May 13, 2015 130 years down on the farm Recipes Grilling with Grains 11 Around Town 3 Second Grader Saves Family Photos by Ray Rockwell Dave Theis rides a tractor at Thies Farm’s North Hanley location. Theis Farm grows produce along with flowers inside of their greenhouses. Thies Farm has been a North County institution since 1885 School 7 Campaign Goal Exceeded By Sara Hardin With spring comes the excitement of beautiful, blooming flowers and delicious fruits and vegetables. At Thies Farm, the air is sweet with the scents of strawberries ripe for the picking, and brothers and farm owners Dave and Darrell Thies are tirelessly preparing for the busy spring and summer seasons. Thies Farm was founded in 1885, and has since then established itself as one of the largest, most trusted familyowned vegetable farms in the St. Louis area. “My great, great grandfather came from Germany and settled in the area, and after two years he bought this property here,” said Dave Thies about the farm’s original North Hanley Road location. “It’s been a fruit and vegetable farm ever since then.” The farm’s location on North Hanley features 30,000 square feet of the farm’s total 50,000 square feet of greenhouses. The rest reside on the farm’s other two properties in Maryland Heights and St. Charles. Maryland Heights houses the farm’s main growing area, with over 200 acres of fruit and vegetable production. The Maryland Heights location hosts the farm’s biggest October event, Pumpkin Lands, and also features the farm’s retail market. The farm’s St. Charles location currently has a greenhouse with nursery stock, as well as a bakery and a café. Dave Thies expressed hopes of growing on the St. Charles land as soon as the farm gets better established in the area. “Right now we’re getting ready for summer,” said Darrell Thies, owner of the Maryland Heights farm. “The greenhouses are full of flowers now and we’re looking to start picking strawberries very soon.” The farm offers a ‘you pick’ system, where the public is able to go to the farm and pick fresh-grown strawberries to buy and take home. Weather permitting, the Maryland Heights farm hopes to open up its five acres of berries to the public starting May 16th. One thing that makes Thies Farm unique is their commitment to sustainability in both their crops and the structure of the business as a whole. “Since we’ve been on this property for 130 years and have cropped it every year in those 130 years, it’s very important to us to be sustainable and to take care of our main asset, which is our property,” explained Dave Thies. “We do all kinds of conservation methods to keep our soil productive and try to keep erosion at a minimum.” Keeping the family name in the business is something that the farm has achieved consistently since its opening, and the family’s next generation is ready to jump into action. “A big part of sustainability that people don’t think of is the structure of the business,” said Dave Thies. “My brother and I are fifth generation, I have a son See DOWN ON THE FARM page 2 Learn & Play 8 If Mama ain’t happy... Movie: “Where Hope Grows” FREE Online Subscription at mycnews.com 9 Around Town 2 Vol. 94 No. 19 May 13, 2015 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com DOWN ON THE FARM from cover In This Issue... 3 Around Town Second grader saves family from house fire and more. 6 Business Boeing Employees Community Fund awards grant and more. 7 School FFSD students selected to participate in the Missouri Fine Arts Academy and more. 8 Learn and Play Take a peek at the local author spotlight and check in with Cindy Moore. 9 Movie David DeSanctis smashes stereotypes (and produce) in ‘Where Hope Grows’ 10 11 12 14 16 Sports Local sports with Gary B. Recipes Grilling with grains. Photos by Ray Rockwell Theis Farm grows produce along with flowers inside of their greenhouses. and daughter who are getting into the business, and they will be the sixth generation. We structure and run our business to sustain our motto. It’s very important that we’ve been able to put up with the ups and downs of farming. We are diverse enough that we can weather a lot of the storms. That’s also a big part of our sustainability model, is diversity and our structure of our business, as far as family.” ‘Buy local’ seems to be the buzzword this spring, and Dave Thies explains why although it’s exciting to have the community’s attention, it’s also a long time coming. “We always tell people we’ve promoted home-grown and local for the last 75 years if not longer, so that’s nothing new to us, but we are thrilled that people are starting to pay a little more attention to local production here in the Midwest. People realize that we really do need local production all over the country to really be healthy and to have a sustainable food system.” Thies Farm holds its rightful place as one of St. Louis County’s largest family-owned vegetable farms, and is a great option for buying fresh produce and blooming flowers to liven up your home for this spring season and many more to come. “We have a lot of friendly people here,” said Darrell Thies. “We just look forward to serving the community as long as we can.” What’s Happening Classifieds Over the Fence Joe Morice brings his unique views to the Community News. Follow us on www.pinterest.com/mycnews Students in North County get “CatholicFIT” From February to April, over 400 third and sixth grade students at nine elementary schools in North County participated in CatholicFIT during their regular P.E. classes. Teachers shared the “10 Pillars of Catholic Fitness” with weekly lessons that included tips and ideas for moving, eating and acting with intention. Parents were invited to review weekly handouts with their children to reinforce the lessons at home. All families were invited to attend one or more evening “Faith and Fitness” workshops held in March and April. SSM DePaul Health Center partnered Submitted photo with the Northeast Deanery Federation of Catholic At the finale event on April 25, Dave Reddy leads families through the strength and stretch moves that students Schools to provide the CatholicFIT program. They learned about during the 10-week CatholicFIT program. also hosted a finale event, including a morning famSacred Heart, St. Angela, St. Ferdinand, St. Norbert and St. Rose ily workout and breakfast on April 25 at the May Philippine Duchesne) along with St. Ann School participated in Education Center on the DePaul campus. All 8 Northeast Deanery Federation Schools (Blessed Teresa of CatholicFIT this year. Calcutta, Christ, Light of the Nations, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Present this ad for 20% purchase Exp. 12/31/2015 For the best plants, go RPM-grown... from Forrest Keeling! • Faster growth and better vigor • Earlier flowering and fruiting • Unsurpassed survivability • 100% natural process • Over 500 species: trees, shrubs, and perennials • Natives are our specialty! 88 Forrest Keeling Lane • Elsberry, MO 63343 800 -FKN-2401 • (573) 898-5571 www.FKNursery.com www.forrestkeeling.com www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • May 13, 2015 Armstrong Elementary 2nd grader saves family from house fire Treyvon Estes, second-grader from Armstrong control. “We are so proud of Treyvon,” said Roger LeBElementary School, in the Hazelwood School Dislanc, principal at Armstrong Elementary School. trict, recently saved his family from a house fire. Treyvon should “When I first have been asleep heard about the when the latestory I must admit, I was a bit night fire ocsurprised becurred. His mothcause at times er had already put him to bed, when Treyvon can be a little shy. Howat some point during the night he ever, he is still a brave young got out of bed to play video games. man. I guess his Instead of saving early Cub Scout training came in the Mario Brothhandy.” ers, one of his faTreyvon is a vorite Nintendo Wii games, this Cub Scout from 8-year-old woke Photo courtesy the Hazelwood School the North Star Pack his entire fam- Trevon Estes and his principal, Mr. Roger LeBlanc from Armstrong Elementary School. District, 736 in North ily after smelling smoke from a basement hot water heater which County. After his principal and teacher heard about had caught fire. Due to Treyvon’s heroics, level head and quick Treyvon’s heroics, during lunch, he was treated to thinking, his entire family, including his pet dog, a real “Hero’s Meal,” one McDonald’s Happy Meal. Rocky, were able to exit the home safely, and call He was also presented with a medal of honor, the fire department before the fire grew out of which simply read, “Thank you.” The Travelers Protective Association’s charitable arm awards 98 scholarships The Travelers Protective Association (TPA), Officer Albert M. Shoemaker, Jr. “Our Board of a fraternal benefit society, recently awarded 98 Trustees carefully reviews each and every application, and decisions are typischolarships through its trust tocally made within 90 days of taling $34,250 during the year’s receiving requests.” Shoemaker first quarter. The grants, which added that the trust is supportare awarded nationwide to reed by charitable contributions cipients throughout the year, which, as of May 1, can be made ranged from $100 to $750 per on the organization’s website via child based on necessity. This PayPal. quarter 16 grants were presentFounded in 1890, TPA’s naed to Missouri residents. tional headquarters is located Established in 1975, the orgaat 2041 Exchange Dr. in St. nization’s Scholarship Trust for Charles. The association is lithe Hearing Impaired provides censed in 29 states and has over financial aid to those suffering 26,000 members, which infrom deafness or hearing imcludes more than 17,000 mempairment. Grants are used for bers who have been a part of the mechanical devices, medical organization for more than 25 and specialized treatment, and Submitted photo years. TPA offers fraternalism education that includes speech classes and interpreters. To date Dyami Pool-Ivery of St. Louis received $300 to its members, as well as parthe trust has distributed over $2 from The Travelers Protective Association. ticipates in safety projects and community service. The associmillion to more than 4,900 reation provides accident, disability and death bencipients. “This year marks the Scholarship Trust’s 40th efits to both its members and their beneficiaries. For more information, call (636) 724-2227 or anniversary, and we are so proud of all the people we have helped,” said TPA’s Chief Administrative visit the website at www.tpahq.org. Around Town Check out our Home & Garden Section in Classifieds page 15 3 4 Around Town May 13, 2015 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com The Bridge at Florissant to host Memorial Day ceremony www.seniorshelpingseniors.com/stlouiscentral The Bridge at Florissant will be having a special Memorial Day ceremony on May 18. Retired U.S. Marine William Rupp, resident of the Bridge at Florissant will be the Master of Ceremonies. Rupp is a distinguished and decorated World War II Veteran. He was named the 2006 Veteran of the Year by the Pentagon and was one of nineteen veterans honored in a book titled “Distinguished Veterans Who Made a Difference.” Rupp will be presenting each Bridge at Florissant veteran with a medal of appreciation that he designed. Many distinguished guests will be at the ceremony and will take part of honoring the veterans, among guests will be retired Admiral John Zerp of the U.S. Navy, retired Lieutenant Colonel Ron Neubauer of the U.S. Marine Corps, First Lieutenant George Newell of the U.S. Army and retired Colonel Bob Leeker of the U.S. Air force. Katharine Lawton Brown of the Radio Arts Foundation will provide music for the ceremony. “We are so pleased that we are able to honor our veterans this way. They’ve done so much for us and it’s a privilege to show them a small token of our gratitude during this ceremony,” stated Rachel Giffhorn, General Manager of the Bridge at Florissant. Located off of New Florissant and Parker Road, The Bridge at Florissant is the only Continuing Retirement Care Community in the City of Florissant with twelve independent living villas, 90 licensed assisted living apartments and a skilled nursing and rehab facility on its campus. Hazelwood Police participate in Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign www.byerlyrv.com Hazelwood Police will be participating with which is well below the national average of 87 percent. Teens and pick-up truck other statewide law enforcement agencies in an aggressive “Click It drivers are among those least likely to buckle up, at 67 and 63 percent or Ticket” mobilization campaign to crackdown on Missouri’s seat respectively. “Sadly, every day someone dies belt violators. The campaign will in a crash in Missouri, because they run from May 18 to May 31. Six out of 10 people in Missouri weren’t buckled up. We will be pulling out all the stops to ensure who are involved in traffic acccidents are found unbuckled at the motorists are buckling up,” said Hazelwood Police Chief Gregg Hall. accident scene. And, even with all the advancements in automoSeat belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and bile safety and education on the reduce fatalities in motor vehicle importance of seat belt use, Miscrashes. Buckle up and arrive alive. souri’s seat belt use has remained Photo courtesy the city of Hazelwood Remember to buckle up before relatively unchanged in the last six years, and is constantly below starting your vehicle. For more information on Missouri seat belt usthe average. Missouri has a 79 percent seat belt usage rate, age, visit www.saveMOlives.com. Big crowds drawn to 2015 Florissant Valley of Flowers Festival www.stlcompost.com More than 100,000 people turned out to enjoy the St. Louis area’s traditional first festival of the year, the Valley of Flowers Festival in Florissant. The return of Nino the Clown and his Zoppe Italian Family Circus, free events for children, a variety of fabulous foods, fun carnival rides and booths and beautiful weather all combined for a wonderful weekend for the 53nd annual event. The festival was held May 1-3 at the James J. Eagan Civic Center, the Knights of Columbus Park and other locations in Florissant. Families with young children enjoyed the free Children’s Celebration of Performing Arts on the grounds of the Eagan Civic Center, where Nino the Clown and his Old World-style circus performed to capacity crowds at five one-hour shows held Friday and Saturday in the traveling troupe’s 500-seat big top set up adjacent to the food court. A highlight of the festival was the Valley of Flowers parade on Sunday afternoon, which started at the Eagan Civic Center and concluded at Knights of Columbus Park. Courtney Grace Neisler was crowned Queen of the Court at the conclusion of the parade. She was sponsored by NCCU. “The Valley of Flowers Festival in Florissant traditionally kicks off the festival season in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area,” said Florissant Mayor Thomas Schneider. “This year, more than 100,000 people enjoyed our family-oriented festival at several venues throughout Florissant, including 30,000 people at the Eagan Civic Center on Friday and Saturday and 65,000 to 75,000 visitors at the Knights of Columbus grounds Friday through Sunday. Winners from various events included: 2015 Court• Queen- Courtney Neisler- Sponsor NCCU • 1st Runner up – Josie Urhahn – sponsor Citizens national Bank • Special maid – Phalin Burten – sponsor FGG Trucking • Special maid – Rebecka Connor – Sponsor Stems Florist • Special maid – Lauren Everett – Sponsor Old Town Donuts Pretty Baby Winners• Personality – Juniper Sherman Parents - Megan & Thomas Sherman • Popularity – Zoey O’Donnell Parents – Meghan & Kyle O’Donnell Parade Award Winners • 1st Best Decorated Car – Unit #39 Queen Candidate Taryn Farley – VFW post 410 • 2nd Unit #76 – Queen Candidate Madison Scott - Jan Grafeman/State Farm Best organization Unit • 1st Unit #87 Operation Christmas Child • 2nd Unit # 43 Vietnam Veterans Assoc. Chapter 794 Best Commercial Unit • 1st #60 Queen Candidate Anne Merriman – Click heating and Cooling • 2nd Unit #73 Queen Candidate Hannah Schaljo – Pin Oak Creek RV Park Best Antique • 1st Unit # 70 Queen Candidate Lauren Everett – Old Town Donuts • 2nd Unit # 36 Welch Heating and Cooling www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • May 13, 2015 Around Town pinterest.com/mycnews STLCC-Florissant Valley installs fourth Peace Pole A Peace Pole dedication recently took place at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley. This is the fourth Peace Pole on campus and peace messages are displayed in English, Greek, Serbo-Croatian and Wolof. Participants spoke in Wolof, Greek and Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian), reading segments of poems or proverbs about peace and then translating into English. The first Peace Pole displays peace messages in English, Sign, Spanish and French; the second in English, Arabic, Korean and Swahili; and the third in English, Aramaic, Italian and Cherokee. The Peace Pole Project was initiated in 1955 by Masahisa Goi, Japanese founder of the World Peace Prayer Society, in response to the bombings on Hiroshima. The purpose of the Peace Pole is to spread the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” Peace Poles can be found in more than 200 countries and have been dedicated by numerous luminaries, including President Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II. www.rayrockwell.com Photo courtesy STLCC Delta Dental Health Theatre secures funding, expands programming The Delta Dental Health Theatre recently secured a $10,000 grant from The P&G Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation. This funding will enable the theatre to expand its current program lineup to include three, highly entertaining new shows – “Super Scrubbers,” “ScrubbaDubbaVeggeThinkerCising!,” and “Clean Up Your Act.” Each is set to debut in late spring or early summer. The programming for the new shows was purchased through the South Bend, Ind.-based Healthworks! Kids’ Museum and targets children of varying ages with key information tied to overall health and wellness. “We are thrilled to be able to expand our mix of interactive program offerings thanks to the generosity of The P&G Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation,” commented Shannon Woodcock, president and CEO of the Delta Dental Health Theatre. “The programming for these new shows is really awesome. Visiting children will be having so much fun they won’t even realize they are learning. Yet, they will walk away with key health messages that can immediately be applied to their lives.” The Delta Dental Health Theatre is located on Laclede’s Landing in downtown St. Louis at 727 North First Street in the same building as the Old Spaghetti Factory. The price of admission is $1 per person. Reservations are encouraged, but not required. 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HollywoodCasinoSTL H HollywoodSTL 5 6 Business May 13, 2015 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com Materialogic moves distribution facility to Key Dates Related to Your accommodate future growth Materialogic, a fulfillment and logistics provider, recentRetirement W hen you think of certain important dates or ages, you generally think of birthdays, anniversaries, special moments, etc. However, as you get into your pre-retirement and retirement years, other dates and ages become very important. In fact, these dates may become even more important than birthdays and anniversaries as missing them can have a severe impact on your retirement. Most people work extremely hard during their lifetime to build a nest egg that will take care of them in retirement. Part of building your nest egg is the proper understanding and planning around some key dates. The key dates and ages related to retirement we are referring to are ages: 21, 50, 55, 59.5, 62, 62 to 65, 65 to 67, 70 and age 70.5. All of these ages represent an important time related to some type of retirement issue, like contributions, Social Security, Medicare, required minimum distributions, etc. Most of these ages require some type of action on your part, which will affect your retirement in some way. For example, are you sure you understand when you can access money out of a retirement plan without penalty, or when you can make as much money as you want without losing Social Security benefits? To make the most of your retirement benefits, you need to understand the issues and options each age entails. Join us on our syndicated podcast show this Friday at 1:00pm where we will discuss these key ages and the importance of each one in detail. You can access the podcast and our recorded radio segments through our website radio.360ira.com You can also at radio.360ira.com. obtain this information and independent advice for your specific situation by contacting me at 360 IRA by calling 844-436-0472 or by email at [email protected]. Investment Advisory Services offered through Brookstone Capital Management LLC, a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Any statement contained herein are not intended to be construed as tax advice. You should consult your tax advisor as to any tax or related matters. The information and opinions contained herein are provided by third parties and have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The information is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual’s situation. Content is provided for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any products mentioned. Paid Advertisement https://twitter.com/@mycnews ly moved to a new 163,000-square-foot building located at 3100 Corporate Exchange Ct. in Bridgeton. The newly leased distribution facility replaces its existing location at nearby 13201 and 13213 Corporate Exchange Dr. Materialogic is a third-party fulfillment and logistics company specializing in B2C and B2B eCommerce and marketing collateral solutions for both small and large businesses looking to outsource non-core supply chain activities. Founded in 1976, the company will keep its headquarters at 1160 Research Blvd. in St. Louis and a West Coast distribution center at 5555 Broadway/Hwy. 29 in American Canyon, Calif. Submitted photo The move took three months to complete and involved Materialogic, a fulfillment and logistics provider, recently moved to a new 163,000-square-foot building transferring more than 600 truckloads of client materials to located at 3100 Corporate Exchange Ct. in Bridgeton. the new building. The space was previously the home of KV Pharmaceutical distribution center. The retooling of facilione of the largest FDA drug vaults in the country.” ties has increased Materialogic’s storage capacity by 20 percent in The building required no renovations. An office area was added, the St. Louis market. as well as various racking and material handling solutions “to help “The new building is a perfect fit for our current needs and future us receive products quickly, inventory a wider array of products, and expansion plans,” said Milton Cornwell, Chief Operating Officer of substantially increase our order processing capacity,” said Cornwell. Materialogic. “This state-of-the-art facility has the capabilities for He added that the new building will efficiently serve existing and storing and distributing products and materials that require tem- potential clients who sell over the internet and need cost-effective perature control, high security, and special handling. It even has retail store replenishment. Boeing Employees Community Fund awards grant to Arts and Education Council The Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis (ECF) awarded a grant to the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis (A&E) benefitting the council’s annual fundraising efforts on behalf of nearly 70 arts and arts education organizations throughout the 16-county, bi-state area.. The ECF is one of the largest employeeowned and managed charitable funds in the world, with 100 percent of every donation used to help strengthen local communities. “Boeing is committed to enhancing the St. Louis region’s arts and cultural community. With our donation to the Arts and Education Council, Boeing employees are able to lend their support to so many arts organizations – large and small – that make St. Louis such a vibrant and enjoyable place to live, work and play,” said AJ Snyder, president of the Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis. “For more than 50 years, the Arts and Education Council has proven itself to be an excellent, forward-thinking steward of donations including Boeing’s, and we are proud to continue our partnership.” For over 50 years, the Arts and Education Council has served as the St. Louis region’s only united arts fund supported solely by private contributions. In addition to direct funding for arts and arts education organizations of all sizes, A&E remains deeply committed to providing professional development and collaboration opportunities that help these institutions improve and expand performances, exhibits and activities as well as operational capacity. Contributions to A&E also help grantees grow arts education and outreach programming for K-12 students throughout the bi-state region. Research continues to demonstrate that children who participate in the arts enjoy greater academic success, higher selfesteem, improved discipline and elevated graduation rates. Beyond success in school, participation in the arts also builds creative and analytical thinking skills necessary for advancement in the world beyond school. “The Boeing Company and its Employees Community Fund continues to be one of the Arts and Education Council’s most dedicated and generous corporate citizens,” said Cynthia A. Prost, president of A&E. “Boeing understands that by partnering with the Arts and Education Council, they are helping to attract and retain the best and the brightest workforce to our region. The Boeing Company’s investment in A&E will, in turn, grow into millions of art experiences, making a vibrant community for all.” www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • May 13, 2015 School McCluer seniors win top honors in Congressional Art Competition McCluer High School seniors Joyce Hau and Taylor Donato received top honors in the 15th Annual Congressional Art Competition. Hau placed first for her painting, “Mrs. Tidball,” and Donato placed third for her drawing, “Perception of Fortune.” The competition, hosted by Congressman Lacy Clay, is a juried show for high school students in the 1st Congressional District. The event was held April 17 at the Portfolio Gallery and Education Center. As the winner of the competition, Hau’s painting will be on display at the Capitol in Washing- ton, D.C. for the next year. She also won two free plane tickets to D.C. from Southwest Airlines to attend the opening ceremony of the new artwork that will be installed in June. Donato’s drawing will be on display in Congressman Clay’s office in St. Louis for the next year. According to Michele Motil, McCluer High School’s fine arts department chair, this is a backto-back win for McCluer High School. In 2014, Michaela Intveld-Sutherlin won first place in the competition, and her charcoal drawing has been on display in D.C. since June 2014. Living Word Christian School NOW ENROLLING FFSD students selected to participate in the Missouri Fine Arts Academy Fourteen students from the Ferguson-Florissant School District have been selected to participate in the Missouri Fine Arts Academy (MFAA) this summer. The students, who had to submit an online audition, essay and recommendation from their fine arts teacher to qualify for selection, will be among 200 students from throughout the state to participate in the academy. According to Doug Erwin, FFSD’s K-12 fine arts content leader, the district has had the most students from throughout the state to be selected for the academy for the fourth year in a row. The MFAA is a three-week summer residential program for highly motivated student artists in visual arts, theatre, dance, creative writing and music. The academy offers an intensive schedule of classes in interdisciplinary and discipline-specific arts, and a wide range of co-curricular activities. MFAA is conducted with the support and cooperation of Missouri State University. Students who complete the academy earn three hours credit in interdisciplinary studies, which is transferable to most college or university degree programs. Below is a listing of students, their area of interest and the school they attend: McCluer North High School: Vocal Music – Dennis Barber, Pfalin Burton, Mariah Hamilton, Olivia Jones, Tyron Long, Cortez Murray, Chauncey Patterson and Machaella Smith; Theatre – Troy Caldwell-Day and Leah Sutherlin McCluer High School: Theatre – Rachel Ingram and Kyahna Johnson; Band – Kalie Strain McCluer South-Berkeley High School: Band – Sekaia Young The concept of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy grew out of an interest in providing an opportunity and level of support necessary to challenge, motivate and empower Missouri’s most talented arts students to become future state arts leaders. At Living Word Christian School, we partner with Christian families to equip students with a Christcentered education, empowering them to impact the world for the glory of God. Honoring God in and out of the classroom since 1980, LWCS has been blessed to see our students excel academically, develop relationally, flourish athletically, thrive artistically, and grow spiritually. Our primary objective is to serve God by reaching and teaching this next generation by educating tomorrow’s leaders today – all within a biblical worldview. We offer an award-winning, dual-accredited, college-preparatory, PreK-12th grade program within a nurturing environment. In 2014, Christian High School was voted one of the Top 50 Christian High Schools in the U.S. Call or come visit today (636) 978-1680 1145 Tom Ginnever Avenue, O’Fallon, MO 63366 636-978-1680 | www.lwcs.us www.lwcs.us Hazelwood School District staff exceeds arts and education campaign goal by $2,000 The Hazelwood School District recently recognized five of its schools for raising the most funds in support of the district’s Arts & Education Council Workplace Giving Campaign. The goal for the campaign was to raise $10,000. However, due to the concerted efforts of building campaign coordinators and generosity of staff, HSD was able to exceed the goal, raising close to $12,000 for the organization. This year the district Photo courtesy Hazelwood School District awarded the five schools Building coordinators from Arrowpoint Elementary were recognized as an HSD ArtSmart School of the first ever ArtSmart the Year. Shown here are Dorothy Powell, Arts & Education; Nichol Sokolowski and Patti Hornberger, awards. The buildings rec- Arrowpoint building coordinators; and Sharifah Sims-Williams, HSD campaign coordinator. ognized with the award posed to the arts tend to outperform those with are: Townsend Elementary, Hazelwood East low involvement,” said Sharifah Sims-Williams, Middle School, HSD administration building, HSD communications specialist and campaign Hazelwood Central High School, and Arrow- coordinator. “These students are also more likely point Elementary. Arrowpoint Elementary was to spend their spare time in community service recognized as the District’s ArtSmart School of or youth groups, and have better ratings for selfthe Year, as the site that raised the most money. worth than those who were not involved in an The campaign coordinators for these sites were arts organization. I am grateful for the generospublicly recognized at the April 14 Board of Edu- ity of our building coordinators, the staff and the cation meeting. support from our administration. They are the Dorothy Powell, development manager with reason our campaign was a tremendous success.” the Arts & Education Council, attended the The Arts & Education Council supports orgaboard meeting to thank the district for its sup- nizations throughout the bi-state area including port. Dance St. Louis, KDHX Media, The Saint Louis “Because of Hazelwood and other school dis- Classical Guitar Society and Springboard. The tricts in the area, we can continue to provide Council provides funds for students to particienriching and amazing learning experiences for pate in and attend events at the St. Louis Symour students throughout the 22 counties A&E phony Orchestra, Saint Louis Art Museum as serves,” said Powell. well other venues throughout the area. “Research shows that students involved and ex- Walk in care is here… 7 days a week. We provide immediate care for minor medical conditions like simple cuts and wounds, sprains or fractures, cold and flu, fever, rashes, minor burns or insect bites. Remember, if your symptoms are life-threatening, call 911 immediately. Near I-270 and Lindbergh Blvd. • No appointment needed • Diagnostic X-ray on site Mercy Urgent Care 637 Dunn Rd. | Hazelwood | 314-817-2000 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week Your life is our life’s work. mercy.net/UCHazelwood www.mercy.net/UCHazelwood mercy.net 7 8 Learn & Play May 13, 2015 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com By Cindy Moore If Mama ain’t happy… May is the month for mothers. Look! With the stroke of my keyboard, I somehow turned Mother’s Day into Mother’s Month. And why not? Why should we only get one measly 24-hour day out of 365? We’ve worked hard and strained our wombs to their stretch-marked limits for our kids. The least they can do is get us more stuff. So think hard and choose wisely, and if you want to remain a favorite child you better avoid these: Cheap candy – Sure my thighs are out of control and my waist has gone to waste, but if I’m going to add another chin to my collection, it better be caused by high-quality chocolate. Meaning: if it doesn’t have at least 35 percent cocoa solids imported via the Swiss Alps, then you might as well bring me a brown wax crayon dipped in vegetable oil. Discount flowers – My son put a lot of consideration into this when he was suddenly reminded at the lumber checkout aisle the day before Mother’s Day. Thank goodness they had a tub of wilted, reduced-price flowers with a banner saying, “Ensure your place in the will. Don’t forget Mom!” It made me respond with, “Oh, did I mention, you were adopted?!” Something with a cord – Nothing says, “Thanks Mom for all you’ve done, but that’s just not quite enough. Now plug it in sister and do some more!” Gift card – Physical cash is thoughtless and tacky, so I bought you plastic cash instead. House plant – I raised three kids and they sur- SUDOKU: Fill in the blank squares in the grid, making sure that every row, column and 3-by-3 box includes all the digits 1 through 9. vived long enough to make it out the door – barely. Now you bring in this strange, orphaned lifeform and expect me to raise it too? It’ll be dead by nightfall. Dinner crowds - No shoulder to shoulder, all-you-can-eat buffet battle where I’m forced to deactivate the mobility scooter of the person in front of me, just so I can move in and duke it out over the last coconut shrimp without getting finger-stabbed with a fork. Sexy lingerie (from husband) – Nice try buster. The sales receipt better be attached because this is going straight back and redeemed for a night out at Baskin Robbins! If this works as planned, I have every intention of declaring a Mother’s Year. Cindy Moore is the mother of three superlative kids, servant of two self-indulgent felines and wife to one nifty husband. Her ficticious occupation? Archeological Humorist: someone who unearths absurdity and hilarity in strange and unusual places including public restrooms, the lint filter, and church meetings. Most recently, she excavated a find in her neighbor’s bird feeder. The opinions expressed in this column are Cindy Moore’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News. See solution on page 13 www.mycnews.com Local Author Spotlight: Shirley Harrell Shirley Jean Latham Harrell is the author of “Seven on the Bell,” a collection of stories and memories of life on Bell Mountain in the Ozarks of southern Missouri. Life in rural America during the 1940s and 1950s was still very primitive and very much the same as our forefathers’. Despite great hardships and hindrances in reaching our potential (academically, musically, and vocationally), we were resolute in working hard to dream the American dream. These stories have been recorded for posterity’s sake and to inspire others in their determination to dream the American dream. Shirley’s writings include inspirational lessons from Women’s Missionary Guide books, an article selected by the Florissant Valley Reporter Newspaper entitled “Ninety Five and Counting Down,” and a collection of poetry and songs. She was married to a minister (now deceased) who was a pastor and church planter. Shirley resides in O’Fallon, Missouri. Her daughter, Deanna; granddaughters, Ashley and Aimee (Aimee is married to Valentin and they have a son, Fin, and a daughter, Gavianna); and son Kevin and his wife Jeannie reside nearby. In “Seven on the Bell,” Harrell presents stories about how a family survived on a rocky, rugged Ozark Mountain farm during the 1940s to the 1950s. In such a remote area, your only source of emergency medical care was from the One Who Rides. www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • May 13, 2015 Movie “Where Hope Grows” 9 By Steve Bryan David DeSanctis smashes stereotypes (and produce) in ‘Where Hope Grows’ Making his feature film debut in “Where Hope Grows,” David DeSanctis, in ways they act on those assumptions. keeping with the movie’s baseball themes, hits one out of the park. The story “It’s interesting. I’ve said this before, but it’s almost like focuses on Calvin Campbell (Kristoffer Polaha), a former Major League Baseball some people carry on the outside what everybody else is star struggling with alcohol addiction. carrying on the inside,” Polaha said. “I think on just a real Though Calvin can’t relate to his daughter, Produce, played by DeSanctis, is surface level, they look at Produce and say ‘Here’s a guy with determined to bond with the former athlete. His nickname comes from his job in Down’s and society has written him off.” the produce department at the local grocery store. The same can be said of Calvin, Polhaha continued, because DeSanctis, by the way, he’s carrying it on the inside. has Down’s syndrome. “When the two characHis appearance can cause ters meet, there’s sort of an people to make assumpanswer. Produce is lonely, tions about him, but he lives alone. He works at when the burgeoning aca job where he’s not truly tor arrives with co-star respected. It’s like they’ve Kristoffer Polaha for a just given him the job; he’ll roundtable interview, he never make employee of the holds court in the small month. And you’ve got Calroom. vin, who’s unable to connect When asked about the with people, so he drinks.” scene where Calvin pitchThe actor said what’s great es produce to Produce, about working with David is Polaha said it took about getting to know the Down’s 3-4 hours to shoot. “I community in the United think we used four bags States. of produce. But this guy “David and people like was so good at hitting David don’t meet strangers. the fruit, [director] Chris There’s an immediate, almost Dowling said ‘We need childlike joy of ‘Hey! You’re you to miss a couple of a person. I’m a person. Let’s times.’” just hug it out.’ You’re just DeSanctis said he overwhelmed by love and doesn’t miss because he joy. You see that in the movis on a Special Olympics ie,” he said. “Where Hope Grows” photos courtesy of Godspeed Pictures softball team. “Where Hope Grows” “Softball is coming up opens on Friday, May 15. for me this coming summer. And I can really hit, like I can extremely hit a baseBorn and raised in South St. Louis, Steve Bryan is now based in Anaheim, California, ball. I can envision a baseball as a tomato, as an orange, as a tangerine or as a and has been allowed access to movie and television sets to see actors and directors plum or a grapefruit. So I can really smash that fruit over the fence,” DeSanctis at work. Though his writing has taken him far from St. Louis, Steve is, at heart, still the explained. same wide-eyed kid who spent countless hours watching classic movies at neighborhood “Where Hope Grows” examines the assumptions that people make and the cruel theaters. Log on to www.mycnews.com www.STLNeuroTherapy.com www.desmetretirement.org 10 May 13, 2015 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com Sports Rascals start season Friday The River City Rascals play their professional baseball at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon. May 15 is the long awaited day that baseball fans of the River City team have been longing since the playoffs from last year. Fireworks are also planned after the game. Steve Brook Manager and Director of Operations, is entering his fifth season at the helm and his 11th year with the organization. His 25 players are getting ready to show their talents after the long off-season. Several players on the squad have experience with Major League teams such as: St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics. By the way, go to the Rascal’s website to see the bag policy. www.RiverCityRascals.com Home schedule: (Start time 6:35 p.m., Sunday’s 4:05 p.m.) • May 15, 16, 17, Fri, Sat, Sun: against Normal Cornbelters • May 22, 23, 24, Fri, Sat, Sun: against Frontier Greys • May 26, 27, 28, Tues, Wed, Thur: against Washington Wild Things * Smell those hotdogs River City special promotions The Rascals players will entertain you on the field and the ownership has some upcoming promos you should mark your calendar for: • Friday May 15: Get your picture with the Budweiser Clydesdales. • Saturday May 16: Get your picture with Fred Bird. Sunday May 17: Get a Rascal T-shirt. * Many other exciting dates coming www.gibsonprinting.com Baseball players at Lindenwood get honors The university’s outfielder Drew Quinones was named the 2015 MIAA Freshman of the Year and was the highlight of the awards. A programrecord, seven members of the baseball team also earned all-MIAA honors. Quinones and two teammates, shortstop Na- than Prindle and outfielder Wade Rothermich, were second-team selections. Honorable mention honors went to pitcher Brendan Kleekamp, catcher Mike Wilson, third baseman Ryan Light, and outfielder Wes Degener. Quinones finished in the top-10 in the MIAA in RBIs, batting average and hits. He led the team Submitted Photo Lindenwood University’s Drew Quinones was named the 2015 MIAA Freshman of the Year. with a .385 batting average and had 67 hits, 40 runs, 50 RBIs, nine home runs, nine doubles, and two triples. Prindle was Lindenwood’s leader with 12 home runs, and he tied for the team-high with 30 extrabase hits. Rothermich led the Lions with 54 runs, 73 hits, five triples, 51 RBIs, a .660 slugging percentage and a .460 on-base percentage. Kleekamp tied for the team-high with 13 wins and led the Lions with a 3.77 ERA. Wilson was third on the team with both a .356 batting average and a .429 on-base percentage. Light led the team and tied for fourth in the MIAA with 17 doubles. Degener was a .341 hitter on the season and finished second on the team with 48 runs and 70 hits. The Lindenwood baseball team finished the season by earning a bid to the MIAA Tournament for the first time. The Lions were 27-25 overall and 16-16 in MIAA action. Tune into Your Health Plus Radio Show, Every Saturday at 8 a.m. on KSLQ 104.5 FM For more information go to www.YourHealthPlus.info. One-hundred percent natural products to help focus, reduce stress, more energy, curb your appetite, healthiest coffee, anti-aging serum and more… Gary Baute, a St. Louis native, may be educated in business but he lives and breathes sports. As a fan or an athlete, Gary is all sports all the time. He hosted a radio sports program on KFNS, emceed the River City Rascals’ inaugural season, and co-hosted SportsRadioSTL.com, among many other activities. 11 www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • May 13, 2015 Recipe: Grilling with grains If your outdoor grilling menu calls for easy, gluten-free dishes to accompany your favorite flame-kissed foods, sorghum may be your secret to success. Sorghum, an ancient cereal grain, is a highly versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide range of preparations, such as leavened and unleavened breads, fermented and unfermented beverages, and a host of flour-based foods such as pizza dough, pastas and cereals. It can also be consumed in place of whole grain in countless recipes and as a syrup. Because it is naturally gluten free, sorghum is a terrific option for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance who don’t want to sacrifice the tex- ture and taste of grain-based foods. What’s more, the nutrient-rich grain is a good source of iron, calcium, potassium as well as polycosinol, which research has shown to lower serum cholesterol and may improve heart health. For those who monitor glycemic index, sorghum also offers good news. Research indicates sorghum offers slow digestibility and a lower glycemic index. Foods with a lower glycemic index are believed to increase satiety, which means you feel fuller longer, aiding with weight management. Enjoy grilled fare with a new twist. From sweet, savory marinades to crisp, crunchy salads to refreshingly tangy beverages, sorghum is the ingredient that makes these recipes shine. Spicy Sorghum Chicken Breasts Yield: 4 servings | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 12 minutes | Contributed by Joy Gray www.thistleandclover.com Open 7 Days a Week! on a DIME CONSIGNMENT SHOPPE The Place to Shop, The Place to Consign. • Custom Furniture Painting • Gently Used Home Décor & Furniture 1982 Zumbehl Road in St. Charles (In Zumbehl Commons, Next to Schnucks) Like Us 636-949-5959 Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts 1/2 cup canola oil 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 jalapeno peppers, minced Juice of 1 lemon Salt Pepper www.DesignOnADimeConsign.com Directions: Put chicken breasts between sheets of wax paper and gently pound to about 1/2-inch thickness. Pierce both sides several times with fork and set aside. In large resealable bag, combine canola oil, sorghum syrup, garlic, jalapenos and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken breasts to bag, seal and refrigerate 2–10 hours. Heat grill to high. Remove chicken breasts from marinade and cook for 6 minutes. Turn to other side and cook for another 6 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Grilled Sorghum Tabbouleh Salad Yield: 4 servings | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour | Contributed by Brady Shadid Ingredients: 1 cup sorghum grain 3 cups water 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and quartered 1 red bell pepper, cored and quartered 1 white onion, cut into wedges 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon 3 bunches parsley, chopped 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped 1/3 cup lemon juice Salt Pepper www.ssmhealth.com/now Directions: Add sorghum to water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 50 minutes or until water is absorbed. Set aside and let cool. Sorghum can be prepared in advance and refrigerated overnight. Brush bell peppers and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil and grill over medium heat for 4 minutes. Turn to other side and grill for another 4 minutes. Remove and let cool. sorghum. Add parsley, mint, lemon juice and 1/4 cup olive oil to sorghum and toss lightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chop grilled peppers and onion and add to cooled Southern Sweet Sorghum Tea Yield: 4 servings | Prep time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 6 cups water 4 black tea bags 3/4 cup sorghum syrup 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup bourbon (optional) Juice of 1 orange 1 orange, washed and sliced Mint to garnish Directions: Boil water. Remove from heat, add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sorghum syrup and sugar. Pour into pitcher and refrigerate until cold. Stir in bourbon and orange juice. Add sliced oranges to pitcher. Serve over ice with mint to garnish. 12 What’s Happening May 13, 2015 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com Send your event to [email protected] and we'll print it! Events May 13: Karaoke Karaoke at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121. May 15: Chicken fried steak dinner Dinner at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois from 5 – 8 p.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314831-6121. www.goodshepherdstl.org Upcoming Events May 2 May 2 www.babykidexpo.com www.woodyauction.com May 6, 7, 8 & 9 May 10 www.recycledkidssales.com bit.ly/brunchformom 636.669.3000 www.STCHARLESCONVENTIONCENTER.com www.stcharlesconventioncenter.com /stcharlesconven @stcharlesconven May 15: School fundraiser Holy Trinity School will host a fundraiser from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the school cafeteria at 10901 St. Henry Lane in Saint Ann. Event will include shopping (40 vendors), card party (optional), luncheon, fashion show, Bunco, trivia, games, basket and restaurant raffle and attendance prizes. Cost is $15 for adult and $5 for children (12 and under). For more information contact Karen at 314-539-1962 or holytrinity@ live.com May 16: Stray Dog Soiree - Toads and Tiaras A magical night of cocktails, dinner, auctions and festivities benefiting Stray Dog Theatre and youth programs. Held at Tower Grove Abbey at 2336 Tennessee Avenue in St. Louis at 6 pm. Cost is $175 per person. For more information contact 314-865-1995 or visit www. straydogtheatre.org. May 16: Book signing Marilyn D. Brown will be signing copies of her books from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at 6 North Café at 14438 Clayton Road in Ballwin. For more information call 636527-0400 or visit www.6northcafe.com May 16: St. Ann Assisted Living Garage Sale Event takes place at 10441 International Plaza Dr. in St. Ann. Set up time is between 6:30 - 7:30 a.m. We are only providing your space; you will need your own tables and chairs. Sale starts at 8:00 a.m. Contact Michelle Johnson with any questions at 314-304-1580 . May 16: Historical luncheon A historical overview of Ferguson will be the program for the FergusonFlorissant (North County) American Association of University Women’s luncheon. A panel of local history expects will give the presentation. The program will also include awards and other short presentations. The public is invited. The luncheon will be held at Rizzo’s Restaurant at1839 Dunn Road in Florissant, beginning at 11:30 am. Selections will be made from the luncheon menu. Reservations are required. For information or reservations, call 314-831-5359, 314831-6884 or e-mail gwenrosenfeld@ sbcglobal.net May 18: Free financial workshop You are invited to join us here at DeSmet Retirement Community at 1425 N. New Florissant in Florissant at 6 p.m. for a free financial workshop. Please join us for this informational workshop it is the best way to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the future. For more information or to RSVP please call 314838-3811. Please RSVP by May 11. May 21: Luncheon City of Overland Senior Mother’s and Father’s Day Luncehon takes place at 12:30 p.m. at City of Overland Frank Munsch Community Center at 9225 Lackland Road. Are you over the age of 55 and live in Overland? Celebrate the holidays with not just the family, but your fellow Overland residents in one Paid Advertisement Key Differences Between Mediation and Collaborative Divorce Stange Law Firm, PC Most parties if they were asked about how they would like their divorce to conclude would opt for an out-of-court settlement versus through a contested hearing or trial. This leads lots of folks to inquire about mediation. Mediation sounds less emotionally and financially taxing. Parties reaching a settlement out of court might also be in a better position to be able to move on with their life co-parenting with their ex or soon-to-beex. The idea of a collaborative divorce also sounds appealing to many parties as well. The term “collaborative” sounds similar to mediation to most. And the term itself denotes parties working together in an amicable and productive manner. Of course, mediation and collaborative divorce are not the same processes. It is important for parties to understand the differences between these two processes if they are going to choose between them. In divorce and family law mediation, parties meet with a mediator (typically, without an attorney) to try and resolve their dispute. In most cases, a full resolution cannot be reached in one session, but instead would require multiple sessions. The mediator’s job is simply to facilitate a discussion between the parties so that they can reach a creative resolution. It is not the job of the mediator to impose their will, force the parties to meet in the middle or dispense legal advice. In fact, if an agreement is reached in mediation, one or both of the parties will still need to hire an attorneytofilethedivorce,ensurethattheproperpaperwork is completed and to procure the signature of the judge eitherthroughanon-contestedhearingorbyaffidavit. The reality is that in many mediated cases there ends up being three attorneys involved: the mediator, an attorney for husband and an attorney for wife. In collaborative divorce, the parties meet with their attorneys present with them. In addition, to the parties and their attorneys, the parties can employ collaborative professionals to assist, like a divorce coach, financialneutralorchildcustodyprofessional. Insome cases, the parties might even enlist two divorce coaches: www.stygar.com Access our mobile website with a mobile device. one for husband and for wife. All of these parties can help the collaborative process to ensure that a resolution can be reached. Typically, for a settlement to be reached, the process will require multiple sessions. A divorce coach assists each spouse manage the emotional strain of changing relationships while focusingongoalsforthepresentandfuture.Afinancial neutral helps the parties identify options and alternativesbyreviewingthefinancialaspectsofthecase.A child custody professional helps the parties create custodyschedulestofitthespecificneedsofthefamily. Further, unlike mediation, if the parties are able to reach a resolution in the collaborative process, theattorneysforhusbandandwifecanfilethedivorce and complete the process in court. On the other hand, if the parties cannot settle, the parties have to hire separate counsel if they wish to litigate their case. If you are going through a divorce, Stange Law Firm, PC can help. We have multiple attorneys trained in mediation and collaborative law who can help you deal with your divorce in a more amicable way. When you retain us, you will receive access to your case through Your Case Tracker and you will receive your lawyer’s personal cell phone number. Call today to schedule your free 30-minute consultation. S STANGE LAW FIRM PC Stange Law Firm, PC St. Charles Office Phone: 636-940-5900 St. Louis County Office Phone: 314-963-4700 West County Office Phone: 636-200-6400 www.stangelawfirm.com www.stangelawfirm.com The choice of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Neither the Supreme Court of Missouri/Illinois nor The Missouri/Illinois Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations. The information you obtain in this ad is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. Past results afford no guarantee of future results and every case is different and must be judged on its merits. of our famous holiday luncheons. Preregistration is required, so please contact the Overland Community Center at 314-428-0490 for more information on how to sign up for this event. May 22: 2015 MU Extension in St. Louis Night Please join us for another evening to benefit MU Extension in St. Louis at Schon. Hors d’oeuvres, fine wines, desserts and fun; while enjoying all of the above you will be supporting local artists and MU Extension programming in the St. Louis area. Cost is $10 (You will pay at the door) (All proceeds benefit Extension Programming) Please visit our website at http://extension. missouri.edu/stlouis for more information. May 22: Pork steak dinner Dinner at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois from 5 – 8 p.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314831-6121. May 23: Parkerson Twins LaVeada and LaVina will perform at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois from 5 – 8 p.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121. May 27: Karaoke Karaoke at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121. May 29: Concert and dance “Rockin’ to the 60’s and 70’s” by Scott Laytham and Karl Holmes will be performed at the James J. Eagan Center Gym from 7 – 10 p.m. All are welcome – young and old, residents or non-residents. Tickets are just $8 each if purchased prior to the dance in the Senior Office in Florissant City Hall or $10 at the door. Light snacks are provided. Beer, wine and soda are available for purchase. Call the Florissant Senior Office at 314-839-7604 for more information. May 29: All you can eat chicken Dinner is dine in only at Florissant Valley VFW Post 4105, located at 410 St. Francois from 5 – 8 p.m. All profits go to support veterans. For more information call 314-831-6121. May 30: Book signing Jackie Polys will be signing copies of her book “Ralston the Rally Squirrel” from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at 6 North Café at 14438 Clayton Road in Ballwin. For more information call 636-527-0400 or visit www.6northcafe.com. June 3: Red Cross Blood Drive Blood drive takes place at Blessed Savior Lutheran Church at 2615 Shackelford Road in Florissant from 2:30 - 6:30 p.m. Call the church at 314-831-1300 or sign up at redcrossblood.org sponsor code BlessedSavior. June 5: Golf tournament The Greater North County Chamber of Commerce 2015 Golf Tournament will be at the Golf Club of Florissant at 52 Country Club Lane in Florissant. The $100 pre-paid entry fee ($110 the day of the event) includes 18 holes with a cart, lunch, dinner and drink tickets. Tournament will feature several contests, mulligans, skins, attendance prizes and more. Event has a noon shotgun start. Registration and lunch will begin at 11 a.m. For more information on sponsorships or to register to golf, call the chamber office at 314-831-3500. June 6: Children’s grief retreat SSM Hospice will host Camp MAGIC on Saturday, June 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri. Camp MAGIC (Mending a Heart, Grief in Children) is a free, one- www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • May 13, 2015 day grief retreat for children, ages 6-12. Designed to help children who are suffering from the grief associated with the loss of a loved one, the camp will help children find new ways to identify and express their grief through a variety of activities including making memory boxes, reading books and releasing butterflies. Each child will be paired with a volunteer to provide companionship, support and supervision throughout the day. Health care professionals will conduct age appropriate activities on grief, loss and recovery. Camp MAGIC is free of charge and is made possible by the SSM Hospice and Home Care Foundation. For more information regarding Camp MAGIC or to register, please contact Katie at 636-695-2054 or [email protected]. The registration deadline for Camp MAGIC is May 30. benefitting the children of Marygrove will be held at Norwood Hills Country Club. Registration and lunch begin at 10:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 12 p.m. Dinner and auction will immediately follow tournament play. Entry fee for the four-person scramble is $1,200 for a foursome, $300 per-person and $75 for a dinner guest. For more information contact Kathryn Feldt at 314830-6249 or [email protected]. June 8 – July: Affordable summer camp in Spanish Lake Applied Scholastics Learning Center is offering an eight-week summer camp program for children ages 6-14. The summer program allows children the opportunity to learn, explore and make new friends in a safe and fun environment through well-planned activities including water fun, art, crafts, cooking, science, outdoor play and movies on a giant auditorium screen. Camp fee is $125 per week and includes lunch and snack daily. With a beautiful facility on 100 acres in Spanish Lake, the Applied Scholastics Learning Center Summer Camp is designed to create the best summer experience for your child. For more information and to schedule a tour, please call 314-355-6355 or email [email protected] today. July 1: Crafters needed Crafters Needed for the Tri-County Citizens Advisory Board to Probation and Parole Fourth Annual Christmas in August Craft Fair at Calvary Church at 3998 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters on August 29. If interested, please contact Nancy Corbin by July 1 at [email protected] or at 636-9160029. June 12: Daddy/daughter dance Grownups can treat their special little girl to a lovely evening filled with fun, music, and dancing, along with cookies and punch from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.at Nature Lodge at Sunset Park. Formal dress is required. Cost is $25 for residents and $30 for nonresidents. Tickets will be available May 1 through June 6 or when dance is full, whichever comes first. Be sure to register early to avoid disappointment. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For ages 12 and under with an adult. For other information, please call 921-4250 or 921-4466. June 12: The Changing Landscape of Long-Term Care Conference The Changing Landscape of Long-Term Care Conference takes place at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. This all-day conference will bring together professional long-term caregivers with individuals from the community to learn dynamic strategies, innovative tools and available options. Individual registration and exhibit space is available. Contact Kristin Pendleton at VOYCE for more details at 314-9192410 or [email protected]. You can also visit www.voycestl.org. June 20: Golf tournament The Jennings Do-Dads are excited to announce our 22nd annual Juvenile Justice Scholarship Golf Tournament. This year’s tournament will begin with a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start at Eagle Springs Golf Course at 2575 Redman Rd in St. Louis. The tournament will raise funds for a scholarship for those who are planning a career in juvenile justice. Team entry (four players) costs $340 and includes greens fees, cart, limited beverages at course, attendance prizes and the posttournament food and refreshments. Limited to the first 36 teams, entry forms and fees are preferred by May 31, 2015, although you may register and pay up to the day of the tournament. You can also pay online with a major credit card via PayPal at www.jenningsdodads.org. Register and pay by May 31, 2015 and the cost per foursome will be reduced to $320. For more information contact Jim Christian at 314-3418417 or Jack Duepner at 314-608-0551. June 22: Charity golf tournament Jeff Clinton Memorial Golf Classic June 29: Charity golf tournament Saint Louis Crisis Nursery will host their annual charity golf tournament from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. at Norwood Hills Country Club at 1 Norwood Hills Country Club Dr. in St. Louis. The format is a four-person scramble with shotgun start. Admission is $350 per person; teams available. For more information, call (314) 292-5770. Recurring Events Mondays: A cappella singers Men of Harmony a cappella singers meet at Salem Evangelical Free Church at New Halls Ferry at Pohlman Road at 7 p.m. Not church affiliated. Group is always looking for new members. Call Al at 314-993-6134 for more information. Tuesdays: TOPS (Take off pounds sensibly) From 9:15 - 10:30 a.m. located at John F. Kennedy Center/Henry Koch Ctr., Howdershell Rd. at Charbonier Rd., Florissant. For more info contact Paul or Connie McConnell, 314-831-5476. What’s Happening Florissant Elks Lodge #2316, 16400 New Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant. For more information, call 314.921.2316. Last Saturdays: Writers Workshop: 10am - 1:30pm, Baden Liberary, 8448 Church Rd., 314.388.2400 Every Wednesday: Bingo Morning at Florissant Elks Lodge #2316 Florissant Elks Lodge #2316, 16400 New Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant. Doors at 7:30am, games begin at 9:30am. For more information, call 314.921.2316. Sundays: Meat shoot Come and enjoy the meat shoots at American Legion Post 444 located on 17090 Old Jamestown Road between Sinks Rd and Lindbergh starting at noon until dusk every Sunday - rain or shine. Great meat prizes awarded. Bridgeton Trails Library Branch Programs: 3455 McKelvey Rd., St. Louis, 314.994.3300. Story Time: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. 9 months to 2 yrs. Room 1 (Lap Time); Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Ages 3–5. Room 2; Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Ages 3–5. Room 1. Every Sunday: Tours at Old St. Ferdinand Shrine Florissant Senior Citizens’ Bingo Clubs: 314.839.7604. Every 1st Wednesday of the Month: Stroke Support Group 3-4pm, Center for Senior Renewal, Detrick Building 1st floor, 11133 Dunn Rd. For more information, contact Lisa Erlinger at 314.653.5331. Every Friday: Our Lady of Fatima #4429 Knights of Columbus Bingo 6:45pm, Knights of Columbus Hall, 1216 Teson Rd. in Hazelwood. For more information call 314.731.9330 Every 3rd Friday of the month: Bingo 2pm, Life Care Center of Florissant, 1201 Garden Plaza Dr. For more information, call 314.831.3752. Every Friday: The Bridge at Florissant Hot Diggity Dog Build your own hot dog. 11:30am, The Bridge at Florissant, 1101 Garden Plaza Dr. in Florissant. To RSVP, call 314.831.0988. SUDOKU answers from page 8 Every 4th Tuesday of the month: Fort Bellefontaine Memorial American Legion Post 335 meeting 6:30pm, Fort Bellefontaine Memorial American Legion Post 335, 800 Chambers Road in Bellefontaine Neighbors. Those interested in membership are invited to attend. Every Tuesday: Bingo Evening at Florissant Elks Lodge #2316 Doors at 4:30pm, games begin at 6pm, www.villaatriverwood.com 13 #1 Rue St. Francois St., Florissant, 1 – 4pm, through October. Donations accepted. Docents needed. 314.921.7582, [email protected] Church Tuesdays & Thursdays: Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church GriefShare Support Group Tuesdays from 2 - 4pm and Thursday from 6:30 - 8:30pm, 11645 Benham Rd., 314.741.3737 14 May 13, 2015 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com Disposition Notice help wanted NOVENA PRAYER TO ST. JUDE Garage Sale May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pray for us. St. Jude, Worker of Miracles, Pray for us. St. Jude, Helper of the Hopeless, Pray for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days, then publish. Your prayers will be answered. It has never been known to fail. Thank you, St. Jude H.H. SERVICES “Stuff ” Piling Up? Let help advertise YOUR sale! Call Brooke at 636.697.2414 help wanted PET CEMETERY over 2,500 pet burials; over 6 acres; over 40 yrs old. 314-576-3030 www.memoryparkpetcemetery.info www.memoryparkpetcemetery.info Needed Check it Out! www.MYCNEWS.com 15 www.mycnews.com • Community News – St. Louis County • May 13, 2015 CLASSIFIEDS Published Every Week Since 1921 www.windowworld.com Family-Owned & Operated www.scrubbydutch.com Statewide Classifieds GUN SHOW May 16-17, Saturday 9-5 & Sunday 9-4. Springfield Ozark Empire Fairgrounds (3001 N. Grant St), Exit 77 off I-44. Buy-Sell-Trade. Info: (563) 927-8176 EARN $500 A DAY: Insurance Agent Needed. Leads, No Cold Calls. Commissions Paid Daily. Lifetime Renewals. Complete Training. Health & Dental Insurance. Life License Required. Call 1-888-713-6020 St. Louis GUN SHOW May 22, 23, 24. Old Thresher’s Park, Mt. Pleasant, IA. Friday 3PM-8PM, Saturday 9AM-5PM, Sunday 9AM-3PM. Large selection of guns and ammunition for sale. Info: 563-608-4401 HELP WANTED Can You Dig It? Heavy Equipment Operator Career! Receive Hands-on Training and National Certifications Operating Bulldozers, Backhoes & Excavators. Lifetime Job Placement. Veteran Benefits Eligible! 1-866-362-6497 St. Charles HELP WANTED-DRIVERS INSTRUCTION/TRAINING MISSOURI WELDING INSTITUTE, INC. Nevada, Missouri. Become a Certified Pipe and Structural Welder. Earn top pay in 18 weeks. Many companies seek our graduates. Combined1-800-667-5885. www.mwi.ws 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Driv O’Fallon, MO 63366 2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Drive O’Fallon, MO 63366 P 636.379.1775 F 636.379.1632 DRIVER TRAINEES - PAID MEDICAL BILLING TRAINCDL TRAINING! Become a new EES NEEDED! Become a driver for Stevens Transport! Medical Office Assistant! NO NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED! EXPERIENCE NEEDED! Our publications use ajob combination of online subscription, Earn $800 perSt.week! Stevens Online Training can get you Louis St. Charles Combined direct mail, home delivery, and voluntary circulation methods. will cover all costs! 1-888-528ready! HS diploma/GED & PC/ Voluntary refers to a circulation method where St. readers Louis “voluntarily” choose to pick up a publication to read. This 8864 drive4stevens.com internet needed! method is powerful because locations are carefully chosen 1-888-221-0295. and newsstands are monitored for 100% pick up. Community Drivers - We support every News has developed a network of over 650 convenient locations including every major supermarket chain. Our driver, every day, every mile! MISCELLANEOUS voluntary method is powerful for three reasons: No experience?St. Some orCharles LOTSCombined SAWMILLS Louis St. from only 1 QUALITY READERS A voluntary reader is an interested of experience? Let’s Talk! Call actively outside of the home, in stores, seeking out $4,397.00 -reader, MAKE & SAVE about the community Central Refrigerated Home. MONEY information with your own 2 TOTAL UTILITY 100% pick up assures no wasted (855) 476-9090 www.Centralbandmill -papers. Cut lumber any Every paper reaches an interested reader, yielding a TruckDrivingJobs.com for the entire to print run. dimension. full In value Stock, ready 58206_CirMap.indd 2 F 636.379.1632 www.MYCNEWS.com [email protected] [email protected] St. Louis Butler Transport. Your Partner in Excellence. CDL A Drivers Needed. Sign on bonus! All miles paid. 1-800-528-7825 or www.butlertransport.com - P 636.379.1775 PublishedSt.Weekly Since 1921 Louis St. Charles Combined 14, 2007 November 46 Vol. 86 No. www.mycnews.com N C RAZY Inside...C OUPO Follow thes e tips to keep your family and pets safe from mosquitoes. for 86 Years 1921 - Weekly d Established s & Operate Family Owned & St. Charles Countie Louis Serving St. news.com www.myc C o o li n g It July 11, 2007 Vol 9 No 28 Mosquito Seas on Annual The 16th Fair Women’s , Fit will be Fun ! lous and Fabu ! By Shelly A. Schneider FOUR GREAT PUBLICATIONS Missouri is home to about mosquitoes. Some live less 50 species of while others than may live several a week, months. FofIT online [email protected] Our publications use a combination FUN!subscription, Fair Women’s [email protected] Combined Community Health and ment states the Environit is only the female mosquito that “bites” and she does so to obtain blood meal the needed While mosquito to lay viable eggs. more than drive es usually do little the family from doors to the the outindoors, they carriers of are sometim dang es may contract erous diseases. Hum ans malaria, yellow gue, and encephal fever, denitis; and dogs heartworm. may get Most of these the exception diseases, with of canine heartwor human encephalitis and m, have been eliminated fairly well from Health officials the entire United States. said outbreak to borne encephal s of mosquiitis have periodica occurred in lly Missouri “Canine heartwor . m is an problem, with endemic ers escalating costs to animal owneach warned. “Effective year,” health officials measures including mosquito control the eliminati swamp areas, on of to keep road and maintenance efforts ditches clear have done and much to control water free mosquito for disease transmission. ” toes: floodwat er and permane If you believe mosquitoes. nt water Floodwater ing problem you have a mosquito breedmosquitoes their eggs on on your property, lay sure, damp soil where but are not please call will occur flooding the Departm or, in some munity Hea ent of Comcases, above water line lth and the the in tree holes, Environme tainers, or nt. Ofartificial con- ficials will make an inspectio other small n and evaluabodies of water. tion appointment, When rain and then recomme fills these areas (ARA) and floods the possible solution. nd a - National St. Charles in the larval County residents Friendship stages, broods greatest can upload have the prevention of mosquito Day is Aumethods right es fingertips a two-mintoes are mainly at their . gust 5 and - property Proper maintenance of the pest variety, ute video the first to and are preventio is the first step toward of the in light of emerge in the describi ng mosquito spring months. Many of these n. All trash a recent and refuse that mosquitoes how a close ers and may are strong flycould survey that range up to property should friend lights ten miles or be adequate more drained, i n d i c ate s ly graded and up their life a blood meal to prevent any women ................3 to lay eggs. pools or puddles water that may to www.rastory.................. of last ten days place high Cover .6 or County diancer longer. their eggs directly mosquito control ibv a l u e er....................... McCauley lists bons.com. officer Barry Shelly Schneid on the water surface, several things 9 on their may do to cies in this Florissant ..........8, keep mosquito homeowners friendships, group do es from ruining test closes Old Olay is offering venture0,far theirTown 11from their summer: breeding sites. not...........1 a chance to Aug. treat themselv women Charles 31, trip to New es with a Explore St. York City. in October. ...............12 See MOSQUIT No Olay is hosting City . . . . .............. O page 3 Town sary. For official purchase is neces........ a summer On the . .......414 called “Light School . . Up Your Life. contest www.radianceribbcontest rules, visit Chamber. . . . . .Baute... ...... ........ ” Women s with Gary ons.com. Religion. 5 ... Sport Huneke Publications, Inc. offers fo publications: two weekly newspape direct mail, home delivery, and voluntary circulation S! methods. LOU U B and two news magazines, eac Voluntary refers to a circulation method where readers www.mycnews.com FA covering a unique market segme “voluntarily” choose to pick up a publication to read. This within St. Louis County and S method is powerful because locations are carefully chosen Charles County. As a member and newsstands are monitored for 100% pick up. Community FOUR GREAT PUBLICATIONS the Missouri Press Association, a News has developed a network of over 650 convenient Huneke Publications, Inc. offers four of our publications feature verifie locations including every major supermarket chain. Our publications: two weekly newspapers circulation and an earned credibili voluntary method is powerful for three reasons: Movie Talk and two news magazines, each among our peers. St. Charles Combined 1 segment QUALITY READERS A voluntary reader is an interested covering a unique market reader, within St. Louis County andactively St. outside of the home, in stores, seeking out Charles County. As a information member ofabout the community 2 TOTAL the Missouri Press Association, all UTILITY 100% pick up assures no wasted COMMUNITY NEWS papers. Every paper reaches an interested reader, yielding a of our publications feature verified First published in 1921, Community New circulation and an earned fullcredibility value for the entire print run. published weekly newspaper in the St. L among our peers. 3 EXPANDING SET Every print run reaches a unique area and has established a large audien group of readers, Community News circulates across a br because the majority with newstands, home throw and online of voluntary readers are occasional readers. COMMUNITY NEWS COMMUNITY NEWS - St. Charles County Over time,weekly these unique First published in 1921, Community News is the longest Published with a powerful circulation combination of OUR TOWN MAGAZINE published weekly newspaper in the St. Louis metropolitan newsstands, throw, subscription. groups addhome up to a and onlinePublished bi-monthly, Our Town is dire area and has established a large audience of loyal readers. The St. Charles County edition features countywide coverage addresses in its service area, plus onlin readership size about Community News circulates across a broad geographic region including the cities of: St. Charles, St. Peters, Cottleville, unique business-to-business magazine three times greater with newstands, home throw and online subscription. Weldon Spring, O’Fallon, Dardenne Prairie, Lakenews St. Louis, commerce plus articles on the eco than the print run. and Wentzville, plus Troy. human resources, and marketing. St. Charles By Shelly A. Schneider o busy, e it gets to to dies, befor is the time corner. La for you. Now ovement and take a day impr se for selffun in the set a cour and to have self-awareness will find the answers process! Women health, family, career, s on at the 2007 to question and more image, fashion, – Fun, Fit, and FabuFair at St. Women’s , Nov. 17, for Saturday lous – set nity College. Commu Charles hip in partners the college St. Joseph sented by y and SSM take with JCPenne ospital West, will StuHealth Center-Ha.m.-3 p.m. in the 8:30 Campus, 4601 place from on the SCC lle. dent Center in Cottlevi Mall Drive out the area Mid Rivers through reWomen from day of education, for a fun, includwill gather food, and laxation, prizes, inars, a fashion show 50 ing nine mini-sem and more than speaker, s and serand keynote g product vendors displayin vices. tal a continen seminars and and exhibits a fashion tickets include rse cial $20 VIP speaker, and full-cou in show, keynote Grappa Grill and catered by t, exhibits, luncheon the breakfas consecutive addition to For the fourththe lunchtime seminars. y will host ages year, JCPenne with styles for all show, fashion ‘Light Up Your invites Wom Life’ Contest en to Hono r Friendship s E IN THIS ISSU a grand ic entry into l beauty basas well as automat – a persona prize drawing JCPenney. of ket courtesy iants nine mini-sem fair gives participfrom including inforcare, nars to choose tness, breast exercise, fi plastic surmation on ence, and and urinary incontin l improvement persona and bra fitting gery. Other topics include for holiday awareness “dos” “ups” and and the “spirit wardrobe, made easy, hair, makeup IN THIS ISSUE EVENTS It’s About ........ . . 6 16 Peters............... St. 2139 Bryan........................ 17 .... Cheese . . 7 ........ ...... Better You 9 ........ ...... 10 Movie Review Valley Commercia l Dr. • O’Fallon, ..........22, 23 MO 63366 fieds ............. Classi cial Dr. topics to the spirit. Valley Commer sessions (threetime frame) 2139 Bryan Seminar MO 63366 during each O’Fallon, a.m., and 1:30 choose from 636-379-1632 s a.m., 10:40 -1775 • FX: begin at 9:30 P: 636-379 centurytel.net 1:15 p.m. E-Mail: cnews@ and runs until - 2007 at 11:45 a.m. 8:30 a.m. page 17 Wonderland at Christmas in AINMENT the lunDoors open Film Group’s See ENTERT feature duringigh-energy Electra in Yari and Carmen A special ill b e a h Chris Kattan w r a n. e y s i cheon th Dan Coughli by author 3 presentation ’S FAIR page See WOMEN Movie . . . ........ ...... Sports . . . 12 ........ . . . . . . 14 Real Estate/A utomotive . . . . 15 P: 636.379.17 75 F: 636.379.16 32 E: ofcnews@ centurytel.net Coupon Crazy .... What’s Happeni . . . . . . . . . . . 16 ng . . . . . . . . . 18 Classifieds ........ ....... 22 www.mycnews. com 1 ne 201 May/Ju 3 EXPANDING SET Every print run reaches a unique ship! FREE info/DVD: www. - FREE publications are available in over 500 convenient locations, group Our of readers, NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800because the majority of voluntary readers including every Dierbergs, Schnucks and Shop ’N Save. 578-1363 Ext. 300N are occasional readers. Over time, these unique groups add up to a readership size about three times greater than the print run. 58206_CirMap.indd 2 CROSSROADS MAGAZINE MAGAZINE Or, signOUR upTOWN for a FREE ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION at Published bi-monthly, Our Town is direct mailed to all business This monthly lifestyle magazine covers the fast-growing Wentzville and Lake St. Louis areas. It is direct mailed with addresses in its service area, plus online subscribers. It is a www.mycnews.com additional copies available in newsstands, unique business-to-business magazine featuring chamber of commerce news plus articles on the economy, technology, human resources, and marketing. plus online subscribers. 7/5/11 3:30 PM 16 May 13, 2015 • Community News – St. Louis County • www.mycnews.com By Joe Morice Over the Fence Driverless cars vs. car lovers I’ve been distrustful of driverless cars since carmakers started experimenting with them. Now they’re trying for driverless semis! I admit, considering some of the drivers I’ve witnessed lately, perhaps driverless cars may be better. As I’ve complained of for years, anyone in Missouri, sooner or later, no matter how bad, eventually gets a drivers license. Worse yet, they also remain free to text while driving when they reach drinking age. It’s like giving a kid a real pistol to play with and then loading it for him. So I’m between opinions that driverless cars aren’t safe if there’s a software failure and the fact that we have some ridiculously unsafe drivers plaguing traffic. www.moriveririshfest.com www.GoForGreater.org/STLTCP So which way is the best? Passing a driverless vehicle that’s holding up fast-moving rush hour by driving the speed limit leaving us no one to make obscene gestures at or, finally getting around a lane hog who is holding up the passing lane for miles that provides us an inconsiderate dolt to obscenely gesture at? As an example, Salt River Road that connects Highway 370 and Highway 79 has the best…or perhaps the worst. It’s a four lane road with a 45 MPH speed limit although seldom does anyone obey it. What’s worse, it has the most passing lane hogs I’ve ever seen. During rush hour, you’ll see about a dozen passing-lane drivers for every one using the outside lanes. You’ll also see passing lane drivers poking along with a line of cars trying to get around them on the outside lane. I’ve even witnessed someone stubbornly maintaining this inconsiderate act all the way to the other end and then suddenly cutting off right lane traffic to exit onto Northbound 79. Evidently yield to the passing traffic laws mean nothing to Mis- souri drivers. So what would happen if this stretch of road was used by driverless vehicles instead of those with human beings? Would they all be driving the speed limit? Would this eliminate lane hogs with cell phones? Would one of the driverless cars have a computer meltdown and turn rush hour into a demolition derby? As for semis pulling huge trailers, the amount of drivers out of work might spur a nationwide rebellion…or depression. It might also spur some shooting incidents by drivers that haven’t been replaced yet passing driverless semis. There would be nobody to shoot but a front tire suddenly blowing out from a high caliber bullet would in all likelihood cause a huge wreck with the contents of the trailer spreading all over the landscape, not to mention blowing up if it’s a gasoline tanker. I doubt I’ll be around if or when driverless cars and trucks completely replace drivers, thank heaven. Besides, I remember my father telling me, “Cars are only for getting from point A to point B so forget that sports car, son.” Then he retired and bought a fully equipped Thunderbird. It’s okay, Pop. I knew you were lying. Joe Morice is Community News’s blue-collar philosopher. He was born and raised in Missouri and spent most of his childhood on a farm and adulthood operating heavy equipment. He has no formal training as a writer, unless a lifetime of writing about any and everything counts. The opinions expressed in this column are Joe Morice’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.
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