in various capacities over theses 92 years.”

Multi-faith views on mental illness Bishop William L. Harper has been pastor of Christ Community Temple for 31 of its 92 years.

The church had its humble beginning at 1108 Biddle under a tree.

“From that beginning, families were birthed that would serve God and the community until this day,” Harper said.

“Christ Community Temple is blessed with families who had their beginnings in the church and have gone on in various directions to serve the ministry and the city of St. Louis. Through the foundation of Jesus Christ laid at CCT many have become doctors, lawyers, educators, business professionals, architects,

policemen, entrepreneurs, pastors and leaders. Church members live in all areas of city, St. Louis County and surrounding areas and in Illinois as well.”

Men and Women’s Conference Presiding Elder Miki Merritt, National Association of the Church of God (West Middlesex, Pennsylvania) and senior pastor of the New Cote Brilliante Church of God in St. Louis, invites the public to attend a

The local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will host its third annual symposium featuring multi-faith views on mental illness. Scheduled for Sunday, October 11 at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman, from 2-4 p.m., the symposium will feature speakers from Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions.

There will also be two musical selections, refreshments and social time. This is an opportunity to talk about the role of faith in the recovery from mental illness from multiple perspectives including that of a person with mental illness.

There is no cost for participants, however registration is requested. Register by contacting Sharon Lyonsat 314962-4670 or sharon@namistl.org.

The Message

Never alone

One of the more telling things about being a Christian, no matter how new the claim might be, is a new-found understanding and appreciation of being by yourself – being by yourself with the Lord, that is. Some might call it prayer, others meditation. You can call it what you want to, but being alone with God is a whole lot different than being alone without God. Understanding this reality, once you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, can take some getting used to. Many of us have had great difficulty dealing with self. We can find countless things to do with time alone: lights get turned on, channel surfing starts, music blasts, people get called and shopping gets done.

We aren’t comfortable with who we really are. It might be fear. It might be shame. It could even be embarrassment.

The closer you get to accepting the Lord’s call upon you, the more you understand that facing up to your inner demons is required homework. Can’t escape. Can’t hide. Coming to grips with one’s sinful past is a prerequisite for all future relationships and some that you’re in right now, particularly the one with Jesus Christ. It’s that “truth will set you free” stuff.

Peace of reconciliation with one’s self begins and ends with the unadulterated truth that nothing can stand between you Columnist and the God who loves you: not your James pride, not ego, not your insecurity, not Washington your sinful nature and especially not your clouded view of who you think you really are, as opposed to who God knows you are.

If God’s in the picture, it’s just you and Him. And He accepts no substitutes for you: no pretenders, gamesters, no pretense or facades. After all, He knows who you are because He made you in His image, not yours.

But isn’t that the beauty of what He offers all of us?

Isn’t it His essence that we actually seek? Before you attempt to answer with “yes,” understand that “yes” means you will never be alone again in life or in death.

I’m talking about getting used to the man or woman in the mirror. That is exactly who God made and whom He loves, warts and all. One of the most awesome things about this revelation is that once it is internalized, it is the most powerful gift in this and any other world.

Now you can fill those otherwise lonely moments with the truth that you are surrounded by the ever-present crowd of One. The key is knowing you’ve always got that one ever-present companion. In His eyes, you are the extraordinary one. After all, we are made in His image.

Now, go find a quiet spot away from everyone and look for Him inside you. Listen carefully. Hear obediently. Believe and let God bless you.

THE

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

Career Center ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

“JANITORIAL” Full, Part-Time positions, background check.Steady work history for 3-5 years, forklift or equipment operating experience preferred. MUST apply in person at 314 N. Jefferson at Olive. Monday - Friday 9A to 5P. Two forms of I.D.

MR. T'S CARWASH & DETAILING is looking for experienced car washers and detailers.Contact: Mr. T's Carwash @ 9845 Halls Ferry Rd. phone - 314-868-7676 ask for Mr. T or Reggie for more information.

City of Wentzville Dedicated Runs Available. Frequent Home Time, Top Pay, Benefits; Monthly Bonuses & More!

CDL-A, 1yr Exp. Req'd. EEOE/AAP. Limited Positions Available. 866-370-4476

CORRECTIONS TECHNICIAN

www.drive4marten.com

$17.24 per hour Plus excellent benefits 636-639-2190 or www.wentzvillemo.org E.O.E.

FIREFIGHTER

RNs and LPNs

CITY OF ALTON, IL Accepting applications UNTIL October 30, 2015 Requirements: See website www.alton-il.com Applications are available online and at: Civil Service Office 101 E. 3rd Street, Rm. 100 Alton, Illinois 62002

In-Home Agency hiring RNs and LPNs for Home Visits.

Must have Home Health Exp.

314-361-3373 EOE

City of Wentzville

POLICE OFFICER $21.33 per hour Plus excellent benefits 636-639-2190 or www.wentzvillemo.org E.O.E.

•

THE

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN C7

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

HOUSEKEEPER

DIRECTOR

Full-time

of Information Technology

The Missouri History Museum seeks a full-time Housekeeper. 3-5 years work experience and drivers license required. Must be able to lift and work weekends and evenings.

Visit www.mohistory.org for full position details.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

RESOURCE PROTECTION OFFICER Full-time The Missouri Historical Society is seeking a full-time Resource Protection Officer.

Professional training and experience in security-related field required and valid drivers license required. Must obtain Metropolitan Security Officer’s license. Availability to work flexible schedule, including weekends and holidays required.

Please visit www.mohistory.org for full position details.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Missouri Historical Society seeks a full-time Director of Information Technology.

Degree in Computer Science, minimum of 8 years experience within information technology. Minimum 5 years supervisory experience managing an IT department. Cisco Certified Network Professional and/or Microsoft Certified System Administrator.

Visit www.mohistory.org for full position details.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Immediate opening at the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council, a community development organization. Masters and 2-3 yrs of applicable experience preferred. See website for details: SkinkerD.org Submit resume and cover letter

by October 25 for first consideration.

No calls, please.

BE OUR FRIEND ON

Email ad text to vmedina@stlamerican.com

FOLLOW US ON

VICE CHANCELLOR for Finance and Administration St. Louis Community College is conducting a search for a full-time Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration to ideally join the College in the Spring 2016 semester. Reporting directly to the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration serves as chief administrative officer of the district in administering the college’s financial, physical facilities, auxiliary services, and related processes, insuring the integrity of financial accounting and reporting, and as custodian of all financial records for the District. The successful candidate plans, organizes, coordinates and directs the college’s fiscal operations and accounting functions, physical facilities and auxiliary services (bookstores, food service, vending), serves as member of the Leadership Team, exercises broad discretionary authority consistent with Board Policy, Administrative Procedures and applicable state and federal mandates in the administration of these programs and services. In the absence of the Chancellor, may serve as CEO of the college when designated by the Chancellor or the Board of Trustees.

ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR of English The Humanities Division is seeking a qualified individual to join the English faculty. This position requires a Ph.D. or a D.A. from a regionally accredited institution. We are searching for a generalist who is equipped to teach various English courses and who preferably has expertise in early British literature. The successful candidate will be expected to teach first-year composition classes as part of his or her teaching assignments. In addition to teaching, the responsibilities for this position will include student advising, division and committee assignments, and other duties as assigned by the Division Chair. The English program offers courses at both undergraduate and master’s levels, and a significant number of students pursue a degree in English and Secondary Education. Please send a letter of application, a vita, and a statement of faith (approximately 200 words) via e-mail to Janet Mayfield at MayfiJ@mobap.edu.

Applications may be mailed to:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: • Master’s Degree in Business Administration or related field and/or Certified Public Accountant, • Seven (7) years of relevant full-time experience with progressively responsible administrative experience in administration and finance in a public or private institution of higher education, • Experience with diverse student, staff and community groups, and • Excellent oral and written communication skills.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Visit http://jobs.stlcc.edu/postings/3532 to learn more about the position and St. Louis Community College and to complete the online employment application.

St. Louis Community College is an Affirmative Action /Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity.

Janet Mayfield Administrative Assistant to the Provost/ Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Missouri Baptist University One College Park Drive St. Louis, MO 63141-8698

BIDS AND PUBLIC NOTICES

Visit www.stlamerican.com

Need a quote?

Send your ad text to vmedina@stlamerican.com BIDS & PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Alpine Drive Separate Sewer I/I Removal under Letting No. 11776-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Friday, November 13, 2015, at a place designated.

Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1710 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid.

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Forestwood Lateral Sanitary Relief (SKME-321) under Letting No. 10440-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at a place designated.

Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1710 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid.

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

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

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed bids for Christopher Drive Infrastructure, St. Louis County Project No. CR-1444, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m. on October 14, 2015.

Plans and specifications will be available on September 21, 2015 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINSTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

www.stlamerican.com

SEALED BID for St. Louis Community College on Bid No. B0003412 for a contract for Graduation Regalia will be received until 3:00 P.M. (local time) on Friday, October 30, 2015 at the Dept. of Purchasing, 300 So. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102, and immediately thereafter opened and read. Bid documents can be accessed on our website at www.stlcc.edu/purchasing or call (314) 539-5225. EOE/AA Employer.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS America's Center is seeking sealed bids to provide Pest Control Service. Bid requirements are available October 8th, 9am-4pm thru the 16that the Reception Desk, 701 Convention Plaza, St Louis MO., or email request at bids@americascenter.org. A mandatory walk thru is required Tuesday, October 13, at 1:30pm.

Bids due no later than 3:00pm, Friday, October 23, 2015. Please contact Chuck Bscherer at cbscherer@explorestlouis.com with any questions. The Facility reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. EOE

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 9:00 a.m. on November 5th, 2015 to contract with a company for: Lawn Care Services – Lemay Treatment Plant.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 6156 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

Visit us on the web at www.stlamerican.com

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN C8

Bids & Notices ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

LETTING #8592 IMPROVEMENTS TO TILLES PARK Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on October 20, 2015, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on Monday October 5, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. in Room 208 City Hall. Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

•

IS YOUR HOME A HEALTH HAZARD FOR YOUR CHILDREN? DO YOU HAVE LEAD-BASED PAINT? DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN PLAYING AT YOUR HOUSE? If your home was built before 1978 it could have lead-based paint. St. Louis County’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program offers NO-COST home improvements to ensure your children are safe. These improvements may include window and door replacement, exterior trim enclosure and interior and exterior painting.

In order to qualify you must meet the following criteria: • You own a home built before 1978 • You are current on your property taxes • You have a child under the age of six living in the home OR you have a child under the age of six who frequently visits the home • You have an adjusted household income that meets HUD guidelines

LETTING #8593

Bradley R. Waller: 314-615-4428

CHILLER 2 REPLACEMENT, EAST CLIMATE CONTROL At Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

Email: bwaller@stlouisco.com

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies). ). Mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 13, 2015, at 10:00 AM in the Training Room, 4th Floor, at the Airport Office Building, 11495 Navaid Rd., Bridgeton, MO 63044.

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

City of St. Louis

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE and Draft 2016 Annual Action Plan Available for Review and Comment The City of St. Louis is soliciting comments on its draft 2016 Annual Action Plan, which includes annual priorities for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs.

Public Hearing Notice/Public Comment Period The Community Development Administration (CDA) will conduct a public hearing on October 29, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at 1520 Market - Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63103. The purpose of this hearing is to solicit public comments and answer questions pertaining to the draft 2016 Annual Action Plan.

Documents Available for Review The 2016 Annual Action Plan will be available in draft form for review by any interested citizen beginning at 12:00 p.m. CST on October 13, 2015.

The plan will be available at the Central Branch of the St. Louis Public Library, located at 1301 Olive Street and on the City of St. Louis website, http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/cda/. The plan will also be available for review at CDA’s office, 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000. Written comments will be accepted until 12:00 p.m. CST on November 13, 2015.

Written Comments The views of citizens, public agencies and other interested parties are encouraged and comments or questions with respect to the draft 2016 Annual Action Plan should be addressed to Ms. Alana Green, Director of Administration, Community Development Administration, 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63103, or via email at GreenA@stlouis-mo.gov.

Other Information Persons with special needs or accommodations relating to handicapped accessibility or foreign language should contact Ms. Green via email at GreenA@stlouis-mo.gov or by phone at (314)657-3844 or (314) 589-6000 (TDD). Interpreting services are available upon request for persons with hearing disabilities. Interested persons should contact the Office on the Disabled at (314)622-3686 (voice) or (314)622-3693 (TTY).

CDA is an equal opportunity agency (employer). Minority participation is encouraged.

FOR GENERAL CONSTRUCTION WORK FOR TENANT FINISHES OF THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE BETTER FAMILY LIFE (BFL) FACILITY IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. Project: BFL Third Floor - The Business Development Center – General Office Area and Existing Corridor Finishes.

The SITE Improvement Association is hosting a Prebid meeting for Qualified and Certified MWBE contractors to discuss working on

Upper Maline Trunk Sanitary Relief Phase IV Section A Contract Letting No. 10026-015.1 This meeting is being held on behalf of the following SITE contractor members:

Fred M. Luth & Sons 4516 McRee Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110 314/771-3892

The meeting will take place at

10:00 a.m.

October 15, 2015 SITE Improvement Association 2071 Exchange Drive, St. Charles, MO 63303 For questions regarding this prebid meeting, Contact the SITE Improvement Association office at 314/966-2950.

IFB #: 57815254 INVITATION FOR BIDS Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting sealed bids for emergency repairs to the Dr. Henry Givens, Jr., Administration (HGA) building.

There is a mandatory pre-bid conference and walk-through on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. in Conference room 208 of the HGA building.

Bids will be accepted (in sealed envelopes, clearly marked “BID FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS TO THE DR. HENRY GIVENS, JR., ADMINISTRATION (HGA) BUILDING) in the Purchasing Office (Room 105) of the HGA building located at 3026 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103, until Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. The bids will then be publicly opened and read aloud in Conference Room 208 of the HGA Building on Tuesday, October 20, 2010 at 10:15 a.m.

A copy of the plans and specifications can be obtained by contacting John Marner at (314) 531-0167 or faxing a written request to (314) 533-0166.

Drawings for the project can be picked up at the following address upon payment of a $ 20.00 nonrefundable fee: Document Imaging System 1463 S. Vandeventer Ave. St. Louis, MO 63110 Plans may be viewed at: F.W. Dodge Plan Room, 6330 Knox Industrial Drive, St. Louis, MO 63139, Ph: (314) 781-2504.

The University reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive all informalities in bids.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR SERVICES East-West Gateway Council of Governments is seeking a qualified consultant to create promotional materials for the Gateway Volunteer Network. Funding for this project will be provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Proposals are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on November 6, 2015. Proposals received after this time will be returned unopened. Proposal details can be obtained at www.ewgateway.org or by calling 314-421-4220 ext. 208.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 9:00 a.m. on November 2nd, 2015 to contract with a company for: Lawn Care Services – Mintert Yard.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 6151 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 9:00 a.m. on November 6th, 2015 to contract with a company for: Lawn Care Services for Sulphur Yard.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 6157 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

CITY OF ST. LOUIS LAMBERT - ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT® Solicitation for Bids (SFB) for Phone Maintenance Services Bids Wanted Bid documents may be obtained at Lambert St. Louis International Airport - Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 426-8184. This SFB may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.flystl.com (Click on “Business Opportunities”).

Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager

SEALED BIDS for Renovate H1 Ward, Building “F”, Hearnes Forensic Center, Fulton, Missouri, Project No. M1520-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 11/5/2015. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to http://www. oa.mo.gov/ fmdc/dc/list. htm.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The Hazelwood School District Board of Education has issued a Request for Proposal for a highly qualified search firm to assist in identifying a new superintendent to join the school district in July, 2016. To review the RFP and for information on how to submit a response, visit their website at www.hazelwoodschools.org, under Board of Education, and superintendent search.

The deadline to respond is Oct. 16, 2015 at 3 p.m. CST.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES FOR DISTRICT-WIDE SCIENCE LAB RENOVATIONS St. Louis Community College Agreement No. A16-0280 Dated: October 5, 2015

The St. Louis Community College is requesting submittals of experience and qualifications from architectural/engineering firms to provide design services for nineteen science labs and support spaces to be used for general science, physics, biology and specialized allied health courses. Submittals will be received by St. Louis Community College, in the Engineering & Design Department until 2:00 p.m. October 22, 2015 at the Joseph P. Cosand Community College Center, 300 South Broadway. The scope of consulting services and consulting agreement procedures may be obtained from the Manager's office, at the above address or by calling (314) 539-5012

EOE/ Affirmative Action Employer

www.stlamerican.com

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 9:00 a.m. on October 19th, 2015 to contract with a company for: Lawn Care Services – North County Properties.

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 9:00 a.m. on October 14th, 2015 to contract with a company for: Medical Services.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 6125 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 6119 RFP. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROFESSIONAL BANKING SERVICES

The Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District (“District”) is seeking competitive bids from qualified banking institutions that are Federal or State of Missouri chartered, and have headquarters or a main office in Notice is hereby given that BFL will be selecting a general contractor for Missouri and a branch within or near the District, to provide banking and this project and will receive sealed bids clearly marked “The Business other financial related services for a period of 4 years. The District is a political subdivision of the State of Missouri pursuant to Mo. Rev. Stat.

Development Center” on or before 10:00 AM CDT, Friday November 6, 2015 to: DeBorah Ahmed – Executive Director, Better Family Life Cultural, §321.010. Its annual operating budget is approximately $4,900,000.00 and it covers approximately 8 square miles within St. Louis County, Missouri having Educational and Business Center, 5415 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112.

Phone: (314) 367-3440. Bids will be publicly opened at that time in the 2nd a population of nearly 40,000 permanent residents. The District’s operating fiscal year begins on January of every year and ends in December. Prior floor main conference room. experience providing financial services to Fire Districts of like budgetary size and activities is preferred. Public funds of every Fire Protection District shall Scope of work: The project is a 5,460 sf area on the third floor, with a be secured by the deposition of securities of a character and nature as vaulted ceiling partially built out with new lightweight concrete slab, prescribed by §30.270, RSMo. Banking and other financial services must corridor partitions and some Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing systems therefore be performed in accordance with this statute along with the special in place, to be verified, and brought in full working order as needed for rules to protect taxpayers as mandated by RSMo. §§§ 321.270, 110.130 and completion of the space.

110.010. It is the District’s intent to consolidate its bank accounts into one Existing corridor receives new paint and flooring finish, some lighting and bank. Rather than simply selecting the “low Bidder”, the District desires to signage along with the new entrances to the suites. The tenant space select a bank that will provide the best overall value and performance on a receives new carpet and painted walls. Existing vaulted ceilings receive new long term basis. Interested Bidders may obtain a copy of the RFP at the office tongue and groove stained wood plank covering and suspended direct/ of the District. Requests for additional information must be made in writing indirect light fixtures. Pre-manufactured wall dividers create separate and must be postmarked or received by close of business at 5:00 P.M. on offices. Construction Bid Documents consist of Architectural sheets A1 Oct 15, 2015. Qualified Bidders shall forward all information requests via through A-5 dated September 1, 2015, as produced by Lauer Architecture U.S. mail to: Progressive Design.

Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District Attn: Board of Directors A mandatory pre-bid meeting at 5415 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112 on 7302 Pasadena Blvd.

Monday, October 5, 2015 at 10:00 AM to discuss the project. The bids are St. Louis, MO 63121 due at 10:00 AM CDT, Friday November 6, 2015 at 5415 Page Blvd. Bids will be publicly opened at that time in the 2nd floor main conference room. Bidders must submit their proposal in accordance with the RFP guidelines set Project to be Substantially Complete within 90 business days (18 weeks) forth therein. The District encourages all prospective Bidders to examine this after the date of the award of the contract (by March 11th, 2016), with Final RFP carefully. One original along with 4 copies of the proposal must be received no later than 3:00 P.M. (CST) on Oct. 22, 2015 in order to be Completion for Occupancy within 120 business days (24 weeks – April considered. Each proposal must be in a sealed envelope and clearly marked 22nd, 2016).

“Bid Proposal for Professional Banking Services” and delivered to the Contractors are to comply with all regulations and reporting including but attention of the Board of Directors for the Northeast Ambulance and Fire not limited to Section 3 requirements and preparing a Section 3 plan, Protection District, 7302 Pasadena Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63121. completion of the enclosed MBE/WBE Utilization forms, and HUD Federal Labor Standards, along with a mandatory RFQ bidder's questionnaire that is Late responses or faxed copies of responses will not be accepted. All materials submitted in accordance with this solicitation will remain the due with the bids (all of which will be available from the Owner). The Contract Documents will be made available no later than October 2. They property of the District and will not be returned. The District reserves the right to (1) reject any and all responses with or without cause, (2) request are on file at Cross Rhodes Reprographics,1720 Macklind Ave, St. Louis, additional information as the District deems necessary, (3) disqualify any MO 63110, 314-678-0087; at Better Family Life, and are open for public institution and reject any responses for failure to provide such additional inspection. Copies of documents may be obtained from Lauer Architecture information, and (4) waive any irregularities in the responses submitted. In at cost plus handling. BFL reserves the right to reject any and all bids, the event all responses are rejected, the District reserves the right to resolicit offers, or proposals submitted, or to advertise for new bids. proposals.

INVITATION FOR BIDS LaSalle Park Apartments Unit Upgrades Phase I SOLICITATION NO. RD15-03 The St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) is soliciting bids from qualified contractors for the LaSalle Park Apartments Unit Upgrades – Phase I. The General Scope of Work for this project will consists of, but will not be limited to, the phased renovation of up to 48 residential units contained in 5 buildings. This work will include electrical repairs and upgrades; substantial repairs and improvements to each unit’s plumbing and HVAC systems; new interior doors; new flooring throughout, along with wall repairs and painting; additional miscellaneous carpentry repairs, with kitchen and bathroom cabinet replacements also included. The anticipated performance period for this project is twelve (12) months.

Solicitation documents will be available for pick up at the SLHA, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106; Attention: Tamara Servick – Sr. Contract Specialist (Phone: 314-286-4360, Fax: 314-289-7360) after 2:00 p.m. (Local Time) on Tuesday, September 22, 2015. There will be a $100.00 nonrefundable fee, by cashier’s check or money order, charged for each set of bid documents.

A pre-bid conference will be held at 10:00 a.m. (Local Time), Thursday, October 15, 2015, at the LaSalle Park Apartments, 1001 Hickory Place, St. Louis, MO 63104. A site visit will be conducted immediately following the pre-bid conference. There will be two additional site visits held on Thursday, October 22, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. and Tuesday, October 27, 2015, at 10:00 a.m.

The SLHA will receive sealed bids for this Project at 3:00 p.m. (Local Time) on Friday, November 6, 2015, at the SLHA Board Room A, 1st Floor, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106. At which time and place, all qualified bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. All bidders must comply with Section 3 requirements and MBE/WBE requirements.

Cheryl A. Lovell Executive Director AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

www.stlamerican.com

ADVERTISEMENT TO SOLICIT BIDS

MWBE PREBID MEETING NOTICE

J & J Boring, Inc. P.O. Box 357 Winfield, MO 63389 636/566-6766

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Contact:

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on Tuesday, November 3, 2015, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

THE

www.stlamerican.com

THE

THE

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

Real Estate & Rentals ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

North City!

FURNISHED ROOM in Duplex, Baden Area, Shared, 1 1/2 bath & use of Kitchen, utilities, $550 Per Mo/$300 Sec. Credit & Bkgrd Ck.

Budget 2 bedroom, cold a/c, newer carpet, all appliances, storage, w/d hookups, lawn care included! only $450

rs-stl.com AGY0N 314-309-2043

314-942-7303 314-348-3728

LARGE ROOMS FOR RENT

314-323-6470

314-323-9335

South City!

FOR RENT Total Rehab 1-3 bedroom homes & apts. C/A, w/d hookups & private yards.

rs-stl.com AGY0W 314-309-2043

2 BR, stove, c/a & h, fenced off-st parking, w/d hk-up, finished basement, desk, $700/mo

314-952-1558 FOR RENT

FOR RENT

Large 3BR 2BA Nice. Quiet. Clean.

Remodeled Kitch, Furnished Rooms. Utils Liv, Din, 2 Car Garage, incle cable, w/d. Close Clean, Stove $775 +Dep. to bus stop $120/wk + Near Lucas & Hunt & $100 Dep Halls Ferry

Newly updated 3 bedrooms, full basement, hardwoods, appliances, double carport, pets ok, flexible lease! $650

HOUSE FOR RENT

Section 8 Welcomed

314-534-3863

2 Family Flat 817 McLaran Ave $550/mo move-in special1st & last to move in2 BR newly remodeled, new heat & air, carpet & tile

APT FOR RENT

rs-stl.com AGY0P 314-309-2043

Single family homes

stove & refrigerator furnished, Central air Near bus line and shopping

Near Grand & Natural Bridge $100/wk and up

314-518-5898

314-531-5602

314-761-5400

Tower Grove!

rs-stl.com AGY0X 314-309-2043

Good heating and cooling. Fully furnished & Cable

South City!

Clean 2 bedroom, central air, fenced yard, toasty fireplace. kitchen appliances, short term lease! only $495

North City

Nice 3 bedroom, walkout basement, central air, loaded kitchen w/dishwasher, pets, flexible deposit! $675

ROOMS FOR RENT 314-484-3147 314-717-9966

Sec 8 Welcome 2, 3, 4 & 5 BR

rs-stl.com AGY0V 314-309-2043

314-537-5978

FURNISHED ROOM Centrally located, quiet WEEKLY or MONTHLY

Natural Bridge!

Large 3 bedroom, basement with extra storage, fenced yard, cold a/c, sunroom, all appliances! only $550

ROOMS FOR RENT North City Shared Bath & Kitchen

South City Newly remodeled 2BR appls, w/d hk-up on 2nd fl, c/a, carpet, walk-in closet, 4 ceiling fans $725/mo+$725 Dep.

314-537-4429 FOR RENT 29XX Harper Ave. 2nd & 3rd Fl 4 BR townhouse, stove, fridge, ceiling fans, hardwood & tile fls $650/mo Move in 1st and last month

314-258-4859

•

1ST MONTH FREE VERY NICE APTS. New Unit $375/mo 5200 Block of Palm

314-718-0642

314-537-4429

South City!

HOUSES & APTS

Sharp 1 bedroom, appliances, central heat/air, extra storage, carpet & tile, pets ok, w/d hookups! $385

2-4 bdrms North City 2-3 bdrms South City Sect 8 OK

rs-stl.com AGY0L 314-309-2043

Fall is Fun with us!!

McCormack House Sr. Living Apartments

Heat is Paid - 24 Hour Desk Attendant Fully Equipped Kitchens - Walk-in Showers Beautiful! A must see for those 62 yrs or older!!

www.mccormackhouseatwestminsterapts.com

866-347-8650 FOR RENT FOR RENT APTS. 1 BR on Minnesota 2 BR c/a, Dining $475 Dep Room Living Room, 2BR$475+ + Bonus 2 fam flat Fenced Yard , upstair unit on Ashland basement $535/mo + $535 $695/mo + Dep Call Mr. Robert

314-368-1298

ROOMS FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FALL SPECIAL!

Small 2 BR house in Berkeley $550/mo $550 Dep

All utils. included, Fully Furnished, major bus lines Men/Women All Ages Starting at $100/wk

314-651-6671

FURNISHED ROOMS

NORTH COUNTY

$105/wk 314-575-6633

APT FOR RENT

FOR RENT

Rolling Hills Apts.

1Br @ $405/mo 2Br @ $505/mo Extensive Renovations, Stove, Refrigerator, AC, gas & elec., App Fee $25; 1sm pet allowed, nearby schools, shops, businesses & parks; laundry facility, park-like setting; credit friendly, rent credit special Call

1br, 3rd fl $450 1br, 1st fl $500

314-805-1406

314-761-7991 Park Place Apts A Senior Community Now Accepting Apps!

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN C9

PT Bosley Estates is now accepting applications from Seniors 62+

2BR on 2nd Fl stove, fridge, blinds, cable 62+ Sec 8 housing ready, free hot water, off -street parking avail, income restr. curtains, ceiling fans, a/c $525/mo + $400 apply 1-bdrm apts, A/C,

314-276-0593 Broadway!

All-electric 2 bed house, central air, newer carpet, off street parking, pets welcome, $250 deposit! only $450

rs-stl.com AGY0O 314-309-2043

FOR RENT 44xx Floriss Pl St. Louis MO 63115 North City by O’fallon Park, 3 - 4 br $675/ month, washer dryer hook up, stove and refreg Section 8 ready, 2 family Flat. Contact

314 780 9263

*Beautiful 1BRs *Utilities included *Small pets *Security system 314-925-9405 *Community room *Air conditioning TTY 800-735-2966 *Laundry facility *Income based rent Equal Housing Opportunity Professionally Managed by 314-534-4700 • 4301 Warne St. Louis, MO 63107 NHPMN Management, LLC 4399 Forest Park Blvd St. Louis, MO 63108

ATTENTION! 2 MONTHS PRIVATE BATH & KITCHEN 1/2 OFF RENT FURNISHED KITCHENETTES FOR RENT

$149/wk & up!

314-575-2665

(Nothing Like Your Own)

ONE UNIT LEFT 2125-27 Obear 3 rms, (1 BDRM) $425/mo For details call

314-255-4733 APT. FOR RENT

We offer:

on-site laundry Free gas/water/trash

South City!

Private 1 bedroom, appliances included, hardwoods, off street parking, utilities paid, ready to rent! $400

has 1 and 2 BR apartment homes for rent and is Section 8 approved.

Please call for an appointment today

314-942-3400.

rs-stl.com AGY0M 314-309-2043

We are location on 819 Gustav Ave off of North Broadway in St. Louis City

Starting at $100/wk FURNISHED ROOMS FOR RENT

MARK TWAIN HOTEL

SOUTH CITY Near bus line and Metrolink, All Utilities & Cable Included Clean & Quiet

314-740-1878 FOR RENT

51XX Cote Brilliante Newly redecorated 1 & 2 BR

314-382-4826

SAN REMO APARTMENTS Move-In Special!

848 N. Kingshighway St. Louis, MO 63108

314-454-9305

for further details.

8869 Maya Lane, St. Louis MO 63136

Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:00pm Saturdays 10:00am -2:00pm

Summer discounts avail.

314-421-2980 (Downtown)

Centrally Located & Connected to Metro and Buses, Short Term Weekly RentalsNo credit check $110.50 and up per week (utilities and Housekeeping svcs included) Other terms and conditions may apply.

Winter Garden Apts.

EADS SQUARE APARTMENTS 62 YEARS & OLDER 2700 Henrietta

2BR Available TODAY for qualified applicant 62+ and/or disabled Sec. 8 housing avail, income restrictions apply. ADA. Pet friendly, gated, near Metro Link 5708 Kingsbury Place St. Louis, MO 63112

2BR $575

(314) 869-5033

www.stlamerican.com

Blue Fountain APARTMENTS

314-925-9406

1 Bedrooms

TTY 800-735-2966 Equal Housing Opportunity

Professionally Managed by NHPMN Management, LLC

Visit www.stlamerican.com

*Coded entry system *Free Gated Parking *Small pets allowed *Includes appliances & utilities.

Please call 314.773.6674 Rent based upon 30% of adjusted income.

2 BR apt North City $550/MO + $550 Dep

314-629-1220 for rent North City Clean, cable utils included, off bus line

314-772-4563

rs-stl.com AGY0Y 314-309-2043

FOR RENT Shared House, Fully loaded $400/mo SSI Accepted Call Ms. Shonda

FOR RENT

Back yard Carriage South City NORTH CITY Newly remodeled 2BR house for rent, 1 br, full starting at $120/wk stove, fridge, basement. $500/mo. 1st Near bus stop, utils, microwave, w/d hk-up & last mo. 5834 Saloma on 2nd fl, c/a, carpet, Ave. Prefer single person phone, dish satellite, w/d all included. Shared walk-in closet, 4 or couple bathroom & kitchen ceiling fans 314-583-8764 314-761-5709 314-537-4429 Mrs. Davis

Move-In Special

636-227-3647

North County!

Recently updated 3 bed house, full basement, fireplace, central air, fenced yard, pets, washer/dryer! $725

Near Loop, bus, and L-Rail SUPER NICE

1292 Hamilton at Page

LARGE FURNISHED APTS. & HOUSES North City!

FOR RENT ROOMS 35XX CLARENCE No Lease! 1 bedroom, FOR RENT cold a/c, hardwoods, w/d with sitting space, walk-in 63115 Looking for a few great closet, Free utilities, hookups, basement/ tenants to live in a 1BR $425/MO + cable, w/d, c/a. Quiet 1st and Last Mo to storage, utilities paid, Area, near bus line. $250 God fearing environment. ready to rent! $375 Sec. 8 welcome move in. every 2 weeks + $100 Dep. rs-stl.com with open arms.

Male Environment Stove & Fridge AGY0K 314-239-4288 314-629-5051 314-309-2043 314-625-1123

APT. FOR RENT NORTH CITY Newly remodeled 1BR $475/mo + $475 Dep. Stove, Fridge, carpet, w/d hkup.

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015 CWE ROOMS

THE

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

FOR RENT

Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race,color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination “We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”

3 BRs Newly Rehabbed Section 8 Preferred

636-939-6664

Email your ads to vmedina@ stlamerican.com

Call Vida at 314-289-5406 to place your rental/real estate ad today!

SERVICE DIRECTORY 314-289-5406 MEDICARE & MEDICAID ACCEPTED Hearing Aids

Dental

314-334-0211

HAIL DAMAGE AUTO REPAIR!

As low as $150/Pair

Call us today to learn about our no money out of pocket hail repair option and free rental car while your car is being repaired.

Co-pay

$1000/year Dentures, Partials, Crowns, Root Canals & Other Dental Services

Glasses

www.HailDamageAutoRepair.com

PH. 314-221-3838 Ask for Olav

As low as $15/Pair Co-pay

Call 1-800-733-1912 to see if you qualify.

Montford Point

Fall Clean-up Man & His Truck Light Hauling Yard Work,

Need a quote for an ad?

Moving

Email your

&

text to

Gutter Cleaning REASONABLE

314-583-6971

Marine Association Ladies Auxilary - St. Louis Chapter

Come join us for a meet and greet.

Mid-America Clinical Research, LLC

For more information, please call

vmedina@stlamerican.com

314-741-1868 314-322-3526

6651 Chippewa St. Ste 305 St. Louis, MO 63109

314-647-1743

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

C10

Celebrity Swag Snap of the Week Gary Gunter, GM of Radio One St. Louis with R&B crooner Keith Sweat and Cecilia backstage during the Gateway Music Festival Friday night at Chaifetz Arena.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Video Model Miracle Watts made her way back to STL to party with Niddy and his crew for Fetish Fridays @ HG

Kyanna, Kyarra, Tasha and birthday girl Concetta kicked it @ Mood for Stylecode Saturdays

Caldwell, Darius Chapman, Triky and Orlando celebrated the end of the Day Party STL season Sunday @ Nathalie’s

Local singer Aunyae Heart and her family meet R&B group 112 Friday night @ The Gateway Music Festival @ Chaifetz Arena

New Canadian on hip-hop’s block. The weekend began for me on Thursday night when I made my way to the HG a day or so earlier than usual when I stopped through to see Hot 104.1 FM’s Who’s Next showcase featuring Tory Lanez. Now my first instinct was to say “Who? Next…” and pay it dust, but the folks over at Radio One don’t put on mess and are quick to hip the folks to the “new new.” That being said, I fought the urge to rewind “Scandal” and punched it down 70 East just in time for Mr. Lanez to hit the stage. I’ll tell you what, he has a much more substantial following than I could have imagined. Especially considering I hadn’t heard of him until I googled him the night of the show to see if it was worth the gas to go down there. It was barely room to catch my breath up in there. I know folks have called him a Dollar Tree Drake being that he’s a Canadian sapper (singing rapper), but he’s pretty nice. And I don’t mean friendly, I mean on the mic.

Considering how he packed out the HG on a weeknight, we haven’t heard the last of him. After the Who’s Next, I actually went home and googled him again. He spit fire on Sway’s morning show and had a decent singing voice in the STL. I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Drizzy formed a super duo that would sound like a cross between Simon and Garfunkel and The Throne. I really should’ve known more about Tory Lanez, but I didn’t. So I’m tipping my hat to Hot for putting me on.

Gateway Music festival gone wrong. This post is going to be as long as the show was, so bear with me. As a matter of fact, I split it to break the monotony. You know how sometimes back in school there would be the rare occasion where only one or two people studied enough to pass the pop quiz and it drove the teacher so mad he or she would throw their eraser at the chalkboard? I totally understand how those educators felt after seeing the Gateway Music Festival Friday night at Chaifetz Arena. 112 and BBD were the only ones who did their homework for this show. I must say though that Silk probably would have passed the test had they been given more time. This is going to sound mean, but I’ve seen alcoholinduced company Christmas Party talent shows who served up better performances than Troop. Their arm choreography was all right I guess, but I was wishing that they would eventually spread their wings and fly clean off of that stage. Silk was okay – and because Troop was such an easy act to follow, they got more credit than they deserved. I can’t tell y’all the last time I’ve been so unbothered by an urban musical. Oh wait, yes I can. It was the last urban musical revue that featured Salt N Pepa. Real talk, I nodded off in the middle of their show. If it weren’t for the “aww mannn…” chorus when Salt stopped “Shoop” mid-song, I would have slept clean through BBD. Salt…girl…I really do commend your conviction to your religious beliefs. But if you can sing “Push It” on that insurance commercial – and you signed a contract to do a hip-hop show – you are professionally obligated to do more than try to keep your assigned background dancer from invading your personal space. She rapped about taking somebody’s man – but if she was gonna take the folks’ coins by being a part of the show, then she should’ve given the people what they paid for. BBD was cool and the folks seemed to have plenty of fun, but 112 gets the gold star. They bought outfits and actually appeared to have rehearsed.

The main non-attraction. I refuse to call him a headliner, because there quietly wasn’t one, so let’s just say that Keith Sweat was the “tail-liner” who closed the show out by virtue of being last on the list. I had more questions than answers after seeing him take the stage. The first is: How did Keith Sweat make a name for himself as mellow slow jam singer when it appears he has rage issues and some sort of oppositional defiant behavior disorder? He gets on the stage and talks sideways about the artists who came before him – saying they should’ve snatched some of those other [n-word expletives] off the stage and y’all wouldn’t have had to wait so long. Then he had the nerve to get right into the groove. Help! “Something, something, something, something just ain’t right” indeed. When it came to the part of the show where he slows it down, he also quietly exposed that he might quietly be emotionally abusive. Why did you bring the girls on stage to shame them, sir?

He clowns the first woman’s dilapidated body rolls and then flamed the next woman on her clothes and her struggle step-touch split splat choreography. Leave the shading and reading for the girls in the seats, Keith.

I promise you I was ready to offer them my seats as a safe house to get them off of the stage and out of the path of his rampage. Then he decides that he’s going to “make it last forever” on that stage and probably cost the promoters a pretty penny.

Rising Rap and R&B sensation Tory Lanez with Hot 104.1 FM personality A Plus Thursday night for the Who’s Next Showcase @ HG

Daraa’ and Millie enjoyed the last day party of the Season Sunday @ Nathalie’s

Keith of Koncepts and Dre of the Marquee and OBar chopped it up @ HG during Status Sundays

Queeny and Esha were visions in white as the Umbrella Group lauded the Libras Saturday @ The Rustic Goat

A Nigerian nightlife triumph. I left Chaifetz and almost missed the Friday night club scene altogether because of how that show carried on. My first stop was the Nigerian Independence Anniversary Party at Mood. Yes, you read that correctly. I didn’t know what to expect, because we didn’t have a lot of Nigerians on the North Side, but they gets (yes, I said gets) down. I felt like I was in the choreographed wedding scene of “Coming To America” with how hard they kicked it. These young people were showcasing all sorts of African pride in their traditional garb as they dropped down low and scraped the “flo’” with it. It was everything to see a club full of perfect teeth, and chocolate skin capped off by perfect cheekbones looking right regal as they tore the club up. I was not ready, but listen if y’all ever have another get together, please let me know.

Miaya and Shai got into their element Saturday night @ The Marquee

www.stlamerican.com

In the Mood for Style. I double-dipped this weekend with a second stop at Mood for Style Code Saturdays and it was full on two-day sweep of the nightlife scene as all of the population formerly known as “young, black and fabulous” rolled through wearing their best online boutique ensembles trying with all of their might to “out fresh” the next guest. It was quite cute.

Morgan and Denale sent their weekend out with a bang on Sunday @ Nathalie’s for the Day Party STL finale Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott

2015 Salute to Excellence in Education Salute photo coverage by Wiley Price, Lois Ingrum and Maurice Meredith

See Salute videos at www.stlamerican.com

Dr. Beth Stroble, president of Webster University, Webster Suggs Scholars Tyron Showers and Kristopher Robertson with St. Louis American Foundation president Donald M. Suggs

Stellar Performer in Education Dr. Tiffany Anderson

Lifetime Achiever in Education Dr. Alice F. Roach

Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Assistant Vice Provost, UM-Columbia, Mizzou Suggs Scholar Chlotte Crim and Donald M. Suggs

An evening of purpose & celebration

28th Salute results in more than $500,000 in scholarships

Monsanto’s Albert Mitchell with DeAun Blumberg, principal of Fairview Primary School, the 2015 Monsanto School of Excellence

The sold-out 28th Anniversary Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala provided a memorable evening of elegance and inspiration, from lively receptions to outstanding varied musical entertainment and splendid dining. Nearly 1,400 attendees filled America’s Center to pay tribute to Lifetime Achiever Dr. Alice F. Roach and Stellar Performer Dr. Tiffany Anderson and to honor the outstanding accomplishments of individual educators and scholarship recipients.

With more than a half-million dollars in scholarships being awarded this year, the foundation, together with its education partners, has fostered more than $4 million in scholarships and community grants since 1994.

Dr. Carlos Vargas, president of SEMO, SEMO Suggs Scholar Denia Peacock and Donald M. Suggs PNC Bank Early Childhood Education Award winner Almaz Tadesse Staggs with PNC Regional President Michael Scully

Excellence in Education Award recipients (L to R): Bessie Bennett Peabody, Dr. Ashley R. McGhaw, Dr. Tiffany L. Taylor-Johnson, Dr. Ingrid Clark Jackson, Veronica Hildreth, Alicia G. Davis, Dr. Erica L. Bumpers and Russell Arms Ken Coopwood, VP of Diversity and Inclusion at Missouri State University, MSU Suggs Scholar Olivia Obi and Donald M. Suggs

In addition to the many scholarships, The St. Louis American Foundation and Wells Fargo Advisors also provided laptop computers for many of the scholarship recipients.

Marion Kelly, SVP and director of Brand and Advertising for Wells Fargo Advisors, greets guests at the VIP Reception.

Anheuser-Busch Scholars Briana Wilson, Maxine du Maine, Courtney Graham, Christina Gardner, Brittany Daniel, Bryan Burns, Terrance Brown and Maikieta Brantley with Julio Suarez of A-B Community Affairs (center)

D2

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015

Julie and Michael Middleton

Amy Cunningham and Stacy Nichols

Sharon Stevens and Fred Sweets

The fabulous Salute to Excellence volunteers

Diana Blair, Ashley Gammon, and LaShonda Lambert

Darryl Jones and Tommy Wilder

Corlis Hunter, Angelene Hayes, Rhonda Burgett, and Marg Anderson Shepard and Yolanda Pittman

Whitney Anderson with Stellar Performer Dr. Tiffany Anderson, and Stanley and Christopher Anderson

Cynthia and Chlotte Crim, awardee Erica Bumpers, and former awardee Jameca Falconer

Dr. Steven Player, Kelvin Westbrook and Kel Ward

St. Louis Community Chancellor Jeff Pittman with STLCC Suggs Scholar Donna Adams and Donald M. Suggs

Vito and Adrian Bracy

Ida Woolfolk, City Comptroller Darlene Green, attendance prize winner Brittany Daniel and City Treasurer Tishaura Jones

Stacy Edwards

Alvin Reid, Fontbonne University President Michael Pressimone and Virvus Jones

D3

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 8 – 14, 2015 Reginald RiddleYoung with Bessie Bennett Peabody

St. Louis American Newspaper In Education Golden Apple Award winners Nicole Binion and LaTonya Johnson

Sheryl Rogers

Sandra Moore with City Treasurer Tishaura Jones

Staff members from Monsanto School of the year Fairview Elementary: Wendy Stocker, Jackie Overbey, Brandi Belger, Dr. DeAun Blumberg, Chantel Neal, Velma Burse and Ms. Rose Ehresman Dr. Edward Johnson with awardee Dr. Tiffany Taylor-Johnson

Tiffany and L. Jared Boyd

Mack Caldwell, Darius Chapman, Jermain Tarrant, Derrick Walker, and Henry Lewis

Wells Fargo Advisors’ Vanessa F. Cooksey and Wells Fargo’s Laraine Davis announced a donation of laptops for many of the 2015 scholarship recipients.

Gerri Clifton, Ann Marr, Kelvin Westbrook, Valerie Bell, Betty Ann Bell, and Pepper and Denise Decou

2014 Salute Lifetime Achiever Dr. Katie Harper Wright and Virginia Jordan

Ishmael and Ebony Sistrunk

Eric Vickers

Awardees Dr. Erica Bumpers and Dr. Tiffany Taylor-Johnson with Melissia Brooks

Marquita Chapman

Michael Delany, Courtney Graham, Sonia Delany

Becky James-Hatter, Mary Atkin, and Ruby Jones

Marilyn Gooch, Cong. William Lacy Clay, and Dr. Doris Graham

Aaron and Kira Banks

D4

OCTOBER 8-14, 2015 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

Anita Arms, awardee Russell Arms, and Aniah Arms

Previous awardee Eric Clark, Chris Strong, and awardee Ingrid Clark-Jackson

Dr. Charlene Jones and King Taylor

Chief Sherman George and Cathrine George

David McGhaw with awardee Ashley McGhaw Tim Lampley , Oliverne Lanier and Dr. Lee Blount

Wilma Slaughter, awardee Veronica Hildreth, Cissy Lasks, and Dr. Alice Miller

Chris Motley and Desiree Motley

Corey Elliott and Virvus Jones

Robyn Hiedger, Jerry and Sue Schlichter, Sen. Jamila Nasheed

Bob Dockery Awardee Dr. Taylor Johnson and previous awardee Dr. Edward Johnson

UMSL Chancellor Tom George, Lisa Taylor and Maryville University’s Tom Eschen

Doris Coleman, Barbara Harbach, Linda Brown Reed, and Chris Eschen

Cissy Lasks and awardee Veronica Hildreth

Steve Harmon and Rick Sullivan Jennings Mayor Yolanda Fountain-Henderson, Alicia Davis, awardee Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Miranda Jones, and Rosemary Johnson

OCTOBER 8-14, 2015 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

D5

Khalia Collier, Mary Elizabeth Grimes and Deanna Shipley

Line dancing at the Old School Dance Party

Mary and Eric Easter

David and Ashley McGhaw, Dorris McGhaw and Tiffany Williams

Mellissa Humphrey and Marcus Creighton

Maikieta Brantley

Songstress Denise Thimes entertained folks at the J. Hill Jazz Cabaret after the banquet.

The floor was packed at the Old School Dance Party.

Shay and James Gillespie

Veronica Newton-Burke and Julia Robinson-Burke

Dancin’ the night away

Debbie Belon, Morris Jenkins, De’Andre Smith, Ashley Gray and James Williams

Heather and Joshua Fullerton

Jennifer and David Keen

Folks got their groove on at the Old School Dance Party.

OCTOBER 8-14, 2015 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

D6

Aaron and Vida Medina Emcee Carol Daniel and Lifetime Achiever Alice Roach

Breanna Wilson, Cynthia Crim and Chlotte Crim

Barbara Scott, awardee Bessie BennettPeabody, and Alberta Wiston

Randy Rogers, Ben Perry, Dr. Kim Perry, Dr. Craig Phelps (president of A.T. Still University) and Stacy Phelps

Salim Kenyatta and Rebeccah BennettKenyatta

Sonja Stiles, Karlton Thornton, Officer Vaughn and Dr. Loraine Raziq

Charli Cooksey, Miki Jones and Keisha Mabry

SEMO Counselor of the Year Sonya Smith with SEMO president Dr. Carlos Vargas

Friends, family and colleagues came out in support of Stellar Performer Dr. Tiffany Anderson.

Marsha Evans of the Jazz Edge

Dr. Vincent S. Boyd with Mr. & Mrs. Lowell Pitzer

Cora and Tim Walker

Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge and Harlan Hodge

Rachel Johns, Maria and Tony Maldonado, Danny Gladden and Marie Chappelle-Nadal

Sarajeni Hammond

MONEY WISE

Page 2

Big banks have many branches, but where are their roots?

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Financial Focus

By Andre Nelson, AAMS

Could Afford to Live to 100?

TakeYou action to leave the legacy you desire

Let us be your local community bank.

Royal Banks o f

M i s s o u r i

Investing in Saint Louis One Client at a Time Where Better Service Means Better Banking! www.royalbanksofmo.com (314) 212-1500

Equal Housing Opportunity

ments may have more price fluctuation Roger Macon, AAMS and inflation risk than shorter-term 314-481-3962 investments. Ultimately, you’ll likely

need a balance between short-, interHere’s an interesting statistic: Over mediate- and long-term fixed-income the past three decades, the centenarinvestments to provide for a portion of ian population in the United States your income in retirement. has grown about 66%, according to n it’s Youimportant to invest for the U.S. Census Bureau. Of course, While a willignore the need for this doesn’t necessarily mean that you income,need you can’t have a good chance of living to 100 growthto —ensure because you won’t want to that yourpower to inflation. As — but the possibility may not be as lose purchasing assets andexperienced quite remote as it once was. In any case, if you know, we’ve personal you do plan to retire in your mid-60s, mild inflation recently. But over time, belongings and you are in good health, you even a low rate of inflation can will be may well have two, or even seriously erode your purchasing distributed three, decades ahead of you. power.

To accordingillustrate: If your curTo enjoy this time to the fullrent monthly costs are $3,000, to your est — and to help prevent the they will be about $4,000 in 10 wishes. possibility of outliving your years with only a 3% annual financial resources — you will inflation rate. And in 25 years need to invest for income and at that same rate, your monthly growth throughout your retirecosts will have more than doument years. bled, to about $6,200.

As a retiree, how much To help protect yourself Roger income do you need from your against inflation risk, you should Macon investments? There’s no one consider having at least some “right” percentage for everyone. investments that offer growth Furthermore, you shouldn’t potential, rather than only ownhave to rely solely on your investment ing fixed-income vehicles. And some portfolio, because you may have other investment vehicles, such as dividendsources — such as Social Security and paying stocks, can offer both growth potentially your employer-sponsored potential and current income. In fact, retirement plan — from which to draw some stocks have paid, and even income. increased, their dividends for many Nonetheless, your investments can years in a row, giving you not just play a big role in providing you with income, but rising income. (Keep in the income you’ll need during retiremind, though, that companies are not ment. Many retirees depend on fixedobligated to pay dividends, and can rate investments for a good portion of reduce or discontinue them at any their retirement income — so it’s a real time.) challenge when interest rates are low, To determine the right mix of as they have been for the past several growth and income vehicles for your years. Consequently, when you retire, individual needs, consult with a finanyou’ll certainly need to be aware of cial advisor who is familiar with your the interest-rate environment and the retirement plans, your risk tolerance income you can expect from these and your family situation. And it may investments. Longer-term fixed-rate well be a good idea to plan for a very vehicles may be tempting, as they typi- long retirement. You may not live to be cally offer higher rates than shorter100 — but it would be a good feeling term ones, but these longer-term invest- to know that you could afford to do so.

MONEY WISE

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Page 3

Wells Fargo Advisors provides college planning funds Awards $50K to local families, schools and United Way

American staff This past spring Wells Fargo Advisors awarded more than $50,000 in grants and scholarships to 59 St. Louis families, three local schools and United Way of Greater St. Louis through the firm’s 529 College Planning and Savings Program.

The gifts, awarded during a May 12 event joined by officials from St. Louis city, United Way and Washington University, mark a milestone in the firm’s 529 Program, introduced at three local charter and private schools in fall 2014 to provide financial education and resources for families interested in budgeting, saving and planning for college.

“The road to economic opportunity and strong communities starts with a college education,” said Vanessa Cooksey, senior vice president, community affairs, for Wells Fargo Advisors.

“While many parents want to help their children pursue higher education, the steps for getting there aren’t always obvious. Leveraging its financial expertise and nonprofit relationships, Wells Fargo Advisors can connect families to the knowledge and resources they need to follow their financial

Learning through laptops Ameren Illinois employees Eric Kozak, Director of Operations, which covers East St. Louis, and Paula Nixon, community relations coordinator, presented 11 new laptop computers to early childhood programs within the Greater East St. Louis Innovation Zone, Sept. 23. The laptops, made possible through an Ameren Illinois grant of $4,900 to Children’s Home and Aid Southern Region, will be used to help administer early childhood developmental screenings.

goals.”

As part of its 529 Program, Wells Fargo Advisors pledged dollar-for-dollar matches up to $250 for families who qualified and contributed to Missouri’s MOST 529 college savings plans. In total, 59 families participated in the program, saving nearly $10,000 combined.

In addition to granting these families more than $10,000, the firm awarded four $529 scholarships to four photo and essay contest winners and one grand prize $5,290 scholarship. The local United Way, Loyola Academy, City Garden and City Academy also received operational grants for participating in the program.

“When we consider the pathways to changing the trajectory of a generation in our region, access to a college education remains a leading way we can help put youth on a route to personal and professional success,” said Orvin Kimbrough, president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis.

“United Way is proud to work with one of our most generous corporate partners, Wells Fargo Advisors, to help St. Louis youth and families prepare for their futures and attain their dreams.”

In 2014, the average cost for in-state college tuition and fees was $9,139 – a nearly 3 percent increase from the year

Breyanna Howard received college planning funds from Wells Fargo Advisors through its 529 College Planning and Savings Program prior, according to the College Board.

Children with 529 college savings accounts that allow their families to set aside funds for future educational expenses are nearly seven times more likely to attend college than children without, a study found from the Center for Social Development at Washington University Brown School of Social Work.

The Brown School’s Center for Social Development shared their expertise on child savings and United Way provided program management. Participants also experienced Wells Fargo’s Hands on Banking financial education course materials and resources. In addition, families received financial coaching from Beyond Housing.

Page 4

MONEY WISE

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Financial Empowerment Fair

Treasurer’s Office holds 2nd Annual Financial Empowerment and Job Fair

Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, helps out a young attendee at the First Bank booth as First Bank’s Alisha Rooks and Andrew Johnson (a Community Development Intern at Justine Petersen) look on.

As part of Money Smart Week this spring, First Bank served as a silver sponsor for the second annual Treasurer’s Office Financial Empowerment and Job Fair on Saturday, April 25 at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park.

In addition to helping consumers make better financial choices through financial empowerment, the event included a job fair component and featured fun activities for the entire family. The Missouri Department of Revenue, the Missouri Attorney General and State Treasurer also participated, providing important information about the unclaimed property database, identity theft and new opportunities through the MOST 529

College Savings Program.

On hand at the First Bank informational booth was Angela Pinex, Community Affairs officer, and Alisha Rooks, branch manager at First Bank’s Brentwood Pointe location.

The annual event was developed by Tishaura O. Jones, treasurer of the City of St. Louis. In addition to First Bank, the event was co-sponsored St. Louis Community College, the Urban League, The United Way, and the St. Louis Regional Unbanked Taskforce. The job fair component was co-sponsored by the St. Louis Agency for Training and Employment (SLATE).

State treasurer releases investment guide Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel recently released his Missouri Public Fund Investment Guide, a booklet available to county and municipal governments and any public investment officer in Missouri. The guide outlines investment policy for local governments according to the Missouri constitution and statutes, as well as offers insights into smart investing practices for public funds. The guide can be found on the Treasurer’s website at https://treasurer. mo.gov/pdf/Investment_Guide.pdf “There are thousands of publically managed funds in Missouri, each one working to protect its constituents and remain accountable to taxpayers,” Treasurer Zweifel said. “As Missouri’s chief investment officer, I can act as an informational resource for other public finance officers across the state. I created this guide as a way to make the services of my office more accessible and transparent for all Missourians, including other governing bodies.”

The Investment Guide gives a detailed analysis on topics such as allowable investments, collateral for public funds and understanding risk. In addition to being available online, public finance officers may request the booklet from

Treasurer Zweifel’s office.

Anyone with questions about the guide should contact the Treasurer’s office at investmentguide@treasurer.mo.gov.

MONEY WISE

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Money management tips for college students

Be on the lookout: There’s a lot of money available for students American staff Money management should be on the personal syllabus of every college student.

Of course, it’s important for college students to take control of their financial future by saving wherever and whenever they can. Proper budgeting and avoiding unnecessary expenses now can help reduce added financial burdens when they graduate.

To help college students get an early start on securing their financial future, First Bank offers the following 10 tips to build a stronger money management foundation: • Create a budget. You’re an adult now and are responsible for managing your own finances. The first step is to create a realistic budget, or plan, and stick to it.

• Watch spending. Keep receipts and track spending in a notebook. Pace spending and increase savings by cutting unnecessary expenses, like eating out or shopping, so that your money can last throughout the semester.

• Use credit wisely. Understand the responsibilities and benefits of credit. Use it, but don’t abuse it. How you handle your credit in college could affect you well after graduation. Shop around for a card that best suits your needs.

• Take advantage of your bank’s resources. Most banks offer online, mobile and text banking tools to manage your account 24/7. Use these tools to check

balances, pay bills, deposit checks, and monitor transaction history.

• Be on the lookout for money. There’s a lot of money available for students – you just have to look for it. Apply for scholarships, while looking for student discounts or other deals.

• Buy used. Consider buying used books or ordering them online. Buying books can become expensive and often used books are in just as good of shape as new ones.

• Entertain on a budget. Limit your “hanging out” fund. There are lots of fun activities to keep you busy in college and many are free for students. Get the most from your student ID. Use your meal plan or sample new recipes instead of eating out.

• Use only your bank’s ATMs. Avoid fees by using ATMs owned by, or affiliated, with your bank. If you must use an ATM that is not affiliated with your bank, take out larger withdrawals to avoid having to go back multiple times.

• Expect the unexpected. Things happen, and it’s important that you are financially prepared when your car or computer breaks down or you have to buy an unexpected bus ticket home. You should start putting some money away immediately, no matter how small the amount.

• Ask. This is a learning experience, so if you need help, ask. Your parents or your bank are a good place to start, and remember—the sooner the better.

Page 5

MONEY WISE

Page 6

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Nation’s largest debt collectors forced to refund millions

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes action on Encore Capital Group, Inc. and Portfolio Recovery Associates

By Charlene Crowell Center for Responsible Lending

At one time or another, many consumers have fallen behind on paying their bills. For the working poor, unemployed and underemployed, the struggle to get out of debt can be a daily challenge.

At the same time, there are businesses that exploit others’ financial woes, reaping high profits on debt purchased for just a few cents on the dollar. In some scenarios, debt buyers become nagging collectors who hound consumers at all hours of the day and night.

The irony is that the harassment is not always warranted or even accurate.

Debt buyers have a documented history of suing the wrong person for the wrong amount. In the worst scenarios, some consumers first learn of alleged debts after a court judgment has been entered

against them. debt collection practices.”

These are only a few of the concerns The litany of CFPB’s charged offenses that recently led the Consumer Financial read like a primer of what not to do in Protection Bureau (CFPB) to take consumer lending. Here are just a few of enforcement actions against the nation’s the illegal and deceptive actions the firms two top debt collectors. CFPB’s actions were charged with: illegally attempting also suggest that financial abuses may be to collect debt they knew, or should have inherent in debt buyers’ business models. known, may have been inaccurate or Together, the San Diego-based Encore unenforceable; collecting debts through Capital Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries lawsuits and threats of legal action in comprise the nation’s largest unlawful ways; falsely telling debt buyer and collector. consumers the burden of proof Encore must pay up to $42 was on them to disprove the million in consumer refunds debt; suing or threatening to sue and a $10 million penalty, and consumers past the statute of stop collection on over $125 limitations; and disregarding or million worth of debts. Portfolio failing to adequately investigate Recovery Associates must pay consumers’ disputes. $19 million in consumer refunds “The Portfolio Recovery and an $8 million penalty, and Associates and Encore Capital Charlene Group consent orders underscore stop collecting on over $3 million worth of debts. The firms will the questionable tactics used Crowell also pay another $61 million in by even the largest debt buyers consumer refunds and an additional attempting to collect old debts $18 million in penalties.

– deception, intimidation, and the mass“Encore and Portfolio Recovery production of lawsuits against the wrong Associates threatened and deceived people for the wrong amount of money,” consumers to collect on debts they should said Lisa Stifler, a policy counsel at have known were inaccurate or had the Center for Responsible Lending. other problems,” said CFPB Director “Consumers deserve to be protected from Richard Cordray. “Now, the two biggest wrongful collection and legal action.” debt buyers in the market must refund Further, abusive debt collection is millions and overhaul their practices. We annually among the top complaints to will continue to take action to protect the Federal Trade Commission and the consumers from illegal and obnoxious CFPB. In the aftermath of the Great

She wants to buy life insurance – he doesn’t

By Michelle Singletary The Washington Post To many, buying insurance for your car, home or life seems like a big waste of money.

What if you never get into an auto accident? Although most states require auto liability insurance, people nonetheless grouse about all that money doled out over the years. Or what if you never make a claim against your home insurance policy? That’s money gone too, they grumble.

And chances are you’re going to live a long life. But like it or not, insurance is often necessary because most of us can’t self-insure against financially catastrophic events.

Still, lots of people have to be persuaded – when the law or a contract such as a mortgage doesn’t force the issue – to buy insurance. Such is the case of a reader who wrote to me during one

footing and make a more permanent game plan, she said.

The husband’s argument against life insurance: “He says he doesn’t want to pay a premium for something we are highly unlikely to ever need. He thinks that if one of us passed away, the other would just need to ‘deal with it’ as of my online discussions. She’s at a loss best we could.” And by “deal with it,” as to how to prove to her husband the husband’s plan is that the that they need life insurance. surviving spouse would sell the Their background: They are in house and move out of state to be their early 30s with two young with family who would help with children. He is the main income child care, she says. earner. She works part time I asked Steven Weisbart, from home, and cares for their senior vice president and chief children. economist for the Insurance The mortgage is their only Information Institute, to weigh debt. “Emergency savings and in on what he would tell the Michelle retirement are in decent shape, husband. although I would like to be saving Singletary “My first reaction is that ‘deal even more,” the wife wrote. “We with it’ isn’t a plan,” Weisbart definitely aren’t living paycheck to said. paycheck, but don’t have much monthly “Insurance is for rare but financially wiggle room for ‘extras.’” crushing events; because they’re rare, The wife’s argument for life the premium is affordable and if the insurance: “I feel strongly that we both event insured-against does happen, need it,” she wrote. “I think we just need financial disaster is avoided, and the enough money to be able to afford to pay road to recovery is faster and smoother,” the mortgage and child care for a couple Weisbart would tell the husband. of years.” Life insurance would give Weisbart had questions for the the surviving spouse a chance to regain husband:

Recession, the Center for Responsible Lending is working with lawmakers and regulators at both the state and federal levels to ensure that consumers are effectively protected from unscrupulous and predatory businesses.

Beyond CFPB’s enforcement actions, state attorneys general in Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas and West Virginia have all taken state actions against debt buyers and their collection practices. In New York alone, more than 7,500 court judgments valued at over $34 million have been vacated between 2014 and 2015.

Commenting on the New York actions, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said, “My office will continue to hold debt collectors and lenders accountable so that New Yorkers can keep more of their hard-earned money where it belongs - in their pockets.”

“It is absolutely urgent that the CFPB propose new rules that will stop all debt collectors from engaging in abusive behavior, prevent them from collecting debts based on inaccurate information and punish them when they do lie to courts and consumers,” Stifler said.

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

• Does he have health insurance through his employer? “If so, the cost of successor coverage could be a substantially greater expense.”

• Are there tasks that he performs for the couple that she would have to hire people to do after his death?

• Are living costs near the family higher or lower than where they live now?

• Would she ultimately be able to replace the income he earns?

• As for child care, has the family who would provide it agreed to do so, and are they – financially, physically, etc. – in a position to do that?

• If his wife dies, would he move with the kids to be nearer to family, and would he have to switch jobs? If so, would he have to take a salary cut in order to find employment in the new location?

“I think that it would be helpful for each of them to have life insurance at least to help manage what I call transition expenses,” Weisbart said.

“At their ages, it would be very cheap, particularly if they bought 20-year term policies.”

I hope the couple lives a long and prosperous life. But hoping is not a plan.

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

MONEY WISE

Page 7

TAKE YOUR NEXT CHECK TO THE BANK!

By Alex Fennoy, Midwest BankCentre Senior Vice President and Community Development Director Are you a frequent user of check cashing services? Do you get charged a fee each time you need to cash your paycheck or government check? If so, it’s time to stop wasting your money on unnecessary fees. You need a bank checking account. A bank can be a good financial partner, providing valuable, convenient services to help you manage your money.

VALUE • A bank checking account is a good value and a safe place to keep your money.

• Many banks offer low- or no-cost checking accounts with low minimum opening amounts and no ongoing minimum balance requirements.

• Unlike a check cashing service, a bank typically does not charge a fee to cash your check if you have an account there.

CONVENIENCE • Many banks offer free online banking, so you can conveniently monitor your spending, pay your bills and manage your account with your mobile device or computer.

• You can have your payroll check or government check directly deposited into your bank account, so the money is there when you need it.

• If you do need to deposit a paper check when the bank is closed, you may be able to make a deposit through their Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), or by taking a picture of the check with your mobile device and depositing it through online banking.

PARTNERSHIP • Find a bank partner who will help you educate yourself about all of the products and services the bank has to offer, like checking and savings accounts, an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or a home mortgage.

• Having a bank account is a positive first step toward financial empowerment and lifelong wealth-building habits.

• Even if your family has not traditionally used banks, you can start a positive trend and be a good example to others in your life.

To learn more about the benefits of using a bank checking account instead of a check cashing service, contact Midwest BankCentre’s Senior Vice President and Community Development Director, Alex Fennoy (NMLS #699281), at (314) 633-6761 or afennoy@midwestbankcentre.com.

Member FDIC NMLS #685869

MidwestBankCentre.com | (314) 631-5500 | (800) 894-1350

FALL

IN LOVE WITH OUR DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS

• Checking, Savings and Money Market Accounts • Certificates of Deposit • Individual Retirement Accounts

Member FDIC NMLS #685869

MidwestBankCentre.com | (314) 631-5500 | (800) 894-1350

Page 8

MONEY WISE

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

MONEY WISE

Page 2

Big banks have many branches, but where are their roots?

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Financial Focus

By Andre Nelson, AAMS

Could Afford to Live to 100?

TakeYou action to leave the legacy you desire

Let us be your local community bank.

Royal Banks o f

M i s s o u r i

Investing in Saint Louis One Client at a Time Where Better Service Means Better Banking! www.royalbanksofmo.com (314) 212-1500

Equal Housing Opportunity

ments may have more price fluctuation Roger Macon, AAMS and inflation risk than shorter-term 314-481-3962 investments. Ultimately, you’ll likely

need a balance between short-, interHere’s an interesting statistic: Over mediate- and long-term fixed-income the past three decades, the centenarinvestments to provide for a portion of ian population in the United States your income in retirement. has grown about 66%, according to n it’s Youimportant to invest for the U.S. Census Bureau. Of course, While a willignore the need for this doesn’t necessarily mean that you income,need you can’t have a good chance of living to 100 growthto —ensure because you won’t want to that yourpower to inflation. As — but the possibility may not be as lose purchasing assets andexperienced quite remote as it once was. In any case, if you know, we’ve personal you do plan to retire in your mid-60s, mild inflation recently. But over time, belongings and you are in good health, you even a low rate of inflation can will be may well have two, or even seriously erode your purchasing distributed three, decades ahead of you. power.

To accordingillustrate: If your curTo enjoy this time to the fullrent monthly costs are $3,000, to your est — and to help prevent the they will be about $4,000 in 10 wishes. possibility of outliving your years with only a 3% annual financial resources — you will inflation rate. And in 25 years need to invest for income and at that same rate, your monthly growth throughout your retirecosts will have more than doument years. bled, to about $6,200.

As a retiree, how much To help protect yourself Roger income do you need from your against inflation risk, you should Macon investments? There’s no one consider having at least some “right” percentage for everyone. investments that offer growth Furthermore, you shouldn’t potential, rather than only ownhave to rely solely on your investment ing fixed-income vehicles. And some portfolio, because you may have other investment vehicles, such as dividendsources — such as Social Security and paying stocks, can offer both growth potentially your employer-sponsored potential and current income. In fact, retirement plan — from which to draw some stocks have paid, and even income. increased, their dividends for many Nonetheless, your investments can years in a row, giving you not just play a big role in providing you with income, but rising income. (Keep in the income you’ll need during retiremind, though, that companies are not ment. Many retirees depend on fixedobligated to pay dividends, and can rate investments for a good portion of reduce or discontinue them at any their retirement income — so it’s a real time.) challenge when interest rates are low, To determine the right mix of as they have been for the past several growth and income vehicles for your years. Consequently, when you retire, individual needs, consult with a finanyou’ll certainly need to be aware of cial advisor who is familiar with your the interest-rate environment and the retirement plans, your risk tolerance income you can expect from these and your family situation. And it may investments. Longer-term fixed-rate well be a good idea to plan for a very vehicles may be tempting, as they typi- long retirement. You may not live to be cally offer higher rates than shorter100 — but it would be a good feeling term ones, but these longer-term invest- to know that you could afford to do so.

MONEY WISE

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Page 3

Wells Fargo Advisors provides college planning funds Awards $50K to local families, schools and United Way

American staff This past spring Wells Fargo Advisors awarded more than $50,000 in grants and scholarships to 59 St. Louis families, three local schools and United Way of Greater St. Louis through the firm’s 529 College Planning and Savings Program.

The gifts, awarded during a May 12 event joined by officials from St. Louis city, United Way and Washington University, mark a milestone in the firm’s 529 Program, introduced at three local charter and private schools in fall 2014 to provide financial education and resources for families interested in budgeting, saving and planning for college.

“The road to economic opportunity and strong communities starts with a college education,” said Vanessa Cooksey, senior vice president, community affairs, for Wells Fargo Advisors.

“While many parents want to help their children pursue higher education, the steps for getting there aren’t always obvious. Leveraging its financial expertise and nonprofit relationships, Wells Fargo Advisors can connect families to the knowledge and resources they need to follow their financial

Learning through laptops Ameren Illinois employees Eric Kozak, Director of Operations, which covers East St. Louis, and Paula Nixon, community relations coordinator, presented 11 new laptop computers to early childhood programs within the Greater East St. Louis Innovation Zone, Sept. 23. The laptops, made possible through an Ameren Illinois grant of $4,900 to Children’s Home and Aid Southern Region, will be used to help administer early childhood developmental screenings.

goals.”

As part of its 529 Program, Wells Fargo Advisors pledged dollar-for-dollar matches up to $250 for families who qualified and contributed to Missouri’s MOST 529 college savings plans. In total, 59 families participated in the program, saving nearly $10,000 combined.

In addition to granting these families more than $10,000, the firm awarded four $529 scholarships to four photo and essay contest winners and one grand prize $5,290 scholarship. The local United Way, Loyola Academy, City Garden and City Academy also received operational grants for participating in the program.

“When we consider the pathways to changing the trajectory of a generation in our region, access to a college education remains a leading way we can help put youth on a route to personal and professional success,” said Orvin Kimbrough, president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis.

“United Way is proud to work with one of our most generous corporate partners, Wells Fargo Advisors, to help St. Louis youth and families prepare for their futures and attain their dreams.”

In 2014, the average cost for in-state college tuition and fees was $9,139 – a nearly 3 percent increase from the year

Breyanna Howard received college planning funds from Wells Fargo Advisors through its 529 College Planning and Savings Program prior, according to the College Board.

Children with 529 college savings accounts that allow their families to set aside funds for future educational expenses are nearly seven times more likely to attend college than children without, a study found from the Center for Social Development at Washington University Brown School of Social Work.

The Brown School’s Center for Social Development shared their expertise on child savings and United Way provided program management. Participants also experienced Wells Fargo’s Hands on Banking financial education course materials and resources. In addition, families received financial coaching from Beyond Housing.

Page 4

MONEY WISE

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Financial Empowerment Fair

Treasurer’s Office holds 2nd Annual Financial Empowerment and Job Fair

Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, helps out a young attendee at the First Bank booth as First Bank’s Alisha Rooks and Andrew Johnson (a Community Development Intern at Justine Petersen) look on.

As part of Money Smart Week this spring, First Bank served as a silver sponsor for the second annual Treasurer’s Office Financial Empowerment and Job Fair on Saturday, April 25 at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park.

In addition to helping consumers make better financial choices through financial empowerment, the event included a job fair component and featured fun activities for the entire family. The Missouri Department of Revenue, the Missouri Attorney General and State Treasurer also participated, providing important information about the unclaimed property database, identity theft and new opportunities through the MOST 529

College Savings Program.

On hand at the First Bank informational booth was Angela Pinex, Community Affairs officer, and Alisha Rooks, branch manager at First Bank’s Brentwood Pointe location.

The annual event was developed by Tishaura O. Jones, treasurer of the City of St. Louis. In addition to First Bank, the event was co-sponsored St. Louis Community College, the Urban League, The United Way, and the St. Louis Regional Unbanked Taskforce. The job fair component was co-sponsored by the St. Louis Agency for Training and Employment (SLATE).

State treasurer releases investment guide Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel recently released his Missouri Public Fund Investment Guide, a booklet available to county and municipal governments and any public investment officer in Missouri. The guide outlines investment policy for local governments according to the Missouri constitution and statutes, as well as offers insights into smart investing practices for public funds. The guide can be found on the Treasurer’s website at https://treasurer. mo.gov/pdf/Investment_Guide.pdf “There are thousands of publically managed funds in Missouri, each one working to protect its constituents and remain accountable to taxpayers,” Treasurer Zweifel said. “As Missouri’s chief investment officer, I can act as an informational resource for other public finance officers across the state. I created this guide as a way to make the services of my office more accessible and transparent for all Missourians, including other governing bodies.”

The Investment Guide gives a detailed analysis on topics such as allowable investments, collateral for public funds and understanding risk. In addition to being available online, public finance officers may request the booklet from

Treasurer Zweifel’s office.

Anyone with questions about the guide should contact the Treasurer’s office at investmentguide@treasurer.mo.gov.

MONEY WISE

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Money management tips for college students

Be on the lookout: There’s a lot of money available for students American staff Money management should be on the personal syllabus of every college student.

Of course, it’s important for college students to take control of their financial future by saving wherever and whenever they can. Proper budgeting and avoiding unnecessary expenses now can help reduce added financial burdens when they graduate.

To help college students get an early start on securing their financial future, First Bank offers the following 10 tips to build a stronger money management foundation: • Create a budget. You’re an adult now and are responsible for managing your own finances. The first step is to create a realistic budget, or plan, and stick to it.

• Watch spending. Keep receipts and track spending in a notebook. Pace spending and increase savings by cutting unnecessary expenses, like eating out or shopping, so that your money can last throughout the semester.

• Use credit wisely. Understand the responsibilities and benefits of credit. Use it, but don’t abuse it. How you handle your credit in college could affect you well after graduation. Shop around for a card that best suits your needs.

• Take advantage of your bank’s resources. Most banks offer online, mobile and text banking tools to manage your account 24/7. Use these tools to check

balances, pay bills, deposit checks, and monitor transaction history.

• Be on the lookout for money. There’s a lot of money available for students – you just have to look for it. Apply for scholarships, while looking for student discounts or other deals.

• Buy used. Consider buying used books or ordering them online. Buying books can become expensive and often used books are in just as good of shape as new ones.

• Entertain on a budget. Limit your “hanging out” fund. There are lots of fun activities to keep you busy in college and many are free for students. Get the most from your student ID. Use your meal plan or sample new recipes instead of eating out.

• Use only your bank’s ATMs. Avoid fees by using ATMs owned by, or affiliated, with your bank. If you must use an ATM that is not affiliated with your bank, take out larger withdrawals to avoid having to go back multiple times.

• Expect the unexpected. Things happen, and it’s important that you are financially prepared when your car or computer breaks down or you have to buy an unexpected bus ticket home. You should start putting some money away immediately, no matter how small the amount.

• Ask. This is a learning experience, so if you need help, ask. Your parents or your bank are a good place to start, and remember—the sooner the better.

Page 5

MONEY WISE

Page 6

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

Nation’s largest debt collectors forced to refund millions

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes action on Encore Capital Group, Inc. and Portfolio Recovery Associates

By Charlene Crowell Center for Responsible Lending

At one time or another, many consumers have fallen behind on paying their bills. For the working poor, unemployed and underemployed, the struggle to get out of debt can be a daily challenge.

At the same time, there are businesses that exploit others’ financial woes, reaping high profits on debt purchased for just a few cents on the dollar. In some scenarios, debt buyers become nagging collectors who hound consumers at all hours of the day and night.

The irony is that the harassment is not always warranted or even accurate.

Debt buyers have a documented history of suing the wrong person for the wrong amount. In the worst scenarios, some consumers first learn of alleged debts after a court judgment has been entered

against them. debt collection practices.”

These are only a few of the concerns The litany of CFPB’s charged offenses that recently led the Consumer Financial read like a primer of what not to do in Protection Bureau (CFPB) to take consumer lending. Here are just a few of enforcement actions against the nation’s the illegal and deceptive actions the firms two top debt collectors. CFPB’s actions were charged with: illegally attempting also suggest that financial abuses may be to collect debt they knew, or should have inherent in debt buyers’ business models. known, may have been inaccurate or Together, the San Diego-based Encore unenforceable; collecting debts through Capital Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries lawsuits and threats of legal action in comprise the nation’s largest unlawful ways; falsely telling debt buyer and collector. consumers the burden of proof Encore must pay up to $42 was on them to disprove the million in consumer refunds debt; suing or threatening to sue and a $10 million penalty, and consumers past the statute of stop collection on over $125 limitations; and disregarding or million worth of debts. Portfolio failing to adequately investigate Recovery Associates must pay consumers’ disputes. $19 million in consumer refunds “The Portfolio Recovery and an $8 million penalty, and Associates and Encore Capital Charlene Group consent orders underscore stop collecting on over $3 million worth of debts. The firms will the questionable tactics used Crowell also pay another $61 million in by even the largest debt buyers consumer refunds and an additional attempting to collect old debts $18 million in penalties.

– deception, intimidation, and the mass“Encore and Portfolio Recovery production of lawsuits against the wrong Associates threatened and deceived people for the wrong amount of money,” consumers to collect on debts they should said Lisa Stifler, a policy counsel at have known were inaccurate or had the Center for Responsible Lending. other problems,” said CFPB Director “Consumers deserve to be protected from Richard Cordray. “Now, the two biggest wrongful collection and legal action.” debt buyers in the market must refund Further, abusive debt collection is millions and overhaul their practices. We annually among the top complaints to will continue to take action to protect the Federal Trade Commission and the consumers from illegal and obnoxious CFPB. In the aftermath of the Great

She wants to buy life insurance – he doesn’t

By Michelle Singletary The Washington Post To many, buying insurance for your car, home or life seems like a big waste of money.

What if you never get into an auto accident? Although most states require auto liability insurance, people nonetheless grouse about all that money doled out over the years. Or what if you never make a claim against your home insurance policy? That’s money gone too, they grumble.

And chances are you’re going to live a long life. But like it or not, insurance is often necessary because most of us can’t self-insure against financially catastrophic events.

Still, lots of people have to be persuaded – when the law or a contract such as a mortgage doesn’t force the issue – to buy insurance. Such is the case of a reader who wrote to me during one

footing and make a more permanent game plan, she said.

The husband’s argument against life insurance: “He says he doesn’t want to pay a premium for something we are highly unlikely to ever need. He thinks that if one of us passed away, the other would just need to ‘deal with it’ as of my online discussions. She’s at a loss best we could.” And by “deal with it,” as to how to prove to her husband the husband’s plan is that the that they need life insurance. surviving spouse would sell the Their background: They are in house and move out of state to be their early 30s with two young with family who would help with children. He is the main income child care, she says. earner. She works part time I asked Steven Weisbart, from home, and cares for their senior vice president and chief children. economist for the Insurance The mortgage is their only Information Institute, to weigh debt. “Emergency savings and in on what he would tell the Michelle retirement are in decent shape, husband. although I would like to be saving Singletary “My first reaction is that ‘deal even more,” the wife wrote. “We with it’ isn’t a plan,” Weisbart definitely aren’t living paycheck to said. paycheck, but don’t have much monthly “Insurance is for rare but financially wiggle room for ‘extras.’” crushing events; because they’re rare, The wife’s argument for life the premium is affordable and if the insurance: “I feel strongly that we both event insured-against does happen, need it,” she wrote. “I think we just need financial disaster is avoided, and the enough money to be able to afford to pay road to recovery is faster and smoother,” the mortgage and child care for a couple Weisbart would tell the husband. of years.” Life insurance would give Weisbart had questions for the the surviving spouse a chance to regain husband:

Recession, the Center for Responsible Lending is working with lawmakers and regulators at both the state and federal levels to ensure that consumers are effectively protected from unscrupulous and predatory businesses.

Beyond CFPB’s enforcement actions, state attorneys general in Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas and West Virginia have all taken state actions against debt buyers and their collection practices. In New York alone, more than 7,500 court judgments valued at over $34 million have been vacated between 2014 and 2015.

Commenting on the New York actions, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said, “My office will continue to hold debt collectors and lenders accountable so that New Yorkers can keep more of their hard-earned money where it belongs - in their pockets.”

“It is absolutely urgent that the CFPB propose new rules that will stop all debt collectors from engaging in abusive behavior, prevent them from collecting debts based on inaccurate information and punish them when they do lie to courts and consumers,” Stifler said.

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

• Does he have health insurance through his employer? “If so, the cost of successor coverage could be a substantially greater expense.”

• Are there tasks that he performs for the couple that she would have to hire people to do after his death?

• Are living costs near the family higher or lower than where they live now?

• Would she ultimately be able to replace the income he earns?

• As for child care, has the family who would provide it agreed to do so, and are they – financially, physically, etc. – in a position to do that?

• If his wife dies, would he move with the kids to be nearer to family, and would he have to switch jobs? If so, would he have to take a salary cut in order to find employment in the new location?

“I think that it would be helpful for each of them to have life insurance at least to help manage what I call transition expenses,” Weisbart said.

“At their ages, it would be very cheap, particularly if they bought 20-year term policies.”

I hope the couple lives a long and prosperous life. But hoping is not a plan.

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015

MONEY WISE

Page 7

TAKE YOUR NEXT CHECK TO THE BANK!

By Alex Fennoy, Midwest BankCentre Senior Vice President and Community Development Director Are you a frequent user of check cashing services? Do you get charged a fee each time you need to cash your paycheck or government check? If so, it’s time to stop wasting your money on unnecessary fees. You need a bank checking account. A bank can be a good financial partner, providing valuable, convenient services to help you manage your money.

VALUE • A bank checking account is a good value and a safe place to keep your money.

• Many banks offer low- or no-cost checking accounts with low minimum opening amounts and no ongoing minimum balance requirements.

• Unlike a check cashing service, a bank typically does not charge a fee to cash your check if you have an account there.

CONVENIENCE • Many banks offer free online banking, so you can conveniently monitor your spending, pay your bills and manage your account with your mobile device or computer.

• You can have your payroll check or government check directly deposited into your bank account, so the money is there when you need it.

• If you do need to deposit a paper check when the bank is closed, you may be able to make a deposit through their Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), or by taking a picture of the check with your mobile device and depositing it through online banking.

PARTNERSHIP • Find a bank partner who will help you educate yourself about all of the products and services the bank has to offer, like checking and savings accounts, an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or a home mortgage.

• Having a bank account is a positive first step toward financial empowerment and lifelong wealth-building habits.

• Even if your family has not traditionally used banks, you can start a positive trend and be a good example to others in your life.

To learn more about the benefits of using a bank checking account instead of a check cashing service, contact Midwest BankCentre’s Senior Vice President and Community Development Director, Alex Fennoy (NMLS #699281), at (314) 633-6761 or afennoy@midwestbankcentre.com.

Member FDIC NMLS #685869

MidwestBankCentre.com | (314) 631-5500 | (800) 894-1350

FALL

IN LOVE WITH OUR DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS

• Checking, Savings and Money Market Accounts • Certificates of Deposit • Individual Retirement Accounts

Member FDIC NMLS #685869

MidwestBankCentre.com | (314) 631-5500 | (800) 894-1350

Page 8

MONEY WISE

OCTOBER 8 - 14, 2015