Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-4-22

Vol. 19 No. 9 • May 4, 2022 

midriversnewsmagazine.com 

Laying the foundation for 

CAREERS IN THE TRADES 

PLUS: Mature Focus ■ Local Women Raise Funds For Ukraine ■ Summer Camps & Opportunities

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Let’s learn to laugh and regain our 

sense of humor 

By Jackie Gingrich Cushman 

Sunday is Mother’s Day, which of 

course reminds me of my mother, Jackie 

Battley Gingrich, who died in 2013, ... and 

why her views still matter to me. She was 

a polio survivor, finished college in three 

years (the first in her family to do so); she 

was a math major at Auburn University at 

a time when few women were studying 

mathematics; and she was strong-willed 

and funny. 

She went on to teach mathematics to 

high school kids in the public school 

system in Carrollton, Georgia. She was 

named teacher of the year and she earned 

STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) 

status several times. 

She loved her family, my sister, myself, 

our husbands and her grandchildren, with 

a fierce, passionate love. She would do 

anything for them and anything to be 

with them. After decades of teaching, she 

retired, just before I had my first child, so 

she could have more time to help us out 

and more time to be with her grandchild. 

After I had my second child less than 

two years later, she often stayed with us to 

help out. She would get up early and ask 

my husband how he would like his eggs 

cooked – happy to spoil us all. She seemed 

to soak up every minute she could spend 

with family. 

One of my most fond memories is of a 

Mother’s Day about 15 years ago when she 

was at brunch with my husband and our 

children, and a former student of hers, Jim 

Borders. Jim, who is now president and 

CEO of Novare Group, a real estate investment 

and development company based in 

Atlanta, rushed over when he saw her to 

say hello and thank her for teaching him 

math. 

Before taking her class, he had neither 

liked nor done well in math. But he 

excelled in her class, went on to graduate 

from Georgia Tech and founded what 

turned out to be a very successful development 

company. My mom believed that 

everyone could do math – if they just 

worked at it. He was not the only former 

student to sing her praises. 

Years ago, I asked my mother what character 

traits she would like to pass along to 

my two children. She replied, “I want them 

both to have a sense of humor; you’ve got 

to have a sense of humor to survive.” 

She would be glad to know that they both 

do. Alas, they appear to be the exception. 

I’ve noticed that we, as a society, appear 

to have very little in the sense of humor 

department. We take so many things too 

seriously, while taking very serious things 

(national security, national debt) not seriously 

at all. 

Recently, I ran across a video commercial 

by Jeremy Boreing, the co-founder 

and self-proclaimed “lowercase god-king” 

of the Daily Wire. In it, he pitched buying 

Jeremy’s Razors instead of Harry’s 

Razors. Harry’s used to advertise on the 

Daily Wire but pulled its support over the 

Daily Wire’s stance on gender. Jeremy’s 

Razors is a new startup competing directly 

with Harry’s. 

As the website says under their story 

tab, “Harry’s (Razors) and Daily Wire had 

a deal. They paid us. We advertised their 

razors. We did this for years, with the clear 

understanding that Harry’s can leave at any 

time, for any reason. But after they left us 

for saying that boys are boys and girls are 

girls, it was too much for them ... They 

said the views you hear on our programs 

– whether you agree with them or not – are 

‘inexcusable,’ and dropped their ads on our 

network due to ‘misaligned values.’ They 

tried to shame you for the unforgivable sin 

of not adhering to their woke platitudes du 

jour.” 

Jeremy’s pitch: “Harry’s and their ilk 

don’t want you in their world – but I want 

you in mine. So stop giving your money to 

corporations that hate you. Give it to me 

instead.” At least he is direct and to the 

point. 

The commercial itself is a ridiculous 

parody. It includes a sports car that almost 

runs over someone, leggy women with 

low-cut dresses and musclebound men 

with no shirts on. No doubt, many will find 

it offensive. But the questions I ask are: 

Can we find humor even in things we don’t 

agree with? Can we laugh at ourselves, 

take ourselves a little less seriously? 

Life is short, and laughter brings us 

together. Find someone you disagree with 

and share a laugh with them. It will bring 

you closer and make the world a bit better. 

• • • 

[Editor’s note: Star Parker is on vacation] 

Jackie Gingrich Cushman is a syndicated 

columnist, author, professional 

speaker, corporate strategist, corporate 

financial advisor and board member. Her 

third book, “Our Broken America: Why 

both sides need to stop ranting and start 

listening” was published in 2019. 

© 2022 Creators.com 

Read more on midriversnewsmagazine.com 

May 4, 2022 

MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE 

I OPINION I 3 

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6 I OPINION I 



EDITORIAL 

You’re debt to me 



By the time you read this, it is possible 

that the Biden administration will have 

enacted its plan to “cancel” a portion of 

outstanding student debt. The president 

has signaled he is in favor of setting the 

number at eliminating $10,000 per borrower. 

The further left you go, the higher 

that number gets. Sen. Chuck Schumer 

thinks it should be $50,000 per borrower. 

Debt cancellation is an interesting phrase. 

Our parents called it bribery. 

To be clear, that is what this is. Democrats 

want to pay relatively young, relatively 

low-income citizens to keep voting 

for them. What better way than to write 

$10,000-plus checks to a huge swath of the 

population? 

Now it is fair to bring up the fact that 

the price of a college education has gotten 

absurd. We can have that conversation. We 

can have that conversation for weeks on 

end. In the 21 century alone, the average 

cost of college has doubled. Nearly one in 

eight Americans owe student debt, with an 

average balance of around $37,000. At a 

total balance of $1.6 trillion, federal student 

loan debt tops the national totals for 

credit card debt and auto loans. 

College costs are a problem. Student 

loan debt is a problem. Debt cancellation, 

however, is not the solution. It just takes a 

40-million-person problem and makes it a 

400-million-person problem. 

Around 90% of all student loans are 

owned by the federal government. Why 

is that? It’s simple really: student loans 

are terrible business. In the rational world, 

loans are secured by the underlying value 

of the asset being attained. If you want to 

borrow money for a home or a car, you 

need to prove that the home or car is worth 

what you are borrowing. You also must 

show an ability to repay and a track record 

of making payments. 

In the irrational world of student loans, 

none of that applies. For decades, the value 

of a college education has been underwater 

compared to the cost. To make it worse, 

many student loans also cover the cost 

of room and board, which has absolutely 

nothing to do with the “asset” the loan is 

being made to secure. It is the equivalent of 

getting a car loan and borrowing the cost of 

fuel and maintenance. Absurdity defined. 

This would all seem to suggest that colleges 

and universities in the United States 

must really be hurting for cash. This cash 

crunch must have caused them to dramatically 

increase prices and work with the 

federal government to setup a completely 

nonsensical loan program to cover these 

costs, right? Well, let’s look at their balance 

sheets. 

Many colleges and universities maintain 

endowments. These are funds held and 

invested by the institution so that they continue 

to operate in lean times. High profile 

universities tend to have high balance 

endowments. Harvard, as an example, has 

a $54 billion endowment fund. Princeton 

has an endowment equivalent to nearly $4.5 

million per active student. Of course, these 

colleges are not exactly typical. Closer to 

home, Washington University maintains 

a $13.5 billion endowment, Saint Louis 

University clocks in at $1.5 billion, and 

the public University of Missouri system 

is holding onto a cool $2.2 billion. From 

2005 to 2018, the total amount held in all 

financial endowments more than doubled 

from $219 billion to nearly $480 billion. 

As a reminder, this is roughly the same 

time frame that saw college tuition costs 

double. 

There is a clear and obvious problem 

here but bribing voters through debt cancellation 

is not the solution. As a matter of 

fact, it might even make the problem worse. 

It’s time to get the cost of college under 

control. It’s the rational thing to do. 

Founder 

Publisher Emeritus 

Publisher 

Managing Editor 

Associate Editor 

Associate Editor 

Features Editor 

Proofreader 

Business Manager 

Graphic Designer 

Graphic Layout 

Admin. Assistant 

Vice President - Direct Sales 

Vicky Czapla 

Advertising Account Executives 

Nancy Anderson 

Ellen Hartbeck 

Linda Joyce 

Doug Huber 

Sharon Huber 

Tim Weber 

Kate Uptergrove 

Tracey Bruce 

Madasyn Lee 

Lisa Russell 

Jan Nothum 

Erica Myers 

Donna Deck 

Emily Rothermich 

Melissa Balcer 

Joe Ritter 

Sheila Roberts 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 

Time to thank local heroes 

In our busy lives with crammed schedules, 

we are all familiar with the feeling of 

overlooking something. 

Sometimes, we realize in the course of 

our day that we have taken something for 

granted. 

That can happen to any of us, and it’s 

understandable. However, when we realize 

how hard others are working around 

us to make a positive impact on our lives, 

it’s important to take a moment to appreciate 

that. This particular week, take time 

to thank those in local government who 

are making sure our day-to-day life is as 

smooth as possible, and that our communities 

run well. 

Look around you this week. Who picked 

up the trash in your local park? Who put in 

the time and effort to plan the latest trail in 

your community, and who keeps it cleared 

so that it’s safe to use? Have you needed 

the assistance of a first responder recently? 

Where does the water in your tap come 

from? 

Time and again, surveys show that local 

government is the most trusted of all levels 

of government. That is because this level 

of government is run by your neighbors 

and friends. This level of government supports 

the day-to-day services we all depend 

upon. 

We are all working in our community, 

and we all want to see our cities to succeed. 

I encourage you to find a way to thank 

your local officials and employees this 

week! Consider posting a social media 

message supporting their dedication. Share 

a service that you appreciate, be it parks, 

water, clean streets or road repair. Be sure 

to use the hashtag “molocalheroes.” 

Thank you for your support of local government. 

We are proud and happy to serve! 

Be sure to reach out to a local council 

member any time if we can assist you. 

All day. Every day. Local government 

works for you. 

Joe Garritano 

Missouri Municipal League Board President 

Promises, promises 

To the Editor, 

If you are frustrated with politics, as 

many Americans are, then you know that 

something is very wrong. Both major 

political parties promise nearly everything 

to get their candidate elected. 

But have they: 

• Protected your rights? 

• Reduced government? 

• Controlled spending? 

• Paid off debt? 

• Followed the Constitution? 

We continue to buy into campaign 

promises and support candidates with 

time and money. In recent elections we 

can clearly see that campaigns are not 

interested in principle or making a stand 

for American liberty. They just want their 

candidate to win. 

Voters that are actively engaged in full 

time education about current situations 

focused on the proper limitations of government 

will elect constitutionally minded 

candidates and hold them accountable. 

When sufficient numbers of voters are 

educated and engaged voting patterns can 

change. The John Birch Society.org is forming 

chapters near you and provide education 

directed at voters, business leaders, elected 

officials and community leaders. 

I hope that I will see you at some JBS 

event in the near future. All invited! 

Diane Muhlke 

Bethany Coad 

Suzanne Corbett 

Robin S. Jefferson 

Writers 

DeAnne LeBlanc 

John Tremmel 

754 Spirit 40 Park Drive 

Chesterfield, MO 63005 

(636) 591-0010 


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8 I NEWS I 





L O C A L L Y O W N E D a n d O P E R A T E D 

CANNABIS DISPENSARY 

WWW.MISSOURIWILD.COM 

2173 W TERRA LN | O’FALLON 

(636) 887-0977 

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(636) 317-1184 

St. Charles County Officers (from left) Patrol Division Lt. Rick Luetkenhaus, Officer 

Matthew Bohn, Cpl. Michael Johnson, Officer Dane Kaltenbach, Sgt. Scott 

Ronald and Chief Kurt Frisz 

news 

briefs 

O’FALLON 

Founder’s Day celebration 

this weekend 

Celebrate O’Fallon’s history 

with hands-on activities, demonstrations, 

live music and more from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 

on Saturday, May 7 at Fort Zumwalt Park, 

1000 Jessup Drive West. 

Visitors can explore the historic Heald 

Home and Zumwalt’s Fort as well as the 

St. Charles Model Railroad Club. Admission 

and parking are free. Food and drinks 

will be available for purchase. 

City launches new grant program 

The city of O’Fallon’s Grants & Assistance 

Office is now offering grants for 

eligible nonprofit organizations currently 

serving O’Fallon residents in need. The 

program aims to assist organizations that 

provide much-needed services and support 

to O’Fallon’s residents. 

The Non-Profit Resiliency Grant Program 

is designed to support organizations, 

programs and activities that specifically 

Officers Chris Sinnokrak, Nathan Dye and Zach Dorton with 

MADD National President Alex Otte. 

benefit city of O’Fallon residents. Organizations 

eligible to apply include nonprofits 

that are corporations, associations, 

agencies or organizations that have a 

501(c)3 nonprofit status under the Internal 

Revenue Service Code. The program is 

intended as an infusion of funds to assist 

organizations in creating new programs 

and/or expanding existing programs that 

serve O’Fallon’s residents in need. 

“Nonprofit organizations continue to tirelessly 

serve our neighbors in need,” said 

Alexis Jaegers, public assistance specialist 

for the city of O’Fallon. “The public health 

emergency has stretched their ability to 

serve beyond previous capabilities, and 

yet, they are still providing essential services 

and support to many of our residents. 

It’s our goal to support these organizations 

in their efforts to meet the needs of our 

O’Fallon community.” 

Mayor Bill Hennessy added, “I am truly 

grateful for the work our nonprofit organizations 

do, and continue to do, to support 

our community,” said Mayor Bill Hennessy. 

“This has been an unprecedented 

era in O’Fallon’s history, and I’m proud 

our city is able to support the organizations 

who have risen to the challenge and 

provided much-needed care and support to 

our residents.” 

Applications will be accepted until Tuesday, 

May 31, at which point, the city’s 

review process will begin. Applications 

will be scored based on a matrix, and funds 

will be awarded accordingly. 

Nonprofit organizations can download a 

grant application at ofallon.mo.us/grantsassistance. 

Public Works Fair scheduled 

Big equipment used to provide 

services to O’Fallon residents will be 

on display at the city’s kid-friendly 

Public Works Fair from 10 a.m.-2 

p.m. on Wednesday, May 18. 

Rides on the city’s Krekel Line 

train and the opportunity to talk to 

city staff also will be featured. Additional 

activities include safety awareness 

games, giveaways and a chance 

to visit with Roscoe the Environmental 

Services mascot. A free hot dog 

lunch with chips and water also will be 

available. 

This annual celebration of O’Fallon’s 

public services is held in celebration of 

National Public Works Week. The fair will 

be held in the Ozzie Smith Sports Complex 

parking lot, 890 T.R. Hughes Blvd. in 

O’Fallon. 

Admission and all activities are free and 

designed to put residents in touch with services 

provided by the city’s Public Works 

Department, such as clean drinking water, 

well-maintained streets, and trash, recycling 

and yard waste collection. Demonstrations 

include working models of the 

city’s water treatment plant and an interactive 

enviroscape water pollution model. 

For kids, one of the best things about 

O’Fallon’s Public Works Fair is the chance 

to sit behind the steering wheel of some of 

the city’s big equipment, such as a street 

sweeper, a recycling truck (with kids helping 

to operate the mechanical arm that 

empties the recycling cart), a snowplow, 

paint striper and more. 

The Public Works Fair is weather-dependent 

and will be canceled if it rains. 

ST. CHARLES 

Dream home raffled off to 

support local school 

Duchesne High School’s recent 42nd 

Annual Pioneer Expedition Dinner Auction 

gave alumni, donors, and other friends of 

Duchesne the chance to help raise money 

for the school and its programs. The event 

featured the much-awaited 2022 Dream 

Home Raffle, which sold just over 3,000 

tickets. Priscilla Steimel, a 2011 Duchesne 

graduate, took home the grand prize of a 

$150,000 credit from Fischer and Frichtel 

Homes or $120,000 cash. Steimel recalled 

that when she found out, it was quite the 

surprise. Raffle ticket holders did not need 

to be present at the gala to win. 

“At first, I couldn’t think who would be 

calling me at 9:30 p.m.,” she said. “It was 

a surreal phone call and I still feel a little in 

shock that it actually happened.” 

The auction raised $41,000 for Tech 

Center, which currently serves as the site 

of the new esports league and STEM lab. 

ST. PETERS 

Update on Shred It event, 

seedling giveaway 

The Shred It event planned for May 7 at 

the city’s Environmental Services Building 

has been postponed due to scheduling 

issues for shredding services. The free 

event has been rescheduled to 9 a.m.-noon 

on Saturday, July 23. 

The Arbor Day Tree Giveaway planned 

for this event will still take place on May 

7, but not at the Environmental Services 

building. Instead, tree seedlings will be 

available for free from 9 a.m.-noon at the 

St. Peters Rec-Plex (main entrance), St. 

Peters Golf Club (Pro Shop entrance), and 

the 370 Lakeside Park (RV check-in). 

Redbud and Flowering Dogwood tree 

seedlings, along with planting instructions,





I NEWS I 9 

will be handed out on a first-come, firstserved 

basis at all three locations above. 

No Resident Privilege Card is required. 

ST. CHARLES COUNTY 

Officers honored for 

keeping roads safer 

On April 27, Mothers Against Drunk 

Driving (MADD) recognized four St. 

Charles County patrol officers for their 

DWI enforcement efforts that led to the 

arrest of 261 impaired drivers between the 

2020 and 2021 calendar years. The officers 

who were thanked for making the roadways 

safer are Officer Matthew Bohn, Cpl. 

Michael Johnson, Officer Dane Kaltenbach 

and Sgt. Scott Ronald. 

On April 26, O’Fallon Officers Chris 

Sinnokrak, Nathan Dye and Zach Dorton 

also were honored by MADD. The organization’s 

national president, Alex Otte, 

presented the award. 

preliminary injunction takes effect immediately 

and remains in effect pending trial in 

this action or further order of the Court.” 

County looks toward eliminating 

emissions testing 

St. Charles County is a step closer to 

eliminating emissions testing for county 

automobile owners, according to county 

officials. 

The Missouri Air Conservation Commission 

(MACC) voted last month to 

redesignate the St. Louis Metro area from 

a non-attainment to attainment area and 

approved the state’s maintenance plan for 

continued compliance. The next step is to 

achieve approval from the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) for both the 

attainment status and the maintenance plan. 

Once that is obtained, the state can move 

forward on eliminating the vehicle emissions 

testing requirement for residents in 

the St. Louis area. 

In Missouri, residents living in nonattainment 

areas are required to get emissions 

testing to license their vehicles. 

Emissions testing resulted from a program 

established in 1984 by the state to meet 

EPA national air quality standards. What 

the MACC’s ruling means, according to 

County Executive Steve Ehlmann, is that 

residents will be “free of this unnecessary 

expense.” 

“We’ve been waiting for this redesignation 

and are grateful to the MACC for its 

decision,” Ehlmann said. “Our clean air 

monitors are, and have been, in compliance 

with the 2015 ozone standard, and the Missouri 

Department of Natural Resources has 

met all the EPA requirements in the federal 

Clean Air Act.” 

Ehlmann said he is hopeful for EPA 

approval, but has not been given a definite 

timeframe when that might occur. 

Judge orders school board to 

let PAC’s name be heard 

In February, three members of a political 

action committee filed suit against the 

Francis Howell School District, claiming 

that the board of education was cutting off 

their microphones during board meetings 

so that those gathered would not hear the 

name of the PAC, “Francis Howell Families” 

(FHF) or its website. The plaintiffs 

in the case are Christopher Brooks, Ken 

Gontarz and Katherine Rash. 

A post on the organization’s website 

shared the April 21 ruling of U.S. District 

Judge Stephen Clark, who issued a preliminary 

injunction in the case. 

“In issuing the injunction, the court found 

that the board of education did not neutrally 

apply their policies to all speakers, 

but rather engaged in viewpoint discrimination 

against those referencing FHF,” the 

post states. “The conclusion reads: 

The Court finds that Plaintiffs have demonstrated 

that they have a “fair chance of 

prevailing” on the merits of their claim, 

that they will suffer irreparable injury 

absent a preliminary injunction, that the 

balance of harms favors an injunction, and 

that protecting constitutional rights serves 

the public interest. 

… The Court enjoins Defendants, their 

officers, agents, servants, employees, and 

all persons in active concert or participation 

with them who receive actual notice 

of this injunction from enforcing Francis 

Howell School District Policies 1455 and 

1471 to prohibit Plaintiffs’ reference to 

“Francis Howell Families” or the Francis 

Howell Families website, www.francishowellfamilies.org, 

while addressing 

the school board during the patron-comment 

period at school board meetings. This 

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10 I NEWS I 



St. Charles Community College seeks to become 

area’s premier workforce training center 

BY TRACEY BRUCE 



A workforce and technical regional 

center is now on the fast track at St. 

Charles Community College (SCC). SCC 

President Dr. Barbara Kavalier outlined 

the project at the St. Peters Board of Aldermen 

meeting on April 14. 

Kavalier said high demand for technical 

training, voters support for a 2020 bond 

issue, state and potentially federal funding 

offer the real possibility that the planned 

facility will become the premier training 

center in St. Charles County and beyond. 

“We have folks from Warren County, 

Lincoln County and Montgomery County 

all coming to us saying, ‘Please can you 

help us with training,’” Kavalier said. 

The college anticipates funding from a 

variety of sources. 

After the passage of Prop C, a $30 million 

bond issue for facilities in August 

2020, the college set aside $10 million for 

the center. In the 2020-2021 round of the 

state’s MoExcels grants, SCC was awarded 

$2.2 million toward the project. The college 

board then authorized the purchase of a 

25-acre tract of property for the center at 70 

Schaper Road near the new David Hoeckel 

I-70 interchange in November 2021. 

“And then, lo and behold, the governor 

came back and said he was going to give 

higher education $475 million dollars from 

the ARPA funds,” Kavalier said. “All we 

had to do was come up with a 50% match. 

All the colleges are out there scrambling. 

They don’t have a lot of money, but fortunately, 

we had the $10 million. So we 

put in a proposal, and we were awarded, in 

his budget if approved, and we all think it 

will be on May 6, $10 million. So that now 

gives us $20 million for this new building. 

Another round of MoExcels grants 

came up, and we applied again and were 

awarded $2.3 million. This now gives us 

$30 million for (a) regional training center, 

which we are very excited about.” 

In January, a schematic design for the 

Campus Lake Apartments at SCC 

Students in St. Charles Community College’s at its Center for Healthy Living (above) and in the 

welding program at its Technical Campus Wentzville (right) 

(Photos: SCC/Facebbok) 

center was approved. Detailed design work 

is scheduled to get underway in August. 

The projected completion date for the 

building is December 2023, according to 

the SCC website. 

“We will be the No. 1 trainer of workforce 

and technical programs in St. Charles 

County and hopefully, eventually the state 

of Missouri. We are already working. We 

are the key trainer for General Motors and 

many other companies and organizations.” 

Meeting regional demand 

There is a huge demand for welding but 

SCC didn’t have a place for the welding 

booths. Then, the college formed a partnership 

with the city of Wentzville and leased a 

former fire station. SCC installed 16 welding 

bays for students and opened the SCC Technical 

Campus Wentzville at 209 West Pearce 

Blvd. in fall 2021. The welding program 

already has a waiting list, Kavalier said. 

“That’s how huge the demand is,” she 

said. 

In addition, a new truck driving CDL 

certificate program will soon be getting 

underway. 

“All the superintendents we meet with 

once a month said, ‘We really need to have 

truck driving, what can you do?’ So we 

put in a request for truck driving and the 

state awarded almost a million dollars so 

we have now launched a new truck driving 

program,” Kavalier said. 

Currently, the college is purchasing 

equipment and hiring staff for the trucking 

program. The CDL certificate course 

will operate out of the Wentzville facility, 

but the equipment is mobile and can move 

from place to place, she said. 

In addition, Kavalier gave the St. Peters 

board an update on the success of new 

campus housing and improvements and 

cooperative programs at the community 

college’s Center for Healthy Living on its 

Dardenne Prairie campus. 

Kavalier said student housing was a goal 

for SCC for some time, but after researching 

the issue, they found there was an 

obstacle to the project, the cost. 

“What they found out was that it is really 

expensive,” Kavalier said. “Expensive to 

build and expensive to manage. So I said, 

‘Let’s not do that. Let’s have somebody 

else build it and pay for it.” 

A local contractor from St. Peters stepped 

up to the plate. SCC Housing Partners, 

LLC broke ground on the resulting project, 

Campus Lake Apartments, three years ago 

in April 2019. The facility has a capacity 

of 130 students. 

“They built it. They fill it. They get all 

the revenue, but we get the enrollment, and 

they built it on our campus, so we have a 

long-term lease agreement,” Kavalier said. 

Campus Lake Apartments opened in 

December 2019, operated at 80-85% 

capacity in 2020-2021 and reached full 

capacity in fall 2021. Currently, the apartment 

complex has a waiting list. 

As for the Center for Healthy Living on the 

Dardenne Prairie campus, a 2019 grant from 

MoExcels, in its first cycle, enabled the college 

to make improvements and coordinate 

programs. However, at first, it looked like it 

wasn’t going to happen, Kavalier said. 

When SCC made the proposal for 

$1,580,000 to make improvements to the 

property, which it had purchased in 2017 

from Lindenwood University, they did not 

receive the award. Then, Kavalier decided 

to make a personal pitch. 

“This was all about economic development, 

growing the community. I thought 

this just doesn’t make sense,” she said. “St. 

Charles County is the fastest growing area 

in the state of Missouri, so I got all our 

data together and went to Jefferson City 

and spoke with every single representative 

and senator, and they agreed, and they all 

rallied and advocated for SCC to get $1.5 

million, which we got. Gov. (Mike) Parson 

signed it for us. What a wonderful success 

story for us, that they were able to go to bat 

for St. Charles Community College.” 

The building originally housed SCC’s 

nursing and allied health programs. The 

funds enabled the college to renovate the 

gymnasium for its new culinary program. 

All sports fields are now being used as 

fields for agriculture. SCC then merged 

nursing and allied health with culinary 

and agriculture with the primary goal of 

promoting healthy living in St. Charles 

County, Kavalier said. 

“We all know that people want to live 

somewhere where the focus is on quality 

of life,” she said. 

As part of its agriculture studies, the 

college has adopted the concept of freight 

farms. 

“It’s a shipping crate which is designed 

for vertical gardening and it’s all managed 

through technology,” Kavalier explained. 

The freight farm can grow a variety of 

produce, including as many as 900 heads 

of lettuce. It also has a growing season of 

365 days a year. Its water level and temperature 

are controlled by a smartphone. 

To sell its bounty, the college plans to open 

a farmers market. 

During her presentation, Kavalier 

included information about the college’s



Culinary students at SCC 

dual credit and early college programs, 

which enable high school students to get 

a headstart on their post-secondary education 

and workforce training. 

Dual credit allows qualified high school 

juniors and seniors to enroll in collegelevel 

classes that earn both high school and 

college credit. The courses may be taught 

at the high school by high school instructors 

or taught at SCC by SCC instructors. 

Early College is a collaboration between 

SCC and area high schools that allows students 

to earn their high school diploma and 

associate of arts degree at the same time. 

The assembled aldermen spoke highly of 

the presentation. 

“I think this is extremely impressive, said 

alderman Gregg Sartorius (Ward 2). “I had 

no idea that you guys were doing so much. 

I live maybe a mile from the community 

college, so I see what’s going on on the 

campus there, but that’s all I see. I don’t 

see all the outbuildings or things you’re 

doing in other parts of the community. I 

think it’s phenomenal.” 

Sartorius addressed one of the leading 

challenges in the workforce today. 

“One of the things I know that’s become 

a problem, at least when my kids were 

young, everybody said you have to go to 

college if you’re ever going to be anything, 

and that’s not true,” he said. “There are so 

many opportunities for people who could 

make more money than some college 

graduates, as a tradesperson. That you are 

providing those opportunities in our community 

is outstanding. I applaud you and I 

appreciate that you’re doing that.” 

SCC has an enrollment of 10,000 students 

annually in its for-credit program 

and 20,000 individuals in its non-credit 

and workforce technical division. The college 

has the second-lowest tuition in the 

state of Missouri, Kavalier said. 

“We are very proud that we can provide 

such quality services and programs, but 

we’re doing it at an extremely affordable 

price,” she said. 



I NEWS I 11 

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MAY 22 & 29 

JUNE 19 & 26 

By JOHN TREMMEL 

On March 31, Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 

published a story about an extension request 

and related controversy arising at the March 

24 O’Fallon City Council meeting, for Resolution 

03-24-2022K, covering the planned 

Fairways at Turtle Creek high density rental 

development. The resolution was tabled until 

the April 14 council meeting, to allow time 

for city staff to discuss and clarify proposed 

construction materials with the developer. 

At the April 14 council meeting, old issues 

remained, a new issue arose, and the resolution 

was tabled again, until the next council 

meeting. 

The new issue was that council members 

Deana Smith (Ward 1) and Dr. Jim Ottomeyer 

(Ward 4) were absent/excused. With a Ward 

3 council seat still vacant until the newly 

elected person is sworn in, the result was 

only seven council members present, with six 

votes required to pass a bill or resolution. 

Jeff Kuehn (Ward 4) moved to keep the bill 

tabled until the other council members are 

present, because the Fairways at Turtle Creek 

development is important and has been discussed 

for a long time, so this resolution is 

not typical or straightforward. 

Debbie Cook (Ward 5) asked if the council 

intended to table all of the resolutions on 

the agenda for April 14 (there were eight 

others) because of only having seven council 

members present. If not, she suggested going 

ahead with the vote on Resolution 03-24- 

2022K immediately. 

Dave Hinman (Ward 1), Nathan Bibb 

(Ward 3), and Ron Connell (Ward 5) agreed 

with Kuehn to keep the resolution tabled, and 

cited their own concerns about some of the 

12 conditions still attached to the resolution. 

Tom “Duke” Herweck (Ward 2) also reiterated 

his concern that there has not been progress 

and the development does not seem to 

be going anywhere. 

Voting to table again until April 28 were 

council members Hinman, Bibb, Kuehn, 

Connell. Voting to proceed with the vote 

immediately were council members Lisa 

Thompson (Ward 2) and Herweck, and Cook. 

Missouri National Golf Links, LP, led 

by general partner Ed Schultz, will be 

constructing the Fairways at Turtle Creek 

development. In his approval extension 

request letter and during the March 3 Planning 

and Zoning Commission (P&Z) meeting, 

Schultz had mentioned plans for “the 

use of panelized/prefabrication walls for 

portions of the single-family living units, 

which should allow the construction to be 

completed in two years or less.” 

The words “panelized/prefabrication” had 

created controversy. 



The Fairways at Turtle Creek 

approval extension tabled again 

For clarification, prior to the April 14 council 

meeting Schultz provided an additional 

letter for P&Z and for the council, stating: 

“The wood framing for the exterior walls 

would be assembled off site, using wood 

studs exposed to the interior of the unit and 

with exterior sheathing attached to the exterior 

face of the wood studs.” 

“This would allow the wall panels to be 

trucked to the site and lifted into position 

and anchored to the concrete slab and the 

adjacent wall units and then inspected by the 

city of O’Fallon building inspectors before 

the finishes are installed that would close the 

wall. This approach is used throughout the 

residential construction industry.” 

Schultz also confirmed he has discussed 

this with Chris Gaw, city of O’Fallon building 

and code enforcement manager, and Gaw 

indicated that this method has been widely 

used in the city of O’Fallon and is acceptable 

to the Building Department. 

The resolution continues to carry P&Z and 

city staff conditions: 

• Address storm water quality per City 

Code for this development. 

• Flow requirements and closer review of 

the lift station capabilities may be required 

with construction plans. 

• Work with City staff on sidewalk connectivity 

throughout the development. 

• Work with City staff on the distances 

between residential units. These are at a 

minimum distance on the plan. However, the 

fire separation distance is measured from the 

wall, not the foundation. This could create 

issues during building permit review if the 

proper distances cannot be met. 

• All signage will be reviewed under a separate 

process. 

• The trail along Mexico Road shall be 

upgraded to a 10-foot-wide trail along the 

frontage of the proposed clubhouse and 

where it is relocated for the deceleration lane. 

The trail shall be upgraded along the remaining 

frontage when those areas are developed. 

• Note that all streets, proposed sanitary 

sewer, storm sewer and water are to be 

private with the exception of the re-routed 

sanitary main. An easement will be needed 

across the public main as part of the project. 

• Provide Fire District approval for the 

emergency access. 

• The stone shall be identified on the elevations 

for clarity. 

• All trash and recycling will be picked up 

from wheeled containers with attached lids 

that will be provided to each unit by the property 

owner. 

• All mail kiosks shall be ADA accessible. 

• The proposed development is creating 

a 23.69-acre lot on the existing property. A 

record plat will be required.

14 I NEWS I 



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(314) 615-7824 THE TIME IS NOW! 

BY TRACEY BRUCE 

Organizers at Sts. Joachim & Ann Care 

Service Food Pantry, the primary provider 

of food outreach programs in the tri-county 

area, decided to broaden their reach even 

farther this spring and take the pantry on 

the road. 

The Care Service launched its mobile 

food pantry on April 6 to travel to food 

deserts in St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren 

counties. According to the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, a food desert is a 

place where a significant portion of the 

population live in poverty, where people 

may not have access to transportation and 

large grocery stores with affordable, nutritious 

foods are not nearby. 

Donna Tobin, development associate for 

the pantry, said there are a large number of 

food pantries within St. Charles County, but 

in Lincoln and Warren counties there are 

not many pantries or even grocery stores. 

“Last year, we opened our pantry in Elsberry 

and had an overwhelming response. 

We knew there was a need but that spurred 

us on even more,” Tobin said. 

Plans to provide a mobile pantry to the 

region have been in the works for some 

time, but the means to get food to other 

places was not, explained Pam Struckhoff, 

executive director of the Care Service. 

“In order to serve those most in need, we 

needed to find a way to reach those who 

could not travel to us,” Struckhoff said. 

The answer came with a donation from 

Dr. Paul and Courtney Spezia, which 

enabled the pantry to purchase a truck. 

That truck featured a refrigerated compartment 

that allowed the pantry to include 

meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables along 

with non-perishable foods in its mobile 

pantry, Tobin said. 

Now, Wednesday through Friday of each 

week, the pantry transports food to nine 

different locations including the parking 

lots of local motels, parks and churches. 

Families can still shop for food items that 

best serve their family and living situation 

and they can pick up cleaning supplies and 

personal care items that cannot be purchased 

with food stamps. 

First-time shoppers are welcome. A 

photo ID, Social Security card or number, 

and proof of income for the last 30 days 

are required. 

In just its first week, more than 200 individuals 

came out to get food to take home 

to their families. 

The original pantry at 4116 McClay Road 

in Saint Charles will continue to provide 

food during its regular hours of 10 a.m.- 

Dr. Paul and Courtney Spezia christen the Sts. 

Joachim & Ann Care Service Mobile Pantry 

(Source: Sts. J & A) 

noon on Tuesdays, noon -2 p.m. on Wednesdays 

and 4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. on Thursdays. 

More than 30,000 individuals in the tricounty 

area live below the poverty line and 

are forced to choose between food and rent 

each month. People in rural areas where 

grocery stores are few and transportation 

is necessary are especially in need, according 

to Feeding America. Hunger can have 

serious consequences on a child’s mental 

and physical health, as well as academic 

achievement. Poor nutrition for adults can 

lead to chronic health problems like diabetes, 

high cholesterol, liver disease, asthma 

and gall bladder disease. 

“The impact of hunger on children and 

families goes beyond missing a meal and 

can affect their long-term mental and 

physical health,” Struckhoff said. “Thank 

you to Dr. Paul and Courtney Spezia for 

helping to get this project on the street.” 

Wednesday Route: St. Charles County motels 

• 9:30-10 a.m., Extended Stay, 5555 Veterans 

Memorial Parkway 

• 10:30- 11:30 a.m., In Town Suites,1769 

Veterans Memorial Parkway 

• Noon-1 p.m., Budget Inn, 1258 Continental 

Drive 

• 1:30-2:30 p.m., Economy Inn, 1390 Continental 

Drive North 

• 3 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Crossroads Motel, 404 

Luetkenhaus Blvd. 

Thursday Route: Truesdale/Wright City 

•10 a.m.-noon, Truesdale Bruer Park, 800 

Smith Street 

• 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Brookview Senior Apartments, 

660 Westwoods Road (Wright City) 

Friday Route: Troy/Winfield 

•10 a.m.-noon, Calvary Chapel, 43 Eagle 

Avenue (Winfield) 

• 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Troy Inn and Suites, 

14 Frenchman Bluff Road



Local women launch fundraising 

effort to help feed Ukrainians in need 

By ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON 

“I was watching television and decided 

I couldn’t not do anything,” Lorriene 

Wotawa said in regard to why she and 

Lynn Busby – both 70-somethings and 

residents of Clarendale of St. Peters – took 

it upon themselves to raise funds to help 

those affected by the war in Ukraine. 

The women, including six other volunteers 

who live at Clarendale, have 

collected more than $7,600 from other residents, 

families and friends to provide food 

through World Central Kitchen (WCK), an 

international organization whose aim is 

to “use the power of food to nourish communities 

and strengthen economies around 

the world.” 

A not-for-profit, non-governmental 

organization, WCK was founded in 2010 

by celebrity chef José Andrés, to prepare 

food in Haiti following its devastating 

earthquake. The organization’s method of 

operations is to be a first responder; then, 

collaborate with local chefs to solve the 

problem of hunger, immediately following 

a disaster. 

To date, WCK has served more than 60 

million fresh meals to people impacted by 

natural disasters and other crises around 

the globe in countries including The Bahamas, 

India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Madagascar, 

Mozambique, Venezuela, Ukraine and 

the United States. 

The WCK Resilience Programs in the 

Caribbean and Central America have 

trained hundreds of chefs and school cooks 

in advanced clean cooking practices. WCK 

has also awarded grants and provided 

training and networking opportunities to 

farms, fisheries and small food businesses. 

The organization’s two-day relief training 

course empowers participants with the 

skills to lead emergency food operations in 

their communities. 

“People going without food just broke 

my heart,” Wotawa said. Both she and 

Busby are second-generation Polish Americans. 

“What got me were the children, the 

women leaving their families to fight, or 

taking their children and everything they 

had (and leaving Ukraine).” 

“What got me was the photo I saw of a 

woman with a 3-year-old toddler in one 

hand and an AK (assault rifle) in the other,” 

Busby said. “If I’d have been there, that’s 

what I’d have done.” 

Wotawa said the outpouring of support 

from the majority of Clarendale’s 200 residents 

has been incredible. 

“The residents have been so generous,” 

the mother of five daughters and 11 grandchildren 

said. “I had more $100 bills in my 

hands in the last two weeks than I probably 

ever have had.” 

The women initially sent out a letter 

requesting donations. They also held a 

“Celebrate Our Contribution to Help the 

People of Ukraine” happy hour where residents 

wore blue and yellow to honor the 

people of Ukraine. 

Busby set up a donation page on WCK’s 

internet site. A retired computer programming 

manager, Busby teaches residents 

about technology and sets up slides around 

Clarendale announcing the facility’s various 

calendar events. Both women serve on 

Clarendale’s Resident Council. The group 

has also converted grocery bags into sleeping 

mats for the homeless served by Loaves 

and Fishes, a St. Louis shelter program. 

Lynn Busby and Lorriene Wotawa 

(Source: Clarendale of St. Peters) 

Under the hashtag “Chefs For Ukraine,” 

WCK restaurant partners continue to cook 

thousands of fresh, nourishing meals every 

day across Odesa, a port city on the Black 

Sea in southern Ukraine. Volunteers then 

deliver the food to seniors, refugees from 

other cities in Ukraine, firefighters, families 

with young children and anyone who 

is in need. 

In Lviv, WCK outfitted cafeterias and 

launched a voucher program for families 

to get meals from nearby cafes. Stuck 

between Ukrainian and Russian lines, the 

village of Bytytsya, just outside Sumy, has 

been cut off from accessing food according 

to a post by Nate Mook, WCK’s CEO, on 

Facebook. 

In the two months since Russia invaded 

Ukraine, the WCK team has been on the 

ground supporting families sheltering 

in the country as well as refugees arriving 

in Poland, Romania, Moldova and 

Hungary. According to WCK, the team is 

providing nearly 200,000 hot, nourishing 

meals every day. For more information on 

what WCK is doing in Ukraine and around 

the world, visit wck.org. 



LET’S GO 

I NEWS I 15 

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16 I 



Career expo connects students with skilled trades workers 



By MADASYN LEE 

The greater St. Louis region is getting 

more aggressive in its efforts to recruit new 

skilled trades workers as demand for such 

positions continues to rise. 

Donny Bethmann, vice president of 

carpentry specialties at Chesterfieldbased 

Fischer & Frichtel Homes said his 

company is missing out on opportunities 

because it doesn’t have enough employees 

to meet demands. The company builds 

new homes and villas in St. Louis and St. 

Charles counties. 

Bethmann said when the recession hit, 

people lost their jobs and homes didn’t get 

built. It created a backlog that the homebuilding 

industry has since been trying to 

fill. 

“It’s just increased the amount of opportunities 

out there,” Bethmann said. 

Skilled trades are often hands-on occupations 

that require a particular skill set, 

knowledge or ability. Those include carpenters, 

electricians, bricklayers, welders 

and machinists. 

While all skilled trade occupations are in 

demand, Bethmann said carpentry is even 

more so because it makes up roughly 70% 

of new home builds. For every one tradesman 

on a job, approximately 10 framing 

carpenters are needed. 

“There’s more physical man hours 

in the carpentry side of it,” Bethmann 

said. “Foundations … siding, floor laying, 

window installation, insulation, shingles, 

roofing. They’re all carpentry-related.” 

The opportunity factor 

Industry experts and educators say the 

decreased enthusiasm for skilled trades 

can be attributed to the stigma and lack 

of awareness surrounding them, as well 

as the push for students to attend college 

and pursue careers that require four-year 

degrees. 

Local school districts and organizations 

have been working to combat that through 

trade panel discussions and career fairs 

that highlight skilled trades opportunities. 

One such event was the Build My Future 

STL Construction Career Day & Industry 

Showcase held at the Family Arena in St. 

Charles on April 20. 

Co-chaired by the Home Builders Association 

of St. Louis & Eastern Missouri 

(HBA) and the Francis Howell School District, 

the event was meant to “remedy the 

dwindling pipeline of workers and lack of 

interest in the skilled trades” by connect- 

Students exploring career opportunities at 

the Build My Future STL Construction Career 

Day & Industry Showcase. (Photos: Madasyn Lee) 

ing companies that employ skilled trades 

workers with students. 

Build My Future started in Springfield in 

2014, and now takes place annually in 10 

states. The recent event was the first time 

the showcase has been held in the St. Louis 

region. However, HBA president Jeremy 

Roth predicted at the event that “we’ll do 

it next year and the year after that and continue 

it in the future.” 

The event connected more than 1,000 

students from St. Charles and St. Louis 

counties with trades companies and organizations 

such as Wright Construction 

Services, Inc., McKelvey Homes, Missouri 

Women in Trades and Independent 

Electrical Contractors of Greater St. Louis. 

Students were able to learn about the benefits 

of trades jobs, which often have high 

starting pay and benefits and longevity, 

while participating in hands-on exhibits 

and virtual reality simulations. 

Representatives from Consort Homes, 

also based in Chesterfield, taught students 

how to hammer nails, while Wentzvillebased 

Reed Electric demonstrated the correct 

way to handle electrical wiring. 

Reed Electric owner Lee Reed said 

some students had never turned a screwdriver 

before. 

“In some cases, this is (their) very first 

taste of any kind of electrical (work),” 

Reed said. 

Katie Vargas, college and career specialist 

for the Francis Howell School District 

said the public education system has been 

doing a disservice by not giving students 

and their families more information about 

alternatives to college. 

One misconception about skilled trades





I 17 

is that the people who go into them aren’t 

“college material.” 

Vargas said that idea is ridiculous. 

“Four year college is wonderful, and it is 

necessary for lots of careers and industries 

out there for the students that are a good fit 

for them, but it is not necessary for everyone,” 

Vargas said. “It is my life’s work to 

work on establishing a balance again and 

encouraging students and parents alike to 

seek out other methods of post-secondary 

training, trades apprenticeships included.” 

The STEM connection 

Reed said electricians have to be smart 

because electricity has the potential to kill 

someone. 

“There’s a lot of math involved. There’s 

a lot of thinking. You got to know what 

you’re doing,” Reed said, a master electrician 

who is licensed to perform work in all 

municipalities in the greater St. Louis area. 

“Not many pads of concrete have killed 

people, whereas what we’re doing in the 

electrical field, we have a lot of codes to 

follow and a lot of things that we have to 

do to keep our general public safe and to 

do it right.” 

Reed said he believes the reason so 

many students go to college isn’t because 

they actually want to; it’s to make their 

parents happy. 

“Back in the day, it was parents. You 

always had to go to college. That’s all 

you heard, ‘Go to college. Go to college,’” 

Reed said. “Going to college … ain’t for 

everybody. It wasn’t for me.” 

Reed graduated from Ranken Technical 

College and he’s hired several employees 

who also attended his alma mater. 

“With the electrical field, you got to have 

some kind of training; you have to go to 

school,” Reed said. “To be a good wireman, 

you have to learn the fundamentals of 

electricity, otherwise you just don’t know 

what you’re doing.” 

Ranken offers night classes, so the 

employees are/were able to work for Reed 

during the day and attend classes at night. 

“They work for me, then they go home 

and get a little lunch and then go to school,” 

Reed said. “It works out good; they can 

keep working and they can still get their 

schooling, too.” 

Fischer & Frichtel sponsors a paid 

apprenticeship through its association with 

the St. Louis Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship 

program, which Bethmann participated 

in right out of high school. He said 

the program helped him progress from an 

apprentice to a business owner. Participants 

also earn college credits for completing 

the apprenticeship that they can use 

toward an associate’s degree in 

applied science. 

The four-year program consists 

of 6,000 on-the-job learning 

hours and semi-regular classes 

and hands-on instruction at the St. 

Louis Carpenters Training Center. 

Apprentices start out at $25.65 per 

hour, with net pay after deductions 

(union dues, health insurance, pension 

and other benefits) coming in 

at $15.65 per hour. Those who successfully 

complete the program 

attain the rank of journey-level 

carpenter. Carpenters at that level 

make about $50.40 per hour. Net 

pay after deductions is typically 

about $31.30 per hour. 

“You receive quality safety training and 

required certifications at the Carpenters 

Training school,” Bethmann said. “The 

partnership creates the best trained carpenters 

out there.” 

Francis Howell is working to launch 

partnerships with local organizations such 

as the plumbers and pipefitters and carpenters 

unions that could lead to more opportunities 

not currently available to students. 

The partnerships would enable seniors to 

be able to leave school halfway through 

the day and go work with those organizations 

to earn industry certifications. 

“I would love to see additional workbased 

learning opportunities beyond going 

to (Lewis & Clark Career Center) and 

doing one of their programs,” Vargas said. 

Those partnerships will, hopefully, launch 

during the 2023-24 school year. 

The Lewis & Clark Career Center is a 

collaborative effort between the Francis 

Howell, Fort Zumwalt, Orchard Farm, 

St. Charles City and Wentzville school 

districts, along with Christian High and 

Lutheran St. Charles. 

The Center provides students with 15 

trades programs that allow them to explore 

their career interests while earning industry 

certifications, high school and possibly 

college credit. Classes are small and range 

from 12 to 18 students. 

According to the center’s website, each 

program has an advisory committee made 

up of professionals from their respective 

field who offer guidance to instruc- 

See TRADES, page 39 

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COMING AGAIN 

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NORTH CALLAHAN RD. 

WENTZVILLE, MO 63385 

(636) 332-4141 

www.johnson-heatingandcooling.com

18 I OUTDOOR DINING I 



Get to the Grill for Fresh, Homemade Flavor 



While St. Charles County has plenty of 

great patios to frequent with family and 

friends, sometimes you just want to dine al 

fresco on yours. 

When the grill beckons, try this new take 

on paella. Enjoy all the flavor and none of 

the hassle. With Success Tri-Color Quinoa 

and its boil-in-bag process that takes 

just 10 minutes, you can celebrate more 

moments around the grill and spend less 

time in the kitchen. 

GRILLED QUINOA PAELLA 

(Recipe courtesy of Success Rice) 

Servings: 6 

Ingredients 

• 2 bags Success Tri-Color Quinoa 

• 4 cups chicken broth 

• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes 

• 1 cup frozen peas 

• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 

• 3 cloves garlic, minced 

• 1 teaspoon paprika 

Grilled Quinoa Paella 

• 3/4 teaspoon salt 

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

• 1 onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds 

• 1 red bell pepper, halved 

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 

• 12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and 

deveined 

• 2 cured chorizo sausages 

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice 

Directions 

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat; 

grease grates well. 

• Prepare quinoa according to package 

directions, substituting chicken broth for 

water. Drain, reserving 1 cup chicken broth. 

• In large saucepan, stir diced tomatoes 

with reserved chicken broth; bring to 

boil. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until thickened 

slightly. Stir in quinoa, peas and smoked 

paprika. Cook 1 minute. Cover and let 

stand 10 minutes. 

• In small bowl, stir olive oil, garlic, 

paprika, salt and pepper. Brush marinade 

over onion and red pepper. Toss half of 

remaining marinade with chicken and 

remaining marinade with shrimp. 

• chicken 6-8 minutes per side, or until 

well-marked and internal temperature 

reaches 165 F. Grill sausages, turning 

occasionally, 6-8 minutes, or until wellmarked 

and heated through. Grill shrimp 

2-3 minutes per side, or until well-marked 

and cooked through. Grill red pepper and 

onion 2-3 minutes per side, or until wellmarked 

and tender. 

• Chop chicken, sausage, red pepper and 

onion into bite-size pieces. Stir into quinoa 

mixture. Stir in shrimp, parsley and lemon 

juice. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Not into chicken and seafood? Then, 

try this take on a classic slider. It’s a tasty 

combination of two Southern favorites: 

barbecue and slaw. While the tri-tip roast 

takes a little bit of time and patience to 

achieve perfection, the slaw and biscuits 

could not be easier and can be made ahead 

of diner for patio parties. 

BBQ BEEF BISCUIT SLIDERS 

(Recipe courtesy of beefitswhatsfordinner.com) 

Serves: 18 

Slider ingredients 

• 1 beef Tri-Tip Roast (1-1/2 pounds) 

• 1 cup hickory-flavored barbecue sauce, 

divided 

• 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo 

sauce, seeded and minced 

• 18 baked low-fat buttermilk biscuits 

(about 2 to 2-1/2-inch diameter), split 

• 3/4 cup crushed corn tortilla chips or 

homemade tortilla strips 

Slaw ingredients 

• 1-1/2 cups coleslaw mix 

• 1 red pepper, seeds and stem removed, 

cut into small dice 

• 1/2 cup green onions, cut in thin,1-inch 

strips 

• 1/3 cup coleslaw dressing 

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 

leaves 

• Salt and pepper 

Directions 

• Combine barbecue sauce and chipotle 

peppers; reserve 3/4 cup sauce mixture. 

Brush some of remaining sauce mixture 

onto all sides of beef tri-tip roast. 

Bbq Beef Biscuit Sliders 

• Place roast on grid over medium, ashcovered 

coals or over medium heat on 

preheated gas grill. Grill covered 25 to 

35 minutes for medium rare (135°F) to 

medium (150°F) doneness, basting roast 

with remaining sauce while grilling and 

turning occasionally. 

• To prepare Slaw, combine coleslaw 

mix, bell pepper, green onions, dressing 

and cilantro in medium bowl; toss to combine. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

• Remove roast when instant-read thermometer 

registers 135°F for medium rare; 

150°F for medium. Transfer roast to carving 

board; tent loosely with aluminum 

foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. Temperature 

will continue to rise about 10°F to 

reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for 

medium. 

• Carve roast across the grain into thin 

slices. Toss with reserved 3/4 cup sauce 

mixture. 

• Evenly divide beef slices, coleslaw and 

tortillas among biscuits. Close sandwiches. 

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5045 Highway N • Cottleville, MO • 636-477-6520



For love of animals: 

Local student will spend summer 

on a quest in Columbia 



I SCHOOLS I 19 

By BETHANY COAD 

Every year, Haley Cannavan journeys 

to Florida to visit family and take in the 

Clearwater Marine Aquarium. This favorite 

memory of hers and her overall fascination 

with animals, spurred her decision 

to apply to Mizzou’s Life Sciences Quest 

program to explore her career options. 

It’s a competitive program that required 

two 500-word essays in which Cannavan 

had to pinpoint why she was interested in 

the camp and how she planned to use what 

she learned in her daily life. Her reasoning 

proved sound enough. She’ll head to 

St. Dominic High sophomore Haley Cannavan 

and a furry friend. 

(Source: St. Dominic High/Cannavan family) 

Columbia this summer. 

Originally interested in marine biology, 

the St. Dominic High sophomore said she 

has been forced to think more realistically 

about her love for all animals and consider 

other more generalized fields like zoology 

and animal sciences. The Life Science 

Quest seemed to be the perfect place for 

her to explore those options. Covering all 

aspects of life sciences, Quest participants 

will get to explore both commercial and 

laboratory career options and experience 

labs, speeches by industry professionals, 

discussions of related topics and tours of 

scientific facilities. 

As for her participation, Cannavan said, 

“I hope to have a baseline knowledge of 

the life sciences that will help prepare me 

for college. I’m also hoping to get some 

insight on what career and school will be 

best for me.” 

She credits St. Dominic with playing 

an important role in her career discovery 

thus far. Cannavan counts herself lucky 

to have clubs and opportunities to connect 

with the student community and role 

models in science. 

“Without the help of our community, I 

doubt that I would have gone through with 

pursuing a career in science,” Cannavan 

said. “I’m also very lucky to have so many 

role models of women in science here, who 

have supported and encouraged my goal of 

pursuing a career in science. 

“My guidance counselor this year, Mrs. 

Jean Nero, and my science teacher, Mrs. 

Angela Kemp, have been incredibly supportive. 

Mrs. Nero has done an amazing 

job of pushing out of my comfort zone to 

help prepare me for college. Mrs. Kemp 

has been one of my science teachers since 

seventh grade, and she’s provided me with 

an incredible role model of a successful 

woman in science.” 

Another factor in choosing potential 

colleges has been Cannavan’s interest in 

American Sign Language. She is excited to 

be taking over the sign language club at St. 

Dominic, and hopes to better educate herself 

on deaf culture and to bring awareness 

to disability representation in the scientific 

community. 

“As a hearing person, I can’t imagine 

how frustrating it can be going through 

daily tasks that don’t take your needs into 

account,” she said. 

In addition to her interest in life sciences 

and bringing the deaf and hearing communities 

together, Cannavan finds time to play 

recreational volleyball, something that she 

has been doing since middle school, play 

guitar; and take archery lessons from her 

grandfather. 

“I don’t hunt, but archery is something 

that has really helped me bond with my 

grandfather,” she said. “He’s been teaching 

me, and it’s been really cool to spend some 

one-on-one time with him.” 

Her future plans include zoo keeping, 

or animal husbandry in a zoo or aquarium 

facility. 

“But I’m also hoping to have the opportunity 

to do some research or conservation 

work outside of the country. 

“I really love all animals, but I decided 

against veterinary sciences to have the 

opportunity to experience working with 

animals that are less familiar to me than 

pets. Through this experience, I’m hoping 

to broaden my horizons and learn more 

about a wider variety of animals.” 

Mizzou’s Life Science Quest is open to 

any high school freshman, sophomore or 

junior who is interested in life sciences and 

is a resident of Missouri. 

NOW ACCEPTING 

NEW PATIENTS! 

LOOKING FOR A 

Dr. Elizabeth Maylack 

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St. Charles, MO 63303 

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Looking for a physician to take care of you and your family? 

Esse Health St. Charles Complete Care has you covered. 

Both physicians are board certified in Family Medicine and 

offer same day appointments. Dr. Maylack has a particular 

interest in diabetes and weight management. Dr. Oechsle 

has a particular interest in geriatrics. 

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20 I SCHOOLS I 





St. Dominic winners with their Glory of Missouri awards. 

bulletin 

board 

By BETHANY COAD 

(Source: SDHS/Facebook) 

St. Dominic receives Glory 

of Missouri awards 

On Thursday, April 7, 14 outstanding 

St. Dominic High School sophomores 

received the Glory of Missouri awards. 

The awards program recognizes students 

who demonstrate specific virtues of character 

and citizenship that are held high by 

the Missouri State Legislature. 

The students embody the following virtues 

that were engraved in the Missouri 

House Chamber between 1922 and 1924 

when the Capitol was being rebuilt after a 

fire in 1911: Knowledge, Liberty, Equality, 

Law, Justice, Fraternity, Education, Progress, 

Honor, Truth, Virtue, Temperance, 

Enterprise and Charity. Students are able 

to self-apply with an essay exemplifying 

their qualifications. They also are nominated 

by a committee of faculty members 

appointed by the principal. 

The award recipients are: Camille Raymo, 

Knowledge; Mia Schickler, Liberty; Theresa 

Koch, Equality; Noah Schuessler, 

Law; Maya Handley, Justice; Anabelah 

Shanks, Fraternity; Lauren Morris, Education; 

Kylie Smith, Progress; Mallory Allen, 

Honor; Allison Black, Truth; Maya Renteria, 

Virtue; Daniel Stege, Temperance; 

David Moore, Enterprise; and Madison 

Vogler, Charity. 

Christian volunteers 

beautify O’Fallon 

It was cold. It was rainy. It even snowed. 

Nothing stopped the students and teachers 

of the Christian School District from going 

out on Friday, April 8 to volunteer with the 

City of O’Fallon. 

Roughly 120 volunteers assisted the 

city’s Landscaping Division by spreading 

mulch around the O’Fallon Hoots Stadium 

and Ozzie Smith Sports Complex, 

and didn’t shy away from the removal 

of the ever invasive honeysuckle that 

sprouts up around the area. The unforgiving 

weather could have dampened 

their spirits, but throughout the muck 

the volunteers still had a blast and did a 

remarkable job. 

Volunteer O’Fallon gave this shout out 

on their Facebook page: “Christian School 

District has been doing projects with us for 

10 years, and we couldn’t be more thankful 

for the partnership we have. Thank you!” 

Fort Zumwalt selects Schulte 

as Assistant Superintendent 

John Schulte has been named the Assistant 

Superintendent for Student Personnel 

Services in the Fort Zumwalt School District, 

effective July 1. 

Schulte, who started his career as an 

elementary school teacher in Fort Zumwalt, 

has served for almost 20 years in 

the Wentzville School District as a principal 

and, for the past five years, as the 

Assistant Superintendent of Administrative 

Services. In his new role, Schulte 

will oversee enrollment and residency, 

homeless and foster care, discipline, and 

the district’s wide array of programs 

serving students at risk of not graduating. 

Schulte replaces Jeremy Moore, who 

will transition to Administrative Services 

beginning July 1. 

“Parents have entrusted us with the task 

of preparing their children for their next 

adventure in life,” Schulte said. “My 

heart is in working to see all students succeed, 

especially those who might bring 

additional adverse experiences to school 

with them. Each child presents us with an 

opportunity for success and it is up to us to 

wrap the required services around them as 

they grow and mature.” 

Schulte, a St. Peters native, is focused 

on giving teachers and staff the tools they 

need to work with students requiring support 

at many different levels. 

“Joining the Fort Zumwalt family is a tremendous 

privilege,” Schulte says. “I look 

forward to getting to know the community 

as we work together to support all of our 

students as they prepare for a successful 

future.” 

St. Joseph Cottleville Jazz Band 

plays for Archbishop’s Gala 

The St. Joseph Cottleville Jazz Band, 

under the leadership of Larry Johnson, 

had the honor of playing for Archbishop 

Mitchell T. Rozanski of the Roman 

Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis at the 

13th Annual Archbishop’s Gala on Tuesday, 

April 19. The sold out gala raised a 

record-setting $1,031,525 in support of 

Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation’s 

scholarship programs. 

Sacred Heart celebrates 

Mission Day 

Sacred Heart Academy celebrated at 

school tradition on Wednesday, April 27 

when it hosted its Mission Day in honor 

of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat who 

founded the Society of the Sacred Heart 

in France. 

Mission Day is also a direct response to 

school’s goal to commit its self to a social 

awareness, as funds raised from the day’s 

activities, games and food booths benefit 

nonprofits. 

Posing for funny photographs was just one of 

the many activities Sacred Heart Academy 

students enjoyed during Mission Day on 

April 27 

(Source: SHA) 

The day began with a prayer service 

bringing to mind the many needs of people 

around the world. Then, students sponsored 

a variety of game booths: bean bag 

toss, ping pong toss, frog launch, face 

painting, a photo booth and more. 

See BULLETIN BOARD, page 32 

Volunteers from Christian School District 

spread mulch around the O’Fallon Hoots 

Stadium. 

(Source: CSD/Facebook) 

The St. Joseph Cottleville Jazz Band plays at the 13th Annual Archbishop’s Gala under the 

leadership of Larry Johnson. 

(Source: SJCS/Facebook)

WHAT HAPPENS AT 

LINDENWOOD... 

… stays with you for the rest of your life. 

With 90+ clubs and organizations, small class sizes for more personalized learning, and a diverse student 

population represented by all 50 states and over 75 countries – you’re going to want to tell everyone about it. 

LINDENWOOD.EDU 

REAL EXPERIENCE. REAL SUCCESS. 

RETHINK WHAT YOU THINK 

ABOUT

22 I SUMMER CAMPS I 





Summer Camps 

& Opportunities 

View Summer 

Camp 

Directories 

online at 


FREE 

ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT 

VISION 

Empowering students to define 

their own success. 

OUR APPROACH 

At EYC Academy, we meet students 

where they are and take them where 

they want to be. We approach education 

differently though personalized and flexible 

services that fully support each student. 

This holistic perspective builds students’ 

confidence to help them findtheir own 

unique path to success. 

Catch Up or 

Get Ahead 

EYC SUMMER ACADEMY is a great option for students who need 

to recover school credits, build on their core skills, or get ahead for the 

next school year. We offer personalized tutoring for students of all ages 

with the help of certified teachers on-site or virtually. 

All students can benefit from: 

13718 Olive Blvd, Chesterfield, MO 63017 | info@eycacademystl.org | 636.220.3344 eycacademystl.org 

P 

P 

P 

A personalized academic experience 

Over 300 engaging and rigorous 

courses to choose from, including 

languages 

One-to-one support from certified 

on-site and virtual teachers 

EYC Academy 

13718 Olive Blvd. • Chesterfield 

(636) 220-3344 

www.eycacademystl.org 

If the interrupted school year due 

to COVID-19 has left you worrying 

about your child’s academic skill 

level, you are not alone. EYC 

Academy is offering a free academic 

assessment for families to see 

whether summer tutoring would be 

beneficial for remediation or credit 

recovery or to learn new skills with 

over 300 courses offered, including 

languages! For more information 

visit www.eycacademystl.org to 

request a free assessment. 

Foundry Art Centre 

520 N Main Center • St. Charles 

(636) 255-0270 

www.foundryartcentre.org 

Foundry Art Camp provides children 

ages 6 to 14 the opportunity to 

engage with art and participate in 

activities that encourage creative 

collaboration, develop artistic skills, 

and showcase the innovative ways 

that art impacts the world. From 

painting in plein air to creating 

native gardens to tie-dyeing, 

campers will make individual works 

of art to take home and share with 

family and friends. The Foundry’s 

week-long, full-day art camps foster 

self-expression through social and 

environmental engagements. Each 

session features its own theme and 

creative outlet. Register for more 

than one session for a fun-filled 

summer! 

STAGES St. Louis 

1023 Chesterfield Parkway East • Chesterfield 

(636) 449-5775 

www.StagesStLouis.org 

STAGES Performing Arts Academy 

offers an exciting variety of musical 

theatre camps, workshops, and 

productions for students of all 

ages and abilities. Act, dance, and 

sing all summer long while learning 

new skills and techniques. Classes 

include: Musical Minis, Page to 

Stage, Act It Out, Musical Theatre 

Mayhem, Dance Intensive, and 

more! And don’t miss out on the 

Broadway Performance Workshops 

of “Winnie the Pooh KIDS,” “Disney 

Descendants,” “The Lightning 

Thief,” and “Assassins.” It’s all at 

STAGES Performing Arts Academy 

this Summer. Register today at www. 

StagesStLouis.org/Summer-2022 

or call (636) 449-5775. 

Vetta Sports 

3051 Industrial Park Place West Dr.• St. Peters 

(636) 240-7177 

1425 St. Peters Cottleville Road • Cottleville 

(636) 498-4625 

www.vettasports.com 

There is something to be said for 

longevity, and Vetta Sports Summer 

Camps have been around for more 

than 30 years. Simply put – they play 

sports and have fun. 

As part of their summer camp 

experience children will discover a 

variety of activities, including classic 

sports such as soccer, basketball, 

tennis, inline hockey and kickball. 

But the fun doesn’t stop there! 

Campers also learn innovative 

team-building skills, play archery 

tag and get creative with arts and 

crafts. Special guests educate 

and entertain kids with animals, 

introduce science concepts, teach 

athletic skills and much more. Learn 

more and register at vettasports. 

com/camp/.



Tips for making smart, safe camp choices 



I SUMMER CAMPS I 23 

As the end of the school year is fast 

approaching, it comes time to map out 

the summer months. The sign-up sheets 

for summer camps flood the mailbox and 

dominate “water cooler” conversations. 

To find a camp that best meets the needs 

of an individual child, experts advise following 

the child’s lead. Choose a camp 

that will expound upon a child’s interests 

and talents, or perhaps encourage them to 

become interested in something new. 

For example, if a child enjoys sports 

but isn’t committed to a specific one, they 

may enjoy a “sampler camp” that allows 

them to try a variety of activities. If sports 

aren’t their forté, consider the many other 

opportunities – instruments, art, acting, etc. 

A sleep-away camp is a good way to merge 

many different genres of activities. 

One way to get the most bang for your 

buck is to choose a camp that incorporates 

supplemental information on subjects to 

help your child get ahead before school 

starts back up in the fall. 

Camps such as robotics or construction 

competitions teach subjects in fun ways, 

disguising the educational aspect and turning 

it into fun and adventure. 

Other things to consider are age level, 

the family’s schedule and finances, transportation 

and how many camps to attend 

over the course of the summer. 

While parents must have the big conversations 

about schedule, finances and 

transportation, it is important that the child 

have a say in choosing from the camps of 

which mom and dad approve. Attending 

camp with a friend or friends, especially 

for younger children, is a plus for the child 

and often the parents as car pools can be 

formed for day camps. 

Beyond convenience, cost and camaraderie, 

experts suggest parents take a close 

look at credentials, safety and staffing. 

It’s important to look into the staff and 

counselors working with the children. Are 

they properly trained? Do they know CPR? 

Do they know how to treat ailments such 

as heat exhaustion? 

Parents also should consider how the 

camp is structured. 

If campers are younger and require more 

guidance, camps with a smaller counselor-to-camper 

ratio often provide a 

better fit. In addition, it is often better for 

younger campers to attend camps with 

structured routines. For older campers, 

children who are used to school environments, 

it is less necessary that the camp 

has rigid structure. 

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24 I HEALTH I 





O’Fallon • 5551 WingHaven BLVD., Suite 100 • O’Fallon, MO 63368 

314.205.6200 • stlukes-stl.com/urgent-care • 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Walk-Ins Welcome • On-site X-ray and Lab • COVID-19 testing 

Sports and camp physicals • Employer related services • Flu Shots 

2-3703 

West and Mid Rivers News Health and Header 2-3703B.indd 2 

12/30/21 10:26 AM 

For some young people, the quest for a perfect tan may include a hormone-based 

nasal spray called melanotan-II, which comes with a number of health risks. 

(Source: Adobe Stock) 

health 

capsules 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Experts warn about 

hormone-based tanning products 

Whether they’re seeking a golden glow 

for high school proms or upcoming summer 

trips, it’s the time of year when many teens 

and young adults are in pursuit of the perfect 

tan. And while the health risks of overexposure 

to the sun – or to UV radiation 

from indoor tanning beds – are well-known, 

there is another risky tanning method on the 

market of which many may not be aware. 

A quick Google or YouTube search produces 

many sites promoting and selling a 

hormone-based product called melanotan 

II (also called Melanotan 2 or MT2). 

Some social media “influencers” are also 

promoting these products, which are most 

commonly used in nasal spray form, to 

their young followers. 

While these sources tout melanotan II 

products as a safe way to achieve a tan, 

they are anything but a day at the beach, 

health experts say. 

Melanotan II works by stimulating the 

melanocytes in the skin to accelerate tanning. 

While studies about its effects on the 

body are limited, past research has linked 

these products to a number of dangerous 

effects, including development of new 

moles and melanoma skin cancers. Kidney 

infarction, an uncommon and potentially 

life-threatening condition caused by disruption 

of renal blood flow, has also been 

connected with its use. 

Other reported side effects of melanotan 

II include loss of appetite, gastrointestinal 

symptoms including nausea, vomiting and 

diarrhea, and a breakdown of muscle cells 

called rhabdomyolysis, which can permanently 

damage the heart and kidneys and 

even cause death. 

Health experts in the U.S. and several 

other countries advise against using any 

products containing melanotan II, which 

are unregulated by the FDA. They’ve also 

called on federal regulators and social media 

outlets to do more to raise public awareness 

about their dangers, especially among the 

young people who may be exposed to false 

or misleading information about them. 

Thousands report illnesses 

after eating Lucky Charms 

A growing number of Americans say 

they’ve had the opposite of a “magically 

delicious” experience with Lucky Charms 

cereal recently. 

Well over 100 people to date in 2022 

have posted complaints on the U.S. Food 

and Drug Administration’s national adverse 

event reporting site about symptoms including 

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and cramping 

which they say began within hours after 

eating the cereal. Thousands more have 

posted similar complaints on a consumer 

food safety website called iwaspoisoned. 

com., where reports numbered more than 

4,500 and counting as of late April. The first 

complaints began to appear online in March. 

General Mills Inc., the Minneapolisbased 

company that manufactures the 

cereal, has said an internal investigation 

“has not found any evidence of consumer 

illness linked to Lucky Charms.” 

The FDA also has launched an investigation 

into the claims. “The FDA is aware of 

consumer complaints regarding illnesses 

associated with Lucky Charms cereal and 

is currently investigating these complaints. 

The FDA takes seriously any reports of 

possible adulteration of a food that may 

also cause illnesses or injury,” the agency 

recently said in a statement. 

Prediabetes rising sharply 

among young Americans 

The prevalence of prediabetes – a serious 

health condition where blood sugar 

levels are above normal but not yet high 

enough to be categorized as type 2 diabetes 

– nearly doubled among young people in 

the U.S. between 1999 and 2018, recently 

released national data shows. 

According to National Health and Nutrition 

Examination Survey (NHANES) 

information on youth between the ages of 

12 and 19, their average rate of prediabetes 

increased from 11.6% in 1999-2002 to 

28.2% in 2015-2018. 

The biggest spike in prediabetes occurred 

among young people with obesity, increasing 

from 18.2% to 40.4%. However, young 

people classified as underweight or normal 

weight also experienced a large increase 

in prediabetes, which rose from 9.4% to 

24.3%. In those classified as overweight 

but not obese, the rate increased from 

15.3% to 27.5% 

These dramatic increases in prediabetes 

were consistent among all age subgroups 

as well as by sex (although the increase was 

greater among males than females), by racial 

or ethnic group, and by parental income level. 

What these statistics can’t provide are the 

reasons why prediabetes, which was virtually 

unheard of in people under 40 just a few 

decades ago, has now become so common 

among those in their teens. 

Pediatric health experts have frequently 

named poor diet, high amounts of refined 

sugar and processed food consumption, and 

a lack of physical activity as the main culprits. 

While prediabetes can be reversed by 

adopting better lifestyle habits and in 

many cases by losing weight, these experts 

have also expressed concern that, if it does 

progress to type 2 diabetes, that disease 

tends to be more aggressive in the young. 

Increased risks of early heart disease and 

stroke are other consequences these young 

people face – even those who do not go on 

to develop type 2 diabetes – if their prediabetes 

is not brought under control. 

Washed or not, raw poultry 

contaminates many kitchens 

The CDC and other national health organizations 

no longer recommend washing 

poultry before cooking it, to help prevent 

the spread of illness-causing bacteria. 

However, it remains a common practice in 

American households. 

In a study intended to measure the 

impact of washing poultry on kitchen 

contamination, North Carolina State University 

researchers recently got a surprise. 

They found that, whether it’s washed 

before cooking or not, handling raw poultry 

spreads potentially dangerous bacteria 

on an equal opportunity basis. 

Their experiment included 300 home 

cooks who said they washed poultry before 

cooking it. They sent food safety information 

which included the recommendation 

against washing poultry to half of the 

cooks, while the other half did not receive 

it. Then they invited all 300 participants to 

test kitchens equipped with video cameras, 

where they were asked to cook chicken 

thighs and prepare a salad. 

Unbeknownst to the cooks, those chicken





I HEALTH I 25 

thighs had been inoculated with a harmless 

yet detectable strain of bacteria, allowing 

researchers to swab surfaces in the kitchens 

to see whether any cross-contamination 

occurred during food preparation. 

In the end, 93% of the participants who 

received the advance food safety information 

did not wash the chicken, while 61% who 

hadn’t gotten the information did wash it. 

However, whether washed or unwashed, 

both groups had similar levels of contamination 

from the raw chicken in their prepared 

salads. 

“We think the salad contamination stems 

from people doing a poor job of washing 

their hands after handling the raw chicken, 

and/or doing a poor job of sanitizing the 

sink and surrounding surfaces before rinsing 

or handling the salad,” said Ellen Shumaker, 

an extension associate at NC State 

and one of the study’s lead authors. 

“Regardless of whether people washed 

their chicken, the kitchen sinks became 

contaminated by the raw chicken, while 

there was relatively little contamination of 

nearby counters. This was a little surprising, 

since the conventional wisdom had 

been that the risk associated with washing 

chicken was because water would splash off 

of the chicken and contaminate surrounding 

surfaces. Instead, the sink itself was becoming 

contaminated, even when the chicken 

wasn’t being washed,” she explained. 

A recent study found that whether or not it is washed before cooking, raw poultry often 

contaminates sinks and other kitchen surfaces. 


Shumaker added that while washing 

chicken still isn’t a good idea, the study 

shows that thorough hand-washing, as 

well as preventing contamination of sinks 

and other kitchen surfaces, may be even 

more important. 

On the calendar 

BJC sponsors a Family and Friends 

CPR course on Tuesday, May 10 from 

6:30-8:30 p.m. This virtual class, offered 

via Teams Meeting, uses the American 

Heart Association curriculum to teach 

hands-on CPR skills including adult handsonly 

CPR; infant/child CPR with breaths; 

introduction to adult/child AED use; and 

relief of choking in an adult, child or infant. 

Each participating household will receive a 

CPR kit prior to the course date with infant 

and adult-size mannequins, class materials 

and a DVD for ongoing reference and 

practice. The cost is $50. Register online 

by visiting classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

Staying Home Alone, sponsored by 

BJC, is on Tuesday, May 17 from 6:30-8 

p.m. This virtual class, presented via 

Teams Meeting, will help prepare the 

parent(s), child and family for times when 

children will be home alone. Materials will 

be delivered to class participants’ homes 

prior to class. The cost is $25 per family. 

To register, call (314) 454-5437. 

• • • 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital 

offers an online Head to Toe One-Hour 

Orientation on Wednesday, June 1 from 

6-7 p.m. During this free orientation session, 

families will learn about St Louis 

Children’s Hospital’s family-focused 

weight management program for kids 

ages 8-17 called Head to Toe. The program 

helps children and their parents 

learn to make healthier lifestyle choices, 

set goals and get regular exercise, which 

makes a positive impact on a child’s selfesteem. 

The Head to Toe program begins 

on Tuesday, July 26. Register online at 

classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital sponsors 

a Babysitting 101 virtual class on 

Wednesday, June 8 from 6-8:30 p.m. This 

interactive class, offered virtually through 

Teams Meeting, is a great introduction to 

the basics of babysitting and is recommended 

for ages 10 and above. Topics 

include the business of babysitting, child 

development and behavior, basic child 

care, expecting the unexpected, and choosing 

age-appropriate games and activities. 

A workbook, first-aid kit, babysitter skills 

assessment and backpack will be delivered 

to each participant’s home prior to class. A 

list of needed supplies and the online link 

will be provided in the confirmation email. 

The cost is $25 per child. Register online at 


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26 I MATURE FOCUS I 





News & Notes 


LISTEN 

IN 

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5 other locations in St. Louis and Illinois to serve you! 

The best prescription for arthritis 

About one in every three Americans has 

some form of arthritis, making it one of 

the most pervasive, disabling diseases in 

the U.S. … especially among people over 

age 50. During May, which is National 

Arthritis Awareness Month, it’s important 

for arthritis sufferers to know that one of 

the most research-backed ways to combat 

arthritis pain doesn’t involve pills, creams, 

or patches: it’s regular exercise. 

Although working out with painful 

knees or hips may seem counterintuitive, 

study after study has shown that exercise 

can reduce pain, increase range of motion, 

and improve overall health for seniors with 

arthritis. 

Even more intense forms of exercise 

– including resistance training – don’t 

worsen the joint deterioration and damage 

that are the hallmarks of arthritis, as many 

people may think. In fact, research has 

shown that regular physical activity can 

keep the muscles around affected joints 

strong, replenish lubrication to the cartilage 

of the joint, decrease bone loss, and 

help control joint swelling and tightness. 

For example, a recent large analysis of 

more than 5,000 adults published in Arthritis 

& Rheumatology found no links between 

the amount or duration of physical activity 

and individual risk of developing 

knee osteoarthritis over a decade or more. 

Another recent study, published in Osteoarthritis 

and Cartilage, also showed for the 

first time how exercise actually prevents 

cartilage breakdown, by suppressing the 

action of inflammatory molecules which 

cause osteoarthritis in the joints. 

Exercise can also help with long-term 

weight management in those with arthritis 

who are overweight, reducing pressure on 

their joints. 

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force 

recommends that physicians talk with their 

patients who have arthritis about the clear 

St. Louis Senior Olympics returns 

The JCC-St. Louis will host the 42nd 

annual St. Louis Senior Olympics over 

Memorial Day weekend, May 26-30. 

Contests will include a wide range of 

more than 90 individual, partner and 

team events – from an art competition, 

bowling and bridge to track and field, 

triathlon and weightlifting competitions 

Regular exercise, one of the most researchproven 

ways to combat arthritis, gets a 

spotlight in May during National Arthritis 

Awareness Month. 


benefits of exercise in managing the condition. 

The task force advises that while 

resting the joints is important – especially 

during acute arthritis flare-ups – lack of 

physical activity is associated over the 

long term with increased muscle weakness, 

joint stiffness, reduced range of motion, 

fatigue and worsening overall health. 

Breast cancer ‘overdiagnosis’ 

While mammograms are vital to protecting 

women’s health by detecting breast 

cancer early, they can sometimes lead to 

“overdiagnosis,” particularly in women 

over 50. The term refers to breast cancers 

detected during screening that would either 

never have progressed or would not have 

caused symptoms over a woman’s remaining 

lifetime if they hadn’t been found. 

While there has been no clear consensus 

about how often this happens, a recent 

large analysis of mammograms among 

women between the ages of 50 and 74 provides 

more clarity. It found that about one 

in seven, or 15%, of breast cancers found 

during screenings of women in this age 

group are overdiagnosed. 

The analysis included data on about 

36,000 women who were patients at Breast 

See MATURE FOCUS, page 28 

– to be held at a number of area venues. 

Participants must turn 50 by December 

31, 2022, to be eligible. 

Volunteers are also needed both before 

and during the competition days. The final 

registration deadline is Tuesday, May 10. 

For more information or to register as an 

athlete or volunteer, visit jccstl.com.





I MATURE FOCUS I 27 

DOES YOUR 

RETIREMENT MATH 

ADD UP? 

When it comes to retirement, it’s all about the numbers — how much 

money you’ll need and how much you’re saving to get there. With the right 

information, you can move ahead and plan with confidence. 

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TO LEARN MORE. 

www.jfgmidwest.com 

Caregivers Inn Blood Drive 

Thursday | May 19, 2022 

2:00 pm – 6:00 pm 

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636.240.7979 

Receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of your choice 

and a chance to win a travel trailer camper 

(courtesy of Suburban Propane) when you register to donate! 

Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule 

an appointment or visit RedCrossBlood.org 

and enter: caregivers 

Walk-ins welcome 

Caregivers Inn 

Where Seniors Call Home 

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636.441.7004 

jim.johnson@lpl.com 

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Johnson Financial Group is a separate entity from LPL Financial. 

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New Look. 

New Possibilities. 

More Fun. 

At The Watermark at St. Peters, 

we believe in giving you more. 

More comfort. More choices. More convenience. 

Discover our transformation designed with you 

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innovative style elements and modern upgrades 

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extraordinary wellness offerings. 

Our revitalized fine dining restaurant is now 

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and cosmopolitan flavor. Elevated amenities 

coming soon include a brand-new café and 

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indoor pool with swim club, and salon and spa 

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INDEPENDENT LIVING • VILLA LIVING






MATURE FOCUS, from page 26 

Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) 

facilities from 2000-2018. Their median 

age was 56, and they were screened every 

two years. Out of well over 82,000 mammograms 

performed in the group, 718 

breast cancer diagnoses were made. 

Although a 15% overdiagnosis rate may 

seem high, it’s actually about half the level 

that previous research has suggested. 

“The good news is, it’s less common 

than we’d thought,” said Dr. Katrina Armstrong, 

of Massachusetts General Hospital 

in Boston. However, Armstrong explained, 

the problem with overdiagnosed cancers 

is that they lead to unnecessary treatment, 

and the physical and emotional tolls that 

go with it. 

But the odds of it happening remain low 

for any woman having mammograms, she 

added. While about 7 in 1,000 women are 

diagnosed with based cancer after screening 

mammography, the new estimate 

means that roughly 1 in 1,000 will be diagnosed 

with a cancer that would never have 

progressed or caused problems. 

Hydration and the heart 

Drinking enough fluids every day is 

a basic health necessity, for people of 

all ages. Proper hydration is critical to a 

A recent analysis showed that about 15% 

of women over 50 diagnosed with breast 

cancer through screening mammograms are 

“overdiagnosed.” 


number of key body functions … and helping 

the heart pump blood efficiently ranks 

high among them. 

Among its many other health benefits, it 

appears that being well-hydrated at midlife 

may reduce one’s risk of developing heart 

failure in older adulthood, according to 

researchers at the National Institutes of 

Health. Their recent study suggests that 

consuming enough fluids in their younger 

years may significantly cut that risk for 

people over 65, for whom heart failure is 

more common. 

ex·cep·tion·al 

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I MATURE FOCUS I 29 

Good hydration during middle age and beyond can lower the risk of heart failure for older 

adults, a new study shows. 


The NIH team analyzed data from more 

than 15,000 adults, ages 45-66, who participated 

in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities 

(ARIC) study in the late 1980’s 

and shared information from their medical 

visits over the next 25 years. 

To assess potential links with hydration, 

the team looked at participants’ levels of 

serum sodium, which generally increases 

as the body’s fluid levels decrease, to help 

identify those with an increased risk for 

developing heart failure. They found that 

adults with serum sodium levels at the 

higher end of the normal range (135-146 

mEq/L) starting in midlife had nearly a 

40% higher risk for developing heart failure, 

compared to adults with lower sodium 

levels. 

For every 1 mEq/L increase in serum 

sodium within the normal range, the likelihood 

of a participant developing heart failure 

increased by 5%. 

Based on these data, the authors concluded 

that serum sodium levels above 

142 mEq/L in middle age are associated 

with increased risks for developing heart 

failure later in life. That makes learning 

early on about proper hydration critically 

important… because the data also shows 

that many people regularly take in far less 

fluid than their bodies need to function 

optimally, the researchers said. 

While fluid guidelines vary based on 

individual needs, they recommended a 

daily fluid intake of 6-8 cups for women 

and 8-12 cups for men. 

Booming substance 

abuse treatment 

The Baby Boom generation’s transition 

into older adulthood between 2000 

and 2017 coincided with a sharp increase 

in the treatment rate for substance abuse 

among older adults as a whole, according 

to recently published research. 

The rate of those 55 and over seeking 

treatment for substance use increased 

from 8.8 per 1,000 people in 2000 to 15.1 

per 1,000 in 2017, the University of Connecticut 

(UConn) Health study found. The 

increase was almost entirely due to treatment 

for cannabis and cocaine use, while 

alcohol-related treatment rates stayed 

about the same over time, as did treatment 

rates among younger adults. 

Information used in the study came from 

a nationwide database of substance abuse 

treatment services compiled by the Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration (SAMHSA). 

Although the data they collected cannot 

explain the increase, the UConn researchers 

theorized that there are two main 

reasons for it. The first is that the Baby 

Boom generation, born between 1946 

and 1964, has consistently reported high 

rates of substance use throughout their 

adult years. As members of this generation 

become seniors, the numbers of them 

seeking treatment for substance abuse 

have also increased. 

The second reason may be that there is 

now less stigma attached to getting help 

with substance abuse than in the past, 

making adults of all ages more likely to 

get treatment. This idea is supported by 

SAMHSA data showing that the increase 

in substance treatment was mostly due to 

self-referrals, rather than forced referrals 

from the criminal justice system. 

T. Greg Rhee, a psychiatric epidemiologist 

from UConn who led the study, said 

the increase in baby boomers seeking treatment 

isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Rather, 

it means more of them are recognizing that 

they need help. 

“I am primarily interested in whether 

people are getting the correct care for substance 

abuse … “The population of older 

adults in the U.S. is growing, and so is 

the number who use cocaine and cannabis. 

See MATURE FOCUS, page 30 

Senior Living with 

a Heart for Giving. 

“It’s heartwarming,” says 

Mark Golliday, Executive 

Director. “Our residents 

are always looking for 

ways to give back to 

our community, because 

they’re passionate 

about helping 

their neighbors.” 

The independent living, assisted living and memory care community 

has already tackled two projects in 2022. 

Baby Blankets. Bright and colorful, the residents 

created fleece tie blankets for children at the St. 

Louis Crisis Nursery. 

Comfort Mats. Clever and resourceful, the 

residents refashioned grocery bags into comfort 

mats for the homeless. 

For more information about Clarendale of St. Peters, 

call 636-242-6096 or visit ClarendaleOfStPeters.com. 

web ClarendaleOfStPeters.com | 10 DuBray Drive | St. Peters, MO 63376 

1-22






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MATURE FOCUS, from page 29 

We really need to think about how to best 

address this,” Rhee said. 

No more biopsies? 

A team of engineers at Columbia University 

is developing a high-speed microscope 

which, they say, could soon make anxious 

waits for biopsy results a thing of the past. 

Their new three-dimensional microscope, 

called MediSCAPE, can see cellular 

detail in the body in real time. It could 

be used to help surgeons identify tumors 

and their boundaries without needing to 

remove tissues and wait for pathology 

results, leading to faster diagnoses and 

improved treatments. 

“The way that biopsy samples are processed 

hasn’t changed in 100 years… 

they are cut out, fixed, embedded, sliced, 

stained with dyes, positioned on a glass 

slide, and viewed by a pathologist using 

a simple microscope. This is why it can 

take days to hear news back about your 

diagnosis after a biopsy,” said Elizabeth 

Hillman, professor of biomedical engineering 

and radiology at Columbia University. 

“Because we can image the living 

tissue, without cutting it out, we hope that 

MediSCAPE will make those decisions a 

thing of the past.” 

Another major benefit of the new microscope 

is that it could eliminate the need for 

biopsy procedures that are dangerous by 

themselves, in areas such as the brain, eyes, 

spinal cord and nerves, she said. The team 

also found that by imaging tissues while 

they are alive in the body, they could get 

even more information than is possible from 

excised biopsies, such as being able to visualize 

blood flow through and around tumors. 

On the calendar 

St. Louis Oasis presents a Strike the 

Right Balance virtual class on Monday, 

May 9 from 1-2:30 p.m. One of the top 

reasons people visit their doctors is for 

dizziness and imbalance. Join a vestibular 

physical therapist to learn about your 

body’s balance systems while discussing 

strategies to decrease your fall risk and 

improve your balance. This free class, 

presented via Zoom, is sponsored by BJC 

Missouri Baptist Hospital. Register online 

at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

BJC Missouri Baptist Medical Center 

sponsors Living a Healthy Life with 

Chronic Conditions, a 7-session online 

class held via Zoom, on Tuesdays, May 

10 through June 21 from 1-3:30 p.m. Participants 

learn and practice skills such as 

problem-solving and goal-setting, coping 

with common symptoms, and managing 

the frustrations of living with chronic illness. 

The class is presented by St. Louis 

Oasis. Register at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Louis Oasis presents Healthcare: 

Become Your Own Advocate on Tuesday, 

May 17 from 10 a.m.-noon. Being 

an informed consumer can make you a 

better advocate for you and your family 

during interactions with the healthcare 

system. The free class will be held via 

Zoom, and is sponsored by BJC Missouri 

Baptist Medical Center. Register at 


• • • 

St. Louis Oasis presents a free virtual 

class, The More You Know, the Less 

You Go, on Tuesday, May 24 from 10 

a.m.-noon. Urinary incontinence can have 

a large impact on quality of life for many 

seniors; learn more about this impact along 

with causes, treatments and prevention of 

incontinence using both medication and 

non-medication models in this class sponsored 

by BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital. 

Register at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

#Sweat4YourBrain: Healthy Living, 

presented by St. Luke’s Hospital, is on 

Wednesday, June 1 from 11 a.m.-12:30 

p.m. at the St. Luke’s Hospital Institute 

for Health Education Auditorium, 222 S. 

Woods Mill Road in Chesterfield. In this 

free program, learn about research in the 

areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive 

activity and social engagement, and 

use hands-on tools to help you incorporate 

these tips into a plan for healthy aging. 

Sign up online at stlukes-stl.com and click 

on Classes and Events, then Senior Health 

& Wellness. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Clearing the 

Air: Facts About Lung Cancer on Thursday, 

June 2 from 6-7 p.m. at the hospital’s 

Desloge Outpatient Center, 121 St. Luke’s 

Center Drive in Chesterfield, in Building A, 

Conference Room 3. Early signs and symptoms 

of lung cancer may not be evident, but 

early detection can mean a higher likelihood 

of successful treatment. Join St. Luke’s and 

the American Lung Association for a free 

in-person education session featuring a live 

Q&A with St. Luke’s physicians along with 

additional resources, screening information 

and referrals. Register online at stlukes-stl. 

com and click on Classes and Events. 

• • • 

BJC Missouri Baptist Hospital offers an 

in-person Today’s Grandparents class 

on Wednesday, June 8 from 6:30-9 p.m. 

This popular hands-on class offers updates 

on current trends in infant care and feeding, 

and provides tips on local and longdistance 

grandparenting. Registration is 

required for each person attending; the 

cost is $20 per person. Register online at 

classes-events.bjc.org. Classes fill quickly, 

so early registration is recommended.

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32 I 



BULLETIN BOARD , from page 20 

Fort Zumwalt student selected 

Junior Youth of the Year 

Selected from among 14 outstanding 

youth for the honor of Missouri Junior 

Youth of the Year was Salena J. from St. 

Charles County. 

The award presented by Boys & Girls 

Clubs of America is given to a Missouri 

youth who exemplifies leadership, service, 

academic excellence and dedication to live 

a healthy lifestyle. The program is now in 

its 75th year. 

Salena J. 

As the Missouri Junior Youth of the Year, 

Salena will serve as an advocate for the 

benefits of after-school programming that 

promote healthy habits, academic success, 

character and leadership development, and 

workforce readiness. 

Through programs such as Positive 

Action and SMART Girls, Salena has 

embraced a healthy assurance of her internal 

value and worth. 

“The club has given me an experience 

that’s left an impact on me that I didn’t 

know I needed,” Salena said. “I’m happy 

I get to be a part of what’s going on here. 

It made me realize that I don’t have to 

have the best clothes, pounds of makeup 

to be pretty, or look a certain way. I have 

learned through the programs taught here 

that being different is OK.” 

With dreams of pursuing a career in 

teaching or the fine arts, Salena continues 

to make her mark in the Fort Zumwalt 

School District, at the Boys & Girls Clubs 

of St. Charles County, and in her community. 

“We are incredibly proud of Salena and 

all the Junior Youth of the Year nominees,” 

said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys 

& Girls Clubs of America. “Being named 

Junior Youth of the Year is a lifelong honor 

and accomplishment. As the Missouri 

Junior Youth of the Year, Salena will serve 

as a spokesperson for Boys & Girls Club 

kids and teens across the state who need 

more role models that they can admire and 

emulate.” 

Founded in 1947 as Boys & Girls Clubs 

of America’s premier youth recognition 

program, Youth of the Year recognizes 

outstanding contributions to a member’s 



family, school, community, and Boys & 

Girls Club. 

For more information about the Youth of 

the Year program, visit youthoftheyear.org. 

Scouts plant pollinator garden 

in Veterans Tribute Park 

For one St. Charles Girl Scout troop, 

April 14 was an opportunity to support 

native habitats and educate their community 

on conservation for their Bronze 

Award Project. 

Peityn Bradford, Evangeline Cairns, 

Amelija Fredricks, Madelyn Gerber, Abi 

Kumar, Kayla Seibert, Alayna Thomas and 

Grace Weldy partnered with the St. Charles 

County Parks to plant a 2,000-square-foot 

native garden featuring more than 30 

native plant species in Veterans Tribute 

Park. The garden is designed to support the 

habitats of birds, butterflies and pollinators. 

The girls sowed each starter seed, added 

fertilizer and tended to their bio-diverse 

garden, including rose verbena, bee balm, 

coneflower and goldenrod. They also 

constructed bee and butterfly houses and 

decorated eco-education stones to shelter 

pollinators around the garden. 

To create their native garden, the girls 

worked closely with St. Charles County 

Parks horticulturalists, Shelby Miller and 

Brandi Borgschulte, and experienced 

native gardeners and beekeepers, Kristin 

and Tim Fredricks. The St. Charles County 

Parks Department provided tools, land and 

soil for optimal garden preservation and 

will ensure the long-term maintenance of 

the garden. 

The girls also organized educational sessions 

to share the importance of gardening 

with their fellow Scouts and created 

a blog to share their experience and inspire 

others to create their own native garden. 

“We had several learning sessions with 

our troop where we learned about native 

plants and how they have adapted to their 

environment in Missouri,” Amelija Fredricks 

said. “When we grow native plants, 

we are providing food for the native butterflies, 

insects and bees.” 

These sirls received a project grant, 

covering supplies and equipment funding, 

from The Missouri Prairie Foundation. 

They worked with their adult volunteers 

to submit the grant application, which 

included their plan to prepare the garden, 

their scope of work and the project budget. 

They also worked with their project partners 

to write support letters to receive the 

grant. 

“As a planet, our pollinator numbers are 

getting so low, therefore, it is important 

to work against extinction,” Cairns said. 

“Building our native garden over the past 

three months took a lot of hard work, but 

it was worth it to help save monarchs and 

bees.”


MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I 33 

BJC brings leading-edge stroke treatment capabilities to St. Charles County 




Every second counts when someone 

is having a stroke. Now, when strokes 

or related emergencies occur, residents 

of St. Charles County and surrounding 

communities have close-by, aroundthe-clock 

access to the most advanced 

medical treatment available. 

Last October, Barnes-Jewish St. 

Peters Hospital opened its new thrombectomy 

stroke center (TSC). The first 

of its kind in St. Charles County, the 

TSC both expands and elevates stroke 

treatment services in the area by offering 

leading-edge technologies and capabilities 

usually provided only at large hospitals 

and academic medical centers. 

Dr. Brendan Eby, a neurovascular surgeon 

and interventional neurologist and 

an assistant professor of neurology, neurosurgery 

and radiology at Washington 

University in St. Louis, is the center’s 

director. Dr. Eby and a team of highly 

skilled specialists from Washington 

University provide comprehensive cerebrovascular 

care to patients at Barnes- 

Jewish St. Peters. He explained that 

thrombectomy is a minimally invasive 

procedure during which a surgeon uses 

catheters under radiological guidance to 

An IRA for 

retirement. 

A plan to 

get there. 

Dr. Brendan Eby (right) talks with Assistant Nurse 

Manager Erik Kelder at the Barnes-Jewish St. Peters 

Hospital’s thrombectomy stroke center. (Source: BJC) 

actually remove stroke-causing blood clots 

from a patient’s brain. 

“Treatment for stroke is very time-sensitive 

because once blockage starts, brain tissue can 

die at a rate of up to 2 million cells a minute,” 

Dr. Eby said. “We have to administer clotbusting 

medicines for stroke within four and 

a half hours, and in certain people, we can 

do the catheter intervention (thrombectomy) 

within 24 hours. It depends on the type of 

stroke, where the clot is located and when the 

person is brought to the hospital.” 

He added that while about 20% of acute 

stroke patients are estimated to be eligible for 

thrombectomy, this relatively new technology 

– in use for about the past seven years 

– can produce dramatic results. It was shown 

in one study to lower patients’ risk of longterm 

brain damage from a stroke by more 

than 70%. 

“The main thing is that catheter treatments 

are for the biggest, most potentially 

devastating strokes in the major arteries 

of the brain. In these cases, thrombectomy 

is much more impactful because we can 

dramatically reduce the damage and disability 

caused by a stroke,” he said. 

“It’s been really exciting for BJC to 

extend their (stroke) services,” he said. 

“Previously, you’d show up at a hospital 

like Barnes-Jewish St. Peters, and even 

if your scans looked good for doing the 

catheter procedure, they’d have to put you 

in an ambulance and drive to the main hospital. 

Now we’re able to save those precious 

minutes.” 

Dr. Eby’s extensive training includes using 

catheters to treat many types of problems in 

the brain in addition to stroke, including cerebral 

aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations 

and fistulas, and carotid artery stenosis. 

He sees patients mainly in his clinic located 

at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters, but also at BJC’s 

academic medical campus, Barnes-Jewish 

Hospital, in St. Louis. 

“Thrombectomy is the highest-level service 

we offer, but with this technology we can also 

diagnose and treat other brain problems that 

are not as emergent,” he said. “It opens up all 

the possibilities for people to come see me in 

the clinic, so we can talk about it and treat it 

before it becomes an emergency.” 

Dr. Eby also emphasized that May is 

Stroke Awareness Month, which makes 

this a good time to review the symptoms of 

stroke and be prepared to call 911 immediately 

should they occur, using the screening 

acronym BEFAST: Balance problems, Eyes 

(blurred vision or difficulty seeing), Face 

drooping, Arm weakness, Speech slurring, 

Time to call 911. 

“Stroke is, unfortunately, an extremely 

common disorder, and it is one of the leading 

causes of death and disability in the United 

States,” Dr. Eby said. “It’s a mission for all 

of us, including doctors, to let people know 

to call an ambulance right away if you see 

symptoms. You shouldn’t wait around to see 

if the person gets any better, because it’s such 

a time-sensitive diagnosis.” 

Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital 

10 Hospital Drive • St. Peters 

(636) 916-9000 • BJSPH.org/Stroke 

Dr. Brendan Eby 

Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, 

Medical Office Building 2 

70 Jungermann Circle • St. Peters 

(314) 362-7382 

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income against expenses, and deciding which steps to take next. 

Andrew Weltz 

Jonathan Randolph 

O’Fallon Independent Branch 

4579 Highway K 

636-486-8094 

schwab.com/ofallon 

©2020 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (“Schwab”) All rights reserved. 

Member SIPC. SCH2716-3 (1115-6986) (10/20)

34 I BUSINESS I 





SSM Health and St. Louis Area Foodbank events supplied fresh, healthy food options 

to families in the region 

(Source: Provided) 

business 

briefs 

PLACES 

SSM Health and the St. Louis Area 

Foodbank recently hosted two food distribution 

events which supplied fresh, healthy 

food options to families in the region. 

The events, held at SSM Health DePaul 

Hospital on Tuesday, April 12 and SSM 

Health St. Joseph Hospital - St. Charles on 

Tuesday, April 19 provided much-needed 

food items such as eggs, potatoes, chicken, 

apples and cabbages to an estimated 570 

families and 1,860 individuals. Similar 

events are planned throughout the year. 

Vouchers to receive food were distributed 

to families in need by local school districts 

and other partner organizations. 

• • • 

Charter Communications, Inc., which 

operates the Spectrum brand, awarded 

$132,000 to various St. Louis area nonprofits 

through its three philanthropic programs: 

Spectrum Digital Education, Spectrum 

Employee Community Grants and Spectrum 

Community Assist. The organizations 

that received funding were St. Louis Arc, 

$14,000; All Nanna’s Kids Closet, $1,000; 

Crisis Aid International, $2,500; The Grace 

Period, $1,000; Optimist Club of St. Louis, 

$1,000; STL Youth Jobs, $1,000; and The 

Wesley House, $5,000. 

• • • 

MRV Banks, 1700 O’Fallon Road in 

St. Charles, hosted a ribbon cutting event 

on Wednesday, April 27 to celebrate the 

grand opening of the new St. Charles location, 

which officially opened earlier this 

year. Founded in 2007, MRV Banks also 

has locations in Ste. Genevieve, Cape 

Girardeau and Festus. The St. Charles bank 

has an onsite ATM. Lobby and drive-up 

hours are Monday through Thursday from 

8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m.- 

5:00 p.m. 

PEOPLE 

Diana Nash and Justine 

Riggs were recently 

added to the Mosaics 

Fine Art Festival’s board 

of directors. In addition 

to serving on the 

board, Nash manages the 

Nash 

festival’s Joyce Rosen 

Scholarship entries and 

exhibits. She is a retired 

adjunct English professor 

at St. Charles Community 

College. Riggs is a published 

author and is selfemployed 

in the health Riggs 

and wellness industry as 

a Reiki Master Energy Healer, Arbonne District 

Manager and Intuitive Coach. In addition 

to being named a board member, Riggs 

will oversee the festival’s new Artists for 

Charter Communications, Inc. has awarded $132,000 to St. Louis area nonprofits. 

(Source: Provided) 

Adoption Pet Pavilion, which will be open 

to families interested in adopting pets from 

local rescue organizations. 

AWARDS 

The Home Builders Association of 

St. Louis & Eastern Missouri (HBA) 

recently announced the 2021 winners of 

its annual HBA Awards Program. The 

HBA Awards Program honors excellence 

in the home building industry and 

is divided into three categories: Homes 

of the Year, Marketing & Advertising 

and Personal Achievement. In St. Charles 

County, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services 

- Select Properties - The Boehmer 

Team took home five awards, including 

“Real Estate Sales Manager/Agent of the 

Year;” Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles 

County took home two awards, including 

“Construction Manager of the Year – Tony 

Bradbury;” and Liston Design Build took 

home three awards, including “Remodeling 

Project of the Year, Kitchen, $125- 

150,000 Budget.” 

EVENTS 

The St. Charles Regional Chamber hosts 

a Biz Brew event from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, 

May 11 at Buzzed Bull Creamery St. 

Charles, 1520 S. Fifth St., Unit 105 in St. 

Charles. This networking event is free 

for chamber members, and is a pre-party 

to the StreetsFest Beale Street Concert 

Series, which will feature a free concert 

from 6-8 p.m. For more information, call 

or email Lori Tainter at (636) 946-0633 or 

Lori@StCharlesRegionalChamber.com. 

Visit stcharlesregionalchamber.com. 

• • • 

The St. Charles Regional Chamber hosts 

a Morning Brew event from 7:30-9 a.m. on 

Tuesday, May 24 at Old Town Donut Shop, 

3941 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in St. Peters. 

This networking event is free for chamber 

members. Members are asked to RSVP. 

Visit stcharlesregionalchamber.com. 

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facebook.com/midriversnewsmagazine


MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT I 35 

Johnson Heating & Cooling: A legacy company committed to quality 



By DEANNE LEBLANC 

Heating and cooling is 

not just business as usual for 

Tracy and Shaun Johnson, coowners 

of Johnson Heating & 

Cooling. It’s a family passion 

passed down to Tracy from 

her parents, who owned a 

heating and cooling company 

for more than 30 years. 

Tracy and Shaun have 

owned and operated their 

business since 2013, earning a stellar 

reputation for keeping local families 

comfortable with honest and reliable 

service. 

“I grew up in the industry from a very 

young age. Shaun worked in the industry 

as well, so when my parents closed 

their business we decided to open ours,” 

Tracy explained. 

Shaun has worked in the industry for 

over 17 years and has earned his journeyman 

license in several counties. 

It’s the Johnson family of customers 

that Tracy enjoys most about the 

business. She takes pride in helping 

them find the best system to meet their 

needs and in being the go-to source for 

repairs and maintenance. 

(Johnson Heating & Cooling photo) 

“Our customers really are a part of our 

business family. That’s why our motto is, 

‘Let our family take care of your family’s 

heating and cooling needs.’ It is because 

we believe in educating our customers 

and being up-front and transparent in all 

aspects of the business,” Tracy said. 

Johnson Heating & Cooling installs 

high-quality furnaces, air handlers, air 

conditioners, heat pumps, and geothermal 

systems in new construction homes and 

existing homes. And provides service and 

maintenance on installed systems. The ultimate 

goal, Tracy said, is always customer 

satisfaction and every member of the company 

gladly stands behind the quality of its 

products and services. 

“We excel in residential service, replacement, 

new home construction 

and finished basements,” Tracy 

said. “Our top employees have 

been with us since the beginning 

and they all have the same values 

and passion that we do. We are 

committed to overseeing that our 

customers receive systems that 

are the best quality.” 

All of Johnson Heating & Cooling’s 

technicians are required to 

participate in training throughout 

the year to keep up-to-date on 

their licenses, what’s new in the industry 

and, of course, safety. One of the newest 

trends in the industry is the use of geothermal 

technology, which works with 

the earth to pump heat into a home or discharge 

it from the home and back into the 

ground. It’s complicated, but not for the 

well-trained experts at Johnson Heating 

& Cooling, who are happy to explain the 

ins and outs of all the options homeowners 

have to meet their needs. 

In addition to heating and cooling units, 

Johnson Heating & Cooling also installs air 

quality products, such as humidifiers and 

electronic air purifiers to keep the air in 

customers’ homes clean and comfortable. 

It’s not just people who benefit from proper 

humidity. Pets and belongings, especially 

wood items and instruments like pianos, 

guitars and violins, also benefit from 

humidity control. 

Coming up with whole home solutions is 

one of the ways Johnson Heating & Cooling 

exceeds expectations. 

For customers with larger homes, Johnson 

Heating & Cooling can design and 

install a zoned plan that helps to increase 

comfort and decrease energy use and costs. 

“Our hearts are in providing the best services 

for our customers,” Tracy said. “We 

strive to provide exactly what we would 

want for our own homes, and to treat 

our customers how we would want to be 

treated.” 

Johnson Heating and Cooling service 

areas include Wentzville, Foristell, Defiance, 

New Melle, Lake Saint Louis, 

O’Fallon, Dardenne Prairie, St. Peters, 

St. Charles City, Cottleville, Harvester, 

Weldon Spring, Lincoln, Troy, Moscow 

Mills, Wright City and the counties of 

Warren, Warrenton and St. Charles. 

Johnson Heating & Cooling 

223 N. Callahan Road • Wentzville 

(636) 332-4141 

johnson-heatingandcooling.com 

Chesterfield Valley | Glendale 636.728.1600 AmbassadorFloor.com

36 I EVENTS I 





Whiskers and Wags Pet Expo and Adoption Drive is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 

Saturday, May 14 at Civic Park, 308 Civic Park Drive in O’Fallon. (Adobe Stock photo) 

local 

events 

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT 

First Fridays are from 5-8 p.m. on the 

first Friday of every month at the Foundry 

Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center in Saint 

Charles. Visitors can spend time in the galleries, 

meet resident studio artists and more. 

Enjoy free activities or paid workshops 

hosted by local business owners. For details, 

visit foundryartcentre.org/first-fridays. 

• • • 

Kaleidoscopes, The Art Form is on 

display now through Friday, May 13 at the 

Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center 

in Saint Charles. Kaleidoscope-inspired 

work created by artists from across the 

globe. For details visit foundryartcentre. 

org/brewster-kaleidoscope-society. 

• • • 

Sarah Knight - Crystal Queer is on 

display now through Friday, May 13 at the 

Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center 

in Saint Charles. Crystal Queer is an art 

installation that “reimagines the definition 

of queering as a disorientation of visual 

and conceptual cohesion.” For details, visit 

foundryartcentre.org. 

• • • 

Chinese Culture Days are from 9 a.m.-5 

p.m. on Saturday, May 21 through Sunday, 

May 22 at the Missouri Botanical Garden, 

4344 Shaw Blvd. in St. Louis. Features 

a parade with a 70-foot dancing dragon, 

authentic regional cuisine, t’ai chi, martial 

arts, and acrobatic performances. Tickets 

are $16 for non-member adults; $5 for 

children; $8 for members; free for member 

children under 13. To purchase tickets, 

visit events.missouribotanicalgarden.org. 

• • • 

Historic Heald Home and Zumwalt’s 

Fort Tours are open from noon-3 p.m. on the 

second and fourth Sundays of every month 

beginning Sunday, May 22 at Fort Zumwalt 

Park, 1000 Jessup Drive W. in O’Fallon. 

Admission is $5 per person to see both attractions; 

children 10 and under are free. For 

more information, call (636) 379-5502 or 

visit ofallon.mo.us/fort-zumwalt-park. 

• • • 

History in Harmony is from 1-4 p.m. 

on Sundays, May 22, May 29, June 19 

and June 26 on Main Street, 230 S. Main 

St. in Saint Charles. Discover the sound of 

Main Street as guest musicians provide the 

soundtrack for a stroll through the historic 

district. Free. For more information, visit 

discoverstcharles.com. 

• • • 

Ste. Genevieve Summer Music Series 

is at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 3 featuring the 

classic rock of Blue Marlin at The Orris 

Theatre, 265 Merchant St. in Ste. Genevieve. 

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The series 

continues on Friday nights in June and July. 

The June 10 band is Trezz Hombezz, a ZZ 

Top Tribute band. Cost is $20 at the door. 

For details, visit stegenchamber.org/summer-music-series 

or call (573) 883-3686. 

BENEFITS 

The St. Charles County Ancient Order 

of Hibernians BBQ is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 

on Saturday, May 7 at Midtowne Market, 

317 Hawthorn Ave. in Saint Charles. Ribs, 

pork steaks, burgers, brats, hot dogs and 

more. For details, call (636) 485-5710 or 

visit stcharlesaoh.com. 

• • • 

Derby in the Park is from 4-7 p.m. on 

Saturday, May 7 at Smartt Field, 6390 

Grafton Ferry Road in Portage Des Sioux. 

Tickets are $50 and include themed food, 

beer, wine, mint juleps, live music, Kentucky 

Derby live stream, silent auction, 

best-dressed contest and more. Proceeds to 

benefit BCI’s employment opportunities for 

adults with disabilities. To purchase tickets, 

visit betterunite.com/bci-derbyevents2022. 

• • • 

Partners Charity Golf Scramble Tournament 

is at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13 

at the St. Peters Golf Club, 200 Salt Lick 

Road in St. Peters. Registration begins at 

12:30 p.m. Dinner to follow the tournament. 

Ticket includes drinks, 18 holes of golf and 

dinner. One player is $120; Foursomes are 

$480. To register, call (636) 293-2247 or 

email at Mike.TravelbyAnn@gmail.com 

• • • 

Fischer & Frichtel Trivia Night is at 

5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 at Duchesne 

High, 2550 Elm St. in Saint Charles. 

Selling tables of 8 for $200 each or $25 

per ticket. Bring your own beer/food. The 

VIP table for $300 includes wine, cheese 

and sausage or beer, sandwiches and chips. 

Benefitting March of Dimes. Call (636) 

489-4420 for details. 

• • • 

St. John’s United Church of Christ 

BBQ is from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, 

May 21 at St. John’s United Church 

of Christ, 945 Wolfrum Road in Weldon 

Spring. Dine in or carry out. Prices subject 

to change. Cash or check only. Orders of 10 

or more can be delivered within a 10 mile 

radius. Call in orders to (636) 926-8995. 

For details, visit stjohnsweldonspring.org. 

CONCERTS/FESTIVALS 

Midwest Maifest is from 2-6 p.m. on 

Sunday, May 15 at the New Town Amphitheater 

in St. Charles. Celebrate the arrival 

of spring and St. Charles County’s German 

heritage with food, local craft vendors, live 

German entertainment and more. The purchase 

of a wristband (ages 21+) includes a 

souvenir sample cup and product samples 

at the festival. Food truck purchases are 

separate. Events and activities for all ages. 

For details, visit midwestmaifest.org. 

• • • 

The Country Fair is from 6-10:30 p.m. 

on Thursday, May 19; from 5-10:30 p.m. 

on Friday, May 20; and from 4-10:30 p.m. 

on Saturday, May 21 at the Fairgrounds at 

Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans 

Place Drive in Chesterfield. Zach Bryan, 

Jon Pardi and Chris Young to perform. All 

ages welcome; 12 and under are free. Rain 

or shine. Ticket prices range from $20-250 

and are subject to change. Ticket includes 

carnival access, rides, games and more. 

For information or to purchase tickets, 

visit chesterfieldcountryfair.com. 

• • • 

Missouri River Irish Fest is from 

5-10:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27; from 10 

a.m.-10:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 28; and 

from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, May 29 

on the Missouri Riverfront along Main St. 

in Saint Charles. Free. Live music, Irish 

dancing, food vendors and more. For 

details visit discoverstcharles.com. 

• • • 

St. Peters Sunset Concert Series is from 

6:30-8:30 p.m. on Fridays through September 

beginning Friday, May 27 at 370 Lakeside 

Park in St. Peters with the blues of the 

Joe Metzka Band. Times may vary through 

the year, check the website for each concert. 

Food trucks are available. Outside alcohol 

must remain outside the pavilion and in the 

lawn area only. No pets. Free. For details, 

visit stpetersmo.net/sunset. 

• • • 

O’Fallon Jammin’ Concert Series features 

Dr. Zhivegas with dance music hits 

from 6:30-9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 31 at 

the Civic Park Bandstand, 308 Civic Park 

Drive in O’Fallon. Food trucks and concessions 

are available. Bring chairs or blankets 

for lawn seating. Admission and parking are 

free. The series continues on Tuesday nights 

through August. For the concert calendar, 

visit ofallon.mo.us/jammin. 

• • • 

Whitaker Music Festival is at 7 p.m. 

on Wednesdays, from June 1 through Aug. 

3 at the Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 

Shaw Blvd. in St. Louis. Entry begins at 

5 p.m. Free. Reservations required. For a 

schedule of artists and to make reservations, 

visit mobot.org/whitaker. 

• • • 

Food Truck Frenzy is from 5:30-8:30 

p.m. on Friday, June 3 at Sports Park, 3589 

Hwy K in O’Fallon and featuring a wide 

variety of popular local food trucks in a 

family-friendly park setting. Bring a blanket 

or chair. Admission and parking is free. 

For details, visit ofallon.mo.us. 

• • • 

Twilight Tuesdays-Music in the Park 

is from 6-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday nights 

beginning Tuesday, June 14 through 

August at Legacy Park Amphitheater, 5490 

5th Street in Cottleville. On June 14, Trixie 

Delight, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and now. On 

June 28, That 80’s Band, 80’s pop/rock/ 

new-wave. Bring blankets or chairs. No 

golf carts on the amphitheater hill or grass. 

Free. For details, cityofcottleville.com or 

call (636) 498-6565. 

FAMILY & KIDS 

Family Story Time is at 9:30 and 10:30 

a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays weekly 

at the Spencer Road Branch Library, 427 

Spencer Road in St. Peters. Stories, songs, 

and activities for ages 0-6 enhance early 

literacy skills. Register each child attending. 

Each week all the story times feature 

the same story. Masks are required for ages 

5 and up. Free. To register, visit attend. 

mylibrary.org/events. 

• • • 

Teens Volunteering to Make History is 

from 1-4 p.m. on the third Sunday of each 

See EVENTS, page 38



For great Italian food, burgers and more … it’s Massa’s, Of Course! 

By KATE UPTERGROVE 

Jack Massa says he cannot walk into the 

Town & Country location of his Massa’s, 

Of Course! restaurants without thinking of 

his brother Bill, who was the one behind 

the restaurant’s signature look, which 

includes plenty of sparkling chandeliers. 

Jack recalls that when they were building 

the Town & Country location, “there were 

so many chandeliers I thought they were 

sending me pictures of Metro Lighting’s 

showroom.” 

Jack misses his brother, who passed 

away in December 2020. The duo opened 

their first location Massa’s Old Place at 

4120 N. Lindbergh in 1974. Today, diners 

who love great Italian food, including perfect 

St. Louis-style pizza, alongside wings, 

burgers and beef tenderloin have five 

locations from which to choose: Ballwin, 

Town & Country, the Old Place, Winghaven 

and New Town. 

Not every location has exactly the same 

menu – or the same vibe – but that just 

gives customers good reason to try them all. 

“Each place has its own personality. 

While the menus may be a little different, 

the food is the same. At Winghaven and 

New Town they have more sandwiches 

and appetizers. And they have entertainment 

with DJs and small bands,” Jack said. 

“New Town is also the only location with 

Sunday hours.” 

Winghaven has a lakeside patio that 

spring through fall is the place to be for 

lunch or dinner in St. Charles County, especially 

during happy hour, which runs from 

3-6 p.m. at every location. Favorite appetizers 

include signature dishes, such as Blue 

Mussels swimming in a garlic, white wine 

and clam sauce and the Seafood Stuffed 

Portabella, brimming with a medley of 

clams, shrimp, scallops and cheeses. 

Jack also recommends the Tutta Mare – 

linguine with sea clams, shrimp, scallops, 

mussels, fresh mushrooms and tomatoes in 

a rich cream sauce. Or if you like a little 

heat, try the Cajun Pasta, which features 

Cajun Pasta shrimp and chicken in a spicy 

Massa’s, Of Course! • massasofcourse.com 

Winghaven • 3072 WingHaven Blvd. 

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 

11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 

New Town • 3761 New Town Blvd. 

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 

11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 

cream sauce over penne noodles. 

“I love our Tortellini but I add a 

little cajun sauce,” Jack said. “It’s 

wonderful. It’s not on the menu that 

way but you can ask the chef to fix 

it like that for you.” 

Keeping customers happy has 

been a hallmark of Massa’s for 

nearly 50 years. “Can you believe 

that?” Jack asks. “That’s incredible.” 

Now, a second generation is playing 

an integral role in the company. 

“My son Tony runs between 

Winghaven and Town & Country, and my 

daughter Tammy is our bookkeeper. My 

daughter Kim used to work for the restaurant 

as well, and I have a grandson who is 

chomping at the bit to come work for us. 

He’s still too young,” Jack explained. 

Everybody wants to hang out at Massa’s, 

Of Course! 

“One of the best parts about being in the 

restaurant business is that you meet people 

and you get to be friends. That’s how it is 

with our customers,” Jack said. 

That statement is also true for 

Massa’s employees, many of 

whom have been with the company 

for decades. 

“We have great cooks,” Jack 



I 37 

A trio of Massa’s favorites; St. Louis-style Pizza, Cajun 

Pasta and a Salad with House Dressing 

said. “Everybody says that but they really 

are. And our managers and restaurant staff, 

they’re the best. It’s why customers become 

regulars and keep coming back.” 

Well, that and the fact they can’t get 

some of Massa’s famed dishes anywhere 

else. One such example is the restaurant’s 

famous Pepe Sauce that, according to Jack, 

“has at least 30 ingredients in it.” Its complexity 

not only gives it a rich, lick-theplate 

deliciousness, it also helps to keep the 

customer favorite a well-kept secret. 

Some things you just have to try for yourself. 

So grab your friends, or family and 

head to Massa’s. You’ll be welcomed with 

great food and friendly service because it’s 

Massa’s, Of Course! 

Erio’s 

Ristorante 

Since 1971 

Fresh Fish Daily • Certified Angus Beef 

Veal • Pasta • Hand-tossed Pizza 

951 Jungermann Rd • St. Peters 

928-0112 

DINING 

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ORDER ONLINE AT PICKLEMANS.COM 

®

38 I 





EVENTS, from page 36 

month and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the 

third Saturday of each month at various 

parks in St. Charles County. Rangers lead 

a two-day history interpretation class. Cost 

is $20 for new participants; cost waived 

for existing volunteers. Teens need a permission 

slip and letter of recommendation 

from someone outside their household to 

participate. For ages 13-18. To register, 

visit sccmo.org/232/Parks-Recreation. 

• • • 

Founders Day is at 10 a.m. on Saturday, 

May 7 at Fort Zumwalt Park, 1000 Jessup 

Drive West. in O’Fallon. Fun activities, 

experiences and performances for kids and 

adults. Admission and parking are free. 

• • • 

St. Charles Children’s Business Fair 

is from 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, May 21 

at the Lake Saint Louis Farmer’s Market, 

Meadows Circle Drive.. This is a one-day 

pop-up market for kidpreneurs. Free and 

open to the public. For details, visit childrensbusinessfair.org/stcharles-acton. 

SPECIAL INTEREST 

Seasonal Nature Walks are from 10-11 

a.m. on the first Friday of the month at 

Veterans Tribute Park, 1031 Kisker Road 

in Weldon Spring and led by park horticulture 

specialists. Free. For all ages. 

Registration encouraged. For inclement 

weather, call the Rainout Line at (636) 

707-0011. The next walk is May 6. Visit 

stccparks.org for details. 

• • • 

The St. Charles County Pachyderm 

Club hosts Alex Hackworth who will 

present on decreasing corruption and protecting 

constitutional freedom at noon on 

Friday, May 6; Mike Swaringim candidate 

for State Rep. in District 64 at noon 

on Friday, May 13; and Janet Martin on 

leadership and communication at noon 

on Friday, May 20. All May events will 

be at Mattingly’s, 6245 Ronald Reagan 

Drive in Lake Saint Louis. For details,visit 

sccpachyderms.org. 

• • • 

Whiskers and Wags Pet Expo and 

Adoption Drive is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 

Saturday, May 14 at Civic Park, 308 Civic 

Park Drive in O’Fallon. Bring furry friends 

and shop vendor booths. Pet-themed events, 

activities, demonstrations and more. Free. 

For details, visit ofallon.mo.us. 

• • • 

St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association 

30th Annual Prayer Breakfast is at 

8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18 at the St. 

Charles Convention Center, 1 Convention 

Center Plaza in St. Charles. For more 

information, call (314) 909-3001. 

• • • 

Paws in the Park Dog Festival is from 

10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 21 

at Broemmelsiek Park, 1795 Hwy. DD 

in Defiance. Enjoy contests, prizes, K9 

demonstrations and more. Free. Bring a 

donation of dog food and receive a goodie 

bag while supplies last. Proceeds benefit 

St. Charles County Pet Adoption Center 

and Five Acres Animal Shelter. For details, 

visit stccparks.org. 

• • • 

Horse Races are at 7 p.m. on Saturday, 

June 11 at Dardenne Prairie Hall, 2199 

Post Road in O’Fallon. Doors open at 6 

p.m. Admission is $15 per person and 

includes beer, wine, setups and snacks. To 

purchase tickets, call (636) 497-5480. 

MID RIVERS HOME PAGES 

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Tree Removal 

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TREE SERVICE 

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MID RIVERS 

H O M E P A G E S



MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I 39 

TRADES, from page 17 

tors and direction to ensure that students 

are receiving the most technologically 

advanced and relevant curriculum possible. 

Students attend the center on halfday 

schedules that allow them to remain 

engaged in their home high school academics 

and activities. 

An integral part of the Lewis & Clark 

program is its SkillsUSA chapter, which 

helps students to build confidence and 

increase their ability to solve real-world 

problems. Lewis & Clark students have 

a history of success in regional, state and 

national SkillsUSA competitions. 

Career and technical schools, like Lewis 

& Clark, prepare students to work in skilled 

crafts or trades. Vargas said staffing issues, 

funding and the fact certain occupations 

can’t easily be simulated in traditional classroom 

settings, are some reasons why such 

programs aren’t offered at home schools. 

“When you have a tradesperson who 

makes really good money doing what 

(Photos: Madasyn Lee) 

they do … it’s very unappealing … to quit 

that and go and be a classroom instructor 

for a school district and earn less,” Vargas 

said. “I really do think it’s more beneficial 

in a lot of these areas … to send students 

to them.” 

Reed said people should be more open 

to learning about career opportunities that 

don’t involve a traditional college education. 

Good money, good benefits and a 

sense of pride all come from working in 

the trades. 

“I started out with nothing at a trade 

school and now I’ve got my own company,” 

Reed said. “You never say no. There’s 

always a way to do something.” 

The cost to the consumer 

Greg Bowers, purchasing and estimating 

manager at Consort Homes, said he is 

guilty of that with his own children. 

“We are short labor in all aspects of the 

construction industry, from start to finish, 

from excavation all the way to the painting, 

dirt work, carpentry … ” Bowers said. 

“I think that I can blame my generation a 

little bit because I pushed my kids in colleges 

and things like that where the trades 

weren’t thought of.” 

Because skilled trades are so in demand, 

workers are usually able to find work 

wherever they go. 

“Once you become a tradesperson, you 

are always a tradesperson,” Bowers said. 

“You can go anywhere in the country and 

be a plumber, an electrician or an HVAC 

contractor or a carpenter.” 

There are currently 400,000 job openings 

nationwide in the skilled trades/construction 

industry. 

According to Roth, homebuilders in the 

St. Louis region could be building 1,000 

more homes if they had enough workers. 

“It’s very important,” Roth said of the 

trades. 

A negative consequence of not having 

enough workers means that new homes 

aren’t being built as quickly, leading to 

an increase in prices for already existing 

homes. With enough workers, Bowers 

said Consort Homes could build a new 

house in about six months. Right now, it is 

taking them 10 to 11 months. 

“There’s not a lot of inventory out there 

so people are overbidding for existing 

homes,” Bowers said. “It’s compounded, 

and of course the pricing is just out of this 

world right now.” 

MID RIVERS CLASSIFIEDS • 636.591.0010 • CLASSIFIEDS@NEWSMAGAZINENETWORK.COM 

CLEANING SERVICES 

SPOTLESS CLEANING 

SERVICES 

for your home or business. 

Specializing in everyday cleaning 

of homes, rentals, move outs & 

home buying, etc. 

Family owned & operated 

Call today 314-397-6335 

to schedule your cleaning 

or a FREE ESTIMATE. 

Email: spotless.dina@gmail.com 

COLLECTIBLES 

WANTED TO BUY 

• SPORTS MEMORABILIA • 

Baseball Cards, Sports Cards, 

Cardinals Souvenirs and 

Memorabilia. Pre-1975 Only. 

Private Collector: 

314-302-1785 

ELECTRICAL 

ERIC'S ELECTRIC 

Licensed, Bonded and Insured: 

Service upgrades, fans, can lights, 

switches, outlets, basements, 

code violations fixed, we do it 

all. Emergency calls & back-up 

generators. No job too small. 

Competitively priced. 

Free Estimates. Just call 

636-262-5840 

GARAGE DOORS 

DSI/Door Solutions, Inc. 

Garage Doors, Electric Openers. 

Fast Repairs. All makes & models. 

Same day service. Free Estimates. 

Custom Wood and Steel Doors. 

BBB Member • Angie's List 

Call 314-550-4071 

www.dsi-stl.com 

HAULING 

J & J HAULING 

WE HAUL IT ALL 

Service 7 days. Debris, furniture, 

appliances, household trash, 

yard debris, railroad ties, fencing, 

decks. Garage & Basement Clean-up 

Neat, courteous, affordable rates. 

Call: 636-379-8062 or 

email: jandjhaul@aol.com 

Rockwood School District 

Hiring For Position of: 

Mowing & Landscaping 

Technician in Grounds 

Department 

- 40 hrs/week 

- 12 months/year 

- Competitive Salary 

Full Benefit Package includes: 

- Retirement through the Public 

Educational Employee Retirement 

System (PEERS) of Missouri 

- Paid Medical, Dental 

& Vision Insurance 

- Flexible Spending Accounts 

- Life Insurance 

- Long-Term Disability 

- Employee Assistance Program 

- Sick Leave Compensation 

- Vacation Compensation 

- 11 Paid Holidays 

Apply at: 

https://rockwood.ted. 

peopleadmin.com/hire/index 

or call (636) 733-3270 

EEOC 



CUSTODIAN 

- 40 hrs/week 

- 12 months/year 

- Competitive Salary 

Full Benefit Package includes: 

- Retirement through the Public 

Educational Employee Retirement 

System (PEERS) of Missouri 

- Paid Medical, Dental 

& Vision Insurance 

- Flexible Spending Accounts 

- Life Insurance 

- Long-Term Disability 

- Employee Assistance Program 

- Sick Leave Compensation 

- Vacation Compensation 

- 11 Paid Holidays 

Apply at: 

https://rockwood.ted. 

peopleadmin.com/hire/index 

or call (636) 733-3270 

EEOC 

HELP WANTED 

-PART TIME COOK- 

Multi Faceted Position. 

In Private Home. 

This position 

requires, cooking, serving 

& light house work. 

Wed & Fri, 12PM-8:30PM 

Every other weekend, 

Rotating shifts. 

For more info call 

(314) 349-1457 

Ask for Sherlyn Whiteside 



Food Service 

Our Child Nutrition Assistants 

work school days only 

Part time or Full time, 

No experience needed. 

Starting Pay $13 Hourly. 

Seven Paid Holidays, 

Retirement through PEERS, 

Perfect Attendance Days 

Manager positions available 

with full benefits. 

www.rsdmo.org 

or call 636-733-3253 



Summer Painter/Maintenance 

Monday- Friday 

7am - 3:30pm 

40 hour/week 

Will train 

16+ years old and relaiable 

transportation is necessary. 

Apply at: 

https://rockwood.ted.peopleadmin. 

com/hire/ViewJob.aspx? 

JobID=2486 

or call (636) 733-3270 

EEOC 

POWERWASHING 

HOME IMPROVEMENT 

+ 

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Kitchen/Baths, 

"Don't Worry Get Happy" POWERWASHING 

Lower Level Finishing, 

Complete home remodel/ 

Flooring, Carpentry, Painting 

MAY SPECIAL 

Free Estimates 

repair kitchen & bath, 

plumbing, electrical, 

1 Story House 

(636) 578-9505 

Starting at $239 

carpentry. 24HR Emergency 

AFFORDABLE CARPENTRY Service. Commercial and 

2 Story House 

Starting at $279 

Kitchen Remodeling, Wainscoting, Residential. Discount for 

Cabinets, Crown Molding, Trim, Seniors/Veterans. 

All Smiles Pressure Washing, LLC 

Framing, Basement Finishing, 

636-279-0056 

636-541-9432 

Custom Decks, Doors, Windows. 

Free estimates! 

Anything inside & out! 

Call Joe 636-699-8316 

PAINTING 

REAL ESTATE 

Interior and 

SBA Contracting LLC 

exterior painting 

Home Improvement and Repairs 

Interior Painting, Flooring, 

Deck staining 

Drywall & Wood Repair. 

FREE Estimates 

Insured 

Call 314-910-7458 

or email us at 

- Insured & Free Estimates - 

Dickspainting.com 

314-707-3094 

sbacontractingllc@gmail.com 

PAINTING 

LANDSCAPING 

LANDSCAPE 

REHAB + 

SPECIALIZING 

IN ALL YOUR 

HARDSCAPING 

NEEDS! 

REPAIR•REDO 

ALL NEW 

RETAINING WALLS 

PAVER PATIOS 

FIRE PITS • WALKWAYS 

BOBCAT WORK 

• FREE ESTIMATES • 

636-775-5992 

PLUMBING 

• ANYTHING IN PLUMBING • 

Good Prices! Basement 

bathrooms, small repairs & code 

violations repaired. Fast Service. 

Certified, licensed plumber - MBC 

Plumbing - Call or text anytime: 

314-409-5051 

WATERPROOFING 

TOP NOTCH 

WATERPROOFING & 

FOUNDATION REPAIR LLC 

Cracks, sub-pump systems, 

structural & concrete repairs. 

Exterior drainage correction. 

Serving Missouri for 15 years. 

Finally, a contractor 

who is honest & 

leaves the job site clean. 

Lifetime Warranties. 

Free Estimate 636-281-6982

Fiber-Fast. Fiber-Reliable. 

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Equal upload and download speeds- 

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1 Gig Offer includes 2 months half-off our Gigabit Internet standard monthly rate of $89.99 and 2 free wi-fi Plume(r) pods. Available to qualifying new customers who 

have not subscribed to i3 Broadband services within the previous 30 days, and have no outstanding obligations to i3 Broadband installation.

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 5-4-22

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